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IntroductionAccording to career construction theory, middle school students are in a critical phase of growth and exploration that requires self-reflection on their interests, values, and aspirations. Career adaptability is a key indicator of career development for middle school students and a crucial ability for achieving career success. Research indicates that many Chinese middle school students face significant hurdles in their career development, including a lack of motivation, limited self-awareness, and unclear career trajectories.ObjectiveTo address these challenges, it is imperative to explore the factors influencing career adaptability, with a particular focus on the role of parental and teacher autonomy support within the framework of self-determination theory. This study aims to explore the correlation between parental autonomy support (PAS), teacher autonomy support (TAS), core self-evaluations (CSE), and career adaptability (CA) among middle school students.MethodologyThe longitudinal data for this study were collected from two middle schools in the Anhui province. Middle school students were recruited as research participants through a cluster sampling method. A total of 482 students were surveyed in three stages during a 1-year period, and a cross-lag model was employed to analyze the data.Results(1) From T1 to T2, T1PAS predicted T2CS, T1CSE predicted T2CA, and T1CA predicted T2TA; (2) from T2 to T3, T2PAS predicted T3CS, T2CSE predicted T3CA, and T2TAS predicted T3PAS; (3) TAS did not predict CSE and CA over time; (4) T2CSE mediated the relationship between T1PAS and T3CA.DiscussionThese findings suggest that autonomy support has a consistently positive influence on the career development of early adolescents. Valuing children’s autonomy is beneficial for fostering positive self-evaluations and shaping their career trajectories.ConclusionAutonomy support plays a pivotal role in enhancing middle school students’ career adaptability and promoting career development by strengthening self-evaluations. Additionally, the effect of parental autonomy support is more stable than that of teacher autonomy support.

BackgroundAllergic rhinitis (AR), a prevalent chronic inflammatory condition triggered by immunoglobulin E (IgE), involves pivotal roles of immune and metabolic factors in its onset and progression. However, the intricacies and uncertainties in clinical research render current investigations into their interplay somewhat inadequate.ObjectiveTo elucidate the causal relationships between immune cells, metabolites, and AR, we conducted a mediation Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.MethodsLeveraging comprehensive publicly accessible summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), this study employed the two-sample MR research method to investigate causal relationships among 731 immune cell phenotypes, 1400 metabolite levels, and AR. Additionally, employing the mediation MR approach, the study analyzed potential mediated effect of metabolites in the relationships between immune cells and AR. Various sensitivity analysis methods were systematically employed to ensure the robustness of the results.ResultsFollowing false discovery rate (FDR) correction, we identified three immune cell phenotypes as protective factors for AR: Naive CD8br %CD8br (odds ratio (OR): 0.978, 95% CI = 0.966–0.990, P = 4.5×10–4), CD3 on CD39+ activated Treg (OR: 0.947, 95% CI = 0.923–0.972, P = 3×10–5), HVEM on CD45RA- CD4+ (OR: 0.967, 95% CI = 0.948–0.986, P = 4×10–5). Additionally, three metabolite levels were identified as risk factors for AR: N-methylhydroxyproline levels (OR: 1.219, 95% CI = 1.104–1.346, P = 9×10–5), N-acetylneuraminate levels (OR: 1.133, 95% CI = 1.061–1.211, P = 1.7×10–4), 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-gpc (18:0/20:4) levels (OR: 1.058, 95% CI = 1.029–1.087, P = 5×10–5). Mediation MR analysis indicated a causal relationship between Naive CD8br %CD8br and N-methylhydroxyproline levels, acting as a protective factor (OR: 0.971, 95% CI = 0.950–0.992, P = 8.31×10–3). The mediated effect was -0.00574, accounting for 26.1% of the total effect, with a direct effect of -0.01626. Naive CD8+ T cells exert a protective effect on AR by reducing N-methylhydroxyproline levels.ConclusionOur study, delving into genetic information, has substantiated the intricate connection between immune cell phenotypes and metabolite levels with AR. This reveals a potential pathway to prevent the onset of AR, providing guiding directions for future clinical investigations.

Anti-tumor angiogenesis therapy, targeting the suppression of blood vessel growth in tumors, presents a potent approach in the battle against cancer. Traditional therapies have primarily concentrated on single-target techniques, with a specific emphasis on targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor, but have not reached ideal therapeutic efficacy. In response to this issue, our study introduced a novel nanoparticle system known as CS-siRNA/PEITC&L-cRGD NPs. These chitosan-based nanoparticles have been recognized for their excellent biocompatibility and ability to deliver genes. To enhance their targeted delivery capability, they were combined with a cyclic RGD peptide (cRGD). Targeted co-delivery of gene and chemotherapeutic agents was achieved through the use of a negatively charged lipid shell and cRGD, which possesses high affinity for integrin αvβ3 overexpressed in tumor cells and neovasculature. In this multifaceted approach, co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) was employed to target both tumor vascular endothelial cells and tumor cells simultaneously. The co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and PEITC could achieve precise silencing of VEGF, inhibit the accumulation of HIF-1α under hypoxic conditions, and induce apoptosis in tumor cells. In summary, we have successfully developed a nanoparticle delivery platform that utilizes a dual mechanism of action of anti-tumor angiogenesis and pro-tumor apoptosis, which provides a robust and potent strategy for the delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics.

We perform a theoretical investigation on the control of photoelectron holography with shaped intense ultrashort laser pulses. By adjusting the π phase-flip position in the frequency domain, the shape of the time-dependent envelope of the input laser electric field changes from Gaussian to trapezoidal and finally to double-peak pulse. The photoelectron momentum spectra for different pulse shapes are calculated by both three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) method and Quantum-trajectory Monte Carlo (QTMC) model, and good agreement is achieved between results calculated by the two methods. Interference pattern in photoelectron holography exhibits a strong dependence on the shape of the electric field. Analysis shows that adjacent and nonadjacent intercycle interference as well as intracycle interference are all effectively regulated by the shaped pulse.

Abstract Based on relational leadership theory and self-determination theory, this study aims to investigate the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX), job crafting, and flow at work among medical workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in the study consisted of 424 hospital employees. The results showed that: (1) the LMX positively predicted flow at work; (2) two types of job crafting (increasing structural job resources and challenging job demands) played a mediating role between the LMX and flow at work; and (3) gender did not moderate these mediating effects as suggested by previous studies. These results indicate that the LMX can not only directly predict flow at work, but also indirectly predict work-related flow through job crafting by increasing structural job resources and challenging job demands, thus providing new insights for enhancing flow experiences of medical workers.

Abstract The higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in women after menopause is associated with a decrease in circulating 17β-oestradiol. To explore novel treatments for MetS in women with oestrogen deficiency, we studied the effect of exogenous butyrate on diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunctions using ovariectomized (OVX) mice as a menopause model. Oral administration of sodium butyrate (NaB) reduced the body fat content and blood lipids, increased whole-body energy expenditure, and improved insulin sensitivity. Additionally, NaB induced oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) expression, activated the phosphorylation of AMPK and PGC1α, and improved mitochondrial aerobic respiration in cultured skeletal muscle cells. In conclusion, oral NaB improves metabolic parameters in OVX mice with diet-induced obesity. Oral supplementation with NaB might provide a novel therapeutic approach to treating MetS in women with menopause. Graphical Abstract Video Abstract

Abstract Introduction Lung cancer is the most prevalent cancer with high mortality in China, and it is associated with the dysbiosis of the lung microbiome. This study attempted to screen for specific microorganisms as potential biomarkers for distinguishing benign lung disease from lung cancer. Methods Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) sample was selected in the study instead of saliva to avoid contamination with oral microorganisms, and microbial taxonomic and functional differences in BALF samples from patients with lung cancer and those with those from patients with benign lung diseases were performed based on metagenomic next‐generation sequencing, for the first time, so that microorganisms other than bacteria could be included. Results The results showed that the intrasample diversity of malignant samples was different from benign samples, and the microbial differences among malignant samples were smaller, with lower microbial diversity, significantly changed microbial abundance and metabolic functions. Metabolic function analysis revealed amino acid‐related metabolism was more prevalent in benign samples, whereas carbohydrate‐related metabolism was more prevalent in malignant samples. By LEfSe, Metastat and Random Forest analysis, we identified a series of important differential microorganisms. Importantly, the model combining five key genera plus one tumor marker (neuron‐specific enolase) as indicators presented the optimal disease typing performance. Conclusion Thus results suggest the value of these differential microorganisms enriched in tumors in mechanism research and may be potential new targets for lung cancer therapy. More importantly, the biomarkers identified in this study can be conducive to improve the clinical diagnosis of lung cancer and have good application prospects.

Mutations in the ETFDH gene, encoding electron transfer flavoprotein dehydrogenase, have been identified to cause riboflavin-responsive multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (RR-MADD) (Wen et al., 2010). We performed the generation and characterization of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from skin fibroblasts of a patient with RR-MADD carrying two heterozygous ETFDH mutations (p.D130V and p.A84V). Their pluripotency was verified by the expression of several pluripotency markers on RNA and protein levels and the capability to differentiate into all three germ layers.

The Pharmaceutics Editorial Office retracts the article, “A Novel Drug Self-Delivery System from Fatty Alcohol Esters of Tranexamic Acid for Venous Malformation Sclerotherapy” [...]

The neurovascular unit (NVU) plays a critical role in health and disease. In the current review, we discuss the critical role of a class of neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2)-expressing glial cells (NG2-glia) in regulating NVU after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We first introduce the role of NG2-glia in the formation of NVU during development as well as aging-induced damage to NVU and accompanying NG2-glia change. We then discuss the reciprocal interactions between NG2-glia and the other component cells of NVU, emphasizing the factors that could influence NG2-glia. Damage to the NVU integrity is the pathological basis of edema and hemorrhagic transformation, the most dreaded complication after AIS. The role of NG2-glia in AIS-induced NVU damage and the effect of NG2-glia transplantation on AIS-induced NVU damage are summarized. We next discuss the role of NG2-glia and the effect of NG2-glia transplantation in oligodendrogenesis and white matter repair as well as angiogenesis which is associated with the outcome of the patients after AIS. Finally, we review the current strategies to promote NG2-glia proliferation and differentiation and propose to use the dental pulp stem cells (DPSC)-derived exosome as a promising strategy to reduce AIS-induced injury and promote repair through maintaining the integrity of NVU by regulating endogenous NG2-glia proliferation and differentiation.

Ex vivo-expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to be a heterogeneous mixture of cells exhibiting varying proliferative, multipotential, and immunomodulatory capacities. However, the exact characteristics of MSCs remain largely unknown. By single-cell RNA sequencing of 61,296 MSCs derived from bone marrow and Wharton’s jelly, we revealed five distinct subpopulations. The developmental trajectory of these five MSC subpopulations was mapped, revealing a differentiation path from stem-like active proliferative cells (APCs) to multipotent progenitor cells, followed by branching into two paths: 1) unipotent preadipocytes or 2) bipotent prechondro-osteoblasts that were subsequently differentiated into unipotent prechondrocytes. The stem-like APCs, expressing the perivascular mesodermal progenitor markers CSPG4/MCAM/NES, uniquely exhibited strong proliferation and stemness signatures. Remarkably, the prechondrocyte subpopulation specifically expressed immunomodulatory genes and was able to suppress activated CD3+ T cell proliferation in vitro, supporting the role of this population in immunoregulation. In summary, our analysis mapped the heterogeneous subpopulations of MSCs and identified two subpopulations with potential functions in self-renewal and immunoregulation. Our findings advance the definition of MSCs by identifying the specific functions of their heterogeneous cellular composition, allowing for more specific and effective MSC application through the purification of their functional subpopulations.

In order to clarify the gas-water two-phase flow law in horizontal wells and study the gas-water two-phase flow characteristics in horizontal wells, firstly, the gas-water two-phase in a horizontal well is numerically simulated and analyzed, and the flow pattern distribution under different well inclination angles and different phase separation flow rates is obtained. Secondly, a series of production logging instruments including CAT instrument was used to conduct experimental research on gas-water two-phase flow under different flow conditions, and the measured values of each CAT probe were extracted to reflect the local holdup under different flow patterns. Finally, SSA-BP neural network algorithm is used to identify a gas-water two-phase flow pattern in a wellbore by using experimental parameters such as center holdup, well inclination angle, spinner revolution, and CAT probe measurements. The recognition accuracy of the neural network was improved from 83.75% to 91.66%, and the operation speed was accelerated. It provides a research idea to explore the flow characteristics of gas-water two-phase flow in horizontal wells.

This paper demonstrates the analysis of a long-distance high-power microwave wireless power transmission (MWPT) system based on asymmetrical resonant magnetron and cyclotron-wave rectifier. In the system, the novel magnetron with the asymmetrical resonant cavity, the straps, and the output loop coupling circuit can effectively promote the beam–wave interaction, suppress the mode competition, and enhance the output coupling, which results in a 400 kW output microwave power with a conversion efficiency of 45%. The transceiver Cassegrain antenna system with its simple structure, high conversion efficiency, and high power capacity can attain an integral power transmission efficiency of 2.6% at 10 km distance. The cyclotron-wave rectifier with high efficiency and single-tube high power capacity can achieve 85% microwave to DC conversion efficiency. Finally, the long-distance high-power MWPT system can achieve 8.5 kW DC power with about 1% DC–DC transmission efficiency at the operating 2.45 GHz frequency and for the 10 km distance. Such a system is likely a potential and attracting solution to remotely power the fuel-free aerial vehicle from the ground, can also provide electrical power to an isolated mountain top or an island, and even an alternative to transmit the power from space solar power satellite in geostationary orbit to the ground.

Objective: To investigate the safety of relieving bed restriction in hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and its effects on patient comfort. Methods: A prospective study was conducted. Patients with malignant liver tumors, who met the enrollment criteria, were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. During HAIC treatment, the patients in the experimental group, who were not confined to bed and could get out of bed, used electronic injection pumps to infuse chemotherapy drugs. The patients in the control group, who were strictly confined to bed and prohibited from getting out of bed, used infusion pumps to infuse chemotherapy drugs. The complications of the two groups were observed. The Christenson standard improved method was used to evaluate the bleeding and hematoma of limbs on the operation side. The Kolcaba General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) and Barthel Index (BI) were used to evaluate the two groups. Results: Ninety patients with malignant liver tumors were enrolled, including 53 with primary liver cancer and 37 with colorectal liver metastasis. There were 70 males and 20 females, aged 41–81 years old, with an average age of 61.6 ​± ​9.248 years old. There were 60 patients in the experimental group and 30 patients in the control group. All patients underwent HAIC. The study showed that, during the treatment period, there were 3 cases of postoperative puncture point hematoma formation in the two groups, including 2 cases in the experimental group (2/60, 3.3%) and 1 case in the control group (1/30, 3.3%). The difference was not statistically significant (p ​> ​0.05). There were 5 cases of postoperative puncture point bleeding, including 4 cases in the experimental group (4/60, 6.7%) and 1 case in the control group (1/30, 3.3%), and the difference was not statistically significant (p ​> ​0.05). A total of 23 cases, with 6 cases in the experimental group (6/60, 10%) and 17 cases in the control group (17/30, 56.7%), complained of back pain after the operation, and the difference was statistically significant (p ​

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that seriously threatens people’s health, with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. At present, the clinical diagnosis methods of COPD are time-consuming, invasive, and radioactive. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a non-invasive and rapid COPD severity diagnosis technique suitable for daily screening in clinical practice. Results This study established an effective model for the preliminary diagnosis of COPD severity using lung sounds with few channels. Firstly, the time-frequency-energy features of 12 channels lung sounds were extracted by Hilbert–Huang transform. And then, channels and features were screened by the reliefF algorithm. Finally, the feature sets were input into a support vector machine to diagnose COPD severity, and the performance with Bayes, decision tree, and deep belief network was compared. Experimental results show that high classification performance using only 4-channel lung sounds of L1, L2, L3, and L4 channels can be achieved by the proposed model. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of mild COPD and moderate + severe COPD were 89.13%, 87.72%, and 91.01%, respectively. The classification performance rates of moderate COPD and severe COPD were 94.26%, 97.32%, and 89.93% for accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively. Conclusion This model provides a standardized evaluation with high classification performance rates, which can assist doctors to complete the preliminary diagnosis of COPD severity immediately, and has important clinical significance.

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have explored the moderating role of emotional regulation strategies in the relationship between empathy and depression, no studies have studied the moderating role of attentional control in the relationship between empathy and depression. To address this research gap, the present study investigated the moderating roles of rumination and attentional control in the relationship between empathy and depression.Methods423 participants filled out questionnaires anonymously, including Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Attention Control Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, and Rumination Response Scale. PROCESS macro for SPSS was used for moderating effect analysis.ResultsRumination and attentional shift moderated the relationship between emotional empathy and depression. Specifically, the lower rumination or the higher attentional shift, the stronger the negative association between emotional empathy and depression. Attentional shift moderated the relationship between cognitive empathy and depression, and cognitive empathy was significantly associated with depression only among participants whose attentional shift is high.ConclusionThe study showed that rumination and attentional shift play important roles in the relationship between empathy and depression. The findings implicated that the positive role of good emotional regulation strategies and executive function for individuals in the relationship between empathy and depression.

Background : The GJB2 gene is the most common deafness gene, and epidemic characteristics have obvious racial specificity. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence and ethnic specificity of the GJB2 gene in deafness in major ethnic groups in Northwest China, evaluate the value of molecular screening for deafness in minority populations, and explore the strategies and methods for genetic diagnosis. Methods : Ethics approval was obtained to collect 1330 cases of moderate to very severe nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness in northwestern China. The mutation characteristics of ethnic minorities were analyzed and compared with those of 464 patients with nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness among ethnic Han in the northwestern from research group by Sequence Scanner V25.0. Then, we analyzed the ethnic specificity of the mutations. Results : A total of 15 GJB2 sequence changes were detected in 1330 minority patients. The study showed that the allele frequency in Tibetan patients was significantly lower than that in Hui and Dongxiang patients, that in Uygur patients was significantly lower than that in Han and Hui patients, and that in Kazak and Tibetan patients was significantly lower than that in Han patients, and the differences between other ethnic groups were not statistically significant. Each ethnic group has a unique GJB2 gene mutation spectrum, and its hotspot mutation distribution has its own characteristics, with c.235delC, c.109 G > A, c.299-300delAT, and c.35delG being common. Conclusions : It has been confirmed that GJB2 gene mutation has a high prevalence in patients with nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss in Northwest China. Each ethnic group has a unique mutation spectrum for the GJB2 gene, which is related to its genetic background. It is necessary to develop a corresponding gene diagnosis strategy according to the hotspot mutations and mutation spectrum of each ethnic group.

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to investigate the circadian rhythm and clinical characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) combined with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods Patients with AMI combined with OSA were enrolled in the study, and those that met the inclusion criteria were divided into three time‐period groups based on their sleep–wake rhythm (22:00–5:59, 6:00–13:59, and 14:00–21:59). The differences between the three groups of patients in sleep‐monitoring data, blood routine, biochemical indicators, and coronary angiographic parameters were analyzed and compared. Count data were expressed as the number of cases, and the chi‐square test was used for statistical analysis. Continuous data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and analysis of variance was used for the statistical analysis of these data. The characteristics of circadian rhythm and clinical features in patients with AMI combined with OSA were analyzed. Results Of the 148 patients, 90/148 (61%) had chest pain and 58/148 (39%) had non‐chest pain symptoms. In the 22:00–05:59 group, there were 70/148 (47%) patients with AMI (of these, 46/70 [66%] had chest pain). In the 06:00–13:59 period group, there were 44/148 (30%) patients with AMI (of these, 26/44 [60%] had chest pain). In the 14:00–21:59 period group, there were 34/148 (23%) patients with AMI (of these, 17/34 [50%] had chest pain). There was no statistically significant difference in the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) and SYNTAX score between patients in the 22:00–5:59 and 6:00–13:59 groups. However, the AHI and SYNTAX scores in the 22:00–5:59 and 6:00–13:59 groups were higher than those in the 14:00–21:59 group, and the differences were statistically significant. In patients in the 22:00–5:59 group, the levels of serum D‐dimer (DD), hemoglobin (Hb), and oxygen desaturation index (ODI3) were higher, the sleep mean oxygen saturation (MeanSaO2) was lower and the percentage of nighttime spent with oxygen saturation of less than 90% (Tsat90) and less than 85% (Tsat85) was longer. Conclusion The peak period for the onset of AMI in patients with OSA was 22:00–5:59, and the incidence of chest pain was high. During this period, patients had higher DD and Hb, higher ODI3, lower MeanSaO2 during sleep, and longer TSat90 and TSat85. During the 22:00–5:59 and 6:00–13:59 periods, patients had higher AHI and a higher SYNTAX score.

Mobility data, based on global positioning system (GPS) tracking, have been widely used in many areas, such as analyzing travel patterns, investigating transport safety and efficiency, and evaluating travel impacts. Transport modes are essential factors in understanding mobility within the transport system. Therefore, in this study, a significant number of algorithms were tested for transport mode detection. However, no conclusive recommendations can be drawn regarding which method should be used. The evaluation of the performance of the algorithms was not discussed systematically either in current literature. This paper aims to provide an in-depth review of the methods applied in transport mode detection based on GPS tracking data. The performances of the reviewed methods are then compared and evaluated to provide guidance in choosing algorithms for transport mode detection based on GPS tracking data. The results indicate that the majority of current studies are based on a supervised learning method for transport mode detection. Many of the reviewed methods first require manual dataset labeling, which can produce major drawbacks, such as inefficiency and human errors. It was also found that deep learning approaches have the potential to deal with large amounts of unlabeled raw GPS datasets and increase the accuracy and efficiency of transport mode detection.

Polycationic vectors are a promising class of gene delivery systems. To improve delivery efficiency and reduce cytotoxicity, hydrophobic modification has been proposed as an effective way. Herein, we synthesized a class of terpolymer vectors with various hydrophobicities as well as multiple biodegradable disulfide bonds and cationic side chains. The chemical structure and hydrophobic modification ratio of polymers were characterized. The amphiphilic vectors were able to condense pDNA to form flexible and uniform nanoparticles with a size of 60–85 nm. The shielding effect of hydrophobic side chains led to a lower zeta potential and reduced cytotoxicity. The endocytosis efficiency of amphiphilic vectors was significantly increased and the endocytosis pathway shifted from mainly via the clathrin pathway to clathrin/caveolae/lipid raft co-mediated endocytosis. The amphiphilic vectors demonstrated significantly higher transfection efficiency. In addition, the hydrophobic structural domain of polymers could improve serum stability, alleviating the serum inhibition commonly seen in cationic polymers. Then, we tested the tumor-suppressor gene wtp53 delivered by the amphiphilic vectors in triple-negative breast cancer models both in vitro and in vivo. Tumor cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were triggered through the regulation of downstream cell cycle proteins and apoptosis proteins, inhibiting tumor growth with an excellent safety profile.

Abstract Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a disorder in which respiratory airflow frequently stops during sleep. Alterations in electroencephalogram (EEG) signal are one of the physiological changes that occur during apnea, and can be used to diagnose and monitor sleep apnea events. Herein, we proposed a method to automatically distinguish sleep apnea events using characteristics of EEG signals in order to categorize obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) events, central sleep apnea (CSA) events and normal breathing events. Through the use of an Infinite Impulse Response Butterworth Band pass filter, we divided the EEG signals of C3-A2 and C4-A1 into five sub-bands. Next, we extracted sample entropy and variance of each sub-band. The neighbor composition analysis (NCA) method was utilized for feature selection, and the results are used as input coefficients for classification using random forest, K-nearest neighbor, and support vector machine classifiers. After a 10-fold cross-validation, we found that the average accuracy rate was 88.99%. Specifically, the accuracy of each category, including OSA, CSA and normal breathing were 80.43%, 84.85%, and 95.24%, respectively. The proposed method has great potential in the automatic classification of patients' respiratory events during clinical examinations, and provides a novel idea for the development of an automatic classification system for sleep apnea and normal events without the need for expert intervention.

Hypopnea refers to the state in which insufficient alveolar ventilation during night sleep decreases the respiratory airflow by more than 50% of the airflow. However, sleep apnea is a more serious respiratory event, such as complete cessation of respiratory airflow for 10 seconds. The occurrence of hypopnea is a precursor to the occurrence of apnea events and the two are closely connected. In this paper, we propose a method based on the combination of discrete wavelet transform and approximate entropy of EEG signals to detect sleep apnea and hypopnea events. For this purpose, first, data preprocessing is performed on the EEG record data set obtained from Tianjin Chest Hospital, and then infinite impulse response (IIR) Butterworth bandpass filter is used to decompose the data into delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma. Second, descriptive features are extracted based on sub-bands discrete wavelet transform such as the approximate entropy of high-frequency coefficients. Third, the features are filtered based on Support Vector Machine (SVM) recursive elimination. Finally, several machine learning algorithms including SVM, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Random forest (RF) are employed to identify the occurrence of sleep hypopnea-apnea events. The highest accuracy rate reached 94.33%, the sensitivity reached 93.10%, and the specificity reached 95.07%. The obtained results validate that the proposed method is an effective and practical diagnostic method to detect the occurrence of hypopnea-apnea events.

Good sleep quality is essential to our life and work. The two major challenges in evaluating sleep quality are the scoring of sleep stages and sleep apnea detection. In addition to sleep apnea, hypopnea is also a respiratory event that occurs at an equal or even higher frequency compared to that of apnea. However, the two phenomena are not only different in terms of physical manifestation, there are also significant differences in the methods and means of clinical treatment. Therefore, in this study we propose an effective algorithm to distinguish between hypopnea and apnea events. We consider two aspects of feature extraction. On the one hand, from the original time-domain waveform of electrocardiogram signals, we extract the time difference sequence between the appearance of the R-R wave in two adjacent QRS waves (RR intervals) and explore the way they change when apnea and hypopnea event occur. On the other hand, considering that the degree of sequence disorder caused by hypopnea and apnea events is different, multi-scale entropy and complexity are chosen as the features that describe this change. The results obtained using the proposed algorithm show that the classification between hypopnea events and any type of apnea events all reach an accuracy rate greater than 90%. For obstructive apnea events, which occur most frequently among the three different types of apneas, the classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and F1-score were 91.78%, 92.21%, 91.30%, 92.20%, respectively. The classification results between central apnea events and hypopnea events reached an accuracy of 93.18%, sensitivity of 95.00%, specificity of 91.67% and F1-score of 92.68%. At the same time, the algorithm achieved an accuracy of 92.59%, sensitivity of 90.38%, specificity of 94.64% and F1-score of 92.16% when classifying mixed apnea and hypopnea events. In the classification of normal breathing, hypopnea events and apnea events, the total accuracy rate achieved was 91.92%, with that for normal breathing reaching 93.62%, for hypopnea events reaching 90.39%, and 91.91% for apnea events, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.99. The algorithm proposed in this study constitutes an efficient and convenient approach for apnea and hypopnea event detection and classification.

The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in postmenopausal women has increased significantly. Estrogen plays a very important role in NAFLD, but whether NAFLD in premenopausal women was caused by estrogen deficiency was unknown. Thus, it is of great clinical significance to explore the mechanism of NAFLD in premenopausal women. Gut microbiota and its metabolites short chain fatty acids (SCFA) have been shown to play important roles in the development of NAFLD. In this study, we investigated the impact of gut microbiota and SCFA in NAFLD patients and mice caused by estrogen deficiency. We showed that premenopause NAFLD patients had much lower estrogen levels. Estrogen deficient mice, due to ovariectomy (OVX), suffered more severe liver steatosis with an elevated body weight, abdominal fat weight, serum triglycerides and deterioration in hepatic steatosis. Altered gut microbiota composition and decreased butyrate content were found in NAFLD patients and in OVX mice. Furthermore, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or supplementing with butyrate alleviated NAFLD in OVX mice. The production of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) Reg3ɣ, β-defensins and the expression of intestinal epithelial tight junction, including ZO-1 and Occluding-5, were decreased in the OVX mice compared to control mice. Upregulation of PPAR-ɣ and VLDLR, downregulation of PPAR-ɑ indicated that OVX mice suffered from abnormal lipid metabolism. These data indicate that changes in the gut microbiota and SCFA caused by estrogen reduction, together with a disorder in AMP production and lipid metabolism, promote NAFLD, thus provide SCFAs derived from microbiota as new therapeutic targets for the clinical prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is considered a strategy that can provide potential solutions for a sustainable transport system. The current literature claims that MaaS can deliver net positive impacts for the transport system. However, whether these impacts are marginal or significant is unclear, as estimations typically are based on a few pilot tests. The lack of understanding of these impacts could create barriers for decision-making on policy and regulation in adopting MaaS strategy. The paper proposes a feasible evaluation to explore how and to what extent MaaS leads to, for example, reduced emissions, reduced fossil energy consumption, reduced car ownership and vehicle kilometres travelled on a large scale. The aim of this paper is to provide potential values of MaaS impacts based on analysis of future scenarios. The potential values of MaaS impacts can be used to support decision-making within both public organisations and among service developers for MaaS implementation and development.

Compared to non-perfectionists, perfectionists may not be satisfied with the growing needs in their lives to the same extent. To test whether perfectionists are dissatisfied with their lives, we investigated whether trait perfectionism attenuates the relationship between basic psychological needs, perceived control, and life satisfaction. A total of 574 college students self-reported basic psychological needs, perceived control, life satisfaction, and perfectionistic strivings and concerns, with a mean age of 19.53 (SD = 1.61), including 299 women and 275 men. A correlation analysis showed that perfectionistic strivings were significantly positively related to life satisfaction, while perfectionistic concerns were significantly negatively related to life satisfaction. The moderation analysis showed that perfectionistic strivings not only moderated the relationship between basic psychological needs and life satisfaction but also moderated the relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. Individuals with high perfectionistic strivings generally reported high levels of life satisfaction. Perfectionistic strivings, however, reduced the positive relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. Perfectionistic concerns moderated the relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction—the higher the perfectionistic concerns, the weaker the positive relationship between perceived control and life satisfaction. The study found that individuals with high perfectionistic tendencies are not always dissatisfied with life, but that perfectionism weakens the relationship between basic psychological needs, perceived control, and life satisfaction. We argue that one way to improve happiness is by coaching individuals who are highly perfectionistic to become self-aware of their personality so both their perfectionistic strivings and concerns are more coherent with their values and goals or character.

Supply chain finance (SCF) plays an increasingly important role in global enterprise competition. The credit risk accompanying SCF has attracted the attention of the government, enterprises, and academia. However, with the absence of data and inaccurate information, traditional risk assessment methods are frequently failed to assess the credit risk in SCF, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this study, a grey correlation model is introduced and applied to the SCF risk assessment process for 15 firms in the Chinese home appliance industry with 15 performance indicators that represent profitability, solvency, operational capability, and development capability. The empirical study displays the operability and effectiveness of the grey correlation model, which is superior to traditional methods in the supply chain financial risk assessment.

To reach the full potential of Mobility as a Service (MaaS), especially its projected positive environmental impacts, the barriers to development and implementation processes must be identified. However, studies identifying such MaaS barriers are rare. Following an interdisciplinary approach, this paper aims to bridge this gap by adding knowledge on barriers to MaaS development and implementation using four perspectives (service design, business model, user travel attitude and behavior, and system impacts). Following a systems thinking approach, the barriers are investigated at three levels (individual, organizational and societal) to show their relationships. This paper investigates a specific type of MaaS, namely Corporate Mobility as a Service (CMaaS). The results obtained by investigating a large-scale CMaaS pilot provide implications of general barriers to MaaS development and implementation. The findings presented in this paper provide knowledge and guidance to MaaS stakeholders.

IntroductionInvestigations of gene-environment (G×E) interactions in major depressive disorder (MDD) have been limited to hypothesis testing of candidate genes while poly-gene-environmental causation has not been adequately address. To this end, the present study analyzed the association between three candidate genes, two environmental factors, and MDD using a hypothesis-free testing approach.MethodsA logistic regression model was used to analyze interaction effects; a hierarchical regression model was used to evaluate the effects of different genotypes and the dose-response effects of the environment; genetic risk score (GRS) was used to estimate the cumulative contribution of genetic factors to MDD; and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses were carried out to evaluate the relationship between candidate genes and top MDD susceptibility genes.ResultsAllelic association analyses revealed significant effects of the interaction between the candidate genes Forkhead box (Fox)O1, α2-macroglobulin (A2M), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 genes and the environment on MDD. Gene-gene (G×G) and gene-gene-environment (G×G×E) interactions in MDD were also included in the model. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the effect of environmental factors on MDD was greater in homozygous than in heterozygous mutant genotypes of the FoxO1 and TGF-β1 genes; a dose-response effect between environment and MDD on genotypes was also included in this model. Haplotype analyses revealed significant global and individual effects of haplotypes on MDD in the whole sample as well as in subgroups. There was a significant association between GRS and MDD (P = 0.029) and a GRS and environment interaction effect on MDD (P = 0.009). Candidate and top susceptibility genes were connected in PPI networks.ConclusionsFoxO1, A2M, and TGF-β1 interact with environmental factors and with each other in MDD. Multi-factorial G×E interactions may be responsible for a higher explained variance and may be associated with causal factors and mechanisms that could inform new diagnosis and therapeutic strategies, which can contribute to the personalized medicine of MDD.

Objective. It has been shown that podocyte injury represents an important pathological basis that contributes to proteinuria and eventually leads to kidney failure. High glucose (HG) activates macrophage polarization, further exacerbating HG-induced podocyte injury. Our previous study on diabetic nephropathy rats indicated that thalidomide (Tha) has renoprotective properties. The present study explored the effects of Tha on mRNA and protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, mannose receptor (CD206), and arginase- (Arg-) 1 in HG-activated macrophages. iNOS and TNF-α are established as markers of classically activated macrophage (M1). CD206 and Arg-1 are regarded as markers of alternatively activated macrophages (M2). During the experiment, the supernatants of (HG)-treated and (Tha)-treated macrophages, designated as (HG) MS and (Tha) MS, were simultaneously collected and processed. TNF-α and interleukin- (IL-) 1β levels as well as protein expressions of nephrin and podocin in HG, (HG) MS, and (Tha) MS-cultured podocytes were evaluated. The results showed that compared to the 11.1 mM normal glucose (NG), the 33.3 mM HG-cultured RAW 264.7 cells exhibited upregulated iNOS and TNF-α mRNAs and protein expressions, and downregulated CD206 and Arg-1 expressions significantly (p

Objective. To develop a method for the rapid isolation of rat RPE cells with high yield and maintain its epithelial state in modified culture system. Methods. The eyeballs were incubated with dispase. The retina was isolated with RPE attached and cut into several pieces. Following a brief incubation in growth medium, large RPE sheets can be harvested rapidly. RPE cells were divided into four groups and cultured for several weeks, that is, (1) in cell culture dishes with 10% FBS containing medium (CC dish-FBS), (2) in petri dishes with 10% FBS containing medium (Petri dish-FBS), (3) in cell culture dishes with N2 and B27 containing medium (CC dish-N2B27), and (4) in petri dishes with N2 and B27 containing medium (Petri dish-N2B27). Morphological and biological characteristics were investigated using light microscopy, Q-PCR, and western blot. Results. The retina would curl inwardly during the growth medium incubation period, releasing RPE sheets in the medium. Compared with low density group (5,000 cells/cm2), RPE cells plated at high density (15,000 cells/cm2) can maintain RPE morphology for a more extended period. Meanwhile, plating RPE cells at low density significantly reduced the expression of RPE cell type-specific genes (RPE65, CRALBP, and bestrophin) and increased the expression of EMT-related genes (N-cadherin, fibronectin, and α-SMA), in comparison with the samples from the high density group. The petri dish culture condition reduced cell adhesion and thus inhibited RPE cell proliferation. As compared with other culture conditions, RPE cells in the petri dish-N2B27 condition could maintain RPE phenotype with increased expression of RPE-specific genes and decreased expression of EMT-related genes. The AKT/mTOR pathway was also decreased in petri dish-N2B27 condition. Conclusion. The current study provided an alternative method for easy isolation of RPE cells with high yield and maintenance of its epithelial morphology in the petri dish-N2B27 condition.

In the current context of the establishment of world-class universities and disciplines in China, this study examined the investment of research funds at universities. First, six variables were selected as evaluation indicators from the perspective of fixed assets, teaching configuration, research instruments, and the number of books in libraries. Seventy-two universities were investigated from 2013 to 2017. Second, an evaluation system was constructed using the BP (backpropagation) neural network method and its applicability was verified. Finally, by adjusting the six indicators, the investment of university research funds could be adjusted and predicted to provide a reference for the construction of “first-class” universities and disciplines.

The gray prediction model, based on the GM(1,1) method, is an important branch of gray theory with the most active research and the most fruitful results, and it is the most widely used because of its small sample size, simple modeling process, and easy to use. Such advantages have been successfully applied in many fields such as transportation, agriculture, energy, medicine, and environment and have been gradually developed into a mainstream predictive modeling method. This study combines the Three-parameter Whitenization Grey Model (TWGM(1,1)), which fits the inhomogeneous exponential law sequence, and the Particle Swarm Algorithm (PSA) to optimize the order and background value coefficients under the condition of the minimum sum of squares of simulation errors, and hence, to solve the problem that the cumulative order is fixed to “1” and the background value coefficient value is fixed to “0.5.” As a result, a parameter-optimized gray system model with flexibility, adaptability, and dynamic adjustment is designed to simulate and predict China’s higher education gross enrollment rate. The application shows that the model has better overall simulation and prediction performance than others. On the one hand, the parametric optimization model significantly improves its own performance, and on the other hand, its intelligent and adjustable adaptivity improves the accuracy and further extends its application.

Objective. The primary initiating mechanism in diabetes nephropathy (DN) is hyperglycemia-induced inflammation in which macrophage and podocyte play important roles. The present research is aimed at exploring the effects of kaempferol (Ka) and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) on classically activated (M1)/alternatively activated (M2) macrophage polarization and podocyte apoptosis under hyperglycaemic conditions in vitro. Methods. (1) RAW264.7 cells were treated with 11.1 mM glucose (NG), 33.3 mM glucose (HG), Ka 4–8 μM, and HSYA 100–200 μM separately. The expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, mannose receptor (CD206), and arginase- (Arg-) 1 were quantified by Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR. The collected supernatants from macrophage were named as (NG) MS, (HG) MS, (Ka) MS, and (HSYA) MS. (2) The podocyte survival rate was assessed by Bromodeoxyuridine assay, while TNF-α and interleukin- (IL-) 1β levels were evaluated by Elisa. Results. (1) Compared to the HG group, the Ka and HSYA 100 μM groups decreased iNOS and TNF-α levels and increased Arg-1 and CD206 expressions significantly (protein and mRNA: p

Venous malformation (VM), which causes severe damage to patients’ appearance and organ function, is one of the most common vascular malformations. At present, many drugs in clinical treatment cause various adverse reactions. Herein, we synthesized cationic amphiphilic gelators (TA6, TA8, and TA9) by introducing saturated carbon chains of different lengths to tranexamic acid (TA), which could self-assemble into low-molecular-weight gels (LMWGs) as drug delivery carriers by hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic interactions. The rheological properties, gelation driving force and drug release profiles of TA6, TA8, and TA9 hydrogels were characterized, and the results indicated that the hydrogels prepared in this study possessed the typical characteristics of a gel and could release drugs slowly. More importantly, the TA9 gelator showed significant pharmacological activity, in that it served as both an active drug compound and a drug carrier. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that TA9 induced HUVECs death and hemolysis by destroying cell membranes in a dose-dependent manner, and caused cell death and hemolysis at a concentration of 0.09 µM/mL. Meanwhile, we found TA9 could interact not only with fibrinogen, but also with other endogenous molecules in the blood. After the administration of TA9 hydrogel for 15 days, macroscopic imaging and histological evaluation in mice and rabbits displayed obvious thrombi, inflammatory reactions, and venous embolization, indicating that the mechanism of the TA9 hydrogel in treating VM was involved in two processes. Firstly, the TA9 hydrogel relied on its mechanical strength to physically block veins and continuously release TA9, in situ, for targeted therapy. Then, TA9 destroyed endothelial cells and damaged venous walls critically, causing thrombi. Most excitingly, TA9 was hydrolyzed to TA by enzymes that inhibited the degradation of thrombi by plasmin to prolong the embolization time and to promote venous fibrosis. Compared with other clinically available sclerosants, the degradation of TA9 also empowered a better biocompatibility and biodegradability for the TA9 hydrogel. In conclusion, we synthesized a potentially safe and effective derivative of TA and developed a low-molecular-weight gel as a self-delivery system for TA in treating VM.

Ricaniidae is a relatively small planthopper family with about 69 genera and 442 species worldwide. Members of this family occur throughout the warm temperate and tropical regions. Some species cause devastating damage to major agricultural and economic plants. However, the relationship between Ricaniidae and other families of Fulgoroidea needs to be further explored. The morphological definitions of the two biggest genera, Pochazia Amyot & Serville, 1843 and Ricania Germar, 1818 (the type genus of Ricaniidae) remain controversial. In this study, mitogenomes of five representatives in these two genera were decoded using the next-generation sequence method and genome assembly. Results showed that their complete mitogenomes are circular DNA molecules with 15,457 to 16,411 bp. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) begin with the start codon ATN, GTG or TTG and end with TAA, TAG, an incomplete stop codon single T or an incomplete stop codon single A. A lost DHU arm was discovered in the trnS gene of the five mitogenomes and the trnV gene within Pochaziaconfusa, Pochazia guttifera and Ricania simulans. The remnant tRNAs folded into clover-leaf structures. The sliding window, genetic distance, and Ka/Ks analyses indicated that the cox1 gene is the slowest evolving and is relatively conserved. The phylogenetic tree topologies support (Delphacidae + (((Issidae + (Lophopidae + Caliscelidae)) + (Flatidae + Ricaniidae)) + (Achilidae + (Dictyopharidae + Fulgoridae)))) as the best topology, as recognized by both PhyloBayes, RAxML and MrBayes based on four data sets (PCG, PCGRNA, PCG12, PCG12RNA). The monophyly of Ricaniidae and the sister group status of two families Flatidae and Ricaniidae are supported, but all analyses failed to support the monophyly of Pochazia and Ricania. The diagnoses between these two genera cannot be resolved until more evidence is acquired.

Guanidinylated bioresponsive poly(amido amine)s polymers, CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA, were synthesized by Michael-type addition reaction between guanidine hydrochloride (CAR) or chlorhexidine (CHL) and N,N′-cystaminebisacrylamide (CBA). Previous studies have shown that both polymers had high transfection efficiencies as gene delivery carriers. In this study, we investigated the nucleolus localization abilities and cellular internalization pathways of these two polymers in gene delivery. Each polymer condensed plasmid DNA (pDNA) and formed nanoparticle complexes, and then their transfection studies were performed in MCF-7 cells. Both complexes were found enriched in nucleolus after cellular transfection, and their transfection efficiencies were significantly improved when transfection was performed on MCF-7 cells arrested at M phase. The transfection efficiency of CAR-CBA-pDNA was inhibited by chlorpromazine, and cell endosomes were disrupted after being exposed to CAR-CBA-pDNA. In regards to CHL-CBA-pDNA, its transfection efficiency was not affected by three types of endocytosis inhibitors used in the study, and CHL-CBA-pDNA showed no effect on endosomes. Cellular lactate dehydrogenase release and membrane morphology were changed after cells were transfected by the two complexes. The results indicated that both CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA polymers demonstrated good nucleolus localization abilities. It was beneficial for transfection when cells were arrested at M phase. CAR-CBA-pDNA cellular internalization was involved with clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway, and escaping from endosomal entrapment, while the cellular uptake of CHL-CBA-pDNA occurs via clathrin- and caveolae-independent mechanism. Keywords: Guanidinylated poly(amido amine)s polymers, Nucleolus localization, Cell cycle status, Internalization pathways

RNA interfering (RNAi), mediated by small interfering RNAs and microRNAs, is currently one of the most promising tools of gene therapy. Small RNAs are capable of inducing specific post-transcriptional gene silencing, providing a potentially effective platform for the treatment of a wide array of diseases. However, similar to other nucleic acid-based drugs, the major hurdle of RNAi therapy is lack of efficient and non-immunogenic delivery vehicles. Currently, viruses, synthetic polymers, and lipid-based carriers are among the most widely studied vehicles for small RNA delivery. However, many drawbacks are reported to be associated with these delivery vehicles. There is a pressing need to replace them with more efficient and better-tolerated approaches. Exosomes secreted from the endocytic compartment of live cells, are a subtype of endogenous extracellular vesicles that transfer genetic and biochemical information among different cells, thus playing an important role in cell-cell communication. Recently, accumulating attention has been focused on harnessing exosomes as nanaocarriers for small RNAs delivery. Due to their natural role in shuttling endogenous nucleic acid in our body, exosomes may exhibit higher delivery efficiency, lower immunogenicity, and better compatibility than existing foreign RNA carriers. Importantly, exosomes own intrinsic homing capacity that can guide small RNAs across natural membranous barriers. Moreover, such a capacity can be further improved by adding appropriate targeting moieties. In this manuscript, we briefly review the progress and challenges of RNAi therapy, and discuss the potential of exosomes' applications in small RNA delivery with focus on the most recent advances in exosome-based small RNA delivery for disease therapy.

Through the probability analysis of seismic hazard analysis, the probability distribution results of different intensity in each township of Linfen area are given. Through analysis, it is concluded that the probability of occurrence of high-intensity impact in the Linfen basin is higher than that of the mountains on both sides of the basin, and the difference is significant. Difference is positively correlated with the intensity. When calculating the seismic intensity, it is necessary to consider the difference in the seismic geological background, but also to consider the complexity and homogeneity of the site conditions. If necessary, correct the calculated intensity. Finally, based on the attenuation relationship applied to the local area, a hypothetical earthquake is caused to cause loss of buildings, casualties, and direct economic losses. Finally, if the Hongdong earthquake in 1303 or the Linfen earthquake in 1695 is repeated, the anti-collapse capability of Linfen area will be comprehensively evaluated.

Objective. Safflower has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The two forms of preparations for safflower which are widely used in China are injection and decoction. The first step of the process for preparing an injection involves extracting safflower with water, which actually yields a decoction. This study is intended to investigate how the preparation process influences the anti-inflammatory activity of safflower in vitro. Methods. Five samples, including a decoction (sample 1) and an injection (sample 5) of safflower, were prepared according to the national standard WS3-B-3825-98-2012 and were analyzed by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) method for comparison. Sample 1 and sample 5 were further tested by the Griess assay and ELISA for their effects on nitric oxide (NO) production and interleukin- (IL-) 1β content in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) activated RAW264.7 cells. The protein and mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and IL-1β were measured by Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR. Results. Sample 5 showed a significantly higher ORAC value and a lower half inhibitory concentration (IC50) for DPPH scavenging activity as compared to the other four samples (p

A transient three-dimensional (3D) numerical model was established to illustrate the heat transfer, fluid flow and particle migration behaviors in the molten pool during TIG-assisted droplet deposition manufacturing (DDM) of SiC particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs). The effect of temperature-dependent physical properties and the interaction between the SiC reinforcement and the liquid metal matrix were considered. A double-ellipsoidal volumetric heat source model was adopted to simulate the energy interactions between the pulse square-wave variable polarity TIG welding arc and the moving substrate. Free surface fluctuations of molten pool due to arc force and sequential droplet impact are calculated with volume of fluid (VOF) method in a fixed Eulerian structured mesh. The numerical model, capable of capturing the impact, simultaneous spread, and phase change of the droplets as well as the motion trajectory and terminate distribution state of the reinforcement particles, is key tool to understand the formation mechanism of the TIG-assisted DDM of SiC particle-reinforced AMCs. The numerical model was validated by the metallographic observations, and the calculated particle distribution and solidification morphology of deposited layer agree well with the experimental measurements.

Cells adjust to nutrient fluctuations to restore metabolic homeostasis. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 responds to nutrient levels and growth signals to phosphorylate protein kinases belonging to the AGC (Protein Kinases A,G,C) family such as Akt and PKC. Phosphorylation of these AGC kinases at their conserved hydrophobic motif (HM) site by mTORC2 enhances their activation and mediates the functions of mTORC2 in cell growth and metabolism. Another AGC kinase family member that is known to undergo increased phosphorylation at the homologous HM site (Ser380) is the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK). Phosphorylation at Ser380 is facilitated by the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) in response to growth factor stimulation. Here, we demonstrate that optimal phosphorylation of RSK at this site requires an intact mTORC2. We also found that RSK is robustly phosphorylated at Ser380 upon nutrient withdrawal or inhibition of glycolysis, conditions that increase mTORC2 activation. However, pharmacological inhibition of mTOR did not abolish RSK phosphorylation at Ser380, indicating that mTOR catalytic activity is not required for this phosphorylation. Since RSK and SIN1β colocalize at the membrane during serum restimulation and acute glutamine withdrawal, mTORC2 could act as a scaffold to enhance RSK HM site phosphorylation. Among the known RSK substrates, the CCTβ subunit of the chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT) complex had defective phosphorylation in the absence of mTORC2. Our findings indicate that the mTORC2-mediated phosphorylation of the RSK HM site could confer RSK substrate specificity and reveal that RSK responds to nutrient fluctuations.

Jasmonates (JAs) regulate the defense of biotic and abiotic stresses, growth, development, and many other important biological processes in plants. The comprehensive proteomic profiling of plants under JAs treatment provides insights into the regulation mechanism of JAs. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomic analysis was performed on the Arabidopsis wild type (Ws) and JA synthesis deficiency mutant opr3-1. The effects of exogenous MeJA treatment on the proteome of opr3-1, which lacks endogenous JAs, were investigated. A total of 3683 proteins were identified and 126 proteins were differentially regulated between different genotypes and treatment groups. The functional classification of these differentially regulated proteins showed that they were involved in metabolic processes, responses to abiotic stress or biotic stress, the defense against pathogens and wounds, photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and developmental processes. Exogenous MeJA treatment induced the up-regulation of a large number of defense-related proteins and photosynthesis-related proteins, it also induced the down-regulation of many ribosomal proteins in opr3-1. These results were further verified by a quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of 15 selected genes. Our research provides the basis for further understanding the molecular mechanism of JAs’ regulation of plant defense, photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and development.

Objective: A dynamic analysis of energy consumption and economic growth is carried out by using the PVAR model. Method: The PVAR model is established to analyze the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption in the provinces and cities such as Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Results: It is found that the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption is positive, and there is a difference between the energy consumption and economic growth among different regions. Conclusions: The PVAR model is conducive to understand the dynamic relationship between regional economic growth and energy consumption, so it has the value of research and application.

This article explores whether GTS (gaze time on screen) can be useful as an engagement measure in the screen mediated learning context. Research that exemplifies ways of measuring engagement in the on-line education context usually does not address engagement metrics and engagement evaluation methods that are unique to the diverse contemporary instructional media landscape. Nevertheless, unambiguous construct definitions of engagement and standardized engagement evaluation methods are needed to leverage instructional media's efficacy. By analyzing the results from a mixed methods eye-tracking study of fifty-seven participants evaluating their visual and assembly performance levels in relation to three visual, procedural instructions that are versions of the same procedural instruction, we found that the mean GTS-values in each group were rather similar. However, the original GTS-values outputted from the ET-computer were not entirely correct and needed to be manually checked and cross validated. Thus, GTS appears not to be a reliable, universally applicable automatic engagement measure in screen-based instructional efforts. Still, we could establish that the overall performance of learners was somewhat negatively impacted by lower than mean GTS-scores, when checking the performance levels of the entire group (N = 57). When checking the stimuli groups individually (N = 17, 20, 20), the structural diagram group's assembly time durations were positively influenced by higher than mean GTS-scores.

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that limits maize yield and quality throughout the world. We investigated phosphoproteomics differences between a salt-tolerant inbred line (Zheng58) and a salt-sensitive inbred line (Chang7-2) in response to short-term salt stress using label-free quantitation. A total of 9448 unique phosphorylation sites from 4116 phosphoproteins in roots and shoots of Zheng58 and Chang7-2 were identified. A total of 209 and 243 differentially regulated phosphoproteins (DRPPs) in response to NaCl treatment were detected in roots and shoots, respectively. Functional analysis of these DRPPs showed that they were involved in carbon metabolism, glutathione metabolism, transport, and signal transduction. Among these phosphoproteins, the expression of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase 2, pyruvate dehydrogenase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glutamate decarboxylase, glutamate synthase, l-gulonolactone oxidase-like, potassium channel AKT1, high-affinity potassium transporter, sodium/hydrogen exchanger, and calcium/proton exchanger CAX1-like protein were significantly regulated in roots, while phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase 1, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, sodium/hydrogen exchanger, plasma membrane intrinsic protein 2, glutathione transferases, and abscisic acid-insensitive 5-like protein were significantly regulated in shoots. Zheng58 may activate carbon metabolism, glutathione and ascorbic acid metabolism, potassium and sodium transportation, and the accumulation of glutamate to enhance its salt tolerance. Our results help to elucidate the mechanisms of salt response in maize seedlings. They also provide a basis for further study of the mechanism underlying salt response and tolerance in maize and other crops.