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The extensive application of vibratory roller compaction in construction has resulted in a requirement to increase the effectiveness of compaction. This paper investigated the effect of the moisture content and the compactive effort on the behaviour of granite particles under compaction. Results from experiments showed that particle crushing depends on the level of imparted energy rather than the number of passes. Increases in the moisture content is not noticeably beneficial to the particle crushing with sufficient compaction but will lead to larger surface settlements with the same imparted energy in the studied range. Test results were used for the construction of the secondary dam in the Huizhou pumped storage power station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory disease with an unclear aetiology. Keratinocytes in psoriasis are susceptible to exogenous triggers that induce inflammatory cell death. Objectives To investigate whether gasdermin E (GSDME)-mediated pyroptosis in keratinocytes contributes to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Methods Skin samples from patients with psoriasis and from healthy controls were collected to evaluate the expression of GSDME, cleaved caspase-3 and inflammatory factors. We then analysed the data series GSE41662 to further compare the expression of GSDME between lesional and nonlesional skin samples in those with psoriasis. In vivo, a caspase-3 inhibitor and GSDME-deficient mice (Gsdme–/–) were used to block caspase-3/GSDME activation in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis model. Skin inflammation, disease severity and pyroptosis-related proteins were analysed. In vitro , tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced caspase-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in the HACAT cell line was explored. Results Our analysis of the GSE41662 data series found that GSDME was upregulated in psoriasis lesions vs. normal skin. High levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were also found in psoriasis lesions. In mice in the Gsdme –/– and caspase-3 inhibitor groups, the severity of skin inflammation was attenuated and GSDME and cleaved caspase-3 levels decreased after imiquimod treatment. Similarly, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α expression was decreased in the Gsdme –/– and caspase-3 inhibitor groups. In vitro , TNF-α induced HACAT cell pyroptosis through caspase-3/GSDME pathway activation, which was suppressed by blocking caspase-3 or silencing Gsdme. Conclusions Our study provides a novel explanation of TNF-α/caspase-3/GSDME-mediated keratinocyte pyroptosis in the initiation and -acceleration of skin inflammation and the progression of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus‐induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) has become a common disease in adult men that can seriously reduce the quality of life of patients, and new therapies are urgently needed. miRNA‐100 has many targets and can induce autophagy and reduce fibrosis by inhibiting the mTOR pathway and the TGF‐β pathway. However, no research has been conducted with miR‐100 in the field of DMED, and the specific mechanism of action is still unclear. Objectives: To ascertain the effects of miR‐100 on corpus cavernosum tissue of DMED rats and vascular endothelial cells in a high glucose environment and to elucidate the relevant mechanisms in autophagy, fibrosis and inflammation to find a new approach for the DMED therapy. Methods: Thirty rats were divided into three groups: the control group, the DMED group, and the DMED + miR‐100 group. Using intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin, all rats except the control group were modeled with diabetes mellitus, which was verified using the apomorphine (APO) test. For rats in the DMED + miR‐100 group, rno‐miR‐100‐5p agomir (50 nmol/kg, every 2 days, 6 times in total) was injected via the tail vein. After 13 weeks, the erectile function of each rat was assessed using cavernous manometry, and the corpus cavernosum tissue was harvested for subsequent experiments. For cellular experiments, human coronary microartery endothelial cells (HCMEC) were divided into four groups: the control group, the high‐glucose (HG, 40 mM) group, the HG + mimic group, and the HG + inhibitor group. The cells were cultured for 6 days and collected for subsequent experiments 2 days after transfection. Results: Diabetic modeling impaired the erectile function in rats, and miR‐100 reversed this effect. By measuring autophagy‐related proteins such as mTOR/Raptor/Beclin1/p62/LC3B, we found that miR‐100 could suppress the expression of mTOR and induce autophagy. The analysis of the eNOS/NO/cGMP axis function indicated that impaired endothelial function was improved by miR‐100. By evaluating the TGF‐β1/CTGF/Smad2/3 and NF‐κB/TNF‐α pathways, we found that miR‐100 could lower the level of inflammation and fibrosis, which contributed to the improvement of the erectile function. Cellular experiments can be used as supporting evidence for these findings. Conclusion: MiR‐100 can improve the erectile function by inhibiting mTOR and thus inducing autophagy, improving the endothelial function through the eNOS/NO/cGMP axis, and exerting antifibrotic and anti‐inflammatory effects, which may provide new ideas and directions for the treatment of DMED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Meso-neoproterozoic Bayan Obo rift is located along the northern margin of the North China Craton, and was associated with the break-up of the Columbia supercontinent. During rift evolution, syn-sedimentary deformation occurred due to tectonic activity and earthquakes. Seismic events are recorded in the Jianshan Formation of the Bayan Obo Group, Inner Mongolia, as soft sediment deformation structures in the central Bayan Obo rift. Druse calcite crystals and collapse breccias in the Jianshan Formation may provide information on the rift evolution. The druse calcite crystals are idiomorphic-columnar in shape and associated with graphite, pyrite, and quartz. δ13C values of the graphite are −20‰, indicative of biogenic deoxygenation and formation in water. The druse calcite crystals are inorganic in origin and formed in water at a temperature of 55 °C, based on calcite δ13C and δ18O data. The calcite grew in paleo-caves containing fault breccias, with heat derived from faulting. As such, the druse calcite crystals are important evidence for seismic events. The collapse breccias (i. e., fault breccias) and other indicators of slip show that displacement occurred from NE to SW, which is different from the paleocurrent direction in the Jianshan Formation. The thickness of the collapse breccia is ∼200 m, which represents the height of the fault scarp. The strike of the fault scarp was NE-SW, based on the distribution of the collapse breccia. The Bayan Obo and Yanliao rifts experienced rapid NW-SE extension, and developed similar deformation structures at ca. 1.6 Ga related to break-up of the Columbia supercontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how negative emotions like stress, anxiety, and boredom can affect unhealthy food consumption. Using the Wuhan lockdown as an external shock, we examine the changes in food consumption in a city that was not in lockdown. We applied the difference‐in‐differences method to a large scanner dataset from a retail monopoly in China. Our findings reveal that negative emotions induced by the pandemic lockdown significantly elevated consumer spending on unhealthy food items such as crisps, sugary beverages, regular soda, and low‐alcohol beverages. Notably, the effect of unhealthy food consumption was more pronounced among younger and wealthier demographics. Triggering factors, like information about confirmed new deaths and infections as well as proximity to local hospitals, were found to strongly influence the consumption of unhealthy foods. Overall, the lockdown's impact extended beyond short‐term increases in snack consumption to substantial increases in overall dietary and nutritional intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on measurements of the electrostatic charge of particles in a turbulent duct flow. In contrast to previous charge measurements, which do not apply to turbulent flows or give only the sum of all particles' charges, the new method resolves the charge of a turbulent powder flow spatially. The experiment consists of a particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) system and electrode plates that generate an electric field. By comparing particle velocities and accelerations with and without the electric field, the time-averaged local particle charge profile is derived. Spatially resolving the charge profiles unveiled bipolar particle flow. The average of the charge profiles agreed well with a conventional Faraday pail measurement, demonstrating the accuracy of our measurements. However, the peak value of the charge profiles was 76 times higher than the average of the particles' charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic surveys have indicated that cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for diabetes, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Andrographolide, an herb traditionally utilized in medicine, provides anti‐inflammatory benefits for various diseases. In the present work, 265 patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) were investigated, and male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to cigareete smoke (CS) and/or to intraperitoneally injected andrographolide for 3 months. To elucidate the mechanism of CS‐induced hyperglycemia and the protective mechanism of andrographolide, MIN6 cells were exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and/or to andrographolide. Our data from 265 patients with T2D showed that urinary creatinine and serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 6 (IL‐6), IL‐8, IL‐1β, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α)) increased with smoking pack‐years. In a mouse model, CS induced hyperglycemia, decreased insulin secretion, and elevated inflammation and pyroptosis in β‐cells of mice. Treatment of mice with andrographolide preserved pancreatic function by reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines; the expression of TXNIP, NLRP3, cleaved caspase 1, IL‐1β; and the N‐terminal of gasdermin D (GSDMD) protein. For MIN6 cells, CSE caused increasing secretion of the inflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and IL‐1β, and the expression of TXNIP and pyroptosis‐related proteins; however, andrographolide alleviated these changes. Furthermore, silencing of TXNIP showed that the blocking effect of andrographolide may be mediated by TXNIP. In sum, our results indicate that CS induces hyperglycemia through TXNIP‐NLRP3‐GSDMD axis‐mediated inflammation and pyroptosis of islet β‐cells and that andrographolide is a potential therapeutic agent for CS‐induced hyperglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in Clinical & Translational Medicine examines the potential benefits of paeonol in treating spermatogenesis disorders in diabetic patients. The study reveals that diabetes can negatively impact male reproductive function by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The researchers discovered that a protein called SIRT3, which helps maintain redox balance, plays a crucial role in spermatogenesis. Paeonol, a compound found in peony bark, was found to increase SIRT3 levels and reduce oxidative stress in testicular tissues and cells treated with high glucose. In diabetic rat models, paeonol administration improved sperm quality and reduced testicular damage. These findings suggest that paeonol may be a potential therapeutic option for individuals with diabetes-related spermatogenic dysfunction. [Extracted from the article]

The Sharpe ratio function is a commonly used risk/return measure in financial econometrics. To estimate this function, most existing methods take a two-step procedure that first estimates the mean and volatility functions separately and then applies the plug-in method. In this paper, we propose a direct method via local maximum likelihood to simultaneously estimate the Sharpe ratio function and the negative log-volatility function as well as their derivatives. We establish the joint limiting distribution of the proposed estimators, and moreover extend the proposed method to estimate the multivariate Sharpe ratio function. We also evaluate the numerical performance of the proposed estimators through simulation studies, and compare them with existing methods. Finally, we apply the proposed method to the three-month US Treasury bill data and that captures a well-known covariate-dependent effect on the Sharpe ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change imposes significant challenges on the ecological environment and human sustainability. Industrial parks, in line with the national climate change mitigation strategy, are key targets for low-carbon revolution within the industrial sector. To predict the carbon emission of industrial parks and formulate the strategic path of emission reduction, this paper amalgamates the benefits of the "top-down" and "bottom-up" prediction methodologies, incorporating the logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) decomposition method and long-range energy alternatives planning (LEAP) model, and integrates the Tapio decoupling theory to predict the carbon emissions of an industrial park cluster of an economic development zone in Yancheng from 2020 to 2035 under baseline (BAS) and low-carbon scenarios (LC1, LC2, and LC3). The findings suggest that, in comparison to the BAS scenario, the carbon emissions in the LC1, LC2, and LC3 scenarios decreased by 30.4%, 38.4%, and 46.2%, respectively, with LC3 being the most suitable pathway for the park's development. Finally, the paper explores carbon emission sources, and analyzes emission reduction potential and optimization measures of the energy structure, thus providing a reference for the formulation of emission reduction strategies for industrial parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of detrusor underactivity (DU) is unclear, and the available therapeutic effects are unsatisfactory. We propose to find key molecules and pathways related to DU based on transcriptome sequencing. A rat model of bilateral pelvic nerve injury (BPNI) was established. Bladder tissues from the sham-operated group, 3 and 28 days after BPNI mapping, were taken for urodynamics, histopathology, and RNA-seq. An enrichment analysis of the screened differential expression genes was performed. Three days after BPNI, the results showed urodynamic features of overflow incontinence, while there was a recovery at 28 days after the operation. Masson staining revealed collagen deposition accompanied by progressive thickening of the smooth muscle layer as DU progressed. RNA-seq results suggested that a total of 1808 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) differed among the groups. RNA-seq and subsequent analysis confirmed that the cell cycle and immune response were significantly activated 3 days after BPNI, while extracellular matrix remodeling occurred 28 days after BPNI. Partial DEGs and pathways were verified by qRT-PCR. Validation of key proteins involved in cell cycle, inflammation, and fibrosis was performed by immunohistochemical staining and western blot, respectively. These molecular expression patterns at different time points after BPNI injury provide valuable insights into the search for therapeutic targets for DU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientifically evaluating ecological water use efficiency (EWUE) is an effective means to regulate the level of ecological water use in a country or a region. It is also a basic work to achieve high-efficiency use of ecological water under the current situation of water shortage. However, there were few researches on EWUE, and existing studies only focus on eco-environmental benefits generated by ecological water, without considering its impact on economy and society. An emergy evaluation method for EWUE based on comprehensive benefits was proposed in this paper innovatively. Considering the impact of ecological water use on society, economy, and eco-environment, the concept of EWUE could be defined. Then, comprehensive benefits of ecological water use (CBEW) were quantified by emergy method, and EWUE was evaluated by the comprehensive benefits of unit ecological water use. Taking Zhengzhou City as an example for calculation, from 2011 to 2020, CBEW increased from 5.20 × 1019 sej to 6.72 × 1020 sej, showing an overall upward trend, and EWUE rose from 2.71 × 1011 sej/m3 (1.27￥/m3) to 1.32 × 1012 sej/m3 (8.10￥/m3) with fluctuation. It showed that Zhengzhou City has paid enough attention to the allocation of ecological water and EWUE at a high level. The method proposed in this paper provides a new idea to evaluate EWUE scientifically, and the results can provide guidance to allocate ecological water resources to achieve sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper according to the requirements of the unique production process of the "Tangshan bone china" geographic indication products, specified 315 pieces of bone china 8 inch flat produced by 15 different enterprises as the experimental samples. By measuring the tricalcium phosphate content in the prime tyres and the bibulous rate value of white bone china, map out a series of C3P-ω detection data points accumulation line chart. Verified by analysis of the qualitative and quantitative relationship between tricalcium phosphate content and bibulous rate of "Tangshan bone china", derived the following conclusions: with the increase of tricalcium phosphate content of "Tangshan bone china", its bibulous rate value increases accordingly, they have approximate linear positive correlation; with 36%∼42% of C3P levels corresponding to the bibulous rate numerical range of 0.10%∼0.30%.The research results can provide scientific reference to the manufacturing enterprise for improving the production process and the quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between water and land resources (WALRs) has been further enhanced with the development of human production activities. Evaluating the synergetic development (SD) level of WALRs is conducive to discovering the weakness of comprehensive utilization of resources and promoting sustainable development. However, previous studies did not clearly elucidate the effects of the synergetic development between WALRs (SD-WALRs). For evaluation methods, the impact of various subsystem development levels on the whole system is often ignored due to its unclear definition. Therefore, in this research, the concept of the SD-WALRs was defined based on synergetic theory. By using the "Driving Force–Pressure–State–Impact–Response" (DPSIR) model, comprehensive evaluation index systems of WALR development were established. The index systems were regarded as efficacy functions of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, and the evaluation model of the SD-WALR level was constructed based on it. Taking Luoyang City as an example, using the latest 10 years (2010–2019) with available data as the study period, the results showed that the value of the SD degree increased from 0.609 to 0.789 during the study period, which reached the level of intermediate synergetic development. In general, the development of WALRs showed a positive trend from "high coupling but low synergetic development" to "high synergetic development". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile double flexible interfacial imprinting method is reported to obtain the cubic single‐crystal CH3NH3PbBr3 sheets with in situ polymer patterns by capillary effect. The imprinted CH3NH3PbBr3 sheets offer good crystallinity and light‐trapping structure. As a result, the textured single‐crystal photodetector exhibits the superior responsivity of 63.0 A W−1, external quantum efficiency of 1.50 × 104%, and detectivity D* of 8.12 × 1012 Jones under 520 nm irradiations with a weak power density of 0.54 µW cm−2 at 3 V, which are more than 4200% and 80000% higher than those of the photodetector based on single‐crystal bulk and polycrystalline film, respectively. The exciting ultraweak‐light photoelectric performance is achieved due to the good light trapping and high carrier collection. Especially, the photodetector also exhibits excellent self‐powered performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and poor response to the first-line treatment of DM-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED), new therapeutic strategies for DMED are needed. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) transplantation is considered a promising treatment modality for DMED but is limited by poor survival and efficacy after transplantation. In this study, we aimed to increase the therapeutic effect of DMED by overexpressing the relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1) using a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats activation (CRISPRa) system in ADSCs. Two lentiviruses carrying the CRISPRa system transfected ADSCs to overexpress RXFP1 (RXFP1-ADSCs). The intracavernous injection of ADSCs was performed in DMED rats induced by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Four weeks after transplantation, we measured erectile function and collected specimens of the corpus cavernosum for follow-up detection. The results showed that ADSCs improved erectile function in diabetic rats, and the RXFP1-ADSCs were more significant. We detected reduced levels of oxidative stress, apoptosis and fibrosis together with relative normalization of endothelial and smooth muscle cell function in the penis after ADSC transplantation. RXFP1-ADSCs had more potent efficacy in the above alterations compared to negative control ADSCs due to the high levels of survival and paracrine capacity in RXFP1-ADSCs. The results revealed that RXFP1-ADSC transplantation could partially preserve erectile function in DMED rats associated with the regulation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, fibrosis and endothelial and smooth muscle cell dysfunction. RXFP1 may be the new target for the genetic modification of ADSCs, which benefits the management of DMED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is a rare genetically heterogeneous disease and characterized by incomplete or absent puberty and infertility. It is worth noting that partial IHH patients could recover reproductive endocrine function following treatment, which is termed reversal. This study aimed to investigate clinical and genetic characteristics of IHH reversal patients. A total of 141 IHH male patients were enrolled and followed up regularly. Their clinical and genetic features were collected and analysed to discover something in common in reversal cases. These IHH patients with a median age of 21 years (interquartile range: 18–24) were divided into reversal group (n = 13) and non‐reversal group (n = 128). IL17RD, ERBB4, DLX5, EGFR, SEMA4D, B3GNT1 and CCKAR RSVs were demonstrated in reversal cases for the first time. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) RSVs consisted of 3 RSVs (one each patient, including PROKR2 p.W178S, EGFR p.G630R and CCKAR p.S291del) in reversal group. Reversal of IHH could not be ignored in clinical follow‐up. Patients with high levels of basal LH and T may harbour more possibility of reversal and worthy extra attention to identify whether reversal occurs or not. Relapse after reversal also needs to be monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to build a prediction model for accurate assessment of the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in individuals with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) by integrating clinical and pathological features at biopsy. The prediction model was created based on a retrospective study of 99 patients with biopsy-proven primary FSGS diagnosed at our hospital between December 2012 and December 2019. We assessed discriminative ability and predictive accuracy of the model by C-index and calibration plot. Internal validation of the prediction model was performed with 1000-bootstrap procedure. Eight patients (8.1%) progressed to ESKD before 31 March 2021. Univariate analysis revealed that disease duration before biopsy, hematuria, hemoglobin, eGFR, and percentages of sclerosis and global sclerosis were associated with renal outcome. In multivariate analysis, three predictors were included in final prediction model: eGFR, hematuria, and percentage of sclerosis. The C-index of the model was 0.811 and 5-year calibration plot showed good agreement between predicted renal survival probability and actual observation. A nomogram and an online risk calculator were built on the basis of the prediction model. In conclusion, we constructed and internally validated the first prediction model for risk of ESKD in primary FSGS, which showed good discriminative ability and calibration performance. The prediction model provides an accurate and simple strategy to predict renal prognosis which may help to identify patients at high risk of ESKD and guide the management for patients with primary FSGS in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoking is an important modifiable factor in the risk of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and hypertension overlap in the population. The present study investigated effects of smoking on glucose metabolism under different blood pressure (BP) levels in occupational population. A smoking survey among occupational groups was conducted in 2018. The general linear model was used to analyze the differences of glucose metabolism indexes and BP indexes influenced by different smoking intensity (never 0, mild <10, moderate <20, heavy ≥20 pack‐years). Odds ratios of developing diabetes and β‐cell deficiency were analyzed by using logistic regression model. BP was further taken into account in the relationship between smoking and glucose metabolism. As a result, 1730 male workers aged 21 to 60 years were included in the analysis finally. Compared to never smokers, heavy smokers had significantly increased fasting plasma glucose. Moderate and above smokers had significantly increased glycosylated hemoglobin, decreased fasting plasma insulin and β‐cell function, after adjustment for covariates. Further, smoking intensity was found to have a dose‐dependent relationship with impaired β‐cell function and diabetes. In conclusion, smoking has a positive dose‐dependent relationship with β‐cell deficiency and diabetes. Male smoking workers, especially the moderate or higher smoking, with high‐normal and high BP levels are at high risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacological therapy of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) is intractable owig to the poor response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i). The surge in the number of diabetic patients makes it extremely urgent to find a novel therapy for DMED. Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of cell death evoked by lipid peroxidation and is related to several diabetic complications. GPX4, an important phospholipid hydroperoxidase, can alleviate ferroptosis and maintain redox balance via reducing lipid peroxides. However, whether GPX4 can be a prospective target of DMED needs to be determined. Fifty rats were randomly divided into control group, DMED group, DMED + negative control group (DMED + NC group), DMED + low-dose group (1 × 106 infectious units), and DMED + high-dose group (2 × 106 infectious units). Erectile function was assessed 4 weeks after intracavernous injection of GPX4 or negative control lentivirus. The penile shafts were collected for subsequent molecular biological and histological analysis. The results demonstrated that erectile function of the rats in DMED and DMED + NC groups was extremely impaired and was improved in a dose-dependent manner with GPX4 lentivirus (GPX4-LV) injection. Additionally, upregulation of the ACSL4-LPCAT3-LOX pathway, iron overload, oxidative stress, fibrosis, and decreased endothelial and smooth muscle cell numbers were observed in the corpus cavernosum of DMED group. Meanwhile, the nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway was inhibited, and the Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)/Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) pathway was promoted in DMED rats. The above histologic alterations and related molecular changes were alleviated after GPX4-LV injection. The results revealed that GPX4 improved erectile function by modulating ferroptosis during DMED progression. This finding is of paramount significance in deciphering the molecular mechanism of hyperglycemia-induced ferroptosis, thereby providing a prospective target for preventing the development of DMED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morbidity of prostate cancer (PCa) is rising year by year, and it has become the primary cause of tumor-related mortality in males. It is widely accepted that macrophages account for 50% of the tumor mass in solid tumors and have emerged as a crucial participator in multiple stages of PCa, with the huge potential for further treatment. Oftentimes, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) behave like M2-like phenotypes that modulate malignant hallmarks of tumor lesions, ranging from tumorigenesis to metastasis. Several clinical studies indicated that mean TAM density was higher in human PCa cores versus benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and increased biopsy TAM density potentially predicts worse clinicopathological characteristics as well. Therefore, TAM represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention either alone or in combination with other strategies to halt the "vicious cycle," thus improving oncological outcomes. Herein, we mainly focus on the fundamental aspects of TAMs in prostate adenocarcinoma, while reviewing the mechanisms responsible for macrophage recruitment and polarization, which has clinical translational implications for the exploitation of potentially effective therapies against TAMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-material assembled light alloy wheel presents an effective lightweight solution for new energy vehicles, but its riveting connection remains a problem. To address this problem, this paper proposed the explicit riveting-implicit springback-implicit fatigue/explicit impact sequence coupling simulation analysis method, analyzed the fatigue and impact performance of the punching riveting connected magnesium/aluminum alloy (Mg/Al) assembled wheel, and constructed some major evaluation indicators. The accuracy of the proposed simulation method was verified by conducting physical experiments of single and cross lap joints. The punching riveting process parameters of the assembled wheel joints were defined as design variables, and the fatigue and impact performance of the assembled wheel was defined as the optimization objective. The connection-performance integration multi-objective optimization design of the assembled wheel considering riveting residual stress was designed via Taguchi experiment, grey relational analysis, analytic hierarchy process, principal component analysis, and entropy weighting methods. The optimization results of the three weighting methods were compared, and the optimal combination of design variables was determined. The fatigue and impact performance of the Mg/Al assembled wheel were effectively improved after optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static shearing, drawing, and dynamic impact test schemes of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)/aluminum alloy (Al) bolt joint were designed. The finite element model of the CFRP/Al bolt joint was established, and the failure modes of the joints under the static and dynamic impact conditions were analyzed. The structure, lay-up, and connection parameters of the joint were defined as design variables, and the static and dynamic impact performance indicators of the joint and the lay-up numbers of the CFRP sheet were defined as optimization objectives. Integrated multiobjective optimization was conducted for joints, employing the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) surrogate model, elitist nondominated sorting genetic (NSGA-II) algorithm, and entropy-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (E-TOPSIS) decision method. The best trade-off solution was obtained, and the optimal design variables were determined. The optimized joint was fabricated, and static and dynamic impact tests were carried out. The test and simulation results were compared to verify the effectiveness of simulation and optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurogenic erectile dysfunction (NED) caused by cavernous nerve (CN) injury is a typical complication after pelvic surgery, which lacks efficient treatments. Acetyl‐L‐carnitine (ALCAR) has been proven to promote nerve repair. Objectives: To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of ALCAR in the treatment of NED. Materials and methods: Thirty‐two rats were randomly divided into bilateral CN injury (BCNI) group, BCNI + lower‐dose ALCAR (50 mg/kg/day) group, BCNI + higher‐dose (100 mg/kg/day) group, and sham‐operated group. Erectile function was assessed 14 days after daily intraperitoneal injection of ALCAR or placebo. The penile tissues were gathered for subsequent histological and molecular biological analysis. Rat Schwann cell (SC) line S16 was used to verify the mechanism of ALCAR in vitro. Results: We found that the erectile function of the rats in the BCNI group was severely impaired, which was improved considerably in both BCNI+ALCAR‐LD and BCNI+ALCAR‐HD groups. Also, we observed decreased smooth muscle and increased collagen content in the corpus cavernosum in the BCNI group. The expressions of fibrosis markers transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and Smad 2/3 were significantly up‐regulated in the BCNI group. The above changes were alleviated after the administration of lower and higher‐dose ALCAR. Meanwhile, the nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway (cGMP) was promoted and the Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)/Rho‐associated protein kinase (ROCK) pathway was inhibited in the corpus cavernosum of BCNI rats after ALCAR treatment, accompanied by increased neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and down‐regulated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In vitro, ALCAR promoted the migration and proliferation of SC and increased the expression of 22‐kD peripheral myelin protein and nerve growth factor (NGF). Further, rats treated with ALCAR had high expression of ATF3 and S100 in the distal nerve tissues of the CN extrusion site. Discussion and conclusion: ALCAR could promote nerve repair and regeneration, inhibit penile fibrosis, and improve penile erection by promoting the proliferation and migration of SC and the secretion of NGF. Our study confirms that ALCAR may be a potential treatment strategy for NED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous regeneration of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) underpins spermatogenesis and lifelong male fertility, but the developmental origins of the SSC pool remain unclear. Here, we document that hnRNPU is essential for establishing the SSC pool. In male mice, conditional loss of hnRNPU in prospermatogonia (ProSG) arrests spermatogenesis and results in sterility. hnRNPU-deficient ProSG fails to differentiate and migrate to the basement membrane to establish SSC pool in infancy. Moreover, hnRNPU deletion leads to the accumulation of ProSG and disrupts the process of T1-ProSG to T2-ProSG transition. Single-cell transcriptional analyses reveal that germ cells are in a mitotically quiescent state and lose their unique identity upon hnRNPU depletion. We further show that hnRNPU could bind to Vrk1 , Slx4 , and Dazl transcripts that have been identified to suffer aberrant alternative splicing in hnRNPU-deficient testes. These observations offer important insights into SSC pool establishment and may have translational implications for male fertility. [Display omitted] • hnRNPU expression traverses germ-cell development and is abundant in perinatal germ cells • hnRNPU regulates the establishment of the SSC pool and is essential for male fertility • Loss of hnRNPU causes ProSG-to-SG transition failure and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome in mice • hnRNPU modulates alternative splicing of cell-cycle-related genes in male germ cells Wen et al. report that loss of hnRNPU results in failure to establish a spermatogonial stem cell pool, leading to Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that ProSG-to-SG transitions are disturbed in Hnrnpu -deficient mice. hnRNPU affects the migration and differentiation of ProSG by regulating alternative splicing of cell-cycle-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prime editor (PE), which is developed by combining Cas9 nickase and an engineered reverse transcriptase, can mediate all twelve types of base substitutions and small insertions or deletions in living cells but its efficiency remains low. Here, we develop spegRNA by introducing same-sense mutations at proper positions in the reverse-transcription template of pegRNA to increase PE's base-editing efficiency up-to 4,976-fold (on-average 353-fold). We also develop apegRNA by altering the pegRNA secondary structure to increase PE's indel-editing efficiency up-to 10.6-fold (on-average 2.77-fold). The spegRNA and apegRNA can be combined to further enhance editing efficiency. When spegRNA and apegRNA are used in PE3 and PE5 systems, the efficiencies of sPE3, aPE3, sPE5 and aPE5 systems are all enhanced significantly. The strategies developed in this study realize highly efficient prime editing at certain previously uneditable sites. Prime editors can mediate all twelve types of base substitutions and small insertions or deletions in living cells but its efficiency remains low. Here the authors introduce same-sense mutations into pegRNAs to increase base-editing efficiency and the pegRNA secondary structure was altered to increase indel-editing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To determine the role of gasdermin E (GSDME)–mediated pyroptosis in the pathogenesis and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to explore the potential of GSDME as a therapeutic target in RA. Methods: The expression and activation of caspase 3 and GSDME in the synovium, macrophages, and monocytes of RA patients were determined by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blot analysis. The correlation of activated GSDME with RA disease activity was evaluated. The pyroptotic ability of monocytes from RA patients was tested, and the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on caspase 3/GSDME‐mediated pyroptosis of monocytes and macrophages was investigated. In addition, collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) was induced in mice lacking Gsdme, and the incidence and severity of arthritis were assessed. Results: Compared to cells from healthy controls, monocytes and synovial macrophages from RA patients showed increased expression of activated caspase 3, GSDME, and the N‐terminal fragment of GSDME (GSDME‐N). The expression of GSDME‐N in monocytes from RA patients correlated positively with disease activity. Monocytes from RA patients with higher GSDME levels were more susceptible to pyroptosis. Furthermore, TNF induced pyroptosis in monocytes and macrophages by activating the caspase 3/GSDME pathway. The use of a caspase 3 inhibitor and silencing of GSDME significantly blocked TNF‐induced pyroptosis. Gsdme deficiency effectively alleviated arthritis in a mouse model of CIA. Conclusion: These results support the notion of a pathogenic role of GSDME in RA and provide an alternative mechanism for RA pathogenesis involving TNF, which activates GSDME‐mediated pyroptosis of monocytes and macrophages in RA. In addition, targeting GSDME might be a potential therapeutic approach for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless service providers (WSPs) are seeking cooperation to share both resources (spectrum, infrastructures) and costs. In particular, cooperation is critical for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications that value quality-of-service foremost. However, cooperation is inefficient without strong trust bases. Recently, blockchain arises as a promising solution to decentralized trust, owing to its transparency and immutability. Therefore, we propose a WSP cooperation framework based on blockchain, which keeps a shared ledger on resource utilization. In this paper, we first study the WSP selection problem of vehicles by evolutionary game. Then, we make the blockchain public to vehicles to maintain its decentralization and enhance its security by crowdsourcing idle computing resources from vehicles. To deal with the mobility of vehicles, as well as to improve the consensus efficiency, we propose delegated proof-of-work (DPoW) scheme, which introduces delegate nodes for participating in the blockchain consensus on behalf of the vehicles. The alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) optimization framework is further used to derive optimal consensus parameters including block size, computing resource demand of delegate nodes, and prices paid for vehicles. We conduct extensive simulations to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity and overweight are independent risk factors of erectile dysfunction (ED). It is controversial whether weight loss can improve erectile function. We thereby performed this meta‐analysis to clarify the therapeutic effect of weight loss on erectile function in overweight or obese men. Literature search was conducted on databases including Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science and PubMed to obtain all relevant English articles published before March 1, 2021. The primary outcome was final International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score or change in IIEF score. The secondary outcome was final body weight and body mass index (BMI) or change in body weight and BMI. After screening, 5 studies with 619 participants were enrolled in our meta‐analysis. Our result showed that the mean difference in body weight between weight loss group and control group was −18.07 kg with p <.01, and the mean difference in BMI was −9.6 kg/m2 with p <.01. The mean difference of IIEF between weight loss group and control group was 1.99 with p <.01. This meta‐analysis showed that weight loss could improve erectile function in overweight or obese men. Losing weight could serve as an adjuvant therapy for ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead‐halide‐based perovskite single crystals have attracted wide attention due to their excellent optical characteristics, photoelectric performance, and designable structures. 2D sheet‐like single‐crystal perovskite materials have several attractive characteristics, including larger exposed facets, adjustable thickness, good light absorption/transparency, and so on. However, single‐crystal perovskite sheets with a thinner thickness (<10 μm) are hard to obtain by conventional mechanical cutting due to the fragility of perovskite single crystals. Herein, the recent progress in research on 2D perovskite single crystals from macro‐ to microscale is reviewed. Crystal growth methods are classified into six strategies, including space‐limit method, surface‐tension method, top‐down method, spin‐coating method, solution‐phase method, and vapor‐phase method. Subsequently, the properties of 2D perovskite single crystals are further highlighted, such as optical properties, crystal defects, carrier transport properties, detection capability, and stability. Moreover, their applications in single‐crystal photodetectors are summarized. Finally, the summary and perspective on 2D perovskite single crystals are also briefly addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is activated in diabetic mellitus (DM) conditions and may enhance oxidative stress, apoptosis and fibrosis in many tissues. Whether JAK2 activation is involved in the occurrence of diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED) is unknown. Objectives: We performed this study to investigate the effect of JAK2 deficiency on diabetic ED. Materials and methods: Conditional JAK2 gene knockout mice (Cre+/+‐JAK2fl/fl) were used, in which JAK2 gene knockout could be induced by tamoxifen. Mice fell into four groups: control, JAK2 knockout (JAK2−/−), DM, and DM with JAK2−/−. DM was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Two months later, JAK2 gene knockout was induced with tamoxifen in Cre+/+‐JAK2fl/fl mice. After another 2 months, erectile function was measured by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve, and penile tissues were harvested. Ratio of maximal intracavernosal pressure (MIP) to mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), expression and phosphorylation of JAK2, oxidative stress level, NO/Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP) pathway, apoptosis, fibrosis, and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐β1)/Smad/Collagen IV pathway in corpus cavernosum, were measured. Results: JAK2 expression was remarkably decreased after induction with tamoxifen. JAK2 was activated in penile tissues of diabetic mice, and JAK2 deficiency could improve the impaired erectile function caused by DM. However, in mice without DM, JAK2 deficiency had no apparent influence on erectile function. Levels of oxidative stress, apoptosis, fibrosis, and TGF‐β1/Smad/Collagen IV pathway were all elevated by DM, whereas JAK2 deficiency lessened these alterations in diabetic mice. Moreover, JAK2 deficiency improved the expression of the down‐regulated NO/cGMP pathway in diabetic mice. In non‐diabetic mice, no apparent changes were found in aforementioned parameters after JAK2 gene knockout. Discussion and conclusion: Our study showed that JAK2 deficiency could improve erectile function in diabetic mice, which might be mediated by reduction in oxidative stress, apoptosis, and fibrosis in corpus cavernosum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first report of a water-regulated method for obtaining a cubic-phase CsPbBr3 single crystal that could be frozen at low temperature with a CsBr/PbBr2 ratio of 1 : 1. The cubic CsPbBr3 single-crystal photodetector exhibits a superior responsivity of 278 A W−1, an EQE of 6.63 × 104%, and an ultrahigh detectivity of 4.36 × 1013 Jones under low-power 520 nm irradiation at 3 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A material–structure–process–performance integration multi-objective optimization design of a magnesium/aluminum alloy punch-forming solid rivet joint based on Taguchi, grey relational analysis (GRA), and fuzzy rough set theory (FRST) weighting method was proposed. First, the material constitutive models of the rivet and riveted sheets were established through experiments. Second, simulation models of the rivet forming process and the pull-out and shear tests of the riveted joint were established, and corresponding experiments verified accuracy. Finally, the FRST weighting method was proposed. The integration multi-objective optimization of a rivet joint was conducted based on Taguchi, GRA, and FRST methods with optimization objectives (the rivet forming head's dimensions and the riveted joint's maximum pull-out and shear forces) and design variables (the material, structure, and riveting process parameters of the rivet joint). The optimal combination of design variable levels was obtained. Optimization results show that the rivet forming head's dimensions were quite close to the recommended values after optimization, and the pull-out and shear mechanical strengths of the riveted joint were increased by 10.7% and 12.8%, respectively. Furthermore, a comparison was presented among FRST, principal component analysis, and entropy weighting methods. The FRST weighting method was concluded to be highly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper evaluates the effects of the Great Western Development (GWD) policy on agricultural intensification, land use, agricultural production and rural poverty in western China. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collect county-level data on land use, input application, grain crop production, income, poverty and geophysical characteristics for 1996–2005 and use a quasi-natural experimental design of difference-in-differences (DD) in the empirical analysis. Findings: Results suggest that the GWD policy significantly increased the grain crop production in western China. This increase resulted from higher yield, with increased fertilizer use and agricultural electricity consumption per hectare, and more land allocated to grow grain crops. The policy also increased land-use concentration, reduced crop diversity and alleviated rural poverty in western China. Originality/value: This paper makes three contributions. First, the authors add to the growing literature on the GWD policy by evaluating its effects on farm household decisions and exploring the mechanisms and broad socioeconomic impacts in western China. Second, the authors take advantage of a quasi-natural experimental design to improve the identification strategy where input use, land allocation, production and off-farm labor participation are all endogenous in a farm household. Third, the authors explore a long list of variables within one integrated dataset to present a comprehensive picture of the impact of the GWD policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R-loops are three-stranded structures that can pose threats to genome stability. RNase H1 precisely recognizes R-loops to drive their resolution within the genome, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we report that ARID1A recognizes R-loops with high affinity in an ATM-dependent manner. ARID1A recruits METTL3 and METTL14 to the R-loop, leading to the m6A methylation of R-loop RNA. This m6A modification facilitates the recruitment of RNase H1 to the R-loop, driving its resolution and promoting DNA end resection at DSBs, thereby ensuring genome stability. Depletion of ARID1A, METTL3, or METTL14 leads to R-loop accumulation and reduced cell survival upon exposure to cytotoxic agents. Therefore, ARID1A, METTL3, and METTL14 function in a coordinated, temporal order at DSB sites to recruit RNase H1 and to ensure efficient R-loop resolution. Given the association of high ARID1A levels with resistance to genotoxic therapies in patients, these findings open avenues for exploring potential therapeutic strategies for cancers with ARID1A abnormalities. [Display omitted] • ARID1A recognizes R-loops and facilitates R-loop resolution at DSBs • ARID1A is recruited to R-loop in an ATM-dependent manner • ARID1A facilitates R-loop m6A modification by recruiting METTL3 to DSBs • RNase H1 preferentially binds to m6A-modified R-loops Zhang et al. show that ARID1A plays a role in recognizing R-loops and facilitating their resolution by recruiting METTL3 to local DSBs to initiate R-loop m6A modification. In this context, m6A modification determines the fate of R-loops by efficiently recruiting RNase H1 during DNA damage repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connected vehicles have been considered as an effective solution to enhance driving safety as they can be well aware of nearby environments by exchanging safety beacons periodically. However, under dynamic traffic conditions, especially for dense-vehicle scenarios, the naive beaconing scheme where vehicles broadcast beacons at a fixed rate with a fixed transmission power can cause severe channel congestion and thus degrade the beaconing reliability. In this paper, by considering the kinematic status and beaconing rate together, we study the rear-end collision risk and define a danger coefficient $\rho $ to capture the danger threat of each vehicle being in the rear-end collision. In specific, we propose a fully distributed adaptive beacon control scheme, called ABC, which makes each vehicle actively adopt a minimal but sufficient beaconing rate to avoid the rear-end collision in dense scenarios based on individually estimated $\rho $. With ABC, vehicles can broadcast at the maximum beaconing rate when the channel medium resource is enough and meanwhile keep identifying whether the channel is congested. Once a congestion event is detected, an NP-hard distributed beacon rate adaptation (DBRA) problem is solved with a greedy heuristic algorithm, in which a vehicle with a higher $\rho $ is assigned with a higher beaconing rate while keeping the total required beaconing demand lower than the channel capacity. We prove the heuristic algorithm’s close proximity to the optimal result and thoroughly analyze the communication overhead of ABC scheme. By using Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO)-generated vehicular traces, we conduct extensive simulations to demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed ABC scheme. Simulation results show that vehicles can adapt beaconing rates according to the driving safety demand, and the beaconing reliability can be guaranteed even under high-dense vehicle scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate resting-state connectivity and further understand directional aspects of implicit alterations in presbycusis patients, we used degree centrality (DC) and Granger causality analysis (GCA) to detect functional hubs of the whole-brain network and then analyze directional connectivity. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were performed on 40 presbycusis patients and 40 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and education. We used DC analysis and GCA to characterize abnormal brain networks in presbycusis patients. The associations of network centrality and directed functional connectivity (FC) with clinical measures of presbycusis were also examined according to the above results. We found that the network centrality of left frontal middle gyrus (MFG) was significantly lower than that of healthy control group. Unidirectionally, the left MFG revealed increased directional connectivity to the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), while the left MFG exhibited decreased directional connectivity to the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and right lingual gyrus (LinG). And the decreased directional connectivity was found from the left precentral gyrus (PrCG) to the left MFG. In addition, the Trail-Making Test B (TMT-B) score was negatively correlated with the decreased DC of the left MFG (r = −0.359, p = 0.032). Resting-state fMRI provides a novel method for identifying aberrant brain network architecture. These results primarily indicate altered functional hubs and abnormal frontal lobe connectivity patterns that may further reflect executive dysfunction in patients with presbycusis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To determine whether hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) and high lipid accumulation product (LAP) preceded the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to investigate the interactions of HTGW and LAP with other components of metabolic syndrome on the risk of T2DM. Methods. A total of 15,717 eligible participants without baseline T2DM and aged 35 and over were included from a Chinese rural cohort. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association of HTGW and LAP with the incidence of T2DM, and the restricted cubic spline model was used to evaluate the dose-response association. Results. Overall, 867 new T2DM cases were diagnosed after 7.77 years of follow-up. Participants with HTGW had a higher hazard ratio for T2DM (hazard ratio (HR): 6.249, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.199-7.511) after adjustment for potential confounders. The risk of incident T2DM was increased with quartiles 3 and 4 versus quartile 1 of LAP, and the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were 2.903 (2.226-3.784) and 6.298 (4.911-8.077), respectively. There were additive interactions of HTGW (synergy index (SI): 1.678, 95% CI: 1.358-2.072) and high LAP (SI: 1.701, 95% CI: 1.406-2.059) with increased fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on the risk of T2DM. Additionally, a nonlinear (P nonlinear < 0.001) dose-response association was found between LAP and T2DM. Conclusion. The subjects with HTGW and high LAP were at high risk of developing T2DM, and the association between LAP and the risk of T2DM may be nonlinear. Our study further demonstrates additive interactions of HTGW and high LAP with increased FPG on the risk of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its potential versatility and reliability, the space-air-ground integrated vehicular network (SAGVN) is envisioned as a promising solution to deliver quality vehicular services anywhere at any time. This article proposes a software defined framework for SAGVN to achieve flexible, reliable, and scalable network resource management. First, key applications and research challenges in resource management are identified. Then we propose a hybrid and hierarchical SAGVN control architecture to balance the trade-off between system status acquisition and signaling overhead in different scenarios. Considering the dynamic networking environment with multi-dimensional resources and diverse services, it is challenging to make optimal resource management decisions in real time; thus, artificial intelligence (AI)-based engineering solutions are investigated to facilitate efficient network slicing, mobility management, and cooperative content caching and delivery. A trace-driven case study is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SAGVN framework with AI-based methods in increasing the SAGVN throughput performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enable ever-increasing vehicular applications, heterogeneous vehicular networks (HetVNets) are recently emerged to provide enhanced and cost-effective wireless network access. Meanwhile, edge caching is imperative to future vehicular content delivery to reduce the delivery delay and alleviate the unprecedented backhaul pressure. This work investigates content caching in HetVNets where Wi-Fi roadside units (RSUs), TV white space (TVWS) stations, and cellular base stations are considered to cache contents and provide content delivery. Particularly, to characterize the intermittent network connection provided by Wi-Fi RSUs and TVWS stations, we establish an on-off model with service interruptions to describe the content delivery process. Content coding then is leveraged to resist the impact of unstable network connections with optimized coding parameters. By jointly considering file characteristics and network conditions, we minimize the average delivery delay by optimizing the content placement, which is formulated as an integer linear programming (ILP) problem. Adopting the idea of student admission model, the ILP problem is then transformed into a many-to-one matching problem and solved by our proposed stable-matching-based caching scheme. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve near-optimal performances in terms of delivery delay and offloading ratio with low complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]