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Rubber asphalt mortar is widely utilized in road engineering for its excellent high-temperature stability and low-temperature crack resistance, but the influence mechanisms of the rubber powder’s mesh size, content, and filler-to-binder ratio on its performance remain unclear. This study systematically evaluated these factors through viscosity testing, rheological experiments, and viscoelastic analysis. The results indicate that the rubber powder content and filler-to-binder ratio significantly affected the viscosity and rheological properties of the mortar, with the 40-mesh rubber powder demonstrating optimal stability. The grey correlation analysis revealed that the filler-to-binder ratio is the most critical factor, followed by the rubber powder content and mesh size. The findings suggest that optimizing the filler-to-binder ratio and rubber powder content, along with appropriate temperature control during construction, can significantly enhance the mortar’s performance, providing a scientific basis for road engineering applications.

Increasing concerns about hair loss affect people’s quality of life. Recent studies have found that sympathetic nerves play a positive role in regulating hair follicle stem cell activity to promote hair growth. However, no study has investigated sympathetic innervation of transplanted follicles. Rat vibrissa follicles were extracted and implanted under the dorsal skin of BALB/c-nu/nu mice using one of two types of follicles: (1) intact follicles, where transplants included bulbs, and (2) upper follicles, where transplants excluded bulbs. Follicular samples were collected for hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence staining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, a sympathetic marker) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. At 37 days after implantation in both groups, follicles had entered anagen, with the growth of long hair shafts; tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive nerves were innervating follicles (1.45-fold); and norepinephrine concentrations (2.03-fold) were significantly increased compared to 5 days, but did not return to normal. We demonstrate the survival of intact and upper follicle xenografts and the partial restoration of sympathetic reinnervations of both transplanted follicles.

This paper focuses on discerning the melting state of keyhole tungsten inert gas (K-TIG) welding, a promising welding technique still considered a novelty. In order to achieve this goal, a sensing system is established to collect voltage signals during the welding process of 304 stainless steel. Analysis of the collected signals reveals that the characteristic signal power spectrum between 36 kHz and 37 kHz is closely related to whether the welding has complete joint penetration. The experimental findings confirm that the spectral power density of the characteristic signal varies significantly with the alteration of welding quality. Moreover, it is observed that when the welding melting state remains unchanged, the change in welding parameters is not noteworthy. When adjusting welding parameters to maintain stable feature signals during the welding process, the corresponding penetration state of the welding does change. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the stability of welding quality by altering welding parameters in real time. These research results provide valuable insights into the real-time quality monitoring of the K-TIG welding process.

The effective detection of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targets is of great significance to guarantee national military security and social stability. In recent years, with the development of communication and control technology, the movement of UAVs has become increasingly flexible and complex, presenting diverse trajectory forms and different motion models in different phases. The Gaussian mixture probability hypothesis density filter incorporating the linear Gaussian jump Markov system approach (LGJMS-GMPHD) provides an efficient method for tracking multiple maneuvering targets, as applied to the switching of motions between a set of models in a Markovian chain. However, in practice, the motion model parameters of targets are generally unknown and the model switching is uncertain. When the preset filtering model parameters are mismatched, the tracking performance is dramatically degraded. In this paper, within the framework of the LGJMS-GMPHD filter, a deep-learning-based multiple model tracking method is proposed. First, an adaptive turn rate estimation network is designed to solve the filtering model mismatch caused by unknown turn rate parameters in coordinate turn models. Second, a filter state modification network is designed to solve the large tracking errors in the maneuvering phase caused by uncertain motion model switching. Finally, based on simulations of multiple maneuvering targets in cluttered environments and experimental field data verification, it can be concluded that the proposed method has strong adaptability to multiple maneuvering forms and can effectively improve the tracking performance of targets with complex maneuvering motion.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of air pollution on the development of adolescents and the mediating role of students’ emotional disorders. Participants came from a longitudinal sample group of adolescents (n = 1301) in Southern China from the years 2016 to 2018. They were assessed for the Positive Youth Development and emotional disorders, and air pollution was measured by the Air Quality Index. The results show that students’ higher degree of exposure to air pollution was negatively associated with their positive development. Three out of four emotional disorders (i.e., anxiety, neuroticism, and withdrawal) mediate this association. The results suggest that the physical environment can have a paramount influence on the emotional status and overall development of adolescents, calling for intervention programs by policymakers.

The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), derived mainly from fish oil, play important roles in brain development and neuroplasticity. Here, we reported that application of ω-3 PUFAs significantly protected mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs) against H2O2-induced oxidative injury. We also isolated NPCs from transgenic mice expressing the Caenorhabditis elegans fat-1 gene. The fat-1 gene, which is absent in mammals, can add a double bond into an unsaturated fatty acid hydrocarbon chain and convert ω-6 to ω-3 fatty acids. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining showed that a marked decrease in apoptotic cells was found in fat-1 NPCs after oxidative injury with H2O2 as compared with wild-type NPCs. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated a much higher expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master transcriptional factor for antioxidant genes, in fat-1 NPCs. The results of the study provide evidence that ω-3 PUFAs resist oxidative injury to NPCs.

Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been used as a tonic to enhance bodily functions against various ailments for hundreds of years in Far Eastern countries without apparent adverse effects. Ginsenoside Rb1, one of the most active ingredients of ginseng, has been shown to possess various pharmacological activities. Here we report that Rb1 exhibits potent neuroprotective effects against oxidative injury induced by tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay demonstrated that incubation with 300 µm t-BHP for 2.5 h led to a significant cell loss of cultured rat embryonic cortex-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and the cell viability was pronouncedly increased by 24 h pretreatment of 10 µm Rb1. TUNEL staining further confirmed that pretreatment of Rb1 significantly reduced the cell apoptosis in t-BHP-induced oxidative injury. Real time PCR revealed that pretreatment with Rb1 activated Nrf2 pathway in cultured NPCs and led to an elevated expression of HO-1. The results of the present study demonstrate that Rb1 shows a potent anti-oxidative effect on cultured NPCs by activating Nrf2 pathway.

Protein secondary structure prediction (PSSP) plays a crucial role in resolving protein functions and properties. Significant progress has been made in this field in recent years, and the use of a variety of protein-related features, including amino acid sequences, position-specific score matrices (PSSM), amino acid properties, and secondary structure trend factors, to improve prediction accuracy is an important technical route for it. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of these factor features in secondary structure prediction is lacking in the current work. This study quantitatively analyzes the impact of several major factors on secondary structure prediction models using a more explanatory four-class machine learning approach. The applicability of each factor in the different types of methods, the extent to which the different methods work on each factor, and the evaluation of the effect of multi-factor combinations are explored in detail. Through experiments and analyses, it was found that PSSM performs best in methods with strong high-dimensional features and complex feature extraction capabilities, while amino acid sequences, although performing poorly overall, perform relatively well in methods with strong linear processing capabilities. Also, the combination of amino acid properties and trend factors significantly improved the prediction performance. This study provides empirical evidence for future researchers to optimize multi-factor feature combinations and apply them to protein secondary structure prediction models, which is beneficial in further optimizing the use of these factors to enhance the performance of protein secondary structure prediction models.

Purpose: To investigate and systematically describe the mechanism of action of Prunella vulgaris (P. vulgaris) against digestive system tumors and related toxicity reduction. Methods: This study briefly describes the history of medicinal food and the pharmacological effects of P. vulgaris, focusing on the review of the anti-digestive tumor effects of the active ingredients of P. vulgaris and the mechanism of its toxicity reduction. Results: The active ingredients of P. vulgaris may exert anti-tumor effects by inducing the apoptosis of cancer cells, inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting the migration and invasion of tumor cells, and inhibiting autophagy. In addition, P. vulgaris active ingredients inhibit the release of inflammatory factors and macrophages and increase the level of indicators of oxidative stress through the modulation of target genes in the pathway to achieve the effect of toxicity reduction. Conclusion: The active ingredients in the medicine food homology plant P. vulgaris not only treat digestive system tumors through different mechanisms but also reduce the toxic effects. P. vulgaris is worthy of being explored more deeply.

The elevated anthocyanin content of colored potatoes produces numerous health benefits in humans. However, there is a paucity of studies exploring the influence of environmental factors on anthocyanin components in colored potatoes. In our work, the Box–Behnken design was adopted to optimize anthocyanin extraction from colored potato tubers with ultrasound assistance. The response surface model was stable and reliable (R2 = 0.9775), and under optimal extraction conditions, namely an ultrasonic power of 299 W, an extraction time of 10 min, and a solid-liquid ratio of 1:30 (g/mL), the yield reached 4.33 mg/g. Furthermore, the anthocyanins of colored potato tubers grown at different altitudes were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction, the results showed that anthocyanin levels were the highest at high altitudes, whereas anthocyanins were almost undetectable at mid-altitude. Moreover, the types of anthocyanin compounds present in colored potatoes varied at different altitudes. The red clones exhibited substantial accumulation of pelargonidin across all three altitudes. In contrast, the main anthocyanins found in purple clones were malvidin, petunidin, and cyanidin. We identified the anthocyanin components with a strong correlation to the environment, thereby establishing a fundamental basis for the breeding of potato clones with high anthocyanin content.

Licorice is a remarkable traditional Chinese medicine obtained from the dried root and rhizomes of the Glycyrrhiza genus, and t has been utilized in China for many centuries. It consists of more than 300 compounds that are mainly divided into triterpene saponins, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and phenolic components. The active compounds of licorice have been found to possess multiple biological activities, including antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, immunoregulatory, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective functions. In addition to providing a brief overview of licorice’s adjuvant properties, this review describes and analyzes the pharmacological mechanisms by which licorice components function to treat gastric cancer. Furthermore, licorice compounds are also found to be potent adjuvant chemotherapy agents, as they can improve the quality of life of cancer patients and alleviate chemotherapy-induced adverse effects.

Perilla frutescens is an annual herb of the Labiatae family and is widely grown in several countries in Asia. Perilla frutescens is a plant that is used medicinally in its entirety, as seen in its subdivision into perilla seeds, perilla stalks, and perilla leaves, which vary more markedly in their chemical composition. Several studies have shown that Perilla frutescens has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, detoxifying, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective. In the absence of a review of Perilla frutescens for the treatment of cancer. This review provides an overview of the chemical composition and molecular mechanisms of Perilla frutescens for cancer treatment. It was found that the main active components of Perilla frutescens producing cancer therapeutic effects were perilla aldehyde (PAH), rosmarinic acid (Ros A), lignan, and isoestrogen (IK). In addition to these, extracts of the leaves and fruits of Perilla frutescens are also included. Among these, perilla seed oil (PSO) has a preventive effect against colorectal cancer due to the presence of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. This review also provides new ideas and thoughts for scientific innovation and clinical applications related to Perilla frutescens.

A 47-year-old female with cardiac dysfunction and lymphadenopathy underwent 18FDG PET/CT and 68Ga-FAPI-04 imaging for tumor screening. Mild uptake in the left ventricular wall was detected on the oncology 18FDG PET/CT. True myocardiac-involvement could not be distinguished with physiological uptake. The following 68Ga-FAPI-04 showed intense heterogeneous uptake in the left ventricular wall, particularly in the septum and apex area, corresponding with the late gadolinium enhancement regions shown by cardiac MR. Intense uptake was also noted in the mediastinal and bilateral hilar lymph nodes. Endomyocardial biopsy demonstrated sarcoidosis.

Microtubules play a fundamental role in plant development, morphogenesis, and cytokinesis; they are assembled from heterodimers containing an α-tubulin (TUA) and a β-tubulin (TUB) protein. However, little research has been conducted on the TUA and TUB gene families in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, we identified 15 TaTUA and 28 TaTUB genes in wheat. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 15 TaTUA genes were divided into two major subfamilies, and 28 TaTUB genes were divided into five major subfamilies. Mostly, there were similar motif compositions and exon-intron structures among the same subfamilies. Segmental duplication of genes (WGD/segmental) is the main process of TaTUA and TaTUB gene family expansion in wheat. It was found that TaTUA and TaTUB genes presented specific temporal and spatial characteristics based on the expression profiles of 17 tissues during wheat development using publicly available RNA-seq data. It was worth noting, via qRT-PCR, that two TaTUA and five TaTUB genes were highly expressed in fertile anthers compared to male sterility. These were quite different between physiological male sterile lines and S-type cytoplasmic male sterile lines at different stages of pollen development. This study offers fundamental information on the TUA and TUB gene families during wheat development and provides new insights for exploring the molecular mechanism of wheat male sterility.

Near-infrared-excited upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have multicolor emissions, a low auto-fluorescence background, a high chemical stability, and a long fluorescence lifetime. The fluorescent probes based on UCNPs have achieved great success in the analysis of different samples. Here, we presented the research results of UCNPs probes utilized in analytical applications including environment, biology, food and medicine in the last five years; we also introduced the design and construction of upconversion optical sensing platforms. Future trends and challenges of the UCNPs used in the analytical field have also been discussed with particular emphasis.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring phytochemical, shows great promise in developing novel anti-cancer therapies. This study hypothesized that the mitochondria-targeted delivery of resveratrol would increase its potency and induce mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. The targeted delivery of resveratrol was achieved by conjugating resveratrol to triphenylphosphonium (TPP). The anti-cancer effects of TPP-resveratrol were studied in the murine breast cancer 4T1 and the human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Flow cytometry was used to study apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and mitochondrial membrane potential loss. The morphological changes in the mitochondria in MDA-MB-231 cells after TPP-resveratrol treatments were examined using transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the changes in MDA-MB-231 cell metabolism after resveratrol and TPP-resveratrol treatments were studied using metabolomic analysis. We demonstrate that TPP-resveratrol significantly improved cytotoxicity in 4T1 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential loss. Swollen and vacuolated mitochondria were observed after the TPP-resveratrol treatment. Meanwhile, TPP-resveratrol treatment down-regulated amino acid and energy metabolism and caused the dysfunction of purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Our results provide evidence supporting the targeted delivery of resveratrol to mitochondria and suggest that TPP-resveratrol may be an effective agent for breast cancer treatment.

Cancer is a major public health problem and one of the leading causes of death. However, traditional cancer therapy may damage normal cells and cause side effects. Many targeted drug delivery platforms have been developed to overcome the limitations of the free form of therapeutics and biological barriers. The commonly used cancer cell surface targets are CD44, matrix metalloproteinase-2, folate receptors, etc. Once the drug enters the cell, active delivery of the drug molecule to its final destination is still preferred. The subcellular targeting strategies include using glucocorticoid receptors for nuclear targeting, negative mitochondrial membrane potential and N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase for Golgi apparatus targeting, etc. Therefore, the most effective way to deliver therapeutic agents is through a sequential drug delivery system that simultaneously achieves cellular- and subcellular-level targeting. The dual-targeting delivery holds great promise for improving therapeutic effects and overcoming drug resistance. This review classifies sequential drug delivery systems based on final targeted organelles. We summarize different targeting strategies and mechanisms and gave examples of each case.