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PiGF (Phosphor-in-glass film) with high color rendering was successfully prepared at a low sintering temperature. The influence of sintering temperature, the mass ratio of glass and phosphor, and different fluorescent layers on the luminescence properties of PiGF was systematically studied. It is of note that the "cyan cavity" is significantly reduced due to the addition of "cyan phosphor" (BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu2+). Under 455 nm blue light laser excitation, PiGF has the highest luminous efficiency of 94.55 lm/W and a white light composite PiGF with a correlated color temperature of 5500 K and a color rendering index of 95 can be obtained. In short, this work shows that the PiGF has great potential application in white light laser lighting. • The PiGF has a very high color rendering index, which can reach 95. • While maintaining a high color rendering index, the correlated color temperature is low, only about 5500 K. • First application of cyan phosphor (BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu2+) to laser lighting to fill in cyan glow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An identification method is proposed for errors-in-variables (EIV) ARX model with input time-varying time-delays. A Markov chain is used to model varying time delays whose parameters are also estimated. The EIV system accounts for noises in both input and output. To estimate noise-free input, a linear state space model is used to describe input generation process and a Kalman smoother is adopted for its estimation. An expectation maximization algorithm is used to estimate ARX model parameters. A spinning process of polyester fiber and a continuous stirred tank reactor process are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. • Time-varying time-delays are considered for Errors-in-variables (EIV) system. • Kalman smoother is used to estimation the noise-free input. • The EM algorithm is used to estimate the EIV-TD system parameters and update the noise variance of the input data. • Two simulations are provided for performance evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphor-in-glass (PiG) is one of the most important spectral converters to overcome thermal effect in high-power white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –B 2 O 3 –ZnO–Na 2 O–Li 2 O glass was designed and sintered with Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce3+ (YAG: Ce) phosphors at the low temperature of 650 °C to obtain YAG: Ce-PiG. The optimized YAG: Ce-PiG shows the white light of the luminous efficiency (LE), correlated color temperature (CCT) and chromaticity coordinate (CIE) of 177.5 lm/W, 6410 K and (0.31,0.34), respectively. The white LEDs (WLED) were fabricated by coupling the YAG: Ce-PiG with a blue light emitting chip, and the correlation between the luminescence properties, the thickness of PiG and the ratio of phosphors was investigated. More importantly, the WLEDs of a maximum luminous efficiency can reach up to 199.5 lm/W with the thickness of 0.35 mm. In addition, a structure with vacuum packaging technique based on the WLEDs lighting combined with sapphire as substrate was fabricated, which can effectively reduce the heat accumulation during the working process of WLEDs. Compared with normal non-vacuum packaging, the working temperature of WLEDs was reduced by about 35%, from 359.2 to 232.2 °C, with the novel vacuum packaging technique under 30W high-power chip and the luminous performance can still be maintained at 94.7%. In a word, the prepared YAG: Ce-PiG exhibits a great potential for application in high-power solid-state WLEDs. • The new glass matrix of Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –B 2 O 3 –ZnO–Na 2 O–Li 2 O was designed and the thermal quenching effect of PiG was alleviated. • The white LEDs fabricated using PiG with high thermal stability and luminous efficiency reach up to 199.5 lm/W. • The vacuum packaging technique can significantly reduce heat accumulation in high-power white light-emitting diodes by 35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicine, particularly Shuangshen Ningxin Capsule (SSNX), has been studied intensely. SSNX includes total ginseng saponins (from Panax ginseng Meyer), total phenolic acids from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, and total alkaloids from Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang. It has been suggested to protect against myocardial ischemia by a mechanism that has not been fully elucidated. The composition and content of SSNX were determined by UHPLC-Q-TOFQ-TOF / MS. Then, a rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was established, and the protective effect of SSNX was measured. The protective mechanism was investigated using spatial metabolomics. We found that SSNX significantly improved left ventricular function and ameliorated pathological damages in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), the protective mechanism of SSNX was examined by comparing the monomer components of drugs targeted in myocardial tissue with the distribution of myocardial energy metabolism-related molecules and phospholipids. Interestingly, some lipids display inconsistent content distribution in the myocardial ischemia risk and non-risk zones. These discrepancies reflect the degree of myocardial injury in different regions. These findings suggest that SSNX protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by correcting abnormal myocardial energy metabolism, changing the levels and distribution patterns of phospholipids, and stabilizing the structure of the myocardial cell membrane. MALDI-TOF MS can detect the spatial distribution of small molecule metabolites in the myocardium and can be used in pharmacological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the permeability damage and throughput potential of shale cores, focusing particularly on the damage water inflicts on shale permeability and the potential for hydrocarbon extraction using various injection media. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was utilized to analyze the distribution of crude oil across different pore sizes and to determine the limits of their utilization under varied media injection cycles. The results indicate that the Shengli Oilfield FY shale possesses abundant inorganic pores, primarily composed of intergranular and intragranular pores. Organic matter is dispersed and contains numerous micro-fractures. While formation water has only a minor impact on the permeability of fractured cores, it significantly impairs matrix permeability. Moreover, when the formation water content exceeds 10%, the degree of damage will decrease. In contrast to formation water, distilled water causes serious damage to both matrix and fractured cores. Therefore, anti-swelling measures are essential to ensure effective development in subsequent stages. After five injection cycles, the final recovery rates for brine, surfactant, and CO 2 injection are 11.5%, 29.3%, and 45.9%, respectively. CO 2 injection demonstrates the best production enhancement, followed by surfactant injection. CO 2 is particularly effective in each cycle, primarily due to its expansion and extraction mechanism. Surfactants enhance production mainly by reducing interfacial tension and altering wettability, resulting in significant improvement in the first cycle. Meanwhile, brine injection primarily augments production through improved wettability and capillary pressure, resulting in a moderate production improvement. Based on NMR experiments, the minimum pore size for CO 2 injection is estimated to be around 10–15 nm, Surfactant injection necessitates pore sizes with a minimum of 30–40 nm and brine injection requires pore sizes of approximately 60–70 nm. This research provides valuable experimental data for on-site shale oil development and deepens our understanding of the mechanisms involved in hydrocarbon recovery from shale using different injection media. • Effects of formation water and distillate water on shale permeability damage are assessed for the first time. • The final recovery factors of water, surfactant, and CO 2 injection are 11.5%, 29.3%, and 45.9%, respectively. • The distribution of crude oil within different pore sizes and the minimum movable pore sizes during different media huff-n-puff process are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main challenges for developing data-based models lie in the existence of high-dimensional and possibly missing observations that exist in stored data from industry process. Variational autoencoder (VAE) as one of the deep learning methods has been applied for extracting useful information or features from high-dimensional dataset. Considering that existing VAE is unsupervised, an output-relevant VAE is proposed for extracting output-relevant features in this work. By using correlation between process variables, different weight is correspondingly assigned to each input variable. With symmetric Kullback–Leibler (SKL) divergence, the similarity is evaluated between the stored samples and a query sample. According to the values of the SKL divergence, data relevant for modeling are selected. Subsequently, Gaussian process regression (GPR) is utilized to establish a model between the input and the corresponding output at the query sample. In addition, owing to the common existence of missing data in output data set, the parameters and missing data in the GPR are estimated simultaneously. A practical debutanizer industrial process is utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. • An output-relevant VAE is proposed for extracting output-relevant features by using correlation between process variables. • With symmetric Kullback–Leibler divergence, the similarity is evaluated between the stored samples and a query sample. According to the values of the SKL divergence, data relevant for modeling are selected. • Owing to the common existence of missing data in output data set, the parameters and missing data in the GPR are estimated simultaneously. • A practical debutanizer industrial process is utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on long-term tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) therapy for pregnant women with active chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (immune clearance and reactivation phases, currently and previously diagnosed) and their infants are lacking. Pregnant women with active CHB treated with TAF and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) were enrolled in this multicenter prospective study, and infants received immunoprophylaxis. The primary outcomes were rates of adverse (safety) events in pregnant women and defects in infants and fetuses. The secondary outcomes were virologic responses in pregnant women, infants' safety, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status, and growth conditions. One hundred three and 104 pregnant women were enrolled and 102 and 104 infants were born in the TAF and TDF groups, respectively. In the TAF group, the mean age, gestational age, alanine aminotransferase level, and viral loads at treatment initiation were 29.3 years, 1.3 weeks, 122.2 U/L, and 5.1 log 10 IU/mL, respectively. TAF was well-tolerated, and the most common adverse event was nausea (29.1%) during a mean of 2 years of treatment. Notably, 1 (1.0%) TAF-treated pregnant woman underwent induced abortion due to noncausal fetal cleft lip and palate. No infants in either group had birth defects. In the TAF group, the hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion rate was 20.7% at postpartum month 6, infants had normal growth parameters, and no infants were positive for HBsAg at 7 months. The TDF group had comparable safety and effectiveness profiles. TAF administered throughout or beginning in early pregnancy is generally safe and effective for pregnant women with active CHB and their infants. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the structure of corn, a NiFe Prussian blue analogue nanocages decorated magnesium hydroxide composite was synthesized for the first time using magnesium hydroxide rods (RMH) as the "corn cob", a Prussian blue analogue (PBA) as the "corn kernels" and polydopamine (PDA) as the membrane linking RMH and PBA. Subsequently, the RMH@PDA@PBA composite was introduced into epoxy resin (EP) to improve its fire retardancy and mechanical properties. The composition, structure and morphology of the RMH@PDA@PBA-incorporated EP composite were investigated. The tensile strength of EP with 3 wt.% RMH@PDA@PBA reached 41.77 MPa, which is higher than that of neat EP (40.51 MPa). The fire-retardant assessments illustrated that the limiting oxygen index and vertical burning tests (UL-94) of EP composite with 3 wt.% RMH@PDA@PBA progressed to 32.3% and the V-0 level as compared to those of virgin EP (24.4% and no rating). In addition, as compared to virgin EP, the peak heat release rate, peak smoke production rate, total heat release at 200 s and total smoke production at 200 s of EP/3RMH@PDA@PBA decreased by 43.1%, 50.0%, 43.9% and 56.3%, respectively. The investigation of the underlying mechanism revealed that the flame retardancy and smoke suppression of EP/3RMH@PDA@PBA were attributed to the endothermic decomposition of RMH, "gauze barrier" mechanism of MgO/FeO, catalytic charring effect of Fe derivatives (MgO/FeO, FeNi 3 , Fe 5 C 2 , Fe 2 N, etc.) and free radical scavenging effect of PBA@Fe[Ⅲ]. Thus, this study on bio-inspired hierarchical nanostructures paves a new pathway for the efficient production of fire-safe polymers. [Display omitted] • A novel low-cost RMH@PDA@PBA with corn structure was first prepared. • The RMH@PDA@PBA significantly improves the fire safety of epoxy resin. • 3 wt.% RMH@PDA@PBA endowed epoxy resin with UL-94 V-0 and reduced smoke production. • The addition of RMH@PDA@PBA enhanced the mechanical properties of epoxy resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development of tungsten and molybdenum resources requires a new clean and recyclable separation technology. This work proposes a recyclable clean separation technology of tungsten and molybdenum with a porous amine resin. The resin was well prepared by assembling amine groups on trioctylamine (TOA) and the porous resin matrix D301 by the dipping method. Here, pH 7.8, temperature 25 °C, and reaction time 240 min was used as optimum condition, resulting in the highest sorption capacity 236 mg g−1, and it has a good cycle performance, exhibiting a retention rate of 90% after five cycles. Experimental spectroscopy combined theoretical calculation confirmed that this sustainable sorption behavior is substantially related to the amine functional groups on the resin. Experimental spectroscopy illustrated that the Cl− ions in the amine resin and the MoS 4 2− ions were subjected to ion exchange. Theoretical investigations further confirm that the sorption site is at the N atoms, the sorption behavior is chemical binding with the binding energy −0.055 Ha, and the bonding method is the s orbit of the N atoms in the amine resin hybridized with the s orbit of the S atoms in the amine resin. Owing to such an excellent performance in the selective sorption of molybdenum from the tungstate solution, the amine resin is greatly promising in the tungsten and molybdenum waste recovery field. [Display omitted] • A porous amine resin with 236 mg g−1 sorption capacity for molybdenum was prepared. • Experimental spectra confirmed the ion exchange mechanism between Cl− and MoS 4 2−. • Theoretical calculations determined the sorption site and bonding behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Support vector machine (SVM) provides accuracy of classification over 99% • Following SVM, time counting in each style has accuracy over 99% • Stroke count could be accomplished with 93% accuracy. • The three functions above could be done with only one accelerometer. Aerobic exercises on land could be quantified and tracked objectively, but swimming style recognition has remained unexplored. Taking the advantages of signal processing and machine learning on acceleration signals, the purpose of this study was, by analyzing swimming accelerometer data, to explore a set of algorithm in tracking swimming activities, including recognizing swimming styles, counting time and counting strokes in each style. A total of 17 participants (9 females) from the swimming team of the Southeast University of China was recruited. They performed breaststroke, front crawl, backstroke and butterfly, four 50-meter-lap each, with an ActiGraph GT9X inertia measurement unit on wrist of their preferred side. Overall, 78.7 ± 14.6, 148.5 ± 21.7, 151.2 ± 14.4, 98 ± 16.3 strokes were performed and evaluated on breaststroke, front crawl, backstroke and butterfly, respectively. In classification, three classifiers were examined and the result showed that support vector machine (SVM) provided the best accuracy of classification (over 99%). In time counting, the accuracy was over 99% and in stroke counting, the overall single-lap accuracy rate was 93.3%. In conclusion, with a combination of an objective measure and machine-learning algorithm, tracking swimming activities, including swimming style classification, counting swimming time and strokes, by a accelerometer becomes possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triptolide is naturally isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F., possessing multiple biological activities. Hepatotoxicity is one of the main side effects of triptolide. However, the effect of triptolide on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease remains unknown (NAFLD).Purpose: This study aimed to observe the amelioration of triptolide against NAFLD and investigate the engaged mechanism.Methods: Two typical animal models of NAFLD, obese db/db mice and methionine/choline-deficient (MCD) diet-fed mice, were used. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis were evaluated by H&E and Masson staining. Oil red O staining and lipid extraction analysis were used to detect fat content in mice livers. Expression of lipid metabolism, inflammatory and fibrogenic genes was also detected by Real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Phosphoproteomics, molecular docking, and TR-FRET assay were performed to provide further insight into how triptolide improved NAFLD.Results: Intraperitoneal injection of triptolide at a daily dose of 50 μg/kg significantly alleviated MCD diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but 100 μg/kg triptolide caused severe hepatotoxicity. Pathological staining confirmed low-dose triptolide treatment reducing hepatic lipid deposition, inflammation, and fibrosis in NASH. Serum biochemical analysis revealed a reduction in the level of liver enzymes and bilirubin. MCD also induced rising expression of typical genes and proteins related to fibrosis (fibronectin, α-SMA, collagens, TGF-β) and inflammation (ILs, TNF-α, MCP-1), which was suppressed by low-dose triptolide. Data from the proteomics/phosphoproteomics and TR-FRET assay indicated triptolide was a potential allosteric AMPK agonist to increase the phosphorylation on Thr172 residue, with the EC50 of 277.78 μM and 231.02 μM for AMPKα1 and AMPKα2, respectively. Moreover, triptolide exhibited an ability to activate AMPK and further led to increasing ACC1 phosphorylation in the liver. The positive results that triptolide ameliorated hepatic lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and fibrosis of NAFLD via activating AMPK were further confirmed in db/db mice with 10-week intervention (50 μg/kg, i.v., twice a week).Conclusion: This study demonstrates that dose-related triptolide as an allosteric AMPK agonist has the potential to alleviate NAFLD without hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The naturally occurring flavonol fisetin (3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone), widely dispersed in fruits, vegetables and nuts, has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-angiogenic effects. Our previous study indicated fisetin ameliorated inflammation and apoptosis in septic kidneys. However, the potential nephroprotective effect of fisetin in hyperuricemic mice remains unknown.Purpose: The current study was designed to investigate the effect of fisetin on hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN) and explore the underlying mechanisms.Methods: The HN was induced in mice by mixing of potassium oxonate (2400 mg/kg) and adenine (160 mg/kg) in male C57BL/6J mice. Fisetin (50 or 100 mg/kg) was orally administrated either simultaneously with the establishment of HN or after HN was induced. As a positive control, allopurinol of 10 mg/kg was included. Uric acid levels in the serum and urine as well as renal function parameters were measured. Renal histological changes were measured by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson's trichrome stainings. The expression of gene/protein in relation to inflammation, fibrosis, and uric acid excretion in the kidneys of HN mice or uric acid-treated mouse tubular epithelial (TCMK-1) cells were measured by RNA-seq, RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemical analysis.Results: Treatment with fisetin, regardless of administration regimen, dose-dependently attenuated hyperuricemia-induced kidney injury as indicated by the improved renal function, preserved tissue architecture, and decreased urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Additionally, fisetin lowered uricemia by modulating the expression of kidney urate transporters including urate transporter 1(URAT1), organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3) and ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2). Moreover, hyperuricemia-induced secretions of proinflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) in HN mice and uric acid-stimulated TCMK-1 cells were mitigated by fisetin treatment. Meanwhile, fisetin attenuated kidney fibrosis in HN mice with restored expressions of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen I and fibronectin. Mechanistically, fisetin regulated the aberrant activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) signaling and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in the HN kidneys and uric acid-stimulated TCMK-1 cells.Conclusion: Fisetin lowered uricemia, suppressed renal inflammatory response, and improved kidney fibrosis to protect against hyperuricemic nephropathy via modulation of STAT3 and TGF-β signaling pathways. The results highlighted that fisetin might represent a potential therapeutic strategy against hyperuricemic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Under the JITL framework, GMVAE is utilized to extract latent representations with multimode characteristics by considering Gaussian mixture models in the latent space. • Each latent variable can be described through a Gaussian mixture distribution. Subsequently, a MSKL divergence is utilized to measure its similarity. • Based on the MSKL divergence, weighted input and output historical data are obtained, and then a local model is established. • The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through a numerical example along with simulation on the TE benchmark process. Industrial data are often high-dimensional, nonlinear and multiple-modal. This paper develops a soft sensor model based on Gaussian mixture Variational Autoencoder (GMVAE) under the just-in-time learning (JITL) framework. To extract latent representations with multimode characteristics, GMVAE as a deep neural network model is utilized by considering Gaussian mixture models (GMM) in the latent space. After training the GMVAE model, each latent (or feature) variable can be described through a Gaussian mixture distribution. Subsequently, when a new sample arrives, a mixture symmetric Kullback-Leibler (MSKL) divergence is utilized to measure its similarity with historical data samples. MSKL divergence can measure similarity between two Gaussian mixture probability density functions. Based on the MSKL divergence, weighted input and output historical data are obtained, and then a local model is established. The effectiveness of the proposed soft sensor modeling method is validated through a numerical example along with simulation on the Tennessee Eastman benchmark process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Traditional Gaussian Process Regression models typically assume independent identically distributed noises for all observations. However, applications with colored noises/disturbances frequently arise in modeling of complex processes. • We modeled the colored noise by an ARMA time series model and determined its covariance for subsequent Gaussian Process modeling. • A novel approach based on hybrid kernels is proposed, thereby avoiding parametric modeling of the colored noises. • A synthetic data, a simulated example and a polyester polymerization process were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Traditional Gaussian Process Regression (TGPR) models typically assume independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) noises for all observations. However, applications with colored noises/disturbances frequently arise in modeling of complex processes. In this work, first, we consider to model noise by an ARMA time series model and determine its covariance for subsequent Gaussian Process (GP) modeling. Then a novel approach based on hybrid kernels is proposed, thereby avoiding parametric modeling of the colored noises. Moreover, all hyper-parameters are estimated simultaneously by using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Finally, a synthetic data, a simulated example, as well as a polyester polymerization process are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagram of TUG891 in Cisplatin-induced AKI. TUG891 modulated the activities of PERK pathway of unfolded protein response, and consequently remitting apoptosis, ER stress and inflammation in cisplatin-induced AKI. • The GPR120 expression is downregulated in the kidneys of cisplatin-induced AKI. • TUG891, a synthetic GPR120 agonist, protected against cisplatin-induced AKI. • Activation of GPR120 by TUG891 inhibited ER stress and apoptosis in cisplatin injured kidneys. Activation of G protein-coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation in cerebral ischemic injury and liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, whether GPR120 agonism exerted potential for cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury and the involved mechanisms remained unknown. In our study, pharmacological activation of GPR120 by TUG891 treatment remarkably reduced the elevated serum creatinine level and attenuated tubular injury. Cisplatin triggered ATF6, PERK and IRE1 pathways of unfolded protein response (UPR) of ER stress in the injured kidney tissue, as well as the downstream molecules eIF2α, ATF4 and XBP1. Protein of ER stress-mediated apoptosis, CHOP, was overexpressed in the cisplatin group. Oral application of TUG891 displayed effective inhibition of ER stress and apoptosis. TUG891 treatment significantly decreased the TUNEL positive cells and the flow cytometry of HK-2 cells delineated the similar results that the apoptosis rates were considerably reduced in the TUG891 group compared to cisplatin group. Collectively, activation of GPR120 by TUG891 exhibited renal protection against cisplatin-induced AKI via suppressing ER-associated apoptosis in tubular epithelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schematic diagram of fisetin in LPS-induced septic AKI. Fisetin modulated the activities of TLR4/Src-mediated NF-κB p65 and MAPK pathways, thus alleviating kidney inflammation and apoptosis in LPS-induced septic AKI. • Fisetin is a polyphenolic flavonoid in many fruits and vegetables. • Fisetin alleviated kidney injury against LPS-induced septic AKI. • Fisetin inhibited LPS-induced kidney inflammation and apoptosis. • Fisetin inhibited renal Src-mediated NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways in LPS-induced septic AKI. Sepsis is defined as end-organ dysfunction resulting from the host's inflammatory response to infection. One of the most common sepsis-injured organs is the kidneys, resulting in acute kidney injury (AKI) that contributes to the high morbidity and mortality, especially patients in the intensive care unit. Fisetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has been reported to protect against the rat of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury. However, the effect of fisetin on septic AKI remains unknown. The current study proposed to systematically investigate the renoprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms of fisetin in septic AKI mice. The model of septic AKI was established on male C57BL/6 J mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS (10 mg/kg). Fisetin was administrated by gavage at 100 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days before LPS injection and the mice were sacrificed at 16 h after LPS injection. The serum and kidney samples were evaluated for biochemical analysis, histopathological examinations as well as inflammation and apoptosis related gene/protein expression. Pretreatment with fisetin significantly alleviated the elevated levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen in LPS-treated mice. Consistently, LPS induced renal damage as implied by histopathological score and the increased injury markers NGAL and KIM-1, which was attenuated by fisetin. Meanwhile, LPS injection triggered proinflammatory cytokine production and inflammation related proteins in the kidneys. However, fisetin inhibited renal expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, HMGB1, iNOS and COX-2 to improve inflammatory response. Furthermore, fisetin effectively reduced the number of TUNEL positive apoptotic cells and suppressed apoptotic protein of Bcl-2, BAX and cleaved caspase-3 in the kidneys of LPS-induced septic AKI. Mechanistically, LPS stimulated the expression of TLR4 and the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, MAPK (p38, ERK1/2 and JNK), Src and AKT in the injured kidneys, while fisetin notably suppressed the corresponding protein expression. Fisetin alleviated kidney inflammation and apoptosis to protect against LPS-induced septic AKI mice via inhibiting Src-mediated NF-κB p65 and MAPK signaling pathways [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asteroid anchoring is the premise for the spacecraft to conduct in-situ scientific exploration on the surface of a weak gravitational asteroid. There is not any precedent for successful anchoring on the asteroid surface all over the world. Ultrasonic drill actuated by the piezoelectric ceramic is especially suitable for drilling on the surface of a weak gravitational asteroid, showing outstanding advantages such as low power consumption, low required drilling pressure and wide temperature range. In order to solve the technical problem of anchoring, a novel anchoring device based on multiple ultrasonic drill cross-drilling geometric force closure is proposed. Firstly, the structure and working principle of the anchoring device are introduced. Then the EDEM software based on the Discrete Element Method is used to simulate the influencing factors of the anchoring force. Finally, the effectiveness of the anchoring device is proved by experiments. The results show that the ultrasonic drill is effective for the anchoring device; the anchoring device can provide an anchoring force of 60–250 N for the spacecraft; its structure is simple, compact and adaptable. • This paper focuses on the method of long-term anchoring of the spacecraft on the asteroid surface. • A novel anchoring device based on multiple ultrasonic drill cross-drilling geometric force closure is proposed. • EDEM model is built to predict the influencing factors of the anchoring force. • A testbed is established to measure the effect of media with various compressive strengths on the anchoring force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Accumulating evidences indicated that hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for kidney diseases and contributed to kidney fibrosis. Preventing and treating renal fibrosis was an optimal treatment for hyperuricemia-induced kidney diseases. In the study, pterostilbene (PTE) as a bioactive component of blueberries was confirmed to possess lowering serum uric acid and renal protective functions by the decrease of serum creatinine, BUN, urine albumin, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) in a mouse model of hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN). Importantly, PTE treatment remarkably alleviated renal fibrosis of HN mice indicated by the downregulation of fibronectin, collagen I and α-SMA production. Furthermore, PTE could suppress the fibrosis-related protein expressions of TGF-β1/Smad3, Src and STAT3 in the kidneys of HN mice. In conclusion, PTE suppressed the activation of TGF-β1/Smad3, Src and STAT3 signaling pathway to alleviate renal fibrosis of HN mice, highlighting that PTE was a potential antifibrotic strategy for hyperuricemic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A composite multiple-model approach based on multivariate Gaussian process regression (MGPR) with correlated noises is proposed in this paper. In complex industrial processes, observation noises of multiple response variables can be correlated with each other and process is nonlinear. In order to model the multivariate nonlinear processes with correlated noises, a dependent multivariate Gaussian process regression (DMGPR) model is developed in this paper. The covariance functions of this DMGPR model are formulated by considering the “between-data” correlation, the “between-output” correlation, and the correlation between noise variables. Further, owing to the complexity of nonlinear systems as well as possible multiple-mode operation of the industrial processes, to improve the performance of the proposed DMGPR model, this paper proposes a composite multiple-model DMGPR approach based on the Gaussian Mixture Model algorithm (GMM-DMGPR). The proposed modelling approach utilizes the weights of all the samples belonging to each sub-DMGPR model which are evaluated by utilizing the GMM algorithm when estimating model parameters through expectation and maximization (EM) algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed GMM-DMGPR approach is demonstrated by two numerical examples and a three-level drawing process of Carbon fiber production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of antibiotics causes drug resistance, which slows the healing process in wound infections and this calls for an urgent response to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. However, it is challenging to develop materials with intrinsic and effective antibacterial properties for enhanced wound healing. Here, a highly efficient, bacteria-responsive and controlled-release silver ion coating was constructed by the assembly of quaternized chitosan (QCS), tannic acid (TA), and silver ions using the layer-by-layer method. The coating platform exhibited a distinct "self-defense" behavior triggered by acidification and good antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, which was further enhanced by the positively charged groups of QCS and the release of silver ions. Moreover, the coatings exhibited excellent biocompatibility, highlighted by promoting both fibroblast and endothelial cell proliferation, supporting fibroblast migration, suppressing macrophage activation, and modulating inflammatory cytokine release. Notably, animal experimental results further revealed that the coatings terminated bleeding, inhibited bacterial growth and accelerated healing at the wound site. Collectively, the coatings showed outstanding hemostatic performance and antimicrobial activity as well as improved wound healing process, which might be as a promising wound treatment platform. [Display omitted] • The coating has a distinct "self-defense" behavior triggered by acidification. • The positive surface charge and silver ions contribute to antibacterial properties. • The coating possesses excellent biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory properties. • The coating has outstanding hemostatic and accelerated wound healing performance. • It shows good application potential as a promising wound treatment platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]