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The increasing need for petrophysical parameter inversion has spurred the advancement of full-waveform inversion (FWI). This study introduces a new inversion method that can directly estimate petrophysical parameters from seismic waveform data. Specifically, we modified the regular elastic wave equation by including Biot poroelastic parameters and designed an inversion workflow based on the framework of elastic FWI. The newly introduced inversion algorithms have demonstrated their effectiveness and accuracy using the Marmousi model and a synthetic model related to the gas hydrate deposits based on the Shenhu area of the South China Sea. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of directly inverting petrophysical parameters and assessing if a deposit contains gas hydrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is a critical regulator of lung metastasis of breast cancer and is correlated with the prognosis of breast cancer. However, not all TGFβ stimulated genes were functional and prognostic in breast cancer lung metastatic progress. In this study, we tried to determine the prognosis of TGFβ stimulated genes in breast cancer. Methods: TGFβ stimulated genes in MDA-MB-231 cells and lung metastasis-associated genes in LM2-4175 cells were identified through gene expression microarray. The prognosis of the induced gene (TGFBI) in breast cancer was determined through bioinformatics analysis and validated using tissue microarray. The immune infiltrations of breast cancer were determined through "ESTIMATE" and "TIMER". Results: TGFBI was up-regulated by TGFβ treatment and over-expressed in LM2-4175 cells. Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that higher expression of TGFBI was associated with shorted lung metastasis-free survival, relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival of breast cancer. Moreover, the prognosis of TGFBI was validated in 139 Chinese breast cancer patients. Chinese breast cancer patients with higher TGFBI expression had lower overall survival. Correspondingly, breast cancer patients with higher TGFBI methylation had higher overall survival. TGFBI was correlated with the score of the TGFβ signaling pathway and multiple immune-related signaling pathways in breast cancer. The stromal score, immune score, and the infiltrations of immune cells were also correlated with TGFBI expression in breast cancer. Conclusions: TGFβ-induced gene TGFBI was correlated with the prognosis and immune infiltrations of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genetic 1p deletion is reported in 30% of all neuroblastoma and is associated with the unfavorable prognosis of neuroblastoma. The expressions and prognosis of 1p candidate genes in neuroblastoma are unclear. Methods: Public neuroblastoma cohorts were obtained for secondary analysis. The prognosis of 1p candidate genes in neuroblastoma was determined using Kaplan-Meier and cox regression analysis. The prediction of the nomogram model was determined using timeROC. Results: First, we confirmed the bad prognosis of 1p deletion in neuroblastoma. Moreover, zinc finger protein 436 (ZNF436) located at 1p36 region was down-regulated in 1p deleted neuroblastoma and higher ZNF436 expression was associated with the longer event free survival and overall survival of neuroblastoma. The expression levels of ZNF436 were lower in neuroblastoma patients with MYCN amplification or age at diagnosis ≥ 18months, or with stage 4 neuroblastoma. ZNF436 had robust predictive values of MYCN amplification and overall survival of neuroblastoma. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of ZNF436 in neuroblastoma was independent of MYCN amplification and age of diagnosis. Combinations of ZNF436 with MYCN amplification or age of diagnosis achieved better prognosis. At last, we constructed a nomogram risk model based on age, MYCN amplification and ZNF436. The nomogram model could predict the overall survival of neuroblastoma with high specificity and sensitivity. Conclusions: Chromosome 1p36 candidate gene ZNF436 was a prognostic maker of neuroblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the ordinal sum of quantales is provided. Based on this, the ordinal sums of many familiar ordered algebraic structures can be obtained, such as complete residuated lattice, spatial quantale, etc. Then we investigate the relationship between the quantale completion of partially ordered semigroups and the ordinal sum, and prove that for any family of two-side posemigroups, the ordinal sum of their quantale completions coincides with the quantale completion of their ordinal sum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) induce extensive transcriptional alterations to promote glioma development. However, IDH1 mutation contributes the better clinical outcomes of glioma. Further understanding the transcriptional and DNA methylation changes mediated by IDH1 mutation will provide new therapeutic targets for glioma. Public glioma cohorts were collected and processed using R software. The transcriptional changes mediated by IDH1 mutation were determined and presented using heatmap. The differentially expressed genes in IDH1 mutant glioma were overlapped using TBtools. The prognostic effects of IDH1 regulated genes were determined by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Retinoic acid receptor responder 2 (RARRES2) was upregulated in IDH1 wild type lower-grade glioma (LGG) patients, and higher expression levels of RARRES2 were associated with worse clinical outcomes of LGG. Moreover, IDH1 wild type LGG patients with higher expression levels of RARRES2 had even worse overall survival. Compared with LGG, RARRES2 was upregulated in grade IV glioma (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM). Also, RARRES2 represented an unfavorable prognostic factor of glioma. In GBM, RARRES2 was also associated with IDH1 mutation. In both LGG and GBM, IDH1 mutation induced extensive DNA hypermethylation, and more than half genes that were downregulated in IDH1 mutant glioma were contributed by DNA hypermethylation. RARRES2 was also hypermethylated in IDH1 mutant LGG or GBM patients. Furthermore, RARRES2 hypomethylation was an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with LGG. RARRES2 was downregulated by IDH1 mutation and served as an unfavorable prognostic factor in glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the notions of the join-completions of a partially ordered semigroup S and the weakly consistent nuclei on the power-set P (S) , and prove that the join-completions of a partially ordered semigroup S up to isomorphism are completely determined by the weakly consistent nuclei on P (S) . Then we provide the largest join-completion and show that the least join-completion does not exist in general. Finally, the universal property of the join-completions is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A subgroup of glioma carry genetic 4q12 amplification including platelet derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA) and insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7). However, the prognosis of PDGFRA and IGFBP7 in glioma is unclear. Methods: The prognosis of PDGFRA and IGFBP7 was determined using cox regression and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Pathways associated with IGFBP7 were analyzed through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Immune profiling of glioma was determined using "ESTIMATE" and "TIMER" database. Results: PDGFRA amplification or expression was not correlated with the outcomes of glioblastoma (GBM). IGFBP7 but not PDGFRA was over‐expressed in GBM. IGFBP7 over‐expression was correlated with the unfavorable outcomes of GBM. In lower grade glioma (LGG), PDGFRA over‐expression was not correlated with the unfavorable prognosis of LGG, while, IGFBP7 was a prognostic biomarker of LGG. LGG patients with IGFBP7 lower expressions had prolonged clinical overall survival. Combination of IDH mutation, LGG grade and IGFBP7 achieved even better prognostic effects in LGG. Moreover, IGFBP7 was over‐expressed in glioma patients with wild type IDH or with high grades. IGFBP7 over‐expression was correlated with the unfavorable outcomes of glioma. Furthermore, IGFBP7 was hypo‐methylated in GBM or LGG patients without IDH mutations. IGFBP7 hyper‐methylation was correlated with the lower overall survival of GBM or LGG. LGG patients with wild type IDH and with IGFBP7 hypo‐methylation demonstrated even worse prognosis. IGFBP7 was associated with multiple immune‐related signaling pathways in GBM or LGG. The stromal score, immune score and the infiltrations of immune cells were also correlated with IGFBP7 and the prognosis of LGG. Conclusions: IGFBP7 but not PDGFRA served an ideal prognostic marker and therapeutic target of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is widely prevalent in pig farms. PPV is closely related to porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) and porcine circovirus disease (PCVD), which seriously threatens the healthy development of the pig industry. Although commercial antibody detection kits are available, they are expensive and unsuitable for large-scale clinical practice. Here, a soluble VP2 protein of PPV is efficiently expressed in the E. coli expression system. The VP2 protein can be self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs) in vitro. After multiple steps of chromatography purification, PPV-VLPs with a purity of about 95% were obtained. An indirect, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA), comparable to a commercial PPV kit, was developed based on the purified PPV-VLPs and was used to detect 487 clinical pig serum samples. The results showed that the I-ELISA is a simple, cost-effective, and efficient method for the diagnosis of clinical pig serum and plasma samples. In summary, high-purity, tag-free PPV-VLPs were prepared, and the established VLP-based I-ELISA is of great significance for the sero-monitoring of antibodies against PPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) and coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain containing 2 (CHCHD2) are located at the chromosome 7p11 region proximal to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, the amplifications, expressions, and the prognostic effects of CCT6A and CHCDH2 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are unclear. Here, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, we found that CCT6A was coamplified and coexpressed with EGFR in LUAD patients. CCT6A amplification was correlated with the unfavorable outcomes of LUAD. Moreover, CCT6A was upregulated in LUAD tissues, and CCT6A overexpression was correlated with the unfavorable relapse free survival or overall survival of LUAD. On the contrary, CCT6A was hypomethylated in LUAD, and CCT6A hypermethylation was correlated with the favorable overall survival of LUAD. Similar expression and methylation profiling of CCT6A were obtained in 479 lung normal tissues and 544 LUAD tissues collected from 11 independent datasets. In 1,462 LUAD patients from eight independent cohorts, CCT6A was also correlated with LUAD relapse-free survival or overall survival. Furthermore, CCT6A overexpression promoted the cell growth and invasion of LUAD. Identification of genes differentially expressed in CCT6A highly expressed LUAD patients revealed that CHCHD2 was the most correlated with CCT6A expression. CHCHD2 was coamplified with CCT6A. CHCHD2 was upregulated in LUAD tissues, and overexpression of CHCHD2 was correlated with the shorted relapse-free survival or overall survival of LUAD. Overall, our results revealed that CCT6A and CHCHD2 were coamplifying and coexpressing with EGFR and were correlated with the unfavorable clinical outcomes of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TP53 is rarely mutated in paediatric neuroblastoma. The prognosis of TP53 and TP53-associated genes in paediatric neuroblastoma is unclear. The objectives of the study were to analyse datasets of 2477 paediatric neuroblastoma patients from eight independent cohorts to reveal the prognosis of TP53 and TP53-associated genes. Results: High TP53 mRNA expression was associated with shortened event-free survival and overall survival in paediatric neuroblastoma. Moreover, a higher enrichment score of the TP53 signalling pathway was associated with worse clinical outcomes of paediatric neuroblastoma. Among the genes associated with TP53, CCNE1, CDK2 and CHEK2 were correlated with unfavourable clinical outcomes, while SESN1 was correlated with favourable clinical outcomes of paediatric neuroblastoma in the eight independent neuroblastoma cohorts. TP53, CCNE1, CDK2 and CHEK2 were overexpressed in neuroblastoma patients with MYCN amplification, while SESN1 was downregulated in neuroblastoma patients with MYCN amplification. CCNE1, SESN1, MYCN amplification and age at diagnosis were independent prognostic markers of neuroblastoma. CCNE1 was also highly expressed in paediatric neuroblastoma patients with an age at diagnosis ≥ 18 months, while SESN1 was downregulated in paediatric neuroblastoma patients with an age at diagnosis ≥ 18 months. Combinations of CCNE1 with age at diagnosis or combinations of SESN1 with age at diagnosis achieved superior prognostic effects in paediatric neuroblastoma. Finally, we constructed a nomogram risk model of paediatric neuroblastoma based on age and TP53, CCNE1, CDK2, CHEK2 and SESN1 expression. The nomogram model could predict the overall survival of paediatric neuroblastoma and MYCN nonamplified paediatric neuroblastoma with high specificity and sensitivity. Conclusions: TP53 and TP53-associated genes CCNE1, CDK2, CHEK2 and SESN1 were significantly associated with the clinical outcomes of paediatric neuroblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular heterogeneity of primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been reported. However, the classifications of Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) mutant ccRCC are unclear. Here, VHL mutant ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas and E-MTAB-1980 datasets were divided into two sub-clusters through non-negative matrix factorization algorithm. Most VHL mutant ccRCC patients in sub-cluster2 were with pathological T1 stage and VHL mutant ccRCC patients in sub-cluster1 were with decreased overall survival. DNA replication and homologous recombination scores were higher, while, WNT signaling pathway and regulation of autophagy scores were lower in sub-cluster1 VHL mutant ccRCC. Moreover, PBX1 transcriptional scores and mRNA expressions were lower in sub-cluster1 VHL mutant ccRCC patients and were associated with the overall survival of VHL mutant ccRCC. Furthermore, PBX1 associated genes EMCN and ERG were down-regulated in sub-cluster1 VHL mutant ccRCC and overall survival was decreased in EMCN or ERG lowly expressed VHL mutant ccRCC patients. Also, PBX1 and EMCN were down-regulated in ccRCC tissues, compared with normal kidney tissues. At last, we constructed risk models based on PBX1, EMCN and EGR expression features. With the increase of the risk score, the number of death of VHL mutant ccRCC patients was increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a ratiometric fluorescence strategy based on MnO2 nanosheets and nitrogen, chlorine co-doped carbon dots (N, Cl-CDs) was constructed for selective determination of glutathione (GSH) and the absolute fluorescence quantum yield of N, Cl-CDs was 14.8%. The MnO2 nanosheets with oxidase-like activity could catalytically oxidize o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to generate the yellow fluorescent 2, 3-diaminophenazine (DAP). Moreover, the fluorescence of N, Cl-CDs was quenched by DAP through the inner filter effect (IFE). The fluorescence signal of DAP decreased at 565 nm, whereas that of N, Cl-CDs increased at 440 nm (at an excitation wavelength of 380 nm) because GSH decomposed the MnO2 nanosheets into Mn2+. The fluorescence intensity ratio of F440/F565 increased linearly in the range of 10–500 μM GSH and the limit of detection was 3 μM for GSH. The actual application of the established method in human serum samples was evaluated and verified by standard experiments, and the recoveries of spiked samples ranged from 96.6% to 108.1% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 2.0% (n = 3). Moreover, a logic gate device was investigated by setting MnO2 nanosheets and GSH as two input signals and the emission of N, Cl-CDs and DAP as two outputs, implying that the sensing platform has potential application in the field of intelligent GSH detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NaYF 4 :Yb,Er/MnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 was fabricated by a facile approach. • Composites were highly efficient photocatalysts for CIP degradation under Vis /NIR lights. • Upconversion and semiconductor heterojunction lie behind the improved photocatalysis. • The majority of photodegradation intermediates exhibited a minimal risk of ecotoxicity based on toxicity evaluation. In the treatment of wastewater, the use of semiconductor photocatalysis is known to be environmentally friendly. Composites of MnIn 2 S 4 for visible and near-infrared photocatalysis are less well studied. In this article, we have fabricated a ternary composite material, NaYF 4 :Yb,Er/MnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 , through a simple synthesis method for visible and near infrared photocatalysis. MnIn 2 S 4 and g-C 3 N 4 form the heterogeneous junction. The spectral response can be extended to the NIR range by integrating NaYF 4 :Yb,Er nanocrystals (NCs) with MnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4. Comparing MnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 to single-component samples, photocatalytic performances under visible light irradiation showed that it had higher photocatalytic activities. When NaYF 4 :Yb,Er NCs are coated onto the petal-like spherical structure of MnIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 and integrated with it, the heterostructure and upconversion effect enhance the photocatalytic activity of the composites under Vis and NIR light. The photocatalytic mechanism of the nanocomposites has been postulated and its detailed characterization has been done. Based on the results of UHPLC-MS, the degradation process and rational pathways for degradation of CIP were proposed. The environmental toxicity of CIP degradation products was evaluated using ECOSAR software, the results showed that the toxicity of the reaction solution was diminished after 60 min of photodegradation. The current study not only avoids the generation of toxic by-products in the photocatalytic degradation process but also MnIn 2 S 4 -based composites may open up new possibilities for the design and production of composite photocatalysts that may effectively use Vis/NIR light for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Materials and Methods Results Discussion Conclusions Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a heterogeneous disease. However the inner sub‐groups of LUAD have not been fully studied. Markers predicted the sub‐groups and prognosis of LUAD are badly needed.To identify biomarkers associated with the sub‐groups and prognosis of LUAD.Using nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering, LUAD patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and LUAD cell lines from Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) dataset were divided into different sub‐consensuses based on the gene expression profiling. The overall survival of LUAD patients in each sub‐consensus was determined by Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis. The common genes which were differentially expressed in each sub‐consensus of LUAD patients and LUAD cell lines were identified using TBtools. The predictive accuracy of TPX2 and SELENBP1 for theinner sub‐consensuses of LUAD was determined by Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. The Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis was also used to test the prognostic significance of TPX2 and SELENBP1 in LUAD patients.Using nonnegative matrix factorization clustering, LUAD patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), GSE30219, GSE42127, GSE50081, GSE68465, and GSE72094 datasets were divided into three sub‐consensuses. Sub‐consensus3 LUAD patients were with low overall survival and were with high TP53 mutations. Similarly, LUAD cell lines were also divided into three sub‐consensuses by NMF method, and sub‐consensus2 cell lines were resistant to EGFR inhibitors. Identification of the common genes which were differentially expressed in different sub‐consensuses of LUAD patients and LUAD cell lines revealed that TPX2 was highly expressed in sub‐consensus3 LUAD patients and sub‐consensus2 LUAD cell lines. On the contrary, SELENBP1 was highly expressed in sub‐consensus1 LUAD patients and sub‐consensus1 LUAD cell lines. The expression levels of TPX2 and SELENBP1 could distinguish sub‐consensus3 LUAD patients or sub‐consensus2 LUAD cell lines from other sub‐consensuses of LUAD patients or cell lines. Moreover, compared with normal lung tissues, TPX2 was highly expressed, while, SELENBP1 was lowly expressed in LUAD tissues. Furthermore, the higher expression levels of TPX2 were associated with the lower relapse‐free survival and the lower overall survival of LUAD patients. While, the higher expression levels of SELENBP1 were associated with the higher relapse‐free survival and higher overall survival. At last, we showed that TP53 mutant LUAD patients were with higher TPX2 and lower SELENBP1 expressions.Both iCluster and NMF method are proved to be robust LUAD classification systems. However, the LUAD patients in different iclusters had no significant clinical overall survival, while, sub‐consensus3 LUAD patients from NMF classification were with lower overall survival than other sub‐consensuses.By integrated analysis of 1765 LUAD patients and 64 LUAD cell lines, we showed that NMF was a robust inner sub‐consensuses classification method of LUAD. TPX2 and SELENBP1 were differentially expressed in different LUAD sub‐ consensuses, and predicted the inner sub‐consensuses of LUAD with high accuracy. TPX2 was an unfavorable prognostic biomarker of LUAD which was up‐regulated in LUAD tissues and associated with the low overall survival of LUAD. SELENBP1 was a favorable prognostic biomarker of LUAD which was down‐regulated in LUAD tissues and associated with the prolonged overall survival of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamical behaviors of a Stackelberg mixed duopoly game with price competition in the insurance market, involving one state-owned public insurance company and one private insurance company. We study and compare the stability conditions for the Nash equilibrium points of two sequential-move games, public leadership, and private leadership games. Numerical simulations present complicated dynamic behaviors. It is shown that the Nash equilibrium becomes unstable as the price adjustment speed increases, and the system eventually becomes chaotic via flip bifurcation. Moreover, the time-delayed feedback control is used to force the system back to stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) alterations, lower grade glioma (LGG) is divided into IDH mutant and wild type subgroups. However, the further classification of IDH wild type LGG was unclear. Here, IDH wild type LGG patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas were divided into two sub-clusters using non-negative matrix factorization. IDH wild type LGG patients in sub-cluster2 had prolonged overall survival and low frequency of CDKN2A alterations and low immune infiltrations. Differentially expressed genes in sub-cluster1 were positively correlated with RUNX1 transcription factor. Moreover, IDH wild type LGG patients with higher stromal score or immune score were positively correlated with RUNX1 transcription factor. RUNX1 and its target gene REXO2 were up-regulated in sub-cluster1 and associated with the worse prognosis of IDH wild type LGG. RUNX1 and REXO2 were associated with the higher immune infiltrations. Furthermore, RUNX1 and REXO2 were correlated with the worse prognosis of LGG or glioma. IDH wild type LGG in sub-cluster2 was hyper-methylated. REXO2 hyper-methylation was associated with the favorable prognosis of LGG or glioma. At last, we showed that, age, tumor grade and REXO2 expression were independent prognostic factors in IDH wild type LGG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the wetting behavior and interfacial phenomena between molten superalloys and ceramic materials, the wettability and interfacial reactions of a low Hf-containing Nickel-based superalloy on the Al 2 O 3 -based, SiO 2 -based, ZrSiO 4 , and CoAl 2 O 4 substrates were studied using the sessile drop method at 1773 K. The wetting angles of the alloy on the Al 2 O 3 -based, SiO 2 -based, ZrSiO 4 , and CoAl 2 O 4 substrates were 141.4°, 143.5°, 135.7°, and 128.4°, respectively. This indicated that the wettability of the alloy on the Al 2 O 3 -based substrate was comparable to that on the SiO 2 -based substrate, and the wettability of the CoAl 2 O 4 system was the best among the four systems. The microstructure characteristics of the interface implied that Hf has a strong tendency to react with ceramic substrates, even at low contents. Additionally, the interfacial reactions transformed the Al 2 O 3 -based, SiO 2 -based, ZrSiO 4 , and CoAl 2 O 4 ceramic substrates into (Al 2 O 3 + HfO 2), (Al 2 O 3 + HfO 2), (Al 2 O 3 + HfO 2 + ZrO 2), and (Al 2 O 3 + HfO 2 + Co), respectively, which were in contact with the alloys. The experimental results demonstrated that the wettability of the system was governed by the properties of the reaction products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-road intelligent vehicle is an important application about Internet of Vehicles technology used in the transportation field, and the front obstacle recognition method is the key technology for off-road intelligent vehicle. In this paper, based on smart data aggregation inspired paradigm of IoT applications, we mainly study perception technology in vehicle networking by using image data and one symmetrical speeded-up robust features detector (SURF). By considering symmetry and image data aggregation, we found that data aggregation had the ability of providing global information for Internet of Vehicles systems. After we have built the experiment platform, the experiment results showed that this method is faster than Scale-Invariant Feature Transform algorithm in this case, which can satisfy the water detection accuracy and the real-time requirement. So, this method is effective for the water images detection with great symmetry to off-road intelligent vehicle, and it also gives a useful reference about environment perception technology and smart data aggregation inspired paradigm used in future Internet of Vehicles, intelligent vehicle, and traffic safety applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertensive retinopathy refers to the retinal vascular changes associated with systemic arterial hypertension. Hypertensive retinopathy can be divided into chronic and acute phases. A cross-sectional study was performed to explore a method of measurement in the diameters of retinal vessels for diagnosis of chronic hypertensive retinopathy based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The central retinal artery diameter (CRAD), the central retinal vein diameter (CRVD), and the artery-to-vein ratio (AVR) were measured. A total of 119 subjects with 119 eyes were included in this study, in which 56 subjects with 56 eyes were included in hypertensive group and 63 subjects with 63 eyes were included in normotensive group. There were significant differences between the two groups in the CRAD (t = -2.14, P = .04) and the AVR (t = -2.59, P = .01). The cutoff point of 0.75 was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (area under the curve, AUC 0.786; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.70-0.87). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the probability of AVR below to 0.75 was more in patients with high systolic blood pressure (odds ratio OR 4.39; P = .048), more in male (OR 4.15; P = .004) and more in smokers (OR 5.80; P = .01). Bland-Altman plots showed small mean bias between the measurements of the two technicians in the CRAD, the CRVD, and the AVR. In summary, application of SD-OCT is an accurate, reproducible, convenient method for measuring the diameters of retinal vessels. It is valuable for the diagnosis of chronic stage of hypertensive retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of advanced mobile intelligent terminals, driving tasks are diverse, and new traffic safety problems occur. We propose a new research on physiological characteristics and nonparametric tests for the master-slave driving task, especially for evaluation of drivers' mental workload in mountain area highway in nighttime scenario. First, we establish the experimental platform based driving simulator and design the master-slave driving task. Second, based on the physiological data and subjective evaluation for mental workload, we use statistical methods to composite the physical changes evolution analysis in a driving simulator. Finally, we finished nonparametric test of the drivers' psychological load and road test. The results show that in compassion with the daytime scenario, drivers should pay much effort to driving skills and risk identification in the nighttime scenario. Thus, in the same driving condition, drivers should bear the higher level of mental workload, and it has been subjected to even greater pressures and intensity of emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Design and synthesis of Fe 2 O 3 @C/Bi 2 MoO 6 nanosphere shell Photo-Fenton catalysts. • Fe 2 O 3 @C/Bi 2 MoO 6 n anosphere shells make Fe 2 O 3 highly dispersed and stable. • The Fe 2 O 3 @C/Bi 2 MoO 6 exhibited enhanced Photo-Fenton performance for TC removal. • Fe 2 O 3 @C/Bi 2 MoO 6 has high photoelectron concentration for Fe3+/Fe2+cycle. Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3) as a potential Fenton/Photo-Fenton reactant for advanced oxidation of wastewater. However, considering some deficiencies in the application of hematite alone (α-Fe 2 O 3) in Photo-Fenton catalysis, we elaborately designed MOF-derived Fe 2 O 3 @C-coupled Bi 2 MoO 6 heterojunctions (FO@C/BMO) to construct a Photo-Fenton system for the decomposition of tetracycline (TC). The successful synthesis of heterojunction materials was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optoelectronic properties of the heterojunctions were characterized by UV–visible diffuse reflectance (UV–Vis), fluorescence spectroscopy (PL), instantaneous photocurrent response (I-T), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).The experimental results showed that FO@C/BMO eliminated 93.2% of tetracycline (TC) at 50 min. Comparative experiments revealed that the rate constants of the photo-Fenton reaction were much larger than those of the Fenton reaction and the photocatalytic reaction, due to the synergistic effect of Fenton oxidation and photocatalysis, where the photogenerated electrons generated by the photocatalytic process promoted the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle, and thus the catalyst was able to maintain a good reaction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A series of cerium oxide catalysts were prepared by simply calcination of nitrate cerium, and used for clean synthesis of diethyl carbonate (DEC) by ethyl carbamate (EC) alcoholysis. 51% conversion and 82% selectivity were obtained with catalyst CeO 2 -600. Almost the same activity as the fresh sample could be regained if the used catalyst was recalcined at 600 °C. XPS, XRD, CO 2 -TPD and BET study suggested that high surface area and the presence of abundant basic sites are important to achieve a higher catalytic performance. Graphical abstract An efficient CeO 2 catalyst was developed for the clean synthesis of DEC from EC and ethanol with 51% EC conversion and 82% DEC selectivity. XPS, BET, XRD and CO 2 TPD analysis showed that high surface area and the presence of abundant basic sites are important to achieve high catalytic activity. Image 1 Highlights • 51% conversion and 82% selectivity were obtained with catalyst CeO 2 -600. • Almost the same activity as the fresh sample could be regained if the used catalyst was recalcined at 600 °C. • High surface area and the presence of abundant basic sites are important to achieve high catalytic activity. • A series of cerium oxide catalysts were prepared by simply calcination of nitrate cerium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-optical magnetic switching observed on some materials provides a potential recording option due to its ultrashort recording time and low-power consumption. In most studies, this phenomenon is attributed to the inverse Faraday effect that a circularly polarized laser will induce an optomagnetic field or magnetic circular dichroism that one magnetization orientation will absorb more energy than another. L10-FePt is a promising candidate for high-density magnetic recording due to its high perpendicular anisotropy, whose magnetization is fixed out of plane either up or down. However, the mechanism about all-optical switching on FePt is still under debate. In this paper, we show that it benefits from both inverse Faraday effect and magnetic circular dichroism. We use an accumulative model to demonstrate the results of an ensemble of single-domain L10-FePt nanoparticles after multishot circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulses. The simulation results agree with the observation results of Lambert et al. and demonstrate the possibility of reaching deterministic all-optical magnetic recording by optimizing the laser fluence and the optomagnetic field strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of toxigenic fungi in foods, agricultural commodities and Chinese herbal medicines has posed serious threaten to human and animals’ health and safety. Natural antifungal agents from plant essential oils (PEOs) and their active components have been candidates of interest. In this study, the antifungal activities of PEOs from 11 natural plants against three kinds of toxigenic fungi including Aspergillus flavus , Penicillium viridicatum and Aspergillus carbonarius were evaluated and compared through the determination of fungi zone diameter. Results showed that 4 PEOs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl , Litsea cubeba , Cymbopogon martini and Thymus mongolicus Ronn expressed stronger inhibitory effects and lower minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against the three kinds of fungi, which would be the ideal antifungal candidates. Then, the chemical compositions of them were analyzed by an optimized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method with trans -cinnamaldehyde and d-limonene, citral and citronellal, trans -geraniol, and carvacrol as their main active components, respectively. The six compounds with strong antifungal activity and small MICs on the three kinds of fungi might contribute largely to the inhibitory effects of the 4 selected PEOs containing them. The 4 selected PEOs and their 6 main active components exhibited wide application prospect as the novel natural antifungal alternatives for preventing fungal contamination in different matrices to assure their quality and safety. The use of PEOs with highly-volatile components is environment-friendly, convenient and highly-effective with minimal residues and low cost will get more interest in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A signal amplification strategy PEC immunosensor was constructed. • The defect of BiPO 4 broadband gap is improved by the strategy of heterojunction. • The sensitization of CdS QDs expands the light absorption range. • Has a lower detection limit and a wider linear range than other methods. • Quantitative detection was successfully realized in serum samples. For the first time, a PEC immunosensor based on a signal amplification strategy is successfully constructed to quantitatively detect alpha-fetoprotein in serum sample. Three favorable factors explain the ultra-high sensitivity of this method. Firstly, compared with pure BiPO 4 , the BiPO 4 /BiOBr heterojunction has a narrower band gap, which expands the light absorption range and enables the light energy to be fully utilized. Secondly, the separation of photogenerated electrons and hole pairs during PEC detection is due to the efficient matching of energy levels among BiPO 4 , BiOBr and CdS, inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electrons, which improves the performance of PEC immunosensor. Thirdly, due to the presence of CdS, the light absorption capability of the sensor is enhanced, more electron-hole pairs are generated, and the photocurrent signal is increase. Under the optimal conditions, the PEC immunosensor shows a wide linear range of 0.001–1000 ng/mL for AFP and a low detection limit of 0.82 pg/mL. The PEC immunosensor developed in this experiment has excellent reproducibility, stability and high sensitivity, and also achieves satisfactory results in the analysis of human serum samples, establishing a new analytical method for biomarker detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The B cell CLL/lymphoma 11A (BCL11A) is a key regulator of hemoglobin switching in β-thalassemia (β-thal). Previous study has suggested that dysregulated microRNAs are involved in the regulation of BCL11A expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical value of hsa-miR-190b-5p in β-thal, and to confirm the regulatory effect of hsa-miR-190b-5p on BCL11A expression. Methods: The peripheral blood of 25 pediatric β-thal patients and 25 healthy controls were selected, and qRT-PCR was used to analyze the levels of hsa-miR-190b-5p and BCL11A mRNA. The relationship between hsa-miR-190b-5p expression and hematological parameters was assessed by Pearson's correlation test. The diagnostic power of hsa-miR-190b-5p was evaluated by ROC curves analysis. The direct integration between hsa-miR-190b-5p and BCL11A 3'-UTR was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Results: Hsa-miR-190b-5p expression in pediatric β-thal was upregulated, and negatively correlated with the MCH and HbA levels, but positively correlated with the HbF level. Hsa-miR-190b-5p showed a good diagnostic capability for pediatric β-thal equivalent to that of HbA2 (AUC: 0.760 vs. 0.758). Moreover, the levels of BCL11A mRNA in pediatric β-thal were decreased, and hsa-miR-190b-5p had a negative correlation with BCL11A mRNA expression (r = -0.403). BCL11A was a target gene of hsa-miR-190b-5p. The mRNA and protein levels of BCL11A were diminished by introduction of hsa-miR-190b-5p, whereas its expression was upregulated by knockdown of hsa-miR-190b-5p. Conclusions: Hsa-miR-190b-5p expression was upregulated in pediatric β-thal and might be an effective diagnostic biomarker. BCL11A was negatively regulated by hsa-miR-190b-5p, which might provide new target for the treatment of pediatric β-thal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: This study aimed to explore the transfer rates of aflatoxins from several contaminated herbal medicines by fungi to their decoctions. Methods: Five types of commonly used herbal medicines including Lilii Bulbus, Hordei Fructus Germinatus, Nelumbinis Semen, Polygalae Radix and Bombyx Batryticatus were selected as the examples. Raw herbal medicine samples were treated by ultrasonication‐assisted extraction with 70% methanol and immunoaffinity column clean‐up, and the decoctions were prepared following the commonly used boiling method with water for 2 h. Then, the optimized high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC‐FLD) method was validated for the quantitative analysis of four aflatoxins (AFG2, AFG1, AFB2 and AFB1) after postcolumn photochemical derivatization, which was proved to be reliable and sensitive. Key findings: Aflatoxins were detected to be transferred from the herbal medicines to decoctions with significantly different transfer rates in the five types of herbal medicines. Quietly high transfer rates of 7.26–115.36% for AFG2, 4.37–26.37% for AFB1 and 9.64–47.68% for AFB2 were obtained. AFB1 as the most toxic aflatoxin expressed the lowest transfer rate, but still exhibited high amount in the samples. Conclusions: Therefore, the monitoring of aflatoxins in herbal medicines and their decoctions is in great urgency to ensure the security of consumers taking decoctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large area, inform and porous ZnO thin films were fabricated below a BSA monolayer annealed at low temperature on FTO substrates by using biomimetic method. The microstructure, surface topography, crystallization properties and photoluninescence properties of the obtained ZnO thin films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The results show that the simple and fast preparation is suitable for large area production. The results of characterization indicate that the thin films have high specific surface area and broadband luminescence properties of violet light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senecavirus A (SVA) is associated with vesicular disease in swine and the acute death of neonatal piglets. Here, senecavirus A was isolated from a pig displaying vesicular disease in Northeast China. The virus was designated as SVA/HLJ/CHA/2016 and its full-length nucleotide sequence was determined and analyzed in comparison with other known SVA strains. The complete genome sequence of SVA/HLJ/CHA/2016 shares high nucleotide identities, of 93.8 to 99%, with previously reported SVA full-length genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of both the SVA full-length genomes and the VP1 genes revealed that the SVA/HLJ/CHA/2016 strain is closely related to the 2015 US strains, instead of other China isolates. Our finding provides evidence that SVA infection of pigs has occurred in Northeast China, and the importance of SVA surveillance in China should be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, multi-sensitive hydrogels with high mechanical strength were successfully prepared by in situ free-radical polymerization of acrylamide, acrylic acid and acryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride monomers in the presence of microgels in aqueous media. Microgels with amine groups on the surface were used as polyfunctional initiating and cross-linking centers to fabricate a network. The microgel-based hydrogels synthesized did not fracture upon loading up to 30 MPa and a strain above 99 % when the water content was about 84 wt%. As for the swelling behaviors of the microgel-based hydrogels, they were susceptible to pH and salt concentration. Meanwhile, deswelling tests indicated that the microgel-based hydrogels had thermo-sensitive properties and under high temperature exhibited a faster shrinking rate, which could be attributed to the solvent channels caused by the shrinkage of microgels due to their thermo-sensitive core. And microgel-based hydrogels with various deswelling rates can be determined by regulating the content and species of microgel. Furthermore, the low extensibility of microgel-based polyampholyte hydrogels could be improved by creating a hybrid network with microgels and a small amount of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide served as the chemical cross-linkers. The hybrid hydrogels possessed superior compressive strength and simultaneously showed abnormal elongation of up to 1000 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel general system-structure coupling dynamic analysis procedure to comprehensively analyze the dynamic performance of planetary gears. The novel coupling dynamic analysis takes dynamic loads of gears as excitations for structure dynamic analysis. Considering the time-varying mesh stiffness of gears, torsional stiffness of carrier and support stiffness of bearings, the system dynamic model of planetary gears is built by using lumped parameter method. Vibration modes and natural frequencies of planetary gears are investigated through modal analysis. Furthermore, system dynamic response is analyzed under various working conditions. Equations of structure dynamic analysis based on finite element method (FEM) are developed, and their solving method is put forward. Dynamic loads obtained from system dynamic analysis are forced on the ring gear to analyze its structure dynamic response. In every analysis step, if dynamic performance criteria are not satisfied, the planetary gears model should be redesigned according to dynamic analysis results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wang, H.; Liu, G.; Wu, L., and Zhang, T., 2015. Modeling and parameter revising method of rigid-flexible coupling dynamics model. Virtual prototype technology has been widely applied to simulate the performance of various complex mechanical systems. However, errors existing in analysis models usually cannot be ignored, particularly rigid-flexible coupling dynamics model, so many parameters factors have to be considered and to be improved. In this paper, taking a multi-body impact system as the subject investigated, a rigid-flexible coupling virtual prototype model of the multi-body impact system is built by using the multi-body dynamics software Virtual Lab. The simulation and analysis of the impact dynamics model is presented. The accuracy of the simulation results is evaluated by combining with test data. Some key system parameters are analyzed and revised base on the sensitivity method and the perturbation method. The scatter degree of the simulation results of the revised impact dynamics model has better consistency with the test results, and the validity of the virtual prototype model is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that RNA viruses can be attenuated by either increased or decreased viral polymerase replication fidelity. Although foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) high-fidelity RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) variants with an attenuated phenotype have been isolated using mutagens, no FMDV mutant with a low-fidelity polymerase has been documented to date. Here, we describe the generation of several FMDV RdRp mutants using site-directed mutagenesis via a reverse genetic system. Mutation frequency assays confirmed that five rescued FMDV RdRp mutant populations had lower replication fidelity than the wild-type virus population, which allowed us to assess the effects of the change in replication fidelity on the virus phenotype. These low-fidelity FMDV RdRp mutants showed increased sensitivity to ribavirin or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment without a loss of growth capacity in cell cultures. In addition, decreased fitness and attenuated virulence were observed for the RdRp mutants with lower fidelity. Importantly, based on a quantitative analysis for fidelity and virulence, we concluded that lower replication fidelity is associated with a more attenuated virus phenotype. These results further contribute to our understanding of the replication fidelity of polymerases of RNA viruses and its relationship to virulence attenuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Nucleoside analogue mutagen 5-FU-resistant FMDV mutant was isolated. [•] Single R84H substitution in 3Dpol confers FMDV resistance to three RNA mutagens. [•] FMDV R84H mutant is a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase high fidelity variant. [•] The R84H variant retains fitness in vitro and virulence in vivo. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the immunogenicity of an adenovirus construction expressing a type O foot and mouth disease virus neutralising epitope (8E8) in the context of heterologous capsid proteins. Adenoviruses expressing four chimeric type Asia1 FMDV capsid proteins were constructed by inserting the type O FMDV 8E8 epitope into the G-H loop from the type Asia1 VP1 at amino acid residues 139/140, 150/151, 134/140 or at both 139/140 and 150/151. These recombinant proteins were recognised by antibodies against the type O 8E8 epitope and type Asia1 FMDV. When inoculated in mice, all of the recombinant chimeric capsid proteins for each single epitope insertion induced the production of anti-type O FMDV neutralising antibodies. The recombinant chimeric capsid proteins with a foreign insertion at position 139/140 or 150/151 induced high levels of anti-type Asia1 FMDV neutralising antibodies as the recombinant type Asia1 capsid proteins without any foreign epitope, suggesting that the foreign insertion did not affect the immunogenicity of the type Asia1 FMDV capsid proteins. This study suggests that a foreign epitope displayed on the surface of the FMDV capsid proteins could induce an epitope-specific response. Therefore, the adenovirus-vectored FMDV capsid proteins could be used as a vehicle for the development of an epitope-based vaccine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although neutralizing antigenic sites of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) can be defined by selection of monoclonal antibody (MAb) escape mutants, no conformational neutralizing epitope on the major antigenic site located on the G-H loop of type Asia1 FMDV has been precisely mapped. In this study, we generated a potent neutralizing MAb 3E11, which recognized a conformation-dependent epitope and neutralized FMDV Asia1/YS/CHA/05 in vitro. Importantly, a dose of 5.5 NT50 of the MAb 3E11 completely protected suckling mice from a dose of 10 LD50 of homologous virus challenge in vivo. Through a 12-mer random peptide phage display, synthetic peptide analysis and constructing a series of FMDV Asia1/YS/CHA/05 mutants using reverse genetic system, we finely mapped the neutralizing epitope as the 12-amino acid peptide 141SXRGXLXXLXRR152. These results provide additional insights into the virus–MAb interaction at the amino acid level and may help in the development of an epitope-based Asia1 FMDV vaccine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate the results of the first blue light–filtering photochromic intraocular lens (IOL) and compare them with those of a regular yellow blue light–filtering IOL and a clear ultraviolet-filtering IOL in human eyes under various lighting conditions. Setting: Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing, China. Design: Prospective comparative clinical study. Methods: This study evaluated eyes that had implantation of 1 of the following 3 IOLs: photochromic Aurium Matrix acrylic, model 400; yellow AF-1 (UY); or clear MC611MI. All eyes were followed for 3 months. The uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuities, contrast vision (lighting 400 lux, 30 lux, 5 lux), contrast sensitivity, color vision (Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test under 400 lux, 30 lux), and patient questionnaire responses were evaluated. Results: The photochromic IOL group comprised 39 eyes; the yellow IOL group, 41 eyes; and the clear IOL group, 38 eyes. There were no significant differences between the 3 IOLs in UDVA, CDVA, contrast sensitivity, or questionnaire responses. The photochromic group had significantly better color vision than the yellow IOL group at 30 lux and better contrast vision at 5% contrast (P < .05); however, there were no significant differences between the photochromic IOL group and the clear IOL group (P > .05). Conclusion: The photochromic blue light–filtering IOL performed as well as the yellow and clear IOLs under photopic conditions. Under mesopic conditions, the yellow IOL gave poor color vision and contrast sensitivity. Financial Disclosure: No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately predict the microstructure evolution of competitive columnar grain growth, the influence of the potential dominant factors of competition growth such as thermal field, solute field and flow field on the overgrowth behavior of trinary-crystal samples during directional solidification was systematically investigated, with the preferred orientation of the experimental grains orienting parallel and at a limited misorientation angle with respect to the temperature gradient direction. It was found that the grain overgrowth rate was weakly dependent on the temperature gradient, which was inconsistent with the classical theoretical assumption that the grain overgrowth rate was determined by the difference of the tip undercooling between the competing grains. In contrast, the grain overgrowth rate was sensitive to the solute field around the dendrite tips. Additionally, with increasing the natural convection, the grain overgrowth rate tended to be promoted at low withdraw speed. These phenomena were attributed to the mechanisms of solute interaction in the converging case and sidebranching events in the diverging case, while the solute field was the dominant factor to govern the overgrowth behavior of the competing grains. Moreover, a new model of competitive grain growth based on the solute field was proposed to predict the microstructure evolution of the Nickel-based superalloys during the directional solidification process. In this new model, the primary spacing of the well-oriented grain in the converging case was smaller than that in the diverging case due to the sidebranching events and dendrite lateral motion, which highlighted a new mechanism of primary spacing evolution in the directional columnar solidification structure. [Display omitted] • The dominant factor of competitive grain growth during directional solidification was systematically investigated. • A new model of competitive grain growth based on the solute field was proposed. • A new mechanism of primary spacing evolution in the directional columnar solidification structure is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of boron (B) addition on microstructure and high-temperature stress rupture properties of a heat-treated high chromium polycrystalline Nickel-based superalloy were investigated by adjusting B content (0, 0.016 wt%, 0.048 wt%, 0.09 wt%). The results indicated that the grain boundary characteristics were altered by B addition, such as the morphologies of the MC carbides, M 23 C 6 carbides and precipitation of γ′ particles along grain boundaries. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that B existed in the form of Cr-rich M 5 B 3 borides in the boron-containing alloys. Moreover, boron addition aggravated the inhomogeneity of microstructures, and reduced the volume fraction of secondary γ′ particles. Additionally, the rupture life was remarkably improved as the B content was increased to 0.016 wt%, whilst the elongation tended to improve as the B content was increased to 0.048 wt%. The improvement of stress rupture properties was mainly contributed to the modification of the grain boundary characteristics which retarded crack nucleation and propagation at grain boundaries. However, with excessive addition of B, the stress rupture properties were reduced significantly, as the solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening tended to be weakened by B addition, in addition the incipient melting regions and lager size borides promoted the intragranular crack nucleation and propagation. • Excessive boron addition aggravates the inhomogeneity of microstructures. • Boron addition weakens solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening. • A grain boundary strengthening mechanism of boron addition is proposed based on the crack nucleation and propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular etiology of non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) in Southeastern China (Fujian) has not been precisely identified. our study selected patients with NSHL and analyzed their causative genes, which helped to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of hereditary hearing loss (HHL) and its treatment. 251 unrelated patients who attended the otolaryngology clinic of Fujian Maternal and Child Health Hospital with hearing loss were enrolled to our study. All patients had genetic tests and listening tests, of which 251 were diagnosed with NSHL. In addition, we used whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a patient who has a significant family history of HHL but negative for gene chip testing, as well as in his family members. Among of 251 patients, Nucleotide changes were found in 63 cases (25.09%), including 34 located in GJB2(13.5%, including 235delC and 299_300delAT), 13 located in SLC26A4(5.18%, including c.919-2G > A and 2168 A > G), 1 located in GJB3(0.4%,538C > T) and 16 located in mtDNA12SrRNA (6.37%,1555 A > G). In addition, we discuss the process of identifying novel PLS1 mutations from 251 patients. Our results demonstrate the conventional deafness gene mutation in 251 NSHL patients in Fujian, China. Compared with the other area of China, we have a lower detection rate, but GJB2 235delC remains the most common mutation in Fujian. In addition, we discuss the process of discovering novel mutation locus for deafness, which provides an understanding for deafness diagnosis and genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4), first identified in 2019 as a newly emerging pathogen, has been found in several provinces of China, as well as in Korea and Thailand. Since PCV4 is not included in immunization programs, epidemiological investigations should be conducted for detection of anti-PCV4 antibodies. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are frequently used for serological analysis of pathogen infections. However, there have been no reports on using PCV4 VLPs for serological investigation of PCV4 infection. In this study, we generated self-assembled PCV4 VLPs using an E. coli expression system, purified them using a two-step process, and used them to develop an indirect ELISA. This ELISA method was found to be highly specific, sensitive, and repeatable, making it suitable for PCV4 antibody detection in serum samples. Finally, the ELISA was used to analyze 422 serum samples collected from across several regions in China, 134 of which tested positive. Thus, the PCV4-VLP-based ELISA can effectively detect antibodies against PCV4 in serum samples, making it a useful tool for PCV4 epidemiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Poultry are influenced by environmental stimuli, which can impact their productivity and immune function. Exploring the mechanisms behind these effects is crucial for better animal husbandry. By examining previous research, we identified stress-related genes and used microarray technology to measure gene expression levels and pathway enrichment. Ultimately, we confirmed that certain immune genes are inhibited by environmental stress. These findings provide preliminary explanations for the decreased immune function in poultry under stress and offer a theoretical basis for improving actual production. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures and humidity can trigger heat stress in animals, leading to subsequent immune suppression. Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) act as upstream regulators closely linked to heat stress, contributing to their immunosuppressive effects. After an initial examination of transcriptome sequencing data from individual samples, 48 genes displaying interactions were found to potentially be associated with heat stress. Subsequently, to delve deeper into this association, we gathered chicken bone marrow dendritic cells (BMDCs). We combined heat stress with lipopolysaccharides and utilized a 48 × 48 Fluidigm IFC quantitative microarray to analyze the patterns of gene changes under various treatment conditions. The results of the study revealed that the combination of heat stress and LPSs in a coinfection led to reduced expressions of CRHR1, MEOX1, and MOV10L1. These differentially expressed genes triggered a pro-inflammatory response within cells via the MAPK and IL-17 signaling pathways. This response, in turn, affected the intensity and duration of inflammation when experiencing synergistic stimulation. Therefore, LPSs exacerbate the immunosuppressive effects of heat stress and prolong cellular adaptation to stress. The combination of heat stress and LPS stimulation induced a cellular inflammatory response through pathways involving cAMP, IL-17, MAPK, and others, consequently leading to decreased expression levels of CRHR1, MEOX1, and MOV10L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignan-rich beans, nuts, and various seeds are the main foods with antioxidative and hormone-modulating activities. Although the role of lignans in mediating hormone-dependent cancers and cardiovascular diseases is well characterized, the function of lignans in anti-arthritic activity and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Three new lignan derivatives, (-)-nortrachelogenin, trachelogenin, and matairesinol, were extracted from Loranthus parasiticus. After establishing the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model by intradermal injection of collagen, rats were treated with three new lignan derivatives ((-)-nortrachelogenin: 37%; trachelogenin: 27%; matairesinol: 25.7%) at a concentration of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, or methotrexate at 0.3 mg/kg. Mixed lignan derivatives significantly attenuated the immune responses in the joints of CIA rats, leading to lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and higher levels of free androgen in the serum compared to the CIA model. The results of molecular docking using AutoDock Vina showed that the lignan derivative (-)-nortrachelogenin was the most effective compound for binding to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), thus inhibiting the activity of NFκB in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In this study, (-)-nortrachelogenin was identified as a novel natural lignan derivative with previously unrecognized anti-inflammatory activity. Its molecular mechanism appears related to the regulation of the NFκB/SHBG pathway. Our findings suggest that further application of sex hormone-like compounds in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and the potential clinical applications of (-)-nortrachelogenin are promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hereditary tyrosinemia type III (HT III) is an extremely rare form of tyrosinemia, characterized by autosomal recessive inheritance and biallelic mutations in the HPD gene. The clinical presentation of HT III is variable and poorly understood, with symptoms ranging from developmental delay and intellectual impairment to seizures and intermittent ataxia. This study aimed to provide further insights into the clinical and genetic characteristics of HT III. Methods: A 3‐year‐old girl, identified through newborn screening, was diagnosed with HT III using targeted next‐generation sequencing. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and the clinical, biochemical, and genetic findings of previously reported HT III patients were summarized and analyzed. Results: The genetic analysis of the proband revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the HPD gene such as c.731C>T (p.A244V) and c.656C>T (p.T219M). Notably, the HPD p.A244V mutation had not been previously documented in public databases or the scientific literature. Bioinformatics analysis classified both variants as pathogenic variants. The patient exhibited persistent tyrosinemia, elevated levels of related metabolite derivatives, confirming the diagnosis of HT III. The review of previously published cases contributed to a better understanding of the clinical and genetic characteristics associated with HT III. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and prompt treatment in infancy are crucial for managing HT III effectively. Dietary therapy, particularly during childhood, plays a significant role in disease management. The findings from this study enhance our understanding of the genotype–phenotype associations in HT III and emphasize the importance of early intervention for improved patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing of vehicle volume and driving speed, traffic accidents and environmental safety have become social concerns. Vehicle traffic accidents, especially multi-vehicle chain accidents, cause damage to property and human lives. Meanwhile, traffic pollution will lead to continuous harm to living environment and health. This is a coupled human-vehicle-environment interaction system, which is difficult to model with traditional mathematical methods. Parallel theory is an effective method to solve such complex problems based on advanced artificial intelligence and computer technology. In this paper, a parallel system is built to analyze and control multi-intelligent connected vehicle based on parallel theory. The parallel system is also used to analyze and assess the exhaust emission of multi-intelligent connected vehicle. The parallel system is carried out with three steps: 1) modeling and representation of multi-intelligent connected vehicle system using artificial societies; 2) analysis and evaluation by computational experiments; 3) control, management and exhaust emission evaluation through parallel execution of real and artificial systems and big data. The parallel control methods, models and conclusions obtained from this paper can be used to enhance the experience of safety in multi-vehicle control under vehicle to everything environment and make the safety intervention measures more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1) blocking antibodies have been used to enhance immunity in solid tumors and achieve durable clinical responses with an acceptable safety profile in multiple types of cancer. However, only a subset of patients could benefit from PD-1 blockade therapy. Prognostic information including PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) expression, IFN-γ expression signature, tumor mutational burden, and microsatellite instability (MSI) have been evaluated for patients who are selected to receive immune checkpoint therapeutic treatment. Yet the relationship of those biomarkers in determining immune checkpoint therapy is largely unknown.Methods: Immune-profiles of MSI subtype colon cancer were identified from integrating published MSI associated gene expression data. The enriched pathways and transcription factors were analyzed by GSEA assay. The infiltrations of immune cell types into MSI subtype colon cancer tissues were determined by CIBESORT assay.Results: In the MSI subtype colon cancer patients, PD-L1, IFN-γ and IFN-γ associated genes are highly expressed. And all those genes are favorable effects in colon cancer progress. In addition, we find that Wnt-β-catenin and TGFβ signaling pathways which are two important factors inhibiting PD-1 checkpoint blockade therapy are negatively related with MSI status. We also identify that the immune-profiles in MSI subtype colon cancer are contributed by M1 macrophage infiltration in the tumor environment.Conclusions: Our results provide the detailed underlying mechanisms of MSI subtype cancer patients are sensitive to PD-1 checkpoint blockade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]