Search

While proposing dual carbon strategy goals, research on carbon reduction in integrated energy systems (IESs) has become a focus of attention. Traditional IES carbon emission flow is mostly based on energy flow, without considering the differences in energy quality. Exergy can be used as a reasonable measure of energy quality. Combining the theory of exergy flow and carbon emission flow, a modeling and analysis method for IES carbon emission flow considering energy quality is proposed. First, exergy flow models for electric and natural gas systems, equivalent exergy flow models for heat systems, and exergy hub models are introduced. Afterward, the exergy branch losses are allocated to the nodes at both ends. A networked modeling method for the carbon emission flow of energy stations is proposed. A unified matrix calculation model for IES carbon emission flow considering energy quality is established. On this basis, an IES carbon emission flow calculation method considering energy quality is proposed. Finally, this method is applied to the test IES, and the results show that the carbon emission flow calculation results reflect the distribution of carbon emissions borne by the effective energy supplied by the source and consumed by the load in the system, taking into account both the quantity and quality of energy. The reasonable allocation of new energy is conducive to synchronously improving the energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, and cleanliness of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mathematical abilities of children with autism spectrum condition have been understudied. Magnitude representation is a fundamental numerical ability that emerges early in development and is linked to children's learning of formal mathematics. It remains unclear about whether children with autism spectrum condition differ from their peers without autism spectrum condition in the precision of magnitude representations. This study recruited preschool-aged children with autism spectrum condition (N = 70; 64 boys, M age = 5.20 years) and without autism spectrum condition (N = 117; 63 boys, M age = 5.11 years), and tested their precision of magnitude representation with an approximate number comparison task (dot comparison). Children with autism spectrum condition exhibited the lower numerical comparison accuracy (i.e. the weaker magnitude representation) than their peers without autism spectrum condition, regardless of the congruency between numerosity and surface area of dots. Moreover, the lower numerical comparison accuracy was observed even controlling for multiple general cognitive abilities (working memory, inhibitory control, and nonverbal intelligence) and language abilities. In addition, the variability of the comparison accuracy was larger in children with autism spectrum condition than without autism spectrum condition. These findings suggest that children with autism spectrum condition are at risk of weaker magnitude representation from an early age, emphasizing the need for specialized mathematics education or interventions to support their learning. The mathematical abilities of children with autism spectrum condition have been understudied. Magnitude representation (e.g. presenting the number of a collection of objects) is a fundamental numerical ability presented since early infancy and is correlated with children's later learning of formal mathematics. It remains unclear about whether children with autism spectrum condition differ from their peers without autism spectrum condition in precision of magnitude representations. This study compared preschool children with and without autism spectrum condition in their precision of magnitude representation with an approximate number comparison task, in which children compared two sets of dots without counting and chose the set with more dots. Children with autism spectrum condition exhibited the lower numerical comparison accuracy (i.e. the weaker magnitude representation) than their peers without autism spectrum condition. This difference existed even when multiple general cognitive abilities (working memory, inhibitory control, and nonverbal intelligence) and language abilities were statistically controlled. Moreover, the individual difference of the numerical comparison accuracy was larger in children with autism spectrum condition than without autism spectrum condition. These findings suggest that children with autism spectrum condition are at risk of weaker magnitude representation from an early age, emphasizing the need for specialized mathematics education or interventions to support their learning. In addition, the large variance in the precision of their magnitude representation suggests that individualized mathematics interventions are needed for children with autism spectrum condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliability of friction dependencies under real earthquakes has rarely been validated and the effect of the velocity and temperature increase caused by bidirectional excitation on the maximum displacement remains unclear. In this study, friction dependencies were validated using full-scale dynamic tests under earthquake response orbits, and their contribution to the maximum displacement was assessed under strong ground motions. In general, friction dependencies are still applicable to real earthquakes. Moreover, the effect of velocity increase can be ignored, but the effect of temperature increase on displacement is significant, particularly under ground motions with large magnitudes and small distances to faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In the complex world of cancer, iron and copper play essential roles as trace metal ions that are crucial for cancer cell survival. Disruption in their metabolic functions can be lethal to cancer cells, triggering ferroptosis and cuproptosis, respectively. Given an accelerated proliferation rate, cancer cells exhibit a heightened dependence on iron and copper, exposing vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited to reverse drug resistance. Notably, mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses, play a crucial role in regulating both ferroptosis and cuproptosis. This review focuses on elucidating the key mechanisms behind ferroptosis and cuproptosis and summarizes recent clinical applications targeting dysfunctional iron and copper metabolic pathways. Drug resistance is a hallmark of cancer development that underscores a critical need to address it, underscoring the critical need to explore novel approaches. Understanding and targeting these metal-related processes offers promising approaches for developing innovative cancer therapies, making use of vulnerabilities specific to cancer cells. Iron (Fe) and copper (Cu), essential transition metals, play pivotal roles in various cellular processes critical to cancer biology, including cell proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, distant metastases, and oxidative stress. The emergence of ferroptosis and cuproptosis as distinct forms of non-apoptotic cell death has heightened their significance, particularly in connection with these metal ions. While initially studied separately, recent evidence underscores the interdependence of ferroptosis and cuproptosis. Studies reveal a link between mitochondrial copper accumulation and ferroptosis induction. This interconnected relationship presents a promising strategy, especially for addressing refractory cancers marked by drug tolerance. Harnessing the toxicity of iron and copper in clinical settings becomes crucial. Simultaneous targeting of ferroptosis and cuproptosis, exemplified by the combination of sorafenib and elesclomol-Cu, represents an intriguing approach. Strategies targeting mitochondria further enhance the precision of these approaches, providing hope for improving treatment outcomes of drug-resistant cancers. Moreover, the combination of iron chelators and copper-lowering agents with established therapeutic modalities exhibits a synergy that holds promise for the augmentation of anti-tumor efficacy in various malignancies. This review elaborates on the complex interplay between ferroptosis and cuproptosis, including their underlying mechanisms, and explores their potential as druggable targets in both cancer research and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hollow heart is a kind of physiological defect that seriously affects the yield, quality, and economic value of cucumber. However, the formation of hollow hearts may relate to multiple factors in cucumber, and it is necessary to conduct analysis. Results: In this study, hollow and non-hollow fruits of cucumber K07 were used for comparative transcriptome sequencing and analysis. 253 differentially expressed genes and 139 transcription factors were identified as being associated with the formation of hollow hearts. Hormone (auxin) signaling and cell wall biosynthesis were mainly enriched in GO and KEGG pathways. Expression levels of key genes involved in indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in carpel were lower in the hollow fruits than non-hollow fruits, while there was no difference in the flesh. The concentration of indole-3-acetic also showed lower in the carpel than flesh. The biosynthetic pathway and content analysis of the main components of the cell wall found that lignin biosynthesis had obvious regularity with hollow heart, followed by hemicellulose and cellulose. Correlation analysis showed that there may be an interaction between auxin and cell wall biosynthesis, and they collectively participate in the formation of hollow hearts in cucumber. Among the differentially expressed transcription factors, MYB members were the most abundant, followed by NAC, ERF, and bHLH. Conclusions: The results and analyses showed that the low content of auxin in the carpel affected the activity of enzymes related to cell wall biosynthesis at the early stage of fruit development, resulting in incomplete development of carpel cells, thus forming a hollow heart in cucumber. Some transcription factors may play regulatory roles in this progress. The results may enrich the theory of the formation of hollow hearts and provide a basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still a serious public health problem. In recent years, with the increasing incidence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) combined with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a more in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of CHB combined with NAFLD is required. HBV can induce autophagy and use to increase replication. The removal of fat by autophagy, also known as lipophagy, is also currently considered an alternative pathway for lipid metabolism in liver cells. This degradation of autophagy prevents hepatotoxicity and steatosis. However, it is not known whether there is a correlation between HBV-related autophagy and the progression of NAFLD. We explored how HBV affects disease progression in NAFLD should be " and determined whether it is associated with HBV-associated autophagy. In this study, we constructed HBV-TG mouse high-fat diet (HFD) models and controls, and the results showed that the presence of HBV promoted the occurrence of NAFLD. We also demonstrated that HBV promotes lipid droplet accumulation in hepatocytes using HBV-stable expression cell lines HepG2.2.15 and AML12-HBV. In addition, this study also found that exogenous OA supplementation reduced HBV replication. We further studied the mechanism and found that HBV-related autophagy can promote the absorption of liver cells to lipid droplets. It can reduce the decomposition of lipid droplets by inhibiting the function of autophagolysosome, and eventually lead to the accumulation of lipid droplets in hepatocytes. In a word, HBV promotes the progression of NAFLD by increasing lipid accumulation in hepatocytes through incomplete autophagy. [Display omitted] • The hepatitis B virus promotes the occurrence of NAFLD. • HBV increase the lipid accumulation. • HBV promotes lipid accumulation through incomplete autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress of relative paleointensity (RPI) estimations using marine sediments has greatly contributed to better understanding of the behavior of the past geomagnetic field. To enhance further the reliability of RPI estimations, we must overcome the problem that climatically induced variations of magnetic‐mineral assemblages in sediments may influence RPI records. Two major constituents of magnetic‐mineral assemblages in marine sediments are magnetofossils and detrital magnetic minerals, and the latter consists of silicate‐hosted magnetic inclusions and unprotected magnetic minerals. It is necessary to understand different RPI recording efficiencies among those constituents to tackle the problem, but previous evaluations were inconclusive. We studied this issue using a sediment core taken from the southeast Pacific Ocean. Rock‐magnetic investigations revealed that the magnetic mineral assemblage of this core during the last ∼900 Kyr is a mixture of low‐coercivity magnetofossils and middle‐coercivity detrital unprotected partially oxidized magnetite. Natural remanent magnetization versus isothermal remanent magnetization demagnetization diagram showed strong convex curvature, and RPI signals carried by the two components could be separated by calculating RPI from the gradients of 20–40 and 70–160 mT segments. We confirmed that RPI recording efficiency of magnetofossils is lower than that of detrital unprotected magnetites/maghemites. Because of the marginal overlap between the coercivity ranges of the two components, changes in their relative abundance do not influence RPI estimations. This condition is ideal for RPI estimations, and the resulted RPI curve closely coincides with that of the PISO‐1500 stack despite changes in the relative abundance of the two components. Plain Language Summary: Marine sediments potentially preserve records of geomagnetic field intensity variations in the past (paleointensity), which may be important for life on the Earth to shield influx of high‐energy particles from the universe. A serious problem recognized by previous studies is that paleointensity records from sediments sometimes include artificial changes induced by sediment lithology changes reflecting varying depositional environments. Two major constituents of magnetic minerals in sediments, which records paleointensity variations, are magnetites produced by magnetotactic bacteria, called magnetofossils, and inorganic magnetic minerals originated from weathering of rocks on land or materials of volcanic eruptions. Our study using a sediment core taken from the southeast Pacific Ocean revealed that magnetofossils yield lower paleointensity values than inorganic magnetic minerals. This implies that temporal changes in the relative abundance of magnetofossils and inorganic magnetic minerals in sediments may cause the artificial paleointensity variations. We could obtain a reliable paleointensity record from the studied sediments by evaluating separately the magnetizations carried by the two magnetic‐mineral components, which utilized the observations that the two magnetic‐mineral components have different resistance to an external magnetic field. Key Points: Magnetofossil and detrital partially oxidized unprotected magnetite are the major constituents of magnetic mineral assemblageLittle overlap in coercivity distribution of the two components enabled separate evaluation of relative paleointensity (RPI) recording efficiencyRPI recording efficiency of magnetofossil is lower than that of detrital unprotected magnetite/maghemite [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new kind of postharvest rot on Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) caused by a fungus was observed in vegetable cellars in Harbin, China in 2019 and 2020, causing considerable economic losses. A water-soaked spot appeared at the base of the midrib of leaves, extended into the upper part of the midrib, and ultimately turned into rot. The diseased part was dark brown or black with a few black spores on the surface. Fungal isolates were obtained from the diseased plants and identified as Aspergillus welwitschiae through morphological observation and multigene sequencing analysis of the internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin and calmodulin genetic regions. Pathogenicity tests were conducted, and the resulting symptoms on Chinese cabbage were similar to those seen in the vegetable cellar. The isolates were also associated with rot and leaf spot on seedlings and affected the seed germination of Chinese cabbage. A host range test showed that the isolates could infect some common vegetables, including carrot, kidney bean, broccoli, radish, Chinese flowering cabbage, root-mustard, cabbage, non-heading Chinese cabbage, pepper, lettuce, oilseed rape, tomato and cucumber. The isolation, identification, and host range of the pathogen can provide a basis for the study of the occurrence, prevention and management of the disease in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To study the risk factors for granulocytopenia caused by antithyroid drugs. Methods. Patients who were diagnosed with Graves' hyperthyroidism and regularly treated with antithyroid drugs (ATDs) from January 2010 to July 2022 at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, aged >18 years, were selected for general information and laboratory tests and divided into two groups according to the occurrence of granulocytopenia. Independent risk factors for the development of granulocytopenia in patients treated with ATDs were analyzed using one-way and multiway logistic regression analyses, and the predictive value of each index was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC). Results. A total of 818 patients were enrolled, of which 95 developed granulocytopenia. Univariate analysis revealed that sex, white blood cell (WBC) counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) before medication were risk factors for ATD-induced granulocytopenia (P < 0.05). The abovementioned indicators were taken as independent variables, and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female sex, higher ALT levels before medication, and lower NLR and WBC levels were independent risk factors for granulocytopenia using ATDs (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that sex, NLR, ALT, and WBC count had significant predictive values (P < 0.05), and NLR and WBC count had higher predictive values (AUC = 0.916 and 0.700, respectively). Conclusion. Sex, NLR, ALT, and WBC were the main risk factors for granulocytopenia in patients with ATD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of recent artificial intelligence technology, especially after the great success of AlphaGo, there has been a growing interest in applying reinforcement learning (RL) to solve energy management strategy (EMS) problems for hybrid electric vehicles. However, the issues of current RL algorithms including deployment inefficiency, safety constraint, and simulation-to-real gap make it inapplicable to many industrial EMS tasks. With these in mind and considering the fact that there exists many suboptimal EMS controllers which can generate plentiful amounts of interactive data containing informative behaviors, an offline RL training framework that tries to extract policies with the maximum possible utility out of the available offline data is proposed. Furthermore, with connected vehicle technology standard in many new cars, rather than bringing all the data to the storage and analytics, a scheduled training framework is put forward. This cloud-based approach not only alleviates the computational burden of edge devices, but also more importantly provides a deployment-efficient solution to EMS tasks that have to adapt to changes of driving cycle. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm on real controllers, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test is performed and the superiority of the proposed algorithm in contrast to dynamic programming, behavior cloning, rule-based, and vanilla off-policy RL algorithms is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the outstanding performance, composite materials are widely used and analyzing their properties and designing them based on performance has become a crucial task in the field of many manufacturing industries. Composite materials possess complex multiscale structures, and traditional fine-scale finite element modeling and analysis may lead to severe computational resource challenges. To overcome this difficulty, breakthroughs in key technologies of multiscale accelerated analysis algorithms are required. In this study, an innovative approach based on artificial intelligence and multiscale finite element method is presented. This approach involves partitioning the entire composite material structure into coarse grids that resemble homogenous structures of similar size, providing results consistent to fine-grid finite element analysis. By utilizing CNN for image feature recognition and employing the CGAN adversarial method, coarse-grid equivalent stiffness matrices and multiscale shape functions from completely random microstructures of composite materials can be obtained. Consequently, this enables a rapid response process from microstructure to low-resolution grid to high-resolution physical field, with remarkably accurate physical field results. Moreover, compared to traditional fine-grid finite element methods, this approach significantly reduces memory usage and computation time. This method is applicable to composite materials with varying shaped inclusions, different component properties, and diverse geometric distributions, allowing these materials to perform high-fidelity finite element calculations on coarse grids and predict their mechanical behavior. Furthermore, this breakthrough opens avenues for accelerating the optimization design of composite materials with diverse mechanical functionalities, by employing a bottom-up approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the risk level of ground motions (GM) for structures is crucial for their damage control and resilience enhancement, while the assessment and measurement criteria of GM risk levels for structures isolated by double concave friction pendulum system (DCFPS) remain unclear. Through statistical analysis of the response distribution of DCFPS with various design parameters under 1013 GM records, this study determines an energy dissipation efficacy of 99 %, a floor velocity of 0.35 m/s, a floor velocity of 0.60 m/s, and the displacement capacity of DCFPS as the response criteria for assessing four performance states of efficacy, habitability, functionality, and safety, respectively. In addition, the value of GM intensity in PGA, PGV, PGD, and the equivalent velocity of seismic input energy (V E) for measuring the four GM risk levels corresponding to the four performance states are obtained. Furthermore, a classification of GMs based on earthquake magnitude and fault distance is proposed according to their risk to DCFPS. It is found that the intensity value of each GM risk level varies for different design parameters of DCFPS but fluctuate within a small range, however, great differences exist when using different intensity measures (IM) in classifying GM risk levels. Therefore, based on the correlation between IMs and DCFPS responses, the conservatism of PGA, PGV, PGD and V E in assessing the risk of GMs for DCFPS are evaluated. • Four performance states and corresponding response-based assessment criteria for FPS structures are proposed. • Effect of GM IMs on measuring GM risk levels is clarified. • A statistical analysis method for determining the relations between GM IMs and measures of structural response is proposed. • The value of IMs for measuring GM risk levels are proposed for DCFPS structures with various design parameters. • A classification of GMs using earthquake magnitude and fault distance is proposed based on their risk for DCFPS structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine sediments can preserve continuous paleomagnetic intensity records. Different magnetic minerals may acquire remanent magnetizations differently, so that compositional variations of magnetic mineral assemblages in sediments may hinder extraction of reliable relative paleointensity (RPI) records. To better understand this issue, we conducted a paleo‐ and rock magnetic study of a sediment core from the Ontong Java Plateau, western equatorial Pacific Ocean. RPI estimated by normalizing natural remanent magnetization (NRM) with anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) decreases downcore with an inverse correlation with the ratio of ARM susceptibility to saturation isothermal remanent magnetization. This relationship indicates that the RPI signal weakens as the proportion of biogenic magnetite increases. The NRM–ARM demagnetization diagrams obtained have concave‐down curvature. These observations indicate that the RPI recording efficiency of the biogenic component is lower than that of the terrigenous component if we assume that the magnetizations of the high‐ and low‐coercivity windows are carried dominantly by biogenic and terrigenous components, respectively. This assumption is supported by first‐order reversal curve measurements, transmission electron microscope observations, low‐temperature measurements, and extraction of silicate‐hosted magnetic inclusions from the sediments. Previous studies have suggested that the RPI recording efficiency of biogenic magnetite is higher than that of the terrigenous component, which disagrees with our results. Different concentrations of silicate‐hosted magnetic inclusions in different sedimentary environments might explain this contradiction. We conclude that biogenic magnetite contributes to RPI records with lower efficiency than unprotected terrigenous magnetic minerals in the studied sediments. Changing biogenic magnetite proportions distort ARM‐normalized RPI estimations. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic minerals in marine sediments can preserve variations in the intensity of Earth's magnetic field (paleointensity) over geologic time, which is important for understanding how the field is generated within Earth's core. Paleointensity can be recorded by magnetic minerals with different recording efficiencies, which complicates recovery of reliable paleointensity records from sediments that contain different magnetic minerals. Our study of a sediment core from the western equatorial Pacific Ocean indicates that it contains two main types of magnetic minerals: biogenic magnetite produced by bacteria that align themselves with the Earth's magnetic field, and magnetic minerals produced by weathering of terrigenous sediments. The paleointensity record obtained from the sediment core weakens with increasing biogenic magnetite abundance in the sediments. We conclude that this biogenic magnetite records paleomagnetic intensity less efficiently than terrigenous magnetic minerals, which conflicts with the results of previous studies. This contradiction might be explained by differences in the concentrations of magnetic minerals embedded in nonmagnetic silicate minerals in our study area compared to those in previous studies. Key Points: ARM‐normalized relative paleointensity is inversely correlated with the proportion of biogenic magnetite in the studied sedimentsThe estimated relative paleointensity recording efficiency of biogenic magnetite is lower than that of terrigenous magnetic mineralsVarying abundances of magnetic inclusions might cause contrasting recording efficiencies for biogenic magnetite between different studies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A biomechanical in vitro investigation.Objective: To evaluate the function and stability of self-designed biomimetic artificial atlanto-odontoid joint (BAAOJ) replacement on the atlantoaxial joint.Summary Of Background Data: Upper cervical fusion surgery is a common treatment for various atlantoaxial disorders, and favorable clinical outcome has been achieved. However, the fusion surgery results in loss of atlantoaxial motion as well as adjacent segments degeneration, reducing the quality of life of patients and might produce severe neurological symptoms. Non-fusion technology is expected to solve the above problems, but various designed devices have certain defects and are still in the exploratory phase.Materials and Methods: Biomechanical tests were conducted on 10 fresh human cadaveric craniocervical specimens in the following sequence: 1) intact condition, 2) after the BAAOJ arthroplasty, 3) after BAAOJ fatigue test, 4) after odontoidect-omy, and 5) after anterior rigid plate fixation. Three-dimensional movements of the C1-C2 segment were evaluated to investigate the function and stability of BAAOJ arthroplasty compared with the intact condition after the BAAOJ fatigue test, odontoidect-omy, and rigid plate fixation.Results: Comparing the BAAOJ implantation to the intact state, the range of motion and neutral zone were slightly reduced in all directions (P > 0.05). Compared with the rigid plate fixation, the BAAOJ implantation significantly increased the range of motion and neutral zone in all directions, especially in the axial rotation (P < 0.05).Conclusion: We designed a BAAOJ for correcting atlantoaxial disorders arising from atlantoaxial instability. As a non-fusion device, the most critical feature of BAAOJ replacement is the retention of flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation range of motion similar to the normal state. It can also stabilize the atlantoaxial complex, and the BAAOJ itself has a good initial stability.Level of Evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Enhancing the conductivity of CuCo-MOFs through in-situ method. • Bimetallic synergy improves the sensing characteristics by co-precipitation method. • Improving the conductivity, active sites, and stability of the sophisticated hierarchical Bi-MOF derivatives through thermal condensation-induced structural transformation. • An optimized MOF-based electrode for highly sensitive and ultra-stable electrochemical glucose sensing. Bimetallic organic frameworks (Bi-MOFs) have been recognized as one of the hotpots for electrochemical sensing due to their high surface area, abundant active sites, tunable structures and porosity. However, inadequate conductivity and hidden active site of MOFs remain as great challenges, hindered its further development. Here, an in-situ co-precipitation strategy was proposed for preparing sophisticated hierarchical Bi-MOF derivatives with excellent glucose sensing. Firstly, uniform CuO nanorods as the precursor are synthesized in situ on a Carbon Cloth (CC). Subsequently, Cu-BTC and Co-BTC were co-precipitated on the precursor, while the significant effect of incremental Co2+ doping concentration was investigated. Finally, Cu/Co-MOF derivatives are successfully obtained by controlled thermal structural transformation. Due to the synergistic effect of bimetallic oxides and the exposed active sites, the prepared sensing electrode exhibits high sensitivity (4.93 mA mM−1 cm−2), fast response time (2.9 s), and outstanding long-term stability (30 days). This study proposes a practical method for in-situ synthesizing hierarchical Bi-MOF derivatives, which provides wide-ranging prospects in the field of electrochemical sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemocyanin is the main respiratory protein of arthropods and is formed by hexameric and/or oligomeric subunits. Due to changes in the living environment and gene rearrangement, various hemocyanin subtypes and subunits evolved in crustaceans. This paper reviews the various hemocyanin subtypes and isoforms in shrimp and analyses published genomic data of sixteen hemocyanin family genes from Litopenaeus vannamei to explore the evolution of hemocyanin genes, subunits, and protein structure. Analysis of hemocyanin subtypes distribution and structure in various tissues was also performed and related to multiple and tissue-specific functions, i.e., immunological activity, immune signaling, phenoloxidase activity, modulation of microbiota homeostasis, and energy metabolism. The functional diversity of shrimp hemocyanin due to molecular polymorphism, transcriptional regulation, alternative splicing, degradation into functional peptides, interaction with other proteins or genes, and structural differences will also be highlighted for future research. Inferences would be drawn from other crustaceans to explain how evolution has changed the structure-function of hemocyanin and its implication for evolutionary research into the multifunctionality of hemocyanin and other related proteins in shrimp. [Display omitted] • The evolutionary relation of 16 hemocyanin genes in Penaeus vannamei was analyzed. • Hemocyanin subtypes in penaeid shrimp have functional diversity and tissue specificity. • The functional diversity of shrimp hemocyanin is related to their molecular polymorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the ongoing revolution in developing intelligent and connected vehicles (ICVs), there is a lack of research for powertrain control systems using the latest artificial intelligence and vehicle-to-everything technology that have already been widely adopted in the autonomous driving systems. In this context, recent development of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and one of the latest computing frameworks are coupled to facilitate an onboard-based intelligent powertrain control. Taking the boost control of a diesel engine equipped with variable geometry turbocharger as an example, the results show that the final control behavior indicated by the cumulated rewards is improved by 50.43% and the learning efficiency is improved by 74.29% for the proposed curiosity-driven DRL algorithm, compared with the same structure DRL algorithm with classic random exploration policy. In addition, unlike most of the DRL-based powertrain optimization algorithms, which have only been applied to single-machine architecture, this work manages the proposed DRL algorithm in parallel and, more importantly, from an edge computing perspective. This, in addition to greatly speeding up the algorithm training, can also realize a good balance of control accuracy and generality depending upon the selected training scenario. Moreover, unlike most of the cloud computing frameworks, which require low network latency, the proposed architecture can achieve a similar final control performance even if good network communication is not allowed. Compared with other existing powertrain control methods, the proposed algorithm is able to approximate a global powertrain control optimization autonomously in a connected manner, making it attractive to current ICVs with advanced automated driving and traditional powertrain control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) serve as a bridge by migrating at the site of spinal cord injury (SCI) to facilitate the repair of the neural structure and neural function. However, OEC migration at the injury site not only faces the complex and disordered internal environment but also is closely associated with the migration ability of OECs. We extracted OECs from the olfactory bulb of SD rats aged <7 days old. We verified the micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-145a-5p expression level in the gene chip after SCI and OEC transplantation using quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The possible target gene Plexin-A2 of miR-145a-5p was screened using bioinformatics and was verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay, Western blot, and qRT-PCR. The effect of miR-145a-5p/plexin-A2 on OEC migration ability was verified by wound healing assay, Transwell cell migration assay, and immunohistochemistry. Nerve repair was observed at the injured site of the spinal cord after OEC transplantation using tissue immunofluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan locomotor rating scale were further used for imaging and functional evaluation. miR-145a-5p expression in the injured spinal cord tissue after SCI considerably decreased, while Plexin-A2 expression significantly increased. OEC transplantation can reverse miR-145a-5p and Plexin-A2 expression after SCI. miR-145a-5p overexpression enhanced the intrinsic migration ability of OECs. As a target gene of miR-145a-5p, Plexin-A2 hinders OEC migration. OEC transplantation overexpressing miR-145a-5p after SCI can increase miR-145a-5p levels in the spinal cord, reduce Plexin-A2 expression in the OECs and the spinal cord tissue, and promote OEC migration and distribution at the injured site. OEC transplantation overexpressing miR-145a-5p can promote the repair of neural morphology and neural function. Our study demonstrated that miR-145a-5p could promote OEC migration by down-regulating the target gene Plexin-A2, and transplantation of miR-145a-5p engineered OECs was beneficial to enhance neural structural and functional recovery in SCI rats. • miR-145a-5p/Plexin-A2 promote migration of OECs. • miR-145a-5p engineered OECs promotes functional recovery of SCI rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis remains a critical concern in intensive care units due to its high mortality rate. Early identification and intervention are paramount to improving patient outcomes. In this study, we have proposed predictive models for early sepsis prediction based on time-series data, utilizing both CNN-Transformer and LSTM-Transformer architectures. By collecting time-series data from patients at 4, 8, and 12 h prior to sepsis diagnosis and subjecting it to various network models for analysis and comparison. In contrast to traditional recurrent neural networks, our model exhibited a substantial improvement of approximately 20%. On average, our model demonstrated an accuracy of 0.964 (± 0.018), a precision of 0.956 (± 0.012), a recall of 0.967 (± 0.012), and an F1 score of 0.959 (± 0.014). Furthermore, by adjusting the time window, it was observed that the Transformer-based model demonstrated exceptional predictive capabilities, particularly within the earlier time window (i.e., 12 h before onset), thus holding significant promise for early clinical diagnosis and intervention. Besides, we employed the SHAP algorithm to visualize the weight distribution of different features, enhancing the interpretability of our model and facilitating early clinical diagnosis and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: People with diabetes tend to face a higher risk of stroke. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the different outcomes of new glucose-lowering drugs marketed in recent years on cardiovascular outcome events. The effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors on stroke risk were evaluated in published RCTs.Methods: A search of Embase, Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases identified studies with stroke as an outcome event up to 3 December 2021. Risk ratios for stroke outcomes were analyzed using a fixed-effects model. I2 was used to assess the heterogeneity of the study.Results: 19 RCTs with 155,027 participants with type 2 diabetes were identified. Pooled analysis showed that compared to placebo, GLP-1 agonists reduced non-fatal stroke by 15 % (RR = 0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.94, P = 0.002, I2 = 0 %) and total stroke (RR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.77-0.93, P = 0.000, I2 = 0 %) by 16 %. SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors were not significantly associated with lower stroke risk.Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicates that GLP-1 agonists have potential benefits for stroke. However, further studies are needed if GLP-1 agonists are to be used to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes. More research is also needed to investigate the effects of new glucose-lowering drugs on different stroke subtypes.Systematic Review Registration: This protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; registration number: CRD42022326382). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The exergy flow model of a single-layer regional heat network is developed. • The generalized Kirchhoff's first law of exergy flow at nodes is proposed. • The concepts including exergy-voltage and exergy-impedance of RIES are proposed. • The unified exergy flow calculation model of RIES is established. • The exergy-circuit model is developed to characterize the energy quality of RIES. A regional integrated energy system (RIES) involves many different forms of energy, which can use exergy as a measure of energy quality. Based on the multi-energy flow, this paper analyses the exergy flow distribution mechanism of the network, and puts forward a unified calculation model of the exergy flow of RIES. Firstly, the exergy flow distribution mechanism of the regional heat network is analysed. Taking the return network as the reference system, the exergy flow model of a single-layer regional heat network is established, and the equivalence rationality of the regional heat network is verified by the exergy flow balance analysis. Next, the concept of exergy-voltage is proposed based on exergy-potential difference, and the exergy flow calculation model of the equivalent region heat network is established. The relevant laws are extended to other energy links, the concepts of exergy-voltage of electric and gas distribution networks are proposed, and the exergy flow model is established. The energy station is equivalent to the exergy loss node. Based on exergy flow balance, the generalized Kirchhoff's first law of node exergy flow is proposed. Then, the concept of exergy-impedance is put forward. The exergy-circuit model and exergy flow unified calculation model of RIES are established. Lastly, the energy quality of a typical RIES in China is studied using the present method. Through the exergy flow distribution, it is expedient to determine the effective energy of the energy network and the energy quality characteristics of the entire system. This research demonstrates that the quantity and quality of energy and the overall and local energy quality may exhibit different characteristics. It is found that factors including improving energy structure, adopting reasonable network topology, selecting appropriate equipment, and operation mode for energy station may enhance the system energy quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemokine CXC motif ligand 16 (CXCL16) is an important mediator that has been shown to participate in various human diseases. The role of CXCL16 in the immunopathology of sepsis remains unidentified. In this study, we found that human patients with sepsis had significantly higher soluble levels of serum CXCL16 than healthy volunteers on day of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Soluble CXCL16 remained significantly up-regulated in the patients with sepsis, which correlated with disease severity. Furthermore, nonsurvivors displayed significantly higher admission levels of soluble CXCL16 compared with survivors of septic patients. Soluble CXCL16 levels revealed significant prognostic value for 28-day mortality, and CXCL16 was shown to be an independent predictor of 28-day mortality in the patients with sepsis. In a murine model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced nonsevere sepsis, supplementation of recombinant CXCL16 protein could increase sepsis-induced mortality and tissue injury. Conversely, neutralizing CXCL16 by anti-CXCL16 monoclonal antibody could decrease mortality and tissue injury in CLP-induced severe sepsis. However, CXCL16 did not affect the ability of these mice to clear bacteria in CLP. Taken together, CXCL16 could be related to sepsis not only as a novel biomarker of prognosis, but also as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of monoglyceride (MGs) acyl chain length and compounding of MGs on the oleogel properties and stability, 3 different pure MGs and 7 mixtures with different glycerol monostearate (MS): glycerol monobehenate (MB) ratios were studied with high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) as the liquid oil. The oleogel properties were characterized in terms of structuring potential including oil binding capacity (OBC), hardness and rheological behavior, and the microstructural features associated with these properties determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solid fat content (SFC), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and polarized light microscopy (PLM). Changes in oleogel properties (OBC and hardness) and the microstructure during 30 days of storage were also evaluated. Different chain lengths and ratios of MS:MB led to different crystallization rates, polymorphic transitions and aggregation rates, so as to form different crystalline networks and stabilities. In general, the MB oleogel exhibited the highest properties and stability. An increase in OBC in the order of glycerol monolaurate (ML) < MS < MB was observed for pure MG oleogels. The oleogels with mixed MGs outperformed the mechanical properties of the single ones. The best oleogel properties and stabilities were obtained for the oleogel with the MS:MB ratio as 2:8. • Monoglyceride chain lengths influenced the oleogels properties and stability. • Compounding different monoglycerides tuned the oleogels properties and stability. • For single systems, the best oleogel was produced by glycerol monobehenate. • Oleogels with mixed monoglycerides showed better properties than pure oleogels. • The optimum ratio of glycerol monostearate: glycerol monobehenate was found as 2:8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inflammatory and immune processes are key pathophysiological processes in the ischemic stroke, including leukocyte infiltration and destruction of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), which further lead to increased post-ischemic inflammation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a specific subset of T lymphocytes that play a pivotal role in suppressing the activation of immune system, maintaining immune homeostasis, and regulating inflammation induced by pathogens and environmental toxins. We would like to discuss the paradox function of Tregs in ischemic stroke. The accumulating data indicate that Tregs are involved in the immune regulation and self-tolerance after ischemic stroke, contributing the outcome of ischemic stroke. Tregs could resist immune response overactivation, and were supposed to be the endogenous regulatory factors to control the immune response of ischemic brain. Although, there are still some controversies and unresolved issues about the functions and mechanisms of Tregs in ischemic stroke. More and more attention has been paid to Tregs in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and it might be a potential therapeutic target in the future. In this review, we will summarize the recent findings on the specific functions and mechanisms of Tregs and discuss its potential therapeutic role in ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new 3D crack-tip singular element is developed; • The shape of the 3D SASE could be an circular cylinder with oblique end surfaces; • The oblique cylinder element has increased the accuracy; • It is found that plane strain eigen solution is better to construct the 3D element than the plane stress solution. This study further extends a developed symplectic analytical singular element (SASE) library to include three-dimensional (3D) cracks in dissimilar materials. We construct a trial symplectic eigen solution for 3D bimaterial interfacial cracks and use it as the crack tip enrichment to define the interior displacement field of a new singular element. The symplectic approach is applied for the numerical modelling of 3D bimaterial cracks for the first time. In the derivation, a non-standard shape of the 3D crack-tip element, i.e., a cylinder with two oblique ends with arbitrary orientations, is considered to better fit the mesh of curved 3D cracks. It is proven that the proposed 3D element has improved the accuracy and is still convenient to use. The present contribution has provided a new insight for choosing effective and efficient crack tip enrichments of 3D interfacial cracks, and is also an important step forward of the SASE library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical recovered ferric phosphate (FePO 4) precipitates from hypophosphite-laden wastewater were shown to be an efficient method for phosphorus (P) recovery. However, the influence of chloride ions (Cl−) coexisting commonly in wastewater is not known for this treatment. Herein, a field-induced electro-Fenton coupled with anodic oxidation electrochemical system consisting of a Ti-RuO 2 anode, an Fe inductive electrode and an activated carbon fiber (ACF) cathode, namely Ti-RuO 2 /Fe/ACF(NaCl) system, was established to recover phosphorus (P) as FePO 4 from hypophosphite-laden wastewater in the presence of Cl−. This system enabled a hypophosphite (H 2 PO 2 −, 1.0 mM) removal ratio of ~100% and all P was recovered within 30 min at 5.0 V under the initial solution pH of 3.0. The Faradaic efficiency and energy consumption of P recovery achieved the maximum value (~94%) and the lowest value (~16 kW h kg−1 P), respectively. Reactive oxygen species including 1O 2 , FeIVO2+, •O 2 − and •OH contribute to convert H 2 PO 2 − to PO 4 3−, which immediately formed FePO 4 with the generated Fe3+ at the optimized conditions. Therein, the contribution of non-radical 1O 2 was very considerable. This system exhibited good stability. The efficiency and cost for treatment of actual hypophosphite-laden wastewater were addressed to check its applicability for P recovery. [Display omitted] • Field-induced electro-Fenton coupled with anodic oxidation electrochemical system was raised. • Recovery of phosphorus as FePO 4 from hypophosphite-laden wastewater were largely enhanced. • The primary reactive oxygen species for oxidation of H 2 PO 2 − to PO 4 3− were identified. • Economic and stability analysis for real plating effluents treatment was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate whether PTX3 is differentially expressed in the granulosa lutein cells derived from women with PCOS and whether BMP6 can regulate the expression of PTX3 in hGL cells. Methods: The expression levels of BMP6 and PTX3 in granulosa lutein cells were evaluated by RT-qPCR. The correlation between the expression levels of BMP6 /PTX3 and oocyte quality indexes were analyzed using clinical samples. The cells were incubated with BMP6 at different concentrations and times to check the expression of PTX3 in KGN cells. TGF-β type I inhibitors and small interfering RNA targeting ALK2/3/6,SMAD1/5/8 and SMAD4 were used to study the involvement of SMAD dependent pathways in KGN cells. Results: The levels of BMP6 in hGL cells were negatively correlated with the corresponding oocyte maturation rate and high-quality embryo rate, whereas the levels of PTX3 were positively correlated with the corresponding oocyte maturation rate in PCOS. Additionally, the in vitro cell cultured results showed BMP6 significantly inhibited the expression of PTX3 in KGN cells. Furthermore, using a dual inhibition approach (kinase inhibitors and small interfering RNAs), we identified the ALK2/ALK3 type I receptors and BMPR2/ACVR2A type II receptors and the downstream SMAD1/SMAD5-SMAD4 signaling pathway were responsible for the BMP6-induced cellular activities in KGN cells. Conclusions: The suppressive effect of BMP6 on PTX3 was mediated by ALK2/ALK3 type I receptors and BMPR2/ACVR2A type II receptors in granulosa cells through the SMAD1/5-SMAD4 dependent signaling pathway in PCOS.Our findings provides new insights into the understanding of the pathogenesis of PCOS-related ovulatory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic train services provide huge conveniences to passengers. This work aims to fix one vital promise in major line planning studies that passengers were homogeneous. In fact, passengers' rail travel expectations are heterogeneous. But those heterogeneities show common needs correlating with travel distances and defined station levels. Therefore, we cluster passenger heterogeneities into divided OD groups, extend service qualities, and add more train line factors to our line planning model. Cyclic line plan from this joint optimisation not only receives service quality improvements but also provides multiple train service types to match clustered OD groups. Moreover, we allow passengers to be served by different train service types, deliver a high level of direct services, and maintain the minimum operation cost. We compare concluded line plans with the results of the generic line planning model and the real-world line plan to show our solution advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving coordination between urbanization and ecosystem service value (ESV) in border counties can help optimize the spatial patterns of regional coordinated development. However, the majority of current analysis focuses on the urbanization process of core areas and large-scale administrative units and lacks a quantitative investigation of border counties. Taking 25 border counties in Yunnan Province, China, as research cases, this study evaluated urbanization level and ESV. A coupling coordination degree (CCD) model and a geographical detector model were used to explore the interaction of the two systems and reveal the influencing factors. Furthermore, different scenarios were simulated to reveal the effects of policy priorities on CCD. The results showed the following: (1) The urbanization level increased from 2005 to 2019 while the ESV level fluctuated, showing spatial patterns of having multiple centers and being high in the middle and low at both ends, respectively. (2) Although CCD increased, its level was still low, and the urbanization of most counties lagged behind. (3) Normalized difference vegetation index, temperature, and largest patch index were the main factors affecting CCD, and the interaction effects between any two of these factors were stronger than the independent effect of any single factor. (4) Policy priorities had a significant effect on CCD. Our findings can provide references for border cities in similar contexts to balance urbanization and ESV based on local circumstances. [Display omitted] • This study aims to fill the gap of quantitative research on the interaction between urbanization and ESV of border counties. • We reveal the influencing factors of the interaction between urbanization and ESV in border counties. • We analyze the policy priority based on the local actual circumstances. • It is urgent to promote sustainable development in border areas by conducting relevant research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the incidence and influencing factors of postoperative hypoglycemia in diabetic patients during the perioperative period and to construct a risk prediction model for postoperative hypoglycemia. Methods. Patients with T2DM admitted to the nonendocrinology department of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from December 2019 to January 2022 were included as research subjects. Basic information, hospital blood glucose management methods, laboratory indicators, and surgery-related indicators were collected. A risk prediction model and scoring table for postoperative hypoglycemia in patients with perioperative diabetes mellitus were established. Results. A total of 440 patients were included, of which 109 had hypoglycemia, resulting in an incidence of postoperative hypoglycemia of 24.78%. The results show that preoperative C-peptide and operation duration were risk factors for postoperative hypoglycemia, while BMI and preoperative fasting blood glucose were protective factors. Conclusion. The model constructed in this study is a good method for evaluating the risk of postoperative hypoglycemia. The scoring table intuitively quantifies the risk of risk factors for outcome variables and has strong clinical practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are promising for large‐scale long‐duration energy storage owing to their inherent safety, decoupled power and energy, high efficiency, and longevity. Membranes constitute an important component that affects mass transport processes in RFBs, including ion transport, redox‐species crossover, and the net volumetric transfer of supporting electrolytes. Hydrophilic microporous polymers, such as polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM), are demonstrated as next‐generation ion‐selective membranes in RFBs. However, the crossover of redox species and water migration through membranes are remaining challenges for battery longevity. Here, a facile strategy is reported for regulating mass transport and enhancing battery cycling stability by employing thin film composite (TFC) membranes prepared from a PIM polymer with optimized selective‐layer thickness. Integration of these PIM‐based TFC membranes with a variety of redox chemistries allows for the screening of suitable RFB systems that display high compatibility between membrane and redox couples, affording long‐life operation with minimal capacity fade. Thickness optimization of TFC membranes further improves cycling performance and significantly restricts water transfer in selected RFB systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important role in tumor growth and metastasis. However, the involvement of TAMs infiltration in pulmonary osteosarcoma (OS) metastasis remains poorly understood. Therefore, the effect of OS cells on macrophages migration was investigated by in vivo and in vitro experiments to evaluate the infiltration and mechanism of TAMs in pulmonary OS metastases. The results showed that the zinc finger protein ZIM3 was upregulated in OS cells than in osteoblasts and activated the expression of CCL25, which subsequently promoted the migration of M2 macrophages. CCL25 or ZIM3 silencing in OS cells inhibited the infiltration of M2 macrophages and the formation of pulmonary metastatic nodules in a mouse model of pulmonary OS metastasis and prolonged the survival of the mice. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses revealed that CCL25 and ZIM3 expressions are negatively correlated with the prognosis of OS patients. In conclusion, this study found that a large number of M2 TAMs were recruited into pulmonary metastatic nodules of OS through the activation of the ZIM3-CCL25 axis in OS cells, thereby facilitating OS metastasis. Therefore, the suppression of ZIM3-CCL25-induced recruitment of M2 TAMs to the metastatic sites might be considered as a therapeutic approach to inhibit the growth of pulmonary OS metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The identification of asymptomatic structural and functional cardiac abnormalities can help us to recognize early and intervene in patients at pre-heart failure (HF). However, few studies have adequately evaluated the associations of renal function and left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients at high risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods: Patients undergoing coronary angiography and/or percutaneous coronary interventions were enrolled from the Cardiorenal ImprovemeNt II (CIN-II) cohort study, and their echocardiography and renal function were assessed at admission. Patients were divided into five groups according to their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Our outcomes were LV hypertrophy and LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of eGFR with LV hypertrophy and LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Results: A total of 5610 patients (mean age: 61.6 ± 10.6 years; 27.3% female) were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of LV hypertrophy assessed by echocardiography was 29.0%, 34.8%, 51.9%, 66.7%, and 74.3% for the eGFR categories >90, 61–90, 31–60, 16–30, and ≤15 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or for patients needing dialysis, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that subjects with eGFR levels of ≤15 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or needing dialysis (OR: 4.66, 95% CI: 2.96–7.54), as well as those with eGFR levels of 16–30 (OR: 3.87, 95% CI: 2.43–6.24), 31–60 (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.64–2.45), and 61–90 (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.07–1.42), were significantly associated with LV hypertrophy. This reduction in renal function was also significantly associated with LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction (all P for trend <0.001). In addition, a per one unit decrease in eGFR was associated with a 2% heightened combined risk of LV hypertrophy and systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Conclusions: Among patients at high risk of CVD, poor renal function was strongly associated with cardiac structural and functional abnormalities. In addition, the presence or absence of CAD did not change the associations. The results may have implications for the pathophysiology behind cardiorenal syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of mental workload has attracted much interest in neuroergonomics, a frontier field of research. However, there appears no consensus on how to measure mental workload effectively because the mental workload is not only regulated by task difficulty but also affected by individual skill level reflected as mental schema. In this study, we investigated the alterations in the functional brain network induced by a 10-day simulated piloting task with different difficulty levels. Topological features quantifying global and local information communication and network organization were analyzed. It was found that during different tests, the global efficiency did not change, but the gravity center of the local efficiency of the network moved from the frontal to the posterior area; the small-worldness of the functional brain network became stronger. These results demonstrate the reconfiguration of the brain network during the development of mental schema. Furthermore, for the first two tests, the global and local efficiency did not have a consistent change trend under different difficulty levels, but after forming the developed mental schema, both of them decreased with the increase in task difficulty, showing sensitivity to the increase in mental workload. Our results demonstrate brain network reconfiguration during the motor learning process and reveal the importance of the developed mental schema for the accurate assessment of mental workload. We concluded that the efficiency of the brain network was associated with mental workload with developed mental schema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality control of Radix Bupleuri (RB) can be challenging due to the complexity of origin, the similar morphological characteristics, and the diversity of the multiple components. In this study, an integrated strategy for extensive identification of metabolites in plants based on multiple data processing methods was proposed to distinguish four commercially available RB species. First, the pre-processed mass spectrometry data was uploaded to Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) for spectral library search and molecular network analysis, which can effectively differentiate isomers and reduce molecular redundancy. Second, the possible cleavage mode was summarized from the characteristic MS/MS fragment ions of saikoside standard, and then the possible structure of saikoside in the sample was deduced according to the cleavage patterns. Third, collected all kinds of RB components reported in the literature and matched the information in the samples to obtain more comprehensive information about metabolites. Finally, chemical markers were found employing chemometrics. This strategy not only increases the variety and number of identified components, but also improves the accuracy of the data. Based on this strategy, a total of 132 components were identified from different species of RB, and 14 chemical constituents were considered to be potential chemical markers to distinguish four kinds of RB. Among them, saikogenin a, hydroxy-saikosaponin a, hydroxy-saikosaponin d, and rutinum were of great significance for identification. The method proposed in this study not only successfully identified and distinguished four species of RB, but also laid a good theoretical foundation for regulating the RB market. This strategy provides promising perspectives in the accurate analysis of the ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quantitative analysis and evaluation of hemiplegic gait based on body sensor network. • Lower limb motion reconstruction from the inertial data with the attitude quaternion. • Kinematic gait analysis according to the joint angles of the hip, knee, and ankle. • Difference evaluation between the joint angles of hemiplegic and healthy subjects. Hemiplegia is a common symptom of acute cerebrovascular disease, and most patients with hemiplegia have abnormal gaits. Descriptive evaluation methods are commonly used in clinical for gait analysis, and outcomes are overly reliant on observation by rehabilitation physicians. The quantitative analysis of hemiplegia gait is urgently required to guide patients' rehabilitation training. This paper presents a quantitative analysis and evaluation method of hemiplegic gait based on inertial measurement units (IMUs). The wearable nodes are worn on the subjects' waist and lower limbs to record data when they walked in a straight line. After the recorded data has been processed, the gradient descent algorithm (GDA) is used for attitude calculation, and the walking process of hemiplegic patients is reconstructed for gait analysis. Combined with kinematic analysis, three types of joint angles during walking are calculated, i.e., hip angle, knee angle, and ankle angle, and their comparison with the joint angles of normal gait is conducted. In terms of the joint angles, the phase variation of hemiplegic gait is analyzed first, then the gait difference between hemiplegic and normal subjects is measured by using a weighted dynamic time warping (WDTW) algorithm, and finally the gait distortion is evaluated quantitatively based on the WDTW distance. Experimental results demonstrate that the GDA-based gait reconstruction method and the WDTW-based gait evaluation method presented in this paper can quantify the abnormality of hemiplegic gait, and thereby monitor the rehabilitation process of patients' walking ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: We performed a bioinformatics analysis to screen for cell cycle-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and constructed a model for the prognostic prediction of patients with early-stage lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). METHODS: From a gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, the GSE157011 dataset was randomly divided into an internal training group and an internal testing group at a 1:1 ratio, and the GSE30219, GSE37745, GSE42127, and GSE73403 datasets were merged as the external validation group. We performed single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), univariate Cox analysis, and difference analysis, and identified 372 cell cycle-related genes. Additionally, we combined LASSO/Cox regression analysis to construct a prognostic model. Then, patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to risk scores. The internal testing group, discovery set, and external verification set were used to assess model reliability. We used a nomogram to predict patient prognoses based on clinical features and risk values. Clinical relevance analysis and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database were used to verify signature gene expression. RESULTS: Ten cell cycle-related DEGs (EIF2B1, FSD1L, FSTL3, ORC3, HMMR, SETD6, PRELP, PIGW, HSD17B6, and GNG7) were identified and a model based on the internal training group constructed. From this, patients in the low-risk group had a higher survival rate when compared with the high-risk group. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (tROC) and Cox regression analyses showed the model was efficient and accurate. Clinical relevance analysis and the HPA database showed that DEGs were significantly dysregulated in LSCC tissue. CONCLUSION: Our model predicted the prognosis of early-stage LSCC patients and demonstrated potential applications for clinical decision-making and individualized therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge of wastewater containing phenol and Its derivatives causes serious position to water re¬sources. In order to solve the problem, SiO2-Cu2 and SiO2-CuO catalysts were prepared by impregnation, calcination and other treatment methods, using the laboratory-made SiO2 particles as the catalyst career to support the five center Cu (II). And the prepared catalysts were applied to the CWPO of phenol. Based on the conversion of phenol after degraded in aqueous solution and the COD removal rate of the sample, the effects of reaction conditions such as reaction temperature, reaction time, oxidant concentration, catalyst concentration and initial pH value of the medium on the catalytic performance of the two catalysts were systematically studied. The experimental results show that the SiO2-Cu2 and SiO2-CuO catalysts have excipient catalytic activity in a wide pH range, and the 100% phenol conversion rate and about 90% COD removal rate can be achieved under the conditions of phenol concentration of 1.0 g/L, catalyst concentration of 0.23 g/L, reaction temperature of 70 °C, reaction time of 20 h, and hydrogen peroxide concentration of 5,0 g/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serpina3n expression is upregulated in neurons after traumatic brain injury in mice. • Downregulation of sepina3n aggravated BBB disruption after traumatic brain injury. • Serpina3n attenuates BBB disruption by inhibiting neutrophil elastase (NE) activity. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death in young adults and the main cause of mortality and disability across all ages worldwide. We previously analyzed the expression profile data of TBI models obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and found that the seripina3n mRNA was markedly upregulated in the acute phase of TBI in four mRNA expression profile data sets, indicating that serpina3n may be involved in the pathophysiological process of TBI. Therefore, we further investigated the biological role and molecular mechanism of serpina3n in traumatic brain injury in this study. As a result, the endogenous level of sepina3n was markedly elevated in the cortex around the contusion sit in mice at day 1 and day 3 after TBI. Inhibiting the expression of serpina3n caused aggravation of neutrophil elastase (NE) expression, BBB disruption, and neurological deficit. With the inactivation of NE, even if serpina3n was silenced, the disruption of the BBB was not further aggravated. In vitro experiments further proved that recombinant serpina3n dose-dependently inhibited the activity of recombinant NE. Based on the above, this study demonstrated that the endogenous level of sepina3n was significantly elevated in the cortex around the contusion sit after TBI in mice, which reduced the secondary blood–brain barrier disruption by inhibiting the activity of neutrophil elastase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a strategy to specifically kill cancer cells without inducing obvious damage to normal cells may be of great clinical significance for cancer treatment. In the present study, we developed a new precise personalized strategy named "i-CRISPR" for cancer treatment through adding DNA damage repair inhibitors(i) and inducing cancer cell-specific DNA double strand breaks by CRISPR. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we confirmed the efficacy of this strategy in multiple cancer models and revealed the mechanism of cell death. Our strategy might provide a novel concept for precise cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histologic subtype of lung cancer. Studies have shown that P3H4 is a key gene underlying the malignant progression of LUAD. A potential biomarker and therapeutic target, P3H4 is involved in various cancers, but its molecular mechanism in LUAD remains unclear. Based on a series of experiments, we found that it significantly promoted the metastasis and proliferation of LUAD in vivo and in vitro. Lung cancer is associated with the greatest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) accounts for 85% of all cases of lung cancer. Despite recent advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate remains less than 15%. Thus, the diagnostic and therapeutic role of LUAD remain to be further studied. The prolyl 3-hydroxylase family member 4 (P3H4) is involved in various cancers, but little is known about its role in LUAD. Our study demonstrated that the P3H4 gene was upregulated in LUAD. Clinically, the expression of P3H4 was positively correlated with an advanced TNM stage and shorter survival. Functionally, P3H4 plays a significant role in the metastasis and proliferation of LUAD both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, P3H4 might interact with EGFR to regulate the metabolic substances. Our study indicated that P3H4 is a critical gene in the malignant progression of LUAD and represents a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Cas9 RNA functions as a miRNA sponge. Let-7 is the dominant regulated miRNA by Cas9 RNA. RNA sequence optimization of Cas9 by synonymous mutation improves its safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of stems with different morphology. And the differences of kinetic parameters in each weight loss stage of stem during the pyrolysis or combustion were compared and analyzed based on the Coats-Redfern method. The results showed that the color of the filamentous stem was darker when compared with the flaky stem. The micro-surface of filamentous stem presented a rough gully shaped irregular honeycomb structure and exhibited a good blending applicability with cut tobacco. The weight loss process of stems with different morphology under pyrolysis conditions could be divided into four main stages. Among these stages, the weight loss and corresponding weight loss rate of filamentous stem in the volatile loss stage were higher than those of flaky stem, indicating that it possessed a good volatile flavor component retention capacity. The comprehensive pyrolysis index of filamentous stem was 1.24x10-4/(%·min-1·°C-2), which was higher than that of flaky stem. And this result showed a better pyrolysis characteristics of filamentous stem. The weight loss of different stems during the combustion process could also be mainly divided into four stages. Filamentous stem exhibited a higher comprehensive combustion characteristic index and lower combustion residual mass. The main weight loss stages during the thermal decomposition of different stems were mainly controlled by a 1.5-order chemical reaction model. Furthermore, the morphology had a significant effect on the kinetic parameters of the thermal degradation stages of the stem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• we have reported for the first time that PRMT5 expression was up-regulated in both cell and animal I/R models. • Inhibition of PRMT5 attenuates cerebral I/R–induced infammation and pyroptosis. • Rescue experiment proved that the pro-infammatory and pro-pyroptotic effect of PRMT5 was the consequence of activation of NF-κB/NLRP3 axis. Protein methylation is a prevalent post-translational modification after cerebral ischemia. Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is a type of methyltransferase enzyme that can catalyse the formation of methylated residues on histones and non-histone proteins. Accumulating evidence suggested that PRMT5 might play a carcinogenic role in various cancers. However, the role of PRMT5 in cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. In this project, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model in mice and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were utilized to mimic disease state of cerebral I/R. We found that expression of inflammatory-related factors [Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6)] and pyroptotic-related factor [N-term cleaved Gasdermin-D (GSDMD-N)] were up-regulated in both MCAO/R mice and OGD/R SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, both in vivo and in vitro, PRMT5 was aberrantly upregulated during cerebral I/R. However, these alterations induced by I/R were blocked by PRMT5 inhibitor LLY-283, and enhanced by overexpression of PRMT5. Furthermore, rescue experiment proved that PRMT5 plays a pro-inflammatory and pro-pyroptotic role by activating nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domainlike receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) axis. Finally, we observed that treatment of LLY-283 alleviated neurological deficits and reduced infarct volume in the MCAO/R mice. Taken together, PRMT5 may be a potential therapeutic target for cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new mathematical proof for the expression of thickness-normalized stiffness is proposed in this study, and the similar thickness-normalization method is further used to the third order transverse shear deformation theory and stiffness analysis of hybrid laminate. By which, the thickness-normalized transverse shear stiffness matrix and the trace of hybrid laminate are derived. Furthermore, through the statistical analysis of the mechanical properties for 228 kinds of unidirectional composite materials, the accuracy of the concept of master ply is verified. Meanwhile, a special focal point (38°, 0.385) of trace-normalized off-axis stiffness coefficient ( Q ′ 11 *) is found for nearly all unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced composite materials. Finally, by analyzing the carpet plots of in-plane stiffness coefficients, flexural stiffness coefficients and transverse shear stiffness coefficients for five typical composite materials, the feasibility of trace-based scaling approach is confirmed. [Display omitted] • Theoretical proof and development of thickness-normalized stiffness are proposed. • Special invariant points of trace-normalized stiffness coefficient are found. • The feasibility of the trace-based scaling approach is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of the conventional friction pendulum isolator (FPI) is limited in complex geographical environments and unpredictable earthquake events due to its complex frictional properties and the requirement for a unified setup target. With a view to addressing the aforementioned issues, in conjunction with an adaptive variable friction pendulum isolator (AVFPI), a simple and practical mechanical model is proposed. After applying the mechanical model with a friction-dependent influence model, an improved response spectrum analysis procedure (IRS) is proposed for variable friction pendulum isolation systems. Notably, the proposed procedure allows for the consideration of the effects of variations in velocity, temperature, and pressure on the friction characteristics without the necessity for nonlinear response history analysis (NRHA). The procedure commences with obtaining a numerical model of friction dependency through friction material examinations, then proceeds to verifying the reliability of both the friction dependency and mechanical model through prototype tests of AVFPIs. The following study presents a proposed correction method that depends on random vibration theory to establish a functional relationship between the pseudo-velocity spectrum and the velocity spectrum. Additionally, an association is established between the peak velocity and the generation of frictional heat. Finally, the procedure is evaluated based on the results of an NRHA that takes friction dependence into account through a numerically variable friction pendulum isolation system. The results of the study indicate that the IRS provides a more accurate and secure assessment of the isolator displacement at various temperatures than the response spectrum method, which does not account for the influence of frictional dependency. The failure to consider the influence of friction dependency in high-temperature environments produces an underestimation of isolator slip displacement and a subsequent increase in failure rates. The Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) friction materials that are currently in widespread use exhibit a strong correlation with friction dependence and, as a consequence, cause relatively large displacements at temperatures that are both low and high. The results of this study present an opportunity to expand how response spectrum analysis techniques can be applied to friction pendulum isolation systems. • A simplified mechanical hysteresis model for adaptive variable friction pendulum isolators is proposed. • A new friction material was tested and the velocity, pressure stress and temperature dependence expressions were obtained for the new friction material. • An expression for the friction coefficient of an adaptive variable friction pendulum isolator that takes into account the effects of velocity, pressure stress, and temperature dependence during nonlinear response history analysis is presented. • An improved method for analysing the response spectrum of variable friction pendulum isolation systems is proposed. Notably, the proposed procedure allows the consideration of the effects of velocity, temperature and pressure variations on the friction characteristics without the necessity to proceed to a nonlinear response history analysis (NRHA). • In the improved method of response spectrum analysis of variable friction pendulum isolation system, based on the correction method of stochastic vibration theory, the functional relationship between the pseudo velocity spectrum and the velocity spectrum is established, and a simplified calculation method for calculating frictional heat by peak velocity response is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a simple computational framework that can account for both properties of the base-isolated structure using the bilinear hysteretic model and reliably evaluate the nonlinear peak response without nonlinear response history analysis. The proposed computational framework requires the construction of new non-proportional damping models that match the base-isolated structure to accurately decompose the nonlinear multi-degree-of-freedom structure into multiple single-degree oscillators with intrinsic frequencies and damping ratios by equivalent linearization and complex-mode superposition methods. Each oscillator is excited by a response spectrum matching its own damping ratio, and this procedure is iteratively computed until the displacement error of the isolation layer achieves a preset value. Simultaneously, the peak nonlinear response of interest is calculated using the complex-mode-superposition complete square combination rule. The effect of peak response on nonlinear parameters is analyzed using a typical numerical example, and the relative error values for the applicable range are presented. Parametric research demonstrates that the new non-proportional damping matrix accurately reflects the modal characteristics of the base-isolated structure and prevents Rayleigh damping from suppressing the first-order modal characteristics. The particular example evaluation shows that the computational framework can effectively evaluate the nonlinear peak response of the BIS, with the isolation layer displacement error controlled within +5 %, the bottom shear force error within +20 %, and the top acceleration error between −10 % and +25 %. • A non-proportional damping matrix model for isolated structures is proposed. • Reveals that Rayleigh damping suppresses the fundamental modal properties of isolated structures. • The adverse effects of using forced decoupling methods and Rayleigh damping matrix models for isolated structures are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation and identification of high-quality patents are urgently needed for the technological research and development and the transformation of achievements. Traditional researchers and analysts mainly focus on developing various patent quality indicators.However, there is a lack of relative research on how to apply these indicators to comprehensively evaluate patent quality. Therefore, this paper uses the rough set theory(RST) and multidimensional cloud model(MCM) to construct a comprehensive evaluation and grading system for patent quality (RST-MCM), which is used to comprehensively evaluate the quality of patents. First, by systematically summarizing the relevant literature on patent quality evaluation, we identify the influencing factors of patent quality in multiple dimensions and at multiple stages. Second, the patent quality evaluation index system is constructed by using RST to reduce redundant patent quality influencing factors and determine the evaluation index weights. Finally, the evaluation and grading of patent quality is completed with MCM. To validate the effectiveness of the research, RST-MCM is applied to the quality evaluation of patents in the construction engineering industry. The research results show that the accuracy rate of RST-MCM is 90.3%. The research will provide effective decision-making support for the formulation of technical strategies such as improving independent innovation capability and patent layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]