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Point clouds captured using laser scanners mounted on mobile platforms contain errors at the centimetre to decimetre level due to motion distortion. In applications such as lidar odometry or SLAM, this motion distortion is often ignored. However, in applications such as HD mapping or precise vehicle localisation, it is necessary to correct the effect of motion distortion or ‘deskew’ the point clouds before using them. Existing methods for deskewing point clouds mostly rely on high frequency IMU, which may not always be available. In this paper, we propose a straightforward approach that uses the registration of consecutive point clouds to estimate the motion of the scanner and deskew the point clouds. We introduce a novel surface‐based evaluation method to evaluate the performance of the proposed deskewing method. Furthermore, we develop a lidar simulator using the reverse of the proposed deskewing method which can produce synthetic point clouds with realistic motion distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible fungi cultivation serves as an efficient biological approach to transforming agroforestry byproducts, particularly Korshinsk peashrub (KP) branches into valuable mushroom (Lentinus edodes) products. Despite the widespread use of KP, the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulation of mushroom development remain largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a combined analysis of transcriptome and metabolism of mushroom fruiting bodies cultivated on KP substrates compared to those on apple wood sawdust (AWS) substrate. Our aim was to identify key metabolic pathways and genes that respond to the effects of KP substrates on mushrooms. The results revealed that KP induced at least a 1.5-fold increase in protein and fat content relative to AWS, with 15% increase in polysaccharide and total sugar content in mushroom fruiting bodies. There are 1196 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between mushrooms treated with KP relative to AWS. Bioinformatic analysis show significant enrichments in amino acid metabolic process, oxidase activity, malic enzyme activity and carbon metabolism among the 698 up-regulated DEGs induced by KP against AWS. Additionally, pathways associated with organic acid transport and methane metabolism were significantly enriched among the 498 down-regulated DEGs. Metabolomic analysis identified 439 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) in mushrooms treated with KP compared to AWS. Consistent with the transcriptome data, KEGG analysis on metabolomic dataset suggested significant enrichments in carbon metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism among the up-regulated DAMs by KP. In particular, some DAMs were enhanced by 1.5-fold, including D-glutamine, L-glutamate, glucose and pyruvate in mushroom samples treated with KP relative to AWS. Targeted metabolomic analysis confirmed the contents of DAMs related to glutamate metabolism and energy metabolism. In conclusion, our findings suggest that reprogrammed carbon metabolism and oxidoreductase pathways act critical roles in the enhanced response of mushroom to KP substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve dispersibility, polymerization characteristics, chemical stability, and magnetic flocculation performance, magnetic Fe3O4 is often assembled with multifarious polymers to realize a functionalization process. Herein, a typical three-dimensional configuration of hyperbranched amino acid polymer (HAAP) was employed to assemble it with Fe3O4, in which we obtained three-dimensional hyperbranched magnetic amino acid composites (Fe3O4@HAAP). The characterization of the Fe3O4@HAAP composites was analyzed, for instance, their size, morphology, structure, configuration, chemical composition, charged characteristics, and magnetic properties. The magnetic flocculation of kaolin suspensions was conducted under different Fe3O4@HAAP dosages, pHs, and kaolin concentrations. The embedded assembly of HAAP with Fe3O4 was constructed by the N–O bond according to an X-ray photoelectron energy spectrum (XPS) analysis. The characteristic peaks of –OH (3420 cm−1), C=O (1728 cm−1), Fe–O (563 cm−1), and N–H (1622 cm−1) were observed in the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) spectra of Fe3O4@HAAP successfully. In a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) observation, Fe3O4@HAAP exhibited a lotus-leaf-like morphological structure. A vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) showed that Fe3O4@HAAP had a relatively low magnetization (Ms) and magnetic induction (Mr); nevertheless, the ferromagnetic Fe3O4@HAAP could also quickly respond to an external magnetic field. The isoelectric point of Fe3O4@HAAP was at 8.5. Fe3O4@HAAP could not only achieve a 98.5% removal efficiency of kaolin suspensions, but could also overcome the obstacles induced by high-concentration suspensions (4500 NTU), high pHs, and low fields. The results showed that the magnetic flocculation of kaolin with Fe3O4@HAAP was a rapid process with a 91.96% removal efficiency at 0.25 h. In an interaction energy analysis, both the UDLVO and UEDLVO showed electrostatic repulsion between the kaolin particles in the condition of a flocculation distance of <30 nm, and this changed to electrostatic attraction when the separation distance was >30 nm. As Fe3O4@ HAAP was employed, kaolin particles could cross the energy barrier more easily; thus, the fine flocs and particles were destabilized and aggregated further. Rapid magnetic separation was realized under the action of an external magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation of organoboron compounds plays an important role in synthetic chemistry, and recent advancements in boron-migration reactions have garnered considerable attention. Here, we report an unprecedented 1,2-boron migrative acylation upon photocatalysis-facilitated N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis. The design of a redox-active boronic ester substrate, serving as an excellent β-boron radical precursor, is the linchpin to the success of this chemistry. With the established protocol, a wide spectrum of β-boryl ketones has been rapidly synthesized, which could further undergo various C─B bond transformations to give multifunctionalized products. The robustness of this catalytic strategy is underscored by its successful application in late-stage modification of drug-derived molecules and natural products. Preliminary mechanistic investigations, including several control experiments, photochemistry measurements, and computational studies, shed light on the catalytic radical reaction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Intrinsic capacity refers to a broad range of health traits, including the physiological and psychological changes brought on by aging. Previous research has shown that intrinsic capacity, as an independent emerging construct, is a highly effective predictor of several health outcomes. Objective We aimed to summarise the predictive effect of intrinsic capacity at baseline on health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants Middle-aged and older adults. Methods We systematically searched up to 3 April 2024 in 10 electronic databases. Studies investigating the predictive effect of baseline composite intrinsic capacity and health outcomes were included. Publications that had reported hazard ratios (HRs) or odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as effect size were considered. Results A total of 23 publications were included. The sample size ranged from 100 to 17 031. The results of the meta-analysis showed statistically significant prediction of adverse health outcomes such as disability (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.68–2.03, I2 = 41%, P heterogeneity=.10), falls (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.19–1.60, I2 = 45%, P heterogeneity=.11), hospitalisation (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.17–4.3, I2 = 68%, P heterogeneity=.08), mortality (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.54–1.91, I2 = 32%, P heterogeneity=.12) and frailty (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.45–1.70, I2 = 2%, P heterogeneity=.31) by the baseline composite intrinsic capacity. Conclusions Declined intrinsic capacity has potential predictive value for adverse health outcomes, further high-quality study is needed to validate these findings and strengthen their cumulative impact. Attention to health outcomes should also focus on both breadth and category precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a promising therapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, whether the infused MSCs affect the endoplasmic reticulum stress or subsequent unfolded protein response in β cells remains unclear. Methods: To investigate this, we induced early-onset T1D in non-obese diabetic mice using streptozotocin. Subsequently, T1D mice were randomly assigned to receive either MSCs or phosphatebuffered saline. We observed the in vivo homing of MSCs and assessed their effectiveness by analyzing blood glucose levels, body weight, histopathology, pancreatic protein expression, and serum levels of cytokines, proinsulin, and Cpeptide. Results: Infused MSCs were found in the lungs, liver, spleen, and pancreas of T1D mice. They exhibited various effects, including reducing blood glucose levels, regulating immunity, inhibiting inflammation, increasing βcell areas, and reducing the expression of key proteins in the unfolded protein response pathway. Fasting serum proinsulin and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in the MSCs treatment group than in the T1D model group. However, there was no significant difference in the biomarker of β-cell endoplasmic reticulum stress, the ratio of fasting serum proinsulin to C-peptide, between the two groups. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that MSCs infusion does not alleviate endoplasmic reticulum stress in β cells directly but modulates the unfolded protein response pathway to preserve β-cell mass and function in T1D mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the significant challenges in deep-water drilling is calculating BHP during kickoff caused by natural gas hydrate decomposition. In this paper, the heat transport theory, seepage mechanics, and hydrate decomposition kinetics serve as the foundation for the hydrate decomposition and bottom hole pressure model. Research shows 42.8 m3 of gas have entered Well X cumulatively, resulting in a 1.66 MPa pressure decrease and a 6.9-hour-recovery period. The monitoring of high saturation and porosity formations needs to be strengthened, and drilling parameters need to be modified to protect the stability of the wellbore, according to the analysis of formation parameters and drilling parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that type I photosensitizers (PSs) possess a good hypoxic tolerance, developing an innovative tactic to construct type I PSs is crucially important, but remains a challenge. Herein, we present a smart molecular design strategy based on the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism to develop a type I photodynamic therapy (PDT) agent with an encouraging amplification effect for accurate hypoxic tumor therapy. Of note, benefiting from the FRET effect, the obtained nanostructured type I PDT agent (NanoPcSZ) with boosted light‐harvesting ability not only amplifies superoxide radical (O2•‐) production but also promotes heat generation upon near‐infrared light irradiation. These features facilitate NanoPcSZ to realize excellent phototherapeutic response under both normal and hypoxic environments. As a result, both in vitro and in vivo experiments achieved a remarkable improvement in therapeutic efficacy via the combined effect of photothermal action and type I photoreaction. Notably, NanoPcSZ can be eliminated from organs (including the liver, lung, spleen, and kidney) apart from the tumor site and excreted through urine within 24 h of its systemic administration. In this way, the potential biotoxicity of drug accumulation can be avoided and the biosafety can be further enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, chiral metal‐organic coordination materials have emerged as promising candidates for a wide range of applications in chiroptoelectronics, chiral catalysis, and information encryption, etc. Notably, the chiroptical effect of coordination chromophores makes them appealing for applications such as photodetectors, OLEDs, 3D displays, and bioimaging. The direct synthesis of chiral coordination materials using chiral organic ligands or complexes with metal‐centered chirality is very often tedious and costly. In the case of ionic coordination materials, the combination of chiral anions with cationic, achiral coordination compounds through noncovalent interactions may endow molecular materials with desirable chiroptical properties. The use of such a simple chiral strategy has been proven effective in inducing promising circular dichroism and/or circularly polarized luminescence signals. This concept article mainly delves into the latest advances in exploring the efficacy of such a chiral anion strategy for transforming achiral coordination materials into chromophores with superb photo‐ or electro‐chiroptical properties. In particular, ionic small‐molecular metal complexes, metal clusters, coordination supramolecular assemblies, and metal‐organic frameworks containing chiral anions are discussed. A perspective on the future opportunities on the preparation of chiroptical materials with the chiral anion strategy is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel dinuclear NHC–gold–thiolato and –alkynyl complexes bearing aromatic linkers were successfully synthesized by an efficient and simple synthetic route. The catalytic activity of these complexes was tested in a lactonization reaction. The reaction proceeds in high efficiency, in short reaction time and under mild conditions, and is complementary to existing methods. Furthermore, the digold(I)–thiolato derivatives exhibit remarkable cytotoxicity towards several cancer cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous studies have indicated that individuals are confronting a diminished sense of control. Compensatory control theory suggests that individuals strive to mitigate this loss by modifying their behavior. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between self-control and compensatory control change during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating effects of openness and the personal need for structure. Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of Personal Need for Structure Scale, Self-Control Scale, Openness Scale and Compensatory Control Change Scale. The results showed that the compensatory control change increased after the outbreak. Moreover, a serial mediation was found: openness and the personal need for structure partially mediated the relationship between self-control and compensatory control change. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in compensatory control behaviors, especially among those with pronounced self-control. High self-control individuals are found to exhibit greater openness, reducing their personal need for structure, in effect enhancing their compensatory control change. These findings highlight the critical role of self-control in sustaining a sense of control, which is vital for understanding psychological health management in the context of public health events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Compared with purely electrical neuromorphic devices, those stimulated by optical signals have gained increasing attention due to their realistic sensory simulation. In this work, an optoelectronic neuromorphic device based on a photoelectric memristor with a Bi2FeCrO6/Al-doped ZnO (BFCO/AZO) heterostructure is fabricated that can respond to both electrical and optical signals and successfully simulate a variety of synaptic behaviors, such as STP, LTP, and PPF. In addition, the photomemory mechanism was identified by analyzing the energy band structures of AZO and BFCO. A convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture for pattern classification at the Mixed National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) was used and improved the recognition accuracy of the MNIST and Fashion-MNIST datasets to 95.21% and 74.19%, respectively, by implementing an improved stochastic adaptive algorithm. These results provide a feasible approach for future implementation of optoelectronic synapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis involving energy transfer (EnT) has become a valuable technique for building intricate organic frameworks mostly through [2+2]-cycloaddition reactions. Herein, we report a synthetic method leading to functionalized cyclohepta[b]indoles, an important structural motif in natural products and pharmaceuticals, using gold-mediated energy transfer photocatalysis. The scope of this operationally simple and atom-economical strategy is presented. Density functional theory studies were employed in order to gain insights into the mechanism of formation of the cyclohepta[b]indole core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies focused on morphological variation are key for chrono- and biostratigraphy. Morphological variability can be induced by biological and taphonomical biases. Their distinction can become a difficult task due to the lack of population control. Here, we analyse three populations belonging to the genus Protoryctocephalus, two populations from China (P. arcticus and P. balangensis) and a third population of P. arcticus from Greenland. Protoryctocephalus balangensis was collected from the lowermost part of the Kaili Formation where fossils are tectonically deformed while P. arcticus from the 'Tsinghsutung' and Greenland specimens are non-deformed. Geometric morphometrics analysis shows that these three populations indeed belong to the same species. However, the large allometry measured in P. balangensis compared with the 'Tsinghsutung' population and the Greenland population, which is represented by meraspid and early holaspid individuals, suggested that the morphological variation is taphonomically controlled and non-biological. The results suggest that Protoryctocephalus arcticus from the 'Tsinghsutung' Formation is suitable for international correlation, and further studies focus on different aspects such as ontogeny, segment development or fluctuating asymmetry and modularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on virtualization technologies, virtual machines (VMs) provide computing services and network resources for cloud users over the Internet. When cloud users use VMs for an extended period of time, requests generated by other cloud users are easily blocked. When cloud users no longer use VMs, requests' throughput will be decreased substantially. We propose a multi-input cloud resource allocation strategy with limited buffer and VM synchronization failure, which can improve the throughput of requests. A limited buffer is added to the system to reduce the possible blocking behaviors in the proposed strategy. Moreover, we assume that a physical machine failure will put all the VMs in failure states. The system recovery will take a period of time after the failure, which is called repair time. After the failure is repaired, the system continues to provide services for cloud users. A 2-dimensional Markov chain is established to measure the performance indexes of requests. In addition, we show the blocking rate, the loss rate, the throughput, the average quantity, and the average latency of requests by system state transition probability matrix and analyze their changing trends through numerical experiments. Finally, considering the balance between requests' blocking rate and requests' throughput, we construct a system profit function to ascertain the optimal number of request streams and obtain the maximal system profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: After abalone muscle hot water extract (AHE) was digested in‐vitro, three components (F1, F2, and F3) were separated using the Sephadex G‐15 column, and the antioxidant activity and absorption across Caco‐2 cells were analysed. The result showed that the half‐maximal inhibitory concentrations of F2 for scavenging hydroxyl and ABTS radicals were 0.763 and 0.028 mg mL−1, respectively, which were lower than those of F1 and F3. Moreover, the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity was increased after the F2 was transported through the Caco‐2 cell‐monolayered Transwell chamber. The mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the transported samples contained oligopeptides (Leu‐Tyr, Gly‐Ala‐Ala, and His‐Gly‐Ser‐Ala), and the Leu‐Tyr displayed the highest antioxidant activity and transport rate. Overall, these results suggest that oligopeptides with high antioxidant capacities can be produced from AHE through a combination of in‐vitro digestion and absorption across Caco‐2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since quinolone is a kind of synthetic broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs, with the widespread use of this class of antibiotics, the risk and harm to human health have been attendant to the sewage containing quinolones which are discharged into the environment. Photocatalysis is considered as a promising technology for antibiotic degradation for its strong redox properties and reaction rate. As a metal oxidizing substance, Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is such a popular and hot material for the degradation of organic pollutants recently due to its good photocatalytic activity and chemical stability. Numerous studies have confirmed that BiVO4 composites can overcome the shortcomings of pure BiVO4 and cleave the main structure of quinolone under photocatalytic conditions. This paper mainly outlines the research progress on the preparation of BiVO4 composites and the degradation of quinolone antibiotics from the perspective of improving the catalysis and degrading the efficiency mechanism of BiVO4 composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high dehydrogenation temperature of α-AlH 3 has always been an important factor hindering its development. In order to solve this problem, we synthesize Bi-MOF by hydrothermal method and burn it under inert gas to obtain Bi@C, which is used as catalyst (x Bi@C, x = 3, 5 and 7 wt%) to improve the hydrogen desorption performance of α-AlH 3. The dehydrogenation onset temperature of α-AlH 3 +5 wt% Bi@C drop to 80.4 °C, which is reduced by 43.4% compared with pure α-AlH 3. At 120 °C, it can provide a stable hydrogen capacity of 7.45 wt%. In contrast, pure α-AlH 3 releases only 6.66 wt% hydrogen at the same time. The density functional theory calculations further indicate that the existence of Bi@C catalyst can make the Al–H bond length increase, more conducive to the release of hydrogen. The results show that the synergistic effect of Bi and porous carbon in Bi@C materials can improve the hydrogen desorption kinetics of α-AlH 3 , providing a good prospect for the application of α-AlH 3 in hydrogen storage. [Display omitted] • The dehydrogenation performance of the Bi@C doped α-AlH 3 is investigated. • The Bi@C can reduce the initial hydrogen release temperature of α-AlH 3 and accelerate the hydrogen release rate. • The catalytic principle relies on the synergistic effects of Bi and porous carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been shown to play an important role in osteoarthritis (OA). Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the relationship of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) concentrations in the serum/synovial fluid (SF) with disease severity of primary knee osteoarthritis (pkOA). Methods: Patients with pkOA together with healthy individuals were consecutively recruited from our hospital. The levels of GRP78 and CHOP in serum / SF were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of IL-6 and MMP-3 were also examined. Radiographic progression of pkOA was evaluated based on Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grades. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of GRP78/CHOP levels with regard to K-L grades. The assessment of clinical severity was conducted using the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oxford knee score (OKS), and Lequesne algofunctional index (LAI). Results: A total of 140 pkOA patients and 140 healthy individuals were included. Serum GRP78 and CHOP levels in pkOA patients were not significantly different from those in healthy individuals. The SF GRP78 and CHOP levels in healthy controls were not detected due to ethical reasons. Compared to those with K-L grade 2 and 3, the pkOA patients with K-L grade 4 had higher GRP78 and CHOP levels in the SF with statistical significance. In addition, the pkOA patients with K-L grade 3 exhibited drastically upregulated GRP78 and CHOP concentrations in the SF compared to those with K-L grade 2. Positive correlations of GRP78 and CHOP levels with K-L grades, IL-6, and MMP-3 levels in the SF were observed. ROC curve analysis indicated that both GRP78 and CHOP levels may act as decent indicators with regard to OA. GRP78 and CHOP concentrations in the SF were positively correlated with VAS/LAI score and negatively associated with OKS score. Conclusion: The study indicated that GRP78 and CHOP levels in the SF but not the serum were positively correlated with disease severity of pkOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased body growth and feed efficiency are important for breeding due to expensive feed costs. This study estimated the genetic parameters for two feed efficiency traits [the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the residual feed intake (RFI)] and other important economic traits in male Hu sheep using 1642 male Hu lambs. The heritability of the RFI was estimated at 0.31 (±0.10)–0.54 (±0.1) and the heritability of the FCR was 0.05 (±0.07)–0.77 (±0.12). There was a negative genetic correlation between rib-eye muscle area traits and RFI. A positive genetic correlation was found between fat deposition traits and feed efficiency traits. The digestive tract weight decreased with the direction of RFI: however, the FCR showed the opposite: A low FCR was accompanied by a high digestive tract weight. The genetic correlation between feed efficiency (RFI and FCR) and rumen weight was negative. Heritability estimates for feed efficiency generate fluctuations with different experimental intervals. The weight of other traits should be reasonably allocated to avoid losses in production and feed efficiency in the selection of feed efficiency traits. The present study added to our understanding of the genetic parameters of sheep under the condition of house feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Microvascular manifestations constitute a subtype of antiphospholipid syndrome, and those patients have relatively poor prognoses, so it is important to find markers for microvascular manifestations. This study was conducted to explore whether serum calprotectin could be a predictor of microvascular manifestations in antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-positive patients. Methods: Consecutive patients with persistent aPL positivity referred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital and age- and sex-matched health controls (HCs) were included. Microvascular manifestations included antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) nephropathy, livedo reticularis, valvular lesions, non-stroke central nervous system manifestations, myocarditis, catastrophic APS, and other microvascular manifestations confirmed by pathology, imaging, or clinical diagnosis. Calprotectin was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cutoff value was defined as mean + 2 standard deviations of HCs. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze risk factors. Pearson correlation analysis was used to detect the correlation between calprotectin and other laboratory data. Results: Of the 466 patients included in the study, 281 (60.3%) patients met the 2006 Sydney Revised Classification Criteria; among the latter, 77.2% were patients with primary APS. The mean age was 39.10 ± 13.05 years old, and 77.0% were female. Thirty-eight age- and sex-matched HCs were included in the study. Serum calprotectin levels were increased in aPL-positive patients compared with HCs (649.66 ± 240.79 vs 484.62 ± 149.37 ng/ml, p < 0.001), and were increased in patients with microvascular manifestations compared with patients without (693.03 ± 271.90 vs 639.43 ± 232.06 ng/ml, p = 0.044). The cutoff value was 783.36 ng/ml. Ninety-three patients (20.0%) were positive for calprotectin. Calprotectin positivity was independently associated with microvascular manifestations (odds ratio [OR] 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–3.36) and platelet count (PLT) < 100 (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.08–3.88). Age (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–1.00), systemic lupus erythematosus (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.15–3.75), calprotectin positivity (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.02–3.26), hypertension (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.36–5.45), hemolytic anemia (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.13–6.23), and anti-β2GPI antibodies (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.11–3.83) could independently predict microvascular manifestations in aPL-positive patients. Serum calprotectin negatively correlated with PLT (R = − 0.101, p = 0.031). Conclusion: Serum calprotectin levels are increased in aPL-positive patients and could be a potential predictor of microvascular manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present numerical results for three-dimensional (3D) solitons with symmetries of the semi-vortex (SV) and mixed-mode (MM) types, which can be created in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates of Rydberg atoms under the action of the spin–orbit coupling (SOC). By means of systematic numerical computations, we demonstrate that the interplay of SOC and long-range spherically symmetric Rydberg interactions stabilize the 3D solitons, improving their resistance to collapse. We find how the stability range depends on the strengths of the SOC and Rydberg interactions and the soft-core atomic radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

METTL3, a methyltransferase responsible for N6−methyladenosine (m6A) modification, plays key regulatory roles in mammal central neural system (CNS) development. However, the specific epigenetic mechanisms governing human CNS development remain poorly elucidated. Here, we generated small−molecule−assisted shut−off (SMASh)−tagged hESC lines to reduce METTL3 protein levels, and found that METTL3 is not required for human neural progenitor cell (hNPC) formation and neuron differentiation. However, METTL3 deficiency inhibited hNPC proliferation by reducing SLIT2 expression. Mechanistic studies revealed that METTL3 degradation in hNPCs significantly decreased the enrichment of m6A in SLIT2 mRNA, consequently reducing its expression. Our findings reveal a novel functional target (SLIT2) for METTL3 in hNPCs and contribute to a better understanding of m6A−dependent mechanisms in hNPC proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present numerical results for three-dimensional (3D) solitons with symmetries of the semi-vortex (SV) and mixed-mode (MM) types, which can be created in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates of Rydberg atoms under the action of the spin–orbit coupling (SOC). By means of systematic numerical computations, we demonstrate that the interplay of SOC and long-range spherically symmetric Rydberg interactions stabilize the 3D solitons, improving their resistance to collapse. We find how the stability range depends on the strengths of the SOC and Rydberg interactions and the soft-core atomic radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to separate the colloidal in high-turbidity water, a kind of magnetic composite (Fe3O4/HBPN) was prepared via the functional assembly of Fe3O4 and an amino-terminal hyperbranched polymer (HBPN). The physical and chemical characteristics of Fe3O4@HBPN were investigated by different means. The Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed that the characteristic absorption peaks positioned at 1110 cm−1, 1468 cm−1, 1570 cm−1 and 1641 cm−1 were ascribed to C–N, H–N–C, N–H and C=O bonds, respectively. The shape and size of Fe3O4/HBPN showed a different and uneven distribution; the particles clumped together and were coated with an oil-like film. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) displayed that the main elements of Fe3O4/HBPN were C, N, O, and Fe. The superparamagnetic properties and good magnetic response were revealed by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. The characteristic diffraction peaks of Fe3O4/HBPN were observed at 2θ = 30.01 (220), 35.70 (311), 43.01 (400), 56.82 (511), and 62.32 (440), which indicated that the intrinsic phase of magnetite remained. The zeta potential measurement indicated that the surface charge of Fe3O4/HBPN was positive in the pH range 4–10. The mass loss of Fe3O4/HBPN in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) proved thermal decomposition. The –C–NH2 or –C–NH perssad of HBPN were linked and loaded with Fe3O4 particles by the N–O bonds. When the Fe3O4/HBPN dosage was 2.5 mg/L, pH = 4–5, the kaolin concentration of 1.0 g/L and the magnetic field of 3800 G were the preferred reaction conditions. In addition, a removal efficiency of at least 86% was reached for the actual water treatment. Fe3O4/HBPN was recycled after the first application and reused five times. The recycling efficiency and removal efficiency both showed no significant difference five times (p > 0.05), and the values were between 84.8% and 86.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reveals a close relation between the Mascarene high (MH), atmospheric transient eddies (hereafter transient eddies or eddies for short), and the sea surface temperature (SST) front over the southern Indian Ocean in austral winter. Climatologically, the subpolar westerly jet couples well with transient eddies via eddy–mean flow interaction and the anticyclonic vorticity to its north helps with anchoring the MH. On the interannual time scale, the MH exhibits a dominant meridional variation accompanied by intensity variability. When the MH moves poleward and intensifies, positive quasi-barotropic geopotential height anomalies associated with a warm temperature feature the southern flank of MH. As a result of the modified mean temperature gradient, the subpolar jet and transient eddies' activity are enhanced near the jet exit; in contrast, the subtropical westerly jet and eddies are weakened over the jet entrance, mainly via the baroclinic energy conversion. As feedback, the anomalous transient eddies can trigger the poleward shift of MH by diverging the extended Eliassen–Palm (E-P) flux from subpolar to subtropical region and thus the intensification of subpolar jet and weakness of subtropical jet. Such positive feedback between the meridional variation of MH and transient eddies could be attributed to the underlying SST anomalies. Early SST warming appears over the southwestern Indian Ocean 3 months prior and shifts the Agulhas SST front poleward. The poleward Agulhas SST front could further induce a southward displacement of the activity of transient eddies by changing the low-level atmospheric baroclinicity. Hence, the SST anomalies over the southern Indian Ocean may trigger the meridional variation of MH via the positive eddies–mean flow feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated segmentation of carotid lumen-intima boundary (LIB) and media-adventitia boundary (MAB) by deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) from three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) images has made assessment and monitoring of carotid atherosclerosis more efficient than manual segmentation. However, training of CNN still requires manual segmentation of LIB and MAB. Therefore, there is a need to improve the efficiency of manual segmentation and develop strategies to improve segmentation accuracy by the CNN for serial monitoring of carotid atherosclerosis. One strategy to reduce segmentation time is to increase the interslice distance (ISD) between segmented axial slices of a 3DUS image while maintaining the segmentation reliability. We, for the first time, investigated the effect of ISD on the reproducibility of MAB and LIB segmentations. The intra-observer reproducibility of LIB and MAB segmentations at ISDs of 1 mm and 2 mm was not statistically significantly different, whereas the reproducibility at ISD = 3 mm was statistically lower. Therefore, we conclude that segmentation with an ISD of 2 mm provides sufficient reliability for CNN training. We further proposed training the CNN by the baseline images of the entire cohort of patients for automatic segmentation of the follow-up images acquired for the same cohort. We validated that segmentation with this time-based partitioning approach is more accurate than that produced by patient-based partitioning, especially at the carotid bifurcation. This study forms the basis for an efficient, reproducible, and accurate 3DUS workflow for serial monitoring of carotid atherosclerosis useful in risk stratification of cardiovascular events and in evaluating the efficacy of new treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum key distribution (QKD) research has yielded highly fruitful results and is currently undergoing an industrialization transformation. In QKD systems, electro-optic modulators are typically employed to prepare the required quantum states. While various QKD systems operating at GHz repetition frequency have demonstrated exceptional performance, they predominantly rely on instruments or printed circuit boards to fulfill the driving circuit function of the electro-optic modulator. Consequently, these systems tend to be complex with low integration levels. To address this challenge, we have introduced a modulator driver integrated circuit in 0.18 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The circuit can generate multiple-level driving signals with a clock frequency of 1.25 GHz and a rising edge of ∼50 ps. Each voltage amplitude can be independently adjusted, ensuring the precise preparation of quantum states. The measured signal-to-noise ratio was more than 17 dB, resulting in a low quantum bit error rate of 0.24% in our polarization-encoding system. This work will contribute to the advancement of QKD system integration and promote the industrialization process in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of computer technology and neural networks, artificial intelligence (AI) has become sufficiently mature to assist in various technical and medical tasks, including the prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD). Moreover, the AI-based approach to solving this challenge has provided new ideas, concepts, and techniques. This review focuses on fetal CHD and conventional methods of its diagnostics, highlights the main achievements and particular techniques of AI application to CHD diagnostics, and discusses their advantages, drawbacks, and ways of further improvement regarding CHD and other heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation of environmentally sensitive van der Waals (vdWs) materials or heterostructures can enrich the functionalities of nano-electronic devices by tailoring the band diagram at the hetero-interface. Herein, we demonstrated that amorphous Ga2O3−x with wide-bandgap and insulating features, homogeneously oxidized from GaSe, can act as a tunneling layer in GaSe/InSe vdWs heterostructure device with a floating gate architecture, endowing the robust charge trapping/releasing ability, leading to the achievement of both positive and negative persistent photocurrent (PPC and NPC) characteristics. More impressively, the NPC exhibited OFF/ON current ratio of up to 107, several orders of magnitude larger than the reported NPC in other vdWs materials and heterostructures devices, leading to the achievement of optical memory with 14 distinct current levels and power consumption low to ∼1 pJ. Our work provides an effective avenue to achieve functionality-oriented memory devices by extending this simple configuration to other types of environmentally sensitive vdWs materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized education has been a widely shared goal pursued by Chinese and foreign educators. As the primary method of teacher–student interaction, the importance of personalized questioning is self-evident. Due to a lack of technical support, teachers rely on their teaching experience to ask questions without considering the learning situation of learners. This results in teaching questioning being unable to support learners' learning. These questions are relatively shallow and cannot promote the construction and transfer of learners' knowledge. Cognitive diagnostic technology could diagnose learners' cognitive states and provide services for personalized teaching. Therefore, a personalized teaching questioning strategy based on learners' cognitive structure diagnosis was proposed in this study. Firstly, we diagnosed learners' cognitive structure through usability, distinguishability, and stability. Secondly, we discussed the types of questions that teachers should raise when facing learners in different situations. We also discussed the application of personalized teaching questioning strategies. The experiment took place at M Primary School in Ningxia, China, with the participation of one teacher and ninety-seven fourth-grade students. Seven lessons were observed and videotaped across a range of topics. The study revealed that personalized teaching questioning strategies could improve learners' academic performance and subject literacy. They can also increase the number of teacher questioning, change the depth of teacher questioning content, and expand the scope of questioning subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of magnetic composites in wastewater treatment has become widespread due to their high flocculating characteristics and ferromagnetism. This review provides an analysis and summary of the preparation and application of magnetic composites through controllable assembly for use in wastewater treatment. The applications of magnetic composites include the treatment of dye wastewater, heavy metal wastewater, microalgae suspensions, and oily wastewater. Additionally, the recycling and regeneration of magnetic composites have been investigated. In the future, further research could be focused on improving the assembly and regeneration stability of magnetic composites, such as utilizing polymers with a multibranched structure. Additionally, it would be beneficial to explore the recycling and regeneration properties of these composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the complexity and diversity of cloud requests in the cloud environment, cloud requests are divided into primary requests (PRs) with high priority and secondary requests (SRs) with low priority. We introduce the entry threshold and the entry probability to control the entry of SRs. If the number of busy virtual machines (VMs) is greater than or equal to the entry threshold, the recently arrived SR will enter the system with an entry probability that is inversely proportional to the number of busy VMs. Based on the proposed cloud resource allocation strategy with entry control, a discrete-time queueing model is constructed, and the expressions of performance indicators are derived. Compared with the conventional cloud resource allocation strategy without entry control, the proposed cloud resource allocation strategy with entry control can effectively improve the service experience of PRs. For example, when the arrival rate of PRs is equal to 0.5, under the parameter settings given by experiments, the proposed cloud resource allocation strategy can reduce the blocking rate of PRs by 47% and increase the throughput rate of PRs by 55% at most. Finally, we construct a revenue function to obtain the optimal entry thresholds and maximum revenues under different conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Bone loss is a common morbidity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Bone mineral density (BMD) measurement is recommended for IBD patients at a high risk of osteoporosis. However, there is a lack of evidence in the need of BMD measurement in patients who are young at the first disease onset. In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence of low BMD in patients with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease (CD) at 20–50 years of age and the potential risk factors. Methods: A single‐center, retrospective cross‐sectional study was conducted. Medical records of the patients were reviewed and their demographics, clinical characteristics and laboratory test results were collected. Dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan was performed for BMD measurements; low BMD was defined as Z‐score or T‐score <−1.0 standard deviation (SD). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors for low BMD. Results: A total of 221 patients with CD were included; osteopenia and osteoporosis were identified in 23.1% and 8.6%, and 39.4% and 7.2% of the patients using Z‐score and T‐score, respectively. Female gender and a higher BMI at diagnosis were protective factors for low BMD. Conclusions: Low BMD is common in patients with newly diagnosed CD aged 20–50 years. Female gender and a higher BMI at diagnosis might protect CD patients from bone loss. Therefore, BMD measurement and early intervention with calcium and vitamin D are recommended for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The columnar growth trait of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is genetically controlled by the Columnar (Co) locus on 10 chromosomes, including several candidate genes. Except for MdCo31, other candidate genes at the Co locus are less elucidated. In this study, a strategy of step-by-step screening was adopted to select 11 candidate genes by experimental cloning, transient expression, and genetic transformation. There existed several SNPs in four genes by sequence alignment in columnar and non-columnar apples. Two genes were detected in the nucleus and three genes in the cell membrane, other genes were located in multiple cellular structures by subcellular location. Ectopic expression demonstrated that more branching occurred in MdCo38-OE by upregulating NtPIN1 and NtGA2ox and enlarged leaves in MdCo41-OE tobaccos by upregulating NtCCDs. Transcripts of MdCo38 and MdCo41 were associated with the Co genotypes in apples. The results indicate that MdCo38 and MdCo41 are involved in the columnar growth phenotype in apple, probably through altering polar auxin transport, active gibberellin levels, and strigolactone biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a distributed collision-free control scheme for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) at a non-signalized intersection. We first divide an intersection area into three sections, i.e., the free zone, the platoon zone, and the control zone. In order to enable the following vehicles to track the trajectory of their leading vehicle in the platoon zone and the control zone, as well as to guarantee the desired distance between any two adjacent vehicles, the distributed platoon controllers are designed. In the control zone, each vehicular platoon is taken as a whole to be coordinated via an intersection coordination unit (ICU). To avoid collision between each pair of the conflicting platoons approaching from different directions, a platoon-based coordination strategy is designed by scheduling the arrival time of each leading vehicle of different platoons. Specially, considering traffic efficiency and fuel economy, the optimal control problem of the leading vehicle is formulated subject to the constraint of allowable minimum arrival time, which is derived from coordination with other approaching platoons. The Pontryagin Minimum Principle (PMP) and phase-plane method are applied to find the optimal control sequences. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of this scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the coordination efficiency of vehicle routing problem, a multi-level stochastic demand in ventory routing problem was established in this paper, which minimizes the total cost of the system by determining the relation among inventory of distribution center, fleets, and customer needs. Solving the Lagrangian dual problem by the traditional subgradient Lagrangian relaxation algorithm may easily cause oscillation and then slow down the solving speed. To tackle the problem, an improved subgradient Lagrangian relaxation algorithm was proposed. Compared with the traditional subgradient algorithm , the proposed method is faster and improves the quality of the approximate solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalocyanines are potentially promising photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), but the inherent defects such as aggregation-caused quenching effects and non-specific toxicity severely hinder their further application in PDT. Herein, we synthesized two zinc(II) phthalocyanines (PcSA and PcOA) monosubstituted with a sulphonate group in the alpha position with "O bridge" and "S bridge" as bonds and prepared a liposomal nanophotosensitizer (PcSA@Lip) by thin-film hydration method to regulate the aggregation of PcSA in the aqueous solution and enhance its tumor targeting ability. PcSA@Lip exhibited highly efficient production of superoxide radical (O2∙−) and singlet oxygen (1O2) in water under light irradiation, which were 2.6-fold and 15.4-fold higher than those of free PcSA, respectively. Furthermore, PcSA@Lip was able to accumulate selectively in tumors after intravenous injection with the fluorescence intensity ratio of tumors to livers was 4.1:1. The significant tumor inhibition effects resulted in a 98% tumor inhibition rate after PcSA@Lip was injected intravenously at an ultra-low PcSA@Lip dose (0.8 nmol g−1 PcSA) and light dose (30 J cm−2). Therefore, the liposomal PcSA@Lip is a prospective nanophotosensitizer possessing hybrid type I and type II photoreactions with efficient photodynamic anticancer effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron re-injection effect has revealed the great probability rate of photon generation due to the head-on collision between relativistic electrons and laser. We study the electron re-injection dynamics when the ultra-intense laser irradiates the near-critical-density plasma and successfully controls the photon radiation by means of the transversely tailored plasma. Starting from the relativistic corrected ponderomotive force, the critical strength of the laser field required by the refluxing effect is theoretically obtained. Then, the theoretical description of the wavefront formed by electron refluxing is given via plugging in the difference in the transverse phase velocity of the plasma wave. Simulation results display a curved surface of the refluxing electrons, which are in good agreement with the calculation results stemming from the physics model. The re-built phase space of the refluxing electrons illustrates that they gain energy mainly from the longitudinal electrostatic field on the re-injection path. Despite the energy of the refluxing electron being relatively low, it could radiate more photons via more efficient non-linear Compton scattering than the electron being accelerated in the positive direction. Furthermore, we employ a transverse density profile in the plasma and successfully achieve control of the electron re-injection effect and the properties of the resultant photons as well. Simulation results exhibit that overcritical electron beams are successively re-injected from the plasma density peaks. These backward electrons emit photons along the two maximal plasma densities as they collide with the laser pulse. Although the quality of the photons is not improved, their spatial distribution is changed, which is a big step toward manipulating light sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence in women worldwide. It is highly heterogeneous, has a high incidence of drug resistance, recurrence, and metastasis, and is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. The early diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis assessment of breast cancer are the key factors affecting the survival of patients. However, due to the lack of specific biomarkers, breast cancer is still an essential factor affecting women’s quality of life and physical and mental health. Long non-coding RNA can regulate various genes and different signaling pathways and plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of tumors. Recent studies have found that the abnormal expression of circulating long non-coding RNA in serum, saliva, and other biological body fluids plays a significant role in early diagnosis, pathological classification, stage, therapeutic effect monitoring, and prognosis evaluation of breast cancer. This article will review the potential application value of circulating lncRNA in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a new method to measure the voxel-based vessel-wall-plus-plaque volume (VWV). In addition to quantifying local thickness change as in the previously introduced vessel-wall-plus-plaque thickness (VWT) metric, voxel-based VWV further considers the circumferential change associated with vascular remodeling. Three-dimensional ultrasound images were acquired at baseline and 1 y afterward. The vessel wall region was divided into small voxels with the voxel-based VWV change ( Δ VVol %) computed by taking the percentage volume difference between corresponding voxels in the baseline and follow-up images. A 3-D carotid atlas was developed to allow visualization of the local thickness and circumferential change patterns in the pomegranate versus the placebo groups. A new patient-based biomarker was obtained by computing the mean Δ VVol % over the entire 3-D map for each patient ( Δ VVol % ¯). Δ VVol % ¯ detected a significant difference between patients randomized to pomegranate juice/extract and placebo groups (p = 0.0002). The number of patients required by Δ VVol % ¯ to establish statistical significance was approximately a third of that required by the local VWT biomarker. The increased sensitivity afforded by the proposed biomarker improves the cost-effectiveness of clinical studies evaluating new anti-atherosclerotic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of the maximum function of accumulated spectra based on the genetic algorithm is applied for the first time to three-dimensional (3D) wind field retrieval by Doppler wind lidar on an airborne platform. The algorithm can obtain the 3D wind field directly from the origin spectra of different directions regardless of the radial wind velocity inversion accuracy. To validate the reliability of this algorithm for application on an airborne platform, a 1.54-μm all-fiber airborne pulsed coherent Doppler lidar was installed on an aircraft to conduct field experiments. The measured wind fields were compared with those obtained through the sounding balloon and the ground-based lidar. For the sounding balloon, the average errors of wind speed and the wind direction are 0.539 m/s and 5.12°; while for the ground-based lidar, the average errors are 0.504 m/s and 4.18°, respectively. In addition, the two inversion results are in good consistency by comparison with the least square method. The genetic algorithm shows higher accuracy even though the detectability is low. The proposed algorithm, as an efficient and accurate calculation model, would be a good tool in the airborne platform for wind retrieval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study synthesized silicone hydrogel (SHL) contact lenses modified by vitamin E (VE). First, the prepolymer GKF8010, methacryloxymethyltris (trimethylsiloxy) silane, and N,N-dimethylaniline were used to synthesize SHL contact lenses through ultraviolet irradiation by using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker. Then, VE was combined with SHL contact lenses (VE/SHL) in ethanol solution. The obtained SHL and VE/SHL contact lenses were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmittance analysis, contact angle test, mechanical property analysis, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Compared with SHL contact lenses, VE/SHL contact lenses had a porous structure, good transmittance, hydrophobic properties, and mechanical properties. Ofloxacin (OFL) was loaded into SHL and VE/SHL contact lenses by the soaking method. The drug release, antibacterial, and biocompatibility properties were further characterized. VE/SHL-OFL contact lenses could deliver OFL at therapeutic doses for 5 days. The antibacterial test indicated that VE/SHL-OFL contact lenses displayed inhibition ring sizes of 8.14 and 16.66 mm for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Besides, cell viability assays showed that the obtained VE/SHL contact lenses were cytocompatible and might be potential drug carriers for oculopathy treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liraglutide has been extensively applied in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and also has hepatoprotective effects. However, the role of liraglutide treatment on liver injury in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and its underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, diabetes was initiated in experimental animals by single-dose intraperitoneal inoculation of STZ. Forty female C57BL/6J mice were equally assigned into five groups: diabetic group, insulin+diabetic group, liraglutide+diabetic group, insulin+liraglutide+diabetic group, and control group for eight weeks. Diabetic mice exhibited a significantly elevated blood glucose level and decreased body weight, and morphological changes of increased steatosis and apoptosis were observed in the liver compared with the control. Furthermore, a significant increase in the levels of malondialdehyde and inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and the proapoptotic proteins caspase-3 and Bax were observed in the livers of diabetic mice, together with marked increases in antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) as well as antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, all of which were significantly mitigated by treatment with liraglutide, insulin, and their combinations. Interestingly, liraglutide monotherapy showed better efficacy in ameliorating liver injury in T1DM mice than insulin monotherapy, similar to the combined drug therapy. Furthermore, the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-associated molecules was upregulated in the liver of mice treated with liraglutide or insulin. The results of the present study suggested that liraglutide improves T1DM-induced liver injury and may have important implications for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with T1DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) is an important medial therapy for acute ischemic stroke in China. Recent studied have revealed that NBP not only rescued the loss of dopaminergic neurons in cellular and animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), but also could improve motor symptoms in PD patients. However, the protective mechanism is not fully understood. P53 is a multifunctional protein implicated in numerous cellular processes, including apoptosis, DNA repair, mitochondrial functions, redox homeostasis, autophagy and protein aggregations. In PD, p53 integrated with various neurodegeneration-related signals inducing neuronal loss, indicating the suppression of P53 might be a promising target for PD treatment. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to systemically screen new therapeutic targets of NBP in PD. Method: In our study, we constructed mpp + induced N2A cells to investigate the benefit effect of NBP in PD. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability; TMT-based LC–MS/MS was applied to determine the different expressed proteins (DEPs) of NBP pretreatment; online bioinformatics databases such as DAVID, STRING, and KEGG was used to construe the proteomic data. After further analyzed and visualized the protein–protein interactions (PPI) by Cytoscape, DEPs were verified by western blot. Result: A total of 5828 proteins were quantified in the comparative proteomics experiments and 417 proteins were considered as DEPs (fold change > 1.5 and p < 0.05). Among the 417 DEPs, 140 were upregulated and 277 were downregulated in mpp + -induced N2A cells with NBP pretreatment. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that lysosome, phagosome, apoptosis, endocytosis and ferroptosis are the mainly enriched pathways. By using MCL clustering in PPI analysis, 48 clusters were generated and the subsequent KEGG analysis of the top 3 clusters revealed that P53 signaling pathway was recognized as the dominant pathway for NBP treatment. Conclusion: NBP significantly relived mpp + -induced cell toxicity. The neuroprotective role of NBP was implicated with P53 signaling pathway in some extent. These findings will reinforce the understanding of the mechanism of NBP in PD and identify novel therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-photon microscopy (MPM) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) are two advanced nonlinear optical imaging techniques, which provide complementary information and have great potential in combination for noninvasive in vivo biomedical applications. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the basics, development and applications of these technologies for in vivo skin research, covering the following topics: The principle and advantage of MPM and CARS, instrumentation development for in vivo applications, MPM and CARS of normal skin, application of MPM and CARS in skin cancer and disease diagnosis; application of MPM in skin disease intervention, i.e., imaging guided two-photon photothermolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we first design a model of reversible redox‐switching metal–organic framework single‐unit‐cell sheets, where the abundant metal single sites benefit for highly selective CO2 reduction, while the reversible redox‐switching metal sites can effectively activate CO2 molecules. Taking the synthetic Cu‐MOF single‐unit‐cell sheets as an example, synchrotron‐radiation quasi in situ X‐ray photoelectron spectra unravel the reversible switching CuII/CuI single sites initially accept photoexcited electrons and then donate them to CO2 molecules, which favors the rate‐liming activation into CO2δ−, verified by in situ FTIR spectra and Gibbs free energy calculations. As an outcome, Cu‐MOF single‐unit‐cell sheets achieve near 100 % selectivity for CO2 photoreduction to CO with a high rate of 860 μmol g−1 h−1 without any sacrifice reagent or photosensitizer, where both the activity and selectivity outperform previously reported photocatalysts evaluated under similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abnormal corrosion of hot iron ladles was investigated. The performance, the composition and the structure of bricks for hot iron ladles were analyzed. The results show that (1) compared with the alumina-silicon carbide-carbon bricks for the ladle bottom, those for the ladle wall have more pyrophyllite and the AI203 content of 36.32 mass%; their bulk density, apparent porosity and cold compressive strength are lower than the requirement of industry standard; they have poor anti-oxidation performance and are oxidized to form a porous layer during service, which loosens the brick lining structure thus leading to fracture, local wear and structural damage of bricks; (2) without preheating, steel scraps are not completely melted, resulting in slag or steel attachment at the mouth or the bottom of ladles thus increasing damage of ladles; (3) and the residual bricks react with the attached slag to form low melting point phases affecting their hot properties. The refractories for the lining of hot iron ladles must be improved in combination with process changes, not entirely by raw materials replacement to reduce costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral separation has attracted much attention for basic research and industrial applications in analytical chemistry. Generally, chiral separations use natural or artificial chiral-based materials as adsorbents. To improve the precision and efficiency of chiral separation, focus has shifted from natural and synthetic adsorbents to binary combinations of materials. This review specifically summarizes the significant advancements made in natural and artificial chiral adsorbents as promising candidates for diverse drug and biomolecule separation applications as well as the remaining drawbacks and challenges for research on chiral separations. The mechanisms of chiral-based recognition and separation and history and development of natural and artificial chiral-based systems are the focus of this review. Future directions in natural and artificial chiral-based systems for practical separations and other applications are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]