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Despite significant improvements, convolutional neural network (CNN) based methods are struggling with handling long-range global image dependencies due to their limited receptive fields, leading to an unsatisfactory inpainting performance under complicated scenarios. To address this issue, we propose the Inpainting Transformer (ITrans) network, which combines the power of both self-attention and convolution operations. The ITrans network augments convolutional encoder–decoder structure with two novel designs, i.e. , the global and local transformers. The global transformer aggregates high-level image context from the encoder in a global perspective, and propagates the encoded global representation to the decoder in a multi-scale manner. Meanwhile, the local transformer is intended to extract low-level image details inside the local neighborhood at a reduced computational overhead. By incorporating the above two transformers, ITrans is capable of both global relationship modeling and local details encoding, which is essential for hallucinating perceptually realistic images. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed ITrans network outperforms favorably against state-of-the-art inpainting methods both quantitatively and qualitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Predict intraocular lens position after cataract surgery using the IOL Master 700 and explore the associated ocular parameters compared with the results obtained from the anterior segment analysis system (Sirius, CSO Inc, Florence, Italy). Methods: A total of 98 patients (106 eyes) were included in the retrospective study. The postoperative intraocular lens position was obtained using the IOL Master 700 and measured using Adobe Illustrator software. Correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were applied to study the correlation between the actual position of the postoperative intraocular lens (ALP) and the ocular parameters. In addition, Bland–Altman consistency analysis was used to compare the consistency between any two among the predicted intraocular lens position (ALPi) obtained using IOL Master 700 biometry, the predicted artificial lens position (ALPs) calculated using the anterior segment analysis system, or the ALP. Results: Ocular parameters, including preoperative anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, axial length, white-to-white, and postoperative refractive error were all correlated with ALP after cataract surgery (P < 0.05) using univariate analysis. However, in multivariate linear regression, only the first three variables were correlated with ALP. Compared with the equation obtained by the anterior segment analysis, the equation from IOL Master 700 biometry provided a better fit. The results of the consistency analysis showed that ALP, ALPi, and ALPs were in good agreement. Conclusion: IOL Master 700 biometry can help predict intraocular lens position after surgery, and its accuracy is better than that provided by the anterior segment analysis system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoderma longibrachiatum SMF2 is an important biocontrol strain isolated by our group that can promote plant growth and induce plant disease resistance. To further study its biocontrol mechanism, the effector proteins secreted by T. longibrachiatum SMF2 were analyzed through bioinformatics and transcriptome sequencing. Overall, 478 secretory proteins produced by T. longibrachiatum were identified, of which 272 were upregulated after treatment with plants. Functional annotation showed that 36 secretory proteins were homologous with different groups of effectors from pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, the quantitative PCR results of six putative effector proteins were consistent with those of transcriptome sequencing. Taken together, these findings indicate that the secretory proteins secreted by T. longibrachiatum SMF2 may act as effectors to facilitate its own growth and colonization or to induce plant immunity response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ special-shaped microfibrillar composites, employing polyolefin elastomer (POE) as matrix and poly(lactic acid)/polyamide 6 (PLA/PA6) masterbatch as dispersed phase, were successfully prepared by using multistage stretching extrusion technology. The special-shaped microfibrils liking "gourd skewers" or "trepang" can be readily tuned by changing the weight ratio of PLA to PA6 in the POE/(PLA/PA6) composites. It was found that the morphological evolution of special shaped structure microfibril were mainly ascribed to the phase separation and viscosity difference between PLA and PA6 during stretching extrusion process. Owing to the large specific surface area and the "hang nail" effect of special-shaped microfibrils, the excellent elongation at break(867%) and tensile strength (20.1 MPa) can be achieved for the POE/(PLA/PA6) composites (PLA/PA6 = 12.5/12.5), which were 1.2 and 2 times higher than those of pure POE respectively. Dynamic rheology studies showed that the viscoelasticity of POE/(PLA/PA6) composites can be improved significantly compared to pure POE. This work provided a facile and cost-effective way to fabricate special shaped microfibrillar composites to improved strength and toughness simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various features extracted from breast MRI have the potential to serve as noninvasive biomarkers for the prediction of the biologic behavior of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of focal breast edema and breast edema score (BES) on T2-weighted images in providing valuable biological information for breast cancer patients' personalized treatment. Method: Two hundred and five lesions in 201 patients with invasive breast cancer confirmed by surgery or biopsy in Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from November 2018 to October 2019 were retrospectively recruited and analyzed in this study. Focal edema and BES were evaluated at fat-suppressed T2 weighted imaging. All the lesions were divided into two groups according to the presence of focal edema. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics between the two groups and between different BES were compared. Results: Two hundred and five lesions in 201 patients with invasive breast cancer were retrospectively recruited and analyzed in this study. On the fat-suppressed T2WI, focal edema was detected in 102 of 205 lesions (49.8%). BES was positively correlated with tumor size (p < 0.001), histologic grade (p = 0.006), Ki-67 index (p < 0.001), and N stage (p = 0.007), and was negatively correlated with expression of ER and PR (p < 0.001). Higher BES was more likely to present in patients with non-luminal breast cancer (p < 0.001) and suggested the possibility of a higher N stage. Conclusions: Focal edema on T2WI of breast MRI indicates stronger tumor invasiveness, in which non-luminal breast cancer is more inclined to present focal edema. Breast edema score, a novel and practical tool, helps guide the individualized treatment of patients with invasive breast cancer. Critical relevance statement: Focal edema on T2WI of breast MRI indicates stronger tumor invasiveness. Breast edema score helps guide the individualized treatment of patients with invasive breast cancer. Key points: Focal edema on T2WI of breast MRI indicates stronger tumor invasiveness. Non-luminal breast cancer is more inclined to present focal edema. Breast edema score is a novel and practical tool to guide therapy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heterozygous mutations in HTRA1 were recently found to cause autosomal dominant cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), and it was named HTRA1-autosomal dominant disease (AD-HTRA1) in the consensus recommendations of the European Academy of Neurology. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of a mutation in HTRA1 and the effect of HTRA1 mutation on white matter hyperintensity (WMH). Methods: A proband's brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple lacunar infarctions and multiple WMH in the lateral ventricle, external capsule, frontal lobe and corpus callosum. The proband and family members were tested for CSVD-related genes by next-generation sequencing and the clinical data of the patients were collected. The published literature on AD-HTRA1 was collected, and the clinical characteristics and pathogenicity of the patients were summarized. Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) is a tool for scoring the deleteriousness of single-nucleotide variants and insertion/deletion variants in the human genome. The relationship between the degree of WMH and the pathogenicity of the mutation was further analyzed. Result: It was found that the proband and her family members had a heterozygous missense mutation of c.854C > T (p.P285L) in the 4 exon of HTRA1 gene. A retrospective analysis of 5 families with c.854C > T mutation found that the patients had an early age of onset, cognitive impairment was more common, and alopecia and spondylosis could be combined at the same time. By univariate analysis, the severity of WMH was found to be significantly associated with the mutated CADD score (p < 0.05, Spearman's rho = 0.266). Conclusion: The clinical manifestations of AD-HTRA1 with mutation site c.854C > T (p.P285L) are similar to CARASIL, and brain MRI are mainly moderate or severe WMH and lacunar infarction (LI). WMH are affected by mutation sites. Therefore, our pathogenicity score for mutations can predict the severity of WMH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonstoichiometric TiO2-x compacts were obtained via spark plasma sintering of titanium dioxide powder. The thermoelectric properties of the resulting materials were examined at temperatures varying from 297 to 973 K. Nonstoichiometric TiO2-x compacts were formed and controlled by varying the sintering temperature during the spark plasma sintering process. The as-prepared compacts possessed oxygen deficiencies and various Magnéli phases TinO2n-1 (n = 4–9), because of the complex interplay between the sintering temperature and stoichiometry. The results demonstrated that the introduction of more and more oxygen deficiencies and the resultant formation of Ti4O7 positively affected the electrical resistivity, but also diminished the Seebeck coefficient. Additionally, an increase in the sintering temperature led to a higher reduction degree, causing a further increase in the number of oxygen deficiencies and enhancement of phase evolution and thermal conductivity. Consequently, the introduction of a moderate number of oxygen deficiencies is advisable in upgrading the thermoelectric properties of TiO2. The compact obtained at a sintering temperature of 1073 K displayed a reasonable thermoelectric efficiency (ZT) of 0.169 at 773 K. Furthermore, first-principles calculations demonstrated that the TiO2 band gap is narrowed by the introduction of oxygen deficiencies, and the electrons near the oxygen vacancy can easily break away from atoms, thus leading to the associated electron transition responsible for the significant decrease in electrical resistivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To build an artificial intelligence (AI) system to classify benign and malignant non-mass enhancement (NME) lesions using maximum intensity projection (MIP) of early post-contrast subtracted breast MR images. Methods: This retrospective study collected 965 pure NME lesions (539 benign and 426 malignant) confirmed by histopathology or follow-up in 903 women. The 754 NME lesions acquired by one MR scanner were randomly split into the training set, validation set, and test set A (482/121/151 lesions). The 211 NME lesions acquired by another MR scanner were used as test set B. The AI system was developed using ResNet-50 with the axial and sagittal MIP images. One senior and one junior radiologist reviewed the MIP images of each case independently and rated its Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category. The performance of the AI system and the radiologists was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: The AI system yielded AUCs of 0.859 and 0.816 in the test sets A and B, respectively. The AI system achieved comparable performance as the senior radiologist (p = 0.558, p = 0.041) and outperformed the junior radiologist (p < 0.001, p = 0.009) in both test sets A and B. After AI assistance, the AUC of the junior radiologist increased from 0.740 to 0.862 in test set A (p < 0.001) and from 0.732 to 0.843 in test set B (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our MIP-based AI system yielded good applicability in classifying NME lesions in breast MRI and can assist the junior radiologist achieve better performance. Key Points: • Our MIP-based AI system yielded good applicability in the dataset both from the same and a different MR scanner in predicting malignant NME lesions. • The AI system achieved comparable diagnostic performance with the senior radiologist and outperformed the junior radiologist. • This AI system can assist the junior radiologist achieve better performance in the classification of NME lesions in MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the associated ocular parameters with lenticular myopia and assess the correlation between lens density and myopic shift. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 50 patients with lenticular high myopia as the study group and 85 cases as the validation group. Lens density was obtained through swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT, IOLMaster 700) and measured by Image J software. Linear regression analysis and correlation analysis were applied to study the association between lenticular myopia and ocular variables. Receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration charts were plotted for nuclear density (ND) in identifying lenticular high myopia. Results: Both ND and lens thickness were discovered to be associated with spherical equivalent refraction and lens power (p < 0.05); yet, only ND was significantly correlated with lenticular myopia, as the difference of nuclear density (NDdiff) between the lenticular myopic eye and the fellow eye was significantly correlated with the interocular difference of spherical equivalent refraction (SERdiff, r = − 0.752, p < 0.001) and the interocular difference of lens power (LPdiff, r = 0.834, p < 0.001). The ND is a good metric for diagnosing lenticular high myopia, with the area under curve (AUC) being 0.898 (0.821–0.949) and the cut-off value being 98.88 pixel units. The accuracy of the cut-off value in the validation group was 82.35%. Conclusions: Average ND quantified by IOLMaster 700 is not only associated with lenticular myopia but is a suitable metric for predicting the amount of myopic shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of intrathecally administered isoniazid (INH) and prednisolone in addition to systemic anti-TB therapy and compare it with systemic anti-TB therapy alone in adult patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM).Methods: In this retrospective study, patients were categorized into two groups: Group A patients received systematic anti-TB therapy alone, Group B patients received IT INH (50 mg) and prednisolone (25 mg) twice a week together with the same standard systemic anti-TB therapy as Group A, in addition to the standard systemic anti-TB therapy. Functional outcomes were compared between the two groups in a prosperity-matched cohort using propensity score matching (PSM) method.Results: A total of 198 patients with TBM were enrolled. After PSM, 30 patients from each group were analyzed, so that there was no significant difference in the characteristics of the two groups. Mortality at follow-up was significantly lower among patients receiving additional IT therapy (4/30, 13.3%) compared with matched patients receiving systemic anti-TB therapy alone (11/30, 36.7%, P value = 0.037).Conclusions: In this propensity score-matched cohort, the addition of IT INH and prednisolone to systemic anti-TB therapy could be effective for the better outcome among adult TBM patients. Further large-scale, prospective, and randomized controlled trials are warranted to the best timing and indication of IT therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel colorimetric aptasensor has been developed for highly sensitive tetracycline (TC) detection based on the peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4@Cu nanoparticles and "sandwich" oligonucleotide hybridization. The Fe3O4@Cu nanoparticles with high peroxidase-like activity were successfully synthesized under mild conditions. Then, a "sandwich" oligonucleotide hybridization probe (a short amino-modified complementary sequence of a portion of the TC aptamer (cDNA1), TC aptamers, and a long complementary to 5′ terminal TC aptamer sequence (cDNA2)) was created in 96-wells plates via DNA hybridization in the absence of TC from the detection system. The unique "sandwich" oligonucleotide hybridization probe adsorbed large numbers of Fe3O4@Cu nanozymes while further enhancing its peroxidase-like activity. Based on the 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB)-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reporting system, the blue color of the solution decreased linearly with the increase of TC concentration, ranging from 10−3 to 103 μg/L with an ultralow limit of detection (LOD) of 0.91 ng/L (2 pM). The proposed method was successfully applied to detect TC in spiked milk samples, with recoveries of 81.8 to 112%, demonstrating the excellent potential for highly sensitive TC detection in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the compound heat transfer of convection and radiation in an internal circulating fluidized bed for low temperature oxidation of pulverized coal was numerically simulated. The numerical prediction about the compound heat transfer characteristics and its relationship of convection and radiation was compared with the experimental measurements of low temperature radiation. The discrete ordinate model (DOM) was employed to investigate the radiation heat transfer in the low temperature oxidation internally fluidized bed, and user-defined function (UDF) was compiled by considering the effect of the particle flow emissivity on radiation heat transfer. The convection heat transfer coefficient increases with the increase of gas inlet volume flow rate and initial bed material height, however, thermal radiation coefficient was opposite. An increase of the thermal flux results in an increase of the surface temperature of the fluid and the heater surface, and the thermal transfer coefficient between bed material and heater surface is also increased. The results have the application reference to complex thermal transfer design of circulating fluidized bed systems wherein thermal radiation transfer must be considered as a significant mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: We report that GhWRKY21, a WRKY transcription factor, plays essential roles in regulating the intensity of the drought-induced ABA signalling pathway by facilitating the expression of GhHAB in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the most important plant hormones in response to abiotic stress. However, activation of the ABA signalling pathway often leads to growth inhibition. The mechanisms that regulate the intensity of ABA signals are poorly understood. Here, we isolated and analysed the cotton group IId WRKY transcription factor (TF) gene GhWRKY21. Functional analysis indicated that GhWRKY21 plays a negative role in the drought response of cotton. Silencing of GhWRKY21 in cotton dramatically increased drought tolerance, whereas ectopic GhWRKY21 overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana decreased drought tolerance. Furthermore, the GhWRKY21-mediated drought tolerance was ABA dependent. To clarify the mechanism underlying the GhWRKY21-mediated regulation of drought tolerance, 17 clade-A-type type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) genes, which are negative regulators of ABA signalling, were identified in cotton. Notably, GhWRKY21 interacted specifically with the W-box element within the promoter of GhHAB and regulated its expression. Silencing of GhHAB in cotton yielded a phenotype similar to that of GhWRKY21-silenced cotton. These results suggest that GhWRKY21 regulates the intensity of ABA signals by facilitating the expression of GhHAB. In summary, these findings dramatically improve our understanding of the function of WRKY TFs and provide insights into the mechanism of ABA-mediated drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new visual tracking algorithm, which leverages the merits of both template matching approaches and classification models for long-term object detection and tracking. To this end, a regression network is learned offline to detect a set of target candidates through target template matching. To cope with target appearance variations in long-term scenarios, a target-aware feature fusion mechanism is also developed, giving rise to more effective template matching. Meanwhile, a verification network is trained online to better capture target appearance and identify the target from potential candidates. During online update, contaminated training samples can be filtered out through a monitoring module, alleviating model degeneration caused by error accumulation. The regression and verification networks operate in a cascaded manner, which allows tracking to be performed in a coarse-to-fine manner and enforces the discriminative power. To further address the target reappearance issues in long-term tracking, a learning-based switching scheme is proposed, which learns to switch the tracking mode between local and global search based on the tracking results. Extensive evaluations on long-term tracking in the wild have been conducted. We achieve state-of-the-art performance on the OxUvA long-term tracking dataset. Our submission based on the proposed method has also won the 1st place of the long-term tracking challenge in VOT-2018 competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoking is a major cause of health inequities. However, sociodemographic differences in adolescent tobacco use are unclear. In a territory-wide school-based anonymous survey in 2018/19, we investigated tobacco use and sociodemographic correlates in 33,991 students (mean age 14.8 ± 1.9 years) in Hong Kong. Tobacco use prevalence and current-ever use ratios by sociodemographic factors were calculated. Generalised linear mixed models were used in association analyses. Current use was highest for cigarettes (3.2%), closely followed by alternative tobacco products (3.0%). Current-ever use ratios were highest for heated tobacco products (HTPs, 0.60), followed by nicotine e-cigarettes (0.52), waterpipe (0.51), and cigarettes (0.35). Use prevalence and current-ever use ratios of all products showed curvilinear relations with perceived family affluence (P values < 0.01), being highest in the richest families. Tobacco use was also associated with more senior grades, the lowest parental education, and boys, but current-ever use ratios of HTPs and waterpipe were higher in girls (P values < 0.05). The results suggested that adolescent ever users of nicotine-containing alternative tobacco products were more likely to keep using them than cigarettes, and the richest adolescents were at the highest risks of tobacco use. Diverse tobacco control measures are needed to improve health equity, especially on alternative tobacco products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a 3D two-phase simulation involving the complex heat transfer characteristics within a vertical cylindrical fluidized bed was conducted numerically. The accuracy of mathematical modeling has been validated by comparing with the experimental results. The discrete ordinate model (DOM) was employed to investigate the radiation heat transfer in a fluidized bed. The user-defined function (UDF) was compiled by considering the effect of the particle flow emissivity on radiation heat transfer, and coupled the two-phase flow field by using the gray and non-gray model respectively. The results show that the non-gray model can better depict the selected absorption of radiation wavelength in two-phase flow heat transfer than gray model. Furthermore, under high heat flux density conditions, the proportion of radiation heat transfer increases gradually with the increase of heat flux, which can reach about 40% of the total heat transfer coefficient. Meanwhile, other factors about radiation heat transfer such as initial solid packing height, inlet gas velocity, and other conditions were studied and consistent with the thermal experimental regularity. The findings demonstrated that the radiation heat transfer and it's modeling play an important role in two-phase heat transfer of fluidized bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus epidermidis is one of the main causes of medical device-related infections and bovine mastitis owing to its biofilm-forming abilities. Oxytropis glabra DC. is one of the most widespread Fabaceae species and used as a Chinese herbal formulation in Western China. Our research investigated the effects of O. glabra on the biofilm formation of S. epidermidis and the possible inhibiting mechanism. The biofilm-forming reference strain, S. epidermidis SE-1 (ATCC 35,984), was employed as a model and semi-quantitative biofilm assay was performed to evaluate the antibiofilm activity of O. glabra. The exopolysaccharides (EPS) production and expression of ica operon were studied to explore the possible antibiofilm mechanism using thin-layer chromatography and quantitative real-time PCR assay, respectively. The results obtained indicated that O. glabra decoction at 7.5 mg mL−1 significantly inhibited biofilm formation by about 95% without affecting cell growth of S. epidermidis. Two hydrolysis productions of EPS were significantly decreased by 64% and 54% with the addition of 7.5 mg mL−1O. glabra and the expression of icaR was significantly up-regulated 2.2-times, whereas icaB was significantly down-regulated more than 50% by 7.5 mg mL−1O. glabra. These findings suggest a potential application for O. glabra as a promising candidate for the exploration of new drugs against S. epidermidis biofilm-associated infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid was a novel synthetic brominated anticancer compound with two bromine atoms. Bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid showed considerable selective inhibitory activity against PARP1 (IC50 = 29.5 nmol/L). UHPLC-TOF-MS was used to establish a new method to quantify bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid bio-samples for indispensable quantitation analysis in further extensive pre-clinical studies. Methods: Chromatographic and mass spectrometry parameters were optimized for quantitative method establishment. Improved protein-precipitated method was applied to the extraction of bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid in rat plasma samples. Furthermore, this proposed method was applied to an intravenous bolus dose to male rats. Results: Mobile phase was consisted of water for A and acetonitrile for B with 25 mmol/L formic acid in both A and B. The flow rate was 0.30 mL/min, and the run time of bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid was 4.0 min. A Thermo Fisher Accucore 2.6 μm C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm i.d.; San Jose, USA) was used for chromatographic separation. High resolution mass spectrometry was used to quantify samples by exact mass number of compound which was operated on negative ionization mode. Linear dynamic range of the established method was widely with 13.7–10000 nmol/L. Pharmacokinetics properties of bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid were shown in the results. Conclusion: This method was reliable and reproducible from sample preparation to analysis and storage stability under the investigated conditions. It may be useful for analysis of halogenated compounds and brominated compounds in ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2D lead(II) metal–organic framework, namely [PbL(NO3)]n (namely complex 1), was successfully prepared based on 5-aminonicotinic acid (HL) ligand using the solvothermal method. The as-synthesized sample was studied and characterised in detail by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis (C, H and N), powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and luminescent property. Thanks to the solid stability and luminescent property, the as-synthesized sample can be applied and considered as a bifunctional luminescent sensor for selective sensing of nitroaromatic compounds and detecting the temperature. The corresponding Ksv value of picric acid (namely PA) was accurately calculated about 1.1 × 104 M−1; meanwhile, the detection limit of complex 1 for PA can achieve as low as 1.68 × 10−5 mol L−1. Complex 1 also has good stability and recyclability even after four runs. In addition, the luminescent signals of complex 1 shown a good linear with the temperature from 20 to 150 K with R2 = 0.9961. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P2-type Na2/3Co0.25Mn0.705Si0.045O2 (Si-NCM) high-rate cathode was designed by using silicon of the nonmetallic element as dopant and developed by the simple solid-state route for sodium-ion batteries. XRD refinements confirm the P2-type hexagonal structure with space group (SG: P63/mmc), in which Si4+ ions substitute the Mn site of P2-Na2/3Co0.25Mn0.75O2 (NCM) lattice without any impurity phases of Si-related substances. Si-NCM delivers the initial capacity of 144 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C with the capacity retention of 80.1% after 100 cycles, and the discharge capacity of 120 mAh g−1 at 1 C with 83.4% retention at 200th cycle. Particularly, excellent capacity retentions of 90.2% after 260 cycles and 85.8% after 500 cycles at 5 C have been achieved. Si-doping can expedite the superior cycle stability of Si-NCM compared to NCM, which is attributed to the more powerful Si–O, TM–O and O–O bonds, more stable occupancy rate in the Nae site of unit cell and particularly ascribed to the reversible two-phase transition of P2–P3–P2 in the process of Na+ extraction and intercalation. Hence, SiO2 as dopant is a novel strategy with regard to the development of high-rate cathode materials for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the flame-resistant epoxy syntactic foams with different content of hollow glass microspheres (HGM) were prepared by using aluminum diisobutylphosphinate (AlPBu) as flame retardant. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the fracture surface of different epoxy syntactic foams showed that AlPBu particles had good compatibility with the matrix due to their similar polarities. And the limiting oxygen index, UL 94 test, cone calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize the flame retardation and thermal behavior of the foams. These results showed that AlPBu improved the flame retardancy of epoxy syntactic foams, while the HGM exhibit a complicated influence on the flame retardation, although both AlPBu and HGM enhanced the char residues and decreased the peak heat release rate as well as the total heat release of composites. In addition, swollen char layers mainly containing the HGM were generated after adding AlPBu. Then, the char residues of the foams after combustion were observed by SEM, and the results were applied to reveal the different fire behaviors of foams with different densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) possessing chiral nematic structures have been developed as liquid crystal templates for optical materials and devices. These templates provide materials with advanced structural and optical properties, leading to numerous promising discoveries of new functional materials. In this work, the chiral nematic CNC/silver nanoparticles (CNC/AgNPs) composite membranes were prepared and displayed striking iridescent colors. The addition of AgNPs strengthened the chiral structure of CNC-based composites by adjusting the pitch of the chiral nematic structure. As the AgNPs content decreased from 8 to 2 wt%, a redshift of the reflection wavelength was observed from 475 to 773 nm, and the distance between the two adjacent layers of the membrane increased from 155 to 254 nm, according to a fitted linear function. Therefore, this composite membrane exhibited excellent chiral optical properties, and the chiral reflectance could be tuned accurately by regulating the content ratio of CNCs to AgNPs. New insights into designing advanced functional optics were provided, herein to show their potential applications, such as in smart windows and anti-counterfeit labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat transfer performance of a tube heat exchanger has great significance for the metal smelting, catalytic cracking and combustion performance in the fluidized bed reactor. In this paper, a three dimensional Eulerian–Eulerian simulation for the vertical heater tube to bed heat transfer within a baffle type internal circulating fluidized bed (ICFB) was conducted numerically and the results were compared to experimental ones. Gidaspow's drag correlation was adopted to describe the interaction between the gas and solid phases in the ICFB. Temperature and heat transfer coefficient were numerically analyzed under different operating conditions as same as the experimental setup. The effects on the heat transfer characteristic of input heat flux, air inlet velocity, and initial solid packing height were investigated as the average temperature was compared with the experimental data in the literature. The simulation results showed that along the height of the bed, the velocity of the solid particles increases, lateral movement of the particles from the low-speed area to the high-speed area can be observed at the bottom of the acceleration area. The convective heat transfer coefficient of solid particles is the main component of heat transfer in the dense phase zone, with the increase of the initial solid packing height, the average convection heat transfer coefficient between the fluid and the heated surface is shown an upward trend. By comparing the experimental datas, it can be concluded that the numerical simulation of the flow and heat transfer process of the inner circulating fluidized bed by the Eulerian-Eulerian method is in good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To make energy efficiency policies for consumers, changes in the demands for multiple goods or services and the corresponding cumulative energy consumptions should be considered together to estimate residential rebound effects. A hybrid methodology, which combines the consumer's expenditure re-allocation with cumulative energy consumption through integrating a re-spending framework and an input–output analysis under different scenarios, is often used to estimate residential rebound effects. However, the specifications of the expenditure change caused by the re-spending effect are controversial. By introducing the Hicks decomposition of price effect both in absolute and elasticity forms, we have explained the re-spending effect and re-examined the hybrid methodology. We find that determinants such as the proportion of energy efficiency improvement, non-compensated price and income elasticities, income shares, cumulative energy intensities of each final demand, and energy intensity of investment would influence the combined rebound effect. We also find that the direct rebound effect may not be necessarily represented as the negative value of the own-price elasticity of energy service. The parameter of the extent to which the energy efficiency has improved and other energy intensity variables should also be considered. Thus, it would be risky to use only elasticity to indicate the direct rebound effect when the hybrid methodology is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping for endometrial cancer (EC) is a contemporary technique that could provide benefits over traditional lymphadenectomy. Comprehensive published literature on sentinel lymph node mapping for laparoscopy surgery in EC, data extraction, evidence-based medicine-based methods, and meta-analysis are carried out to further explore sentinel lymph node mapping in laparoscopy surgery in EC. The application value provides basis for prevention and treatment of EC.Materials and Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central for studies published before February 1, 2018 which had a sample size of at least ten patients, and reported the detection rate and/or sensitivity of the laparoscopy SLN biopsy. Statistical analysis was conducted using R-2.15.2 software.Results: The overall detection rate of sentinel lymph node mapping was included in 389 patients of 8 studies, ranging from 25 to 71 patients, which was 96% (95% confidence interval 95-98). 366 patients were included in bilateral sentinel node detection rate, ranging from 30 to 71 patients; it was 73% (95% confidence interval, 69-77). The sensitivity of the overall detection rate of sentinel lymph node mapping was 96.3% with a sensitivity of 73.1% bilateral sentinel node detection rate.Conclusions: Laparoscopy sentinel lymph node localization is feasible and accurately predicts lymph node status in patients with EC. For patients with early stage clinical disease, it is very important to screen patients with no lymph node metastasis, reduce the range of surgical resection, reduce the incidence of the corresponding complications, and improve the quality of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foaming behavior of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin-anhydride hardener system at varying accelerator (tertiary amine) concentration, using chemical foaming agent (CFA), was investigated. The microstructure of foams revealed a smaller cell size, higher cell density, and more homogeneous distribution of cells at higher curing rate by varying accelerator contents, whereas not the same by varying foaming temperatures. The curing of epoxy system was studied by a differential scanning calorimetry, while the decomposition process of CFA was investigated by the foaming pressure measurement. Kinetics data showed that the addition of CFA in epoxy system produced obvious influence on the curing process of epoxy mixture; meanwhile, the decomposition reaction of CFA in epoxy system showed an autocatalytic behavior, which can be well predicted by Šesták-Berggren equation. Reaction rate constants of the curing of epoxy foaming system ( k ) and the degradation of CFA ( k ) were calculated, and the competition between these two simultaneously occurring reactions was expressed by the kinetic parameter k / k . The high specific value of k / k , which can be tuned by both accelerator concentration and foaming temperature, indicated that the curing rate was much higher than degradation rate of CFA. By further accelerating the curing rate in the foaming stage, a new two-step method was introduced to fabricate microcellular epoxy foam at relatively low viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a supramolecular compound (Zn@Q[6]) was synthesized by cucurbit[6]uril (Q[6]) and zinc acetate [Zn(Ac)] through a chemical method. Powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray crystallography analyses were conducted to confirm the crystallographic structure of Zn@Q[6]. Results showed that the four-coordinated Zn(II) centre coordinated with four chloride ions, and each [ZnCl] anion interacted with three Q[6] molecules through hydrogen bonds between Q[6] and the chloridion of [ZnCl]. Subsequently, Zn@Q[6], Zn(Ac) and the mixture of Zn(Ac) and Q[6] were introduced respectively as nucleating agents into polypropylene (PP) microcellular injection using azodicarbonamide (ADC) as a chemical blowing agent. Compared with Zn(Ac) and the mixture of Zn(Ac) and Q[6], improved cell morphology was obtained with addition of Zn@Q[6] obviously at relatively high injection temperatures, except 175 °C, at which no obvious improvement in Zn@Q[6] was observed. The underlying mechanisms were then discussed by thermal and rheological analyses. Zn@Q[6] could be a novel inorganic-organic nucleating agent that can suppress the catalysis activity of Zn(II) for the decomposition of ADC and PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the correlation between Parkinson's disease (PD) and serum levels of uric acid (UA), albumin and their interaction. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of serum UA, albumin with PD. A total of 96 PD patients and 108 healthy controls were recruited at Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University. Baseline data included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), disease duration, Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y) stage, serum UA and albumin levels. The levels of serum UA and albumin were significantly lower in PD patients than those in controls (P = 0.001; P = 0.000). Serum albumin levels were strikingly different in H&Y group (P = 0.004). Multivariable logistic regression showed that the levels of serum UA (P = 0.001, adjusted OR 0.993, 95% CI 0.988-0.997) and albumin (P = 0.000, adjusted OR 0.513, 95% CI 0.425-0.620) were independent risk factors in PD. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses showed that the area under curve (AUC) for serum UA and albumin was 0.669 (95% CI 0.594-0.744) and 0.883 (95% CI 0.835-0.931), respectively. The combination of serum albumin and UA improved the AUC to 0.898 (95% CI 0.854-0.942). Serum UA and albumin levels significantly decreased in PD patients and were independent risk factors for PD. More studies are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message : An approach for restoring recombination activity of complementation split-Cre was developed to excise the transgene in hybrid progeny of GM crops. Abstract: Growing concerns about the biosafety of genetically modified (GM) crops has currently become a limited factor affecting the public acceptance. Several approaches have been developed to generate selectable-marker-gene-free GM crops. However, no strategy was reported to be broadly applicable to hybrid crops. Previous studies have demonstrated that complementation split-Cre recombinase restored recombination activity in transgenic plants. In this study, we found that split-Cre mediated by split-intein Synechocystis sp. DnaE had high recombination efficiency when Cre recombinase was split at Asp232/Asp233 (866 bp). Furthermore, we constructed two plant expression vectors, pCA-NCre-In and pCA-Ic-CCre, containing NCre866-In and Ic-CCre866 fragments, respectively. After transformation, parent lines of transgenic Arabidopsis with one single copy were generated and used for hybridization. The results of GUS staining demonstrated that the recombination activity of split-Cre could be reassembled in these hybrid progeny of transgenic plants through hybridization and the foreign genes flanked by two loxP sites were efficiently excised. Our strategy may provide an effective approach for generating the next generation of GM hybrid crops without biosafety concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe a fluorescence polarization (FP) based strategy for HIV detection. The assay is based on T7 exonuclease assisted quadratic recycling amplification using graphene oxide (GO) as an amplifier of FP. The effect is caused by the finding that the binding forces between GO and ssDNA are much stronger than those between GO and dsDNA. The two probes, P1 and dye labeled P2, resist digestion by T7 exonuclease (T7exo) due to the 5′-termini protrusion. The hairpin probes are absorbed on the surface of GO without the target DNA. While the presence of the target DNA leads to two independent and simultaneous recycling processes with the assistance of T7exo. Due to this quadratic amplification, a large quantity of ssDNA will be absorbed onto the surface of GO, and this will cause a strong enhancement of FP. This polarization assay was applied to design a method for the determination of HIV DNA which displays a detection limit of 9.12 pmol·L. It is highly selective and can be performed in homogeneous solutions. The cascade amplification strategy is not limited to this particular DNA but is perceived to provide a universal platform for sensitive determination of a wide spectrum of DNA target analytes. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: ER520, a derivative of indenoisoquinoline, is a patented compound. This study was designed to screen its biological properties and to evaluate its antineoplastic and antiangiogenic effect.Methods: Western blot was employed to monitor the ERα and ERβ protein expression in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and endometrial carcinoma Ishikawa cells. MTT assay was employed to determine cell proliferation. Cell adhesion, scratch and Transwell assay were utilized to estimate the ability of cellular adhesion, migration and invasion. ELISA kit was applied to detect the VEGF products in culture medium. In addition, the inhibitory effect of ER520 on the vessel-like construction of HUVEC cells and the angiogenesis of chicken embryos was investigated. The efficiency of ER520 on tumor growth in nude mice was also assessed.Results: ER520 inhibited the expression of ERα in MCF-7 and Ishikawa cells, while it increased ERβ protein level. ER520 also suppressed the proliferation of MCF-7 and Ishikawa cells. Due to its remarkably negative role in cell adhesion, migration and invasion, ER520 showed a potential ability of inhibiting tumor metastasis. Meanwhile, ER520 reduced the VEGF secretion of MCF-7 and Ishikawa cells, prevented the formation of VEGF-stimulated tubular structure and the cell migration of HUVEC cells, and inhibited the angiogenesis of chicken chorioallantoic membrane. Animal experiment also demonstrated that ER520 could frustrate the in vivo tumor growth and the inhibitory ratio was 48.5 % compared with control group.Conclusion: Our findings indicate that ER520 possesses the competence to be a candidate against breast cancer and angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart healthcare monitoring systems are proliferating due to the Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled portable medical devices. The IoT and deep learning in the healthcare sector prevent diseases by evolving healthcare from face-to-face consultation to telemedicine. To protect athletes' life from life-threatening severe conditions and injuries in training and competitions, real-time monitoring of physiological indicators is critical. In this research work, we present a deep learning-based IoT-enabled real-time health monitoring system. The proposed system uses wearable medical devices to measure vital signs and apply various deep learning algorithms to extract valuable information. For this purpose, we have taken Sanda athletes as our case study. The deep learning algorithms help physicians properly analyze these athletes' conditions and offer the proper medications to them, even if the doctors are away. The performance of the proposed system is extensively evaluated using a cross-validation test by considering various statistical-based performance measurement metrics. The proposed system is considered an effective tool that diagnoses dreadful diseases among the athletes, such as brain tumors, heart disease, cancer, etc. The performance results of the proposed system are evaluated in terms of precision, recall, AUC, and F1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy conservation is vital for the sustainable development of food industry. Energy efficiency improvement and waste heat recovery in the food industry have been a focus to increase the sustainability of food processing in the past decades. Replacement of conventional energy-intensive food processes with novel technologies such as novel thermodynamic cycles and non-thermal and novel heating processes provides another potential to reduce energy consumption, reduce production costs, and improve the sustainability of food production. Some novel food processing technologies have been developed to replace traditional energy-intensive unit operations for pasteurization and sterilization, evaporation and dehydration, and chilling and freezing in the food industry. Most of the energy conservation technologies can readily be transferred from other manufacturing sectors to the food processing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Rice is a well-known silica-accumulating plant. The dumbbell-shaped silica bodies in the silica cells in rice leaf epidermis are formed via biosilicification, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Methods: Leaves at different developmental stages were collected to investigate silica cell differentiation by analyzing structures and silicon localization in the silica cells. Results: Exogenous silicon application increased both shoot and root biomass. When silicon was supplied, silica cells in the leaf epidermis developed gradually into a dumbbell-shape and became increasingly silicified as leaves aged. Silicon deposition in the silica cells was not completed until the leaf was fully expanded. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that lignification of silica cell walls precedes silicon deposition in the lumen of silica cells. The organized needle-like silica microstructures were formed by moulding the inner cell walls and filling up the lumen of the silica cell following leaf maturation. Conclusions: Two processes were involved in silicon deposition: (1) the silica cell wall was lignified and silicified, and then (2) the silicon was deposited gradually in silica cells as leaves aged. Silica body formation was not completed until the leaf was fully mature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory identification of carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates is crucial to limit the spread of the bacteria. In this study, we shall first develop the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) assay in automatic identification of carbapenemase producers. A total of 143 well-characterized isolates were studied. After an incubation of bacteria with meropenem trihydrate, the mixture was centrifuged and the supernatant analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. A genetic algorithm model with ClinProTools software was built using spectra of 43 carbapenemase-positive isolates and 40 carbapenemase-negative isolates after 2 h of incubation. This model was externally validated using 60 test isolates. All spectra of supernatants of the carbapenemase-negative isolates showed peak profiles comparable to that of pure meropenem ( m/ z 384.159, 406.140, and 428.122 of its two sodium salt variants) regardless of the incubation time tested. For the carbapenemase-positive isolates, the specific peak for meropenem at m/ z 384.159 disappeared during the incubation time, two products of meropenem degradation were identified with m/ z 358.18 (the decarboxylated product) and 380.161 (sodium salt of the decarboxylated product), and other degradation products were observed (native molecule with disrupted amide bond with m/ z 402.169, three sodium salt variants with m/ z 424.151, 446.133, and 468.115). Sixty test isolates were 100 % correctly classified as carbapenemase positive and carbapenemase negative with the genetic algorithm model. MALDI-TOF MS coupled with ClinProTools is capable of rapidly, accurately, and automatically identifying carbapenemase producers. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and design: Endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in all stages of atherosclerosis and is characterized by an increased proinflammatory response. This study investigated the effect of angiotensin (1-7) on angiotensin II (Ang II)-mediated inflammation in endothelial cells (ECs) and uncovered its molecular mechanism. Methods and results: Real-time PCR and western blot analysis were used to determine lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) expression. Ang II treatment induced inflammation, as measured by the production of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, by activating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in ECs. Ang II also induced LOX-1 expression in human ECs and rabbit aortic ECs. LOX-1 played an essential role in Ang II-mediated inflammation because Ang II antagonists or small interference RNA significantly decreased Ang II-induced VCAM-1 production. LOX-1 overexpression enhanced Ang II-mediated inflammation. LOX-1 mediated Ang II-induced inflammation by inducing NF-κB DNA-binding activity. Angiotensin (1-7) inhibited LOX-1 expression and diminished Ang II-mediated inflammation in ECs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that angiotensin (1-7) prevents Ang II-induced inflammation by inhibiting LOX-1 mRNA and protein expression in ECs and may represent a novel pleiotropic effect of angiotensin (1-7). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although extensive investigations of biogenic and geological calcium phosphate crystallization/dissolution and their phase transformations have been performed, the mechanisms of crystallization and dissolution of sparingly soluble calcium phosphates in geological settings have not been completely determined at the near-molecular level. In particular, an understanding of the physical-chemical processes at the earliest nucleation stage and the subsequent crystal surface dynamics in soil solutions is lacking. This review focuses on the earliest events in homo/heterogeneous nucleation from an initial supersaturated solution phase, the subsequent growth of calcium phosphate phases, and the relevant influences of the presence of additional inorganic and organic molecules in both geological and biological settings. These studies have implications for the understanding of the complex processes of calcium phosphate transformations in soils, and provide possible physical-chemical mechanisms for the biogeochemical behavior of phosphorus at the near-molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic retraction has potential advantages over existing direct physical retraction means (e.g., forceps) in terms of providing complete atraumatic retraction, avoiding tumour cell exfoliation as well as offering the possibility of noncontact retraction. This paper describes a pilot study of surface magnetic retraction of the gastric mucosa to facilitate resection. Fifteen porcine stomach specimens were used in this pilot study. The uniaxial tensile properties of retracted mucosa were initially studied using a tensiometer. Magnetic media of ferromagnetic microparticles (stainless steel 410) dispersed in cyanoacrylate liquid were prepared at four different concentrations, and a neodymium permanent magnet was used to magnetically retract the media. The media was finally surface-glued to the target mucosa for performing a simulated surgical procedure. The force measurement data show that the retraction forces increased as the concentrations of microparticles and magnetic media volumes increased. A magnetic media concentration of 2 g/mL was most suitable since it offered sufficient retraction force from a small volume of applied media, e.g., the observed magnetic forces exerted on 50 μL of media were 1.42 N by a 3-mm magnet and 3.75 N by a 6-mm magnet, respectively, both being more than sufficient for the mucosal retraction. The additional forces required for dissection with four alternative instruments, i.e., electrosurgery hook, snares, scalpel or scissors, were also measured, e.g., the total force required to retract up to 10 mm and resect the mucosa with snares was 0.36 ± 0.17 N. In a simulated surgical procedure (resection of gastric mucosa with glued magnetic medium) retraction by the magnet allowed resection of the tented mucosa by an electrosurgical snare. Surface ferromagnetisation of target mucosal tissues could enable magnetic retraction for endoscopic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oligomers of Aβ1–40 peptide in PBS buffer solution were analyzed by SEC and native PAGE, and the trimer of Aβ1–40 was also isolated by SEC. In addition, the effects of the soluble Aβ1–40 trimer on intracellular free calcium (Ca²+) balance of hippocampal neurons of postnatal rats were investigated by fluorescence microscopy. The experimental results indicated that Aβ1–40 peptide existed in the form of low molecular weight oligomers in 0.231 mmol/L fresh Aβ1–40 solution (20 mmol/L sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, 0.02% sodium azide) within 24 h and the soluble trimer was the most abundant species. Both the trimeric and the fibrillar Aβ1–40 were able to increase the intracellular Ca²+ concentration, but the Aβ1–40 trimer caused a gradual rise and the potential was also stronger than that of the fibrils at the same concentration. In addition there were different response modes for trimeric and fibrillar Aβ1–40, meaning that there are different mechanisms of increase in intracellular Ca²+ caused by Aβ1–40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Poorly controlled diabetes frequently exacerbates lung infection, thereby complicating treatment strategies. Recent studies have shown that exendin-4 exhibits not only hypoglycemic but also anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to explore the role of exendin-4 in lung infection with diabetes, as well as its association with NOD1/NF-κB and the T1R2/T1R3 sweet taste receptor. Methods: 16HBE human bronchial epithelial cells cultured with 20 mM glucose were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Furthermore, Sprague‒Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet, followed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and intratracheal instillation of PA. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were evaluated using ELISAs and RT‒qPCR. The expression of T1R2, T1R3, NOD1 and NF-κB p65 was assayed using western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Pathological changes in the lungs of the rats were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results: At the same dose of LPS, the 20 mM glucose group produced more proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and had higher levels of T1R2, T1R3, NOD1 and NF-κB p65 than the normal control group (with 5.6 mM glucose). However, preintervention with exendin-4 significantly reduced the levels of the aforementioned proinflammatory cytokines and signaling molecules. Similarly, diabetic rats infected with PA exhibited increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in their lungs and increased expression of T1R2, T1R3, NOD1 and NF-κB p65, and these effects were reversed by exendin-4. Conclusions: Diabetic hyperglycemia can exacerbate inflammation during lung infection, promote the increase in NOD1/NF-κB, and promote T1R2/T1R3. Exendin-4 can ameliorate PA-related pneumonia with diabetes and overexpression of NOD1/NF-κB. Additionally, exendin-4 suppresses T1R2/T1R3, potentially through its hypoglycemic effect or through a direct mechanism. The correlation between heightened expression of T1R2/T1R3 and an intensified inflammatory response in lung infection with diabetes requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern tunnel construction, TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) plays a very important role. In response to the needs of tunnel wall reinforcement and TBM automated construction for tunnel construction, a shotcrete mechanism mounted on the TBM is designed. In order to evaluate the kinematic performance of the mechanism, this paper studies the forward and inverse kinematics and spatial architecture of the TBM shotcrete robot. Firstly, based on the D–H parameter method, the number of joints and links is determined and structural analysis is performed to obtain the robot's forward kinematics equation, achieving the mapping between joint space and pose space. Then, by determining the joint variables, the mapping of the end tool in Cartesian space is achieved. Finally, based on the Monte Carlo random sampling method, the workspace of the robot is constructed, and its reachability and flexibility within the robot workspace are evaluated. The performance of the device is verified by building a prototype, which meets the requirements well. Through the research in this paper, it can provide theoretical basis and guidance for the design and control of the shotcrete robot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroconchia, a widespread and abundant aquatic invertebrate, is an important clade of bivalve mollusks. The relationship between the three branches of Heteroconchia, Palaeoheterodonta, Archiheterodonta, and Euheterodonta has become a main controversy in molecular studies of the relationships between bivalves. In the present study, we assembled the complete mitochondrial genomes of Tapes dorsatus (Veneridae) and Cardita variegata (Carditidae) using high-throughput sequencing. C. variegata is the first mitochondrial genome belonging to the family Carditidae to be reported. We used 12 protein coding genes (excluding atp8) from the complete mitochondrial genomes of 146 species to recover the internal relationships of Heteroconchia. Our results support the traditional view of early branching of Palaeoheterodonta and the recovery of the monophyly of Palaeoheterodonta, Anomalodesmata, Imparidentia. Rearrangement analysis show that gene arrangement within Venerida was highly variable. Time-calibrated phylogenetic studies based on a relaxed molecular clock model suggested that Veneridae originated approximately 337.62 million years ago (Ma) and split into two major clades, whereas Carditidae originated approximately 510.09 Ma. Our results provide evidence of the internal relationships of Heteroconchia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser-induced fluorescence technique is widely used in the measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sooting flames. One of the main limitations is the absence of the PAH fluorescence spectra at elevated temperatures. In this study, fluorescence spectra and photophysical properties of five typical PAHs were experimentally studied in the temperature range of 673-1373 K in an optical cell. The experimental results indicated that the fluorescence spectra of PAHs were greatly sensitive to PAH structures and were likely to shift to the red and became broader as temperature increases. Further, we also observed that absorption cross sections of PAHs increased linearly as a function of temperature. Fluorescence quantum yields, which were calculated using integral fluorescence intensities and absorption cross sections, decreased monotonically with increasing temperature. However, the descent gradients of different PAHs were quite different, e.g., naphthalene, fluoranthene and fluorene were more sensitive to temperature, and their fluorescence production was much lower at elevated temperature compared with phenanthrene and pyrene. In order to investigate the fluorescence quantum yields at higher temperatures (up to 2000 K), which cannot be measured in the optical cell, a multistep decay model was established and optimized based on experimental results. At temperatures between 1373 and 2000 K, the extrapolation results indicated that fluorescence quantum yields of phenanthrene and pyrene would be two orders of magnitude higher than those of naphthalene, fluorene and fluoranthene. This contributed to explaining that the PAH fluorescence signals emitted from phenanthrene and pyrene were stronger than those emitted from naphthalene in flames, although the concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene were much lower than that of naphthalene in flames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aptamers are short nucleotide sequences which can specifically bind to a variety of targets with high affinity. They are identified and selected via systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Compared to antibodies, aptamers offer several advantages including easy labeling, high stability and lower cost. Those advantages make it possible to be a potential for use as a recognition probe to replace antibody in the diagnostic field. This article is intended to provide a comprehensive review, which is focused on systemizing recent advancements concerning SELEX procedures, with special emphasis on the key steps in SELEX procedures. The principles of various aptamer-based detections of pathogenic bacteria and their application are discussed in detail, including colorimetric detection, fluorescence detection, electrochemical detection, lateral flow strip test, mass sensitive detection and PCR-based aptasensor. By discussing recent research and future trends based on many excellent publications and reviews, we attempt to give the readers a comprehensive view in the field of aptamer selection against pathogenic bacteria and their diagnostics application. Authors hope that this review will promote lively and valuable discussions in order to generate new ideas and approaches towards the development of aptamer-based methods for application in pathogenic bacteria diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamond film with micron-scale grains was prepared on silicon substrate by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) system. Then, MPCVD equipment was still used to change the experimental conditions, and only nitrogen was used as the gas source, so as to conduct nitrogen plasma treatment on the deposited diamond film. The effects of different treatment time on the structure, morphology and hydrophilicity of diamond films were investigated under the same nitrogen plasma treatment conditions. The results showed that with the increase of nitrogen plasma treatment time, the surface defect density of diamond grains becomes higher and higher, the concentration of nitrogen and sp2C=C composition gradually increase, the hydrophilicity of the corresponding diamond film and deionized water becomes better first (the contact angle between deionized water and diamond film decreases from 97° to 44°), and then, it becomes slightly worse (the contact angle between deionized water and diamond film increases from 44° to 49°). It shows that nitrogen plasma treatment can effectively improve the hydrophilicity of diamond film, and the experimental results are explained reasonably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the tourism economy and the ecological environment has always been a hot issue in tourism research today. Because increasing tourism in rural regions frequently endangers the environment and rural culture, this study uses the Markov Decision Process (MDP) to determine the best policy balance between environmental preservation and tourism infrastructure. First, this research describes the methods used to incorporate a decision-making framework based on MDP into rural ecotourism, with a particular emphasis on the Zibo region of China. To navigate this complex game interplay, we proposed a Markov Decision Process MDP model bearing three pivotal states for this problem. These states are the Economic State, Ecological State, and Environment State. In this model, we also identified three distinct actions. Each action carries its significance. These actions include Promoting Tourism, Environment Protection, and Infrastructural Investment. We relied on data spanning a decade in Zibo of China to calculate the likelihood and real-world dynamic probability. The optimum policy is driven after the MDP simulation. Second, to validate the optimum policy, the policies were also iterated. In the last phase, the Sequential Markov Decision Process is simulated. This simulation not only shows the current state and policy for the area but also predicts the future strategies and policies for Tourism Economy and Rural Environment protection. The experimental results show that the model achieved the best policy and strategy. The experimental results show that the model successfully achieved the best policy and strategy. After 10,000 iterations, the score of γ = 0.9 is achieved, and the iteration of policies provides a better insight into the chosen strategy. The results are optimistic, with our method achieving an accuracy of 85%, recall of 88%, precision of 82%, F1-Score of 85%, sensitivity of 88%, and consistency of 90%. Our approach outshines the competition when assessing performance in specific geographic areas, achieving the highest accuracy in Area A (92%) and Area C (94%). These findings demonstrate the adaptability and the effectiveness of our approach in handling various ecological contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant activation of eIF4E signalling pathway is common in breast cancer and holds potential therapeutic options. In our work, galeterone as a chemical compound under clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer, was identified to be effective in targeting breast cancer cells via suppressing MNK-eIF4E and β-catenin. In despite of varying IC50, galeterone at nanomolar concentrations significantly decreased viability, proliferation and migration of a panel of breast cancer cell lines regardless of clinical subtypes and genetic mutations, and to a higher extent than in normal breast cells. Galeterone significantly enhanced the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs in reducing proliferation and viability but not migration. The in vivo efficacy of galeterone as single drug alone and its ability in augmenting chemotherapy's efficacy were also shown in breast cancer xenograft mouse model. Mechanism analysis demonstrated that galeterone decreased MNK1/2 level and phosphorylation of eIF4E. In addition, galeterone decreased β-catenin level via promoting GSK-3β-mediated β-catenin degradation, and furthermore that Akt but not CK1 was involved in β-catenin degradation by galeterone. Rescue studies demonstrated that both MNK/eIF4E and β-catenin were responsible for anti-breast cancer activity of galeterone. Our study provides pre-clinical evidence to initialize clinical trials for breast cancer using galeterone in combination with chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the value of MRI radiomics based on T2-weighted (T2W) images in predicting preoperative synchronous distant metastasis (SDM) in patients with rectal cancer.Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 177 patients with histopathology-confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma (123 patients in the training cohort and 54 in the validation cohort). A total of 385 radiomics features were extracted from pretreatment T2W images. Five steps, including univariate statistical tests and a random forest algorithm, were performed to select the best preforming features for predicting SDM. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to build the clinical and clinical-radiomics combined models in the training cohort. The predictive performance was validated by receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis and clinical utility implementing a nomogram and decision curve analysis.Results: Fifty-nine patients (33.3%) were confirmed to have SDM. Six radiomics features and four clinical characteristics were selected for predicting SDM. The clinical-radiomics combined model performed better than the clinical model in both the training and validation datasets. A threshold of 0.44 yielded an area under the ROC (AUC) value of 0.827 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.6963-0.9580), a sensitivity of 72.2%, a specificity of 94.4%, and an accuracy of 87.0% in the validation cohort for the combined model. A clinical-radiomics nomogram and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model.Conclusions: Our proposed clinical-radiomics combined model could be utilized as a noninvasive biomarker for identifying patients at high risk of SDM, which could aid in tailoring treatment strategies.Key Points: • T2WI-based radiomics analysis helps predict synchronous distant metastasis (SDM) of rectal cancer. • The clinical-radiomics combined model could be utilized as a noninvasive biomarker for predicting SDM. • Personalized treatment can be carried out with greater confidence based on the risk stratification for SDM in rectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) combined with iodine-125 (125I) seeds in the treatment of Bismuth type I or II malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). Methods: The clinical data of 74 cases of MBO treated with percutaneous SEMS combined with 125I seeds (combination group) and 81 cases of MBO treated with SEMS implantation alone (control group) in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The short-term and long-term efficacy of the two groups were compared. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting the surgical efficacy and survival rate. Results: The liver blood test results of both groups improved at one week and one month post-stent insertion. No significant difference was established in the short-term efficacy or complications between the two groups (P = NS). Improved stent patency was observed in the combined group, 9.01 ± 4.38 months versus 6.79 ± 3.13 months, respectively (P < 0.001). Improved survival was also noted in the combined group 12.08 ± 5.38 months and 9.10 ± 4.16 months, respectively (P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the type of biliary stent and liver metastasis were independent factors affecting survival. Conclusion: The implementation of SEMS combined with 125I seeds resulted in significantly longer stent patency and survival times than that of SEMS implantation alone, which is thus worthy of clinical promotion and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the health impact of cold weather has received little attention, which limits our understanding of the health impacts of climate change. We collected daily mortality and meteorological data in 66 communities across China from 2006 to 2011. Within each community, we estimated the effect of cold spell exposure on mortality using a Distributed Lag Nonlinear Model (DLNM). We also examined the modification effect of cold spell characteristics (intensity, duration, and timing) and individual-specific factors (causes of death, age, gender and education). Meta-analysis method was finally used to estimate the overall effects. The overall cumulative excess risk (CER) of non-accidental mortality during cold spell days was 28.2% (95% CI: 21.4%, 35.3%) compared with non-cold spell days. There was a significant increase in mortality when the cold spell duration and intensity increased or occurred earlier in the season. Cold spell effects and effect modification by cold spell characteristics were more pronounced in south China. The elderly, people with low education level and those with respiratory diseases were generally more vulnerable to cold spells. Cold spells statistically significantly increase mortality risk in China, with greater effects in southern China. This effect is modified by cold spell characteristics and individual-level factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]