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A theoretical comprehensive implementing of the structural, elastic, and electronic properties of chalcogenide perovskite BaZrS3 under pressures 0 and 20 GPa is performed by ab-initio calculations included within the density functional theory (DFT). The lattice constants of the BaZrS3 structure are well reproduced from our first-principles calculations, and in excellent agreement with experimental measurements. The electronic parameters indicate that the chalcogenide perovskite BaZrS3 compound has a direct band gap of 1.75 eV. Moreover, the values of mechanical parameters, such as the elastic constant, increased under applied pressure. From the quotient of bulk to shear modulus of B/G, it is found that ductility becomes stronger with the increasing pressure, indicating pressure can effectively improve the ductility of the orthorhombic BaZrS3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the successful synthesis of a spin- and charge-decoupled diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) (Ca,Na)(Zn,Mn)2As2, crystallizing into the hexagonal CaAl2Si2 structure. The compound shows a ferromagnetic transition with a Curie temperature up to 33K with 10% Na doping, which gives rise to carrier density of np∼1020cm-3. The new DMS is a soft magnetic material with HC<400 Oe. The anomalous Hall effect is observed below the ferromagnetic ordering temperature. With increasing Mn doping, ferromagnetic order is accompanied by an interaction between the local spin and mobile charge, giving rise to a minimum in resistivity at low temperatures and localizing the conduction electrons. The system provides an ideal platform for studying the interaction of the local spins and conduction electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress induced by electrical current testing indeed has caused the formation of many whiskers growth in soldering applications. The aim of this investigation is to investigate the electrical current testing to the formation of whiskers. Also the mitigation could be achieved with the additional element of Nickel-Bismuth (Ni-Bi). Characterization of whisker growths are evaluated using the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) on the deposits near anode and cathode areas. Synchrotron micro-XRF were performed on Sn0:7Cu0:05Ni1:5Bi at anode and cathode to accurately observe the distributions of elements in the sample. The obtained results demonstrate that the whisker growths with the effect of current stressing is associated with the intermetallic compound (IMCs) thickness on the anode and cathode areas. Finding shows that by addition of Ni-Bi elements can help to reduce the amount of whiskers form by refining the IMCs formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the correlation between microRNA-1266 (miR-1266) and prostate cancer (PCa) progression, and to investigate the possible underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression level of miR-1266 and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) in PCa tissues and cell lines was first detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). After up-regulating or down-regulating miR-1266 expression in cells, cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities were detected. Possible target genes of miR-1266 were predicted and validated by bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, respectively. Finally, abnormal expression of PRMT5 was ascertained after transfection. RESULTS: MiR-1266 was lowly expressed in PCa tissues and cell lines, whereas PRMT5 exhibited the opposite results. Up-regulated expression of miR-1266 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of PC-3 cells. However, the growth and migration of DU145 cells with low miR-1266 expression were significantly accelerated. Meanwhile, the number of invading cells was significantly increased. PRMT5 was verified as a potential target gene of miR-1266. Furthermore, results found that miR-1266 was negatively correlated with PRMT5. In addition, the expression of PRMT5 was remarkably decreased after miR-1266 overexpression, which could be restored after knockdown of miR-1266. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-1266 inhibits the growth and metastasis of PCa by targeting PRMT5. We may provide a potential and prospective therapeutic target for PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to elucidate pressure-induced second superconducting phase (SC-II) in AxFe2−ySe2 (A = K, Rb, Cs, and Tl) having an intrinsic phase separation, we perform a detailed highpressure magnetotransport study on the isoelectronic, phase-pure (Li1−xFex)OHFe1−ySe single crystals. Here we show that its ambient-pressure superconducting phase (SC-I) with a critical temperature Tc ≈ 40 K is suppressed gradually to below 2 K and an SC-II phase emerges above Pc ≈ 5 GPa with Tc increasing progressively to above 50 K up to 12.5 GPa. Our high-precision resistivity data uncover a sharp transition of the normal state from Fermi liquid for SC-I to non-Fermi liquid for SC-II phase. In addition, the reemergence of high-Tc SC-II is found to accompany with a concurrent enhancement of electron carrier density. Without structural transition below 10 GPa, the observed SC-II with enhanced carrier density should be ascribed to an electronic origin presumably associated with pressure-induced Fermi surface reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4) is a candidate tumor suppressor which plays an important role in multiple processes including DNA repair, apoptosis, cell cycle control, tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. However, clinical data about the role of ING4 in the development and progression of cervical cancer are still limited. This study aimed to examine ING4 expression in cervical cancer and analyze its correlation with the progression of the malignancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed to determine ING4 expression in 18 clinical specimens from cervical cancer patients. The correlation of ING4 expression with the clinical- pathological features of the patients was analyzed. Moreover, the correlation between ING4 and HPV E6/E7 transcription level in SiHa cells was analyzed. RESULTS: ING4 expression was decreased significantly at mRNA and protein levels in the tissues of cervical cancer compared with paracarcinoma tissues. Analysis of the subcellular localization of ING4 showed that ING4 expression was decreased in the nucleus of cervical cancer tissues. Ectopic expression of ING4 reduced the proliferation of SiHa cells, accompanied by decreased HPV E6/E7 transcription. CONCLUSIONS: ING4 expression is decreased in human cervical cancer tissues. Reconstitution of ING4 expression in cervical cancer cells is correlated with decreased HPV E6/E7 transcription. These data suggest that ING4 expression has diagnostic and prognostic significance for cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behavior of a 304 oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) austenitic stainless steel after being exposed to supercritical water (SCW) with dissolved oxygen of 300 ppb at 600 °C/25 MPa was studied. By the means of a least-square fit, the weight gain (Δ w) of the samples as a function of exposure time ( t) could be described by the equation Δ w = 8.011 × t0.459. An approximately parabolic time law in this specified SCW environment can be assumed. A triple protective oxide layer formed on the surface of the metal with the exposure time up to 1000 h. Furthermore, the result of slow-strain rate tensile (SSRT) test indicated that the 304-ODS austenitic stainless steel was not susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in SCW at 600 °C/25 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficiency of autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) to treat severe the lower limbs ischemia caused by thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 2007 to December 2014, a total of 64 patients with TAO (80 affected limbs) received APBSCT at our hospital. The treatment effect was evaluated by subjective indicators including pains and cold sensation of the affected limbs, combined with objective indicators including claudication distance, ankle brachial index (ABI), transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) and skin temperature. RESULTS: Five patients (with 5 affected limbs) suffered from necrosis below the middle of the leg 4 weeks after transplantation and received amputation. For the remaining 59 patients (75 affected limbs), pain and cold sensation of the affected limbs were improved with varying extent 3 months after transplantation; there were statistically significant differences in pain score and cold sensation score of the affected limbs before and after APBSCT (p<0.05). Claudication distance, ABI, TcPO2 and skin temperature were also improved. Claudication distance increased from 85.69 m±43.48 m to 36.5±9.88 mmHg, and the skin temperature of the lower limbs increased from 27.70°C±0.53°C to 33.49°C±0.60°C. All four indicators were considerably improved after APBSCT (p<0.05). Arteriography was performed for 75 affected limbs in 59 patients 6 months after transplantation and found that new collateral vessels were formed in the affected limbs. No patients were complicated by retinal hyperplasia, malignant tumors, myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction during the follow- up examinations; no patients underwent symptom aggravation during 9-48 month followup (average, 28.5 months). CONCLUSIONS: APBSCT is an easy, safe and reliable treatment for ischemia of lower limbs, especially for those with poor distal arterial outflow tract in the lower limbs that do not permit bridging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term thermal-aging treatments at 973 K were carried out on a 16Cr-oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic steel in air with the aging time ranging from 10 h up to 5000 h. The microstructural evolution of the 16Cr-ODS samples during the thermal-aging treatments was characterized using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, variations in the mechanical properties including Vickers micro-hardness, tensile properties, and Charpy impact toughness before and after thermal-aging treatments are reported. It was found that the 16Cr-ODS ferritic steel displayed a relatively good thermal-aging stability in respect to the microstructure and mechanical properties during the long-term thermal-aging treatments at 973 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of electron-hole interband interactions is widely acknowledged for iron-pnictide superconductors with high transition temperatures (Tc). However, the absence of hole pockets near the Fermi level of the iron-selenide (FeSe) derived high-Tc superconductors raises a fundamental question of whether iron pnictides and chalcogenides have different pairing mechanisms. Here, we study the properties of electronic structure in the high-Tc phase induced by pressure in bulk FeSe from magnetotransport measurements and first-principles calculations. With increasing pressure, the low-Tc superconducting phase transforms into the high-Tc phase, where we find the normal-state Hall resistivity changes sign from negative to positive, demonstrating dominant hole carriers in contrast to other FeSe-derived high-Tc systems. Moreover, the Hall coefficient is enlarged and the magnetoresistance exhibits anomalous scaling behaviors, evidencing strongly enhanced interband spin fluctuations in the high-Tc phase. These results in FeSe highlight similarities with high-Tc phases of iron pnictides, constituting a step toward a unified understanding of iron-based superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: By conducting a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 14 patients diagnosed with invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS) confirmed by metagenomics next generation sequencing (mNGS) technology, we aim to explore the rapid diagnosis value of mNGS in IFRS. Methods: The clinical data of 14 IFRS patients admitted to TianJin First Central Hospital were retrospectively analyzed from February 2021 to October 2023. The study cohort comprised 8 males and 6 females, with ages ranging from 14 to 77 years. All patients were diagnosed as IFRS by performing mNGS sequencing technology of nasal sinus lesion biopsy specimens. Clinical data such as laboratory examination, imaging examination, histopathological examination results, treatment plan and prognosis were summarized and analyzed. Results: All 14 patients were diagnosed as IFRS, with mNGS detecting pathogens such as Rhizopus (7 cases), Aspergillus (5 cases), Trichoderma (1 case), and Scedosporium apiospermum (1 case). Follow-up evaluations were conducted for a period ranging from 2 months to 2 years post-treatment. At the end of follow-up, 11 out of 14 IFRS patients achieved a complete cure with no signs of recurrence, while the symptoms of the remaining 3 patients significantly improved with comprehensive treatment. Conclusion: mNGS emerges as a highly effective diagnostic tool for IFRS, providing valuable microbiological evidence for clinical diagnosis and demonstrating promising clinical utility.

Objective: To understand the distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV in different ethnic groups in China. Methods: The HBsAg positive samples were selected by stratified multi-stage cluster sampling from the sample base of national HBV sero-epidemiological survey in 2020 for the amplification of S gene of HBV by nested PCR. A phylogeny tree was constructed to determine the genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV. The distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV were analyzed comprehensively by using laboratory data and demographic data. Results: A total of 1 539 positive samples from 15 ethnic groups were successfully amplified and analyzed, and 5 genotypes (B, C, D, I and C/D) were detected. The proportion of genotype B was higher in ethnic group of Han (74.52%, 623/836), Zhuang (49.28%, 34/69), Yi (53.19%, 25/47), Miao (94.12%, 32/34), Buyi (81.48%, 22/27). The proportions of genotype C were higher in ethnic groups of Yao (70.91%, 39/55). Genotype D was the predominant genotype in Uygur (83.78%, 31/37). Genotype C/D were detected in Tibetan (92.35%,326/353). In this study, 11 cases of genotype I were detected, 8 of which were distributed in Zhuang nationality. Except for Tibetan, sub-genotype B2 accounted for more than 80.00% in genotype B in all ethnic groups. The proportions of sub-genotype C2 were higher in 8 ethnic groups, i.e. Han, Tibetan, Yi, Uygur, Mongolian, Manchu, Hui and Miao. The proportions of sub-genotype C5 were higher in ethnic groups of Zhuang (55.56%, 15/27) and Yao (84.62%, 33/39). For genotype D, sub-genotype D3 was detected in Yi ethnic group and sub-genotype D1 was detected in both Uygur and Kazak. The proportions of sub-genotype C/D1 and C/D2 in Tibetan were 43.06% (152/353) and 49.29% (174/353). For all the 11 cases of genotype I infection, only sub-genotype I1 was detected. Conclusions: Five genotypes and 15 sub-genotypes of HBV were found in 15 ethnic groups. There were significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and sub-genotypes of HBV among different ethnic groups.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a retinal vascular proliferative disease occurring in premature and low birth weight infants, which is the leading cause of blindness and low vision in children. Laser photocoagulation is still recognized as the gold standard of treatment in ROP. Recently, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy has become a novel alternative approach in clinical practice for ROP. However, there are still many improper and deviations in identifying indications and selecting therapeutic modalities, resulting in generalization and abuse of anti-VEGF drugs in treatment of ROP. The aim of this article is to summarize and objectively evaluate the treatment indications and methods of ROP based on related research at home and abroad, in order to strictly control the theraputic indications and scientifically and rigorously select appropriate therapeutic modalities for the benefit of children with ROP.

To seek viable alternatives to antibiotics, we determined the combinatorial effects of Lactobacillus and a quorum quenching enzyme (QQE) on broiler growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune responses, and cecal microbial populations. In total, 360 one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments, with 12 replicate pens/treatment and 10 birds/replicate pen. Dietary treatments lasted 42 d and comprised: corn-soybean meal basal diet (control group, CON); control plus antibiotic growth promoter supplement group (AGP); and control plus Lactobacillus and QQE supplement group (LQ). Dietary LQ supplementation significantly increased final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) when compared with CON and AGP groups between 22 and 42 d and 1 to 42 d (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels between treatments (P > 0.05). A higher concentration of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was observed on d 42 in the LQ group (P = 0.06). Feeding LQ significantly increased serum immunoglobulins (IgA and IgG) levels when compared with other treatments (P < 0.05). A statistical trend was also observed for increased cecal butyrate levels (P = 0.06) in the LQ group. Bacterial α-diversity was unaffected by dietary treatments (P > 0.05). However, from principal component analysis (PCoA), the microbial community structure was different between the LQ and AGP groups. Diet supplemented with LQ significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the relative abundance of Synergistota and Proteobacteria and significantly (P < 0.05) increased the proportion of Ruminococcaceae and Faecalibacterium. Thus, supplemental LQ improved growth performance, immune status, and modulated intestinal microbial communities in broilers. We provide a new perceptive on antibiotic substitutes in the poultry industry., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Currently, the national schistosomiasis control program of China is moving from transmission interruption to elimination, and there are multiple challenges during the stage moving towards the progression of schistosomiasis elimination, including a high difficulty in shrinking snail-infested areas, unstable achievements for infectious source control, imperfect surveillance system and a reduction in schistosomiasis control and administration. Based on the core suggestions proposed in the 2022 WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis, recommendations on schistosomiasis surveillance system building, development of novel diagnostics, adjustment of the schistosomiasis control strategy and maintaining and improvements of the schistosomiasis control capability are proposed for the national schistosomiasis control program of China in the new era according to the actual status of schistosomiasis control in China. Formulation of the national schistosomiasis control strategy and goal from One Health perspective, verification of transmission interruption and elimination of schistosomiasis, precision implementation of schistosomiasis control interventions with adaptations to local circumstances, development and application of highly sensitive and specific diagnostics are recommended for elimination of schistosomiasis in China. In addition, the implementation of the 2022 WHO guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis may guide the elimination of schistosomiasis in China.