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Gradient triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures are renowned for lightweight design and enhanced performance, but their complex and nonlinear configurations pose challenges in achieving targeted design goals. A new design methodology for the nonlinear gradient structure was proposed in this study, with the aim of achieving efficient and accurate modeling of complex and gradient sheet-based TPMS structures under specific performance objectives. This method utilized automated finite element (FE) simulations to obtain structure topology element densities under various boundary conditions. An artificial neural network (ANN) was then employed to efficiently predict the correspondence between these boundary conditions and topology element densities. A mapping was established between topology element densities and TPMS structural parameters, and the gradient structure was accurately constructed by using the voxel modeling technique. Taking a typical cantilever beam TPMS structure as an example of nonlinear gradient design, the results indicate that the error between the ANN-predicted and FE-simulated structure topology element densities is only 2.73 %, with prediction time being only 0.15 % of the simulation time. The thin regions of the gradient structure align with those geometrically removed in regular topology optimization scheme, achieving up to 65.45 % weight reduction, a 28.72 % improvement over the regular scheme, along with uniform structural stress transition and maximum stress reduction. TC4 alloy nonlinear gradient TPMS structures, printed by metal selective laser melting (SLM) technique, confirm the practical application value of this design method.

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) is a highly contagious pathogen that causes acute upper respiratory tract diseases in chickens and turkeys, resulting in serious economic losses. Subtype B aMPV has recently become the dominant epidemic strain in China. We developed an attenuated aMPV subtype B strain by serial passaging in Vero cells and evaluated its safety and efficacy as a vaccine candidate. The safety test showed that after the 30th passage, the LN16-A strain was fully attenuated, as clinical signs of infection and histological lesions were absent after inoculation. The LN16-A strain did not revert to a virulent strain after five serial passages in chickens. The genomic sequence of LN16-A differed from that of the parent wild-type LN16 (wtLN16) strain and had nine amino acid mutations. In chickens, a single immunization with LN16-A induced robust humoral and cellular immune responses, including the abundant production of neutralizing antibodies, CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-6) cytokines. We also confirmed that LN16-A provided 100% protection against subtype B aMPV and significantly reduced viral shedding and turbinate inflammation. Our findings suggest that the LN16-A strain is a promising live attenuated vaccine candidate that can prevent infection with subtype B aMPV.

Biomass-related airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an important risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Macrophage polarization has been reported to be involved in PM2.5-induced COPD, but the dynamic characteristics and underlying mechanism of this process remain unclear. Our study established a PM2.5-induced COPD mouse model and revealed that M2 macrophages predominantly presented after 4 and 6 months of PM2.5 exposure, during which a notable increase in MMP12 was observed. Single cell analysis of lung tissues from COPD patients and mice further revealed that M2 macrophages were the dominant macrophage subpopulation in COPD, with MMP12 being involved as a hub gene. In vitro experiments further demonstrated that PM2.5 induced M2 polarization and increased MMP12 expression. Moreover, we found that PM2.5 increased IL-4 expression, STAT6 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Nuclear pSTAT6 then bound to the MMP12 promoter region. Furthermore, the inhibition of STAT6 phosphorylation effectively abrogated the PM2.5-induced increase in MMP12. Using a coculture system, we observed a significantly reduced level of E-cadherin in alveolar epithelial cells cocultured with PM2.5-exposed macrophages, while the decrease in E-cadherin was reversed by the addition of an MMP12 inhibitor to the co-culture system. Taken together, these findings indicated that PM2.5 induced M2 macrophage polarization and MMP12 upregulation via the IL-4/STAT6 pathway, which resulted in alveolar epithelial barrier dysfunction and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and ultimately led to COPD progression. These findings may help to elucidate the role of macrophages in COPD, and suggest promising directions for potential therapeutic strategies.

Spatial patterns and environmental gradients in plant traits can elucidate the relationships between plant characteristics, environmental factors, and ecosystem functions and can be used to develop the next generation of vegetation models for predicting vegetation distribution and functions. Studies of Plant traits across spatial scales have advanced significantly worldwide, including on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the highest and largest plateau globally. Previous research on plant traits on the TP has been limited to specific areas, leaving the overall trend across the plateau unclear. In this study, we examined seven leaf traits—leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf carbon (LCC), nitrogen (LNC), and phosphorus (LPC) contents—in 1314 individuals at 237 sites within the alpine vegetation region above 3000 m on the TP to determine their distribution patterns across three spatial dimensions and their relationships with environmental factors. Our results indicated that, compared with Chinese plants, TP plants exhibited significantly greater LT, LDMC, and LNC but lower LA, LCC, and LPC. Except for SLA and LCC, most leaf traits showed significant spatial variability. Climate and soil explained 29.23 % of the total variations in traits. Radiation had the most pronounced effect on LDMC, LA, LNC, and LPC, whereas soil pH primarily constrained LT and LCC. Precipitation influenced most traits both directly and indirectly, with substantial overall effects. Temperature and soil nutrient had minimal influence on the regulation of leaf traits across most of the TP. Our findings suggest that alpine plants typically employ a conservative strategy to cope with the harsh conditions on the TP, but this strategy varies at broader spatial scales and longer environmental gradients, particularly in extreme environments such as the highest alpine regions.

Vehicle exhaust is one of the major organic sources in urban areas. Old taxis equipped with failed three-way catalysts (TWCs) have been regarded as “super emitters”. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a regular substitution fuel for gasoline in taxis. The relative effect of fuel substitution and TWC failure has not been thoroughly investigated. In this work, vehicle exhausts from gasoline and CNG taxis with optimally functioning and malfunctioning TWCs are sampled by Tenax TA tubes and then analyzed by a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC×GC–MS). A total of 216 organics are quantified, including 80 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 132 intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). Failure of TWC introduces super emitters with 30 – 70 times emission factors (EFs), 60 – 112 times ozone formation potentials (OFPs), and 34 – 92 times secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) more than normal vehicles. Specifically, for the taxi with failed TWC, the total organic EF of CNG is 16 times that of gasoline, indicating that the failure of TWC exceeds the emission reduction achieved by CNG-gasoline substitution. A significant but unbalanced reduction of ozone and SOA is observed after TWC, whereas a notable “enrichment” in IVOCs was observed. Naphthalene is a typical IVOC component strongly associated with CNG-gasoline substitution and TWC failure, which is lacking in current VOC measurement. We especially emphasize that there is an urgent need to scrap vehicles with failed TWCs in order to significantly reduce air pollution.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a condition characterized by inflammation and oxidative damage. 3-methyladenine (3-MA) has great potential for regulating apoptosis, but its regulatory role in ALI is unknown. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-treated bronchial epithelial cells were used to simulate in vivo and in vitro ALI models, respectively. In vivo, lung injury was assessed by histopathological analysis and lung injury scoring. The total cell count, protein content, and inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were examined. The level of apoptosis in lung tissue was assessed through TUNEL staining. In the vitro ALI model, cell viability and levels of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis were assessed. Results: 3-MA pretreatment ameliorated lung injury, including intra-alveolar hemorrhage and inflammatory cell accumulation, both in vitro and in vivo. 3-MA pretreatment also decreased inflammatory factor levels in the BALF. 3-MA pretreatment alleviated oxidative damage, decreased reactive oxygen species levels, and attenuated morphological changes. TUNEL and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining revealed that pretreatment with 3-MA reduced the level of apoptosis. 3-MA pretreatment significantly decreased the expression of caspase-3 and Bax but increased the expression of Bcl-2 in ALI. Mechanistically, 3-MA pretreatment also affected the PKCα/NOX4 and Nrf2 pathways, which decreased the level of apoptosis in ALI. Conclusions: 3-MA pretreatment inhibited inflammation and oxidative damage in ALI and inhibited apoptosis to mitigate ALI in part by inhibiting the PKCα/NOX4 pathway and activating the Nrf2 pathway. Based on these results, 3-MA might be a viable medication to treat with ALI.

As a soft metal, the addition of Cu has an important influence on the high-temperature tribological properties and oxidation behavior of nanomultilayered AlTiN/Cu coatings. At room temperature (RT), due to abrasive wear, the AlTiN coating exhibited a high friction coefficient of 0.97 and low wear resistance. After adding Cu layer, the friction coefficient gradually decreased to 0.59 at 18.4 at.% Cu due to the lubricating effect of soft metal Cu and CuO, and the best wear resistance was achieved at 2.9 at.% Cu. At 800 °C, the oxidation resistance sharply reduced after adding Cu layer, and exhibited oxidation delamination. At low Cu contents (≤4.5 at.%), by the inward diffusion of O, a mixed oxide layer of Al2O3, TiO2, and CuO formed. At 18.4 at.% Cu, by the outward diffusion and oxidation of Cu, double-layer oxides formed, and the top layer of CuO contributed to a low friction coefficient of 0.53, but also caused a reduce in the wear resistance.

Facing the increasingly serious energy and environmental problems, the research and development of new energy storage technology and environment-friendly energy storage materials are imminent. As a typical lead-free ferroelectric with excellent dielectric properties, (Bi,Na)TiO3 (BNT) is supposed to be the most potential and competitive environment-friendly ceramic material and has become a research hotspot for dielectric energy storage in recent years. This paper first briefly introduces the basic physical principles and energy storage performance evaluation parameters of dielectric energy storage materials, then summarizes the critical research systems and related progress of BNT-based lead-free energy storage materials (bulk ceramics, films and multilayer ceramics) from the aspects of ions doping modification and multi-component composite optimization, and finally looks forward to the improvement direction and energy storage application prospect of BNT-based lead-free relaxor ferroelectric materials.

Lenvatinib, a second-generation multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved by the FDA for first-line treatment of advanced liver cancer, facing limitations due to drug resistance. Here, we applied a multidimensional, high-throughput screening platform comprising patient-derived resistant liver tumor cells (PDCs), organoids (PDOs), and xenografts (PDXs) to identify drug susceptibilities for conquering lenvatinib resistance in clinically relevant settings. Expansion and passaging of PDCs and PDOs from resistant patient liver tumors retained functional fidelity to lenvatinib treatment, expediting drug repurposing screens. Pharmacological screening identified romidepsin, YM155, apitolisib, NVP-TAE684 and dasatinib as potential antitumor agents in lenvatinib-resistant PDC and PDO models. Notably, romidepsin treatment enhanced antitumor response in syngeneic mouse models by triggering immunogenic tumor cell death and blocking the EGFR signaling pathway. A combination of romidepsin and immunotherapy achieved robust and synergistic antitumor effects against lenvatinib resistance in humanized immunocompetent PDX models. Collectively, our findings suggest that patient-derived liver cancer models effectively recapitulate lenvatinib resistance observed in clinical settings and expedite drug discovery for advanced liver cancer, providing a feasible multidimensional platform for personalized medicine.

Recent studies have underscored the cardioprotective properties of liraglutide. This research explores its impact on cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure following transverse aortic constriction (TAC). We found that liraglutide administration markedly ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and function. These benefits correlated with increased ANP expression and reduced activity in the calcineurin A/NFATc3 signaling pathway. Moreover, liraglutide mitigated ER stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and enhanced autophagy. Notably, the positive effects of liraglutide diminished when co-administered with A71915, an ANP inhibitor, suggesting that ANP upregulation is critical to its cardioprotective mechanism.

Summary: During space travel, microgravity leads to disturbances in cognitive function, while the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Simulated microgravity mice showed neuronal age-like changes in the hippocampus of our study. In the context of microgravity, we discovered m6A modification reshapes in the hippocampal region. When paired with RNA-seq and MeRIP-seq, Shox2 was found to be a powerful regulator in hippocampal neuron that respondes to microgravity. Decreased expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors and improved genes related to synapses led to the restoration of memory function in the hippocampus upon increased expression of Shox2. Moreover, we discovered that IGF2BP2 was required for the m6A modification of the Shox2, and overexpressed IGF2BP2 in the hippocampus protected against both neuronal senescence and learning and memory decline caused by loss of gravity. Accordingly, our research identified the hippocampal IGF2BP2-Shox2 axis as a possible therapeutic approach to maintaining cognitive function during space travel.

Bilateral upper urinary tract stones are significantly related to renal function damage. However, few studies characterized the risk factors of bilateral upper urinary tract stones. We retrospectively enrolled 3905 patients with urinary tract stones from March 2019 to March 2022 at the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. Patients were divided into two groups according to the location of the stones, and the related data were evaluated. In this study, 2485 unilateral and 1420 bilateral stone patients were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, gout, hyperparathyroidism, uric acid stone, urine PH, 24-h urinary calcium, blood uric acid, and metabolic syndrome (Mets) were independent risk factors for bilateral stone formation(P

Objective: Individual differences were observed in the clinical efficacy of Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) in the treatment of the primary Meige syndrome. Our study aimed to explore the potential associations between the clinical efficacy of BoNT-A in the treatment of the primary Meige syndrome and variants of SNAP25, SV2C and ST3GAL2, which are involving in the translocation of the BoNT-A in vivo. Methods: Patients with the primary Meige syndrome treated with BoNT-A were enrolled. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms and the duration of efficacy. Variants of SNAP25, SV2C and ST3GAL2 were obtained by Sanger sequencing. Another cohort diagnosed with primary cervical dystonia was also enrolled in the replication stage. Results: Among the 104 primary Meige syndrome patients, 80 patients (76.9%) had a good efficacy (the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms ≥30%) and 24 (23. 1%) had a poor (the maximum improvement rate of motor symptoms

Chemoresistance is one of the main reasons for poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer. The effects of mesothelin (MSLN) on chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer are still unclear. We aim to investigate potential roles of MSLN in chemoresistance and its relationship with proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stemness of pancreatic cancer cells. Human pancreatic cancer cell lines ASPC-1 and Mia PaCa-2 with high and low expression of MSLN, respectively, were selected. The ASPC-1 with MSLN knockout (KO) and Mia PaCa-2 of MSLN overexpression (OE) were generated. The effects of MSLN on cell phenotypes, expression of EMT-related markers, clone formation, tumor sphere formation, and pathologic role of MSLN in tumorigenesis were detected. Sensitivity of tumor cells to gemcitabine was evaluated. The results showed that adhesion, proliferation, migration and invasion were decreased significantly in ASPC-1 with MSLN KO, whereas increased significantly in Mia PaCa-2 with MSLN OE. The size and the number of clones and tumor spheres were decreased in ASPC-1 with MSLN KO, and increased in Mia PaCa-2 with MSLN OE. In xenograft model, tumor volume was decreased (tumor grew slower) in MSLN KO group compared to control group, while increased in MSLN OE group. Mia PaCa-2 with MSLN OE had a higher IC50 of gemcitabine, while ASPC-1 with MSLN KO had a lower IC50. We concluded that MSLN could induce chemoresistance by enhancing migration, invasion, EMT and cancer stem cell traits of pancreatic cancer cells. Targeting MSLN could represent a promising therapeutic strategy for reversing EMT and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer cells.

Background: In the realm of tumor-targeted therapeutics, Polo-like kinases (PLKs) are a significant group of protein kinases that were found recently as being related to tumors. However, the significance of PLKs in pan-cancer remains systematically studied. Methods and materials: We integrated multi-omics data to comprehensively investigate the expression patterns of the PLK family across various cancer types. Subsequently, study examined the associations between tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), immune subtype classification, immune infiltration, tumor microenvironment scores, immune checkpoint gene expression, and the PLKs expression profiles within various tumor types. Furthermore, using our mRNA sequencing data (TRUCE01) and four bladder cancer (BLCA) cohorts (GSE111636, GSE176307, and IMvigor210), We examined the correlation between the expression level of PLK and immunotherapy effectiveness. Next, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was evaluated to find that potentially enriched PLK signaling pathways. Utilizing TIMER 2.0, we conducted an immune infiltration analysis underlying transcriptome expression, copy number variations (CNV), or somatic mutations of PLKs in BLCA. Finally, mRNA expression validation of PLK1/3/4 by real-time PCR within 10 paired BLCA tissues, protein expression verification through the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and PLK4 in vitro cytological studies have been employed in BLCA. Results: The expression of most of the PLK family members exhibits variation between cancerous tissues and adjacent normal tissues across various cancer species. Furthermore, the expression of PLKs demonstrates a significant association with immunotyping, infiltration of immune cell, tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), immunological checkpoint gene activity and therapeutic effectiveness in pan-tumor tissues. Additional investigation into the correlation between the PLK family and BLCA has revealed that the expression of the PLK genes holds substantial significance in the biological processes of BLCA. Furthermore, a notable association has been observed between the copy number variation, variant status, and the degree of certain immunological cell infiltration. Of note, the expression validation and in vitro phenotypic experiments have demonstrated that PLK4 has a significant function in promoting the BLCA cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Conclusion: Collectively, based on various databases, our results highlight the involvement of PLK gene family in the formation of different types of tumors and identify PLK-related genes that may be used for therapy.

As a wide band-gap p-type semiconductor, α-MnSe has been expected to make up for the scarcity of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials, which is crucial for the construction of multifunctional and miniaturized p-n junctions. Herein, we report the synthesis of single crystalline α-MnSe with its domain size, thickness and coverage controlled by hydrogen modulated CVD. The back-gate FET device was fabricated to study the electrical properties of α-MnSe. Moreover, the α-MnSe-based photodetector exhibits a broadband photo-response ranging from 532 nm to 980 nm with response times as low as ∼ 20 ms, comparable to most 2D materials.

Endangered Przewalski's horses have faced severe infections from Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera, Gastrophilidae) in Xinjiang's Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR). This study examines G. pecorum's development and infection patterns in embryonic and larval stages, crucial for understanding horse botfly disease in desert grasslands. For the incubation of G. pecorum fertilized eggs, we established the six distinct temperature gradients: 16 °C, 20 °C, 24 °C, 28 °C, 30 °C, and 32 °C. Using the least squares method, we calculated the correlation between the developmental threshold temperature of the eggs and their cumulative effective temperature. Furthermore, we meticulously recorded the survival duration of the larvae across a spectrum of temperature gradients (−20 °C, −10 °C, 4 °C, 10 °C, 20 °C, and 30 °C) and under varying conditions (dark and light). This method allows us to analyze and interpret the impact of these environmental factors on larval survival durations. 1) The formula for predicting the embryonic development period of G. pecorum was N = (182.7 ± 12.03)/[T-(3.191 ± 1.48)], where the developmental threshold temperature was 3.191 ± 1.48 °C, and the effective accumulated temperature was 182.7 ± 12.03 d°C 2) The model describing the relationship between the embryonic development rate and temperature was: y = 0.0001x2+0.0007x+0.0378, demonstrating a positive correlation between the development rate and temperature (R-sq = 0.989, p

Faced with the continuous occurrence of coal and gas outburst (hereinafter referred to as “outburst”) disasters, as a main controlling factor in the evolution process of an outburst, for gas pressure, it is still unclear about the phased characteristics of the coupling process with in situ stress, which induce coal damage and instability. Therefore, in the work based on the mining stress paths induced by typical outburst accidents, the gradual and sudden change of three-dimensional stress is taken as the background for the mechanical reconstruction of the disaster process. Then the true triaxial physical experiments are conducted on the damage and instability of coal containing gas under multiple stress paths. Finally, the response characterization between coal damage and gas pressure has been clarified, revealing the mechanism of action of gas pressure during the initial failure of coals. And the main controlling mechanism during the outburst process is elucidated in the coupling process of in situ stress with gas pressure. The results show that during the process of stress loading and unloading, the original gas pressure enters the processes of strengthening and weakening the action ability successively. And the strengthening effect continues to the period of large-scale destruction of coals. The mechanical process of gas pressure during the initial failure of coals can be divided into three stages: the enhancement of strengthening action ability, the decrease of strengthening action ability, and the weakening action ability. The entire process is implemented by changing the dominant action of in situ stress into the dominant action of gas pressure. The failure strength of coals is not only affected by its original mechanical strength, but also by the stress loading and unloading paths, showing a particularly significant effect. Three stages can be divided during outburst inoculation process. That is, firstly, the coals suffer from initial damage through the dominant action of in situ stress with synergy of gas pressure; secondly, the coals with spallation of structural division are generated through the dominant action of gas pressure with synergy of in situ stress, accompanied by further fragmentation; and finally, the fractured coals suffer from fragmentation and pulverization with the gas pressure action. Accordingly, the final broken coals are ejected out with the gas action, initiating an outburst. The research results can provide a new perspective for deepening the understanding of coal and gas outburst mechanism, laying a theoretical foundation for the innovation of outburst prevention and control technologies.

The development of high-energy continuous wave (CW) laser has enabled the generation of output powers ranging from 300 to 500 kW. Understanding the ablation mechanism of CW lasers at high laser fluence is crucial for the design of effective high-energy laser protection materials. We note that the particle-like impurities present in the protective coating material can induce defects on the ceramic-like target surface during high-energy CW laser ablation, which can alter the laser absorptivity and manifest a completely different ablation mechanism. Here, we systematically investigate the mechanism of high-energy CW laser ablation of alumina ceramic, with a specific focus on the roles of defect induction, energy transfer, and impact sputtering in the dynamic ablation of target. Specifically, the transient processes between high-energy CW laser and ceramic target will be investigated in terms of the evolution results of the ablation region, the microscopic characteristics of the ablated material, the high time-resolved on-line monitoring, and the multiphase hydrodynamics simulation. Finally, the transparent property of molten alumina ceramic to laser is proved to allow for penetrating damage to ceramic-metal composites.

The Internet is believed to bring more technological dividends to vulnerable farmers during the green agriculture transformation. However, this is different from the theory of skill-biased technological change, which emphasizes that individuals with higher levels of human capital and more technological endowments benefit more. This study investigates the effects of Internet use on farmers’ adoption of integrated pest management (IPM), theoretically and empirically, based on a dataset containing 1 015 farmers in China's Shandong Province. By exploring the perspective of rational inattention, the reasons for the heterogeneity of the effects across farmers with different endowments, i.e., education and land size, are analyzed. The potential endogeneity issues are addressed using the endogenous switching probit model. The results reveal that: (1) although Internet use significantly positively affects farmers’ adoption of IPM, vulnerable farmers do not benefit more from it. Considerable selection bias leads to an overestimation of technological dividends for vulnerable farmers; (2) different sources of technology information lead to the difference in the degree of farmers’ rational inattention toward Internet information, which plays a crucial role in the heterogeneous effect of Internet use; and (3) excessive dependence on strong-tie social network information sources entraps vulnerable farmers in information cocoons, hindering their ability to reap the benefits of Internet use fully. Therefore, it is essential to promote services geared towards elderly-oriented Internet agricultural technology information and encourage farmers with strong Internet utilization skills to share technology information with other farmers actively.

Self-oscillating systems can directly convert ambient energy to mechanical work, and new type self-oscillating systems are worth designing for applications in energy harvesters, engines, and actuators. Taking inspiration from the hand drill, we have developed a novel self-rotating drill system, which is consist of a turnplate and a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fiber under steady illumination. To investigate the self-rotating behaviors of the LCE drill, we have proposed a nonlinear theoretical model of the LCE drill under steady illumination based on the well-established dynamic LCE model. Numerical calculation reveals that the LCE drill can undergo a supercritical Hopf bifurcation between the static regime and the self-rotation regime. The self-rotation of drill originates from the contraction of winding portion of LCE fiber in illumination at winding state, and its continuous periodic motion is sustained by the interrelation between light energy and damping dissipation. The Hopf bifurcation conditions are also investigated in detail, as well as the vital system parameters affecting its frequency and amplitude. In contrast to the abundant existing self-oscillating systems, this self-rotating drill stands out due to its simple and lightweight structure, customizable dimensions, and high speed, and thus facilitates the design of compact and integrated systems, enhancing their applicability in microdevices and systems. This bears great significance in fields like micro-robotics, micro-sensors, and medical instruments, enabling the realization of smaller and higher-performance devices.

Summary: Interfacial investigation for fine-tuning microenvironment has recently emerged as a promising method to optimize the electrochemical CO2 reduction system. The electrical double layer located at the electrode-electrolyte interface presents a particularly significant impact on electrochemical reactions. However, its effect on the activity and selectivity of CO2 electrocatalysis remains poorly understood. Here, we utilized two-dimensional mica flakes, a material with a high dielectric constant, to modify the electrical double layer of Ag nanoparticles. This modification resulted in a significant enhancement of current densities for CO2 reduction and an impressive Faradaic efficiency of 98% for CO production. Our mechanistic investigations suggest that the enhancement of the electrical double layer capacitance through mica modification enriched local CO2 concentration near the reaction interface, thus facilitating CO2 electroreduction.

ABSTRACT: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a transcriptional regulator that mediates cellular adaptive responses to hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is involved in the development of ascites syndrome (AS) in broiler chickens. Therefore, studying the effect of HIF-1α on the cellular transcriptome under hypoxic conditions will help to better understand the mechanism of HIF-1α in the development of AS in broilers. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression profile of the chicken fibroblast cell line (DF-1) under hypoxic conditions by RNA-seq. Additionally, we constructed the HIF-1α knockdown DF-1 cell line by using the RNAi method and analyzed the gene expression profile under hypoxic conditions. The results showed that exposure to hypoxia for 48 h had a significant impact on the expression of genes in the DF-1 cell line, which related to cell proliferation, stress response, and apoptosis. In addition, after HIF-1α knockdown more differential expression genes appeared than in wild-type cells, and the expression of most hypoxia-related genes was either down-regulated or remained unchanged. Pathway analysis results showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in pathways related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative phosphorylation. Our study obtained transcriptomic data from chicken fibroblasts at different hypoxic times and identified the potential regulatory network associated with HIF-1α. This data provides valuable support for understanding the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of HIF-1α in the development of AS in broilers.

Background: We aimed to explore the potential risk factors and short-term prognosis for SIRS after thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Data from patients with HCC who underwent thermal ablation in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2015 and August 2021 were retrieved from the perioperative database. Pre-, intra- and postoperative data between SIRS group and non-SIRS group were compared and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for SIRS after thermal ablation. Results: A total of 1491 patients were enrolled and 234 (15.7 %) patients developed SIRS after thermal ablation. Compared with those without SIRS, patients with SIRS had a longer hospital stay, higher hospitalization costs and higher risk of more severe postoperative complications. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, current smoking (OR 1.58, 95 %CI 1.09–2.29), decreased HCT (OR 1.51,95 %CI 1.11–2.04), NEUT < 1.5 × 109/L(OR 1.74, 95 %CI 1.14–2.65), NEUT% < 0.5 or > 0.7 (OR 1.36, 95 %CI 1.01–1.83) and PT > 16.3s (OR 2.42, 95 %CI 1.57–3.74) were significantly associated with postoperative SIRS. Conclusions: Current smoking, decreased HCT, neutropenia, abnormal percentage of neutrophils and prolonged PT are the independent risk factors for SIRS after thermal ablation of HCC, which worsens outcomes of patients. This study can help identify high-risk population and guide appropriate care so as to reduce the incidence of postoperative SIRS.

ABSTRACT: Two experiments were conducted to establish the prediction equations for AME and TME of corn based on chemical composition and enzymatic hydrolysate gross energy (EHGE) in roosters. In experiment 1, eighty 32-wk-old Hy-line Brown roosters with an average body weight of 2.55 ± 0.21 kg were randomly assigned to 10 diet treatments in a completely randomized design to determine AME and TME by the force-feeding method. Each treatment had 8 replicates with 1 bird per replicate. The 10 test diets used in the experiment were formulated with corn (including 96.10%) as the sole source of energy. In experiment 2, the EHGE of 14 corn samples was measured by the computer-controlled simulated digestion system (CCSDS) with 5 replicates of each sample. The average AME and TME values of corn were 14.58 and 16.46 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The EHGE of 14 corn samples ranged from 14.66 to 15.89 (the mean was 15.24) MJ/kg DM. The best-fit equations for corn based on chemical composition were AME (MJ/kg DM) = 14.5504 + 0.1166 × ether extract (EE) + 0.5058 × Ash − 0.0957 × neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (R2 = 0.8194, residual standard deviation (RSD) = 0.0860, P < 0.01) and TME (MJ/kg DM) = 16.0625 + 0.1314 × EE + 0.4725 × Ash − 0.0872 × NDF (R2 = 0.7867, RSD = 0.0860, P < 0.01). The best-fit equations for corn based on EHGE were AME (MJ/kg DM) = 7.8883 + 0.4568 × EHGE (R2 = 0.8587, RSD = 0.0693, P < 0.01) and TME (MJ/kg DM) = 10.0099 + 0.4228 × EHGE (R2 = 0.8720, RSD = 0.0608, P < 0.01). The differences between determined and predicted values from equations established based on EHGE were lower than those observed from chemical composition equations. These results indicated that EHGE measured with CCSDS could predict the AME and TME of corn for roosters with high accuracy.

The active material of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) is capable of harvesting energy directly from the surroundings and sustaining continuous motion in the presence of light and heat. It is extensively employed in active machinery, soft robotics, biomedicine, and other fields. To date, there is barely any research on the sustained chaotic motion system of LCE pendulum. The main objective of this paper is to put forward a sustained motion system of a simple pendulum comprising photosensitive LCE. In accordance with the LCE dynamic model, a nonlinear dynamic model of the LCE simple pendulum is established, and its motion behavior characteristics under periodic illumination are examined. The numerical outcomes demonstrate that apart from the in-situ vibration mode, the LCE pendulum experiences two types of displacement motion modes as well, namely periodic oscillation mode and chaotic motion mode. The mechanism underlying the sustained periodic oscillation and chaotic motion is revealed by compensating for the damping dissipation with work done by the LCE contraction. Moreover, the discussion also covers how the system parameters affect the motion modes of the LCE simple pendulum. Through altering the parameters such as illumination period, contraction coefficient, light intensity, damping coefficient and gravitational acceleration, it is possible to realize the distinct motion modes of the LCE simple pendulum. This research may deepen the comprehension on the motion behavior of the simple pendulum, and provide scientific guidance for the design and exploration of chaotic systems based on active materials.

Summary: Background: Ablation has been recommended by worldwide guidelines as first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while evidence regarding its efficacy for primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is lacking. We aimed to study the efficacy of ablation in treating iCCA by comparing its prognosis with surgery. Methods: In this real-world multicenter cohort study from January 2009 to June 2022, 10,441 iCCA patients from ten tertiary hospitals were identified. Patients who underwent curative-intent microwave ablation (MWA) or liver resection (LR) for tumors within Milan criteria were included. One-to-many propensity score matching (PSM) at variable ratios (1:n ≤4) was used to balance baseline characteristics. Mediation analysis was applied to identify potential mediators of the survival difference. Findings: 944 patients were finally enrolled in this study, with 221 undergoing MWA and 723 undergoing LR. After PSM, 203 patients in the MWA group were matched with 588 patients in the LR group. The median follow-up time was 4.7 years. Compared with LR, MWA demonstrated similar overall survival (5-year 44.8% versus 40.4%; HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.71–1.29, P = .761). There was an improvement in the 5-year disease-free survival rate for MWA from 17.1% during the period of 2009–2016 to 37.3% during 2017–2022, becoming comparable to the 40.8% of LR (P = .129). The proportion of ablative margins ≥5 mm increased from 25% to 61% over the two periods, while this proportion of surgical margins was 62% and 77%, respectively. 34.5% of DFS disparity can be explained by the mediation effect of margins (P

The objective of this study is to address the issue of high gas temperature for diaphragm compressors in hydrogen refueling stations, which leads to a high failure rate and low volumetric efficiency. The heat transfer between the gas and oil through the diaphragm is a significant heat dissipation path of the diaphragm compressor. This paper studies the performance of a 90 MPa diaphragm compressor used in hydrogen refueling stations by managing hydraulic oil temperature. Experimental results indicate that lowering the oil temperature can significantly improve the compressor volumetric efficiency and reduce the discharge temperature. For the test case, as the oil temperature decreases from 95 °C to 35 °C, the volumetric efficiency increases from 36.2 % to 43.5 %, and the measured discharge temperature decreases by 49 °C. This study proposes a thermodynamic simulation model for diaphragm compressors, and the simulation results agree with the experimental results. This model can be used to calculate the thermodynamic characteristics of diaphragm compressors and provide guidance to designers.

Previous studies have found that people's excessive use of social media may have a negative impact on their crisis coping skills. This study focuses on the effects of social media overload (information overload, communication overload and social overload) on anxiety and health self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used an online questionnaire and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to obtain data (816 valid samples), analyze the data and validate the model. The findings revealed that social media overload (information overload, communication overload and social overload) triggers increased social media fatigue, which in turn leads to the development of anxiety and the consequence of diminished health self-efficacy; social media fatigue plays a partially mediating role between social media and health self-efficacy and a fully mediating role between communication overload and health self-efficacy. The results of this study can inform the development of crisis communication strategies during public health emergencies.

β-AlFeSi is one of the most common and most damaging intermetallics in aluminum alloys containing silicon. The study of its growth behavior is crucial for alloy design. In this work, Al-8.1Si–5Fe and Al–13Si–3Fe alloys were cast to study the growth of β-AlFeSi. The skirt like β-AlFeSi clusters formed by splitting were discovered, and this phenomenon was found to be mainly caused by thermal stress. By micro to atomic scale electron microscopy studies, a layer-by-layer growth mode along the (001) crystal plane was proposed for β-AlFeSi. In addition, it is found that β-AlFeSi grows along the heat flow, and the preferred growth orientation is determined to be [100]/[010]. Other characteristics of β growth, such as stacking faults and inducing formation of pores, were also reported and discussed.

CuCr30 composite was commonly applied in medium and low voltage vacuum interrupters. The WC/CuCr30 composites based on changing of Cr particle morphology and orientation were successfully prepared by vacuum hot press sintering and hot extrusion, and the arc erosion resistance behavior at different voltages along the deformation direction of Cr particles was investigated on the JF04C electrical contact material testing system. The microstructure characterization of WC/CuCr30 composites shows that the Cr particles in the WC/CuCr30 composite have been elongated and the long axis direction is close to parallel to the extrusion direction after the hot extrusion deformation. Compared with the longitudinal section, the thermal conductivity of CuCr30 and WC/CuCr30 composites in the cross section is increases by 3.75% and 3.63%, respectively. The electrical contact testing results under different voltages shows that the addition of WC particles can extend the service life of the CuCr30 composite, and the operation times of WC/CuCr30 composite (4850 times) increases by 34.72% compared to CuCr30 composite (3600 times) at 30 V DC. The welding force decreases more obviously with the increase of the voltage, and the average welding force of WC/CuCr30 composite decreases by 8.57% and 20.9% at 24 V DC and 30 V DC compared with CuCr30, respectively. The arc erosion mechanism analysis shows that addition of WC particles is beneficial for the decrease of arc duration. And WC particles can effectively inhibit the arc erosion process and delay the formation of bumps and pits.

It is well known that lower quench rate leads to the formation of precipitate free zones (PFZs) adjacent to grain boundaries in aging hardening materials such as Al–Mg–Si alloys. However, the combined effect of PFZs and intragranular precipitates on the yield strength of Al–Mg–Si alloys is not systematically understood. To clarify this, an Al–Mg–Si alloy was water/oil/air quenched after solid solution treatment, then aged at 180 °C for 6 h. It was found that a lower quench rate led to coarser precipitates and wider PFZs. The effects of PFZs and precipitates on the yield strength of the Al–Mg–Si alloy were separated by quantitative characterization of multi-scale microstructures and mechanical simulations. Wide PFZs were found to have a notable effect on yield strength, amounting over half the strengthening effect of intragranular precipitates. This effect increases as the width of PFZ increases, due to more serious strain localization caused by PFZs. A corresponding equation has thus been proposed to describe the deleterious effects of PFZs on yield strength of Al–Mg–Si alloys.

This paper proposes a novel flexible uninterrupted neutral section passing system based on four-leg V-clamp multilevel converter (VMC). It can better solve a series of problems such as overvoltage, overcurrent and speed loss caused by the interruptible over-phase scheme used in electrified railway, and compensate the negative sequence and reactive current in traction power supply system at the same time. VMC is a new type of multilevel converter with common DC-link capacitors. VMC has advantages in the number of devices to some extent, and its expansion from odd level to even level is very simple. Compared with schemes based on modular multilevel converter (MMC), this system has the advantages of low converter hardware cost and no energy loss resulting from hot backup. The system configuration, working process and operating principle are analyzed in detail, and a control strategy for the whole process of neutral section passing is designed. Next, the method based on zero-sequence voltage component injection is used to solve the voltage-balancing problem existed in multilevel converter with common DC-link capacitors, which does not need additional switching times and is easy to realize in three-phase three-wire system. Finally, the simulation results are given to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the system.

Summary: Immune checkpoint blockade therapies are still ineffective for most patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Immunogenic cell death (ICD) enables the release of key immunostimulatory signals to drive efficient anti-tumor immunity, which could be used to potentiate the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we showed that inhibition of valosin-containing protein (VCP) elicits ICD in CRC. Meanwhile, VCP inhibitor upregulates PD-L1 expression and compromises anti-tumor immunity in vivo. Mechanistically, VCP transcriptionally regulates PD-L1 expression in a JAK1-dependent manner. Combining VCP inhibitor with anti-PD1 remodels tumor immune microenvironment and reduces tumor growth in mouse models of CRC. Addition of oncolytic virus further augments the therapeutic activity of the combination regimen. Our study shows the molecular mechanism for regulating PD-L1 expression by VCP and suggests that inhibition of VCP has the potential to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy in CRC.

Summary: Contaminated sites pose serious threats to the soil environment and human health. However, the location and temporal changes of urban contaminated sites across China remain unknown due to data scarcity. Here, we developed a machine-learning model to identify the contaminated sites using public data. Results show that the trained model with 2,005 surveyed site samples and six variables can achieve a model performance evaluation value of 0.86. 43,676 contaminated sites were identified from 83,498 polluting enterprise plots in China. However, these contaminated sites have significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity, mainly located in economically developed provinces, urban agglomerations, and core urban areas. Moreover, the contaminated sites increased by 325% along with urban expansion from 1990 to 2018. The abandoned contaminated sites increased rapidly, but the contaminated sites in production decreased continuously. This methodological framework and our findings contribute to the precise management of contaminated sites and provide insights into urban sustainable development.

Direct air capture (DAC), which removes CO2 directly from ambient air, is a critical negative emission technology for mitigating global climate change. Efficiency and the source of energy are crucial considerations for DAC to enable negative emissions. Substantial technological progress has been made in DAC technologies, and promising opportunities exist for commercial-scale deployments. However, DAC technologies require high regeneration energy to release CO2 from sorbents. Various approaches have been tested and optimized for different DAC systems. This review demonstrates that the work equivalent regeneration energy demand (supported by either the electric grid or fossil fuel combustion) ranges from 0.5–18.75 GJ/t-CO2 for solid sorbent DAC systems and 0.62–17.28 GJ/t-CO2 for liquid solvent DAC systems. The regeneration process is the energy-demanding process in DAC that is a key step for efficient operation. Potential methods to lower the regeneration energy demand include microwave, ultrasound, magnetic particle heating, and electric swing. Although the potential methods to date are still at the lab scale, significant work is being done to optimize DAC system processes.

CuCr alloys are the main contact materials used in medium-voltage and high-current vacuum interrupters. In this paper, the effect of large plastic deformation on microstructure and the transverse/longitudinal thermal conductivity of CuCr30 contact material were studied. The results show that the morphology of Cr particles in CuCr30 changes from dendritic to oriented fibrous after large plastic deformation, and the longitudinal thermal conductivity of CuCr30 contact material is about 1.5 times higher than its transverse thermal conductivity. During the electrical contacting process, the mass loss of the extruded CuCr30 contact material is lower than that of as-cast CuCr30 contact material, which is directly related to the significantly higher longitudinal thermal conductivity of the extruded CuCr30 contact material. The enhancement of longitudinal thermal conductivity is beneficial to reduce the mass loss of the contact material and improve the arc erosion resistance of the contact material. The mass loss of the cathode with higher longitudinal thermal conductivity is significantly lower than that of the anode contact in extruded CuCr30 contact material.

The bio-inertness of titanium (Ti) and accompanying severe inflammation can extremely inhibit the coupled osteogenesis-angiogenesis regulation and result in an undesirable osseointegration of peri-implant during the implantation process. Herein, three types of TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) were prepared on native Ti substrate using an anodic oxidation approach, including TNT with a diameter of 30 nm (TNT-30), 70 nm (TNT-70), or 110 nm (TNT-110). Among the four substrates, TNT-70 was the most prominent to induce the differentiation of macrophages to the pro-healing M2 phenotype via significant down-regulation of pro-inflammation genes (CD86, iNOS, CD11c) and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), as well as up-regulation of anti-inflammation genes (CD206, Arg-1, IL-10) and cytokines (TGF-β, IL-10). Furthermore, TNT-70 could stimulate the osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the angiogenic ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via multiple paracrine signaling. In vivo experiments suggested that TNT-70 significantly relieved early inflammatory response around the implant, facilitated coupled osteogenesis and angiogenesis, and effectively promoted the osseointegration of peri-implant. This study provided a reference for fabricating surface topography on Ti implant for improving osseointegration and relieving associated excessive inflammatory response.

The smoke and poisonous gas produced during combustion is one of the direct hazards of cable fire. For power cables laid vertically in the cable shaft of high-rise buildings, the chimney effect will speed up the spread and expand the harm of cable fire. The paper proposes a simulation method based on fire dynamics theory to analyze the diffusion and spread characteristics of cable fire. First, a three-dimensional model of the double-floor cable shaft with multiple cables laid vertically inside was built in the paper. Second, with the abnormal heating caused by overload or insulation breakdown as the excitation condition, the development process of cable fire is simulated. The diffusion of smoke and gas during the whole combustion process is studied and discussed. Then, the paper compares the simulation results of the model with different fire blocking materials. The simulation results show that the application of blocking materials will cause differences between the spread of fire and flue gases, and the difference can be used to evaluate the quality and performance of the fire blocking material. Finally, A test platform is constructed to verify the validity of the simulation analysis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health concern worldwide, and chromium exposure may be a risk factor due to its potential nephrotoxicity. However, research on the association between chromium exposure and kidney function especially the potential threshold effect of chromium exposure is limited. A repeated-measures study involving 183 adults (641 observations) was conducted from 2017 to 2021 in Jinzhou, China. Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured as kidney function biomarkers. Generalized mixed models and two-piecewise linear spline mixed models were used to assess the dose-response relationship and potential threshold effect of chromium on kidney function, respectively. Temporal analysis was conducted by the latent process mixed model to depict the longitudinal change of kidney function over age. Urinary chromium was associated with CKD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.29; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 6.41, 14.06) and UACR (Percent change = 10.16 %; 95 % CI, 6.41 %, 14.06 %), and we did not find significant association between urinary chromium and eGFR (Percent change = 0.06 %; 95 % CI, −0.80 %, 0.95 %). The threshold analyses suggested the existence of threshold effects of urinary chromium, with inflection points at 2.74 μg/L for UACR and 3.95 μg/L for eGFR. Furthermore, we found that chromium exposure exhibited stronger kidney damage over age. Our study provided evidence for the threshold effects of chromium exposure on kidney function biomarkers and the heightened nephrotoxicity of chromium in older adults. More attention should be paid to the supervision of chromium exposure concentrations for preventing kidney damage, especially in older adults.

Summary: A hypoxic microenvironment contributes to tumor progression, with hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) being a critical regulator. We have reported that 14-3-3σ is negatively associated with HIF-1α expression; however, its role in hypoxia-induced tumor progression remains poorly characterized. Here we show that 14-3-3σ suppresses cancer hypoxia-induced metastasis and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC). 14-3-3σ opposes HIF-1α expression by regulating the protein stability of HIF-1α, thereby decreasing HIF-1α transcriptional activity and suppressing tumor progression. Mechanistic studies show that the 14-3-3σ-interacting protein neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated 4-like (NEDD4L) is an E3 ligase that targets HIF-1α. 14-3-3σ promotes the binding of S448-phosphorylated NEDD4L to HIF-1α, thereby enhancing HIF-1α poly-ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation. Consistent with this anti-tumorigenic function for 14-3-3σ, low 14-3-3σ expression levels correlate with poor CRC patient survival, and 14-3-3σ enhances the response of CRC to bevacizumab. These results reveal an important mechanism for 14-3-3σ in tumor suppression through HIF-1α regulation.

Accelerated population ageing has brought a great burden to the development of society. Repairing senile osteoporosis fractures is a great challenge, but a desirable way to address this issue is by developing multifunctional titanium(Ti) implants with antiaging and pro-osteogenic effects. Herein, to endow TI substrate with an antiaging effect for enhanced bone formation, an exercise-induced myokine(irisin) was loaded on titanium dioxide nanotubes(TNTs) and then a multilayered structure composed of chitosan(Chi) and gelatin(Gel) was constructed on the substrates via a layer-by-layer-assembly technique(TNT-IR-LBL). The surface topography of TNT-IR-LBL was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy(AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and water contact angle measurements, respectively. As an exercise-induced myokine, the irisin secreted from skeletal muscle exhibits strong activity for against the chronic diseases. The implants synthesized here displayed good biocompatibility towards osteoblasts. Moreover, irisin was sustainably released from TNT-IR-LBL for more than 3 weeks. In vitro studies indicated the TNT-IR-LBL substrates promoted osteoblast differentiation. In addition, compared to bare titanium, TNT-IR-LBL significantly promoted new bone formation around the implant interface in senile osteoporosis rats 4 weeks after implantation. Overall, this study provides a promising candidate to develop Ti-based orthopaedic implants to repair senile osteoporosis fractures.

Summary: Sodium sulfate decahydrate (Na2SO4.10H2O, SSD), a low-cost phase change material (PCM), can store thermal energy. However, phase separation and unstable energy storage capacity (ESC) limit its use. To address these concerns, eight polymer additives—sodium polyacrylate (SPA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Fumed silica (SiO2), potassium polyacrylate (PPA), cellulose nanofiber (CNF), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)—were used to explore several stabilization mechanisms. The ESC of PCMs deteriorated when thickeners, SPA, PPA, and CNF, were added. DSS-modified PCMs exhibited greater stability up to 150 cycles. Rheology measurements indicated that DSS did not impact SSD viscosity significantly during stabilization. Dynamic light scattering showed that DSS reduces SSD particle size and electrostatically suspends salt particles in a stable homogeneous solution, avoiding phase separation. This study proposes a promising method to improve the thermal stability of salt hydrate PCMs by utilizing polyelectrolyte-salt hydrate mixture for thermal energy storage applications.

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury is a phenomenon in which exacerbating damage of liver cells due to restoration of blood flow following ischemia during liver surgery, especially those involving liver transplantation. Mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles, are crucial for cell survival and apoptosis and have evolved a range of quality control mechanisms to maintain homeostasis in the mitochondrial network in response to various stress conditions. Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion leads to disruption of mitochondrial quality control mechanisms, as evidenced by reduced mitochondrial autophagy, excessive division, reduced fusion, and inhibition of biogenesis. This leads to dysfunction of the mitochondrial network. The accumulation of damaged mitochondria ultimately results in apoptosis of hepatocytes due to the release of apoptotic proteins like cytochrome C. This worsens hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. Currently, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury protection is being studied using different approaches such as drug pretreatment, stem cells and exosomes, genetic interventions, and mechanical reperfusion, all aimed at targeting mitochondrial quality control mechanisms. This paper aims to provide direction for future research on combating HIRI by reviewing the latest studies that focus on targeting mitochondrial quality control mechanisms.

Summary: Background: Pyrimidine nucleotides fuel the growth of colorectal cancer (CRC), making their associated proteins potential targets for cancer intervention. Uridine-Cytidine Kinase Like-1(UCKL1) is an enzyme involved in the pyrimidine salvage pathway. It is highly expressed in multiple cancers. But the function and underlying mechanism of UCKL1 in CRC are yet to study. Methods: Large-scale genomic analysis was performed to search for potential CRC players related to pyrimidine metabolism. The function of UCKL1 in CRC were examined by RNA interference coupled with in vitro and in vivo assays. GSH/GSSG assay, NADP+ assay, ROS, and Lipid peroxidation assays were performed to check the function of UCKL1 in ferroptosis. Metabolomics analyses, RNA sequencing, western blotting, and rescue assays were done to reveal the underlying mechanisms of UCKL1. Xenograft mouse model was used to examine the therapeutic potential of UCKL1 as a target in combination with other ferroptosis inducers. Findings: UCKL1 was identified to repress ferroptosis in CRC cells. It was highly expressed in CRC. It regulated CRC cells proliferation and migration. Downregulation of UCKL1 led to enhanced tumour lipid peroxidation. Intriguingly, UCKL1 reduction-mediated ferroptosis was not related to its role in catalyzing uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cytidine monophosphate (CMP) synthesis. Instead, UCKL1 stabilized Nrf2, which in turn promoted the expression of SLC7A11, a classical repressor of ferroptosis. Moreover, downregulation of UCKL1 sensitized CRC cells to GPX4 inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. Interpretation: Our study demonstrates that UCKL1 plays a non-canonical role in repressing ferroptosis through a UCKL1-Nrf2-SLC7A11 axis in CRC cells. Combinatorial strategy in targeting ferroptosis by depletion of UCKL1 and application of GPX4 inhibitors may serve as a new effective method for CRC treatment. Funding: This study was supported in part by fund from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31970674 to PY), by the Basic and Applied Basic Research Program of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2023A1515030245 to KL), by the program of Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases (2020B1111170004), and by National Key Clinical Discipline.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has drawn extensive attention as alternative energy with high power generation efficiency and low pollution. The dynamic performances of the PEMFC air system in a city bus, including oxygen excess ratio (OER) tracking and compressor movement, are essential for its stability and economy. In this paper, the study is concentrated on the control of OER under current disturbance and parameter uncertainty. To this end, a Lyapunov-based model reference adaptive controller (Lyapunov-MRAC) with PD controller is employed. Lyapunov-MRAC adjusts the controller in time to ensure the output of the plant following the desired reference model, and the PD controller further improves the dynamic performance of the controller. The proposed strategy, traditional Lyapunov-MRAC, and proportional–integral (PI) controller are implemented on a widely accepted nonlinear model describing the dynamics of the air supply system. The simulation results indicate that the proposed strategy outperforms traditional methods in OER tracking and overshoot restriction under current disturbance, and improves the robustness under the perturbation of compressor rotational inertia. In addition, the proposed strategy can reduce the control effort of the compressor so as to prolong the lifetime of the compressor.

In modern power system, the connection between distribution network and distributed integrated energy system is becoming increasingly prevalent, which greatly influenced the operation strategy and reliability of the traditional distribution network. To evaluate the reliability of distribution network more precisely, a reliability evaluation method considering the integration impact of distributed integrated energy system is proposed. Firstly, the structure and mathematical model of the united energy system are described. Secondly, taking the minimum sum of operation and load reduction cost as the objective function, the optimal load reduction models of distribution network and distributed integrated energy system are established. Due to the interest game between these two systems, analytical target cascading theory is applied to deal with the decoupling of these two models. Thirdly, the reliability evaluation of the united system is performed based on Monte Carlo Simulation method. The simulation study of a modified IEEE RBTS system with a distributed integrated energy system indicates the effectiveness of the proposed method.