Search

Abstract Background To assess the capability of multimodal apparent diffusion (MAD) weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to distinguish between malignant and benign breast lesions, and to predict Ki-67 expression level in breast cancer. Methods This retrospective study was conducted with 93 patients who had postoperative pathology-confirmed breast cancer or benign breast lesions. MAD images were acquired using a 3.0 T MRI scanner with 16 b values. The MAD parameters, as flow (fF, DF), unimpeded (fluid) (fUI), hindered (fH, DH, and αH), and restricted (fR, DR), were calculated. The differences of the parameters were compared by Mann–Whitney U test between the benign/malignant lesions and high/low Ki-67 expression level. The diagnostic performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results The fR in the malignant lesions was significantly higher than in the benign lesions (P = 0.001), whereas the fUI and DH were found to be significantly lower (P = 0.007 and P

Abstract The intensification of human activities in the Yellow River Basin has significantly altered its ecosystems, challenging the sustainability of the region’s ecosystem assets. This study constructs an ecosystem asset index for the period from 2001 to 2020, integrating it with human footprint maps to analyze the temporal and spatial dynamics of ecosystem assets and human activities within the basin, as well as their interrelationships. Our findings reveal significant improvement of ecosystem assets, mainly attributed to the conversion of farmland back into natural habitats, resulting in a 15,994 km2 increase in ecological land use. Notably, 45.88% of the basin has experienced concurrent growth in both human activities and ecosystem assets, with ecosystem assets expanding at a faster rate (22.61%) than human activities (17.25%). Areas with high-quality ecosystem assets are expanding, in contrast to areas with intense human activities, which are facing increased fragmentation. Despite a global escalation in threats from human activities to ecosystem assets, the local threat level within the Yellow River Basin has slightly diminished, indicating a trend towards stabilization. Results highlight the critical importance of integrating spatial and quality considerations into restoration efforts to enhance the overall condition of ecosystem assets, especially under increasing human pressures. Our work assesses the impact of human activities on the dynamics of ecosystem assets in the Yellow River Basin from 2001 to 2020, offering valuable insights for quality development in the region, may provide a scientific basis for general watershed ecological protection and sustainable management in a region heavily influenced by human activity but on a path to recovery.

Abstract Research question Does luteinizing hormone (LH) levels on human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) trigger day (LHHCG) affect the clinical outcomes of patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) undergoing gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol? Methods Retrospective analysis fresh embryo transfer cycles of DOR patients who underwent GnRH-ant protocol from August 2019 to June 2023. The participants were divided into different groups according to LHHCG level and age. The clinical data and outcomes were compared between groups. Results In patients with DOR, the HCG positive rate (59.3% versus 39.8%, P = 0.005), embryo implantation rate (34.5% versus 19.7%, P = 0.002), clinical pregnancy rate (49.2% versus 28.4%, P = 0.003), live birth rate (41.5% versus 22.7%, P = 0.005) in LHHCG < 2.58 IU/L group were significantly higher than LHHCG ≥ 2.58 IU/L group. There was no significant correlation between LHHCG level and clinical pregnancy in POSEIDON group 3. In POSEIDON group 4, the HCG positive rate (52.8% versus 27.0%, P = 0.015), embryo implantation rate (29.2% versus 13.3%, P = 0.023), clinical pregnancy rate (45.3% versus 18.9%, P = 0.010) in LHHCG < 3.14 IU/L group were significantly higher than LHHCG ≥ 3.14 IU/L group. Logistic regression analysis indicated that LHHCG level was an independent influencing factor for clinical pregnancy in POSEIDON group 4 patients (OR = 3.831, 95% CI: 1.379–10.643, P

Objective·To analyze the expression of cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family member SPANXB (sperm protein associated with the nucleus on the X chromosome B) in liver cancer and its correlation with the prognosis of liver cancer patients, and to explore the impact of SPANXB on liver cancer cell proliferation and its potential mechanism.Methods·By using liver cancer sample data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, the expression of SPANXB in liver cancer tissue and its correlation with patient survival were analyzed. By constructing stable knockdown of SPANXB and stable overexpression of SPANXB in liver cancer cell lines, the effects of SPANXB on liver cancer cell proliferation were evaluated with live cell imaging experiments, EdU cell proliferation experiments and plate clone formation experiments. The regulatory pathways of SPANXB in liver cancer cell proliferation were explored through RNA-sequence (RNA-seq), and the effect of SPANXB on liver cancer cell cycle was validated through cell cycle experiments. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) was used to explore the proteins that interacted with SPANXB, and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was used to verify their interaction.Results·The expression of SPANXB mRNA in liver cancer tissues was higher than that in normal tissues (P=0.003), and was negatively correlated with the survival of liver cancer patients. Stable knockdown of SPANXB could reduce the proliferation and clone formation ability of liver cancer cells, while stable overexpression of SPANXB could promote these processes. The analysis results of RNA-seq showed that knockdown of SPANXB could lead to downregulation of DNA replication and G1/S cell cycle transition-related pathways. The results of cell cycle experiments showed that knockdown of SPANXB could result in changes in the liver cancer cell cycle. The results of IP-MS and Co-IP showed that SPAXNB interacted with cell cycle-related proteins such as mitotic arrest defect 2-like protein 1 (MAD2L1) and WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5).Conclusion·The high expression of SPANXB is negatively correlated with the prognosis of liver cancer. SPANXB may regulate the cell cycle and enhance the proliferation activity of liver cancer cells by interacting with MAD2L1 and WDR5.

Objective·To investigate the effects of the cancer-testis antigen 14 (CT14) on embryonic and larval development in nematodes by using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), aiming to uncover its potential functions and mechanisms during development.Methods·Transgenic C. elegans strains were constructed by using microinjection for the inducible expression of human CT14 (HsCT14), a truncated mutant of CT14 (HsCT14∆CIR) lacking CT14-specific intermediate region (CIR), and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) control. The impacts of full-length and truncated mutant CT14 on nematode embryonic and larval development were analyzed and compared. Additionally, transgenic C. elegans strains with inducible expression of CT14 from various primates, including the crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), were also constructed to assess the effects on egg hatching and larval-to-adult transformation rates. The differential gene expression in nematode embryos induced by CT14 was analyzed by Smart-seq transcriptome sequencing, with further insights gained through KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and GSEA (Gene Set Enrichment Analysis), to explore the involved biological processes and pathways.Results·The induced expression of HsCT14 and its truncated mutant HsCT14∆CIR significantly reduced the hatching rate of nematode eggs, with a more pronounced effect observed in HsCT14-expressing strains. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy imaging revealed significant morphological abnormalities in embryos expressing HsCT14 during the comma stage. Nematodes expressing HsCT14 or HsCT14∆CIR exhibited developmental arrest in larvae and substantially lower larval-to-adult transformation rates compared to the GFP control. The impact was more pronounced in nematodes expressing HsCT14 than those with HsCT14∆CIR. The expression of Macaca fascicularis CT14 (MfCT14) exhibited significant effects on the hatching rate and adult transformation rate, similar to that of HsCT14, while the expression of Microcebus murinus CT14 (MmCT14) displayed significantly reduced impact compared to HsCT14 and MfCT14. Smart-seq results indicated that CT14 expression affected various biological processes in nematode embryos, related to ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling and DNA replication.Conclusion·Ectopic expression of the cancer-testis antigen CT14 significantly disrupts both embryonic and larval developments in C. elegans, with the CIR sequence substantially enhancing this effect. It suggests that CT14 may play an important regulatory role in biological development by affecting gene expression in multiple pathways, including chromatin remodeling.

Objective·To investigate the evolution of sarcoma antigen 1 (SAGE1), a member of the cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family, in three representative primate species—Macaca mulatta (Rhesus), Callithrix jacchus (Marmoset), and Microcebus murinus (Mouse Lemur), as well as the conservation of its interaction with INTS3, a subunit of the integrator complex.Methods·The interaction between INTS3 and SAGE1 in these primates and the interaction between INTS3 and human SAGE1 mutants were first validated in HEK293T cells by using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Truncated proteins were then tagged with His-SUMO and GST, respectively, and expressed in Escherichia coli, followed by a series of purification steps to obtain the target proteins. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to measure the binding affinity of the target proteins, and size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle light scattering (SEC-MALS) was used to determine the stoichiometry of the complex. Additionally, molecular docking was employed to predict the binding model of the truncated SAGE1 and INTS3. Mutations were performed on human SAGE1 key interface residues to analyze their binding to INTS3 by Co-IP.Results·The interaction between the full-length human-derived INTS3 and the full-length SAGE1 from the three primate species was confirmed by Co-IP. Truncated proteins were purified through multiple steps of tandom chromatography. The dissociation constants of the three pairs of truncated INTS3-SAGE1 were measured via SPR, and the SEC-MALS results demonstrated that the binding ratio of INTS3-SAGE1 was 2∶1. Furthermore, molecular docking predicted a structural model of the truncated INTS3-SAGE1 complex and the binding interface was extensively constituted with hydrophobic contacts assisted by some hydrophilic interactions. The interaction between the mutant SAGE1 and INTS3 full-length protein was significantly weakened.Conclusion·There is a conserved interaction between INTS3 and SAGE1 across Rhesus, Marmoset, and Mouse lemur.

Rare earth mining, essential for modern industries and economic growth, often leads to severe environmental degradation. Previous research has explored the ecological impacts of rare earth mining but has not fully investigated the intricate interplay and subdivisions of environmental and anthropogenic factors driving vegetation changes over extended periods. This study addresses this gap by employing time series remote sensing and SHAP-enhanced machine learning to analyze vegetation dynamics in China's Ganzhou rare earth mining area from 2001 to 2020. Using the kNDVI derived from Landsat data, we identified three distinct vegetation trajectory types: pro-environment, des-environment, and res-environment. An ensemble machine learning model combined with SHAP analysis revealed the cropland area proportion, PM10 levels, and shrubland area proportion as the most influential factors affecting vegetation across all mining types. Additionally, after 2012, the palmer drought severity index and downward surface shortwave radiation emerged as positive contributors to vegetation health, while population pressure had a more substantial negative influence in des-environment areas. Our findings highlight spatial heterogeneity in vegetation recovery patterns and highlight the complex interactions among land cover changes, air quality, climate factors, and human activities in shaping vegetation dynamics. This study provides valuable insights for developing targeted, context-specific restoration strategies in rare earth mining areas, contributing to more sustainable mining practices and global environmental management.

BackgroundFor the poor ovarian response (POR) population, the relationship between medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) dose in progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) and clinical outcome is still unclear. This study aims to explore the effect of MPA dose in PPOS on clinical outcomes in POSEIDON group 3 and 4 patients with different body mass index (BMI) levels, hoping to provide clinical doctors with better options for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) programs.MethodsThis is a retrospective analysis of 253 oocyte retrieval cycles of POSEIDON group 3 and 4 patients who underwent PPOS protocol in IVF/ICSI treatment at the Reproductive Medical Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from March 2019 to April 2022. The effects of different MPA doses (8 mg/d or 10 mg/d) on pregnancy outcomes were compared in normal BMI (18.5–24 kg/m2) and high BMI (≥24 kg/m2) patients, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the factors affecting pregnancy outcomes.ResultsFor normal BMI patients, the 8-mg/d MPA group had a higher embryo implantation rate (33.78% vs. 18.97%, P = 0.012). For high BMI patients, the 10-mg/d MPA group had a higher HCG positive rate (55.00% vs. 25.00%, P = 0.028), clinical pregnancy rate (50.00% vs. 20.00%, P = 0.025), and cumulative pregnancy rate (37.74% vs. 13.79%, P = 0.023) compared with the 8-mg/d MPA group. There was no significant difference in cumulative live birth rate between the 8-mg/d and 10-mg/d MPA groups in patients with normal or high BMI. The results of multivariate logistic regression showed a significant correlation between MPA dose and cumulative pregnancy in the high BMI population (OR = 0.199, 95% CI: 0.046~0.861, P = 0.031).ConclusionsFor POR patients with high BMI, 10 mg/d of MPA in the PPOS protocol had a higher cumulative pregnancy rate than 8 mg/d of MPA, but it had no significant effect on the cumulative live birth rate.

Cities are the main carriers of social and economic development, and they are also important sources of carbon emissions. Therefore, it is essential to explore the impact of urban expansion and form changes on carbon emissions. Here, we attempted to analyzes the relationship between urban expansion and carbon emissions at the county level in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) from 1997 to 2017. It further decomposes the driving effects of carbon emissions from multiple factors, and considers the spatial heterogeneity between different urban form changes and driving effects. The results show that: The relationship between urban expansion and carbon emissions in the GBA has gone through three stages from 1997 to 2017, with 2012 as a turning point. Optimization of economic development models and strict protection of the ecological environment can effectively control carbon emissions. After 2012, the economic development effect (GE) and population scale effect (PE) are the driving factors of carbon emissions, while the carbon emission intensity effect (CE) and urban land intensity effect (UE) are the inhibitory factors of carbon emissions. The contribution rate of UE to carbon emission reduction can reach 86 %. The impact of urban form changes on carbon emissions has spatial heterogeneity. The changes in urban form have a significant impact on the carbon emissions of counties in Dongguan and Shenzhen. The increase in fragmentation indirectly promotes carbon emissions. In 2007–2012, the increase in centrality significantly weakened the economic development effect, which is conducive to emission reduction. After 2007, the increase in compactness in counties in the eastern part of the GBA, including Zhongshan and Zhuhai, is not conducive to emission reduction.

Objective·To identify the gene expression program (GEP) of cancer-testis genes (CTGs) during spermatogenesis based on single-cell transcriptome data from the testis and investigate their association with the prognosis of cancer patients.Methods·Expression profiles of normal and tumor tissues were obtained from the GTEx and TCGA databases to screen CTGs. The GEP of CTGs during spermatogenesis was identified by applying the leiden clustering algorithm to testicular single-cell transcriptome data. DecoupleR was used to evaluate the activity levels of GEP and determine the cell types and stages of spermatogenesis where each GEP was active. Subsequently, DecoupleR was used to evaluate the activity levels of GEP in tumor tissues and analyze the correlation between GEP and cancer patient survival.Results·Based on the expression profiles of normal and tumor tissues from the GTEx and TCGA databases, 917 CTGs were identified. By using the expression patterns of CTGs in the testicular single-cell transcriptome data, seven GEPs were identified through the clustering algorithm. Activity level analysis revealed that GEP5 was active in the early stages of spermatogenesis, including spermatogonia stem cells, differentiating spermatogonia, and early primary spermatocytes. The distribution of GEP5-associated genes was predominantly found on the X chromosome. Additionally, survival analysis demonstrated a statistically significant negative correlation between GEP5 activity levels and patient survival in various tumors.Conclusion·During spermatogenesis, GEP5 is active in early stages, and its associated genes are primarily located on the X chromosome. In multiple tumor types, the activity level of GEP5 is closely related to patient prognosis.

In this paper, we propose a method to compute the muon anomalous precession frequency through solving the wave functions of the Dirac equations straightforwardly. The Lorentz violation terms are also considered. Our method is different from the traditional two-step algorithm in the literature, with the first step to extract the anomalous magnetic momentum factors through the Fouldy-Wouthuysen transformation or Born approximation comparison methods regarding the muon particle as a “quantum” object, and the second step to utilize the Thomas-Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi formula regarding the muon particle as a “classical” point-like object. Compared with the literature, the method we developed is more consistent and the Lorentz violation terms are taken into account in a unified and straightforward frameset, and expand perturbatively up to the lowest non-trivial order and find out that only b3, c11, c22, H12′ and d30 affect the precession up to this order.

The nonlinear and dynamic complexity of the oil and gas engineering system itself leads to an increase in the chances of accidents in the system, and the financial and material losses caused by system failures are incalculable. The study proposes a new fault diagnosis method based on evidence theory and the KPCA algorithm, and analyzes the fault characteristics of large pumps, compressors, and other high-precision equipment under high-speed operation. A set of fault feature vectors reflecting the change of nonlinear characteristics of the system is extracted, and the similarity between the patterns is used to obtain the mass function of each evidence. The simulation experiment results show that the fault diagnosis accuracy, leakage rate and F1 score of the DS-KPCA algorithm in the TE process dataset are 97.56%, 1.98% and 98.99%, respectively, and the method is significantly better than the traditional method in fault detection. Practical application shows that in the production process of oil and gas fields, this rapid fault processing method is characterized by clarity, speed, and accuracy, which significantly improves the efficiency and accuracy of fault processing.

Abstract Background Embryonic chromosomal abnormality is one of the significant causative factors of pregnancy loss. Our goal was to investigate the differences of chromosomal abnormality between different conception modes in miscarried products of conception (POCs). Methods A retrospective study included 262 miscarried POCs from 167 women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART) and 95 spontaneous pregnant (SP) women during March 2019 to March 2022 in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Subgroups were divided according to age, fertilization method, types and stages of embryo transfer. The profiles of cytogenetic abnormalities in the miscarried POCs were measured via next-generation sequencing. Results The rate of chromosomal abnormality in the fresh embryo transfer group and the cleavage embryo transfer group was significantly higher than that in the frozen embryo transfer group (79.2% vs. 36%, P = 0.0001) and the blastocyst transfer group (66.7% vs. 32.1%, P = 0.0001) respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of chromosomal abnormalities when compared by maternal age (49.2% vs. 62%, P = 0.066), types of conception (49.7% vs. 57.9%, P = 0.202), fertilization method (49.6% vs. 48.7%, P = 0.927) and frequency of abortion (56% vs. 47.6%, P = 0.183). However, the women aged ≥ 35 years had more frequent numerical abnormality (P = 0.002); patients using assisted reproductive technology had more rate of chromosomal structural abnormalities (26.5% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.005); the ICSI fertilization group has more frequency of deletion/microdeletion than the IVF fertilization group (80% vs. 31.3%, P = 0.019). Conclusion Blastocyst transfer might help to reduce the incidence of miscarriage. In addition, “freezing all” should be considered if encountered hyper ovarian stimulation, to avoid the negative effect of high estrogen environment on embryo development. The higher incidence of structural abnormalities in miscarried POCs from assisted reproductive patients reminds us to pay attention to the safety of the technology for offspring.

Based on ZnO and melamine, the ZnO/g-C3N4 for photocatalytic U(Ⅵ) reduction was pre-pared by thermal polymerization methods. The surface morphology, lattice structure, element composition and photocatalytic efficiency were analyzed by SEM, XRD, XPS, PL and UV-Vis methods.The results show that the doping of ZnO reduces the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes, expands the response range of the material to visible light, makes ZnO/g-C3N4 have higher photocatalytic activity. When pH=5 and dosage is 0.5 g/L, the highest U(Ⅵ) removal rate can reach 97% after dark reaction for 30 min and light reaction for 30 min. The U(Ⅵ) on the surface of the photocatalyst can be reduced to U(Ⅳ). The photoelectron e- is the main factor for reducing U(Ⅵ) to U(Ⅳ).

The urban heat island (UHI) environment is closely related to the daily life of residents, and the impact of UHI is further expanding in the era of rapid urbanization, which is particularly obvious in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). To explore the connection between UHI and urban expansion, this study takes GBA as the study area, based on Google Earth Engine platform and Landsat satellite data. The urban-rural temperature difference method was used to analyze the heat island zoning in the GBA from 2000 to 2020, and the direction and type of urban expansion in the GBA were investigated by standard deviation ellipse and LEI, to explore the link between the type of urban expansion and the heat island region through geospatial analysis methods. The results of the study show that: (1) The proportion of the area of strong and extreme heat islands in the GBA was 37.64% in 2000; 38.61% in 2005; 47.07% in 2010; 55.76% in 2015; and finally 59.69% in 2020. The proportion of the area of heat island regions in the period from 2000 to 2020 showed an overall increasing trend, with the largest increase in heat island regions in the period from 2015 to 2020. (2) The intensity of urban expansion in the GBA is 32% in both 2000–2005 and 2005–2010, which is significantly higher than the 9% in 2010–2015, and then increases to 24 per cent in 2015–2020. The speed of movement of urban centroids decreases in 2000–2015 and increases in 2015–2020. The direction of urban expansion in the first 5 years is dominated by the northeast, and the direction of urban expansion in the latter 15 years is generally dominated by the southwest, and the type of urban expansion is dominated by the fringe type, with the enclave type of expansion accounting for a smaller proportion. (3) Pearson correlation analysis further confirms that there is a significant positive correlation between urban sprawl and the urban heat island effect, with a correlation coefficient of 0.78 and a p-value of 0.041. There is a high degree of spatial consistency between the distribution of built-up urban areas and the distribution of heat island areas in GBA, and the direction of the evolution of the urban heat island areas is the same as the direction of the evolution of the built-up urban areas in general, and the thermal response of the marginal expansion to the ground surface temperature is stronger than that of enclave expansion. The thermal response to the surface temperature is stronger than that of the enclave type of expansion.

Measuring the exact technology complementarity between different institutions is necessary to obtain complementary technology resources for R&D cooperation.

This study aimed to reveal the mechanism by which long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by regulating mRNA via the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) enzyme. The expression and clinical data of 365 HCC patients and 50 healthy control samples were downloaded from the the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) screened using limma packages from the R. m6A2Target database were used to predict the relationship between m6A enzyme-lncRNA and m6A enzyme-mRNA. The mRNAs in the lncRNA-m6A enzyme-mRNA network were subjected to enrichment analysis. Cox regression analysis was used to screen for RNAs significantly related to HCC prognosis. The expression of differentially expressed RNAs (DERs) was verified using the TCGA dataset and GSE55092. Eighty-five DElncRNAs and 747 DEmRNAs were identified. The mRNAs in the lncRNA-m6A enzyme-mRNA network were primarily involved in mitotic cell division, the p53 signaling pathway, and the cell cycle. Three lncRNAs and 14 mRNAs were significantly associated with HCC prognosis. Furthermore, the expression of 12 DERs differed significantly between patients in the early and advanced stages. LINC00665 was predicted to regulate 11 mRNAs by modulating IGF2BP1, IGF2BP2, and YTHDF1. Thus, this study provides new insights into the roles of lncRNA and m6A enzymes in HCC.

Mixed pedigree kinase 4 (MLK4) is a member of the serine/threonine kinases mixed pedigree kinase (MLKs) family. Few reports on immune-related targets in Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC), and the role of MLK4 in cervical cancer remains to be studied. The expression of MLK4 in CESC was analyzed by TCGA database containing 306 CESC tissues and 3 peritumoral tissue samples, and the effect of MLK4 on immune invasion was evaluated using the Deseq2 package(Benjamini-Hochberg corrected p-value < 0.05 and log2 fold change ≥|2|). Tissue microarray was used to verify the expression of MLK4 in CESC patients, and it was found that MLK4 was significantly overexpressed in CESC, and significantly correlated with WHO grade. Multiple analysis algorithms revealed that the high expression of MLK4 was negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration in CESC. Analysis showed that MLK4 expression was negatively correlated with the infiltration of various immune cells including CD8+T cells, and MLK4 mRNA expression was positively correlated with immune checkpoints PD-L1,CTLA4, LAG3, and negatively correlated with immune promotion genes CD86 and CD80. Furthermore, vitro assays were performed to investigate the biological characteristics of MLK4 in C33A cells. The EDU and transwell assays demonstrated that the decrease in MLK4 expression in C33A cells resulted in a decrease in cell proliferation and invasion. The silencing of MLK4 resulted in a significant increase in the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β(p

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with high morbidity, disability, and fatality rate, significantly increasing the global burden of public health. The failure in drug discovery over the past decades has stressed the urgency and importance of seeking new perspectives. Recently, gut microbiome (GM), with the ability to communicate with the brain bidirectionally through the microbiome–gut–brain axis, has attracted much attention in AD-related studies, owing to their strong associations with amyloids, systematic and focal inflammation, impairment of vascular homeostasis and gut barrier, mitochondrial dysfunction, etc., making the regulation of GM, specifically supplementation of probiotics a promising candidate for AD treatment. This article aims to review the leading-edge knowledge concerning potential roles of GM in AD pathogenesis and of probiotics in its treatment and prevention.

A basic urea technique was successfully used to synthesize Mg/Al-Layered double hydroxides (Mg/Al LDHs), which were then calcined at 400 °C to form Mg/Al-Layered double oxides (Mg/Al LDOs). To reconstruct LDHs, Mg/Al LDOs were fabricated with different feeding ratios of Ni by the co-precipitation method. After synthesis, the Ni/Mg/Al-layered double hydroxides (NMA-LDHs) with 20% and 30% Ni (S1 and S2) were roasted at 400 °C and transformed into corresponding Ni/Mg/Al-layered double oxides (NMA-LDOs) (S1a and S2b, respectively). The physiochemical properties of synthesized samples were also evaluated by various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET). The adsorption behavior of methyl orange (MO) onto the synthesized samples was evaluated in batch adsorption mode under varying conditions of contact time, adsorbent quantity, and solution pH. As the dosage amount increased from 0.01–0.04 g, the removal percentage of MO dye also increased from 83% to 90% for S1, 84% to 92% for S1a, 77% to 87% for S2, and 93% to 98% for S2b, respectively. For all of the samples, the adsorption kinetics were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium adsorption data were well fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich models for methyl orange (MO). Finally, three adsorption-desorption cycles show that NMA-LDHs and NMA-LDOs have greater adsorption and reusability performance for MO dye, signifying that the design and fabrication strategy can facilitate the application of the natural hydrotalcite material in water remediation.

Abstract Background Compared with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19) spread more rapidly and widely. The population was generally susceptible. However, reports on pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 were very limited. By sharing the clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of 18 patients with COVID-19 during late pregnancy, we hope to provide some references for obstetric treatment and management. Methods A total of 18 patients with COVID-19 treated at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were collected. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, chest CT and pregnancy outcomes were performed for analysis. Results 1. 18 cases of late pregnancy infected with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia were delivered at 35 + 5 weeks to 41 weeks. According to the clinical classification of COVID-19, 1 case was mild type, 16 cases were ordinary type, and 1 case was severe type. 2. According to imaging examinations: 15 (83%) cases showed unilateral or bilateral pneumonia, 2 (11%) cases had pulmonary infection with pleural effusion, and 1 (6%) case had no abnormal imaging changes. 8 (44%) cases were positive and 10 (56%) cases were negative for nasopharyngeal-swab tests of SARS-CoV-2. 3. Among the 18 newborns, there were 3 (17%) premature infants, 1 (6%) case of mild asphyxia, 5 (28%) cases of bacterial pneumonia, 1 (6%) case of gastrointestinal bleeding, 1 (6%) case of necrotizing enteritis, 2 (11%) cases of hyperbilirubinemia and 1 (6%) case of diarrhea. All the newborns were negative for the first throat swab test of SARS-CoV-2 after birth. 4. Follow-up to Mar 7, 2020, no maternal and neonatal deaths occurred. Conclusions The majority of patients in late term pregnancy with COVID-19 were of ordinary type, and they were less likely to develop into critical pneumonia after early isolation and antiviral treatment. Vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was not detected, but the proportion of neonatal bacterial pneumonia was higher than other neonatal diseases in newborns.

Introduction: Hong Kong SAR (China) achieved measles elimination status in 2016, and the incidence of measles infection had been low over the past few years. However, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) at the Department of Health was notified on 22 March 2019 of an outbreak of three cases of measles infection among workers at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Methods: We reviewed notifications of measles received by CHP from 1 January to 17 May 2019. We defined a confirmed case of measles as having laboratory evidence of measles infection. All confirmed cases among airport workers or those with epidemiological information suggesting they had been infected by contact with airport workers were included in the review. We described the epidemiological features and reviewed the control measures against the outbreak. Results: We identified 33 cases, 29 of which were among airport workers. They comprised 22 men and 11 women, aged 20–49 years (median 25 years). The majority of people with confirmed measles presented with fever and rash. All required hospitalization. None developed complications. Control measures, including enhanced environmental hygiene and improved ventilation at HKIA and vaccinations for the airport community, were implemented. Vaccinations were provided to 8501 eligible airport workers, and the outbreak was declared over on 17 May 2019. Discussion: Early recognition of the outbreak and prompt control measures, especially targeted vaccination of the exposed population, effectively controlled the outbreak in just two weeks.

Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) has been widely used in metal-reinforced composites, microelectronics, waveguide lasers, and high-temperature protective coatings because of its good physical and photoelectric properties. However, few studies have been done on the nonlinear optical applications of Y2O3 as saturable absorbers (SAs) in fiber lasers so far. Here, a passively Q-switched near-infrared fiber laser using Y2O3 as a Q-switching device is demonstrated. The optical nonlinear properties of the Y2O3 SA prepared by the magnetron sputtering method were measured by the twin-detector measurement technique, and the modulation depth of the proposed Y2O3 SA was found to be 46.43%. The achieved Q-switched laser delivers an average output power of 26 mW at 1530 nm with a pulse duration of 592.7 ns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the optical nonlinearity of Y2O3 as a Q-switcher for the near-infrared fiber laser, which may deepen the understanding of the optical nonlinear properties of Y2O3 and make inroads into the potential market of optical modulation and optoelectronic devices.

Al0.26CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloys were prepared by vacuum induction melting and casting method, and processed by homogenized annealing, rolling and recrystallized annealing. The microstructure evolution of the alloys during thermomechanical treatment was investigated based on ultrasonic method. The results show that the microstructure is coarse equiaxed grain after homogenized annealing, retaining deformed grain when recrystallized annealing temperature is 800℃, forming fine equiaxed grain when recrystallization is completed at 900℃, and then the grain grows at 1000℃.Besides, the grain size decreases with the increase of rolling ratio at the same recrystallized annealing temperature. At the aspect of ultrasonic characterization, the attenuation coefficient for probe testing with nominal frequency of 5MHz increases with the increase of grain size, and the attenuation coefficient with average grain size is corresponded in a cubic relationship, having a strong correlation. In order to further verify the feasibility of the method, the probe with nominal frequency of 7.5MHz was used to test, and the similar correlation was acquired. The attenuation coefficient can reveal the microstructure evolution of high-entropy alloys during thermomechanical treatment, especially for the relationship between grain size and thermomechanical treatment process.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) can be programmed to a temporary shape, and then recover its original shape by applying environmental stimuli when needed. To expands the application space of SMPs, the shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) were fabricated either to improve the mechanical properties, or to incorporate more stimulus methods. With the deepening of research, the filler arrangement can also be used to reshape the composites from a two dimensional sheet to a three dimensional structure by a strain mismatch. Recently, SMPCs show more and more interesting behaviors. To gain systematic understanding, we briefly review the recent progress and summarize the challenges in SMPCs. We focus on the reinforcement methods and the composite properties. To look to the future, we review the bonding points with the advanced manufacturing technology and their potential applications.

Background The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 exposed the shortcoming of high temperature oxidation resistance of zirconium alloy cladding. For this reason, the concept of accident tolerant fuel was proposed in the international nuclear fuel field. Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding, as an accident tolerant fuel cladding near-term commercial technology approach, has received extensive attention. Purpose This study aims to study the high-temperature oxidation behavior of Cr-coated Zr-4 alloys at different temperatures. Methods Cr-coated Zr-4 alloy was prepared by multi-arc ion plating, and oxidized in air atmosphere at 800⁓1 200 ℃ for 4 h. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) were used to analyze the surface and cross-sectional micro-morphologies of Cr coated Zr-4 alloy samples before and after high-temperature oxidation and the distribution of elements on the cross section. The orientation image microscopy (OIM), inverse pole figure (IPF) and pole figure (PF) of Cr coated Zr-4 alloy samples were obtained by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The phase of the samples was obtained by glancing angle X-ray diffractometer (XRD).The effect of oxidation temperature on the microstructure, phase, Cr-Zr diffusion layer thickness and oxidation weight gain of Cr-coated Zr-4 alloy were investigated. Results The results show that there are a large number of droplets of different sizes on the surface of the Cr-coated Zr-4 alloy samples prepared by multi-arc ion plating, and the Cr coating has a columnar crystal morphology and preferentially grows along the (110) crystal plane. After high temperature oxidation at 800~1 100 ℃ for 4 h, the surface of the sample is oxidized to different degrees, but the un-oxidized Cr coating still remains inside the coating, and no micro-cracks appear on the surface and cross-section of the sample. The thickness of the Cr-Zr diffusion layer increases linearly with the increase of the oxidation temperature, and the oxidation weight gain increases slowly. However, after high temperature oxidation at 1 200 ℃ for 4 h, the Cr coating on the surface of the sample was completely oxidized, a large number of cracks appeared on the surface and cross-section, and the thickness of the Cr-Zr diffusion layer and oxidation weight gain increased sharply. Conclusions Therefore, the Cr-coated Zr-4 alloy prepared by multi-arc ion plating exhibited good high temperature resistance at 800~1 100 ℃, while accelerated oxidation occurred at 1 200 ℃.

Abstract A bounce universe model, known as the coupled-scalar-tachyon bounce (CSTB) universe, has been shown to solve the Horizon, Flatness and Homogeneity problems as well as the Big Bang singularity problem. Furthermore a scale invariant spectrum of primordial density perturbations generated from the phase of pre-bounce contraction is shown to be stable against time evolution. In this work we study the detailed dynamics of the bounce and its imprints on the scale invariance of the spectrum. The dynamics of the gravitational interactions near the bounce point may be strongly coupled as the spatial curvature becomes big. There is no a prior reason to expect the spectral index of the primordial perturbations of matter density can be preserved. By encoding the bounce dynamics holographically onto the dynamics of dual Yang–Mills system while the latter is weakly coupled, via the AdS/CFT correspondence, we can safely evolve the spectrum of the cosmic perturbations with full control. In this way we can compare the post-bounce spectrum with the pre-bounce one: in the CSTB model we explicitly show that the spectrum of primordial density perturbations generated in the contraction phase preserves its stability as well as scale invariance throughout the bounce process.

Traditional cathode chemistry of Li-ion batteries relies on the transport of Li-ions within the solid structures, with the transition metal ions and anions acting as the static components. Here, we demonstrate that a solid solution of F- and PO43- facilitates the reversible conversion of a fine mixture of iron powder, LiF, and Li3PO4 into iron salts. Notably, in its fully lithiated state, we use commercial iron metal powder in this cathode, departing from electrodes that begin with iron salts, such as FeF3. Our results show that Fe-cations and anions of F- and PO43- act as charge carriers in addition to Li-ions during the conversion from iron metal to a solid solution of iron salts. This composite electrode delivers a reversible capacity of up to 368 mAh/g and a specific energy of 940 Wh/kg. Our study underscores the potential of amorphous composites comprising lithium salts as high-energy battery electrodes.

In the human genome, heterozygous sites refer to genomic positions with a different allele or nucleotide variant on the maternal and paternal chromosomes. Resolving these allelic differences by chromosomal copy, also known as phasing, is achievable on a short-read sequencer when using a library preparation method that captures long-range genomic information. TELL-Seq is a library preparation that captures long-range genomic information with the aid of molecular identifiers (barcodes). The same barcode is used to tag the reads derived from the same long DNA fragment within a range of up to 200 kilobases (kb), generating linked-reads. This strategy can be used to phase an entire genome. Here, we introduce a TELL-Seq protocol developed for targeted applications, enabling the phasing of enriched loci of varying sizes, purity levels, and heterozygosity. To validate this protocol, we phased 2-200 kb loci enriched with different methods: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated excision coupled with pulse-field electrophoresis for the longest fragments, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated protection from exonuclease digestion for mid-size fragments, and long PCR for the shortest fragments. All selected loci have known clinical relevance: BRCA1, BRCA2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, APC, PMS2, SCN5A-SCN10A, and PKI3CA. Collectively, the analyses show that TELL-Seq can accurately phase 2-200 kb targets using a short-read sequencer.

SnS2 nanosheets/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite was prepared by reflux condensation and hydrothermal methods. In this composite, SnS2 nanosheets in-situ grew on the surface of rGO nanosheets. The SnS2/rGO composite as anode material was investigated both in lithium ion battery (LIB) and sodium ion battery (SIB) systems. The capacity of SnS2/rGO electrode in LIB achieved 514 mAh g−1 at 1.2 A g−1 after 300 cycles. Moreover, the SnS2/rGO electrode in SIB delivered a discharge capacity of 645 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1; after 100 cycles at 0.25 A g−1, the capacity retention still keep 81.2% relative to the capacity of the 6th cycle. Due to the introduction of rGO in the composite, the charge-transfer resistance became much smaller. Compared with SnS2/C electrode, SnS2/rGO electrode had higher discharge capacity and much better cycling performance.