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The involvement of left-behind children (LBC) in school bullying has raised concern in China. However, the susceptibility of LBC to engage in bullying is controversial, and comprehensive, representative studies covering the entire country are lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of school bullying among LBC. The Chinese National Knowledge Network, WanFang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and EBSCO databases were searched for literature on being left-behind and bullying before April 2022. The effect size was measured by odds ratio (ORs), standard mean difference (SMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI). Random-effects or fixed-effects models were selected for meta-analysis, and subgroup analysis was used to explore the sources of heterogeneity. The meta-analysis included 25 studies of school bullying among LBC and non-LBC (NLBC). The prevalence of bullying perpetration and victimization among LBC were 18.58% (95% CI [3.72%, 33.44%], p <.05) and 40.62% (95% CI [25.47%, 55.78%], p <.05), respectively. Compared with NLBC, the risk of bullying perpetration and victimization among LBC increased 1.97 times (OR = 1.97, 95% CI [1.77, 2.20], p <.05) and 2.17 times (OR = 2.17, 95% CI [1.43, 3.29], p <.05), respectively. The severity of bullying experienced by LBC was higher than that of NLBC (SMD = 0.49, 95% CI [0.20, 0.79], p <.05). The prevalence and severity of school bullying were higher in LBC than in NLBC, and left-behindness was positively associated with school bullying. LBC are a crucial population to protect when developing bullying interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fever and diarrhea are key causes of malnutrition, growth and development disorders, and death among children. At present, most studies on the associated factors of fever and diarrhea in children are concentrated in African and South Asian countries, but relevant research in China is very limited. This study was aimed to analyze the two-week prevalence of fever, diarrhea, and coexisting fever and diarrhea among children aged 6–23 months in rural areas of Hunan Province and to explore the associated factors. The survey data of the Nutrition Improvement Program for Children in Poor Areas (NIPCPA) from 2016 to 2023 was used here. NIPCPA is a cross-sectional survey completed annually in Hunan to collect children's nutrition and health indicators. The two-week prevalence rates of fever, diarrhea, and coexisting fever and diarrhea among children aged 6–23 months were 12.2% (2066/16,985), 9.6% (1634/16,985), and 3.2% (542/16,985), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the risks of fever, diarrhea, and coexisting fever and diarrhea were higher among younger children. The high educational level of caregivers, effective consumption of Yingyangbao (a complementary food supplement containing iron, zinc, calcium, vitamins A, D, B1, B2, B12, folic acid, and other micronutrients), and complementary feeding meeting minimum dietary diversity and meeting minimum acceptable diet were protective factors against fever in children, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of 0.87 (95%CI: 0.78–0.98), 0.78 (0.69–0.87), 0.73 (0.65–0.82), and 0.74 (0.66–0.84), respectively. Effective consumption of Yingyangbao, and complementary feeding meeting the minimum dietary diversity and meeting minimum acceptable diet were protective factors against diarrhea in children, with aORs of 0.72 (95%CI: 0.63–0.83), 0.79 (0.70–0.91), and 0.80 (0.70–0.92), respectively. Effective consumption of Yingyangbao, and complementary feeding meeting the minimum dietary diversity and meeting minimum acceptable diet were protective factors against coexisting fever and diarrhea among children, with aORs of 0.53 (95%CI: 0.43–0.66), 0.71 (0.58–0.89), and 0.70 (0.56–0.88), respectively. Fever, diarrhea, and the coexisting fever and diarrhea affect one in eight, one in ten, and one in thirty children respectively in rural areas of Hunan. Effective interventions should be actively taken, such as improving the education level of caregivers, enhancing their scientific feeding skills for children, and promoting children's compliance with Yingyangbao consumption, to further reduce the prevalence of fever and diarrhea in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate, detailed, and up-to-date information on cropland extent is crucial for provisioning food security and environmental sustainability. However, because of the complexity of agricultural landscapes and lack of sufficient training samples, it remains challenging to monitor cropland dynamics at high spatial and temporal resolutions across large geographical extents, especially for regions where agricultural land use is changing dramatically. Here we developed a cost-effective annual cropland mapping framework that integrated time-series Landsat satellite imagery, automated training sample generation, as well as machine learning and change detection techniques. We implemented the proposed scheme to a cloud computing platform of Google Earth Engine and generated a novel dataset of China's annual cropland at a 30 m spatial resolution (namely CACD). Results demonstrated that our approach was capable of tracking dynamic cropland changes in different agricultural zones. The pixel-wise F1 scores for annual maps and change maps of CACD were 0.79 ± 0.02 and 0.81, respectively. Further cross-product comparisons, including accuracy assessment, correlations with statistics, and spatial details, highlighted the precision and robustness of CACD compared with other datasets. According to our estimation, from 1986 to 2021, China's total cropland area expanded by 30 300 km 2 (1.79 %), which underwent an increase before 2002 but a general decline between 2002 and 2015, and a slight recovery afterward. Cropland expansion was concentrated in the northwest while the eastern, central, and southern regions experienced substantial cropland loss. In addition, we observed 419 342 km 2 (17.57 %) of croplands that were abandoned at least once during the study period. The consistent, high-resolution data of CACD can support progress toward sustainable agricultural use and food production in various research applications. The full archive of CACD is freely available at 10.5281/zenodo.7936885 (Tu et al., 2023a). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sensitive skin is hypersensitive to various external stimuli and a defective epidermal permeability barrier is an important clinical feature of sensitive skin. Claudin‐5 (CLDN5) expression levels decrease in sensitive skin. This study aimed to explore the impact of CLDN5 deficiency on the permeability barrier in sensitive skin and the regulatory role of miRNAs in CLDN5 expression. Materials and methods: A total of 26 patients were retrospectively enrolled, and the CLDN5 expression and permeability barrier dysfunction in vitro were assessed. Then miRNA‐224‐5p expression was also assessed in sensitive skin. Results: Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy revealed reduced CLDN5 expression, increased miR‐224‐5p expression, and disrupted intercellular junctions in sensitive skin. CLDN5 knockdown was associated with lower transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and Lucifer yellow penetration in keratinocytes and organotypic skin models. The RNA‐seq and qRT‐PCR results indicated elevated miR‐224‐5p expression in sensitive skin; MiR‐224‐5p directly interacted with the 3'UTR of CLDN5, resulting in CLDN5 deficiency in the luciferase reporter assay. Finally, miR‐224‐5p reduced TEER in keratinocyte cultures. Conclusion: These results suggest that the miR‐224‐5p‐induced reduction in CLDN5 expression leads to impaired permeability barrier function, and that miR‐224‐5p could be a potential therapeutic target for sensitive skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze the status of non-response to hepatitis B vaccine and its related factors in children born to mothers infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods The children born to mothers with HBV infection reported in Hunan Province from January to December 2022 were selected. All the children received hepatitis B immunoglobulin injection and 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccination and were followed up to 7-12 months of age for detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HB-sAg) and anti-HBs. Both HBsAg and anti-HBs were negative, indicating that there was no response to hepatitis B vaccine in children. Unconditional binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of non-response to hepatitis B vaccine in children. Results A total of 9 792 children born to mothers infected with HBV were analyzed. Among 9 792 children, the non-response rate of hepatitis B vaccine was 9.5% (928/9 792). Non-conditional binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of non-response to hepatitis B vaccine in children born to HBeAg-positive mothers was 1.62 times higher than that in children born to HBeAg-negative mothers (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.40-1.88). The risk of non-response to hepatitis B vaccine in children with macrosomia (birth weight ≥ 4 000g) was 1.41 times higher than that in children with normal birth weight (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.08-1.85). Maternal antiviral therapy (OR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.48-0.73) and child HepB standard vaccination (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.57-0.78) were the protective factors of non-response to hepatitis B vaccine in children. Conclusion The non-response rate of hepatitis B vaccine in children born to HBV infected mothers is high, and it is affected by maternal HBeAg positive, antiviral therapy during pregnancy, birth weight, and standard vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockfalls are major geological hazards threatening prestressed concrete cylinder pipes (PCCPs) in water diversion projects. To accurately assess the impact of large deformation movements of rockfalls on PCCPs, this study utilized the continuous–discontinuous method to investigate the dynamic response of a PCCP under a rockfall. The impact mode of rockfalls, the mechanical characteristics of PCCP, and the nonlinear-contact characteristics between soil and PCCP were considered in this study. The advantages of continuous and discontinuous numerical simulation methods were utilized to establish a continuous and discontinuous coupling model of "tube-soil-rock" considering the interaction of soil and structure. The impact mechanism and process of PCCP under the rockfall were investigated by simulating the rockfall process and analyzing its spatiotemporal evolution. The influence of PCCP under rockfalls with different heights and radii was studied to clarify the effects of these two parameters on the PCCP. Combined with a practical application example of large-scale water transfer projects, there is a tendency of center flattening under static load and dynamic impact load, and the PCCP part directly below the impact point is the most dangerous. This investigation provided a comprehensive understanding of the impact mechanism of the PCCPs under rockfall. The findings of this study have significant implications for the design of the protection engineering of PCCPs and ensuring the safe operation of water diversion projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sensitivity skin (SS) is a common skin disorders, which have a various of clinical manifestation. Facial erythema is common objective symptom of SS. However, the reasons for the occurrence of erythema in sensitive skin are not fully understood. Aims: In this study, we preliminarily explain the possible factors inducing erythema of sensitive skin by evaluating facial erythematous reaction to lactic acid sting test (LAST) and capsaicin test (CAT) in subjects with sensitive skin. Methods: A total of 197 subjects were divided into five groups, that is, normal controls (NC), LAST‐positive (LAST+), both LAST and CAT positive (L+C+), both LAST and CAT negative (L−C−) and CAT‐positive (CAT+). Erythema index (EI), a* value, and tissue viability imaging (TIVI) were measured before and after LAST and CAT, The ΔEI, Δa*, and ΔTIVI before and after LAST and CAT were calculated, and the correlation between the scores of CAT, EI values, a* values, and TIVI values were analyzed to clarify the causes of facial erythema. Results: Our results showed that EI values and a* values were significantly higher in the L+C+ and CAT+ group than in NC group, TIVI values were higher in the L+C+ group than in NC group. ΔEI and Δa* values after LAST did not differ significantly among five groups. However, ΔEI values in L+C+ group were higher than that in L−C− group, while Δa* values were higher in CAT+ group than in NC. Moreover, ΔTIVI values in L+C+ group and CAT+ group were also significantly higher than that in NC group after capsaicin stimulation. CAT scores correlated positively with EI, a* and TIVI values. Conclusion: Our results suggest that sensitive skin subjects with positive CAT are more likely to experience erythema reactions, and vasodilation is more pronounced after capsaicin stimulation. Reducing vascular and neural hyperreactivity could be therapeutic target in management of facial erythema in subjects with sensitive skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroptosis is an inflammatory programmed cell death (PCD) and is reported to be associated with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of m6A demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) in pyroptosis in the process of chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD). Changes of m6A-related genes were evaluated between CAD and normal samples using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB; 10, 20, and 30 mJ/cm2), followed by evaluation of cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α)), and pyroptosis-related proteins (gasdermin D (GSDMD), Caspase-1, and Caspase-4). Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting ALKBH5 was transfected into HaCaT cells to assess the effect of si-ALKBH5 on CAD. A CAD mice model was induced after exposure to UVB (250 mJ/cm2 per day) to confirm the role of ALKBH5 in CAD. AKKBH5 was highly expressed in CAD patients. UVB also promoted ALKBH5 expression, increased cell apoptosis, and induced the release of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α) as well as pyroptosis-related proteins (GSDMD, Caspase-1, and Caspase-4). Silencing ALKBH5 repressed cell apoptosis and suppressed UVB-induced pyroptosis and inflammatory response. Meanwhile, silencing ALKBH5 attenuated UVB-induced skin damage of CAD mice, accompanied with the reduction in expression of inflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis-related proteins. This study helps to further understand the mechanism of ALKBH5 in CAD-induced pyroptosis and provides novel ideas for the research and management of CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis share some symptoms of sensitive skin, whether they respond differently to lactic acid sting and capsaicin tests, common tests for diagnosis of sensitive skin, is unknown. Objectives: To reveal the cutaneous responses to lactic acid sting (LAST) and capsaicin test (CAT) in females with either rosacea vs. seborrheic dermatitis. Methods: A total of 60 patients with rosacea, 20 patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 40 normal controls were enrolled in the study. Their skin sensitivity to stimuli were evaluated following topical application of either 10% lactic acid solution or 0.001% capsaicin solution. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates and erythema indexes were also measured on the face. Results: In comparison to normal controls, the positive rate to either LAST or CAT was significantly higher in subjects with rosacea (p < 0.001), but not in that with seborrheic dermatitis. Similarly, individuals with rosacea displayed a higher positive rate to both LAST and CAT than those with seborrheic dermatitis and normal controls (p < 0.001). In parallel, the LAST scores and CAT scores in individuals with rosacea were significantly higher than in that with either seborrheic dermatitis or normal controls (p < 0.001). The baseline TEWL rates and erythema indexes were higher in individual with rosacea than in normal controls (p < 0.001). But the baseline TEWL rates and erythema indexes did not differ significantly between subjects with rosacea and that with seborrheic dermatitis. Moreover, LAST scores and CAT scores correlated positively with TEWL (p < 0.0001). TEWL rates were higher in CAT positive than in CAT negative subjects (p < 0.0001). Finally, erythema index correlated positively with CAT scores (p < 0.0001), but not with LAST scores (p = 0.0842). Conclusions: Skin responses to LAST and CAT differ between individuals with rosacea and those with seborrheic dermatitis, possibly due to the differences in epidermal permeability barrier and the neurovascular hyperreactivity. The higher LAST and CAT scores, as well as positive rates of both LAST and CAT can be attributable to inferior permeability barrier and the neurovascular hyperreactivity in subjects with rosacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is an immune‐mediated photodermatosis characterized by a high eosinophil count and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the peripheral blood of patients. At present, however, the reasons for their elevation remain unclear. Objective: The current study aimed to detect changes in inflammatory cytokines in CAD and explore their role in this disease. Methods: Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and Luminex assay were conducted to measure inflammatory factor levels. Immunohistochemical analysis and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction were performed to evaluate the expression levels of interleukin‐36γ (IL‐36γ), IL‐8, chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17), and CCL18. CCK8 kits were used to assess cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence was used to detect nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) p65 nuclear translocation. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the protein expression level of phosphorylated NF‐κB (p‐NF‐κB) p65. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichrome staining were applied to observe histological changes in a chronic photo‐damaged mouse model. Results: Eosinophils, total IgE, IL‐36γ, IL‐8, tumor necrosis factor α, CCL17, and CCL18 were elevated in CAD. Of note, IL‐36γ promoted the proliferation of eosinophilic cells (EOL‐1) and the production of IgE in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. IL‐36γ also promoted the production of IL‐8 and CCL18 in immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells), while ultraviolet radiation (UVR)‐induced IL‐36γ via activation of the NF‐κB signaling pathway. Conclusions: IL‐36γ was involved in the pathogenesis of CAD and UVR contributed to the production of IL‐36γ, which may provide a novel therapeutic target for CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here a novel strategy for the chemical recycling of bio-based poly(ethylene furanoate)s (PEF) to value-added high-performance bio-based poly(ethylene-co-isosorbide furanoate) (PEIF) copolyesters by the combination of cyclodepolymerization method with rapid cascade polycondensation-coupling ring-opening polymerization (PROP). The solution cyclodepolymerization of commercially available PEF affords cyclic oligo(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate)s (COEFs), and the effects of reaction conditions on the yield of COEFs were studied. PEIF copolyesters with different isosorbide (IS) contents were synthesized via the cascade PROP of COEFs with IS, which show significant enhanced glass transition temperature. By melt spinning, PEIF fibers with different orientation factors were prepared, with excellent thermal stability and mechanical performance. The obtained PEIF fibers can lift a weight ∼25000 times higher than its weight. The PEIF fibers are stable under ambient conditions but are biodegradable following the "surface erosion" mechanism. These sustainable value-added biodegradable PEIF fibers offer a solution to the environmentally friendly fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The dramatic expansion of urban lands has caused widespread cropland losses in China, yet little evidence is given on the progress of such transformation spatial–temporal explicitly. Objectives: The present study aims to disentangle the underlying interaction between urban expansion and cropland loss as well as its socioeconomic drivers and future trends. Methods: We analyzed the extent of cropland loss resulting from urban expansion among different regions and city tiers using China's annual land cover datasets. We then introduced the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis to examine the relationship between such progressive changes and economic growth through panel data regressions. By combing the future urban land expansion datasets, we further estimated the pressure of potential cropland loss under five shared socioeconomic pathways. Results: Urban expansion directly led to a loss of 12 Mha croplands during 1990–2019. Nearly 84% of newly built urban lands occurred on croplands, with higher-tier cities experiencing more severe and direct losses. There exists an inverted-U shape relationship between cropland-urban land conversion and economic factors in China. Most 1st, newly 1st, and 2nd tier cities followed this decoupling pattern while some of the lower-tier cities were characterized by the increase or decline mode. It is estimated that 3.9–4.9 Mha of the existing croplands will be replaced by future urban land expansion by 2050, where 2nd and 3rd tier cities will have the greatest loss in terms of accumulative area. Conclusions: These findings highlight the important role of land use transition and adaptive planning policies in ensuring food security and achieving sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is an immune‐mediated photo‐allergic skin disease. In the clinic, the treatment of this disease is hampered by the lack of proper understanding of the skin barrier dysfunction mechanism. Objective: To illuminate the mechanism of skin barrier dysfunction in CAD. Methods: Transcriptome sequencing and protein profiling were used to detect skin barrier injury‐related genes. RNA pull down, a promoter‐reporter gene assay, and chromatin isolation by RNA purification‐sequencing were used to elucidate the effect of WAKMAR2 in skin barrier functionality. Results: Transcriptome sequencing from patient's tissues showed a significantly decreased expression of WAKMAR2. Down‐regulation of WAKMAR2 destroyed the keratinocyte barrier. Moreover, WAKMAR2 can directly bind to the c‐Fos protein. This novel long non‐coding RNA (LncRNA)‐protein complexes were targeted to the CLDN1 promotor. Overexpression of WAKMAR2 enhanced the promoter activity of CLDN1, while the addition of AP‐1 inhibitor could reverse this phenomenon. Furthermore, our in vivo results suggested that expression of WAKMAR2 was required for the repair of skin damage in mice induced by ultraviolet irradiation. Conclusions: We identified a crucial LncRNA (WAKMAR2) for the protection of the skin barrier in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, it can specifically interact with c‐Fos protein for the regulation of CLDN1, a finding which could be applied for CAD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar stable nitrogen (N) isotopes (δ15N) generally reflect N availability to plants and have been used to infer about changes thereof. However, previous studies of temporal trends in foliar δ15N have ignored the influence of confounding factors, leading to uncertainties on its indication to N availability. In this study, we measured foliar δ15N of 1811 herbarium specimens from 12 plant species collected in southern China forests from 1920 to 2010. We explored how changes in atmospheric CO2, N deposition and global warming have affected foliar δ15N and N concentrations ([N]) and identified whether N availability decreased in southern China. Across all species, foliar δ15N significantly decreased by 0.82‰ over the study period. However, foliar [N] did not decrease significantly, implying N homeostasis in forest trees in the region. The spatiotemporal patterns of foliar δ15N were explained by mean annual temperature (MAT), atmospheric CO2 (PCO2), atmospheric N deposition, and foliar [N]. The spatiotemporal trends of foliar [N] were explained by MAT, temperature seasonality, PCO2, and N deposition. N deposition within the rates from 5.3 to 12.6 kg N ha−1 year−1 substantially contributed to the temporal decline in foliar δ15N. The decline in foliar δ15N was not accompanied by changes in foliar [N] and therefore does not necessarily reflect a decline in N availability. This is important to understand changes in N availability, which is essential to validate and parameterize biogeochemical cycles of N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin (CDDP) was considered as the milestone anticancer agent for the cancer treatment, however, the side effects were also a huge threat to human health. Pt(IV) prodrug with functional axial decoration has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy to minor the side effect. In this work, we have developed a dual mitochondrial and DNA‐targeting Pt(IV) prodrug with coumarin‐derivative decoration, and the experiment has illustrated that the prodrug Pt‐CMN could dramatically enhance the anticancer performance compared to CDDP. Prodrug Pt‐CMN could be activated in vitro by reducing reagent ascorbic acid in the periods of 6 h. Control prodrug Pt‐CM without the diethylamino group, showed much less cytotoxicity to cancer cells, which partially resulted from the hard reduction of prodrug Pt‐CM. Furthermore, prodrug Pt‐CMN could increase the Pt cellular uptake in MCF‐7 cells and destroy the functionality of mitochondria, including inducing the ROS generation, losing the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and decreasing the ATP production. Moreover, prodrug Pt‐CMN could induce the intracellular DNA damage of MCF‐7 cells to activate apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. This work not only demonstrated that prodrug Pt‐CMN could be a promising anticancer agent, but also provided a new strategy to enhance the anticancer performance through the subcellular organelle targeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate here a novel method for the design of liquid crystals (LCs) via the cyclization of mesogens by flexible chains. For two azobenzene-4,4′-dicarboxylate derivatives, the cyclic dimer, cyclic bis(tetraethylene glycol azobenzene-4,4′-dicarboxylate) (CBTAD), shows LC properties with smectic A phase, while its linear counterpart, bis(2-(2′-hydroxyethyloxy)ethyl azobenzene-4,4′-dicarboxylate (BHAD), has no LC phase. The difference is ascribed to the shackling effect from the cyclic topology, which leads to the much smaller entropy change during phase transitions and increases the isotropic temperature greatly for cyclics. In addition, the trans-to-cis isomerization of azobenzene groups under UV-light is also limited in CBTAD. With the reversible isomerization of azobenzene groups, CBTAD showed interesting isothermal phase transition behaviors, where the LC phase disappeared upon photoirradiation of 365 nm UV-light, and recovered when the UV-light was off. Combined with the smectic LC nature, a novel UV-light tuned visible light regulator was designed, by simply placing CBTAD in two glass plates. The scattered phase of smectic LC was utilized as the "OFF" state for light passage, while the UV-light induced isotropic phase was utilized as the "ON" state. The shackling effect outlined here should be applicable for the design of cyclic LC oligomers/polymers with special properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is one of the exogenous stimuli increasing melanogenesis. UV light, especially UVB, is also a potent inducer of epidermal cytokine release. This study is aimed at determining the underlying mechanisms by which UVB-induced cytokines in keratinocytes regulate melanin production in vitro. Methods. Expression levels of mRNA for interleukin- (IL-) 1, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured using RT-qPCR at various time points after UVB irradiation in C57BL/6 mice and HaCaT cells. NaOH lysis and L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) oxidation method were used to measure melanin content and tyrosinase (TYR) activity, respectively, in melanoma B16 cells. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to assess mRNA and protein levels of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), TYR, tyrosine-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and tyrosine-related protein-2 (TRP-2) in B16 cells. Finally, expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and stem cell factor (SCF) in HaCaT cells were measured following knockdown of IL-1β using siRNA (siIL-1β). Results. UVB irradiation increased IL-1β mRNA expression levels in both C57BL/6 mice and HaCaT cells. The melanin content, TYR activity, and expression levels of TYR and TRP-1 were all raised when B16 cells were treated with 4 pg/l of IL-1. Moreover, IL-1β also upregulated the expression levels of SCF and COX-2 in nonirradiated HaCaT cells. Conversely, knockdown of IL-1β attenuated UVB irradiation-induced upregulation of SCF and COX-2 expression in keratinocytes. Conclusions. UVB-induced melanogenesis is mediated in part by IL-1β, leading to upregulation of the TYR/TRP1 expression in melanoma B16 cells. IL-1β can also stimulate the expression of COX-2 and SCF in HaCaT cells, which in turn increase melanin synthesis in melanocytes. These results suggest that anti-inflammatory approaches could possibly mitigate UVB-induced hyperpigmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forest succession is an important ecological process and has been studied for more than a century. However, changes in nitrogen (N) availability during succession remain unclear as they may lead to either N saturation or N limitation. Here, we propose a conceptual model to illustrate changes in N availability during four stages of secondary succession using the natural abundance of 15N in plant leaves (foliar δ15N). We predicted that N availability would decline in the early stages of succession and then increase in late stages, coinciding with the changes in foliar δ15N, with the inflection point varying in different climate zones. Data on foliar δ15N from 16 succession sequences were synthesized to explore changes in N availability during forest succession. Results: The compiled data were consistent with the proposed conceptual model. Foliar δ15N in boreal and temperate forests decreased significantly in the first two stages of succession (estimated to last at least 66 years in temperate forests), at a rate of 0.18‰ and 0.38‰ per decade, respectively, and decreased slightly in tropical forests in the first 23 years. Foliar δ15N is projected to increase in later stages in all forests, which is supported by observations in both temperate and tropical forests. The inflection points of N availability when N limitation peaked during succession were different in different climate zones, implying different ecosystem N turnovers. Conclusions: Our study reconciles the controversies regarding changes in N availability during forest secondary succession. Our findings are also useful for predicting the recovery of N and carbon accumulation during succession. Nonetheless, studies on forest secondary succession using foliar δ15N have thus far been limited, and more research should be conducted to further verify the conceptual model proposed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exponential growth and shrinkage of cities are two opposing trends in urban development. In this study, we analyze spatial growth and shrinkage at the regional level. We use the Guangzhou–Foshan region to identify the pattern and process of growth and shrinkage in the region with particular focus on cross-border areas. Specifically, we focus on how addressing shrinkage led to changes in urban planning with an in-depth discussion of its formation mechanism and the introduction of planning strategies. From the changes in light results during the period from 1985 to 2017 of the Guangzhou–Foshan region, stable areas are mainly concentrated in the old urban areas built before 2000, the largest urban area is of continuous growth type in line with the characteristics of urban expansion, and the area of shrinkage is small but concentrated in the cross-border areas. Particularly, since the 2008 financial crisis, extensive changes have been noted in the cross-border areas where such growing and shrinking areas coexist. Regional integration and the optimization of urban space would be effective methods to confront shrinkage. The findings may provide some reference for the urban shrinkage phenomenon that occurs in cross-border areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the poor solubility of aromatic polyesters in common organic solvents, trifluoroacetic acid is usually used as a co-solvent to increase their solubility for characterizations. However, only few studies have reported the side reactions induced by it. We present here the application of in situ1H-NMR techniques to explore its effect on the hydroxyl end-groups, which are usually used for the molecular weight determination of polyesters by end-group estimation method. Using bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) as model compound, 1H quantitative NMR results show the peak integration of hydroxyethyl end-groups decreased with time via a pseudo-first-order kinetics in dtrifluoroacetic acid/d-chloroform mixture solvent (1:10, V:V). This is due to the esterification of hydroxyethyl groups with trifluoroacetic acid, revealed by the 1H-13C gradient-enhanced heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (gHMBC) spectrum. The mixtures of dimethyl terephthalate and BHET with different molar ratios were used to represent poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with different degrees of polymerization, and the effect of trifluoroacetic acid on the estimation of hydroxyethyl groups and subsequent molecular weight determination of polyesters was studied. Our results show that if a relative error of 5% is allowed, the NMR measurements must be finished within 1.3 h of solution preparation at 25 °C in the mixture solvent. The results were confirmed in PET sample, while in poly(ethylene adipate), the obtained esterifaction constant is faster that those in aromatic system. The results can be applied to other polymer systems with alcohol functionalized groups, and used as a guideline for the characterization of polyesters and polyethers by end-group estimation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory dermatosis with uncertainty of etiology. Although clinical features and risk factors of the disease in Caucasians have been reported, this information in Chinese is largely unavailable. Aims: To analyze the clinical features and associated risk factors of rosacea in Chinese. Methods: A questionnaire was given to outpatients with rosacea who visited the dermatology department of the first affiliated hospital of Kunming Medical University from June 2018 to March 2019. Analyses included demographic characteristics of subjects, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of rosacea. Results: A total of 254 outpatients completed the questionnaire. The ratio of female to male was 5.68:1.00. The mean age at onset was 31.18 ± 10.23 years. Erythematotelangiectatic subtype accounted for 51.60%, while 39% of the subjects were of papulopustular subtype. The rest were phymatous type (9.40%). Subjects with flushing, persistent facial erythema, and telangiectasia accounted for 91.73%, 90.55%, and 83.07%, respectively. One hundred and thirteen subjects (44.49%) had papules or pustules, and 24 subjects (9.40%) were with phymatous changes. The most commonly involved sites were the cheeks (93.31%), followed by the nose (82.68%), the perioral area (61.42%), and the forehead (51.97%). The clinical symptoms included burning (93.70%), dryness (90.55%), and itching (75.59%). The main risk factors were sun exposure (90.94%), temperature change (87.40%), etc. Fifty‐one (20.08%) patients had comorbidities. Conclusions: Rosacea mainly affects young females. The common signs and symptoms include flushing, persistent facial erythema, and burning. Sun exposure and temperature changes are the common risk factors. Patients can have comorbidities of systemic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For evaluating the severity of coronary heart disease (CHD), coronary arteriography may not be available everywhere due to technical limitations. MicroRNA-101a (miR-101a) associated with inflammation and cholesterol homeostasis. However, whether it related to presence and stratification of CHD is still unknown. Aim: We aim to evaluate the value of miR-101a in stratifying CHD patients. Methods: We enrolled 200 CHD patients and 100 controls, and 200 CHD patients were divided into two groups of low and high SYNTAX score (SYNTAX score ≤ 22 versus SYNTAX score ≥ 33). Intergroup comparisons of miR-101a level were compared among the controls and two groups of low and high SYNTAX score. Correlation between miR-101a and blood lipid profiles was analyzed. The logistic regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the risk factors of CHD. Results: Relative level of miR-101a in the controls, SYNTAX score ≤ 22 and SYNTAX score ≥ 33 group were 4.61 (1.24–8.91), 3.28 (0.58–6.75) and 2.29 (1.04–3.62), respectively (p < 0.001). All lipid profiles significantly associated with miR-101a expression (all p < 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) of miR-101a in univariate analysis was 0.41 (95% CI, 0.33–0.52). After adjusting for the traditional risk factors, such as blood profiles and history of smoking, the odds ratio of miR-101a was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.47–0.43), which closely associated with CHD (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Circulating miR-101a may be considered as a novel biomarker for evaluating the presence and severity of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is a photoallergic skin disease with abnormal hyperplasia. At present, the mechanism of abnormal proliferation is not clear. Objective: To explore possible mechanism of CAD proliferative lesions. Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay and small RNA sequencing were carried out. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) analysis was performed to evaluate expression levels of hsa‐miR‐221‐3p and FOS. The interaction between hsa‐miR‐221‐3p and FOS was identified by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. Expression of hsa‐miR‐221‐3p also was detected by qRT‐PCR after UVB irradiation. Influences of hsa‐miR‐221‐3p and FOS on cell viability and apoptosis were assessed through a series of functional experiments and rescue experiments. Western blot analysis was used to detect protein expression of fos, Bax, Bcl‐xL, and caspase‐3. Results: Patients with CAD had marked epidermal hyperplasia. The expression of hsa‐miR‐221‐3p was up‐regulated in CAD while FOS was significantly down‐regulated. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay confirmed that hsa‐miR‐221‐3p targeted FOS 3'UTR. Hsa‐miR‐221‐3p induced by UVB ranged from 0 to 30 mJ. Moreover, hsa‐miR‐221‐3p overexpression or FOS knockdown promoted cell proliferation and reduced cell apoptosis. Western blot showed that hsa‐miR‐221‐3p negatively regulated fos, which regulated Bcl‐xL/Bax. Cell proliferation caused by hsa‐miR‐221‐3p overexpression or FOS knockdown could be reversed by Bcl‐xL inhibitor. Conclusion: Hsa‐miR‐221‐3p induced by UVB targeted FOS 3′UTR, which played an important role in regulating proliferation and apoptosis of keratinocytes via Bcl‐xL/Bax pathway; this may provide a new insight for CAD proliferative lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core–shell structures with ZnO cores have been widely investigated due to their effectiveness in suppressing surface defects of ZnO nanostructures. As the surface defects are hugely dependent on the synthesis conditions, it is important to understand the interactions between shell material and ZnO with different surface chemistry. Here we produce well-aligned ZnO nanorods using two growth methods, leading to ZnO with different surface chemistries. A thin layer of TiO2 shell is applied via layer-by-layer adsorption method. The core–shell structure is confirmed via high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The optical properties and chemical states of both bare nanorods and core–shell structures are investigated and compared using photoluminescence (PL) measurement and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Both PL and XPS results suggest surface defects are passivated by TiO2 shell coating. The shell coating has a stronger effect on ZnO synthesized in OH− rich environment, due to excessive hydroxyl groups provided during synthesis, which remain even after annealing-induced crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aimed to identify whether two key genes (CYP21A2 and CYP19A1) involved in the synthesis and metabolism of androgens were associated with Pillsbury III-IV severe acne vulgaris. Methods: We carried out a standard questionnaire survey about acne and enlisted 600 Pillsbury III-IV severe acne vulgaris patients and 652 healthy controls of Han Chinese descent from Yunnan, China in the study. Twenty-two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by SNaPshot assay and analyzed for association with severe acne. Results: There was no significant difference in gender between the two groups (P = 0.085), and the age of the acne case group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.001). Our results revealed that only two SNPs, rs6474 (p.Arg102Lys) (P = 0.001) and rs6465 (P = 0.025) of the CYP21A2 gene were significantly associated with severe acne among the Han Chinese. When subjects were divided into males and females, significant associations were observed only in male patients with severe acne vulgaris for four variants: CYP21A2 rs6474 (p.Arg102Lys) (P = 0.002); CYP21A2 rs6465 (P = 0.012); CYP19A1 rs8023263 (P = 0.037); and CYP19A1 rs2470152 (P = 0.007). Haplotype analyses showed that the distribution of CYP21A2 haplotypes was significantly associated with male patients, while no association of CYP19A1 haplotypes was observed. The structure of the human CYP21A2 consists of two substrate binding sites and one substrate access channel. Conclusion: This study shed a light on a potentially important effect of CYP21A2 and CYP19A1 genes in severe acne vulgaris in the Han Chinese, especially for male patients. Future studies using independently verified datasets from a broader geographical spectrum will be valuable in identifying the causal and functional variants responsible for severe acne vulgaris within the CYP19A1 and CYP21A2 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Characterized by intensive urban sprawl and continuous cropland shrinkage, the unprecedented urbanization process has profoundly reshaped China's landscape over the past four decades. However, the interaction between urban expansion and cropland loss in China at a finer spatiotemporal resolution remains unclear. Objectives: This study aims to quantify and compare the rates, patterns, dynamics, and interactions of urban expansion and cropland loss in 14 Chinese cities during 1980–2015. Methods: Multiple landscape metrics were calculated to quantify the magnitudes, rates, and patterns of urban expansion and cropland loss for each city. The standard deviation ellipse analysis and two quantitative indices (the dependence and the contribution of urban expansion on cropland loss) were used to characterize the relationship between urban expansion and cropland loss. Results: The pattern of rapid urban expansion and extensive cropland loss was observed across all selected cities (except for Harbin), with the averaged expansion area of 764.17 km2 and averaged loss area of 650.83 km2 per city. The primary mode of urbanization was the edge-expansion (6889.22 km2, 60.01%), followed by the infilling (2767.32 km2, 24,11%) and the outlying (1822.72 km2, 15.88%). Urban expansion was identified to be the dominant driver of cropland loss, accounting for 84.99% of the newly expanded urban land and 74.36% of the lost cropland in total, thus leading to a more spatially irregular and fragmented distribution of the cropland. Conclusions: The balance between urbanization and land protection is still challenging. Here we advocate more effective policy-driven practices to protect China's existing cropland for food security and sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic material handling system (AMHS) is becoming more important in 300 mm wafer fabrication factories (fab). Effective and efficient design and control of AMHS has become more critical particularly in capacity planning. The major concept of the AMHS capacity determination model is to maintain the originally designed optimal production throughput or cycle time of products. In order to maintain fab’s throughput or cycle time of products, WIP (work in process) portfolio of the constraint or the fastest workstation should be kept. Based on this concept, a GI/G/m queuing model based on FCFS (First-come-first-serve) dispatching rule of AMHS is applied to determine the required number of vehicles. Basically, products should be transported to the specific workstation (constraint or fastest workstation) before the workstation finishes the existing process; therefore, sufficient WIP in front of this specific workstation should be kept. Under this condition, the probability that transportation time exceeds product processing time under a certain transportation capacity level can be calculated by the proposed model. Hence, we can get the required capacity of AMHS to achieve the probability target set in advance. Due to the capacity of AMHS can be set according to the acceptable probability of non-exceeding the processing time of the constraint or fastest workstation, the level of WIP in front of this workstation can be kept. It also can be ensured that AMHS will not affect the production performance as well as keep the reasonable investment level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Epidermal biophysical properties can be affected by many factors, including body site, age, gender, ethnicity, disease, temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Information about variation of epidermal biophysical properties with seasons is still limited. In the present study, we determined seasonal variation of epidermal biophysical properties of women in Kunming, China. Materials and Methods: A total of 72 women, aged 22.96 ± 2.11 years, were enrolled in this study. Transepidermal water loss rates (TEWL), stratum corneum (SC) hydration, sebum content, melanin index (MI), erythema index (EI), and L*a* values were measured on the right cheek and the right forearm, using a non‐invasive skin physiological instrument in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Kunming, China. Results: On the cheek, TEWL, SC hydration, sebum, MI, and L*a* values varied greatly with seasons (P <.05). SC hydration, sebum, MI, and a*value peaked in the summer, but went lowest in winter. In contrast, TEWL and L*value went lowest in summer but peaked in winter. Similarly, SC hydration, MI, and L*value also varied with seasons on the forearm (P <.05). In addition, SC hydration, sebum, MI, EI, and a*value of the cheek were higher than that of the forearm (P <.001), but L*values of the cheek were lower than that of the forearm (P <.001). There were no correlations among TEWL and MI, EI, and L*a*values in any season (P >.05). Conclusions: Both epidermal permeability barrier function, sebum, and skin pigment in healthy women vary seasons in Kunming, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Night-time lights (NTLs) collected from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) of the Suomi National Polar Partnership satellite have been widely used in multiple disciplines. However, the defects of DMSP and VIIRS data itself, and the inconsistency between them, hinder their applications in long-term finer studies. Despite some effective efforts, existing relevant researches are still limited by the shortcomings of data inaccessibility, data deficiency neglection, and spatial resolution degradation. To resolve these issues, a novel cross-sensor calibration method was developed in this article by considering three Chinese metropolises (Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou) as the study area. First, the original DMSP NTL images for 2000–2013 were calibrated through stepwise calibration, background noise removal and vegetation adjustment. Second, stable VIIRS annual composites for 2012–2019 were produced after seasonal noise removal, yearly aggregation, background noise removal, vegetation adjustment, and outliers correction. Third, a power regression model was applied to align pixel values of the processed DMSP and the processed VIIRS data for the overlapped years, and consistent NTLs for 2000–2019 were further generated using the regression results. The evaluations based on statistical coefficients, spatial patterns, profile curves, dynamic changes, and correlations with socioeconomic statistics, indicated the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed approach in filling the gaps between DMSP and VIIRS data. The consistent, continuous, and stable NTL time series could serve as input data for further applications, such as urban dynamics capture, economic growth estimation, and population distribution mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration and invasion is one of the most important features in tumor metastasis and development. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of cancer globally, and has been linked to air contamination. Evidence indicates that cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61) is associated with the migration and invasion of NSCLC. Overexpression of CYR61 protein promotes the migration and the transition of tumor-derived vascular endothelial cells in NSCLC. However, the association between CYR61 and NSCLC remains poorly understood. Lenvatinib is an oral multi-target drug that targets various receptors upon tumor angiogenesis. Dexamethasone is widely approved for combination therapy in patients with NSCLC. In the current study, the expression and function of CYR61 in NSCLC was analyzed during the progression of NSCLC. Inhibitory effects on migration and invasion induced by lenvatinib and dexamethasone were determined by migratory and invasion assays. Migratory pathways of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) were also investigated by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CYR61 via synergistic treatment with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and dexamethasone. Therapeutic outcomes of combined treatment with lenvatinib and dexamethasone were assessed in NSCLC-bearing mice. The results of the present study indicate that cooperative treatment of lenvatinib and dexamethasone significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced cell migration and suppressed tumor growth (P<0.01). Notably, the results demonstrated that dexamethasone eradicated the promotion effects of TGF-β1 on the AKT/epithelial-mesenchymal transition process and lenvatinib extinguished tumor cell metastasis by targeting VEGF. The results of the current study also demonstrate that dexamethasone suppressed the expression of CAG-I and enhanced expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1. Synergistic treatment for NSCLC was demonstrated to be efficacious. In conclusion, dexamethasone inhibited AKT/ERK phosphorylation and lenvatinib antagonism bound VEGF leading to the limitation of migration and invasion of cancer cells in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Melasma is an acquired, common hyperpigmented disorder on the face. While many therapeutic approaches are available, their efficacy is moderate. Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of a cream containing herbal mixture for melasma. Methods: A total of 90 volunteers with melasma were enrolled in this randomized, double‐blind, controlled clinical study, and they were randomly divided into three groups (A, B, and C). Patients in group A were treated with a cream containing herbal mixture, while groups B and C were treated with arbutin cream and placebo, respectively, twice daily for 12 weeks. Melasma area and severity index (MASI) score, melanin index (MI), erythema index (EI), changes in density of inflammatory cells, and adverse events were evaluated every 4 weeks. Results: Although MASI scores declined significantly in both groups A and B (P < 0.05), a greater reduction was seen in group A (13.00−9.82 = 3.18 for group A; 12.65−10.84 = 1.81 for group B). Moreover, the cream containing herbal mixture, but not arbutin cream and placebo, significantly reduced EI and density of inflammatory cells after 12‐week treatment (P < 0.05). No adverse reactions were observed in either group A or group C. In group B, two subjects experienced mild erythema and itching, which disappeared after stop using the arbutin cream. Conclusion: The cream containing herbal mixture is safe and effective for melasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time constraints related issues are unavoidable in wafer fabrications. However, when the lots released from a batch workstation overload the downstream serial workstation the consequences are more serious. Under a time constraints environment, peak workload is a critical problem that seriously hurts the overall performance of the downstream workstation. This work applies a GI/G/m queuing network to develop a capacity planning model for batch-serial processes. By applying this queuing network model, the expected waiting time between batch-serial processes can be estimated. Managers can also determine the capacity through the setting of expected rate of exceeding time constraints. The arrival smoothing of the upstream batch workstation and its effect on the downstream workstation is also analysed. The results show that arrival smoothing can effectively decrease the waiting time on the downstream serial workstation through increasing the upstream number of batch machines and decreasing the batch size. The results also conclude that increasing the number of downstream serial machines is not the only option under the batch-serial process in a time constraint environment. Therefore, an investment function of batch-serial process equipment with time constraints is established in this work that can support managers when making investment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A time constraint is a queue-time boundary that is set between particular sequential operations to ensure final product yield. These time boundaries, called 'sequential time constraints', can be found in a series of operations on the back-end of wafer fabrication. Wafers exceeding the time constraints are traced through the fabrication process, but generally pass through the remaining processes. Nonetheless, it is a waste of capacity to continue processing wafers with unacceptable yield. Unfortunately, these unacceptable wafers cannot be identified before the wafer acceptance test using the current control policy. This work proposes a control rule for two-level time constraints with capacity planning methodology under this rule. Wafers exceeding the lower time constraints will be treated as normal wafers; however, once wafers exceed the upper time constraint, they will be scrapped immediately. In the capacity planning model, a GI/G/m queuing network is applied to determine the required number of machines. By pre-setting target yields, the rates of wafers being marked or scrapped can be controlled. Furthermore, a novel scheme-regarding machine failures as irregular customers-is introduced to describe the effect of service interruptions. The results show that the proposed control rule and capacity planning model can more effectively resolve the issues of sequential time constraints. Moreover, the results of the analysis indicate that the current capacity expansion policy of the semiconductor industry should be re-examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foundry companies are very concerned about fully utilizing equipment and increasing productivity because of the rapid depreciation and large investments made in equipment. Factory output is limited by its bottleneck machine. If a discrepancy exists between the planned and actual product mix, a new machine will become the bottleneck and will have a strong impact on the capacity. All famous foundry companies, such as TSMC, UMC, and others, implement backup solutions to such problems. However, the level of protective capacity at the non-bottleneck workstations strongly affects production performance. Therefore, the backup quantity should be well managed. Accordingly, a backup capacity determination model is presented in two parts: the Backup Capacity Determination Model (BCDM) and the Performance Evaluation Model (PEM). The concept of protective capacity is applied to determine the backup capacity in the BCDM. The determination of protective capacity is based on the statistical fluctuation of factors that include machine downtime and unreasonable queuing time in front of the non-bottleneck workstations. The PEM applies queuing theory and Little's Law to evaluate the effects of the backup capacity exceeding the backup capacity on throughput, work in process and the cycle time of the backup factory. A backup capacity determination model provides important information, so that managers have access to a sufficient and reliable reference when confronted with a problem that involves backup capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan-based guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes are extensively used in orthopedic/stomatological regenerative medicine since chitosan shares many chemical and structural similarities with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the extracellular matrix. However, the available chitosan-based GTR membranes mostly lack topological features of natural tissues, resulting in unsatisfactory biocompatibility. To address this limitation, we developed a novel biologically-inspired asymmetric topological chitosan (ATCS) membrane supported by a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. We, thereafter, investigated the mechanical properties, degradation, and cytocompatibility of the ATCS membranes and compared them with those of the symmetric chitosan (SyCS) membranes, produced with a smooth Al template. The asymmetric topological structure significantly increased the tensile strength but decreased the extent of degradation of the ATCS membranes compared to those of SyCS. In the in vitro studies, the ATCS membranes outperformed the SyCS membranes in cytocompatibility due to their cell-like features. In addition to the ATCS membranes, the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) membranes with a similar cell-like structure were successfully fabricated using the AAO template to verify the universality of the AAO template-assisted technique. Accordingly, the AAO template-assisted strategy, defined in this study, is an innovative, universal, and facile way to fabricate polymeric asymmetric membranes with cell-like features. The bioengineered ATCS membranes with tunable degradability, prominent mechanical properties and biocompatibility are promising candidates for orthopedic healthcare applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a folate-targeted pH-sensitive bortezomib conjugate was developed for cancer-specific drug delivery and therapy. The conjugate showed improved cellular uptake, penetration, and anticancer activity compared to free bortezomib, a bortezomib-mannitol derivative, and a PEGylated bortezomib conjugate in folate receptor overexpressing cancer cells and their 3D spheroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here the thermodynamic investigation of in situ cascade polycondensation-coupling ring-opening polymerization (PROP) for three cyclic aromatic ester monomers, i.e., cyclic oligo(2-methyl-1,3-propylene terephthalate)s (COMPTs), cyclic oligo(neopentylene terephthalate)s (CONTs) and cyclic oligo(2-methyl-2-propyl-1,3-propylene terephthalate)s (COMPPTs). The equibrium monomer to polymer weight ratio in bulk at different polymerization temperatures for each monomer was estimated by the size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and the thermodynamic parameters were estimated by Dainton equation. Quite different from the thermodynamics of aliphatic lactones polymerization, which is an exothermic process with entropy reduction, our results showed the polymerization thermodynamics for three cyclic aromatic ester monomers was a weak exothermic process with slight entropy increment, i.e., a both enthalpy and entropy driving process. Among them, CONTs showed the largest value of enthalpy change, due to its symmetric dimethyl substitution on β-position of propandiol segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruption of epidermal permeability barrier enhances UV-induced hyperpigmentation Conversely, enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier can attenuate UV-induced increase in cutaneous inflammation.[6] Epidermal hyperpigmentation is a common phenomenon following UV exposure. Thirty-six C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, that is normal control, tape-stripping, normal + UV radiation, and tape-stripping + UV radiation, 9 mice per group. The underlying mechanism by which barrier disruption enhances UV-induced melanogenesis is likely due to reduced protective capability of stratum corneum against UV radiation. [Extracted from the article]

Single-pass anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates were fabricated by a two-step anodization method on high-purity aluminum (Al) plate, which had an amorphous and highly ordered structure composed of hexagon cross-sectional nanotubes. The factors influencing the nanotube size and orderliness of the AAO template were studied and analyzed. The results showed that pretreatments on Al plates made good difference for the obtained nanotubes. It is interesting that compared to one-step anodization, using two-step anodization could get AAO templates with a better ordered and more uniform nanotube array, for which the average pore diameter kept a linear relation to the acidic treatment time in 75 min with a corrosion rate of 0.601 nm/min, and the same to the length of nanotubes reaped in 120 min, together with a nanotube growth rate of 0.28 µm/min. Also, the optimal concentration of electrolyte was determined as 0.3 mol/L. The results confirmed that a single-pass AAO template were successfully prepared, which makes the fabrication of polymer membrane with asymmetric and fibre-island structure to guide bone tissue regeneration possible in the following study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO is one of the most widely studied semiconductors due to its direct wide band gap and high exciton binding energy. Due to its ease of synthesis, robustness and low cost, ZnO has been applied in a wide range of devices, including nanogenerators, solar cells, and photodetectors. In this work, ZnO nanorods were synthesized in a single step using an aqueous method at temperatures below 100 °C. The nanorods were annealed in oxygen and nitrogen and a p-type polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) was spray coated onto the top of ZnO nanorods to form a p–n junction. The I–V characteristics of the device showed that the annealing atmosphere had a significant effect on the rectification ratio of the device. Further analysis using Mott–Schottky, photoluminescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that oxygen vacancy concentration correlated well with the free electron density in ZnO as well as the rectification ratio of the p–n junction devices. Devices made with ZnO nanorods annealed in nitrogen had a better rectification ratio than oxygen, representing a simple method to improve p–n junction diode behaviour through tuning the defect properties of the nanorods via controlled annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD), a photosensitive dermatosis, is characterized by inflammatory lesions, especially on sun-exposed skin. However, its pathogenesis remains unclear. In this study, second-generation RNA sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatics analyses of mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were performed to determine the transcriptome profiles of patients with CAD. A total 6889 annotated lncRNAs, 341 novel lncRNAs, and 65091 mRNAs were identified. Interestingly, patients with CAD and healthy controls showed distinct transcriptome profiles. Indeed, 198 annotated (81.48%) and 45 novel (18.52%) lncRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups. GO, KEGG, and RGSEA analyses of lncRNAs showed that inflammatory and immune response related pathways played crucial roles in the pathogenetic mechanism of CAD. In addition, we unveiled key differentially expressed lncRNAs, including lncRNA RP11-356I2.4 which plays a role probably by regulating TNFAIP3 and inflammation. qRT-PCR data validated the differentially expressed genes. The newly identified lncRNAs may have potential roles in the development of CAD; these findings lay a solid foundation for subsequent functional exploration of lncRNAs and mRNAs as therapeutic targets for CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here the first synthesis of cyclic oligo(ethylene adipate)s (COEAs) via pseudo-high dilution condensation reaction of adipoyl chloride with ethylene glycol, and the synthesis of corresponding poly(ethylene adipate) (PEA) via the melt polymerization of COEAs. The structure of COEAs was characterized and proved by H-NMR and MALDI-TOF mass measurements. The effects of organic base, reaction temperature and the ratio of adipoyl chloride to ethylene glycol on the yield of COEAs were studied, and the optimum reaction condition was revealed. PEA, a diacid and diol based semi-crystalline green aliphatic polyester, was synthesized by the melt polymerization of COEAs using Ti( n-CHO) as catalyst and 1,10-decanediol as initiator at 200 °C, which follows the polycondensation-coupling ring-opening polymerization method. Our strategy should be applicable to the synthesis of versatile aliphatic polyesters based on diacid and diol monomers, which have potential applications as biocompatible and biodegradable materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]