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Frequency noise is a key limitation factor for frequency sensitive ultra-high precision measurement. An excellent methodology for its calibration is the error signal extracting from a cavity length locking process via Pound–Drever–Hall (PDH) technique, and also can be applied as a noise discriminator for active feedback control. However, the stabilized laser frequency noise performance was poor to meet the applications for ultra-high precision measurement, and no literature has analyzed the cause in detail. In this Letter, we found that various of noise floors in the in-loop sensing and modulation depth in the PDH error signal should be responsible for the poor noise performance. Meanwhile, differing from the theoretical prediction (1.08), the modulation depth in frequency noise feedback controlling should be optimized by simultaneously considering the detector's gain and saturation power, cavity impedance matching, and control loop gain. In our case, it was fixed to be 0.17. The experimental results confirm our theoretical analysis well. Finally, the stabilized laser frequency noises are reduced to 10 − 1 Hz / Hz for out-of-loop and 3 × 10 − 2 Hz / Hz for in-loop. The results demonstrate an efficient settlement solution for active frequency noise feedback control. • Optimizing modulation depth for frequency noise suppression is modelled. • Difference in frequency noise between in-loop and out-of-loop is demonstrated. • In-loop noise is observed on-line with the performance of out-of-loop. • Under optimal parameters, a minimum out-of-loop noise of 10 − 1 Hz / Hz so far is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To investigate the effect and mechanism of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) on the germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), we conducted systematic research on the impact of different concentrations (1–100 μg/mL) of CSNPs and chitosan (CS). The result of energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that adsorption of CSNPs on the surface of wheat seeds was higher than that of CS. CSNPs had growth promoting effect at a lower concentration (5 μg/mL) compared with CS (50 μg/mL). In addition, the application of 5 μg/mL CSNPs induced the auxin-related gene expression, accelerated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis and transport, and reduced IAA oxidase activity resulting in the increase of IAA concentration in wheat shoots and roots. The results suggest that CSNPs have positive effect on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat at a lower concentration than CS due to higher adsorption on the surface of wheat seeds. Highlights • CSNPs could promote growth at a lower concentration about 10 fold than CS. • CSNPs promote wheat growth by activating IAA signaling pathway. • The CSNPs adsorption is stronger than that of CS on the surface of wheat seed by EDS and CLSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Insulin-responsive glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), a member of the glucose transporter family, plays a vital role in mediating glucose movement across cell membranes in insulin-sensitive tissues. In this study, we aimed to compare the molecular characterization and expression analysis of GLUT4 from three fish species of different feeding habits: golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), cobia (Rachycentron canadum) and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after being fed three different dietary carbohydrate-to-lipid (CHO:L) ratios for 8 weeks. The results showed that the full length of golden pompano GLUT4 (ToGLUT4) and cobia GLUT4 (RcGLUT4) gene cDNA are 1973 and 2241 bp, containing an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 506 and 507 amino acids, respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of GLUT4 revealed a high degree of conservation among most fish and higher vertebrates, and high homology were found in GLUT4 of golden pompano, cobia and tilapia, which share several identical motifs but contain small substitutions in GLUT4 protein. In addition, the highest GLUT4 gene expression was observed in white muscle followed by heart in these three fish species. Furthermore, in all these three species, the expression of GLUT4 was regulated in heart and white muscle by dietary CHO:L ratios. Expression of GLUT4 in heart decreased when golden pompano and tilapia were fed medium or high CHO:L ratio diets. However, in cobia, GLUT4 was induced when fed medium CHO:L ratio diet but depressed when fed high CHO:L ratio diet. With respect to white muscle, high expression of GLUT4 was found in these three fish species when fed medium CHO:L ratio diet, and high CHO:L ratio diet intake depressed its abundance in white muscle. The results indicate that GLUT4 of golden pompano, cobia and tilapia share several functionally important structural characteristics but contain small substitutions in GLUT4 protein that may lead to differences in the traffic behavior and affect the efficiency of glucose transport. In accordance with mammalian expression pattern, GLUT4 of golden pompano, cobia and tilapia are all expressed primarily in heart and white muscle, which could be regulated by dietary CHO:L ratios but appear to be species-specific and tissue-specific. However, none of the parameters examined clarifies the differences in carbohydrate utilization between carnivorous (golden pompano, cobia) and omnivorous (tilapia) fish. Decreased GLUT4 mRNA in heart and white muscle caused by feeding a relatively high carbohydrate with low lipid diet might partially explain the poor utilization of carbohydrate in these three fish species. Highlights • Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of GLUT4 revealed a high degree of conservation among most fish and higher vertebrates. • Heart and white muscle GLUT4 of golden pompano, cobia and tilapia are regulated by dietary carbohydrate-to-lipid ratios. • Decreased GLUT4 mRNA in heart and white muscle after a carbohydrate rich diet could be a partial explanation for the poor utilization of carbohydrate in these three fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Here we report an Au nanoparticles supported on nanostructured porous carbon (NPCs) hybrid through a coordination-assisted strategy. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been demonstrated as suitable precursors for preparing NPCs through the impregnation of a secondary carbon source within pores of MOFs. The thermal transformation of Au/UiO-66-NH 2 composites in an inert atmosphere has yielded ultrafine Au-embedded NPCs (Au/NPCs). The formation of these composite materials was verified by a comprehensive characterization using X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Because of the unique structural properties and synergetic catalytic effect, Au/NPCs can be developed as an effective sensing platform for the detection of acetaminophen (AP), which showed high activity and excellent analytical performance towards AP, such as a wide linear range of 0.12–95.10 μM, a high sensitivity of 357.62 μA mM−1, and a low limit of detection of 49.4 nM. Importantly, the successfully fabricated Au/NPCs device accurately measured the amount of AP in pharmaceutical samples. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The Au/NPCs hybrids were prepared by a simple one-step pyrolysis of UiO-66 particles. • It was prepared by using UiO-66 as template and the MOFs also act as carbon sources without need of additional precursors. • A sensitive biosensor for AP was developed based on the Au/NPCs–GCE, which showed good electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we test the hypothesis that the ability of Ctenopharyngodon idellu to clear a glucose load is related to nutrient history of different dietary carbohydrate through the transport and glycolysis of glucose. Firstly, we obtained the complete coding sequence from C. idellus GLUT1 (ciGLUT1), composed by 2364 bp with an open reading frame of 1473 bp encoding 490 amino acids. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of conservation (80–97%) among most fish and higher vertebrates. The analysis of the 5′ and 3′ UTRs showed the presence of several post-transcriptional regulatory elements. The highest ciGLUT1 expression was observed in the heart followed by brain, whereas relatively low values were detected in the muscle, gill, intestine, kidney, spleen and liver. Then, hepatic and intestine ciGLUT1 expressions and hepatic glycolytic enzymes activities were determined in fish subjected to a glucose load after being fed different dietary carbohydrate levels (20%, 40% and 60%) for 8 weeks. And the result showed that different dietary carbohydrate had no effect on ciGLUT1 mRNA of hepatic and intestine after 8 weeks trail. However, after the adaptation of carbohydrate levels, glucose administration caused a prompt increase of hepatic ciGLUT1 mRNA expressions in all treatments whereas it either had no effect or a negative effect on intestine ciGLUT1 mRNA. In terms of dietary carbohydrate levels, the ciGLUT1 expressions of fish fed high carbohydrate diet (60%) were significantly higher than the other groups after the glucose load. In additon, after the glucose administration, hepatic low Km hexokinases (HK) activities of fish fed high carbohydrate diets increased significantly and was also significantly higher than the other groups. The results indicated that the GLUT1 gene of C. idellus showed a typical structure of the glucose transporters family, supporting the concept that ciGLUT1 functions as a ubiquitous and constitutive basal level glucose transporter. Consistent with the function of the GLUT1 as a constitutive glucose transporter, ciGLUT1 expressions of hepatic and intestine were hardly affected by the changes in dietary carbohydrate. Furthermore, after the glucose load, the fish after a long-term high dietary carbohydrate adaptation showed a more efficient clearance of glucose through the more remarkable enhancements of hepatic ciGLUT1 expressions and HK activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A redox-responsive supramolecular hydrogel system was developed for delivering 10-hydroxy camptothecin (HCPT). The hydrogel was formed by cleaving disulfide bond. The combination of hydrophobic HCPT with hydrogel was a simple and effective way to improve the solubility of HCPT and the drug loading capacity of delivery system. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image revealed the self-assembled hydrogel was long and thin nanofibers with a width of < 10 nm. Rheological test verified the hydrogel had fine physical properties. In vitro release experiment showed that the accumulative releasing percentages within 72 h of HCPT-peptide hydrogels at 3.0%, 4.0%, 5.0% were 16.8%, 21.3%, and 26.8% respectively, which indicated the HCPT-peptide hydrogels had a significantly sustained-release characteristic. Besides, in vitro anticancer assay showed that HCPT-peptide hydrogels possessed a favorable anticancer efficacy. These results indicated that HCPT-peptide hydrogel had great potential for cancer treatment as a novel injectable drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the luminous properties of high-power white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), we proposed a facile preparation of patterned phosphor-in-glass (PiG) in which yellow Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce 3+ (YAG:Ce 3+ ) and red CaAlSiN 3 :Eu 2+ (CASN:Eu 2+ ) phosphor parts are separated. The patterned PiGs with sector piece and concentric ring phosphor geometries were prepared by screen-printing and low-temperature sintering. Experimental results indicated that LED modules packaged by the patterned PiGs yield high luminous efficacy and excellent color quality owing to the reducing reabsorption of yellow emission by red phosphor. In addition, the angular color uniformity (ACU) of LED modules with the ring patterned PiGs are better than those of LED modules with the piece patterned PiGs. It is also discovered that the luminous efficacy and corresponding correlated color temperature (CCT) of LED module packaged by the piece/ring patterned PiG are decreased with the increasing of piece/ring number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Classical phase noise is the main limited factor for phase sensitive precision measurement. • Mode cleaner plays a low-pass filtering role not only for amplitude quadrature but also for phase one. • The noise suppression process for one quadrature noise is accomplished by a noise intercoupling between the two quadratures. • A complete experimental scheme for a full phase to amplitude noise conversion has been designed for phase noise characterization. Suppression phase noise of a laser is a great practical significance in applications of phase-sensitive precision measurement. To suppress the phase noise, an ultra-stable cavity incorporating with an electrical feedback control loop is always the popular choice, in which the linewidth of the cavity should be narrower than that of the laser to provide a stable reference standard. Here, we experimentally verify that mode cleaner plays a noise suppression role for phase quadrature in the whole frequency range of the photoelectric detectors, even though its linewidth is 10 3 larger than the laser one. Meanwhile, we found that the noise suppression for one quadrature is codetermined by the noise of the two quadratures of the input field. Our demonstration provides a new and in-depth interpretation for phase noise suppression in a mode cleaner with larger linewidth than the laser one that is important in phase-sensitive sensing application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One characteristic of tumor-associated CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) is the high expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFR2), a receptor that mediates the decisive effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the activation and expansion of Tregs. There is increasing evidence that inhibition of TNFR2 can enhance anti-tumor immune responses. Therefore, we screened Chinese herbal extracts for their capacity to block TNF-TNFR2 interaction. The results showed that the treatment with a Chinese herb extract could inhibit TNFR2-induced biological responses in vitro , including the proliferation of TNFR2+ Tregs. Our subsequent study led to the identification of flavonoid compound scutellarin was responsible for the activity. Our results showed that scutellarin is able to disrupt the interaction of TNF-TNFR2 and inhibited the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, a down-stream signaling component of TNFR2. Importantly, in vivo scutellarin treatment markedly enhanced the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy with CpG oligodeoxynucleotide in mouse CT26 colon cancer model. This effect of scutellarin was associated with the reduction of the number of tumor-infiltrating TNFR2-expressing Tregs and increased tumor infiltration of interferon-γ–producing CD8+ T cells. Our result also suggests that scutellarin or its analogs may be used as an adjuvant to enhance the anti-tumor effect of immunotherapeutic agent by eliminating TNFR2+ Treg activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

10-Hydroxy camptothecin ( HCPT) has been proven to be a cell cycle-specific chemotherapeutic agent, which is a necessary choice to inhibit tumor residue growth and prevent tumor metastasis after surgery. But it suffers from light decomposition, poor solubility, relatively low bioavailability, and some side effects, which are the major obstacles toward its clinical use. Integration of hydrophobic HCPT with hydrophilic hydrogel is a facile approach to change the disadvantageous situation of HCPT. In this study, a novel supramolecular hydrogelator with improved synthetic strategy was triggered by chemical hydrolysis, and then self-assembled to hydrogel. Taking advantage of the high-equilibrium solubility of HCPT in hydrogelator solution, this hydrogel was utilized to load HCPT via encapsulation as an effective carrier. HCPT hydrogels were characterized by several techniques including transmission electronic microscopy, rheology, and UV spectroscopy. In vitro release experiment indicated HCPT hydrogel could maintain long term and sustained release of HCPT at high accumulated rate. 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay showed that HCPT hydrogel had an optimized anticancer efficacy. Besides, with prominent physical properties of carrier, HCPT hydrogel possessed satisfactory stability, syringeability, and recoverability, demonstrating itself as a potential localized injectable drug delivery system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 104:2266-2275, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging phase change materials (PCMs) have attracted much attention due to their unique properties and applications. However, the optical properties of PCM at high pressures have not been well explored. In this work, the microstructure and optical properties of GeTe and Sn-substituted GeTe at high pressures up to 30 GPa have been systematically investigated. We find that the substitution of small amounts of Sn for Ge combined with the introduction of high pressure can induce an optical contrast of 117% in crystalline GeTe, which is even higher than the highest optical contrast reported so far (90%) caused by amorphous GeTe to crystalline GeTe. The pressure-induced contrast does not originate from any phase transition as previously, but from the combined effect of Peierls distortion elimination and Ge vacancy formation, which leads to an increase in carrier concentration. The relationship between pressure/atomic composition, Peierls distortion/vacancy formation, and optical contrast can be well explained by a combination of experiments and theoretical calculations. Therefore, this study reveals the effect of high pressure on the optical properties of PCMs and provides new ideas for the design of high-optical-contrast PCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electrospinning and subsequent phosphating process can be used to synthesize MNiP (M = Mo, Cu) hybrid nanowires. • MoNiP (CuNiP) hybrid NWs was superior to that of MoP (Cu 3 P) NWs and Ni 2 P NWs. • The enhanced effects of HER mainly owed to the optimized ΔG H in hybrid nanowires. In this paper, MNiP (M = Mo, Cu) hybrid nanostructures with one-dimensional morphology were successfully synthesized by an electrospinning and subsequent phosphorization process. The as-synthesized MoNiP and CuNiP hybrid NWs were highly efficient electrocatalyst for HER. Compared with pure MoP (Cu 3 P) and Ni 2 P NWs, the MoNiP (CuNiP) hybrid NWs exhibited an enhanced HER performance which delivered a low potential of 179 mV (161 mV) at 10 mA/cm2 and a small Tafel slope of 60 mV/dec (65 mV/dec). Meanwhile, the as-synthesized hybrid NWs also showed a good stability. It might be a potential alternative to the noble metal electrocatalysts in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracerebral hemorrhage is a life-threatening acute cerebrovascular disease characterized by a 30-d mortality rate of 40% and substantial disability for those who survive. The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of histotripsy-mediated efficient and fine liquefaction of large-volume hematoma by utilizing a protocol of millisecond-length ultrasound pulse groups combined with fundamental and second harmonic superposition. Experiments were initially performed in an in vitro hematoma phantom, using a two-element confocal-annular array. Results showed that a single ellipsoid shape, histotripsy lesion with major dimensions of 10.8 ± 1.2 mm axially and 4.8 ± 0.2 mm laterally was successfully generated. Controllability of the lesion shape and size could be realized by modulating treatment parameters in single-spot experiments. Large-volume hematomas were efficiently and finely liquefied through multisonications via a treatment strategy under the relatively optimized treatment parameters. Liquefied contents were evacuated and analyzed using a particle sizing system. The size of the lysates for the most part ranged from 4-8 μm, with more than 99% of them being smaller than 10 μm. Experiments were then conducted in an optically transparent tissue phantom to explore the liquefaction mechanisms. The phantom was composed of polyacrylamide hydrogel, embedded with bovine serum albumin (BSA), and a thin phantom layer consisted of red blood cells in the BSA polyacrylamide gel was inlayed in the BSA gel phantom. The related mechanisms, such as the frequent boiling that occurred at multiple positions and the enhanced cavitation, revealed the quick development of the lesion in the phantom and the efficient liquefaction of the clot. These results indicated that the proposed histotripsy approach is feasible for the efficient, precise and fine liquefaction of large-volume hematoma and may be developed as a useful tool for intracerebral hemorrhage treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underground cave dwelling located in loess plateau of China is known for its use of natural and passive environment control systems for a comfortable indoor environment. However, it has not been proved by a detailed and quantitative analysis so far. This paper conducts qualitative and quantitative evaluations on the thermal performance of ancient cave dwellings. Firstly, the authors conducted a qualitative analysis on the passive strategies of vernacular underground cave dwellings by field investigations. The orientation of building, the presence of underground courtyard, use of biomass massive building envelope, etc. Formed the indoor environment. Secondly, a quantitative analysis was also carried out based on long-term remote monitoring experiments by recording thermal environment parameters in a selected building. The analysis results were very much in agreement with the inferences drawn from the qualitative analysis. Finally, in order to evaluate the whole annual thermal performance, numerical simulations on the Yaodong models was also conducted using the software Energyplus. The study provided positive results confirming that climate responsive strategies employed in underground cave dwellings were highly effective in providing methods and implications to create more comfortable indoor environments for rural residences. Image 1 • A vernacular underground cave dwelling presented for cold climates. • Climate responsive strategies of underground cave dwellings was obtained. • A long-term remote monitoring was carried out. • Annual thermal performance of the cave dwelling was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we synthesized a bayberry-like Ni–Co–Mn ternary hydroxide with a secondary nanoneedle structure using a modified and cost-effective hydrothermal process assisted by the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The incorporation of CTAB and graphene in the preparation process significantly enhances the electrochemical performance of NiCoMn–OH. The achieved results are truly impressive, with a high specific capacity of 1450 ​F ​g−1 and an outstanding capacity retention of 52.57% over 5000 cycles. The superior performance could be attributed to the specific bayberry-like microstructure with high effective specific surface area, which allowed for facile and rapid transport of ions and electrons. Moreover, the synergistic effect of CTAB and graphene proved to be crucial in stabilizing the Co2+ and Mn2+ ions within the ternary hydroxide structure. We developed a hybrid capacitor using a NiCoMn–OH-CTAB/Graphene composite electrode and an active electrode, which delivered a superior energy density of 50.79 ​Wh kg−1 at a power density of 400 ​W ​kg−1 and a cycling stability of 60.37% after 10000 cycles. These results indicate that the NiCoMn–OH-CTAB/Graphene composite electrode has great potential as an electrode material for energy storage devices. • Ni–Co–Mn ternary hydroxide is prepared by CTAB-Assisted cost-effective method. • CTAB and graphene significantly improve the electrochemical performance of NiCoMn–OH. • A high specific capacity of 1450 ​F g-1 and 52.57% capacity retention for 5000 cycles are achieved. • The bayberry-like microstructure enables fast ion and electron transport. • The synergistic effect of CTAB and G stabilizes Co2+ and Mn2+ ions in ternary hydroxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase change materials (PCMs) are recognized as a promising passive energy retrofit technology for existing buildings, as they are applied to the internal and external surfaces of the building with less impact on the original structure. However, the effectiveness of PCMs varies from region to region. Taking the Central Plains of China as an example, this paper investigated the effect of phase change temperature and material thickness variation on the energy efficiency of PCM when it was arranged on 14 placements including furniture through EnergyPlus (E+). And further explored the applicability of coupling PCMs with natural ventilation (NV). The results showed that: for the Central Plains of China, PCMs arranged on the internal surface of building roofs were optimal, and the reduction rate of uncomfortable degree hours could reach 38%, 26%, 24% and 40% after integrating PCMs into the roof, floor, external wall and furniture. The uncomfortable degree hour reduction rate per unit mass of PCM was 0.052%/kg for the roof, and the value of furniture was very close to the external wall and floor, which achieved 0.033%/kg. In addition, the coupling of PCM with NV improved the energy efficiency of PCM by more than twice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Endocrine treatment, particularly tamoxifen, has shown significant improvement in the prognosis of patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer. However, the clinical utility of this treatment is often hindered by the development of endocrine resistance. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving ER-positive breast cancer carcinogenesis and endocrine resistance is crucial to overcome this clinical challenge. In this study, we investigated the expression of MICAL-L2 in ER-positive breast cancer and its impact on patient prognosis. We observed a significant upregulation of MICAL-L2 expression in ER-positive breast cancer, which correlated with a poorer prognosis in these patients. Furthermore, we found that estrogen-ERβ signaling promoted the expression of MICAL-L2. Functionally, our study demonstrated that MICAL-L2 not only played an oncogenic role in ER-positive breast cancer tumorigenesis but also influenced the sensitivity of ER-positive breast cancer cells to tamoxifen. Mechanistically, as an estrogen-responsive gene, MICAL-L2 facilitated the activation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in ER-positive breast cancer cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that MICAL-L2 could serve as a potential prognostic marker for ER-positive breast cancer and represent a promising molecular target for improving endocrine treatment and developing therapeutic approaches for this subtype of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring new therapeutic diseases for existing drugs plays an essential role in reducing drug development costs. However, existing methods for predicting drug–disease association (DDA) lack fusion to multi-neighborhood information, which limits their ability to generalize and forces them to rely on prior knowledge. To this end, we propose a novel DDA model called the Neighborhood Contrastive Learning Heterogeneous Networks (NCH-DDA). NCH-DDA uses both single-neighborhood and multi-neighborhood feature extraction modules to extract important features of drugs and diseases in parallel from multiple potential spaces, such as heterogeneous networks and similarity networks. NCH-DDA fuses single-neighborhood and multi-neighborhood features using contrastive learning to enhance information interaction in different neighborhood spaces, ultimately obtaining universal domain features of drugs and diseases. NCH-DDA uses a combination of predictive loss and triplet loss to reduce dependence on prior knowledge. In different partition schemes of multiple datasets, NCH-DDA achieved the best performance in predicting DDA, outperforming several current state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, NCH-DDA demonstrated better performance in experiments on data sparsity and drug repositioning for Alzheimer's disease, indicating its greater potential in DDA prediction with sparse omics data and drug repositioning applications. • Neighborhood contrastive model for heterogeneous representation and DDA prediction. • MNFEM and SNFEM capture the important features in multiple potential spaces. • Contrast learning aggregated generic neighborhood features of drugs and diseases. • Presented a mixing optimization strategy to reduce the dependence on prior knowledge. • Four of the top five drugs recommended for AD by NCH-DDA were proved to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of quantum computing and other fields, dilution refrigerators are required to have greater cooling capacity. More cooling power means larger 3He flow rate and the corresponding gas circulation system. In dry dilution refrigerators, 3He needs to be pressurized by compressor for the high inlet pressure. This paper introduces a dry dilution refrigerator driven by a designed high-power two-stage linear compressor, and the reliability of the compressor is verified by experiments. 3He can be pressurized to a pressure above 200 kPa at a flow rate of nearly 1 mmol/s and be condensed successfully in the condensatiion process. The refrigerator, precooled by a pulse tube cryocooler, can obtain a minimum temperature of 19 mK and a cooling capacity of 250 μW at about 100 mK at the total flow rate of about 0.45 mmol/s. The maximum power of 3He compressor can reach 300 W and the maximum compression ratio is over 10, which can be used as the 3He driver of high-power dilution refrigerators or closed-cycle space dilution refrigerators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The microstructures of 25CrMo48V martensitic steel quenched (Q) at 900°C and tempered (T) at 650°C for 5–105min were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The tensile and impact properties were evaluated from the Q–T treated samples. The results indicate that the precipitate size is increased with the prolonged soaking time and the dependence of volume fraction of precipitated particles on the tempering time follows the classical Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) model. The refinement precipitated particle could induce the enhancement of yield strength. The dependence of the yield strength of 25CrMo48V martensitic steel tempered at 650°C for different times on the lath width and the precipitated particle size can be described as . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A new air conditioning system is explored by experiment. • The system starts mode H is the most stable, and the maximum superheat is 11°C. • A unique phenomenon occurs in the production of hot water. • The system fluctuates periodically in the refrigeration mode. • The drop in discharge pressure can be used as a parameter for defrost control. Air source heat pump (ASHP) and heat pump water heater (HPWH) have the advantages of convenience and high efficiency. The newly proposed refrigeration, heating and hot water combined air-conditioning system (RHHAC) combines traditional ASHP with HPWH. The demands of users for cooling, heating and hot water are effectively satisfied with this equipment. In this study, five groups of experiments were conducted to study the starting and operating characteristics of the system. Besides, two sets of experimental cases were carried out to explore the operating characteristics of the system under the frosting process. Results show that the maximum superheat degree is 11°C when the system starts in hot water mode, while the maximum superheat degree is more than 22°C when the system starts in the other modes. As the temperature of hot water rises when the system runs in hot water mode, the maximum value of the discharge pressure can reach 3.7MPa. Besides, the analysis parameters will have regular pulsations when the system is in cooling mode. For example, in the experimental case 5, the fluctuation range of the superheat degree is 5.1°C-16.2°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Association between quaternary chitosan and alginate were regulated via hydration. • Less hydrated counter anion Cl− bound more strongly to positive groups on polymer. • There was a pH transition point of thermal change of association. • Solution's pH had more effect on the hydration of polymers than counter ions. Studies on interactions between oppositely charged polysaccharides have gathered great interest. We proposed that the association between oppositely charged polymers could be regulated via hydration. A comparison study was carried out by using quaternary chitosan with different counterions(Cl−, Ac−, OH−) and sodium alginate. The results showed that the association between quaternary chitosan with less hydrated counter anion Cl− and sodium alginate was weaker than that between quaternary chitosan with more hydrated counter anion Ac− and sodium alginate. There was a pH transition point of thermal change of association between oppositely charged polymers, as the solution's pH had more effect on the hydration of polymers than counter ions. Further studies showed that a fraction of Cl− was still attracted by polycation in the complex and competed with the interaction of polyanion after complexation. The competitive combination was critical for the property (such as self healing behavior) of the carbohydrate polymer complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypoxia microenvironment induces the expression of HIF1 and EPAS1 in GCA. During tumor development, the EPAS1 suppresses the expression of HIF1, resulting in the dominant form of HIFs switching from HIF1 to EPAS1. LncRNA ZFAS1 binds to EPAS1, facilitating the HIF1 suppression, EPAS1 up-regulation, and the switching from HIF1 to EPAS1. LncRNA (Long non-coding RNA) ZFAS1 (zinc finger antisense 1) functions as the oncogene in multiple cancers, including gastric cancer. However, its function and underlying mechanism in the GCA (gastric cardia adenocarcinoma), the most aggressive type of gastric cancer, remain unknown. In the current study, the expression level of LncRNA ZFAS1 was quantified in 762 GCA tissues and the paired adjacent non-tumor tissues. The expression level of LncRNA ZFAS1 was quantified in 762 GCA tissues and the paired adjacent non-tumor tissues, and further confirmed using in vitro cell and animal model based assays. We demonstrated here that the LncRNA ZFAS1 was up-regulated in GCA tissues. Furthermore, the elevated level of ZFAS1 was significantly associated with the GCA metastasis and cancer recurrence. It was also demonstrated to be an independent prognostic indicator of disease-free survival and overall survival for GCA patients. RNA sequencing showed that the up-regulated ZFAS1 was tightly associated with the down-regulated hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF1) and up-regulated EPAS1 (Endothelial PAS domain protein 1, also known as HIF2). In vitro studies showed that the ZFAS1 could bind to EPAS1, enhance its abilities to epigenetically silence the HIF1, and promote its own expression in GCA cell lines. In the animal model, codelivering the EPAS1 and the ZFAS1 antisense oligos could significantly boost up their therapeutic effects on tumor growth. Thus, targeting ZFAS1 and EPAS1 might be an alternative therapeutic option in GCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia, as the intrinsic immune cells in the brain, are activated following ischemic stroke. Activated microglia participate in the pathological processes after stroke through polarization, autophagy, phagocytosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, apoptosis, and necrosis, thereby influencing the injury and repair following stroke. It has been established that polarized M1 and M2 microglia exhibit pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, respectively. Autophagy and phagocytosis in microglia following ischemia are dynamic processes, where moderate levels promote cell survival, while excessive responses may exacerbate neurofunctional deficits following stroke. Additionally, pyroptosis and ferroptosis in microglia after ischemic stroke contribute to the release of harmful cytokines, further aggravating the damage to brain tissue due to ischemia. This article discusses the different functional states of microglia in ischemic stroke research, highlighting current research trends and gaps, and provides insights and guidance for further study of ischemic stroke. • Microglia is important in the repair of ischemic stroke. • Microglial polarization is a double-edged sword in ischemic stroke. • Microglial proper autophagy and phagocytosis contribute to functional recovery after ischemic stroke, while excessive activation may worsen the damage. • Microglial pyroptosis, ferroptosis, apoptosis and necrosis in ischemic stroke is in the preliminary stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important emerging pollutant, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) monitoring is crucial to protect the ecological environment and public health, but its rapid and accurate detection is still a major challenge. In this study, a new single-labeled dual-signal output ratiometric electrochemical genosensor (E-DNA) was developed for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of ARGs using a synergistic signal amplification strategy of T 3 C 2 @Au nanoparticles (T 3 C 2 @AuNPs) and isothermal strand displacement polymerase reaction (ISDPR). Specially, two-dimensional monolayer T 3 C 2 nanosheets loaded with uniformly gold nanoparticles were prepared and used as the sensing platform of the E-DNA sensor. Benefiting from excellent conductivity and large specific surface area of Ti 3 C 2 @AuNPs, the probe immobilization capacity of the E-DNA sensor is doubled, and electrochemical response signals of the E-DNA sensor were significantly improved. The proposed single-labeled dual-signal output ratiometric sensing strategy exhibits three to six times higher sensitivity for the sul2 gene than the single-signal sensing strategy, which significantly reduces cost meanwhile retaining the advantages of high sensitivity and reliability offered by conventional dual-labeled ratiometric sensors. Coupled with ISDPR amplification technology, the E-DNA sensor has a wider linear range from 10 fM to 10 nM and a limit of detection as low as 2.04 fM (S/N=3). More importantly, the E-DNA sensor demonstrates excellent specificity, good stability and reproducibility for target ARGs detection in real water samples. The proposed new sensing strategy provides a highly sensitive and versatile tool for the rapid and accurate quantitative analysis of various ARGs in environmental water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adobe Yaokang for traditional heating in cold climates was presented. • A quantitatively analysis of the thermal performance of Yaokang was conducted. • Effect of Yaokang heating on indoor air quality were analyzed. • A mathematic model based on thermodynamics equilibrium of Yaokang was proposed. As a traditional heating system, Yaokang are widely used in cave dwellings in rural China. Yaokang are built by local craftsmen, according to traditional construction methods. To study the thermal environment of Yaodong dwellings with Yaokang heating and the effect of the burning of Yaokang on the health of residents, the thermal performance of Yaokang and the indoor air quality with Yaokang heating were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that Yaokang has an excellent thermal storage capacity, and can supply heat to the room for a long period, even after the burning has stopped, with a thermal efficiency of 67.7%. Meanwhile, the concentrations of CO, particulate matter (PM2.5), CO 2 , and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the indoor air were generally within the ranges of good air quality or light pollution. Finally, based on the theory of thermodynamics, a mathematical model of Yaokang heating process was established, and verified using experimental data. Based on the model, optimization of the thermal characteristics of Yaokang and effective regeneration designs for the Yaodong can be obtained. This study can also provide basic data and theoretical support for the protection and inheritance of vernacular buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high accuracy deformation measurement method for semi-continuous materials is proposed. • The deformation field of 3D printed scaffolds is accurately measured. • The first visualization of cell differentiation on scaffolds was achieved by experimental measurements. • The effects of loading in vitro and water content on cell differentiation were investigated. • This work corroborates that in vitro loading culture and modulation of scaffold pore structure can be exploited to design scaffolds with regions that guide specific tissue development. Three-dimensional (3D) mechanical microenvironments, such as 3D strain fields in tissue engineering scaffolds have a crucial impact on the interactions between scaffold architecture, mechanical stimuli, and tissue differentiation. However, the discontinuity induced by the pores poses a challenge to the measurement of the 3D strains of the scaffolds. Herein, we present a tissue engineering scaffold optical coherence elastography (TES-OCE) method to visualize the full-field 3D strain fields of the tissue engineering scaffolds when cells are cultured on them and to explore the relationship between mechanical stimulation and cell differentiation. A semi-continuous digital volume correlation (SC-DVC) method based on a material component identification algorithm was proposed to automatically extract the scaffold architecture information and obtain the 3D strain fields with high accuracy. The non-uniform deformation field of a 3D printed tissue engineering scaffold with various water contents under loading in vitro was measured by the TES-OCE method, based on the tissue shear strain field obtained above, the area of cell differentiation phenotype on tissue engineering scaffolds was accurately predicted. Experimental results show that the loads and water absorption of the scaffold significantly affects the 3D tissue shear strain field in the tissue engineering scaffold. Thus, the cell differentiation fate can be modulated by loading culture and scaffold pore structure. The TES-OCE provides a new experimental method to delineate the interrelationship between tissue engineering scaffolds, the mechanical microenvironment, and cell proliferation and differentiation. It may be further developed as an effective tool to guide the design and development of superior tissue engineering scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Building a complete gas-gap heat switch model that covers the entire switching process. • Integrating activated carbon's adsorption characteristics into the theoretical model. • Designing the 4He gas-gap heat switch based on the model and testing its performance to validate the model. • Applying the gas-gap heat switch to a 4He sub-Kelvin sorption cooler and achieving a temperature of 773 mK. Gas-gap heat switches (GGHSs) are significant components in sub-Kelvin sorption coolers (SKSCs). To develop an effective GGHS for SKSCs, a complete GGHS theoretical model is proposed by integrating the adsorption characteristics of activated carbon and the principle of GGHSs. This model establishes a relationship between the temperature of activated carbon and the corresponding thermal conductance of GGHSs. Based on this model, a 4He GGHS was designed, which consists of two cylindrical copper blocks separated by a 0.2 mm gas gap and a surface area of 9.896 cm2. The device was charged with 100 kPa of 4He at 297 K. Near the base temperature of the GM cryocooler of 3 K, an ON thermal resistance of 20 K/W and an OFF thermal resistance of 21,650 K/W with 1 mW applied to the hot end were obtained, achieving a switching ratio of 1082.5. The experimental results were analyzed and compared with the theoretical data, and proved to be in good agreement. Finally, the GGHS was integrated with a SKSC, achieving an ultimate temperature of 773 mK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phosphor-in-glass (PiG) coating was fabricated via multilayer screen-printing and low-temperature sintering. The PiG coating consisted of Eu 2 O 3 -doped P 2 O 5 -ZnO-B 2 O 3 (PZB) glass, Y 3 Al 5 O 12 :Ce 3+ (YAG:Ce) yellow phosphor, and CaAlSiN 3 :Eu 2+ (CASN:Eu) red phosphor. Eu 2 O 3 and CASN:Eu were used to provide red emission for tunable chromaticity of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and surprisingly, the luminous efficacy was also enhanced. The impact of the variation in the B 2 O 3 content on the PZB glass and the effect of Eu 2 O 3 , YAG: Ce, and CASN:Eu on the luminescent properties of the PiG coating were investigated. The glass matrix with 8 mol% B 2 O 3 showed the lowest transition temperature and a suitable coefficient of thermal expansion. The spectra showed that the coating can be excited by blue light and produce yellow light and red light. The spatial distribution of the PiG coating was inspected by scanning electron microscopy, and it was observed that only a low erosion of phosphor by the glass matrix occurred. Furthermore, the white LEDs devices were constructed with the PiG coating on the blue LED chips. This method showed a decreased correlated colour temperature of 5137, a increased colour rendering index of 82.8 and an improvement in the luminous efficacy. The PiG coating for tunable chromaticity and enhanced luminous efficacy of white LEDs shows potential for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multilayer gradient refractive index (GRIN) phosphor in glass (PiG) on Boron-silicate glass substrate is introduced to improve the luminous efficiency of white light-emitting diode (WLED) packages. The multilayer PiG coating employing gradual altering refractive index (RI) P 2 O 5 -ZnO-B 2 O 3 -BaO (PZBB) glass is fabricated using multilayer screen-printing and low-temperature sintering. Properties of PZBB glass, surface topography, transmittance, and luminous efficiency of phosphor in PZBB glass with GRIN are investigated. The results demonstrated that when barium oxide is added from 0 to 20 mol%, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), glass transformation temperature (Tg), and RI increase from 84.00 to 97.91 ∗ 10 − 7 /K, 390.3 to 445.2 °C, and 1.42 to 1.58, respectively. PZBB glass with RI values of 1.51, 1.54 and 1.58 is synthesized in PiG to achieve GRIN. After sintering at 600 °C for 30 min, phosphor in PZBB glass with GRIN still retains a perfect surface, which indicates its CTE of interfacing layers are matched. Transmittance of phosphor in PZBB glass with GRIN increases when adding GRIN layers, and the luminous efficiency is enhanced over 28.87%, compared to that of PiG with conventional structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biomaterial that can remove remaining oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and repair oral mucosal damage is urgently needed. This graphical abstract described a composite scaffold that would simultaneously kill OSCC cells and promote the regeneration of the oral mucosa. [Display omitted] • Quercetin acts as an inhibitor when heat shock proteins make tumor cells more resistant to photothermal therapy. • Ti 3 C 2 MXene and quercetin are effectively carried by scaffold made of collagen and silk fibroin. • The composite scaffold successfully limits tumor cells migration and promotes oral mucosal defects regeneration. The most prevalent oral and maxillofacial cancer is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Patient survival is compromised by relapse due to post-operative tumor remnants and significant mucosal defects. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is used to ablate local malignancies, but the capacity of tumor cells to resist it is correlated with the overexpression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). In this work, PTT and tissue engineering scaffold were rationally integrated to construct a Ti 3 C 2 MXene, collagen, silk fibroin and quercetin composite scaffold (M-CSQ scaffold), a 3D printed biomaterial that simultaneously kill OSCC cells and promote the regeneration of the mucosal defects. The M-CSQ scaffolds were prepared by cryogenic 3D printing and freeze-drying techniques with sufficient pores that allow an abundant cell migration and provide a proliferation space. Ti 3 C 2 MXene has excellent photothermal conversion ability and stability. Quercetin targeted HSP70 to decrease its expression in OSCC cells, consequently weakening their resistance to high temperature and enhancing the effect of PTT. The M-CSQ scaffold effectively killed OSCC cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. In addition, the M-CSQ scaffold provided adhesion sites for Sprague-Dawley rat (SD rat) buccal mucosal fibroblasts and promoted the repair of buccal mucosal wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The tissue engineering is a promising method for cartilage regeneration studies. The rough in vivo initial repair environment of articular cartilage is a challenge for the development of cartilage tissue engineering. Hereon, in this study, a silk fibroin/collagen type II scaffold was designed. The optimal mechanical environment for chondrocyte/scaffold complex in vitro maturation culture was determined and in vitro cultured mature artificial cartilage was evaluated for in vivo defect repair. Our research shows that the silk fibroin/collagen type II scaffold has good performance and can meet the special requirements of cartilage repair. 10 % compressive strain is the optimal compressive loading in vitro. Under optimal compression loading in vitro , chondrocytes can proliferate and grow rapidly on the scaffold to achieve better "maturation". The in vitro cultured chondrocyte/scaffold complex effectively improves the cartilage repair effect after implantation. The compressive elastic modulus of the new tissue reached 0.682 ± 0.010 MPa after 12 weeks of repair (0.714 ± 0.011 MPa for the surrounding host cartilage). Therefore, this study not only enhance the effect of cartilage repair but also provides a promising strategy for mechanical stimulation to promote functional in situ regeneration of articular cartilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed at exploring a new tooth development evaluation method for age assessment and investigating the dynamic alteration and potential trend of tooth development by orthopantomograms (OPGs), in order to provide references for tooth development prediction and forensic purpose.Materials and Methods: A total of 132 OPGs of children aged 3-8 years were collected. The developmental stages of the permanent mandibular second molar (M2)were evaluated by experienced examiners according to the Nolla method and Mimics software, respectively. Quantitative analysis of the ratio of the radiopaque calcified area to the dental follicle (RCA/DF) in different stages, ages, sexes and quadrants were evaluated and compared via descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation coefficient analysis.Results: There was a strong, positive correlation between the examiners' evaluation and mimics analysis results. With the age increased, the Nolla stage of M2 observed by OPGs increased, and the RCA/DF showed increased trends both in males and females. There were significant differences of the RCA/DF of the M2 at various ages. The tooth calcification development of female was 9.08% earlier than that of male between 3 and 8 years old. However, teeth of male seemed to develop faster than that of female during this period. There was no significant difference between left and right quadrant either according to the Nolla stage or RCA/DF.Conclusions: The RCA/DF value obtained from OPGs of the developmental mandibular second permanent molars could be used as a reliable indicator for tooth maturity and age estimation in children aged 3-8 years.Clinical Relevance: Age assessment based on radiographs is considered as a reliable and efficient indicator for judging different types of malocclusion, making suitable orthodontic treatment plan, deciding the extraction time of retained deciduous teeth in clinic practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We assessed effects of chronic UNO on motor representation of AD muscle during growth. • UNO during growth induces motor representation changes in cortical masticatory area. • This may affect respiratory and orofacial functions. • Respiratory dysfunction onset should be monitored and corrected in a timely manner. The cortical masticatory area (CMA) regulates masticatory movements. However, there is limited information regarding the effect of respiratory disturbances on the functional development of the CMA. This study aimed to examine the effect of chronic unilateral nasal obstruction (UNO) on the CMA during the growth period. Forty-eight 8-day-old male Wistar albino rats were randomized into control (CONT, n = 24) and UNO (n = 24) groups. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO 2) and the number of positive intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) sites in the anterior digastric (AD) muscle were recorded at 5, 7, and 9 weeks of age. ICMS was performed under anesthesia. The CONT group exhibited significantly higher SpO 2 values than the UNO group at each age. Furthermore, the number of positive ICMS sites in the AD muscle was significantly higher in the UNO group than in the CONT group at each age. The right AD was more strongly affected by UNO than the left AD. In addition, it was found that the P-area was more strongly affected by UNO than the A-area. These findings suggest that UNO during development induces changes in the motor representation in the CMA, which may affect respiratory and orofacial functions in rats. Therefore, we suggest that the development of respiratory dysfunction needs to be monitored and corrected promptly to avoid complications in physiological function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidized single-wall carbon nanohorns (oxSWNHs) have shown great potential in drug delivery. The purpose of this study was to design an effective targeted drug delivery system (DDS) based on oxSWNHs, which could carry high dose of drug to tumor sites and improve the therapeutic efficacy with less adverse effects. OxSWNHs incorporated the anticancer drug vincristine (VCR) via physical adsorption, then wrapped DSPE-PEG-IGF-IR monoclonal antibody (mAb) through an amide liker to obtain the drug delivery system, VCR@oxSWNHs-PEG-mAb. The in vitro release behavior study indicated that the DDS had good sustained release and the cumulative release of VCR was 80% at 144 h. Compared with free VCR, the tumor targeting drug delivery efficiently enhanced the cytotoxicity in cultured MCF-7 cells in vitro , and afforded higher antitumor efficacy without obvious toxic effects to normal organs in tumor mice in vivo . In addition, the targeted DDS could reduce the toxicity of VCR to the living mice. This study demonstrated that VCR@oxSWNHs-PEG-mAb might be promising for high treatment efficacy with minimal side effects in future cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks may change the mechanical properties of articular cartilage, and further lead to early osteoarthritis. The study aimed to probe the mechanical properties of cracked cartilage under uniaxial tensile loading. The fracture process of cracked cartilage can be divided into two stages, namely crack-tip blunting stage and crack growth stage. The creep strain of cracked cartilage increases rapidly and then slowly with time, and it is well predicted by the nonlinear viscoelastic creep model. Compared with intact cartilage, cracked cartilage shows larger creep strain. During cyclic loading, the mean strain, degree of necking and crack-tip blunting of cracked cartilage increase with the increase of peak stress, while they decrease with the increase of loading frequency. The crack-tip morphology shows that cyclic loading has induced irreversible deformation in cartilage with a large number of collagen fibrils yielding, and further damaged the collagen fibril network of cartilage. However, no obvious crack growth is observed under the testing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The microstructures of lath martensite in 25CrMo48V steel quenched at 900°C and tempered at 600–700°C for 5–105min were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tensile properties of 25CrMo48V martensitic steel were evaluated from the specimens subjected to various tempering temperature and time. The result shows that with the tempering temperature and time decreased, the refinement of martensitic packet, block and lath can take place and induce the enhancement of the yield strength. The yield strength follows the classical formula of Hall–Petch relationship with the packet size and block width, and the value of ky is 102.7Nmm−3/2 and 46.6Nmm−3/2 respectively. The yield strength is more dependent on the packet size than the block width, while the martensitic lath is the minimum structure unit controlling the yield strength of the steel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The microstructures of 25CrMo48V martensitic steel quenched at the different temperatures of 800–1200°C and tempered at 650°C were characterized by optical microscope (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tensile and impact properties were evaluated from the as-quenched and tempered specimens. The results show that the refinement of the prior austenite grains due to the decrease of quenching temperature could induce the refinement of packets and blocks, while the lath width remained stable. The yield strength and the 50% fraction appearance transition temperature (50% FATT) varied linearly with the reciprocal square root of the prior austenite grain size, packet size and block width. Their relationships followed the classical formula of Hall–Petch and , respectively. The prior austenite grain size has a remarkable effect on the strength and toughness, while the block is the minimum structure unit controlling strength and toughness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Integrated Energy System can realize the cascade utilization of energy, which improves the utilization of energy efficiently and reduce the carbon emission. Taking into account the uncertainty of multi-energy load and renewable energy forecasting, this paper presents a bi-level robust optimization model with demand response and thermal comfort, for the capacity planning and operation problem of Integrated Energy System. The outer level optimization is planning to find the optimal integrated energy system configuration to minimize economic investment, while the inner level is to robustly optimize the system scheduling to simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and dissatisfaction of residents' participation in demand response. In the simulation, the Pareto front of the multi-objective problem is obtained via NSGA-II algorithm and Gurobi solver, and the best design plans on the Pareto front selected by Topsis method are analyzed and discussed. The results from three modes are compared in simulation, which illustrates the economic and environmental benefits from demand response and thermal comfort. In addition, the impact of different thermal time scales and forecast uncertainties on integrated energy system planning are also discussed. Finally the sensitivity of the influence of the low carbon grid constrains on the optimization is analyzed. • A bi-level and multi-objective robust optimization model for IES is proposed to optimize economy, environment, and resident satisfaction. • The effects of multi-time scale balance of thermal load on human comfort and IES planning and operation are analyzed. • The effects of ACH on thermal comfort and the sensitivity of low-carbon grid to system optimization are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Measuring the viscoelasticity of HIFU ablation is important for treatment monitoring. • 2DFT method can quantity viscoelasticity, but has under-sampling problem. • The method using the convolution theorem and model-fitting is proposed to solve the problem. • The viscoelasticity of HIFU ablation is quantity using the proposed method. The viscoelastic properties of tissues can reflect human physiological and pathological conditions. During and after the high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, measuring the viscoelasticity of HIFU ablated tissue is important for therapy evaluation. Two-dimensional Fourier transform (2DFT) method has been reported to quantify elasticity and viscosity. However, a deviation is induced by under-sampling in practical application. This work proposes an approach based on the convolution theorem and model fitting to solve the finite spatial data problem. A model using the convolution theorem was constructed, and mean-square error (MSE) was calculated to determine the optimal fitting between the model and experimental data. For validation, HIFU therapeutic experiments were conducted in polyacrylamide-bovine serum (BAS) transparent tissue-mimicking phantoms. This approach was used to quantify the viscoelasticity of HIFU ablation and untreated phantoms. Acoustic-radiation-force (ARF) shear wave was generated by the same HIFU therapeutic transducer, and laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) was used for the high-resolution measurement of shear wave signals. Results suggest that the shear elasticity and viscosity of untreated phantoms are generally smaller than those of HIFU ablation. Thus, the proposed method may be helpful for HIFU treatment monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The epigenetically silenced PD-L1 confers resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy in GCA. • The anti-PD-1 plus azacytidine might be a more promising approach to treat GCA. • The PD-L1 promoter was hypermethylated in GCA with anti-PD-1 therapy. The anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy has been demonstrated safe and effective for cancer patients. However, our previous data showed that it had no obvious effects on gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA). Thus, we investigated how the expression level of the PD-L1 was affected by the anti-PD-1 therapy, because it has been demonstrated that the PD-L1 level affects the therapeutic efficient of the anti-PD-1 therapy. The mRNA and protein levels of PD-L1 in the GCA tissues and corresponding normal tissues were determined by qPCR and ELISA. Promoter methylation was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing. Finally the methylation of PD-L1 promoter was confirmed in the mice. The level of PD-L1 was up-regulated in the GCA tissues when compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissues. The anti-PD1 therapy could reduce the PD-L1 levels in patients with cancer recurrence. The promoter of PD-L1 was more hypermethylated in the secondary GCA after the anti-PD-1 therapy when compared with the adjacent non-tumor tissues or the primary GCA without the anti-PD-1 therapy. Furthermore, the promoter methylation of PD-L1 could be induced by the anti-PD-1 therapy in the mice model. Finally, the anti-PD-1 plus DNA hypomethylating agent azacytidine could significantly suppressed the tumor growth better than the anti-PD-1 therapy. Here we demonstrated that the unresponsiveness of GCA to the anti-PD-1 therapy might result from the promoter methylation and down-regulation of PD-L1. The anti-PD-1 plus azacytidine might be a more promising approach to treat GCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]