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Background: The relationship between surgical sperm retrieval of different etiologies and clinical pregnancy is unclear. We aimed to develop a robust and interpretable machine learning (ML) model for predicting clinical pregnancy using the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) association of surgical sperm retrieval from testes of different etiologies. Methods: A total of 345 infertile couples who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment with surgical sperm retrieval due to different etiologies from February 2020 to March 2023 at the reproductive center were retrospectively analyzed. The six machine learning (ML) models were used to predict the clinical pregnancy of ICSI. After evaluating the performance characteristics of the six ML models, the Extreme Gradient Boosting model (XGBoost) was selected as the best model, and SHAP was utilized to interpret the XGBoost model for predicting clinical pregnancies and to reveal the decision-making process of the model. Results: Combining the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, brier score, and the area under the precision-recall (P-R) curve (AP), the XGBoost model has the best performance (AUROC: 0.858, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.778–0.936, accuracy: 79.71%, brier score: 0.151). The global summary plot of SHAP values shows that the female age is the most important feature influencing the model output. The SHAP plot showed that younger age in females, bigger testicular volume (TV), non-tobacco use, higher anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), lower follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in females, lower FSH in males, the temporary ejaculatory disorders (TED) group, and not the non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) group all resulted in an increased probability of clinical pregnancy. Conclusions: The XGBoost model predicts clinical pregnancies associated with testicular sperm retrieval of different etiologies with high accuracy, reliability, and robustness. It can provide clinical counseling decisions for patients with surgical sperm retrieval of various etiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activated sludge process plays a crucial role in modern wastewater treatment plants. During the treatment of daily sewage, a large amount of residual sludge is generated, which, if improperly managed, can pose burdens on the environment and human health. Additionally, the highly hydrated colloidal structure of biopolymers limits the rate and degree of dewatering, making mechanical dewatering challenging. This study investigates the impact and mechanism of microwave irradiation (MW) in conjunction with peracetic acid (PAA) on the dewatering efficiency of sludge. Sludge dewatering effectiveness was assessed through capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF). Examination of the impact of MW-PAA treatment on sludge dewatering performance involved assessing the levels of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), employing three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM), Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy. Findings reveal that optimal dewatering performance, with respective reductions of 91.22% for SRF and 84.22% for CST, was attained under the following conditions: microwave power of 600 W, reaction time of 120 s, and PAA dosage of 0.25 g/g MLSS. Additionally, alterations in both sludge EPS composition and floc morphology pre- and post-MW-PAA treatment underwent examination. The findings demonstrate that microwaves additionally boost the breakdown of PAA into •OH radicals, suggesting a synergistic effect upon combining MW-PAA treatment. These pertinent research findings offer insights into employing MW-PAA technology for residual sludge treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subaerial exposure of the modern continental crust through time remains intensely debated, with estimates of the first exposure ranging from the late Archean to the Neoproterozoic. To constrain when and how much of the continental crust was exposed subaerially during Earth's history, we trained a supervised machine learning model on the compositions of modern subaerial and submerged basalts. Then, we applied this well‐trained model to a refined worldwide data set of basaltic compositions and calculated the mean proportions of basalts erupted subaerially since 3.8 billion years ago (Ga). Our results suggest that ∼20% of the basalts were exposed subaerially in the early Archean, which may have driven the synthesis of biopolymers crucial to the origins and evolution of life. The proportion of subaerial basalts increased markedly during two stages between the late Archean and the Paleoproterozoic before reaching the present‐day level no earlier than ∼1.8 Ga. Plain Language Summary: Although land only covers about 30% of Earth's surface, it plays a crucial role in our planet's ecosystem by interacting with the ocean and atmosphere. Scientists are still debating when and how much land was above sea level throughout history. In our study, we used a machine learning technique to analyze the chemical compositions of basalts and classified rocks that formed on land and under water. We then used this program to study rocks from different times in Earth's history and estimate how much land was above the oceans over time. We found that about 15%–30% of the continents were above the oceans about 3.8 to 2.8 billion years ago (Ga). This may have helped life evolve by creating molecules essential for living things. The amount of land above water increased significantly during two periods between 2.8 and 1.8 Ga and reached today's level no earlier than 1.8 Ga. Key Points: Improve the geochemical data quality of global basaltic rocksMachine learning can effectively classify subaerially and subaqueously erupted basaltsThe subaerial proportion of basalts may reach present‐day level at about 1.8 billion years ago to a maximum [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We determined the common clinical characteristics of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and investigated the relationship between H. pylori infection, and clinical symptoms, and gastroscopic manifestations. Our focus was specifically on the clinical manifestations in asymptomatic patients. Methods We obtained the physical examination data of patients who underwent the 14C urea breath test between January 2018 and December 2020 at our Hospital. Basic demographic data, questionnaire data on clinical symptoms, and clinical examination data of the patients were also collected, and the correlation analysis was performed. Results A total of 2863 participants were included in the study. The overall H. pylori infection rate was 26.30%. The clinical symptoms between H. pylori -positive patients and H. pylori- negative patients did not differ significantly (P  > .05). However, H. pylori -positive patients exhibited more severe gastroscopic manifestations (P  < .001). The 14C urea breath test disintegrations per minute (DPM) values in H. pylori -positive patients correlated with their serum pepsinogen and gastrin-17 levels. With an increase in the DPM value, more combinations of clinical symptoms appeared in the patients. Among H. pylori -positive patients, DPM levels in asymptomatic patients were lower than those in symptomatic patients (P  < .001). However, gastroscopic manifestations did not vary significantly between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (P  > .05). Conclusion Patients infected with H. pylori showed no specific gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with asymptomatic infection showed lower DPM levels, but their gastroscopic manifestations were similar to those of patients with symptomatic infection, and their lesions were more severe than H. pylori -negative people. Key message What is already known on the subject H. pylori is highly contagious and is an important etiological factor for many kinds of disease. Eradication of H. pylori infection can decrease the cost of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of H. pylori -associated diseases, but the eradication therapy may lead to adverse drug reactions. It has been suggested the treatment for asymptomatic infections should not overkill. What we have found Gastroscopic manifestations of asymptomatic patients were similar to those of symptomatic patients. Both of their lesions were more severe than H. pylori -negative individuals. We provide a theoretical basis for the consideration of the need for further gastroscopy and treatment in clinically asymptomatic infected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of naringin (Nar) in alleviating ultraviolet B (UVB)‐induced HaCaT cell senescence and damage. Human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) were divided into control, UVB, UVB + Nar, UVB + Cap, and UVB + Nar + Cap groups. Analysis was performed using the MTT assay to assess cell viability, flow cytometry to measure the apoptosis level, SA‐β‐Gal staining to observe cellular senescence, and Western blot to assess protein levels of TRPV1, p16, p53, p21, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐1, and MMP‐9. Both UVB irradiation and capsaicin (Cap) treatment upregulated the expression of TRPV1 in HaCaT cells, inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and increased the expression of p16, p53, p21, MMP‐1, and MMP‐9. Nar treatment reversed the above effects via inhibition of TRPV1 expression, thereby relieving senescence and cell damage induced by UVB irradiation. Taken together, these findings suggest that Nar can reduce UVB‐induced senescence and damage in HaCaT cells by acting as an antagonist of TRPV1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microencapsulation of B. bifidum F-35 was carried out through emulsification technique in order to increase the microbial load while maintaining the rheological functions of set-yogurt. To produce single-layer (SL) microcapsules of whey protein, the pH was adjusted to 6.4 within Transglutaminase-induced gelation. Sodium alginate was processed as the external layer using calcium-induced gelation (pH 5.5) to produce the double-layer (DL) microcapsule. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that SL and DL microcapsules had sizes of 10 and 280 μm, respectively. The highest microbial load was clearly visible in the DL sample. According to texture profile analysis, the DL sample had the highest levels of gumminess, chewiness, and adhesiveness. The free sample outperformed the encapsulated samples in terms of springiness and cohesiveness. Although the SL sample had the highest viscosity, it produced a deformed gel when firmness was measured. In terms of firmness, the DL sample performed quite well. The viability of encapsulated B. bifidum F-35 in DL was higher than SL microcapsules during storage. Microencapsulation of B. bifidum F-35 with whey protein and sodium alginate is a promising technique that could improve the rheological properties of set-yogurt as a popular vehicle for bioactive ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and clinical utility of a compressed-sensing-accelerated subtractionless whole-body MRA (CS-WBMRA) protocol with only contrast injection for suspected arterial diseases, by comparison to conventional dual-pass subtraction-based whole-body MRA (conventional-WBMRA) and available computed tomography angiography (CTA). Materials and methods: This prospective study assessed 86 patients (mean age, 56 years ± 16.4 [standard deviation]; 25 women) with suspected arterial diseases from May 2021 to December 2022, who underwent CS-WBMRA (n = 48, mean age, 55.9 years ± 16.4 [standard deviation]; 25 women) and conventional-WBMRA (n = 38, mean age, 48 years ± 17.4 [standard deviation]; 20 women) on a 3.0 T MRI after random group assignment based on the chronological order of enrolment. Of all enrolled patients administered the CS-WBMRA protocol, 35% (17/48) underwent CTA as required by clinical demands. Two experienced radiologists independently scored the qualitative image quality and venous enhancement contamination. Quantitative image assessment was carried out by determining and comparing the apparent signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of four representative arterial segments. The total examination time and contrast-dose were also recorded. The independent samples t-test or the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The overall scores of CS-WBMRA outperformed those of conventional-WMBRA (3.40 ± 0.60 vs 3.22 ± 0.55, P < 0.001). In total, 1776 and 1406 arterial segments in the CS-WBMRA and conventional-WBMRA group were evaluated. Qualitative image scores for 7 (of 15) vessel segments in the CS-WMBRA group had statistically significantly increased values compared to those of the conventional-WBMRA groups (P < 0.05). Scores from the other 8 segments showed similar image quality (P > 0.05) between the two protocols. In the quantitative analysis, overall apparent SNRs were significantly higher in the conventional-WBMRA group than in the CS-WBMRA group (214.98 ± 136.05 vs 164.90 ± 118.05; P < 0.001), while overall apparent CNRs were not significantly different in these two groups (CS vs conventional: 107.13 ± 72.323 vs 161.24 ± 118.64; P > 0.05). In the CS-WBMRA group, 7 of 1776 (0.4%) vessel segments were contaminated severely by venous enhancement, while in the convention-WBMRA group, 317 of 1406 (23%) were rated as severe contamination. In the CS-WBMRA group, total examination and reconstruction times were only 7 min and 10 min, respectively, vs 20 min and < 30 s for the conventional WBMRA group, respectively. The contrast agent dose used in the CS-WBMRA protocol was reduced by half compared to conventional-WBMRA protocol (18.7 ± 3.5 ml vs 37.2 ± 5.4 ml, P = 0.008). Conclusion: The CS-WBMRA protocol provides excellent image quality and sufficient diagnostic accuracy for whole-body arterial disease, with relatively faster workflow and half-dose reduction of contrast agent, which has greater potential in clinical practice compared with conventional-WBMRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of secukinumab treatment for psoriasis on different functional cytokines and inflammatory mediators in patients' serum Methods: Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐1RA associated with intrinsic immunity; IL‐6, IL‐18, and growth regulated oncogene alpha (GROα) associated with neutrophils; IL‐12, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and interferon (IFN)‐γ associated with Th1; IL‐23, IL‐17A, and IL‐22 associated with Th17; Thymus activation regulated chemokine (TARC), IL‐13, and defensin beta 2 (DEFB2) associated with Th2; Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐A and IL‐10 associated with angiogenesis; and IFN‐γ associated with sepsis in the peripheral blood of 12 patients with common psoriasis treated with secukinumab and 15 healthy controls. IL‐23, IL‐17A, IL‐22 associated with Th17; TARC, IL‐13, DEFB2 associated with Th2; VEGF‐A, IL‐10 associated with angiogenesis and procalcitonin (PCT) associated with sepsis. The differences in expression of the above cytokines before and after treatment and the correlation with psoriasis disease severity［Psoriasis Area Severity Index(PASI) score］, age, and disease duration were analyzed. Results: The mean PASI score of the enrolled patients with moderate to severe psoriasis was 21.6 ± 11.0 before treatment and decreased to below 1 after treatment. Serum IL‐6; IL‐18, GROα, IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, VEGF‐A, and IL‐17A were significantly higher than normal. And IL‐17A and IFN‐γ were positively correlated with disease duration and age, and IL‐18 was positively correlated with PASI score. The expression levels of IL‐6, GROα, VEGF‐A, IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐17A and IL‐23 were significantly lower after secukinumab treatment compared with those before treatment, but the expression levels of IFN‐γ, VEGF‐A, TARC, IL‐13, and DEFB2 were still significantly higher than those of normal subjects after treatment Conclusions: secukinumab clears skin lesions by antagonizing IL‐17A and simultaneously decreasing the expression levels of IL‐6, GRO α, VEGF‐A, IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐17A, and IL‐23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of adult pluripotent stem cell that has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and whose conditioned medium (CM) has also been found to be effective. We used MSC and CM enemas to investigate their ameliorative effects in a mouse model of colitis. Methods: We employed MSCs, CM, and MSCs + ML385 (an inhibitor of Nrf2) in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Mice were sacrificed on day 8, and the effects of MSC or CM treatment on the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in colonic epithelial cells were evaluated by histological analyses. Results: MSCs inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration and proinflammatory cytokine expression in the colon. In addition, MSCs reduced extracellular matrix deposition and maintained the mechanical barrier and permeability of colonic epithelial cells. Mechanistically, MSCs activated Nrf2, which then increased HO-1 and NQO-1 levels and downregulated the expression of Keap1 to suppress reactive oxygen species production and MDA generation, accompanied by increases in components of the enzymatic antioxidant system, including SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and T-AOC. However, after administering an Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) to block the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE pathway, we failed to observe protective effects of MSCs in mice with colitis. CM alone also produced some of the therapeutic benefits of MSCs but was not as effective as MSCs. Conclusions: Our data confirmed that MSCs and CM can effectively improve intestinal mucosal repair in experimental colitis and that MSCs can improve this condition by activating the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The third generation of antiepileptic medication (ASM) perampanel (PER), is mostly used as an add-on treatment for refractory epilepsy patients, and rarely used as a monotherapy. This study aims to observe the efficacy and assess the cognitive effects of PER monotherapy in patients with self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS). Patients and Methods: Through screening, 86 patients who were first diagnosed with SeLECTS and treated with PER monotherapy were included in this study. All patients were followed up at least 12 months, and Evaluated the efficacy and safety of PER by observing the seizures of patients. At the same time, we used the P300 event-related potential (ERP) component and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) to evaluate the cognitive changes in children before and after treatment with PER. Results: Ten percent of the children experienced adverse effects, such as dizziness, gait instability, and irritability. The drug retention rate at the last follow-up was 98.83%. Further more, the P300 ERP component and WISC-IV tests were performed no significant difference before and 12 months after PER monotherapy in SeLECTS children. Conclusion: The third-generation of ASM PER monotherapy had a clear effect in children with SeLECTS. A small dose of PER can control seizures well and has no obvious effect on cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MOFs with semiconducting behavior exhibit unique optoelectronic properties, and they are hailed as future low-bandgap materials, which are expected to serve as a new generation of functional materials to solve some thorny problems in the field of environment and energy. In this work, eight semiconducting MOFs with chemical formulae, {[Cd(m-bix)(ATP)]}n (1), {[Zn2(m-bix)(ATP)2]·DMF}n (2), {[Cd(m-bix)(BDC)(H2O)]}n (3), {[Co2(m-bix)(BDC)2(H2O)3]·2H2O·CH3OH}n (4), {[Ni2(m-bix)(BDC)2(H2O)3]·2H2O·CH3OH}n (5), {[Cd(m-bix)(Cl)]}n (6), {[Zn(m-bix)(CO3)]}n (7), and {[Cd(FDC)(H2O)3]·2H2O}n (8) (m-bix = m-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene; H2ATP = 2-aminoterephthalic acid; H2BDC = p-phthalic acid; H2FDC = 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid), were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal techniques. Comprehensive characterization of the as-synthesized MOFs showed that they display interesting topologies and fascinating structures (of 6 and 8 being 1D, 1, 2, 3, and 7 being 2D and 4 and 5 being 3D). The incorporation of π-conjugated ligands and abundant intermolecular hydrogen bonds endows these MOFs with higher carrier transport rates, resulting in unique optoelectronic properties. The optical band gaps of MOFs 1–8 obtained by UV reflection spectroscopy were 2.86, 2.59, 3.91, 3.01, 3.69, 3.19, 3.09, and 3.87 eV, respectively, proving that they are all potential semiconductor materials. Electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis studies revealed that MOFs 4–5 are efficient catalysts for the OER process with lower overpotentials of 381 and 397 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and lower Tafel slopes of 75.1 and 74.4 mV dec−1. Photoluminescence studies demonstrated that the Cd-based and Zn-based MOFs, especially MOF 2, exhibit strong violet light emission properties in the range of 405–446 nm, which are expected to be used in the development of new luminescent materials. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of these MOFs was evaluated. Among them, the best photocatalytic performance of 4 and 6 was attributed to the combination of the band gap value and luminescence performance, resulting in more photogenerated carriers and thus more catalytically active sites. This work not only provides a certain theoretical and experimental basis for further research on the optoelectronic properties of MOFs, but also affords an advanced strategy for the development of novel multifunctional materials to solve real-life environmental and energy problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of environmental pollution and energy crisis, it is of great significance to develop low-cost, high-efficiency and environmentally friendly multifunctional materials to deal with environmental and energy concerns. Herein, two multifunctional Cu(II) coordination complexes with the formula {[Cu(m-bix)(FDC)(H2O)]·H2O}n (1) and {[Cu2(DAP)4(NIP)2]·DMF}n (2) (m-bix = m-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene; DAP = N-(4-pyridyl)dimethylamine; H2FDC = 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid; H2NIP = 5-nitroisophthalic acid) were successfully constructed by using mixed ligands via a solvothermal method. Structural analyses show that both complexes exhibit a 1D chain structure, extending into a 3D supramolecular network via abundant hydrogen bonding forces. Electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic studies reveal that 1 and 2 are efficient electrocatalysts for the OER. In particular, 2 has a lower overpotential of 360 mV at 1 mA cm−2 under alkaline conditions. Furthermore, both complexes exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity due to their narrow band gaps – 2.51 eV (494 nm) for 1 and 2.77 eV (448 nm) for 2. The oxidation system composed of the complex and H2O2 can degrade methyl orange azo dyes (40 mg L−1) to less than 10% in only 150 minutes under sunlight irradiation. This work demonstrates that employing mixed ligands is a promising approach to obtain multifunctional complexes. It also opens up a unique path for the development of high-efficiency, low-cost, and environmentally friendly multifunctional materials to address environmental and energy issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a new therapeutic strategy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and their efficacy has been widely recognized. However, there are still some challenges in cell therapy, including stable cell passage, laboratory conditions for cell culture, high-cost burden, and poor transplantation. The conditioned medium (CM) of MSCs is considered be an excellent alternative to cell transplantation, but the paracrine group in MSC-CM is limited in variety and low in concentration, which cannot meet the therapeutic needs of injured tissues and needs to be optimized. Pretreatment with low concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can not only protect cells from oxidative damage, but also play a role similar to growth factors and regulate the physiological function of stem cells, to obtain an improved conditioned medium. To determine the optimal protocol for pretreatment of MSCs with H2O2, and to study the efficacy and potential mechanism of MSC-CM pretreated with H2O2 on Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-induced acute experimental colitis. MSCs were exposed to different concentrations of H2O2, and the optimal H2O2 pretreatment conditions were determined by evaluating their critical cell functional properties. H2O2-pretreated MSC-CM was transplanted into experimental mouse colitis by enema at 2, 4, and 6 days in modeling, and the changes of colonic tissue structure, the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress, the molecular changes of Nrf2/Keap1/ARE axis, and the related indicators of apoptosis in colonic epithelial cells were observed in each group. In vitro, Pretreated MSCs with 25 μM H2O2 significantly enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and survival, but had no effect on apoptosis. In vivo, MSC-CM treatment decreased apoptosis and extracellular matrix deposition, and maintained the mechanical barrier and permeability of colonic epithelial cells in experimental mouse colitis. Mechanistically, H2O2-pretreated MSC-CM against reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and MDA generation, accompanied by increases in components of the enzymatic antioxidant system includes SOD, CAT, GSH-PX, and T-AOC, which is through the up-regulation of the Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO-1 antioxidant genes. Our data confirmed that 25 μM H2O2 pretreated MSC-CM treatment could effectively improve intestinal mucosal repair in experimental colitis, which may be achieved by activating Nrf2/Keap1/ARE pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision potassium (K) isotope measurements in marine carbonates allow using this novel geochemical proxy to constrain seawater chemistry through geologic time. However, these measurements are still scarce due to the challenges of low-K contents in carbonates during K ion chromatography, such as insufficient sample purification, non-quantitative yield, and high accumulative blank. Here we optimize a dual-column K purification method that addresses these challenges, achieving a satisfactory K separation using 100–150 mg carbonates for routine high-precision K isotope analysis on the Sapphire™ MC-ICP-MS. We then report K isotope compositions in multiple certified reference materials, including limestone, dolostone, coral, and basalt for future inter-laboratory comparisons. The optimized K purification method provides great potential for future K isotope studies of marine carbonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a worldwide polyphagous pest, causing huge economic losses in vegetable, cotton and corn crops, among others. Owing to long‐term exposure to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins, evolution of resistance has been detected in this pest. As a conservative and effective neurotransmitter, dopamine (DA) has an important role in insect growth and development. In this study, we investigated the regulatory functions of DA and its associated non‐coding RNA in metamorphosis in H. armigera. RESULTS: Expression profiles indicated that DA and DA pathway genes were highly expressed during larval–pupal metamorphosis in H. armigera. RNA interference and pharmacological experiments confirmed that tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopa decarboxylase, vesicular amine transporter and DA receptor 2 are critical genes related to the development of H. armigera from larvae to pupae. We also found that miR‐14 and miR‐2766 targeted the 3′ untranslated region to post‐transcriptionally regulate HaTH function. Application of miR‐2766 and miR‐14 antagomirs significantly increased levels of HaTH transcripts and proteins, while injection of miR‐2766 and miR‐14 agomirs not only suppressed messenger RNA and protein levels of HaTH, but also resulted in defective pupation in H. armigera. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that DA deficiency inhibits larval–pupal metamorphosis in H. armigera. Potentially, DA pathway genes and their microRNAs could be used as a novel target for H. armigera management. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is a protein kinase which preserves the genome integrity, and works as an evolutionally conserved DNA damage response and cell cycle checkpoint. However, the functional roles and regulatory mechanism of Chk1 in mouse granulosa cells (GCs) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, by RNA interfering, Chk1 gene was knocked down in GCs. Knockdown of Chk1 inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis of GCs (p < 0.05), respectively; in addition, cell cycle of GCs was arrested at S and G2/M phases. Further qRT-PCR results showed that cell cycle factors (Cyclin B1 and Cyclin D 1) and a marker gene of proliferation (PCNA) were downregulated (p < 0.001), while apoptotic factors (p53b, p21, caspase-3, and Bax) were upregulated (p < 0.01), which suggested that knockdown of Chk1 may inhibit proliferation, regulate cell cycle, and promote apoptosis at the transcriptional level in GCs. In vitro studies showed a negative correlation between Chk1 mRNA and miR-16 expression during follicular development. To elucidate the relationship between Chk1 and miR-15a/16, luciferase reporter plasmids were constructed and luciferase assays revealed that both miR-15a and miR-16 could bind to the 3′ UTR of Chk1 mRNA, and significantly downregulate the protein level of Chk1 (p < 0.01), while miR-16, not miR-15a, could significantly decrease the mRNA level of Chk1 (p < 0.05). This result indicated that miR-16 directly induced Chk1 mRNA destabilization, while miR-15a regulated Chk1 expression through translational repression. Taken together, this study uncovered the roles of Chk1 in mouse granulosa cells and its regulation by miR-15a and miR-16 through different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine carbonates, precipitating from seawater through inorganic geochemical and biogeochemical processes, are considered to have recorded the seawater geochemical signatures reflecting the marine environmental conditions during their formation. However, they are susceptible to post-depositional diagenetic alteration. The redox conditions and chemical composition of the diagenetic fluid may be different from those of the overlying seawater. Therefore, assessing whether carbonate rocks that have experienced variable diagenesis could still preserve primary seawater geochemistry is a prerequisite before inferring ancient marine environments using geochemical tracers such as the cerium anomaly (Ce/Ce*). Here, we investigate rare earth elements plus yttrium (REY) geochemical features of reefal carbonates from the XK-1 core in the Xisha Islands of the South China Sea. We aim to evaluate whether island carbonates have the potential to preserve reliable primary seawater REY geochemical characteristics after experiencing meteoric diagenesis, marine burial diagenesis, or dolomitization. The results show that even after variable diagenetic alteration, all carbonate samples exhibit seawater-like REY patterns, which are characterized by negative Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce* < 1), distinctively high Y/Ho ratios (>44), and uniform depletion of light rare earth elements (LREE) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREE) ((Pr/Yb)N < 1). This suggests that the original seawater REY signatures are retained, regardless of varying degrees of changes in the mineralogical composition, diagenetic fluid composition, and redox state. The unmodifiable REY characteristics in carbonates during diagenesis can be attributed to three aspects: (1) during meteoric diagenesis, the low REY content of meteoric fluids and the short-term reactions between fluids and carbonates make it difficult to significantly alter the REY composition of carbonates; (2) during marine burial diagenesis, the ubiquitous cementation creates a relatively closed environment that facilitates the inheritance of REY signatures from primary carbonates; (3) during dolomitization, the dolomitizing fluids derived from penecontemporaneous seawater would not destroy but rather promote the preservation of the original seawater REY signatures in dolostones. The Ce/Ce* variations indicate that the Xisha carbonates have been deposited under constantly oxic conditions since the Neogene, consistent with paleontological and redox-sensitive element geochemical evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to uncover the effects of dexmedetomidine on oxidative stress injury induced by mitochondrial localization of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in enteric glial cells (EGCs) following intestinal ischaemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) in rat models. Following establishment of intestinal IRI models by superior mesenteric artery occlusion in Wistar rats, the expression and distribution patterns of TERT were detected. The IRI rats were subsequently treated with low or high doses of dexmedetomidine, followed by detection of ROS, MDA and GSH levels. Calcein cobalt and rhodamine 123 staining were also carried out to detect mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), respectively. Moreover, oxidative injury of mtDNA was determined, in addition to analyses of EGC viability and apoptosis. Intestinal tissues and mitochondria of EGCs were badly damaged in the intestinal IRI group. In addition, there was a reduction in mitochondrial localization of TERT, oxidative stress, whilst apoptosis of EGCs was increased and proliferation was decreased. On the other hand, administration of dexmedetomidine was associated with promotion of mitochondrial localization of TERT, whilst oxidative stress, MPTP and mtDNA in EGCs, and EGC apoptosis were all inhibited, and the MMP and EGC viability were both increased. A positive correlation was observed between different doses of dexmedetomidine and protective effects. Collectively, our findings highlighted the antioxidative effects of dexmedetomidine on EGCs following intestinal IRI, as dexmedetomidine alleviated mitochondrial damage by enhancing the mitochondrial localization of TERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of trace elements that behave geochemically coherently. REE fractionation patterns normalized to reference materials provide a powerful tool for documenting pedogenesis. In-soil processes are particularly difficult to illustrate with respect to contemporary and past climate conditions. In this study, we characterize the rare earth element (REE) contents in bulk soils and respective geochemical fractions (e.g., exchangeable, carbonate-bound, reducible, and oxidizable fractions) and to decipher the relationships between REE geochemistry components and climatic factors across a large-scale northern China transect (NCT). Results: Across the NCT, bulk REE concentrations ranged from 55.2 to 241.1 μg g−1 with a main portion in the residual fraction (49–79%), followed by oxidizable fraction (2–40%), reducible fraction (3–22%), carbonate-bound fraction (0.1–16%), and negligible exchangeable fraction. The REE contents of geochemical components (carbonate-bound, reducible, and oxidizable) in topsoils correlated to climate factors (mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, potential evaporation, and aridity index (AI)). The normalized abundances to the upper continental crust (UCC) composition show that the middle REE was generally enriched than the light REE and heavy REE in topsoils along the transect. The overall UCC-normalized bulk REE patterns in topsoils and subsoils were similar, characterized by weak negative Ce anomalies and positive Eu anomalies. Conclusions: Our data in topsoils and depth profiles collectively suggest that cycling of REE was primarily regulated by abiotic processes in area with AI < 0.2, while the biological effect on REE circulation in soil played a more effective role in area with AI > 0.3. The similar UCC normalized patterns in topsoils suggest that the REE was originated from a common source with limited influences from other sources (e.g., atmospheric dusts and anthropogenic contributions). Our results to some extent provide evidence for climatic influence REE distribution patterns both in topsoils and subsoils across the continental-scale transect. Our investigation gives insights into future studies on vertical REE mobility and its associated biogeochemical pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the Chinese new gastric cancer screening score (i.e., Li's score) and Kyoto Classification of Gastritis for screening gastric cancer. Methods. A total of 702 patients were scored using the two scoring methods. Gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer (including early gastric cancer) were compared between the two scoring methods. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, and specificity of the two scoring methods were evaluated. Results. Both of the two scoring methods found that gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer (including early gastric cancer) were all significantly higher in the medium-risk and high-risk group patients than those in the low-risk group patients. According to the Kyoto Classification of Gastritis, patients in the high-risk group had more gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer than those in the medium-risk group patients. Gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer in the low-risk and medium-risk group patients evaluated by the Li score were all significantly higher than those in patients with corresponding risk level evaluated by Kyoto Classification of Gastritis, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the Li score was 0.702, and the sensitivity and specificity were 57.6% and 85.3%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the Kyoto Classification of Gastritis was 0.826, and the sensitivity and specificity were 75.4% and 83.6%, respectively. Conclusion. Both Li's score and Kyoto Classification of Gastritis showed good screening value for gastric cancer, but Kyoto Classification of Gastritis was more sensitive than the Li score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The therapeutic effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery mainly depends on the accuracy of electrode placement and the reduction in brain shift. Among the standard procedures, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loss or pneumocephalus caused by dura incision (DI) is thought to be the main reason for brain shift and inaccuracy of electrode placement. In the current study, we described a modified dura puncture (DP) procedure to reduce brain shift and compare it with the general procedure of DBS surgery in terms of electrode placement accuracy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a series of 132 patients who underwent DBS surgery in Wuhan Union Hospital from December 2015 to April 2021. According to the different surgery procedures, patients were classified into two cohorts: the DI group (DI cohort) had 49 patients who receive the general procedure, and the DP group (DP cohort) had 83 patients who receive the modified procedure. Postoperative pneumocephalus volume (PPV) and CSF loss volume, electrode fusion error (EFE), and trajectory number were calculated. Meanwhile, intraoperative electrophysiological signal length (IESL), electrode implantation duration, and other parameters were analyzed. Results: In the current study, we introduced an improved electrode implantation procedure for DBS surgery named the DP procedure. Compared with the general DI cohort (n = 49), the modified DP cohort (n = 83) had a shorter electrode implantation duration (p < 0.0001), smaller PPV, lower CSF leakage volume (p < 0.0001), and smaller EFE (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in IESL (p > 0.05) or adverse events (perioperative cerebral haematoma, skin erosion, epilepsy, p > 0.05) between the two cohorts. Conclusion: The DP procedure is a modified procedure that can reduce brain shift and ensure implantation accuracy during DBS surgery without adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury commonly occurs during perioperative periods, resulting in high morbidity and mortality on a global scale. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is a selective α2-agonist that is frequently applied during perioperative periods for its analgesia effect; however, its ability to provide protection against intestinal I/R injury and underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.Methods: To fill this gap, the protection of Dex against I/R injury was examined in a rat model of intestinal I/R injury and in an inflammation cell model, which was induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plus interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) stimulation.Results: Our data demonstrated that Dex had protective effects against intestinal I/R injury in rats. Dex was also found to promote mitophagy and inhibit apoptosis of enteric glial cells (EGCs) in the inflammation cell model. PINK1 downregulated p53 expression by promoting the phosphorylation of HDAC3. Further studies revealed that Dex provided protection against experimentally induced intestinal I/R injury in rats, while enhancing mitophagy, and suppressing apoptosis of EGCs through SIRT3-mediated PINK1/HDAC3/p53 pathway in the inflammation cell model.Conclusion: Hence, these findings provide evidence supporting the protective effect of Dex against intestinal I/R injury and its underlying mechanism involving the SIRT3/PINK1/HDAC3/p53 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the spherical TiO2 inverse opal photonic crystals (IOPCs) have been successfully prepared through the combination of sol–gel and liquid phase deposition (LPD) method using SiO2 spheres as the templates. The characterization results show that the spherical TiO2 inverse opal structure can significantly increase the specific surface area and total pore volume. The photocatalytic experiments reveal that the removal rate of Methylene blue (MB) by TiO2 with spherical inverse opal (IO) structure (TiO2-710) was 98% under illumination for 40 min, while the degradation rate of TiO2 without IO structure (TiO2-Sol) was only 17.7%. Moreover, the TiO2-710 sample exhibits the highest reaction rate constant, which is about 9.1 times that of TiO2-Sol. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the existence of the unique spherical inverse opal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) under general anesthesia for the treatment of dystonia have not yet been confirmed with high level of evidence. This meta-analysis with pooled individual patient data aims to assess the clinical outcomes and identify the potential prognostic factors of dystonia patients who underwent general anesthesia DBS. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for articles describing patients with dystonia who underwent asleep DBS and had individual Burke–Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) scores. The relative improvement in BFMDRS scores was considered the primary outcome. Pearson correlation analyses and multivariate linear regression analysis were conducted to explore the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 34 studies involving 341 patients were included. The mean postoperative improvement in BFMDRS-M (BFMDRS movement subscale) and BFMDRS-D (BFMDRS disability subscale) scores were 58.6±36.2% and 48.5±38.7% at the last follow-up visit, respectively, with a mean follow-up time of 22.4±27.6 months. Age at surgery and disease duration showed a negative correlation with the percent improvement of BFMDRS-M (%) at the last visit (r=−0.134, P=0.013; r=−0.165, P=0.006). In the stepwise multivariate regression, only disease duration remained a relevant factor. Additionally, the adverse events were acceptable. Conclusion: General anesthesia DBS is a safe, effective, and feasible option for dystonia patients in the long term. Shorter disease duration predicts better clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Total resection of meningiomas involving the major dural sinuses (MIMDS) is still challenging for neurosurgeons. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) was shown to have a high probability of tumor control. The current study evaluated the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent subtotal resection alone or in combination with postoperative GKRS for the treatment of WHO grade I MIMDS. Methods: From January 2006 to December 2016, 204 patients with MIMDS underwent Simpson IV subtotal resection in Wuhan Union Hospital. In 151 patients, no additional treatment was performed, while the tumor remnant was treated with GKRS in 53 patients. All patients were monitored with regular MR follow-ups. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data, radiological characteristics, and outcomes of these 204 patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Related factors were determined by univariate Cox regression analyses. Results: The mean follow-up period was 75.5 months. The tumor recurrence/progression rates were 13.9% in the microsurgery group and 3.8% in the combined therapy group (p = 0.045). The 5- and 10- year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 92.3 and 80.7%, respectively, in the microsurgery group and 100.0 and 88.5% in the combined therapy group. Treatment approach was found to be an independent prognostic factor for tumor recurrence/progression in the univariable analyses (p=0.04). Conclusions: Compared with microsurgery alone, targeted Simpson grade IV resection combined with early gamma knife treatment resulted in longer progression-free survival without increased complications for WHO grade I MIMDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2 mesocrystals (M-TiO2) can promote the adsorption of organic pollutants and provide effective conduction pathways for the photogenerated charge carriers. However, the pristine M-TiO2 had no visible-light absorption due to its wide band gap. In this paper, the hollow-box-structured mesoscopic TiO2/g-C3N4 (M-T-CN) composites with visible-light response were prepared by liquid phase deposition (LPD) and topological transformation. The results showed that the sample of M-T-CN-300 can degrade 99.1% Rhodamine B (RhB) solution within 15 min under illumination. The reaction rate constant of M-T-CN-300 was nearly 3 times and 34 times that of pristine g-C3N4 and M-TiO2, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis confirmed that the coupling of M-TiO2 and g-C3N4 can reduce the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. The enhanced photocatalytic performance in M-T-CN composite material was mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of M-TiO2 and g-C3N4, which can effectively promote the separation of charge carriers and achieve the visible-light absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the basic supporting technologies of 5G system, wireless sensor networks technology is facing a new challenge to improve its transmission energy efficiency. This paper considers combining simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) technique and routing technique, and applying them to multi-hop clustered wireless sensor networks (MCWSN), where each node can decode information and harvest energy from a received radio-frequency signal. And the relay nodes in MCWSN can utilize the harvest energy to forward data to their next hop nodes according to the routing scheme. First, we formulate an energy-efficient routing problem of MCWSN with SWIPT. Then, a heuristic energy efficient cooperative SWIPT routing algorithm (EECSR) is presented to find a transmission path with the maximum energy efficiency. Specifically, in EECSR, the resource allocation problem in each hop of the path is transformed to some equivalent convex optimization problems, which are resolved via dual decomposition. Moreover, a distributed routing protocol based on EECSR is proposed. As far as we know, this is the first solution that considers energy efficiency optimization based on routing and SWIPT in MCWSN. Simulation results show that our EECSR algorithm has high energy efficiency and good robustness. And our distributed routing protocol has better real-time performance than traditional protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The preferred salvage treatment for children with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R‐AML) remains unclear. The combination of cladribine/Ara‐C/granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor and mitoxantrone (CLAG‐M) shown promising results in adult R/R‐AML. We aim to investigate the efficacy and safety of CLAG‐M versus mitoxantrone/etoposide/cytarabine (MEC) or idarubicin/etoposide/cytarabine (IEC) in R/R‐AML children. Methods: Fifty‐five R/R‐AML children were analyzed. The overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and progression‐free survival (PFS) at 3‐year were documented. Karyotype or mutations status were summarized as different risk groups. Results: The ORR was achieved in 80% (16/20) and 51% (18/35) of patients after one‐cycle of CLAG‐M and MEC/IEC treatment (p < 0.001). The CLAG‐M group's OS (66.8% ± 16.2% vs. 40.4% ± 10.9%, p = 0.019) and PFS (52.6% ± 13.7% vs. 34.9% ± 9.1%, p = 0.036) at 3‐year was significantly higher than the MEC/IEC group. In high‐risk patients, 33.3% experienced progression of disease (PD) and 22.2% dead in CLAG‐M group, while 50% experienced PD and 43.8% dead in MEC/IEC. When it comes to low‐risk group, none of them in CLAG‐M experienced PD or death, while up to 50% of patients received MEC/IEC suffered PD, and all of them died eventually. Similar results were also found in the intermediate‐risk group. Surprisingly, the presence of FLT3‐ITD was associated with poor outcome in both groups. The most common adverse events were hematologic toxicities, and the incidence was similar in both group. Conclusions: CLAG‐M group demonstrated effective palliation along with acceptable toxicity in R/R‐AML patients. However, patients with FLT3‐ITD may benefit less from CLAG‐M, owing to higher PD rate and all‐cause mortality than other patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolving how Earth surface redox conditions evolved through the Proterozoic Eon is fundamental to understanding how biogeochemical cycles have changed through time. The redox sensitivity of cerium relative to other rare earth elements and its uptake in carbonate minerals make the Ce anomaly (Ce/Ce*) a particularly useful proxy for capturing redox conditions in the local marine environment. Here, we report Ce/Ce* data in marine carbonate rocks through 3.5 billion years of Earth's history, focusing in particular on the mid-Proterozoic Eon (i.e., 1.8 – 0.8 Ga). To better understand the role of atmospheric oxygenation, we use Ce/Ce* data to estimate the partial pressure of atmospheric oxygen (pO2) through this time. Our thermodynamics-based modeling supports a major rise in atmospheric oxygen level in the aftermath of the Great Oxidation Event (~ 2.4 Ga), followed by invariant pO2 of about 1% of present atmospheric level through most of the Proterozoic Eon (2.4 to 0.65 Ga). Constraining the rise in atmospheric oxygen through the early Earth is important to understand the evolution of complex life. Here, the authors find that a major rise in atmospheric oxygen level occurred after the Great Oxidation Event, followed by pO2 within 1% of present atmospheric level through most of the Proterozoic Eon (2.4 to 0.65 Ga). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) K‐edge X‐ray adsorption near‐edge (XANES) spectroscopy were performed on thirty‐three chemical compounds and geological materials, including chemical reagents, organometallic compounds, silicates, carbonates and igneous rock reference materials. The results confirm that the fine structure of the K‐edges for specimens is unique and distinguishable. The results suggest that compositional and local atomic variations strongly regulate spectral characteristics. Acquired XANES spectra with the library of distinctive spectral features of model references approve the fingerprint identification of different phases of K and Ca involved in geological materials. Moreover, this reveals that typical compositional changes in geological samples could strongly affect spectral features. As an example, we quantitatively determined the silicate species of K and Ca in two igneous rock reference materials by linear combination fitting. The dominant hosts and molecular environments of K and Ca can be interpreted based on pre‐edge/post‐edge peak position, intensity, shifts and resonance features, thus improving the understanding of the (bio)geochemical cycling, partitioning and isotopic fractionation of K and Ca. The outcomes serve as a complementary database for a vast number of scientific contexts, including aspects of geological and environment sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the pharmacokinetic characteristics, clinical effect, and safety of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods A prospective study was performed on children with ALL who cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, and 6-mercaptopurine were used for consolidation therapy. PEG-rhG-CSF (PEG-rhG-CSF group) or rhGCSF (rhG-CSF group) was injected after chemotherapy. The plasma concentration of PEG-rhG-CSF was measured, and clinical outcome and safety were observed for both groups. Results A total of 17 children with ALL were enrolled, with 9 children in the PEG-rhG-CSF group and 8 children in the rhG-CSF group. In the PEG-rhG-CSF group, the peak concentration of PEG-rhG-CSF was 348.2 ng/mL (range 114.7-552.0 ng/mL), the time to peak was 48 hours (range 12-72 hours), and the half life was 14.1 hours (range 11.1-18.1 hours). The plasma concentration curve of PEG-rhG-CSF was consistent with the mechanism of neutrophil-mediated clearance. Compared with the rhG-CSF group, the PEG-rhGCSF group had a significantly shorter median time to absolute neutrophil count (ANC) recovery (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in ANC nadir, incidence rate of febrile neutropenia, duration of grade IV neutropenia, incidence rate of infection, and length of hospital stay. No bone pain or muscle soreness was observed in either group (P>0.05). Conclusions The pharmacokinetic characteristics of PEG-rhG-CSF in children with ALL receiving consolidation chemotherapy are consistent with the mechanism of neutrophil-mediated clearance, with a short half life and fast recovery of ANC, and there are no significant differences in safety between PEG-rhG-CSF and rhGCSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etanercept biosimilar recombinant human tumour necrosis factor-α receptor II: IgG Fc fusion protein (rhTNFR-Fc, trade name Yisaipu) has shown good efficacy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. To compare the efficacy and safety of rhTNFR-Fc plus methotrexate (MTX) and rhTNFR-Fc plus placebo in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. In this multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive rhTNFR-Fc plus MTX or rhTNFR-Fc plus placebo. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving Psoriasis Area and Severity Index improvement of at least 75% (PASI 75) from baseline at week 24. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded to evaluate safety. Efficacy analysis was performed using the intent-to-treat principle. A total of 466 patients were enrolled and randomly received rhTNFR-Fc plus MTX (combination group, n = 233) or rhTNFR-Fc plus placebo (monotherapy group, n = 233). PASI 75 at week 24 was significantly higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group (81.86% vs. 65.50%, p < 0.001). Similar results were observed in other PASI improvement scores at week 12 [PASI 75, 62.39% vs. 44.54% (p < 0.001); PASI 50, 87.17% vs. 75.55% (p = 0.001); and PASI 90, 34.07% vs. 18.78% (p < 0.001)] and week 24 [PASI 50, 92.48% vs. 85.59% (p = 0.019); and PASI 90, 64.16% vs. 42.36% (p < 0.001)]. Significantly more patients had a static Physicians' Global Assessment of clear or almost clear in the combination group than in the monotherapy group at week 12 (26.46% vs. 12.50%, p < 0.001) and week 24 (62.38% vs. 40.83%, p < 0.001). The most common AEs in the two groups were upper respiratory tract infection and abnormal liver function. The combination therapy of rhTNFR-Fc plus MTX was an effective therapy for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis with an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, indicating that it was feasible and well tolerated for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Celastrol has been proven effective in anti-inflammatory but was limited in the clinic due to the poor solubility and side effects induced by low bioavailability. Osteoarthritis has acidic and inflammatory environment. Our aim was to load celastrol into HMSNs and capped with chitosan to construct a pH-responsive nanoparticle medicine (CSL@HMSNs-Cs), which is of high solubility for osteoarthritis intra-articular injection treatment. Methods: The CSL@HMSNs-Cs were assembled and the characteristics were measured. The CSL@HMSNs-Cs was applied in vitro in the chondrocytes collected from rats cartilage tissue and in vivo in the MIA induced knee osteoarthritis rats via intra-articular injection. Cytotoxicity assay, pH-responsive release, pain behavior, MRI, safranin o fast green staining, ELISA and western blot analysis were applied to evaluate the bioavailability and therapeutic effect of CSL@HMSNs-Cs. Results: CSL@HMSNs-Cs was stable due to the protection of the chitosan layers in alkaline environment (pH = 7.7) but revealed good solubility and therapeutic effect in acidic environment (pH = 6.0). The cytotoxicity assay showed no cytotoxicity at relatively low concentration (200 μg/mL) and the cell viability of chondrocytes stimulated by IL-1β was increased in CSL@HMSNs-Cs group. Paw withdrawal threshold in CSL@HMSNs-Cs group is increased, and MRI and Safranin O Fast Green staining showed improvements in articular surface erosion and joint effusion. The upregulated expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-3 and MMP-13 and NF-κB signaling pathway of chondrocytes were inhibited in CSL@HMSNs-Cs group. Conclusion: Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles were an ideal carrier for natural drugs with poor solubility and were of high biocompatibility for intra-articular injection. These intra-articular injectable CSL@HMSNs-Cs with improved solubility, present a pH-responsive therapeutic strategy against osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the durability and microstructure evolution of road base materials (RBM) prepared from red mud and flue gas desulfurization fly ash. The durability testing showed that the strength of RBM with the blast furnace slag addition of 1wt%, 3wt% and 5wt% reached 3.81, 4.87, and 5.84 MPa after 5 freezing–thawing (F–T) cycles and reached 5.21, 5.75, and 6.98 MPa after 20 weting–drying (W–D) cycles, respectively. The results also indicated that hydration products were continuously formed even during W–D and F–T exposures, resulting in an increase of the strength and durability of RBM. The observed increase of macropores (>1 μm) after F–T and W–D exposures suggested that the mechanism of RBM deterioration is pore enlargement due to cracks that develop inside their matrix. Moreover, the F–T exposure showed a greater negative effect on the durability of RBM compared to the W–D exposure. The leaching tests showed that sodium and heavy metals were solidified below the minimum requirement, which indicates that these wastes are suitable for use as a natural material replacement in road base construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the occlusion problem in the current video multi-target tracking process, a multi-target detection and tracking algorithm combining YOLO v3 is proposed. The framework based on detection tracking is selected as the overall framework for tracking, and YOLO v3 is used to detect the target information. Based on the selected detection category, the proposed tracking algorithm is used to complete the multi-target tracking of this category through data association. Aiming at the problems of target occlusion in the tracking process and abnormal trajectory tracking caused by target occlusion, a correction algorithm is proposed. Most of the occluded targets in the test video can be accurately tracked in the experiment, but some target identity swaps will occur when the background moves. The proposed algorithm has certain accuracy and real-time performance in solving the occlusion problem in multi-target tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the Fuzzy Generalized Cell Mapping (FGCM) method is developed with the help of the Adaptive Interpolation (AI) in the space of fuzzy parameters. The adaptive interpolation on the set-valued fuzzy parameter is introduced in computing the one-step transition membership matrix to enhance the efficiency of the FGCM. For each of initial points in the state space, a coarse database is constructed at first, and then interpolation nodes are inserted into the database iteratively each time errors are examined with the explicit formula of interpolation error until the maximal errors are just under the error bound. With such an adaptively expanded database on hand, interpolating calculations assure the required accuracy with maximum efficiency gains. The new method is termed as Fuzzy Generalized Cell Mapping with Adaptive Interpolation (FGCM with AI), and is used to investigate codimension-two bifurcations in two-dimensional and three-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems with fuzzy noise. It is found that global changes in fuzzy dynamics are dominated by the underlying deterministic counterparts, and the fuzzy attractor expands along the unstable manifold leading to a collision with a saddle when a bifurcation occurs. The examples show that the FGCM with AI has a thirtyfold to fiftyfold efficiency over the traditional FGCM to achieve the same analyzing accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red mud is a type of highly alkaline waste residue produced in the process of alumina smelting by the Bayer process. Based on the idea of medium calcium content, solid wastes such as red mud and fly ash were used to prepare non-burnt bricks; and the mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 was selected in the range of 0.88–1.42. Mechanical properties and durability were investigated with a compressive strength test. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques were used to characterize the hydration characteristic. The environmental performance was analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP). The results indicated that the mechanical properties and the durability were optimal when the mass ratio of CaO/SiO2 was 1.23. The hydration products were mostly C-S-H gel, ettringite, Na4Ca(Si10Al16)O32·12H2O and Ca3Al2(SiO4)(OH)8. They were responsible for the strength development, and the CaO/SiO2 mass ratio of 1.23 had the best polymerized structure. The results of an environmental performance test showed that the heavy metals in the raw materials were well-solidified in the brick. Therefore, this paper provides an effective solution for use of solid wastes in building material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional anti‐aircraft and anti‐missile warhead mainly hit the target by fragments or MEFPs. However, these killing elements are only effective for thin‐shell ammunition (10–30 mm), but not for thick‐shell ammunition (>100 mm). This paper proposes an attacking method towards thick moving target by shaped charge jet. Through the analysis of the whole penetrating process between the shaped charge jet and the thick moving target, the paper divides the process into two stages: undisturbed jet penetration and disturbed jet penetration. Based on virtual origin theory, this paper carried out detailed theoretical analysis for each stage and established theory algorithms of changes of cavity when shaped charge jet penetrates the thick moving target, penetration depth of undistributed jet, the lateral velocity of jet and penetration depth contributed by distributed jet. Since the current experimental method cannot accurately analyze the dynamic penetration process of each jet element, in order to verify the theoretical model, a diameter of 66 mm shaped charge was designed, and through the LS‐DYNA software, the jet penetrates steel target with the transverse velocity of 0∼600 m/s was calculated. The study also carried out detailed analysis of the jet tip and tail velocity, the shape of the penetration hole, the lateral velocity of the disturbed jet and the total depth of penetration. At the same time, we combine with the experimental data of E. Marmor et al.[22], to compare with the theoretical results. The calculations are in good agreement with the E. Marmor's experimental datas. The results indicate that shaped charge warhead is an effective method to tackle high speed thick moving target. The theoretical model established in this paper can effectively guide the structural design of the warhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops and optimizes a new protocol to measure lithium isotope ratios using a single collector quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (Q-ICP-MS) operated under hot plasma (1550 W) conditions with a sample–standard bracketing method. Our Q-ICP-MS method reduces sample consumption to 2.5 ng of Li and achieves a high long-term precision of 1.1‰ (2SD). This Q-ICP-MS method exhibits high matrix tolerance (Na/Li < 100), suitable for ng-sized and high-matrix geological samples. We also developed a dual-column system for Li separation, with large loading capacity (29.6 meq), complete recovery (∼100%) and satisfactory purification (Na/Li m m−1 < 1), as well as a fixed elution range for Li fractions (28–60 mL). This new chromatography method has been applied to chemically diverse materials, producing consistent results. In addition, we report the Li isotope compositions of 13 geostandards, and our measurements agree well with reported data within analytical uncertainties. This study documents that Li element concentration and Li isotope composition can be routinely measured using a single collector ICP-MS, which is convenient and commercially affordable for future Li isotope research across the fields of Earth and Environmental Sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axisymmetric concave slopes, one special type of three-dimensional (3D) slopes, may be encountered in mining and civil engineering practice. Analysis of 3D slopes is generally complex and mostly relies on complicated numerical simulations. This paper proposes an elastoplastic solution for determining the additional shear resistances due to spatial effects of axisymmetric concave slopes. By incorporating the extra antislide forces, this paper proposes a simplified two-dimensional (2D) limit equilibrium procedure for the stability analysis of axisymmetric concave slopes. Combined with an iteration algorithm, the procedure can obtain the factors of safety for axisymmetric concave slopes in a simple and efficient way. Comparisons of the results from the proposed method and the numerical software FLAC3D are performed to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method for practical applications. Finally, the effects of several key parameters on the stability of axisymmetric concave slopes are investigated through a parametric study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lithium isotope system can be an important tracer for various geological processes, especially tracing continental weathering. The key to this application is the accurate and precise determination of lithium isotopic composition. However, some of the previously established column separation methods are not well behaved when applied to chemically diverse materials, due to the significant variations in matrix/lithium ratios in some materials. Here, we report a new dual‐column system for lithium purification to achieve accurate and precise analysis of lithium isotopic compositions using a multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometer (MC‐ICP‐MS). Compared with single‐column systems, our dual‐column system yielded a consistent elution range of the lithium‐bearing fraction (7–16 ml) for samples with a large range of lithium loads and matrix compositions, so that column re‐calibration is not required. In addition, this method achieved complete lithium recovery and low matrix interference (e.g., Na/Li ≤ 1) with a short elution time (~ 6 h, excluding evaporation), with the entire procedure completed in 1.5 days. We report high precision Li isotopic compositions in twelve chemically diverse materials including seawater, silicates, carbonates, manganese nodules and clays. New recommended Li isotopic values and associated uncertainties are presented as reference values for quality control and inter‐laboratory calibration for future research and were consistent with previously published data. However, significant lithium isotopic variances (~ 1‰) in BHVO‐2 from different batches suggest Li isotopic heterogeneity in this reference material and that Li isotopic studies using this reference material should be treated with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]