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Advancing electronics to interact with tissue necessitates meeting material constraints in electrochemical, electrical, and mechanical domains simultaneously. Clinical bioelectrodes with established electrochemical functionalities are rigid and mechanically mismatched with tissue. Whereas conductive materials with tissue-like softness and stretchability are demonstrated, when applied to electrochemically probe tissue, their performance is distorted by strain and corrosion. We devise a layered architectural composite design that couples strain-induced cracked films with a strain-isolated out-of-plane conductive pathway and in-plane nanowire networks to eliminate strain effects on device electrochemical performance. Accordingly, we developed a library of stretchable, highly conductive, and strain-insensitive bioelectrodes featuring clinically established brittle interfacial materials (iridium-oxide, gold, platinum, and carbon). We paired these bioelectrodes with different electrochemical probing methods (amperometry, voltammetry, and potentiometry) and demonstrated strain-insensitive sensing of multiple biomarkers and in vivo neuromodulation.

In cancer research, high-throughput profiling has been extensively conducted. In recent studies, the integrative analysis of data on multiple cancer patient groups/subgroups has been conducted. Such analysis has the potential to reveal the genomic commonality as well as difference across groups/subgroups. However, in the existing literature, methods with a special attention to the genomic commonality and difference are very limited. In this study, a novel estimation and marker selection method based on the sparse boosting technique is developed to address the commonality/difference problem. In terms of technical innovation, a new penalty and computation of increments are introduced. The proposed method can also effectively accommodate the grouping structure of covariates. Simulation shows that it can outperform direct competitors under a wide spectrum of settings. The analysis of two TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) datasets is conducted, showing that the proposed analysis can identify markers with important biological implications and have satisfactory prediction and stability., 13 pages

Objective. To identify the key genetic and epigenetic mechanisms involved in the wound healing process after injury of the oral mucosa. Materials and Methods. Gene expression profiling datasets pertaining to rapid wound healing of oral mucosa were identified using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differential gene expression analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during oral mucosal wound healing. Next, functional enrichment analysis was performed to identify the biological processes (BPs) and signaling pathways relevant to these DEGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify hub DEGs. Interaction networks were constructed for both miRNA-target DEGs and DEGs-transcription factors. A DEGs-chemical compound interaction network and a miRNA-small molecular interaction network were also constructed. Results. DEGs were found significantly enriched in several signaling pathways including arachidonic acid metabolism, cell cycle, p53, and ECM-receptor interaction. Hub genes, GABARAPL1, GABARAPL2, HDAC5, MAP1LC3A, AURKA, and PLK1, were identified via PPI network analysis. Two miRNAs, miR-34a-5p and miR-335-5p, were identified as pivotal players in the miRNA-target DEGs network. Four transcription factors FOS, PLAU, BCL6, and RORA were found to play key roles in the TFs-DEGs interaction network. Several chemical compounds including Valproic acid, Doxorubicin, Nickel, and tretinoin and small molecular drugs including atorvastatin, 17β-estradiol, curcumin, and vitamin D3 were noted to influence oral mucosa regeneration by regulating the expression of healing-associated DEGs/miRNAs. Conclusion. Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and specific drugs were identified as significant molecular mechanisms and entities relevant to oral mucosal healing. These may be valuable potential targets for experimental research.

This paper focuses on the influence of particle size distribution, test time, and moisture content on the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees (LCPC) abrasivity coefficient (LAC). Image analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the particle shape characteristics and equivalent quartz content (EQC) of a sandy stratum. The test results show no significant differences in the shape characteristics and EQC of particles with different diameters obtained from the same sandy stratum. For the same EQC, the main factors affecting the LAC are particle size distribution, test time, and moisture content. An optimized effective size (ESop) index was established to represent different particle size distributions. The test results showed that the ESop index is more accurate than other indices in determining the LAC of soil samples, and the LAC had a linear relationship with the ESop index. Soil samples with moisture content less than the saturated moisture content have an LAC larger than that of a dry soil sample, and soil samples with moisture content greater than the saturated moisture content have an LAC similar to that of a dry soil sample. The influence of test time on the LAC of the soil samples could be divided into two stages, where the first and second stages are represented by a quadratic function and a linear function, respectively.

We demonstrate the surface defect type, density and related electrical modification of graphene sheet generated by 193-nm ArF excimer laser irradiation on n-type 4H-SiC. The charge density difference and partial density of states (PDOS) carried out by density functional theory (DFT) calculations predict the graphene with lattice imperfection can induce virtual bound states at the vacancy sites and Fermi level shift compared to perfect graphene. The surface defects density of laser generated graphene is characterized by nanoscale electrical measurements using the conductive atomic force microscope (c-AFM). The corresponding current–voltage (I–V) curves show that the electronic charge transfers, thereby electrical conductivities of laser generated graphene, are influenced by the lattice defects. The defect densities are tunable by change laser fluence and pulse number. This research provides an understanding of the interfacial transport properties between laser generated graphene and 4H-SiC through a detailed analysis of surface defects.

A 82-year-old patient admitted to hospital due to a severe dyspnoea, diagnosed as severe aortic regurgitation (AR) with chronic Stanford type B aortic dissection, chronic renal failure. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was performed using the transfemoral route by guidance of transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). This case demonstrates that TVAR is an available and safe treatment for severe AR with chronic type B aortic dissection.

This paper explores the impact of leadership empowerment behavior on employee task performance and the moderation of employee maturity in it, based on conservation of resources theory. By analyzing 308 valid questionnaires through polynomial regression analysis, the research shows that (1) leadership empowerment behavior has a positive impact on task performance; (2) employee maturity moderates the relationship between leadership empowerment behavior and task performance. This research constructs the influence path of leadership empowerment behavior on employee task performance, reveals the moderation of employee maturity, and provides insights into the leadership behavior practices of Chinese enterprise managements.

PurposeThe benefits of trade liberalization on upskilling and skill-based wage premiums for high-skilled workers have recently been questioned in policy circles, in part because of rising income inequality and populist movements in developed economies such as the USA. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of trade liberalization on the relative supply and demand for skills.Design/methodology/approachThrough the systematic review of the literature on trade and skill acquisition, this paper isolates a total of 25 articles published over the past two decades.FindingsKey findings demonstrate the importance of the relative development of the trading partner, with more developed countries experiencing higher upskilling, while less developed countries experience deskilling. Technology, geographic level of analysis, sector and gender were also found to be important influences on human capital acquisition associated with international trade.Originality/valueOverall, the authors find support for the idea that trade with developing countries places pressure on low-skill jobs in developed countries but increases the demand for educated workers. The implications of shifts in skills for public policy-making and in terms of the skill premium on wages are discussed.

Cutting tool wear in tunnel boring machine (TBM) affects the construction safety, time, and cost in tunneling engineering. To accurately calculate the wear of TBM cutting tools used in heterogeneous grounds, the wear coefficient was studied theoretically and using field experiments based on the tool wear model proposed by the Japanese Tunnelling Society (JTS). A trajectory weight-based wear coefficient was proposed along with a calculation method that enhanced the model’s adaptability to heterogeneous grounds. The conclusions were as follows: (1) The wear coefficients for cutting tools installed at different installation radii had to be calculated separately due to their dissimilar values in heterogeneous grounds. (2) Analysis of measured data proved that the distribution of strata in the excavation area, the wear coefficient of each ground, and the cutting tools installation radius all significantly influenced the heterogeneous ground wear coefficient. A comparison of results obtained using different calculation models showed that the model proposed in this paper was more suitable for the calculation of tool wear in heterogeneous soil strata. (3) When the JTS model and its optimization model were used, the wear of high and low cutting tools had to be calculated separately due to dissimilar wear. (4) Based on the example analyses, the wear coefficients for high rippers were 102.31–113.73 μm/km, for low rippers were 35.94–42.55 μm/km, and for scrapers were 38.60–40.34 μm/km. The wear coefficient of the low ripper and scraper was approximately 40% of that of the high ripper, and the correction coefficient for the outermost scraper and ripper was 1.2–1.4 and 2–3, respectively.

The photostability issue of CsPbX

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can play an important role in tumor growth by creating a tumor-promoting microenvironment. Models to study the role of CAFs in the tumor microenvironment can be helpful for understanding the functional importance of fibroblasts, fibroblasts from different tissues, and specific genetic factors in fibroblasts. Mouse models are essential for understanding the contributors to tumor growth and progression in an in vivo context. Here, a protocol in which cancer cells are mixed with fibroblasts and introduced into mice to develop tumors is provided. Tumor sizes over time and final tumor weights are determined and compared among groups. The protocol described can provide more insight into the functional role of CAFs in tumor growth and progression.

Background：Some of the patients who have undergone mitral valve surgery may develop into aortic valve disease as time goes on. This study aimed to explore the influencing factors of the long-term outcome of the aortic valve after mitral valve surgery. Methods：Patients who underwent mitral valve surgery from 2010 to 2016 in Zhujiang Hospital were divided into two groups according to the outcome of the aortic valve. Those who had significant aortic valve disease progression after mitral valve surgery were classified into the progression group, and the other patients were classified into the non-progression group. Collected clinical data including echocardiography for statistical analysis. Results：Finally, 144 patients (59 males, 40.97%) were enrolled, with an average age of 50.35 ±11.32 years, and a median follow-up period of 4.2 years. Five related factors were determined by multivariate analysis, including tricuspid ring annuloplasty (p=0.010, OR=0.12), left ventricular diameter (p=0.023, OR=0.93), mild to moderate aortic valve disease (p=0.009, OR=7.17), mitral prosthesis size (p=0.032,=OR=2.51), aortic valve peak velocity (p=0.008, OR=3.99). Conclusions：The progression of aortic valve disease after mitral valve surgery is related to a variety of factors. It may be mainly due to the increase of left ventricular preload and a series of hemodynamic changes after mitral valve surgery. For such patients, a comprehensive consideration is needed to formulate the surgical plan, rather than using the valve area as the sole criterion for determining whether to undergo aortic valve surgery at the same time or not.

We used a 193-nm ArF excimer laser to produce a surface functional layer with a tunable Schottky barrier height (SBH) on the n-type 4H-SiC surface. The SBHs of the laser-modified layer/SiC contact ranged from 0.38 ± 0.05 to 1.82 ± 0.1 eV. We evaluated the I-V characteristics of Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) and investigated their corresponding nanoscale current transport characteristics across the laser-modified layer/4H-SiC interface. We attributed changes of the interfacial transport properties between Au and SiC to the laser-induced formation of SiOx/Si compounds with oxygen vacancies in the nitrogen-doped (N-doped) defective graphitic structure. Density functional theory calculations suggested that defect oxide in the SiOx/Si decreased the Schottky barrier width and increased the direct electron tunneling current. Furthermore, the Fermi level of the laser-induced N-doped defective graphitic structure shifted towards the conduction band compared with that of pristine graphene, which was also beneficial for reducing the SBH. This study provides a novel understanding of the interfacial interactions of a laser-modified layer on SiC through nanoscale electrical analysis. These findings will be useful for further investigations of SiC-based nano-photoelectric devices.

The electrochemical behavior of Co(II) reduction and Co nucleation/growth process on glassy carbon (GC) electrode in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bisulfate ([EMIM]HSO4) ionic liquid (IL) and ethylene glycol (EG) system is investigated. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements indicate that Co(II) reduction occurs by a one-step process, Co(II) to Co(0), and it is an irreversible reaction. The diffusion coefficient of Co(II) is 2.24 × 10−6 cm2 s−1 at 323 K in the system. Chronoamperometry measurements show that the growth/nucleation process of Co on GC electrode in [EMIM]HSO4-EG is a three-dimensional (3D) progressive nucleation at lower overpotentials and instantaneous nucleation at higher overpotentials under diffusion controlled growth process. These effects of electrodepositing potential, current density and temperature on Co coating thickness are also investigated. The Co coatings are observed by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). SEM micrographs confirm that the Co coatings are relatively loose with a fibrous surface morphology. XRD pattern of the prepared coating reveals the characteristic peak of crystalline Co with a preferred orientation direction and the average size of Co grains is 11 nm. The nanocrystalline Co coating exhibits an excellent catalytic activity and stability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline medium.

The excavation by earth pressure balance (EPB) shield could cause stress fields varied, which is harmful to adjacent existing structures. Thus the effect of excavation clearance of the EPB shield on the settlement of existing structures should be taken into account. The transit tunnel from Meicun to Shangmeilin of Shenzhen Metro Line 9 constructed by the EPB shield with mid-shield-grouting was investigated. The deformation of existing tunnel is analysed by three-dimensional (3D) finite element methods (FEM). It is found that the settlement of overburden soil is obviously influenced by the structure of the existing tunnels through the plastic development of the soil. The rate of settlement is remarkable when the shield effect zone approaches the existing tunnels so that timely mid-shield grouting is an efficient method of controlling the settlement induced by the excavation clearance. However, the grout used in this method should be with the properties of short hardening time, large elastic modulus and low shear strength. Different standards of settlement control should be employed with respect to different underground tunnels, in which minimum elastic modulus of the filler that is usually determined by fitting function. This can be taken as a guide rule of the selection of material parameters in the project. The simulation results are in good agreement with the settlements measured for the existing tunnels and the ground surface. The parameter sensitivity analysis by means of the Spearman’s correlation coefficients shows that the elastic modulus of filling material significantly influences on the settlement of the existing tunnels and the ground surface.

In this paper, the sub-micron graphene ridge structures commonly observed in laser irradiation on the 4H-SiC surface are analyzed to explore the formation mechanism and the electrical transfer properties. The cross-section morphologies of irradiated SiC indicate that the atomic arrangement of graphene sheets in flat and ridge areas is different significantly. The atom distributed direction of laser induced graphene layer is more prefer to be morphology-dependent rather than the SiC atomic distribution-dependent. The difference of carbon atoms arrangement is considered to be the reason of the various electrical transport properties on the graphene ridge and the flat graphene sheets. The electron transfer behavior along the gap between graphene layers is found to be stronger than that from layer to layer. The formation of such graphene sheets is attributed to the high energy photons irradiation-induced decomposition of SiC and the reconstruction of carbon atoms on SiC surface. The study on the formation of laser induced graphene ridge with different atomic distributions and the corresponding mechanism of electrical transport property is significant for the growth analysis of graphene on silicon carbide during thermal destruction.

Civil wars with foreign intervention tend to be longer, bloodier and more intractable than other conflicts. Like the carnivorous Venus flytrap, which snaps shut on its unsuspecting prey before digesting them, intervening states can find themselves ensnared in intractable civil wars, a process colloquially referred to here as the “intervention trap.” This special issue investigates the causes and consequences of foreign intervention decision-making, building off an emerging scholars’ workshop held in Ottawa, Canada in 2016. The contributions from this growing network of intervention scholars were subjected to a multi-stage peer-review selection process. Nine papers by 10 authors were selected for the special issue based on their theoretical and methodological pluralism and subject-matter expertise. As civil conflicts and foreign interventions become more frequent and intense, this collection will complement the study and practice of military intervention in civil wars and ongoing conflicts around t...

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal regulatory role in a variety of tumors.Nevertheless, the detailed function of circ_0000003 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its regulatory mechanism remain elusive. Methods: RT-PCR was carried out to detect the expressions of circ_0000003, miR-338-3p and insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2)in NSCLC tissues. Besides, western blot was done to monitor IRS2 expression in NSCLC cells. The correlation between circ_0000003 and clinicopathologic characteristics of NSCLC patients was analyzed as well.CCK8 and BrdUassays were used to monitor cell proliferation; flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis; and transwell assay was conducted to detect its migration and invasion.Moreover, dual luciferase reporter gene assay was done to verify the targeting relationship between circ_0000003 and miR-338-3p.Additionally, the effect of circ_0000003 on the growth of NSCLC cells in vivo was evaluated by tumorigenesis assay in nude mice. Results: The expression of circ_0000003 was significantly high in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its high expression level was notably correlated with lymph node metastasis andTNM staging.In vitro experiments showed that overexpression of circ_0000003 facilitated the proliferation, migration, invasion and inhibited the apoptosis of NSCLC cells, while the knockdown of circ_0000003 had the opposite effect.In vivo experiments revealed that knockdown of circ_0000003 impeded tumor growth and metastasis. Further, the underlying mechanism showed that circ_0000003 functioned as endogenous competitive RNA and directly targeted miR-338-3p to positively regulated IRS2 expression. Conclusion: Circ_0000003 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells via modulating miR-338-3p/IRS2 axis.

The human peroxiredoxin-5 (hPRDX5) is a member of the family of antioxidant enzymes, which could resist immunosuppression by promoting immune organs development, lymphocyte proliferation and up-regulation of the levels of serum cytokines. However, being a recombinant protein, the hPRDX5 exhibits some problems including the high production cost and bad tissue penetration. Compared to macromolecular therapeutic agents, synthetic peptides have several advantages as drug candidates, such as lower manufacturing costs, reduced immunogenicity, and better organ or tumor penetration. The purpose of this research was to design the novel peptides come from hPRDX5 that can block the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1. Herein in this work, we firstly confirmed the inhibitory activity of hPRDX5 on the binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 based on the previous observation, subsequently, in silico proteolysis and rational design (such as alanine scanning mutagenesis and truncation) were used to automate the design of new peptides derived from hPRDX5 with anti-tumour activity. We found that the most potent peptide could block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction effectively with an IC50 of 0.646 μM, and could restore the function of Jurkat T cells which had been suppressed by stimulated HCT116 cells. Moreover, experiments with tumor-bearing mice models showed that the peptide IMB-P6-10 could effectively inhibit tumor growth and showed extraordinary low acute toxicity in vivo. The peptides described in this paper may provide novel low-molecular-weight drug candidates for cancer immunotherapy.

The photostability issue of CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) quantum dots (QDs) is one of the key origins for the degradation of their luminescence performance, which hinders their application in lighting and displays. Herein, we report a new method combining doping and ligand engineering, which effectively improves the photostability of CsPbBr3 QDs and the performance of QD light-emitting diodes (QLEDs). In this method, ZnBr2 is doped into CsPbBr3 QDs to reduce surface anion defects; didodecyldimethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) and tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) hybrid ligands, which have strong adsorption with QDs, are employed to protect the surface and enhance the conductivity of QD layer in QLEDs. The photoluminescence (PL) and transmission electron microscopy measurements prove the effectively improved photostability of CsPbX3 QDs. Moreover, reduced defects and improved conductivity by doping and hybrid ligands treatment also enable the improved electroluminescence performance of CsPbX3 QDs. The maximum luminance and external quantum efficiency of the QLED with optimized CsPbX3 QDs are 3518.9 cd m−2 and 5.07%, which are 3.6 and 2.1 times than that of the control device, respectively. Combining doping and hybrid ligands makes perovskite QDs have an extremely promising prospect in future applications of high-definition displays, high-quality lighting, as well as solar cells.

In the present work, a phase-field model is developed to simulate the interaction between voids and grain boundary (GB) by a set of modified Cahn-Hilliard and Allen-Cahn equations with spatially and temporally evolving field variables and order parameters. Both the evolution of grain growth and the effect of moving GBs on the formation of voids during radiation were captured in the present phase-field model. A flat GB with an artificial driving force was used to analyze the resistive pressure of the void during the interaction of the void and moving GB, and the interaction between GB and void with different radius was also simulated. The effects of moving GB on the void formation during radiation was also discussed in detail. In addition, the grain growth and voids formation during radiation in polycrystalline uranium dioxide were studied based on the modified phase-field model.

This study investigates the characteristics of vertical soil deformation induced by fully overlapping tunnels constructed using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). The Peck formula is improved to consider the variation in the tunnel axis depth and stratum loss ratio. Comparing the settlements both monitored and simulated on the fully overlapping tunnels of the Tianjin Metro, it is shown that our improved Peck formula is suitable to predict the surface settlement of fully overlapping tunnels. The present comprehensive research shows that during the construction of fully overlapping tunnels, the ultimate maximum settlement value is more affected by the construction of an upper-line tunnel than by the construction of a lower-line tunnel. The width of the ground settlement trough in fully overlapping tunnels construction is only affected by the lower-line tunnel, but the final settlement value is not simply the sum of the settlements of the two tunnels. The overlapping effect between the upper and lower lines reduces the stratum loss and the maximum settlement caused by excavation of the upper-line tunnel.

Supplemental Material for An integrative sparse boosting analysis of cancer genomic commonality and difference by Yifan Sun, Zhengyang Sun, Yu Jiang, Yang Li and Shuangge Ma in Statistical Methods in Medical Research

With the continuous advancement of the construction of beautiful China, plant landscape, as an important tourism resource, has been favoured by the majority of people in recent years, and tourism activities with the theme of seeing flowers and leaves are in full swing all over the country. This paper takes the plant landscape of Guilin as the research object, through the collection and collation of relevant UGC data, studies and discusses the tourist preference of Guilin characteristic plant landscape under the background of big data era, and then puts forward suggestions on the construction and optimization of Guilin plant tourism landscape.

In this paper, by using first principles calculation based on density functional theory, 4H-SiC heavily doped model was established using CASTEP software. The crystal structure and electronic structure of p-type Al heavily-doped 4H-SiC prepared by laser irradiation of coated Al film have been calculated and studied. The band structure and densities of state corresponding to various doping concentration of Al were analyzed. The results show that the bandgap width decreases with the increase of Al atom doping concentration and the Fermi level enters the valence band, which reflects the characteristics of p-type semiconductor the laser doped 4H-SiC. Combined with the analysis of secondary ion mass spectrometry, the variation of Al doping concentration with depth was obtained. It was found that the uniform doping concentration of Al which is approximately 1×1020 cm–3 is in the depth range of 30 nm. It is proved that the KrF excimer laser can achieve heavy doping of Al atoms in 4H-SiC. With the increase of depth, the laser energy density decreases gradually, and the doping concentration of Al atoms in 4H-SiC decreases. The p-type semiconductor characteristics of 4H-SiC samples prepared by laser irradiation Al film doping were verified, and the variation of Al doping concentration with laser irradiation depth was obtained.

This study assesses the potential for enhancement post-Brexit of the UK’s non-EU trading relationships by comparing actual levels of UK exports to predicted levels based on gravity model analysis, including by taking into account factors such as similarity/dissimilarity of comparative advantage, economic freedom in partner countries, and the scope for upgrading diplomatic representation. The study finds that UK exports follow patterns consistent with the findings from the gravity model literature. Moreover, an ambitious, outward-looking export promotion policy could make up for foregone export potential to the EU under a soft exit from the Single Market in which the UK obtains a deep and comprehensive trade agreement with the EU. However, to offset the export losses are a hard exit would require raising the level of the UK’s global competitiveness based on inside the border measures to boost innovation and business development.

ESPAC method is a rapidly emerging field of seismological research, which can reflect the physical properties of the Earth’s medium. In the process of using the ESPAC method, sometimes the noise of the original data is relatively large, and the raw data of each seismometer needs to be preprocessed, including operations such as de-averaging, de-trending, re-sampling, normalization, and filtering. The selection of the normalized method and the selection of the bandwidth of the filter are particularly important, and it will produce the wrong result if not handled properly. This article attempts to use the extended spatial autocorrelation (ESPAC) method to extract Rayleigh-wave phase velocity dispersion curves from the vertical component of the seismic stations’ microtremors, and proposes feasible and effective solutions to the selection of the normalized method and bandwidth of bandpass filtering.