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Abstract Background Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid mediator with diverse biological functions through its receptors on the cell membrane. As one of the six LPA receptors, LPA receptor 3 (LPAR3) is highly expressed in mouse kidneys, but its physiological function in the kidney has been poorly explored. Methods Wild-type (WT) and Lpar3 −/− mice were used to investigate the renal physiological function of LPAR3 under hypoxia. The expression levels of LPA receptors in the kidneys of WT mice with or without exposure to hypoxia (8% O2) were detected by RT‒qPCR. RNA sequencing analysis was performed to identify differences in gene expression profiles between the hypoxic kidneys of WT and Lpar3 −/− mice. The effects of LPAR3 deficiency and treatment with the LPAR1/3 inhibitor Ki16425 or the LPAR3 selective agonist 2S-OMPT on erythropoietin (EPO) production in the kidneys of hypoxic mice were determined by RT‒qPCR and ELISAs. The mechanism of LPAR3-mediated regulation of EPO expression was further studied in vivo with mouse models and in vitro with cultured human cells. Results LPAR3 is the major LPA receptor in mouse kidneys, and its expression is significantly upregulated under hypoxic conditions. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that, compared with WT mice, Lpar3 −/− mice presented a significant decrease in hypoxia-induced EPO expression in the kidney, together with reduced plasma EPO levels and lower hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. Hypoxic renal EPO expression in WT mice was diminished by the administration of the LPAR1/3 inhibitor Ki16425 and increased by 2S-OMPT, a selective agonist of LPAR3. Hypoxia-induced HIF-2α accumulation in mouse kidneys was impaired by LPAR3 deficiency. Further studies revealed that the PI3K/Akt pathway participated in the regulation of HIF-2α accumulation and EPO expression by LPAR3 under hypoxic conditions. Conclusions Our study revealed the role of LPAR3 in promoting the HIF-2α‒EPO axis in hypoxic mouse kidneys, suggesting that the LPA receptor may serve as a novel potential pharmaceutical target to regulate renal EPO production in hypoxia-related situations, such as chronic kidney disease and altitude disease.

Abstract The pre‐insertion resistors (PIR) within high‐voltage circuit breakers are critical components and warm up by generating Joule heat when an electric current flows through them. Elevated temperature can lead to temporary closure failure and, in severe cases, the rupture of PIR. To accurately predict the temperature of PIR, this study combines finite element simulation techniques with Support Vector Regression (SVR) optimized by an Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA) approach. The IWOA includes Tent mapping, a convergence factor based on the sigmoid function, and the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck variation strategy. The IWOA‐SVR model is compared with the SSA‐SVR and WOA‐SVR. The results reveal that the prediction accuracies of the IWOA‐SVR model were 90.2% and 81.5% (above 100°C) in the ± 3°C temperature deviation range and 96.3% and 93.4% (above 100°C) in the ± 4°C temperature deviation range, surpassing the performance of the comparative models. This research demonstrates that the method proposed can realize the online monitoring of the temperature of the PIR, which can effectively prevent thermal faults PIR and provide a basis for the opening and closing of the circuit breaker within a short period.

Abstract It is a long-standing scientific controversy to achieve anti-Kasha-type multiple emissions by tuning the structures at a molecular level. Although it is known that some conjugated structures have excitation-dependent multiple emissions, no all-benzenoid molecules have yet been reported, the emissions of which originate from different excited states. Herein, we report the design of two symmetry-breaking heterogeneous carbon bisnanohoops that in solution become multiple fluorescent emitters with unusual anti-Kasha characteristics. This phenomenon can be spectroscopically and theoretically explained and will find applications in a wide range of sensing and imaging technologies.

Abstract Objective The safety and efficacy of drug-eluting balloon on the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) remain unclear. Here, we present our observation in a cohort study on the safety and efficacy of rapamycin-eluting balloon for patients with ICAS. Methods A total of 80 ICAS patients with stenosis degree of 70–99% were included. All patients were treated with rapamycin-eluting balloon and were followed up for 12 months after operation. Results All patients were successfully treated, where the mean stenosis severity reduced from 85.1 ± 7.6 to 6 ± 4.9%. 8 patients experienced immediate post-operational complications. Two patients passed away during the first month of the follow-up period. Recurrent ischemic syndrome and angiographic restenosis only appeared 7 days after operation. During later follow-up period, none of the patients had clinical angiographic restenosis or needed target vessel revascularization. Conclusion Our data suggest that intracranial stenting with rapamycin-eluting balloon seems to be safe and effective, although more clinical data are needed to support this notion.

AimsWe aimed to investigate changes of fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and their association with metabolic benefits after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Specifically, whether pre-surgery SCFAs modify surgical therapeutic effects was determined.Methods62 participants with measurements of fecal SCFAs and metabolic indices before and 1, 3, 6 months after SG were included. Changes of fecal SCFAs and their association with post-surgery metabolic benefits were calculated. Then, participants were stratified by medians of pre-surgery fecal SCFAs and modification effects of pre-surgery fecal SCFAs on surgical therapeutic effects were investigated, through calculating interaction of group by surgery.ResultsFecal SCFAs were markedly changed by SG. Changes of propionate and acetate were positively correlated with serum triglycerides and total cholesterol, respectively. Notably, high pre-surgery fecal hexanoate group showed a better effect of SG treatment on lowering body weight (P=0.01), BMI (P=0.041) and serum triglycerides (P=0.031), and low pre-surgery fecal butyrate had a better effect of SG on lowering ALT (P=0.003) and AST (P=0.019).ConclusionFecal SCFAs were changed and correlated with lipid profiles improvement after SG. Pre-surgery fecal hexanoate and butyrate were potential modifiers impacting metabolic benefits of SG.

Three mononuclear compounds formulated as {M[(2-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine]2(H2O)2} (M = FeII (1), CoII (2), CuII (3)) were reported and synthesized. Their space group is monoclinic, P21/c, revealed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Antiferromagnetic interactions exist in Compounds 1, 2 and 3, as evidenced by magnetic and low-temperature heat capacity measurements. In addition, their thermodynamic functions were determined by a relaxation calorimeter, indicating that Compound 1 exhibits a Schottky anomaly in low-temperature heat capacity. This work can provide an important fundamental basis for the research of the thermophysical properties of molecular-based magnetic materials.

The freshwater gastropod Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1816) is found in Taiwan, Hainan, and Guangdong provinces in China, and is one of the main intermediate hosts of trematodes that infect humans. The taxonomic positions of some cerithioidean families are still unclear, and whole mitochondrial genome studies are scarce in the Thiaridae. In this study, we describe the complete mitogenome of Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1816). The mitogenome is 15,555 bp in length, with a total of 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes. It is consistent with the essential features of previously studied mitochondrial genomes of species belonging to the superfamily Cerithioidea. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of mitogenomic data for resolving phylogenetic relationships of families within Cerithioidea and may also contribute to the prevention and control of the parasitic diseases caused by trematodes, which use T. granifera as an intermediate host.

Abstract. Background:. Acute cerebral artery occlusion is a common disease with high morbidity and mortality. At present, the commonly used mechanical thrombectomy schemes are mechanical thrombectomy and stent thrombectomy. However, the clinical differences between the two methods is not fully understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of Solitaire AB stent thrombectomy for acute cerebral infarction (ACI). Methods:. A retrospective study was carried out in 96 ACI patients admitted to our department from January 2017 to January 2020. According to the treatment they received, they were divided into group A (conventional microcatheter mechanical thrombectomy, n = 48) and group B (Solitaire AB stent thrombectomy, n = 48). All patients were followed up for 3 months. Their pre- and post-operative nerve function indices were compared between the 2 groups. The therapeutic effects were evaluated by thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scale system, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and modified Rankin scale statistics. Results:. Two groups of patients with NIHSS scores postoperative 3 and 30 days decreased significantly compared with preoperation. NIHSS score of group A 3 and 30 days postoperation was significantly higher than group B (P .05). Moreover, group B with outcomes (modified Rankin scale score ≤2 points) postoperative 3 months was better than group A, however with no significant differences (P > .05). Conclusion:. Solitaire AB stent embolectomy shows similar efficacy as mechanical thrombectomy in the treatment of ACI patients.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted much attention recently due to their potential applications as adsorbents in the process of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Thermodynamic property especially heat capacity is one of most important aspects to investigate the related energetics performance of MOFs in CCS. In this work, we have measured the heat capacities of a series of MOFs, Al-MIL-53-X (X = H, NH2, OH, NO2 and C4H4) using a Physical Property Measurement System in the temperature range from (1.9 to 300) K, and revealed the influence of different functional groups on their heat capacities. The heat capacity data have been fitted to a series of theoretical and empirical models, and the corresponding thermodynamic functions have been calculated in the temperature range from (0 to 300) K. The heat capacity data and thermodynamic functions obtained in this work may provide an important thermodynamic basis for further research on the energetics related property of these MOFs compounds.

Abstract Background Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the leading causes of mortality and long-term disability worldwide. Our study aims to clarify the role of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) subclasses in the occurrence of AIS and develop a risk xprediction model based on these characteristics to identify high-risk people. Methods Five hundred and sixty-six patients with AIS and 197 non-AIS controls were included in this study. Serum lipids and other baseline characteristics including fasting blood glucose (GLU), serum creatinine (Scr), and blood pressure were investigated in relation to occurrence of AIS. The LDL subfractions were classified and measured with the Lipoprint System by a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis technique. Results Levels of LDL-3, LDL-4 and LDL-5 subclasses were significantly higher in the AIS group compared to the non-AIS group and lower level of LDL-1 was prevalent in the AIS patients. Consistently, Spearman correlation coefficient demonstrated that sd-demonevels, especially LDL-3 and LDL-4 levels, were significantly positively correlated with AIS. Furthermore, there is a significant positive correlation between small dense LDL (sd-LDL, that is LDL-3 to 7) levels and serum lipids including total cholesterol (TC), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and Triglyceride (TG). Increased LDL-3 and LDL-4 as well as decreased LDL-1 and LDL-2 were correlated to the occurrence of AIS, even in the people with normal LDL-C levels. A new prediction model including 12 variables can accurately predict the AIS risk in Chinese patients (AUC = 0.82 ± 0.04). Conclusions Levels of LDL subclasses should be considered in addition to serum LDL-C in assessment and management of AIS. A new prediction model based on clinical variables including LDL subtractions can help clinicians identify high of AIS, even in the people with norm.

Human welder’s experiences and skills are critical for producing quality welds in manual gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. For batch welding of the same workpiece, and the welding experience accumulated in same welding track, the welding process has a very high-degree reduplication. In this article, an open-closed-loop iterative learning control algorithm is constructed and implemented as an intelligent controller in automated GTAW process to reach the desired trajectory well. During the welding process, there will encounter external interference, such as random changes in voltage, resulting in pool surface fluctuations. Therefore, we introduce a self-adjustive factor based on ILC algorithm. The self-adjustive factor can adjust the input of the controller according to the error and error rate of change of the system, so that the system body has self-adaptation to improve the ability of anti-interference of the system. The simulation shows that a new proposed ILC control is an effective method for weld penetration in GTAW.

The concept of a digital twin (DT) has lately become popular in the domains of urban planning and managed services. Densification and competing use of urban highways will result from an increase in local and foreign workers in the next years. The MFFO (modified fruit fly optimization) method for large-scale data transfer is presented in this study. The first step is to get data from the internet. A map-matching technique is also given in this section of preprocessing. Validated data may then be loaded into DT to reproduce processes. The results of DT are included in the landscape architecture and the server of the urban road network. The server’s data may be improved by modernized fruit fly optimization (MFFO) to enhance the transmission control protocol (TCP). Finally, the performances from the urban road design are examined and matched with existing techniques. The results are shown in the MATLAB simulation software. The results reveal that the proposed system increased the accuracy of digitalized urban road data protection for all secret information while also taking lesser time to execute than existing methods.

Currently, most Graph Structure Learning (GSL) methods, as a means of learning graph structure, improve the robustness of GNN merely from a local view by considering the local information related to each edge and indiscriminately applying the mechanism across edges, which may suffer from the local structure heterogeneity of the graph (i.e., the uneven distribution of inter-class connections over nodes). To overcome the drawbacks, we extract the graph structure as a learnable parameter and jointly learn the structure and common parameters of GNN from the global view. Excitingly, the common parameters contain the global information for nodes features mapping, which is also crucial for structure optimization (i.e., optimizing the structure relies on global mapping information). Mathematically, we apply a generic structure extractor to abstract the graph structure and transform GNNs in the form of learning structure and common parameters. Then, we model the learning process as a novel bi-level optimization, i.e., Generic Structure Extraction with Bi-level Optimization for Graph Structure Learning (GSEBO), which optimizes GNN parameters in the upper level to obtain the global mapping information and graph structure is optimized in the lower level with the global information learned from the upper level. We instantiate the proposed GSEBO on classical GNNs and compare it with the state-of-the-art GSL methods. Extensive experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed GSEBO on four real-world datasets.

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the characteristics and extent of glycometabolism impairment in patients with adrenal diseases, including Cushing syndrome, primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, and nonfunctional adrenal incidentaloma.MethodsThis study enrolled thirty-two patients with adrenal diseases as adrenal disease groups and eight healthy individuals as healthy controls. Blood glucose levels were indicated by glucose concentration in interstitial fluid, which was documented using flash glucose monitoring system. According to flash glucose monitoring system data, parameters representing general blood glucose alterations, within-day and day-to-day glucose variability, and glucose-target-rate were calculated. Furthermore, blood glucose levels at nocturnal, fasting, and postprandial periods were analyzed. Besides, islet β-cell function and insulin resistance were assessed.ResultsAnalysis of flash glucose monitoring system-related parameters indicated impaired glycometabolism in patients with adrenal diseases compared with that of healthy controls at general blood glucose, within-day and day-to-day glucose variability, and glucose-target-rate levels. Furthermore, the dynamic glucose monitoring data revealed that significantly affected blood glucose levels compared with that of healthy controls were observed at postprandial periods in the Cushing syndrome and primary aldosteronism groups; at nocturnal, fasting and postprandial periods in the pheochromocytoma group. Significant insulin resistance and abnormal β-cell function were observed in the Cushing syndrome group compared with that in healthy controls.ConclusionAdrenal diseases can negatively affect glucose metabolism. Patients diagnosed with adrenal diseases should receive timely and appropriate treatment to avoid adverse cardiovascular events linked to hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.

Over 50% of the global land area suffers cyclic freeze-thaw actions, resulting in extensive distribution of frozen soil. Frozen soil contains lenses of ice, and thus, it exhibits temperature-related properties and behaviors. The thermal conductivity of frozen soil is a key property and an essential parameter for performing thermal analyses on frozen soil. However, the thermal conductivity is variable and cannot be determined accurately based on small-scale specimen tests because no frozen soil specimens are identical in nature. Thus, little is known about the variability and statistical characteristics of frozen soil. To address this lack of knowledge, we conducted large-scale tests on numerous samples (≥50 specimens under each set of conditions) and measured the thermal conductivities of frozen clay from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) at 3 water contents (10%, 14% and 18%). The measured data show that the thermal conductivities of the 50 clay specimens differ remarkably and exhibit obvious variability, even at the same soil temperature. Next, we selected 4 potential probability distributions for comparison with the measured curves. The normal distribution, lognormal distribution and gamma distribution all demonstrate good agreement with the measured data and support the hypothesis. Based on goodness-of-fit analysis, we recommend using a normal distribution to describe the thermal conductivity of frozen clay. The measured data and conclusions provide a theoretical basis and reference for thermal analyses on cold regions engineering. Keywords: Frozen clay, Thermal conductivity, Statistical characteristic, Normal distribution, Lognormal distribution, Gamma distribution

Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted glycoprotein and functions as a key enzyme to produce extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). LPA interacts with at least six G protein-coupled receptors, LPAR1-6, on the cell membrane to activate various signal transduction pathways through distinct G proteins, such as Gi/0, G12/13, Gq/11, and Gs. The ATX-LPA axis plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes, including embryogenesis, obesity, and inflammation. ATX is one of the top 40 most unregulated genes in metastatic cancer, and the ATX-LPA axis is involved in the development of different types of cancers, such as colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and glioblastoma. ATX expression is under multifaceted controls at the transcription, post-transcription, and secretion levels. ATX and LPA in the tumor microenvironment not only promote cell proliferation, migration, and survival, but also increase the expression of inflammation-related circuits, which results in poor outcomes for patients with cancer. Currently, ATX is regarded as a potential cancer therapeutic target, and an increasing number of ATX inhibitors have been developed. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of ATX expression regulation and the functions of ATX in cancer development.

Purpose: To identify the optimal photobiomodulation (PBM) parameters using molecular, histological, and erectile function analysis in cavernous nerve injury. Materials and Methods: A cavernous nerve injury was induced in 8-week-old C57BL/6J male mice that were subsequently divided randomly into age-matched control groups. Erectile function tests, penile histology, and Western blotting were performed 2 weeks after surgery and PBM treatment. Results: The PBM treatment was administered for five consecutive days with a light-emitted diode (LED) device that delivers 660 nm±3% RED light, and near infra-red 830 nm±2% promptly administered following nerve-crushing surgery and achieved a notable restoration of erectile function approximately 90% of the control values. Subsequent in-vitro and ex-vivo analyses revealed the regeneration of neurovascular connections in both the dorsal root ganglion and major pelvic ganglion, characterized by the sprouting of neurites. Furthermore, the expression levels of neurotrophic, survival, and angiogenic factors exhibited a substantial increase across all groups subjected to PBM treatment. Conclusions: The utilization of PBM employing LED with 660 nm, 830 nm, and combination of both these wavelengths, exhibited significant efficacy to restore erectile function in a murine model of cavernous nerve injury. Thus, the PBM emerges as a potent therapeutic modality with notable advantages such as efficacy, noninvasiveness, and non-pharmacological interventions for erectile dysfunction caused by nerve injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether the overexpression of the Argonaute RNA-induced silencing complex catalytic component 2 (Ago2) improves erectile function in mice after cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Materials and Methods: Lentiviruses containing Ago2 open reading frame (ORF) mouse clone (Ago2 O/E) were used to overexpress Ago2, and lentiviruses ORF negative control particles (NC) were used as a negative control. Three days before preparing the CNI model, we injected lentiviruses into the penises of 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Animals were then divided into four groups: the sham operation control group and the CNI+phosphate-buffered saline, CNI+NC, and CNI+Ago2 O/E groups. One week later, erectile function was assessed by electrically stimulating cavernous nerves bilaterally and obtaining intracavernous pressure parameters. Penile tissue was also collected for molecular mechanism studies. Results: Ago2 overexpression improved erectile function in mice after CNI-induced erectile dysfunction (ED). Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis showed that under Ago2 overexpressing conditions, the contents of endothelial cells, pericytes, and neuronal cells increased in the penile tissues of CNI mice, and this was attributed to reduced apoptosis and ROS production. In addition, we also found that Ago2 overexpression could restore penile mitochondrial function, thereby improving erectile function in CNI-induced ED mice. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that Ago2 overexpression can reduce penile cell apoptosis, restore penile mitochondrial function, and improve erectile function in CNI-induced ED mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects a significant proportion of men aged 40-70 and is caused by cavernous tissue dysfunction. Presently, the most common treatment for ED is phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors; however, this is less effective in patients with severe vascular disease such as diabetic ED. Therefore, there is a need for development of new treatment, which requires a better understanding of the cavernous microenvironment and cell-cell communications under diabetic condition. Pericytes are vital in penile erection; however, their dysfunction due to diabetes remains unclear. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing to understand the cellular landscape of cavernous tissues and cell type-specific transcriptional changes in diabetic ED. We found a decreased expression of genes associated with collagen or extracellular matrix organization and angiogenesis in diabetic fibroblasts, chondrocytes, myofibroblasts, valve-related lymphatic endothelial cells, and pericytes. Moreover, the newly identified pericyte-specific marker, Limb Bud-Heart (Lbh), in mouse and human cavernous tissues, clearly distinguishing pericytes from smooth muscle cells. Cell-cell interaction analysis revealed that pericytes are involved in angiogenesis, adhesion, and migration by communicating with other cell types in the corpus cavernosum; however, these interactions were highly reduced under diabetic conditions. Lbh expression is low in diabetic pericytes, and overexpression of LBH prevents erectile function by regulating neurovascular regeneration. Furthermore, the LBH-interacting proteins (Crystallin Alpha B and Vimentin) were identified in mouse cavernous pericytes through LC-MS/MS analysis, indicating that their interactions were critical for maintaining pericyte function. Thus, our study reveals novel targets and insights into the pathogenesis of ED in patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between self-rated oral health, subjective oral conditions, oral health behaviours, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in Chinese college students. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted, inviting college students from eastern China to participate. A total of 1708 participants were included. A structural equation model was constructed to explain and assess the associations among self-rated oral health, subjective oral conditions, oral health behaviours, and OHRQoL. Results: Self-rated oral health had a direct positive effect on subjective oral conditions and OHRQoL. Oral health behaviours had direct negative impacts on subjective oral conditions and OHRQoL as well as on tooth condition perception and oral health interventions. Subjective oral conditions had a direct positive effect on OHRQoL. There was a positive correlation between oral health behaviours and self-rated oral health. In addition, subjective oral conditions partially mediated both the effect of oral health behaviours on OHRQoL and the effect of self-rated oral health on OHRQoL. Conclusion: There were influential associations between self-rated oral health, subjective oral conditions, oral health behaviours, and OHRQoL among college students in eastern China. Making the most of their association can be a guide to radically improving the oral health of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]