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In the era of big data, the demand for high-density and large-capacity storage technology is increasing day by day. Unlike traditional storage technologies that record data bit by bit, holographic storage uses two-dimensional data pages as the link for reading and writing, adopting a three-dimensional volume storage mode. With advantages such as high storage density, fast data conversion rate, energy efficiency, safety, and ultra-long-term preservation, holographic storage is expected to become the strong competitor for mass cold data storage. This paper focuses on phase-modulated collinear holographic storage and analyzes the current research status of error correction codes for holographic storage. A detailed introduction is provided to an reference beam-assisted low-density parity check (LDPC) code scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combinatorial optimization problems are ubiquitous and computationally hard to solve in general. Quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA), one of the most representative quantum-classical hybrid algorithms, is designed to solve combinatorial optimization problems by transforming the discrete optimization problem into a classical optimization problem over continuous circuit parameters. QAOA objective landscape is notorious for pervasive local minima, and its viability significantly relies on the efficacy of the classical optimizer. In this work, we design double adaptive-region Bayesian optimization (DARBO) for QAOA. Our numerical results demonstrate that the algorithm greatly outperforms conventional optimizers in terms of speed, accuracy, and stability. We also address the issues of measurement efficiency and the suppression of quantum noise by conducting the full optimization loop on a superconducting quantum processor as a proof of concept. This work helps to unlock the full power of QAOA and paves the way toward achieving quantum advantage in practical classical tasks. There is no universal way of optimizing the variation quantum circuits used in Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) applications. In this paper the authors introduce a new classical Bayesian optimizer, which converges much more quickly than conventional approaches, and test it for solving the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is an immune chronic inflammatory disease, and there are currently no more effective drugs for treating endometriosis due to its unknown etiology. Salbutamol is a β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonist commonly used to treat asthma by selectively activating β2 receptors on airway smooth muscle and leukocytes, exerting bronchial dilation and synergistic anti-inflammatory effects. In recent years, β2AR agonists have been used in endometriosis studies, and we speculate that salbutamol may have a therapeutic effect on endometriosis. The purpose of this research was to explore the therapeutic effect of salbutamol on endometriosis mice. The mouse endometriosis model was established and treated with different doses of salbutamol. Endometrial lesions were harvested for pathological diagnosis, immunohistochemistry (IHC), Masson staining, and toluidine blue analysis. We found that the number and size of endometriotic lesions were all significantly decreased after 3 weeks of treatment with different doses of salbutamol on endometriosis model mice (P < 0.05). After Salbutamol treatment, the amount of mast cells (toluidine blue) and macrophages (F4/80) in the lesions as well as the expressions of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-ɑ, platelet-derived growth factor subunit B (PDGFB), CD31, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, Masson staining, BCL2, TUBB3, substance P (SP), and nerve growth factor (NGF) were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). These results suggested that salbutamol could effectively treat endometriosis in mice by reducing immune inflammatory cells and factors, angiogenesis, and fibrosis, increasing apoptosis of endometriotic lesions, and decreasing neurogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci were screened to evaluate the genetic diversity of five yellow drum (Nibea albiflora) populations in the Zhoushan Sea region of the East China Sea, including one wild population (WP), one artificially propagated population (common population, CP), and three breeding populations (parent population, F4; all-female population, AF; and neo-male population, NeoG). The results of genetic diversity analyses showed that all five yellow drum populations had relatively high genetic diversity, with the highest in WP and the lowest in NeoG. Genetic structure analyses showed that the level of genetic differentiation among populations was low, with that between CP and F4 being the largest, whereas that between CP and WP was the smallest. Mutation–drift equilibrium analysis showed that the five populations likely did not experience a recent bottleneck. Our results suggest the CP population was the most suitable for large-scale release for stock enhancement, and precautionary measures shall be taken for the AF population before it is used for cage culture to avoid potential genetic concerns of the wild population. Nevertheless, further genetic diversity monitoring is needed to evaluate genetic effects and avoid the negative impact of excessive genetic differentiation between breeding and wild populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has previously been reported that antioxidant vitamins can help reduce the risk of vision loss associated with progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of visual impairment among the elderly. Nonetheless, how oxidative stress contributes to the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in some AMD patients and geographic atrophy (GA) in others is poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that oxidative stress cooperates with hypoxia to synergistically stimulate the accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1a in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), resulting in increased expression of the HIF-1-dependent angiogenic mediators that promote CNV. HIF-1 inhibition blocked the expression of these angiogenic mediators and prevented CNV development in an animal model of ocular oxidative stress, demonstrating the pathological role of HIF-1 in response to oxidative stress stimulation in neovascular AMD. While human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE monolayers exposed to chemical oxidants resulted in disorganization and disruption of their normal architecture, RPE cells proved remarkably resistant to oxidative stress. Conversely, equivalent doses of chemical oxidants resulted in apoptosis of hiPSC-derived retinal photoreceptors. Pharmacologic inhibition of HIF-1 in the mouse retina enhanced--while HIF-1 augmentation reduced--photoreceptor apoptosis in two mouse models for oxidative stress, consistent with a protective role for HIF-1 in photoreceptors in patients with advanced dry AMD. Collectively, these results suggest that in patients with AMD, increased expression of HIF-1a in RPE exposed to oxidative stress promotes the development of CNV, but inadequate HIF-1a expression in photoreceptors contributes to the development of GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study retrospectively analyzed the accuracy and predictive ability of preoperative integrated whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT for the assessment of high-risk factors in patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC). Materials and methods: A total of 205 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent preoperative PET/CT at Shanghai General Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively evaluated and last follow-up was June 2023. Our study evaluated the ability and optimal cutoff values of three metabolic and volumetric parameters—standardized uptake value (SUV), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)—to predict deep myometrial invasion (DMI), endocervical stroma invasion (ESI) and lymph node metastases (LNM) in endometrial cancer. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of PET/CT were used to assess the diagnostic performance for the prediction. Results: Our study demonstrated a significant relationship between SUVmax (11.29, 17.38, 9.47), SUVmean (5.20, 6.12, 4.49), MTV (38.15, 36.28, 33.79 ml), and TLG (199.30, 225.10, 156.40 g) on PET/CT and histologically confirmed DMI, ESI and LNM in endometrial carcinoma (EC), with sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of 100%/100%/100%, 96.53%/98.89%/87.14%, 97.56%/99.02%/91.22%, 92.42%/92.85%/78.31%, and 100%/100%/100%, respectively. Our study showed a risk model based on optimal cutoff values for MTV and TLG of 19.6 ml/126.3 g, 20.54 ml/84.80 g and 24 ml/49.83 g to preoperatively predict DMI, ESI, and LNM, respectively, in endometrial carcinoma. The 4-year OS (HR) for Stage IA, IB, II, III and IV according to 2009 FIGO was 98.00% (0.22), 95.20% (0.04), 83.90% (0.18), 90.50% (0.09) and 60% (0.51). Accordingly, estimated 4-year DFS (HR) for the stage IA-III was 98% (0.02), 95.20% (0.05), 76.90% (0.27) and 76.30% (0.35), all the patients in stage IV occurred recurrence and progression. Conclusion: The present study showed patients with MTV > = 19.6 ml of MI and PET- positive LN with MTV cutoff > = 24 ml tended to predict poor OS and PFS in endometrial carcinoma. The cutoff of MTV and TLG in PET/CT assessment could be an independent prognostic factors to predict aggressive forms of EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and roles of tumor progression locus 2 (TPL2) and peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase 1 (Pin1) in the occurrence and development of breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of TPL2 and Pin1 in human breast tissues, which included normal breast tissues (Normal), tissues with fibrocystic changes (FCC), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and IDC. The roles of TPL2 and Pin1 in the occurrence and development of IDC, as well as the correlation between their expression levels and clinicopathological parameters, were analyzed. Compared with Normal and FCC groups, the overexpression of TPL2 and Pin1 was significantly increased in DCIS and IDC groups (DCIS vs Normal: P = 0.002/P < 0.001; IDC vs Normal: P = 0.007/P = 0.003; DCIS vs. FCC: P = 0.008/P = 0.004; IDC vs. FCC: P = 0.04/P = 0.043). The expression levels of TPL2 and Pin1 were positively correlated in DCIS and IDC groups (P = 0.001, P = 0.011). In the IDC group, the Ki67 level in the TPL2 overexpression group was significantly lower than that in the TPL2 low expression group (P = 0.02). The TPL2 overexpression rate was significantly higher in IDC with histological grades 1–2 than that in IDC with histological grade 3 (P = 0.029). The TPL2 overexpression rate in IDC with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage I was significantly higher than that in IDC with TNM stages II–III (P = 0.035). We conclude that TPL2 and Pin1 may synergistically promote the occurrence and development of IDC, but TPL2 overexpression may be an early molecular event in IDC development. TPL2 overexpression is significantly related with IDC with lower malignancy or earlier TNM stage, suggesting that the prognosis of IDC patients with TPL2 overexpression may be better and TPL2 overexpression may be a predictor of good prognosis in IDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the main cause of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. There is no vaccine currently available to prevent HuNoV infection. HuNoV is a highly mutated virus, and its genetic diversity and the lack of cross-protection between different genotypes hinder the broadly protective vaccine development. Among various genotypes, GI.1 is the prototype strain, and GII.4 currently predominates the prevalence of HuNoV. In this work, guided by the structural alignment of GI.1 and GII.4 HuNoV capsid proteins, several chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) were designed to achieve cross-immunity against these two HuNoV genotypes. The neutralizing epitopes of HuNoV have been identified to be mainly located at the loop regions of VP1 protein exposed on the HuNoV surface. In this study, the exposed loops of GII.4 VP1 protein were grafted into the scaffold of GI.1 genotype to produce the chimeric VLPs. The designed chimeric VLPs were recombinantly expressed by the Hansenula polymorpha expression system developed by our laboratory. Mice were immunized with the chimeric VLPs plus aluminum adjuvant, and then the antibody responses were detected by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the histo-blood group antigen-VLP interaction blocking assay. The experimental results show that two of the designed chimeric VLPs induced cross-reactive IgG and cross-blocking antibodies against both the parental GI.1 and GII.4 genotypes of HuNoV. The results also imply that the transplant site design is important to maintain the immunogenicity of foreign epitopes on the scaffold carrier. Our studies may provide a valuable strategy for the development of cross-reactive HuNoV vaccines. IMPORTANCE Human norovirus (HuNoV) is highly infectious and can result in severe illnesses in the elderly and children. So far, there is no effective antiviral drug to treat HuNoV infection, and thus, the development of HuNoV vaccines is urgent. However, NoV evolves rapidly, and currently, at least 10 genogroups with numerous genotypes have been found. The genetic diversity of NoV and the lack of cross-protection between different genotypes pose challenges to the development of broadly protective vaccines. In this study, guided by structural alignment between GI.1 and GII.4 HuNoV VP1 proteins, several chimeric-type virus-like particles (VLPs) were designed through surface-exposed loop grafting. Mouse immunization studies show that two of the designed chimeric VLPs induced cross-immunity against both GI.1 and GII.4 HuNoVs. To our knowledge, this is the first designed chimeric VLPs that can induce cross-immune activities across different genogroups of HuNoV, which provides valuable strategies for the development of cross-reactive HuNoV vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the triterpene extracts of Taraxacum, a traditional Chinese plant, taraxerol (TRX) exhibits antitumor activity. In this study, we evaluated the effects of TRX on the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, analyzed the molecular mechanism through network pharmacology and molecular docking, and finally verified it by in vitro experiments. The results showed that TRX could inhibit the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, while MAPK3 was the most promising target and could stably combine with TRX. In addition, the relative protein expression levels were detected by Western blot, and we observed that TRX could inhibit the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells via the ERK/Slug axis. Moreover, an ERK activator (tert-butylhydroquinone, tBHQ) partially reversed the suppressive effect of TRX on MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, TRX inhibited the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells via the ERK/Slug axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siamese network-based visual tracking algorithms have achieved excellent performance in recent years, but challenges such as fast target motion, shape and scale variations have made the tracking extremely difficult. The regression of anchor-free tracking has low computational complexity, strong real-time performance, and is suitable for visual tracking. Based on the anchor-free siamese tracking framework, this paper firstly introduces balance factors and modulation coefficients into the cross-entropy loss function to solve the classification inaccuracy caused by the imbalance between positive and negative samples as well as the imbalance between hard and easy samples during the training process, so that the model focuses more on the positive samples and the hard samples that make the major contribution to the training. Secondly, the intersection over union (IoU) loss function of the regression branch is improved, not only focusing on the IoU between the predicted box and the ground truth box, but also considering the aspect ratios of the two boxes and the minimum bounding box area that accommodate the two, which guides the generation of more accurate regression offsets. The overall loss of classification and regression is iteratively minimized and improves the accuracy and robustness of visual tracking. Experiments on four public datasets, OTB2015, VOT2016, UAV123 and GOT-10k, show that the proposed algorithm achieves the state-of-the-art performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we analyzed the clinical and epidemiological features of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 240 cases of histologically confirmed cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions to determine any correlation between HPV infection characteristics, age distribution, and cervical epithelial lesions. Results: Patients between the ages of 31 and 40 with cervical intraepithelial lesions were more likely to have high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL; 40.7%) than low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL; 31.3%) (P < 0.05). In patients with HSIL, HR-HPV16, HR-HPV33, and HR-HPV52 were the most common types of HPV infection, while in patients with LSIL, HR-HPV16, HR-HPV52, and HR-HPV58 were the most common types of HPV infection. The highest percentage of single infections occurred in the HSIL group (69.6%), followed by the LSIL group (68.8%). HSIL was present in a significant number of patients (28.6%) aged 30 years and above who tested positive for 12 HPV types but negative for TCT. Conclusion: The prevalence of HSIL is greatest in younger patients. Patients with cervical epithelial lesions typically have a single infection of a high-risk HPV genotype—HR-HPV16, HR-HPV33, HR-HPV52, or HR-HPV58. Patients aged 30 years and above who test positive for one of 12 types of HPV but negative for TCT are at increased risk for developing HSIL. In order to detect cervical lesions early and begin treatment without delay, colposcopy should be performed regardless of whether or not a high-risk HPV infection is present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been intensively studied for their role in the treatment of tumours. However, these therapies often cause side effects for patients, which calls for the development of novel treatment options for tumours. B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) reportedly apoptosis-inducing effects in tumour cells and is associated with the progression and treatment of multiple tumours. Nevertheless, little is known about its potential role in tumour diagnosis and targeted therapy. Findings: The results of the study demonstrated that the interaction of BNIP3 with HDAC1 may affect the progression of breast invasive cancer (BRCA), sarcoma (SARC), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), and low-grade glioma (LGG). BNIP3 seemed to exert its effects in BRCA and SARC primarily through gene silencing and integrator complex, and in KIRC and LGG, mainly by affecting olfactory function, suggesting that targeted therapy can be developed based on the above signalling pathway and downstream molecules. Interpretation: BNIP3 has emerged as a promising therapeutic and diagnostic target for BRCA, SARC, KIRC, and LGG, providing new insights into tumour molecular therapies in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The vascular cambium is the main secondary meristem in plants that produces secondary phloem (outside) and xylem (inside) on opposing sides of the cambium. The phytohormone ethylene has been implicated in vascular cambium activity, but the regulatory network underlying ethylene‐mediated cambial activity remains to be elucidated.Here, we found that PETAL MOVEMENT‐RELATED PROTEIN1 (RhPMP1), an ethylene‐inducible HOMEODOMAIN‐LEUCINE ZIPPER I transcription factor in woody plant rose (Rosa hybrida), regulates local auxin biosynthesis and auxin transport to maintain cambial activity.Knockdown of RhPMP1 resulted in smaller midveins and reduced auxin content, while RhPMP1 overexpression resulted in larger midveins and increased auxin levels compared with the wild‐type plants. Furthermore, we revealed that Indole‐3‐pyruvate monooxygenase YUCCA 10 (RhYUC10) and Auxin transporter‐like protein 2 (RhAUX2), encoding an auxin biosynthetic enzyme and an auxin influx carrier, respectively, are direct downstream targets of RhPMP1.In summary, our results suggest that ethylene promotes an auxin maximum in the cambium adjacent to the xylem to maintain cambial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anti-programmed death 1/anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) combined with radiotherapy (RT) has a synergistic effect on systemic tumor control. A dissociated response (DR), characterized by some lesions shrinking and others growing, has been recognized with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy or combination therapy. The objective of this study was to assess the frequency and clinical benefit of DR in patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors receiving PD-1 inhibitors in combination with RT. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors receiving PD-1 inhibitor combined with RT at the Department of Radiotherapy & Oncology, The Second People's Hospital Affiliated with Soochow University. Treatment response was assessed for each measurable lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) v 1.1 guidelines. Patterns of response are divided into four groups: (1) DR, (2) uniform response, (3) uniform progression, and (4) only stable lesions. The overall survival (OS) of different groups was compared using Kaplan–Meier methods and log-rank tests. Results: Between March 2019 and July 2022, 93 patients were included. The median follow-up was 10.5 months (95% CI 8.8–12.1). The most common tumor types were lung cancer (19.8%), colorectal adenocarcinoma (17.2%), and esophageal cancer (10.8%). DR was observed in 22 (23.7%) patients. The uniform progression and DR are two different patterns of progression. After confirming progression, the overall survival of patients with DR was significantly longer than that of patients with uniform progression (9.9 months (95%CI 5.7-14.1) vs. 4.2 months (95%CI 1.9-6.5), P = 0.028). Compared with DR patients who did not continue PD-1 inhibitor combined with RT or PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy (n = 12), DR patients who continued treatment (n = 10) had significantly longer OS (15.7 (95%CI 3.5-27.9) vs 8.2 (95%CI 5.6-10.8) months, P = 0.035). Conclusions: DR is not uncommon (23.7%) in patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors treated with PD-1 inhibitors combined with RT and shows a relatively favorable prognosis. Some patients with DR may benefit from continued PD-1 inhibitor therapy in combination with RT or PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy and may have longer OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction to valuable hydrocarbon solar fuel is of great significance but still challenging. Strong CO2 enrichment ability and easily adjustable structures make metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) potential photocatalysts for CO2 conversion. Even though pure MOFs have the potential for photoreduction of CO2, the efficiency is still quite low due to rapid photogenerated electron–hole recombination and other drawbacks. In this work, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were in situ encapsulated into highly stable MOFs via a solvothermal method for this challenging task. The GQDs@PCN-222 with encapsulated GQDs showed similar Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) patterns to PCN-222, indicating the retained structure. The porous structure was also retained with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 2066 m2/g. After incorporation of GQDs, the shape of GQDs@PCN-222 particles remained, as revealed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). As most of the GQDs were covered by thick PCN-222, it was hard to observe those GQDs using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) directly, the treatment of digested GQDs@PCN-222 particles by immersion in a 1 mM aqueous KOH solution can make the incorporated GQDs visible in TEM and HRTEM. The linker, deep purple porphyrins, make MOFs a highly visible light harvester up to 800 nm. The introduction of GQDs inside PCN-222 can effectively promote the spatial separation of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs during the photocatalytic process, which was proved by the transient photocurrent plot and photoluminescence emission spectra. Compared with pure PCN-222, the obtained GQDs@PCN-222 displayed dramatically enhanced CO production derived from CO2 photoreduction with 147.8 μmol/g/h in a 10 h period under visible light irradiation with triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial agent. This study demonstrated that the combination of GQDs and high light absorption MOFs provides a new platform for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) by S1P promotes lymphocyte egress from lymphoid organs, a process critical for immune surveillance and T cell effector activity. Multiple drugs that inhibit S1PR1 function are in use clinically for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Cluster of Differentiation 69 (CD69) is an endogenous negative regulator of lymphocyte egress that interacts with S1PR1 in cis to facilitate internalization and degradation of the receptor. The mechanism by which CD69 causes S1PR1 internalization has been unclear. Moreover, although there are numerous class A GPCR structures determined with different small molecule agonists bound, it remains unknown whether a transmembrane protein per se can act as a class A GPCR agonist. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of CD69-bound S1PR1 coupled to the heterotrimeric Gi complex. The transmembrane helix (TM) of one protomer of CD69 homodimer contacts the S1PR1-TM4. This interaction allosterically induces the movement of S1PR1-TMs 5-6, directly activating the receptor to engage the heterotrimeric Gi. Mutations in key residues at the interface affect the interactions between CD69 and S1PR1, as well as reduce the receptor internalization. Thus, our structural findings along with functional analyses demonstrate that CD69 acts in cis as a protein agonist of S1PR1, thereby promoting Grdependent S1PR1 internalization, loss of S1P gradient sensing, and inhibition of lymphocyte egress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystals (NCs) have the potential to enhance the oral bioavailability of Class IV drugs in the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) due to the absorption of the intact crystals. The performance is compromised by the dissolution of NCs. Drug NCs have recently been adopted as solid emulsifiers to prepare nanocrystal self-stabilized Pickering emulsions (NCSSPEs). They are advantageous in high drug loading and low side effects due to the specific drug loading mode and the absence of chemical surfactants. More importantly, NCSSPEs may further enhance the oral bioavailability of drug NCs by impeding their dissolution. This is especially true for BCS IV drugs. In this study, curcumin (CUR), a typical BCS IV drug, was adopted to prepare CUR-NCs stabilized Pickering emulsions using either indigestible (isopropyl palmitate, IPP) or digestible (soybean oil, SO) oils, i.e., IPP-PEs and SO-PEs. The optimized formulations were spheric with CUR-NCs adsorbed on the water/oil interface. The CUR concentration in the formulation reached 20 mg/mL, which was far beyond the solubility of CUR in IPP (158.06 ± 3.44 μg/g) or SO (124.19 ± 2.40 μg/g). Moreover, the Pickering emulsions enhanced the oral bioavailability of CUR-NCs, being 172.85% for IPP-PEs and 152.07% for SO-PEs. The digestibility of the oil phase affected the amounts of CUR-NCs that remained intact in lipolysis and, thus, the oral bioavailability. In conclusion, converting NCs into Pickering emulsions provides a novel strategy to enhance the oral bioavailability of CUR and BCS IV drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural pyrethrins have high application value, and are widely used as a green pesticide in crop pest prevention and control. Pyrethrins are mainly extracted from the flower heads of Tanacetum cinerariifolium; however, the natural content is low. Therefore, it is essential to understand the regulatory mechanisms underlying the synthesis of pyrethrins through identification of key transcription factors. We identified a gene encoding a MYC2-like transcription factor named TcbHLH14 from T. cinerariifolium transcriptome, which is induced by methyl jasmonate. In the present study, we evaluated the regulatory effects and mechanisms of TcbHLH14 using expression analysis, a yeast one-hybrid assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and overexpression/virus-induced gene silencing experiments. We found that TcbHLH14 can directly bind to the cis-elements of the pyrethrins synthesis genes TcAOC and TcGLIP to activate their expression. The transient overexpression of TcbHLH14 enhanced expression of the TcAOC and TcGLIP genes. Conversely, transient silencing of TcbHLH14 downregulated the expression of TcAOC and TcGLIP and reduced the content of pyrethrins. In summary, these results indicate that the potential application of TcbHLH14 in improving the germplasm resources and provide a new insight into the regulatory network of pyrethrins biosynthesis of T. cinerariifolium to further inform the development of engineering strategies for increasing pyrethrins contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Re (I) complex of [Re(CO)3Cl(L)], {L = 2-([2,2'-bithiophen]-5-yl)-1-phenyl-1H-imidazo [4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline}, was synthesized, and its optical (UV–Visible absorption and emission spectroscopy), cyclovoltammetric and photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction properties were studied. The geometric and electronic properties were also investigated by density functional theory calculations. It was found that the ITO electrode coated with drop-casted [Re(CO)3Cl(L)] film exhibited cathodic photocurrent generation characteristics. The illuminated film exhibited a maximum cathodic photocurrent up to 30.4 μA/cm2 with an illumination intensity of 100 mW/cm2 white light at a bias potential of −0.4 V vs. SCE in O2-saturated electrolyte solution, which was reduced by 5.1-fold when thoroughly deoxygenated electrolyte solution was used, signaling that the electrode performed well on the photoelectrochemical oxygen reduction. The photo-electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production was proved with a maximum H2O2 concentration of 6.39 μM during 5 h of the photoelectrocatalytic process. This work would guide the construction of more efficient rhenium-based photo(electro)catalytic molecular systems for O2 sensing, hydrogen peroxide production and other types of photoelectrochemical energy conversion and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the sesquiterpenoids in Curcuma longa L. and their activity related to anti-atherosclerosis. The chemical compounds of the rhizomes of C. longa were separated and purified by multiple chromatography techniques. Their structures were established by a variety of spectroscopic experiments. The absolute configurations were determined by comparing experimental and calculated NMR chemical shifts and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Their anti-inflammatory effects and inhibitory activity against macrophage-derived foam cell formation were evaluated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-injured RAW264.7 macrophages, respectively. This study resulted in the isolation of 10 bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids (1–10) from C. longa, including two pairs of new epimers (curbisabolanones A–D, 1–4). Compound 4 significantly inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, compound 4 showed inhibitory activity against macrophage-derived foam cell formation, which was represented by markedly reducing ox-LDL-induced intracellular lipid accumulation as well as total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC), and cholesterol ester (CE) contents in RAW264.7 cells. These findings suggest that bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoids, one of the main types of components in C. longa, have the potential to alleviate the atherosclerosis process by preventing inflammation and inhibiting macrophage foaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two primary concerns of inference for high-dimensional data are statistical accuracy and computational efficiency. Despite the appealing asymptotic properties of existing de-biasing methods, the de-biasing step is generally considered to be computationally intensive. In this article, we propose the constrained projection estimator (CPE) for deriving confidence intervals in a scalable and efficient way under high dimensions when the unknown parameters adopt an approximately sparse structure. The proposed method is implemented on the constrained projection spaces corresponding to the identifiable signals determined by a prescreening procedure, which significantly reduces the computational cost in comparison to the full de-biasing steps. Theoretically, we demonstrate that the proposed inference method enjoys equivalent asymptotic efficiency to the full de-biasing procedure in view of the lengths of confidence intervals. We demonstrate the scalability and effectiveness of the proposed method through simulation and real data studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effect of fermented corn straw on growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality and immune indexes of cattle. A total of 45 Simmental finishing bulls were randomly divided into three groups, with three replicates in each group, and five cattle in each repliacte. The finishing cattle in control group (group C) were fed with basic diet, and cattle in group T1 and group T2 were fed with fermented diet containing 50% and 100% fermented corn straw, respectively. The experimental period was 120 d. The results showed that compared with group C, average daily gain, backfat thickness, pH45 min, pH24 h, T-AOC, SOD activity, GSH-Px activity, IgA content, IgG content, IL-2 content and IFN-γ content were significantly increased of finishing cattle in T2 group (P<0.05). The feed to gain ratio, shear force, drip loss rate, cooking loss rate and MDA content were significantly decreased of finishing cattle in T2 group (P<0.05). Compared with group C, drip loss rate and cooking loss rate of finishing cattle in group T1 were significantly decreased (P<0.05), while SOD activity, GSH-Px activity and IgG content were significantly increased (P<0.05). The experiment indicates that the fermented corn straw prepared by completely replacing corn straw in basic diet can significantly improve growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant and immune indexes of finishing cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to the H β FWHM (FWHMH β ), the broad H β line dispersion (σ H β ) was preferred as a velocity tracer to calculate the single-epoch supermassive black hole mass (M BH) suggested by Yu et al. For a compiled sample of 311 broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with measured hard X-ray photon index (z < 0.7), σ H β and the optical Fe ii relative strength (R Fe) are measured from their optical spectra, which are used to calculate σ H β -based virial M BH and dimensionless accretion rate ( M ̇ ). With respect to FWHMH β , it is found that the mean value of σ H β -based M BH is on average larger by 0.26 dex and the mean value of σ H β -based M ̇ is on average smaller by 0.51 dex. It is found that there exists a nonlinear relationship between the Eddington ratio (L Bol/ L Edd) and M ̇ , i.e., L Bol / L Edd ∝ M ̇ 0.56 ± 0.01 . This nonlinear relationship comes from the accretion efficiency η, which is smaller for AGNs with higher M ̇ . We find a strong bivariate correlation of the fraction of energy released in the corona F X with M ̇ and M BH, F X ∝ M ̇ âˆ' 0.57 ± 0.05 M BH âˆ' 0.54 ± 0.06 . The flat slope of âˆ'0.57 ± 0.05 favors the shear stress tensor of the accretion disk being proportional to the geometric mean of gas pressure and total pressure. We find a strong bivariate relation of Î" with M ̇ and F X, Î" ∝ M ̇ âˆ' 0.21 ± 0.02 F X 0.02 ± 0.04 . The hard X-ray spectrum becomes softer with increasing F X, although the scatter is large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is a green and sustainable feedstock for the production of chemicals and materials; however, its utilization is still low. Over the past decade, remarkable progress has been achieved in the extraction, degradation, and functionalization of lignin and the fabrication of lignin-containing materials. In this review, we provide a critical examination of the in-depth insights into recently developed strategies for the green and efficient extraction, selective degradation and diverse functionalization of lignin. Its green extraction involves the judicious selection of solvent, and mild enzymatic conditions, leading to different technical lignin products. The degradation of lignin can be achieved via thermochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic and biological processes. Lignin can be functionalized via the modification of its aromatic rings, modification of its hydroxyl groups, modification of its methoxy groups, and graft copolymerization. Based on the top-down degradation and bottom-up functionalization strategies, lignin can be converted into a variety of value-added chemicals and polymers and can be engineered into many types of lignin-based materials. These materials hold great promise in energy storage, targeted drug delivery, efficient adsorption and catalysis, functional packaging and slow-release fertilizers. The correlation among the sources, degradation, and functionalization of lignin and lignin-based materials is discussed. Also, we present a techno-economic analysis on the production of chemicals and materials from lignin. Finally, an outlook for lignin valorization is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiota forms a complex microecosystem in vertebrates and is affected by various factors. As a key intrinsic factor, sex has a persistent impact on the formation and development of gut microbiota. Few studies have analyzed sexual dimorphism of gut microbiota, particularly in wild animals. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the gut microbiota of juvenile and adult Chinese alligators, and untargeted metabolomics to study serum metabolomes of adult alligators. We observed significant sexual differences in the community diversity in juvenile, but not adult, alligators. In terms of taxonomic composition, the phylum Fusobacteriota and genus Cetobacterium were highly abundant in adult alligators, similar to those present in carnivorous fishes, whereas the gut microbiota composition in juvenile alligators resembled that in terrestrial reptiles, indicating that adults are affected by their wild aquatic environment and lack sex dimorphism in gut microbiota. The correlation analysis revealed that the gut microbiota of adults was also affected by cyanobacteria in the external environment, and this effect was sex-biased and mediated by sex hormones. Overall, this study reveals sexual differences in the gut microbiota of crocodilians and their convergence in the external environment, while also providing insights into host–microbiota interactions in wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is an important inorganic mineral in biological and geological systems. Traditionally, it is widely used in plastics, papermaking, ink, building materials, textiles, cosmetics, and food. Over the last decade, there has been rapid development in the controlled synthesis and surface modification of CaCO3, the stabilization of amorphous CaCO3 (ACC), and CaCO3-based nanostructured materials. In this review, the controlled synthesis of CaCO3 is first examined, including Ca2+–CO32− systems, solid–liquid–gas carbonation, water-in-oil reverse emulsions, and biomineralization. Advancing insights into the nucleation and crystallization of CaCO3 have led to the development of efficient routes towards the controlled synthesis of CaCO3 with specific sizes, morphologies, and polymorphs. Recently-developed surface modification methods of CaCO3 include organic and inorganic modifications, as well as intensified surface reactions. The resultant CaCO3 can then be further engineered via template-induced biomineralization and layer-by-layer assembly into porous, hollow, or core–shell organic–inorganic nanocomposites. The introduction of CaCO3 into nanostructured materials has led to a significant improvement in the mechanical, optical, magnetic, and catalytic properties of such materials, with the resultant CaCO3-based nanostructured materials showing great potential for use in biomaterials and biomedicine, environmental remediation, and energy production and storage. The influences that the preparation conditions and additives have on ACC preparation and stabilization are also discussed. Studies indicate that ACC can be used to construct environmentally-friendly hybrid films, supramolecular hydrogels, and drug vehicles. Finally, the existing challenges and future directions of the controlled synthesis and functionalization of CaCO3 and its expanding applications are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are coordination polymers with high porosity that are constructed from molecular engineering. Constructing MOFs as photocatalysts for the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia is a newly emerging but fast-growing field, owing to MOFs' large pore volumes, adjustable pore sizes, controllable structures, wide light harvesting ranges, and high densities of exposed catalytic sites. They are also growing in popularity because of the pristine MOFs that can easily be transformed into advanced composites and derivatives, with enhanced catalytic performance. In this review, we firstly summarized and compared the ammonia detection methods and the synthetic methods of MOF-based materials. Then we highlighted the recent achievements in state-of-the-art MOF-based materials for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation. Finally, the summary and perspectives of MOF-based materials for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation were presented. This review aims to provide up-to-date developments in MOF-based materials for nitrogen fixation that are beneficial to researchers who are interested or involved in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aanti-epileptic drugs have been used for treating epilepsy for decades, meanwhile, more than one hundred genes have been identified to be associated with risk of epilepsy; however, the interaction mechanism between anti-epileptic drugs and risk genes of epilepsy was still not clearly understood. In this study, we systematically explored the interaction of epilepsy risk genes and anti-epileptic drug targets through a network-based approach. Our results revealed that anti-epileptic drug targets were significantly over-represented in risk genes of epilepsy with 17 overlapping genes and P-value = 2.2 ×10 −16. We identified a significantly localized PPI network with 55 epileptic risk genes and 94 anti-epileptic drug target genes, and network overlap analysis showed significant interactome overlap between risk genes and drug targets with P-value = 0.04. Besides, genes from PPI network were significantly enriched in the co-expression network of epilepsy with 22 enriched genes and P-value = 1.3 ×10 −15; meanwhile, cell type enrichment analysis indicated genes in this network were significantly enriched in 4 brain cell types (Interneuron, Medium Spiny Neuron, CA1 pyramidal Neuron, and Somatosensory pyramidal Neuron). These results provide evidence for significant interactions between epilepsy risk genes and anti-epileptic drug targets from the perspective of network biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to eliminate the hump phenomenon in a low specific speed centrifugal pump, its structural parameters were optimized using the computational fluid dynamics method. Based on the k - ε turbulence model, a 3D steady analysis of the internal flow field was carried out. The L 9 3 4 orthogonal table was established, and four structural parameters, including the impeller outlet diameter, impeller outlet width, number of blades, and blade outlet angle, were selected as influencing factors. Nine orthogonal test schemes were developed and the results were analyzed through the weight matrix analysis method, obtaining the weight of the selected factors on the test results. The optimal scheme was selected according to the weight and the weight matrix analysis results have shown that the impeller outlet width had the dominant influence on the head, shaft power, and efficiency. Further, the blade number was the main influencing factor for shaft power and efficiency. The centrifugal pump flow control test bench was built to carry out the numerical simulation and test all the prototype and optimization pump indexes. Through the external characteristic test, it can be seen that the β 2 Z 0.773 of the optimized pump is 87.889, which is 24.89% lower than that of the prototype pump, which effectively optimizes the hump phenomenon of the centrifugal pump. The experimental results have shown that in underrated working conditions, the working performance of the optimized pump was improved significantly. The head size was reduced by 1.424%, and the efficiency was increased by 7.896%. By optimizing the structural pump parameters, its jet-wake hydraulic loss was reduced, and the head curve hump phenomenon was effectively eliminated. All the performance indexes of the optimized pump were higher than those of the prototype, verifying both the accuracy and reliability of the orthogonal test and weight matrix analysis method. Finally, obtained results provide a reference for the structural design of high-performance centrifugal pumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CuCl‐catalyzed reaction of aryl boronic acid with carbon dioxide to form carboxylate ester after treatment with CH3I has been developed. The procedure featured mild conditions and good functional group tolerances. A diverse range of aryl boronic acids were effectively converted into carboxylate esters. Even those bearing sensitive groups such as carbonyl, ester, and amide could produce the desired products in good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) coupled with electrically activated persulfate (nZVI-EK/PS) for remediating petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. The effects of persulfate (PS) dosage, nZVI dosage, and soil organic matter content on the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons were investigated. The study concludes that persulfate (PS) and nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) are the primary factors influencing the remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the nZVI-EK/PS system. The optimal reaction conditions of PS = 170 mmol and nZVI = 17 mmol increased the efficiency of petroleum hydrocarbon treatment to 40.45%, with the highest removal efficiency of petroleum hydrocarbons observed at position S2, reaching 48.5%. With the addition of organic matter at 5%, the efficiency of petroleum hydrocarbon treatment reached 50.08%, representing a 9.68% enhancement in the nZVI-EK/PS system. Furthermore, potential mechanisms for the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by the nZVI-EK/PS system were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The degradation order of different components was found to be esters < alkenes < alkanes < phenols. [Display omitted] • The possible pathways of TPH degradation by the nZVI-EK/PS system were investigated. • The nZVI-EK/PS system enhanced the degradation efficiency of TPH. • Active species SO 4 −· play key roles in the degradation of TPH. • The activation of PS depends mainly on the conversion of Fe(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental and numerical studies on flexural behaviour of rectangular double-opening concrete filled sandwich steel tube (DCFSST) beams were performed in this study. Six specimens under different cross-section of inner tube and nominal cross-sectional steel ratio (α n) were tested under bending to assess the failure modes, moment-displacement and moment-strain relationships, flexural capacity and flexural stiffness of rectangular DCFSST beams. The experimental results demonstrate that the two design variables investigated in this paper have limited impact on the failure modes of typical specimens. The failure mode of outer tube includes multiple local bulges on top flange and one case of fracture on bottom flange that is located at the same plane as the primary local bulge on top flange, whilst the failure mode of inner tubes is mainly due to excessive global deflection. Simultaneously, sandwich concrete is crushed at the locations with evident local bulge on outer tube and cracks nearly uniformly within the lower 2/3 section depth. In general, the flexural capacity and stiffness of the specimens enhance as α n increases, and are moderately affected by the cross-section of inner tube. In addition, finite element (FE) models were built to replicate the flexural behaviour of rectangular DCFSST beams, and the FE models were validated by comparison with test results. At the end of the paper, simplified formulae that can better predict the flexural capacity of rectangular DCFSST beams were developed. • Typical tests of rectangular DCFSST beams under bending were carried out. • FE models that can well reproduce the flexural behaviour of rectangular DCFSST beams were developed. • Formulae that can accurately predict the flexural capacity of rectangular DCFSST beams were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical reaction networks (CRNs), which led to the transition on early Earth from geochemistry to biochemistry remain unknown. We show that the simplest substances—bicarbonate, sulfite/sulfate, and ammonium—were converted to peptides in one geological setting from Sammox (sulfite/sulfate reduction coupled to anaerobic ammonium oxidation)-driven CRNs under mild hydrothermal conditions. Peptides comprise 15 proteinogenic amino acids, endowed Sammox-driven CRNs with autocatalysis. The peptides exhibit both forward and reverse catalysis, with the opposite catalytic impact in sulfite- and sulfate-fueled Sammox-driven CRNs, respectively, at both a variable temperature range and a fixed temperature, resulting in seesaw-like catalytic properties. The variation of substrates concentration and temperature, can influence the redox property of the system, may disrupt the redox homeostasis of Sammox-driven CRNs, therefore, the catalytic orientation of peptides changed due to the stimulation, to maintain system redox homeostasis. The seesaw-like catalytic characteristics of peptides is critical to achieving the sustainability and evolution of Sammox-driven CRNs by preferentially destroy non-functional peptides and preserve peptides with high substrate specificities and/or novel functions. Moreover, the peptides generated from sulfite-fueled Sammox-driven CRNs could catalyze both sulfite-fueled Sammox, and Anammox (nitrite reduction coupling with anaerobic ammonium oxidation) reactions. We propose that Sammox-driven CRNs were critical in the creation of life and that Sammox and Anammox are primordial energy conservation traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glufosinate is an important and widely used non-selective herbicide active on a wide range of plant species. Evolution of resistance to glufosinate in weedy plant species (including the global weed Eleusine indica) is underway. Here, we established the molecular basis of target site glufosinate resistance in Eleusine indica. Full-length E. indica glutamine synthetase (GS) iso-genes (EiGS1-1 , 1-2 , 1-3 , and EiGS2) were cloned, and expression of EiGS1-1 and EiGS1-2 was higher than that of EiGS2. A novel point mutation resulting in a Ser59Gly substitution in EiGS1-1 was identified in glufosinate-resistant plants. Rice calli and seedlings transformed with the mutant EiGS1-1 gene were resistant to glufosinate. Purified mutant EiGS1-1 expressed in yeast was more tolerant to glufosinate than the wild-type variant. These transgenic results correlate with a more glufosinate-resistant GS in the crude tissue extract of resistant versus susceptible E. indica plants. Structural modelling of the mutant EiGS1-1 revealed that Ser59 is not directly involved in glufosinate binding but is in contact with some important binding residues (e.g. Glu297) and especially with Asp56 that forms an intratoroidal contact interface. Importantly, the same Ser59Gly mutation was also found in geographically isolated glufosinate-resistant populations from Malaysia and China, suggesting parallel evolution of this resistance mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological evidence between the sleep disorders and allergy-related outcomes is limited. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to estimate the relationship between sleep disorders and allergy-related outcomes in adults. Methods: We built logistic regression models to examine the associations between sleep disorders and allergy-related outcomes in adult participants using the 2005–2006 NHANES database. Allergy-related outcomes included sIgE levels, asthma, hay fever, sneezing, wheezing, and eczema. Sleep disorders included sleep latency, sleep length, sleep problems, OSA symptoms, and daytime sleepiness. A t-test was used for between-group comparisons. Results: Participants with OSA symptoms had 2.72 × higher odds of experiencing hay fever and 1.54 × higher odds of having eczema compared to Non-OSA symptoms participants. Participants with insufficient sleep (≤ 6 h/night) had 1.27 × higher odds of developing allergic sensitisation compared to participants with adequate sleep (7–8 h/night). Sneezing was positively associated with sleep problems (OR: 1.706; 95% CI 1.386, 2.099), OSA symptoms (OR: 1.297; 95% CI 1.049, 1.605), and daytime sleepiness (OR: 1.569; 95% CI 1.205, 2.04). Conclusion: Our findings suggest a positive association between allergy-related outcomes and sleep disorders. In particular, OSA symptoms, daytime sleepiness, and sleep problems are strongly associated with allergic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate whether the use of the internal target volume (ITV) delineation method improves the performance of intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) in terms of survival, acute toxicities, and dose–volume parameters. Methods: A total number of 477 cervical cancer patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) from January 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into four groups: the non‐ITV (N‐ITV) + IMRT, ITV + IMRT, N‐ITV + 3DCRT, and ITV + 3DCRT groups, with 76, 41, 327, and 33 patients, respectively. Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan–Meier and the log‐rank tests, and acute toxicity analysis was performed with the chi‐squared test and the binary logistic regression test. Using the propensity score matching (PSM) method, 92 patients were matched among the four groups, and their dose–volume parameters were assessed with the Kruskal–Wallis method. Results: The median follow‐up time was 49 months (1–119) for overall survival (OS). The 5‐year OS rate was 66.4%. The ITV delineation method was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR [95% CI]: 0.52 [0.27, 0.98], p = 0.044) and progression‐free survival (PFS) (HR [95% CI]: 0.59 [0.36, 0.99], p = 0.045). The ITV + IMRT group had the lowest incidence rate (22%) and the N‐ITV + IMRT group had the highest incidence rate of grade ≥3 hematological toxicity (HT) (46.1%) among the four groups. The pelvic bone marrow relative V10, V20, and V30 in the N‐ITV + IMRT group was higher than those in the ITV + IMRT and N‐ITV + 3DCRT groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The use of ITV for IMRT treatment planning was associated with improved overall survival and progression‐free survival, with lower HT rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the fertilization effect of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and the fertilizer utilization rate of post-tobacco rice variety in Yongding District, the field experiment was carried out in Qingxi Village of Kanshi Town and Daxi Village of Daxi Town combined with the soil testing fertilization "3414" test. The results showed that when 150 kg⋅hm-2 N, 43.5 kg⋅hm-2 P2O5 and 100.5 kg⋅hm-2 K2O were applied in the whole fertilizer area, the overall economic characters of post-tobacco rice was the best, and the yields of paddy rice and straw were the highest. The yield of paddy rice increased by 11.1%, 9.4% and 4.6%, respectively, compared with that in the areas with nitrogen deficiency, phosphorus deficiency and potassium deficiency. The contribution rates of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were 10.0%, 8.6% and 4.4%, respectively. The fertilizer application correspondingly increased the contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in paddy rice and straw, which were respectively increased by 10.5%, 4.7% and 1.1% in paddy rice and 44.4%, 0.8% and 2.4% in straw in the whole fertilizer area. The single-cropping utilization rates of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were 25.9%, 16.7% and 50.5%, respectively. The above results showed that the post-tobacco rice in Yongding District was the most sensitive to nitrogen fertilizer, with the largest contribution rate of applying nitrogen fertilizer to the yield, while was the least sensitive to potassium fertilizer. Therefore, the application rate of potassium fertilizer in the post-tobacco rice should be appropriately reduced and the application ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be further optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four types of inflammatory endotypes were identified: Th1, Th17, neutrophils with type 2, and type 2. • AR and CRS were important clinical phenotypes that affected the adenoid inflammation endotypes. • Serum TIgE level was an important indicator for predicting the endotype of adenoid inflammation. • Identification of adenoid inflammatory endotypes can facilitate accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with AH. To identify adenoid inflammatory endotypes based on inflammatory markers, match endotypes to phenotypes, and predict endotypes. This cross-sectional study included 72 children with adenoid hypertrophy. Thirteen inflammatory markers and total immunoglobulin E (TIgE) in adenoid tissue were analyzed using Luminex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for performing cluster analysis. Correlation analysis was used to examine the characteristics of each cluster. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to screen for preoperative characteristic data with predictive value for adenoid inflammation endotype. The patients were divided into four clusters. Cluster 1 exhibited non-type 2 signatures with low inflammatory marker concentrations, except for the highest expression of Th1-related cytokines. Cluster 2 showed a non-type 2 endotype with the highest concentration of interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-22. Cluster 3 exhibited moderate type 2 inflammation, with the highest concentration of neutrophil factors. Cluster 4 demonstrated significant type 2 inflammation and moderate neutrophil levels. The proportions of AR and serum TIgE levels increased from clusters 1 to 4, and there was a gradual increase in the prevalence of chronic sinusitis from low to high neutrophilic inflammation. The area under the ROC curve for serum TIgE was higher than those for combined or other separate preoperative characteristics for predicting non-type 2 and type 2 inflammation in the adenoid tissue. The evaluation of cytokines in adenoid tissue revealed four endotypes. Serum TIgE level was an important indicator of the endotype of adenoid inflammation. Identification of adenoid inflammatory endotypes can facilitate targeted treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotwinned metals have many advantages such as high strength, reasonable ductility and high damage tolerance. However, studies on their tribological properties are scarce, especially the tribological performance relative to the counterparts with comparable hardness. Here, dry sliding tests of electrodeposited nanotwinned copper sample (NT-Cu) are carried out in comparison with the nanocrystalline copper (NC-Cu) and coarse-grained brass (CG-Br) samples that have similar initial hardness. Their worn surface morphologies, chemical compositions and worn subsurface microstructures are characterized in detail. At a load of 3 N, the friction coefficient of NT-Cu is 0.25, which is 44 % and 58 % lower than CG-Br and NC-Cu, respectively. The wear rate is 1.4 × 10 − 6 ( mm − 3 / Nm) , which is 3.8 % of NC-Cu and 10.4 % of CG-Br, respectively. When the load is increased to 5 N, their difference in wear rate increases obviously. The superior tribological performance of NT-Cu is attributed to the sliding-induced layered heterostructure that can effectively accommodate frictional work and suppress the cracking and peeling-off of dynamic recrystallized structures. • Wear resistance of nanotwinned Cu is compared with others at the same hardness level. • Structure of worn subsurface are correlated with the friction and wear mechanisms. • Sliding-induced heterostructure gives nanotwinned Cu better tribological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Metal-free ionic hydrogel PAOI B -PTC was well fabricated by physical crosslinking. • Rigid PTC4− acted both as a physical crosslinking agent and an auxiliary group. • PAOI B -PTC exhibited a high tensile strength of 7.34 MPa. • The maximum U(VI) adsorption capacity of PAOI B -PTC was as high as 1008.03 mg g−1. • High U(VI) selectivity was achieved by hydrogen bond and synergistic coordination. Uranium is one of the most important elements in the nuclear industry, and efficient extraction of uranium from the ocean is conducive to the sustainable development of nuclear energy. In this work, rigid perylene tetracarboxylate anion (PTC4−) was introduced by physical (non-covalent) crosslinking strategy to obtain metal-free ionic hydrogel PAOI B -PTC. PTC4− not only increased the rigid structure content of ionic hydrogel, but also formed dynamic macrocycle AO-PTC with amidoxime (AO) through hydrogen bonds. Unlike reported heterogeneous additives, PTC4− did not undergo inhomogeneity or shedding. Therefore, PAOI B -PTC exhibited high strength (7.34 MPa), excellent solvent resistance and salinity tolerance. A large number of hydrophilic groups and multistage pore structure endowed PAOI B -PTC with high hydrophilicity, which facilitated U(VI) mass transfer and led to rapid adsorption rates (88.6 mg g−1 h−1, c 0 = 250 ppm). Since the metal-free component enabled more adsorption sites to be utilized, the maximum adsorption capacity of PAOI B -PTC was as high as 1008.03 mg g−1, which exceeded most reported hydrogel-based uranium adsorbents. Experiments and DFT calculations proved that PAOI B -PTC possessed high adsorption selectivity through uranyl recognition via hydrogen bonding and synergistic coordination by supramolecular structure AO-PTC. The low-concentration uranium capture capability and excellent recycling performance demonstrated the practical application potential of PAOI B -PTC. This work provides an idea for the design of metal-free ionic hydrogels with high-strength, and the established PAOI B -PTC is expected to be a candidate material for enhanced uranium extraction from seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosinase (polyphenol oxidase) is the key enzyme of enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables. In this research, the impact of ascorbic acid on tyrosinase and its anti‐browning effect on fresh‐cut Fuji apple were investigated. Ascorbic acid had a dual effect on tyrosinase with a half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 13.40 ± 0.05 µM. Fluorescence assay demonstrated that ascorbic acid interacted with tyrosinase in a dynamic contaction caused by Förster's resonance energy transfer (FRET) and induced a conformational change of the enzyme. Thermodynamic analysis, copper interaction, and molecular docking further confirmed that ascorbic acid could chelate the copper ions located in active center and interact with amino acid residues of tyrosinase via hydrophobic interaction. In addition, ascorbic acid prevented the browning of fresh‐cut apples by increasing APX activity and inhibiting PPO and POD activities which reduce the oxidation of total phenolics and flavonoids. Practical applications: The present study demonstrated that ascorbic acid had a strong inhibitory activity against tyrosinase (IC50 = 13.40 ± 0.05 µM) and anti‐browning activity against fresh‐cut Fuji apple. It could delay the browning degree of apple juice, increase APX activity, inhibit PPO and POD activities, and reduce the oxidation of total phenolics and flavonoids. These findings provided a basis for the feasible application of ascorbic acid on the preservation of fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The standard litterbag method isolates soil or litter from decomposing roots by a dense nylon mesh that is likely to underestimate root decomposition rate. Thus, we evaluated the effect of direct contact between roots and soil or litter during root decomposition. Methods: Schima superba and Cleyera japonica order 1–3, 4–5, and 6 roots were decomposed using two types of litterbags at two soil horizons: standard litterbags (R_O, pure root in O horizon; R_A, pure root in A horizon) and mixed litterbags (R + L_O, mixed root with semi-decomposed litter in O horizon; and R + HS_A, mixed root with humus soil in A horizon). The mass and nutrient dynamics were measured in one year of decomposition. Results: After one year of decomposition, litterbag types and soil horizons significantly affected root mass and nutrient dynamics. Litterbags mixed with humus soil and litter increased 1–3 order root decomposition rate by 139–143% and 42–89%, respectively. Furthermore, 1–3 order roots had a significantly different decomposition rate than higher-order roots, but standard and mixed litterbags showed the opposite effect. The decomposition rate of 1–3 order roots appears to be more sensitive to litterbag type than higher-order roots. Conclusions: Directly contact between root and soil or litter was important for root decomposition in corresponding soil layers. Standard litterbags significantly underestimate the decomposition rate of lower-order roots in the early stages of decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate diagnostic value of Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System published by American College of Radiology (ACR TI-RADS) in 2017, ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA), and the combination of both methods in differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. METHODS: The data of US-FNA and ACR TI-RADS are collected from 159 patients underwent thyroid surgery in our hospital, which include a total of 178 thyroid nodules. A Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology category of ≥IV and an ACR TI-RADS category ≥4 are regarded as diagnosis standards for malignancy in US-FNA and ACR TI-RADS, respectively. The pathological results after surgery are considered as the gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the ACR TI-RADS, US-FNA and the combination of both methods for the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules are calculated, respectively. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ACR TI-RADS are 85.4%, 37.5%and 72.5%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US-FNA are 70.0%, 100%and 78.1%, respectively. After combining these two methods, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy increase to 99.23%, 37.50%and 82.58%, respectively. The sensitivity of ACR TI-RADS is higher than that of US-FAN, and the sensitivity of combining these two methods is also higher than that of using ACR TI-RADS and US-FNA alone. CONCLUSION: The established ACR TI-RADS can help in selecting the target during nodule puncture, while the combination of ACR TI-RADS and US-FAN can further improve diagnostic ability for detecting malignant thyroid nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains the world's deadliest infectious killer. Serum CA-125 test are useful in the diagnosis of PTB. Although studies on the relation between CA-125 and PTB have been reported, the specificity and sensitivity of serum CA-125 in diagnosing PTB vary widely among different studies. The present study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of CA-125 for the diagnosis of PTB via a meta-analysis of data obtained from previous studies.Methods: English and Chinese medical electronic databases were searched for eligible studies published up to February 2020. STATA software was used to obtain a pooled estimation of the diagnostic accuracy of CA-125 and analyze the heterogeneity of the recruited studies. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the quality of the obtained studies.Results: A total of 16 articles were included in this study. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of CA-125 were 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75-0.91] and 0.87 (95% CI 0.78-0.93), respectively. Moreover, the pooled positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR-), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of CA-125 were 6.65 (95% CI 3.62-12.20), 0.18 (95% CI 0.10-0.31), and 37.82 (95% CI 13.17-108.60), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.93.Conclusions: Taken together, the results indicate that serum CA-125 presents potential practical value for diagnosing PTB, but its clinical applicability must be further examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains the world's deadliest infectious killer. Serum CA-125 test are useful in the diagnosis of PTB. Although studies on the relation between CA-125 and PTB have been reported, the specificity and sensitivity of serum CA-125 in diagnosing PTB vary widely among different studies. The present study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of CA-125 for the diagnosis of PTB via a meta-analysis of data obtained from previous studies. Methods: English and Chinese medical electronic databases were searched for eligible studies published up to February 2020. STATA software was used to obtain a pooled estimation of the diagnostic accuracy of CA-125 and analyze the heterogeneity of the recruited studies. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the quality of the obtained studies. Results: A total of 16 articles were included in this study. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of CA-125 were 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.75–0.91] and 0.87 (95% CI 0.78–0.93), respectively. Moreover, the pooled positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR−), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of CA-125 were 6.65 (95% CI 3.62–12.20), 0.18 (95% CI 0.10–0.31), and 37.82 (95% CI 13.17–108.60), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.93. Conclusions: Taken together, the results indicate that serum CA-125 presents potential practical value for diagnosing PTB, but its clinical applicability must be further examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial adenocarcinoma is one of the most prevalent female reproductive tract cancers in the world, and the development of effective treatment is still the main goal of its current research. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a significant part in the occurrence and development of epithelial carcinoma, including endometrial adenocarcinoma. Recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) induces EMT and promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion in various epithelial-derived cancers, but its role in endometrial adenocarcinoma is still poorly studied. The purpose of this study is to verify the overexpression of RON in endometrial adenocarcinoma and to explore its specific roles. RON expression in tumor lesions was verified by immunohistochemical staining, HEC-1B cells were used to construct stable cell lines with RON overexpression or knockdown to investigate the effects of RON on the function of endometrial adenocarcinoma cells, and xenotransplantation experiment was carried out in nude mice to explore the effect of RON on the growth of endometrial adenocarcinoma in vivo. This study revealed that RON could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HEC-1B cells and induce EMT, and these effects were regulated through the Smad pathway. RON overexpression could promote growth of endometrial adenocarcinoma cells in nude mice, while its inhibitor BMS777607 could restrict this role. RON played an important role in endometrial adenocarcinoma and had a potential to become a new therapeutic target for endometrial adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Chen and Ma [A generalized shift-splitting preconditioner for complex symmetric linear systems, J. Comput. Appl. Math., 344 (2018), pp. 691–700] have presented the generalized shift-splitting (GSS) method to solve complex symmetric linear systems. In this paper, we establish a class of modified GSS (MGSS) method to extend the existing GSS method. We prove the convergence of the proposed method under suitable restrictions on the iteration parameters. Lastly, numerical experiments are carried out, and experimental results show that the new iteration method is feasible and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DAD1 (defender against apoptotic cell death) gene is a negative regulator of programmed cell death. It plays important roles in plant growth, development, environmental adaptation, and aging. We examined whether and how the expression of DAD1 gene is affected by the promoter changes in the allotetraploid upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). We compared the expression status of the genes in the leaves of an elite cultivar and a wild variety of G. hirsutum, and cloned and analyzed a 1.3‐kb promoter region of the genes in two cotton types. Results revealed that the expression of a subgenomic homoeolog of DAD1 (DAD1At) was significantly upregulated in leaves of the cultivated cotton when compared with that in a wild cotton. In addition, we identified 18 variations, including 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms and four indels between the promoters of the two cotton types. We detected at least 10 of 18 variations in the promoters related to possible cis‐regulatory elements. Further transient tobacco assays using heterogeneous DAD1At promoter::GUS fusion showed that the activity of the DAD1At promoter in the cultivated cotton was stronger than that in the wild cotton, which suggested a dynamic change in the DAD1At promoter during genetic divergence of the two cottons. This study provides an example of how gene expression could be affected by specific changes in the gene promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]