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Laser peen forming (LPF) is an appealing technique for forming metal sheets using high-energy, short-duration laser pulses. The deformation of the target metal plate is closely related to the magnitude and distribution of laser-induced residual stress. Consequently, the relationship between process parameters and residual stress is worth researching. In this research, two process parameters in LPF, laser energy and coverage ratio (spot distance essentially), and one workpiece parameter, plate thickness, were examined through an element method (FEM) of multiple square-spot laser shock peening (SSLSP). Corresponding experiments of SSLSP on aluminum alloy 2024-T351 test blocks were conducted, together with an X-ray diffraction (XRD) residual stress measurement and a surface morphology observation. The FEM simulation and experimental results show that congested laser spots had a significant influence on the magnitude of compressive residual stress; higher laser energy was beneficial to the depth of the compressive stress layer but could decrease its magnitude. Therefore, for better forming ability, higher laser energy and a higher coverage ratio are beneficial; for surface strengthening, laser energy should not be too large, and the coverage ratio should be larger than 100% to ensure that the residual stress on the treated surface is compressive, resulting in better surface integrity.

Abstract Alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for scalable hydrogen production largely hinges on addressing the sluggish bubble‐involved kinetics on the traditional Ni‐based electrode, especially for ampere‐level current densities and beyond. Herein, 3D‐printed Ni‐based sulfide (3DPNS) electrodes with varying scaffolds are designed and fabricated. In situ observations at microscopic levels demonstrate that the bubble escape velocity increases with the number of hole sides (HS) in the scaffolds. Subsequently, we conduct multiphysics field simulations to illustrate that as the hole shapes transition from square, pentagon, and hexagon to circle, where a noticeable reduction in the bubble‐attached HS length and the pressure balance time around the bubbles results in a decrease in bubble size and an acceleration in the rate of bubble escape. Ultimately, the 3DPNS electrode with circular hole configurations exhibits the most favorable HER performance with an overpotential of 297 mV at the current density of up to 1000 mA cm−2 for 120 h. The present study highlights a scalable and effective electrode scaffold design that promotes low‐cost and low‐energy green hydrogen production through the ampere‐level alkaline HER.

Background: Lactylation, a newly discovered PTM involving lactic acid, is linked to solid tumor proliferation and metastasis. Lymphoma patients exhibit high lactic acid levels, yet lactylation's role in lymphoma is underexplored. This study aimed to identify lactylation-related genes in lymphoma using tumor databases and assess their predictive value in patient prognosis through cell experiments and clinical specimens. Methods: Using TCGA and GEO datasets, we analyzed the expression levels of lactylation-related genes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients. We also evaluated the prognostic significance of lactylation gene risk scores, exploring their impact on drug sensitivity and tumor immune function. Key lactylation-affecting genes were identified and functionally validated through cell experiments and mouse in vivo experiments. Additionally, the relationship between lactylation and lymphoma prognosis was examined in clinical specimens. Results: We identified 70 genes linked to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma prognosis from the lactylation-related gene set. Using clinical data and a COX regression algorithm, we developed an optimized lactylation Riskscore model. This model significantly correlated with prognosis and showed differences in immune cell infiltration, particularly macrophages. High-risk patients showed resistance to chemotherapy drugs but responded well to immunotherapy. HNRNPH1, a lactylation-related gene, influenced patient prognosis, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution in lymphoma cells, and tumor volume in mice. In lymphoma specimens, lactylation levels correlated with Bcl-2, C-myc, and P53 levels. Conclusions: Lactylation impacts diffuse large B-cell lymphoma prognosis, tumor immune function, and drug resistance. Our lactylation-based Riskscore model aids in patient stratification and treatment selection. HNRNPH1 regulates lactylation, thereby affecting patient prognosis.

Abstract Harmonic resonance is caused by harmonic source matching resonance frequency and presents the characteristics of decentralization and whole network in modern grids. The current resonance suppression methods mainly focus on reducing the harmonic source, and are suitable for single‐site and small‐scale grids. This paper presents a new method for suppressing parallel resonance at system level. The holistic harmonic resonance is suppressed by reducing the harmonic impedance. In addition, new resonances are prevented by weakening the coupling between resonance and non‐resonance frequencies. The resonance modal analysis and resonance frequency shift (RFS) are employed to optimize harmonic impedance. Simulation results indicate that the capacitance parameter has higher sensitivity and is theoretically more suitable for RFS. Considering the accuracy of modal frequency sensitivity, a variable‐limit genetic algorithm for iteration is proposed. The validity of the proposed method was verified using an IEEE 14‐bus test network.

Abstract Conducting polymer hydrogel can address the challenges of stricken biocompatibility and durability. Nevertheless, conventional conducting polymer hydrogels are often brittle and weak due to the intrinsic quality of the material, which exhibits viscoelasticity. This property may cause a delay in sensor response time due to hysteresis. To overcome these limitations, we have designed a wrinkle morphology three‐dimensional (3D) substrate using digital light processing technology and then followed by in situ polymerization to form interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels. This novel design results in a wrinkle morphology conducting polymer hydrogel elastomer with high precision and geometric freedom, as the size of the wrinkles can be controlled by adjusting the treating time. The wrinkle morphology on the conducting polymer hydrogel effectively reduces its viscoelasticity, leading to samples with quick response time, low hysteresis, stable cyclic performance, and remarkable resistance change. Simultaneously, the 3D gradient structure augmented the sensor's sensitivity under minimal stress while exhibiting consistent sensing performance. These properties indicate the potential of the conducting polymer hydrogel as a flexible sensor.

Background Although normal acute phase reactants (APRs) play an important role in assessing disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), some studies pointed out the discordance between disease activity and APR level. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLRs), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (PLRs) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios (LMRs) have been reported to be sensitive measures of inflammatory reaction. This study aims to explore the value of these haematological makers in assessment of APR-negative RA patients.Methods Out of a cohort of 418 consecutive patients with RA, we enrolled 135 patients with normal APR for this study. We performed ultrasound assessments to evaluate synovitis and bone erosion in the affected joints. Synovitis was evaluated by ultrasound grey scale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) with semi-quantitative scoring (0–3). Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected from the patients. Disease Activity Score-28 joints (DAS28), NLR, MLR and PLR were calculated.Results In RA patients with normal APR, PLR exhibited a positive correlation with ultrasound-detected synovitis and bone erosion, whereas NLR, MLR showed no significant correlation with ultrasonography parameters. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for identifying synovitis with a GS grade ≥2 based on a PLR cutoff value of ≥159.6 was 0.7868 (sensitivity: 80.95%, specificity: 74.24%). For synovitis with a PD grade ≥2, the AUC was 0.7690, using a PLR cutoff value of ≥166.1 (sensitivity: 68.0%, specificity: 83.87%).Conclusions Our findings suggested that PLR might be a reliable and cost-effective marker for identifying moderate-to-severe synovitis in RA patients with normal APR.

Abstract Background Cognitive frailty (CF) is currently a significant issue, and most of the associated factors discovered in current studies are not modifiable. Therefore, it is crucial to identify modifiable risk factors that can be targeted for interventions in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and modifiable risk factors of CF in CHF patients in China. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we sequentially enrolled patients diagnosed with CHF. CF served as the dependent variable, assessed through the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scale and the FRAIL Scale. The independent variable questionnaire encompassed various components, including general demographic information, the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the Simplified Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent factors contributing to CF. Results A total of 271 patients with CHF were included in the study. The overall prevalence of CF was found to be 49.4%, with 28.8% of patients exhibiting potentially reversible cognitive frailty and 20.7% showing reversible cognitive frailty. Among middle-young CHF patients, 10.7% had reversible cognitive frailty and 6.4% had potentially reversible cognitive frailty, with a prevalence of CF at 17.1%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index (OR = 0.826, 95%CI = 0.726–0.938), blood pressure level (OR = 2.323, 95%CI = 1.105–4.882), nutrition status (OR = 0.820, 95%CI = 0.671–0.979), and social support (OR = 0.745, 95%CI = 0.659–0.842) were independent factors associated with CF (p

Abstract The direct bonding copper (DBC) substrates of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules degrade inevitably under cycling thermo‐mechanical stress, causing potential threat to the reliability of IGBT modules. However, little attention has been paid to monitoring their degradation. This paper proposes a DBC degradation monitoring method for IGBT modules, which combines boundary‐dependent thermal network and feedback control. A thermal network is employed to describe the internal material degradation of IGBT modules and can be extracted from a finite‐element method model. The boundary conditions including power losses and DBC degradation are considered, enabling the thermal network suitable for various working conditions and different DBC degradation conditions of IGBT modules. The DBC degradation is characterised by its equivalent thermal conductivities measured in the thermal cycling ageing experiments. On the basis of the boundary‐dependent thermal network, feedback control is applied to monitor DBC degradation by regulating boundary‐dependent thermal impedances. Finally, the proposed model is verified from the effectiveness and accuracy of DBC degradation monitoring and junction temperature calculation. This method casts new light on thermal network modelling and could provide a feasible method for the monitoring of DBC degradation.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a fatal clinical syndrome. The most common cause of secondary HLH is Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. EBV-HLH is a common clinical disease with high mortality, easy relapse, and poor prognosis. Therefore, treating EBV-HLH with T and B lymphocyte involvement is challenging, and selecting an appropriate treatment regimen is critical. Moreover, research on how to evaluate the recurrence index after remission is scarce. In this study, we reported a case of EBV-HLH successfully treated with programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor in combination with rituximab. The regimen had a good curative effect, and we successfully detected the trend of early recurrence. Our findings indicated that PD-1 inhibitor in combination with rituximab may help to treat EBV-HLH and maintain EBV-infected T and B whole-line lymphocytes.

Neonicotinoids (NEOs), a large class of organic compounds, are a type of commonly used pesticide for crop protection. Their uptake and accumulation in plants are prerequisites for their intra- and intercellular movements, transformation, and function. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underpin NEO uptake by plants is crucial for effective application, which remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that NEOs enter plant cells primarily through the transmembrane symplastic pathway and accumulate mainly in the cytosol. Two plasma membrane intrinsic proteins discovered in Brassica rapa, BraPIP1;1 and BraPIP2;1, were found to encode aquaporins (AQPs) that are highly permeable to NEOs in different plant species and facilitate NEO subcellular diffusion and accumulation. Their conserved transport function was further demonstrated in Xenopus laevis oocyte and yeast assays. BraPIP1;1 and BraPIP2;1 gene knockouts and interaction assays suggested that their proteins can form functional heterotetramers. Assessment of the potential of mean force indicated a negative correlation between NEO uptake and the energy barrier of BraPIP1;1 channels. This study shows that AQPs transport organic compounds with greater osmolarity than previously thought, providing new insight into the molecular mechanisms of organic compound uptake and facilitating innovations in systemic pesticides.

Abstract Background Bath is an external stimulus for preterm infants. Currently, three methods are used for preterm infants to bath. It is important to choose the best way for them. The objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of different bath methods on physiological indexes and behavioral status of preterm infants. Methods This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses [PRISMA] guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO(CRD42022377657). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, Sino Med, China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and Wan-Fang database were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials on the effects of different bath methods for preterm infants. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to February 2023. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the literature was screened, quality evaluated and the data was extracted. Reman Version 5.4 was used for meta-analysis and Stata 16.0 software for publication bias Egger’s test. Results A total of 11 RCTs with 828 preterm infants were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the body temperature and oxygen saturation of preterm infants in the sponge bath group were lower than those in conventional tub bath group (SMD = -0.34; 95%CI -0.56 to -0.12; I2 = 0; p

Thermal interface materials (TIMs), as important materials for heat dissipation of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules, degrade under long-term thermal cycling, resulting in elevated junction temperatures and threatening the safe operation of IGBT modules. In consideration of the thermal coupling effect in IGBT modules, this paper proposes a three-dimensional thermal network model characterizing the TIM degradation. An IGBT module with the TIM is adopted to establish the finite element method (FEM) model, in which the TIM layer is divided into regular areas. The thermal network is established by simulating the heat transfer paths. The thermal impedance in each path is extracted according to the heat flow through its area considering the TIM degradation. Thereby, the impact of thermal coupling and TIM degradation on junction temperature of IGBT modules could be characterized. Furthermore, the proposed thermal network is verified by simulation from calculation accuracy of junction temperature and TIM temperature.

Chronic non-specific neck pain (CNNP) poses a substantial health and economic burden in China. This study introduces a gamified motion-sensing health application framework to address the limitations of existing health applications. The gamified cervical spine somatic exercise application employs motion capture technology alongside the smartphone’s built-in sensors to simulate accurate somatic interactions. Controlled experiments and data analyses demonstrated that the application significantly outperformed traditional text and video interventions in relieving participants’ neck pain by increasing their average daily activity and compliance with the cervical spine exercise routine. The neck pain level of the participants is quantified by the Neck Disability Index (NDI). The results from the controlled experiments demonstrate that this gamified approach significantly decreases the Neck Disability Index (NDI) score from 1.54 to 1.24, highlighting its ability to alleviate neck pain and increase user compliance.

Abstract Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technology converts heat into electricity using thermal radiation. Increasing operating temperature is a highly effective approach to improving the efficiency of TPV systems. However, most reported TPV selective emitters degrade rapidly via. oxidation as operating temperatures increase. To address this issue, replacing nanostructured oxide‐metal films with oxide–oxide films is a promising way to greatly limit oxidation, even under high‐temperature conditions. This study introduces new all‐oxide photonic crystal designs for high‐temperature stable TPV systems, overcoming limitations of metal phases and offering promising material choices. The designs utilize both yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/MgO and CeO2/MgO combinations with a multilayer structure and stable high‐quality growth. Both designsexhibit positive optical dielectric constants with tunable reflectivity, measured via optical characterization. Thermal stability testing using in situ heating X‐ray diffraction (XRD) suggests high‐temperature stability (up to 1000 °C) of both YSZ/MgO and CeO2/MgO systems. The results demonstrate a new and promising approach to improve the high‐temperature stability of TPV systems, which can be extended to a wide range of material selection and potential designs.

The catalytic performance and the stability of the water electrolysis system have perplexed the practical splitting water. Herein, 3D‐printed metallic electrodes with Janus porosity are reported, which can achieve the efficient bubble emission and provide high surface area. After a further one‐step treatment, the catalysts of Ru–Ni(OH)2 and Fe–Ni(OH)2 nanoarrays are in situ grown on the electrodes. Theoretical calculations and systematical experiments confirm the synergistic effect of the gradient morphology and the in situ grown catalysts. The electrolyzer shows unprecedented activity with an overpotential of 98 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction and 343 mV for oxygen evolution reaction at the current density of 500 mA cm−2 and outperformed stability, which can deliver 500 mA cm−2 at the voltage of 1.638 V for 2100 h with no significant decay, far exceedingly most state‐of‐the‐art electrolyzers. This 3D electrode with controllable bubble motions offers a viable solution for future industrial sustainable hydrogen production technology.

Abstract Background Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) offers superior cosmetic outcomes and has been gaining wide acceptance. It has always been difficult to objectively quantify the risk of nipple-areola complex involvement (NACi). The goal was to develop a prediction model for clinical application. Methods Patients who had a total mastectomy (TM) between January 2016 and January 2020 at a single institute formed the development cohort (n = 578) and those who had NSM + immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) between January 2020 and January 2021 formed the validation cohort (n = 112). The prediction model was developed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression studies. Based on NACi risk variables identified in the development cohort, a nomogram was created and evaluated in the validation cohort. Meanwhile, stratified analysis was performed based on the model’s risk levels and was combined with intraoperative frozen pathology (IFP) to optimize the model. Results Tumor central location, clinical tumor size (CTS) > 4.0 cm, tumor-nipple distance (TND) ≤ 1.0 cm, clinical nodal status positive (cN +), and KI-67 ≥ 20% were revealed to be good predictive indicators for NACi. A nomogram based on these major clinicopathologic variables was employed to quantify preoperative NACi risk. The accuracy was verified internally and externally. The diagnostic accuracy of IFP was 92.9%, sensitivity was 64.3%, and specificity was 96.9% in the validation group. Stratified analysis was then performed based on model risk. The diagnostic accuracy rates of IFP and NACiPM in low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk respectively were 96.0%, 93.3%, 83.9%, 61.3%, 66.7%, and 83.3%. Conclusion We created a visual nomogram to predict NACi risk in breast cancer patients. The NACiPM can be used to distinguish the low, intermediate, and high risk of NAC before surgery. Combined with IFP, we can develop a decision-making system for the implementation of NSM.

Cell fate is precisely modulated by complex but well-tuned molecular signaling networks, whose spatial and temporal dysregulation commonly leads to hazardous diseases. Biomolecular condensates (BCs), as a newly emerging type of biophysical assemblies, decipher the molecular codes bridging molecular behaviors, signaling axes, and clinical prognosis. Particularly, physical traits of BCs play an important role; however, a panoramic view from this perspective toward clinical practices remains lacking. In this review, we describe the most typical five physical traits of BCs, and comprehensively summarize their roles in molecular signaling axes and corresponding major determinants. Moreover, establishing the recent observed contribution of condensate physics on clinical therapeutics, we illustrate next-generation medical strategies by targeting condensate physics. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for future medical development along with the rapid scientific and technological advances are highlighted.

BackgroundIt is now understood that APOBEC3 family proteins (A3s) are essential in tumor progression, yet their involvement in tumor immunity and stemness across diverse cancer types remains poorly understood.MethodsIn the present study, comprehensive genome-wide statistical and bioinformatic analyses were conducted to elucidate A3 family expression patterns, establishing clinically relevant correlations with prognosis, the tumor microenvironment(TME), immune infiltration, checkpoint blockade, and stemness across cancers. Different experimental techniques were applied, including RT–qPCR, immunohistochemistry, sphere formation assays, Transwell migration assays, and wound-healing assays, to investigate the impact of A3C on low-grade glioma (LGG) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), as well as its function in glioma stem cells(GSCs).ResultsDysregulated expression of A3s was observed in various human cancer tissues. The prognostic value of A3 expression differed across cancer types, with a link to particularly unfavorable outcomes in gliomas. A3s are associated with the the TME and stemness in multiple cancers. Additionally, we developed an independent prognostic model based on A3s expression, which may be an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with glioma. Subsequent validation underscored a strong association between elevated A3C expression and adverse prognostic outcomes, higher tumor grades, and unfavorable histology in glioma. A potential connection between A3C and glioma progression was established. Notably, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses implicated A3C in immune system-related diseases, with heightened A3C levels contributing to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in glioma. Furthermore, in vitro experiments substantiated the role of A3C in sustaining and renewing glioma stem cells, as A3C deletion led to diminished proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioma cells.ConclusionThe A3 family exhibits heterogeneous expression across various cancer types, with its expression profile serving as a predictive marker for overall survival in glioma patients. A3C emerges as a regulator of glioma progression, exerting its influence through modulation of the tumor microenvironment and regulation of stemness.

Abstract Background The home treatment of elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) is often accompanied by malnutrition, which increases the risk of re-hospitalisation and affects the prognosis. Therefore, how to effectively improve the nutritional self-management of patients is a current focus of medical research. This study aims to test the effect of home-based nutritional intervention method on improving the nutritional status of elderly patients with CHF. Methods A total of 90 hospitalised elderly patients with CHF were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 45) and the control group (n = 45). The patients in both groups were given standardised drug therapy and their nutritional status was evaluated using a body composition analyser prior to discharge (protein, body fat percentage, visceral fat area, skeletal muscle, upper arm muscle circumference, left lower limb and right lower limb muscle mass), with the cardiopulmonary function evaluated using a six-minute walk test and the metabolic equivalents method. The control group was given general nutrition education and routine dietary guidance from cardiac rehabilitation nurses, while the experimental group was given an individualised nutrition prescription by dietitians based on the evaluation results, according to which one-to-one food exchange dietary intervention training was given until the patients mastered the process. Results The nutritional indexes at the end of the study were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group and were higher than those before the intervention (P 0.05). The cardiopulmonary function indexes were significantly better in the experimental group at the end of the study than before the intervention and were better than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P 0.05). Conclusion The home-based nutritional intervention method of food exchange portions can effectively improve the nutritional status of elderly patients with CHF, with the distribution of visceral fat more reasonable and the cardiopulmonary function and exercise endurance improved.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to detect and analyze the aroma of Canarium album of different cultivars to explore the characteristics of aroma components. The results showed that a total of 56 aroma compounds were detected in 9 kinds of C. album of different cultivars, all of which were mainly olefinic substances, accounting for 78.51%~89.34% of the content of the total aroma components of each variety. α-pinene, β-pinene, caryophyllene, α-caryophyllene and myrcene were the main aroma components. These aroma substances laid the foundation for the aroma of C. album. Among them, caryophyllene was a relatively high content and stable existence in various cultivars. There were also differences in odor activity value (OAV) among different varieties of C. album. Pinene was an important component of the aroma characteristics of C. album of these nine varieties, and the aroma types were pine oily and woody. There are differences in aroma substances and substance contents among different C. album varieties, and the research results can provide a basis for later C. album aroma mechanism research, breeding, promotion and quality innovation.

PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) induce targeted protein degradation by hijacking the intracellular ubiquitin proteasome system, thus emerging as a new strategy for drug development. However, most PROTACs generated lack cell-type selectivity and are poorly soluble in water. To address this drawback, we developed a novel PROTAC ZL216 using aptamer AS1411 as a targeting ligand of nucleolin to conjugate with a small molecule ligand of E3 ligase VHL, which shows high aqueous solubility and serum stability. Based on the differential expression of nucleolin on the cell surface, ZL216 could bind to and internalize into breast cancer cells, but not normal breast cells. Furthermore, we revealed that ZL216 promoted the formation of a nucleolin-ZL216-VHL ternary complex in breast cancer cells and potently induced nucleolin degradation in vitro and in vivo. As a result, ZL216 inhibited the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. These studies demonstrate that in addition to peptides and small molecule compounds, nuclei acid aptamers can also be used to generate PROTACs, which broadens the toolbox constructing PROTACs and provides a promising strategy for development of tumor-selective PROTACs.

Maritime hazardous chemical transportation accidents have the characteristics of strong suddenness, wide influence, and great harm. To analyze the ability of a maritime hazardous chemical transportation system (MHCTS) to cope with sudden disturbance events, “resilience” is introduced into MHCTS safety research. The key to studying resilience is modeling its evolutionary process. Based on the dissipative structure theory, this study analyzes the entropy flow mechanism of MHCTS safety resilience evolution. Through a statistical analysis of 197 investigation reports on maritime hazardous chemical transportation accidents, the factors influencing the safety resilience of the MHCTS were determined. The entropy value and weight of each influencing factor were calculated using the entropy method and entropy weight method, respectively. Based on this, an entropy model of the safety resilience evolution of the MHCTS was established. The evolution process falls under four categories of disturbance strengths, which were simulated using the system dynamics method. The degree of contribution of absorptive, adaptive, and restorative capacities to the improvement of system safety resilience under four disturbance conditions and the sensitivity of each influencing factor to the absorptive, adaptive, and restorative capacities were analyzed. Based on the analyses, targeted resilience improvement strategies are proposed. The research results provide a theoretical reference for the study of safety resilience mechanisms and resilience management in the MHCTS.

Metal organic frameworks (MOF) coated with mammalian cell membranes have good biocompatibility. Here, the authors develop a cobalt based hydrogen sulphide producing MOF cloaked with a macrophage membrane and show that the subsequent system can reduce tumour growth in mice.

Abstract Introduction Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is an abnormal, persistent, and unexplained physical and psychological tiredness in patients after stroke. It is a common symptom of stroke patients with poor quality of life and bleak prognosis, and the incidence rate is up to 39% to 72%. It has been widely reported that medicine treatments achieved a lot of progress, there still needs to develop more powerful new strategies to more powerful effect. The transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) shows great potential for the treatment of PSF. This study proposes to apply a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial to explore the effect and safety of tDCS combined with routine rehabilitation for PSF. Methods and analysis One hundred patients with PSF will be randomly divided into two groups. One of the groups will receive conventional rehabilitation therapy and active tDCS, whereas another group will receive conventional rehabilitation treatment and sham tDCS. Both groups will receive the intervention for 4 weeks, during which time they will undergo either active or sham tDCS 20 min a day, 6 days a week. Primary outcome: Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) will be measured at baseline every weekend during the intervention period. Secondary results: Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy (Fatigue) (FACIT-F), and Specialized Quality of Life Scale in Stroke (SS-QOL) will be measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention time of 4 weeks. Throughout the study, adverse events and adverse reactions will be measured during every treatment. The research study “Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on patients with post-stroke fatigue” has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University: Clinical Medicine Ethics Review [2015]043 in Nov 2015. Discussion This study will provide insight into the efficacy of transcranial direct-current stimulation for post-stroke fatigue. This is a double-blind randomized controlled trial whose aim is to assess the effects of tDCS on PSF. This study can provide more information about the treatment of PSF. This study has a period of follow-up, which allows for greater accuracy. It is a single-center trial, and this may be a limitation. The other limitation of this study is the relatively small number of participants; thus, the influence of chance on experimental results cannot be completely ruled out. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000031120 . Registered on March 22, 2020. This protocol version number is V1.1.

Metal additive manufacturing (MAM) is an emerging and disruptive technology that builds three-dimensional (3D) components by adding layer-upon-layer of metallic materials. The complex cyclic thermal history and highly localized energy can produce large temperature gradients, which will, in turn, lead to compressive and tensile stress during the MAM process and eventually result in residual stress. Being an issue of great concern, residual stress, which can cause distortion, delamination, cracking, etc., is considered a key mechanical quantity that affects the manufacturing quality and service performance of MAM parts. In this review paper, the ongoing work in the field of residual stress determination and control for MAM is described with a particular emphasis on the experimental measurement/control methods and numerical models. We also provide insight on what still requires to be achieved and the research opportunities and challenges.

IntroductionOrganic manure, plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and biocontrol agents are widely used to sustainably control soil-borne diseases. However, how and whether organic manure inoculated with biocontrol agents alters soil microbiota and reduces disease severity is poorly understood.MethodsHere, we examined changes to the soil microbial community, soil properties, and incidence of Fusarium wilt disease in response to several fertilization regimes. Specifically, we studied the effects of inorganic chemical fertilization (CF), organic manure fertilization (OF), and Erythrobacter sp. YH-07-inoculated organic manure fertilization (BF) on the incidence of Fusarium wilt in tomato across three seasons.ResultsBF-treated soils showed increased microbial abundance, richness, and diversity compared to other treatments, and this trend was stable across seasons. BF-treated soils also exhibited a significantly altered microbial community composition, including increased abundances of Bacillus, Altererythrobacter, Cryptococcus, and Saprospiraceae, and decreased abundances of Chryseolinea and Fusarium. Importantly, BF treatment significantly suppressed the incidence of Fusarium wilt in tomato, likely due to direct suppression by Erythrobacter sp. YH-07 and indirect suppression through changes to the microbial community composition and soil properties.DiscussionTaken together, these results suggest that Erythrobacter sp. YH-07-inoculated organic manure is a stable and sustainable soil amendment for the suppression of Fusarium wilt diseases.

A 52-year-old woman complained of inguinal lymph node enlargement, low fever and night sweats for 20 days. After pathological biopsy and metagenomic sequencing, she was diagnosed as having Bartonella henselae infection. Her lymph nodes were accompanied by multiple ulcers in the affected area and sinus formation. Azithromycin was administered according to the Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy 2020, combined with wound repair and partial resection of inguinal lymph nodes. The patient showed good recovery after the operation. In all, lymphadenitis associated with B. henselae infection is difficult to diagnose. Lymphadenitis with suppuration and sinus formation needs multidisciplinary consultation. When the causal pathogen is unknown, metagenomic sequencing is recommended for a definite diagnosis.

Introduction and objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant digestive tumors, and its insidious onset and rapid progression are the main reasons for the difficulty in effective treatment. Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) is a key enzyme that regulates phospholipid metabolism of the cell membrane. However, the mechanism by which LPCAT1 regulates HCC metastasis remains unknown. This study aimed to explore its biological function and potential mechanisms concerning migration and invasion in HCC. Materials and methods: LPCAT1 expression in HCC tissues and its association with clinical outcomes were investigated by western blotting and bioinformatic methods, respectively. The role of LPCAT1 in migration and invasion was assessed via Transwell assays. The expression pattern of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was quantified by western blotting. The biological behaviors of LPCAT1 in vivo were evaluated using xenograft tumor models and caudal vein metastatic models. Signaling pathways related to LPCAT1 were predicted using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and further confirmed by western blotting. Results: LPCAT1 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and indicated a poor prognosis of HCC patients. Several EMT-related markers were found to be regulated by LPCAT1. HCC cells overexpressing LPCAT1 exhibited remarkably high migration and invasion capacities, upregulated expression of mesenchymal markers and reduced E-cadherin expression. In vivo, LPCAT1 promoted HCC pulmonary metastasis. Furthermore, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was confirmed to be activated by LPCAT1. Conclusions: LPCAT1 could serve as a promising biomarker of HCC and as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic HCC.

BackgroundThis meta-analysis was conducted to explore the association between sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is) and ocular diseases in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.MethodsPubMed, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, Web of Science and Springer were searched for articles on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving T2DM patients treated with SGLT-2i versus placebo or other hypoglycemic agents published prior to August 2021. The primary outcome of this meta-analysis was incidence of ocular diseases, which was assessed using risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We reviewed 47 papers and compared the effect of SGLT-2i with the effect of the control groups (placebo and other hypoglycemic drugs) on the incidence of ocular diseases.ResultsCompared with controls, overall SGLT-2i use in T2DM patients was not associated with incidences of cataract, glaucoma, retinal disease and vitreous disease. Ertugliflozin (RR=0.47, P=0.01) reduced the risk for retinal disease, while empagliflozin (RR=0.44, P=0.05) reduced the risk for diabetic retinopathy (DR) compared with controls. SGLT-2i (RR=0.50, P=0.02), perhaps empagliflozin (RR=0.47, P=0.06), reduced the risk of retinal disease compared with active hypoglycemic agents. Canagliflozin (RR=4.50, P=0.03) increased the risk for vitreous disease compared with placebo.ConclusionsThere was no significant correlation between overall SGLT-2i and ocular diseases (cataract, glaucoma, retinal disease, vitreous disease, corneal disease, conjunctival disease, uveal disease, eye haemorrhage and vision problems) in T2DM patients. Ertugliflozin and empagliflozin may protect against ocular diseases, but canagliflozin may promote ocular diseases.

Background: Disorders of consciousness (DOC) are one of the clinical hallmarks of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). DOC impair patient life quality and increase the burden on their families and society. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of routine rehabilitation combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in DOC patients after TBI. A total of 78 DOC patients were randomly divided after TBI into two groups: participants in the treatment group received routine rehabilitation combined with an active tDCS protocol. In contrast, participants in the control group received routine rehabilitation combined with a sham tDCS protocol. An anode was placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and a cathode was placed over the right supraorbital area. The stimulation intensity was 2 mA. Both tDCS protocols lasted for eight consecutive weeks (20 minutes per day, six days per week). Patients were followed up for a further eight weeks. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), brainstem auditory evoked potentials, somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalogram were measured at weeks zero, two, four, six, eight and sixteen from the start of tDCS. Results: Neither the GOS nor GCS scores differed significantly between the two groups, while brainstem auditory evoked potentials, somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalogram scores did. Conclusions: This study found that tDCS improves some neurophysiological parameters but not clinical outcomes of DOC patients after TBI. Clinical Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800014808 (The version is V.1.0). Registered on February 7, 2018. http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=25003.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is one of the most worldwide harmful cyanobacterial toxins. A lots of antibodies against MC-LR have been generated and characterized. However, the knowledge about the epitopes of MC-LR was still limited. The objective of this study was to analyze the epitopes of MC-LR and demonstrate the binding mode of MC-LR with its antibody. The variable genes of a mouse hybridoma cell line (Mab5H1–3B3) raised against MC-LR have been cloned and assembled in a single chain variable fragment (scFv), and then soluble expressed in E.coli BL21. Based on the scFv, the IC50 and IC10 for MC-LR were determined to be 7.45 nM and 0.30 nM by competitive ELISA. And the scFv also showed 115% and 112% cross-reactivities to MC-RR and MC-YR, and 59% to MC-LA. By molecular docking, the binding mode between MC-LR and its scFv was demonstrated. A hydrogen bond interaction was observed between the carbonyl group of Adda5 residue of MC-LR and its scFv, and the guanidyl group of Arg4 residue and phenyl group of Adda5 residue of MC-LR were also involved in the interaction. These predicted epitopes were supported by antibody cross-reactivity data. By comparing the antibody informatics of MC-LR scFv with its predicted paratopes, VH-CDR1 was crucial for MC-LR binding, and its specificity could be tuned by engineering in Vκ-CDR1 and Vκ-CDR3. These information would be useful for the hapten design for microcystins or improving the properties of MC-LR scFv in vitro.

Background: Female breast cancer is currently the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel hypoxia-related long noncoding RNA (HRL) prognostic model for predicting the overall survival (OS) of patients with breast cancer.Methods: The gene expression profiles were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A total of 200 hypoxia-related mRNAs were obtained from the Molecular Signatures Database. The co-expression analysis between differentially expressed hypoxia-related mRNAs and lncRNAs based on Spearman’s rank correlation was performed to screen out 166 HRLs. Based on univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression analysis in the training set, we filtered out 12 optimal prognostic hypoxia-related lncRNAs (PHRLs) to develop a prognostic model. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves, area under the curve, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to test the predictive ability of the risk model in the training, testing, and total sets.Results: A 12-HRL prognostic model was developed to predict the survival outcome of patients with breast cancer. Patients in the high-risk group had significantly shorter median OS, DFS (disease-free survival), and predicted lower chemosensitivity (paclitaxel, docetaxel) compared with those in the low-risk group. Also, the risk score based on the expression of the 12 HRLs acted as an independent prognostic factor. The immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that the immune scores of patients in the high-risk group were lower than those of the patients in the low-risk group. RT-qPCR assays were conducted to verify the expression of the 12 PHRLs in breast cancer tissues and cell lines.Conclusion: Our study uncovered dozens of potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets related to the hypoxia signaling pathway in breast cancer.

Background: Clinical remission is an attainable goal for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). However, data on RA remission rates from multinational studies in the Asia-Pacific region are limited. We conducted a cross-sectional multicentric study to evaluate the clinical remission status and the related factors in RA patients in the Asia-Pacific region. Methods: RA patients receiving standard care were enrolled consecutively from 17 sites in 11 countries from APLAR RA SIG group. Data were collected on-site by rheumatologists with a standardized case-report form. Remission was analyzed by different definitions including disease activity score using 28 joints (DAS28) based on ESR and CRP, clinical disease activity index (CDAI), simplified disease activity index (SDAI), Boolean remission definition, and clinical deep remission (CliDR). Logistic regression was used to determine related factors of remission. Findings: A total of 2010 RA patients was included in the study, the overall remission rates were 62•3% (DAS28-CRP), 35•5% (DAS28-ESR), 30•8% (CDAI), 26•5% (SDAI), 24•7% (Boolean), and 17•1% (CliDR), respectively, and varied from countries to countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) prescription rate was low (17•9%). Compared to patients in non-remission, patients in remission had higher rates of b/tsDMARDs usage and lower rates of GC usage. The favorable related factors were male sex, younger age, fewer comorbidities, fewer extra-articular manifestations (EAM), and use of b/tsDMARDs, while treatment with GC was negatively related to remission. Interpretation: Remission rates were low and varied in the Asia-Pacific region. Treatment with b/tsDMARDs and less GC usage were related to higher remission rate. There is an unmet need for RA remission in the Asia-Pacific region.

Epitaxial lithium niobate (LNO) thin films are an attractive material for devices across a broad range of fields, including optics, acoustics, and electronics. These applications demand high‐quality thin films without in‐plane growth domains to reduce the optical/acoustical losses and optimize efficiency. Twin‐free single‐domain‐like growth has been achieved previously, but it requires specific growth conditions that might be hard to replicate. In this work, a versatile nanocomposite‐seeded approach is demonstrated as an effective approach to grow single‐domain epitaxial lithium niobate thin films. Films are grown through a pulsed laser deposition method and growth conditions are optimized to achieve high‐quality epitaxial film. A comprehensive microstructure characterization is performed and optical properties are measured. A piezoelectric acoustic resonator device is developed to demonstrate the future potential of the nanocomposite‐seeded approach for high‐quality LNO growth for radio frequency (RF) applications.

Bi2WO6:CoFe2O4 (BWO:CFO) vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) in epitaxial thin film form has been demonstrated on single-crystal LaAlO3 (LAO) (001) substrates via pulsed laser deposition (PLD). CFO nanopillars exhibit a unique nanocone shape embedded in the epitaxial BWO matrix with an Aurivillius layered oxide structure. The growth direction of the CFO nanopillars is (004), different from that of its epitaxial single-phase counterpart (220), which is attributed to the interfacial strain effect. Magnetic measurements show robust and anisotropic magnetic properties from the CFO nanocone structures, and obvious ferroelectric responses are demonstrated in the BWO matrix, both at room temperature.

In this paper, we present a deep nonparametric Bayesian method to synthesize a light field from a single image. Conventionally, light-field capture requires special optical architecture, and the gain in angular resolution often comes at the expense of a reduction in spatial resolution. Techniques for computationally generating the light field from a single image can be expanded further to a variety of applications, ranging from microscopy and materials analysis to vision-based robotic control and autonomous vehicles. We treat the light field as multiple sub-aperture views, and to compute the novel viewpoints, our model contains three major components. First, a convolutional neural network is used for predicting the depth probability map from the image. Second, a multi-scale feature dictionary is constructed within a multi-layer dictionary learning network. Third, the novel views are synthesized taking into account both the probabilistic depth map and the multi-scale feature dictionary. The experiments show that our method outperforms several state-of-the-art novel view synthesis methods in delivering good image resolution.

This paper provides insight into the optimal configuration scheme of the grid-connected inverters based on harmonic amplification suppression. The connection of the inverters changes the natural resonance frequencies of the grid. Hence, a reasonable configuration of grid-connected inverters can optimize the impedance distribution and shift the natural resonance frequencies to frequency bands farther away from the harmonic sources. We proposed a scheme of site selection and determination of the number of inverters to suppress harmonic amplification. The resonance frequencies and modal frequency sensitivities (MFSs) were obtained by the resonance modal analysis (RMA). Moreover, the concepts of security region and insecurity region of resonance frequency were illustrated. The grid-connected sites can be obtained by calculating the participation factors (PFs) of the resonance frequencies in the insecurity region. Furthermore, the optimal number was determined by building the Norton equivalent circuit of the inverter and evaluating the output impedance at each frequency. Finally, simulations in Matlab/Simulink based on a modified IEEE-9 bus microgrid were utilized to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Object: Primary osteoporosis (PO) is the most common bone disease, which is characterized by decreased bone mass, damage of bone tissue microstructure, increased bone fragility, and is prone to fracture. Gut microbiome may be involved in bone metabolism of PO through gut–brain axis regulation of immune system and endocrine system, however, the specific mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterize the gut microbiome of patients with PO and its possible role in the occurrence and development of the disease.Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 48 PO patients and 48 healthy controls (HC). The composition of gut microbiome community was analyzed by 16s rDNA amplification sequencing, and the difference of gut microbiome composition between PO patients and HC individuals was compared. PICRUSt was also used to predict the biological function of gut microbiome in patients with PO, and to explore its possible role in the occurrence and development of this disease. The classification model is constructed by random forest algorithm so as to screen the key biomarkers.Result: The diversity of gut microorganisms in PO patients was significantly higher than that in HC group (p < 0.05) and there was significant difference in microbial composition in PO group. The abundance of Dialister (0.036 vs. 0.004, p < 0.001) and Faecalibacterium (0.331 vs. 0.132, p < 0.001) were significantly enriched which were the key flora related to PO. Although no significant correlation between bone mineral density and the richness of microbial communities are found, PICRUST results show that there are a wide range of potential pathways between gut microbiome and PO patients, including genetic information processing, metabolism, environmental information processing, cellular processes, human diseases, and organic systems. Notably, the discriminant model based on dominant microflora can effectively distinguish PO from HC (AUC = 93.56).Conclusions: The findings show that PO is related to the change of gut microbiome, especially the enriched Dialister and Faecalibacterium genera, which give new clues to understand the disease and provide markers for the diagnosis and new strategies for intervention treatment of the disease.

After an osteosarcoma excision, recurrence and bone defects are significant challenges for clinicians. In this study, the curcumin (Cur) loaded chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (CCNP) encapsulated silk fibroin (SF)/hyaluronic acid esterified by methacrylate (HAMA) (CCNPs-SF/HAMA) hydrogel for the osteosarcoma therapy and bone regeneration was developed by photocuring and ethanol treatment. The micro or nanofibers networks were observed in the CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel. The FTIR results demonstrated that alcohol vapor treatment caused an increase in β-sheets of SF, resulting in the high compression stress and Young’s modulus of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel. According to the water uptake analysis, SF caused a slight decrease in water uptake of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel while CCNPs could enhance the water uptake of it. The swelling kinetic results showed that both the CCNPs and the SF increased the swelling ratio of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel. The accumulative release profile of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel showed that the release of Cur from CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel was accelerated when pH value was decreased from 7.4 to 5.5. Besides, compared with CCNPs, the CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel had a more sustainable drug release, which was beneficial for the long-term treatment of osteosarcoma. In vitro assay results indicated that CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel with equivalent Cur concentration of 150 μg/mL possessed both the effect of anti-cancer and promoting the proliferation of osteoblasts. These results suggest that CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel with superior physical properties and the bifunctional osteosarcoma therapy and bone repair may be an excellent candidate for local cancer therapy and bone regeneration.

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have an inherent migratory capacity towards tumor tissue in vivo. With the future objective to quantify the tumor homing efficacy of MSCs, as first step in this direction we investigated the use of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), in particular ca. 4 nm-sized Au NPs, for MSC labeling. Time dependent uptake efficiencies of NPs at different exposure concentrations and times were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results The labeling efficiency of the MSCs was determined in terms of the amount of exocytosed NPs versus the amount of initially endocytosed NPs, demonstrating that at high concentrations the internalized Au NPs were exocytosed over time, leading to continuous exhaustion. While exposure to NPs did not significantly impair cell viability or expression of surface markers, even at high dose levels, MSCs were significantly affected in their proliferation and migration potential. These results demonstrate that proliferation or migration assays are more suitable to evaluate whether labeling of MSCs with certain amounts of NPs exerts distress on cells. However, despite optimized conditions the labeling efficiency varied considerably in MSC lots from different donors, indicating cell specific loading capacities for NPs. Finally, we determined the detection limits of Au NP-labeled MSCs within murine tissue employing ICP-MS and demonstrate the distribution and homing of NP labeled MSCs in vivo. Conclusion Although large amounts of NPs improve contrast for imaging, duration and extend of labeling needs to be adjusted carefully to avoid functional deficits in MSCs. We established an optimized labeling strategy for human MSCs with Au NPs that preserves their migratory capacity in vivo.

Benzodiazepines are recognised as being potentially inappropriate medications for seniors due to their considerable side-effect profile, yet they are commonly prescribed and infrequently discontinued (deprescribed). The study’s primary objective was the deprescription or the dose reduction of benzodiazepines among newly hospitalised seniors using a patient education intervention. A 3-month duration quality improvement study based on the plan–do–study–act model was conducted across two units (3C and 4D) in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital to improve benzodiazepine deprescribing among newly admitted seniors (65 years or older) who were using benzodiazepines. The primary outcome measure was the number of eligible patients who had benzodiazepine deprescribing initiated. A patient education intervention comprising a structured medication review, written patient education (the Eliminating Medications Through Patient Ownership of End Results (EMPOWER) brochure) and at least one brief supportive counselling session by the clinical pharmacist or physician was applied to all eligible patients. All 12 eligible patients consented to benzodiazepine deprescribing; however, only 11 of them (92%) initiated benzodiazepine deprescribing. Six of the 11 patients (55%) had their benzodiazepines discontinued, with the 5 remaining patients (45%) achieving greater than 50% dosage reduction. Seven patients (64%) experienced side effects during the deprescribing process, with over half (57%, n=4) of these seven patients experiencing worsening anxiety symptoms. Five of the 11 patients (45%) required benzodiazepine substitute medications. The use of a structured patient education intervention involving the use of a structured medication review, written patient education material and one-on-one patient counselling can promote benzodiazepine deprescribing. Although worsening anxiety was frequently observed, this was easily managed by the substitution of a more appropriate and clinically indicated medication, which was well tolerated and acceptable by all of our participants. Targeted screening for the presence of anxiety would help to guide the deprescribing process and the need for medication substitution.

In this study, a pot experiment was designed to elucidate the effect of varying dosages of silicon (Si) fertilizer application in Si-deficient and enriched paddy soils on rice phytolith and carbon (C) bio-sequestration within phytoliths (PhytOC). The maximum Si fertilizer dosage treatment (XG3) in the Si-deficit paddy soil resulted in an increase in the rice phytolith content by 100.77% in the stem, 29.46% in the sheath and 36.84% in the leaf compared to treatment without Si fertilizer treatment (CK). However, the maximum Si fertilizer dosage treatment (WG3) in the Si -enriched soil increased the rice phytolith content by only 32.83% in the stem, 27.01% in the sheath and 32.06% in the leaf. Overall, Si fertilizer application significantly (p < 0.05) increased the content of the rice phytoliths in the stem, leaf and sheath in both the Si-deficient and enriched paddy soils, and the statistical results showed a positive correlation between the amount of Si fertilizer applied and the rice phytolith content, with correlation coefficients of 0.998 (p < 0.01) in the Si-deficient soil and 0.952 (p < 0.05) in the Si-enriched soil. In addition, the existence of phytoliths in the stem, leaf, and sheath of rice and its content in the Si-enriched soil were markedly higher than that in the Si-deficient soil. Therefore, Si fertilizer application helped to improve the phytolith content of the rice plant.

GexS100-x glasses with a wide compositional range of 10 ≤ x ≤ 43 (mol%) were prepared for the investigation and understanding of compositional trends of physical properties and structural features in this binary chalcogenide glasses. Both of mechanical and thermal properties were studied by the techniques of micro-indentation, resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, dilatometer, and DSC. The compositional evolution of network structure was discussed with the detailed investigation of Raman spectra. The thermo-mechanical properties, including hardness, thermal expansion coefficient, and elastic modulus, are firstly studied systematically in this binary glass system. Together with structural model theories, the correlation between thermo-mechanical properties and network structure of GexS100-x glasses is established. This work further clarify the composition-structure-property relationship of chalcogenide glasses, which would contribute to the compositional design of novel glasses with elaborate properties. Keywords: Chalcogenide glass, Network structure, Mechanical property, Thermal property

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the expression of miR-211 was downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular function and mechanism of miR-211 in HCC growth and invasion are largely unclear. We found that miR-211 is downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, respectively. Further results showed that low miR-211 associated with TNM stage, vein invasion status and poor prognosis. Ectopic expression of miR-211 effectively suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. We identified SPARC as a bona fide target of miR-211 and overexpression of miR-211 decreased the mRNA and protein expression of SPARC. Finally, we confirmed that the overexpression of SPARC in miR-211-expressing HCC cells can partially restore the inhibitory effect of miR-211. Taken together, our results demonstrated that loss of miR-211 expression and thus uncontrolled SPARC overexpression might drive progression of HCC, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC.

Multiple-object tracking is a challenging issue in the computer vision community. In this paper, we propose a multiobject tracking algorithm in videos based on long short-term memory (LSTM) and deep reinforcement learning. Firstly, the multiple objects are detected by the object detector YOLO V2. Secondly, the problem of single-object tracking is considered as a Markov decision process (MDP) since this setting provides a formal strategy to model an agent that makes sequence decisions. The single-object tracker is composed of a network that includes a CNN followed by an LSTM unit. Each tracker, regarded as an agent, is trained by utilizing deep reinforcement learning. Finally, we conduct a data association using LSTM for each frame between the results of the object detector and the results of single-object trackers. From the experimental results, we can see that our tracker achieves better performance than the other state-of-the-art methods. Multiple targets can be steadily tracked even when frequent occlusions, similar appearances, and scale changes happened.