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As a revolution in the field of transportation, the demand for communication of vehicles is increasing. Therefore, how to improve the success rate of vehicle spectrum access has become a major problem to be solved. The case of a single vehicle accessing a channel was only considered in the previous research on dynamic spectrum access in cognitive vehicular networks (CVNs), and the spectrum resources could not be fully utilized. In order to fully utilize spectrum resources, a model for spectrum sharing among multiple secondary vehicles (SVs) and a primary vehicle (PV) is proposed. This model includes scenarios where multiple SVs share spectrum to maximize the average quality of service (QoS) for vehicles. And the condition is considered that the total interference generated by vehicles accessing the same channel is less than the interference threshold. In this paper, a deep Q-network method with a modified reward function (IDQN) algorithm is proposed to maximize the average QoS of PVs and SVs and improve spectrum utilization. The algorithm is designed with different reward functions according to the QoS of PVs and SVs under different situations. Finally, the proposed algorithm is compared with the deep Q-network (DQN) and Q-learning algorithms under the Python simulation platform. The average access success rate of SVs in the IDQN algorithm proposed can reach 98 % , which is improved by 18 % compared with the Q-learning algorithm. And the convergence speed is 62.5 % faster than the DQN algorithm. At the same time, the average QoS of PVs and the average QoS of SVs in the IDQN algorithm can reach 2.4, which is improved by 50 % and 33 % compared with the DQN algorithm, and improved by 60 % and 140 % compared with the Q-learning algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently no targeted delivery systems to satisfactorily treat bone-related disorders. Many clinical drugs consisting of small organic molecules have a short circulation half-life and do not effectively reach the diseased tissue site. This coupled with repeatedly high dose usage that leads to severe side effects. With the advance in nanotechnology, drugs contained within a nano-delivery device or drugs aggregated into nanoparticles (nano-drugs) have shown promises in targeted drug delivery. The ability to design nanoparticles to target bone has attracted many researchers to develop new systems for treating bone related diseases and even repurposing current drug therapies. In this review, we shall summarise the latest progress in this area and present a perspective for future development in the field. We will focus on calcium-based nanoparticle systems that modulate calcium metabolism and consequently, the bone microenvironment to inhibit disease progression (including cancer). We shall also review the bone affinity drug family, bisphosphonates, as both a nano-drug and nano-delivery system for bone targeted therapy. The ability to target and release the drug in a controlled manner at the disease site represents a promising safe therapy to treat bone diseases in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that schwertmannite (Sch) exhibits good adsorption performance for Cr(VI). In order to further enhance the ability to remove Cr(VI), this study prepared a novel composite (Fe(II)@Sch) by embedding ferrous iron (Fe(II)) on Sch. The adsorption performance of Cr(VI) on Fe(II)@Sch was investigated by batch adsorption experiments, and a possible removal mechanism was proposed through characterization analysis. The results showed that the optimal Fe/Sch ratio for Fe(II)@Sch preparation was 120 mmol/g. Fe(II)@Sch enabled efficient and rapid adsorption of Cr(VI). The maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of Fe(II)@Sch was 4.17 mmol/g at pH 6.0, which was 69% higher when compared to Sch, and 81% of the maximum adsorption could be achieved within 1 min. The embedding of Fe(II) led to a decrease in the particle size and an increase in the specific surface area (SSA) of Sch, which could be considered favorable for adsorption. After four repeated cycles 93.3% of the original Cr(VI) adsorption capacity was still maintained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the interaction between Fe(II)@Sch and Cr(VI) followed an adsorption–reduction mechanism. The results demonstrated that Fe(II)@Sch could be used as an effective material for removing Cr(VI) from wastewater.Highlights: The optimal Fe/Sch ratio for Fe(II)@Sch preparation was 120 mmol/g. Maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of Fe(II)@Sch was 4.17 mmol/g at optimum pH 6. Adsorption of Cr(VI) on Fe(II)@Sch reached 81% of maximum adsorption within 1 min. Interaction between Fe(II)@Sch and Cr(VI) follows adsorption–reduction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta-amyloid peptides (Aβ) are common risk factors associated with cognitive impairment, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The glycolytic enzyme PKM2 is an essential antioxidant intermediate by promoting glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis, shielding neurons against oxidative damage, and conferring neuroprotective effects. However, its role in AD has rarely been reported. This study aimed to explore the mechanism underlying PKM2 activation in an AD cell model via the PKM2 activator TEPP-46. Aβ administration in SH-SY5Y cells reduced cell viability while increasing inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative disorder. PKM2 activity, rather than its expression, was reduced in the AD cell model. TEPP-46 administration could restore PKM2 activity, reverse the suppressive effect of Aβ on cell viability and proliferation, reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), decrease Aβ-triggered cell apoptosis, and restore cellular oxidative stress. Furthermore, the effect of TEPP-46 on the AD cell model was confirmed by deactivating P62, reversing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway by western blotting. Additionally, colivelin, an Nrf2 antagonist, deactivates the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and recovers oxidative stress. Colivelin administration could also offset the influence of TEPP-46 on Aβ-induced SH-SY5Y cell inflammation and apoptosis and viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seam tracking technology is an important part of the intelligent welding field. In this paper, a laser vision-based real-time seam tracking system was built. The system consists of a self-developed laser vision sensor, a six-axis robot, a gas metal arc welding system, and an industrial computer. After building the system, the system calibration was performed. During the seam tracking, the arc light, spatter, and other welding noise have a negative impact on the image processing algorithm to extract the weld feature points, and even lead to system drift and algorithm failure. To this end, a two-stage extraction and restoration model (ERM) was proposed for processing real-time welding images to improve the robustness and accuracy of the seam tracking system. In the ERM, the region of interest was first detected and extracted by the YOLOv5s model, then the extracted images were restored by the conditional generation adversarial network. After using the ERM model, a series of image processing was performed to obtain the coordinates of the weld feature points. The total time consumed by the algorithm is 37 ms per frame on average, which meets the real-time requirement. Moreover, the experimental results show that the seam tracking system based on the ERM can achieve real-time tracking for different types of planar V-bevel welds, and the average error is 0.21 mm, which meets the requirements for actual welding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are with features of persistence, high toxicity, bioaccumulation and adverse impact on ecosystems and human beings. Although OCPs pollutions have been observed in the plateau lakes, comprehensive understandings in the distribution characteristics and human health risks of OCPs in these valuable but fragile ecosystems are limited. We here investigated the distribution, bioaccumulation process and health risks of OCPs in the Jianhu lake, a representative plateau lake in China. The endrin ketone, endrin aldehyde and heptachlor were the most dominant species in surface and columnar sediments. Their total contents ranged between 0 ~ 1.92 × 103 ng·g−1. The distribution of OCPs in sediment cores combined with chronology information indicated that the fast accumulation of OCPs happened during the last decades. Combining the distribution features of OCPs in different sources with mixing model results of carbon isotope (δ13C), farming area was identified as the main source (46%), and the OCPs were transported to lake by inflow-rivers (37%). The enrichment of OCPs in sediments caused considerable bioaccumulation of OCPs in local fish (∑OCPs 0–3199.93 ng·g−1, dw) with the bio-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) ranging from ND to 9.41. Moreover, growing time was another key factor governing the accumulation in specific species (Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio). Eventually, the carcinogenic risk index (CRI) and exposure risk index (ERI) of the endrin category and aldrin exceeded the reference value, indicating relatively high health risks through consumption of fish. Overall, this study systematically illustrated the bioaccumulation process and health risks of OCPs in the typical plateau lake, providing theoretical support for the better protection of this kind of lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate iodixanol-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) and prognosis in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Patients undergoing elective PCI and iodixanol administration were prospectively enrolled in 8 centers between May 2020 and November 2021. The primary endpoint was AKI, defined as an increase in SCr of ≥ 0.3 mg/dL (26.4 μmol/L) or relative elevation ≥ 50% from baseline in the 48–72 h after PCI. Prognosis evaluations included the major adverse renal and cardiovascular events (MARCE): all-cause mortality, new-onset renal replacement therapy (NRRT), non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. AKI predictors were identified using multivariable logistic regression and associations between AKI and outcomes were examined using Cox regression. Results: A total of 3630 patients were included in the final analysis and 2.9% of patients (107/3,630) suffered AKI. Among them, 95.3% (102/107) of AKI were stage 1, and 4.6% (5/107) of stage 2. The multivariable analysis indicated that age over 75-year-old, diabetes, NT-pro-BNP > 300 pg/mL, hemoglobin < 110 g/L, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2, and diuretics were independently associated with AKI (p < 0.05). After a median follow-up of 13 months, MARCE occurred in 3.6% (131/3630) of the study population, and their incidence was higher in AKI (9.4%, 10/107) vs. non-AKI patients (3.4%, 121/3,523). However, after multivariable adjustment, there was no statistically significant association between AKI and MARCE (p = 0.382). Conclusions: In patients undergoing elective PCI, cases of iodixanol-associated AKI were mostly mild and, after multivariable adjustment, held no statistically significant association with MARCE on mid-term follow-up. Clinical relevance statement: The incidence of iodixanol-associated AKI was low and mainly limited to mild renal impairment in patients undergoing elective PCI. Physicians should provide adequate contrast for coronary artery evaluation and, at the same time, minimize the contrast volume. Key Points: • The incidence of iodixanol-associated acute kidney injury was low and mostly limited to mild renal impairment. • Iodixanol administration had no statistically significant impact on the major adverse renal and cardiovascular events in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bio-tribological properties of TB8 titanium alloy treated by ultrasonic surface rolling were studied in the present work. Friction and wear tests were carried out in 15% hyaluronic acid solution. Surface characteristics including morphology, chemical composition, and mechanical properties were investigated to discuss the influence of the ultrasonic surface rolling process on material transfer, tribofilms, and wear mechanisms. Experimental results showed that the highest tensile strength, hardness, and the smallest surface roughness were obtained under 600 N ultrasonic surface rolling process (the highest load within the selected parameter range). The best friction and wear properties correspondingly occurred in 600 N ultrasonic surface rolled samples. The smoothest and densest oxide layers composed of TiO2, TiC, and TiCxOy were found on the friction interfaces of these samples to protect TB8 substrate from further oxidation. Meanwhile, the observed strong relevance between mechanical properties and specific wear rate as well as friction coefficient also revealed that the intrinsic plastic gradient of ultrasonic surface rolled layer can significantly improve the friction and wear properties of TB8 titanium alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) have emerged as promising candidates for cell-free therapy in various diseases, including chronic cutaneous wounds. However, the lack of standardized protocols for EVs' preparation and identification poses a significant challenge to their clinical application. Thus, the objective was to develop a safe and efficient method for the large-scale production of hUCMSC-derived EVs while establishing a comprehensive identification protocol encompassing morphology, particle size distribution, protein expression, and purity. This study observed that most of the EVs acquired through the protocol exhibited either a cup-shaped or round-shaped structure, with a median diameter of ~73.25 nm. The proportions of EVs positive for CD9, CD63, and CD81 were 37.5%, 38.6%, and 19.8%, respectively. To enhance their therapeutic potential in wound treatment, EVs were incorporated into chitosan hydrogel, forming chitosan hydrogel-EVs (CS-EVs). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that CS-EVs exhibited continuous release of EVs into the surrounding environment and, importantly, that the released EVs were internalized by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), resulting in significant enhancement of cell migration and angiogenesis. Additionally, in a rat model of diabetic foot ulcers, CS-EVs demonstrated a robust therapeutic effect in promoting wound healing. Following a 15-day treatment period, the group treated with CS-EVs demonstrated an impressive 93.3% wound closure ability, accompanied by a high degree of re-epithelialization. In contrast, the control group exhibited only a 71.5% reduction in wound size. In summary, this study offers solutions for the purification, characterization, and application of EVs in clinical wound treatment. These results not only offer fresh perspectives on the involvement of hUCMSC-derived EVs in wound healing but also introduce a non-invasive approach for applying EVs that holds practical significance in skin repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Low nitrogen (N) soil environment is one of the main factors limiting crop yield and horticultural plant growth. Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) are co-occurring in 80% of terrestrial plants and they can promote the absorption of N. However, few data on the contribution of DSEs symbiosis to plant N acquisition and their molecular mechanisms are available. Methods: The growth, N contents and expression of N related genes of Gisela 5, a sweet cherry rootstock colonized with and without DSE fungus S16, were measured under low and normal nitrate conditions. Subsequently, molecular identification and functional study of PaNRT2.1, a nitrate transporter highly responsive to S16, were conducted. Results: In this study, we found that S16 promoted the growth and N uptake of Gisela 5 seedlings under low and normal nitrate conditions, and induced the expression of the nitrate transporter gene PaNRT2.1 in roots. The expression of PaNRT2.1 significantly affected the nitrate uptake of Gisela 5 roots and the symbiosis with S16 under low nitrate conditions. Transcriptome analysis showed that a receptor-like kinase gene PaCRK10 was significantly induced during S16 symbiosis and PaNRT2.1 overexpression, indicating a signal transduction between DSE colonization with nitrate uptake. Further studies showed that there was a strong interaction between PaNRT2.1 and PaCRK10. Conclusions: Taken together, our results provide a deeper understanding of how DSE promoted N uptake by sweet cherry rootstock Gisela 5 and a more promising approach for improving N uptake efficiency through plant–microbe interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel alternative to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), sodium p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate (OBS) has been widely applied in many industrial fields. However, there is limited information about its adverse effects on aquatic organisms. In this study, the developmental and cardiac toxicity of OBS and PFOS in early life stage of zebrafish (Danio rerio) were investigated. Results showed that 96 h-LC50 values of OBS and PFOS were 23.81 and 57.59 mg/L, respectively. Exposure to OBS and PFOS could lead to significantly inhibition of the hatching rate and embryo development. OBS and PFOS with concentrations higher than 5 mg/L induced significant malformations, such as pericardial edema and yolk sac edema. Furthermore, both OBS and PFOS exposure decreased the heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output, indicating that the cardiac function of zebrafish was affected. Exposure to OBS and PFOS also caused oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos, resulting in significant decreases of SOD, CAT and GSH, and significant increase of the MDA content. The oxidative stress may consequently induce the cardiotoxicity by altering the expression of heart development related genes, nkx2.5, tbx5, gata4 and myh6. In summary, the results revealed that OBS and PFOS exposure could induce the developmental toxicity and cardiotoxicity in early life stage of zebrafish, and OBS might not be a safety alternative to PFOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive Vehicular Networks (CVNs) can improve spectrum utilization by intelligently using idle spectrum, so as to fulfill the needs of communication. The previous researches only considered vehicle-to-vehicle(V2V) links or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) links and ignored the influence of spectrum sensing errors. Therefore, in this paper, V2V links and V2I links are simultaneously discussed in the presence of spectrum sensing errors in the CVNs communication environment that we establish, and a dynamic spectrum access problem aiming at spectrum utilization is framed. In order to solve the above problems, the reinforcement learning method is introduced in this paper. But the impact of two kinds of collisions on the spectrum access rate of cognitive vehicles is neglected in the reinforcement learning method, and the above collisions which exist between cognitive vehicles, between cognitive vehicles and primary vehicles. Hence, different reward functions are designed according to different collision situations, and an improved reinforcement learning method is utilized to improve the success probability of spectrum access. To verify the effectiveness of the improved method, the performance and convergence of the proposed method are significantly better than other methods by comparing with the Myopic method, DQN and traditional DDQN in Python. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performances of most hydrogen sensors are influenced by temperature. To reduce the influences of ambient temperature on the output response, a Pd nanofilm hydrogen sensor with a Wheatstone bridge structure was designed and fabricated by micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. The voltage was used as the output response signal for data gathering. The performance of the Pd nanofilm sensor with a Wheatstone bridge structure was investigated. The Pd nanofilm hydrogen sensor exhibited a stable output response to hydrogen in the low concentration range within the test temperature range of 30 to 50 °C. The sensor consists of four palladium resistors, two of which have their surfaces covered by SiNx, so that they can compensate for changes in Pd resistance due to variations in ambient temperature, thus increasing the stability of the sensor. Delta Uout of the sensor increased from 7.3 mV to 18.87 mV for hydrogen concentrations from 100 ppm to 800 ppm at 30 °C. The Pd nanofilm sensor exhibited high cycling stability in 8 cycles of measurement. In selective measurements of several reducing gases, the sensor responded to hydrogen only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of nitrogen doping and oxygen vacancies on thermoelectric properties of Pt/N-doped ITO thin film thermocouples were discussed in detail from the perspective of thermodynamics and kinetics based on first-principles and experiments. The atomic structure and bonding characteristics of ITO and N-doped ITO were investigated by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The calculation results show that nitrogen doping makes the charge transfer to the Sn-N bond and produces anti-bonding states to the nearest neighbor Sn–O bond, so that the repair of oxygen vacancies in N-doped ITO requires a higher activation energy than ITO. The effects of band structure, carrier concentration and carrier effective mass on the Seebeck coefficients of ITO and N-doped ITO were further discussed in detail. Finally, Pt/ITO and Pt/N-doped ITO thin film thermocouples were fabricated on the Al2O3 substrates by magnetron sputtering to verify their thermoelectric stability. The calibration results also proved that N-doped ITO has higher thermoelectric stability than ITO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Bi4NbO8Cl associated with Bi24O31Cl10 and Bi3NbO7 was prepared by a solid-state method. During the removal of impurities, the heterostructure was formed simultaneously. The effect of acid on the type of heterostructure and photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples was studied. Under low-acetic acid concentrations, Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 composites could be obtained, while Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl was formed under high acidic conditions. Compared with the samples prepared by the solid-state method, the two types of heterojunctions Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 and Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl both showed improved photocatalytic performance. In particular, Bi4NbO8Cl/BiOCl/Nb2O5 prepared with ethanol/acetic acid ratio of 1:1 possessed the best photocatalytic activities, with RhB and CIP could be totally degraded within two hours, while the degradation rate of BPA was about 67% within three hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ITO/In2O3 thin-film thermocouples within 1 μm thickness were deposited on Al2O3 ceramic substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The thermoelectric performances and response time of the samples were tested by static calibration and pulsed laser calibration methods, respectively. The results show that the thermoelectric potential output of the samples has a good stability and repeatability in the temperature range of 200–1450 °C, the average Seebeck coefficient can reach 129.26 µV/°C and the maximum temperature measurement error is about 7.69%. The average response time of the samples is about 8.4 µs, which can meet the requirement of accurate and transient temperature measurement in high-temperature environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin is the largest organ in the body and the first defense to resist various diseases and external stimuli that easily cause infection and inflammation. Aseptic inflammation, barrier damage, and foreign aid pressure induce the destruction and damage to the skin microenvironment. Subsequently, it destroys the skin's physiological function, leading to the maintenance and circulation of steady-state imbalance and aggravating the process of skin disorders. Our study evaluated the therapeutic potential of the secretome of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-CM) for dermatological diseases in adult human skin cells, ex vivo skin tissue, and a 3D skin model. Our data suggested several advantages of UC-CM due to (1) their low cytotoxicity and sensitization properties; (2) their anti-inflammatory capacity for treating inflammatory chronic cutaneous diseases; (3) their enhanced capacity of the skin barrier for treating abnormal barrier metabolism; and (4) their positive impact on restoring skin homeostasis due to effective regulation ability of skin physiological function including cell apoptosis, detoxification, and anti-aging. We thus envisage that the possibility of harnessing the therapeutic potential of UC-CM might benefit patients suffering from inflammatory skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis, acne, and psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Forty PaCRKs have been identified from sweet cherry and overexpression PaCRK1 in sweet cherry enhances its resistance to salt stress. Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs), a large subgroup of the receptor-like kinases, play an important role in plant development and stress response. However, knowledge about CRKs and its function against adverse environmental stresses in sweet cherry were lacking. In this study, 40 PaCRKs were identified from sweet cherry (Prunus avium) genome database. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PaCRKs could be classified into six subgroups. Transcriptome analysis showed that the expression levels of most PaCRKs were changed under external environmental stresses. Functional study showed that PaCRK1 overexpression could enhance Arabidopsis and sweet cherry tolerance to salt stress. Moreover, biochemical analysis showed that PaCRK1 increased salt tolerance of sweet cherry by regulating the expression of antioxidation-related genes and their enzyme activities. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of PaCRKs in sweet cherry and elucidates the potential role of PaCRKs in response to various environmental stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Mach 5 boundary layer transition flow induced by distributed roughness elements of ramp shape is studied using implicit large eddy simulation. Wall blowing/suction is introduced into the boundary layer with different values of frequency and amplitude for the investigation of its effect mechanism on the transition process dominated by the influences of distributed roughness elements. The wall blowing/suction disturbances with frequencies close to the fundamental mode, derived by linear stability theory (LST) analysis of local profiles, are shown to lead to an upstream shift of the transition location, which is strongly relevant to the disturbance growth in the sharp shear layer induced by the roughness elements, with a greater amplitude causes a more notable acceleration of the transition. As for those with frequencies further away from the fundamental mode, the control efficiencies are inapparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnostic procedure of pleural effusion (PEs) is challenging due to low detection rates and numerous aetiologies. Hence, any attempt to enhance diagnosis is worthwhile. We present a clinical pathway to guide combined application of interventional pulmonology (IP) for tracing causes of undiagnosed PEs. Subjects with undiagnosed PEs were identified in the Hospital Information System of Dalian Municipal Central Hospital from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2018. Eligible subjects were divided into a group of combined tests and a group of medical thoracoscopy (MT). Optimal and subsequent diagnostic tests were performed depending on the guidance of the clinical pathway by matching profitable chest lesions with the respective adaptation. As the guidance of clinical pathway, common bronchoscopy would be preferentially selected if pulmonary lesions involved or within the central bronchus, EBUS-TBNA was favoured when pulmonary lesions were adjacent to the central bronchus or with the enlarged mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes, guided bronchoscopy would be preferred if pulmonary nodules/masses were larger than 20 mm with discernible bronchus signs, CT-assisted transthoracic core biopsy was preferred if pulmonary nodules were less than 20 mm, image guided cutting needle biopsy was the recommendation if the pleural thickness was larger than 10 mm and pulmonary lesions were miliary. MT was preferred only when undiagnosed PEs was the initial symptom and pulmonary lesions were miliary or absent. A total of 83.57% cases of undiagnosed PEs were eligible for the clinical pathway, and 659 and 216 subjects were included in the combined tests and MT groups, respectively, depending on the optimal recommendation of the clinical pathway. The total diagnostic yields in the combined tests and MT groups were 95.99% and 91.20%, respectively, and the difference in total diagnostic yield was statistically significant (χ2 = 7.510, p = 0.006). Overall, clinical pathway guidance of the combined application of IP is useful for tracing the causes of undiagnosed PEs. The diagnostic yield of undiagnosed PEs is significantly increased compared with that of MT alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, the electronic structures of two polymer donors (PBDB-T and PBDB-T-SF) and two non-fullerene acceptors (ITIC and IT-4F) are researched by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory, respectively. The research purpose is to rationalize the relationship between observed experimental performances and structural properties and obtain the effects of structures on their photovoltaic performances. The investigated properties involve in the structure characteristics, absorption spectra, carrier mobilities, and exciton dissociation properties at interfaces to locate the essences of different power conversion efficiency between PBDB-T/ITIC and PBDB-T-SF/IT-4F. The results suggest that both PBDB-T/ITIC and PBDB-T-SF/IT-4F systems have stable structures and relatively high HOMO levels, which benefits to relatively large VOC values. In addition, the larger PCE of PBDB-T-SF/IT-4F system originates from PBDB-T-SF's large hole transport properties and better exciton dissociation ability. Furthermore, the F and S incorporations enhance hole mobilities and exciton dissociation ability. Consequently, the theoretical results coincide well with the experimental ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Five soybean target lines with recombinase sites at suitable genomic positions were obtained and tested for site-specific gene stacking. For introgression of new transgenic traits to field cultivars, adding new DNA to an existing transgene locus would reduce the number of segregating loci to reassemble back into a breeding line. We described previously an in planta transgene stacking system using the Bxb1 integrase to direct new DNA into a genomic target, but for this system to operate, the target locus must have a preexisting recombination site for Bxb1-mediated integration. Here, we describe 5 soybean target lines from the screening of 118 Agrobacterium-mediated transgenic plants that were positive for gus expression. Each of the 5 target lines has a single copy of the transgenic DNA with precise DNA sequences of the recombinase recognition sites, located at least 1 kb away from the nearest coding region, not close to the centromere, and showed good expression of the reporter gene. We tested Bxb1 integrase-mediated integration of a gfp-containing plasmid into each of these lines and showed precise site-specific integration in bombarded calluses. For plant regeneration, we used embryonic axes of mature soybean seeds to conduct a new set of biolistic transformation with a DsRed-containing plasmid. Three integration events were regenerated into whole plants, demonstrating the principle that target lines can serve as foundation lines for the stacking of DNA to predefined locations in the soybean genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Click-through rate prediction, which aims to predict the probability of the user clicking on an item, is critical to online advertising. How to capture the user evolving interests from the user behavior sequence is an important issue in CTR prediction. However, most existing models ignore the factor that the sequence is composed of sessions, and user behavior can be divided into different sessions according to the occurring time. The user behaviors are highly correlated in each session and are not relevant across sessions. We propose an effective model for CTR prediction, named Session Interest Model via Self-Attention (SISA). First, we divide the user sequential behavior into session layer. A self-attention mechanism with bias coding is used to model each session. Since different session interest may be related to each other or follow a sequential pattern, next, we utilize gated recurrent unit (GRU) to capture the interaction and evolution of user different historical session interests in session interest extractor module. Then, we use the local activation and GRU to aggregate their target ad to form the final representation of the behavior sequence in session interest interacting module. Experimental results show that the SISA model performs better than other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is one of the important factors for agriculture and considered to be responsible for the loss of cultivated land worldwide. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi can improve the tolerance of their hosts to adverse conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse the effects of three widespread and broad host range ECM fungi, Laccaria amethystina (La), Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) and Cenococcum geophilum (Cg), inoculation on growth and nutrient uptake of Pinus thunbergii seedlings under salt stress. Results indicated that, under saline conditions, compared to non-ectomycorrhizal seedlings, ECM fungi inoculation, especially La, significantly increased seedling biomass, chlorophyll a, nutrient elements (like phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium) in shoots, as well as maintained a low ratio of Na+/K+ in roots under salt stress. Inoculation with ECM fungi could assist the host to overcome salt stress, but the effectiveness of the symbiosis in salt conditions might depend on ECM species. In-depth study of the effects of different strains on the salt tolerance associated with different host plants will become an important direction for the research of subsequent ECM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interlayer coupling in van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures (vdWHs) is at the frontier of the fundamental research, underlying many optical behaviors. The graphene/MoS2 vdWHs provide an ideal platform to reveal the good interfacial coupling between graphene and MoS2 constituents. Here, three groups of graphene/MoS2 vdWHs were prepared by transferring 1–3 layers of graphene onto monolayer MoS2. The interlayer coupling within graphene/MoS2 vdWHs were characterized and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and optical contrast (OC) spectroscopy. The upshift of the A1g peak of MoS2 and the upshift of the D and 2D peaks of SLG show that the electrons move from MoS2 to graphene accompanied by the dielectric shielding effect on graphene. The weakened PL intensities and the slight red shift of A peak prove that the electrons move from MoS2 to graphene meanwhile the recombination of hole and electron pairs is blocked in vdWHs. Our results deepen the understanding of the interlayer coupling of graphene/MoS2 vdWHs and therefore provide guidelines for the practical design and application of optoelectronic devices based on graphene/MoS2 vdWHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the endometrium often necessitates a biopsy, which currently involves an invasive, transcervical procedure. Here, we present an alternative technique based on deriving organoids from menstrual flow. We demonstrate that organoids can be derived from gland fragments recovered from menstrual flow. To confirm they faithfully reflect the in vivo state we compared organoids derived from paired scratch biopsies and ensuing menstrual flow from patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). We demonstrate that the two sets of organoids share the same transcriptome signature, derivation efficiency and proliferation rate. Furthermore, they respond similarly to sex steroids and early-pregnancy hormones, with changes in morphology, receptor expression, and production of 'uterine milk' proteins that mimic those during the late-secretory phase and early pregnancy. This technique has wide-ranging impact for non-invasive investigation and personalised approaches to treatment of common gynaecological conditions, such as endometriosis, and reproductive disorders, including failed implantation after IVF and recurrent miscarriage. Tereza Cindrova-Davies et al. present a method for deriving endometrial organoids using menstrual flow collected from women. The approach shows promise as a personalised and non-invasive way to investigate gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis and failed implantation following IVF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism behind transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is unclear, particularly through the maternal grandparental line. We previously showed that disruption of folate metabolism in mice by the Mtrr hypomorphic mutation results in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of congenital malformations. Either maternal grandparent can initiate this phenomenon, which persists for at least four wildtype generations. Here, we use genome-wide approaches to reveal genetic stability in the Mtrr model and genome-wide differential DNA methylation in the germline of Mtrr mutant maternal grandfathers. We observe that, while epigenetic reprogramming occurs, wildtype grandprogeny and great grandprogeny exhibit transcriptional changes that correlate with germline methylation defects. One region encompasses the Hira gene, which is misexpressed in embryos for at least three wildtype generations in a manner that distinguishes Hira transcript expression as a biomarker of maternal phenotypic inheritance. Abnormal folate metabolism in mice results in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of congenital malformations. Here, the authors provide evidence that defective folate metabolism causes germline epigenetic instability and observe multigenerational misexpression of Hira in embryos, implicating Hira transcript levels as a biomarker of maternal phenotypic inheritance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations in maternal physiological adaptation during pregnancy lead to complications, including abnormal birthweight and gestational diabetes. Maternal adaptations are driven by placental hormones, although the full identity of these is lacking. This study unbiasedly characterized the secretory output of mouse placental endocrine cells and examined whether these data could identify placental hormones important for determining pregnancy outcome in humans. Secretome and cell peptidome analyses were performed on cultured primary trophoblast and fluorescence-activated sorted endocrine trophoblasts from mice and a placental secretome map was generated. Proteins secreted from the placenta were detectable in the circulation of mice and showed a higher relative abundance in pregnancy. Bioinformatic analyses showed that placental secretome proteins are involved in metabolic, immune and growth modulation, are largely expressed by human placenta and several are dysregulated in pregnancy complications. Moreover, proof-of-concept studies found that secreted placental proteins (sFLT1/MIF and ANGPT2/MIF ratios) were increased in women prior to diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Thus, placental secretome analysis could lead to the identification of new placental biomarkers of pregnancy complications. Napso et al. identify proteins from mouse placental endocrine cells and create a comprehensive secretome map of the placenta. The authors compare this secretome map with human placental datasets from women with pregnancy complications and demonstrate the utility of this method in identifying placental protein candidates and transcription factors that could be useful as biomarkers for pregnancy complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is an important legume crop worldwide. Plant height (PH) is a quantitative trait that is closely related to node number (NN) and internode length (IL) on the main stem, which together affect soybean yield. To identify candidate genes controlling these three traits in soybean, we examined a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between two soybean varieties with semi-determinate stems (Dt1Dt1Dt2Dt2), JKK378 and HXW. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) named qPH18 was identified that simultaneously controls PH, NN, and IL; this region harbors the semi-determinant gene Dt2. Sequencing of the Dt2 promoter from JKK378 identified three polymorphisms relative to HXW, including two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and an 18-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (Indel). Dt2 expression was lower in the qPH18JKK378 group than in the qPH18HXW group, whereas the expression level of the downstream gene Dt1 showed the opposite tendency. A transient transfection assay confirmed that Dt2 promoter activity is lower in JKK378 compared to HXW. We propose that the polymorphisms in the dominant Dt2 promoter underlie the differences in Dt2 expression and its downstream gene Dt1 in the two parents, thereby affecting PH, NN, IL, and grain weight per plant without altering stem growth habit. Compared to the PH18HXW allele, the qPH18JKK378 allele suppresses Dt2 expression, which releases the inhibition of Dt1 expression, thus enhancing NN and grain yield. Our findings shed light on the mechanism underlying NN and PH in soybean and provide a molecular marker to facilitate breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing a highly efficient and stable photocatalyst is a promising strategy to protect the environment. In this work, we creatively synthesized a novel CdS/Bi4NbO8Cl heterostructured photocatalyst by in situ hydrothermal method. By using ciprofloxacin as target antibiotic residue pollutant, it is found that the CdS/Bi4NbO8Cl shows improved photocatalytic efficiency compared to bare CdS or Bi4NbO8Cl, and the photocatalytic activity of CdS/Bi4NbO8Cl with the molar ratio of 0.3 is the highest, reaching about 90%. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope were employed to study the composition, morphology, and structure of the composite photocatalysts, while UV–vis diffuse reflection (UV–vis DRS), photoluminescence, transient photocurrent response, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky plots together show that the significant improvement in photocatalytic activity is due to synergistic effects of enhanced light harvesting and separation of photo-induced charges carriers, caused by the intimate contact between CdS and Bi4NbO8Cl. It is expected that the facile, low-cost method and the excellent performance of the synthesized photocatalyst in this paper can contribute to the management of water pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06039-x. B Correction to: Plant and Soil b https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06039-x The published version of the article shows an incorrect image of Figure 3c. The correct figure is as follows: Graph Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

Ulva linza is one of the species that causes green tides in the Yellow Sea, China. Due to the difficulties in chromosomal preparation, the large numbers of chromosomes, and their relatively small sizes, there have been no reported studies on Ulva macroalgae chromosomes. The karyotypes and chromosomes in U. linza were observed after a series of treatments. The chromosomes were pretreated with 0.1% colchicine for 12 h and then mixed with enzymes. The samples were dropped from 30 cm height onto glass slides, which spread out the surface coat. These pretreatments were the optimal chromosomes preparation treatments. The prepared chromosomes were stained with 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), which is a fluorescent probe sensitive and specific to DNA. The chromosome number in the haploid male and female gametophytes was n=9, and was 2n=18 in the diploid sporophytes. The female gametophyte chromosomes were between 0.804 and 2.292 um in size, the male gametophyte chromosomes were between 0.917 and 2.916 µm, and the sporophyte chromosomes were between 0.912 and 2.167 µm. The relative sizes of the chromosomes were used to analyze the karyotypes of the female and male gametophyte chromosomes. The results provide a solid foundation for the basic technique that can be used to localize molecular markers of Ulva chromosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process reuse is one of the important research areas that address efficiency issues in business process modeling. Similar to software reuse, business processes should be able to be componentized and specialized in order to enable flexible process expansion and customization. Current activity/control-flow centric workflow modeling approaches face difficulty in supporting highly flexible process reuse, limited by their procedural nature. In comparison, the emerging artifact-centric workflow modeling approach well fits into these reuse requirements. Beyond the classic class level reuse in existing object-oriented approaches, process reuse faces the challenge of handling synchronization dependencies among artifact lifecycles as parts of a business process. In this article, we propose a theoretical framework for business process specialization that comprises an artifact-centric business process model, a set of methods to design and construct a specialized business process model from a base model, and a set of behavioral consistency criteria to help check the consistency between the two process models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) could enhance the ability to detect patterns of clinical characteristics in low-back pain (LBP) and guide treatment. We conducted three systematic reviews to address the following aims: (a) review the status of AI/ML research in LBP, (b) compare its status to that of two established LBP classification systems (STarT Back, McKenzie). AI/ML in LBP is in its infancy: 45 of 48 studies assessed sample sizes <1000 people, 19 of 48 studies used ≤5 parameters in models, 13 of 48 studies applied multiple models and attained high accuracy, 25 of 48 studies assessed the binary classification of LBP versus no-LBP only. Beyond the 48 studies using AI/ML for LBP classification, no studies examined use of AI/ML in prognosis prediction of specific sub-groups, and AI/ML techniques are yet to be implemented in guiding LBP treatment. In contrast, the STarT Back tool has been assessed for internal consistency, test−retest reliability, validity, pain and disability prognosis, and influence on pain and disability treatment outcomes. McKenzie has been assessed for inter- and intra-tester reliability, prognosis, and impact on pain and disability outcomes relative to other treatments. For AI/ML methods to contribute to the refinement of LBP (sub-)classification and guide treatment allocation, large data sets containing known and exploratory clinical features should be examined. There is also a need to establish reliability, validity, and prognostic capacity of AI/ML techniques in LBP as well as its ability to inform treatment allocation for improved patient outcomes and/or reduced healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-frequency impacting and rolling (HFIR) as a new surface strengthening treatment has been paid more and more attention. 2A12 aluminum alloy was processed by HFIR with different parameters. The effect of HFIR on friction and wear behavior of 2A12 aluminum alloy was investigated. Results showed that the surface roughness value of HFIR processed samples was decreased compared to the original samples. Compared with the original samples, the maximum surface microhardness of the HFIR treated samples ultimately increased by about 12.4%. The depth of hardened layer of about 135 μm can be obtained by HFIR treatment. The wear mechanisms of the HFIR-free samples were oxidation wear, abrasive wear and severe adhesive wear. The wear mechanisms of the HFIR-treated samples were abrasive wear, light adhesive wear and oxidation wear. Experimental results indicated that HFIR treatment is an efficient way to enhance the wear resistance of the 2A12 aluminum alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-altitude (HA) exposure has been widely considered as a cardiac stress, and associated with altered cardiac function. However, the characteristics of cardiac responses to HA exposure are unclear. In total, 240 healthy men were enrolled and ascended to 4100 m by bus within 7 days. Standard echocardiography and color tissue Doppler imaging were performed at sea level and at 4100 m. In all subjects, HA exposure increased HR [65 (59, 71) vs. 72 (63, 80) beats/min, p < 0.001] but decreased the stroke volume index (SVi) [35.5 (30.5, 42.3) vs. 32.9 (27.4, 39.5) ml/m2, p < 0.001], leading to an unchanged cardiac index (CI). Moreover, baseline HR was negatively correlated with HA exposure-induced changes in HR (r = - 0.410, p < 0.001) and CI (r = - 0.314, p < 0.001). Following HA exposure, subjects with lowest tertile of baseline HR showed an increased HR [56 (53, 58) vs. 65 (58, 73) beats/min, p < 0.001], left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) [61.7 (56.5, 68.0) vs. 66.1 (60.7, 71.5) %, p = 0.004] and mitral S' velocity [5.8 ± 1.4 vs. 6.5 ± 1.9 cm/s, p = 0.040]. However, subjects with highest tertile of baseline HR showed an unchanged HR, LVEF and mitral S' velocity, but a decreased E' velocity [9.2 ± 2.0 vs. 8.4 ± 1.8 cm/s, p = 0.003]. Our findings indicate that baseline HR at sea level could determine cardiac responses to HA exposure; these responses were characterized by enhanced LV function in subjects with a low baseline HR and by reduced LV myocardial velocity in early diastole in subjects with a high baseline HR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste concrete is a key component of construction and demolition (C&D) waste produced in billions of tons. Exploring new technology for recycling waste concrete has become a global concern. Meanwhile, phosphorus (P) removal from wastewater consumes lots of natural minerals, leading to a heavy burden on the environment. In this study, the cement paste powder (HCPP) was used to remove phosphorus from wastewater. The results indicate that both HCPP and thermally modified HCPP (MHCPP) are effective phosphorus removal materials, with a maximum P-binding capacity of 3.9-mg P/g HCPP and 31.2-mg P/g MHCPP, respectively. The phosphorus removal mechanism of HCPP and MHCPP was also proposed: (1) Ca2+ and OH− can release from the surface of the HCPP or MHCPP to wastewater, forming a high-alkaline and Ca-rich solution; (2) hydrolysis of phosphorus species in the high-alkaline solution environment creates HPO42− species; (3) the HPO42− combines with Ca2+ and H2O, resulting in the formation of brushite; (4) the brushite precipitated from wastewater and adhered on the surface of the HCPP or the MHCPP particles. The study provides a new and low-cost material for treatment of phosphorus wastewater. Further, the study also offers a new approach for reusing of waste concrete fines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurofibrillary tangles are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and their levels correlate with the severity of cognitive dysfunction in humans. However, experimental evidence suggests that soluble tau species cause cognitive deficits and memory impairment. Our recent study suggests that caspase-2 (Casp2)-catalyzed tau cleavage at aspartate 314 mediates synaptic dysfunction and memory impairment in mouse and cellular models of neurodegenerative disorders. Δtau314, the C-terminally-truncated cleavage products, are soluble and present in human brain. In addition, levels of Δtau314 proteins are elevated in the brain of the cognitively impaired individuals compared to the cognitively normal individuals, indicating a possible role for Δtau314 proteins in cognitive deterioration. Here we show that (1) Δtau314 proteins are present in the inferior temporal gyrus of human brains; (2) Δtau314 proteins are generated from all six tau splicing isoforms, (3) levels of both Casp2 and Δtau314 proteins are elevated in cognitively impaired individuals compared to cognitively normal individuals, and (4) levels of Δtau314 proteins show a modest predictive value for dementia. These findings advance our understanding of the characteristics of Δtau314 proteins and their relevance to cognitive dysfunction and shed light on the contribution of Casp2-mediated Δtau314 production to cognitive deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS2 and ReS2 are typical transition metal chalcogenides with many excellent electrical and optical properties. Due to different lattice symmetries, ReS2 offers one more dimension than MoS2 to tune its physical properties. In this paper, we studied the polarized reflection spectra in single-layer MoS2 and ReS2. The explicit difference identifies strong angle-dependent properties in single-layer ReS2 distinct from single-layer MoS2. The results of samples on both SiO2/Si substrate and quartz substrate show single-layer ReS2 is in-plane anisotropic and the change period of reflection intensity is estimated with the polarization angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoroquinolone (FQ) derivatives with environmental friendliness regarding photodegradation, bioconcentration, and genotoxicity were selected from our previous works so that their transformation pathways of biological metabolism, photodegradation, microbial degradation, and chlorination disinfection could be studied. The pathways of these molecules and their derivatives were simulated to investigate the genotoxicity of their transformation products. The results showed that the genotoxicity of the biological metabolites, photodegradation products, and microbial degradation products of the maternal FQ derivatives partially increased, whereas the disinfection by-products exhibited lower genotoxicity than their precursors. Some designed FQ molecular derivatives still had potential environmental risks in biological metabolism, photodegradation, and microbial degradation. This study demonstrated that it is necessary to take into account the potential environmental risks of the transformed products of the modified FQs molecules during biometabolism, photodegradation, microbial degradation, and chlorination processes when designing novel FQ molecules. In future studies, assessing the potential environmental risks during various artificial or natural processes can be applied to screen environmentally friendly novel FQ molecules to avoid and or reduce their threat to environmental and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Real-world data are sparse on longitudinal associations of opioid use with pain interference with activities (PIA) and daily function with osteoarthritis (OA) in the USA.Methods: Data from the 2010-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were analyzed for community-dwelling adults with OA. Opioid use patterns were defined as persistent, intermittent, and no use. Evaluated outcomes were a change in PIA and functional limitations (activities of daily living [ADL], instrumental ADL [IADL], social and work activities, and cognitive function). Multivariable regression analyses explored the association of persistent/intermittent versus no opioid use with PIA and functional limitations. Results were weighted for the US population.Results: Among 4172 patients (66.2% female, 80.8% white, mean age 61.7 years), 62.1% reported no PIA change at follow-up, 17.9% worsened, and 20.0% improved. Although 51.0-93.1% of patients reported no functional limitations, 3.8-13.1% worsened (1.1-11.3% improved). Relative to no opioid use, persistent users had higher odds of severe/extreme PIA (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.95-4.32; P < 0.001) and moderate PIA (AOR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.31-3.20; P < 0.01) at follow-up. For patients with baseline functional limitations, persistent opioid users were more likely to report physical and work limitations at follow-up (both P < 0.05). For patients without baseline functional limitations, persistent opioid users had higher odds than those without use of reporting IADL, physical, social, and cognitive limitations at follow-up (all P < 0.05); intermittent users were more likely to report physical and social limitations (both P < 0.05).Conclusions: Persistent opioid use for pain in patients with OA appeared to be associated with poorer PIA and functional outcomes, regardless of baseline functional status. These findings highlight the importance of patient-reported outcomes for opioid benefit-risk assessment and suggest the need for alternative analgesic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated differences in the community structure and environmental responses of the bacterial community in sediments of the Bohai Sea. Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and real-time PCR were used to assay the bacterial 16S rRNA genes in the surface sediments of 13 sampling stations in the Bohai Sea. The results showed that sediments at the majority of the 13 sampling stations were contaminated by heavy metal mercury. The main phyla of bacteria recorded included Proteobacteria (52.92%), Bacteroidetes (11.76%), Planctomycetes (7.39%), Acidobacteria (6.53%) and Chloroflexi (4.97%). The genus with the highest relative abundance was Desulfobulbus (4.99%), which was the dominant genus at most sampling stations, followed by Lutimonas and Halioglobus. The main factors influencing bacterial community structure were total organic carbon, followed by depth and total phosphorus. The content of lead, cadmium, chromium, copper and zinc had a consistent effect on community structure. Arsenic showed a negative correlation with bacterial community structure in most samples, while the impact of mercury on community structure was not significant. The bacterial community in sediment samples from the Bohai Sea was rich in diversity and displayed an increase in diversity from high to low latitudes. The data indicated that the Bohai Sea had abundant microbial resources and was rich in bacteria with the potential to metabolize many types of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the hologram quantitative structure-activity relationship (HQSAR) method, a quantitative model of the structure-activity relationship between the genotoxicity of quinolones towards gram-negative bacteria and structure of quinolones is constructed. A series of novel quinolones are designed, and 4 environmentally friendly quinolone derivatives are finally selected, because of their enhanced genotoxicity towards gram-negative/positive bacteria, decreased bioconcentration and increased photodegradability and biodegradability. The mechanisms underlying the genotoxicity of quinolones and its derivatives are analysed based on amino acid residues and molecular interactions. Three hydrophilic amino acids [arginine (ARG), asparagine (ASN) and aspartic acid (ASP)] play important roles in the antibacterial effects of quinolones. The introduction of highly hydrophilic groups into the C-7 position of amifloxacin (AMI) not only improved the stability of the AMI derivative-topoisomerase IV-DNA complex but also improved the antibacterial activities of AMI derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Defective mismatch repair (dMMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) correlate with gastric cancer (GC) outcome. We hypothesized that MMR genetic polymorphisms that have low-penetrant effects but may cause heterogeneous MMR capability among individuals also affect GC outcome. Methods: The polymorphisms rs1800734 in MLH1, rs2303428 and rs3732183 in MSH2, rs735943 in EXO1, and rs11797 in TREX1 were selected and analyzed in independent discovery and validation sets that included 167 and 593 patients, respectively. MSI was determined. Results: In both the discovery and validation sets, the rs2303428 TC + CC genotype correlated with poor overall survival (OS) in non-cardia (P < 0.05) but not in cardia GC. Multivariate models showed that for OS of patients with non-cardia GC, the rs2303428 TC + CC genotype was an independent predictor in the validation set (HR 1.54; 95% CI 1.02–2.32; P = 0.040) and had a trend to be an independent predictor in the discovery set (HR 1.70; 95% CI 0.96–3.01; P = 0.067). Furthermore, in both patient sets, fluoropyrimidines-based adjuvant chemotherapy improved OS for non-cardia patients with the rs2303428 TC + CC genotype (HR 0.14; 95% CI 0.04–0.57; P = 0.006; and HR 0.29; 95% CI 0.15-0.58; P < 0.001, respectively) but not for those with the TT genotype. The rs2303428 genotypes were not associated with MSI frequency. The rs2303428 TC + CC genotype correlated with reduced expressions for thymidylate synthetase, P-glycoprotein and ERCC1 (P < 0.05) in non-cardia GC. Conclusions: The rs2303428 genotypes may predict prognosis and adjuvant chemotherapy benefit in non-cardia GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, considering imperfect spectrum sensing in a cognitive cooperative system, we study the performance optimization for throughput maximization of secondary user (SU) and average delay minimization under maximum delay constraint of primary user (PU) with harvested energy from radio frequency signal of active PU by cooperative SU. We use a one-dimension linear search method to decompose the two optimization problems due to the non-convexity of the original optimization. We prove that the above maximization and minimization have same forms of solution under the same constraints. Simulation results indicate that the throughput performance of SU is higher than that of traditional cognitive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Click-through rate prediction is critical in internet advertising and affects web publisher's profits and advertiser's payment. In the CTR prediction, mining the interaction between features and extracting user interest are key factors affecting the prediction rate. The traditional method of obtaining features using feature extraction did not consider the sparseness of advertising data and the highly nonlinear association between features. To reduce the sparseness of data and to mine the hidden features and user interest in advertising data, a method that learns the sparse features is proposed. Our method exploits dimension reduction based on decomposition, and uses the bidirectional gated recurrent unit (Bi-GRU) to extract user interest. We utilize stacked autoencoder to portray the nonlinear associated relationship of data. The experiment shows that our method improves the effect of CTR prediction and produces economic benefits in internet advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]