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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease marked by inflammatory cell infiltration and joint damage. The Chinese government has approved the prescription medication sinomenine (SIN), an effective anti-inflammation drug, for treating RA. This study evaluated the possible anti-inflammatory actions of SIN in RA based on bioinformatics analysis and experiments. Six microarray datasets were acquired from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. We used R software to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and perform function evaluations. The CIBERSORT was used to calculate the abundance of 22 infiltrating immune cells. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to discover genes associated with M1 macrophages. Four public datasets were used to predict the genes of SIN. Following that, function enrichment analysis for hub genes was performed. The cytoHubba and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were employed to select hub genes, and their diagnostic effectiveness was predicted using the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Molecular docking was undertaken to confirm the affinity between the SIN and hub gene. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy of SIN was validated in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells line using Western blot and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was identified as the hub M1 macrophages-related biomarker in RA using bioinformatic analysis and molecular docking. Our study indicated that MMP9 took part in IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways. Furthermore, we found that SIN suppresses the MMP9 protein overexpression and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell line. In conclusion, our work sheds new light on the pathophysiology of RA and identifies MMP9 as a possible RA key gene. In conclusion, the above findings demonstrate that SIN, from an emerging research perspective, might be a potential cost-effective anti-inflammatory medication for treating RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross‐version defect prediction (CVDP) for evolutionary projects has attracted much attention from researchers in recent years. For multiple versions of an object‐oriented project, the degree of evolution (e.g., the degree of class change) between successive versions can reflect the differences between versions, which could affect the performance of CVDP. Therefore, how to measure the degree of evolution between successive versions and explore the correlations with the performance of CVDP are very important for software defect prediction. Based on the successive versions of evolutionary projects, this paper proposes six evolutionary measures from three aspects of class change, metric change, and label change, including the Ratio of New Classes (RNC), the Ratio of Deleted Classes (RDC), the Average Ratio of Metric Change (ARMC), the Ratio of Label Changed Classes (RLCC), the Ratio of Unchanged Classes (RUC), and the Ratio of Interference Classes (RIC). An empirical study was conducted on 40 versions of 11 object‐oriented projects from the PROMISE repository. Precision, Recall, F‐measure, and AUC were used as the performance indicators. Three correlation approaches (Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall) are applied to show the correlations between evolutionary measures and the performance of CVDP. The statistical results show that RNC, RDC, and RUC show no correlation with four performance indicators. ARMC shows weak or medium positive correlations with Recall and F‐measure. RLCC and RIC show very strong or strong negative correlations with Recall and F‐measure. The results indicate that the correlations between the proposed evolutionary measures and the performance of CVDP are different, which can guide the training set selection of CVDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metalloborophene, characterized by the presence of metal‐centered boron wheels denoted as M©Bn, has garnered considerable attention in recent years due to its versatile properties and potential applications in fields such as electronics, spintronics, and catalysis. However, the experimental verification of metalloborophene is challenging, mainly due to the unconventional 2D boron networks. In this study, scanning tunneling microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and first‐principles calculations are employed to unveil Cu©B8 metalloborophene nanoribbons formed via spontaneous alloying after the deposition of boron on a heated Cu(110) substrate under ultrahigh vacuum condition. The thermodynamically preferred precursor, the anchoring of boron network to metal atoms, and anisotropic lattice mismatch are identified as pivotal factors in the formation of these metalloborophene nanoribbons. This discovery expands the repertoire of 2D materials and offers a potential pathway for the synthesis of other metalloborophenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the predominant birth defect. This study aimed to explore the association between maternal cardiovascular health (CVH) and the CHD risk in offspring. Methods: We used the prospective data from the Fujian Birth Cohort Study, collected from March 2019 to December 2022 on pregnant women within 14 weeks of gestation. Overall maternal CVH was assessed by seven CVH metrics (including physical activity, smoking, sleep duration, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose), with each metric classified as ideal, intermediate or poor with specific points. Participants were further allocated into high, moderate and low CVH categories based on the cumulative CVH score. The association with offspring CHD was determined with log-binominal regression models. Results: A total of 19810 participants aged 29.7 (SD: 3.9) years were included, with 7846 (39.6%) classified as having high CVH, 10949 (55.3%) as having moderate CVH, and 1015 (5.1%) as having low CVH. The average offspring CHD rate was 2.52%, with rates of 2.35%, 2.52% and 3.84% across the high, moderate and low CVH categories, respectively (P = 0.02). Adjusted relative risks (RRs) of having offspring CHD were 0.64 (95% CI: 0.45-0.90, P = 0.001) for high CVH and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.48-0.93, P = 0.02) for moderate CVH compared to low CVH. For individual metrics, only ideal total cholesterol was significantly associated with lower offspring CHD (RR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59-0.83, P = 0.002). Conclusions: Pregnant women of high or moderate CVH categories in early pregnancy had reduced risks of CHD in offspring, compared to those of low CVH. It is important to monitor and improve CVH during pre-pregnancy counseling and early prenatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity substantially contributes to the onset of acute pancreatitis (AP) and influences its progression to severe AP. Although body mass index (BMI) is a widely used anthropometric parameter, it fails to delineate the distribution pattern of adipose tissue. To circumvent this shortcoming, the predictive efficacies of novel anthropometric indicators of visceral obesity, such as lipid accumulation products (LAP), cardiometabolic index (CMI), body roundness index (BRI), visceral adiposity index (VAI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), and Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI) were examined to assess the severity of AP. Method: The body parameters and laboratory indices of 283 patients with hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) were retrospectively analysed, and the six novel anthropometric indicators of visceral obesity were calculated. The severity of HLAP was determined using the revised Atlanta classification. The correlation between the six indicators and HLAP severity was evaluated, and the predictive efficacy of the indicators was assessed using area under the curve (AUC). The differences in diagnostic values of the six indicators were also compared using the DeLong test. Results: Patients with moderate to severe AP had higher VAI, CMI, and LAP than patients with mild AP (all P < 0.001). The highest AUC in predicting HLAP severity was observed for VAI, with a value of 0.733 and 95% confidence interval of 0.678–0.784. Conclusions: This study demonstrated significant correlations between HLAP severity and VAI, CMI, and LAP indicators. These indicators, particularly VAI, which displayed the highest predictive power, were instrumental in forecasting and evaluating the severity of HLAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to differentiate stimuli that predict fear is critical for survival; however, the underlying molecular and circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. We combined transgenic mice, in vivo transsynaptic circuit-dissecting anatomical approaches, optogenetics, pharmacological methods, and electrophysiological recording to investigate the involvement of specific extended amygdala circuits in different fear memory. We identified the projections from central lateral amygdala (CeL) protein kinase C δ (PKCδ)–positive neurons and somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons to GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) and glutamatergic neurons in the ventral part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (vBNST). Prolonged optogenetic activation or inhibition of the PKCδCeL-vBNST pathway specifically reduced context fear memory, whereas the SSTCeL-vBNST pathway mainly reduced tone fear memory. Intriguingly, optogenetic manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from PKCδCeL neurons exerted bidirectional regulation of context fear, whereas manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from SSTCeL neurons could bidirectionally regulate both context and tone fear memory. We subsequently demonstrated the presence of δ and κ opioid receptor protein expression within the CeL-vBNST circuits, potentially accounting for the discrepancy between prolonged activation of GABAergic circuits and inhibition of downstream vBNST neurons. Finally, administration of an opioid receptor antagonist cocktail on the PKCδCeL-vBNST or SSTCeL-vBNST pathway successfully restored context or tone fear memory reduction induced by prolonged activation of the circuits. Together, these findings establish a functional role for distinct CeL-vBNST circuits in the differential regulation and appropriate maintenance of fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work described here was to develop and validate a predictive model for cytokeratin 7 (CK7) expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients by combining multimodal ultrasound diagnostic techniques. This retrospective study enrolled 157 surgically confirmed ccRCC patients. All patients underwent pre-operative multimodal ultrasound diagnostic examinations, including B-mode ultrasound (US), color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The patients were randomly divided into a training group (103 cases) and a testing group (54 cases). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed in the training group to identify independent indicators associated with CK7 positivity. These indicators were included in the predictive model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves were used to evaluate the model's discriminative ability and accuracy. Decision curve analysis (DCA) and nomogram visualization were used to assess the clinical utility of the predictive model. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that US and CDFI observations were not correlated with CK7 expression and could not predict it. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.953, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.909–0.999), wash-in pattern (OR = 0.180, 95% CI: 0.063–0.513) and enhancement homogeneity (OR = 11.610, 95% CI: 1.394–96.675) as independent factors related to CK7 positivity in ccRCC. Incorporating these variables into the predictive model resulted in areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.812 (95% CI: 0.711–0.913) for the training group and 0.792 (95% CI: 0.667–0.924) for the testing group. The calibration curve and DCA revealed that the model had good accuracy and clinical utility of the model. The combination of multimodal ultrasound diagnostic techniques in constructing a predictive model for CK7 expression in ccRCC patients has significant predictive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Methods Results Conclusions To explore the role of fibrocytes in the recurrence and calcification of fibrous epulides.Different subtypes of fibrous epulides and normal gingival tissue specimens were first collected for histological and immunofluorescence analyses to see if fibrocytes were present and whether they differentiated into myofibroblasts and osteoblasts upon stimulated by transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1). Electron microscopy and elemental analysis were used to characterize the extracellular microenvironment in different subtypes of fibrous epulides. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were subsequently isolated from in vitro models to mimic the microenvironment in fibrous epulides to identify whether TGF‐β1 as well as the calcium and phosphorus ion concentration in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of a fibrous epulis trigger fibrocyte differentiation.Fibrous epulides contain fibrocytes that accumulate in the local inflammatory environment and have the ability to differentiate into myofibroblasts or osteoblasts. TGF‐β1 promotes fibrocytes differentiation into myofibroblasts in a concentration‐dependent manner, while TGF‐β1 stimulates the fibrocytes to differentiate into osteoblasts when combined with a high calcium and phosphorus environment.Our study revealed fibrocytes play an important role in the fibrogenesis and osteogenesis in fibrous epulis, and might serve as a therapeutic target for the inhibition of recurrence of fibrous epulides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household air pollution from solid cooking fuel use influences multiple health outcomes, but its association with body pain remains poorly understood. This was a longitudinal study of 8880 adults who participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2018. Household cooking fuels were extracted from the baseline household questionnaire. Transitions in cooking fuels from 2011 to 2018 were also identified. Body pain status was reported in the three waves of surveys conducted in 2011, 2015, and 2018. The associations between cooking fuel type, fuel transition, and pain site number were examined using generalized estimating equations. Among the 8880 participants, 41.4% (n = 3680) primarily used clean fuels for cooking, and 58.6% (n = 5200) used solid ones at baseline. Cooking with solid fuels was associated with more pain sites (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 to 1.21), but a slower rate of pain sites increases from 2011 to 2018 (IRR = 0.78 ; 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.86, for 2018 × solid fuels). Compared with those who persistently used clean fuels for cooking, the number of pain sites increased by 10% in participants who transiting from using solid to clean fuels (IRR = 1.10 ; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.18), by 21% in those transiting from cooking with clean to solid fuels (IRR = 1.21 : 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.35) and by 25% among those persistent using solid fuels for cooking (IRR = 1.25 ; 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.34). Our findings provided new evidence linking using solid fuels for cooking with more pain sites, but a slower rate of pain sites increases. Public health efforts should focus on fuel transition and take measures to help clean fuels spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is one of the most common and feared symptoms in patients with advanced tumors. The X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) and the CXCR4 receptor have been associated with glial cell activation in bone cancer pain. Moreover, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), as downstream CXCL12/CXCR4 signals, and c-Jun, as activator protein AP-1 components, contribute to the development of various types of pain. However, the specific CIBP mechanisms remain unknown. Esketamine is a non-selective N-methyl- d -aspartic acid receptor (NMDA) inhibitor commonly used as an analgesic in the clinic, but its analgesic mechanism in bone cancer pain remains unclear. We used a tumor cell implantation (TCI) model and explored that CXCL12/CXCR4, p-MAPKs, and p-c-Jun were stably up-regulated in the spinal cord. Immunofluorescence images showed activated microglia in the spinal cord on day 14 after TCI and co-expression of CXCL12/CXCR4, p-MAPKs (p-JNK, p-ERK, p-p38 MAPK), and p-c-Jun in microglia. Intrathecal injection of the CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 reduced JNK and c-Jun phosphorylations, and intrathecal injection of the JNK inhibitor SP600125 and esketamine also alleviated TCI-induced pain and reduced the expression of p-JNK and p-c-Jun in microglia. Overall, our data suggest that the CXCL12/CXCR4-JNK-c-Jun signaling pathway of microglia in the spinal cord mediates neuronal sensitization and pain hypersensitivity in cancer-induced bone pain and that esketamine exerts its analgesic effect by inhibiting the JNK-c-Jun pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data-driven methods have now been widely used in structural health monitoring of civil infrastructures thanks to the rapid development of sensor technologies with massive structural and operational condition data. One main issue of data-driven methods is that the computational time increases with the number of monitoring data used, which limits their applications for online structural condition assessment. Focusing on bridge structural health monitoring, this paper proposes a representative data selection strategy for online performance assessment based on Gaussian process models. The proposed method can effectively reduce the required monitoring data size for training, allowing the bridge performance assessment to be conducted in a real-time manner. The method is developed in a probabilistic manner, allowing associated uncertainty of bridge monitoring data to be rigorously considered. A probabilistic warning index is proposed for bridge condition assessment and anomaly detection. The proposed method is validated using synthetic data and applied to structural condition assessment of two full-scale bridges, illustrating the feasibility for real implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of electric vehicles, the demand for the high-voltage low-current DC-DC chips used in vehicle on-board equipment continues to grow. To improve the efficiency of the switching power supply, an asynchronous buck high-voltage DC-DC converter with adaptive variable frequency modulation (AVFM) technology is designed in this paper. This work focuses on the efficiency optimization of the buck converter, and the relationship between power consumption and operating frequency under different loads. The optimal frequency range is selected during light and heavy loads, and adaptive transition of the frequency is realized during a medium load. Using a threshold voltage (Vth_cs) circuit with an adjustable current inside the chip, the on-time of the switch is changed to realize frequency conversion. The whole chip design is based on 0.35 μm BCD process, in which the integrated LDMOS can withstand 200 V. System simulations are completed in Cadence. The results show that when the input voltage is 30–60 V and the output specification is 5 V/0.5 A, the system realizes adaptive frequency conversion in the entire load range, and the efficiency reaches 88.9%. The actual performance of the chip meets the design requirements and has good EMI characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and accurate recognition of protein–DNA interactions is vital for understanding the molecular mechanisms of related biological processes and further guiding drug discovery. Although the current experimental protocols are the most precise way to determine protein–DNA binding sites, they tend to be labor-intensive and time-consuming. There is an immediate need to design efficient computational approaches for predicting DNA-binding sites. Here, we proposed ULDNA, a new deep-learning model, to deduce DNA-binding sites from protein sequences. This model leverages an LSTM-attention architecture, embedded with three unsupervised language models that are pre-trained on large-scale sequences from multiple database sources. To prove its effectiveness, ULDNA was tested on 229 protein chains with experimental annotation of DNA-binding sites. Results from computational experiments revealed that ULDNA significantly improves the accuracy of DNA-binding site prediction in comparison with 17 state-of-the-art methods. In-depth data analyses showed that the major strength of ULDNA stems from employing three transformer language models. Specifically, these language models capture complementary feature embeddings with evolution diversity, in which the complex DNA-binding patterns are buried. Meanwhile, the specially crafted LSTM-attention network effectively decodes evolution diversity-based embeddings as DNA-binding results at the residue level. Our findings demonstrated a new pipeline for predicting DNA-binding sites on a large scale with high accuracy from protein sequence alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the genotype–phenotype relationship in two Chinese family members with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Methods: We collected blood samples and clinical data from each pedigree family member. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral leukocytes using standard methods. Targeted next‐generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to find the pathogenic mutation in this family. Minigene assays were used to verify whether the novel intronic mutation SLC26A4c.765+4A>G influenced mRNA splicing. Results: Hearing loss in the patients with EVA was diagnosed using auditory tests and imaging examinations. Two pathogenic mutations, c.765+4A>G and c.919‐2A>G were detected in SLC26A4. In vitro minigene analysis confirmed that c.765+4A>G variant could cause aberrant splicing, resulting in skipping over exon 6. Conclusions: The SLC26A4c.765+4A>G mutation is the causative variant in the Chinese family with EVA. Particular attention should be paid to intronic variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: A series of 3‐acyl‐substituted isoindolinone derivatives were synthesized in a one‐pot manner via the reaction of o‐bromobenzaldehydes, isocyanides, and carboxylic acids in the presence of palladium catalyst and base. The reaction employing easily available starting materials features simple operation and high efficiency. The mechanistic study showed that the reaction might undergo 1) Pd‐catalyzed [3+2] cyclization of o‐bromobenzaldehyde with isocyanide and the re‐insertion of another molecule of isocyanide, 2) addition of carboxylic acid to in situ formed ketenimine followed by a rearrangement relay to give 3,3‐diacyl‐substituted isoindolinone derivative. Further transformations of the obtained products through decarbonylation could also be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a portable low-power low dropout regulator (LDO) with no output capacitance has been designed in 0.18- μ m CMOS technology. In this paper, a PMOS power transistor is used and combined with an overshoot and undershoot suppression circuit to improve the transient response of the circuit. A modified Class-AB operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is used to reduce power consumption and act as an error amplifier to eliminate low frequency poles. At the same time, a super source follower and a Miller capacitor are used for frequency compensation of the system. Finally, the system can provide a stable voltage for a load step from 0.2 to 25 mA in 500 ns edge-time for 140 pF-load capacitance. The test results show that the circuit achieves a good voltage regulation rate and high transient response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long gamma-ray burst GRB 191221B has abundant observations in X-ray, optical, and radio bands. In the literature, the observed optical light curve of GRB 191221B displays a plateau around 0.1 d, which is rather peculiar in gamma-ray bursts. Here, we performed detailed analysis of the observational data from Swift / UVOT , Very Large Telescope, and Las Cumbres Observatory, obtained the light curve of the multiband afterglow of GRB 191221B. By examining optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and radio data for this event, we demonstrate that an on-axis two-component jet model can explain the observations. Our analysis suggests that the narrow component has an initial Lorentz factor of 400 and a jet opening half-angle of 1.4°, while the wide component has an initial Lorentz factor of 25 and a jet opening half-angle of 2.8°. The narrow jet dominates the early decay, whereas the wider jet causes the optical plateau and dominates late decay. According to this model, the reason for the absence of the X-ray plateau is due to the steeper spectral index of the wide component, resulting in a less significant flux contribution from the wide jet in the X-ray bands than in the optical bands. Moreover, we have explained the inconsistency in the decay indices of the UVOT- and Rc -band data around 2000 s using reverse shock emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt, caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV), is a devastating disease affecting cotton (Gossypium spp.) worldwide. Understanding the genetic basis of resistance in diploid cotton and successfully transferring the resistance to tetraploid Upland cotton (G. hirsutum) are crucial for developing resistant cotton cultivars. Although numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the genetic basis of Fusarium wilt in tetraploid cotton, little research has been conducted on diploid species. In this study, an association mapping panel consisting of 246 accessions of G. arboreum, was used to identify chromosomal regions for FOV race 4 (FOV4) resistance based on foliar disease severity ratings in four greenhouse tests. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on 7,009 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers, 24 FOV4 resistance QTLs, including three major QTLs on chromosomes A04, A06, and A11, were detected. A validation panel consisting of 97 diploid cotton accessions was employed, confirming the presence of several QTLs. Evaluation of an introgressed BC2F7 population derived from G. hirsutum/G. aridum/G. arboreum showed significant differences in disease incidence and mortality rate, as compared to susceptible and resistant controls, suggesting that the resistance in G. arboreum and/or G. aridum was transferred into Upland cotton for the first time. The identification of novel major resistance QTLs, along with the transfer of resistance from the diploid species, expands our understanding of the genomic regions involved in conferring resistance to FOV4 and contributes to the development of resilient Upland cotton cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small data global well-posedness in Sobolev setting for the incompressible Oldroyd-B equations with only velocity dissipation (namely there is no damping or dissipation of stress tensor) on R 2 remains open by now. The approach for the similar problem on R 3 becomes invalid due to the fewer decay rates. In this paper, we will give a positive answer to this problem. Namely, we shall focus on the Cauchy problem for the incompressible Oldroyd-B equations with only velocity dissipation on R 2 and derive the small data global well-posedness under Sobolev setting. We also give the time decay estimate for the solutions. To achieve this goal, we explore the dissipative structure of system and develop the fractional time-weighted energy framework. Moreover, some delicate commutator and bilinear estimates are proposed to deal with the wildest nonlinear terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the initial boundary value problem on the partially damped "two fluid" Euler–Maxwell equations in three dimensional periodic domain. Compared with the previous "two fluid" Euler–Maxwell results, our model describes two fluids obey different dynamical evolutions, one is compressible Euler and the other is compressible Euler with damping. The global existence of small smooth solutions near constant steady states is established and the time decay rates of perturbed solutions are obtained. The main challenge is to investigate the asymmetric system and find out the transmission mechanism of dissipation. Although there are various variables obeying different dynamical evolutions, we can still derive the unified time-weighted energy frame to achieve our goal. Our theorem in this paper shows that partially damped "two fluid" Euler–Maxwell system (namely μ + > 0 , μ - = 0 ) also yields the global stability of a constant background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is the most important fiber crop for the global textile industry. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) is one of the most destructive soil-borne fungal pathogens in cotton. Among eight pathogenic races and other strains, FOV race 4 (FOV4) is the most virulent race in US cotton production. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a glutamate receptor-like gene (GhGLR4.8) on chromosome D03 was previously identified and validated to confer resistance to FOV race 7, and targeted genome sequencing demonstrated that it was also associated with resistance to FOV4. The objective of this study was to develop an easy and convenient PCR-based marker assay. To target the resistance SNP, a forward primer for the SNP with a mismatch in the 3rd position was designed for both the resistance (R) and susceptibility (S) alleles, respectively, with addition of 20-mer T7 promoter primer to the 5′ end of the forward primer for the R allele. The two forward primers, in combination with each of five common reverse primers, were targeted to amplify amplicons of 50–260 bp in size with R and S alleles differing in 20 bp. Results showed that each of three common reverse primers in combination with the two forward primers produced polymorphic markers between R and S plants that were consistent with the targeted genome sequencing results. The polymorphism was distinctly resolved using both polyacrylamide and agarose gel electrophoreses. In addition, a sequence comparative analysis between the resistance gene and homologous sequences in sequenced tetraploid and diploid A and D genome species showed that none of the species possessed the resistance gene allele, suggesting its recent origin from a natural point mutation. The allele-specific PCR-based SNP typing method based on a three-primer combination provides a fast and convenient marker-assisted selection method to search and select for FOV4-resistant Upland cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical experiments and numerical simulations have observed a remarkable phenomenon that a background magnetic field can smooth and stabilize the electrically conducting turbulent fluids. To understand the mechanism of this phenomenon, we will focus on a special 2D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) system with no viscosity and partial magnetic resistive and examine the stability near a background magnetic field. Due to the lack of dissipation for velocity field, this stability problem is not trivial. Without the presence of a magnetic field, the fluid velocity is governed by the 2D incompressible Euler equation. And it is well known that solutions to the 2D incompressible Euler equation can grow rather rapidly. Our result in this paper then shows the stabilization effect of magnetic filed for conductive fluids. By coupling a suitable magnetic filed, we can obtain the uniform upper bound of solutions. Moreover, we will derive the exponentially decay of solutions on one direction. The approach is based on delicate energy estimate together with some observations such as Poincáre's inequality in one direction and cancellation structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-red luminescent materials have kept booming due to the distinct photophysical properties and broad application prospect in plant cultivation. Here, a series of La 1- x Mg 2/3 Nb 1/3 O 3-δ :Mn4+ deep-red phosphors with the emission range of 660–730 nm were developed and lanthanum vacancy was introduced into the matrix via decreasing lanthanum content. The defect induced structure variation of the samples were analyzed detailedly and high structural adjustability of this perovskite was confirmed via X ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. By creating lanthanum vacancy into the matrix both the emission intensity and thermal stability of the phosphors were greatly improved. The emission intensity of the optimized La 0.6 Mg 2/3 Nb 1/3 O 3-δ :Mn4+ at 423 K was improved almost 16 times than the initial sample at 423 K and kept 83.6% of that at 298 K. Furthermore, deep-red LED device was fabricated by coating this deep-red phosphor onto the near ultraviolet chip and applied to the cultivation of purple perilla. The purple perilla with additional deep-red light compensation in the night grew faster than that without light compensation. This modification strategy investigated here opens a new insight to improve the luminescence property of the phosphors for solid state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) approach for estimating the return period of tropical cyclone (TC) wind risk in Florida. As opposed to calculating return periods directly from maximum sustained wind speed, the ACE-based approach also describes the duration of the strong winds, giving an additional dimension to the assessment of TC wind risks. Because Florida is a peninsula, TCs can move across the state within six hours of landfall, causing an underestimation of the inland wind footprint if only the six-hour reanalysis track points are employed as an input data source. This study uses four different scenarios and an inland exponential decay function to interpolate the wind speed between the six-hour reanalysis track points to feed the ACE-based return period calculation based on a 121-year record from 1900 to 2020. South Florida has the shortest return period (five to ten years) of TCs with an ACE equivalent to one hour of hurricane intensity (≥ 64 kt; 1 kt ∼ 0.51 m s−1) caused by intense historical hurricane strikes, and Polk County in inland central Florida has an equal return period due to frequent and long-duration TC occurrences, acting as an intersection for landfalling TCs in the Florida peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of extremely uneven sources and loads in China, several large‐scale power transmission systems have been established. Affected by the small equivalent impedance of the system, the increase of negative sequence currents during open‐phase operation has seriously threatened the stable operation of synchronous generators. The necessity of negative sequence current suppression is particularly prominent. To address the above issues, this paper analyzes the feasible negative sequence suppression capacity of the grid‐connected inverter under the principle of positive sequence priority. Using the geometric analysis method to determine the optimal suppression capacity. The none‐phase‐locked loop (PLL) control method is used to improve the response speed and form the negative sequence current suppression strategy adapted to the open‐phase operation period. A simulation model was built in PSCAD to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. The result shows that the suppression strategy has a faster response than the conventional PLL control. In scenarios with large negative sequence currents to be suppressed, a maximum suppression effect of approximately 63% can be achieved. Compared with the traditional suppression capacity selection, the strategy in this paper can reduce the residual of negative sequence current by about 10% at most. The negative sequence currents intruding into the generator can be effectively suppressed without additional devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collagens are an enormous family of extracellular matrix proteins that play dominant roles in cell adhesion, migration and tissue remodeling under many physiological and pathological conditions. However, their function mechanisms in regulating innate immunity remain largely undiscovered. Here we use C. elegans epidermis as the model to address this question. The C. elegans epidermis is covered with a collagen-rich cuticle exoskeleton and can produce antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against invading pathogens or physical injury. Through an RNAi screen against collagen-encoding genes, we found that except the previously reported six DPY collagens and the BLI-1 collagen, the majority of collagens tested appear unable to trigger epidermal immune defense when damaged. Further investigation suggests that the six DPY collagens form a specific substructure, which regulates the interaction between BLI-1 and the hemidesmosome receptor MUP-4. The separation of BLI-1 with MUP-4 caused by collagen damage leads to the detachment of the STAT transcription factor-like protein STA-2 from hemidesmosomes and the induction of AMPs. Our findings uncover the mechanism how collagens are organized into a damage sensor and how the epidermis senses collagen damage to mount an immune defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Three‐dimensional visualization preoperative evaluation (3D‐VPE) and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) have been suggested to improve outcomes of cancer surgery in patients, yet little is known regarding their clinical benefit in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC). We hypothesized that the combination of 3D‐VPE and ERAS would improve the outcome of patients undergoing surgery for GBC. Objective: This study aimed to determine if 3D‐VPE and ERAS can improve the outcomes and overall survival in patients with GBC, establishing a novel patient management strategy for GBC. Methods: A total of 227 patients with GBC were recruited and divided into two groups: those who received traditional treatment between January 2000 and December 2010 (n = 86; the control group) and those who underwent 3D‐VPE and ERAS between January 2011 and December 2017 (n = 141). Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the relationship among disease stages, lymph node invasion, and cell differentiation between the two groups. Cox regression analysis was used to investigate patient survival in these groups. Results: Patients who underwent 3D‐VPE and ERAS showed a significantly higher R0 resection rate (67.4% vs. 20.9%, p < 0.001) and dissected lymph node number (26.6 ± 12.6 vs. 16.3 ± 7.6 p < 0.001) compared to the control group. The median survival was 27.4 months, and the 1‐ and 3‐year survival rates were 84.4% and 29.8%, respectively, in patients who received combined management; in the control cohort, the median survival was 12.7 months, and the 1‐ and 3‐year survival rates were 53.5% and 15.1%, respectively. In addition, some postoperative complications and risk factors were diminished relative to the traditionally treated patients. Conclusion: The implementation of 3D‐VPE and ERAS can significantly improve the prognosis and outcomes of patients with GBC and should be considered for wide use in clinical practice. This is a retrospective study of patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) treated at our institution over the course of 17 years. We show that three‐dimensional visualization preoperative evaluation and enhanced recovery after surgery can significantly improve prognosis and outcomes of patients with GBC and should be considered for wide use in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short text classification has provoked a vast amount of attention and research in recent decades. However, most existing methods only focus on the short texts that contain dozens of words like Twitter and Microblog, while pay far less attention to the extreme short texts like news headline and search snippets. Meanwhile, contemporary short text classification methods that extend the features via external knowledge sources always introduce lots of useless concepts, which may be detrimental to classification performance. Moreover, unlike traditional short text classification methods, the classification results of extreme short texts are often determined by a few even one or two keywords. To address these problems, we propose a novel hybrid classification method via Keywords Screening and Attention Mechanisms in extreme short text, called KSAM. More specifically, firstly, the attention-based BiLSTM is introduced in our method to enhance the role of keywords. Secondly, we screen the keywords in the extreme short text for obtaining the true class label, and the concepts concerning the keywords are retrieved from external open knowledge sources like DBpedia. Thirdly, the attention mechanisms are introduced to acquire the weight of these retrieved concepts. Finally, conceptual information is utilized to assist the classification of the extreme short text. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of our method compared to other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate identification of the histopathological grade and the Ki-67 expression level is important in clinical cases of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). Purpose: To explore the feasibility of a radiomics model based on intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) MRI parameter maps in predicting the histopathological grade and Ki-67 expression level of STSs. Material and Methods: In total, 42 patients diagnosed with STSs between May 2018 and January 2020 were selected. The MADC software in Functool of GE ADW 4.7 workstation was used to obtain standard apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), D, D*, f, mean diffusivity, and mean kurtosis (MK). The histopathological grade and Ki-67 expression level of STSs were identified. The radiomics features of IVIM and DKI parameter maps were used as the dataset. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and F1-score were calculated. Results: D -SVM achieved the best diagnostic performance for histopathological grade. The AUC in the validation cohort was 0.88 (sensitivity: 0.75 [low level] and 0.83 [high level]; specificity: 0.83 [low level] and 0.75 [high level]; F1-score: 0.75 [low level] and 0.83 [high level]). MK-SVM achieved the best diagnostic performance for Ki-67 expression level. The AUC in the validation cohort was 0.83 (sensitivity: 0.83 [low level] and 0.50 [high level; specificity: 0.50 [low level] and 0.83 [high level]; F1-score: 0.77 [low level] and 0.57 [high level]). Conclusion: The proposed radiomics classifier could predict the pathological grade of STSs and the Ki-67 expression level in STSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) is a high-risk subtype with a poor prognosis under conventional chemotherapy. Ph-like ALL has a similar gene expression profile to Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ALL, but is highly heterogeneous in terms of genomic alterations. Approximately 10–20% of patients with Ph-like ALL harbor ABL class (e.g. ABL1, ABL2, PDGFRB, and CSF1R) rearrangements. Additional genes that form fusion genes with ABL class genes are still being researched. These aberrations result from rearrangements including chromosome translocations or deletions and may be targets of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, due to the heterogeneity and rarity of each fusion gene in clinical practice, there is limited data on the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Here, we report three cases of Ph-like B-ALL with ABL1 rearrangements treated with the dasatinib backbone for the CNTRL::ABL1, LSM14A::ABL1, and FOXP1::ABL1 fusion genes. All three patients achieved rapid and profound remission with no significant adverse events. Our findings suggest that dasatinib is a potent TKI for the treatment of ABL1-rearranged Ph-like ALL and can be used as a first-line treatment option for such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered V10O24·nH2O with a large interlayer spacing of 14 Å is hydrothermally synthesized and used as a cathode for potassium-ion batteries. It exhibits a capacity of 110 mA h g−1 with a capacity retention of 99.2% over 700 cycles. Its storage mechanism is identified as pseudo-capacitive intercalation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arid and semi-arid areas, soil moisture (SM) plays a crucial role in land-atmosphere interactions, hydrological processes, and ecosystem sustainability. SM data at large scales are critical for related climatic, hydrological, and ecohydrological research. Data fusion based on satellite products and model simulations is an important way to obtain SM data at large scales; however, little has been reported on the comparison of the data fusion methods in different categories. Here, we compared the performance of two widely used data fusion methods, the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) and the Back-Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN), in the degraded grassland site (DGS) and the alpine grassland site (AGS). The SM data from the Community Land Model 5.0 (CLM5.0) and the Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) were fused and validated against the observations of the Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor (CRNS) to avoid the impacts of scale-mismatch. Results show that compared with the original data sets at both sites, the RMSE of the fused data by BPANN (FD-BPANN) and EnKF (FD-EnKF) had improved by more than 50% and 31%, respectively. Overall, the FD-BPANN performs better than the FD-EnKF because the BPANN method assigned higher weights to input data with better performance and the EnKF method is affected by the strong variabilities of both the fused CLM5.0 and SMAP data and the CRNS data. However, in terms of the percentile range, the FD-BPANN showed the worst performance, with overestimations in the low SM range of 25th percentile (

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of displaced, multi-fragmentary patella fractures in elderly patients treated with anterior plating and cerclage wires. Patients and methods: Between 2018 and 2020, patients aged at least 60 years old undergoing anterior plating and circumferential wiring for displaced, multi-fragmentary patella fractures with a minimum of 12 months follow-up were included. Fragments were reduced and circumferentially stabilized by loop wires, followed by multi-planar fixation with an anterior locking plate and multi-directional screws. Postoperative outcomes were evaluated with the Böstman scores and range of motion. Patients were also asked about symptomatic hardware as well as satisfaction with postoperative outcomes. Results: Sixteen patients with an average age of 71.8 ± 9.3 years old were followed up for an average follow-up was 25.1 ± 8.2 months. At the latest follow-up, the average Böstman scores were 27.2 ± 3.4, and active knee flexion was 123 ± 14°. Two patients complained pinpoint implant irritation and underwent implant removal. Another underwent implant removal due to cultural reasons. Fifteen patients were satisfied with the operative outcomes, and one was unsatisfied due to intermittent patellofemoral pain. Cerclage wire breakage was noted in nine patients on postoperative radiographs, but none elicited pinpoint pain. No wound complications, infections, nonunion or loss of reduction were observed. Conclusions: Anterior locking plates and cerclage wires in tandem provide reliable multi-planar fixation for displaced, multi-fragmentary patellar fractures in elderly patients and resulted in favorable clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) race 4 (FOV4) has become one of the most important emerging diseases in US cotton production. Numerous QTLs have been reported for resistance to FOV; however, no major FOV4-resistance QTL or gene has been identified and used in breeding Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) for FOV4 resistance. In this study, a panel of 223 Chinese Upland cotton accessions was evaluated for FOV4 resistance based on seedling mortality rate (MR) and stem and root vascular discoloration (SVD and RVD). SNP markers were developed based on targeted genome sequencing using AgriPlex Genomics. The chromosome region at 2.130–2.292 Mb on D03 was significantly correlated with both SVD and RVD but not with MR. Based on the two most significant SNP markers, accessions homozygous for AA or TT SNP genotype averaged significantly lower SVD (0.88 vs. 2.54) and RVD (1.46 vs. 3.02) than those homozygous for CC or GG SNP genotype. The results suggested that a gene or genes within the region conferred resistance to vascular discoloration caused by FOV4. The Chinese Upland accessions had 37.22% homozygous AA or TT SNP genotype and 11.66% heterozygous AC or TG SNP genotype, while 32 US elite public breeding lines all had the CC or GG SNP genotype. Among 463 obsolete US Upland accessions, only 0.86% possessed the AA or TT SNP genotype. This study, for the first time, has developed diagnostic SNPs for marker-assisted selection and identified FOV4-resistant Upland germplasms with the SNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of catalytically active dinuclear transition metal complexes with an open coordination sphere is a challenging task because the metal sites tend to be "saturated" with excess donor atoms around during synthesis. By isolating the binding scaffolds with the metal–organic framework (MOF) skeleton and installing metal sites through post-synthetic modification, we succeed in constructing a MOF-supported metal catalyst, namely FICN-7-Fe2, with dinuclear Fe2 sites. FICN-7-Fe2 effectively catalyses the hydroboration of a broad range of ketone, aldehyde, and imine substrates with a low loading of 0.05 mol%. Remarkably, kinetic measurements showed that FICN-7-Fe2 is 15 times more active than its mononuclear counterpart FICN-7-Fe1, indicating that cooperative substrate activation on the two Fe centres significantly enhances the catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing researchers generalize the decision-theoretic rough sets (DTRSs) model from the viewpoint of the cost function, whether the information system is complete, and so on. Few of them consider multiple different strategies to rank the expected losses. Furthermore, under the circumstance of Pythagorean fuzzy, we can't directly define the partition of the objects set by employing equivalence relation, there is a need for constructing the general binary relation. Aiming at these problems, in present paper, we propose the similarity measure-based three-way decisions (3WD) in Pythagorean fuzzy information systems, both the binary relation and the similarity neighborhood are induced by similarity measure between objects. Each object has its own losses, different strategies are designed to rank the expected losses. Further, the similarity measure-based DTRSs dealing with crisp concept and the similarity measure-based Pythagorean fuzzy DTRSs dealing with Pythagorean fuzzy concept are developed to establish the three regions of similarity measure-based 3WD. Finally, the proposed models are used to make decisions for classifying the network nodes of flying ad-hoc networks (FANETs) into normal nodes also called safe nodes, suspicious nodes, and malicious nodes also called unsafe nodes under the evaluation of Pythagorean fuzzy information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4, FOV4) in cotton is an early season soil‐borne vascular disease including seedling wilt and death. Its infection process in Upland cotton is currently unknown. This study compared the infection process among three Upland cotton cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum) using a confocal microscope. Seedlings were grown in a hydroponic system to the two‐true leaf stage and inoculated with a virulent local FOV4 isolate. Based on the infection process, the resistant cultivar FM 2334GLT was divided into resistant (R) and susceptible (S) groups. The susceptible PHY 725 RF and FM 2334GLT(S) had the highest numbers of conidia attached and germinated on the root surface, followed by susceptible Acala 1517‐08. FM 2334GLT(R) had the lowest numbers. Hyphae penetration and colonization inside the root followed a similar trend. In PHY 725 RF, FM 2334GLT(S), and Acala 1517‐08, hyphae started to penetrate into epidermal cells at 2 days post inoculation (dpi), spread in the cortex intercellularly and intracellularly at 3–5 dpi, and entered the xylem vessels at 7 dpi, followed by colonization at 11–15 dpi. FM 2334GLT(R) had the lowest numbers of penetrating hyphae inside the root, with no apparent hyphae observed in the xylem. This study demonstrated that FM 2334GLT(R) had delayed infection, reduced fungal growth and reproduction, and prevented the FOV4 fungus from invading the xylem. The resistance in FM 2334GLT(R) was similar to that in Pima PHY 841 RF but with fewer hyphae in the cortex, suggesting possible different resistant mechanisms. Core Ideas: FM 2334GLT is a known Upland cotton with resistance to Fusarium wilt race 4 (FOV4).It is divided into the resistant (R) and susceptible (S) groups based on the infection process.FM 2334GLT(R) had the lowest FOV4 conidia attached/germinated on the root surface compared to susceptible lines.FM 2334GLT(R) had the lowest penetrating hyphae inside the root, with no apparent hyphae observed in the xylem.FM 2334GLT(R) delayed infection, reduced fungal growth and reproduction, and prevented FOV4 from invading the xylem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GRB 070707 was the first short gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected by INTEGRAL and the optical afterglow was attributed to the prolonged activity of the central engine in the literature. Here, we reanalyse the afterglow data and examine the physical origin of the emission. The redshift of this burst is uncertain and in this work we assume an association with a galaxy at the redshift of 0.2394 for a chance coincidence probability P cc = 0.046. It is found that the sole forward shock radiation cannot well reproduce the data, while including a kilonova component similar to AT2017gfo is very helpful in reproducing the multiwavelength afterglow emission. The properties of the candidate host galaxy have been studied in detail; its high metallicity, low star formation rate, and old stellar population age are similar to the host galaxies of other GRBs associated with kilonovae. In view of the facts that a kilonova signal was identified in the first short GRB with detected optical emission (i.e. GRB 050709) and the first short GRB with gravitational wave detection (i.e. GRB 170817A), and now the identification of a kilonova signature in the first INTEGRAL short GRB strongly indicates that kilonovae are rather common among the neutron star merger events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are critical elements of the vascular wall and play a crucial role in the genesis and development of atherosclerosis (AS). Increasingly, studies have indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate VSMC proliferation, apoptosis, and other biological processes. Nevertheless, the role of lncRNA NFIA-AS1 (hereinafter referred to as NFIA-AS1) in VSMCs and AS remains unclear. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to analyze the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of NFIA-AS1 and miR-125a-3p. CCK-8 and EdU staining were performed to detect VSMC proliferation. VSMC apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The expression of various proteins was detected using western blotting. The levels of inflammatory cytokines secreted by VSMCs were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The binding sites of NFIA-AS1 and miR-125a-3p, as well as miR-125a-3p and AKT1, were analyzed using bioinformatics methods and validated using a luciferase reporter assay. The function of NFIA-AS1/miR-125a-3p/AKT1 in VSMCs was clarified through loss- and gain-of-functional experiments. We confirmed that NFIA-AS1 was highly expressed in AS tissues and VSMCs induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL). Knockdown of NFIA-AS1 restrained the exceptional growth of Ox-LDL-induced VSMCs, promoted their apoptosis, and decreased the secretion of inflammatory factors and expression of adhesion factors. In addition, NFIA-AS1 regulated the proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory response of VSMCs through the miR-125a-3p/AKT1 axis, suggesting that NFIA-AS1 may be a potential therapeutic target for AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we compare Western oil paintings and Chinese ink paintings on their composition, by extracting and computing 28 composition features of the paintings, including visual balance and relationships between different regions (segments). Among the extracted segments, we compute average distance and rule-based features based on three layout rules, rule of thirds, golden mean and golden triangle. A total of 2253 paintings including 1138 oil paintings and 1115 Chinese ink paintings are collected. By comparing the results of the features on these paintings, our study investigates the difference and similarity between the two types of paintings on composition. Their composition designs are similar in visual balance and their tendency of composing along two diagonal lines, but are fairly different on many other aspects. For example, oil paintings are inclined to place objects on the bottom horizontal dividing lines of rule of thirds and golden mean. Having discovered the most important features that can differentiate the two types of paintings, we analyze the differences in the features and discuss their possible relationships to the culture and artists' backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the summer of 2020, the rate of coronavirus cases in the United States has been higher in rural areas than in urban areas, raising concerns that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will overwhelm under-resourced rural hospitals. Using data from the University of Minnesota COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we document disparities in COVID-19 hospitalization rates between rural and urban areas. We show that rural-urban differences in COVID-19 admission rates were minimal in the summer of 2020 but began to diverge in fall 2020. Rural areas had statistically higher hospitalization rates from September 2020 through early 2021, after which rural-urban admission rates re-converged. The insights in this article are relevant to policymakers as they consider the adequacy of hospital resources across rural and urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a method for a one-step co-encapsulation of PLGA nanoparticles in hydrophilic nanofibers. The aim is to effectively deliver the drug to the lesion site and achieve a longer release time. The celecoxib nanofiber membrane (Cel-NPs-NFs) was prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation and electrospinning with celecoxib as a model drug. By this method, nanodroplets of celecoxib PLGA are entrapped within polymer nanofibers during an electrospinning process. Moreover, Cel-NPs-NFs exhibited good mechanical strength and hydrophilicity, with a cumulative release of 67.74% for seven days, and the cell uptake at 0.5 h was 2.7 times higher than that of pure nanoparticles. Furthermore, pathological sections of the joint exhibited an apparent therapeutic effect on rat OA, and the drug was delivered effectively. According to the results, this solid matrix containing nanodroplets or nanoparticles could use hydrophilic materials as carriers to prolong drug release time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Edible plant-derived nanoparticles contain large amounts of endogenous substances and can be used as carriers for disease treatment. However, the extraction rate and purity are not high. Raphani Semen, the dried seed of the Raphanus sativus L., has been used as food and medicine for clinical treatment and health care for many years. (2) Methods: This study began with the extraction of edible Raphani Semen-derived nanoparticles (ERDNs) by ultracentrifugation (UC). Then a new method was proposed for ERDNs to be extracted by polyethylene glycol (PEG) and purified by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), followed by SDS-PAGE for identified proteins. The stability of ERDNs was also verified in three digestion simulations. (3) Results: The PEG offered higher yields of 1.14–2.31 mg/g than UC. Transmission electron microscopy showed both UC and PEG with cup-shaped nanoparticles of around 200 nm. The SEC-purified ERDNs contained a range of proteins smaller than 70 kDa. The size stability of ERDNs in digestion solutions demonstrated their ability to withstand extreme conditions, confirming their potential as a nano drug delivery platform. (4) Conclusions: In conclusion, the data suggest that PEG+SEC could isolate ERDNs with high efficiency, providing a reference for the separation of other seed nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stem cell-based regenerative medicine has provided an excellent opportunity to investigate therapeutic strategies and innovative treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there is an absence of visual overviews to assess the published literature systematically. Methods: In this review, the bibliometric approach was used to estimate the searched data on stem cell research in AD from 2004 to 2022, and we also utilized CiteSpace and VOSviewer software to evaluate the contributions and co-occurrence relationships of different countries/regions, institutes, journals, and authors as well as to discover research hot spots and encouraging future trends in this field. Results: From 2004 to 2022, a total of 3,428 publications were retrieved. The number of publications and citations on stem cell research in AD has increased dramatically in the last nearly 20 years, especially since 2016. North America and Asia were the top 2 highest output regions. The leading country in terms of publications and access to collaborative networks was the USA. Centrality analysis revealed that the UCL (0.05) was at the core of the network. The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (n = 102, 2.98%) was the most productive academic journal. The analyses of keyword burst detection indicated that exosomes, risk factors, and drug delivery only had burst recently. Citations and co-citation achievements clarified that cluster #0 induced pluripotent stem cells, #2 mesenchymal stem cells, #3 microglia, and #6 adult hippocampal neurogenesis persisted to recent time. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive guide for clinicians and scholars working in this field. These analysis and results hope to provide useful information and references for future understanding of the challenges behind translating underlying stem cell biology into novel clinical therapeutic potential in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this large prospective study based on the PLCO trial, both categorical analysis and continuous analysis indicated that higher dietary anthocyanidin consumption was associated with a lower risk of renal cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prospective study that aimed to explore a potential association between dietary anthocyanidin intake and renal cancer risk. Evidence on the association between anthocyanidin intake and renal cancer risk is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the association of anthocyanidin intake with renal cancer risk in the large prospective Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. The cohort for this analysis consisted of 101,156 participants. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A restricted cubic spline model with three knots (i.e., 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles) was used to model a smooth curve. A total of 409 renal cancer cases were identified over a median follow-up of 12.2 years. In the categorical analysis with a fully adjusted model, a higher dietary anthocyanidin consumption was associated with a lower risk of renal cancer (HRQ4vsQ1: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51–0.92; p for trend < 0.010). A similar pattern was obtained when anthocyanidin intake was analyzed as a continuous variable. The HR of one-SD increment in the anthocyanidin intake for renal cancer risk was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.77–1.00, p = 0.043). The restricted cubic spline model revealed a reduced risk of renal cancer with a higher intake of anthocyanidins and there was no statistical evidence for nonlinearity (p for nonlinearity = 0.207). In conclusion, in this large American population, a higher dietary anthocyanidin consumption was associated with a lower risk of renal cancer. Future cohort studies are warranted to verify our preliminary findings and to explore the underlying mechanisms in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerium manganese bimetallic catalysts have become the focus of current research because of their excellent catalytic performance for soot combustion. Two series of cerium manganese catalysts (Na-free catalysts and Na-containing catalysts) were prepared by coprecipitation method and characterized using XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, SEM, Raman, XPS, H2-TPR, O2-TPD, Soot-TPR-MS and in situ IR. The effects of abundant oxygen vacancies and surface highly dispersed MnOx on soot catalytic combustion of cerium manganese catalysts prepared by different precipitants were analyzed. The activity test results show that the active oxygen species released by a large number of oxygen vacancies in the cerium manganese catalyst are more favorable to the soot catalytic combustion than MnOx which is highly dispersed on the surface of the catalyst and has good redox performance at low temperature. Because the catalytic effect of MnOx on the surface of Na-free catalysts is more dependent on the contact condition between the catalyst and the soot, this phenomenon can be observed more easily under the loose contact condition than under the tight contact condition. The activity cycle test results show that these two series of catalysts show good stability and repeated use will hardly cause any deactivation of the catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-known that the acoustic stealth of an underwater vehicle composed of a non-watertight structure has been facing severe challenges. The origins of this effect are associated with the fact that the coupling between the water and the mechanical structure is not negligible because both sides are in the water. Along these lines, the idea of forward absorption and backward reflection was proposed in this work to address this issue. More specifically, a composite underwater acoustic metamaterial (AM) was designed based on different layers, namely a sound absorption layer and a sound insulation layer from the outside to the inside. The sound absorption layer was made of a soft rubber matrix with embedded steel scatterers (ESs) to enrich the coupled resonance effects, while the sound insulation layer was composed of hard rubber with a built-in cavity to improve the impedance mismatching between the AM and the water. The impact of the number and thickness of the embedded ESs on the acoustic performance of the AM was also thoroughly investigated via a finite element method (FEM). A fast non-dominated genetic algorithm (NAGA-II) with elite strategy was used to optimize the position and the size of the ESs. The optimization results revealed the high absorption at the forward incidence and the high reflection at the backward incidence. Thus, our work provides a novel and effective approach for improving the acoustic stealth of underwater vehicles composed of non-watertight structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Global environmental changes are known to affect terrestrial ecosystems functions (i.e., plant growth and carbon storage). However, how plants and soil microorganisms respond to warming and nitrogen deposition in dry ecosystems with strong seasonal precipitation remains largely unexplored. Methods: Based on a 13-year manipulative field experiment, we investigated the effects of warming and nitrogen addition on soil microbial communities and plant net photosynthetic rates during dry and wet months in a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia. Results: We found that in the wet month, warming and nitrogen addition significantly increased soil microbial biomass. Yet, warming and nitrogen addition significantly increased soil inorganic nitrogen and leaf nitrogen concentration, thus promoting an increase in the net photosynthetic rate of Stipa breviflora. Moreover, warming and nitrogen addition significantly shifted soil microbial composition with an increase in soil bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) but a reduction in fungal PLFAs. The increased soil inorganic nitrogen indirectly enhanced leaf nitrogen and plant photosynthesis by changing soil microbial community structure. These changes were not significant in the dry month. Conclusions: Our study indicates that warming and nitrogen addition can promote plant photosynthesis by increasing soil nitrogen availability and changing soil microbial community structure. These changes only occurred when there was sufficient precipitation. These results highlight the crucial role of the soil microbial community and precipitation availability in influencing plant growth responses to global change drivers such as warming and nitrogen deposition. These findings suggest the importance of manipulating multiple factors rather than single factors in global change experiments and the role of plant and soil microbial interactions in ecosystem functions (i.e., plant growth and carbon storage) under global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium wilt caused by soil‐borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4 (FOV4) is an early season disease causing root rot, and seedling wilt and death. However, it was unknown if cotton (Gossypium spp.) growth stages and root wounding affected genotypic responses to FOV4. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of cotton growth stage, cultivar, and root wounding on FOV4‐associated disease development at 7‐, 14‐, 21‐, and 28‐d post inoculation through five replicated tests in controlled environmental conditions with temperatures at 21 to 23 °C. Seedlings inoculated at the cotyledon stage incurred the highest disease incidence (DI), disease severity rating (DSR), and mortality (MR), followed by seedlings inoculated at the 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐true leaf stages in descending order. Root wounding at the cotyledon stage followed by immediate inoculation with FOV4 inoculum made all the tested cultivars and lines highly susceptible. Among the six cultivars tested, FM 2334GLT and Pima DP 359 RF were the most resistant, Pima S‐7 was highly susceptible, and Acala 1517‐08, Acala 1517–18 GLS, and Pima PHY 881 RF were susceptible. The importance of artificial inoculation at a true leaf stage with or without root wounding to identify resistance that may be undetected under field conditions was discussed. Core Ideas: Five replicated, controlled‐environment tests were conducted at 21 to 23 °C temperatures.Cotyledon stage seedlings were most susceptible to FOV4, followed by the 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐true leaf stages.Root wounding disarmed resistant mechanisms provided by the root and made all tested lines susceptible.FM 2334GLT and Pima DP 359 RF were the most resistant among the lines tested.Artificial inoculation at true leaf stages may identify resistance that may be undetected in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]