Search

Background: The herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is extensively cultivated in China due to its root being used as a traditional Chinese medicine known as 'Radix Paeoniae Alba'. In recent years, it has been discovered that its seeds incorporate abundant unsaturated fatty acids, thereby presenting a potential new oilseed plant. Surprisingly, little is known about the full-length transcriptome sequencing of Paeonia lactiflora, limiting research into its gene function and molecular mechanisms. Results: A total of 484,931 Reads of Inserts (ROI) sequences and 1,455,771 full-Length non-chimeric reads (FLNC) sequences were obtained for CDS prediction, TF analysis, SSR analysis and lncRNA identification. In addition, gene function annotation and gene structure analysis were performed. A total of 4905 transcripts were related to lipid metabolism biosynthesis pathway, belonging to 28 enzymes. We use these data to identify 10 oleosin (OLE) and 5 diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) gene members after de-redundancy. The analysis of physicochemical properties and secondary structure showed them similarity in gene family respectively. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the distribution of OLE and DGAT family members was roughly the same as that of Arabidopsis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) analyses revealed expression changes in different seed development stages, and showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing. Conclusion: In summary, these results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis and storage during the seedling stage in Paeonia lactiflora. It provides theoretical references for selecting and breeding oil varieties and understanding the functions of oil storage as well as lipid synthesis related genes in Paeonia lactiflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the performance of thermoelectric (TE) materials and fabricating TE devices with higher conversion efficiency remains a significant challenge in materials research. The low figure of merit (ZT) value of n -type bismuth telluride has seriously hindered the development of TE devices based on bismuth telluride. Element doping and nanostructured defect introduction have commonly been employed to improve TE properties. Herein, we utilized high-pressure synthesis to fabricate n -type Bi 2 Se 0.3 Te 2.7 bulk nanomaterials and enhance their TE performance by adjusting the fabrication pressure and titanium doping concentration. Through this process, titanium effectively substituted bismuth to decrease carrier concentration and improve carrier mobility. As a result, the thermal conductivity was significantly decreased. By employing a fabrication pressure of 2.5 GPa and 10 at % Ti doping, a remarkable ZT value of 0.96 was achieved at 333 K, which was 2.8 times the undoped counterparts. These findings demonstrate a successful design methodology and fabrication process to generate n -type Bi 2 Te 3 with outstanding TE performance. This study provided valuable insights into the synthesis of high-performance TE materials and contributed to advancements in TE device technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the crucial role of the structure in neutron star (NS) research, parameterized TOV (PTOV) equations are used to calculate the static NS sequence with five parameters including α , β , σ , γ and χ , which represent the five factors that impact the NS structure. In order to promote the efficiency in the combination of astronomical observations and the theory, we investigate the meticulous influences of the five factors on NS structure with various hyperons in this work. Results show that the maximum masses of NSs are reduced with the free parameters, respectively, whereas the variation trend of corresponding radii is wavy in some cases. Especially, when hyperons are included, the macroscopic properties of NSs, except redshift, are relatively smaller than those in conventional NS matter. The effects on conventional NSs and hyperonic NSs are quite different in the high NS mass area but diminish when the stellar mass is lower than approximately 1.5 times solar mass. Finally, comparing with observations, we predict constraints on the free parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the relationship between mental health, i.e., depression and anxiety, and reading difficulties (RD) in Chinese elementary school children. Participants were 1535 grades 3, 4, and 5 students from three elementary schools in Xi'an, China. Children with and without RD were compared to their depression and anxiety. Additionally, children's self-ratings, parents' ratings, and teachers' ratings of depression and anxiety were compared to better understand mental health issues of Chinese children with RD. The findings showed that Chinese children with RD experienced more depression but not anxiety compared to their typically developing peers across all three grade levels. Reports from all three informants consistently reflected that children with RD experienced more depression. However, some inconsistencies were found between self-reported levels of depression and anxiety and the observations made by parents and teachers. Children reported experiencing more depression than their parents and teachers observed but less anxiety than their parents reported. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the links between RD and mental health and the need for appropriate intervention programs to help children with RD cope with the mental health challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood interventions played a critical role in improving child development in impoverished contexts. Combined nutrition and psychosocial stimulation interventions (CNPSI) have shown more benefits than stand-alone supplemental nutrition interventions (SNI) in many developing countries. Based on a cluster randomized controlled trial in rural northwestern China, this study tested alternative theory-driven hypotheses regarding how primary caregiver's education and family income may moderate the CNPSI's effects on child growth environment and developmental delay risk. The trial cluster randomized 1,566 children aged 7–33 months from 111 villages (clusters) in Huachi County, Gansu Province, into an SNI group (N = 852) and a CNPSI group (N = 714). Multilevel regression models suggested that the CNPSI group had better home growth environment (p < 0·001) and lower risk of developmental delay (p < 0·001) than the SNI group. The CNPSI's impacts on home growth environment and development delay were weaker for parents with higher education levels. However, household income did not significantly moderate the CNPSI effect for either outcome. Future interventions need to attend to the educational disparities in the resource-poor context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common malignant haematological disease with a poor prognosis. The limit therapeutic progress has been made in MM patients with cancer relapse, necessitating deeper research into the molecular mechanisms underlying its occurrence and development. A genome‐wide CRISPR‐Cas9 loss‐of‐function screening was utilized to identify potential therapeutic targets in our research. We revealed that COQ2 plays a crucial role in regulating MM cell proliferation and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Knockout of COQ2 inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and reduced tumour growth in vivo. Mechanistically, COQ2 promoted the activation of the MEK/ERK cascade, which in turn stabilized and activated MYC protein. Moreover, we found that COQ2‐deficient MM cells increased sensitivity to the LPO activator, RSL3. Using an inhibitor targeting COQ2 by 4‐CBA enhanced the sensitivity to RSL3 in primary CD138+ myeloma cells and in a xenograft mouse model. Nevertheless, co‐treatment of 4‐CBA and RSL3 induced cell death in bortezomib‐resistant MM cells. Together, our findings suggest that COQ2 promotes cell proliferation and tumour growth through the activation of the MEK/ERK/MYC axis and targeting COQ2 could enhance the sensitivity to ferroptosis in MM cells, which may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of MM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is the main inhibitor of fibrinolytic systems. The effect of PAI-1 on inflammatory response is still inconsistent. Our study was conducted to investigate its effects on inflammation to clarify the role of PAI-1 in acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ALI models were established in wild-type (WT) and PAI-1 knockout (KO) mice by LPS intervention for 48 ​h. Lung histopathology, wet-dry ratio, total cell count and TNF-α concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and inflammation related proteins were detected. Flow cytometry was used to sort neutrophils, macrophages, regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper cell 17 (Th17). RNA sequencing was performed to find differentially expressed genes. Masson staining and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze pulmonary fiber deposition and proliferation. Compared with ALI (WT) group, the wet-dry ratio, the total number of BALF cells, the concentration of TNF-α in BALF, and the expression of pp65 in the lung tissue was increased in ALI (PAI-1 KO) group, with increased proportion of neutrophils, decreased proportion of macrophages and decreased proportion of Treg/Th17 in the lung tissue. Collagen fiber deposition and PCNA expression were lighter in ALI (PAI-1 KO) group than ALI (WT) group. PPI analysis showed that PAI-1 was closely related to TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, Smad2/3 and mainly concentrated in the complement and coagulation system, TNF-α and IL-17 signaling pathways. PAI-1 KO could aggravate ALI induced by LPS at 48 ​h. PAI-1 may be an important target to improve the prognosis of ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to a variety of complications and even cause death. The signal characteristics of the photoplethysmography signals (PPG) and electrocardiogram signals (ECG) can reflect the autonomic and vascular aspects of the effects of diabetes on the body. OBJECTIVE: Based on the complex mechanism of interaction between PPG and ECG, a set of ensemble empirical mode decomposition-independent component analysis (EEMD-ICA) fusion multi-scale percussion entropy index (MSPEI) method was proposed to analyze cardiovascular function in diabetic patients. METHODS: Firstly, the original signal was decomposed into multiple Intrinsic Mode Function (IMFs) by ensemble empirical mode decomposition EEMD, principal components of IMF were extracted by independent component analysis (ICA), then the extracted principal components were reconstructed to eliminate the complex high and low frequency noise of physiological signals. In addition, the MSPEI was calculated for the ECG R-R interval and PPG amplitude sequence.(RRI and Amp) The results showed that, compared with EEMD method, the SNR of EEMD-ICA method increases from 2.1551 to 11.3642, and the root mean square error (RMSE) decreases from 0.0556 to 0.0067. This algorithm can improve the performance of denoising and retain more feature information. The large and small scale entropy of MSPEI (RRI,Amp) was significantly different between healthy and diabetic patients (p < 0.01). RESULTS: Compared with arteriosclerosis index (AI) and multi-scale cross-approximate entropy (MCAE): MSPEISS (RRI,Amp) indicated that diabetes can affect the activity of human autonomic nervous system, while MSPEILS (RRI,Amp) indicated that diabetes can cause or worsen arteriosclerosis. CONCLUSION: Multi-scale Percussion Entropy algorithm has more advantages in analyzing the influence of diabetes on human cardiovascular and autonomic nervous function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-velocity atomic clouds in the Galactic centre have attracted significant attention due to their enigmatic formation process, which is potentially linked to the starburst or supermassive black hole activities in the region. Further, the discovery of high-velocity molecular clouds (HVMCs) presents a greater puzzle, because they are much denser and more massive. If the HVMCs were accelerated by the strong activities in the Galactic centre, they are expected to be destroyed before they reach such a high velocity. To shed light on this phenomenon, we perform 3D numerical simulations to investigate the origin and hydrodynamic evolution of HVMCs during a starburst in the Galactic centre. We find that the presence of a magnetic field provides effective protection and acceleration to molecular clouds (MCs) within the galactic winds. Consequently, the MCs can attain latitudes of approximately 1 kpc with velocities around 200 km s−1, consistent with the observed characteristics of HVMCs. The consistency of our findings across a wide parameter space supports the conclusion that HVMCs can indeed withstand the starburst environment in the Galactic centre, providing valuable insights into their survival mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With technological progress, the integration of aged care with technology is a new challenge. This study developed a theoretical model of smart aged care in the community to meet the diverse needs of community‐dwelling older adults. Methods: This qualitative study recruited 22 participants from three communities in Chongqing, China. Through semi‐structured interviews and grounded theory, this study analyzed the needs of community‐dwelling older adults for smart aged care and identified strategies. Results: Nine categories were identified, including five need categories, three important factors, and one outcome objective. Furthermore, four health provider topics were proposed. Conclusions: Although the application of information technology has enhanced convenience and possibilities, its popularity and satisfaction are low. Information technology can be successfully introduced into the lives of community‐dwelling older adults only by truly understanding their needs. Implications of nursing practice: Smart aged care in the community has positive effects on nursing outcomes for older adults. This study's findings can help caregivers understand the various dimensions of the needs of community‐dwelling older adults and relevant influencing factors under smart aged care to increase its popularity and satisfaction. Furthermore, this can promote the integration of intelligent technology and manual services in nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Dehydration of serine/threonine residues necessitates the activity of a dehydratase enzyme (domain) during the biosynthesis of RiPP. Recently, it was reported that dehydration in the thioviridamide pathway relies on a distinct dehydratase complex that showcases the activities of a phosphotransferase TvaC for serine/threonine phosphorylation and a lyase TvaD for subsequent phosphate elimination. Herein, we report that dehydration reactions in the pathway of lantibiotic cacaoidin involves a similar dehydratase complex, CaoK/CaoY. Remarkably, this dehydratase complex exhibits flexible enzymatic activity and tolerates significant variations in its substrate peptide sequence. By binding with the leader peptide (LP) sequence of precursor peptide CaoA, the dehydration reactions proceed in a directional manner from the C‐terminus of the core peptide (CP) to the N‐terminus, and C‐terminally truncated variants of CP are acceptable. We show that fusing CaoK to CaoY in a 1 : 1 molar ratio enables the resulting enzyme CaoYK to exert enhanced dehydration activity. CaoK binds with the LP to improve its own solubility and to ensure the phosphate transfer activity, while CaoY functions in a manner independently of LP. This work advances our understanding of the dehydration process during cacaoidin formation, and provides useful enzymes and methods for the studies of the rapidly emerging RiPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to review clinical features of adolescent malignant germ cell tumors (MGCTs) in Beijing and analyze the peculiar characteristics of this age group. Methods: Clinical characteristics, pathological presentations, and survival outcomes of 34 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Of 34 patients, 12 girls and 22 boys, 18 (52.9%) had an extra‐cranial tumor, including one testicular tumor, five ovarian tumors, one sacrococcygeal tumor, and 11 mediastinal tumors. Histologically, we found immature teratomas (n = 6), yolk sac tumors (n = 5), mixed malignant tumors (n = 5), an embryonic carcinoma (n = 1), and seminoma (n = 1). Three‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 48.8% and 62.9%, respectively. Another 16 (47.1%) patients had an intracranial tumor, including nine in the pineal region, five in the suprasellar region, one in basal ganglia, and one in cerebellopontine. All patients had localized disease and an excellent outcome with 3‐year EFS and OS of 93.7% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: Adolescent MGCTs are rare with a strong dependence on gender, and the mediastina and pineal region are the most common tumor locations. The prognosis is promising compared with that of other adolescent tumors and MGCTs in other age groups. MGCTs in mediastina have a tendency to companion with other hematological malignancies, and the prognosis is extremely poor in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various sources of carbon can be converted into acetylene (C2H2) by using the key intermediate calcium carbide (CaC2). However, the production of CaC2 is a typical energy-intensive process, accompanied by considerable carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a large amount of industrial solid waste. In this study, a sustainable methodology for carbon-to-acetylene and carbon monoxide (CO) co-production as well as CO2 capture based on BaCO3−BaC2−Ba(OH)2−BaCO3 looping was first established, in which BaC2 replaced CaC2 as the key intermediate of the carbon-to-acetylene process to generate C2H2. The kinetic behavior investigation of the BaC2 formation indicated that the solid-phase synthesized BaC2 is a promising intermediate for the carbon-to-acetylene conversion owing to its faster kinetics, lower formation temperature, and no carbon dioxide release compared with those observed for the CaC2 production. Moreover, the lab-scale recovery of barium to carbide formation was conducted as the proof-of-concept to validate the coupling process of carbon-to-acetylene with CO2 capture based on Ba looping, resulting in less carbide slag waste and negative carbon emission. The facile co-production of carbon monoxide, environmentally friendly process, and convenience of large-scale production, as well as possible independent manufacturing of fossil resources, make barium carbide-based carbon-to-C2H2 -CO a promising key chemical platform for sustainable development. The proposed technology would provide new insights into the reengineering process of carbon to chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Triangle Model of Reading proposes that phonology, orthography, and semantics are crucial to understand word reading and reading disability (RD). Morphology has been added as a binding agent to this model. However, it is unclear how these variables relate to word reading in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or comorbid ADHD and RD (ADHD+RD). This study examined the performance of Chinese children with RD, ADHD, or ADHD+RD in phonology, orthography, semantics, and morphology, and investigated whether morphology made an additional contribution beyond the other skills in explaining word reading fluency. Participants were 151 Grade 1 to 3 Chinese students: RD (n = 31), ADHD (n = 43), ADHD+RD (n = 27), and typically developing controls (TD, n = 50). Results indicated that children with ADHD+RD (a) showed similar performance to RD and ADHD in tone awareness, orthographic legality, and homophone morpheme awareness; (b) had similar performance to RD but worse than ADHD in phonology, semantics, and morpheme production; and (c) had more severe deficits than RD and ADHD in orthographic reversal, morpheme identification, and homograph awareness. Morphology significantly predicted word reading fluency beyond the other skills, and its predictive effect was more salient for ADHD+RD, ADHD, and TD. The findings provide evidence of both shared and additive effects of RD and ADHD. Morphology may be an important diagnostic factor in identifying Chinese reading and behavioral deficit groups and a worthwhile target for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of efficient and durable structured catalysts for hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming (MSR) is becoming extremely appealing owing to their low pressure drop and large open area. In this work, porous CeO 2 -based nanosheet array is in-situ grown on the surface of cordierite honeycomb ceramic by a simple hydrothermal approach. The generated porous nanosheet structure not only surpasses the obstacle of low specific surface area of cordierite (increasing from 4.4 to 252.6 m2 g-1), but also the peak area ratio of oxygen vacancies on the support surface rises from 19.7% to 29.7%, which are favorable to promote the catalytic activity and reduce by-product CO selectivity of structured catalysts in MSRreaction. Importantly, the structured catalysts formed by decorating CuO–ZnO catalysts on CeO 2 -based nanosheets via sol-gel combustion method remain porous structure, offering an ideal space for reactant entry and mass transfer diffusion, which facilitates reaction triggering and product discharge. The optimal structured catalyst achieves 100% methanol conversion at 260 °C without CO and the methanol conversion remains at 94.7% after 100 h of the reaction, exhibiting the excellent catalytic activity and durability. Thus, the structured catalyst has potential for industrial-scale preparation and application, especially for on-site hydrogen production in vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The density peak clustering (DPC) is one of the most popular algorithms for segmenting images due to its simplicity and efficiency. Since DPC and its variants are not specifically designed for image segmentation, their segmentation results do not necessarily meet both subjective and objective metrics. We propose an expanded relative density-based clustering algorithm as a solution to the above problems, which can automatically determine the cluster number and make the image segmentation results more consistent with subjective criteria. First, the image is pre-segmented into superpixels using the simple linear iterative clustering algorithm, and the superpixels are represented by feature vectors containing color and texture information. Secondly, the expanded relative density of the data point is obtained by comparing the tightness of a mini-cluster with its neighboring mini-clusters. The Sigmoid function is then applied to the data point with small density but large relative distance to further adjust its relative distance so that the distribution of cluster centers matches the characteristics of the image. Next, the optimal cluster number is determined by the rate of change of the sum of squared errors. Finally, the cluster center pairs with smaller distances are merged using the cluster center merging algorithm. The experiments conducted on synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that the performance of the proposed algorithm outperforms the compared algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, our work oversees with the nonlocal coupled complex modified Korteweg–de Vries equations (cmKdV), which is a nonlocal generalization for coupled cmKdV equations. The n-fold Darboux transformation (DT) is constructed in the form of determinants for the nonlocal coupled cmKdV equations. Via generalized DT method, we obtain the rational soliton solutions describing M-shaped soliton, W-shaped soliton, and the interactions on the plane wave and periodic background. The results can be useful to study the dynamical behaviors of soliton solutions in nonlocal wave models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of 11 Chinese herbal extracts (cinnamon extract, Osmanthus extract, tangerine peel extract, dandelion extract, Coptis chinensis extract, honeysuckle extract, Pulsatilla root extract, yucca extract, licorice extract, Ginkgo biloba extract, and astragalus extract) on ammonia emissions during in vitro fermentation of the cecum of laying hens. The results showed that the most significant ammonia inhibition was achieved via astragalus extract, resulting in a 26.76% reduction. Astragalus extract inhibited ammonia emission from laying hens by changing the gut microbial community structure, reducing the relative abundance of ammonia-producing bacteria, and reducing microorganisms' uricase and urease activities. The objectives of the study were to screen one or several Chinese herbal extracts with good ammonia emission reduction effects using an in vitro gas production study. The study consisted of a control (without Chinese herbal extract), and 11 experimental groups with added cinnamon extract (CE), Osmanthus extract (OE), tangerine peel extract (TPE), dandelion extract (DE), Coptis chinensis extract (CCE), honeysuckle extract (HE), Pulsatilla root extract (PRE), yucca extract (YE), licorice extract (LE), Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), or astragalus extract (AE). The results showed that HE, PRE, YE, LE, GBE, and AE significantly reduced ammonia production (p ≤ 0.05). The most significant ammonia inhibition was achieved via AE, resulting in a 26.76% reduction. In all treatments, Chinese herbal extracts had no significant effect on pH, conductivity, or uric acid, urea, and nitrate-nitrogen concentrations (p > 0.05). However, AE significantly reduced urease activity and the relative activity of uricase (p ≤ 0.05). AE significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides and decreased the relative abundance of Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, and Prevotell (p ≤ 0.05). Astragalus extract inhibited ammonia emission from laying hens by changing the gut microbial community structure, reducing the relative abundance of ammonia-producing bacteria, and reducing microorganisms' uricase and urease activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly growing needs of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce have attracted educators and policymakers to reinforce STEM education from elementary to postsecondary education. Additionally, an increasing number of English language learners (ELLs) in the U.S. public education system draws educators' attention to improve their STEM learning performance. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which pertinent factors, i.e. language proficiency, pedagogical approach, cultural diversity, learning interest, and classroom climate are interacted in Chinese ELLs' STEM learning engagement and performance and conduct a culture-based insight of the linkage of the key factors. Five first-generation young Chinese ELLs and their parents from public kindergarten and elementary schools in the U.S. completed two rounds of individual interviews. A qualitative cross-case analysis from an Emic perspective was used to explore how the key factors associated with Chinese ELLs' STEM learning outcomes, including learning engagement (effort and persistence) and performance. Data were analyzed by NVivo 12.0. Language proficiency, pedagogical approach, learning interest, and classroom climate carried global influences on Chinese ELLs' learning outcomes from different aspects. Moreover, cultural diversity as a contextual element influenced Chinese ELLs' STEM learning engagement and performance throughout the other four factors. The findings of this study delineated a bridge that linked language proficiency, pedagogical approach, cultural diversity, learning interest, classroom climate, and interactions to STEM learning outcomes as multifaceted systems under possible contextual situations among Chinese ELLs. With an integrative understanding of cultural diversity and other key factors, we suggested that educators could utilize culture-centered connectivity in STEM teaching for students from a Chinese background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergent bilinguals (EBs) who are exposed to societal language at school but use another language at home may experience difficulties in mastering the societal language, especially those at risk for language and reading disabilities. Learning phonologically specific new words that discriminate between phonemes may foster phonological awareness and word reading. This study examined the effectiveness of a lexical specificity intervention program that targeted phoneme discrimination in EBs at risk for reading disabilities. EBs who scored below the 25th percentile on the screening measures were selected and randomly assigned to one of two conditions: at-risk intervention or at-risk control. Of the 76 EBs in the at-risk group, 40 were randomly assigned to receive the intervention. A group of 51 typically developing EBs who did not meet the risk criteria were selected as typical controls. The pre- and post-tests include phoneme discrimination, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, fluency, and decoding. The at-risk intervention group showed improvement on the phoneme discrimination task after the intervention and outperformed the at-risk control group but not the typical control group. In addition, growth was observed during both the training and testing sessions of the intervention. The lexical specificity intervention could be a good resource to enhance a key precursor to literacy development for at-risk EBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an essential role in water balance and ecological environment changes. The Yangtze River Basin (YRB) is a typical monsoon climate zone. Most existing studies on the impact of climatic factors on annual ET have overlooked the seasonal effect. This study quantitatively analyzed the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ET and its relationship with climatic factors at the annual and monthly scales in the YRB using high−spatial−resolution PML_V2 ET data from 2001 to 2020. Results showed that: (1) the spatiotemporal distribution of the regions with significant correlation between ET and individual climatic factors (i.e., air temperature, solar radiation and precipitation) in the YRB showed obvious cyclical changes in month, and the spatial change pattern is strongly related to the elevation; (2) the area proportion of the dominant climatic factors affecting annual ET in the study area was characterized by solar radiation > specific humidity > precipitation > air temperature > wind speed. However, monthly ET in most areas of the YRB was driven by solar radiation and air temperature, especially in summer and autumn, while ET in spring and winter was mainly driven by solar radiation, air temperature, and specific humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Houttuynia cordata is an herbal compound that grows in China and exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, pyroptosis is mediated by the activated NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome after stimulation by various inflammatory factors in asthma. To investigate the effect of sodium houttuyfonate on NLRP3 inflammasome-related pyroptosis and Th1/Th2 immune imbalance in asthma. Asthmatic mice model were made, sodium houttuyfonate was injected intraperitoneally to treat the asthmatic mice. Airway reactivity, cell classification and counting in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining were used to analyze airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion. Beas-2b cells were cultured, LPS, NLRP3 antagonist (Mcc950) and sodium houttuyfonate were used to intervene the Beas-2b cells, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 expression in the lung tissue and cells were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and western blot, while qRT- PCR was performed to analyze the mRNA contents in the pulmonary and the cells, respectively. Th1 and Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IFN-γ) were detected with ELISA and the proportions of Th1 and Th2 in splenocyte were detected by flow cytometry. Airway reactivity decreased in sodium houttuyfonate group when compared with asthmatic group mice. In the BALF, the numbers of leukocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages were significantly lower in sodium houttuyfonate group mice than in asthmatic group mice. The proportion of TH1/TH2 cells in spleen cells and IFN-γ /IL-4 in plasma increased in sodium houttuyfonate treatment group when compared with asthma group. Immunohistochemistry, western blot and RT-PCR showed that the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β and IL-18 were decreased in the lung tissue of mice after treated with sodium houttuyfonate when compared with those in the asthma group. However, sodium houttuyfonate combined with dexamethasone induced a stronger effect on NLRP3-related pyroptosis and Th1/Th2 immune imbalance compared to sodium houttuyfonate or dexamethasone alone. Beas-2b cells were cultured in vitro , sodium houttuyfonate can alleviate LPS-induced ASC, casepase-1, GSDMD, IL-18 and IL-1β increasing, especially in SH (10 μg/ml) treated group, but the effect less than Mcc950. Sodium houttuyfonate can alleviated NLRP3-related pyroptosis and Th1/Th2 immune imbalance to reduce asthma airway inflammation and airway reactivity. • Sodium houttuyfonate can alleviated NLRP3-related pyroptosis. • Sodium houttuyfonate can alleviated Th1/Th2 immune imbalance. • Sodium houttuyfonate combined with dexamethasone induced a stronger effect on NLRP3-related pyroptosis and Th1/Th2 immune imbalance compared to sodium houttuyfonate or dexamethasone alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have great potential as new biomarkers in liquid biopsy. However, due to the limitations of sEVs extraction and component analysis procedures, further clinical applications of sEVs are hampered. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a commonly used broad-spectrum tumor marker that is strongly expressed in a variety of malignancies. Results: In this study, CEA+ sEVs were directly separated from serum using immunomagnetic beads, and the nucleic acid to protein ultraviolet absorption ratio (NPr) of CEA+ sEVs was determined. It was found that the NPr of CEA+ sEVs in tumor group was higher than that of healthy group. We further analyzed the sEV-derived nucleic acid components using fluorescent staining and found that the concentration ratio of double-stranded DNA to protein (dsDPr) in CEA+ sEVs was also significantly different between the two groups, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 41.67% for the diagnosis of pan-cancer. The AUC of dsDPr combined with NPr was 0.87 and the ACU of dsDPr combined with CA242 could reach 0.94, showing good diagnostic performance for pan-cancer. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the dsDPr of CEA+ sEVs can effectively distinguish sEVs derived from tumor patients and healthy individuals, which can be employed as a simple and cost-effective non-invasive screening technology to assist tumor diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study pursued 3 goals: (1) to determine how depressive symptoms among U.S. older adults changed in 2018–2020, a period transitioning to the first wave of coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic, compared to in prepandemic periods, (2) to determine whether physical disability predicts change in depressive symptoms in 2018–2020, and (3) to assess whether psychological resilience moderates the association between physical disability and change in depressive symptoms in 2018–2020. Methods Based on biennial longitudinal data of the Health and Retirement Study from 2010 to 2020, we used a before–after design and latent change score model to examine whether depressive symptoms change in 2018–2020 represents a continuation or departure from the overall trend of between-wave changes in 2010–2018. We also used physical disability in 2018 and psychological resilience in 2016–2018 to predict depressive symptoms change score in 2018–2020. Results In contrast to the relatively stable between-wave change trend in 2010–2018, there was an abrupt elevation in the latent change score of depressive symptoms in 2018–2020, which was primarily driven by increased affective symptoms (e.g. depressed mood, loneliness, unhappiness, and sadness). Increase in depressive symptoms in 2018–2020 was associated positively with physical disability but negatively with psychological resilience. Moderation effect of psychological resilience, however, was not significant. Discussion Our findings reveal heavier COVID-related mental health burden for older adults with physical disabilities and the potential benefits of enhancing individual psychological resilience. They also suggest that health interventions addressing the COVID impacts need to particularly focus on the affective aspects of depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Impacts of climate change on fisheries resources and biodiversity are being increasingly reported. An increased frequency and intensity of extreme ocean climate events can be expected to affect Beibu Gulf marine ecosystems and fishery productivity. We examine Beibu Gulf fisheries resource survey data before and after ENSO events, and compare changes in fish biodiversity, dominant species, and community distributions between El Niño and La Niña events. Relationships between the abundance of dominant species and environmental variables are discussed, and how environmental changes affect fish populations are evaluated. To better understand how fish communities respond to environmental changes under extreme climate events, we examine changes in fish communities in Beibu Gulf during strong El Niño and La Niña events. Strong La Niña and El Niño events affect the composition, abundance, and distribution of fish communities in Beibu Gulf. Fish community distribution and composition change before and after La Niña and El Niño events, and dominant species within them change with stable fishing intensity. The abundance and distribution of small pelagic fish such as Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) and Japanese scad (Decapterus maruadsi) are the most affected. Using a generalized additive model (GAM), we explore relationships between the abundance of T. japonicus and D. maruadsi and a suite of environmental variables. The GAM results revealed that sea surface salinity and sea surface temperature best explain changes in catch per unit effort of these two species during a La Niña event; depth, sea surface temperature, and mixed layer depth during an El Niño event. The results obtained in this study will offer support for implementing more-accurate, scientific fisheries management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a common pregnancy disease mostly occurring in the first trimester of pregnancy, and unexplained RSA (URSA) occurs in approximately 40% of RSA patients even after careful examination. Here, we assessed the effects of modified Bushen Huoxue Prescription combined with active immunotherapy on immunomodulatory functions and pregnancy outcomes of URSA patients. Ninety-six eligible URSA patients were randomly divided into control and experimental groups (n=48). Active immunotherapy was performed for control group, while experimental group were treated with modified Bushen Huoxue Prescription combined with active immunotherapy. Counts of peripheral blood helper T lymphocytes 17 (Th17) and regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg), levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10 and IL-17, and mRNA expression levels of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) and forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) were compared. Compared with before treatment, ratios of Th17/CD4+ cells and Th17/Treg, IL-17 level and RORγt mRNA level decreased, whereas ratio of Treg/CD4+ cells, IL-4 and IL-10 levels and FoxP3 mRNA level increased in both groups after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, ratios of Th17/CD4+ cells and Th17/Treg, IL-17 level and RORγt mRNA level were lower in experimental group than those in control group, while ratio of Treg/CD4+ cells, IL-4, IL-10 levels and FoxP3 mRNA level were higher in experimental group (P<0.05). Modified Bushen Huoxue Prescription combined with active immunotherapy worked well for URSA to improve pregnancy outcomes and lower abortion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental work stress was associated with parenting irritability and use of harsh disciplinary practices, but little is known about how daily fluctuations in work stress proliferate to everyday parenting practices in the context of multigenerational living. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined how grandparental coresidence moderates the link between daily work stress and parent-to-child aggression (PCA). Using propensity scores, we matched 129 three-generation households with 133 two-generation households in Zhengzhou, China, based on multiple family characteristics. Parents in both groups completed daily questionnaires for 15 consecutive days. Fixed effects models estimated the within-person associations between parent daily work stress and PCA among the two comparison groups. We found substantial daily fluctuations in parent work stress and PCA. The association between parent daily work stress and PCA significantly varied between two- and three-generation families and was only significant among the former. We conclude that co-residing grandparent(s) could be an important resource that buffers the work-to-PCA stress proliferation. Child abuse prevention programs would likely benefit from concerting with policies supporting the wellbeing of older adults and programs promoting work-life balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray optics with good focusing ability and high spectral resolution are required in X-ray spectroscopy for the diagnosis of high temperature and density plasmas. In our study, a novel X-ray spectrometer is developed to provide the ability to record spectra with excellent focusing performance and high energy resolution. It is accomplished by using a continuously conical crystal (CCC) that is formed by circles with different curvatures. In this paper, we present the foundational work of the design and development of continuously conical crystal spectrometer (CCCS) along with initial results obtained with a titanium (Ti) target as the object source. First, the spectrometer based on such a continuously conical crystal is used to measure X-ray spectra on Ti target X-ray Tube device. The spectral resolution (λ/Δλ) is around 615 with the source size of 1 mm. Then, we test the capability of the spectrometer on Xingguang-III Laser Facility with Ti target. He-like and Li-like Ti lines are recorded based on which the spectrometer performance is evaluated. The experiment result shows that the spectrometer provides a high spectral resolving power up to 1000, while acquiring a one-dimensional image of the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of information-technology (IT)-enabled interactions in promoting interfirm trust has been documented in literature. However, the currently available findings are limited because the role of IT-enabled informal interactions has been overlooked and the categorization of trust is unclear. To obtain detailed knowledge about the relation between IT-enabled interactions and trust, this study categorizes not only the IT-enabled interactions into formal and informal types but also trust into goodwill and competence trust. Moreover, this study explores the moderating role of relationship duration on the aforementioned relationships. Through a survey of 240 firms in China, this study made the following observations: (1) IT-enabled formal and informal interactions can promote both competence and goodwill trust; (2) compared with IT-enabled informal interactions, IT-enabled formal interactions promote competence trust, and a comparable extent of goodwill trust; (3) relationship duration strengthens the positive link between IT-enabled formal interactions and competence trust; however, it has no moderating impact on the link between IT-enabled formal interactions and goodwill trust; (4) relationship duration weakens the impact of IT-enabled informal interactions on goodwill trust; however, it has no significant moderating role on the relation between IT-enabled informal interactions and competence trust. Overall, this study enriches the knowledge regarding the relationship between IT-enabled interactions and interfirm trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding particle settlement in channeled fluids has wide applications, such as fine particulate matter, coronavirus particle transport, and the migration of solid particles in water. Various factors have been investigated but few studies have acknowledged the channel's effect on settlement dynamics. This study developed a coupled interpolated bounce-back lattice Boltzmann-discrete element model and examined how a channel's width affects particle settlement. A factor k denoting the ratio of the channel's width and the particle diameter was defined. The terminal settling velocity for a single particle is inversely proportional to k, and the time that the particle takes to reach the terminal velocity is positively related to k. When k is greater than 15, the channel width's effects are negligible. For dual particles of the same size, the drafting-kissing-tumbling (DKT) process occurs infinitely in a periodic pattern, with the two particles swapping positions and settling around the channel's centerline. The smaller the k, the sooner the DKT process occurs. The particles collide with the channel wall when k <= 10. For dual particles of different sizes, the DKT process occurs once so that the bigger particle leads the settlement. Both particles settle along the channel's centerline in a steady state. The bigger the k, the bigger the difference in their terminal settling velocities until k = 15. The small particle collides with the channel wall if released under the big particle when k = 6. The findings of this study are expected to inform channeling or pipeline design in relevant engineering practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. Although the reference genome of 'Lovell' peach has been released, the diversity of genome-level variations cannot be explored with one genome. To detect these variations, it is necessary to assemble more genomes. Results: We sequenced and de novo assembled the genome of 'Feichenghongli' (FCHL), a representative landrace with strict self-pollination, which maintained the homozygosity of the genome as much as possible. The chromosome-level genome of FCHL was 239.06 Mb in size with a contig N50 of 26.93 Mb and only 4 gaps at the scaffold level. The alignment of the FCHL genome with the reference 'Lovell' genome enabled the identification of 432535 SNPs, 101244 insertions and deletions, and 7299 structural variants. Gene family analysis showed that the expanded genes in FCHL were enriched in sesquiterpenoids and triterpenoid biosynthesis. RNA-seq analyses were carried out to investigate the two distinct traits of late florescence and narrow leaves. Two key genes, PpDAM4 and PpAGL31, were identified candidates for the control of flower bud dormancy, and an F-box gene, PpFBX92, was identified as a good candidate gene in the regulation of leaf size. Conclusions: The assembled high-quality genome could deepen our understanding of variations among diverse genomes and provide valuable information for identifying functional genes and improving the molecular breeding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary writing is an important tactic for learning from text and the summaries provide information on students' comprehension and learning processes. We investigated the nature of the summaries produced by bilingual adolescents, and whether their summaries were related to their reading abilities in their first and second languages. In each language, we examined the performance of students identified as typically developing, poor decoders, or poor comprehenders. Participants were 246 grade 8 students enrolled in English immersion programs in China. Measures included English word reading and reading comprehension, Chinese word reading and reading comprehension, and nonverbal ability. Students' text-absent summaries of an English 254-word expository passage were analyzed for the number of themes, main ideas, important details, and unimportant details. Using latent profile analysis, participants were identified as typical readers (TR, n = 123), poor decoders (PD, n = 74), or poor comprehenders (PC, n = 49) in English, and TR (n = 129), PD (n = 74), or PC (n = 43) in Chinese, based on word reading and reading comprehension in both English and Chinese. MANCOVA results showed that after controlling for nonverbal ability, in the English-defined groups, the TR group outperformed PD and PC on themes, main ideas, and important details; in the Chinese-defined groups, the TR group outperformed PD and PC on themes, TR performed better than PC on main ideas and important details, and PD outperformed PC on main ideas. Discussion focuses on the difficulties faced by bilingual students with reading difficulties and on the potential of summary writing instruction to improve their comprehension and learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the dynamics of the coupled medium–low-speed maglev train-turnout system, a rigid-flexible dynamics model of the coupled system was developed based on multi-body dynamics theory and finite element method. The modal and dynamic responses results obtained from the model calculations were compared with the field test results, and the dynamic interaction characteristics of the coupled system under different operating conditions were investigated using the validated simulation model. Research results show that both the increase in the support stiffness of the turnout and the rational choice of some key parameters of the coupled system will ensure the levitation stability of the train. Increasing the support stiffness of the turnout by means of adding a trolley to support in the middle of the long-span girder (LSG) facilitates the stable levitation of the train when standing still above the turnout and improves the dynamic performance of the coupled system. By optimising some key parameters, including limiting the flatness of the magnetic pole surface of the turnout track within 1.5 mm, and taking the vertical damping of the air springs for overloaded train within 9000∼11,000 N·s/m, significant improvements in the dynamic performance of the train and the turnout can also be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray optics with good focusing ability and high spectral resolution are required in X-ray spectroscopy for the diagnosis of high temperature and density plasmas. In our study, a novel X-ray spectrometer is developed to provide the ability to record spectra with excellent focusing performance and high energy resolution. It is accomplished by using a continuously conical crystal (CCC) that is formed by circles with different curvatures. In this paper, we present the foundational work of the design and development of continuously conical crystal spectrometer (CCCS) along with initial results obtained with a titanium (Ti) target as the object source. First, the spectrometer based on such a continuously conical crystal is used to measure X-ray spectra on Ti target X-ray Tube device. The spectral resolution (λ/Δλ) is around 615 with the source size of 1 mm. Then, we test the capability of the spectrometer on Xingguang-III Laser Facility with Ti target. He-like and Li-like Ti lines are recorded based on which the spectrometer performance is evaluated. The experiment result shows that the spectrometer provides a high spectral resolving power up to 1000, while acquiring a one-dimensional image of the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper took hydrogen transportation as a breakthrough to make a comprehensive study on the economic assessments of hydrogen delivery pathways, so as to promote the low-cost and large-scale hydrogen energy development. A specific transportation model for gas-hydrogen trailers, liquid-hydrogen tank trucks, and hydrogen pipelines with various technical levels was developed to explore the cost reduction pathways. To verify the feasibility of the model, a case study was conducted in Shanghai, China, to obtain more realistic cost data. Accordingly, the gas-hydrogen trailer was found to be feasible for short distances, while the liquid-hydrogen tank truck was economic for long distances. By increasing the hydrogen storage pressure and liquefaction scale, the transportation cost of gas-hydrogen trailers and liquid-hydrogen tank trucks could be significantly reduced. However, their economic advantage could not surpass that of pipelines when its utilization rate is high. By improving the utilization rate of hydrogen pipelines, the transportation cost could be significantly reduced. In addition, we attempted to determine the more economical and feasible option between long-distance hydrogen transportation and local hydrogen production. With the large-scale utilization of renewable energy resources, only when the electricity price is reduced to approximately 0.1–0.2 yuan/kWh and hydrogen production efficiency is increased above 60%–80%, local hydrogen production can be more economical than long-distance hydrogen transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, an efficient Minisci reaction of heteroarenes and unactivated C(sp3)–H alkanes was achieved using an inexpensive FeCl3 as a photocatalyst. The photogenerated chlorine radical contributed to the HAT of C–H and subsequently initiated this reaction. Surprisingly, salt water and even seawater can act as a chlorine radical source, which provided an enlightening idea for future organic synthesis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new field-modulated permanent magnet (FMPM) machine with an improved rotor is proposed and analyzed. The proposed FMPM machine enjoys the advantages of high PM utilization and better heat dissipation. For a fair comparison, the proposed FMPM machine is designed with the same geometrical parameters based on the existing FMPM machine. The electromagnetic performances of existing FMPM (E-FMPM) machine and proposed FMPM (P-FMPM) are compared and analyzed by using finite element method, verifying that the proposed FMPM machine with an improved rotor can obtain high torque density and high PM utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface plays an important role in determining strength and toughness in multiphase systems and the accurate measurement of the interface structure in single crystal (SX) Ni-based superalloy is also essential. In this work, the γ and γ′ lattice constant, γ/γ′ interface width at dendritic and interdendritic region of casting and solution treatment SX Ni-based superalloy is measured. Various advanced equipment is used to characterize γ/γ′ interface nanostructure. A typical correlation between interface width and γ/γ′ misfit is also summarized. The interface width in the dendritic region of the as-cast sample is larger than that in the interdendritic region. The misfit in the dendritic region is larger than that in the interdendritic region, which has a trend of negative development. There is a common law of the as-cast interdendritic and dendrite interface sample, where the absolute value of the misfit between the two phases is increasing with the phase interface broadening. The comparison of the as-cast and heat-treated interdendritic sample shows that after heat treatment, the phase interface width increases, the misfit decreases, the lattice constant of γ phase increases, and the lattice constant of the γ′ phase decreases. By comparing the as-cast and heat treated dendrites, the absolute value of the misfit of the as-cast dendrite sample is significantly smaller than that of the heat-treated sample, and the misfit increases with the interface broadening. The comparison between interdendritic and dendritic heat-treated samples shows that the absolute value of the misfit between the two phases is smaller than that of the dendritic as-cast samples, and the absolute value of the misfit also increases with the phase interface broadening. In conclusion, property heat treatment can significantly increase the lattice constants of the γ and γ' phases, reduce the lattice mismatch at the interface of the two phases, and improve the high temperature stability of the alloy. A better understanding of the microstructure of Ni-based single crystal superalloys will provide guidance for the subsequent design of more advanced nickel-based single-crystal superalloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given an abstract Cauchy problem with time-fractional derivative in the Caputo sense of order 0 < α < 1 in a Banach space with an inhomogeneous term φ (t) ϑ , we investigate the inverse problem of determining ϑ from it and an overdetermination in the form of an integral. Assume that the operator of evolution A generates an analytic C 0 -semigroup, we give the uniqueness and unique existence of the solution in terms of the eigenvalues and spectrum of A. And via the approach of functional calculus, the representation of the solution is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of distal femoral, proximal tibial, and distal tibial physeal bar resection combined with or without the Hemi-Epiphysiodesis procedure and provide a better understanding of the application of physeal bar resection combined with Hemi-Epiphysiodesis procedure in the treatment of physeal bar growth arrest. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients who suffered physeal bar and underwent physeal bar resection with or without the Hemi-Epiphysiodesis technique during 2010–2020. All were followed up for at least 2 years or to maturity. A modified mapping method was used to determine the area of a physeal bar by CT data. The aLDFA, aMPTA, aLDTA, MAD, and LLD were measured to assess the deformity of the lower limb. Results: In total, 19 patients were included in this study. The average age was 8.9 years (range 4.4 to 13.3 years old). During the follow-up, 4 (21.1%) patients had an angular change < 5°; 12 (63.2%) patients had angular deformity improvement > 5° averaging 10.0° (range 5.3° to 23.2°), and 3 (15.8%) patients had improvement of the angular deformity averaging 16.8° (range 7.4° to 27.1°). Eleven patients (57.9%) had significant MAD improvement. After surgery, we found that 7 (36.8%) patients had an LLD change of < 5 mm and were considered unchanged. Only 2 (15%) patients had an LLD improvement > 5 mm averaging 1.0 cm (range 0.7 to 1.3 cm), and 7 (36.8%) patients had increasing of LLD > 5 mm averaging 1.3 cm (range 0.5 to 2.5 cm). There were no postoperative fractures, infections, or intraoperative complications such as neurovascular injury. Conclusion: Physeal bar resection combined with Hemi-epiphysiodesis is helpful for partial epiphysis growth arrest. Without statistically verifying, we still believe that patients with limited growth ability could benefit more from physeal bar resection combined with Hemi-epiphysiodesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel KNO 3 in-situ etching-activation strategy is demonstrated towards evolution of carbon sheet to carbon spindle, fold-carbon-spheres and then to regular carbon spheres via changing the amount of KNO 3. The fold-carbon-spheres shows more excellent electrochemical performance than regular carbon sheets, spindle and spheres. [Display omitted] Carbonaceous materials with diverse morphologies have shown unique and excellent performance in many fields, such as catalysis, adsorption, separation and energy storage. However, regulating the structural changes of these morphologies accurately using simple approaches is a difficult process. In this study, porous carbon materials with a morphology that changed from carbon spindles to fold-carbon spheres and then to regular carbon spheres were prepared assisted by in-situ activator of KNO 3 in co-assembly of resorcinol/phenol resin and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide. The activation of KNO 3 greatly improves the hydrophily, pore volume and surface area of the inert carbon skeleton, and increases heteroatom defects for the carbon framework. As electrode materials of supercapacitors, the influence of different structures on energy storage performance was studied. The obtained fold-carbon spheres showed a higher capacitance (405 F g−1) than flake, spindle and spherical porous carbon, which is due to convenient electrolyte transmission and completely available active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel KNO 3 in-situ etching-activation strategy is demonstrated towards evolution of carbon sheet to carbon spindle, fold-carbon-spheres and then to regular carbon spheres via changing the amount of KNO 3. The fold-carbon-spheres shows more excellent electrochemical performance than regular carbon sheets, spindle and spheres. [Display omitted] Carbonaceous materials with diverse morphologies have shown unique and excellent performance in many fields, such as catalysis, adsorption, separation and energy storage. However, regulating the structural changes of these morphologies accurately using simple approaches is a difficult process. In this study, porous carbon materials with a morphology that changed from carbon spindles to fold-carbon spheres and then to regular carbon spheres were prepared assisted by in-situ activator of KNO 3 in co-assembly of resorcinol/phenol resin and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide. The activation of KNO 3 greatly improves the hydrophily, pore volume and surface area of the inert carbon skeleton, and increases heteroatom defects for the carbon framework. As electrode materials of supercapacitors, the influence of different structures on energy storage performance was studied. The obtained fold-carbon spheres showed a higher capacitance (405 F g−1) than flake, spindle and spherical porous carbon, which is due to convenient electrolyte transmission and completely available active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ring‐opening transformations of donor‐acceptor (D‐A) cyclopropanes enable the rapid assembly of complex molecules. However, the enantioselective formation of chiral quaternary stereocenters using substrates bearing two different acceptors remains a challenge. Herein, we describe the first palladium‐catalyzed highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective (3+2) cycloaddition of vinyl cyclopropanes bearing two different electron‐withdrawing groups, a subset of D‐A cyclopropanes. The key to the success of this reaction is the remote stereoinduction through hydrogen bond from chiral ligands, which thereby addressed the aforementioned challenge. A variety of chiral five‐membered heterocycles were produced in good yields and with high stereoselectivity (up to 99 % yields, 99 : 1 er and >19 : 1 dr). In‐depth mechanistic investigations, including control experiments and theoretical calculations, revealed the origin of the stereoselectivity and the importance of H‐bonding in stereocontrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ring‐opening transformations of donor‐acceptor (D‐A) cyclopropanes enable the rapid assembly of complex molecules. However, the enantioselective formation of chiral quaternary stereocenters using substrates bearing two different acceptors remains a challenge. Herein, we describe the first palladium‐catalyzed highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective (3+2) cycloaddition of vinyl cyclopropanes bearing two different electron‐withdrawing groups, a subset of D‐A cyclopropanes. The key to the success of this reaction is the remote stereoinduction through hydrogen bond from chiral ligands, which thereby addressed the aforementioned challenge. A variety of chiral five‐membered heterocycles were produced in good yields and with high stereoselectivity (up to 99 % yields, 99 : 1 er and >19 : 1 dr). In‐depth mechanistic investigations, including control experiments and theoretical calculations, revealed the origin of the stereoselectivity and the importance of H‐bonding in stereocontrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical carbon superstructures that built from primary nanoscale objects and featured with a micro- or macroscopic architecture are highly desired, as credited by the synergistically integrated specialties. Here, we present a simple "microconfined-assembly-locking" approach to achieve pomegranate-like mesoporous carbon microspheres (PMCMs), in which the Pickering droplet-confined colloidal particle assembly and surfactant-directed interfacial locking are coupled. The formed PMCMs possess a unique micro-nano-hierarchical structure that consisting numerous mesoporous hollow carbon nanospheres within a permeable crust. Benefitting from this hierarchical arrangement, such a peculiar architecture not only preserves high surface area, large pore volume and good accessibility of the nano-building blocks, but also upgrades in mechanical strength and easy handling ability. In addition, this strategy allows the interior microstructures to be manipulated through combinatorial varying the assembled colloidal particles and interfacial chemical locking processes. Notably, the PMCMs show superior sorption capacity and cyclability for organics or oils from water in a fixed-bed system, which could also be applied to enhance the catalytic performance in hydrogenation of aromatic compounds after loading with Ru nanoparticles. This synthetic method provides a powerful bridge between nanoscale objects and microscale patterning, and paves a way to access other novel superstructures for expanding their potential applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Deficits in facial emotional intensity recognition have been associated with social cognition in patients with major depression. The study examined multiple event-related potential (ERP) components in patients with major depression and investigated the relationships between ERPs, social cognition, and clinical features. Participants and Methods: Thirty-one patients met DSM-IV diagnosis of depression and 31 healthy participants completed the emotion intensity recognition task (EIRT), while ERPs were recorded. Data on ERP components (P100, N170, P200, and P300) were analyzed. Results: The behavioral results showed that patients with major depression performed worse on EIRT, including all six categories of emotions (sadness, disgust, happiness, surprise, anger, and fear), compared to healthy participants. The ERP results showed that patients with major depression exhibited higher P100 amplitudes for sad and happy faces than healthy participants; P300 amplitudes induced by sad and surprise faces were also higher than in healthy participants, mainly in the central and temporal lobes. A positive correlation was found between sadness intensity scores and P100 amplitudes in patients with major depression. Conclusion: Patients with major depression are biased in their identification of facial expressions indicating emotional intensity. Specifically, they have emotional biases in the early and late stages of cognitive processing, mainly in the form of sensitivity to sad stimuli. It may lead to a persistent rumination of sadness that is detrimental to the remission of depression. Additionally, patients with major depression devote different amounts of cognitive resources for different intensities of sad faces during the preconscious stage of cognitive processing. The more intense their perception of sadness, the more cognitive resources they devote. Therefore, the assessment of the intensity of facial expressions is an important research topic, with clinical implications on social cognitive function in patients with major depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters play an important role in the response to methotrexate (MTX). In this study, we investigated the frequency distribution of three splicing-regulatory polymorphisms in ABC transporters (ABCC2 rs2273697 G>A, ABCG2 rs2231142 G>T, and ABCB1 rs1128503 A>G) and their effects on MTX concentrations and the clinical outcome in a Chinese pediatric population with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: A fluorescence polarization immunoassay was used to measure the serum MTX concentrations in 24 h (C24h) and 42 h (C42h). The Sequenom MassARRAY system was used for single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Results: The study population had significantly lower frequencies of ABCC2 rs2273697 A, ABCG2 rs2231142 G, and ABCB1 rs1128503 G than African and European samples (P < 0.05). The dose-normalized MTX concentrations after 24 h and the proportion of C42h > 0.5 µmol/L were significantly lower in patients with the ABCG2 rs2231142 GG genotype than in patients with the GT or TT genotype (P = 0.01 and 0.006, respectively). No significant effects on MTX pharmacokinetics were observed for ABCC2 rs2273697 and ABCB1 rs1128503 polymorphisms. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the three SNPs overlapped with the putative binding sites of several splicing factors. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study confirmed the ethnicity-based differences in the distribution of the three investigated SNPs. The ABCG2 rs2231142 polymorphism exerted a significant effect on the level of MTX exposure. These findings may help explain the variability in MTX responses and optimize MTX treatment in pediatric patients with ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the images obtained in lowlight environments often showing low contrast, low brightness and artifacts, it is difficult to distinguish the details of these images for people. In the field of images fusion and target tacking, lowlight images cannot be processed better. In this paper, we proposed an end-to-end lowlight image enhancement network, which uses modules stacking methods and attention modules. Firstly, the method of module stacking was applied to extract the different features of images, and then the features are fused on the channel dimension. Finally, the final image was reconstructed with a series of convolutions. In particular, our loss function consists of two parts: the first part of the loss function was calculated using L1 loss, L2 loss and the gradient loss, and VGG network was utilized to calculate the second part. Furthermore, we verified the effectiveness of the model via a large number of comparative experiments, and illustrated the comparison results through quantitative and qualitative methods. We additionally show the performance of our network on lowlight video enhancement, which also has better results than the other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement of the sample temperature in biophysics research is challenging, as the samples are commonly placed in a miniature sample chamber under a microscope. In this study, we proposed a method to measure the temperature of an aqueous solution in miniature sample chambers in a microscopic system. Existing studies show that the absorption coefficient spectrum of water shifts with temperature, especially in the near-infrared (NIR) band. We measured the absorption spectra of water with different temperatures and analyzed them, to build a mathematical model relating the temperature and the spectrum. A setup for temperature measurement in a microscopic system was designed and implemented by coupling a spectrometer and a light source to a microscope. The temperature could be calculated by the spectral data and the mathematical model while simultaneously observing the micro-image of the sample. A series of liquid samples at different temperatures were tested using the setup, and the root mean square error of the calculated temperature is less than 0.5 °C. The results demonstrate that the method based on the NIR spectrum can be used for noncontact and quick measurement of the liquid sample temperature in a microscopic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Repair pathway genes play an important role in the development of lung cancer. The study aimed to assess the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair gene (GTF2H1 and RAD54L2) and the risk of lung cancer.Methods: Five SNPs in GTF2H1 and four SNPs in RAD54L2 in 506 patients with lung cancer and 510 age-and gender-matched healthy controls were genotyped via the Agena MassARRAY platform. The influence of GTF2H1 and RAD54L2 polymorphisms on lung cancer susceptibility was assessed using logistic regression analysis by calculating odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: RAD54L2 rs9864693 GC genotype increased the risk of lung cancer (OR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.01-1.77, p = 0.045). Stratified analysis found that associations of RAD54L2 rs11720298, RAD54L2 rs4687592, RAD54L2 rs9864693 and GTF2H1 rs4150667 with lung cancer risk were found in subjects aged ≤ 59 years. Precisely, a protective effect of RAD54L2 rs11720298 on the occurrence of lung cancer was observed in non-smokers and drinkers. GTF2H1 rs4150667 was associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer in subjects with BMI ≤ 24 kg/m2. RAD54L2 rs4687592 was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in drinkers. In addition, GTF2H1 rs3802967 was associated with a reduced risk of lung squamous cell carcinoma.Conclusion: Our study first revealed that RAD54L2 rs9864693 was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in the Chinese Han population. This study may increase the understanding of the effect of RAD54L2 and GTF2H1 polymorphisms on lung cancer occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]