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The study aimed to compare the effectiveness between Hiporfin-photodynamic therapy (PDT) and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in treating cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 104 women diagnosed with cervical HSIL at our hospital from April 2019 to July 2023. With 1:1 matched case-control, 52 cases received Hiporfin-PDT and 52 cases underwent LEEP. All PDT-treated cases received Hiporfin (2 mg/kg) I.V. and a diode laser at a wavelength of 630-nm. T-test, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Yates's correction for continuity were conducted for statistical. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant. The complete response (CR) post-PDT at 3rd-6th months,10th-12th months and 24th months was in 98.1% (51/52),100.0% (45/45) and 100.0% (22/22) patients respectively, compared to 98.1% (51/52), 100.0% (46/46) and 100.0% (24/24) patients respectively after LEEP. HPV clearance rates after PDT at 3rd-6th months,10th-12th months and 24th months was 76.9% (40/52), 88.9% (40/45) and 95.5% (21/22) respectively, compared to 69.2% (36/52), 93.5% (43/46) and 95.8% (23/24) respectively after LEEP, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.508, P = 0.687 and P = 1.000, respectively). Postoperative complications in the PDT group were tolerable. The cure rates and HPV eradication of Hiporfin-PDT were comparable with that of LEEP in the management of cervical HSIL. Hiporfin-PDT may serve an alternative method for organ-saving in cervical HSIL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ruddlesden–Popper (R–P) bilayer nickelate, La3Ni2O7, was recently found to show signatures of high-temperature superconductivity (HTSC) at pressures above 14 GPa (ref. 1). Subsequent investigations achieved zero resistance in single-crystalline and polycrystalline samples under hydrostatic pressure conditions2–4. Yet, obvious diamagnetic signals, the other hallmark of superconductors, are still lacking owing to the filamentary nature with low superconducting volume fraction2,4,5. The presence of a new 1313 polymorph and competing R–P phases obscured proper identification of the phase for HTSC6–9. Thus, achieving bulk HTSC and identifying the phase at play are the most prominent tasks. Here we address these issues in the praseodymium (Pr)-doped La2PrNi2O7 polycrystalline samples. We find that substitutions of Pr for La effectively inhibit the intergrowth of different R–P phases, resulting in a nearly pure bilayer structure. For La2PrNi2O7, pressure-induced orthorhombic to tetragonal structural transition takes place at Pc ≈ 11 GPa, above which HTSC emerges gradually on further compression. The superconducting transition temperatures at 18–20 GPa reach T c onset = 82.5 K and T c zero = 60 K , which are the highest values, to our knowledge, among known nickelate superconductors. Importantly, bulk HTSC was testified by detecting clear diamagnetic signals below about 75 K with appreciable superconducting shielding volume fractions at a pressure of above 15 GPa. Our results not only resolve the existing controversies but also provide directions for exploring bulk HTSC in the bilayer nickelates.Bulk high-temperature superconductivity observed in pressurized tetragonal La2PrNi2O7 was testified by detecting clear diamagnetic signals below about 75 K with appreciable superconducting shielding volume fractions at a pressure of above 15 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is a crucial aspect of the hydrological cycle. It serves as a vital link between the soil–vegetation–atmosphere continuum. Quantifying the leading factors of regional ETa change and revealing the multi-factor compound driving mechanism of ETa evolution is necessary. Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been widely used to study the structural relationships between variables in large-scale areas. However, there is an urgent need for more in-depth exploration of these complex relationships at the grid scale. Therefore, the Yiluo River Basin, a representative area of soil and water conservation engineering demonstration in the Loess Plateau, was selected as the study area, and the SEM at the basin scale and grid-scale were constructed to carry out the research. Results: The data indicate that ETa decreased at 1.97 mm per year at the watershed scale from 1982 to 2020. Climate change had the greatest impact on the change of ETa in the watershed, with a total impact coefficient of over 0.9. The direct impact of climate change on ETa increased by 0.571 from 1982–1992 to 1993–2020. The direct impact coefficients of vegetation cover and soil moisture decreased by 0.402 and 0.102, respectively, while the impact coefficient of the water body factors increased by 0.096. At the scale of individual grid cells, the ETa in the watershed was affected by changes in watershed climate, vegetation, and soil moisture, with contributions ranging from − 0.31 to 0.22, − 1.09 to − 0.08, and 0.61 to 0.90, respectively. Spatially, vegetation and soil moisture had a stronger impact on ETa in the upstream area, while climate change had a negative effect, and the downstream region had the opposite effect. Furthermore, the regulatory impact of large reservoirs mitigated the response of water surface evaporation to climate change in the upstream region. Conclusions: The application of SEM at different spatial and temporal scales has effectively quantified the driving mechanisms behind actual evapotranspiration in the Yiluo River Basin, while visually representing the spatial distribution characteristics of various influencing factors on ETa. This research provides a theoretical foundation for studying slope water consumption processes and circulation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis. It has been proven that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an essential role in regulating HCC progression. However, the involvement of LINC01094 in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC remains unclear. LINC01094 expression in HCC patients was retrieved from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Overexpressing and downregulating LINC01094 were conducted to investigate its biological functions using Hep3B, SNU-387, and HuH-7 cells. Western blotting and morphological observation were performed to study the EMT in HCC cells. Transwell assay was adopted to determine the migration and invasion of HCC cells. The underlying mechanism of competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) was investigated using bioinformatics analysis, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and rescue experiments. Elevated LINC01094 expression was observed in HCC and associated with a poor prognosis. Knockdown of LINC01094 expression in SNU-387 and HuH-7 cells could inhibit migration, invasion, and EMT markers. Overexpression of LINC01094 indicated that LINC01094 promoted EMT via the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-122-5p was a target of LINC01094. The miRWalk database analysis showed that TGFBR2, SMAD2, and SMAD3 were downstream targets of miR-122-5p. Mechanically, LINC01094 acted as a ceRNA that facilitated HCC metastasis by sponging miR-122-5p to regulate the expression of TGFBR2, SMAD2, and SMAD3. Further, TGF-β1 could enhance the expression of LINC01094, forming a positive feedback loop. TGF-β1-induced LINC01094 expression promotes HCC cell migration and invasion by targeting the miR-122-5p/TGFBR2–SMAD2–SMAD3 axis. LINC01094 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are a class of proteins that primarily function by interacting with different types of RNAs and play a critical role in regulating the transcription and translation of cancer-related genes. However, their role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed RNA sequencing data and the corresponding clinical information of patients with HCC to screen for prognostic RBPs. Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) was identified as an independent prognostic factor for liver cancer. It is upregulated in HCC and is associated with a poor prognosis. Elevated IGF2BP3 expression was validated via immunohistochemical analysis using a tissue microarray of patients with HCC. IGF2BP3 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of Hep3B and HepG2 cells, whereas IGF2BP3 overexpression promoted the expansion of HuH-7 and MHCC97H cells. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 modulates cell proliferation by regulating E2F1 expression. DNA hypomethylation of the IGF2BP3 gene may increase the expression of IGF2BP3, thereby enhancing cell proliferation in HCC. Therefore, IGF2BP3 may act as a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of edge computing, online social network services are growing explosively. Social influence plays a critical role in the propagation of social network information. Influence maximization is a key issue in social network analysis. Temporal-aware influence maximization has been emerging in recent years. It integrates temporal information into the classical influence maximization. The purpose for temporal-aware influence maximization is to identify the optimal users in a network that can influence the most individuals under a certain time constraint. Although each node activation is treated equally within a finite time window in existing studies. In reality, the time required for each user to get influenced varies. In contrast, because temporal-aware influence maximization is NP-hard, a number of studies have proposed approximate algorithms based on sample instances to estimate the expected influence spread of nodes. However, these methods require significant computational overheads. Therefore, this study presents learning-based time-decaying influence maximization. Specifically, this study first presents the time-decaying influence maximization, where each user has a utility score that monotonically decreases over time. Subsequently, it develops AttenLSTM-GCN to generate node embeddings that capture structural-temporal information. Then, it adopts Q-learning algorithm to predict the time-decaying influence of nodes. Based on these algorithms, the solution of time-decaying influence maximization can be obtained. Experimental studies on real world networks demonstrate that the proposed model achieves more significant accelerations and high-quality solutions than advanced algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular systems feature dynamic, reversible and stimuli-responsive characteristics, which are not easily achieved by molecular entities. The last decade has witnessed tremendous advances in the investigations of supramolecular systems for various bioapplications, which include drug delivery, anticancer therapy, antibacterial therapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, combination therapy, antidotes for residual drugs or toxins, and bioimaging and biosensing. Host-guest chemistry has played a key role in the development of such bioactive supramolecular systems, and natural macrocycles (such as cyclodextrins), synthetic macrocycles (such as calixarenes, cucurbit[n]urils, and pillararenes), and porous framework polymers (such as supramolecular organic frameworks and flexible organic frameworks) have been most successfully used as hosts to build different kinds of host-guest systems for attaining designed biofunctions. The self-assembly of rationally designed amphiphilic molecules, macromolecules and polymers represent another important approach for the construction of supramolecular architectures with advanced biofunctions. In this review, we summarize the important contributions made by Chinese researchers in this field, with emphasis on those reported in the past five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Aberrant expression of CD276 has been reported in malignant tumors. However, the exact role and mechanisms of CD276 influence the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) still need to be understood. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, along with immunohistochemistry staining, was used to explore the expression patterns of CD276 in ESCC. Cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays were employed to evaluate the effects of CD276 expression on tumor cell proliferation and motility. Western blotting and Transwell assays were used to explore the potential pathways through which CD276 mediates the progression of ESCC. Moreover, the in vivo role of CD276 in tumor progression was investigated by establishing a lung metastasis mouse model. Results: A significant upregulation of CD276 was observed in ESCC tissues compared to adjacent tissues. The inhibition of CD276 had no evident impact on ESCC cell proliferation but notably hindered their migratory and invasive properties and the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Inversely, overexpressing CD276 led to an upregulation of EMT markers, underscoring the capacity of CD276 to amplify the motility of ESCC cells. Furthermore, CD276 was found to enhance the migratory and invasive abilities of ESCC cells by activating the TGF-β/SMAD signaling but not the PI3K/AKT pathway. In vivo studies demonstrated that CD276 facilitates pulmonary metastasis. Conclusion: CD276 is significant upregulation in ESCC tissues and facilitates the EMT process in ESCC cells via the TGF-β/SMAD signaling, thus promoting the progression of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important pathogens causing respiratory tract infection in humans, especially in infants and the elderly. The identification and structural resolution of the potent neutralizing epitopes on RSV fusion (F) protein enable an "epitope-focused" vaccine design. However, the display of RSV F epitope II on the surface of the widely-used human hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) has failed to induce neutralizing antibody response in mice. Here, we used the hepadnavirus core protein (HcAg) from different mammalian hosts as scaffolds to construct chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) presenting the RSV F epitope II. Mouse immunization showed that different HcAg-based chimeric VLPs elicited significantly different neutralizing antibody responses, among which the HcAg derived from roundleaf bat (RBHcAg) is the most immunogenic. Furthermore, RBHcAg was used as the scaffold platform to present multiple RSV F epitopes, and the immunogenicity was further improved in comparison to that displaying a single epitope II. The designed RBHcAg-based multiple-epitope-presenting VLP formulated with MF59-like adjuvant elicited a potent and balanced Th1/Th2 immune response, and offered substantial protection in mice against the challenge of live RSV A2 virus. The designed chimeric VLPs may serve as the potential starting point for developing epitope-focused vaccines against RSV. Our study also demonstrated that RBHcAg is an effective VLP carrier for presenting foreign epitopes, providing a promising platform for epitope-focused vaccine design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Optimizing agronomic management plays a vital role in improving nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) of rice. One-time deep application of fertilizer, especially root-zone fertilization (RZF), has already been regarded as an effective simplified fertilization method to improve rice yield and NUE. However, few studies have explored the effect of RZF on the yield and NUE in the ratoon rice system. Consequently, a 2-year field experiment was conducted, including five treatments: no N fertilizer (CK), farmers' familiar practice (FFP), RZF of controlled-release urea (CRU) applied once into small holes with a depth of 5 cm and a distance of 5 cm away from the rice plants as basal fertilizer (RZF1); RZF of CRU applied once into small holes with a depth of 10 cm and a distance of 5 cm away from the rice plants as basal fertilizer (RZF2); and RZF of CRU applied once into small holes with depths of both 5 and 10 cm and a distance of 5 cm away from the rice plants as basal fertilizer (RZF3). The rice was planted under continuous flooding (CF) or alternate wetting and drying (AWD). The results showed that RZF2 and RZF3 increased annual yield of ratoon rice by 4.8–6.0% and 7.1–12.3% under CF, and by 5.7–7.4% and 10.9–11.0% under AWD compared with FFP, respectively. Compared with FFP, RZF2 and RZF3 significantly increased N use efficiency. The combination of RZF3 and AWD resulted in the highest water and N use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of antibiotics has attracted wide attention due to their abuse and discharge. How to remove these emerging contaminants is an urgent need to be solved. In the present study, sludge-based biochar combining chitosan and iron oxide was prepared via municipal sewage sludge. The novel biochar modified with chitosan and iron oxide exhibited satisfying performance in eliminating antibiotics from water. The application of modified biochar combined with activated persulfate (PS) showed a remarkable removal efficiency of 96.98% for tetracycline (TC). Analysis of the surface characteristics of the modified biochar showed the presence of structural defects, dispersed iron oxides, abundant functional groups, a porous structure, and a relatively stable crystal structure. These characteristics attributed significant importance to facilitating the degradation of TC. A series of experimental conditions including preparation temperature (600–900 ℃), reaction temperature (15–45 ℃), contaminant concentration (30–180 mg/L), adsorbent usage (0.1–1 g/L), pH (2–10), and persulfate addition concentration (1–5 mmol) were conducted. The results revealed that the highest removal efficiency was achieved at 96.98% under the conditions of TC concentration at 30 mg/L, reaction temperature at 35 ℃, pH of 4, adsorbent addition amount of 0.6 g/L, and PS concentration of 2 mmol, respectively. Three degradation pathways and seven intermediate products of TC were proposed. Therefore, our study provides a promising approach for developing effective removal of antibiotic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progression of urothelial bladder cancer (UC) is a complicated multi-step process. We perform a comprehensive multi-omics analysis of 448 samples from 190 UC patients, covering the whole spectrum of disease stages and grades. Proteogenomic integration analysis indicates the mutations of HRAS regulated mTOR signaling to form urothelial papilloma rather than papillary urothelial cancer (PUC). DNA damage is a key signaling pathway in the progression of carcinoma in situ (CIS) and related to APOBEC signature. Glucolipid metabolism increase and lower immune cell infiltration are associated with PUC compared to CIS. Proteomic analysis distinguishes the origins of invasive tumors (PUC-derived and CIS-derived), related to distinct clinical prognosis and molecular features. Additionally, loss of RBPMS, associated with CIS-derived tumors, is validated to increase the activity of AP-1 and promote metastasis. This study reveals the characteristics of two distinct branches (PUC and CIS) of UC progression and may eventually benefit clinical practice. Urothelial bladder cancer (UC) progression occurs as a multi-step process that leads to different kinds of lesions and subtypes. Here, the authors characterise benign and invasive lesions that occur during UC progression using proteogenomics in patient samples and show critical molecular pathways and prognostic associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent report of near-ambient superconductivity in the nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride has attracted considerable attention. Subsequent follow-up studies confirmed the pressure-induced color changes in both N-free and N-doped LuH2 but failed to reproduce superconductivity. It remains a puzzle why the samples in the original report exhibited pronounced resistance anomaly reminiscent of the superconducting transition. Here, we show that percolation of metallic grains with high conductivity through the insulating surfaces in cold-pressed LuH2 samples can occasionally produce sharp resistance drops, which even display magnetic field and/or current dependences but stay far from zero resistance. The insulating surface of LuH2 grain should be attributed to the modification of hydrogen stoichiometry or the contamination by oxygen/nitrogen, resulting in an increase of resistance by over six orders of magnitude. Such an effect is more significant than that discovered recently in LaH3±x, which may indicate that LuH2 can be a potential superionic conductor. Our results call for caution in asserting the resistivity drops as superconductivity and invalidate the background subtraction in analyzing the corresponding resistance data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), a common complication of diabetes, is defined as ventricular dysfunction in the absence of underlying heart disease. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), play a crucial role in the development of DCM. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify key modules in DCM-related pathways. DCM-related miRNA-mRNA network and DCM-related ceRNA network were constructed by miRNA-seq to identify hub genes in these modules. We identified five hub genes that are associated with the onset of DCM, including Troponin C1 (Tnnc1), Phospholamban (Pln), Fatty acid binding proteins 3 (Fabp3), Popeye domain containing 2 (Popdc2), and Tripartite Motif-containing Protein 63 (Trim63). miRNAs that target the hub genes were mainly involved in TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathways. GO BP enrichment analysis found these miRNAs were involved in the signaling of TGF-β and glucose homeostasis. Q-PCR results found the gene expressions of Pln, Fabp3, Trim63, Tnnc1, and Popdc2 were significantly increased in DCM. Our study identified five hub genes (Tnnc1, Pln, Fabp3, Popdc2, Trim63) whose associated ceRNA networks are responsible for the onset of DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of Cr(VI) by FeS under anoxic conditions has been studied extensively. However, when the redox environments alternate from anoxic to oxic, the effect of FeS on the fate of Cr(VI) in the presence of organic matters still remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of FeS coupled with humic acids (HA) and alga on the transformation of Cr(VI) under dynamic anoxic/oxic conditions. HA could promote the reduction of Cr(VI) from 86.6% to 100% under anoxic conditions due to the enhancement of the dissolution and dispersibility of FeS particles by HA. However, the strong complexing and oxidizing properties of alga inhibited the reduction of FeS. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from FeS oxidation under oxic conditions could oxidize 3.80 μM of Cr(III) to aqueous Cr(VI) at pH 5.0, while aqueous Cr(VI) reached to 4.83 μM in the presence of HA, which was ascribed to the increasing amount of free radicals. In addition, acidic conditions and excess FeS would increase strong reducing Fe(II) and S(-II) species, and improve the efficiency of Fenton reaction. The findings provided new insights into the fate of Cr(VI) in aquatic systems containing FeS and organic matters under dynamic anoxic/oxic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provided a new modification idea and made a new high-efficiency plant-based flocculant through the three rounds of reactions using tannin, formaldehyde, and ammonia chloride. Tannins as a concerned natural flocculant are mainly through a round of Mannich reaction to cationic modification now. This research provided a new cationic modification idea with the three rounds of Mannich reactions to obtain a modified tannin with a larger molecular weight and more complex structure. The synthesis and flocculation tests were conducted to study the effects of rounds of reaction, reactants ratio, reaction time of each round, and pH on the flocculation ability of the synthetically modified tannins. The increased flocculation capacity of modified tannins occurred with the increased rounds of reactions by increasing the electric neutralization and bridging capacity. The results of this research showed the increased flocculation capacity of the modified tannins with the increased ratio ((formaldehyde or ammonium chloride)/tannin). The flocculation capacity of the modified tannins is the greatest in the appropriate reaction time of each round (4 + 4 h) and pH (pH = 2). According to model fitting, the optimal synthesis condition is 1:6.094:6.094, 7.092 h, and pH = 2.476, which has been tested experimentally. The new modification idea and new high-efficiency modified tannin are very meaningful to the application of environmentally friendly flocculants and to solve the disadvantages of traditional chemical flocculants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many aging experiments on microplastics (MPs) have been carried out using UV radiation or strong oxidants. Little attention has been paid to the role of water environmental factors such as dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, the role of fulvic acid (FA), the main component of DOM, in the UV-aging process of MPs was explored. MPs aged under UV, and UV along with 0.5 mg/L and 2 mg/L FA, were selected as subjects. The results showed that (1) FA accelerated the aging process of polyethylene (PE). PE aged with FA had a larger specific area (SBET), with more holes and cracks on the surface. (2) FA enhanced the adsorption capacity of PE. The TC adsorption quantities of 0, 0.5, and 2 mg/L FA-aged PE were 1.100, 1.447, and 1.812 mg/L, respectively. (3) The quantity of TC desorbed by PE increased, whereas the desorption rate decreased as the FA concentration increased. The desorption rates of TC at 0, 0.5, and 2 mg/L FA-aged PE were 25.16%, 22.05%, and 19.52% in water, and 72.10%, 70.36%, and 59.51% in simulated intestinal fluid. This study explored the role of FA in the aging process of MPs. Moreover, research on the aging mechanism of MPs is enriched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are associated with massive star core collapse1, whereas short-duration GRBs are associated with mergers of compact star binaries2. However, growing observations3–6 have suggested that oddball GRBs do exist, and several criteria (prompt emission properties, supernova/kilonova associations and host galaxy properties) rather than burst duration only are needed to classify GRBs physically7. A previously reported long-duration burst, GRB 060614 (ref. 3), could be viewed as a short GRB with extended emission if it were observed at a larger distance8 and was associated with a kilonova-like feature9. As a result, it belongs to the type I (compact star merger) GRB category and is probably of binary neutron star (NS) merger origin. Here we report a peculiar long-duration burst, GRB 211211A, whose prompt emission properties in many aspects differ from all known type I GRBs, yet its multiband observations suggest a non-massive-star origin. In particular, substantial excess emission in both optical and near-infrared wavelengths has been discovered (see also ref. 10), which resembles kilonova emission, as observed in some type I GRBs. These observations point towards a new progenitor type of GRBs. A scenario invoking a white dwarf (WD)–NS merger with a post-merger magnetar engine provides a self-consistent interpretation for all the observations, including prompt gamma rays, early X-ray afterglow, as well as the engine-fed11,12 kilonova emission.Analysis of the long-duration GRB 211211A led to observations of emission properties differing from all known type I bursts, yet its multiband behaviour suggests a non-massive-star origin, pointing towards a new progenitor type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this paper, we aimed to prove that resveratrol can inhibit inflammation in the detrusor smooth muscle of diabetic rats, which may provide a new direction for diabetic cystopathy (DCP) treatment. Methods: We induced a Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat model of type 1 diabetes by intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ). Then, we separated the SD rats into four groups: (1) an excipient-treated control group; (2) a resveratrol-treated control group; (3) an excipient-treated streptozotocin (STZ)-injected group; and (4) a resveratrol-treated STZ-injected group. We administered the resveratrol or excipient by intragastric administration. After 12 weeks of diabetes induction, we measured the blood–sugar concentrations and bladder weights, and we took the bladder tissues of each group of rats for hematoxylin–eosin staining to observe the histological changes. We used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting to analyze the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. Results: The bodyweights of the diabetic rats were appreciably reduced, while the bladder weights and blood–glucose concentrations were substantially increased. Oral resveratrol could not improve the changes in the bodyweights and blood–glucose concentrations, but it had a certain effect on the bladder weights. In a macroscopic evaluation, the bladder walls of the STZ-induced diabetes rats were thickened, and, from the H&E staining, we could see that the bladder tissues of the diabetic rats had inflammatory cell infiltration, edema, and the capillary congestion of the mucosa and lamina propria. After resveratrol treatment, the bladder-wall thickening was reduced, and the tissue damage and inflammation were significantly ameliorated. We could associate all these changes with markedly heightened expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and NF-κB in the detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) tissues of the diabetic rats. Oral treatment with resveratrol alleviated the expressivity of the inflammatory cytokines in the DSM tissues. Conclusions: Resveratrol treatment ameliorated the histological changes in the bladder and inhibited the expressions of DSM–tissue inflammatory factors in diabetes rats. Resveratrol may provide a new direction of research for the treatment of diabetic cystopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants highlights the need of developing vaccines with broad protection. Here, according to the immune-escape capability and evolutionary convergence, the representative SARS-CoV-2 strains carrying the hotspot mutations were selected. Then, guided by structural and computational analyses, we present a mutation-integrated trimeric form of spike receptor-binding domain (mutI-tri-RBD) as a broadly protective vaccine candidate, which combined heterologous RBDs from different representative strains into a hybrid immunogen and integrated immune-escape hotspots into a single antigen. When compared with a homo-tri-RBD vaccine candidate in the stage of phase II trial, of which all three RBDs are derived from the SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain, mutI-tri-RBD induced significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers against the Delta and Beta variants, and maintained a similar immune response against the prototype strain. Pseudo-virus neutralization assay demonstrated that mutI-tri-RBD also induced broadly strong neutralizing activities against all tested 23 SARS-CoV-2 variants. The in vivo protective capability of mutI-tri-RBD was further validated in hACE2-transgenic mice challenged by the live virus, and the results showed that mutI-tri-RBD provided potent protection not only against the SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain but also against the Delta and Beta variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the State Grid Multi-cloud IoT platform grows and improves, an increasing number of IoT applications generate massive amounts of data every day. To meet the demands of intelligent management of State Grid equipment, we proposed a scheme for constructing the defect knowledge graph of power equipment based on multi-cloud. The scheme is based on the State Grid Multi-cloud IoT architecture and adheres to the design specifications of the State Grid SG-EA technical architecture. This scheme employs ontology design based on a fusion algorithm and proposes a knowledge graph reasoning method named GRULR based on logic rules to achieve a consistent and shareable model. The model can be deployed on multiple clouds independently, increasing the system's flexibility, robustness, and security. The GRULR method is designed with two independent components, Reasoning Evaluator and Rule Miner, that can be deployed in different clouds to adapt to the State Grid Multi-cloud IoT architecture. By sharing high-quality rules across multiple clouds, this method can avoid vendor locking and perform iterative updates. Finally, the experiment demonstrates that the GRULR method performs well in large-scale knowledge graphs and can complete the reasoning task of the defect knowledge graph efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edge computing, as a computing model closer to industrial data sources, has gradually become the focus of industrial Internet. The edge computing of the Industrial Internet has the characteristics of distribution, openness, and interconnection. Therefore, the resources distributed on the edge are more vulnerable to malicious attacks from the outside world, resulting in economic losses. Especially in recent years, the means of multi-step attack are more complex and more secret, and the traditional threat identification algorithm may be difficult to find the real destruction strategy behind the attacker. In this paper, an intrusion detection System based on improved Chimp Optimization Algorithm (IChOA) and a attribute association-based multi-step attack threat recognition algorithm (AABMATR) is proposed, which can solve the problems of low accuracy of existing multi-step attack association algorithm and difficulty in accurately discovering the attack mode behind malicious attackers. By calculating the multi-step attack frequency matrix and similarity, a multi-step attack directed graph is generated, and the forward correlation strength is calculated to predict the attacker's next attack plan. Experiments were conducted on the public industrial control traffic data set 4ICS Geek Lounge, and compared with existing algorithms, higher correlation accuracy was obtained. This paper combines the existing research results to improve and innovate, and proposes the edge computing threat recognition algorithm of the industrial Internet, and has obtained good experimental results, which has a certain positive significance for protecting the resource security of the industrial Internet, especially the data security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) of the breast is a rare indolent carcinoma of salivary gland-type tumors, frequently associated with MYB genetic alteration. Solid and basaloid adenoid cystic carcinoma (SB-AdCC) is considered a sparse variant of AdCC. This study sought to search for clinicopathological and genomic features in SB-AdCC. Registered clinicopathological data on a cohort of 13 AdCC of the breast cases, including six conventional adenoid cystic carcinoma (C-AdCC) cases and seven SB-AdCC cases, were collected. MYB gene rearrangement via fluorescent in situ hybridization was investigated and MYB protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Compared with C-AdCC, we found that the distribution of SB-AdCC cases were shifted to older age and were more frequently distant metastasis. Moreover, metastasis cases also showed a high (exceed 30%) Ki-67 index. Both groups showed MYB rearrangements and MYB protein expression, but they were less frequent in SB-AdCC than C-AdCC. To conclude, our results suggest that SB-AdCC is an aggressive variant of mammary AdCC with a higher incidence of distant metastases compared with C-AdCC, though they share common molecular features. A high Ki-67 index may be an adverse prognostic factor for metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratoon rice (RR) is regarded as a labor-saving and efficient approach to rice cultivation; however, sub-optimal production techniques (fertilization, irrigation, harvesting) may lead to serious environmental problems and unsustainable agriculture. In this study, emergy analysis was combined with indicators of soil fertility, global warming potential (GWP), and profitability to comprehensively assess the sustainability performance of three cultivation modes: (i) traditional farm practice (TRA), (ii) optimized mode (OPT), and (iii) OPT plus green manure planting (OPTM). Over 2 years, compared with the TRA mode, OPT and OPTM modes increased total rice yield by 10% and 19% on average and improved profit by 233.7 and 456.5 Yuan ha−1, respectively. Single emergy analysis results showed that, compared with the TRA mode, OPT and OPTM (2-year average value) modes increased production efficiency by 10% and 8%, reduced renewable fraction and emergy sustainability index by 14–19% and 18–23%, respectively, and increased environmental loading ratio by 31% and 22%. Multiple EMA analysis results showed that, compared with the TRA mode, OPT and OPTM (2-year average value) modes reduced UEVNmin by 23% and 21% and increased UEVGWP 32% and 51%, respectively. The UEVTotal revenue and UEVBenefit of OPT and OPTM increased by 8–29% and 4–37%, respectively, compared with TRA mode. The comprehensive assessment indicated that, despite OPT and OPTM modes have a range of improvements and dis-improvements versus the TRA mode, OPTM was the more sustainable mode of RR production overall. However, some sustainability indicators remained poor, and there remains scope for further optimization via, e.g., precision application of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, application of a straw-decomposing inoculant to improve soil fertility, and use of new improved rice varieties with high regenerative ability to improve the yield of ratoon crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence has demonstrated the functional relevance of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) to tumorigenesis and immune response. However, immune-related lincRNAs and their value in predicting the clinical outcomes of patients with liver cancer remain largely unexplored. Herein, we utilized the strategy of iterative gene pairing to construct a tumor-specific immune-related lincRNA pairs signature (IRLPS), which did not require specific expression levels, as an indicator of patient outcomes. The 18-IRLPS we developed was associated with overall survival, tumor progression, and recurrence in liver cancer patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk model was an independent predictive factor. A high IRLPS risk was correlated suppressive immune microenvironment, and IRLPS-high patients might benefit more from CD276 blockade or TMIGD2 agonist. Patients in the high-risk group were associated with elevated tumor mutation, increased sensitivity to dopamine receptor antagonists, cisplatin, doxorubicin, and mitomycin but more resistance to vinblastine. Mechanistically, IRLPS high scores might lead to poor prognosis by promoting cell proliferation and metabolic reprogramming. The prognostic significance of the 18-IRLPS was confirmed in independent cancer datasets. These findings highlighted the robust predictive performances of the 18-IRLPS for prognosis and personalized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The presence vertebral artery (VA) abnormalities in the upper cervical may be a potential cause of catastrophic complication in the posterior approach of the upper cervical spine surgery. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the real incidence of the V3 segment anomaly in patients who need upper cervical surgery, and tried to find out the risk factors of V3 segment anomaly to evaluate the necessary of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) for upper cervical surgery. Method: This systematic review was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Retrospective studies and reports of case series involving human subjects with data on anomalies of vertebral artery in upper cervical spine were included. Data on the prevalence of persistent first intersegmental artery (PIA), fenestration of the VA (FA), posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) were extracted. Results: A total of 16 articles involving 5927 subjects met the inclusion criteria. The total incidence of V3 segment anomaly in the patients with bony abnormalities was 25.9% (74/286): PIA was 17.5%, FA was 6.6% and PICA was 1.8%. The total incidence of V3 segment anomaly in the patients without bony abnormalities was 2.7% (152/5671): PIA was 1.76%, FA was 0.4% and PICA was 0.5%. The total incidence of V3 segment anomaly in Asian population without bony abnormalities was 5.8%, while in European and American population was 0.8 and 0.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with bone abnormalities are high risk factor for VA abnormalities, CTA is of paramount importance to evaluate the variant VA anatomy. However, regarding to the low incidence of V3 variation in normal population, we do not recommend preoperative CT angiography as mandatory part of preoperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination therapy that combines drug delivery with other treatments (e.g., photothermal therapy) has great advantages in treating tumors. Here, we prepared a promising versatile platform based on gold nanocages (Au NCs) poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) entrapped porous silica core−shell nanostructure (Au@SiO2-PNIPAM). This system not only served as a container for therapeutic drugs, but also had high photothermal conversion efficiency. The thermosensitive PNIPAM wrapping around porous silica acted as a gatekeeper to encapsulate the drug molecules within the channels of Au@SiO2-PNIPAM carrier. Under the light irradiation, Au NCs could absorb near-infrared (NIR) light and convert it into heat, which would promote the swelling of PNIPAM layer for releasing drug. The Au@SiO2-PNIPAM displays pH/light-responsive drug release and excellent photothermal-chemical combined therapeutic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and design: We studied five cases of PID-related monogenic lupus to explore the characteristics. Material or subjects: Among 42 cases of PID patients between 2017–2020, 5 patients were diagnosed as PID-related monogenic lupus, including 2 males and 3 females, with age range from 2 years 3 months to 13 years old. Treatments: DMARDs, biological agents and stem cell transplantation were used to treat different patients. Methods: We collected the clinical observation indicators, auxiliary examination and treatment of the five patients. Results: Patient 1 was diagnosed with monogenic lupus secondary to severe combined immunodeficiency and received prednisone and methotrexate treatment. Patient 2 was diagnosed with monogenic lupus secondary to activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase δ syndrome. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation was conducted. Patient 3 was diagnosed with monogenic lupus secondary to RAS‐associated lymphoproliferative disease. The child was treated with prednisone and rituximab. Patient 4 was diagnosed with monogenic lupus secondary to PSTPIP1-associated myeloid-related proteinaemia inflammatory syndrome. The child was given methylprednisolone, methotrexate, and infliximab. Patient 5 was diagnosed with monogenic lupus secondary to A20 haploinsufficiency. The child was treated with methylprednisolone and infliximab. Conclusions: Multiple PIDs can lead to monogenic lupus. Different PID-related monogenic lupus has different suitable targeted drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii can cross the blood-brain barrier and infect different regions of the brain including the hippocampus. In the present study, we examined the impact of Toxoplasma gondii infection on the metabolism of the hippocampus of female BALB/c mice compared to control mice using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between infected and control hippocampi and identified 25, 82, and 105 differential metabolites (DMs) in the infected hippocampi at 7, 14, and 21 days post-infection (dpi), respectively. One DM (sphingosyl-phosphocholine in the sphingolipid metabolism pathway) and 11 dysregulated pathways were detected at all time points post-infection, suggesting their important roles in the neuropathogenesis of T. gondii infection. These pathways were related to neural activity, such as inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Weighted correlation network analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis identified 33 metabolites significantly associated with T. gondii infection in the hippocampus, and 30 of these were deemed as potential biomarkers for T. gondii infection. This study provides, for the first time, a global view of the metabolic perturbations that occur in the mouse hippocampus during T. gondii infection. The potential relevance of the identified metabolites and pathways to the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment and psychiatric disorders are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangiferin is a promising effective chemopreventive agent against various tumors. However, its clinical use is limited by poor water solubility and low bioavailability. In this article, mangiferin loaded magnetic PCEC microspheres (MG-MS) were designed, characterized and the antitumor activity of MG-MS was evaluated in vitro. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) were synthesized via the high-temperature reaction of iron acetylacetonate in phenyl ether in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine. Poly (ε-caprolactone)-poly (ethyleneglycol)-poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL, PCEC) copolymers were formed by ring-opening copolymerization of ε-CL initiated by PEG-diol using Sn(Oct)2 as a catalyst and MG-MS were prepared by solvent diffusion method. MNP, PCEC copolymer, and MG-MS were characterized by GPC, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, 1H-NMP and Malvern Laser Particle Sizer. Meanwhile, the antiproliferative activity in vitro and in vitro release behavior of this microspheres were studied in detail. The results indicate that the obtained magnetic microspheres might have great potential as an effective carrier for mangiferin used in cancer chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze non-dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (NDBE) biopsy tissue and compare the rate of somatic DNA copy number alterations (CNAs) in patients who subsequently progressed to high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) to those patients who did not.Methods: A retrospectively collected database of Barrett's esophagus (BE) patients spanning a 16-year period was queried. Patients who progressed from NDBE to HGD or EAC were identified and compared to patients who did not. Initial biopsy specimens were microdissected and extracted DNA underwent Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) for CNAs. Comparisons between progressors and non-progressors were made with Fisher's exact and two-sample t tests. Logistic regression assessed factors associated with progression.Results: Of the 2459 patients in the BE database, 36 patients progressed from NDBE to either HGD or EAC. There were eight progressors who had biopsy specimens with adequate DNA for analysis. The progressor and non-progressor cohort had similar demographic information and medical history. The progressor group trended towards being older at diagnosis (72 ± 10 vs. 64 ± 13 years, p = 0.097) and fewer progressors reported reflux symptoms (50 vs. 94.7%, p < 0.001). Progressor specimens had more overall CNAs (75% vs. 33.6%, p = 0.026). On univariable analysis, there was an association between progression and absence of GERD symptoms (OR 16.54 [3.42-80.03], p = 0.001), any CNA (OR 5.10 [1.18-23.30], p = 0.035), and CNA in GATA6 or ERBB2 (OR 6.72 [1.18-38.22], p = 0.032).Conclusions: Patients who progressed from NDBE to HGD or EAC were older at first diagnosis of BE and fewer of the progressors reported symptoms of reflux when compared to non-progressors. Progression was associated with the presence of any CNA and specific CNAs in GATA6 or ERBB2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To illustrate tumor contour irregularity on preoperative imaging with a practical method and further determine its value in predicting disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with pRCC (papillary renal cell carcinoma).Methods: We performed a retrospective single-institution review of 267 Chinese pRCC patients between March 2009 and May 2019. Contour irregularity on cross-section was classified into smooth but distorted margin, unsmooth and sharply nodular margin, and blurred margin. Then, the ratio of the cross-section numbers of irregularity and the total tumor was defined as the contour irregular degree (CID). Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to analyze the impact of CID on DFS. Then, the prognostic performance of CID was compared with pRCC risk stratification published by Leibovich et al. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 45 months (IQR: 23-69), in which 27 (10%) patients had metastasis or recurrence. Observed DFS rates were 95%, 90%, and 88% at 1, 3, and 5 years. The CID was an independent prognostic factor of DFS (HR = 1.048, 95% CI = 1.029-1.068, p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier plot showed that high-risk patients (CID ≥ 50%) tended to have a significantly shorter DFS (p < 0.001). The CID and Leibovich's pRCC model for DFS prediction had a C-index of 0.934 (95% CI = 0.907-0.961) and 0.833 (95% CI = 0.739-0.927) respectively.Conclusions: With our standard and practical method, the CID can be a reliable imaging marker for DFS prediction in patients with pRCC.Key Points: • The updated contour irregularity was an independent parameter for predicting disease-free survival in patients with pRCC. • High-risk pRCC patients (contour irregular degree ≥ 50%) tended to have a shorter disease-free survival. • Tumor contour irregularity in pRCC risk stratification outperformed Leibovich's model from our cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated rice–crayfish systems are expanding rapidly and are the most widely applied planting–breeding modes in Jianghan Plain in China. We conducted nutrient use efficiency, economic, and emergy analysis of three rice production modes, namely, rice monoculture (RM), rice–crayfish rotation (RCR), and rice–crayfish coculture (RCC), in Jingzhou City, which is located in the Jianghan Plain. Compared with RM mode, rice–crayfish systems using the RCR and RCC modes increased rice yield by 5–7%, showed more than 8% higher chemical nutrient use efficiency, and increased the value-to-cost ratio from 1.5-fold to 2.7-fold and the benefit–cost ratio from 2.5-fold to 3.8-fold, while decreasing irrigation water consumption and land occupation by 31% and 82–86%, respectively. RCC resulted in 10% higher crayfish yield, 12% higher phosphorus use efficiency, and 38% higher feed use efficiency than RCR. However, compared with RM, rice–crayfish systems decreased renewable fraction by 10–14%, emergy yield ratio by 9%, and emergy sustainability index by 23–26%, and they increased environmental loading ratio to 18–23%. Labor and service, fertilizer utilization, and machine and tools play important roles in these negative environmental effects. Scenario analysis showed that the rice–crayfish systems increased sustainability index by 38–45%. The technical training of new planting–breeding technology should be adopted by farmers for the efficient use of fertilizers and improvement of food yield. This study suggests that rice‑crayfish systems are not a panacea to sustain cleaner food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption behaviors of methylene blue (MB) on microalga residue powder (MRP) and biochars derived from microalga residue (MRB) produced at different pyrolytic temperatures were compared. Six biochars were prepared from residual Chlorella sp. and Spirulina sp. at different pyrolytic temperatures in the range of 200–550 °C. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and the effect of pH were studied, and chemical analyses of MB-loaded MRP and MRB were conducted using SEM, FTIR, and XPS techniques. The results found that the pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and Freundlich models could effectively describe the MB adsorption process on MRP and MRB. The thermodynamic results confirmed that the adsorption processes were spontaneous and endothermic. Further, MRP showed an excellent adsorption ability on MB through electrostatic interaction, complexation with oxygen/nitrogen-containing functional groups and π-π interaction. However, massive oxygen-containing functional groups after pyrolysis were lost, leading to a significant decrease in the adsorption capacity of MRB on MB. This phenomenon was further observed with increasing pyrolytic temperature. Overall, this study demonstrated that microalga residue performed better for MB removal compared with their pyrolyzed analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evaluation of fluid responsiveness during veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support is crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in left ventricular outflow tract velocity–time integral (ΔVTI), induced by a Trendelenburg maneuver, could predict fluid responsiveness during VA-ECMO. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in patients with VA-ECMO support. The protocol included four sequential steps: (1) baseline-1, a supine position with a 15° upward bed angulation; (2) Trendelenburg maneuver, 15° downward bed angulation; (3) baseline-2, the same position as baseline-1, and (4) fluid challenge, administration of 500 mL gelatin over 15 min without postural change. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded at each step. Fluid responsiveness was defined as ΔVTI of 15% or more, after volume expansion. Results: From June 2018 to December 2019, 22 patients with VA-ECMO were included, and a total of 39 measurements were performed. Of these, 22 measurements (56%) met fluid responsiveness. The R2 of the linear regression was 0.76, between ΔVTIs induced by Trendelenburg maneuver and the fluid challenge. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of ΔVTI induced by Trendelenburg maneuver to predict fluid responsiveness was 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81–0.98], with a sensitivity of 82% (95% CI 60–95%), and specificity of 88% (95% CI 64–99%), at a best threshold of 10% (95% CI 6–12%). Conclusions: Changes in VTI induced by the Trendelenburg maneuver could effectively predict fluid responsiveness in VA-ECMO patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT 03553459 (the TEMPLE study). Registered on May 30, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid crystalline network (LCN) actuator normally deforms upon thermally or optically induced order-disorder phase transition, switching once between two shapes (shape 1 in LC phase and shape 2 in isotropic state) for each stimulation on/off cycle. Herein, we report an LCN actuator that deforms from shape 1 to shape 2 and then reverses the deformation direction to form shape 3 on heating or under light only, thus completing the shape switch twice for one stimulation on/off cycle. The deformation reversal capability is obtained with a monolithic LCN actuator whose two sides are made to start deforming at different temperatures and exerting different reversible strains, by means of asymmetrical crosslinking and/or asymmetrical stretching. This desynchronized actuation strategy offers possibilities in developing light-fueled LCN soft robots. In particular, the multi-stage bidirectional shape change enables multimodal, light-driven locomotion from the same LCN actuator by simply varying the light on/off times. Liquid crystalline network (LCN) actuators switch reversibly between two states. Here, the authors report an asymmetrically processed LCN actuator which allows desynchronized actuation between three states using light and thermal stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing intelligence of data acquisition and analysis in cyber physical systems (CPSs) and the emergence of various transmission vulnerabilities, this paper proposes a differential privacy protection method for frequent pattern mining in view of the application-level privacy protection requirements of industrial interconnected systems. This method designs a low-cohesion algorithm to realize differential privacy protection. In the implementation of differential privacy protection, Top-k frequent mode method is introduced, which combines the factors of index mechanism and low cohesive weight of each mode, and the original support of each selected mode is disturbed by Laplacian noise. It achieves a balance between privacy protection and utility, guarantees the trust of all parties in CPS and provides an effective solution to the problem of privacy protection in industrial Internet systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Overactive bladder (OAB) is related to detrusor overactivity (DO), which is caused by the increased detrusor smooth muscle (DSM) cells excitability. Small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels is a fundamental regulator of excitability and contractility in DSM cells. Obesity-related OAB is associated with the decreased expression and regulatory function of SK channels in DSM layer. However, the regulation role of SK channels in obesity-related OAB DSM cell excitability is still unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that obesity-related OAB is associated with reduced expression and activity of SK channels in DSM cells. Methods: Female Sprague–Dawley rats were fed a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) and weighed after 12 weeks. We performed urodynamic study, single-cell quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and patch-clamp electrophysiology. Results: Increased average body weights and urodynamically demonstrated OAB were observed in HFD rats. Single-cell qRT-PCR experiments discovered the decreased mRNA expression level of SK channel in DSM cell from HFD rats. Patch-clamp studies revealed that NS309, a SK channel activator, had an attenuated effect on membrane potential hyperpolarization in HFD DSM cells. In addition, the reduced whole cell SK channel currents were recorded in HFD DSM cells. Conclusions: Attenuated SK channels expression and function, which results in the increased DSM cells excitability and contributes to DO, is discovered in obesity-related OAB DSM cells, suggesting that SK channels might be potential therapeutic targets to control OAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium is an opportunistic protozoan parasite that can inhabit in the gastrointestinal tract of various hosts. Cryptosporidium infection in black-boned goats and black-boned sheep may pose a threat to the survival and productivity, causing considerable economic losses to the livestock industry. However, it is yet to know whether black-boned goats and black-boned sheep in China are infected with Cryptosporidium. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in black-boned goats and black-boned sheep in Yunnan province, China. A total of 590 fecal samples were obtained from black-boned goats and black-boned sheep from five counties in Yunnan province, and the prevalence and species distribution of Cryptosporidium were determined by amplification of the 18S rDNA fragment using the nested PCR. The overall Cryptosporidium prevalence was 13.2% (78/590), with 18.0% (55/305) in black-boned goats and 8.1% (23/285) in black-boned sheep. The age and sampling site were identified as main factors that result in significant differences in Cryptosporidium prevalence. Three species, namely C. muris, C. xiaoi, and C. ubiquitum, were identified in black-boned goats and black-boned sheep in the present study, with C. muris (46/78) as the predominant species. This is the first report of Cryptosporidium infection in black-boned goats and black-boned sheep in China, and the findings will facilitate better understanding, prevention, and control of Cryptosporidium infection in black-boned goats and black-boned sheep in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed at comparing the success rate and safety of proximal versus distal approach for ultrasound (US)-guided axillary vein catheterization (AVC) in cardiac surgery patients susceptible to bleeding. Methods: In this single-center randomized controlled trial, cardiac surgery patients susceptible to bleeding and requiring AVC were randomized to either the proximal or distal approach group for US-guided AVC. Patients susceptible to bleeding were defined as those who received oral antiplatelet drugs or anticoagulants for at least 3 days. Success rate, catheterization time, number of attempts, and mechanical complications within 24 h were recorded for each procedure. Results: A total of 198 patients underwent randomization: 99 patients each to the proximal and distal groups. The proximal group had the higher first puncture success rate (75.8% vs. 51.5%, p < 0.001) and site success rate (93.9% vs. 83.8%, p = 0.04) than the distal group. However, the overall success rates between the two groups were similar (99.0% vs. 99.0%; p = 1.00). Moreover, the proximal group had fewer average number of attempts (p < 0.01), less access time (p < 0.001), and less successful cannulation time (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in complications between the two groups, such as major bleeding, minor bleeding, arterial puncture, pneumothorax, nerve injuries, and catheter misplacements. Conclusions: For cardiac surgery patients susceptible to bleeding, both proximal and distal approaches for US-guided AVC can be considered as feasible and safe methods of central venous cannulation. In terms of the first puncture success rate and cannulation time, the proximal approach is superior to the distal approach. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03395691. Registered January 10, 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03395691?cond=NCT03395691&draw=1&rank=1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of real-time data, including user privacy information, control commands, and other sensitive data, are transmitted in edge computing networks. It requires high-speed and reliable data transmission in dynamic edge computing networks. Traditional methods with passive defense cannot cope with the covert and complicated attacks. Edge computing networks require active defense during data transmission. Existing active defense methods based on dynamic network ignore the connectivity and link quality reduced by attacks and do not adjust defense positively. To maximize the defense revenue in moving adjustment strategy, this paper proposes the model of active defense for edge computing network data interaction. In this model, the network topology mimic association protocol is designed to associate multi-paths and multi-parameters automatically. On one hand, considering the transmission reliability and defensive revenue reduction caused by dynamic network transformation, a real-time multi-feature anomaly detection algorithm based on Non-extensive entropy and Renyi cross entropy is proposed. Based on this, a moving communication path alliance can be constructed pseudo-randomly. On the other hand, this paper proposes a Hidden Markov based state prediction model and a mimic transformation strategy for The Network Topology Mimic Association Graph based on predicted states. Combining these two ways improves the data transmission service quality of the active defense technology in edge computing networks. Experiments are carried in simulated power networks. The results show that our method outperforms the popular methods in terms of transmission efficiency, reliability, and anti-attack performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain shape is a key factor that influences both grain yield and quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.). In order to elucidate the genetic basis of grain shape, an F2 and derived F2:3 populations were developed from a cross between Guangzhan63-4S (GZ63-4S) and TGMS29, and used in a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. A total of thirty-six QTLs were identified for grain shape and weight, and the phenotypic variance explained by each QTL ranged from 0.88 to 35.70%. Given that most of the QTLs were detected in only one population, a BC1F2 and derived BC1F2:3 populations were constructed with GZ63-4S as the recurrent parent to further verify the QTLs. Seventeen QTLs were validated in at least one population. qGL1.3, the major QTL for grain length in both the F2 and F2:3 populations, contributed 41.16% of the variation in grain length and 35.96% of the variation in 1000-grain weight in a random BC1F3 population, and thus was selected for further fine mapping. Based on progeny tests of 31 recombinants, qGL1.3 was delimited to a region of about 350 kb on chromosome 1. These results could lay the foundation for map-based cloning of qGL1.3 and provide genes or QTLs for breeding rice lines with high grain yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To quantitatively compare the diagnostic values of conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating between malignant and benign renal tumors.Methods: Multiple b value DWIs and DKIs were performed in 180 patients with renal tumors, which were divided into clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), non-ccRCC, and benign renal tumor group. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusivity (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusivity (MD) maps were calculated. The diagnostic efficacy of various diffusion parameters for predicting malignant renal tumors was compared.Results: The ADC, D, and MD values of ccRCCs were higher, while D*, f, and MK values were lower than those of benign renal tumors (all p < 0.025). The D* and f values of non-ccRCCs were lower than those of benign renal tumors (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The difference of ADC, D, MD, and MK values between non-ccRCCs and benign renal tumors was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The ADC, D, MD, and f values of ccRCCs were higher, while MK values were lower than those of non-ccRCCs (all p < 0.001). The AUC values of ADC, D, D*, f, MK, and MD were 0.849, 0.891, 0.708, 0.656, 0.862, and 0.838 for differentiating ccRCCs from benign renal tumors, respectively. The AUC values of D* and f were 0.772 and 0.866 for discrimination between non-ccRCCs and benign renal tumors, respectively.Conclusion: IVIM parameters are the best, while DWI and DKI parameters have similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign renal tumors.Key Points: • The D value is the best parameter for differentiating ccRCC from benign renal tumors. • The f value is the best parameter for differentiating non-ccRCC from benign renal tumors. • Conventional DWI and DKI have similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign renal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is to introduce a new model for fatigue life prediction. At first, considering the weakening speed of weight function in the stress field of intensity method is too fast, a modification is presented to make it more suitable for the calculation of the fatigue life of the key components. In this model the stress contour line was proposed as the boundary of the damage zone and a new mathematical model for stress gradient was constructed. Then, the determination of the damage zone and the direction angle were given. Numerical simulations were performed to analyze the proposed new method. On the basis of the new stress field of intensity method, two examples were analyzed and calculated. Compared with the traditional method, the damage zone determined by the improved stress field method can change with the load amplitude, and it is closer to the shape and size of the real damage zone. The experiment effectively verifies the rationality of the new mathematical model and the feasibility of this new approach. With the small error and good stability, this new approach can be well used in the fatigue life prediction of notched specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]