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The high mortality rate of lung cancer is largely attributed to metastasis. Lung cancer stem cells (CSC) are conducive to cancer heterogeneity. Long noncoding RNAs are known to participate in various biological processes regulating the development of lung cancer. However, characterization of the role and mechanisms of lncRNA in lung cancer metastasis remains a challenge. We demonstrate that ROLLCSC, a highly expressed lncRNA in LLC-SDs, promotes the metastasis of the low metastatic LLCs both in vitro and in vivo. ROLLCSC can be transferred from LLC-SD to LLC through encapsulation in extracellular vesicles (EVs), ultimately leading to the enhancement of the metastatic phenotype of LLCs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that the pro-metastatic activity of ROLLCSC is achieved through its function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-5623-3p and miR-217-5p to stimulate lipid metabolism. In this study, we have characterized ROLLCSC, a novel lncRNA, as a pivotal regulator in the metastasis of lung cancer, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Specifically, we show that ROLLCSC is encapsulated by the EVs of LLC-SDs and transmitted to the LLCs, where it acts as a ceRNA of miR-5623-3p and miR-217-5p to stimulate lipid metabolism and ultimately augments metastatic colonization of LLCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high mortality rate of lung cancer is largely attributed to metastasis. Lung cancer stem cells (CSC) are conducive to cancer heterogeneity. Long noncoding RNAs are known to participate in various biological processes regulating the development of lung cancer. However, characterization of the role and mechanisms of lncRNA in lung cancer metastasis remains a challenge. We demonstrate that ROLLCSC, a highly expressed lncRNA in LLC-SDs, promotes the metastasis of the low metastatic LLCs both in vitro and in vivo. ROLLCSC can be transferred from LLC-SD to LLC through encapsulation in extracellular vesicles (EVs), ultimately leading to the enhancement of the metastatic phenotype of LLCs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that the pro-metastatic activity of ROLLCSC is achieved through its function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-5623-3p and miR-217-5p to stimulate lipid metabolism. In this study, we have characterized ROLLCSC, a novel lncRNA, as a pivotal regulator in the metastasis of lung cancer, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Specifically, we show that ROLLCSC is encapsulated by the EVs of LLC-SDs and transmitted to the LLCs, where it acts as a ceRNA of miR-5623-3p and miR-217-5p to stimulate lipid metabolism and ultimately augments metastatic colonization of LLCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have shown to exert beneficial effects in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Supplements of n-3 PUFA occur in either phospholipid or triacylglycerol form. The present study aimed to compare whether the different n-3 PUFA of marine-origin, namely krill oil, DHA/EPA-phospholipid (PL), and EPA/DHA-triacylglycerol (TAG) forms had differential abilities to ameliorate NAFLD. The NAFLD model was established in mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFD). The mice showed evidence of weight gain, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis after 9 weeks of HFD, while the three forms of the n-3 PUFA reduced hepatic TAG accumulation, fatty liver and improved insulin instance, and hepatic biomarkers after 9 weeks of intervention. Of these, krill oil intervention significantly reduced adipocyte hypertrophy and hepatic steatosis in comparison with DHA/EPA-PL and EPA/DHA-TAG groups. Importantly, only krill oil intervention significantly reduced serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase concentrations and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, compared with the HFD group. Supplemental n-3 PUFA lowered circulating anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) concentrations, compared with the HFD group, which was associated with down-regulating CB1 and upregulating adiponectin expressions in adipose tissue. Besides, targeted lipidomic analyses indicated that the increased adiponectin levels were accompanied by reductions in hepatic ceramide levels. The reduced ceramide levels were associated with inhibiting lipid synthesis and increasing fatty acid β-oxidation, finally inhibiting TAG accumulation in the liver. Through mediating CB1/adiponectin/ceramide pathway, the present study suggested that administration of krill oil had superior health effects in the therapy of NAFLD in comparison with DHA/EPA-PL and EPA/DHA-TAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It is the first of its kind in China to explore the factors influencing the stigma of depression in persons living with MDD from the multidimensional perspective of individuals, their families, and society. • The study investigated the association of IS and PS with medication adherence based on a longitudinal cohort. • This study introduces a testable hypothesis from our data, proposing that strategies targeting IS in individuals with major MDD could significantly increase adherence to antidepressant treatment. This study sought to evaluate internalized stigma (IS) and perceived stigma (PS), in persons (n = 522) living with major depressive disorder (MDD), with a view to analyzing the association of IS and PS with medication adherence in a cohort of participants with MDD in China. Perceived stigma is the awareness of societal negative views and attitudes towards depression, and IS is applying others' attitudes to oneself, both measured by the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS). Medication adherence was assessed using the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). We observed that 76.0 % of participants reported IS and 84.5 % reported PS. Factors associated with increased IS included older age, marital status, disease history, and a higher baseline Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Higher education level, family income, and scores on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were associated with lower levels of IS. Higher education levels, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) scores, and living with others were also associated with higher PS, while engagement in exercise and higher number of prior episodes were associated with lower PS. IS had a negative association with medication adherence, whereas PS did not significantly associate with adherence. In conclusion, a testable hypothesis is derived from our data that strategies targeting IS amongst persons with MDD may improve overall rates of adherence to antidepressant treatment, a necessary prelude to improving recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blind image denoising and edge-preserving are two primary challenges to recover an image from low-level vision to high-level vision. Blind denoising requires a single denoiser can denoise images with any intensity of noise, and it has practical utility since accurate noise levels cannot be acquired from realistic images. On the other hand, edge preservation can provide more image features for subsequent processing which is also important for the denoising. In this paper, we propose a novel blind universal image denoiser to remove synthesis and realistic noise while preserving the image texture. The denoiser consists of noise network and prior network parallelly, and then a fusion block is used to give the weight between these two networks to balance computation cost and denoising performance. We also use the Non-subsampled Shearlet Transform (NSST) to enlarge the size of receptive field to obtain more detailed information. Extensive denoising experiments on synthetic images and realistic images show the effectiveness of our denoiser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stabilization mechanism of colloidal nanoSiO 2 and cationic surfacant is studied. • Colloidal nanoSiO 2 can improve the stability of foamed slurry with more than 1 wt%. • Fresh foamed slurry's stability influences the pore distribution of foamed concrete. • Present foamed concrete has lower thermal conductivity and higher early strengths. In this study, colloidal nanoSiO 2 (CNS) was added into the foaming agent at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.6, and 2 wt% of the binder mass to enhance the stability of foaming agent and prefabricated foam, further the stability of foamed slurry and hardened foamed concrete. First, the stability of CNS on foaming agent and prefabricated foam was investigated by examining surface tension, surface viscoelastic modulus E , foam parameters, surface shear viscosity, and morphology. Prefabricated foam containing CNS was then used to prepare foamed concrete with a dry density of 700 kg/m3. The rheological characteristics, volume change, setting time, hydration properties, and gas content for fresh foamed slurry and the pore characteristics, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of hardened foamed concrete were characterized. The microstructural crystalline structures of the foamed slurry and hardened foamed concrete were also investigated. Results of this study indicated that nanoSiO 2 nanoparticles in colloidal state improved the stability of foam, especially when the CNS dosage was ≥ 1 wt%, because CNS caused increases in the surface viscoelasticity modulus E of the foaming agent and the surface shear viscosity of the prefabricated foam. Moreover, foamed slurry with a shorter hydration induction period, more stable volume, a shorter initial setting time, and higher viscosity was obtained when the CNS dosage was ≥ 1 wt%. Hardened foamed concrete with higher early compressive strength and superior thermal insulation properties was correspondingly obtained when fresh slurry with higher stability was used. However, the effect of CNS will decrease on the compressive strength of the hardened foamed concrete after 14 days of hydration. Finally, mechanisms were proposed regarding the stabilization effects of CNS on the prefabricated foams, foamed slurry, and hardened foamed concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic Pd decorated graphene oxide (Pd/GO) membrane with efficient catalytic activity was developed by in-situ reduction of Pd2+ on GO nanosheets followed by vacuum filtration. A high 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction efficiency was achieved by using the Pd/GO catalytic membrane with layered structure because of evenly distribution of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) in the interlayer space of GO membrane, ensuring sufficient contact between 4-NP molecules and Pd NPs. The apparent kinetic rate constant and turnover frequency (TOF) reached to 138.4 s−1 and 813 h−1 under a continuous-flow system using 4000 mg/L of 4-NP at 20 °C. During a 300 min of continuous-flow catalysis, the 4-NP conversion was kept above 98% at 20 °C. This high catalytic efficiency of the Pd/GO catalytic membrane under high 4-NP concentration and continuous-flow catalysis made it promising and competitive in the application of catalytic membrane for efficient catalytic process. [Display omitted] • 2D catalytic Pd/GO membrane with efficient catalytic activity was developed. • Pd/GO membrane with high tortuosity can reduce 5000 mg/L of 4-NP effectively. • A rate constant of 138.4 s−1 was achieved under a continuous-flow system. • During a 300 min of continuous-flow catalysis, 4-NP conversion was kept above 98%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen, as a clean and pollution-free energy with high calorific value, is one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels. Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as a half reaction of electrochemical water splitting, has also received extensive attention. At present, the development of low-cost and high-performance hydrogen evolution catalysts still faces enormous challenges. In this work, we synthesized a series of RuNi/TiO 2 -oxMWCNT catalysts with different Ru and Ni ratio. After optimizing the composition and proportion, RuNi/TiO 2 -oxMWCNT with Ru:Ni=4:6 has the optimal hydrogen evolution performance. High HER performance of extremely low 14.8 mV overpotential at 10 mA·cm−2 and 38.4 mV·dec−1 Tafel slope with perfect stability is achieved, which is superior to most reported ruthenium-based catalysts and even commercial Pt/C. XPS and UPS indicates that there is a metal synergistic effect of Ru and Ni and a strong SMSI between Ru and TiO 2 in the RuNi/TiO 2 -oxMWCNT catalyst, which helps to improve hydrogen evolution performance. This study provides a pathway for the rational design of multi-component nanostructured catalysts for HER. [Display omitted] • Bimetallic RuNi/TiO 2 -oxMWCNT catalysts were successfully fabricated by deposition-precipitation method. • The strong metal carrier interaction between Ru and TiO 2 optimizes the electronic structure of the catalyst. • The synergistic effect of bimetallic Ru-Ni tremendously improved the hydrogen evolution performance of catalysts. • The RuNi/TiO 2 -oxMWCNT shows an excellent HER performance with the low overpotential and Tafel slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of reliable fluorescent probes for selectively and sensitively detecting particular analytes in biological systems, which can acid in better understanding the roles in their native contexts. Metal-complex dyes represent a family of structures that have attracted extensive attention in broad applications owing to their unique advantages, such as stable photophysical and electromagnetic properties, as well as good biocompatibility. In this work, we synthesized and characterized a fluorescent probe called THS , which untilizes diphenylamine (DPA) as a metal chelator and an arylimidazole-derived organic chromophore as a fluorescence signal reporter. A comparative assessment of responsive THS and its Zn(II) complex to lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats, has been performed. We have evidenced the complexation of Zn(II) improved the sensing stability, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and selectivity of THS toward lipase. Importantly, we successfully applied the THS-Zn(II) complex to detect lipase in serum samples. This work provides an approach for fabricating simple and effective metal complex-based fluorescence probes and a promising application for the detection of biological analytes. [Display omitted] • A metal complex-based fluorescent probe for lipase detection was developed. • The probe can provide advantages in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. • The probe can be used for detecting lipase in serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 2D PESs along N–NO bond length and N–N–O bond angle of N 2 O+ in the A2Σ+ and B2Π states are calculated at the CASPT2 level. • Validated a novel adiabatic decomposition path of the A2Aʹ(A2Σ+) state in bent geometry to rotationally excited NO+(X1Σ+) and N(2D). • The respective contributions of the Aʹ and A ″ components split from the B2Π state are clarified separately. Two-dimensional multistate potential energy surfaces along N–NO bond length and N–N–O bond angle of N 2 O+ in the A2Σ+ and B2Π states were calculated at the CASPT2/cc-pVQZ level. In comparison to the known decomposition mechanisms in linear structure, a new N–NO bond fission pathway was proposed in bent geometry for the A2Aʹ(A2Σ+) state with a lower barrier, leading to rotationally excited NO+(X1Σ+) and N(2D) fragments. Likewise, the respective contributions of the Aʹ and A ″ components split from the B2Π state were clarified. Considering avoided crossing and the coupling of spin states, ro-vibrational distributions of the NO+ fragment ion observed in experiments are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dehazing based on deep learning neural networks (CNNs) has achieved remarkable results. However, the most existing dehazing CNNs perform well only on synthetic images and struggle with realistic hazy images. Moreover, training complex dehazing models is challenging due to the limited availability of realistic image datasets, leading to suboptimal performance. For this purpose, we develop a novel Image Prior Dehazing Network called IPDNet to tackle the challenge of dehazing realistic images with limited training data. The IPDNet comprises two sub-networks and a learnable fusion block. The global and local features are obtained by atmospheric scattering and direct mapping via two sub-networks with a sparse mechanism. And the learnable fusion block is settled to acquire the optimal fusion solution to improve the dehazing quality. The IPDNet offers several benefits: (1) a dual network with a learnable fusion block can effectively generate high-quality dehazed images at low computational cost; (2) an image preprocessing block based on dehazing prior can acquires the salient features of realistic hazy image, enhancing the dehazing performance on realistic hazy images; (3) the sub-network is designed by incorporating a feature attention (FA) block into the U-net structure, allowing flexible feature extraction on limited datasets. Extensive experiments on SOTS, NH-HAZE, and DENSE-HAZE datasets show that IPDNet outperforms other state-of-the-art methods on synthetic and realistic datasets. Specifically, our model achieved an improvement of approximately 0.84 dB in PSNR and 11.6% in SSIM, demonstrating its effectiveness in realistic scenarios, which contributes to improving traffic safety in adverse weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel Nd: CYGA SCF has been successfully grown for the first time. • The spectra of Nd: CYGA SCF have been effectively broadened compared to that of bulk crystals. • An efficient laser operation of Nd: CYGA SCF at 1080 nm was achieved for the first time. • Nd: CYGA SCF could be a promising SCF laser host for ∼ 1 μm single-pulse laser amplifiers. A Nd3+-doped CaY 0.9 Gd 0.1 AlO 4 single crystal fiber (Nd: CYGA SCF) with a length of 80 mm and a diameter of 1 mm, to the best of our knowledge, was successfully grown for the first time by a highly efficient laser-heated pedestal growth method. The basic physical and chemical properties, optical properties, and laser properties of the as-grown SCF were studied in detail. The results show that the Nd: CYGA SCF has wider absorption and emission half-peak full width compared with a bulk single crystal. Furthermore, under the pumping of a commercial 808 nm laser diode, a CW laser operation at 1080 nm with a half-height width of 0.29 nm was obtained. The laser output power was 54 mW at an absorbed power of 2.03 W. The slope efficiency was 6.79% with respect to the absorbed pump power. Thus, the Nd: CYGA SCF might be a practical and powerful candidate for laser gain medium, and have a great research space in the field of lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CO 2 capacity in DAC sorbents was significantly enhanced by employing the double quaternary ammonium strategy. • Diamine-DQ-AER exhibits CO 2 capacity of ∼3.41 mmol/g under moisture swing DAC conditions. • The 6-cycle test demonstrated stable performance with DAC capacity 3 times that reported in the literature. • A complete desorption kinetic curve reveals a 2-stage process where CO 2 release more efficiently in the 1st stage. • Results provide practical information for DAC process design, optimization, and industrial implementation. Direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 complements traditional carbon capture technologies to achieve zero- or negative-carbon emissions. One of the most promising DAC technologies is moisture-swing adsorption due to its low regeneration costs and easiness of operation, particularly when using amine-based anion-exchange resins (AER) as sorbents, but the limited CO 2 sorption capacity and desorption efficiency of current AERs are still critical challenges hindering the large-scale implementation of DAC. For the first time, this work developed a novel diamine-based double quaternary ammonium anion-exchange resins (Diamine-DQ-AER) by modifying commercial resins with tertiary diamines. The significantly improved quaternary ammonium content in Diamine-DQ-AER (68–81 %) compared to diamine-based single quaternary ammonium anion-exchange resins (Diamine-SQ-AER) resulted in an unprecedented moisture-swing DAC capacity of 3.41 mmol/g under DAC conditions, nearly doubled that of Diamine-SQ-AER. Diamine-DQ-AER also showed a stable capacity in the 6-cycle test, outperforming most moisture-swing DAC sorbents reported in the literature. Moreover, a complete desorption kinetic curve was obtained using an optimized testing protocol. It found that the CO 2 adsorption/desorption process involves two stages, and the material exhibited fast desorption kinetics in the 1st stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare-earth ion (RE3+) doped materials with upconversion luminescence and photochromic (PC) effect have received widespread attention, but thermal quenching (TQ) at high temperature and energy-demanding PC recovery processes limit their practical applications. Herein, lanthanide ion doped (K 0.5 Nb 0.5)NbO 3 (KNN) based translucent ceramics were prepared, in which Tm3+/Yb3+ co-doped one displays optical versatility for potential applications in temperature sensors and anti-counterfeiting. By utilizing the large energy mismatch between Tm3+ and Yb3+, negative thermal quenching (NTQ) feature was achieved with the maximum relative sensitivity of 2.54 %K−1 at 213 K. Furthermore, by constructing appropriate intermediate traps, the ceramic exhibits a rapid PC self-recovery process within 30 min without external stimulation. The bifunctional specialty can expand the applications of KNN-based ceramics in optical area. [Display omitted] • Optical bi-functionality in Ln3+ co-doped KNN ceramics were achieved. • Negative thermal quenching (NTQ) was observed in 1 Tm-4Yb-KNN ceramic. • The 1 Tm-4Yb-KNN ceramic exhibits ∼40.3% transmittance in the visible region. • UCPL emission intensity could self-recover in 30 min without external stimulation. • Temperature sensing method was proposed based on both TQ and NTQ ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area is a significant carbon emission center. The region's early achievement of peak carbon targets is critical to the nation's achievement of peak carbon targets. In this paper, it is proposed to use different orders of grey models to classify into three scenarios. Based on three scenarios, the grey multivariate convolutional model with new information priority accumulation is adopted to predict carbon emissions in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and select the scenario suitable for local development. The results show that: (1) The Beijing region has already achieved peak carbon, the Tianjin region may not reach its peak carbon target by 2030, and the Hebei region is expected to reach its peak carbon target by 2030. (2) The high rate of carbon emission reduction scenario will greatly improve the air quality of Beijing. The low-speed growth carbon emission scenario is more in line with the future development of Tianjin city. The low-rate carbon reduction scenario is more in line with the synergistic governance of pollution reduction and carbon reduction in Hebei Province. (3) Beijing's population policy in the most recent years has been conducive to improving the local environment. Tianjin's medium-term population policy is more in line with the local area. Hebei's medium-term industrial structure reform is favorable to local development. • Grey correlation analysis is used to analyze the factors affected carbon emissions in a region. • The factors with high correlation are predicted by using grey prediction models of different orders. • The high rate of carbon emission reduction scenario will greatly improve the air quality of Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia is a hallmark of cancer. To cope with hypoxic conditions, tumor cells alter their transcriptional profiles mainly through hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and epigenetic reprogramming. Hypoxia, in part through HIF-dependent mechanisms, influences the expression or activity of epigenetic regulators to control epigenetic reprogramming, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, which regulate hypoxia-responsive gene expression in cells. Conversely, epigenetic regulators and chromatin architecture can modulate the expression, stability, or transcriptional activity of HIF. Understanding the complex networks between HIFs, epigenetic regulators, and chromatin reprogramming in response to hypoxia will provide insight into the fundamental mechanism of transcriptional adaptation to hypoxia, and may help identify novel targets for future therapies. In this review, we will discuss the comprehensive relationship between HIFs, epigenetic regulators, and chromatin reprogramming under hypoxic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new method to design origami cubes with rigid foldability, flat foldability and one DOF. • Four cases of crease patterns that enable origami cubes with distinct folding performances have been proposed. • The folding process has been analysed with kinematics of spherical linkage loops. • Flat folding of cubes are achieved with one DOF. Rigid origami is a branch of origami with great potential in engineering applications to deal with rigid-panel folding. One of the challenges is to compactly fold flat a polyhedron made from rigid facets with a single degree of freedom. In this paper, we present a new method to design origami cubes with three fundamental characteristics: rigid foldability, flat foldability and one degree of freedom (DOF). A total of four cases of crease patterns that enable origami cubes with distinct folding performances have been proposed, which covers all possible layouts of the diagonal creases on the square facets of origami cubes. The folding utilises spherical linkages formed by intersecting creases, and based on the kinematic equivalence between the rigid origami and the spherical linkages, the corresponding spherical linkage loops are introduced and analysed to reveal the motion properties of the origami cubes. The newly found method can be readily utilized to design deployable structures for various engineering applications including cube-shaped cartons, small satellites, containers, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow dimensionless numbers applied in a recirculation microbial full cells and its outcome. • Using dimensional analysis as mechanical design approach to enhance power performance of microbial fuel cell. • Reynolds number has dominant effect in comparison with Sherwood and Péclet numbers. • Re ∞ = 1.6 × 101 was found to be optimal in a recirculation MFCs. Scaling up of microbial fuel cells is a challenge for practical applications in wastewater treatment. In addition, the flow control is an important aspect for the electrochemical reactions occurring at the electrodes are influenced by fluid motions. By using dimensionless parameter analysis fluid regimes can be investigated in different scales of reactors. In this study, four important dimensionless flow parameters such as Reynolds number, Péclet number, Schmidt number, and Sherwood number were used for systematic analysis of hydrodynamic effects and power performance of recirculation mode microbial fuel cells together with computational fluid dynamics method. Results showed that the higher value of Reynolds number enhanced the convective flow of anolyte due to the dominant inertial forces in the flow field. Therefore, Reynolds number of 1.6 × 101 were obtained high mass transfer coefficient of 4.76 × 10−7 m s-1 and thin diffusion layer thickness of 2.52 × 10-3 m. Maximum power density and limited current density of 2422.8 mW m-2 and 4736.4 mA m-2 were obtained respectively which were higher than Reynolds number of 0 by 1.61 and 1.69 times. These findings shall be useful for effective recirculation flow mode MFCs power production and have a great possibility for large scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inflammation-based scoring systems predict clinical outcomes in GC patients. • Inflammation-based scores can be identified as a supplement to TNM stage. • SIS is a superior predictor of prognosis for GC in comparison to mGPS and LCS. Systemic inflammation and interactions with host-tumor are currently identified as a hallmark of cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of preoperative modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), systemic inflammation score (SIS) and "lymphocyte C-reactive protein score" (LCS) in gastric cancer (GC) patients. 358 GC patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Kaplan-Meier method, multivariate Cox regression analysis, time-dependent receiver operating characteristics analysis (ROC), concordance index (C-index), and Akaike information criterion (AIC) were applied for assessments of the prognostic values. Preoperative increased mGPS, SIS and LCS were all significantly linked with unfavorable overall survival using the Kaplan-Meier method (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis proved that SIS was the only independent indicator among these three scoring systems. At the 4th-month point postoperatively, the time-dependent ROC curves of SIS and LCS crossed the curve of mGPS and were consistently superior to that of mGPS thereafter. The model incorporating SIS had higher C-index and smaller AIC than did the model without SIS or the models with mGPS or LCS. Preoperative SIS exceeded both the mGPS and LCS and was the most clinically promising and feasible prognostic scoring system for GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VO 2 (D) precursor with multi-step petaloid lamination structure was prepared by hydrothermal method, and then VO 2 (M) sample maintaining similar morphology and geometry with that of as prepared VO 2 (D) was obtained by subsequent annealing. The XRD Pattern of VO 2 (D) precursor and annealed samples at different temperature confirms the formation of required crystalline phases and exposes the presence of other intermediate phases. Surface morphology has been analyzed by SEM characterization, which reveals the variation in petaloid microstructure of the annealed samples at different temperatures. The reflection loss measurement results show that multi-step petaloid laminated structure VO 2 (M) sample has excellent microwave absorption performance. The sample annealed at 570 °C has the minimum reflection loss value of −37.99 dB at 3.5 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) is up to 4.01 GHz at 1.3 mm. Detailed study shows that the excellent microwave absorption performance of the sample results from the combination of its geometry shape/surface polarization, induced loss and resistance loss. In addition, the curvature of the boundary of the laminated structure also affect the microwave absorption performance of the absorber. The discovery of this work effectively broadens the application of VO 2 (M) and provides a new idea for the design of new absorbing materials with tailored particle morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic evisceration is a very important production technology in the chicken industry In this study, an automatic chicken eviscerating robot system was developed and evaluatec based on machine vision for locating the chicken carcasses and anal incision. This systerr consisted of chicken carcass conveying device, robotic manipulator, end-effector, contro system and machine vision system. Based on machine vision, this system employed coloi space conversion, threshold segmentation, morphological operation method and active contour algorithm to obtain the chicken carcass images of the removed wings and legs Subsequently, anal incision contour was extracted and its position was detected by ths maximum inscribed circle algorithm. All the algorithms were implemented in the systen for recognizing the individual carcass and automatically locating the targets ot differen sizes, which guided the manipulator to complete the evisceration. Present results indicatec that the maximum location deviation of contour centroid of chicken carcass and anal inci sion was 5 and 4 pixels, respectively, while the average time of image processing was 954 ms Then the eviscerating manipulator could accurately grasp the viscera, the residual rate anc the breakage rate of viscera were 6.2% and 15%, respectively. The high accuracy obtainec from the evaluation results shows that the machine vision system can be applied success fully to robotic evisceration in the processing of chicken. Hence, the development of thf method for the eviscerating robot is necessary and significant, in particular for providing great foundation for robotic evisceration in poultry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop starch hemostatic materials with excellent hemostatic properties, the preparation of crosslinked porous starch (SPS) with sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as cross-linking agent was studied in this paper. When the solid-liquid ratio of porous starch (PS) was 30%, the mass ratio of cross-linking agent to starch was 0.04–1, and the SPS was crosslinked at pH 10.0, 55 °C for 50–60 min, the water absorption ratio and swelling ratio of SPS reach up to 160.5% and 239.1%, respectively. The characterization by infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction spectra confirmed that the structure of SPS is similar to that of PS. The degradation experiment in vitro indicated that the degradation effect of PS was better than that of SPS. The whole blood coagulation kinetics experiment showed that SPS could promote the formation of blood clot, and the adsorption experiment of red blood cells in vitro showed that SPS could adsorb red blood cells. The average hemostasis time of SPS in tail amputation 1 cm and liver laceration were 181.03 s and 179.30 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-world information systems are naturally dynamic, and they are usually represented as a time-evolving attributed network (i.e., a sequence of static attributed networks). Recently, there is a surge of research interests in finding anomalous nodes upon attributed networks due to its significant implications in many high-impact applications, such as financial fraud detection, network intrusion detection, and opinion spam detection, to name a few. Despite the importance of anomaly detection in time-evolving attributed network, a vast majority of existing methods fail to capture the evolution of the underlying networks properly, as they regard the whole system as static and neglect the evolution process. Meanwhile, they treat all the attributes and the instances equally, ignoring the existence of noisy which may lead to the adverse effects to the detection results. To tackle these problems, in this paper, we propose a novel dynamic anomaly detection framework on time-evolving attributed networks on the basis of residual analysis, namely AMAD. Under the assumption of temporal smoothness property, AMAD leverages the small smooth disturbance between two consecutive time stamps to characterize the evolution of networks for incrementally update. Experiments conducted on both synthetic and real-world time-evolving attributed networks show the superiority of our proposed method in detecting anomalies. Moreover, our method is competitive in terms of efficiency compared to the existing work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important indoor pollutant, nitrous acid (HONO) can contribute to the concentration of indoor OH radicals by photolysis via sunlight penetrating into indoor environments, thus affecting the indoor oxidizing capability. In order to investigate the concentration of indoor HONO and its impact factors, three different indoor environments and two different locations in urban and suburban areas were selected to monitor indoor and outdoor pollutants simultaneously, including HONO, NO, NO 2 , nitrogen oxides (NO x), O 3 , and particle mass concentration. In general, the concentration of indoor HONO was higher than that outdoors. In the urban area, indoor HONO with high average concentration (7.10 ppbV) was well-correlated with the temperature. In the suburban area, the concentration of indoor HONO was only about 1-2 ppbV, and had a good correlation with indoor relative humidity. It was mainly attributed to the heterogeneous reaction of NO 2 on indoor surfaces. The sunlight penetrating into indoor environments from outside had a great influence on the concentration of indoor HONO, leading to a concentration of indoor HONO close to that outdoors. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel metal W connected Z-scheme C fibers@WO 3-x (0 ≤ x < 3) core-shell composites were developed by simply pyrolyzing preoxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers impregnated with slurries of WO 3 nanopowder in absolute ethanol in a vacuum furnace. Such structured composites are a kind of more excellent solar-driven photocatalyst for degrading various aqueous organic and inorganic environmental pollutants, compared with pure tungsten oxides catalysts under the same condition. The optimally selected composite catalyst (x = 2.01) was also applied in photocatalytically purifying waste water from paper mills under sunlight, presenting high efficiency in reducing chemical oxygen demand, biology oxygen demand and heavy metal Cr content, displaying great prospect in environmental remediation through removing various toxic industrial chemicals. The greatly enhanced photocatalytic performance could be mainly ascribed to the C fiber core and metal W connection layer between the tungsten oxides and C core in the composites, which can promptly conduct electrons and promote the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Moreover, this work provides a simple, eco-friendly and very efficient synthesis approach, which will be of much help to design diversified semiconductors composite structures, and suitable for large-scale production and thus practical industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genomic revolution ushered in an era of discovery and characterization of enzymes from novel organisms that fueled engineering of microbes to produce commodity and high-value compounds. Over the past decade advances in synthetic biology tools in recent years contributed to significant progress in metabolic engineering efforts to produce both biofuels and bioproducts resulting in several such related items being brought to market. These successes represent a burgeoning bio-economy; however, significant resources and time are still necessary to progress a system from proof-of-concept to market. In order to fully realize this potential, methods that examine biological systems in a comprehensive, systematic and high-throughput manner are essential. Recent success in synthetic biology has coincided with the development of systems biology and analytical approaches that kept pace and scaled with technology development. Here, we review a selection of systems biology methods and their use in synthetic biology approaches for microbial biotechnology platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aceruloplasminemia (ACP) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by intracranial and visceral iron overload. With R2*-based imaging or quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), it is feasible to measure iron in the brain quantitatively, although to date this has not yet been done for patients with ACP. The aim of this study was to provide quantitative iron measurements for each affected brain region in an ACP patient with the potential to do so in all future ACP patients. This may shed light on the link between brain iron metabolism and the territories affected by ceruloplasmin function. We imaged a patient with ACP using a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner with a fifteen-channel head coil. We manually demarcated gray matter and white matter on the Strategically Acquired Gradient Echo (STAGE) images, and calculated values for susceptibility and R2* in these regions. Correlation analysis was performed between the R2* values and the susceptibility values. Besides the usual territories affected in ACP, we also discovered that the mammillary bodies and the lateral habenulae had significant increases in iron, and the hippocampus was severely affected both in terms of iron content and abnormal tissue signal. We also noted that the iron in the cortical gray matter appeared to be deposited in the inner layers. Moreover, several pathways between the superior colliculus and the pulvinar thalamus, between the caudate and putamen anteriorly and between the caudate and pulvinar thalamus posteriorly were also evident. Finally, R2* correlated strongly with the QSM data (R2 = 0.67, t = 6.78, p < 0.001). QSM and R2* have proven to be sensitive and quantitative means by which to measure iron content in the brain. Our findings included several newly noted affected brain regions of iron overload and provided some new aspects of iron metabolism in ACP that may be further applicable to other pathologic conditions. Furthermore, our study may pave the way for assessing efficacy of iron chelation therapy in these patients and for other common iron related neurodegenerative disorders. • With R2*-based imaging or quantitative susceptibility mapping, it is feasible to measure iron in the brain quantitatively. • Several newly noted affected brain regions of iron overload are observed in aceruloplasminemia. • Some new aspects of iron metabolism in aceruloplasminemia that may be further applicable to other pathologic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the efficacy and safety of neurosurgical clipping with those of endovascular coiling for patients with intracranial aneurysm (IA) stratified by country, publication year, study design, sample size, mean age, percentage of male patients, percentage of aneurysms located in the anterior circulation, and follow-up duration. We identified 64 studies (7 randomized controlled trials, 21 prospective cohort studies, and 36 retrospective studies) of clipping versus coiling for IA from PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Library up to September 2019. No significant differences were found in the incidence of poor outcomes observed between clipping and coiling for patients with ruptured IAs. In contrast, the incidence of a poor outcome was significantly increased for unruptured IAs treated by clipping. Clipping was associated with a lower risk of mortality for ruptured IAs, although no significant differences were found between clipping and coiling for unruptured IAs. Clipping was associated with a lower risk of rebleeding for ruptured IAs and an increased risk of bleeding for unruptured IAs. When only randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis, patients with ruptured IAs treated by clipping had an increased incidence of poor outcomes compared with those treated by coiling. Clipping reduced the risk of hydrocephalus and incomplete occlusion and increased the rate of complete occlusion for ruptured IAs. No significant differences in the risk of ischemic infarct and vasospasm were found between clipping and coiling. Surgical clipping might be superior to endovascular coiling for ruptured IAs. However, clipping was associated with a greater incidence of poor outcomes and bleeding compared with coiling for unruptured IAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel and lethal infectious disease, posing a threat to global health security. The number of cases has increased rapidly, but no data concerning kidney transplant (KTx) recipients infected with COVID-19 are available. To present the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of KTx recipients infected with COVID-19, we report on a case series of five patients who were confirmed as having COVID-19 through nucleic acid testing (NAT) from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2020. The most common symptoms on admission to hospital were fever (five patients, 100%), cough (five patients, 100%), myalgia or fatigue (three patients, 60%), and sputum production (three patients, 60%); serum creatinine or urea nitrogen levels were slightly higher than those before symptom onset. Four patients received a reduced dose of maintenance immunosuppressive therapy during hospitalization. As of March 4, 2020 NAT was negative for COVID-19 in three patients twice in succession, and their computed tomography scans showed improved images. Although greater patient numbers and long-term follow-up data are needed, our series demonstrates that mild COVID-19 infection in KTx recipients can be managed using symptomatic support therapy combined with adjusted maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PPAs contents are positively related to the amount of PAs exposure. • PPAs form faster but cleared slower in liver than in serum. • PPAs clear slowly in several extra-hepatic organs, suggesting the potential extra-hepatic toxicities of PAs. Gynura japonica (also named Tusanqi in Chinese) is used as a folk herbal medicine for treating blood stasis or traumatic injury. However, hundreds of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) cases have been reported after consumption of preparations made from G. japonica because it contains large amounts of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). To date, blood pyrrole-protein adducts (PPAs) are suggested as biomarkers for the diagnosis of PA-induced HSOS in clinics. However, the concentration of PPAs in the blood is greatly affected by several factors including the amount of PA exposure, herb intake period, and blood sampling time after the last exposure. In present study, the kinetic characters of PPAs in serum and liver as well as other potential target organs were studied systematically and comprehensively following multiple exposures of PAs in G. japonica extract (GJE). As results, PPAs content reached to a plateau both in serum and liver after the mice were treated with GJE for 2 weeks on daily basis. PPAs cleared significantly slower in liver (T 1/2ke∼ 184.6 h, ∼7.7 days) than in serum (T 1/2ke ∼95.8 h, ∼4.0 days). Although more than 90 % PPAs were removed 2 weeks after the last dosing, PPAs still persisted in the liver until the end of the experiment, i.e. 8 weeks after the last dosing. The results would be of great help for understanding the importance of PPAs for PA-induced toxicity and its detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts the injection model via an array of holes in three-dimensional numerical simulations of a rotating detonation engine with hollow chamber. Premixed stoichiometric hydrogen-air mixture is used. The calculation is based on the compressible Euler equations coupled with a one-step Arrhenius chemistry model. The numerical results show that this injection model can realize stable continuously rotating detonation wave in hollow chamber. In final stable detonation flow-field, besides the multiple detonation waves rotating along outer wall of chamber, there are reverse-rotating waves which propagate in opposite direction of detonation wave. The reverse-rotating wave is much weaker than detonation wave and curved along radial direction of combustion chamber. Pressure gradient contours are used to distinguish these weak reverse-rotating waves. Detonation waves and reverse-rotating waves periodically collide with each other, forming a counter-rotating wave system. The lateral slices of flow-field at various radial positions show that the collision process of counter-rotating waves in flow-field can be divided into two types, shock-to-shock collision and detonation-to-shock collision. In addition, the intensity of detonation waves is the highest on the outer wall and gradually decreases with radius going down. Finally, the detonation wave decouples at a certain radial position and degenerates into shock wave. • Three-dimensional simulations of hollow rotating detonation engine with array-hole injection models. • The existence of secondary wave (named as reverse-rotating wave in this paper) in flow-field besides detonations. • The reverse-rotating wave and detonation wave form the counter-rotating waves in combustion chamber. • The interaction process between counter-rotating waves in flow-field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A20 expression was decreased in CAD skin tissues and in UVB- irradiated HaCaT cells. • Secretion of cytokines showed similar trends in CAD skin lesions and in UVB irradiated cells. • A20 knock-down or over-expression altered secretion of inflammatory cytokines through the NF-κB pathway. • Since UVB-induced inflammation is associated with A20, which could provide new insight into the discussion of skin inflammation related to CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multi-label learning, extracting specific features for each label is a new strategy to construct discriminative classification models in recent years. Existing approaches usually consider that each label is only associated with a small subset of the original features. But in some applications this sparsity assumption does not hold, where non-sparse label specific features are more discriminative than sparse label specific features. In this paper, a novel feature selection-based approach is proposed to extract non-sparse label specific features. Firstly, we translate the logic labels to the numerical ones to convey more semantic information and embed the label correlations. Secondly, a linear regression is modeled to describe the discrimination of label specific features based on the numerical labels. To our best knowledge, it is one of the first attempts to utilize the numerical labels for extracting label specific features. Comprehensive experiments on several multi-label data sets clearly manifest that the superiority of our proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Surface morphological parameters have profound influence on the cleaning efficiency. • Surface roughness shows an linear correlation with the cleaning efficiency. • Negative-skewed surfaces enhance the cleaning efficiency compared with the symmetrical surface profiles. Keeping the surface of photovoltaic (PV) panels clean has been a challenge. The fundamental understanding in interactions between a brush, dust particles, and the surface of panels is still lacking. This research investigates the correlation between surface morphological parameters and cleaning efficiency. Experimentally, the cleaning efficiency using brush tips sweeping against five aluminum oxide surfaces was evaluated. We analyzed the cleaning conditions such as the surface roughness and the shape of the surface profiles. Results showed that there are two key factors affecting the removal of dust particles resulting effective cleaning. The first is the roughness of the surface and the second the profile. The dust particle removal involves consideration of the brush and particle size, as well as the panel surface morphology and texture. A physical model illustrating the cleaning mechanism is proposed. The impact of the research contributes to the surface design leading to the ultimate cleaning efficiency of PV panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel porous ultrathin nanosheets were firstly prepared for humidity control. • The synthesis method is simple, low-cost and high-yield. • Ultrahigh water vapor adsorption capacity was displayed at room temperature. • The origins of the superior performance are explored carefully. Exploiting humidity-buffering materials for air humidity control is of vital necessities. Novel porous ultrathin NiO nanosheets as effective humidity-buffering materials were successfully synthesized with a simple, low-cost and high-yield method. It exhibits ultrahigh water vapor adsorption-desorption performance at room temperature, which is superior to both commonly used conventional materials and most reported novel ones. The excellent water vapor adsorption capacity can be attributed to its unique porous ultrathin structures. Numerous mesopores with relatively large diameter and volume can largely decrease water molecules diffusion resistance and increase adsorption space. Moreover, the ultrathin structure can lead to more sufficient contact between water vapor and adsorbents and provide great specific surface area, which can further facilitate water vapor adsorption. The potential of ultrathin nanosheets to be humidity-buffering materials has been explored carefully for the first time and this work also sheds light on the rational design of adsorbents with superior water capacity for efficient humidity control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a simple and selective electrochemical method was developed for sulfadimethoxine detection based on the triggered cleavage activity of nuclease P1 by the formation of aptamer and sulfadimethoxine conjugate. After probe DNA was immobilized on gold electrode surface, aptamer DNA labeled with biotin at its 5′-terminal was then captured on electrode surface through the hybridization reaction between probe DNA and aptamer DNA. The formed double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) can block the digestion activity of Nuclease P1 towards the single-stranded probe DNA. Then, the anti -dsDNA antibody was further modified on electrode surface based on the specific interaction between dsDNA and antibody. Due to the electrostatic repulsion effect and steric-hindrance effect, a weak electrochemical signal was obtained at this electrode. However, in the presence of sulfadimethoxine, it can interact with aptamer DNA, and then the formation of dsDNA can be blocked. As a result, the probe DNA at its single-strand state can be digested by Nuclease P1, which leads to the failure of the immobilization of anti -dsDNA antibody. At this state, a strong electrochemical signal was obtained. Based on the change of the electrochemical signal, sulfadimethoxine can be detected with linear range of 0.1–500 nmol/L. The detection limit was 0.038 nmol/L. The developed method possesses high detection selectivity and sensitivity. The applicability of this method was also proved by detecting sulfadimethoxine in veterinary drug and milk with satisfactory results. Image 1 • Electrochemical method was developed for sulfadimethoxine detection. • Aptamer was employed to specific recognition of sulfadimethoxine. • Signal improvement can be achieved after the formation of aptamer-target conjugate. • Sulfadimethoxine in veterinary drug and milk was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated effects of mango peel powder on starch digestion properties and quality characteristics of bread, and discussed underneath mechanisms. Starch digestion rate and extent of bread were evaluated in vitro, and bread quality characteristics, including moisture content, volume, color and texture, were evaluated. The results showed that adding mango peel powder could significantly reduce starch digestion rate and digestion extent in bread, and the reduction degree was positively related to the amount of mango peel powder applied. Bread moisture content was improved by mango peel powder, while bread volume was reduced. Bread color was also impacted, showing increased L*, a* and b* values. And incorporation of mango peel powder apparently affected bread texture, resulting in increased hardness and chewiness, as well as decreased cohesiveness. These influences were generally proportional to the amount of mango peel powder applied. When <5% of mango peel powder was incorporated, bread quality was not dramatically changed, although starch digestibility was significantly inhibited. More mango peel powder could further reduce starch digestion; however, bread quality might be deteriorated. These results would provide guidelines for the development of low glycemic index foods, and be beneficial in facilitating comprehensive application of mango peel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• La/N co-doped TiO 2 /SrFe 2 O 4 /diatomite (LN-TSD) composite was prepared. • The visible-light-driven photoactivity of LN-TSD was investigated. • The optimal amount of co-dopant and catalyst dosage were determined. • The charge transfer between TiO 2 and SrFe 2 O 4 improved the photocatalytic activity. • The LN-TSD catalyst showed easy separation and good reusability after 5 recycles. Powdery photocatalyst has long been studied, yet its low reusability in suspension system is the bottleneck which hinders its large-scale application. An alternative method to overcome this drawback is developing magnetic recyclable composite. In this work, we prepared lanthanum-nitrogen co-doped titania/strontium ferrite/diatomite (LN-TSD) ternary composite via sol-gel technology. The as-prepared materials were characterized and analyzed, and the photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the elimination of antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) under visible light illumination. Charge transfer happened at the heterojunction interface between TiO 2 and strontium ferrite, and thus improved the photocatalytic efficiency by inhibiting the recombination of charge carriers. The photodegradation rate of OTC was accelerated by the high adsorption ability of substrate diatomite, due to the adsorption and degradation synergistic effect between photocatalytic components and substrate diatomite. The optimal dopant amount and catalyst dosage were determined, and the corresponding LN-TSD sample showed its degradation rate of OTC as 95.5% after 2.5 h. The ternary LN-TSD composite could simply be separated from OTC solution via an external magnet, and the repetition tests indicated that, after 5 turns of repetition, only slightly decrease of degradation rate could be observed (dropped to 94.2%). This composite was promising to be applied in wastewater remediation process, due to its good photocatalytic activity under visible light, as well as its good reusability and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The preparation of crosslinked-compound was ideal by characterization. • The crosslinked-compound has synergistic hemostatic function. • The hemostatic safety was guaranteed because of low toxicity of raw materials. Composite porous starch (PS) with chitosan (CS) was easily cross-linked by sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) to obtain a hemostat called STMP/PS/CS (SPC) with ideal hemostatic effect. The water absorption ratio and swelling ratio of SPC reach up to 150.8%, 355.0% respectively and it was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that a large amount of CS was combined with PS, which indicated the composite effect was ideal. Synergistic hemostatic effect of SPC was indicated in blood cells evaluation experiment and the activation of platelets triggers a multistep cascade that produces a clot by adsorbing more blood cells on the surface of SPC. The average hemostasis time of SPC in tail amputation 1 cm, 2 cm and liver laceration was shortened by 29%, 42%, 37% respectively compared with blank control, and had better hemostatic effect than CS, PS in the hemostatic performance on the rat tail amputation and liver laceration. Besides, we found SPC displayed a superior adhesiveness in rat injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have been focusing on the impact of the shale gas boom on our society, but the reverse relationship is not well documented. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of oil and gas prices on shale gas drilling activities. We analyze the well-level production data from all major producing shale gas plays in the United States (US) and identify a major productivity shock in 2009. We then estimate the price elasticity of shale gas drilling using the econometric methods. Our results show that the oil price elasticity increases from insignificant in the pilot stage (2000–2008) to 1.1 (significant) in the expansion stage (2009–2016), and the gas price elasticity increases from insignificant in the pilot stage to 0.6 (significant) in the expansion stage. This is the first quantitative estimation of shale gas drilling responsiveness to oil and gas prices based on near-full-sample well-level drilling data while taking account the structural break. The change in price elasticities indicates that the shale gas drilling becomes more responsive to oil and gas prices after the major productivity shock around 2009. The high oil-price elasticity after 2009 shows the importance of natural gas condensate in supporting shale gas drilling. The estimated oil and gas elasticities are important to forecasting shale gas supply and economic impacts in the new normal. • Examine the influence of energy prices on shale gas drilling and production. • Define two phases in shale gas development: the pilot stage and expansion stage. • Estimate the price elasticities using play-level fixed effects model for the first time. • Oil price elasticity increases from insignificant to 1.1 after the productivity shock. • Gas prices elasticity increases from insignificant to 0.6 across the structural break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation rates and kinetics of one commonly used iodinated contrast medium, iohexol, were investigated and compared during ultraviolet (UV) photolysis, UV/H 2 O 2 and UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Results indicate that the iohexol degradation rate increased in the order of UV/H 2 O 2 < UV irradiation < UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − and followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Increasing persulfate concentration significantly increased iohexol degradation rate, whereas increasing H 2 O 2 concentration caused reverse effect. Radical scavenging test results show that UV photolysis, OH and radicals all contributed to iohexol degradation during UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − , but OH was the main contributor during UV/H 2 O 2 and was consumed by excess H 2 O 2. The kinetic models of iohexol degradation by both AOPs were developed, and the reaction rate constants with OH and were calculated as 5.73 (±0.02) × 108 and 3.91 (±0.01) × 1010 M−1 s−1, respectively. Iohexol degradation rate remained stable at pH 5–9 during UV irradiation and UV/H 2 O 2 , but gradually decreased at pH 5–7 and remained stable at pH 7–9 during UV/ S 2 O 8 2 −. The presence of anions displayed inhibitory effects on iohexol degradation during UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − in the order of Cl − > HCO 3 − ≫ S O 4 2 − . UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − AOP exhibited high degradation efficiency and stability on the basis of UV irradiation, which can be applied as a promising degradation method for iohexol. UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − AOP can effectively mineralize iohexol to CO 2 but promoted the generation of toxic iodoform (CHI 3), and the subsequent chlorination had the potential to reduce the content of disinfection by-products; therefore, further evaluation of possible environmental hazards is warranted. • The degradation efficiency of iohexol increased in the order of UV/H 2 O 2 < UV irradiation < UV/ S 2 O 8 2 − . • The iohexol degradation by UV/H 2 O 2 oxidation was mainly contributed by OH radical without UV photolysis. • The rate constants of iohexol reacting with OH and · S O 4 − were calculated as 5.73 (±0.02) × 108 and 3.91 × 1010 (±0.01) M−1 s−1, respectively. • pH has a negligible impact on iohexol degradation during UV irradiation and slight influence during UV/ and UV/H 2 O 2. • Higher concentrations of chloride and bicarbonate (≥2 mM) inhibited iohexol degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by elevated metastasis, low survival, and poor response to therapy. Although many specific and effective agents for treating TNBC have been investigated, promising therapeutic options remain elusive. Here, we screened the inhibitory activities of three main components of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc (shikonin, acetylshikonin, and β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin) on TNBC cells. The results revealed that shikonin potently decreased the viabilities of TNBC MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells but showed less cytotoxicity to normal mammary epithelial MCF-12A cells. Additionally, shikonin reversed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells. Shikonin depressed cell migration and invasion, upregulated E-cadherin levels, downregulated N-cadherin, vimentin, and Snail levels, and reorganized the cytoskeletal proteins F-actin and vimentin. Shikonin reversed EMT by inhibiting activation of β-catenin signaling through attenuating β-catenin expression, nuclear accumulation, binding to T-cell factor consensus oligos, and transcription of its targeted EMT-related genes. Moreover, shikonin upregulated glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) levels, leading to enhanced phosphorylation and decreased levels of β-catenin. Furthermore, shikonin administration significantly inhibited lung metastasis of MDA-MB-231 cells in NOD/SCID mice accompanied by low systemic toxicity. Histological analysis confirmed that shikonin elevated levels of E-cadherin, phosphorylated β-catenin, and GSK-3β, and decreased levels of vimentin and β-catenin in pulmonary metastatic foci. These results indicated that shikonin potently inhibits TNBC metastasis by targeting the EMT via GSK-3β-regulated suppression of β-catenin signaling, which highlights the importance of shikonin as a potential candidate for novel anticancer therapeutics against TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CrO X- doped mesoporous silica spheres (Cr/MSS-X) were prepared by adding Cr precursors at different preparation stages using sol-gel method (X = 1, 2, 3) and incipient-wetness impregnation method (X = 4), and their catalytic performances of propane oxidative dehydrogenation were evaluated in the presence of CO 2. The results indicate that for the Cr/MSS-X catalysts prepared by sol-gel method, Cr adding time significantly influences the Cr dispersion, surface physic-chemical properties and their catalytic performance. Cr/MSS-2 catalysts obtained by adding Cr precursor after the tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) show the optimal catalytic activity. Although Cr/MSS-1 also shows good CrO X dispersion, part CrO X wrapped in the center of mesoporous silica spheres presents weaker catalytic activity. In this work, the catalyst preparation method is quite facile and has the potential to be utilized for industrial production. Image 1 • CrOX-doped mesoporous silica spheres (Cr/MSS-X) were synthesized by sol-gel method. • Adding time of Cr precursor influences the structure and properties of Cr/MSS-X. • Good catalytic properties are obtained for propane oxidative dehydrogenation. • The synthesis mechanism of Cr/MSS-X is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• KO of orf20 from APEC strain DE142 decreases its adhesion and colonization ability. • Genes related to the exportation of flagellar protein are down regulated in the KO mutant. • Formation of I fimbriae is decreased in the KO mutant. We have previously demonstrated that prophage phiv142-3 enhances the colonization ability of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain DE142. However, the mechanism of this action remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that deletion of phiv142-3 orf20 leads to a decrease in the survival ability in chicken serum, adhesion, and ability to invade DF-1 cells of mutant strain DE142Δ orf20 compared with that of wild type (WT). Avian infection assays showed that bacterial loads in lungs and hearts of chickens challenged with the mutant are decreased to 7% and 8.3% compared with those challenged with the WT. The number of flagella and I fimbriae of the mutant are decreased and the mutant exhibits filamentation. However, protein ORF20 shows no adhesion ability to DF-1 cells in adherence inhibition experiments, indicating that it does not directly participate in adhesion. qRT-PCR revealed that the deletion of orf20 leads to reduction in the expression of nine genes related to the exportation of flagellar protein and two I-fimbriae-related genes (fimA and fimH), but does not affect genes related to the synthesis of flagella and other adhesins. Compared with the WT, the transcription level of the cell-division-associated genes minC and minD was increased 1.4-fold and 2.5-fold in mutant DE142Δ orf20 , respectively, indicating that orf20 affects the morphology of DE142 by regulating expression of minC and minD. Thus, our study revealed that orf20 in prophage phiv142-3 played a role in flagellar exportation, cell morphology, and I fimbriae synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Free-standing Li 2 S-rGO film and MnO 2 -rGO film with active material wrapped by rGO was prepared. • MnO 2 -rGO half-cell presents a high capacity retention of 98.0% during 150 cycles referring to the 2nd cycle. • Li 2 S/MnO 2 full cell was firstly studied, it shows a high specific energy of 827.3 Wh kg−1 Li2S. Lithium sulfide (Li 2 S)-based rechargeable battery has aroused much interest in the last few years because of its enhanced safety stemming from eliminating lithium metal anode and its high energy density. Here, we demonstrated a new-designed Li 2 S-based full cell with high energy density composed of the free-standing Li 2 S-rGO cathode and MnO 2 -rGO anode. Li 2 S-rGO cathode and rGO-MnO 2 anode exhibit a high capacity even based on the whole electrode, 367.5 mAh g−1 Li2S electrode and 644.1 mAh g−1 MnO2 electrode , respectively, which are benefitted from their free-standing nature and unique morphology of active material wrapped by rGO sheets. When incorporating Li 2 S-rGO cathode and MnO 2 -rGO anode, Li 2 S/MnO 2 full cell can achieve a high capacity of 587.5 mAh g−1 Li2S and a high energy density of 827.3 Wh kg−1 Li2S at 0.2 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LDL-C level can be measured by direct methods (LDL-C M) or calculated by Friedewald formula (LDL-C C). The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between LDL-C M and LDL-C C after a daily breakfast in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Three hundred and three inpatients, including 203 CHD patients (CHD group) and 100 non-CHD controls (CON group), were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of blood lipid parameters, including LDL-C C and LDL-C M , at 0, 2 and 4 h (h) were monitored after a daily breakfast in all subjects. LDL-C M was significantly higher than LDL-C C in fasting state in each group and at 4 h postprandially in CHD group (P <.05). Postprandial LDL-C M and LDL-C C significantly decreased in each group (P <.05). Postprandial decline in LDL-C M was significantly greater than that of LDL-C C (P <.05). For CHD patients taking statins for ≥1 month before admission, non-fasting percent attainment of LDL-C M or LDL-C C was significantly higher than its fasting value, especially at 4 h (P <.05). The percent deviation of LDL-C M from 1.8 mmol/L at 4 h was significantly different from its fasting value. However, there was no significant difference in percent deviation of LDL-C C from 1.8 mmol/L between fasting and non-fasting states. It indicated that the clinical monitoring of non-fasting LDL-C level in CHD patients could be relatively complex, and the judgement may depend not only on the method to acquire LDL-C level, but also on the evaluation method. • A significant difference between LDL-C C and LDL-C M in Chinese patients with CHD. • The decrement in LDL-C M was lager than that in LDL-C C in non-fasting state. • Percent attainment of LDL-C C and LDL-CM <1.8 mmol/L was higher in non-fasting state. • No significant difference between fasting and non-fasting percent deviation of LDL-C C from 1.8 mmol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]