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Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are critical regulator contributing to the onset and progression of liver fibrosis. Chronic liver injury triggers HSCs to undergo vast changes and trans‐differentiation into a myofibroblast HSCs, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. This study investigated that the involvement of hydroxymethylase TET1 (ten–eleven translocation 1) in HSC activation and liver fibrosis. It is revealed that TET1 levels were downregulated in the livers in mouse models of liver fibrosis and patients with cirrhosis, as well as activated HSCs in comparison to quiescent HSCs. In vitro data showed that the inhibition of TET1 promoted the activation HSC, whereas TET1 overexpression inhibited HSC activation. Moreover, TET1 could regulate KLF2 (Kruppel‐like transcription factors) transcription by promoting hydroxymethylation of its promoter, which in turn suppressed the activation of HSCs. In vivo, it is confirmed that liver fibrosis was aggravated in Tet1 knockout mice after CCl4 injection, accompanied by excessive activation of primary stellate cells, in contrast to wild‐type mice. In conclusion, we suggested that TET1 plays a significant role in HSC activation and liver fibrosis, which provides a promising target for anti‐fibrotic therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) has been linked to severe negative maternal–fetal pregnancy outcomes, including a high risk of maternal death. The goal of this study was to determine whether an abdominal aortic balloon block performed before fetal birth lowered intraoperative bleeding and the risk of severe bleeding, as opposed to a block performed after fetal birth. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients who underwent pre‐delivery or post‐delivery inflation were compared for intraoperative hemorrhage, transfusion rate, hysterectomy rate, intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, and newborn indices. To ensure the robustness of our findings, we applied multivariate logistic regression, propensity score analysis, and an inverse probability‐weighting model. Results: This study included 168 patients who underwent balloon occlusion (62 pre‐delivery, 106 post‐delivery). The overall probability of major bleeding was 56.5% (95/168), and the pre‐delivery and post‐delivery probabilities for major bleeding were 64.5% (40/62) and 51.9% (55/106) (P = 0.112), respectively. In the multivariable‐adjusted model, post‐delivery inflation was associated with a 33% numerically higher probability of massive bleeding (odds ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 0.54–3.25, P = 0.535). However, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: According to our findings, pre‐delivery inflation did not significantly reduce the risk or amount of severe bleeding. Synopsis: Effects of aortic balloon inflation timing on intraoperative hemorrhage and the fetus remain unknown. We performed inflation after delivery (post‐inflation) or at uterus incision (pre‐inflation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, the development of the history of education in China can be divided into four stages: a budding period, one of tortuous development, a recovery stage and finally one of stable growth influenced by various ideas and themes from other countries. Abundant academic areas and topics as well as a diversity of research methods have shaped this discipline and borne remarkable academic fruit while pursuing Chinese features in discipline-building. However, such problems as crisis in the discipline, discipline categorisation and the gap between academic values and practical applications of the research outcome are prominent issues with which researchers in history of education in China need to grapple. In the future, studies of educational historiography, the enrichment of historical materials, the proper treatment of interdisciplinary research and the internationalisation of the discipline need to be further worked on in order to advance the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) score calculated by the scoring system may predict patients with PAS. We aim to find the relationship between estimated blood loss and the PAS score. Further, find the inflection point, identify PAS patients with placenta previa who were at risk for major bleeding. Methods: The PAS patients with placenta previa, as diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasound, were divided into two groups according to their PAS scores using a new scoring system. Blood loss, transfusion requirements, the rate of Intra-Abdominal Balloon Occlusion (IABO), and other indicators were analyzed between groups. Results: The estimated blood loss, intraoperative transfusion, postoperative transfusion, operation time, and hospitalization time significantly increased in the group with a PAS score ≥ 9 (P < 0.05). The inflection point analysis revealed that a significant increase in estimated blood loss occurred when the PAS score was beyond 10 (crude) or 6 (adjusted for age, body mass index, and IABO). Conclusion: There was a non-linear relationship between estimated intraoperative blood loss and PAS score. When the PAS score was greater than 9, hemorrhage, the risk of major bleeding, the need for transfusions, and the placement of an abdominal aortic balloon all increase significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image decomposition is one of the most important tasks in image processing. In this paper, we develop a novel saturation-value total variation model for color image decomposition. The approach is to propose a variational model containing an energy functional to derive the cartoon and texture decomposition in the saturation-value color space so that the color can be kept in the resulting cartoon component. The proposed idea is different from existing color image decomposition model where color information usually exists in both cartoon and texture components. In the variational model, saturation-value total variation is incorporated for regularizing the cartoon component of a color image, meanwhile, L 1 norm is considered for modeling the texture component in the saturation-value color space. Theoretically, we develop a smooth approximation approach to study the existence of the solution of the proposed optimization problem. We formulate an effective and efficient algorithm to solve the proposed minimization problem based on the framework of alternating direction method of multipliers. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate that the performance of the proposed model is better than that of other testing methods for several testing color images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to build a deep learning-based, objective, fast, and accurate collateral circulation assessment model. We included 92 patients who had suffered acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation in this study, following their admission to our hospital from June 2020 to August 2021. We analyzed their baseline whole-brain four-dimensional computed tomography angiography (4D-CTA)/CT perfusion. The images of the arterial, arteriovenous, venous, and late venous phases were extracted from 4D-CTA according to the perfusion time–density curve. The subtraction images of each phase were created by subtracting the non-contrast CT. Each patient was marked as having good or poor collateral circulation. Based on the ResNet34 classification network, we developed a single-image input and a multi-image input network for binary classification of collateral circulation. The training and test sets included 65 and 27 patients, respectively, and Monte Carlo cross-validation was employed for five iterations. The network performance was evaluated based on its precision, accuracy, recall, F1-score, and AUC. All the five performance indicators of the single-image input model were higher than those of the other model. The single-image input processing network, combining multiphase CTA images, can better classify AIS collateral circulation. This automated collateral assessment tool could help to streamline clinical workflows, and screen patients for reperfusion therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the twenty-first century, new things are emerging in the market economy; the Internet is one of them. Internet of things (IoT) is a new thing, which combines computer, Internet, and mobile communication network after the third wave of information industry, the development of huge application prospect, has been listed as one of the five emerging strategic industries. With the rapid development of digital technology and market economy, to accelerate the competition in the market economy, intense competition in IoT industry also exists. Effect of human resource management to a certain extent determines the strength of the market competitiveness of an enterprise; the research about human resource management of the IoT industry is carried out in this paper, by analysis of the basic characteristics of the Internet industry and combining Internet enterprise competitiveness, and it is directly related to human resource of a number of factors and applies the AHP method to establish the Internet enterprise human resources management quality and the effect of the evaluation model. Finally, an IoT enterprise is taken as the study object, the human resources management quality assessment model studied in this paper is used to evaluate enterprise's human resources management, and its existing human resources management strategy and its optimization are studied, which provide certain theory support to enhance its market competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantages of concrete-filled steel tubular lattice towers in stress efficiency, material consumption, and industrial construction are significant for the future development of ultra-long blades, ultra-high towers, and large-capacity units. The stress state of the joints is a key component of a wind tower structure. Therefore, experiments were conducted on four concrete-filled circular steel tubular (CFCST) K-joints in a lattice wind turbine tower, along with one hollow circular steel tubular (HCST) K-joint for comparison. The test results revealed that the CFCST K-joints failed due to local and overall buckling of the compression web, whereas no plastic deformation occurred on the chord. The stiffness of the CFCST K-joints significantly improved, and the stress concentration around the intersecting line was significantly reduced. Existing structural codes, both domestic and international, underestimate the bearing capacity of CFCST K-joints because the contribution of the core concrete cannot be accounted for. Finite element analyses indicate that the bearing capacity of the CFCST K-joints is dependent on the failure mode, primarily influenced by the thickness ratio τ and the angle θ. To prevent joint failure in the CFCST lattice wind turbine towers, specifically suggest τ ≤ 1 and θ ≤ 45°. Based on the bearing capacity calculation method proposed by CIDECT for HCST K-joints, design equations were obtained to predict the punching shear bearing capacity of CFCST K-joints using the least-squares method. The established formula exhibited high accuracy through regression verification. • Concrete-filled circular steel tubular (CFCST) K-joints in a lattice wind turbine tower are tested. • The CFCST K-joints are simulated using the finite element analysis. • Influence of the parameter γ , τ , θ , β on the punching shear capacity of the CFCST K-joints is analyzed. • Design equations were obtained to predict the punching shear capacity of CFCST K-joints using the least-squares method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time‐of‐use (TOU) electricity prices are implemented based on the response characteristics of users. TOU prices guide the electricity consumption behaviour of users and make them actively respond to peak shaving and valley filling. In this paper, the conventional psychology response model of consumers is improved based on the history data of customer response to the TOU price. The paper defines four types of response load curves and proposes the response reliability indices. Additionally, it establishes the probability models of customer response. According to the characteristics of customer response, the sensitivity analysis of influencing factors and the risk analysis of customers are carried out according to the probability model of response. For instance, risk and characteristics analyses of the customer response were performed using the load data of residential areas in Nanjing city. The results indicate that the probability distribution of the customer response is approximate to the trapezoid distribution. The sequence of sensitivity coefficients of customer response factors is as follows: customer income, type of customer, and electrical equipment. The proposed method provides a scientific basis for electricity price implementers to accurately grasp the response behaviour of the user and establish a reasonable demand response strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS2 negative-capacitance field-effect transistors (NCFETs) with a gate-stack of Hf1-xZrxO2/Al2O3 are fabricated, and the effects of the Zr content and the thickness of the stacked gate on electrical performance of the devices are investigated. It is found that a large improvement of device performance can be achieved by optimizing these parameters, e.g., using 6-nm Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (Zr content of 50%) as a ferroelectric layer and 2-nm Al2O3 as a matching layer, the relevant MoS2 NCFET exhibits the excellent electrical characteristics: a low subthreshold swing (SS) of 31.4 mV/dec, a smaller counterclockwise hysteresis of ~75 mV, and a high ON/ OFF current ratio of $3.26\times10$ 6. The involved mechanisms lie in that: 1) an enhanced remnant polarization leads to low SS and 2) changing the thickness of the Hf $_{1-{x}}$ ZrxO2 and Al2O3 can adjust the magnitude of ferroelectric capacitance and MOS capacitance to realize a reasonable match between both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a lipid metabolic disorder, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with no effective drug up to date. Previous studies have demonstrated increased methylation levels of key genes in NAFLD, suggesting that hydroxymethylation, a key step in demethylation, may be a possible strategy to reverse NAFLD. TET1 is well known as a key hydroxymethylase, however, its role and mechanism in NAFLD remains unclear. Methods: In this study, we utilized TET1 knockout mice, fed with high-fat diet. Furthermore, by ChIP and hMeDIP. TET1 knockdown L02 and HepG2 cell lines. Results: Their degree of liver steatosis was more severe than that of wild-type mice, suggesting that TET1 had a significant protective effect against NAFLD. We further found that PPARα, a key regulator of fatty acid oxidation, and its downstream key enzymes ACOX1 and CPT1A, as well as the fatty acid oxidation product β-HB were significantly decreased in TET1 knockout mice. While the key genes for fatty acid synthesis and uptake were not significantly changed, suggesting that TET1 inhibits NAFLD by promoting fatty acid oxidation via PPARα pathway. TET1 was confirmed to directly bind to the promoter of PPARα and elevate its hydroxymethylation level. Conclusions: This study is the first to show that TET1 can activate PPARα, promote fatty acid oxidation and inhibit NAFLD progression by hydroxymethylation of PPARα promoter, which may be a new strategy to reverse NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a lipid metabolic disorder, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with no effective drug up to date. Previous studies have demonstrated increased methylation levels of key genes in NAFLD, suggesting that hydroxymethylation, a key step in demethylation, may be a possible strategy to reverse NAFLD. TET1 is well known as a key hydroxymethylase, however, its role and mechanism in NAFLD remains unclear. Methods: In this study, we utilized TET1 knockout mice, fed with high-fat diet. Furthermore, by ChIP and hMeDIP. TET1 knockdown L02 and HepG2 cell lines. Results: Their degree of liver steatosis was more severe than that of wild-type mice, suggesting that TET1 had a significant protective effect against NAFLD. We further found that PPARα, a key regulator of fatty acid oxidation, and its downstream key enzymes ACOX1 and CPT1A, as well as the fatty acid oxidation product β-HB were significantly decreased in TET1 knockout mice. While the key genes for fatty acid synthesis and uptake were not significantly changed, suggesting that TET1 inhibits NAFLD by promoting fatty acid oxidation via PPARα pathway. TET1 was confirmed to directly bind to the promoter of PPARα and elevate its hydroxymethylation level. Conclusions: This study is the first to show that TET1 can activate PPARα, promote fatty acid oxidation and inhibit NAFLD progression by hydroxymethylation of PPARα promoter, which may be a new strategy to reverse NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess Cu and Zn can cause many adverse effects in fish. However, few studies have addressed the effects of dietary Cu and Zn on antioxidant physiology and immunity and the underlying mechanisms in fishes. In this study, accumulation of Cu and Zn, effects on the antioxidant enzymes and the transcriptional expressions of immune-related genes were examined in the Oreochromis niloticus fed the Cu and/or Zn enriched duckweed. The results showed that the liver and intestine had the highest accumulation of Cu2+ and Zn2+ while the muscle had the lowest accumulation of these two metals. The activities of SOD, CAT, GPx and the contents of GSH, GSSG in the liver of all treatment groups were significantly decreased compared to the control group. MDA content was significantly elevated in all treatment groups after feeding for 21 days, implying lipid peroxidation in the liver. In the Cu + Zn group, the activities of SOD, GPx and the GSSG content in the liver were significantly decreased. Compared with the Zn group, the LZM activity in the Cu + Zn group was reversed after feeding for 42 days (P < 0.05). The transcriptional expressions of immune-related genes (TNF-α , INF-γ and IL-1β) in Cu, Zn, Cu + Zn groups were significantly inhibited compared with the control group after treatment for 21 days. Compared with the Cu + Zn group, the level of INF-γ transcripts was significantly reduced in the Cu and Zn group, while the TNF-α expression was elevated after treatment for 42 days. Cu and Zn had synergistic effects on the antioxidant system. Cu has greater effects than Zn on the immunity of O. niloticus. This study demonstrates that dietary Cu and Zn may pose a potential threat to the tilapia populations. • The liver and intestine had the highest Cu and Zn accumulation, respectively. • Combined Cu/Zn induced the stronger oxidative damage than each single metal. • Cu/Zn disturbed the expressions of immune-related genes. • Cu affected more than Zn on the immunity of O. niloticus. • Cu and Zn had synergistic effects on the antioxidant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have demonstrated that radiation activates in situ antitumor immunity and consequently induced a synergistic effect of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. However, studies related to radiation-induced changes in immune system of tumor-bearing mice are limited, which are of great significance to improve the efficacy of radioimmunotherapy. In this study, we first established a primary lung tumor mouse model using urethane. Then part of the right lung of the mouse was exposed to X-ray irradiation with a computed tomography–guided small animal irradiator and the changes of immune cells in both peripheral blood and spleen were determined by flow cytometry. Besides, the levels of both cytokines and immunoglobulins in mouse serum were detected by a protein chip. We found that B lymphocytes increased while CD8+ T lymphocytes reduced significantly. Interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-6, regulated upon activation, normally T-expressed, and presumably secreted factor (RANTES), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were found to be decreased after tumor formation, and the similar results have also been observed with kappa, IgG3, IgE, IgM, and IgG2a. After irradiation, lower concentrations of IgD, kappa, and IgM were found in the serum. Our findings indicate that localized tumor irradiation caused some obvious changes like inhibiting the ability of innate immunity, and these changes may be useful in predicting prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimizing surgical blood loss at cesarean hysterectomy for placenta previa with evidence of placenta increta or placenta percreta: the state of play in 2020. Timing of intra-abdominal aortic balloon occlusion for prevention of hemorrhage in patients with placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum. Response: Timing of intra-abdominal aortic balloon occlusion for prevention of hemorrhage in patients with placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum. [Extracted from the article]

In order to address the behavioral characteristics of air conditioning users and help load aggregators avoid high penalties for breach of contract caused by insufficient response capacity, it is essential to develop a practical and effective method for evaluating the response capability of aggregated air conditioning. This paper proposes a method for screening users with similar load characteristics through primary clustering and for conducting secondary clustering of air conditioning with similar adjustable characteristics using the self-organizing map. By aggregating all user devices with similar attributes and adjustable characteristics within a given region, a highly accurate virtual generator unit model is developed for air conditioning loads, with the external characteristic parameters of equivalent generator units calculated. To account for the probability of user dropout due to equipment failure or changes in willingness to respond, a response capability evaluation method for air conditioning virtual generator units is proposed. The results demonstrate that the proposed model can conveniently calculate the response capacity indices of virtual generator units under different task targets, and provide decision-making basis for dispatching centers or load aggregators to regulate their internal loads. • The user attribute similarity index is fully considered through primary clustering. • Users with similar adjustable potential are divided by the secondary clustering. • Established a highly accurate modeling method for air-conditioning virtual generator unit. • Proposed a response capability evaluation method for air-conditioning virtual generator unit. • Excessive temperature adjustment will greatly increase the probability of under response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs play a critical role in breast cancer (BC) progression. microRNA-101 (miR-101) has been considered a tumor suppressive miRNA in different cancer types. This study aimed to investigate miR-101 expression in BC tissues and to investigate its roles in BC progression that are mediated by Sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2), a critical oncogene in various cancers. Methods: qRTPCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to detect miR-101 and SOX2 expression in BC tissues and paired normal tissues or BC cell lines. MTT, transwell migration, wound healing, colony formation, flow cytometric and xenograft assays were performed to determine the influence of miR-101 and SOX2 on the malignant behaviors of BC cells in vitro and in vivo. Results: miR-101 was significantly downregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. miR- 101 overexpression inhibited the malignant behaviors of BC cells, both in vitro and in vivo. miR-101 downregulation had the converse effect. A miR-101 binding site was identified by luciferase reporter assay in the 3'UTR of SOX2. SOX2 was upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines, and its upregulation was associated with lymph node metastasis, pathological grade and TNM classification. SOX2 knockdown mimicked the effects of miR-101 overexpression on the malignant behaviors of BC cells, while SOX2 overexpression mitigated the miR-101-induced inhibition of these effects. Conclusions: Our study revealed that miR-101 plays a critical role in suppressing tumor progression by directly targeting SOX2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, some new and sensitive analytical instruments have been invented or existing instruments have been improved, which have resulted in many advanced achievements. However, sample pre-treatment techniques still play important and irreplaceable roles in the analysis of pollutants. Among the developed sample pre-treatment techniques, solid phase extraction is the most often used method and has been widely applied worldwide. In solid phase extraction, adsorbent is the key part to achieve high sensitivity and enrichment efficiency, which is the hot topic in analytical and environmental fields in recent years. In order to deeply understand the prospect of solid phase extraction, this review summarises the recent advances of adsorbents including ion imprinting materials, magnetic materials, core-shell materials, mesoporous materials, carbon nanotubes, TiO2nanotube arrays and some other new materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel pyrrolidinyl linker TRPV1 antagonists were prepared in an effort to lower the hyperthermic side-effects of first-generation antagonist BCTC. These compounds were investigated for antagonism of hTRPV1 activation by capsaicin and acid in vitro. Preliminary results suggested the compounds 10a, 10b, 10c and 10j had favorable TRPV1 antagonism activity. In further studies in vivo, 10b, comparable to BCTC, showed potent analgesic activity in capsaicin-induced and heat-induced pain models. In addition, 10b indicated a reduced risk of body temperature elevation. All of these demonstrated that 10b can be considered as a safe candidate for the further development of analgesic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory and pain are major areas for drug discovery. Current analgesic drugs often cause a number of side-effects. In the present study, we modified carboxylic acid group of ibuprofen, one of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, based on the common structure of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 antagonists which are considered as new candidates for analgesic drugs, and synthesized several derivatives of ibuprofen. Comprehensive evaluations of the pharmacological properties of these compounds were investigated. Compound 17 showed weak cyclooxygenase inhibition and exhibited strong transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 antagonistic activity. It was found to be capable of blocking noxious thermal nociception and capsaicin-induced nociception in mice. Besides, 17 showed less ulcerogenic action than ibuprofen did and had no hyperthermia side-effect compared with common transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 antagonists. Therefore, it suggested that 17 could be used as a safe alternative analgesic candidate for pain treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR-21 has been shown to play fundamental role in diverse biological and pathological processes, including fibrotic diseases. In the present study, we investigated whether miR-21 regulated the fibrogenic epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human hepatocytes QSG-7701 and explored underlying mechanisms. The results showed that treatment of QSG-7701 cells with pro-fibrogenic factor TGF-β 1 resulted in increased expression of miR-21 and promoted fibrogenic EMT in hepatocytes. Downregulation of miR-21 expression by transfection of anti-miR-21 into QSG-7701 cells inhibited fibrogenic EMT induced by TGF-β 1 . Furthermore, overexpression of miR-21 alone also resulted in EMT-like transformation in QSG-7701 cells. TGF-β 1 treatment resulted in decreased PTEN and increased Akt phosphorylation and anti-miR-21 abolished this effect. Overexpression of miR-21 in QSG-7701 cells also downregulated PTEN and upregulated Akt phosphralation. Inhibition of Akt signaling by specific inhibitor Akt inhibitor IV blocked TGF-β 1 and miR-21-induced fibrogenic EMT. In summary, our results identify miR-21 as a key regulator of fibrogenic EMT in hepatocytes via PTEN/Akt pathway. Targeting miR-21 may provide a new therapeutic strategy against hepatic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-component porous silk microcapsules were synthesized by the one-step desolvation method using PLGA spheres as sacrificial templates. Subsequently, AuNRs–T5 were utilized to synthesize silk-based hybrid capsules, which not only capped the pores of the shell but also enhanced Raman scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of sea cucumber gonadal polysaccharide extracted by enzymatic, ultrasound and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic methods were investigated. The results showed that the total sugar and sulphate group content (69.1 g/100 g, 14.7 g/100 g) of SCGP-UAE were higher than those of SCGP-E (58.8 g/100 g, 10.6 g/100 g) and SCGP-U (62.9 g/100 g, 13.3 g/100 g). The zeta potential, molecular weight and particle size of SCGP-UAE were significantly lower than those of SCGP-E and SCGP-U (P < 0.05). Their molar ratios of monosaccharide composition were different. With the concentration of SCGP-E, SCGP-U and SCGP-UAE from 0.25 increased to 4.00 mg/mL, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH∙), hydroxyl radical (∙OH) scavenging ability and reducing power of them were improved. In the concentration range of 0.50–4.00 mg/mL, the antioxidant ability of SCGP-UAE was higher than SCGP-E and SCGP-U. At 4.00 mg/mL, the DPPH∙, ∙OH scavenging ability and reducing power of SCGP-UAE were 12.8%, 14.6% and 9.42% higher than those of SCGP-U and 38.1%, 29.9% and 29.3% higher than those of SCGP-E, respectively. The strongest antioxidant activity of SCGP-UAE was due to the UAE method degraded SCGP chains and exposed more sulphate groups by breaking glycosidic bonds within SCGP. • UAE method have the greatest effect on the physicochemical properties of SCGP. • Ultrasonic cavitation and protease hydrolysis affect the properties of SCGP. • Antioxidant activity of SCGP increases with the increase of concentration. • UAE method increases the antioxidant capacity of SCGP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the risk faced by load aggregators (LAs) participating in a demand response (DR), owing to the response uncertainty, and proposes a load-agent-based bilevel distributed coordination decision-making strategy for LAs considering response uncertainty. DR uncertainty models of reducible and transferable loads are established based on the evidence theory. The agent DR uncertainty model is established through individual user DR characteristic clustering. The conditional value at risk is used as a measure of risk, and a two-hierarchical-decision model of the LA is established. The model is decoupled by introducing decoupling variables and is solved using the analytical target cascading method, owing to the coupling relationship of the bilayer decision model. The results of the example show that the computing time of the distributed scheduling method proposed in this paper is 91.54 % shorter than that of the centralized scheduling method. Compared with the traditional distributed scheduling strategy, under the condition of comparable computing efficiency, the risk cost expectations of LAs is lower after clustering processing. The proposed model can reasonably evaluate uncertain events in the DR and realize decentralized coordination optimization between the upper and lower layers of decision-making, which helps LAs to effectively improve the decision-making efficiency. • Proposed a bilevel distributed decision architecture and model for load aggregators. • Established the user uncertainty demand response model based on evidence theory. • Constructed the load-agent demand response uncertainty model through the clustering. • Solved the bilevel model with the analytical target cascading method (ATC). • Reduced decision risk and solved high-dimensional optimization for load aggregators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To build a clinical–radiomics model based on noncontrast computed tomography images to identify the risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) following intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Materials and methods: A total of 517 consecutive patients with AIS were screened for inclusion. Datasets from six hospitals were randomly divided into a training cohort and an internal cohort with an 8:2 ratio. The dataset of the seventh hospital was used for an independent external verification. The best dimensionality reduction method to choose features and the best machine learning (ML) algorithm to develop a model were selected. Then, the clinical, radiomics and clinical–radiomics models were developed. Finally, the performance of the models was measured using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Of 517 from seven hospitals, 249 (48%) had HT. The best method for choosing features was recursive feature elimination, and the best ML algorithm to build models was extreme gradient boosting. In distinguishing patients with HT, the AUC of the clinical model was 0.898 (95% CI 0.873–0.921) in the internal validation cohort, and 0.911 (95% CI 0.891–0.928) in the external validation cohort; the AUC of radiomics model was 0.922 (95% CI 0.896–0.941) and 0.883 (95% CI 0.851–0.902), while the AUC of clinical–radiomics model was 0.950 (95% CI 0.925–0.967) and 0.942 (95% CI 0.927–0.958) respectively. Conclusion: The proposed clinical–radiomics model is a dependable approach that could provide risk assessment of HT for patients who receive IVT after stroke. Key points: Noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) is valuable for predicting hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) treatment. Machine learning is vital for predicting HT. NCCT radiomics integrated with clinical factors could facilitate predicting HT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Study design: A retrospective analysis of 150 adolescents who underwent spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. Objective: To analyse the incidence of the postoperative proximal junctional kyphosis after posterior fusion to the upper thoracic vertebra in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and to explore its risk factors. Summary of background data: The reported incidence of the proximal junctional kyphosis after the posterior fusion in patients with idiopathic scoliosis varies depending on surgical methods and strategies adopted by the institution. Methods: The changes in the Cobb angle of the proximal junctional kyphosis on the lateral spine X-ray were measured and the presence of PJK was recorded. The risk factors were screened using statistical analysis. Results: PJK occurred in 35 out of 123 patients with an overall incidence of 28%. Among them, 28 patients (80%) experienced PJK within 1.5 years after surgery. The PJK-inducing factors included greater than 10° intraoperative decrease in thoracic kyphosis, thoracoplasty, the use of a pedicle screw at the top vertebra, autogenous bone graft and fusion to the lower lumbar vertebra (below L2). Conclusions: There is a high incidence of postoperative proximal junctional kyphosis after posterior fusion to the upper thoracic vertebra within 1.5 years after surgery in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. In order to reduce its incidence, the risk factors for PJK should be carefully evaluated before surgery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Established the mathematical model of users' cooling load based on principle of heat transfer. • Analyzed the uncertainty of the users responses considering the differences in the economic and comfort preferences. • Constructed users' differential response probability model through the multi-objective optimization method. • Analyzed the users' decision behavior characteristic with the proposed discrete choice model. Because of the thermal inertia of air conditioning load, electric power companies can guide users to manage it effectively and reduce the peak-valley difference of power grid through the electricity price mechanism on the premise of less affecting the comfort of users. Although the load adjustable potential of a single air conditioner user is small, its aggregation potential cannot be ignored due to a large number of residential air conditioners. In order to accurately describe users' differential response decision behavior, an analysis method of air conditioning users' response decision behavior considering uncertainty and demand diversity response behavior is proposed in this paper. Firstly, according to the change in the indoor and outdoor environmental factors of air conditioning, the cooling load characteristics of residential buildings were modeled, the difference in the comfort temperature of the users was considered, the cooling load characteristics of various types of residential users were identified, and the daily load curves of the cooling demand of the users were obtained. Secondly, the uncertainty of the user response under the electricity price mechanism was analyzed, and the user preference for economy and comfort was comprehensively considered. Finally, the decision-making behavior of the users was analyzed with the discrete choice model, and the probability model of the differential responses of the users was simulated by the multi-objective optimization method. An example is given to analyze the actual response data of users in a residential district in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and get the response of users to air conditioning load under the time-of-use electricity price and different incentive degrees. It provides more comprehensive user response decision information for the grid side, and enables the power company to improve the implementation effect of air conditioning load participating in demand response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue, a most commonly sub-health condition, may cause people more susceptible to many diseases. Cordycepin, a principal active ingredient from Cordyceps militaris , exerts various pharmacological activities including anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects. However, the anti-fatigue effect of cordycepin and specific mechanism remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of cordycepin on physical fatigue and elucidate the potential mechanism. 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg of cordycepin and 500 mg/kg taurine were respectively treated to mice for 28 days before weight-loaded swimming test. The results revealed that cordycepin significantly prolonged the weight-loaded swimming time of mice. Meanwhile, cordycepin decreased the levels of lactic acid, blood uric nitrogen, and malondialdehyde, and increased the contents of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, hepatic glycogen, muscle glycogen and ATP. The metabolomic study by GC-MS showed that eight biomarkers were found in livers, including L-lactic acid, L-asparagine, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, inosine, D-galactose, L-tyrosine, glyceric acid and L-threonine. There were seven biomarkers in gastrocnemius, including D-ribose-5-phosphate, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, palmitic acid, oxaloacetic acid and citric acid. The results of metabolomics indicated that cordycepin might relieve fatigue by regulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Furthermore, we found cordycepin significantly enhanced the protein levels of TIGAR, SIRT1, PGC-1α, NRF1 and TFAM in gastrocnemius of weight-loaded swimming mice. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that cordycepin possessed an anti-fatigue effect via activating TIGAR/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway. Our study indicated that cordycepin may be a potentially efficient candidate for fatigue. [Display omitted] • Cordycepin exhibits anti-fatigue effect in weight-loaded swimming mice. • Cordycepin relieves fatigue via regulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. • Cordycepin regulates TIGAR/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway in weight-loaded swimming mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inactivated COVID-19 vaccine was safe but with lower immunogenicity for Gastrointestinal cancer. • The frequency of total memory B cells (MBCs) between GI cancer and healthy people did not differ. • Activated MBCs and resting MBCs decreased, and intermediate MBCs and atypical MBCs increased for GI cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines in patients with gastrointestinal cancer (GI) cancer. The role of memory B cells (MBCs) in the humoral response to COVID-19 vaccination was also investigated. In this prospective observational study, GI cancer patients and healthy individuals who had received 2 doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines were included. The data regarding adverse effects, serum anti-receptor binding domain (RBD)-IgG, neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), and frequencies of MBCs were collected prospectively. The inactivated COVID-19 vaccines were safe and well tolerated. Serum anti-RBG-IgG and NAbs were lower for cancer patients. Old age, high ASA score, and receiving active chemotherapy were risk factors for lower antibody titers. The frequencies of activated and resting MBCs decreased in (17.45% vs 38.11%, P = 0.002; 16.98% vs 34.13%, P = 0.023), while the frequencies of intermediate and atypical MBCs increased in cancer patients (40.06% vs 19.87%, P = 0.010; 25.47% vs 16.61%, P = 0.025). The serum antibody titer decreased gradually during follow-up but increased when a booster vaccine was given. The inactivated COVID-19 vaccines were well tolerated in patients with GI cancer but with lower immunogenicity. The subpopulations of MBCs were disordered in cancer patients, and a booster vaccine may be prioritized for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain finance and logistics activities are developing rapidly. In the economic activities of the tripartite cooperation between financial institutions, logistics enterprises, and loan enterprises, the goods will enter the logistics and supervision links of pledged goods immediately after they are postponed. It is proposed to integrate computer network communication technologies such as the Internet of Things with supply chain finance and logistics supervision to strengthen the information interaction between suppliers, which is widely used in supply chain activities to help realize the Internet finance. An intelligent supply chain supervision can implement monitoring and early warning of the time of the pledged goods in the warehouse, in transit, and during processing. Therefore, this paper proposes an intelligent supply chain supervision model by integrating supply chain finance, logistics, and pledge finance models into an operation management platform to better promote the smooth progress of supply chain finance and logistics supervision activities, which can effectively reduce various external risks, improve operational efficiency, and provide reference for supply chain finance and logistics activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the commonest female cancers, which is characterized with high incidence. Although treatments have been improved, the prognosis of BC patients in advanced stages remains unsatisfactory. Thus, exploration of the molecular mechanisms underneath BC progression is necessary to find novel therapeutic methods. Frizzled class receptor 2 (FZD2) belongs to Frizzled family, which has been proven to promote cell growth and invasion in various human cancers. The purpose of our current study was to detect the functions of FZD2 in BC and explore its underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: The level of FZD2 was measured in BC tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay, transwell assays, wound healing assay and flow cytometry analyses were separately conducted to detect cell viability, invasion, migration, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. The levels of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers were examined by using Immunofluorescence assay. Xenograft tumorigenicity assay was performed to assess the effect of FZD2 on tumor growth in vivo. Results: FZD2 mRNA and protein expression was abundant in BC tissues. Moreover, high level of FZD2 had significant correlation with poor prognosis in BC patients. In vitro functional assays revealed that silencing of FZD2 had suppressive effects on BC cell growth, migration and invasion. Animal study further demonstrated that FZD2 silencing inhibited BC cell growth in vivo. In addition, FZD2 induced EMT process in BC cells in a transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-dependent manner. Mechanistically, knockdown of FZD2 led to the inactivation of Notch signaling pathway. Conclusion: FZD2 facilitates BC progression and promotes TGF-β1-inudced EMT process through activating Notch signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subunits PA, PB1, and PB2 of influenza A virus RNA polymerase are essential for efficient viral RNA synthesis and virus replication because of their role in recruiting multiple nuclear proteins. ANP32A is an acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein 32 (ANP32) family member and a crucial cellular protein that determines the species specificity of the influenza virus RNA polymerase activity. However, how ANP32A modulates polymerase activity remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that viral RNA synthesis was increased in A549 cells overexpressing ANP32A and decreased after treatment with ANP32A RNAi. This decrease in RNA synthesis was reversed by rescued ANP32A expression. The results of docking modeling, co-immunoprecipitation, and yeast two-hybrid assays showed that PB2 was the only subunit of the three that interacted with ANP32A. The C-terminal portion of ANP32A and the middle domains (residues 307-534) of PB2 were required for PB2-ANP32A interaction. Glu189 and Glu196 in ANP32A and Gly450 and Gln447 in PB2 were essential for interaction between ANP32A and PB2. These residues were located in conserved regions of the ANP32A or PB2 protein sequences. These data suggest that ANP32A is recruited to the polymerase through direct interaction with PB2 via critical amino acid residue interactions and promotes viral RNA synthesis. Our findings might provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying influenza virus RNA synthesis and replication in infected human cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study included seminal plasma samples from patients with asthenozoospermia caused by four different etiologies. • There are similarities and differences in seminal plasma metabolism abnormalities in patients with asthenozoospermia caused by different etiologies. • Idiopathic asthenozoospermia shows significant separation from other asthenozoospermia and unique differential metabolites. Asthenozoospermia (AZS) is a disease characterized by decreased sperm motility induced by multiple etiologies, and the pathological mechanisms of various AZS are unclear. We simultaneously analyzed the metabolic profiling of four representative AZS to provide new insights into the etiologies of AZS. Seminal plasma samples were collected from healthy control (HC; n = 30) and four AZS induced by varicocele (VA, n = 30), obesity (OA, n = 22), reproductive system infections (RA; n = 17) and idiopathic (IA, n = 30), respectively, and were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Disturbed metabolites and metabolic pathways were compared between AZS and HC, as well as IA and the other three AZS. A total of 40 different metabolites were identified in the seminal plasma of AZS and HC, of which lactic acid, fructose, citric acid, glutamine and pyruvic acid metabolic abnormalities associated with all the AZS groups, while each AZS group had unique metabolic changes. RA was significantly separated from the other three AZS, and metabolites such as cholesterol, octadecanoic acid and serine mainly contributed to the separation. The comprehensive metabolomic analysis and comparison of four various AZS provided evidence and clues for the mechanism mining, which will benefit future etiology, diagnosis and treatment of AZS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in tumor initiation and progression has been increasingly recognized. However, the precise association between the regulation of m5C and the progression, metastasis, and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not yet been fully explored. Data from 545 HNSCC patients obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analyzed. Unsupervised cluster analysis was conducted using the expression levels of m5C regulatory genes. Additionally, gene set variation analysis (GSVA), single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), and Cox regression analysis were utilized. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), colony formation assay, transwell experiments and western blots were performed in the HNSCC cell line UM-SCC-17B to assess the expression and functional role of one of the novel signatures, CNFN. Significant expression differences were found in m5C regulatory genes between tumor and normal tissues in HNSCC. Two distinct m5C modification patterns, characterized by substantial prognostic differences, were identified. Cluster-2, which exhibited a strong association with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), was found to be associated with a poorer prognosis. Based on the m5C clusters and EMT status, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Using DEGs, an 8-gene signature (CAMK2N1, WNT7A, F2RL1, AREG, DEFB1, CNFN, TGFBI, and CAV1) was established to develop a prognostic model. The performance of this signature was validated in both the training and external validation datasets, demonstrating its promising efficacy. Furthermore, additional investigations using RT-qPCR on clinical specimens and experimental assays in cell lines provided compelling evidence suggesting that CNFN, one of the genes in the signature, could play a role in HNSCC progression and metastasis through the EMT pathway. This study highlighted the role of m5C in HNSCC progression and metastasis. The relationship between m5C and EMT has been elucidated for the first time. A robust prognostic model was developed for accurately predicting HNSCC patients' survival outcomes. Potential molecular mechanisms underlying these associations have been illuminated through this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNA (CircRNA) is a type of non-coding RNAs in which both ends are covalently linked. Researchers have demonstrated that many circRNAs can act as biomarkers of diseases. However, traditional experimental methods for circRNA-disease associations identification are labor-intensive. In this work, we propose a novel method based on the heterogeneous graph neural network and metapaths for circRNA-disease associations prediction termed as HMCDA. First, a heterogeneous graph consisting of circRNA-disease associations, circRNA-miRNA associations, miRNA-disease associations and disease-disease associations are constructed. Then, six metapaths are defined and generated according to the biomedical pathways. Afterwards, the entity content transformation, intra-metapath and inter-metapath aggregation are implemented to learn the embeddings of circRNA and disease entities. Finally, the learned embeddings are used to predict novel circRNA-disase associations. In particular, the result of extensive experiments demonstrates that HMCDA outperforms four state-of-the-art models in fivefold cross validation. In addition, our case study indicates that HMCDA has the ability to identify novel circRNA-disease associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) silence genes by binding to messenger RNAs, whereas long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) that can relieve miRNA silencing effects and upregulate target gene expression. The ceRNA association between lncRNAs and miRNAs has been a research hotspot due to its medical importance, but it is challenging to verify experimentally. In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning scheme, i.e. sequence pre-training-based graph neural network (SPGNN), that combines pre-training and fine-tuning stages to predict lncRNA–miRNA associations from RNA sequences and the existing interactions represented as a graph. First, we utilize a sequence-to-vector technique to generate pre-trained embeddings based on the sequences of all RNAs during the pre-training stage. In the fine-tuning stage, we use Graph Neural Network to learn node representations from the heterogeneous graph constructed using lncRNA–miRNA association information. We evaluate our proposed scheme SPGNN on our newly collected animal lncRNA–miRNA association dataset and demonstrate that combining the |$k$| -mer technique and Doc2vec model for pre-training with the Simple Graph Convolution Network for fine-tuning is effective in predicting lncRNA–miRNA associations. Our approach outperforms state-of-the-art baselines across various evaluation metrics. We also conduct an ablation study and hyperparameter analysis to verify the effectiveness of each component and parameter of our scheme. The complete code and dataset are available on GitHub: https://github.com/zixwang/SPGNN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adriamycin resistance is closely related to therapeutic efficacy in breast cancer patients and their prognosis. Increasing evidence has suggested that miRNA functions in Adriamycin resistance in various types of cancer. microRNA-129-5p (miR-129-5p) has been considered a tumor-suppressive miRNA in several cancers, but its potential role in Adriamycin resistance in breast cancer has not been fully elucidate. By qRT-PCR assay, we revealed that the expression of miR-129-5p was significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues and Adriamycin-resistant breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231/ADR, MCF-7/ADR). CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, Transwell invasion, and flow cytometric profiles were examined to determine the influence of miR-129-5p on Adriamycin-resistant breast cancer in vitro. The upregulation of miR-129-5p decreased the IC50 concentration of Adriamycin and invasion and promoted the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231/ADR cells in the presence of Adriamycin, whereas the upregulation of Sex-Determining Region Y-Box 2 (SOX2) reversed these effects. A luciferase reporter assay confirmed the binding of miR-129-5p to the 3′UTR of SOX2. Collectively, it was suggested that miR-129-5p suppresses Adriamycin resistance in breast cancer by directly targeting SOX2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a chalcone glycoside, is a component of Carthamus tinctorius L. and exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. However, the therapeutic effect and the underlying mechanism of HSYA on ulcerative colitis is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the unexplored protective effects and underlying mechanisms of HSYA on UC. In vitro analyses showed that HSYA reduced the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-6 and inhibited nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated pyroptosis in lipopolysaccharide/ adenosine-5′-triphosphate (LPS/ATP)-stimulated macrophages. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) profiling of intracellular metabolites showed that HSYA reduced the increased levels of glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, and lactic acid, and inhibited the increased hexokinase 1 (HK1) expression caused by LPS/ATP stimulation. HK1 shRNA transfection further confirmed that HSYA inhibited the NLRP3/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis via HK1 downregulation. In vivo analyses showed that HSYA drastically attenuated UC symptoms by relieving body weight loss, a decline in colon length, and inflammatory infiltration in colonic tissues induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). HSYA also reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-18. Moreover, HSYA inhibited HK1/NLRP3/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in DSS-induced colitis mice. Finally, 16S rRNA sequencing analyses of gut microbiota revealed that HSYA reversed gut microbiota dysbiosis by reducing the abundance of Proteobacteria and increasing that of Bacteroidetes. This study demonstrated that HSYA not only exerted anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting HK1/NLRP3/GSDMD and suppressing pyroptosis but also regulated gut microbiota in mice with DSS-induced colitis. Our findings provide new experimental evidence that HSYA might be a potential candidate for treating inflammatory bowel diseases. [Display omitted] • Hydroxysafflor Yellow A protects against DSS-induced colitis in mice. • Hydroxysafflor Yellow A inhibits pyroptosis via suppressing HK1/NLRP3/GSDMD. • Hydroxysafflor Yellow A regulates gut microbiota of DSS-induced colitis in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the performance of the Bayesian probabilistic method, circular Singular Value Decomposition (cSVD), and oscillation index Singular Value Decomposition (oSVD) algorithms in Olea Sphere for predicting infarct volume in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Eighty-seven patients suffering from AIS with large vessel occlusion were divided into improvement and progression groups. The improvement group included patients with successful recanalization (TICI 2b-3) after thrombectomy or whose clinical symptoms improved after thrombolysis. The progression group consisted of patients whose clinical symptoms did not improve or even got worse. The infarct core volume from the Olea Sphere software was used as the predicted infarct volume (PIV) in the improvement group, whereas the hypoperfusion volume was used as the PIV in the progression group. We defined predicted difference (PD) as PIV minus final infarct volume (FIV) measured at follow-up imaging. Differences among the three algorithms were assessed by the Friedman test. Spearman correlation analysis was used to verify the correlation between PIV and FIV. In addition, we performed a subgroup analysis of the progression group based on collateral circulation status. The median [interquartile range (IQR)] of the PD and Spearman correlation coefficients (SCCs) between PIV and FIV for the improvement group (n = 22) were: Bayesian = [6.99 (−14.72, 18.99), 0.500]; oSVD = [−12.74 (−41.06, −3.46), 0.423]; cSVD = [−15.38 (−38.92, −4.68), 0.586]. For the progression group (n = 65), the median (IQR) of PD and SCCs were: Bayesian = [1.00 (−34.07, 49.37), 0.748]; oSVD = [−0.17 (−53.42, 29.73), 0.712]; cSVD = [66.55 (7.94, 106.32), 0.674]. The Bayesian algorithm in the Olea Sphere software predicted infarct volumes with better accuracy and stability than the other two algorithms in both the progression and improvement groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid materials with nanostructure could exhibit a diverse range of applications as advanced functional materials. This research work, composite membranes with shape memory property based on biocompatible polycaprolactone and polyethylene oxide were successfully fabricated by using electrospinning technique. Electrospun fiber configuration is strongly related to the concentration of polymer and electric field strength. The hydrophilic property of hybrid membrane has been improved and water play a critical role in resulting lower its responsive temperature compared with dry membrane. The mechanism of shape memory PCL/PEO hybrid membrane at wet condition has been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenosylmethionine decarboxylase 1 (AMD1) has been implicated in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, the potential biomechanism and biological implications of AMD1 in breast cancer (BC) remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of abnormal expression of AMD1 in BC. The expression of AMD1 in different human BC cell lines was studied by using western blotting and qRT–PCR. In vitro cell proliferation, clone formation, cell cycle and apoptosis assays were performed to explore the effect of AMD1 on cellular proliferation. Xenograft mouse models were established to elucidate the role of AMD1 in BC growth. The expression profiles of AMD1 in 28 pairs of BC tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues (ANTs) were investigated by using western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The clinical implication and prognostic evaluation of AMD1 in BC were examined by excavating the online database. We found that the expression levels of AMD1 in BC cell lines were significantly higher than those in the normal human breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. In addition, AMD1 potentiated proliferation, induced cell cycle progression and inhibited apoptosis in BC cells. Subcutaneous tumor xenografts also supported the promotive role of AMD1 in BC growth. We discovered that the level of AMD1 in BC tissues was significantly higher than that in ANTs. Using the online database, increased AMD1 was found to be associated with clinical indicators and predicted a poor prognosis in patients with BC. Our findings indicate that AMD1 elicits potent oncogenic effects on the malignant progression of BC. AMD1 might serve as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is one of the main active ingredients in the fruit of L. barbarum L. It has been used as herbal medicine for thousands of years in China. In this study, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was taken as the research object. After feeding tilapia with 5 different doses of LBP (0 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg, 1500 mg/kg, 2000 mg/kg) for 55 d, it was found that LBP could promote the growth of tilapia, and this effect was the strongest at Group 1500 mg/kg. Apoptosis analysis in the liver and spleen showed that dietary supplementation with 1000 mg/kg LBP had the best protective effect on the spleen and liver in tilapia. Combined transcriptomics and metabolomics of the spleen in tilapia at Group 0 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) such as NT5C2L1, pmm1, FasL and the differentially metabolites such as xanthine, dGMP, guanine and glutamate were mainly concentrated in signaling pathways such as Purine metabolism and FoxO signaling pathway. In conclusion, LBP regulates the metabolic waste levels of tilapia mainly through Purine metabolism and the FoxO signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis, improving the utilization of nutrients, and promoting the growth of tilapia. This study not only provides a theoretical basis for the application of LBP in aquatic animals but also provides useful information for the healthy development of the aquaculture. • LBP can improve the growth parameters of tilapia. • LBP has a protective effect on the spleen and liver of tilapia. • Combined transcriptomics and metabolomics showed that LBP regulates the apoptosis of tilapia spleen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the topological alterations of the whole-brain white matter structural networks in episodic migraine (EM) without aura. Methods: Forty-five EM patients without aura and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were registered, and underwent diffusion tensor MRI acquisition at interictal. Graph theory-based analyses were then performed for the characterization of brain structural network properties. Pearson correlation analysis was performed on each network metric between the EM patients and healthy controls. Results: The EM patients exhibited abnormal global network properties and local network topology that were characterized by more strongly integrated, more efficient, and faster information transferring. These network differences were widely located in the occipital, temporal, and parietal regions. Additionally, the local efficient of global parameters showed positive correlation with visual analogue scale, and along with prolonging disease duration, the nodal efficiency would be reduced, and the nodal shortest path length would be increased. Headache Impact Test version 6 scores have negative correlation with the nodal shortest path length, and positive correlations with the nodal efficiency. Conclusion: The results indicate that EM patients had aberrant topological structure and make a better understanding of structural connectivity in EM; it may provide imaging evidence for clinical study of migraine pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical entomopathogenic filamentous fungi such as Beauveria bassiana infect susceptible hosts via penetration of insect cuticle. The pathogenicity of B. bassiana strain to diverse insect hosts is different. While the molecular mechanisms of B. bassiana adapt to different insects are not well clear. B. bassiana GXsk1011 is a hyper-virulent strain from silkworm, which was investigated on the metabolic responses to three cuticle extracts of Bombyx mori , Helicoverpa armigera and Clanis bilineata at 24 h by RNA-seq method. A total of 638 up- and 400 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in B. bassiana grown on H. armigera compared with B. mori , and 910 up- and 401 down-regulated genes for C. bilineata compared with B. mori. Functional categorization showed that DEGs are mainly involved in metabolic processes, localization, catalytic activity and transporter activity. Analysis of 20 highest fold change genes in DEGs showed that when B. bassiana transferred to non-original hosts as H. armigera and C. bilineata , the adhesion (Mad1), protease (Pr2) and cell surface protein (BBA_09174), etc. were down-regulated. While the class III chitinase ChiA2 (BBA_05353, Bbchi-17), major allergen Asp f 2-like protein (BBA_05395, Bb-f2) and nonribosomal peptide synthase, etc. were up-regulated. The secretory lipase that responded to H. armigera and the phosphate permease responded to C. bilineata were also up-regulated in the Top 20 DEGs. These special expressed genes indicate when the B. bassiana transferred to non-original hosts (or called as non-natural hosts), the strain appeared the changes of metabolic response and infection strategies to adapt to new hosts, and implied the key actions of infected adaptation were to break the barrier of different cuticle chitin component and against the immune stress of hosts. This study provided an insight into the B. bassiana that with wide host ranges how to adapt to infect different insect hosts, which will help us to further understand the pathogenesis of B. bassiana infection. • RNA-seq of Beauveria bassiana Gxsk1011 responds to three insect cuticles. • A large number of differentially expressed genes were annotated in different hosts. • Typical virulence genes (Mad1, Pr2 , etc.) were up-regulated in the silkworm. • Allergen Bb-f2 and chitinase Bbchi-17 , etc. were up-regulated in the other insects. • The results showed the changes in fungal metabolic response and infection strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D3 has been demonstrated to suppress the development and progression of liver cancer, but the mechanism is unclear. The effects of vitamin D3 and microRNA (miR)-15a-5p on liver cancer cells were investigated in the present study using MTT and colony formation assays, flow cytometry, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine whether E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) was a target of miR-15a-5p. The effects of silencing the E2F3 gene expression in liver cancer cells were investigated using a small interfering RNA. Vitamin D3 suppressed liver cancer cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and increased miR-15a-5p expression. Treatment with the miR-15a-5p mimics significantly suppressed liver cancer cell proliferation compared with that of the controls. Bioinformatics analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that E2F3 was a target of miR-15a-5p and that silencing E2F3 inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, Vitamin D3 suppressed cell proliferation by miR-15a-5p-mediated silencing of E2F3 gene expression. These findings suggested a role for vitamin D3 and E2F3 targeting as potential novel liver cancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Constipation is a common reason of poor bowel preparation, which negatively influences the quality of colonoscopy. Risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation in constipated patients remain unclear.Aims: This study aimed to investigate the high-risk factors that might influence the quality of bowel preparation in patients with functional constipation.Methods: Consecutive patients with functional constipation who underwent colonoscopy between June 2016 and April 2017 were enrolled. A standard split dose of 4 l polyethylene glycol was used for bowel preparation. Patient- and procedure-related parameters were recorded. The primary outcome was an adequate rate of bowel preparation. Risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation were screened by multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results: A total of 199 patients were included. Adequate bowel preparation was found in 62.8% (125/199) of patients. At multivariate analysis, Bristol stool form scale (BSFS) 1 [odds ratio (OR) 2.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-5.90; P = 0.011], rectal pain score during defecation < 2 (OR 4.14, 95% CI 1.22-13.97; P = 0.022), and starting-to-defecation interval ≥ 4 h (OR 3.83, 95% CI 1.34-10.91; P = 0.012) were risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation in patients with constipation. For patients with no, 1, 2, or 3 risk factors, the rates of inadequate bowel preparation were 11%, 23%, 49%, and 65%, respectively.Conclusions: With the standard preparation regime, > 1/3 of patients with functional constipation had inadequate bowel cleansing. BSFS 1, rectal pain score during defecation < 2, and starting-to-defecation interval ≥ 4 h were identified as independent risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation in constipated patients.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02842411. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is a prevalent malignancy affecting women, characterized by a substantial occurrence rate. Squalene epoxidase (SQLE) is a crucial regulator of ferroptosis and has been associated with promoting cell growth and invasion in different types of human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the functional significance of SQLE in BC and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms involved. SQLE expression levels in BC tissues were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Cell viability, invasion, migration, and cell cycle distribution were assessed using a combination of assays, including the Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU, colony formation, Transwell, and wound healing assays and flow cytometry analysis. Measurement of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde assay, and glutathione assay were utilized to investigate ferroptosis. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays were conducted to explore the correlation between SQLE and CCNB1. The in vivo tumor growth was evaluated by conducting a xenograft tumorigenicity assay to investigate the impact of SQLE. SQLE expression was significantly increased in BC, and higher SQLE expression levels were significantly associated with an unfavorable prognosis. In vitro functional assays revealed that the overexpression of SQLE markedly enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities of BC cells. Furthermore, SQLE overexpression facilitated tumor growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, SQLE alleviated the ubiquitination modification of CCNB1, leading to enhanced stability of the CCNB1 protein and decreased intracellular ROS levels. Ultimately, this inhibited ferroptosis and facilitated the progression of BC. Our findings have provided insights into a crucial pathway by which elevated SQLE expression confers protection to BC cells against ferroptosis, thus promoting cancer progression. SQLE may serve as a novel oncological marker and a potential therapeutic target for BC progression. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that SQLE plays a regulatory role in BC progression by modulating CCNB1 and ferroptosis. These findings offer valuable insights into the role of SQLE in the pathogenesis of BC and demonstrate its potential as a therapeutic target for treating BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a graph-based auxiliary balanced classifier head that is attached to the existing SSL to construct an end-2-end learning framework for efficient label propagation in CISSL. • We propose a simple yet effective flexible threshold adjustment strategy of leveraging different learning status of different classes for proper pseudo-label sieving. • We propose a class-aware feature MixUp (CFM) augmentation algorithm to adaptively augment training features for mitigating the over-fitting problem of tail classes. • Our FGBC framework shows favorable performance on the prevalent CISSL image classification datasets CIFAR10/100-LT, SVHN-LT, and Small ImageNet-127 with various levels of imbalance ratios and labeled ratios. The code will be available. Semi-supervised learning (SSL) has witnessed resounding success in many standard class-balanced benchmark datasets. However, real-world data often exhibit class-imbalanced distributions, which poses significant challenges for existing SSL algorithms. In general, fully supervised models trained on a class-imbalanced dataset are biased toward the majority classes, and this issue becomes more severe for class-imbalanced semi-supervised learning (CISSL) conditions. To address this issue, we put forward a novel CISSL framework dubbed FGBC by introducing a flexible graph-based balanced classifier with three innovations. Specifically, because the propagation of label information becomes difficult for tail classes, we propose a graph-based classifier head attached to the representation layer of the existing SSL framework for efficient pseudo-label propagation. Then, by considering that the learning status of different classes in CISSL may vary, we introduce a flexible threshold adjustment in pseudo-labeling to further select balanced samples to participate in training. Furthermore, to alleviate the risk of overfitting tail classes, we devised a class-aware feature MixUp (CFM) augmentation algorithm, which can further enhance the features of each class by considering their class sizes. Experimental results demonstrate that FGBC achieves state-of-the-art performance on datasets from CIFAR-10/100, SVHN and Small ImageNet-127 under various levels of CISSL conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To characterize the spatial patterns of functional connectivity(FC) changes of whole brain in RRMS with somatosensory disorder(RRMS-SS) and to investigate the correlation between abnormal FC and clinical scores.Methods: Twenty-six RRMS-SS patients and 23 healthy controls(HC) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(RS-fMRI) scanning. The clinical scores were collected including Expanded Disability Status Scores(EDSS), Disease Duration and Somatosensory Evaluation by the Fugl-Meyer sensory score(FMSS). With the voxel-wise methods, RS-fMRI data were analyzed using REST software, to assess the FC of the postcentral gyrus(PoCG). Correlation between clinical variables and the strength of FC was analyzed.Results: Compared with HC, the left postcentral-based FC showed decreased FC of the right cerebellum_8, lingual lobe and Rolandic operculum gyrus, and increased FC of the left middle frontal lobe. The right postcentral-based FC revealed decreased FC with the right Heschl's gyrus lobule, and increased FC with bilateral middle frontal lobe (p <  0.001, AlphaSim corrected). Correlation analysis revealed that the FC of altered brain regions was associated with FMSS, EDSS and disease duration.Conclusion: The functional connectivity of PoCG at RS-fMRI has multi-network changes in patients with RRMS-SS. This suggests a complex pattern of abnormal connections between the somatosensory network regions and the whole brain. Moreover, the correlation between the FC and the FMSS, such as the left middle frontal lobe and the right PoCG, indicate that these two brain regions play an important role in RRMS-SS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]