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Summary: The swift advancement of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) sector necessitates a harmony between electrode performance and commercialization cost. The economic value of elements is frequently linked to their abundance in the Earth’s crust. Here, we develop abundant rare-earth iron perovskite electrodes of Ln0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ (Ln = La, Pr, and Nd) with high abundant rare-earth metals and preferred iron metal for SOFCs. All three symmetric electrode materials display a cubic perovskite phase and excellent chemical compatibility with Gd0.2Ce0.8O2-δ electrolyte. All three electrodes possess exceptional surface oxygen exchange ability. At 800°C, single cells with La0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ, Pr0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ, and Nd0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ symmetric electrodes attained excellent open circuit voltages of 1.108, 1.101, and 1.097 V, respectively, as well as peak powers of 213.52, 281.12, and 254.58 mW cm−2. The results suggest that overall performance of abundant rare-earth iron perovskite electrodes has a favorable impact on the extensive expansion of SOFCs, presenting significant potential for practical applications.

Context The mechanism of tetrandrine (TET) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and sorafenib (Sora) chemosensitivity deserves investigation. Objective Using network pharmacology approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of TET in HCC. Materials and methods CCK-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays were used to measure cell phenotypes. BALB/c nude mice were divided into Control, Sora (10 mg/kg), TET (50 mg/kg), and TET + Sora (10 mg/kg Sora plus 50 mg/kg TET) groups to evaluate the antitumor effects of TET for 21 days. Sora and TET were given by intraperitoneal injection or oral gavage. Results For SMMC7721 (IC50 = 22.5 μM) and PLC8024 (IC50 = 18.4 μM), TET (10, 20 μM) reduced colony number (0.68 ± 0.04- and 0.50 ± 0.04-fold, 0.56 ± 0.04- and 0.42 ± 0.02-fold), induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 stage (1.22 ± 0.03- and 1.39 ± 0.07-fold, 1.37 ± 0.06- and 1.55 ± 0.05-fold), promoted apoptosis (2.49 ± 0.26- and 3.63 ± 0.33-fold, 2.74 ± 0.42- and 3.73 ± 0.61-fold), and inactivated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling. Sora (10 μM) decreased cell proliferation, enhanced apoptosis, and inhibited PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling, and these effects were further aggravated in the combination group. Activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR reversed the effects of TET on cell proliferation and Sora sensitivity. In the combination group, tumour volumes and weights were decreased to 202.3 ± 17.4 mm3 and 151.5 ± 25.8 mg compared with Sora (510.6 ± 48.2 mm3 and 396.7 ± 33.5 mg). Discussion and conclusions TET enhances Sora sensitivity by inactivating PI3K/AKT/mTOR, suggesting the potential of TET as a chemosensitizer in HCC.

To solve the problem of signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) estimation for dynamic communication, an SNR estimation method suitable for underwater acoustic adaptive communication in trans-media heterogeneous networks was proposed. The minimum mean square error SNR estimation algorithm was improved by using the reconstructed data in the process of a low pilot occupancy channel estimation algorithm to achieve SNR tracking under time-varying channel conditions. Simulation results show that the proposed method can obtain highly accurate SNR estimation results under high SNR conditions, and the SNR estimation results can decline rapidly under low SNR conditions, which is particularly suitable for the rate-adjustment strategy of link adaptive communication. The adaptive rate adjustment strategy given by the proposed method can effectively reduce the power consumption and improve the communication data rate.

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver cancer associated with a high mortality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as regulators in the development and progression of several cancers, and therefore represent an opportunity to uncover new targets for therapy. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential effect of lncRNA BZRAP1-AS1 on the angiogenesis of HCC. Methods Microarray-based data analysis was initially employed to screen genes and lncRNAs that are differentially expressed in HCC and the candidate BZRAP1-AS1 was identified as a hit. The expression of BZRAP1-AS1 and thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) in HCC tissues and cells were then determined using RT-qPCR. The gene methylation level was measured by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) assays. Next, the interactions between BZRAP1-AS1, DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3b), and THBS1 were assessed by RIP, RNA pull-down and ChIP assays. Finally, the roles of BZRAP1-AS1, DNMT3b and THBS1 in angiogenesis in vitro as well as tumorigenesis in vivo were evaluated by a battery of the gain- and loss-of function experiments. Results BZRAP1-AS1 was identified as a highly expressed lncRNA in HCC tissues and cells. Down-regulation of BZRAP1-AS1 in HCC cells inhibited HUVEC proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. By interacting with DNMT3b, BZRAP1-AS1 induced methylation of the THBS1 promoter and inhibited the transcription of THBS1, resulting in promoted angiogenesis of HUVECs. Moreover, silencing of BZRAP1-AS1 repressed the angiogenesis as well as the tumor growth of HCC in vivo via up-regulating THBS1. Conclusion This study provides evidence that angiogenesis in HCC is hindered by silencing of BZRAP1-AS1. Thus, BZRAP1-AS1 may be a promising marker for the treatment of HCC.

We carried out photometric observations of the SX Phe star BL Cam in 2014, 2017, and 2018 using Nanshan 1-m telescope. In addition to the dominated frequency of 25.5790 (3) cd−1 and its two harmonics, an independent frequency of 25.247 (2) cd−1, which is a nonradial mode frequency, was detected from the data in 2014. A total of 123 new times of light maxima were determined from our light curves in the three years, which, together with that published in the literature, were used to analyze the O−C diagram. The change rate of the main period was derived as (1/P)(dP/dt) = −2.39 (8) × 10−8 yr−1, which is lower than that published in previous literature. A periodical change with a period of 14.01 (9) yr was found in the residuals of the O−C curve fitting. If it was caused by the light-time effect, BL Cam should be a binary system. The mass of the companion was restricted as low as that of a brown dwarf. No evidence of the triple system suggested by previous authors was shown in our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the pulsating behavior of KIC 10855535 using Kepler 4 yr long-cadence data. Two independent frequencies were detected: a pulsation frequency F0 = 17.733260(5) day ^−1 and a low frequency f _8 = 0.412643(8) day ^−1 . We identify F0 as the fundamental frequency, at which an equidistant quintuplet is centered, suggesting that the star orbits in a binary system. The fitted orbital parameters align well with those reported in previous literature. Long-term phase modulation caused by binarity has been confirmed by considering the light curve from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. By removing the light-time effect, we measured a linear change in period of order $\dot{P}/P\simeq 1.44\times {10}^{-7}\,{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}$ , a value that could be indicative of stellar evolution. The star also exhibits a gradual and stable amplitude growth, thereby raising the possibility of structural changes during its evolution. We attributed f _8 and its two harmonics to rotation and surface spots, with further analysis suggesting characteristics evolving over time. Based on this hypothesis, KIC 10855535 may rotate slowly for its type, with a speed of 37(2) km s ^−1 . Overall, KIC 10855535 presents an exceptionally clean spectrum and a relatively slow rotation as a δ Sct pulsator, exhibiting a single pulsation mode that undergoes both amplitude and phase modulation.