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ZMT04 muscovite serves as a quality control reference material for K--Ar dating, with a recommended age of 1804 ± 21 Ma (2σ). Here, we check the homogeneity for ZMT04 muscovite and compare its age against the reference material Fish Canyon sanidine (FCs). Five sub-samples of ZMT04 muscovite were irradiated in three different reactors with different irradiation doses, analysed at varying sample masses over different time periods, and subjected to different mass spectrometric measurement procedures in two independent laboratories, which yielded consistent plateau ages with a mean of 1772.2 ± 2.7 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 1.30, and P = 0.18) and RFCs=28.294±0.072Ma ZMT04 = 105.53 ± 0.25 (2sd, MSWD = 0.88, and P = 0.57). The single-grain results are consistent with the multi-grain stepwise heating results, indicating good reproducibility and homogeneity of 40Ar* and K at the single-grain level. A single grain is sufficient to yield a high precision result when the J-value >0.01. We recommend 1 mg as the minimum sample mass to yield enough neutron-induced 39Ar signals for high-precision analysis (J-value <0.001). Accordingly, ZMT04 muscovite can represent a reliable 40Ar/ 39Ar dating and K--Ar dating reference material for Paleoproterozoic geological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) levels in dried chili peppers from nine districts in Guizhou Province. These heavy metals, widely dispersed and capable of transferring to crops, pose potential health risks to humans. The assessment included modeling daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), total target hazard index (TTHQ), and target carcinogenic risk (TCR) to assess health risks across different population groups. Results showed chromium (0.9540 ± 0.301 mg/kg) and lead (0.8949 ± 0.266 mg/kg) had the highest concentrations, followed by arsenic (0.3287 ± 0.093 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.0627 ± 0.017 mg/kg). Children exhibited higher EDI values than adults, indicating greater health risks from dried chili pepper consumption at equivalent levels. THQ and TTHQ values were below 1 across all regions, indicating no significant health risks associated with dried chili pepper consumption. Similarly, TCR values were below 10–4 for all nine regions, indicating an acceptable level of carcinogenic risk. Overall, consuming dried chili peppers in Guizhou Province poses an acceptable health risk, but caution is advised, especially for children, to limit heavy metal exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large scatter of the drag coefficient CD at a given wind speed and its discrepancy in coastal regions and open oceans have received increasing attention. However, the parameterization of CD is still an open question, especially in coastal regions. Therefore, this study systematically investigated the influence of surface waves on wind stress based on in situ observations of surface waves and air–sea fluxes on three coastal tower-based platforms in different regions. A formulation that is a function of only wind speed was established in the wind speed range of 1–20 m s−1, and when extended to 30 m s−1, it could predict the saturation of coastal CD at a 20 m s−1 wind speed and then the attenuation. However, this wind-based formulation does not simulate the scatter of CD in practice. By further analyzing the effect of wave states on wind stress, the parameters of wave age and directionality of wind and waves were incorporated into the wind-based formulation, and a new wave-state-based parameterization on CD was proposed, which can estimate the widely spread CD values to a large extent and the saturation of CD. The RMSE between this new parameterization and observations reduce approximately 20% and 9% relative to the COARE and wind-based formula. The applicability of this new parameterization was further demonstrated through a comparison between the newly parameterized CD and observed asymmetric CD in different quadrants of a tropical cyclone. The wave-state-based parameterization scheme requires three parameters, wind speed U10, wave age β, and wave off-wind angle θ, and it is expected to be applied to coastal regions. Significance Statement: Wind stress over the ocean plays an important role in numerical simulations for both the atmosphere and ocean, which requires accurate parameterization. However, parameterization of wind stress or drag coefficient CD is still an open question due to the complexity of the potential factors behind wind stress, especially for coastal regions. This manuscript provided a new wave-state-based parameterization scheme at low to high wind speeds for coastal regions, based on field observations on three coastal towers. This new parameterization can predict the saturation of CD at a wind speed of 20 m s−1 and then the attenuation, agreeing well with the previous coastal observations, and simulate the large scatter of CD to a large extent. Furthermore, it can predict the asymmetric CD in different quadrants of a tropical cyclone, consistent with the observations. This parameterization scheme requires only three parameters, wind speed, wave age, and misalignment angle between wind and wave, which can be conveniently applied to the numerical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) could induce inflammation of the aneurysm wall, which might be related to intracranial aneurysm rupture. The aim of this study was to investigate whether IL-1 could serve as a biomarker to predict the risk of rebleeding after admission. Data between January 2018 and September 2020 were collected from patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RIAs) and were retrospectively reviewed. The serum IL-1β and IL-1ra levels were detected using a panel, and IL-1 ratio was calculated as the log10 (IL-1ra/IL-1β). The predictive accuracy of IL-1 compared with previous clinical morphology (CM) model and other risk factors were evaluated by the c-statistic. Five hundred thirty-eight patients were finally included in the study, with 86 rebleeding RIAs. The multivariate Cox analysis confirmed aspect ratio (AR) > 1.6 (hazard ratio (HR), 4.89 [95%CI, 2.76–8.64], P < 0.001), size ratio (SR) > 3.0 (HR, 2.40 [95%CI, 1.34–4.29], P = 0.003), higher serum IL-1β (HR, 1.88 [95%CI, 1.27–2.78], P = 0.002), and lower serum IL-1ra (HR, 0.67 [95%CI, 0.56–0.79], P < 0.001) as the independent risk factors for rebleeding after admission. According to the c-statistics, the IL-1 ratio had the highest predictive accuracy (0.82), followed by IL-1ra and IL-1β (0.80), AR > 1.6 (0.79), IL-1ra (0.78), IL-1β (0.74), and SR > 3.0 (0.56), respectively. Subgroup analysis based on AR and SR presented similar results. The model combining IL-1 ratio and CM model showed higher predictive accuracy for the rebleeding after admission (c-statistic, 0.90). Serum IL-1, especially IL-1 ratio, could serve as a biomarker to predict the risk of rebleeding after admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After decades of rapid economic development, anemia remains a significant public health challenge globally. This study aimed to estimate the associations of sociodemographic, dietary, and body composition factors with anemia among the Zhuang in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Methods: Our study population from the baseline survey of the Guangxi ethnic minority Cohort Study of Chronic Diseases consisted of 13,465 adults (6,779 women and 6,686 men) aged 24–82 years. A validated interviewer-administered laptop-based questionnaire system was used to collect information on participants' sociodemographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors. Each participant underwent a physical examination, and hematological indices were measured. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select the variables, and logistic regression was applied to estimate the associations of independent risk factors with anemia. Results: The overall prevalences of anemia in men and women were 9.63% (95% CI: 8.94–10.36%) and 18.33% (95% CI: 17.42─19.28%), respectively. LASSO and logistic regression analyses showed that age was positively associated with anemia for both women and men. For diet in women, red meat consumption for 5–7 days/week (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65–0.98, p = 0.0290) and corn/sweet potato consumption for 5–7 days/week (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55–0.96, p = 0.0281) were negatively associated with anemia. For men, fruit consumption for 5–7 days/week (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60–0.94, p = 0.0130) and corn/sweet potato consumption for 5–7 days/week (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46–0.91, p = 0.0136) were negatively correlated with anemia. Compared with a normal body water percentage (55–65%), a body water percentage below normal (< 55%) was negatively related to anemia (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53–0.86, p = 0.0014). Conversely, a body water percentage above normal (> 65%) was positively correlated with anemia in men (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.38–2.17, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Anemia remains a moderate public health problem for premenopausal women and the elderly population in the Guangxi Zhuang minority region. The prevention of anemia at the population level requires multifaceted intervention measures according to sex and age, with a focus on dietary factors and the control of body composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formulating carbon emission reduction at the regional level is key to achieving the "dual carbon" strategy. A composite model is used to analyze the carbon emission reduction in Huaibei City based on the data from 2012 to 2021 and predict its change trend of carbon emission from 2022 to 2030. The study finds that: (1) the effects of observed factors on carbon emission in Huaibei City are complicated. Among them, the secondary industry has the greatest impact on carbon emission (weight is 0.32), and it is the key constraint factor of carbon emission. Population has the smallest impact on carbon emission (weight is 0.13), but its obstacle effect is significant. (2) The observed factors have a significant positive effect on the "dual carbon" strategy, but the improvement pressure is high. Among them, the conditions of all indicators have been improved except population, and it is found that each indicator can reach the level I before 2030, the "dual carbon" strategy can be achieved. This study deepens the understanding of regional carbon emission in China and the following conclusions are formed: (1) Grasping the carbon reduction effect of urbanization on the population to consolidate the new model of low-carbon development. (2) Identifying the key areas of carbon emission reduction to build a low-carbon emission oriented industrial system. (3) Strengthening the technological innovation of carbon emission reduction to achieve the strategic goal of "dual-carbon". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a delayed, non-IgE-mediated food allergy. This syndrome was once thought to be rare, but emerging literature suggests an increasing incidence along with more foods being implicated. Also, with the introduction of guidelines on early peanut introduction, peanut-induced FPIES seems to be increasing in Australia and USA. Although most patients are diagnosed with FPIES within the first year of life, most commonly with food triggers to cow's milk or soy, other phenotypes exist in comparison to this classic presentation. In this case report, we present a patient with late onset of acute FPIES at age 3 to walnut. Case Presentation: We describe a case of FPIES in a 12-year-old boy who had recurrent episodes of repetitive emesis, that began at age 3, each time after consuming walnuts. Mom does not give a history of intentional feeding (or avoidance) of walnut and/ or pecans. She also described possible reactions with pine nuts and macadamia. He was assessed with an oral food challenge to walnut, which triggered an episode of acute FPIES. He developed vomiting with onset 2 h post-ingestion, pallor, lethargy, and required an emergency department visit for anti-emetic medications and oral rehydration therapy. He improved on the therapy and now avoids cashew, pistachio, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, and macadamia nuts. Conclusions: This case report adds to the limited literature that exists on culprit food allergens in FPIES. We present an acute FPIES triggered by the ingestion of walnuts. The diagnosis, common food triggers, and natural history of FPIES are described. There remains a lack of information on the natural history of FPIES, especially towards uncommon food triggers and on FPIES that present beyond infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sandhoff disease (SD) is a rare neurological disease with high clinical heterogeneity. SD in juvenile form is much rarer and it is often misdiagnosed in clinics. Therein, it is necessary to provide more cases and review the literature on juvenile onset SD. Case presentation: A 14 years-old boy with eight years of walking difficulties, and was ever misdiagnosed as spinocerebellar ataxia. We found this patient after genetic testing carried rs201580118 and a novel gross deletion in HEXB (g.74012742_74052694del). Through review the literature, we found that was the first gross deletion identified at the 3'end of HEXB, associated with juvenile onset SD from China. Conclusion: This case expanded our knowledge about the genotype and phenotype correlations in SD. Comprehensive genetic testing is important for the diagnosis of unexplained ataxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel one-dimensional lever-type elastic metamaterial model for wave attenuation is proposed. • Low-frequency band gap is obtained by setting appropriate lever ratio and initial rotation angle. • The potential of the proposed metamaterial in attenuation of shock wave is demonstrated by spatial wave packet analysis. Elastic metamaterials have received extensive attention due to their proven track record in wave attenuation. In this study, a novel one-dimensional lever-type elastic metamaterial model is designed to achieve low-frequency wave attenuation by introducing an adjustable lever mechanism in a conventional mass-spring resonator. The dispersion relation and effective mass expression of the proposed metamaterial are theoretically derived. Then, the band structure characteristics and the effect of parameters on the band gap are analyzed in detail. The results show that by selecting appropriate lever ratio and initial rotation angle, a low frequency band gap can be obtained and the wave attenuation capability within the band gap can be enhanced. Finally, the dynamic response of the proposed structure is calculated by direct numerical integration method to verify the analytical results. Furthermore, the application potential of the proposed elastic metamaterial in shock wave attenuation is demonstrated by analyzing the spatial propagation of wave packets along the proposed structure. This study provides a meaningful reference for the design of other tunable elastic metamaterials to attenuate waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the performance of in-situ synthesized 6vol.% (TiC+TiB)/TC4 titanium matrix composites fabricated by casting, a variety of heat treatment processes were carried out. Upon conducting microstructure observations following various heat treatments, it was found that the composites exhibit a basketweave microstructure, consisting of an a phase and a transformed ß phase. The sizes of (a+ß) phases were found to be refined to varying degrees after the heat treatment processes, while the morphology of TiB remains largely unchanged and TiC becomes granulated. Compressive testing revealed that all composites subjected to different heat treatments demonstrate a notable increase in ultimate compressive strength as well as a slight improvement in plasticity compared to the as-cast state. The results of the tribological performance test indicated that the heat-treated composites exhibit lower average friction coefficient, specific wear rate, and worn surface roughness compared to the as-cast composite. Among the heat treatment processes studied, the composite solution heated at 1,150 °C/1 h followed by air cooling, then 950 °C/1 h followed by air cooling, and finally 500 °C/4 h followed by air cooling, demonstrates the highest levels of hardness, compressive strength, and wear resistance. These improvements are attributed to the combined effects of solid solution strengthening, grain refinement, and the pinning of dislocation slip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propionic acidemia (PA) is an autosomal recessive inheritable metabolic disease caused by mutations in the propionyl CoA carboxylase gene (PCC) that affects multiple systems of the human body. Here, we report neuropathological findings of a PA patient. The patient was a male infant who presented with increasing lethargy and poor feeding from four days postpartum. He gradually became comatose and died from complications after liver transplantation at three months old. The results of laboratory examination were consistent with PA, and genetic analysis revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the gene for PCC subunit beta: c.838dupC (rs769968548) and c.1127G>T (rs142982097). Brain‐restricted autopsy was performed 23 h after his death, and the neuropathological examination revealed distinct astrocytosis, oligodendrocytic loss, neuronal loss, and demyelination across the brainstem, motor cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Spongiosis, vacuolization, and the appearance of Alzheimer type II astrocytes and activated microglia were observed as well. This is the first brain autopsy report of PA with a clear genetic cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture and moxibustion have played a positive role in the postoperative rehabilitation of colon cancer, especially in the recovery of gastrointestinal function. In this paper, the current situation of the postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery of colon cancer treated by acupuncture and moxibustion was reviewed, from the following three aspects, including pathogenesis study, acute mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion, and clinical therapeutic methods of gastrointestinal dysfunction after colon cancer surgery. The mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion on postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery of is mainly to regulate neural pathways, improve inflammatory response, regulate gastrointestinal hormones, improve intestinal motility, increase intestinal blood flow, etc., through the interaction of neuro-endocrineimmune systems. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is considered that pathogenesis of this disease is about spleen-stomach weakness, qi stagnation and blood stasis. The main pathogenic factors of this disease include deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, and heat pathogen. In acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, it should select acupoints according to pattern differentiation, and treat the root and branch simultaneously. The common clinical therapeutic methods include acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, moxibustion, auricular acupoint sticking and pressing method, acupoint injection, acupoint sticking method, and so on. These therapeutic methods have got remarkable curative effect, and provided basis for the selection of rehabilitation plan after colon cancer surgery in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the regularity and determinants of mobility is indispensable for the reasonable deployment of shared bicycles and urban planning. A spatial interaction network covering streets in Beijing's six main districts, using bike sharing data, is constructed and analyzed. as Additionally, the exponential random graph model (ERGM) is used to interpret the influencing factors of the network structure and the mobility regularity. The characteristics of the spatial interaction network structure and temporal characteristics between weekdays and weekends show the following: the network structure on weekdays is obvious; the flow edge is always between adjacent blocks; the traffic flow frequently changes and clusters; the network structure on weekends is more complex, showing scattering and seldom changing; and there is a stronger interaction between blocks. Additionally, the predicted result of the ERGM shows that the influencing factors selected in this paper are positively correlated with the spatial interaction network. Among them, the three most important determinants are building density, housing prices and the number of residential areas. Additionally, the determinant of financial services shows greater effects on weekdays than weekends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning (DL) has become a mainstream method of hyperspectral image (HSI) classification. Many DL-based methods exploit spatial-spectral features to achieve better classification results. However, due to the complex backgrounds in HSIs, existing methods usually show unsatisfactory performance for the class pixels located on the land-cover category boundary area. In large part, this is because the network is susceptible to interference by the irrelevant information around the target pixel in the training stage, resulting in inaccurate feature extraction. In this article, a new multibranch transformer architecture (spectral spatial transformer (SST)-M) that assembles spatial attention and extracts spectral features is proposed to address this problem. The transformer model has a global receptive field and thus can integrate global spatial position information in the HSI cube. Meanwhile, we design a spatial sequence attention model to enhance the useful spatial location features and weaken invalid information. Considering that HSIs contain considerable spectral information, a spectral feature extraction model is designed to extract discriminative spectral features, replacing the widely used principal component analysis (PCA) method and obtaining better classification results than it. Finally, inspired by semantic segmentation, a mask prediction model is designed to classify all of the pixels in the HSI cube; this guides the neural network to learn precise pixel characteristics and spatial distributions. To verify the effectiveness of our algorithm (SST-M), quantitative experiments were conducted in three well-known datasets, namely, Indian Pines (IP), University of Pavia (PU), and Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves better performance than the other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide, extrapulmonary lesions, including liver dysfunction, have attracted growing attention. The mechanisms underlying liver dysfunction in COVID-19 remain unclear. The reported prevalence of liver dysfunction varies widely across studies. In addition, its impact on clinical outcomes and its recovery after discharge are still controversial. In this review, pathological and laboratory findings were analyzed to reveal the potential mechanisms of COVID-19-induced liver injury from onset to recovery. Four patterns of liver damage were summarized according to the pathological findings, including hypoxemia and shock changes, vascular thrombosis and vascular damage, bile duct damage, and other histological changes. With a strict definition, the prevalence of liver dysfunction was not as high as reported. Meanwhile, liver dysfunction improved during the process of recovery. Nevertheless, the definite liver dysfunction was significantly associated with severe clinical course, which should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor penetration and the accumulation of nanomedicines are crucial challenges in solid tumor therapy. By taking advantage of the MSC tumor-tropic property, we developed a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based drug delivery system in which paclitaxel (PTX)-encapsulating hyaluronic acid-poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) polymeric micelles (PTX/HA-PLGA micelles) were loaded for glioma therapy. The results indicated that CD44 overexpressed on the surface of both MSCs and tumor cells not only improved PTX/HA-PLGA micelle loading in MSCs, but also promoted the drug transfer between MSCs and adjacent cancer cells. It was hypothesized that CD44-mediated transcytosis played a crucial role and allowed deep glioma penetration depending on sequential intra–intercellular delivery via endocytosis–exocytosis. MSC-micelles were able to infiltrate from normal brain parenchyma towards contralateral tumors and led to the eradication of glioma. The survival of orthotopic glioma-bearing rats was significantly extended. In conclusion, the MSC-based delivery of HA-PLGA micelles is a potential strategy for tumor-targeting drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly sensitive and selective methods that incorporate specific recognition elements is crucial for detecting small molecules because of the limited availability of small molecule antibodies and the challenges in obtaining sensitive signals. In this study, a generalizable photoelectrochemical-colorimetric dual-mode sensing platform was constructed based on the synergistic effects of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-aptamer sandwich structure and nanoenzymes. The MIP functionalized peroxidase-like Fe 3 O 4 (Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs) and alkaline phosphatase mimic Zr-MOF labeled aptamer (Zr-mof@Apt) were used as the recognition elements. By selectively accumulating dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a small molecule target model, on Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs, the formation of Zr-MOF@Apt-DBP- Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs sandwich structure was triggered. Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs oxidized TMB to form blue-colored oxTMB. However, upon selective accumulation of DBP, the catalytic activity of Fe 3 O 4 @MIPs was inhibited, resulting in a lighter color that was detectable by the colorimetric method. Additionally, Zr-mof@Apt effectively catalyzed the hydrolysis of L-Ascorbic acid 2-phosphate sesquimagnesium salt hydrate (AAPS), generating ascorbic acid (AA) that could neutralize the photogenerated holes to decrease the photocurrent signals for PEC sensing and reduce oxTMB for colorimetric testing. The dual-mode platform showed strong linearity for different concentrations of DBP from 1.0 pM to 10 μM (PEC) and 0.1 nM to 0.5 μM (colorimetry). The detection limits were 0.263 nM (PEC) and 30.1 nM (colorimetry) (S/N = 3), respectively. The integration of dual-signal measurement mode and sandwich recognition strategy provided a sensitive and accurate platform for the detection of small molecules. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Microwave assisted 2-MeTHF/H 2 O system was effective for C-lignin extraction. • C-lignin revealed acid-resistant properties during the isolation process. • C-lignin exhibited representative benzodioxane structure. • Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of C-lignin afforded 37.2 wt% monomer yield. • The selectivity of catechylpropanol was up to 90.6% Catechyl lignin, also known as C-lignin, is consisted mainly of caffeyl alcohol units and serves as a green carbon resource for the production of catechols. Herein, we report that 2-MeTHF/H 2 O as a green and recyclable solvent to extract C-lignin from candlenut with the aid of acid and microwave-assisted heating, resulting in 35.3% of lignin yield. The acid-resistant of C-lignin avoid the destruction of its structures during the extraction process. Characterization analyses reveal that the isolated lignin is abundant in benzodioxane units, which is considered as the unique structure in C-lignin. Additional, Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of C-lignin afford 37.2 wt% monomer yield with a selectivity of catechylpropanol product up to 90.6%. Notably, the biphasic system facilitates the subsequent separation process. This work provides a impactful and sustainable C-lignin isolation process from candlenut, contributing to the comprehensive utilization of seed coats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A beam–wave resynchronization (BWRS) method is proposed by changing the structural parameters of the nonperiodic (NP) slow wave structure (SWS) to reduce the phase velocity of the wave for traveling-wave tubes (TWT) application. The mathematical model and analysis for the BWRS method are introduced to investigate what condition the NP meander line SWS (ML-SWS) and the NP folded-waveguide SWS (FW-SWS) should satisfy so that the corresponding TWT can have a good output performance. As the applications, the NP zigzag ML-SWS and the concentric arc FW-SWS are designed according to the method, which is also compared with that designed according to the phase velocity synchronization (PVS). The simulated results show that, by using the BWRS method, the max output power (efficiency) of the zigzag ML-SWS TWT can be improved from 56.7 (18.9%) to 76.26 W (25.4%), and the bandwidth can be expanded from 6 to 10 GHz in the Ka-band. Furthermore, the max output power (efficiency) of the concentric arc FW-SWS TWT can be improved from 199 (27.6%) to 237 W (32.9%), and the bandwidth can be expanded more than twice in the W-band as before. These results indicate that the BWRS method is beneficial for the improvement of the output power and electron efficiency and may be beneficial for wider bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A design method of the non-periodic meander line slow-wave structure (ML-SWS) and folded-waveguide slow-wave structure (FW-SWS) for traveling-wave tubes (TWTs) is proposed based on effective phase velocity synchronization. For the non-periodic ML-SWS and FW-SWS, the unified effective axial phase velocity seen by electrons, the dispersion equation, and the ideal beam-wave synchronization voltage are derived. The theoretical results demonstrate that the non-periodic ML-SWS and FW-SWS reported to date are consistent with the proposed method. Furthermore, two examples are presented as applications for the proposed method to the non-periodic SWS design, including the concentric arc FW-SWS and the zigzag ML-SWS. In addition, the simulated results of the two examples are in good agreement with the theoretical ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For thoracic surgeons, three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3-DCTBA) is a convenient way to analyze pulmonary variations before segmentectomy. Mediastinal lingular artery (MLA) is one of the representative variations.Methods: The 3-DCTBA data of left upper lobe (LUL) were collected from patients who underwent pulmonary surgery from January 2018 to December 2019. We reviewed the patterns of bronchi and pulmonary vessels and grouped them according to different classifications.Results: Among all the 404 cases of 3-DCTBA, mediastinal lingular artery (MLA) was found in 107 cases (26.49%). The patterns of B3 and the vein in left upper division (LUD) are distinct between mediastinal (M-type) group and interlobar (IL-type) group. The patterns of bronchi and veins in lingular division, as well as the pattern of pulmonary artery in LUD, have no differences between M-type and IL-type groups.Conclusions: Mediastinal lingular artery is speculated to originate from the variation of B3, and the MLA independently influences the venous pattern in LUD in turn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tapering vertical dimension technique (TVDT) is proposed for the quasi-periodic folded-waveguide traveling wave tube (FW-TWT) to improve the bandwidth and efficiency. The dispersion characteristics for the concentric arc FW-TWT with the TVDT are analyzed and discussed. When the power of input signal is set as 1 W and the initial beam voltage (current) is set as 4900 V (0.15 A), the peak output power of the proposed FW-TWT with the TVDT can reach 100.9 W at 88 GHz. Accordingly, the corresponding peak electron efficiency is 13.7%. Furthermore, the 3-dB bandwidth (fractional bandwidth) can reach 17 GHz (18.78%) from 82 to 99 GHz, where the output signal is steady and the corresponding frequency spectrum is quite clean. In addition, the performance of the concentric arc FW-TWT with the TVDT is also compared with that of the other quasi-periodic FW-TWTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving vibration suppression or wave attenuation of tunable local resonance metamaterials without physical modification of the resonator has received a lot of attention recently. In this paper, a hybrid tunable metamaterial with a resonator containing a lever mechanism, an electromagnetic device, and a feedback system is proposed to achieve tunable bandgap and longitudinal wave attenuation. Unlike ordinary metamaterials, inertial amplification mechanisms and negative stiffness elements are involved in our proposed metamaterials. The function of the electromagnetic device and the feedback control are considered to theoretically derive the dispersion relation. The effective mass, the effective stiffness, the displacement transmission rate, and the band structure of the proposed metamaterial are analyzed, and the contributions of some key parameters on the bandgap are investigated. The accuracy of the analytical band structure is verified by the wave transmittance curves obtained by numerical simulation and the transient displacement response of a single oscillator. The results show that the proposed metamaterial yields broadband tunable bandgap in the low-frequency range, which enables the isolation of low-frequency longitudinal vibrations. This study provides a novel option for constructing integrated metamaterials to achieve vibration suppression and wave attenuation. • A novel hybrid tunable metamaterial with inertial amplification and negative stiffness is proposed. • The contributions of some key parameters on the bandgap are investigated. • The bandgap is effectively widened in the low-frequency range by combining inertial amplification and negative stiffness. • Numerical simulations are conducted to validate the theoretical results. • The attenuation performance of the proposed metamaterial to longitudinal waves is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify ego networks and pathways in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on EgoNet algorithm and pathway enrichment analysis.Materials and Methods: The ego networks were identified based on the EgoNet algorithm which was comprised four steps: inputting gene expression data and protein-protein interaction data, identifying ego genes based on topological features of genes in background network, collecting ego networks by conducting snowball sampling for each ego gene, and estimating statistical significance of ego networks utilizing permutation test. To further explore the gene compositions of significant ego networks, pathway enrichment analysis was performed for each of them to investigate ego pathways in the progression of RA.Results: We detected 9 ego genes from the background network, such as CREBBP, SMAD2, and YY1. Starting with each ego gene and ending with prediction accuracy dropped, a total of 9 ego networks were identified. Statistical analysis identified two significant ego networks (ego-networks 2 and 4). Ego-network 2 with ego gene SNW1 and ego-network 4 whose ego gene was YY1 both included 10 genes. The results of pathway enrichment analysis showed that signaling by NOTCH (P = 1.11E-07) and oncogene-induced senescence (P = 3.48E-04) were the two ego pathways for RA.Conclusion: Ego networks and pathways identified in this work might be potential therapeutic markers for RA treatment and give a hand for further studies of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concentric arc meander line (CAML) slow wave structure (SWS) was proposed for applications on low voltage and high efficiency Ka-band traveling wave tube (TWT). Due to the CAML formed with a series of concentric arcs, the electric field in the radial direction may be more uniform, which may make the beam–wave interaction more sufficient and the electron efficiency improved. The metal shielding structure with symmetrical ridges was employed for impedance matching to obtain a wide bandwidth. Simulated results demonstrate that the proposed CAML-SWS TWT has a good transmission performance in Ka-band. When the initial beam voltage and current is set to 720 V and 0.2 A, respectively, the output power of the TWT can reach 44.15 W at 35 GHz with the gain and the electron efficiency of 18.6 dB and 30.66%, respectively. Furthermore, the 3-dB bandwidth can cover 24–42 GHz and the electron efficiency is over 23.2% in Ka-band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: All countries are facing decisions about which population groups to prioritize for access to COVID-19 vaccination after the first vaccine products have been licensed, at which time supply shortages are inevitable. Our objective is to define the key target populations, their size, and priority for a COVID-19 vaccination program in the context of China. Methods: On the basis of utilitarian and egalitarian principles, we define and estimate the size of tiered target population groups for a phased introduction of COVID-19 vaccination, considering evolving goals as vaccine supplies increase, detailed information on the risk of illness and transmission, and past experience with vaccination during the 2009 influenza pandemic. Using publicly available data, we estimated the size of target population groups, and the number of days needed to vaccinate 70% of the target population. Sensitivity analyses considered higher vaccine coverages and scaled up vaccine delivery relative to the 2009 pandemic. Results: Essential workers, including staff in the healthcare, law enforcement, security, nursing homes, social welfare institutes, community services, energy, food and transportation sectors, and overseas workers/students (49.7 million) could be prioritized for vaccination to maintain essential services in the early phase of a vaccination program. Subsequently, older adults, individuals with underlying health conditions and pregnant women (563.6 million) could be targeted for vaccination to reduce the number of individuals with severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalizations, critical care admissions, and deaths. In later stages, the vaccination program could be further extended to target adults without underlying health conditions and children (784.8 million), in order to reduce symptomatic infections and/or to stop virus transmission. Given 10 million doses administered per day, and a twodose vaccination schedule, it would take 1 week to vaccinate essential workers but likely up to 7 months to vaccinate 70% of the overall population. Conclusions: The proposed framework is general but could assist Chinese policy-makers in the design of a vaccination program. Additionally, this exercise could be generalized to inform other national and regional strategies for use of COVID-19 vaccines, especially in low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sheet beam electron gun with high compression ratio and long transmission distance performance for W-band traveling-wave tube (TWT) is presented. A beam focusing electrode (BFE) with two pairs of unequal length outstretched structures is designed to provide equal positions of beam waist in both horizontal and vertical planes, which is beneficial to obtain large compression ratio and keep the beam cross section shape over a long distance. The operational voltage is set as 30 kV. The beam current is 0.505 A, and the corresponding cathode current density is about 5.59 A/cm2. The simulation results show that the electron gun can provide a stable sheet beam under a 0.85-T magnet field. The compression ratio of the obtained sheet beam can be over 35, and the sheet beam can be transported through a 126-mm beam tunnel without interception with a 0.6 fill factor. The parameter sensitivities of the gun are analyzed and discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cambrian explosion was a unique animal radiation ~540 million years ago that produced the full range of body plans across bilaterians. The genetic mechanisms underlying these events are unknown, leaving a fundamental question in evolutionary biology unanswered. Using large-scale comparative genomics and advanced orthology evaluation techniques, we identified 157 bilaterian-specific genes. They include the entire Nodal pathway, a key regulator of mesoderm development and left-right axis specification; components for nervous system development, including a suite of G-protein-coupled receptors that control physiology and behaviour, the Robo-Slit midline repulsion system, and the neurotrophin signalling system; a high number of zinc finger transcription factors; and novel factors that previously escaped attention. Contradicting the current view, our study reveals that genes with bilaterian origin are robustly associated with key features in extant bilaterians, suggesting a causal relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one important member of the two-pore-domain potassium channel (K 2P) family, potassium channel subfamily K member 3 (KCNK3) has been reported for thermogenesis regulation, energy homeostasis, membrane potential conduction, and pulmonary hypertension in mammals. However, its roles in fishes are far less examined and published. In the present study, we identified two kcnk3 genes (kcnk3a and kcnk3b) in an euryhaline fish, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), by molecular cloning, genomic survey and laboratory experiments to investigate their potential roles for osmoregulation. We obtained full-length coding sequences of the kcnk3a and kcnk3b genes (1209 and 1173 bp), which encode 402 and 390 amino acids, respectively. Subsequent multiple sequence alignments, putative 3D-structure model prediction, genomic survey and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that two kcnk3 paralogs are widely presented in fish genomes. Interestingly, a DNA fragment inversion of a kcnk3a cluster was found in Cypriniforme in comparison with other fishes. Quantitative real-time PCRs demonstrated that both the tilapia kcnk3 genes were detected in all the examined tissues with a similar distribution pattern, and the highest transcriptions were observed in the heart. Meanwhile, both kcnk3 genes in the gill were proved to have a similar transcriptional change pattern in response to various salinity of seawater, implying that they might be involved in osmoregulation. Furthermore, three predicted transcription factors (arid3a , arid3b , and arid5a) of both kcnk3 genes also showed a similar pattern as their target genes in response to the various salinity, suggesting their potential positive regulatory roles. In summary, we for the first time characterized the two kcnk3 genes in Nile tilapia, and demonstrated their potential involvement in osmoregulation for this economically important fish. • Two kcnk3 genes (kcnk3a and kcnk3b) were identified from Nile tilapia by molecular cloning. • Both kcnk3 genes are highly conserved among vertebrates including fishes. • A special kcnk3a cluster reversal was found in Cypriniformes fishes by a genomic survey. • Tilapia kcnk3a and kcnk3b genes showed a similar tissue distribution pattern, with the highest transcription in heart. • Both two kcnk3 genes are involved in osmoregulation roles in Nile tilapia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prototypical transition-metal dichalcogenide semiconductor, MoS2 possesses strong spin–orbit coupling, which provides an ideal platform for the realization of interesting physical phenomena. Here, we report the magnetotransport properties in NbN–MoS2–NbN sandwich junctions at low temperatures. Above the critical temperature around ∼11 K, the junction resistance shows weak temperature dependence, indicating a tunneling behavior. While below ∼11 K, nearly zero junction resistance is observed, indicating the superconducting state in the MoS2 layer induced by the superconducting proximity effect. When a perpendicular magnetic field ∼1 T is applied, such proximity effect is suppressed, accompanying with insulator-like temperature-dependence of the junction resistance. Intriguingly, when further increasing the magnetic field, the junction conductance is significantly enhanced, which is related to the enhanced single particle tunneling induced by the decrease of the superconducting energy gap with increasing magnetic fields. In addition, the possible Majorana zero mode on the surface of MoS2 can further lead to the enhancement of the junction conductance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

τompas (TEM online multi‐purpose analyzing system) is a free and integrated software tool designed to perform online crystallographic analysis in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments. By using sample holder tilt angles as input, τompas can simultaneously simulate pole figures, Kikuchi patterns and feature projections, providing graphical views of the sample crystallography. These simulations are further employed to navigate sample tilting and to quickly interpret experimental Kikuchi patterns and images by image matching, giving self‐consistent indices of features and crystal orientations. These functions are integrated with mouse operations to improve work efficiency. τompas is distributed as a small cross‐platform program that can be installed on a microscope computer to cooperate with other tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A putative glucose 1-dehydrogenase from Thermoplasma acidophilum was characterized. • The SyGDH displayed high activity, thermostability, and organic solvent tolerance. • Reduction of haloketone coupled with NADPH regeneration in organic solvent/buffer system. • Biosynthesis (R)−CCE and (S)-BPE in > 99.9% ee and > 98% yield by E. coli/Sygdh-Sys1. To realize coenzyme regeneration in the reduction of haloketones, a codon-optimized gene Sygdh encoding glucose 1-dehydrogenase (SyGDH) was synthesized based on the putative GDH gene sequence (Ta0897) in Thermoplasma acidophilum genomic DNA, and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). Recombinant SyGDH was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography with the specific activity of 86.3 U/mg protein towards D-glucose at the optimum pH and temperature of 7.5 and 40 °C. It was highly stable in a pH range of 4.5–8.0 and at 60 °C or below, and resistant to various organic solvents. The K m and catalytic efficiency (k cat / K m) of SyGDH towards NADP+ were 0.67 mM and 104.0 mM−1 s−1, respectively, while those towards NAD+ were 157.9 mM and 0.64 mM−1 s−1, suggesting that it preferred NADP+ as coenzyme to NAD+. Additionally, using whole cells of E. coli/Sygdh-Sys1 , coexpressing SyGDH and carbonyl reductase (SyS1), as the biocatalyst, the asymmetric reduction of 60 mM m -chlorophenacyl chloride coupled with the regeneration of NADPH in situ was conducted in DMSO/phosphate buffer (2:8, v/v) system, producing (R)-2-chloro-1-(3-chlorophenyl)ethanol with over 99.9% ee p and 99.2% yield. Similarly, the reduction of 40 mM α-bromoacetophenone in n -hexane/buffer (6:4, v/v) biphasic system produced (S)-2-bromo-1-phenylethanol with over 99.9% ee p and 98.3% yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A flexible manipulator setup is constructed, using an AC servo motor with planetary reducer. • A point laser and camera vibration measurement method is investigated. • PSO algorithm is adopted to obtain the optimal vibration suppression trajectory. • A DRNN control algorithm is designed to suppress vibration. • Experiments are conducted to verify the measurement and the designed controller. A new vibration measurement method and active control algorithm for a flexible manipulator are investigated. A non-contact vibration measurement method based on structural light sensor is proposed. During and after the point-to-point motion, the locally controlled autoregressive moving average (CARMA) model of the flexible manipulator is determined through experiments. Based on the model, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is adopted to obtain the optimal vibration suppression trajectory. Moreover, considering the time-varying and nonlinear characteristics of the flexible manipulator, a diagonal recurrent neural network (DRNN) control algorithm is designed to suppress residual vibration, which consists of an on-line identifier and a vibration control signal generator. The experiment setup is constructed. Compared with trapezoidal trajectory and classic smooth trajectories, planning an optimal trajectory can cause less vibration under the same motion requirements. Experimental results demonstrated that the DRNN controller is superior to the classical PD controller on vibration suppression, especially for the small amplitude residual vibration. Furthermore, the hybrid control strategy of optimal trajectory planning and DRNN control has the advantages of ensuring smoother motion and faster residual vibration suppression speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is an important biomass resource to replace petrochemical industry for carbon neutrality. However, it is challenged by unyielding the trade-off between activity and selectivity owing to the chemical complexity and inherent heterogeneity of lignin biomacromolecule. Herein, we report that copper nanomaterial (CuO/C) derived from metal-organic framework (HKUST-1) could effectively catalytic hydrogenolysis of herbaceous plants into monomeric phenols (up to 29.5 wt%) through a lignin-first strategy, affording methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate (1-H) and methyl 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) propionate (2-G) as the main monophenols with high selectivity of 31.9% and 17.3%. Moreover, we proposed two synthetic routes based on the purification and functionalization of those two compounds (1-H and 2-G) to synthesis 3-(4-carboxyphenyl) propionic acid and functional polyesters. Subsequent studies revealed that the temperature of 50% mass loss of the two polyesters reached 430–440 °C, indicating their robust thermal stability; while the DSC curves showed the difference between the two polymers in glass conversion temperature (T g) and crystallization. In brief, this work opens a new avenue for the production of lignin-derived chemicals and materials. [Display omitted] • Herbaceous plants show high potential for lignin valorization. • CuO/C could effectively catalytic hydrogenolysis of herbaceous lignin into monomers. • The chemical functionalization of purified hydroxycinnamates was proposed. • Lignin-derived polyesters revealed higher thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMulti-dimensional online decision making plays a crucial role in many real applications such as online recommendation and digital marketing. In these problems, a decision at each time is a combination of choices from different types of entities. To solve it, we introduce stochastic low-rank tensor bandits, a class of bandits whose mean rewards can be represented as a low-rank tensor. We consider two settings, tensor bandits without context and tensor bandits with context. In the first setting, the platform aims to find the optimal decision with the highest expected reward, a.k.a, the largest entry of true reward tensor. In the second setting, some modes of the tensor are contexts and the rest modes are decisions, and the goal is to find the optimal decision given the contextual information. We propose two learning algorithms tensor elimination and tensor epoch-greedy for tensor bandits without context, and derive finite-time regret bounds for them. Comparing with existing competitive methods, tensor elimination has the best overall regret bound and tensor epoch-greedy has a sharper dependency on dimensions of the reward tensor. Furthermore, we develop a practically effective Bayesian algorithm called tensor ensemble sampling for tensor bandits with context. Extensive simulations and real analysis in online advertising data back up our theoretical findings and show that our algorithms outperform various state-of-the-art approaches that ignore the tensor low-rank structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two kcnk3 genes were identified from Channa argus for the first time. • Both kcnk3 genes are highly conserved in vertebrates including fishes. • Snakehead kcnk3a and kcnk3b genes showed different distribution patterns. • Effects of fasting and refeeding on the expression of two kcnk3 genes were detected. Potassium channel subfamily K member 3 (KCNK3) has been reported to play important roles in membrane potential conduction, pulmonary hypertension and thermogenesis regulation in mammals. However, its roles remain largely unknown and scarce reports were seen in fish. In the present study, we for the first time identified two kcnk3 genes (kcnk3a and kcnk3b) from the carnivorous Northern snakehead (Channa argus) by molecular cloning and a genomic survey. Subsequently, their transcription changes in response to different feeding status were investigated. Full-length coding sequences of the kcnk3a and kcnk3b genes are 1203 and 1176 bp, encoding 400 and 391 amino acids, respectively. Multiple alignments, 3D-structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis further suggested that these kcnk3 genes may be highly conserved in vertebrates. Tissue distribution analysis by real-time PCR demonstrated that both the snakehead kcnk3 s were widely transcribed in majority of the examined tissues but with different distribution patterns. In a short-term (24-h) fasting experiment, we observed that brain kcnk3a and kcnk3b genes showed totally opposite transcription patterns. In a long-term (2-week) fasting and refeeding experiment, we also observed differential change patterns for the brain kcnk3 genes. In summary, our findings suggest that the two kcnk3 genes are close while present different transcription responses to fasting and refeeding. They therefore can be potentially selected as novel target genes for improvement of production and quality of this economically important fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate structure of Hemp seed polysaccharide (HSP) and the protective effect of HSP from H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative damage in IPEC-1 cells and the possible mechanism of this protection. Analysis of monosaccharide composition and structure of two fractions HSP 0 and HSP 0.2 from polysaccharide of Hemp seed (HSPc) were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that both HSP 0 and HSP 0.2 contain sulfate groups, which are sulfated polysaccharides. In IPEC-1 cells model, the release of LDH and MDA was significantly decreased, and the activities of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT were significantly increased in HSP 0 and HSP 0.2 -treated group. HSP 0.2 dramatically increased the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and phase II detoxification enzymes measured by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In addition, HSP 0.2 up-regulated the expression level of intracellular transcription factor Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and inhibited the level of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) with Western blot analysis. Collectively, the present study suggested that HSP 0.2 has the protective effect of IPEC-1 cells against H 2 O 2 -induecd oxidative stress. This protection mechanism may be related to activation of the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Low molecular-weight seleno-aminopolysaccharides (LSA) have been shown to possess a variety of biological activities in vitro. In the present study, we further investigated the immunomodulatory effect of LSA on immunosuppressive mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CPA) and its molecular mechanism. The results demonstrated that LSA could significantly increase spleen and thymus indices, proliferation of splenic lymphocyte, the secretion of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and INF-γ) of serum and ileum, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content of small intestine. LSA dramatically improved the gene expression levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and INF-γ in small intestine by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, our data indicated that LSA could significantly increase the gene expression levels of IL-1β and iNOS in RAW264.7 cells. LSA was further shown to remarkably promote inhibitor kappa Bα (IκBα) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 phosphorylation with western blot analysis. Taken together, these findings suggest that LSA has immunomodulatory activity on immunosuppressive mice and macrophage RAW264.7 cells, and its mechanism may be related to activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is well known for its thermogenic role in brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, the UCP1 physiological roles are still unclear in fish, although several teleost ucp1 genes have been identified. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential roles of fish UCP1 involved in food intake regulation and energy homeostasis. We herein report on the molecular cloning, tissue distribution and the effect of fasting and refeeding on the expression of ucp1 in Channa argus . UCP1 consisted of a 921 bp open reading frame predicted to encode 306 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that snakehead UCP1 was highly conserved (>80%) with teleost UCP1, but shared a lower identity (60–72%) with mammals. Phylogenetic analysis supported that snakehead UCP1 was closely related to piscine UCP1. In addition, ucp1 was found to extensively expressed in all detected tissues, with the highest level in liver. Futhermore, the hepatic ucp1 was found to significantly increased after short-term and long-term food deprivation, and dramatically increased following refeeding. These findings suggested that snakehead UCP1 might play important roles in food intake regulation and fatty acid metabolism in snakehead fish, and it could be as a potential target locus to improve commercial production of this kind of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the failure mechanisms of the buckling process of glass fiber composites based on acoustic emission (AE) signals is a challenging task. In this work, a method combining AE with digital image correlation (DIC) was used to monitor compressive buckling behaviors of delamination composites. The analysis of AE signals is based on the k-means algorithm and principal component analysis (PCA). According to PCA, three characteristic parameters of AE signals like amplitude, peak frequency, and RA value (rise time divided by amplitude), are selected for cluster analysis by k-means algorithm. The results show that the AE signals of the compression process can be divided into three clusters. The three clusters correspond to three kinds of damage modes such as matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, delamination and fiber breakage. The characteristic frequency of each mode is found by cluster analysis. Besides, the size and position of delamination defects result in the reduction of mechanical properties of the glass fiber composites. The complementary technology combining AE with DIC is effective for damage monitoring of the composites. Clear changes of the displacement fields can accurately detect the damage location and degree of the specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let v(r; t) = Ttv0(r) be the solution to a fractional Schrödinger equation where the coefficient of Laplacian depends on the spatial variable. We prove some weighted Lq estimates for the maximal operator generated by Tt with initial data in a Sobolev-type space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Transplantation of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promotes neural cell regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). Recently, we showed that suppression of microRNA-383 (miR-383) in MSCs increased the protein levels of glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), resulting in improved therapeutic effects on SCI. However, the overall effects of miR-383 suppression in MSCs on SCI therapy were not determined yet. Here, we addressed this question. Methods: We used bioinformatics tools to predict all miR- 383-targeting genes, confirmed the functional bindings in a dual luciferase reporter assay. The effects of alteration of candidate genes in MSCs on cell proliferation were analyzed by MTT assay and by Western blotting for PCNA. The effects on angiogenesis were assessed by HUVEC assay. The effects on SCI in vivo were analyzed by transplantation of the modified MSCs into nude rats that underwent SCI. Results: Suppression of miR-383 in MSCs not only upregulated GDNF protein, but also increased vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and cyclin-dependent kinase 19 (CDK19), two other miR-383 targets. MiR-383-suppressioninduced increases in CDK19 resulted in a slight but significant increase in MSC proliferation, while miR-383-suppression-induced increases in VEGF-A resulted in a slight but significant increase in MSC-mediated angiogenesis. Conclusions: Upregulation of CDK19 and VEGF-A by miR-383 suppression in MSCs further improve the therapeutic potential of MSCs in treating SCI in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organoselemium compounds possess strong antioxidant activity as well as protecting cells from DNA damage, mitochondrial injury, lipid peroxidation, protein denaturation and cell death. Herein, we used an in vitro oxidative model to further investigate the antioxidant effects of a novel organoselemium compound, low molecular-weight seleno-aminopolysaccharides (LSA) in intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-1), and the molecular mechanisms of these effects. Analysis by MTT assay showed that LSA could significantly increase the viability of IPEC-1 cells compared to cells exposed to H 2 O 2 . We found that the levels of different antioxidant enzymes could dramatically increase in LSA pretreatment group compared to H 2 O 2 treatment group. Furthermore, LSA significantly increased the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and phase 2 detoxifying enzymes in IPEC-1 cells, as measured by qRT-PCR. In addition, LSA up-regulated the expression level of intracellular transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and inhibited the level of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) with western blot analysis. Collectively, the present study suggested that LSA has the protective effect of IPEC-1 cells against H 2 O 2 -induecd oxidative stress, and its mechanism may be related to activation of Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway in intestinal epithelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fingerprint recognition method based on Gabor wavelet transform and discrete cosine transform (DCT) was proposed. The multichannel Gabor filters and improved binarization algorithm are adopted to enhance the fingerprint images. The hybrid strategy of the discrete cosine transform method and the Gabor wavelet transform algorithm was proposed to form an improved Gabor wavelet transform applied to the fingerprint feature extraction and feature reduction. Finally, the nearest neighbor distance detector and Euclidean distance are used as classifier to classify the fingerprint. The results of simulation experiments prove that the proposed strategy can effectively shorten the recognition time and maintain a considerable recognition rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of olanzapine and risperidone in children and adolescents (aged ≤18 years) with psychosis by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Methods: Several English and Chinese databases were searched for studies published before February 8th, 2017. Two independent investigators screened the studies according to prespecified criteria and extracted the data. Review Manager 5.3 was used to conduct the data synthesis.Results: Eight RCTs involving 457 participants (225 participants in the olanzapine group and 232 participants in the risperidone group) were included. No significant differences were observed in the mean scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale/Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.06, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = [-0.31, 0.19], p = 0.63), the positive symptom scores (SMD = -0.09, 95% CI = [-0.32, 0.15], p = 0.48), or the negative symptom scores (SMD = -0.11 95% CI = [-0.34, 0.13], p = 0.38) between the two groups. Regarding adverse effects, the mean increases in weight (MD = 2.90, 95% CI = [1.41, 4.39], p = 0.0001), body mass index (MD = 0.90, 95% CI = [0.42, 1.38], p = 0.0003), and incidence of hypersomnia (risk ratios [RR] = 1.98, 95% CI = [1.15, 3.43], p = 0.01) were higher in the olanzapine group, while the incidence of insomnia (RR = 0.31, 95% CI = [0.11, 0.85], p = 0.02), prolactin elevation (RR = 0.11, 95% CI = [0.01, 0.85], p = 0.03), myotonia (RR = 0.12, 95% CI = [0.03, 0.49], p = 0.003), tremor (RR = 0.22, 95% CI = [0.08, 0.63], p = 0.005), and akathisia (RR = 0.27, 95% CI = [0.12, 0.57], p = 0.0007) was higher in the risperidone group.Conclusions: There is no significant difference in efficacy between olanzapine and risperidone for the treatment of children and adolescents with psychosis, but the side effect profiles of these two medications differ. High-quality RCTs are needed before recommending clinical treatment in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36 amino-acid amidated peptide of the pancreatic polypeptide (PP) family, which plays an important role in appetite regulation and energy expenditure in mammals. Although several teleost NPY have been identified, its roles remain unclear in fish. We herein reported on the molecular cloning, tissue distribution and the effect of fasting on the expression of NPY in Channa argus , and designated as CaNPY. It consisted of a 300 bp open reading frame predicted to encode a prepro-NPY of 99 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that CaNPY was highly conserved (>60%) with other vertebrate NPY. Phylogenetic analysis highly supported CaNPY was closely related to piscine NPY. In addition, except for muscle and spleen tissues, CaNPY was found to extensively expressed in all other detected tissues, with the highest level in brain. Futhermore, the CaNPY transcript was found to significantly increase after short-term and long-term food deprivation, and dramatically decrease following refeeding. These findings suggested that CaNPY might be involved in food intake regulation and it could be as a potential target locus to improve commercial production of this kind of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), a key member of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein family, can inhibit apoptosis by directly binding to the initiator caspase-9, -3 and -7, thereby promoting tumor cell survival during tumor progression. In the present study, XIAP basal expression levels were investigated and its contribution to the resistance to apoptosis was evaluated, in the RCC cell lines exposed to apoptosis-inducing drugs. This was investigated by histological methods and western blot analysis. Using RNA interference, elimination of XIAP in Caki-1 cells was also studied, and its contribution to the sensitivity to apoptosis induced through the intrinsic pathway was observed. Differences in XIAP expression were detected between ClearCa-2 and ClearCa-6 cell lines. ClearCa-6 cells with lower expression of XIAP were more sensitive to apoptosis-inducing drugs, compared with ClearCa-2 cells. However, the levels of XIAP expression in both cell lines were stable during apoptosis. Furthermore, a Caki-1 cell line with no XIAP expression was used, and was demonstrated to be more sensitive to the apoptosis induced by the mitochondrial pathway. These results suggested that downregulation of XIAP expression could enhance the sensitivity of RCC cells to apoptosis, and the basal expression of XIAP during apoptosis is stable. This may provide novel insight for targeted gene therapy against XIAP, in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new orientation relationship (OR) is found between Widmanstätten cementite precipitates and the austenite matrix in a 1.3C-14Mn steel. The associated habit plane (HP) and the dislocations in the HP have been investigated with transmission electron microscopy. The HP is parallel toin cementite, and it is parallel toin austenite. Three groups of interfacial dislocations are observed in the HP, with limited quantitative experimental data. The line directions, the spacing and the Burgers vectors of two sets of dislocations have been calculated based on a misfit analysis, which combines the CSL/DSC/O-lattice theories, row matching and good matching site (GMS) mappings. The calculated results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. The dislocations ‘Coarse 1’ and ‘Fine 1’ are in the same direction as the matching rows, i.e.. ‘Coarse 1’ dislocations are secondary dislocations with a Burgers vector of, and ‘Fine 1’ dislocations are pseudo-primary dislocations with a plausible Burgers vector of. The reason why the fraction of the new OR is much less than that of the dominant Pitsch OR has been discussed in terms of the degree of matching in the HPs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]