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Motion control analysis should consider the system’s uncertainty to ensure the intelligent vehicle’s autonomy. The clearance structure of the transmission shaft is modeled as a cantilever beam with double clearance to predict the clearance vibration for mitigating the nonlinearity. Based on the Kelvin–Voigt collision model, a clearance model was developed using time-varying parameters identified by the wavelet transform. Comparing the frequency response functions (FRF) of the initial model with constant parameters and the updated model with time-varying parameters, the experimental results from the updated model indicate that the modal assurance criterion (MAC) is increased by 42.92%, 31.08%, 38.97%, and 50.74% in the first-four order. Cross-signature assurance criteria (CSAC) and cross-signature scale factor (CSF) have been increased by 6.55% and 12.37%. The control method based on the clearance model has been verified. In the case of 120 km/h, compared with model-predictive control (MPC) and sliding mode control (SMC), the peak of the lateral position error was reduced by 35.7% and 14.3%, and the peak of the heading error was reduced by 50% and 15.6%.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract, with extremely dismal prognosis. Limited therapeutic options are available for GBC patients. We used whole-exome sequencing of human GBC to identify the ErbB and epigenetic pathways as two vulnerabilities in GBC. We screened two focused small-molecule libraries that target these two pathways using GBC cell lines and identified the mTOR inhibitor INK-128 and the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor JNJ-26481585 as compounds that inhibited proliferation at low concentrations. Both significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastases in mouse models. Both synergized with the standard of care chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine in cell lines and in mouse models. Furthermore, the activation of the mTOR pathway, measured by immunostaining for phosphorylated mTOR and downstream effector S6K1, is correlated with poor prognosis in GBC. Phosphorylated mTOR or p-S6K1 in clinical samples is an independent indicator for overall survival in GBC patients. Taken together, our findings suggest that mTOR inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors can serve as potential therapeutics for GBC, and the phosphorylation of mTOR and S6K1 may serve as biomarkers for GBC., Graphical Abstract, Gallbladder cancer is the most common malignancy of biliary tract, with dismal prognosis. We identified mTOR and HDAC as two potential therapeutic targets and proved p-mTOR and p-S6K1 may serve as biomarkers, which opens opportunities for the development of new targeted therapeutics for gallbladder cancer patients.

Researchers are devoted to developing dielectric elastomers (DEs) with excellent electromechanical properties as an artificial muscle material. The authors report a new class of semi‐interpenetrating network (semi‐IPN) composites that contains siloxane‐modified linear polyurethane (PU) and silicone rubber through reasonable design of polymer structure. The organic‐filler copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) is chemically grafted into the semi‐interpenetrating network as a cross‐linking point and exhibits excellent dispersibility in the matrix. The various properties of the obtained composite films are also evaluated. The dielectric constant (8.65 at 1 kHz) and maximum actuation strain at 30 MV m−1 (5.32%) are significantly higher than those of semi‐IPN composites.

The rapid development of electrostatic capacitors puts forward more stringent requirements for the use of polymer dielectrics, that is, to maintain high energy storage density and efficiency under extreme environments of high temperature and high electric field. In this work, all-organic composites comprising polyetherimide (PEI) blended with high-electron-affinity polymer dots (PDs) have been fabricated and modified by UV irradiation. It is found that the UV irradiated all-organic composites exhibit high energy density (4.1 J cm−3), far outperforming pristine PEI. The energy level diagram and electric conduction results prove that PDs capture free electrons via electrostatic attraction and the wide bandgap forms a barrier to electron transport, which inhibits the electric conduction, leading to the substantial performance improvements. This work demonstrates an effective modification method for the improvement of high-temperature electronics and energy storage devices.

Polymer film capacitors for energy storage applications at high temperature have shown great potential in modern electronic and electrical systems such as those used in aerospace, automotive, and oil exploration industries. The crosslinking strategy has been regarded as one of the most feasible approaches for polymer dielectrics to meet the high temperature requirements. This article presents recent progress in the field of crosslinked polymer-based materials as high-performance dielectrics at elevated temperature. Self-crosslinking polymers, polymers crosslinked by agents and crosslinked polymer nanocomposites are the focus of materials reviewed. We identify the critical relationships between the crosslinking construction methods and the capacitive energy storage properties of dielectric materials on the molecular scale. An in-depth analysis of challenges and future prospects in this field is also provided. The understanding of the crosslinking strategy enables the rational design of polymer-based materials for high-temperature capacitive energy storage.

The local electrochemical measurement and corrosion mechanism of the multi-layer aluminium sheets (AA4343/AA3xxx/AA4343 and AA7072/AA3xxx/AA4343) after brazing are determined by a combination of mechanical polishing and work function calculation based on density functional theory. The work functions of (100), (110), and (111) crystal planes of Si and α-Al(Fe,Mn)Si particles which are common in multi-layer aluminium sheets are calculated. The results demonstrate Si and α-Al(Fe,Mn)Si particles are considered to be cathodic with respect to the Al matrix, thus promoting cathodic reactions. The potential differences between the Si and α-Al(Fe,Mn)Si particles with respect to the Al matrix may lead to localized dissolution of the Al matrix. Besides, the microstructure and composition of multi-layered aluminium sheets are studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and glow discharge optical emission spectrometry and compared with those obtained for conventional multi-layer aluminium sheets (AA4343/AA3xxx/AA4343). The presence of the AA7072 layer reduces the outward diffusion of copper. In addition, the AA7072 sacrificial layer exhibits a large potential difference against the core material for a long time, thereby improving corrosion protection.

Sanchuan ham is a kind of popular fermented meat product in China. To understand the role of microorganisms in reducing the accumulation of Biogenic amine (BA) during ham fermentation. Biogenic amine oxidase-producing strains were screened and identified using color development method on double-layered plate, oxidase test, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), physiological, biochemical methods, and 16 S rDNA. And then a model for simulated fermentation of Sanchuan ham was developed using the strains as single or mixed starter cultures. The results showed that two biogenic amine oxidase-producing strains were identified asThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05419-y.

Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) are essential epigenetic regulators with critical roles in tumor initiation and malignant progression; however, the mechanism by which aberrantly expressed lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 regulates the pathogenesis of glioma is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the function of lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 in glioma onset and progression as well as identify a molecular pathway regulated by this lncRNA. Differentially expressed lncRNAs related to glioma were identified. The aberrant expression of lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 was verified in samples from patients with glioma as well as glioma cell lines. The role of lncRNA RP11-8424.3 in proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion was assessed using gain- and loss-of function approaches, EdU incorporation, flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays. Western blot analysis was utilized to examine the expression of proteins associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The interaction between lncRNA RP11-84E24.3, TFAP2C and SNAI1 was confirmed using RNA pull-down, ChIP and luciferase reporter assays. LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 was up-regulated in both glioma tissues and cell lines. LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 overexpression enhanced the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells while reducing apoptosis. This was associated with a decrease in E-cadherin expression and an increase in N-cadherin and Vimentin expression. LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 directly targeted TFAP2C protein, resulting in increased SNAI1 expression. Knockdown of TFAP2C or SNAI1 reversed the effects of lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 overexpression, while silencing lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 inhibited tumor formation of glioma cells in vivo. LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 increased SNAI1 expression by forming a complex with TFAP2C protein, promoting EMT in glioma cells and tumor formation.

Polymer dielectrics with excellent dielectric properties and energy storage performance under elevated temperature are urgently needed in electrical power systems. Polyetherimide (PEI), which is su...

Background Hypovolemic shock and septic challenge are two major causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the clinic setting. Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is one of the major protein phosphatase tyrosine phosphatase (PTPs), which play a significant role in maintaining immunological homeostasis by regulating many facets of immune cell signaling. In this study, we explored whether SHP2 signaling contributed to development of AKI sequential hemorrhage (Hem) and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and whether inactivation of SHP2 through administration of its selective inhibitor, phenylhydrazonopyrazolone sulfonate 1 (PHPS1), attenuated this injury. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to Hem (a “priming” insult) followed by CLP or sham-Hem plus sham-CLP (S/S) as controls. Samples of blood and kidney were harvested at 24 h post CLP. The expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), caspase3 as well as SHP2:phospho-SHP2, extracellular-regulated kinase (Erk1/2): phospho-Erk1/2, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3):phospho-STAT3 protein in kidney tissues were detected by Western blotting. The levels of creatinine (Cre) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum were measured according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Blood inflammatory cytokine/chemokine levels were detected by ELISA. Results We found that indices of kidney injury, including levels of BUN, Cre and NGAL as well as histopathologic changes, were significantly increased after Hem/CLP in comparison with that in the S/S group. Furthermore, Hem/CLP resulted in elevated serum levels of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, and induced increased levels of HMGB1, SHP2:phospho-SHP2, Erk1/2:phospho-Erk1/2, and STAT3:phospho-STAT3 protein expression in the kidney. Treatment with PHPS1 markedly attenuated these Hem/CLP-induced changes. Conclusions In conclusion, our data indicate that SHP2 inhibition attenuates AKI induced by our double-hit/sequential insult model of Hem/CLP and that this protective action may be attributable to its ability to mitigate activation of the Erk1/2 and STAT3 signaling pathway. We believe this is a potentially important finding with clinical implications warranting further investigation.

To enhance the nonlinear optical properties of graphene oxide in organic solvent and polymeric matrix, lutecium phthalocyanines (LuPc) and hyperbranched lutecium phthalocyanines (HBLuPc) have been grafted on the surface of graphene oxide, respectively. After the surficial modification, the electron transfer process between phthalocyanines and graphene oxide has been also facilitated, resulting in significant fluorescence quenching. Given the combination of nonlinear scattering, two-photon absorption with reverse saturable absorption and the photo-induced electron or energy transfer from the electron donor (phthalocyanine moiety) to the acceptor (graphene oxide), stronger nonlinear optical properties can be realized based on graphene oxide hybrids compared with graphene oxide and phthalocyanines. Furthermore, graphene oxide hybrid modified by hyperbranched lutecium phthalocyanines exhibits the best optical limiting response and the highest nonlinear extinction coefficient at 532 nm in both organic solvent and polymeric matrix. Interestingly, we also find that it could exhibit better optical limiting properties than those possessed by pure phthalocyanine at 1064 nm.

The copper–graphite metal matrix composites were prepared by powder metallurgy method using cuprous oxide and graphite as the raw materials. Their microstructure, relative density, hardness, electrical resistivity and the compressive strength of the cuprous oxide–graphite (Cu2O-Gr) composites were studied. This composite when compared with copper–graphite (Cu-Gr) composites using copper powder and graphite demonstrated that the new composite had finer microstructures with increased to the higher compression strength value. The Brinell hardness is about 1.5-1.6 times higher than the original material and the compressive strength increased by 50-100 MPa. The good parameters can be attributed to the redox reaction that occurs at the interface between cuprous oxide and graphite particles, resulting in uniform distribution of the reinforcements in matrix and strong interfacial bonding between the copper matrix and the graphite particles.

Porphyrin units are a kind of ideal electron donor units, which have large π conjugation and well-defined planar and electron-rich structures. The inserted alkynyl π bridges between porphyrin units...

Polymer nanocomposites containing high K ceramics have been developed for boosting the energy density of dielectric capacitors. However, there are numerous challenges in the research about how to optimize the electric field distribution and improve the interfacial structure of nanocomposites for overcoming dielectric mismatches between high K nanofillers and low K polymers. Herein, all-chemical bonding cross-linked nanocomposites were designed and nano-BT with different sizes were regarded as cross-linked points rather than a free dispersed phase in polymers. In addition, the cross-linking degree could be controlled by changing the nano-BT sizes. 60 nm BT-BCB@DPAES nanocomposites possess the most excellent mechanical and thermal properties as well as the highest theoretical breakdown strength. In fact, 100 nm BT-BCB@DPAES nanocomposites have the most perfect dielectric performance combined with the experimental data and finite element simulation, particularly at 150 °C, the highest breakdown strength of 442 MV m-1 and greatest discharged energy density of 3.1 J cm-3 were obtained. This is attributed to the proper cross-linking degree and uniform electric field distribution. Overall, this kind of cross-linked structure can effectively enhance dielectric performance, particularly at elevated temperatures. This provides an idea for developing high temperature polymer nanocomposites for dielectric energy storage applications.

Synergistic degradation of chitosan by discrete ultrasonic and H

A natural hybrid filler (silica carbon black, name as SiCB) containing biochar and silica, was prepared from pyrolytic rice husk, and incorporated into natural rubber matrix. SiCB product exhibited very unique natural hybrid interface structure, which endows SiCB multiple-functional roles. It can act as good reinforcing filler to enhance mechanical properties and provide strong interfacial polarizability and dipole polarizability. As a result, when the content of SiCB was enhanced to 20 phr (parts per hundred of rubber), the tensile strength of the natural rubber composites was largely increased up to 30.28 MPa, which was two time higher to that of pure NR (15MPa). The dielectric constant at 103 Hz of the composites filled with 60 phr SiCB reached 7.62, which was 2.4 times of that of pure NR, because of the simultaneously improved interfacial and dipole polarizability. Moreover, the dielectric loss of all these composites at 103 Hz remained lower than 0.05. This work provides a simple and nontoxic method to prepare a sustainable natural hybrid filler and explore its novel application. Comparing with the rice husk ash, it can enhance the mechanical and electrical properties of the rubber composites at the same time. This will greatly expand the application of such biomass-based composite materials and this renewable resource.

Sanchuan ham, produced in Yunnan, China, is food with ethnic characteristics favored by consumers. However, it can contain biogenic amines such as tyramine that are harmful to health, and the synthesis mechanism of biogenic amines in Sanchuan ham is not clear. This study focuses on the regulation of biogenic amine synthesis by quorum sensing. We used high-performance liquid chromatography to detect the content of biogenic amine in different kinds of ham and found that the content of biogenic amine in Sanchuan ham was higher than that in others. Tyramine-producing strain isolated from Sanchuan ham was identified as

Objectives: Three different hypotheses proposed via the controversial evidence from cultural, anthropological and uniparental genetic analysis respectively stated that Tanka people probably originated from Han Chinese, ancient Baiyue tribe, or the admixture of them. Therefore, the genetic origin and admixture history of the Tanka people, an isolated 'Gypsies in water' in the coastal region of Southeast China, are needed to be genetically clarified. Materials and methods: To elucidate the genetic origin of the Southeast Tanka people and explore their genetic relationship with surrounding indigenous Tai-Kadai and Austronesian people and Neolithic-to-historic ancients from the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and Fujian, we conducted a large-scale population genomic study among 1498 modern and ancient Eurasians, in which 73 Tanka and 4 Han people were first reported here. Both allele-shared and haplotype-based statistical methods were used here, including PCA, ADMIXTURE, f-statistics, ALDER, qpGraph-/TreeMix and qpAdm/qpWave, ChromoPainter and FineSTRUCTURE. Results: We found a specific genetic cline in PCA plots and detected the Tanka-specific homogeneous ancestry in model-based ADMIXTURE results, suggesting differentiated demographic history between Tanka and surrounding Hans. Formal tests based on sharing allele patterns showed a close relationship between Tanka people and Han Chinese, but the Tanka population harbored more southern East Asian ancestry related to Austronesian and Tai-Kadai people compared with southern Hans. Besides, the reconstructed differentiated demographic history revealed that southern Xinshizhou Tanka harbored more ancestry related to the Tai-Kadai or coastal ancient Neolithic to Bronze Age East Asians compared with northern Shacheng Tanka. The qpGraph-/TreeMix-based phylogenetic framework, qpAdm/qpWave-based admixture modeling and FineSTRUCTURE-based dendrogram among ancient northern and southern East Asians further demonstrated that the primary ancestry of modern Tanka derived from ancient millet farmers in the YRB with additional admixture from multiple southern East Asian sources. Discussion: Sharing ancestry estimated from the f-statistics and sharing haplotypic landscape inferred from the ChromoPainter and FineSTRUCTURE showed that Southeast Tanka people not only had a close genetic relationship with both Northern Hans and YRB millet farmers but also possessed more southern East Asian ancestry related to Austronesian, Tai-Kadai and Hmong-Mien people. Our genomic data and fitted admixture models supported modern Tanka originated from ancient North China and obtained additional gene flow from ancient southern East Asians in the processes of southward migrations.

Disruptor of telomeric silencing‐1 like (DOT1L) protein specifically catalyzes the methylation of histone H3 on Lys79 (H3K79) and is implicated in tumors. But its role in tissue fibrosis remains unclear. Here we demonstrated that injury to the kidney increased DOT1L expression and H3K79 dimethylation in renal tubular epithelial cells and myofibroblasts in a murine model of unilateral ureteral obstruction. Administration of EPZ5676, a highly selective inhibitor of DOT1L, attenuated renal fibrosis. Treatment with EPZ5676 or DOT1L small interfering RNA also inhibited TGF‐p1 and serum‐induced activation of renal interstitial fibroblasts and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Moreover, blocking DOT1L abrogated injury‐induced epithelial G(2)/M arrest; reduced expression of Snail, Twist, and Notch1; and inactivated several profibrotic signaling molecules in the injured kidney, including Smad3, epidermal growth factor receptor, platelet‐derived growth factor receptor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, protein kinase B, and NF‐κB. Conversely, DOT1L inhibition increased expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog, a protein associated with dephosphorylation of tyrosine kinase receptors, and prevented decline in levels of Klotho and Smad7,2 renoprotective factors. Thus, our data indicate that targeting DOT1L attenuates renal fibrosis through inhibition of renal fibroblasts and EMT by suppressing activation of multiple profibrotic signaling pathways while retaining expression of renoprotective factors.—Liu, L., Zou, J., Guan, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, W., Zhou, X., Xiong, C., Tolbert, E., Zhao, T. C., Bayliss, G., Zhuang, S. Blocking the histone lysine 79 methyltransferase DOT1L alleviates renal fibrosis through inhibition of renal fibroblast activation and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. FASEB J. 33, 11941‐11958 (2019). www.fasebj.org

Developing porous organic polymer materials with plenty micropores is of great importance for highly selective CO2 capture under ambient conditions. Here, to tune the pore size, two novel microporous hyperbranched polyimide networks, in which the distance between the polymer skeleton and crosslinking points is different, are successfully prepared by a two-step pathway combining polymerization and crosslinking reaction. It is intriguingly found that both porosity and CO2 sorption performance of microporous hyperbranched polyimides can be finely tuned by reducing the distance between the polymer skeleton and crosslinking points from PEPHQDA-HBPI-CL to PEQDA-HBPI-CL. The micropore size decrease from 1.18 nm to 0.86 nm, and CO2 adsorption capacity increase from 6.38 to 6.51 wt% (298 K and 1 bar). More excitingly, the PEQDA-HBPI-CL demonstrates the high CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivity up to 109 and 15 (273 K, 1 bar) according to the Henry's law, which are superior to those of many other microporous organic polymers and among the best results for porous inorganic/ organic materials. This work reveals that the shorter-distance between the polymer skeleton and crosslinking points is in favor of fabricating microporous hyperbranched polyimide networks with abundant smaller micropore and high CO2 selectivity, which are crucial importance for the CO2 capture and storage.

The use and scrap of lithium ion batteries, especially power lithium ion batteries in China, are increasing every year. Regeneration of spent battery materials is not only important for environmental protection and resource saving, but also for the production of high value-added materials. In this research, spent power lithium-ion battery cathode material LiNi1-xCoxO2 was acid-leached and a polymetallic leaching solution containing Li, Ni, Co, Al and Cu was obtained. Cu was extracted from the leachate by using CP-150 (2-hydroxy-5-nonyl salicylaldehyde oxime). The optimal conditions were found to be organic: aqueous phase ratio (O/A) = 2:1, extraction agent concentration of 30%, and pH = 3. The precursor was prepared by coprecipitation of the leachate after Cu removal. Then, cathode material of lithium nickel cobalt aluminate LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 was synthesized under the optimal conditions of n (precursor): n (lithium carbonate) = 1:1.1, calcination temperature of 800 °C for 15 h. The regenerated LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 product prepared under the optimized conditions was in a pure phase with a layered structure and a smooth surface morphology. The first charge specific capacity was 248.7 mAh/g, and the discharge specific capacity was 162 mAh/g. The interfacial impedance was 119 Ω. The 50th-cycle discharge specific capacity was 149.1 mAh/g, and the capacity retention rate was high as 92%. Therefore, the regenerated cathode material exhibited good performance.

The high durability of low-k value is the key parameter for the low dielectric materials especially used under humid conditions, because the k value is very sensitive to moisture. Here, to decrease the dielectric constant and improve the water resistance, a series of novel co-polyimides are successfully prepared based on cross-linkable diamine monomer by a two-step pathway combining polymerization and crosslinking reaction. It is intriguingly found that with the gradual increase content of cross-linkable group, the dielectric properties, water resistance as well as thermal and mechanical properties of those co-polyimides can be finely tuned. After cross-linking, the dielectric properties are significantly enhanced and the film surface changed from hydrophilic (78.7–89.2°) to hydrophobic (93.0–104.2°), which endow the cross-linked films with superior water resistance and high durability of low-k value. The best performance is obtained for cross-linked co-polyimide (CL-Co-PI-4) containing 30% cross-linkable group. The CL-Co-PI-4 exhibits low dielectric constant of 2.32 and dielectric loss of 0.016 at 1 MHz. Excitingly, the CL-Co-PI-4 demonstrates an extremely low water uptake of 0.051 ± 0.010%, which represents the best water resistance for the reported polyimides. After exposing to different humidity conditions for 12 h, the increasing percentage of k value is very low and below 0.84%. The CL-Co-PI-4 still keep its k value below 2.35 after equilibrating at 75% R.H. for 14 days. The excellent moisture resistance and overall performance make the CL-Co-PI-4 a good candidate for dielectric material under both dry and humid conditions.

The current global production of plastics is over 300 million tons, 20% of which is produced in China. It has been estimated that about 90% of the discarded plastics are not recycled. China was the world’s leading importer of waste plastics, while since January 1, 2018, China’s import ban on waste plastics has been put into force, which has had a far-reaching effect on global plastic production and solid waste management. Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia have replaced China as the leading importer of plastic wastes. As the main exporter of waste plastics, EU has released strategy and initiative about plastics to restrict the use of micro plastics and single-use plastics. Meanwhile main European counties like UK, German and France have also taken own active measures to realize the control of packaging waste and non-recycled plastic and the recycling of plastic wastes in several years. As For the US, some areas such as Seattle and San Francisco have positively responded to the global trend of plastic ban. However, the controversy over “plastic restriction” in the whole state obstructed the promulgation and implementation of the national plastic ban. On the whole, major companies and more than 60 countries all over the world have introduced levies or bans to combat single-use plastic wastes. The Chinese government began to rectify the domestic waste plastics market and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has clarified the threshold of waste plastic treatment capacity for key enterprises. In addition to landfill, direct recovery and waste to energy processes are the main disposal methods of waste plastics. Thermoplastics like PE, PP and PET that are sorted out from the waste stream by citizens can be directly recycled to the primary material. The mixed waste plastics can be used as fuel in waste to energy plants, or as feedstock to pyrolysis plants that transform them to high value-added oil or chemical materials, which are more promising disposal methods of waste plastics.

In this study, we examined the effect of MC1568, a selective class IIa histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, on the development and progression of renal fibrosis in a murine model of renal fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). All 4 class IIa HDAC isoforms, in particular HDAC4, were up-regulated in renal epithelial cells of the injured kidney. Administration of MC1568 immediately after UUO injury reduced expression of α–smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin, and collagen 1. MC1568 treatment or small interfering RNA–mediated silencing of HDAC4 also suppressed expression of those proteins in cultured renal epithelial cells. Mechanistically, MC1568 abrogated UUO-induced phosphorylation of Smad3, NF-κB, and up-regulation of integrin ɑVβ6 in the kidney and inhibited TGF-β1–induced responses in cultured renal epithelial cells. MC1568 also increased renal expression of klotho, bone morphogenetic protein 7, and Smad7. Moreover, delayed administration of MC1568 at 3 d after ureteral obstruction reversed the expression of α-SMA, fibronectin, and collagen 1 and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Collectively, these results suggest that selectively targeting class IIa HDAC isoforms (in particular HDAC4) may inhibit development and progression of renal fibrosis by suppressing activation and expression of multiple profibrotic molecules and increasing expression of antifibrotic proteins and MMPs.—Xiong, C., Guan, Y., Zhou, X., Liu, L., Zhuang, M. A., Zhang, W., Zhang, Y., Masucci, M. V., Bayliss, G., Zhao, T. C., Zhuang, S. Selective inhibition of class IIa histone deacetylases alleviates renal fibrosis.

Microporous polyimides have been extensively investigated for gas capture and separation applications. Polyimides with intrinsic microporosity with contorted structures exhibit high surface areas. However, except for polyimides with intrinsic microporosity, most linear polyimides do not have microporous structures. Here, a crosslinked structure is introduced into linear polyimides to construct microporous polyimide networks with high surface areas. It is intriguingly found that the surface areas of the microporous polyimide networks increased by about ten times compared with the uncrosslinked polyimides; they are in the range of 635–727 m2 g−1 and among the best reported results for linear polyimides with intrinsic microporosity. TF-PI-CL and 6FA-PI-CL can respectively adsorb 10.03 and 7.28 wt% CO2 (273 K/1 bar). Meanwhile, the CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 selectivities of TF-PI-CL are 58.4 and 12.9, respectively. This work reveals that the introduction of a crosslinked structure is an effective method of fabricating microporous polyimide networks with high surface area and highly selective CO2 capture capacity based on linear polyimides, which is crucial for CO2 capture and storage.

A well-controlled bioenhanced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) in the presence of air is carried out by using glucose oxidase (GOx), glucose, ascorbic acid (Asc acid), and ppm level of hemin. The catalytic concentration of hemin is employed to enhance hydrogen peroxide (H

With the popularization of computers and the development of information engineering, the emergence of search engines makes it possible to get the information needed from big data quickly and efficiently. However, in recent years, a multiplicity of new viruses have been propagated by search engines. Many researchers choose to cut off the source of virus propagation, ignoring the virus immunization strategy based on the search engine. In this paper, we analyze the impact of search engines on virus propagation. First, considering the immune effect and cost, two kinds of immune mechanisms based on the search engine that have greater practicability are defined. Second, immune mechanisms based on the search engine are theoretically analyzed by the iteration method and the dynamic method. The results show that this immunization strategy can slow down or eliminate the propagation of a virus to a certain extent. Third, three real social network data sets are used to simulate and analyze the immune mechanism. We find that when the proportion of nodes being infected and the proportion of infected nodes being identified by the search engine satisfy a certain relationship, our immune mechanism can inhibit the spread of viruses, which confirms our theoretical analysis results.

Accurate regulation of modern greenhouse requires fast and accurate acquisition of various key physiological indexes of greenhouse crops. Greenhouse environmental data and crop physiological data were used as input and output, and the Deep&Wide Neural Network (WDNN) model was established to predict the tomato net photosynthetic rate in greenhouse. Through the adoption of ADAM algorithm, the accuracy of WDNN has been improved. At the same time, compared with the traditional Deep Neural Network(DNN), WDNN has a better prediction effect. Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squard Error (MSE), Root Mean Squard Error (RMSE) of WDNN predicted value and real value were 0.7498, 1.7617, 1.3272, respectively, and determination coefficient of the model was 0.9764.

ObjectiveTo compare the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) versus computed tomography (CT) for distinguishing neoplastic and non-neoplastic gallbladder polyps. Given whether laparoscopic cholecystectomy is needed, differential diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic gallbladder polyps is more important than benign and malignant polyps.MethodsA total of 89 consecutive patients with polypoid lesions of the gallbladder > 10 mm in size without local invasion or distant metastasis during primary screening were enrolled in this prospective and comparative study. All patients who met the inclusion criteria underwent CEUS and CT examinations prior to surgical resection. The enhancement patterns and microvascular imaging types were analyzed on CEUS. The maximum diameter and CT value of the lesions were also recorded and subjected to a comparative analysis. The clinical value of the two diagnostic methods is compared.ResultsOf the 89 patients, there were 58 (65.2%) cases of non-neoplastic polyps and 31 (34.8%) cases of neoplastic polyps. The average diameter of neoplastic polyps was significantly higher than that of non-neoplastic polyps (PConclusionsCEUS and CT are useful for differential diagnosis of neoplastic and nonneoplastic polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. Diagnostic efficacy was comparable between CEUS and CT. Thus, CEUS is preferred over CT in the differential diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic gallbladder polyps due to its comparable diagnostic efficacy and lack of radiation dose.

The inhibitory effect of long intergenic non-coding RNA 00320 (LINC00320) in glioma cell proliferation has been proposed in a recent study. However, the mechanisms by which LINC00320 regulate aquaporin 9 (AQP9) in glioma require further exploration. Hence, this study aims to investigate effects of LINC00320 on tumorigenicity of glioma cells and angiogenesis of microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs). Expression of LINC00320 and AQP9 in glioma tissues and cells was measured by reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. The relationship among LINC00320, nuclear factor κB subunit 1 (NFKB1) and AQP9 was examined by RNA immunoprecipitation, dual-luciferase reporter gene, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The participation of LINC00320 and AQP9 in glioma cell proliferation and MVEC angiogenesis was analyzed using gain- and loss-of-function approaches. Finally, a nude mouse orthotopic xenograft model of glioma was established to investigate the effects of LINC00320 and AQP9 on glioma growth in vivo. LINC00320 was under-expressed and AQP9 was over-expressed in glioma tissues. Further mechanistic investigation showed that LINC00320 downregulated AQP9 by inhibiting the recruitment of NFKB1 to the promoter region of AQP9. LINC00320 overexpression or AQP9 silencing inhibited the proliferation of glioma cells and angiogenesis of MVECs. Also, upregulation of LINC00320 restrained tumor growth and angiogenesis in xenograft mice by downregulating AQP9. Taken together, LINC00320 acts as a tumor suppressor in glioma, thus presenting a novel therapeutic target.

Background: To investigate the mechanism by which Tongfu Huoxue decoction protects against acute kidney injury in sepsis in rats, and provide a new therapeutic strategy for clinical intervention.Methods: Thirty-two Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (saline), model group (lipopolysaccharide LPS group), LPS group+Tongfu Huoxue Decoction high-dose group (H group), and LPS group +Tongfu Huoxue Decoction low-dose group (L group). A rat model of acute kidney injury in sepsis was established by administration of LPS, and Tongfu Huoxue decoction was administered by gavage. The pathological and morphological changes of the kidneys were evaluated according to the levels of urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood creatinine (SCr). The expression of the inflammation-related factors IL-1b, IL-6 and TNF-a was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Changes in the phosphorylation levels of the autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins LC3, beclin-1, caspase-3 and Akt were detected by Western blot analysis. Results: Compared with the model LPS group, kidney tissue damage was reduced in rats treated with Tongfu Huoxue decoction. The expression levels of inflammation-related and autophagy-related proteins in the kidney tissue of rats treated with Tongfu Huoxue decoction were significantly lower than those in the LPS group, which was showed a dose-dependent decrease in expression. After stimulation of HK-2 cells with LPS, the expression levels of the autophagy and apoptosis in the groups treated with Tongfu Huoxue decoction decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the rate of HK-2 cell apoptosis was higher in the LPS group than that in the control group, with lower rates in the H and L groups than that in the LPS group and were dose-dependent.Conclusion: Tongfu Huoxue decoction protects against acute renal injury in sepsis by reducing autophagy and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening disease with high mortality. Early diagnosis is critical as early treatment improves outcomes. The protein levels of glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) activation, were reported increasing rapidly and continuously in the serum of patients with sepsis. Therefore, they might serve as a potential biomarker for sepsis diagnosis. This study aimed to analyze the role of GRP78 and CHOP in the diagnosis of patients with sepsis. METHODS: This study enrolled a total of 92 infected patients with or without sepsis who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) from February 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018. According to 2016 SCCM/ESICM Sepsis 3.0 diagnostic criteria, patients with sepsis were allocated into group I (sepsis infected group) and patients without sepsis were allocated into group II (non-sepsis infected group). Serum samples were collected on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 after admission to ICU, and the concentrations of GRP78 and CHOP in the serum were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic ability of GRP78, CHOP, and other traditional inflammatory markers was assessed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC)/area under the ROC curves (AUC) analysis. Patients were shortly follow-up for the 28-day mortality. RESULTS: Serum GRP78 and CHOP levels in group I patients were higher than that in group II patients (P=0.021, P=0.00, respectively). When GRP78 was used to diagnose sepsis, the maximum area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.771 (95% CI: 0.662–0.880) and the optimal threshold was 157.29 ng/L (sensitivity, 75.0%; specificity, 73.1%) on day 2. When CHOP was used for the diagnosis of sepsis, the maximum AUC was 0.813(95% CI: 0.721–0.906) and the optimal threshold was 4.915 ng/L (sensitivity, 57.7%; specificity, 96.2%) on day 2. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional inflammatory markers, ERS-related specific proteins GRP78 and CHOP have better sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of sepsis, which is helpful for clinicians in the diagnosis of sepsis.

Objective: The main purpose of this paper is to investigate sleep quality in the withdrawal of medical members dispatched to control the Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Methods: Forty-seven medical members (including twenty medical members treating mild COVID-19, seventeen medical members treating severe COVID-19 and ten logistics team members) completed questionnaire using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the sleep quality of the medical members. Results: A total of forty-seven medical members participated in the sleep quality survey. The PSQI total scores are 5.6±4.3, 11.0±5.0 and 3.4±2.0 in treating mild COVID-19, treating severe COVID-19 and logistics team members, respectively. Medical members treating patients with severe COVID-19 had significantly higher PSQI total scores than those who facing up to the patients with mild COVID-19 and logistics team members. (PConclusions: Findings indicate that medical members treating patients with severe COVID-19 had worse sleep quality than who facing up to the patients with mild COVID-19 and logistics team members.

This paper is exploring the female’s roles in a family by making a comparison and contrast between the two women in movies Kramer vs. Kramer and The Bridges of Madison County. Their fates mirror the beliefs of the times and their dilemmas can explain where the women’s position is in the society. Francesca in The Bridges of Madison County chooses to retreat to her family and conceal her love when she is confronted with the conflicts of family responsibilities and her personal expectations and her decision has satisfied everybody. While Joanna in Kramer vs. Kramer makes a quite different choice. Joanna gets away from the suffocating family life and succeeds in being what she wants to be. The two women’s destinies are the epitome of their ages. Undoubtedly, with the rise of women’s movement, women’s role is changing so drastically that it’s necessary to reshape the women’s image in both family and society.

Flow batteries are one of the most promising large-scale energy-storage systems. However, the currently used flow batteries have low operation-cost-effectiveness and exhibit low energy density, which limits their commercialization. Herein, a titanium-bromine flow battery (TBFB) featuring very low operation cost and outstanding stability is reported. In this battery, a novel complexing agent, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride, is employed to stabilize bromine/polybromides and suppress Br diffusion. The results reveal that the complexing agent effectively inhibits Br crossover and reduces Br-induced corrosivity, which in turn significantly improves the reliability of the TBFB system. The novel TBFB demonstrates 95% coulombic efficiency and 83% energy efficiency at 40 mA cm-2 current density. Moreover, it can run smoothly for more than 1000 cycles without any capacity decay. Furthermore, an assembled 300 W TBFB stack can be continuously operated for more than 500 cycles, thereby confirming the practical applicability of the proposed TBFB. Because the TBFB utilizes an ultralow-cost electrolyte (41.29 $ kWh-1 ) and porous polyolefin membranes, it serves as a reliable and low-cost energy-storage device. Therefore, considering its ultrahigh stability and low cost, the TBFB can be used as a large-scale energy-storage device.

Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) are essential epigenetic regulators with critical roles in tumor initiation and malignant progression; however, the mechanism by which aberrantly expressed lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 regulates the pathogenesis of glioma is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the function of lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 in glioma onset and progression as well as identify a molecular pathway regulated by this lncRNA.Differentially expressed lncRNAs related to glioma were identified. The aberrant expression of lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 was verified in samples from patients with glioma as well as glioma cell lines. The role of lncRNA RP11-8424.3 in proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion was assessed using gain- and loss-of function approaches, EdU incorporation, flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays. Western blot analysis was utilized to examine the expression of proteins associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The interaction between lncRNA RP11-84E24.3, TFAP2C and SNAI1 was confirmed using RNA pull-down, ChIP and luciferase reporter assays.LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 was up-regulated in both glioma tissues and cell lines. LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 overexpression enhanced the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells while reducing apoptosis. This was associated with a decrease in E-cadherin expression and an increase in N-cadherin and Vimentin expression. LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 directly targeted TFAP2C protein, resulting in increased SNAI1 expression. Knockdown of TFAP2C or SNAI1 reversed the effects of lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 overexpression, while silencing lncRNA RP11-84E24.3 inhibited tumor formation of glioma cells in vivo.LncRNA RP11-84E24.3 increased SNAI1 expression by forming a complex with TFAP2C protein, promoting EMT in glioma cells and tumor formation.

Background Hypovolemic shock and septic challenge are two major causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the clinic course. Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is one of the major phosphatase protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPs), which play a significant role in maintaining immunological homeostasis by regulating many facets of immune cell signaling. In this study, we explored whether SHP2 signaling contributed to AKI induced by hemorrhage (Hem) followed by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) (Hem/CLP) and, further, if inactivation of SHP2 with the selective inhibitor, Phenylhydrazonopyrazolone sulfonate 1 (PHPS1), attenuated this injury. Methods Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to Hem (a “priming” insult) followed by CLP or sham-Hem plus sham-CLP (S/S) as controls. Samples of blood and kidney were harvested at 24 h post CLP. The expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), caspase3 as well as SHP2:phospho-SHP2, extracellular-regulated kinase (Erk1/2):phospho-Erk1/2, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3):phospho-STAT3 protein in kidney tissues were detected by Western blotting. The levels of creatinine (Cre) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum were measured according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Blood inflammatory cytokine/chemokine levels were detected by ELISA. Results Here we report that indices of kidney injury, such as BUN, Cre, NGAL in renal tissue and histopathologic change, were pronounced after Hem/CLP in comparison with that observed in the S/S group mice. Furthermore, while Hem/CLP elevated serum levels of inflammatory cytokine/ chemokine, and induced increased levels of HMGB1, SHP2:phospho-SHP2, Erk1/2:phospho-Erk1/2, as well asSTAT3:phospho-STAT3 protein expression in the kidney; treatment with PHPS1 markedly attenuated these Hem/CLP induced changes. Conclusions In conclusion, our data indicate that SHP2 inhibition attenuates AKI induced by our double-hit/sequential insult model of Hem/CLP and that this protective action may be attributable to its anti-inflammatory property in mitigating activation of the Erk1/2 and STAT3 signaling pathway. This finding we believe has important potential clinical implications and, thus, warrants further investigation.

High-temperature ceramic/polymer nanocomposites with large energy density as the reinforcement exhibit great potential for energy storage applications in modern electronic and electrical power systems. Yet, a general drawback is that the increased dielectric constant is usually achieved at the cost of decreased breakdown strength, thus leading to moderate improvement of energy density and even displaying a marked deterioration under high temperatures and high electric fields. Herein, a new strategy is reported to simultaneously improve breakdown strength and discharged energy density by a step-by-step, controllable dual crosslinking process, which constructs a strengthened interface as well as reduces molecular chains relaxation under elevated temperatures. Great breakdown strength and discharged energy density is achieved in the dual crosslinked network BT-BCB@DPAES nanocomposites at elevated temperatures when compared to noninterfacial-strengthened, BT/DPAES composites, i.e., an enhanced breakdown strength and a discharged energy density of 442 MV m-1 and 3.1 J cm-3 , increasing by 66% and 162%, and a stable cyclic performance over 10 000 cycles is demonstrated at 150 °C. Moreover, the enhancement through the synergy of two crosslinked networks is rationalized via a comprehensive phase-field model for the composites. This work offers a strategy to enhance the electric storage performances of composites at high temperatures.

Heat-resistant and crosslinked polymers/ceramic composites have been prepared and investigated for enhancing high-temperature dielectric properties to adapt the development of advanced electric and electronic systems. Here, a series of crosslinkable heat-resistant poly(arylene ether sulfone)s (DPAES) with large dipole units of -SO