Search

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are associated with development and progression of multiple myeloma (MM). However, the role and mechanism of circ_0005615 in MM have not been elucidated. Circ_0005615 was determined by GEO database. quantitative RT-PCR was performed to confirm the expression of circ_0005615 in peripheral blood of MM patients and MM cells. The roles of circ_0005615 in MM were analyzed using CCK8, transwell invasion, cell apoptosis and tumor xenograft experiments. Bioinformatics tools, RIP and RNA pull down assays were conducted to explore the downstream of circ_0005615. Furthermore, the mechanism was investigated by quantitative RT-PCR, western blot, dot blot and meRIP-PCR assays. Circ_0005615 was upregulated in MM. Overexpression of circ_0005615 promoted cell viability and invasion, and suppressed apoptosis in vitro , which were opposite when circ_0005615 was knockdowned. Mechanistically, EIF4A3, a RNA-binding protein (RBP), could directly bind to circ_0005615 and ALKBH5, where ALKBH5 could directly combine with MAP3K4, forming a circ_0005615- EIF4A3-ALKBH5-MAP3K4 module. Furthermore, circ_0005615 overexpression increased m6A methylation of MAP3K4 by inhibiting ALKBH5, leading to decreased MAP3K4. Further functional experiments indicated that ALKBH5 overexpression weakened the promoting roles of circ_0005615 overexpression in MAP3K4 m6A methylation and tumor progression in MM. The above functions and mechanism were also verified in vivo. Elevated circ_0005615 decreased MAP3K4 mediated by ALKBH5 through interacting with EIF4A3, thereby accelerating MM progression. Circ_0005615 might be a promising biomarker and target of MM. • Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are associated with development and progression of multiple myeloma (MM). • Circ 0005615 promotes MM progression by binding to RNA-binding proteins. • Circ_0005615 might be a promising biomarker and target of MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of efficient and intelligent method for detecting harmful agrochemicals in resource-limited settings remains an urgent need to ensure food and environmental safety. Herein, a novel dual-emitting Tb3+-modified hydrogen-bonded organic framework (Tb@TBTC, TBTC is the ligand of HOF-TBTC.) with visible green fluorescence has been prepared through coordination post-synthetic modification. Tb@TBTC can be designed as a fluorescence sensor for the identification of two harmful carcinogenic pesticides, thiabendazole (TBZ) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) with high sensitivity, high efficiency and excellent selectivity. Tb@TBTC can also adsorb 2-CP with high adsorption rate. In realistic fruit juice and river water samples, the detection limits of Tb@TBTC toward TBZ and 2-CP are as low as 2.73 μM and 2.18 μM, respectively, demonstrating the feasibility in practical application. Furthermore, an intelligent real-time and on-site monitoring platform for 2-CP detection is constructed based on Tb@TBTC-agarose hydrogel films with the assistance of back propagation neural network, which can efficiently and accurately determine the concentration of 2-CP from fluorescence images through human-machine interaction. This work presents a facile pathway to prepare Tb@HOF fluorescent sensor for food and ecological environment safety, which is highly promising for preventing human disease and improving global public health. A Tb@HOF sensor can realize real-time monitoring of TBZ and 2-CP simultaneously with high sensitivity, high efficiency and excellent selectivity combined with BPNN, and can also adsorb 2-CP with high adsorption rate, which displays a promising prospect in monitoring food and environmental safety, and ensuring public health. [Display omitted] • An emerging crystalline luminescent material Tb@TBTC with bright green fluorescence. • Detection of two carcinogenic pesticides, thiabendazole and 2-chlorophenol. • Adsorbing 2-chlorophenol with high adsorption rate. • Back propagation neural network (BPNN) model of machine learning for application. • Tb@TBTC-AG hydrogel films as an intelligent analysis platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a coupling strategy between OpenFAST and WEC-Sim (OWS) to provide a general solution for the design of offshore floating wind turbines (FOWTs). The fully-coupled calculation is implemented by transferring the tower-base loads from OpenFAST to WEC-Sim, which in turn transfers the platform displacements, velocities and accelerations back to the former. The cross-platform data interface is achieved via S-function in Simulink, and a parallel route in OWS ensures a comparable calculation speed compared with OpenFAST. The model validation is conducted based on the IEA-15-MW reference wind turbine (RWT) and UMaine-VolturnUS-S semisubmersible platform with the reference site located at the northern North Sea. Through code-to-code comparisons against OpenFAST, the newly developed OWS model is tested in various environmental conditions to ensure its correctness and reliability. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of the FOWT are comprehensively investigated using spectral analysis. The time lag of the platform displacements with respect to the incident wave is quantitatively evaluated based on correlation analysis. Generally, there is little time lag between the heave displacement and the wave, but the time lag in the pitch direction (6–9 s) is approximately twice that (3–4 s) in the surge direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the fact that the real manufacturing processes are often constrained by many kinds of resources and the trend that the energy consumption of factories is regulated more and more strictly, this paper studies the energy-efficient multi-resource flexible job shop scheduling problem (EE-MRFJSP). The goal is to minimize the energy consumption and completion time for all of the jobs' production. Firstly, a general mathematic model for EE-MRFJSP is set up, in which the unit energy consumptions of the main resource's different states are varied, and a constraint formula to ensure no crossover working periods for any resource is included. Then, a non-dominated sorting teaching-learning-based optimization(NSTLBO) algorithm is proposed to solving the problem, the details of NSTLBO include the real encoding method, Giffler Thompson rule for decoding, non-dominated sorting rule to rank the pareto sets and crowding distance of solution for maintaining the population's diversity, and the traditional two evolving stages: teacher education and student mutual study. Finally, comparative experiments are made based on some new designed instances, and the results verify our proposed NSTLBO algorithm can effectively solve the EE-MMFJSP, and has obvious advantages by comparing with NSGA-II, NRGA, and MOPSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though amounts of attempts about nanomedicine for chemo-radiotherapy have been made, more efficient strategies for chemo-radio therapy enhancement still need to be studied and perfected. Herein, a 'yolk-shell'-like nanostructure (Bi 2 S 3 @mBi x Mn y O z nanosystem) was facilely constructed by directly using radiosensitizer Bi 2 S 3 nanorods (NRs) as a partial sacrificial template. Then, the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) loaded PEGylated Bi 2 S 3 @mBi x Mn y O z nanosystem (PBmB-DOX) was constructed, which could realize tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive drug release for chemotherapy sensitivity enhancement. And the Bi 2 S 3 NRs core could deposit more radiant energy to improve the radiotherapy sensitivity. Meanwhile, the compounds shell could catalyze H 2 O 2 to generate O 2 , so as to alleviate tumor hypoxia for further chemo-radio therapy sensitization enhancement. More importantly, ferroptosis was participated in the process of PBmB-induced therapy via glutathione (GSH)-depletion mediated GPX4 inactivation, together with Mn ions induced chemodynamic therapy (Fenton-like reaction), which made additional contributions to increase the therapeutic efficacy. Last but not least, the GSH-stimulated degradation of compounds shell could contribute to self-enhanced T 1 -MR imaging activation, which allowed on-demand tumor diagnosis. In this work, the synthetic strategy that directly using Bi 2 S 3 NRs as a partial sacrificial template to rapidly synthesize the 'yolk-shell'-like nanostructure for nanomedical application has rarely been reported before. And the in vitro and in vivo results suggest that our 'yolk-shell'-like PBmB-DOX nanosystem holds great promise to regulate TME for tumor-specific diagnosis and synergistic therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a protein biomarker overexpressed on exosomes derived from tumor cells. It plays an important role in tumor diagnosis, screening, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, and prognosis. In this study, a facile method is presented to detect PD-L1-overexpressing cancer exosomes with high specificity and sensitivity. First, gold nanospheres (GNSs) were attached to the bottom of an eight-well chambered slide by electrostatic adsorption, forming the detection substrate. Then, Cy5-labeled CD63 aptamers (i.e., the capture probes) were modified on the GNSs by Au–S bond. After adding samples containing target exosomes which were stained by membrane dyes DiI in advance, FAM-labeled PD-L1 aptamers (i.e., the immunoprobes) were added to recognize PD-L1 on the target exosomes. By triple-color fluorescence co-localization (TFC) of the Cy5, DiI, and FAM channels, highly sensitive and reliable detection of the PD-L1-overexpressing exosomes was achieved in the concentration range 7.78 × 101 to 7.78 × 104 particles/mL with a detection limit down to 6 particles/mL. The advantages of the proposed detection method include the following; first, the detection substrate is easy to prepare and convenient to clean. Second, the TFC strategy can completely exclude nonspecific reaction sites and thus significantly improves the accuracy. Such a facile and reliable detection method holds a great potential in exosome-based cancer theranostics. In this paper, we proposed a triple-color fluorescence co-localization (TFC) strategy to significantly improve the reliability of exosome detection and the detection substrate is easy to prepare and convenient to clean. In addition, the LOD is down to 6 particles/mL, which is quite low compared with other detection methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flower-like CePO4 (F-CePO4) with a hierarchical structure was hydrothermally prepared. Comparative experiments showed that the amounts of hydrazine hydrate and urea as well as the reaction time significantly affect the formation of nanoflowers. Due to its large specific surface area and high electron transfer efficiency, F-CePO4 was utilized for the selective detection of dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA) and acetaminophen (APAP) with wide linear ranges, low detection limits, high stability, and good repeatability. Fascinatingly, when DA, UA and APAP were detected simultaneously, the high sensitivity of F-CePO4 can be maintained. Further studies showed that different electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions between the detected substrates and F-CePO4 lead to different shifts of their oxidative peak potential. Then, DA, UA and APAP were well identified. In addition, F-CePO4 can also be used for real sample detection. This work provides a simple strategy for the construction of new effective electrochemical sensing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical model is applied to investigate the dynamic performance of a type of hybrid system (PAWT) with a semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) coupled to an array of point-absorbing wave energy converters (PA). In this process, the linear potential flow theory and eigenfunction matching method are employed to study the wave–structure interactions, and a coupled set of equations is proposed to evaluate the motion response in frequency-domain. To account for the pronounced impact of nonlinear factors inherent in the hybrid system, a constellation of mathematical models has been integrated into Cummins equation framework, including aerodynamic, mooring lines, power take-off (PTO), and viscosity modeling. After running the convergence analysis and model validation, the present model is employed to clarify the effects of PTO damping, WEC radius, layout, and real sea states on the motion response and wave energy capture efficiency. Results demonstrate that integrating Wavestar-type WECs is more beneficial for improving the pitch stability of FOWT than heaving-type. Although augmenting the number of integrated WECs cannot enhance FOWT stability, it does contribute to broadening the bandwidth of the capture width ratio (CWR). Notably, the power take-off (PTO) is simplified as a linear damping to model a linear permanent magnet generator (PMG) in this study. Furthermore, the interest of this work lies in the full-process analytical model itself, which is found to be efficient in modeling the interaction of the wind-wave field and can be used in future hybrid system projects. • A full-process analytical model has been developed for hybrid systems. • Multiple types of engineering-practical hybrid systems are introduced. • The effect of PTO damping, WEC radius, layout, and sea states are discussed. • Revealing the effect factors and interconnections on the dynamic characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel cathode flow field plate with additional tapered oblique fin (OF) channels is proposed for air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) to promote their heat dissipation and output power. Air-cooled PEMFC stacks with conventional (parallel configuration) and novel flow fields are respectively manufactured and experimentally tested under various load currents. The performance and temperature distributions of the stacks are comparatively studied in detail. Besides, a three-dimensional and two-phase numerical model is established and validated by the experiment data to further comparative investigate the heat and mass transport mechanism of the two studied flow field designs. The results show that the stack with the novel flow field has higher output power, which is 4.87% higher than that with a conventional design at a load current density of 0.55 A cm−2. Due to the forced convection and secondary vortex phenomena in the OF channels, the local overheating in the porous electrode is relieved. Moreover, the entropy generations due to heat transfer of the cathode CL and cooling channels are significantly increased. The oxygen transport under cathode ribs is also noteworthily enhanced when the OF channels are adopted. • An air-cooled PEMFC stack with tapered oblique fin channels is designed and fabricated. • Tapered oblique fin channel design enhances stack performance and heat dissipation. • Local multi-physics fields inside the PEMFC are studied by numerical methods. • Mass transport and thermal behaviors inside the air-cooled PEMFC are optimized. • Entropy generation due to mass transport and heat transfer is studied for the PEMFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stomatal conductance (g s) is an indicator that allows for direct evaluation of plant water status, but it is challenging to achieve rapid monitoring in large-scale fields due to limitations in observation methods. Here this study was conducted to identify the thresholds of g s with different target yields and develop a g s -based water stress diagnostic model for buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.) using UAV thermal infrared imagery for buffalograss in 2022 and 2023. The results of the field experiment demonstrated that the g s rapidly response to changes in the water stress status of buffalograss. The thresholds of g s were 403 and 385 mmol m−2 s−1 for the vegetative and reproductive growth stages, respectively, with the target seed yield of 1224 kg ha−1. The g s values were classified into three levels for the vegetative growth and four levels for the in reproductive growth stage of buffalograss, respectively. The canopy temperature depression response to water stress is consistent with the g s. Based on this relationship, this study developed a g s -based diagnostic model with a random forest algorithm for buffalograss. Furthermore, a spital map of g s was created using UAV thermal infrared imagery. The modification test results indicated that the model made a good estimation of g s were good with normalized root mean square errors of 15% in the vegetative stage and 11% in the reproductive stage, respectively. Therefore, it is feasible to use thermal infrared imagery for monitoring g s and evaluating the water stress of plants in buffalograss fields. • Estimation stomatal conductance (gs) by UAV thermal infrared imagery was feasible. • Thresholds of g s were 403 and 385 mmol m−2 s−1 for two growth stages. • Diagnosis model with piecewise function performed well with NRMSEs of 11% to 15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematical model is developed to investigate the performance of a hybrid system comprising semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) coupled to an array of point-absorbing wave energy converters (WECs) under irregular waves and dynamic winds. In this study, the hydrodynamic interaction of the hybrid system is conducted by applying the matching-method of eigenfunctions to solve the diffraction and radiation velocity potentials. Non-linearities of the hybrid system are taken into account in the Cummins framework, covering aerodynamic, catenary mooring, PTO system, fluid viscosity modeling, and frequency–time domain transformation of hydrodynamic coefficients. After running the convergence analysis and model validation, the present model is employed to perform a multiparameter effect analysis. Case studies are presented to clarify the effects of WEC parameters (including radius, draft, PTO damping, and layout) on the performance of a hybrid system. Nevertheless, a significant aspect of this work revolves around the development of a precise and efficient mathematical model, capable of accurately computing hydrodynamic coefficients for specific marine structures and evaluating the motion response of the interconnected floaters. Additionally, the study offers valuable insights into the preliminary design of hybrid systems and lays a mathematical foundation along with corresponding code for hybrid system projects. • An accurate and efficient model is presented to calculate the hydrodynamic coefficients of hybrid systems. • A practical mathematical model has been developed to evaluate the dynamic performance of coupled marine structures. • Integrating WECs significantly reduce the power spectrum density in pitch mode of the wind platform. • Linear PTO contributes more to platform stability than quadratic and constant PTO systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), wave energy converters (WECs), and floating solar photovoltaics (FPVs) systems have the potential to provide cost-effective solutions for offshore multi-energy complementation and structure protection. In this study, a theoretical model based on the potential flow theory and eigenfunction matching method is utilized to study wave diffraction and radiation by a co-located system, in which the main components of the wind platform and WECs are made of vertical cylindrical floats. Based on the displacement constraint matrix, coupled equations of motion are developed to calculate the kinematic response of the co-located systems. After running the convergence analysis and model validation, the present model is employed to perform a multiparameter impact analysis. Case studies are presented to clarify the effects of the WEC radius, draft, layout, power take-off (PTO) system, and incident wave heading and frequency on the hydrodynamic coefficient, wave energy capture width, and motion response of the wind platform. Our findings highlight that several factors play a crucial role in the performance of the co-located system, more importantly, that the theoretical model developed in this study is capable of effectively predicting the wave-structure interactions in wave fields, making it applicable to future wave farm projects. • A theoretical model is presented to calculate the hydrodynamic coefficients. • A dynamic motion equation is developed to evaluate the motion response. • A multiparameter impact analysis is conducted on the co-located system. • Our study demonstrates the synergistic benefits of combining wind-wave system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated microstructural changes in broad bean seeds at 0 and 8 °C at a vacuum degree of 97 kPa using an SEM. The cellular-morphology distributions changed obviously with time and temperatures. Although cell rupture occurred, higher temperatures caused more cells to contract more actively. The cell size was primarily affected by moisture content, while the cell shape was simultaneously influenced by temperature and moisture content. The diameter correlated well with moisture loss and shrinkage during dehydration (correlation coefficients > 0.96). However, the correlation was not strong (most correlation coefficients < 0.9) when the cell shape was considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Modified Morrow procedure is the gold standard of surgical intervention for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). However, there are certain cases without complete relief of obstruction through trans‐aortic approach, we, therefore, described an unusual technique. We aimed to retrospectively analyze this series of patients to reveal its safety and efficiency. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 247 consecutive HOCM patients in our center from January 2016 to December 2019. Sixteen of them who underwent enlargement of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) using an autologous pericardial patch for anterior mitral valve leaflet and septal myectomy through trans‐mitral approach were recruited in this study. Baseline characteristics, perioperative data, and the outcomes were studied. Results: Of the 16 patients, there was no operative mortality. No permanent pacemaker implantation and ventricular septal defects formation were observed. The peak pressure gradient of LVOT decreased from 97.56 ± 23.81 mmHg to 7.56 ± 2.13 mmHg (p <.01) after operation and 10.19 ± 2.93 mmHg (p <.01) 3 months later. The average septal thickness decreased from 18.38 ± 3.56 mm to 10.00 ± 2.74 mm (p <.01). During a mean follow‐up of 34.25 ± 12.85 months (range, 15–57), no patient required cardiac reoperation. At the last follow up, the mean peak pressure gradient of LVOT was 10.12 ± 2.03 mmHg and no patient had more than moderate mitral regurgitation. Conclusion: Enlargement of LVOT using an autologous pericardial patch for anterior mitral valve leaflet and septal myectomy through trans‐mitral approach is feasible and reliable for the treatment of certain types of HOCM cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum wires (QWs) and quantum dots (QDs) have been widely applied in semiconductor devices due to their excellent mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. Faux and Downes [J. Appl. Phys. 82 (1997) 3754–3762] have obtained the closed-form solutions for strain distributions produced by QWs, whose cross section is composed of any combination of line elements and circular arcs. In this paper, Eshelby's inclusion model is established to simulate QWs and the closed-form solutions for the resultant displacements are obtained. By employing the method of Green's function, the displacement solutions may be formulated as area integrals and then converted into contour integrals along the boundary of the QW. The present study complements Faux and Downes' work and provides an efficient shortcut for analyzing the displacements of a QW, whose boundary may be discretized into line segments and circular arcs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) would deform when there is a pressure difference between the cathode and anode. In this study, a three-dimensional PEMFC model that incorporates a two-dimensional MEA deformation model is employed to investigate the effects of the curved MEA on oxygen transport, liquid water removal, pressure drops across cells, and resulting overall cell performances. The results show that the MEA deformation generates a gap between the rib and gas diffusion layer (GDL), thereby enhancing the oxygen transport into and liquid water removal from the cathode porous electrode. At an operating voltage of 0.4 V, the output current density is enhanced by 4.83%, 6.67%, and 8.61%, respectively, for the pressure differences of 10, 20, and 30 kPa between the cathode and anode, as compared with that without a pressure difference. An efficiency evaluation criterion (EEC) that represents a tradeoff between mass transfer enhancement and pressure drop penalty is introduced to evaluate the overall cell performance enhancement. The result shows that the EEC value increases with increasing the pressure difference between the cathode and anode, confirming the performance enhancement by the deformed MEA. In addition, the effects of MEA deformation are also examined at two sets of channel heights (H) and widths (W), i.e., W H =0.5 mm and W H =1.5 mm. At an operating voltage of 0.4 V, the output current density is enhanced by 20.18% at a pressure difference of 30 kPa for the cell with W H =0.5 mm, whereas it is improved only by 2.91% for the cell with W H =1.5 mm. Therefore, increasing the pressure difference between the cathode and anode is a more effective approach to performance enhancement for the cell with a small channel height and width. • The MEA deformation caused by cathode and anode pressure differences is studied. • A gap is generated between the bipolar plate and deformed MEA. • Oxygen transport and liquid water removal are enhanced by the gap. • Cell performances are improved by the deformed MEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: An enzyme‐free amperometric sensor based on a heptadecapeptide possessing an electroactive ferrocene (Fc) linker as ferrocene‐Gly‐Gly‐Gly‐Gly‐Phe‐Gly‐His‐Ile‐His‐Glu‐Gly‐Tyr‐Gly‐Gly‐Gly‐Gly‐Lys‐(CH2)4‐dithiocyclopentane self‐assembled on gold substrate was designed and fabricated for specific determination of L‐arginine (L‐Arg). The detection mechanism is based on conformational change of surface‐immobilized peptide induced by the target L‐Arg, which was confirmed via SEM, TEM, AFM, XPS, and SPR studies. The binding affinity and the recognition feasibility of immobilized specific and non‐specific peptides were also assessed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The proposed method can serve as "signal‐on" sensor for detection of L‐Arg down to 31 pmol/L with broad linear range (0.0001 to 10 μmol/L). Furthermore, the Fc‐conjugated specific peptide sensor was successfully applied to the determination of L‐Arg in pig serums with a recovery rate of 97.5%—106.9%, and its test results are in good agreement with that of chromatographic instrument, evidencing that the oligopeptide‐based sensor can be served as a simple and enzyme‐free biosensing platform towards L‐Arg for future application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most severe stresses which limit sugarcane production in China. ATP citrate lyase (ACL) is a major enzyme responsible for the production of acetyl-CoA in cytoplasm and plays an important role in plant metabolism and stress response. In this study, sugarcane ACL gene SoACLA-1 was cloned. The plant overexpression vector of SoACLA-1 was built and transformed into sugarcane calli by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and PCR analysis confirmed that SoACLA-1 gene had been stably present in the T0, T1, and T2 generations of the transgenic sugarcane. In order to evaluate the drought resistance of the transgenic lines and verify the function of SoACLA-1 gene in the transgenic sugarcane, T1 generation of the SoACLA-1 transgenic sugarcane lines was used as the material to investigate the physiological and biochemical characteristics at 0 day, 3 days, 6 days, and 9 days after water stress and rewatering for 3 days. Comprehensive evaluation of four indicators (chlorophyll, malondialdehyde, proline, soluble sugar) related to drought resistance was done with membership fuzzy function method. The results showed that the drought resistance of five transgenic sugarcane lines from strong to weak, in turn, was RT2 > RT4 > RT3 > RT1 > WT, and the recovery ability after drought, in turn, was RT1 > RT2 > RT4 > RT3 > WT. The T2 generation of the SoACLA-1 transgenic sugarcane lines was used to analyze the physiological and biochemical changes and the expression of drought-related genes under water stress. The results showed that the transgenic sugarcane lines were more tolerant to drought as compared with the wild-type plants. Our findings indicated that SoACLA-1 gene plays an important role as a positive factor in response to water stress, and overexpression of SoACLA-1 can enhance drought tolerance in transgenic sugarcane plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies have shown that increased neutrophils, as a manifestation of oxidative stress, may be involved in the progression of kidney disease. To our knowledge, little is known about the relationship between neutrophils and renal impairment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, we aim to investigate whether neutrophil is associated with renal impairment in RA patients. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the renal function of 602 RA patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from September 2018 and September 2019. The exposure variable was neutrophils, and the main outcome was eGFR. General data (gender, age, duration, hypertension, diabetes, hobbies, and medication history), whole blood markers, lipid indexes, and inflammatory indexes were collected as much as possible. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between neutrophils and renal impairment in RA participants. Results: A total of 89 cases (14.8%) had renal impairment with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and 75 cases (84.3%) were female. Subgroup analysis showed that female (odds ratio [OR] = 0.523, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.318–0.867, p =.011), neutrophils greater thsn 7.5 × 109/L (OR = 2.314, 95% CI: 1.310–4.087, p =.004), NLR > 3.53 (OR = 1.757, 95% CI: 1.104–2.799, p =.018), hemoglobin less than 120 g/L (OR = 2.413, 95% CI: 1.418–4.118, p =.001), and UA > 360 μmol/L (OR = 6.052, 95% CI: 3.708–9.878, p <.001) was related to renal damage in RA. Adjusted for several confounders, the multivariable analysis indicated that neutrophils greater than 7.5 × 109/L (OR = 1.784, 95% CI: 1.164–3.288, p =.031) was independently associated with an increased risk of renal impairment in RA. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that neutrophils greater than 7.5 × 109/L was associated with a high risk of renal impairment in RA, suggesting that neutrophil may be a biomarker for renal impairment in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For any two real-valued continuous-path martingales X = {Xt}t≥0 and Y = {Yt}t≥0, with X and Y being orthogonal and Y being differentially subordinate to X, we obtain sharp Lp inequalities for martingales of the form aX + bY with a, b real numbers. The best Lp constant is equal to the norm of the operator aI + bH from Lp to Lp, where H is the Hilbert transform on the circle or real line. The values of these norms were found by Hollenbeck, Kalton and Verbitsky [Studia Math., 2003, 157(3): 237–278]. We also give applications of our martingale inequalities to Riesz transforms and some discrete operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the previous work conducted by Fujii et al., NdBaInO4 compounds present modest oxide-ion conductivities. Therefore, it has been an attractive system of significant interest. In this study, we attempted to partially substitute Ca for Nd and the total electrical conductivity was successfully improved due to the generation of oxygen vacancies. The synthesis, crystal structure, density, surface topography, and electrical properties of NdBaInO4 and Ca-doped NdBaInO4 have been studied, respectively. NdBaInO4 and 10% and 20% molar fractions of Ca-doped NdBaInO4 were synthesized through solid-state reactions. The crystal structure of them was obtained from Le Bail refinement of the XRD pattern, giving the result of the monoclinic structure, which belongs to P21/c space group. The highest total electrical conductivity of 4.91 × 10−3 S cm−1 was obtained in the Nd0.9Ca0.1BaInO3.95 sample at a temperature of 760 °C in the dry atmosphere and the activation energy was reduced from 0.68 eV to 0.58 eV when the temperature was above 464 °C (737 K) after doping the NdBaInO4 with a 0.1 molar fraction of Ca2+. Moreover, the total conductivity of Nd0.9Ca0.1BaInO3.95 in the wet atmosphere at moderate temperature was relatively higher than that in the dry atmosphere, which suggests that potential proton conduction may exist in wet atmospheres. In addition, the oxygen diffusion coefficients of Nd0.9Ca0.1BaInO3.95 (D* = 1.82 × 10−8 cm2/s, 850 °C) was about two times higher than that of Nd0.8Ca0.2BaInO3.90 (D* = 7.95 × 10−9 cm2/s, 850 °C) and was increased significantly by two orders of magnitude when compared with the oxygen diffusion coefficient of the undoped NdBaInO4 (D* = 8.25 × 10−11 cm2/s, 850 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The efficacy of postoperative treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus has not yet been determined. In this retrospective study, we investigated whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (POCT) confers a survival benefit on patients who undergo curative esophagectomy. Methods: A total of 782 patients were enrolled in our study. The patients were divided into surgery alone (S) and surgery plus postoperative chemotherapy (S + POCT) groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to eliminate the differences in baseline characteristics. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), which was calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the log‐rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify factors influencing the prognosis. Results: Of 782 patients, 343 (43.9%) underwent S alone, and 439 (56.1%) underwent S + POCT before PSM. The five‐year OS rates were 42.3% and 47.8% in the S and S + POCT groups (p = 0.080), respectively. After PSM (296 patients per group), the five‐year OS rates were 48.7% and 56.2% in the S and S + POCT groups (p = 0.025), respectively. For different cycles of POCT, patients with more than three cycles had a better survival than those with less than three cycles. The significant predictive factors for OS were pN stage (HR = 1.861, 95% CI: 1.310–2.645, p = 0.001), number of dissected nodes (HR = 0.621, 95% CI: 0.494–0.781, p < 0.001) and POCT received (HR = 0.699, 95% CI: 0.559–0.875, p = 0.002), which were identified by multivariate Cox regression analyses in the matched samples. Conclusions: POCT appears to improve the OS rate of patients with ESCC after resection, and at least four chemotherapy cycles are necessary. These conclusions warrant further confirmation in large‐scale multicenter randomized controlled trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a nomogram for selecting the "unreal" Gleason score (GS) 3 + 3 patients in biopsy GS 3 + 3 prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Patients who were newly diagnosed with PCa by biopsy and underwent radical prostatectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2009 to October 2018 were enrolled. Comparisons were made between GS 3 + 3 and higher grade PCa patients. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for the "unreal" GS 3 + 3 PCa in biopsy GS 3 + 3 patients. Then, a nomogram was developed to predict the probability of "unreal" GS 3 + 3 PCa according to the results of multivariate analysis. Finally, receiver operating characteristic and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were structured to identify the efficiency of the predictive model. Compared to higher GS grade, biopsy GS 3 + 3 had greater upgrade risk (P < 0.05) while a lower proportion of positive surgical margins, seminal vesicle invasion, extra-prostatic extension, lymph node invasion, and nerve invasion (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that age, PSAD, prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) score and biopsy positive cores were significant risk factors for "unreal" GS 3 + 3. A nomogram was developed utilizing these factors with high prediction performance (area under curve = 0.924). Furthermore, DCA curve suggested that this predictive model was effective. The nomogram identified the probability of "unreal" GS 3 + 3 PCa in biopsy GS 3 + 3 PCa patients, which was of great value for clinical guidance in low risk PCa therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose novel triangle relations, not the well-known triangle singularity, for better understanding of the exotic X Y Z states. Nine X Y Z resonances, X (3 8 7 2) , Y (4 2 3 0) , Z c (3 9 0 0) , X (4 0 1 2) , Y (4 3 6 0 / 4 3 9 0) , Z c (4 0 2 0) , X (4 2 7 4) , Y (4 6 6 0) , and Z c s (3 9 8 5) have been classified into triples to construct three triangles based on the assumption that they are all tetra-quark states. Here X (4 0 1 2) has not been observed experimentally yet, and we predict its mass and roughly the width. We also suggest some channels deserving search for with high priority based on this hypothesis, as well as predictions of a few production/decay rates of these channels. We hope further experimental studies of the X Y Z states will benefit from our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fetus in fetu (FIF) is an extremely rare anomaly. It is predominantly seen retroperitoneally in 80% of cases but can present at atypical sites like the skull, sacrum, scrotum and the mouth. We reported a rare case of intracranial parasitic fetus. We described the prenatal and postnatal MRI findings of the case. There was no obvious spinal signal on the imaging findings at 35 weeks of gestation. However, the postnatal MRI revealed spinal column signal at 5 months and 11 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine coal gangue aggregate (CGA) has a high water absorption, which increases the cracking risk of mortar caused by dry shrinkage. The effects of polypropylene (PP) fiber on the fluidity, strength, dry shrinkage, and cracking of CGA mortar were studied in this paper. The results show that PP fiber reduces the fluidity of CGA mortar, but PP fiber improves compressive and flexural strengths, especially at the early stages. PP fiber also effectively decreases dry shrinkage and the risk of cracking. Overall, PP fiber can effectively improve the properties of CGA mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane ratoon stunting disease (RSD) caused by Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx) is a common destructive disease that occurs around the world. Lxx is an obligate pathogen of sugarcane, and previous studies have reported some physiological responses of RSD-affected sugarcane. However, the molecular understanding of sugarcane response to Lxx infection remains unclear. In the present study, transcriptomes of healthy and Lxx-infected sugarcane stalks and leaves were studied to gain more insights into the gene activity in sugarcane in response to Lxx infection. RNA-Seq analysis of healthy and diseased plants transcriptomes identified 107,750 unigenes. Analysis of these unigenes showed a large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) occurring mostly in leaves of infected plants. Sugarcane responds to Lxx infection mainly via alteration of metabolic pathways such as photosynthesis, phytohormone biosynthesis, phytohormone action-mediated regulation, and plant-pathogen interactions. It was also found that cell wall defense pathways and protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation pathways may play important roles in Lxx pathogeneis. In Lxx-infected plants, significant inhibition in photosynthetic processes through large number of differentially expressed genes involved in energy capture, energy metabolism and chloroplast structure. Also, Lxx infection caused down-regulation of gibberellin response through an increased activity of DELLA and down-regulation of GID1 proteins. This alteration in gibberellic acid response combined with the inhibition of photosynthetic processes may account for the majority of growth retardation occurring in RSD-affected plants. A number of genes associated with plant-pathogen interactions were also differentially expressed in Lxx-infected plants. These include those involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation, cell wall biosynthesis, and phagosomes, implicating an active defense response to Lxx infection. Considering the fact that RSD occurs worldwide and a significant cause of sugarcane productivity, a better understanding of Lxx resistance-related processes may help develop tools and technologies for producing RSD-resistant sugarcane varieties through conventional and/or molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of shifting population demographics in the United States, a diverse workforce in health care can lead to improved patient outcomes and enhance access to culturally competent care for minorities. The objective of this study was to analyze and quantify the relationship of gender, race, and academic rank, tenure status, and degree in American academic surgical faculty. A 12-y retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the data from the Association of American Medical Colleges was performed. The distribution of race and gender across academic ranks, tenure, and degree types were recorded from 2007-2018. Simple descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis was used to analyze the time trends and association between gender and race across academic rank, tenure status, and degree types. When averaged over the 12 y of this study, there were significantly more whites (69.8%) and males (74.5%) among the academic surgery faculty compared with other races and females, respectively (P value <0.05). Asians and females experienced the greatest increase in proportional representation across all academic ranks with an absolute increase of 7% and 5% in full professor, 5% and 6% in associate professor, and 7% and 3% in chairperson (P value <0.05), respectively. No significant association was observed between gender and race with tenure status or degree type. Female and Asians are increasing in proportional representation; however, racial and gender disparities remain prevalent at higher academic ranks and positions of leadership, especially among black and Hispanic academic surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust functional superhydrophobic materials integrating self-healing ability, degradability, and conductivity assume pivotal roles across a wide variety of emerging fields while limited by environmental issues. Herein, an ultra-robust fully bio-based superhydrophobic sensor (FBSS) was constructed using modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes and bio-based epoxy resin. The FBSS exhibited sustained superhydrophobicity and retained its surface characteristics even after being exposed to air for 70 days or enduring 100 abrasion cycles, which took advantage of its inherent chemical stability and self-similar structure. Thanks to the presence of ester bonds within the system, the FBSS could undergo bond exchange reaction enabling micro-configuration healing ability along with excellent repairing repeatability (> 4 times). Furthermore, capitalizing on the heightened wave sensitivity of the meniscus shape, the conductive FBSS was applied to monitor vibrations generated by stirring, weight falling, velocity variation, blowing, and human activities. This finding provides guidance for fabricating green and sustainable superhydrophobic materials while shedding light on the rational design of underwater sensors. [Display omitted] • Hydrophobic modified MWCNTs were fabricated. • A bio-based superhydrophobic sensor was prepared via sacrificial template method. • The superhydrophobicity and conductivity of composite sensor can be restored. • The sensor can be degraded for its competing reaction between amines. • The sensor can be applied to monitor vibration generated by stirring, weight falling, flowing, and human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought and nitrogen (N) additions have been shown to affect plant photosynthesis, but the effect of their interaction on CO 2 diffusion conductance (i.e., stomatal conductance, g sc , mesophyll conductance, g m) and water use efficiency (WUE) at the leaf level (i.e., instantaneous water use efficiency, WUE ins ; intrinsic water use efficiency, WUE int) has rarely been reported. Herein, we examined the interactive effects of drought and N addition on g sc and g m and WUE (i.e., WUE ins and WUE int) in soybean (Glycine max (Linn.) Merr.) and analysed the interaction mechanisms mitigating water stress based on leaf anatomy and molecular activity. Drought decreased g sc, g m and WUE ins , but N addition had a positive interactive effect with water stress on leaf physiological traits. The variables g sc , g m and WUE ins were significantly increased by the additions of 7.5 and 15.0 g urea m−2 under moderate water stress (MW) conditions (P < 0.05), but they decreased under the interaction effect of SW and N addition. The decreased T cw and increased S m and S c under the water stress × N addition interaction positively affected g m , and the increased SS dominated the g sc increase. In addition, these positive effects were further enhanced with increased AQP, CA and Rubisco activities and a decrease in the ABA content. Accordingly, moderate soil N additions of 7.5 and 15.0 g urea m−2 greatly mitigated the negative effects of droughts, especially the MW effects, by enhancing CO 2 diffusion conductance and WUE. • CO2 diffusion conductance and WUE were decreased by water stress. • N addition significantly mitigated the negative effects of water stress on CO2 diffusion conductance and WUE. • The improvements in leaf anatomy and enzyme activities and ABA content greatly increased gsc and gm. • The WUE improvement by N addition further increased plant drought susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical model is developed to investigate the performance of a hybrid system with semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) coupled to an array of point-absorbing wave energy converters (WECs). In this study, the boundary value problem is solved by applying the matching-method of eigenfunctions to solve a complex-shaped hybrid system and the velocity potential can be decomposed into radiation and diffraction problems. For each component in the structure, we consider it consists of three coaxial cylinders of different dimensions, making our mathematical model applicable to many marine structures. Within the framework of a linearized theory, We develop the coupled equations of motion to model the stiffness and damping constraints and to evaluate the effect of coupled motion between the floating platform and vertical truncated cylinders, taking into account wind forces, mooring lines, power take-off (PTO) systems and viscous effects on the hybrid system. For such a system, the combination of the OC4-DeepCwind platform with an array of point-absorbing WECs is investigated in this study. After running the convergence analysis and model validation, the present model is employed to perform a multiparameter effect analysis. Case studies are presented to clarify the effects of WEC parameters (i.e. radius, draft, PTO damping and layout), base column submergence, wave heading and frequency on the motion response of wind platform and mean capture width ratio of the WECs array. Our results provide insights into the relationship between the variables analyzed and the performance of the hybrid system. Moreover, the theoretical model developed in this study accurately calculates the hydrodynamic coefficients and motion performance of some marine structures. • A practical model was presented to accurately calculate the hydrodynamic coefficients. • A coupled motion equation was developed to model the rigidity and damping constraints in a hybrid system. • The study examined the synergistic effects between a wind platform and PTO damping. • Added WECs significantly reduce the pitch motion response of the wind platform. • Increasing the submergence depth of the base column has a negative impact on the hybrid system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: How much carbon a forest ecosystem can sequester is determined by both postdisturbance regrowth and environmentally modified growth. Disturbance causes sharp declines in the short term and is followed by regrowth in the long term. Environmental change may alter carbon accumulation through increasing CO2, nitrogen deposition and climate change. Regrowth and modified growth occur simultaneously, yet they are usually studied separately and assessed using an additive approach. Alternatively, an interactive approach using hierarchical models can address their concurrent nature and evaluate their joint effects. Hierarchical models are informed by forest age data, which have recently become available at global scales. The age‐based hierarchical framework provides a coherent and feasible way to integrate regrowth and modified growth in understanding forest dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Direct Ink Writing (DIW) method is an approach for fabricating refractory products with complex shapes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This study investigated the influence of printing parameters on the performance of Al 2 O 3 refractory products prepared via DIW. It was found that the layer height is an effective parameter for tuning the inter-space size and the adhesion between layers, under constant extrusion rate and distance between the deposited filaments. The inter-space size could be eliminated by decreasing the layer height to 1.0 mm (i.e., 50% of the nozzle diameter); the flexural strength was enhanced from 45 MPa to 61 MPa when the layer height decreased from 1.8 mm (i.e., 90% of the nozzle diameter) to 0.8 mm (i.e., 40% of the nozzle diameter). Changing the layer height led to a deviation in printing, this deviation could be eliminated by optimizing the travel speed of the nozzle. At a layer height of 0.8 mm, the size deviation could be reduced from 10.5% to 0.59% when the nozzle travel speed changed from 35 mm/s to 70 mm/s. Consequently, there was a considerable improvement in the printing efficiency. These results indicate that, owing to their dense microstructures, samples prepared at a layer height of 0.8 mm exhibit superior slag resistance and a high flexural strength of 61 MPa after sintering at 1600 °C for 3 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent plant–soil feedback experiments suggest that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species experience stronger conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) than ectomycorrhizal (EM) tree species. Yet, how these findings inform our understanding of natural systems is limited because the roles of local soil conditions, light availability and tree species abundances in influencing CNDD for AM and EM species are not clear.Here we examined seedling and sapling survival in two temperate old‐growth forests (broad‐leaved pine and spruce‐fir forests) in Northeast China, to evaluate the effects of both conspecific and heterospecific neighbour density, as well as the soil and light environments, on the survival of AM‐ and EM‐dependent trees at early life stages.While light availability increased the survival of EM seedlings, soil organic resources increased EM sapling survival in the spruce‐fir plot. AM tree species suffered stronger CNDD than did EM tree species in both plots. In the spruce‐fir plot, soil factors and light availability mediated species CNDD but their effects differed between AM and EM species, and also between seedlings and saplings. For seedlings in both plots, we found that AM species exhibited a positive relationship between species abundance and CNDD strength, whereas this relationship was negative for EM species.Synthesis. Our results provide one of the few tests of how fungal symbioses determine species responses to intraspecific and interspecific interactions and the direct effects of local environmental conditions on seedling and sapling survival. We show that mycorrhizal type mediates the strength of CNDD and its relationship with species abundance. These results suggest that tree mycorrhizal association can determine the strength of CNDD effect on both rare and common species, and these CNDD differences are likely to influence the community composition of temperate forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review some of the causes of secondary headache particularly focusing on the subcategories of secondary headache in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition, the clinical features of these headaches, and their associated features and management. Overview: Headache attributed to trauma or injury to the head and/or neck, headache attributed to cranial or cervical vascular disorder, headache attributed to non‐vascular intracranial disorder, headache attributed to a substance or its withdrawal, headache attributed to infection, headache attributed to disorder of homeostasis, and headache or facial pain attributed to disorder of the cranium, neck, eye, ears, nose, sinuses, teeth, mouth, or other facial or cervical structure are discussed in this paper. Discussion: Headache is a common symptom of multiple medical conditions. Although a minority of headache patients have a secondary basis for their headaches, it is important to identify clinical features of secondary headache disorders including both the headache and non‐headache features of the condition, diagnose the secondary etiology correctly, and treat them appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using 'complexity = action' proposal we study the late time growth rate of holographic complexity for nonlinear charged Lifshitz black hole with a single horizon or two horizons. As a toy model, we consider two kinds of such black holes: nonlinear charged Lifshitz black hole and nonlinear logarithmic charged Lifshitz black hole. We find that for the black hole with two horizons, the action growth bound is satisfied. But for the black hole with a single horizon, whether the Lloyd bound is violated depends on the specific value of dimensionless coupling constants β1, β2, spacetime dimension D and dynamical exponent z. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We try to understand the trends in the mass density slopes as a function of galaxy properties. We use the results from the best Jeans Anisotropic Modelling (JAM) of the integral-field stellar kinematics for near 6000 galaxies from the MaNGA DynPop project, with stellar masses |$10^9\ {\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }}\lesssim M_*\lesssim 10^{12}\ {\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }}$|⁠ , including both early-type and late-type galaxies. We use the mass-weighted density slopes for the stellar |$\overline{\gamma }_*$|⁠ , dark |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm DM}}$| and total |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}$| mass from the MaNGA DynPop project. As previously reported, |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}$| approaches a constant value of |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}\approx 2.2$| for high σe galaxies, and flattens for |$\lg (\sigma _{\rm e}/{\rm km\ s^{-1}})\lesssim 2.3$| galaxies, reaching |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}\approx 1.5$| for |$\lg (\sigma _{\rm e}/{\rm km\ s^{-1}})\approx 1.8$|⁠. We find that total and stellar slopes track each other tightly, with |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}\approx \overline{\gamma }_*-0.174$| over the full σe range. This confirms the dominance of stellar matter within R e. We also show that there is no perfect conspiracy between baryonic and dark matter, as |$\overline{\gamma }_*$| and |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm DM}}$| do not vary inversely within the σe range. We find that the central galaxies from TNG50 and TNG100 simulations do not reproduce the observed galaxy mass distribution, which we attribute to the overestimated dark matter fraction, possibly due to a constant IMF and excessive adiabatic contraction effects in the simulations. Finally, we present the stacked dark matter density profiles and show that they are slightly steeper than the pure dark matter simulation prediction of |$\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm DM}}\approx 1$|⁠ , suggesting moderate adiabatic contraction in the central region of galaxies. Our work demonstrates the power of stellar dynamics modelling for probing the interaction between stellar and dark matter and testing galaxy formation theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has been reported to improve mental health. However, few relevant data were collected in China. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on the risk of depression in China and risk factors contributing to depression. This is a cross-sectional study carried out from May 2020 to July 2021. Participants were widely recruited in China to participate in the survey using an online questionnaire including Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Athens Insomnia Scale-8.After exclusion of 105 ineligible questionnaires, 9452 participants were included in our final analysis. Chi-square test and Multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to analyze data. Of the 9452 participants, 7207 were vaccinated. Our results showed that the prevalence of depression decreased significantly after vaccination (56.1 % for unvaccinated participants vs. 19.7 % for vaccinated participants). The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe depression was also significantly lower in the vaccinated participants than in the unvaccinated participants (14.8 % vs 29.0 %, 2.8 % vs 13.3 %, 2.0 % vs 13.8 %, respectively). Besides, among vaccinated participants, male and aged participants had a lower chance of developing depression (AOR = 1.34; AOR = 0.63; AOR = 0.5, respectively). In addition, although with vaccination, participants with anxiety and insomnia were more likely to suffer from depression (AOR = 29.2; AOR = 11.89). The study was a cross-sectional survey. The numbers of participants differed much in the two groups. The present study confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination contributed to reducing the prevalence of depression in Chinese adults. Moreover, vaccinated men and older adult participants had less prevalence of depression. • Little is known about the effect of SARS-COV-2 vaccination on psychological problems in China. • Our work maybe the largest study on the effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on the depression in China. • Very few relevant data have been reported abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weakly supervised object localization and semantic segmentation aim to localize objects using only image-level labels. Recently, a new paradigm has emerged by generating a foreground prediction map (FPM) to achieve pixel-level localization. While existing FPM-based methods use cross-entropy to evaluate the foreground prediction map and to guide the learning of the generator, this paper presents two astonishing experimental observations on the object localization learning process: For a trained network, as the foreground mask expands, (1) the cross-entropy converges to zero when the foreground mask covers only part of the object region. (2) The activation value continuously increases until the foreground mask expands to the object boundary. Therefore, to achieve a more effective localization performance, we argue for the usage of activation value to learn more object regions. In this paper, we propose a background activation suppression (BAS) method. Specifically, an activation map constraint module is designed to facilitate the learning of generator by suppressing the background activation value. Meanwhile, by using foreground region guidance and area constraint, BAS can learn the whole region of the object. In the inference phase, we consider the prediction maps of different categories together to obtain the final localization results. Extensive experiments show that BAS achieves significant and consistent improvement over the baseline methods on the CUB-200-2011 and ILSVRC datasets. In addition, our method also achieves state-of-the-art weakly supervised semantic segmentation performance on the PASCAL VOC 2012 and MS COCO 2014 datasets. Code and models are available at https://github.com/wpy1999/BAS-Extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluation capability of ultrasonic phased array (PHA) in industrial austenitic stainless steel (ASS) weld quantitatively, the 304 ASS butted weld specimen with various depth and side-drilled holes (SDH) was drilled to analyze reliability of PHA testing. Based on phased array probes, the ultrasonic waveform data are processed by in traditional dynamic depth focusing and total focusing method (TFM). The welding zone defects imaging results are compared. The probability of detection (POD) curves of ultrasonic response data were used for estimation the detection capability and reliability of ultrasonic PHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interferon‐regulatory factor 2 (IRF2)‐inositol polyphosphate‐4‐phosphatase type‐II (INPP4B) axis has been shown to suppress cell apoptosis by inducing autophagy in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells. T helper type 1 cell (Th1)/Th2 imbalance is involved in development of autophagy and AML. The aim of this study was to investigate whether IRF2‐INPP4B axis regulates autophagy and apoptosis of AML cells via regulating Th1/Th2 cell differentiation. The frequencies of Th2 cells and Th1 cells in transfected CD4+ T cells were determined by flow cytometry. The levels of TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, IL‐4, and IL‐13 in peripheral blood and transfected CD4+ T cells from AML patients and healthy donors were examined by ELISA assay. The mRNA levels of IRF2 and INPP4B in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AML patients and healthy donors were detected by qRT‐PCR. Autophagy was evaluated by green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐LC3 immunofluorescence and western blot analysis of autophagy‐associated proteins. AML cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. In this study, elevated frequencies of Th2 cells and reduced frequencies of Th1 cells, as well as higher expression of IRF2 and INPP4B, were observed in PBMCs from AML patients relative to healthy donors. Furthermore, IRF2 inhibited Th1 cell differentiation and promoted Th2 cell differentiation through INPP4B. Moreover, we confirmed that IRF2‐INPP4B–mediated regulation of Th1/Th2 differentiation promoted autophagy and inhibited apoptosis of AML cells. Collectively, IRF2‐INPP4B axis regulates autophagy and apoptosis of AML cells via regulating Th1/Th2 cell differentiation. Significance of the study: In the present study, we confirmed that IRF2‐INPP4B–mediated regulation of Th1/Th2 balance promoted autophagy and inhibited apoptosis of AML cells. These findings might provide clues in better understanding of the mechanisms of AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response of plant CO2 diffusion conductances (mesophyll and stomatal conductances, gm and gsc) to soil drought has been widely studied, but few studies have investigated the effects of soil nitrogen addition levels on gm and gsc. In this study, we investigated the responses of gm and gsc of Manchurian ash and Mongolian oak to four soil nitrogen addition levels (control, low nitrogen, medium nitrogen and high nitrogen) and the changes in leaf anatomy and associated enzyme activities (aquaporin (AQP) and carbonic anhydrase (CA)). Both gm and gsc increased with the soil nitrogen addition levels for both species, but then decreased under the high nitrogen addition level, which primarily resulted from the enlargements in leaf and mesophyll cell thicknesses, mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular space per unit leaf area and stomatal opening status with soil nitrogen addition. Additionally, the improvements in leaf N content and AQP and CA activities also significantly promoted gm and gsc increases. The addition of moderate levels of soil nitrogen had notably positive effects on CO2 diffusion conductance in leaf anatomy and physiology in Manchurian ash and Mongolian oak, but these positive effects were weakened with the addition of high levels of soil nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeding strategies of sympatric squid species help to understand their role in marine ecosystems. Four loliginid squids, Uroteuthis duvaucelii, Uroteuthis edulis, Uroteuthis chinensis, and Loliolus uyii are the major cephalopod species in the coastal waters of the northern South China Sea, where they occur together. We investigated their feeding strategies in terms of foraging behavior and habitat use by comparing fatty acid profiles and spatial distributions. There were no significant differences in the proportions of saturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids among species. Similar findings were obtained for most individual fatty acids that made up of an average of more than 84% of total fatty acid content for each species. Substantial overlap and high similarity in the fatty acid composition were observed. However, there were no significant effects of individual size or sampling station on the fatty acid compositions. The spatial overlap analysis demonstrated that there was clear spatial segregation and habitat use among the species. Cumulatively, our results suggest that the four squids are opportunistic carnivores, unselectively foraging on similar prey items, while spatial segregation is likely a major mechanism leading to their coexistence in the northern South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal fibrosis is controlled by profibrotic and antifibrotic forces. Exploring anti-fibrosis factors and mechanisms is an attractive strategy to prevent organ failure. Here we identified the JNK-associated leucine zipper protein (JLP) as a potential endogenous antifibrotic factor. JLP, predominantly expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) in normal human or mouse kidneys, was downregulated in fibrotic kidneys. Jlp deficiency resulted in more severe renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice, while renal fibrosis resistance was observed in TECs-specific transgenic Jlp mice. JLP executes its protective role in renal fibrosis via negatively regulating TGF-β1 expression and autophagy, and the profibrotic effects of ECM production, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in TECs. We further found that TGF-β1 and FGF-2 could negatively regulate the expression of JLP. Our study suggests that JLP plays a central role in renal fibrosis via its negative crosstalk with the profibrotic factor, TGF-β1. Qi Yan et al. find that JNK-associated leucine zipper protein (Jlp) counteracts the profibrotic effects of TGF-β1 and autophagy on renal tubular epithelial cells and that TGF-β1 and FGF-2 can negatively regulate the expression of Jlp. These findings provide insights into the role of Jlp in kidney fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have reached a certified 25.2% efficiency in 2019 due to their high absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, long diffusion length, and tunable direct bandgap. However, due to the nature of solution processing and rapid crystal growth of perovskite thin films, a variety of defects can form as a result of the precursor compositions and processing conditions. The use of additives can affect perovskite crystallization and film formation, defect passivation in the bulk and/or at the surface, as well as influence the interface tuning of structure and energetics. Here, recent progress in additive engineering during perovskite film formation is discussed according to the following common categories: Lewis acid (e.g., metal cations, fullerene derivatives), Lewis base based on the donor type (e.g., O‐donor, S‐donor, and N‐donor), ammonium salts, low‐dimensional perovskites, and ionic liquid. Various additive‐assisted strategies for interface optimization are then summarized; additives include modifiers to improve electron‐ and hole‐transport layers as well as those to modify perovskite surface properties. Finally, an outlook is provided on research trends with respect to additive engineering in PSC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional free-standing hard carbon (FHC) electrode is synthesized by carbonizing the hemp haulm and employed as anode for sodium-ion batteries directly. A high current charging-discharging process is carried out to reconstruct surface structure of the FHC. Surface reconstructed FHC display a high capacity of 256 mAh/g and enhanced rate ability. With the formation of order surface structure, the plateau capacity increase and more sodium ions can insert into the FHC. This work demonstrates the importance of surface structure for sodium ion diffusion and storage and provide a new strategy to design high-performance anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a two-echelon fixed charge transportation problem is investigated under uncertainty. Due to the existence of considerable amount of uncertainties, the demands, supplies, availabilities, fixed charges and transported quantities in this problem are assumed as uncertain variables. The aim is to maximize the total profit under uncertain environments. The expected value model, chance-constrained model and measure chance model are developed, and the deterministic equivalent forms of these models are obtained by inverse uncertainty distribution. Genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization are proposed to solve the equivalent forms of the models based on the structure of the problem. To verify the effectiveness of these proposed approaches, numerical experiments are performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbial communities regulate and respond to key biogeochemical cycles and influence plant community patterns. However, microbial communities also respond to disturbance events, motivating an assessment of the relative roles of decadal multi‐factor global change, disturbance and plant community structure on microbial community responses.We used high‐throughput amplicon sequencing to characterize the diversity and composition of bacterial and fungal communities in bulk soil (0–7 cm) collected in 2014 from the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment, a full‐factorial field experiment in which ambient and elevated levels of nitrogen deposition (+7 g N m−2 yr−1 calcium nitrate), CO2 concentration (+275 ppm), temperature (+1–2°C) and precipitation (+50% volume with +3 weeks duration) were applied to a California annual grassland from 1998 to 2014. We used linear mixed‐effects modelling to test for the effects of global change on microbial diversity (observed richness, Shannon index). We also used generalized dissimilarity modelling (GDM) to study controls on compositional dissimilarity in fungal and bacterial communities.Bacterial community composition was best explained by exposure to fires in 2003 and 2011, whereas fungal community composition was best explained by plant community composition. The richness of fungi increased under elevated nitrogen deposition; bacterial diversity metrics decreased under warmer temperatures. Interactions between global change factors were statistically insignificant or weak.Synthesis. Our results indicate that even on decadal time‐scales, the effects of fire history and plant community composition on bacterial and fungal community composition, respectively, outweigh the effects of multi‐factor global change. Furthermore, global change factors have mostly additive effects on microbial diversity patterns. Our results show that highly variable mediators such as fire history and plant community composition limit the generalizability of soil microbial responses to long‐term global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been identified as a new member of endogenous noncoding RNAs. CircRNAs exhibit high stability and can thus can be used as valuable biomarkers for monitoring the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study sought to explore the diagnostic significance of plasma circRNAs in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC. Plasma circRNAs from 10 patients with hepatitis B (HBV)-related HCC and 5 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis were investigated by microarray to screen differentially expressed circRNAs, 157 upregulated and 161 downregulated circRNAs were found. Twenty-four circRNAs were further investigated via quantitative reverse-transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction assay in a training cohort (n = 48), hsa_circ_0027089 exhibited the highest significance and further distinguished 64 HCC patients from 40 cirrhosis patients and 72 healthy participants in a validation cohort. These results indicate that plasma hsa_circ_0027089 can serve as a new marker for the diagnosis of HBV-related HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating data suggest that metadherin (MTDH) may function as an oncogene. Our previous study showed that MTDH promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In this study, we aim to further elucidate how MTDH promotes HCC metastasis. Using Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and mass spectrometry, we found that MTDH can specifically bind to protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). Further functional assays revealed that PRMT5 overexpression promoted the proliferation and motility of HCC cells and that knockout of PRMT5 impeded the effect of MTDH. The immunohistochemistry assay/tissue microarray results showed that when MTDH was overexpressed in HCC cells, PRMT5 translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, with the subsequent translocation of β-catenin from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and upregulation of the WNT–β-catenin signaling pathway. Further in vivo experiments suggested that PRMT5 and β-catenin played a pivotal role in MTDH-mediated HCC metastasis. We therefore concluded that the MTDH–PRMT5 complex promotes HCC metastasis by regulating the WNT–β-catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]