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Abstract The nucleolus, a recognized biomolecular condensate, serves as the hub for ribosome biogenesis within the cell nucleus. Its quantity and morphology are discernible indicators of cellular functional states. However, precise identification and quantification of nucleoli remain challenging without specific labeling, particularly for suspended cells, tissue-level analysis and high-throughput applications. Here we introduce a single-cell laser emitting cytometry (SLEC) for label-free nucleolus differentiation through light-matter interactions within a Fabry–Perot resonator. The separated gain medium enhances the threshold difference by 36-fold between nucleolus and its surroundings, enabling selective laser emissions at nucleolar area while maintaining lower-order mode. The laser emission image provides insights into structural inhomogeneity, temporal fluid-like dynamics, and pathological application. Lasing spectral fingerprint depicts the quantity and size of nucleoli within a single cell, showcasing the label-free flow cytometry for nucleolus. This approach holds promise for nucleolus-guided cell screening and drug evaluation, advancing the study of diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a vital environmental toxicant, not only adversely affects the cardiovascular and respiratory systems but also potentially exhibits an association with intestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer (CRC). The underlying molecular mechanisms of PM2.5 impacts on CRC are still unclear. In this study, we utilized collected ambient PM2.5 and standard reference material SRM2786 to investigate the toxic effects on the colon through in vivo chronic exposure mouse and in vitro cell culture models. We employed a chronic mouse exposure model to clarify the colonic injury and gut microbiome biomarkers. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 via oropharyngeal aspiration led to a significant rise in colonic epithelial proliferation and reduced colon length in mice. It triggered characteristics indicative of gut microbiota dysbiosis linked to inflammatory bowel disease. The gut microbiome alternations may serve as a biomarker indicating the colonic health impacts of PM2.5 exposure. PM2.5 and SRM2786-induced cytotoxicity manifested as autophagy dysregulation-mediated abnormal proliferation, IL-8 production, p62/SQSTM1 accumulation, and lysosomal membrane damage in human colon cells WiDr and Caco-2. Both PM2.5 and SRM2786 exposures led to the accumulation of p62/SQSTM1 and compromised lysosomal membrane integrity, showing impaired autophagic flux in WiDr and Caco-2 cells. Finally, we examined the correlations between atmospheric PM2.5 data and biomarkers of colonic inflammation in human population. The serum level of IL-8 was significantly correlated with regional anthropogenic pollutants. In conclusion, our findings elucidate that ambient PM2.5 exhibits adverse effects on colon health manifested as inflammation, aberrant proliferation, and gut dysbiosis, potentially mediated through autophagy dysregulation, thereby highlighting the importance of further research on the impact of environmental pollutants on gastrointestinal health.

Targeting neutrophil function has gained attention as a propitious therapeutic strategy for diverse inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, a series of enone-based derivatives were developed to inhibit neutrophil-mediated inflammation, showing promise for treating inflammatory diseases. These compounds fall into two clusters with distinct effects: one inhibits neutrophilic superoxide (SO) anion production and elastase release triggered by N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLF), with compound 6a being most effective (IC50 values of 1.23 and 1.37 μM, respectively), affecting c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Akt phosphorylation. The second cluster suppresses formation of SO anion without affecting elastase levels, surpassed by compound 26a (IC50 of 1.56 μM), which attenuates various mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) with minimal Akt impact. Notably, none of the tested compounds showed cytotoxicity in human neutrophils, underscoring their potential as therapeutic agents against inflammatory diseases.

Background: Ambient particulate matter is classified as a human Class 1 carcinogen, and recent studies found a positive relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and liver cancer. Nevertheless, little is known about which specific metal constituent contributes to the development of liver cancer. Objective: To evaluate the association of long-term exposure to metal constituents in PM2.5 with the risk of liver cancer using a Taiwanese cohort study. Methods: A total of 13,511 Taiwanese participants were recruited from the REVEAL-HBV in 1991–1992. Participants’ long-term exposure to eight metal constituents (Ba, Cu, Mn, Sb, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cd) in PM2.5 was based on ambient measurement in 2002–2006 followed by a land-use regression model for spatial interpolation. We ascertained newly developed liver cancer (ie, hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) through data linkage with the Taiwan Cancer Registry and national health death certification in 1991–2014. A Cox proportional hazards model was utilized to assess the association between exposure to PM2.5 metal component and HCC. Results: We identified 322 newly developed HCC with a median follow-up of 23.1 years. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 Cu was positively associated with a risk of liver cancer. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.25; P = 0.023) with one unit increment on Cu normalized by PM2.5 mass concentration in the logarithmic scale. The PM2.5 Cu-HCC association remained statistically significant with adjustment for co-exposures to other metal constituents in PM2.5. Conclusion: Our findings suggest PM2.5 containing Cu may attribute to the association of PM2.5 exposure with liver cancer.

The Editorial Board and Editorial Team are delighted to present a selection of short Research Highlights describing some of our favourite Communications Engineering publications of 2023.

Abstract Biomarker detection is key to identifying health risks. However, designing sensitive and single-use biosensors for early diagnosis remains a major challenge. Here, we report submonolayer lasers on optical fibers as ultrasensitive and disposable biosensors. Telecom optical fibers serve as distributed optical microcavities with high Q-factor, great repeatability, and ultralow cost, which enables whispering-gallery laser emission to detect biomarkers. It is found that the sensing performance strongly depends on the number of gain molecules. The submonolayer lasers obtained a six-order-of-magnitude improvement in the lower limit of detection (LOD) when compared to saturated monolayer lasers. We further achieve an ultrasensitive immunoassay for a Parkinson’s disease biomarker, alpha-synuclein (α-syn), with a lower LOD of 0.32 pM in serum, which is three orders of magnitude lower than the α-syn concentration in the serum of Parkinson’s disease patients. Our demonstration of submonolayer biolaser offers great potentials in high-throughput clinical diagnosis with ultimate sensitivity.

Abstract Background Severe dengue often leads to poor clinical outcomes and high mortality; as a result, it is of vital importance to find prognostic factors associated with the severe form of dengue. Obesity is known to deteriorate many infectious diseases due to impaired immune responses. Several studies have suggested that obese patients with dengue infection tend to have more severe manifestations with poorer prognosis. However, a firm conclusion could not be drawn due to the varied results of these studies. Here, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between obesity and dengue severity. Methods A literature search for relevant studies was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Ovid Medline and Cochrane from inception to September 9, 2022. The two main keywords were “dengue” and “obesity”. Mantel-Haenszel method and random effects model was used to analyze the pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 15 article involving a total of 6,508 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Included patients in most studies were hospitalized pediatric patients. Only one study included adulthood data. Three cohort studies, four case-control studies, and one cross-sectional studies found a significant association between obesity and dengue severity. In contrast, three cohort studies, three case-control studies, and one cross-sectional study reported no significant relationship between obesity and dengue severity. Our analysis results showed that patient with obesity is 50% (OR = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.15–1.97) more likely to develop severe manifestation of dengue. Conclusion This meta-analysis revealed that overweight could be a clinical predictor for severe disease for pediatric patients with dengue infection.

Background/Purpose: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to occupational exposure. We aim to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs during epidemic outbreak of omicron variant in Taiwan. Methods: Sequential reserved serum samples collected from our previous study during December 2021 and July 2022 were tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP). Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined as positive either of anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein, rapid antigen test or polymerase chain reaction. Retrospective chart review and a questionnaire were used to access the symptoms and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Totally 300 participants (69.3% female) with a median age of 37.9 years were enrolled. A significant increase incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was found before and during community outbreak (11.91 versus 230.93 per 100,000 person-days, P

The carnivorous pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes have long been known for their ethnobotanical applications. In this study, we prepared various extracts from the pitcher, stem, and leaf of Nepenthes miranda using 100% ethanol and assessed their inhibitory effects on key enzymes related to skin aging, including elastase, tyrosinase, and hyaluronidase. The cytotoxicity of the stem extract of N. miranda on H838 human lung carcinoma cells were also characterized by effects on cell survival, migration, proliferation, apoptosis induction, and DNA damage. The cytotoxic efficacy of the extract was enhanced when combined with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), indicating a synergistic effect. Flow cytometry analysis suggested that the stem extract might suppress H838 cell proliferation by inducing G2 cell cycle arrest, thereby inhibiting carcinoma cell proliferation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) enabled the tentative identification of the 15 most abundant compounds in the stem extract of N. miranda. Notably, the extract showed a potent inhibition of the human RPA32 protein (huRPA32), critical for DNA replication, suggesting a novel mechanism for its anticancer action. Molecular docking studies further substantiated the interaction between the extract and huRPA32, highlighting bioactive compounds, especially the two most abundant constituents, stigmast-5-en-3-ol and plumbagin, as potential inhibitors of huRPA32’s DNA-binding activity, offering promising avenues for cancer therapy. Overall, our findings position the stem extract of N. miranda as a promising source of natural compounds for anticancer therapeutics and anti-skin-aging treatments, warranting further investigation into its molecular mechanisms and potential clinical applications.

Abstract Background Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with vascular diseases. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 are highly hazardous; however, the contribution of PM2.5-bound PAHs to PM2.5-associated vascular diseases remains unclear. The ToxCast high-throughput in vitro screening database indicates that some PM2.5-bound PAHs activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The present study investigated whether the AhR pathway is involved in the mechanism of PM2.5-induced vascular toxicity, identified the PAH in PM2.5 that was the major contributor of AhR activation, and identified a biomarker for vascular toxicity of PM2.5-bound PAHs. Results Treatment of vascular smooth muscle cells (VMSCs) with an AhR antagonist inhibited the PM2.5-induced increase in the cell migration ability; NF-κB activity; and expression of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), 1B1 (CYP1B1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and osteopontin (OPN). Most PM2.5-bound PAHs were extracted into the organic fraction, which drastically enhanced VSMC migration and increased mRNA levels of CYP1A1, CYP1B1, IL-6, and OPN. However, the inorganic fraction of PM2.5 moderately enhanced VSMC migration and only increased IL-6 mRNA levels. PM2.5 increased IL-6 secretion through NF-κB activation; however, PM2.5 and its organic extract increased OPN secretion in a CYP1B1-dependent manner. Inhibiting CYP1B1 activity and silencing OPN expression prevented the increase in VSMC migration ability caused by PM2.5 and its organic extract. The AhR activation potencies of seven PM2.5-bound PAHs, reported in the ToxCast database, were strongly correlated with their capabilities of enhancing the migration ability of VSMCs. Benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF) contributed the most to the AhR agonistic activity of ambient PM2.5-bound PAHs. The association between PM2.5-induced vascular toxicity, AhR activity, and OPN secretion was further verified in mice; PM2.5-induced intimal hyperplasia in pulmonary small arteries and OPN secretion were alleviated in mice with low AhR affinity. Finally, urinary concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene, a major PAH metabolite, were positively correlated with plasma OPN levels in healthy humans. Conclusions The present study offers in vitro, animal, and human evidences supporting the importance of AhR activation for PM2.5-induced vascular toxicities and that BkF was the major contributor of AhR activation. OPN is an AhR-dependent biomarker of PM2.5-induced vascular toxicity. The AhR activation potency may be applied in the risk assessment of vascular toxicity in PAH mixtures.

Abstract It is recognized that hazardous emissions produced from frying oils may be related to oil properties, particularly the fatty acid composition. However, investigations have been limited and partial. In this work, the emissions from deep-frying foods with three oils (palm, olive, and soybean oils) with distinct fatty acid profiles were comprehensively examined in a simulated kitchen, and the interrelationship among emitted substances, oil quality parameters, and fatty acids profiles was explored. Firstly, palm oil emitted the highest number concentration of total particle matters ((3895 ± 1796) × 103 #/cm3), mainly in the Aitken mode (20–100 nm). We observed a positive correlation between particle number concentration and levels of palmitic acid, a major saturated fatty acid (SAFA) (rs = 0.73, p

In this study, artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, and blockchain technology were combined to develop a vehicle-to-everything blockchain power trading and energy management platform with the objective of enabling multi-level power transactions for electric vehicle charging stations in or between commercial buildings. The proposed platform considers green power transactions across microgrids, bidirectional power and green power charging and discharging transactions in microgrids, demand response bidding, and vehicle-to-vehicle emergency rescue charging. This innovative architecture operates smart contracts and distributed ledgers independently; uses smart contracts to handle bidding, matching, and settlement of the power trading platform; and simultaneously employs the cloud and local distributed ledger nodes to chain the detailed real-time transaction information and power data on the ledger. In this manner, the security and fairness of data can be ensured; furthermore, a large amount of chaining information can be processed, and the chaining latency can be shortened. In addition, the communication protocols are integrated through the artificial intelligence of things. An energy management system (EMS) is proposed, which can perform optimal charging and discharging scheduling according to the power transaction matching results and then control charging piles and energy storage system devices. It can reduce the operating cost of microgrids in commercial buildings, increase the efficiency of green power utilization, and reduce power loss. In this system, power transactions are automatically and simultaneously executed in the EMS to achieve real-time supply and demand balance of regional microgrids.

A smart electric vehicle (EV) charging station energy management system (CSMS) based on blockchain technology, which aims to protect privacy of EV users, ensure fairness of power transactions, and meet charging demands for large numbers of EVs, is proposed in this study. EV charging pile is designed as a local blockchain distributed ledger node, which operates synchronously with blockchain system and blockchain distributed ledger in cloud server. This paper integrates CSMS through smart contracts, providing EV users that ability to conduct power transactions and perform optimal charging and discharging control in real-time. The distributed ledger is in charge of recording all the EV charging and discharging data to maintain fairness of power transactions, protects data from being maliciously tampered, and enables the EV user to monitor status of the EV participating in power transactions and dispatching. The intelligent CSMS consists of an artificial intelligence (AI) module, centralized optimal scheduling module, and decentralized optimal control module. The AI module is responsible for forecasting renewable energy generation and load consumption. There is a two-layer architecture consisting of centralized and decentralized optimal control modules; the upper layer performs optimal charging and discharging scheduling of the entire EV charging station at time 15-min time segments, the bottom layer performs distributed optimal scheduling control in each EV charging pile at 5 min time interval. Proposed system in this paper can deal with feeder congestion and real-time power supply and grid demand imbalance, which are caused by high numbers of EVs.

Magnetic beads manipulation in microfluidic chips is a promising research field for biological application, especially in the detection of biological targets. In this review, we intend to present a thorough and in-depth overview of recent magnetic beads manipulation in microfluidic chips and its biological application. First, we introduce the mechanism of magnetic manipulation in microfluidic chip, including force analysis, particle properties, and surface modification. Then, we compare some existing methods of magnetic manipulation in microfluidic chip and list their biological application. Besides, the suggestions and outlook for future developments in the magnetic manipulation system are also discussed and summarized.

Background: African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and lethal viral disease of swine, the presence of which in groups of pigs leads to enormous economic losses in the farming industry. However, vaccines and drugs to treat ASF have yet to be developed. To control the spread of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), a diagnostic method that can be applied rapidly and can detect the disease during the early stages of infection is urgently needed. Methods: In this study, we demonstrate a rapid and easy-to-use ASFV detection method that combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and image processing with the hue-saturation-value (HSV) color model. This method was validated through use of synthetic ASFV DNA. Results: The method shows high sensitivity, as it detects as few as 10 copies per reaction within 20 min. The speed and sensitivity of this newly developed assay are superior to those reported in previous studies. In addition, through HSV color space transformation, the colorimetric result of this LAMP assay can be used for a semi-quantitative analysis for ASFV (ranging from 108 to 101 copies per reaction) and improve the discern to low concentration samples from a negative control. Conclusion: These results show that the combination of ASFV-LAMP assay and HSV color space transformation may accelerate the screening process of pigs for ASFV infection. Overall, this study provides a rapid, sensitive, early-stage, on-site diagnosis of ASFV infection and has potential to be applied to other infectious diseases.

Abstract Protein assays show great importance in medical research and disease diagnoses. Liquid crystals (LCs), as a branch of sensitive materials, offer promising applicability in the field of biosensing. Herein, we developed an ultrasensitive biosensor for the detection of low-concentration protein molecules, employing LC-amplified optofluidic resonators. In this design, the orientation of LCs was disturbed by immobilized protein molecules through the reduction of the vertical anchoring force from the alignment layer. A biosensing platform based on the whispering-gallery mode (WGM) from the LC-amplified optofluidic resonator was developed and explored, in which the spectral wavelength shift was monitored as the sensing parameter. The microbubble structure provided a stable and reliable WGM resonator with a high Q factor for LCs. It is demonstrated that the wall thickness of the microbubble played a key role in enhancing the sensitivity of the LC-amplified WGM microcavity. It is also found that protein molecules coated on the internal surface of microbubble led to their interactions with laser beams and the orientation transition of LCs. Both effects amplified the target information and triggered a sensitive wavelength shift in WGM spectra. A detection limit of 1 fM for bovine serum albumin (BSA) was achieved to demonstrate the high-sensitivity of our sensing platform in protein assays. Compared to the detection using a conventional polarized optical microscope (POM), the sensitivity was improved by seven orders of magnitude. Furthermore, multiple types of proteins and specific biosensing were also investigated to verify the potential of LC-amplified optofluidic resonators in the biomolecular detection. Our studies indicate that LC-amplified optofluidic resonators offer a new solution for the ultrasensitive real-time biosensing and the characterization of biomolecular interactions.

Background: Exposure to traffic-related pollution is positively associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but little is known about how different sources of traffic pollution (eg, gasoline-powered cars, diesel-engine vehicles) contribute to CVD. Therefore, we evaluated the association between exposure to different types of engine exhaust and CVD mortality. Methods: We recruited 12,098 participants from REVEAL-HBV cohort in Taiwan. The CVD mortality in 2000–2014 was ascertained by the Taiwan Death Certificates. Traffic pollution sources (2005–2013) were based on information provided by the Directorate General of Highway in 2005. Exposure to PM2.5 was based on a land-use regression model. We applied Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association of traffic vehicle exposure and CVD mortality. A causal mediation analysis was applied to evaluate the mediation effect of PM2.5 on the relationship between traffic and CVD mortality. Results: A total of 382 CVD mortalities were identified from 2000 to 2014. We found participants exposed to higher volumes of small car and truck exhausts had an increased CVD mortality. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.10 for small cars (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94–1.27; P-value = 0.23) and 1.24 for truck (95% CI, 1.03–1.51; P-value = 0.03) per one unit increment of the logarithm scale. The findings were still robust with further adjustment for different types of vehicles. A causal mediation analysis revealed PM2.5 had an over 60% mediation effect on traffic-CVD association. Conclusions: Exposure to exhaust from trucks or gasoline-powered cars is positively associated with CVD mortality, and air pollution may play a role in this association.

Quantum computers have been widely speculated to offer significant advantages in obtaining the ground state of difficult Hamiltonian in chemistry and physics. In this work, we first propose a Lyapunov control-inspired strategy to accelerate the well-established imaginary-time method for ground-state preparation. We also dig for the source of acceleration of the imaginary-time process under Lyapunov control with theoretical understanding and dynamic process visualization. To make the method accessible in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum era, we further propose a variational form of the algorithm that could work with shallow quantum circuits. Through numerical experiments on a broad spectrum of realistic models, including molecular systems, 2D Heisenberg models, and Sherrington-Kirkpatrick models, we show that imaginary-time control may substantially accelerate the imaginary-time evolution for all systems and even generate orders of magnitude acceleration (suggesting order-of-magnitude acceleration) for challenging molecular Hamiltonians involving small energy gaps as impressive special cases. Finally, with a proper selection of the control Hamiltonian, the new variational quantum algorithm does not incur additional measurement costs compared to the original variational quantum imaginary-time algorithm.

Abstract To determine the risk state distribution, risk level, and risk evolution situation of agricultural non-point source pollution (AGNPS), we built an ‘Input-Translate-Output’ three-dimensional evaluation (ITO3dE) model that involved 12 factors under the support of GIS and analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of AGNPS risks from 2005 to 2015 in Chongqing by using GIS space matrix, kernel density analysis, and Getis-Ord Gi* analysis. Land use changes during the 10 years had a certain influence on the AGNPS risk. The risk values in 2005, 2010, and 2015 were in the ranges of 0.40–2.28, 0.41–2.57, and 0.41–2.28, respectively, with the main distribution regions being the western regions of Chongqing (Dazu, Jiangjin, etc.) and other counties such as Dianjiang, Liangping, Kaizhou, Wanzhou, and Zhongxian. The spatiotemporal transition matrix could well exhibit the risk transition situation, and the risks generally showed no changes over time. The proportions of ‘no-risk no-change’, ‘low-risk no-change’, and ‘medium-risk no-change’ were 10.86%, 33.42%, and 17.25%, respectively, accounting for 61.53% of the coverage area of Chongqing. The proportions of risk increase, risk decline, and risk fluctuation were 13.45%, 17.66%, and 7.36%, respectively. Kernel density analysis was suitable to explore high-risk gathering areas. The peak values of kernel density in the three periods were around 1110, suggesting that the maximum gathering degree of medium-risk pattern spots basically showed no changes, but the spatial positions of high-risk gathering areas somehow changed. Getis-Ord Gi* analysis was suitable to explore the relationships between hot and cold spots. Counties with high pollution risks were Yongchuan, Shapingba, Dianjiang, Liangping, northwestern Fengdu, and Zhongxian, while counties with low risks were Chengkou, Wuxi, Wushan, Pengshui, and Rongchang. High-value hot spot zones gradually dominated in the northeast of Chongqing, while low-value cold spot zones gradually dominated in the Midwest. Our results provide a scientific base for the development of strategies to prevent and control AGNPS in Chongqing.

Abstract Background Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is rare and potentially life-threatening; its etiology remains unclear. Imaging characteristics on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and their prognostic significance have rarely been studied. We sought to determine CMR’s prognostic value in PPCM by using T1 and T2 mapping techniques. Methods Data from 21 PPCM patients from our CMR registry database were analyzed. The control group comprised 20 healthy age-matched females. All subjects underwent comprehensive contrast-enhanced CMR. T1 and T2 mapping using modified Look-Locker inversion recovery and T2 prep balanced steady-state free precession sequences, respectively. Ventricular size and function, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), myocardial T1 value, extracellular volume (ECV), and T2 value were analyzed. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed at baseline and during follow-up. The recovered left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was defined as LVEF ≥50% on echocardiography follow-up after at least 6 months of the diagnosis. Results CMR imaging showed that the PPCM patients had severely impaired LVEF and right ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF: 26.8 ± 10.6%; RVEF: 33.9 ± 14.6%). LGE was seen in eight (38.1%) cases. PPCM patients had significantly higher native T1 and ECV (1345 ± 79 vs. 1212 ± 32 ms, P

Graphene has unique and outstanding properties that make it a promising material for many applications. It has triggered considerable research in fields including solar cells, photodetectors, electrodes, and supercapacitors. Despite the favorable characteristics of devices using graphene have been widely explored, issues such as low absorbance, complex processing, and limited device size remain. Hence, we present large-area CdSe quantum dots (QDs)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films and corresponding photodetectors through a cost-effective and simple spin-coating method. As light turns on, CdSe QDs are excited and generate excess electron-hole pairs, leading to a significantly increased on/off current ratio of 2195 at a low bias voltage of -1 V, compared to that of photodetectors without CdSe QDs. Decorating the rGO film with CdSe QDs enables the wavefunction modulation and enhances the light harvesting. Our proposed high-performance photodetector can be operated at a low voltage, which is beneficial for applications in various green and low-power consumption devices.

Abstract Biological lasers which utilize Fabry–Pérot (FP) cavities have attracted tremendous interest due to their potential in amplifying subtle biological changes. Transverse laser modes generated from cells serve as distinct fingerprints of individual cells; however, most lasing signals lack the ability to provide key information about the cell due to high complexity of transverse modes. The missing key, therefore, hinders it from practical applications in biomedicine. This study reveals the key mechanism governing the frequency distributions of transverse modes in cellular lasers. Spatial information of cells including curvature can be interpreted through spectral information of transverse modes by means of hyperspectral imaging. Theoretical studies are conducted to explore the correlation between the cross‐sectional morphology of a cell and lasing frequencies of transverse modes. Experimentally, the spectral characteristics of transverse modes are investigated in live and fixed cells with different morphological features. By extracting laser modes in frequency domain, the proposed concept is applied for studying cell adhesion process and cell classification from rat cortices. This study expands a new analytical dimension of cell lasers, opening an avenue for subcellular analysis in biophotonic applications.

Abstract Lasers are the pillars of modern photonics and sensing. Recent advances in microlasers have demonstrated its extraordinary lasing characteristics suitable for biosensing. However, most lasers utilized lasing spectrum as a detection signal, which can hardly detect or characterize nanoscale structural changes in microcavity. Here the concept of amplified structured light‐molecule interactions is introduced to monitor tiny bio‐structural changes in a microcavity. Biomimetic liquid crystal droplets with self‐assembled lipid monolayers are sandwiched in a Fabry–Pérot cavity, where subtle protein‐lipid membrane interactions trigger the topological transformation of output vector beams. By exploiting Amyloid β (Aβ)‐lipid membrane interactions as a proof‐of‐concept, it is demonstrated that vector laser beams can be viewed as a topology of complex laser modes and polarization states. The concept of topological‐encoded laser barcodes is therefore developed to reveal dynamic changes of laser modes and Aβ‐lipid interactions with different Aβ assembly structures. The findings demonstrate that the topology of vector beams represents significant features of intracavity nano‐structural dynamics resulted from structured light‐molecule interactions.

Introduction: This review sought to present fundamental principles of deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) and provides an overview of its applications in medicine and dentistry. Materials and Methods: Scientific databases including PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Google Scholar were used to search for relevant literature on DCNN and its applications in the medical and dental fields from 2010 to September 2018. Two independent reviewers rated the articles based on the exclusion and inclusion criteria, and the remaining articles were reviewed. Results: The comprehensive literature search yielded 110,750 citations. After applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria, 340 articles remained that pertained to the use of DCNN in medicine and dentistry. Further exclusion based on nonbiomedical applications yielded a total of 26 articles for review. Conclusion: Advances in the development of neural network systems have permeated into the medical and dental fields, particularly in imaging and diagnostic testing. Researchers are attempting to use deep learning as an aid to assess medical images in clinical applications and its optimization will provide powerful tools to the next generation. However, the authors caution that these tools serve as supplements to improve diagnosis and not replace the medical professional.

Although quantum computation is regarded as a promising numerical method for computational quantum chemistry, current applications of quantum-chemistry calculations on quantum computers are limited to small molecules. This limitation can be ascribed to technical problems in building and manipulating more quantum bits (qubits) and the associated complicated operations of quantum gates in a quantum circuit when the size of the molecular system becomes large. As a result, reducing the number of required qubits is necessary to make quantum computation practical. Currently, the minimal STO-3G basis set is commonly used in benchmark studies because it requires the minimum number of spin orbitals. Nonetheless, the accuracy of using STO-3G is generally low and thus can not provide useful predictions. Herein, we propose to adopt Daubechies wavelet functions as an accurate and efficient method for quantum computations of molecular electronic properties. We demonstrate that a minimal basis set constructed from Daubechies wavelet basis can yield accurate results through a better description of the molecular Hamiltonian, while keeping the number of spin orbitals minimal. With the improved Hamiltonian through Daubechies wavelets, we calculate vibrational frequencies for H_{2} and LiH using quantum-computing algorithm to show that the results are in excellent agreement with experimental data. As a result, we achieve quantum calculations in which accuracy is comparable with that of the full configuration interaction calculation using the cc-pVDZ basis set, whereas the computational cost is the same as that of a STO-3G calculation. Thus, our work provides a more efficient and accurate representation of the molecular Hamiltonian for efficient quantum computations of molecular systems, and for the first time demonstrates that predictions in agreement with experimental measurements are possible to be achieved with quantum resources available in near-term quantum computers.

Exposure to environmental hormones such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has become a critical human health issue globally. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between DEHP/mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) levels and macrophage-associated immune responses and clinical manifestations in dengue virus (DV)-infected patients. Among 89 DV-infected patients, those with DV infection-related gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (n = 13, 15% of patients) had significantly higher DEHP exposure than those without GI bleeding (n = 76, 85% of patients), which were 114.2 ng/ml versus 52.5 ng/ml ΣDEHP in urine; p = 0.023). In an in vitro study using cultured human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to investigate the effects of MEHP, treatment increased IL-1β and TNF-α release but decreased IL-23 release, with negative correlations observed between urine ΣDEHP and serum IL-23 levels in patients. MEHP-treated MDMs had lower antiviral Th17 response induction activity in mixed T-cell response tests. The in vitro data showed that MEHP increased DV viral load and decreased IL-23 release dose-dependently, and adding IL-23 to MEHP-exposed MDMs significantly reduced the DV viral load. MEHP also suppressed IL-23 expression via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) pathway. Further, the PPAR-γ antagonist GW9662 significantly reversed MEHP-induced IL-23 suppression and reduced the DV viral load. These study findings help to explain the associations between high MEHP levels and the high global burden of dengue disease.

The NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is the platform for IL-1β maturation, aimed at mediating a rapid immune response against danger signals which must be tightly regulated. Insulin is well known as the critical hormone in the maintenance of glucose in physiologic response. Previous studies have proved insulin has the anti-inflammatory effect but the molecular mechanism of immunomodulation provided by insulin is not clear so far. Here we investigated whether insulin reduces inflammation by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome. In the present study, we used LPS and ATP to induce the intracellular formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Insulin inhibited the secretion of IL-1β by preventing the assembly of the ASC in THP-1 cells and human CD14+ monocyte-derived macrophages. The phosphorylation status of Syk, p38 mitogen−activated protein kinase (MAPK) and ASC were altered by insulin. These effects were attenuated in THP-1 cells transfected with small interfering RNA targeting insulin receptors. In vivo, administration of glucose–insulin–potassium reduced serum IL-1β level, intestinal ASC speck formation, local macrophage infiltration and alleviated intestinal injury in mice exposed to LPS. Insulin may play an immunomodulatory role in anti-inflammation by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome.

The unmet need for specific anti-leukemic agents for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia led us to screen a variety of marine-derived bacteria. The fermentation broth extract of Streptomyces sp. LY1209 exhibited the most potent anti-proliferative effect against Molt 4 leukemia cells. A chromatographic anti-proliferative profiling approach was applied to characterize the metabolites with bioactive potential. Among all the metabolites, the major anti-leukemic constituents were staurosporine and a series of diketopiperazines (DKPs), including one novel and two known DKPs identified from nature for the first time. The structures of these compounds were identified using extensive spectroscopic analysis. The anti-proliferative potential of these metabolites against the Molt 4 cancer cell line was also determined. According to the in silico analysis utilizing a chemical global positioning system for natural products (ChemGPS-NP), it was suggested that these DKPs are potential anti-microtubule and alkylating agents, while staurosporine was proposed to be a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Our findings not only identified a series of anti-proliferative metabolites, but also suggested a strategic workflow for the future discovery of natural product drug leads.

Background and objectives: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from impaired pulmonary function and dyspnea, which result in limited levels of physical activity, and impaired quality of life. Exercise and regular physical activity have been proven to break the vicious circle. The aim of this pilot study is to investigate the effects of a walking program on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with COPD. Materials and Methods: Patients with COPD were randomly assigned to a pedometer group (PG) or control group (CON). Subjects in the PG walked target steps daily with a pedometer for six weeks. Before and after the program, the following measurements were performed: pulmonary function test (PFT), daily steps, Six-Minute Walk Test (6 MWT), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and quality of life questionnaire (SF-12). Results: After this walking program, PG (n = 15) significantly improved their daily steps from 4768.4 ± 2643.3 steps to 7042.7 ± 4281.9 steps (p = 0.01). Forced vital capacity (FVC) increased from 2.5 ± 0.7 L to 2.8 ± 0.9 L (p = 0.02). CAT scores decreased from 14.9 ± 8.8 points to 11.5 ± 7.5 points (p = 0.03). In the control group (n = 11), there were no differences in any outcomes after this daily walking program. Conclusions: For patients with COPD, a daily walking program with a pedometer is beneficial in the improvement of pulmonary function, daily steps, and quality of life.

The Fuling District is located in central Chongqing, China, and characterized by a high ecological status, a high ecological risk, a high agricultural proportion in economy, and a high agricultural non-point source pollution (AGNPS) risk, and represents the ecological security barrier of the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Reservoir area. To analyze the output risk response of AGNPS under different land use scenarios in the future, we combined the advantages of various models and techniques such as the CLUE-S model, the Markov model, the SWAT model, and GIS technology and selected 12 driving factors for land use changes as well as one limiting factor of the ecological protection redline based on land use data of the Fuling District in 2009 and 2017, with the aim to perform an output risk probability evolution analysis of regional AGNPS. The three scenarios were natural development (ND), ecological priority (EP), and agricultural development (AD). The results were as follows: (1) from 2009 to 2017, land use change mainly consisted of the conversion from paddy field and dry land into construction land, accounting for 41.25% of the total area increase in construction land in 2017; (2) the simulation results of land use changes in Fuling District by combination of the CLUE-S model and the Markov model showed a high consistency; (3) from 2009 to 2017, the numbers of sub-basins where the TN risk level declined, remained unchanged, and increased were 36, 425, and 9, respectively, while in terms of the TP risk levels, the numbers were 16, 443, and 11, respectively; (4) under the three development scenarios of ND, EP, and AD, paddy field, dry land, forest land, and construction land were the main types of land use conversion; (5) the output risk levels of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) both presented a declining trend at present and in the future, and the number of sub-basins where the risk level declined was highest under the EP scenario; (6) under the ND scenario, adjustments of ±5% or ±10% on the output coefficients of TN and TP could lead to an obvious response of the output risk probability level of sub-basins. Therefore, the sub-basins that were the most sensitive to changes in land use or output coefficients deserve considerable attention. Our results also indicate that the output risk levels of sub-basins and regional TN and TP could be reduced through land use optimization or fertilizer control, thereby minimizing regional AGNPS.

Agricultural non-point source pollution (AGNPS) risk prevention and control is more conducive to reducing costs than post-treatment. Therefore, how to effectively identify risks is a key problem to be solved. The study area is located in the NANTUO small watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China, on the side of the Yangtze River, where agriculture is developed with many kinds of plantings. There is a water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) with seasonal elevation difference up to 30 m due to the water level regulation of the Three Gorges reservoir, which is a hot area of AGNPS research. On the basis of daily water level observation in NANTUO small watershed, based on the theory of “source” and “sink”, this study explored the land use change in different seasons with the help of high-resolution remote sensing image (According to the change of water level, it can be divided into two periods: non-submergence period (low water level period from the beginning of June to the end of September) and submergence period (high water level period at other time)). With the help of “source” identification (Types of land use that produce pollutants) and resistance surface calculation index system (Minimum cumulative resistance model, MCR model), the risk level and risk transmission path (The easiest path for pollutants to move to water) of AGNPS in WLFZ were analyzed. Combined with the idea of ecological corridor construction and pollution control, the risk change of regional AGNPS under the optimization of land use mode (The cultivated land types within 50 m and 100 m (Landscape optimization zone) around the water area are adjusted to forest land respectively in two scenarios (Q1 and Q2)) was analyzed as well. Based on our results, 1) the difference in the water areas between the non-submergence and submergence periods was 3.79 km2, and the areas of grassland, farmland, and forest land in the non-submergence period increased by 0.62, 0.85, and 0.35 km2, respectively. The “source” land in this region was mainly sloping farmland with slope above 6°. 2) The calculation results of the minimum cumulative resistance base surface for each source land showed the characteristics of “high values in the west and dispersedly distributed, low values in the east and continuously distributed”. 3) The distribution of the resistance surface during the non-submergence and submergence periods was basically the same; the high-risk zones were widely distributed throughout the region, while the low-risk zones were mainly distributed in the eastern mountains. 4) The number of risk transmission paths followed the order of a4 (farmland with slopes between 6° and 15°) > a5 (farmland with slopes between 2° and 6°) > a1 (rural settlements) > a3 (farmland with slopes between 15° and 25°) > a6 (farmland with slopes ≤ 2°) > a2 (farmland with slopes above 25°), and about 90% of the risk transmission paths were distributed in the lower levels (i.e., level 1, level 2, level 3). The proportion of risk transmission paths in the lower levels during the submergence period was higher than that during the non-submergence period. 5) The proportions of high risk, relatively high risk, medium risk, low risk, and no risk in the study area varied respectively following the rules of 72.79%→70.07%→66.56%, 16.85%→18.16%→18.3%, 6.24%→7.21%→9.3%, 2.25%→2.36%→3.32%, and 1.87%→2.2%→2.52% under the intact status of non-submergence period (Q0), Q1 scenario, and Q2 scenario. 6)The maximum values of pollution transmission path resistance of “source” land under the intact status of non-submergence period (Q0), Q1 scenario, and Q2 scenario followed the order of Q0

Abstract Bioenergy from photosynthetic living organisms is a potential solution for energy‐harvesting and bioelectricity‐generation issues. With the emerging interest in biophotovoltaics, extracting electricity from photosynthetic organisms remains challenging because of the low electron‐transition rate and photon collection efficiency due to membrane shielding. In this study, the concept of “photosynthetic resonator” to amplify biological nanoelectricity through the confinement of living microalgae (Chlorella sp.) in an optical micro/nanocavity is demonstrated. Strong energy coupling between the Fabry–Perot cavity mode and photosynthetic resonance offers the potential of exploiting optical resonators to amplify photocurrent generation as well as energy harvesting. Biomimetic models and living photosynthesis are explored in which the power is increased by almost 600% and 200%, respectively. Systematic studies of photosystem fluorescence and photocurrent are simultaneously carried out. Finally, an optofluidic‐based photosynthetic device is developed. It is envisaged that the key innovations proposed in this study can provide comprehensive insights in biological‐energy sciences, suggesting a new avenue to amplify electrochemical signals using an optical cavity. Promising applications include photocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, biofuel devices, and sustainable optoelectronics.

The water-level of Three Gorges Reservoir first reached a normal storage level 175 m in October 2010, resulting in a large-area water-fluctuating zone with an elevation difference of 30 m (145–175 m). We used the Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, the field quadrat survey, the species importance value calculation, and literature data to assess the natural environment situation, the vegetation regeneration status, and the ecological benefits of the dominant plant species in terms of mitigating agricultural non-point source pollution of the WLFZ in the Three Gorges Reservoir at the initial impoundment stage. The results showed that: (1) the WLFZ area presented an obvious trend of increasing first and then decreasing from west to east, and the exposed area at the elevation intervals of 145–175 m, 155–175 m, and 165–175 m accounted for 20, 37.49, and 42.51% of the total area, respectively; (2) the WLFZ area gradually decreased with increasing gradient, and the exposed area at the gradient intervals of 60° accounted for 60.90, 18.62, 12.03, 8.06, and 0.39%, respectively, of the total area. (3) The vegetated area increased with increasing water level elevation, and the vegetation coverage area at elevation intervals of 145–155 m, 155–165 m, and 165–175 m accounted for 4.96, 16.09, and 44.77%, respectively, of the total area of the corresponding elevation interval. The vegetated area gradually decreased with increasing gradient, and at the sections Jiangjin-Changshou, Fuling-Yunyang, and Fengjie-Yiling, the vegetated area accounted for 15.30, 71, and 12.70%, respectively, of the total vegetation coverage area. (4) The important value calculation results indicate that the dominant species significantly differed among the different elevations in the three belt transects of the Yangtze River main stream (Zhongxian section), the Xiaojiang River (Kaizhou section), and the Xiangxi River (Guizhou section). The dominant annual herb species were Digitaria sanguinalis (Linn.) Scop., Conyza canadensis (Linn.) Cronq., Bidens frondosa Linn., Echinochloa crusgali (Linn.) Beauv., and Setaria viridis (Linn.) Beauv., while the dominant perennial herb species were Cynodon dactylon(Linn.) Pers. and Cyperus rotundus Linn.. (5) The water level elevation was the most important factor affecting vegetation restoration. At the initial impoundment stage, the naturally regenerating plant species Cynodon dactylon(Linn.) Pers. and Cyperus rotundus Linn. could be used to prevent and control regional agricultural non-point source pollution, combined with the establishment of plant hedges using the native species Morus alba L. and Vitex negundo Linn.. We provide a scientific basis for the development of measures to mitigate agricultural non-point source pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, using ecological restoration. Keywords: GIS analysis, Water-level fluctuation zone (WLFZ), Three Gorges reservoir area, Dominant species, Agricultural non-point source pollution

Glucosinolates are defense-related secondary metabolites found in Brassicaceae. When Brassicaceae come under attack, glucosinolates are hydrolyzed into different forms of glucosinolate hydrolysis products (GHPs). Among the GHPs, isothiocyanates are the most comprehensively characterized defensive compounds, whereas the functional study of nitriles, another group of GHP, is still limited. Therefore, this study investigates whether 3-butenenitrile (3BN), a nitrile, can trigger the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of defense responses in Arabidopsis thaliana against biotic stresses. Briefly, the methodology is divided into three stages, (i) evaluate the physiological and biochemical effects of exogenous 3BN treatment on Arabidopsis, (ii) determine the metabolites involved in 3BN-mediated defense responses in Arabidopsis, and (iii) assess whether a 3BN treatment can enhance the disease tolerance of Arabidopsis against necrotrophic pathogens. As a result, a 2.5 mM 3BN treatment caused lesion formation in Arabidopsis Columbia (Col-0) plants, a process found to be modulated by nitric oxide (NO). Metabolite profiling revealed an increased production of soluble sugars, Krebs cycle associated carboxylic acids and amino acids in Arabidopsis upon a 2.5 mM 3BN treatment, presumably via NO action. Primary metabolites such as sugars and amino acids are known to be crucial components in modulating plant defense responses. Furthermore, exposure to 2.0 mM 3BN treatment began to increase the production of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) phytohormones in Arabidopsis Col-0 plants in the absence of lesion formation. The production of SA and JA in nitrate reductase loss-of function mutant (nia1nia2) plants was also induced by the 3BN treatments, with a greater induction for JA. The SA concentration in nia1nia2 plants was lower than in Col-0 plants, confirming the previously reported role of NO in controlling SA production in Arabidopsis. A 2.0 mM 3BN treatment prior to pathogen assays effectively alleviated the leaf lesion symptom of Arabidopsis Col-0 plants caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. carotovorum and Botrytis cinerea and reduced the pathogen growth on leaves. The findings of this study demonstrate that 3BN can elicit defense response pathways in Arabidopsis, which potentially involves a coordinated crosstalk between NO and phytohormone signaling.

Abstract Background Myocardial fibrosis is a common pathophysiological process that is related to ventricular remodeling in congenital heart disease. However, the presence, characteristics, and clinical significance of myocardial fibrosis in Ebstein’s anomaly have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to evaluate myocardial fibrosis using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1 mapping techniques, and to explore the significance of myocardial fibrosis in adolescent and adult patients with Ebstein’s anomaly. Methods Forty-four consecutive patients with unrepaired Ebstein’s anomaly (34.0 ± 16.2 years; 18 males), and an equal number of age- and gender-matched controls, were included. A comprehensive CMR protocol consisted of cine, LGE, and T1 mapping by modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequences were performed. Ventricular functional parameters, native T1, extracellular volume (ECV), and LGE were analyzed. Associations between myocardial fibrosis and disease severity, ventricular function, and NYHA classification were analyzed. Results LGE was found in 10 (22.7%) patients. Typical LGE in Ebstein’s anomaly was located in the endocardium of the septum within the right ventricle (RV). The LV ECV of Ebstein’s anomaly were significantly higher than those of the controls (30.0 ± 3.8% vs. 25.3 ± 2.3%, P

The issue of micro-plastics is becoming more and more important due to their ubiquity and the harm they cause to the human body. Therefore, evaluating the biological–physical interaction of micro-plastics with health cells has become the focus of many research efforts. This study focuses on the movement mode and low concentration detection development for micro-plastics in surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Firstly, 20-micrometer micro-plastics were prepared by grinding and filtering, and the movement mode was explored; then, the characteristics were investigated by SPR. Chromatographic analysis showed that the surface charge of micro-plastics dominated the elution time, and estrogen receptors (ERs) played a supporting role. A difference of micro-plastics in SPR sensorgram was observed, inferring the micro-plastics’ movement in rolling mode on the ERs. Characteristics analysis indicated that the low particle number of micro-plastics on SPR showed a linear relationship with the response unit (RU). When ERs were immobilized on the biosensor, the force of the binding of micro-plastics to ERs under an ultra-low background was equivalent to the dissociation rate constant shown as follows: PS (0.05 nM) > PVC (0.09 nM) > PE (0.14 nM). The ELISA-like magnetic beads experiment verified the specificity between ERs and micro-plastics. Therefore, by using the SPR technique, a biological-derived over-occupation of PS was found via higher binding force with ERs and longer retention time. In the future, there will be considerable potential for micro-plastics issues, such as identification in natural samples, biomarking, real-time detection in specific environments/regions and human health subject.

Background: Suboptimal blood pressure (BP) control is commonly observed in patients receiving antihypertensive agents, but the relationship between uncontrolled BP and left atrial (LA) impairment remains unknown. Methods: This study enrolled 279 hypertensive patients who had been medicated, as well as 85 matched normal controls. The BP of systolic 140/90 mmHg appeared an independent risk factor associated with the abnormal SEa (odds ratio, 2.957; interval of confidence, 1.614-5.415; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Suboptimal BP control status in hypertensive patients is related to a further reduction of LA myocardial function assessed by the novel 2DSTI free strain, and suboptimal BP might be regarded as a composite risk factor and therefore a simplified treatment target. However, the prognostic value of LA free strain in patients with inability to achieve the BP target needs to be evaluated in future prospective studies.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure and vascular diseases. Here, we observed that treatment with ambient PM increased cell migration ability in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and pulmonary arterial SMCs (PASMCs). These results suggest that VSMCs and PASMCs transitioned from a differentiated to a synthetic phenotype after PM exposure. Furthermore, treatment with PM increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, and increased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in VSMCs. Using specific inhibitors, we demonstrated that PM increased the migration ability of VSMCs via the nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 1 (NOX1)/ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway, which also partially involved in the induction of proinflammatory cytokines. Finally, we investigated whether nature polyphenolic compounds prevent PM-induced migration and proinflammatory cytokines secretion in VSMCs. Curcumin, resveratrol, and gallic acid prevented PM2.5-induced migration via the ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway. However, honokiol did not prevent PM2.5-induced migration or activation of the ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway. On the other hand, all polyphenols prevented PM2.5-induced cytokines secretion. These data indicated that polyphenols prevented PM-induced migration and cytokine secretion via blocking the ROS-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway in VSMCs. However, other mechanisms may also contribute to PM-induced cytokine secretion.

The progression of cyber-attacks on the cyber-physical system is analyzed by the Probabilistic, Learning Attacker, and Dynamic Defender (PLADD) model. Although our research does apply to all cyber-physical systems, we focus on power grid infrastructure. The PLADD model evaluates the effectiveness of moving target defense (MTD) techniques. We consider the power grid attack scenarios in the AND configurations and OR configurations. In addition, we consider, for the first time ever, power grid attack scenarios involving both AND configurations and OR configurations simultaneously. Cyber-security managers can use the strategy introduced in this manuscript to optimize their defense strategies. Specifically, our research provides insight into when to reset access controls (such as passwords, internet protocol addresses, and session keys), to minimize the probability of a successful attack. Our mathematical proof for the OR configuration of multiple PLADD games shows that it is best if all access controls are reset simultaneously. For the AND configuration, our mathematical proof shows that it is best (in terms of minimizing the attacker′s average probability of success) that the resets are equally spaced apart. We introduce a novel concept called hierarchical parallel PLADD system to cover additional attack scenarios that require combinations of AND and OR configurations.

Secret image sharing technology is a strategy for jointly protecting secret images. The (n, n) secret image sharing problem can be solved by conventional Boolean calculation easily. However, how to recover secret images with progressive steps is not addressed. In this study, we proposed an XOR-based (m, t, Ti) multi-secret image sharing scheme that shares m secret images among m participants and recovers m shared images progressively with t thresholds. The proposed secret images partition strategy (SIPS) partitions m secret images to generate intermediate images for different thresholds in the sharing procedure. Based on progressive recovery property, the proposed recovery method recovers parts of the secret images by gathering consecutive shared images. Moreover, gathering all shared images can perfectly recover all secret images. The experimental results show that the proposed XOR-based multi-secret image sharing method has high security and efficiency.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A marine polycyclic quinone-type metabolite, halenaquinone (HQ), was found to inhibit the proliferation of Molt 4, K562, MDA-MB-231 and DLD-1 cancer cell lines, with IC50 of 0.48, 0.18, 8.0 and 6.76 μg/mL, respectively. It exhibited the most potent activity against leukemia Molt 4 cells. Accumulating evidence showed that HQ may act as a potent protein kinase inhibitor in cancer therapy. To fully understand the mechanism of HQ, we further explored the precise molecular targets in leukemia Molt 4 cells. We found that the use of HQ increased apoptosis by 26.23%–70.27% and caused disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) by 17.15%–53.25% in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by Annexin-V/PI and JC-1 staining assays, respectively. Moreover, our findings indicated that the pretreatment of Molt 4 cells with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, diminished MMP disruption and apoptosis induced by HQ, suggesting that ROS overproduction plays a crucial rule in the cytotoxic activity of HQ. The results of a cell-free system assay indicated that HQ could act as an HDAC and topoisomerase catalytic inhibitor through the inhibition of pan-HDAC and topoisomerase IIα expression, respectively. On the protein level, the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins p-Akt, NFκB, HDAC and Bcl-2, as well as hexokinase II was inhibited by the use of HQ. On the other hand, the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, PARP cleavage, caspase activation and cytochrome c release were increased after HQ treatment. Taken together, our results suggested that the antileukemic effect of HQ is ROS-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis combined with the inhibitory effect on HDAC and topoisomerase activities.

The sponge Petrosia sp. yielded five polyacetylenic compounds (1–5), including two new polyacetylenes, petrosianynes A (1) and B (2). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with the physical and spectral data of related known analogues. Compounds 1–5 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against a limited panel of cancer cell lines.

A marine furanoterpenoid derivative, 10-acetylirciformonin B (10AB), was found to inhibit the proliferation of leukemia, hepatoma, and colon cancer cell lines, with selective and significant potency against leukemia cells. It induced DNA damage and apoptosis in leukemia HL 60 cells. To fully understand the mechanism behind the 10AB apoptotic induction against HL 60 cells, we extended our previous findings and further explored the precise molecular targets of 10AB. We found that the use of 10AB increased apoptosis by 8.9%–87.6% and caused disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) by 15.2%–95.2% in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by annexin-V/PI and JC-1 staining assays, respectively. Moreover, our findings indicated that the pretreatment of HL 60 cells with N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, diminished MMP disruption and apoptosis induced by 10AB, suggesting that ROS overproduction plays a crucial rule in the cytotoxic activity of 10AB. The results of a cell-free system assay indicated that 10AB could act as a topoisomerase catalytic inhibitor through the inhibition of topoisomerase IIα. On the protein level, the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xL and Bcl-2, caspase inhibitors XIAP and survivin, as well as hexokinase II were inhibited by the use of 10AB. On the other hand, the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was increased after 10AB treatment. Taken together, our results suggest that 10AB-induced apoptosis is mediated through the overproduction of ROS and the disruption of mitochondrial metabolism.

Rosa cymosa Tratt is a Chinese herbal remedy that is used in the treatment of diarrhea, burns, rheumatoid arthritis, and hemorrhage. Despite its use in Asian folk medicine, there are limited reports on the biological activity of R. cymosa fruits. This study focused on the investigation of the antitumor effect of the antioxidative ethanolic extract of R. cymosa fruits (RCE) along with its underlying mechanism of action. RCE showed a potent cytotoxic effect against Sup-T1 and Molt-4 lymphoblastic leukemia cells. In the xenograft animal model, the tumor size was significantly reduced to about 59.42% in the RCE-treated group in comparison with the control group. The use of RCE (37.5, 75, or 150 μg/mL) triggered apoptosis by 26.52–83.49%, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) by 10.44–58.60%, and promoted calcium release by 1.29-, 1.44-, and 1.71-fold compared with the control group. The extract induced redox oxygen species (ROS) generation through the elimination of Nrf2/Keap1/P62-mediated oxidative stress response. The loss of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) activation by RCE impaired PI3K/Akt/Foxo and Jak/Stat activation pathways, which contributed to tumorigenesis. These multiple targets of R. cymosa against hematologic cancer cells suggested its potential application as an antileukemic dietary supplement.

Reported cases of breast cancer have skyrocketed in the last decades with recent advances in examination techniques. Brest cancer has become the second leading cause of mortality among women worldwide, urging the scientific community to develop or find new drugs from natural sources with potent activity and a reasonable safety profile to tackle this ailment. Antrodia cinnamomea (AC) is a treasured medicinal fungus which has attracted attention due to its potent hepatoprotective and cytotoxic activities. We evaluated the antiproliferative activity of the ethanol extract of artificially cultured AC (EEAC) on breast cancer cells (T47D cells) in vivo and in vitro. Ethanol extract of artificially cultured AC inhibited T47D cells’ proliferation mediated by cell cycle arrest at G1 phase as well induced autophagy. Immunoblotting assay confirmed that EEAC not only decreased the expression of the cell-cycle-related proteins but also increased the expression of transcription factor FOXO1, autophagic marker LC3 II, and p62. Ethanol extract of artificially cultured AC mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress by promoting the expression of IRE1 (inositol-requiring enzyme 1α), GRP78/Bip (glucose regulating protein 78), and CHOP (C/EBP homologous protein). Apart from previous studies, HDACs (histone deacetylases) activity was inhibited as demonstrated by a cell-free system, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence assays following EEAC treatment. The in vivo studies demonstrated that EEAC decreased tumor volume and inhibited tumor growth without any significant side effects. High performance liquid chromatography profile demonstrated similar triterpenoids compared to the profile of wild AC ethanol extract. The multiple targets of EEAC on breast cancer cells suggested that this extract may be developed as a potential dietary supplement targeting this debilitating disease.

Epidemiology estimates how exposure to pollutants may impact human health. It often needs detailed determination of ambient concentrations to avoid exposure misclassification. However, it is unrealistic to collect pollutant data from each and every subject. Land-use regression (LUR) models have thus been used frequently to estimate individual levels of exposures to ambient air pollution. This paper used remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) tools to develop ten regression models for PM2.5-bound compound concentration based on measurements of a six-year period including NH 4 + , SO 4 2 − , NO 3 − , OC, EC, Ba, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Sb. The explained variance (R2) of these LUR models ranging from 0.60 to 0.92 confirms that this study successfully estimated the fine spatial variability of PM2.5-bound compound concentrations in Taiwan where the distribution of traffic, industrial area, greenness, and culture-specific PM2.5 sources like temples collected from GIS and remote sensing data were main variables. In particular, while they were much less used, this study showcased the necessity of remote sensing data of greenness in future LUR studies for reducing the exposure bias. In terms of local residents’ health outcome or health effect indicators, this study further offers much-needed support for future air epidemiological studies. The results provide important insights into expanding the application of GIS and remote sensing on exposure assessment for PM2.5-bound compounds.