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Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a highly aggressive subset of breast malignancies characterized by its challenging clinical management and unfavorable prognosis. While TFAP2A, a member of the AP-2 transcription factor family, has been implicated in maintaining the basal phenotype of breast cancer, its precise regulatory role in TNBC remains undefined. Methods: In vitro assessments of TNBC cell growth and migratory potential were conducted using MTS, colony formation, and EdU assays. Quantitative PCR was employed to analyze mRNA expression levels, while Western blot was utilized to evaluate protein expression and phosphorylation status of AKT and ERK. The post-transcriptional regulation of TFAP2A by miR-8072 and the transcriptional activation of SNAI1 by TFAP2A were investigated through luciferase reporter assays. A xenograft mouse model was employed to assess the in vivo growth capacity of TNBC cells. Results: Selective silencing of TFAP2A significantly impeded the proliferation and migration of TNBC cells, with elevated TFAP2A expression observed in breast cancer tissues. Notably, TNBC patients exhibiting heightened TFAP2A levels experienced abbreviated overall survival. Mechanistically, TFAP2A was identified as a transcriptional activator of SNAI1, a crucial regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cellular proliferation, thereby augmenting the oncogenic properties of TFAP2A in TNBC. Moreover, miR-8072 was unveiled as a negative regulator of TFAP2A, exerting potent inhibitory effects on TNBC cell growth and migration. Importantly, the tumor-suppressive actions mediated by the miR-8072/TFAP2A axis were intricately associated with the attenuation of AKT/ERK signaling cascades and the blockade of EMT processes. Conclusions: Our findings unravel the role and underlying molecular mechanism of TFAP2A in driving tumorigenesis of TNBC. Targeting the TFAP2A/SNAI1 pathway and utilizing miR-8072 as a suppressor represent promising therapeutic strategies for treating TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the role of body fat percentage (BFP) changes in diabetes remission (DR) and the association between baseline body composition and its changes after bariatric surgery. Methods: We analyzed 203 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass. Body composition was measured using a gold‐standard‐derived predictive equation and magnetic resonance imaging. Body composition changes were calculated as 100 × (baseline value – follow‐up value)/baseline value. We verified the results in a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cohort with 311 patients. Results: Compared with non‐remission patients in the Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass cohort, those who achieved DR showed a higher baseline fat‐free mass index (FFMI) and experienced the most significant changes in BFP (p < 0.001). In comparative analyses, BFP changes were significantly better than BMI changes in identifying short‐ and long‐term DR. Linear regression analysis identified FFMI as the most significant baseline variable correlated with BFP changes (p < 0.001). Baseline BMI was positively correlated with changes in BFP but negatively correlated with changes in FFMI. These findings were replicated in the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy cohort. Conclusions: BFP changes determine DR after bariatric surgery, and baseline FFMI is crucial for BFP changes. A low initial BMI is associated with a smaller BFP reduction and greater FFMI loss after bariatric surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence on the effects of extreme meteorological conditions and high air pollution levels on incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is limited. Moreover, results of the available studies are inconsistent. Further investigations are imperative to elucidate the specific issue. Methods: Data on the daily cases of HFMD, meteorological factors and air pollution were obtained from 2017 to 2022 in Jining City. We employed distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) incorporated with Poisson regression to explore the impacts of extreme meteorological conditions and air pollution on HFMD incidence. Results: We found that there were nonlinear relationships between temperature, wind speed, PM2.5, SO2, O3 and HFMD. The cumulative risk of extreme high temperature was higher at the 95th percentile (P95th) than at the 90th percentile(P90th), and the RR values for both reached their maximum at 10-day lag (P95th RR = 1.880 (1.261–2.804), P90th RR = 1.787 (1.244–2.569)), the hazardous effect of extreme low temperatures on HFMD is faster than that of extreme high temperatures. The cumulative effect of extreme low wind speeds reached its maximum at 14-day lag (P95th RR = 1.702 (1.389-2.085), P90th RR = 1.498(1.283–1.750)). The cumulative effect of PM2.5 concentration at the P90th was largest at 14-day lag (RR = 1.637 (1.069–2.506)), and the cumulative effect at the P95th was largest at 10-day lag (RR = 1.569 (1.021–2.411)). High SO2 concentration at the P95th at 14-day lag was associated with higher risk for HFMD (RR: 1.425 (1.001–2.030)). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that high temperature, low wind speed, and high concentrations of PM2.5 and SO2 are associated with an increased risk of HFMD. This study not only adds insights to the understanding of the impact of extreme meteorological conditions and high levels of air pollutants on HFMD incidence but also holds practical significance for the development and enhancement of an early warning system for HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive empirical research has emphasized the benefits of integrating Online Teaching Video Cases (OTVCs) into pre-service preschool teacher education. However, there is a research gap concerning the perceptions and needs of pre-service preschool teachers regarding OTVCs. This cross-sectional study, therefore, investigated pre-service preschool teachers' perceptions of usefulness and need pertaining to OTVCs and examined potential differences across course year levels. A self-designed questionnaire survey was completed by 744 participants from the Shandong Province (China), with a focus on five domains: actors showcased in the OTVCs, OTVC-mediated activities, learning facilitators, situations requiring OTVCs, and areas for improvement. The results revealed that the participants identified expert teacher demonstrations and collaborative learning experiences with peers and instructors as the most useful types of OTVCs. They expressed the need for OTVCs to assist them with job preparation and a desire to learn content knowledge and engage with larger communities of preschool practitioners. Interestingly, the findings revealed significant differences among participants of different year levels, with Year 3 participants finding OTVCs more useful and necessary in most domains. These findings will help preschool teacher educators improve the responsiveness of OTVC-based instruction, thereby providing online video resources tailored to the preferences and needs of pre-service preschool teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ surface wind observation is a critical meteorological data source for various research fields. However, data quality is affected by factors such as surface friction changes, station relocations and anemometer updates. Previous methods to address discontinuities have been insufficient, and processing methods have not always adhered to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Climate Programme guidelines. We analyzed data discontinuity caused by anemometer changes and station relocations in China's daily in situ near-surface (∼ 10 m) wind speed observations and the impact of the processing methods on wind speed trends. By comparing the wind speed discontinuities with the recorded location changes, we identified 90 stations that showed abnormally increasing wind speeds due to relocation. After removing those stations, we followed a standard quality control method recommended by the World Meteorological Organization to improve the data reliability and applied Thiessen polygons to calculate the area-weighted average wind speed. The result shows that China's recent reversal of wind speed was reduced by 41 % after removing the problematic stations, with an increasing trend of 0.017 m s -1 yr -1 (R2 = 0.64, P < 0.05), emphasizing the importance of robust quality control and homogenization protocols in wind trend assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new approach involving the use of a mobile manipulator to assist humans with mobility impairments to walk is proposed. First, in order to achieve flexible interaction between humans and mobile manipulators, we propose a variable admittance controller that can adaptively regulate the virtual mass and damping parameters based on the interaction forces and the human motion intention predicted using the fuzzy theory. Moreover, a feedforward velocity compensator based on a designed state observer is proposed to decrease the inertia resistance of the manipulator, effectively enhancing the compliance of the human–robot interaction. Then, the configuration of the mobile manipulator is optimized based on a null-space approach by considering the singularity, force capacity, and deformation induced by gravity. Finally, the proposed assisted walking approach for the mobile manipulator is implemented using the human–robot interaction controller and the null-space controller. The validity of the proposed controllers and the feasibility of assisted human walking are verified by conducting a set of tests involving different human volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: Online Teaching Video Cases (OTVCs) are an increasingly utilized digital learning resource for training pre-service preschool teachers (PPTs). This study employed an integrated framework integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) to examine the factors that influence PPTs' perceived learning performance and satisfaction, as well as the interactive relationships among these factors. Survey participants (N = 269) were randomly sampled from seven normal universities and colleges in Shandong province (China). A partial least squares structural equation modeling approach was used to test the study's hypotheses. The findings of this study demonstrate that the actual usage of OTVCs significantly affects PPTs' learning performance and subsequent learning satisfaction, which in turn is directly influenced by expectation confirmation and learning performance. Practice or Policy: As such, this study highlights the potential of OTVCs as an effective digital learning resource for PPTs. The proposed framework combining TAM and ECM can largely explain PPTs' learning satisfaction with OTVCs. Teacher educators are encouraged to provide PPTs with applicable video-based instructional cases to optimize their learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the education field, professional learning communities (PLCs) are regarded as an effective method for fostering professional development for teachers, enhancing student learning and achievement, and promoting school reform. Quality leadership and management are understood to be essential for schools to become effective PLCs. Mainly proposed by Western scholars, existing PLC frameworks explicitly or implicitly assume that PLCs should be initiated and led by teachers themselves, following a bottom-up approach. The goal of this conceptual overview paper is to challenge certain taken-for-granted core principles of Western PLC frameworks by analyzing the current approach to PLCs adopted by preschools in mainland China, which follow a top-down leadership and management approach. We review multiple research streams, including policy frameworks and regulations, as well as the most relevant conceptual, theoretical, and empirical studies published in recent years. After reviewing China's core socio-cultural traditional values, we describe the recent policies that have mandated the establishment and implementation of PLCs in Chinese preschools. We then review several recent studies that demonstrate that, despite profound differences to Western frameworks, PLCs in Chinese preschools are effective in benefitting teachers and highly regarded by the relevant stakeholders. The literature shows that Chinese preschools enact culturally situated versions of PLCs, characterized by some standard PLC principles (e.g., shared vision, collaboration, and collective responsibility) alongside features that resonate with Confucian values (e.g., strong hierarchical structure, guidance of external experts, internal leadership support, and greater emphasis on ecological support rather than personal agency and autonomy). We conclude that Chinese preschools merit international attention, as their approach to leadership and management allow us to reconsider certain core principles of Western PLC frameworks. Future directions for PLC policy and practice are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin that causes serious threats to human health. People are exposed to ZEN contamination externally and internally through many ways, while environmental-friendly strategies for efficient elimination of ZEN are urgently needed worldwide. Previous studies revealed that the lactonase Zhd101 from Clonostachys rosea can hydrolyze ZEN to low toxicity compounds. In this work, the enzyme Zhd101 was conducted with combinational mutations to enhance its application properties. The optimal mutant (V153H-V158F), named Zhd101.1, was selected and introduced into the food-grade recombinant yeast strain Kluyveromyces lactis GG799(pKLAC1-Zhd101.1), followed by induced expression and secretion into the supernatant. The enzymatic properties of this mutant were extensively examined, revealing a 1.1-fold increase in specific activity, as well as improved thermostability and pH stability, compared to the wild-type enzyme. The ZEN degradation tests and the reaction parameters optimization were carried out in both solutions and the ZEN-contaminated corns, using the fermentation supernatants of the food-grade yeast strain. Results showed that the degradation rates for ZEN by fermentation supernatants reached 96.9% under optimal reaction conditions and 74.6% in corn samples, respectively. These new results are a useful reference to zearalenone biodegradation technologies and indicated that the mutant enzyme Zhd101.1 has potential to be used in food and feed industries. Key points: • Mutated lactonase showed 1.1-fold activity, better pH stability than the wild type. • The strain K. lactis GG799(pKLAC1-Zhd101.1) and the mutant Zhd101.1 are food-grade. • ZEN degradation rates by supernatants reached 96.9% in solution and 74.6% in corns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To distinguish banana ripening stages based on their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aroma properties, banana samples with different ripening processes were divided into five stages (green ripe, yellow ripe, browning stage 1, browning stage 2, and browning stage 3) based on digital images and the K-means clustering algorithm, and their VOCs were determined. A total of 35 VOCs were identified using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), including aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, terpenoids, and other alkanes. Ten VOCs belonging to 7 aroma categories (pineapple, banana, fruity, apple, grass, sweet, and green aromas) were distinguished according to the radar fingerprint chart. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used separately to analyze the differences and establish classification models based on the relative content of banana peel VOCs. For bananas at different ripening stages, PCA and LDA provided good discrimination accuracy based on the dataset. Therefore, banana peel VOCs and their aroma characteristics can serve as effective indices for evaluating the banana ripening stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, Mg–Y–Sm–Zn–Zr alloy samples are prepared using selective laser melting (SLM). The effect of the scanning strategy on pore defects and microhardness is investigated. Pore defects are classified into lack of fusion (LOF) defects, gas pore (GP) and keyhole (KH) defects, and irregular pore (IRP) defects according to lengths and roundness. The LOF defect is caused by powder accumulation, spheroidization, droplet solidification preferentially, and pore defects accumulation. The recoil pressure causes the GP and KH defect, and different remelting zones affect its release. The filling behavior of LOF defects at different layer rotation angles and the connection of GPs and KH defects will form IRP defects. The microhardness test shows that the average microhardness is inversely proportional to porosity. The island size of 4 × 4 mm eases the accumulation of powder at the island boundaries, prevents spheroidization, and facilitates adequate spreading of droplets. The layer rotation angle of 67° inhibits the accumulation of pore defects and facilitates the filling of pore defects. The sample with the maximum densification (98.53%) and the highest average microhardness value (95.64 HV) is obtained under this scanning strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perioperative hypothermia and shivering are common and can cause adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of postoperative hypothermia and shivering and their risk factors in patients undergoing malignant tumor surgery. Methods: This retrospective study collected data from patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA) I or II who underwent scheduled surgery from November 2020 to March 2021 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Each patient's core body temperature was measured at three time points: time point 1 (arrival at the postanesthesia care unit (PACU)), time point 2 (after 30-min care in the PACU), and time point 3 (at discharge from the PACU). At time point 1, if the patient's body temperature was below 36 ℃, we provided an active forced-air warmer. At time point 2, if it was still below 36 ℃, the forced-air warmer was still applied until the patient was discharged from the PACU. If it reached 36 ℃, the forced-air warmer would be switched off. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression combined with stepwise methods and linear regression were used to explore risk factors for postoperative hypothermia and shivering. Results: The numbers (percentage) of 202 patients who developed postoperative hypothermia at the different time points were 52 (25.7%), 37 (18.3%) and 28 (13.9%). Eight patients (4.0%) experienced shivering. Multivariate logistic regression showed that high weight (OR = 0.923, 95% CI: 0.884 to 0.964, P = 0.0003) and low estimated blood loss (OR = 0.252, 95% CI: 0.115 to 0.550, P = 0.0005) were protective factors against hypothermia, while long surgical duration (OR = 3.339, 95% CI: 1.675 to 6.655, P = 0.0006) was an independent risk factor for hypothermia at time point 1. There was no risk factor associated with the occurrence of shivering (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference between the hypothermia and normothermia groups in the median length of stay in the PACU (59.0 vs. 49.0 min, P = 0.0123). Conclusions: Postoperative hypothermia occurred frequently. Weight, estimated blood loss and surgical duration were significantly associated with hypothermia on arrival at the PACU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a driver preview-based path-following controller to control both the lateral and longitudinal movements of a vehicle. First, a lateral tracking controller with two preview points is established by considering the displacement and heading errors of the two preview points: the far point, determined by the vehicle speed and fixed preview time, and the near point located at the center of the front axle. Depending on different parameters of the road input, the steering wheel angle is calculated, and different weights are assigned to the steering wheel angles corresponding to different road inputs. Next, a longitudinal tracking controller is established, which controls the vehicle velocity based on the road information of the far point. The control objects are the brake and accelerator pedals. Subsequently, the coupling of the lateral and longitudinal motion of the vehicle is analyzed, and an integrated longitudinal and lateral tracking controller is established. To verify the performance of the controller, the controller and vehicle model are established in Simulink and CarSim, respectively, to enable joint simulation. It is observed that the coupling is solved, and the near-point control makes the tracking error converge to zero and enhances the control effect. It demonstrates high adaptability and control accuracy of the proposed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein deamidation can severely alter the physicochemical characteristics and biological functions of protein therapeutics. Cobratide is a non-addictive analgesic with wide clinical acceptance. However, the Asn residue at position 48 from the N-terminus of the cobratide amino acid sequence (N48) tends to degrade during purification, storage, and transport. This characteristic could severely affect the drug safety and clinical efficacy of cobratide. Traditional methods for quantitating deamidation reported in previous research are characterised by low efficiency and accuracy; the quality control of cobratide via this method is limited. Herein, we developed an improved 18O-labelling method based on the detection of a unique peptide (i.e., the protein fragment of cobratide containing the N48 deamidation hotspot after enzymolysis) using an Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer to quantify deamidated cobratide. The limits of detection and quantification of this method reached 0.02 and 0.025 μM, respectively, and inter- and intra-day precision values of the method were <3%. The accuracy of the 18O-labelling strategy was validated by using samples containing synthesised peptides with a known ratio of deamidation impurities and also by comparing the final total deamidation results with our previously developed capillary electrophoresis method. The recoveries for deamidation (Asp), deamidation isomerisation (iso-Asp), and total deamidation were 101.52 ± 1.17, 102.42 ± 1.82, and 103.55 ± 1.07, respectively. The robustness of the method was confirmed by verifying the chromatographic parameters. Our results demonstrate the applicability of the 18O-labelling strategy for detecting protein deamidation and lay a robust foundation for protein therapeutics studies and drug quality consistency evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients of colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS) show poor clinical response and little beneficial result from the immune-checkpoint inhibitors, due to the 'cold' tumor microenvironment. Meanwhile, decitabine can drive the 'cold' microenvironment towards 'hot' in multiple ways, such as upregulating the tumor associated antigen (TAA) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecular. NY-ESO-1, one of the most important TAAs, can be observably induced in tumors by low dose decitabine, and present itself as ideal targets for antigen specific T cell receptor engineered T (TCR-T) cells. We innovatively used a synergistic tactic, combining decitabine and NY-ESO-1 specific TCR-T cells, for fighting the MSS CRC. Firstly, we confirmed the lysing effect of the NY-ESO-1 TCR-T cells on the NY-ESO-1+ and HLA-A2+ cells in vitro and in vivo. In A375 tumor-bearing mice, the results showed that NY-ESO-1 TCR-T cell therapy could inhibit A375 tumor growth and prolonged the survival time. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of decitabine and NY-ESO-1 TCR-T cells was shown to induce an even higher percentage of tumor cells being lysed in vitro than other control groups, and more potent tumor inhibition and longer survival time were observed in vivo. The innovative synergistic therapeutic strategy of decitabine and TCR-T cells for the CRC with MSS may be also effective in the treatment of other epithelial malignancies. Decitabine may likewise be adopted in combination with other cellular immunotherapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pulsed eddy current testing for the local wall-thinning corrosion of ferromagnetic components, it is significative to accurately calculate the effective coverage area of the probe for analyzing the spatial resolution of corrosion detection. Based on the analytical expressions of the pulsed eddy current field of ferromagnetic plate, an equivalent model is established to analyze the probe footprint, by taking the eddy current ring in the conductor as the excitation source, and by replacing the conductor region with non-conductive and magnetic conductive medium. First, the boundary value problem of the equivalent model is solved analytically, and the contribution function of the eddy current loop is proposed to calculate the voltage signal in the detection coil induced by a single eddy current loop in the conductor. Then, the voltage induced by the eddy current field in the equivalent model is derived by integrating the contribution function in the whole conductor region, and the equivalent model is verified by comparing with the existing analytical results. Finally, combined with the thickness detection results of a steel plate with rectangular groove defects, the analysis method for the footprint of the probe is proposed using the contribution function. Considering not only the distribution of eddy current field induced by the excitation coil but also the influence of the shape and position of the detection coil, the analytical method for the probe footprint proposed in this article can provide more detailed and accurate guidance for the probe design in the eddy current testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solidification microstructure of the alloy fabricated by the selective-laser-melting (SLM) process can significantly impact its mechanical properties. In this study, a multi-scale model which couples the macroscale model for thermal-fluid and microscale cellular automata (CA) was proposed to simulate the complex solidification evolution and the dendrite growth (from planar to cellular to dendritic growth) during the SLM process. The solidâ€"liquid interface of CA was dispersed with the bilinear interpolation method. On that basis, the curvature was accurately determined, and the calculation result was well verified by employing the Kurzâ€"Giovanolaâ€"Trivedi analytical solution. The dendrite morphology, solute distribution, and primary dendrite arm spacing during the solidification of the SLM molten pool were quantitatively analyzed with the proposed model, well consistent with the experiment. The distribution of the undercooling field and the concentration field at the tip of dendrites different orientations were analyzed, and the two competing growth mechanisms of converging and diverging growth were revealed. Moreover, the research also indicates that during the growth of dendrites, the result of dendrite competition is determined by the height of the dendrite tip position in the direction of the thermal gradient, while the distribution of the concentration field (symmetrical or asymmetric) at the tip of the dendrite critically impacted the competing growth form of dendrites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global reanalysis products are important tools across disciplines to study past meteorological changes and are especially useful for wind energy resource evaluations. Studies of observed wind speed show that land surface wind speed declined globally since the 1960s (known as global terrestrial stilling) but reversed with a turning point around 2010. Whether the declining trend and the turning point have been captured by reanalysis products remains unknown so far. To fill this research gap, a systematic assessment of climatological winds and trends in five reanalysis products (ERA5, ERA-Interim, MERRA-2, JRA-55, and CFSv2) was conducted by comparing gridcell time series of 10-m wind speed with observational data from 1439 in situ meteorological stations for the period 1989–2018. Overall, ERA5 is the closest to the observations according to the evaluation of climatological winds. However, substantial discrepancies were found between observations and simulated wind speeds. No reanalysis product showed similar change to that of the global observations, although some showed regional agreement. This discrepancy between observed and reanalysis land surface wind speed indicates the need for prudence when using reanalysis products for the evaluation and prediction of winds. The possible reasons for the inconsistent wind speed trends between reanalysis products and observations are analyzed. The results show that wind energy production should select different products for different regions to minimize the discrepancy with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been extensively studied by using a variety of plant extracts for applications in biomedical sciences and engineering. However, there are no reports on the synthesis of AgNPs by utilizing the berry extract of Sea Buckthorn, which is a traditional Chinese medicine and exhibits a wide spectrum of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. In this paper, we report an easy and eco-friendly technique for the preparation of AgNPs using the Sea Buckthorn berry extract under ultrasonic radiation at ambient temperature and the evaluation of both biosynthesis parameters and biological activities. The UV-visible spectrum and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis showed that the size of AgNPs was sensitive to the biosynthesis parameters, such as the pH of the extract, material proportion and reaction time, offering a size-controlled synthetic method for AgNPs. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and DLS studies showed that the AgNPs (pH 10.0; material proportion 1 : 1; 4 h) had a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure and spherical shape with an average particle size of 27.3 ± 0.2 nm covered by anions, and existed in a monodispersed form with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.213. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed potent anticancer activity against human colorectal cancer (HCT116 and SW620), hepatoma cancer (HepG2), breast cancer (MCF-7) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines as well as strong antioxidant activity. The IC50 values for these five cell lines were 8.77, 4.61, 14.59, 16.05 and 27.98 μg mL−1, respectively. However, the biosynthesized AgNPs revealed poor inhibition activities for the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. These results confirmed that the Sea Buckthorn could be a low-cost, nontoxic and eco-friendly natural resource for the synthesis of AgNPs, which might be useful for the development of new alternative antioxidant and anticancer agents in biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Jiaweishaoyao decoction (JWSYD) is a traditional prescription of Chinese medicine that is initially used for the treatment of diarrhea. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of JWSYD on DSS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods. DSS-induced UC mice and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells were used as the UC model in vivo and in vitro. UC was assessed by body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, spleen weight, and histopathological score (HE staining). The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were analyzed by ELISA and qRT-PCR. The levels of NLRP3 inflammasome- and NF-κB pathway-associated proteins were measured by western blot. Results. JWSYD alleviated DSS-induced UC in respect to body weight, DAI, colon length, spleen weight, and histopathological score. JWSYD reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in DSS-induced UC mice and the supernatants of LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. JWSYD suppressed the protein levels of inflammasome-associated proteins, including NLRP3, ASC1, Procaspase-1, Cleaved caspase-1, and Cleaved IL-1β in DSS-induced UC mice and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. In addition, JWSYD suppressed the NF-κB pathway in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion. JWSYD alleviated DSS-induced UC via inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To discriminate different fabric frictional sound, a mechanism based on Haar features was established in this study, and an efficient approach was conducted to identify fabric friction sounds by discriminating against the performances of different fiber materials manifested in the mechanism. 4 categories of fabrics were put through a specialized apparatus to collect frictional sound signals. The Haar features on every scale and position of the acquired signal were extracted so as to establish a feature space. For each point in the feature space, a discriminator was built to approve all positive samples of a certain category and deny negative samples as many as possible. All negatives were filter out due to the probability of a single negative sample being allowed by a large number of discriminators is very small. The progressive selection was performed on the discriminators to form a queue so as to bring out a much reduced version of the unordered discriminators with the same discriminability. Results have indicated that the discrimination queue suggested by this study can substantially reduce the number of discriminators involved and meanwhile keep the discriminability of fabric friction sounds invariable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) play an indispensable role in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), leading to a survival major breakthrough, but there remains no uniform standard for predicting the efficacy of TKI therapy.Aims: We retrospectively reviewed the use of EGFR-TKIs for advanced NSCLC between January 2009 and December 2017 in a hospital, which 169 patients who treated with first-line TKIs were enrolled.Subjects and Methods: Multiple clinical factors, including histology, age, and sex, were analyzed. We calculated the tumor shrinkage rate (TSR) by measuring the longest diameters of the main mass by computed tomography (CT) before TKI therapy and the first CT after TKI therapy. We evaluated overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after first-line TKI therapy, and we assessed factors predicting survival using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results: Eligible patients were sorted into higher (n = 83) and lower (n = 86) TSR groups according to the mean TSR of 0.49%. The 83 patients with a higher TSR had longer PFS and OS than those in the 86 patients with a lower TSR (14.83 vs. 8.40 months, P < 0.001, and 31.03 vs. 20.10 months, P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed that TSR was an independent predictor of PFS and OS (PFS hazard ratio [HR]: 0.506, P < 0.001, and OS HR: 0.291, P < 0.001).Conclusions: These cumulative data support that TSR may be an early predictor of the treatment efficacy in NSCLC with EGFR mutations treated with first-line TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative analysis of the contribution rate of China’s hydraulic science and technology and analysis of the underlying reasons behind changes provide an important foundation upon which the government can formulate water policies. This paper abandons the assumption of a scale economy and separates the changes of benefits brought about by the scale from scientific and technological progress, thus changing the C-D production function from linear to nonlinear. Based on a feedforward neural network, it calculates the coefficient of the output elasticity, the economic contribution rate of China’s hydraulic science and technology and the scale economies for each year using relevant data from 1981 to 2016. The results show that (1) the average contribution rate of capital investment from 1981 to 2016 was 47.3%, and the average contribution rate of labor from 1981 to 2016 was 9.1%. It is not obvious that the significant increase in the labor force has contributed to the growth of China’s water conservancy industry. (2) The average contribution rate of scale economies in 1981–2016 was 26.7%, and the contribution rate of scale economies is negatively correlated with the capital contribution rate. (3) The average contribution rate of China’s hydraulic science and technology was 43.6% from 1981 to 2016, and the average contribution rate of the total factor productivity after removing scale economies from 1981 to 2016 was 16.9%. During the period of the 6th Five-Year Plan(1981~1985), the contribution rate of water conservancy science and technology was relatively high. Since that time, it has remained at 40%. In recent years, as water conservancy reforms in key areas have made positive progress, scientific and technological progress has increased the growth of water conservancy benefits annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of spectroscopic property and energy transfer process of Er3+ doped and Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped germanate glasses is presented. The emission cross section of the 4I11/2 → 4I13/2 transition of Er3+ doped germanate glass is calculated to be 1.2 × 10-20 cm2. The microparameter of energy transfer from Yb3+:2 F5/2 to Er3+:4I11/2 is calculated to be 2.74 × 10-39 cm6/s, and that is not phonon dependent in the quasiresonant process. The intensity of the emission around 2.7 μm is enhanced obviously when Er3+ co-doped with Yb3+. The excited-state relaxation process of Er3+ is adequately described by a combination of the Judd-Ofelt model and the energy-gap law. With the exception of 4I13/2 and 4I11/2 levels, multiphonon relaxation is dominant for all excited states, making it possible to efficiently pump the 1.55 μm 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 and 2.7 μm 4I13/2 → 4I11/2 emission by excitation of Yb3+:2F5/2 and Er3+:4I11/2 at 980 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense 2.0 μm emission has been obtained from Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ triply doped fluorophosphate glass pumped by a conventional 980 nm laser diode. The spectroscopic properties and energy transfer mechanisms between Ho3+, Tm3+ and Yb3+ are analyzed. Based on the absorption spectra, the Judd-Ofelt parameters, radiation emission rates, radiative lifetime and branching ratios of Ho3+ ions are calculated. It is also found that the 2.0 μm emission of Ho3+ can be greatly enhanced under the excitation at 980 nm by incorporating Tm3+ and Yb3+ simultaneously. Additionally, the micro-parameters of the energy transfer processes are quantitatively analyzed. The energy transfer coefficient from Yb3+ to acceptors and from Tm3+ to Ho3+ can reach as high as 13.14 × 10-40 cm6/s and 23.39 × 10-40 cm6/s, respectively. This Ho3+/Tm3+/Yb3+ doped fluorophosphate glass possessing high energy transfer coefficient and excellent thermal stability is a promising candidate for efficient 2.0 μm laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2.7 μm emission properties and energy transfer mechanism of Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glasses are investigated in present paper. Absorption and emission spectra were tested to characterize the 2.7 μm emission properties of Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glasses and a reasonable energy transfer mechanism of 2.7 μm emission between Er3+ and Nd3+ ions was proposed. Intense 2.7 μm emission was obtained from Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glasses due to the efficient energy transfer from Nd3+ to Er3+ ions under 808 nm LD pumping. Meanwhile, strongly decreased 545 nm up-conversion and 1.5 μm emissions were observed. Additionally, to obtain efficient 2.7 μm emission, the optimized concentration ratio of Nd3+ to Er3+ was found to be 0.5:1 in present glass system. Our results suggest that the present Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glass might have potential application in mid-infrared lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of Ce3+ ions introduction on 2 μm emission properties and energy transfer mechanism in Yb3+/Ho3+-doped fluorophosphate glass has been investigated. From the measured fluorescence spectra, strong emission near 2 μm is demonstrated due to the sensitization of Yb3+ and Ce3+. Based on the absorption spectra, the Judd-Ofelt parameters and radiative properties were calculated and compared with those of other glass hosts. In addition, the energy transfer coefficient from Yb3+ to Ho3+ is 9.52 × 10-40 cm6/s in Yb3+/Ho3+/Ce3+ triply doped sample and is three times larger than that in undoped Ce3+ sample. These results suggest that this Yb3+/Ho3+/Ce3+ fluorophosphate glass with excellent thermal stability and efficient energy transfer from Yb3+ to Ho3+ is a good candidate for 2 μm laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is facing severe pressure on its water resources and water environments. Calculating the industrial water efficiency of each province is an important index for the central government to evaluate local governments. In the traditional water resources evaluation index, the industrial water use efficiency and pollutant discharge are evaluated separately. In this paper, we collected industrial input data, output data and pollutant discharge data with a four-stage data envelopment analysis to calculate China's industrial water use efficiency with and without considering pollutant discharge, and then analyzed the factors influencing the industrial water use efficiency. The results show that the eastern coastal provinces of China have the highest water use efficiency and are less affected by pollutant discharge than other provinces. The industrial water use efficiency of the central and western provinces is lower than that of the other provinces, and the industrial water use efficiency in the central provinces is greatly affected by pollutant discharge. Factor endowment, economic development level, scientific and technological progress, industrial structure, proportion of foreign investment, water consumption per 10000 yuan of value-added by industry, industrial sewage treatment capacity and educational investment have a significant influence on the industrial water use efficiency of China. We suggest that the government strengthen the construction of sewage plants and other related infrastructure in central provinces when conducting the industrial transfer of heavy polluting enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the bed allocation policy can alleviate the blocking, a situation where admitted patients cannot be transferred from the Emergency Departments (the upstream) to inpatient departments (the downstream) due to unavailability of beds. We aim to find a bed allocation policy that reduces the blocking probability and improves bed utilisation considering the interaction between the neighboring departments, as well as the priorities of different departments. This concept and the proposed model are tested in a real-life case at a hospital in China. A two-stage bed allocation simulation model is developed to evaluate the effect of bed assignment on the blocking probability and bed utilisation. Results show that the blocking probabilities can be reduced by 1.32%–8.98% and 1.74%–4.16% under different priority assignment cases and total number of beds. Sensitivity analyses are performed to examine the effect of varying patient arrival rate on the performance of bed allocation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. MicroRNAs play a key role in breast cancer development and progression. microRNA(miR)-8084 has been observed an aberrant expression in breast cancer. However, the functions and regulatory axes of miR-8084, particularly in breast cancer, were not entirely clear.Methods: miR-8084 expression in breast cancer were investigated in a GEO dataset by in silico analysis and in 42 paired tumor tissues by qPCR. The effects of deregulation of miR-8084 on breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo were examined by colony-formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and nude mouse subcutaneous tumor formation model. The target gene of miR-8084 were predicted by TargetScan and miRDB, and confirmed by luciferase reporter system. The roles of miR-8084 in the breast cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated by MTS, FACS and associated-marker detection by western blot.Results: miR-8084 is significantly up-regulated in both serum and malignant tissues from the source of breast cancer patients. miR-8084 promotes the proliferation of breast cancer cells by activating ERK1/2 and AKT. Meanwhile miR-8084 inhibits apoptosis by decreasing p53-BAX related pathway. miR-8084 also enhances migration and invasion by inducing EMT. Moreover, the tumor suppressor ING2 is a potential target of miR-8084, and miR-8084 regulatory axes contribute to pro-tumor effect, at least partially through regulating ING2.Conclusion: Our results strongly suggest that miR-8084 functions as an oncogene that promotes the development and progression of breast cancer, and miR-8084 is a potential new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of zeolite catalysts, M(Cu, Fe, Co)-ZSM-5, was prepared by an impregnation method and evaluated for the selective catalytic combustion of acrylonitrile (AN-SCC). Cu-ZSM-5, exhibiting the highest AN conversion activity and best N2 yield, was further selected for an AN-SCC mechanism investigation, wherein both experimental [in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS)] and theoretical [density functional theory (DFT)] approaches were employed. The in situ DRIFTS revealed that AN-SCC followed a hydrolysis mechanism at T ＜ 300 °C via intermediates of acylamino species (–CONH2) and NH3, while it followed an oxidation mechanism at T ＞ 300 °C via an intermediate of NCO. The DFT simulations gave much deeper insights suggesting that: (i) the NCO could be generated by oxidation of AN over [Cu]+ active sites, with an assistance of dissociated atomic O from gaseous O2; (ii) three types of reaction routes could be proposed for the further reaction of NCO to produce N2, namely NCO direct dissociation, NCO coupling, and NO + NCO reaction; and (iii) the last route (NO + NCO), possessing the lowest energy barrier, was the most probable reaction pathway, wherein the NO could be produced by oxidation of NCO. The DFT energy calculation results and microkinetic analyses revealed that the NCO generation step, possessing an energy barrier of 17.0 kcal mol−1 and a forward reaction rate constant of 2.20 × 107 s−1, was the rate-determining step of the whole catalytic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameter estimation of polynomial‐phase signals (PPSs) observed in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) is addressed. Most of the existing estimators cannot work on a fully identifiable region. Using the algebraic number theory, McKilliam et al. proposed a least squares unwrapping (LSU) estimator, which can operate on the entire identifiable region. However, its computational load may be large, especially when the number of samples is large. In this study, the authors first extend the amplitude‐weighted phase‐based estimator (AWPE) for sinusoidal and chirp signals to PPSs and derive a time domain maximum likelihood estimator. The performance is analysed and compared with the Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB). Then, the authors propose an iterative compound time‐frequency domain parameter estimation method, which includes a coarse estimation step and a fine estimation step conducted by the discrete polynomial phase transform and AWPE estimator, respectively. Monte–Carlo simulations show that the proposed method can work on the entire identifiable region and that it outperforms the existing state‐of‐the‐art estimators. Its computational complexity is considerably lower than that of the LSU estimator, while its threshold signal‐to‐noise ratio is a few decibels higher than that of the LSU estimator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our efforts to develop effective treatment agents for cancer, a series of novel compounds based on 3-(1 H-indol-3-yl)-1 H-pyrazole scaffold and three common pharmacophores, namely thiazolidine, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and acylpyrazole, were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines. Among compounds 2a- 2c and 3a- 3c containing thiazolidine moiety, 2b and 3c showed moderate cytotoxic activity toward Ho-8910. The dramatic enhancement in cytotoxic activity was observed upon the introduction of a 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol moiety on 3-(1 H-indol-3-yl)-1 H-pyrazole scaffold. Compound 5a was the most effective against KG-1 with IC = 6.09 μM, which was comparable to the reference drug doxorubicin. Compound 5b was potent against HepG-2 (IC = 9.39 μM) and Ho-8910 (IC = 9.41 μM). Compound 5e exhibited IC value of 14.12 μM against A-549 and was more potent than other compounds in this series. Compound 5b induced the highest population of apoptotic cells (28.18 %) among the tested compounds at 10 μM. The results obtained from compounds 5 warrant their further optimization as new leads for developing new anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To detect and analyze two important genes, comE and luxS, in quorum sensing signal pathway from Streptococcus oralis (S.oralis). Methods The total genomic DNA of S.oralis NH521 (a clinically isolated strain) was firstly extracted. The comE and luxS genes were then amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and further sequenced. The obtained sequences were compared with related sequences in GenBank. Results Target bands of both comE and luxS genes were detected by electrophoresis. The obtained gene sequences were similar to the corresponding sequences from another S.oralis strain (luxS, 95.0%; comE, 99.6%); however, comparing to gene sequences of another species Streptococcus mutans, comE was more divergent (12.7%) than luxS gene (74.1%). Conclusion This study successfully amplified and sequenced comE and luxS genes from S.oralis NH521 strain. The luxS gene accumulated more mutations than comE gene did between two S.oralis strains, but comE gene is more divergent than luxS gene between two Streptococcus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluorescence properties of 2.7 μm emission as well as near infrared emissions in Er3+/Nd3+ doped fluorophosphate glasses are investigated under 800 and 980 nm excitation. The fluorescence dynamics and energy transfer processes between Er and Nd ions in different pumping schemes are reported. Three Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, energy transfer microparameters, and efficiency have been determined using the Judd-Ofelt and Förster-Dexter theories. The calculated energy transfer efficiency of the Er3+:4I13/2 level to the Nd3+:4I15/2 level is as high as 83.91%. The results indicate that Nd3+ may be an efficient sensitizer for Er3+ to obtain mid-infrared emission and the more suitable pumping scheme of 2.7 μm laser applications for Er3+/Nd3+ doped fluorophosphate glass is 980 nm excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]