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The pyrochlore oxide La 2 Hf 2 O 7 (LHO) has attracted extensive attention in thermal management applications. Accurate determination and comprehensive understanding of thermal conductivity (κ) stand as imperative prerequisites for the effective utilization and manipulation of LHO in various applications. In this study, with the assistance of machine learning interatomic potential, we investigate the microscopic mechanisms of phonon thermal transport in LHO crystals. Our findings show that the thermal transport in LHO defies a precise explication through the conventional framework of the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) due to the emergence of diffusive phonon modes, engendered by strong anharmonicity. Using the state-of-the-art dual-phonon model incorporating both propagating and diffusive modes, we successfully reproduce the experimentally measured results in both magnitude and temperature dependence. It is also shown that the thermal conduction in LHO crystals is dominated by the propagating modes at low temperatures while by the diffusive modes at high temperatures, which synergistically lead to a low κ for LHO crystals. The novel insights into phonon thermal transport provide a stepping stone for regulating the thermal transport properties of LHO crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, utilizing data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2018, investigates the association between the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), a lipid biomarker, and symptoms of depression in American adults. In this cross-sectional study of 12,534 adults aged 20 years and older, depressive symptoms were measured utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. Weighted logistic regression models were employed to scrutinize the independent relationship between AIP levels and the likelihood of developing such symptoms. Moreover, a series of subgroup analyses were conducted to delve deeper into these relationships. Following adjustment for confounders, logistic regression by grouping AIP into quartiles revealed a significant association between AIP and an augmented likelihood of self-reported depression. Participants in the fourth quartile (Q4) exhibited a higher odds ratio (OR = 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.02–1.75, p < 0.05) compared to those in the first quartile (Q1). Notably, subgroup analysis unveiled significant interactions involving the smoking and diabetes subgroups, indicating that smoking status and diabetes may modify the relationship between AIP and depression incidence. This study reveals a positive correlation between AIP and the self-reported likelihood of depression among US adults, thereby underscoring AIP's potential clinical utility as a biomarker for depressive disorders. Our findings emphasize the necessity to consider and optimize cardiovascular health factors within depression management strategies and offer fresh insights into the development of risk stratification and intervention methods for psychiatric conditions. • The Atherogenic Index of Plasma significantly associates with depressive symptoms. • Trend tests and fitted curves show linear, positive correlation in this relationship. • Smoking and diabetes could potentially influence the nature of this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many aphid species exhibit both cyclical parthenogenesis (CP) and the obligate parthenogenesis (OP) life history, which are genetically determined. In CP aphid lineages, the parthenogenetic individuals can switch from asexual to sexual reproduction quickly in response to environmental factors such as changes in photoperiod and temperature. However, the OP aphid lineages do not undergo sexual reproduction under any conditions. So far, mechanisms underlying the reproduction switch in CP aphids have not been fully elucidated. Rhopalosiphum padi, a serious worldwide insect pest of wheat, has both CP and OP lineages. Uridine diphosphate‐glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are enzymes that participate in the metabolic detoxification of xenobiotics. Here, we identified 43 RpUGT genes from R. padi genome and transcriptome sequences, and found that: (1) the UGT content of the CP lineage was significantly higher than that in the OP lineage at the key time points when CP lineage mainly produce virginoparae, gynoparae, and males under inducing condition, while there were no significant difference under normal conditions; (2) RpUGT344J7 gene was highly expressed during the time points when CP lineages produce gynopara and males; (3) the critical time points for CP lineages to produce virginoparaee, gynoparae, and males were affected when the CP lineages were injected with dsRpUGT344J7; (4) the knockdown of RpUGT344J7 caused a significant reduction in the total number of virginoparae, gynoparae, and males in the offspring under inducing condition. The findings contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the quick shift from asexual to sexual reproduction in aphid species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern-day accelerator neutrino facilities are excellent venues for searches for new-physics particles. Many distinct new-physics models predict overlapping signatures and phenomenology in these experiments. In this work, we advocate for the adoption of simplified frameworks when studying these types of new-physics signatures, which are characterized by a small number of primary variables, including particle masses, lifetimes, and production and decay modes/rates that most directly control signal event rates and kinematics. In particular, taking the example of long-lived particles that decay inside a neutrino detector as a test case, we study formulate and study simplified frameworks in the context of light scalars/fermions produced in kaon decays which then decay into final states containing an electron-positron pair. We show that using these simplified frameworks can allow for individual experimental analyses to be applicable to a wide variety of specific model scenarios. As a side benefit, we demonstrate that using this approach can allow for the T2K collaboration, by reinterpreting its search for Heavy Neutral Leptons, to be capable of setting world-leading limits on the Higgs-Portal Scalar model. Furthermore, we argue the simplified framework interpretation can serve as a bridge to model identification in the hopeful detection of a new-physics signal. As an illustration, we perform a first determination of the likelihood that, in the presence of a new-physics signal in a detector like the DUNE ND-GAr, multiple different new-physics hypotheses (such as the Higgs-Portal Scalar and Heavy Neutral Lepton ones) can be disentangled. We demonstrate that this model discrimination is favorable for some portions of detectable new-physics parameter space but for others, it is more challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic significance of MR-detected mandibular nerve involvement (MNI) and its value for induction chemotherapy (IC) administration in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and T4 disease. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 792 non-metastatic, biopsy-proven NPC patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate potential prognosticators. The inter-observer agreement was assessed by the kappa values. Results: MR-detected MNI was observed in 141 (72.3%) patients among 195 patients with T4 disease, with excellent agreement between the readers (kappa = 0.926). Patients with MR-detected MNI presented better 5-year overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.40; P = 0.006) than those with MR-negative MNI. Of these patients, IC treatment was verified as an independent factor (HR: 0.35; P = 0.014) with preferable effect on OS. Conclusion: MR-detected MNI could serve as an independent favorable prognostic predictor for OS in NPC patients with stage T4, which should be considered for stratifying these patients for IC administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shrinkage and internal relative humidity (RH) of internally cured high-strength engineered cementitious composites (HSECCs) based on ordinary Portland cement (OPC) were experimentally investigated. Natural zeolite and calcined zeolite particles were used as internal curing agents. The effect of calcination and substitution ratio of zeolite on the shrinkage reduction efficiency and the compressive strength of the composites was evaluated. The test results showed that the development of shrinkage and internal RH of the OPC-HSECCs followed a two-stage pattern. Regarding shrinkage reduction of the OPC-HSECCs, the efficiency of the pre-wetted calcined zeolite particles was greater than that of the natural zeolite; the total shrinkage was reduced by more than 54% at 28 days and the compressive strength was similar to the control. The optimum replacement ratio of calcined zeolite was determined to be around 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, novel gradient-based online learning algorithms are developed to investigate an important environmental application: real-time river pollution source identification, which aims at estimating the released mass, location, and time of a river pollution source based on downstream sensor data monitoring the pollution concentration. The pollution is assumed to be instantaneously released once. The problem can be formulated as a non-convex loss minimization problem in statistical learning, and our online algorithms have vectorized and adaptive step sizes to ensure high estimation accuracy in three dimensions which have different magnitudes. In order to keep the algorithm from sticking in the saddle points of non-convex loss, the "escaping from saddle points" module and multi-start setting are derived to further improve the estimation accuracy by searching for the global minimizer of the loss functions. This can be shown theoretically and experimentally as the O(N) local regret of the algorithms and the high probability cumulative regret bound O(N) under a particular error bound condition in loss functions. A real-life river pollution source identification example shows the superior performance of our algorithms compared with existing methods in terms of estimation accuracy. Managerial insights for the decision maker to use the algorithms are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC), a type of special construction material, has drawn much research attention in solid waste utilization and environmental protection due to its eco-friendly production. Ammonia soda residue (ASR), a by-product generated from sodium carbonate manufacturing, is one of the industrial wastes that can be recycled in MOC systems. However, ASR exhibits adverse effects on the fresh performance and volume stability of MOC pastes. This paper aims at improving the properties of ASR-MOC by introducing fly ash (FA), solid waste from the power industry. Firstly, the roles of FA in MOC pastes are evaluated and analyzed. Then, three substitution ratios of FA (33.3%, 50% and 66.7% in weight) for ASR are designed for MOC pastes with 10% to 40% industrial wastes. Flowability, setting, strength and expansion of all mixtures were experimentally studied. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) approaches were adopted to illustrate the microstructure changes. Results show that by adding different amounts of FA, the inferior flowability of MOC caused by ASR can be improved by 6–23%, the setting process can be prolonged by 30–55% and the expansion ratio can be reduced by 14–66%. The intensity of characteristic peaks of 5-phase and Mg(OH)2, together with the degrees of crystallization in XRD curves, well explain the strength variation and volume stability of ASR-MOC pastes. According to the regulation of relative specification, up to 20% of solid wastes in weight (10% FA + 10% ASR) can be consumed, contributing greatly to the greener sustainable development of construction materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The drug resistance of tumor stem cells is an obstacle in gastric cancer (GC) treatment and the high expression of ABC transporters is a classic reason for drug resistance. This study aimed to construct a reliable GC drug-resistant stem cell model and explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of Yi-qi-hua-yu-jie-du medicated serum (YQHY) on the drug resistance of GC stem cells based on ABC transporters. Methods: The tumor stemness biomarker CD44 was primary identification from WGCNA. The magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) method was used to separate CD44(+)BGC823/5-Fu (BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs) cells and the stemness characteristics were verified from multiple dimensions. Then, the drug resistance index and expression of ABC transporter genes MDR1 and MRP1 were detected in CD44(−)/CD44(+) cells. The inhibition and apoptosis rates of the cells administrated with YQHY or/and 5-Fu were calculated to confirm that YQHY can suppress the drug resistance of BGC823/5-Fu-CSCs. Afterwards, the effects of YQHY on the expression of MDR1 and MRP1 and the activation of the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway were observed. Finally, under the administration of IGF-1 (the activator of PI3K/Akt pathway) and Nrf2 siRNA, the mechanism of YQHY on reversing the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs through inhibiting the expression of MDR1 and MRP1 via PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 was verified. Results: CD44 was a reliable GC stemness biomarker and can be applied to construct the drug-resistant GC stem cell model CD44(+)BGC823/5-Fu. The growth rate, cell proliferation index, soft agar colony formation, expression of stemness specific genes and tumorigenesis ability of CD44(+)BGC823/5-Fu cells were significantly higher than those of CD44(−)BGC823/5-Fu cells. BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs exhibited strong drug resistance to 5-Fu and high expression of ABC transporter genes MDR1 and MRP1 compared to CD44(-) cells. YQHY increased the inhibition and apoptosis rates to efficiently inhibit the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs. Meanwhile, it suppressed the expression of MDR1 and MRP1 and restrained the activation of PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Finally, it was found that IGF-1 partially restored the activation of PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway, alleviated the inhibition of MDR1 and MRP1, blocked the proliferation-inhibitory and apoptosis-promotion effects. YQHY and si-Nrf2 synergistically suppressed the MDR1/MRP1 expression and the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs. Conclusions: CD44 was a reliable GC stemness biomarker, and the high expression of ABC transporter genes MDR1 and MRP1 was an important feature of drug-resistant stem cells. YQHY inhibited the MDR1 and MRP1 expression via PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway, thus reversing the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The drug resistance of tumor stem cells is an obstacle in gastric cancer (GC) treatment and the high expression of ABC transporters is a classic reason for drug resistance. This study aimed to construct a reliable GC drug-resistant stem cell model and explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of Yi-qi-hua-yu-jie-du medicated serum (YQHY) on the drug resistance of GC stem cells based on ABC transporters. Methods: The tumor stemness biomarker CD44 was primary identification from WGCNA. The magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) method was used to separate CD44(+)BGC823/5-Fu (BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs) cells and the stemness characteristics were verified from multiple dimensions. Then, the drug resistance index and expression of ABC transporter genes MDR1 and MRP1 were detected in CD44(−)/CD44(+) cells. The inhibition and apoptosis rates of the cells administrated with YQHY or/and 5-Fu were calculated to confirm that YQHY can suppress the drug resistance of BGC823/5-Fu-CSCs. Afterwards, the effects of YQHY on the expression of MDR1 and MRP1 and the activation of the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway were observed. Finally, under the administration of IGF-1 (the activator of PI3K/Akt pathway) and Nrf2 siRNA, the mechanism of YQHY on reversing the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs through inhibiting the expression of MDR1 and MRP1 via PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 was verified. Results: CD44 was a reliable GC stemness biomarker and can be applied to construct the drug-resistant GC stem cell model CD44(+)BGC823/5-Fu. The growth rate, cell proliferation index, soft agar colony formation, expression of stemness specific genes and tumorigenesis ability of CD44(+)BGC823/5-Fu cells were significantly higher than those of CD44(−)BGC823/5-Fu cells. BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs exhibited strong drug resistance to 5-Fu and high expression of ABC transporter genes MDR1 and MRP1 compared to CD44(-) cells. YQHY increased the inhibition and apoptosis rates to efficiently inhibit the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs. Meanwhile, it suppressed the expression of MDR1 and MRP1 and restrained the activation of PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Finally, it was found that IGF-1 partially restored the activation of PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway, alleviated the inhibition of MDR1 and MRP1, blocked the proliferation-inhibitory and apoptosis-promotion effects. YQHY and si-Nrf2 synergistically suppressed the MDR1/MRP1 expression and the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs. Conclusions: CD44 was a reliable GC stemness biomarker, and the high expression of ABC transporter genes MDR1 and MRP1 was an important feature of drug-resistant stem cells. YQHY inhibited the MDR1 and MRP1 expression via PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway, thus reversing the drug resistance of BGC823/5–Fu-CSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a "liquid‐like" surface topography and sustainable approach is reported to fabricate transparent oil‐repellent coatings, which involves fabricating new crosslinking polyols by siloxane oligomer modified castor oil fatty chain, followed to obtain waterborne polyurethane coatings. This surface morphology is formed by the grafted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molecular chains in the coating molecules. This low surface tension and liquid‐like topography reduces the coefficient of friction with oily contaminants. Various low‐surface‐tension liquids can easily slide down the coating surfaces on substrates with lower tilting angle. The coatings are applicable to different substrates including glass, plastic, steel, and wood, and those with complex shapes and large surface areas. Thanks to the as‐described crosslinking structure of the coatings, their easy‐sliding oil repellency can be well maintained to avoid sand abrasion damages. Therefore, the advantageous characteristics of the as‐developed high transparency oil‐repellent and eco‐friendly coatings have the potential to replace traditional coatings and are highly practical for shielding against oily contaminants, chemical‐shield that protect coated plastics from dissolution by organic solvents, and nonstick coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, self‐healing polymer materials, being researched and utilized in many fields, have attracted more and more attention. In this work, self‐healing siloxane elastomer (SPUR) with flexible cross‐linked networks were designed through the reaction of amino‐functionalized polyether, isocyanate and α‐siloxane, which endowed elastomer with intermolecular hydrogen bond. Herein, these hydrogen bonds can break and reorganize via a simple thermal treatment to gain self‐healing and post‐processing actions. The self‐healing performance of the elastomer is confirmed through tensile test and SEM surface analysis. Consistent with our experiments, the researches show that siloxane modified polyurea elastomers (SPUR) congaing higher content of amino‐functionalized polyether with 2000 molecular weights (PEA20) show much better flexibility and healing efficiency. Also, the polyurea can be quickly cured without any metal catalyst due to the presence of α‐siloxane, which is a highlight of this article, and it is better than the related literature reported so far. Through tensile test and healing performance test, SPUR1 possessing the both remarkable strength and elasticity was obtained (elongation at break 530 %, tensile stress 5.26 MPa). In addition, it has relatively satisfied healing efficiency 30 % and excellent thermal stability. In view of such intermolecular hydrogen bond, we have developed a special self‐healing polymer material with tunable performance by varying the monomer ratio between amino‐functionalized polyether PEA9 (the molecular weight Mn=900 Da) and PEA20 (Mn=2000 Da). A variety of self‐healing polymer materials can be lightly synthesized on account of the wide extent of commercial activities of raw materials such as primary amine, silane and isocyanate. Therefore, self‐healable polymer elastomers are exceptionally popular in a rank of fields, such as coatings, construction, aerospace, flexible electronics, automobile, medical device and lithium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although gemcitabine has been considered as the first-line drug for advanced pancreatic cancer (PC), development of resistance to gemcitabine severely limits the effectiveness of this chemotherapy, and the underlying mechanism of gemcitabine resistance remains unclear. Various factors, such as ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters, microRNAs and their downstream signaling pathways are included in chemoresistance to gemcitabine. This study investigated the potential mechanisms of microRNAs and ABC transporters related signaling pathways for PC resistance to gemcitabine both in vivo and in vitro. Methods: Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were applied to detect the expression of ABC transporters. Molecular docking analysis was performed to explore whether gemcitabine interacted with ABC transporters. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function analyses were performed to investigate the functions of hsa-miR-3178 in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis, Western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter assay were used to confirm the downstream regulatory mechanisms of hsa-miR-3178. Results: We found that P-gp, BCRP and MRP1 were highly expressed in gemcitabine-resistant PC tissues and cells. Molecular docking analysis revealed that gemcitabine can bind to the ABC transporters. Hsa-miR-3178 was upregulated in gemcitabine resistance PANC-1 cells as compared to its parental PANC-1 cells. Moreover, we found that hsa-miR-3178 promoted gemcitabine resistance in PC cells. These results were also verified by animal experiments. RhoB was down-regulated in gemcitabine-resistant PC cells and it was a downstream target of hsa-miR-3178. Kaplan–Meier survival curve showed that lower RhoB expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival in PC patients. Rescue assays demonstrated that RhoB could reverse hsa-miR-3178-mediated gemcitabine resistance. Interestingly, hsa-miR-3178 promoted gemcitabine resistance in PC by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway-mediated upregulation of ABC transporters. Conclusions: Our results indicate that hsa-miR-3178 promotes gemcitabine resistance via RhoB/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-mediated upregulation of ABC transporters. These findings suggest that hsa-miR-3178 could be a novel therapeutic target for overcoming gemcitabine resistance in PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Lagrangian-Markov chain model with coarse grids was proposed for fast prediction. • Detailed procedures and parameter determination approaches were provided. • The proposed model was tens to hundreds of times faster than the existing models. Fast calculation of person-to-person particle transport is essential for accelerating the evaluation and design of air distribution for reducing the risk of infection. This study developed a Lagrangian-Markov chain model with coarse grids for fast prediction of person-to-person particle transport in complex indoor environments. Detailed procedures and parameter determination approaches were developed. The proposed Lagrangian-Markov chain model was first validated with experimental data in two real-life cases of person-to-person particle transport, one in an aircraft cabin and the other in a COVID-19 isolation ward. The computing speed of the proposed model was then compared with the flux-based Markov chain, Eulerian, and Lagrangian models. The results show that the proposed Lagrangian-Markov chain model can predict person-to-person particle transport reasonably well in real-life cases with complex geometry and airflow fields. In terms of computing speed, the proposed Lagrangian-Markov chain model with coarse grids can be tens to hundreds of times faster than the three existing models for the two evaluation cases. With its fast computing speed, the Lagrangian-Markov chain model can be applied in the fast design of air distribution for real-life complex indoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The prognostic stratification for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is heavily based on postoperative pathological depth of invasion (pDOI). This study aims to propose a preoperative MR T-staging system based on tumor size for non-pT4 OTSCC.Retrospectively, 280 patients with biopsy-confirmed, non-metastatic, pT1-3 OTSCC, treated between January 2010 and December 2017, were evaluated. Multiple MR sequences, including axial T2-weighted imaging (WI), unenhanced T1WI, and axial, fat-suppressed coronal, and sagittal contrast-enhanced (CE) T1WI, were utilized to measure radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate measurement reproducibility, and factors’ significance, respectively. Cutoff values were established using an exhaustive method.Intra-observer (ICC = 0.81–0.94) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.79–0.90) reliability were excellent for rDOI measurements, and all measurements were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (all p < .001). Measuring the rDOI on axial CE-T1WI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm yielded an optimal MR T-staging system for rT1-3 disease (5-year OS of rT1 vs rT2 vs rT3: 94.0% vs 72.8% vs 57.5%). Using multivariate analyses, the proposed T-staging exhibited increasingly worse OS (hazard ratio of rT2 and rT3 versus rT1, 3.56 [1.35–9.6], p = .011; 4.33 [1.59–11.74], p = .004; respectively), which outperformed pathological T-staging based on nonoverlapping Kaplan–Meier curves and improved C-index (0.682 vs. 0.639, p < .001).rDOI is a critical predictor of OTSCC mortality and facilitates preoperative prognostic stratification, which should be considered in future oral subsite MR T-staging.Utilizing axial CE-T1WI, an MR T-staging system for non-pT4 OTSCC was developed by employing rDOI measurement with optimal thresholds of 8 mm and 12 mm, which is comparable with pathological staging and merits consideration in future preoperative oral subsite planning.• Tumor morphology, measuring sequences, and observers could impact MR-derived measurements and compromise the consistency with histology.• MR-derived measurements, including radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter, have a prognostic impact on OS (all p < .001).• rDOI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm on axial CE-T1WI is an optimal predictor of OS and could facilitate risk stratification in non-pT4 OTSCC disease.Methods: The prognostic stratification for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is heavily based on postoperative pathological depth of invasion (pDOI). This study aims to propose a preoperative MR T-staging system based on tumor size for non-pT4 OTSCC.Retrospectively, 280 patients with biopsy-confirmed, non-metastatic, pT1-3 OTSCC, treated between January 2010 and December 2017, were evaluated. Multiple MR sequences, including axial T2-weighted imaging (WI), unenhanced T1WI, and axial, fat-suppressed coronal, and sagittal contrast-enhanced (CE) T1WI, were utilized to measure radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate measurement reproducibility, and factors’ significance, respectively. Cutoff values were established using an exhaustive method.Intra-observer (ICC = 0.81–0.94) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.79–0.90) reliability were excellent for rDOI measurements, and all measurements were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (all p < .001). Measuring the rDOI on axial CE-T1WI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm yielded an optimal MR T-staging system for rT1-3 disease (5-year OS of rT1 vs rT2 vs rT3: 94.0% vs 72.8% vs 57.5%). Using multivariate analyses, the proposed T-staging exhibited increasingly worse OS (hazard ratio of rT2 and rT3 versus rT1, 3.56 [1.35–9.6], p = .011; 4.33 [1.59–11.74], p = .004; respectively), which outperformed pathological T-staging based on nonoverlapping Kaplan–Meier curves and improved C-index (0.682 vs. 0.639, p < .001).rDOI is a critical predictor of OTSCC mortality and facilitates preoperative prognostic stratification, which should be considered in future oral subsite MR T-staging.Utilizing axial CE-T1WI, an MR T-staging system for non-pT4 OTSCC was developed by employing rDOI measurement with optimal thresholds of 8 mm and 12 mm, which is comparable with pathological staging and merits consideration in future preoperative oral subsite planning.• Tumor morphology, measuring sequences, and observers could impact MR-derived measurements and compromise the consistency with histology.• MR-derived measurements, including radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter, have a prognostic impact on OS (all p < .001).• rDOI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm on axial CE-T1WI is an optimal predictor of OS and could facilitate risk stratification in non-pT4 OTSCC disease.Results: The prognostic stratification for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is heavily based on postoperative pathological depth of invasion (pDOI). This study aims to propose a preoperative MR T-staging system based on tumor size for non-pT4 OTSCC.Retrospectively, 280 patients with biopsy-confirmed, non-metastatic, pT1-3 OTSCC, treated between January 2010 and December 2017, were evaluated. Multiple MR sequences, including axial T2-weighted imaging (WI), unenhanced T1WI, and axial, fat-suppressed coronal, and sagittal contrast-enhanced (CE) T1WI, were utilized to measure radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate measurement reproducibility, and factors’ significance, respectively. Cutoff values were established using an exhaustive method.Intra-observer (ICC = 0.81–0.94) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.79–0.90) reliability were excellent for rDOI measurements, and all measurements were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (all p < .001). Measuring the rDOI on axial CE-T1WI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm yielded an optimal MR T-staging system for rT1-3 disease (5-year OS of rT1 vs rT2 vs rT3: 94.0% vs 72.8% vs 57.5%). Using multivariate analyses, the proposed T-staging exhibited increasingly worse OS (hazard ratio of rT2 and rT3 versus rT1, 3.56 [1.35–9.6], p = .011; 4.33 [1.59–11.74], p = .004; respectively), which outperformed pathological T-staging based on nonoverlapping Kaplan–Meier curves and improved C-index (0.682 vs. 0.639, p < .001).rDOI is a critical predictor of OTSCC mortality and facilitates preoperative prognostic stratification, which should be considered in future oral subsite MR T-staging.Utilizing axial CE-T1WI, an MR T-staging system for non-pT4 OTSCC was developed by employing rDOI measurement with optimal thresholds of 8 mm and 12 mm, which is comparable with pathological staging and merits consideration in future preoperative oral subsite planning.• Tumor morphology, measuring sequences, and observers could impact MR-derived measurements and compromise the consistency with histology.• MR-derived measurements, including radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter, have a prognostic impact on OS (all p < .001).• rDOI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm on axial CE-T1WI is an optimal predictor of OS and could facilitate risk stratification in non-pT4 OTSCC disease.Conclusions: The prognostic stratification for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is heavily based on postoperative pathological depth of invasion (pDOI). This study aims to propose a preoperative MR T-staging system based on tumor size for non-pT4 OTSCC.Retrospectively, 280 patients with biopsy-confirmed, non-metastatic, pT1-3 OTSCC, treated between January 2010 and December 2017, were evaluated. Multiple MR sequences, including axial T2-weighted imaging (WI), unenhanced T1WI, and axial, fat-suppressed coronal, and sagittal contrast-enhanced (CE) T1WI, were utilized to measure radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate measurement reproducibility, and factors’ significance, respectively. Cutoff values were established using an exhaustive method.Intra-observer (ICC = 0.81–0.94) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.79–0.90) reliability were excellent for rDOI measurements, and all measurements were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (all p < .001). Measuring the rDOI on axial CE-T1WI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm yielded an optimal MR T-staging system for rT1-3 disease (5-year OS of rT1 vs rT2 vs rT3: 94.0% vs 72.8% vs 57.5%). Using multivariate analyses, the proposed T-staging exhibited increasingly worse OS (hazard ratio of rT2 and rT3 versus rT1, 3.56 [1.35–9.6], p = .011; 4.33 [1.59–11.74], p = .004; respectively), which outperformed pathological T-staging based on nonoverlapping Kaplan–Meier curves and improved C-index (0.682 vs. 0.639, p < .001).rDOI is a critical predictor of OTSCC mortality and facilitates preoperative prognostic stratification, which should be considered in future oral subsite MR T-staging.Utilizing axial CE-T1WI, an MR T-staging system for non-pT4 OTSCC was developed by employing rDOI measurement with optimal thresholds of 8 mm and 12 mm, which is comparable with pathological staging and merits consideration in future preoperative oral subsite planning.• Tumor morphology, measuring sequences, and observers could impact MR-derived measurements and compromise the consistency with histology.• MR-derived measurements, including radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter, have a prognostic impact on OS (all p < .001).• rDOI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm on axial CE-T1WI is an optimal predictor of OS and could facilitate risk stratification in non-pT4 OTSCC disease.Clinical relevance statement: The prognostic stratification for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is heavily based on postoperative pathological depth of invasion (pDOI). This study aims to propose a preoperative MR T-staging system based on tumor size for non-pT4 OTSCC.Retrospectively, 280 patients with biopsy-confirmed, non-metastatic, pT1-3 OTSCC, treated between January 2010 and December 2017, were evaluated. Multiple MR sequences, including axial T2-weighted imaging (WI), unenhanced T1WI, and axial, fat-suppressed coronal, and sagittal contrast-enhanced (CE) T1WI, were utilized to measure radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate measurement reproducibility, and factors’ significance, respectively. Cutoff values were established using an exhaustive method.Intra-observer (ICC = 0.81–0.94) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.79–0.90) reliability were excellent for rDOI measurements, and all measurements were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (all p < .001). Measuring the rDOI on axial CE-T1WI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm yielded an optimal MR T-staging system for rT1-3 disease (5-year OS of rT1 vs rT2 vs rT3: 94.0% vs 72.8% vs 57.5%). Using multivariate analyses, the proposed T-staging exhibited increasingly worse OS (hazard ratio of rT2 and rT3 versus rT1, 3.56 [1.35–9.6], p = .011; 4.33 [1.59–11.74], p = .004; respectively), which outperformed pathological T-staging based on nonoverlapping Kaplan–Meier curves and improved C-index (0.682 vs. 0.639, p < .001).rDOI is a critical predictor of OTSCC mortality and facilitates preoperative prognostic stratification, which should be considered in future oral subsite MR T-staging.Utilizing axial CE-T1WI, an MR T-staging system for non-pT4 OTSCC was developed by employing rDOI measurement with optimal thresholds of 8 mm and 12 mm, which is comparable with pathological staging and merits consideration in future preoperative oral subsite planning.• Tumor morphology, measuring sequences, and observers could impact MR-derived measurements and compromise the consistency with histology.• MR-derived measurements, including radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter, have a prognostic impact on OS (all p < .001).• rDOI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm on axial CE-T1WI is an optimal predictor of OS and could facilitate risk stratification in non-pT4 OTSCC disease.Key Points: The prognostic stratification for oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is heavily based on postoperative pathological depth of invasion (pDOI). This study aims to propose a preoperative MR T-staging system based on tumor size for non-pT4 OTSCC.Retrospectively, 280 patients with biopsy-confirmed, non-metastatic, pT1-3 OTSCC, treated between January 2010 and December 2017, were evaluated. Multiple MR sequences, including axial T2-weighted imaging (WI), unenhanced T1WI, and axial, fat-suppressed coronal, and sagittal contrast-enhanced (CE) T1WI, were utilized to measure radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter. Intra-class correlation (ICC) and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate measurement reproducibility, and factors’ significance, respectively. Cutoff values were established using an exhaustive method.Intra-observer (ICC = 0.81–0.94) and inter-observer (ICC = 0.79–0.90) reliability were excellent for rDOI measurements, and all measurements were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (all p < .001). Measuring the rDOI on axial CE-T1WI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm yielded an optimal MR T-staging system for rT1-3 disease (5-year OS of rT1 vs rT2 vs rT3: 94.0% vs 72.8% vs 57.5%). Using multivariate analyses, the proposed T-staging exhibited increasingly worse OS (hazard ratio of rT2 and rT3 versus rT1, 3.56 [1.35–9.6], p = .011; 4.33 [1.59–11.74], p = .004; respectively), which outperformed pathological T-staging based on nonoverlapping Kaplan–Meier curves and improved C-index (0.682 vs. 0.639, p < .001).rDOI is a critical predictor of OTSCC mortality and facilitates preoperative prognostic stratification, which should be considered in future oral subsite MR T-staging.Utilizing axial CE-T1WI, an MR T-staging system for non-pT4 OTSCC was developed by employing rDOI measurement with optimal thresholds of 8 mm and 12 mm, which is comparable with pathological staging and merits consideration in future preoperative oral subsite planning.• Tumor morphology, measuring sequences, and observers could impact MR-derived measurements and compromise the consistency with histology.• MR-derived measurements, including radiological depth of invasion (rDOI), tumor thickness, and largest diameter, have a prognostic impact on OS (all p < .001).• rDOI with cutoffs of 8 mm and 12 mm on axial CE-T1WI is an optimal predictor of OS and could facilitate risk stratification in non-pT4 OTSCC disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify the prognosis of parapharyngeal space involvement (PPSI) based on the number of subspaces involved (pre-styloid space, carotid space (CS), areas outside the CS) and explore its significance for current T-staging in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: PPSI was retrospectively identified in 1224 patients with non-disseminated NPC at two centers on MRI and separated into four invasion patterns: pattern A (only post-styloid space), pattern B (post-styloid space, CS extension), pattern C (post-styloid space, pre-styloid space extension), and pattern D (all spaces). The Kaplan–Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression models were used. Results: PPSI was diagnosed in 63.4% of cases, with patterns A, B, C, and D in 14.3%, 3.8%, 25.3%, and 18.6% of cases, respectively. No prognostic heterogeneity was observed between pattern B and pattern C (p > 0.05). Thus, the degree of PPSI was based on the number of subspaces involved: grade 0 (none), grade 1 (one), grade 2 (two), and grade 3 (three), which could independently predict overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001). T3 patients with grade 0/1 PPSI (slight-T3) had a better prognosis than those with grade 2/3 PPSI (severe-T3) in terms of OS, locoregional-free survival (LRFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) (all p < 0.001), whose hazard ratios were higher and lower than those with T1 and T2, respectively. Combining the T2 and slight-T3 groups as the proposed T2 provided significant differences in OS, LRFS, and PFS between T2 and T3 (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: The risk of death increased with the number of parapharyngeal subspaces involved. The degree of PPSI is recommended to optimize T3 heterogeneity. Key Points: • Parapharyngeal space involvement was proposed to differentiate patient risk groups based on the number of involved subspaces: grade 0 (none), grade 1 (one), grade 2 (two), or grade 3 (three). • The degree of parapharyngeal space involvement was an independent negative prognosticator for OS. • The degree of parapharyngeal space involvement may influence T-staging in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the mechanism of action of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium-Pinelliae Rhizoma (CRP-PR) in treating gastric cancer (GC) by using pharmacology network. Methods. Based on oral bioavailability and drug-likeness, the main active components of CRP-PR were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). DisGeNET Database was used to establish target databases for GC. Cytoscape software was used to construct a visual interactive network diagram of "Active Component-Target" and screen out the key targets. The STRING database was used to construct a protein interaction network. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the key targets. Additionally, TCGA and HPA databases were used for key target verification. Results. Thirty-seven active components of CRP-PR were screened. The results of network analysis showed that the main components include 8-octadecenoic acid, stigmasterol, ferulic acid, and naringenin of the CRP-PR herb pair. The key targets of the PPI network mainly involved GAPDH, MAPK3, JUN, STAT3, GSK3B, SIRT1, ERBB2, and SMAD2. GO enrichment analysis involves 540 biological processes, 118 cellular components, and 171 molecular functions. CRP-PR components were predicted to exert their therapeutic effect on the tumor signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and estrogen signaling pathway. The validation of the key genes in the TCGA and HPA database showed that most of the key target verification results were consistent with this article. Conclusion. CRP-PR can treat GC by mediating PI3K-Akt signal pathway, MAPK signal pathway, and other biological processes such as tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, and vascular regeneration, which embodies the synergistic effect of multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-channels, and provides the theoretical basis and research ideas for further study of CRP-PR in treating GC. 8-octadecenoic acid, stigmasterol, ferulic acid, and naringenin may be the material basis for the treatment of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1), as a member of the FOX family, is important for promote HCC invasion and metastasis. FOX family protein lays a pivotal role in metabolism. ROS is involved in tumor progression and is associated with the expression of lots of transcription factors. We next explored the mechanism underlying FOXC1 modulating the metabolism and ROS hemostasis in HCC. Methods: We used amino acids arrays to verify which metabolism is involved in FOXC1-induced HCC. The kits were used to detect the ROS levels in HCC cells with over-expression or down-expression of FOXC1. After identified the downstream target genes and candidate pathway which regulated by FOXC1 during HCC progression in vitro and in vivo, we used western blot, immunohistochemistry, bisulfite genomic sequencing, methylation-specific PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis and luciferase reporter assays to explore the relationship of FOXC1 and downstream genes. Moreover, the correlation between FOXC1 and target genes and the correlation between target genes and the recurrence and overall survival were analyzed in two independent human HCC cohorts. Results: Here, we reported that FOXC1 could inhibit the cysteine metabolism and increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by regulating cysteine metabolism-related genes, cystathionine γ-lyase (CTH). Overexpression of CTH significantly suppressed FOXC1-induced HCC proliferation, invasion and metastasis, while the reduction in cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis caused by the inhibition of FOXC1 could be reversed by knockdown of CTH. Meanwhile, FOXC1 upregulated de novo DNA methylase 3B (DNMT3B) expression to induce DNA hypermethylation of CTH promoter, which resulted in low expression of CTH in HCC cells. Moreover, low levels of ROS induced by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which is an antioxidant inhibited the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities mediated by FOXC1 overexpression, whereas high levels of ROS induced by L-Buthionine-sulfoximine (BSO) rescued the suppression results mediated by FOXC1 knockdown. Our study demonstrated that the overexpression of FOXC1 that was induced by the ROS dependent on the extracellular regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2)- phospho-ETS Transcription Factor 1 (p-ELK1) pathway. In human HCC tissues, FOXC1 expression was positively correlated with oxidative damage marker 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), p-ELK1 and DNMT3B expression, but negatively correlated with CTH expression. HCC patients with positive co-expression of 8-OHdG/FOXC1 or p-ELK1/FOXC1 or FOXC1/DNMT3B had the worst prognosis, whereas HCC patients who had positive FOXC1 and negative CTH expression exhibited the worst prognosis. Conclusion: In a word, we clarify that the positive feedback loop of ROS-FOXC1-cysteine metabolism-ROS is important for promoting liver cancer proliferation and metastasis, and this pathway may provide a prospective clinical treatment approach for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multiple field parameters investigation of plasm-enhanced CO 2 spliting. • A combination analysis of optical emission spectrum and multiphysics simulation of plasma process. • Trade-off effects of plasma power and gas flow on conversion and energy efficiency. • A reduced plasma chemistry set for CO 2 dissociation. • Dissociation reactions of neutrals and electron impact reactions dominated CO 2 splitting. CO 2 dissociation in DBD plasma was thoroughly studied by combining dissociation experiments, multi-physics coupling simulation and in-situ emission spectroscopy measurements. Evolution of spatial–temporal distributions of key field parameters such as discharge mode, electron density (N e), electron temperature (T e), intermediate concentration and reaction rates were analyzed in depth, to uncover the underlying reaction mechanism. The specific energy input (SEI) had a large impact on CO 2 conversion and energy efficiency, and there was a trade-off between plasma power and gas flow rate. The highest CO 2 conversion was achieved a maximum of 15.5% at SEI = 177 J·cm−3 in this work. Meanwhile, the spectrum shows that there was a large amount of CO 2 +, CO, O, and O 2 in the plasma. In addition, we proposed and validated a reduced CO 2 splitting plasma chemistry set to explore the field parameter and key reactin rates distributions. According to the multiphysics modelling, the discharge gap greatly affected the discharge form of DBD, which will subsequently influence CO 2 splitting. In discharge gap > 1.75 mm formation of discharge channels remarkably decreased, and an over small discharge gap (δ g < 1.25 mm) would restrain the electric field range, causing shorter motion path of charged particles and less free electrons, both of which hindered the conversion of CO 2. A thinner dielectric layer can promote CO 2 conversion, due to the reduction in breakdown field strength and increase of high-energy electrons. Electron impact reactions (e + CO 2 → CO + O−, e− + CO 2 → CO + O + e−), reactions of the excited CO 2 * (CO 2 + CO 2 * → CO 2 + CO + O, CO 2 *+O → CO + O 2) mainly contributed to the CO 2 dissociation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the design of sets of discrete-phase, including binary/quaternary, sequences for phase-modulated continuous-wave multiple-input multiple-output radar in the presence of nonnegligible Doppler shift. We consider the peak sidelobes of auto- and cross-correlations in a desired interval of the Doppler shift as the performance metric of the design. Then, the design problem is formulated via imposing the discrete-phase constraint for each element of the sequences, with emphasis on binary as well as quaternary cases. This problem is nonconvex and hence hard to solve. We introduce a method based on the block coordinate descent framework to solve the optimization problem. We also modify the proposed method to efficiently update the subproblem associated with each iteration. Also, we extend it to account for only a low-correlation zone in the presence of Doppler shift. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant phenological events are sensitive indicators of climate change, and their change could markedly affect the structure and function of ecosystems. Previous studies have revealed the spatiotemporal variations in the phenological events of woody plants. However, limited studies have focused on the phenophases of herbaceous plants. In this study, by using a meta-analysis method, we extracted information about the phenological changes in herbaceous plants in China's grasslands from existing studies (including the period, station, species, phenophases, phenological trends, and climatic determinants) and analyzed the patterns manifested in the dataset. The results showed that the spring phenophases (e.g., first leaf date and first flowering date) of the herbaceous plants mainly advanced over the past 30 years, but a large difference existed across grassland types. The spring phenophases of forages (species from the Cyperaceae, Gramineae, and Leguminosae families) became earlier in the desert steppe and alpine steppe but showed no apparent trends in the alpine meadow and even became later in the meadow steppe and typical steppe. In most cases, the increase in spring temperatures and precipitation promoted the greening up of herbaceous plants, while sunshine duration was positively correlated with the green-up date of herbaceous plants. For the autumn phenophases, the proportions of the earlier and later trends were very close, but the trends varied among the grassland types. The leaf coloring dates of the forages were delayed in the meadow steppe and alpine steppe but showed no distinct pattern in the typical steppe or alpine meadow and even became earlier in the desert steppe. In most cases, the increase in growing season temperature led to an earlier leaf coloring date of the herbaceous plants, but the increase in the preseason precipitation delayed the leaf coloring date. Our results suggested that the phenophases of herbaceous plants have complicated responses to multiple environmental factors, which makes predicting future phenological changes difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal ions (e.g., Cd2+ and Pb2+) are widely existed in environment and highly toxic. Their convenient, sensitive, and selective determination is thus desirable. In this study, a novel electrochemical sensing interface is developed using the composite of CeO 2 nanomaterials supported on expanded graphite as the sensitive materials. As-prepared CeO 2 nanomaterials through a hydrothermal method feature different morphologies (e.g., nanocube, nanopolyhedra, and nanorod-shape). Electrocatalytic ability of this interface and sensing performance towards the monitoring of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions rely on the morphology and structure of used CeO 2 nanomaterial. The interface using nanorod-shape CeO 2 nanomaterials supported on expanded graphite exhibits superior electrochemical activity, namely remarkable signal enhancement for the monitoring of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions. The developed electrochemical sensor with this r-CeO 2 /EG composite as the sensitive material delivers the detection limits of 0.39 and 0.21 μg L−1 for Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions, respectively. Image 1 • Facile synthesis of CeO 2 nanocubes, nanopolyhedras and nanorods supported on expanded graphite. • Morphology-dependent electrochemistry of CeO 2 /expanded graphite nanocomposites. • Sensitive and selective monitoring of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions existed in environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating grassland phenology and its relationship with climatic factors is crucial for understanding ecosystem responses to climate change. However, there have been few studies on the impact of soil moisture on grassland phenology. In this study, we extracted the green-up date in the Inner Mongolia grasslands, China, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI3g dataset (1982–2015) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (2001–2015). We investigated the spatiotemporal pattern of the green-up date and its relationship with four climatic factors, including growing degree days, chilling days, soil moisture, and solar radiation. Most areas (67.1%) exhibited a trend towards earlier green-up date, but the significant trends (p < 0.05) were only found in 13.4% of the areas. For both datasets, the pixels with a negative regression coefficient of soil moisture accounted for more than 87% of the total area (more than 21% significantly, p < 0.05). Regarding the other factors, the sign of regression coefficients was not consistent among pixels. Thus, soil moisture correlated more significantly with the green-up date in temperate grasslands compared with the other climatic factors. This study provides the scientific basis for better understanding the mechanism of phenological response to climate change in temperate grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a natural ecosystem or as climatic climax community, grassland is relatively dry with a strongly seasonal climate, and sensitive to climatic changes. Most of the previous studies used remote sensing data to investigate the phenological response of grassland to climate change, while ground‐based studies covering a large geographic area were limited. In this study, using the long‐term phenological data (1981–2012) of 16 herbaceous species observed at 20 stations in Inner Mongolia, China, we first investigated the trends in three spring phenophases, including the dates of bud‐burst, first leaf unfolding, and 50% of leaf unfolding. Subsequently, multiple linear regressions between phenophases and four climatic factors (spring temperature, soil moisture, chilling temperature, and insolation) were performed to determine the relative importance of each factor on the spring phenology. To validate the resulted regression coefficients, we developed a controlled environment to investigate the factors regulating the leaf unfolding time of one dominant species (Leymus chinensis). The results showed that the study area became warmer and drier from 1981 to 2012. However, the overall changes in spring phenophases were not apparent, as there was a similar proportion of significant earlier or later trends. Such phenological changes were driven by multiple climatic factors. The warmer temperature would advance the spring phenophases, while lower soil moisture would delay them. The impact of soil moisture was significant in the experimental data, but not significant in the observation data. In addition, leaf unfolding became faster when L. chinensis experienced more chilling days, but this effect was difficult to be detected in observation data due to the weak sensitivity of the leaf unfolding time to chilling days. These findings can help us to understand how the spring phenology of typical herbaceous species responds to multiple climatic factors under the background of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global diagnosis rate and mortality of gastric cancer (GC) are among the highest. Ferroptosis and iron-metabolism have a profound impact on tumor development and are closely linked to cancer treatment and patient's prognosis. In this study, we identified six PRDEGs (prognostic ferroptosis- and iron metabolism-related differentially expressed genes) using LASSO-penalized Cox regression analysis. The TCGA cohort was used to establish a prognostic risk model, which allowed us to categorize GC patients into the high- and the low-risk groups based on the median value of the risk scores. Our study demonstrated that patients in the low-risk group had a higher probability of survival compared to those in the high-risk group. Furthermore, the low-risk group exhibited a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) and a longer 5-year survival period when compared to the high-risk group. In summary, the prognostic risk model, based on the six genes associated with ferroptosis and iron-metabolism, performs well in predicting the prognosis of GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Machine learning potential (MLP) with high accuracy is trained for 2D PG. • Intrinsic thermal conductivity (298–45 Wm−1K−1, 300–900 K) of 2D PG is obtained by considering the three-phonon and four-phonon scatterings. • Four-phonon scattering plays a significant role in reducing the thermal conductivity of PG. • The contribution of diffusive modes to the thermal conduction of PG is negligible. Embellish the following academic abstract: Penta-graphene (PG) has recently been characterized as a novel two-dimensional carbon allotrope, exhibiting many unique optoelectronic properties. In this paper, with the assistance of machine learning potential, we meticulously study the phonon thermal conductivity (κ) by solving the state-of-the-art Boltzmann transport equation including both three- and four-phonon scattering. The intrinsic κ of PG is found to be about 298–45 Wm−1 K−1 at 300–900 K, which is much lower than that of graphene. A pivotal revelation arises from our work, indicating the profound influence exerted by four-phonon scattering in mitigating the intrinsic κ of PG. Consequently, our findings underscore the necessity of including the four-phonon scattering mechanism to ensure accurate predictions of κ for PG. Moreover, it is found that the contribution of diffusive phonon modes to the total κ can be neglected despite a strong anharmonicity of PG. Overall, this study provides new insight into the phonon thermal transport in PG, which could be useful for the regulation of thermal properties in PG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal energy transport plays a crucial role in determining the performance of LaMgAl 11 O 19 -based applications. Herein, we report the inherent thermal transport in crystalline (c-LMA) and amorphous LMA (a-LMA) using atomistic simulations. It is found that c-LMA have a low κ comparable to the classical 7YSZ at 300–1500 K, while the κ of a-LMA is 8–68% lower than that of c-LMA. The mode decomposition shows that the phonon modes in c-LMA consist of local, normal and diffuse modes, while those in a-LMA consist of local and diffuse modes. The dual-channel model reveals that the thermal conduction in c-LMA is dominated by the normal modes at low temperatures (<420 K) while by the diffusive modes at high temperatures, but that in a-LMA results entirely from diffusive modes. This new insight into the thermal transport properties in c-LMA and a-LMA provides a foundation for designing LH-based thermal management applications. • The inherent thermal conductivity (κ) of c-LMA and a-LMA were obtained. • 2. c-LMA has a low κ comparable to the classical 7YSZ, while the κ of a-LMA is 8–68% lower than that of c-LMA. • 3. The diffusive phonon modes play a significant role in the thermal conduction of c-LMA and a-LMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of black tea during tea processing is in a state of flux. However, the dynamic changes of this sophisticated metabolic process are far from clear. GC–MS-based metabolomic analyses were performed to examine changes in volatile and non-volatile compounds throughout the five stages of tea processing. The results showed that the most striking differences were observed at the withering and rolling stages, during which 62 non-volatile and 47 volatile compounds were significantly changed. The levels of most monosaccharides decreased at the withering stage and increased in subsequent stages while di-saccharides decreased as the process progressed. Free amino acids increased sharply at the withering stage, and most kept increasing or remained stable afterwards. However, levels of catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, and epigallocatechin gallate decreased after withering and remained at low levels afterwards. Among the 47 volatile compounds with altered levels, phenylpropanoids/benzenoids and carotenoid-derived volatiles, which contribute to the honey-like and rose-like fragrances and quality of Danxia2 tea, kept increasing during the processing, among them eight were newly produced. Furthermore, 19 volatiles with a grassy odor decreased during processing. This study provides a comprehensive profile of metabolic changes during black tea processing, which is potentially important for both quality control and improvement of the flavor of black teas. Unlabelled Image • GC–MS-based metabolic profiling of Camellia sinensis during black tea processing. • Stage-specific dynamic changes of non-volatile/volatile compounds were revealed. • Sixty-two non-volatiles were changed significantly during the processing. • Eight volatiles were newly produced, and 19 were decreased during the processing. • Changes in various metabolites may contribute to black tea unique sensory quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiamine pyrophosphokinase (TPK) converts thiamine (vitamin B1) into thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), an essential cofactor for many important enzymes. TPK1 mutations lead to a rare disorder: episodic encephalopathy type thiamine metabolism dysfunction. Yet, the molecular mechanism of the disease is not entirely clear. Here we report an individual case of episodic encephalopathy, with familial history carrying a novel homozygous TPK1 mutation (p.L28S). The L28S mutation leads to reduced enzymatic activity, both in vitro and in vivo, without impairing thiamine binding and protein stability. Thiamine supplementation averted encephalopathic episodes and restored the patient's developmental progression. Biochemical characterization of reported TPK1 missense mutations suggested reduced thiamine binding as a new disease mechanism. Importantly, many disease mutants are directly or indirectly involved in thiamine binding. Thus, our study provided a novel rationale for thiamine supplementation, so far the major therapeutic intervention in TPK deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A determination method to identify and quantify 18 multi-class antibiotics in urine was developed using liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ-MS/MS). Targeted antibiotics were extracted using preliminary dilution followed by d-SPE extraction. Specificity and selectivity, linearity, LOD and LOQ, accuracy, and precision were validated. LOQ of the majority of targeted compounds ranged from 0.3–7.5 μg/L. Excellent recovery in the range of 73–136% was achieved for most antibiotics, except macrolides whose recovery were of 52–78%. High precision was obtained with coefficients of variation (CV) less than 20%. All compounds were clearly separated and detected after a total run time of 15 min. Following development and validation, the method was applied to real urine samples where five out of 18 antibiotics were detected and high precision with CV less than 15% was obtained. The method was validated to be capable of quantifying antibiotics in urine for applications in supervision of antibiotics consumption or in pharmacokinetic studies. Highlights • Targeted antibiotics included both human and veterinary antibiotics. • An LC-QqQ-MS/MS method was developed and applied in urine. • A low LOQ and large linear range were obtained in this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System resilience is defined as the ability of a system to withstand and recover from deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally occurring threats or incidents. It is a key property to measure the robustness of complex and high coupling degree systems such as urban water supply system, electricity transmission system and waste disposal system. This paper proposes an integrated decision-making process to evaluate system resilience for urban lifeline systems. The decision-making process has two steps: First, the establishment of a system resilience indicator framework that contains five dimensional attributes, namely Materials and Environmental Resources, Society and Well-being, Economy, Built Environment and Infrastructure, and Governance and Institutes. Second, the development of a hybrid K-means algorithm, which combines entropy theory, bootstrapping and analytic network process. Using the real data of is resilient indicators data, this methodology identifies and classifies the resilience level of different regions supported by the lifeline systems. Finally, by combining with geographic information system, the calculation, visualization and classification of resilience leave can be realized. The results can serve as guidelines for governments to allocate resources and prevent large economic loss, especially in those low resilience level areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed storability is an important trait for crop breeding, however, the mechanism underlying seed storability remains largely unknown. Here, a mass spectrometry-based comparative metabolomic study was performed for rice seeds before and after 24-month natural storage between two hybrid rice cultivars, IIYou 998 (IIY) with low storability and BoYou 998 (BY) with relative high storability. A total of 48 metabolites among 90 metabolite peaks detected were conclusively identified, and most of them are involved in the primary metabolism. During the 24-month storage, 19 metabolites with significant changes in abundance were found in the storage-sensitive IIY seeds, but only 8 in the BY seeds, most of which are free amino acids and soluble sugars. The observed changes of the metabolites in IIY seeds that are consistent with our protoemics results are likely to be involved in its sensitivity to storage. Levels of all identified 18 amino acid-related metabolites and most sugar-related metabolites were significantly higher in IIY seeds both before and after storage. However the level of raffinose was lower in IIY seeds before and after storage, and did not change significantly throughout the storage period in both two cultivars, suggesting its potential role in seed storability. Taken together, these results may help to improve our understanding of seed storability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnAl-layered double hydroxide/H 3 PMo 12 O 40 (ZnAl-LDH/PMo 12 ) nano-hybrids were prepared by self-assembly between positively charged LDH nano-sheets and negatively charged PMo 12 nano-clusters. The catalytic performance of ZnAl-LDH/PMo 12 (ZAM) nano-hybrids on methyl orange (MO) degradation under room temperature and ambient pressure was investigated. The self-assembly process was evidenced by various characterization results, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N 2 adsorption measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which also suggested that the structure and morphology of the ZnAl-LDH/PMo 12 hybrids played a critical role in their catalytic performance. The ZAM nano-hybrid with a 1:1.59 M ratio of ZnAl-LDH to PMo 12 exhibited an excellent catalytic activity for MO degradation, with a 74.2% discoloration rate and a 66.2% total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency. After five cycles of reactions, the discoloration rate remained at 62.5%. This high catalytic activity might be attributed to the formation of O 2 •− , which was generated from the reduction of the dissolved oxygen by PMo 12 . Overall, the results show that the formation of novel nano-hybrid catalysts through self-assembly of LDH nano-sheets with PMo 12 nano-clusters leads to a significant improvement in the catalytic activity and stability of Mo based catalysts under room temperature and ambient pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six previously undescribed piperidine alkaloids were isolated from the rhizomes of Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott. Their structures were elucidated based on 1D and 2D NMR, IR, HR-ESI-MS spectroscopic analysis and the application of a modified Mosher method. All isolated alkaloids were evaluated for cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines (CNE-1, Detroit 562, Fadu, MGC-803, and MCF-7) using the MTT method. Only one compound exhibited cytotoxic effects against Detroit 562, Fadu, and MCF-7 cell lines with IC 50 values less than 10 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of traditional flame retardant additives can usually significantly reduce the flammability of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) but has a limited contribution to suppressing smoke release during combustion. To overcome this obstacle, a double core-shell structured zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) in combination with negatively charged phytic acid and positively charged hyperbranched polysiloxane (NH 2 -HBPSi) was layer-by-layer self-assembled through the electrostatic method. The decorated NH 2 -HBPSi layer effectively improved the interfacial compatibility between the fillers and the TPU matrix. The peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), total smoke production (TSP), and total CO production (TCOP) of the TPU composite containing 2.0 wt% ZIF-8@PA@NH 2 -HBPSi were reduced by 35.2%, 25.2%, 65.5%, and 52.8%, respectively, as compared to those of pure TPU. The distinguished fire resistance and smoke suppression were ascribed to the flame retardant effects of Zn, N, P, and Si elements in the ZIF-8@PA@NH 2 -HBPSi hybrid. In addition, the TPU/ZIF-8@PA@NH 2 -HBPSi composite maintained a high elongation at break of 2178.2% and tensile strength of 46.87 MPa due to the steric effect of NH 2 -HBPSi. This work presents a feasible strategy for the design and development of flame retardant fillers to improve fire resistance and inhibit smoke emission while maintaining the high ductility of TPU. [Display omitted] • A double core-shell structured flame retardant based on MOF was synthesized by an electrostatic assembly method. • TPU composite containing ZIF-8@PA@NH 2 -HBPSi exhibited high ductility and superior fire safety. • The presence of multiple elements in the ZIF-8@PA@NH 2 -HBPSi had good flame retardant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Pim-3 belongs to the PIM kinase family and plays an important role in promoting inflammation, which is essential in the pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Methods Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot, and RT-PCR analyses were performed to assess the expression of Pim-3 in both COPD and healthy lung tissue samples. SMA (Smooth Muscle Actin) and Cyclin D1 expression were detected by IHC. We also constructed animal models for the control, COPD, and Pim-3 inhibition groups, in order to analyze the effects of Pim-3 inhibition on COPD, and the role of Pim-3 in the p38 pathway. Results Compared with normal lung tissue, Pim-3 mRNA and protein were up-regulated in COPD tissue. Expression of Cyclin D1 and SMA were also up-regulated in the COPD group. In the animal model experiment, we found that suppression of Pim-3 decreased Pim-3, Cyclin D1, and SMA expression, as well as ameliorated lung damage in COPD patients. The inhibition of Pim-3 also resulted in the suppression of the p38 pathway. Conclusion Our study suggests that up-regulation of Pim-3 successfully accelerated COPD development, and aggravated lung damage. The molecular mechanism of Pim-3 in COPD might be related to the p38 pathway, and is correlated with Cyclin D1 and SMA expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new lignanamides ( 1 – 5 ), and one new monoindole alkaloid ( 6 ), along with eight known compounds ( 7 –1 4 ) were isolated and identified from the rhizomes of Alocasia macrorrhiza (giant taro). All purified compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells, and the antiproliferative activities against human nasopharyngeal carcinoma epithelial (CNE-1), human gastric carcinoma (MGC-803), and human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines by MTT method. Compounds 2 , 4 , 7 and 8 exhibited significant inhibitory effects on NO production with the IC 50 values of 2.35 ± 0.38, 9.20 ± 0.94, 3.45 ± 0.39 and 7.96 ± 0.56 μM, respectively. The results suggested the lignanamides and monoindoles might be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of giant taro and might be potential anti-inflammatory candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With direct laser writing micro structures can be manufactured by solidifying a photo resist when the laser beam triggers a photochemical reaction in the focal voxel. We have used direct laser writing to fabricate a thermally actuated microgripper, which can move its two cantilever like arms to grip micro‐objects. One cantilever consists thereby of two strips with different coefficients of thermal expansion such that both cantilevers bends towards each other for an increasing temperature like a welded bimetal. This work investigates the impact of each cantilever's geometry on the gripping performance of the micro gripper theoretically. The tip deflection of the gripper is calculated by the analytical model of Timoshenko's theory of elasticity. After fabricaiton of the microgripper, its gripping performance is observed under the microscope while heated by a heating element. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although airborne transmission has been considered as a possible route for the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the role that aerosols play in SARS-CoV-2 transmission is still controversial. This study evaluated the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 isolation wards at Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong by both on-site sampling and numerical analysis. A total of 838 air samples and 1176 surface samples were collected, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using the RT-PCR method. Testing revealed that 2.3% of the air samples and 9.3% of the surface samples were positive, indicating that the isolation wards were contaminated with the virus. The dispersion and deposition of exhaled particles in the wards were calculated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The calculated accumulated number of particles collected at the air sampling points was closely correlated with the SARS-CoV-2 positive rates from the field sampling, which confirmed the possibility of airborne transmission. Furthermore, three potential intervention strategies, i.e., the use of curtains, ceiling-mounted air cleaners, and periodic ventilation, were numerically investigated to explore effective control measures in isolation wards. According to the results, the use of ceiling-mounted air cleaners is effective in reducing the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in such wards. [Display omitted] • SARS-CoV-2 was detected in both air and surface samples in isolation wards. • The dispersion and deposition of exhaled particles were analyzed by CFD simulation. • Sampling and simulation supported the possibility of airborne transmission. • Use of ceiling-mounted air cleaners is an effective intervention strategy in wards. • Curtains separate adjacent patients but increase the risk of opposite patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination by zooplankton has to a certain extent limited the large-scale cultivation and industrial exploitation of microalgae. However, systematic research on these predators in microalgal culture is still lacking. The identification of zooplanktonic contaminants derived from microalgal cultures is a basis for conducting related studies. Moreover, knowledge of the ecological distribution of such predators is crucial for avoiding or reducing the risk of biological contamination in the management of large-scale microalgal cultures. Understanding the feeding behaviors of zooplanktonic contaminants contributes to the establishment of targeted prevention strategies and control methods. Early detection is essential to allow prevention and control measures to be implemented in a timely and effective way. Reducing the susceptibility of the cultured microalgae to predators through breeding strains selection, the potential of modern molecular methods, or a synthesis of these approaches will be indispensable to the management of zooplankton contamination. Furthermore, exploring the resource utilization of predators helps to understand this issue comprehensively and to turn hazard into wealth. The genus Poterioochromonas is a typical mixotrophic flagellate and has attracted increasing attention because of the dramatic damage it can inflict on a wide range of microalgal cultures, regardless of the culture system, season, or environment. This review explores our current understanding of the predator Poterioochromonas and the areas where further research is needed, which should stimulate reflection on what we still need to know about these predators from a microalgal culture perspective and how we can utilize them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Black wolfberry fruits grown in different locations show different metabolic profile. • 204 primary and specialized metabolites, and 267 lipids were identified in fruits. • Black wolfberry fruits grown in Alxa Left Banner contain higher levels of glycolipids. • Glycolipid levels were positively correlated with their anti-inflammatory capacities. Black wolfberry is a commonly cultivated woody plant in China, and is rich in nutrients that are beneficial for human. To characterize the endogenous metabolite differences among black wolfberry fruits grown in different geographical regions, mass spectrometry-based metabolomic and lipidomic analyses were performed in black wolfberry grown in nine locations throughout five provinces in China, from which 204 primary and specialized metabolites, and 267 lipids were identified in their fruits. Three samples from Alxa Left Banner, Jinta, and Minqin showed dramatically altered metabolite profiles, displaying higher levels of phenolic acids, soluble sugars and flavonoids, but lower levels of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and aromatic amino acids. Moreover, the lipid profile of the Alxa Left Banner sample was strikingly distinct from all other samples, with high levels of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol and sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol, which are positively correlated with their anti-inflammatory capacities. These findings thus prompt for further studies on black wolfberry fruit for their health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the electronic and ionic transfer in MoS 2 , we develop hierarchical structure of MoS 2 /polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide (denoted as MoS 2 /PANI/rGO), in which PANI intercalated MoS 2 nanosheets are vertically grown on rGO nanosheets. PANI together with rGO builds 3D conductive networks, facilitating electronic transfer both in and vertical to the layers of MoS 2. Moreover, MoS 2 nanosheets exhibit expanded interlayers owing to the intercalation of PANI, which is beneficial for the kinetics of Li+ storage/release. As anode for lithium-ion batteries, MoS 2 /PANI/rGO exhibits superior long-term cyclic performance with a reversible capacity of 1035.1 mA h g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 550 cycles. It presents excellent rate performance of 676.9 mA h g−1 even at 10 A g−1. The MoS 2 /PANI/rGO composite could be a promising anode material for high performance lithium-ion batteries. [Display omitted] • Sandwiched MoS 2 /PANI nanosheets vertically grow on rGO nanosheets. • PANI intercalation expands the interlayer of MoS 2 and facilitates Li+ transfer. • 3D conductive networks constructed by PANI and rGO improves charge transfer. • Hierarchical MoS 2 /PANI/rGO exhibits excellent rate capability and cyclic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The microstructure and Vickers hardness behavior of Al-4wt.% Cu alloy bearing θ" precipitates processed by multi-axial compression (MAC) and subsequent nature aging treatment has been studied. θ" precipitates are almost completely dissolved after four passes (ε=1.6) of MAC at room temperature, and a non-equilibrium supersaturated solid solution with a fine grain size of approximately 250nm is obtained. A slight increase of the hardness occurs during the subsequent nature aging due to the formation of G.P. zones. This is attributed to a large number of vacancies formed during MA compressing, which is sufficient for substantial mass transfer of Cu atom and act as nucleation sites of G.P. zones. Meanwhile, vacancy flux and pipe diffusion of dislocation could greatly enhance the diffusivity and cause a much faster precipitation kinetics compared with the undeformed sample. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is a master regulator of tumor metastasis that plays an important role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether or not FoxM1 contributes to the progression of HBV-associated HCC (HBV–HCC) remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed at investigating the clinicopathologic significance of FoxM1 in HBV–HCC and the potential role of FoxM1 in hepatitis B virus X (HBx)-mediated invasiveness and metastasis. Methods: The expression of FoxM1 and its functional targets matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), RhoC, and Rho-kinase 1 (ROCK1) in human HBV–HCC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. Luciferase reporter, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to measure the transcriptional regulation of FoxM1 promoter by HBx. The effect of FoxM1 on HBx-mediated invasiveness and metastasis was analyzed by transwell assays and an orthotopic metastatic model. Results: FoxM1 overexpression correlated with multiple malignant characteristics and indicated poor prognosis of HBV–HCC patients. FoxM1 expression was an independent factor affecting the recurrence and survival of patients with HBV–HCC after surgical resection. FoxM1 promoted hepatoma cell invasion and metastasis by promoting MMP-7, RhoC, and ROCK1 expression, while FoxM1 overexpression was associated with elevated expressions of these proteins in HBV–HCC tissues. HBx upregulated FoxM1 expression through the ERK/CREB pathway, and FoxM1 inhibition significantly decreased HBx-enhanced hepatoma cell invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Conclusions: We report a new molecular mechanism for HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis that involves the activation of FoxM1 expression by HBx through the ERK/CREB pathway, thereby leading to invasion and metastasis of hepatoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible protein phosphorylation plays a vital role in many biological processes. In current phosphoproteomics, targeted enrichment before mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is essential. Many kinds of materials have been developed for phosphopeptide enrichment, but these typically involve complex fabrication process and high consumption of chemicals. Furthermore, the enrichment of phosphopeptides is offline and requires multiple manual steps, thereby making it a tedious workflow with high consumption of organic solvents and plastic consumables. To alleviate these problems, we propose a set of eco-friendly strategies for phosphoproteome profiling by developing a reusable phos-trap column via a one-pot mild sol–gel process and establishing an automated online analytical platform with low cost and low waste. This platform also demonstrated high phosphosite coverage, sensitivity, selectivity, and a wide linear range when a standard phosphoprotein (α-casein) was used for the initial development assessment. In subsequent analyses of HeLa cells and maize seedlings, a total of 6575 and 3741 phosphorylation sites were characterized, respectively, using three single-shot technical replicates for each sample type with excellent qualitative and quantitative reproducibility. Taken together, this phos-trap column and automated online analytical platform are expected to bring environmental and low-cost technological advancements to phosphoproteomics, especially for large-scale tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has the largest sweet potato planting area worldwide, as well as the highest yield per unit area and total yield. Drought is the most frequently encountered environmental stress during the sweet potato growing season. In this study, we investigated salicylic acid (SA)-mediated defense mechanisms under drought conditions in two sweet potato varieties, Zheshu 77 and Zheshu 13. Drought stress decreased growth traits, photosynthetic pigments and relative water contents, as well as the photosynthetic capability parameters net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, whereas it increased reactive oxygen species production, as well as malondialdehyde and abscisic acid contents. The application of SA to drought-stressed plants reduced oxidative damage by triggering the modulation of antioxidant enzyme activities and the maintenance of optimized osmotic environments in vivo in the two sweet potato varieties. After SA solution applications, NCED-like3 expression was downregulated and the abscisic acid contents of drought-stressed plants decreased, promoting photosynthesis and plant growth. Thus, foliar spraying an appropriate dose of SA, 2.00–4.00 mg·L−1, on drought-stressed sweet potato varieties may induce resistance in field conditions, thereby increasing growth and crop yield in the face of increasingly frequent drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]