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Une femme de 48 ans s'est presentee a une clinique externe de Chengdu (Chine) avec des antecedents de 6 ans de lesions recurrentes au torse et aux extremites. Les lesions [...]

F-44 phenolic epoxy fibers were produced through high-temperature dry spinning utilizing F-44 phenolic epoxy resin as the base material, combined with n-butanol and ethylenediamine (EDA) as the curing agent. The fibers were subsequently analyzed for their structural, thermal stability, microstructural, and mechanical properties using techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, micro-infrared imaging, thermogravimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, and fiber strength testing. The limitations of phenolic resins, including high brittleness, poor toughness, and low elongation at break, restrict their potential applications, necessitating modifications to broaden their utility. Research findings indicate that modifying EDA induces a ring-opening reaction of epoxy groups, thereby enhancing the resin’s structure and improving the thermal stability and mechanical properties of fibers. The thermal stability and mechanical strength of the fibers were optimized at an EDA concentration of 2.0 wt% and curing time of 30 min, resulting in a tensile strength of 105 MPa and an elongation at break of 27.6 %.

Due to the government's liberalization of epidemic control, the current 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has started to spread widely within China. This study aimed to use the fetal heart quantification (fetal HQ) technique to assess the cardiac function and morphology of the fetuses of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID‐19 in the early stages of pregnancy. Exactly 86 pregnant women diagnosed with COVID‐19 infection in early pregnancy (COVID‐19 group) and 90 healthy pregnant women (control group) who underwent fetal echocardiography were prospectively included in this study. The fetal HQ technique was applied to compare the differences in the global sphericity index (GSI), global strain values (GS), fractional area change (FAC), and 24‐segment fractional shortening (FS) of the left and right ventricles, between the COVID‐19 group and the control group. Compared with the control group, the differences in GS and 24‐segment FS of the left ventricle in the COVID‐19 group were not statistically significant. However, the COVID‐19 group showed lower GSI values compared with the control group (1.24 vs 1.28). FAC (48.12%) of the left ventricle and GS (−23.55%), FAC (41.74%) of the right ventricle in the COVID‐19 group were reduced compared with FAC (50.50%) of the left ventricle and GS (−27.63%), FAC (46.01%) of the right ventricle in the control group. Segmental analysis revealed reduced FS in segments 20–24 in the COVID‐19 group compared with the control group. Right ventricular GS was an independent predictor of adverse pregnancy outcome with an optimal cutoff value of −18.66%. The results suggest that COVID‐19 infection in early pregnancy may have a negative impact on fetal cardiac morphology and function. Fetal HQ may offer a new assessment method for the early identification of fetal cardiac alterations in pregnant women infected with COVID‐19.

A 48-year-old woman presented to an outpatient clinic in Chengdu, China, with a 6-year history of recurring lesions on her trunk and extremities. The lesions began as 2- to 10-mm [...]

Une fillette de 2 ans s'est presentee a la clinique de dermatologie avec une protrusion perianale solitaire persistant depuis 2 semaines. Ses parents ont mentionne qu'elle ne demontrait aucun signe [...]

Covalent organic framework (COF) materials are characterized by periodic π arrays and orderly open channels, but poor electrical conductivity limits their applications in opt-electric fields. In this paper, 2,4,6-tris(4-formylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TFPT) and 2,4,6-tris(4-aminophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TAPT) were used to synthesize TPT-COF with a redox unit of triazine by Schiff base reaction. In order to improve the electrical conductivity of TPT-COF, we prepared Nickel Nanowires (NiNWs) by a chemical reduction method and then prepared TPT-COF/NiNWs composites with different loading amounts of NiNWs. With the addition of NiNWs, the two materials are assembled to obtain a nanorod structure by using the π–π packing effect of the COF and the bridging of function conductive NiNWs. The electrochemical properties of composite electrode materials with different contents of NiNWs were tested, and TPT-COF/NiNWs-15% exhibited better electrochemical performance in sulfuric acid electrolytes. The specific capacitance of TPT-COF/NiNWs-15% is 343 F/g, and the high power density is 10945 W/kg. The addition of NiNWs provides a good strategy to improve the electrical performance of the COF-based electrode materials.

A 2-year-old girl presented to the dermatology clinic with a 2-week history of a solitary perianal protrusion. Her parents said she had shown no signs of pain or pruritus. She [...]

Precise manipulation of micro- and nano-objects through visual feedback is challenging because of the difficulty of observing their motion along the line-of-sight of microscopes. This paper presents an efficient learning-based auto-focus (AF) and visual posture estimation scheme for tracking the three-dimensional (3D) poses of multiple moving micro- and nanowires in fluid suspensions under bright-field microscopes. The proposed AF and 3D pose estimation methods integrate convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to precisely identify the focal distances and inclination angles of multiple moving wires through a single region-of-interest (ROI) image for each wire. Furthermore, we demonstrate the versatility of the proposed AF method by adapting it for wires of other materials through transfer learning (TF), using a limited dataset. Extensive experimental results validate the high accuracy and efficiency of AF and 3D pose estimation compared to traditional methods. This work lays the foundation for the automated control of micro- and nano-objects in 3D microfluidic environments. Note to Practitioners—Autonomous manipulation of multiple micro- and nanoscale objects is of major interest for various research applications. However, precise manipulation of micro- and nanowires through visual feedback is challenging because of the difficulty in focusing microscopes on their 3D pose or orientation to the x, y, and z axes as they move in the depth direction. Traditionally, achieving AF involves using one or more image metrics to evaluate image quality by performing a series of mechanical movements to locate the peak sharpness using optimization methods. In contrast, this paper proposes a learning-based approach that uses CNNs to estimate the positions of the focal planes and identify the 3D positions and orientations of multiple moving micro- and nanowires from a single ROI image. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the learning-based methods exhibit higher stability, extended duration, and faster converging speed of tracking and 3D pose estimation compared to traditional methods. This work facilitates researchers’ ability to observe and manipulate micro- and nano-objects under microscopes in 3D microfluidic environments.

The human brain combines multisensory information, such as visual and tactile information, in a statistically optimal manner to achieve perceptual interaction with the outside world. This article proposes a siamese-based visual-tactile fusion model for human subjective perception clustering tasks of multidimensional tactile attribute objects. Specifically, it introduces a similar comparison structure and uses distance measurement to determine category labels to simulate the comparative decision-making mechanism in human perception processes. In the feature extraction and fusion stage, referring to the multilevel processing characteristics of human signals, statistical texture features, and empirical features are extracted from the original interactive information of the visual and tactile channels. These features are combined with the corresponding deep features encoded by the neural network to achieve the information fusion of vision and touch in an adaptive dynamic weighting way. The experimental evaluation results indicate that the proposed model performs well in predicting human subjective perception results, and visual-tactile fusion exhibits a significant perceptual enhancement effect compared to a single visual or tactile channel.

We present a multimodal haptic rendering system that integrates normal force feedback via an airbag and vibration feedback through a piezoelectric vibrator, simulating the hardness and roughness of samples. For hardness rendering, the system utilizes local stiffness (LS) as a critical control parameter of the airbag to enhance user perception of sample hardness during compression. For roughness rendering, we introduce a texture mapping method that extracts roughness from texture images based on Tamura coarseness and maps it to the frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator’s drive voltage, enabling the perception of roughness during horizontal interactions with the sample. User studies are conducted to evaluate the system. Results indicate that the LS effectively mirrors the sample’s transient stiffness, significantly enhancing hardness perception. This multimodal approach demonstrably exceeds single-modal systems in replicating realistic sensory experiences. Moreover, our findings reveal that vibrational stimuli also influence the perception of hardness.

Seismic denoising is a fundamental and critical task in seismic data processing. Aiming at solving the computational complexity of 3-D seismic data processing, we propose a novel data-driven tight frame (DDTF) dictionary learning method with an overcomplete dictionary constructed by discrete cosine transform (DCT) for 3-D seismic data denoising. The advantage of the DDTF algorithm is that only one singular value decomposition (SVD) is required to update the entire dictionary, to accelerate the computational efficiency of 3-D seismic data denoising. First, the seismic data is divided into patches to form matrix samples, and DCT is selected according to preset parameters to initialize the dictionary. Then, the initial dictionary is trained by the DDTF algorithm to update the dictionary. After that, the updated dictionary is used to denoise the block samples of seismic data. Finally, the proposed method is tested with synthetic data and field data. The results show that this method can significantly reduce the computational burden of state-of-the-art methods, such as the damped rank-reduction (DRR) method in 3-D seismic data denoising, and the denoising performance is better than the traditional DDTF method, which is conducive to the application of field data.

This paper focuses on the supply chain consisting of a manufacturer, a third-party (3P) seller, and an e-platform, while the 3P seller sells products through the e-platform. If the e-platform not only provides a sales channel for the 3P seller, but also determines the retail price and then sells products directly, we call it e-platform encroachment, which creates price competition between the 3P seller and e-platform. We find that the encroachment benefits the manufacturer and e-platform but hurts the 3P seller. And both the manufacturer and 3P seller prefer the price discrimination strategy to the uniform pricing strategy, while the e-platform does not necessarily. The price discrimination strategy encourages the manufacturer to offer the 3P seller a preferential wholesale price as the compensation and to curb the competitive advantage of the e-platform. The two pricing strategies have the same total sales quantity but different allocations across channels. Moreover, we propose a new coordination mechanism to reduce the double marginalization effect and improve supply chain performance. In extensions, we demonstrate numerically how the e-platform should decide the commission rate and compare the e-platform encroachment model with the manufacturer encroachment model to reveal the impact of different encroachment roles on all parties in the supply chain.

ABSTRACTBackgroundDulaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has been approved for improving glycemic control and reducing the risk of cardiovascular (CV) adverse events. This study compared the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, safety, and immunogenicity of LY05008, a biosimilar candidate, to a licensed product dulaglutide in healthy Chinese male subjects.Research design and methodsIn this double-blind, open-label, parallel-group study, healthy Chinese male subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive either LY05008 or dulaglutide subcutaneously. Primary study endpoints were PK parameters such as the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity (AUC0 – ∞), AUC from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0–t), and maximum serum concentration (Cmax). Safety and immunogenicity profiles were also included for data analysis.Results82 subjects were randomized to receive LY05008 (n = 41) or dulaglutide (n = 41). The 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of AUC0 – ∞,AUC0–tand Cmaxof LY05008 to dulaglutide were all within the bioequivalence limits of 80%-125%. Other PK parameters, safety, and immunogenicity profiles were comparable across the two treatment groups.ConclusionThis study demonstrated PK similarity of LY05008, a dulaglutide biosimilar, to dulaglutide in healthy Chinese male subjects, with comparable safety and immunogenicity data.Trial registrationThe trial is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Identifier No. ChiCTR2200066519).

Poor medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus has become one of the main causes of suboptimal glycemic control. Once-weekly drugs can markedly improve the convenience, adherence, and quality of life of T2DM patients; thus, they are clinically needed and preferred. PTP1B plays a negative role in both insulin and leptin signaling pathways, which makes it an important target for diabetes. Herein, we design and synthesize 35 analogues of core BimBH3 peptide vialipidation/acylation strategy based on our previous work and evaluate their PTP1B inhibitory activity, obtaining the primary structure–activity relationship. Five compounds with good PPT1B inhibitory activity, target selectivity, and significantly improved stability were selected for molecular docking study and searching candidate molecules with long-acting antidiabetic potential. The in vivoanti-T2DM evaluation validated the once-weekly therapeutic potential of analogues 19, 26, 27, 31, and 33, which were comparable with semaglutide and therefore presented as promising drug candidates.

Herein, we investigated to which extent metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) affect the trophic transfer of other coexisting MNPs from lettuce to terrestrial snails and the associated tissue-specific distribution using toxicokinetic (TK) modeling and single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. During a period of 22 days, snails were fed with lettuce leaves that were root exposed to AgNO3(0.05 mg/L), AgNPs (0.75 mg/L), TiO2NPs (200 mg/L), and a mixture of AgNPs and TiO2NPs (equivalent doses as for single NPs). The uptake rate constants (ku) were 0.08 and 0.11 kg leaves/kg snail/d for Ag and 1.63 and 1.79 kg leaves/kg snail/d for Ti in snails fed with NPs single- and mixture-exposed lettuce, respectively. The elimination rate constants (ke) of Ag in snails exposed to single AgNPs and mixed AgNPs were comparable to the corresponding ku, while the kefor Ti were lower than the corresponding ku. As a result, single TiO2NP treatments as well as exposure to mixtures containing TiO2NPs induced significant biomagnification from lettuce to snails with kinetic trophic transfer factors (TTFk) of 7.99 and 6.46. The TTFkof Ag in the single AgNPs treatment (1.15 kg leaves/kg snail) was significantly greater than the TTFkin the mixture treatment (0.85 kg leaves/kg snail), while the fraction of Ag remaining in the body of snails after AgNPs exposure (36%) was lower than the Ag fraction remaining after mixture exposure (50%). These results indicated that the presence of TiO2NPs inhibited the trophic transfer of AgNPs from lettuce to snails but enhanced the retention of AgNPs in snails. Biomagnification of AgNPs from lettuce to snails was observed in an AgNPs single treatment using AgNPs number as the dose metric, which was reflected by the particle number-based TTFs of AgNPs in snails (1.67, i.e., higher than 1). The size distribution of AgNPs was shifted across the lettuce-snail food chain. By making use of particle-specific measurements and fitting TK processes, this research provides important implications for potential risks associated with the trophic transfer of MNP mixtures.

Abstract:Nabokov was a great writer and a professional biologist with an intense interest in evolutionary theory, and it seems sensible to conclude that his literary creations were heavily influenced by his scientific research. This paper examines how Nabokov's lepidopterological research sheds significant light on his artistic works, including the novel The Gift and its rejected addendum, "Father's Butterflies," and explores how these works embody Nabokov's views on nature, art, and natural selection. It also investigates how Nabokov adopts narrative strategies of parodies, allusions, symbols and narratives to reflect on the universal validity of Darwinism but also to insert his speculation on natural selection and theories of speciation in the narratives. Nabokov's writing evinces no serious quarrel with the basic principles of natural selection. Yet, his work reflects his skepticism of an approach to the world that solely relies on quantitative and statistical analysis.

In seismic data denoising, coherent noise is usually challenging to remove because it has similar features with signal. Therefore, attenuating coherent noise is of great importance for seismic data. To obtain a good denoising result, it is necessary to fully consider the features of coherent noise and choose the appropriate denoising methods. Here, we propose a kurtosis-guided adaptive dictionary learning (KGADL) algorithm based on the variational sparse representation model. First, the variational sparse representation is to construct initial dictionary that depends on the seismic data, so that it can accurately contain the features of the seismic data, so as to improve the accuracy of sparse representation. Then, we use the K-singular value decomposition (K-SVD) algorithm to update the dictionary and introduce kurtosis to measure each atom after updating. Atoms with high kurtosis values usually exhibit strong irregularities and are considered noise, while atoms with low kurtosis values have more feature of valid waves and are considered signal. The atoms with low kurtosis values characterizing valid signal are retained to get the special dictionary that adapts to the complexity of the input seismic data, and this dictionary is used to suppress the coherent noise in seismic data. Finally, the denoising performance of the proposed method is illustrated by examples of both synthetic and field seismic data.

The pollution of micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) in agroecosystems is of increasing concern for its negative impact on living organisms. However, the information on how MNP size and leaf characteristics influence the bioaccumulation, cellular localization and translocation of MNPs in crop leaves is seriously lacking. Here, soil-grown maize and soybean plants were foliar exposed to nano-sized (80 nm) and micro-sized (500 nm) polystyrene (PS) MNPs. Smaller size and trichomes favored higher accumulation of PS MNPs on the crop leaf surfaces. Regardless of crop species, 500 nm PS remained mainly on the leaf epidermis with little present in the apoplast or cytoplasm. 80 nm PS migrated to the maize leaf interior viastomatal and cuticular pathways, while their penetration into the soybean leaves was observed viaa single cuticular pathway due to the presence of trichomes. Subsequently, 80 nm PS appeared within the apoplast and in the cytoplasm, and penetrated deeper into the vasculature viaapoplastic and symplastic pathways. The interaction of 80 nm PS with n-alkanes and esters demonstrated that the deposition of 80 nm PS on the leaves induced a remarkable ‘wax degradation’, i.e., a phase transition of wax ultrastructure from crystalline to amorphous structures. These findings provide a scientific basis for in-depth understanding of the environmental behaviors and physiological effects of MNPs in air–vegetation systems, which are valuable for assessing their potential risks to food safety.

The extant literature argues that Cross-Border M&As (CBMAs) by Chinese Multinational Enterprises (CMNEs) in developed economies are motivated by Strategic Asset Seeking (SAS). However, a more detailed look at the specific strategic assets is often missing. This study investigates which specific strategic assets CMNEs search for, based on the strategic assets that they already possess, and how assets from the acquiring and the acquired companies are bundled after acquisition. By analysing 12 CBMAs, through the perspectives of both the acquired and the acquiring firms, we demonstrate that the interplay between existing country-specific and firm-specific assets enables CMNEs to bundle their existing assets with complementary Western assets. We also provide empirical evidence that technology transfer between CMNEs and Western targets occurs in both directions, and that Chinese acquirers and their target firms both employ joint innovation to upgrade technologies and enhance product offerings.

Global external fields are commonly used to manipulate micro- and nanoparticles in fluid suspension. However, the wireless external actuation has global and coupled influences in the workspace, which limit the robust, independent, and simultaneous control of multiple micro- and nanoparticles. Parametric uncertainty in the particles’ motion model and disturbance make it difficult to steer multiple particles precisely. In this paper, an adaptive tube model predictive control (MPC) scheme is proposed to simultaneously control multiple micro- and nanoparticles in fluid suspensions. The control strategy addresses coupled input actuation from the global electric fields. The unknown mobilities of the particles are continually estimated online, which enables the construction of dynamic tubes of individual particles. The recursive feasibility and the input-to-state stability (ISS) of the scheme are proven. The manipulability of the electrophoresis-based microfluidic manipulation system is quantified and analyzed. The manipulability is affected by the dimensions of the actuating electrodes, the number of particles to be simultaneously and independently controlled, and the configurations of those particles in the microfluidic device. The scalability of the lattice-shaped distributed array of electrodes is discussed. Simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the controller to manipulate multiple particles precisely, independently, and simultaneously. Note to Practitioners—To enable the enormous potential of manufacturing functional micro- and nanodevices, it is crucial to automate the steering and manipulation of multiple micro- and nanoparticles. Wireless actuation is a promising way to position those objects in fluid suspensions. However, the global and coupled influences from the wireless external actuation, the parametric uncertainty in the particles’ motion model, and the external disturbances from the fluid flow limit the robust, independent, and simultaneous control of multiple micro- and nanoparticles. In this paper, we present an adaptive tube model predictive control (MPC) scheme to simultaneously control multiple micro- and nanoparticles in fluid suspensions using electric fields. The scheme estimates the unknown mobilities of the particles, constructs dynamic tubes online, and addresses the coupled actuation from the global electric field. The manipulability of the electrophoresis-based microfluidic manipulation system is introduced, quantified, and analyzed. Those analyses give insights into designing the most effective electrode array and the efficient trajectories to achieve agile particle motions. Experimental results validate the manipulability analyses and the performance of the proposed control strategy.

Eldecalcitol is an active vitamin D3derivative that is used for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the bioequivalence and safety of 2 formulations of eldecalcitol capsule (0.75 μg) in healthy Chinese male and female volunteers, as well as to investigate the food effect on the pharmacokinetics of this drug. An open label, randomized, 3‐period, 3‐sequence, reference replicated crossover clinical study was performed in 27 healthy Chinese volunteers under fasting conditions, while a 2‐way crossover study was carried out in 28 healthy Chinese volunteers under fed conditions. Volunteers were administered a single oral dose of 0.75 μg eldecalcitol after fasting overnight. Blood samples were collected at scheduled time points from 0 to 168 hours after administration of eldecalcitol. The 90%CIs of the test/reference geometric mean ratio (area under the plasma concentration–time curve and maximum plasma concentration) of eldecalcitol after a single‐dose administration were within the acceptance criteria based on the average bioequivalence method. The time to maximum concentration of the test and reference formulations were elevated by ≈2.3‐fold and 1.7‐fold, respectively, after a high‐fat meal. Only mild and transient adverse events were reported in this study, and no severe adverse events occurred. These results indicated that the 2 formulations of eldecalcitol were bioequivalent under both fasting and fed conditions. Food intake prolonged the oral absorption of eldecalcitol but did not significantly influence systemic exposure.

Information transmission is a fundamental issue for human-computer interaction (HCI). Traditional interaction methods through visual, voice, and force haptics are very mature. However, the thermal perception (TP) for HCI is not studied in depth. This work proposes the TP-based information transmission framework. Firstly, we investigated the human hand-object contact heat transfer model and the temperature perception resolution of the hand and verified the feasibility of spatiotemporal temperature stimulation for information transmission by simulations. Then, a thermal device was designed, which utilized a 7×5 Peltier array, a water cooler, temperature sensors, and a control module to realize various static and dynamic spatiotemporal temperature patterns stimulation. Finally, we implemented a device prototype and recruited 20 subjects for experimental studies. The results show that the device can display various temperature patterns and provide thermal stimulations with high precision and speed. Furthermore, the subjects can accurately recognize different temperature values, icons, codes, and waveforms with their palm and fingers after a few times of training, which validates the TP-based information transmission method. Therefore, people can apply this method to interact with machines for information feedback, virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.

The stacking between layers of a two-dimensional covalent organic framework (COF) leads to overlapping πorbitals, which enables charge carriers to be transported quickly through these pre-designed πorbitals. The two-dimensional COF featuring donor-acceptor interactions represents a straightforward approach for fabricating a high-performance organic electrochromic device. In this paper, N, N, N’, N’-tetrad(4-aminophenyl)−1,4-phenylenediamine (TPDA) with electron-rich structure and 2,2’-bipyridine-5,5’-dialdehyde (BPDA) with strong electron absorption ability were used as the construction unit. COFTPDA-BPDAelectrochromic materials with donor-acceptor structure were synthesized by Schiff base reaction, which can achieve reversible switching from red to dark gray. The color/fade time of the film at 474 nm wavelength is 6.8 s/11.9 s. The contrast retention rate of the film can reach 97.6% after 20 potential cycles, the memory time is as long as 4278 s. The present study demonstrates that constructing a donor-acceptor (D-A) structural unit with conjugated triphenylamine as the electron donor linked to bipyridine electron-withdrawing groups enhances charge transfer and redox reactions. With the success of this design strategy, the construction of the D-A structure is an important methodology for improving the electrochromic properties of materials.

This study investigated the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VEGF（vascular endothelial growth factor） gene, which are associated with susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), on the expression of VEGF proteins (VEGF165and VEGF165b) and their role in cell proliferation and apoptosis in human retinal vascular endothelial cells (hRVECs). Cell viability and VEGF165and VEGF165bexpressions were evaluated in hRVECs transfected with VEGFgenes containing different SNPs (rs3025039, rs3025033, and rs10434). The Cell Counting Kit 8 assay, quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, TUNEL assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to examine the effects of VEGFgene SNPs on cell viability, VEGF165and VEGF165bexpressions, and cell apoptosis in hRVECs. The interaction and localization of the RNA-binding protein alternative splicing factor/splicing factor 2 (ASF/SF2) were assessed using RNA pull-down. Although VEGF165expression decreased, VEGF165blevels increased significantly in hRVECs transfected with rs3025039, which decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis. The SNPs rs3025033 and rs10434 had no significant effects on VEGF165bprotein production and apoptosis; however, they promoted cell proliferation. SNPs affected the interaction between RNA and ASF/SF2, a splicing factor for intron retention. Insulin-like growth factor-1 treatment induced the expression of VEGF165, but not VEGF165b, whereas SRPIN340 treatment, an inhibitor of ASF/SF2, increased VEGF165bprotein levels. VEGFgene sequence variations affected hRVEC proliferation and apoptosis via alternative gene splicing. Thus, the regulation of splicing via ASF/SF2 could be a potential strategy in treating pathological neovascularization in patients with AMD.

Relapsed severe aplastic anaemia is a marrow failure disorder with high morbidity and mortality. It is often treated with bone marrow transplantation at relapse post-immunosuppressive therapy, but under-represented minorities often cannot find a suitably matched donor. This study aimed to understand the 1-year overall survival in patients with relapsed or refractory severe aplastic anaemia after haploidentical bone marrow transplantation.

To explore the value of ascending aortic longitudinal strain (LS) in identification of hypertensive (HP) patients with a high risk of type A aortic dissection (AAD). Total 40 primary HP patients with AAD (group C), 80 selected age‐ and sex‐matched primary HP patients (group A, normal‐sized ascending aorta (AA), n= 40; group B, dilated AA, n= 40) and 40 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Brachial blood pressures were measured, and the aortic stiffness index (β) determined by M‐mode analysis was calculated as a conventional parameter of arterial stiffness. The LS of the anterior and posterior ascending aortic wall (AW‐LS and PW‐LS) were determined. Compared to the control group (34.21 ± 5.25%), the mean LS of AA in HP patients (group A 28.6 ± 5.95%; group B 23.64 ± 4.98%; group C 17.93 ± 3.96%; P< .001) were significantly reduced. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the mean LS (OR 0.719, 95% CI 0.615–0.839, P< .001) and pulse pressure (PP) (OR 1.055, 95% CI 1.006–1.106, P= .028) were identified as independent predictors of AAD in HP patients. The AUC of mean LS combined with PP reached 0.926 (sensitivity, 95.0%; specificity, 82.5%), which was higher than the mean LS, PP, stiffness index, and ascending aortic diameter (AAd) separately. Besides, the AW‐LS and PW‐LS were negatively correlated with the AAd, stiffness index, stroke volume, systolic blood pressure, and PP, respectively (P< .001). The LS of AA evaluated by two‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography decreased significantly along with the expansion of aortic lumen and the occurrence of AAD in HP patients. It is also an independent predictor of AAD in HP patients.

This paper is concerned with the bifurcation of the traveling wave solutions, as well as the dynamical behaviors and physical property of the soliton solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional extended Vakhnenko–Parkes (eVP) equation. Firstly, based on the traveling wave transformation, the planar dynamical system corresponding to the (2+1)-dimensional eVP equation is derived, and then the singularity type and trajectory map of this system are obtained and analyzed. Based on the bifurcation of this system, the analytical expression for the periodic wave solution is given and shown graphically. Secondly, the N-soliton solutions are obtained via the bilinear method, and some important physical quantities and asymptotic analysis of one-soliton and two-soliton solutions are discussed. The results obtained in this paper might be useful for understanding the propagation of high-frequency waves.

The heavy metal lead (Pb) holds significant importance in the manufacturing industry due to its extensive range of applications. However, its high toxicity poses a serious risk to both environment and human health. Consequently, on-site portable analysis methods have been developed to detect Pb2+, which is advantageous for obtaining timely information regarding environmental pollution. In this study, a fungal-like porous CoS (FP CoS) was discovered to selectively recognize, adsorb, and detect Pb2+. FP CoS exhibited rapid kinetics (reducing from 8.56 mg∙L–1to 69 µg∙L–1within 30 min) as well as exceptional adsorption capacity of 88.14 mg∙g−1for Pb2+. Benefiting from the selective enrichment of Pb2+, the peroxidase-like activity of FP CoS nanoenzyme was further enhanced, enabling colorimetric detection of Pb2+with a detection limit of 14 ng∙L–1, surpassing numerous reported materials. When applied to environmental samples spiked with 0–100 μg∙L–1Pb2+, the combination of FP CoS nanosensor and a portable RGB color sensor yielded an impressive recovery percentage of 112 %. Based on these results, the FP CoS nanosensor not only provides a rapid and visually discernible colorimetric approach for trace and ultra-trace Pb2+but also serves as a sensitive sensor for detecting Pb2+in various scenarios.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH), characterized by severe myoclonus, pyrexia, tachycardia, hypertension, elevated muscle enzymes, and hypercapnia, often occurs in patients with congenital deformities or genetic disorders. Although the reported incidence rate is as low as 1:5000 to 1:100,000, patients with MH exhibit rapid aggravation and an elevated mortality rate. Thus, MH is associated with substantial perioperative risk. Successful treatment of patients with MH largely depends on early diagnosis and timely effective treatment. This clinical report provides a detailed description of a patient with newly diagnosed MH who developed a rapid rise in body temperature, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and heart rate during maxillary osteotomy. After successful rescue, the patient recovered smoothly during the postoperative period, indicating the importance of intraoperative monitoring, early diagnosis, effective treatment, and postoperative monitoring. This case is expected to serve as a reference for future interventions and healthcare practices in managing other patients with MH.

In view of the problems of low accuracy, small rotational angle, and large impact caused by flexure joints during the deployment process, an integrated flexure revolute (FR) joint for folding mechanisms was designed. The design was based on the method of compliance and stiffness ellipsoids, using a compliant dyad building block as its flexible unit. Using the single-point synthesis method, the parameterized model of the flexible unit was established to achieve a reasonable allocation of flexibility in different directions. Based on the single-parameter error analysis, two error models were established to evaluate the designed flexure joint. The rotational stiffness, the translational stiffness, and the maximum rotational angle of the joints were analyzed by nonlinear finite element analyses. The rotational angle of one joint can reach 25.5° in one direction. The rotational angle of the series FR joint can achieve 50° in one direction. Experiments on single and series flexure joints were carried out to verify the correctness of the design and analysis of the flexure joint.

Abundant bitumen can be discovered in the wells of Upper Sinian Dengying Formation in the Sichuan Basin and their peripheral outcrops sections. As the cracking product of a paleo-oil reservoir, the occurrence morphologies and distribution characteristics of bitumen in carbonate reservoirs can indicate the preservation, migration and other key information of (paleo-) oil and gas reservoirs. In order to provide reference and basis for the deep and ultra-deep oil and gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin and the basins in western China, this paper systematically studies the occurrence morphological characteristics of bitumen in deep and ultra-deep carbonate reservoirs in well Gaoshi 1 of the Sichuan Basin by carrying out thin section observation, scanning electron microscope-energy spectrum analysis and fluid inclusion organic geochemical analysis on the cores of the fourth member of Dengying Formation (Deng 4 Member). In addition, the coupling relationship between the occurrence morphology of bitumen and the key event of hydrocarbon accumulation is revealed. And the following research results are obtained. First, solid bitumen in the Deng 4 Member deep and ultra-deep reservoir has two types of occurrence morphology. The first type of bitumen adheres to pore walls in the shape of a rim or exists in pores in the form of sticky branch (e.g., Wells Chuanshen 1 and Gaoshi 1). There are more obvious shrinkage fractures and residual pores generated by in-situ thermal cracking in this type of bitumen. And combined with fluid inclusion and burial thermal history, it can effectively indicate that a paleo-gas reservoir has been preserved so far since the paleo-oil reservoir was thermally cracked into carbonaceous bitumen. The second type of bitumen is distributed in intra- and inter-neogenic mineral crystals in pores disorderly in the shape of grain and band (e.g., Wells Mashen 1 and Wutan 1) and it has obvious breaking edges. It reveals that after a paleo-oil reservoir was thermally cracked into carbonaceous bitumen, the paleo-gas reservoir suffered blowdown and gas escape and neogenic fluid minerals moved into reservoirs to fill in pores. In conclusion, the occurrence morphologies and distribution characteristics of bitumen in deep and ultra-deep carbonate reservoirs can effectively indicate the hydrocarbon accumulation and evolution process of paleo-oil and gas reservoirs.

ABSTRACTAtherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving endothelial dysfunction, and is one of the main causes of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (lncRNA PVT1) is overexpressed in the serum of CVD patients. However, the mechanism by which lncRNA PVT1 functions in AS remains unknown. Our research was designed to probe interactions involving lncRNA PVT1 and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-stimulated endothelial cell injury in AS. lncRNA PVT1 expression in the serum of AS patients and ox-LDL-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was detected using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assays, flow cytometry (FCM), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to determine cell proliferation, apoptosis, and levels of inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Moreover, the correlation between lncRNA PVT1 and miR-30 c-5p was predicted and verified using StarBase3.0, TargetScan, and luciferase reporter-gene assays. lncRNA PVT1 was overexpressed in the serum of AS patients and in ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs relative to controls. Knockdown of lncRNA PVT1 facilitated proliferation, reduced apoptosis, and secretion of inflammatory factors in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. Moreover, miR-30 c-5p was verified as a direct target of lncRNA PVT1. Furthermore, we observed that miR-30 c-5p expression was lower in AS patients than in controls. In addition, the influence of lncRNA PVT1 knockdown on ox-LDL-treated HUVECs was significantly reversed by downregulation of miR-30 c-5p. In conclusion, lncRNA PVT1 silencing inhibited HUVEC damage stimulated by ox-LDL via miR-30 c-5p regulation.

Purpose: Accumulation of endogenous all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plays a role in the degeneration of photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, contributing to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study attempted to investigate the influence of antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and selective endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) inhibitor salubrinal on apoptosis of ARPE-19 cells induced by ATRA.Methods: The RPE cell line (ARPE-19) was treated with ATRA, ATRA+NAC, ATRA+salubrinal or ATRA+NAC+salubrinal and the control was untreated. After 24 h of cell culture, the levels of apoptosis, multicaspase and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was employed to detect the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and cleaved caspase-3 in the groups.Results: The results of flow cytometry showed that NAC and salubrinal decreased the levels of apoptosis, ROS and multicaspase. ATRA increased VEGF-A levels associated with neovascularisation. NAC and salubrinal inhibited an increase in VEGF-A, CHOP and caspase-3 caused by ATRA in ARPE-19 cells.Conclusions: In ARPE-19 cells, the levels of ROS and ERS can be increased by ATRA, contributing to apoptosis, which can be effectively inhibited by NAC and salubrinal. Thus, ATRA may play an important role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

The increasing application of biosolids and agrochemicals containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) results in their inevitable accumulation in soil, with unknown implications along terrestrial food chains. Here, the trophic transfer of single NPs and a mixture of AgNPs and TiO2NPs from lettuce to snails and their associated impacts on snails were investigated. Both AgNPs and TiO2NPs were transferred from lettuce to snails with trophic transfer factors (defined as the ratio of the Ag/Ti concentration in snail tissues to the Ag/Ti concentration in lettuce leaves) of 0.2–1.1 for Ag and 3.8–47 for Ti. Moreover, the majority of Ag captured by snails in the AgNP-containing treatments was excreted via feces, whereas more than 70% of Ti was distributed in the digestive gland of snails in the TiO2NP-containing treatments. Additionally, AgNP-containing treatments significantly inhibited the activity of snails, while TiO2NP-containing treatments significantly reduced feces excretion of snails. Furthermore, the concurrent application of AgNPs and TiO2NPs did not affect the biomagnification and distribution patterns of Ag and Ti in snails, whereas their co-existence exhibited more severe inhibition of the growth and activity of snails than in the case of applying AgNPs or TiO2NPs alone. This highlights the possibility of nanoparticle transfer to organisms of higher trophic levels via food chains and the associated risks to ecosystem health.

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The rapid development of nanotechnology influences the developments within the agro-sector. An example is provided by the production of nanoenabled pesticides with the intention to optimize the efficiency of the pesticides. At the same time, it is important to collect information on the unintended and unwanted adverse effects of emerging nanopesticides on nontarget plants. Currently, this information is limited. In the present study, we compared the effects of a nanoformulation of atrazine (NPATZ) and the nonencapsulated atrazine formulation (ATZ) on physiological responses, defense mechanisms, and nutrient displacement in lettuce over time with the applied concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 3 mg atrazine per kg soil. Our results revealed that both NPATZ and ATZ induced significant decreases in plant biomass, chlorophyll content, and protein content. Additionally, exposure to NPATZ and ATZ caused oxidative stress to the lettuce plant and significantly elevated the activities of the tested ROS scavenger enzymes in plant tissues. These results indicate that NPATZ and ATZ cause distinct adverse impacts on lettuce plants. When comparing the adverse effects in plants after exposure to NPATZ and ATZ, no obvious differences in plant biomass and chlorophyll content were observed between NPATZ and ATZ treatments at the same exposure concentration regardless of exposure duration. An enhanced efficiency of the active ingredient of the nanopesticide as compared to the conventional formulation was observed after long-term exposure to the high concentration of NPATZ, as it induced higher impacts on plants in terms of the end points of the contents of protein, superoxide anion (O2̇–), and MDA, and the activities of stress-related enzymes as compared to the same concentration of ATZ. Furthermore, exposure to both NPATZ and ATZ disrupted the uptake of mineral nutrients in plants, and the differences in the displacement of nutrients between the NPATZ and ATZ treatments depended on the element type, plant organ, exposure concentration, and time. Overall, the application dose of a nanopesticide should balance their increased herbicidal efficiency with the long-term adverse effects in order to maximize the desired impact while minimizing adverse impacts; only then will we be able to understand the potential impact of nanopesticides on the environment.

Insufficient early osteogenesis seriously affects the later stage osteogenic quality and osseointegration of dental implants. To promote early osteogenesis, we first designed a Ti dental implant with a built-in magnet (mTi) to produce a local static magnetic field (SMF). Then, a dental implantation system comprising the mTi implant and the superparamagnetic hydroxyapatite (HA:Yb/Ho–Fe, named HYH-Fe) particles was implanted into the alveolar bone of beagles. The results showed that the mTi + HYH-Fe group displayed better early osteogenesis and later stage osseointegration than the Ti + HA and mTi + HA groups. A combination of the local SMF (mTi) and superparamagnetic HYH-Fe particles had a positive effect on the pro-osteogenesis of Ti implants. The results also indicated that week 10 could be adopted as the key time point to evaluate the early osteogenic effect of the mTi + HYH-Fe implantation system, which would be a promising prospect for promotion of osteogenesis, in vivotracking investigation of material-bone relationships, and clinical applications.

Photoassisted reduction, as an indispensable supplement to traditional chemical reduction, is a significant technique for regulating the interfacial interaction of active substances in the hybrid electrocatalysts toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). In this work, the well-hierarchical heterostructure of Pt@SnO2/graphene was successfully developed through the usage of the first hydrothermal and subsequent ultraviolet light (UV) excitation process. It was found that Pt particles with an average diameter size of 2.41 nm could be effectively trapped on the surface of semiconducting SnO2nanocrystals (NCs). Besides, the small SnO2NCs with an even distribution provided great opportunities for the accessible regulation from UV irradiation, thus endowing them with high contents of oxygen vacancies, broadened valence band, and inseparably interfacial effect that contributed to the improvement of electrical conductivity for the composite catalysts. Benefitting from the synergistic effect from each component, the obtained catalysts not only displayed a large electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) value of 80.7 m2g–1and excellent mass activity of 1833.6 mA mg–1but also showed desirable long-term durability and poisoning tolerance. For the further enhancement of electrochemical performance, electro-photo synergistic catalysis was also adopted by employing UV during the electrochemical measurements.

We report a scheme to achieve efficient direct mapping of the nonlinear optical response into a spatial beam profile. Compared with previous methods where a standard two-dimensional Airy beam was used as a probe, a modulated beam configuration allows for an improved mapping efficiency, stemming from the induced nonlinearity caused by the applied modulation. We find that the mapping efficiency along different orientations is highly related to the beam patterns and the type of nonlinearity. The improvement of the mapping quality and new, to the best of our knowledge, features found in simulations are further verified in experiments by testing a photorefractive nonlinearity. Our results represent a further step towards an effective tool for the direct measurement of the nonlinear optical response with low power consumption.

•There was a higher rate of treatment-related mortality with myeloablative conditioning, but this was offset by a much higher rate of relapse with reduced-intensity conditioning.•There was no difference in survival following relapse based on conditioning intensity.•Myeloablative conditioning led to improved overall survival in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myelogenous leukemia who underwent allogeneic transplantation.