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The development of ceramics with superior energy storage performance and transparency holds the potential to broaden their applications in various fields, including optoelectronics, energy storage devices, and transparent displays. However, designing a material that can achieve high energy density under low electric fields remains a challenge. In this work, (1−x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3−xBaZr0.3Ti0.7O3:0.6mol%Er3+ (abbreviated as (1−x)BNT−xBZT:0.6%Er3+) ferroelectric translucent ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid‐state reaction method. The energy storage properties of (1−x)BNT−xBZT:0.6%Er3+ are systematically investigated under low electric fields by modulating the coupling between coexisting phase structures of polar nano regions. Especially, 0.9BNT–0.1BZT:0.6%Er3+ ceramic exhibits an ultra‐high maximum polarization (Pmax = 66.3 µC/cm2), large recoverable energy storage density (Wrec = 2.95 J/cm3), total energy storage density (W = 5.75 J/cm3), and energy storage efficiency (η = 51.3%) under 190 kV/cm. The sample also exhibits excellent thermal stability (30‐150°C) and transmittance (∼28%). This work could facilitate the advancement of energy storage systems that are more efficient and cost‐effective, and also provide opportunities for the design and manufacture of novel devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of previous cardiac surgery (PCS) on clinical outcomes after reoperative extended arch repair for acute type A aortic dissection. METHODS This study included 37 acute type A aortic dissection patients with PCS (PCS group) and 992 without PCS (no-PCS group). Propensity score-matching yielded a subgroup of 36 pairs (1:1). In-hospital outcomes and mid-term survival were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS The PCS group was older (56.7 ± 14.2 vs 52.2 ± 12.6 years, P  = 0.036) and underwent a longer cardiopulmonary bypass (median, 212 vs 183 min, P  < 0.001) compared with the no-PCS group. Operative death occurred in 88 (8.6%) patients, exhibiting no significant difference between groups (13.5% vs 8.4%, P  = 0.237). Major postoperative morbidity was observed in 431 (41.9%) patients, also showing no difference between groups (45.9% vs 41.7%, P  = 0.615). Moreover, the multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that PCS was not significantly associated with operative mortality (adjusted odds ratio 2.58, 95% confidence interval 0.91–7.29, P  = 0.075) or major morbidity (adjusted odds ratio 1.92, 95% confidence interval 0.88–4.18, P  = 0.101). The 3-year cumulative survival rates were 71.1% for the PCS group and 83.9% for the no-PCS group (log-rank P  = 0.071). Additionally, Cox regression indicated that PCS was not significantly associated with midterm mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 0.44–4.41, P  = 0.566). After matching, no significant differences were found between groups in terms of operative mortality (P  > 0.999), major morbidity (P  > 0.999) and midterm survival (P  = 0.564). CONCLUSIONS No significant differences were found between acute type A aortic dissection patients with PCS and those without PCS regarding in-hospital outcomes and midterm survival after extended arch repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cycling stability of O3‐type NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 (NFM) as a commercial cathode material for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is still a challenge. In this study, the Ni/Fe/Mn elements are replaced successfully with tantalum (Ta) in the NFM lattice, which generated additional delocalized electrons and enhanced the binding ability between the transition metal and oxygen, resulting in suppressed lattice distortion during charging and discharging. This caused significant mitigation of voltage decay and improved cycle stability within the potential range of 2.0–4.2 V. The optimized Na(Ni1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3)0.97Ta0.03O2 sample achieved a reversible capacity of 162.6 mAh g−1 at a current rate of 0.1 C and 73.2 mAh g−1 at a high rate of 10 C. Additionally, the average charge/discharge potential retention reached 98% after 100 cycles, significantly mitigating the voltage decay. This work demonstrates a significant contribution towards the practical utilization of NFM cathodes in the SIBs energy storage field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron overload is common in cardiovascular disease, it is also the factor that drives ferroptosis. Noncoding RNAs play an important role in heart disease; however, their regulatory role in iron overload‐mediated ferroptosis remains much unknown. In our study, the iron overload model in mice was constructed through a high‐iron diet, and ammonium iron citrate treatment was used to mimic iron overload in vitro. We found iron overload induced ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes, which was dependent on the high expression of transferrin receptor (TFRC). MiR‐31‐5p was downregulated during iron overload; it inhibited cardiomyocyte ferroptosis by targeting TFRC. CircPIK3C2A, a highly expressed circRNA in the heart, was upregulated when iron was overloaded. CircPIK3C2A enhanced the expression of TFRC by sponging miR‐31‐5p and promoted ferroptosis during iron overload. Our results reveal a novel mechanistic insight into noncoding RNA‐based ferroptosis and identify the circPIK3C2A/miR‐31‐5p/TFRC axis as a promising therapeutic target for myocardial damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow fiber filter fouling is a common issue plaguing perfusion production process for biologics therapeutics, but the nature of filter foulant has been elusive. Here we studied cell culture materials especially Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell‐derived extracellular vesicles in perfusion process to determine their role in filter fouling. We found that the decrease of CHO‐derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) with 50–200 nm in diameter in perfusion permeates always preceded the increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP) and subsequent decrease in product sieving, suggesting that sEVs might have been retained inside filters and contributed to filter fouling. Using scanning electron microscopy and helium ion microscopy, we found sEV‐like structures in pores and on foulant patches of hollow fiber tangential flow filtration filter (HF‐TFF) membranes. We also observed that the Day 28 TMP of perfusion culture correlated positively with the percentage of foulant patch areas. In addition, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy‐based elemental mapping microscopy and spectroscopy analysis suggests that foulant patches had enriched cellular materials but not antifoam. Fluorescent staining results further indicate that these cellular materials could be DNA, proteins, and even adherent CHO cells. Lastly, in a small‐scale HF‐TFF model, addition of CHO‐specific sEVs in CHO culture simulated filter fouling behaviors in a concentration‐dependent manner. Based on these results, we proposed a mechanism of HF‐TFF fouling, in which filter pore constriction by CHO sEVs is followed by cake formation of cellular materials on filter membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell line development (CLD) plays a crucial role in the manufacturing process development of therapeutic biologics. Most biologics are produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell. Because of the nature of random transgene integration in CHO genome and CHO's inherent plasticity, stable CHO transfectants usually have a vast diversity in productivity, growth, and product quality. Thus, we often must resort to screening a large number of cell pools and clones to increase the probability of identifying the ideal production cell line, which is a very laborious and resource‐demanding process. Here we have developed a deep‐well plate (DWP) enabled high throughput (DEHT) CLD platform using 24‐well DWP (24DWP), liquid handler, and other automation components. This platform has capabilities covering the key steps of CLD including cell passaging, clone imaging and expansion, and fed‐batch production. We are the first to demonstrate the suitability of 24DWP for CLD by confirming minimal well‐to‐well and plate‐to‐plate variability and the absence of well‐to‐well cross contamination. We also demonstrated that growth, production, and product quality of 24DWP cultures were comparable to those of conventional shake flask cultures. The DEHT platform enables scientists to screen five times more cultures than the conventional CLD platform, thus significantly decreases the resources needed to identify an ideal production cell line for biologics manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OSCA/TMEM63 channels are the largest known family of mechanosensitive channels1–3, playing critical roles in plant4–7 and mammalian8,9 mechanotransduction. Here we determined 44 cryogenic electron microscopy structures of OSCA/TMEM63 channels in different environments to investigate the molecular basis of OSCA/TMEM63 channel mechanosensitivity. In nanodiscs, we mimicked increased membrane tension and observed a dilated pore with membrane access in one of the OSCA1.2 subunits. In liposomes, we captured the fully open structure of OSCA1.2 in the inside-in orientation, in which the pore shows a large lateral opening to the membrane. Unusually for ion channels, structural, functional and computational evidence supports the existence of a ‘proteo-lipidic pore’ in which lipids act as a wall of the ion permeation pathway. In the less tension-sensitive homologue OSCA3.1, we identified an ‘interlocking’ lipid tightly bound in the central cleft, keeping the channel closed. Mutation of the lipid-coordinating residues induced OSCA3.1 activation, revealing a conserved open conformation of OSCA channels. Our structures provide a global picture of the OSCA channel gating cycle, uncover the importance of bound lipids and show that each subunit can open independently. This expands both our understanding of channel-mediated mechanotransduction and channel pore formation, with important mechanistic implications for the TMEM16 and TMC protein families.The molecular basis of OSCA/TMEM63 channel mechanosensitivity was investigated by determining 44 cryogenic electron microscopy structures of channels in different environments, expanding understanding of channel-mediated mechanotransduction and pore formation, with implications for two protein families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the excellent piezoelectric properties of 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.3PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) single crystals, a hole-doped manganite film/PMN–PT heterostructure has been constructed to achieve electric-field and light co-control of physical properties. Here, we report the resistivity switching behavior of Eu0.7Sr0.3MnO3/PMN–PT(111) multiferroic heterostructures under different in-plane reading currents, temperatures, light stimuli and electric fields, and discuss the underlying coupling mechanisms of resistivity change. The transition from the electric-field induced lattice strain effect to polarization current effect can be controlled effectively by decreasing the in-plane reading current at room temperature. With the decrease of temperature, the interfacial charge effect dominates over the lattice strain effect due to the reduced charge carrier density. In addition, light stimulus can lead to the delocalization of eg carriers, and thus enhance the lattice strain effect and suppress the interfacial charge effect. This work helps to understand essential physics of magnetoelectric coupling and also provides a potential method to realize energy-efficient multi-field control of manganite thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early detection is critical to achieving improved treatment outcomes for child patients with congenital heart diseases (CHDs). Therefore, developing effective CHD detection techniques using low-cost and non-invasive pediatric electrocardiogram are highly desirable. We propose a deep learning approach for CHD detection, CHDdECG, which automatically extracts features from pediatric electrocardiogram and wavelet transformation characteristics, and integrates them with key human-concept features. Developed on 65,869 cases, CHDdECG achieved ROC-AUC of 0.915 and specificity of 0.881 on a real-world test set covering 12,000 cases. Additionally, on two external test sets with 7137 and 8121 cases, the overall ROC-AUC were 0.917 and 0.907 while specificities were 0.937 and 0.907. Notably, CHDdECG surpassed cardiologists in CHD detection performance comparison, and feature importance scores suggested greater influence of automatically extracted electrocardiogram features on CHD detection compared with human-concept features, implying that CHDdECG may grasp some knowledge beyond human cognition. Our study directly impacts CHD detection with pediatric electrocardiogram and demonstrates the potential of pediatric electrocardiogram for broader benefits. Congenital heart disease is life threatening, and its screening is complex and costly. Here, authors use AI to detect the disease based on pediatric electrocardiogram, suggesting superior performance over cardiologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle detection and location is one of the key sensing tasks of automatic driving systems. Traditional detection methods are easily affected by illumination, occlusion and scale changes in complex scenes, which limits the accuracy and robustness of detection. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes a vehicle detection and location method for YOLOv5(You Only Look Once version 5) based on binocular vision. Binocular vision uses two cameras to obtain images from different angles at the same time. By calculating the difference between the two images, more accurate depth information can be obtained. The YOLOv5 algorithm is improved by adding the CBAM attention mechanism and replacing the loss function to improve target detection. Combining these two techniques can achieve accurate detection and localization of vehicles in 3D space. The method utilizes the depth information of binocular images and the improved YOLOv5 target detection algorithm to achieve accurate detection and localization of vehicles in front. Experimental results show that the method has high accuracy and robustness for vehicle detection and localization tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical relevance of circulating tumor cell-white blood cell (CTC-WBC) clusters in cancer prognosis is a subject of ongoing debate. This study aims to unravel their contentious predictive value for patient outcomes. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to December 2022. Eligible studies that reported survival outcomes and examined the presence of CTC-WBC clusters in solid tumor patients were included. Hazard ratios (HR) were pooled to assess the association between CTC-WBC clusters and overall survival (OS), as well as progression-free survival (PFS)/disease-free survival (DFS)/metastasis-free survival (MFS)/recurrence-free survival (RFS). Subgroup analyses were performed based on sampling time, treatment method, detection method, detection system, and cancer type. Results: A total of 1471 patients from 10 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The presence of CTC-WBCs was assessed as a prognostic factor for overall survival and PFS/DFS/MFS/RFS. The pooled analysis demonstrated that the presence of CTC-WBC clusters was significantly associated with worse OS (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.74–3.40, P < 0.001) and PFS/DFS/MFS/RFS (HR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.49–2.24, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses based on sampling time, treatment method, detection method, detection system, cancer type, and study type consistently supported these findings. Further analyses indicated that CTC-WBC clusters were associated with larger tumor size (OR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.58–4.44, P < 0.001) and higher alpha-fetoprotein levels (OR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.50–4.22, P < 0.001) in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, no significant association was found between CTC-WBC clusters and TNM stage, depth of tumor invasion, or lymph node metastasis in the overall analysis. Conclusions: CTC-WBC clusters are negative predictors for OS and PFS/DFS/MFS/RFS in patients with solid tumors. Monitoring CTC-WBC levels may provide valuable information for predicting disease progression and guiding treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pivotal role of oxygen electrocatalysis in the realm of energy conversion and storage is unmistakably significant. In an endeavor to diminish the reliance on precious metals, the development of innovative catalysts exhibiting exceptional bifunctional durability and heightened activity for both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has garnered considerable scholarly interest. Employing a straightforward two-step methodology, we have successfully synthesized uniformly distributed MnCo2O4 and CoMn2O4 nanoparticles of diminutive size, meticulously anchored onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Owing to the synergistic covalent interplay between the spinel oxide nanoparticles and CNTs, these nanocomposites demonstrate ORR activity on par with, and notably superior OER activity compared to, commercially available Pt/C catalysts. The onset potential of MnCo2O4-CNTs stands at 1.03 V vs. RHE, maintaining 95.76% of its initial current density following a 10,000-s chronoamperometry test. Furthermore, MnCo2O4-CNTs outperform CoMn2O4-CNTs in OER catalysis. The outstanding performance of MnCo2O4-CNTs is attributed to the higher content of Co3+ ions, which are active for the oxygen electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of novel chemical entities targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is usually guided by their receptor affinity. However, traditional affinity assay methods and hit identification procedures are usually laborious and expensive. In this work, the type-2 vasopressin receptor (V2R) was chosen as a prototypical GPCR. Membrane fragments from cells highly expressing SNAP-V2R were immobilized on the surface of a glass microfiber (GMF) coated with O6-benzylguanine (BG). This was achieved by transferring the benzyl group of BG to the active site of the SNAP-tag through a nucleophilic substitution reaction. As a result, a biofilm called SNAP-V2R@GMF-BG was produced that showed good specificity and stability. The adsorption ratio for each V2R ligand treated with SNAP-V2R@GMF-BG was determined by HPLC and exhibited a good linear correlation with the Ki value determined by displacement assays. Furthermore, a Ki prediction assay was performed by comparing the data with that generated by a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay. SNAP-V2R@GMF-BG was also used to screen hit compounds from natural products. After SNAP-V2R@GMF-BG was incubated with the total extract, the ligand that binds to V2R could be separated and subjected to LC‒MS analysis for identification. Baicalein was screened from Clerodendranthus spicatus and verified as a potential V2R antagonist. This V2R-immobilized GMF platform can help determine the affinity of V2R-binding hit compounds and screen the compounds efficiently and accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major threat to human health, accounting for 46% of non-communicable disease deaths. Glycolysis is a conserved and rigorous biological process that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, and its primary function is to provide the body with the energy and intermediate products needed for life activities. The non-glycolytic actions of enzymes associated with the glycolytic pathway have long been found to be associated with the development of CVD, typically exemplified by metabolic remodeling in heart failure, which is a condition in which the heart exhibits a rapid adaptive response to hypoxic and hypoxic conditions, occurring early in the course of heart failure. It is mainly characterized by a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation and a rise in the glycolytic pathway, and the rise in glycolysis is considered a hallmark of metabolic remodeling. In addition to this, the glycolytic metabolic pathway is the main source of energy for cardiomyocytes during ischemia–reperfusion. Not only that, the auxiliary pathways of glycolysis, such as the polyol pathway, hexosamine pathway, and pentose phosphate pathway, are also closely related to CVD. Therefore, targeting glycolysis is very attractive for therapeutic intervention in CVD. However, the relationship between glycolytic pathway and CVD is very complex, and some preclinical studies have confirmed that targeting glycolysis does have a certain degree of efficacy, but its specific role in the development of CVD has yet to be explored. This article aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the glycolytic pathway and its key enzymes (including hexokinase (HK), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), aldolase (Aldolase), phosphoglycerate metatase (PGAM), enolase (ENO) pyruvate kinase (PKM) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) for their role in cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart failure, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis) and possible emerging therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐ion batteries with spinel Li4Ti5O12 materials as anode, which can offer fast charge times, high power output, superior safety, and long life, are considered to be a competitive choice for grid‐scale energy storage systems (ESS). Herein, a 10 Ah lithium–titanate battery with lithium cobalt oxide–lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide dual‐phase cathode is developed and its application in 100 kWh‐level ESS is investigated. The 10 Ah single battery demonstrates a specific capacity of 79 Wh kg−1 with a high‐capacity retention rate of 91.8% after 1000 cycles at 55 °C and >80% capacity retention at 15 Ccell. The 125 kWh ESS shows an energy efficiency of 97.82% and 89.97% at 0.2 and 1.5 CSystem, respectively. Self‐discharge and constant power tests indicate that the battery system is stable, thus suitable for storing intermittent power from renewable sources such as solar and wind. The system's ability of smoothing the fluctuated power is confirmed by coordinating with a wind power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background At present, there is no epidemiological evidence of the association between metabolic kidney diseases (MKD) and exposure to air pollution. Methods We investigated the association between exposure to long-term air pollution and the risk of developing MKD using samples from the Northeast China Biobank. Results Data from 29   191 participants were analyzed. MKD prevalence was 3.23%. Every standard deviation increment in PM2.5 increased the risk of MKD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–1.58), diabetic kidney disease (DKD) (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.52–2.73), hypertensive kidney disease (BKD) (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.11–1.56), hyperlipidemic kidney disease (PKD) (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.19–1.63) and obese kidney disease (OKD) (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.00–1.81). PM10 increased the risk of MKD (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.20–1.67), DKD (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.03–1.85), BKD (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.07–1.58) and PKD (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.26–1.80). Sulfur dioxide increased the risk of MKD (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.34–1.85), DKD (OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.36–2.40), BKD (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.19–1.74) and PKD (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.44–2.04). Ozone decreased the risk of PKD (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.70–0.99). Age, ethnicity and air pollution interacted to affect the risk of MKD, BKD and PKD. Associations between air pollution and CKD or metabolic disease were weaker than those with MKD. The association between air pollution and MKD became stronger when compared with participants with non-metabolic disease. Conclusions Air pollution may cause MKD or facilitate the progression from metabolic disease to renal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drag-dominant tidal turbine energy holds tremendous clean energy potential but faces significant hurdles as unsuitability of the actuator disc model due to the varying swept blockage area, unaccounted bypass flow downstream interaction, and rotor parasitic drag, whereas blade element momentum theory is computably effective for majorly 3-blade lift-dominated aerofoil. This study validates a novel method to find the optimal TSR of any turbine with a cost-effective and user-friendly moment balancing algorithm to support robust tidal energy development. Performance analysis CFD study of Pinwheel and Savonius tidal turbines in a Biffis canal hydrodynamic system was carried out. Thrust and idle moment are analyzed as functions of only inlet fluid velocity and rotational speed, respectively. These relationships were verified through regression analysis, and the turbines' net moment equations were established based on these parameters. In both simulation models, rotational speed and inlet velocity were proved excellent predictor variables (R2 value ≈ 1) for idle and thrust moments, respectively. The optimal TSR values for Pinwheel and Savonius turbines were 2.537 and 0.671, respectively, within an acceptable error range for experimental validation. The optimal basin efficiency (ηopt, TSR) values for Pinwheel and Savonius in the 12% blockage channel were (29.09%, 4.0) and (25.67%, 2.87), respectively. The trade-off between TSRopt and ηopt is the key instruction concerning electricity generation and environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of introns from transfer RNA precursors (pre-tRNAs) occurs in all living organisms. This is a vital phase in the maturation and functionality of tRNA. Here we present a 3.2 Å-resolution cryo-EM structure of an active human tRNA splicing endonuclease complex bound to an intron-containing pre-tRNA. TSEN54, along with the unique regions of TSEN34 and TSEN2, cooperatively recognizes the mature body of pre-tRNA and guides the anticodon-intron stem to the correct position for splicing. We capture the moment when the endonucleases are poised for cleavage, illuminating the molecular mechanism for both 3′ and 5′ cleavage reactions. Two insertion loops from TSEN54 and TSEN2 cover the 3′ and 5′ splice sites, respectively, trapping the scissile phosphate in the center of the catalytic triad of residues. Our findings reveal the molecular mechanism for eukaryotic pre-tRNA recognition and cleavage, as well as the evolutionary relationship between archaeal and eukaryotic TSENs. tRNA splicing is universal. Here the authors report the structure of an active human tRNA splicing endonuclease complex bound to an intron-containing pre-tRNA, which unveils eukaryotic tRNA processing and links archaeal and eukaryotic TSEN evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interval type-2 trapezoidal fuzzy (IT2TrF) number is a powerful tool to depict fuzzy information. Information measures methods have received more and more attention in recent years as they play an important role in decision-making theory. A new multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) method supported by IT2TrF information measures is investigated in this paper under the IT2TrF information environment. Firstly, three axiomatic definitions of IT2TrF information measures are introduced, which include information entropy, similarity measure and cross-entropy. Secondly, with the help of the exponential function, we formulate some information measure formulas, which are followed by the proofs that the exponential entropy, exponential similarity measure and exponential cross-entropy fit the three axiomatic definitions. Subsequently, a novel IT2TrF MADM method is designed, in which the IT2TrF exponential entropy and cross-entropy are utilized to generate the attribute weights, the IT2TrF exponential similarity measure is employed to obtain the closeness degree of the ideal solution and derive the most satisfying solution. Lastly, we provide a numerical example of corporate investment to demonstrate the applicability and feasibility of the proposed MADM method. The robustness and merits of the developed MADM method are highlighted by the comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flag leaf senescence is a critical factor affecting the yield and quality of wheat. The aim of this study was to identify QTLs associated with flag leaf senescence in an F10 recombinant inbred line population derived from durum wheats UC1113 and Kofa. Bulked segregant analysis using the wheat 660K SNP array identified 3225 SNPs between extreme-phenotype bulks, and the differential SNPs were mainly clustered on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 3B, 5A, 5B, and 7A. BSR-Seq indicated that the significant SNPs were mainly located in two intervals of 354.0–389.0 Mb and 8.0–15.0 Mb on 1B and 3B, respectively. Based on the distribution of significant SNPs on chromosomes 1B and 3B, a total of 109 insertion/deletion (InDel) markers were developed, and 8 of them were finally used to map QTL in UC1113/Kofa population for flag leaf senescence. Inclusive composite interval mapping identified two major QTL in marker intervals Mar2005–Mar2116 and Mar207–Mar289, explaining 14.2–15.4% and 31.4–68.6% of the phenotypic variances across environments, respectively. Using BSR-Seq, gene expression and sequence analysis, the TraesCS1B02G211600 and TraesCS3B02G023000 were identified as candidate senescence-associated genes. This study has potential to be used in cloning key genes for flag leaf senescence and provides available molecular markers for genotyping and marker-assisted selection breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Along with the improvement of lung cancer screening implementation, the identification of interstitial lung abnormality (ILA) is increasing. Currently, there is a limited description of the oncogenic status and ILA subtypes among newly diagnosed non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ILA in the Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, oncogenic status and factors associated with overall survival (OS) among NSCLC patients with ILA. Methods: A total of 765 newly diagnosed NSCLC cases at our hospital were reviewed and ILA was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Fleischner Society. The characteristics, clinical pathological features and OS of NSCLC patients with ILA were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Of the 765 patients included in the study, 101 (13.2%) cases experienced ILA at the time of NSCLC diagnosis. Multivariate analysis revealed that ILA was more likely to be detected in NSCLC patients who were age ≥60 (OR 2.404, p = 0.001), male gender (OR 2.476, p = 0.004), and EGFR wild‐type (OR 2.035, p = 0.007). Additionally, according to the multivariate Cox model, the presence of ILA in NSCLC patients was significantly associated with a shorter OS period than those without ILA (751 days vs. 445 days, HR 0.6, p = 0.001). Following analysis, it was determined that OS in patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) was shorter than in those without UIP (HR 1.82, p = 0.037). Conclusion: ILA is a common comorbidity among newly diagnosed NSCLC patients. We found that patients with EGFR wild‐type NSCLC were more likely to develop ILA. The presence of ILA, especially UIP, was significantly associated with poor NSCLC prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) and sharp eyespot (SE) are serious soil‐borne diseases in wheat and its relatives that have been reported to cause wheat yield losses in many areas. In this study, the expression of a cell wall invertase gene, TaCWI‐B1, was identified to be associated with FCR resistance through a combination of bulk segregant RNA sequencing and genome resequencing in a recombinant inbred line population. Two bi‐parental populations were developed to further verify TaCWI‐B1 association with FCR resistance. Overexpression lines and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutants revealed TaCWI‐B1 positively regulating FCR resistance. Determination of cell wall thickness and components showed that the TaCWI‐B1‐overexpression lines exhibited considerably increased thickness and pectin and cellulose contents. Furthermore, we found that TaCWI‐B1 directly interacted with an alpha‐galactosidase (TaGAL). EMS mutants showed that TaGAL negatively modulated FCR resistance. The expression of TaGAL is negatively correlated with TaCWI‐B1 levels, thus may reduce mannan degradation in the cell wall, consequently leading to thickening of the cell wall. Additionally, TaCWI‐B1‐overexpression lines and TaGAL mutants showed higher resistance to SE; however, TaCWI‐B1 mutants were more susceptible to SE than controls. This study provides insights into a FCR and SE resistance gene to combat soil‐borne diseases in common wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current performance analysis processes for drag-dominant tidal turbines are unsuitable as disk actuator theory lacks support for varying swept blockage area, bypass flow downstream interaction, and parasitic rotor drag, whereas blade element momentum theory is computably effective for three-blade lift-dominated aerofoil. This study proposes a novel technique to calculate the optimal turbine tip speed ratio (TSR) with a cost-effective and user-friendly moment balancing algorithm. A reliable dynamic TSR matrix was developed with varying rotational speeds and fluid velocities, unlike previous works simulated at a fixed fluid velocity. Thrust and idle moments are introduced as functions of inlet fluid velocity and rotational speed, respectively. The quadratic relationships are verified through regression analysis, and net moment equations are established. Rotational speed was a reliable predictor for Pinwheel's idle moment, while inlet velocity was a reliable predictor for thrust moment for both models. The optimal (Cp, TSR) values for Pinwheel and Savonius turbines were (0.223, 2.37) and (0.63, 0.29), respectively, within an acceptable error range for experimental validation. This study aims to improve prevailing industry practices by enhancing an engineer's understanding of optimal blade design by adjusting the rotor speed to suit the inlet flow case compared to 'trial and error' with cost-intensive simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable batteries based on multivalent cation (Mvn+, n>1) carriers are considered potentially low‐cost alternatives to lithium‐ion batteries. However, the high charge‐density Mvn+ carriers generally lead to sluggish kinetics and poor structural stability in cathode materials. Herein, we report an Mvn+ storage via intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanism in a 2D bivalve‐like organic framework featured with localized ligands. By switching from conventional intercalation to localized ligand‐assisted‐intercalation pseudocapacitance, the organic cathode exhibits unprecedented fast kinetics with little structural change upon intercalation. It thus enables an excellent power density of 57 kW kg−1 over 20000 cycles for Ca2+ storage and a power density of 14 kW kg−1 with a long cycling life over 45000 cycles for Zn2+ storage. This work may provide a largely unexploited route toward constructing a local dynamic coordination microstructure for ultrafast Mvn+ storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable batteries based on multivalent cation (Mvn+, n>1) carriers are considered potentially low‐cost alternatives to lithium‐ion batteries. However, the high charge‐density Mvn+ carriers generally lead to sluggish kinetics and poor structural stability in cathode materials. Herein, we report an Mvn+ storage via intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanism in a 2D bivalve‐like organic framework featured with localized ligands. By switching from conventional intercalation to localized ligand‐assisted‐intercalation pseudocapacitance, the organic cathode exhibits unprecedented fast kinetics with little structural change upon intercalation. It thus enables an excellent power density of 57 kW kg−1 over 20000 cycles for Ca2+ storage and a power density of 14 kW kg−1 with a long cycling life over 45000 cycles for Zn2+ storage. This work may provide a largely unexploited route toward constructing a local dynamic coordination microstructure for ultrafast Mvn+ storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure to achieve complete elimination of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) stem cells after adjuvant therapy is associated with poor outcomes. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) is a marker of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), and its enzymatic activity regulates tumor stemness. Identifying upstream targets to control ALDH+ cells may facilitate TNBC tumor suppression. Here, we show that KK-LC-1 determines the stemness of TNBC ALDH+ cells via binding with FAT1 and subsequently promoting its ubiquitination and degradation. This compromises the Hippo pathway and leads to nuclear translocation of YAP1 and ALDH1A1 transcription. These findings identify the KK-LC-1-FAT1-Hippo-ALDH1A1 pathway in TNBC ALDH+ cells as a therapeutic target. To reverse the malignancy due to KK-LC-1 expression, we employ a computational approach and discover Z839878730 (Z8) as an small-molecule inhibitor which may disrupt KK-LC-1 and FAT1 binding. We demonstrate that Z8 suppresses TNBC tumor growth via a mechanism that reactivates the Hippo pathway and decreases TNBC ALDH+ cell stemness and viability. The presence of breast cancer stem cells is associated with therapy resistance in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, the authors identify KK-LC-1-mediated YAP signaling as a driver of TNBC stemness and develop a therapeutic molecule to target this axis in preclinical models of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most promising cathodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), the layered transition metal oxides have attracted great attentions due to their high specific capacities and facile synthesis. However, their applications are still hindered by the problems of poor moisture stability and sluggish Na+ diffusion caused by intrinsic structural Jahn—Teller distortion. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach to settle the above issues through introducing K+ into the structures of Ni/Mn-based materials. The physicochemical characterizations reveal that K+ induces atomic surface reorganization to form the birnessite-type K2Mn4O8. Combining with the phosphate, the mixed coating layer protects the cathodes from moisture and hinders metal dissolution into the electrolyte effectively. Simultaneously, K+ substitution at Na site in the bulk structure can not only widen the lattice-spacing for favoring Na+ diffusion, but also work as the rivet to restrain the grain crack upon cycling. The as achieved K+-decorated P2-Na0.67Mn0.75Ni0.25O2 (NKMNO@KM/KP) cathodes are tested in both coin cell and pouch cell configurations using Na metal or hard carbon (HC) as anodes. Impressively, the NKMNO@KM/KP||Na half-cell demonstrates a high rate performance of 50 C and outstanding cycling performance of 90.1% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 5 C. Furthermore, the NKMNO@KM/KP||HC full-cell performed a promising energy density of 213.9 Whkg−1. This performance significantly outperforms most reported state-of-the-art values. Additionally, by adopting this strategy on O3-NaMn0.5Ni0.5O2, we further proved the universality of this method on layered cathodes for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A near‐infrared methane (CH4) and ethane (C2H6) dual‐gas sensor system based on off‐axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy was demonstrated. Simultaneous detection of CH4 and C2H6 was performed using two distributed feedback laser diodes with central wavelengths of 1654 and 1680 nm by time division multiplexing (TDM). TDM of the two lasers was realized using a self‐developed master controller based on digital signal processor. Allan deviations of 27.3 parts‐per‐billion in volume (ppbv) for CH4 and 196.4 ppbv for C2H6 were achieved at an averaging time of 1 s. The reported sensor shows potential applications in vehicle‐deployed natural gas leakage monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive, accurate, and timely expression of earth observation (EO) tasks is the primary prerequisite for the response to and the emergency monitoring of disasters, especially floods. However, the existing information model does not fully satisfy the demand for a fine-grain observation expression of EO task, which results in the absence of task process management. The current study proposed an EO task representation model based on meta-object facility to address this problem. The model not only describes the static information of a task, but it also defines the dynamics of an observation task by introducing a functional metamodel. This metamodel describes the full life cycle of a task; it comprises five process methods: birth, separation, combination, updating, and extinction. An earth observation task modeling and management prototype system (EO-TMMS) for conducting a remote sensing satellite sensor observation task representation experiment on flooding was developed. In accordance with the results, the proposed model can describe various EO tasks demands and the full life cycle process of an EO task. Compared with other typical observation task information models, the proposed model satisfies the dynamic and fine-grain process representation of EO tasks, which can improve the efficiency of EO sensor utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct ingestion of indoor dust particles at historical heritage sites is a primary exposure pathway for employees to heavy metals. Water-soluble ions (WSIs) and heavy metal levels, sources, bioaccessibility, and health risks associated with indoor dust in the Mogao Grottoes were analyzed using comprehensive methods to determine the differences in the concentrations and distribution characteristics of WSIs and heavy metals between statue dust and floor dust. The concentrations of WSIs and heavy metals and the magnetic values of χ lf and SIRM in indoor dust were higher than those in street dust and topsoil. The mean χ lf and SIRM of statue dust particles were 100.3 × 10 − 8 m 3 k g − 1 and 1686.9 × 1 0 − 5 Am 2 k g − 1 . Specifically, the concentration of Pb was 277 mg k g − 1 , 15-fold higher than the background value, indicating the continual receipt of heavy metals with high magnetic minerals during dust deposition. WSIs mainly originate from the weathering of surrounding rocks and earthen plaster; Pb originates from the shedding of paint of murals and sculptures; and Zn, Cu, and magnetic minerals originate from traffic sources. The bioaccessibility of heavy metals is high in the gastrointestinal phases of indoor dust. Overall, the health risks posed by heavy metals in indoor dust were low, with moderate to high risks in individual caves. Ingestion presents the highest noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risk to employees. These results provide essential knowledge on indoor dust characteristics in the Mogao Grottoes, facilitating strategies for dust pollution mitigation and employee health risk control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrasound‐assisted hot air drying characteristics of Phyllanthus emblica was investigated in this paper. The effects of hot air temperature (60°C, 65°C, 70°C, and 75°C), ultrasonic pretreatment time (2, 4, 6, and 8 min), and ultrasonic power (200, 250, 300, and 350 W) on the drying rate, energy consumption, color change, and rehydration rate were evaluated and compared. It was found that the drying rate of Phyllanthus emblica increased with the hot air temperature. The drying time of Phyllanthus emblica with ultrasonic pretreatment was reduced by 10.0%, 25.0%, 21.4%, and 9.0% at 60°C, 65°C, 70°C, and 75°C, respectively. However, the hot air drying was not proportionally promoted by the increase of ultrasonic power or the extension of pretreatment time. Only an appropriate ultrasonic power or pretreatment time can not only improve the drying rate and rehydration rate, but also reduce the energy consumption and the total color change of the dried samples. A new drying model that considered the influences of hot air temperature, pretreatment time, and ultrasonic power was developed to fit the drying process. The results showed that the new model can accurately predict the hot air drying process of Phyllanthus emblica with and without ultrasonic pretreatment. Practical applications: Phyllanthus emblica contains a variety of nutrients and has various biological activities. However, the harvest period and shelf life of Phyllanthus emblica is very short, and the fruit is prone to mildrew and browning after picking, which in turn leads to the loss of its nutritional and economical value. Thus, for the long‐term preservation of Phyllanthus emblica, drying techniques are needed. In the food industry, hot air drying is widely used due to its low cost and easy operation; however, it also has some disadvantages such as long drying time, the oxygen‐rich drying environment. These shortcomings lead to a low quality of dried materials. Ultrasonic pretreatment before hot air drying can improve drying efficiency without adversely affecting the drying quality of the material. In recent years, ultrasonic pretreatment before food drying has become a research hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Is dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) associated with the odds of developing asthenozoospermia in Chinese men? SUMMARY ANSWER There is no statistically significant association between DTAC indices and the odds of developing asthenozoospermia. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Both diet and oxidative stress may be related to sperm quality; however, few studies have investigated the association between DTAC and sperm quality. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This case–control study was conducted from June 2020 to December 2020. Those diagnosed with asthenozoospermia were assigned to the case group, whereas those with normal sperm parameters were assigned to the control group. Data from a total of 553 cases and 586 controls were included in the final analysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Men who had been referred to the infertility clinic of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University were enrolled. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. DTAC was based on ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), total oxygen radical absorbance capacity (T-ORAC), hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC), lipophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (L-ORAC), total phenolics (TP), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). Asthenozoospermia was defined according to the criteria published in the fifth edition of the World Health Organization laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE No significant association was observed between the DTAC indices and the odds of asthenozoospermia after multivariable adjustment (T3 vs T1, odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.73–1.33 for FRAP; OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.77–1.42 for T-ORAC; OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.65–1.18 for H-ORAC; OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.71–1.34 for L-ORAC; OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.76–1.39 for TP; OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.87–1.59 for TRAP; and OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.85–1.55 for TEAC). Both additive and multiplicative interaction analyses suggested that smoking might modify the association of T-ORAC with the odds of developing asthenozoospermia (relative excess risk due to interaction = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.07–0.83, attributable proportion due to interaction = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.07–0.84 for additive interaction; P  =   0.033 for multiplicative interaction). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Recall bias and protopathic bias were inevitable in this retrospective case–control study. The estimation accuracy of the DTAC indices may have also affected the findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically investigate whether an association exists between DTAC and the odds of developing asthenozoospermia. Although no significant association was found, this study provides novel information pertaining to the fields of nutrition and human reproduction. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the JieBangGuaShuai Project of Liaoning Province (2021JH1/10400050), the Shengjing Hospital Clinical Research Project (M0071), and the Outstanding Scientific Fund of Shengjing Hospital (M1150). All authors have no competing interests to disclose. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intake of each nutrient was calculated using the Chinese Food Composition Tables, by first multiplying the quantity (grams) of each food and beverage item consumed by their nutrient content per gram, and then adding the nutrient contributions from all food items. We also collected data on the intake of 110 food items by using a validated FFQ for most of the participants; this allowed us to explore the associations between intake of food items and nutrients, as well as dietary patterns and health outcomes. Key Features Only few large, prospective cohort studies on interaction between dietary and environmental exposures and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been conducted in Northeast China. Daily food intake The intake of food and beverage items was calculated by multiplying fitted portion sizes (according to sex, g/time) by the frequency at which each food and beverage item was consumed per day in the FFQ. [Extracted from the article]

Liquid ammonia is an ideal zero-carbon fuel for internal combustion engines. High-pressure injection is a key technology in organizing ammonia combustion. Characteristics of high-pressure liquid ammonia injection is lack of research. Spray behaviors are likely to change when a high-pressure diesel injector uses liquid ammonia as its fuel. This study uses high-speed imaging with a DBI method to investigate the liquid penetration, width, and spray tip velocity of high-pressure liquid ammonia injection up to 100 MPa. Non-flash and flash boiling conditions were included in the experimental conditions. Simulation was also used to evaluate the results. In non-flash boiling conditions, the Hiroyasu model provided better accuracy than the Siebers model. In flash boiling conditions, a phenomenon was found that liquid penetration and spray tip velocity were strongly suppressed in the initial stage of the injection process, this being the "spray resistance phenomenon". The "spray resistance phenomenon" was observed when ambient pressure was below 0.7 MPa during 0–0.05 ms ASOI and was highly related to the superheated degree. The shape of near-nozzle sprays abruptly changed at 0.05 ms ASOI, indicating that strong cavitation inside the nozzle caused by needle lift effects is the key reason for the "spray resistance phenomenon". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solanum nigrum is a noxious weed in agricultural ecosystem that limits many crops' production. The aim of the present study was to understand the level of genetic diversity and population structure of S. nigrum in China. A specific-locus amplified fragment (SLAF) sequencing method was conducted to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genomes of S. nigrum from 66 populations in China. A total of 616,533 high-quality SNPs were identified from 189,840 SLAFs, with an average sequencing depth of 10.59× fold and a Q30 value of 93% and a GC content of 42.78%. It showed a considerable amount of genetic diversity and genetic variability of S. nigrum among samples. The genetic differentiation of S. nigrum indicated that there was a low level of genetic differentiation (Fst < 0.1000) among geographical populations. A cluster analysis showed that populations of S. nigrum were divided into two subgroups, with some samples from adjacent position roughly clustered together, which showed some correlation between geographic origins. A population structure analysis suggested the 66 S. nigrum samples could have originated from three different genetic clusters. The Xinjiang site was the only location where all genetic clusters were found, which suggested these populations were genetically diverse. These results showed that there was a high degree of genetic diversity and low difference among the different geographical populations of S. nigrum. The results from the genetic structure of the SNP markers indicated that wide genetic variability exists among the population of S. nigrum in China, which may contribute to the adaptation and infestation of this weed species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotenoids are vital pigments for higher plants and play a crucial function in photosynthesis and photoprotection. Carotenoids are precursors of vitamin A synthesis and contribute to human nutrition and health. However, cereal grain endosperm contains a minor carotenoid measure and a scarce supply of provitamin A content. Therefore, improving the carotenoids in cereal grain is of major importance. Carotenoid content is governed by multiple candidate genes with their additive effects. Studies on genes related to carotenoid metabolism in cereals would increase the knowledge of potential metabolic steps of carotenoids and enhance the quality of crop plants. Recognizing the metabolism and carotenoid accumulation in various staple cereal crops over the last few decades has broadened our perspective on the interdisciplinary regulation of carotenogenesis. Meanwhile, the amelioration in metabolic engineering approaches has been exploited to step up the level of carotenoid and valuable industrial metabolites in many crops, but wheat is still considerable in this matter. In this study, we present a comprehensive overview of the consequences of biosynthetic and catabolic genes on carotenoid biosynthesis, current improvements in regulatory disciplines of carotenogenesis, and metabolic engineering of carotenoids. A panoptic and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism and genetic manipulation (genome selection and gene editing) will be useful in improving the carotenoid content of cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‐ion batteries commonly exhibit a gradual loss of Li‐storage capacity during operation and storage. However, they can also abruptly lose much of their capacity in a rollover fashion (i.e., "sudden death") under aggressive but practically relevant conditions, such as high‐voltage operation or cycling at elevated temperatures. Here the origin of rollover failure is investigated in high‐energy LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2‐graphite (NCA‐Gr) batteries cycled at 55 °C. A combined chemical, structural, and electrochemical studies revealed that severe Li plating at the anode surface is the major reason causing the capacity rollover. The Li plating at elevated temperature is triggered by temperature hotspots resulting from inhomogeneous Li‐ion flux, which is a thermodynamic‐driven mechanism different from the kinetically limited one at low temperature and/or under fast‐charging conditions. A Zr(OH)4‐coated, ion‐rectifying separator is further designed to enable an NCA‐Gr pouch cell with a stable cycle performance for 600 cycles and without a sudden death at 55 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer metastasis to the bone can be exacerbated by osteoporosis, is associated with poor long-term survival, and has limited therapeutic options. Sclerostin (SOST) is an endogenous inhibitor of bone formation, and an attractive target for treatment of osteoporosis. However, it is unclear whether SOST can be used as a therapeutic target for bone metastases of breast cancer, and whether small molecule compounds that target SOST in breast cancer cells can inhibit breast cancer bone metastasis. Methods: SOST expression in 442 breast cancer tissues was characterized by immunohistochemistry and statistically analyzed for the association with breast cancer bone metastases. Bone metastatic breast cancer SCP2 cells were induced for SOST silencing or overexpression and their bone metastatic behaviors were tested in vitro and in vivo. To identify potential therapeutics, we screened inhibitors of the interaction of SOST with STAT3 from a small chemical molecule library and tested the inhibitory effects of one inhibitor on breast cancer growth and bone metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Results: We found that up-regulated SOST expression was associated with breast cancer bone metastases and worse survival of breast cancer patients. SOST silencing significantly reduced the bone metastatic capacity of SCP2 cells. SOST interacted with STAT3 to enhance the TGF-β/KRAS signaling, increasing both tumor growth and bone metastasis. Treatment with one lead candidate, S6, significantly inhibited the growth of breast-cancer organoids and bone metastasis in mice. Conclusions: Our findings highlight a new class of potential therapeutics for treatment of bone metastasis in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orobanche cumana Wallr. is the most serious parasitic weed that threatens sunflower production in China, it infects sunflower roots and causes severe yield and economic losses. This study determined the effects of O. cumana infection on sunflower growth, physiological, biochemical, photosynthesis indexes and used RNA-Seq to investigate the potential regulatory factors involved in the parasitic interaction. Results showed that O. cumana infestation significantly inhibited sunflower height, fresh weight, chlorophyl contents, photosynthetic and the MDA content, SOD and POD activities were increased in different degrees, which might be related to sunflower resistance to O. cumana infestation. Additionally, six parasite-related genes were selected, which markedly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, photorespiration and phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway. Among these genes, HsP90A, MYC2 and HAO were discovered for the first time in sunflowers and O. cumana parasitic interaction. Undoubtedly, the results lay a foundation for revealing the parasitic interactions molecular mechanism of O. cumana and sunflowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We determined the prevalence of major depression and suicidal ideation, and the associated risk factors in a large sample of Chinese resident physicians. Methods: This multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to February 2020 and involved 1343 residents from eight centers. Extensive characteristics, including demographics, dietary habits, life-related factors, work-related factors, and psychological factors were collected based on a self-reported questionnaire. Specific scales measured the levels of sleep quality, physical activity, depression, perceived organization support, psychological capital, and burnout. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were determined by binary paired logistic regression. Results: Of the residents enrolled in the study, 12.90% suffered from major depression and 9.70% suffered from suicidal ideation. Four overlapped independent risk factors were identified for major depression and suicidal ideation: poor sleep quality (OR = 1.317, OR = 1.200); lower optimism of psychological capital (OR = 0.899, OR = 0.835); higher depersonalization, (OR = 1.086, OR = 1.097); and reduced personal accomplishment (OR = 0.963, OR = 0.962). The inappropriate working duration weekly (< 40 h vs. 40–60 h; OR = 2.812, > 60 h vs. 40–60 h; OR = 1.945), and higher emotional exhaustion (OR = 1.121) were the only risk factors for major depression. Higher hope of psychological capital (OR = 1.077) was only for suicidal ideation. Conclusion: This study revealed a substantial prevalence of major depression and suicidal ideation in Chinese residents, and identified several shared risk factors for major depression and suicidal ideation. These findings enrich the existing theoretical model of depression and demonstrated a critical need for additional studies that investigate intervention strategies that can address the mental health in residents. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900027707. Registered 24 Nov. 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]