Search

Contemporary multiscale construction object detection algorithms rely predominantly on fully-supervised deep learning, requiring arduous and time-consuming labeling process. This paper presents a novel semisupervised multiscale construction objects detection (SS-MCOD) by harnessing nearly infinite unlabeled images along with limited labels, achieving more accurate and robust detection results. SS-MCOD uses a deformable convolutional network (DCN)-based teacher-student joint learning framework. DCN uses deformable advantages to extract and fuse multiscale construction object features. The teacher module generates pseudolabels for construction objects in unlabeled images, while the student module learns the location and classification of construction objects in both labeled images and unlabeled images with pseudolabels. Experimental validation using commonly used construction datasets demonstrates the accuracy and generalization performance of SS-MCOD. This research can provide insights for other detection tasks with limited labels in the construction domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oviductus Ranae (OR) is one of the "treasures of Changbai Mountain" in China. It is used clinically for the treatment of infirmity after illness, fatigued spirit, cough, hemoptysis, and so forth. In this study, a simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of five main effective components (1-methyl hydantoin, estradiol, cholesterol, 7-keto-cholesterol, and 4-cholesten-3-one) in OR and its different processed products. The results indicated that these five components showed good linear relationships within their own concentration ranges along with coefficients of determination ≥0.9996. Average recoveries ranged from 97.67% to 100.06%, with RSDs of 1.45%–1.99%. The proposed method was found to be simple, accurate, and stable, which provided an effective analytical method for quality control and evaluation of OR and its different processed products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) and the laboratory of genetics and physiology 2 (LGP2) are family members of retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), which play important roles in the immune response against pathogens invasion. In the present study, MDA5 and LGP2 genes were identified in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), a fish species with a great economic value. The two proteins contained similar conserved domains and motifs as their counterparts of other vertebrates, including the DExDc domain (the DEAD/DEAH box helicases domain), HELICc domain (helicases superfamily domain), and regulatory domain (RD). Real-time qPCR revealed that the two genes were constitutively expressed in tissues of healthy fish and could be induced in the spleen by polyinosinic and polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) challenge in vivo. Also, selective pressure analysis revealed that the negative selection had roles in the evolutions of the two genes. Furthermore, the dsRNA binding mechanism of msLGP2 and msMDA5 were analyzed by the molecular docking strategy. The amino acids of msLGP2 involved in dsRNA binding were V604, N663, L682, and L684, which were located in the regulatory domain (RD) of msLGP2. The amino acids of msMDA5 involved in dsRNA binding were G429, H434, L842, and L845, which were located in the DExDc domain and the RD domain of msMDA5. These results indicated that fish LGP2 and MDA5 might share similar functions and ligand binding mechanism as their mammalian counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, 2 major discoveries have modified the traditional understanding of the brain. First, meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLV) were found in the dural sinus, which may absorb and drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Second, the glymphatic system was discovered, composed of para-arterial CSF influx channel, paravenous interstitial fluid (ISF) efflux channel, and the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in astrocytes connecting the 2 channels. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the lymphatic system of the brain plays a vital role within the circulation of CSF and, therefore, in the removal of metabolites. Therefore, it is involved in the incidence and development of some central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The optic nerve and retina are the extension of the CNS in the orbit. Whether they have a lymphatic system and how they clear the metabolites of the optic nerve and retina are still unclear. Recent studies have found that the ocular lymphatic system has a crucial impact on bounding eye diseases, like disorders of the optic nerve and retina. Therefore, here we review the recent research progress concerning the structure and function of MLV and glymphatic system. We also discuss the biomarkers for identification of lymphatic vessels, the composition of ocular lymphatic systems, and the possible association with diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel fingerprint method was established for the quality control of Rana chensinensis eggs (RE) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were performed. Besides, the antitussive effect of RE was explored. The analysis was achieved on a Kromasil 100-5C18 (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) column by gradient elution using methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid solution as the mobile phase. The influence of RE on cough latent periods and cough times of mice was investigated via an ammonia cough-inducing experiment. The validated HPLC method was precise, reproducible, and stable. The HPLC fingerprints of 10 batches of RE samples displayed 31 well-resolved common peaks in the chromatogram. Three of these peaks were identified and assigned to 1-methyl hydantoin, estradiol, and 4-cholestene-3-one. The similarities of 10 batches of samples were more than 0.95. RE from different origins could be classified into three groups via SPSS 23.0 software, suggesting RE samples from various provinces (Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang) can be well distinguished via the established method. High dose and middle dose of the RE group can significantly prolong the cough latent periods of mice (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) and inhibit the cough times of mice (P < 0.01), indicating RE had a good antitussive effect. HPLC fingerprint combined with multicomponent determination can be an efficient and useful method for monitoring the quality of RE. This study also provided a more comprehensive strategy for the quality evaluation of RE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic fatty acid metabolism lncRNAs and potential molecular targeting drugs in uveal melanoma through integrated bioinformatics analysis. Methods. In the present study, we obtained the expression matrix of 309 FAM-mRNAs and identified 225 FAM-lncRNAs by coexpression network analysis. We then performed univariate Cox analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and cross-validation and finally obtained an optimized UVM prognosis prediction model composed of four PFAM-lncRNAs (AC104129.1, SOS1-IT1, IDI2-AS1, and DLGAP1-AS2). Results. The survival curves showed that the survival time of UVM patients in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that in the low-risk group in the train cohort, test cohort, and all patients in the prognostic prediction model (P < 0.05). We further performed risk prognostic assessment, and the results showed that the risk scores of the high-risk group in the train cohort, test cohort, and all patients were significantly higher than those of the low-risk group (P < 0.05), patient survival decreased and the number of deaths increased with increasing risk scores, and AC104129.1, SOS1-IT1, and DLGAP1-AS2 were high-risk PFAM-lncRNAs, while IDI2-AS1 were low-risk PFAM-lncRNAs. Afterwards, we further verified the accuracy and the prognostic value of our model in predicting prognosis by PCA analysis and ROC curves. Conclusion. We identified 24 potential molecularly targeted drugs with significant sensitivity differences between high- and low-risk UVM patients, of which 13 may be potential targeted drugs for high-risk patients. Our findings have important implications for early prediction and early clinical intervention in high-risk UVM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(i) the signalling pathway of fish-specific TLRs remain unclear; (ii) the ligand of some fish TLRs remains unclear; (iii) the expressions of fish TLRs are species-specific and tissue-specific, indicating that the function of the same TLR might vary in different fish species (Roach et al., 2005). Keywords: gene expression; innate immune; Micropterus salmoides; toll-like receptors EN gene expression innate immune Micropterus salmoides toll-like receptors 2562 2566 5 03/21/22 20220415 NES 220415 INTRODUCTION Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important patterns recognition receptors (PRRs) of host which mainly involve in recognizing pathogens (Moresco et al., 2011). Only 13 TLRs were identified in mammals (10 TLRs in human: TLR1-TLR10; and 12 TLRs in mouse: TLR1-TLR9, TLR11-TLR13; Vidya et al., 2018). [Extracted from the article]

Based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), a method for simultaneous determination of five active components in Hibiscus mutabilis L was established by quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS). This method was used to evaluate the quality of Hibiscus mutabilis L. In the study, quercetin was used as the internal standard, and the relative correction factors (RCF) of rutin, protocatechuic acid, catechin, and luteolin were calculated, and the contents of five components were determined simultaneously by quercetin. Compared with the traditional external standard method (ESM), this method had less error and higher feasibility, and the methodological experiments showed that the five components had a great linear relationship within their respective concentration ranges (r ≥ 0.9995). The average recovery was 96.97%-98.85% (RSD was 0.88%-1.81%), precision (RSD ≦ 1.83 %), repeatability (RSD ≦ 1.87 %), and stability (RSD ≦ 1.51 %) were great. In this experiment, the contents of these five active components in Hibiscus mutabilis L from five producing areas were determined. Finally, the antioxidant capacity of Hibiscus mutabilis L was determined to determine its antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukins (ILs) are a subgroup of cytokines involved in the intercellular regulation of the immune system, which play important roles in host immune defense against pathogens. In the present study, three ILs (IL‐1β, IL‐15 and IL‐16) were identified from largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), an economically important freshwater fish species. The three ILs, which shared characteristic features with their counterparts in other fish species, were ubiquitously expressed in all the examined tissues, but with different expression patterns. Following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic‐polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) stimulation, all the three genes were up‐regulated to different degrees in spleen of largemouth bass. The results indicated that these ILs involved in the immune response of largemouth bass during bacterial and virus infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first characterization of these three genes in largemouth bass. Our results will not only enrich the understanding of interleukins in largemouth bass, but also provide a valuable framework for further studies of the immune function of these interleukins during pathogen invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To establish a quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) method for the simultaneous determination of 4 active components such as protocatechuic acid, catechin, quercetin, and luteolin in Plantago depressa. Method. 4 active components in Plantago depressa were studied. Quercetin was used as an internal reference to establish the relative correction factors among protocatechuic acid, catechin, and luteolin and calculate the contents of each component; the results were compared with those measured by the external standard method. Results. 4 components showed a good linear relationship in their respective concentration ranges (r > 0.9995). The relative correction factors (fs/k) of protocatechuic acid, catechin, and luteolin were 1.1992, 0.8613, and 1.6069, respectively. The method had good durability. The contents of protocatechuic acid, catechin, and luteolin calculated by QAMS were not significantly different from those measured by the external standard method. Conclusion. QAMS can be used to determine the content of 4 components in Plantago depressa at the same time, and the method is simple, accurate, and can be used for quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore a green and efficient extraction technology for the extraction of active ingredients of Asarum, the deep eutectic solvent combined with ultrasonic was applied to compare the extraction efficiency of 10 kinds of deep eutectic solvents, taking the extraction rate of methyl eugenol and asarinin as indices. Single-factor experiments were adopted to investigate the influence of molar ratio, liquid-to-solid ratio, eddy time, ultrasonic time, and temperature of the deep eutectic solvent on the extraction rate of methyl eugenol and asarinin. Based on single-factor experiments, the surface response methodology was used to optimize the extraction process conditions. The results showed that the optimum extracting process conditions of methyl eugenol and asarinin in Asarum consisted of a ratio of choline chloride to glycerol of 1 : 3, a DES volume of 2 mL, an ultrasonic temperature of 60°C, an ultrasonic time of 30 min, and a vortex oscillation of 7 min. Under the optimum extracting process conditions, the contents of methyl eugenol and asarinin were 1.9428 mg/g and 0.9989 mg/g, respectively, and the comprehensive index was 2.3280 (RSD of 1.91%). The results were close to the predicted values of the response surface model, demonstrating the applicability of the model. The extraction rate of methyl eugenol and asarinin in Asarum by this method was higher than that of water extraction and alcohol extraction, which fully indicated the high efficiency of ultrasonic-assisted green deep eutectic solvent extraction technology. The results provide data support for further development and utilization of Asarum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimed at the problem of occasional congestion control, the cusp catastrophe theory is used to establish the catastrophe model of the urban road system under occasional congestion, finding breakpoints and analyzing stability after urban road system catastrophes by constructing the energetic function; based on the catastrophe characteristics of the urban road system, the feasibility method of congestion control is discussed. The results show that the control method of traffic flow based on catastrophe characteristics of the urban road system can effectively improve the efficiency of the road system in theory. Finally, the applicability of the control method based on catastrophe characteristics is analyzed by examples under different occasional congestion situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented foods and beverages have been known to be beneficial when included in the human diet. This study examined the glycemic index (GI) of a fermented beverage (FB) made from Changbai Mountain fruit and vegetables in humans and its antioxidant capacity and metabolic effects in a rat model of diabetes. Twenty healthy volunteers were tested with 50 g of glucose and 50 g equivalent of carbohydrates from FB on two separate days for GI measurement. The rats were randomly divided into blank control group (n = 15) and diabetic model (DM) group (n = 75). DM group were randomly divided into five groups, positive control group, model control group and three FB treatment (2.5, 5, 10 ml/kg·bw·d) groups. The general indices, including blood glucose and lipid levels and antioxidant index, of the rats were measured to investigate the effect of FB. The GI of FB was found to be 56.99, indicating it as a medium GI food. Compared to model control group, the low‐dose FB group had lower blood glucose levels and higher high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in DM rats (p <.05). Medium‐ and high‐dose FB decreased the serum malonaldehyde levels in DM rats compared to those in the model control group. The FB‐treated DM rat groups showed increased serum glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels compared with those in the model control group (p <.05). FB is a medium GI food that plays a protective role against oxidative stress in DM rats. Practical applications: The present study evaluated the glycemic index of a fermented beverage (FB) made from Changbai Mountain fruit and vegetables in humans and investigated its antioxidant capacity and metabolic effects in a rat diabetes model. The study results may aid in the development of FB from fruits and vegetables and provide a theoretical basis for further research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kuqa Basin is an important potentially potash-bearing basin in China, and thick salt-bearing strata were deposited under the influence of multistage Tethyan transgression-regression cycles during the Eocene. At present, research on the process of potash formation in the Kuqa Basin has mostly focused on traditional salt mineralogy, whole-rock geochemistry, and evaporite sedimentary evolution characteristics. However, research on the original ore-forming parent fluid directly related to potash formation has not yet been carried out, directly hindering further evaluation of potash mineralization. Therefore, this paper takes the internal factors controlling potash formation as the starting point and analyzes the physical and chemical properties, such as the homogenization temperatures ( T h ) and chemical compositions, of primary halite fluid inclusions. A total of 220 T h data from fluid inclusions were obtained, and the temperatures ranged from 9.4 to 54.1°C, indicating a high-temperature brine environment conducive to the rapid deposition of the potash deposit. In total, 22 halite fluid inclusions were analyzed for chemical components. The highest KCl content reached 0.59%, which was higher than the lowest industrial grade of potassium-rich brine (0.5%), indicating that the brine experienced a high degree of evaporation and concentration during the salt-forming period and reached the potash precipitation stage. This paper provides quantitative data on the evolution of the sedimentary environment in the Kuqa Basin and supports future potash exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems have been widely implemented in long‐span bridges to measure various structural responses. It is difficult to directly perform condition assessment from the variations in structural responses because of initial residual stress and defaults, coupling effects of structure damage and external loads, and others. To fix these problems, this study proposes global and partial bidirectional long short‐term memory (BiLSTM) models to establish a relationship between girder vertical deflection (GVD) and cable tension (CT). First, a global BiLSTM model is built using all the measured signals of GVD and CT, and the test results show that the average root mean square error (RMSE) and relative RMSE (RRMSE) between the predicted and ground‐truth CTs are 1.83 kN and 3.19%, respectively. Second, the effects of both traffic volume and noise level on the model prediction error are investigated, indicating that the proposed method is robust to different noise levels and traffic volumes under normal operational conditions. Finally, to customize a prediction model for a certain CT, a group of partial BiLSTM models is further constructed with only a few GVDs as inputs and a single CT as output. Sobol's sensitivity index is adopted as the indicator to select the most significant inputs among all the GVD sensors. The partial model is more efficient for training because of significantly fewer channels in each layer and model parameters. The prediction results show that the partial models can achieve an average RMSE and RRMSE of 1.86 kN and 3.24%, respectively, which are similar to the prediction accuracy of the global model. In addition, the partial model can be applied if certain sensors are out of order when compared to the global model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence of the trace point step-jump behavior on a terminal guidance system, an analysis is performed from the line-of-sight rate (LOS rate) and guidance accuracy views for designing an anti-step-jump guidance law. First, the linear terminal guidance model under the trace point jump circumstance is constructed, and then the fundamental reason for the miss distance is investigated by deriving the upper bound of the LOS rate at the initial step-jump moment. Following this, the novel proposed analytical differential adjoint model is established with the adjoint method, and its validity is demonstrated comparing with the numeric derivative model. Based on the adjoint model, the effects of the ratio coefficient, the time constant, and the jump amplitude on the guidance accuracy are explored. Finally, a novel anti-step-jump guidance law is designed to shorten the recovery time of the overload. The simulations have shown that the faster recovery time and higher accuracy are achieved in comparison with the proportional navigation guidance, optimal guidance, and adaptive sliding mode guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special steering characteristics and task complexity of autonomous articulated vehicle (AAV) make it often require multiple forward and backward movements during autonomous driving. In this paper, we present a simple yet effective method, named head correction with fixed wheel position (HC-FWP), for the demand of multiple forward and backward movements. The goal-directed rapid-exploring random tree (GDRRT) algorithm is first used to search for a feasible path in the obstacle map, and then, the farthest node search (FNS) algorithm is applied to obtain a series of key nodes, on which HC-FWP is used to correct AAV heading angles. Simulation experiments with Dynapac CC6200 articulated road roller parameters show that the proposed improved goal-directed rapid-exploring random tree (IGDRRT), consisting of GDRRT, FNS, and HC-FWP, can search a feasible path on maps that require the AAV to move back and forth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder during pregnancy with health consequences for both lives during and after pregnancy. Studies found that many pregnant women turn to complementary and alternative medicine for health maintenance or symptom relief, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture from traditional Chinese medicine. With the growing popularity of traditional Chinese medicine, we conducted a systemic search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases on research studies that investigated traditional Chinese medicine during pregnancy. The resultant hits were further searched in relation to all diabetes mellitus. In total, we found three major herbal medicine/herbal products that were associated with glycemic control in gestational diabetes, including Zuo Gui Wan, red raspberry leaves, and Orthosiphon stamineus. We further reviewed them and their relatives in relation to type 2 diabetes mellitus and found more evidence of metabolic benefits. None of the herbal medicine and products examined reported toxicity in the experimental models. Overall, treatments of gestational diabetes by western or alternative interventions are grossly understudied. It is critical to have a standardized protocol when evaluating efficacy of herbal medicine and produce quality results for women and their health-care providers to make informed treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is controversial whether supramalleolar osteotomy is suitable for Takakura Stage 3B osteoarthritis or not. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of supramalleolar osteotomy in patients with Takakura 3B osteoarthritis. From February 2008 to August 2013, supramalleolar osteotomy was performed in 21 patients matching the inclusion criteria. The mean patient age at operation was 53.7±5.8 years (range: 39 to 61 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 87.7±19.5 months (range: 61 to 125 months). The radiologic evaluation included the tibial articular surface (TAS) angle, tibial lateral surface (TLS) angle, and talar tilt (TT) angle. Functional assessment was performed with use of the AOFAS, VAS, SF-36, and AOS. All patients were followed. TAS angle improved from 82.8±2.4 to 90.3±2.3. TLS angle changed from 77.5±2.8 to 79.4±2.7. The preoperative TT angle and postoperative TT angle were 13.4±3.6 to 4.8±3.6, respectively. For functional evaluation, the preoperative VAS and AOFAS-AH scores were 5.7±1.3 and 48.0±15.8, while the postoperative VAS and AOFAS-AH scores were 2.5±1.9 and 74.8±11.5. The mean SF-36 scale improved from 41.2±13.1 to 66.7±14.9. The AOS score improved from 61.4±12.5 to 27.5±17.8. 1 patient underwent total ankle replacement 3 years postoperatively. 4 patients remained stage 3B including the TAR one. 4 improved to stage 3A, 11 improved to stage 2, and 2 improved to stage 1. Supramalleolar osteotomy combined with auxiliary procedures can restore the malalignment of ankle joint and modify the abnormal stress distribution so as to achieve functional improvement and improve radiographic stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first introduce a class of tensors, called positive semidefinite plus tensors on a closed cone, and discuss its simple properties; and then, we focus on investigating properties of solution sets of two classes of tensor complementarity problems. We study the solvability of a generalized tensor complementarity problem with a D-strictly copositive tensor and a positive semidefinite plus tensor on a closed cone and show that the solution set of such a complementarity problem is bounded. Moreover, we prove that a related conic tensor complementarity problem is solvable if the involved tensor is positive semidefinite on a closed convex cone and is uniquely solvable if the involved tensor is strictly positive semidefinite on a closed convex cone. As an application, we also investigate a static traffic equilibrium problem which is reformulated as a concerned complementarity problem. A specific example is also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the mechanical properties of embedded honeycomb plates with high efficiency and accuracy, a new multilayered equivalent finite element method (FEM) model is proposed. A series of FEM numerical studies (modal analysis, static analysis, and shock spectrum analysis) are performed. The goal is to compare the errors produced by the multilayered equivalent method and by existing equivalent approaches. The obtained results indicate that the proposed model shows good agreement with the original plate. Moreover, based on the new model, a parametric study correlating the microstructure parameters (embedded depth/cell size) to modal frequency is proposed, and a multiparameter equation for frequency and embedded depth/cell size is established to serve as a basis for structural optimization design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants rich in luteolin have been used as Chinese traditional medicines for inflammatory diseases, hypertension, and cancer. However, little is known about the effect of luteolin on the apoptosis or autophagy of the macrophages. In this study, mouse macrophage ANA-1 cells were incubated with different concentrations of luteolin. The viability of the cells was determined by an MTT assay, apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric analysis, the level of cell autophagy was observed by confocal microscopy, and the expression levels of apoptotic or autophagic and antiapoptotic or antiautophagic proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. The results showed that luteolin decreased the viability of ANA-1 cells and induced apoptosis and autophagy. Luteolin induced apoptosis accompanied by downregulation of the expression of Bcl-2 and upregulation of the expression of caspase 3 and caspase 8. And luteolin increased FITC-LC3 punctate fluorescence accompanied by the increased expression levels of LC3-I, ATG7, and ATG12, while it suppressed the expression level of Beclin-1. Luteolin treatment resulted in obvious activation of the p38, JNK, and Akt signaling pathways, which is important in modulating apoptosis and autophagy. Thus, we concluded that luteolin induced the apoptosis and autophagy of ANA-1 cells most likely by regulating the p38, JNK, and Akt pathways, inhibiting the activity of Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 and upregulating caspase 3 and caspase 8 expression. These results provide novel insights into a therapeutic strategy to prevent and possibly treat macrophage-related diseases through luteolin-induced apoptosis and autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necroptosis is the best-described form of regulated necrosis at present, which is widely recognized as a component of caspase-independent cell death mediated by the concerted action of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3). Mixed-lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) was phosphorylated by RIPK3 at the threonine 357 and serine 358 residues and then formed tetramers and translocated onto the plasma membrane, which destabilizes plasma membrane integrity leading to cell swelling and membrane rupture. Necroptosis is downstream of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, and also interaction with NOD-like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3) induced inflammasome activation. Multiple inhibitors of RIPK1 and MLKL have been developed to block the cascade of signal pathways for procedural necrosis and represent potential leads for drug development. In this review, we highlight recent progress in the study of roles for necroptosis in cerebral ischemic disease and discuss how these modifications delicately control necroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes an identification framework based on a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) for crack identification and extraction from images containing cracks and complicated background inside steel box girders of bridges. The original images that include fatigue crack and other background information are obtained by a consumer‐grade camera inside the steel box girder. The original images are cut into a number of elements with small size as the input dataset, and a state representation vector is artificially labeled to every image element used for the crack identification. A deep learning model or network consisting of multiple processing RBM layers to learn the abstract features is constructed to match the input image elements with corresponding state representation vectors. Next, a three‐layer RBM with 500; 500; and 2,000 hidden units is trained as the hidden layers in the deep learning network. A contrastive divergence learning algorithm is employed for training the deep network to update and obtain the optimal parameters (i.e., the biases and weights). The new input image elements labeled as crack are sorted out and assembled to form an output image. A deep network is modeled through the consumer‐grade camera images containing cracks and complicated background information using the proposed approach. The accuracy and ability to identify cracks from new images with different resolutions using the trained deep network are validated. Furthermore, effects of element size on reconstruction error and identification accuracy are investigated. The results show that there exists optimal element size; that is, too small and too large element sizes both increase the reconstruction error and decrease the identification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of ZnO nanorod surface on fabricating the perovskite solar cell and its performance were studied. Varied thickness of ZnO nanorod arrays with rough surface condition were achieved through the control of hydrothermal growth time and acid treatment. Samples based on modified ZnO nanorod arrays exhibit an impressive increase on the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) compared with the untreated ones. Further research onto the surface topography and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test indicates that the improvement should be attributed to the suppression of the charge recombination rate at the ZnO nanorod/CH3NH3PbI3 interface. In order to enhance the short-circuit current density (Jsc) performance one step further, Cl-doped perovskite crystal was introduced into the cell. Because of its longer electron diffusion length, an impressive Jsc is received. The final combination of the two methods with the optimized thickness of the ZnO nanorod brought a total power conversion efficiency of 13.3% together with Voc~0.92 V, Jsc~23.1 mA/cm2, and FF~63%. This work highlights the importance of the surface morphology of the electron transport layer and its interface contact with the light absorbing layer in a solar cell structure. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method, quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS), was established in this article to investigate the quality control of a traditional Chinese medicine, Oviductus Ranae. 7-Hydroxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol, 4-cholesten-3-one, stigmasterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, and cholesterol were selected as the indexes of quality evaluation of Oviductus Rana. The determination was achieved on an Agilent HC-C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) using methanol with water (87 : 13 v/v) as mobile phase at the flow rate of 2.0 mL/min. Cholesterol was used as an internal standard to determine the relative correction factors between cholesterol and other steroidal constituents in Oviductus Ranae. The contents of those steroidal constituents were calculated at the same time. To evaluate the QAMS method, an external standard method was used to determine the contents of six steroidal constituents. No significant difference was observed when comparing the quantitative results of QAMS with the results of external standard method. The proposed QAMS method was proved to be accurate and feasible based on methodological experiments. QAMS provided a simple, efficient, economical, and accurate way to control the quality of Oviductus Ranae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is a critical event in process of hepatic fibrogenesis and cirrhosis. Matrine, the active ingredient of Sophora, had been used for clinical treatment of acute/chronic liver disease. However, its potency was low. We prepared a high potency and low toxicity matrine derivate, WM130 (C30N4H40SO5F), which exhibited better pharmacological activities on antihepatic fibrosis. This study demonstrated that WM130 results in a decreased proliferative activity of HSC-T6 cells, with the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 68 μM. WM130 can inhibit the migration and induce apoptosis in HSC-T6 cells at both concentrations of 68 μM (IC50) and 34 μM (half IC50). The expression of α-SMA, Collagen I, Collagen III, and TGF-β1 could be downregulated, and the protein phosphorylation levels of EGFR, AKT, ERK, Smad, and Raf (p-EGFR, p-AKT, p-ERK, p-Smad, and p-Raf) were also decreased by WM130. On the DMN-induced rat liver fibrosis model, WM130 can effectively reduce the TGF-β1, AKT, α-SMA, and p-ERK levels, decrease the extracellular matrix (ECM) formation, and inhibit rat liver fibrosis progression. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that WM130 can significantly inhibit the activation of HSC-T6 cells and block the rat liver fibrosis progression by inducing apoptosis, suppressing the deposition of ECM, and inhibiting TGF-β/Smad and Ras/ERK pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To build scalable and lightweight wireless sensor networks with energy saving devices, 6LoWPAN-based protocols become emergent technologies that successfully constructed ubiquitous networks and seamlessly connected the traditional Internet with WSNs. However, the existing researches cannot effectively maintain the routing and the network topology for the problems of low cost sensors’ malfunctions. In this paper, we improved the HiLow protocol in aspects of interconnection between the Internet and 6LoWPAN and designed a network routing path recovery approach. In addition, we designed and modified the address mapping table in gateway to store and map nodes’ EUI-64 address and 16-bit short address. Nodes from the Internet can access the 6LoWPAN nodes by an IPv6 address, which is generated by the EUI-64 address and IPv6 prefix. Due to the benefits of additional data structure and our designs, the simulation results manifested that our protocol improves the routing efficiency and can effectively reduce the cost for network reorganization caused by node failures and mobiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise source identification is the first key step to reduce the noise pressure level of the carpet tufting machine. For identifying the main noise sources of the carpet tufting machine, the single channel blind source separation (SCBSS) method is proposed to separate the acquired single channel noise, and the time-frequency signal analysis is applied to identify separated noise components. The SCBSS includes ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), improved Akaike information criterion (AIC) source number estimation and fast independent component analysis (FastICA). The separation method based on EEMD-AIC-FastICA not only overcomes traditional blind source separation problems that require enough test channel numbers, but also solves the problem that the number of virtual multichannel signals is unknown. Four independent components (ICs) are obtained after using the SCBSS. Combining the time-frequency analysis of the four ICs and the acquired vibration signals of six main components, the specific four noise sources can be identified. The four ICs correspond to the noise of needles, noise of hooks, noise of hook driven shaft, and noise of motor spindle, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a clinical disease with high morbidity and mortality, with limited treatment means. For primary alveolar epithelial type II (AT2) cells, glycolysis is an essential bioenergetic process. However, the significance of AT2 cell glycolysis in sepsis ALI remains unknown. Methods and Results. In the current study, based on microarray analysis, real-time quantitative PCR, and Western blotting, we found that the hsa00020: citrate cycle pathway was inactivated, specifically its downstream gene: malate dehydrogenase 1 (MDH1) and MDH2 in ALI. In this context, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were used to construct the septic-ALI mouse model and the biological function of MDH1 and MDH2 in primary alveolar epithelial type II (AT2) cells was explored. Through CCK-8, EdU, transwell, and apoptosis assays, we found that MDH1 and MDH2 promoted the cell vitality of AT2 cells, which relied on MDH1 and MDH2 to promote the glucose intake of AT2 cells. Conclusion. Overall, these findings suggest that targeting MDH1/MDH2-mediated AT2 cell glycolysis may be a potential strategy for ALI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the security and stability of data transmission in vehicle-road cooperative communication and reduce the error rate of data transmission, a fast data transmission method based on the clustering algorithm is proposed. First, the multisensor information acquisition method of the vehicle networking is used to realize data acquisition and data structure analysis of the vehicle-road cooperative communication, and a data transmission channel model for vehicle-road cooperative communication is constructed. The interference suppression in the data transmission process of the vehicle-road cooperative communication is realized by the matched filter detection algorithm. Then, according to the symbol characteristic distribution of the vehicle-road cooperative communication channel, the baud interval equalization method is used to realize the piecewise equalization adjustment of data transmission for the vehicle-road cooperative communication. With the adaptive error compensation and channel fading suppression, the K-means clustering algorithm is used to carry out the coordinated adjustment to data packets during the rapid data transmission of the vehicle-road cooperative communication. Finally, the adaptive control of data transmission for the vehicle-road cooperative communication is carried out according to the dynamic distribution characteristics of the clustering center so as to reduce the influence of channel fading and intersymbol interference caused by channel spread. The simulation results show that the bit error rate of this method is kept at about 0.05, and the data transmission rate continues to increase, most of which remain above 0.95. This method has strong anti-interference ability for the rapid data transmission of vehicle-road cooperative communication, with lower communication bit error rate, less end-to-end time delay, and higher stability and accuracy of data transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreasing grain processing breakage in traditional rigid threshing units is key to achieving mechanical harvesting with high quality. This work optimizes a novel flexible threshing system with ethylene propylene diene monomer composite nail teeth by a combined experiment—SEM approach. The grain breakage characteristics and parametric ranges under different variables in this system are analyzed. The effects of threshing time on the wear rate, macrostructure, and micromorphology of the rubber layer of ethylene propylene diene monomer composite nail teeth are examined. The results indicate that this system reduces the grain breakage rate in traditional threshing units by 45.96%. Grain breakage rates decrease first and then increase with increasing rotational speed and obliquity of the cylinder. Breakage rate is inversely proportional to concave clearance and positively proportional to feeding rate. The wear rate of the rubber layer decreases first and then increases as threshing time increases. Macroscopically, fine cracks distributed differently, laterally, and vertically evolve into divergent pits. Microscopically, fish‐scale wearing marks change into faults with varying morphology. Practical applications: Based on a self‐made threshing system with ethylene propylene diene monomer composite nail teeth, the elastic collision and flexible threshing of corn during threshing are realized in this study. By optimizing the process parameters of the threshing system and analyzing the wear performance of the nail teeth, the breakage rates and non‐threshing rates of grains in the traditional threshing system are reduced. These findings provide a basis for reducing the breakage and loss of agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is an important environment issue rapidly becoming a part of popular culture. Scientists are 95-100% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities. Policies dealing with global warming depend on accurate and precise monitoring of the emissions of greenhouse gases. However, most greenhouse gas emissions management comes from bottom-up reporting, in which a company reports its energy use and other resource consumption metrics and maps out its carbon footprint. This is not a sufficient good way. A big data network of sensors has been constructed by us in Neimenggu province of China, which will gather huge amount of more accurate information on the dynamics of greenhouse gases in local areas and measure changes over time. Application specific instruction set processor is integrated in those sensor devices, to perform preliminary process of collected data. In this work, we have presented our efforts at constructing the big data sensor network for monitoring the greenhouse gases emission and mainly focused on building the ASIP's retargetable compiler framework designed and dedicated for our sensor network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this paper is to establish some nonlinear retarded inequalities on time scales which can be used as handy tools in the theory of integral equations with time delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the hot rolling process, a load distribution optimizationmodel is established, which includes rolling forcemodel, thickness distribution model, and temperature model. The rolling force ratio distribution and good strip shape are integrated as two indicators of objective function in the optimization model. Then, the evolutionary algorithm for complex-process optimization (EACOP) is introduced in the following optimization algorithm. Due to its flexible framework structure on search mechanism, the EACOP is improved within differential evolutionary strategy, for better coverage speed and search efficiency. At last, the experimental and simulation result shows that evolutionary algorithm for complex-process optimization based on differential evolutionary strategy (DEACOP) is the organism including local search and global search. The comparison with experience distribution and EACOP shows that DEACOP is able to use fewer adjustable parameters and more efficient population differential strategy during solution searching; meanwhile it still can get feasible mathematical solution for actual load distribution problems in hot rolling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinearmodel of main drive systemin cold rolling process, which considers the influence with parameter uncertainties such as clearance and variable friction coefficient, aswell as external disturbance by roll eccentricity and variation of strip material quality, is built. By transformation, the lower triangular structure formofmain drive systemis obtained. The backstepping algorithmbased on signal compensation is proposed to design a linear time-invariant (LTI) robust controller, including a nominal controller and a robust compensator. A comparison with PI controller shows that the controller has better disturbance attenuation performance and tracking behaviors. Meanwhile, according to its LTI characteristic, the robust controller can be realized easily; therefore it is also appropriated to high speed dynamic rolling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology for actively discovering knowledge in transport hotline databases by analyzing complaints reported by citizens, aiming to assist transportation management departments in planning actions to investigate and improve service quality. The proposed model uses text mining techniques and applies latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) to identify topics that are related to transportation services. Consequently, we actively analyzed over 230,000 phone calls occurring in a certain province between 1st January and 31st December 2021. Specifically, we actively analyzed nearly 22,000 phone calls about the taxi industry within a selected city, and identified six topics, including lost and found (27.1%), car blocking (20.6%), attitude and behavior (17.1%), online car-hailing (12.8%), illegal operations (11.2%), and fare issues (11.2%). By actively referring to past and ongoing best practices, we actively recommend several policy implications. The proposed method thus actively transforms the service center record into a customer feedback-based assessment system to intently monitor drivers' professionalism while efficiently addressing customers' complaints and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prevent counterfeiting of down fiber from consumers, rare earth fluorescent materials are developed in the field of material identification and anticounterfeiting. Herein, the development of verifiable down fiber based on infrared excitation-infrared emission was described. A novel method was approached to prepare security down fiber, which involved modification of down-conversion nanoparticles (DCNPs) by sulfonic groups and self-assembly onto down fiber through electrostatic force. DCNPs were successfully prepared from ytterbium-deposited NaYF4 nanoparticles using a complexation precipitation approach, in which the trivalent ytterbium ions served as the luminescent center. Sulfonic down-conversion nanoparticles (SO3-SiO2@DCNPs) were fabricated by the hydrolysis of 3-mercaptopropyl triethoxysilane (MPTES) and next oxidation to enhance the combination of the DCNPs with down fiber. The synthesis of DCNPs and SO3-SiO2@DCNPs and its pendant to down were confirmed by XRD, SEM, XPS, FT-IR, Zeta potential meter, and PL, which revealed the presence of DCNPs in the size average 86 nm. The obtained DCNPs and security down fiber were launching an invisible red-shifted emission of 930∼1080 nm (corresponding to the 2F5/2 ⟶ 2F7/2 transitions in Yb3+). After washing, the infrared emission of security down fiber was evaluated and proved to be effective with fine results, which showed its potential application in the field of security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image, by Yang Xu et al., is based on the Research Article Performance improvement of dual processed perovskite solar cell—acid‐modified ZnO nanorods with Cl‐doped light harvesting layer, DOI: 10.1002/er.3743. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal plasma cell disorder which still lacks sufficient prognostic factors. The serine/arginine-rich splicing factor (SRSF) family serves as an important splicing regulator in organ development. Among all members, SRSF1 plays an important role in cell proliferation and renewal. However, the role of SRSF1 in MM is still unknown. Methods. SRSF1 was selected from the primary bioinformatics analysis of SRSF family members, and then we integrated 11 independent datasets and analyzed the relationship between SRSF1 expression and MM clinical characteristics. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to explore the potential mechanism of SRSF1 in MM progression. ImmuCellAI was used to estimate the abundance of immune infiltrating cells between the SRSF1high and SRSF1low groups. The ESTIMATE algorithm was used to evaluate the tumor microenvironment in MM. The expression of immune-related genes was compared between the groups. Additionally, SRSF1 expression was validated in clinical samples. SRSF1 knockdown was conducted to explore the role of SRSF1 in MM development. Results. SRSF1 expression showed an increasing trend with the progression of myeloma. Besides, SRSF1 expression increased as the age, ISS stage, 1q21 amplification level, and relapse times increased. MM patients with higher SRSF1 expression had worse clinical features and poorer outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that upregulated SRSF1 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor for MM. Enrichment pathway analysis confirmed that SRSF1 takes part in the myeloma progression via tumor-associated and immune-related pathways. Several checkpoints and immune-activating genes were significantly downregulated in the SRSF1high groups. Furthermore, we detected that SRSF1 expression was significantly higher in MM patients than that in control donors. SRSF1 knockdown resulted in proliferation arrest in MM cell lines. Conclusion. The expression value of SRSF1 is positively associated with myeloma progression, and high SRSF1 expression might be a poor prognostic biomarker in MM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposed a modified faster region‐based convolutional neural network (faster R‐CNN) for the multitype seismic damage identification and localization (i.e., concrete cracking, concrete spalling, rebar exposure, and rebar buckling) of damaged reinforced concrete columns from images. Four hundred raw images containing different damages and complicated background information are taken by a consumer‐grade camera in various locations and arbitrary perspectives to simulate the diverse situations where real‐world postearthquake damaged structural images are taken by nonprofessionals. Rectangular bounding boxes are obtained to localize multitype structural damages along with the corresponding category labels and classification probabilities. Data augmentation is implemented by rotation at every 90°, vertical and horizontal flipping operations. An interactive labeling process for the ground‐truth regions of the aforementioned damages is performed by a semiautomatic MATLAB program. A four‐step alternating training procedure is adopted on the basis of the mini‐batch stochastic gradient decent algorithm with momentum by backpropagation. Test results show that the trained faster R‐CNN can automatically identify and localize the aforementioned multitype seismic damages and the overall average precision reaches 80%. The relative errors of coordinates of the left‐top point obey minimum extreme value distributions, and those of width and height obey three‐parameter lognormal distributions. The intersection ratio between the identification and ground truth has a mean value of 0.88, and the width–height ratio obeys a two‐parameter lognormal distribution. Updated convolutional kernels in the first layer have shown trending, focusing, and line detectors for the feature extraction of multitype damages. Trending and focusing detectors contribute to the recognition of local damage regions, for example, concrete spalling and rebar exposure, whereas line detectors are more sensitive to the segmentation geometry, that is, concrete cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP) powder with spherical morphology and suitable particle size for selective laser sintering (SLS) was successfully produced by dissolution-precipitation method. The influence of preparation condition on properties of PP powder was investigated. The experimental results show that the optimal preparation conditions are as follows: dissolution temperature being about 166°C, pressure being about 0.7MPa, and the solid-to-solvent ratio being about 0.067g/ml. The prepared PP powder displayed a narrow size distribution with the mean size of about 42.7μm and the apparent density of powder about 0.40 g/cm3. The specimens produced by laser sintering of the PP powder showed smooth appearance and good dimensional accuracy. The tensile strength and impact strength of the sintered parts were 27.9MPa and 6.3KJ/m2, respectively, which are basically equal to the properties of the injection molded parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS); the progression and outcomes of which are affected by a complicated network of genes and pathways. We chose a gene expression profile of GSE66354 from GEO database to search core biomarkers during the occurrence and development of glioma. A total of 149 samples, involving 136 glioma and 13 normal brain tissues, were enrolled in this article. 1980 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 697 upregulated genes and 1283 downregulated genes between glioma patients and healthy individuals were selected using GeoDiver and GEO2R tool. Then, gene ontology (GO) analysis as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were carried out using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Moreover, Cytoscape with Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) and Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) plug-in was employed to imagine protein-protein interaction (PPI) of these DEGs. The upregulated genes were enriched in cell cycle, ECM-receptor interaction, and p53 signaling pathway, while the downregulated genes were enriched in retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, glutamatergic synapse, morphine addiction, GABAergic synapse, and calcium signaling pathway. Subsequently, 4 typical modules were discovered by the PPI network utilizing MCODE software. Besides, 15 hub genes were chosen according to the degree of connectivity, including TP53, CDK1, CCNB1, and CCNB2, the Kaplan-Meier analysis of which was further identified. In conclusion, this bioinformatics analysis indicated that DEGs and core genes, such as TP53, might influence the development of glioma, especially in tumor proliferation, which were expected to be promising biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of graded replacing fishmeal with fermented silkworm pupae meal (FSPM) on the growth, feed utilization and body index of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The control diet (FSPM0) was produced using fishmeal as the main protein source and the other five diets were formulated by replacement of 10% (FSPM10), 20% (FSPM20), 30% (FSPM30), 40% (FSPM40) and 50% (FSPM50) fishmeal with FSPM. Six groups containing 540 largemouth bass (36.17 ± 0.71 g) were fed to apparent satiation for 10 weeks. The results indicated the weight gain rate, specific growth rate, feed efficiency rate, protein efficiency rate of fish in FSPM30 group were significantly higher than those in other groups. However, the feed intake of fish in FSPM30 group was significantly lower than those in other groups. No significantly changes for hepatosomatic index of fish were observed in all groups. Polynomial regression analysis indicated that the optimal ratio of replacement fishmeal by FSPM was 27%. In conclusion, FSPM can be included into the diet of largemouth bass replacing 27%–30% of fishmeal without negative effect on growth, feed utilization and body index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge graph (KG) as a popular semantic network has been widely used. It provides an effective way to describe semantic entities and their relationships by extending ontology in the entity level. This article focuses on the application of KG in the traditional geological field and proposes a novel method to construct KG. On the basis of natural language processing (NLP) and data mining (DM) algorithms, we analyze those key technologies for designing a KG towards geological data, including geological knowledge extraction and semantic association. Through this typical geological ontology extracting on a large number of geological documents and open linked data, the semantic interconnection is achieved, KG framework for geological data is designed, application system of KG towards geological data is constructed, and dynamic updating of the geological information is completed accordingly. Specifically, unsupervised intelligent learning method using linked open data is incorporated into the geological document preprocessing, which generates a geological domain vocabulary ultimately. Furthermore, some application cases in the KG system are provided to show the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed intelligent learning approach for KG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

s The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy for effectiveness of type A botulinum toxin intradermal injection for facial rejuvenation. Forty female subjects were randomly divided into two groups: BoNTA group and control group. In BoNTA group, each subject's facial skin was treated with intradermal injection of BoNTA, and subjects of the control group were treated with intradermal saline solution injection. Subjects receiving one session of treatment and evaluations were conducted at baseline, four weeks, and twelve weeks after treatment. The outcome assessments included subjective satisfaction scale; blinded clinical assessment; and the biophysical parameters of roughness, elasticity, skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, and melanin index. BoNTA group showed higher physician's global assessment score, subject satisfaction score, roughness, skin hydration, skin elasticity, and lower TEWL compared to that of control group at 12 weeks post-treatment. No significant difference was found among erythema and melanin index at baseline, four, and twelve weeks after treatment among the two major groups. In conclusion, intradermal BoNTA injection can be considered as an effective method for facial rejuvenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this paper, the solidification process of the phase change material (PCM) in the shell‐and‐tube latent‐heat thermal energy storage unit (LTESU) strengthened by fin is studied. For improving the strengthening effect of fins on the solidification performance of shell‐and‐tube LTESU, this paper proposes a novel connected‐Y‐shaped fin. The novel fin is inspired by the interconnection of the internal texture of the lotus leaf, and the branches of the two‐level Y‐shaped fins are connected into a whole by three metal annuluses. The numerical simulation method is applied to investigate the influence of the connected‐Y‐shaped fin on the solidification performance of PCM. The effects of annulus position and fin width on solidification performance are studied and analyzed. At the same time, the effects of the connected‐Y‐shaped fin on the solidification process under different wall temperatures and the radius ratio of outer to inner tube (γi) are investigated. The results indicated that the connected‐Y‐shaped fin can significantly enhance the discharging performance of LTESU. Compared with the traditional two‐level Y‐shaped fins, the optimized connected‐Y‐shaped fin can shorten the PCM solidification time by 53.9%. The optimum width ratio of the connected‐Y‐shaped fin should be 2. The optimum radius ratio of the outer annulus, middle annulus, and inner annulus to the outer tube should be 0.91, 0.64, and 0.41, respectively. The scope of application of the conclusion is that Ste = 0.139 − 0.496, and γi = 0.083 − 0.167. Highlight: A novel connected‐Y‐shaped fin is proposed for the latent heat storage unit.The influences of fin structure parameters on the solidification process are discussed.Optimum fin parameters are recommended for maximizing the solidification rate.The novel fin can decrease the solidification time of PCM by 53.9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the development of CRC. With the deep understanding of TME function, growing studies have demonstrated that alteration in tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and gene expressions are associated with clinical outcomes of various tumors. In this study, we aimed to recognize critical prognostic genes involved in immune states in TME of CRC. Hence, the proportion of TICs and the number of immune and stromal components in CRC samples from TCGA datasets were calculated by the use of CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE calculation methods. Different assays were applied to collect differential expression genes (DEGs) shared by the ImmuneScore and StromalScore. DEGs were further analyzed by the use of univariate Cox regression. Our attention focused on neuron navigator 3 (NAV3) which was highly expressed in CRC specimens and associated with an advanced clinical stage and poor prognosis of CRC patients. KEGG assays revealed that NAV3 may be involved in Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, FoxO signaling pathway, and human papillomavirus infection. Correlation assays showed that macrophage M0 and B cells memory, NK cells activated, dendritic cells resting, T cells CD4 memory activated, and T cells CD8 were correlated with NAV3 expression, indicating that NAV3 may represent the immune status of TME. Finally, RT-PCR confirmed that NAV3 expression was distinctly increased in CRC cells, and its knockdown suppressed the proliferation of CRC cells. Overall, NAV3 could be used as a novel predictor for TME of CRC and might be a novel prognostic biomarker. In the future, drugs targeting NAV3 might be developed as a potential immunotherapy for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoma is a serious malignant tumor that contains more than 70 different types and seriously endangers the body's lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the regulatory center of the immune system and is important in the immune response to foreign antigens and tumors. Studies showed that multiple genetic variants are associated with lymphoma but determining the pathogenic mechanisms remains a challenge. In the present study, we first applied the Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of lymphoma-associated and lymphoma-nonassociated genes. Next, the Boruta and max-relevance and min-redundancy feature selection methods were performed to filter and rank features. Then, features preselected and ranked using the incremental feature selection method were applied for the decision tree model to identify the best GO terms and KEGG pathways and extract classification rules. Results indicate that our predicted features, such as B-cell activation, negative regulation of protein processing, negative regulation of mast cell cytokine production, and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, are associated with the biological process of lymphoma, consistent with those of recent publications. This study provides a new perspective for future research on the molecular mechanisms of lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]