Search

To improve the accuracy of color image completion with missing entries, we present a recovery method based on generalized higher-order scalars. We extend the traditional second-order matrix model to a more comprehensive higher-order matrix equivalent, called the “t-matrix” model, which incorporates a pixel neighborhood expansion strategy to characterize the local pixel constraints. This “t-matrix” model is then used to extend some commonly used matrix and tensor completion algorithms to their higher-order versions. We perform extensive experiments on various algorithms using simulated data and publicly available images. The results show that our generalized matrix completion model and the corresponding algorithm compare favorably with their lower-order tensor and conventional matrix counterparts.

Abstract Background The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a spectrum of adversities that have affected older adults disproportionately. This paper examines older adults with multimorbidity using longitudinal data to ascertain why some of these vulnerable individuals coped with pandemic-induced risk and stressors better than others – termed multimorbidity resilience. We investigate pre-pandemic levels of functional, social and psychological forms of resilience among this sub-population of at-risk individuals on two outcomes – self-reported comprehensive pandemic impact and personal worry. Methods This study was conducted using Follow-up 1 data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), and the Baseline and Exit COVID-19 study, conducted between April and December in 2020. A final sub-group of 9211 older adults with two or more chronic health conditions were selected for analyses. Logistic regression and Generalized Linear Mixed Models were employed to test hypotheses between a multimorbidity resilience index and its three sub-indices measured using pre-pandemic Follow-up 1 data and the outcomes, including covariates. Results The multimorbidity resilience index was inversely associated with pandemic comprehensive impact at both COVID-19 Baseline wave (OR = 0.83, p

Heavy rain fell in Kyushu, Japan, in early July 2020, which caused huge life and economic losses. The present work reports that a Tibetan Plateau vortex (TPV) generated over the Tibetan Plateau transformed into a trough at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and the trough continued to move eastward and was responsible for the heavy rainfall in Kyushu. Accordingly, the maintenance and eastward movement of the trough and the influencing mechanism of the trough on the rainfall in Kyushu are explored based on the final analysis data (FNL) from NCEP and the JRA-55 reanalysis from JMA. Diagnoses of the potential vorticity (PV) tendency equation indicate that the horizontal PV flux convergence east of the trough is the primary contributor to the eastward movement and maintenance of the trough. Furthermore, the trough is proved to have important effects on the moisture condition and the ascending motion around Kyushu. That is, the trough increases the moisture in Kyushu by intensifying the eastward moisture transportation to Kyushu; the positive vorticity and warm center, as well as the wind perturbation related to the trough, are in favor of stronger ascending motion in Kyushu. The findings in this work provide extended knowledge on the causation of rainfall in Japan, which is beneficial for further precipitation prediction.

Flapping-wing flight control is a multi-input and multi-output nonlinear system with uncertainties, which is affected by modeling errors, parameter variations, external disturbances, and unmodeled dynamics. Parameter uncertainty has a great impact on the stability control of flapping-wing flight, and gain adjustment is a common means to deal with parameter uncertainty, but it is complex and time-consuming. Based on the mechanism of flapping-wing flight, a nonlinear dynamic model for flapping-wing dynamic flight is established by analyzing the forces, moments, and attitude changes of the fuselage and wing in detail. Based on the constructed dynamic model, a fast robust adaptive flapping-wing flight control method is proposed. The state predictor is designed to estimate and monitor the uncertain parameters in the flapping-wing attitude control model, and the adaptive law adjusts the parameter estimation to ensure that the output error between the state predictor and the controlled object is stable in the Lyapunov sense, and finally the adaptive control law is obtained. At the same time, the Monte Carlo-support vector machine method is used to optimize the boundary of the control parameters in the flight control to obtain the control parameters that can meet the control expectations, and the obtained parameters are classified and judged according to the stable level flight conditions. Based on the adjusted parameters and the predetermined control signal, the control amount is adjusted according to the control law. When the adaptive gain is large enough, the simulation results show that the system has good transient response characteristics.

In recent years, sustainable development has become a focal issue in the globalization process due to environmental uncertainty in the global context, which has attracted the extensive attention of scholars. This study explores the dynamic transmission mechanism and time-varying impacts among green finance, renewable energy and sustainable development in China on the basis of a stochastic volatile time-varying vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR-SV) model using time-series data from January 4, 2013, to October 14, 2022. The results revealed that there is an interaction among green finance, renewable energy and sustainable development in China, and the degree of influence and direction of action at different points in time show time-varying and heterogeneous characteristics. Further, this study subdivides renewable energy into hydro, wind, geothermal and solar energy. The dynamic impact of these types of energy on sustainable development is heterogeneous, and this relationship is affected by relevant economic events.

Abstract Background To develop and validate a risk prediction nomogram based on a deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNN) model and epidemiological characteristics for lung cancer screening in patients with small pulmonary nodules (SPN). Methods This study included three data sets. First, a CNN model was developed and tested on data set 1. Then, a hybrid prediction model was developed on data set 2 by multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. We combined the CNN model score and the selected epidemiological risk factors, and a risk prediction nomogram was presented. An independent multicenter cohort was used for model external validation. The performance of the nomogram was assessed with respect to its calibration and discrimination. Results The final hybrid model included the CNN model score and the screened risk factors included age, gender, smoking status and family history of cancer. The nomogram showed good discrimination and calibration with an area under the curve (AUC) of 91.6% (95% CI: 89.4%–93.5%), compare with the CNN model, the improvement was significance. The performance of the nomogram still showed good discrimination and good calibration in the multicenter validation cohort, with an AUC of 88.3% (95% CI: 83.1%–92.3%). Conclusions Our study showed that epidemiological characteristics should be considered in lung cancer screening, which can significantly improve the efficiency of the artificial intelligence (AI) model alone. We combined the CNN model score with Asian lung cancer epidemiological characteristics to develop a new nomogram to facilitate and accurately perform individualized lung cancer screening, especially for Asians.

Abstract A large number RNAs are enriched and stable in extracellular vesicles (EVs), and they can reflect their tissue origins and are suitable as liquid biopsy markers for cancer diagnosis and treatment efficacy prediction. In this study, we used extracellular vesicle long RNA (exLR) sequencing to characterize the plasma-derived exLRs from 112 breast cancer patients, 19 benign patients and 41 healthy participants. The different exLRs profiling was found between the breast cancer and non-cancer groups. Thus, we constructed a breast cancer diagnostic signature which showed high accuracy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.960 in the training cohort and 0.900 in the validation cohort. The signature was able to identify early stage BC (I/II) with an AUC of 0.940. Integrating the signature with breast imaging could increase the diagnosis accuracy for breast cancer patients. Moreover, we enrolled 58 patients who received neoadjuvant treatment and identified an exLR (exMSMO1), which could distinguish pathological complete response (pCR) patients from non-pCR with an AUC of 0.790. Silencing MSMO1 could significantly enhance the sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to paclitaxel and doxorubicin through modulating mTORC1 signaling pathway. This study demonstrated the value of exLR profiling to provide potential biomarkers for early detection and treatment efficacy prediction of breast cancer.

Abstract Background The high potential for tumor recurrence and chemoresistance is a major challenge of clinical gastric cancer treatment. Increasing evidence suggests that the presence of tumor initiating cells (TICs) is the principal cause of tumor recurrence and chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanism of TIC development remains controversial. Methods To identify novel molecular pathways in gastric cancer, we screened the genomic expression profile of 155 gastric cancer patients from the TCGA database. We then described an improved 3D collagen I gels and tested the effects of collagen on the TIC phenotype of gastric cells using colony formation assay, transwell assay, and nude mouse models. Additionally, cell apoptosis assay was performed to examine the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorine and paclitaxel on gastric cancer cells cultured in 3D collagen I gels. Results Elevated expression of type I collagen was observed in tumor tissues from high stage patients (stage T3–T4) when compared to the low stage group (n=10, stage T1–T2). Furthermore, tumor cells seeded in a low concentration of collagen gels acquired TIC-like phenotypes and revealed enhanced resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, which was dependent on an integrin β1 (ITGB1)/Y-box Binding Protein 1 (YBX1)/Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1)/NF-κB signaling pathway. Importantly, inhibition of ITGB1/NF-κB signaling efficiently reversed the chemoresistance induced by collagen and promoted anticancer effects in vivo. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that type I collagen promoted TIC-like phenotypes and chemoresistance through ITGB1/YBX1/SPP1/NF-κB pathway, which may provide novel insights into gastric cancer therapy.

Abstract Background Current treatment options for glioma are limited, and the prognosis of patients with glioma is poor as the available drugs show low therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms associated with glioma remain poorly understood. METTL1 mainly catalyzes the formation of N(7)-methylguanine at position 46 of the transfer RNA sequence, thereby regulating the translation process. However, the role of METTL1 in glioma has not been studied to date. The purpose of this study was to analyze the expression and prognosis of METTL1 in glioma, and to explore the potential analysis mechanism. Methods Data from five publicly available databases were used to analyze METTL1 expression across different tumor types and its differential expression between carcinoma and adjacent normal tissues. The expression of METTL1 in glioma was further validated using real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, siRNA was used to knockdown METTL1 in U87 glioma cells, and the resultant effect on glioma proliferation was verified using the Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay. Furthermore, a nomogram was constructed to predict the association between METTL1 expression and the survival rate of patients with glioma. Results METTL1 expression increased with increasing glioma grades and was significantly higher in glioma than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. In addition, high expression of METTL1 promoted cell proliferation. Moreover, METTL1 expression was associated with common clinical risk factors and was significantly associated with the prognosis and survival of patients with glioma. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that METTL1 expression may be used as an independent prognostic risk factor for glioma. Furthermore, results of functional enrichment and pathway analyses indicate that the mechanism of METTL1 in glioma is potentially related to the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusions High METTL1 expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis of patients with glioma and may represent a valuable independent risk factor. In addition, high expression of METTL1 promotes glioma proliferation and may regulate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Thus, METTL1 may be a potential biomarker for glioma. Further investigations are warranted to explore its clinical use.

Catalytic addition of a carbon chain and a hydrogen across a double bond has often required an added hydride source. Here the authors show a method to add alkanes with an amino functionality to olefins, wherein a nickel catalyst uses the amine itself as the hydride source, obviating an external hydride reagent.

Background Despite the success of HER2-targeted therapy in achieving prolonged survival in approximately 50% of treated individuals, treatment resistance is still an important challenge for HER2+ breast cancer (BC) patients. The influence of both adaptive and innate immune responses on the therapeutic outcomes of HER2+BC patients has been extensively demonstrated.Methods Long non-coding RNAs expressed in non-pathological complete response (pCR) HER2 positive BC were screened and validated by RNA-seq. Survival analysis were made by Kaplan-Meier method. Cell death assay and proliferation assay were performed to confirm the phenotype of LINC00624. RT-qPCR and western blot were used to assay the IFN response. Xenograft mouse model were used for in vivo confirmation of anti-neu treatment resistance. RNA pull-down and immunoblot were used to confirm the interaction of ADAR1 and LINC00624. ADAR1 recombinant protein were purified from baculovirus expression system. B16-OVA cells were used to study antigen presentation both in vitro and in vivo. Flow cytometry was used to determine the tumor infiltrated immune cells of xenograft model. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were used for in vivo treatment.Results In this study, we found that LINC00624 blocked the antitumor effect of HER2- targeted therapy both in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting type I interferon (IFN) pathway activation. The double-stranded RNA-like structure of LINC00624 can bind and be edited by the adenosine (A) to inosine (I) RNA-editing enzyme adenosine deaminase RNA specific 1 (ADAR1), and this editing has been shown to release the growth inhibition and attenuate the innate immune response caused by the IFN response. Notably, LINC00624 promoted the stabilization of ADAR1 by inhibiting its ubiquitination-induced degradation triggered by β-TrCP. In contrast, LINC00624 inhibited major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen presentation and limited CD8+T cell infiltration in the cancer microenvironment, resulting in immune checkpoint blockade inhibition and anti-HER2 treatment resistance mediated through ADAR1.Conclusions In summary, these results suggest that LINC00624 is a cancer immunosuppressive lncRNA and targeting LINC00624 through ASOs in tumors expressing high levels of LINC00624 has great therapeutic potential in future clinical applications.

ObjectiveThere has been a growing interest in examining why some individuals adapt and bounce back from multimorbidity (resilience) better than others. This paper investigates the positive role of protective health behaviors on multimorbidity resilience (MR) among older adults focusing on older persons with two or more concurrent chronic conditions, and separately for three multimorbidity chronic illness clusters.MethodsUsing Baseline and Follow-up One data from the Comprehensive Cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, we studied 10,628 participants aged 65 years and older who reported two or more of 27 chronic conditions, and three multimorbidity clusters: Cardiovascular/metabolic, Musculoskeletal, and Mental health. Associations between health behaviors and MR were evaluated using Linear Mixed Models, adjusting for socio-demographic, social/environmental, and illness context social determinants of health.ResultsAmong older adults with two or more illnesses, smoking, satisfaction with sleep, appetite, and skipping meals were associated with MR in the expected direction. Also, obesity (compared to normal weight) and skipping meals showed longitudinal interaction effects with survey wave. Most of the results were replicated for the physical multimorbidity clusters (Cardiovascular/metabolic and Musculoskeletal) compared to the full 2+ multimorbidity analyses; however, for the Mental health cluster, only satisfaction with sleep was supported as a lifestyle predictor of MR.DiscussionSeveral modifiable health behaviors identified in the broader health and aging literature are important in affecting levels of multimorbidity resilience in older age. These factors are important strength-based areas to target. Additionally, several social determinants of health are also supported and parallel research on multimorbidity risk. The effects of lifestyle factors for resilience among older adults is dependent on the type of multimorbidity measured. We conclude that the results have significant public health, program intervention, and clinical implications for healthy aging among persons coping with multimorbidity.

The Ediacaran–Cambrian period witnessed episodic extinctions, oxygenation of seawaters, Cambrian explosions, and tectonic events. However, compared with the various high-resolution geochemical records of the early–middle Ediacaran and Cambrian, the available geochemical record of the latest Ediacaran (551–542 Ma) is scarce (especially the strontium isotope and elements), which leads to the ambiguous interpretation of the paleoenvironment of the latest Ediacaran. Therefore, we conducted measurements of strontium isotopes and elemental content of a continuous series of carbonate samples from the Dengying Formation of Well PT1, located in the Sichuan Basin, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, in order to constrain the paleoenvironment of the latest Ediacaran. Strict sample screening was used to ensure that the isotopes and elements were not affected by diagenesis. Our analyses show that the environment and geochemical records of the seawater were controlled by tectonic activities, especially the Gondwana assembly. The global strontium isotope correlation indicates that the Sichuan Basin was a restricted basin (high 87Sr/86Sr values, ∼0.7090), which can be attributed to the existence of a submarine high. Under the background of oxic environment, there were two episodes of anoxic expansion. During the initial stage, the stable terrigenous detrital input and oxic environment provided the prerequisite for the emergence of aerobic organisms in the restricted platform. Then, the decreasing sea level and intense tectonic activities improved the terrigenous detrital input with higher 87Sr/86Sr values (∼0.7095), which stimulated the emergence of aerobic organisms, further resulting in the first episode of anoxic environment. Lastly, a global transgressive resulted in a high sea level, and thus, the Sichuan Basin changed to an open platform. The exchange with extensive oceans led to the increased paleoproductivity, which consumed oxygen and nutrients, further resulting in the second episode of anoxic environment. Thus, the restriction degree, eustatic variations, and the terrigenous detrital input affected the biological evolution and redox conditions.

A novel approach called the nonlinear convex decreasing weights golden eagle optimization technique based on a global optimization strategy is proposed to overcome the limitations of the original golden eagle algorithm, which include slow convergence and low search accuracy. To enhance the diversity of the golden eagle, the algorithm is initialized with the Arnold chaotic map. Furthermore, nonlinear convex weight reduction is incorporated into the position update formula of the golden eagle, improving the algorithm’s ability to perform both local and global searches. Additionally, a final global optimization strategy is introduced, allowing the golden eagle to position itself in the best possible location. The effectiveness of the enhanced algorithm is evaluated through simulations using 12 benchmark test functions, demonstrating improved optimization performance. The algorithm is also tested using the CEC2021 test set to assess its performance against other algorithms. Several statistical tests are conducted to compare the efficacy of each method, with the enhanced algorithm consistently outperforming the others. To further validate the algorithm, it is applied to the cognitive radio spectrum allocation problem after discretization, and the results are compared to those obtained using traditional methods. The results indicate the successful operation of the updated algorithm. The effectiveness of the algorithm is further evaluated through five engineering design tasks, which provide additional evidence of its efficacy.

Background: Chromosome 5 open reading frame 46 (C5ORF46), also known as antimicrobial peptide with 64 amino acid residues (AP-64) and skin and saliva-secreted protein 1 (SSSP1), belongs to the family of open reading frame genes and encodes a small exosomal protein. C5ORF46 has been implicated in antibacterial activity and associated with patient prognosis in pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer. These findings highlight the importance of C5ORF46 in gastrointestinal (GI) tumor inception and development. However, the prognostic and immunological value of C5ORF46 in human GI tumors remains largely unknown. In this study, we sought to explore the potential value of C5ORF46 in GI tumor prognosis and immunology.Method: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on the tumor and tumor-adjacent normal samples we collected to identify potential target genes for GI tumors. Apart from our RNA-seq data, all original data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and integrated via Strawberry Perl (v 5.32.0) and R (v 4.1.1). The differential expression of C5ORF46 was examined with Oncomine, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and TCGA databases. The c-BioPortal database was used to investigate the genomic alterations of C5ORF46. The effect of C5ORF46 on prognosis and clinical phenotypes was explored via bioinformatics analyses on the TCGA and GEPIA databases. We used the bioinformatics analyses based on the TCGA database to analyze tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor immune cell infiltration, and the correlations between C5ORF46 expression and several immune-related genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was carried out via the DAVID website and presented as bubble charts using ShengXinRen online tools. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using R scripts based on data downloaded from the GSEA website. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to validate the expression of C5ORF46 in GI tumors.Results: The results of our RNA-seq data indicated a critical role for C5ORF46 in colon carcinogenesis. Consistently, we demonstrated that C5ORF46 was highly expressed in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues in human GI tumors. Moreover, a strong correlation was observed between C5ORF46 expression levels and patient prognosis, staging, TMB, MSI, and immune cell infiltration. Further, C5ORF46 presented as an important regulator in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and was active in the regulation of cancer immune functions. C5ORF46 is significantly correlated with genes regulating inflammation and immune responses.Conclusion:C5ORF46 may serve as a biomarker for GI tumor prognosis and immunology. C5ORF46 could be a novel target for GI tumor immunotherapy.

BackgroundFulminant myocarditis (FM) is a serious non-specific inflammatory disease of the myocardium. FM tends to occur in adolescents and the course of the disease progresses rapidly. It is prone to cardiogenic shock (CGS) and multiple organ failure (MOF) with high mortality. We report a case of FM with CGS and MOF in a young male who was successfully treated with intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation (IABP) combined with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and glucocorticoid (GC).Case summaryA 21-year-old previously healthy man presented with fever, headache, and chest tightness. He came to the hospital for emergency treatment. The laboratory data showed that the levels of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), myocardial zymogram, and neutrophils increased. Echocardiography showed pericardial effusion and decreased left ventricular systolic function. ECG showed diffuse ST-segment elevation. He was clinically diagnosed with FM and admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment. Within 48 h of admission, the clinical course of the patient deteriorated rapidly, with CGS accompanied by MOF, high atrioventricular block (AVB), and ventricular tachycardia (VT). After using mechanical circulatory support (MCS) therapy with IABP, IVIG, GC, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and mechanical ventilation complicated with a temporary cardiac pacemaker, he recovered normal cardiac function. He made a full recovery and was discharged home on day 21.DiscussionFor patients with FM, early diagnosis, close monitoring, timely use of MCS devices, and active comprehensive treatment are very important. MCS devices such as IABP can become lifesaving tools for the treatment of FM.

Abstract The Himalayas is currently rising due to the collision of the Indian and Asian plates and hosts frequent earthquakes, some of which are devastating, such as the 2015 Mw7.8 Gorkha earthquake. Despite the importance of deep dynamic processes to understand the uplift of the Himalayas and the occurrence of large earthquakes, it remains limitedly constrained due to the lack of a detailed three‐dimensional subsurface image under this region. Here, we construct new models of shear‐wave velocity and radial anisotropy down to the 150 km depth from Rayleigh‐ and Love‐wave tomography in the Nepal Himalayas. We find that the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and its main aftershock occurred in a velocity contrast that is presumably interpreted as Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT). A duplex structure, imaged as relatively high velocities, is inferred to exist above MHT under the Lesser Himalayas. This duplex shows heterogeneous features along the strike of the Himalayas that may control the rupture behavior during the occurrence of a large earthquake. Additionally, a low‐velocity anomaly is observed at depths from Moho to 100 km under the Lhasa Terrane and north of the Himalayan Terrane between 85° and 88°E. We interpret this low‐velocity anomaly to be likely caused by mantle upwelling resulting from either possible Indian slab tearing, or northward subduction of the Indian plate. If this is the case, the north‐south trending rifts that situate within the dispersal of the low‐velocity anomaly are probably associated with the mantle upwelling. This study provides a new independent constraint on the geometry of the MHT system and deep dynamic processes occurring in the Nepal Himalaya.

Abstract Background Network meta-analysis (NMA) has been widely used in the field of medicine and health, but the research topics and development trends are still unclear. This study aimed to identify the cooperation of countries and institutes and explore the hot topics and future prospects in the field of NMA. Methods Data of publications were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection. We used CiteSpace V, HistCite 2.1, and Excel 2016 to analyze literature information, including years, journals, countries, institutes, authors, keywords, and co-cited references. Results NMA research developed gradually before 2010 and rapidly in the following years. 2846 NMA studies were published in 771 journals in six languages. The PLoS One (110, 3.9%) was the most productive journal, and N Engl J Med (5904 co-citations) was the most co-cited journal. The most productive country was the United States (889, 31%) and the most productive institute was the University of Bristol (113, 4.0%). The active collaborations were observed between developed countries and between productive institutes. Of the top 10 authors, four were from the UK, and among the top 10 co-cited authors, six were from the UK. Randomized evidence, oral anti-diabetic drugs, coronary artery bypass, certolizumab pegol, non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and second-line antihyperglycemic therapy were the hot topics in this field. Conclusions NMA studies have significantly increased over the past decade, especially from 2015 to 2017. Compared with developing countries, developed countries have contributed more to these publications and have closer cooperation, indicating that cooperation between developed and developing countries should be further strengthened. The treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and immune rheumatism are the main hot topics.

With the advantages offered by cationic photopolymerization (CP) such as broad wavelength activation, tolerance to oxygen, low shrinkage and the possibility of “dark cure”, it has attracted extensive attention in photoresist, deep curing and other fields in recent years. The applied photoinitiating systems (PIS) play a crucial role as they can affect the speed and type of the polymerization and properties of the materials formed. In the past few decades, much effort has been invested into developing cationic photoinitiating systems (CPISs) that can be activated at long wavelengths and overcome technical problems and challenges faced. In this article, the latest developments in the long wavelength sensitive CPIS under ultraviolet (UV)/visible light-emitting diodes (LED) lights are reviewed. The objective is, furthermore, to show differences as well as parallels between different PIS and future perspectives.

BackgroundThere is limited research focusing on publicly available statistics on the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as predictors of mental health across countries. Managers are at risk of suffering from mental disorders during the pandemic because they face particular hardship.ObjectiveWe aim to predict mental disorder (anxiety and depression) symptoms of managers across countries using country-level COVID-19 statistics.MethodsA two-wave online survey of 406 managers from 26 countries was performed in May and July 2020. We used logistic panel regression models for our main analyses and performed robustness checks using ordinary least squares regressions. In the sample, 26.5% of managers reached the cut-off levels for anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7) and 43.5% did so for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9) symptoms.FindingsWe found that cumulative COVID-19 statistics (e.g., cumulative cases, cumulative cases per million, cumulative deaths, and cumulative deaths per million) predicted managers' anxiety and depression symptoms positively, whereas daily COVID-19 statistics (daily new cases, smoothed daily new cases, daily new deaths, smoothed daily new deaths, daily new cases per million, and smoothed daily new cases per million) predicted anxiety and depression symptoms negatively. In addition, the reproduction rate was a positive predictor, while stringency of governmental lockdown measures was a negative predictor. Individually, we found that the cumulative count of deaths is the most suitable single predictor of both anxiety and depression symptoms.ConclusionsCumulative COVID-19 statistics predicted managers' anxiety and depression symptoms positively, while non-cumulative daily COVID-19 statistics predicted anxiety and depression symptoms negatively. Cumulative count of deaths is the most suitable single predictor of both anxiety and depression symptoms. Reproduction rate was a positive predictor, while stringency of governmental lockdown measures was a negative predictor.

IKKε (inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase ε) is a member of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway. It participates in the inflammatory response and innate immunity against bacteria. In recent decades, IKKε has been closely associated with metabolic regulation. Inhibition of the IKKε pathway can improve fat deposition in the liver, reduce subcutaneous fat inflammation, and improve liver gluconeogenesis in obesity. IKKε is expected to be a new therapeutic target for metabolic diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, and obesity. Herein, we summarize the structural characterization, physiological function, and pathological role of IKKε in metabolic diseases and small molecule inhibitors of IKKε.

This paper presents the results of a numerical study on a supercritical CO2 (SCO2) turboshaft cooling device by considering heat transfer and hydrodynamics. A micro-cooling device with a radius clearance of 50 micron and a nozzle diameter of 4 mm was designed and used to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of a micro-spacing impinging and gas film dynamics. Sixteen nozzles (N = 16) are equally spaced around the shaft in single or double rows. Investigations include journal speed- and eccentricity-dependent forward and cross-coupled force coefficients, and the effects of nozzle layouts and mass flow rate on the heat transfer efficiency. Analysis of the correlation coefficient shows that the gas density in the radial clearance is the dominant factor affecting the convective heat transfer performance, while the fluid velocity is a secondary factor. And the cooling efficiency (mass flow utilization rate) at low cooling pressure (ps < 0.7 MPa) is significantly greater than that at high cooling pressure (ps > 0.7 MP). In addition, considering the structure alone, a dual-row cooler exhibits a higher average Nusselt number, also registers a higher mass flow rate at the same pressure. Once the shaft is heated only one end, the difference in effectiveness between single- and dual-row cooling is not significant, so coolers with a single-row configuration should be preferred. Then, experimental values for the temperature of the heated rotor are provided under specific cooling airflow conditions. Dynamic analysis results show that the force coefficient of the single-row configuration is more dependent on the journal rotation speed and eccentricity ratio, and exhibits a negative direct stiffness coefficient at higher inlet pressure and journal rotation speed. Moreover, cross-coupled terms (stiffness coefficient) generally have a more explicit variation tendency than direct terms, and are more sensitive to changes in shaft speed and eccentricity. Small clearance cooling is a relatively complex technology aimed to improve heat dissipation efficiency in gas cooling devices while minimizing the effect of hydrodynamic pressure. Comparing the gas force coefficients of different journal speeds reveals a drastic increase in the effect of hydrodynamic pressure when the journal is eccentric. The cooler may be considered for operation with compliant support (such as bump foil) to generate additional damping and appropriately compensate for the eccentricity of the rotor.

Background: Fufang Zhenzhu Tiao Zhi (FTZ) formula is a Chinese herbal preparation used in the clinical treatment of disorders of glucolipid metabolism. Given its effective actions on the regulation of lipid dysfunction and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects, we designed this study to investigate the cardioprotective effect and possible mechanism of FTZ in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) mice. Methods: FTZ was administered to diabetic mice by oral gavage daily at a dose of 1.2 g/kg or 2.4 g/kg bodyweight for 8 weeks. Doppler echocardiography, H&E, and WGA staining were used to evaluate cardiac function and structure in the mice. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines and lipids in serum were detected with corresponding commercial kits. Immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to detect oxidation damage and pyroptosis in myocardial cells. RT–PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes. Results: Our study indicated that FTZ improved cardiac function, attenuated heart hypertrophy, improved serum lipid and proinflammatory cytokine levels, and restrained oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-induced inflammatory activities in diabetic mouse hearts. The in vitro data suggested that FTZ suppressed intercellular lipid accumulation as well as palmitic acid (PA)-induced oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes. Conclusion: Our present findings indicate that FTZ inhibits DCM by inhibiting both oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by cardiac lipotoxicity.

The Eocene is the initial stage of the Cenozoic global cooling. Compared with the abundant marine records, the continental records of Eocene are scarce. Throughout the Eocene, a series of continuous deposition of gypsum and volcanic tuff-bearing red clastic sediments have developed in the Nangqian Basin (NB). In this work, representative sediments were collected from the NB, and lipid biomarkers and compound-specific carbon isotopes of n-alkanes were analyzed. Based on the robust paleomagnetic age–depth model, from the early to the late Eocene, the compound-specific carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C23 and δ13C25) increased with the sedimentary facies changed. At the same time, the relative proportion of mid-chain length to the long-chain length homologs (Paq) decreased, and the peak carbon number (Cmax) shifted from nC21, nC22 or nC23 to nC16, nC25, nC27, or nC31. We ascribed these variations to the climate drying and water level turning high as indicated by the lithology change from fluvial to lacustrine facies and the terrestrial inputs from neighboring mountain belts in the middle–late Eocene. Moreover, we compared our n-alkane results with other records from the TP and the global sea level and marine benthic δ18O. We found that a nearly synchronous deformation and drying of the eastern TP caused by the India–Asia collision in the early Eocene was closely related to the arid conditions and topographically changed in the northern TP. The climate variations in the Eocene in the NB were mainly controlled by the global climate change and the uplift of the TP and affected by the Paratethys Sea on a long scale.

Objective: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) are evolving technologies that are capable of delivering real-time, high-resolution images of tissues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using PAT and MSOT for detecting histology in a rabbit tracheal stenosis model. Method: A total of 12 rabbits (9 stenosis and three control) were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C and D). Each group consisted of three rabbits, which were staged at the first, fourth, and eighth weeks of stenosis progression, respectively. PAT/MSOT images and corresponding histology from these experimental animals were compared, for analyzing the morphologic features and quantitative tracheal measurements in different tracheal stenosis stage.Result: Both the PAT images and corresponding histology indicated the most severe degree of stenosis in group C. MSOT images indicated notable differences in tracheal contents of group B and D.Conclusion: This study suggests that PAT/MSOT are potentially valuable non-invasive modality which are capable of evaluating tracheal structure and function in vivo.

Abstract Background Electron tomography (ET) is an important technique for the study of complex biological structures and their functions. Electron tomography reconstructs the interior of a three-dimensional object from its projections at different orientations. However, due to the instrument limitation, the angular tilt range of the projections is limited within +70∘ to −70∘. The missing angle range is known as the missing wedge and will cause artifacts. Results In this paper, we proposed a novel algorithm, compressed sensing improved iterative reconstruction-reprojection (CSIIRR), which follows the schedule of improved iterative reconstruction-reprojection but further considers the sparsity of the biological ultra-structural content in specimen. The proposed algorithm keeps both the merits of the improved iterative reconstruction-reprojection (IIRR) and compressed sensing, resulting in an estimation of the electron tomography with faster execution speed and better reconstruction result. A comprehensive experiment has been carried out, in which CSIIRR was challenged on both simulated and real-world datasets as well as compared with a number of classical methods. The experimental results prove the effectiveness and efficiency of CSIIRR, and further show its advantages over the other methods. Conclusions The proposed algorithm has an obvious advance in the suppression of missing wedge effects and the restoration of missing information, which provides an option to the structural biologist for clear and accurate tomographic reconstruction.

Abstract Background There has been an increasing number of children with congenital heart disease that undergo primary or second systemic-pulmonary shunt, while there are few reports on the second systemic-pulmonary shunt. Therefore, this study summarizes the experience of second systemic-pulmonary shunt for congenital heart disease in our hospital. Methods and results Sixty-five children with congenital heart disease who underwent systemic-pulmonary shunt for the second time in our hospital were analyzed. At the early stage after the operation, cyanosis improved and SpO2 significantly increased. One patient died in hospital (1.54%) and the causes of death were aggravated atrioventricular regurgitation, low cardiac output syndrome, and liver failure. Early complications occurred in 18 patients (27.7%). All the children were rechecked in our hospital every 3–6 months and the McGoon index significantly increased. Conclusion Systemic-pulmonary artery shunt can promote pulmonary vascular development, improve cyanosis symptoms, and increase the chance of radical treatment in children with pulmonary vascular dysplasia.

Abstract Background S100 calcium binding protein A12 (S100A12) is a member of the S100 protein family and is widely expressed in neutrophil and low expressed in lymphocytes and monocyte. However, the role of S100A12 in glioma has not yet been identified. Methods In the present study, we carried out immunohistochemical investigation of S100A12 in 81 glioma tissues to determine the expression of S100A12 in glioma cells, and evaluate the clinical significance of S100A12 in glioma patients. Futher we knockdown the S100A12 by shRNA, and evaluated cell proliferation, cell migration and cell apoptosis by MTT, colony formation assay, transwell assay,flow cytometry assa and western blot. Results We found that S100A12 was upregulated in tissues of glioma patients and the expression was correlated to WHO stage and tumor size. Further, we found that knockdown S100A12 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells through regulating cell apoptosis and EMT. Conclusion S100A12 plays a vital role in glioma progression, and may be an important regulatory molecule for biological behaviors of glioma cell lines.

Abstract Background The recruitment of immune system cells into the central nervous system (CNS) has a profound effect on the outcomes of injury and disease. Glia-derived chemoattractants, including chemokines, play a pivotal role in this process. In addition, cytokines and chemokines influence the phenotype of infiltrating immune cells. Depending on the stimuli present in the local milieu, infiltrating macrophages acquire the classically activated M1 or alternatively activated M2 phenotypes. The polarization of macrophages into detrimental M1 versus beneficial M2 phenotypes significantly influences CNS pathophysiology. Earlier studies indicated that a toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) antagonist modulates astrocyte-derived cytokine and chemokine release. However, it is not known whether these molecular changes affect astrocyte-induced chemotaxis and polarization of macrophages. The present studies were undertaken to address these issues. Methods The chemotaxis and polarization of mouse peritoneal macrophages by spinal cord astrocytes were evaluated in a Transwell co-culture system. Arrays and ELISA were utilized to quantify chemokines in the conditioned medium (CM) of pure astrocyte cultures. Immunostaining for M1- and M2-specific markers characterized the macrophage phenotype. The percentage of M2 macrophages at the glial scar was determined by stereological approaches in mice sustaining a mid-thoracic spinal cord contusion injury (SCI) and intrathecally treated with oligodeoxynucleotide 2088 (ODN 2088), the TLR9 antagonist. Statistical analyses used two-tailed independent-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. A p value

To comprehensively analyze the impact of both emotional contagion and evacuation assistant on the whole process of crowd evacuation, and to provide some feasible suggestions for safety officers, a novel approach named Improved Social Force Model Based on Emotional Contagion and Evacuation Assistant is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that comprehensively takes both emotional contagion and evacuation assistant into account in the relevant studies of Social Force Model. Firstly, we optimize the original Social Force Model to offset the overlapping phenomenon caused by pedestrians’ body compression and relative tangential motion. Secondly, we construct an emotional-contagion-based model, which is integrated into the self-driving force of the Social Force Model, to dynamically adjust pedestrian’s velocity and direction. Finally, specific evacuation strategies are adopted for different types of pedestrians, and evacuation assistants are set to guide the evacuees who are panic about the hazards in a rational way. Obviously, shown by extensive evaluations and experimental results, the model presented in this article reflects the influence of Emotional Contagion and Evacuation Assistant on crowd evacuation genuinely and efficiently, outperforming mainstream approaches in evacuation efficiency.

BackgroundCompared with older patients, young women with breast cancer (YWBCs) have a poorer prognosis and a higher risk of recurrence. Ages ≤35 years are independent risk factors for local recurrence of breast cancer. Surgery is the most important local treatment for YWBC, and there is still a lack of prospective studies comparing surgical options for recurrence and survival. We retrospectively compared the effects of surgical options on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of YWBC at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC).MethodsYWBCs (age ≤35 years) who underwent surgery at FUSCC between 2008 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into three groups according to surgical options: 1) breast-conserving surgery (BCS), 2) mastectomy alone (M), and 3) mastectomy with reconstruction (RECON). The DFS and OS outcome rates from the three surgical options were compared using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model. Propensity score matching (PSM) was also used to balance the baseline characteristics to eliminate selection bias.ResultsA total of 1,520 YWBCs were enrolled with a median follow-up of 5.1 years, including 524 patients (34.5%) who underwent BCS, 676 patients (44.5%) who underwent M, and 320 patients (21.1%) who underwent RECON. The 5-year DFS rates were 96%, 87%, and 93%, respectively (P < 0.001); the 5-year OS rates were 98%, 94%, and 97%, respectively (P = 0.002). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that DFS and OS were significantly improved in patients undergoing BCS compared with those undergoing M, with hazard ratios (HR) of 0.448 (95% CI 0.276–0.728; P = 0.001) and 0.405 (95% CI 0.206–0.797, P = 0.009), respectively. After PSM, DFS and OS rates were significantly improved in patients undergoing BCS compared to patients undergoing M (DFS, P = 0.001; OS, P = 0.009); RECON was also improved compared to patients undergoing M in terms of DFS and OS, but the difference was not statistically significant (DFS, P = 0.164; OS, P = 0.130).ConclusionsThe surgical options were independent factors affecting DFS and OS in YWBC, and the DFS and OS rates were significantly improved in the BCS group compared to those in the M group. BCS is preferred for early YWBC, and RECON is the best option for remodeling the body images of YWBC who do not have breast-conserving conditions.

Faces are widely used in information recognition and other fields. Due to the openness of the Internet, ensuring that face information is not stolen by criminals is a hot issue. The traditional encryption method only encrypts the whole area of the image and ignores some features of the face. This paper proposes a double-encrypted face image encryption algorithm. The contour features of the face are extracted, followed by two rounds of encryption. The first round of encryption algorithm encrypts the identified face image, and the second round of encryption algorithm encrypts the entire image. The encryption algorithm used is scrambling and diffusion at the same time, and the keystream of the cryptosystem is generated by 2D SF-SIMM. The design structure of this cryptosystem increases security, and the attacker needs to crack two rounds of the algorithm to get the original face image.

Owing to continual advances in computational fluid dynamics, simulations of fluids have emerged as an important means of analyzing the aerodynamic characteristics of flapping-wing flight. This study establishes an aerodynamic model of bionic flapping-wing flight and uses dynamic hybrid grid technology to divide its flow field and other parts. We formulate equations to control the discretized flow field and combine the Navier–Stokes equation (N–S equation) with the theory of dynamic vortices to solve the flow field of the motion of flapping wings. We analyzed the lift and drag generated by the flapping wing at different wind speeds, amplitudes, frequencies, and chordal torsion angles. The results show the following: (1) wind speed had a significant influence on the lift resistance of the flapping wing. When the wind speed was 1 m/s, the lift force was 1.544 N and increased 4.3 times to 6.636 N when the wind speed was 5 m/s. The resistance increased from 0.39 to 0.88 N. (2) Changes in the amplitude of flutter had little effect on the average lift resistance. When the amplitude was increased from 15° to 45°, the lift force increased to only 0.757 N and drag changed by little. (3) The increase in the flapping frequency improved flight lift. When the frequency was increased from 1 to 5 Hz, the lift increased by 2.9 N (1.78 times) and resistance increased by only 0.08 N. (4) Increasing the chord torsion angle increased flight lift. The lifts at β = 5° and 15° were 6.636 and 6.654 N, respectively, 0.85 and 0.87 N greater than those at β = 0°. As the torsion angle continued to increase, the lift decreased, while the resistance increased more quickly. When β = 15°, the resistance increased by 1.53 N, 9.6 times larger than that at 0°. Increasing the flight speed and flapping frequency can increase flight lift. A small increase in the chord torsion angle increased flight lift, but an excessively large angle led to a substantial increase in drag. Increasing the amplitude of flapping can increase the instantaneous lift generated but has a smaller effect on the average lift. By revealing the influence of different parameters on the lifting resistance of a flapping wing during flight, this paper provides a theoretical foundation for the design and control of bionic flapping-wing aircraft.

In this paper, a high security color image encryption algorithm is proposed by 2D Sin-Cos-Hénon (2D-SCH) system. A new two-dimensional chaotic system which is 2D-SCH. This system is hyperchaotic. The use of the 2D-SCH, a color image encryption algorithm based on random scrambling and localization diffusion, is proposed. First, the secret key is generated by SHA512 through plaintext. As the initial value of the 2D-SCH system, the secret key is used to generate chaotic sequences. Then, the random scrambling is designed based on chaotic sequences. Finally, a pair of initial points is generated by the secret key; the image diffuses around this point. The ciphertext is obtained by a double encryption. Different from the traditional encryption algorithm, this paper encrypts three channels of color image simultaneously, which greatly improves the security of the algorithm. Simulation results show that the algorithm can resist various attacks.

Designing a chaotic system with a simple structure and complex dynamic behavior is one of the main tasks of chaotic cryptography. This paper designs a new 1D chaotic system called 1D two-parameters-sin-cos (1D-TPSC). Compared with high-dimensional chaotic systems, the 1D-TPSC has a simple structure and is easy to implement with software. The Lyapunov exponent analyzes the parameter space of the 1D-TPSC in a chaotic state. Furthermore, using sensitivity analysis, cobweb plot, and bifurcation diagram to verify that the sequence generated by 1D-TPSC has good performance. In addition, the 1D-TPSC has also been applied in chaotic image encryption. Arnold mapping is used to scramble the plaintext, and random XOR is used to diffuse the scrambled image. Simulation experiments show that the method can remarkably resist standard attack methods.

The Superpressure Balloon-borne Imaging Telescope ( SuperBIT ) is a diffraction-limited, wide-field, 0.5 m, near-infrared to near-ultraviolet observatory designed to exploit the stratosphere’s space-like conditions. SuperBIT ’s 2023 science flight will deliver deep, blue imaging of galaxy clusters for gravitational lensing analysis. In preparation, we have developed a weak-lensing measurement pipeline with modern algorithms for PSF characterization, shape measurement, and shear calibration. We validate our pipeline and forecast SuperBIT survey properties with simulated galaxy cluster observations in SuperBIT ’s near-UV and blue bandpasses. We predict imaging depth, galaxy number (source) density, and redshift distribution for observations in SuperBIT ’s three bluest filters; the effect of lensing sample selections is also considered. We find that, in three hours of on-sky integration, SuperBIT can attain a depth of b = 26 mag and a total source density exceeding 40 galaxies per square arcminute. Even with the application of lensing-analysis catalog selections, we find b -band source densities between 25 and 30 galaxies per square arcminute with a median redshift of z = 1.1. Our analysis confirms SuperBIT ’s capability for weak gravitational lensing measurements in the blue.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the disputed maritime areas causes significant damage to the marine ecology and authorized fisheries, increases the risk of conflicts among disputed states, and violates human rights at sea. Both unilateral measures and cooperative governance for IUU fishing are often inadequate in these areas. In light, this study aims to clarify the regulatory obligations of relevant states and explore feasible solutions based on international cooperation to promote IUU governance in disputed areas worldwide. The rapidly evolving international fisheries legal framework requires that states, such as coastal states, flag states, port states, or market states, fulfill their respective obligations to prevent and deter IUU and that the presence of disputes in a specific maritime area does not typically constitute grounds for derogation from these obligations or exemption from possible state responsibility. However, the implications of the conflicting claims in disputed maritime areas should be taken into consideration while interpreting and applying international legal rules. Therefore, this study suggests that regional and inter-regional cooperation is necessary for states to fulfill their obligations to regulate IUU fishing and prevent state responsibilities under international law. Parties to the dispute, as well as third parties, are encouraged to participate in the cooperative mechanism in order to coordinate legislative and enforcement measures and advance the institutionalization of IUU fishing regulation in the disputed maritime areas, which will not only advances the effective governance of IUU fishing but also reduces tensions among the disputing states and contributes to the peaceful settlement of the dispute.

Abstract Background The majority of breast cancer patients die of metastasis rather than primary tumors, whereas the molecular mechanisms orchestrating cancer metastasis remains poorly understood. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) have been shown to regulate cancer occurrence and progression. However, the lncRNAs that drive metastasis in cancer patients and their underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Methods lncRNAs highly expressed in metastatic lymph nodes were identified by microarray. Survival analysis were made by Kaplan-Meier method. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assay was performed to confirm the phenotype of LINC02273. Tail vein model and mammary fat pad model were used for in vivo study. RNA pull-down and RIP assay were used to confirm the interaction of hnRNPL and LINC02273. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification followed by sequencing (ChIRP-seq), RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and luciferase reporter assay reveal hnRNPL-LINC02273 regulates AGR2. Antisense oligonucleotides were used for in vivo treatment. Results We identified a novel long noncoding RNA LINC02273, whose expression was significantly elevated in metastatic lesions compared to the primary tumors, by genetic screen of matched tumor samples. Increased LINC02273 promoted breast cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo. We further showed that LINC02273 was stabilized by hnRNPL, a protein increased in metastatic lesions, in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, hnRNPL-LINC02273 formed a complex which activated AGR2 transcription and promoted cancer metastasis. The recruitment of hnRNPL-LINC02273 complex to AGR2 promoter region epigenetically upregulated AGR2 by augmenting local H3K4me3 and H3K27ac levels. Combination of AGR2 and LINC02273 was an independent prognostic factor for predicting breast cancer patient survival. Moreover, our data revealed that LINC02273-targeting antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) substantially inhibited breast cancer metastasis in vivo. Conclusions Our findings uncover a key role of LINC02273-hnRNPL-AGR2 axis in breast cancer metastasis and provide potential novel therapeutic targets for metastatic breast cancer intervention.

Accurate measurement of the material parameters of composite in a nondestructive manner is of great significance for evaluating mechanical performance. This study proposes to use a genetic algorithm (GA) to reconstruct the stiffness matrix of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) with array-guided wave (GW)-based GA. By comparing the numerically calculated GW dispersion curves with the experimental wave number-frequency contour calculated with a two-dimensional Fourier transform (2D-FFT), the matching coefficient is directly obtained as the objective function of the GA, avoiding the overhead of sorting out the respective GW modes. Then the measured stiffness matrix with tensile testing and the longitudinal wave in the unidirectional CFRP is compared with the reconstructed parameters from unidirectional, cross-ply, and quasi-isotropic CFRPs with the GA. For the four independent parameters, excluding C12, an average value of 11.62% for the maximum deviation is achieved among the CFRPs with three stacking sequences, and an average deviation of 11.03% in unidirectional CFRPs is achieved for the parameters measured with different methods. A further correction of fiber orientation results in a relative deviation of only 2.72% for the elastic modulus along the tensile direction, and an expansion of the GW frequency range for the GA narrows down the relative deviation of C12 to 3.9%. The proposed GW-based GA opens up a way of in situ and nondestructive measurement for the composite stiffness matrix.

Project expert evaluation is the backbone of public funding allocation. A slight change in score can push a proposal below or above a funding line. Academic researchers have discovered many factors that may affect evaluation decision quality, yet the subject of cognitive proximity towards decision quality has not been considered thoroughly. Using 923 observations of the 2017 Beijing Innofund data, the study finds that cognitive proximity has an inverted “U-shape” relation to decision-making quality. Moreover, two contextual factors, evaluation experience and evaluation efforts, exert moderation effects on the inverted U shape. These findings fill the gaps in the current research on cognition-based perspective by specifying the mechanism of cognitive proximity in the evaluation field and contributing to improving decision-making quality by selecting appropriate evaluators. Theoretical contributions and policy implications have been discussed.

BackgroundAs single-cell sequencing technology has been gradually introduced, it is essential to characterize global collaboration networks and map development trends over the past 20 years. ObjectiveThe aim of this paper was to illustrate collaboration in the field of single-cell sequencing methods and explore key topics and future directions. MethodsBibliometric analyses were conducted with CiteSpace and VOSviewer software on publications prior to November 2019 from the Web of Science Core Collection about single-cell sequencing methods. ResultsUltimately, we identified 2489 records, which were published in 495 journals by 14,202 authors from 1970 institutes in 61 countries. There was a noticeable increase in publications in 2014. The United States and high-income countries in Europe contributed to most of the records included. Harvard University, Stanford University, Karolinska Institutes, Peking University, and the University of Washington were the biggest nodes in every cluster of the collaboration network, and SA Teichmann, JC Marioni, A Regev, and FC Tang were the top-producing authors. Keywords co-occurrence analysis suggested applications in immunology as a developing research trend. ConclusionsWe concluded that the global collaboration network was unformed and that high-income countries contributed more to the rapidly growth of publications of single-cell sequencing technology. Furthermore, the application in immunology might be the next research hotspot and developmental direction.

BackgroundTrastuzumab shows excellent benefits for HER2+ breast cancer patients, although 20% treated remain unresponsive. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to optimize neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab treatment in HER2+ breast cancer patients.MethodsSix hundred patients were analyzed to identify clinical characteristics of those not achieving a pathological complete response (pCR) to develop a clinical predictive model. Available RNA sequence data was also reviewed to develop a genetic model for pCR.ResultsThe pCR rate was 39.8% and pCR was associated with superior disease free survival and overall survival. ER negativity and PR negativity, higher HER2 IHC scores, higher Ki-67, and trastuzumab use were associated with improved pCR. Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin had the highest pCR rate (46.70%) and the anthracycline+taxanes regimen had the lowest rate (11.11%). Four published GEO datasets were analyzed and a 10-gene model and immune signature for pCR were developed. Non-pCR patients were ER+PR+ and had a lower immune signature and gene model score. Hormone receptor status and immune signatures were independent predictive factors of pCR.ConclusionHormone receptor status and a 10-gene model could predict pCR independently and may be applied for patient selection and drug effectiveness optimization.

Supported employment (SE) is an evidence-based program that has shown much promise in helping people with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) to gain and sustain competitive employment. However, there are significant variations in employment outcomes across SE programs in Canada that can be partly explained by SE service users’ experiences in their work environment. The work environment can exert a considerable influence on the interest in and ability to sustain the employment of a person with an SMI. This study explores the work experiences of individuals with SMIs who are involved in an SE program and who understand the challenges of and barriers to sustaining such employment. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 individuals with SMIs, and the data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Challenges to the employment sustainability of an individual with SMI were found to arise primarily from three intersecting contexts: the SE program, the work environment, and the larger Canadian labor market. The findings suggest that SE programs will better promote employment sustainability if they adhere closely to individual placement and support model of SE. SE service providers (employment specialists) must be equipped with a wide range of knowledge and skills to meet the needs of individuals with SMIs if sustainable employment is to be achieved. It is recommended that there must be investment in training for employment specialists to assist SE service users to achieve sustainable employment outcomes.

Abstract Background Neuropathic pain is often observed in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI) and is not adequately alleviated by current pharmacotherapies. A better understanding of underlying mechanisms could facilitate the discovery of novel targets for therapeutic interventions. We previously reported that decreased plasma membrane calcium ATPase 2 (PMCA2) expression in the dorsal horn (DH) of healthy PMCA2+/− mice is paralleled by increased sensitivity to evoked nociceptive pain. These studies suggested that PMCA2, a calcium extrusion pump expressed in spinal cord neurons, plays a role in pain mechanisms. However, the contribution of PMCA2 to neuropathic pain processing remains undefined. The present studies investigated the role of PMCA2 in neuropathic pain processing in the DH of wild-type mice affected by experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, and following SCI. Methods EAE was induced in female and male C57Bl/6N mice via inoculation with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein fragment 35–55 (MOG35–55) emulsified in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA). CFA-inoculated mice were used as controls. A severe SC contusion injury was induced at thoracic (T8) level in female C57Bl/6N mice. Pain was evaluated by the Hargreaves and von Frey filament tests. PMCA2 levels in the lumbar DH were analyzed by Western blotting. The effectors that decrease PMCA2 expression were identified in SC neuronal cultures. Results Increased pain in EAE and SCI was paralleled by a significant decrease in PMCA2 levels in the DH. In contrast, PMCA2 levels remained unaltered in the DH of mice with EAE that manifested motor deficits but not increased pain. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and IL-6 expression were robustly increased in the DH of mice with EAE manifesting pain, whereas these cytokines showed a modest increase or no change in mice with EAE in the absence of pain. Only IL-1β decreased PMCA2 levels in pure SC neuronal cultures through direct actions. Conclusions PMCA2 is a contributor to neuropathic pain mechanisms in the DH. A decrease in PMCA2 in DH neurons is paralleled by increased pain sensitivity, most likely through perturbations in calcium signaling. Interleukin-1β is one of the effectors that downregulates PMCA2 by acting directly on neurons.

Abstract Background Food-borne trematodiases are an important group of neglected global diseases. Affected patients in regions with low prevalence usually experience delayed diagnosis, especially when presenting with atypical clinical symptoms. Here, we presented a rare case of a Chinese patient infected with three food-borne trematodiases. Case presentation A 42-year-old man presented with diarrhea, lower extremity edema, and symptoms of cardiac dysfunction. He had a history of intermittent consumption of raw freshwater fishes for 6–7 years. Upon evaluation, he had eosinophilia, anemia, intrahepatic bile duct dilatation and a growing space-occupying lesion in the left atrium. The patient underwent a cardiac surgery which revealed an endocardial hematoma due to mechanical injuries. Imaging investigations also revealed intracranial and pulmonary lesions. A total of three trematodiases were diagnosed based upon microscopic stool examination, from which eggs of Clonorchis sinensis, Heterophyidae and Echinostomatidae were identified. Deposition of Clonorchis sinensis eggs was also observed from ileocecal squash slides. The patient was successfully treated with three cycles of praziquantel. Conclusions Food-borne trematodiases may present with systemic involvement. Patients with dietary history of high risk or atypical ingestions should be evaluated for parasitic infection, even in non-endemic areas.

Abstract Background Host genetic backgrounds affect gene functions. The genetic backgrounds of genetically engineered organisms must be identified to confirm their genetic backgrounds identity with those of recipients. Marker-assisted backcrossing (MAB), transgenesis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) editing are three commonly used genetic engineering techniques. However, methods for genetic background screening between genetically engineered organisms and corresponding recipients suffer from low efficiency, low accuracy or high cost. Results Here, we improved our previously reported AmpSeq-SSR method, an amplicon sequencing-based simple sequence repeat (SSR) genotyping method, by selecting SSR loci with high polymorphism among varieties. Ultimately, a set of 396 SSRs was generated and applied to evaluate the genetic backgrounds identity between rice lines developed through MAB, transgenesis, and CRISPR/Cas9 editing and the respective recipient rice. We discovered that the percentage of different SSRs between the MAB-developed rice line and its recipient was as high as 23.5%. In contrast, only 0.8% of SSRs were different between the CRISPR/Cas9-system-mediated rice line and its recipient, while no SSRs showed different genotypes between the transgenic rice line and its recipient. Furthermore, most differential SSRs induced by MAB technology were located in non-coding regions (62.9%), followed by untranslated regions (21.0%) and coding regions (16.1%). Trinucleotide repeats were the most prevalent type of altered SSR. Most importantly, all altered SSRs located in coding regions were trinucleotide repeats. Conclusions This method is not only useful for the background evaluation of genetic resources but also expands our understanding of the unintended effects of different genetic engineering techniques. While the work we present focused on rice, this method can be readily extended to other organisms.

In the Northern China Plain (NCP), sunken solar greenhouses (SSG) are now increasingly being used for vegetable cultivation in winter due to low winter temperatures. Investigating plant transpiration and determining crop coefficients are helpful when developing irrigation scheduling and improving crop growth. In this study, a three-season experiment was conducted in a commercial tomato SSG to investigate changes in microclimate, sap flow (SF), photosynthesis traits and plant physiological parameters, and to calculate the crop coefficient and evaluate the irrigation efficiency using current irrigation management practices. Results show that the average transmissivity from top plastic covers was 0.69, and the inside temperature increased by approximately 10 °C in November and 15–18 °C in December, which guaranteed the growth of tomatoes in winter. The leaf photosynthesis rate (Pn) is linearly related to radiation, however, a concave quadratic function is a better fit for Pn and VPD, with the highest Pn at approximately 1.0 kPa VPD; leaf transpiration is positively and linearly related to both radiation and VPD. Therefore, increasing greenhouse transmissivity and maintaining an internal VPD of approximately 1 kPa could produce a high leaf Pn and low transpiration concurrently. Daily total SF was linearly correlated with solar radiation, VPD and temperature with determination coefficients of 0.87–0.96, 0.89–0.91 and 0.62–0.84, respectively. Correcting the slope of SF to radiation with VPD (SF = (0.12 + 0.14VPD)Rs), R2 increased by 0.08, and the root mean square error and relative error decreased by 0.047 mm day−1 and 6.53%, respectively. Therefore, this integrated equation is recommended to estimate daily tomato transpiration when plant height is approximately 1.5 m, and the leaf area index (LAI) is between 2 and 2.5. During the fruit expansion and ripening period, the average basal crop coefficients (Kcb) for greenhouse tomatoes in winter was between 0.99 and 1.11. The irrigation efficiency increased from 0.3 in the first season to 0.6–0.69 in the second and third seasons when the tensiometer method was used. Therefore, using the tensiometer method to guide tomato irrigation could markedly improve irrigation efficiency in greenhouses.

Understanding the impact of sprinkler irrigation on field energy balance, microclimate, and crop evapotranspiration is of great importance for optimizing irrigation scheduling and enhancing crop growth. In this study, the microclimate variables, energy, and water flux were measured using an eddy covariance system during four wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growing seasons in a sprinkler-irrigated field of North China Plain. The variation patterns of microclimate, energy balance (net solar radiation Rn, soil heat flux G, latent heat LE, and sensible heat H) and crop evapotranspiration (ET) were analyzed during and after sprinkler irrigation events. A novel quantitative model using a stepwise regression method was developed to predict the change in microclimate after sprinkler irrigation by considering irrigation, weather, meteorology, and crop traits. The results showed that the reflectance rate of the wheat canopy decreased by 0.01, and the daily LE/Rn increased by 0.19–0.23 in the 1–3 days after sprinkler irrigation with 40–50 mm water, which finally resulted in crop ET increased by 1.8–4.7 mm during irrigation interval, and seasonal total ET could increase by 9–24 mm when five normal sprinkler irrigations were implemented in a wheat season. The mean daily H/Rn decreased by 0.06–0.17, indicating weak energy exchange between canopy and environment. The measured daily minimum (Tmin), maximum temperatures (Tmax) and daily mean vapor pressure deficit (VPD) decreased by approximately 0.8 °C, 0.9 °C, and 0.25 kPa, respectively, and daily mean relative humidity increased by approximately 7.5% on the first 3 days after sprinkler irrigation; and these changes decreased and were negligible on the 5th–7th days. The decreases in daily Tmin, Tmax, and mean VPD after sprinkler irrigation could change more under higher irrigation amounts and sunny days with a larger crop leaf area index based on the fitted models.