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Background. Transforming growth factor beta-induced protein (TGFBI, encoded by TGFBI gene), is an extracellular matrix protein, widely expressed in variety of tissues. It binds to collagens type I, II, and IV and plays important roles in the interactions of cell with cell, collagen, and matrix. It has been reported to be associated with myocardial fibrosis, and the latter is an important pathophysiologyical basis of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the mechanism of TGFBI in AF remains unclear. We aimed to detect the potential mechanism of TGFBI in AF via bioinformatics analysis. Methods. The microarray dataset of GSE115574 was examined to detect the genes coexpressed with TGFBI from 14 left atrial tissue samples of AF patients. TGFBI coexpression genes were then screened using the R package. Using online analytical tools, we determined the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of TGFBI and its coexpression genes. The modules and hub genes of the PPI-network were then identified. Another dataset, GSE79768 was examined to verify the hub genes. DrugBank was used to detect the potential target drugs. Results. In GSE115574 dataset, a total of 1818 coexpression genes (769 positive and 1049 negative) were identified, enriched in 120 biological processes (BP), 38 cellular components (CC), 36 molecular functions (MF), and 39 KEGG pathways. A PPI-network with average 12.2-degree nodes was constructed. The genes clustered in the top module constructed from this network mainly play a role in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, viral myocarditis, inflammatory bowel disease, and platelet activation. CXCL12, C3, FN1, COL1A2, ACTB, VCAM1, and MMP2 were identified and finally verified as the hub genes, mainly enriched in pathways like leukocyte transendothelial migration, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, viral myocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and platelet activation. Pegcetacoplan, ocriplasmin, and carvedilol were the potential target drugs. Conclusions. We used microdataset to identify the potential functions and mechanisms of the TGFBI and its coexpression genes in AF patients. Our findings suggest that CXCL12, C3, FN1, COL1A2, ACTB, VCAM1, and MMP2 may be the hub genes.

PRV belongs to the alphaherpesvirus subfamily and can establish and maintain a lifelong latent infection in pigs. As such, an intermittent active cycle presents great challenges to the prevention and control of PRV disease and is responsible for serious economic losses to the pig breeding industry.

Metallic nanoparticles against bacteria have increased recently due to their unique properties. Many metals like silver, gold, copper, aluminum, zinc and their oxides have been shown to have antibacterial properties. The activity of the nanoparticles is affected by their physico-chemical properties. Different types of mechanisms are proposed for the antibacterial actions against various types of bacteria. The metal-based nanoparticles are synthesized by the top-down methods and bottom up methods. However, the latter methods are used effectively against many types of bacteria including antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Many studies have been undertaken to predict local scour around offshore high-rise structure foundations (HRSFs), which have been used in constructing the Donghai Wind Farm in China. However, there have been few works on the turbulent flow that drives the scour process. In this study, the characteristics of the turbulent flow fields around an HRSF were investigated using the particle image velocimetry technique. The mean flow, vorticity, and turbulence intensity were analyzed in detail. The relationship between the flow feature and scour development around an HRSF was elaborated. The results showed that the flow velocity increased to its maximum value near the third row of the pile group. The shear layer and wake vortices could not be fully developed downstream of the last row of the piles at small Reynolds numbers. The strong flow and turbulent fluctuation near the third piles explained the existence of a long-tail scour pattern starting from the HRSF shoulders and a trapezoidal deposition region directly downstream of HRSF. This laboratory experiment gains insight into the mechanism of the turbulent flow around HRSFs and provides a rare dataset for numerical model verifications.

Background At present, the function of numerous individual regulatory elements has been characterized extensively, but the combined effect of various cis-regulatory elements on gene expression in mammalian cells has been less discussed. Results In the present study, we examined the function of the combined effect of various cis-regulatory elements on gene expression in mammalian cells. To detect the function of different combinations of cis-acting elements on gene expression, we compared the effects of four promoters (PGK, Polr2a and EF-1α core promoter), two enhancers (CMV and SV40 enhancer), two introns (EF-1α intron A and hybrid intron), two terminators (CYC1 and TEF terminator) and their different combinations on gene expression. We constructed expression vectors with different combinations of these regulatory elements and detect the expression of eGFP by fluorescence intensity contrast and western blotting. Here we report that different combinations of cis-acting elements have a significant effect on protein expression. The vector with CMV enhancer, EF-1α core promoter and TEF terminator can express about three times higher eGFP than the unmodified vector in different animal cells. Conclusions We demonstrate that a direct combination of multiple regulatory elements capable of regulating gene expression did not exhibit synergistic effects. Our results show that regulation of protein expression can be achieved by optimizing the combination of cis-acting elements, and these findings can be used in biological applications that require regulation of gene expression.

Objectives To compare the levels of serum pepsinogen (PG) in patients with gastric cancer (GC), patients with atrophic gastritis (AG), and healthy donors. Also, we explored the clinical value of PG detection for the diagnosis and treatment of GC. Methods The PG level in peripheral blood from patients and heathy donors was determined using an Abbott automatic chemiluminescence instrument. The study included 117 patients with GC confirmed by gastroscopy and histopathology, of whom 13 patients had cancer at stage I, 47 at stage II, 41 at stage III, and 16 at stage IV. The AG group included 122 patients, and the control group had 120 healthy donors. The relationship between serum PG levels and the occurrence and development of GC, as well as the evaluation of the clinical value of diagnostic tests based on serum PG detection, were investigated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Results Pepsinogen I (PGI) levels gradually decreased from the control group, the AG group, and the GC group. PGI exhibited high diagnostic value for GC (area under the curve [AUC], 0.834; cutoff, 51.2 ng/mL, sensitivity, 81.7%; specificity, 68.4%), PGII (AUC, 0.587; cutoff value, 13.05 ng/mL; sensitivity, 65.8%; specificity, 53.8%), and PGR (AUC, 0.752; cutoff, 5.65; sensitivity, 54.2%; specificity, 87.2%). The occurrence of GC was negatively correlated with serum levels of PGI (B = −0.054; OR = 0.947; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.925–0.970; P Conclusions The combined detection of PGI, PGII, and PGR has important clinical value for the screening, prevention, and diagnosis of GC and could allow for earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment of GC.

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy(SAE) caused by infections outside the central nervous system always presents extensive brain damage.It is common in clinical practice and associated with a poor prognosis.There are problems in the assessing and diagnosing of SAE.Many factors,such as sedation and mechanical ventilation,make it difficult to assess SAE,while electrophysiological examination may play a role in the assessment.We reviewed the studies of electrophysiological techniques such as electroencephalography and somatosensory evoked potentials for monitoring SAE,hoping to provide certain evidence for the clinical evaluation and diagnosis of SAE.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate cell proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis. However, the role of lncRNA-WFDC21P in the tumorigenesis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unclear. Results of this study demonstrated that WFDC21P levels significantly increased in TNBC, which was associated with the poor survival of patients. WFDC21P overexpression significantly promoted TNBC cell proliferation and metastasis. WFDC21P interacted with miR-628-5p, which further suppressed cell proliferation and metastasis by negatively regulating Smad3-related gene expression. Recovery of miR-628-5p weakened the roles of WFDC21P in promoting the growth and metastasis of TNBC cells. Moreover,N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification upregulated WFDC21P expression in the TNBC cells. WFDC21P and its m6A levels were increased after methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) overexpression but reduced after METTL3 silencing. The proliferation and metastasis of TNBC cells were promoted by METTL3 overexpression but suppressed by METTL3 silencing. This study demonstrated the vital roles of WFDC21P and its m6A in regulating the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC cells via the WFDC21P/miR-628/SMAD3 axis.

Ten ingenane-type diterpenoids, including two undescribed compounds named as kansuininols A–B (1–2), were isolated from the roots of Euphorbia kansui. Their structures were elucidated by detailed interpretation of their spectroscopic data, especially 2D-NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Chemoreversal assays of these isolates were carried on adriamycin resistant human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7/ADR, and compounds 1–2 were identified as potent low-cytotoxic MDR modulators with greater chemoreversal ability than the positive drug verapamilti.

Mucormycosis caused by Lichtheimia ramosa is an emerging and uncommon opportunistic infection in patients with hematological malignancies, with high mortality rates. Herein, we first report a case of pulmonary mucormycosis with Lichtheimia ramosa in a 3-year-old girl recently diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The diagnosis was made using computerized tomography of the lung, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of blood and sputum specimens, and microscopic examination to detect the development of Lichtheimia ramosa on the surgical specimen. She was effectively treated after receiving prompt treatment with amphotericin B and posaconazole, followed by aggressive surgical debridement. In our case, the fungal isolates were identified as Lichtheimia ramosa using mNGS, which assisted clinicians in quickly and accurately diagnosing and initiating early intensive treatment. This case also indicated the importance of strong clinical suspicion, as well as aggressive antifungal therapy combined with surgical debridement of affected tissues.

Transforming growth factor beta-induced protein (TGFBI, encoded byThe microarray dataset of GSE115574 was examined to detect the genes coexpressed withIn GSE115574 dataset, a total of 1818 coexpression genes (769 positive and 1049 negative) were identified, enriched in 120 biological processes (BP), 38 cellular components (CC), 36 molecular functions (MF), and 39 KEGG pathways. A PPI-network with average 12.2-degree nodes was constructed. The genes clustered in the top module constructed from this network mainly play a role in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, viral myocarditis, inflammatory bowel disease, and platelet activation.We used microdataset to identify the potential functions and mechanisms of the

The products of the SuFEx reaction between sulfonimidoyl fluorides and phenols, sulfonimidates, are shown to display dynamic covalent chemistry with other phenols. This reaction was shown to be enantiospecific, finished in minutes at room temperature in high yields, and useful for both asymmetric synthesis and sustainable polymer production. Its wide scope further extends the usefulness of SuFEx and related click chemistries.

PKM2 is an important regulator of the aerobic glycolysis that plays a vital role in cancer cell metabolic reprogramming. In general, Trib2 is considered as a “pseudokinase”, contributing to different kinds of cancer. However, the detailed roles of TRIB2 in regulating cancer metabolism by PKM2 remain unclear. This study demonstrated that TRIB2, not a “pseudokinase”, has the kinase activity to directly phosphorylate PKM2 at serine 37 in cancer cells. The elevated pSer37-PKM2 would subsequently promote the PKM2 dimers to enter into nucleus and increase the expression of LDHA, GLUT1, and PTBP1. The aerobic glycolysis is then elevated to promote cancer cell proliferation and migration in TRIB2- or PKM2-overexpressed cultures. The glucose uptake and lactate production increased, but the ATP content decreased in TRIB2- or PKM2-treated cultures. Experiments of TRIB2−/− mice further supported that TRIB2 could regulate aerobic glycolysis by PKM2. Thus, these results reveal the new kinase activity of TRIB2 and its mechanism in cancer metabolism may be related to regulating PKM2 to promote lung cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, suggesting promising therapeutic targets for cancer therapy by controlling cancer metabolism.

Strontium (Sr) ions were added to porous magnesium (Mg) oxide with silicon and fluorine by microarc oxidation (MAO) to improve its osteogenic and pro-angiogenic properties. First, pure Mg was oxidized by MAO, and Sr was added by electrolysis. The surface of the resulting Sr coating was characterized by SEM, EDS, and EDS mapping. The release of Sr ions was monitored by ICP-OES. The antibacterial property of the coating was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of Sr coating on osteogenesis was tested in MC3T3-E1 cell line by performing cell adhesion and proliferation tests, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity detection, cell morphology characterization, alizarin red staining, and osteogenic-related gene expression analysis. Finally, HUVECs cells were used to test the effect of Sr coating on angiogenesis through cell migration and tube formation assays, VEGF quantification, chicken embryo chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) test, and angiogenic-related gene expression analysis. The results showed that Sr coating had a hierarchical microstructure with a microporous structure evenly covered with nano-grains and that the Sr elements from the coating were released slowly and continuously. Sr coating had effective antibacterial properties and promoted cell adhesion, proliferation, ALP release, calcium nodule formation, and upregulated osteogenic gene expression. Moreover, the coating could promote migration, tube formation, VEGF expression, and angiogenic gene upregulation in endothelial cells. Sr coating also enhanced angiogenesis of CAM. This study supports that Sr coating on Mg- MAO enhances osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

Rapid and accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of bacterial infections can improve patients’ outcome. In this study, 29 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from sputum specimens from ICU patients at the Jiading Central Hospital were compared using D2O-Raman AST and traditional AST (Vitek 2). The analysis time was 4–4.5 h for a complete D2O-Raman AST result. Compared with the Vitek 2, the results of D2O-Raman spectroscopy showed good agreement for susceptibility and resistance (S/R), with a concordance of 89%. Most discrepant results were observed for intermediate and susceptible categories, as 10% of isolates labeled as intermediate and susceptible by Vitek 2 were almost all categorized as resistant by D2O-Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, discriminant factor analysis of our D2O-Raman results led to successfully discriminating the type of resistance. In addition, we evaluated the behavior of clinicians in adjusting antibiotic therapies according to routine AST results. For 9 out of 10 patients, antibiotic therapy was adjusted after the reporting of AST results. With some improvements, D2O-Raman spectroscopy provides an accurate and rapid preliminary AST result and may have at least a potential clinical benefit for patients.

A new, efficient approach toward the preparation of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran scaffolds through the Cu/SPDO-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition between quinone ester and styrene derivatives has been developed. The procedure features excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee), high yields (up to 96%), and broad substrate tolerance. Additionally, asymmetric synthesis of natural corsifurans A and B from commercially available starting materials has also been achieved in two or three steps using this reaction as a key transformation.

In this study, we investigated the distribution and chemical speciation of Se in Se-rich soil by using micro-focused X-ray absorption near-edge structure (μ-XANES) spectroscopy coupling with X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping. The microscale distribution showed that Se is heterogeneously distributed in the soil from seleniferous areas in Enshi, China. Se K-edge μ-XANES analysis suggested that Se is mainly present as Se(IV), organic Se(-II) or Se(0) species in Se-rich agricultural soil. The findings from this study would help improve the understanding of the fate, mobility, bioavailability, and biogeochemical cycling of Se in the seleniferous soil environment.

The micro/nanohardness profile has been extensively used in manufacturing to understand material properties from external surfaces to internal material. The microhardness profile requires the indentation dimension and depth measurements. Dimension measurement in most cases is interfered by noise, texture, or defects, while depth identification asks for accurate stitching of local micrographs and recognition of tilted machined surfaces. However, few commercial microhardness testers can address the issues, while the manual measurement is limited by low robustness and efficiency. To fill this gap, this paper proposes an automatic and accurate measurement method of microhardness profile based on image processing. The method can stitch local micrographs, recognize indentation dimensions and depths, generate the microhardness profile, and analyze the material property with only one click. Experiments proved the method enjoys high accuracy, automation, and robustness.

A novel spiro-pyrrolidine (SPD)-derived bifunctional thiourea catalyst has been developed, enabling the development of a stereoselective conjugate addition of furfurals to β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters. The reaction represents an example of asymmetric trienamine catalysis in the benzylic C–H functionalization of 5-benzylfurfurals, and the rigid spirocyclic framework of the catalyst is proven to be essential for a highly enantioselective transformation.

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscopes are an important sort of inertial sensor for identifying parameters of spinning structures, such as the spinning speed and angular deviation, based on the Coriolis effect. In this paper, the nonlinear mechanism of MEMS vibratory ring gyroscopes is analyzed by applying a fully coupled nonlinear model, in which the gyroscopic coupling and geometrically and structurally nonlinear couplings are all taken into account. The coupled differential equations governing the drive and sense motions are established via the Lagrangian equations. Numerical simulation is conducted, and the key nonlinear components and energy transfer behaviors between the drive and sense modes are elucidated. It is revealed that the cubic rigidity nonlinearity is another significant factor leading to the coupling between the drive and sense modes other than the gyroscopic coupling. Perturbation analysis is also carried out by using the method of multiple scales. The nonlinear frequency–amplitude responses of the drive and sense vibrations are obtained, and comprehensive parametric studies are performed. The significant effects of system damping, excitation amplitude, drive amplitude and spinning speed on the responses are discussed, which will facilitate to improve the nonlinear performance and sensitivity of the gyroscope.

Novel methods to make synthetic chiral polymers are highly desirable given their potential in a rapidly increasing number of bio-inspired applications. The enantiospecific sulfur–fluorine exchange (SuFEx) reaction of chiral di-sulfonimidoyl fluorides (di-SFs) with diphenols, was used to produce high-molecular-weight chiral polymers with configurational backbone chirality. The resulting new class of polymers, polysulfonimidates, can be efficiently produced via this step-growth mechanism for a wide range of di-SFs and diphenols, yielding MnPS up to 283 kDa with a typical dispersity Đ around 1.6. The optical activity of the resulting chiral polymers is largely due to the intrinsic asymmetry of the S atoms (configurational chirality). Finally, the enantiospecificity (ee>98 %) of the polymerization reaction was demonstrated by the degradation of a disulfide-containing polysulfonimidate. This novel route towards configurational main-chain chirality opens up new approaches towards tailor-made chiral polymers with precisely defined properties.

We report herein a strategy to construct enantiopure inherently chiral macrocycles, ABCD-type heteracalix[4]-aromatics, through a catalytic enantioselective intramolecular C−N bond forming reaction. A chiral ligand-palladium complex was found to efficiently induce the inherent chirality of molecules during the macrocyclization process with ee values up to >99%. The resulting ABCD-type heteracalix[4]aromatics displayed excellent and pH triggered switchable electronic circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence properties.

Microeunicellols A (1) and B (2), two undescribed eunicellin diterpenoids, were isolated from the culture of a bacterial symbiont, Streptomyces albogriseolus SY67903. Their structures, including ab...

Corresponding experiments were designed and accomplished to obtain the authentic mechanical response mechanism of pavement under different loading conditions. Replicability and reproducibility of the experiments were discussed in this paper. Meanwhile, the response mechanism for three typical pavement structures was analyzed. Results show that mechanical response test method for pavement structure has characteristics of good replicability, reproducibility, and reliability. The method can also be used as an effective way to investigate the mechanical response of pavement structures. The mechanical states of different pavement materials under the same test condition are quite different. For cement bound granular and asphalt concrete, radial strain changes as alternative compression-tension with obvious mechanical response characteristic. However, the situation is different for cement concrete. The region of pavement that is close to the surface is in compressive state. By contrast, the far region is in tensile state. Top-down cracking of pavement developed from top surface crack may appear when load is too heavy. The working state of pavement can be reflected by utilizing the mechanical response test method. The mechanical response test method is a good reference when calculating mechanical state and determining parameters of pavement material.

We apply a bias to a magnetoresistance (MR) device, which is constructed on surface of GaAs/AlxGa1– xAs heterostructure by patterning two asymmetric ferromagnetic stripes. Using improved transfer matrix method and Landauer–Büttiker theory, bias-dependent transmission, conductance and magnetoresistance ratio are calculated numerically. An obvious MR effect appears, because of a significant difference of transmission or conductance between parallel (P) and antiparallel (AP) magnetization configurations. MR ratio can be tuned by adjusting magnitude or direction of applied bias. These interesting features not only propose an alternative way to control MR effect, but also put forward an electrically-tunable MR device for magnetic information storage.

We conducted a cross-sectional study investigating community-dwelling older population to determine association between immunoscenescence marker, inflammatory cytokines and frailty. Frailty status was classified with 33-item modified frailty index and latent class analysis was applied to explore the latent classes (subtypes) of frailty. In multivariable analysis, higher Tfh2 cells were associated with a higher risk of frailty [1.13(1.03–1.25)] in females, but a lower risk of cognitive and functional frail [0.92(0.86–0.99)] and physiological frail [0.92(0.87–0.98)]. Additionally, a greater risk of multi-frail and physiological frail correlated with low Tfh1 [0.77(0.60–0.99); 0.87(0.79–0.96)] and Tfh17 cells [0.79(0.65–0.96); 0.86(0.78–0.94)], respectively. Higher B cells were associated with decreased frailty/pre-frailty both in females [0.89(0.81–0.98)] and males [0.82(0.71–0.96)], but did not correlate with frailty subtypes. Regarding inflammatory markers, participants in the TGF-β 2nd quartile showed a decreased risk of pre-frailty/frailty in females [0.39(0.17–0.89)] and psychological frail [0.37(0.16–0.88)], compared with those in the top tertile. Moreover, we found participants in the 2nd tertile for IL-12 levels showed a decreased risk of physiological frail [0.40 (0.17–0.97)]. Our study highlights the importance of Tfh cell subsets and inflammatory markers in frailty in a sex-specific manner, particularly in terms of frailty subtype.

In order to explore frailty subtypes and find their associated risk factors, we conducted cross-sectional surveys of 5,341 seniors aged 60 and over in China using the Frailty Index (FI) scale. We identified four frailty subtypes, namely multi-frail, cognitive and functionally frail, psychologically frail and physiologically frail. Old age and low education level were the common risk factors among the four subtypes. Being widowed, divorced or unmarried was a risk factor for multi-frail, cognitive and functionally frail and psychologically frail, and male sex was a protective factor against cognitive and functionally frail and psychologically frail subtypes. Having a harmonious relationship with family was a protective factor against multi-frail, and fewer visits to the elderly by their children was a risk factor for psychologically frail. Dissatisfaction with their housing was a risk factor for cognitive and functionally frail, psychologically frail and physiologically frail, and a pension being the main source of income was a risk factor for cognitive and functionally frail and psychologically frail. Exercising every day was a protective factor against multi-frail and cognitive and functionally frail, and a lower level of physical activity was a risk factor for all four frailty subtypes. Our findings confirm the heterogeneity of frailty and suggest that different frail elderly individuals need more targeted care interventions.

Two main problems in partial nitrification at low temperature are its difficult start-up and easy inhibition, and this issue significantly limits the broad application of advanced partial nitrification technology. To promote rapid culturing and stabilization of partial nitrification biofilms, two experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of C/N on partial nitrification through ratio control (R, dissolved oxygen (DO)/effluent total ammonia nitrogen (TANeff)) in a lab-scale moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) at 12 °C. One experiment looked at the effect of C/N on the stable operation of partial nitrification at 12 °C, which inoculated a mature biofilm with good partial nitrification performance; the other looked at the effect of C/N on the biofilm cultivation and start-up of partial nitrification at 12 °C, which inoculated activated sludge and Pall rings. As for the startup experiments, only the C/N ratio was investigated, as the DO/TANeff ratio was kept constant. The effect of C/N on the mature partial nitrification biofilm showed that the increase of C/N could increase the resistance of partial nitrification to high DO. The nitrite accumulation ratio (NAR, (NO2−-N/(NO2−-N + NO3−-N) × 100%)) increased from 40.41% to 98.78% when R was 0.25 and C/N increased from 0 to 1. Meanwhile, when C/N increased to 2 and the R value slightly increased to 0.3, partial nitrification failed. The penetration of DO in the biofilm indicated that the increase of C/N enhanced the mass transfer resistance of DO, but it was similar when C/N was 1 and 2. Adding an appropriate amount of C/N can reduce the negative effect of partial nitrification damage caused by DO/TAN enlargement. The start-up experiment showed that C/N = 1 and C/N = 2 were essential for culturing biofilms and achieving partial nitrification at 12 °C, which can be successfully achieved (NAR was 85% and 96%) on the 56th and 52nd days. Neither C/N = 0 nor C/N = 3 could effectively achieve the partial nitrification. The increase of C/N will reduce the proportion of nitrifying bacteria in the biofilm, which is harmful to the partial nitrification. This will also lead to the decrease of protein/polysaccharide (PN/PS) and affect the stability of the biofilm.

We theoretically investigate how to manipulate the wave-vector filtering effect by δ-doping for electrons in a magnetically and electrically confined semiconductor heterostructure, which can be constructed by patterning a ferromagnetic stripe and a Schottky-metal stripe in a parallel configuration on the surface of the GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs heterostructure. The δ-doping dependent transmission is calculated by exactly solving the Schrodinger equation with the help of an improved transfer matrix method. An appreciable wave-vector filtering effect is revealed. Its wave-vector filtering efficiency is found to be tunable by changing the weight or position of the δ-doping. Thus, a structurally controllable momentum filter can be obtained for nanoelectronics device applications.

Titanium alloys is a key kind of materials in both aerospace industry and biomedical engineering. However, mechanical grinding process of Ti alloys easily leads to the featureless white layer (WL) extending tens of micrometers beneath the ground surface. Although many relevant studies have been reported so far, the WL quantification in most previous studies was performed by human raw eyes. To fill this gap, this paper proposes an image-processing-based method which can automatically recognise and measure the grinding-induced WL in the Ti alloy workpiece. By comparing the results separately obtained by the proposed method and manual measurement, it shows that the method can recognise and measure the WL region accurately (the maximum absolute error of 0.09 μm) and quickly (1.65 s per micrograph). More importantly, the method does not require any parameter presetting and has good robustness in terms of (i) varied WL region thicknesses, (ii) different workpiece placements and (iii) the interference from the noise pixels. The method therefore is believed to be not only meaningful and helpful to automatically measure the WL thickness in Ti alloys in large quantities, but also transferable to other industrial applications.

The effect of the novel composite material LiNbO3@Fe3O4 on the nitrate removal, and Mn2+ oxidation efficiency by autotrophic denitrification strain Achromobacter sp. A14 was investigated in this st...

Polymer composites filled with conductive particles for high dielectric constant (high-κ) have been extensively studied due to their distinct advantages such as good processability, flexibility and lightweight. However, to achieve high dielectric constant usually requires high loadings of filler, which may bring conductivity leading to large dielectric loss. Here, insulative CaCO3 is uniformly coated on the surfaces of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) via a facile self-assembly route, resulting in a core-shell structured CaCO3@CNF. Blending it with epoxy resin shows an obvious enhancement in dielectric constant to neat epoxy resin due to the presence of 2.1 wt% CNFs in composite. Importantly, uniform dispersion of the core-shell structure with about 80 nm insulating shell can effectively block electron current. Then reduced dielectric loss and enhanced dielectric constant could occur simultaneously, which is significantly positive to the composites for further electric energy storage.

With the development of minimally invasive and non-invasive diagnosis and treatment technology, magnetic-controlled capsule robot has attracted much attention and shown broad application prospects in real-time gastrointestinal tract diagnosis. In this paper, an electromagnetic-controlled capsule gastroscope robot is designed, which mainly consists of a miniature camera module, driving module, targeting medication module and anti-sticking module. The three-dimensional model of the capsule robot is established, and the detailed structure and working principle of the key parts are elaborated. Furthermore, the magnetic force distribution of the electromagnetic driving mechanism used for the camera module and targeting medication module are simulated and analyzed in detail. The proposed capsule robot with active movement function and targeting medication module shows great potential to be used in the realtime diagnosis and treatment of intestinal diseases.

Objective To evaluate the association between extra-long interpregnancy interval and adverse perinatal outcomes. Methods A retrospective cohort study on women experiencing their second delivery between 2017 and 2018 in a maternal and child health hospital was conducted to evaluate the association between the extra-long interpregnancy interval (IPI) and adverse perinatal outcomes. IPI ≥180 months was defined as extra-long IPI. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the adverse perinatal outcomes in different IPI groups, and compared with the predicted risks at 24–59, 60–119, 120–179, and 180-month IPI, with the 12–23-month interval serving as a reference. Results After adjusting for all possible confounding factors, there was an increased risk of premature rupture of membranes (aOR 1.83, 95% CI 1.13–2.97 and aOR 3.30, 95% CI 1.40–7.74) in the IPI of 60–119 and 120–179 months among women with age-appropriate maternity. However, the effects of extra-long IPI on adverse perinatal outcomes did not significantly differ among women with advanced maternal age. Conclusions These results indicate that long IPI (60–179 month) is an independent risk factor for premature rupture of membranes. Extra-long IPI (≥180 months) was not associated with an increase in major morbidity, but extra-long IPI often coexists with advanced age, so we still need to pay attention to the maternal risk factors associated with extra-long IPI.

Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) was used to improve the resistance of pure magnesium (Mg). Copper (Cu), a good antibacterial, angiogenic, and osteogenic element, was added by reaction in a Cu-containing electrolyte to improve the osteogenic and pro-angiogenic activities of Mg. The surface microstructures of the resulting MAO were evaluated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping. The release of Cu ions was detected by ICP-OES. The antibacterial activity of films with different concentrations of Cu ions was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The osteogenesis of films was confirmed by cell morphology and proliferation, ALP activity, alizarin red staining, and osteogenic-related gene expression in the MC3T3-E1 cell line. The angiogenesis of the films was tested in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by cell migration, tube formation, and VEGF quantification in vitro, and by a chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay in vivo. The results showed that the microporous structure was shaped by MAO, and the Cu group was denser and more uniform. The Cu coating showed effective antibacterial activity against S. aureus while also enhancing osteogenesis and angiogenesis in vitro. According to the CAM assay, the Cu group showed not only biocompatibility but also a significant angiogenic response, which was consistent with in vitro studies. The findings indicate that a Cu coating on Mg-MAO enhances osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

Optical flow is widely used in medical image processing, such as image registration, segmentation, 3D reconstruction, and temporal super-resolution. However, high-precision optical flow training datasets for medical images are challenging to produce. The current optical flow estimation models trained on these non-medical datasets, such as KITTI, Sintel, and FlyingChairs are unsuitable for medical images. In this work, we propose a semi-supervised learning mechanism to estimate the optical flow of coronary angiography. Our proposed method only needs the original medical images, segmentation results of regions of interest, and pre-trained models based on other optical flow datasets to train a new optical flow estimation model suitable for medical images. First, we use the coronary segmentation results to perform image enhancement processing on the coronary vascular region to improve the image contrast between the vascular region and the surrounding tissues. Then, we extract the high-precision optical flow of coronary arteries based on the coronary-enhanced images and the pre-trained optical flow estimation model. After estimating the optical flow, we take it and its corresponding original coronary angiography images as the training dataset to train the optical flow estimation network. Furthermore, we generate a large-scale synthetic Flying-artery dataset based on coronary artery segmentation results and original coronary angiography images, which is used to improve and evaluate the accuracy of optical flow estimation for coronary angiography. The experimental results on the coronary angiography datasets demonstrate that our proposed method can significantly improve the optical flow estimation accuracy of coronary angiography sequences compared with other methods.

Background: The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) has been proposed as a marker to quantify inter-individual variation in hemoglobin glycosylation. However, whether HGI is associated with an increased risk of diabetic complications independent of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the association between HGI and the risk of all cause mortality and composite cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods: PubMed, and EMBASE databases were searched for related studies up to March 31, 2021. Observational studies reported associations between HGI levels and composite CVD and all cause mortality were included for meta-analysis. A random effect model was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for higher HGI.Results: A total of five studies, comprising 22,035 patients with type two diabetes mellitus were included for analysis. The median follow-up duration was 5.0 years. After adjusted for multiple conventional cardiovascular risk factors, an increased level of HGI was associated with a higher risk of composite CVD (per 1 SD increment: HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.04–1.26) and all cause mortality (per 1 SD increment: HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.05–1.32). However, when further adjusted for HbA1c, the association between HGI and risk of composite CVD (per 1 SD increment of HGI: HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.93–1.10) and all cause mortality (per 1 SD increment of HGI: HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.96–1.10) became insignificant.Conclusions: High HGI was associated with an increased risk of composite CVD and all cause mortality after adjustment for multiple conventional cardiovascular risk factors. However, the association was mainly mediating by the level of HbA1c.

In a recently published paper in Cardiovascular Diabetology, Sinha et al. (Association of fasting glucose with lifetime risk of incident heart failure: the Lifetime Risk Pooling Project. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2021;20(1):66) reported that prediabetes (defined as a fasting plasma glucose concentration of 100–125 mg/dL) was associated with a higher lifetime risk of heart failure in middle-aged White adults and Black women, with the association attenuating in older Black women. This study provides important evidence that the risk of heart failure is increased in people with a fasting plasma glucose concentration as low as 100 mg/dL, supporting the definition of prediabetes according to the American Diabetes Association guideline. The study also strongly supports the notion that prediabetes should be regarded not only as a high-risk state for the development of diabetes but also as a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity.

This study explored the discrepancy in the detoxification effects of different exogenous selenium (Se) species in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil to provide a scientific basis for the control of Cd pollution in the soil and the safe production of crops. A pot experiment was conducted to compare the effects of different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 mg·kg

We have theoretically investigated the control of wave-vector filtering (WVF) by introducing δ-doping into a magnetically modulated nanostructure fabricated by depositing ferromagnetic stri...

A novel Fe3O4@Cu/PVA biomaterial as a new adsorbent and bacterial cell immobilized carrier was synthesized in this work. The structure and morphology were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Effects of factors on Mn(II)-based autotrophic denitrification were investigated in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). The results indicate that the highest nitrate removal and Mn(II) oxidation efficiency occurred under the conditions of initial Mn(II) concentration of 80 mg·L−1, hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 h and pH 7. Meteorological chromatography analysis showed that N2 was produced as an end-product, and that gas compositions were different depending on the concentration of Mn(II) in the MBBR. The community diversity in the MBBR was markedly influenced by the concentration of Mn(II) and Pseudomonas sp. H-117 played a primary role in the process of nitrate removal and Mn(II) oxidation.

This study investigates the effects of pH on the stability and activity of ANAMMOX granules with different biomass densities from the perspective of N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS). Results clearly showed that the effects of pH on the release of AHLs in ANAMMOX granules and the properties of the granules are closely related to biomass density under neutral and weakly acidic conditions (pH 6.0–7.0). Under these conditions, pH had greater adverse effects on the granules with low biomass density (L-granules) than the granules with high biomass density (H-granules). When pH decreased from 7.0 to 6.0, the H-granules were able to release abundant AHLs (the release amounts of C6-HSL and C8-HSL reached up to 1482.4 and 1194.7 ng L−1, respectively, at pH 6.0), which further promoted extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secretion, serving to maintain the stability and activity of the granules under neutral and weakly acidic conditions. But, L-granules could not release enough AHLs, leading to the low EPS content and deterioration in the stability and activity of the granules under these conditions. However, under neutral and weakly acidic pH conditions, the generation mechanism of AHLs in L-granules could be activated by short-term (10 d) exogenous addition of C6-HSL and C8-HSL, causing excessive endogenous release of C6-HSL and C8-HSL, which was conducive to improving the stability and activity of L-granules under adverse weakly acidic pH conditions. Under peracid (pH 5.5) and alkaline (pH 7.5–9.0) conditions, the effects of pH on AHL release and granule characteristics were not related to biomass density. At pH 5.5, the QS system of the granules was destroyed, and the release amounts of AHLs in H-granules and L-granules were very low, leading to poor stability and low activity of the granules. Under alkaline conditions (pH 7.5–9.0), the release amounts of AHLs in H-granules and L-granules were significantly reduced with the increase in pH, and their stability and activity also decreased significantly, which was related to the degradation of AHLs under alkaline conditions.

This study investigated the effects of substrate shock on the release of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) in ANAMMOX granules and the relationship between AHL release, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) excretion and the properties of granules. In this study, a transient high total nitrogen (TN) concentration of 2100 mg L−1 for 24 h stimulated a rapid increase in N-hexanoyl-DL-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and N-octanoyl-DL-homoserine lactone (C8-HSL) in ANAMMOX granules resulting in abundant EPS excretion and deterioration of granule settleability. Substrate shock didn't affect the distribution of AHLs in the system. C8-HSL was dominant in the biomass phase without EPS and C6-HSL was dominant in the EPS phase and the biomass phase without EPS. The results of the batch tests also confirmed that the high substrate concentration can stimulate the release of abundant C8-HSL and C6-HSL. Loosely-bound EPS (LB-EPS) excretion was closely related to the content of C8-HSL. A significant increase in C8-HSL from 222.6 to 1124.7 ng L−1 occurred when the substrate concentration increased from 200 to 1200 mg L−1, leading to excessive accumulation of LB-EPS, which was considered the key factor for the deterioration of granule stability after substrate shock. C6-HSL could stimulate the granule activity. Substrate shock triggered the release of abundant C8-HSL, leading to excessive accumulation of EPS, in which C6-HSL was dominant. So C6-HSL increased significantly after substrate shock, serving to maintain bacteria activity. From the perspective of AHL-based quorum sensing, this study confirmed that excessive EPS are usually excreted under extreme environmental stress to protect bacteria activity while this self-defense behavior also results in unstable reactor operation performance.