Search

Deep coalbed methane (DCBM), an unconventional gas reservoir, has undergone significant advancements in recent years, sparking a growing interest in assessing pore pressure dynamics within these reservoirs. While some production data analysis techniques have been adapted from conventional oil and gas wells, there remains a gap in the understanding of pore pressure generation and evolution, particularly in wells subjected to large-scale hydraulic fracturing. To address this gap, a novel technique called excess pore pressure analysis (EPPA) has been introduced to the coal seam gas industry for the first time to our knowledge, which employs dual-phase flow principles based on consolidation theory. This technique focuses on the generation and dissipation for excess pore-water pressure (EPWP) and excess pore-gas pressure (EPGP) in stimulated deep coal reservoirs. Equations have been developed respectively and numerical solutions have been provided using the finite element method (FEM). Application of this model to a representative field example reveals that excess pore pressure arises from rapid loading, with overburden weight transferred under undrained condition due to intense hydraulic fracturing, which significantly redistributes the weight-bearing role from the solid coal structure to the injected fluid and liberated gas within artificial pores over a brief timespan. Furthermore, field application indicates that the dissipation of EPWP and EPGP can be actually considered as the process of well production, where methane and water are extracted from deep coalbed methane wells, leading to consolidation for the artificial reservoirs. Moreover, history matching results demonstrate that the excess-pressure model established in this study provides a better explanation for the declining trends observed in both gas and water production curves, compared to conventional practices in coalbed methane reservoir engineering and petroleum engineering. This research not only enhances the understanding of DCBM reservoir behavior but also offers insights applicable to production analysis in other unconventional resources reliant on hydraulic fracturing.

Abstract Background and objectives To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and blood biochemical indicators in early adolescence, and to provide ideas for early prevention of diseases and explore possible disease-related predictors. Methods 3125 participants aged 10 ∼ 14 years were selected from China from the survey of “China Nutrition and Health Surveillance ( 2016 ∼ 2017 ) “. Employing advanced statistical methods, including generalized linear models, heatmaps, hierarchical clustering, and generalized additive models, the study delved into the associations between BMI and various biochemical indicators. Results In early adolescence, indicators including systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, weight, height, BMI, hemoglobin, blood uric acid, serum creatinine, albumin, vitamin A presented increasing trends with the increase of age ( P 1, P

Objective: The short-term quality of life of patients can be enhanced by performing Inflatable Video-Assisted Mediastinoscopic Transhiatal Esophagectomy (IVMTE). Nevertheless, there is limited research on how it impacts postoperative acute and chronic pain in individuals diagnosed with esophageal cancer.Hence, this research aimed to examine the impact of IVMTE and minimally invasive Mckeown esophagectomy (MIME) on the occurrence of acute and chronic pain following surgery in individuals diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Methods: A retrospective, propensity score matching analysis was adopted. In total, 133 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent IVMTE and MIME between January 2020 and December 2021 were part of the study. Among them, 38 patients underwent IVMTE and 95 patients underwent MIME. Following the propensity score matching analysis, 36 patients were included in each group. Patients' postoperative pain was evaluated using the numerical rating scale (NRS). Results: The IVMTE group (Group A) had significantly reduced operation time and intraoperative blood loss compared to the MIME group (Group B) (P

Abstract Background Adult head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS) is an exceptionally rare malignancy, and there is a paucity of data and research dedicated to understanding its characteristics and management in adult populations. This study aimed to assess the outcomes and identify survival predictors in adult HNRMS. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 42 adult patients (> 16 years) with HNRMS who received radiotherapy (RT)-based treatment at our institute between 2008 and 2022. We analysed the clinical characteristics and prognosis of these patients, including the locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), using the Kaplan–Meier method. The chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to analyse differences between groups for dichotomous and categorical variables, respectively. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Prognostic variables were assessed through univariate Cox analyses. Results The median patient age was 28 years (range, 16–82 years). Alveolar RMS was the most common histological type, observed in 21 patients (50.0%), followed by embryonal in 16 patients (38.1%). The anatomic sites of origin were orbital in one (2.4%), parameningeal in 26 (61.9%), and non-orbital/non-parameningeal in 15 (35.7%) patients. Nineteen patients (45.2%) had regional lymph node metastasis, and five patients (11.9%) presented with distant metastatic disease. Distant metastasis (n = 17) was the primary cause of treatment failure. At a median follow-up of 47.0 months, the 5-year LRFS, PFS, and OS rates were 69.0%, 39.7%, and 41.0%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that tumour size, lymph node involvement, and the local treatment pattern (surgery and RT vs. RT alone) were significant predictors of survival. Conclusions The main failure pattern in patients with HNRMS receiving RT-based treatment was distant metastasis. Tumour size > 5 cm and lymph node involvement were predictors of worse LRFS. Multimodality local treatment, combining surgery and RT, is effective and provides survival benefits.

Abstract Pulmonary mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs) are considered important in therapeutic and regenerative responses to lung injury. Despite extensive studies on the human, porcine, sheep, mouse and rat, it was found that PMSCs, which can been performed on goose, have not been well explored. Elucidation of cell differentiation, proliferation, which have not yet been well described, may promote the development of injured lung therapy. In our study, we firstly disclosed biological characteristics of spindle-shaped PMSCs from pulmonary tissues of goose embryos. Growth kinetics and counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay were employed for proliferative activity evaluation. When appropriately induced, PMSCs could differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, type II alveolar epithelial cells (ATII), which demonstrated that PMSCs have cross-embryonic layer differentiation potential. Besides, undifferentiated PMSCs consistently expressed MSCs associated phenotypes, such as CD166, CD90, CD44, CD29, CD71 and CD105, as identified by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Karyotype analysis demonstrated that PMSCs possessed stable diploid karyotype. Collectively, we successfully established applicable methods for isolation, culture, identification and characterization of goose PMSCs which suggested a potential therapeutic use in regenerative therapy.

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been recognized as natural reservoirs for multiple pathogens and a source of infection for domestic animals, wildlife and humans. To date, no reports are available on the Bartonella rochalimae and Hepatozoon canis infection in red foxes from China. In 2018–2022, a total of 16 red foxes were sampled in two counties and a city in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China. Subsequently analyzed by DNA extraction amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the present study, based on nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic tree analyses, B. rochalimae and H. canis were molecularly identified in red foxes. Our findings provide the first molecular evidence of B. rochalimae and H. canis in red foxes from China.

Background:The neuropeptide galanin has been shown to exhibit anticonvulsant effects in animal models. However, only a few studies have attempted to identify the galanin receptor subtype (s) involved in this effect. In the present study, the expression of galanin and that of its receptors in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy was studied to reveal the epileptogenesis-related alterations.Methods:Pilocarpine-inducted status epilepticus (SE) rat model was used for temporal lobe epilepsy. Galanin and galanin receptor mRNA was detected by Real-time polymerase chain reaction in dorsal hippocampus of rats at three different time points following SE: at the acute phase (24h), latent period (7 days), and chronic epileptic period (8 weeks). Using immunohistochemistry, galanin positive fibers and bodies were also observed.Results:In the acute seizure phase, a significant up-regulation of the galanin mRNA was observed in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, galanin-positive cells appeared, while galanin-positive fibers disappeared in the hilus of the dentate gyrus, stratum radiatum of CA1, and stratum lucidum of CA3, indicating an increase in galanin synthesis and release during the acute seizure phase. The gene expression analysis also indicated a significant increase in the transcription of galanin receptors GalR1 and GalR3 24h after SE. The increased levels of GalR1 mRNA were also observed in the latent and chronic epileptic periods.Conclusion:In general, these data suggest that adaptive changes occur in the galanin system during epileptogenesis that may affect its antiepileptic effects. Furthermore, these changes should be taken into account when attempting to pharmacologically modulate this system.

Abstract We obtain an exact rotating BTZ-like black hole solution by solving the corresponding gravitational field equations and the bumblebee motion equations in Einstein-bumblebee gravity theory. Result is presented for the purely radial Lorentz symmetry violating and can only exist with a linear functional potential of the bumblebee field. This black hole has two horizons and an ergosphere which are dependent on the bumblebee coupling constant $$\ell $$ ℓ . The concepts of the area and volume of the horizon should be renewed in this LV spacetime due to the nontrivial contribution of coupling between the bumblebee field and the Ricci tensor. Only in this way, the entropy-area relation, first law of thermodynamics and the Smarr formula can still be constructed. We also study the AdS/CFT correspondence of this black hole, find that the entropy product of its inner and outer horizons is universal. So the central charges of the dual CFT on the boundary can be obtained via the thermodynamic method, and they can reappear black hole mass and angular momentum in the bulk.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) primarily achieve efficient wastewater purification through synergistic interactions among substrates, plants, and microorganisms. Serving as the structural foundation of the entire wetland system, substrates not only provide a growth medium for plants, but also serve as adhesive carriers for microorganisms and habitats for animal activities. Research on substrates has attracted considerable attention; however, in practical engineering applications, the selection of substrates often depend on personal experience, which may lead to significant gaps in the effectiveness of wetland systems in treating different characteristic contaminants. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the influence of substrates on the removal of contaminants in sewage and identify substrate materials with good physical and chemical properties to optimize the design and operation of CWs-based sewage-treatment systems and improve their purification efficiency. In this review, bibliometric analysis was conducted to using the Web of Science database and VOSviewer_1.6.20 software to assess the progress of research on CWs. This article provides a comprehensive overview of substrate types and characteristics based on recent research advancements in the field. Additionally, it discusses removal methods and the influence of factors related to conventional contaminants (COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus), heavy metals (HMs), fluorinated compounds, pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), and microplastics. A thorough evaluation was conducted on the economic costs of various substrates and their ability to remove major contaminants from water bodies, providing a reference for the further development of wetland technology.

Abstract Background This study investigated the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypic characteristics and differential diagnosis of primary breast carcinomas with signet ring cell differentiation, as well as differences in the traits of signet ring-like cell mucin. Methods A total of five cases of primary breast cancer diagnosed with signet ring cell differentiation and treated at The First People’s Hospital of Jingmen from January 2016 to December 2021 were collected. HE, immunohistochemical staining, and AB-PAS staining were used for the analysis. Results Although we strictly selected all the primary breast cancer cases with signet ring cell differentiation, there were differences in the arrangement of the cells and the grading of nuclei. Our immunohistochemical results showed that the ER was consistently strongly positive, and the PR expression was not consistent, while all the cases of HER2 were negative. CK7 was negative in one case, and CK20 and CK5/6 were not expressed in all the cases. The mucin MUC1 was positive and showed two patterns. MUC2 was strongly positive in all the cases. All the cases were negative for CDX2, SATB2, PAX8, TTF-1, and Napsin A, while the positive expression of COX2, Villin, and WT-1 was not constant. One case expressed neuroendocrine markers. The expression level of Ki67 was between 10 and 30%. AB (pH 2.5)-PAS staining revealed that the intracellular mucus contained more cells with neutral mucus, while the extracellular mucus was mainly acidic. Conclusion We found that histological morphology, cell morphology, and nuclear grading differentiate among different cases. The immunohistochemical characteristics of primary breast cancers diagnosed with signet ring cell differentiation are helpful for identification. The differences in the expression patterns of mucins may be related to unfavorable clinicopathological factors, but their usefulness as a prognostic marker remains to be further understood. The heterogeneity of cell mucus, the differentiation of tumor cells, and the phenotypic changes of tumors also need further study.

The development of next-generation power electronics requires the semiconductor power devices with higher voltage endurance, higher electrical current density under high-temperature operations above 250 °C. Herein, we propose the uses of combined micron-sized Cu particles with Ag–amino composite to achieve a robust direct Cu–Cu bonding under a low sintering pressure and temperature (300 °C) in ambient atmosphere. The strong bonding strength of the Cu–Cu joint structure was evaluated as high as 45.3 MPa under 300 °C sintering temperature with low pressure (1 MPa). For the high temperature reliability evaluation, the sintered Cu–Ag composite Cu–Cu joints were stored at 250 °C in air. The shear strength of the joints remains above 30 MPa after 500 h ageing, suggesting an excellent mechanical stability during high temperature storage. Additionally, a SiC Schottky barrier diode with the sintered Cu–Ag composite joint structure was evaluated during a power cycle test at a junction temperature of 200 °C for 10,000 cycles. The thermal resistance of the joint structure was almost unaffected, and no large delamination was observed after the power cycle test, indicating that the Cu–Ag composite material exhibit remarkable potential in SiC power devices packaging.

Owing to the low ratio of chemical oxygen demand to total nitrogen (SCOD/TN), effective removal of nutrient pollutants from black water is difficult. In this study, to enhance nitrogen and phosphorus removal from such wastewater, a series of operational modification strategies was investigated and applied to a plant-scale semi-centralized system used for black water treatment. The results showed that 21 mg Fe3+/L was the optimal dosage for the chemical-enhanced pretreatment process, achieving average removal efficiencies of 51.1 and 74.1% for organics and phosphorus, respectively, with a slight enhancement in nitrogen removal by 2.3%. However, nitrogen and phosphorus removal could be further enhanced to 88 and 96%, by the addition of carbon sources in the post-anoxic zone of the reversed anaerobic–anoxic–aerobic process. Contrastingly, neither the addition of carbon sources in the pre-anoxic zone nor the prolongation of the time for pre-denitrification could significantly improve the nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies. Furthermore, reducing the aeration intensity promoted simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in aerobic reactors, thereby making it a potential energy-saving method for system operation. HIGHLIGHTS A series of modified operations was employed in a plant-scale semi-centralized system to improve N and P removal from black water.; 21 mg Fe3+/L was the optimal dosage for TP removal by chemical-enhanced primary treatment.; Reducing aeration intensity was a potential energy-saving method for a reversed A2O system.; Carbon source added into the post-anoxic zone was more effective than in the pre-anoxic zone.;

The residual stress inside stock materials is a fundamental property related to the quality of manufactured parts in terms of geometric/dimensional stability and fatigue life. For large parts that must meet high-precision requirements, accurately measuring and predicting the residual stress field has been a major challenge. Existing technologies for measuring the residual stress field are either strain-based measurement methods or non-destructive methods with low efficiency and accuracy. This paper reports a new non-destructive method for inferencing the residual stress field based on deformation forces. In the proposed method, the residual stress field of a workpiece is inferred based on the characteristics of the deformation forces that reflect the overall effect of the unbalanced residual stress field after material removal operations. The relationship between deformation forces and the residual stress field is modeled based on the principle of virtual work, and the residual stress field inference problem is solved using an enforced regularization method. Theoretical verification is presented and actual experiment cases are tested, showing reliable accuracy and flexibility for large aviation structural parts. The underlying principle of the method provides an important reference for predicting and compensating workpiece deformation caused by residual stress using dynamic machining monitoring data in the context of digital and intelligent manufacturing.

In order to address the anti-ablation of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, SiC nanowires (SiCnws) network-modified C/C-ZrB2-ZrC-SiC composites were prepared through the one-step precursor conversion method. With an optimized B-Si-Zr sol-precursor, uniformly dispersed SiCnws and ceramic particles forming an interlocking structure were synchronous in situ grown in the C/C matrix. During ablation, the partially oxidized SiCnws networks with molten SiO2 surface can stabilize the oxide protecting layer and heal the microcracks efficiently in combination with the refractory ZrO2 particles, thus significantly improving the anti-ablation properties of the composites. This study lays the foundation for the high temperature and long-term anti-oxidation and anti-ablation application of C/C composites in the aerospace industry.

With the development of technology and methodologies, Raman spectrometers are becoming efficient candidate payloads for planetary materials characterizations in deep space exploration missions. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) already deployed two Raman instruments, Super Cam and SHERLOC, onboard the Perseverance Rover in the Mars 2020 mission. In the ground test, the SHERLOC team found an axial offset (~720 μm) between the ACI (Autofocus Context Imager) and the spectrometer focus, which would obviously affect the acquired Raman intensity if not corrected. To eliminate this error and, more importantly, simplify the application of Raman instruments in deep space exploration missions, we propose an automatic focusing method wherein Raman signals are optimized during spectrum collection. We put forward a novel method that is realized by evaluating focus conditions numerically and searching for the extremum point as the final focal point. To verify the effectiveness of this method, we developed an Auto-focus Raman Probe (SDU-ARP) in our laboratory. This method provides a research direction for scenarios in which spectrometers cannot focus on a target using any other criterion. The utilization of this auto-focusing method can offer better spectra and fewer acquisitions in focusing procedure, and the spectrometer payload can be deployed in light-weight bodies (e.g., asteroids) or in poor illumination conditions (e.g., the permanently shadowed region in the Lunar south polar area) in deep space exploration missions.

Invasive alien insects directly or indirectly driven by climate change threaten crop production and increase economic costs worldwide. Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller) is a highly reproductive invasive crop insect that can severely damage fruit commodities and cause significant economic losses globally. Estimating the global potentially suitable habitats (PSH) of E. ceratoniae is an important aspect of its invasive risk assessment and early warning. Here, we constructed an optimized MaxEnt model based on the global distribution records of E. ceratoniae, and nine environmental variables (EVs), to predict its global PSH under current and future climates. Our results showed that the RM value was 2.0 and the mean area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value was 0.972, indicating the high accuracy of the optimal MaxEnt model. The mean temperature of driest quarter (bio9, 50.2%), mean temperature of wettest quarter (bio8, 16.9%), temperature seasonality (bio4, 9.7%), and precipitation of coldest quarter (bio19, 9.1%) were the significant EVs affecting its distribution patterns. The global PSH of E. ceratoniae are mainly located in western Asia under current climate scenarios (687.57 × 104 km2), which showed an increasing trend under future climate scenarios. The PSH of E. ceratoniae achieved the maximum under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 1–2.6 in the 2030s and under the SSP2-4.5 in the 2050s. The increased PSH of E. ceratoniae are mainly located in southwestern Asia, northwestern Europe, northwestern South America, northwestern North America, southern Oceania, and northwestern Africa. Our findings suggest that quarantine officials and governmental departments in the above high-risk invasion areas should strengthen monitoring and early warning to control E. ceratoniae; in particular, cultural measures should be taken in areas where its further expansion is expected in the future.

ABSTRACT Climate change greatly affects lake microorganisms in arid and semiarid zones, which alters ecosystem functions and the ecological security of lakes. However, the responses of lake microorganisms, especially microeukaryotes, to climate change are poorly understood. Here, using 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) high-throughput sequencing, we investigated the distribution patterns of microeukaryotic communities and whether and how climate change directly or indirectly affected the microeukaryotic communities on the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang Plateau. Our results showed that climate change, as the main driving force of lake change, drives salinity to become a determinant of the microeukaryotic community among the lakes of the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang Plateau. Salinity shapes the diversity and trophic level of the microeukaryotic community and further affects lake carbon cycling. Co-occurrence network analysis further revealed that increasing salinity reduced the complexity but improved the stability of microeukaryotic communities and changed ecological relationships. Meanwhile, increasing salinity enhanced the importance of deterministic processes in microeukaryotic community assembly, and the dominance of stochastic processes in freshwater lakes transformed into deterministic processes in salt lakes. Furthermore, we established lake biomonitoring and climate sentinel models by integrating microeukaryotic information, which would provide substantial improvements to our predictive ability of lake responses to climate change. IMPORTANCE Our findings have important implications for understanding the distribution patterns and the driving mechanisms of microeukaryotic communities among the lakes of the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang Plateau and whether and how climate change directly or indirectly affects microeukaryotic communities. Our study also establishes the groundwork to use the lake microbiome for the assessment of aquatic ecological health and climate change, which is critical for ecosystem management and for projecting the ecological consequences of future climate warming.

Discrete element numerical simulations can help researchers find potential problems in the design phase, shortening the development cycle and reducing costs. In the field of agricultural engineering, more and more researchers are using discrete element methods (DEM) to assist in designing and optimising equipment parameters. Model parameters calibration is a prerequisite for discrete element numerical calculations, and the angle of repose (AoR) is commonly used to calibrate the parameters. However, the measurement of AoR in DEM was not seriously considered in industrial or academic fields. In practice, AoR is measured manually, using 2D digital image processing or using a 3D scan. However, reliable and consistent measurements of AoR in DEM are rarely mentioned. This study suggests an accurate and consistent way to measure AoR in DEM using a novel method to read particle coordinate information directly from the data file; then, the AoR is calculated by linearly fitting the centre coordinates of the outermost particles. Influences of input variables on AoR acquisition are discussed through several examples using customised templates with known angles. Then a comparative study of the accuracy of the measurement of AoR in DEM and the reliability of the parameter calibration results by the manual measurement, 2D digital image processing, and algorithm proposed in this paper was conducted. In case studies with four seed materials, this method prevented the subjective selection of AoR, improved the identification accuracy, and increased the precision and accuracy of DEM calibration. In addition, the time consumption for obtaining AoR using the novel method for measurement is much less than that of 2D.

Abstract Precise control of machining deformation is crucial for improving the manufacturing quality of structural aerospace components. In the machining process, different batches of blanks have different residual stress distributions, which pose a significant challenge to machining deformation control. In this study, a reinforcement learning method for machining deformation control based on a meta-invariant feature space was developed. The proposed method uses a reinforcement-learning model to dynamically control the machining process by monitoring the deformation force. Moreover, combined with a meta-invariant feature space, the proposed method learns the internal relationship of the deformation control approaches under different stress distributions to achieve the machining deformation control of different batches of blanks. Finally, the experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better deformation control than the two existing benchmarking methods.

Sediments on the northern plains of Mars experienced aqueous alteration during interaction with a limited or ephemeral water source, according to spectral analyses of Martian rocks and soils encountered by the Zhurong rover.

Transient liquid phase bonding under temperature gradient in electronics interconnections yields intermetallic grains at the bonding interface with different morphological features compared with conventional soldering process. However, the interfacial reactions due to the thermal gradient that result in the preferential growth of intermetallics are yet to be fully understood. In this study, incorporating with the thermotransport effect a multiphase field model is developed to elaborate the fundamental growth mechanism of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic in the Sn/Cu solder interconnect under temperature gradient. We particularly account for the effect of orientation and anisotropic thermal conductivity of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic grains in relation to the temperature gradient during their growth, as observed thermal conductivity with the c-axis of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic parallel to the gradient can be 1.6 times of those perpendicular to the gradient. Simulation results show that the temperature gradient can accelerate the growth of the Cu6Sn5 phase, as reported in the experiments. The heat flux is mainly conducted through the intermetallic grain with c-axis parallel to the temperature gradient, causing faster growth of the grain than the grain with c-axis perpendicular to the temperature gradient; the growth rate difference of the two types of grains becomes more pronounced under high temperature gradient. It is revealed that the faster and preferential growth of this type of intermetallic grain is attributed to the higher thermomigration induced diffusion flux and accompanying faster atomic interdiffusion process, especially near the solder/intermetallic interface.

Abstract A 532‐nm‐excited lunar Raman spectrometer (LRS) has been selected as a scientific payload of the Chang'e‐7 mission, exploring mineralogy assemblages in the lunar south polar region. However, the quantification of dark‐colored silicate minerals via Raman spectroscopy is an urgent requirement for upcoming Raman applications in future lunar and planetary explorations. Therefore, we conducted detailed laboratory studies on the Raman quantification of lunar silicate minerals using ternary mixtures of feldspar, olivine, and augite. Quantitative models were established employing the observed linear relationship between Raman integrated intensities and mineral proportions. The significant correlation coefficients (>0.94) and small RMSE (≤4.20 wt.%) confirmed the performance of these models. A series of methods (multipoint sampling, multispectral averaging, peak area extraction, and spectral parameter ratios) were jointly used to ensure that the models were not significantly affected by crystal orientation, chemical inhomogeneity, and instruments. Factors (σ2/σ1) describing the relative Raman scattering cross sections were introduced to calibrate the Raman counts. Our results indicated that the relative Raman scattering efficiency of feldspar, olivine, and augite is 1.4:2.4:1, which can be used to improve the quantitative accuracy of the point‐counting method if polymineralic mixing spectra are dominant. The models were validated across different samples using laboratory mixtures and lunar soil (CE5C0600). The lithology of the Chang'e‐5 soils is basaltic/gabbroic according to the quantitative mineralogy returned from our models that is consistent with the results from traditional methods. This research will be of particular significance for accurately determining the mineral abundances for Chang'e‐7 and other planetary missions. As such, crucial information can be inferred to understand the geological evolution of the exploration regions.

The neurovascular unit (NVU) plays a critical role in health and disease. In the current review, we discuss the critical role of a class of neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2)-expressing glial cells (NG2-glia) in regulating NVU after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We first introduce the role of NG2-glia in the formation of NVU during development as well as aging-induced damage to NVU and accompanying NG2-glia change. We then discuss the reciprocal interactions between NG2-glia and the other component cells of NVU, emphasizing the factors that could influence NG2-glia. Damage to the NVU integrity is the pathological basis of edema and hemorrhagic transformation, the most dreaded complication after AIS. The role of NG2-glia in AIS-induced NVU damage and the effect of NG2-glia transplantation on AIS-induced NVU damage are summarized. We next discuss the role of NG2-glia and the effect of NG2-glia transplantation in oligodendrogenesis and white matter repair as well as angiogenesis which is associated with the outcome of the patients after AIS. Finally, we review the current strategies to promote NG2-glia proliferation and differentiation and propose to use the dental pulp stem cells (DPSC)-derived exosome as a promising strategy to reduce AIS-induced injury and promote repair through maintaining the integrity of NVU by regulating endogenous NG2-glia proliferation and differentiation.

In this study, an anammox reactor was operated to treat low-strength (NH4+ + NO2−, 25–35 mg/L) wastewater without (phase I) or with (phase II) readily biodegradable chemical oxygen demand (rbCOD). In phase I, although efficient nitrogen removal was achieved at the beginning, nitrate accumulated in the effluent after long-term operation (75 days), resulting in a decrease in the nitrogen removal efficiency to 30%. Microbial analysis revealed that the abundance of anammox bacteria decreased from 2.15 to 1.78%, whereas that of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) increased from 0.14 to 0.56%. In phase II, rbCOD, in terms of acetate, was introduced into the reactor with a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 0.9. The nitrate concentration in the effluent decreased within 2 days. Advanced nitrogen removal was achieved in the following operation, with an average effluent total nitrogen of 3.4 mg/L. Despite the introduction of rbCOD, anammox pathway still dominated to the nitrogen loss. High-throughput sequencing indicated that high anammox abundance (2.48%) further supports its dominant position. The improvement in nitrogen removal was attributed to the enhanced suppression of NOB activity, simultaneous nitrate polishing through partial denitrification and anammox, and promotion of sludge granulation. Overall, the introduction of low concentrations of rbCOD is a feasible strategy for achieving robust and efficient nitrogen removal in mainstream anammox reactors.

Background: Diabetic liver disease is one of the main complications that leads to the aggravation of diabetes, but it has not received sufficient attention. This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the altered molecular networks in in diabetic rats with liver damage after stem cell therapy. To a certain extent, our research would be instructive, since almost no studies of this kind have been performed on patients with diabetic liver disease after stem cell therapy. Methods: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with adipose-derived stem cells. RNA-Seq analysis was performed on the liver tissues of these animals, and key pathway factors were further identified and validated. Results: RNA-Seq analysis revealed numerous affected signaling pathways and functional categories. The results showed that the network of dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), an oxidative stress-related gene, was prominently activated in the liver after stem cell therapy, and the enrichment of genes associated with liver damage, steatosis and fibrosis was also detected. The extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway may be involved in this process by regulating the nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Conclusions: These data provide novel insights into liver biology, suggest common alterations in the molecular networks during diabetic liver damage, and show the advantages of stem cell therapy, indicating its further application potential for early treatment of diabetic liver damage and delaying the progression of liver fibrosis in the later stage.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a rapidly spreading global problem, threatening the use and sustainability of freshwater resources. MPs in water can act as both a source and sink of dissolved organic compounds. This review summarizes the current knowledge of interactions between MPs and dissolved organic compounds, including the adsorption and release of dissolved organic compounds by MPs and the impacts of MPs on the source and sink of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic ecosystems. The key mechanisms for the adsorption of dissolved organic compounds on MPs are hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, and π–π interactions. Particle size, morphological characteristics, density, and environmental factors (pH, ionic strength, and UV radiation) have a great influence on the adsorption of dissolved organic compounds on MPs. Although research on the interactions between dissolved organic compounds and MPs has progressed rapidly, to date, research on the impacts of increasing amounts of MPs on natural DOM cycles (production, transformation, and fate) in aquatic ecosystems has been very limited. Knowledge gaps and future research directions are outlined at the end of this review.

Abstract Initial residual stress is the main reason causing machining deformation of the workpiece, which has been deemed as one of the most important aspects of machining quality issues. The inference of the distribution of initial residual stress inside the blank has significant meaning for machining deformation control. Due to the principle error of existing residual stress detection methods, there are still challenges in practical applications. Aiming at the detection problem of the initial residual stress field, an initial residual stress inference method by incorporating monitoring data and mechanism model is proposed in this paper. Monitoring data during machining process is used to represent the macroscopic characterization of the unbalanced residual stress, and the finite element numerical model is used as the mechanism model so as to solve the problem that the analytic mechanism model is difficult to establish; the policy gradient approach is introduced to solve the gradient descent problem of the combination of learning model and mechanism model. Finally, the initial residual stress field is obtained through iterative calculation based on the fusing method of monitoring data and mechanism model. Verification results show that the proposed inference method of initial residual stress field can accurately and effectively reflect the machining deformation in the actual machining process.

Abstract Background Greenhouse cultivation is mainly a monoculture system, which leads to severe soil degradation, with significant changes to the structure of the soil microbial community. The present study aimed to determine the effects of fertilizer and waterlogging (WL) on the microbial community of soil that was continuously monocropped with cucumber in a greenhouse for 3 years (2016–2019). Biolog EcoPlates™ and high-throughput sequencing were used to investigate the abundance, structure, and diversity of the soil microbial community. Results Compared with the initial total soluble salt content (8.65 g/kg), total soluble salt content after WL significantly decreased to 0.597 g/kg. Compared to control (CK) soil, the abundance of fungal species in the chemical fertilizer plus waterlogging (CFWL)-treated soil increased by 40.5%, while bacterial species abundance in the organic fertilizer plus waterlogging (OFWL)-treated soil increased by 10.7%. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Arthrobacter, Geobacter, and Bacillus was higher in OFWL-treated soil than CFWL-treated soil (p

Arsenic contamination in groundwater and rivers has become a major problem around the world, and may cause severe environment pollution and human health problems. In this study, cost-efficient adsorbent red mud porous beads (RPB), using red mud – a kind of alumina industry by-product, was synthesized for adsorptive removal of arsenic(V) from aqueous solution. Kinetic studies showed that chemisorption mainly governed the adsorption process. The experimental data were fitted well using the Langmuir isotherm, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity for arsenic of 11.758 mg/g at pH = 7 conditions. The effect of pH showed that the pHpzc of RPB was 6.0 and at pH = 6 the removal rate reached nearly 100%. The removal rate decreased from 91.3% to 79.0% with increase in the initial concentration of arsenic from 2.5 to 20 mg/L. The adsorption performance from column studies illustrated that the velocity of flow and the initial concentration influenced the breakthrough time of the column. This study would facilitate the use of red mud, which can be fabricated into RPB, acting as a valuable adsorbent for removing arsenic in aqueous solutions. HIGHLIGHTS RPB was used as a valuable adsorbent for arsenic adsorption.; Chemisorption governed the adsorption process.; The experimental data were described well by Langmuir isotherm.; The velocity of flow and initial concentration influenced the breakthrough time.;

Abstract Background Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a worldwide health priority due to autoimmune destruction and is associated with an increased risk of multiorgan complications. Among these complications, effective interventions for liver injury, which can progress to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, are lacking. Although stem cell injection has a therapeutic effect on T1D, whether it can cure liver injury and the underlying mechanisms need further investigation. Methods Sprague–Dawley rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T1D were treated with adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) or PBS via the tail vein formed the ADSC group or STZ group. Body weights and blood glucose levels were examined weekly for 6 weeks. RNA-seq and PCR array were used to detect the difference in gene expression of the livers between groups. Results In this study, we found that ADSCs injection alleviated hepatic oxidative stress and injury and improved liver function in rats with T1D; potential mechanisms included cytokine activity, energy metabolism and immune regulation were potentially involved, as determined by RNA-seq. Moreover, ADSC treatment altered the fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) levels in T1D rat livers, implying its repair capacity. Disordered intracellular energy metabolism, which is closely related to mitochondrial stress and dysfunction, was inhibited by ADSC treatment. PCR array and ingenuity pathway analyses suggested that the ADSC-induced suppression of mitochondrial stress is related to decreased necroptosis and apoptosis. Moreover, mitochondria-related alterations caused liver inflammation, resulting in liver injury involving the T lymphocyte-mediated immune response. Conclusions Overall, these results improve our understanding of the curative effect of ADSCs on T1D complications: ADSCs attenuate liver injury by inhibiting mitochondrial stress (apoptosis and dysfunctional energy metabolism) and alleviating inflammation (inflammasome expression and immune disorder). These results are important for early intervention in liver injury and for delaying the development of liver lesions in patients with T1D.

Abstract Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UMSCs) from fetal tissues have become a valuable source of cell regeneration therapy due to their low immunogenicity, high plasticity and antimicrobial peptides. Most researches about UMSCs mainly focused on humans, mice, rabbits and other mammals, but it is still unknown in broiler. To the best of our knowledge, we first established a broiler-derived UMSCs line from noncontroversial Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord. The detection of biological characteristics showed UMSCs showed the morphological characteristics of fibroblasts and could be cultured to 26 generations in vitro, and maintained diploid chromosomes (2n=78) by G-banding analysis. Cell cycle of UMSCs showed the rate of G0/G1 was about 76.7-80.9%. Moreover, UMSCs could express mesenchymal markers (CD29, CD90, CD71, and CD44), but not hematopoietic marker (CD34) and endothelial marker (CD31). Additionally, UMSCs could be efficiently induced to transdifferentiate into three germ layer cells, such as adipocytes, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, hepatocytes, epithelia, and neurogenic cells. These results demonstrated UMSCs have the essential characteristics of MSCs, and can be used as an attractive candidate for cell regenerative therapy and the study of regulatory mechanisms associated with selective differentiation.

ObjectiveTo compare the short-term outcomes and postoperative quality of life in patients with esophageal cancer between inflatable videoasisted mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (IVMTE) and minimally invasive Mckeown esophagectomy (MIME), and to evaluate the value of IVMTE in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer.MethodsA prospective, nonrandomized study was adopted. A total of 60 esophageal cancer patients after IVMTE and MIME December 2019 to January 2022 were included. Among them, 30 patients underwent IVMTE and 30 patients underwent MIME. Shortterm outcomes (including the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage 3 days, total postoperative tube time, postoperative hospital stay, number and number of thoracic lymph node dissection stations, postoperative complications and so on), postoperative quality of life, [including Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the esophageal site-specific module (QLQ-OES18)] were compared between the 2 groups.ResultsThe operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume and total postoperative intubation time in IVMTE group were significantly lower than those in MIME group (P

Brewery wastewater is characterized by a high organic matter content and low pH, which may cause serious ecological hazards if it is discharged without any treatment. In this study, brewery wastewater treatment was integrated with anaerobic digestion of municipal sewage sludge. Additionally, the effects of temperature and mixing ratio of brewery wastewater were investigated. The results showed that the brewery wastewater mixing ratio (v/v) of 20% could maximize the biogas production during anaerobic digestion at the temperature of 34 °C. Additionally, regulating the appropriate mixing ratio, increasing operating temperature and adjusting pH were effective ways to enhance anaerobic digestion efficiency. Furthermore, the distribution of microbial communities was confirmed to be significantly influenced by the mixing ratio of brewery wastewater using high-throughput DNA sequencing technology. With the increasing mixing ratio of brewery wastewater, Firmicutes gradually dominated instead of Chloroflexi. Meanwhile, Methanolinea and Methanosarcina became the dominant methanogens, while the proportion of Methanothrix was significantly reduced. The results of this study will provide data to support the practical process operation of anaerobic co-digestion of brewery wastewater and municipal sewage sludge.

Tractors transporting heavy hitches tend to tilt severely, resulting in significant dynamic loads on the front axle and affecting handling stability. Tractors and rear hitches can be considered vibration systems with two coupled masses. Thus, active damping control strategies between tractors and rear hitches are proposed in this study. The complexity and versatility of tractor hydraulic hitching during tractor transit transport are considered. A method of improving the tractor hydraulic hitch damping ratio with pressure feedback is proposed. The dynamic characteristics of the pressure feedback hydraulic hitch system are analyzed. A dynamic model of the tractor transfer transport unit is established, and a numerical simulation is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed hydraulic hitch vibration reduction control strategy based on pressure feedback. A real test platform for tractor vibration reduction control is built. The test results show that the pressure feedback vibration reduction control method proposed in this paper affects tractor pitching motion suppression. In addition, the proposed control strategy does not require a force pin sensor. Tractor hydraulic hitch damping control costs are reduced. The vibration reduction control strategy proposed in this study has high reliability and can be used as a reference for non-road-vehicle vibration reduction control.

Abstract The cast aluminum beam is a key structure for carrying the body-hung traction motor of a high-speed train; its fatigue property is fundamental for predicting the residual life and service mileage of the structure. To characterize the structural fatigue property, a finite element-based method is developed to compute the stress concentration factor, which is used to obtain the structural fatigue strength reduction factors. A full-scale fatigue test on the cast aluminum beam is designed and implemented for up to ten million cycles, and the corresponding finite element model of the beam is validated using the measured data of the gauges. The results show that the maximum stress concentration occurs at the fillet of the supporting seat, where the structural fatigue strength reduction factor is 2.45 and the calculated fatigue limit is 35.4 MPa. Moreover, no surface cracks are detected using the liquid penetrant test. Both the experimental and simulation results indicate that the cast aluminum beam can satisfy the service life requirements under the designed loading conditions.

Objective: Transcription elongation factor 1 (TCERG1) is a nuclear protein consisted of multiple protein structural domains that plays an important role in regulating the transcription, extension, and splicing regulation of RNA polymerase II. However, the prognostic and immunological role of TCERG1 in human cancer remains unknown. In this study, we analyzed the expression of TCERG1 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, its clinical significance, and its possible prognostic value by bioinformatics.Methods: RNA sequencing data and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with HCC were collected from TCGA and CCLE databases. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to analyze the expression of TCERG1 in HCC tissues and normal tissues. The protein levels of TCERG1 between normal and liver cancer tissues were analyzed by the Human Protein Atlas Database (HPA) (www.proteinatlas.org). Validation was performed using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset of 167 samples. The expression of TCERG1 in HCC cells were verified by qRT-PCR, and CCK-8, scratch assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability. According to the median value of TCERG1 expression, patients were divided into high and low subgroups. Logistic regression, GSEA enrichment, TME, and single-sample set gene enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were performed to explore the effects of TCERG1 on liver cancer biological function and immune infiltrates. TCERG1 co-expression networks were studied through the CCLE database and the LinkedOmics database to analyze genes that interact with TCERG1.Results: The expression levels of TCERG1 in HCC patient tissues were significantly higher than in normal tissues. Survival analysis showed that high levels of TCERG1 expression were significantly associated with low survival rates in HCC patients. Multifactorial analysis showed that high TCERG1 expression was an independent risk factor affecting tumor prognosis. This result was also verified in the GEO database. Cellular experiments demonstrated that cell proliferation, migration and invasion were inhibited after silencing of TCERG1 gene expression. Co-expression analysis revealed that CPSF6 and MAML1 expression were positively correlated with TCERG1. GSEA showed that in samples with high TCERG1 expression, relevant signaling pathways associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, pathways in cancer and enriched in known tumors included Wnt signaling pathway, Vegf signaling pathway, Notch signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and MTOR pathways. The expression of TCERG1 was positively correlated with tumor immune infiltrating cells (T helper two cells, T helper cells).Conclusion:TCERG1 gene is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, which is associated with the poor prognosis of liver cancer, and may be one of the markers for the diagnosis and screening of liver cancer and the prediction of prognosis effect. At the same time, TCERG1 may also become a new target for tumor immunotherapy.

IntroductionGanglioglioma (GG) patients often present with seizures. Although most patients can be seizure-free after tumor resection, some still experience seizures. The present study aimed to analyze a group of GGs patients associated with epilepsy and evaluate the seizure outcomes and prognostic factors.MethodsThis retrospective study involved clinical data collected from medical records of patients diagnosed with GG pathologically and underwent surgical resection in Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University. The seizure outcomes were evaluated based on the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) seizure outcome classification. The prognostic factors were identified according to univariate and multivariate analysis.ResultsA total of 222 patients were included, with a mean age at surgery of 19.19 ± 10.93 years. All patients were followed up at least for one year with a mean follow-up duration of 6.28 ± 3.17 years. At the final follow-up, 174 (78.4%) patients achieved ILAE Class 1 or 2. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the short duration of seizures and gross total resection were significant positive factors for seizure-free. Bilateral interictal or ictal epileptiform discharges in preoperative video-electroencephalogram (VEEG) were related to poor seizure outcomes.ConclusionSurgical resection is an effective treatment for patients with epilepsy associated with GGs. The analysis of predictive factors could effectively guide clinical practice and evaluate the prognosis of epilepsy with GG.

Cold atmospheric plasma has been widely applied in medical treatment clinically, especially skin diseases. However, the mechanism of cold atmospheric plasma on the treatment of skin diseases is still undefined. In this study, dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis mice model was constructed. Cold atmospheric plasma was able to decrease skin cells apoptosis, relieve skin inflammation, ER stress and oxidative stress caused by dinitrofluorobenzene stimulation, which was mediated by cold atmospheric plasma-induced MANF expression. In terms of mechanism, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression was increased intracellularly after cold atmospheric plasma treatment, which further bound to the promoter region of manf gene and enhanced MANF transcriptional expression. This study reveals that cold atmospheric plasma has a positive effect on atopic dermatitis treatment, also demonstrates the regulatory mechanism of cold atmospheric plasma on MANF expression via HIF-1α, which indicates the potential medical application of cold atmospheric plasma for atopic dermatitis treatment.

Endorheic lakes in arid regions of Northwest China are generally vulnerable and sensitive to accelerated climate change and extensive human activities. Therefore, a better understanding of the self-purification capacity of ecosystems, such as denitrification, is necessary to effectively protect these water resources. In the present study, we measured unamended and amended denitrification rates of Lake Bosten by adding the ambient and extra nitrate isotopes in slurry incubations. Meanwhile, we investigated the abundances and community structure of nitrous oxide-reducing microorganisms using qPCR and high-throughput sequencing, respectively, in the surface sediments of Lake Bosten to study denitrification potential in endorheic lakes of arid regions as well as the response of those denitrifiers to climatically induced changes in lake environments. Amended denitrification rates increased by one order of magnitude compared to unamended rates in Lake Bosten. The great discrepancy between unamended and amended rates was attributed to low nitrate availability, indicating that Lake Bosten is not operating at maximum capacity of denitrification. Salinity shaped the spatial heterogeneity of denitrification potential through changes in the abundances and species diversity of denitrifiers. Climate change had a positive effect on the water quality of Lake Bosten so far, through increased runoff, decreased salinity, and enhanced denitrification. But the long-term trajectories of water quality are difficult to predict alongside future glacier shrinkage and decreased snow cover.

IntroductionFrame-based stereotactic biopsy is well-established to play an essential role in neurosurgery. In recent years, different robotic devices have been introduced in neurosurgery centers. This study aimed to compare the SINO surgical robot-assisted frameless brain biopsy with standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy in terms of efficacy, accuracy and complications.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 151 consecutive patients who underwent stereotactic biopsy at Chongqing Sanbo Jiangling Hospital between August 2017 and December 2021. All patients were divided into the frame-based group (n = 47) and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (n = 104). The data collected included clinical characteristics, diagnostic yield, operation times, accuracy, and postoperative complications.ResultsThere was no significant difference in diagnostic yield between the frame-based group and the SINO surgical robot-assisted group (95.74 vs. 98.08%, p > 0.05). The mean operation time in the SINO surgical robot-assisted group was significantly shorter than in the frame-based group (29.36 ± 13.64 vs. 50.57 ± 41.08 min). The entry point error in the frame-based group was significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.33 ± 0.40 mm (0.47–2.30) vs. 0.92 ± 0.27 mm (0.35–1.65), P < 0.001]. The target point error in the frame-based group was also significantly higher than in the robot-assisted group [1.63 ± 0.41 mm (0.74–2.65) vs. 1.10 ± 0.30 mm (0.69–2.03), P < 0.001]. Finally, there was no significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups.ConclusionRobot-assisted brain biopsy becomes an increasingly mainstream tool in the neurosurgical procedure. The SINO surgical robot-assisted platform is as efficient, accurate and safe as standard frame-based stereotactic biopsy and provides a reasonable alternative to stereotactic biopsy in neurosurgery.

Plasmonic effect-enhanced Z-type heterojunction photocatalysts comprise a promising solution to the two fundamental problems of current TiO2-based photocatalysis concerning low-charge carrier separation efficiency and low utilization of solar illumination. A plasmonic effect-enhanced TiN@anatase-TiO2/rutile-TiO2 Z-type heterojunction photocatalyst with the strong interface of the N–O chemical bond was synthesized by hydrothermal oxidation of TiN. The prepared photocatalyst shows desirable visible light absorption and good visible-light-photocatalytic activity. The enhancement in photocatalytic activities contribute to the plasma resonance effect of TiN, the N–O bond-connected charge transfer channel at the TiO2/TiN heterointerface, and the synergistically Z-type charge transfer pathway between the anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2) and rutile TiO2 (R-TiO2). The optimization study shows that the catalyst with a weight ratio of A-TiO2/R-TiO2/TiN of approximately 15:1:1 achieved the best visible light photodegradation activity. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of fabricating plasmonic effect-enhanced Z-type heterostructure semiconductor photocatalysts with enhanced visible-light-photocatalytic activities.

Abstract Previous reports have demonstrated that Reversine can reverse differentiation of lineage-committed cells to mesenchymal stem cells and suppress tumors growth. However, the molecular mechanisms of antitumor activity and promoting cellular dedifferentiation for reversine have not yet been clearly elucidated. In the present study, it was demonstrated that reversine of 5 μM could induce multinucleated cells through cytokinesis failure rather than just arrested in G2 or M phase. Moreover, reversine reversed the differentiation of sheep fibroblasts into MSC-like style, and notably increased the expression of pluripotent marker genes Oct4 and MSCs-related surface antigens. The fibroblasts treated with reversine could transdifferentiate into all three germ layers cells in vitro. Most importantly, the induced β-like cells and hepatocytes had similar metabolic functions with normal cells in vivo. In addition, reversine promoted fibroblasts autophagy, ROS accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis via the mitochondria mediated intrinsic pathway. The results of high-throughput RNA sequencing showed that most differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in Mismatch repair, Nucleotide excision repair and Base excision repair were significantly up-regulated in reversine treated fibroblasts, which means that high concentration of reversine will cause DNA damage and activate the DNA repair mechanism. In summary, reversine can increase the plasticity of sheep fibroblasts and suppress cell growth via the mitochondria mediated intrinsic pathway.

During sediment remediation, adsorbent addition is an effective technology for the removal of contaminants but the cost is often high. In this study, a low-cost adsorbent, ceramsite, made from contaminated riverbed sediment was synthesized. The Fe-modified ceramsite (FMC) was used as adsorbent to remove arsenate from aqueous solutions and reduce the inorganic arsenic release from contaminated sediments. Kinetic studies showed that chemisorption mainly governed the adsorption process while batch studies yielded the theoretical adsorption capacity for arsenate of 10.63 mg/g at pH = 7 condition. Co-existing anions and pH have no significant impact on the adsorption process. In the regeneration studies, 91, 86, and 80% of the adsorption capacity were recovered in 3 cycles. In-situ remediation trials revealed that the addition of the adsorbent to sediment surface significantly reduced the release of inorganic arsenic into aqueous system, with a reduction efficiency of 86%. Furthermore, the species of the arsenic in the surface layer was significantly inactivated from an active state to a stable state. These findings highlight the application of the FMC as a facile and cost-effective adsorbent for containment of arsenic in solutions and sediments, demonstrating that they are highly applicable for practical cases. HIGHLIGHTS Contaminated sediment was used as the support for the iron oxides.; FMC was used as an adsorbent and remediator.;

ObjectiveIctal semiology is a fundamental part of the presurgical evaluation of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. We aimed to identify different anatomical and semiologic subgroups in temporal lobe seizures, and investigate the correlation between them.MethodsWe enrolled 93 patients for whom stereoelectroencephalography exploration indicated that the seizure-onset zone was within the temporal lobe. Ictal signs and concomitant stereoelectroencephalography changes were carefully reviewed and quantified, and then cluster analysis and the Kendall correlation test were used to associate ictal signs with the temporal structures of patients.ResultsClustering analysis identified two main groups of temporal structures. Group 1 consisted of the medial temporal lobe structures and the temporal pole, which were divided into two subgroups. Group 1A included the hippocampal head, hippocampal body, and amygdala, and this subgroup correlated significantly with oroalimentary automatisms, feeling of fear, and epigastric auras. Group 1B included the hippocampal tail, temporal pole, and parahippocampal gyrus, and this subgroup correlated significantly with manual and oroalimentary automatisms. Group 2 consisted of the cortical structures of the temporal lobe and was also divided into two subgroups. Group 2A included the superior and middle temporal gyrus, correlated significantly with bilateral rictus/facial contraction, generalized tonic–clonic seizure, and manual automatisms. Group 2B included Heschl's gyrus, the inferior temporal gyrus, and the fusiform gyrus, and this subgroup correlated significantly with auditory auras, focal hypokinetics, unilateral upper and lower limbs tonic posture/clonic signs, head/eye deviation, unilateral versive signs, and generalized tonic–clonic seizure.SignificanceThe temporal structures can be categorized according to the level at which each structure participates in seizures, and different anatomical subgroups can be correlated with different ictal signs. Identifying specific semiologic features can help us localize the epileptogenic zone and thus develop stereoelectroencephalography electrode implantation and surgical resection protocols for patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

ABSTRACT As the key contributor to plankton biomass and nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems, photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) have been recently investigated in freshwater ecosystems. However, the limited access to remote areas creates challenges for PPE sample preservation before sorting and counting by flow cytometry (FCM) in the laboratory. Here, we explored the effects of different preservation methods on the PPE community by combining FCM sorting and high-throughput sequencing. Our results showed that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) cryoprotection could destroy the fluorescence and cell structure of the PPEs, making the subsequent FCM analysis and sorting difficult. Aldehyde fixation maintained the PPE fluorescence, and the fixed samples were of sufficient quality for abundance analysis and sorting by FCM. However, the sequencing results showed that, after preservation by aldehydes, the proportion of PPEs dramatically decreased to approximately 10%, in comparison to 90% in the fresh samples, and the sequences of Ascomycota significantly increased. In contrast, preservation with Pluronic F68 (F68) not only could maintain the PPE abundance close to the initial value but also could keep the PPE community similar to that in the fresh samples over a storage time of 6 months. Thus, F68 cryopreservation is a suitable preservation method for PPE communities from freshwater lakes. IMPORTANCE PPEs contribute significantly to primary productivity in freshwater ecosystems. The combination of FCM sorting and high-throughput sequencing has been shown to be a powerful approach and can largely improve our view of the PPE diversity. However, the water samples could not be counted and sorted immediately after sampling from many lakes due to the inaccessibility of FCM in the field. Thus, the comparison of different preservation methods that allow subsequent analysis of the community structure by high-throughput sequencing is an urgent need. Our results indicated that F68 cryopreservation could maintain the PPE abundance close to the initial value and keep the community similar to that in the fresh samples over a storage time of 6 months.

Choriocarcinoma is a cancer that usually occurs in the uterus during pregnancy. Although choriocarcinoma with renal metastasis and spontaneous renal hemorrhage is very rare, it can occur. We describe a rare case of metastatic choriocarcinoma, wherein the patient presented with acute abdominal pain due to a subcapsular hematoma secondary to a bleeding renal metastasis. We performed a laparoscopic nephron sparing surgery to remove the tumor and control the bleeding. A retrospective analysis revealed that metastasis was detected on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT, but not on CT alone. To our knowledge, a case of choriocarcinoma with such symptoms and treatment has not been described in recent literature. Our case illustrates that acute bleeding from a renal metastasis can be effectively managed by laparoscopic nephron sparing surgery. It also demonstrates the advantage 18F-FDG PET/CT may have in the evaluation of metastatic choriocarcinoma.