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Abstract In this paper, we investigate the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430,1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 , 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) within the perturbative QCD (PQCD) framework. The S-wave two-meson distribution amplitudes (DAs) are introduced to describe the final state interactions of the $$K\pi $$ K π pair, which involve the time-like form factors and the Gegenbauer polynomials. In the calculations, we adopt two kinds of parameterization schemes to describe the time-like form factors: one is the relativistic Breit–Wigner (RBW) formula, which is usually more suitable for the narrow resonances, and the other is the LASS line shape proposed by the LASS Collaboration, which includes both the resonant and nonresonant components. We find that the branching ratios and the direct CP violations for the decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) obtained from those of the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) under the narrow width approximation (NWA) can be consistent well with the previous PQCD results calculated in the two-body framework by assuming that $$K^*_0(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) is the lowest lying $$\bar{q} s$$ q ¯ s state, which is the so-called scenario II (SII). We conclude that the LASS parameterization is more suitable to describe the $$K_0^{*}(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) than the RBW formula, and the nonresonant components play an important role in the branching ratios of the decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) . In view of the large difference between the decay width measurements for the $$K_0^{*}(1950)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) given by BaBar and LASS collaborations, we calculate the branching ratios and the CP violations for the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) by using two values, $$\Gamma _{K^*_0(1950)}=0.100\pm 0.04$$ Γ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) = 0.100 ± 0.04 GeV and $$\Gamma _{K^*_0(1950)}=0.201\pm 0.034$$ Γ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) = 0.201 ± 0.034 GeV, besides the two kinds of parameterizations for the resonance $$K^*_0(1950)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) . We find that the branching ratios and the direct CP violations for the decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) have not as large difference between the two parameterizations as the case of decays involving the $$K^*_0(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) , especially for the results with $$\Gamma _{K^*_0(1950)}=0.201\pm 0.034$$ Γ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) = 0.201 ± 0.034 GeV. The effect of the nonresonant component in the $$K^*_0(1950)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) may be not so serious as that in the $$K^*_0(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) . The quasi-two-body decays $$B^+_c \rightarrow K^{*+}_0(1430) D^{0} \rightarrow K^0 \pi ^+ D^{0}$$ B c + → K 0 ∗ + ( 1430 ) D 0 → K 0 π + D 0 and $$B^+_c \rightarrow K^{*0}_0(1430) D^{+} \rightarrow K^+ \pi ^- D^{+}$$ B c + → K 0 ∗ 0 ( 1430 ) D + → K + π - D + have large branching ratios, which can reach to the order of $$10^{-4}$$ 10 - 4 and are most likely to be observed in the future LHCb experiments. Furthermore, the branching ratios of the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) are about one order smaller than those of the corresponding decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) .

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the accumulation of leukocytes and inflammatory mediators within the synovial tissue. Leukocyte counts are proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. However, the causality remains unclear. To investigate the causal relationship between various leukocytes and RA by implementing two-sample univariable Mendelian Randomization (MR) and multivariable MR. MR analysis was performed using respective genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for the exposure traits (eosinophil counts, neutrophil counts, lymphocyte counts, monocyte counts, basophil counts, and white blood cell counts) and outcome trait (RA). Summary statistics for leukocytes were extracted from the Blood Cell Consortium meta-analysis and INTERVAL studies. Public GWAS information for RA included 14,361 cases and 43,923 controls. Inverse variance weighted, weighted median, MR-Egger regression, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier, and multivariable MR analyses were performed in MR analysis. Univariable MR found elevated eosinophil counts (OR 1.580, 95% CI 1.389–2.681, p = 1.30 × 10–7) significantly increased the risk of RA. Multivariable MR further confirmed that eosinophil counts were a risk factor for RA. Increased eosinophils were associated with higher risk of RA. Further elucidations of the causality and mechanisms underlying are likely to identify feasible interventions to promote RA prevention.

Abstract In this work, we investigate the semileptonic decays of $$B_{c}$$ B c meson to $$\eta _{c}(1S,2S,3S)$$ η c ( 1 S , 2 S , 3 S ) , $$\psi (1S,2S,3S)$$ ψ ( 1 S , 2 S , 3 S ) and X(3872) within the framework of covariant light-front quark model (CLFQM). We combine the helicity amplitudes via the corresponding form factors to obtain the branching ratios of the semileptonic decays $$B_{c}\rightarrow \eta _{c}(1S, 2S, 3S)\ell \nu _{\ell }$$ B c → η c ( 1 S , 2 S , 3 S ) ℓ ν ℓ , $$B_{c}\rightarrow \psi (1S, 2S, 3S))\ell \nu _{\ell }$$ B c → ψ ( 1 S , 2 S , 3 S ) ) ℓ ν ℓ and $$B_{c}\rightarrow X(3872)\ell \nu _{\ell }$$ B c → X ( 3872 ) ℓ ν ℓ , with $$\ell =e,\mu ,\tau $$ ℓ = e , μ , τ . In view of the $$R_{J/\Psi }$$ R J / Ψ anomaly released by the LHCb collaboration, it is necessary to systematically calculate the ratios $$R_X$$ R X with $$X=\psi (1S,2S,3S),\eta _c(1S,2S,3S),X(3872)$$ X = ψ ( 1 S , 2 S , 3 S ) , η c ( 1 S , 2 S , 3 S ) , X ( 3872 ) , which are helpful for checking the lepton flavor universality (LFU). We also take into account another two physical observables, the longitudinal polarization fraction $$f_{L}$$ f L and the forward–backward asymmetry $$A_{FB}$$ A FB , which can provide new clues for understanding the $$R_{J /\Psi }$$ R J / Ψ anomaly. Such theoretical predictions are necessary and interesting, and can be tested in future LHCb experiments.

Abstract Step error calculation of numerical control (NC) machining tool path is a premise for generating high-quality tool path and promoting its application. At present, iterative methods are generally used to calculate step error, and the computation time increases when accuracy improves. Neural networks can be calculated on GPUs and cloud platforms, which is conducive to reducing computation time and improving accuracy through continuous learning. This article innovatively introduces a BP neural network model to predict step error values. Firstly, the core parameters required for step error calculation are taken as the data samples to construct the neural network model, and map to the same scale through Z-score normalization to eliminate the adverse effects of singular parameters on the calculation results. Then, considering only a small number of parameters determine theoretical values of step error, the Dropout technique can drop hidden layer neurons with a certain probability, which is helpful to avoid overfitting and used in the neural network model design. In the neural network model training, this paper adds the Stochastic Gradient Descent with Momentum (SGDM) optimizer to the back propagation of network training in order to improves the network’ stability and accuracy. The proposed neural network predicts step error of samples from three surface models, the results show that the prediction error decreases as sample training increases. After trained by 15% of the surface samples, the neural network predicts the step errors of the remaining samples. Compared with theoretical values, more than 99% of the predicted values have an absolute error less than 1 μm. Moreover, the cost time is only one-third of the geometric method, which verifies the effectiveness and efficiency of our method.

Abstract In this work, we investigate the form factors of $$B_c$$ B c decays into $$J/\Psi , \psi (2S,3S),\eta _c,$$ J / Ψ , ψ ( 2 S , 3 S ) , η c , $$ \eta _c(2\,S,3\,S), \chi _{c0}, \chi _{c1}, h_c$$ η c ( 2 S , 3 S ) , χ c 0 , χ c 1 , h c , and X(3872) mesons in the covariant light-front quark model (CLFQM). For the purpose of the branching ratio calculation, the form factors of $$B_c\rightarrow D^{(*)}, D^{(*)}_s$$ B c → D ( ∗ ) , D s ( ∗ ) transitions are also included. In order to obtain the form factors for the physical transition processes, we need to extend these form factors from the space-like region to the time-like region. The $$q^2$$ q 2 dependence for each transition form factor is also plotted. Then, using the factorization method, we calculate the branching ratios of 80 $$B_c$$ B c decay channels with a charmonium involved in each mode. Most of our predictions are comparable to the results given by other approaches. As to the decays with the radially excited-state S-wave charmonia involved, such as $$\psi (2S,3S)$$ ψ ( 2 S , 3 S ) and $$\eta _c(2S,3S)$$ η c ( 2 S , 3 S ) , two sets of parameters for their light-front wave functions, corresponding to scenario I (SI) and scenario II (SII), are adopted to calculate the branching ratios. By comparing with the future experimental data, one can discriminate which parameters are more favored.

In the Wnt pathway, phosphorylation of GSK3β(S9) is very important to stabilize β-catenin complex, ASNS can upregulate phosphorylation of AKT on Ser473, then promote GSK3β phosphorylation on Ser9 to stabilize β-catenin complex. When Wnt pathway is activated, ASNS elevates p-DRP1(637) and decreases p-DRP1(616) to suppress mitochondrial fission.

Smart dust, which refers to miniaturized, multifunctional sensor motes, would open up data acquisition opportunities for Internet of Things (IoT) and Environmental protection applications. However, critical obstacles remain challenging in the integration of high-density sensors, further miniaturization of device platforms, and reduction of cost. Here, we demonstrate the concept of smart digital dust to address these problems, the results of which combine the benefit of (i) maturity of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing approaches and (ii) unique form factors of emerging flexible electronics. As a prototype for smart digital dust, we present a millimeter-scale multifunctional optoelectronic sensor platform consisting of high-performance optoelectronic sensor cores and commercially available integrated-circuit components. The smart material-assisted optoelectronic sensing mechanism enables real-time, high-sensitivity hydrogen, temperature, and relative humidity (RH) sensing based on a single chip with ultralow power consumption. Such a microsystem presented here introduces a viable solution to the multifunctional sensing need of IoT and could serve as a building block for the rapidly evolving future framework of smart dust.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is an unfavorable condition characterized by the rapid loss of liver function and high mortality. Chrysophanol-8-O-glucoside (CPOG) is an anthraquinone derivative isolated from rhubarb. This study aims to evaluate the protective effect of CPOG on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-GalN-induced ALF and its underlying mechanisms. LPS/D-GalN-induced mice ALF model and LPS treatment model in RAW 264.7 and LX2 cells were established. It was found that CPOG ameliorated LPS/D-GalN-induced liver injury and improved mortality as indicated by Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Molecularly, qPCR and ELISA results showed that CPOG alleviated LPS/D-GalN-induced release of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β in vivo. LPS/D-GalN-induced intracellular ROS production was also attenuated by CPOG in liver tissue. Further, CPOG attenuated ROS generation and inhibited the expression of p-IκB and p-p65 as well as the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β stimulated by LPS in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, CPOG alleviated LPS-induced up-regulation of LC3B, p62, ATG5 and Beclin1 by attenuating ROS production and inhibiting MAPK signaling in LX2 cells. Taken together, our data indicated that the CPOG protected against LPS/D-GalN-induced ALF by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation response and autophagy. These findings suggest that CPOG could be potential drug for the treatment of ALF in clinic.

In this study, three acidic polysaccharides from different plant parts of Codonopsis pilosula var. Modesta (Nannf.) L. T. Shen were obtained by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography, and the yields of these three polysaccharides were different. According to the preliminary experimental results, the antioxidant activities of the polysaccharides from rhizomes and fibrous roots (CLFP-1) were poor, and was thus not studied further. Due to this the structural features of polysaccharides from roots (CLRP-1) and aerial parts (CLSP-1) were the object for this study and were structurally characterized, and their antioxidant activities were evaluated. As revealed by the results, the molecular weight of CLRP-1and CLSP-1 were 15.9 kDa and 26.4 kDa, respectively. The monosaccharide composition of CLRP-1 was Ara, Rha, Fuc, Xyl, Man, Gal, GlcA, GalA in a ratio of 3.8: 8.4: 1.0: 0.8: 2.4: 7.4: 7.5: 2.0: 66.7, and Ara, Rha, Gal, GalA in a ratio of 5.8: 8.9: 8.0: 77.0 in for CLSP-1. The results of structural elucidation indicated that both CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 were pectic polysaccharides, mainly composed of 1, 4-linked galacturonic acid with long homogalacturonan regions. Arabinogalactan type I and arabinogalactan type II were presented as side chains. The antioxidant assay in IPEC-J2 cells showed that both CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 promoted cell viability and antioxidant activity, which significantly increase the level of total antioxidant capacity and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and decrease the content of malondialdehyde. Moreover, CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 also showed powerful antioxidant abilities in Caenorhabditis elegans and might regulate the nuclear localization of DAF-16 transcription factor, induced antioxidant enzymes activities, and further reduced reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde contents to increase the antioxidant ability of Caenorhabditis elegans. Thus, these finding suggest that CLRP-1 and CLSP-1 could be used as potential antioxidants.

Proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles (EVs) represents a promising approach for early detection and therapeutic monitoring of diseases such as cancer. The focus of this study was to apply robust EV isolation and subsequent data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) for urinary EV proteomics of prostate cancer and prostate inflammation patients. Urinary EVs were isolated by functionalized magnetic beads through chemical affinity on an automatic station, and EV proteins were analyzed by integrating three library-base analyses (Direct-DIA, GPF-DIA, and Fractionated DDA-base DIA) to improve the coverage and quantitation. We assessed the levels of urinary EV-associated proteins based on 40 samples consisting of 20 cases and 20 controls, where 18 EV proteins were identified to be differentiated in prostate cancer outcome, of which three (i.e., SERPINA3, LRG1, and SCGB3A1) were shown to be consistently upregulated. We also observed 6 out of the 18 (33%) EV proteins that had been developed as drug targets, while some of them showed protein-protein interactions. Moreover, the potential mechanistic pathways of 18 significantly different EV proteins were enriched in metabolic, immune, and inflammatory activities. These results showed consistency in an independent cohort with 20 participants. Using a random forest algorithm for classification assessment, including the identified EV proteins, we found that SERPINA3, LRG1, or SCGB3A1 add predictable value in addition to age, prostate size, body mass index (BMI), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). In summary, the current study demonstrates a translational workflow to identify EV proteins as molecular markers to improve the clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Idiopathic macular hole(IMH)refers to the defect of retinal nerve epidermis in macular area with unknown pathogenesis. As present, pars plana vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling has become a normal operation for the treatment of IMH, which enables most IMH patients to achieve anatomic healing, however, it is still unclear about the healing mechanism. The role of the glial cell activation in the pathological process of nervous system injury and disease has paid more and more attention. Nearly all the injuries and diseases of nervous system(including retina)are accompanied by the activation of glial cells; and Müller cells are the main type of glial cells in the human retina. In terms of anatomy and function, they are widely related to the cell bodies and processes of neurons in all layers of the retina, and play a supporting, nutritional and information transmission role in neurons. Numerous studies have shown that the activation and proliferation of Müller cells play a leading role in closed MH. It is reviewed in this paper that the role and its related mechanisms of Müller cells in the formation and healing of IMH.

Abstract Background As an important danger signal, the presence of DNA in cytoplasm triggers potent immune responses. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a recently characterized key sensor for cytoplasmic DNA. The engagement of cGAS with DNA leads to the synthesis of a second messenger, cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), which binds and activates the downstream adaptor protein STING to promote type I interferon production. Although cGAS has been shown to play a pivotal role in innate immunity, the exact regulation of cGAS activation is not fully understood. Results We report that an E3 ubiquitin ligase, RING finger protein that interacts with C kinase (RINCK, also known as tripartite motif protein 41, TRIM41), is critical for cGAS activation by mediating the monoubiquitination of cGAS. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated RINCK-deletion cells and showed that the deficiency of RINCK resulted in dampened interferon production in response to cytosolic DNA. Consistently, the RINCK-deletion cells also exhibited insufficient interferon production upon herpes simplex virus 1, a DNA virus, infection. As a result, the viral load in RINCK-deficient cells was significantly higher than that in wild-type cells. We also found that RINCK deficiency inhibited the up-stream signaling of DNA-triggered interferon production pathway, which was reflected by the phosphorylation of the TANK-binding kinase 1 and the interferon regulatory factor 3. Interestingly, we found that RINCK binds to cGAS and promotes the monoubiquitination of cGAS, thereby positively regulating the cGAS-mediated cGAMP synthesis. Conclusions Our study reveals that monoubiquitination is an important regulation for cGAS activation and uncovers a critical role of RINCK in the cGAS-mediated innate immunity.

Stereoselective construction of g- and d-stereocenters in carbonyl compounds is a pivotal objective in asymmetric synthesis. Here, we report chiral bifunctional oxazoline-pyridone ligands that enable enantioselective palladium-catalyzed remote g-C−H (hetero)arylations of free cycloalkane carboxylic acids, which are essential carbocyclic building blocks in organic synthesis. The reaction establishes g-tertiary and a-quaternary stereocenters simultaneously in up to >99% enantiomeric excess, providing access to a wide range of cyclic chiral synthons and bioactive molecules. The sequential enantioselective editing of two methylene C-H bonds can be achieved by using chiral ligands with opposite configuration to construct carbocycles containing three chiral centers. Enantioselective remote d-C−H (hetero)arylation is also realized to establish d-stereocenters that are particularly challenging to access using classical methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalent mutations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) pathway have been identified in cervical squamous cell carcinoma in a large-scale genome sequencing effort. Furthermore, mutations in the rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (RAS)/Raf/Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway have also been revealed to have important roles in the pathogenesis of human cancer. However, whether the potential hotspot mutations in ERK2 and other components of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway also exist in Chinese patients with cervical carcinoma remains to be elucidated. In the present study, a total of 260 patients with cervical carcinoma of distinct subtypes were analyzed for the presence of potential hotspot mutations in the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway. No ERK2 mutations were detected in these samples; however, Kirsten RAS (KRAS) p.G12D (c.35G>A) mutation was identified in 2/26 (7.7%) cervical adenocarcinoma cases, including 1/20 cervical mucinous adenocarcinoma and 1/6 cervical endometrioid carcinoma cases. In addition, no mutations in the ERK1, neuroblastoma RAS, Harvey RAS or B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase genes were detected in the present study. These results indicated that ethnic differences may be a primary reason for the discrepancy in ERK2 mutation frequencies between the current study and previous studies. Furthermore, mutation in the KRAS gene, but not other genes in the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, may have an active role in the pathogenesis of cervical carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uterine leiomyomas (ULs) are the most common gynecological benign tumors originating from the myometrium. Prevalent mutations in the mediator complex subunit 12 (MED12) gene have been identified in ULs, and functional evidence has revealed that these mutations may promote the development of ULs. However, whether MED12 mutations are associated with certain clinical characteristics in ULs remains largely unknown. In the present study, the potential mutations of MED12 and its paralogous gene, mediator complex subunit 12‑like (MED12L), were screened in 362 UL tumors from Han Chinese patients. A total of 158 out of 362 UL tumors (43.6%) were identified as harboring MED12 somatic mutations, and the majority of these mutations were restricted to the 44th residue. MED12 mutations were also observed in 2 out of 145 (1.4%) adjacent control myometrium. Furthermore, the mutation spectrum of MED12 in the concurrent leiomyomas was noticeably different. Correlation analysis of MED12 mutations with the available clinical features indicated that patients with mutated MED12 tended to have smaller cervical diameters. By contrast, no MED12L mutation was identified in the present samples. In summary, the present study demonstrated the presence of prevalent MED12 somatic mutations in UL samples, and the MED12 mutation was associated with smaller cervical diameters. The low mutation frequency of MED12 in adjacent control myometrium indicated that MED12 mutation may be an early event in the pathogenesis of ULs. Furthermore, MED12 mutation status in concurrent tumors from multiple leiomyomas supported several prior observations that the majority of these tumors arose independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we report an improved algorithm to produce accurate phase patterns for generating highly uniform diffraction-limited multifocal arrays in a large numerical aperture objective system. It is shown that based on the original diffraction integral, the uniformity of the diffraction-limited focal arrays can be improved from ∼75% to >97%, owing to the critical consideration of the aperture function and apodization effect associated with a large numerical aperture objective. The experimental results, e.g., 3×3 arrays of square and triangle, seven microlens arrays with high uniformity, further verify the advantage of the improved algorithm. This algorithm enables the laser parallel processing technology to realize uniform microstructures and functional devices in the microfabrication system with a large numerical aperture objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanowires were synthesized on a large scale by using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film as templates and serving ethylene glycol as reductant. Their morphological and structural characterizations were characterized with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The electrochemical properties of silver nanowires as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge technique in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. The Ag2O/Ag coaxial nanowires were formed by the incomplete electrochemical oxidation during the charge step. The maximum specific capacitance of 987 F g−1 was obtained at a charge–discharge current density of 5 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]