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Background and Purpose: Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease of chronic recurrence mediated by the interaction between IL‐17 and keratinocytes, which sustains a vicious circle of inflammation. Safe and effective natural medicine is a potential strategy for the clinical treatment of psoriasis. Given its prominent anti‐proliferative and anti‐inflammatory properties, we investigated the actions of allicin in improving psoriasis. Experimental Approach: Pharmacodynamic studies were carried out in mice after topical administration of allicin against psoriasis‐like lesions induced by imiquimod. Skin sensitization tests were evaluated on guinea pigs. Toxicological studies and skin irritation tests were assessed by consecutive topical allicin alone on the skin of rabbits. RNA‐seq probed transcriptomic changes following allicin. Western blot explored the actions of allicin on the interaction between IL‐17A and keratinocytes. Changes in inflammatory factor expression were analysed by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Key Results: Allicin significantly improved the epidermal structure by inhibiting the excessive proliferation and reduced apoptosis of keratinocytes. Furthermore, allicin reduced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines (IL‐17A/F, IL‐22, IL‐12, and IL‐20), chemokines (CXCL2, CXCL5, and CCL20), and anti‐bacterial peptides (S100a8/9). Mechanistically, allicin directly inhibited the IL‐17‐induced TRAF6/MAPK/NF‐κB and STAT3/NF‐κB signalling cascades in keratinocytes, thus breaking the positive inflammatory feedback and alleviating imiquimod‐induced psoriasis‐like dermatitis in mice. Importantly, topical administration of allicin did not cause skin allergy, and the safety and adaptability of long‐term application were verified. Conclusions and Implications: Interfering with IL‐17 signalling in keratinocytes with allicin is a promising strategy for treating psoriasis, given its safety and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Effectiveness of high-energy dynamic compaction on Layered soil-rock mixture geomaterials based on field test" published in the Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment. The correction addresses an error in the labeling of Figure 1, which was incorrectly labeled as "Figure 1" and "Figure 1 continued." The authors have decided to retain the content from the "Figure 1 continued" as the final version of Fig. 1. The original article has been corrected. [Extracted from the article]

Scented tea has been demonstrated to possess favourable pharmacological properties and exert a range of beneficial effects on human health. Longan flowers (Dimocarpus longan) are rich in nutrients and have a strong aroma; however, to date, no studies have reported the production of scented tea from longan flowers. The present study sought to investigate the impact of varying fixation and drying methods on the nutritional and antioxidant components of longan flowers. The findings indicated that, with the exception of free amino acids, the contents of other components in longan flowers were not affected by the different drying methods. Longan flowers subjected to steam fixation had higher average content of polyphenols and flavonoids, resulting in higher antioxidant and reducing power capacity. Therefore, this study examined the quality of longan scented tea prepared using different fixation and drying methods, promoted further processing of longan scented tea, and provided a reference to comprehensively utilize longan scented tea for benefiting human health. • Steam fixation had minimal impact on the nutritional components of longan flowers. • Steam fixation enhanced the content of antioxidant components and reducing power. • Different drying methods had little impact on longan scented tea process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Output accuracy performance is directly determined by geometric errors and working poses of a mechanism. Accuracy sensitivity as geometric error transmission coefficient, closely relates to pose configuration and geometric parameters. This research focuses on accuracy of a 3-RPR planar parallel mechanism: firstly, established 3 models in an analytic form, to describe relationship between output errors and geometric ones, then they are mutually verified statistically. Secondly, the anisotropy and periodic fluctuation of position errors, independently contributed by each category of geometric errors, are illustrated; and mirror symmetric trajectories and poses generating output errors with mirror symmetry, are also revealed by numerical simulation. Finally, the radical accuracy model in an analytic form, was established through variance and covariance analysis on output errors. We concluded that the radical error of the movable platform in central symmetric poses, follows Rayleigh distribution pattern. Through statistical comparison with Monte Carlo simulation, the radical error model was demonstrated, that provided a reference for accuracy design for other planar parallel mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a phenylpropyl substance synthesized through the shikimic acid pathway. In addition to its anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant abilities, CGA also has immunomodulatory effects. The aim of the present study is to investigate the therapeutic effects of CGA on the skin damage and arthritis caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in an MRL/lpr mouse model. In the SLE model, female MRL/lpr mice at the age of 10 weeks old were treated with CGA daily or cyclophosphamide (CTX) weekly via intraperitoneal injection for three months. After treatment, CGA can significantly alleviate the skin and mucous membrane damage caused by SLE and has a certain improvement effect on arthritis. CGA could inhibit dsDNA expression to a certain extent but has no obvious regulation on ANA concentration. The ELISA and BioMAP results indicated that CGA might play an anti-inflammatory role by down-regulating the interleukin (IL)-17 level. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that CGA can alleviate multiorgan damage in MRL/lpr mice by reducing IL-17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proven to be an alternative target choice for refractory isolated cervical dystonia (CD). However, assessments of its short and long-term safety, efficacy, and sustained effectiveness have been limited to few reports. Here, we evaluated nine consecutive refractory isolated CD patients who underwent bilateral STN DBS and accepted to short and long-term follow-up in this retrospective study. Seven time points were used to see the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) scores (pre-operation [baseline], 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 months post-operation and last follow-up) to assess improvement of dystonic symptoms. The 36-item Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) scores obtained at pre-operation and last follow-up to assess the changes in quality of life. All patients tolerated surgery well and acquired observable clinical benefits from STN DBS therapy. All patients achieved a considerable improvement in quality of life at the last follow-up. The hardware-related adverse events can be tolerated and the stimulation-related adverse events can be ameliorated by programming. Our data support the idea that bilateral STN DBS is a safety and effective method for the treatment of refractory isolated CD, with persistent and remarkable improvement in both movement and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proved that error compensation is an effective approach to improve machining accuracy of a machine tool cost efficiently. In this paper, the framework of an error compensation software system, which can realize software error compensation via numerical control (NC) programs reconstructing, is investigated. And the algorithms relating to error prediction are discussed in detail, such as positioning movement error compensation, linear interpolation movement, and circular interpolation movement error compensation. To realize the error compensation, NC program is reconstructed according to the predicted errors during virtual machining before it is fed to the actual machining. Two controlled machining experiments were carried out. The results show that error compensation methods via reconstructing NC programs can improve the movement accuracy of a computer numerical control CNC machine tool obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the environmental problems caused by scrap tire and tailings disposal, the performance of recycled tire polymer fiber (RTPF)-reinforced cemented paste backfill (CPB) was investigated. Ordinary CPB, commercial poly-propylene fiber (CPPF) and reinforced CPB were also investigated for comparison. Slump tests, unconfined compression tests and a cost–benefit analysis were conducted. The results indicate that the flowability of the RTPF-reinforced CPB decreased with the increasing fiber content. The failure strain, unconfined compressive strength, and toughness values were generally higher than that of ordinary CPB (i.e., CPB without any fiber reinforcement). However, the mechanical properties would not be improved continuously with increasing RTPF content. It was found that the inclusion of RTPFs achieved the best improvement effect with the best mechanical properties of CPB at the fiber content of 0.6%. The failure mode of the RTPF-reinforced CPB was safer than that of the ordinary CPB. Microscopic observations indicated that the bond between RTPFs and the CPB matrix could affect the mechanical properties of the RTPF-reinforced CPB. From the cost–benefit analysis, the inclusion of RTPFs to reinforce CPB could gain relatively high mechanical properties with a low material cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Virtual manufacturing (VM) is one of the research focuses in manufacturing at present. By analyzing and modeling the forming process of workpiece and the error sources contributing to machining precision of workpiece in turning operation, the cutter trajectory and attitude representation (CTA_Rep) is presented to characterize the geometric errors of machined workpiece in VM. Then a surface topography simulation model is established to simulate the surface finish profile generated after a turning operation. This representation is implemented in the Virtual Machining and Measuring Cell (VMMC) developed by the authors to represent and predict the geometric errors of workpiece. Satisfactory results are obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Increasing amounts of tailings and waste rubber tires have caused threats to the environment. In order to reuse these solid wastes, this study proposed a cemented tailings material containing crumb rubber recovered from waste tires. Unconfined compression tests and thermal conductivity measurements were conducted to evaluate the feasibility and performance of the proposed cemented tailings. Results revealed that the stress-strain behavior of the cemented tailings changed by the inclusion of crumb rubber. The unconfined compressive strength of cemented tailings decreased with increasing crumb rubber content. The inclusion of crumb rubber increased the failure strain and nonlinearity index of the cemented tailings. It was found that the addition of 4% crumb rubber provided the greatest improvement in ductility. The increase of the rubber content further increased the thermal insulation capacity of the cemented tailings. The low stiffness and the dimpled surface of the crumb rubber were responsible for the reduced compressive strength and thermal conductivity of the cemented tailings. In conclusion, the crumb rubber had both positive and negative effects on the cemented tailings. In practical application, the rubber admixture amount should be flexibly adjusted for different use case to make the cemented tailings material show the most suitable performance characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longan fruit pulp sugar content and sweetness decline after ripening, which affects fruit quality and postharvest storage. Fruit sugar decline research has focused mainly on fruit physiology and biochemistry. To explore the molecular mechanism underlying sugar decline, we conducted transcriptome and metabolome analyses of 'Shixia' longan fruit aril (pulp) tissues at different stages of development. In total, 873 metabolites and 26584 annotated unigenes were identified. Sugar content changes in aril tissues were closely related to gene expression patterns related to starch and sucrose metabolism, such as sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), invertase (INV), sucrose synthase (SUS), and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI). Notably, glycolytic pathway gene expression and cellulose and lignin contents increased during the sugar decline stage compared to the sugar accumulation stage. Conversely, sucrose transporter genes, such as DlSWEET2b , DlSWEET10 , and DlSWEET12 , showed the opposite expression pattern, pointing to reduced sucrose transport during sugar decline. These results indicate that longan fruit sugar decline is likely related to an interruption of sugar input (cessation of sucrose transport to the aril) and continued glycolysis and cellulose/lignin biosynthesis. This provides a new way to delay longan fruit sugar decline, by regulating sugar transport instead of inhibiting respiration. • A sudden decrease in sucrose content results in longan sugar receding. • Glycolysis and cellulose and lignin synthesis reduce the sucrose content of longan. • Inhibition of expression of sucrose transporter genes blocks sucrose transport. • Input interruption and continuous consumption of sugar lead to sugar receding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics in cities depends largely on ground transportation and causes problems such as traffic congestion, environmental impact and delivery delays. Taking advantage of a metro system’s underutilized capacity to transport same-day delivery items within a city during off-peak periods is not only innovative, but can mitigate the abovementioned urban transportation problems. In this paper, we locate the distribution hubs and construct a metro-integrated logistics system. First, we propose a segmentation method for the urban metro network. Second, based on the resulting sub-networks, indices for evaluating the importance of each metro station are selected by complex network theory and the weight of each evaluation index is calculated by AHP method. Moreover, the importance of each metro station is evaluated using the TOPSIS model and the candidate metro distribution hubs for location model are determined. Then, with the consideration of logistics demand, a location model is formulated to determine the final metro distribution hubs from the candidate metro distribution hubs. Finally, we choose the metro system of Shanghai as a case study and provide strategic planning for location selection of metro distribution hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Copper ion participates in many fundamental biological processes and its homeostasis needs strict regulation. • Nanoprobes can detect copper levels in real-time, on-site, and through systematic analysis. • Copper chelators/ionophores suffer from non-targeting ability, poor selectivity, and short half-life time. • Nanoagents can deplete copper ions to reshape copper homeostasis or release copper ions to kill abnormal cells. Copper ion is an essential microelement that plays vital roles in a wide range of physiological processes, and aberrant copper levels in vivo usually cause various diseases, making it an important target for disease diagnosis and therapy. Traditional copper ion detection for disease diagnosis is mainly based on combining tissue biopsy and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry technique, while this strategy is invasive, expensive, and can't reflect copper levels in real-time, on-site, and through systematic analysis. On the other hand, copper chelators or ionophores are traditionally used to manipulate copper levels to help repair damaged cells or kill malignant cells. However, currently developed copper chelators/ionophores suffer from non-targeting ability, low bioavailability, poor selectivity, and short half-life time. Therefore, new techniques for detecting and regulating endogenous copper homeostasis are urgently demanded. Nanotechnology has dramatically advanced in improving imaging contrast, enhancing therapeutic effects, lowering side effects, etc. Early studies that combined nanotechnology with imaging/therapeutic approaches targeting copper homeostasis have shown great potential for developing diagnosis/treatment options. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in copper ion-related nanomedicine for disease diagnosis and therapy, and analyzes the underlying critical concerns, unresolved issues, and future perspectives, hoping it can provide a general implication for further research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blurriness is annoying yet common in digital images. Many sharpness assessment indicators using handcrafted features achieve impressive results on synthesized blurring images, while room exists for improvement on realistic datasets. This study presents a hybrid indicator in which no-reference indicators perform as mid-level feature extractors and their outputs are selected using a consensus-based method for discriminative ones. On realistic image datasets, 15 off-the-shelf indicators are explored, and experimental results reveal that the hybrid indicator obtains considerable improvement (≥ 21.5%, BID2011; ≥ 11.6%, CID2013; ≥ 7.1%, LIVE Challenge; and ≥ 11.6%, KonIQ-10k) compared to the baseline indicator. Meanwhile, the indicator requires more features for representation of diverse distortions (CID2013, LIVE Challenge and KonIQ-10k) than different blurriness (BID2011). Four regression models are investigated, and fitting neural network leads to overall better results. Realistic image quality assessment is challenging, fusion of existing indicators improves the performance, while to develop advanced indicators remains desirable. • Image quality assessment is casted as a feature selection and score prediction issue. • Consensus analysis is for screening mid-level features yielded by BISA indicators. • The hybrid indicator achieves considerable improvement on realistic image datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To relax the requirements on wavelength control of arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) in InP-based photonic integrated circuits (PIC), two kinds of 10-channel InP-based AWGs with flat-top spectral response are designed and fabricated by introducing a rectangle multi-mode interference (MMI) or a parabolic MMI at the end of input waveguide. The test results demonstrate that these two kinds of flat-top AWGs have obtained flattened spectral response with 3 dB-bandwidth of about 1.7 nm, and the parabolic MMI-based flat-top AWG has 0.7 dB superiority in on-chip loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the non-specific immunostimulatory effect of alginate oligosaccharides (AOSs) with three types of molecular weights, namely, A 1 = below 1 kD (polymerization of 2–5), A 2 = 1 kD to 2 kD (polymerization of 5–10), and A 3 = 2 kD to 4 kD (polymerization of 10–20), as well as their two types of corresponding purified uronic acid oligomers (mannuronate and guluronate oligomers) on sea cucumber ( Apostichopus japonicus ) coelomocyte were investigated in vitro. Coelomocytes cultured in L-15 medium containing different AOS concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, or 400 μg mL − 1 ) were sampled, and non-specific immune responses, such as phagocytic capacity, reactive oxygen species, lysozyme activity, peroxidase activity, total nitric oxide synthase and acid phosphatase activity were determined and compared with those of the control samples (i.e., treatments without immunostimulants) after exposure to AOS for 3, 6, 12, or 24 h. Most of the above mentioned immune parameters were significantly ( P < 0.05) improved by treating with the three types of AOSs, however, the significant difference appeared at different concentrations and incubation times depending on the AOS molecular weights. By contrast, the A 1 group showed better effects on phagocytic capacity, lysozyme activity, peroxidase activity and total nitric oxide synthase of coelomocytes because of the higher increase, earlier appearance, and longer duration time than those of the A 2 and A 3 groups. Furthermore, among the significant differences of various molecular weights of the AOS groups relative to the control sample, these immune parameters in mannuronate or guluronate oligomer groups were all significantly higher than those in the control sample ( P < 0.05); in addition, the A 1 mannuronate group had a higher increase in phagocytic activity than that of guluronate, and no significant difference was observed in other immune parameters between corresponding mannuronate and guluronate oligomer groups. These results indicated that AOS could enhance the non-specific immune response of sea cucumber coelomocytes in vitro and provided basic information regarding AOS as a potential immunostimulant in sea cucumber culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a compact and low wavelength-dependence loss (WDL) 1×64 optical power splitter is fabricated using silica-based PLC technology on quartz substrate. The cascaded Y-branch structures are optimized in detail, and a compact 1×64 optical power splitter layout is obtained. The measured results show that the insertion loss (IL), the uniformity and WDL of the best results of all splitters are less than 19.2dB, 1.0dB and 0.5dB, respectively, in the wavelength range from 1.26μm to 1.65μm, and the total product ratio of Standard grade in a whole 6in. wafer is more than 80%. The results imply that our technology completely satisfies the need of mass manufacture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a compact, low-loss and good-uniformity 1×8 optical power splitter with new Y-branch structure is demonstrated using silica-based PLC technology on quartz substrate. Broadening waveguide and transition waveguide of the new Y-branch are optimized by using 3D BPM. The measurement results show that the insertion loss (IL) and the uniformity (UNIF) of the splitters are less than 9.5dB and 0.35dB, respectively, in the wavelength range from 1.26μm to 1.65μm, and the total product ratio of premium grade in a whole 6in. wafer is more than 95%. The results mean that our technology completely satisfies the need of mass manufacture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we designed and fabricated a four-channel optical add-drop multiplexer (OADM) based on dual racetrack resonators. The size of the fabricated device is only 2400μm×500μm. The fabricated device can effectively and perfectly realize the signals upload and download. The free spectral range (FSR) of OADM is about 15.2nm. We take the spectral responses near 1555nm as an example. When the device acts as an optical drop multiplexer, the minimum insertion loss is 4.481dB and the maximum extinction ratio is 31.931dB. The maximum adjacent channels crosstalk is -9.845dB. When the device acts as an optical add multiplexer, the minimum insertion loss is 0.944dB and all of the extinction ratios are bigger than 25dB. The maximum crosstalk is -16.531dB which indicates the crosstalk can be neglected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A low-loss 1 × 256 optical power splitter is designed and fabricated using silica-based planar lightwave circuit technology on a 6-in. quartz substrate. The measured results show that the insertion loss, uniformity, and wavelength-dependence loss (WDL) of a 1 × 256 splitter are <26.2, 1.97, and 1.83 dB, respectively, in the wavelength range from 1.26 to 1.63 μm. The insertion loss, uniformity, and WDL of a 1 × 256 splitter are <25.62, 1.33, and 1.03 dB, respectively, in the normal communication wavelength range from 1.31 to 1.55μm. The polarization dependence loss is <0.16 dB in the wavelengths of 1.31 and 1.55 μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new homoadamantane-type polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols, hyperacmosins E-G (1–3), with seven known compounds were isolated from the air-dried aerial parts of Hypericum asmosepalum. Their structures were determined by NMR, HRESIMS and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. The hepatoprotective activity of these compounds were evaluated. Compounds 4 and 8 exhibited hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol-induced HepG2 cell damage. Unlabelled Image • Three new homoadamantane-type PPAPs were obtained from H. asmosepalum. • Loss of C-4 carbonyl and followed by a new C C bond between C-3 and C-5 of 1. • The plausible biosynthetic pathway for compounds 1–3 is proposed. • Compounds 4 and 8 showed hepatoprotective activity at 10 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is currently unclear how sharpness discrimination ability is distributed across a wide range of edge sharpness and the effect of contact area on haptic perception. We 3D printed triangular prisms with various edge sharpness and half-edge widths in the full-scale range and conducted 2AFC tasks to gain the haptic threshold distribution. Results show that the distribution curves of the sharpness threshold and its contact area have a similar inflection point at 115 ° , implying a boundary between medium-low and high stimuli. It is also found that Weber fractions in the medium stimulus range follow Weber's Law and are consistent with previous studies but lower than the mean of Weber fractions in the high stimulus range. Besides, there is no significant difference in upper and lower thresholds in the medium-low stimulus range but a significant difference in the high stimulus range with the higher upper threshold. Variations in contact area do not affect sharpness discrimination ability when the half-edge width exceeds 2 mm. However, decreasing the half-edge width from 2 mm to 1 mm significantly reduces haptic sensitivity. Our findings offer preliminary evidence contributing to understanding haptic perception in edge sharpness discrimination, encompassing the properties of objects and object-individual interfaces.

Implant infections are severe complications in clinical treatment, which often accompany the formation of bacterial biofilms with high antibiotic resistance. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is an antibiotic-free method that can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill bacteria under ultrasound (US) treatment. However, the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) barrier of bacterial biofilms and the hypoxic microenvironment significantly limit the antibiofilm activity of SDT. In this study, lipid-shelled perfluoropentane (PFP) nanodroplets loaded with gallium protoporphyrin IX (GaPPIX) and oxygen (O 2 ) (LPGO NDs) were developed for the treatment of implant infections. Under US stimulation, LPGO NDs undergo the cavitation effect and disrupt the biofilm structure like bombs due to liquid-gas phase transition. Meanwhile, the LPGO NDs release O 2 and GaPPIX upon US stimulation. The released O 2 can alleviate the hypoxic microenvironment in the biofilm and enhance the ROS formation by GaPPIX for enhanced bacterial killing. In vivo experimental results demonstrate that the LPGO NDs can efficiently treat implant infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a mouse model by disrupting the biofilm structure, alleviating hypoxia, and enhancing bacterial killing by SDT. Therefore, this work provides a new multifunctional sonosensitizer to overcome the limitations of SDT for treating implant infections.

Introduction: Synergistic medication, a crucial therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment, involves combining multiple drugs to enhance therapeutic effectiveness and mitigate side effects. Current research predominantly employs deep learning models for extracting features from cell line and cancer drug structure data. However, these methods often overlook the intricate nonlinear relationships within the data, neglecting the distribution characteristics and weighted probability densities of gene expression data in multi-dimensional space. It also fails to fully exploit the structural information of cancer drugs and the potential interactions between drug molecules. Methods: To overcome these challenges, we introduce an innovative end-to-end learning model specifically tailored for cancer drugs, named Dual Kernel Density and Positional Encoding (DKPE) for Graph Synergy Representation Network (DKPEGraphSYN). This model is engineered to refine the prediction of drug combination synergy effects in cancer. DKPE-GraphSYN utilizes Dual Kernel Density Estimation and Positional Encoding techniques to effectively capture the weighted probability density and spatial distribution information of gene expression, while exploring the interactions and potential relationships between cancer drug molecules via a graph neural network. Results: Experimental results show that our prediction model achieves significant performance enhancements in forecasting drug synergy effects on a comprehensive cancer drug and cell line synergy dataset, achieving an AUPR of 0.969 and an AUC of 0.976. Discussion: These results confirm our model's superior accuracy in predicting cancer drug combinations, providing a supportive method for clinical medication strategy in cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Dong, Bai, Liu, Yang, Chang, Li, Han, Feng, Fan and Ren.)

Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) presents significant challenges due to its malignancy and limited treatment options. Precision treatment requires subtyping patients based on prognosis. Disulfidptosis, a novel cell death mechanism, is linked to aberrant glucose metabolism and disulfide stress, particularly in tumors expressing high levels of SLC7A11. The exploration of disulfidptosis may provide a new perspective for precise diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma., Methods: Transcriptome sequencing was conducted on samples from GBM patients treated at Tiantan Hospital (January 2022 - December 2023). Data from CGGA and TCGA databases were collected. Consensus clustering based on disulfidptosis features categorized GBM patients into two subtypes (DRGclusters). Tumor immune microenvironment, response to immunotherapy, and drug sensitivity were analyzed. An 8-gene disulfidptosis-based subtype predictor was developed using LASSO machine learning algorithm and validated on CGGA dataset., Results: Patients in DRGcluster A exhibited improved overall survival (OS) compared to DRGcluster B. DRGcluster subtypes showed differences in tumor immune microenvironment and response to immunotherapy. The predictor effectively stratified patients into high and low-risk groups. Significant differences in IC50 values for chemotherapy and targeted therapy were observed between risk groups., Discussion: Disulfidptosis-based classification offers promise as a prognostic predictor for GBM. It provides insights into tumor immune microenvironment and response to therapy. The predictor aids in patient stratification and personalized treatment selection, potentially improving outcomes for GBM patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yang, Cai, Wang, Jiang, Li, Chen and Li.)

In factories, human posture recognition facilitates human-machine collaboration, human risk management, and workflow improvement. Compared to optical sensors, inertial sensors have the advantages of portability and resistance to obstruction, making them suitable for factories. However, existing product-level inertial sensing solutions are generally expensive. This paper proposes a low-cost human motion capture system based on BMI 160, a type of six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). Based on WIFI communication, the collected data are processed to obtain the displacement of human joints' rotation angles around XYZ directions and the displacement in XYZ directions, then the human skeleton hierarchical relationship was combined to calculate the real-time human posture. Furthermore, the digital human model was been established on Unity3D to synchronously visualize and present human movements. We simulated assembly operations in a virtual reality environment for human posture data collection and posture recognition experiments. Six inertial sensors were placed on the chest, waist, knee joints, and ankle joints of both legs. There were 16,067 labeled samples obtained for posture recognition model training, and the accumulated displacement and the rotation angle of six joints in the three directions were used as input features. The bi-directional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) model was used to identify seven common operation postures: standing, slightly bending, deep bending, half-squatting, squatting, sitting, and supine, with an average accuracy of 98.24%. According to the experiment result, the proposed method could be used to develop a low-cost and effective solution to human posture recognition for factory operation.

Noble metal-free electrocatalysts have received widespread attention in a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to the importance of renewable energy development. Herein, a Co 2 P/CoP heterojunction embedded on an N-doped carbon (Co 2 P/CoP/NC) electrocatalyst was prepared via an in situ pyrolysis method. The as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibited efficient electrocatalytic activity for HER in an acidic solution. The Co 2 P/CoP/NC catalyst displayed an overpotential of 184 mV at 10 mA cm -2 and a low Tafel slope of 82 mV dec -1 , which could be attributed to the tight Co 2 P/CoP heterojunction and the synergetic effect of Co 2 P/CoP and N-doped carbon. In addition, the electrochemical active surface area of Co 2 P/CoP/NC was 75.2 m 2 g -1 , which indicated that more active regions can be applied for the HER process. This report may pave a new way for the design of efficient and low-cost N-doped-carbon-supported 3d transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts.

Introduction: Although the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has proven to be a safe and effective target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of primary dystonia, the rates of individual improvement vary considerably. On the premise of selecting appropriate patients, the location of the stimulation contacts in the dorsolateral sensorimotor area of the STN may be an important factor affecting therapeutic effects, but the optimal location remains unclear. This study aimed to define an optimal location using the medial subthalamic nucleus border as an anatomical reference and to explore the influence of the location of active contacts on outcomes and programming strategies in a series of patients with primary dystonia., Methods: Data from 18 patients who underwent bilateral STN-DBS were retrospectively acquired and analyzed. Patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and last follow-up after neurostimulator initiation) using the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (for cervical dystonia) and the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (for other types). Optimal parameters and active contact locations were determined during clinical follow-up. The position of the active contacts relative to the medial STN border was determined using postoperative stereotactic MRI., Results: The clinical improvement showed a significant negative correlation with the y-axis position (anterior-posterior; A+, P-). The more posterior the electrode contacts were positioned in the dorsolateral sensorimotor area of the STN, the better the therapeutic effects. Cluster analysis of the improvement rates delineated optimal and sub-optimal groups. The optimal contact coordinates from the optimal group were 2.56 mm lateral, 0.15 mm anterior, and 1.34 mm superior relative to the medial STN border., Conclusion: STN-DBS was effective for primary dystonia, but outcomes were dependent on the active contact location. Bilateral stimulation contacts located behind or adjacent to Bejjani's line were most likely to produce ideal therapeutic effects. These findings may help guide STN-DBS preoperative planning, stimulation programming, and prognosis for optimal therapeutic efficacy in primary dystonia., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Chen, Yan, Li, Lu, Cui, Huo, Cao, Guo, Liu, Yang, Liu and Yin.)

Longan ( Dimocarpus Longan ) is one of the most important fruit crops in Southern China. Lack of available Mg in acidic soil conditions is a limitation to further increasing longan yield. Magnesium transporter (MGT/MRS2) mediates the uptake, transport, and redistribution of Mg2+ in higher plants. To understand the role of MGTs family members in longan Mg deficiency. We identified and analyzed the protein characteristics, phylogeny, expression changes, subcellular localization, and transcriptional regulation of DlMGTs members. The results showed that, twelve DlMGTs are localized in the cell membrane, chloroplast, and nucleus. The evolutionary differences in MGTs between herbaceous and woody species in different plants. The DlMGTs promoters contained many cis-acting elements and transcription factor binding sites related to the hormone, environmental, and stress response. Subcellular localization assays showed that DlMGT1 localizes in the cell membrane of Arabidopsis protoplasts. The candidate transcription factor DlGATA16, which may regulate the expression of DlMGT1, was localized in the nucleus of tobacco leaves. Dual luciferase analysis demonstrated that DlGATA16 is a potential factor regulating the transcriptional activity of DlMGT1. In this study, we identified and analyzed DlMGTs on a genome-wide scale and the subcellular localization and interaction of DlMGT1 and DlGATA16, which has important implications for further functional analysis studies of MGTs and the use of MGT for longan genetic improvement., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lv, Huang, Wang, Han, Li, Guo and Zhu.)

Effective treatment of bacterial biofilm-related infections is a great challenge for the medical community. During the formation of biofilms, bacteria excrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, etc. , to encapsulate themselves and form a "fort-like" structure, which greatly reduces the efficiency of therapeutic agents. Herein, we prepared a nanoagent (MnO 2 -amylase-PEG-ICG nanosheets, MAPI NSs) with biofilm degradation capability for efficient photothermal therapy and fluorescence imaging of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm infections. MAPI NSs were constructed by sequentially modifying α-amylase, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and indocyanine green (ICG) on manganese dioxide nanosheets (MnO 2 NSs). Experimental results exhibited that MAPI NSs could accumulate in infected tissues after intravenous injection, degrade in the acidic biofilm microenvironment, and release the loaded ICG for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging of the infected tissues. Importantly, MAPI NSs could efficiently eliminate MRSA biofilm infections in mice by α-amylase enhanced photothermal therapy. In addition, MAPI NSs exhibited neglectable toxicity towards mice. Given the superior properties of MAPI NSs, the enzyme-degradation enhanced therapeutic strategy presented in this work offers a promising solution for effectively combating biofilm infectious diseases.

We find that the relative error of a fiber optic current sensor (FOCS) increases quadratically with the electric current to be measured, causing unacceptable inaccuracy for direct current (DC) measurements beyond 100 kA. We prove analytically and confirm experimentally that such a nonlinear relative error escalation (REE) mainly originates from the residual linear birefringence of the spun fiber used in the FOCS. We propose and demonstrate that by first measuring residual linear birefringence, together with the circular birefringence of the spun fiber, the REE of the FOCS can be significantly reduced from -1.22% to -0.15% at 200 kA DC by a compensation scheme using the measured birefringences in the quadratic expression we derived. Further reduction of the REE to -0.02% at 200 kA DC can be obtained if the quadratic relation between the REE and the current under test is experimentally obtained. Our work points to a new direction for drastically improving the accuracy of FOCS at large currents and shall prove beneficial for scientists and engineers working in the field of current sensing.

Potassium chlorate can promote off-season flowering in longan, but the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, four-year-old 'Shixia' longan trees were injected in the trunk with potassium chlorate, and terminal buds were sampled and analyzed using transcriptomics and bioinformatics tools. To generate a reference longan transcriptome, we obtained 207,734 paired-end reads covering a total of 58,514,149 bp, which we assembled into 114,445 unigenes. Using this resource, we identified 3,265 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were regulated in longan terminal buds in response to potassium chlorate treatment for 2, 6 or 30 days, including 179 transcription factor genes. By reference to the Arabidopsis literature, we then defined 38 longan genes involved in flowering, from which we constructed the longan flowering pathway. According to RNA-seq data, at least 24 of these genes, which participate in multiple signaling pathways, are involved in potassium chlorate-stimulated floral induction, and the differential regulation in terminal buds of ten floral pathway genes ( GI , CO , GID1 , GA4 , GA5 , FLC , AP1 , LFY , FT and SOC1 ) was confirmed by qRT-PCR. These data will contribute to an improved understanding of the functions of key genes involved in longan floral induction by potassium chlorate., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2022 Japanese Society for Plant Biotechnology.)

Longan ( Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is an important subtropical fruit tree in China. Nearly 90% of longan fruit imports from Thailand are from the cultivar Yiduo. However, we have observed that there exists a unilateral cross incompatibility (UCI) when Yiduo is used as a female parent and Shixia (a famous Chinese cultivar) as a male parent. Here, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis coupled with microscopy of pistils from two reciprocal pollination combinations [Shixia♂ × Yiduo♀(SY) and Yiduo♀ × Shixia♂(YS)] 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after pollination. We also explored endogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and jasmonyl isoleucine (JA-Ile) levels in pistils of the crosses. The microscopic observations showed that the UCI was sporophytic. The endogenous JA and JA-Ile levels were higher in YS than in SY at the studied time points. We found 7,251 differentially expressed genes from the transcriptome analysis. Our results highlighted that genes associated with JA biosynthesis and signaling, pollen tube growth, cell wall modification, starch and sucrose biosynthesis, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum pathways were differentially regulated between SY and YS. We discussed transcriptomic changes in the above-mentioned pathways regarding the observed microscopic and/or endogenous hormone levels. This is the first report on the elaboration of transcriptomic changes in longan reciprocal pollination combination showing UCI. The results presented here will enable the longan breeding community to better understand the mechanisms of UCI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Chen, Huang, Han, Li and Guo.)

Composite rocks are easily encountered in a wide range of geotechnical construction projects. Understanding their mechanical properties and failure modes is very important to ensure project quality and safety. This study conducted a mechanical analysis to assess the stress distribution in composite rock with a horizontal interlayer and predicted the possible failure modes. Uniaxial compression tests were carried out on the composite rock samples to reveal their mechanical properties. It was concluded that a composite rock with a thick interlayer failed more easily than a composite rock with a thin interlayer. Four potential failure modes were related to the internal stress distribution under compression and the differences in deformation capacity and strength among the constituent components. The stress distribution derived from the mechanical analysis could explain the failure mechanism very well. These results verified the validity of the mechanical analysis results and improved understanding of the mechanical properties of composite rock with a horizontal interlayer., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Longan ( Dimocarpus longan L.) is one of the most important tropical and subtropical fruits in the world. Longan fruit has high nutritional and medical value, and is regarded as a treasure among fruits. Since it was first reported that potassium chlorate (KClO 3 ) could be successfully applied to promote flowering in longan, this compound has been widely used in the production of on-season and off-season longan fruits. KClO 3 has thus played a great role in promoting the development of the longan industry. In this review, we summarize the application methods, influencing factors, and physiological and molecular mechanisms associated with KClO 3 -mediated induction of longan flowering. It can be deduced that leaves may play a crucial role in the transport of and response to KClO 3 . Leaves supply carbon and nitrogen nutrition, and hormone and signaling molecules needed for the differentiation of apical buds. Moreover, cytokinins may be crucial for KClO 3 -mediated induction of longan flowering. More effort should be focused on studying the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. This will not only help us to better understand floral induction by KClO 3 in longan but also enrich our understanding of flowering regulation mechanisms in woody plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Huang, Han, Wang, Guo and Li.)

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has been widely used in the agriculture, food, and medicine industries. Isolate PP19 was obtained from the litchi fruit carposphere and showed biocontrol efficacy against litchi downy blight (LDB) whether applied preharvest or postharvest. To further understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms, the genome of PP19 was sequenced and analyzed. The genome comprised a 3,847,565 bp circular chromosome containing 3990 protein-coding genes and 121 RNA genes. It has the smallest genome among 36 sequenced strains of B. amyloliquefaciens except for RD7-7. In whole genome phylogenetic analysis, PP19 was clustered into a group with known industrial applications, indicating that it may also produce high-yield metabolites that have yet to be identified. A large chromosome structural variation and large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between PP19 (industrial strain) and UMAF6639 (plant-associated strain) were detected through comparative analysis, which may shed light on their functional differences. Preharvest treatment with PP19 enhanced resistance to LDB, by decreasing the plant H 2 O 2 content and increasing the SOD activity. This is the first report of an industrial strain of B. amyloliquefaciens showing a plant-associated function and with major potential for the biocontrol of LDB., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zheng, Huang, Hsiang, Yu, Guo, Jiang and Li.)

The purpose of this investigation was to establish a mathematical model for determining the dissolution of diclofenac sodium and codeine phosphate simultaneously. Based on the dual-wavelength isosbestic point spectrophotometry, the dissolution of diclofenac sodium and codeine phosphate tablets was determined using Fiber-Optic Dissolution Test (FODT) instrument capable of real-time measurement. Dissolution curves showed that the dissolution process of diclofenac sodium was similar to that of codeine phosphate. The dissolution profile of diclofenac sodium and codeine phosphate at 45 min was concordant with that stated in Chinese pharmacopoeia. There was no significant difference between results obtained from FODT and HPLC (p>0.05). A fibre-optic dissolution test system assisted by the mathematical separation model of linear equations was able to detect the dissolution of diclofenac sodium and codeine phosphate simultaneously. The dissolution profiles and overall data, which can directly reflect the dissolution speed at each time point, can provide the basis for establishing standards for the quality evaluation of drugs.

Precooling and sulfur dioxide fumigation were proved as effective methods for the preservation of longan ( Dimocarpus longan Lour.) fruits. However, inadequate precooling and sulfur dioxide fumigation resulted in unexpected losses and short shelf life. A L 9 (3 4 ) orthogonal test was conducted to screen out ideal dosage of sodium metabisulfite (factor A), precooling method (factor B), and precooling duration (factor C) to improve the storability of longan fruit stored for 48 hr at room temperature (RT) (25℃). The overall qualities of all of the treated longan fruits after a 48-hr storage (OQST) and during the 5-day shelf at 25℃ (OQSF) were better than those of the control fruits. The treated fruits showed brighter fresh color (higher L*, b*, C*, and h° values but lower a* value), higher flavonoid, and chlorophyll contents. Moreover, the SO 2 residue was concentrated in pericarp but little in aril for any of the 12 treatments. The multivariate variance analysis showed that factor A was dominant to determine both of the OQST and OQSF, while factor B affected the OQST, and factor C affected the OQSF. In total, "0.22% sodium metabisulfite + 4 hr precooling + uncovered precooling" was considered to be an ideal treatment. These results would contribute to improving longan postharvest preservation technology., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In order to research and enhance bioavailability of chlorogenic acid and rutin(CA-R) via the oral route, chitosan coated composite phospholipid liposomes (C-CPLs) were applied to study on preparation, permeability and pharmacokinetic of C-CA-R-CPLs. TheC-CA-R-CPLs were prepared by the method of ethanol injection. The entrapment efficiency (EE), average particle sizes, polymer disperse index (PDI), zeta potential, shape and in vitro drug release were investigated to characterize physicochemical parameters of C-CA-R-CPLs. The penetration properties from C-CA-R-CPLs were studied through Caco-2 cells model and the pharmacokinetics in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were evaluated by rat jugular vein intubation tube. The EE of C-CA-R-CPLs of CA and R was 91.3±2.13% and 92.6±2.44%, particle size of C-CA-R-CPLs was 176.7±2.3 nm, PDI was 0.207±0.014 and zeta potential of 12.61±1.33 mV. CA-R-CPLs and C-CA-R-CPLs were spherical or elliptical sphere and the bilayer of the CPL was observed obviously under transmission electron. The C max, t 1/2 and AUC 0-12 h values of CA and R for groups of C-CA-R-CPLs were significantly increased.In conclusion, TheC-CA-R-CPLs as a novel nano-formulation have potential to be used to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorlywater-soluble drugs after oral administration.