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Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a severe side effect of radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ,and one of the major hindrances to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. Previous studies have confirmed that sodium butyrate (NaB) has potential of anti-radiation toxicity. However, the mechanism of the protective effect of NaB against RILI has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to explore the underlying protective mechanisms of NaB against RILI in NSCLC through network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulations andThe predictive target genes of NaB were obtained from the PharmMapper database and the literature review. The involved genes of RILI and NSCLC were predicted using OMIM and GeneCards database. The intersectional genes of drug and disease were identified using the Venny tool and uploaded to the Cytoscape software to identify 5 core target genes of NaB associated with RILI. The correlations between the 5 core target genes and EGFR, PD-L1, immune infiltrates, chemokines and chemokine receptors were analyzed using TIMER 2.0, TIMER and TISIDB databases. We constructed the mechanism maps of the 3 key signaling pathways using the KEGG database based on the results of GO and KEGG analyses from Metascape database. The 5 core target genes and drug were docked using the AutoDock Vina tool and visualized using PyMOL software. GROMACS software was used to perform 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation. Irradiation-induced lung injury model in mice were established to assess the therapeutic effects of NaB.A total of 51 intersectional genes involved in NaB against RILI in NSCLC were identified. The 5 core target genes were AKT1, TP53, NOTCH1, SIRT1, and PTEN. The expressions of the 5 core target genes were significantly associated with EGFR, PD-L1, immune infiltrates, chemokines and chemokine receptors, respectively. The results from GO analysis of the 51 intersectional genes revealed that the biological processes were focused on the regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation, oxidative stress and cell death, while the three key KEGG pathways were enriched in PI3K-Akt signal pathway, p53 signal pathway, and FOXO signal pathway. The docking of NaB with the 5 core target genes showed affinity and stability, especially AKT1.NaB may protect patients from RILI in NSCLC through multiple target genes including AKT1, TP53, NOTCH1, SIRT1 and PTEN, with multiple signaling pathways involving, including PI3K-Akt pathway, p53 pathway, and FOXO pathways. Our findings effectively provide a feasible theoretical basis to further elucidate the mechanism of NaB in the treatment of RILI.

Background RING finger protein 135 (RNF135) has an important role in the occurrence of many cancers, however, the regulation and function of RNF135 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. Methods The promoter methylation status and mRNA expression of RNF135 were evaluated by methylation-specific PCR and real-time PCR in HCC cell lines and tissues, and further analyzed from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Transwell migration, wound healing assay, cell viability, and colony formation assay were performed to investigate the function of RNF135. GSEA analysis, TIMER database and ESTIMATE algorithm were used to decipher the associated pathway and immune infiltration. The survival analysis was applied to assess the prognostic value of RNF135. Results RNF135 expression was downregulated in 5 of 8 HCC cell lines and HCC tissues, and was negatively correlated with its promoter hypermethylation. Demethylating regent decitabine restored RNF135 expression on the cellular level. Knockdown of RNF135 expression enhanced the migration of HCC cells, while RNF135 overexpression repressed cell migration. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a positive relationship between RNF135 expression and six immune cell infiltrates (B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells). Survival analysis disclosed that RNF135 hypermethylation is independently associated with poor clinical outcomes in HCC. Conclusions Decreased RNF135 expression driven by promoter hypermethylation is frequently occurred in HCC and associated with prognosis of HCC. RNF135 functions as a tumor suppressor and involves in tumor immune microenvironment in HCC.

Background Influenced by various factors, endoscopists have shown differences in the detection rate of adenomas (ADR) during different periods of endoscopy every day. The purpose of this study is to observe whether AI-assisted endoscopy can bring an improvement in ADR and whether the increase is consistent in different periods. Methods We established a real-time AI-assisted colonoscopy system. The core of the system is a deep neural network for object detection, YOLOV3. The processing speed of this model was 60FPS. When polyps appear in the video of colonoscopy, the system can give a real-time warning on the monitor of the endoscope. We randomly divided the enrolled patients into four groups, which were arranged to receive colonoscopy in the first hour of the morning and the last hour of the morning, respectively. Meanwhile, we differentiated the AI-assisted group and the non-AI-assisted group. In order to remove the bias caused by the experience of the endoscopist, the trial was performed by two colonoscopists with comparable experience. Finally, the ADRs among the groups were compared. Results With or without AI, endoscopy scheduled in the first hour of the morning had higher ADRs than endoscopy scheduled in the last hour of the morning (23% Vs 18%). AI assistance had a positive effect on the increase in ADR, but it had a greater effect on endoscopy scheduled in the latter period. (0.5% Vs 4.2%). Conclusions The change of ADR detection rate in different time periods was mainly due to the change of attention of endoscopists, which had little correlation with the level of endoscopic operation. The use of artificial intelligence assistance can help endoscopic doctors improve their attention and ensure the stability of the ADR in different periods.

Precipitation in super-austenitic stainless steels will significantly affect their corrosion resistance and hot workability. The effects of Cr and Mo on precipitation behaviors were mainly achieved by affecting the driving force for precipitation, especially Mo has a more substantial promotion effect on the formation of the σ phase than Cr. In the present study, B addition to the S31254 super-austenitic stainless steels shows an excellent ability to inhibit precipitation. The effect of B on the precipitation behaviors was investigated by microstructure characterization and theoretical calculations. The experimental observation shows that the small addition of B inhibits the formation of the σ phase along grain boundaries and changes from continuous to intermittent distribution. Moreover, the inhibitory effect increased obviously with the increase of B content. The influence of B addition was theoretically analyzed from the atomic level, and the calculation results demonstrate that B can inhibit the formation of σ phase precipitates by suppressing Mo migration to grain boundaries. It is found that B and Mo are inclined to segregate at Σ5 and Σ9 grain boundaries, with B showing the most severe grain boundary segregation tendency. While B distribution at the grain boundary before precipitation begins, the segregation of Mo and Cr will be restrained. Additionally, B’s occupation will induce a high potential barrier, making it difficult for Mo to diffuse towards grain boundaries.

Measurement error is non-negligible and crucial in SHM data analysis. In many applications of SHM, measurement errors are statistically correlated in space and/or in time for data from sensor networks. Existing works solely consider spatial correlation for measurement error. When both spatial and temporal correlation are considered simultaneously, the existing works collapse, as they do not possess a suitable form describing spatially and temporally correlated measurement error. In order to tackle this burden, this paper generalizes the form of correlated measurement error from spatial correlation only or temporal correlation only to spatial-temporal correlation. A new form of spatial-temporal correlation and the corresponding likelihood function are proposed, and multiple candidate model classes for the measurement error are constructed, including no correlation, spatial correlation, temporal correlation, and the proposed spatial-temporal correlation. Bayesian system identification is conducted to achieve not only the posterior probability density function (PDF) for the model parameters, but also the posterior probability of each candidate model class for selecting the most suitable/plausible model class for the measurement error. Examples are presented with applications to model updating and modal frequency prediction under varying environmental conditions, ensuring the necessity of considering correlated measurement error and the capability of the proposed Bayesian system identification in the uncertainty quantification at the parameter and model levels.

In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, deep-learning extracted signatures on MR images might be correlated with survival. In this study, we sought to develop an individualizing model using deep-learning MRI signatures and clinical data to predict survival and to estimate the benefit of induction chemotherapy on survivals of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Two thousand ninety-seven patients from three independent hospitals were identified and randomly assigned. When the deep-learning signatures of the primary tumor and clinically involved gross cervical lymph nodes extracted from MR images were added to the clinical data and TNM staging for the progression-free survival prediction model, the combined model achieved better prediction performance. Its application is among patients deciding on treatment regimens. Under the same conditions, with the increasing MRI signatures, the survival benefits achieved by induction chemotherapy are increased. In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, these prediction models are the first to provide an individualized estimation of survivals and model the benefit of induction chemotherapy on survivals.

In this work, a rapid and controllable ultrasonic vibration method for forming Al-based metallic glass at room temperature is proposed. This method can dramatically improve the forming ability of Al-based metallic glasses, which are virtually brittle at room temperature and have almost no supercooled liquid region at high temperatures. Under ultrasonic vibration, Al-based metallic glasses exhibited obvious plastic flow, with a maximum deformation degree up to 58% and an average deformation degree up to 43%. It is worth mentioning that no crystalline peaks were found on the X-ray diffraction patterns after deformation under ultrasonic vibration, and the mechanical properties remained the same as the primary sample. The present results provide a new approach for the deformation and forming of Al-based metallic glasses, which can significantly broaden their applications.

To investigate the optimal longitudinal seismic energy dissipation system of straddle-type monorail-cum-road long-span cable-stayed bridges, the Niutianyang Bridge was selected as the engineering background, and the explicit time-domain dimension-reduced iteration method was adopted to carry out nonlinear time-history analysis. To consider the dynamic characteristics of longitudinal movable supports, the static and dynamic responses of four kinds of energy dissipation systems were studied, including longitudinal unconstrained, elastic cable, viscous damper, and speed lock-up devices. The damping effect of four types of schemes in which viscous dampers were installed at piers or towers was analysed, and the parameters of the viscous dampers were optimised. The influences of the straddle-type monorail train braking force and the running vibration of the straddle-type monorail traffic on the parameters of the viscous dampers were analysed. This study shows that the viscous damper system had the lowest bending moment at the bottom of the tower and a smaller displacement response, and the energy dissipation was the best. Each viscous damper had the highest energy dissipation efficiency when they are installed only at the main tower. The damping effect was better when the damping coefficient c ranged from 3500 to 5000 kN⋅m/s−α and the velocity exponent α ranged from 0.35 to 0.5. The static friction of the straddle-type monorail-cum-road long-span cable-stayed bridge support can resist the trains’ braking force, and the parameters of the viscous damper can be selected regardless of train braking. A suitably large value of velocity exponent α may be required to increase the working velocity of the viscous damper to reduce the damper’s participation in the process of the train crossing the bridge.

Understanding the impact of rock bareness on the transpiration in karst plants is essential to karst rocky desertification control and sustainable management of plantation in karst area. This study focused on the variations in sap flow of Zenia insignis caused by different rock bareness rate, and the impact of climate factors, soil water content (SWC) and leaf area index (LAI) on transpiration in karst plants, by continuously measuring sap flux densities (Fd) of 12 sample trees using thermal dissipation probes and monitoring micrometeorology and SWC on a typical karst hill in north Guangdong of China during the year of 2016. Results show that: (1) the maximum hourly sap flux density occurred at 11:00–14:00 and the peak daily sap flux density occurred in September. (2) Sap flow density of Zenia insignis increased with rock bareness rate at all hourly, daily and monthly scales, with the sequence of extremely severe > severe > moderate > mild rock bareness. (3) The transpiration of Zenia insignis is controlled by different factors at different temporal scales. At hourly scale, transpiration was highly (n=144, R2>0.72) correlated to Solar radiation (Rs), Air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH), and water vapor pressure deficit (VPD). At daily scale, transpiration was greatly (77=366, R2>0.31) affected by Solar radiation (Rs), Air temperature (Ta), and water vapor pressure deficit (VPD). While at monthly scale, transpiration was mainly (n=12, R2=0.8s) controlled by LAI. Our study proved that Zenia insignis has a good physiecological adaption to fragile karst environment, and Zenia insignis plantation has long-term sustainability even in extremely rocky landscapes. The results may provide scientific basis for plantation management and ecological restoration in karst area.

Double skin steel-concrete composite walls offer structural merits over conventional reinforced concrete walls in terms of high strength, good ductility and convenience for construction. The stability of the external steel faceplates is significantly influenced by the types of internal mechanical connectors and the ratio of connector spacing to plate thickness. In this paper, a new type of steel truss was proposed as the fastener to connect the two faceplates. Compressive tests were conducted on three full-scaled composite walls with different truss spacing. The structural response of the walls was comprehensively discussed in terms of failure modes, load-axial displacement response, buckling stress, stiffness, ductility, strength index, load versus out-of-plane displacement response, and load-strain curves. The influences of truss spacing on key parameters were explored in details. The test results showed that the truss spacing could considerably affect the buckling shapes, load-carrying capacity, stiffness and ductility of the specimens.

Based on a planned process design path, a foil queue microelectrode (FQ-microelectrode) is applied sequentially in micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) in which the micro-EDM results can superimpose to produce the 3D micro-structure. However, in this process, each foil microelectrode (F-microelectrode) inevitably experiences wear, and the wear has an unfavorable effect on the machining accuracy of 3D micro-structure. In this study, the wear of F-microelectrodes for different technological parameters is studied in detail. The experimental results show that the first three pieces of the F-microelectrodes exhibit serious wear, and the wear values are all over 7 μm. As the processing proceeds, the wear of the microelectrode gradually decreases to 2 μm, as a result of an improvement in the processing environment. To ensure the machining accuracy of 3D micro-structure, this paper compensates the wear of the first three pieces of the F-microelectrode through rough and finish machining. Finally, based on the experimental results, a 3D micro-structure with good form accuracy can be fabricated in cemented carbide with pulse width Ton = 80 ns, pulse interval Toff = 160 ns, and machining voltage V = 100 V.

Tool wear is a prominent problem during drilling of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP). This paper investigated the tribological behaviors and wear mechanism of CFRP against tungsten carbide under dry friction condition. The influence of load, temperature and sliding velocity on friction coefficient were studied. The wear morphology was detected and showed the inhomogeneity and anisotropy of CFRP have important influence on wear characteristics. Moreover, running-in process will have a positive influence on the subsequent friction process under certain conditions. A novel method which adopted pre running-in was thus proposed to improve tool life, and the effectiveness was verified by drilling tests. Present work reveals the wear mechanism of CFRP against tungsten carbide, and provides a new idea for reducing tool wear.

The three-layered struts within SiC reticulated porous ceramics (RPC) were designed to improve the thermal characteristics and thermal shock resistance of porous burner. The effects of strut structure and its composition on the flame stability limits, flame temperature and thermal damage resistance of porous burner were investigated. The results showed that three-layered struts consisted of continuous mullite coating, middle layer of SiC skeleton and inner layer of reaction-bonded mullite after sintering at 1450 °C. Compared to porous media with single layer, RPC with three-layered struts possessed the combined effects of high thermal conductivity and heat radiation because of its middle layer of SiC skeleton and in-situ formed mullite coating. The three-layered struts in porous media extended the flame stability limits and increased the flame temperature of porous burner. Furthermore, the formation of three-layered struts eliminated strut defects and formed continuous mullite coating, thereby significantly improving the oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance of RPC, which increased the service life of porous burner.

Background Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score extensively used to assess hepatic function, predicting postoperative outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Lately, the albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) grade has been identified to be a predictor of overall survival of HCC patients. In this investigation, we compared the pre-SBRT ALBI and CTP scores with the prognosis of patients with HCC. Methods This cohort study included 594 HCC patients who treated with SBRT. Overall survival (OS) rates were measured from treatment date to death date or last follow-up. We compared ALBI score with the CTP score in predicting long-term survival. Results The average follow-up time was 21 months (1 to 82 months). The CTP and ALBI ratings have discriminatory for long-term survival across the groups. CTP class was significantly related to OS, with a median OS of 29.9 months in CTP-A, 11.5 in CTP-B (P 0.05). Conclusions To assess liver dysfunction in HCC patients before SBRT, traditional CTP classification is a necessary but imperfect tool for assessing HCC liver injury. The ALBI score is a more objective, discriminatory and evidence-based approach in CTP-A groups, and need to be validated in CTP ≥ B7 class.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading global health problem as it is the fifth most common cancer type and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In most areas of the world, the incidence rate of GC is 1.5- to 3-fold higher in males than in females. The androgen receptor (AR) is an independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with GC. However, the mechanism by which AR regulates the progression of GC remains unclear. In this study, we found that AR expression was upregulated in 6/8 GC cell lines, and this expression was higher than that in immortalized gastric cells. AR expression was also higher in GC tissues than in adjacent tissues. Moreover, the ectopic expression of AR promoted the colony formation ability, migration and invasion of GC cells. In contrast, AR knockdown had the opposite effects on GC cell lines. Remarkably, we found that AR regulated cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) expression through transcriptional mechanisms. The AR-CCRK axis promoted GC development through the phosphorylation of GSK3β and β-catenin. Furthermore, TCGA data revealed that high expression of AR or CCRK was related to poor prognosis in GC patients. The prognosis was significantly worse in patients with concurrent high AR and CCRK expression than in patients with low AR and CCRK expression. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that AR and CCRK acted as oncogenes in GC progression. However, their clinical roles require further exploration.

Kai Xin San (KXS, containing ginseng, hoelen, polygala, and acorus), a traditional Chinese herbal compound, has been found to regulate cognitive dysfunction; however, its mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study, 72 specific-pathogen-free male Kunming mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into a vehicle control group, scopolamine group, low-dose KXS group, moderate-dose KXS group, high-dose KXS group, and positive control group. Except for the vehicle control group and scopolamine groups (which received physiological saline), the doses of KXS (0.7, 1.4 and 2.8 g/kg per day) and donepezil (3 mg/kg per day) were gastrointestinally administered once daily for 2 weeks. On day 8 after intragastric treatment, the behavioral tests were carried out. Scopolamine group and intervention groups received scopolamine 3 mg/kg per day through intraperitoneal injection. The effects of KXS on spatial learning and memory, pathological changes of brain tissue, expression of apoptosis factors, oxidative stress injury factors, synapse-associated protein, and cholinergic neurotransmitter were measured. The results confirmed the following. (1) KXS shortened the escape latency and increased residence time in the target quadrant and the number of platform crossings in the Morris water maze. (2) KXS increased the percentage of alternations between the labyrinth arms in the mice of KXS groups in the Y-maze. (3) Nissl and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining revealed that KXS promoted the production of Nissl bodies and inhibited the formation of apoptotic bodies. (4) Western blot assay showed that KXS up-regulated the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and inhibited the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. KXS up-regulated the expression of postsynaptic density 95, synaptophysin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. (5) KXS increased the level and activity of choline acetyltransferase, acetylcholine, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, and reduced the level and activity of acetyl cholinesterase, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde through acting on the cholinergic system and reducing oxidative stress damage. These results indicate that KXS plays a neuroprotective role and improves cognitive function through reducing apoptosis and oxidative stress, and regulating synapse-associated protein and cholinergic neurotransmitters.

Flexible forming process-polymer powder medium based flexible forming (PPFF) is presented in this research. The metallic bipolar plate (BPP) for a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, with a micro-scale flow channel on its surface, is formed using rigid die forming and PPFF process, respectively. Pure copper C1100 (with a thickness of 0.1 mm), annealed at 450 °C for 1 h in vacuum condition, is selected as blank material. The forming experiments are carried out at room temperature in dry friction condition. By comparing the limit forming depth, fracture topography, section wall thickness distribution and surface forming quality of micro-scale flow channels between rigid die forming and PPFF process, it reveals that PPFF process could be developed as a feasible technique to fabricate the bipolar plates of PEM fuel cells. The PPFF process has the following advantages: greater forming depth, more uniform wall thickness distribution, and low cost of the die.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, motile bacterium, named strain 59N8T, was isolated from Phragmites communis roots in the Kumtag Desert. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the isolate belongs to the genus Zobellella within the family Aeromonadaceae . The analysis showed that strain 59N8T was most closely related to Zobellella taiwanensis ZT1T. The average nucleotide identity value with Zobellella taiwanensis ZT1T was 88.2 %, and the digital DNA–DNA hybridization value was 29.7±2.4 %, which was calculated using the Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator. The G+C content of strain 59N8T was 62.8 mol%. Strain 59N8T grew at 0–5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0–4 %), pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum, 7.0–8.0) and at 10–45 °C. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. The major polar lipids in strain 59N8T were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Based on the chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and phenotypic data, strain 59N8T represents a novel species in the genus Zobellella , for which the name Zobellella endophytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 59N8T (=ACCC 60074T=KCTC 62456T).