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Graphene-based nanomaterials possess broad applications because of their excellent multi-functional properties. In this work, a facile self-assembling method was presented for preparing one kind of graphene oxide-based paper/hollow microspheres hybrid. It was found that most of the hollow microspheres can strongly anchored on the surface of graphene oxide paper (GOP) by an in-situ scanning electron microscope peeling testing combining with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In addition, the uniform distribution of hollow microspheres on the surface of GOP cannot only provide a better surface wettability, but also can effectively improve the interfacial stress-transfer capability between such hybrid and polymer matrix. Our work provides a guidance for the structural designs of graphene-based nanomaterials and broaden their applications.

Down-regulated lncRNA AC061961.2 in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients was previous reported. Whether AC061961.2 has regulatory effect on DCM still need exploration. Here, we tried to investigate the effect of AC061961.2 on DCM. After DCM model rat was established through injecting Adriamycin, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were measured by echocardiography. Histopathological changes and apoptosis were detected by hematoxylin-eosin, Masson staining, and TUNEL. After cardiomyocytes were isolated and identified by immunofluorescence, DCM cell model was established by injecting adriamycin. After transfected with overexpressed-AC061961.2 plasmids, cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of AC061961.2, β-catenin, Axin2, c-Myc, CRP78, CHOP, Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax in cardiomyocytes and heart tissues were detected by RT-qPCR or western blot. LVEDD and LVESD were increased while LVEF and LVFS were decreased in DCM rats. The histopathological of heart tissues showed a typical sign of DCM. Apoptosis were increased in heart tissues of DCM rats. In DCM rats, the expressions of AC061961.2, β-catenin, Axin2, c-Myc, and Bcl-2 were decreased, the expressions of CRP78, CHOP, Caspase-3, and Bax were increased. After the overexpression of AC061961.2, levels of β-catenin, Axin2, c-Myc, and Bcl-2 were increased, while levels of CRP78, CHOP, Caspase-3, and Bax were decreased, compared with that in DCM cardiomyocytes. LncRNA AC061961.2 overexpression inhibited endoplasmic reticulum stress induced apoptosis in DCM rats and cardiomyocytes via activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

In the latest version of ISO 4037–1:2019 standard, the minimum dimension of a gamma radiation reference field was not clearly specified, which makes the construction of a minitype gamma reference radiation field lack of scientific basis. This paper carried out the research on the relationship between the scattering contribution and physical factors of the reference radiation regulated by ISO 4037–1. LS-SVM was applied to construct the relational model between physical factors and scattering contribution based on the data simulated by Monte Carlo method. Then the minimum dimension of collimated reference radiation field is obtained by PSO algorithm. For Co-60 source, the minimum size of the radiation field obtained is 93 cm(L)×40 cm(W)×40 cm(H). For Cs-137 source, the minimum size of the radiation field obtained is 153 cm(L)×47 cm (W)×47 cm(H). The results meet the requirements of the standard based on the model and provides a technical reference for the design of a minitype reference radiation field.

In December 2019, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak was first detected in Wuhan Hubei province, China. In California on April 24, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) has confirmed more than 39,000 cases, including >1800 deaths. California's Governor Gavin Newsom ordered mandatory stay at home after World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic in early March. We have evaluated the correlation between environmental pollution determinants and the COVID-19 outbreak in California by using the secondary published data from the Centers for Disease Control and the Environmental Pollution Agency (EPA). We employed Spearman and Kendall correlation tests to analyze the association of PM 2.5, PM 10, SO2, NO2, Pb, VOC, and CO with COVID-19 cases in California. Our findings indicate that environmental pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and CO have a significant correlation with the COVID-19 epidemic in California. Overall, our study is a useful supplement to encourage regulatory bodies to promote changes in environmental policies as pollution source control can reduce the harmful effects of environmental pollutants., Highlights • The study examines the impact of air pollutants on the COVID-19 epidemic in California. • PM 2.5, PM 10, NO2, CO, Pb and SO2 are the most significant pollutant indicators. • Adoption of green environmental policies should be further promoted to protect the environment.

Objectives To investigate risk factors contributing to early death in patients diagnosed with primary malignant cardiac tumors (PMCTs) and derive better understanding of these poorly characterized individuals. Method Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) registries on 564 patients diagnosed with PMCTs between 1973 and 2014 were analyzed. Early death was defined as survival of ≤3 months from the time of diagnosis. Two-tailed χ2 or fisher's exact test were used for association between categorical variables and occurrence of early death. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess independent risk factors of early death. Time trends in early death rates of PMCTs were described using scatter plot. Results Of the 564 patients with PMCTs, early death was identified in 214 individuals (37.9%). Patients with unspecified soft tissue sarcomas and blood vessel tumors had the highest risk of early death. Age > 80 years and non-consent for surgery were strong predictors of early death in all PMCT subtypes. In sarcomas, disadvantaged income was associated with an increase in early mortality, while black race was associated with a reduction in early mortality. In mesotheliomas and others, male sex was a risk factor for early mortality, while Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a reduction in early mortality. Percentages of early death slightly decreased over the past 40 years. Conclusions Predictors of early death are primarily related to age older than 80 years, no surgery and specific histopathology types but also include disadvantaged socioeconomic status and male sex. Initiatives to identify those at risk and develop preventive interventions should be prioritized.

Previous studies have shown that stomatin-like protein-2 (SLP-2) could regulate mitochondrial biogenesis and function. The study was designed to explore the contribution of SLP-2 to the myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. Anesthetized rats were treated with SLP-2 and subjected to ischemia for 30 minutes before 3 hours of reperfusion. An oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation model of I/R was established in H9C2 cells. In vivo, SLP-2 significantly improved cardiac function recovery of myocardial I/R injury rats by increasing fractional shortening and ejection fraction. SLP-2 pretreatment alleviated infarct area and myocardial apoptosis, which was paralleled by decreasing the level of cleaved caspase-3 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, increasing the content of superoxide dismutase and reducing oxidative stress damage in serum. In addition, SLP-2 increased the level of ATP and stabilized mitochondrial potential (Ψm). The present in vitro study revealed that overexpression with SLP-2 reduced H9C2 cells apoptosis, accompanied by an increased level of ATP, the ratio of mitochondrial DNA/nuclear DNA, activities of complex II and V, and decreased the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Simultaneously, SLP-2 activated the adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway in myocardial I/R injury rats and H9C2 cells. This study revealed that SLP-2 mediates the cardioprotective effect against I/R injury by regulating AMPK signaling pathway.

In this study, sulfonated organosilane graphene oxide (SSiGO) was synthesized by grafting 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MTPS) with graphene oxide (GO) and follow-up oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. The SSiGO was introduced into sulfonated poly (phthalazinone ether ketone) (SPPEK) to obtain composite membranes (SSiGO/SPPEK), and the physicochemical and electrochemical properties were extensively investigated. The results show that this SSiGO/SPPEK composite membranes possess excellent thermal and dimensional stability and super high proton conductivity. The proton conductivity of 10% SSiGO composite membranes was improved greatly from 0.094 to 0.22 S/cm from 30 to 80 °C, in contrast with the 0.089–0.17 S/cm from 30 to 80 °C of Nafion 212, which indicates that the SSiGO/SPPEK composite membranes have tremendous promise for proton exchange membranes fuel cells.

This paper sheds light on the role that pricing plays in the loan bidding process of different platforms.This paper analyses the reasons for the differentiation of pricing mechanisms in the P2P market.This paper extends studies on the classification of pricing and bidding behaviour.This paper shows the BPM and the PPM provide incentives for lenders in the same settings. We discuss different pricing mechanisms in the online peer-to-peer lending market, including the borrower pricing mechanism (BPM), auction pricing mechanism (APM) and platform pricing mechanism (PPM), and analyse the pricing differences among them. First, different pricing models can be constructed to demonstrate the incentive compatibility of the different pricing mechanisms. We then further describe the equilibrium of the different pricing mechanisms and analyse the action strategies of borrowers and lenders. The results show that the BPM and PPM are incentive-compatible mechanisms as long as the loan is profitablethat is, each lender reports her own real type. However, the APM is not an incentive-compatible mechanism. Further, different types of BPMs or PPMs can be derived, and each lenders best response strategy will vary depending on the types of risk preferences in the different pricing mechanisms. Specifically, when lenders are risk averse, they will choose to bid the first time and exhaust their budget quota; when lenders are risk seeking, they will choose to bid late and exhaust their budget quota.

Our work has focused on the development of polymer electrolyte materials, and the membranes for the potential application of AEMFC, PEMFC, redox flow battery, and other electrochemical energy fields. Alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) attract much attension because they could utilize non-noble metals as catalysts, such as Ni, Ag peroxide. Furthur, SSi-GO based composite membranes was prepared with SPPEK aimed at the establishment of the ionic transport channel. The proton conductivity of 10% content composite membranes reached 0.094 S/cm at 30℃, and 0.220 S/cm at 80℃ much higher than Nafion 117, which indicated the potential application of SPPEK-SSi-GO composite membranes for PEMFC.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease that can lead to heart expansion and severe heart failure, but the specific pathogenesis remains unclear. Sox5 is a member of the Sox family with a key role in cardiac function. However, the role of Sox5 in DCM remains unclear. In the present study, wild‑type mice were intraperitoneally injected with doxorubicin (Dox) to induce DCM, and heart specimens from human patients with DCM were used to investigate the preliminary role of Sox5 in DCM. The present study demonstrated that, compared with control human hearts, the hearts of patients with DCM exhibited high expression levels of Sox5 and activation of the wnt/β‑catenin pathway. This result was consistent with Dox‑induced DCM in mice. Furthermore, in Dox‑treated mice, apoptosis was activated during the development of DCM. Inflammation and collagen deposition also increased in DCM mice. The results of the present study indicate that Sox5 may be associated with the development of DCM. Sox5 may be a novel potential factor that regulates DCM.

Objective MTDH/AEG-1 could act as an oncogene by regulating cellular transformation, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. This study aims to explore the mechanism by which MTDH/AEG-1 inhibits cancer growth and metastasis and enhances chemosensitivity. Methods Mouse model was established using orally immunized mice exposed to attenuated Salmonella containing vectors carrying full length MTDH/AEG-1 gene, and we were able to enhance the immune response and inhibit the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer through activation of cellular and humoral immunities and induction of CD8+ T cells. Immunohistochemistry and TUNEL assay, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell analysis by flow cytometry, HE staining, RT-PCR analysis, Western-blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed. Results The MTDH/AEG-1 gene vaccine induced the anti-tumor function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and CD8+ T cells and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis of prostate cancer. In the therapy model, the MTDH/AEG-1 gene vaccine significantly enhanced chemosensitivity to paclitaxel, inhibited tumor growth, promoted tumor cell apoptosis, and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice without any apparent side effects. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that MTDH/AEG-1-based DNA vaccines could used for the treatment of prostate cancer in terms of the inhibition of tumor growth, the lifespan of tumor-bearing animals. Combined with chemotherapy, MTDH/AEG-1-based DNA vaccines may produce highly favorable outcomes in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, suggesting the immune efficacy of MTDH/AEG-1-based DNA should be further analyzed in other cancers.

Medical staff is forced to leave the work as they bear distinct stress and burnout from workload. When the amount of work is not reduced but increased from resigning employees, such a ferocious cir...

The rice leaffolder (RLF), Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and the white-backed rice planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera Horváth (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), are major insect pests in China and several other Asian countries. These two pests commonly occur simultaneously or in a temporal sequence. Thus, the investigation of the effect of complex infestations or temporal sequence infestations by these pests on rice yield has a practical significance for the control of these pests. The present study comprised experiments with the following four different variables in potted rice at the tillering stage: single pest species infestation, complex infestation, complete combination infestation and temporal sequence infestation (C. medinalis infestation prior to S. furcifera and S. furcifera infestation prior to C. medinalis). The results showed that the four infestations resulted in a significant decrease in 1000-grain weight (1000GW) and rate of yield loss (RYL) but an increase in blighted grain rate (BGR), with a significant positive correlation with the infestation density. However, the influences of the complex infestation, complete combination infestation or sequence infestation on the 1000GW, BGR and RYL were greater than those of the single pest species infestations but did not have addition effects, i.e., the effects of the complex infestation and combination infestation or sequence infestation on the 1000GW, BGR and RYL were less than the additive effects of the two single pest species infestations at the same densities. In the condition of the same total infestation pressure, no significant differences in the 1000GW, BGR and RYL were found between C. medinalis infestation prior to S. furcifera and S. furcifera infestation prior to C. medinalis as well as between the sequence infestation and the complex infestation.

it is the key point in simulation project design that how to delaminate and realize the war units and how to control them, this embodies the structure, the efficiency, the expandability of a system. This article explains a simulation design idea and realize procedure which sort the war units in an efficiency way, and a simulation control method called MAL.