Search

Postoperative tissue adhesion and poor tendon healing are major clinical problems associated with tendon surgery. To avoid postoperative adhesion and promote tendon healing, we developed and synthesized a membrane to wrap the surgical site after tendon suturing. The bilayer-structured porous membrane comprised an outer layer [1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether cross-linked with carboxymethyl cellulose (CX)] and an inner layer [1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether cross-linked with Bletilla striatapolysaccharides and carboxymethyl cellulose (CXB)]. The morphology, chemical functional groups, and membrane structure were determined. In vitro experiments revealed that the CX/CXB membrane demonstrated good biosafety and biodegradability, promoted tenocyte proliferation and migration, and exhibited low cell attachment and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, in in vivo animal study, the CX/CXB membrane effectively reduced postoperative tendon–peripheral tissue adhesion and improved tendon repair, downregulating inflammatory cytokines in the tendon tissue at the surgical site, which ultimately increased tendon strength by 54% after 4 weeks.

Early recurrence is the leading cause of death for patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) after surgery. Identifying high-risk patients preoperatively is important. This study aimed to construct a preoperative prediction model for the early recurrence of patients with pCCA to facilitate planned treatment with curative resection.

The influence of aging temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al–Mn–Mg– Sc–Zr alloy prepared by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) was systematically studied. The results show that the fabricated alloy was a dense and crack-free piece with a fine grain size of 3.51 μm and a yield strength of (547±3) MPa. When the alloy was subjected to aging at 300 °C, a large amount of highly coherent Al3Sc nanoparticles (2–3 nm) precipitated from the Al matrix. The aged sample exhibited a high yield strength of (616±4) MPa, which can be attributed to precipitation strengthening, solid solution strengthening, and grain boundary strengthening. When the alloy was aged at a temperature higher than 300 °C, part of the dissolved Mn and Zr precipitated in the form of Al6Mn and Al3(Sc,Zr). When the alloy was aged at 500 °C, the Al6Mn and Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates grew to approximately 600 and 30 nm, respectively, in size. Consequently, the yield strength of the alloy decreased to (372±3) MPa.

ABSTRACT The epoxy resin used as a load-transfer medium (LTM) to fill the bond-type anchors of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (C225FRP) will creep under three-dimensional compressional conditions, thereby decreasing the [...]

Special issue editors Ren-yo Hwang and Christopher Joseph Lee interview Zhi (Yu) Lu (@hotbirdbath), a trans Han/Hakka artist working in tattoo and other media as a collaborative sculptural practice, and an organizer with Trans Revolutionary Action Network (@tran4ny). In this interview, Hwang, Lee, and Lu discuss the connections between tattoo art events, nightlife, and mutual aid fundraising, while reflecting on the importance of body adornment for trans people. Alongside examples of their art, Lu explains how they see tattoo as a therapeutic medium that connects diasporic and trans communities through retellings of migration and transformation.

Objective: Textbook outcome (TO) is widely recognized as a comprehensive prognostic indication for patients with gastric cancer (GC). This study aims to develop a modified TO (mTO) for elderly patients with GC. Methods: Data from the elderly patients (aged ≥ 65 years) in two Chinese tertiary referral hospitals were analyzed. 1389 patients from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were assigned as the training cohort and 185 patients from Affiliated Hospital of Putian University as the validation cohort. Nomogram was developed by the independent prognostic factors of Overall Survival (OS) based on Cox regression. Results: In the training cohort, laparoscopic surgery was significantly correlated with higher TO rate (P< 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that surgical approach was also an independent factor of OS (P< 0.001), distinct from the traditional TO. In light of these findings, TO parameters were enhanced by the inclusion of surgical approach, rendering a modified TO (mTO). Further analysis showed that mTO, tumor size, pTNM staging, and adjuvant chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors associated with OS (all P< 0.05). Additionally, the nomogram incorporating these four indicators accurately predicted 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS in the training cohort, with AUC values of 0.793, 0.814, and 0.807, respectively, and exhibited outstanding predictive performance within the validation cohort. Conclusion: mTO holds a robust association with the prognosis of elderly patients with GC, meriting intensified attention in efforts aimed at enhancing surgical quality. Furthermore, the predictive model incorporating mTO demonstrates excellent predictive performance for elderly patients with GC.

Background: Textbook outcome (TO) has been widely employed as a comprehensive indicator to assess the short-term prognosis of patients with cancer. Preoperative malnutrition is a potential risk factor for adverse surgical outcomes in patients with gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to compare the TO between robotic-assisted gastrectomy (RAG) and laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) in malnourished patients with GC. Methods: According to the diagnostic consensus of malnutrition proposed by Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) and Nutrition Risk Index (NRI), 895 malnourished patients with GC who underwent RAG (n= 115) or LAG (n= 780) at a tertiary referral hospital between January 2016 and May 2021 were included in the propensity score matching (PSM, 1:2) analysis. Results: After PSM, no significant differences in clinicopathological characteristics were observed between the RAG (n= 97) and LAG (n= 194) groups. The RAG group had significantly higher operative time and lymph nodes harvested, as well as significantly lower blood loss and hospital stay time compared to the LAG group. More patients in the RAG achieved TO. Logistic regression analysis revealed that RAG was an independent protective factor for achieving TO. There were more adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) cycles in the RAG group than in the LAG group. After one year of surgery, a higher percentage of patients (36.7% vs. 22.8%; P< 0.05) in the RAG group recovered from malnutrition compared to the LAG group. Conclusions: For malnourished patients with GC, RAG performed by experienced surgeons can achieved a higher rate of TO than those of LAG, which directly contributed to better AC compliance and a faster restoration of nutritional status.

C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) triggers the death of multiple cancers viaendoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of CHOP in liver cancer remain elusive. We have reported that late endosomal/lysosomal adapter, mitogen-activated protein kinase and mTOR activator 5 (LAMTOR5) suppresses apoptosis in various cancers. Here, we show that the transcriptional and posttranscriptional inactivation of CHOP mediated by LAMTOR5 accelerates liver cancer growth. Clinical bioinformatic analysis revealed that the expression of CHOP was low in liver cancer tissues and that its increased expression predicted a good prognosis. Elevated CHOP contributed to destruction of LAMTOR5-induced apoptotic suppression and proliferation. Mechanistically, LAMTOR5-recruited DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) to the CpG3 region (−559/−429) of the CHOP promoter and potentiated its hypermethylation to block its interaction with general transcription factor IIi (TFII-I), resulting in its inactivation. Moreover, LAMTOR5-enhanced miR-182/miR-769 reduced CHOP expression by targeting its 3’UTR. Notably, lenvatinib, a first-line targeted therapy for liver cancer, could target the LAMTOR5/CHOP axis to prevent liver cancer progression. Accordingly, LAMTOR5-mediated silencing of CHOP viathe regulation of ER stress-related apoptosis promotes liver cancer growth, providing a theoretical basis for the use of lenvatinib for the treatment of liver cancer.

Background: Surgical quality control is a crucial determinant of evaluating the tumor efficacy. Objective: To assess the ClassIntra grade for quality control and oncological outcomes of robotic radical surgery for gastric cancer (GC). Methods: Data of patients undergoing robotic radical surgery for GC at a high-volume center were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into two groups, the intraoperative adverse event (iAE) group and the non-iAE group, based on the occurrence of intraoperative adverse events. The iAEs were further classified into five sublevels (ranging from I to V according to severity) based on the ClassIntra grade. Surgical performance was assessed using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) and the General Error Reporting Tool. Results: This study included 366 patients (iAE group: n= 72 [19.7%] and non-iAE group: n= 294 [80.3%]). The proportion of ClassIntra grade II patients was the highest in the iAE group (54.2%). In total and distal gastrectomies, iAEs occurred most frequently in the suprapancreatic area (50.0% and 54.8%, respectively). In total gastrectomy, grade IV iAEs were most common during lymph node dissection in the splenic hilum area (once for bleeding [grade IV] and once for injury [grade IV]). The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival of the non-iAE group were significantly better than those of the iAE group (Log rank P< 0.001). Uni- and multi-variate analyses showed that iAEs were key prognostic indicators, independent of tumor stage and adjuvant chemotherapy (P< 0.001). Conclusion: iAEs in patients who underwent robotic radical gastrectomy significantly correlated with the occurrence of postoperative complications and a poor long-term prognosis. Therefore, utilization and inclusion of ClassIntra grading as a crucial surgical quality control and prognostic indicator in the routine surgical quality evaluation system are recommended.

The nucleus of almost all massive galaxies contains a supermassive black hole (BH)1. The feedback from the accretion of these BHs is often considered to have crucial roles in establishing the quiescence of massive galaxies2–14, although some recent studies show that even galaxies hosting the most active BHs do not exhibit a reduction in their molecular gas reservoirs or star formation rates15–17. Therefore, the influence of BHs on galaxy star formation remains highly debated and lacks direct evidence. Here, based on a large sample of nearby galaxies with measurements of masses of both BHs and atomic hydrogen (HI), the main component of the interstellar medium18, we show that the HI gas mass to stellar masses ratio (μHI= MHI/M⋆) is more strongly correlated with BH masses (MBH) than with any other galaxy parameters, including stellar mass, stellar mass surface density and bulge masses. Moreover, once the μHI–MBHcorrelation is considered, μHIloses dependence on other galactic parameters, demonstrating that MBHserves as the primary driver of μHI. These findings provide important evidence for how the accumulated energy from BH accretion regulates the cool gas content in galaxies, by ejecting interstellar medium gas and/or suppressing gas cooling from the circumgalactic medium.

We present an approach to interface branching random walks with Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling and to switch seamlessly between the two. The approach is discussed in the context of auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) but can be applied to other Monte Carlo calculations or simulations. In AFQMC, the formulation of branching random walks along imaginary-time is needed to realize a constraint to control the sign or phase problem. The constraint is derived from an exact gauge condition and is in practice implemented approximately with a trial wave function or trial density matrix, which can break exactness in the algorithm. We use the generalized Metropolis algorithm to sample a selected portion of the imaginary-time path after it has been produced by the branching random walk. This interfacing allows a constraint release to follow seamlessly from constrained-path sampling, which can reduce the systematic error from the latter. It also provides a way to improve the computation of correlation functions and observables that do not commute with the Hamiltonian. We illustrate the method in atoms and molecules, where improvements in accuracy can be clearly quantified and near-exact results are obtained. We also discuss the computation of the variance of the Hamiltonian and propose a convenient way to evaluate it stochastically without changing the scaling of AFQMC.

Byline: Qi. Yang, Xiao-ling. Yu, Ying. Wang, Zhi-gang. Cheng, Zhi-yu. Han, Fang-yi. Liu, Tong-gang. Qian, Jie. Yu, Ping. Liang Aim: This study aimed to investigate the predictive power of the [...]

The SEED (Swirled Enthalpy Equilibrium Device) process is the typical high solid fraction (with about 40-60% of solid) rheo-diecast process. The high strength Mg-12Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.4Zr magnesium alloy was successfully produced using SEED process. The microstructure and mechanical properties of rheo-diecast Mg-12Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.4Zr alloy during solution and ageing heat treatment process were studied in this paper. Optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to study the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties. The cast alloy exhibited a microstructure consisting of equiaxed primary solidified grains and together with eutectics. The eutectics were partially dissolved into a-Mg matrix after solution heat treatment. The tensile properties of rheo-diecast Mg-12Gd-3Y-1Zn-0.4Zr alloy were substantially enhanced after T6 heat treatment.

Structural color always shows a reversible switch between reflection and transmission states when viewed from different angles, attracting increasing attention in display applications. However, this switching between reflection and transmission states of structural color suffers from the inherent lack of autonomous regulation, which is unmanageable in the case of different application scenarios. Here, we design an intelligent two-way structural color film which can reversibly change its color when applied with an extra stimulation such as voltage, heat signal, or light. A special structural feature contains a traditional photonic crystal film of polystyrene (PS) microspheres assembled by smart windows. Remarkably, our structural color film shows a prominent polarization sensitivity, and the angle dependence of the structural color broadens the gamut of display color demonstrated by both finite element theoretical analysis and experimental observation. Prospectively, this hierarchically designed film provides a promising pathway toward next-generation multicolor displays and smart windows.

Converting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from the M2 to the M1 phenotype is considered an effective strategy for cancer therapy. TRAF3 is known to regulate NF-κB signaling. However, the role of TRAF3 in TAM polarization has not yet been completely elucidated. Here, we found that ablation of TRAF3 increased M1 markers, iNOS, FGR and SLC4A7, while down-regulated M2 markers, CD206, CD36 and ABCC3, expression levels in macrophages. Moreover, TRAF3 deficiency enhanced LPS-induced M1 and abolished IL-4-induced macrophage polarization. Next, quantitative ubiquitomics assays demonstrated that among the quantitative 7618 ubiquitination modification sites on 2598 proteins, ubiquitination modification of IL-4 responding proteins was the most prominently reduced according to enrichment analysis. STAT6, a key factor of IL-4 responding protein, K450 and K129 residue ubiquitination levels were dramatically decreased in TRAF3-deficient macrophages. Ubiquitination assay and luciferase assay demonstrated that TRAF3 promotes STAT6 ubiquitination and transcriptional activity. Site mutation analysis revealed STAT6 K450 site ubiquitination played a vital role in TRAF3-mediated STAT6 activation. Finally, B16 melanoma mouse model demonstrated that myeloid TRAF3 deficiency suppressed tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Taken together, TRAF3 plays a vital role in M2 polarization via regulating STAT6 K450 ubiquitination in macrophages.

This paper report paleomagnetic data from late Cretaceous diorite dykes that sub-vertically intrude granodiorites in the eastern Gangdese belt near the city of Lhasa. Our research goals are to provide further constraints on pre-collisional structure of the southern margin of Asia and the onset of the India-Asia collision. Magnetite is identified as the main magnetic carrier in our study. The magnetite shows no evidence of metamorphism or alteration as determined from optical and scanning electron microscope observations. A strong mineral orientation is revealed by anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility analysis both for the intruded dykes and the country rocks. The authors interpret this AMS fabric to have formed during intrusion rather than deformation. Fifteen of 23 sites yield acceptable site mean characteristic remanences with dual polarities. A scatter analysis of the virtual geomagnetic poles suggests that the mean result adequately averaged paleosecular variation. The paleomagnetic pole from the Gangdese dykes yields a paleolatitude of 14.3°N±5.8°N for the southern margin of Asia near Lhasa. The paleolatitude corresponds to an in-between position of the Lhasa terrane during about 130–60 Ma. Furthermore, the mean declination of the characteristic remanent magnetization reveals a significant counterclockwise rotation of 18°±9° for the sampling location since about 83 Ma. In the light of tectonic setting of the dykes, the strike of the southern margin of Asia near Lhasa is restored to trend approximately about 310°, which is compatible with the hypothesis that the southern margin of Eurasia had a quasi-linear structure prior to its collision with India.

The hepatic artery is the only blood source nourishing the biliary duct and associated with biliary complication after liver transplantation (LT). Gastroduodenal artery (GDA) disconnection increased proper hepatic artery flow. Whether this procedure attenuates biliary non-anastomotic stricture (NAS) is not clear.

H.265/high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) provides a multitude of video data compression to minimize data storage and data transmission while preserving video coding quality and ameliorating coding bit rates. However, HEVC encoder chips are frequently integrated into mobile multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) systems that adopt intelligent thermal and power management techniques for heat- and power-dissipation reductions. Consequently, the accessible coding bandwidth (CB) for HEVC encoder chip use is not fixed, and the compressed video data for data transmission within MPSoCs are restricted to time-altering wireless transmission bandwidths (TBs). Therefore, the proposed bandwidth-aware H.265/HEVC controller design solves the video coding problems of limited CB and TB by jointly using a machine learning method and convex optimization. The ancillary experimental and implementation results demonstrate that the proposed CB-TB rate-coding distortion algorithm modeling and the very large-scale integration hardware architecture are applicable for CB- and TB-constrained HEVC encoder design within MPSoCs.

A 12-y-old Himalayan black bear suddenly developed depression, anorexia, cough, and dyspnea and died at the Ordos Zoo, China. At autopsy, the mesenteric and cranial mediastinal lymph nodes (LNs) were enlarged; the largest cranial mediastinal LN was ~13 cm in diameter. Scattered-to-diffuse, rounded-or-oval, gray, firm 1–6-mm nodules were observed on the surfaces of the spleen, liver, lungs, and small intestine. Histologically, the enlarged cranial mediastinal and mesenteric LNs, spleen, small intestine, lungs, and liver contained dense populations of neoplastic lymphoid cells (NLCs). The NLCs were round-or-oval with small amounts of mildly eosinophilic cytoplasm and round-or-oval hyperchromatic nuclei with indistinct nucleoli; the mitotic count was 55 in 2.37 mm2. Immunohistochemically, cell membranes and the cytoplasm of NLCs were CD3+, CD79a−, CD20−, CD15−, CD30−, and CD45RA−; hence, the NLCs were derived from T lymphocytes. To our knowledge, T-cell lymphoma has not been reported previously in a Himalayan black bear.

Visible light-driven carboxylation with CO2have emerged as a sustainable and powerful way to transfer waste to treasure. However, it is still challenging for aryl fluorides due to the low reactivities of both C(sp2)−F bonds and CO2. Herein, we report the first photocatalytic carboxylation of aryl C−F bonds with CO2. The visible-light photoredox catalysis enables selective carboxylation of strong C(sp2)−F bonds in diverse polyfluoroarenes, such as penta-, tetra-, and tri-fluoroarenes under mild conditions, providing a facile access to a series of important polyfluoroaryl carboxylic acids with good yields. In contrast to previous reports of direct capture of polyfluoroaryl radicals, mechanistic studies suggest that the reduction of fleeting polyfluoroaryl radicals into polyfluoroaryl anions might be involved in this transformation, which may open a new avenue for photocatalytic functionalization of aryl C−F bonds.

ABSTRACTInterspecific hybridisation can fuse different genomes into a hybrid that could derive possible a novel germplasm for vegetable improvement. Tuber mustard (Brassica junceaCoss. var. crassicaulisChen et Yang, AABB) and kohlrabi (Brassica oleraceaL. var. caulorapa, CC) belong to different species of stem vegetables in Brassica. In present study, interspecific hybridisation between tuber mustard and purple kohlrabi was conducted successfully. Through ovary culture, four putative interspecific hybrids were obtained and three of them were identified as true hybrids by morphology, cytology and molecular analysis with the hybrid acquisition frequency of 0.68%. After chromosome doubling, one hybrid doubled completely as allohexaploidy (AABBCC) with 54 chromosomes, seven hybrids (ABC) with 27 ones non-doubled, and four hybrids doubled partially as the chimeras with above two types of chromosome. The allotriploids exhibited low fertility with vigour pollen rate of 7.54% and low seed-setting rates of 0.06, however, their allohexaploids exhibited high fertility with vigour pollen rate of 51.74% and high seed-setting rate of 5.88. This allohexaploid hybrid showed unique phenotypes with the normal bigger anther, better developed pods, larger expanding stem than the allotriploid ones. The above two types of hybrids will act as new germplasm of Brassicastem vegetables in breeding programme.

AbstractOver the years, it has become obvious that simultaneous backfill grouting is of great significance to the design of the tunnel lining and process control of shield construction. It is essential to know the grout pressure distribution around the tunnel lining. The purpose of this study is to seek an alternative method to simulate the grout diffusion process and obtain pressure distribution of different time during simultaneous backfill grouting of tunnel construction. A lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based free surface flow model is introduced and modified, and a Smagorinsky large-eddy simulation model serves to deal with the small-scale turbulent problem, which is a challenge for LBM to simulate the large-scale real-world engineering. The simulation results obtain the grout filling state with time and pressure distribution around the tunnel lining. Additionally, the grout pressures on site are measured at a ring in line 8 of Chengdu Rail tunnel, and the measurement results are also compared with ones taken from numerical simulation, it is showed that the numerical results are consistent with that of measurement on the whole. Through simulating different grouting strategies, it is concluded that for four-holes grouting schemes, the grouting pressures of upper holes are significant for the grout pressure distribution and should be paid most attention in construction.

Treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) remains a major challenge. The chemokine family plays an important role in cardiac injury, repair, and remodeling following MI, while stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 alpha (SDF‐1α) is the most promising therapeutic target. This study aimed to increase SDF‐1α expression using a novel gene delivery system and further explore its effect on MI treatment. In this study, two kinds of plasmids, human SDF‐1α plasmid (phSDF‐1α) and human SDF‐1α‐ nuclear factor κB plasmid (phSDF‐1α‐NFκB), were constructed and loaded onto cationic microbubble carriers, and the plasmids were released into MI rabbits by ultrasound‐targeted microbubble destruction. The transfection efficiency of SDF‐1α and the degree of heart repair were further explored and compared. In the MI rabbit models, transfection with phSDF‐1α‐NFκB resulted in higher SDF‐1α expression in peri‐infarct area compared with transfection with phSDF‐1α or no transfection. Upregulation of SDF‐1α was shown beneficial to these MI rabbit models, as demonstrated with better recovery of cardiac function, greater perfusion of the myocardium, more neovascularization, smaller infarction size and thicker infarct wall 1 month after treatment. Ultrasound‐targeted cationic microbubbles combined with the NFκB binding motif could increase SDF‐1α gene transfection, which would play a protective role after MI.

The study of nuclide production and its properties in the N=126neutron-rich region is prevalent in nuclear physics and astrophysics research. The upcoming High-energy FRagment Separator (HFRS) at the High-Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF), an in-flight separator at relativistic energies, is characterized by high beam intensity, large ion-optical acceptance, high magnetic rigidity, and high momentum resolution power. This provides an opportunity to study the production and properties of neutron-rich nuclei around N=126. In this paper, an experimental scheme is proposed to produce neutron-rich nuclei around N=126and simultaneously measure their mass and lifetime based on the HFRS separator; the feasibility of this scheme is evaluated through simulations. The results show that under the high-resolution optical mode, many new neutron-rich nuclei approaching the r-process abundance peak around A=195can be produced for the first time, and many nuclei with unknown masses and lifetimes can be produced with high statistics. Using the time-of-flight corrected by the measured dispersive position and energy loss information, the cocktails produced from 208Pb fragmentation can be unambiguously identified. Moreover, the masses of some neutron-rich nuclei near N=126can be measured with high precision using the time-of-flight magnetic rigidity technique. This indicates that the HIAF-HFRS facility has the potential for the production and property research of neutron-rich nuclei around N=126, which is of great significance for expanding the chart of nuclides, developing nuclear theories, and understanding the origin of heavy elements in the universe.

Solvothermal synthesis technique is an effective method to create composite materials. In this paper, a series of TiO2@MIL-101(Cr) were prepared by the solvothermal method for photocatalytic denitrification of pyridine in fuel under visible light irradiation. The products were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, BET, DRS and ESR. The result shows that 20%TiO2@MIL-101(Cr) has high catalytic activity, the pyridine removal efficiency reaches values as high as 70% after irradiation for 240 min. Finally, we obtained the possible mechanism of photocatalytic denitrification according to the HPLC-MS spectrometry results analysis.

Most structural and evolutionary properties of galaxies strongly rely on the stellar initial mass function (IMF), namely the distribution of the stellar mass formed in each episode of star formation1–4. The IMF shapes the stellar population in all stellar systems, and so has become one of the most fundamental concepts of modern astronomy. Both constant and variable IMFs across different environments have been claimed despite a large number of theoretical5–7and observational efforts8–15. However, the measurement of the IMF in Galactic stellar populations has been limited by the relatively small number of photometrically observed stars, leading to high uncertainties12–16. Here we report a star-counting result based on approximately 93,000 spectroscopically observed M-dwarf stars, an order of magnitude more than previous studies, in the 100–300 parsec solar neighbourhood. We find unambiguous evidence of a variable IMF that depends on both metallicity and stellar age. Specifically, the stellar population formed at early times contains fewer low-mass stars compared with the canonical IMF, independent of stellar metallicities. In more recent times, however, the proportion of low-mass stars increases with stellar metallicity. The variable abundance of low-mass stars in our Milky Way establishes a powerful benchmark for models of star formation and can heavily affect results in Galactic chemical-enrichment modelling, mass estimation of galaxies and planet-formation efficiency.

Hierarchical, ultrathin, and porous NiMoO4@CoMoO4on Co3O4hollow bones were successfully designed and synthesized by a hydrothermal route from the Co-precursor, followed by a KOH (potassium hydroxide) activation process. The hydrothermally synthesized Co3O4nanowires act as the scaffold for anchoring the NiMoO4@CoMoO4units but also show more compatibility with NiMoO4, leading to high conductivity in the heterojunction. The intriguing morphological features endow the hierarchical Co3O4@NiMoO4@CoMoO4better electrochemical performance where the capacity of the Co3O4@NiMoO4@CoMoO4heterojunction being 272 mA·h·g–1at 1 A·g–1can be achieved with a superior retention of 84.5% over 1000 cycles. The enhanced utilization of single/few NiMoO4@CoMoO4shell layers on the Co3O4core make it easy to accept extra electrons, enhancing the adsorption of OH–at the shell surface, which contribute to the high capacity. In our work, an asymmetric supercapacitor utilizing the optimized Co3O4@NiMoO4@CoMoO4activated carbon (AC) as electrode materials was assembled, namely, Co3O4@NiMoO4@CoMoO4//AC device, yielding a maximum high energy density of 53.9 W·h·kg–1at 1000 W·kg–1. It can retain 25.92 W·h·kg–1even at 8100 W·kg–1, revealing its potential and viability for applications. The good power densities are ascribed to the porous feature from the robust architecture with recreated abundant mesopores on the composite, which assure improved conductivity and enhanced diffusion of OH–and also the electron transport. The work demonstrated here holds great promise for synthesizing other heterojunction materials M3O4@MMoO4@MMoO4(M = Fe, Ni, Sn, etc).

Introduction:Although microwave ablation (MWA) is a promising technique for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment, its 10-year efficacy is unknown. Objective:The objective of the study was to assess whether the advances in MWA for HCC translated into a real-world survival benefit. Methods:This retrospective study included 2,354 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0 to B from 5 hospitals, with at least 2 years of follow-up for all the patients. Recurrence and survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method with time-period stratification. Results:A total of 5,326 HCCs (mean diameter, 2.9 cm ± 1.2) underwent 4,051 sessions of MWA with a median follow-up of 61.3 (0.6–169.5 range) months during 3 periods (2007–2010, 2011–2014, and 2015–2018). Technical success was achieved in 5,194 (97.5%) tumors with significant improvement over time, especially for >3.0-cm HCC (p< 0.001). Local tumor progression (LTP) showed no period-dependent advance, with >3.0-cm HCC and perivascular location being the risk factors for LTP. The median intrahepatic metastasis time was 27.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.2–28.8) months, with 5- and 10-year occurrence rates of 68.8% and 79.4%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year overall survivals were 63.9% and 41.1%, respectively, and BCLC stage 0, A, and all B patients showed an observable survival improvement over time (p< 0.001). The median disease-free survival time increased from 19.4 (95% CI: 16.5–22.6) months in 2007–2010 to 28.1 (95% CI: 25.9–32.3) months in 2015–2018. The improved survival for early recurrent (≤2 years) patients was period-dependent, as verified by Cox regression analyses. The major complications rate per procedure was 3.0% (122/4,051). Conclusions:These real-world data show that MWA provided an upward trend in survival for HCC patients with BCLC stage 0–B over a 12-year follow-up period. An encouraging clear survival benefit in early recurrent patients was also observed.

A real-time high-performance transmission bandwidth-aware (TB-aware) coding bit-rate (CBR) controller design with low power consumption and low hardware complexity is presented in this article for H.265/high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) in a multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC). Previous TB-aware motion estimation designs with CBR-control capability in video coding have focused on algorithm development with precise CBR models, which require a complicated algorithmic derivation according to the system on-demand CBR and are difficult to realize in very large scale integration (VLSI) due to their lack of consideration for hardware implementation and modeling. Consequently, we present a hardware-oriented CBR-control algorithm that uses simple CBR control functions instead of requiring root and exponential operations to realize the real-time low-power design objective for HEVC applications within a mobile MPSoC. Then, an adequate hardware architecture with low hardware complexity is exploited to accomplish a low-power and high-speed VLSI design of a CBR controller for our proposed algorithm. Using diverse video-sized sequences under on-demand system coding-bit-rate constraints, the experimental outcomes demonstrate that the introduced design is capable of low power consumption and high speeds and can utilize low-complexity hardware.

The catalytic performance of three LaBO3perovskites including LaCoO3, LaFeO3and LaNiO3in the liquefaction of lignin was investigate through a series of experimental characterization methods such as GC-MS, FT-IR and elemental analysis as well as DFT calculation. The effects of reaction time, temperature, catalyst amount and B cation on the lignin conversion, bio-oil yield and products distribution were considered. The results indicate that all three perovskite catalysts can promote the liquefaction of lignin to produce aromatic compounds; among them, LaCoO3shows the highest catalytic performance, following by LaNiO3and LaFeO3. In particular, by using 5% LaCoO3, the bio-oil yield achieves 67.20% after reaction at 180 °C for 60 min, whilst the relative content of mono-aromatic compounds reaches 89.59%. The adsorption of oxygen atoms on the LaBO3crystal surface conduces to the decrease of bond dissociation energy for lignin (LaCoO3shows the moderate redox capacity and greatest adsorption energy), whilst the loose and porous morphology can effectively promote the fracture of C−C and CAr−OCH3of lignin. All these contribute to the macromolecular depolymerization and demethoxylation reaction, producing high value-added compounds such as phenol.

Background: To compare the traditional single-layer and double-layer suture renorrhaphy with modified “Binding” suture renorrhaphy (whole rim of the wound was closed by the all-layer flow suture starting from the parenchyma cut edges to hilum, followed by the final defect closure) in robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) for treating localized renal cell carcinoma in our large institutional experience. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 406 consecutive patients who underwent RPN from May 2018 and December 2020 in our center. The demographic and oncologic outcome variables were compared between different renal reconstruction groups and the effect of these suture techniques on renal function outcomes was also evaluated. Results: For the single-layer group, median operative time and warm ischemic time were significantly less than that of the double-layer and “Binding” groups (p&lt; 0.001), while the significantly lower eGFR drop (p= 0.014) was also detected within postoperative 3 months from baseline, but this difference lost its statistical significance from 3th month to the last follow-up. The changes in postoperative creatinine values were clinically insignificant among the three groups. In a sub-analysis over 258 patients with moderate/high nephrometry score, those patients who underwent “Binding” suture had an undifferentiated warm ischemic time, estimated blood loss, and length of hospitalization stay with a decreased risk of Grade III complications (postoperative hemorrhage requiring intervention) and improved renal function recovery during the whole follow-up. Conclusion: Single-layer suture renorrhaphy may be associated with better renal functional preservation and could prove to be reliable in patients with low-complexity tumor (RENAL score ≤ 6). Patients with moderate/high-complexity tumor (RENAL score ≥ 7) might represent a subgroup of patients having a functional benefit after “Binding” suture renorrhaphy even in the long-term period. Graphical abstract:

To improve the accuracy of hydrological simulations in the groundwater overexploitation zone of North China, it is necessary to study the characteristics of shallow aquifer recharge on daily scale. Three shallow aquifer recharge indices were used to quantify shallow aquifer recharge in two ways. The recharge coefficient was used to quantify the amount of shallow aquifer recharge. The recharge duration and water table rise coefficient were used to quantify the recharge temporal process. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to determine the relationships between aquifer water table depth (WTD), rainfall, and shallow aquifer recharge. The Jiangjiang River Basin, a tributary of the Haihe River, was selected as the study area. The results showed that the recharge coefficient first increased, then decreased, and finally leveled off as WTD increased. When WTD was between 5 and 6 m, the recharge coefficient reached its maximum (approximately 0.3). When WTD was greater than 10 m, the recharge coefficient remained stable (around 0.12). With regard to the sources and forms of recharge, preferential flow was dominant in the areas near the extraction wells. In contrast, plug flow became dominant in the areas distant from the wells. With the reduction of rainfall duration, the proportion of preferential flow contributing to aquifer recharge increased. With the increase of rainfall amount, the duration of aquifer recharge lengthened.

ZBP1 is an interferon (IFN)-induced nucleic acid (NA) sensor that senses unusual Z-form NA (Z-NA) to promote cell death and inflammation. However, the mechanisms that dampen ZBP1 activation to fine-tune inflammatory responses are unclear. Here, we characterize a short isoform of ZBP1 (referred to as ZBP1-S) as an intrinsic suppressor of the inflammatory signaling mediated by full-length ZBP1. Mechanistically, ZBP1-S depresses ZBP1-mediated cell death by competitive binding with Z-NA for Zα domains of ZBP1. Cells from mice (Ripk1D325A/D325A) with cleavage-resistant RIPK1-induced autoinflammatory (CRIA) syndrome are alive but sensitive to IFN-induced and ZBP1-dependent cell death. Intriguingly, Ripk1D325A/D325Acells die spontaneously when ZBP1-S is deleted, indicating that cell death driven by ZBP1 is under the control of ZBP1-S. Thus, our findings reveal that alternative splicing of Zbp1represents autogenic inhibition for regulating ZBP1 signaling and indicate that uncoupling of Z-NA with ZBP1 could be an effective strategy against autoinflammations.

Urine testing has been a primary standard clinical method for assessing proteinuria and electrolyte intake. The traditional 24 ​h urine collection method, despite its high accuracy, has some limitations in practice. To overcome its drawbacks, two alternatives are widely recommended: spot urine collection and overnight urine collection. However, questions about the ability of the two alternatives in replacing the 24 ​h urine collection are still on debate, which requires further investigation. This article makes a systematic review of the two alternatives methods for assessing proteinuria and electrolyte, which may provide a useful insight for using them in actual clinical evaluation and diagnosis.

The Ni-11Mo-8Al-3Ta-2Cr-1Re spherical powders of <150 μm were successfully prepared by the novel technique called supreme-speed plasma rotating electrode process (SS-PREP). The morphology of the atomized powders was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). A formation mechanism of some irregular particles appeared in the powders was described and the differences of their microstructures were analyzed by the image-replicating method. The composition differences of the irregular particles were multi-confirmed by EDS. The particle size distribution (PSD) data of the SS-PREP Ni-11Mo-8Al-3Ta-2Cr-1Re powders were well simulated with the newly reported double peak atomization assumption. The relationship between the particle size of the atomized Ni-based powders and the rotating speed of SS-PREP was also discussed and recorded.

Background: Well-designed retrospective studies (RSs) and small-sample prospective studies (PSs) evaluating the efficacy of interventions have received much attention. This study was designed to evaluate the differences between well-designed RSs and small-sample randomized controlled trials based on the efficacy of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) and open distal gastrectomy (ODG) for advanced gastric cancer (GC). Methods: The clinicopathological data of 1360 patients with GC who underwent DG were analysed. After propensity score matching (1:1), 380 cases (ODG = 190, LDG = 190) were finally selected in a RS. Meanwhile, data from 120 patients (ODG = 60, LDG = 60) who enrolled in a PS were analysed. Results: In the PS, the LDG group had less intraoperative blood loss, shorter time to first flatus, and shorter time to fluid diet than the ODG group. In the RS, the LDG group had less intraoperative blood loss, and a shorter postoperative hospital stay than the ODG group. In the PS, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 83.3% in the LDG group and 83.2% in the ODG group (p= 0.877). In the RS, the 3-year OS rate was 68.7% in the LDG group and 66.6% in the ODG group (p = 0.752). No significant interactions were observed between the two groups and any of the variables examined, either in the PS or RS. The recurrence patterns were similar in the two groups. Furthermore, Cox regression analysis showed that surgical method (LDG/ODG) was not a prognostic factor affecting OS or DFS, either prospectively or retrospectively. Conclusions: The oncologic efficacy of laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy for advanced GC is comparable. Well-designed RSs can be similar to small sample of PSs in assessing long-term oncologic outcomes of surgical interventions, but the short-term outcomes obtained should be treated with caution.

Water resources are one of the important factors affecting the sustainable development of China. If we could fundamentally solve the water environmental problems, it will contribute to national security and social stability quite a lot. Based on the “driving force—pressure—state—impact— response—management” model, a water environment safety evaluation index system in China was constructed, and the water environment safety of 30 provinces and cities in China except for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Tibet was comprehensively evaluated by the entropy right Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method, then the nuclear density function is adopted to analyze the dynamic trend of water environment safety evolution in China. The results show that: the response subsystem in the evaluation index system accounted for the largest proportion of urban water supply and drainage channel density index of the water environment safety contribution to the largest; China’s water environment safety level overall is low, Shanghai is the highest, Hainan is the lowest; Chinese provinces and cities water environment safety level steadily rising trend, the middle area of the right-tailing phenomenon is serious. To improve the safety of the water environment, a series of safeguards are put forward.

The aetiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial interplay between heredity and environment1,2. Here we report that deficiency in SETDB1, a histone methyltransferase that mediates the trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 9, participates in the pathogenesis of IBD. We found that levels of SETDB1 are decreased in patients with IBD, and that mice with reduced SETDB1 in intestinal stem cells developed spontaneous terminal ileitis and colitis. SETDB1 safeguards genome stability3, and the loss of SETDB1 in intestinal stem cells released repression of endogenous retroviruses (retrovirus-like elements with long repeats that, in humans, comprise approximately 8% of the genome). Excessive viral mimicry generated by motivated endogenous retroviruses triggered Z-DNA-binding protein 1 (ZBP1)-dependent necroptosis, which irreversibly disrupted homeostasis of the epithelial barrier and promoted bowel inflammation. Genome instability, reactive endogenous retroviruses, upregulation of ZBP1 and necroptosis were all seen in patients with IBD. Pharmaceutical inhibition of RIP3 showed a curative effect in SETDB1-deficient mice, which suggests that targeting necroptosis of intestinal stem cells may represent an approach for the treatment of severe IBD.

ABSTRACTThe effects of BaO and Na2O on the viscosity and structure of CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3-based blast furnace slag were investigated using the rotating cylinder method and Raman spectra technique in this work. The results indicated that the slag viscosity first increased and then decreased with the addition of BaO and decreased with the increasing content of Na2O. When adding BaO into CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3slag, Ba2+ion could compensate Al3+ion and form more complex aluminate or aluminate–silicate structures, which increased the degree of polymerisation and the viscosity of the slag. With the further addition of BaO, the content of SiO2decreased and the relative content of O2−ion increased, which may slightly depolymerise the slag structure then decreased the viscosity. When adding Na2O into CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3–BaO slag, Na2O may act as network modifiers which could simplify the complex silicate structures and lower the polymerisation degree of slags, therefore decreased the viscosity.

Purpose: Studies have shown the association between tongue color and diseases. To help clinicians make more objective and accurate decisions quickly, we take unsupervised learning to deal with the basic clustering of tongue color in a 2D way. Methods: A total of 595 typical tongue images were analyzed. The 3D information extracted from the image was transformed into 2D information by principal component analysis (PCA). K-Means was applied for clustering into four diagnostic groups. The results were evaluated by clustering accuracy (CA), Jaccard similarity coefficient (JSC), and adjusted rand index (ARI). Results: The new 2D information totally retained 89.63% original information in the L*a*b* color space. And our methods successfully classified tongue images into four clusters and the CA, ARI, and JSC were 89.04%, 0.721, and 0.890, respectively. Conclusions: The 2D information of tongue color can be used for clustering and to improve the visualization. K-Means combined with PCA could be used for tongue color classification and diagnosis. Methods in the paper might provide reference for the other research based on image diagnosis technology.

To date, the facile preparation of photocatalysts with high efficiency, selectivity and photostability to promote CO2conversion remains a big challenge. Here, we fabricated a novel photocatalyst, namely, MPA&MUA QDs prepared from CdS quantum dots (QDs) anchored by mixed MPA (3-mercaptopronic acid) and MUA (11-mercaptoalkanoic acid) ligands in one pot. Assisted by the sacrificial agent, the MPA&MUA QDs exhibited excellent performance and selectivity for photocatalytic CO2reduction to carbonaceous products HCOOH, CO and CH4with the corresponding rates of 2.8, 5.4 × 10−2and 6.3 × 10−3μmol mg(cat)−1h−1, respectively, under irradiation for 32 h. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) for the production of HCOOH achieved a high value up to 23.2%, while for CO and CH4, it was 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively. The attractive duration for photocatalysis under irradiation implied that the MPA&MUA QDs possessed enhanced photostability. Compared with the QDs solely decorated by MPA or MUA, the MPA&MUA QDs could enhance the energy gap Egand tune the conduction band to smoothly generate CH4, CO and HCOOH. From the combination of steady-state photoluminescence and time-resolved lifetime, we inferred that the MPA&MUA coatings had a decreased number of available hole trapping sites and improved passivation on the surface, which allowed for efficient hole and electron migration. With this work, we introduce a facial and feasible strategy to create an inexpensive and efficient visible-light photocatalyst for the multi-electron reduction of CO2.