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Background: To explore the impact of ARGs on the prognosis of NSCLC, and its correlation with clinicopathological parameters and immune microenvironment. Preliminary research on the biological functions of CEBPA in NSCLC. Methods: Using consensus clustering analysis to identify molecular subtypes of ARGs in NSCLC patients; employing LASSO regression and multivariate Cox analysis to select 7 prognostic risk genes and construct a prognostic risk model; validating independent prognostic factors of NSCLC using forest plot analysis; analyzing immune microenvironment correlations using ESTIMATE and ssGSEA; assessing correlations between prognostic risk genes via qPCR and Western blot in NSCLC; measuring mRNA and protein expression levels of knocked down and overexpressed CEBPA in NSCLC using CCK-8 and EdU assays; evaluating the effects of knocked down and overexpressed CEBPA on cell proliferation using Transwell experiments; examining the correlation of CEBPA with T cells and B cells using mIHC analysis. Results: Consensus clustering analysis identified three molecular subtypes, suggesting significant differential expression of these ARGs in NSCLC prognosis and clinical pathological parameters. There was significant differential expression between the two risk groups in the prognostic risk model, with P < 0.001. The risk score of the prognostic risk model was also P < 0.001. CEBPA exhibited higher mRNA and protein expression levels in NSCLC cell lines. Knockdown of CEBPA significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression levels of CEBPB, YWHAZ, ABL1, and CDK1 in H1650 and A549 cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of CEBPA markedly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells, whereas overexpression of CEBPA showed the opposite trend. mIHC results indicated a significant increase in CD3 + CD4+, CD3 + CD8+, and CD20 + cell counts in the high CEBPA expression group. Conclusions: The risk score of the prognostic risk model can serve as an independent prognostic factor, guiding the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC. CEBPA may serve as a potential tumor biomarker and immune target, facilitating further exploration of the biological functions and immunological relevance in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction of (P)AuOTf [P=P(t‐Bu)2o‐biphenyl] with indenyl‐ or 3‐methylindenyl lithium led to isolation of gold η1‐indenyl complexes (P)Au(η1‐inden‐1‐yl) (1 a) and (P)Au(η1‐3‐methylinden‐1‐yl) (1 b), respectively, in >65 % yield. Whereas complex 1 b is static, complex 1 a undergoes facile, degenerate 1,3‐migration of gold about the indenyl ligand (ΔG≠153K=9.1±1.1 kcal/mol). Treatment of complexes 1 a and 1 b with (P)AuNTf2 led to formation of the corresponding cationic bis(gold) indenyl complexes trans‐[(P)Au]2(η1,η1‐inden‐1,3‐yl) (2 a) and trans‐[(P)Au]2(η1,η2‐3‐methylinden‐1‐yl) (2 b), respectively, which were characterized spectroscopically and modeled computationally. Despite the absence of aurophilic stabilization in complexes 2 a and 2 b, the binding affinity of mono(gold) complex 1 a toward exogenous (P)Au+ exceed that of free indene by ~350‐fold and similarly the binding affinity of 1 b toward exogenous (P)Au+ exceed that of 3‐methylindene by ~50‐fold. The energy barrier for protodeauration of bis(gold) indenyl complex 2 a with HOAc was ≥8 kcal/mol higher than for protodeauration of mono(gold) complex 1 a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereo matching is a key technology for many autonomous driving and robotics applications. Recently, methods based on Convolutional Neural Network have achieved huge progress. However, it is still difficult to find accurate matching points in inherently ill-posed regions such as areas with weak texture and reflective surfaces. In this paper, we propose a multi-level pyramid fusion volume (MPFV-Stereo) which contains two prominent components: multi-scale cost volume (MSCV) and multi-level cost volume (MLCV). We also design a low-parameter Gaussian attention module to excite cost volume. Our MPFV-Stereo ranks 2nd on KITTI 2012 (Reflective) among all published methods. In addition, MPFV-Stereo has competitive results on both Scene Flow and KITTI datasets and requires less training to achieve strong cross-dataset generalization on Middlebury and ETH3D benchmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperbolic phonon polaritons in optically uniaxial hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have shown considerable potential for manipulating light on the deep‐subwavelength scale, but the inherent in‐plane isotropy of hBN hinders their further application in planar polariton meta‐optics. Engineering these polaritons to achieve ultraconfined in‐plane anisotropic propagation is of scientific significance for facilitating light–matter interactions toward an extreme scale. Here, the polariton features are systematically investigated in a vertically stacked van der Waals heterostructure consisting of hBN and tellurium (Te), a highly birefringent van der Waals crystal in the mid‐infrared region. Polaritons in this heterostructure exhibit Te‐thickness‐dependent anisotropic dispersion, and the configurable in‐plane anisotropy and enhanced field confinement are experimentally demonstrated using scanning near‐field optical microscopy. It is concluded that these findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of anisotropic polaritons in hBN van der Waals heterostructures, providing a practical avenue for effectively engineering anisotropic PhPs in an intrinsically isotropic van der Waals material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn metal anodes in aqueous batteries experience inhomogeneous deposition and corrosion issues. Herein, we introduced, at a low concentration, dioxane (DX) as an electrolyte additive to stabilize a Zn anode. The oxygen sites of DX endowed it with a strong affinity for Zn and Zn2+, resulting in its adsorption onto the Zn electrode surface and its coordination with Zn2+ locally. The Zn2+-DX species exhibited a decreased lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level relative to those of water-involved components. The DX additive not only inhibited side reactions but also generated a stable solid–electrolyte interphase on the Zn electrode, ensuring a uniform Zn deposition. As a result of including the additive, the cycle life of the Zn symmetric cell was extended from 99 h to 2100 h, and the coulombic efficiency in Zn//Cu cell reached 99.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the effect of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) on the lower extremities is well documented, limited research exists on the effect of spinal stenosis on the posterior paraspinal musculature (PPM). Similar to neurogenic claudication, moderate to severe spinal canal compression can also interfere with the innervation of the PPM, which may result in atrophy and increased fatty infiltration (FI). This study aims to assess the association between LSS and atrophy of the PPM. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Patients undergoing MRI scans at a tertiary orthopedic center for low back pain or as part of a preoperative evaluation. The functional cross-sectional area (fCSA) and percent fatty infiltration (FI) of the PPM at L4. Lumbar MRIs of patients at a tertiary orthopedic center indicated due to lower back pain (LBP) or as a presurgical workup were analyzed. Patients with previous spinal fusion surgery or scoliosis were excluded. LSS was assessed according to the Schizas classification at all lumbar levels. The cross-sectional area of the PPM was measured on a T2-weighted MRI sequence at the upper endplate of L4. The fCSA and fatty infiltration (FI) were calculated using custom software. Crude differences in FI and fCSA between patients with no stenosis and at least mild stenosis were tested with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. To account for possible confounders, a multivariable linear regression model was used to adjust for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and disc degeneration. A subgroup analysis according to MRI indication was performed. A total of 522 (55.7% female) patients were included. The median age was 61 years (IQR: 51–71). The greatest degree of moderate and severe stenosis was found at L4/5, 15.7%, and 9.2%, respectively. Stenosis was the least severe at L5/S1 and was found to be 2% for moderate and 0.2% for severe stenosis. The Wilcoxon test showed significantly increased FI of the PPM with stenosis at any lumbar level (p<.001), although no significant decrease in fCSA was observed. The multivariable regression model showed a significant increase in FI with increased LSS at L1/2, L2/3, and L3/4 (p=.013, p<.01 and p=.003). The severity of LSS at L4/5 showed a positive association with the fCSA (p=.019). The subgroup analysis showed, the effect of LSS was more pronounced in nonsurgical patients than in patients undergoing surgery. In this study, we demonstrated a significant and independent association between LSS and the composition of the PPM, which was dependent on the level of LSS relative to the PPM. In addition to neurogenic claudication, patients with LSS might be especially susceptible to axial muscle wasting, which could worsen LSS due to increased spinal instability, leading to a positive feedback loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine volcanos are the most active areas in the deep sea, but the environmental consequences of frequent volcanic activity on the geophysical fields and biogeochemical processes near hydrothermal chimneys have not been fully understood yet. In particular, how continuous high‐flux thermal energy, the most typical form of energy in active submarine volcanic systems, affects electron transport and geoelectric field remains unknown. This study provides the first evidence that thermal energy can be efficiently converted to electrical energy at an extremely small spatial scale of the submarine black chimneys. The Seebeck coefficient of sulfide chimneys can reach more than 200 μV/K, with high electrical conductivity of 104 S/m and low thermal conductivity of 1.0 W/(m·K) within 300–700 K. A maximal potential gradient of 300 mV/cm under a temperature difference of 300–700 K can be generated by the thermoelectric conversion of sulfide chimneys, with a maximum energy converting efficiency up to 1%. The thermoelectric conversion effect of a global‐scale submarine volcanos could enable electroactive bacteria to fix appromaxiately 105–106 tons of carbon per year. In addition, the thermal‐electrochemical experiments indicated sulfides underwent rapid oxidation under thermoelectric effects, which may help explain the intense oxidative weathering of sulfides in some anoxic deep‐sea hydrothermal zones. Plain Language Summary: Hydrothermal vents are the most active areas for energy and material exchange in the submarine volcanic systems. The conversion of chemical and biomass energy has been considered as the major driving force for biogeochemical processes in hydrothermal vents, while the primary thermal energy has rarely been a concern. This study revealed that hydrothermal black chimneys could achieve stable thermoelectric conversion with a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 1%. The thermoelectric transport performance of sulfides is mainly influenced by crystal structure, chemical composition and substituting ions. Both the generation of natural electric field and the growth and metabolism of electroactive microorganisms in deep sea are clolsely related to the thermoelectric effects of sulfides. The rapid oxidation of sulfides under a thermoelectric potential well explains the intense weathering of minerals in anoxic seafloor regions. Key Points: Proposing a geoelectric mechanism caused by thermoelectric effects of sulfides in submarine volcanic systemsBuilding a quantitative model to estimate the efficiency of thermoelectric conversion and carbon fixationExplaining rapid oxidative weathering of hydrothermal vent sulfides by thermoelectric mechanism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an inflammatory disease associated with alveolar injury, subsequent macrophage activation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and cytokine production. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are beneficial for application in the treatment of inflammatory diseases due to their immunomodulatory effects. However, the mechanisms of regulatory effects by MSCs on macrophages in ALI need more in-depth study. Lung tissues were collected from mice for mouse lung organoid construction. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) derived from bronchoalveolar lavage and interstitial macrophages (IMs) derived from lung tissue were co-cultured, with novel matrigel-spreading lung organoids to construct an in vitro model of lung organoids–immune cells. Mouse compact bone-derived MSCs were co-cultured with organoids–macrophages to confirm their therapeutic effect on acute lung injury. Changes in transcriptome expression profile were analyzed by RNA sequencing. Well-established lung organoids expressed various lung cell type-specific markers. Lung organoids grown on spreading matrigel had the property of functional cells growing outside the lumen. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injury promoted macrophage chemotaxis toward lung organoids and enhanced the expression of inflammation-associated genes in inflammation-injured lung organoids–macrophages compared with controls. Treatment with MSCs inhibited the injury progress and reduced the levels of inflammatory components. Furthermore, through the nuclear factor-κB pathway, MSC treatment inhibited inflammatory and phenotypic transformation of AMs and modulated the antigen-presenting function of IMs, thereby affecting the inflammatory phenotype of lung organoids. Lung organoids grown by spreading matrigel facilitate the reception of external stimuli and the construction of in vitro models containing immune cells, which is a potential novel model for disease research. MSCs exert protective effects against lung injury by regulating different functions of AMs and IMs in the lung, indicating a potential mechanism for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries are deemed as one of the most promising next‐generation energy storage devices due to their enhanced safety and high energy density. However, the Li/Gel polymer Electrolyte (GPE) interface deterioration induced by the side reactions, dendrite growth during Li plating, and contact loss during Li stripping will inevitably lead to the failure of the battery. Herein, a Li/Li23Sr6–Li3N/Sr2N anode structure (LSN) prepared by hot‐rolling process is designed, where Sr2N serves as an inert skeleton to retain the interfacial coupling and to avoid contact loss. At the same time, the Li3N–Li23Sr6 interphase with high Li adsorption energy and fast Li+ transfer kinetics regulate the Li plating behavior. Benefitting from the design, when coupled with the carbonate‐based GPE, the lifespan of the symmetric battery with the LSN is extended to 1300 h at 0.2 mA cm−2/0.2 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, the LSN||LiFePO4 (LFP) full cell exhibits a steady cycle with extremely low voltage polarization at 0.5 C after 200 cycles. This study provides a practical strategy to stabilize the Li/GPE interface and deepens the understanding of Li+ plating/stripping behaviors through the interphase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated control circuits with multiple computation functions are essential for soft robots to achieve diverse complex real tasks. However, designing compliant yet simple circuits to embed multiple computation functions in soft electronic systems above the centimeter scale is still a tough challenge. Herein, utilizing smooth cyclic motions of magnetic liquid metal droplets (MLMD) in specially designed and surface‐modified circulating channels, a soft reconfigurable circulator (SRC) consisting of three simple and reconfigurable basic modules is described. Through these modules, MLMD can utilize their conductivity and extreme deformation capabilities to transfer their simple cyclic motions as input signals to programmable electrical output signals carrying computing information. The obtained SRCs make it possible for soft robots to perform complex computing tasks, such as logic, programming, and self‐adaptive control (a combination of programming and feedback control). Following, a digital logic‐based grasping function diagnosis, a locomotion reprogrammable soft car, and a self‐adaptive control‐based soft sorting gripper are demonstrated to verify SRCs' capabilities. The unique attributes of MLMD allow complex computations based on simple configurations and inputs, which provide new ways to enhance soft robots' computing capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the many oral streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) stands out for the capacity of encapsulated strains to cause invasive infection. Spread beyond upper airways, however, is a biological dead end for the organism, raising the question of the benefits of expending energy to coat its surface in a thick layer of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). In this study, we compare mutants of two serotypes expressing different amounts of CPS and test these in murine models of colonization, invasion infection and transmission. Our analysis of the effect of CPS amount shows that Spn expresses a capsule of sufficient thickness to shield its surface from the deposition of complement and binding of antibody to underlying epitopes. While effective shielding is permissive for invasive infection, its primary contribution to the organism appears to be in the dynamics of colonization. A thicker capsule increases bacterial retention in the nasopharynx, the first event in colonization, and also impedes IL-17-dependent clearance during late colonization. Enhanced colonization is associated with increased opportunity for host-to-host transmission. Additionally, we document substantial differences in CPS amount among clinical isolates of three common serotypes. Together, our findings show that CPS amount is highly variable among Spn and could be an independent determinant affecting host interactions. Author summary: Many leading bacterial pathogens are coated by a thick layer of polysaccharide, which is referred to as a capsule. This capsular layer shields the underlying surface of the organism from recognition by host factors like antibodies that would otherwise facilitate clearance during invasive infection. Pathogens with capsules such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, however, generally reside on mucosal surfaces (colonization) without causing disease. Thus, the benefit to the organism of expressing a thick capsule is unclear. This study uses genetically-modified strains of S. pneumoniae to test how capsule thickness (measured by the amount of capsular polysaccharide) affects host-pathogen interactions using infant mouse models. We show that thickness sufficient to protect the organism during invasive infection also benefits the organism during colonization. This effect is attributed to increased retention of the organism when it first encounters the mucosal surface of the upper respiratory tract. Additionally, we demonstrate that capsule thickness is a highly variable trait among S. pneumoniae clinical isolates. Taken together, our findings could account for differences in the ability of S. pneumoniae isolates to both colonize the host upper respiratory tract and cause invasive infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, high-performance modified biochar/alginate composite bead (MCB/ALG) adsorbents were prepared from recycled agricultural waste corncobs by a high-temperature pyrolysis and KOH/FeCl3 activation process. The prepared MCB/ALG beads were tested for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dye from wastewater. A variety of analytical methods, such as SEM, BET, FTIR and XRD, were used to investigate the structure and properties of the as-prepared adsorbents. The effects of solution pH, time, initial MB concentration and adsorption temperature on the adsorption performance of MCB/ALG beads were discussed in detail. The results showed that the adsorption equilibrium of MB dye was consistent with the Langmuir isothermal model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacity of MCB/ALG−1 could reach 1373.49 mg/g at 303 K. The thermodynamic studies implied endothermic and spontaneous properties of the adsorption system. This high adsorption performance of MCB/ALG was mainly attributed to pore filling, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. The regeneration experiments showed that the removal rate of MB could still reach 85% even after five cycles of experiments, indicating that MCB/ALG had good reusability and stability. These results suggested that a win-win strategy of applying agricultural waste to water remediation was feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the factors determining spectacle-wear compliance and reasons for non-wear among students in rural China. This study was based on a spectacle intervention trial among 162 schools in rural China. Students with refractive errors were randomly assigned to either a free or voucher group to receive spectacles at baseline. Spectacle-wear compliance was assessed through an unannounced follow-up 7 months after spectacles were distributed. Students not wearing spectacles were also asked their reasons for non-wear. The collected data underwent descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses. A total of 1904 students received spectacles at baseline, 1826 (95.9%) of whom were present at the 7-month follow-up. Among those students, 41.7% wore their spectacles. There was no significant difference in compliance rates between the free and voucher groups. Predictors of wearing spectacles at follow-up included older age (Odds ratio = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.12–2.19), the severity of refractive error (3.68, 2.23–6.07), wearing spectacles before baseline (3.91, 2.53–6.04) and having friends who wore spectacles (1.87, 1.32–2.63). When students could see the blackboard from their seats (0.68, 0.51–0.89) and thought that wearing spectacles was bad looking (0.76, 0.57–1.00), they were reluctant to wear spectacles. The two main reasons for non-wear were the widespread perception that wearing spectacles would weaken eyesight (32.8%) and the inconvenience of wearing spectacles during activities (23.6%). The main reason that accounts for the low compliance of spectacle wear was misconceptions around spectacle. School-based spectacle programs should consider enhancing the compliance rates to maximize the benefits of spectacle wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measures of the built environment such as neighborhood walkability have been associated with health behaviors such as physical activity, the lack of which in turn may contribute to the development of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. However, limited research has examined these measures in association with health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), particularly in minoritized populations. We examined the relationship between perceived neighborhood environment and HR-QoL in a sample of mostly Black and Latino residents in New York City (NYC). Methods: This study utilized the baseline survey data from the Physical Activity and Redesigned Community Spaces (PARCS) Study among 1252 residents [34.6% Black, 54.1% Latino, 80.1% female, mean(±SD) age = 38.8 ± 12.5) in 54 park neighborhoods in NYC. Perceived built environment was measured using Neighborhood Environment and Walkability Survey, and mental and physical HR-QoL was estimated using Short Form (SF)-12. Using factor analysis, we identified two subscales of neighborhood walkability: enablers (e.g., trails, sidewalks, esthetics) vs. barriers (e.g., high crime and traffic). In addition, we included a third subscale on neighborhood satisfaction. Generalized Estimating Equation models adjusted for demographics and BMI and accounted for the clustering effect within neighborhood. Multiple imputation was used to account for missing data. Results: Mental HR-QoL was associated with barriers of walkability (β ± SE = − 1.63 ± 0.55, p < 0.01) and neighborhood satisfaction (β ± SE = 1.55 ± 0.66, p = 0.02), after adjusting for covariates. Physical HR-QoL was associated with only barriers of walkability (β ± SE = − 1.13 ± 0.57, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Among NYC residents living in minoritized neighborhoods, mitigating negative aspects of the neighborhood environment may be more crucial than adding positive features in terms of HR-QoL. Our study points to the need to investigate further the role of the built environment in urban, minoritized communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bradysia odoriphaga (Diptera: Sciaridae) is a major insect pest of seven plant families including 30 commercial crops in Asia. The long-term use of chemical pesticides leads to problems such as insect resistance, environmental issues, and food contamination. Against this background, a novel pest control method should be developed. In insects, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) transport odor molecules, including pheromones and plant volatiles, to olfactory receptors. Here, we expressed and characterized the recombinant B. odoriphaga OBP BodoOBP10, observing that it could bind the sulfur-containing compounds diallyl disulfide and methyl allyl disulfide with Ki values of 8.01 μM and 7.00 μM, respectively. Homology modeling showed that the BodoOBP10 3D structure was similar to that of a typical OBP. Both diallyl disulfide and methyl allyl disulfide bound to the same site on BodoOBP10, mediated by interactions with six hydrophobic residues Met70, Ile75, Thr89, Met90, Leu93, and Leu94, and one aromatic residue, Phe143. Furthermore, silencing BodoOBP10 expression via RNAi significantly reduced the electroantennogram (EAG) response to diallyl disulfide and methyl allyl disulfide. These findings suggest that BodoOBP10 should be involved in the recognition and localization of host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term, curative treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) remains a major challenge. Therapy resistance is often based on apoptosis deficiency, and may depend on antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bcl-w and Mcl-1. For their targeting, several antagonists have been generated, which mimic the Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3 mimetics). As dysregulation and overexpression of Mcl-1 has been reported in CTCL, the use of Mcl-1 inhibitors appears as an attractive strategy. Here, we investigated the effects of the selective Mcl-1 inhibitor S63845 in a series of four CTCL cell lines, in comparison to ABT-263 and ABT-737 (inhibitors of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bcl-w). In two cell lines (HH, HuT-78), S63845 resulted in significant apoptosis induction, decrease in cell viability, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase activation, while two other cell lines (MyLa, SeAx) remained completely resistant. An inverse correlation was found, as S63845-resistant cells were highly sensitive to ABT-263/-737, and S63845-sensitive cells showed only moderate sensitivity to ABTs. Combinations of S63845 and ABT-263 partially yielded synergistic effects. As concerning Bcl-2 protein expression, weaker Mcl-1 expression was found in S63845-resistant MyLa and SeAx, while for Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, the lowest expression was found in the highly sensitive cell line HH. The most striking difference between S63845-resistant and -sensitive cells was identified for Bcl-w, which was exclusively expressed in S63845-resistant cells. Thus, CTCL may be efficiently targeted by BH3 mimetics, providing the right target is preselected, and Bcl-w expression may serve as a suitable marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recently, a large number of studies have sought personalized treatment for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) by dividing patients into different molecular subtypes. Autophagy plays an important role in maintaining the tumor microenvironment and immune-related biological processes. However, the molecular subtypes mediated by autophagy in LUSC are not clear. Methods. Based on 490 LUSC samples, we systematically analyzed the molecular subtype modification patterns mediated by autophagy-related genes. The ssGSEA and CIBERSORT algorithm were utilized to quantify the relative abundance of TME cell infiltration. Principal component analysis was used to construct autophagy prognostic score (APS) model. Results. We identified three autophagy subtypes in LUSC, and their clinical outcomes and TME cell infiltration had significant heterogeneity. Cluster A was rich in immune cell infiltration. The enrichment of EMT stromal pathways and immune checkpoint molecules were significantly enhanced, which may lead to its immunosuppression. Cluster B was characterized by relative immunosuppression and relative stromal activation. Cluster C was activated in biological processes related to repair. Patients with high APS were significantly positively correlated with TME stromal activity and poor survival. Meanwhile, high APS showed an advantage in response to anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy. Conclusion. This study explored the autophagy molecular subtypes in LUSC. We also discovered the heterogeneity of TME cell infiltration driven by autophagy-related genes. The established APS model is of great significance for evaluating the prognosis of LUSC patients, the infiltration of TME cells, and the effect of immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Soft Reconfigurable Circulator Enabled by Magnetic Liquid Metal Droplet for Multifunctional Control of Soft Robots. Adv. Sci. 2023, 10, 2300935In the part of the "Acknowledgements" section, the text "The work was funded by the National Science Foundation of China (nos. 52188162 and U1613204)" was incorrect. This should read: "The work was funded by the National Science Foundation of China (nos. 52188102 and U1613204)"We apologize for this error.By Yi Xu; Jiaqi Zhu; Han Chen; Haochen Yong and Zhigang WuReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

The loss or dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells, which are responsible for insulin secretion, constitutes the foundation of all forms of diabetes, a widely prevalent disease worldwide. The replacement of damaged β-cells with regenerated or transplanted cells derived from stem cells is a promising therapeutic strategy. However, inducing the differentiation of stem cells into fully functional glucose-responsive β-cells in vitro has proven to be challenging. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulatory factors governing the differentiation, identity, and function of β-cells. Furthermore, engineered hydrogel systems, biomaterials, and organ-like structures possess engineering characteristics that can provide a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment that supports stem cell differentiation. This review summarizes the roles and contributions of ncRNAs in maintaining the differentiation, identity, and function of β-cells. And it focuses on regulating the levels of ncRNAs in stem cells to activate β-cell genetic programs for generating alternative β-cells and discusses how to manipulate ncRNA expression by combining hydrogel systems and other tissue engineering materials. Elucidating the patterns of ncRNA-mediated regulation in β-cell biology and utilizing this knowledge to control stem cell differentiation may offer promising therapeutic strategies for generating functional insulin-producing cells in diabetes cell replacement therapy and tissue engineering. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in converting secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, a lignan found in flaxseed, to enterodiol, which has a range of health benefits: antioxidative, antitumor, and estrogenic/anti-estrogenic effects. Given the high secoisolariciresinol diglucoside content in flaxseed cake, this study investigated the potential of co-fermenting flaxseed cake with fermented soybean product to isolate bacterial strains that effectively convert secoisolariciresinol diglucoside to enterodiol in a controlled environment (in vitro). The co-fermentation process with stinky tofu microbiota significantly altered the lignan, generating 12 intermediate lignan metabolites as identified by targeted metabolomics. One particular promising strain, ZB26, demonstrated an impressive ability to convert secoisolariciresinol diglucoside. It achieved a conversion rate of 87.42 ± 0.33%, with secoisolariciresinol and enterodiol generation rates of 94.22 ± 0.51% and 2.91 ± 0.03%, respectively. Further optimization revealed, under specific conditions (0.5 mM secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, pH 8, 30 °C for 3 days), ZB26 could convert an even higher percentage (97.75 ± 0.05%) of the secoisolariciresinol diglucoside to generate secoisolariciresinol (103.02 ± 0.16%) and enterodiol (3.18 ± 0.31%). These findings suggest that the identified strains ZB26 have promising potential for developing functional foods and ingredients enriched with lignans. [Display omitted] • Flaxseed cake and fermented tofu were co-fermented for strain screening. • Five Strains of Enterococcus converting flax lignan to enterodiol were isolated. • The metabolic pathway of flax lignans to enterodiol via strain ZB-26 is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that executive control ability may contribute to second language (L2) metaphor comprehension, and this relationship may be modulated by metaphor familiarity. However, so far most studies have been done with behavioral experiments. Using the event-related potential (ERP) and standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis (sLORETA), this study adopted the semantic priming paradigm to examine the role of executive control ability in L2 metaphor comprehension with different degrees of familiarity. The Stroop task was used to measure executive control ability and differentiate the two groups of participants who were presented with three types of word-pair expressions: familiar metaphoric expressions, unfamiliar metaphoric expressions and literal expressions. They were then asked to perform a semantic judgment task. Results revealed more negative amplitudes of N400 and P600 components in participants of low executive control compared with those of high executive control. Metaphor familiarity modulated N400 of both groups of high and low executive control, whereas it only affected P600 of participants of low executive control. sLORETA analysis of both N400 and P600 revealed stronger activation for the low versus high executive control group in the right superior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus during low familiar metaphor comprehension. These results suggest that executive control plays a role in L2 metaphor comprehension, while it is modulated by metaphor familiarity. • This study examined the executive control in second language (L2) metaphor comprehension. • Individuals with low executive control consumed more neural resources. • The effect of executive control diminished when metaphors are too familiar. • Familiarity of metaphor might be an indicator of the predication model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complement system is the first defense line of the immune system. However, pathogens have evolved numerous strategies to evade complement attacks. Streptococcus suis is an important zoonotic bacterium, harmful to both the pig industry and human health. ApuA has been reported as a bifunctional amylopullulanase and also contributed to virulence of S. suis. Herein, we found that ApuA could activate both classical and alternative pathways of the complement system. Furthermore, by using bacterial two-hybrid, far-western blot and ELISA assays, it was confirmed that ApuA could interact with complement C3b. The interaction domain of ApuA with C3b was found to be its α-Amylase domain (ApuA_N). After construction of an apuA mutant (Δ apuA) and its complementary strain, it was found that compared to the wild-type strain (WT), Δ apuA had significantly increased C3b deposition and membrane attack complex formation. Additionally, Δ apuA showed significantly lower survival rates in human serum and blood and was more susceptible to engulfment by neutrophils and macrophages. Mice infected with Δ apuA had significantly higher survival rates and lower bacterial loads in their blood, lung and brains, compared to those infected with WT. In summary, this study identified ApuA as a novel factor involved in the complement evasion of S. suis and suggested its multifunctional role in the pathogenesis of S. suis. • S. suis amylopullulanase ApuA can activate classical and alternate complement pathways. • S. suis ApuA can interact with complement C3b. • ApuA contributes to the pathogenicity of S. suis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major component of lung cancer and is significantly correlated with poor prognosis. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation is closely related to the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of cancer. The potential biological functions and mechanisms of m6A RNA methylation in the immune microenvironment are still unclear. Methods. We assessed m6A RNA methylation modification patterns in 1326 NSCLC patient samples based on 20 m6A regulators, linking these clusters to the tumor microenvironment and immune cell infiltration. The m6Ascore was created to quantify the m6A modification patterns of individual tumors. We then assessed the value of NSCLC patients in terms of clinical prognosis and immunotherapy response. Results. According to different mRNA expression levels, two different m6A clusters were identified. m6A aggregation was significantly associated with clinical prognostic characteristics, the tumor microenvironment, and immune-related biological processes. Fifteen differential genes were screened based on these two m6A clusters, and to further investigate the mechanisms of action of these differential genes, they were subjected to unsupervised clustering analysis, which classified them into four different genomic isoforms. Prognostic analysis indicated that the survival advantage of the m6A gene cluster A modification mode was significantly prominent. We continued to construct the m6Ascore, which was used as a scoring tool to evaluate tumor typing, immunity, and prognosis. Patients with a low m6Ascore showed a significant survival advantage, and the group with a low m6Ascore had a better prognosis predicted by immunotherapy. The anti-PD-1/L1 immunotherapy cohort showed that a lower m6Ascore was associated with higher efficacy of immunotherapy. Conclusions. The results suggest that m6A RNA methylation regulators make an important difference in the tumor immune microenvironment of patients with NSCLC. m6A gene characterization and the construction of the m6Ascore provide us with a richer understanding of m6A RNA methylation modification patterns in NSCLC patients and help to predict clinical prognosis and immunotherapeutic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of adolescents and young adults (AYA) who use cannabis also use alcohol. Although cannabis use is increasing in the United States (US), it is not known whether the increase contributes to either increased co‐use of alcohol and cannabis (e.g., complementarity) or replacement of alcohol with cannabis (e.g., substitution). The current study estimated the prevalence of alcohol use by cannabis use status among US AYA ages 12 to 25 in 2018 and trends in alcohol use by cannabis use status from 2002 to 2018. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2002 to 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health public use data files. The analytic sample included AYA ages 12 to 25 (2018 sample, n = 26,924; total combined sample 2002 to 2018, n = 576,053). Linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate past‐month alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and average quantity of alcohol consumed among AYA with and without past‐month cannabis use from 2002 to 2018. Results: In 2018, any alcohol use and daily alcohol use were significantly more common among AYA who used cannabis use than those who did not use cannabis. Overall, any alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and average drinks per day declined from 2002 to 2018 among AYA irrespective of recent cannabis use. However, the decline in any alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and average alcohol drinks per day was more rapid among AYA who used cannabis (daily and nondaily) than those who did not use cannabis. The rate of decline in average alcohol drinks per day was also higher among AYA with daily compared to nondaily cannabis use. Conclusions: Even with declines in alcohol use over time, drinking is much more common among AYA who report cannabis than those without recent cannabis use, which is consistent with complementarity. Yet, because the decline in alcohol use has been more rapid among AYA who use cannabis, there is also evidence of substitution. Thus, the current data on alcohol and cannabis use are consistent with both complementarity and substitution. However, these relationships may change as cannabis legalization expands over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefit from high quantum efficiency and low dark current, blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detectors have been the state-of-the-art choice in astronomy science. The temperature extrinsic-response-reduction mechanism in BIB detectors is vague for lack of pertinent research. We fabricated Si:P BIB detectors with a remarkable blackbody detectivity of 2 × 1012 cm · Hz1/2/W at 4 K, 2 V (blackbody 800 K). Both varying temperature optoelectronic characterization and calculated results overturn the common standpoint that focuses on ionization proportion. Instead, solid evidence indicates that the increase in the negative charge density according to temperature significantly influences the width of the depletion region until it totally vanishes beyond 20 K. The mechanism enriches the design thoughts of the BIB detector for improving its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical treatment of post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is limited to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) extracranial shunting, and research on noninvasive treatment is still lacking. In a follow-up study of a patient with PTH, atorvastatin treatment was beneficial in controlling hydrocephalus and promoting neurological recovery. A 29-year-old male patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI) was found to have progressive hydrocephalus and presented with symptoms of decreased spontaneous speech and delayed functional recovery. We added oral treatment with 20 mg/day atorvastatin and followed up hydrocephalus with head CT every two months. The span of the third ventricle decreased by 21%, Evan's index fell by 16%, and the Fugl-Meyer motor score was up from 17/100 to 56/100. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was modified from 15/30 to 23/30. The use of atorvastatin in the patient may improve the imaging results and benefit the patient functionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial attribute editing has gained increasing attention recently. Previous methods tackle this challenge by incorporating encoder–decoder and generative adversarial networks. However, the bottleneck layer in encoder–decoder of these methods often leads to blurry and low-quality editing results. And skip connections are used between deep and shallow layers to improve image quality but suffer from a limited ability to manipulate attribute. To address these issues, we propose a novel Facial Attribute Editing Generative Adversarial Networks from a selective refinement perspective, which is capable of focusing on editing the image attributes to be changed while preserving its unique details. Specifically, our method first learns a spatially varying function that maps a high-level feature map to an appropriate parameter map of the normalization layer. Then, by utilizing the residual block, the low-level feature map is added to the feature map after modulation, making the attribute refinement task easier. Experimental results show the superiority of our method in both performances of the attribute manipulation accuracy and perception quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of train transportation toward higher speed and heavier load requires superior wheel materials with high strength and toughness. Herein, a 20Mn2SiNiMo bainitic wheel steel is developed and bainitic wheels are produced. The quenching and tempering process of bainitic wheels is studied considering the bainitic ferrite content and stability of retained austenite (RA). The quenching process includes water spraying and air cooling. Proeutectoid ferrite can be suppressed during the water‐spraying process. During air cooling, the bainitic ferrite transformation is promoted and the stability of RA is improved with the extension of cooling time. Corresponding microstructure of as‐quenched steel at wheel rim is bainite with different morphologies, martensite, and RA. The evolution of RA at lower and higher tempering temperatures is dominated by carbon enrichment and carbon consumption, respectively. Yield strength of bainitic wheel steel mainly comes from body‐centered cubic phase (containing martensite and bainitic ferrite). The increase of dislocation density and the decrease of effective grain size are beneficial for yield strength improvement. Bainitic packets with various direction, deformation‐induced martensite transformation of RA, and plastic deformation all play an important role in enhancing the toughness of bainitic wheel steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Acute lung injury (ALI) not only affects pulmonary function but also leads to intestinal dysfunction, which in turn contributes to ALI. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation can be a potential strategy in the treatment of ALI. However, the mechanisms of synergistic regulatory effects by MSCs on the lung and intestine in ALI need more in‐depth study. Materials and methods: We evaluated the therapeutic effects of MSCs on the murine model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced ALI through survival rate, histopathology and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to assess the gut microbiota. The levels of pulmonary and intestinal inflammation and immune response were assessed by analysing cytokine expression and flow cytometry. Results: Mesenchymal stem cells significantly improved the survival rate of mice with ALI, alleviated histopathological lung damage, improved intestinal barrier integrity, and reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the lung and gut. Furthermore, MSCs inhibited the inflammatory response by decreasing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in both small‐intestinal lymphocytes and Peyer's patches. The gut bacterial community diversity was significantly altered by MSC transplantation. Furthermore, depletion of intestinal bacterial communities with antibiotics resulted in more severe lung and gut damages and mortality, while MSCs significantly alleviated lung injury due to their immunosuppressive effect. Conclusions: The present research indicates that MSCs attenuate lung and gut injury partly via regulation of the immune response in the lungs and intestines and gut microbiota, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of MSC treatment for LPS‐induced ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cholangiocyte senescence is an important pathological process in diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Stem cell/induced pluripotent stem cell-derived exosomes have shown anti-senescence effects in various diseases. We applied novel organoid culture technology to establish and characterize cholangiocyte organoids (cholangioids) with oxidative stress-induced senescence and then investigated whether human placenta mesenchymal stem cell (hPMSC)-derived exosomes exerted a protective effect in senescent cholangioids. Methods: We identified the growth characteristics of cholangioids by light microscopy and confocal microscopy. Exosomes were introduced concurrently with H2O2 into the cholangioids. Using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining analyses, we assessed the expression patterns of the senescence markers p16INK4a, p21WAF1/Cip1, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) and then characterized the mRNA and protein expression levels of chemokines and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) components. Results: Well-established cholangioids expressed cholangiocyte-specific markers. Oxidative stress-induced senescence enhanced the expression of the senescence-associated proteins p16INK4a, p21WAF1/Cip1, and SA-β-gal in senescent cholangioids compared with the control group. Treatment with hPMSC-derived exosomes delayed the cholangioid aging progress and reduced the levels of SASP components (i.e., interleukin-6 and chemokine CC ligand 2). Conclusions: Senescent organoids are a potential novel model for better understanding senescence progression in cholangiocytes. hPMSC-derived exosomes exert protective effects against senescent cholangioids under oxidative stress-induced injury by delaying aging and reducing SASP components, which might have therapeutic potential for PSC or PBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cigarette use is declining among youth in the United States, whereas cannabis use and e-cigarette use are increasing. Cannabis use has been linked with increased uptake and persistence of cigarette smoking among adults. The goal of this study was to examine whether cannabis use is associated with the prevalence and incidence of cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual product use among U.S. youth.Methods: Data included U.S. youth ages 12-17 from two waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (Wave 1 youth, n = 13 651; Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth, n = 10 081). Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine the association between Wave 1 cannabis use and (1) Wave 1 prevalence of cigarette/e-cigarette use among Wave 1 youth and (2) Wave 2 incidence of cigarette/e-cigarette use among Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth. Analyses were run unadjusted and adjusted for demographics and internalizing/externalizing problem symptoms.Results: Wave 1 cigarette and e-cigarette use were significantly more common among youth who used versus did not use cannabis. Among Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth, Wave 1 cannabis use was associated with significantly increased incidence of cigarette and e-cigarette use by Wave 2.Conclusions: Youth who use cannabis are more likely to report cigarette and e-cigarette use, and cannabis use is associated with increased risk of initiation of cigarette and e-cigarette use over 1 year. Continued success in tobacco control-specifically toward reducing smoking among adolescents-may require focusing on cannabis, e-cigarette, and cigarette use in public health education, outreach, and intervention efforts.Implications: These data extend our knowledge of cigarette and e-cigarette use among youth by showing that cannabis use is associated with increased prevalence and incidence of cigarette and e-cigarette use among youth, relative to youth who do not use cannabis. The increasing popularity of cannabis use among youth and diminished perceptions of risk, coupled with the strong link between cannabis use and tobacco use, may have unintended consequences for cigarette control efforts among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gold-based nanoflower composite with dual drugs incorporation was developed. • It allows for mild-temperature PDT, PDC, and controlled drug delivery upon NIR. • This advanced nano-system efficiently promotes infectious skin tissue regeneration. The skin wound-healing under infectious conditions remains challenging owing to the lack of efficient strategies to inhibit drug-resistant bacteria growth and control inflammation. Photothermal therapy shows efficient antimicrobial effects, whereas it generates excessive heat to damage tissue and inflammation to impair tissue regeneration. Herein, we develop the multifunctional gold-based nanoflowers incorporated with photosensitizer (Ce6, for PDT) and anti-inflammatory drug (bromfenac sodium/BS). This allows for a nanosystem to combine the mild-photothermal therapy (mPTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and drug-controlled release anti-inflammation therapy for infectious skin regeneration. Upon laser irradiation, the local temperature increased (to a mild temperature of ∼ 45 ℃, mPTT) along with the singly linear oxygen (from PDT) for anti-infection; the release of BS was triggered for anti-inflammation. The multifunctional nanoflowers achieved 99 % antibacterial efficiencies and biofilm inhibition in vitro. They showed good biocompatibility and improved wound-healing in the animal models of subcutaneous abscess and skin wound infected with drug-resistant bacteria. In addition to the antibacterial effect from mPTT and PDT, the nanoflowers regulated the immune microenvironment by controlled releasing BS, inhibiting inflammation and promoting growth factor production, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis to improve skin wound-healing. Therefore, this study provides an advanced nano-system with photo-triggered antimicrobial and anti-inflammation activities, which improves infectious skin tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) exposure may be associated with male semen quality. Besides, PM exposure induces up and down levels of trace metals in tissues or organs. The levels of trace metals in semen are critical for adverse male semen quality. This study aims to evaluate the concentrations of seminal-level trace metals in fertile men and assess its associations with PM exposure and to explore the mediation role of trace metals in seminal plasma plays in the relationship between PM exposure and semen quality. Total 1225 fertile men who participated in a cohort study from 2014 to 2016 were finally recruited. Multivariate linear regression was applied to explore associations between each two of PM exposure, trace metals and semen parameters. 1-year PM 2.5 and PM 10 exposure levels were positively associated with arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) but negatively associated with vanadium (V), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba) in semen. It was also found that most of the elements were associated with total sperm number, followed by sperm concentration. Redundancy analysis (RDA) also determined several strong positive correlations or negative correlations between 1-year PM exposure and trace metals. Mediation analysis found that trace metals had a potentially compensatory or synergetic indirect effect on the total effect of the association between 1-year PM exposure and semen quality. The retrospective cohort study provides long-term PM exposure that may cause abnormal semen quality by affecting seminal plasma element levels. [Display omitted] • PM exposure affected levels of seminal plasma trace metals in fertile men. • Long-term exposure to PM negatively affected semen quality. • Trace metals mediated the associations between PM exposure and semen quality. • Trace metals have compensatory or synergetic indirect effects from the total. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu‐catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds for the synthesis of β‐amino acid derivatives was achieved through ligand‐controlled reversal of the hydrocupration regioselectivity. While the hydrocupration of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds to form α‐cuprated species has been extensively investigated, we report herein that, in the presence of an appropriate ancillary chiral ligand, the opposite regiochemistry can be observed for cinnamic acid derivatives, leading to the delivery of the copper to the β‐position. This copper can react with an electrophilic aminating reagent, 1,2‐benzisoxazole, to provide enantioenriched β‐amino acid derivatives, which are important building blocks for the synthesis of natural products and bioactive small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu‐catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds for the synthesis of β‐amino acid derivatives was achieved through ligand‐controlled reversal of the hydrocupration regioselectivity. While the hydrocupration of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds to form α‐cuprated species has been extensively investigated, we report herein that, in the presence of an appropriate ancillary chiral ligand, the opposite regiochemistry can be observed for cinnamic acid derivatives, leading to the delivery of the copper to the β‐position. This copper can react with an electrophilic aminating reagent, 1,2‐benzisoxazole, to provide enantioenriched β‐amino acid derivatives, which are important building blocks for the synthesis of natural products and bioactive small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cigarette use is declining yet remains common among adults with mental health conditions. In contrast, e-cigarette use may be on the rise. This study investigated the relationship between serious psychological distress (SPD) and the exclusive and dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes among US adults from 2014 to 2017.Aims and Methods: Data came from 2014 to 2017 National Health Interview Survey, an annual, cross-sectional survey of nationally representative samples of US adults (total combined analytic sample n = 125 302). Past-month SPD was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and cigarette and e-cigarette use were assessed at each wave. Logistic regressions examined product use by SPD status in 2017 and trends in product use by SPD status from 2014 to 2017. Analyses adjusted for demographic covariates.Results: The prevalence of cigarette use, e-cigarette use, and dual use was higher among adults with SPD than without SPD in each year including the most recent data year 2017 (cigarette use, 39.50% vs. 13.40%, p < .001; e-cigarette use, 7.41% vs. 2.65%, p < .001; dual use, 5.30% vs. 1.26%, p < .001). Among adults with SPD, the prevalence of cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual product use did not change from 2014 to 2017 in contrast to a decreasing prevalence in cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual product use among individuals without SPD.Conclusions: US adults with SPD report higher levels of cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual product use than adults without SPD. Use of these products has not declined over the past several years in contrast to decreasing trends among adults without SPD.Implications: These data extend our knowledge of tobacco product use and mental health disparities by showing that in addition to higher levels of cigarette use, US adults with SPD also use e-cigarettes and dual products (cigarette and e-cigarette) more commonly than those without SPD. Furthermore, the use of these products has not declined over the past several years in contrast to continuing declines among adults without SPD. More research is needed to understand the potential positive and negative consequences of e-cigarette use among adults with SPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Irisin is a newly identified exercise‐induced myokine which can affect glucose metabolism and cortical bone mass and strength. However, the influence of irisin on cementoblasts remains largely unknown. Material and methods: An immortalized mouse cementoblast cell line OCCM‐30 was used in this study. Cementoblast differentiation markers and PGC‐1α in cells cultured with mineral induction medium were evaluated by qRT‐PCR. Cementoblast mineralization was evaluated by alizarin red staining. Differentiation markers and the activity of p38 MAPK pathway under irisin stimulation were assessed by qRT‐PCR or Western blot analysis. p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor SB203580 or p38 siRNA was used to further identify the regulatory mechanism. Cell proliferation treated with irisin was examined by CCK‐8 method. Results: The expression of Runx2, osterix, ALP, and PGC‐1α was up‐regulated consistently under mineral induction. The formation of mineralized nodules was increased by irisin. Runx2, osterix, ALP, and osteocalcin were obviously up‐regulated under irisin stimulation as well as the activity of p38 MAPK pathway. When pretreated with SB203580 or p38 siRNA before irisin stimulation, the irisin‐induced differentiation was distinctly suppressed. OCCM‐30 cell proliferation was enhanced when treated with high‐dose irisin for long time. Conclusion: Irisin can promote the differentiation of cementoblasts via p38 MAPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu‐catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds for the synthesis of β‐amino acid derivatives was achieved through ligand‐controlled reversal of the hydrocupration regioselectivity. While the hydrocupration of α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds to form α‐cuprated species has been extensively investigated, we report herein that, in the presence of an appropriate ancillary chiral ligand, the opposite regiochemistry can be observed for cinnamic acid derivatives, leading to the delivery of the copper to the β‐position. This copper can react with an electrophilic aminating reagent, 1,2‐benzisoxazole, to provide enantioenriched β‐amino acid derivatives, which are important building blocks for the synthesis of natural products and bioactive small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A CdTe/PbTe heterojunction (HJ) yields two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with a high electron density and mobility. Ultrahigh-speed and room-temperature operating mid-infrared photodetectors are developed with the 2DEG. The photoresponse of the detectors originates from the intrinsic response of PbTe by virtue of the conduction-band and valence-band alignment of the HJ. The extremely short rise and decay photoresponse time demonstrate a major advantage of the 2DEG. At λ = 3.0 μm and a bias voltage of 100 mV, the responsivity and detectivity reach 0.94 A/W and 2 × 1010 Jones, respectively. The excellent performance of the detectors renders promising applications in novel mid-infrared frequency detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly transparent MgAl 2 O 4 ceramics have been fabricated by aqueous gelcasting combined with cold isostatic pressing (CIP), pressureless sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) from high purity spinel nanopowders. The gelling system used AM and MABM as monomer and gelling agent. The influences of dispersant and PH on the rheological behavior of the MgAl 2 O 4 slurries were investigated. The spinel slurry with low solids loading (25 vol%) and low viscosity (0.15 Pa s) was obtained by using 6 wt% Duramax-3005 (D-3005) as dispersant. After CIP, the green body had a relative density of 48% with a narrow pore size distribution. The influence of sintering temperature on densification and microstructure was studied, choosing 1500 °C as the sintering temperature. After HIP (1650 °C/177 MPa/5 h), transparent MgAl 2 O 4 ceramic with the thickness of 3 mm was obtained, whose in-line transmittance was 86.4% at 1064 nm and 79.8% at 400 nm, respectively. The ceramic exhibited a dense microstructure with the average grain size of 23 μm. The Vickers hardness and flexure strength of the sample reached 13.6 GPa and 214 MPa, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone tissue engineering scaffold provides an effective treatment for bone defect repair. Biodegradable bone scaffold made of various synthetic and natural materials can be used as bone substitutes and grafts for defect site, which has great potential to support bone regeneration. Regulation of cell-scaffold material interactions is an important factor for modulating the cellular activity in bone tissue engineering scaffold applications. Thus, the hydrophilic, mechanical, and chemical properties of scaffold materials directly affect the results of bone regeneration and functional recovery. In this study, a poly-L-lysine (PLL) surface-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/graphene oxide (GO) (PLL-PLGA/GO) hybrid fiber matrix was fabricated for bone tissue regeneration. Characterization of the resultant hybrid fiber matrices was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, and a material testing machine. According to the results obtained from the test above, the PLL-PLGA/GO hybrid fiber matrices exhibited high wettability and mechanical strength. The special surface characteristics of PLL-PLGA/GO hybrid fiber matrices were more beneficial for protein adsorption and inhibit the proliferation of pathogens. Moreover, the enhanced regulation of MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation and differentiation was observed, when the resultant hybrid fiber matrices were combined with electrical stimulation (ES). The cellular response of MC3T3-E1 cells including cell adhesion, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition, and osteogenesis-related gene expression was significantly enhanced with the synergistic effect of resultant hybrid fiber matrices and ES. These data indicate that the PLL-PLGA/GO hybrid fiber matrices supported the cellular response in terms of cell proliferation and osteogenesis differentiation in the presence of electrical stimulation, which could be a potential treatment for bone defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to establish the error model of an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine by using the traditional mathematical modeling because there are many error factors between which the relationship is nonlinear. Taking the angle coding, thermal deformation, probe system, and coordinate values as the research object on the basis of parameter calibration, this paper establishes the compensation model to reduce length error through the Back Propagation (BP) neural network. The connection weights are optimized by the modified simulated annealing (MSA) algorithm so as to solve the issues of neural networks easily falling into a local minimum value and poor anti-interference ability. The data samples obtained through experiments are utilized to train the error model, while the model built compensates test data. It is indicated in the experiment that the average of length measurement after the compensation decreases from −0.0946 mm to −0.0046 mm, and the length measurement deviation at eight different locations is reduced by 0.1352 mm with respect to the MSA-BP model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon materials are very promising for electromagnetic wave absorption application due to their light weight and low cost, where the reflection loss is used to evaluate the absorption efficiency. However, the reflection loss of carbon materials (carbon foam, graphene, and carbon nanotube) without loading magnetic particles is not as high as expected. Here, we propose to unzip carbon nanotubes into graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs), followed by controllable reduction treatment using hydrazine hydrate, and the reduced GONRs were finalized (called as r-GONRs). The r-GONRs exhibit obvious dielectric relaxation behaviors compared to GONRs, and the dielectric loss is improved by increasing the reduction degree. The optimized r-GONRs show ultrahigh electromagnetic absorption, up to −65.09 dB at a thickness of 2 mm, which is more advantageous than the reported values of other carbon materials. The efficient absorption bandwidth (reflection loss ≤−10 dB) reaches 7.06 GHz. These are attributed to the large dielectric loss of the unique graphene nanoribbon. Our controllable reduced graphene nanoribbon is promising in the application of radar wave absorption and electromagnetic shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) utilising microbubbles shows great potential for visualising lymphatic vessels and identifying sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) which are valuable for axillary staging in breast cancer patients. However, current CEUS imaging techniques have limitations that affect the accurate visualisation and tracking of lymphatic vessels and SLN. (i) Tissue artefacts and bubble disruption can reduce the image contrast. (ii) Limited spatial and temporal resolution diminishes the amount of information that can be captured by CEUS. (iii) The slow lymph flow makes Doppler-based approaches less effective. This work evaluates on a lymphatic vessel phantom the use of high frame rate (HFR) CEUS for the detection of lymphatic vessels where flow is slow. Specifically, the work particularly investigates the impact of key factors in lymphatic imaging, including ultrasound pressure and flow velocity as well as probe motion during vessel tracking, on bubble disruption and image contrast. Experiments were also conducted to apply HFR CEUS imaging on vasculature in a rabbit popliteal lymph node (LN). Our results show that (i) HFR imaging and singular value decomposition (SVD) filtering can significantly reduce tissue artefacts in the phantom at high clinical frequencies; (ii) the slow flow rate within the phantom makes image contrast and signal persistence more susceptible to changes in ultrasound amplitude or mechanical index (MI), and an MI value can be chosen to reach a compromise between images contrast and bubble disruption under slow flow condition; (iii) probe motion significantly decreases image contrast of the vessel, which can be improved by applying motion correction before SVD filtering; (iv) the optical observation of the impact of ultrasound pressure on HFR CEUS further confirms the importance of optimising ultrasound amplitude and (v) vessels inside rabbit LN with blood flow less than 3 mm/s are clearly visualised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) films with many superior properties approaching those of diamond crystal were prepared using filtered cathodic vacuum arc technology. To ascertain the sp3-rich deposition condition, the dependence of the film microstructure on the deposition energy was investigated by means of visible Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, x-ray reflectivity, and nanoindentation. The maximum hardness and Young’s modulus are achieved at a bias of -80 V, at which the maximum sp3 fraction of about 82% is obtained. Under this condition, the most symmetric Raman line shape, the highest x-ray photoemission C 1s core level position and a π* transition peak with the smallest integral area in the K-edge spectra are simultaneously achieved. The structural properties are found to be strongly correlated with the mass density of the films. At the optimal substrate bias of -80 V, the film mass density reaches its maximum value. The cross section of the films is characterized with a layered distribution in mass density. A surface layer with low density is an intrinsic feature and experimental evidence of the subplantation growth of the films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterojunction semiconductors have been extensively applied in various optoelectronic devices due to their unique carrier transport characteristics. However, it is still a challenge to construct heterojunctions based on colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) due to stress and lattice mismatch. Herein, HgSe/CsPbBrxI3−x heterojunctions with type I band alignment are acquired that are derived from minor lattice mismatch (~1.5%) via tuning the ratio of Br and I in halide perovskite. Meanwhile, HgSe CQDs with oleylamine ligands can been exchanged with a halide perovskite precursor, acquiring a smooth and compact quantum dot film. The photoconductive detector based on HgSe/CsPbBrxI3−x heterojunction presents a distinct photoelectric response under an incident light of 630 nm. The work provides a promising strategy to construct CQD-based heterojunctions, simultaneously achieving inorganic ligand exchange, which paves the way to obtain high-performance photodetectors based on CQD heterojunction films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The simulation predicts that the extraordinary transmission occurs. • The photoresponses of the THz detectors integrated with PHS are modulated. • The photoresponse of the reference detector without PHS covers a broad scope. • It demonstrates the potential of our device in multi-spectral THz detection. We predict an extraordinary transmission (ET) of a periodic hole structure (PHS) by simulating plasmonic properties using finite difference time-domain Solutions. The ET effect is used to modulate the photoresponse by integrating the PHS into silicon-based blocked-impurity-band (BIB) terahertz detectors. The measured photoresponses of the experimentally realized PHS + BIB detectors confirm the tunability of photoresponses. Moreover, the electromagnetic field distribution is also simulated, which reveals that the prominent modulation effect originates from a strongly confined electromagnetic field. The response away from the resonance wavelength is largely suppressed. This work demonstrates the potential of our device in multi-spectral terahertz detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared transparent windows on aircraft and missiles can be subjected to extreme aerothermodynamics, which can cause thermal shock failure. Finite element analysis and oxygen–propane flame jet impingement tests were performed to investigate the thermal shock failure of an yttrium oxide-coated chemical vapor deposition (CVD) ZnS infrared window. Good agreement was achieved between the simulation and experimental results, which indicated that thermal shock failure occurs under high temperature differences and thermal stresses. The temperature and stress in the samples increased rapidly in a few seconds and then trended to be stable. The center area of the window surface failed most easily because the maximum temperature and stress both occurred in this area. No delamination of the Y 2 O 3 films occurred during the thermal shock, which indicated good adhesion between the Y 2 O 3 films and CVD ZnS substrate. In the experiment, the center area of the specimen surface was damaged in the form of pits and line cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent MgAl 2 O 4 ceramics have been successfully fabricated by microwave sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) from high purity spinel nanopowders. The influence of microwave sintering temperature on densification and microstructure was studied, choosing 1400 °C as the sintering temperature. The comparative study of microwave sintering and pressureless sintering of MgAl 2 O 4 ceramics was made to investigate the difference between the two sintering methods. Compared to the conventional pressureless sintering, the microwave sintered MgAl 2 O 4 ceramics reach relative high density at lower temperature and much shorter time. The in-line transmittance of the transparent 1.5 mm thick MgAl 2 O 4 ceramic obtained by microwave sintering (1400 °C, 80 min) and HIP (1650 °C/180 MPa/3 h) was 86.4% at 1064 nm and 80.2% at 400 nm, respectively. The samples have a Vickers hardness of 13.7 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-infrared blocked-impurity-band (BIB) photonic detectors are developed by sulfur (S) ions implantation into germanium (Ge) crystal. The detectors demonstrate wide photoresponse spectra ranging from 2 to 10 μm with peak response at about 6 μm. We characterize photocurrent spectra of two operating modes, forward bias mode (FBM) and reverse bias mode (RBM), and find that RBM has a lower optimum bias but a bigger photocurrent. Effect of different blocking layer (BL) length on photocurrents for the two operating modes is studied. When BL length increases, the ratio of the relative photocurrent under RBM to that under FBM at respective optimum bias enlarges. The slope of the electric field profile in BL leads to the differences of optimum bias and maximum photocurrent between two modes. The electric field strength in AL under RBM strengthens as BL length increases, resulting in larger photocurrent for longer BL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]