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There is a growing interest in the role of the miRNA family in human cancer. The miRNA-192 family is a group of conserved small RNAs, including miR-192, miR-194, and miR-215. Recent studies have shown that the incidence and mortality of breast cancer have been increasing epidemiologically year by year, and it is urgent to clarify the pathogenesis of breast cancer and seek new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. There is increasing evidence that miR-192 family members may be involved in the occurrence and development of breast cancer. This review describes the regulatory mechanism of the miRNA-192 family affecting the malignant behavior of breast cancer cells and evaluates the value of the miRNA-192 family as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for breast cancer. It is expected that summarizing and discussing the relationship between miRNA-192 family members and breast cancer, it will provide a new direction for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and basic medical research. [Display omitted] • Biogenesis of miR-192 family members. • miR-192 family functions and molecular mechanisms in breast cancer. • Value of miR-192 family as a biomarker for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards energy efficiency in households is advancing slowly despite the increasing number of incentive policy interventions. It is imperative to assess the effectiveness of these interventions to prevent wasting resources or even jeopardizing the energy transition. An agent-based model was developed using the results of two discrete choice experiments to simulate the diffusion of 1) energy-efficient appliances and 2) heating & cooling systems among households. Policy interventions (information campaigns, engaging sales agencies, and providing district heating) on the diffusion of these two types of energy-efficient products have been simulated. The simulation results indicate that energy-efficient heating & cooling systems have the potential for widespread adoption, while appliances do not exhibit the same level of scalability. The results show that information campaigns targeting households' environmental attitudes have limited impacts on energy-efficient appliance diffusion while engaging sales agencies has a greater impact on energy-efficient appliance diffusion than information campaigns. Simulation results also show that district heating can achieve large-scale diffusion, and the main barrier to the diffusion is the accessibility of the infrastructure. This study contributes to designing effective strategies for accelerating energy transition in the residential sector. • Hard-link between the discrete choice models and the agent-based model • Incorporate product features, socio-demographics, interventions, and social network • Appliances and heating & cooling systems have different diffusion patterns. • Campaigns and working with sale agency increase energy-efficient appliance adoption. • Diffusion of district heating depends on infrastructure accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the Mo element on the intergranular corrosion behavior was investigated on super-austenitic stainless steels. The σ-phase structure and compositional changes of stainless steels with different Mo contents during aging at 800–900°C were investigated by TEM, combined with electrochemical tests, and two different intergranular corrosion mechanisms were revealed. The low-Mo 904 L stainless steel induces severe intergranular electrochemical corrosion due to selective anodic dissolution at grain boundaries caused by decreased passivation ability and σ-phase composition changes. The σ-phase precipitation of 254SMo and AL-6XN with high-Mo leads to Cr and Mo depletion reduces passivation film continuity, and causes intergranular corrosion. • Aging coarsens the σ-phase at grain boundaries in super austenitic steels with higher Mo content. • Low Mo austenitic steels face intergranular corrosion from weakened boundary passivation. • High Mo steels suffer intergranular corrosion from Cr/Mo depletion and erratic passivation. • Precipitate morphology and composition significantly alter intergranular corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Alteration of intestinal epithelial fucosylation is observed in NEC. • Defective epithelial fucosylation exacerbates intestinal injury in NEC mice. • Intestinal ILC3s and IL-22 are reduced in NEC mice. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating neonatal gastrointestinal emergency. Fucosylated glycans on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) play a central role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. Nevertheless, its association with necrotizing enterocolitis is not clear. We examined paraffin-embedded intestinal specimens from participants and found that the NEC patients showed lower intestinal epithelial fucosylation levels than the control patients. In the mouse model of NEC, the percentage of fucosylated epithelial cells (F-ECs) and ILC3s was decreased. Also, the expression levels of IL-22 and Fut2 were reduced. Moreover, the critical role of epithelial fucosylation in NEC was further confirmed by administering the anti-IL-22 antibody, which caused an increase in histological damage, body weight loss, intestinal permeability and proinflammatory cytokine release correlated with a reduction of F-ECs. Overall, intestinal fucosylation deficiency led to increased susceptibility and severity of NEC. Further studies are needed to determine whether modification of intestinal fucosylation affects the development of NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential benefits of adopting PV (photovoltaic) in residential apartments in China, such as reducing peak demand and electricity transmission issues, have been overlooked. Community PV is more applicable for most Chinese cities residents living in apartment buildings. However, existing studies failed to provide comprehensive insight regarding factors influencing community PV adoption and adoption decision strategies. This study utilized a discrete choice experiment performed in Wuhan to examine individuals' community PV adoption preferences and analyze the factors influencing their decisions. The study found that respondents who were well-educated, older than 40, lived in residential buildings constructed earlier than 2006, had a living area >120 m2, or used AC for more months in the summer were more likely to adopt PV. Three decision strategies (classes) with different PV product preferences were identified. Peer effect is identified to significantly influence the community PV adoption as almost 65% of the respondents are more likely to adopt PV if there are high neighboring PV adoption or installation agreement rates. Cost was not a determining factor for a significant proportion of respondents, who instead focused on revenue. Subsidy policies also had limited influence, affecting only about 43% of respondents. Policy implications are provided based on the research results. • Using a discrete choice experiment in Wuhan to investigate community PV adoption. • Respondents who are more willing to adopt PV were identified. • Three decision heuristics for community adoption were discovered. • 65% of respondents are significantly impacted by peer effect. • Cost is not a significant barrier to community PV adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Accurate measurement of cadmium content in rice is of utmost importance to determine if the inspected rice product is safe to people. X-ray fluorescence analysis is frequently used for multi-element analysis because it has characteristics of fast, accurate and nondestructive. However, due to the low content of cadmium in rice, its corresponding characteristics energy peak is relatively weak and is sensitive to the background information in the X-ray energy spectrum. Thus, it is very tough to obtain the accurate values of cadmium content by utilizing traditional X-ray fluorescence analysis. In this paper, the identification of weak peaks of cadmium is much improved by proposing a hybrid algorithm combining genetic algorithm (GA) and Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm (LM). The hybrid algorithm not only takes full advantages of GA and LM respectively but also inhibits their unwanted properties: poor local search ability of GA and locally convergent of LM. The proposed hybrid algorithm is employed to identify weak peaks in X-ray spectra of six contaminated rice samples with different contents of cadmium. Two comparative experiments are conducted to compare the performance between GA, LM and the proposed hybrid algorithm. One of the comparative experiments has the relative error varying with the number of calculations, which aims to verify the accuracy and stability. The results show that the hybrid algorithm is a better option in terms of accuracy and stability. Another comparative experiment of which the average relative error varies with the number of iterations is conducted to verify the computing efficiency. The experiments show that the hybrid algorithm exhibits a faster convergence rate. Two numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can well resolve the identification issue of the cadmium in the X-ray spectra and significantly improve the content measurement accuracy of cadmium in the quality evaluation experiment of rice products. Highlights • A novel algorithm is developed to solve weak peaks in X-ray fluorescence analysis. • The hybrid algorithm has higher accuracy, better stability and faster convergence. • This is a promising method that can be used to determine heavy metals in other grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure mode prediction of hydrate-bearing sediments (HBSs) is crucial for accurate evaluation of reservoir mechanical properties and safe exploitation of hydrate resources. In this study, the variation of HBS failure mode with hydrate dissociation degree (D h d ) and effective confining stress ( σ 3 ′) and its micro-mechanism were investigated. The results show that the stress-strain curve of HBS shifts from strain-softening to strain-hardening as D h d and σ 3 ′ increase. The failure strength and residual strength of the sample are negatively correlated with D h d but positively correlated with σ 3 ′. The increase of D h d results in a reduction in the cohesion of HBS from 608.74 to 2.49 kPa and a shift in the internal friction angle from increasing to decreasing. The post-shear sample indicates a minimum porosity of 11.47% under the highest D h d and σ 3 ′ conditions. The increased pore volume available for particle rearrangement resulting from the increase in D h d , and the enhanced confining effect on the sample due to the increase in σ 3 ′ , result in a volume shrinkage characterized by plastic strain-hardening failure mode. A prediction model of HBS failure mode based on the classification of strain-hardening and strain-softening degrees of stress-strain curves was developed and verified using published results. • The failure mode and its microscopic mechanism of HBS were studied. • The strain-hardening and softening degrees of stress-strain curve was classified. • A prediction model of HBS failure mode was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 18 PtUBCs were identified into 5 independent clades. • Cis -acting elements related to stress responses were characterized from PtUBC s. • PtUBC15 , PtUBC16 and PtUBC7 might have a negative effect during the ERAD pathway. • The misfolded/ unfolded proteins might be degraded by the ERAD mechanism. Ocean acidification (OA) as a result of more and more anthropogenic CO 2 release, has already been referred to a severe ecological environmental issue. OA would destroy the balance of ocean carbonate buffering system and have negative effects on marine primary producers. Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is one of the most important primary producers in the ocean, and it is susceptible to the elevated p CO 2 stress. Under the elevated p CO 2 stress, endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) and its important components Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (UBCs) are pivotal to sustain cellular homeostasis. However, systematic investigation regarding phylogenetic relationships of UBC gene family, expression profiles under the elevated p CO 2 stress and their potential functions on the cellular homeostasis of P. tricornutum remain poorly understood. In this study, a genome-wide analysis of PtUBC gene family was performed. It was shown that 18 PtUBC genes were unevenly distributed to the 14 chromosomes of total 33 chromosomes in P. tricornutum. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 18 PtUBC proteins were divided into 5 groups and each of them contained different conserved motifs. Besides, lots of cis -acting elements related to diverse stress responses were identified from PtUBC genes. Remarkably, transcriptomic analysis revealed that 3 PtUBC genes (PtUBC15 , PtUBC16 and PtUBC7) were downregulated under the exposure to elevated p CO 2 level, while the other 15 PtUBC genes did not have significant expression. Meanwhile, the model of endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) mechanism was displayed, explaining that the misfolded/ unfolded proteins under the elevated p CO 2 stress would be accumulated and then degraded via the ERAD mechanism to sustain the cellular homeostasis. The downregulated PtUBC genes might have a negative effect on the ERAD mechanism. Overall, this study provided an important foundation for further understanding of possible functions of PtUBC genes, especially on the cellular homeostasis, and the regulatory mechanism of PtUBCs on the diatom response to different environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the changes in mechanical properties of hydrate bearing clayey sand reservoirs during the mining process and explain the mechanism from a microscopic perspective, soil samples were artificially configured based on the parameters of SH7B drilling cores in Shenhu area of South China Sea. Natural gas hydrate was formed in the samples, and the mining process was simulated by hydrate decomposition under depressurization. Multistage triaxial tests were carried out, and scanning electron microscopy was conducted on samples after triaxial experiment. The results showed that the shear strengths of samples decreased with the decomposition of hydrate, and the effective cohesion was positively correlated with hydrate saturation degree. An expression for the linear growth of shear strength with effective confining pressure and hydrate saturation degree was established. In addition, hydrate saturation degree was introduced as a parameter into the Mohr-Coulomb criterion to establish a strength criterion applicable to clayey sand reservoirs in the mining process. With the decrease of hydrate saturation degree, the microstructures of samples after shearing were gradually compacted, indicating that the hydrate and soil particles bore the external load together during shear test, which maintained the morphology of pores and improved the shear strength of samples. • Analyze the mechanical properties of the samples during depressurization mining. • A Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion for clayey sand reservoirs is established. • Explain the mechanism of mechanical property changes from a microscopic aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Review of housing energy efficiency adoption motivators, barriers, and policies. • The energy efficient renovation adoption decision-making process is described. • Review of ABMs for energy efficiency technology diffusion. • Current focuses are financial incentives and soft interventions for PV and lighting. • Need for ABMs with a broader range of technologies and using empirical data. The residential sector is one of the major sources of energy consumption, with a high energy conservation potential. Energy consumption reduction could be achieved through Energy-Efficient Renovation (EER). This paper presents a systematic review of EER adoption influences and EER diffusion modelling. The review starts with an overview of EER adoption drivers, barriers, and policies, then introduces the adoption influences, including socio-demographics, housing factors, social influences, and environmental attitudes. The significances of these influences vary across different studies, and studies focussing on influences cannot provide insights on the number of resources and efforts needed to overcome the barriers. EER modelling of adoption decision-making and energy efficiency diffusion was introduced, focusing on Agent-Based Modelling (ABM). The most investigated technology diffusion is Photo-Voltaic (PV) panels. Most ABM models were developed based on behaviour theories. These models are used for evaluating policy effectiveness. Most policies analyses amongst the reviewed papers are limited, neglecting the influences of housing situations and building codes and standards. Besides, few models are developed based on real-world data. It is concluded that agent-based models in EER are needed to include a broad range of technologies or incorporate existing empirical EER studies or empirical adoption data for reliable simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In semi-arid regions, the spatial pattern of vegetation usually appears as a mosaic of plants surrounded by bare soil. Phytogenic mounds often develop under these plants and create microenvironments that promote plant establishment. This study examined the effects of ground slope and plant shoot architecture on mound formation. Four species representing different shoot architectures (Artemisia gmelinii, with dense shoot architecture; Artemisia giraldii, with expanding shoot architecture; tussock-forming Bothriochloa ischaemum; and Sophora viciifolia, with a main-stem shoot architecture) and four classes of slope were selected. A two-dimensional ‘microprofilemeter’ was used to measure mound shape and height, and mound area was measured using the Image Pro-plus software with a planer mound picture. Phytogenic mound shapes changed from symmetrical mound type to asymmetrical terrace type as slope increased. With increasing slope mound height increased for all species; the mound area of S. viciifolia decreased; and that of A. giraldii increased. A. gmelinii and B. ischaemum had a relatively constant mound area irrespective of slope. Among the plant shoot architecture parameters, the basal diameter along the slope (D ba) significantly correlated with mound height, while the plant basal diameter perpendicular to the slope (D bp) and the total cross-sectional area of the stem at the base (S n) were related to mound area. The results indicate that phytogenic mounds on gentler slopes are formed due to the difference in rain splash erosion beneath the plant canopy and surrounding bare surfaces. On steeper slopes, mounds are formed due to water erosion on bare soil and the prevention of erosion and sediment accumulation under plants. Plant shoot architecture also influences mound formation. Species with expanding shoot architecture, such as A. giraldii that spread laterally to create high density stems and occupy a large area, can create relatively large mounds. Species with main-stem shoot architecture such as S. viciifolia, have a mound area that shrinks rapidly with increasing slope. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: By surface mechanical attrition alloy treatment (SMAAT) and subsequent low temperature anneal treatment, a refined Fe/Ni alloy surface layer, about 50μm in length, was fabricated on a pure iron plate. Micro-hardness and the friction and wear behavior of alloy surface layers were studied in comparison with those of their SMATed-only nanocrystallization counterpart. The interface microstructure indicated that the nickel powders had been permeated and welded into the pure iron surface in some localized regions by plastic deformation. The SMAAT process includes impacting with high strain velocity, grain refinement and synchronous diffusion. Atomic diffusion has been accelerated by the generation of high density defects through severe plastic deformation. Quick formation of the Fe/Ni intermetallic and solid solution phase alloy layer during SMAAT can be detected. Subsequent annealing treatment further accelerates the diffusion of Ni and Fe elements and leads to the formation of alloy phases. The results of friction and wear tests show that the properties of the alloy layer were remarkably improved. The main reason for this result may originate from its microstructures, i.e. an alloy layer with smaller grains, which reduces the effect of fatigue wear. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work, the heat and fluid flows in a free burning GTAW-arc under changing process conditions have been developed by a steady two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric model. The temperature profiles, velocity profiles, distribution of potential and current density of the arc have been studied. A series of arc models are established by changing the welding process conditions, including welding current, flow rate of shielding gas, arc length and the kind of shielding gas. Governing equations, including heat and mass transfer equations, electromagnetic transport equations, are solved by finite volume method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, the focused ion beam (FIB) milling method is applied to fabricate sub-micron grating on TiNi shape memory alloy materials. With self-made FIB milling gratings, scanning electron microscope (SEM) micro-moiré and digital moiré methods are successfully used to measure large deformation of porous TiNi shape memory alloys (SMA) in uni-axial compressive tests. The principles of the SEM micro-moiré method and digital moiré method are introduced, and applied to calculate large strain. The full field deformation around shear bands can be measured precisely. During the investigation, the phenomenon of furcated moiré fringes was found, and a corresponding explanation is given in this paper. The furcated fringes are generated in the locations of combined shear bands where sudden changes of strain occur. Successful results also verify that the FIB milling gratings are suitable for micro-moiré measurement and can generate high quality moiré fringes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High concentration of volatile nanoparticles (NPs) formed in vehicular exhaust may lead to adverse health effects, and a clear understanding of the nucleation mechanisms of these particles remains to be achieved. We investigate the role of H2SO4–H2O binary homogeneous nucleation (BHN) in the formation of NPs in the diluting vehicular exhaust, using a recently developed kinetic H2SO4–H2O BHN model suitable for studying the nucleation process in rapidly diluting exhaust. For the vehicles running on the fuel with fuel sulfur content (FSC) of ∼330ppm we found that BHN may significantly contribute to the NP formation, especially when the ambient temperature is low and the relative humidity is high. Our simulations show that BHN rate is very sensitive to FSC and sulfur to sulfuric acid conversion efficiency (ε s). For ε s value of 1%, BHN is negligible under typical conditions when FSC is <∼100ppm. However, NP formation via BHN may still be significant if ε s >∼4% even after FSC is reduced to below ∼50ppm. The sensitivities of NP formation via BHN to key factors (including ambient temperature and relative humidity, FSC, ε s and the soot number concentration) are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mutations in the presenilin 1 (PS1) gene are responsible for the early onset of familial Alzheimer disease (FAD). Accumulating evidence shows that PS1 is involved in γ-secretase activity and that FAD-associated mutations of PS1 commonly accelerate Aβ1-42 production, which causes Alzheimer disease (AD). Recent studies suggest, however, that PS1 is involved not only in Aβ production but also in other processes that lead to neurodegeneration. To better understand the causes of neurodegeneration linked to the PS1 mutation, we analyzed the development of tau pathology, another key feature of AD, in PS1 knock-in mice. Hippocampal samples taken from FAD mutant (I213T) PS1 knock-in mice contained hyperphosphorylated tau that reacted with various phosphodependent tau antibodies and with Alz50, which recognizes the conformational change of PHF tau. Some neurons exhibited Congo red birefringence and Thioflavin T reactivity, both of which are histological criteria for neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Biochemical analysis of the samples revealed SDS-insoluble tau, which under electron microscopy examination, resembled tau fibrils. These results indicate that our mutant PS1 knock-in mice exhibited NFT-like tau pathology in the absence of Aβ deposition, suggesting that PS1 mutations contribute to the onset of AD not only by enhancing Aβ1-42 production but by also accelerating the formation and accumulation of filamentous tau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]