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Abstract Recently, several studies have reported that the survival benefit of wedge resection might not be inferior to that of lobectomy in early-stage NSCLC patients, but there is no unified definition of the details or cutoff value. Patients with early-stage NSCLC with a tumour size ≤ 2.0 cm were chosen from the SEER database. The influence of confounding factors was minimized by 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Kaplan‒Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) of patients undergoing lobectomy and wedge resection. A total of 3891 patients with early-stage NSCLC with tumour size ≤ 2.0 cm were enrolled, of whom 2839 underwent lobectomy and 1052 underwent wedge resection. Both before and after PSM, lobectomy significantly improved OS and LCSS compared with wedge resection in the unstratified study population. In the tumour size ≤ 1 cm group, lobectomy had better OS and LCSS than wedge resection (P

Abstract Background Pain after total hip arthroplasty (THA) for femoral neck fracture (FNF) can be severe, potentially leading to serious complications. PENG block has become an optional local analgesic strategy in hip fracture surgery, but it cannot provide effective pain relief for the posterior capsule of the hip joint. Therefore, we modified the traditional sacral plexus nerve block and named it Posterior Hip Pericapsule Block (PHPB) to complement the blockade of the relevant nerves innervating the posterior hip capsule region. Thereby, we detail the analgesic effect of PHPB combined with PENG block on five hip fracture patients and the effect on their hip motor function. Methods This case series was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024. We performed ultrasound-guided PHPB combined with PENG block on five patients with hip fractures. Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores at rest and maximum NRS pain scores during limb movement of the five patients were recorded within 48 h after surgery. Their hip flexion, abduction, adduction, keen flexion and quadriceps muscle strength were also recorded. Serious postoperative complications, including wound infection, hematoma formation, or nerve injury, were recorded. Results They experienced effective pain control within 48 h postoperatively, with NRS pain scores at rest decreasing from 3.0 (3.0, 4.5) to 0.0 (0.0, 1.0) and maximum NRS pain scores during limb movement from 8.0 (7.5, 8.5) to 1.0 (0.5, 2.0). They can autonomously perform hip flexion, abduction, adduction, and knee flexion within 48 h postoperatively without any signs of movement disorders or quadriceps muscle weakness. No severe postoperative complications, such as wound infections, hematoma formation or nerve damage, were observed in any of the patients. Conclusions Ultrasound-guided PENG block combined with PHPB provided effective analgesia for hip fracture patients in the perioperative period. It maintained hip joint motor function and quadriceps muscle strength within 24 h after THA.

Abstract Intervertebral Disc Herniation (IVDH) is a common spinal disease in dogs, significantly impacting their health, mobility, and overall well-being. This study initiates an effort to automate the detection and localization of IVDH lesions in veterinary MRI scans, utilizing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) methods. A comprehensive canine IVDH dataset, comprising T2-weighted sagittal MRI images from 213 pet dogs of various breeds, ages, and sizes, was compiled and utilized to train and test the IVDH detection models. The experimental results showed that traditional two-stage detection models reliably outperformed one-stage models, including the recent You Only Look Once X (YOLOX) detector. In terms of methodology, this study introduced a novel spinal localization module, successfully integrated into different object detection models to enhance IVDH detection, achieving an average precision (AP) of up to 75.32%. Additionally, transfer learning was explored to adapt the IVDH detection model for a smaller feline dataset. Overall, this study provides insights into advancing AI for veterinary care, identifying challenges and exploring potential strategies for future development in veterinary radiology.

Based on the latest results of near-source exploration in the Middle and Lower Jurassic of the Tuha Basin, a new understanding of the source rocks, reservoir conditions, and source-reservoir-cap rock combinations of the Jurassic Shuixigou Group in the Taibei Sag is established using the concept of the whole petroleum system, and the coal-measure whole petroleum system is analyzed thoroughly. The results are obtained in three aspects. First, the coal-measure source rocks of the Badaowan Formation and Xishanyao Formation and the argillaceous source rocks of the Sangonghe Formation in the Shuixigou Group exhibit the characteristics of long-term hydrocarbon generation, multiple hydrocarbon generation peaks, and simultaneous oil and gas generation, providing sufficient oil and gas sources for the whole petroleum system in the Jurassic coal-bearing basin. Second, multi-phase shallow braided river delta–shallow lacustrine deposits contribute multiple types of reservoirs, e.g. sandstone, tight sandstone, shale and coal rock, in slope and depression areas, providing effective storage space for the petroleum reservoir formation in coal-measure strata. Third, three phases of hydrocarbon charging and structural evolution, as well as effective configuration of multiple types of reservoirs, result in the sequential accumulation of conventional-unconventional hydrocarbons. From high structural positions to depression, there are conventional structural and structural-lithological reservoirs far from the source, low-saturation structural-lithological reservoirs near the source, and tight sandstone gas, coal rock gas and shale oil accumulations within the source. Typically, the tight sandstone gas and coal rock gas are the key options for further exploration, and the shale oil and gas in the depression area is worth of more attention. The new understanding of the whole petroleum system in the coal measures could further enrich and improve the geological theory of the whole petroleum system, and provide new ideas for the overall exploration of oil and gas resources in the Tuha Basin.

Summary: Kidney fibrosis marks a critical phase in chronic kidney disease with its molecular intricacies yet to be fully understood. This study’s deep dive into single-cell sequencing data of renal tissue during fibrosis pinpoints the pivotal role of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the fibrotic transformation. Through identifying distinct cell populations and conducting transcriptomic analysis, Spp1 emerged as a key gene associated with renal fibrosis. The study’s experimental findings further confirm Spp1’s vital function in promoting fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation via the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, underscoring its contribution to fibrosis progression. The suppression of Spp1 expression notably hindered this differentiation process, spotlighting Spp1 as a promising therapeutic target for halting renal fibrosis. This condensed summary encapsulates the essence and findings of the original research within the specified word limit.

In response to the poor active support effect of the surface protection components in soft coal roadway and the continuous expansion of the broken range of local exposed surrounding rock, which leads to the failure of anchor rod and cables, a mesh grouting surface type prestressed application technology has been developed. The authors conducted post mesh grouting tests on different specifications and models of metal mesh, and obtained the mechanical response characteristics of the support system during the application of active surface prestressing. Based on this, the post mesh grouting tests on the roof and two sides of the mesh under on-site conditions were carried out, verifying the applicability of post mesh grouting technology. The research results indicate that: ① There is a gap between the metal mesh and the coal wall, which leads to poor active support ability. The continuous expansion of the broken range of the exposed surrounding rock is the main controlling factor for the failure of anchor rod and anchor cable support. Filling the uneven structure around the contact surface between the metal mesh and the coal wall, increasing the active support ability of the protective surface components, and comprehensively sealing the surrounding rock are the technical means to improve the anchor mesh support system; ② Injecting and filling between the metal mesh and the surrounding rock can achieve the application of surface active pre-stress. The trend of surface stress change is mainly divided into: the initial stage of constant surface stress, the stage of increasing surface stress, and the stage of reducing surface stress to stable state; ③ During the process of grouting behind the mesh, the trend of changes in surface stress values is closely related to the grouting pressure and deformation of the metal mesh. During the process of increasing surface stress, the grouting pressure and deformation of the metal mesh also increase accordingly; ④ Grouting behind the mesh can effectively alleviate the stress concentration of the cable tray. During the process of increasing the surface stress value, the pre-tightening force of the cable with stress concentration can show a small decrease trend, while the pre-tightening force of the cable with relatively uniform stress shows a synchronous upward trend during the process of increasing the surface stress value. The technologies developed are expected to become supporting technologies for rock bolt support, providing technical and theoretical references for the treatment of complex and difficult roadway.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and significance of rituximab (RTX) on the levels of T lymphocyte subsets in patients diagnosed with primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). Methods A total of 58 PMN patients and 25 healthy donors were chosen as the subjects. Among the PMN patients, 40 individuals received RTX treatment and completed at least 6 months of follow-up. All subjects underwent flow cytometry analysis to determine the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. The changes in anti-PLA2R antibody titers and 24-hour urinary protein levels were evaluated by ELISA and Biuret method before and after treatment. Results (1) The PMN group exhibited a significantly greater percentage of peripheral blood CD3−CD19+ B cells than the healthy group, which is consistent with the findings of previous reports. Additionally, compared with those in the peripheral blood of healthy individuals, the numbers of CD4+ central memory T cells, CD4+ effector memory T cells, CD4+/CD8+, and CD4+CD25+ T cells in the PMN peripheral blood were markedly greater. However, the number of peripheral blood Treg cells was reduced in the PMN group. (2) After 6 months of RTX treatment, PMN patients exhibited significant decreases in anti-PLA2R antibody titers, 24-hour urinary protein levels, and peripheral blood CD3−CD19+ B cells. Importantly, RTX administration decreased CD4+CD25+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ in the peripheral blood of PMN patients and improved Treg cell levels. (3) RTX treatment induced alterations in the CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets in PMN patients, which did not correlate with B lymphocyte counts or anti-PLA2R antibody titers. Conclusions RTX treatment might have a beneficial impact on cellular immunity by effectively restoring the balance of CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets in PMN patients, which is beyond its effects on B cells and antibody production. Trial registration The research was registered at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Registration Number: MR-32-23-016211. Registration Date: May 31, 2023.

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) is one of the most popular feature learning technologies in the field of machine learning and pattern recognition. It has been widely used and studied in the multi-view clustering tasks because of its effectiveness. This study proposes a general semi-supervised multi-view nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm. This algorithm incorporates discriminative and geometric information on data to learn a better-fused representation, and adopts a feature normalizing strategy to align the different views. Two specific implementations of this algorithm are developed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework: Graph regularization based Discriminatively Constrained Multi-View Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (GDCMVNMF) and Extended Multi-View Constrained Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (ExMVCNMF). The intrinsic connection between these two specific implementations is discussed, and the optimization based on multiply update rules is presented. Experiments on six datasets show that the effectiveness of GDCMVNMF and ExMVCNMF outperforms several representative unsupervised and semi-supervised multi-view NMF approaches.

Total nitrogen concentration (CTN) enrichment is the primary cause of natural water eutrophication. Accurately estimating CTN and its spatiotemporal dynamics is crucial for formulating monitoring and control measures to alleviate lake eutrophication. A hybrid model was proposed for estimating CTN in optically complex inland waters by incorporating the relationship between CTN and water optical active components for Zhuhai-1 Orbita hyperspectral (OHS) imagery. Compared with other semi-analytical algorithms, the re-adjusted reference wavelength QAA716 shows the best performance in aph(λ) retrieval. The hybrid model for CTN estimation achieves an root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.20 mg/L, a mean absolute percentage deviation (MAPD) of 6.96 %, and a unbiased mean absolute percentage deviation (UMAPD) of 6.96 %, with aph(569) accuracy exerting the greatest influence. Ground-satellite synchronous validation demonstrates robust performance, with an RMSD of 0.28 mg/L, a MAPD of 14.49 %, and a UMAPD of 14.92 %. The hybrid model was applied to OHS observations of Lake Dianchi from April 2019 to September 2021. The analysis revealed a generally decreasing trend in CTN during this timeframe. The above results demonstrate that the robustness and applicability of the proposed CTN hybrid model for inland waters with complex optical properties. Furthermore, satellite-based data products provide valuable information for formulating lake management strategies.

Objective(s): Inadequate cytotrophoblast migration and invasion are speculated to result in preeclampsia, which is a pro-inflammatory condition. Sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) exerts anti-inflammatory actions. Thus,we sought to investigate the effect of DCA on the migration function of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human-trophoblast-derived cell line (HTR-8/SVneo).Materials and Methods: HTR-8/SVneo cells were treated with LPS to suppress cell migration. Cell migration was examined by both scratch wound healing assay and transwell migration assay. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression levels of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the cells.Results: DCA reversed LPS-induced inhibition of migration in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Furthermore, DCA significantly suppressed LPS-induced activation of TLR4, phosphorylation of NF-κB (p65), translocation of p65 into the nucleus, and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). Treatment with inhibitors of TLR4 signal transduction (CLI095 or MD2-TLR-4-IN-1) reduced LPS-induced overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and a synergistic effect was found between TLR4 inhibitors and DCA in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Conclusion: DCA improved trophoblast cell migration function by suppressing LPS-induced inflammation, at least in part, via the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. This result indicates that DCA might be a potential therapeutic candidate for human pregnancy-related complications associated with trophoblast disorder.

Objective To solve the problems of "draught without slurry", poor groutability and slurry stability in the grouting process of completely weathered granite, a new composite grouting material is proposed in this paper to improve the anti-seepage and mechanical properties of completely weathered granite. Methods Through a series of laboratory experiments, it investigates the effects of different water-solid ratios, superfine bentonite, and superfine Portland cement content on the engineering properties of grouting materials. The formation mechanism of the slurry were studied, and the optimal formula of the cement slurry was determined. The experiment revealed the action mechanism of the two superfine materials on the fluidity, stability, and stone body strength of the grout. Finally, the castability and effectiveness of the grouting material were verified by a field test. Results The results show that the composite slurry with a water-solid ratio of 1.2, a content of superfine bentonite and superfine Portland cement of 10%, and a content of ordinary Portland cement of 80% has good fluidity, stability, and resistance. The funnel viscosity was 35.5 s, the water separation rate was 2.4%, and the compressive strengths at 7 d and 28 d were both greater than 5 MPa. The compressive strength and the content of superfine bentonite in the composite material play a leading role in the properties of the slurry. The content of superfine bentonite and the morphology and distribution of its hydrated colloids determine the stability of the slurry, while an appropriate amount of superfine Portland cement increases the content of fine particles, making it easier for the cement to fill the gaps between the particles and improving the injectability of the slurry and the strength of the stone body. Conclusion The composite grouting material has excellent performance in the field test and good grouting performance. The wall formed after grouting meets the design requirements in terms of the anti-seepage effect and reinforcement performance.

This study explored the effects of different protein and energy levels on growth performance and serum biochemical indices of ewes during early and mid-pregnancy. A total of 132 ewes were assigned to 5 groups (P1, P2 = E2, P3, E1, E3) to dietary protein levels (P1: 9.22%, P2: 10.04%, P3: 10.86%) and dietary energy levels (E1: 9.04 MJ/kg, E2: 9.53 MJ/kg, E3: 10.02 MJ/kg). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increased with an increase in protein levels in early pregnancy (P = .008). In the P2 group, creatinine, triglyceride, and lactate levels were lowest and total protein levels were highest in mid-pregnancy (P

C1q domain-containing (C1qDC) proteins are significant pattern recognition receptors in the innate immune system that play important roles in regulating immune responses in vertebrates and invertebrates. In this study, a gene encoding the fish C1qDC (designated CiC1ql2) from the grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella was characterized for the first time. Like other reported C1ql proteins, CiC1ql2 contains a conserved C1q domain and a signal peptide at its 5′ end. Expression profile analysis revealed that CiC1ql2 was mostly expressed in the intestine but was expressed at low levels in the brain and gill. In vivo injection experiments directly revealed that CiC1ql2 exhibited strong responsiveness to Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas veronii and pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) challenge, as indicated by the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan (PGN), and that the expression of these genes was significantly upregulated in the intestine of C. idella. Additionally, the recombinant CiC1ql2 protein obviously promoted the agglutination of the gram-negative bacteria A. hydrophila and A. veronii and the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, as shown by in vitro binding experiments. Moreover, CiC1ql2 protein injection experiment revealed that CiC1ql2 significantly enhanced the expression levels of classic complement genes (C3, C5, and C7) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8), while knockdown of CiC1ql2 decreased the expression of these immune-related genes. Taken together, our results suggested that CiC1ql2 could act as a pathogenic pattern recognition receptor involved in complement activation and that this might be related to the intestinal defense of C. idella against bacterial infection.

Antibiotic resistance of pathogens, which is caused by the abuse of in-feed antibiotics, threatens the sustainable development of livestock production. The present study aimed to investigate the efficiency of porcine intestinal antimicrobial peptide (PIAP) as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics in terms of growth performance, intestinal morphology, digestive enzymes and immunity, and microbiota community of the post-weaning piglets. A total of 204 piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, weaned at 28 d age) with a similar body weight of 7.97 ± 1.04 kg were randomly allocated to 4 groups (51 piglets per group): (1) control group: basal diet; (2) AB group: antibiotic, basal diet + chlortetracycline (1000 mg/kg from d 1 to 24; 500 mg/kg from d 25 to 37); (3) P1 group: basal diet + a relatively low dose of PIAP (400 mg/kg from d 1 to 24; 300 mg/kg from d 25 to 37); (4) P2 group, basal diet + a relatively high dose of PIAP (600 mg/kg from d 1 to 24; 500 mg/kg from d 25 to 37). The results showed that serum indicators of hepatocyte damage and relative organ weight were not affected by these treatments (P > 0.05). Compared with the AB treatment, the P1 treatment remarkably decreased jejunal crypt depth and increased jejunal and ileal villus height:crypt depth ratio (P

It is essential and convenient to use accurate and validated numerical models to simulate the seismic performance of post-tensioned (PT) rocking bridge piers, with a particular emphasis on accurately capturing rocking behavior. The primary contribution of this study is a comparison of the effectiveness of four commonly used numerical base rocking models (namely, the lumped plasticity (LP) model and the multi-contact spring (MCS) models with linear elastic (MCS-LE), bilinear elastic–plastic (MCS-EP) and nonlinear plastic (MCS-NP) material behavior, respectively) in modeling both the cyclic and seismic responses of PT rocking bridge piers. Also, this study validates the 3D contact stiffness equation for numerical models and assesses the differences between the dynamic and static stiffness values of the contact springs. Both quasi-static and shaking table tests of typical PT rocking piers are adopted to calibrate/validate these numerical models. These models describing the PT rocking piers’ seismic performance are formulated and calibrated, showing good agreement with test results for test specimens. Additionally, the suggested values of model spring stiffness for dynamic and quasi-static analyses are identified by parametric analysis. All base rocking models can predict the pier’s cyclic and seismic behavior after the calibration of contact spring stiffness values. The recommended contact stiffness for the dynamic analysis of PT rocking piers is smaller than that used for the quasi-static analysis. The results and findings provide a valuable reference and solution for the numerical simulation of PT rocking piers.

Abstract Objectives Although postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) could reduce the incidence of local recurrence in patients with IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the role of PORT on survival in patients with surgically treated stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC remains controversial. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of PORT on survival for patients with surgically treated stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. Materials and methods This study population was chosen from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine significant contributors to overall survival (OS) and cancer special survival (CSS) outcomes. To balance baseline characteristics between the non-PORT group and PORT group, propensity score matching (PSM) with 1:1 propensity nearest-neighbor match by 0.001 matching tolerance was conducted by R software. Furthermore, a Kaplan–Meier curve was used to visualize the OS and CSS between the PORT group and non-PORT group survival probability. Results Of all evaluated cases, 4511 with IIIA-N2 NSCLC were eligible for inclusion, of which 1920 were enrolled into the PORT group. On univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, sex, age, year of diagnosis, race, histologic type, T stage, PORT, use of chemotherapy, and positive regional nodes were significantly associated with OS and CSS in IIIA-N2 NSCLC (P

According to the latest drilling and the analysis of the burial history, source rock evolution history and hydrocarbon accumulation history, the sub-source hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics of the Permian reservoirs in the Jinan Sag, eastern Junggar Basin, are clarified, and the hydrocarbon accumulation model of these reservoirs is established. The results are obtained in four aspects. First, the main body of the thick salified lake basin source rocks in the Lucaogou Formation has reached the mature stage with abundant resource base. Large-scale reservoirs are developed in the Jingjingzigou, Wutonggou and Lucaogou formations. Vertically, there are multiple sets of good regional seals, the source-reservoir-caprock assemblage is good, and there are three reservoir-forming assemblages: sub-source, intra-source and above-source. Second, dissolution, hydrocarbon charging and pore-preserving effect, and presence of chlorite film effectively increase the sub-source pore space. Oil charging is earlier than the time when the reservoir becomes densified, which improves the efficiency of hydrocarbon accumulation. Third, buoyancy and source-reservoir pressure difference together constitute the driving force of oil charging, and the micro-faults within the formation give the advantage of “source-reservoir lateral docking” under the source rock. Microfractures can be critical channels for efficient seepage and continuous charging of oil in different periods. Fourth, the Jingjingzigou Formation experienced three periods of oil accumulation in the Middle–Late Permian, Middle–Late Jurassic and Late Neogene, with the characteristics of long-distance migration and accumulation in early stage, mixed charging and accumulation in middle stage and short-distance migration and high-position accumulation in late stage. The discovery and theoretical understanding of the Permian reservoirs in the Jinan Sag reveal that the thrust belt has good conditions for forming large reservoirs, and it is promising for exploration. The study results are of guidance and reference significance for oil and gas exploration in the Jinan Sag and other geologically similar areas.

HJ-2 (Huanjing-2) was launched in September 2020. It has a charge-coupled device (CCD) that offers a spatial resolution of 16 m and a revisiting time of two days, making it an excellent option for environmental and disaster monitoring. However, more evaluation is needed for the ability of CCD to monitor water quality. As chlorophyll a concentration (CChla) is the main indicator for water quality evaluation, in this study, the performance of the CCD sensor to monitor CChla has been verified, with a particular focus on typical eutrophic lakes. The essential findings can be summarized as follows: (1) the CCD sensor has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than 400 in all bands except the green band, indicating that it meets the requirements for water quality monitoring; (2) the semi-empirical estimation model of CChla derived from HJ-2 CCD has a mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 8.18 μg/L, root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 10.66 μg/L and mean absolute percentage deviation (MAPD) of 20.93 %; (3) the higher temporal and spatial resolution of the CCD data enables effective monitoring of water quality parameters characterized by high spatiotemporal variations; (4) HJ-2 CCD exhibits strong consistency with Sentinel-2 MSI and Sentinel-3 OLCI across various bands, with most bands showing correlation coefficients exceeding 0.8 and a MAPD below 30 %. This study reveals the significant potential and practical value of HJ-2 CCD data for monitoring and assessing water quality, providing important information for the design and development of next-generation satellites.

The loading mine stiffness and the post-peak stiffness of a coal pillar are important factors affecting the occurrence of coal bursts. In order to systematically study the mechanism of coal bursts and pillar bursts based on local mine stiffness theory, a laboratory-scale coal burst experiment system has been developed. The system is mainly composed of static loading system, energy storage system, variable stiffness loading system, excavation system and multi-source information monitoring system. The main innovations of the test system are as follows: ① An excavation device is added to the loading system, which can induce the stress concentration of the specimen and the reduction of local mine stiffness through excavation in the pressure-holding state. Coal bursts will occur when the specimen is stressed to its bearing capacity and the local system stiffness is lower than the post-peak stiffness of the specimen. ② The loading system is equipped with an energy storage device of oil cylinder airbag accumulator, which can store energy during loading. ③ A variable stiffness loading device is set up to adjust different loading stiffnesses by adjusting the initial airbag pressure of airbag accumulator. ④ The experiment system can reproduce the whole process of specimen from loading-stabilization-excavation-burst in laboratory, which makes it possible to monitor the strain of coal pillar during the whole process of coal bursts and observe the burst process. The accuracy and reliability of the simulation equipment are verified by preliminary laboratory tests on high-strength concrete blocks and realistic coal samples. The test results show that under the condition of low stiffness loading, the unstable failure of coal pillars can be effectively induced by excavating bottom samples, and the failure position extends from the low stiffness side to the high stiffness side. The damaged central residual coal pillar is dumbbell shaped under the action of top and bottom plate friction, and is cut off at the center by a transverse sawtooth crack penetrating the sample, resulting in a significant reduction in the bearing capacity of the coal pillar. The development of the experiment system can reproduce the whole process of coal bursts from loading, pressure stabilization, excavation and unstable failure in the laboratory from the perspective of local mine stiffness, and can provide an experimental basis for the mechanism of coal bursts in coal mines.

This study presents two concepts for integrating a wave rotor combustor (WRC) into a baseline engine: the wave rotor pressure-gain cycle (WRPGC) and the wave rotor work cycle (WRWC). Performance parameters were calculated under different thermodynamic cycles, and a comparative analysis of the thermodynamic cycles was conducted, considering both the ideal- and actual-loss conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the WRC precompression ratio, turbine inlet temperature, and fixed peak cycle temperature on the thermodynamic-cycle performance was investigated. The results indicate that embedding a WRC into a baseline engine with a compressor pressure ratio higher than 24.0 does not lead to an improvement in the thermal efficiency. However, under a baseline engine pressure ratio of 3.6, the actual-loss WRC cycle achieves efficiency improvements of 40.5% and 49.5% in the WRPGC and WRWC, respectively, compared to the baseline engine cycle. Increasing the wave rotor precompression ratio or the turbine inlet temperature ratio results in greater performance improvements for the WRWC compared to the WRPGC. When the peak cycle temperature of the wave rotor is fixed, there exists a narrow pressure ratio range wherein the WRPGC outperforms the WRWC. Therefore, the WRPGC is more suitable for embedment in baseline engines with lower pressure ratios.

Abstract Addressing the challenge of promoting directional axonal regeneration in a hostile astrocytic scar, which often impedes recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI), remains a daunting task. Cell transplantation is a promising strategy to facilitate nerve restoration in SCI. In this research, a pro‐regeneration system is developed, namely miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs, for olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), a preferred choice for promoting nerve regeneration in SCI patients. These entities show high responsiveness to external magnetic fields (MF), leading to synergistic multimodal cues to enhance nerve regeneration. First, an MF stimulates miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs to release extracellular vesicles (EVs) rich in miR‐26a. This encourages axon growth by inhibiting PTEN and GSK‐3β signaling pathways in neurons. Second, miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs exhibit a tendency to migrate and orientate along the direction of the MF, thereby potentially facilitating neuronal reconnection through directional neurite elongation. Third, miR‐26a‐enriched EVs from miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs can interact with host astrocytes, thereby diminishing inhibitory cues for neurite growth. In a rat model of SCI, the miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs system led to significantly improved morphological and motor function recovery. In summary, the miR‐26a@SPIONS‐OECs pro‐regeneration system offers innovative insights into engineering exogenous cells with multiple additional cues, augmenting their efficacy for stimulating and guiding nerve regeneration within a hostile astrocytic scar in SCI.

The proliferation of algal blooms can lead to environmental issues. The phytoplankton responsible for these blooms are diverse. Different species of bloom-forming algae have distinct characteristics and hazards, and therefore need different treatment methods. An accurate and quick determination of the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of different algal species is crucial for lake ecological restoration. Based on the differences in remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) of various typical algae species in eutrophic lakes (including Microcystis aeruginosa, Aphanizomenon sp., and Pseudanabaena sp. in Cyanobacteria and Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus quadricauda in Chlorophytes), difference index and algae distinguishing index were developed to differentiate algae species. A validation, using an independent dataset from an indoor experiment and in-situ-measured and satellite-image-derived Rrs, showed that the algorithm can provide reliable results (overall accuracies of 81.97%, 81.25%, and 60.42%, respectively). According to Ocean and Land Color Instrument images of Lake Taihu in the period of 2016 to 2020, Microcystis was the dominant algae, followed by Pseudanabaena and Aphanizomenon. The dominance of the two types of Chlorophytes was less pronounced. The proportion of Microcystis as the dominant algae was highest in summer, while the proportion of Pseudanabaena peaked in winter. The proportion of Aphanizomenon varied slightly throughout the year, while the proportion of the two Chlorophytes peaked in winter. In terms of spatial distribution, the patterns in spring and autumn were relatively similar. In summer, approximately 80% of the lake was dominated by Microcystis. In winter, Chlorella and Scenedesmus were more prevalent along the southeastern shore of Lake Taihu. The construction and application of this model can provide a technical support for prediction and prevention of blooms in inland lakes.

An experimental system employing hot jet ignition was used to investigate the effects of hot jet equivalence ratio, jet flow rate, and premixture equivalence ratio on the ignition and flame propagation characteristics of a single-channel wave rotor combustor. The study revealed that the hot jet equivalence ratio and jet flow rate exert a notable influence on the initial flame front position. The ignition delay time for the wave rotor combustor remains approximately 4 ms within the tested parameter range, regardless of variations in the jet conditions. The stable flame propagation velocity primarily depends on the premixture equivalence ratio within the wave rotor channel, with optimal flame propagation achieved at a specific ratio. Additionally, the premixture equivalence ratio inside the wave rotor channel significantly impacts the shape of the flame front.

Energy-absorbing rockbolts have been widely adopted in burst-prone excavation support, and their serviceability is closely related to the frequency and magnitude of seismic events. In this research, the split-tube drop test with varying impact energy was conducted to reproduce the dynamic performance of MP1 rockbolts under a wide range of seismic event magnitudes. The test results showed that the impact process could be subdivided into four distinct stages, i.e. mobilization, strain hardening, plastic flow (ductile), and rebound stage, of which strain hardening and plastic flow are the primary energy absorbing stages. As the impact energy per drop increases from 8.1 to 46.7 kJ, the strain rate of the shank varies between 1.20 and 2.70 s−1, and the average impact load is between 240 and 270 kN, which may be considered as constant. The MP1 rockbolt has a cumulative maximum energy absorption (CMEA) of 31.9–40.0 kJ/m, with an average of 35.0 kJ/m, and the elongation rate is 11.4%–14.7%, with an average of 12.7%, both of which are negatively correlated with the impact energy per drop. Regression analysis shows that energy absorption and shank elongation, as well as momentum input and impact duration, conform to the linear relationship. The complete dynamic capacity envelope of MP1 rockbolts is proposed, which reflects the dynamic bearing capacity, elongation, and distinct stages. This study is helpful to better understand the dynamic characteristics of energy-absorbing rockbolts and assist design engineers in robust reinforcement systems design to mitigate rockburst damage in seismically active underground excavations.

The discovery of Carboniferous hydrocarbon source rocks in the Mahu-Shawan Sag has implied considerable exploration potential in the Carboniferous strata in the western Junggar Basin. However, controversy has long surrounded when and how the Junggar Ocean was eventually closed, leading to a poor understanding of the Carboniferous basin evolution and the continental growth of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt. We performed stratigraphic and geochronologic studies to establish the chronostratigraphic framework of the western Junggar Basin to better understand its tectonic-sedimentary evolution during the Carboniferous-Early Permian. Three tectonostratigraphic units in the southern West Junggar region have been identified as Early Carboniferous shallow-deep marine sequences, Late Carboniferous coast-shallow marine sequences, and Early Permian continental sequences. The Carboniferous strata are similar to forearc and backarc-rift sequences in the Western Fault Belt and the Mahu-Shawan Sag, respectively. The Lower Permian strata in the southern West Junggar region are all continental sequences. Seismic profiles indicate extensional settings in the early stage of Late Carboniferous and Early Permian but a compressional setting at the end of Late Carboniferous. Geochemical data have suggested a Carboniferous continental arc setting and an Early Permian within-plate extensional setting. Meanwhile, calc-alkaline arc magma migrated from the Zhongguai High to the Western Fault Belt at the end of the Late Carboniferous. Collectively, the tectonic-sedimentary evolution in the Carboniferous-Early Permian of the southern West Junggar region can be divided into three stages: 1) Early Carboniferous subduction, 2) Late Carboniferous slab roll-back, and 3) Early Permian intra-continental evolution stage. This model constrains the closure of the Junggar Ocean at the Late Carboniferous.

Thirty-six healthy 21-day-old weaned ternary piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into two treatments with 18 replicates per treatment and one pig per replicate. The control group was fed with a basal diet and the test group was fed with diets supplemented with 1 kg/t tea residue. The test period was 28 days. The results are as follows: The addition of tea residue in the diet had no significant effect on the growth performance of weaned piglets (p > 0.05), but it could significantly reduce the diarrhea rate of piglets from 1 to 7 days and 1 to 28 days (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the dietary supplementation of tea residue had no significant effect on nutrient apparent digestibility, plasma biochemical indexes and plasma immune indexes (p > 0.05) but increased the content of glutathione in plasma (p < 0.05). Tea residue had no significant effect on the morphology of the jejunum and ileum of piglets (p > 0.05), but it could significantly reduce the content of chloride ions in feces (p < 0.05). Compared with the basal diet group, there was no significant difference in the relative expression of TMEM16A and CFTR mRNA in the colon of weaned piglets (p > 0.05). The whole-cell patch clamp recording showed that the TMEM16A and CFTR ion channels could be activated by ionomycin and forskolin, respectively. However, when HT-29 cells transfected with TMEM16A and CFTR channels were treated with tea residue extract, it could significantly inhibit the chloride current of the TMEM16A and CFTR ion channels (p < 0.05).

Abstract Background In modern animal husbandry, breeders pay increasing attention to improving sow nutrition during pregnancy and lactation to favor the health of neonates. Sow milk is a main food source for piglets during their first three weeks of life, which is not only a rich repository of essential nutrients and a broad range of bioactive compounds, but also an indispensable source of commensal bacteria. Maternal milk microorganisms are important sources of commensal bacteria for the neonatal gut. Bacteria from maternal milk may confer a health benefit on the host. Methods Sow milk bacteria were isolated using culturomics followed by identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To screen isolates for potential probiotic activity, the functional evaluation was conducted to assess their antagonistic activity against pathogens in vitro and evaluate their resistance against oxidative stress in damaged Drosophila induced by paraquat. In a piglet feeding trial, a total of 54 newborn suckling piglets were chosen from nine sows and randomly assigned to three treatments with different concentrations of a candidate strain. Multiple approaches were carried out to verify its antioxidant function including western blotting, enzyme activity analysis, metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results The 1240 isolates were screened out from the sow milk microbiota and grouped into 271 bacterial taxa based on a nonredundant set of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Among 80 Pediococcus isolates, a new Pediococcus pentosaceus strain (SMM914) showed the best performance in inhibition ability against swine pathogens and in a Drosophila model challenged by paraquat. Pretreatment of piglets with SMM914 induced the Nrf2-Keap1 antioxidant signaling pathway and greatly affected the pathways of amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism in plasma. In the colon, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was significantly increased in the high dose SMM914 group compared with the control group. Conclusion P. pentosaceus SMM914 is a promising probiotic conferring antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 antioxidant signaling pathway in piglets. Our study provided useful resources for better understanding the relationships between the maternal microbiota and offspring. Video Abstract

Abstract This paper presents an iterative learning control approach to achieve precise tracking control for a class of repeatable parabolic multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) partial differential equations (PDEs) with time‐varying delays over a finite time interval. Feedback control is utilised in the iterative learning control system to improve the convergence speed of the repeatable system. A Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional is constructed to deal with the time‐varying delay problem caused by the model uncertainty of MIMO PDEs. Collocated piecewise control and piecewise measurement is considered based on the distributions of actuators and sensors to generate multiple inputs and multiple outputs. By using the mean value theorem for integrals, variants of the Poincaré–Wirtinger inequality in the 1D space, Cauchy–Schwartz inequality and Gronwall–Bellman lemma, sufficient conditions that guarantee the convergence of the iterative learning feedback control system are presented. Numerical simulation experiments and comparisons verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method.

Early weaning in piglets can cause a series of negative effects. This causes serious losses to the livestock industry. N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine (D-GlcNAc) plays an important role in regulating the homeostasis of the intestine. This study aimed to investigate the effects of D-GlcNAc on the growth performance and intestinal function of weaned piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc, 6.58 ± 0.15 kg, n = 8) at 21 d old were fed 3 diets supplemented with 0 (control), 1 and 3 g/kg D-GlcNAc. The intestinal organoid model was used to verify the regulatory mechanism of D-GlcNAc on intestinal epithelial cells. On the whole, supplementation of D-GlcNAc in the piglet diet has no significant effect on the growth performance and diarrhoea of weaned piglets (P > 0.05). The apparent digestibility of nutrients and mRNA abundance of nutrient transporters in the 1 g/kg D-GlcNAc group were increased significantly (P

This study aimed to assess the changes of small intestinal morphology, progenitors, differentiated epithelial cells, and potential mechanisms in neonatal piglets. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of samples from 36 piglets suggested that dramatic changes were observed in the jejunum crypts depth and crypt fission index of neonatal piglets (P

The performance of traditional steady grouting is sometimes limited; therefore, a new high-frequency pulsed grouting method is proposed. Through the CFD method, this paper studies the cement slurry penetration performance of cyclic grouting under the influence of pulsating pressure and steady pressure. Firstly, the penetration shape and flow fields of the two grouting methods are investigated. Secondly, the effects of pulsation parameters on penetration performance are studied. Finally, the influence of various working conditions, such as soil properties, grout parameters, grouting pipe length, and back pressure, on penetration distance is also investigated. The results show that pulsating grouting achieves better penetration performance compared with steady pressure grouting. With the increase in frequency, pulsating grouting exhibits superior performance, while with the increase in pulsation amplitude, the penetration distance initially increases and then decreases. This is because part of the pulsating pressure is lower than the back pressure, which weakens the pulsating effect. As viscosity and back pressure increase and as porosity and particle size decrease, the proportion of lateral diffusion in pulsating grouting relative to steady pressure grouting increases. This indicates that lateral penetration performance achieves optimal results under high-flow-resistance conditions. However, when the flow resistance becomes excessively high, the vertical penetration distance may be affected. This study is expected to improve the grouting efficiency and provide a better understanding of pulsating grouting design and operation.

The fluid evolution and reservoir formation model of the ultra-deep gas reservoirs in the Permian Qixia Formation of the northwestern Sichuan Basin are investigated by using thin section, cathodoluminescence, inclusion temperature and U-Pb isotopic dating, combined with gas source identification plates and reservoir formation evolution profiles established based on burial history, thermal history, reservoir formation history and diagenetic evolution sequence. The fluid evolution of the marine ultra-deep gas reservoirs in the Qixia Formation has undergone two stages of dolomitization and one phase of hydrothermal action, two stages of oil and gas charging and two stages of associated burial dissolution. The diagenetic fluids include ancient seawater, atmospheric freshwater, deep hydrothermal fluid and hydrocarbon fluids. The two stages of hydrocarbon charging happened in the Late Triassic and Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous respectively, and the Middle to Late Cretaceous is the period when the crude oil cracked massively into gas. The gas reservoirs in deep marine Permian strata of northwest Sichuan feature multiple source rocks, composite transportation, differential accumulation and late finalization. The natural gas in the Permian is mainly cracked gas from Permian marine mixed hydrocarbon source rocks, with cracked gas from crude oil in the deeper Sinian strata in local parts. The scale development of paleo-hydrocarbon reservoirs and the stable and good preservation conditions are the keys to the forming large-scale gas reservoirs.

Energy costs are the key factors regarding the selection of appropriate renewable energy (RWG) alternatives. All costs of a power plant, such as investment, operation, maintenance, and repair are considered in the scope of levelized costs. Therefore, for the effective determination of the selling price of the energy, levelized cost has a guiding role. Because the levelized costs of RWG alternatives develop the sustainable production and energy consumption for the long term, the leading indicators of these costs should be analyzed significantly. Accordingly, in this study, it is aimed to investigate the levelized cost of RWG alternatives by using bipolar q-rung orthopair fuzzy (q-ROF) hybrid decision-making approach. The novelty of this study is to recommend an integrated decision-making model based on bipolar and q-ROFSs with golden cut. At the first stage, bipolar q-ROF multi stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (M-SWARA) is employed for weighting the selected criteria of levelized costs of RWG alternatives. At the following stage, bipolar q-ROF technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is considered to rank the alternatives in terms of the levelized cost performance. On the other side, vise kriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje (VIKOR) model is also considered to rank the alternatives. In addition to this issue, the sensitivity analysis is also performed with four cases comparatively. Hence, consistency, reliability and coherency of the proposed model can be measured. It is identified that capacity loss has the greatest importance regarding the levelized cost of RWG projects. Solar is found as the best clean energy type with respect to the levelized cost management performance. In this context, it would be appropriate for investors to design projects close to the center. This will contribute to increasing the efficiency and productivity of these projects.

Abstract Lipid metabolism, especially fatty acid oxidation (FAO) dysfunction, is a major driver of renal fibrosis; however, the detailed regulatory mechanisms involved remain unclear. In this study, we showed that there existed an association between the signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) and tubular lipid metabolism in fibrotic kidneys. Specifically, STAT6 was activated along with the accumulation of lipids via the downregulation of FAO-related genes when mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) or high-fat diet challenge. Tubular-specific depletion, or pharmacologic inhibitor of Stat6 in mice, and Stat6 knockdown in cultured tubular cells attenuated lipid accumulation and renal fibrosis by enhancing FAO. Mechanistically, STAT6 transcriptionally inhibited the expression of PPARα and its FAO-related target genes through a sis-inducible element located in the promoter region of the protein. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the mechanistic details of STAT6-mediated FAO dysregulation in the progression of renal fibrosis and provides a preclinical rationale for efforts to improve the management of renal fibrosis brought about by FAO dysregulation.

Introduction: Ureteral stents blocked with encrustation are a common clinical complication and affect bacteria colonization and inflammatory response. In this study, different concentrations of copper (0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 g/L) were immobilized on polyurethane (PU) that showed functionalization of microbe resistance and regulation of the inflammation response to RAW264.7.Methods: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM) and static water contact angles were used to analyze the surface characterization. Proteus mirabilis resistance test and adhesion of cells by SEM were carried out to evaluate the antibacterial property of Cu-bearing samples. Cell cytotoxicity assay and apoptosis were used to obtain acceptable concentrations of PU-Cu. The morphology of cells was used to observe the occurrence of pseudopodia after contact with PU-Cu. Would healing assay and Transwell invasion assay were carried out to observe the migration and recovery of macrophages. IL-6 and IL-10 were used to evaluate the secretion of pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines.Results: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM), and static water contact angle measurement were used to confirm successful immobilization of Cu on PU. Plate counting assay and observation of adhered cells by SEM demonstrated that the antibacterial performance of PU-Cu against Proteus mirabilis increased with the amount of Cu loading in a dependent manner. Furthermore, the CCK-8 assay and apoptosis test suggested an acceptable cytotoxicity of PU-Cu at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/L. The morphology of cells observed by SEM showed reduced occurrence of pseudopodia after contact with PU-Cu. Wound healing and transwell invasion assays manifested that migration and recovery of macrophages were improved by PU-Cu. ELISA of IL-6 and IL-10 demonstrated that PU-Cu could regulate inflammatory cytokines toward anti-inflammatory functionalization.

Ischemia stroke and epilepsy are two neurological diseases that have significant patient and societal burden, with similar symptoms of neurological deficits. However, the underlying mechanism of their co-morbidity are still unclear. In this study, we performed a combined analysis of six gene expression profiles (GSE58294, GSE22255, GSE143272, GSE88723, GSE163654, and GSE174574) to reveal the common mechanisms of IS and epilepsy. In the mouse datasets, 74 genes were co-upregulated and 7 genes were co-downregulated in the stroke and epilepsy groups. Further analysis revealed that the co-expressed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in negative regulation of angiogenesis and the MAPK signaling pathway, and this was verified by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of human datasets and single cell RNA sequence of middle cerebral artery occlusion mice. In addition, combining DEGs of human and mouse, PTGS2, TMCC3, KCNJ2, and GADD45B were identified as cross species conserved hub genes. Meanwhile, molecular docking results revealed that trichostatin A and valproic acid may be potential therapeutic drugs. In conclusion, to our best knowledge, this study conducted the first comorbidity analysis of epilepsy and ischemic stroke to identify the potential common pathogenic mechanisms and drugs. The findings may provide an important reference for the further studies on post-stroke epilepsy.

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a fatal cerebrovascular disease involving several pathological mechanisms. Modification of 7-methylguanosine (m7G) has multiple regulatory functions. However, the expression pattern and mechanism of m7G in IS remain unknown. Herein, we aimed to explore the effect of m7G modification on IS.Methods: We screened significantly different m7G-regulated genes in Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, GSE58294 and GSE22255. The random forest (RF) algorithm was selected to identify key m7G-regulated genes that were subsequently validated using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). A risk model was subsequently generated using key m7G-regulated genes. Then, “ConsensusClusterPlus” package was used to distinguish different m7G clusters of patients with IS. Simultaneously, between two m7G clusters, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and immune infiltration differences were also explored. Finally, we investigated functional enrichment and the mRNA–miRNA–transcription factor network of DEGs.Results: RF and qPCR confirmed that EIF3D, CYFIP2, NCBP2, DCPS, and NUDT1 were key m7G-related genes in IS that could accurately predict clinical risk (area under the curve = 0.967). NCBP2 was the most significantly associated gene with immune infiltration. Based on the expression profiles of these key m7G-related genes, the IS group could be divided into two clusters. According to the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithm, four types of immune cells (immature dendritic cells, macrophages, natural killer T cells, and TH1 cells) were significantly different in the two m7G clusters. The functional enrichment of 282 DEGs between the two clusters was mainly concentrated in the “regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway,” “cellular response to DNA damage stimulus,” “adaptive immune system,” and “pyroptosis.” The miR-214–LTF–FOXJ1 axis may be a key regulatory pathway for IS.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that EIF3D, CYFIP2, NCBP2, DCPS, and NUDT1 may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers for IS and that the m7G clusters developed by these genes provide more evidence for the regulation of m7G in IS.

The dysregulation of autophagy contributes to renal fibrosis. N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is a critical mediator of autophagy. Our previous studies have reported that the disorder of the PPARα/fatty acid oxidation (FAO) axis in renal tubular cells is suppressed by STAT6, which is involved in the regulation of renal fibrotic processes. Here, we found that canagliflozin significantly upregulates SQSTM1/P62, promoting PPARα-mediated FAO by inducing autophagy-dependent STAT6 degradation both in TGF-β1-treated HK2 cells and in unilateral ureteral occlusion (UUO) and ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) renal fibrosis mouse models. Knockdown of P62/SQSTM1 led to the impairment autophagic flux and the dysregulation of the STAT6/PPARα axis, which was confirmed by SQSTM1/P62cKO mice with UUO treatment along with bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, SQSTM1/P62 deficiency in renal tubular cells inhibited canagliflozin’s effects that prevent FAO disorder in renal tubular cells and renal fibrosis. Mechanistically, the level of m6A eraser FTO, which interacted with SQSTM1 mRNA, decreased in the renal tubular cells both in vitro and in vivo after canagliflozin administration. Decrease in FTO stabilized SQSTM1 mRNA, which induced autophagosome formation. Collectively, this study uncovered a previously unrecognized function of canagliflozin in FTO in the autophagy modulation through the regulation of SQSTM1 mRNA stability in the renal tubular STAT6/PPARα/FAO axis and renal fibrosis.

The present study aimed to investigate whether inflammation-associated responses in piglets are induced by high protein (HP) through activating nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Sixteen piglets (35 d of age, Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire], weaned at d 21, initial BW = 9.70 ± 0.11 kg) were allocated to 18% and 26% CP (HP group) at random, comprising 8 replicate pens per treatment. The piglets were slaughtered to collect intestinal tissues when apparent, persistent, and stable diarrhea syndromes happened (on d 12). No significant differences were observed in their growth performance (P > 0.05), but reduction by 19.11%, 25.31%, 23.64% of ADFI, ADG, and G:F, respectively was detected in the HP group. The HP group had greater (P = 0.002) diarrhea rates. Furthermore, dietary HP had lower ileal villus height (VH; P = 0.048), ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VH/CD ratio; P = 0.016), and colonic CD (P = 0.034), as well as had the trend (P = 0.075) to reduce the ileal villus absorptive area. Moreover, HP diets significantly elevated the goblet cell numbers in the ileal villi (P = 0.016) and colonic crypts (P

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a serious pulmonary vascular complication that causes respiratory insufficiency in patients with chronic liver diseases. HPS is characterized by two central pathogenic features—intrapulmonary vascular dilatation (IPVD) and angiogenesis. Endothelial glycocalyx (eGCX) is a gel-like layer covering the luminal surface of blood vessels which is involved in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes including controlling vascular tone and angiogenesis. In terms of lung disorders, it has been well established that eGCX contributes to dysregulated vascular contraction and impaired blood-gas barrier and fluid clearance, and thus might underlie the pathogenesis of HPS. Additionally, pharmacological interventions targeting eGCX are dramatically on the rise. In this review, we aim to elucidate the potential role of eGCX in IPVD and angiogenesis and describe the possible degradation-reconstitution equilibrium of eGCX during HPS through a highlight of recent literature. These studies strongly underscore the therapeutic rationale in targeting eGCX for the treatment of HPS.

The Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Shahejie Fm) of Bohai Bay Basin has ignited unprecedented interest among scholars owing to another breakthrough achieved in shale exploration besides Kongdian Fm. However, this breakthrough, particularly high output submember—the third Member of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Mbr 3) lacks elaborate study on paleoenvironment and its covariations with organic matter (OM) concentration for shales, which impedes the further acquaintances of OM distribution and shale oil–gas possibility. The present study adopts advanced approaches to gain insights into the deposition process of shales in the Mbr 3, Qikou Sag, Bohai Basin. Petrological characteristics, organic geochemistry, and an abundant element database offer a solid foundation for performing master controlling factor analysis and establishing deposition modes for OM accumulation and preservation. Our results indicate that the entire Mbr 3 has potential. Shales in the Mbr 3 of the Shahejie Fm were deposited under a temperate environment with weak weathering and sediment influx surrounded by suboxic freshwater. However, the organic-enriched shale in the upper Mbr 3 is a more desirable exploration layer. Disparate paleoproductivity support and clastic detritus sediment afforded a diminished consequence of OM accumulation between the upper Mbr 3 (L1–L2 in this study) and middle Mbr 3 (L3 in this study). Our investigation suggests that the OM concentration in the shales was dominated primarily via paleoproductivity and secondarily via redox reactions. Clastic sediment influx sets the primarily passive effect, while effect of salinity was minimal. Two sedimentary modes were established to interpret the variability between L1–L2 and L3 during the two depositional stages. The lake expansion period of L3 resulted in shales being deposited mainly on a gentle slope with a shallow water column containing insufficient OM susceptible to redox condition compared to the optimal state in the semideep lake in L1–L2 stage. The results provide an integrated reconstruction of paleosedimentary environment for the target layer and offer a solid basis for further exploration through coupling relationship between sedimentary environment and OM enrichment in the study area.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Amaranthus hypochondriacus (AH) inclusion in the diets of gestating and lactating sows on the lactational feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and growth performance of suckling piglets. During gestation, 40 multiparous Landrace sows were restrictively fed with either a control diet or a diet including 30% AH. Both diets had similar levels of digestible energy and crude protein, but the 30% AH diet had higher crude fibre levels than the control diet. After breeding, lactating sows were fed ad libitum with one of two isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets, either a control diet or a diet containing 10% AH. In gestating sows, AH supplementation was found to be associated with decreased digestibility of crude protein and dry matter (p

ABSTRACT Gut microbes can affect host adaptation to various environment conditions. Escherichia coli is a common gut species, including pathogenic strains and nonpathogenic strains. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different E. coli strains in the gut on the health of pigs. In this study, the complete genomes of two E. coli strains isolated from pigs were sequenced. The whole genomes of Y18J and the enterotoxigenic E. coli strain W25K were compared to determine their roles in pig adaptation to disease. Y18J was isolated from feces of healthy piglets and showed strong antimicrobial activity against W25K in vitro. Gene knockout experiments and complementation analysis followed by modeling the microbe-microbe interactions demonstrated that the antagonistic mechanism of Y18J against W25K relied on the bacteriocins colicin B and colicin M. Compared to W25K, Y18J is devoid of exotoxin-coding genes and has more secondary-metabolite-biosynthetic gene clusters. W25K carries more genes involved in genome replication, in accordance with a shorter cell cycle observed during a growth experiment. The analysis of gut metagenomes in different pig breeds showed that colicins B and M were enriched in Laiwu pigs, a Chinese local breed, but were scarce in boars and Duroc pigs. IMPORTANCE This study revealed the heterogeneity of E. coli strains from pigs, including two strains studied by both in silico and wet experiments in detail and 14 strains studied by bioinformatics analysis. E. coli Y18J may improve the adaptability of pigs toward disease resistance through the production of colicins B and M. Our findings could shed light on the pathogenic and harmless roles of E. coli in modern animal husbandry, leading to a better understanding of intestinal-microbe–pathogen interactions in the course of evolution.

Background: Low grade gliomas(LGGs) present vexatious management issues for neurosurgeons. Chromatin regulators (CRs) are emerging as a focus of tumor research due to their pivotal role in tumorigenesis and progression. Hence, the goal of the current work was to unveil the function and value of CRs in patients with LGGs.Methods: RNA-Sequencing and corresponding clinical data were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database. A single-cell RNA-seq dataset was sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Altogether 870 CRs were retrieved from the published articles in top academic journals. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and Cox regression analysis were applied to construct the prognostic risk model. Patients were then assigned into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. The Kaplan–Meier (K-M) survival curve and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were performed to assess the prognostic value. Sequentially, functional enrichment, tumor immune microenvironment, tumor mutation burden, drug prediction, single cell analysis and so on were analyzed to further explore the value of CR-based signature. Finally, the expression of signature genes were validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).Results: We successfully constructed and validated a 14 CRs-based model for predicting the prognosis of patients with LGGs. Moreover, we also found 14 CRs-based model was an independent prognostic factor. Functional analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in tumor and immune related pathways. Subsequently, our research uncovered that LGGs patients with higher risk scores exhibited a higher TMB and were less likely to be responsive to immunotherapy. Meanwhile, the results of drug analysis offered several potential drug candidates. Furthermore, tSNE plots highlighting the magnitude of expression of the genes of interest in the cells from the scRNA-seq assay. Ultimately, transcription expression of six representative signature genes at the mRNA level was consistent with their protein expression changes.Conclusion: Our findings provided a reliable biomarker for predicting the prognosis, which is expected to offer new insight into LGGs management and would hopefully become a promising target for future research.

Electrode induction melting gas atomization (EIGA) technology is a commonly used and effective method for producing spherical metal powders in additive manufacturing. In this paper, we aim to describe the atomization and fragmentation of liquid sheets from a typical swirl nozzle and highlight the primary breakup of titanium alloy powder production. We developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach to simulate the primary disintegration process of the molten metal using the volume of fluid (VOF) method coupled with the large eddy simulation turbulence model (LES). Our numerical results show that high-speed spraying creates supersonic airflow in the atomization chamber. Recirculation is the main area where primary atomization occurs. The formation of the recirculation zone is the direct driving force that allows atomization to proceed, which will increase turbulence intensity and achieve higher atomization efficiency. VOF-LES simulation can capture some qualitative results such as conical melt-sheet shape, wave formation, ligament formation, and perforation formation. The primary droplet size mainly ranges between 200 and 800 μm. Finally, with increasing gas pressure, the particle size of the atomized powder gradually decreases, and the particle size distribution becomes narrower.

Abstract Spectral clustering is one of the most widely used technologies for clustering tasks, which represents data as a weighted graph, and aims to find an appropriate way to cut the graph apart in order to categorize the raw data. The pivotal step of spectral clustering is to find out the accurate information to estimate the relationship of pairwise data, based on which a graph can be constructed. According to the cognition that different faces are distinguished by the edge contour which can be represented by high‐frequency texture components, a novel spectral clustering algorithm via high‐frequency signal of human face, named high‐frequency spectral clustering (HFSC) is proposed. In HFSC, first the local high‐frequency texture components are extracted from samples. Then the relationship of pairwise samples can be estimated with the degree of correlation, which is produced from the image high‐frequency information. The graph will be set up with the correlation information. Subsequently the graph cut will be implemented to achieve the final clustering results. Experimental results show that this algorithm outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art clustering methods on several datasets.

Abstract Background A novel and improved methodology is still required for the diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The aim of the present study was to identify novel biomarkers using extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived mRNA based on kidney tissue microarray data. Methods Candidate genes were identified by intersecting the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and eGFR-correlated genes using the GEO datasets GSE30528 and GSE96804, followed by clinical parameter correlation and diagnostic efficacy assessment. Results Fifteen intersecting genes, including 8 positively correlated genes, B3GALT2, CDH10, MIR3916, NELL1, OCLM, PRKAR2B, TREM1 and USP46, and 7 negatively correlated genes, AEBP1, CDH6, HSD17B2, LUM, MS4A4A, PTN and RASSF9, were confirmed. The expression level assessment results revealed significantly increased levels of AEBP1 in DKD-derived EVs compared to those in T2DM and control EVs. Correlation analysis revealed that AEBP1 levels were positively correlated with Cr, 24-h urine protein and serum CYC and negatively correlated with eGFR and LDL, and good diagnostic efficacy for DKD was also found using AEBP1 levels to differentiate DKD patients from T2DM patients or controls. Conclusions Our results confirmed that the AEBP1 level from plasma EVs could differentiate DKD patients from T2DM patients and control subjects and was a good indication of the function of multiple critical clinical parameters. The AEBP1 level of EVs may serve as a novel and efficacious biomarker for DKD diagnosis.

Based on drilling cores, well logging and seismic data, source rocks and reservoirs are evaluated; and the natural gas genesis is identified through the analysis of natural gas isotopes, components and fluid inclusions, to study the gas accumulation conditions of the gypsum salt rock related strata of the Ordovician lower assemblage in Ordos Basin. (1) The natural gas from Ordovician lower assemblage is high thermal evolution dry gas from marine source rock, characterized by relatively light δ13C value of methane and heavy δ13C value of ethane. The natural gas is identified as gas cracking from crude oil according to component analysis. Thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) reaction has happened between the hydrocarbon fluid and sulfate as sulfur crystals are found in the cores, hydrogen sulfide is found in the natural gas, and hydrocarbon and hydrogen sulfide fluid inclusions are widespread in secondary minerals. (2) Around the gypsum-salt lows, argillaceous rocks are extensive in the Ordovician lower assemblage, reaching a cumulative thickness of 20–80 m. The effective source rocks include argillaceous rock rich in organic laminae, algal clump and algal dolomite. Analysis shows that the source rocks have a dominant TOC of 0.1%–0.5%, 0.31% on average and 3.24% at maximum. The source rocks have an average TOC of 0.58% after recovered through organic acid salt method, indicating the source rocks have high hydrocarbon supply potential. (3) In the sedimentary period, the palaeo-uplift controlled the distribution of reservoirs. The inherited secondary palaeo-uplift in Wushenqi–Jingbian east of the central palaeo-uplift and the low uplift formed by thick salt rocks near Shenmu–Zizhou area controlled the distribution of penecontemporaneous grain shoal dolomite reservoirs. The salinization sedimentary environment of gypsum salt rock can promote the development of reservoir. There are three types of dolomite reservoirs, the one with intercrystalline pore, with dissolution pore, and with fracture; intercrystalline and dissolution pores are main reservoir spaces. (4) There are two types of cap rocks, namely tight carbonate rock and gypsum-salt rock, constituting two types of source-reservoir-cap assemblages respectively. The general accumulation model is characterized by marine source rock supplying hydrocarbon, beach facies limy dolomite reservoir, small fractures acting as migration pathways, and structural-lithologic traps as accumulation zones. (5) The third and fourth members of Majiagou Formation are major target layers in the lower assemblage. The Wushengqi–Jingbian secondary paleo-uplift area and Shenmu–Zizhou low uplift are dolomite and limestone transition zone, there develops tight limestone to the east of the uplift zone, which is conducive to the formation of gas reservoir sealed by lithology in the updip. Two risk exploration wells drilled recently have encouraging results, indicating that the two uplift zones are important prospects.