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Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most prevalent pregnancy problems, and there is still debate over the relationship between vitamin D and GDM. Objectives: Our objective is to investigate the correlation between vitamin D and GDM by employing Mendelian randomization (MR) with summary data obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Methods: Data on exposures and outcomes, namely vitamin D, vitamin D insufficiency, and GDM, were acquired from the IEU OpenGWAS Project. Bidirectional MR analysis was performed utilizing the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method as the principal analytical approach. The complementary approaches employed in this study encompassed weighted median, simple mode, weighted mode, and MR-Egger regression. A series of sensitivity analysis were conducted in order to assess the reliability of the obtained results. Results: The data were acquired from the IEU OpenGWAS Project. Following the application of the three assumptions of MR, 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were included in the MR analysis for vitamin D levels and vitamin D deficiency on GDM, and 10 and 26 SNPs were included for GDM on vitamin D levels and deficiency, respectively. The findings from the IVW analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between vitamin D levels and GDM (OR = 1.057, 95% CI: 1.011–1.104, p = 0.015). Conversely, a negative correlation was seen between vitamin D deficiency and GDM (OR = 0.979, 95% CI: 0.959–0.999, p = 0.039). The results of the reverse MR study revealed no evidence of reverse causation between GDM and vitamin D. The findings from multiple MR approaches were in line with the direction of IVW analysis. Sensitivity analysis revealed no evidence of heterogeneity, pleiotropy, or outliers, suggesting the robustness of the results. Conclusions: There exists a causal association between vitamin D and GDM, whereby vitamin D levels serve as a risk factor for GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the exceptional learning capabilities of deep neural networks (DNNs), they continue to struggle to handle label noise. To address this challenge, the pseudo-label approach has emerged as a preferred solution. Recent works have achieved significant improvements by exploring the information involved in DNN predictions and designing a straightforward method to incorporate model predictions into the training process by using a convex combination of original labels and predictions as the training targets. However, these methods overlook the feature-level information contained in the sample, which significantly impacts the accuracy of the pseudo label. This study introduces a straightforward yet potent technique named FPL (feature pseudo-label), which leverages information from model predictions as well as feature similarity. Additionally, we utilize an exponential moving average scheme to bolster the stability of corrected labels while upholding the stability of pseudo-labels. Extensive experiments were carried out on synthetic and real datasets across different noise types. The CIFAR10 dataset yielded the highest accuracy of 94.13% (Top1), while Clothing1M achieved 73.54%. The impressive outcomes showcased the efficacy and robustness of learning amid label noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of land use sustainability (LUS) coupling socioeconomic and ecological systems has drawn the interest of researchers and decision-makers concerned with sustainable development. Exploring the relationships between land use systems can offer a coordinated route for localized and effective land governance strategies. We proposed a new theoretical framework for LUS considering coordinated development between socioeconomy and ecology. We applied it further to the Xiongan New Area, typical of a new region with government-led construction in eastern China, to explore in depth the coupling and coordination relationship among land use systems and their driving factors. Results revealed that: (1) ecological sustainability grew while socioeconomic sustainability declined in most areas of Xiongan New Area during 2010–2020 at the township level, (2) relationships among land use systems in 2010–2020 showed a trend of coordinated development, but generally, their coordination was still only at a primary and moderate level, with a shift from prominent ecological lag to prominent socioeconomic lag, (3) economic factors are critical to the coordinated development of land use systems, while the influence of ecological factors is also increasing, and (4) four development types were identified for the towns: coupling and developed, coupling and undeveloped, tradeoff and developed, and tradeoff and undeveloped. Policymakers can better appreciate the importance of government interventions in future land use planning in terms of sustainable development with the help of land use zoning optimization and sustainable land governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping is a traditional and sustainable planting method that can make rational use of natural resources such as light, temperature, fertilizer, water, and CO2. Due to its efficient resource utilization, intercropping, in particular, maize and legume intercropping, is widespread around the world. However, the molecular details of these pathways remain largely unknown. In this study, physiological, transcriptome, and proteome analyses were compared between maize monocropping and maize–peanut intercropping. The results show that an intercropping system enhanced the ability of carbon fixation and carboxylation of maize leaves. Apparent quantum yield (AQY), the light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (LSPn), the light saturation point (LSP), and the light compensation point (LCP) were increased by 11.6%, 9.4%, 8.9%, and 32.1% in the intercropping system, respectively; carboxylation efficiency (CE), the CO2 saturation point (Cisat), the Rubisco maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), the maximum electron transfer rate (Jmax), and the triose phosphate utilization rate (TPU) were increased by 28.5%, 7.3%, 18.7%, 29.2%, and 17.0%, respectively; meanwhile, the CO2 compensation point (Γ) decreased by 22.6%. Moreover, the transcriptome analysis confirmed the presence of 588 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the numbers of up-regulated and down-regulated genes were 383 and 205, respectively. The DEGs were primarily concerned with ribosomes, plant hormone signal transduction, and photosynthesis. Furthermore, 549 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in the maize leaves in both the maize monocropping and maize–peanut intercropping systems. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 186 DEPs were related to 37 specific KEGG pathways in each of the two treatment groups. Based on the physiological, transcriptome, and proteome analyses, it was demonstrated that the photosynthetic characteristics in maize leaves can be improved by maize–peanut intercropping. This may be related to PS I, PS II, cytochrome b6f complex, ATP synthase, and photosynthetic CO2 fixation, which is caused by the improved CO2 carboxylation efficiency. Our results provide a more in-depth understanding of the high yield and high-efficiency mechanism in maize and peanut intercropping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the prediction model comprised of patients' laboratory results and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers of host gene for the clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who underwent interferon (IFN)-α therapy, this prospective case–control study enrolled 131 patients with CHB who underwent IFN-α-based regimens in our hospital between January 2015 and September 2019. Among them, 56 cases were without HBsAg clearance, while the other 75 cases had HBsAg clearance. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that CYP27B1 rs4646536 (odd ratio [OR] = 0.155, 95% CI: 0.030–0.807, p = 0.027), PAK4 rs9676717 (OR = 11.237, 95% CI: 1.768–71.409, p = 0.010), IL28B rs12979860 (OR = 0.059, 95% CI: 0.006–0.604, p = 0.017), baseline HBsAg (OR = 0.170, 95% CI: 0.040–0.716, p = 0.016), and HBeAg status (OR = 3.971, 95% CI: 1.138–13.859, p = 0.031) were independently associated with HBsAg clearance. The model that included rs3077, rs4646536, rs9676717, rs2850015, rs12979860, baseline HBsAg, HBeAg status, and HBV DNA had the best prediction performance for HBsAg clearance prediction, with AUC = 0.877, 80% sensitivity, and 81% specificity. In conclusion, laboratory results and gene polymorphisms before treatment might have a good predictive value for HbsAg clearance after IFN-α treatment in CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their enormous potential to be navigated through complex biological media or narrow capillaries, microrobots have demonstrated their potential in a variety of biomedical applications, such as assisted fertilization, targeted drug delivery, tissue repair, and regeneration. Numerous initial studies have been conducted to demonstrate the biomedical applications in test tubes and in vitro environments. Microrobots can reach human areas that are difficult to reach by existing medical devices through precise navigation. Medical imaging technology is essential for locating and tracking this small treatment machine for evaluation. This article discusses the progress of imaging in tracking the imaging of micro and nano robots in vivo and analyzes the current status of imaging technology for microrobots. The working principle and imaging parameters (temporal resolution, spatial resolution, and penetration depth) of each imaging technology are discussed in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A high detection rate of diabetes among dental visitors has been reported recently. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between periodontitis and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels among non-diabetic individuals. Methods: The EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Open GREY databases were searched, and observational studies published until 1st June 2023 were identified. A methodological quality assessment was conducted based on the original and modified versions of the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Cohort, case–control, and cross-sectional studies that performed clinical periodontal examinations and measured HbA1c levels in non-diabetic adults were included. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the weighted mean difference (WMD) between individuals with and without periodontitis. Results: In total, 29 case–control and 5 cross-sectional studies were selected from 2583 potentially eligible articles. Among them, sixteen case–control and three cross-sectional studies with moderate to high quality were selected for the meta-analyses. The HbA1c levels in periodontitis patients were significantly higher than those in individuals with healthy periodontal conditions (WMD = 0.16; p < 0.001) among the non-diabetic populations. Conclusions: This study reveals a significant association between periodontitis and HbA1c levels in non-diabetic populations. Thus, HbA1c screening may be recommended to detect potential hyperglycemia in non-diabetic periodontitis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Path-specific effect analysis is a powerful tool in causal inference. This paper provides a definition of causal counterfactual path-specific importance score for the structural causal model (SCM). Different from existing path-specific effect definitions, which focus on the population level, the score defined in this paper can quantify the impact of a decision variable on an outcome variable along a specific pathway at the individual level. Moreover, the score has many desirable properties, including following the chain rule and being consistent. Finally, this paper presents an algorithm that can leverage these properties and find the k-most important paths with the highest importance scores in a causal graph effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether infertility drug exposure increases the risk of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) remains controversial. The present study was conducted with a comprehensive search for studies published from January 1990 to December 2021 in the online databases Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE. We considered the first diagnosis of a BOT as the primary outcome. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of BOTs in patients who were treated with infertility drugs. Ten studies, a total of 2,779,511 women, qualified for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The pooled OR of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.09–2.22) revealed a significant positive association between infertility drugs and an increased risk for BOTs, but for specific drugs, only CC plus Gn had statistical significance. No publication bias was detected using the Egger and Begg tests (p > 0.05). A significant difference in BOT incidence was observed among infertile women and nulliparous women who were treated with or without infertility drugs. In conclusion, the use of infertility drugs may increase the risk of BOTs, but a dose-dependent relationship was not observed between the number of assisted reproduction technology cycles and the risk of BOTs, and infertile women who successfully became pregnant might have a reduced risk. Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42022330775. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a facile one-step method via pyrolysis was used to prepare nitrogen self-doped metal free catalysts derived from inexpensive biomass-chitin for an electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). The microstructure, surface area, defect and N type in the catalysts were analyzed by BET, Raman, XPS, SEM and TEM. The sustainable chitin-based electrocatalyst prepared under optimized conditions has a surface area of 1972 m2/g and can convert CO2 into CO with FECO of ~90% at a potential of −0.59 V (vs. RHE). This good CO2RR performance results from plentiful active sites due to a high surface area, rich ultra-micropores that are beneficial to CO2 adsorption, abundant mesopores for CO2 transport improvement, a high content of pyridinic and graphitic nitrogen that is favorable for a CO2 reduction reaction and a low interfacial charge transfer resistance leading to a rapid electron transfer rate from the catalyst to CO2. This study shows the feasibility of N self-doped biomass-derived catalysts for CO2RR with the potential for large-scale industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence shows that selenium and polyphenols are two types of the most reported compounds in tumor chemoprevention due to their remarkable antitumor activity and high safety profile. The cross-talk between polyphenols and selenium is a hot research topic, and the combination of polyphenols and selenium is a valuable strategy for fighting cancer. The current work investigated the combination anti-peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) effect of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and green tea (Camellia sinensis) polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in mice bearing murine hepatocarcinoma 22 (H22) cells. Results showed that SeNPs alone significantly inhibited cancer cell proliferation and extended the survival time of mice bearing H22 cells. Still, the potential therapeutic efficacy is accompanied by an approximately eighty percent diarrhea rate. When EGCG was combined with SeNPs, EGCG did not affect the tumor proliferation inhibition effect but eliminated diarrhea triggered by SeNPs. In addition, both the intracellular selectively accumulated EGCG without killing effect on cancer cells and the enhanced antioxidant enzyme levels in ascites after EGCG was delivered alone by intraperitoneal injection indicated that H22 cells were insensitive to EGCG. Moreover, EGCG could prevent SeNP-caused systemic oxidative damage by enhancing serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase levels in healthy mice. Overall, we found that H22 cells are insensitive to EGCG, but combining EGCG with SeNPs could protect against SeNP-triggered diarrhea without compromising the suppressing efficacy of SeNPs on PC in mice bearing H22 cells and attenuate SeNP-caused systemic toxicity in healthy mice. These results suggest that EGCG could be employed as a promising candidate for preventing the adverse reactions of chemotherapy including chemotherapy-induced diarrhea and systemic toxicity in cancer individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative neurocognitive impairment is an urgent problem with global aging accelerating. The prevention and treatment of postoperative neurocognitive impairment have been widely investigated but lack effective strategies. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a non-invasive tool, has shown an effect on neuroprotection, but whether it could attenuate the postoperative neurocognitive impairment and the underlying mechanisms remains unknown. An experimental setup for LIPUS stimulation of the hippocampus was well established. A laparotomy model in aged mice was applied, and a Morris water maze was used to assess cognitive function. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to detect levels of Piezo1, synapse-associated proteins in the hippocampus, respectively. Immunofluorescent staining was also used to determine the neural activation and Piezo1 expression. The results showed that LIPUS increased synapse-related proteins of the hippocampus and attenuated cognitive impairment in aged mice. Meanwhile, LIPUS suppressed the overexpression of Piezo1 in the hippocampus. We further found that LIPUS promoted Calpain1 activity and increased extracellular regulated protein kinases (Erk) phosphorylation. Our results suggested that LIPUS could improve cognitive impairment and increase hippocampal synaptogenesis through the Piezo1-mediated Calpain1/ Erk pathway. LIPUS could be used as an effective physical intervention to alleviate postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the aged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis and a paucity of therapeutic options. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as a new treatment option for patients with TNBC. However, this therapeutic evolution is paralleled by a growing need for biomarkers which allow for a better selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from this immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based regimen. These biomarkers will not only facilitate a better optimization of treatment strategies, but they will also avoid unnecessary side effects in non-responders, and limit the increasing financial toxicity linked to the use of these agents. Huge efforts have been deployed to identify predictive biomarkers for the ICI, but until now, the fruits of this labor remained largely unsatisfactory. Among clinically validated biomarkers, only programmed death-ligand 1 protein (PD-L1) expression has been prospectively assessed in TNBC trials. In addition to this, microsatellite instability and a high tumor mutational burden are approved as tumor agnostic biomarkers, but only a small percentage of TNBC fits this category. Furthermore, TNBC should no longer be approached as a single biological entity, but rather as a complex disease with different molecular, clinicopathological, and tumor microenvironment subgroups. This review provides an overview of the validated and evolving predictive biomarkers for a response to ICI in TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid renovations of historical districts in the context of consumer society, contributing to the loss of city culture and identity, this paper describes the methodological study of the local schema concept on the renovations of architectural design, utilizing speculative design as opposed to inertial design. This case analysis focuses on Huaxing Street in Chengdu, China. By performing field surveys, photographing structures, and sending questionnaires to local inhabitants, an evaluation of Huaxing Street's current status and obstacles is conducted. The conclusion of the study summarizes the audience's satisfaction with the usage status of different renovated structures. On the basis of the idea of local schema, a spatial translation approach for architectural prototypes is given. This research explores the design methods of historical architecture in the area, history, and memory in an effort to provide guidelines for the renovation of structures in comparable historical districts. To accomplish this, prototypes for architectural installations are selected, design elements are divided, and a three-dimensional model is utilized to form a schematic replication of the building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in a fluidized-bed incineration plant, evaluating the formation, emission and flux of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) from industrial-organic-solid-waste (IW) incineration. The results revealed that both the total (or I-TEQ) concentrations of toxic and 136 total PCDD/Fs in flue gas (FG), fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA)were ramped up to a higher level than those during municipal-solid-waste (MSW) incineration. A possible explanation was the chlorine (Cl) content of IW. However, the emitted PCDD/Fs in FG (FA/BA) still fulfilled the criteria. Subsequently, similar distribution patterns of PCDD/F isomers were observed in subsystems, indicating a unified formation-pathway. De novo synthesis was detected as the dominant formation-pathway of PCDD/Fs, while high-temperature and precursor syntheses were excluded. DD/DF chlorination formed PCDD/Fs to some extent. Furthermore, the mass flow chart indicated that PCDD/Fs output in primary FG was significantly strengthened (>1000 times) by de novo synthesis, from 1.25 μg I-TEQ/h to 1.67 mg I-TEQ/h. With effective cleaning by APCS, 99.6% of PCDD/Fs in FG were purified. PCDD/Fs in the gas phase were finally emitted at a discharge rate of 7.25 μg I-TEQ/h. However, accumulated FA took most PCDD/Fs into the environment (>99%), reaching 3.56 mg I-TEQ/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable diagnostics are necessary to identify influenza infections, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the need to develop highly specific and sensitive viral detection methods to distinguish severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory pathogens to prevent their further spread. In this prospective study, 1070 clinical respiratory samples were collected from patients with acute respiratory infections from January 2019 to February 2021 to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a multiplex probe amplification (MPA) assay, designed to screen 18 pathogens, mainly those causing acute respiratory infections. Ninety-six positive samples and twenty negative samples for the 18 respiratory pathogens defined by the MPA assay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) were further confirmed by reference next-generation sequencing (NGS). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the MPA assay were 95.00%, 93.75%, 98.96% and 75.00%, respectively. Additionally, the co-infection rate for these positive samples were 25% (24/95). The MPA assay demonstrated a highly concordant diagnostic performance with NGS in the diagnosis of 18 respiratory pathogens and might play an important role in clinical respiratory pathogen diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary nodules (PNs) shown as persistent or growing ground-glass opacities (GGOs) are usually lung adenocarcinomas or their preinvasive lesions. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) and somatic mutations are important determinants for the choice of strategy in patients with lung cancer during therapy. A total of 93 post-operative patients with 108 malignant PNs were enrolled for analysis (75 cases in the training cohort and 33 cases in the validation cohort). Radiomics features were extracted from preoperative non-contrast computed tomography (CT) images of the entire tumor. Using commercial next generation sequencing, we detected TMB status and somatic mutations of all FFPE samples. Here, 870 quantitative radiomics features were extracted from the segmentations of PNs, and pathological and clinical characteristics were collected from medical records. The LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) regression and stepwise logistic regressions were performed to establish the predictive model. For the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, the AUCs of the clinical model and the integrative model validated by the validation set were 0.6726 (0.4755–0.8697) and 0.7421 (0.5698–0.9144). For the TMB status, the ROCs showed that AUCs of the clinical model and the integrative model validated by the validation set were 0.7808 (0.6231–0.9384) and 0.8462 (0.7132–0.9791). The quantitative radiomics signatures showed potential value in predicting the EGFR mutant and TMB status in GGOs. Moreover, the integrative model provided sufficient information for the selection of therapy and deserves further analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of self-energy supply of vehicle-mounted micro-sensors, bridge detection and some other low-power electronic devices in their working state, a vortex-induced flutter composite nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvester (VFPEH) with symmetrical airfoils on both sides of a cylindrical bluff body is designed. The VFPEH consists of a cantilever beam, a cylindrical bluff body connected to the free end of the cantilever beam, and two airfoil components symmetrically fixed at both ends of the shaft, which enables coupling between vortex-induced vibration and flutter. The airfoil symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cylindrical bluff body induces the cantilever beam to produce bending and torsional composite vibrations at high wind velocities, realizing energy harvest in the two degrees of freedom motion direction, which can effectively improve the output power of the energy harvester. Based on a wind tunnel experimental platform, the effect of key parameters matching impedance and the diameter of the cylindrical bluff body on the output performance of the VFPEH is investigated, together with the output performance of the classical vortex-induced energy harvester (VEH), the flutter energy harvester (FEH) and the VFPEH. The experimental results show that for the VFPEH under a combination of vortex-induced vibrations and flutter vibrations has a better output performance than the VEH and the FEH when using the same size. The coupling of vortex-induced vibration and flutter can reduce the start-up wind velocity of the VFPEH and expand the wind velocity range of the high output power of the VFPEH. The VFPEH has a better output performance at the cylindrical bluff body diameter of 30 mm and a load resistance of 140 kΩ. When the wind velocity range is 2 m/s–15 m/s, the maximum output power of the VFPEH is 6.47 mW, which is 129.4 times and 24.9 times of the maximum output power of the VEH (0.05 mW) and FEH (0.26 mW), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paeonia ostii is an emerging woody oil crop, but the high temperature in summer is extremely unfavorable for its growth and development. Understory intercropping cultivation would provide shaded environments which could effectively reduce the ambient temperature. In order to explore whether understory intercropping cultivation would reduce the effects of high-temperature stress on P. ostii, the changes of leaf physiological indicators and leaf microstructures of sole-cropping and intercropping P. ostii were investigated. P. ostii that intercropping cultivated under Illinois pecans (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) with 4 m × 4 m and 4 m × 8 m rowing spaces were used as samples in this study. The results showed that with continuous high temperature, the high-temperature damage index of P. ostii kept increasing, whereas the leaf relative water content continued to decline. Compared to sole-cropping, the high-temperature damage index, relative electrical conductivity, proline content, antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities of intercropping P. ostii under C. illinoinensis were significantly decreased, whereas the leaf relative water content was higher. Moreover, compared to sole-cropping, intercropping P. ostii under C. illinoinensis increased SPAD and chlorophyll contents, made mesophyll cell ultrastructures more intact, and made the chloroplasts rounder and more filled with starch granules and lipid globules, leading to enhanced photosynthesis (Pn) and transpiration rates (Tr). Notably, the reduction of high-temperature damage on intercropping P. ostii under C. illinoinensis with 4 m × 4 m rowing spaces was more significant than that under C. illinoinensis with 4 m × 8 m rowing spaces. This research provides some reference values for efficient plantation of P. ostii in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most prevalent type of lymphoma that is potentially curable by chemotherapy. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is regarded as an essential process for the clearance of residual tumor cells. However, the impact of ICD on DLBCL remains unknown. Here, we tried to explore the prognostic role of ICD in DLBCL. Methods: A gene expression microarray of DLBCL was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The genes involved in ICD were obtained via literature reviews. Then, based on univariate, multivariate, and LASSO Cox regression analysis, the ICD-related gene signature was identified. The effect of the ICD-related gene signature on DLBCL was explored. The chi-square test was used to compare complete response rate (CRR) and recurrence rate between high- and low-risk groups. Results: The signature based on 12 ICD-related genes could independently predict the overall survival of DLBCL. Furthermore, high risk was linked to lower CRR and higher recurrence rate. Then, a nomogram based on the ICD-related gene signature was established. The area under the curve of the prediction model reached 0.820 in the training set and 0.780 in the validation set. Conclusions: This study suggested that the ICD-related gene signature could be a novel prognostic indicator for DLCBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress-associated protein (SAP) genes—encoding A20/AN1 zinc-finger domain-containing proteins—play pivotal roles in regulating stress responses, growth, and development in plants. They are considered suitable candidates to improve abiotic stress tolerance in plants. However, the SAP gene family in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) and its relatives is yet to be investigated. In this study, 20 SAPs in sweetpotato, and 23 and 26 SAPs in its wild diploid relatives Ipomoea triloba and Ipomoea trifida were identified. The chromosome locations, gene structures, protein physiological properties, conserved domains, and phylogenetic relationships of these SAPs were analyzed systematically. Binding motif analysis of IbSAPs indicated that hormone and stress responsive cis-acting elements were distributed in their promoters. RT-qPCR or RNA-seq data revealed that the expression patterns of IbSAP, ItbSAP, and ItfSAP genes varied in different organs and responded to salinity, drought, or ABA (abscisic acid) treatments differently. Moreover, we found that IbSAP16 driven by the 35 S promoter conferred salinity tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results provided a genome-wide characterization of SAP genes in sweetpotato and its two relatives and suggested that IbSAP16 is involved in salinity stress responses. Our research laid the groundwork for studying SAP-mediated stress response mechanisms in sweetpotato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal interference transcranial alternating current stimulation (TI-tACS) is a new technique of noninvasive brain stimulation. Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of TI-tACS in stimulating brain areas in a selective manner. However, its safety in modulating human brain neurons is still untested. In this study, 38 healthy adults were recruited to undergo a series of neurological and neuropsychological measurements regarding safety concerns before and after active (2 mA, 20/70 Hz, 30 min) or sham (0 mA, 0 Hz, 30 min) TI-tACS. The neurological and neuropsychological measurements included electroencephalography (EEG), serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), an abbreviated version of the California Computerized Assessment Package (A-CalCAP), a revised version of the Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS-R), a self-assessment scale (SAS), and a questionnaire about adverse effects (AEs). We found no significant difference between the measurements of the active and sham TI-tACS groups. Meanwhile, no serious or intolerable adverse effects were reported or observed in the active stimulation group of 19 participants. These results support that TI-tACS is safe and tolerable in terms of neurological and neuropsychological functions and adverse effects for use in human brain stimulation studies under typical transcranial electric stimulation (TES) conditions (2 mA, 20/70 Hz, 30 min). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly flexible loop regions can affect the structure-function relationship of enzymes. In this study, to reveal the effect of the loop on the thermal stability of GH11 xylanase XynASP from Aspergillus saccharolyticus JOP 1030-1, three mutants (T41V, A79Y, T81Q) located in the loop region were predicted by the FireProt web server and constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. Heat tolerance experiments were performed in the mutants and wild-type XynASP, as well as for previously reported mutant T41W, indicating that the thermostability of enzymes from weak to strong was wild-type XynASP, T41V, T81Q, A79Y and T41W. Novel hydrophobic contacts and hydrogen bonds in the single mutants were found and explained for enhanced thermostability. T41W, A79Y and T81Q were combined by site-directed mutagenesis. The combined double mutants T41W/A79Y and A79Y/T81Q displayed significantly higher thermostability than that of the wild-type, yet lower than that of the robust mutant T41W after 30 min of incubation at 35–60 °C. But the triple mutant T41W/A79Y/T81Q displayed a slight improvement in thermal stability compared to T41W after 30 min of incubation at 35–60 °C. Meanwhile, T41W/A79Y/T81Q exhibited substantially improved thermostability with a half-life of inactivation enhanced from 20.7 min to 127.0 min at 45 °C. Furthermore, the optimum temperature increased by 10 °C compared to the wild-type XynASP. The pH stability of T41W/A79Y/T81Q at pH 3.0-8.0 all obtained more than 88% residual activities, displaying a significant improvement compared to the wild-type XynASP (40–70% residual activities) at the same conditions. This study confirms that designing GH11xylanases in the loop region is an effective strategy for obtaining thermostabilizing xylanases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of the data type and distribution leads to the increase in uncertainty in the relationship between samples, which brings challenges to effectively mining the potential cluster structure of data. Ensemble clustering aims to obtain a unified cluster division by fusing multiple different base clustering results. This paper proposes a three-way ensemble clustering algorithm based on sample's perturbation theory to solve the problem of inaccurate decision making caused by inaccurate information or insufficient data. The algorithm first combines the natural nearest neighbor algorithm to generate two sets of perturbed data sets, randomly extracts the feature subsets of the samples, and uses the traditional clustering algorithm to obtain different base clusters. The sample's stability is obtained by using the co-association matrix and determinacy function, and then the samples can be divided into a stable region and unstable region according to a threshold for the sample's stability. The stable region consists of high-stability samples and is divided into the core region of each cluster using the K-means algorithm. The unstable region consists of low-stability samples and is assigned to the fringe regions of each cluster. Therefore, a three-way clustering result is formed. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm in this paper can obtain better clustering results compared with other clustering ensemble algorithms on the UCI Machine Learning Repository data set, and can effectively reveal the clustering structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms have become a severe global hazard to human and environmental health. Most studies have focused on the relationships between cyanobacterial composition and cyanotoxins production. Yet, little is known about the environmental conditions influencing the hazard of cyanotoxins. Here, we analysed a unique 22 sites dataset comprising monthly observations of water quality, cyanobacterial genera, zooplankton assemblages, and microcystins (MCs) quota and concentrations in a large-shallow lake. Missing values of MCs were imputed using a non-negative latent factor (NLF) analysis, and the results achieved a promising accuracy. Furthermore, we used the Bayesian additive regression tree (BART) to quantify how Microcystis bloom toxicity responds to relevant physicochemical characteristics and zooplankton assemblages. As expected, the BART model achieved better performance in Microcystis biomass and MCs concentration predictions than some comparative models, including random forest and multiple linear regression. The importance analysis via BART illustrated that the shade index was overall the best predictor of MCs concentrations, implying the predominant effects of light limitations on the MCs content of Microcystis. Variables of greatest significance to the toxicity of Microcystis also included pH and dissolved inorganic nitrogen. However, total phosphorus was found to be a strong predictor of the biomass of total Microcystis and toxic M. aeruginosa. Together with the partial dependence plot, results revealed the positive correlations between protozoa and Microcystis biomass. In contrast, copepods biomass may regulate the MC quota and concentrations. Overall, our observations arouse universal demands for machine-learning strategies to represent nonlinear relationships between harmful algal blooms and environmental covariates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergence delirium (ED) occurs immediately after emergence from general anesthesia, which may have adverse consequences. This cross-sectional survey assessed Chinese physicians' and nurses' knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practice regarding ED in adults. Methods: Electronic questionnaires were sent to 93 major academic hospitals across mainland China and both attending anesthesiologists and anesthesia nurses were recommended to complete them. Results: A total of 243 anesthesiologists and 213 anesthesia nurses participated in the survey. Most of the participants considered it a very important issue; however, less than one-third of them routinely assessed ED. In terms of screening tools, anesthesiologists preferred the Confusion Assessment Method, while anesthesia nurses reported using multiple screening tools. Divergence also appeared with regard to the necessity of monitoring the depth of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists considered it only necessary in high-risk patients, while the nurses considered that it should be carried out routinely. No unified treatment strategy nor medication was reported for ED treatment during the recovery period. Conclusions: This study illustrated that there are high awareness levels among both Chinese anesthesiologists and anesthesia nurses regarding the importance of ED. However, a specific practice in terms of routine delirium assessment, anesthesia depth monitoring, and a standardized treatment algorithm needs to be implemented to improve ED management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) search is fundamental for fast content-based image retrieval. While vector quantization is one key to performing an effective ANN search, in order to further improve ANN search accuracy, we propose an enhanced accumulative quantization (E-AQ). Based on our former work, we introduced the idea of the quarter point into accumulative quantization (AQ). Instead of finding the nearest centroid, the quarter vector was used to quantize the vector and was computed for each vector according to its nearest centroid and second nearest centroid. Then, the error produced through codebook training and vector quantization was reduced without increasing the number of centroids in each codebook. To evaluate the accuracy to which vectors were approximated by their quantization outputs, we realized an E-AQ-based exhaustive method for ANN search. Experimental results show that our approach gained up to 0.996 and 0.776 Recall@100 with eight size 256 codebooks on SIFT and GIST datasets, respectively, which is at least 1.6% and 4.9% higher than six other state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, based on the experimental results, E-AQ needs fewer codebooks while still providing the same ANN search accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Previous evidence demonstrates that tight glycemic control and good physical function could reduce the risk of delirium. This study aimed to investigate whether the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) in older hip fracture surgery patients is associated with preoperative glycemic control factors or pre-injury physical performance. (2) Methods: Three-hundred and nine individuals aged over 65 years and scheduled for hip fracture surgery were included at a single center. Glycemic control factors and pre-injury physical performance were assessed preoperatively. The presence of delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method on postoperative hospitalization days. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models and a risk prediction model of POD were established. (3) Results: Among the 309 patients, 52 (16.83%) experienced POD during the hospital stay. The numbers of pre-injury physical performance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients were significantly different in the POD and non-POD groups. The multivariable model showed that development of delirium was significantly explained by preoperative fasting blood glucose (FBG) (OR 0.804, p = 0.004), stair climbing (OR 0.709, p = 0.003), T2DM (odds ratio (OR) 3.654, p = 0.001), and age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) (OR 1.270, p = 0.038). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the risk prediction model including those covariates was 0.770. (4) Conclusions: More older T2DM patients develop POD after hip fracture surgery than patients without T2DM. A simple assessment of preoperative FBG and pre-injury stair climbing capacity may identify those at high risk for the development of POD. Higher preoperative FBG and good pre-injury stair climbing capacity are protective factors for POD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The selection of the maintenance of general anesthesia may affect the development of postoperative delirium (POD), notably for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, due to their lower cognitive reserve. The present study was designed to compare the potential impact of propofol vs. sevoflurane based general anesthesia maintenance methods on the development of POD in PD patients following deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Methods: A total of 125 PD patients who were scheduled to undergo DBS surgery were randomly divided into the propofol (n = 63) and the sevoflurane groups (n = 62). The patients in the two groups randomly received propofol- or sevoflurane-based general anesthesia. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) was employed by an investigator who was blinded to the anesthesia regimen and was administered twice per day from postoperative day 1 until discharge. Results: The incidence of POD was 22.22% (14/63) with propofol anesthesia and 20.97% (13/62) with sevoflurane anesthesia (p = 0.865). In addition, no difference was noted in the duration and severity of delirium between the propofol and sevoflurane groups. Conclusions: In the present study, propofol- and sevoflurane-based general anesthesia exhibited comparable results with regard to the POD incidence in PD patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between pelvic organ prolapse (POP), an aging-related disease, and the senescence-related protein mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) has rarely been studied. The aim of the present study was to explore the therapeutic effects of the downregulation of Mfn2 expression by stem cells on POP through animal experiments. Methods: First, a rat POP model was constructed by ovariectomy and traction. The rats in the non-pelvic organ prolapse (NPOP) and POP groups were divided into four groups for negative controls (N1–N4, N1: NPOP-normal saline; N2: NPOP-untransfected stem cells; N3: NPOP-short hairpin negative control (NPOP-sh-NC); N4: NPOP-short hairpin-Mfn2 (NPOP-sh-Mfn2)), and four groups for prolapse (P1–P4, P1: POP-normal saline; P2: POP-untransfected stem cells; P3: POP-sh-NC; P4: POP-sh-Mfn2), respectively. Stem cells were then cultured and isolated. The expression of Mfn2 was inhibited by lentivirus transfection, and the stem cells were injected into the uterosacral ligament of the rats in each group. The expression levels of Mfn2 and procollagen 1A1/1A2/3A1 in the uterosacral ligaments of the rats were observed at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days after injection. Results: Compared to the rats in the NPOP group, the POP rats had significant prolapse. The Mfn2 expression in the uterosacral ligaments of the POP rats was significantly increased (p < 0.05, all), and the expression of procollagen 1A1/1A2/3A1 was significantly decreased (p < 0.001, all). The POP rat model maintained the same trend after 21 days (without stem cell injection). At day 14, compared to the rats in the N1 group, the Mfn2 expression in the uterosacral ligament of the rats in the N4 group was significantly decreased (p < 0.05, all), and the expression of procollagens was significantly increased (p < 0.05, all). Similarly, compared to the rats in the P1 group, the Mfn2 expression in the uterosacral ligament of the rats in the P4 group was significantly decreased (p < 0.05, all), and the expression of procollagens was significantly increased (p < 0.05, all). Similarly, on day 21, the Mfn2 mRNA and protein expression in the uterosacral ligament of the POP and NPOP rats was significantly decreased (p < 0.05, all), and the expression of procollagens was significantly increased (p < 0.05, all) in the rats in the sh-Mfn2 group (N4, P4) compared to the rats in the saline group (N1, P1). Conclusions: The downregulation of Mfn2 expression by stem cells decreased the expression of Mfn2 and increased the expression of procollagen1A1/1A2/3A1 in the uterosacral ligament of the POP rats; this effect was significant 14–21 days after the injection. Thus, Mfn2 may be a new target for POP control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Authors are encouraged to provide a concise description of the specific application or a potential application of the work. This section is not mandatory. The concrete in the transition strips of expansion joints can become damaged prematurely during the service period. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber-reinforced engineered cementitious composite (ECC) is a kind of high ductility concrete material, and its ultimate uniaxial tensile strain is more than 3%. It can be used to improve the damage status of expansion joints. Based on previous research results, ECCs were used in the pilot project of bridge expansion joints. Under this engineering background, the shear load-displacement curves of ECC expansion joints were studied through 27 groups of compression-shear tests of ECC/steel composite structures. The shear failure characteristics of ECC expansion joints were analyzed by the digital image correlation method. A shear load-displacement curve model of the composite structures was proposed based on the equivalent strain assumption and Weibull distribution theory. The results show that the failure mode of the composite structure specimens was ECC shear cracking. Stress and strain field nephograms were used to explain the failure characteristics of the composite structure specimens. The calculated curves of the shear load-displacement model of the composite structures were in good agreement with the experimental curves. The work is of great importance to the shear design of ECC expansion joints and their further engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement-based material is brittle and is easily damaged by an impact load with a few blows. The purpose of this paper is to study the relations between the impact resistance and tensile properties of cement-based materials reinforced by polyvinyl alcohol fiber (PVA-FRCM). A drop-weight test and uniaxial tension test were performed. The relations were studied based on the experimental results, including the relation between the blow number and the tensile stress at the first visible cracking (σc) and the relation between the blow number and the tensile strain at the ultimate failure (εf). Results showed that the blow number for the first visible crack for disc impact specimens increases obviously with the increase of σc of slab specimens. The crater diameter and blow number for ultimate failure of the disc specimens increase with the increase of εf of slab specimens. For the PVA-FRCM specimens with larger σc and εf, much more blows are needed to cause both the first visible crack and ultimate failure. Polyvinyl alcohol fibers can reinforce impact resistance and tensile properties of cement-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a serious ongoing health problem that significantly increases the incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). During obesity, adipose tissue dysfunction is obvious and characterized by increased fat deposition (adiposity) and chronic low-grade inflammation. The latter has been implicated to critically promote the development and progression of NAFLD, whose advanced form non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is considered one of the most common causes of terminal liver diseases. This review summarizes the current knowledge on obesity-related adipose dysfunction and its roles in the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis and inflammation, as well as liver fibrosis. A better understanding of the crosstalk between adipose tissue and liver under obesity is essential for the development of new and improved preventive and/or therapeutic approaches for managing NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The saccharification of sweetpotato storage roots is a common phenomenon in the cooking process, which determines the edible quality of table use sweetpotato. In the present study, two high saccharified sweetpotato cultivars (Y25, Z13) and one low saccharified cultivar (X27) in two growth periods (S1, S2) were selected as materials to reveal the molecular mechanism of sweetpotato saccharification treated at high temperature by transcriptome sequencing and non-targeted metabolome determination. The results showed that the comprehensive taste score, sweetness, maltose content and starch change of X27 after steaming were significantly lower than those of Y25 and Z13. Through transcriptome sequencing analysis, 1918 and 1520 differentially expressed genes were obtained in the two periods of S1 and S2, respectively. Some saccharification-related transcription factors including MYB families, WRKY families, bHLH families and inhibitors were screened. Metabolic analysis showed that 162 differentially abundant metabolites related to carbohydrate metabolism were significantly enriched in starch and sucrose capitalization pathways. The correlation analysis between transcriptome and metabolome confirmed that the starch and sucrose metabolic pathways were significantly co-annotated, indicating that it is a vitally important metabolic pathway in the process of sweetpotato saccharification. The data obtained in this study can provide valuable resources for follow-up research on sweetpotato saccharification and will provide new insights and theoretical basis for table use sweetpotato breeding in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adults have a tendency to drive unsafely and put themselves at a high level of risk. Continuous lane-changing is one such kind of risky behavior. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence young drivers based on an integrated model of the prototype willingness model (PWM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The validity of the model was evaluated by data collected from 481 young drivers through an online questionnaire. The structural equation model was used to test the proposed model, and the findings indicated that young drivers' willingness to engage in continuous lane-changing was influenced by attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived risk, prototype similarity, and prototype favorability. The integrated model of PWM-TPB accounted for 58.3% of the variance in young drivers' willingness, and the findings possess implications for designing effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are important photonic materials that have the advantages of a rapid and reversible phase change, a great difference in the optical properties between the crystalline and amorphous states, scalability, and nonvolatility. With the constant development in the PCM platform and integration of multiple material platforms, more and more reconfigurable photonic devices and their dynamic regulation have been theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated, showing the great potential of PCMs in integrated photonic chips. Here, we review the recent developments in PCMs and discuss their potential for photonic devices. A universal overview of the mechanism of the phase transition and models of PCMs is presented. PCMs have injected new life into on-chip photonic integrated circuits, which generally contain an optical switch, an optical logical gate, and an optical modulator. Photonic neural networks based on PCMs are another interesting application of PCMs. Finally, the future development prospects and problems that need to be solved are discussed. PCMs are likely to have wide applications in future intelligent photonic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is one of the most widespread and destructive disasters, which causes property losses, casualties, and disruption of the balance of ecosystems. Therefore, it is highly necessary for firefighting to study the variations in fire and its climatic attributions. This study analyzed the characteristics of fire-burned area (BA) and its response to climatic factors in seven subregions of China from 2001 to 2018 using satellite remote sensing BA products. The results show that the BA in China and most of its subregions shows a decreasing trend. In general, it is negatively correlated with precipitation and positively correlated with air temperature and wind speed based on the regression and correlation analyses. Based on Pearson correlation and random forest methods, it is also found that the temperature is commonly an important factor contributing to BA in China, except for R2 (Inner Mongolia region), where wind speed is more important, and R5 (South China), where precipitation is more important, which coexists at annual and seasonal scales. Besides temperature, precipitation in spring and summer is the main driving factor, such as in R1 (Northeast China), R5, R6 (Northwest China) and R7 (Qinghai–Tibet Plateau) in spring and R4 (Central China), R5 and R7 in summer; and wind speed in autumn and winter is the main driving factor, such as in R2 and R4 in autumn and R2, R3, R5, R6 and R7 in winter. Finally, the distributions of BA with respect to each climatic factor were also analyzed to quantify the range of climatic factors with maximum BA occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, engineered skin substitutes (ESS) are unable to regenerate cutaneous appendages. Recent studies have shown that skin-derived precursors (SKPs), which are extensively available, have the potential to induce hair follicle neogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that ESS consisting of culture-expanded SKPs and epidermal stem cells (Epi-SCs) reconstitute the skin with hair follicle regeneration after grafting into nude mice. SKPs seeded in a C-GAG matrix proliferated and expressed higher levels of hair induction signature genes—such as Akp2, Sox2, CD133 and Bmp6—compared to dermal fibroblasts. Moreover, when ESS prepared by seeding a mixture of culture-expanded murine SKPs and human adult Epi-SCs into a C-GAG matrix was grafted into full-thickness skin wounds in nude mice, black hairs were generated within 3 weeks. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the SKPs were localized to the dermal papillae of the newly-formed hair follicle. Our results indicate that SKPs can serve as the hair-inductive cells in ESS to furnish it with hair genesis potential [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic silkworm expression systems have been applied for producing various recombinant proteins. Knocking out or downregulating an endogenous silk protein is considered a viable strategy for improving the ability of transgenic expression systems to produce exogenous proteins. Here, we report the expression of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) in a P25 gene knockout silkworm. The hEGF gene regulated by the P25 gene promoter was integrated into a silkworm's genome. Five transgenic positive silkworm lineages were generated with different insertion sites on silkworm chromosomes and the ability to synthesize and secrete proteins into cocoons. Then, a cross-strategy was used to produce transgenic silkworms with a P25 gene knockout background. The results of the protein analysis showed that the loss of an endogenous P25 protein can increase the hEGF production to about 2.2-fold more than normal silkworms. Compared to those of transgenic silkworms with wild type (non-knockout) background, the morphology and secondary structure of cocoon silks were barely changed in transgenic silkworms with a P25 gene knockout background, indicating their similar physical properties of cocoon silks. In conclusion, P25 gene knockout silkworms may become an efficient bioreactor for the production of exogenous proteins and a promising tool for producing various protein-containing silk biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the structures of exogenous protein molecules that can effectively improve the mechanical properties of silkworm silk. Several transgenic vectors fused with the silkworm fibroin light chain and type 3 repeats in different multiples of the ampullate dragline silk protein 1 (MaSp1) from black widow spider with different lengths of the polyalanine motifs were constructed for this study. Transgenic silkworms were successfully obtained by piggyBac-mediated microinjection. Molecular detection showed that foreign proteins were successfully secreted and contained within the cocoon shells. According to the prediction of PONDR® VSL2 and PONDR® VL-XT, the type 3 repeats and the polyalanine motif of the MaSp1 protein were amorphous. The results of FTIR analysis showed that the content of β-sheets in the silk of transgenic silkworms engineered with transgenic vectors with additional polyalanine was significantly higher than that of wild-type silkworm silk. Additionally, silk with a higher β-sheet content had better fracture strength and Young's modulus. The mechanical properties of silk with longer chains of exogenous proteins were improved. In general, our results provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the large-scale production of excellent bionic silk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of wave-induced seabed stability around a submerged breakwater is particularly important for coastal engineers involved in design of the foundation of breakwaters. Unlike previous studies, a mesh-free model is developed to investigate the dynamic soil response around a submerged breakwater in this study. Both regular and irregular wave loadings are considered. The present model was validated against the previous experimental data and theoretical models for both regular and irregular waves. Parametric study shows the regular wave-induced liquefaction depth increases as wave period and wave height increase. The seabed is more likely to be liquefied with a low degree of saturation and soil permeability. A similar trend of the effects of wave and seabed characteristics on the irregular wave-induced soil response is found in the numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol, the most widely studied natural phytochemical, has been shown to interact with different target proteins. Previous studies show that resveratrol binds and inhibits DNA polymerases and some other enzymes; however, the binding and functioning mechanisms remain unknown. The elucidated knowledge of inhibitory mechanisms of resveratrol will assist us in new drug discovery. We utilized molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to reveal how resveratrol and structurally similar compounds bind to various nucleotide-dependent enzymes, specifically, DNA polymerases, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and ribonucleotide reductase. The results show that resveratrol and its analogs exert their inhibitory effects by competing with the substrate dNTPs in these enzymes and blocking elongation of chain polymerization. In addition, the results imply that resveratrol binds to a variety of other ATP-/NTP-binding proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinyl alcohol fiber reinforced engineering cementitious composites (PVA-ECCs) exhibit excellent tight-cracking and super-high toughness behaviors and have been widely used in bridge repair projects. In reality, the conventional method in bridge repair is that a portion of the bridge is closed and repaired while the other portion is left open to traffic. Consequently, newly placed PVA-ECC bridge repairs (NP-ECC-BRs) are exposed to continuous traffic vibrations (TRVs), even during the setting periods. However, whether or not TRVs affect the expected flexural properties of NP-ECC-BRs remains unknown. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of TRVs on the attainable flexural properties of NP-ECC-BRs. For this purpose, a total of 324 newly fabricated thin-plate specimens were exposed to different vibration variables using self-designed vibration equipment. After vibration, a four-point flexural test was conducted to determine the flexural properties of the specimens. The results indicate that the effects of TRVs on the strengths of NP-ECC-BRs was significantly negative, but insignificantly positive for flexural deformation. We concluded that in the design of PVA-ECC bridge repairs, effects of TRVs on the flexural deformation capacity of NP-ECC-BRs are not a cause for concern, but serious consideration should be given to the associated reduction of flexural load-bearing capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium silicate slag (CSS) is waste slag and it contains a large amount of beta-dicalcium silicate. This study is mainly focused on the effect of CSS on the hydration of cementitious pastes. CSS was used to partly replace cement, and composite pastes containing CSS and cement were prepared. The mineral composition and particle size distribution of CSS were characterized. The chemically combined water of the paste sample was measured at a given test age. Based on the value of chemically combined water, the hydration degree and the hydration rate of composite pastes were analyzed. The flexural strength of the samples was established. The pore structure and micromorphology of the sample were also observed. The results indicate the chemically combined water decreased, the hydration degree decreased, the hydration rate declined, and the spherical micromorphology of the calcium silicate hydrate gel was reduced after more cement was replaced by CSS in the composite pastes. Besides, the amount of pores increased, its size was bigger, and air content in the pore was higher. However, flexural strength was lower. CSS has a significant impact on the hydration of cementitious pastes, and it is thus suitable to regulate hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinyl alcohol-engineering cementitious composites (PVA-ECCs) have been widely applied in bridge deck repairing or widening, and a common practice is that a portion of the bridge is left open to traffic while the closed portion is constructed, which exposes the early-age PVA-ECC to vehicle-induced vibrations. However, whether vehicle-induced vibrations affect the performance of early-age PVA-ECC remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to conduct laboratory test programs to investigate to what extent vehicle-induced vibrations soon after installation affects the tensile performance of the PVA-ECC. A self-improved device was used to simulate the vehicle-induced vibrations, and after vibrating with the designed variables, both a uniaxial tensile test and a grey correlation analysis were performed. The results indicated that the effects of vehicle-induced vibrations on the tensile performance of early-age PVA-ECCs were significant, and they generally tended to be negative. In particular, for all of the vibrated PVA-ECC specimens, the most negative effects occurred when vibration occurred during the period between the initial set and the final set. We concluded that although vehicle-induced vibrations during the setting periods had no substantial effects on the inherent strain-hardening characteristics of PVA-ECCs, the effects should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin is a well-documented antioxidant. Physicochemical analysis using the density functional theory suggests that melatonin is a copper chelating agent; however, experimental evidence is still in demand. The present study investigated the influence of melatonin on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from polyphenol autoxidation in the presence of copper. Surprisingly, we found that melatonin paradoxically enhanced ROS formation in a redox system containing low concentrations of copper and quercetin (Que) or (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), due to reduction of cupric to cuprous ion by melatonin. Addition of DNA to this system inhibited ROS production, because DNA bound to copper and inhibited copper reduction by melatonin. When melatonin was added to a system containing high concentrations of copper and Que or EGCG, it diminished hydroxyl radical formation as expected. Upon addition of DNA to high concentrations of copper and Que, this pro-oxidative system generated ROS and caused DNA damage. The DNA damage was not prevented by typical scavengers of hydroxyl radical DMSO or mannitol. Under these conditions, melatonin or bathocuproine disulfonate (a copper chelator) protected the DNA from damage by chelating copper. When melatonin was administered intraperitoneally to mice, it inhibited hepatotoxicity and DNA damage evoked by EGCG plus diethyldithiocarbamate (a copper ionophore). Overall, the present study demonstrates the pro-oxidant and antioxidant activities of melatonin in the redox system of copper and polyphenols. The pro-oxidant effect is inhibited by the presence of DNA, which prevents copper reduction by melatonin. Interestingly, in-vivo melatonin protects against copper/polyphenol-induced DNA damage probably via acting as a copper-chelating agent rather than a hydroxyl radical scavenger. Melatonin with a dual function of scavenging hydroxyl radical and chelating copper is a more reliable DNA guardian than antioxidants that only have a single function of scavenging hydroxyl radical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the fault diagnosis process of a photovoltaic (PV) array, it is difficult to discriminate single faults and compound faults with similar signatures. Furthermore, the data collected in the actual field experiment also contains strong noise, which leads to the decline of diagnostic accuracy. In order to solve these problems, a new eigenvector composed of the normalized PV voltage, the normalized PV current and the fill factor is constructed and proposed to characterize the common faults, such as open circuit, short circuit and compound faults in the PV array. The combination of these three feature characteristics can reduce the interference of external meteorological conditions in the fault identification. In order to obtain the new eigenvectors, a multi-sensory system for fault diagnosis in a PV array, combined with a data-mining solution for the classification of the operational state of the PV array, is needed. The selected sensors are temperature sensors, irradiance sensors, voltage sensors and current sensors. Taking account of the complexity of the fault data in the PV array, the Kernel Fuzzy C-means clustering method is adopted to identify these fault types. Gaussian Kernel Fuzzy C-means clustering method (GKFCM) shows good clustering performance for classifying the complex datasets, thus the classification accuracy can be effectively improved in the recognition process. This algorithm is divided into the training and testing phases. In the training phase, the feature vectors of 8 different fault types are clustered to obtain the training core points. According to the minimum Euclidean Distances between the training core points and new fault data, the new fault datasets can be identified into the corresponding classes in the fault classification stage. This strategy can not only diagnose single faults, but also identify compound fault conditions. Finally, the simulation and field experiment demonstrated that the algorithm can effectively diagnose the 8 common faults in photovoltaic arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review focuses on the regulation and modulation of human DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ). The emphasis is on the mechanisms that regulate the activity and properties of Pol δ in DNA repair and replication. The areas covered are the degradation of the p12 subunit of Pol δ, which converts it from a heterotetramer (Pol δ4) to a heterotrimer (Pol δ3), in response to DNA damage and also during the cell cycle. The biochemical mechanisms that lead to degradation of p12 are reviewed, as well as the properties of Pol δ4 and Pol δ3 that provide insights into their functions in DNA replication and repair. The second focus of the review involves the functions of two Pol δ binding proteins, polymerase delta interaction protein 46 (PDIP46) and polymerase delta interaction protein 38 (PDIP38), both of which are multi-functional proteins. PDIP46 is a novel activator of Pol δ4, and the impact of this function is discussed in relation to its potential roles in DNA replication. Several new models for the roles of Pol δ3 and Pol δ4 in leading and lagging strand DNA synthesis that integrate a role for PDIP46 are presented. PDIP38 has multiple cellular localizations including the mitochondria, the spliceosomes and the nucleus. It has been implicated in a number of cellular functions, including the regulation of specialized DNA polymerases, mitosis, the DNA damage response, mouse double minute 2 homolog (Mdm2) alternative splicing and the regulation of the NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4)., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Given the rapid rate of global spread and consequently healthcare costs related to influenza, surveillance plays an important role in monitoring the emerging pandemics in China. However, the characteristics of influenza in Southeast of China haven't been fully studied. Our study use the surveillance data collected from 16 sentinel hospitals across Zhejiang Province during March 2011 through June 2015, including the demographic information and respiratory specimens from influenza-like illness (ILI) patients and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) patients. As analysis results, most SARI and ILI patients were in the age group of 0-4 years old (62.38% of ILI and 71.54% of SARI). The respiratory specimens have statistically significantly higher positive rate for influenza among ILI patients than that among SARI patients ( p < 0.001). The comparison between ILI patients and SARI patients shows no statistically significantly difference in detecting influenza virus type and influenza A virus subtype. The SARI and ILI patients were found to be positively correlated for overall positive rate (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), the weekly percentage of A(H1N1)pdm09 (r = 0.51, p < 0.001), influenza B virus (r = 0.17, p = 0.013), and A/H3N2 (r = 0.43, p < 0.001) among all the positive numbers. Our study demonstrated that the activities of influenza virus, including its subtypes, had a similar temporal pattern between ILI and SARI cases.