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Portable X-ray Fluorescence probe (pXRF) is a tool used to measure many elements quickly and efficiently in soil with minimal sample preparation. Although this sensing technique has been widely used to determine total elemental concentrations, it has not been calibrated for plant-available nutrient predictions. We evaluated the potential of using pXRF for fast plant-available nutrient quantification. Two experiments were conducted in soils treated with two types of biochars to obtain a practical range of soil pH (5.5 − 8.0) and organic carbon (2.0 − 5.5%). Biochars applied were derived from switchgrass (SGB) and poultry litter (PLB). The first experiment received biochars at application rates up to 8% (w/w) and had no plants. The second experiment had up to 4% of SGB or PLB planted with ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Linear regression (LR), polynomial regression (PolR), power regression (PowR), and stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) were the models tested. Regardless of the extraction method, phosphorus (P) showed a strong relationship between pXRF and several laboratory extraction methods; however, K prediction via pXRF was sensitive to the plant factor. The optimum soil available-P corresponding to the maximum P uptake in plant tissues can be assessed with pXRF. The LR was inconsistent for calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and copper (Cu) and non-significant for magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Our results showed that pXRF is applicable to estimate P availability in soils receiving organic amendments. More evaluations are needed with diverse soil types to confirm the findings before using pXRF for fertilizer recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric energy-storage ceramic materials with fast charging and discharging times and high reliability have almost irreplaceable applications in fields such as high-energy pulsed-power technology. To mitigate the environmental pollution caused by lead-containing dielectric energy-storage ceramics, lead-free dielectric energy-storage materials have become the focus of current research. In this work, BaTiO3-Bi(Zn0.5Ti0.5)O3 (BT-BZT) was combined with (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.7Sr0.3TiO3 (BNST) to fabricate (1-x)(0.9BT-0.1BZT)-xBNST solid solutions (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) via conventional solid-state reaction methods. Through reasonable component optimization, a high recoverable energy-storage density (Wrec) of 3.5 J/cm3 and large efficiency (η) of 90.8% were achieved in the sample with BNST concentration of x = 0.15. Meanwhile, the sample exhibited an ultrafast discharge time of ~ 53.0 ns over the range of ambient temperature to 120 °C. This exceptional energy-storage performance indicates that the 0.85(0.9BT-0.1BZT)-0.15BNST ceramic is a promising candidate for the dielectric energy storage in a high-power pulse capacitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe adenoviral pneumonia (SAP) can cause post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) in children. We aimed to investigate the relevant risk factors for PIBO and develop a predictive nomogram for PIBO in children with SAP. This prospective study analysed the clinical data of hospitalised children with SAP and categorised them into the PIBO and non-PIBO groups. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regressions were applied to variables that exhibited significant intergroup differences. Logistic regression was adopted to analyse the risk factors for PIBO. Additionally, a nomogram was constructed, and its effectiveness was assessed using calibration curves, C-index, and decision curve analysis. A total of 148 hospitalised children with SAP were collected in this study. Among them, 112 achieved favourable recovery, whereas 36 developed PIBO. Multivariable regression after variable selection via LASSO revealed that aged < 1 year (OR, 2.38, 95% CI, 0.82–6.77), admission to PICU (OR, 24.40, 95% CI, 7.16–105.00), long duration of fever (OR, 1.16, 95% CI, 1.04–1.31), and bilateral lung infection (OR, 8.78, 95% CI, 1.32–195.00) were major risk factors for PIBO. The nomogram model included the four risk factors: The C-index of the model was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.71–0.99), and the area under the curve was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.78–0.92). The model showed good calibration with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test (χ2 = 8.52, P = 0.38) and was useful in clinical settings with decision curve analysis. Conclusion: Age < 1 year, PICU admission, long fever duration, and bilateral lung infection are independent risk factors for PIBO in children with SAP. The nomogram model may aid clinicians in the early diagnosis and intervention of PIBO. What is Known: • Adenoviruses are the most common pathogens associated with PIBO. • Wheezing, tachypnoea, hypoxemia, and mechanical ventilation are the risk factors for PIBO. What is New: • Age < 1 year, admission to PICU, long duration of fever days, and bilateral lung infection are independent risk factors for PIBO in children with SAP. • A prediction model presented as a nomogram may help clinicians in the early diagnosis and intervention of PIBO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Understanding the characteristics of soil infiltration response to rainfall is critical for soil water transport processes and hydrologic modeling. However, little is known about how they vary with forest conversion at different temporal stages (< 20 years) below the rooting zone. Therefore, this study aims to investigate soil infiltration response patterns in different subtropical forest conversion hillslopes, including mature original forest (thick root), young secondary forest (middle root), and very young secondary grassland (fine root), and analyzed the effects of environmental factors on the dynamics of soil infiltration. Materials and methods: Several metrics were evaluated to characterize and quantify the nature of these responses by estimating changes in the soil water content, the response time difference between two adjacent soil depths, and infiltration velocities for 1144 infiltration events at 6 locations on the three hillslopes. Results and discussion: Soil infiltration responses were similar on both forestland hillslopes, yet significantly different from those on the grassland hillslope. The preferential flow was more evident in the profile of thick-rooted vegetation, and the velocity of the wetting front was faster in the profiles of middle- and fine-rooted vegetation. Topography and root characteristics interact to influence soil infiltration response at the hillslope scale. Conclusions: Conversion from thick-rooted forests into fine-rooted grasslands altered the rainfall-related soil infiltration dynamics below the rooting zone. In particular, the occurrence of preferential flow and infiltration rates varied, which helps enhance our understanding of ecohydrological processes in the context of changing land use and hydroclimatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic fertilizers are widely used to provide crops with significant amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but can exacerbate soil carbon (C) limitation and acidification. Crop residues with distinct ecological stoichiometry from inorganic fertilizers can help balance soil ecological stoichiometry and thus increase soil organic matter accumulation. The combined use of inorganic fertilizers and crop residues is expected to alleviate the metabolic limitations of organisms and enhance soil C, N, and P sequestration, hence increasing grain yields. However, the effects of this practice on soil C, N, and P stocks and grain yield remain unclear. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of 806 paired data to investigate the impact of crop residue return combined with inorganic fertilizer on soil and grain yield across different land uses (paddy, upland, paddy-upland rotation) and soil profiles (0–60 cm). Our findings indicate that crop residue return significantly enhances soil C (8–13%) stocks across all soil layers, particularly in the topsoil (0–20 cm). Soil N (9%) and P (5%) stocks also increase significantly in the topsoil. In uplands, crop residue return can mitigate soil acidification and increase grain yield (by 7%). Moreover, the soil C and N stocks increase depending on the initial soil pH, C and N levels, and C:N ratio. In contrast, the soil P stock increase depends on rainfall, while the grain yield increase is closely linked to the soil texture and fertilizer rate. Our study highlights that crop residue return can increase topsoil C, N, and P stocks, which can benefit crop growth and environmental mitigation efforts. Furthermore, this practice can increase C stocks in deeper soil horizons (below 20 cm), providing a long-term solution to mitigate climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is considered a key sensor for host recognition of RNA virus infections. Recent studies have shown that RIG-I also regulates carcinogenesis. However, the role of RIG-I in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. We investigated the RIG-I expression in ESCC cells using a public database, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. We evaluated the proliferative activity of ESCC cells using CCK-8, colony formation, and EdU staining assays. Further, we determined the ESCC cell-cycle changes using flow cytometry and the ubiquitination of p21 in the cells using cycloheximide chase and ubiquitination assays. Finally, we verified the in vivo effects of RIG-I on ESCC cells by constructing xenograft models. RIG-I was highly expressed in ESCC cells and significantly promoted their proliferation and cell-cycle. Moreover, RIG-I knockdown inhibited xenograft growth in nude mice. Furthermore, RIG-I accelerated the cell-cycle by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of p21. Overall, this study revealed that the increased expression of RIG-I due to ESCC accelerated the progression of esophageal cancer by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of p21, which is related to the prognosis of ESCC. Thus, RIG-I may be a novel therapeutic target for ESCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 9 has been proposed as an analog for the present warm period. However, detailed studies of this geological time period are rare in loess-paleosol sequence. In the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), the corresponding stratum is the third paleosol layer (S3). Here, we report the terrestrial reconstruction of climatic fluctuations during MIS 9 by analyzing the paleo-climate indexes of S3 with high sampling density. Our results showed that: (1) During the period of MIS 9, the main climatic sub-cycle was 29 ka; (2) MIS 9 could be divided into five sections, MIS 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, and 9e. Among them, MIS 9a, 9c, and 9e were warm stages, while MIS 9b and 9d were cool intervals; and 3) There were also three swift warm-wet events and one cool-dry event, which occurred around 332–331, 324–323, 311–310, and 331–329 ka BP, respectively. The overall trend of paleo-climate fluctuation correlated approximately with SPECMAP, LR04 stack and Iberian margin deep-sea cores. This study suggested that the paleosol records in the southern margin of the CLP have global significance and contain more detailed climatic signals than marine deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the proportion of locally produced plant protein in currently meat-rich diets could substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity1. However, plant protein production is hampered by the lack of a cool-season legume equivalent to soybean in agronomic value2. Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) has a high yield potential and is well suited for cultivation in temperate regions, but genomic resources are scarce. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the faba bean genome and show that it has expanded to a massive 13 Gb in size through an imbalance between the rates of amplification and elimination of retrotransposons and satellite repeats. Genes and recombination events are evenly dispersed across chromosomes and the gene space is remarkably compact considering the genome size, although with substantial copy number variation driven by tandem duplication. Demonstrating practical application of the genome sequence, we develop a targeted genotyping assay and use high-resolution genome-wide association analysis to dissect the genetic basis of seed size and hilum colour. The resources presented constitute a genomics-based breeding platform for faba bean, enabling breeders and geneticists to accelerate the improvement of sustainable protein production across the Mediterranean, subtropical and northern temperate agroecological zones.Using a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the faba bean genome, the genetic basis of seed size and hilum colour is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel high-activity amylosucrase from Salinispirillum sp. LH10-3-1 (SaAS) was identified and characterized. The recombinant enzyme was determined as a monomer with a molecular mass of 75 kDa. SaAS protein exhibited the maximum total and polymerization activities at pH 9.0 and maximum hydrolysis activity at pH 8.0. The optimum temperature for total, polymerization, and hydrolysis activities were 40, 40, and 45 °C, respectively. Under the optimal pH and temperature, SaAS had a specific activity of 108.2 U/mg. SaAS also showed excellent salt tolerance and could retain 77.4% of its original total activity at 4.0 M NaCl. The addition of Mg2+, Ba2+, and Ca2+ enhanced the total activity of SaAS. When the conversion of 0.1 M and 1.0 M sucrose was catalyzed at pH 9.0 and 40 °C for 24 h, the ratios of hydrolysis, polymerization, and isomerization reactions were 11.9:77.4:10.7 and 15.3:53.5:31.2, respectively. The α-arbutin yield of 60.3% was achieved from 20 mM sucrose and 5 mM hydroquinone catalyzed by SaAS. Key points: • A novel amylosucrase from Salinispirillum sp. LH10-3-1 (SaAS) was characterized. • SaAS has the highest specific enzyme activity among all known amylosucrase. • SaAS has hydrolysis, polymerization, isomerization, and glucosyltransferase activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problem of distributed opportunistic scheduling by mobile users is investigated for a wireless cooperative network. Based on coalition formation game model, a theoretic framework is built in which users cooperate in accessing the shared channel in an individual view of average throughput. To analyze users rational behaviors, we propose a coalition formation approach which guides cooperative delivery by mobile users in distributed manner. Under the approach, users form a coalition structure in a dynamic manner, for which an optimal distributed cooperative scheduling strategy is derived maximizing average network throughput. Based on individual utilities, users make their own decisions to join or leave a coalition. To obtain a stable coalition structure, a distributed coalition formation algorithm is designed to adapt coalitions to environmental changes. The effectiveness and efficiency are verified by numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) promotes breast cancer, and ER-positive cancer accounts for ~ 80% of breast cancers. This subtype responds positively to hormone/endocrine therapies involving either inhibition of estrogen synthesis or blockade of estrogen action. Carbidopa, a drug used to potentiate the therapeutic efficacy of L-DOPA in Parkinson's disease, is an agonist for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Pharmacotherapy in Parkinson's disease decreases the risk for cancers, including breast cancer. The effects of carbidopa on ER-positive breast cancer were evaluated in cell culture and in mouse xenografts. The assays included cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell migration/invasion, subcellular localization of AhR, proteasomal degradation, and tumor growth in xenografts. Carbidopa decreased proliferation and migration of ER-positive human breast cancer cells in vitro with no significant effect on ER-negative breast cancer cells. Treatment of ER-positive cells with carbidopa promoted nuclear localization of AhR and expression of AhR target genes; it also decreased cellular levels of ERα via proteasomal degradation in an AhR-dependent manner. In vivo, carbidopa suppressed the growth of ER-positive breast cancer cells in mouse xenografts; this was associated with increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation. Carbidopa has therapeutic potential for ER-positive breast cancer either as a single agent or in combination with other standard chemotherapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of machine learning models based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics in the classification of parotid tumors. Methods: In total, 298 patients with parotid tumors were randomly assigned to a training and test set at a ratio of 7:3. Radiomics features were extracted from the morphological MRI images and screened using the Select K Best and LASSO algorithm. Three-step machine learning models with XGBoost, SVM, and DT algorithms were developed to classify the parotid neoplasms into four subtypes. The ROC curve was used to measure the performance in each step. Diagnostic confusion matrices of these models were calculated for the test cohort and compared with those of the radiologists. Results: Six, twelve, and eight optimal features were selected in each step of the three-step process, respectively. XGBoost produced the highest area under the curve (AUC) for all three steps in the training cohort (0.857, 0.882, and 0.908, respectively), and for the first step in the test cohort (0.826), but produced slightly lower AUCs than SVM in the latter two steps in the test cohort (0.817 vs. 0.833, and 0.789 vs. 0.821, respectively). The total accuracies of XGBoost and SVM in the confusion matrices (70.8% and 59.6%) outperformed those of DT and the radiologist (46.1% and 49.2%). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that machine learning models based on morphological MRI radiomics might be an assistive tool for parotid tumor classification, especially for preliminary screening in absence of more advanced scanning sequences, such as DWI. Key Points: • Machine learning algorithms combined with morphological MRI radiomics could be useful in the preliminary classification of parotid tumors. • XGBoost algorithm performed better than SVM and DT in subtype differentiation of parotid tumors, while DT seemed to have a poor validation performance. • Using morphological MRI only, the XGBoost and SVM algorithms outperformed radiologists in the four-type classification task for parotid tumors, thus making these models a useful assistant diagnostic tool in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed at comparing the prevalence of cognitive frailty and explore the differences in the influencing factors between elderly and middle-young patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the frailty phenotype, mini-mental state examination, and clinical dementia rating were used to assess the current status of cognitive frailty in 852 patients receiving MHD from four hospitals in Lianyungang City and Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China; the influencing factors were then analyzed for statistical significance. Results: Of the total 852 patients receiving MHD, 340 were classified into an elderly group (≥ 60 years) and 512 into a middle-young group (< 60 years). The prevalence of cognitive frailty was 35.9% and 8.8%, respectively. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent factors of cognitive frailty were age (P < 0.001), education level (P = 0.010), nutritional status (P = 0.001), serum albumin level (P = 0.010), calf circumference (P = 0.024), and social support level (P < 0.001) in the elderly group and comorbidity status (P = 0.037), education level (P < 0.001), nutritional status (P = 0.008), serum creatinine level (P = 0.001), waist circumference (P < 0.001), and depression (P = 0.006) in the middle-young group. Conclusion: The prevalence of cognitive frailty was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the middle-young group, and the influencing factors differed between the two populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients are at high risk of sarcopenia. Gut microbiota affects host metabolic and may act in the occurrence of sarcopenia importantly. This study aimed to study the characterization of the gut microbiota in MHD patients with sarcopenia, and to further reveal the complex pathophysiology of sarcopenia in MHD patients. Methods: Fecal samples and clinical data were collected from 30 MHD patients with sarcopenia, and 30 age-and-sex-matched MHD patients without sarcopenia in 1 general hospital of Jiangsu Province from December 2020 to March 2021. 16S rRNA sequencing technology was used to analyze the genetic sequence of the gut microbiota for evaluation of the diversity, species composition, and differential microbiota of the two groups. Results: Compared to MHD patients without sarcopenia, the ACE index of patients with sarcopenia was lower (P = 0.014), and there was a structural difference in the β-diversity between the two groups (P = 0.001). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Tyzzerella_4 in the sarcopenia group was significantly higher than in the non-sarcopenia group (P = 0.039), and the relative abundance of Megamonas (P = 0.004), Coprococcus_2 (P = 0.038), and uncultured_bacterium_f_Muribaculaceae (P = 0.040) decreased significantly. Conclusion: The diversity and structure of the gut microbiota of MHD patients with sarcopenia were altered. The occurrence of sarcopenia in MHD patients may be influenced by gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calenduloside E (CE) isolated from Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. is a natural triterpenoid saponin that can reportedly ameliorate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, its potential roles and mechanism in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury are barely understood. In this study, we established an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in HT22 cells. We found that CE significantly attenuated the OGD/R-induced inhibition of cell viability and apoptotic cell death in HT22 cells. Moreover, CE treatment significantly ameliorated OGD/R-induced mitochondrial fission by inhibiting mitochondrial dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) recruitment and increasing Drp1 phosphorylation at Ser637. CE treatment significantly ameliorated OGD/R-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing the mitochondrial membrane potential and reducing the mitochondrial ROS and cellular calcium accumulation. Moreover, CE treatment significantly inhibited the OGD/R-induced release of mitochondrial Cytochrome C and increase in Bax, Cleaved-caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase9 protein levels, whereas CE treatment significantly reversed the OGD/R-induced decrease in Bcl-2 and full length of caspase3 and caspase9 protein levels. In vivo, we found that CE treatment significantly ameliorated ischemic/hypoxic-induced brain infarct volume, neurological deficits, and neuronal apoptosis in mice after middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion. CE treatment also significantly ameliorated the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, decreased Cytochrome C release, and reversed the increase in Bax, Cleaved-caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase9 protein levels and the decrease in Bcl-2 and full length of caspase3 and caspase9 protein levels induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). All these results indicated that CE treatment exerted a neuroprotective effect by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction during cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Treatment-associated upregulation of suppressive checkpoints and a lack of costimulatory signals compromise the antitumor efficacy of oncolytic virus immunotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to identify highly effective therapeutic targets to provide a proof-of-principle for immune checkpoint together with oncolytic virus-mediated viro-immunotherapy for cancer. Methods: A fusion protein containing both the extracellular domain of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and the poliovirus receptor (PVR) was designed. Next, the corresponding expression fragment was inserted into the genome of a replication-competent adenovirus to generate Ad5sPD1PVR. The infection, expression, replication and oncolysis of Ad5sPD1PVR were investigated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. Immune activation and the antitumor efficacy of Ad5sPD1PVR were examined in HCC tumor models including a humanized immunocompetent mouse model. Results: Ad5sPD1PVR effectively infected and replicated in HCC cells and secreted sPD1PVR. In a H22 ascitic HCC mouse model, intraperitoneal injection of Ad5sPD1PVR markedly recruited lymphocytes and activated antitumor immune responses. Ad5sPD1PVR exerted a profound antitumor effect on ascitic HCC. Furthermore, we found that Ad5sPD1PVR-H expressing sPD1PVR of human origin exhibited potent antitumor effects in a HCC humanized mouse model. We also found that CD8+ T cells mediated the antitumor effects and long-term tumor-specific immune surveillance induced by Ad5sPD1PVR. Finally, when combined with fludarabine, the antitumor efficacy of Ad5sPD1PVR was found to be further improved in the ascitic HCC model. Conclusions: From our data we conclude that the newly designed recombinant Ad5sPD1PVR virus significantly enhances CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor efficacy with long-term tumor-specific immune surveillance in hepatocellular carcinoma, and that fludarabine is a promising therapeutic partner for Ad5sPD1PVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of groundwater quantity and quality is essential for economic development and the ecological environment in the Baotu Spring Basin (BTSB). Thus, it is important to correctly recognize groundwater recharge, the source of major ions, seasonal differences, and the mechanisms of groundwater hydrogeochemical processes. To investigate these issues, surface and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for hydrochemical components in both the dry and wet seasons in the BTSB. Stable isotope samples of the surface water and groundwater were collected and analyzed in the dry season. The hydrochemical results show that Ca and HCO3 are the dominant cations and anions, and HCO3·SO4-Ca is the dominant groundwater type in the dry and wet seasons. The stable isotope results indicate that precipitation is the primary recharge source of groundwater and surface water in the study area, and precipitation may undergo secondary evaporation under clouds that are in the process of dropping. Moreover, surface water recharges groundwater in infiltration areas near rivers or lakes, where mixing action occurs. The dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and gypsum is the primary water-rock interaction in hydrochemical evolutionary processes. Furthermore, anthropogenic inputs, such as NO3 and Cl, become more important factors affecting the chemical compositions of the surface water and groundwater. Moreover, three ion types (K, Na, and Cl/Ca; Mg and HCO3/NO3; and SO4) were classified in the study area according to the distribution of the ion ratios in the dry and wet seasons. This work provides hydrochemical evidence for water resource management and ecological restoration in the BTSB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Localized scleroderma (LoS) is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder leading to serious long-term aesthetic impairment on patients. Objective evaluation methods are badly needed to facilitate the evaluation of the surgical treatment on individual patients and clinical studies. Objective: To develop and assess the reliability and validity of Peking Union Medical College LoS facial aesthetic index (PUMC LoSFAI). Methods: Twelve experts devoted their time and resources in the development and validation. LoS patients in the stable phase were recruited. Reliability and validity was then assessed. LoS patients were evaluated by two plastic surgeons using PUMC LoSFAI and LoS skin damage index (LoSDI). The PUMC LoSFAI comprises 4 domains for the local assessment (surface area of lesion, dyspigmentation, skin thickness and soft tissue atrophy) and 3 domains for the overall assessment (facial symmetry, proportion and profile) to describe LoS facial aesthetic impairment. Face-Q was completed by patients at each visit. Results: Thirty-two LoS patients had 96 visits, during which 138 lesions were assessed. PUMC LoSFAI and 7 domains demonstrated substantial to excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability (ICC 0.995, κw 0.72-0.91, r 0.85–0.99, respectively). Seven domains considered to be important to extremely important variables (mean rank 3.2–3.8) had high I-CVI (> 0.78) and S-CVI (0.93). PUMC LoSFAI correlated excellently with LoSDI (r = 0.933, P < 0.001), and correlated fairly with Face-Q (r = − 0.399, P = 0.001). Conclusions: PUMC LoSFAI was developed and evaluated to play as a tool of aesthetic impairment assessment for LoS patients, which may facilitate the evaluation of the treatment on individual patients and clinical studies. PUMC LoSFAI demonstrated high reliability and validity, and further study in larger patient samples is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine Ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the dengue epidemic in Yunnan Province, China, during 2019, a concurrent outbreak of chikungunya occurred in the city of Ruili, which is located in the southwest of the province, adjacent to Myanmar. As part of this outbreak, three neonatal cases of infection with indigenous chikungunya virus from mother-to-child (vertical) transmission were observed. Isolates of chikungunya virus were obtained from 37 serum samples of patients with chikungunya during this outbreak, and a phylogenetic analysis of these isolates revealed that they belong to the Indian Ocean subclade of the East/Central/South African genotype. The E1 genes of these viruses did not harbor the A226V mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0.85(0.74CaTiO3–0.26SmAlO3)–0.15Ca1.15Sm0.85Al0.85Ti0.15O4 (CSC) composite ceramics were prepared by a reaction-sintering method. The phase structure, sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of CSC ceramics were investigated. The preparation process of reaction-sintering route (RS) is simple. XRD patterns show that Ca0.74Ti0.74Sm0.26Al0.26O3 (similar to CaTiO3), SmAlO3 and Ca1.15Sm0.85Al0.85Ti0.15O4 phases are formed in the CSC ceramics. The grain size and dielectric constant of CSC ceramics increase with rising the sintering temperature. As the sintering temperature increases, the quality factor (Q × f) and τf value of the CSC ceramics increase to the maximum values first and then decrease. The bulk density fluctuates up and down around a value, but little change. The ceramics sintered at 1500 °C got the best microwave dielectric performances with εr = 35.9, Q × f = 49,221 GHz, τf = − 0.53 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer allows fast in-situ elemental determination without wet digestion for soils or geological materials, but the use of XRF on wet materials is not well documented. Our objective was to develop a rapid field method using pXRF to measure metals in the residues from horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations so that proper disposal decisions can be made in-situ. To establish the procedure, we spiked soil samples with 4 concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb up to 1000 mg kg−1, and then the metal concentrations were determined by wet chemical method after drying and acid digestion (standard method), and by pXRF, also at laboratory conditions, after drying and at two different moisture conditions. The measurements by pXRF and standard method after drying and after removal of excess water (AREW) were highly correlated with slopes ranging from 0.83 ± 0.01 to 1.08 ± 0.01 (P < 0.001) for all metals. The relationship was better AREW than the saturated paste without removal of excess water and the moisture content affected only the accuracy of As, Cd, and Pb. The procedure established was successfully used for HDD residues collected from 26 states of US with moisture content ranging from 14 to 83% AREW. The pXRF was proven to be a reliable tool for fast detection of common metals in dried soils and HDD residues, and samples containing < 30% moisture content without needing to correct for moisture. If the moisture is > 30%, excess water in samples need to be removed with a commercially available filter press to achieve high accuracy. The developed procedures reduce time of metal detection from days to about an hour which allows drilling operators to make quick decisions on soil or HDD disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterologous expression is the main approach for recombinant protein production ingenetic synthesis, for which codon optimization is necessary. The existing optimization methods are based on biological indexes. In this paper, we propose a novel codon optimization method based on deep learning. First, we introduce the concept of codon boxes, via which DNA sequences can be recoded into codon box sequences while ignoring the order of bases. Then, the problem of codon optimization can be converted to sequence annotation of corresponding amino acids with codon boxes. The codon optimization models for Escherichia Coli were trained by the Bidirectional Long-Short-Term Memory Conditional Random Field. Theoretically, deep learning is a good method to obtain the distribution characteristics of DNA. In addition to the comparison of the codon adaptation index, protein expression experiments for plasmodium falciparum candidate vaccine and polymerase acidic protein were implemented for comparison with the original sequences and the optimized sequences from Genewiz and ThermoFisher. The results show that our method for enhancing protein expression is efficient and competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advertising as a direct marketing activity as well as word-of-mouth (WOM) as an indirect marketing activity are widely accepted as the most influential determinants of new product performance. Although electronic WOM (eWOM), as a type of WOM, has recently been studied extensively in various industries, previous results appear mixed due to their characteristics such as volume and valence. To bridge the gap regarding the roles of advertising and eWOM in the movie diffusion process, they were classified into pre-eWOM/advertising and post-eWOM/advertising based on two stages of the diffusion process. To reflect the heterogeneity of consumption characteristics on a new product, consumers were divided into two groups—innovators and imitators. This study proposed a model to investigate the role of advertising and eWOM in the movie diffusion process. In addition, the proposed model was used to analyze the impact of firm-initiated advertising and user-generated online reviews on movie performance in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall provides essential water resource for vegetation growth and acts as driving force for hydrologic process, bedrock weathering and nutrient cycle in the steep hilly catchment. But the effects of rainfall features, vegetation types, topography, and also their interactions on soil water movement and soil moisture dynamics are inadequately quantified. During the coupled wet and dry periods of the year 2018 to 2019, time-series soil moisture was monitored with 5-min interval resolution in a hilly catchment of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China. Three hillslopes covered with evergreen forest (EG), secondary deciduous forest mixed with shrubs (SDFS) and deforested pasture (DP) were selected, and two monitoring sites with five detected depths were established at upslope and downslope position, respectively. Several parameters expressing soil moisture response to rainfall event were evaluated, including wetting depth, cumulative rainfall amount and lag time before initial response, maximum increase of soil water storage, and transform ratio of rainwater to soil water. The results indicated that rainfall amount is the dominant rainfall variable controlling soil moisture response to rainfall event. No soil moisture response occurred when rainfall amounts was <8 mm, and all the deepest monitoring sensors detected soil moisture increase when total rainfall amounts was >30 mm. In the wet period, the cumulative rainfall amount to trigger surface soil moisture response in EG-up site was significantly higher than in other five sites. However, no significant difference in cumulative rainfall amount to trigger soil moisture response was observed among all study sites in dry period. Vegetation canopy interception reduced the transform ratio of rainwater to soil water, with a higher reduction in vegetation growth period than in other period. Also, interception of vegetation canopy resulted in a larger accumulated rainfall amount and a longer lag time for initiating soil moisture response to rainfall. Generally, average cumulative rainfall amount for initiating soil moisture response during dry period of all sites (3.5–5.6 mm) were less than during wet period (5.7–19.7 mm). Forests captured more infiltration water compared with deforested pasture, showing the larger increments of both soil water storage for the whole soil profile and volumetric soil water content at 10 cm depth on two forest slopes. Topography dominated soil subsurface flow, proven by the evidences that less rainfall amount and less time was needed to trigger soil moisture response and also larger accumulated soil water storage increment in downslope site than in corresponding upslope site during heavy rainfall events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KCNQ2 channel is one of the important members of potassium voltage-gated channel. KCNQ2 is closely related to neuronal excitatory diseases including epilepsy and neuropathic pain, and also acts as a drug target of the anti-epileptic drug, retigabine (RTG). In the past few decades, RTG has shown strong efficacy in the treatment of refractory epilepsy but has been withdrawn from clinical use due to its multiple adverse effects in clinical phase III trials. To overcome the drawbacks of RTG, several RTG analogues have been developed with different activation potency to KCNQ2. However, the detailed molecular mechanism by which these RTG analogues regulate KCNQ2 channel remains obscure. In this study, we used molecular simulations to analyse the interaction mode between the RTG analogues and KCNQ2, and to determine their molecular mechanism of action. Our data show that the van der Waals interactions, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bond, halogen bond, and π-π stacking work together to maintain the binding stability of the drugs in the binding pocket. On an atomic scale, the amide group in the carbamate and the amino group in the 2-aminophenyl moiety of RTG and RL648_81 are identified as key interaction sites. Our finding provides insight into the molecular mechanism by which KCNQ2 channels are regulated by RTG analogues. It also provides direct theoretical support for optimizing design of the KCNQ2 channel openers in the future, which will help treat refractory epilepsy caused by nerve excitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate pollution in rivers, lakes, shallow groundwater, and even deep groundwater occurs in many parts of the world. And, it's essential to assessing the relationship between nitrate pollution and human health, which is called human health risk assessment (HHRA). In this paper, groundwater samples were collected for their nitrate content in a typical karst hydrogeological unit in East China during the wet and dry seasons. Then, a human health risk assessment was conducted using the four-step risk assessment process developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), which aimed to determine the potential risk posed to human health by nitrate in the groundwater. To make the assessment more authentic and objective, the drinking water and dermal contact exposure pathways were considered, and the people were divided into four groups, including infants (0~6 months), children (7 months~17 years old), females (18 years and older), and males (18 years and older), in the wet and dry seasons to determine the impacts of the exposure pathway, age, sex, and precipitation period. The results indicated that more than half of the groundwater samples exceeded 10 mg/L (measured as nitrogen), which is the drinking water standard of China. The children and infants had greater health risks than the adults at the same groundwater nitrate concentration, and those two groups need to be paid more attention; the adult females had a greater health risk than the adult males in the two precipitation periods, which shows that the order of the health risk was infants ˃ children ˃ adult females ˃ adult males. In addition, the value of the hazard quotient (HQ) and the area of the adverse effects were both higher in the wet season than in the dry season, which explains that precipitation can affect the human health risk as well. The HQ caused by the drinking water exposure pathway was much higher than that caused by the dermal contact exposure pathway. This study can provide information for more effective and reasonable decisions to city managers for groundwater nitrate pollution prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oncolytic viro-immunotherapy holds promise for cancer treatment. While immune activation can be robustly triggered by oncolytic viruses, negative feedback is often upregulated in the tumour microenvironment (TME). Lactate accumulation, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) expression, and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) infiltration coordinate to shape the immunosuppressive TME.Methods: Representative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and HCC-bearing mice were treated with oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV), alone or in combination with dichloroacetate (DCA, a pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) inhibitor).Results: We found that infection with oncolytic NDV led to significant induction of the aforementioned suppressive factors. Interestingly, DCA significantly reduced lactate release, STAT3 activation, IDO1 upregulation, and MDSC infiltration in NDV-treated HCC. Consequently, DCA significantly enhanced the antitumour immune responses, leading to improved antitumour efficacy and prolonged survival in mouse models of ascitic and subcutaneous HCC. Furthermore, DCA increased NDV replication in a PDK-1-dependent manner in HCC.Conclusions: Targeting aerobic glycolysis by DCA improves NDV-mediated viro-immunotherapy in HCC by mitigating immune negative feedback and promoting viral replication. These findings provide a rationale for targeting reprogrammed metabolism together with oncolytic virus-mediated viro-immunotherapy for HCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of heavy metals (HM) in soils have negative impacts on plants, human health, and the environmental quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochars on the bioaccessibility of Zn, Pb, and Cd in a contaminated soil in the Tar Creek area of NE Oklahoma, as well as on the growth and uptake of these elements by perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Biochars were produced from switchgrass (SGB) and poultry litter (PLB) feedstocks at 700 °C and applied to the soil at 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0% (w/w), with three replications. Regardless of the feedstock, both soil organic carbon (SOC or OC) and pH increased as the rates of biochars increased, which significantly decreased the HM bioaccessibility (p < 0.01). The Zn and Cd extracted by DTPA were highly correlated (p < 0.0001) with their concentration in ryegrass shoots and roots. Except for some significant positive correlations (p < 0.05), HM concentrations in ryegrass shoots and roots were not correlated with their biomass (p > 0.05). Both bioconcentration factor (BCF) and transfer factor decreased as the rates of biochars applied increased, especially for Pb and Cd (p < 0.01). Our results suggest it is beneficial to use biochars at Tar Creek as a soil amendment to reduce HM bioaccessibility and metal uptake by ryegrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, core-shelled silicon–carbon composites as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are prepared by a cost-effective method of the combined mechanical ball milling and high-temperature heat treatment. The microstructures and morphologies of such anode materials with different silicon contents are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Both coin and soft-packed LIBs are fabricated using these silicon–carbon composites as anode materials. The batteries can give high capacities of 377.7 mA h g−1, 418.5 mA h g−1, 450.9 mA h g−1, and 500.1 mA h g−1 at the silicon contents of 2.0%, 6.5%, 9.5%, and 14.5%, respectively. The effects of silicon content on the coulomb efficiency, low-temperature capacity, resistance, and cycle life are also studied, and the results show that a silicon content of 9.5% can give the best battery performance. Considering that the process has no surfactant, corrosive acidic or alkaline reagent added, and that the ball milling and heat treatment are efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly, it can be expected that the fabrication process described in this paper should be usable for large-scale production of silicon–carbon composite materials for anodes of LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, (1 − x)(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3-xBi(Li1/3Zr2/3)O3 (KNN-BLZ, x = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, or 0.02) lead-free ceramics were fabricated. The effects of the addition of Bi(Li1/3Zr2/3)O3 on the dielectric properties, microstructure, and phase structure of the KNN ceramics were studied. The structures of KNN ceramics shifted from an orthorhombic to tetragonal phase structure with the addition of Bi(Li1/3Zr2/3)O3. Furthermore, at x = 0.005, the ceramics exhibited good thermal stability (Δε/ε150°C ≤ ± 10%), low dielectric loss (tanΔ < 2.5%), and large relative permittivity (ε ~ 2160) in the temperature range of 154–370°C. Additionally, the electrical properties of the ceramic at high temperatures showed that the basic mechanism of the conduction and relaxation processes was thermal activation, and oxygen vacancies may be one of the mobile charge carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The potential for using biochar to reclaim degraded urban land into productive land needs to be verified to address the incipient loss of agricultural land. Materials and methods: A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of wheat straw biochar (with four application rates including 0, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% w/w biochar to soil) on selected soil properties and crop growth (paddy rice was grown followed by wheat) in a compacted urban homestead soil (Anthrosol). Nitrogen use efficiency and ammonia volatilization were determined using stable isotope methodologies. Results and discussion: Wheat straw biochar amendments elevated the soil pH, total C, and C/N ratio, and significantly lowered (P < 0.05) the soil bulk density by 12.0–17.7% with doses of 1–2%. Increasing doses of biochar (1–2%) increased ammonia volatilization by 91.4–107.0% during the flooded rice season, which resulted in significantly lower (P < 0.05) rice yield. This was reflected in the reduction of fertilizer 15N use efficiency, which was 32.6–76.0% lower (P < 0.05) than the control. However, the following wheat yield was significantly increased (P < 0.05) by 23.0% with 2% biochar amendment, while there were no differences in ammonia volatilization between biochar amendments and the control. Conclusions: Application of wheat straw biochar to a reclaimed urban Anthrosol increased seasonal flooded rice ammonia volatilization; however, no effect on ammonia volatilization was detected from the following aerobically grown wheat. The soils had a lower bulk density following biochar amendment and improved pH, which may have resulted in the higher wheat yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 2.5ZnO-(5−x)TiO2-xZrO2-2.5Nb2O5 (abbreviated as ZTZN, 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) composite ceramics were prepared by a solid state reaction method. The phase composition and microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns displayed the coexistence of ZnTiNb2O8 and Zn0.17Nb0.33Ti0.5O2 phases. With increasing the sintering temperature, the bulk density (ρ), permittivity (εr) and temperature coefficient of resonator frequency (τf) increased. With increasing the ZrO2 content, the ρ firstly increased and then decreased, Q × f value increased, εr and τf value decreased. Importantly, the τf value of ZTZN ceramics (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) could be adjusted to near-zero. The 2.5ZnO-4.7TiO2-0.3ZrO2-2.5Nb2O5 ceramics sintered at 1075 °C exhibited the best comprehensive performances of Q × f = 30,155 GHz, εr = 44 and τf = 0.89 ppm/°C, indicating that they are candidates for microwave devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1 − x)(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–xBi(Mg0.75Mo0.25)O3 [(1 − x)KNN–xBMM] (x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.02) ceramics were prepared via a solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and Raman spectrum showed that a solid solution was formed between the BMM and KNN, which improved the electrical properties of KNN. With increasing the BMM content, the grain firstly increased and then decreased. When x = 0.01, the ceramics exhibited the optimized microstructure, indicating that there exits an optimal doping component. Temperature dependence of relative permittivity also increases firstly and then decreases. The relative permittivity (εr) of ~ 1418 in stabilization zone, εmax ~ 4861 at the Curie temperature TC ~ 394 °C, good temperature stability ∆ε/ε123 °C ≤ ± 15% from 123 °C to 348 °C, and the dielectric loss tanδ ≤ 0.036 from 109 to 348 °C were obtained for 0.99KNN-0.01BMM ceramics. Conductivity behavior of the (1 − x)KNN–xBMM was investigated as a function of temperature from 420 to 520 °C and frequency from 40 to 106 Hz, showing that the basic mechanisms of conduction and relaxation processes were thermally activated, and oxygen vacancies were the possible ionic charge transport carriers at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron relaxation process and transport property of hot electrons in wurtzite GaN, InN and AlN are investigated by an ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) method using the classic three valleys model. Both momentum and energy relaxation processes are studied here, taking into account the effect of temperature and electric field. It can be found that under different electric fields the relaxation mechanisms are much different for the existence of satellite valley structures in III-nitrides. The momentum and energy relaxation processes of InN are different from that of GaN and AlN for the much smaller effective electron mass in the lowest valley of InN. The polar optical phonon scattering is the main energy relaxation process when the electric field is lower, but inter-valley scattering will dominate the energy relaxation process when the electric field is high. The main momentum relaxation mechanisms are ionized impurity, acoustic phonon, and polar optical phonon scattering at lower electric field, but polar optical phonon and inter-valley scattering are the main momentum relaxation mechanisms when the electric field becomes higher. The momentum relaxation time is much lower than the energy relaxation time, the reason is that nearly all scattering mechanisms relax momentum, but only polar optical phonon and inter-valley scattering relax electron energy. The temperature can affect the momentum and energy relaxation by the role in scattering. Finally, the momentum and energy relaxation times as a function of electron temperature are given, which can be used for relaxation time modeling and device transport research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) play vital roles in a variety of physiological processes. Dysfunction of the CaCCs is implicated in many diseases. Drug discovery targeting at CaCCs has recently become possible with the determination that TMEM16A is the molecular identity of CaCCs. In this study, we demonstrated that resveratrol (RES), a Chinese traditional medicine compound, is a novel activator of TMEM16A. The yellow fluorescence protein quenching assay and measurement of intracellular calcium fluorescence intensity show that RES activates TMEM16A channels in an intracellular Ca2+-independent way. The data of inside-out patch clamp revealed that RES dose-dependently activates TMEM16A (EC50 = 47.92 ± 9.35 μM). Furthermore, RES enhanced the contractions of the ileum of guinea pigs by activating the TMEM16A channel, which indicated that RES might be a promising drug for the treatment of gastrointestinal hypomotility. As RES was able to induce TMEM16A channel activation, TMEM16A can be added to the list of RES drug targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by widespread inflammation in the lungs and alveolar-capillary destruction, causing high morbidity and mortality. Cavidine, isolated from Corydalis impatiens, have been exhibited to have potent anti-inflammatory effects in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of cavidine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and to enunciate the underlying in vivo and in vitro mechanisms. Mice were intraperitoneally administrated with cavidine (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg) at 1 and 12 h, prior to the induction of ALI by intranasal administration of LPS (30 mg/kg). Blood samples, lung tissues, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were harvested after LPS challenge. Furthermore, we used LPS-induced lung epithelial cells A549 to examine the mechanism of cavidine to lung injury. The results showed that pretreatment with cavidine significantly decreased lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels including TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF and serum from LPS-stimulated mice, and attenuated lung histopathological changes. In addition, western blot results showed that cavidine inhibited the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 and IκBα induced by LPS. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that cavidine protects against LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice via inhibiting of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and IL-6 production and NF-κB signaling pathway activation. Taken together, cavidine may be useful for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary inflammatory diseases, such as ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) play important roles in many physiological processes, and the molecular basis of CaCCs has been identified as TMEM16A in many cell types. It is well established that TMEM16A is a drug target in many diseases, including cystic fibrosis, hypertension, asthma, and various tumors. Therefore, identifying potent and specific modulators of the TMEM16A channel is crucial. In this study, we identified the first natural activator of TMEM16A from traditional Chinese medicine and explored its mechanism. Our data showed that Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) can activate TMEM16A directly from the intracellular side in a dose-dependent manner at an EC of 38.4 ± 2.14 μM. GRb1 specifically activated TMEM16A/B, but not the other previously proposed CaCC mediators such as CFTR and bestrophin. Moreover, GRb1 promoted proliferation of CHO cells stably expressing TMEM16A, in a concentration-dependent manner. Finally, we showed that GRb1 increased the amplitude and frequency of contractions in an isolated guinea pig ileum assay in vivo. In summary, GRb1 can be considered a lead compound for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of diseases caused by TMEM16A dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of La/Al atomic ratio on high-dielectric-constant of La-Al-O thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition is investigated. The uniform surface morphology of the bilayer films with different La/Al cycle ratio (La/Al ratio) is observed after rapid thermal annealing. With the help of high-frequency capacitance-voltage measurement, the dielectric constant drops greatly with decreasing La/Al ratio. It is caused by the formation of La(OH) in La-Al-O thin film, which has been verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement. For the reduced interface dipoles at the high-k/SiO interface, the flat band voltage (V) shift is not obvious in La-Al-O film. By ellipsometry measurements, it can be found that the band-gap of the thin film increases with increasing Al component, especially when Al component in La-Al-O gate dielectric is small. The research results here show that lower Al doping in La-Al-O can keep high dielectric constant and relatively large band-gap in the thin film, which is very useful for the high- k process development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]