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Gradient ratio tests were conducted to investigate the filtration behaviour of staple fibre needle-punched nonwoven geotextiles subjected to unequal biaxial tensile strains. Three groups of biaxial tensile strains were designed, with the ratios of the strain in the machine direction to that in the cross-machine direction set to 1, 2, and 4, respectively. The strains in the machine direction in the three groups were the same, ranging from 10% to 30%. The tested filtration properties included the gradient ratio (GR), permeability of the soil-geotextile system, mass of soil loss, and permittivity of the pure geotextiles. Comparisons were made between the filtration properties of staple fibre (SN) geotextiles and continuous filament (CN) geotextiles. It is shown that for a certain strain ratio, the GR value at the time of test termination increases with increasing strain, and the permeability of the soil-geotextile system, soil loss, and permittivity of the pure geotextiles decrease with increasing strain. The soil loss and permittivity under equal biaxial tensile strains tend to be higher than those under unequal biaxial tensile strains. The CN geotextiles have better retention capability and more clogging potential for the tested soils than the SN geotextiles for a similar mass per unit area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an in-depth analysis of a new financial model for cloud warehouses and evaluates the associated credit risk within the context of supply chain financing, focusing on the intelligent transformation in this field. Concurrently, an optimization problem was derived from the evaluation issue, with the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) used to identify a reasonable default point and distance. To simplify the identification of these points, we enhanced the traditional WOA, resulting in an improved version, the IWOA, which demonstrated very good optimization performance. The IWOA's optimization capabilities were applied to determine the optimal ratio of short- and longterm debt coefficients, identifying the default point in the Kealhofer, McQuown, and Vasicek (KMV) credit monitoring model, replacing fixed values and yielding more precise results. Furthermore, this study introduces a novel analytical approach to credit risk measurement, advancing the development of related theories and methods. Accurate analysis of financial stability and risk is crucial in industrial sectors, including engineering and manufacturing. The simulation using specific data revealed that the IWOA-KMV model exhibited better and faster optimization capabilities, with greater discrimination ability compared to the KMV model. Overall, this study examines the risk factors in the cloud warehouse financing model, offers an improved version of the WOA, introduces a modified IWOA-KMV model to create a scientific, practical credit risk assessment framework, and provides guidance for risk control in cloud warehouse financing, a novel financing service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetorheological (MR) actuators represent an important class of semi-active devices that have received extensive investigation and deployment in the field of vibration reduction systems. Their notable features include a significant reduction in energy consumption, along with an impressive tunable range of continuously controllable damping forces. The force output of these devices is a complex function that involves two hysteretic mechanisms: magnetic and mechanical (i.e. hydraulic). While the total hysteresis mechanism of these devices has been the subject of considerable study, comparatively little attention has been paid to their magnetic hysteretic behavior. In this study, the authors examine the behavior of the dual coil MR actuator's control circuit and attempt to extract the magnetic flux information from the laboratory measurements of electrical signals applied to it. The study is further enhanced by the incorporation of the Bouc-Wen (B-W) hysteretic unit, which serves to replicate the flux-current (or magnetic) hysteretic relationship. The B-W model's parameters are identified through the use of a hybrid algorithm, namely the particle swarm optimization and fmincon hybrid optimizing strategy. It incorporates the advantages of both algorithms, resulting in an average improvement of 0.38% in standard deviation compared to fmincon, across 1A to 5A, when comparing the experimental and simulation data. This strategy is employed to fit the model predictions to the flux data, derived from the reconstructed flux and current in time histories. The findings of the study demonstrate that the B-W model is an effective tool for predicting the variation in magnetic flux in response to an exciting current. The results can be implemented for prototyping or validating a model-based controller for MR actuator systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) belong to a group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders without effective treatments. Though loss-of-function in the MFSD8 gene resulting in a variant late-infantile subtype of NCLs is well documented, its roles remain poorly explored and understood. The results showed an increased cell apoptosis rate after the MFSD8 gene low expression in HUVECs by Flow cytometric analysis. RNA sequencing revealed 367 differentially expressed genes upon the MFSD8 gene overexpression in HUVECs. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that the MFSD8 gene overexpression might be involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), fibronectin 1 (FN1), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 (PTGS2) were the potential hub genes affected by the MFSD8 gene. Gene set enrichment analysis and qRT-PCR assay validation also disclosed that the "Hallmark_Apoptosis" pathway was dramatically enriched in differentially expressed genes. The results revealed that the loss of functional MFSD8 protein indirectly or directly increased the apoptosis of HUVECs, indicating that the expression of the MFSD8 gene was essential for cell survival. The hub genes, including IL-6, IL-1B, FN1, FGF2, TLR4, TNF, and PTGS2, might provide insight into the apoptosis induced by the MFSD8 gene in NCLs. Although many experiments are required to validate these predictions, the results may help investigate the roles of the MFSD8 gene on apoptosis and the corresponding mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat generation and thermally induced failure has been a major challenge for high-power applications in solid state lasers. Improvements in the solid state laser ceramic fabrication process offer improved mechanical toughness and comparable thermal conductivity compared to single crystal counterparts. Equally enticing is the possibility of using materials with intrinsically superior thermal/mechanical properties that are not viable in the single crystal form. Here, we review the nano/microstructural effects on optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of polycrystalline ceramics, recent developments in a variety of commonly used crystalline laser materials, and potential future directions for more robust laser gain materials for high-power applications. It is argued that the engineering microstructure with both optical and thermal performances in mind might offer breakthrough improvements in laser gain media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-rich Al–Ce alloys have the possibility of replacing heavier steel and cast irons for use in high-temperature applications. Knowledge about the structures and properties of Al–Ce alloys at the liquid state is vital for optimizing the manufacture process to produce desired alloys. However, reliable molecular dynamics simulation of Al–Ce alloy systems remains a great challenge due to the lack of accurate Al–Ce interatomic potential. Here, an artificial neural network (ANN) deep machine learning (ML) method is used to develop a reliable interatomic potential for Al–Ce alloys. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation data on the Al–Ce liquid with a small unit cell (∼200 atoms) and on the known Al–Ce crystalline compounds are collected to train the interatomic potential using ANN-ML. The obtained ANN-ML model reproduces well the energies, forces, and atomic structure of the Al90Ce10 liquid and crystalline phases of Al–Ce compounds in comparison with the ab initio results. The developed ANN-ML potential is applied in molecular dynamics simulations to study the structures and properties of the metallic Al90Ce10 liquid, which would provide useful insight into the guiding experimental process to produce desired Al–Ce alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving energy eco-efficiency is key to promote high-quality development in the Yangtze River Delta. In this study, we measured the energy eco-efficiency of the Yangtze River Delta region from 2016 to 2020 using a slacks-based measure model and analyzed the spatio-temporal evolution and the driving factors with the help of data visualization techniques and explainable machine learning algorithms. The results showed that:(1) Energy eco-efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta between 2016 and 2020 showed a U-shaped curve trend. (2) The energy eco-efficiency of cities in the Yangtze River Delta was gradually polarizing, with high-efficiency cities having a more even regional distribution in 2016, but showing a tendency to cluster in the north-central of the Yangtze River Delta in 2020. (3) Among the driving factors, urbanization, human capital, industrial structure, and transport infrastructure had a positive correlation with energy eco-efficiency, with only industrial dependence showing a significant negative correlation with energy eco-efficiency. (4) The coordinated promotion of transport infrastructure development, industrial structure upgrading and human capital enhancement had led to the continuous improvement of energy eco-efficiency in Chuzhou City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xerocomoideae is an ecologically and economically important Boletaceae subfamily (Boletales) comprising 10 genera. Although many studies have focused on Xerocomoideae in China, the diversity, taxonomy and molecular phylogeny still remained incompletely understood. In the present study, taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on Chinese species of Xerocomoideae were carried out by morphological examinations and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Eight genera in Xerocomoideae, viz. Aureoboletus, Boletellus, Heimioporus, Hemileccinum, Hourangia, Phylloporus, Pulchroboletus, and Xerocomus were confirmed to be distributed in China; 97 species of the subfamily were accepted as being distributed in China; one ambiguous taxon was tentatively named Bol. aff. putuoensis; two synonyms, viz. A. marroninus and P. dimorphus were defined. Among the Chinese accepted species, 13 were newly described, viz. A. albipes, A. conicus, A. ornatipes, Bol. erythrolepis, Bol. rubidus, Bol. sinochrysenteroides, Bol. subglobosus, Bol. zenghuoxingii, H. squamipes, P. hainanensis, Pul. erubescens, X. albotomentosus, and X. fuscatus, 36 known species were redescribed, and the other 48 species were reviewed. Keys to accepted species of Aureoboletus, Boletellus, Heimioporus, Hemileccinum, Hourangia, Phylloporus, and Xerocomus in China were also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scaling relations for the dispersion coefficients of long-range interactions between the Mu(1s)–Mu(1s, 2s, or 2p) systems and the H(1s)–H(1s, 2s, or 2p) systems are obtained using analytical properties of hydrogenic wavefunctions, which allows us to obtain the dispersion coefficients for Mu(1s)–Mu(1s, 2s, or 2p) systems from the corresponding H(1s)–H(1s, 2s, or 2p) systems. Additionally, the dispersion coefficients of long-range interactions of Mu(1s) with the ground-state H, noble gas atoms He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, alkali-metal atoms Li, Na, K, and Rb, alkaline-earth atoms Be, Mg, Ca, and Sr, and Cu, Ag, F, and Cl atoms are calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues and energy crisis are huge challenges in today's world. As one of green energy sources, thermoelectric (TE) materials have attracted tremendous attraction for they can convert free heat energy to electricity. In our work, through the master equation (ME) method, we studied the characteristics of charge transport in the organic material under nonlinear temperature distributions. Under each temperature distribution, Seebeck coefficient is analyzed with different factors such as the temperature, the reorganization energy and the energetic disorder strength. Especially, Seebeck coefficient of different temperature distributions showed different performances when the reorganization energy changes. Our studies will be helpful to look further into TE properties of organic materials and improve the application of TE devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-based programs are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote mental health for young people. However the effectiveness of such programs varies, and there are multi-level challenges to embedding mental health education in schools. Further, critical scholarship has focused on the ways in which such programs can contribute to neoliberal goals, rather than empowering students meaningfully. Our research used focus group interviews to capture the perspectives and experiences of teachers and children participating in a school-based program in Hong Kong. We applied Bernstein's theory of pedagogic practices to analyze the interview data, in particular the concepts of boundaries and framing. We identified rigid boundaries between classrooms, the wider school, and home. Boundaries between academic and wider learning, and between school leaders and teachers, hindered cultural change towards mental wellbeing in schools. The program in this study reduced boundaries between students, and between students and teachers. This enhanced students' communication, and bonding with peers and teachers. School culture about mental health education was found to have weak framing, with students having more influence on the learning process in this program than they currently do in other subjects. We argue that understanding boundaries and framing underpins development of better pedagogic practices in mental health education. When rooted in careful analysis of power relationships with school cultures, mental health promotion is not necessarily aligned with dominant values in society that privilege academic success over wellbeing. School-based programs can provide co-learning spaces for teachers and students, that encourage learning about mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goats are an important domestic animal for animal husbandry that has attracted considerable research attention worldwide. Genetic diversity assessment and population genetic structure of indigenous goats can provide valuable conservation strategies. The current study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure of six goat populations from Chongqing, China. A total of 145 animals from five local goat populations, namely, Youzhou black (UZG), Jianzhou (JZG), Banjiao (BJG), Dazu (DZG) and Hechuan white goat (HCG) and an introduced breed called Nubia goat (NBG) located in Chongqing, China were genotyped with 18 autosomal microsatellite markers. A series of genetic diversity parameters and population phylogeny were estimated and constructed. This study preliminarily showed that the six goat populations present rich genetic diversity and significant genetic divergence among them. Furthermore, material exchanges were observed between the introduced and local goat populations in Chongqing. This result will further explain the diversity conservation of Chongqing goat populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic change mode of land cover not only reflects the change characteristics of the land cover itself, but also reflects the influence exerted by external factors. Empirical mode decomposition is an effective time-frequency analysis method for nonlinear and nonstationary signals. In this paper, empirical mode decomposition firstly uses to each pixel time series to get its intrinsic mode functions, each intrinsic mode function relates to change mode with some time scale, clustering those intrinsic mode functions over the image, and different land cover change modes are obtained. The experimental dataset used is MODIS subset from the Jan 2011 to Dec 2020, located in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. The clustering results of half-annual cycle and one-year cycle of intrinsic mode functions show the influence of local climate and policy factors on land cover change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the safety risk prediction process of driving behaviors, the influence of correlation among evaluation indexes is ignored, resulting in low prediction accuracy. Therefore, a safety risk prediction method of road traffic driving behaviors based on the information entropy algorithm is proposed. Firstly, according to the types of driving behaviors, the evaluation indexes representing driving behaviors are selected, and an evaluation index system is constructed. Then, the internal correlation among indexes is determined by the information entropy algorithm, and the comprehensive weight of indexes is calculated based on the index membership matrix. Then the prediction model is established. Finally, the safety risk level is determined to realize the safety risk prediction of driving behaviors. The simulation results show that the safety entropy value of the designed prediction method is 0.18, and the actual entropy value is 0.17, with a difference of 0.01 between them. Additionally, the deigned prediction method has high prediction accuracy, with prediction accuracy up to 0.94. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper has a research on the distribution and bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd and Cr) in the water, sediments, and three endemic fish species from the Huashan Reservoir, source of the Pearl River. The results showed that the water of Huashan Reservoir was under the grade II standard for most of the heavy metals according to the national environmental quality standard for surface water (GB3838-2002) launched by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China, and the metal concentrations of most surface sediments have exceeded the background values of the local soil in Yunnan Province. Furthermore, the Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd and Cr content in the sediment cores increased abruptly around early 1970s. Notably, most metals in all collected fish in this study didn't exceed the safety thresholds according to the national standards. Finally, the results found that the concentrations of heavy metals in the muscles of three fishes were all safe for human consumption, and the mean concentration in the fish organs followed the sequence of liver>gill>muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of sunlight interference on the anti-unmanned arial vehicle LiDAR early warning system (A-UAVs-LEWS) a solution is proposed based on the laser ranging equation. The relationship between the response optical power of the laser receiver and the warning distance is given and the relationship between the sunlight background noise and the sunlight incident angle is calculated and analysed. The results show that under all-sunlight interference, the sunlight noise power decreases with the increase of the sunlight incidence angle, but the effect is little. Under part-sunlight interference the sunlight noise power decreases sharply with the increase of the sunlight incident angle. The sunlight interference cannot be ignored until the incident sunlight is about to remove the field of view of the receiver. The research results of this paper can lay a theoretical foundation and provide data basis for the design and development of A-UAVs-LEWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An n n Λ , which consists of two neutrons and a Lambda hyperon, is a multi-baryon system with no charge. Studying the n n Λ state would provide information about the Λ n interaction which has not been directly measured by a scattering experiment. The experiment (E12-17-003) was performed in order to search for the n n Λ state at Jefferson Lab. The n n Λ is expected to be produced by the (e , e ′ K +) reaction, which has sensitivity to both bound and resonance states if the natural width of the n n Λ is narrow enough to be observed as a peak. The experiment used gas targets of hydrogen and tritium for mass calibration and the n n Λ production, respectively. The mass calibration with H (e , e ′ K +) Λ / Σ 0 reactions gave the mass resolution of the Λ and Σ 0 each 3.5 MeV / c 2 FWHM, for the elementary reaction. A spectrum of 3 H (e , e ′ K +) X was obtained, and a simple model with a Λ n final state interaction was applied to reproduce the spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature prediction in a slab heating furnace is an important problem for steel production processes. However, the problem is complicated owing to process complexity and industrial noise. These factors make it difficult to obtain precise prediction results by a mechanism model in practical production. In this article, an integrated modelling approach is proposed through combining mechanism and data-driven models. This method constructs a generalized-kernel support vector regression (SVR) on new search space to improve the predictive performance of a mechanism model, in which the kernel matrix is a combination of multiple single kernels. The learning problem can be solved globally by a semi-definite programming (SDP) problem. Numerical experiments using actual data from an iron and steel enterprise in China are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed integrated method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adjuvant therapy and radiotherapy improves the survival of patients with metastatic and locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, the resistance to radiotherapy limits its clinical usage. Rhotekin 2 (RTKN2) functions as an oncogene and confers resistance to ultraviolet B-radiation and apoptosis-inducing agents. Here, the role of RTKN2 in radiosensitivity of GC cell lines was investigated. RTKN2 was found to be elevated in GC tissues and cells. A series of functional assays revealed that overexpression of RTKN2 induced GC cell proliferation, promoted GC cell migration and invasion, while inhibiting GC cell apoptosis. However, silence of RTKN2 promoted GC cell apoptosis, while repressing GC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. GC cells were exposed to irradiation, and data from cell survival and apoptotic assays showed that knock-down of RTKN2 enhanced radiosensitivity of GC through up-regulation of apoptosis and down-regulation of proliferation in irradiation-exposed GC cells. Moreover, the protein expression of β-catenin and c-Myc in GC cells was enhanced by RTKN2 over-expression, but reduced by RTKN2 silence. Interference of RTKN2 down-regulated nuclear β-catenin expression, while up-regulating cytoplasmic β-catenin in GC. In conclusion, RTKN2 contributed to cell growth and radioresistance in GC through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small binding energy of the hypertriton leads to predictions of the non-existence of bound hypernuclei for isotriplet three-body systems such as nn Λ. However, invariant mass spectroscopy at GSI has reported events that may be interpreted as the bound nn Λ state. The nn Λ state was sought by missing-mass spectroscopy via the (e, e ′ K +) reaction at Jefferson Lab's experimental Hall A. The present experiment has higher sensitivity to the nn Λ-state investigation in terms of better precision by a factor of about three. The analysis shown in this article focuses on the derivation of the reaction cross-section for the 3H(γ*, K +)X reaction. Events that were detected in an acceptance, where a Monte Carlo simulation could reproduce the data well (⁠|$|\delta p/p| \lt 4\%$|⁠), were analyzed to minimize the systematic uncertainty. No significant structures were observed with the acceptance cuts, and the upper limits of the production cross-section of the nn Λ state were obtained to be 21 and |$31 \, \rm {nb} \, \rm {sr}^{-1}$| at the |$90\%$| confidence level when theoretical predictions of (− B Λ, Γ) = (0.25, 0.8) MeV and (0.55, 4.7) MeV, respectively, were assumed. The cross-section result provides valuable information for examining the existence of nn Λ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common joint diseases in the elderly population. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), play an important role in the development and progression of OA. Dapansutrile is a specific inhibitor of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: In this study, we investigated the protective effect and the underlying mechanism of dapansutrile on cartilage degeneration in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, chondrocytes were isolated from rats and then were treated with dapansutrile. After that, the expression of (Cox- 2, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Mmp -3, Mmp -9, Mmp -13 and IL -10) were evaluated at RNA level, then the expression of (COX-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, MMP-13, SOX-9 and COL2) were evaluated at protein level. Subsequently, the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was tested using western blotting (WB). Additionally, the rat OA model was developed to evaluate the protective effects of dapansutrile in vivo. Results: The results showed that dapansutrile had no obvious cytotoxicity on rat chondrocytes at 24 h (0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 μM). Dapansutrile significantly decreased IL-1β-induced upregulation of COX2, iNOS, matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), 9 (MMP9) and 13 (MMP13), and reversed IL-1β-induced the downregulation of IL-10, SOX9 and COL2. Dapansutrile also inhibited IL-1β-induced upregulation of the MAPK signaling pathway by downregulating the expression levels of phospho-ERK, and phospho-P38 in a concentration dependent manner. In addition, dapansutrile exhibited protective effects in rat OA model with lower Mankin's score and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) score. Conclusion: Our study suggested that dapansutrile effectively inhibited chondrocyte inflammation by suppressing MAPK signaling pathway in vitro, and ameliorated cartilage degeneration in vivo, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect in OA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trials typically group cancers of the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) with oesophageal or gastric cancer when studying neoadjuvant chemoradiation and perioperative chemotherapy, so the results may not be fully applicable to GOJ cancer. Because optimal neoadjuvant treatment for GOJ cancer remains controversial, outcomes with neoadjuvant chemoradiation versus chemotherapy for locally advanced GOJ adenocarcinoma were compared retrospectively. Methods: Data were collected from all patients who underwent neoadjuvant treatment followed by surgery for adenocarcinoma located at the GOJ at a single high-volume institution between 2002 and 2017. Postoperative major complications and mortality were compared between groups using Fisher's exact test. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed by log rank test and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Cumulative incidence functions were used to estimate recurrence, and groups were compared using Gray's test. Results: Of 775 patients, 650 had neoadjuvant chemoradiation and 125 had chemotherapy. These groups were comparable in terms of clinical tumour and lymph node categories, although the chemoradiation group had greater proportions of white men, complete pathological response to chemotherapy, and smaller proportions of diffuse cancer, poor differentiation, and neurovascular invasion. Postoperative major complications (20.0 versus 17.6 per cent) and 30-day mortality (1.7 versus 1.6 per cent) were not significantly different between the chemoradiation and chemotherapy groups. After adjustment, type of therapy (chemoradiation versus chemotherapy) was not significantly associated with OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.26, 95 per cent c.i. 0.96 to 1.67) or DFS (HR 1.27, 0.98 to 1.64). Type of recurrence (local, regional, or distant) did not differ after neoadjuvant chemoradiation versus chemotherapy. Conclusion: In patients undergoing surgical resection for locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the GOJ, OS and DFS did not differ significantly between patients who had neoadjuvant chemoradiation compared with chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose causes acute liver injury (ALI). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an essential coenzyme, and NAD+ is oxidized type which synthesized from nicotinamide (NAM). The present study aimed to investigate the role of NAD+ in ALI and protective property of NAM. The mice were subjected to different doses APAP. After 8 hours, the serum activities of alaninetransaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), the hepatic NAD+ level and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) expression were determined. Then, the mice were pretreated with NAM (800 mg/kg), the hepatoprotective effects and the key antioxidative molecules were evaluated. Our findings indicated that APAP resulted in remarkable NAD+ depletion in a dose-dependent manner accompanied by NAMPT downregulation, and NAM pretreatment significantly elevated the NAD+ decline due to upregulation of NAMPT. Moreover, the downregulated Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap1), upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its translocation activation after NAM administration were confirmed, which were in accordance with improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels. Finally, NAM dramatically exhibited hepatoprotective effects by reducing the liver index and necrotic area. This study has suggested that APAP impairs liver NAD+ level and NAM is able to improve hepatic NAD+ to activate antioxidant pathway against APAP-induced ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the SHANK3 gene and characterized by global developmental delays, deficits in speech and motor function, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Monogenic causes of ASD such as PMS are well suited to investigations with novel therapeutics, as interventions can be targeted based on established genetic etiology. While preclinical studies have demonstrated that the neuropeptide oxytocin can reverse electrophysiological, attentional, and social recognition memory deficits in Shank3-deficient rats, there have been no trials in individuals with PMS. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of intranasal oxytocin as a treatment for the core symptoms of ASD in a cohort of children with PMS. Methods: Eighteen children aged 5–17 with PMS were enrolled. Participants were randomized to receive intranasal oxytocin or placebo (intranasal saline) and underwent treatment during a 12-week double-blind, parallel group phase, followed by a 12-week open-label extension phase during which all participants received oxytocin. Efficacy was assessed using the primary outcome of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Social Withdrawal (ABC-SW) subscale as well as a number of secondary outcome measures related to the core symptoms of ASD. Safety was monitored throughout the study period. Results: There was no statistically significant improvement with oxytocin as compared to placebo on the ABC-SW (Mann–Whitney U = 50, p = 0.055), or on any secondary outcome measures, during either the double-blind or open-label phases. Oxytocin was generally well tolerated, and there were no serious adverse events. Limitations: The small sample size, potential challenges with drug administration, and expectancy bias due to relying on parent reported outcome measures may all contribute to limitations in interpreting results. Conclusion: Our results suggest that intranasal oxytocin is not efficacious in improving the core symptoms of ASD in children with PMS. Trial registration NCT02710084. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the functional role of hsa-miR-328-3p/STAT3 pathway in the effects of propofol on gastric cancer proliferation. Methods: Bioinformatics was used to analyze the molecular expression differences of hsa-miR-328-3p/STAT3 axis in stomach adenocarcinoma (n = 435) and normal samples (n = 41) from TCGA database. The expression of the above molecules in gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 and normal gastric mucosal cells GES-1 was verified via qPCR. The dual-luciferase assay was carried out to confirm the interaction between hsa-miR-328-3p and STAT3. Subsequently, the cell proliferation and the expression of the above molecules in SGC-7901 and GES-1 cells were evaluated after 10 μM propofol treatment. Finally, we analyzed whether propofol still inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer by suppressing STAT3 pathway after hsa-miR-328-3p down-regulation. Results: Compared with normal samples, the expression of hsa-miR-328-3p was significantly down-regulated in stomach adenocarcinoma samples, while the expression of STAT3 and downstream target genes (MMP2, CCND1 and COX2) was up-regulated. The results were consistent with those in GES-1 and SGC-7901 cell lines. Meanwhile, we found that hsa-miR-328-3p can bind to the 3′-UTR of the potential target gene STAT3. Furthermore, propofol significantly inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901, where hsa-miR-328-3p was up-regulated and the expression of STAT3 and downstream proliferation-related target genes were down-regulated. However, the growth inhibition of propofol on SGC-7901 cell was significantly reversed after the inhibition of hsa-miR-328-3p. Conclusions: To sum up, propofol suppressed the STAT3 pathway via up-regulating hsa-miR-328-3p to inhibit gastric cancer proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Click here for the corresponding questions to this CME article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of 5,5′-di(trifluoromethyl)-3,3′-bipyrazole (BipzH2) with cis-[RuCl2(Bipy)2]·2H2O (Bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) or cis-[RuCl2(Dmbipy)2]·2H2O (Dmbpy = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) afforded two charge-neutral ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(Bipz)(Bipy)2] (I) and [Ru(Bipz)(Dmbipy)2] (II), respectively. Reactions of 3-trifluoromethyl-5-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole (PypzH) and cis-[RuCl2(Bipy)2]·2H2O or cis-[RuCl2(Dmbipy)2]·2H2O in the presence of NH4PF6 produced two cationic ruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(Pypz)(Bipy)2](PF6) (III) and [Ru(Pypz)(Dmbipy)2](PF6) (IV), respectively. Four complexes were spectroscopically characterized by FTIR, UV-Vis and luminescence. The structures of I·H2O, III·H2O and IV have been also determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (CIF files CCDC nos. 1935282–1935284, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic and structural properties of nanolaminate Zr2InC are studied by first-principles, and it is shown that, for any used modes, including the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and localized density approximation, there always exists an ultraincompressibility along c axis between 70 GPa and 400 GPa. Such anomalous behavior is originated from the slowdown of core-valence charge transfer. The rapid shift of Zr atom along c axis also contributed much to the ultraincompressibility as it is greatly reduced once the Zr atom shift suspends along c axis above about 400 GPa. Both the elastic constants and the phononic vibrational frequencies investigations confirmed the structural unstable simultaneously. The Poisson's ratio investigations observed a higher ionic or weaker covalent contribution in interatomic bonding and the degree of ionicity increases with pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum fluctuations give rise to Casimir forces between two parallel conducting plates, the magnitude of which increases monotonically as the separation decreases. By introducing nanoscale gratings to the surfaces, recent advances have opened opportunities for controlling the Casimir force in complex geometries. Here, we measure the Casimir force between two rectangular silicon gratings. Using an on-chip detection platform, we achieve accurate alignment between the two gratings so that they interpenetrate as the separation is reduced. Just before interpenetration occurs, the measured Casimir force is found to have a geometry dependence that is much stronger than previous experiments, with deviations from the proximity force approximation reaching a factor of ~500. After the gratings interpenetrate each other, the Casimir force becomes non-zero and independent of displacement. This work shows that the presence of gratings can strongly modify the Casimir force to control the interaction between nanomechanical components. The geometry dependence of the Casimir force could enable applications in nanomechanical systems if the effects can be enhanced. Here, the authors demonstrate that the Casimir force between two interpenetrating nanoscale gratings can exceed the proximity force approximation by a factor of 500. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pidotimod (PTD) is a synthetic immunomodulatory dipeptide widely used for immune regulation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PTD on growth performance, immune function, intestinal epithelial barriers and microbiota in piglets. In total, 120 piglets with a weight of 25.26 ± 5.96 kg and genetic makeup were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates per group and 10 piglets per replicate. All piglets were weighed, and from 3 piglets from each replicate (9 piglets per group) tissues were collected. Piglets were fed for 44 days basal diet alone or supplemented with 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg PTD. It was found that the PTD addition increased the average daily weight gain of piglets (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 for dose 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively). So, for further studies only dose 50 mg/kg PTD was used. It was found that such dose decreased serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 (P < 0.05) and interferon (IFN)-γ (P < 0.01), but increased antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10 level (P < 0.05). Transmission electron micrographs further revealed that supplementation with PTD at a dose of 50 mg/kg enhanced intercellular connectivity, characterized by longer tight junction (TJ) proteins, thicker adhesive tapes (AB) and desmosomes (D) in the jejunum. This phenomenon was validated by the up-regulated protein expression of occludin and ZO-1 in the jejunum. Furthermore, supplementation with PTD at a dose of 50 mg/kg altered the a diversity of intestinal microbiota in piglets (Observed_species, Chao1, PD_whole_tree, Ace). Particularly, the abundance of Spirochaetes, Verrucomicrobia, Succinispira and Treponema was decreased, but that of Lactobacillus and Collinsella was increased. Overall, dietary supplementation with 50 mg/kg PTD improves the growth performance of piglets by enhancing immune function, intestinal epithelial barrier and regulating microbiota composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on measurements and analysis of telegraph noise of acoustoelectric current induced the surface acoustic waves-based single-electron-transport devices at 1.7 K. Trapping and detrapping electrons in the defect are considered as the physical origin of random telegraph noise. A theoretical model is designed by regarding the impurity potential as the coulomb potential of point charge. And the transitions of different metastable states in the course of measuring current could be well explained by this simplified model. Furthermore, our experimental data indicate that the current noises gradually decrease and finally vanish with the increase of radio frequency (RF) power. Therefore, the RF power in the interdigital transducer could well modulate the amplitude of telegraph noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interatomic potential for the Al–Tb alloy around the composition of Al90Tb10 is developed using the deep neural network (DNN) learning method. The atomic configurations and the corresponding total potential energies and forces on each atom obtained from ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations are collected to train a DNN model to construct the interatomic potential for the Al–Tb alloy. We show that the obtained DNN model can well reproduce the energies and forces calculated by AIMD simulations. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the DNN interatomic potential also accurately describe the structural properties of the Al90Tb10 liquid, such as partial pair correlation functions (PPCFs) and bond angle distributions, in comparison with the results from AIMD simulations. Furthermore, the developed DNN interatomic potential predicts the formation energies of the crystalline phases of the Al–Tb system with an accuracy comparable to ab initio calculations. The structure factors of the Al90Tb10 metallic liquid and glass obtained by MD simulations using the developed DNN interatomic potential are also in good agreement with the experimental X-ray diffraction data. The development of short-range order (SRO) in the Al90Tb10 liquid and the undercooled liquid is also analyzed and three dominant SROs, i.e., Al-centered distorted icosahedron (DISICO) and Tb-centered '3661' and '15551' clusters, respectively, are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, effects of soy isoflavones (SIF) on the growth and development, physiology, content of medicinal ingredients and expression levels of enzyme-encoding genes in Achyranthes bidentata Blume under UV-B radiation were systematically investigated. The results showed that UV-B radiation adversely affected the growth and development of A. bidentata seedlings, causing ROS accumulation and the anti-oxidation system to be damaged. However, 1 mg/L exogenous SIF treatment conferred enhanced tolerance under UV-B radiation stress in A. bidentata seedlings by decreasing the concentration of MDA, H2O2, and modulating SOD and POD activities. Furthermore, 1 mg/L SIF reduced the content of oleanolic acid and ecdysterone in leaves and increased the content of oleanolic acid in roots, but had no significant effect on the content of ecdysterone in roots under UV-B radiation stress. SIF had a different degree of influence on the expression levels of antioxidant enzyme genes as well as medicinal ingredients enzyme-encoding genes in A. bidentata. The results showed that 1 mg/L exogenous SIF treatment had a positive effect on the growth, development and physiology in A. bidentata seedlings under UV-B radiation stress. To our knowledge, for the first time we are reporting that the use of 1 mg/L exogenous SIF enhances A. bidentata seedlings tolerance to UV-B radiation stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients presenting with swelling arising from the floor of the mouth (FOM) should be examined prudently, with the aid of appropriate diagnostic modalities such as ultrasonography, ultrasound guided aspirational biopsy, CT with contrast or MRI. Clinicians should include even the rare occurrences, like lipomas, especially while categorising intra‐oral lesions because this can impede appropriate surgical planning, which can consequently cause recurrence or even malignant transformation of the lesion. This case report presents a painless sublingual lipoma situated on the left side of the FOM. The size gradually increased and eventually interfered with the movement of tongue and swallowing that was initially attributed as either sublingual cyst (dermoid/epidermoid) or ranula. Although lipomas are considered to originate at any site in the body, their incidence in the oral cavity is rare (1%–4%). In the present case, a sublingual lipoma presented as a painless and slow‐growing swelling located on the left side of FOM associated with restricted tongue movement. Complete resection of the lesion was performed with the preservation of Wharton's duct, lingual nerve and hypoglossal nerve. Post‐operative recovery was uneventful and subsequent follow‐up was satisfactory showing no sign of wound dehiscence or infection. The salivary flow was normal in both Wharton's ducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Archean volcanic‐sedimentary rocks (greenstones) hosting the Dongyaozhuang (DYZ) gold deposit are situated in the Wutai Mountain, north‐central China. Field geology and mineral assemblages show at least two episodes of mineralization. The first episode features deformed quartz‐pyrite veins filling in the regional foliation (MI, Paleoproterozoic) and can be divided into two stages (MIa and MIb) based on whether the mineralization is accompanied by tourmalinization. The mineral assemblages are mainly quartz + carbonate + pyrite + chalcopyrite (+ tourmaline for MIb); both are cut by deformed barren quartz veins, which represent the final stage of MI. The second episode features undeformed stockworks/veinlets with a mineral assemblage of quartz + carbonate + pyrite + chalcopyrite + arsenopyrite ± native gold (MIIa), crosscutting MI; these ore bodies are also cut through by undeformed barren carbonate and/or quartz veins (MIIb), which represent the end of metallogeny. By integrating the crustal evolution history with ore geology, we suggest that the DYZ gold deposit is a product by overprinting of episodic mineralization rather than a single metallogenic event. For further understanding and evidence in support of this speculation, fluid inclusions and hydrothermal chlorite and biotite were studied to reveal the physicochemical conditions of fluids from various stages, and C‐H‐O isotopes were used to trace the source(s) of fluids. Temperatures recorded in chlorite from various stages C1 (from the MIa), C2 (MIb), and C3 (MIIa) generally agrees with the homogenization temperatures of aqueous type fluid inclusions (FIs) of corresponding stages. Components of FIs from each stage are dominated by water with low salinities (0–12.6 wt% NaCl equiv). The Ib‐1, Ib‐2, and Ib‐s type CO2‐H2O FIs observed from the same deformed quartz vein of the MIb can be attributed to overprinting of hydrothermal fluids. The primary Ib‐1 and Ib‐2 FIs (209–404°C) were trapped at pressures of approximately 2.2–3.7 kbar, representing the formation pressure of the MI stage, whereas the secondary Ib‐s FIs (240–349°C) were trapped at pressures of approximately 0.8–1.5 kbar, which indicates overprinting induced by MII. The C‐H‐O isotope compositions of quartz and carbonates from MIa, MIb, and MIIa can be interpreted to indicate that the fluids were derived from the same source with multistage evolution or to reflect a homogeneous signature induced with overprinting mineralization. According to the geology, mineral assemblages, component of fluid inclusions, and C‐H‐O isotopes, the DYZ gold deposit is likely to be a product of overprinting of an orogenic gold deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, there is no validated whole grain assessment tool for children in any Southeast Asian countries. Hence, there is a need for a valid tool to assess whole grain intake among Malaysian children. This study aimed to develop, validate and test the reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in estimating whole grain intake among Malaysian children.Methods: A total of 392 children participated in the FFQ development and 112 children aged 9-12 years participated in the validation phase; with a subsample of 50 children participating in the reproducibility phase. Three-day diet record (3DR) as the reference method in validation phase. Spearman correlations, mean difference, Bland-Altman plot and cross-classification analyses were used to assess validity. The reproducibility was tested through a repeat administration of the FFQ, with 1 month time interval. Reproducibility analyses involved intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), Cronbach's alpha and cross-classification analyses.Results: The FFQ consisted of 156 whole grain food items from six food groups. Mean intake of whole grain in FFQ1 and 3DR were correlated well (r = 0.732), demonstrated good acceptance of the FFQ. Bland Altman plots showed relatively good agreement for both the dietary methods. Cross-classification of whole grain intake between the two methods showed that < 9.9% of children were grossly misclassified. Outcomes from ICC (0.989) and Cronbach's alpha (0.995) demonstrated excellent reliability. All the children were classified in the same or adjacent quartile of whole grain intake.Conclusions: Overall, the findings support the validity of the developed FFQ to appropriately estimate the whole grain intake in Malaysian children. This validated FFQ will be a valuable tool for future studies, to analyses the impact of whole grain consumption with disease relationship among Malaysian schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assembly of Gondwana supercontinent involved multiple stages of continent convergence during the Neoproterozoic including arc magmatism and final collisional metamorphism. Peninsular India occupies a key position in the Gondwana supercontinent assembly where widespread Neoproterozoic magmatic records are preserved. Here, we investigate representative felsic magmatic intrusions from the Achankovil Suture Zone that marks the boundary between the Madurai and Trivandrum crustal blocks. We present petrological, geochemical, and zircon U‐Pb and Lu‐Hf data from the Chengannur (CH) and Pathanapuram (PT) plutons. Petrographic studies on syenogranites from the CH pluton indicate I‐type features, and feldspar thermometry shows ultrahigh temperatures (~1,000°C) corresponding to similar temperatures reported for the surrounding metamorphic rocks. Geochemically, the PT suite displays island arc affinity, whereas the CH suite shows adakitic, oxidized A‐2 type features. In tectonic discrimination plots, the CH samples correspond to volcanic arc granite, whereas the PT samples traverse syn‐collisional granite and volcanic arc granite zones, indicating a transitional feature. Trace element relationships suggest magma fractionation dominantly controlled by plagioclase, K‐feldspar, amphibole, and biotite. Magmatic zircon grains from the CH rocks show upper intercept ages in the range of 783 to 819 Ma and lower intercept ages in the range of 519 to 545 Ma, with cumulative age peaks at 766 and 529 Ma. The combined age population of monzogabbro, granodiorite, and granite from the PT pluton shows distinct peaks at 1,021, 950, and 537 Ma. Zircon grains from the CH pluton show dominantly negative εHf (t) values in the range of −5.8 to −13.4 and yield Hf depleted model age (TDM) ranging from 1,541 to 1857 Ma and Hf crustal model ages (TDMC) of 2,029 to 2510 Ma. In contrast, zircon grains from the PT pluton show dominantly positive εHf (t) values (2.9 to 9.8) with depleted model ages (TDM) in the range of 1,145 to 1434 Ma and Hf crustal model ages (TDMC) in 1,164 to1,686 Ma. The zircon U‐Pb and Lu‐Hf data clearly indicate that the timing of magmatism and magma sources is different for the two plutons, although both witnessed a common metamorphic event during late Neoproterozoic–Cambrian. The PT pluton was emplaced during the early Neoproterozoic with magma source involving mostly juvenile or depleted mantle components, as also attested to by the geochemical signature of arc affinity. In contrast, the CH pluton formed later during mid‐Neoproterozoic with magma from deeper source and dominated by recycled Paleoproterozoic material, which possibly involved depleted mantle components, both associated with an earlier subduction regime. The results reported in our study correlate with those from the arc magmatic rocks in the southern part of the Madurai Block as well as from the crustal blocks in the adjacent terrane of Sri Lanka. The extensive Neoproterozoic arc magmatism in a subduction‐related setting involving both juvenile additions and recycled older components represents the building blocks of Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demingding is a poorly studied post‐collisional porphyry Cu‐Mo deposit, located in the eastern part of the Gangdese porphyry copper belt. In this study, we present LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U‐Pb dating, whole‐rock geochemistry, and zircon trace elemental data for the mineralization related biotite monzogranite porphyry in Demingding. Zircon U‐Pb dating shows that the weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of the Miocene biotite monzogranite porphyry is 20.36 ± 0.46 Ma (MSWD = 2.6, n = 21). The Miocene biotite monzogranite porphyry is characterized by high SiO2, K2O, and Al2O3 contents and shows adakite‐like signatures. These rocks have high Sr/Y ratios, fractionated REE patterns with low HREE abundances, enrichment in LILE compared with HFSE, and have (87Sr/86Sr)i values of 0.7059 to 0.7062, εNd(t) values of −2.35 to −1.67 and (206Pb/204Pb)i ratios of 18.50–18.55. These features are similar to other Miocene adakite‐like intrusions in the Gangdese belt. We propose that the biotite monzogranite porphyry shares the same petrogenesis with other Miocene ore‐bearing adakite‐like intrusions in the Eastern Gangdese belt and was derived from remelting of the subduction‐modified, eclogitized Tibetan lower crust and mixing with hydrous mafic magmas from metasomatized Tibetan mantle. The zircons from biotite monzogranite porphyry have only minimal negative Eu anomalies (EuN/EuN* > 0.3), and exhibit large ratios of Ce4+/Ce3+(average value of 113), 10,000*(EuN/EuN*)/Y (3.94–8.14, >1), Ce/Nd (9–58, Average value of 30), (Ce/Nd)/Y (0.008–0.127, >0.003), and low value of Dy/Yb (0.15–0.24, <0.3), indicating that the biotite monzogranite porphyry is relatively hydrous and oxidized. The biotite monzogranite porphyry, therefore, is believed to be a relatively fertile intrusion with certain exploration potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]