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Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy that is highly aggressive with a poor prognosis. There is no standard treatment for BPDCN. Although conventional chemotherapies are usually sensitive in the initial therapy, relapse and drug resistance are inevitable within a short duration. Targeted therapies have enlightened new prospects for the treatment of BPDCN, especially for those in a frail state and intolerable to standard chemotherapies or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Here, we report an 82-year-old man diagnosed with cutaneous-limited BPDCN. Considering the old age and limited involvement of the tumor, we reduced the dosage of venetoclax. His skin lesions subsided significantly after 1 cycle of azacytidine (100 mg d1-7) combined with reduced doses of venetoclax (200 mg d1-14). The reduction in the dose of venetoclax avoided severe myelosuppression while achieving satisfactory outcomes. The patient received 2 cycles of therapy with no skin lesions re-occurred for 7 months before relapsing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential industrial application is the examination of surface flaws in hot-rolled steel strips. While automatic visual inspection tools must meet strict real-time performance criteria for inspecting hot-rolled steel strips, their capabilities are constrained by the accuracy and processing speed of the algorithm used to identify defects. To solve the problems of poor detection accuracy, low detection efficiency, and unsuitability of low computing power platforms of the hot-rolled strip surface defect detection algorithm The Swin-Transformer-YOLOv5 model based on the improved one-stage detector is proposed. By employing GhostNet, the model's lightweight design, and guaranteed detection accuracy are both achieved. The C3 module introduces Swin-Transformer to address the issues of cluttered backdrops of defect photos and easily confused defect categories. With the addition of the CoordAttention module, the model's capacity to extract defective features is improved, and its performance keeps getting better. The issue of huge differences in different scales and poor detection of small flaws is resolved by employing BiFPN for feature fusion, and the detector's capacity to adapt to targets of different scales is improved. The experimental results demonstrate that the improved Swin-Transformer-Yolov5 model significantly outperforms the industry-standard target detection algorithms, and the model's mAP value still improves by 8.39% over the original model while reducing the number of parameters, GFLOPs, and weight by 36.6%, 40.0%, and 34.7%, respectively. The model is better suited for use on low-arithmetic platforms as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of distilled water and nano emulsion on the physical and mechanical properties of hot dry rocks at high temperatures are investigated. • The temperature increase promotes the formation of massive thermal damage fractures in the hot dry rock samples, and the fluid weakens the mechanical strength of hot dry rocks. • The distilled water has a more pronounced effect on weakening the mechanical strength of the samples than the nano emulsion. Hydraulic fracturing is a crucial technology for efficient heat extraction from hot dry rock (HDR). The fracturing process involves the injection of large volumes of cold fluids, which can significantly affect the petrophysical properties of the rock, particularly when temperature differences and fluid-rock interactions are taken into account. However, there is a lack of research on the evolution of HDR petrophysical properties under the influence of different fluids at high temperatures. In this paper, we utilized a high-temperature high-pressure tri-axial loading system, rock spontaneous imbibition instrument, porosity-permeability tester, and thermal conductivity meter, along with comprehensive analysis techniques such as ultrasonic wave velocity monitoring, CT scanning, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), to systematically investigate the effects of distilled water and nano emulsion on the physical and mechanical properties of the HDR at high temperatures. Through comparison with the experimental results of dry samples, comprehensive characteristics of physical parameters for the HDR under the influence of distilled water and nano emulsion are obtained, such as spontaneous imbibition mass and permeability, thermal physical properties, and rock mechanical parameters. The experimental results show that temperature increase promotes the formation of massive thermal damage fractures in the HDR samples, and the fluid weakens the mechanical strength of the HDR. When the effects of temperature and saturated fluids are combined, the hydraulic fracture network in the HDR samples exhibits increased complexity, contrasting with the fracture patterns observed in the heat-treated dry samples. The distilled water has a more pronounced effect on weakening the mechanical strength of the samples than the nano emulsion. Moreover, the analyses of permeability, thermal conductivity, ultrasonic wave velocity, and NMR results are consistent with the results of mechanical experiments. As the temperature rises, the wave velocity of saturated distilled water samples exceeds that of both saturated nano emulsion samples and dry samples, the velocity of the saturated fluid front in the samples increases, and the range of the fluid in the pores expands. Overall, these findings provide valuable experimental evidence and theoretical guidance for better understanding the hydro-thermal-mechanical behaviors of the HDR, which are crucial for the efficient development and utilization of geothermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Antifouling coatings play a crucial role in preventing the adhesion of marine organisms, bacteria, and blood, making them a primary strategy for combating biofouling in the marine industry. However, conventional antifouling coatings suffer from drawbacks such as high toxicity, limited abrasion resistance, and unstable polymer degradation rates, which can have adverse effects on the environment, economy, and human health. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of sustainable and nontoxic antifouling coatings. This review first presents four major antifouling strategies: traditional coatings based on wettability, traditional coatings with protective structures, nontoxic coatings based on main chain degradable polymers, and nontoxic coatings combining main chain degradation with branch chain hydrolysis polymers. Second, the review provides a comprehensive overview of antifouling coatings with diverse functionalities, including antibacterial, anti-protein, anti-blood, anti-incrusting, adhesive, self-healing, and corrosion-resistant properties. Then, the application of antifouling coatings in marine environments and the medical field is thoroughly explored. Additionally, the review addresses the current challenges encountered by antifouling coatings. Finally, a forward-looking perspective is presented, envisioning future advancements in this field. By addressing these aspects, this review aims to stimulate further development and innovation in the realm of antifouling coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric complexity of 3D-printed parts increases the difficulty of surface finishing with the conventional grinding technique. In this study, a rotary ultrasonic-assisted abrasive flow finishing (RUA-AFF) method is proposed towards improving the performance of the AFF process by providing rotary motion and ultrasonic vibration to the equipment. Finishing experiments are carried out involving Al6061 to investigate the capabilities of the proposed RUA-AFF. The obtained results show that (1) the higher ultrasonic vibration amplitude results in the greatest improvement in the work surface quality and a higher increase in material removal rate (MRR); (2) with the higher ultrasonic frequency and rotational speed, the surface roughness and MRR are decreased marginally; (3) there are two material remove modes in the RUA-AFF process: abrasive impingement and micro-cutting. These indicate that the high efficiency and high-quality finishing of Al6061 can be performed with the proposed RUA-AFF technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a family of $[{q}^{2}-1, 4, {q}^{2}-{q}-2]$ cyclic codes over ${\mathbb F}_{{q}}$ meeting the Griesmer bound is presented. Their duals are $[{q}^{2}-1,{q}^{2}-5,4]$ almost MDS codes and are optimal with respect to the sphere-packing bound. The ${q}_{0}$ -ary subfield codes of this family of cyclic codes are also investigated, where ${q}_{0}$ is any prime power such that q is power of ${q}_{0}$. Some of the subfield codes are optimal and some have the best known parameters. It is shown that the subfield codes are equivalent to a family of primitive BCH codes and thus the parameters of the BCH codes are solved. The duals of the subfield codes are also optimal with respect to the sphere-packing bound. A family of $[{q}^{2}, 4, {q}^{2}-{q}-1]$ linear codes over ${\mathbb F}_{{q}}$ meeting the Griesmer bound is presented. Their duals are $[{q}^{2},{q}^{2}-4,4]$ almost MDS codes and are optimal with respect to the sphere-packing bound. The ${q}_{0}$ -ary subfield codes of this family of linear codes are also investigated, where ${q}_{0}$ is any prime power such that q is power of ${q}_{0}$. Five infinite families of 2-designs are also constructed with three families of linear codes of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimate of tree biomass is essential for forest management. In recent years, several climate-sensitive allometric biomass models with diameter at breast height (D) as a predictor have been proposed for various tree species and climate zones to estimate tree aboveground biomass (AGB). But the allometric models only account for the potential effects of climate on tree biomass and do not simultaneously explain the influence of climate on D growth. In this study, based on the AGB data from 256 destructively sampled trees of three larch species randomly distributed across the five secondary climate zones in northeastern and northern China, we first developed a climate-sensitive AGB base model and a climate-sensitive D growth base model using a nonlinear least square regression separately. A compatible simultaneous model system was then developed with the climate-sensitive AGB and D growth models using a nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression. The potential effects of several temperature and precipitation variables on AGB and D growth were evaluated. The fitting results of climatic sensitive base models were compared against those of their compatible simultaneous model system. It was found that a decreased isothermality ([mean of monthly (maximum temperature-minimum temperature)]/(Maximum temperature of the warmest month-Minimum temperature of the coldest month)) and total growing season precipitation, and increased annual precipitation significantly increased the values of AGB; an increase of temperature seasonality (a standard deviation of the mean monthly temperature) and precipitation seasonality (a standard deviation of the mean monthly precipitation) could lead to the increase of D. The differences of the model fitting results between the compatible simultaneous system with the consideration of climate effects on both AGB and D growth and its corresponding climate-sensitive AGB and D growth base models were very small and insignificant (p > 0. 0 5). Compared to the base models, the inherent correlation of AGB with D was taken into account effectively by the proposed compatible model system developed with the climate-sensitive AGB and D growth models. In addition, the compatible properties of the estimated AGB and D were also addressed substantially in the proposed model system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xiao Ke Yin Shui (XKYS) formula is a traditional Chinese medicine formula treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). XKYS formula consists of four herbs, i.e., Coptidis rhizoma, Liriopes radix, bitter melon, and Cassiae semen. Herein, the chemical profiles of four herb extracts were investigated, and further analysis of the underlying mechanism of XKYS formula treating T2DM was performed using network pharmacology. The main components were selected for our network-based research. Targets of XKYS formula were mainly collected from two databases, SwissTargetPrediction and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and the text-mining method was also implemented. T2DM relating genes and therapeutic targets were collected from five databases. Subsequently, STRING and Cytoscape were employed for the analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Functional annotation and pathway analysis were conducted to investigate the functions and relating pathways of target genes. The content of 12 compounds in the herb extracts was determined. With the analysis of PPI networks, a total of 76 genes were found to be important nodes and could be defined as the main target genes regulated by XKYS formula in the treatment of T2DM and its complications. Components in XKYS formula mainly regulate proteins including protein kinase B (Akt), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), insulin receptor substrate (IRS), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). XKYS formula exerts therapeutic effects in a synergetic manner and exhibits antidiabetic effect mainly via reducing insulin resistance. These findings could be guidelines in the further investigation of this formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plugging and diverting fracturing is a promising technology that aims to enhance the heat extraction efficiency in hot dry rock. The key to the success of this technique is the formation of effective plugging zones in existing fractures. However, given the high temperature and high stress of hot dry rock, the migration and sealing mechanisms of temporary plugging agents in such reservoirs are quite different from those in conventional tight reservoirs. Using the computational fluid dynamics/discrete element method coupled method, this paper numerically investigates the migration mechanism of temporary plugging agents in rough fractures of hot dry rock. First, we construct a model of a rough fracture surface in hot dry rock by performing computerized tomography scanning. Second, we adopt the well-established theory of the joint roughness coefficient to describe the fracture surface roughness. Then a discrete phase model that considers the effect of temperature is constructed to characterize the interparticle interaction of temporary plugging agents. A bidirectional coupling algorithm between the fluid flow in the fracture and the migration of temporary plugging agent particles is adopted. Finally, the effects of key factors such as fracture wall temperature, fracture roughness, injection angle, and injection location on the migration mechanism of granular temporary plugging agents in rough fractures are analyzed in detail. The results show that fracture roughness and temperature have a significant impact on the migration process in hydraulic fractures. When the fracture surface roughness increases by 10.44 as measured by the joint roughness coefficient, the particle force and particle temperature increase by 12.0% and 37.8%, respectively. When the fracture surface temperature increases by 200 K, the particle force and particle temperature increase by 88.2% and 14.4%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of oil droplet dispersal, oil-water interaction, and transport in the South China Sea (SCS) is needed to enhance the response to potential spill risks from subsea oil and gas development in the region. Herein, an offline oil spill prediction system was employed considering the physical processes of hydrocarbon from the leakage source to the sea surface. The components of this system included the droplet size distribution, plume dynamics, hydrodynamics, and Lagrangian particle. The system was applied to simulate a hypothetical spill occurring in a deepwater condensate field. The results predicted a stratification-dominated plume captured by neutral buoyancy at 282 m above the source. Submerged oil droplets were transported in the 60° and 240° directions and the diffusion range gradually expanded. The first oil droplet reached the surface 22 h after the release began. More than 99% of the oil droplets floated up into the upper water column after 50 h. Particularly, droplets larger than 4 mm mainly contributed to the oil slick. After 72 h, the distribution area of the oil slick on the sea surface was ∼18 km2. The simulation results would be valuable for contingency planning regarding the emergency response to an underwater oil spill. • An offline oil spill prediction system is developed for the South China Sea. • The system is applied to a hypothetical spill in a deepwater condensate field. • The spatial and temporal distribution of short-term deepwater oil is predicted. • A stratification-dominated plume is captured at 282 m above the source. • The distribution area of the oil slick is ∼18 km2 after 72 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, linear codes with few weights have been widely studied, since they have applications in data storage systems, communication systems and consumer electronics. In this paper, we present a class of three-weight and five-weight linear codes over F p , where p is an odd prime and F p denotes a finite field with p elements. The weight distributions of the linear codes constructed in this paper are also settled. Moreover, the linear codes illustrated in the paper may have applications in secret sharing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wear behaviors of grinding wheel have significant influence on the work-surface topography. However, a comprehensive and quantitative method is lacking for evaluating the wear conditions of grinding wheel. In this paper, a fractal analysis method is used to investigate the wear behavior of resin-bonded diamond wheel in Elliptical Ultrasonic Assisted Grinding (EUAG) of monocrystal sapphire, and a series of experiments on EUAG and conventional grinding (CG) are performed. The results show that the fractal dimension of grinding wheel topography is highly correlated to the wear behavior, i.e., grain fracture, grain pullout, and wheel loading. An increase in cutting edge density on the wheel surface results in an increase of the fractal dimension, but an increase in the grain pullout and wheel loading results in a decrease in the fractal dimension. The wheel topography in EUAG has a higher fractal dimension than that in CG before 60 passes due to better self-sharpening behavior, and then has a smaller fractal dimension because of more serious wheel loadings after 60 passes. By angle-dependent distribution analysis of profile fractal dimensions, the wheel surface topography is transformed from isotropic to anisotropic. These indicated that the fractal analysis method could be further used in monitoring of a grinding wheel performance in EUAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a function f : F q → F q on a finite field F q , new measures—ambiguity A ( f ) and deficiency D ( f ) of f were raised by Panario et al. (2010, 2011) to judge non-injectivity and non-surjectivity of the difference functions Δ a f : F q → F q ( a ∈ F q ∗ ) . In this paper, we determine the values of A ( f ) and D ( f ) for three differentially 4-uniform monomial permutations, i.e., inverse function, Gold function and Dobbertin function on F 2 n ( 2 ∣ n ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, linear codes with a few weights have been constructed and extensively studied. In this paper, for an odd prime p , we determine the complete weight enumerator of two classes of p -ary linear codes constructed from defining set. Our results show that the codes have at most seven weights and may have applications in secret sharing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the total effects due to anthropogenic aerosols from global, East Asian, and non-East Asian sources on East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) system is studied using an aerosol-climate online model BCC_AGCM2.0.1_CUACE/Aero. The results show that the summer mean net all-sky shortwave fluxes averaged over East Asian monsoon region (EAMR) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and surface reduce by 4.8 and 5.0 W m − 2 , respectively, due to the increases of global aerosol emissions in 2000 relative to 1850. Changes in radiations and their resulting changes in heat and water transport and cloud fraction contribute together to the surface cooling over EAMR in summer. The increases in global anthropogenic aerosols lead to a decrease of 2.1 K in summer mean surface temperature and an increase of 0.4 hPa in summer mean surface pressure averaged over EAMR, respectively. It is shown that the changes in surface temperature and pressure are significantly larger over land than ocean, thus decreasing the contrast of land-sea surface temperature and pressure. This results in the marked anomalies of north and northeast winds over eastern and southern China and the surrounding oceans in summer, thereby weakening the EASM. The summer mean precipitation averaged over the EAMR reduces by 12%. The changes in non-East Asian aerosol emissions play a more important role in inducing the changes of local temperature and pressure, and thus significantly exacerbate the weakness of the EASM circulation due to local aerosol changes. The weakening of circulation due to both is comparable, and even the effect of non-local aerosols is larger in individual regions. The changes of local and non-local aerosols contribute comparably to the reductions in precipitation over oceans, whereas cause opposite changes over eastern China. Our results highlight the importance of aerosol changes outside East Asia in the impact of the changes of anthropogenic aerosols on EASM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elliptical ultrasonic assisted grinding (EUAG) method has been proved to be promising in machining of hard and brittle materials, e.g., sapphire and silicon. However, its potential has not been sufficiently developed because the processing mechanism has not been clearly explained. This paper focuses on the surface formation mechanism in EUAG of monocrystal sapphire by investigating the fractal behavior of ground surface. The EUAG experiments on monocrystal sapphire were performed on the constructed apparatus by installing an elliptical ultrasonic vibrator on a CNC surface grinder. For comparison, the conventional grinding (CG) experiments were also carried out on the same experimental apparatus without ultrasonic vibration. The ground surfaces obtained were analyzed by fractal method, and results show that: (1) the great improvement of the surface quality with lower surface roughness is achieved in EUAG compared with those in CG. Moreover, the fractal dimension of ground surface in EUAG is larger than that in CG. It is also found that the fractal dimension is more sensitive to surface defect compared with the surface roughness. (2) The fractal dimension changes differently comparing CG with EUAG as the depth of cut increases from 0.4 to 3.2 μm. From the variations of the fractal dimension with different depth of cut, it is found that there are two variation regions, i.e., steady region and deteriorated region both in EUAG and CG, but the depth of cut in steady-deteriorated transition point of EUAG is larger than that in CG, meaning that the EUAG can achieve a deeper ductile depth of cut. (3) In EUAG, elliptic motion trajectories of adjacent abrasive grains interact with each other, causing the lower side walls of grooves and more exquisite microstructures. Thus the higher surface fractal dimension in EUAG is obtained and a better surface quality is achieved. Therefore, the surface formation characteristics in EUAG of monocrystal sapphire can be investigated by fractal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The validated therapeutic effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in solid tumors have encouraged us to explore its potential in treating T-cell lymphoma. We found that Jurkat cells (a T-cell lyphoma cell line) were sensitive to DHA treatment with a IC50 of dihydroartemisinin. The cytotoxic effect of DHA in Jurkat cells showed a dose- and time- dependent manner. Interestingly, the cytotoxic effect of DHA was further enhanced by holotransferrin (HTF) due to the high expression of transferrin receptors in T-cell lymphoma. Mechanistically, DHA significantly increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, which led to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The DHA treatment also inhibited the expression of protumorgenic factors including VEGF and telomerase catalytic subunit. Our results have proved the therapeutic effect of DHA in T-cell lymphoma. Especially in combination with HTF, DHA may provide a novel efficient approach in combating the deadly disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic sequences over finite fields have been used as key streams in private-key cryptosystems since the 1950s. Such periodic sequences should have a series of cryptographic properties in order to resist many attack methods. The binary generalized cyclotomic periodic sequences, constructed by the cyclotomic classes over finite fields, have good pseudo-random properties and correlation properties. In this paper, the linear complexity and minimal polynomials of some generalized cyclotomic sequences over GF( q ) have been determined where q = p m and p is an odd prime. Results show that these sequences have high linear complexity over GF( q ) for a large part of odd prime power q , which means they can resist the linear attack method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) is an important industrial enzyme that biosynthesizes high-value amides. However, most of NHases expressed in Escherichia coli easily aggregate to inactive inclusion bodies unless the induction temperature is reduced to approximately 20 °C. The NHase from Aurantimonas manganoxydans has been functionally expressed in E. coli , and exhibits considerable potential for the production of nicotinamide in industrial application. In this study, the effects of chaperones including GroEL/ES, Dnak/J-GrpE and trigger factor on the expression of the recombinant Co-type NHase were investigated. The results indicate that three chaperones can significantly promote the active expression of the recombinant NHase at 30 °C. The total NHase activities reached to 263 and 155 U/ml in shake flasks when the NHase was co-expressed with GroEL/ES and DnaK/J-GrpE, which were 52- and 31-fold higher than the observed activities without chaperones, respectively. This increase is possibly due to the soluble expression of the recombinant NHase assisted by molecular chaperones. Furthermore, GroEL/ES and DnaK/J-GrpE were determined to promote the maturation of the Co-type NHase in E. coli under the absence of the parental activator gene. These knowledge regarding the chaperones effect on the NHase expression are useful for understanding the biosynthesis of Co-type NHase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Glucosidase (XcG) from Xanthomonas campestris is an interesting enzyme due to its ability to catalyze transglycosylation reactions using maltose, rather than expensive nucleotide-activated sugars. In this study, two chimerical enzymes, XcG-A and XcG-B, were created by substituting the corresponding region of the XcG gene with gene fragments retrieved from metagenomic DNA samples. The enzymatic characterization results revealed that XcG-A exhibited a significant greater transglycosylation capacity for α-arbutin production and a significantly improved ability to produce α-arbutin-α-glycosides than XcG and XcG-B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface characterization of ground monocrystal sapphire is investigated by fractal analysis method. A serial of ground sapphire surfaces in ductile removal and brittle removal mode are obtained by grinding experiments, and their three dimensional (3D) and two dimensional (2D) fractal dimensions are calculated and analyzed by box-counting methods. The 3D surface fractal dimension D s shows a negative correlation with the surface roughness parameter Ra and is sensitive to the ground surface defects. For the ground surface with larger fractal dimension D s , its micro-topography is more exquisite with minor defects. Once the fractal dimension D s become smaller, deep cracks and pronounced defects are exhibited in ground surface. Moreover, the material removal mode can be implied from the distribution of 2D cross-sectional profile fractal dimension D L . The workpiece surface generated in ductile removal mode has high surface quality with high 2D and 3D fractal dimensions. This study indicates that the box-counting fractal analysis is an effective method to evaluate ground sapphire surface comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel aldo-keto reductase (LEK) from Lodderomyces elongisporus NRRL YB-4239 (ATCC 11503) was discovered by genome database mining for carbonyl reduction. LEK was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), purified to homogeneity and the catalytic properties were studied. Among the substrates, ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate was converted to ethyl ( R)-4-chloro-3- hydroxybutanoate ( (R)-CHBE), an important pharmaceutical intermediate, with an excellent enantiomeric excess (e.e.) (>99 %). The mutants W28A and S209G obtained by site-directed mutation were identified with much higher molar conversion yields and lower Km values. Further, the constructed coenzyme regeneration system with glucose as co-substrate resulted in a yield of 100 %, an enantioselectivity of >99 %, and the calculated production rate of 56.51 mmol/L/H. These results indicated the potential of LEK for the industrial production of (R)-CHBE and other valuable chiral alcohols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud changes and their attribution under global warming still remains a challenge in climatic change studies, especially in decomposing the fast and slow cloud responses to anthropogenic forcing. In this study, the responses of global cloud cover to the quadrupled CO2 forcing are investigated quantitatively by decomposing the total response into fast and slow ones using the multi-model data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). During the quasi-equilibrium period after the quadrupling of CO2 forcing, the global mean changes of simulated total cloud cover (TCC) in the total, fast, and slow responses are −2.42%, −0.64%, and −1.78%, respectively. Overall, the slow response dominates the total response in most regions over the globe with similar spatial patterns. TCC decreases at middle and low latitudes but increases at high latitudes in the total and slow responses. Whereas, it mainly decreases in the middle and low latitudes of the southern hemisphere as well as in the middle and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere in the fast response. A change in vertical motion is the major contributor to the cloud cover change at middle and low latitudes, while the decrease in upper atmospheric temperature leads to an increase in high cloud cover at high latitudes. In addition, the anomaly in water vapor convergence/diffusion also contributes to the cloud cover increase/decrease at low latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates short-term climate feedbacks by using a new set of radiative kernels applied to observations and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations. The new kernels are generated based on multiyear satellite observations, and they can well reproduce the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiation budget. The choice of radiative kernels influences the feedback estimation, especially the surface albedo feedback and cloud feedback in the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. Observational estimates show that tropospheric water vapor feedback makes the largest contribution to global warming, while lapse rate feedback is the largest contributor to local warming over East Asia. Compared to the observations, biases occur but differ when simulating global and East Asian local climate feedbacks. CMIP6 models overestimate global mean Planck, lapse rate, stratospheric temperature and water vapor, and cloud feedbacks, but underestimate global mean tropospheric water vapor and surface albedo feedbacks. Over East Asia, local Planck and lapse rate feedbacks are underestimated, while tropospheric water vapor, stratospheric temperature, and cloud feedbacks are overestimated. The simulation biases in local longwave (LW) and shortwave (SW) cloud feedbacks over East Asia are considerable, probably due to the failure in simulating cloud fraction response of marine cirrostratus, deep convective cloud, and stratus. The intermodel spread of cloud feedback is the largest for both global and East Asian local feedback processes. Our results suggest that contemporary climate models are still difficult to accurately simulate global and local climate feedback processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the thermo-mechanical response of rectangular carbon fiber/epoxy resin three-dimensional (3D) braided composites under high strain-rate punch shear loading. 3D braided composites with thickness of 3 mm, 5 mm and 8 mm were investigated under high strain-rate of 1500 s−1 and 2000 s−1. A thermo-mechanical coupling full-scale finite element model was established to acquire the distribution of transient heat and stress on different paths. The failure modes of composites were sensitive to thickness and strain-rate. The results showed that transient heat was mainly generated in resin during adiabatic shearing, and the accumulation of heat accelerated the destruction of the shear band. By analyzing the distribution of transient heat and stress, the damage morphology and complex failure mechanism of 3D braided composites under high strain-rate punch shear loading were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hybrid Ag/rGO-ZnO photocatalyst settles limitations of poor photoresponse range and high charge recombination of ZnO. • The rationality of Ag/rGO-ZnO nanostructure is confirmed by PEC characterization and FDTD simulation. • Ag/rGO-ZnO shows enhanced CO 2 reduction activity and stability. [Display omitted] In this work, a plasmonic hybrid coupling-enhanced photocatalyst of Ag/rGO (reduced graphene oxide)-ZnO, integrating superior activity, lasting stability, and low cost all-in-one, is proposed to settle limitations related to narrow photoresponse range and high charge recombination on ZnO. Graphene oxide nanoflakes were successfully composited with ZnO nanorods using the self-assembly method, then modified with Ag nanoparticles. UV–vis absorption spectra, photoelectrochemical characterizations and the finite difference time domain simulations show that this nanocomposite has enhanced catalytic activity for reducing CO 2 to CO and CH 4 compared to pure ZnO (P-ZnO). By tuning the content of graphene and Ag, the maximum photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/rGO-ZnO (62.7 μmol g−1 h−1) far exceeds that of P-ZnO by at least 28 times, with high stability for more than 24 h in the absence of hole scavengers and photosensitizers. Meanwhile, with the addition of Ag and graphene, Ag/rGO-ZnO exhibits a selective tendency toward the cleaner fuel-CH 4 , which is 7 times higher than P-ZnO. Our study highlights the potential of broadening the light response range, suppressing e−/h+ recombination, and improving the stability of catalysts based on a nanocomposite structure. It also provides a more valuable reference for promoting low-cost commercial applications of ZnO photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first to isolate and purify the primary polysaccharide fraction (PPRR) from Rhizopogon rubescens (Tul.) Tul using ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction. PPRR is a heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose, galactose, fucose, rhamnose, mannose, and xylose. After preliminary structural characterization, the main chain of PPRR is →3)- β - D -Glc p -(1→6)- β - D -Glc p -(1→. In vivo experiments showed that PPRR has significant therapeutic effects on the immune damage caused by cyclophosphamide (CPA). In a concentration range of 1–6 mg/mL, PPRR could augment the macrophage phagocytosis function and regulate the abnormal secretion of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)− 2 and interferon (IFN)- γ. Moreover, PPRR could reduce the inhibition of CPA on hematopoiesis of bone marrow and alleviate the damage caused by CPA to the thymus and spleen. These findings suggest that PPRR has the potential to be used as an immunomodulator in the future. [Display omitted] • Acidic polysaccharide component (named PPRR) was first isolated from Rhizopogon rubescens (Tul.) Tul. • The physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of PPRR were preliminarily characterized. • PPRR components exhibited good immunomodulatory activity in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linear code with parameters of the form [ n , k , n − k + 1 ] is referred to as an MDS (maximum distance separable) code. A linear code with parameters of the form [ n , k , n − k ] is said to be almost MDS (i.e., almost maximum distance separable) or AMDS for short. A code is said to be near maximum distance separable (in short, near MDS or NMDS) if both the code and its dual are almost maximum distance separable. Near MDS codes correspond to interesting objects in finite geometry and have nice applications in combinatorics and cryptography. There are many unsolved problems about near MDS codes. It is hard to construct an infinite family of near MDS codes whose weight distributions can be settled. In this paper, seven infinite families of [ 2 m + 1 , 3 , 2 m − 2 ] near MDS codes over GF (2 m) and seven infinite families of [ 2 m + 2 , 3 , 2 m − 1 ] near MDS codes over GF (2 m) are constructed with special oval polynomials for odd m. In addition, nine infinite families of optimal [ 2 m + 3 , 3 , 2 m ] near MDS codes over GF (2 m) are constructed with oval polynomials in general. The weight distributions of these near MDS codes are settled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual mean surface solar radiation (SSR) trends under all-sky, clear-sky, all-sky-no-aerosol, and clear-sky-no-aerosol conditions as well as their possible causes are analyzed during 2005–2018 across China based on different satellite-retrieved datasets to determine the major drivers of the trends. The results confirm clouds and aerosols as the major contributors to such all-sky SSR trends over China but play differing roles over sub-regions. Aerosol variations during this period result in a widespread brightening, while cloud effects show opposite trends from south to north. Moreover, aerosols contribute more to the increasing all-sky SSR trends over northern China, while clouds dominate the SSR decline over southern China. A radiative transfer model is used to explore the relative contributions of cloud cover from different cloud types to the all-types-of-cloud-cover-induced (ACC-induced) SSR trends during this period in four typical sub-regions over China. The simulations point out that the decreases in low-cloud-cover (LCC) over the North China Plain are the largest positive contributor of all cloud types to the marked annual and seasonal ACC-induced SSR increases, and the positive contributions from both high-cloud-cover (HCC) and LCC declines in summer and winter greatly contribute to the ACC-induced SSR increases over East China. The contributions from medium-low-cloud-cover (mid-LCC) and LCC variations dominate the ACC-caused SSR trends over southwestern and South China all year round, except for the larger HCC contribution in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elliptical ultrasonic assisted grinding (EUAG) is considered a promising technique for difficult-to-machine material grinding. However, it has yet to be fully developed because the topography generation mechanism of a workpiece surface evolved using EUAG has not been elaborately addressed. Compared with other conventional grinding parameters, the ultrasonic vibration parameters (amplitude and frequency) during EUAG are the most critical factors in the generation of the surface topography. However, it is difficult to tune such parameters freely during an experiment, owing to the technical restrictions of current ultrasonic vibrators. Further, a pass-by-pass analysis of the surface material removal process is not possible to achieve during an experiment. Thus, a 3D ground surface topography generation method is developed in this study, and the surface generation process of four typical ground surfaces are analysed based on the calculated results. The four typical ground surfaces are then machined on the monocrystal silicon workpieces. The experimental results agree well with the surface topography predictions, which validates the effectiveness of the topography model. The material removal mechanism under different ultrasonic vibration parameters during EUAG is explained in this study according to the simulated abrasive cutting trajectory and ground surface. This method has shown its powerful ability to conduct a pass-by-pass analysis of the grinding process. Further, it can be used for a future investigation into the grinding vibration, cutting chips, and forces, and is not limited to EUAG, but is also applicable to other machining processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universal stress proteins are a class of proteins widely present in bacteria, archaea, plants, and invertebrates, playing essential roles in bacterial adaptation to various environmental stresses. The functions of bacterial universal stress proteins are versatile, including resistance to oxidative stress, maintenance of cell wall integrity, DNA damage repair, regulation of cell division and growth, among others. When facing stresses such as temperature changes, pH shifts, fluctuations in oxygen concentration, and exposure to toxins, these proteins can bind to specific DNA sequences and rapidly adjust bacterial metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns to adapt to the new environment. In summary, bacterial universal stress proteins play a crucial role in bacterial adaptability and survival. A comprehensive understanding of bacterial stress response mechanisms and the development of new antibacterial strategies are of great significance. This review summarizes the research progress on the structure, function, and regulatory factors of universal stress proteins in clinically relevant bacteria, aiming to facilitate deeper investigations by clinicians and researchers into universal stress proteins. • Universal stress proteins are crucial for bacterial adaptation to various environmental stresses. • These proteins have versatile functions, including oxidative stress resistance and DNA damage repair. • Understanding bacterial stress response mechanisms is significant for developing new antibacterial strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bladder cancer (BLCA) stands as the predominant malignancy within the global urinary system. Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs), constituting a distinct subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), have recently recognized as crucial players in various physiological and pathological processes. The aim of our retrospective study was to elucidate the potential role and mechanism of SCARNA12 in BLCA, offering a foundational understanding the functionalities of scaRNAs. Employing integrated transcriptomic and single-cell proteomic analyses, we comprehensively investigate the impact of SCARNA12 on extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling pathways. Biological experiments provide additional insights into the oncogenic nature of SCARNA12, highlighting its interaction with the transcription factor H2AFZ as a pivotal factor in contributing to the carcinogenesis and progression of BLCA. This study suggests SCARNA12 as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target, unveiling its involvement in BLCA through modulation of ECM signaling and interaction with H2AFZ. Background: Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs) are a specific subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that have recently emerged as pivotal contributors in diverse physiological and pathological processes. However, their defined roles in carcinogenesis remain largely elusive. This study aims to explore the potential function and mechanism of SCARNA12 in bladder cancer (BLCA) and to provide a theoretical basis for further investigations into the biological functionalities of scaRNAs. Materials and Methods: TCGA, GEO and GTEx data sets were used to analyze the expression of SCARNA12 and its clinicopathological significance in BLCA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization were applied to validate the expression of SCARNA12 in both BLCA cell lines and tissues. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) combined with bioinformatics analyses were conducted to reveal the changes in gene expression patterns and functional pathways in BLCA patients with different expressions of SCARNA12 and T24 cell lines upon SCARNA12 knockdown. Single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) was then used to evaluate the tumor-related cell cluster affected by SCARNA12. Moreover, SCARNA12 was stably knocked down in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines by lentivirus-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 approach. The biological effects of SCARNA12 on the proliferation, clonogenic, migration, invasion, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, and tumor growth were assessed by in vitro MTT, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, flow cytometry assays, and in vivo nude mice xenograft models, respectively. Finally, a chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) experiment was further conducted to delineate the potential mechanisms of SCARNA12 in BLCA. Results: The expression of SCARNA12 was significantly up-regulated in both BLCA tissues and cell lines. RNA-seq data elucidated that SCARAN12 may play a potential role in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM) related signaling pathways. CyTOF results further showed that an ECM-related cell cluster with vimentin+, CD13+, CD44+, and CD47+ was enriched in BLCA patients with high SCARNA12 expression. Additionally, SCARNA12 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion abilities in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines. SCARNA12 knockdown prompted cell arrest in the G0/G1 and G2/M phase and promoted apoptosis in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines. Furthermore, SCARNA12 knockdown could suppress the in vivo tumor growth in nude mice. A ChIRP experiment further suggested that SCARNA12 may combine transcription factors H2AFZ to modulate the transcription program and then affect BLCA progression. Conclusions: Our study is the first to propose aberrant alteration of SCARNA12 and elucidate its potential oncogenic roles in BLCA via the modulation of ECM signaling. The interaction of SCARNA12 with the transcriptional factor H2AFZ emerges as a key contributor to the carcinogenesis and progression of BLCA. These findings suggest SCARNA12 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of BLCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassiae Semen, the dried seed of Cassia obtusifolia L. (Leguminosae), is a traditional Chinese medicine. It has long been used as the treatment of diabetic hyperlipidemia and diabetic constipation in Traditional Chinese Medicine formulae. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-diabetic and renoprotective effects of Cassiae Semen extract (CSE) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Quality control of CSE was performed using HPLC. CSE were orally administered at 27, 54 and 81 mg/kg dose to high-sucrose-high-fat (HSHF) diet and STZ-induced diabetic rats for 60 days. Body weight, glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism profiles were measured to assess the anti-diabetic effect of CSE. Oxidative stress markers and inflammatory factors were determined using commercial kits. Renal function related parameters were also measured. Histopathological examination of kidney was conducted for the validation of pathological changes in the diabetic rats. Immunohistochemical examination of kidney was measured to investigate the expression of RAGE in renal tissues. Five compounds, including two anthraquinones and three naphtopyrones were simultaneously determined in CSE. Compared with diabetic control, groups treated with CSE exhibited an anti-diabetic effect, including a significant amelioration in body weight, glycemic control, oral glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism (P < 0.01). Moreover, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses decreased after oral administration of CSE (P < 0.01). CSE also showed protective effects on renal functions, decreasing the ratio of kidney/body weight, 24 h urine volume, 24 h urine protein, serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (P < 0.01). Additionally, renal protective effect was also observed in histopathological examination. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that CSE downregulated the expression of RAGE. It turned out that CSE had both anti-diabetic and renoprotective effects in diabetic rats. CSE can be a potential agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitriles are of significant interest in the flavor and fragrance industries with potential application in cosmetics due to their higher stability than analogous aldehydes. However, the traditional methods to prepare nitriles need toxic reagents and hash conditions. This work aimed to develop a chemoenzymatic strategy to synthesize nitriles from natural aldehydes with aldoxime as the intermediate. A non-classical aldoxime dehydratase (Oxd) was discovered from the fungus Aspergillus ibericus (OxdAsp) to catalyze the dehydration of aldoximes to corresponding nitriles under mild conditions. The amino acid sequence of OxdAsp exhibits an approximately 20% identity with bacterial Oxds. OxdAsp contains a heme prosthetic group bound with the axial H287 in the catalytic pocket. The structure models of OxdAsp with substrates suggest that its catalytic triad is Y138-R141-E192, which is different from the classically bacterial Oxds of His-Arg-Ser/Thr. The catalytic mechanism of OxdAsp was proposed based on the mutagenesis of key residues. The hydroxyl group of the substrate is fixed by E192 to increase its basicity. Y138 acts as a general acid-based catalyst, and its phenolic proton is polarized by the adjacent R141. The protonated Y138 would donate a proton to the hydroxyl group of the substrate and eliminate a water molecule from aldoxime to produce nitrile. The recombinant OxdAsp can efficiently dehydrate citronellal oxime and cinnamaldoxime to citronellyl nitrile and cinnamonitrile in aqueous media, which are applied as fragrance ingredients in the food and cosmetic fields. Key points: • A novel aldoxime dehydratase from the Aspergillus genus was first characterized as a heme-binding protein. • The catalytic mechanism was predicted based on the molecular interactions of the catalytic pocket with the substrate. • A chemoenzymatic strategy was developed to synthesize nitriles from natural aldehydes with aldoxime as the intermediate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suaeda salsa is an important salt- and drought-tolerant plant with important ecological restoration roles. However, little is known about its underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, understanding the response mechanisms of plants to salt and drought stress is of great importance. In this study, metabolomics analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of salt and drought stress on S. salsa. The experiment consisted of three treatments: (1) control (CK); (2) salt stress (Ps); and (3) drought stress (Pd). The results showed that compared with the control group, S. salsa showed significant differences in phenotypes under salt and drought stress conditions. First, a total of 207 and 292 differential metabolites were identified in the Ps/CK and Pd/CK groups, respectively. Second, some soluble sugars and amino acids, such as raffinose, maltopentoses, D-altro-beptulose, D-proline, valine-proline, proline, tryptophan and glycine-L-leucine, showed increased activity under salt and drought stress conditions, suggesting that these metabolites may be responsible for salt and drought resistance in S. salsa. Third, the flavonoid biosynthetic and phenylalanine metabolic pathways were significantly enriched under both salt and drought stress conditions, indicating that these two metabolic pathways play important roles in salt and drought stress resistance in S. salsa. The findings of this study provide new insights into the salt and drought tolerance mechanisms of S. salsa. This study used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to study the changes of small molecule metabolites of Suaeda salsa under salt and drought stress. We showed the main metabolites and metabolic pathways that changed under salt and drought stress environments, and revealed the molecular responses of S. salsa in response to salt and drought from the level of metabolomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, linear codes with a few weights have been extensively studied for their applications in space communication, data storage and cryptography etc. We construct several classes of binary linear codes and determine their weight distributions. Most of these codes can be used in secret sharing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis has become one of the main factors inducing the development of acute lung injury (ALI) in clinical practice. Currently, inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis is the target of multiple drugs in the treatment of sepsis induced ALI. This study aimed to explore the effects of METTL14 on the pyroptosis in the sepsis induced ALI progression. Methods: LPS-stimulated A549 cells and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-treated mice were used to establish the ALI model in vitro and in vivo. Then, the cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay. ELISA kits were used to determine the IL-18 and IL-1β contents. Pyroptosis rate was tested by flow cytometry. M6A dot blot was conducted to analyze the global m6A levels and MeRIP assay was performed to detect the m6A levels of NLRP3. The relationship between METTL14 and NLRP3 was confirmed by RIP and dual-luciferase report assays. Results: The global m6A levels were significantly increased in the LPS-stimulated A549 cells and CLP-treated mice. METTL14 knockdown decreased the cell viability, IL-18 and IL-1β contents, and pyroptosis rate of the LPS-stimulated A549 cells. Furthermore, the increase of pyroptosis-related proteins in LPS-stimulated A549 cells was significantly decreased after METTL14 knockdown. Additionally, METTL14 knockdown decreased the m6A and mRNA levels of NLRP3, and NLRP3 overexpression reversed the effects of METTL14 knockdown on the pyroptosis in the LPS-stimulated A549 cells. In CLP-treated mice, METTL14 knockdown relieved the injury and decreased the IL-18 and IL-1β contents in the lung tissues, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that METTL14 knockdown inhibited the pyroptosis in the sepsis-induced ALI progression through decreasing the NLRP3 levels dependent on m6A methylation modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new idea is proposed to improve the fracability of hot dry rock under alternating temperature loads. • Effects of alternating temperature loads on mechanical properties of hot dry rock are experimentally investigated. • Microstructure analysis under alternating temperature loads are given in detail. Inspired by the physical process of thermal expansion and cold shrinkage, this study proposes a new idea to improve the capacity to form complex fractures (i.e., fracability) in hot dry rock (HDR) under alternating temperature loads. However, the evolution of the HDR mechanical properties under alternating temperature loads is rarely reported. This study analyzed the evolution mechanism of the HDR rock mechanics properties under alternating temperature loads by using the high-temperature high-pressure rock mechanics triaxial test system. The results show that mechanical parameters such as compressive strength, dilatancy stress, and elastic modulus are significantly reduced after alternating temperature loading, compared with those after simple heat treatment. After alternating temperature loading, compared with the case of simple heat treatment, the HDR rock samples reach the dilatancy stress earlier; its stress-strain curve features a visible concave arc at the micro-fracture closure segment; the axial loading ends up with the shear failure and enhanced complexity. The microstructural analysis shows that cyclic thermal stress occurs inside the HDR as the temperature increases and extensive mineral metasomatism is triggered, which is dominated by quartz penetrating plagioclase via metasomatism. Therefore, the decrease of quartz content and the HDR mineral metasomatism under alternating temperature loads are the fundamental causes for the great changes in the HDR mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantioselective C–P cross-coupling of diarylphosphine oxides with ortho -substituted aryl iodides has been achieved via kinetic resolution strategy, affording chiral triarylphosphine oxides in high yields and with moderate to high enantioselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a disease with great heterogeneity and a high mortality rate. It is crucial to identify reliable biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment to improve clinical outcomes in patients with HCC. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is not only a widely used biomarker in clinical practice but also plays a complicated role in HCC, and it has recently been considered to be related to immunotherapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regarded as key regulators and promising biomarkers of HCC. We investigated the role of an AFP-related miRNA, miR-135b-5p, in HCC progression. Methods. Identification of miR-135b-5p was performed based on a cohort of 65 HCC cases and the liver hepatocellular carcinoma cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas (Asian people only). A combination of whole-transcriptome sequencing and high-dimensional proteomic technologies was used to study the role of miR-135b-5p in HCC. Results. Upregulation of miR-135b-5p was detected in patients with HCC with high serum AFP levels (AFP > 400 ng / ml). Elevated miR-135b-5p expression was associated with adverse prognosis. We also identified the relevance between high miR-135b-5p expression and tumor-related pathological characteristics, such as Edmondson grade and vascular invasion. We revealed tyrosine kinase nonreceptor 1 as a potential target of miR-135b-5p. Additionally, the transcriptional start site of miR-135b-5p had potential binding sites for SRY-box transcription factor 9, and the stemness properties of tumor cells were more remarkable in HCC with the upregulation of miR-135b-5p. The molecular characterization of the miR-135b-5p-high group was similar to that of the HCC subclasses containing moderately and poorly differentiated tumors. Finally, gene signatures associated with improved clinical outcomes in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy were upregulated in the miR-135b-5p-high group. Conclusion. miR-135b-5p could be a biomarker for predicting the prognosis and antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 monotherapy response in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: To date, sepsis remains the main cause of mortality in intensive care units (ICU). This study aimed analyze the risk factors of the prognosis in sepsis patients. Methods: In this case-control study, patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit of a Chinese hospital between January and November 2020 were analyzed. Ultrasound and clinical data were analyzed and compared between non-survivors and survivors. The ROC curve analysis was also performed to determine the best indicator for predicting mortality. Results: A total of 72 patients with sepsis in ICU were included for analysis. The basic characteristics between the survivals and non-survivals were similar, except for acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) Ⅱ score, sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, lactate level, ultrasound parameters from superior mesenteric artery (SMA) such as peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistive index (RI). Univariate analysis revealed that the APACHE Ⅱ score, SOFA score, lactate, low PSV, EDV, and RI were potential risk factors for mortality in sepsis, while multivariate analysis suggested that low PSV was an independent risk factor for mortality, and the adjusted odds ratio was 0.295 (95% CI: 0.094–0.925). The ROC analysis showed that the PSV (AUC = 0.99; sensitivity and specificity were 0.99 and 0.96, respectively) had good predictive value for mortality in sepsis. Conclusion: Low PSV as found to be an independent risk factor and good predictor for mortality in patients with sepsis. This study shows the promise of ultrasound in predicting mortality in patients with sepsis; however, further studies are needed to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graphical abstract is provided for this study, which summarized the contents of the manuscript in a concise. We hope it will capture the attention of a wide readership of Chemical Engineering Science , as well as be helpful for understanding the content of study easily. [Display omitted] • The rapidly and quantitatively poisoning to the catalyst was effective strategy for the study of its sulfur poisoning mechanism. • The high activity of catalyst was dominated by nano-sized effect and strong lattice oxygen deliverability from PtO 2 particles. • The decrease in PtO 2 is the transition to PtO rather than the common sulfation of active species. • The decline in reactive property of active lattice oxygen resulted in the deactivation of catalyst. The present study involved the synthesis of a kaolin-based NaY zeolite (KL-NY) supported nanocrystal PtO 2 (5–10 nm) catalyst, which exhibited complete benzene conversion at 195 °C. However, a certain amount of sulfur species led to severe deactivation of the catalyst. This deactivation was mainly caused by the reduction of active lattice oxygen. XPS, H 2 -TPR and HRTEM results confirmed that adsorbed sulfur species competitively consumed active lattice oxygen, resulting in a transition of partial PtO 2 to PtO. Generated PtO cannot actively participate in the oxidation reaction due to its weaker oxidation property, indicating a decrease of active species induced by sulfur poisoning. Furthermore, Al 2 O 3 outside the KL-NY framework can adsorb sulfur species and form Al 2 (SO 4) 3 , leading to an increase in acid sites. Due to the weak acid-tolerance of KL-NY, partial porous structure destruction occurred with a decrease in specific surface area and pore volume, thereby negatively impacting catalyst performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-step synthesis of the title compound has been devised. In spite of its P=C double bond, the compound does not react at 100 °C with methanol and 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene. DFT calculations indicate a planar core, a long P=C double bond at 1.725 Å and a high-lying LUMO. Complexation can force the methoxy substituent to rotate out of the plane, thus restoring partly the double bond character of the P=C bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In quantum information theory, symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures (SIC-POVMs) are related to quantum state tomography, quantum cryptography and foundational studies. However, constructing SIC-POVMs is notoriously hard. Although some SIC-POVMs have been constructed numerically, there does not exist an infinite family of them until now. In this paper, we utilize Jacobi sums over finite fields to propose a construction of approximately SIC-POVMs. The dimension of this approximately SIC-POVMs is q - 2 , where q is a prime power. Notably, the dimension of the obtained approximately SIC-POVM from our framework is new. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Accumulating evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the development of many cancer types. However, the changes of lncRNAs expression profiles in hepatocarcinogenesis remain largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the clinical significance, oncogenic functions, and potential mechanism of cancer-related lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: An in vitro hepatocellular carcinoma model was established via oncogene-mediated transformation with a combination of three genetic alterations, including hTERT overexpression, inactivation of P53, and KRAS activation. Changes of biological function and transcriptome profile in these cell lines were determined by colony formation assay, MTT assay, wound-healing scratch assay, xenograft nude mice model, mass cytometry and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Furthermore, 116 HCC tissues and its corresponding normal tumor-adjacent tissues were explored to validate the results of cell lines. Finally, RNA sequencing, single-cell mass cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorter were applied to evaluate the potential association between the expression of lncRNA and the stemness of HCC. Results: LncRNA HOXA-AS2 was aberrantly upregulated and it may be involved in the regulation of cancer stem cells during oncogenic transformation. Consistently, lncRNA HOXA-AS2 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC and its higher expression positively correlated with poor prognosis and stem cell-related functions. Moreover, a specific cancer stem cell subpopulation with EPCAM+, C-MYC+ and CK19+ may exist in higher HOXA-AS2 expression HCC patients. Conclusion: LncRNA HOXA-AS2 plays pivotal roles in the occurrence and progression of HCC, which may act as a therapeutic target for prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: 1. To review the contemporary literature and present a list of the imaging findings for patients with autoinflammatory diseases from our hospital. All these patients are found to have a genetic mutation that is responsible for their disease. 2. To present follow-up imaging findings, when available, and correlate those with symptoms and type of treatment administered in approximately 40 patients with autoinflammatory diseases of a single tertiary pediatric health care center including familial Mediterranean fever, Cryopyrin-associated autoinflammatory syndrome, PAPA (pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenousum, and acne) syndrome, and more. These findings are related to disease progression, treatment response, or treatment-induced changes. Conclusion: Autoinflammatory diseases are relatively rare entities that can affect any system of the body. Given the many nonspecific imaging features, awareness of these diseases and good communication with clinicians aid in reaching an accurate diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: An InDel marker closely linked with a major and stable quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 4BS, QSnpa.cau-4B, controlling spike number per unit area will benefit wheat yield improvement. Spike number per unit area (SNPA) is an essential yield-related trait, and analyzing its genetic basis is important for cultivar improvement in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, we used the F2 population derived from a cross between two wheat accessions displaying significant differences in SNPA to perform quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Through bulked segregant analysis, a major and stable QTL that explained 18.11–82.11% of the phenotypic variation was identified on chromosome 4BS. The QTL interval was validated using F4:5 and F6:7 families and narrowed it to a 24.91–38.36 Mb region of chromosome 4BS according to the 'Chinese Spring' reference genome sequence. In this region, variations in 16 genes caused amino acid changes and three genes were present in only one parent. Among these, we annotated a gene orthologous to TB1 in maize (Zea mays), namely TraesCS4B01G042700, which carried a 44-bp deletion in its promoter in the higher-SNPA parent. An InDel marker based on the insertion/deletion polymorphism was designed and used to diagnose the allelic distribution within a natural population. The frequency of the 44-bp deletion allele associated with higher SNPA was relatively low (13.24%), implying that this favorable allele has not been widely utilized and could be valuable for wheat yield improvement. In summary, we identified a major and stable QTL for SNPA and developed a diagnostic marker for the more-spiked trait, which will be beneficial for molecular-assisted breeding in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: H2A.Z is an oncogenic histone variant that is overexpressed in cancers. Two isoforms of H2A.Z, H2AFZ and H2AFV, are identical except for a three-amino acid difference. However, their isoform-specific functions remain unclear in cancer development. Thereby, this study aimed to investigate whether the two isoforms play distinct functions in hepatocarcinogenesis. Materials and Methods: Expressions of H2A.Z isoforms in 116 paired hepatocellular cancerous and para-cancerous tissues were detected by employing qPCR. GEO and TCGA databases were used to probe expressions and prognostic value of the two H2A.Z isoforms. A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted. Furthermore, co-expressed analysis of H2AFZ and H2AFV was performed by using cBioPortal database. H2A.Z binding genes from Chip-seq were intersected with H2A.Z isoforms co-expressed genes to perform functional annotations. Cell proliferation experiments from H2AFZ knockout HepG2 and BEL-7402 cells were implemented. Finally, RNA-seq was applied to analyse alternative splicing in H2AFZ knockout and wild-type cells. Results: H2AFZ and H2AFV were both significantly upregulated (P < 0.01) in hepatocellular carcinoma and related to poor prognosis (P < 0.01). The two H2A.Z isoforms played vital roles in cell proliferation. It is also predicted that unique functions of H2AFV contain spindle midzone and microtubule, while H2AFZ is especially associated with RNA export and spliceosome. Further, devoid H2AFZ may restrain liver cancer cell proliferation and cause many alternative splicing events. Conclusion: Both H2A.Z isoforms play vital and distinct roles in the occurrence and progression of liver cancer, which may pave a way for novel therapeutic applications for cancers in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report the phenomenon of fast changes in aerosol hygroscopicity between clean and polluted periods observed frequently in urban Beijing during winter using a hygroscopicity tandem mobility analyzer. The cause of this phenomenon and the formation process of particles in different modes are discussed. During clean periods, ultrafine‐mode particles (i.e., nucleation and Aitken modes) stem mainly from nucleation events with subsequent growth. During heavily polluted periods, ultrafine‐mode particles originate chiefly from primary emissions. Larger‐mode particles like accumulation‐mode particles are mainly from primary emissions during clean periods and aqueous reactions during polluted periods. This finding based on hygroscopicity tandem mobility analyzer measurements can make up the deficiency of mass‐dependent instruments in analyzing sources and chemical processes of ultrafine‐mode particles. Plain Language Summary: The mass concentration of ultrafine‐mode particles in the atmosphere is extremely low, and their properties are rarely investigated using instruments specialized in measuring such things. The hygroscopicity tandem mobility analyzer makes it possible to study sources and chemical processes of ultrafine‐mode particles. They were measured in terms of aerosol number concentration, and aerosol hygroscopicity indirectly reflects aerosol chemical compositions. The properties of ultrafine‐ and accumulation‐mode particles differed considerably between clean and polluted urban environments. Investigated were their different formation processes. Key Points: Aerosol hygroscopicity changes quickly between clean and polluted periods in BeijingUltrafine‐mode particles stem chiefly from nucleation in clean environments and from primary emissions in polluted environmentsUltrafine‐ and accumulation‐mode particles have distinct properties in urban environments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]