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Chemotherapy; Quality of life; Symptoms Quimioterapia; Calidad de vida; Síntomas Quimioteràpia; Qualitat de vida; Símptomes Background In a phase III, randomised, active-controlled study (EMPOWER-Cervical 1/GOG-3016/ENGOT-cx9; R2810-ONC-1676; NCT03257267) and cemiplimab significantly improved survival versus investigator's choice of chemotherapy among patients with recurrent cervical cancer who had progressed on platinum-based therapy. Here we report patient-reported outcomes in this pivotal study. Methods Patients were randomised 1:1 to open-label cemiplimab (350 mg intravenously every 3 weeks) or investigator's choice of chemotherapy in 6-week cycles. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 during cycles 1–16. Least-squares mean changes from baseline in global health status (GHS)/quality of life (QoL) and physical functioning (PF) were secondary end-points in the statistical hierarchy. Results Of 608 patients (304/arm), 77.8% patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 22.2% patients had adenocarcinoma. Questionnaire completion rates were ∼90% throughout. In the squamous cell carcinoma population, overall between-group differences statistically significantly favoured cemiplimab in GHS/QoL (8.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.77–13.21; P = 0.0003) and PF (8.35; 95% CI: 4.08–12.62; P < 0.0001). Treatment differences favoured cemiplimab in both histologic populations by cycle 2. Overall changes from baseline in most functioning and symptom scales favoured cemiplimab, with clinically meaningful treatment differences in role functioning, appetite loss and pain in both populations. The sensitivity analyses, responder analyses and time to definitive deterioration favoured cemiplimab in both populations. Conclusions Cemiplimab conferred favourable differences in GHS/QoL and PF compared with chemotherapy among patients with recurrent cervical cancer, with benefits in PF by cycle 2, and clinically meaningful differences favouring cemiplimab in role functioning, appetite loss, and pain. This work was supported by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Sanofi.

Objective Breast cancer metastasis to the female genital tract is rare, and the ovaries are the most frequent site of extragenital cancer metastasis. The uterus and cervix have been rarely reported as the site of metastasis. Case report A 57-year-old woman diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma of the left breast 2 years prior was undergoing tamoxifen treatment. She presented with a right breast mass and postmenopausal bleeding. Synchronous right breast invasive lobular carcinoma with endometrium metastasis was diagnosed. The metastasis tumor involved the endometrium, myometrium, cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. Conclusion We noted the rarity of massive metastasis of the female genital tract from breast cancer. Gynecological surveillance and prompt evaluation of the endometrium led to timely diagnosis and treatment.

Monoelemental two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted significant attention due to their exciting electro-mechanical properties and extreme thinness. However, most of these materials have stable centro-symmetric structures due to same electronegativities of all atoms and lack interesting properties such as piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity. Here we report the existence of piezoelectricity in atomically thin monoelemental α-Tellurium films. DFT calculations reveal that monoelemental few layer α-Tellurene is electrostrictive. However, group theory analysis shows that α-Tellurene belongs to piezoelectric C2 group due to negligible asymmetry and has high anomalous Born effective charges, similar to the traditional perovskite piezoelectric structures. Experimental exploration demonstrates the existence of through thickness piezoelectricity. With single and dual AC resonance tracking piezoelectric force microscopy, piezoelectric coefficient (d33) up to 1 pm/V is observed for the Te ultrathin films. Moderate layer dependent piezoelectricity observed in α-Te films makes it a promising candidate for the realization of atomically thin piezoelectric devices.

Highlights • Myocardial injury is common in critically ill COVID-19 patients. • COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury are more likely to develop adverse events and fatal outcomes during the hospitalization. • Myocardial injury and advanced age (≥75 yrs old) are independent risk factors for 28-day in-ICU mortality., Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, clinical presentation, cardiovascular (CV) complications and mortality risk of myocardial injury on admission in critically ill ICU inpatients with COVID-19. Design A single-center, retrospective, observational study. Setting A new-built ICU in Tongji hospital (Sino-French new city campus), Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Participants Seventy-seven critical COVID-19 patients. Interventions Patients were divided into myocardial injury group and non-myocardial injury group according to the on-admission levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I. Measurements and Main Results Demographic data, clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, treatment and clinical outcome were evaluated stratified by the presence of myocardial injury on admission. Compared with non-myocardial injury patients, patients with myocardial injury were older (68.4 ± 10.1 vs. 62.1 ± 13.5 years; P=0.02), had higher prevalence of underlying CV disease (34.1% vs. 11.1%; P=0.02) and in-ICU CV complications (41.5% vs13.9%; P=0.008), higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores (20.3 ± 7.3 vs 14.4 ± 7.4; P=0.001) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores [7, interquartile range (IQR) 5-10 vs. 5,IQR 3-6; P

Research using structural models to identify monetary–fiscal interactions in emerging economies is still rare. However, it has long been emphasized that monetary and fiscal policies jointly determine macroeconomic dynamics. Using data from China over the period 1993–2017, we estimate the policy regime and shed light on the role of policy shocks in shaping the business cycles in the largest emerging economy. The estimation strongly prefers a passive monetary coupled with an active fiscal policy regime (PM/AF). As confirmed using Chinese data, the transmission mechanisms under this fiscal dominance regime are completely different from those under the commonly assumed AM/PF regime. Moreover, unlike monetary policy shocks, fiscal policy shocks substantially affect inflation and output growth variations in both short- and long-run under PM/AF. Our analysis highlights the importance of scrutinizing the prevailing monetary–fiscal policy regime in understanding macroeconomic dynamics, particularly in emerging economies, which have been largely understudied.

Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is a significant risk factor for the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), a severe disease causing great economic losses to the cattle industry worldwide. Previous studies have reported that both phospholipase C-γ1 (PLC-γ1) and β-catenin are activated during BoHV-1 infection for efficient replication. However, the interplay between PLC-γ1 and β-catenin as a consequence of virus infection remains to be elucidated. Here, we reported that PLC-γ1 interacted with β-catenin, which was enhanced following virus infection. PLC-γ1-specific inhibitor, U73122, significantly reduced the mRNA levels of β-catenin in BoHV-1-infected cells; however, the steady-state protein levels were not affected due to the virus infection. Interestingly, the treatment of virus-infected cells with U73122 reduced the accumulation of activated β-catenin [p-β-catenin(S552)] in fractions of the cytoplasmic membrane as that observed with the treatment of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), which can disrupt cytoplasmic membrane structure via sequestering cholesterol. Nucleus accumulation of p-β-catenin(S552) was increased following U73122 treatment in virus-infected cells. In addition, the association of p-β-catenin(S552) with cytoplasmic membrane induced by the virus infection was significantly disrupted by the treatment of U73122 and MβCD. These data indicated that the PLC-γ1 signaling is potentially involved in the regulation of β-catenin signaling stimulated by BoHV-1 infection partially via affecting the subcellular localization of p-β-catenin(S552).

Neurodegenerative diseases have become an important concern with the accelerated aging process. Tai Chi Quan (TCQ) has positive benefits for brain health and chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to summarize the protective effects of TCQ for motor function, cognition, quality of life, and mood in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.A systematic search was conducted via PubMed database and the Web of Science core collection database until August 20, 2021. The available English systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials were included. Two reviewers completed the screening and assessment process independently.A total of 28 studies on Parkinson's disease, 21 on cognitive impairment, and 9 on multiple sclerosis met the included criteria. The study found that TCQ remarkably improved general motor function and balance, and prevented falls for Parkinson's disease. TCQ significantly improved global cognitive function for cognitive impairment. TCQ was likely safe and beneficial for multiple sclerosis as result of heterogeneous outcomes and small samples.TCQ exercise can effectively improve the motor function, global cognitive function, and falls in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. However, the positive effects of TCQ on the quality of life and mood of patients with neurodegenerative diseases need further evidence.

Factor X (FX) deficiency is prevalent in light-chain (AL) amyloidosis but its clinical significance was not investigated deeply. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a consecutive cohort with 207 primary AL amyloidosis patients. FX deficiency was present in 129 patients (62.3%). Those with FX deficiency had higher dFLC (299.6 mg/L vs. 102.3 mg/L, P 0.001), higher cardiac troponin I (0.05 μg/L vs. 0.02 μg/L, P 0.001) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (3115 ng/L vs. 392 ng/L, P 0.001), and more patients with bone marrow plasma cells 10% (18.0% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.008). The prevalence of FX deficiency increased with the Mayo 2004 stage. FX-deficient patients exhibited inferior overall survival (P 0.001) and progression-free survival (P 0.001) than others. Fifty-five patients with FX deficiency received retesting of FX activity after anti-plasma cell therapy. The median variation in FX activity was + 6.8% (range, -24.5% ~ +73.4%). Better improvement of FX activity was observed in patients with complete hematologic response (+18.2% vs. +4.0%, P = 0.036) and at least one organ response (+14.4% vs. +3.4%, P = 0.024). FX deficiency is associated with a heavier disease burden and poorer survival in primary AL amyloidosis. Improvement of FX activity tends to appear in patients with better hematologic and organ responses after chemotherapy.

This article deals with the electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) flow through a microchannel with three-dimensional corrugated walls where the fluid is driven by non-uniform electric field and uniform magnetic field. The three-dimensional corrugations are depicted by the product of two sinusoid functions with small amplitude e and wave numbers α and β in two horizontal directions. The analytic expressions of the electric potentials, velocities and volume flow rates are deduced by utilizing the perturbation method. The impacts of the corrugations on the electric potentials, the EMHD velocities and volume flow rates are discussed. Moreover, the influences of relevant parameters, including Hartmann number Ha, aspect ratio χ (χ=β/α) of the corrugations and the parameter R (R=β·α) on the flow are analyzed. Furthermore, the comparisons of the flow rates with experimental data are performed. The results show that the maximum flow rate can be obtained by increasing magnetic field strength parameter Ha or adjusting the phases of the wavy walls.

Objective: Tyrosine-protein kinase MET (c-MET) has been reported to be a prognostic marker and suitable therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. BMS-777607, a small molecule, can inhibit MET and other protein kinase activities. The present study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of action and antitumor effect of BMS-777607 on ovarian cancer cells with constitutively activated c-MET. Materials and methods: Ovarian cancer cells with constitutively activated c-MET were first identified through Western blot analysis. Bio-behaviors, including signal transduction, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration, of the cells with constitutively activated c-MET were evaluated after BMS-777607 treatment. Liu's stain and immunological staining of α-tubuline were performed to evaluate the ploidy of the cells. A xenograft mouse model was also used to evaluate the antitumor effects of BMS-777607 on ovarian cancer cells with constitutively activated c-MET. Results: BMS-777607 could induce the highest inhibition of cell growth in ovarian cancer cells constitutively expressing c-MET. Treating SKOV3 cells with BMS-777607 could reduce c-MET activation and inhibit downstream cell signaling, thus causing cell apoptosis and polyploidy as well as cell cycle and cell migration inhibition. This molecule also inhibited tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model of SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells in vivo. Conclusion: BMS-777607 exhibits antitumor effects on ovarian cancer cells that constitutively express c-MET through c-MET signaling blockade and the inhibition of Aurora B activity. Combination treatments to enhance the effects of BMS-777607 warrant investigation in the future. Keywords: Ovarian cancer, Tyrosine kinase, c-MET

Objective: Mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAITs) are important for immune defense against infectious pathogens and regulation of various inflammatory diseases. However, their roles in cancer are rarely reported. Since cervical cancer is one of the diseases involving mucosal tissue, we try to investigate the association between circulating MAITs and cervical cancer. Materials and methods: Blood samples were obtained from patients with cervical cancer (n = 47) and healthy individuals (n = 39). We determined phenotypic MAITs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and evaluated the percentage of MAITs in CD3+ cells by flow cytometry. The percentage of MAITs was stratified according to Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system in patients with cervical cancer. Progression-free survival (PFS) with respect to the amount of MAITs was also analyzed. Results: The percentage of circulating MAITs in patients with cervical cancer was significantly lower than in healthy group (0.987% vs. 4.008%, p

A previous study has suggested the benefit of sub-renal vein radiotherapy (SRVRT) for pelvic lymph node (PLN)-positive cervical cancer. In order to better select patients for SRVRT, this study aimed to evaluate the value of a risk-based radiation field based on PLN location and number in PLN-positive cervical cancer.We reviewed 198 patients with FIGO stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer, positive PLNs, and negative para-aortic lymph nodes (PALNs) from 2004 to 2015 at two tertiary centers. All patients underwent pelvic radiotherapy (PRT) or SRVRT with IMRT. The SRVRT extended the PRT field cranially to the level of the left renal vein. The prescribed doses were 45-50.4Gy in 1.8Gy per fraction.Overall, 118 and 80 patients underwent PRT and SRVRT, respectively. The SRVRT group had more advanced disease based on FIGO stage, common iliac PLNs, and number of PLNs. The median follow-up was 63months (range: 7-151months). PALN failure was experienced by 28 patients (23.7%) in the PRT group and 1 patient (1.3%) in the SRVRT group (p0.001). Compared with PRT, SRVRT significantly improved 5-year PALN recurrence-free survival (56.8% vs. 100%, p0.001) and cancer-specific survival (56.5% vs. 93.9%, p0.001) among patients with common iliac PLNs or ≥3 PLNs. No significant differences were observed in these outcomes among patients with PLNs below the common iliac bifurcation and 1-2 PLNs. The SRVRT did not increase severe toxicities.Risk-based radiation field based on PLN location and number could optimize outcomes for PLN-positive cervical cancer.

A magnetoresistive sensor platform for the detection of individual magnetic reporter particles is presented. The sensing scheme is based on the detection of the shift in the sensor’s magnetoresistance-switching field in the presence of magnetic particle(s). A bottom-pinned spin-valve multilayer (Co/Ru/Co)/Cu/(Co/Ru/Co) device structure (with Ta/Ru seed and Ta capping layers) used for the sensor was deposited using ultra-high vacuum magnetron sputtering and patterned using conventional microfabrication techniques. Inexpensive electronics to measure device magnetoresistance (using DC currents) was used for testing. The detection of individual 500 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticles as well as the detection of up to ten (10) nanoparticles was demonstrated and verified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The developed sensors are readily integratable into a biosensing platform for the detection of biomolecules at ultra-low concentration using magnetic nanoparticles as reporters.

In order to meet the energy and power requirements of large-scale battery applications, lithium-ion cells have to be electrically connected by various serial-parallel connection topologies to form battery pack. However, due to the cell-to-cell parameters variations, different connection topologies lead to different performance of the battery pack. Therefore, knowledge of correlations of the connection topology on the performance of battery pack is worth investigating. Based on a simplified analytical circuit model, this paper derives the capacity, voltage, discharge power and energy of the pack with different connection topologies by transformation algorithm. Thus, we use Monte Carlo simulation to quantify the effects of parameters variations on usable capacity and power of the pack under four typical connection topologies under random sampling. The capacity mean and variance expressions of the battery pack with different topologies are obtained. The results show that the battery pack with cell firstly connected in parallel and then assembled in series can better reduce the influence of cell parameters variation, achieve more performance and greatly increase the usable capacity and energy utilization. Moreover, increasing the quantity of serial or parallel connected cells can reduce the discrete coefficients of capacity of the packs. The main conclusions are of great benefit to the battery manufacturer, electric vehicles and energy storage systems applications.

In order to conduct extensive investigation of energy harvesting capabilities of nanofluidic devices, we provide analytical solutions for streaming potential and electrokinetic energy conversion (EKEC) efficiency through taking the combined consequences of soft nanochannel, a rigid nanochannel whose surface is covered by charged polyelectrolyte layer, and viscoelastic rheology into account. The viscoelasticity of the fluid is considered by employing the Maxwell constitutive model when the forcing frequency of an oscillatory driving pressure flow matches with the inverse of the relaxation time scale of a typical viscoelastic fluid. We compare the streaming potential and EKEC efficiency with those of a rigid nanochannel, having zeta potential equal to the electrostatic potential at the solid-polyelectrolyte interface of the soft nanochannels. Within the present selected parameter ranges, it is shown that the different peaks of maximal streaming potential and EKEC efficiency for the rigid nanochannel are larger than those for the soft nanochannel when forcing frequencies of the driving pressure gradient are close to resonating frequencies. However, more enhanced streaming potential and EKEC efficiency for a soft nanochannel can be found in most of the regions away from these resonant frequencies. Moreover, the influence of several dimensionless parameters on EKEC efficiency is discussed in detail. Finally, within the given parametric regions, the maximum efficiency at some resonant frequency obtained in present analysis is about 25%.

Given that the hydraulic boundary conditions at the wellbore wall are identified as permeable (PBC) and impermeable (IMPBC) and that the assumption of plane strain holds, the present paper formulates an analytical solution, which is based on fully coupled linear porothermoelastic model with the thermal osmosis and thermal filtration effects, in Laplace space domain. The solution is available for the cases that the wellbore axis of inclined wellbore is perpendicular to the isotropic plane of the transversely isotropic medium under non-hydrostatic stress condition. The wellbore problem is decomposed into axisymmetric and deviatoric loading cases. The numerical results of the time-dependent distributions of field variables are obtained by virtue of performing the inversion technique for Laplace transforms. The sensitivity analyses are performed on the key parameters to thermal osmosis and thermal filtration effects. The effect of thermal filtration on temperature is also illustrated. The numerical comparative analyses in the present paper examine the influence of material anisotropy of poromechanical parameters and thermal properties, which embody in porothermoelastic-osmosis-filtration model and common porothermoelastic one, on the thermally induced pore pressure and stresses. Finally, an integrated geomechanical wellbore stability model is developed to investigate the compressive and tensile failure extents of horizontal wells. The model is involved with three aspects, i.e. the coordinates transformations pertaining to wellbore and weak plane systems, the criteria to evaluate the shear failure (including intact rock and weak plane) as well as tensile fracture, and the fully coupled porothermoelastic analytical solution. The developed porothermoelsatic analytical solution can provide a theoretical basis for multiple of aspects including the inversion of in-situ stress, geothermal reservoir stimulation and petroleum drilling design.

Uterine sarcoma is a very aggressive and highly lethal disease. Even after a comprehensive staging surgery or en block cytoreduction surgery followed by multimodality therapy (often chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy), many patients relapse or present with distant metastases, and finally die of diseases. The worst outcome of uterine sarcomas is partly because of their rarity, unknown etiology, and highly divergent genetic aberration. Uterine sarcomas are often classified into four distinct subtypes, including uterine leiomyosarcoma, low-grade uterine endometrial stromal sarcoma, high-grade uterine endometrial stromal sarcoma, and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. Currently, evidence from tumor biology found that these tumors showed alternation and/or mutation of genomes and the intracellular signal pathway. In addition, some preclinical studies showed promising results for targeting receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, various kinds of growth factor pathways, Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, transforming growth factor β/bone morphogenetic protein signal pathway, aurora kinase A, MDM2 proto-oncogene, histone deacetylases, sex hormone receptors, certain types of oncoproteins, and/or loss of tumor suppressor genes. The current review is attempted to summarize the recurrent advance of targeted therapy for uterine sarcomas.

Objective: To dissect the correlated hematologic markers that reflect the clinical outcome or treatment response in patients receiving dose-dense chemotherapy with a combination of platinum (cisplatin or carboplatin) and paclitaxel. Materials and Methods: From 2009 to 2014, we enrolled 55 ovarian cancer patients (total 67 courses) including first-line, persistent, platinum-sensitive, or platinum-resistant disease in MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Weekly pretreatment complete blood counts and calculated ratios [platelet/neutrophil ratio, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil/monocyte ratio, platelet/monocyte ratio, lymphocyte/monocyte ratio] during dose-dense chemotherapy were collected. By grouping these hematologic biomarkers into three different response subgroups (responsive, stable, and nonresponsive) according to CA125 trend, the data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, and using post hoc-Tukey test for comparing each other. A p value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Absolute counts of lymphocytes and platelets, PLR, platelet/neutrophil ratio, platelet/monocyte ratio (all p < 0.001), and NLR (p=0.013) had statistically significant differences. Moreover, using box-and-whisker plot, absolute count of lymphocyte, PLR, and NLR showed most remarkable discrepancy in responsive, stable, and nonresponsive patients. Subgroup analysis for primary, platinum-sensitive, and platinum-resistant patients further revealed that PLR and NLR were significantly correlated to the outcome of dose-dense chemotherapy. Conclusion: Lower PLR or lower NLR had better treatment response for dose-dense chemotherapy and are possible markers for representing treatment response in dose-dense chemotherapy. For a clinician, this is useful for timing when to switch to another chemotherapy regimen.

Electromagnetohydrodynamic micro-pump of third grade fluids between two micro-parallel plates is performed in this paper. The flow forced by the Lorentz force, produced by the interaction of a vertical magnetic field and an externally horizontal imposed electrical field, is assumed to be unidirectional and one dimensional. Analytical solutions of velocity and temperature are obtained by perturbation techniques under the assumption of small non-Newtonian behavior and the Chebyshev spectral collocation method is used to solve the same problem numerically. Analytical solutions are contrasted with the numerical solutions within admissible parameter range and the agreements are excellent. The effects of Hartmann number Ha (the ratio of magnetic forces to viscous forces), non-Newtonian parameter Λ (the dimensionless parameter related to the non-Newtonian behavior), the dimensionless electrical strength parameter H and the non-dimensional parameter γ1 (that is, Brinkman number, the ratio of heat produced by viscous dissipation to heat transported by molecular conduction) on the velocity and temperature are investigated graphically and discussed in detail. In addition, the dependence of Nusselt number (the strength of convective heat exchange) on corresponding parameters is presented. Results show that Nusselt number decreases with Hartmann number Ha and increases with dimensionless parameters H and γ1.

In this paper, the submerged floating tunnel(SFT) tube is simplified as an elastically supported beam with two springs and dampings at each end. The kinematic equation for SFT tube under a single moving load is established to investigate kinematic problems. By using the Galerkin method, the kinematic equation at the mid-span section of SFT tube can be solved, and the mid-span displacement of SFT tube is gained by numerical simulation method. The influence of anchor stiffness, moving load and moving velocity on SFT tube can be learned about by analyzing the simulation results. The present results indicate that the anchor stiffness plays a significant role in influencing the SFT tube's displacement. At the same time, it also decides the vibration frequency of SFT tube. Moreover, the magnitude and velocity of the single moving load can also have an obvious impact on the tube's mid-span displacement. The research results would provide as a theoretical reference for further study and futural construction of SFT.

In this study, we prepared gold nanoparticles by electrochemical synthesis and inlaid in the photo-electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to study the surface plasma resonant (SPR) and light-scattering effects on the properties of dye-sensitized solar cells. The analyses of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) show that the average diameter of gold nanoparticles is 50nm. The results of ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra show that the absorption wavelength is about 533nm for gold nanoparticles. The conversion efficiency with different amounts of gold nanoparticles in TiO2 photo-electrodes is 5.42%, 5.92%, 6.06%, and 5.51% with the amounts of 0µL, 300µL, 400µL, and 500µL, respectively. The best conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells with gold nanoparticles added is 6.06%, and is higher than that the cells without gold nanoparticles, which is 5.42%. In addition, in order to study light-scattering effects on the photo-electrode, different thicknesses of large particle size TiO2 (~250nm) coated onto photo-electrode to form double layer structure. The best conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells with gold nanoparticles added and with the thickness of 3.3µm light scattering layer is 7.10%, which is higher than that of the cell without light-scattering layer, which is 6.06%. This result indicates that the effect of gold nanoparticles on the photo-electrode can increase the conductivity and reduce the recombination of charges in the photo-electrode, and the light-scattering structure can enhance light transmission path in TiO2 films and the absorption of photons in the photo-electrode, resulting in the increase of the photoelectric conversion efficiency for DSSCs. The addition of gold nanoparticles leads to a linear increase in conversion efficiency of the DSSC. When the volume of added gold nanoparticles is 500µL, the Jsc begins to decrease.Display Omitted The effect of gold nanoparticles can increase the conductivity and reduce the recombination of charges in the photo-electrode.The light-scattering structure can enhance light transmission path in TiO2 films and the absorption of photons.Gold nanoparticles result in the increase of the photoelectric conversion efficiency for DSSCs.

As a large number of lithium-ion batteries are retired from electric vehicles, their reuse is receiving more and more attention. However, a retired battery pack is not suitable for direct reuse due to the poor consistency of in-pack cells. In this paper, we propose an efficient screening method for retired cells based on support vector machine. Firstly, twelve retired LiFePO4 battery modules are dissembled into 240 cells, and their capacity and resistance are measured and analyzed. Secondly, to improve screening efficiency for retired cells, an incremental capacity curve based on high charging current rate is used to rapidly extract their capacity feature and internal resistance. Subsequently, the multi-class model based on support vector machine is trained to classify the retired cells with good consistency. Finally, the retired cells are accurately divided into four classes by the trained model, and the classification accuracy can reach 96.8%. Compared with the traditional method, the time of feature extraction can be reduced by four fifths, and the screening efficiency is greatly improved. Additionally, a current test system is designed to compare the current differences in the new battery module regrouped in parallel by the screened cells. The experimental results show the current consistency is significantly improved compared to that in the original battery module, and the mean of standard deviation used to describe the current inconsistency drops by up to about 14 times.

Highlights • BoHV-1 infection promotes nucleus accumulation of p-c-Jun(S73) and p-β-catenin(S552) • The association between β-catenin and c-Jun in in nucleus is readily detected following BoHV-1 infection. • BoHV-1 infection stimulates the expression and activation of c-Jun potentially through β-catenin. • BoHV-1 infection leads to relocalization of nucleus c-Jun to form specific foci., C-Jun, activated by various extracellular signals, is important for cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses. We have previously reported that bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) infection in MDBK cells stimulates the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)/c-Jun cascade for efficient replication. However, the mechanisms regarding the regulation of c-Jun following BoHV-1 infection remain unknown. In this study, we show that virus infection increases accumulation of p-c-Jun(S73) (phosphorylated c-Jun at Ser73) and p-β-catenin(S552) in the nucleus, resulting in relocalized nuclear p-c-Jun(S73) to assemble in highlighted punctum via a confocal microscope assay. An association between β-catenin and c-Jun in the nucleus was readily detected in virus-infected, but not mock-infected cells. Interestingly, β-catenin was found to be involved in the regulation of c-Jun signaling in virus-infected cells as iCRT14, a β-catenin-specific inhibitor that can inhibit β-catenin-dependent transcriptional activity, was able to decrease protein expression and phosphorylation of c-Jun. Furthermore, we suggest that BoHV-1 infection stimulates c-Jun phosphorylation regulated by β-catenin via both c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent and JNK-independent mechanisms. These data add to our knowledge regarding the regulation of c-Jun following virus infection and further support the important roles of β-catenin signaling playing in BoHV-1 infection.