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A case of bullous pilomatricoma is reported. A 22-year-old female had brown blue nodule on the right shoulder for 3 months and blisters for over 2 months. Dermatological examination revealed a demarcated 1.6 cm×1.0 cm×0.7 cm light purple semitranslucent bulla with loose wall and movable base on the right shoulder. A movable hard mass sized 0.4 cm×0.3 cm could be palpated. Histopathological examination of the lesion showed a mass with clear boundaries, and filtrates of basophils, transitional cells and shadow cells, along with proliferation and dilation of lymphatic vessels. The diagnosis was bullous pilomatricoma. Following surgical removal of the tumor, no recurrence was observed during 6 months of follow-up.

Abstract Objective To construct a nutrition support program for middle-aged and elderly patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) during hospitalization. Methods Based on the JBI Evidence-Based Health Care Model as the theoretical framework, the best evidence was extracted through literature analysis and a preliminary nutrition support plan for middle-aged and elderly ADHF patients during hospitalization was formed. Two rounds of expert opinion consultation were conducted using the Delphi method. The indicators were modified, supplemented and reduced according to the expert’s scoring and feedback, and the expert scoring was calculated. Results The response rates of the experts in the two rounds of consultation were 86.7% and 100%, respectively, and the coefficient of variation (CV) for each round was between 0.00% and 29.67% (all

Abstract Objective In patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy, the use of subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (STAPB) for completely opioid-free postoperative pain management lacks convincing clinical evidence. Methods This study included 112 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy at the 900TH Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force from October 2020 to March 2022. Patients were randomly divided into (1:1) continuous opioid-free STAPB (C-STAPB) group and conventional group. In the C-STAPB group, 0.2% ropivacaine (bilateral, 20 ml per side) was injected intermittently every 12 h through a catheter placed on the transverse abdominis plane for postoperative pain management. The conventional group was treated with a conventional intravenous opioid pump (2.5 μg/kg sufentanil and 10 mg tropisetron, diluted to 100 ml with 0.9% NS). The primary outcomes were the accumulative area under the curve of the numeric rating scale (NRS) score at 24 and 48 h postoperatively at rest and during movement. The secondary outcomes were postoperative recovery outcomes, postoperative daily food intake, and postoperative complications. Results After exclusion (n = 16), a total of 96 patients (C-STAPB group, n = 46; conventional group, n = 49) were included. We found there were no significant differences in the cumulative AUC of NRS score PACU-24 h and PACU-48 h between the C-STAPB group and conventional group at rest [(mean difference, 1.38; 95% CI, − 2.21 to 4.98, P = 0.447), (mean difference, 1.22; 95% CI, − 6.20 to 8.65, P = 0.744)] and at movement [(mean difference, 2.90; 95% CI, − 3.65 to 9.46; P = 0.382), (mean difference, 4.32; 95% CI, − 4.46 to 13.1; P = 0.331)]. The 95% CI upper bound of the difference between rest and movement in the C-STAPB group was less than the inferior margin value (9.5 and 14 points), indicating the non-inferiority of the analgesic effect of C-STPAB. The C-STAPB group had faster postoperative recovery profiles including earlier bowel movement, defecation, more volume of food intake postoperative, and lower postoperative nausea and vomiting compared to conventional groups (P

A diode-pumped continuous wave (CW) Nd:Na2La4(WO4)7 (Nd:NLW) laser operating at 0.9 μm on 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 transition was demonstrated. Four single- wavelengths (the 889 nm and 912 nm in σ-polarization, the 890 nm and 905 nm in π-polarization) were obtained by rotating an intracavity birefringent filter (BF).At an absorbed pump power of 17.4 W at 808 nm, the highest output power of single-wavelength at 912 nm was 3.4 W. Furthermore, the dual-wavelength at 889 and 912 nm in σ-polarization and the dual-wavelength at 890 and 905 nm in π-polarization were also achieved, respectively. At an absorbed pump power of 17.4 W, the maximum total output powers of the dual-wavelengths at 889 and 912 nm was 2.12 W. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quasi-three-level Nd:NLW laser operating at 0.9 μm.

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) suffer from rampant Zn dendrites growth, corrosion and sluggish transport kinetics, all of which have a serious impact on their performance and practical applications. Therefore, porous carbon nanofibers (BTO@PCNFs) loaded with BaTiO3 nanoparticles (BTO NPs) are constructed as a multifunctional interlayer for stabilizing the Zn anodes. Owing to the synergistic effect of BTO NPs and 3D porous carbon framework, this interlayer can achieve uniform electric field distribution, accelerate Zn2+ migration, and promote ion flux homogenization, thus leading to uniform Zn deposition. Meanwhile, the BTO@PCNFs interlayer demonstrates excellent anti‐corrosion effect, which can effectively prevent the side reactions. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of interlayers, the BTO@PCNFs multifunctional interlayers achieve a comprehensive optimization of the Zn anodes. The BTO@PCNFs‐Zn electrode exhibits lower nucleation overpotential (33.5 mV) at 0.5 mA cm−2. The Zn//Zn symmetrical cell with BTO@PCNFs interlayer exhibits ultra‐low overpotential (14 mV) and ultra‐long cycle life (5250 h at 0.5 mA cm−2). Even at high current density (30 mA cm−2), the BTO@PCNFs‐Zn electrode can be stably cycled for more than 830 h, achieving an ultra‐high cumulative capacity of 12 450 mAh cm−2. The multifunctional interlayers can provide a reference for the design of high‐performance Zn anodes.

Deep buried rock is often in a non-hydrostatic initial ground stress field, and the different stress states lead to different rock response under dynamic loading. To study the dynamic behavior of rocks under coupled non-hydrostatic pressure and dynamic loading, the dynamic compression tests under different initial stress are carried out by using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experimental system, and the influence of different non-hydrostatic pressure on energy dissipation and failure characteristics of rock is analyzed. Based on the test results, it is found that both axial and lateral confining pressure have a significant impact on the rock dynamic strength. Taking 8 MPa as the critical point, the rock dynamic strength first increases and then decreases with the increase of axial confining pressure, but the rock dynamic strength will continue to increase with the increase of lateral confining pressure. The rock dissipative energy gradually decreases with the increase of axial confining pressure, but the trend of dissipative energy changes with confining pressure is complicated. When the axial confining pressure is low, the dissipative energy decreases with the increase of the confining pressure, and when the axial confining pressure is high, the dissipative energy shows a characteristic of increasing first and then decreasing with the increase of lateral confining pressure. According to the apparent and internal damage patterns of the specimens, combined with fractal theory and CT scanning technology, the influence of the damage pattern of rocks under different non-hydrostatic pressure conditions is analyzed. It is found that there is a significant correlation between the apparent cracks of rock and the ratio of axial-confining pressure. When the axial confining pressure ratio is low, there are fewer cracks on the side and end faces of rock. With the increase of the axial confining pressure ratio, the number of apparent cracks of rock increases. Through the analysis of the cross-sectional and vertical slices of the rock, it is found that there are circumferential and radial cracks in the rock simultaneously, and the rock failure is controlled by the penetrating shear cracks. It also can be found that the damage of rocks under non-hydrostatic pressure conditions can be divided into two parts: the central spherical rock mass and the peripheral broken rock mass, and the damage degree of rocks increases when the axial pressure increases, while the elevation of the surrounding pressure makes the damage degree of rocks decrease.

Polyester enamelled copper wire plays an important role in the manufacturing of electric motors. In line with the electrification of transport, the demand for electric motors and the future waste generated from their end-of-life cannot be ignored. The waste from the polyester enamelled copper wire is expected to increase steadily. Methods proposed by researchers are mainly focused on thermal treatment to either pyrolyse or burn off the polyester enamel. However, thermal treatments fail to consider the potential risk of air pollution and to recover the polyester enamel.In this manuscript, we propose two-stage processes comprised of methanol washing and room temperature methanolysis with dichloromethane as co-solvent and K2CO3 as catalyst to delaminate multilayered type enamelled copper wire. The methanol washing recovers polyvinyl butyral as it is, via dissolution. Whereas the methanolysis products are dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and dimethyl isophthalate (DMI) which are precursors to the polyester and could be used to make new polyester. At room temperature, the parameters of solid to liquid, DCM to methanol, and K2CO3 to Cuwireratio, of 500 g/L, 1.00 mol/mol, and 0.10 wt%, respectively, allow complete removal of polyester enamel in 24 h. The methanolysis parameters described manage to give a modest DMT and DMI yield of 86.0% and 92.2%, respectively. The reaction time can be sped up by increasing the temperature by 10 °C, leading to complete depolymerisation in 4 h. Compared to thermal treatment, the proposed method requires 80.7% lower energy with the products contained within the solution.

A plate-fin heat sink is usually used for the hot side of thermoelectric coolers. The plate-fin heat sink should be optimized to improve its heat dissipation capability and eventually elevate the thermoelectric cooler performance. In this paper, a heat dissipation model of the thermoelectric cooler hot side with a plate-fin sink is established, to explore the performances of the plate-fin sink with two types of fins (rectangular and V-type), two convective conditions (lateral and vertical) and three arrangements (single-row, double-row aligned, and double-row staggered). The results show that under vertical jet conditions, double-row aligned rectangular fins have the best heat dissipation capability for the thermoelectric cooler hot side. In order to optimize the fin geometry and maximize its overall performance, a multi-objective optimization of the fins was performed using a machine learning approach based on artificial neural networks (ANN) and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-ІІ). The corresponding Pareto front is obtained and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is applied to take the point. Compared with the base case at the same mass flow rate, the fins designed by this method resulted in a 23.3 % reduction in the mean temperature of the hot side.

A dynamic modeling framework based on an intelligent approach is proposed to identify the complex behaviors of solid-gas sorption systems. An experimental system was built and tested to assist in developing a model of the system performance during the adsorption and desorption processes. The variations in the thermal effects and gaseous environment accompanying the reactions were considered when designing the model. An optimization platform based on a multi-population genetic algorithm and artificial criteria was established to identify the modeling coefficients and quantify the effects of condition changes on the reactions. The calibration of the simulation results against the tested data showed good accuracy, where the coefficient of determination was greater than 0.988. The outcome of this study could provide a modeling basis for the optimization of solid-gas sorption systems and contribute a potential tool for uncovering key characteristics associated with materials and components.

Abstract Background The peripatellar fat pads are critical for protective cushioning during movement, and their endocrine function has been shown to affect osteoarthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is frequently used to visualize edema of the peripatellar fat pads due to injury. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between peripatellar fat pad edema and patellofemoral maltracking MRI parameters and investigate the association among cases of peripatellar fat pad edema. Methods Age- and sex-matched peripatellar fat pad edema cases were identified and divided into superolateral Hoffa, quadriceps, and prefemoral groups. Images were assessed according to tibial tuberosity lateralization, trochlear dysplasia, patellar alta, patellar tilt, and bisect offset. McNemar’s test or paired t-tests and Spearman’s correlation were used for statistical analysis. Interobserver agreement was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results Of 1210 MRI scans, 50, 68, and 42 cases were in the superolateral Hoffa, quadriceps, and prefemoral groups, respectively. Subjects with superolateral Hoffa fat pad edema had a lower lateral trochlear inclination (p = 0.028), higher Insall-Salvati (p

To promote the formation of CO2 hydrate for cold energy storage, the influence of gas-inducing agitation at varying operating speeds were studied experimentally. A comparison was made with normal stirring (without gas inducing) from the perspectives of deviation from equilibrium condition, subcooling, agglomeration, and hydrate production. The test results revealed that gas-inducing agitation contributed to a closer shift of the hydrate formation profiles towards equilibrium conditions when compared to normal stirring. However, this advantage became less pronounced as the stirring speed increased. Notably, a substantial improvement in subcooling phenomena was observed when transitioning from 250 rpm normal stirring to 500 rpm, decreasing the induction time to 19.3%. Comparing normal stirring, the incorporation of a gas-inducing stirrer further reduced the induction time by 68.6% at 400 rpm. Nevertheless, further increasing agitation speed for both sets did not yield apparent improvement in the subcooling phenomenon. In contrast to normal stirring, gas-inducing agitation effectively prevented hydrate agglomeration at a lower speed and led to increased hydrate production at the same rotation speed. An ascending trend in hydrate production was achieved as agitation accelerated from a low speed to a specific speed, e.g., 400 rpm for gas-inducing stirring and 500 rpm for normal stirring. However, further elevating the stirring speed did not stimulate greater hydrate production. The findings of this study indicated the existence of double-sided effects in using gas-inducing stirring for hydrate promotion and a crucial speed range (e.g., 400∼450 rpm in this study) essential for the efficient implementation of gas-inducing technology. Operating at this prescribed speed range was recommended to improve the energy Return on Investment, maintaining high hydrate production, and enhancing the controllability of cold storage systems. This study provides practical insights for applying gas-inducing technology in gas hydrate reactors, contributing to the development of green cold energy storage.

ABSTRACTEffective control of gene expression is crucial for understanding gene function in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. While several inducible gene expression systems have been reported in Streptococcus mutans, a conditional pathogen that causes dental caries, the significant non-inducible basal expression in these systems seriously limits their utility, especially when studying lethal gene functions and molecular mechanisms. We introduce a tightly controlled xylose-inducible gene expression system, TC-Xyl, for Streptococcus mutans. Western blot results and fluorescence microscopy analysis indicate that TC-Xyl exhibits an extremely low non-inducible basal expression level and a sufficiently high expression level post-induction. Further, by constructing a mutation in which the only source FtsZ is under the control of TC-Xyl, we preliminarily explored the function of the ftsz gene. We found that FtsZ depletion is lethal to Streptococcus mutans, resulting in abnormal round cell shape and mini cell formation, suggesting FtsZ’s role in maintaining cell shape stability.

Highlights A new class of γ-cyclodextrin based metal–organic framework -derived strategy was used to fabricate highly active M–N-C catalysts containing both single-atom sites and nanoparticles. The obtained Co@C-CoNC exhibits remarkable bifunctional oxygen reduction (ORR)/oxygen evolution reactions (OER) performance, which further delivered a high power density and excellent cyclic stability in rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Density functional theory calculation suggests that the mutual self-regulation of d-electron density of both Co NP and Co SAC conjointly reduce the reaction energy barriers and thus boost the ORR/OER kinetics through their fast adsorption/desorption ability of reaction intermediates.

In the process of autonomous vehicle lane changing, a reliable decision-making system is crucial for driving safety and comfort. However, traditional decision-making systems have short-term characteristics, which makes them susceptible to real-time inference from surrounding vehicles. Usually, system sacrifices driving comfort to ensure the safety of the lane change. Balancing driving safety and comfort has always been a research challenge. Long-term trajectory prediction can provide accurate future trajectories of target vehicles, providing reliable long-term information to compensate for the short-term variability of decision systems. This paper proposes a novel decision-making model with long-term trajectory prediction for lane-changing. First, we constructed a long-term trajectory prediction model to predict the trajectories of surrounding vehicles. Besides, we built a lane change decision-making model based on fuzzy inferencing, considering the predicted trajectories to infer the relative relationship between other vehicles and the self-driving car. The establishment of the fuzzy rule library considered the vehicle speed, acceleration, system delay time, driver delay time and the distance between vehicles. Finally, we created a dataset for training and testing the trajectory prediction model, and we built 4 cases simulation environments, for two or three vehicles on a straight road or curved road, respectively, to test the decision-making model. Experimental results show that our proposed model can ensure driving safety and improve driving comfort.

Glabridin is the main ingredient of hydrophobic fraction in licorice extract and has been shown to have anti-melanogenesis activity in skins. However, the underlying mechanism(s) remain not completely understood. The aim of this study is thus to elucidate the possible mechanisms related to the melanogenesis suppression by glabridin in cultured B16 murine melanoma cells and in UVA radiation induced hyperpigmentation model of BALB/c mice as well. Molecular docking simulations revealed that between catalytic core residues and the compound. The treatment by glabridin significantly downregulated both transcriptional and/or protein expression of melanogenesis-related factors including melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor (MC1R), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase (TYR), TYR-related protein-1 (TRP-1) and TRP-2 in B16 cells. Both PKA/MITF and MAPK/MITF signaling pathways were found to be involved in the suppression of melanogenesis by glabridin in B16 cells. Also in vivo glabridin therapy significantly reduced hyperpigmentation, epidermal thickening, roughness and inflammation induced by frequent UVA exposure in mice skins, thus beneficial for skin healthcare. These data further look insights into the molecular mechanisms of melanogenesis suppression by glabridin, rationalizing the application of the natural compound for skin healthcare.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades act as crucial signaling modules that regulate plant growth and development, response to biotic/abiotic stresses, and plant immunity. MAP3Ks can be activated through MAP4K phosphorylation in non-plant systems, but this has not been reported in plants to date. Here, we identified a total of 234 putative TaMAPK family members in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). They included 48 MAPKs, 17 MAP2Ks, 144 MAP3Ks, and 25 MAP4Ks. We conducted systematic analyses of the evolution, domain conservation, interaction networks, and expression profiles of these TaMAPK–TaMAP4K (representing TaMAPK, TaMAP2K, TaMAP3K, and TaMAP4K) kinase family members. The 234 TaMAPK–TaMAP4Ks are distributed on 21 chromosomes and one unknown linkage group (Un). Notably, 25 of these TaMAP4K family members possessed the conserved motifs of MAP4K genes, including glycine-rich motif, invariant lysine (K) motif, HRD motif, DFG motif, and signature motif. TaMAPK3 and 6, and TaMAP4K10/24 were shown to be strongly expressed not only throughout the growth and development stages but also in response to drought or heat stress. The bioinformatics analyses and qRT-PCR results suggested that wheat may activate the MAP4K10–MEKK7–MAP2K11–MAPK6 pathway to increase drought resistance in wheat, and the MAP4K10–MAP3K8–MAP2K1/11-MAPK3 pathway may be involved in plant growth. In general, our work identified members of the MAPK–MAP4K cascade in wheat and profiled their potential roles during their response to abiotic stresses and plant growth based on their expression pattern. The characterized cascades might be good candidates for future crop improvement and molecular breeding.

Abstract A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that can continuously input fuel and oxidant into the device through an electrochemical reaction to release electrical energy. Although noble metals show good activity in fuel cell‐related electrochemical reactions, their ever‐increasing price considerably hinders their industrial application. Improvement of atom utilization efficiency is considered one of the most effective strategies to improve the mass activity of catalysts, and this allows for the use of fewer catalysts, saving greatly on the cost. Thus, single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with an atom utilization efficiency of 100% have been widely developed, which show remarkable performance in fuel cells. In this review, we will describe recent progress on the development of SACs for membrane electrode assembly of fuel cell applications. First, we will introduce several effective routes for the synthesis of SACs. The reaction mechanism of the involved reactions will also be introduced as it is highly determinant of the final activity. Then, we will systematically summarize the application of Pt group metal (PGM) and nonprecious group metal (non‐PGM) catalysts in membrane electrode assembly of fuel cells. This review will offer numerous experiences for developing potential industrialized fuel cell catalysts in the future.

Phase change materials (PCMs) when amalgamated in a shell material to form microencapsulated-PCMs (MPCMs) usually exhibit high levels of supercooling due to the limited crystallization process. In the present study, various efforts were made to reduce this phenomenon, including increasing the MPCM size, employing nucleating agents, and embedding copper nanoparticles into the MPCM shells. It was observed that with an increase in the microcapsule size from 43 μm to 76 μm, the supercooling was reduced by a value of 10.2 °C from melting/freeing point peak temperature differences of 37.6 to 27.4 for the 1200 rpm and 800 rpm samples respectively. Comparatively, the implementation of octadecanol nucleating agent 30 wt % resulted in a reduction of supercooling by 22.9 °C. The introduction of Cu nanoparticles with a decane core can also reduce the supercooling degree by 4.6 °C, while the thermal conductivity the MPCM samples with a hexadecane core increased from 0.173 to 0.182 W m−1 K−1 before and after the addiction of the Cu nanoparticles. Furthermore, di(propylene glycol) methyl ether was used as a carrier fluid for the MPCMs to study the slurry rheological behaviors with various MPCM compositions. It was observed that the MPCM suspension with 10–20% MPCM mass concentration did not exhibit shear thinning, while the 30% sample conveyed shear thinning properties. Furthermore, near the crystallization temperature of the PCM, the slurry viscosity sharply rose, attributed to the volume changes and non-cooperative motion of MPCM microcapsules.

Abstract Background RING (Really Interesting New Gene) zinc finger (RING-zf) proteins belong to an important subclass of zinc fingers superfamily, which play versatile roles during various developmental stages and in abiotic stress responses. Based on the conserved cysteine and histidine residues, the RING-zf domains are classified into RING-HC (C3HC4), RING-H2 (C3H2C3), RING-v, RING-D, RING-S/T, RING-G, and RING-C2. However, little is known about the function of the RING-zfs of wheat. Results In this study, 129 (93.5%) of 138 members were found in nucleus, indicating TaRING-zf were primarily engaged in the degradation of transcription factors and other nuclear-localized proteins. 138 TaRING-zf domains can be divided into four canonical or modified types (RING-H2, RING-HC, RING-D, and RING-M). The RING-M was newly identified in T. aestivum, and might represent the intermediate other states between RING-zf domain and other modified domains. The consensus sequence of the RING-M domain can be described as M-X2-R-X14-Cys-X1-H-X2-Cys-X2-Cys-X10-Cys-X2-Cys. Further interspecies collinearity analyses showed that TaRING-zfs were more closely related to the genes in Poaceae. According to the public transcriptome data, most of the TaRING-zfs were expressed at different 15 stages of plant growth, development, and some of them exhibited specific responses to drought/heat stress. Moreover, 4 RING-HC (TraesCS2A02G526800.1, TraesCS4A02G290600.1, TraesCS4B02G023600.1 and TraesCS4D02G021200.1) and 2 RING-H2 (TraesCS3A02G288900.1 and TraesCS4A02G174600.1) were significantly expressed at different development stages and under drought stress. These findings provide valuable reference data for further study of their physiological functions in wheat varieties. Conclusions Taken together, the characterization and classifications of the TaRING-zf family were extensively studied and some new features about it were revealed. This study could provide some valuable targets for further studies on their functions in growth and development, and abiotic stress responses in wheat.

The ubiquitin-specific protease (UBP) family represents a type of deubiquitinase (DUB) that plays a significant role in plant abiotic stress responses, growth, and development. Although UBP genes have been characterized in many species, a genome-wide systematic analysis and the potential functions under abiotic stresses have not yet been reported in rice (Oryza sativa L.). In this study, we identified 21 UBP gene family members in the genome of rice, all of which had UCH domains containing short but highly conserved Cys-box and His-box. The DUF4220 and DUF594 domains, which are found in monocotyledonous plants, were unique. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that OsUBP7 and OsUBP12 genes had the closest genetic relationships with AtUBP12 and AtUBP13, implying that OsUBP7 and OsUBP12 might have similar biological functions to AtUBP12 and AtUBP13. Synteny analysis revealed that OsUBP genes were expanded through segmental duplication under purifying selection. Meanwhile, they had closer evolutionary relationships with monocotyledonous plants. Additionally, all OsUBP genes had an ABRE cis-element, which was related to abscisic acid (ABA) stress hormone response. Protein interaction analysis suggested that OsUBP22 might modulate gene regulation through OsGCN5- and OsADA2-mediated chromatin modification, and OsUBP10 might regulate salt stress through modulating OsDNA2_4 stability. Specifically, the expression profiles and the transcriptional levels of 11 representative OsUBPs suggested the potential important functions of OsUBP9 and OsUBP17 under drought and cold stresses. Taken together, our study provided a systematic analysis of OsUBPs and preliminarily explored their potential roles under abiotic stresses. Our results lay a foundation for further research on the functions of the OsUBP gene family under abiotic stresses.

Background: More and more studies have suggested that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with high-risk recurrence factors can benefit the most from postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) for its potential effect in delaying cancer recurrence. However, it remains unclear if solitary HCC (SHCC) patients particularly those without high-risk recurrence factors should also receive PA-TACE. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of PA-TACE in them. Methods: Retrospectively, we enrolled 123 SHCC patients who either received radical hepatectomy alone (No TACE group, n = 39) or followed by PA-TACE (PA-TACE group, n = 84) in our institution. Prognostic risk factors, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model, the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test. Results: Liver cirrhosis was the only independent risk factor for SHCC patients. Overall, the PA-TACE group had no improved OS (P = 0.977) but worse DFS compared with the No TACE group (P = 0.045). Consistently, in subgroup analysis, SHCC patients with negative microvascular invasion (MVI), tumor size ≤ 5 cm and preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) < 400 ng/ml had similar OS (P = 0.466, P = 0.864, P = 0.488, respectively) but even worse DFS (P = 0.035, P = 0.040, P = 0.019, respectively) than those in the No TACE group. Besides, there was no significant difference in DFS and OS between the two groups of SHCC patients with liver cirrhosis (P = 0.342, P = 0.941, respectively). Conclusions: PA-TACE may not improve the long-term survival of SHCC patients, but may even potentially promote their postoperative tumor recurrence, especially for those with MVI-negative, tumor size ≤ 5 cm, and preoperative AFP < 400 ng/ml.

Abstract There is great variation in the lithology and lamination thickness of composite roof in coal-measure strata; thus, the roof is prone to delamination and falling, and it is difficult to control the surrounding rock when developing roadway in such rock strata. In deep mining, the stress environment of surrounding rock is complex, and the mechanical response of the rock mass is different from that of the shallow rock mass. For composite-roof roadway excavated in deep rock mass, the key to safe and efficient production of the mine is ensuring the stability of the roadway. The present paper obtains typical failure characteristics and deformation and failure mechanisms of composite-roof roadway with a buried depth of 650 m at Zhaozhuang Coal Mine (Shanxi Province, China). On the basis of determining a reasonable cross-section shape of the roadway and according to the failure characteristics of the composite roof in different regions, the roof is divided into an unstable layer, metastable layer, and stable layer. The controlled unstable layer and metastable layer are regarded as a small structure while the stable layer is regarded as a large structure. A superimposed coupling support technology of large and small structures with a multi-level prestressed bearing arch formed by strong rebar bolts and highly prestressed cable bolts is put forward. The support technology provides good application results in the field. The study thus provides theoretical support and technical guidance for ground control under similar geological conditions.

This work explored a new idea for enhancing the resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of mining anchor steel through microalloying. Microalloyed anchor steels with Nb, Cu, Ni, Sb, and C were prepared through vacuum smelting and hot rolling. Electrochemical measurements, slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests, and fracture morphology observations were used to study the electrochemical and SCC behavior in the simulated mine environment. The results proved that the microstructure of microalloyed steels varies slightly. Adding Ni, Cu, and Sb can improve the mechanical properties of the anchor steel, while reducing C content decreases tensile strength as a result of loss of the solution-strengthening effect. The addition of Sb, Cu, Ni, and reducing the content of C enhances the resistance to corrosion and SCC by mitigating anodic dissolution (AD), while adding Nb improves SCC resistance by inhibiting hydrogen embrittlement (HE). The combined addition of 1% Ni, 0.5% Cu, 0.05% Nb, 0.1% Sb, and 0.5% C presented the highest SCC resistance, which is a promising prospect for the development of high-performance, low-alloy anchor steels. The combined addition of 1% Ni, 0.5% Cu, 0.05% Nb, and 0.1% Sb resulted in the inhibition of electrochemical reactions and corrosion. As a result of the synergistic effect of the microalloy, both AD and HE mechanisms were simultaneously inhibited, which greatly enhanced SCC resistance.

This paper explores the potential of thermal storage as an energy storage technology with cost advantages. The study uses numerical simulations to investigate the impact of adding porous material to the HTF side during solidification to improve the heat transfer effect of TES using AlSi12 alloy as the phase-change material. The research also examines the effects of adding porous dielectric materials and increasing air velocity on the discharge temperature, discharge power, and discharge time of high-temperature phase-change energy storage systems. The study found that the temperature difference of the PCM (increased), solidification time (reduced more than 85%), the outlet temperature of the air, and heat discharge power of the LHS did not vary significantly across different porous materials (copper foam, nickel foam, and silicon carbide foam) added to the HTF tube. These findings offer important information for the design of high-temperature phase-change energy storage devices and can guide future developments in this field.

PurposeThis study aimed to assess the value of 18F-PSMA-1007 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-derived semi-quantitative parameters of primary tumor for risk stratification of newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa).MethodsSixty patients referred for 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging for primary PCa were retrospectively analyzed and classified into the low-intermediate-risk (LIR) or high-risk (HR) group. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor, prostate total lesion PSMA (TL-PSMAp), and prostate PSMA-tumor volume (PSMA-TVp) were measured, and group differences were evaluated using the Mann–Whitney U test. Spearman’s correlation was performed to assess the correlation between the above parameters with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and Gleason score (GS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine optimal cut-off values for SUVmax, TL-PSMAp, and PSMA-TVp to identify high-risk PCa and compare diagnostic efficacy.ResultsAmong 60 patients, 46 were assigned to the HR group and 16 to the LIR group. In all patients, SUVmax, TL-PSMAp, and PSMA-TVp were moderately correlated with pre-treatment PSA values (r = 0.411, p = 0.001; r = 0.663, p < 0.001; and r = 0.549, p < 0.001, respectively). SUVmax and TL-PSMAp were moderately correlated with GS (r = 0.457 and r = 0.448, respectively; p < 0.001), while PSMA-TVp was weakly correlated with GS (r = 0.285, p = 0.027). In the ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off values of SUVmax, TL-PSMAp, and PSMA-TVp for identifying high-risk PCa were 9.61, 59.62, and 10.27, respectively, and the areas under the operating curve were 0.828, 0.901, and 0.809, respectively. The sensitivities of SUVmax, TL-PSMAp, and PSMA-TVp were 91.03%, 71.74%, and 63.04%, respectively, and the specificities were 71.43%, 100.00%, and 92.86%, respectively.ConclusionsTL-PSMAp had a superior ability to identify high-risk PCa. The semi-quantitative parameters of primary tumor on 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging can be an objective imaging reference index to determine PCa risk stratification.

Background Mainland China, the world’s most populous region, experienced a large-scale coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Existing infodemiology studies have primarily concentrated on the prospective surveillance of confirmed cases or symptoms which met the criterion for investigators; nevertheless, the actual impact regarding COVID-19 on the public and subsequent attitudes of different groups towards the COVID-19 epidemic were neglected. Methods This study aimed to examine the public web-based search trends and behavior patterns related to COVID-19 outbreaks in mainland China by using hot words and Baidu Index (BI). The initial hot words (the high-frequency words on the Internet) and the epidemic data (2019/12/01–2021/11/30) were mined from infodemiology platforms. The final hot words table was established by two-rounds of hot words screening and double-level hot words classification. Temporal distribution and demographic portraits of COVID-19 were queried by search trends service supplied from BI to perform the correlation analysis. Further, we used the parameter estimation to quantitatively forecast the geographical distribution of COVID-19 in the future. Results The final English-Chinese bilingual table was established including six domains and 32 subordinate hot words. According to the temporal distribution of domains and subordinate hot words in 2020 and 2021, the peaks of searching subordinate hot words and COVID-19 outbreak periods had significant temporal correlation and the subordinate hot words in COVID-19 Related and Territory domains were reliable for COVID-19 surveillance. Gender distribution results showed that Territory domain (the male proportion: 67.69%; standard deviation (SD): 5.88%) and Symptoms/Symptom and Public Health (the female proportion: 57.95%, 56.61%; SD: 0, 9.06%) domains were searched more by male and female groups respectively. The results of age distribution of hot words showed that people aged 20–50 (middle-aged people) had a higher online search intensity, and the group of 20–29, 30–39 years old focused more on Media and Symptoms/Symptom (proportion: 45.43%, 51.66%; SD: 15.37%, 16.59%) domains respectively. Finally, based on frequency rankings of searching hot words and confirmed cases in Mainland China, the epidemic situation of provinces and Chinese administrative divisions were divided into 5 levels of early-warning regions. Central, East and South China regions would be impacted again by the COVID-19 in the future.

Osteoporosis is an age-related systemic skeletal disease leading to bone mass loss and microarchitectural deterioration. It affects a large number of patients, thereby economically burdening healthcare systems worldwide. The low bioavailability and complications, associated with systemic drug consumption, limit the efficacy of anti-osteoporosis drugs currently available. Thus, a combination of therapies, including local treatment and systemic intervention, may be more beneficial over a singular pharmacological treatment. Hydrogels are attractive materials as fillers for bone injuries with irregular shapes and as carriers for local therapeutic treatments. They exhibit low cytotoxicity, excellent biocompatibility, and biodegradability, and some with excellent mechanical and swelling properties, and a controlled degradation rate. This review reports the advantages of hydrogels for adjuvants loading, including nature-based, synthetic, and composite hydrogels. In addition, we discuss functional adjuvants loaded with hydrogels, primarily focusing on drugs and cells that inhibit osteoclast and promote osteoblast. Selecting appropriate hydrogels and adjuvants is the key to successful treatment. We hope this review serves as a reference for subsequent research and clinical application of hydrogel-based delivery systems in osteoporosis therapy.

Abstract Background The C2H2-type zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZFPs) are one of major classes of transcription factors that play important roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. Limit information about the C 2 H 2 -ZF genes hinders the molecular breeding in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Results In this study, 457 C2H2-ZFP proteins (including 253 splice variants), which contain four types of conserved domain (named Q, M, Z, and D), could be further classified into ten subsets. They were identified to be distributed in 21 chromosomes in T. aestivum. Subset-specific motifs, like NPL-, SFP1-, DL- (EAR-like-motif), R-, PL-, L- and EK-, might make C2H2-ZFP diverse multifunction. Interestingly, NPL- and SFP1-box were firstly found to be located in C2H2-ZFP proteins. Synteny analyses showed that only 4 pairs of C2H2 family genes in T. aestivum, 65 genes in B. distachyon, 66 genes in A. tauschii, 68 genes in rice, 9 genes in Arabidopsis, were syntenic relationships respectively. It indicated that TaZFPs were closely related to genes in Poaceae. From the published transcriptome data, totally 198 of 204 TaC 2 H 2 -ZF genes have expression data. Among them, 25 TaC 2 H 2 -ZF genes were certificated to be significantly differentially expressed in 5 different organs and 15 different development stages by quantitative RT-PCR. The 18 TaC 2 H 2 -ZF genes were verified in response to heat, drought, and heat & drought stresses. According to expression pattern analysis, several TaZFPs, like Traes_5BL_D53A846BE.1, were not only highly expressed in L2DAAs, RTLS, RMS, but also endowed tolerance to drought and heat stresses, making them good candidates for molecular breeding. Conclusions This study systematically characterized the TaC2H2-ZFPs and their potential roles in T. aestivum. Our findings provide new insights into the C 2 H 2 -ZF genes in T. aestivum as well as a foundation for further studies on the roles of TaC 2 H 2 -ZF genes in T. aestivum molecular breeding.

Abstract Most near‐infrared (NIR) light‐responsive photocatalysts inevitably suffer from low charge separation due to the elevated Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes. Here, an n‐type doping strategy of alkaline earth metal ions is proposed in crystalline K+ implanted polymeric carbon nitride (KCN) for visible and NIR photoactivity. The n‐type doping significantly increases the electron densities and activates the n→π* electron transitions, producing NIR light absorption. In addition, the more localized valence band (VB) and the regulation of carrier effective mass and band decomposed charge density, as well as the improved conductivity by 1–2 orders of magnitude facilitate the charge transfer and separation. The proposed n‐type doping strategy improves the carrier mobility and conductivity, activates the n→π* electron transitions for NIR light absorption, and breaks the limitation of poor charge separation caused by the elevated Coulomb interaction.

Due to their unique properties, vortex lasers have high application value in frontier fields such as optical micromanipulation, super-resolution imaging, quantum entanglement, and optical communication. In this study, we demonstrated a 946/1030 nm Laguerre-Gaussian (LG01) mode dual-wavelength vortex laser by using an intracavity cascade pumped structure and a spot-defect output mirror. Using a coaxial linear cavity structure, the 808 nm laser diode (LD) was used to end-pump the Nd:YAG crystal to generate a 946 nm laser and then use it to directly pump the Yb:YAG crystal in the cavity to generate a 1030 nm laser, and finally a 946/1030 nm dual-wavelength laser came out. By making a spot defect in the center of the output mirror to suppress the oscillation of the fundamental Gaussian mode laser and carefully adjusting the position of the laser crystals, the LG01 mode dual-wavelength vortex laser was output in single handedness. When the pump power was 40 W, the total output was 664 mW (356 and 308 mW at 946 and 1030 nm LG01 mode vortex lasers), and the total optical-optical conversion efficiency was 1.7%; the output power fluctuations of 946 and 1030 nm LG01 mode vortex lasers within 1 h were 3.43% and 3.13%, respectively; the beam quality factors M2 of 946 and 1030 nm LG01 mode vortex lasers were 2.35 and 2.40, respectively. It was proved that the generated dual-wavelength vortex laser had the wavefront phase expiϕ by the self-interference method.

In this paper, the 946/1030 nm dual-wavelength LG01 mode vortex laser is obtained by applying the intracavity cascade pumped structure and annular-beam end-pumped method, an innovative and pioneering exploration of the transverse mode of the dual-wavelength laser. First, we demonstrate the oscillation characteristic theoretical model of the dual-wavelength LG01 mode laser, considering the reabsorption effect. Then the length of the laser crystal and the transmittance of the output mirror are simulated and analyzed, respectively, related to the oscillation characteristics of the 946 and 1030 nm LG01 mode vortex lasers. Finally, a 946/1030 nm LG01 mode vortex laser with the same handedness is successfully achieved in our experiment. With 20 W of annular-beam pump power, the output power of 946 and 1030 nm LG01 mode vortex lasers is 0.404 and 0.510 W, the slope efficiency is 3.6% and 6.2%, and the total optical-optical conversion efficiency is 4.6%. At the maximum output power, the fluctuations of output power within 1 h are 4.02% and 4.23%, and the beam quality factors M2 are 2.32 and 2.27, respectively, for 946 and 1030 nm LG01 mode vortex lasers. The wavefront phase exp(iϕ) of the 946/1030 nm dual-wavelength is also proved by the self-interference method.

Penile metastasis of prostate cancer is rare, with a poor prognosis, and only a limited number of relevant cases have been reported so far. With the application of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT, the biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer can be detected at an early stage for providing important evidence, facilitating clinical decision-making. Here, we have reported a case of solitary penile metastatic recurrence in the context of mild PSA progression (PSA: 0.072 ng/ml). This case highlights the preferable sensitivity of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging in prostate cancer.

The CCHC-type zinc finger proteins (CCHC-ZFPs) play versatile roles in plant growth, development and adaptation to the environment. However, little is known about functions of CCHC-ZFP gene family memebers in Triticum aestivum. In the present study, we identified a total of 50 TaCCHC-ZFP genes from the 21 wheat chromosomes, which were phylogenetically classified into eight groups based on their specific motifs and gene structures. The 43 segmentally duplicated TaCCHC-ZFP genes were retrieved, which formed 36 segmental duplication gene pairs. The collinearity analyses among wheat and other eight mono/dicots revealed that no gene pairs were found between wheat and the three dicots. The promoter analyses of the TaCCHC-ZFP genes showed that 636 environmental stress-responsive and phytohormone-responsive cis-elements. The gene ontology enrichment analysis indicated that all the TaCCHC-ZFP genes were annotated under nucleic acid binding and metal ion binding. A total of 91 MicroRNA (miRNA) binding sites were identified in 34 TaCCHC-ZFP genes according to the miRNA target analysis. Based on the public transcriptome data, the 38 TaCCHC-ZFP genes were identified as differentially expressed gene. The expression profiles of 15 TaCCHC-ZFP genes were verified by the quantitative real-time PCR assays, and the results showed that these genes were responsive to drought or heat treatments. Our work systematically investigated the gene structures, evolutionary features, and potential functions of TaCCHC-ZFP genes. It lays a foundation for further research and application of TaCCHC-ZFP genes in genetic improvement of T. aestivum.

The microencapsulation of volatile phase change materials is an important and challenging area for low-temperature thermal energy storage. Our previous studies have effectively addressed the challenge of long-term volatile core retention and also indicated that the quality of the obtained poly(urea-formaldehyde) microcapsules is highly affected by various process parameters, including reaction temperature, initial pH, reaction time, and homogenization speed. In this paper, the Taguchi orthogonal array has been employed to optimise controllable process parameters to identify the most synergistic combination, in order to maximise the payload, yield, and encapsulation efficiency. The Taguchi signal-to-noise ratio results substantiated that the most efficient combination of parameters was 3 h reaction time, pH 3.5, 55 °C reaction temperature, and 1200 rpm homogenization speed. With this combination of parameters, microcapsules with superbly high payload of 95.2%, as well as a yield of 30.5% and encapsulation efficiency of 71.1% were amalgamated. In addition, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was also utilised to demonstrate the mean response magnitudes (% contribution) of each of the four controllable process parameters, in terms of contribution for the payload, yield, and encapsulation efficiency. Overall, it was indicated that the temperature is the most influential parameter at 83.1% contribution, followed by pH at 6.8%, reaction time at 5.2%, and homogenization speed at 4.9%. Such findings in this work postulate the fundamental insights into maximising the output of the formulation conditions, which in turn is aimed to minimise the time and cost of production of the microcapsules.

Shao et al. develop an imaging probe, TagBiFC, to visualize protein-protein interaction in living cells with better signal-to-noise ratio and photostability than fluorescent proteins. This probe provides better localization and longer tracking time and authors visualise transcription factor dimerization, single-molecule nucleosome, and background-free mRNA imaging using TagBiFC.

Abstract DNA barcoding is currently an effective and widely used tool that enables rapid and accurate identification of plant species. The Orchidaceae is the second largest family of flowering plants, with more than 700 genera and 20,000 species distributed nearly worldwide. The accurate identification of Orchids not only contributes to the safe utilization of these plants, but also it is essential to the protection and utilization of germplasm resources. In this study, the DNA barcoding of 4 chloroplast genes (matK, rbcL, ndhF and ycf1) were used to provide theoretical basis for species identification, germplasm conservation and innovative utilization of orchids. By comparing the nucleotide replacement saturation of the single or combined sequences among the 4 genes, we found that these sequences reached a saturation state and were suitable for phylogenetic relationship analysis. The phylogenetic analyses based on genetic distance indicated that ndhF and ycf1 sequences were competent to identification at genus and species level of orchids in a single gene. In the combined sequences, matK + ycf1 and ndhF + ycf1 were qualified for identification at the genera and species levels, suggesting the potential roles of ndhF, ycf1, matK + ycf1 and ndhF + ycf1 as candidate barcodes for orchids. Based on the SNP sites, candidate genes were used to obtain the specific barcode of orchid plant species and generated the corresponding DNA QR code ID card that could be immediately recognized by electronic devices. This study provides innovative research methods for efficient species identification of orchids. The standardized and accurate barcode information of Orchids is provided for researchers. It lays the foundation for the conservation, evaluation, innovative utilization and protection of Orchidaceae germplasm resources.

In this paper, a set of 3-methylquniazolinone derivatives were designed, synthesised, and studied the preliminary structure-activity relationship for antiproliferative activities. All target compounds performed significantly inhibitory effects against wild type epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFRwt-TK) and tumour cells (A431, A549, MCF-7, and NCI-H1975). In particular, compound 4d 3-fluoro-N-(4-((3-methyl-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2-yl)methoxy)phenyl)benzamide showed higher antiproliferative activities against all tumour cells than Gefitinib (IC50 of 3.48, 2.55, 0.87 and 6.42 μM, respectively). Furthermore, compound 4d could induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells and arrest in G2/M phase at the tested concentration. Molecular docking and ADMET studies showed that compound 4d could closely form many hydrogen bonds with EGFRwt-TK. Therefore, compound 4d is potential to develop as novel anti-cancer drug.

The instability of weak surrounding rock around shallow buried tunnels induced by rainfall is a challenge for tunnel engineering and threatens construction safety. To reveal the influence of rainfall on the rock surrounding a tunnel, the results of experiments on the failure of surrounding rock under different rainfall intensities and durations using a self-developed test system are presented. First, the stress and seepage behaviors of the surrounding rock under rainfall were analysed, and the results showed that the stress increased while the pore water pressure decreased as the rainfall intensity decreased. It was more difficult to maintain vault collapse as rainfall intensity increased, and the particle erosion in the model intensified as the rainfall duration increased. The change in pore water pressure was greater than the change in stress, but the stress and pore water pressures influenced each other during rainfall. The influence of rainfall on the rock at the top of the tunnel was greater than that at the two sides of the tunnel because the seepage channels at the top of the tunnel were more developed and collapsed more easily due to smaller stresses. According to the phenomena of the surrounding rock observed during the test, the evolution of progressive failure under rainfall was roughly divided into eight stages: stability, water drop, continuous water flow, partial collapse, mud and water mixture, vault collapse, throughgoing collapse, and massive water and mud gushing. Furthermore, the final failure pattern of the surrounding rock consists of an excavation disturbance zone, vault damage zone and collapse failure zone. This research helps to reveal the progressive failure of surrounding rock around tunnels under rainfall conditions and can be used as a reference for designing disaster prevention strategies in practical engineering.

We previously demonstrated that a synthetic monomer peptide derived from the C-terminus of p53 (aa 361–382) induced preferential apoptosis in mutant p53 malignant cells, but not normal cells. The major problem with the peptide was its short half-life (half-life < 10 min.) due to a random coil topology found in 3D proton NMR spectroscopy studies. To induce secondary/tertiary structures to produce more stability, we developed a peptide modelled after the tetrameric structure of p53 essential for activation of target genes. Starting with the above monomer peptide (aa 361–382), we added the nuclear localization sequence of p53 (aa 353–360) and the end of the C-terminal sequence (aa 383–393), resulting in a monomer spanning aa 353–393. Four monomers were linked by glycine to maximize flexibility and in a palindromic order that mimics p53 tetramer formation with four orthogonal alpha helices, which is required for p53 transactivation of target genes. This is now known as the 4 repeat-palindromic-p53 peptide or (4R-Pal-p53p). We explored two methods for testing the activity of the palindromic tetrapeptide: (1) exogenous peptide with a truncated antennapedia carrier (Ant) and (2) a doxycycline (Dox) inducer for endogenous expression. The exogenous peptide, 4R-Pal-p53p-Ant, contained a His tag at the N-terminal and a truncated 17aa Ant at the C-terminal. Exposure of human breast cancer MB-468 cells and human skin squamous cell cancer cells (both with mutant p53, 273 Arg->His) with purified peptide at 7 µM and 15 µM produced 52% and 75%, cell death, respectively. Comparatively, the monomeric p53 C-terminal peptide-Ant (aa 361–382, termed p53p-Ant), at 15 µM and 30 µM induced 15% and 24% cell death, respectively. Compared to the p53p-Ant, the exogenous 4R-pal-p53p-Ant was over five-fold more potent for inducing apoptosis at an equimolar concentration (15 µM). Endogenous 4R-Pal-p53p expression (without Ant), induced by Dox, resulted in 43% cell death in an engineered MB468 breast cancer stable cell line, while endogenous p53 C-terminal monomeric peptide expression produced no cell death due to rapid peptide degradation. The mechanism of apoptosis from 4R-Pal-p53p involved the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways (FAS, caspase-8, Bax, PUMA) for apoptosis, as well as increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS). All three death pathways were induced from transcriptional/translational activation of pro-apoptotic genes. Additionally, mRNA of p53 target genes (Bax and Fas) increased 14-fold and 18-fold, respectively, implying that the 4R-Pal-p53p restored full apoptotic potential to mutant p53. Monomeric p53p only increased Fas expression without a transcriptional or translational increase in Fas, and other genes and human marrow stem cell studies revealed no toxicity to normal stem cells for granulocytes, erythrocytes, monocytes, and macrophages (CFU-GEMM). Additionally, the peptide specifically targeted pre-malignant and malignant cells with mutant p53 and was not toxic to normal cells with basal levels of WT p53.

Abstract Herein, Co/CoP nanoparticles encapsulated with N, P-doped carbon nanotubes derived from the atomic layer deposited hexagonal metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are obtained by calcinations and subsequent phosphating and are employed as electrocatalyst. The electrocatalytic performance evaluations show that the as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibits an overpotential of 342 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2 and the Tafel slope of 74 mV dec−1 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is superior to the most advanced ruthenium oxide electrocatalyst. The electrocatalyst also shows better stability than the benchmark RuO2. After 9 h, the current density is only decreased by 10%, which is far less than the loss of RuO2. Moreover, its onset potential for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is 0.93 V and follows the ideal 4-electron approach. After the stability test, the current density of the electrocatalyst retains 94% of the initial value, which is better than Pt/C. The above results indicate that the electrocatalyst has bifunctional activity and excellent stability both for OER and ORR. It is believed that this strategy provides guidance for the synthesis of cobalt phosphide/carbon-based electrocatalysts.

Abstract Background Organ replacement regenerative therapy based on human adult stem cells may be effective for salivary gland hypofunction. However, the generated tissues are immature because the signaling factors that induce the differentiation of human salivary gland stem cells into salivary glands are unknown. Methods Isolated human submandibular gland stem/progenitor cells (hSMGepiS/PCs) were characterized and three-dimensionally (3D) cultured to generate organoids and further induced by fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) in vitro. The induced spheres alone or in combination with embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) mouse salivary gland mesenchyme were transplanted into the renal capsules of nude mice to assess their development in vivo. Immunofluorescence, quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, calcium release analysis, western blotting, hematoxylin–eosin staining, Alcian blue–periodic acid-Schiff staining, and Masson’s trichrome staining were performed to assess the structure and function of generated tissues in vitro and in vivo. Results The isolated hSMGepiS/PCs could be long-term cultured with a stable genome. The organoids treated with FGF10 [FGF10 (+) group] exhibited higher expression of salivary gland–specific markers; showed spatial arrangement of AQP5+, K19+, and SMA+ cells; and were more sensitive to the stimulation by neurotransmitters than untreated organoids [FGF10 (−) group]. After heterotopic transplantation, the induced cell spheres combined with mouse embryonic salivary gland mesenchyme showed characteristics of mature salivary glands, including a natural morphology and saliva secretion. Conclusion FGF10 promoted the development of the hSMGepiS/PC-derived salivary gland organoids by the expression of differentiation markers, structure formation, and response to neurotransmitters in vitro. Moreover, the hSMGepiS/PCs responded to the niche in mouse embryonic mesenchyme and further differentiated into salivary gland tissues with mature characteristics. Our study provides a foundation for the regenerative therapy of salivary gland diseases.

Abstract Background Major latex proteins (MLPs) belong to the MLP subfamily in Bet v 1 protein family and respond to both biotic and abiotic stresses, which play critical roles in plant disease resistance. As the type species of widely distributed and economically devastating Potyvirus, Potato virus Y (PVY) is one of the major constraints to important crop plants including tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) worldwide. Despite the great losses owing to PVY infection in tobacco, there is no previous study investigating the potential role of MLPs in developing resistance to viral infection. Results In this study, for the first time we have identified and functionally analyzed the MLP-like protein 28 from N. benthamiana, denoted as NbMLP28 and investigated its role in conferring resistance to N. benthamiana against PVY infection. NbMLP28 was localized to the plasmalemma and nucleus, with the highest level in the root. NbMLP28 gene was hypothesized to be triggered by PVY infection and was highly expressed in jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. Further validation was achieved through silencing of NbMLP28 through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) that rendered N. benthamiana plants more vulnerable to PVY infection, contrary to overexpression that enhanced resistance. Conclusions Taken together, this is the first study describing the role of NbMLP28 in tobacco against PVY infection and provide a pivotal point towards obtaining pathogen-resistant tobacco varieties through constructing new candidate genes of MLP subfamily.

This paper discusses the problem of the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) filter design form for a three level inverter drive system. A traditional filter always defines the noise in the infinite frequency domain, which results in low filtering accuracy. When the frequency of ranges of noises is known in advance, we can design the fuzzy filter in the finite-frequency domain where the fuzzy filter can estimate the rotor flux. The proposed fuzzy filter can get a better noise-attenuation performance. A three-level inverter drive system is designed and modulated by the space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method. Noise sources with different frequencies are injected into the model to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method and then compared to simulations and experiment.

(1) Background: TDMQ20 is a specific regulator of copper homeostasis in the brain, able to inhibit cognitive impairment in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in mouse models of AD. To promote the further development of this drug-candidate, preliminary data on the pharmacokinetics of TDMQ20 in a mammal model have been collected. Since TDMQ20 should be administered orally, its absorption by the gastrointestinal tract was evaluated by comparison of blood concentrations after administration by oral and IV routes, and its ability to reach its target (the brain) was confirmed by comparison between blood and brain concentrations after oral administration. (2) Methods: plasmatic and brain concentrations of the drug after oral or intravenous treatment of rats at pharmacologically relevant doses were determined as a function of time. (3) Results: oral absorption of TDMQ20 was rapid and bioavailability was high (66% and 86% for males and females, respectively). The drug accumulated in the brain for several hours (brain–plasma ratio 3 h after oral administration = 2.6), and was then efficiently cleared. (4) Conclusions: these data confirm that TDMQ20 efficiently crosses the brain–blood barrier and is a relevant drug-candidate to treat AD.

Energy system decarbonisation pathways rely, to a considerable extent, on electricity storage to mitigate the volatility of renewables and ensure high levels of flexibility to future power grids. In this context, liquid air energy storage (LAES) has recently emerged as feasible solution to provide 10-100s MW power output and a storage capacity of GWhs. High energy density and ease of deployment are only two of the many favourable features of LAES, when compared to incumbent storage technologies, which are driving LAES transition from the concept proposed in 1977 to a real-life option. Two plants (350 kW and 5 MW) have been successfully built and demonstrated by Highview Power, and a 50 MW/250 MWh commercial plant is now under construction. Besides the commercial deployment, an ever-increasing body of literature on the topic proves the academic interest on LAES. However, literature heterogeneity in terms of the investigated concepts and plant layouts, working methodologies and study scope currently complicates the interpretation of outcomes. Few literature surveys have attempted to rationalise this landscape, yet leaving some key areas such as LAES integration practically unaddressed. The present article aims at filling these gaps and providing a holistic review of the LAES development. Uniquely in this review: i) we propose a new methodology for cross comparing the results from the literature and use it to harmonise techno-economic findings, ii) we review works where LAES operation in the energy system is considered and iii) we highlight promising LAES integration pathways and future research directions. More than 120 references on LAES have been processed according to the methodology. The results include once for all the state-of-the-art techno-economic performance of LAES, across all the concepts proposed, and propose necessary steps to further advance the LAES research. The need for more realistic LAES models for integration studies and a broader focus on LAES capabilities beyond electricity output, specifically for hybrid concepts, are highlighted.

Phase change slurries (PCSs) have great potential as both a heat transfer fluid and an energy storage medium for cooling processes, cold energy storage, and cold energy transportation due to desirable thermophysical properties. One of the major benefits of PCSs compared to pure phase change materials is their fluidity, thus making them cooled or heated by a heat exchanger, pumped through pipes, discharged, and stored directly in a thermal energy storage tank. The use of encapsulated phase change slurries and gas hydrate slurry has thus attracted considerable interest as reflected in the literature with a rising number of publications and institutions involved in the area. The use of bibliometric techniques has found a recent interest in the literature to define the progress of different scientific topics and inspire researchers to identify novelties. In this paper, bibliometric analysis and a detailed systematic review are carried out to show the state-of-the-art development of PCSs for cooling applications. Research gaps and hotspots are identified to help define future perspectives on this topic.

The major obstacle to treat cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the high prevalence of metastasis, which severely affects 5-year survival rate and quality of life for cancer patients. The DEAD-box helicase family has been reported to be a critical mediator in the development and metastasis of various cancers. DEAD-box helicase 19A (DDX19A) is a member of the DEAD-box helicase family; however, its functional role in CSCC is unclear. In this study, bioinformatics analysis of clinical samples from public databases demonstrated that the expression of DDX19A was elevated in CSCC tissues and that high expression of DDX19A was positively correlated with metastasis and poor clinical outcome. Functionally, we found that DDX19A promoted CSCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, overexpression of DDX19A increased NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) expression, enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and induced the migration and invasion of CSCC cells. Rescue experiments revealed that DDX19A-induced CSCC functional alterations were dependent on NOX1 and that DDX19A-promoted CSCC metastasis was abrogated upon the inhibition of ROS. Our results demonstrated that DDX19A could promote CSCC metastasis by inducing NOX1-mediated ROS production and that blockage of the NOX1/ROS axis might serve as a potential therapeutic target for patients with DDX19A-overexpressed CSCC.

Abstract A novel approach of carbonizing leaves by thermal pyrolysis with melt diffusion followed by selenium vapor deposition is developed to prepare the carbon-selenium composite cathodes for sodium-selenium batteries. The carbonized leaf possesses internal hierarchical porosity and high mass loading; therefore, the composite is applied as a binder- and current collector-free cathode, exhibiting an excellent rate capability and a high reversible specific capacity of 520 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 120 cycles and 300 mA h g−1 even at 2 A g−1 after 500 cycles without any capacity loss. Moreover, the unique natural three-dimensional structure and moderate graphitization degree of leaf-based carbon facilitate Na+/e− transport to activate selenium which can guarantee a high utilization of the selenium during discharge/charge process, demonstrating a promising strategy to fabricate advanced electrodes toward the sodium-selenium batteries.

The geographical origin of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) has been arousing increasing interest to consumers due to their flavour and market price. In this study, an NMR-based metabolomics method was used to characterize the differences in the chemical composition of muscle samples of mud crabs caught in four different geographical areas of China. The results showed that a statistically significant separation existed between each of the groups of mud crabs in terms of their geographical origins. The major metabolites responsible for differentiation included inosine 5’-monophosphate (IMP), adenosine 5’-monophosphate (AMP), and some amino acids. A gradual increase in the AMP level in conjunction with a declining IMP level was closely associated with the growth latitude of the mud crab, which means that these metabolites could potentially be used to characterize the specific geographic origin of mud crabs. This information might be useful for assessing the quality of mud crabs from different geographical origins.