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Background: To explore the time-frequency structure and cross-scale coupling of electroencephalography (EEG) signals during seizure in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), correlations between different leads, as well as dynamic evolution in epileptic discharge, progression and end of seizure were examined. Methods: EEG data were obtained for 10 subjects with JME and 10 normal controls and were decomposed using gauss continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The phase amplitude coupling (PAC) relationship between the 11th (4.57 Hz) and 17th (0.4 Hz) scale was investigated. Correlations were examined between the 11th and 17th scale EEG signals in different leads during seizure, using multi-scale cross correlation analysis. Results: The time-frequency structure of JME subjects showed strong rhythmic activity in the 11th and 17th scales and a close PAC was identified. Correlation analysis revealed that the ictal JME correlation first increased in the anterior head early in seizure and gradually expanded to the posterior head. Conclusion: PAC was exhibited between the 11th and 17th scales during JME seizure. The results revealed that the correlation in the anterior leads was higher than the posterior leads. In the perictal period, the 17th scale EEG signal preceded the 11th scale signal and remained for some time after a seizure. This suggests that the 17th scale signal may play an important role in JME seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonlinear vibration system, over a span of convincing periodic motion, might break out abruptly a catastrophic instability, but the lack of a theoretical tool has obscured the prediction of the outbreak. This paper deploys the amplitude-frequency formulation for nonlinear oscillators to reveal the critically important mechanism of the pseudo-periodic motion, and finds the quadratic nonlinear force contributes to the pull-down phenomenon in each cycle of the periodic motion, when the force reaches a threshold value, the pull-down instability occurs. A criterion for prediction of the pull-down instability is proposed and verified numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cohn et al. (2019) conducted a wallet drop experiment in 40 countries to measure “civic honesty around the globe,” which has received worldwide attention but also sparked controversies over using the email response rate as the sole metric of civic honesty. Relying on the lone measurement may overlook cultural differences in behaviors that demonstrate civic honesty. To investigate this issue, we conducted an extended replication study in China, utilizing email response and wallet recovery to assess civic honesty. We found a significantly higher level of civic honesty in China, as measured by the wallet recovery rate, than reported in the original study, while email response rates remained similar. To resolve the divergent results, we introduce a cultural dimension, individualism versus collectivism, to study civic honesty across diverse cultures. We hypothesize that cultural differences in individualism and collectivism could influence how individuals prioritize actions when handling a lost wallet, such as contacting the wallet owner or safeguarding the wallet. In reanalyzing Cohn et al.’s data, we found that email response rates were inversely related to collectivism indices at the country level. However, our replication study in China demonstrated that the likelihood of wallet recovery was positively correlated with collectivism indicators at the provincial level. Consequently, relying solely on email response rates to gauge civic honesty in cross-country comparisons may neglect the vital individualism versus collectivism dimension. Our study not only helps reconcile the controversy surrounding Cohn et al.'s influential field experiment but also furnishes a fresh cultural perspective to evaluate civic honesty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the multidimensional visualization technology continues to accelerate, resulting in a huge amount of data, higher requirements for related technologies, and more opportunities. Under the background of big data technology application, multidimensional visualization methods can shine in different fields, such as applying them to linguistic research. Although the technology has a wide range of applications, it cannot effectively and intuitively display multidimensional voice feature data, which is difficult to fully meet the requirements of parameter visualization. In order to deeply study linguistic speech recognition and other issues, this paper introduces speech recognition technology to complete the creation and improvement of a multidimensional perspective analysis system for speech data and uses socket mechanism to complete the server construction, including voice recognition, data enhancement, model training and other modules. This system takes the target voice data collection as the calling end. Thus, based on socket connection, data interaction with the server can meet the task requirements of the multidimensional perspective analysis system and can achieve two-way data interaction. The simulation experiment results show that the system based on OpenSMILE toolbox can effectively obtain high-dimensional features, and its performance is excellent, which can meet most of the task requirements. It contains many kinds of acoustic feature data, which can solve the problem of over compression of the original signal, and mine the characteristics of voice waves to explain the relationship between frames. The system is higher than low-dimensional features in recognizing multiple speakers. This paper designs an effective simulation system by applying speech recognition technology to multidimensional linguistic data analysis in the context of big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the high temperature and confining pressure conditions at different depths, triaxial high temperature mechanical tests were carried out on Longmaxi shale with horizontal and vertical bedding, respectively. The results show that shale's peak strength and deformation capacity increase with burial depth. The failure mode of shale is a typical brittle failure, and the brittle index can quantitatively describe the brittle mechanical behavior of shale. Because shale has an apparent thin bedding structure, shale with different bedding directions shows pronounced anisotropy in mechanical parameters and deformation characteristics. The burial depth and bedding direction significantly impact the energy evolution law of Longmaxi shale during the mechanical process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes of voids in the soldering layer during vacuum reflow soldering of semiconductor laser devices are investigated, as are the movement and change laws of bubbles in the voids under different reflow chamber settings. An ultrasonic scanner is used to test and experiment with a series of 1064 nm wavelength semiconductor lasers. A technique for detecting the void rate based on the wavelength difference is proposed based on the association between the device wavelength, junction temperature, and voids. The average void rate error when comparing measured and calculated values is just 1.5%, demonstrating the validity of this estimation technique for defining the void rate of the device and providing a theoretical and practical reference to analyze the void rate of the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 5%-10% of fetal pregnancies impacting maternal and neonatal outcomes have been affected by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. As a cardiovascular risk factor, pre-eclampsia is now really recognized for women throughout the world. Pre-eclampsia is one hypertensive disorder in pregnancy. It imposes far-reaching influences on women and poses a great threat to life as well, no matter mother or child. Around 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide are affected by it. It also gives rise to marked maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The occurrence of cardiovascular diseases is the most severe complication observed in preeclamptic women. As clearly revealed by the newest evidence, remarkable association exists between cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia. The aim of our review is to highlight the correlation between pre-eclampsia and the possibility of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, it still cannot establish a clear dependency mechanism between pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular disease for their multifactorial nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds and Aims: Complete and consecutive observation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract continues to present challenges for current endoscopy systems. We developed a novel upper and mid gastrointestinal (UMGI) capsule endoscopy using the modified detachable string magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (DS-MCE) and inspection method and aimed to assess the clinical application. Methods: Patients were recruited to undergo UMGI capsule endoscopy followed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. All capsule procedures in the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract were conducted under the control of magnet and string. The main outcome was technical success, and the secondary outcomes included visualization of the UMGI tract, examination time, diagnostic yield, compliance, and safety evaluation. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled and all UMGI capsule procedures realized repeated observation of the esophagus and duodenum with detection rates of 100.0%, 80.0%, and 86.7% of Z-line, duodenal papilla, and reverse side of pylorus, respectively. String detachment was succeeded in 29 patients (96.7%) and the complete examination rate of UMGI tract was 95.45% (21/22). All UMGI capsule procedures were well tolerated with low discomfort score, and had a good diagnostic yield with per-lesion sensitivity of 96.2% in UGI diseases. No adverse events occurred. Conclusions: This new capsule endoscopy system provides an alternative screening modality for the UMGI tract, and might be indicated in cases of suspected upper and small bowel GI bleeding. Trial registration DS-MCE-UGI and SB, NCT04329468. Registered 27 March 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT04329468. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online reviews have become an important data source for analyzing consumers’ preferences. Consumer preference analysis assists product managers to understand consumers’ propensity for different product attributes and make consumer-oriented market strategies. Existing studies on consumer preference analysis used simple additive algorithms to represent the relationship between overall ratings and attribute ratings, but ignored the interactions between attributes. In addition, not all attribute ratings were given by consumers when calculating the overall ratings of a product. To fill these gaps, a preference model based on the extended 2-additive Choquet integral is constructed. The 2-additive Choquet integral can reflect the importance of attributes and the interactions between pairs of attributes when integrating attribute ratings. In cases where consumers choose only a subset of product attributes to rate a product, we introduce the scale parameter into the 2-additive Choquet integral to characterize the relationship between different attribute subsets. Afterwards, a preference disaggregation paradigm based on nonlinear programming is provided to solve the preference model. Finally, the proposed method is validated by experimental analysis using the dataset collected from TripAdvisor.com. Experimental outcomes indicate that our approach can deduce consumers’ preferences and approximate the evaluation behavior of consumers efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to implement a quantum circuit on an NISQ device, it must be transformed into a functionally equivalent circuit that satisfies the device's connectivity constraints. However, NISQ devices are inherently noisy, and minimizing the number of SWAP gates added to the circuit is crucial for reducing computation errors. To achieve this, we propose a subgraph isomorphism algorithm based on the timing weight priority of quantum gates, which provides a better initial mapping for a specific two-dimensional quantum architecture. Additionally, we introduce a heuristic swap sequence selection optimization algorithm that uses a distance optimization measurement function to select the ideal sequence and reduce the number of SWAP gates, thereby optimizing the circuit transformation. Our experiments demonstrate that our proposed algorithm is effective for most benchmark quantum circuits, with a maximum optimization rate of up to 43.51% and an average optimization rate of 13.51%, outperforming existing related methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychrophilic bacteria with aerobic denitrification ability have promising potential for application in nitrogen-contaminated wastewater treatment, especially under cold conditions. A better understanding of the cold adaptation mechanism during aerobic denitrification would be beneficial for the practical application of this type of functional bacterium. In this study, Bacillus simplex H-b with good denitrification performance at 5°C was used to investigate the corresponding cold tolerance mechanism. Transcriptomics and nitrogen removal characterization experiments were conducted at different temperatures (5°C, 20°C, and 30°C). At low temperatures, more nitrogen was utilized for assimilation, accompanied by the accumulation of ATP and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), rather than transforming inorganic nitrogen in the dissimilation pathway. In addition, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids was higher in strains cultured at low temperatures. At the molecular level, the adjustment of membrane transport, synthesis of cofactors and vitamins, and transcriptional regulators might contribute to the survival of the strain under cold conditions. Moreover, nucleotide precursor synthesis, translation, and oxidative and temperature stress response mechanisms also enhanced the resistance of strain H-b to low temperatures. The results suggest that combining multiple regulatory mechanisms and synergistic adaptation to cold stress enabled the growth and relatively high nitrogen removal rate (27.22%) of strain H-b at 5°C. By clarifying the mechanism of regulation and cold resistance of strain H-b, a theoretical foundation for enhancing the application potential of this functional bacterium for nitrogen-contaminated wastewater treatment was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we mainly consider the oscillation of numerical solutions for a nonlinear delay differential equation which is generalized from a delay Lotka-Volterra type single species population growth model. By studying the corresponding difference scheme of the equation discretized by θ-method, forward Euler method and backward Euler method, some sufficient conditions under which the numerical solutions oscillate are obtained. Furthermore, we prove that the positive non-oscillatory numerical solutions tend to the equilibrium of the original differential equation. Finally, some numerical experiments are given to verify the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil aggregate characteristics and enzyme activities are key to the sustainable development of soil quality management. However, there are presently few studies on soil aggregate nutrients, enzyme activities, and their driving factors in areas with karst rocky desertification. As such, this study investigated the effects of planting patterns on soil aggregate nutrients and soil enzyme activities under six typical planting patterns (walnut, Rosa roxburghii Tratt, ryegrass, walnut-Rosa roxburghii Tratt, Rosa roxburghii Tratt-ryegrass and walnut-ryegrass) in the karst rocky desertification area of plateau mountains. The results indicated that: (1) there were significant differences in soil aggregate nutrients and soil enzyme activities among the different plots, when compared to traditional farmland, the increase in the aggregate nutrient content and soil enzyme activities was most noticeable in walnut-Rosa roxburghii Tratt, Rosa roxburghii Tratt-ryegrass, and walnut-ryegrass, and the nutrients gradually increased as the aggregate particle size decreased. The maximum C:N and C:P ratios were measured in the 0.25-2 mm aggregates, while the maximum N:P ratios was measured occurred in the <0.053 mm aggregates. (2) The stoichiometric ratios had different degrees of relevance associated with the aggregate nutrients, TN and C:N, SOC and C:P, and TP and N:P showed extremely significant linear correlations. Moreover, a significant correlation also occurred between enzyme activity and aggregate nutrients, particularly in macroaggregates. (3) Soil physicochemical properties, such as the soil total porosity, capillary water holding capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density and pH, had a direct influence on enzyme activity, therefore, the soil condition can be improved by changing the planting patterns to promote enzyme activity. These findings are helpful for the optimal allocation of forest and grass for the comprehensive control of karst rocky desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates distributed event-triggered control (ETC) of power buffers in a direct current (DC) microgrid. In order to facilitate the control design, a linear interconnected system model is derived that captures the physical coupling among power buffers. Then, a distributed ETC law regulates the stored energy and input impedance of each power buffer, and a decentralized dynamic event-triggering mechanism determines when each power buffer communicates with its neighboring buffers. This strategy eliminates the need for both continuous controller updates and continuous communication among the power buffers. The resulting closed-loop system is shown to be exponentially stable under a mild assumption on the communication network. The proposed event-triggering mechanism guarantees not only the exclusion of the Zeno behavior but also the existence of a positive minimum interevent time that can be adjusted by the control design parameters. Simulation studies validate the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results for a multibuffer DC microgrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kv1.5 potassium channel, encoded by KCNA5, is a promising target for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, one of the common arrhythmia. A new series of arylmethylpiperidines derivatives based on DDO-02001 were synthesised and evaluated for their ability to inhibit Kv1.5 channel. Among them, compound DDO-02005 showed good inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.72 µM), preferable anti-arrhythmic effects and favoured safety. These results indicate that DD0-02005 can be a promising Kv1.5 inhibitor for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct position determination (DPD) of noncircular (NC) sources for multiple nested arrays (NA) is researched in this study. For noncircular sources, the dimension reduction method is used to decrease the computing complexity and remove the noncircular phase. Furthermore, nested array and noncircular sources extend spatial degree of freedom. Due to inferior stability and noise susceptibility of original algorithm, we propose SNR weighted subspace data fusion (W-SDF) algorithm. Each observation station places a nested array, spatial smoothing technology, and sum and difference co-array are used to deal with the nested array. Simulation results show that under nested array and noncircular sources, the proposed W-SDF algorithm has decreased the complexity of the algorithm and improved the location accuracy, degree of freedom, and resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging distributed control paradigms rely on communication among converters of a microgrid. We investigate the secondary control of dc microgrids with a distributed dynamic event-triggering mechanism. The physical and cyber layers are represented by different graph topologies. To reduce the communication burden, a distributed dynamic event-triggering mechanism is designed. Therein, the Zeno behavior is excluded and in addition, a positive minimum interevent time (MIET) is determined. Asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system dynamics is proven, and the adjustment of the positive MIET is discussed. Compared to the existing static event-triggering mechanisms, the proposed dynamic one guarantees the existence of a positive MIET, whose value can be tuned by the design parameters. Controller/hardware-in-the-loop implementation results validate the efficacy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcolemmal/plasmalemmal ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels have key roles in many cell types and tissues. Hundreds of studies have described how the KATP channel activity and ATP sensitivity can be regulated by changes in the cellular metabolic state, by receptor signaling pathways and by pharmacological interventions. These alterations in channel activity directly translate to alterations in cell or tissue function, that can range from modulating secretory responses, such as insulin release from pancreatic b-cells or neurotransmitters from neurons, to modulating contractile behavior of smooth muscle or cardiac cells to elicit alterations in blood flow or cardiac contractility. It is increasingly becoming apparent, however, that KATP channels are regulated beyond changes in their activity. Recent studies have highlighted that KATP channel surface expression is a tightly regulated process with similar implications in health and disease. The surface expression of KATP channels is finely balanced by several trafficking steps including synthesis, assembly, anterograde trafficking, membrane anchoring, endocytosis, endocytic recycling, and degradation. This review aims to summarize the physiological and pathophysiological implications of KATP channel trafficking and mechanisms that regulate KATP channel trafficking. A better understanding of this topic has potential to identify new approaches to develop therapeutically useful drugs to treat KATP channel-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of acarbose combined with diet intervention in patients with primary polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) complicated with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and its effect on their glycolipid metabolism. Methods: A total of 92 patients with primary PCOS complicated with IGT treated in our hospital from December 2018 to December 2020 were selected, and divided into two groups using a random number table. The control group received routine lifestyle intervention. On this basis, the observation group was treated with acarbose combined with diet intervention. The menstrual recovery rate, ovulation rate and pregnancy rate after treatment, as well as sex hormone levels, glycolipid metabolism and inflammatory factor levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. Results: After treatment, the menstrual recovery rate and ovulation rate of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Among the patients with fertility needs in the two groups, the pregnancy rate of the observation group was significantly higher compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Before treatment, sex hormone levels showed no obvious differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, all indicators of sex hormone were improved in both groups, and the improvement in the observation group was more obvious than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Before treatment, no obvious difference was found in glycolipid metabolism between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, 2hPG, LDL-C and TG were improved in both groups, and the improvement was more significant in the observation group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Before treatment, inflammatory factor levels were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, inflammatory factor levels in both groups were improved, which was more obvious in the observation group than the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The application of acarbose combined with diet intervention in patients with primary PCOS complicated with IGT can effectively enhance the efficacy, help patients increase ovulation rate and pregnancy rate, and improve sex hormone levels, glycolipid metabolism and inflammatory factor levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor usage defines cell tropism and contributes to cell entry and infection. Coxsackievirus B (CVB) engages coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), and selectively utilizes the decayaccelerating factor (DAF; CD55) to infect cells. However, the differential receptor usage mechanism for CVB remains elusive. This study identified VP3-234 residues (234Q/N/V/D/E) as critical population selection determinants during CVB3 virus evolution, contributing to diverse binding affinities to CD55. Cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of CD55-binding/nonbinding isolates and their complexes with CD55 or CAR were obtained under both neutral and acidic conditions, and the molecular mechanism of VP3-234 residues determining CD55 affinity/specificity for naturally occurring CVB3 strains was elucidated. Structural and biochemical studies in vitro revealed the dynamic entry process of CVB3 and the function of the uncoating receptor CAR with different pH preferences. This work provides detailed insight into the molecular mechanism of CVB infection and contributes to an in-depth understanding of enterovirus attachment receptor usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of mobile devices and positioning technology has facilitated the rapid growth of location-based social networks (LBSNs). Users in these networks can share geo-related information in real-time, including locations, trajectories, geo-tagged pictures, and tweets. LBSNs record massive amounts of spatiotemporal data and offer a great opportunity to analyze human and location-specific spatiotemporal characteristics. It plays an important role in various applications, such as marketing, recommendations, and urban planning. In this study, we collect relevant literature about LBSNs research in the past 10 years and use a topic model, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), to uncover the highly heterogeneous area of research related to LBSNs. Then, we conduct a systematic review of those works. In doing so, we organize identified literature into eight fine-grained directions. For each direction, we sum up the major research focus and contributions. We also systematize future research into four main themes concerning data simulation and fusion, privacy-aware methods, new applications and services, and technological innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin (MT) plays important roles in plant disease response, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we show that MT functions in stomatal immunity in Panax notoginseng and Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochemical analyses showed that MT-induced stomatal closure plays a prominent role in preventing invasion of bacteria Pseudomonas syringe pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NADPH oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species production in P. notoginseng. The first putative phytomelatonin receptor 1 (PMTR1) is a plasma membrane protein required for perceiving MT signaling in stomatal closure and activation of MAPK. Biochemical and genetic tests found PMTR1 is essential for flg22- and MT-induced MAPK activation in a heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein Ga subunit GPA1-independent manner. GPA1 functions in the same genetic pathways of FLS2/BAK1 (Flagellin Sensing 2/Brassinosteroid Insensitive 1-associated kinase 1)- as well as PMTR1-mediated flg22 and MT signaling in stomatal closure. The stomata in pmtr1 are insensitive to MT and flg22, but the application of MT induces stomatal closure and reduces the bacterial growth in fls2 and bak1 plants, indicating that PMTR1 might be a downstream signaling component in FLS2- and BAK1-mediated stomatal immunity. In summary, our results (i) demonstrate that phytomelatonin functions in the priming of stomatal immunity and (ii) provide insights into the phytomelatonin signaling transduction pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic infection with liver flukes (such as Clonorchis sinensis) can induce severe biliary injuries, which can cause cholangitis, biliary fibrosis, and even cholangiocarcinoma. The release of extracellular vesicles by C. sinensis (CsEVs) is of importance in the long-distance communication between the hosts and worms. However, the biological effects of EVs from liver fluke on biliary injuries and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly characterized. In the present study, we found that CsEVs induced M1-like activation. In addition, the mice that were administrated with CsEVs showed severe biliary injuries associated with remarkable activation of M1-like macrophages. We further characterized the signatures of miRNAs packaged in CsEVs and identified a miRNA Csi-let-7a-5p, which was highly enriched. Further study showed that Csi-let-7a-5p facilitated the activation of M1-like macrophages by targeting Socs1 and Clec7a; however, CsEVs with silencing Csilet-7a-5p showed a decrease in proinflammatory responses and biliary injuries, which involved in the Socs1- and Clec7a-regulated NF-κB signaling pathway. Our study demonstrates that Csi-let-7a-5p delivered by CsEVs plays a critical role in the activation of M1-like macrophages and contributes to the biliary injuries by targeting the Socs1- and Clec7a-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway, which indicates a mechanism contributing to biliary injuries caused by fluke infection. However, molecules other than Csi-let-7a-5p from CsEVs that may also promote M1-like polarization and exacerbate biliary injuries are not excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various stimuli, including Clonorchis sinensis infection, can cause liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is characterized by the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with massive production of extracellular matrix (ECM). Our previous study showed that the TGF-β1-induced Smad signaling pathway played a critical role in the activation of HSCs during liver fibrosis induced by worm infection; however, the mechanisms that modulate the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway are still poorly understood. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that miRNAs act as an important regulator of activation of HSCs during liver fibrosis. Methods: The target of miR-497 was determined by bioinformatics analysis combined with a dual-luciferase activity assay. LX-2 cells were transfected with miR-497 inhibitor and then stimulated with TGF-β1 or excretory/secretory products of C. sinensis (CsESPs), and activation of LX-2 was assessed using qPCR or western blot. In vivo, the mice treated with CCl4 were intravenously injected with a single dose of adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) that overexpressed anti-miR-497 sequences or their scramble control for 6 weeks. Liver fibrosis and damage were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson staining, and qPCR; the activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway was detected by qPCR or western blot. Results: In the present study, the expression of miR-497 was increased in HSCs activated by TGF-β1 or ESPs of C. sinensis. We identified that Smad7 was the target of miR-497 using combined bioinformatics analysis with luciferase activity assays. Transfection of anti-miR-497 into HSCs upregulated the expression of Smad7, leading to a decrease in the level of p-Smad2/3 and subsequent suppression of the activation of HSCs induced by TGF-β1 or CsESPs. Furthermore, miR-497 inhibitor delivered by highly-hepatotropic (rAAV8) inhibited TGF-β/smads signaling pathway by targeting at Smad7 to ameliorate CCL4-induced liver fibrosis. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that miR-497 promotes liver fibrogenesis by targeting Smad7 to promote TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway transduction both in vivo and in vitro, which provides a promising therapeutic strategy using anti-miR-497 against liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel synthesis method is proposed to design multi-band bandpass filters (BPFs) using an L-C ladder prototype lowpass filter loaded with two symmetric shorted stubs. The transmission zeros (TZs) are produced by the shorted stubs, which are used to realize multiple passbands. By controlling the number of the open stubs loaded on the shorted stub, the number of TZs is exactly determined. Therefore, multi-band BPF is easy to be obtained by increasing the number of the open stubs. The TZs can be adjusted by optimizing the L-C values of the equivalent circuit of the proposed filter to tune the center frequencies of each passband independently. The proposed BPF also has wide upper stopband. For demonstration, an octa-band BPF is designed and manufactured. The measured results show good agreement with the simulated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct position determination (DPD) for augmented coprime arrays is investigated in this paper. Augmented coprime array expands degree of freedom and array aperture and improves positioning accuracy. Because of poor stability and noise sensitivity of the subspace data fusion (SDF) method, we propose two weighted subspace data fusion (W-SDF) algorithms for direct position determination. Simulation results show that two W-SDF algorithms have a prominent promotion in positioning accuracy than SDF, Capon, and propagator method (PM) algorithm for augmented coprime arrays. SDF based on optimal weighting (OW-SDF) is slightly better than SDF based on SNR weighting (SW-SDF) in positioning accuracy. The performance for DPD of the W-SDF method with augmented coprime arrays is better than that of the W-SDF method with uniform arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct position determination (DPD) for augmented coprime arrays is investigated in this paper. Augmented coprime array expands degree of freedom and array aperture and improves positioning accuracy. Because of poor stability and noise sensitivity of the subspace data fusion (SDF) method, we propose two weighted subspace data fusion (W-SDF) algorithms for direct position determination. Simulation results show that two W-SDF algorithms have a prominent promotion in positioning accuracy than SDF, Capon, and propagator method (PM) algorithm for augmented coprime arrays. SDF based on optimal weighting (OW-SDF) is slightly better than SDF based on SNR weighting (SW-SDF) in positioning accuracy. The performance for DPD of the W-SDF method with augmented coprime arrays is better than that of the W-SDF method with uniform arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the robust output regulation problem (RORP) for a class of uncertain linear systems with unknown exosystems via event-triggered control (ETC). Compared with existing related works, the system matrix of the exosystem under consideration is allowed to contain unknown parameters. Based on an adaptive internal model, an ETC strategy composed of an event-triggered adaptive output feedback control law and an output-based event-triggering mechanism is proposed such that the RORP is solved. It is shown that under the proposed ETC strategy, the tracking error converges to zero asymptotically in spite of the unknown exosystem, and meanwhile the occurrence of Zeno behavior is prevented. Finally, two examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of Plectosphaerella inhabit different substrates, including plants, soil and insects, and most species are pathogens causing large losses in agriculture. During a survey of endophytic fungi in aquatic plants in southwest China, 112 strains of Plectosphaerella were isolated, representing two new species, P. endophytica sp. nov. and P. sichuanensis sp. nov., as well as two known species, P. cucumerina and P. pauciseptata. The novel taxa are described and illustrated here using combined morphological and multi-locus phylogenetic (LSU-ITS-TEF-1α-TUB2) analyses. Our result revealed Plectosphaerella species inhabiting within aquatic plants in southwest China, and the separation frequency of each species was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of conventional needle irrigation (CI), ultrasonically activated irrigation (UAI), photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS), and shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming (SWEEPS) in removing calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] from root canals of mandibular molars using microcomputed tomography. Background: Various adjunctive irrigation strategies have been recommended to improve the removal of Ca(OH)2. No reports have evaluated the SWEEPS laser-activated method for the removal of Ca(OH)2 from root canals of mandibular molars. Materials and methods: Forty mandibular molars were instrumented and filled with Ca(OH)2. Four irrigation groups (CI, UAI, PIPS, and SWEEPS) were established. The volume of root canals and Ca(OH)2 and the Ca(OH)2 volume reduction percentage (%Rd) were calculated. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and Kruskal--Wallis analysis of variance. Results: The residual Ca(OH)2 in the apical third was higher than that in the cervical and middle thirds in all groups ( p < 0.05). Comparison of the %Rd of Ca(OH)2 in mesial canals revealed that PIPS and SWEEPS removed more Ca(OH)2 than CI and UAI in the cervical third ( p < 0.05). The middle third of the mesial canals and the cervical and middle thirds of the distal canals did not show significant differences among groups ( p > 0.05). Significant differences in the %Rd of Ca(OH)2 were noted between CI and other groups in the apical third of mesial and distal canals ( p < 0.05). No group demonstrated complete removal of Ca(OH)2. Conclusions: UAI and laser-activated irrigation significantly improved Ca(OH)2 removal in the apical third of mesial and distal canals. No agitation technique could completely remove Ca(OH)2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Inflammation response plays a significant role in tendon healing. • Cyclooxygenase promote tendon healing via macrophage polarization. • Polarized macrophages release Pla1a that promote tendon healing. • Tendon cells stimulated by Pla1a could regulate the expression of Etv1. • Etv1 embedded in nanoparticle/hydrogel system reduce tendon adhesion. Tendon injuries are often accompanied by limited self-healing and common complications, such as re-rupture and adhesion formation. In our previous studies, we discovered that inhibiting cyclooxygenases (COXs) through a sustainable nanoparticle/hydrogel released system prevented adhesion formation. Additionally, we observed a decrease in M1/M2 polarization in the microenvironment. To investigate the mechanism underlying M2 macrophage polarization, we developed a rat flexor tendon injury model and injected macrophages transfected with COX siRNAs. The results confirmed the positive effects of this treatment and identified important targets, namely phospholipase A1 member A (Pla1a) and ETS variant transcription factor 1 (Etv1). We conducted in vivo and in vitro studies based on Pla1a and Etv1. In the in vivo studies, Pla1a/nanoparticle/hydrogel treatment improved the ultimate strength of injured tendons and inhibited flexor tendon adhesion formation. In the in vitro studies, upregulation of Pla1a promoted tendon cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis. Stimulation of Pla1a also downregulated the level of Etv1. Tendon cells transfected with Etv1 siRNAs demonstrated better cell viability and less cell apoptosis. Furthermore, adhesion formation was reduced by treatment with Etv1 siRNAs/nanoparticle/hydrogel. These findings suggest that COX siRNAs-regulated macrophages could enhance tendon healing via the Pla1a/Etv1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • IrO 2 @Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4 nanocages catalyst with low Ir content was prepared. • The above heterostructure could moderate electron structure of IrO 2. • The adsorption energy barriers of oxygen intermediates were decreased. • The IrO 2 @Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4 showed significant improved activity toward OER. • The IrO 2 @Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4 performed high mass activity of 713 A g-1 Ir @ 1.53 V vs. RHE. The application of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is largely limited by the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics, which usually requires noble metal Ir/Ru-based catalysts. It's desirable to design low-cost catalysts with less content of Ir/Ru in OER without sacrificing their catalytic performance. Herein, the ultrasmall IrO 2 nanoparticles uniformly dispersed on Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4 nanocages (IrO 2 @Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4) electrocatalyst is demonstrated. Structural characterization indicates that hollow Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4 acts as the effective support to provide abundant anchoring sites and heterogenous interfaces, which enable the catalyst to expose more active sites and accelerate charge transport. As a result, the representative IrO 2 @Co 3 O 4 -CoMoO 4 exhibits an outstanding OER activity (η = 236 mV at 10 mA cm−2) with a superior mass activity of 713 A g–1 Ir at 1.53 V vs. RHE in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 that are comparable to most reported catalysts. Theoretical calculations also reveal that the introduction of Mo can effectively modify electronic structure and decrease adsorption energy barriers of oxygen intermediates, and thereby enhancing OER catalytic activity. This work provides a new idea to develop highly efficient low Ir catalysts for OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of main observation and conclusion: A facile synthesis, functionalization, and emission property of N‐doped carbon‐rich halogenated compound 3,6,12,15‐tetrachloro‐9‐phenyl‐9H‐tetrabenzo[a,c,g,i]carbazole (ClCbz) was reported. Cost‐effective FeCl3 catalyst serves to break eight C—H bonds of 1,2,3,4,5‐pentaphenylpyrrole (1) and subsequently construct two C—C and four C—Cl bonds in one pot with a high yield of up to 75%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes has been associated with metabolic disorder, insulin resistance and neuroinflammation. However, the pathogenesis for HFD-induced injury of central nervous system (CNS) is still unclear. Tripartite Motif Containing 13 (TRIM13), also known as RFP2, is a member of TRIM proteins, and is associated with multiple cellular processes, such as apoptosis, survival and inflammation. However, the effects of TRIM13 on brain injury, especially the HFD-induced CNS damage, have not been investigated. To address this issue, the TRIM13flox/flox (fl/fl) mice were produced and then crossed them with Nestin-Cre mice to delete TRIM13 specifically in the brain (cKO). Then, T2D mice with obesity were established by chronic feeding of HFD. We found that brain-specific deletion of TRIM13 accelerated HFD-induced metabolic disorder, insulin resistance and systematic inflammatory response. In addition, HFDcKO mice exhibited significantly higher pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), in cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus tissues, which were comparable to the HFDfl/fl mice. Consistently, the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) induced by HFD was further aggravated in mice with brain-specific loss of TRIM13. Moreover, glial activation in CNS stimulated by HFD was further promoted by TRIM13 knockout in brain, as evidenced by the up-regulated expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Iba-1. In hypothalamus, HFD reduced proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and enhanced neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression, which were further promoted in mice with brain-specific deletion of TRIM13. Meanwhile, insulin signaling pathway was disrupted by HFD in hypothalamus of mice, and these effects were exacerbated in HFDcKO mice. The in vitro analysis confirmed that TRIM13 knockout in glial cells considerably promoted palmitate (PAL)-induced inflammatory response by accelerating NF-κB signal, contributing to the insulin resistance in the isolated primary neurons. Together, these findings demonstrated that TRIM13 was involved in HFD-induced CNS injury and insulin resistance through regulating neuroinflammatory response, contributing to the modulation of peripheral metabolic disorders. • Brain-specific deletion of TRIM13 accelerates metabolic disorder in HFD-fed mice. • Brain-specific ablation of TRIM13 promotes neuroinflammation in HFD-fed mice. • Brain-specific deletion of TRIM13 aggravates insulin resistance signaling in hypothalamus of HFD-fed mice. • TRIM13 knockout in glial cells enhances inflammation and insulin resistance in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A physiological role for long-chain acyl-CoA esters to activate ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels is well established. Circulating palmitate is transported into cells and converted to palmitoyl-CoA, which is a substrate for palmitoylation. We found that palmitoyl-CoA, but not palmitic acid, activated the channel when applied acutely. We have altered the palmitoylation state by preincubating cells with micromolar concentrations of palmitic acid or by inhibiting protein thioesterases. With acyl-biotin exchange assays we found that Kir6.2, but not sulfonylurea receptor (SUR)1 or SUR2, was palmitoylated. These interventions increased the KATP channel mean patch current, increased the open time, and decreased the apparent sensitivity to ATP without affecting surface expression. Similar data were obtained in transfected cells, rat insulin-secreting INS-1 cells, and isolated cardiac myocytes. Kir6.2ΔC36, expressed without SUR, was also positively regulated by palmitoylation. Mutagenesis of Kir6.2 Cys166 prevented these effects. Clinical variants in KCNJ11 that affect Cys166 had a similar gain-of-function phenotype, but was more pronounced. Molecular modeling studies suggested that palmitoyl-C166 and selected large hydrophobic mutations make direct hydrophobic contact with Kir6.2-bound PIP2. Patch-clamp studies confirmed that palmitoylation of Kir6.2 at Cys166 enhanced the PIP2 sensitivity of the channel. Physiological relevance is suggested since palmitoylation blunted the regulation of KATP channels by α1-adrenoreceptor stimulation. The Cys166 residue is conserved in some other Kir family members (Kir6.1 and Kir3, but not Kir2), which are also subject to regulated palmitoylation, suggesting a general mechanism to control the open state of certain Kir channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of the closure theory, for 3D objects, it usually requires at least 7 grasp points to ensure a form closure grasp, which is too strict for real applications. Instead, using a 4-point planar grasp is much more practical. In this paper, a robust form-closure grasping planning algorithm is proposed for a 4-pin gripper to obtain stable grasp points and improve the generalization to grasp objects that have not been seen before. Besides, a lightweight, 3-DoF (Degree of Freedom) 4-pin gripper based on our algorithm is designed for 3D object grasping. The proposed algorithm consists of two parts. First, based on Attractive Region in Environment (ARIE), the stability of the whole grasping process by obtaining form-closure grasp points is ensured. Second, considering the uncertainty of the environment, a learning grasp quality measurement is proposed to make evaluation of robustness for each group of grasp points. Our simulation and physical experiments are performed to test and verify the effectiveness of the gripper and the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sets out to establish the comparative contribution of PD-L1 expression by pulmonary endothelial cells (ECs) and/or epithelial cells (EpiCs) to the development of indirect acute lung injury (iALI) by taking advantage of the observation that treatment with naked siRNA by intratracheal delivery in mice primarily affects lung EpiCs, but not lung ECs, while intravenous delivery of liposomal-encapsulated siRNA largely targets vascular ECs including the lung, but not pulmonary EpiCs. We showed that using a mouse model of iALI [induced by hemorrhagic shock followed by septic challenge (Hem-CLP)], PD-L1 expression on pulmonary ECs or EpiCs was significantly upregulated in the iALI mice at 24 h post-septic insult. After documenting the selective ability of intratracheal versus intravenous delivery of PD-L1 siRNA to inhibit PD-L1 expression on EpiCs versus ECs, respectively, we observed that the iALI-induced elevation of cytokine/chemokine levels (in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lung lysates, or plasma), lung myeloperoxidase and caspase-3 activities could largely only be inhibited by intravenous, but not intratracheal, delivery of PD-L1 siRNA. Moreover, intravenous, but not intratracheal, delivery led to a preservation of normal tissue architecture, lessened pulmonary edema, and reduced neutrophils influx induced by iALI. In addition, in vitro mouse endothelial cell line studies showed that PD-L1 gene knockdown by siRNA or knockout by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene manipulation, reduced monolayer permeability, and maintained tight junction protein levels upon recombinant IFN-γ stimulation. Together, these data imply a critical role for pulmonary vascular ECs in mediating PD-1:PD-L1-driven pathological changes resulting from systemic stimuli such as Hem-CLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strychnine is the main bioactive constituent responsible for the pharmacological and toxic properties of strychnos nux-vomica L. (Loganiaceae), which is known for severe neurotoxicity. Although its toxic threshold is easy to be reached and it is liable to cause poisoning, the effect of strychnine on the central nervous system (CNS) is crucial for its application in clinic. Therefore, the impacts of pharmacology and toxicology of strychnine on CNS have generated increasing interests. In this short review, we summarize the pharmacological activities, neurotoxicology, underlying mechanisms of the strychnine poisoning, and discuss the pharmacokinetics properties of strychnine. These findings could provide beneficial information for facilitating future mechanism research of neurotoxicity of strychnine and developing drugs to remedy neurotoxicity in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific networks play an increasingly important role in facilitating knowledge and technique diffusion. In such networks, highly influential nodes (scientists or literatures) are prone to stimulate other researchers in the generation of innovative ideas. The objective of this study is to detect topic-level influencers from a large collection of links between nodes and textual contents in scientific networks. For this purpose, we propose a sparse link topic model (SLTM) that introduces a "Spike and Slab" prior to achieve sparsity in node-topic distribution. Compared with previous approaches, our model assumes that a node usually focuses on several salient topics instead of a wide range of topics, which is useful in learning topic-level influencers in scientific networks. In addition, a collapsed variational Bayesian (CVB) inference algorithm is designed for large-scale applications. Our experiments are conducted on a large scientific collaboration network. The results reveal that the proposed model significantly improves the precision of topic-level detection. Our analysis also reflects that SLTM can explicitly model the sparse topical structure of each node in the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of a highly efficient and robust catalyst with reduced usage of noble metals is extremely desirable for selective hydrogenations of furan-containing bio-based feedstocks, which represents an attractive and sustainable alternative to petrochemical resources. Herein, we describe a new type of well-dispersed Ru subnanoclusters (ca. 0.50 wt%) supported on commercial P25 TiO2 material obtained from a facile and effective amino acid-assisted deposition–precipitation strategy. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity and selectivity for direct hydrogenation of industrially important furfural as well as a range of structurally diverse bio-based furanic compounds to their corresponding fully hydrogenated derivatives. An average turnover frequency (ATOF) value as high as 367 h−1 at 80 °C and 4 MPa H2 is obtained, which is the highest reported value. This catalyst also shows stable furfural total hydrogenation in 5 reaction cycles conducted at 80 °C (52 mmol-scale, turnover number up to 12 500). In terms of the kinetic and structural characterizations, the key performances of the ultrasmall Ru clusters are proposed to mainly originate from an enhanced number of unsaturated surface Ru atoms and change in local coordination environment. Our work highlights the importance of the subnanometric size of Ru clusters in the advancement of efficient and affordable approaches towards bio-based chemical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated targeting mechanisms of Na+ and KATP channels to the intercalated disk (ICD) of cardiomyocytes. Patch clamp and surface biotinylation data show reciprocal downregulation of each other’s surface density. Mutagenesis of the Kir6.2 ankyrin binding site disrupts this functional coupling. Duplex patch clamping and Angle SICM recordings show that INa and IKATP functionally co-localize at the rat ICD, but not at the lateral membrane. Quantitative STORM imaging show that Na+ and KATP channels are localized close to each other and to AnkG, but not to AnkB, at the ICD. Peptides corresponding to Nav1.5 and Kir6.2 ankyrin binding sites dysregulate targeting of both Na+ and KATP channels to the ICD, but not to lateral membranes. Finally, a clinically relevant gene variant that disrupts KATP channel trafficking also regulates Na+ channel surface expression. The functional coupling between these two channels need to be considered when assessing clinical variants and therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotrophic pathogens, such as wheat rust fungi, survive on nutrients derived from host cells. Sugar appears to be the major carbon source transferred from host cells to various fungal pathogens; however, the molecular mechanism by which host sugar transporters are manipulated by fungal pathogens for nutrient uptake is poorly understood. TaSTP6, a sugar transporter protein in wheat (Triticum aestivum), was previously shown to exhibit enhanced expression in leaves upon infection by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), the causal agent of wheat stripe rust. In this study, we found that Pst infection caused increased accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA) and that application of exogenous ABA significantly enhanced TaSTP6 expression. Moreover, knockdown of TaSTP6 expression by barley stripe mosaic virus-induced gene silencing reduced wheat susceptibility to the Pst pathotype CYR31, suggesting that TaSTP6 expression upregulation contributes to Pst host sugar acquisition. Consistent with this, TaSTP6 overexpression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) promoted plant susceptibility to powdery mildew and led to increased Glc accumulation in the leaves. Functional complementation assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed that TaSTP6 has broad substrate specificity, indicating that TaSTP6 is an active sugar transporter. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that TaSTP6 localizes to the plasma membrane. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation experiments revealed that TaSTP6 undergoes oligomerization. Taken together, our results suggest that Pst stimulates ABA biosynthesis in host cells and thereby upregulates TaSTP6 expression, which increases sugar supply and promotes fungal infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemoglobin is an important oxygen-carrying protein and plays crucial roles in establishing host resistance against pathogens and in regulating innate immune responses. The hemoglobin subunit beta (HB) is an essential component of hemoglobin, and we have previously demonstrated that the antiviral role of the porcine HB (pHB) is mediated by promoting type I interferon pathways. Thus, considering the high homology between human HB (hHB) and pHB, we hypothesized that hHB also plays an important role in the antiviral innate immunity. In this study, we characterized hHB as a regulatory factor for the replication of RNA viruses by differentially regulating the RIG-I- and MDA5-mediated antiviral signaling pathways. Furthermore, we showed that hHB directly inhibited MDA5-mediated signaling by reducing the MDA5–double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) interaction. Additionally, hHB required hHB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) to promote RIG-I-mediated signaling through enhancement of K63-linked RIG-I ubiquitination. Taken together, our findings suggest that hHB is a pleiotropic regulator of RIG-I/MDA5-mediated antiviral responses and further highlight the importance of the intercellular microenvironment, including the redox state, in regulating antiviral innate immune responses. IMPORTANCE Hemoglobin, the most important oxygen-carrying protein, is involved in the regulation of innate immune responses. We have previously reported that the porcine hemoglobin subunit beta (HB) exerts antiviral activity through regulation of type I interferon production. However, the antiviral activities and the underlying mechanisms of HBs originating from other animals have been poorly understood. Here, we identified human HB (hHB) as a pleiotropic regulator of the replication of RNA viruses through regulation of RIG-I/MDA5-mediated signaling pathways. hHB enhances RIG-I-mediated antiviral responses by promoting RIG-I ubiquitination depending on the hHB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), while it blocks MDA5-mediated antiviral signaling by suppressing the MDA5-dsRNA interaction. Our results contribute to an understanding of the crucial roles of hHB in the regulation of the RIG-I/MDA5-mediated signaling pathways. We also provide novel insight into the correlation of the intercellular redox state with the regulation of antiviral innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Porous soft carbon host for iodine loading. • PTCC900 limits the polyiodide dissolution and alleviates the shuttle effects. • 50,000 cycles at 5A g−1 with ultra-high capacity retention. • No need to introduce heteroatoms or additional pore formation steps. • High electrical conductivity and hierarchical porous structure at the same time. Aqueous zinc−iodine battery (AZIB) is a promising energy-storage system due to its high operational safety and the suitable theoretical capacity of 211 mAh g−1 of I 2. However, it suffers from poor rate performance and low capacity retention due to the easy loss of active substance and the shuttle effect caused by polyiodide species. Herein, we rationally designed a perylene−3, 4, 9, 10−tetracarboxylic anhydride (PTCDA)−based carbon host at the annealing temperature of 900°C (PTCC900) to alleviate the problems mentioned above. PTCC900 embraces a hierarchical porous structure with the pore width ranging from 1.8 nm to 13 nm, which is beneficial for the confinement of I 2 and polyiodide. In addition, the turbostratic graphitic microstructures spread inside PTCC900 also provide fast electronic transmission path to increase the electrical conductivity. Benefitting from the above features, the produced PTCC900@I 2 cathode delivers an initial capacity of 240 mAh g−1 and remains a high capacity of 187 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at the current density of 0.5 A g−1. More importantly, an ultra−long cycle life of over 50000 cycles is also obtained for PTCC900@I 2 cathode when the current density increases to 5 A g−1. The improved electrochemical performances corroborate that PTCC900 is expected to be a potentially promising cathode host for zinc-iodine batteries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has been reported as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, how PTP1B is regulated in HCC remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs involved many biological processes including tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigated whether miRNA participated in the regulation of PTP1B in HCC. We found that miR-206, which was down-regulated during tumorigenesis, inhibited HCC cell proliferation and invasion. Overexpression of miR-206 inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of HCC cell lines HepG2 and Huh7. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that miR-206 directly targeted PTP1B by binding to the 3′-UTR of PTP1B mRNA as demonstrated by the luciferase reporter assay. Overexpression miR-206 inhibited PTP1B expression while miR-206 inhibition enhanced PTP1B expression in HepG2 and Huh7 cells. Functionally, the regulatory effect on cell proliferation/migration/invasion of miR-206 was reversed by PTP1B overexpression. Furthermore, tumor inoculation nude mice model was used to explore the function of miR-206 in vivo. Our results showed that overexpression of miR-206 drastically inhibited tumor development. In summary, our data suggest that miR-206 inhibits HCC development by targeting PTP1B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically review the effectiveness of the external application, Ruyi Jinhuang powder, on phlebitis Methods: Relevant literature was retrieved from Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI), Cochrane Central Register, Chongqing Vip, Wanfang Data and SinoMed using the search terms "Ruyi Jinhuang San", "Ruyi Jinhuang powder", "Ruyi Jinhuang cream", "Agreeable golden powder", "satisfactory golden powder", "Jinhuang cream", "phlebitis", "prevention and (or) treatment", "randomized controlled trials" and "RCRs". Two researchers independently arranged and analyzed the data. Results: Significant differences were observed in the total effectiveness rate of Ruyi Jinhuang powder [relative risk (RR) = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19 to 1.36, and p < 0.0001). Ruyi Jinhuang powder can reduce the incidence of phlebitis versus conventional therapy in preventing phlebitis (RR = 0.32, 95 % CI 0.24 to 0.42, and p < 0.0001). Shorten the average healing time [mean difference (MD) =- 32.17, 95 % CI= -48.39 to -15.94, and p = 0.0001). Reduced pain relief time for phlebitis (MD = -3.29, 95% CI -5.42 to -1.16, and p = 0.002). However, no statistical difference was observed with regard to the onset time of phlebitis (MD = -0.62, 95 % CI -1.76 to 0.52, and p = 0.29). Conclusion: Clinicians consider Ruyi Jinhuang powder a viable complementary and alternative medicine for phlebitis following the stronger evidence being offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly being engineered for a variety of disease-detection and treatment applications. For example, we have previously developed a fiber-optic Raman-encoded molecular imaging (REMI) system for spectral imaging of biomarker-targeted SERS NPs topically applied on tissue surfaces to identify residual tumors at surgical margins. Although accurate tumor detection was achieved, the commercial SERS NPs used in our previous studies lacked the signal strength to enable high-speed imaging with high pixel counts (large fields of view and/or high spatial resolution), which limits their use for certain time-constrained clinical applications. As a solution, we explored the use of surface-enhanced resonant Raman scattering (SERRS) NPs to enhance imaging speeds. The SERRS NPs were synthesized de novo, and then conjugated to HER2 antibodies to achieve high binding affinity, as validated by flow cytometry. Under identical tissue-staining and imaging conditions, the targeted SERRS NPs enabled reliable identification of HER2-overexpressed tumor xenografts with 50-fold-enhanced imaging speed compared with our standard targeted SERS NPs. This enables our REMI system to image tissue surfaces at a rate of 150 cm2 per minute at a spatial resolution of 0.5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pellicles formation, microbial changes and lactic acid utilisation during the aerobic deterioration of Sichuan pickle were discussed in this study. By plate counting, chemical detection and HPLC analysis, the aerobic deterioration of Sichuan pickle was featured by microbial growth, pellicle formation, lactic acid decrease and pH elevation. Bacteria dominated in pellicles and the pellicles present morphological change from smooth to wrinkly along with the aerobic deteriorating process. Nine species of bacteria were identified and responsible for the pellicle formation. Combined with Lactobacillus plantarum, eight pellicle‐forming bacteria were the dominant lactic acid consuming organisms in deteriorating Sichuan pickle. Especially under the harsh acid condition of the early deteriorating period, Lb. plantarum, pellicle‐forming bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis and Citrobacter freundii participated in the pellicles, utilised lactic acid and increased the brine pH effectively. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA libraries suggested that the resulting pH of 4.8–5.0 initiated the growth of more undesirable organisms, and the pellicle bacterial diversity changed greatly compared with that in the early deteriorating period. The study indicated the important role of pellicles in the initiation of Sichuan pickle's aerobic deterioration and enhanced our ability to understand and potentially control the aerobic deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]