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Abstract Ecosystem‐scale photosynthetic efficiency (EPE) is proposed as an effective indicator to quantify gross primary productivity (GPP), but how the coupling between EPE and GPP varies as vegetation resilience decreases has not been evaluated. Here, we quantified forest resilience with optimized Bayesian models. With the use of multisource satellite and modeling data, our study revealed that forests on the Loess Plateau and in the Qinba Mountains in China are experiencing rapid resilience loss and are already facing mortality warnings after 2010. Reductions in resilience also drove the marked decoupling of GPP from EPE. Notably, the decline in resilience was accompanied by a decrease in EPE in about 74% of the forests while GPP increased. The mechanism underlying this decoupling could be attributed to enhanced atmospheric water demand and soil water constraints. The dynamic relationships found here could help to improve forest mortality models and enhance photosynthesis‐based GPP evaluation.

Abstract Background Beta 2‐microglobulin (β2‐MG) is a component of the class I major histocompatibility complex (MHCI) and has recently been reported to be involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. However, the association of β2‐MG with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in T2DM patients remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the correlation between serum β2‐MG and LVH in T2DM patients. Methods The retrospective analysis included 4602 eligible T2DM patients, divided into LVH and non‐LVH groups based on echocardiography results. Serum β2‐MG levels were measured, and participants were categorized into four groups (Q1–Q4) by their serum β2‐MG quartile. The relationship of serum β2‐MG level with LVH was evaluated using logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS), subgroup analysis, and machine learning. Results The prevalence of LVH in T2DM patients was 31.12%. Each standard deviation increase in serum β2‐MG level corresponded to a 1.17‐fold increase in the prevalence of LVH [OR = 1.17, (95% CI: 1.05–1.31); p = 0.006]. When considering β2‐MG as a categorical variable (quartile), Q3 [OR = 1.36, (95% CI: 1.09–1.69); p = 0.007] and Q4 [OR = 1.77, (95% CI: 1.36–2.31); p

Abstract Diamond possesses excellent thermal conductivity and tunable bandgap. Currently, the high‐pressure, high‐temperature, and chemical vapor deposition methods are the most promising strategies for the commercial‐scale production of synthetic diamond. Although diamond has been extensively employed in jewelry and cutting/grinding tasks, the realization of its high‐end applications through microstructure engineering has long been sought. Herein, we discuss the microstructures encountered in diamond and further concentrate on cutting‐edge investigations utilizing electron microscopy techniques to illuminate the transition mechanism between graphite and diamond during the synthesis and device constructions. The impacts of distinct microstructures on the electrical applications of diamond, especially the photoelectrical, electrical, and thermal properties, are elaborated. The recently reported elastic and plastic deformations revealed through in situ microscopy techniques are also summarized. Finally, the limitations, perspectives, and corresponding solutions are proposed.

Abstract Multiple lines of evidence confirm a widespread increase in vegetation growth across China over the past few decades. The relationship between vegetation growth and water availability is thought to be becoming stronger under climate change, that is, water constraints on vegetation growth have been increasing. However, our understanding of how water constraints have influenced these vegetation greening trends, especially those climate change‐driven ones, remains limited. Here, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of recent water constraints and their implications for vegetation growth in China between 1982 and 2015. By analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of the relationship between vegetation growth and water availability, we reveal recent water constraints and their changes hidden within an overall greening trend in China. Further analysis demonstrates that two climate change‐related categories, defined broadly as “climate” (e.g., air temperature, precipitation, and so on) and “CO2” (i.e., atmospheric carbon dioxide), have exerted varying levels of importance in regulating vegetation growth across different water constraints. With increasing water constraints, the proportion of the climate‐dominated area has significantly risen, while that of the CO2‐dominated area has sharply declined. Our findings highlight that water constraints can mediate the dominance of climate and atmospheric CO2 on vegetation growth. This has the great potential to exacerbate the uncertainty surrounding current and future sustainable vegetation greening trends.

Abstract Along with the increasing integration density and decreased feature size of current semiconductor technology, heterointegration of the Si‐based devices with diamond has acted as a promising strategy to relieve the existing heat dissipation problem. As one of the heterointegration methods, the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) method is utilized to synthesize large‐scale diamond films on a Si substrate, while distinct structures appear at the Si‐diamond interface. Investigation of the formation mechanisms and modulation strategies of the interface is crucial to optimize the heat dissipation behaviors. By taking advantage of electron microscopy, the formation of the epitaxial β‐SiC interlayer is found to be caused by the interaction between the anisotropically sputtered Si and the deposited amorphous carbon. Compared with the randomly oriented β‐SiC interlayer, larger diamond grain sizes can be obtained on the epitaxial β‐SiC interlayer under the same synthesis condition. Moreover, due to the competitive interfacial reactions, the epitaxial β‐SiC interlayer thickness can be reduced by increasing the CH4/H2 ratio (from 3% to 10%), while further increase in the ratio (to 20%) can lead to the broken of the epitaxial relationship. The above findings are expected to provide interfacial design strategies for multiple large‐scale diamond applications.

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate a therapeutic approach targeting the inflammatory response and consequent remodeling from ischemic myocardial injury. Methods and Results Coronary thrombus aspirates were collected from patients at the time of ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction and subjected to array‐based proteome analysis. Clinically indistinguishable at myocardial infarction (MI), patients were stratified into vulnerable and resilient on the basis of 1‐year left ventricular ejection fraction and death. Network analysis from coronary aspirates revealed prioritization of tumor necrosis factor‐α signaling in patients with worse clinical outcomes. Infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor‐α inhibitor, was infused intravenously at reperfusion in a porcine MI model to assess whether infliximab‐mediated immune modulation impacts post‐MI injury. At 3 days after MI (n=7), infliximab infusion increased proregenerative M2 macrophages in the myocardial border zone as quantified by immunofluorescence (24.1%±23.3% in infliximab versus 9.29%±8.7% in sham; P

Abstract Diamond, with ultrahigh hardness, high wear resistance, high thermal conductivity, and so forth, has attracted worldwide attention. However, researchers found emergent reactions at the interfaces between diamond and ferrous materials, which significantly affects the performance of diamond‐based devices. Herein, combing experiments and theoretical calculations, taking diamond–iron (Fe) interface as a prototype, the counter‐diffusion mechanism of Fe/carbon atoms has been established. Surprisingly, it is identified that Fe and diamond first form a coherent interface, and then Fe atoms diffuse into diamond and prefer the carbon vacancies sites. Meanwhile, the relaxed carbon atoms diffuse into the Fe lattice, forming Fe3C. Moreover, graphite is observed at the Fe3C surface when Fe3C is over‐saturated by carbon atoms. The present findings are expected to offer new insights into the atomic mechanism for diamond‐ferrous material's interfacial reactions, benefiting diamond‐based device applications.

Abstract Krill oil possesses strong antioxidant activity but has limited applications in the food industry due to its poor aqueous solubility, strong off‐flavours and susceptibility to oxidative degradation. This study was aimed to improve the colloidal and oxidative stability of krill oil via microencapsulation using spray drying. Whey protein isolate (WPI), maltodextrin (MD), carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and n‐octenylsuccinate starch (OSAS) were used as the microcapsule wall materials. The results showed that WPI+MD microcapsules had the optimum characterised properties compared to WPI+CMS and WPI+OSAS microcapsules. WPI+MD microcapsules possessed the highest encapsulation efficiency of 76.59%. The optimal air inlet temperature was 165°C, providing a high krill oil encapsulation efficiency and reducing concaveness on the microcapsule surfaces. Krill oil was distributed homogeneously inside the capsules and presented a good colloidal stability during an extended storage time. The antioxidant capacity against heat was simultaneously increased owing to the improved oxidative stability by microencapsulation. Consequently, this study provides useful guidelines for improving the stability and application of krill oil in the food industry.

Abstract The construction of a household integrated energy system will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable development. Firstly, a household energy system is proposed, which consists of a photovoltaic, wind turbine, electrolysis cell, hydrogen storage tank, and hydrogen‐fired gas turbine. The proposed system is modelled as a bi‐objective optimization problem in which the minimum daily system economic cost, and the minimum loss of energy supply probability. Secondly, a novel multi‐objective egret swarm optimization algorithm with strong search capability and fast convergence is proposed. Thirdly, a household load corresponding to a typical day in spring is chosen as the study case. The optimization results show that the daily system economic cost with the optimal number of devices is 97.48 RMB, and the loss of energy supply probability is 8.33% at the lowest. Finally, to validate the efficiency of the proposed method, the proposed method is compared with NSGA‐II (a widely used multi‐objective evolutionary algorithm). The comparison indicates that the proposed method has a better diversity due to the random searchability. As a consequence, the proposed method can be used in the optimization capacity design of the integrated energy system.

Abstract Stroke is a major public health concern worldwide. The lack of effective therapies heightens the need for new therapeutic agents. Previous study identified sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) as a positive regulator of microglia‐induced excessive neuroinflammation following ischemic stroke. Interventions targeting SIRT5 should therefore alleviate neuroinflammation and protect against ischemic stroke. Here, we synthesized a membrane‐permeable peptide specifically bound to SIRT5 through a chaperone‐mediated autophagy targeting motif (Tat‐SIRT5‐CTM) and examined its therapeutic effect in vitro and in vivo. First, in primary microglia, Tat‐SIRT5‐CTM suppressed the binding of SIRT5 with annexin‐A1 (ANXA1), leading to SIRT5 degradation and thus inhibition of SIRT5‐mediated desuccinylation of ANXA1, followed by increased membrane accumulation and secretion of ANXA1. These changes, in turn, alleviated microglia‐induced neuroinflammation. Moreover, following intravenous injection, Tat‐SIRT5‐CTM could efficiently pass through the blood‒brain barrier. Importantly, systemic administration of Tat‐SIRT5‐CTM reduced the brain infarct area and neuronal loss, mitigated neurological deficit scores, and improved long‐term neurological functions in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. Furthermore, no toxicity was observed when high doses Tat‐SIRT5‐CTM were injected into nonischemic mice. Collectively, our study reveals the promising efficacy of the peptide‐directed lysosomal degradation of SIRT5 and suggests it as an effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Abstract The notorious dendrite growth and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are considered as main barriers that hinder the stability of the Zn‐metal anode. Herein, molecular engineering is conducted to optimize the inner Helmholtz plane with a trace of amphiphilic dibenzenesulfonimide (BBI) in an aqueous electrolyte. Both experimental and computational results reveal that the BBI− binds strongly with Zn2+ to form {Zn(BBI)(H2O)4}+ in the electrical double layer and reduces the water supply to the Zn anode. During the electroplating process, {Zn(BBI)(H2O)4}+ is “compressed” to the Zn anode/electrolyte interface by Zn2+ flow, and accumulated and adsorbed on the surface of the Zn anode to form a dynamic water‐poor inner Helmholtz plane to inhibit HER. Meanwhile, the{Zn(BBI)(H2O)4}+ on the Zn anode surface possesses an even distribution, delivering uniform Zn2+ flow for smooth deposition without Zn dendrite growth. Consequently, the stability of the Zn anode is largely improved with merely 0.02 M BBI− to the common electrolyte of 1 M ZnSO4. The assembled Zn||Zn symmetric cell can be cycled for more than 1180 h at 5 mA cm−2 and 5 mA h cm−2. Besides, the practicability in Zn||NaV3O8·1.5 H2O full cell is evaluated, which suggests efficient storage even under a high mass loading of 12 mg cm−2.

Objective The bone mass around the prosthesis plays an important role in the stability of the prosthesis. This study aimed to assess the effect of postoperative activity on bone mineral density (BMD) in the proximal tibia 5 years after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). To provide a scientific guidance for postoperative functional exercise. Methods 110 patients underwent unilateral primary TKA were divided into three groups based on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) activity scale: low activity group (LA group, UCLA = 4, 5); medium activity group (MA group, UCLA = 6, 7); and high activity group (HA group, UCLA = 8, 9). The primary observation was a comparison of the BMD and BMD change percentage (ΔBMD (%)) in the periprosthetic tibia among the LA, MA and HA groups at 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. The secondary observations were radiographic evaluation (prosthetic stability, periprosthetic fractures, aseptic loosening and periprosthetic joint infection) and clinical evaluation (Knee Society Score (KSS), visual analogue score scores and range of motion (ROM)). A one‐way ANOVA was used to compare the clinical scores and BMD among the three groups. Results The BMD of medial region decreased by 10.80%, 12.64%, 13.61% at 1, 3, and 5 years respectively; these were 5.72%, 6.26%, 7.83% in lateral region and 1.42%, 1.78%, 3.28% in diaphyseal region. For medial metaphyseal region, the BMD of the MA group was significantly greater than that of the LA and HA groups at 1 and 3 years (108.9 ± 5.2 vs. 106.1 ± 6.69 vs. 105.4 ± 5.2 and 108.5 ± 6.0 vs. 101.2 ± 6.76 vs. 103.0 ± 6.8, P

Abstract Contamination of nano‐biothreats, such as viruses, mycoplasmas, and pathogenic bacteria, is widespread in cell cultures and greatly threatens many cell‐based bio‐analysis and biomanufacturing. However, non‐invasive trapping and removal of such biothreats during cell culturing, particularly many precious cells, is of great challenge. Here, inspired by the wake‐riding effect, a biocompatible opto‐hydrodynamic diatombot (OHD) based on optical trapping navigated rotational diatom (Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin) for non‐invasive trapping and removal of nano‐biothreats is reported. Combining the opto‐hydrodynamic effect and optical trapping, this rotational OHD enables the trapping of bio‐targets down to sub‐100 nm. Different nano‐biothreats, such as adenoviruses, pathogenic bacteria, and mycoplasmas, are first demonstrated to be effectively trapped and removed by the OHD, without affecting culturing cells including precious cells such as hippocampal neurons. The removal efficiency is greatly enhanced via reconfigurable OHD array construction. Importantly, these OHDs show remarkable antibacterial capability, and further facilitate targeted gene delivery. This OHD serves as a smart micro‐robotic platform for effective trapping and active removal of nano‐biothreats in bio‐microenvironments, and especially for cell culturing of many precious cells, with great promises for benefiting cell‐based bio‐analysis and biomanufacturing.

Abstract Southeast Asia (SEA) is experiencing rapid warming, leading to more extreme heatwaves. Sustained compound heatwaves, with high temperatures during day and at night, pose profound threats in highly vulnerable regions, resulting in great stress on society. We estimated the changes in the compound heatwave characteristics and population exposure over SEA at the end of the 21st century based on the model outputs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. Results show that the projected compound heatwaves have significant intensified over SEA linked to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Contemporary younger generations will face more potential risks than their parents' generation. A child born in the 2010s will experience 1,000 discrete heatwaves in their lifetime, a threefold increase compared with the 1980s. Climate change and population growth combine to drive increased population exposure. The climate effect accounts for 125% in the 0–24‐year‐old cohort, whereas the interaction effect accounts for 85% in the 75+ age group. The relative importance of effects evolves dynamically across age groups, gradually shifting from a predominance of climate effects to a synergy of the climate and population effects. Significant regional inequalities exist in the increased population exposure over SEA. The largest increase occurs in Indonesia, where the aggregate exposure ranges from 45 billion person‐days under the SSP1‐2.6 scenario to 81 and 108 billion person‐days, respectively, in the higher SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios. The study emphasizes the need for the SEA countries to focus on heat‐stress adaptation strategies, while also working toward fulfilling emission reduction commitments.

Abstract Nanostructured biomaterials that replicate natural bone architecture are expected to facilitate bone regeneration. Here, nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) with vinyl surface modification is acquired by silicon‐based coupling agent and photointegrated with methacrylic anhydride‐modified gelatin to manufacture a chemically integrated 3D‐printed hybrid bone scaffold (75.6 wt% solid content). This nanostructured procedure significantly increases its storage modulus by 19.43‐fold (79.2 kPa) to construct a more stable mechanical structure. Furthermore, biofunctional hydrogel with biomimetic extracellular matrix is anchored onto the filament of 3D‐printed hybrid scaffold (HGel‐g‐nHAp) by polyphenol‐mediated multiple chemical reactions, which contributes to initiate early osteogenesis and angiogenesis by recruiting endogenous stem cells in situ. Significant ectopic mineral deposition is also observed in subcutaneously implanted nude mice with storage modulus enhancement of 25.3‐fold after 30 days. Meanwhile, HGel‐g‐nHAp realizes substantial bone reconstruction in the rabbit cranial defect model, achieving 61.3% breaking load strength and 73.1% bone volume fractions in comparison to natural cranium 15 weeks after implantation. This optical integration strategy of vinyl modified nHAp provides a prospective structural design for regenerative 3D‐printed bone scaffold.

Abstract A new concentrated ternary salt ether‐based electrolyte enables stable cycling of lithium metal battery (LMB) cells with high‐mass‐loading (13.8 mg cm−2, 2.5 mAh cm−2) NMC622 (LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2) cathodes and 50 μm Li anodes. Termed “CETHER‐3,” this electrolyte is based on LiTFSI, LiDFOB, and LiBF4 with 5 vol% fluorinated ethylene carbonate in 1,2‐dimethoxyethane. Commercial carbonate and state‐of‐the‐art binary salt ether electrolytes were also tested as baselines. With CETHER‐3, the electrochemical performance of the full‐cell battery is among the most favorably reported in terms of high‐voltage cycling stability. For example, LiNixMnyCo1–x–yO2 (NMC)‐Li metal cells retain 80% capacity at 430 cycles with a 4.4 V cut‐off and 83% capacity at 100 cycles with a 4.5 V cut‐off (charge at C/5, discharge at C/2). According to simulation by density functional theory and molecular dynamics, this favorable performance is an outcome of enhanced coordination between Li+ and the solvent/salt molecules. Combining advanced microscopy (high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy) and surface science (X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time‐of‐fight secondary ion mass spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy), it is demonstrated that a thinner and more stable cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) are formed. The CEI is rich in lithium sulfide (Li2SO3), while the SEI is rich in Li3N and LiF. During cycling, the CEI/SEI suppresses both the deleterious transformation of the cathode R‐3m layered near‐surface structure into disordered rock salt and the growth of lithium metal dendrites.

A ligand-activated transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) regulates fatty acid uptake and transport. In several studies, upregulation of PPAR expression/activity by cancer cells has been associated with cancer progression. Worldwide, cancer of the cervix ranks fourth among women’s cancers. Angiogenesis inhibitors have improved treatment for recurrent and advanced cervical cancer since their introduction 5 years ago. In spite of that, the median overall survival rate for advanced cervical cancer is 16.8 months, indicating that treatment effectiveness is still lacking. Thus, it is imperative that new therapeutic methods be developed. In this work, we first downloaded the PPAR signaling pathway-related genes from the previous study. In addition, the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was applied to calculate the PPAR score of patients with cervical cancer. Furthermore, cervical cancer patients with different PPAR scores show different sensitivity to immune checkpoint therapy. In order to screen the genes to serve as the best biomarker for cervical cancer patients, we then construct the PPAR-based prognostic prediction model. The results revealed that PCK1, MT1A, AL096855.1, AC096711.2, FAR2P2, and AC099568.2 not only play a key role in the PPAR signaling pathway but also show good predictive value in cervical cancer patients. The gene set variation analysis (GSVA) enrichment analysis also proved that the PPAR signaling pathway is one of the most enriched pathways in the prognostic prediction model. Finally, further analysis revealed that AC099568.2 may be the most promising biomarker for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in cervical cancer patients. Both the survival analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic curve demonstrated that AC099568.2 plays a key role in cervical cancer patients. However, to our knowledge, this is the first time a study focused on the role of AC099568.2 in cervical cancer patients. Our work successfully revealed a new biomarker for cervical cancer patients, which also provides a new direction for future research.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common digestive tract malignancy worldwide. N-myristoyltransferase 1 (NMT1) has been implicated in many cancers, but its association with gastric cancer remains to be clarified. Thus, this paper elucidated the role of NMT1 in GC. The NMT1 expression level in GC and normal tissue samples as well as the relationship between NMT1 high or low expression and overall survival in GC was analyzed via GEPIA. GC cells were transfected with NMT1 or SPI1 overexpression plasmid and short hairpin RNA against NMT1 (shNMT1) or shSPI1. NMT1, SPI1, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, p-mTOR, and mTOR levels were detected through qRT-PCR and western blot. MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays were applied to test cell viability, migration, and invasion. The binding relationship of SPI1 and NMT1 was determined through a dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. NMT1 was upregulated in GC, the high level of which connected with a poor prognosis. Overexpressed NMT1 elevated viability, migration rate, and invasion rate of GC cells, whereas NMT1 knockdown leads to the opposite results. Besides, SPI1 could bind to NMT1. Overexpressed NMT1 reversed the effects of shSPI1 on decreasing viability, migration, invasion, p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and p-mTOR/mTOR in GC cells, and NMT1 knockdown reversed the effects of SPI1 overexpression on increasing viability, migration, invasion, p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and p-mTOR/mTOR. SPI1 upregulated NMT1 to facilitate the malignant behaviors of GC cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Stroke has become the most common cause of death among residents in China, among which ischemic stroke accounts for the vast majority reaching 70% to 80%. It is of great importance to actively investigate the protective mechanism of cerebral ischemia injury after IS (ischemic stroke). We constructed cerebral ischemia injury models in vivo MACO rat and in vitro (oxygen-glucose deprivation cell model) and set up different interference groups. RT-PCR (reverse transcription PCR) was conducted to detect the expression of lncRNA in neuronal cells, brain tissue, and plasma of different groups, and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and western blot were used to detect the expression of the protein in neuronal cells, brain tissue, and plasma of different groups. Cell activity was detected by the CCK-8 assay, while cell apoptosis was examined by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) assay. In the rats’ neuronal cells and brain tissue, curcumin can inhibit the expression of lncRNA GAS5 (long noncoding RNA growth arrest-specific 5). In oxygen-glucose-deprived neuronal cells in vitro, curcumin and low-expressed lncRNA GAS5 can enhance cell activity and decline cell apoptosis, but the addition of curcumin and overexpressed lncRNA GAS5 can make this phenomenon disappear. In neuronal cells, plasma, and brain tissue, curcumin and the low-expressed lncRNA GAS5 can inhibit the expression of IL-1β (interleukin 1 beta), TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor alpha), IL-6 (interleukin 6), Sox2 (SRY-box transcription factor 2), Nanog, and Oct4 (octamer-binding transcription factor 4). However, overexpressed lncRNA GAS5 and curcumin made the inhibitory effect disappear. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that curcumin could inhibit the expression of lncRNA GAS5, thereby inhibiting the expression of inflammation-related factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, and ultimately achieve the purpose of attenuating cerebral ischemic cell damage. However, curcumin and lncRNA GAS5 may not alleviate cerebral ischemic cell damage by affecting stem cell differentiation.

Abstract Background Physical activity and vitamin D receptor (VDR) have been associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the associations of VDR methylation with T2DM and physical activity remained unknown. We aimed to investigate whether VDR methylation was a link between physical activity and T2DM. Methods A 1:1 matching case‐control study was designed based on the Henan Rural Cohort Study, including 272 pairs of T2DM patients and nonpatients. Physical activity level was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The high‐resolution melt method was applied to determine the methylation level of the promoter region of VDR. The association between physical activity and T2DM was analyzed with a conditional logistic regression model. The effect modification of VDR methylation levels on the association between physical activity and T2DM was conducted. A multivariate correlation analysis model was applied to investigate correlations of VDR methylation with insulin sensitivity. Results Physical activity level was associated with T2DM risk (crude model: odds ratio [OR] 0.611; 95% CI, 0.416‐0.897; adjusted model: OR 0.619; 95% CI, 0.418‐0.917). In effect modification analysis, the effects of physical activity on T2DM were stronger for low VDR methylation levels than for high (P = .025). Moreover, VDR methylation levels were associated with insulin (r = −0.089, P = .039) as well as homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (r = −0.098, P = .022). Conclusions The methylation status of the VDR promoter is associated with the secretion and sensitivity of insulin. VDR methylation attenuates the association between physical activity and T2DM, indicating that proactively physical activity may reduce the risk of T2DM, especially in people with low VDR methylation level.

Abstract Aim To investigate the extent of post‐traumatic growth, and the correlation between post‐traumatic growth and self‐perceived stress, post‐traumatic growth and self‐perceived burden among CAPD patients. Design A cross‐sectional study. Methods This was a multi‐centre study including 752 patients from 44 hospitals. Self‐perceived stress, self‐perceived burden and post‐traumatic growth were measured using the post‐traumatic growth inventory (PTGI), the Chinese version of the perceived stress questionnaire (CPSQ) and the self‐perceived burden scale (SPBS). A multiple stepwise regression analysis was fit with the total PTGI score as the outcome of interest. Results Patients concurrently experienced post‐traumatic growth and stress following peritoneal dialysis. The initiation of patients’ education level, employment status and self‐perceived stress were all found to relate to growth among Chinese CAPD patients. There was not sufficient evidence to suggest that self‐perceived burden was related to experiencing growth.

Abstract Residual shallow neuromuscular block (NMB) is potentially harmful and contributes to critical respiratory events. Evidence for the optimal dose of sugammadex required to reverse vecuronium‐induced shallow NMB is scarce. The aims of the present study were to find suitable doses of sugammadex and neostigmine to reverse a residual vecuronium‐induced NMB from a time of flight (TOF) ratio of 0.3–0.9 and evaluate their safety and efficacy. In total, 121 patients aged 18–65 years were randomly assigned to 11 groups to receive placebo, sugammadex (doses of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg), or neostigmine (doses of 10, 25, 40, 55, or 70 μg/kg). The reversal time of sugammadex and neostigmine to antagonize a vecuronium‐induced shallow residual NMB (i.e., TOF ratio of 0.3) and related adverse reactions were recorded. Several statistical models were tested to find an appropriate statistical model to explore the suitable doses of sugammadex and neostigmine required to reverse a residual vecuronium‐induced NMB. Based on a monoexponential model with the response variable on a logarithmic scale, sugammadex 0.56 mg/kg may be sufficient to reverse vecuronium‐induced shallow residual NMB at a TOF ratio of 0.3 under anesthesia maintained with propofol. Neostigmine may not provide prompt and satisfactory antagonism as sugammadex, even in shallow NMB.

Abstract The measurement noise covariance R plays a vital role in the Kalman filter (KF) algorithm. Traditionally, a constant R is obtained by experience or experiments. However, the KF cannot achieve optimal estimation using constant R under non‐Gaussian conditions. A robust strategy for adaptive estimation of R is proposed to suppress the influence of non‐Gaussian noise on the in‐motion alignment performance of the Doppler velocity log (DVL) velocity‐aided strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS). Furthermore, an improved Sage–Husa robust adaptive KF algorithm (SHRAKF) based on the Mahalanobis distance (MD) algorithm is proposed to handle the outliers that frequently occur within the complicated underwater environment. The contributions of this work are twofold—the SHRAKF (1) designs a robust strategy to adaptively estimate R in real time and (2) further improves filtering robustness and adaptability with the MD algorithm, conditional on the DVL outputs being contaminated by non‐Gaussian noise. A semi‐physical simulation experiment for SINS/DVL in‐motion alignment based on the test data is carried out, and the experimental results show that the SHRAKF adaptively estimates R in real time and effectively suppresses observational outliers. For non‐Gaussian noise pollution, including outliers and heavy‐tailed noise, the SHRAKF performs better than traditional methods.

Abstract Malignant proliferation and metastasis are the hallmarks of cancer cells. Aminated [70]fullerene exhibits notable antineoplastic effects, promoting it a candidate for multi‐targeted cancer drugs. It is an urgent need to reveal the structure–activity relationship for antineoplastic aminated fullerenes. Herein, three amphiphilic derivatives of [60]fullerene with clarified molecular structures are synthesized: TAPC‐4, TAPC‐3, and TCPC‐4. TAPC‐4 inhibits the proliferation of diverse tumor cells via G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, reverses the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and abrogates the high mobility of tumor cells. TAPC‐4 can be excreted from the organism and achieves an in vivo inhibition index of 75.5% in tumor proliferation and 87.5% in metastatic melanoma with a wide safety margin. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the amphiphilic molecular structure and the ending amino groups promote the targeting of TAPC‐4 to heat shock protein Hsp90‐beta, vimentin, and myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), probably resulting in the alteration of cyclin D1 translation, vimentin expression, and MYH9 location, respectively. This work initially emphasizes the dominant role of the amphiphilic structure and the terminal amino moieties in the antineoplastic effects of aminated fullerenes, providing fundamental support for their anti‐tumor drug development.

Background Bone metastasis (BoM) is common in patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and considered as one of the negative prognostic factors. However, the impact of BoM on clinical outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remains unclear. Methods A total of 103 patients treated with ICI monotherapy and 101 patients treated with ICIs combined with chemotherapy or antiangiogenesis therapy were retrospectively analyzed. The differences in progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) between BoM+ and BoM− were investigated. Results Of those 101 patients who received combination therapy, no significant difference between BoM− and BoM+ in terms of both median PFS and median OS (median PFS, 10.1 vs. 12.1 months, P = 0.6; median OS, NR vs. 24.6 months, P = 0.713) was determined. In contrast, of the 103 patients who received ICI monotherapy, BoM+ patients had an inferior PFS (4.2 vs. 6.7 months, P = 0.0484) and OS (12.5 vs. 23.9 months, P = 0.0036) compared with BoM− patients. The univariate and multivariate analysis in the ICI monotherapy group also identified BoM as an independent factor attenuating the efficacy of ICI monotherapy. Of all BoM+ patients who received ICI monotherapy, neither palliative radiotherapy nor bisphosphonate drugs improved OS (palliative radiotherapy: 12.5 vs. 16.7 months, P = 0.487; bisphosphonate drugs: 12.5 vs. 9.7 months, P = 0.568). Conclusions BoM attenuated the efficacy of ICI monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Of BoM+ patients who received ICI monotherapy, neither palliative radiotherapy nor bisphosphonate drugs improved OS. Other therapeutic strategies are needed for patients with BoM.

Abstract Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as essential regulators in cancer tumorigenesis. Our study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of lncRNA human leukocyte antigen complex group 11 (HCG11) in cervical cancer (CC) progression. Long noncoding RNA HCG11 was downregulated in CC. Functional assays demonstrated that lncRNA HCG11 inhibited CC cell proliferation and invasion. Then, we confirmed that lncRNA HCG11 could directly bind to miR‐942‐5p. Moreover, inhibition of miR‐942‐5p suppressed the growth and invasion of CC cells, and growth factor‐independent transcription repressor 1 (GFI1) gene was the target gene of miR‐942‐5p. Long noncoding RNA HCG11 increased the expression of GFI1 and suppressed cell proliferation and invasion by acting as a miR‐942‐5p sponge. Finally, the overexpression of lncRNA HCG11 suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of CC cells in vivo.

Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is the most prevalent malignant tumor that occurs frequently worldwide. The early diagnostic biomarkers are crucial for EC treatment. miRNA can regulate EC progression, with diagnostic and prognostic value. Herein, differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in EC were predicted based on TCGA database. The target mRNAs of miRNA were predicted through databases, which were then intersected with DEmRNAs. Next, the correlation between miRNA and candidate mRNAs was analyzed. qRT-PCR was introduced to analyze expression of miR-145-3p and CXCL5 mRNA in EC cell lines, and western blot was performed to assess protein expression of CXCL5. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis in EC were examined through CCK-8, wound healing, Transwell invasion, and flow cytometry assays. Moreover, targeting relationship between miR-145-3p and CXCL5 was verified through luciferase reporter gene analysis. The experimental results revealed a decreased miR-145-3p expression and an increased CXCL5 expression in EC. Enforced expression of miR-145-3p hindered proliferation, migration, invasion, and stimulated apoptosis of EC cells by repressing CXCL5. This study manifested that miR-145-3p may be a tumor suppressor in EC, and miR-145-3p/CXCL5 axis restrained the malignant progression of EC. These results supply an underlying target for prognosis and treatment of EC patients.

Long-term industrial activities tend to cause surface subsidence and damage to ground facilities and local ecological environment. Monitoring and analyzing surface subsidence is of great significance to prevent potential disasters. The surface type of the Yellow River Delta in China is complex and there are many industrial activities, so it is necessary to monitor the surface subsidence in this area. Small Baseline Subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) can monitor the surface subsidence with millimeter-level accuracy, but it takes a long time to process wide images (Sentinel-1) and is seriously affected by atmospheric errors. To avoid these limitations, we constructed a method combining the CenterNet network and SBAS-InSAR (CNSBAS-InSAR). Firstly, the CenterNet network is used to automatically detect the subsidence areas from the wide differential interferogram formed by two SAR satellite images and determine the location of the subsidence area. Then, the SBAS-InSAR monitoring is performed on the detected multiple subsidence areas. Finally, the small-scale subsidence results are obtained. In this study, based on 24 Sentinel-1A satellite images acquired from 10 January 2018 to 24 December 2018, nine subsidence areas in Yellow River Delta were detected. Three of them had long-term surface subsidence. They were located in Zhanhua District, Xianhe Town, and Hongguang Village, respectively. This paper focuses on analyzing these three areas. The maximum subsidence rate of Zhanhua District, Xianhe Town, and Hongguang Village were −135.21 mm/a, −330.91 mm/a, and −209.68 mm/a, respectively. In addition, the analysis showed that precipitation in the Zhanhua District could effectively slow down the subsidence rate of the area. The subsidence of Xianhe Town threatened the safety of the Shugang Expressway. The subsidence of Hongguang Village caused the safety risks of buildings. The results of this study prove that CNSBAS-InSAR method is reliable for monitoring subsidence areas and it can provide a reference for local construction and protection of Yellow River Delta.

Abstract Employing a time‐varying difference‐in‐differences model and a data set collected from 2,735 counties in China from 2003 to 2017, this study examines the causal relationship between Chinese government transfer payments to resource‐exhausted cities (TPREC) and carbon emissions for the first time. Our results show that TPREC could significantly reduce carbon emissions of resource‐exhausted cities in China. A variety of robustness tests supports our findings. Our further mechanism analysis shows that TPREC mainly affects carbon emissions through the following three channels: (a) promoting technological progress and industrial upgrades; (b) increasing vegetation carbon sequestration; (c) strengthening government environmental regulations. Finally, this paper analyzes the spatial heterogeneity of the carbon emission reduction effect of TPREC and finds that the most significant reduction effect of TPREC is in the western region and coal‐exhausted cities. This paper provides new empirical evidence for the role of transfer payments in promoting low‐carbon development using a unique set of data. Our findings provide new insights for decision‐makers to facilitate the low‐carbon development of resource‐exhausted cities.

Background. Diaphanous related formin 1 (DIAPH1) is a novel component of advanced glycation end product (AGE) signal transduction that was recently found to participate in diabetes-related disorders, obesity, and androgen hormones. We investigated whether plasma DIAPH1 levels were a potential prognostic predictor for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods. The levels of circulating plasma DIAPH1 and indicators of glucose, insulin, lipid metabolism, liver enzymes, kidney function, sex hormones, and inflammation were measured in 75 patients with PCOS and 77 healthy participants. All of the participants were divided into normal-weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW) subgroups. Statistical analyses were performed with R studio. Results. PCOS patients manifested hyperandrogenism, increased luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH), and accumulated body fat and insulin resistance. Plasma DIAPH1 levels were significantly decreased in women with PCOS compared to control participants, and DIAPH1 levels were distinctly reduced in OW PCOS compared to OW control subjects (P

Major civil and military infrastructures are usually located in mountainous areas with complex geological structures. When subjected to impact loads caused by operational blasting or seismic activities, the inherent flaws or joints in the hosting rock mass may grow irreversibly and eventually and cause the entire structure to collapse. It is, therefore, desirable to understand the mechanical and cracking behaviors of flawed rock structures under dynamic loads. In this work, the cement mortar is used to make the plate specimens, and two different types of flaws, i.e., the open and the closed (resin-filled) flaws, with different inclination angles from 0° to 90° with respect to the loading direction are prefabricated. The nominal strength, crack initiation, and failure characteristics of the specimens under different loading rates are investigated using the split Hopkinson bar (SHPB) system in conjunction with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The results indicate that the dynamic nominal strength of both two types of specimens shows similar loading rate and flaw angle dependency, specifically, monotonically increasing with the increase of the loading rate while increasing first and then decreasing with increasing the flaw inclination angle. The strength of specimens with an open flaw is obviously lower than that of the specimens with a closed flaw at a similar loading rate. Besides, the failure mode of specimens with an open flaw is mainly an X-shaped tensile or tensile-shear mixed form regardless of the flaw inclination, whereas the resin-filled flawed specimens always fail in the form of an atypical X-shaped shear pattern with obvious randomness. Moreover, the stress field around the crack tip is carefully extracted based on the obtained displacement field from DIC analysis; the stress intensity factors at crack initiation onset also show flaw inclination- and loading rate-dependent behavior. The strength, cracking behavior, and stress field around the tip during the dynamic loading are closely related to the friction effect between the flaw surfaces. The findings in this work provide some basic insights into the cracking mechanism of rock with open and closed flaws under dynamic loading conditions.

To establish the evaluation index system of urbanization innovation level and ecological efficiency, the entropy method is applied to measure the comprehensive index of urbanization innovation level and ecological efficiency, the VAR model is established, and empirical measurement is used to study the internal relationship and dynamic development between urbanization innovation level and ecological efficiency. The empirical results show the following: (1) The overall development of the innovation level in 30 cities in China is uneven, there is a large gap between the urban innovation level in backwards areas and economically developed areas, and there is a certain coupling effect between the urban innovation level and ecological efficiency. (2) There is a long-term dynamic equilibrium relationship between the urban innovation level and ecological efficiency, which will exert certain pressure on the ecological environment in the process of urbanization. However, the continuous improvement of urbanization will have a positive impact on the improvement of the ecological environment. (3) The improvement of ecological efficiency will also promote the improvement of the urban innovation level. Therefore, this paper puts forwards policy suggestions to promote the harmonious development of urbanization and the ecological environment and provides a reference for realizing the balanced development of urbanization and ecological efficiency in China.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent cancer among men and the second leading cause of tumor‐associated deaths worldwide, with increasing incidence rates over the last 10 years. Recently, miR‐195 was reported to be hypermethylated at its promoter CpG island and down‐regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the function of miR‐195 and the underlying mechanisms in PCa remain unknown. Here, we report that a significant down‐regulation of microRNA‐195 (miR‐195) in PCa tissues and cell lines was associated with promoter methylation status. Overexpression of miR‐195 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (increased E‐cadherin and decreased N‐cadherin) in PCa cells. We further demonstrated that transfection with a miR‐195 inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5‐azacytidine on the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of PCa cells. In summary, our findings suggest that miR‐195 may function as a crucial tumor suppressor in PCa.

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) leads to the highest mortality in women worldwide, characterized by inevitable proliferation and metastasis of BC cells. Mounting evidence confirm that lncRNAs play a significant role in the tumorigenesis and development of BC. lncRNA CERS6‐AS1 is a novel discovery, and its role and molecular mechanism in BC has not been studied. In this study, it was discovered that CERS6‐AS1 was overexpressed in BC tissues and cells. CERS6‐AS1 accelerated cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis in BC. Moreover, molecular mechanism exploration uncovered that there was a positive association between CERS6 and CERS6‐AS1 (or IGF2BP3) expression in BC. Furthermore, IGF2BP3 serves as a RNA‐binding protein for CERS6‐AS1 and CERS6‐AS1 promoted CERS6 mRNA stability by binding to IGF2BP3. In the end, rescue experiments verified that overexpression of CERS6 rescues the inhibition of CERS6‐AS1 deficiency on BC progression in vitro and vivo. Taken together, these evidences suggested that CERS6‐AS1 promoted the progression of BC by binding to IGF2BP3 and thus enhancing the stability of CERS6 mRNA, providing a new underlying therapeutic target for BC to improve prognosis.

Abstract Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is highly malignant and quite different from the most common papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, most of the ultrasonic evaluation systems mainly aim at PTC at present. This study aims to evaluate the applicability of modified TI‐RADS in diagnosing MTC and compare the sonographic differences of MTC, PTC, and benign nodules. Three thousand two hundred and forty‐two thyroid nodules images confirmed by pathology were categorized according to modified TI‐RADS and ACR TI‐RADS classification. The performances of two TI‐RADS were assessed by ROC curves. The correlations between classifications with the pathology and the consistency of different doctors were evaluated. The ultrasonic differences of MTC, PTC, and benign nodules were analyzed. As a result, the number of high suspicious US features increased, the malignant risk of nodules also increased of two classifications, with significant differences between categories (P

Abstract Background In the post-Z0011 trial era, the need to perform surgical axillary staging for early-stage breast cancer patients, who are treated with breast-conserving therapy (BCT), is being questioned. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate the safety of waiving surgical axillary staging in patients with T1 breast cancer treated with BCT. Methods A total of 166,615 eligible patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 were divided into staging (sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection) and non-staging (no lymph node examined or only needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes) groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance disparities between the two groups. Multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess factors related to breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS). Results Although the tumor size at time of presentation was decreasing over years, the rate of surgical axillary staging increased from 93.3% to 96.9%. The 5-year BCSS rates of the whole cohort (before PSM) and matched cohort (after PSM) were 98.0% and 97.5%. Within the matched cohort, the BCSS was significantly longer in the staging group than in the non-staging group (P 0.05). Race, marital status, hormone receptors, and chemotherapy were not associated with the favorable impact of surgical axillary staging on BCSS (P > 0.05). Conclusion Although surgical axillary staging remains important for T1 breast cancer patients treated with BCT, it might be unnecessary for patients with old age, small tumor, grade I disease, or favorable histological types.

A tracking control algorithm of nonlinear multiple agents with undirected communication is studied for each multiagent system affected by external interference and input saturation. A control design scheme combining iterative learning and adaptive control is proposed to perform parameter adaptive time-varying adjustment and prove the effectiveness of the control protocol by designing Lyapunov functions. Simulation results show that the high-precision tracking control problem of the nonlinear multiagent system based on adaptive iterative learning control can be well realized even when the input is saturated. Finally, the validity of the proposed algorithm is verified by numerical analysis.

Branchio-oto-renal spectrum disorder (BORSD) is characterized by hearing loss accompanied by ear malformations, branchial cysts, and fistulae, with (branchio-oto-renal syndrome (BORS)) or without renal abnormalities (BOS (branchio-otic syndrome)). As the most common causative gene for BORSD, dominant mutations in EYA1 are responsible for approximately 40% of the cases. In a sporadic deaf patient diagnosed as BOS, we identified an apparent heterozygous genomic deletion spanning the first four coding exons and one 5′ noncoding exon of EYA1 by targeted next-generation sequencing of 406 known deafness genes. Real-time PCR at multiple regions of EYA1 confirmed the existence of this genomic deletion and extended its 5′ boundary beyond the 5′-UTR. Whole genome sequencing subsequently located the 5′ and 3′ breakpoints to 19268 bp upstream to the ATG initiation codon and 3180 bp downstream to exon 5. PCR amplification across the breakpoints in both the patient and his parents showed that the genomic alteration occurred de novo. Sanger sequencing of this PCR product revealed that it is in fact a GRCh38/hg38:chr8:g.71318554_71374171delinsTGCC genomic deletion-insertion. Our results showed that the genomic variant is responsible for the hearing loss associated with BOS and provided an example for deciphering such cryptic genomic alterations following pipelines of comprehensive exome/genome sequencing and designed verification.

Hypoxia is a typical microenvironment feature in almost all solid tumors and is frequently associated with growth of cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). This study focuses on the influence of hypoxic microenvironment on the activity of CRC cells and the molecules involved. CRC cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions for 48 h, after which the proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition activities of cells were increased. MicroRNA- (miR-) 19a was significantly upregulated in cells after hypoxia exposure according to a microarray analysis. STAT3 was confirmed as an upstream regulator of miR-19a which bound to the promoter region of miR-19a at the 96 bp/78 bp sites, and miR-19a bound to the PTEN mRNA to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Hypoxia exposure induced STAT3 phosphorylation and PTEN knockdown in CRC cells. Silencing of STAT3 reduced the hypoxia-induced activity of CRC cells, whereas the malignant behaviors of cells were restored after miR-19a upregulation but blocked after PTEN overexpression. Similar results were reproduced in vivo where downregulation of STAT3 or overexpression of PTEN suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. This study demonstrated that hypoxia augments activity and malignant behaviors of colorectal cancer cells through the STAT3/miR-19a/PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis.

This study investigates contributing factors to traffic violations by seriousness. The traffic violations are divided into four categories by seriousness (unintentional violation, minor violation, serious violation, and crash with violation). The results of the random parameter multinomial logit model indicate that various factors potentially affect the severity of traffic violations. The key findings include the following: (1) female drivers are more likely to commit minor violations; (2) drivers from an area with a longer travel time to work and a higher proportion of driving to work are more likely to have minor violations and serious violations, while those from the high-income area are less likely; (3) drivers are more likely to be associated with a more minor infraction during the afternoon peak (4 p.m.–6 p.m.). The results from this study are expected to be beneficial for policymakers and traffic police to comprehend the factors affecting violations and implement effective strategies to minimize the number and seriousness of traffic violations.

In accordance with the requirements of the circular economy in Guangxi (of PRC) and the characteristics of the drivers of low-carbon competitiveness in the regional construction industry, a causal flowchart of influencing factors of the low-carbon competitiveness in the Guangxi construction industry is constructed, and a model based on system dynamics is established. After the entropy weight method is used to determine the variable weight, VENSIM PLE software is used to simulate the development trend of the low-carbon competitiveness of the Guangxi construction industry. The simulation results of the promotion effect of various factors on the development of the low-carbon competitiveness of the regional construction industry from 2010 to 2020 are obtained, and countermeasures and suggestions are proposed from the perspective of a circular economy.

The low-cost, highly efficient online finance credit provides underfunded individuals and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with an indispensable credit channel. Most of the previous studies focus on the client crediting and screening of online finance. Few have studied the risk rating under a complete credit risk management system. This paper introduces the improved neural network technology to the credit risk rating of online finance. Firstly, the study period was divided into the early phase and late phase after the launch of an online finance credit product. In the early phase, there are few manually labeled samples and many unlabeled samples. Therefore, a cold start method was designed for the credit risk rating of online finance, and the similarity and abnormality of credit default were calculated. In the late phase, there are few unlabeled samples. Hence, the backpropagation neural network (BPNN) was improved for online finance credit risk rating. Our strategy was proved valid through experiments.

Abstract Cancer is a leading cause of death in the world. In cancer radiotherapy, immobilization membranes composed of cross‐linked poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) are utilized for patient positioning. A higher‐dimensional stability of the membrane is urgently required to facilitate more accurate radiation dose delivery. It is extremely important to establish the relationship between the degree of crystallinity and the Young's modulus (E) because it determines the mechanical properties and can be modulated by crystallinity. When two components of the membrane with different strains are in contact, a gradient region adjacent to the interface is formed and confirmed by attenuated total reflection infrared microscopy. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy are used to scan the same area in the gradient region (14 µm × 14 µm) to characterize E and crystallinity (XRaman), respectively. This co‐localized method ensures the accuracy of the relationship. Finally, 1764 AFM measurement data are processed and 49 pairs of E‐XRaman data are obtained. The regression curve shows that E monotonically increases with XRaman. The nonlinearity of the curve may be attributed to the α‐relaxation and cross‐linking of PCL chains. The chemical structure of this material significantly impacts the mechanical properties, thus requiring future investigation.

Objective. The accelerate loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, named sarcopenia, is a progressive and generalised skeletal muscle disorder, and it is always associated with increased outcomes including falls, frailty, and disability. Diabetes mellitus is associated with significant muscle and physical complications. We aimed at clarifying the changes and risk factors of skeletal muscle mass and strength in elderly with type 2 diabetes. Methods. The study consisted of patients with type 2 diabetes (n=120) and an older general population (n=126). The skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength, as well as the serum levels of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, homocysteine, and insulin-like factor-1 were assessed, and the correlation and regression analysis were conducted to evaluate outcomes. Results. T2DM patients exhibited lower muscle strength compared with the non-T2DM subjects (P

Abstract With the naturally separated frontier molecular orbitals, exciplexes are capable of thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters for organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). And, the current key issue for exciplex emitters is improving their exciton utilization. In this work, a strategy of building exciplex emitters with three components is proposed to realize multiple reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) channels, improving their exciton utilization by enhancing upconversion of nonradiative triplet excitons. Accordingly, a tricomponent exciplex DBT‐SADF:PO‐T2T:CDBP is constructed with three RISC channels respectively on DBT‐SADF, DBT‐SADF:PO‐T2T, and CDBP:PO‐T2T. Furthermore, its photoluminescence quantum yield and rate constant of the RISC process are successfully improved. In the OLED, DBT‐SADF:PO‐T2T:CDBP exhibits a remarkably high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 20.5%, which is the first report with an EQE over 20% for the OLEDs based on exciplex emitters to the best of our knowledge. This work not only demonstrates that introducing multiple RISC channels can effectively improve the exciton utilization of exciplex emitters, but also proves the superiority of the tricomponent exciplex strategy for further development of exciplex emitters.

Background. Fibrinogen levels have been associated with coronary plaque vulnerability in experimental studies. However, it has yet to be determined if serum fibrinogen levels are independently associated with coronary plaque vulnerability as detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods. Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who underwent coronary angiography and OCT in our department from January 2015 to August 2018 were included in this study. Coronary lesions were categorized as ruptured plaque, nonruptured with thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), and nonruptured and non-TCFA. Presence of ruptured plaque and nonruptured with TCFA was considered to be vulnerable lesions. Determinants of coronary vulnerability were evaluated by multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results. A total of 154 patients were included in this study; 17 patients had ruptured plaques, 15 had nonruptured plaques with TCFA, and 122 had nonruptured plaques with non-TCFA. Results of univariate analyses showed that being male, diabetes, current smoking, high body mass index (BMI), and clinical diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were associated with coronary vulnerability. No significant differences were detected in patient characteristics, coronary angiographic findings, and OCT results between patients with higher and normal fibrinogen. Results of multivariate logistic analyses showed that diabetes and ACS were associated with TCFA, while diabetes, higher BMI, and ACS were associated with plaque rupture. Conclusions. Diabetes, higher BMI, and ACS are independently associated with coronary vulnerability as detected by OCT. Serum fibrinogen was not associated with coronary vulnerability in our cohort.

Asprosin is a white adipose tissue-derived hormone that increases abnormally in mammals with insulin resistance. However, the role of asprosin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a disease partly characterized by insulin resistance, and its potential connection with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and PCOS has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. To investigate the association of asprosin with metabolic profiles, sex-related hormones, or inflammation in females with T2DM or PCOS, plasma asprosin and metabolic indicators were measured in 66 healthy females, 53 female patients with T2DM, and 41 patients with PCOS. Spearman’s correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis models were used. Plasma asprosin was significantly higher in T2DM females than in healthy subjects (P

BackgroundWe previously have shown that glibenclamide (GBC), a sulfonylurea receptor 1–transient receptor potential M4 (SUR1‐TRPM4) channel inhibitor, improves survival and neurological outcome after asphyxial cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ACA/CPR). Here, we further compare the efficacy of GBC with target temperature management (TTM) and determine whether the efficacy of GBC is affected by TTM. Methods and ResultsMale Sprague‐Dawley rats (n=213) subjected to 10‐minute ACA/CPR were randomized to 4 groups after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC): normothermia control (NT); GBC; TTM; and TTM+GBC. Survival, neurodeficit scores, histological injury, as well as the expressions of SUR1 and TRPM4 were evaluated. The 7‐day survival rate was 34.4% (11 of 32) in the NT group, 65% (13 of 20) in the GBC group, 50% (10 of 20) in the TTM group, and 70% (14 of 20) in the TTM+GBC group. Rats that received either GBC, TTM alone, or in combination showed less neurological deficit than NT control at 24, 48, and 72 hours and 7 days after ROSC. Moreover, TTM or GBC ameliorated neuronal degeneration and glial activation in the hippocampal CA1 region with similar efficacy, whereas the combination of them had a trend toward better effect. The subunits of SUR1‐TRPM4 heterodimers were both strongly upregulated after ACA/CPR and expressed in multiple types of brain cells, but partly suppressed by TTM. ConclusionsGBC is comparable to TTM in improving survival and neurological outcome after ACA/CPR. When GBC is given along with TTM, less histological injury tended to be achieved.

Currently there has been no effective treatment of diabetic encephalopathy. Radix Polygoni Multiflori, a famous traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used in antiaging treatment, especially in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s diseases. In this study we tried to explore the effect of Radix Polygoni Multiflori on cognitive function among diabetic rats with demonstrated cognitive impairment. SD rats were divided into group A (control group), group B (diabetes), group C (treated with Radix Polygoni Multiflori at the dose of 2 g/kg/d), and group D (treated with same drug at the dose of 1 g/kg/d). The results showed that 8 weeks of Radix Polygoni Multiflori treatment could improve the cognitive dysfunction of diabetic rats (P