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This paper discusses the application of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) in novel special-shaped concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns and presents an axial compressive test of the L-shaped column composed of recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tubes (RACFST). The replacement ratio of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) was changed to explore the axial compression performance of the columns in comparison with the L-shaped hollow section columns. The results show that with the increase in the replacement ratio of RCA, the bearing capacity and stiffness of the special-shaped CFST column decrease, but are better than those of the hollow section columns. As the replacement ratio increases from 0 to 100%, the compressive strength of RAC is reduced by 73.1%, while the resistance of the column is reduced by 18.0%. The poor performance of RAC can be alleviated by this special cross-section of columns. The FEMs simulated using the software ABAQUS are in good agreement with the experimental results and provide a reference for the modeling method. The calculation method for the axial bearing capacity of the L-shaped column was established considering the effect of constrained concrete and RCA replacement ratio. The deviation between the calculation and the test results is within 7%.

• Ni-doped Co–V–––Ga alloy with high transition temperature and plasticity is obtained. • γ phase hinders the expansion of cracks, improving the strength and plasticity. • Evolution of stress-induced martensite detwinning in Co–V–Ga-–––Ni was traced by EBSD. In the present work, the effects of Ni doping on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Co–V–Ga high-temperature shape memory alloy have been studied. It has been found that γ phase occurs in the form of precipitation or even dendrite microstructure when Ni content continuously increases in the alloy. The composition distribution showed the elements Co and Ni segregated in the γ phase, while elements V and Ga concentrated in the martensite phase. Moreover, the phase transition temperature increased by Ni-doping in Co–V–Ga alloys due to the increase in e / a of the alloy. However, the abundant presence of γ phase hindered the shear phase transformation and created a large number of grain boundaries to reduce M s temperature when Ni content continuously increased. In addition, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) results verified that the presence of γ phase could hinder the expansion of cracks, and improve the strength and plasticity of the alloy. Furthermore, it could be found the shape memory effect could maintain a relatively high recovery rate when Ni content was within a certain extent. However, the shape memory effect of the alloy significantly decreased in the presence of γ phase with dendrite microstructure. The current research results not only clarify the influence of Ni doping on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of Co–V–Ga alloys, but also provide guidance for element doping to prepare high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) with excellent performance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The information transfer rate (ITR) is widely accepted as a performance metric for generic brain-computer interface (BCI) spellers, while it is noticeable that the communication speed given by ITR is actually an upper bound which however can never be reached in real systems. A new performance metric is therefore needed. Methods: In this paper, a new metric named average time consumption per character (ATCPC) is proposed. It quantifies how long it takes on average to type one character using a typical synchronous BCI speller. To analytically derive ATCPC, the real typing process is modelled with a random walk on a graph. Misclassification and backspace are carefully characterized. A close-form formula of ATCPC is obtained through computing the hitting time of the random walk. The new metric is validated through simulated typing experiments and compared with ITR. Results: Firstly, the formula and simulation show a good consistency. Secondly, ITR always tends to overestimate the communication speed, while ATCPC is more realistic. Conclusion: The proposed ATCPC metric is valid. Significance: ATCPC is a qualified substitute for ITR. ATCPC also reveals the great potential of keyboard optimization to further enhance the performance of BCI spellers, which was hardly investigated before.

As the fields of photonics and information technology develop, a lot of novel applications based on VO2material, such as optoelectronic computing and information encryption, have been developed. While the performance of these devices was not only closely associated with the VO2phase transition properties but also depended on their dimensional characteristics. In the current study, we conducted the dimension-controlled vanadium dioxide (VO2) film growth, resulting in the epitaxial 2-dimensional (2D) VO2film and well-distributed 3-dimensional (3D) VO2crystal film deposition, respectively. It was revealed that, unlike the 2D film, the pronounced localized surface plasmon resonance dominated the near-infrared spectrum across the phase transition for the 3D VO2film due to the naturally formed meta-surface structure, which showed a transmittance valley in the infrared spectrum after metallization. Based on this distinct infrared spectrum feature in the 3D VO2film, we proposed an optoelectronic logic gate controlled by the input voltage and the probing Vis/IR light. By detecting the transmittance states of the probing light with different wavelengths, we achieved multistate encoding functions and demonstrated the information encryption application. This new conception device also showed great potential for some other applications such as optoelectronic coupled computing, information encryption, and optical near-field sensing computing.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been widely focused and extensively studied in recent years for their huge prospect of medical rehabilitation and commercial applications. Transfer learning exploits the information in the source domain and applies in another different but related domain (target domain), and is therefore introduced into the BCIs to figure out the inter-subject variances of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. In this article, a novel transfer learning method is proposed to preserve the Riemannian locality of data structure in both the source and target domains and simultaneously realize the joint distribution adaptation of both domains to enhance the effectiveness of transfer learning. Specifically, a Riemannian graph is first defined and constructed based on the Riemannian distance to represent the Riemannian geometry information. To simultaneously align the marginal and conditional distribution of source and target domains and preserve the Riemannian locality of data structure in both domains, the Riemannian graph is embedded in the joint distribution adaptation (JDA) framework and forms the proposed Riemannian locality preserving-based transfer learning (RLPTL). To validate the effect of the proposed method, it is compared with several existing methods on two open motor imagery datasets, and both multi-source domains (MSD) and single-source domains (SSD) experiments are considered. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves the highest accuracies in MSD and SSD experiments on three datasets and outperforms eight baseline methods, which demonstrates that the proposed method creates a feasible and efficient way to realize transfer learning.

Chlorellaspecies have gained considerable attention in the past decades due to their capacity to synthesize valuable bioactive compounds in large quantities. While most research has focused on their use in biofuel production, limited consideration has been given to their nutritional applications. This critical review aims to present the latest advancements in the cultivation of Chlorellasp., highlighting the biosynthesis, extraction, and potential application of high-valued bioactive compounds in Chlorellacells. Chlorellasp. can be cultivated in four distinct modes (photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, mixotrophic, and photoheterotrophic conditions) to support their growth and metabolism accumulation. The typical high-valued bioactive compounds within Chlorellacells are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and pigments, which possess various nutritional properties and potential health-promoting benefits. This review also focuses on the carbon and nitrogen metabolism within Chlorellacells that underlie the biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds. Additionally, it extensively discusses various extraction methods employed to obtain these valuable compounds for their utilization and commercialization. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the biochemistry and physiology of Chlorellasp. The current challenges and further prospects for the biomass and derived byproducts of Chlorellasp. are also presented. Overall, this review provides critical insights that can drive the advancement and optimization of industrial production systems, paving the way for the widespread utilization and commercialization of Chlorella-derived bioactive compounds.

Cocrystallization has emerged as a promising strategy to obtain new solid forms of a given compound with tailored properties. In this study, a green and efficient slurry method was proposed for cocrystal synthesis using deep eutectic solvents (DESs), a new generation of green solvents, as both the solvent and reactant (i.e., cocrystal coformer). The method was subjected to cocrystal screening of carbamazepine in a series of choline chloride (ChCl) DESs and compared with the slurry method in organic solvents. The results indicate that as the cocrystal formation by a slurry method in DESs is similar to the solvate formation in organic solvents, it can overcome the issues of traditional cocrystallization in organic solvents, such as individual crystallization caused by solubility differences and the formation of unwanted solvates, thereby improving the screening efficiency of cocrystals. Further, a DES of ChCl and urea was used for cocrystal screening for 30 compounds, and all 30 cocrystals with urea were successfully synthesized after the reaction temperature and water contents of DES were adjusted, further confirming the applicability of the slurry method to various compounds. Finally, the artificial bee colony algorithm, one method of artificial intelligence, was adopted to search for low-energy stable structures of the cocrystal precursors in ChCl-urea DESs. Such given structures combined with the hydrogen bond analysis by the Atoms in Molecules theory indicated that the strong interactions between the drug and ChCl could restrain its cocrystal formation with urea. In conclusion, the slurry method based on DESs proposed in this study can overcome the obstacles of the slurry method in organic solvents, which is a green, efficient, and promising alternative method for cocrystal synthesis.

This novel report presents the first known case, to our knowledge, of a 16-year-old male patient who experienced intraventricular thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after a Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum, attributed to chronic bar displacement. Two years after the operation, the patient experienced post-exercise cough and hemoptysis, which led to his admission. Imaging revealed pulmonary embolism, thrombosis in the right ventricular outflow tract, and lung infiltrative lesions. We hypothesize that the chronic bar displacement led to its embedment in the right ventricle, resulting in thrombus formation, which subsequently contributed to partial pulmonary embolism. Surgery revealed the bars’ intrusion into the right ventricle and lung. This case highlights the risk of severe complications from bar displacement in the Nuss procedure, which necessitates long-term follow-up evaluation, caution against strenuous activities after surgery, and use of thoracoscopic guidance during bar implantation and removal. It underscores the importance of vigilant evaluation for late-stage complications in patients with respiratory distress or thrombosis after a Nuss procedure.

This study investigated the coupled effects of multiple factors, namely dust mass concentration, dust particle size, and oxygen volume concentration, on the explosion intensity of ultrafine aluminium powder (UAP); the study determined the weight of each factor by using an orthogonal experimental design. Explosion intensity was evaluated using the maximum explosion pressure (MEP) and MEP rise rate (MEPR) of UAP. Explosion tests were performed using a 20 L standard spherical explosive device. A weight matrix for the explosion intensity was calculated. The results revealed that the MEP and MEPR increased most with the oxygen volume concentration. They also increased with the dust mass concentration to a lesser extent. The dust particle size had the smallest effect; the MEP and MEPR initially increased and then decreased as the particle size increased. The weights for oxygen volume concentration, dust mass concentration, and dust particle size were 69.191%, 18.761%, and 13.038%, respectively. The optimal factor combination for minimizing intensity was a dust mass concentration of 500 g/m3, an oxygen volume concentration of 9 vol%, and a dust particle size of 0.172 µm. On the basis of these findings, the study proposes industrial explosion-proofing countermeasures to increase the safety of production in aluminium-related enterprises.

Inland water bodies, being the most active biogeochemical cycle reactors, play a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle and CO2budget. This study integrates existing observation dataset of CO2flux (fCO2) in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in China, to elucidate their spatial-temporal patterns and key influencing factors and to reappraise the significance for regional carbon balance. It showed that, the fCO2in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in China presented significant variability with large range of −379.3–4947.6, −160.1–785.0 and −74.0–1603.1 mg CO2m−2h−1, respectively. The median of the fCO2in rivers was of 228.5 mg CO2m−2h−1, observably higher than these in lakes and reservoirs (26.0 and 28.3 mg CO2m−2h−1, respectively). The fCO2in rivers and reservoirs exhibited similar decreasing trend from south to north as a result of universal climate restraint, the averaged fCO2in Pearl River and Yangtze River basins showed much higher than that in Northeastern rivers. While, the averaged fCO2in the Mongolia-Xinjiang lake district and the Northeast lake district were higher than other lake districts, followed by the Qinghai-Xizang lake district, and the Eastern and Yungui lake district were generally low, contradicting the climatic restriction. The water primary production enhancement resulting from human activities was the main driver of spatial variation in the fCO2in lakes. Meanwhile, the fCO2in rivers presented seasonal pattern with higher wet season than dry season, while opposite patterns were found in lakes and reservoirs. Seasonal temperature, precipitation and water primary production were main factors. Furthermore, it showed pH was a key factor indicating the variability of the fCO2levels either in rivers, lakes or in reservoirs. In lakes, the fCO2is closely linked to chlorophyll a (Chl-a)and dissolved oxygen (DO), whereas, the fCO2in rivers is primarily associated with organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (TN), highlighting the diverse controlling mechanisms of fCO2in various inland water types. In addition, we found that water body sizes play an important role in regulating the fCO2levels, and small waters act as hotspots of CO2flux. Additionally, widespread urbanization and agricultural activities may enhance CO2emissions from rivers but potentially mitigating that from lakes. Nevertheless, the comprehensive impact of these factors on CO2emissions in inland water requires further evaluation. Based on the extrapolation method, we re-estimated that the total CO2emission of inland waters in China is approximately 117.3 Tg yr−1, which could offset 4.6%–12.8% of the total land carbon sink in China.

Background Ionizing radiation can induce bystander effects (RIBE), and Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) have a protective effect against RIBE. It has been proved that RIBE occurred and APS played the inhibitory effects on the RIBE when radiation was carried out only one time. However, whether RIBE happened by multiple irradiations and the effects of APS on the RIBE are unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether APS suppress RIBE damage induced by multiple irradiations.Materials and Methods A549 cells were irradiated with 2 Gy X-rays to obtain a conditioned medium. Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was incubated with the conditioned medium 5 times every 3 days or APS. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 and colony formation assay, and genomic instability and DNA damages were detected by the micronucleus and immunofluorescence assay. The protein associated with methylation and cancer-associated proteins in BMSCs were detected by western blot.Results After five stimulations with a conditioned medium, the proliferative capacity of BMSCs decreased; APS pre-intervention promoted the proliferation of BMSCs. And conditional medium intervention increased the micronucleus rate and a number of 53BP1 foci; APS pre-intervention reduced the micronucleus rate and number of 53BP1 foci. In addition, the conditional medium intervention reduced the expression of methylation-related proteins and increased the expression of cancer-related proteins, while APS pre-intervention reversed this trend.Conclusion Irradiated A549 conditioned medium can induce RIBE of BMSCs, which might be related to methylation and cancer-associated proteins and APS may block RIBE by multiple irradiations in BMSCs.

We developed a magnesium/sodium (Mg/Na) hybrid battery using a hierarchical disk-whisker FeSe2architecture (HD-FeSe2) as the cathode material and a modified dual-ion electrolyte. The polarizable Se2–anion reduced the Mg2+migration barrier, and the 3D configuration possessed a large surface area, which facilitated both Mg2+/Na+cation diffusion and electron transport. The dual-ion salts with NaTFSI in ether reduced the Mg plating/stripping overvoltage in a symmetric cell. The hybrid battery exhibited an energy density of 260.9 Wh kg–1and a power density of 600.8 W kg–1at 0.2 A g–1. It showed a capacity retention of 154 mAh g–1and a Coulombic efficiency of over 99.5% under 1.0 A g–1after 800 long cycles. The battery also displayed outstanding temperature tolerance. The findings of 3D architecture as cathode material and hybrid electrolyte provide a pathway to design a highly reliable Mg/Na hybrid battery.

CREG1 (cellular repressor of E1A‐stimulated genes 1) is a protein involved in cellular differentiation and homeostasis regulation. However, its role in skeletal muscle satellite cells differentiation and muscle regeneration is poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of CREG1 in myogenesis and muscle regeneration. RNA sequencing data (GSE8479) was analysed from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi). We generated Creg1knockdown and skeletal muscle satellite cells specific Creg1overexpression mice mediated by adeno‐associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9), skeletal muscle mature myofibre Creg1knockout mice (myoblast/Creg1MKO), and control mice Creg1flox/flox(Creg1fl/fl) as in vivo models. The mice were injected into tibialis anterior (TA) muscle with 100 μL of 10 μM cardiotoxin to establish a muscle regeneration model. Creg1fl/fland Creg1MKOmice were treated with AAV‐sh‐C‐Cbl (2 × 1010genomic copies/mouse) to silence C‐Cblin the TA muscle. 293T and C2C12 cells were transfected with plasmids using lipofectamine RNAi MAX in vitro. Mass spectrometry analyses and RNA sequencing transcriptomic assay were performed. We analysed the transcriptional profiles of the skeletal muscle biopsies from healthy older (N= 25) and younger (N= 26) adult men and women in GSE8479 database, and the results showed that Creg1was associated with human sarcopenia. We found that Creg1knockdown mice regenerated less newly formed fibres in response to cardiotoxin injection (~30% reduction, P< 0.01); however, muscle satellite cells specific Creg1overexpression mice regenerated more newly formed fibres (~20% increase, P< 0.05). AMPKa1 is known as a key mediator in the muscle regeneration process. Our results revealed that CREG1 deficiency inhibited AMPKa1 signalling through C‐CBL E3‐ubiquitin ligase‐mediated AMPKa1 degradation (P< 0.01). C‐CBL‐mediated AMPKa1 ubiquitination was attributed to the K48‐linked polyubiquitination of AMPKa1 at K396 and that the modification played an important role in the regulation of AMPKa1 protein stability. We also found that Creg1MKOmice regenerated less newly formed fibres compared with Creg1fl/flmice (~30% reduction, P< 0.01). RNA‐seq analysis showed that CREG1 deletion in impaired muscles led to the upregulation of inflammation and DKK3 expression. The TA muscles of Creg1MKOmice were injected with AAV‐vector or AAV‐shC‐Cbl, silencing C‐CBL (P< 0.01) in the skeletal muscles of Creg1MKOmice significantly improved muscle regeneration induced by CTX injury (P< 0.01). Our findings suggest that CREG1 may be a potential therapeutic target for skeletal muscle regeneration.

An efficient synthetic approach was developed and applied to the syntheses of four linear biosynthetic C25-precursors of leucosceptroids. The synthesis features a Julia–Kocienski olefination and a late-stage bioinspired photo-oxidation as key steps. The immunosuppressive effects of all synthetic compounds on mouse T cells and macrophage RAW264.7 were determined.

Common wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) is a global staple food, while nitrogen (N) limitation severely hinders plant growth, seed yield, and grain quality of wheat. Genetic variations in the responses to low N stresses among allohexaploid wheat (AABBDD, 2n= 6x= 42) genotypes emphasize the complicated regulatory mechanisms underlying low N tolerance and N use efficiency (NUE). In this study, hydroponic culture, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, noninvasive microtest, high-performance liquid chromatography, RNA-seq, and bioinformatics were used to determine the differential growth performance, ionome and phytohormone profiles, and genome-wide expression profiling of wheat plants grown under high N and low N conditions. Transcriptional profiling of NPFs, NRT2s, CLCs, SLACs/SLAHs, AAPs, UPSs, NIAs, and GSs characterized the core members, such as TaNPF6.3-6D, TaNRT2.3–3D, TaNIA1–6B, TaGLN1;2–4B, TaAAP14–5A/5D, and TaUPS2–5A, involved in the efficient transport and assimilation of nitrate and organic N nutrients. The low-N-sensitivity wheat cultivar XM26 showed obvious leaf chlorosis and accumulated higher levels of ABA, JA, and SA than the low-N-tolerant ZM578 under N limitation. The TaMYB59–3D-TaNPF7.3/NRT1.5–6Dmodule-mediated shoot-to-root translocation and leaf remobilization of nitrate was proposed as an important pathway regulating the differential responses between ZM578 and XM26 to low N. This study provides some elite candidate genes for the selection and breeding of wheat germplasms with low N tolerance and high NUE.

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) systems have shown great promise in many fields such as real-time wearable healthcare imaging, but their fixed number of electrodes and placement locations limit the system's flexibility and adaptability for further advancement. In this article, we propose a flexible and reconfigurable EIT system (Flexi-EIT) based on digital active electrode (DAE) architecture to address these limitations. By integrating a reconfigurable number of up to 32 replaceable DAEs into the flexible printed circuit (FPC) based wearable electrode belt, we can enable rapid, reliable, and easy placement while maintaining high device flexibility and reliability. We also explore hardware-software co-optimization image reconstruction solutions to balance the size and accuracy of the model, the power consumption, and the real-time latency. Each DAE is designed using commercial chips and fabricated on a printed circuit board (PCB) measuring 13.1 mm × 24.4 mm and weighing 2 grams. In current excitation mode, it can provide programmable sinusoidal current signal output with frequencies up to 100 kHz and amplitudes up to 1 mA$_{p-p}$ that meets IEC 60601-1 standard. In voltage acquisition mode, it can pre-amplify, filter, and digitize the external response voltage signal, improving the robustness of the system while avoiding the need for subsequent analog signal processing circuits. Measured results on a mesh phantom demonstrate that the Flexi-EIT system can be easily configured with different numbers of DAEs and scan patterns to provide EIT measurement frames at 38 fps and real-time EIT images with at least 5 fps, showing the potential to be deployed in a variety of application scenarios and providing the optimal balance of system performance and hardware resource usage solutions.

Byline: Hongtao. Lv, Ting. Zhou, Fengnian. Rong Objective: The effect of CO[sub]2 pneumoperitoneum (CDP) on the oncology outcomes of patients undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer remains unclear. In [...]

Variations in the resistance to potassium (K) deficiency among rapeseed genotypes emphasize complicated regulatory mechanisms. In this study, a low-K-sensitivity accession (L49) responded to K deficiency with smaller biomasses, severe leaf chlorosis, weaker photosynthesis ability, and deformed stomata morphology compared to a low-K resistant accession (H280). H280 accumulated more K+than L49 under low K. Whole-genome resequencing (WGS) revealed a total of 5,538,622 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 859,184 insertions/deletions (InDels) between H280 and L49. RNA-seq identified more differentially expressed K+transporter genes with higher expression in H280 than in L49 under K deficiency. Based on the K+profiles, differential expression profiling, weighted gene coexpression network analysis, and WGS data between H280 and L49, BnaC4.AKT1was proposed to be mainly responsible for root K absorption-mediated low K resistance. BnaC4.AKT1was expressed preferentially in the roots and localized on the plasma membrane. An SNP and an InDel found in the promoter region of BnaC4.AKT1were proposed to be responsible for its differential expression between rapeseed genotypes. This study identified a gene resource for improving low-K resistance. It also facilitates an integrated knowledge of the differential physiological and transcriptional responses to K deficiency in rapeseed genotypes.

Depressive disorders are a global mental health challenge that is closely linked to inflammation, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. The JAK-STAT pathway, which is primarily associated with inflammatory responses, is not fully characterized in the context of depressive disorders. Recently, a phase 3 retrospective cohort analysis heightened that the marketed JAK inhibitor tofacitinib is beyond immune diseases and has potential for preventing mood disorders. Inspired by these clinical facts, we investigated the role of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in depression and comprehensively assessed the antidepressant effect of tofacitinib. We found that aberrant activation of the JAK-STAT pathway is highly conserved in the hippocampus of classical depressive mouse models: LPS-induced and chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced depressive mice. Mechanistically, the JAK-STAT pathway mediates proinflammatory cytokine production and microgliosis, leading to synaptic defects in the hippocampus of both depressive models. Remarkably, the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib effectively reverses these phenomena, contributing to its antidepressant effect. These findings indicate that the JAK/STAT pathway could be implicated in depressive disorders, and suggest that the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib has a potential translational implication for preventing mood disorders far beyond its current indications.

Circular RNA (circRNA) has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in tumor development. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of circMBOAT2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its association with tumor growth induced by chronic stress. We constructed stably transfected A549 and H1299 cell lines with circMBOAT2 overexpression and knockdown. Colony formation, scratch healing, Transwell and CCK-8 assays were conducted to evaluate the effects of circMBOAT2 in the presence or absence of norepinephrine (NE) treatment on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells, respectively. Additionally, A chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression with heterotopic transplantation LLC and injection of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting circMBOAT2 mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of chronic stress on tumorigenesis via circMBOAT2. Moreover, we investigated the regulatory effect of CCCTC binding factor (CTCF) on circMBOAT2 expression through in vivo and in vitro silencing of CTCF. Our results revealed a significant upregulation of circMBOAT2 in NSCLC cell lines and tumor tissues. circMBOAT2 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells, while NE treatment reversed the cell suppression effect caused by circMBOAT2 knockdown. Notably, CUMS promoted tumor growth, while silencing circMBOAT2 inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we identified CTCF as the upstream regulator of circMBOAT2, which exhibited upregulation in NSCLC cells and tissues. Knockdown of CTCF reversed the promotional effect of CUMS on circMBOAT2 expression and tumor growth. Our findings provide evidence that CTCF mediates chronic stress in promoting of NSCLC progression through circMBOAT2. circMBOAT2 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for NSCLC as well as the treatment of comorbid depression in NSCLC patients.

The design of a bending angle sensor consisting of plastic optical fibers (POFs) embedded in transparent tubing is proposed for the detection of the angle of human joints. Highly sensitive sensing is achieved by the bending of the transparent tubing between the two fiber end faces which is functioning as a hollow-core optical fiber with the air inside the tubing as the core and the tubing as the cladding. Simulation results based on the ray tracing method show that when the transparent tubing was bent, both end-face coupling and internal reflection mechanisms coexisted in the beam transmission process, with reflection in the tubing being the main mechanism at a large bending angle. A motor-driven angle measurement system is constructed to achieve accurate control of the bending angle. Experimental results show that the sensor can achieve ultra-wide-angle detection ranging from 0° to 180° with a high sensitivity of 0.136 dB/° and a linear regression coefficient ( $\text{R}^{{2}}{)}$ of 0.997. Finally, the dynamic response characteristics of the sensor are tested on both motor-controlled bending and joint bending, and the results show fast response, good repeatability, and stability of the proposed sensor.

Due to the influence of sparse scattering, wave movement and variable climate, maritime wireless channel modeling is particularly difficult. In this letter, a maritime channel measurement scheme is designed and implemented. A clustering algorithm-based channel modeling framework is further proposed to process the measurement data and build a maritime propagation model. Specifically, the clustering algorithm is introduced in the framework to adaptively discover data characteristics in complex environments, which avoids error accumulation. Numerical results illustrate that the proposed model outperforms existing empirical path loss models in describing the signal propagation at sea, which provides good guidance for designing and deploying of maritime communication systems.

Highly sensitive iron oxide nanoparticles with stable, safe and efficient surface functionalization, as potential substitutes for gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) with increasing biosafety concerns, exhibit great potential for high-performance magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Herein, we developed ultrasmall catechol-PEG-anchored ferrite nanoparticles (PEG-UMFNPs) for highly sensitive MRA. The obtained nanoprobe has a high T1relaxivity value (7.2 mM−1s−1) due to its ultrasmall size and Mn doping. It has a suitable hydrodynamic size of 20 nm, which prevents rapid vascular extravasation and renal clearance and prolongs its blood circulation time. In vivoMRA at 3.0 T using the nanoprobe shows that the arteries and veins of rats, even blood vessels as small as 0.32 mm, are distinctly visible, and the contrast enhancement can last for at least 1 h. In addition, due to the outstanding contrast enhancement and long circulation time, the stenosis and recanalization process of the rat’s carotid artery can be continuously monitored with a single injection of the nanoprobe. Our study indicates that PEG-UMFNPs are outstanding MR imaging nanoprobes that can be used to diagnose vascular diseases without the biosafety issues of GBCAs.

Background: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality rates among children under 5 years old. This study aimed to explore the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), economic burden, and related influencing factors among Chinese HFMD patients. Methods: From January to October 2019, a longitudinal cohort study of 296 hospitalized patients (≤ 5 years old) with HFMD and their guardians was conducted using the proxy version of the 5-level EQ-5D-Y (EQ-5D-Y-5L, Y-5L) in face-to-face interviews in Shanghai, Zhengzhou, and Kunming, representing three regions with different economic development levels. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the factors associated with HRQOL and costs. Results: The mean Y-5L health utility score (HUS) (standard deviation, SD), and visual analogue scale (VAS) score (SD) were 0.730 (0.140) and 60.33 (16.52) at admission and increased to 0.920 (0.120) and 89.95 (11.88) at discharge, respectively. The children from Shanghai had the lowest HUSs at admission and had the best health improvement. The mean hospitalization cost and total cost were 4037 CNY and 5157 CNY, respectively. The children from Shanghai had the highest hospitalization cost (4559 CNY) and total cost (5491 CNY). Multiple regression analysis suggested that medical insurance status, type of employment, residence type, and religious status were significantly associated with the baseline HUS and improvement in the HUS after treatment. Region, loss of work time, and length of stay had a significant impact on the hospitalization cost and total cost. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that HFMD could lead to poor HRQOL and the economic burden varies in different regions in China. Many pediatric patients still have physical or mental health problems shortly after treatment.

The mason bee Osmia excavataAlfken is an apple pollinating insect widely distributed in northern China, in order to effectively utilize the mason bee and improve the pollination rate of apples, there is a need to evaluate the pollination efficiency of the bees. This study evaluated the pollination efficiency of the mason bee on apple orchards in Jinan and Yantai, Shandong Province, China. The study compared natural pollination areas and pollination areas with different release densities of O. excavatain terms of the effects of bee density, timing of pollination, and distance effects on fruit set rate, fruit shape index, fruit shape skewness, fruit soluble solids content, and fruit firmness. The optimal release density of bees was 6000 cocoons per hectare, resulting in the highest fruit setting rate of apple lateral flowers. From 07:00 to 14:00 was the best time for bee pollination. The optimal distance of hives from apple trees for pollination by O. excavatawas 60 m. Single fruit weight was significantly higher and fruit unsymmetrical rate, partial slope and hardness were all significantly lower at the release densities of 6000 or 12000 cocoons per hectare compared with 3000 cocoons per hectare or under natural pollination conditions. There was no significant difference in the content of soluble solids under different release densities. Thus, the radius of 60 m from the hive was the effective pollination range and 6000 cocoons per hectare of mason bees could ensure the fruit quality of apple.

The eye, an anatomical extension of the central nervous system (CNS), exhibits many molecular and cellular parallels to the brain. Emerging research demonstrates that changes in the brain are often reflected in the eye, particularly in the retina1. Still, the possibility of an immunological nexus between the posterior eye and the rest of the CNS tissues remains unexplored. Here, studying immune responses to herpes simplex virus in the brain, we observed that intravitreal immunization protects mice against intracranial viral challenge. This protection extended to bacteria and even tumours, allowing therapeutic immune responses against glioblastoma through intravitreal immunization. We further show that the anterior and posterior compartments of the eye have distinct lymphatic drainage systems, with the latter draining to the deep cervical lymph nodes through lymphatic vasculature in the optic nerve sheath. This posterior lymphatic drainage, like that of meningeal lymphatics, could be modulated by the lymphatic stimulator VEGFC. Conversely, we show that inhibition of lymphatic signalling on the optic nerve could overcome a major limitation in gene therapy by diminishing the immune response to adeno-associated virus and ensuring continued efficacy after multiple doses. These results reveal a shared lymphatic circuit able to mount a unified immune response between the posterior eye and the brain, highlighting an understudied immunological feature of the eye and opening up the potential for new therapeutic strategies in ocular and CNS diseases.

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a promising technology for the next generation of wireless networks. However, maximizing energy efficiency (EE) for NOMA systems may cause unbearable near-far unfairness. In this letter, a novel fairness-aware energy-efficient power allocation for uplink NOMA systems with imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC) is proposed. We first introduce a new metric called geometric energy efficiency (GEE), then a dynamic power allocation scheme is developed by maximizing the GEE. Numerical results show that the proposed power allocation scheme achieves at least a 15.1% EE gain over benchmarks while also providing better or comparable fairness performance.

This study explored the flower visiting behaviors and pollination abilities of mason bees (Osmia excavataAlfken (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)), bumble bees (Bombus terrestris(Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)), and Italian honey bees (Apis mellifera ligusticaSpinola (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) in apple orchards in early spring in Jinan (located in the central region of Shandong) and Yantai (located in the Peninsula of Shandong). We compared the pollen collection patterns, flower visiting behavior, flying speed, and effects on apple pollination of the 3 types of bees. The frequencies of flower visits were significantly higher for mason bees (12.89/min in Jinan and 10.63/min in Yantai) than bumble bees and Italian honey bees in the 2 regions. The single flower residence times were significantly higher for Italian honey bees (8.22 s in Jinan and 9.43 s in Yantai), but Italian honey bees were most affected by the climate. The 3 bees differed significantly in terms of the amount of apple pollen collected and their effects on the fruit setting rate in apples (mason bees > bumble bees > Italian honey bees). The results showed that the mason bee was the most suitable pollinating species for spring apple orchards; Bumble bees were more suitable as alternative pollinators during cloudy and low temperatures; Italian honey bees were able to take advantage of their large number of worker bees in sunny and warm weather. Compared to individual bee species, a combination of 2 or 3 species of bees might be more advantageous in dealing with complex and variable weather conditions.

The traditional structural design process of rural buildings requires a lot of trial calculations and iterations of modelling work. However, rural buildings are subject to construction costs and cannot be professionally designed and checked by designers like urban buildings. Their safety and economy are difficult to meet the requirements. Therefore, an intelligent design concept of rural light steel frame structure was proposed, including intelligent modeling and intelligent optimization. Based on the automatic layer recognition method and optical character recognition technology, the BIM intelligent modeling method of rural light steel frame structure corresponding to the standard atlas of rural buildings was proposed, including layer recognition, axis text data extraction, primary selection and automatic arrangement of components. The intelligent modeling results basically met the requirements of practical application. Based on the proposed two-stage genetic algorithm, an intelligent optimization method of rural light steel frame structure was given. The optimization speed was fast and the optimization effect was good. The proposed intelligent design method was verified by practical case. The results showed that the proposed intelligent design concept of rural light steel frame structure was feasible. Compared with the traditional manual design method, the design period could be shortened by more than 80%, and the structural design indexes were comparable.

This brief describes a high power efficiency, high linearity current driver for wearable electrical impedance tomography (EIT). It is extremely important to improve the power efficiency of the current driver circuit for wearable EIT applications because it consumes the majority of the power. As such, we propose a multi-stage shifting current mirror (S-CM) current-steering current driver circuit with customized dynamic element matching (DEM) techniques to suppress harmonic distortion (HD) to the greatest extent. Furthermore, the placement of switches in the current mirror circuit is optimized to reduce glitches during the switching phases. Operating between 14 MHz to 56 MHz, the power consumptions for the current mirror and the digital control logic are 21.6-141.6 $\mu $ W and 64.8-438 $\mu $ W, respectively. The proposed circuit has demonstrated an excellent energy efficiency of 0.3 $\mu $ W/kHz while maintaining a total harmonic distortion (HD) of <–43 dB (0.7%).

The development of computation-intensive and delay-sensitive smart applications has put forward great challenge to the current cellular networks. To cope with this challenge, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) providing additional on-demand communication and computing services has become a promising technology. This letter proposes a novel task offloading framework in UAV-aided mobile edge computing (MEC) networks. Specifically, the MEC queuing delay is considered in the formulated problem, where the average task delay is minimized via jointly optimizing user association and UAV deployment. The optimal transport theory is introduced to analyze the user association sub-problem, and the UAV deployment is optimized by the classical particle swarm optimization algorithm. Simulation results show that the delay performance is significantly improved by the proposed algorithm.

Austenitic S30408 stainless steel exhibits good low-temperature resistance and good welding performance. This steel is often used in liquefied natural gas stainless steel storage tanks. During the construction process, the tank wall is primarily connected by butt weld joints. Because welded joints are easily affected by temperature, low-temperature weld cracking can reduce the safety of structures. To study the cryogenic mechanical properties of austenitic S30408 stainless steel welded joints at low temperatures, the low-temperature mechanical properties of austenitic S30408 stainless steel base metal and welded joint components were studied by tensile tests from − 60 to 20 °C and scanning electron microscopy analysis of fractures at various temperatures. The results show that when the temperature decreases, the stress–strain curve of base metal components changes from a power function type to an inverted "s" type; in addition, secondary hardening occurs. The yield strength and tensile strength of the welded joint and base metal increased with decreasing temperature, and the elongation and reduction of area decreased. The plastic deformation capacity of the welded joint was significantly lower than that of the base metal, and there were obvious inclusions in the microstructure.

Mass storage and removal in solids always play a vital role in technological applications such as modern batteries and neuronal computations. However, they were kinetically limited by the slow diffusional process in the lattice, which made it challenging to fabricate applicable conductors with high electronic and ionic conductivities at room temperature. Here, we proposed an acid solution/WO3/ITO sandwich structure and achieved ultrafast H transport in the WO3layer by interfacial job-sharing diffusion, which means the spatially separated transport of the H+and e–in different layers. From the color change of WO3, the effective diffusion coefficient (Deff) was estimated, dramatically increasing ≤106times and overwhelming values from previous reports. The experiments and simulations also revealed the universality of extending this approach to other atoms and oxides, which could stimulate systematic studies of ultrafast mixed conductors in the future.

Multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) has become a powerful tool in minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in B‐lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (B‐ALL). In the setting of targeted immunotherapy, B‐ALL MRD detection often relies on alterative gating strategies, such as the utilization of CD22 and CD24. It is important to depict the full diversity of normal cell populations included in the alternative B‐cell gating methods to avoid false‐positive results. We describe two CD22‐positive non‐neoplastic cell populations in the peripheral blood (PB), including one progenitor population of uncertain lineage and one mature B‐cell population, which are immunophenotypic mimics of B‐ALL. Using MFC, we investigated the prevalence and phenotypic profiles of both CD22‐positive populations in 278 blood samples from 52 patients with B‐ALL; these were obtained pre‐ and post‐treatment with CD19 and/or CD22 CAR‐T therapies. We further assessed whether these two populations in the blood were exclusively associated with B‐ALL or recent anticancer therapies, by performing the same analysis on patients diagnosed with other hematological malignancies but in long‐term MRD remission. The progenitor population and mature B‐cell population were detected at low levels in PB of 61.5% and 44.2% of B‐ALL patients, respectively. Both cell types showed distinctive and highly consistent antigen expression patterns that are reliably distinguishable from B‐ALL. Furthermore, their presence is not restricted solely to B‐ALL or recent therapy. Our findings aid in building a complete immunophenotypic profile of normal cell populations in PB, thereby preventing misdiagnosis of B‐ALL MRD and inappropriate management.

Graphical abstract:

• Magnetic field-assisted directional solidification (MFADS) can control structure. • Macro-/micro-segregation and orientation can be adjusted by MFADS. • Microsegregation-induced microstructure influences mechanical properties. • Stress-induced crystallographic evolution is traced by in-situ EBSD. In this study, the effect of transverse magnetic field-assisted directional solidification (MFADS) on the microstructures in Ni-Mn-Ga alloys has been investigated. The results show that the magnetic field is capable of inducing transversal macrosegregation perpendicular to the magnetic field, causing the emergence of martensite clusters in the austenite matrix. Moreover, the magnetic field alleviates the microsegregation on a dendritic scale and promotes the preferred growth of austenite dendrites. On the basis of the above investigation, several special samples are designed using the MFADS to study the crystallographic evolution and mechanical behavior during thermal/stress-induced martensite transformation. The martensite cluster in the austenite matrix is used to investigate the martensite transformation and growth under cooling-heating cycles. The crystallographic relationship and phase boundary microstructure between martensite and austenite have been characterized. In addition, the microsegregation on a dendritic scale can significantly influence the martensite variant distribution, corresponding to the performance during compressive circles based on the analysis of the deformation gradient tensor. The stress-induced superelasticity is closely dependent on orientation, well explained from the perspective of different resolved shear stress factors and correspondence variant pair formation transformation strain. The crystallographic evolution has been characterized during in-situ stress-induced transformation. The findings not only deepen the understanding of martensite transformation and mechanical behavior under a thermal/stress field in Ni-Mn-Ga alloys but also propose a promising strategy to obtain microstructure-controllable functional alloys by MFADS. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete-filled steel plate composite walls are increasingly used in high-rise buildings; their mechanical properties at room temperature have produced fruitful results. However, research on their mechanical properties in fire and at high temperatures is scarce. Moreover, published studies on the fire resistance of concrete-filled steel plate composite walls have not considered the impact of fire protection measures. Based on previous fire resistance research, a fire resistance test was designed in this study for four walls under the combined action of axial compression and a single-sided fire under the ISO-834 standard heating curve. Apart from that, the existing fire protections have the disadvantages of too thick, easy falling off and cracking or difficult to install. In order to eliminate the disadvantages of existing fire prevention measures, new composite fireproof structure using a rock wool board and a thin fire-retardant coating is proposed. The effects of no fireproof structures, autoclaved lightweight concrete plate fireproof structures, thick-coated fire-retardant structures, and new composite fireproof structures on the fire resistance of concrete-filled steel plate composite walls were studied experimentally. The results show that the fire resistance of the four test specimens meets the 3 h fire resistance limit of the primary load-bearing component in the specification. Based on the experimental results, reasonable fire protection methods are suggested for concrete-filled steel plate composite walls in actual projects, and an experimental basis is provided for further numerical simulation.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are widely used for gastroesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis after endoscopic therapy, although the effect of PPI on these patients remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PPI on gastroesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis after endoscopic therapy, including variceal bleeding and adverse events. Cirrhotic patients with endoscopically confirmed gastroesophageal varices were enrolled in this study between May 2017 and June 2019. Eligible patients were randomized into two groups: one group received PPI for 14 days and the other group did not receive PPI treatment (n= 53 in each group). All patients were followed for 8 weeks. During the follow‐up period, three patients (5.66%) in the PPI group experienced variceal bleeding on days 9, 16, and 25 after endoscopic therapy, including two patients with acute bleeding and one with primary prophylaxis. In the non‐PPI group, three patients (5.66%) experienced variceal bleeding on days 7, 42, and 56 after endoscopic therapy, including one patient with acute bleeding and two with secondary prophylaxis (p= 0.990). The incidence of adverse events was similar between the two groups (37.74% vs. 28.30%, p= 0.30). PPI did not appear to reduce variceal bleeding and adverse events in patients with cirrhosis after endoscopic therapy. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are widely used after endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis, though their effectiveness is debatable. According to this study, PPI use is not associated with a decreased risk of variceal bleeding and adverse events in such patients. Significant findings of the study Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are widely used after endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis, though their effectiveness is debatable. According to this study, PPI use is not associated with a decreased risk of variceal bleeding and adverse events in such patients. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are widely used after endoscopic therapy for gastroesophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis, though their effectiveness is debatable. According to this study, PPI use is not associated with a decreased risk of variceal bleeding and adverse events in such patients. What this study adds? Unnecessary PPI administration is not beneficial in cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal varices and requires more attention from physicians. Unnecessary PPI administration is not beneficial in cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal varices and requires more attention from physicians.

Identifying the dynamics of the eco-efficiency of cultivated land use (ECLU) is important to balance food security and environmental protection. The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is a vital region of national strategic development in China. However, the spatio-temporal characteristics and typical patterns of the ECLU in the YREB remain unclear. This study aims to reveal the spatio-temporal characteristics of the ECLU by using the super-efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) and a spatial autocorrelation model. The typical patterns of the ECLU were classified based on a decision tree algorithm. The results indicate that the overall ECLU increased from 0.78 to 0.87 from 2000 to 2019, dropping sharply in 2003 before rising again. Different reaches had similar trends. The local indicators of spatial association (LISA) cluster reflect that the spatial distributions of high-high and low-low agglomeration varied dramatically among these years. The ECLU was divided into three typical patterns considering the restriction of agrochemicals and water resources (RAW), cultivated land and agrochemicals (RCA), as well as technology (RT). Most cities belonged to the low ECLU category in RT pattern. Fully understanding the spatio-temporal characteristics and classification of the ECLU will provide a reference for decision-makers to improve the ECLU in different regions.

In this study, three double-plate connected L-shaped concrete-filled steel tube composite (LCFST-D) columns were subjected to axial and eccentric loading tests using spherical-hinge supports to relieve the bidirectional rotation constraints. By analyzing the failure phenomenon of the LCFST-D specimen, the rotation of the endplate, and the comparison of similarities and differences between the support of the knife-edge and the support of the spherical-hinge, the bidirectional eccentric loading performance of the LCFST-D column when the bidirectional rotation constraint was released was studied. The test results show that when the spherical-hinge support was loaded, the out-of-the-plane deflection was more evident than the knife hinge. The bearing capacity of the LCFST-D specimen decreases as the eccentricity increased. When the end rotation constraints were relieved, the failure mode of the axial and eccentric loading was nontorsional bidirectional instability. In addition, the loading tests using spherical-hinge supports were verified to effectively release end rotation constraints. A finite element model for the LCFST-D column was established, and its accuracy was confirmed. From the failure mode, deflection, bearing capacity, and rotation of the endplate, the differences between spherical-hinge, knife-edge hinge, and rigid pad loading supports and their influence on bidirectional eccentric loading tests performed on special-shaped columns were investigated. The results show that the bidirectional eccentric loading performance of the LCFST-D column can be reflected by spherical-hinge supports. The theoretical formula was used simultaneously to verify the data from the finite element model and the test.

Millimeter wave (mmWave) multi-user massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) is a promising technique for the next generation communication systems. However, the hardware cost and power consumption grow significantly as the number of radio frequency (RF) components increases, which hampers the deployment of practical massive MIMO systems. To address this issue and further facilitate the commercialization of massive MIMO, mixed analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) architecture has been considered, where parts of conventionally assumed full-resolution ADCs are replaced by one-bit ADCs. In this paper, we first propose a deep learning-based (DL) joint pilot design and channel estimation method for mixed-ADCs mmWave massive MIMO. Specifically, we devise a pilot design neural network whose weights directly represent the optimized pilots, and develop a Runge-Kutta model-driven densely connected network as the channel estimator. Instead of randomly assigning the mixed-ADCs, we then design a novel antenna selection network for mixed-ADCs allocation to further improve the channel estimation accuracy. Moreover, we adopt an autoencoder-inspired end-to-end architecture to jointly optimize the pilot design, channel estimation and mixed-ADCs allocation networks. Simulation results show that the proposed DL-based methods have advantages over the traditional channel estimators as well as the state-of-the-art networks.

Background:RNA integrity of tumor tissues from 12 common organs was measured, and tumor tissues from liver were found to have the best RNA integrity in our previous study. The effects of preanalytical variables in the phase of pre- and postacquisition on RNA integrity were further assessed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues in this study.Methods:RNA integrity number (RIN) was measured in tissues from 146 HCC patients. First, 42 fresh HCC tumor tissues were newly collected to assess the effect of various preanalytical variables in the phase of preacquisition on RNA integrity. Second, eight paired HCC tumor and normal tissues were newly collected and used in the gradient course study of ex vivoischemia time and freeze–thaw cycles on RNA integrity. Finally, 96 stock-frozen tumor tissues with various years of frozen storage were used to assess the effect of cryopreservation time.Results:RNA integrity was found to be independent of patient age, sex, clinical stage, tumor location, HBV infection status, tumor diameter, and surgical approach, but affected by tumor grade. Tumor tissues with a greater tumor grade had lower RIN. With the prolongation of ex vivoischemia time, freeze–thaw cycles, and cryopreservation time, the RIN of HCC tissues showed decreasing trends. Significant decreases in RIN of the tumor and normal tissues were observed at 6 and 2 hours of ex vivoischemia time, respectively, and significantly decreased RIN of tumor tissues was observed after six freeze–thaw cycles and 6 years of cryopreservation.Conclusions:Preanalytical variables in the phase of preacquisition such as tumor grade, and in the postacquisition phase such as ex vivoischemia time, freeze–thaw times, and freeze-storage time both have effects on RNA integrity of HCC tissues. Tissue-based translational research should pay attention to preanalytical variables when collecting and utilizing tumor tissues.

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is one of candidate technologies in the next generation radio access networks, in which the joint maximum-likelihood (JML) detector has the optimal estimation performance. In this paper, we propose a rotated-constellation based method to regularize the decision boundaries of received constellation. Through regular decision boundaries, we further derive the approximate closed-form BER expressions of uplink NOMA systems in Rayleigh fading channels. Numerical results verify the effectiveness of rotated-constellation based method and conform to our derivation. It is also shown through simulations that the proposed analysis method outperforms conventional method in terms of accuracy.