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The N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification and circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in the development of lung cancer. However, the m7G modification of circRNAs has not been fully elucidated. This study revealed the presence of the m7G modification in circFAM126A. We propose the novel hypothesis that the methyltransferase TRMT10C mediates the m7G modification of circFAM126A and that the stability of m7G-modified circFAM126A is reduced. circFAM126A is downregulated in lung cancer and significantly inhibits lung cancer growth both in vitro and in vivo. The expression of circFAM126A correlates with the stage of lung cancer and with the tumour diameter, and circFAM126A can be used as a potential molecular target for lung cancer. The molecular mechanism by which circFAM126A increases HSP90 ubiquitination and suppresses AKT1 expression to regulate cellular glycolysis, ultimately inhibiting the progression of lung cancer, is elucidated. This study not only broadens the knowledge regarding the expression and regulatory mode of circRNAs but also provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate tumour cell metabolism and affect tumour cell fate from an epigenetic perspective. These findings will facilitate the development of new strategies for lung cancer prevention and treatment. Graphical Headlights • circRNA can undergo m7G modification. The methyltransferase TRMT10C mediates circFAM126A m7G modification, thereby enhancing circFAM126A stability. • m7G-modified circFAM126A can perform a biological function in inhibiting lung cancer progression by regulating cellular glycolysis. • circFAM126A increases ubiquitination of HSP90 and inhibits AKT1 expression to regulate cellular glycolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanopore direct RNA sequencing (DRS) has emerged as a powerful tool for RNA modification identification. However, concurrently detecting multiple types of modifications in a single DRS sample remains a challenge. Here, we develop TandemMod, a transferable deep learning framework capable of detecting multiple types of RNA modifications in single DRS data. To train high-performance TandemMod models, we generate in vitro epitranscriptome datasets from cDNA libraries, containing thousands of transcripts labeled with various types of RNA modifications. We validate the performance of TandemMod on both in vitro transcripts and in vivo human cell lines, confirming its high accuracy for profiling m6A and m5C modification sites. Furthermore, we perform transfer learning for identifying other modifications such as m7G, Ψ, and inosine, significantly reducing training data size and running time without compromising performance. Finally, we apply TandemMod to identify 3 types of RNA modifications in rice grown in different environments, demonstrating its applicability across species and conditions. In summary, we provide a resource with ground-truth labels that can serve as benchmark datasets for nanopore-based modification identification methods, and TandemMod for identifying diverse RNA modifications using a single DRS sample. Simultaneous profiling of multiple RNA modifications is a promising yet understudied field of research. Here, authors develop a transferable deep learning framework capable of detecting multiple types of RNA modifications in single nanopore sequencing sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between simple markers in fetal abdominal plane, intra-abdominal umbilical venous diameter (DIUV) and abdominal circumference (AC) discordance at 15–20 weeks' gestation, and adverse pregnancy outcomes in monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of MCDA twins with two live fetuses examined at 15–20 weeks from Jun 2020 to Dec 2021 at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. Measurement of fetal AC and DIUV was performed according to standard protocols. Twin pregnancies with major fetal structural anomalies, chromosomal abnormalities, miscarriage, and twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence were excluded. DIUV and AC discordance in MCDA twins with an adverse pregnancy outcome was compared with a normal pregnancy outcome. Furthermore, the performance of DIUV and AC discordance in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in MCDA twins was assessed. Results: A total of 105 women with MCDA twin pregnancies were enrolled, contributing 179 visits. Adverse pregnancy outcomes occurred in 33.3% (35/105) of cases in our study. The intra-observer and inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of both AC and DIUV were very good or excellent. There was no statistical difference in AC and DIUV discordance (%) between 15–16, 17–18, and 19–20 weeks (χ2 = 3.928, P = 0.140; χ2 = 2.840, P = 0.242). Both AC and DIUV discordance were greater in twins with adverse pregnancy outcomes than that in twins with normal pregnancy outcome at each pregnancy periods. Both AC discordance (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.3) and DIUV discordance (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.2) were associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The AUC for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes by AC discordance was 0.75 (95% CI 0.68–0.83), with a sensitivity of 58.7% (95% CI 51.9–64.5) and a specificity of 86.2% (95% CI 81.7–88.4). The AUC for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes by DIUV was 0.78 (95% CI 0.70–0.86), with sensitivity and specificity of 65.1% (95% CI 58.1–70.3) and 86.2% (95% CI 81.7–88.4), respectively. Conclusions: The AC discordance and DIUV discordance could predict adverse pregnancy outcomes in MCDA twins. When these simple markers occurred, intensive surveillance was recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant tumor widely distributed globally, exhibiting elevated incidence and fatality rates. The gene LAMC2 encodes the laminin subunit gamma-2 chain and is found specifically in the basement membrane of epithelial cells. Its expression is aberrant in multiple types of malignant tumors. This research elucidated a link between LAMC2 and the clinical characteristics of GC and investigated the potential involvement of LAMC2 in GC proliferation and advancement. Materials and methods: LAMC2 expressions were detected in GC cell lines and normal gastric epithelial cell lines via qRT-PCR. Silencing and overexpression of the LAMC2 were conducted by lentiviral transfection. A xenograft mouse model was also developed for in vivo analysis. Cell functional assays were conducted to elucidate the involvement of LAMC2 in cell growth, migration, and penetration. Further, immunoblotting was conducted to investigate the impact of LAMC2 on the activation of signal pathways after lentiviral transfection. Results: In the findings, LAMC2 expression was markedly upregulated in GC cell lines as opposed to normal gastric epithelial cells. In vitro analysis showed that sh-LAMC2 substantially inhibited GC cell growth, migration, and invasion, while oe-LAMC2 displayed a contrasting effect. Xenograft tumor models demonstrated that oe-LAMC2 accelerated tumor growth via high expression of Ki-67. Immunoblotting analysis revealed a substantial decrease in various signaling pathway proteins, PI3K, p-Akt, and Vimentin levels upon LAMC2 knockdown, followed by increased E-cadherin expression. Conversely, its overexpression exhibited contrasting effects. Besides, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was accelerated by LAMC2. Conclusion: This study provides evidence indicating that LAMC2, by stimulating signaling pathways, facilitated EMT and stimulated the progression of GC cells in laboratory settings and mouse models. Research also explored that the abnormal LAMC2 expression acts as a biomarker for GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important reaction process that occurs at the cathode of zinc-air batteries. An efficient reaction process is conducive to further research on sustainable energy devices. In order to improve the reaction speed, the ORR electrocatalyst containing uniform Fe–N-C sites in a porous carbon network similar to the shape of moth-eaten rotten wood was prepared using water hyacinth with a thin-layer structure inside as a template. Water hyacinth, plays a variety of synthetic functions in the construction of nanocatalysts, not only has a good enrichment effect on metal elements, but also is rich in N element. The doped Fe elements combine with the carbon and N elements of water hyacinth to form Fe–N-C active sites. The half-wave potential of SHL-Fe-HMNC is raised to 0.881 V (0.838 V for commercial 20wt% Pt/C) compared to the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The power density of the liquid battery prepared based on SHL-Fe-HMNC reaches 110 mW·cm−2 (90 mW·cm−2 for 20 wt% Pt/C). Furthermore, the cycle time of ZABs exceeds 200 h. The flexible battery based on SHL-Fe-HMNC has a cycle stability of more than 10 h at a current of 10 mA·cm−2, and the open circuit voltage (OCV) reaches 1.511 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of the pseudospin of sound wave has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Utilizing the finite-size effect of topological acoustics, we successfully construct an H-shaped acoustic topological pseudospin switcher that sound wave energy can be easily switched through different passages. The interesting phenomenon of pseudospin flipping is numerically and experimentally demonstrated. A quantitative interference theory is proposed that the constructive and destructive interference of pseudospin states leads to pseudospin flipping and preserving in multiple frequencies. We verify the key parameters of the design, including the length of the passage and its interface state dispersion, and the theory can be extended to other topology acoustics and photonics systems. Moreover, the tunable topological sonic crystal we use provides adjustable convenience to pseudospin switcher design. The pseudospin switching behavior offers an efficient method to control the acoustic topological edge state transport, which has great potential in versatile applications, such as integrated acoustics, acoustic security, and information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large numbers of basic transceiver stations, where the telecommunication room is one of the main components, comprise an important part of the telecommunication system. After earthquakes, considerable economic loss from telecommunication systems is often associated with seismic damage and functional loss of the telecommunication room. However, research related to this has been limited. In this study, shaking table tests were conducted for a full-scale typical telecommunication room, including a light-steel house and the necessary communication and power supply equipment. The tests not only focused on the seismic damage to all the structures but also considered the functions of the communication and power supply of the equipment. The interactions between these facilities and their effects on communication function were also investigated. Compared with the damage to structures, the interruption of the power supply due to earthquakes is a weak link. Finally, the damage indexes, together with their threshold values of different damage states for the communication and power supply equipment, were derived from the test results. The results of this research can contribute to the literature gaps regarding seismic performance studies of telecommunication rooms, and can serve as a valuable reference for future research on its seismic fragility and economic losses evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiator with heat transfer capability is able to guarantee the stable operation of hydro generator set, while the long-term and continuous scouring on radiator pipes by cooling medium will lead to thinning or even perforation of pipe wall, which triggers wall failure. This paper analyzes and predicts the failure mechanism of radiator's pipe wall, and investigates the effects of water flow velocity, sand content and sand particle size on erosion damage of radiator pipe by establishing a test bench for pipe erosion. The results show that the increase of above parameters will lead to the increasing erosion rate, especially when the sand content is 1%, the velocity is 8 m/s and the sand particle size is 0.85 mm, the erosion damage will be particularly serious. Based on experimental data, BP and LSSVM models are employed to predict the pipe wall failure, and PSO algorithm is used to optimize the two models. The optimized PSO-BP has the highest accuracy with the mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.2070 and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 4.702%. The findings provide a reference for wall failure analysis of radiator, which is of great significance for unit's safe operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, the research of backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) has come a long way. As a extension of the BSDEs, the BSDEs with time delay have played a major role in the stochastic optimal control, financial risk, insurance management, pricing, and hedging. In this paper, we study a class of BSDEs with time-delay generators driven by Caputo fractional derivatives. In contrast to conventional BSDEs, in this class of equations, the generator is also affected by the past values of solutions. Under the Lipschitz condition and some new assumptions, we present a theorem on the existence and uniqueness of solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to identify human actions in uncontrolled environments is essential for human–computer interaction, especially in sports, to provide athletes, coaches, and analysts, important information about movement techniques and aid in making well-informed decisions regarding player's movements. Recognizing player's actions, particularly in the context of basketball sports remains a challenging task due to issues like complex backgrounds, obstructed actions, and inconsistent lighting conditions. Artificial Intelligence and deep learning has promising applications in basketball movement analysis, as it can help basketball athletes enhance their shooting techniques and accuracy, thereby improving the efficiency of both games and training sessions. However, the traditional deep learning-based feature extraction methods lack robustness due to simple architecture and low efficiency. In this study, a hybrid Yolo-T2FLSTM system is proposed for basketball player's detection and action recognition. An enhanced Yolo algorithm is employed for detecting players in the frame and the integration of LSTM and fuzzy logic is used to perform the final basketball action classification. The models of VGG 16, VGG 19 and ResNet50 are combined in the backbone of Yolo for multi-feature extraction to establish a multi-feature fusion approach and enhance the performance of basketball player and action recognition. The proposed model is evaluated on different basketball videos and achieved a high recognition rate for player detection and 99.3% accuracy for eight basketball actions. Comparative experiments are carried out under various conditions to validate the robustness of the hybrid Yolo-T2FLSTM model. Results show that the proposed method has a high player detection and action recognition rate as compared to other feature extraction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter can protect plants and microorganisms from toxic substances. Beyond the tolerance limit, the toxicity of petroleum pollution to soil organisms may increase rapidly with the increase of petroleum content. However, the method for evaluating the petroleum tolerance limit of soil organic matter (SOM) is still lacking. In this study, the petroleum saturation limit in SOM was first evaluated by the sorption coefficient (Kd) of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB) from water to soils containing different petroleum levels. The sorption isotherm of dichlorobenzene in several petroleum-contaminated soils with different organic matter content and the microbial toxicity test of several petroleum-contaminated soils were determined. It is found that when the petroleum content is about 5% of the soil organic matter content, the sorption of petroleum to organic matter reached saturation limit. When organic matter reaches petroleum saturation limit, the sorption coefficient of DCB by soil particles increased linearly with the increase of petroleum content (R2 > 0.991). The results provided important insights into the understanding the fate of petroleum pollutants in soil and the analysis of soil toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-farm precision experimentation (OFPE) has expanded rapidly over the past few years. While the importance of OFPE trial design efficiency has been recognized, existing studies have primarily used statistical measures of that efficiency to compare designs. The current article is motivated by the surety that farmers are more interested in economic results than statistical results; Monte Carlo simulations of corn-to-nitrogen (N) response OFPEs were used to compare economic performances of 13 different types of OFPE trial design. Each design type's economic efficiency was measured by the monetary profits resulting from applying the site-specific economically optimal N rates estimated from the data generated by the design type. Results showed that trial design affects the economic performance of OFPE. Overall, the best design was the Latin square design with a special pattern of limited N rate "jump," which had the highest average profit and lowest profit variation in almost all simulation scenarios. A particular type of patterned strip design also performed well, generating average profits only slightly lower than those from the best design. In contrast, designs with gradual trial rate changes over space were less profitable in most situations and should be avoided. Results were similar under various scenarios of nitrogen-to-corn price ratios, yield response estimation models, and field sizes used in the simulations. It was also found that the designs' economic performances were roughly correlated with the spatial property measures of trial designs in existing literature, though much remains unexplained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of iron from high-iron red mud is an important method for the large-scale utilization of red mud. Traditional fossil energy sources such as coking coal are usually used as reducing agents in the smelt reduction process of high-iron red mud, but they are not conducive to the early achievement of carbon neutrality in China. Straw carbon is a clean energy source with over 65% carbon content. Thus, the feasibility of straw carbon as a reducing agent to recover iron from high-iron red mud was investigated. Pig iron was obtained under the optimal reduction conditions of experimental temperature of 1400°C, alkalinity of 0.8, reduction duration of 20 min, MCaF2/MCaO of 4%, and carbon matching ratio of 1.1. More than 99% of the iron was recovered, and the results showed that straw carbon, which could effectively replace coking coal, achieved good results in the recovery of iron from high-iron red mud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloudy skies reduce image quality obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) due to variable lighting conditions imposed on the surface. This study provides a novel approach for identifying temporal windows of opportunity that show promise for avoiding such reductions. The total available hours for flight within a growing season were determined based on an hourly assessment of sky condition. In the study region, this represents total hours from 9 AM to 3 PM, March 1 through September 30. The most promising windows were early and late season, and early morning and late afternoon. Monthly windows were well aligned with crop decision making for emergence. An economic case study was conducted to determine the impact of sky condition on per hectare custom rate for agricultural applications of UAV. Both full-season and early-season-only operational scenarios were investigated. Use of UAV was financially favorable despite the frequent presence of poor sky conditions thought to reduce image quality (60% of total hours). A custom rate of < US$3.65 ha−1 for three flights accommodated a range of acceptable returns on investment over a 3 year period. Poor sky conditions increased the average custom rate by at most US$0.89 ha−1 in the early-season-only scenario and US$0.77 ha−1 over the full season. These rates are competitive with manned aircraft for average fields in the study region (80 ha). Although the initial perception was that clouds would reduce the potential for UAV operations when high image quality is required, economic analyses did not support this preliminary assumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large herbivores can exert pronounced top-down effects on plant communities in grassland ecosystems. Previous studies highlighted the importance of the composition and traits of living plants in regulating the impact of herbivores on plant community. However, there has been little consideration of whether and how plant litter, a ubiquitous "after-life" plant component, affects the outcome of herbivore grazing on grasslands. Here, we conducted a large-scale field experiment in temperate grasslands of northeastern China to investigate how standing plant litter influenced top-down effects of large herbivores (sheep; Ovis aries) on plant species richness, evenness, community composition, and productivity. We found that, in the presence of standing litter, sheep grazing significantly reduced living biomass of forbs by 56%, but have no effects on biomass of the dominant grass, Leymus chinensis. However, in the absence of standing litter, sheep shifted their diet preference from forbs to the grass L. chinensis, leading to a 36% decrease in the biomass of L. chinensis and a 21% decrease in total biomass. Such changes in foraging pressure on plant species led to competitive release that in turn significantly altered plant community composition and increased species evenness. Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate that standing litter can alter foraging behaviors of large herbivores and modifying the outcome of their top-down effects on plant community properties in grasslands. These cryptic but perhaps ubiquitous interactions between litter and herbivores may help us better understand the organization and dynamics of plant communities in the grazed grasslands, with important implications for developing effective management and conservation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix (CFRP) composites often require organic coatings for decorative and protective purposes. Due to the smoothness and low polarity, the surface must be polished to make the coating have sufficient adhesion strength. However, sanding process damages the strength of composites and causes dust pollution. In this work, in order to enhance the interfacial adhesion between water-based coating and CFRP composite, SiO2 particles were produced on the composite surface through in-situ heterogeneous deposition by sol-gel method. The effects of this treatment process on the surface morphology, roughness, chemical composition, wettability and coating adhesion strength of CFRP composites were studied, and the adhesion strength was compared with that of traditional sandpaper sanding and acidification process. The results showed that the adhesion strength of the water-based coating increased to 5.72 ± 0.34 MPa on the surface of the CFRP composite panel modified by the heterogeneous deposition of SiO2, when the ammonia content was 0.20 mol L−1, which was 133.47% higher than that of the original sample. Highlights: The deposition of SiO2 particles by sol-gel method can significantly improve the surface energy and surface roughness of CFRP materials. The heterogeneous deposition of SiO2 on the surface of CFRP can effectively enhance the adhesion strength of the coating without causing dust pollution and damage to the composite matrix. The adhesion strength of the water-based coating is increased to 5.72 ± 0.34 MPa on the modified surface of the CFRP composite panel, which was 133.47% higher than that of the original sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about C –N – P stoichiometries and content in teak (Tectona grandis) plantations in South China, which are mostly sited on hilly areas with lateritic soil, and the effect of slope position on the accumulation of these elements in trees and rhizosphere soils. Here we analyzed the C, N, P content and stoichiometry in leaves, fine roots and rhizosphere soils of trees on the upper and lower slopes of a 12-year-old teak plantation. The Kraft classification system of tree status was used to sample dominant, subdominant and mean trees at each slope position. The results showed that the C, N and P contents in leaves were higher than in fine roots and rhizosphere soils. The lowest C/N, C/P and N/P ratios were found in rhizosphere soils, and the C/N and C/P ratios in fine roots were higher than in leaves. Nutrient accumulation in leaves, fine roots and rhizosphere soils were significantly influenced by slope position and tree class with their interaction mainly showing a greater effect on rhizosphere soils. Leaf C content and C/N ratio, fine root C and P contents, and C/N and C/P ratios all increased distinctly with declining slope position. The contents of organic matter (SOM), ammonium (NH4+–N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−–N) and available potassium (AK) in rhizosphere soils were mainly enriched on upper slopes, but exchange calcium (ECa), available phosphorus (AP), and pH were relatively lower. Variations in the C, N and P stoichiometries in trees were mainly attributed to the differences in rhizosphere soil properties. N and P contents showed significant positive linear relationships between leaf and rhizosphere soil, and C content negative linear correlation among leaves, fine roots and rhizosphere soils. Chemical properties of rhizosphere soils, particularly C/N and NH4+–N, had significant effects on the leaf nutrients in trees on the upper slope. Correspondingly, rhizosphere soil properties mainly influenced fine root nutrients on the lower slope, and soil AK was the major influencing factor. Overall, these results offer new insights for the sustainability and management of teak plantations in hilly areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a significant threat to agriculture. However, climatic trends and their impact on Mississippi (MS) maize (Zea mays L.) are unknown. The objectives were to: (i) analyze trends in climatic variables (1970 to 2020) using Mann–Kendall and Sen slope method, (ii) quantify the impact of climate change on maize yield in short and long run using the auto-regressive distributive lag (ARDL) model, and (iii) categorize the critical months for maize-climate link using Pearson's correlation matrix. The climatic variables considered were maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), diurnal temperature range (DTR), precipitation (PT), relative humidity (RH), and carbon emissions (CO2). The pre-analysis, post-analysis, and model robustness statistical tests were verified, and all conditions were met. A significant upward trend in Tmax (0.13 °C/decade), Tmin (0.27 °C/decade), and CO2 (5.1 units/decade), and a downward trend in DTR (− 0.15 °C/decade) were noted. The PT and RH insignificantly increased by 4.32 mm and 0.11% per decade, respectively. The ARDL model explained 76.6% of the total variations in maize yield. Notably, the maize yield had a negative correlation with Tmax for June, and July, with PT in August, and with DTR for June, July, and August, whereas a positive correlation was noted with Tmin in June, July, and August. Overall, a unit change in Tmax reduced the maize yield by 7.39% and 26.33%, and a unit change in PT reduced it by 0.65% and 2.69% in the short and long run, respectively. However, a unit change in Tmin, and CO2 emissions increased maize yield by 20.68% and 0.63% in the long run with no short run effect. Overall, it is imperative to reassess the agronomic management strategies, developing and testing cultivars adaptable to the revealed climatic trend, with ability to withstand severe weather conditions in ensuring sustainable maize production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The etiology of Ménière's disease (MD) remains controversial. Allergies are potential extrinsic factors that, in conjunction with underlying intrinsic factors, may cause MD. The link between allergies and MD was first described in 1923. For nearly a century, studies have demonstrated a possible link between allergies and MD, even though a causal relationship has not been definitively determined. Previous reviews have mainly focused on clinical epidemiology studies of patients. In this review, we shed light on the association between allergies and MD not only in terms of its epidemiology, but also from an immunology, pathophysiology, and immunotherapy perspective in both patients and animal models. Patients with MD tend to have a high risk of comorbid allergies or an allergy history, showing positive allergy immunology characteristics. Other MD-related diseases, such as migraine, may also interact with allergies. Allergy mediators such as IgE may worsen the symptoms of MD. Deposits of IgE in the vestibular end organs indicate the ability of the inner ear to participate in immune reactions. Allergic challenges can induce vertigo in animals and humans. Anti-allergy therapy plays a positive role in patients with MD and animal models of endolymphatic hydrops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of porous hollow glass microsphere (HGM) were synthesized using HGM as a raw material. Then, silicone rubber (SR) based composites with porous HGM as inorganic filler were prepared. The microstructures of the composites were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the relationship between the interface structure and strengthening mechanism was explained. Due to the formation of interpenetrating networks through SR chains inserting into porous HGM, the interfacial adhesion was enhanced. Therefore, tensile strength and elongation at break of SR were greatly improved by porous HGM. Especially for HGM-2 with high specific surface area and through-hole, tensile strength of SR/HGM-2 composite with only 2 phr HGM-2 increased from 0.41 MPa to 0.91 MPa, and elongation at break increased from 103 to 251%. The densities of composites with filler content ranging from 2 phr to 15 phr were also examined. Particularly, the density of SR/HGM-1 composite with 15 phr HGM-1 further decreased to 0.75 g/cm3 compared with that of SR/HGM (0.82 g/cm3). In addition, the thermal stability of SR composites with porous HGM was also significantly improved. Along with through-hole structure of HGM-2, another straightforward consequence of SR/HGM-2 composite was high transparency caused by reduction of light scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the free vibration problem of a variable curvature beam different from the conventional circular model. Methods: Based on the principle of virtual work, an analytical expression of in-plane displacement of a beam with variable curvature fixed at both ends under concentrated load is established in this paper. The flexibility matrix and stiffness matrix of curved beam are obtained by Moore integral calculation, and the mass matrix of variable curvature beam is obtained by lumped mass method. The stiffness matrix and mass matrix are transformed by static condensation method, and the natural vibration frequency of the beam with variable curvature is obtained. The finite element simulation model of the actual curved bridge and the laboratory curved arch model are established, and the simulation analysis results and laboratory measurement results are compared with the results in this paper. Conclusion: It is proved that the theory presented in this study has good engineering application and can be used as the theoretical basis for the structural research and design of the variable curvature bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In hot environments, the human body shows an efficient capability to maintain a stable temperature by benefiting from sweating behavior. Inspired by this skin perspiration strategy, in this study, we demonstrated an innovative polyimide foam (PIF)-based mimetic skin with excellent cooling capability by integrating a silver coating and reusable hydrogel for the first time. Because of the hybrid thermal dissipating system, the successive silver coating quickly transferred heat to the inside of the polyacrylamide hydrogel. Meanwhile, the hydrogel absorbed a large amount of heat due to its large enthalpy and effectively dissipated heat to the environment through the evaporation of moisture, similar to the sweating of skin. Thus, the temperature of the skin-like film was reduced by 25.4°C compared with pure PIF under a high-power laser heating source. Identical and remarkable cooling effects were also obtained in mobile phone and battery applications, far better than commercially available thermally conductive polyimide (PI). This outstanding performance paves a new way for the thermal management application of PI in wearable electronics, microprocessors, and flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current understanding of the leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) in intestinal stem cells (ISCs) is well established, however, the implications of ISC heterogeneity and homeostasis are poorly understood. Prior studies have provided important evidence for the association between heterogeneity of ISC pools with pathogenesis and therapeutic response of malignant disease. Leveraging the advantages of organoids and single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), glandular development has been simulated and cell heterogeneity has been clarified. Based on this research, several potential ISCs were identified, such as LGR5 + p27 + quiescent ISCs, LGR5 + Mex3a + slowly proliferating stem cells, and CLU + reverse stem cells. We also illustrated major factors responsible for ISC homeostasis including metabolism-related (LKB1, TGR5, HMGCS2), inflammation-related (IFB-b, IFN2, TNF), and Wnt signaling-related (CREPT, Mex3a, MTG16) factors. ISCs play complex roles in intestinal tumorigenesis, chemoresistance and occasional relapse of colon cancer, which bear discussion. In this review, we focus on novel technical challenges in ISCs fate drawing upon recent research with the goals of clarifying our understanding of complex ISCs, elucidating the integrated intestinal crypt niche, and creating new opportunities for therapeutic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous scenarios of direct contact between electronic components and skin appear in wearable electronic devices. As the "second skin" that lies next to the biological skin of the human body, flexible wearable devices need to be equipped with thermal protection. However, the use of flexible phase change materials (PCMs) for wearable devices remains a challenge due to their low thermal conductivity, weakened mechanical strength, and liquid leakage. Herein, we developed a multilayered polyimide (PI) composite film integrating stable latent heat absorption, high thermal conductivity, and enhanced mechanical strength. This single piece of material achieved more prominent hotspot protection than traditional foams. The in-plane thermal conductivity of the resultant substrate layer is up to 2.655 W/(m K), which provides a fast response and in-plane dissipation for heat flow. The deliberately arranged interlayer of the material significantly improved the tensile strength (37.6 MPa) of the composite film, representing 128.9% greater strength than that of a bilayer film without a dense layer. The top layer with abundant pores provides reversibly latent heat storing and releasing function after being well infiltrated with paraffin wax. The resulting synergistic effect between three functional layers shows superb heat-suppressing performance in the thickness direction in both thermal shock-resistant tests and simulation results. Impressively, the maximum temperature drop reached 40.2°C compared with the pure PI film. The heating time was delayed by 12 s, providing sufficient warning time for human emergency response. This strategy can potentially pave the way for the design and fabrication of multifunctional films for wearable electronics in thermal protection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Surgical resection is cornerstone treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and offers a chance for cure. This study was conducted to determine current surgical treatment patterns and outcomes of Chinese patients with NSCLC. Methods: Data of patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC of stages IA–IIIA and who underwent surgery between July 2014 and July 2020 were retrospectively collected from 9 tertiary hospitals in China. Cox model was used for multivariate analyses. Results: This study included 11,958 patients, among whom 59.1%, 19.2%, and 21.7% were in stages I, II, and IIIA, respectively. Lobectomy was the most common operation method (78.4%), followed by wedge resection (8.2%), segmentectomy (5.4%), pneumonectomy (5.2%), and bronchial sleeve lobectomy (2.8%). Among patients who underwent wedge resection and segmentectomy, majority had stage I NSCLC (87.2% and 93.3%, respectively), and sublobectomy accounted for 20.7% of stage I operations. With a median follow-up time of 30.2 months, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of entire population were 88.9% and 96.1% at 1 year, 75.2% and 85.1% at 3 years, and 65.3% and 77.0% at 5 years, respectively. The 5-year OS rates for stages IA, IB, IIA, IIB, and IIIA disease were 93.2%, 82.7%, 70.3%, 67.0%, and 52.1%, respectively. Conclusion: This is the largest real-world cohort study of patients with NSCLC who underwent surgery in China, where we described characteristics of surgical treatment and survival outcomes. The results of our study provide insights into real-world surgical treatment status for surgeons and clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle and thermogenic adipose tissue are both critical for the maintenance of body temperature in mammals. However, whether these two tissues are interconnected to modulate thermogenesis and metabolic homeostasis in response to thermal stress remains inconclusive. Here, we report that human and mouse obesity is associated with elevated Musclin levels in both muscle and circulation. Intriguingly, muscle expression of Musclin is markedly increased or decreased when the male mice are housed in thermoneutral or chronic cool conditions, respectively. Beige fat is then identified as the primary site of Musclin action. Muscle-transgenic or AAV-mediated overexpression of Musclin attenuates beige fat thermogenesis, thereby exacerbating diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in male mice. Conversely, Musclin inactivation by muscle-specific ablation or neutralizing antibody treatment promotes beige fat thermogenesis and improves metabolic homeostasis in male mice. Mechanistically, Musclin binds to transferrin receptor 1 (Tfr1) and antagonizes Tfr1-mediated cAMP/PKA-dependent thermogenic induction in beige adipocytes. This work defines the temperature-sensitive myokine Musclin as a negative regulator of adipose thermogenesis that exacerbates the deterioration of metabolic health in obese male mice and thus provides a framework for the therapeutic targeting of this endocrine pathway. Interorgan communications play key roles in the regulation of whole-body energy metabolism. Here, the authors report the myokine Musclin as a negative regulator of beige adipose thermogenesis and systemic energy homeostasis through Tfr1/PKA signalling mediated muscle fat crosstalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Norcantharidin (NCTD) has multiple antitumor effects. However, NCTD can induce significant hepatotoxicity and the mechanism of hepatotoxicity is not clear for now. Objective: This study aimed to explore the hepatotoxicity of NCTD in rat by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF)-MS (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) metabolomics. Results: Serum biochemical indices including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (T-BIL) were significantly increased. Histopathological and ultrastructure results revealed that hepatocytes were damaged. Furthermore, the metabolomics results showed that 11 metabolites in serum and 8 metabolites in liver were differential metabolites for NCTD hepatotoxicity. Four metabolic pathways including the sphingolipid metabolism, purine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism were the key metabolic pathways related to NCTD hepatotoxicity. Conclusion: The metabolomics analysis in this study reveal new clues on the hepatotoxicity mechanism of NCTD in rats. These findings have potential applications in the toxicity study of NCTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is a fatal infectious disease; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of TB remain elusive. The present study aims to identify potential biomarkers associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection by using integrated bioinformatics and in vitro validation studies. GSE50050, GSE78706, and GSE108844 data from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database were downloaded to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The functions of DEGs were further subjected to gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analysis. The hub genes from the DEGs were determined based on the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Finally, the hub genes were experimentally validated using the in vitro functional studies. A total of 26 common DEGs were identified among GSE50050, GSE78706, and GSE108844. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the common DEGs were associated with cytokines response and TB pathways. The PPI network analysis identified nine hub genes. Further in vitro studies showed that nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) was up-regulated in RAW264.7 cells upon lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulation, which was accompanied by increased inflammatory cytokines release. Furthermore, NOS2 was found to be a target of miR-493-5p, which was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. NOS2 was repressed by miR-493-5p overexpression and was up-regulated after miR-493-5p inhibition in RAW264.7 cells. The rescue experiments showed that LPS-induced increase in the inflammatory cytokines of the RAW264.7 cells was significantly attenuated by NOS2 knockdown and miR-493-5p overexpression. Collectively, our results for the first time demonstrated that NOS2/miR-493-5p signaling pathway may potentially involve in the inflammatory response during bacterial infection such as M. tb infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient nitrogen (N) fertilizer management is critical for crop production and environmental sustainability. In cotton, however, a joint assessment of location-specific N management effects on agronomic performance and environmental impacts is still required to design a sustainable production system. Therefore, a 2-yr field study was conducted to investigate the response of cotton growth, yield, N use efficiency, changes in soil mineral N content (Nmin) and apparent N loss to different N management strategies in the Yellow River Valley of China. Fertilizer N treatments included split applications at sowing, the early flowering stage and the peak flowering stage respectively of 180-0-0, 108-72-0, 72-108-0, 72-72-36 and 72-36-72 kg N ha–1. The results showed that, on average, split-N increased shoot biomass by 15.5%, seed cotton yield by 5.8%, lint yield by 4.9%, and N uptake by 23.7%. The highest cotton yield, maximum growth rate, N uptake, and N use efficiencies were obtained with the application of 72 kg N ha−1 at sowing. Treatment of 72-36-72 resulted in a greater residual soil Nmin. In addition, apparent N loss was negatively correlated to the growth rate and N use efficiencies. Apparent N loss in single application was 48.3% of the total N, but split-N applications lowered it to 38.5%. Overall, we concluded that twice-split application with allocating more of N fertilizer to the early flowering stage contributes to a more sustainable cotton production for enhancing yield and N use efficiency while minimizing N loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse the safety and effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in anal fistula patients. Methods: Online databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception to December 5, 2022, for eligible studies about evaluating the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treating anal fistula. Literature search, screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were carried out by two independent investigators. The overall cure rate, the complete cure rate, the recurrence rate, and the adverse event rate with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were the primary calculation indexes. Subgroup analyses were conducted primarily according to whether PRP was combined with other treatments. Softwares of MedCalc 18.2 and Review Manager 5.3 were used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 14 studies with 514 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The overall cure rate of 14 studies was 72.11% (95% CI 0.64–0.79). The cure rate of PRP alone was 62.39% (95% CI 0.55–0.69). The combined cure rate of PRP with other treatments was 83.12% (95% CI 0.77–0.88). The cure rate of interventions involving PRP were superior to the cure rate of surgery methods without using PRP significantly in the 4 randomized controlled studies (RR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.10–1.54, p = 0.002). The complete cure rate of the 8 studies was 66.37% (95% CI 0.52–0.79). The recurrence rate of the 12 studies was 14.84% (95% CI 0.08–0.24). The adverse event rate of the 12 studies was 6.31% (95% CI 0.02–0.12). Conclusion: PRP showed favorable safety and effectiveness in the treatment of anal fistula, especially combined with other treatment procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayer red mud is a strong alkaline solid waste discharged during alumina production. Due to large emissions and strong alkalinity, red mud is now mostly dammed or buried, which not only occupies huge land but also contaminates the surrounding ecosystem, causing the risk of collapse and landslide. In addition to its overall utilization in building materials, agriculture, the environment, and the chemical industry, red mud also contains valuable metals such as sodium, aluminum, iron, titanium, and scandium and is considered to be an important secondary resource. In this paper, the physicochemical properties and hazards of red mud are first introduced, and then, the overall utilization of red mud is summarized. Then, the latest research progress on the separation and extraction of valuable metals from red mud is reviewed in detail and a new comprehensive utilization method is recommended and evaluated. This paper also provides suggestions for the future development direction of the comprehensive utilization technology of red mud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the cross-coupling problem in the multirelay magnetic coupling wireless power transfer (MC-WPT) system, a set of magnetic cross-decoupling coil structure is designed in this paper. The coupling mechanism uses the mutual decoupling principle of bipolar coils and unipolar coils to realize the decoupling of non-adjacent coils, while the adjacent coils remain coupled. The frequency characteristics and output characteristics of the cross-decoupling dual-relay system based on the LCC-Multi-S topology are studied. It is found that the system can achieve open-loop constant voltage (CV) output, and the frequency of the optimal efficiency does not deviate from the resonance frequency point. At the same time, the proposed coil structure is compared with the traditional four-coil structure. The experimental results show that the proposed coil structure achieves cross-decoupling and better CV output, suppresses frequency drift and improves system stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the effects of different stirring speeds on the molten pool flow and the internal flow field of the molten pool were studied by water simulation and numerical simulation. The software ANSYS ICEM, ANSYS FLUENT, and Tecplot 360 were used to model, compute, and post-process, respectively. A physical model made of plexiglass was used to conduct the water simulation experiment. The advantages of vortex smelting reduction were analyzed theoretically and verified by high-temperature experiments. At a stirring speed of approximately 150 rpm, vortex smelting reduction was not only beneficial to the uniform dispersion of the material particles in the molten pool, increasing the reduction reaction rate, but it was also beneficial to the separation of slag and metal. The experimental results confirmed the advantages of vortex smelting reduction, contributing to the recovery of iron in high-iron red mud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attenuation of radio signals by the atmosphere is measured through atmospheric opacity. The atmospheric absorption effect must be corrected through an accurate amplitude calibration of the radio signals. Obtaining atmospheric mean temperature, sun brightness, sky dips, and radiosonde data modeling are the most commonly used methods for measuring atmospheric opacity. We develop an independent measuring system of K-band atmospheric opacity with a horn antenna to implement the sky-dips method to further investigate and explore the atmospheric opacity test. After many attempts, we employ the K-band atmospheric opacity measurement system to perform a comparison test with the K-band cryogenic receiver of the Nanshan 25 m telescope at the same time, with a comparison error of approximately 30%. Although the test error is due to the measurement accuracy of power and elevation, ground noise will be added in the side and back lobes if the corrugated horn is directly employed as the receiving antenna. To build the ground noise model of the test system, we employ the conventional hot and cold load method, as well as a load at ambient temperature, to cover the corrugated horn port surface and test the power output of the receiver at various elevation angles. The above opacity fitting data are corrected using the ground noise model. All the corrected data are properly fitted, and the comparison error with the 25 m telescope has been reduced to 10-20%. Although the initial test results of the system met the requirements of the atmospheric opacity test, it still needs to be improved in terms of the beam width, airmass, and side and back lobe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), an important hydrolase involved in dephosphorylation, is a common clinical indicator of many diseases. In the present study, we constructed a novel electrochemical sensor using amifostine as the substrate of ALP and activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) as a signal amplification strategy for sensitive determination of ALP activity. In particular, in the presence of ALP, the phosphate group of amifostine was hydrolyzed to form a sulfhydryl group, which could attach to a gold electrode via a sulfur–gold bond. Then, the initiator α-bromophenylacetic acid (BPAA) was linked to the hydrolysis product of amifostine through an amide bond, resulting in the production of electroactive polymer chains on the gold electrode by the monomer ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate (FMMA) via ARGET ATRP. Under optimal parameters, the electrochemical sensor demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.71 mU mL−1 with a linear range of 5–100 mU mL−1. In addition to satisfactory selectivity, the potential application of this approach for ALP activity detection in human serum samples was demonstrated. Due to its efficiency, simplicity of operation, and cost-effectiveness, the proposed electrochemical sensor has great promise as a universal method for ALP assays and inhibitor screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Orthopedic procedures have been associated with increased pain, making perioperative analgesia a major clinical concern. We assessed the efficacy and safety of intravenous parecoxib administration during the perioperative period for postoperative pain relief after orthopedic surgery in adults. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and clinicaltrial.gov were searched from inception to 23 August 2021 without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials comparing intravenous parecoxib with placebo or another active treatment for acute postoperative pain in adults after orthopedic surgery were included. The primary outcomes were the pain scores and cumulative morphine consumption. The secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients requiring rescue analgesics and the incidence of adverse events. The meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews Registration (PROSPERO). Results: Twenty-seven trials (n = 2840) from more than 20 countries involving six types of orthopedic surgery met the inclusion criteria. Compared with placebo, intravenous parecoxib administration led to reductions in postoperative resting pain scores at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h [mean difference (MD) −0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.71 to −0.03; MD −0.86, 95% CI −1.26 to −0.46; MD −0.57, 95% CI −0.84 to −0.31; MD −0.40, 95% CI −0.69 to −0.11, respectively], postoperative movement pain scores at 24 and 48 h (MD −0.66, 95% CI −1.14 to −0.19; MD −0.78, 95% CI −1.16 to −0.39, respectively), cumulative morphine consumption (MD −11.30 mg, 95% CI −14.79 to −7.81 mg), and the proportion of patients requiring rescue analgesia (relative risk 0.83, 95% CI 0.77–0.89). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events between groups. Conclusion: Low to moderate evidence indicates that parecoxib might be an effective and safe analgesic in perioperative orthopedic settings. It relieves postoperative orthopedic pain while sparing opioid analgesic consumption without increasing the incidence of adverse events. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42021274939. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is a vital component in hydrometeorological research and is widely applied to various aspects, such as water resource management, hydrological modeling, irrigation deployment, and understanding and predicting the influence of hydrologic cycle variations on future climate and land use changes. Quantifying the influence of various meteorological variables on ET0 is not only helpful for predicting actual evapotranspiration but also has important implications for understanding the impact of global climate change on regional water resources. Based on daily data from 69 meteorological stations, the present study analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern of ET0 and major contributing meteorological variables to ET0 from 1960 to 2017 by the segmented regression model, Mann-Kendall test, wavelet analysis, generalized linear model, and detrending method. The results showed that the annual ET0 declined slightly because of the combined effects of the reduction in solar radiation and wind speed and the increase in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and average air temperature in the Loess Plateau (LP) during the past 58 yr. Four change points were detected in 1972, 1990, 1999, and 2010, and the annual ET0 showed a zigzag change trend of 'increasing-decreasing-increasing-decreasing-increasing'. Wind speed and VPD played a leading role in the ET0 changes from 1960 to 1990 and from 1991 to 2017, respectively. This study confirms that the dominant meteorological factors affecting ET0 had undergone significant changes due to global climate change and vegetation greening in the past 58 years, and VPD had become the major factor controlling the ET0 changes on the LP. The data presented herein will contribute to increasing the accuracy of predictions on future changes in ET0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently, there has been a burgeoning interest in radiofrequency ablation combined with stent (RFA + Stent) for unresectable malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RFA + Stent compared with biliary stent alone. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases from their inception dates to June 20, 2021, for studies that compared RFA + Stent and stent alone for unresectable MBO. The main outcomes were survival, patency, and adverse effects. All meta-analyses were calculated using the random-effects model. Results: A total of 19 studies involving 1946 patients were included in this study. Compared with stent alone, RFA + Stent was significantly associated with better overall survival (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.48, 0.63; P < 0.00001), longer mean survival time (SMD 2.20; 95% CI 1.17, 3.22; P < 0.0001), longer mean stent patency time (SMD 1.37; 95% CI 0.47, 2.26; P = 0.003), higher stent patency at 6 months (OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.54, 5.18; P = 0.0008). The two interventions had similar incidence of postoperative abdominal pain (OR 1.29; 95% CI 0.94, 1.78; P = 0.11), mild bleeding (OR 1.28; 95% CI 0.65, 2.54; P = 0.48), cholangitis (OR 1.09; 95% CI 0.76, 1.55; P = 0.65), pancreatitis (OR 1.39; 95% CI 0.82, 2.38; P = 0.22). Furthermore, the serum bilirubin levels and stricture diameter after operations were significantly alleviated than before operations, but the degree of alleviation between the two groups were not significantly different (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: Although the alleviation of serum bilirubin and stricture diameter did not differ between the two interventions, RFA + Stent can significantly improve the survival and stent patency with comparable procedure-related adverse events than stent alone. Thus, RFA + Stent should be recommended as an attractive alternative to biliary stent alone for patients with unresectable MBO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method of extracting iron from high-iron red mud and preparing low-carbon cement clinker from tailings was proposed. Thermodynamics of smelting reduction were calculated. The effects of different conditions on iron recovery were investigated systematically. Properties of cement samples prepared from water quenched slag were analyzed. Results showed that increasing temperature, Na2O content and C/S and decreasing A/S appropriately were beneficial to increase the liquid content in slag. Iron recovery was 97.6% under optimal conditions, and the obtained metal met the industrial standard of pig iron for steelmaking. Vitreous content in water quenched slag was 99%, and its pozzolanic activity was comparable to that of S95 grade ore powder. Due to energy consumption and CO2 emission from decomposition of limestone in calcination process of cement clinker reducing significantly, the CO2 emission was reduced to about 400 kg per ton of cement clinker based on the 50% doping amount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the advantages of the vortex melting reduction treatment of red mud were verified. Vortex melting reduction can improve the feeding rate, promote the reaction and the directional deposition of iron, which was conducive to the separation of slag and gold. The effects of different adding methods, stirring speed and reaction time on iron recovery were investigated by using red mud, aluminum leached slag and calcified slag as raw materials. According to the experiment, the best reaction conditions were that the raw material put into the furnace by rolling pellets, stirring speed 125 RPM, and reaction time 30 min. The results provided an experimental basis for the harmless and high-value utilization of high-iron red mud treated by vortex melting reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission of bauxite residue continues to grow with the increase of alumina production capacity, along with the large amounts of bauxite residue currently stored in stockpiles. The exposed problems of high yield, strong alkalinity, low comprehensive utilization rate, and threats to the ecological environment are becoming increasingly prominent. With the strict requirements of environmental protection, improving the comprehensive utilization rate of bauxite residue and bulk consumption of bauxite residue has become an urgent issue to be solved. A large number of researchers have conducted in-depth investigations into the application of bauxite residue over a wide range, and this paper summarizes its application in the environment in recent years, providing guidance for the high value and harmless application of bauxite residue, which can help reduce environmental pollution and human life and health hazards caused by bauxite residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooling method of silicon material sawing in solar energy industry is jet cooling and flood cooling. In this paper, a machining method of diamond wire electrical discharge sawing (DWEDS) under environmentally improved bath cooling was proposed. Its advantages were compared to jet cooling by carrying a series of sawing tests. It was found that DWEDS under bath cooling obtained better machining accuracy and better surface quality than that under jet cooling. Also, the machining accuracy and cutting efficiency in DWEDS were better than those in diamond wire sawing (DWS). The same conclusions were proved by scanning electron microscope observation of the wafer surface. In addition, the wire tension in DWEDS sawing was found more stable than that in DWS. Finally, the wire wear was as another indicator to evaluate the cooling effect. No significant difference in wire wear between bath cooling and jet cooling was found. However, the wire wear of DWEDS under the same cooling method is higher than that of DWS, which means the discharge effect is helpful to the wire self-sharpening from another point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems typically consist of multiple cascaded power converters with their own operating modes. This paper proposes a cascaded modeling method, which segments the complex structure of the whole system into a number of power converter units (PCUs). For each PCU, a state-space model is constructed with the preceding PCU's output voltage as its input voltage, and the succeeding PCU's input impedance as its equivalent load. A regressive algorithm is developed to evaluate the full dynamic responses of the whole system using these PCU models. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed cascaded modeling method, a buck converter with a series connected inverter of a two-PCU WPT system is analyzed as an example. Both simulation and experiment results are used to verify the proposed modeling method. The proposed method significantly simplifies the modeling process of cascaded power electronic systems and achieves excellent accuracy for analyzing the nonlinear bifurcation behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Square wire sawing (squaring) is the preceding process of silicon ingot grinding and slicing for solar wafer manufacturing. The machining accuracy will affect the machining efficiency of the grinding process, and affect the quality of slicing. At present, extreme difference (ED) method is used for the evaluation of squaring accuracy, which cannot fully reflect the squaring accuracy. Novel evaluation method of straightness difference (SD) and flatness difference (FD) of squaring were proposed. The evaluation process was compared with ED method. The results show that the novel method can solve the defects that cannot be sufficiently evaluated by ED method. In addition, the profile errors of the cross sections along and perpendicular to longitudinal direction and the surface contour errors on the symmetric surface were evaluated. The relationship between the error distributions along the longitudinal direction and the processing parameters was also found, which provides help for optimizing the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research confirmed that circRNA can play a regulatory role in various stages of tumors by interacting with various molecules. Identifying the differentially expressed circRNA in bladder cancer and exploring its regulatory mechanism on bladder cancer progression are urgent. In this study, we screened out a circRNA-circGLIS3 with a significant upregulation trend in both bladder cancer tissues and cells. Bioinformatics prediction results showed that circGLIS3 may be involved in multiple tumor-related pathways. Function gain and loss experiments verified circGLIS3 can affect the proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, silencing circGLIS3 inhibited bladder cancer cell growth in vivo. Subsequent research results indicated circGLIS3 regulated the expression of cyclin D1, a cell cycle–related protein, and cell cycle progression. Mechanically, circGLIS3 upregulates the expression of SKP1 by adsorbing miR-1273f and then promotes cyclin D1 expression, ultimately promoting the proliferation of bladder cancer cells. In summary, our study indicates that circGLIS3 plays an oncogene role in the development of bladder cancer and has potential to be a candidate for bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]