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Irisin, a cleaved product of the fibronectin type III domain containing protein-5, is produced in the muscle tissue, which plays an important role in modulating insulin resistance. However, it remains unknown if irisin provides a protective effect against the detrimental outcomes of hemorrhage. Hemorrhages were simulated in male CD-1 mice to achieve a mean arterial blood pressure of 35–45 mmHg, followed by resuscitation. Irisin (50 ng/kg) and the vehicle (saline) were administrated at the start of resuscitation. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, and hemodynamics were measured through femoral artery catheterization. A glucose tolerance test was used to evaluate insulin sensitivity. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to detect inflammatory factors in the muscles and blood serum. Western blot was carried out to assess the irisin production in skeletal muscles. Histological analyses were used to determine tissue damage and active-caspase 3 apoptotic signals. The hemorrhage suppressed cardiac performance, as indicated by a reduced ejection fraction and fractional shortening, which was accompanied by enhanced insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Furthermore, the hemorrhage resulted in a marked decrease in irisin and an increase in the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). Additionally, the hemorrhage caused marked edema, inflammatory cell infiltration and active-caspase 3 positive signals in skeletal muscles and cardiac muscles. Irisin treatment led to a significant improvement in the cardiac function of animals exposed to a hemorrhage. In addition, irisin treatment improved insulin sensitivity, which is consistent with the suppressed inflammatory cytokine secretion elicited by hemorrhages. Furthermore, hemorrhage-induced tissue edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and active-caspase 3 positive signaling were attenuated by irisin treatment. The results suggest that irisin protects against damage from a hemorrhage through the modulation of insulin sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP) syndrome leads to diarthrodial joint arthropathy and is caused by the absence of lubricin (proteoglycan 4—PRG4), a surface-active mucinous glycoprotein responsible for lubricating articular cartilage. In this study, mice lacking the orthologous gene Prg4 served as a model that recapitulates the destructive arthrosis that involves biofouling of cartilage by serum proteins in lieu of Prg4. This study hypothesized that Prg4-deficient mice would demonstrate a quadruped gait change and decreased markers of mitochondrial dyscrasia, following intra-articular injection of both hindlimbs with recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4). Prg4−/− (N = 44) mice of both sexes were injected with rhPRG4 and gait alterations were studied at post-injection day 3 and 6, before joints were harvested for immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 activation. Increased stance and propulsion was shown at 3 days post-injection in male mice. There were significantly fewer caspase-3-positive chondrocytes in tibiofemoral cartilage from rhPRG4-injected mice. The mitochondrial gene Mt-tn, and myosin heavy (Myh7) and light chains (Myl2 and Myl3), known to play a cytoskeletal stabilizing role, were significantly upregulated in both sexes (RNA-Seq) following IA rhPRG4. Chondrocyte mitochondrial dyscrasias attributable to the arthrosis in CACP may be mitigated by IA rhPRG4. In a supporting in vitro crystal microbalance experiment, molecular fouling by albumin did not block the surface activity of rhPRG4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deficiency of PRG4 (lubricin), the boundary lubricant in mammalian joints, contributes to increased joint friction accompanied by superficial and upper intermediate zone chondrocyte caspase-3 activation, as shown in lubricin-null (Prg4-/-) mice. Caspase-3 activity appears to be reversible upon the restitution of Prg4 either endogenously in vivo, in a gene trap mouse, or as an applied lubricant in vitro. In this study we show that intra-articular injection of human PRG4 in vivo in Prg4-/- mice prevented caspase-3 activation in superficial zone chondrocytes and was associated with a modest decrease in whole joint friction measured ex vivo using a joint pendulum method. Non-lubricated Prg4-/- mouse cartilage shows caspase cascade activation caused by mitochondrial dysregulation, and significantly higher levels of peroxynitrite (ONOO- and -OH) and superoxide (O-2) compared to Prg4+/+ and Prg4+/- cartilage. Enzymatic activity levels of caspase 8 across Prg4 mutant mice were not significantly different, indicating no extrinsic apoptosis pathway activation. Western blots showed caspase-3 and 9 activation in Prg4-/- tissue extracts, and the appearance of nitrosylated Cys163 in the active cleft of caspase-3 which inhibits its enzymatic activity. These findings are relevant to patients at risk for arthrosis, from camptodactyl-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP) syndrome and transient lubricin insufficiency due to trauma and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulated/activated protein kinase (PRAK) plays a crucial role in modulating biological function. However, the role of PRAK in mediating cardiac dysfunction and metabolic disorders remains unclear. We examined the effects of deletion of PRAK on modulating cardiac function and insulin resistance in mice exposed to a high-fat diet (HFD). Wild-type and PRAK−/− mice at 8 weeks old were exposed to either chow food or HFD for a consecutive 16 weeks. Glucose tolerance tests and insulin tolerance tests were employed to assess insulin resistance. Echocardiography was employed to assess myocardial function. Western blot was used to determine the molecular signaling involved in phosphorylation of IRS-1, AMPKα, ERK-44/42, and irisin. Real time-PCR was used to assess the hypertrophic genes of the myocardium. Histological analysis was employed to assess the hypertrophic response, interstitial myocardial fibrosis, and apoptosis in the heart. Western blot was employed to determine cellular signaling pathway. HFD-induced metabolic stress is indicated by glucose intolerance and insulin intolerance. PRAK knockout aggravated insulin resistance, as indicated by glucose intolerance and insulin intolerance testing as compared with wild-type littermates. As compared with wild-type mice, hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia were manifested in PRAK-knockout mice following high-fat diet intervention. High-fat diet intervention displayed a decline in fractional shortening and ejection fraction. However, deletion of PRAK exacerbated the decline in cardiac function as compared with wild-type mice following HFD treatment. In addition, PRAK knockout mice enhanced the expression of myocardial hypertrophic genes including ANP, BNP, and βMHC in HFD treatment, which was also associated with an increase in cardiomyocyte size and interstitial fibrosis. Western blot indicated that deletion of PRAK induces decreases in phosphorylation of IRS-1, AMPKα, and ERK44/42 as compared with wild-type controls. Our finding indicates that deletion of PRAK promoted myocardial dysfunction, cardiac remodeling, and metabolic disorders in response to HFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the degradation mechanism of expansive soil-rubber fiber (ESR) under freeze-thaw cycles, freeze-thaw cycle tests and consolidated undrained tests were conducted on the saturated ESR. The study quantified the elastic modulus and damage variables of ESR under different numbers of freeze-thaw cycles and confining pressure, and proposed a damage constitutive model for ESR. The primary findings indicate that: (1) The effective stress paths of ESR exhibit similarity across different numbers of freeze-thaw cycles, the critical stress ratio slightly decreased by 8.8%, while the normalized elastic modulus experienced a significant reduction, dropping to 42.1%. (2) When considering the damage threshold, the shear process of ESR can be divided into three stages: weak damage, damage development, and failure. As strain increases, the microdefects of ESR gradually develop, penetrating macroscopic cracks and converging to form the main rupture surface. Eventually, the damage value reaches 1. (3) Due to the effect of freeze-thaw cycles, initial damage exists for ESR, which is positively correlated with the number of freeze-thaw cycles. The rubber fibers act as tensile elements, and the ESR damage evolution curves intersect one after another, showing obvious plastic characteristics in the late stage of shear. (4) Confining pressure plays a role in limiting the development of ESR microcracks. The damage deterioration of ESR decreases with an increase in confining pressure, leading to an increase in ESR strength. (5) Through a comparison of the test curve and the theoretical curve, this study validates the rationality of the damage constitutive model of ESR under established freeze-thaw cycles. Furthermore, it accurately describes the nonlinear impact of freeze-thaw cycles and confining pressure on the ESR total damage., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Large volumes of waste tires are generated due to the rapid growth of the transportation industry. An effective method of recycling waste tires is needed. Using rubber from tires to improve problematic soils has become a research topic. In this paper, the dynamic response of rubber fiber-reinforced expansive soil under freeze-thaw cycles is investigated. Dynamic triaxial tests were carried out on rubber fiber-reinforced expansive soil subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. The results showed that with the increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles, the dynamic stress amplitude and dynamic elastic modulus of rubber fiber-reinforced expansive soils first decrease and then increase, and the damping ratio first increases and then decreases, all of which reach the turning point at the 6th freeze-thaw cycle. The dynamic stress amplitude and dynamic elastic modulus decreased by 59.4% and 52.2%, respectively, while the damping ratio increased by 99.8% at the 6th freeze-thaw cycle. The linear visco-elastic model was employed to describe the hysteretic curve of rubber fiber-reinforced expansive soil. The elastic modulus of the linear elastic element and the viscosity coefficient of the linear viscous element first decrease and then increase with the increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles; all reach the minimum value at the 6th freeze-thaw cycle. The dynamic stress-dynamic strain curve calculation method is established based on the hyperbolic model and linear visco-elastic model, and the verification shows that the effect is better. The research findings provide guidance for the improvement of expansive soil in seasonally frozen regions.

Broiler skeletal muscle growth is significantly influenced by miRNAs. Our earlier research demonstrated that miR-24-3p significantly suppressed the proliferation of chicken myoblasts while promoting their differentiation. The purpose of this study is to investigate miR-24-3p potential target genes in chickens. We collected myoblasts of Jinghai yellow chicken and transfected four samples with mimics of miR-24-3p and another four samples with mimic NC (negative control) for RNA-seq. We obtained 54.34 Gb of raw data in total and 50.79 Gb of clean data remained after filtering. Moreover, 11,635 genes were found to be co-expressed in these two groups. The mimic vs. NC comparison group contained 189 DEGs in total, 119 of which were significantly up-regulated and 70 of which were significantly down-regulated. Important biological process (BP) terminology such as nuclear chromosomal segregation, reproduction, and nuclear division were discovered by GO enrichment analysis for DEGs in the mimic vs. NC comparison group. KEGG pathway analysis showed that focal adhesion, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, the TGF-β signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway were enriched in the top 20. Variation site analysis illustrated the SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and INDEL (insertion-deletion) in the tested samples. By comparing the target genes predicted by miRDB (MicroRNA target prediction database) and TargetScan with the 189 DEGs found by the transcriptome sequencing, we discovered two up-regulated DEGs ( NEURL1 and IQSEC3 ) and two down-regulated DEGs ( REEP1 and ST6GAL1 ). Finally, we carried out qPCR experiments on eight DEGs and discovered that the qPCR results matched the sequencing outcomes. These findings will aid in identifying potential miR-24-3p target genes in chicken skeletal muscle and offer some new directions for upcoming research on broiler breeding.

Avian leukosis (AL), caused by avian leukosis virus (ALV), is a contagious tumor disease that results in significant economic losses for the poultry industry. Currently, ALV-A, B, J, and K subgroups are the most common in commercial poultry and cause possible coinfections. Therefore, close monitoring is necessary to avoid greater economic losses. In this study, a novel multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed to detect ALV-A, ALV-B, ALV-J, and ALV-K with limits of detection of 40, 11, 13.7, and 96 copies/µL, respectively, and no cross-reactivity with other ALV subtypes and avian pathogens. We detected 852 cell cultures inoculated with clinical samples using this method, showing good consistency with conventional PCR and ELISA. The most prevalent ALV strain in Hubei Province, China, was still ALV-J (11.74%). Although single infections with ALV-A, ALV-B, and ALV-K were not found, coinfections with different subgroup strains were identified: 0.7% for ALV-A/J, 0.35% for ALV-B/J, 0.25% for ALV-J/K, and 0.12% for ALV-A/B/K and ALV-A/B/J. Therefore, our novel multiplex qPCR may be a useful tool for molecular epidemiology, clinical detection of ALV, and ALV eradication programs.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) has caused huge economic losses to the pig industry across the world. Matrine is a natural compound that has been shown to regulate intestinal flora and has anti-PCV2 activity in mouse models. PCV2 infection can lead to changes in intestinal flora. The intestinal flora has proved to be one of the important pharmacological targets of the active components of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This study aimed to determine whether matrine exerts anti-PCV2 effects by regulating intestinal flora. In this study, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was used to evaluate the effect of matrine on the intestinal flora of PCV2-infected Kunming (KM) mice. The expression of the Cap gene in the liver and the ileum, the relative expression of IL-1β mRNA, and the Lactobacillus acidophilus ( L. acidophilus ) gene in the ileum of mice were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). ELISA was used to analyze the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in small intestinal fluid. L. acidophilus was isolated and identified from the feces of KM mice in order to study its anti-PCV2 effect in vivo. The expression of the Cap gene in the liver and the ileum and the relative expression of L. acidophilus and IL-1β mRNA in the ileum were determined by qPCR. The results showed that matrine could reduce the relative expression of IL-1β mRNA by regulating intestinal flora, and that its pharmacological anti-PCV2 and effect may be related to L. acidophilus . L. acidophilus was successfully isolated and identified from the feces of KM mice. The in vivo experiment revealed that administration of L. acidophilus also reduced the relative expression of IL-1β mRNA, and that it had anti-PCV2 effects in PCV2-infected mice. It was found that matrine could regulate the abundance of L. acidophilus in the gut of mice to exert an anti-PCV2 effect and inhibit PCV2-induced inflammatory response.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) seriously endangers the sustainable development of the pig industry. Our previous studies have shown that matrine can resist porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection. This study aimed to explore the anti-PRRSV targets of matrine in Marc-145 cells. Biotin-labeled matrine 1 and 2 were used as probes. MTT assay was used to determine the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration (MNTC) of each probe in Marc-145 cells. The anti-PRRSV activity of each probe was evaluated via MTT, qPCR and Western blot, and its anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated via qPCR and Western blot. The targets of matrine in Marc-145 cells were searched using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), and compared with the targets predicted via network pharmacology for screening the potential targets of matrine against PRRSV. The protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) of potential targets were constructed using a network database and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis was performed. ACAT1, ALB, HMOX1, HSPA8, HSP90AB1, PARP1 and STAT1 were identified as potential targets of matrine, and their functions were related to antiviral capacity and immunity. Matrine may play an anti-PRRSV role by directly acting on ACAT1, ALB, HMOX1, HSPA8, HSP90AB1, PARP1 and STAT1.

SARS-CoV-2 relies on the recognition of the spike protein by the host cell receptor ACE2 for cellular entry. In this process, transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) plays a pivotal role, as it acts as the principal priming agent catalyzing spike protein cleavage to initiate the fusion of the cell membrane with the virus. Thus, TMPRSS2 is an ideal pharmacological target for COVID-19 therapy development, and the effective production of high-quality TMPRSS2 protein is essential for basic and pharmacological research. Unfortunately, as a mammalian-originated protein, TMPRSS2 could not be solubly expressed in the prokaryotic system. In this study, we applied different protein engineering methods and found that an artificial protein XXA derived from an antifreeze protein can effectively promote the proper folding of TMPRSS2, leading to a significant improvement in the yield of its soluble form. Our study also showed that the fused XXA protein did not influence the enzymatic catalytic activity; instead, it greatly enhanced TMPRSS2's thermostability. Therefore, our strategy for increasing TMPRSS2 expression would be beneficial for the large-scale production of this stable enzyme, which would accelerate aniti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics development.

Traditional silicate cement materials produce a large amount of CO 2 during production, making it urgent to seek alternatives. Alkali-activated slag cement is a good substitute, as its production process has low carbon emissions and energy consumption, and it can comprehensively utilize various types of industrial waste residue while possessing superior physical and chemical properties. However, the shrinkage of alkali-activated concrete can be larger than that of traditional silicate concrete. To address this issue, the present study utilized slag powder as the raw material, sodium silicate (water glass) as the alkaline activator, and incorporated fly ash and fine sand to study the dry shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage values of alkali cementitious material under different content. Furthermore, combined with the change trend of pore structure, the impact of their content on the drying shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage of alkali-activated slag cement was discussed. Based on the author's previous research, it was found that by sacrificing a certain mechanical strength, adding fly ash and fine sand can effectively reduce the drying shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage values of alkali-activated slag cement. The higher the content, the greater the strength loss of the material and the lower the shrinkage value. When the fly ash content was 60%, the drying shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage of the alkali-activated slag cement mortar specimens decreased by about 30% and 24%, respectively. When the fine sand content was 40%, the drying shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage of the alkali-activated slag cement mortar specimens decreased by about 14% and 4%, respectively.

Rabies is a lethal encephalitis caused by the rabies virus (RABV) with a fatality rate near 100% after the onset of clinical symptoms in humans and animals. Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system. Few studies have been conducted on the functional role of microglia in RABV infection. Here, we performed a transcriptomic analysis of mRNA expression profiles in the microglia of mouse brains intracerebrally infected with RABV. We successfully isolated single microglial cells from the mouse brains. The survival rate of dissociated microglial cells was 81.91%-96.7%, and the purity was 88.3%. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 22,079 differentially expressed mRNAs identified in the microglia of mouse brains infected with RABV strains (rRC-HL, GX074, and CVS-24) of varying virulence at 4 and 7 days post-infection (dpi) compared to the control group. The numbers of DEGs versus the control at 4 and 7 dpi in mice infected with rRC-HL, GX074, and CVS-24 were 3622 and 4590, 265 and 4901, and 4079 and 6337. The GO enrichment analysis showed that response to stress, response to external stimulus, regulation of response to stimulus, and immune system process were abundant during RABV infection. The KEGG analysis indicated that the Tlr, Tnf, RIG-I, NOD, NF-κB, MAPK, and Jak-STAT signaling pathways were involved in RABV infection at both 4 and 7 dpi. However, some phagocytosis and cell signal transduction processes, such as endocytosis, p53, phospholipase D, and oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathways, were only expressed at 7 dpi. The involvement of the Tnf and Tlr signaling pathways prompted us to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of these pathways. The PPI revealed 8 DEGs, including Mmp9, Jun, Pik3r1, and Mapk12. Notably, Il-1b interacted with Tnf and Il-6 with combined scores of 0.973 and 0.981, respectively. RABV causes significant changes in mRNA expression profiles in the microglia in mice. 22,079 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified in the microglia of mice infected with RABV strains of varying virulence at 4 and 7 dpi. The DEGs were evaluated using GO, KEGG, and PPI network analysis. Many immune pathways were up-regulated in RABV-infected groups. The findings will help elucidate the microglial molecular mechanisms of cellular metabolism dysregulated by RABV and may provide important information for investigating RABV pathogenesis and therapeutic methods.

D-xylose is the most abundant fermentable pentose, which usually represents an architectural component of the bacterial cell wall. However, its regulatory function and the involved signaling pathway in bacteria remain largely unclear. Here, we show that D-xylose can act as a signaling molecule to regulate the lipid metabolism and affect multiple physiological characteristics in mycobacteria. D-xylose directly interacts with XylR and inhibits its DNA-binding ability, thus blocking XylR-mediated repression. The xylose inhibitor, XylR, plays a global regulatory role and affects the expression of 166 mycobacterial genes that are involved in lipid synthesis and metabolism. Furthermore, we show that the xylose-dependent gene regulation of XylR affects the multiple physiological characteristics of Mycobacterium smegmatis , including bacterial size, colony phenotype, biofilm formation, cell aggregation, and antibiotic resistance. Finally, we found that XylR inhibited the survival of Mycobacterium bovis BCG in the host. Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of lipid metabolism regulation and its correlation with bacterial physiological phenotypes.

The alkali-free accelerator based on aluminum sulfate is widely used in shotcrete in tunnels. Long-term Ca-leaching of shotcrete may adversely affect the tunnels in a water-rich mountain. It is necessary to examine further the impact of the AS accelerator and w / c on cement hydration and leaching. In this study, all the cement pastes were cured in the environment with R.H. > 95% and 20 ± 1 °C for 60 days and leached in a running water test with 6 M NH 4 Cl at 1 cm/s. The hydration kinetics was characterized by isothermal calorimetry. Additionally, the microstructural and mineralogical alterations were characterized by XRD, SEM, MIP, and N 2 absorption. The results show that (1) the AS accelerator affected the hydration kinetics of cement by stimulating early hydration and delaying the late silicate hydration, resulting in AS-accelerated cement pastes with rougher pore structure. As a result, the higher the dose of AS accelerator, the faster the cement pastes will leach. (2) Hydration kinetics of the accelerated cement are not affected by the w / c . The AS-accelerated cement pastes with lower w / c have a denser pore structure. So, the reduction in the w / c contributes to leaching resistance.

Panax notoginseng (Burk) F. H. Chen is a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant. However, Panax notoginseng flower (PNF) is rarely used. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the main saponins and the anti-inflammatory bioactivity of PNF saponins (PNFS). We explored the regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), a key mediator of inflammatory pathways, in human keratinocyte cells treated with PNFS. A cell model of UVB-irradiation-induced inflammation was established to determine the influence of PNFS on inflammatory factors and their relationship with LL-37 expression. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting analysis were used to detect the production of inflammatory factors and LL37. Finally, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was employed to quantify the main active components (ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, and notoginsenoside R1) in PNF. The results show that PNFS substantially inhibited COX-2 activity and downregulated the production of inflammatory factors, indicating that they can be used to reduce skin inflammation. PNFS also increased the expression of LL-37. The contents of ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, and Rd in PNF were much higher than those of Rg1, and notoginsenoside R1. This paper provides data in support of the application of PNF in cosmetics.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and chemotherapy is still a standard strategy for treating patients with advanced GC. Lipid metabolism has been reported to play an important role in the carcinogenesis and development of GC. However, the potential values of lipid-metabolism-related genes (LMRGs) concerning prognostic value and the prediction of chemotherapy responsiveness in GC remains unclear. A total of 714 stomach adenocarcinoma patients were enrolled from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Using univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses, we developed a risk signature based on LMRGs that can distinguish high-GC-risk patients from low-risk patients with significant differences in overall survival. We further validated this signature prognostic value using the GEO database. The R package "pRRophetic" was applied to calculate the sensitivity of each sample from high- and low-risk groups to chemotherapy drugs. The expression of two LMRGs, AGT and ENPP7, can predict the prognosis and response to chemotherapy in GC. Furthermore, AGT significantly promoted GC growth and migration, and the downregulation of AGT enhanced the chemotherapy response of GC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, AGT induced significant levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the PI3K/AKT pathway. The PI3K/AKT pathway agonist 740 Y-P can restore the EMT of GC cells impaired by AGT knockdown and treatment with 5-fluorouracil. Our findings suggest that AGT plays a key role in the development of GC, and targeting AGT may help to improve the chemotherapy response of GC patients.

Leontopodium alpinum is an important source of raw material for food, medicine, and modern cosmetics. The purpose of this study was to develop a new application for protection against blue light damage. To investigate the effects and mechanism of action of Leontopodium alpinum callus culture extract (LACCE) on blue light damage, a blue-light-induced human foreskin fibroblast damage model was established. The contents of collagen (COL-I), matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), and opsin 3 (OPN3) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and Western blotting. The calcium influx and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured via flow cytometry and the results showed that the LACCE (10-15 mg/mL) promoted the production of COL-I, inhibited the secretion of MMP-1, OPN3, ROS and calcium influx, and may play a role in inhibiting the activation of blue light on the OPN3-calcium pathway. Thereafter, high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used to quantitatively analyze the contents of nine active ingredients in the LACCE. The results indicated that LACCE has an anti-blue-light-damage effect and provides theoretical support for the development of new raw materials in the natural food, medicine, and skin care industries.

With the development of society, the chemical industry is expanding, and the hazy weather everywhere is becoming increasingly frequent, already affecting people's lives and causing them to pay more attention to environmental issues. Therefore, this paper highlights the role of women in environmental protection by studying the coordination of environmental protection and female discrimination based on the concept of affirmative action. Through this study and a survey, we found that China has not yet realized that women's participation in environmental protection plays a key role in improving the quality of our environment and the development of ecological civilization. However, we should clearly understand that environmental issues are not only personal, they are related to the survival and development of a country, and as a member of that country, both women and men should have the right and obligation to protect the environment. Therefore, this article discusses the concept and meaning of affirmative action and gender discrimination in the context of research on these concepts, discussing the problems and phenomena that women encounter in environmental protection. These include the system of women's environmental protection, gender issues for women in society, and the unequal treatment from the Government based on some studies. Through the study and analysis of the system of women's environmental protection, the role and position of women in this regard is summarized. Finally, it is suggested that, for the construction and development of ecological civilization in China, it is necessary to fully integrate ecological civilization into all aspects of society and pay attention to environmental protection issues. Therefore, we should pay attention to the role of women in environmental protection, provide corresponding policies, and actively encourage women to partake in environmental protection in order to build an environmentally friendly and resource-saving society together.

To investigate the dynamic stability of natural subgrade filler (NSF) and fiber-binder reinforced subgrade filler (RSF) under cyclic load after freeze-thaw (FT) cycles, a triaxial test was conducted to determine the correlation between cumulative plastic strain (CPS) and the quantity of loading cycles, as well as the evolution law of dynamic strength and critical dynamic stress (CDS) with different FT cycles. The CPS change in the NSF and RSF shows three states (stable, critical, and destructive) with increasing vibration times. However, both fillers have different failure forms, and the curve shapes of the CPS with loading cycle quantities before and after failure are also different. With the number of FT cycles increasing, the requisite dynamic stress threshold for NSF specimen failure decreases continuously. After three FT cycles, the anti-cumulative deformation ability of the NSF decreases by approximately 32%. The anti-cumulative deformation abilities of the NSF after seven and nine FT cycles, respectively, are similar. The amelioration measures could significantly enhance the FT resistance of the NSF. After zero, one, three, five, seven, and nine FT cycles, the requisite dynamic stress threshold for the RSF to reach destruction is increased 1.52, 1.89, 1.98, 2.32, 2.2, and 2.45 times, respectively, compared to that of the NSF. A mechanical model of critical dynamic stress of the NSF and RSF that considers the FT cycle was obtained using a multivariate nonlinear regression method.

Based on the 2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) data, this paper used factor analysis to measure the level of financial literacy of surveyed householders and used the Probit model and the negative binomial model to test the impact of financial literacy ( FL ) on household health investment ( HHI ). The results show that: (1) FL is an essential influencing factor in increasing participation in HHI , and householders with a higher level of FL are also more willing to pay for diversified investments. (2) We split the FL level from the two dimensions of knowledge and ability. We found that the primary FL (including financial knowledge, computing ability, and correct recognition of investment product risk) plays a more critical role in the investment decision process. (3) When information sources, health knowledge, and family income are used as mediating variables, FL can influence the decisions of HHI in three ways: expanding information sources, enriching health knowledge, and alleviating income constraints. (4) By analyzing the heterogeneity of household heads in different regions and with different personal characteristics, we found that the medical level of the household location and the life and work experience of the householders played a moderating role., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), representing 15-20% of all lung cancers, is an aggressive malignancy with a distinct natural history, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. We have previously identified Schwann cells (SCs), the main glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, in tumor tissues and demonstrated that they may support tumor spreading and metastasis formation in the in vitro and in vivo models. However, the role of SCs in the progression of SCLC has not been investigated. To clarify this issue, the cell proliferation assay, the annexin V apoptosis assay, and the transwell migration and invasion assay were conducted to elucidate the roles in SCLC of tumor-associated SCs (TA-SCs) in the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of SCLC cells in vitro, compared to control group. In addition, the animal models to assess SC action's effects on SCLC in vivo were also developed. The result confirmed that TA-SCs have a well-established and significant role in facilitating SCLC cell cancer migration and invasion of SCLC in vitro, and we also observed that SC promotes tumor growth of SCLC in vivo and that TA-SCs exhibited an advantage and show a repair-like phenotype, which allowed defining them as tumor-associated repair SCs (TAR-SCs). Potential molecular mechanisms of pro-tumorigenic activity of TAR-SCs were investigated by the screening of differentially expressed genes and constructing networks of messenger-, micro-, and long- non-coding RNA (mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA) using DMS114 cells, a human SCLC, stimulated with media from DMS114-activated SCs, non-stimulated SCs, and appropriate controls. This study improves our understanding of how SCs, especially tumor-activated SCs, may promote SCLC progression. Our results highlight a new functional phenotype of SCs in cancer and bring new insights into the characterization of the nervous system-tumor crosstalk.

As a new factor of production, data play a key role in driving low-carbon and sustainable development relying on the digital economy. However, previous studies have ignored this point. Based on the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2007 to 2019, we investigated the construction of national big data comprehensive pilot zones (NBDCPZs) in China as a quasi-natural experiment, using the difference-in-differences (DID) model to empirically test the impact of NBDCPZ policies on urban low-carbon transformation. The following conclusions can be drawn: NBDCPZ construction significantly promotes urban low-carbon transformation, and a series of robustness analysis supports this conclusion. NBDCPZ constructions mainly promotes urban low-carbon transformation by stimulating urban green innovation and optimizing the allocation of urban resource elements. Compared with eastern cities, small and medium-sized cities, and resource-based cities, the construction of NBDCPZs can promote the low-carbon transformation of cities in central and western China, large cities, and non-resource-based cities. Further analysis shows that the construction of NBDCPZs can only improve the low-carbon transformation of local cities, with negative spatial spillover effects on the low-carbon transformation of surrounding cities. Therefore, in the future, it is vital to consider the promotion effect of the construction of NBDCPZs on the low-carbon transformation of local cities and prevent its negative impact on the low-carbon transformation of surrounding cities.

A polysaccharide from Gastrodia elata (named GEP-1) was isolated with a DEAE-52 column and Sephadex G-100 column. The structural characteristics showed that GEP-1 was mainly composed of glucose (92.04%), galactose (4.79%) and arabinose (2.19%) with a molecular weight of 76.444 kDa. The polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of GEP-1 was 1.25, indicating that the distribution of molar mass (Mw) was relatively narrow, which suggested that GEP-1 was a homogeneous polysaccharide. Moreover, the molecular conformation plot of the root mean square (RMS) radius ( 1/2) versus Mw yielded a line with a slope less than 0.33 (0.15 ± 0.02), displaying that GEP-1 is a compact and curly spherical molecule in NaNO3 aqueous solution. NMR and methylation analyses revealed that the main chain structure of GEP-1 was α-(1→4)-glucans. Furthermore, it was proven that GEP-1 possessed cytoproliferative and enhancing phagocytic activities and induced cytokine (TNF-α, IL1-β) and nitric oxide (NO) release in macrophages by upregulating the related gene expression. In addition, the RNA-seq results suggested that the GEP-1-induced immunomodulatory effect was mainly caused by activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, which was further verified by NF-κB ELISA and pathway inhibition assays. As a result, GEP-1 exhibits the potential to be developed as a novel cheap immunostimulant without obvious toxicity.

Using tire waste rubber reinforced expansive soil (ESR) can modify its poor engineering characteristics. The damping properties of ESR at different temperatures may vary dramatically. Two kinds of rubber R a (large particle size) and R b (small particle size) are mixed with expansive soil according to gradient ratio. The backbone curves, dynamic shear modulus, and damping ratio of expansive soil in varying temperature fields of 20 °C, -5 °C, and -15 °C are investigated. The Hardin-Drnevich model can well fit the backbone curves of ESR specimens in various temperature fields. Dynamic triaxial results show that 5-10% R a rubber can withstand higher shear stress in all temperature fields; R b rubber can increase the dynamic shear modulus of expansive soil and reach the peak value with 10% rubber content. The damping ratio can be significantly improved by using 10% R a rubber at room temperature, while the ESR damping ratio in a temperature field of -5 °C does not change significantly with increasing shear strain or even decreases; R a increases the damping ratio of expansive soils in the temperature field of 15 °C while small particle size R b decreases the damping ratio of expansive soils. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of ESR in the frozen soil area. In an engineering sense, local temperature needs to be considered to use an appropriate ESR, which can provide effective seismic isolation and damping.

Proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis are three essential stages in cell development, and miRNAs can achieve extensive regulation of cellular developmental processes by repressing the expression of target genes. According to our previous RNA-seq results, miRNA-10a-5p was differentially expressed at different periods in chicken myoblasts, revealing a possible association with muscle development. In this study, we concluded that miRNA-10a-5p inhibited chicken myoblasts' proliferation and differentiation and promoted chicken myoblasts' apoptosis by directly targeting BCL6, a critical transcription factor involved in muscle development and regeneration. Overexpression of BCL6 significantly facilitated myoblasts' proliferation and differentiation and suppressed myoblasts' apoptosis. On the contrary, knockdown of BCL6 significantly repressed myoblasts' proliferation and differentiation and induced myoblasts' apoptosis. The results above suggest that miRNA-10a-5p plays a potential role in skeletal muscle growth, development and autophagy by targeting the BCL6 gene. We first revealed the functions of miRNA-10a-5p and BCL6 in the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of chicken myoblasts.

Understanding gene functions and their associated abnormal phenotypes is crucial in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment against diseases. The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) is a standardized vocabulary for describing the phenotype abnormalities associated with human diseases. However, the current HPO annotations are far from completion, and only a small fraction of human protein-coding genes has HPO annotations. Thus, it is necessary to predict protein-phenotype associations using computational methods. Protein sequences can indicate the structure and function of the proteins, and interacting proteins are more likely to have same function. It is promising to integrate these features for predicting HPO annotations of human protein. We developed GraphPheno, a semi-supervised method based on graph autoencoders, which does not require feature engineering to capture deep features from protein sequences, while also taking into account the topological properties in the protein-protein interaction network to predict the relationships between human genes/proteins and abnormal phenotypes. Cross validation and independent dataset tests show that GraphPheno has satisfactory prediction performance. The algorithm is further confirmed on automatic HPO annotation for no-knowledge proteins under the benchmark of the second Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation, 2013-2014 (CAFA2), where GraphPheno surpasses most existing methods. Further bioinformatics analysis shows that predicted certain phenotype-associated genes using GraphPheno share similar biological properties with known ones. In a case study on the phenotype of abnormality of mitochondrial respiratory chain, top prioritized genes are validated by recent papers. We believe that GraphPheno will help to reveal more associations between genes and phenotypes, and contribute to the discovery of drug targets.

Diarrhea-based Irritable Bowel Syndrome (D-IBS) and diarrhea are both associated with ecological imbalance of the gut microbiota. Low Molecular Weight Peptides (LMWP) from the larvae of Musca domestica have been shown to be effective in the treatment of diarrhea and regulation of gut microbiota. Meanwhile, the single polypeptide S3-3 was successfully isolated and identified from LMWP in our previous studies. It remains unclear exactly whether and how LMWP (S3-3) alleviate D-IBS through regulating gut microbiota. We evaluated the gut microbiota and pharmacology to determine the regulation of gut microbiota structure and the alleviating effect on D-IBS through LMWP (S3-3). The rates of loose stools, abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) and intestinal tract motility results revealed that LMWP (S3-3) from the larvae of Musca domestica had a regulating effect against diarrhea, visceral hypersensitivity and gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction in D-IBS model mice. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was utilized to examine the gut microbiota, which suggests that LMWP induce structural changes in the gut microbiota and alter the levels of the following gut microbiota: Bacteroidetes , Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia . LMWP putatively functioned through regulating 5-HT, SERT, 5-HT2AR, 5-HT3AR and 5-HT4R according to the results of ELISA, qRT-PCR and IHC. The findings of this study will contribute to further understanding how LMWP (S3-3) attenuate the effects of D-IBS on diarrhea, visceral hypersensitivity and GI dysfunction.

Based on a finite-difference time-domain method, we revisited the light field intensification in optical films due to defects with different geometries. It was found that defect can induce the local light intensification in optical films and the spherical defects resulted in the highest light intensification among the defect types investigated. Light intensification can increase with defect diameter and the relative refractive index between the defect and the film layer. The shallow defects tended to have the highest light intensification. Finally, the extinction coefficient of the defect had a significant effect on light intensification. Our investigations revealed that the light field intensification induced by a nano-defect is mainly attributed to the interference enhancement of incident light and diffracted or reflected light by defects when the size of the defect is in the subwavelength range.

It is imperative to advance the understanding of lung cancer biology. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was used for bioinformatics analysis. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blot were performed in vitro, followed by in vivo study. We found that lncRNA Highly Accelerated Region 1A ( HAR1A ) is significantly downregulated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and negatively associated with prognosis. We improved the prognostic accuracy of HAR1A in LUAD by combining genes regulating cell apoptosis and cell cycle to generate a 23-gene signature. Nomogram and decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed that the gene signature performed robustly in predicting overall survival. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) demonstrated several significantly upregulated malignancy-related events in the high-risk group, including DNA replication, DNA repair, glycolysis, hypoxia, MYC targets v2, and mTORC1. The risk signature distinguished LUAD patients suitable for chemotherapies or targeted therapies. Additionally, the knockdown of HAR1A accelerated NSCLC cell proliferation but inhibited apoptosis and vice versa. HAR1A regulated cellular activities through the STAT3 signaling pathway. The tumor-suppressing role of HAR1A was verified in the mouse model. Overall, the gene signature was robustly predictive of prognosis and sensitivity to anti-tumor drugs. HAR1A functions as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC by regulating the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Molecular glue (MG) compounds are a type of unique small molecule that can change the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and interactomes by degrading, stabilizing, or activating the target protein after their binging. These small-molecule MGs are gradually being recognized for their potential application in treating human diseases, including cancer. Evidence suggests that small-molecule MG compounds could essentially target any proteins, which play critical roles in human disease etiology, where many of these protein targets were previously considered undruggable. Intriguingly, most MG compounds with high efficacy for cancer treatment can glue on and control multiple key protein targets. On the other hand, a single key protein target can also be glued by multiple MG compounds with distinct chemical structures. The high flexibility of MG-protein interaction profiles provides rich soil for the growth and development of small-molecule MG compounds that can be used as molecular tools to assist in unraveling disease mechanisms, and they can also facilitate drug development for the treatment of human disease, especially human cancer. In this review, we elucidate this concept by using various types of small-molecule MG compounds and their corresponding protein targets that have been documented in the literature.

In the era of high-speed trains, it is very important to ensure the safety and stability of rail tracks under adverse conditions including seasonal freezing and thawing. Freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) affecting the engineering performance of coarse-grained soil (CGS) is one of the major reasons for track deterioration. The reported results of a number of static freeze-thaw triaxial tests on the shear behaviour of CGS are analysed herein. It was observed that confining pressure ( σ 3 ) and FTCs have a significant influence on the shear behaviour of CGS. In this paper, an empirical mathematical model has been proposed to capture the dilatancy of CGS subjected to FTCs during shearing. The empirical constants a , b , and c proposed in the model are a function of σ 3 and FTCs. The results of the model have been compared with the laboratory experiments and are found to be in good agreement.

In the framework of the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT), the optical force and torque on a graphene-coated gold nanosphere by a vector Bessel beam are investigated. The core of the particle is gold, whose dielectric function is given by the Drude-Sommerfeld model, and the coating is multilayer graphene with layer number N , whose dielectric function is described by the Lorentz-Drude model. The axial optical force Fz and torque Tz are numerically analyzed, and the effects of the layer number N , wavelength λ, and beam parameters (half-cone angle α0, polarization, and order l ) are mainly discussed. Numerical results show that the optical force and torque peaks can be adjusted by increasing the thickness of the graphene coating, and can not be adjusted by changing α0 and l . However, α0 and l can change the magnitude of the optical force and torque. The numerical results have potential applications involving the trapped graphene-coated gold nanosphere.

Reductions in bleeding rates and bulk shrinkage of grouting repair materials comprise the key to solving the leakage of earth-rock dams. In this paper, an anti-seepage grouting material for earth-rock dam was developed by introducing mineral admixtures and graphene oxide (GO) nano sheets into low-cost clay-cement grouting materials and by adding polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCs) to improve slurry viscosity. The experimental results show that the shear stress and viscosity of the slurry increase with the increase in GO concentration, and the slurry has a certain thixotropy. GO can provide a platform to promote the formation of hydration products and fill the pores of clay particles due to its high specific surface area and low volume; in this paper, the microstructure of clay-cement-graphene oxide (CCGO) grouting materials were improved. Therefore, the bleeding rate, bulk shrinkage rate, setting time and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the sample were macroscopically improved. In particular, the bleeding rate and bulk shrinkage rate were shown to be 0% when the content of GO reached 1.08 g/kg. Thus, the grouting anti-seepage and reinforcement performance of CCGO grouting materials were improved.

Coarse-grained materials are widely used in high-speed railway construction, and it is of great significance to research its compaction characteristics due to the high quality control requirements. In this regard, a field compaction experiment was conducted at a subgrade near Bazhou Station of Beijing-Xiong'an Intercity Railway. The test results of the compaction effect were presented in this study at first. The roller-integrated compaction measurements (i.e., compaction meter value, CMV ) were compared with several traditional in-situ tests (i.e., plate load test, light falling weight deflectometer test, and shear wave velocity test). Then the stability of CMV was evaluated by the proposed δ criterion. The spatial uniformity of compaction was further investigated. Based on the analysis, the target value of CMV was preliminarily determined. It showed that E vd was more variable than CMV . The results convincingly indicated that the compaction parameters increased with the increasing number of roller passes at first. A further increase in compaction effort could result in the decompaction of material when the compaction number up to a certain value. The stability analysis method proposed in this study showed its potency of quantifying the percentage of areas with acceptable compaction. The geostatistical analysis could reflect the spatial uniformity of compaction. Overall, the conducted study could provide a useful reference for geo-material compaction control in the transportation engineering.

The failures of soil slopes during the construction of high-speed railway caused by the soil after the freeze-thaw (F-T) cycle and the subsequent threat to construction safety are critical issues. An appropriate constitutive model for soils accurately describing the deformation characteristics of soil slopes after the F-T cycle is very important. Few constitutive models of soils incorporate the F-T cycle, and the associated flow rule has always been employed in previous models, which results in an overestimation of the deformation of soil exposed to the F-T cycle. Generalized plasticity theory is widely used to predict the performance of geotechnical materials and is especially well adapted to deal with this type of generalized cyclic loading (such as a freeze-thaw cycle), and it overcomes the shortcomings of the associated flow rule that causes larger shear deformation. To this end, an elastoplastic model framework based on generalized plasticity theory with double yield surfaces for saturated soils subjected to F-T cycles was developed. Two types of plastic deformation mechanisms, i.e., plastic volumetric compression and plastic shear, were considered in this elastoplastic model. It was found that this model can accurately predict the mechanical behavior and deformation characteristics of saturated soils after F-T cycles.

Bacterial symbionts associated with insects are often involved in host development and ecological adaptation. Serratia symbiotica , a common facultative endosymbiont harbored in pea aphids, improves host fitness and heat tolerance, but studies concerning the nutritional metabolism and impact on the aphid host associated with carrying Serratia are limited. In the current study, we showed that Serratia -infected aphids had a shorter nymphal developmental time and higher body weight than Serratia -free aphids when fed on detached leaves. Genes connecting to fatty acid biosynthesis and elongation were up-regulated in Serratia -infected aphids. Specifically, elevated expression of fatty acid synthase 1 ( FASN1 ) and diacylglycerol-o-acyltransferase 2 ( DGAT2 ) could result in accumulation of myristic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidic acid in fat bodies. Impairing fatty acid synthesis in Serratia -infected pea aphids either by a pharmacological inhibitor or through silencing FASN1 and DGAT2 expression prolonged the nymphal growth period and decreased the aphid body weight. Conversely, supplementation of myristic acid (C14:0) to these aphids restored their normal development and weight gain. Our results indicated that Serratia promoted development and growth of its aphid host through enhancing fatty acid biosynthesis. Our discovery has shed more light on nutritional effects underlying the symbiosis between aphids and facultative endosymbionts.

In this review paper, we summarized the recent progress of using graphene as a sensing platform for environmental applications. Especially, we highlight the electrical and optical sensing devices developed based on graphene and its derivatives. We discussed the role of graphene in these devices, the sensing mechanisms, and the advantages and disadvantages of specific devices. The approaches to improve the sensitivity and selectivity are also discussed.

Tumor heterogeneity in key gene mutations in bladder cancer (BC) is a major hurdle for the development of effective treatments. Using molecular, cellular, proteomics and animal models, we demonstrated that FL118, an innovative small molecule, is highly effective at killing T24 and UMUC3 high-grade BC cells, which have Hras and Kras mutations, respectively. In contrast, HT1376 BC cells with wild-type Ras are insensitive to FL118. This concept was further demonstrated in additional BC and colorectal cancer cells with mutant Kras versus those with wild-type Kras. FL118 strongly induced PARP cleavage (apoptosis hallmark) and inhibited survivin, XIAP and/or Mcl-1 in both T24 and UMUC3 cells, but not in the HT1376 cells. Silencing mutant Kras reduced both FL118-induced PARP cleavage and downregulation of survivin, XIAP and Mcl-1 in UMUC3 cells, suggesting mutant Kras is required for FL118 to exhibit higher anticancer efficacy. FL118 increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in T24 and UMUC3 cells, but not in HT1376 cells. Silencing mutant Kras in UMUC3 cells reduced FL118-mediated ROS generation. Proteomics analysis revealed that a profound and opposing Kras-relevant signaling protein is changed in UMUC3 cells and not in HT1376 cells. Consistently, in vivo studies indicated that UMUC3 tumors are highly sensitive to FL118 treatment, while HT1376 tumors are highly resistant to this agent. Silencing mutant Kras in UMUC3 cell-derived tumors decreases UMUC3 tumor sensitivity to FL118 treatment. Together, our studies revealed that mutant Kras is a favorable biomarker for FL118 targeted treatment.

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for aneuploidy screening has been widely applied across China, and costs can affect Chinese pregnant women's choices. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP) and satisfaction regarding NIPT among pregnant women in China, and to further explore the relationship between payment schemes and women's acceptability of and satisfaction with NIPT. A questionnaire survey was performed in Shenzhen and Zhengzhou, China, which separately applied "insurance coverage" and "out-of-pocket" payment scheme for NIPT. The major differences between the two cities were compared using chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and propensity score matched analysis. Logistic regression models were applied to explore predictors for women's acceptability and satisfaction. Compared with Zhengzhou participants, a higher proportion of Shenzhen women had heard of NIPT (87.30% vs. 64.03%), were willing to receive NIPT (91.80% vs. 80.43%) and had taken NIPT (83.12% vs. 54.54%), while their satisfaction level was lower. Having NIPT-related knowledge was associated with higher acceptability, and receiving genetic counseling helped to improve satisfaction. Besides, women with higher annual household incomes were more likely to take and be satisfied with NIPT. In conclusion, more attention should be paid to health education, subsidies for NIPT, and genetic counseling.

In this paper, two kinds of pumice particles with different diameters and water absorption rates are employed to substitute the corresponding size of river sands by volume fraction, and their effects on the hydration characteristics and persistent shrinkage of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) are investigated. The obtained experimental results show that adopting a low dosage of 0.6⁻1.25 mm saturated pumice as the internal curing agent in UHPC can effectively retract the persistent shrinkage deformation of concrete without a decrease of strength. Heat flow calorimetry results demonstrate that the additional water has a retarding effect and promotes the hydration process. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Differential Thermal Gravimetry (DTG) are utilized to quantify the Ca(OH)₂ content in the hardened paste, which can confirm that the external moisture could accelerate the early cement hydration and secondary hydration of active mineral admixtures. The Ca/Si ratio of C⁻S⁻H calculated by the Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) reveals that the incorporation of wet pumice can transform the composition and structure of hydration products in its effective area.

Single-cell capture plays an important role in single-cell manipulation and analysis. This paper presents a microfluidic device for deterministic single-cell trapping based on the hydrodynamic trapping mechanism. The device is composed of an S-shaped loop channel and thousands of aligned trap units. This arrayed structure enables each row of the device to be treated equally and independently, as it has row periodicity. A theoretical model was established and a simulation was conducted to optimize the key geometric parameters, and the performance was evaluated by conducting experiments on MCF-7 and Jurkat cells. The results showed improvements in single-cell trapping ability, including loading efficiency, capture speed, and the density of the patterned cells. The optimized device can achieve a capture efficiency of up to 100% and single-cell capture efficiency of up to 95%. This device offers 200 trap units in an area of 1 mm², which enables 100 single cells to be observed simultaneously using a microscope with a 20× objective lens. One thousand cells can be trapped sequentially within 2 min; this is faster than the values obtained with previously reported devices. Furthermore, the cells can also be recovered by reversely infusing solutions. The structure can be easily extended to a large scale, and a patterned array with 32,000 trap sites was accomplished on a single chip. This device can be a powerful tool for high-throughput single-cell analysis, cell heterogeneity investigation, and drug screening.

This study aims to verify the effectiveness of fiber reinforcing with and without cement on settlement controlling of subgrade models, and to investigate the effect of fiber reinforcement on the load-settlement behavior of subgrade models. To this end, laboratory subgrade model tests were conducted under different static vertical loads. Three subgrade models composed of different fillers were constructed in a rigid concrete tank, and the internal earth pressures and settlements at different depths were measured through an earth pressure cell and settlement plate. Results show that the fiber-reinforced model keeps a slight difference to the unreinforced model in terms of earth pressure distribution under lower applied surface pressure. However, the earth pressure at various locations under each surface pressure was obviously lower than that of the other two models due to the combined effect of fiber and cement. In addition, for the unreinforced subgrade model, the 60 cm settlement domain was restricted within 40 cm depth through fiber-cement and fiber reinforcing, and the total settlement under 100 kPa was decreased by 48.5% and 30.8%, respectively. Moreover, reinforced models present with different settlement deformation features. The inflection points, after which the rate of settlement decreased with increasing applied surface pressure, were observed in the pressure-settlement curves. Under 200 kPa, the fiber-cement and fiber reinforcement decreased the total settlement of the unreinforced model by 61.4% and 34.7%, respectively. The greater applied surface pressure, the more efficient was fiber-cement reinforcing in settlement controlling.

Cervical cancer is a common gynecological malignancy with high incidence and mortality. Drugs commonly used in chemotherapy are often accompanied by strong side-effects. To find an anti-cervical cancer drug with high effects and low toxicity, luteoloside was used to treat the cervical cancer cell line Hela to investigate its effects on cell morphology, proliferation, apoptosis, and related proteins. The study demonstrated that luteoloside could inhibit proliferation remarkably; promote apoptosis and cytochrome C release; decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species level; upregulate the expression of Fas, Bax, p53, phospho-p38, phospho-JNK, and cleaved PARP; downregulate the expression of Bcl-2 and phospho-mTOR; activate caspase-3 and caspase-8; change the nuclear morphology, and fragmentate DNA in Hela cells. These results strongly suggest that luteoloside can significantly inhibit the proliferation and trigger apoptosis in Hela cells. In contrast, luteoloside had less proliferation inhibiting effects on the normal cell lines HUVEC12 and LO2, and minor apoptosis promoting effects on HUVEC12 cells. Furthermore, the luteoloside-induced apoptosis in Hela cells is mediated by both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways and the effects of luteoloside may be regulated by the mitogen-activated protein kinases and mTOR signaling pathways via p53.

This paper presents a fixed-switching-frequency model predictive current controller using multiplexed current sensor for switched reluctance machine (SRM) drives. The converter was modified to distinguish currents from simultaneously excited phases during the sampling period. The only current sensor installed in the converter was time division multiplexing for phase current sampling. During the commutation stage, the control steps of adjacent phases were shifted so that sampling time was staggered. The maximum and minimum duty ratio of pulse width modulation (PWM) was limited to keep enough sampling time for analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. Current sensor multiplexing was realized without complex adjustment of either driver circuit nor control algorithms, while it helps to reduce the cost and errors introduced in current sampling due to inconsistency between sensors. The proposed controller is validated by both simulation and experimental results with a 1.5 kW three-phase 12/8 SRM. Satisfied current sampling is received with little difference compared with independent phase current sensors for each phase. The proposed controller tracks the reference current profile as accurately as the model predictive current controller with independent phase current sensors, while having minor tracking errors compared with a hysteresis current controller., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.