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Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor of the nasopharynx. Objective: Here, we aimed to understand better the molecular basis for arctigenin (ARG)’s ability to promote NPC 5-8F cell invasion. Methods: We tested the effects of several doses of ARG on 5-8F cells that had been cultured in vitro. We estimated the metabolic activity of cells by The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) tetrazolium assay. We examined the influence on cell invasion, and migration using Transwell Evaluation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to determine the relative amounts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) , and transcriptional activator 3 (STAT 3) mRNA expression. Using western blotting, we looked at the level of phosphorylation of specific proteins like EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR, JAK2, and STAT 3. Results: Our findings revealed that ARG inhibited NPC 5-8F cell development in a dose-and time-dependent manner. The invasiveness and mobility of 5-8F cells were significantly suppressed when ARG was overexpressed in a tumor development model. Expression levels of EGFR, JAK2, and STAT 3 mRNA were considerably low in the experimental group. As a consequence of being treated with ARG, lower levels of EGFR, p-EGFR, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 expression were observed. Conclusion: These results suggest that ARG may prevent NPC 5-8F cells from proliferating, migrating, and invading other tissues. There are a few potential molecular pathways, two of which are the inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation and the reduction of levels of phospho-JAK2 and phospho-STAT3.

Heavy metals are commonly found in a wide range of environmental settings metals, but the potential toxicity associated with heavy metal exposure represents a major threat to global public health. It is thus vital that approaches to efficiently, reliably, and effectively detecting heavy metals in a range of sample types be established. Carbon nanomaterials offer many advantageous properties that make them well-suited to the design of sensitive, selective, easy-to-operate electrochemical biosensors ideal for detecting heavy metal ions. The present review offers an overview of recent progress in the development of carbon nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensors used to detect heavy metals. In addition to providing a detailed discussion of certain carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon fibers, carbon quantum dots, carbon nanospheres, mesoporous carbon, and Graphdiyne, we survey the challenges and future directions for this field. Overall, the studies discussed herein suggest that the further development of carbon nanomaterial-modified electrochemical sensors will support the integration of increasingly advanced sensor platforms to aid in detecting heavy metals in foods, environmental samples, and other settings, thereby benefitting human health and society as a whole.

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease characterized by wheezing and shortness of breath. Its risk factors include genetic and acquired factors. The acquired factors are closely related to the environment, especially cold conditions. Autophagy plays a regulatory role in asthma. Therefore, we hypothesized that asthma can be controlled by drug intervention at the autophagy level under cold conditions. The Xiaoqinglong decoction (XQLT) was freeze-dried. The compounds in the freeze-dried powder were identified and quantified using reference standards via the high-performance liquid chromatography method. Ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized rats were subjected to cold stimulation. The effect of cold stimulation on autophagy levels was determined, and it was confirmed that cold stimulation affected autophagy. The effects and mechanisms of XQLT in an asthmatic rat model (OVA-sensitized rats stimulated with cold) were explored. The concentrations of paeoniflorin, liquiritin, trans-cinnamic acid, glycyrrhizic acid, 6-gingerol, schisandrol A, and asarinin in XQLT freeze-dried powder were 14.45, 3.85, 1.03, 3.93, 0.59, 0.24, and 0.091 mg/g, respectively. Cold stimulation is an important cause of asthma. The inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum were increased in the model group, accompanied by a decline in autophagy level. The treatment with XQLT increased the expression of autophagy genes and decreased the expression of inflammatory factors. Histological studies showed that XQLT improved inflammatory infiltration and collagen fiber deposition in the lungs of rats. XQLT intervention increased autophagy in asthmatic rats. Autophagy plays a role in phagocytosis and reduces the accumulation of abnormal metabolites in the body to reduce airway inflammation and promote asthma recovery.

Target detection in high-frequency surface-wave radar (HFSWR) systems is a challenging task due to various sources of interference. In this paper, we propose a robust constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detector to solve the problem of target detection for HFSWR by exploiting the prior information on the detection environment. Clutter amplitudes in HFSWR are commonly assumed to follow the Weibull distribution. Additionally, distribution parameters of the clutter have nonlocal self-similarity, and targets have sparsity as well as a certain geometric structure. We design an objective function based on the Bayesian framework which consists of a data fidelity term and some regularization terms. Specifically, we use the nonlocal low-rank (NLR) regularization to represent the prior information regarding distribution parameters of clutter, and we adopt the combination of the sparsity and Laplacian regularization to represent the prior information regarding targets. The proposed objective function inherits advantages of the NLR, sparsity, and Laplacian regularization, thereby improving the performance of the proposed detector in nonhomogeneous clutter. By optimizing the proposed objective function, we obtain estimates of clutter statistics for every cell under test and perform the CFAR detection. Experiments on both simulated data and experimental HFSWR data demonstrate that the proposed detector has a good false alarm regulation property and detection performance in nonhomogeneous clutter.

Combining the anomalies and environmental monitoring data of the early stage Beidou satellites, the space radiation environment spatial/temporal distribution and space radiation effect risk characteristics are analyzed, and the dynamic characteristics of space environmental factors, such as hot plasma, high-energy electron and solar proton are summarized. The systematic joint monitoring for surface charging, internal charging, single event effect and total dose effect with corresponding space environment factors is proposed. The detector types, measurement parameters range and engineering constraints are allocated, and the engineering application and scientific research of detection data are prospected.

Based on the typical dielectric materials and devices of satellite, a surface charging and dose monitor (SCAD) was developed to measure the surface charging voltage, current, and dose under different shielding depths. The SCAD has been successfully launched into orbit on June 23, 2020. The measurement results on orbit show that the SCAD works normally, and the data of SCAD are reasonable. The results show that the radiation dose rate on geosynchronous orbit is about 0.4 mrad(Si)/s, and the maximum charging voltage is about −800 V during the initial measuring period. The charging voltage is consistent with the trends of geomagnetic disturbance Kp index. The on-orbit data provide basic data on surface charging and discharging effect and total dose effect, supporting the safe and reliable operation of the satellite.

Surgical treatment of vertigo is performed with in-depth study of inner ear diseases. Achieving an effective control of vertigo symptoms while reducing damage to hearing and reducing surgical complications is the principle followed by scholars studying surgical modalities. Semicircular canal occlusion is aimed at treatment of partial peripheral vertigo disease and has attracted the attention of scholars because of the above advantages. This article provides a review of the origins of semicircular canal occlusion, related basic research, clinical applications, and the effects of surgery on vestibular and hearing function.

With the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization in China, energy and vehicle consumption have continued to increase in recent years and air pollution has become serious. In early 2020, Corona Virus Disease 2019 broke out in Wuhan, China. From January 29, 2020, several sources of the air pollution almost all stopped working, including gasoline burning vehicles, dust producing building sites, coal-fired factories, etc. Five indicators of the atmospheric environmental quality were observed from December 19, 2019 to April 30, 2020 in nine cities and 1-h average concentrations, 24-h average concentrations and Air Quality Index were assessed. The 1-h average concentrations of the nitrogen dioxide, the ozone and the sulfur dioxide showed obvious difference though the closure did not change the sequence of the five pollutants’ concentrations in the air at diverse sampling moments. The changing of the 24-h average concentrations of the five pollutants indicated the amount of pollutants in the air were greatly affected by human activities. The nitrogen dioxide, the sulfur dioxide and the particulate matters decreased obviously in the closure. The air in the metropolis and the south-east cities were relatively clean and the pollutants’ concentrations decreased slightly during the closure period. The northern and the heavy industrial cities showed significant drop on air pollution indicators and the air quality of the two city groups could be greatly improved if some effective measures could be taken of environmental management and regional development.

Particulate matter in the air seriously affects human health and has been a hot topic of discussion. Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) lockdown in cities in China, sources of particulate matter, including gasoline‐burning vehicles, dust‐producing building sites, and coal‐fired factories, almost all ceased at the end of January 2020. It was not until early April that outdoor activities recovered. Ten cities were selected as observation sites during the period from 19 December 2019 to 30 April 2020, covering the periods of preclosure, closure, and gradual resumption. A total of 11 720 groups of data were obtained, and 4 indicators were used to assess the characteristics of the particle pollution in the period. The quality of the atmospheric environment was visibly influenced by human activities in those 5 mo. The concentrations of particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 µm (PM10) decreased slightly in February and March and then began to increase slowly after April with the gradual recovery of production. The concentrations of particulate matter with particle sizes below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) decreased greatly in most regions, especially in northern cities, during closure and maintained a relatively stable level in the following 3 mo. The trends of PM10 and PM2.5 indicated that the reduced human activities during the COVID‐19 lockdown decreased the concentrations of particulate matter in the air, and the difference between the PM10 and PM2.5 trends might be due to the different sources of the 2 particles and their different aerodynamics. However, during closure, the particulate matter pollution in the cities remained at a high level, which indicated that some ignored factors other than outdoor production activities, automobile exhaust, and construction site dust might have contributed greatly to the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations, and the tracing of the particulate matter should be given further attention in environmental management. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;00:1–11. © 2021 SETAC, KEY POINTS To assess the changes of the particle pollution in the coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) closure of China, 11 720 groups of data were obtained and 4 indicators were applied. The concentrations of particulate matter with particle sizes below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) began falling from the beginning of the COVID‐19 closure in February 2000 and maintained a relatively stable level in the following 3 mo. The difference between the particulate matter with particle sizes below 10 µm (PM10) and PM2.5 trends might be due to the different sources of the 2 particles and their different aerodynamics. The PM2.5 concentrations, especially in northern cities, reduced greatly in most regions during the closure period, compared with the uncontrolled months.

Tembusu virus (TMUV) is a newly emerged avian flavivirus that has caused severe egg-drop syndrome and fatal encephalitis in domestic ducks. It has spread widely throughout the main duck-producing areas in Asia, resulting in substantial economic losses to the duck industry. Previous studies have reported that TMUV has evolved several strategies to counteract the duck's innate immune responses to successfully establish infection in its host cells. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been elucidated. Here, we discovered that TMUV-encoded NS2B is a negative regulator of poly(I:C)-induced duck interferon-β (IFN-β) expression. Mechanistically, TMUV NS2B was found to interact specifically with the mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (duMAVS). Consequently, duMAVS was degraded through the K48-linked ubiquitination and proteasomal pathway, leading to the interruption of the RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) signaling. Further analyses also identified K321, K354, K398, and K411 as crucial residues for NS2B-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of duMAVS. Additionally, we demonstrated that NS2B functions by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin ligase duck membrane-associated RING-CH-type finger 5 (duMARCH5) to modify duMAVS via polyubiquitination, blocking the duMAVS-mediated innate immune response and promoting TMUV replication. Taken together, our findings revealed a novel mechanism by which TMUV evades the duck's antiviral innate immune responses. IMPORTANCE Tembusu virus (TMUV), an emerging pathogenic flavivirus, has spread to most duck farming areas in Asia since 2010, causing significant economic losses to the duck industry. Recently, TMUV has expanded its host range and may pose a potential threat to mammals, including humans. Understanding the interaction between TMUV and its host is essential for the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics. Here, we show that NS2B encoded by TMUV inhibits IFN production by interacting with duck MAVS (duMAVS) to mediate ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Further studies suggest that the E3 ubiquitin ligase duck membrane-associated RING-CH-type finger 5 (duMARCH5) is recruited by NS2B to mediate proteasomal degradation of duMAVS. As a result, the innate immune response triggered by the RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) is disrupted, facilitating viral replication. Overall, our results reveal a novel mechanism by which TMUV evades host innate immunity and provide new therapeutic strategies to prevent TMUV infection.

The ecological footprint value (abbreviated as EF) is the quantitative indicator on evaluating the sustainable development status of a region. How to simulate the EF’s trend with a long-time data series has been heatedly discussed. The economic development of Suzhou, one of the most developed cities in Yangtze Delta, China, has been accelerated in the past 20 years, and it is necessary to evaluate the influence of the socioeconomic growth on local natural resources. The EF values of Suzhou from 1999 to 2018 were calculated and simulated using both the ARIMA model and the GM(1,1) model. The ARIMA model has been used in the prediction of EF values in several cases. However, the EF data series of the city consisted of white noise and could not be fitted by the ARIMA model. The GM(1,1) model, an approach forecasting nonlinear data series, was not found in the studies of the EF simulation. Through the model precision test, the GM(1,1) model introduced fit the EF data series well and was considered to be appropriate to simulate the EF values for Suzhou. The fitting performance was accurate, and the EF values of the city could be forecasted by the model in short term. With the proposed model, the ecological sustainability status of the city was analyzed.

Management of early stage glottic carcinoma involving the anterior commissure is challenging.This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a thyroid cartilage window (TCW) technique for transoral laser resection of early glottic cancer with involvement of the anterior commissure.Twenty-one patient who underwent a TCW technique for transoral resection early glottic carcinoma involving the anterior commissure, were retrospectively analyzed. The technical nuances, organ preservation rate and voice outcomes, local and regional recurrence, and perioperative comorbidities, were assessed.All 21 patients underwent a TCW technique for resection, both the organ preservation rate and negative margin achieved 100%. The local control rate achieved 100%, and the 5 years recurrence free survival was 90.5%. For two patients with subglottic involvement (9.5%), regional recurrence with confirmation of a positive pre-laryngeal lymph node was observed. Postoperative granuloma was detected in all 21 patients, 13 of whom spontaneously disappeared (61.9%); whereas the remaining 8 patients (38.1%) demonstrated a consistent presence of granuloma more than 12 weeks, and they accepted surgical extirpation of granuloma under surface anesthesia. The laryngeal web developed in all 21 patients, while no dyspnea and local recurrence were present. By comparison with preoperative baseline, postoperative self-assessment voice demonstrated a significant improvement (TCW technique is a valuable means for transoral resection of early glottic laryngeal cancer involving the anterior commissure, with acceptable voice quality and seemingly low comorbidities.

Interferometric inverse synthetic aperture radar (InISAR) imaging has been proved to be a powerful means for obtaining three-dimensional (3-D) space shape of noncooperative targets. Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) InISAR (FMCW-InISAR) has unique advantages of low power, low cost, and small volume compared with traditional coherent pulsed InISAR. However, FMCW-InISAR imaging has two additional issues to consider, the one is the invalidation of the assumption of stopg the other is the isolation of the transmitting and receiving antennas, which is the inherent issue of the transmitter-receiver community radar systems. To solve these two problems, a bistatic FMCW-InISAR imaging algorithm for high-speed targets is proposed in this paper. For improving the isolation of the transmitting and receiving antennas, a bistatic configuration based FMCW-InISAR system is designed. According to the characteristics of bistatic, a bistatic equivalent motion model and corresponding signal model are established. Since the assumption of stop&go is invalid in the case of FMCW, indicating that the target cannot be viewed as motionless during a sweep repetition interval (SRI), a parametric estimation based quadratic phase factor (QPF) compensation method is investigated to eliminate the range walk caused by the radial motion of the target during the SRI. In addition, considering the far-field trait of the target and combining the traditional InISAR imaging process, a combined QPF compensation technique is proposed to reduce the computational burden of the algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed algorithm are evaluated by some simulations.

The maneuverability of targets cannot be neglected in many circumstances for Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging procedure. For these circumstances, the Range Instantaneous Doppler (RID) algorithm is required to form the well-focused ISAR images. Simultaneously, as the inevitable means of obtaining the target’s cross-range size, the cross-range scaling approach for the RID images also needs to be considered consequently. Since there are few cross-range scaling methods focused on the RID images, we propose a novel method in this paper based on the phase coefficients estimation and scatterers pairing process to solve the problem. Without the special requirements for the scatterers or complicated optimization process, the proposed approach is widely adaptive and efficient. Otherwise, besides the novel estimation method for the rotation parameters, we also propose the novel technique for calculating the cross-range scaling factor of the RID images, which is quite different from that of the Range Doppler (RD) images. Finally, by using the recommended RID imaging algorithm and the proposed cross-range scaling approach, the results of ISAR imaging and cross-range scaling experiments on the simulation and real-data experiment are represented, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in this paper.

Background and ObjectivesAsthma is a severe public health issue since it causes a progressive decline of pulmonary function and a lot of unnecessary deaths. Traditional Chinese medicine has played a great role in the prevention and treatment of asthma, Wenyang-Huayin (WYHY) formulation is one of the useful prescriptions in clinical, which the pharmacological mechanism has not yet been revealed. In this study, we explored its anti-airway inflammation and pulmonary protection effects in the treatment of asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA), to provide support for its deeply clinical applications.MethodsAsthma model with the syndrome of accumulation of cold fluid in the lung in chronic bronchitis (a common type of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome) was induced in SPF male Wistar rats by sensitizing and challenging with OVA, followed by drink, body cold and fatigue stimulation. WYHY was orally administered at 9.82142857 g·(kg·d)−1 body weight for 21 days, Rapamycin and the other two traditional Chinese medicines (Xiaoqinglong decoction and Astragalus granules) were used as positive controls. After intervention, the pulmonary function was measured by AniRes 2005 Animal pulmonary function Analysis system, the pathological features of pulmonary alveolus and bronchus were observed after Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining, and serum interleukin-13 (IL-13), transforming growth factor -β1 (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay.ResultsThe model rats showed heavy signs of airway inflammation and remodeling like chronic asthma, evidenced by the damaged pulmonary alveolus structure, increased inflammatory cell infiltration, declined pulmonary function, and abnormal changes of cytokines. All treatment methods could slow down the damage caused by molding factors, and WYHY might have an advantage in pulmonary protection effects than the others.ConcludeWYHY has a good effect on anti-airway inflammation and protecting pulmonary function in the treatment of OVA-Induced asthma rats, and its mechanism is worth of in-depth study.