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Background and Aim: Clinical work has revealed that hepatectomy for resectable ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) has a relatively high percentage of positive resection margins found in postoperative pathology. It is necessary to evaluate the risk factors associated with R1 resection in patients undergoing hepatectomy for rHCC. Methods: A total of 408 patients with resectable rHCC originating from three centers undergoing surgery from January 2012 to January 2020 were consecutively enrolled in the study to study the prognostic impact of R1 resection using Kaplan–Meier plotting of survival curves. One center with 280 served as the training group, and the other two centers served as the validation group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis screened for variables affecting R1 and developed prediction models, and the models were tested in the validation cohort using the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and calibration curves. Results: The prognosis of rHCC patients with positive cut margins was worse than that of patients with R0 resection. Risk factors for R1 resection were tumor max length (OR = 2.668 [1.161–6.131]), microvascular invasion (MVI) (OR = 3.655 [1.766–7.566]), times of hepatic inflow occlusion (1/0:OR = 2.213 [1.113–4.399]; 2/0:OR = 5.723 [2.010–8.289]) and timing of hepatectomy (OR = 5.284 [2.394–9.661]), using tumor max length, times of HIO, and timing of hepatectomy to construct the nomogram, the area under the curve of the model was 0.810 (0.781–0.842) and 0.782 (0.752–0.805) in the training and validation groups, respectively, and the calibration curve of the model was basically on the 45° line. Conclusions: This study constructs a clinical model to predict R1 resection after hepatectomy for resectable rHCC, which can be used to better plan perioperative strategies for the incidence of R1 resection during hepatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edwardsiella piscicida is an acute marine pathogen that causes severe damage to the aquaculture industry worldwide. The pathogenesis of E. piscicida is dependent mainly on the type III secretion system (T3SS) and type VI secretion system (T6SS), both of which are critically regulated by EsrB and EsrC. In this study, we revealed that fatty acids influence T3SS expression. Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), but not saturated fatty acids (SFAs), directly interact with EsrC, which abolishes the function of EsrC and results in the turn-off of T3/T6SS. Moreover, during the in vivo colonization of E. piscicida , host fatty acids were observed to be transported into E. piscicida through FadL and to modulate the expression of T3/T6SS. Furthermore, the esrC R38G mutant blocked the interaction between EsrC and UFAs, leading to dramatic growth defects in DMEM and impaired colonization in HeLa cells and zebrafish. In conclusion, this study revealed that the interaction between UFAs and EsrC to turn off T3/T6SS expression is essential for E. piscicida infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sintered Ce magnets with various Pr-Nd-Al alloy additions is investigated. • The coercivity of Ce magnet changes from 12.7 to 14.93 kOe. • Sandwich-structure grain boundary phase is helpful to improve the thermal stability of Ce magnet. • Formation mechanism of sandwich-structure grain boundary phase is revealed. In this study, the formation mechanism of sandwich-structure grain boundary phase in sintered Ce magnets with various Pr-Nd-Al alloy additions is investigated in detail. The sandwich-structure grain boundary between the main phases is composed of RE 6 (Fe, TM) 11 Al 3 phase at the center and symmetrical Nd-rich phase at both sides. Based on the analysis of phase diagrams, the formation mechanism is revealed from the following aspects: i) The amorphous formation ability of Nd-rich liquid phase in Ce magnet during sintering can be enhanced by introducing Pr-Nd-Al alloy; ii) The RE 6 (Fe, TM) 11 Al 3 phase preferentially nucleates and grows during the process of cooling; iii) The interfacial tension among Nd-rich liquid phase, main phase and RE 6 (Fe, TM) 11 Al 3 phase contributes to the formation of the sandwich-structure grain boundary. With the addition of Pr-Nd-Al alloy, the activity of Al entering the main phase is inhibited, resulting in almost no reduction of remanence and Curie temperature. The structural stability and decoupling effect of the sandwich-structure grain boundary phase are more conducive to the improvement of the coercivity and thermal stability of the Ce magnets. The coercivity of Ce magnet changes from 12.7 to 14.93 kOe (the increase extent is 17.6%). In the temperature range 20–100 ℃, the coercivity temperature coefficient varies from -0.767 to -0.680 %/℃ and the temperature stability obviously ameliorates about 11.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a highly-sensitive phase-interrogated RI sensor based on twin-core fiber with inherent noise suppression. • It is the first time that optical fiber sensing structure is combined with digital holography technology, which works as the phase interrogation method, for measuring environmental parameters. • The background signal is reduced to 1/25 of the original noise level by using phase subtraction method within a single measurement. • Experimental results show that a short response time of about 13 s and a high sensitivity of about 835 rad/refractive index unit (RIU) are obtained. • The achieved high sensitivity is about 47 times higher than the sensitivity of a refractive index plasmonic sensor realized by enabling its quadrupole resonance in phase interrogation (17.46 rad/RIU). In this work, we propose a highly-sensitive phase-interrogated RI sensor based on twin-core fiber with inherent noise suppression. This is the first time that optical fiber sensing structure is combined with digital holography technology, which works as the phase interrogation method, for measuring environmental parameters. The proposed system consists of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer formed by interference between the reference Gauss beam and the sensing dual-beam from the twin-core fiber (TCF). In the sensing optical path, a non-core fiber (NCF) and TCF offset splicing structure works as the differential fluid RI sensing element, which provides the capability of suppressing background signal by calculating the phase difference between the two cores of the TCF. This simple and practical phase subtraction method realizes direct background subtraction within a single measurement and reduces the background signal to 1/25 of the original noise level. The fluid is continuously introduced into a fluid tube in which the sensing fiber is installed to realize in-line measurement of fluid RI. Experimental results show that a short response time of about 13 s and a high sensitivity of about 835 rad/refractive index unit (RIU) are obtained. The high sensitivity benefits from direct interaction between light path and fluid, which is about 47 times higher than the sensitivity of a refractive index plasmonic sensor realized by enabling its quadrupole resonance in phase interrogation (17.46 rad/RIU). This scheme will find many applications in little sample consumption and high sensitivity required analytical measurement owing to its merits of high sensitivity, little sample consumption, fast response, and inherent background noise suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • OAM modes are generated by a simple offset splicing and fiber rotating technology. • OAM modes are demonstrated in a broad wavelength range of 1530–1566 nm. • The complexity of the OAM generation system can be reduced by employing PM fibers. • PM fiber can avoid coupling of modes with orthogonal polarizations. Abstract We demonstrate a simple, compact, and cost-effective all-fiber structure to generate the first-order orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes over a broad wavelength range. The offset splicing between a polarization-maintaining single mode fiber (PM-SMF) and a two-mode fiber (TMF) is adopted to excite LP 11 mode in the TMF from LP 01 mode in SMF. Then the OAM ±1,1 modes are generated by rotating a customized fiber rotator, which can modulate the phase difference of the two degenerate LP 11 modes (OAM ±1,1 = LP 11a ± i × LP 11b). The interference phenomenon formed between OAM and Gaussian beams, which displays a fork-shape or spiral interference pattern, is used to confirm the generation of OAM modes. It should be noted that a PM fiber coupler and PM-SMFs are utilized in the experiment, which can avoid coupling of modes with orthogonal polarizations and then improves the OAM mode stability. Besides, the complexity of the OAM generation system is also reduced because the devices like polarization controller and half-wave plate are omitted by employing PM fibers. Based on this simple offset splicing and fiber rotating technology, the broadband generation of OAM ±1,1 modes are experimentally demonstrated in wavelength range of 1530–1566 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diode-pumped continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched Nd:LuLiF 4 laser was investigated. Under an incident pump power of 11.2 W, an output power of up to 1.92 W was generated, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 17.4%. By using a Cr4+:YAG wafer as saturable absorber, stable Q-switched pulse trains with an average output power of 1.13 W and a pulse duration of 13.8 ns were captured at a repetition rate of 32.5 kHz, delivering a pulse energy of 36.4 μJ. A rate equation model was further introduced to theoretically analyze the dynamical mechanism, in which the Gaussian spatial distribution theory was taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Focusing by the designed negative Luneburg lens which is based on graded annular photonic crystals (GAPCs) are studied in this paper. The GAPCs are composed of ring-shaped silicon pillars in a hexagonal lattice. The gradient of refractive index is achieved by modifying the radii of inner holes. The effective negative refractive index is analyzed based on the photonic band structures and verified by the simulation of negative refraction in APCs flat lens. Numerical simulation results show that a 0.6λ focusing spot can be realized by our designed Luneburg lens and it has the potential to be utilized in photonic integrated circuits. Highlights • We designed a negative Luneburg lens based on the graded annular photonic crystals (GAPCs) by ring-shaped silicon pillars. • The gradient of refractive index is achieved by modifying radii of the inner hole that has been analyzed and verified. • A 0.6λ focusing and coupling by GAPCs Luneburg lens show the potential to be utilized in photonic integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and in-line fiber low-frequency vibration sensor based on Butterfly-Shape Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (BSMZI) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The sensing element is a tapered hollow-core fiber (HCF) sandwiched between two single-mode fibers (SMFs). The frequency measured by the Butterfly-Shape vibration sensor can well match with the applied frequency, and the presence of the higher harmonics can verify that the sensor does not distort the measured vibration signal. The maximum relative error of vibration frequency is 0.27%. The intensity of vibration signal (of the fiber sensor) is linearly proportional to the driving power of vibration platform. The vibration measurement sensitivity is 13.575 dB/w in the range of 0.1 w to 0.5 w under a constant vibration frequency of 50 Hz, and the linear fitting coefficient is 0.9556. The proposed sensor has a negligible temperature sensitivity in the range of 30.3 °C–69.5 °C. Because of its compact structure, easy preparation, low production cost, high frequency measurement accuracy of low-frequency vibration, and good linearity of vibration sensing, the proposed BSMZI sensor has potential application prospect in low-frequency vibration sensing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optical fiber axial contact force sensor based on bubble-expanded Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) is investigated in this paper. The FPI is packaged as a reflective sensing probe to measure the axial contact force which is applied on the end of sensing probe. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that intrinsic optical fiber FPI is used for axial contact force measurement, which has potential in application fields such as robotics. The sensing probe based on bubble-expanded FPI exhibits a high axial contact force measurement sensitivity of −750.17 pm/N, which is 3 times higher than that of the sensing probe based on traditional rectangular FPI fabricated in this work. This experimental results are well explained by the simulation analysis using Comsol software. The proposed optical fiber axial contact force sensor has advantages of compact size, simple structure and high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fano resonances have been studied intensely in the last decade, since it is an important way to decrease the resonance line width and enhance local electric field. However, achieving a Fano line-shape with both narrow line width and high spectral contrast ratio is still a challenge. In this paper, we theoretically predict the Fano resonance induced by the extinction of normal plane wave in a ring-shaped hexamer cluster at near-infrared wavelength. In order to obtain the narrow Fano line width and high spectral contrast ratio, the relationships between the Fano line-shape and the parameters of the nanostructure are analyzed in detail. The nanostructure is simulated by using commercial software based on finite element method. The simulation results show that when the structural parameters are optimized, the Fano line width can be narrowed down 0.028 eV with a contrast ratio of 86%, and the local electric field enhancement factor at the Fano resonance wavelength can reach to 36. Furthermore, the effective mode volume of the structure is 3.9 × 10 − 23 m 3 which is lower than the available literature. These results indicate many potential applications of the Fano resonance in multiwavelength surface-enhanced Raman scattering and biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the important chiral building block of levetiracetam, the synthesis of ( S )-2-aminobutanamide has attracted a great deal of attention. The d -aminopeptidase catalyzed kinetic resolution of 2-aminobutanamide was demonstrated as an effective strategy for ( S )-2-aminobutanamide production. In this study, a novel d -aminopeptidase from Brucella sp. ( Bs -Dap) was screened and systematically characterized. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity at 45 °C, pH 8.0 and it showed relatively low K m value toward 2-aminobutanamide, indicating its high affinity to the substrate. Kinetic resolution of 300 g/L 2-aminobutanamide by recombinant Escherichia coli whole cells (4 g/L wet cell weight) resulted in 50% conversion and >99% e.e. within 80 min. The catalytic properties of Bs -Dap demonstrated its great potential for industrial production of ( S )-2-aminobutanamide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel refractive index (RI) sensor based on photonic crystal fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer (PCF-MZI) was proposed. It was realized by cascading a section of PCF with half-taper collapse regions (HTCRs) between two single mode fibers (SMFs). The relationship between RI sensitivity and interference length of the PCF-MZI was firstly investigated. Both simulation and experimental results showed that RI sensitivity increased with the increase of interference length. Afterwards, influence of HTCR parameters on RI sensitivity was experimentally investigated to further improve the sensitivity. With intensification of arc discharge intensity in HTCR fabrication process, HTCR with larger maximum taper diameter and longer collapsed region length was obtained, which enhanced evanescent field of the PCF-MZI and then generated higher RI sensitivity. Consequently, a high RI sensitivity of 181.96 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) was achieved in the RI range of 1.3333–1.3574. Increasing arc discharge intensity in HTCR fabrication process has the capacity to improve RI sensitivity of PCF-MZI and meanwhile provides higher mechanical strength and longer sensor life compared to the traditional method of tapering the fiber, which improves the RI sensitivity at the cost of reducing mechanical strength of the sensor. This PCF-MZI was characterized by high RI sensitivity, ease of fabrication, high mechanical strength, and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Mach–Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) formed by cascading two vase-shaped tapers in a single mode fiber (SMF) is proposed in this work. The vase-shaped taper is fabricated by fusion splicing a fiber sphere with a fiber tip by applying strong arc discharge. The curvature sensing characteristic of the proposed vase-shaped taper-based MZI is experimentally investigated, displaying that the interference spectrum has a blue shift with the increase of applied curvature. The sensor realizes a large range measurement of curvature from 0.9284 m −1 to 4.0470 m −1 with sensitivities of −8.41 nm/m −1 and −16.72 nm/ m −1 in the curvature range of 0.9284 m −1 to 2.4564 m −1 and 2.6025 m −1 to 4.0470 m −1 , respectively. Its temperature-curvature cross-sensitivities are −0.0021 m −1 / °C and −0.0011 m −1 / °C in the two measurement ranges, which are lower than the corresponding curvature resolutions which are 0.0024 m −1 and 0.0012 m −1 . The proposed sensor exhibits the advantages of low cost, negligible temperature cross-sensitivity, fine curvature sensitivity and large measurement scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) working as curvature sensors have been attracting increasing attention. However, previously reported MZI-based curvature sensors with offset or abrupt-taper structures suffer from weak mechanical strength and low curvature sensitivity. In this letter, a robust and highly-sensitive MZI-based curvature sensor formed by cascading two up-tapers in a single mode fiber (SMF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By optimizing structural parameters of the MZI both in simulation and in experiment, a high quality interference spectrum with a maximum extinction ratio (ER) of around 20 dB is obtained, which is crucial in curvature sensing with spectrum intensity variation and interference dip identifiability being considered. Experimental results show that a high curvature sensitivity of −35.41 nm/m −1 is obtained in the range of 0.6846 m −1 – 1.0606 m −1 , which is 2.4 times higher than that of the interferometer with single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) structure. The two up-tapers, featured by great mechanical strength, are fabricated by only fusion pushing together a whole SMF without cleaving procedure, contributing to excellent repeatability and consistency in the sensor fabrication process. Such an all-fiber sensor exhibits advantages of simple configuration, ease of fabrication, excellent mechanical strength, low cost, and high curvature sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, anisotropy in stress relaxation aging (SRA) behavior and yield strength of AA2195 alloy has been investigated in solution heat treatment (ST), pre-deformation after solution heat treatment (PS),and artificial aging after pre-deformation (APS). It is found that the three different pre-treatments methods have significant effects on the anisotropic behavior of SRA, and the in planar anisotropy (IPA) value of the total relaxed stress from small to large is APS < PS < ST. We find that the T 1 phase hinders the anisotropy of relaxed stress, and the earlier and the faster the T 1 phase precipitates, the greater the hindering effect. Under the ST and PS pre-treatments, the yield strength anisotropy decreased after SRA, from 13.8% and 13.2% to 8.9% and 7.5%, the difference between the two pre-treatments may be due to the dislocation produced during PS pre-treatment promoting the precipitation of T 1 phase. Under the APS pre-treatment, the yield strength anisotropy increases from 6.2% to 6.5% after SRA, indicating that the T 1 phase produced by APS pre-treatment plays a role in reducing the yield strength anisotropy. The different pre-treatments lead to different initial structure states, which should be responsible for the difference in the anisotropy of SRA behavior, as is the yield strength. • • The different anisotropy in SRA behavior under differ ent pre-treatments is related to the T 1 phase. • The different pre-treatments lead to different initial structure states, causing the different anisotropy in SRA behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically predict and numerically simulate the discrete plasmonic Talbot effect in dielectric graphene plasmonic waveguide (DGPW) arrays at THz wavelengths. The super-modes in DGPW arrays are analyzed by using super-mode theory and the field intensity distributions in the designed DGPW arrays are explained by the superposition of different super-modes and simulated by using commercial software (COMSOL) based on finite element method (FEM). The discrete plasmonic Talbot effect is realized by superposition of different super-modes. The Talbot distance can be actively tuned by varying the Fermi energy of graphene and it decreases monotonically with increasing Fermi energy. In addition, it is found that the Talbot distance increases with the period of the DGPW arrays. Simulation results show a good agreement with the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The efficacy of chemoradiotherapy regimen in the treatment of stage Ⅳ nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Ⅳ NPC) is not clear. This retrospective study aimed to reveal the benefit of chemoradiotherapy in Ⅳ-NPC and to develop a survival prognostic model for the disease prediction.Materials and Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database at https://seer.cancer.gov was retrieved for stage Ⅳ NPC patients between 2004 and 2016. The patients were divided into two groups of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy according to the treatment method. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the groups were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test, and propensity matching score (PSM). Cox proportional hazards model, nomogram, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were employed to establish the prognostic model.Results: A total of 729 patients with Ⅳ NPC were introduced, of whom 44 received radiotherapy and 685 received chemoradiotherapy. Results of statistical tests demonstrated that chemoradiotherapy was associated with improved OS and CSS, especially in the patients with ⅣA NPC (P < 0.05); further multivariate analysis with PSM confirmed that chemoradiotherapy benefited the patients' OS (HR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.12-0.50; P < 0.001). Moreover, the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy was found significantly correlated to metastasis. Even though chemoradiotherapy had an obvious survival benefit in patients without metastasis, it only helped to improve the CSS in those with metastases.Conclusion: This study indicated that chemoradiotherapy could improve the survival of NPC patients at stage ⅣA and non-metastasis. The nomogram we established may provide reference for clinical treatment of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently showed that inter-keratin disulfide bonding plays an important role in the assembly, organization, and dynamics of keratin intermediate filaments in skin keratinocytes. In particular, cysteine 367 located in the central -helical rod domain of keratin 14 is necessary for the formation of a stable perinuclear network of keratin filaments (with type II partner keratin 5) in skin keratinocytes analyzed by static and live cell imaging. Here, we show that two additional cysteine residues located in the non-helical head domain of K14, Cys-4 and Cys-40, also participate in inter-keratin disulfide bonding and tandemly play a key role complementary to that of Cys-367 in the assembly, organization, and dynamics of keratin filaments in skin keratinocytes in primary culture. Analysis of K14 variants with single or multiple substitutions of cysteine residues points to a spatial and temporal hierarchy in how Cys-4/Cys-40 and Cys-367 regulate keratin assembly in vitro and filament dynamics in live keratinocytes in culture. Our findings substantiate the importance and complexity of a novel determinant, namely inter-keratin disulfide bonding, for the regulation of several aspects of keratin filaments in surface epithelia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel sandwich-like structure design of the grain boundaries was proposed. • The coercivity temperature coefficient and the irreversible loss of magnetic flux for Ce magnets added with Pr-Nd-Al alloy are enhanced. • The thermal stability analyses from various perspectives provide sufficient evidence for the proposed design concept. • The self-compensation effect of thermal stability is experimentally verified in Pr-Nd-Al Ce magnet. A novel design concept was proposed for optimizing the grain boundaries from the theoretical aspect, which could play the self-compensation effect on the thermal stability of the coercivity. The Pr-Nd-Al Ce magnet without critical elements was investigated that experimentally verified the self-compensation effect of grain boundaries structure on the thermal stability of the coercivity. As a result, the Pr-Nd-Al Ce magnet with 3 wt% (Pr 0.25 Nd 0.75) 80 Al 20 as the additive inside the grain boundaries had better thermal stability than that of Nd-Fe-B magnet. The coercivity temperature coefficient β of Pr-Nd-Al Ce magnet was improved by 5.7%, and the irreversible loss of magnetic flux h irr was enhanced by 58% at the temperature of 100 ℃ compared with the Nd-Fe-B magnet. The improvement of thermal stability was attributed to the special sandwich-like structure consisting of two amorphous nonmagnetic phases sandwiching a layer of Re 6 (Fe, TM) 11 Al 3 tetragonal phase, that compensated the coercivity of Ce magnets without critical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The novel H5N2 influenza virus, CA/SD/JT01/09, was isolated from the dog exhibiting respiratory signs in China in 2009. Dog to dog transmission of the novel H5N2 was previously confirmed. But interspecies transmission of the virus between dogs and the other animals has still remained unclear. To determine whether the virus can be transmitted directly from dogs to cats and chickens, we conducted contact exposure experiments. Susceptible cats and chickens were housed in the room which the novel H5N2 infected dogs were housed in, respectively. As a result, only one cat showed clear manifestations of H5N2 infection, but susceptibility of the other cats to H5N2 was confirmed by seroconversion. Eight of the exposure chickens showed clear manifestations of illness and 2 chickens died, and it demonstrates that chickens are susceptible to the recombinant H5N2. It implied that close contact between the H5N2-infected dogs and the cats and chickens resulted in spread of the virus to the sentinel animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] La5/3Sr1/3NiO4–YSZ composite powders have been synthesized by a simple method. [•] The effect of YSZ addition on the electrode microstructure and performance was investigated. [•] The effect of sintering temperature on the electrode microstructure and performance was investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Networked control systems (NCSs) offer many advantages over conventional control; however, they also demonstrate challenging problems such as network-induced delay and packet losses. This paper proposes an approach of predictive compensation for simultaneous network-induced delays and packet losses. Different from the majority of existing NCS control methods, the proposed approach addresses co-design of both network and controller. It also alleviates the requirements of precise process models and full understanding of NCS network dynamics. For a series of possible sensor-to-actuator delays, the controller computes a series of corresponding redundant control values. Then, it sends out those control values in a single packet to the actuator. Once receiving the control packet, the actuator measures the actual sensor-to-actuator delay and computes the control signals from the control packet. When packet dropout occurs, the actuator utilizes past control packets to generate an appropriate control signal. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated through examples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular cancer characterized by rapid progression as well as resistance to conventional chemotherapy. It has been shown that microRNAs play critical roles in pathogenesis of HCC. MicroRNA-122 (miR-122) is a liver-specific microRNA and is frequently downregulated in HCC. In the present study, we investigated whether restoration of miR-122 in HCC cells could render cells sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents adriamycin (ADM) or vincristine (VCR). Our data showed that overexpression of miR-122 in HCC cells induced by adenovirus expressing miR-122 could render cell sensitive to ADM or VCR. Analysis of cell cycle distribution showed that the anti-proliferative effect of miR-122 is associated with increase of cell number in the G2/M phase. Moreover, treatment with Ad-miR122 and ADM or VCR resulted in high accumulation of HCC cells in G2/M phase. We further demonstrated that overexpression of miR-122 could modulate the sensitivity of the HCC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs through downregulating MDR related genes MDR-1, GST-π, and MRP, antiapoptotic gene Bcl-w and cell cycle related gene cyclin B1. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that combination of Ad-miR122 with chemotherapeutic agents inhibited HCC cell growth by inducing G2/M arrest and that this arrest is associated, at least in part, with reduced expression of MDR related genes and Cyclin B1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Muscle VEGF expression is upregulated by exercise. Whether this VEGF response is regulated by transcription and/or post-transcriptional mechanisms is unknown. Hypoxia may be responsible: myocyte falls greatly during exercise and VEGF is a hypoxia-responsive gene. Whether exercise induces VEGF expression in other organs important to acute physical activity is also unknown. To address these questions, we created a VEGF-Luciferase reporter mouse and measured VEGF transcription, mRNA and protein responses to (a) acute exercise and (b) short-term hypoxia () in brain (brainstem, cerebellum, cortex, hippocampus and striatum), muscle, lung, heart and liver. Exercise increased VEGF transcription, mRNA and protein in brain (hippocampus only), lungs and skeletal muscles, but not liver or heart. Hypoxia increased VEGF expression only in brain (cortex, hippocampus and striatum). New transcription appears to be a major exercise-induced regulatory step for increasing VEGF expression in muscle, lung and brain. Hippocampal VEGF expression was the only component of the exercise response recapitulated by hypoxia equivalent to the Everest summit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With traditional open-loop scheduling of network resources, the quality-of-control (QoC) of networked control systems (NCSs) may degrade significantly in the presence of limited bandwidth and variable workload. The goal of this work is to maximize the overall QoC of NCSs through dynamically allocating available network bandwidth. Based on codesign of control and scheduling, an integrated feedback scheduler is developed to enable flexible QoC management in dynamic environments. It encompasses a cascaded feedback scheduling module for sampling period adjustment and a direct feedback scheduling module for priority modification. The inherent characteristics of priority-driven control networks make it feasible to implement the proposed feedback scheduler in real-world systems. Extensive simulations show that the proposed approach leads to significant QoC improvement over the traditional open-loop scheduling scheme under both underloaded and overloaded network conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dopamine antagonists, 5-HT 3 antagonists, and dexamethasone are frequently used in obstetrics to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). However, the superiority of any drug class is yet to be established. This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of these antiemetics for PONV prophylaxis in women receiving neuraxial morphine for Caesarean delivery. We searched PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Wanfang Data for eligible randomised controlled trials. Primary outcomes were the incidences of postoperative nausea (PON) and postoperative vomiting (POV) within 24 h after surgery. We used a Bayesian random-effects model and calculated odds ratios with 95% credible intervals for dichotomous data. We performed sensitivity and subgroup analyses for primary outcomes. A total of 33 studies with 4238 women were included. In the primary analyses of all women, 5-HT 3 antagonists, dopamine antagonists, dexamethasone, and 5-HT 3 antagonists plus dexamethasone significantly reduced PON and POV compared with placebo, and 5-HT 3 antagonists plus dexamethasone were more effective than monotherapy. In the subgroup analyses, similar results were seen in women receiving epidural morphine or intrathecal morphine alone but not in women receiving intrathecal morphine with fentanyl or sufentanil. However, most included studies had some concerns or a high risk of bias, and the overall certainty of the evidence was low or very low. Combined 5-HT 3 antagonists plus dexamethasone are more effective than monotherapy in preventing PONV associated with neuraxial morphine after Caesarean delivery. Future studies are needed to determine the role of prophylactic antiemetics in women receiving intrathecal morphine and lipophilic opioids. PROSPERO CRD42023454602. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We proposed a highly-sensitive temperature sensor based on a PDMS-coated microfiber MZIKR. • The spectrum is a combination of interference and resonance spectrum with vernier effect. • This is the first time that vernier effect is generated in a single few-mode MKR. • Temperature sensitivities are −1.79 nm/ °C and −3.5 nm/ °C in interference and vernier spectra. • The MZIKR has advantages of simple fabrication, robust structure and high sensitivity. In this work, spectral characteristics and temperature sensing characteristics of an in-line microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with an embedded microfiber knot resonator (MKR) is investigated. The microfiber MZI with an MKR (MZIKR) has a dual-effect composite spectrum with comb-like spectrum of the MKR loaded on the dominant interference spectrum. Vernier effect is generated by the MKR via superposition of resonant spectra with three resonant modes circulating in the MKR. This is the first time that Vernier effect is generated in a single MKR, which has advantages of easy fabrication and compact structure compared to the traditional resonant structures with Vernier effect such as two cascaded MKRs. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) and FFT filter are used to analyze and extract the different components of the transmission spectrum of the MZIKR. Temperature sensing characteristics of the different components of the polydimethylsiloxane-coated MZIKR are studied, showing that the interference dip of the MZI spectrum and the envelope dip of the MKR Vernier spectrum achieve a high temperature sensitivity of about -1.8 nm/ °C and about -3.5 nm/ °C, respectively. The proposed sensor has the advantages of easy fabrication, robust structure, and high sensitivity in temperature measurement. The MZIKR with dual-effect composite spectrum may have potential in two-parameter measurement and narrow-band filtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pleiotropic mechanisms beyond their cholesterol lowering effect of 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors or statins such as pravastatin are known. We used a temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model in 114 Wistar rats to assess i) whether repeated injections of various doses of pravastatin (0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg) at 30 min, 6 h, 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after stroke onset are neuroprotective, ii) whether attenuation of striatal glutamate and interleukin-6 (IL-6) release is part of the neuroprotective mechanism, and iii) how local cerebral blood flow (CBF) is influenced by pravastatin both in the acute and late stage of ischemia. Animals were sacrificed 5 days after MCAO, infarct size was analyzed with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. As compared to saline (139±14 mm3, n =11), higher doses of pravastatin beyond 0.1 mg/kg significantly reduced infarct size with the greatest effect obtained with 1 mg/kg (60±14 mm3, n =11, P =0.0004). Using cerebral microdialyis in this dose group, we demonstrated that striatal glutamate increase in the ischemic hemisphere was attenuated by pravastatin compared to placebo. Likewise, IL-6 release was diminished at 2 h, but not at 6 h after tMCAO. Improvement of local CBF by pravastatin was observed at day 5, but not at 5 h after tMCAO, thus representing a more long term effect of pravastatin. In conclusion, a relatively high dose of pravastatin administered repetitively after stroke onset improved neurological outcome through various cholesterol-independent mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A planar, valveless, microfluidic pump using electrostrictive poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] based polymer as the actuator material is presented. P(VDF-TrFE) thick films having a large electrostrictive strain ∼5–7% and high elastic energy density of 1J/cm3 have been used in a unimorph diaphragm actuator configuration. The microfluidic pump was realized by integrating a nozzle/diffuser type fluidic mechanical-diode structure with the polymer microactuator. The P(VDF-TrFE) unimorph diaphragm actuator, 80μm thick and 2.2mm×2.2mm in lateral dimensions, showed an actuation deflection of 80μm for an applied electric field of 90MV/m. The microfluidic pump could pump methanol at a flow rate of 25μl/min at 63Hz with a backpressure of 350Pa. The flow rate of this pump could be easily controlled by external electrical field. Two different sizes of nozzle/diffuser elements were studied and the pumping efficiency of these structures is 11 and 16%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is neuroprotective through various pharmacological action sites. We used a temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model in 56 Wistar rats to assess whether repeated ASA injections at 30 min, 6 h, 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after stroke onset are neuroprotective. Animals were sacrificed 5 days after MCAO; infarct size was analyzed with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. As compared to saline (164±13 mm3, n=14), only repeated injections of 40 mg/kg ASA (79±18 mm3, n=14, P=0.0029), but not of 20 mg/kg ASA (129±19 mm3, n=15), reduced infarct volume significantly. No significant change was noted with 40 mg/kg ASA injected only once at 30 min after MCAO (117±16 mm3, n=13). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

: BackgroundResection of a large hepatocellular carcinoma in the right liver or a small tumor located at the superior and posterior part of the right liver requires extensive hepatic mobilization. A thoracoabdominal approach might facilitate hepatic resection in such situations, but the safety and benefits of this approach remain unclear.: Study designA retrospective study based on a prospectively collected database of 488 patients was performed to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of right-sided hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma using the thoracoabdominal approach (n = 92) in comparison with the conventional abdominal approach (n = 396).: ResultsThe two groups were comparable in age, comorbid illnesses, liver function, tumor size, and underlying cirrhosis. There were more extended right hepatectomies in the thoracoabdominal approach group than in the abdominal approach group, but the difference was not significant (33.7% versus 26.0%, p = 0.14). A significantly higher proportion of patients in the thoracoabdominal approach group did not require blood transfusion compared with the abdominal approach group (66.3% versus 54.8%, p = 0.04). The operating time for the former group was longer (median 450 min versus 360 min, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in hospital stay (median 12.5 days versus 13.0 days, p = 0.82), overall morbidity (41.3% versus 38.6%, p = 0.64), or hospital mortality (4.3% versus 7.3%, p = 0.37) between the two groups.: ConclusionsThe thoracoabdominal approach is a safe operative approach that can facilitate resection of massive tumors in the right liver or tumors involving segments 7 and 8 without increased morbidity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• An ultra-sensitive temperature sensor is demonstrated by using an FBG and a microfiber MZI. • The FBG and MZI respectively work as a rough and a precise measurement tool. • The MZI working at DTP obtained an ultra-high sensitivity of 38 nm/°C. • The temperature measurement resolution of the MZI working at DTP is 0.0003 °C. • The measurement range is enlarged from 2 °C to 36 °C by using FBG. We proposed an ultra-sensitive seawater temperature sensor with extended measurement range by using an optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) cascaded with a microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) working at dispersion turning point (DTP). The FBG works as a rough temperature measurement tool, while the ultra-sensitive polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-packaged microfiber MZI plays the role of a precise measurement tool. The cooperation of these two measurement tools can realize temperature measurement with ultrahigh sensitivity and extended measurement range by using a single compact sensing structure. The proposed structure can solve the trade-off between ultrahigh sensitivity and large range of the microfiber MZI resulting from the periodic optical spectrum. A temperature sensitivity of about 38 nm/°C in the seawater temperature measurement range of 2.28–38.38 °C is obtained by the FBG-cascaded microfiber MZI which works at DTP. The corresponding temperature measurement resolution is estimated to be 0.0005 °C when the resolution of the interrogation device is 0.01 nm, which is better than that of the commercial electronic seawater temperature sensor. The temperature measurement range of the MZI can be enlarged from around 2 °C to about 36 °C with the aid of an FBG. Besides ultrahigh sensitivity and extended measurement range, the seawater temperature sensor has advantages of compact structure, easy fabrication, economical cost, low loss, making it promising in ocean monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electric field intensity of multilayer of GNPs coupled with gold film was studied. • The RI sensitivity of the double-layer gold nanospheres sensor was 15747 nm/RIU. • The RI sensitivity of the double-layer gold nanorods sensor was 25642 nm/RIU. • The LOD of double-layer gold nanospheres biosensor is 10 ng/mL. • The LOD of double-layer gold nanorods biosensor is 4.6 ng/mL. The main challenge for all biosensors is how to measure the biological samples at very low concentrations. In this paper, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) fiber biosensor using multi-layer gold nanoparticles (Au NPs)/Au film coupling to enhance sensitivity was proposed. The coupling effect between such longitudinally aligned multilayer nanoparticles increases the intensity of the local electromagnetic field and the depth of propagation to the outside. We used the finite element method to analyze the local enhancement effect of multi-layer Au nanospheres and Au nanorods, and the fabricated double-layer Au NPs (Au nanospheres and Au nanorods)/Au film coupling enhancement sensors. These two sensors' refractive index sensitivities are 15,747 nm/RIU and 25,642 nm/RIU, respectively. By changing biomolecules immobilized on the sensor's surface, the highly sensitive double-layer Au nanoparticle/Au film fiber sensor enables high-precision measurement of different biomarkers at low concentration. For detection of human IgG, the detection limit of gold nanosphere sensor is 10 ng/mL and gold nanorod sensor is 4.6 ng/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GG/HEC had little effect on the solubilization capacity of SDS micelles for methyl benzoate (MB). • Slight MB solubility enhancement in mixed polymer-SDS systems was due to weak interactions between polymer and MB and SDS. • The weak electrostatic repulsion between HEC/GG and SDS hinders the polymer to participate into SDS micelles. • The solubilization of polymers and the solubilization of micelles proceed independently, as in a single system. • Without attractive polymer-surfactant interaction, the solubilization capacity of SDS was not improved. Micellar solubilization is considered as a key factor affecting the recovery efficiency in chemically enhanced oil recovery (cEOR). However, it is poorly understood how polymers in surfactant-polymer (SP) flooding influences the micellar solubilization. Guar gum (GG) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) are two important and widely used polysaccharide polymers. In this work, the effect of GG and HEC on the solubilization of a crude oil model compound methyl benzoate (MB) in anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles and the underlying mechanism were explored at the molecular scale by NMR spectroscopy. GG and HEC slightly increased the MB solubility in SDS micelles but did not change the solubilization capacity. No correlation peak was observed to demonstrate the attractive interaction between polymer and SDS. After examination, there is weak electrostatic repulsion between HEC/GG and SDS, which made the polymer independent from SDS micelles and was unable to participate in the formation of micelles to alter micellar structure and solubilization behavior. Although the solubility of MB was slightly increased, this increase should originate from weak molecular interactions between polymers, surfactants and hydrophobic molecules, including hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions, etc. In summary, without strong electrostatic attraction between polymer and surfactant, the solubilization of polymers and the solubilization of micelles proceed independently, resulting in that the solubilization capacity of SDS micelles was not improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultra-sensitive RI measurement in large range is realized by an optical fiber sensing system. • An ultra-high sensitivity of 44271 nm/RIU is achieved by the microfiber MZI with DTP. • Measurement range of the microfiber MZI is expanded by using a SMF-PCF-SMF MZI. • The sensing scheme solves the trade-off between high sensitivity and large measurement range. A dual-channel optical fiber sensing system for refractive index (RI) measurement with ultra-high sensitivity and large measurement range is proposed and demonstrated by combining a rough measurement sensor and a precise measurement sensor. One sensing channel consists of an optical microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), which works as a RI precise measurement sensor. The microfiber MZI is fabricated on a single mode fiber (SMF) by using a two-step tapering method. The microfiber MZI operating around dispersion turning point (DTP) shows an ultra-high sensitivity of up to 44271 nm/RIU, however, its measurement range is limited to be only 0.0015 owing to the periodic interference spectrum. The other sensing channel contains an SMF-photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-SMF MZI, which works as a RI rough measurement sensor. RI sensitivity of the SMF-PCF-SMF MZI is 143.67 nm/RIU in 1.3317–1.3710. RI measurement range of the microfiber MZI is expanded by firstly read a rough RI value from the SMF-PCF-SMF MZI and then determine the observation window of the interference spectrum of the microfiber MZI. This proposed sensing scheme solves the trade-off between high sensitivity and large measurement range caused by the periodic interference spectrum, and it is promising in liquid RI-related sensing fields with high requirements of both sensitivity and measurement range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schematics of the bare and the PDMS-coated in-line microfiber MZI for RI and temperature sensing are shown in Fig. 1 (a) and (b), respectively. The microfiber MZI which is fabricated by non-adiabatically tapering a single mode fiber is composed of two abrupt tapered regions and a uniform waist region. When the fundamental HE 11 mode is propagating through the first abrupt tapered region, only symmetrical high order modes (HE 1m) can be excited owing to the symmetry of the abrupt tapered regions. Besides the fundamental HE 11 mode, only the high order HE 12 mode is excited by the fabricated microfiber whose taper waist diameter is 4.8 μm. The mode profiles of HE 11 mode and HE 12 mode are shown in Fig. 1 (c) and (d). These two modes interfere with each other at the second abrupt tapered region, forming dual-path interference. • An in-line microfiber MZI is demonstrated for ultrasensitive surrounding RI and temperature measurement. • An ultrahigh RI sensitivity of 24,209 nm/RIU and a high temperature sensitivity of -2.47 nm/℃ are experimentally achieved. • By embedding this microfiber MZI into PDMS, the temperature sensitivity is improved from -2.47 nm/℃ to about 8.33 nm/℃. An in-line microfiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) is demonstrated for ultrasensitive refractive index (RI) and temperature measurement by operating at two sides of the dispersion turning point (DTP), respectively. An ultrahigh RI sensitivity of 24,209 nm/RIU (RI unit) around 1.3320 and a high temperature sensitivity of -2.47 nm/℃ are experimentally achieved by a microfiber MZI with taper waist diameter of about 4.8 μm. By embedding this microfiber MZI into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the temperature sensitivity is improved from -2.47 nm/℃ to about 8.33 nm/℃. The positive temperature sensitivity of this PDMS-coated microfiber MZI and the negative thermo-optic coefficient of PDMS show that this microfiber MZI has a negative RI sensitivity around the material RI of PDMS (about 1.405), which indicates that the microfiber MZI works at two sides of the DTP for RI measurement and temperature measurement, respectively. The PDMS-coated microfiber MZI could achieve a temperature measurement resolution of about 0.0024 ℃ if the resolution of the optical spectrum analyzer were 0.02 nm, making it suitable for temperature measurement applications with high precision requirement. The bare microfiber MZI is promising for liquid analytical measurement in fields like biochemistry for its advantages of ultrahigh sensitivity, small size, and little sample consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniature and highly sensitive optic fiber temperature sensor using a PDMS-filled air-microbubble Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer (PAFPI) in a hollow-core fiber (HCF) is proposed. The sensor is fabricated by fusion splicing a single mode fiber (SMF) with a HCF, which is filled with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by capillary effect, to form an air microbubble cavity. As far as we know, this is the first time that PDMS is applied to fill the hollow core fiber. There are three main reflected surfaces in the PAFPI sensor, and the superimposed interference spectrum of double FPI (a thin FPI and a thick FPI) is formed. Hence, the proposed sensor combines two advantages that are the large free spectral range (FSR) of the thin FPI and the high resolution of the thick FPI, which improve the resolution of spectral demodulation while ensuring a large dynamic range. Experimental results show that the sensor has the high temperature sensitivity of 2.7035 nm/℃ with a high linear response (R-square: 0.9962) in the range of 51.2–70.5 ℃, which is almost three orders larger than that of the conventional all-fiber air-cavity FP temperature sensors (about 10 pm/℃). The stability experiment is also carried out, and the maximal variations of the wavelength shift and the extinction ratio of the interference fringes are 20.3 pm and 0.1262 dB, respectively, for a long-term testing. Therefore, it may be applied to the surrounding temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel refractive index (RI) sensor based on an asymmetrical Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with two different step-like tapers is proposed. The step-like taper is fabricated by fusion splicing two half tapers with an appropriate offset. By further applying offset and discharging to the last fabricated step-like taper of MZI, influence of taper parameters on interference spectrum is investigated using only one device. This simple technique provides an on-line method to sweep parameters of step-like tapers and speeds up the optimization process of interference spectrum, meanwhile. In RI sensing experiment, the sensor has a high sensitivity of −185.79 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) in the RI range of 1.3333–1.3673. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ⚫Peptide α-connexin carboxyl terminal peptide (ACT1) protects graft livers during cold storage by steadying cell junctions. • ⚫ACT1 reduces hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury following transplantation. • ⚫ACT1 inhibits acute and chronic inflammation after transplantation. • ⚫The effect of ACT1 on cell junctions is long term. Ischemia-reperfusion injury is an inevitable process that the liver must go through after liver transplantation. Because of the worldwide shortage of grafts, reliable intervention strategies should be explored to protect grafts. α-Connexin carboxyl terminal peptide (ACT1), which is a synthetic peptide containing 25 amino acids, has the effect of stabilizing cell junctions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of ACT1 on ischemia-reperfusion injury after liver transplantation in mice. Experimental results showed that injury to livers that underwent extended cold preservation was reduced by ACT1. After 6 hours of reperfusion, ACT1-treated livers showed less necrosis and acute inflammation and the cell junctions were strengthened. Moreover, after 28 days of reperfusion, the application of ACT1 distinctly alleviated hepatic damage and later cholangiopathy as well as conspicuously consolidated the cell junctions. This study indicated that ACT1 produced affirmative effects in suppressing hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in liver transplantation with extended cold preservation in mice by protecting cell junctions and may be a potential strategy to extend the cold preservation time of grafts for liver transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nd-Fe-B magnets with excellent properties were obtained through novel powder rounding modification. • Good flowability of the rounded powder enhanced the alignment degree of the magnet. • The thin and continuous RE-rich phase promoted the improvement of density and coercivity. • Synchronous enhancement mechanism in coercivity and remanence of the magnets was revealed. Two types of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets were fabricated by the process of powder metallurgy technology through two different powder preparation processes i.e., conventional powder preparation process and novel powder rounding modification. The microstructure, composition and properties of the two type powders have been studied including the particle size distributions and flowabilities. Furthermore, magnetic properties, microstructure and alignment degree of the magnets prepared by the corresponding powder also have been investigated. The novel powder rounding modification rounds the sharp edges and corners of the particles compared to the conventional powder preparation process, thereby reducing friction between the particles and improving flowability of the powder. As a result, the alignment degree of the sintered magnet is enhanced, which contribute to the improvement of the remanence and the energy product density. The powder that experienced rounding process changed the distribution of RE (rare earth)-rich particles, causing tiny RE-rich particles to adhere around the main phase particles, facilitating the compact of bulk during liquid-phase sintering process and achieving uniform distribution of RE-rich phases around the Nd 2 Fe 14 B main phase, resulting in increasing the magnet density and coercivity. As a consequence, we have produced the magnet with B r = 1.43 T, H cj = 1049 kA/m and (BH) max = 393.2 kJ/m3, which is fully superior to conventional magnet with B r = 1.41 T, H cj = 969 kA/m and (BH) max = 383.7 kJ/m3 by adopting powder rounding process. This indicates that the novel powder rounding modification is an efficient approach for synchronous improvement of magnetic performance of sintered Nd-Fe-B without any heavy rare earth elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SCR catalysts V 2 O 5 –WO 3 –TiO 2 (VWT) with various V 2 O 5 content (0–5 wt.%) were prepared by impregnation method in this work. Crystalline structures of the synthesized powder were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction. Different VWT catalysts were used as sensing materials to prepare mixed potential ammonia sensors based on 5YSZ (ZrO 2 doped 5 mol% Y 2 O 3 ) solid electrolyte. The sensing electrodes were characterized by XRD and environmental scanning electron microscopy. NH 3 sensitivity was tested at 550 °C for the sensors with different V 2 O 5 content sensing electrodes. With the increment of V-content, the slope of semi-logarithmic characteristic curves increased but began to fall when V-content was more than 2 wt.%. High-contented V 2 O 5 promoted anatase TiO 2 grains growing up to be rod-shaped and block-shaped morphology in sintering, leading to the reduction of specific surface area. The decreased dispersion of V 2 O 5 , resulting from the growing up of the carrier TiO 2 , was responsible for the reduced activity of sensing electrode catalytic. The suitable content of V 2 O 5 in VWT catalysts for NH 3 sensors is 1–2 wt.% based on various factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington disease is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder that arises from an expanded polyglutamine region in theNterminus of the HD gene product, huntingtin. Protein inclusions comprised of N-terminal fragments of mutant huntingtin are a characteristic feature of disease, though are likely to play a protective role rather than a causative one in neurodegeneration. Soluble oligomeric assemblies of huntingtin formed early in the aggregation process are candidate toxic species in HD. In the present study, we established an in vitro system to generate recombinant huntingtin in mammalian cells. Using both denaturing and native gel analysis, we have identified novel oligomeric forms of mammalian-derived expanded huntingtin exon-1 N-terminal fragment. These species are transient and were not previously detected using bacterially expressed exon-1 protein. Importantly, these species are recognized by 3B5H10, an antibody that recognizes a two-stranded hairpin conformation of expanded polyglutamine believed to be associated with a toxic form of huntingtin. Interestingly, comparable oligomeric species were not observed for expanded huntingtin shortstop, a 117-amino acid fragment of huntingtin shown previously in mammalian cell lines and transgenic mice, and here in primary cortical neurons, to be non-toxic. Further, we demonstrate that expanded huntingtin shortstop has a reduced ability to form amyloid-like fibrils characteristic of the aggregation pathway for toxic expanded polyglutamine proteins. Taken together, these data provide a possible candidate toxic species in HD. In addition, these studies demonstrate the fundamental differ in early aggregation events between mutant huntingtin exon-1 and shortstop proteins that may underlie the differences in toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococcus faecalis , a severe nosocomial and community opportunistic pathogen, is difficult to control due to its multidrug resistance. Through heredity and the recombination of intrinsic resistance genes and horizontally acquired resistance genes, E. faecalis can rapidly evolve drug resistance. Nisin, an important antimicrobial peptide, is extensively employed in the healthcare and food industries to inhibit Gram-positive bacteria and may induce the emergence of nisin-resistant bacteria worldwide. However, the mechanism governing nisin resistance in E. faecalis has not been fully elucidated. This study utilizes transposon insertion sequencing (TIS) to comprehensively explore novel genes related to nisin resistance. According to the analysis of TIS results, hundreds of genes appear to be essential for nisin resistance in E. faecalis. The phosphate transport system (OG1RF_10018−10021, named PTS), which is screened by TIS results, enhances the resistance of E. faecalis to nisin, the mechanism of which may be involved in potA and/or OG1RF_10526 (hypothetical gene). Meanwhile, PTS also strongly represses the biosynthesis of ribosomes to increase the sensitivity of E. faecalis to gentamycin. In addition, the overexpression of PTS increases the sensitivity of E. faecalis to daptomycin, the mechanism of which is independent of the LiaFSR system. This study first demonstrated that E. faecalis utilizes PTS to mediate the resistance to multidrug, which may help to elucidate the mechanism governing drug resistance and to establish guidelines for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by E. faecalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new and simple chemical route, named microwave-induced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution polymerization, has been used to prepare fine, homogeneous and high-density pellets of purer La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O2.815 (denoted as LS0.2GM0.17). The effect of different contents of PVA as the polymeric carrier, was studied and we obtained an optimal amount of PVA (1.65:1 ratio of positively charged valences of the cations (Me n+) to negatively charged hydroxyl (–OH−) groups of the organics), which could ensure homogenous distribution of the metal ions in the polymeric network structure and inhibit segregation. The behavior of the powder after calcination at different temperatures was studied. The PVA solution process consumed less organic material compared with the Pechini process, and consequently PVA was a more effective carrier in the preparation of LSGM. Higher heating rate and a more homogenous heating manner without thermal gradients in the microwave oven resulted in fewer secondary phases in the LS0.2GM0.17 powder after calcination at 1400°C for 9h and a smaller pellet grain size (2–3μm) without segregation. The density of LS0.2GM0.17 pellet sintered at 1400°C for 9h was 6.19gcm−3. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) is a promising paradigm for providing low-latency and high-reliability services in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). The increasing number of mobile devices and the diverse resource requirements of the growing IoV have resulted in a shift from centralized resource management to a decentralized approach. This shift offers improved fault tolerance, scalability, and privacy preservation. However, constructing collaborative awareness and coordination mechanisms between multiple vehicles and edge nodes in a decentralized manner is a challenge. To address this issue, we propose a decentralized many-to-many task offloading method that aims to minimize the average task completion latency of vehicles. In this study, we propose a data-sharing mechanism between vehicles and edge servers using the digital twin service, which provides global environmental perceptions to the vehicles by a low-cost approach. Additionally, we develop a mean-field multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm to generate coordinated task offloading schemes. Instead of interacting with multiple agents, the vehicle only needs to respond to the mean action of the environment. Based on this transition, the agent generates coordinated task offloading decisions in complex scenarios. We evaluate the performance of our method using real urban traffic data. Experiment results verify the efficiency of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Both HF-NMR and LF-NMR methods were used to analyze edible bird's nests. • Forty-one components were identified and quantified and the nutrients were analyzed. • The geographical markers of each origin were accurately identified by using pattern recognition. • Adulteration was effectively identified through the LF-NMR method. Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a high-value health food with various nutrients and bioactive components. With increasing demand for EBN, they are often adulterated with cheaper ingredients or falsely labeled by the origin information, thus harming consumer interests. In this study, high- and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (HF/LF-NMR) technology combined with multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify the geographical marker of EBN from different origins and authenticate the adulterated EBN with various adulterants at different adulteration rates. Authentic EBN samples from Malaysia were used to simulate adulteration using gelatin (GL), agar (AG) and starch (ST) at 10 %, 20 %, 40 %, 60 %, 80 %, and 100 % w/w, respectively. The results showed significant differences in composition among EBN from different origins, with isocaproate and citric acid serving as geographical markers for Malaysia and Vietnam, respectively. Leucine, glutamic acid, and N-acetylglycoprotein serving as geographical markers for Indonesia. In addition, PLS model further verified the accuracy of origin identification of EBN. The LF-NMR results of adulteration EBN showed a linear correlation between the transverse relaxation (T 2 , S 2) and the adulterated ratio. The OPLS-DA based on T 2 spectra could accurately identify authentic EBN from adulterated with GL, AG and ST at 40 %, 20 %, and 20 %, respectively. Fisher discrimination model was able to differentiate at 20 %, 20 %, and 40 %, respectively. These results show that the 1H NMR combined with multivariate statistical analysis method could be a potential tool for the detection of origin and adulteration of EBN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As information filtering services, recommender systems have extremely enriched our daily life by providing personalized suggestions and facilitating people in decision-making, which makes them vital and indispensable to human society in the information era. However, as people become more dependent on them, recent studies show that recommender systems potentially own unintentional impacts on society and individuals because of their unfairness (e.g., gender discrimination in job recommendations). To develop trustworthy services, it is crucial to devise fairness-aware recommender systems that can mitigate these bias issues. In this survey, we summarize existing methodologies and practices of fairness in recommender systems. Firstly, we present concepts of fairness in different recommendation scenarios, comprehensively categorize current advances, and introduce typical methods to promote fairness in different stages of recommender systems. Next, after introducing datasets and evaluation metrics applied to assess the fairness of recommender systems, we will delve into the significant influence that fairness-aware recommender systems exert on real-world industrial applications. Subsequently, we highlight the connection between fairness and other principles of trustworthy recommender systems, aiming to consider trustworthiness principles holistically while advocating for fairness. Finally, we summarize this review, spotlighting promising opportunities in comprehending concepts, frameworks, the balance between accuracy and fairness, and the ties with trustworthiness, with the ultimate goal of fostering the development of fairness-aware recommender systems. • This survey provides an in-depth, scientific taxonomy of fairness-aware recommender systems. • This survey explores the relationship between the fairness and trustworthiness of recommender systems. • Several future directions are considered, including concepts, modeling, trade-offs, and trustworthiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, superlens realized by a two-dimensional (2D) triangular lattices graded photonic crystal (GPC) was studied. The graded photonic crystal (GPC) was obtained by varying the radius in each row so that its effective refractive index changes along the transverse direction. Plane wave expansion (PWE) method and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) were adopted to show that negative refraction and superlens can be realized in the designed graded photonic crystal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]