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Abstract The mid-Holocene climate optimum saw warm temperatures in large parts of China, but its impact on seasonal environmental changes is not fully understood yet. Here, we use high-resolution geochemical analyses of 7000 to 6000 year-old oyster shells from the Yangtze River Delta to reconstruct climatic and oceanographic patterns. The stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C) and clumped isotope data reflect prominent seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and river discharge. Summer months experienced warm temperatures and a distinct increase in rainfalls and river discharge. In contrast, winter months were characterized by a dry season, which might have been longer than today. Stable isotope data also indicate regular summer upwelling in the study area. These results partly disagree with available climate models raising doubts on the models’ reliability. Thus, our palaeo-proxy data offers the possibility to evaluate and correct climate models and thereby improve predictions for the future considering on-going global warming.

Abstract Background Obesity and the forkhead box O1(FOXO1) affect the survival of breast cancer patients, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of FOXO1 in obesity-associated-breast cancer. Methods We screened 383 breast disease patients from the first affiliated hospital with Nanjing Medical University in 2020. We performed wound healing, transwell, matrigel assays to assess the metastatic ability of cancer cells. We adopted mRNAs sequencing to select the differentially expressed transcripts in breast cancer. We applied immunohistochemistry, western blot, tissue microarrays to assess the level of FOXO1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. We conducted bioinformatic analysis to investigate interactions between FOXO1 and miR-135b. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization, RT-qPCR to confirm the characteristics of circCNIH4. We conducted luciferase reporter assay, rescue experiments to investigate interactions between circCNIH4 and miR-135b. Results Obesity was positively correlated with the incidence and progression of breast cancer. Adipocytes enhanced the migration of breast cancer and attenuated the effects of FOXO1. MiR-135b was a binding gene of FOXO1 and was regulated by circCNIH4. CircCNIH4 exhibited antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion Adipocytes might accelerate the progression of breast cancer by modulating FOXO1/miR-135b/ circCNIH4 /EMT axis and regulating copper homeostasis.

Abstract Background Cisplatin (DDP) chemotherapy is commonly used in therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but increased drug resistance has become a huge obstacle. Baicalin (BA) contributed to the sensitivity of NSCLC to DDP. Here, we aimed to further probe the pathophysiological mechanisms of BA in NSCLC. Methods A549 and A549/DDP cells and xenograft mice were treated with BA and DDP. Xenograft mice were treated additionally with the NRF2 inducer (Bardoxolone methyl, BM) and KEAP1 knockdown. The levels of ferritinophagy-related proteins and biomarkers were determined. The autophagosomes were observed. M1 macrophage polarization and the contents of related indicators were analyzed. The involvement of KEAP1/NRF2/HO-1 was determined. Results BA inhibited cell development, and the effect of BA and DDP on cell development was additive. The abundance of ferritinophagy-related proteins and the number of autophagosomes were induced by BA. BA also promoted the transition of GSH to GSSH. BA favored M1 macrophage polarization and affected the expression of related proteins. When BA and DDP combined, these molecular phenomena were further exacerbated. BA induced accumulation of KEAP1 and reduction of NRF2 and HO-1. However, BM and KEAP1 knockdown disrupted the synergistic effects of BA and DDP on inhibiting NSCLC growth. BM and KEAP1 knockdown reversed DDP and BA-promoted protein expression activity and M1 macrophage polarization. Conclusion Our findings suggest that BA is involved in ferritinophagy and macrophage immunity through the KEAP1-NRF2/HO-1 axis, thereby improving the DDP sensitivity in NSCLC, which could provide new candidates for treatment strategies.

Abstract Using the principles of density functional theory (DFT) and nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF), We thoroughly researched carbon-doped zigzag boron nitride nanoribbons (ZBNNRs) to understand their electronic behavior and transport properties. Intriguingly, we discovered that careful doping can transform carbon-doped ZBNNRs into a spintronic nanodevice with distinct transport features. Our model showed a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) up to a whopping 10 $$^5$$ 5 under mild bias conditions. Plus, we spotted a spin rectifier having a significant rectification ratio (RR) of 10 $$^4$$ 4 . Our calculated transmission spectra have nicely explained why there’s a GMR up to 10 $$^5$$ 5 for spin-up current at biases of $$-1.2$$ - 1.2 V, $$-1.1$$ - 1.1 V, and $$-1.0$$ - 1.0 V, and also accounted for a GMR up to 10 $$^3$$ 3 –10 $$^5$$ 5 for spin-down current at biases of 1.0 V, 1.1 V, and 1.2 V. Similarly, the transmission spectra elucidate that at biases of 1.0 V, 1.1 V, and 1.2 V for spin-up, and at biases of 1.1 V and 1.2 V for spin-down in APMO, the RRs reach 10 $$^4$$ 4 . Our research shines a light on a promising route to push forward the high-performance spintronics technology of ZBNNRs using carbon atom doping. These insights hint that our models could be game-changers in the sphere of nanoscale spintronic devices.

A detailed analysis of the surface high density twin microstructure and fatigue resistance of the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy specimens treated with the different shot peening parameters was conducted, compared with the as-received samples. Experimental results revealed that a high-density twinned structure layer formed on the surface of the shot peened Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. The predominant twinning type was {10 1‾ 2} extension twins. The density of twins decreases with increasing depth from the surface, and this phenomenon has been proven to be related to the strain rate. A shot peening intensity of 0.3mmA and 200% coverage are suitable, yielding superior surface integrity. Furthermore, shot peening can improve the fatigue life of the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. This enhancement stems from the synergistic effects of the high-density twinned structure, compressive residual stress, and surface work-hardening, which collectively inhibit surface fatigue crack initiation and shift the initiation region to the subsurface, also impeding crack propagation.

Abstract Objective Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) patients have higher absolute numbers of decidual natural killer (dNK) cells with elevated intracellular IFN-γ levels leading to a pro-inflammatory cytokine milieu, which contributes to RPL pathogenesis. The main objective of this study was twofold: first to explore the regulatory effects and mechanisms of villus-derived exosomes (vEXOs) from induced abortion patients or RPL patients at the level of intracellular IFN-γ in dNK cells; second to determine the validity of application of vEXOs in the treatment of unexplained RPL (uRPL) through in vitro experiments and mouse models. Methods Exosomes were isolated from villus explants by ultracentrifugation, co-cultured with dNK cells, and purified by enzymatic digestion and magnetically activated cell sorting. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and RT-qPCR were used to determine IFN-γ levels. Comparative miRNA analysis of vEXOs from induced abortion (IA) and uRPL patients was used to screen potential candidates involved in dNK regulation, which was further confirmed by luciferase reporter assays. IA-vEXOs were electroporated with therapeutic miRNAs and encapsulated in a China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA)-approved hyaluronate gel (HA-Gel), which has been used as a clinical biomaterial in cell therapy for > 30 years. In vivo tracking was performed using 1,1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethylindotricarbocyaine iodide (DiR) labelling. Tail-vein and uterine horn injections were used to evaluate therapeutic effects of the engineered exosomes in an abortion-prone mouse model (CBA/J × DBA/2 J). Placental growth was evaluated based on placental weight. IFN-γ mRNA levels in mouse placentas were measured by RT-qPCR. Results IFN-γ levels were significantly higher in dNK cells of uRPL patients than in IA patients. Both uRPL-vEXOs and IA-vEXOs could be efficiently internalized by dNK cells, whereas uRPL-vEXOs could not reduce the expression of IFN-γ by dNK cells as much as IA-vEXOs. Mechanistically, miR-29a-3p was delivered by vEXOs to inhibit IFN-γ production by binding to the 3′ UTR of IFN-γ mRNA in dNK cells. For in vivo treatment, application of the HA-Gel effectively prolonged the residence time of vEXOs in the uterine cavity via sustained release. Engineered vEXOs loaded with miR-29a-3p reduced the embryo resorption rate in RPL mice with no signs of systemic toxicity. Conclusion Our study provides the first evidence that villi can regulate dNK cell production of IFN-γ via exosome-mediated transfer of miR-29a-3p, which deepens our understanding of maternal–fetal immune tolerance for pregnancy maintenance. Based on this, we developed a new strategy to mix engineered vEXOs with HA-Gel, which exhibited good therapeutic effects in mice with uRPL and could be used for potential clinical applications in uRPL treatment. Graphical Abstract

ABSTRACT Porcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4), a recently identified circovirus, is prevalent in numerous provinces in China, as well as in South Korea, Thailand, and Europe. PCV4 virus rescued from an infectious clone showed pathogenicity, suggesting the economic impact of PCV4. However, there remains a lack of understanding regarding the immunogenicity and epitopes of PCV4. This study generated a monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1D8 by immunizing mice with PCV4 virus-like particles (VLPs). Subsequently, the epitope recognized by the MAb 1D8 was identified by truncated protein expression and alanine scanning mutagenesis analysis. Results showed that the 225PKQG228 located at the C-terminus of the PCV4 Cap protein is the minimal motif binding to the MAb. Homology modeling analysis and immunoelectron microscopy revealed that the epitope extends beyond the outer surface of the PCV4 VLP. Moreover, the epitope is highly conserved among PCV4 strains and does not react with other PCVs. Together, the MAb 1D8 recognized epitope shows potential for detecting PCV4. These findings significantly contribute to the design of antigens for PCV4 detection and control strategies.IMPORTANCEPorcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4) is a novel circovirus. Although PCV4 has been identified in several countries, including China, Korea, Thailand, and Spain, no vaccine is available. Given the potential pathogenic effects of PCV4 on pigs, PCV4 could threaten the global pig farming industry, highlighting the urgency for further investigation. Thus, epitopes of PCV4 remain to be determined. Our finding of a conserved epitope significantly advances vaccine development and pathogen detection.

Abstract Background Ovarian stimulation (OS) during assisted reproductive technology (ART) appears to be an independent factor influencing the risk of low birth weight (LBW). Previous studies identified the association between LBW and placenta deterioration, potentially resulting from disturbed genomic DNA methylation in oocytes caused by OS. However, the mechanisms by which OS leads to aberrant DNA methylation patterns in oocytes remains unclear. Methods Mouse oocytes and mouse parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (pESCs) were used to investigate the roles of OS in oocyte DNA methylation. Global 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels were evaluated using immunofluorescence or colorimetry. Genome-wide DNA methylation was quantified using an Agilent SureSelectXT mouse Methyl-Seq. The DNA methylation status of mesoderm-specific transcript homologue (Mest) promoter region was analyzed using bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (BSP). The regulatory network between estrogen receptor alpha (ERα, ESR1) and DNA methylation status of Mest promoter region was further detected following the knockdown of ERα or ten-eleven translocation 2 (Tet2). Results OS resulted in a significant decrease in global 5mC levels and an increase in global 5hmC levels in oocytes. Further investigation revealed that supraphysiological β-estradiol (E2) during OS induced a notable decrease in DNA 5mC and an increase in 5hmC in both oocytes and pESCs of mice, whereas inhibition of estrogen signaling abolished such induction. Moreover, Tet2 may be a direct transcriptional target gene of ERα, and through the ERα-TET2 axis, supraphysiological E2 resulted in the reduced global levels of DNA 5mC. Furthermore, we identified that MEST, a maternal imprinted gene essential for placental development, lost its imprinted methylation in parthenogenetic placentas originating from OS, and ERα and TET2 combined together to form a protein complex that may promote Mest demethylation. Conclusions In this study, a possible mechanism of loss of DNA methylation in oocyte caused by OS was revealed, which may help increase safety and reduce epigenetic abnormalities in ART procedures.

Fragment reassembly is widely used in fields such as archaeology and forensics. This paper introduces an algorithm for reassembling irregular fragments, enabling the reconstruction of arbitrarily segmented irregular fragments without any prerequisites. The reassembly procedure encompasses feature extraction, local pairwise matching, and global composition. We design a classification network to assess the compatibility of fragment pairings. In order to alleviate the impact of unavoidable errors in the local matching phase, we put forth an error assessment criterion calculated from the contour differences at the junctions, a two-stage reassembly strategy involving both initial and candidate phases, and a region completeness evaluation standard based on the size of the background region to gauge the ultimate composition outcomes. Additionally, due to the limited availability of publicly shared datasets at present, we created a dataset comprising 1000 sets of randomly divided irregular fragments for training and testing. The experimental results show the excellent performance of this algorithm in terms of accuracy and completeness in fragment reassembly for both public and self-constructed datasets.

ABSTRACTPolygonatum cyrtonema Hua polysaccharides (PCP) have beneficial effects on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Here, PCP extraction was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), and the antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects of its main component, PCP1, were evaluated in vitro. The maximum PCP yield was 11.05% at an extraction temperature was 72°C, liquid-to-solid ratio of 21, extraction time of 96 min, and two extraction rounds. PCP1 was purified by column chromatography and showed significant scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl, and 2, 2'-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzthiazo-line-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals at concentration of 0.2–1.0 mg/mL. At a concentration of 200 [Formula: see text]g/mL, PCP1 significantly improved lipid disorder and damage induced by palmitic acid in HepG2 cells. These results show that PCP has potent antioxidant and lipid-lowering effects in vitro; moreover, the PCP extraction rate is significantly increased using RSM. Therefore, PCP is an effective antioxidant and lipid-lowering product with potential medicinal applications.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) is an emerging opportunistic pathogen that exhibits resistant to a majority of commonly used antibiotics. Phages have the potential to serve as an alternative treatment for S. maltophilia infections. In this study, a lytic phage, A1432, infecting S. maltophilia YCR3A-1, was isolated and characterized from a karst cave. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that phage A1432 possesses an icosahedral head and a shorter tail. Phage A1432 demonstrated a narrow host range, with an optimal multiplicity of infection of 0.1. The one-step growth curve indicated a latent time of 10 min, a lysis period of 90 min, a burst size of 43.2 plaque-forming units per cell. In vitro bacteriolytic activity test showed that phage A1432 was capable to inhibit the growth of S. maltophilia YCR3A-1 in an MOI-dependent manner after 2 h of co-culture. BLASTn analysis showed that phage A1432 genome shares the highest similarity (81.46%) with Xanthomonas phage Xoo-sp2 in the NCBI database, while the query coverage was only 37%. The phage contains double-stranded DNA with a genome length of 61,660 bp and a GC content of 61.92%. It is predicted to have 79 open reading frames and one tRNA, with no virulence or antibiotic resistance genes. Phylogenetic analysis using terminase large subunit and DNA polymerase indicated that phage A1432 clustered with members of the Bradleyvirinae subfamily but diverged into a distinct branch. Further phylogenetic comparison analysis using Average Nucleotide Identity, proteomic phylogenetic analysis, genomic network analysis confirmed that phage A1432 belongs to a novel genus within the Bradleyvirinae subfamily, Mesyanzhinovviridae family. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of the so far isolated S. maltophilia phages revealed significant genetic diversity among these phages. The results of this research will contribute valuable information for further studies on their morphological and genetic diversity, will aid in elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms that give rise to them.

Abstract Using a sample of 11,313 students in Grades 7 and 9 from the China Education Panel Survey, this study examines the effects of family social capital and family cultural capital on adolescents’ educational outcomes in the areas of academic effort, educational aspiration, and academic achievement. The results from structural equation modeling analyses showed that family social capital and family cultural capital had significant positive associations with adolescents’ educational aspirations. However, only family cultural capital had a significant positive association with academic effort, while family social capital showed a non-significant negative association, and both forms of family capital had significant negative associations with academic achievement.

Abstract Prophages, which enables bacterial hosts to acquire novel traits, and increase genetic variation and evolutionary innovation, are considered to be one of the greatest drivers of bacterial diversity and evolution. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is widely distributed and one of the most important multidrug resistant bacteria in hospitals. However, the distribution and genetic diversity of S. maltophilia prophages have not been elucidated. In this study, putative prophages were predicted in S. maltophilia genomes by using virus prediction tools, and the genetic diversity and phylogeny of S. maltophilia and the prophages they harbor were further analyzed. A total of 356 prophage regions were predicted from 88 S. maltophilia genomes. Among them, 144 were intact prophages, but 77.09% of the intact prophages did not match any known phage sequences in the public database. The number of prophage carried by S. maltophilia is related to its host habitat and is an important factor affecting the size of the host genome, but it is not related to the genetic diversity of the prophage. The prediction of auxiliary genes encoded by prophage showed that antibiotic resistance genes was not predicted for any of the prophages except for one questionable prophage, while 53 virulence genes and 169 carbohydrate active enzymes were predicted from 11.24 and 44.1% prophages, respectively. Most of the prophages (72.29%) mediated horizontal gene transfer of S. maltophilia genome, but only involved in 6.25% of the horizontal gene transfer events. In addition, CRISPR prediction indicated 97.75% S. maltophilia strains contained the CRISPR-Cas system containing 818 spacer sequences. However, these spacer sequences did not match any known S. maltophilia phages, and only a few S. maltophilia prophages. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a highly conserved and syntenic organization with genomic rearrangement between the prophages and the known related S. maltophilia phages. Our results indicate a high prevalence and genetic diversity of prophages in the genome of S. maltophilia, as well as the presence of a large number of uncharacterized phages. It provides an important complement to understanding the diversity and biological characteristics of phages, as well as the interactions and evolution between bacteria and phages.

A green and straightforward electrosynthesis of substituted indoles has been developed through dehydration and intramolecular dehydrogenative C–N bond-forming radical cross-coupling from 1-(2-aminophenyl)alcohols under metal, iodine and oxidant-free conditions. This electrochemical indole synthesis strategy has an excellent functional group, water and air tolerance. And, a possible cyclization process was proposed based on the radical-trapping, intermediate verification, cyclic voltammetry, EPR and control experiments.

Fine-grained cohesive sediments in estuaries play a critical role in sediment transport and biogeochemical cycles in estuaries. Due to the convergence of marine saltwater and freshwater runoff, combined with periodic tidal cycles, fine-grained sediments exhibit intricate flocculation processes that are challenging to simulate. A size-resolved flocculation module using a bin-based scheme aids in modeling these processes but is hindered by high computational costs. In this study, we develop a new spectrum-based scheme based on the spectral shape of floc size distribution from the original bin-based scheme to expedite modeling execution. This new scheme is implemented in the Stony Brook Parallel Ocean Model (sbPOM) and applied to simulate fine-grained sediment transport in the Hudson River estuary. The effectiveness of this spectrum-based scheme is assessed by comparing its simulations with observations and results from the original bin-based scheme. The findings indicate that the new scheme can simulate the evolution of suspended sediment concentration well at a specific point by comparisons with in-situ observations. Specifically, the results of the 50 paired experiments show an average percentage difference of 1.86% and an average speedup ratio of 4.51 times compared to the original bin-based scheme. In summary, the new spectrum-based scheme offers significant acceleration benefits for the size-resolved flocculation module and has the potential for widespread application in simulating fine-grained sediments in estuaries.

This paper proposes a fixed-time backstepping control method based on a disturbance observer for a hypersonic morphing waverider (HMW). Firstly, considering the disturbance of attitude channels, a dynamic model of a variable-span-wing HMW considering additional forces and moments is established, and an aerodynamic model of the aircraft is constructed using the polynomial fitting method. Secondly, the fixed-time stability theory and backstepping control method are combined to design an HMW fixed-time attitude controller. Based on the fixed-time convergence theory, a fixed-time disturbance observer is designed to achieve an accurate online estimation of disturbance and to compensate for the control law. In order to solve the problem of the “explosion of terms”, a nonlinear first-order filter is used instead of a traditional linear first-order filter to obtain the differential signal, ensuring the overall fixed-time stability of the system. The fixed-time stability of the closed-loop system is strictly proven via Lyapunov analysis. The simulation results show that the proposed method has good adaptability under different initial conditions, morphing speeds, and asymmetric morphing rates of the HMW.

Abstract The lack of efficient biomarkers for the early detection of gastric cancer (GC) contributes to its high mortality rate, so it is crucial to discover novel diagnostic targets for GC. Recent studies have implicated the potential of site‐specific glycans in cancer diagnosis, yet it is challenging to perform highly reproducible and sensitive glycoproteomics analysis on large cohorts of samples. Here, a highly robust N‐glycoproteomics (HRN) platform comprising an automated enrichment method, a stable microflow LC‐MS/MS system, and a sensitive glycopeptide‐spectra‐deciphering tool is developed for large‐scale quantitative N‐glycoproteome analysis. The HRN platform is applied to analyze serum N‐glycoproteomes of 278 subjects from three cohorts to investigate glycosylation changes of GC. It identifies over 20 000 unique site‐specific glycans from discovery and validation cohorts, and determines four site‐specific glycans as biomarker candidates. One candidate has branched tetra‐antennary structure capping with sialyl‐Lewis antigen, and it significantly outperforms serum CEA with AUC values > 0.89 compared against < 0.67 for diagnosing early‐stage GC. The four‐marker panel can provide improved diagnostic performances. Besides, discrimination powers of four candidates are also testified with a verification cohort using PRM strategy. This findings highlight the value of this strong tool in analyzing aberrant site‐specific glycans for cancer detection.

Abstract Objective Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occupies 85% of lung cancer. Long non‐coding RNAs (LncRNAs) can regulate the radiosensitivity of cancers. This study explored the mechanism of lncRNA TRERNA1 in the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells. Methods LncRNA TRERNA1 level in NSCLC cell lines was determined. NSCLC cell radiation tolerance was measured. TRERNA1 expression was silenced or overexpressed in A549/HCC827 cells with the highest/lowest radiation tolerance, respectively. The contents of γ‐H2AX and SA‐β‐gal in NSCLC cells after radiation induction were detected. The targeted binding of TRERNA1 to miR‐22‐3p and miR‐22‐3p to SP1 were verified by dual‐luciferase assay. SP1 expression were detected. Functional rescue experiments were implemented to confirm the roles of miR‐22‐3p and SP1 in the regulatory mechanism of TRERNA1. Results TRERNA1 was upregulated in NSCLC cells. TRERNA1 silencing enhanced radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells. TRERNA1 silencing elevated the contents of γ‐H2AX and SA‐β‐gal in A549 cells after radiation induction, while TRERNA1 overexpression showed an opposite trend in HCC827 cells. There were targeting relationships between TRERNA1 and miR‐22‐3p, and miR‐22‐3p and SP1. miR‐22‐3p repression or SP1 overexpression abolished the effects of TRERNA1 silencing. Conclusion TRERNA1 silencing enhanced radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells via the miR‐22‐3p/SP1 axis. This study may offer new targets for NSCLC treatment.

Background: Dexmedetomidine is known to prolong the analgesic duration of spinal anesthesia, but it can be challenging to achieve further extension without opioids. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate a novel analgesic strategy using dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to spinal-epidural anesthesia for elective cesarean surgery. Methods: The study was a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted at a single center. Sixty parturients who underwent elective cesarean were randomly assigned to either group C or group D. Group D received an intrathecal injection of 12.5 mg ropivacaine and 5 μg dexmedetomidine followed by continuous epidural patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion with a total volume of 100 ml, containing 0.2 % ropivacaine and 0.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine. Group C received an intrathecal injection of 12.5 mg ropivacaine with an equivalent saline placebo followed by a similar PCA infusion, containing 0.2 % ropivacaine and an equivalent saline placebo. Results: The primary outcome was visual analog scale score on movement at 24 h after surgery. The results showed that the rest and motion pain scores in group D were significantly lower than those in group C at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h after surgery (P

Summary: An unprecedented strategy for preparing a series of sulfur ylides through electro-oxidative quinylation of sulfides in batch and continuous flow has been developed. Good to excellent yields were obtained with excellent functional group compatibility and good concentration tolerance under exogenous oxidant- and transition metal-free conditions. Advantageously, this electrosynthesis methodology was scalable with higher daily production and steady production was achieved attributing to the use of micro-flow cells.

[Introduction] Lithium iron phosphate battery storage power plants are an important basis for new power systems to consume large-scale new energy, however, the thermal runaway of battery cells seriously threatens the operational safety of storage power plants. It is important to conduct real-time monitoring and scientific warning of local overheating in storage power plants. [Method] In this work, a thermal microcapsule with the ability to sense overheating temperature and produce colour changes was prepared and added in appropriate amounts to an epoxy resin matrix to form a composite insulating material with the characteristics of sensing external overheating temperature fields. [Result] Test results show that the colour of the prepared thermosensitive microcapsule/epoxy insulating temperature indication coating can change sensitively with external temperature changes, with a sudden colour change occurring at around 60 °C. When the doping mass fraction of the thermosensitive microcapsules is 0.25%, the insulation strength and dielectric properties of the composite coating are comparable to those of the pure epoxy resin material, maintaining good intrinsic electrical properties. [Conclusion] The thermosensitive colour-changing composite insulation coating proposed in the study can visibly change the temperature of the external local overheating state, providing a new technical route for the application of thermal runaway warning in energy storage power plants, which has certain engineering application value.

Abstract Poor survival and restricted function of transplanted stem cells are regarded as limiting their efficacy in wound recovery greatly. Consequently, it is necessary to identify innovative therapeutic strategies to solve these issues. Firstly, the biological effect of PF-127 hydrogel alone and in combination with SAP on the survival, and migration of cultured HUCMSCs was assessed by cell viability, apoptosis, and scratch wound assays. S. aureus and E. coli were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of PF-127 plus SAP combination. Further, the ability of HUCMSCs-conditioned medium (HUCMSCs-CM) to promote the angiogenesis and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro was evaluated using tube formation and transwell migration assays. Finally, the HUCMSCs embedded in PF-127 plus SAP scaffold were administered onto mice’s excisional cutaneous wound bed. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were employed to investigate the wound healing capacity as well as cellular responses of PF-127/HUCMSCs/SAP hydrogel. PF-127 showed cytotoxicity on HUCMSCs, whereas the addition of SAP significantly promoted cell viability and alleviated apoptosis of HUCMSCs encapsulated in PF-127 hydrogel in vitro. SAP supplementation substantially abrogated the inhibiting effect of PF-127 on the migration of HUCMSCs in vitro. The combination of PF-127 and SAP exerted an obvious bacteriostatic function on S. aureus and E. coli. Moreover, the co-treatment with SAP could remarkably enhance the stimulative effect of HUCMSCs-CM on the angiogenesis and migration of HUVECs in vitro. PF-127 combined SAP-embedded HUCMSCs transplantation resulted in a potently accelerated wound healing process, promoted the number of proliferating cells and newly formed blood vessels, as well as enhanced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. PF-127 coupled with SAP contributes to HUCMSCs-mediated traumatic wound closure in mice by promoting cell survival, antibacterial action, and angiogenesis. Our results offered a theoretical foundation for the clinical treatment of traumatic skin defects.

The introduction of the concepts of shear elastic strain (ε−) and tensile elastic strain (ε+) is a catalyst for new horizons of research into supply chain elasticity. Functional formulas encompassing the metrics of ε− and ε+, their critical point, maximum strain value, and similar parameters are established through rigorous mathematical derivations. The supply chain elasticity of agricultural commodities, including grains, apples, and wheat, are assessed by utilizing the derived formulas. The results show that the metrics of supply chain elastic strain serve as direct metrics of measuring the supply chain’s anti-interference capability, and they also facilitate an objective assessment of the supply chain’s safety and stability. The formula is succinctly derived, and it yields objective outcomes with general applicability, particularly suited for research and application for supply chain elasticity.

Viral infection can regulate the cell cycle, thereby promoting viral replication. Hijacking and altering the cell cycle are important for the virus to establish and maintain a latent infection. Previously, Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV)-latently infected P8-Se301-C1 cells, which grew more slowly than Se301 cells and interfered with homologous SeMNNPV superinfection, were established. However, the effects of latent and superinfection with baculoviruses on cell cycle progression remain unknown. In this study, the cell cycle profiles of P8-Se301-C1 cells and SeMNPV or Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV)-infected P8-Se301-C1 cells were characterized by flow cytometry. The results showed that replication-related genes MCM4, PCNA, and BAF were down-regulated (p < 0.05) in P8-Se301-C1 cells, and the S phase of P8-Se301-C1 cells was longer than that of Se301 cells. P8-Se301-C1 cells infected with SeMNPV did not arrest in the G2/M phase or affect the expression of Cyclin B and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Furthermore, when P8-Se301-C1 cells were infected with SeMNPV after synchronized treatment with hydroxyurea and nocodazole, light microscopy and qRT-PCR analysis showed that, compared with unsynchronized cells and S and G2/M phase cells, SeMNPV-infected P8-Se301-C1 cells in G1 phase induced G2/M phase arrest, and the amount of virus adsorption and intracellular viral DNA replication were significantly increased (p < 0.05). In addition, budded virus (BV) production and occlusion body (OB)-containing cells were both increased at 120 h post-infection (p < 0.05). The expression of Cyclin B and CDK1 was significantly down-regulated at 48 h post-infection (p < 0.05). Finally, the arrest of SeMNPV-infected G1 phase cells in the G2/M phase increased BV production (p < 0.05) and the number of OB-containing cells. In conclusion, G1 phase infection and G2/M arrest are favorable to SeMNPV proliferation in P8-Se301-C1 cells, thereby alleviating the homologous superinfection exclusion. The results contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between baculoviruses and insect cell cycle progression and regulation.

Abstract Constructing 2D/3D perovskite heterojunctions is effective for the surface passivation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, previous reports that studying perovskite post-treatment only physically deposits 2D perovskite on the 3D perovskite, and the bulk 3D perovskite remains defective. Herein, we propose Cl2-dissolved chloroform as a multifunctional solvent for concurrently constructing 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction and inducing the secondary growth of the bulk grains. The mechanism of how Cl2 affects the performance of PSCs is clarified. Specifically, the dissolved Cl2 reacts with the 3D perovskite, leading to Cl/I ionic exchange and Ostwald ripening of the bulk grains. The generated Cl− further diffuses to passivate the bulk crystal and buried interface of PSCs. Hexylammonium bromide dissolved in the solvent reacts with the residual PbI2 to form 2D/3D heterojunctions on the surface. As a result, we achieved high-performance PSCs with a champion efficiency of 24.21% and substantially improved thermal, ambient, and operational stability.

Abstract Objectives Reporting the clinicopathological information of thyroid cancer (TC) patients from a central medical center of east China, and constructing the nomogram predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM). Methods We collected the patients who underwent thyroid cancer surgery in our institute from July 1, 2019 to July 31, 2021, a total of 253 subjects were enrolled. We used HiPure FFPE DNA Kit to extract DNA and RNApure FFPE Kit to extract RNA from the paraffin sections of tumor tissue, the extracted DNA samples and RNA samples were used for NGS sequencing. The clinical and pathological information of TCGA‐THCA cohort was obtained as the validation cohort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent prognostic factor, and the nomogram was subsequently constructed by “rms” R package. Results Secondary cases contained more mutation of BRAF (90.48% vs. 62.07%) and TERT (33.0% vs. 3.0%), as compared with primary cases. Primary patients with positive lymph node were younger (40.9 ± 10.8 vs. 45.3 ± 11.8, p = 0.0031) and contained advanced TI‐RADS levels (4c: 22.8% vs. 8.3%, 5: 6.5% vs. 0/0%, p = 1.878e‐03), as well as more RET genetic alteration (16.3% vs. 2.7%, p = 2.566e‐03). We chose age, tumor diameter, RET fusion, and gender to construct the LNM predicting nomogram. Calibration plot, DCA curve, and the clinical impact plot verified the preferable prognostic value of the nomogram, with an AUC value of 0.724 (0.656–0.792). We successfully validated the prognostic value of the nomogram in TCGA‐THCA cohort. RET fusion might impact the process of protein digestion and absorption, cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction, ECM‐receptor interaction, focal adhesion. Conclusion We provide a novel nomogram to predict the LNM for TC patients, including the features of patient's age, gender, tumor diameter, and RET alteration. Further studies from multiple medical centers are essential to validate the nomogram.

According to the theory of sequence stratigraphy based on continental transgressive-regressive (T-R) cycles, a 500 m continuous core taken from the second member of Kongdian Formation (Kong 2 Member) of Paleogene in Well G108-8 in the Cangdong Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, was tested and analyzed to clarify the high-frequency cycles of deep-water fine-grained sedimentary rocks in lacustrine basins. A logging vectorgraph in red pattern was plotted, and then a sequence stratigraphic framework with five-order high-frequency cycles was formed for the fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the Kong 2 Member. The high-frequency cycles of fine-grained sedimentary rocks were characterized by using different methods and at different scales. It is found that the fifth-order T cycles record a high content of terrigenous clastic minerals, a low paleosalinity, a relatively humid paleoclimate and a high density of laminae, while the fifth-order R cycles display a high content of carbonate minerals, a high paleosalinity, a dry paleoclimate and a low density of laminae. The changes in high-frequency cycles controlled the abundance and type of organic matter. The T cycles exhibit relatively high TOC and abundant endogenous organic matters in water in addition to terrigenous organic matters, implying a high primary productivity of lake for the generation and enrichment of shale oil.

Abstract Background Though bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir (BIC/FTC/TAF) have been regulatory approved and included in the National Reimbursement Drug List in China, due to the affordability concern, generic version of efavirenz + lamivudine + tenofovir (EFV + 3TC + TDF) is still recommended as the first-line therapy in the clinical guideline and widely used in clinical practice. The aim of the study is to assess the persistence with first-line BIC/TAF/TAF and EFV + 3TC + TDF in newly treated HIV-1 patients in the real-world setting in Hunan Province in China. Methods A retrospective analysis of the medical records of HIV patients initiating first-line antiretroviral therapy in the First Hospital of Changsha in January 1st, 2021-July 31st, 2022 was conducted. Persistence was assessed as the number of days on the therapy from the index until treatment discontinuation or end of data availability. Kaplan-Meier Curves and Cox Proportional Hazard models were used to evaluate the discontinuation rates. Subgroup analysis was performed excluding BIC/FTC/TAF patients with treatment discontinuation due to economic reason, and EFV + 3TC + TDF patients with a viral load > 500,000 copies/mL. Results A total of 310 eligible patients were included in the study, with 244 and 66 patients in the BIC/FTC/TAF group and EFV + 3TC + TDF group, respectively. Compared with EFV + 3TC + TDF patients, BIC/FTC/TAF patients were older, more living in the capital city currently, and had significantly higher total cholesterol and low-density level (all p 500,000 copies/mL, the analysis showed similar results (HR = 10.1, 95% CI = 1.2–84.1). 79.4% of the EFV + 3TC + TDF patients discontinued treatment due to clinical reasons, while 83.3% of the BIC/FTC/TAF patients discontinued treatment due to economic reasons. Conclusions Compared with BIC/FTC/TAF, EFV + TDF + 3TC patients were significantly more likely to discontinue the first-line treatment in Hunan Province in China.

Abstract Purpose This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship of endometrial thickness (EMT) with obstetric and neonatal outcomes in assisted reproductive cycles. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for eligible studies through April 2023. Obstetric outcomes include placenta previa, placental abruption, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and cesarean section (CS). Neonatal outcomes include birthweight, low birth weight (LBW), gestational age (GA), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA). The effect size was estimated as odds ratio (OR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. Inter-study heterogeneity was assessed by the chi-square homogeneity test. One-study removal method was used to determine the sensitivity of the meta-analysis. Results Nineteen studies involving 76,404 cycles were included. The pooled results revealed significant differences between the thin endometrium group and the normal group in placental abruption (OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.11–5.38, P = 0.03; I2 = 0%), HDP (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.44–2.05, P

An iron-catalyzed [4 ​+ ​2] annulation of amidines with α,β-unsaturated ketoxime acetates is described. This strategy employs amidines as CN units and provides a new protocol for the construction of 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrimidines under batch and continuous flow conditions in moderate to good yields, exhibiting good functional group tolerance, scalability and operational simplicity.

Abstract Proteostasis is fundamental for maintaining organismal health. However, the mechanisms underlying its dynamic regulation and how its disruptions lead to diseases are largely unclear. Here, we conduct in-depth propionylomic profiling in Drosophila, and develop a small-sample learning framework to prioritize the propionylation at lysine 17 of H2B (H2BK17pr) to be functionally important. Mutating H2BK17 which eliminates propionylation leads to elevated total protein level in vivo. Further analyses reveal that H2BK17pr modulates the expression of 14.7–16.3% of genes in the proteostasis network, and determines global protein level by regulating the expression of genes involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In addition, H2BK17pr exhibits daily oscillation, mediating the influences of feeding/fasting cycles to drive rhythmic expression of proteasomal genes. Our study not only reveals a role of lysine propionylation in regulating proteostasis, but also implements a generally applicable method which can be extended to other issues with little prior knowledge.

Abstract Background Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major foodborne pathogen that contaminates aquatic products and causes great economic losses to aquaculture. Because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains, bacteriophages are considered promising agents for their biocontrol as an alternative or supplement to antibiotics. In this study, a lytic vibriophage, vB_VpaM_R16F (R16F), infecting V. parahaemolyticus 1.1997T was isolated, characterized and evaluated for its biocontrol potential. Methods A vibriophage R16F was isolated from sewage from a seafood market with the double-layer agar method. R16F was studied by transmission electron microscopy, host range, sensitivity of phage particles to chloroform, one-step growth curve and lytic activity. The phage genome was sequenced and in-depth characterized, including phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis. Results R16F belongs to the myovirus morphotype and infects V. parahaemolyticus, but not nine other Vibrio spp. As characterized by determining its host range, one-step growth curve, and lytic activity, phage R16F was found to highly effective in lysing host cells with a short latent period (

In this study, microalgae–bacteria (MB) systems using saline conditions (3 and 5% salinity) were built in order to use waste-activated sludge (AS) as raw material for cultivating lipid-rich microalgae. Algae were observed to be flourishing in 60 days of operation, which totally used the N and P released from the sludge biomass. A prominent improvement of lipid content in MB consortia was obtained under algae growth and salinity stimulation, which occupied 119–136 mg/g-SS rather than a low content of 12.1 mg/g-SS in AS. Lipid enrichment also brought a 3.1–3.3 times total heat release (THR) in the MB biomass. The marine spherical algae Porphyridium, as well as filamentous Geitlerinema, Nodularia, Leptolyngbya were found to be the main lipid producers and self-flocculated to 23.0% (R1) and 33.5% (R2) volume under the effect of residue EPS. This study had a big meaning in not only waste sludge reduction but also in manufacturing useful bioenergy products. HIGHLIGHTS Self-reliant MB consortia systems were built with 3 and 5% of saline water.; MB consortia achieved 119–136 mg/g-SS lipid content.; MB consortia had 3.1–3.3 times the total heat release than AS.; MB consortia could self-flocculate to 23.0–33.5% volume.; Spherical Porphyridium and filamentous Cyanobacteria used N and P from AS.;

Highlights Three bulky cation chlorides (PMACl, PEACl and NMACl) are used to modify the perovskite surface and form pure-anion 2D (PMA)2PbCl4, mixed-anion 2D (PEA)2Pb(I x Cl4-x ), and non-2D NMAI passivation layers, respectively. Intermolecular interactions between the bulky cations and the strength of cation-halide hydrogen bonds are critical to forming the three distinct passivation layers. Semi-transparent wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells (WBG-PSCs) with ITO as the back electrode show hysteresis-free PCE of 18.60% and V OC deficit of 0.49 V.

Abstract Most self‐distillation methods need complex auxiliary teacher structures and require lots of training samples in object segmentation task. To solve this challenging, a self‐distillation object segmentation method via frequency domain knowledge augmentation is proposed. Firstly, an object segmentation network which efficiently integrates multi‐level features is constructed. Secondly, a pixel‐wise virtual teacher generation model is proposed to drive the transferring of pixel‐wise knowledge to the object segmentation network through self‐distillation learning, so as to improve its generalisation ability. Finally, a frequency domain knowledge adaptive generation method is proposed to augment data, which utilise differentiable quantisation operator to adjust the learnable pixel‐wise quantisation table dynamically. What's more, we reveal convolutional neural network is more inclined to learn low‐frequency information during the train. Experiments on five object segmentation datasets show that the proposed method can enhance the performance of the object segmentation network effectively. The boosting performance of our method is better than recent self‐distillation methods, and the average Fβ and mIoU are increased by about 1.5% and 3.6% compared with typical feature refinement self‐distillation method.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the relationship between prior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection in females and subsequent treatment outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Methods A systematic literature review was carried out up to 16 December 2022, in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Random‐effect models were adopted to estimate the pooled effects as mean differences (MDs) or odds ratios (ORs). I2 statistic and Egger's test were applied to assess heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. Results After screening 1480 records, 15 cohort studies totalling 1905 cycles were included in this meta‐analysis. In a comparison of previously COVID‐19‐infected versus uninfected women, no significant differences were observed in the primary outcomes of the retrieved oocytes number (MD = 0.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: ‐0.75–0.88; I2 = 0) and clinical pregnancy rate (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.74–1.24; I2 = 0). Pooled analyses of other predefined outcomes, which encompassed four cycle characteristics, six laboratory indicators and four pregnancy results, also showed no adverse effects of prior COVID‐19 infection. Most outcomes remained consistent after further sensitivity and subgroup analyses, and no significant publication bias was observed. Conclusions Our work provides the first systematic evidence that COVID‐19 infection history in females may have no measurable detrimental impact on the subsequent ART cycle. More data are needed to assess the live birth outcome and the optimal time interval from infection to assisted reproduction.

Background: Tumor antigenicity and efficiency of antigen presentation jointly influence tumor immunogenicity, which largely determines the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, the role of altered antigen processing and presentation machinery (APM) in breast cancer (BRCA) has not been fully elucidated. Methods: A series of bioinformatic analyses and machine learning strategies were performed to construct APM-related gene signatures to guide personalized treatment for BRCA patients. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were combined to screen for BRCA-specific APM-related genes. The non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm was used to divide the cohort into different clusters and the fgsea algorithm was applied to investigate the altered signaling pathways. Random survival forest (RSF) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) Cox regression analysis were combined to construct an APM-related risk score (APMrs) signature to predict overall survival. Furthermore, a nomogram and decision tree were generated to improve predictive accuracy and risk stratification for individual patients. Based on Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) method, random forest (RF) and Lasso logistic regression model were combined to establish an APM-related immunotherapeutic response score (APMis). Finally, immune infiltration, immunomodulators, mutational patterns, and potentially applicable drugs were comprehensively analyzed in different APM-related risk groups. IHC staining was used to assess the expression of APM-related genes in clinical samples. Results: In this study, APMrs and APMis showed favorable performances in risk stratification and therapeutic prediction for BRCA patients. APMrs exhibited more powerful prognostic capacity and accurate survival prediction compared to conventional clinicopathological features. APMrs was closely associated with distinct mutational patterns, immune cell infiltration and immunomodulators expression. Furthermore, the two APM-related gene signatures were independently validated in external cohorts with prognosis or immunotherapeutic responses. Potential applicable drugs and targets were mined in the APMrs-high group. APM-related genes were further validated in our in-house samples. Conclusion: The APM-related gene signatures established in our study could improve the personalized assessment of survival risk and guide ICB decision-making for BRCA patients.

The development of flexible electronic devices is faced with the challenge of difficult fabrication of complex functional structures on flexible substrates. In this paper, a high viscosity ink of silver-ammonia complex was developed based on the reductive ink principle. Using the electrohydrodynamic direct writing, composite fiber patterned printing was achieved on a flexible substrate. By low-temperature sintering of precursor fibers for reduction, a dense silver structure was formed on the surface, resulting in the formation of Ag/PEO conductive fibers. This approach avoided the high temperature damage to the flexible substrate and the adhesion of materials, while demonstrating good conductivity. The Ag/PEO conductive fibers exhibited different sensitivities to H2O molecules in low, medium, and high humidity environments, which were used to design a flexible Ag structure humidity sensor (ASHS) as a functional material. The ASHS showed a linear response relationship and a fast response speed in an environmental humidity range of 11 % to 75 %RH, enabling real-time monitoring of human respiration. This study demonstrates a promising application prospect of the silver-ammine complex ink in the field of flexible electronic devices.

Abstract DNA combined with other functional nanomaterials plays crucial roles in biomedical areas, including bio‐detection, bioimaging, as well as disease diagnosis and treatment. Rapid advances in DNA composites for biological applications have been achieved during the past few decades. In this review, it is first summarized the synthesis methods of DNA composites with inorganic core and organic core, as well as the applications of DNA composites in cancer diagnosis. The in vitro detection of various disease biomarkers and in vivo tumor imaging using DNA composites are introduced. Finally, main challenges and the new frontiers in the field of using DNA composites for cancer diagnosis are summarized.

PurposeTo explore the impact of inactivated COVID-19 vaccination on ovarian reserve as assessed by serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration.MethodsA total of 3160 women were included in this single-center retrospective cohort study between June 2021 and October 2022. Vaccination information were collected from official immunization records available in personal mobile apps. Serum AMH was qualified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and compared with previous measurement data within three years. Women were categorized to the vaccinated group if they received two doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines (Sinopharm or Sinovac) between AMH tests (n = 488), and to the control group if not vaccinated (n = 2672). Propensity score matching and multivariate linear regression were performed to control for potential confounders. The main outcome measures were the numeric AMH change and percentage AMH change between the two tests.ResultsThere were 474 women left in each group after matching all baseline characteristics. The mean interval from the first to second AMH measurement was 508.0 ± 250.2 and 507.5 ± 253.6 days for vaccinated and unvaccinated women, respectively (P = 0.680). Both groups had a significant AMH decrease in the second test compared with the first test (P = 0.001). However, the second AMH level remained comparable between groups (3.26 ± 2.80 vs. 3.24 ± 2.61 ng/mL, P = 0.757). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in numerical (-0.14 ± 1.32 vs. -0.20 ± 1.56 ng/mL, P = 0.945) and percentage (2.33 ± 58.65 vs. 0.35 ± 48.42%, P = 0.777) AMH changes. The results were consistent in sub-analyses for women aged

Flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) behavior of X65 steel gradual contraction pipe in high CO2 partial pressure environments was investigated by in situ dynamic high pressure electrochemical measurements with Ag/AgCl reference electrode in FAC loop and microscopic characterization analysis. The corrosion rates in dynamic high CO2 partial pressure environments are obviously enhanced compared with those in dynamic atmospheric pressure and static high pressure environments. The FAC mechanism at gradual contraction pipe in high pressure environments exhibits significant distinction from that in atmospheric pressure environments. The variation of corrosion rates is associated with the hydrodynamics at gradual contraction pipe. The presence of high CO2 partial pressure under fluid flowing accelerates rupture of corrosion product scales.

Meritocratic beliefs are defined as people's beliefs in the importance of hard work in societal success relative to other structural factors. As economic inequality grows, the plausibility of fair meritocracy has been called into a question, especially by those left behind by the supposedly meritocratic systems. Using data from the inequality module of International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), we find that a stronger belief in meritocratic values is associated with higher levels of inequality. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate a positive link between meritocratic beliefs and economic growth, with some indications that this relationship is mediated by inequality. From a policy perspective, this suggests that when efforts to engineer more equal outcomes in societies undermine the rewards of meritocracy, it has the potential to impede economic growth.

Objective To achieve a result of a large tumor ablation volume with minimal thermal damage to the surrounding blood vessels by designing a few clinically-adjustable operating parameters in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for liver tumors abutting complex vascular structures.Methods Response surface method (RSM) was employed to correlate the ablated tumor volume ([Formula: see text]) and thermal damage to blood vessels ([Formula: see text]) based on RFA operating parameters: ablation time, electrode position, and insertion angle. A coupled electric-thermal-fluid RFA computer model was created as the testbed for RSM to simulate RFA process. Then, an optimal RFA protocol for the two conflicting goals, namely (1) large tumor ablation and (2) small thermal damage to the surrounding blood vessels, has been achieved under a specific ablation environment.Results Linear regression analysis confirmed that the RFA protocol significantly affected [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (the adjusted coefficient of determination [Formula: see text] = 93.61% and 95.03%, respectively). For a proposed liver tumor scenario (liver tumor with a dimension of 4[Formula: see text]3[Formula: see text]2.9 cm3 abutting a complex vascular structure), an optimized RFA protocol was found based on the regression results in RSM. Compared with a reference RFA protocol, in which the electrode was centered in the tumor with a 12-min ablation time, the optimized RFA protocol has increased [Formula: see text] from 98.1% to 99.6% and decreased [Formula: see text] from 4.1% to 0.4%, achieving nearly the complete ablation of proposed liver tumor and ignorable thermal damages to vessels.Conclusion This work showed that it is possible to design a few clinically-adjustable operating parameters of RFA for achieving a large tumor ablation volume while minimizing thermal damage to the surrounding blood vessels.

Abstract Effective and efficient semantic segmentation of 3D point cloud data is important for many tasks. Many methods for point cloud semantic segmentation rely on computationally expensive sampling and grouping layers to process irregular points, while others convert irregular points into regular volumetric grids and process them with a 3D U‐Net‐based semantic segmentation network. However, most of these methods suffer from high computational costs and cannot be applied to the real‐time processing of large‐scale point clouds. To address these issues, we propose a computationally efficient point‐voxel‐based network architecture named Sparse Point‐Voxel Aggregation Network (SPVAN) for point cloud semantic segmentation. It consists of an encoding layer that consists of sparse convolution and MLP layers and a new decoding layer called Point Feature Aggregation Layer (PFAL) that is only composed of feature interpolation and MLP layers. Compared with recent popular point‐voxel‐based methods with the U‐Net‐based network, our method does not need 3D convolution networks in the decoding layer and thus achieves a higher speed. Experimental results on the large‐scale SemanticKITTI dataset show that our method gets a good balance between the efficiency and the performance. Moreover, our method achieves on‐par or better performance than previous methods for semantic segmentation on the challenging S3DIS dataset.

Abstract Plants have to cope with the surrounding changing environmental stimuli to optimize their physiological and developmental response throughout their entire life cycle. Light and temperature are two critical environmental cues that fluctuate greatly during day-night cycles and seasonal changes. These two external signals coordinately control the plant growth and development. Distinct spectrum of light signals are perceived by a group of wavelength-specific photoreceptors in plants. PIFs and COP1-HY5 are two predominant signaling hubs that control the expression of a large number of light-responsive genes and subsequent light-mediated development in plants. In parallel, plants also transmit low or warm temperature signals to these two regulatory modules that precisely modulate the responsiveness of low or warm temperatures. The core component of circadian clock ELF3 integrates signals from light and warm temperatures to regulate physiological and developmental processes in plants. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent advances and progresses on PIFs-, COP1-HY5- and ELF3-mediated light, low or warm temperature signaling, and highlight emerging insights regarding the interactions between light and low or warm temperature signal transduction pathways in the control of plant growth.

Background: We recently reported a novel IgG4-centered immune evasion mechanism in cancer, and this was achieved mostly through the Fc-Fc reaction of increased IgG4 to cancer-bound IgG in cancer microenvironment. The mechanism was suggested to be related to cancer hyperprogressive disease (HPD) which is a side-effect often associated to IgG4 subtype PD-1 antibody immunotherapy. HPD was reported to occur in cancers with certain mutated genes including KRAS and such mutations are often associated to glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Therefore, we hypothesize that IgG4 and GSH may play a synergistic role in local immunosuppression of cancer. Methods: Quantitatively analyzed the distribution and abundance of GSH and IgG4 in human cancer samples with ELISA and immunohistochemistry. The interactions between GSH and IgG4 were examined with Electrophoresis and Western Blot. The synergistic effects of the two on classic immune responses were investigated in vitro. The combined effects were also tested in a lung cancer model and a skin graft model in mice. Results: We detected significant increases of both GSH and IgG4 in the microenvironment of lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and colon cancer tissues. GSH disrupted the disulfide bond of IgG4 heavy chain and enhanced IgG4’s ability of Fc-Fc reaction to immobilized IgG subtypes. Combined administration of IgG4 and GSH augmented the inhibitory effect of IgG4 on the classic ADCC, ADCP, and CDC reactions. Local administration of IgG4/GSH achieved the most obvious effect of accelerating cancer growth in the mouse lung cancer model. The same combination prolonged the survival of skin grafts between two different strains of mouse. In both models, immune cells and several cytokines were found to shift to the state of immune tolerance. Conclusion: Combined application of GSH and IgG4 can promote tumor growth and protect skin graft. The mechanism may be achieved through the effect of the Fc-Fc reaction between IgG4 and other tissue-bound IgG subtypes resulting in local immunosuppression. This reaction was facilitated by increased GSH to dissociate the two heavy chains of IgG4 Fc fragment at its disulfide bonds. Our findings unveiled the interaction between the redox system and the immune systems in cancer microenvironment. It offers a sensible explanation for HPD and provides new possibilities for manipulating this mechanism for cancer immunotherapy.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the Euro-Atlantic atmospheric circulation varies considerably during the boreal winter. Compared to the late winter (January–March) relationship, the early winter (November–December) teleconnection is more uncertain and less understood. In this paper, we revisited this early winter regional ENSO teleconnection using the Hadley Centre Global Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature (HadISST) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) fifth generation reanalysis (ERA5) datasets for the period 1979–2022. It was found that the signal projected well onto the second dominant mode of Euro-Atlantic atmospheric variability, the East Atlantic Pattern (EAP), rather than the previously mentioned North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This influence is associated with ENSO-induced dipolar convection anomalies in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea (GMCA), which leads to an EAP via exciting Rossby waves propagating northward into the North Atlantic. We further revealed that this ENSO–EAP teleconnection underwent a pronounced interdecadal strengthening around the late 1990s. Prior to the late 1990s, the convective response to ENSO in the GMCA was weak. The atmospheric responses over the Euro-Atlantic were mainly driven by the ENSO-induced convective forcing in the tropical Indian Ocean, which favors an NAO-like pattern. In contrast, since the late 1990s, ENSO has induced stronger precipitation anomalies in the GMCA, which exert a dominant influence on the Euro-Atlantic atmospheric circulation and produce an EAP. These results have useful implications for the further understanding of ENSO-related early winter atmospheric and climate variability in the Euro-Atlantic region.

Termites can cause severe economic damage in households, reservoirs, agriculture, and forests. Monitoring termite activity plays an important role in integrated termite management. A device for the automatic monitoring of termites with high accuracy and reliability is highly demanded. Here, we introduce Dekan electromagnetic induction with non-looping (DEMINL) method and a novel wireless system for the monitoring of termite activities. The system comprises of a termite bait station and a handheld reader. While the wood pieces in the bait station were consumed by termites, the device could generate alarm signals, which are sent to a signal reader (receiver) through radio frequency identification (RFID) and displayed on the handheld reader’s screen. Field tests at three locations over a two-year period showed an accurate detection rate of 97.5–98.5%. The DEMINL-based device demonstrated high accuracy and durability in detecting termites, making it suitable for termite monitoring in households, crop fields, forests, and reservoirs.