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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and arthrofibrosis (AF) are both chronic synovial hyperplasia diseases that result in joint stiffness and contractures. They shared similar symptoms and many common features in pathogenesis. Our study aims to perform a comprehensive analysis between RA and AF and identify novel drugs for clinical use. Based on the text mining approaches, we performed a correlation analysis of 12 common joint diseases including arthrofibrosis, gouty arthritis, infectious arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, osteoarthritis, post infectious arthropathies, post traumatic osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis, and transient arthritis. 5 bulk sequencing datasets and 4 single-cell sequencing datasets of RA and AF were integrated and analyzed. A novel drug repositioning method was found for drug screening, and text mining approaches were used to verify the identified drugs. RA and AF performed the highest gene similarity (0.77) and functional ontology similarity (0.84) among all 12 joint diseases. We figured out that they share the same key pathogenic cell including CD34 + sublining fibroblasts (CD34-SLF) and DKK3 + sublining fibroblasts (DKK3-SLF). Potential therapeutic target database (PTTD) was established with the differential expressed genes (DEGs) of these key pathogenic cells. Based on the PTTD, 15 potential drugs for AF and 16 potential drugs for RA were identified. This work provides a new perspective on AF and RA study which enhances our understanding of their pathogenesis. It also shed light on their underlying mechanism and open new avenues for drug repositioning studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(111) oriented nanotwinned copper ((111)nt-Cu) has attracted much attention and shown a good application prospect as Under Bump Metallurgy (UBM) in advanced packaging technology, because of its excellent interconnect performance. However, the research on the microstructure evolution of (111)nt-Cu/Sn58Bi solder joint during the Electromigration (EM) process remains to be enriched and in-depth. In this paper, the linear Cu/Sn58Bi/Cu sandwich solder joint structure was adopted to study the Liquid–solid (L-S) EM behaviors of (111)nt-Cu and polycrystalline Cu (C-Cu) substrates under condition of 25 ℃ for 10, 30, 60 and 90 min with the current density of 2 × 104 A/cm2 by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that a polarity effect on the growth of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) was observed on both solder joints. The formation of Cu3Sn phase on the anodic side of (111)nt-Cu solder joint could be seen after 60 min energization while only Cu6Sn5 existed on C-Cu solder joint during the whole EM process. The growth rate of interfacial IMCs on the anodic side of (111)nt-Cu solder joint was faster than that on C-Cu solder joint. For example, the average thickness of IMCs on (111)nt-Cu was 164.4 μm at 90 min, which was about 100 μm thicker than that on C-Cu. This phenomenon was related with the grown behavior of Cu3Sn on cathode side. Comparing to C-Cu joint, Cu3Sn on (111)nt-Cu formed rapidly and replaced Cu6Sn5 completely after 30 min EM, but grew slowly after 60 min EM. The diffusion of Cu atoms on (111)nt-Cu was promoted because of the faster diffusion rate of Cu in Cu3Sn or the shorter diffusion distance. More importantly, as the conductance time prolonged, Sn atoms were rapidly consumed, while copper atoms still maintained at a higher concentration level due to the unique grain structure of (111)nt-Cu. Additionally, the faster formation of IMCs accelerated the release of Bi owing to the lower solubility and promoted the occurrence of Bi-rich phase either on the cathode side or the anodic side of (111)nt-Cu solder joint. The above results will provide a deeper understanding and guidance for (111)nt-Cu as UBM in advanced packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plastic film is extensively applied with limited recycling, leading to the long-run residue accumulation in soil, which offers a distinctive habitat for microorganisms, and creates a plastisphere. In this study, traditional low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic film and biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) plastic film materials were selected to test their effects on soil microbial ecology. Based on high-throughput sequencing, compared to the soil environment, the alpha-diversity of bacterial communities in plastisphere was lower, and the abundance of Actinobacteria increased. Plastic film residues, as bacterial habitats, exhibited greater heterogeneity and harbor unique bacterial communities. The communities were distinguished between plastisphere and soil environment by means of a random-forest (RF) machine-learning model. Prominent distinctions emerged among bacterial functions between soil environment and plastisphere, especially regarding organics degradation. The neutral model and null model indicated that the constitution of bacterial communities was dominated by random processes except in LDPE plastisphere. The bacterial co-occurrence network of the plastisphere exhibited higher complexity and modularity. This study contributes to our comprehending of characteristics of plastisphere bacterial communities in soil environment and the associated ecological risks of plastic film residues accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid metal-based thermal interface materials (TIMs) have garnered attention in the field of microelectronics due to their flowability and high thermal conductivity. In this study, Composite TIMs were developed using EGa-In-Sn (eutectic gallium-indium-tin) alloy and tungsten particles through a stirred grinding method. The effect of tungsten particle content on the thermal performance of the TIMs was investigated. Finite element analysis was employed to analyze the internal heat transfer behavior. Results demonstrated that the thermal conductivity of the composite TIMs initially increased and then decreased with increasing tungsten particle content, reaching a peak at nearly twice that of EGa-In-Sn alloy. The established two-dimensional model aligned with experimental data, facilitating predictions for the thermal conductivity of composite TIMs. Interconnected tungsten particles formed the primary heat flux channel, while voids impeded the heat flux. Particle spacing, contact mode and void size are the main factors affecting the heat conduction between tungsten particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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DNA topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) expression, gene alterations, and enzyme activity have been studied in various malignant tumors. Abnormal elevation of TOP2A expression is considered to be related to the development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its association with tumor metastasis and its mode of action remains unclear. Bioinformatics, real-time quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting were used to detect TOP2A expression in NSCLC tissues and cells. Cell migration and invasion assays as well as cytoskeletal staining were performed to analyze the effects of TOP2A on the motility, migration and invasion ability of NSCLC cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis assays were used to verify the effects of TOP2A on apoptosis as well as cycle distribution in NSCLC. TOP2A expression was considerably upregulated in NSCLC and significantly correlated with tumor metastasis and the occurrence of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NSCLC. Additionally, by interacting with the classical ligand Wnt3a, TOP2A may trigger the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in NSCLC. These observations suggest that TOP2A promotes EMT in NSCLC by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and positively regulates malignant events in NSCLC, in addition to its significant association with tumor metastasis. TOP2A promotes the metastasis of NSCLC by stimulating the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and inducing EMT. This study further elucidates the mechanism of action of TOP2A, suggesting that it might be a potential therapeutic target for anti-metastatic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the high-speed shear properties of low-temperature solders, we select four groups of samples of Sn–xBi (x = 22, 30 wt%) and Sn−xIn alloys (x = 18, 22 wt%) with the melting temperature ranging from 190 to 200 °C. High-speed shear test results show that the shear strength of Sn–Bi/Cu solder joints is much higher compared to Sn−In/Cu solder joints, but their displacement is much lower. Consequently, the shear energy of Sn–Bi solders is less than half of the shear energy of Sn−In solders. This variation can be attributed to various fracture modes controlled by alloying element’s characteristics. Sn−xBi/Cu solder joints containing β-Sn, intrinsic brittle Bi phase and Cu6Sn5 exhibit brittle interfacial fracture, while Sn−xIn/Cu solder joints containing single γ-InSn4 phase and Cu6(Sn, In)5 show ductile fracture (e.g., Sn−22In/Cu) and part of mixed fracture (e.g., Sn−18In/Cu). This reveals that toughness of soft γ-InSn4 phase is much better than that of microstructure containing β-Sn and intrinsic brittle Bi phases. Furthermore, for Sn–Bi solders, the quantity of brittle Bi-rich phase in the fracture surface is proportional to Bi content in alloys, leading to lower strength of Sn−30Bi/Cu solder joints. While for Sn−In solders, compared to 18In/Cu, 22In/Cu solder joints contain more Cu6(Sn, In)5 IMCs in the matrix and thicker interfacial IMCs, it still exhibits higher shear energy under high-speed shear tests. This may be attributed to the fact that increasing In content not only makes the matrix softer but also coordinates with the deformation of interfacial IMC. The study provides a guidance for the development of low-temperature solder alloys with superior toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation is closely related to prognosis in ischemic stroke. Microglia are the main immune cells in the nervous system. Under physiological conditions, microglia participate in clearance of dead cells, synapse pruning and regulation of neuronal circuits to maintain the overall health of the nervous system. Once ischemic stroke occurs, microglia function in the occurrence and progression of neuroinflammation. Therefore, the regulation of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke. The anti-inflammatory activity of gypenosides (GPs) has been confirmed to be related to the activity of microglia in other neurological diseases. However, the role of GPs in neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke has not been studied. In this study, we investigated whether GPs could reduce neuroinflammation by regulating microglia and the underlying mechanism through qRT-PCR and western blot. Results showed that GPs pretreatment mitigated blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage in the mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and improved motor function. According to the results of immunofluorescence staining, GPs pretreatment alleviated neuroinflammation in MCAO mice by reducing the number of microglia and promoting their phenotypic transformation from M1 to M2. Furthermore, GPs pretreatment reduced the number of astrocytes in the penumbra and inhibited their polarization into the A1 type. We applied oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) on BV2 cells to mimic ischemic conditions in vitro and found similar effect as that in vivo. At the molecular level, the STAT-3/HIF1-α and TLR-4/NF-κB/HIF1-α pathways were involved in the anti-inflammatory effects of GPs in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this research indicates that GPs are potential therapeutic agents for ischemic stroke and has important reference significance to further explore the possibility of GPs application in ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), is a significant global public health problem. Mycobacterium tuberculosis expresses a unique family of PE_PGRS proteins that have been implicated in pathogenesis. Despite numerous studies, the functions of most PE_PGRS proteins in the pathogenesis of mycobacterium infections remain unclear. PE_PGRS45 (Rv2615c) is only found in pathogenic mycobacteria. In this study, we successfully constructed a recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis) strain which heterologously expresses the PE_PGRS45 protein. We found that overexpression of this cell wall-associated protein enhanced bacterial viability under stress in vitro and cell survival in macrophages. MS_PE_PGRS45 decreased the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p40, and TNF-α. We also found that MS_PE_PGRS45 increased the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and altered macrophage-mediated immune responses. Furthermore, PE_PGRS45 enhanced the survival rate of M. smegmatis in macrophages by inhibiting cell apoptosis. Collectively, our findings show that PE_PGRS45 is a virulent factor actively involved in the interaction with the host macrophage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs advanced electrochemical and surface characterization techniques to investigate the impact of electrochemical hydrogen charging on the corrosion behavior and surface film of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The findings revealed the formation of γ-TiH and δ-TiH2 hydrides in the alloy after hydrogen charging. Prolonging hydrogen charging resulted in more significant degradation of the alloy microstructure, leading to deteriorated protectiveness of the surface film. This trend was further confirmed by the electrochemical measurements, which showed that the corrosion resistance of the alloy progressively worsened as the hydrogen charging time was increased. Consequently, this work provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the corrosion of Ti-6Al-4V alloy under hydrogen charging conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish an Ebola epidemic model incorporating limited medical resources and immunity loss, and also consider the tracking and quarantining of susceptible individuals. Meanwhile the stability of the disease-free equilibrium is proved. Furthermore, we deduce the existence of multiple endemic equilibria and the occurrence of bifurcation. And then, using the partial ranking correlation coefficient (PRCC), it is found that the control reproduction number is most correlated with the parameter ρ (incineration or burial rate of dead bodies). Additionally, based on the data of the Ebola epidemic in Uganda in 2022, the fitted curve of accumulated infectious cases stabilizes at 143, which is eventually consistent with the actual data. Finally, numerical simulation results indicate that the peak value of infectious individuals decreases by 52.3% when the maximum treatment recovery rate changes from 20% to 40%. And while the hospital bed-population ratio increases by 10%, the peak value of the infectious decreases by 29.1%. Simultaneously, when the rate of immune loss decreasing from 60% to 20%, the peak value of the infectious decreases by 13.2%. While enhancing the tracking and quarantining of susceptible individuals have significant impact on the prevention and control of Ebola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PBK (PDZ-binding kinase) is a protein-coding gene that encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase associated with the dual-specific mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKK) family. Overexpression of this gene is closely linked to tumor development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of PBK in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression, prognosis, and immune evasion. We conducted a pan-cancer analysis of PBK to examine its expression and prognostic value. In the LUAD cohort, we analyzed PBK expression, prognosis, mutational features, and immune infiltration in groups with different PBK expression levels. We constructed a PBK-associated genomic model, integrated it into a nomogram, and compared high and low-risk subgroups. In our pan-cancer analysis, PBK was significantly upregulated, particularly in LUAD patients, and displayed poor prognosis. The high PBK expression group had many deletion mutations but still showed gene upregulation. Immune infiltration analysis indicated that PBK-triggered immune escape in the high expression group might relate to antigen presentation, dendritic cell, and CD8+ T cell infiltration. We constructed a 5-gene prognostic model and a nomogram to quantify individual survival probabilities. The PBK-associated gene prognostic model reliably predicted patient prognosis and drug response. Our findings offer new insights into PBK-induced immune escape and targeted therapy during LUAD development, providing valuable suggestions for clinical treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel pyrazolone-based copper complex [Cu(L)(bpy)]∙CH3OH (P-FAH-Cu-bpy) was synthesized and previously characterized to have antitumor properties. This study aimed to investigate its antibacterial properties and action modes against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. By agar diffusion assay, P-FAH-Cu-bpy showed strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus with the diameter of inhibition zone of 10.17–12.50 mm and 11.83–14 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the complex were 1.5 and 3 μM, respectively. Destroyed bacteria cells and debris were clearly observed by SEM. At 2 MIC and 4 MIC of P-FAH-Cu-bpy, 1.1683 and 1.9083 pg copper per cell was taken by E. coli, and 4.5670 and 8.5250 pg per cell by S. aureus, respectively. Multi-step resistance selection showed both bacteria were sensitive to P-FAH-Cu-bpy without induction of resistance within 30 generations. With P-FAH-Cu-bpy treatment, the release of nucleotides and proteins and alkaline phosphatase was increased, but the activity of K+-Na+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase and membrane conductivity were decreased in both pathogens. In conclusion, P-FAH-Cu-bpy induced death of both bacteria by destroying the cell membrane structure and blocking energy and exhibited strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus without inducing microbial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a catastrophic disease that threatens global wheat yield. Yr10 is a race-specific all-stage disease resistance gene in wheat. However, the resistance mechanism of Yr10 is poorly characterized. Therefore, to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism mediated by Yr10, transcriptomic sequencing was performed at 0, 18, and 48 h post-inoculation (hpi) of compatible wheat Avocet S (AvS) and incompatible near-isogenic line (NIL) AvS + Yr10 inoculated with Pst race CYR32. Respectively, 227, 208, and 4050 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at 0, 18, and 48 hpi between incompatible and compatible interaction. The response of Yr10 to stripe rust involved various processes and activities, as indicated by the results of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Specifically, the response included photosynthesis, defense response to fungus, metabolic processes related to salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), and activities related to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Ten candidate genes were selected for qRT-PCR verification and the results showed that the transcriptomic data was reliable. Through the functional analysis of candidate genes by the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system, it was found that the gene TaHPPD (4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase) negatively regulated the resistance of wheat to stripe rust by affecting SA signaling, pathogenesis-related (PR) gene expression, and ROS clearance. Our study provides insight into Yr10-mediated resistance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residents of the United States and China have responded very differently to the implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures. This study introduces the uncertainty reduction theory and the need for cognitive closure (NFC) framework into the context of a public health crisis and compares models across the United States and China. Specifically, we collected survey data to examine how NFC, trust in government, and attitudes toward preventive measures predicted pandemic compliance behaviors, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction among 745 college students (399 from China and 346 from the United States). Chinese participants trusted their government more, believed COVID preventive measures to be more beneficial, and reported more pandemic compliance and fewer depressive symptoms than U.S. participants. Trust in government and attitudes towards preventive measures mediated the relationships between NFC and pandemic compliance behaviors among Chinese participants but not U.S. participants. NFC predicted better mental health outcomes among participants in China compared to U.S. participants. Trust in government mediated NFC and mental health outcomes among Chinese participants. Trust in government predicted better mental health (fewer depressive symptoms and more life satisfaction) in both the United States and China. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for promoting mental health and pandemic compliance behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, liquid metal-based hybrid thermal interface materials were fabricated using chromium-coated diamond particles (CCDPs) and eutectic gallium–indium–tin low melting temperature alloy (EGa–In–Sn LMTA), and the changes in material thermal conductivity and viscosity with the volume mixing ratio of liquid metal and diamond were investigated. The thermal conductivity of TIMs shows a bell-shaped trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase of CCDP content, reaching the highest value of 126 ± 6 W/m·K at a 50% CCDP volume mixing ratio. When the CCDP content reaches the critical value (40%), the CCDPs formed a chain-like structure connected by LMTA, greatly enhancing heat transfer. The flowability of the LMTA/CCDP composite TIMs shows a decreasing trend with the increase of diamond content. The formation of liquid bridges and the presence of capillary forces cause the TIM to exhibit different flow characteristics from liquid to solid states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial reactions between Ga and Cu were studied under isothermal conditions at 70, 110, and 150 °C. The SEM morphology and XRD analysis revealed that only CuGa2 phases were formed at these temperatures. The growth of CuGa2 is described by the parabolic law, indicating that the body diffusion mechanism plays a dominant role in its growth. The activation energy of CuGa2 change was calculated as 14.25 kJ/mol. The effect of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) growth on the heat transfer performance of gallium-based thermal interface materials (Ga-based TIMs) has been investigated. Thermal resistance test results show that the thermal resistance value rapidly decreases during the aging from 0 to 6 h and increases slowly in the subsequent aging process. These findings suggest that the thermal transfer performance of Ga-based TIM will not be significantly impacted by the formation and growth of CuGa2 at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random noise attenuation is of great importance to obtain high-quality seismic data. Unsupervised deep learning methods have received much attention for various seismic data processing tasks in recent years. Specifically, the self-supervised deep learning method obtains supervisory information from the data itself, showing its promising denoising ability in various geophysical applications. In this work, a dropout-based self-supervised (DSS) deep learning method is applied for single seismic data random noise attenuation. In the DSS method, single masked noisy data is generated for training and self-supervised loss function construction. The U-shaped convolutional network (U-Net) with a dropout strategy is taken as the main network framework to enhance the denoising stability and reduce the over-fitting effectively. Compared with the traditional f-x deconvolution (FX-Decon) and deep image prior (DIP) method, the DSS method achieves better denoising results in preserving details for synthetic seismic data and field data. Moreover, numerical experiments indicate that the DSS method is stable for seismic denoising and reduces the over-fitting phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice has 48 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, and the functions of most of these enzymes have not been elucidated. In the present study, a T-DNA insertional mutant named R164, which exhibited a significant decrease in the length of primary and lateral roots, was used as the experimental material to explore the potential function of OsUBC11. Analysis using the SEFA-PCR method showed that the T-DNA insertion was present in the promoter region of OsUBC11 gene, which encodes ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), and activates its expression. Biochemical experiments showed that OsUBC11 is a lysine-48-linked ubiquitin chain-forming conjugase. OsUBC11 overexpression lines showed the same root phenotypes. These results demonstrated that OsUBC11 was involved in root development. Further analyses showed that the IAA content of R164 mutant and OE3 line were significantly lower compared with wild-type Zhonghua11. Application of exogenous NAA restored the length of lateral and primary roots in R164 and OsUBC11 overexpression lines. Expression of the auxin synthesis regulating gene OsYUCCA4/6/7/9, the auxin transport gene OsAUX1, auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) family gene OsIAA31, auxin response factor OsARF16 and root regulator key genes, including OsWOX11, OsCRL1, OsCRL5 was significantly down-regulated in OsUBC11 overexpressing plants. Collectively, these results indicate that OsUBC11 modulates auxin signaling, ultimately affecting root development at the rice seedling stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the reflow process, the thermal decomposition of flux with different thermal stability will lead to different residues on printed circuit board assemblies, which will affect the reliability of solder joints. As an essential part of the flux, the solvent is one of the main factors affecting the thermal stability of flux. This paper systematically investigated the effect of solvents on the thermal stability of flux and the corresponding paste. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA–DSC) curves of various solvents showed that the end temperature of weight loss of each solvent is significantly 80–90 °C lower than their boiling points. By mixing solvents and adding other additives, the thermal stability of mixed solvents and flux enhanced due to Raoult's law. Thus, TGA–DSC curves provided a clear indicator than the boiling point to guide the selection of solvents in the development of solder paste formulation. Also, TGA–DSC curves of flux showed two distinct thermal decomposition stages: solvent volatilization dominated weight loss and then thermal decomposition of rosin and other additives dominated weight loss. In addition, the real-time in situ hot plate soldering experiment and slump test of solder pastes showed that different thermal stability solvents in flux affect the reflow behaviors of solder paste, which is mainly reflected in collapse performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the oxidation resistance of SCN (Sn–0.7Cu–0.05Ni), SCP (Sn–0.7Cu doped by 0.02 wt% P), and SCNPG solder alloys (Sn–0.7Cu with 0.007 wt% Ge and 0.005 wt% P addition) were investigated at 260 °C in air. Their oxidized surfaces were systematically studied by XPS and SEM-EDS analysis. The results show that SCNPG alloys have better oxidation resistance compared to SCP alloys with more antioxidant additions before oxidation. This may be due to the combined weight of P and Ge in SCNPG alloy surface is higher than that of P alone in SCP alloy after oxidation. Furthermore, for the oxidized surface, P2O5 and GeO2 formed in the outer layer and CuP2 and FeP exist in subsurface layer. Formation of these oxides and P compounds can be attributed to that Gibbs free energy of oxides is lower than that of P compounds, meaning that oxides are easier to form than P compounds. After the formation of P2O5, the excess P forms compounds with negative enthalpy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Five PeAOX genes from Moso bamboo genome were identified. PeAOX1b_2-OE improved tolerance to drought and salinity stress in Arabidopsis, indicating it is involved in positive regulation of abiotic stress response. Mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX), the important respiratory terminal oxidase in organisms, catalyzes the energy wasteful cyanide (CN)-resistant respiration, which can improve abiotic stresses tolerance and is considered as one of the functional markers for plant resistance breeding. Here, a total of five putative AOX genes (PeAOXs) were identified and characterized in a monocotyledonous woody grass Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PeAOXs belonged to AOX1 subfamily, and were named PeAOX1a_1, PeAOX1a_2, PeAOX1b_1, PeAOX1b_2 and PeAOX1c, respectively. Evolutionary and divergence patterns analysis revealed that the PeAOX, OsAOX, and BdAOX families experienced positive purifying selection and may have undergone a large-scale duplication event roughly 1.35–155.90 million years ago. Additionally, the organ-specific expression analysis showed that 80% of PeAOX members were mainly expressed in leaf. Promoter sequence analysis of PeAOXs revealed cis-acting regulatory elements (CAREs) responding to abiotic stress. Most PeAOX genes were significantly upregulated after methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Moreover, under salinity and drought stresses, the ectopic overexpression of PeAOX1b_2 in Arabidopsis enhanced seed germination and seedling establishment, increased the total respiratory rate and the proportion of AOX respiratory pathway in leaf, and enhanced antioxidant ability, suggesting that PeAOX1b_2 is crucial for abiotic stress resistance in Moso bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to analyze the clinical effects of Er:YAG laser applied in pulpotomy of children's asymptomatic deep caries-affected primary molars. Included primary molar teeth from children (aged 3 ~ 6 years) were randomly assigned to "Er:YAG laser" and "conventional" groups, and pulpotomies were performed under general anesthesia using the respective approaches. The treatment time and clinical efficacy were evaluated. The study sample included 100 primary molar teeth of 40 children with an average age of 4.60 ± 1.02 years. The pulpotomy time in the Er:YAG laser group was significantly longer than that in the conventional group (p < 0.0001) but the hemostasis time and the total treatment time were significantly shorter (p < 0.0001, p = 0.029). In terms of clinical efficacy, up to 6 months after treatment, the success rate in the Er:YAG laser group was non-significantly but slightly higher than that in the conventional group (100% versus 98%, p = 0.436). With longer observation time, the success rate of both groups declined, with the conventional group showing a more rapid decline. After 24 months, the success rate in the Er:YAG laser group remained non-significantly higher than that in the conventional group (89.58% versus 82.98%, p = 0.386). Overall, Er:YAG laser significantly reduced the treatment time for pulpotomy in primary teeth and tended to produce higher clinical efficacy over time and thus can be a valuable tool in clinical pediatric dentistry practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computerized assessment provides rich multidimensional data including trial-by-trial accuracy and response time (RT) measures. A key question in modeling this type of data is how to incorporate RT data, for example, in aid of ability estimation in item response theory (IRT) models. To address this, we propose a joint model consisting of a two-parameter IRT model for the dichotomous item response data, a log-normal model for the continuous RT data, and a normal model for corresponding paper-and-pencil scores. Then, we reformulate and reparameterize the model to capture the relationship between the model parameters, to facilitate the prior specification, and to make the Bayesian computation more efficient. Further, we propose several new model assessment criteria based on the decomposition of deviance information criterion (DIC) the logarithm of the pseudo-marginal likelihood (LPML). The proposed criteria can quantify the improvement in the fit of one part of the multidimensional data given the other parts. Finally, we have conducted several simulation studies to examine the empirical performance of the proposed model assessment criteria and have illustrated the application of these criteria using a real dataset from a computerized educational assessment program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Polymyxins are antibacterial polypeptides used as "last resort" therapy option for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The expansion of polymyxin-resistant infections has inspired development of novel polymyxin derivatives, and deacylation is one of the critical steps in generating those antibiotics. Deacylase from Actinoplanes utahensis hydrolyze the acyl moieties of echinocandins, and also efficiently deacylates daptomycin, ramoplanin and other important antibiotics. Here, deacylase was studied considering its potential usefulness in deacylating polymyxin B1. Results: All the six recombinant strains containing the deacylase gene catalyzed hydrolysis of polymyxin B1, yielding cyclic heptapeptides. The efficiency of recombinant S. albus (SAL701) was higher than that of the others, and deacylation was the most efficient at 40 °C in 0.2 M Tris buffer (pH 8.0) with 0.2 M Mg2+. The optimal substrate concentration of SAL701 was increased from 2.0 to 6.0 g/L. SAL701 was highly thermostable, showing no loss of activity at 50 °C for 12 h, and the mycelia could be recycled at least three times without loss of catalytic activity. SAL701 could not deacylate β-lactam substrate such as penicillin G and cephalosporin C. Deacylase catalyzes the amide bond 1 closest to the nucleus of polymyxin B1 rather than the other bond, suggesting that it has high catalytic site specificity. Homology modeling and the docking results implied that Thr190 in deacylase could facilitate hydrolysis with high regioselectivity. Conclusions: These results show that SAL701 is effective in increasing the cyclic heptapeptide moiety of polymyxin B1. These properties of the biocatalyst may enable its development in the industrial production of polymyxins antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chemical graph theory, caterpillar trees have been an appealing model to represent the molecular structures of benzenoid hydrocarbon. Meanwhile, topological index has been thought of as a powerful tool for modeling quantitative structure-property relationship and quantitative structure-activity between molecules in chemical compounds. In this article, we consider a class of caterpillar trees that are incorporated with randomness, called random caterpillars, and investigate several popular topological indices of this random class, including Zagreb index, Randić index and Wiener index, etc. Especially, a central limit theorem is developed for the asymptotic distribution of the Zagreb index of random caterpillars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While nanoscale quantum emitters are effective tags for measuring biomolecular interactions, their utilities for applications that demand single-unit observations are limited by the requirements for large numerical aperture (NA) objectives, fluorescence intermittency, and poor photon collection efficiency resulted from omnidirectional emission. Here, we report a nearly 3000-fold signal enhancement achieved through multiplicative effects of enhanced excitation, highly directional extraction, quantum efficiency improvement, and blinking suppression through a photonic crystal (PC) surface. The approach achieves single quantum dot (QD) sensitivity with high signal-to-noise ratio, even when using a low-NA lens and an inexpensive optical setup. The blinking suppression capability of the PC improves the QDs on-time from 15% to 85% ameliorating signal intermittency. We developed an assay for cancer-associated miRNA biomarkers with single-molecule resolution, single-base mutation selectivity, and 10-attomolar detection limit. Additionally, we observed differential surface motion trajectories of QDs when their surface attachment stringency is altered by changing a single base in a cancer-specific miRNA sequence. Nanoscale emitters are useful for measuring biomolecular interactions, but are limited by weak signals. Here, the authors use a photonic crystal surface for 3000-fold signal enhancement, achieving single emitter sensitivity with extended on-time, and demonstrate its application in miRNA biomarker sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in the environment is a major public health concern since it has been linked to osteoporosis and other bone deformities. Linarin is a flavonoid glycoside, and it can promote osteoblastogenesis. This research aimed to investigate the potential role of linarin against Cd-exposed bone deformations in mice model. In our research, male mice were randomly allocated into four groups: control, Cd-exposed, and Cd + linarin (20 and 40mg/kg/bw, respectively). Linarin prevented body weight loss, increased serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) levels in Cd-exposed groups. Furthermore, linarin treatment at 20 and 40mg/kg/bw significantly decreased RANK and OPG, resulting in an increase in RANKL mRNA levels and protein distribution in the bone of Cd-exposed mice. In addition, the bone of Cd-exposed mice administered with linarin showed higher TRAP, NFATc1, MMP9, and RUNX2 mRNA levels and protein distribution. Linarin significantly decreased oxidative stress in Cd-exposed mice bone by decreasing MDA, a lipid peroxidation product. Moreover, linarin protects Cd-exposed mice antioxidant enzymes by increasing bone SOD, CAT, and GPx levels. Besides, linarin suppresses alterations in the inflammatory system, i.e., NF-κB p65/IKKβ, by reducing NF-κB p65, IKKβ, IL-6, and TNF-α in the bone of Cd-exposed animals. This study concluded that linarin has potential to cure osteoporosis in Cd-exposed mice by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation and modulating the RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the different restoration types of primary teeth to determine which type is appropriate for extensive caries of primary molars and incisors based on mechanical properties. Materials and methods: A total of 160 primary teeth were evaluated in this study, including 80 incisors and 80 molars. Each category was divided into four groups: the control group, composite resin group, pre-veneered stainless steel crown (stainless steel crown) group, and zirconia crown group. Compressive strength test and fatigue strength test were performed. Results: The compressive strength and fatigue strength of the composite resin group were significantly decreased compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The prefabricated crown groups showed increased fatigue and compressive strength compared with the control group, and the zirconia crown group was higher than that of the pre-veneered stainless steel crown group (P < 0.05). The zirconia crown group was less than the stainless steel crown group (P < 0.05) in the compressive strength but more than the stainless steel crown group (P < 0.05) in the fatigue strength. Conclusions: The compressive strength and fatigue strength of crown restoration were superior to that of the composite resin filling. The fatigue strength of the zirconia crown also performed better than the pre-veneered stainless steel crown and the stainless steel crown. The compressive strength of the zirconia crown was less than that of the stainless steel crown. Clinical relevance: The zirconia crown is a new restoration method for primary teeth that may be commonly applied in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluidized catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) main fractionator is a complex system with multivariable, nonlinear and uncertainty. Its modeling is a hard nut to crack. Ordinary modeling methods are difficult to estimate its dynamic characteristics accurately. In this work, the gray wolf optimizer with bubble-net predation (GWO_BP) is proposed for solving this complex optimization problem. GWO_BP can effectively balance the detectability and exploitability to find the optimal value faster, and improve the accuracy. The head wolf has the best fitness value in GWO. GWO_BP uses the spiral bubble predation method of whale to replace the surrounding hunting scheme of the head wolf, which enhances the global search ability and speeds up the convergence speed. And Lévy flight is applied to improve the wolf search strategy to update the positions of wolfpack for overcoming the disadvantage of easily falling into local optimum. The experiments of the basic GWO, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the GWO_BP are carried out with 12 typical test functions. The experimental results show that GWO_BP has the best optimization accuracy. Then, the GWO_BP is used to solve the parameter estimation problem of FCCU main fractionator model. The simulation results show that the FCCU main fractionator model established by the proposed modeling method can accurately reflect the dynamic characteristics of the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endophytic microbiome in orchid plants is rich and diverse; however, few studies have analyzed the endophytic microbiome of Cymbidium plants in different tissues and soils. This study implemented the Illumina Miseq technology to investigate the diversity of endophytic fungi in different tissues of wild Cymbidium goeringii. The results demonstrated that different tissue samples harbor a rich fungal endophytic community, and those fungi could be classified into 4 phyla, at least 145 families, and 185 genera. The endophytic fungal community diversity differed among the orchid tissues and soils, and some fungal taxa were clearly concentrated in certain orchid tissues, with more operational taxonomic units (OTUs) being detected. Investigation of mycorrhizal associations showed that 43 (about 3.8%) of the total 1137 OTUs could be assigned as Orchidaceae mycorrhizal fungi (OMF), while about 96.2% the OTUs were non-mycorrhizal fungi. Among the OMFs, OTUs of the ectomycorrhizal fungi Russulaceae and Thelephoraceae families were the most abundant, with different richness in the soil, followed by Tulasnellaceae and Ceratobasidiaceae, which were dominant in the root communities of C. goeringii. In the seeds, the absolutely dominant family was Nectriaceae, and the common OMFs Ceratobasidiaceae (five OTUs) and Tulasnellaceae (one OTU) were also detected in the seeds. Two Tulasnella spp. isolates from the roots of wild C. goeringii could effectively promote seed germination and rhizome formation of wild C. goeringii, and these strains might be particularly important in the practice of conservation for many endangered C. goeringii in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AKT kinases have emerged as promising therapeutic targets in oncology and both allosteric and ATP-competitive AKT inhibitors have entered clinical investigation. However, long-term efficacy of such inhibitors will likely be challenged by the development of resistance. We have established prostate cancer models of acquired resistance to the allosteric inhibitor MK-2206 or the ATP-competitive inhibitor ipatasertib following prolonged exposure. While alterations in AKT are associated with acquired resistance to MK-2206, ipatasertib resistance is driven by rewired compensatory activity of parallel signaling pathways. Importantly, MK-2206 resistance can be overcome by treatment with ipatasertib, while ipatasertib resistance can be reversed by co-treatment with inhibitors of pathways including PIM signaling. These findings demonstrate that distinct resistance mechanisms arise to the two classes of AKT inhibitors and that combination approaches may reverse resistance to ATP-competitive inhibition. How resistance to different classes of AKT inhibitors can emerge is unclear. Here, the authors show that resistance to allosteric inhibitors is mainly due to mutation of AKT1 while the ATP competitive resistance is driven by activation of PIM kinases in prostate cancer models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The soybean is an important food crop worldwide. Drought during the first pod stage significantly affects soybean yield, and understanding the metabolomic and physiological changes in soybeans under drought stress is crucial. This study identified the differential metabolites in initial pod stage soybean leaves under polyethylene glycol-simulated drought stress, using ultra performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, and the physiological indexes related to drought resistance. Results: Physiologically, drought resistance also generates enzyme and antioxidant activity; levels of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase first increased and subsequently decreased, while those of soluble sugar, soluble protein, malondialdehyde, and proline content increased in both varieties. The contents of CAT, proline and soluble sugar in Heinong 44 (HN44) were higher than those in Heinong 65 (HN65), and the contents of MDA were lower than those in HN65. In metabolomics, the OPLS-DA model was used to screen different metabolites. KEGG analysis showed that the two varieties resisted drought through different ways. Amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism play a key role in drought resistance of the two varieties, respectively. TCA cycle was one of the core pathways of drought resistance in two varieties. Changes in the content of l-Asparagine and citric acid may be one of the reasons for the difference in drought resistance between the two varieties. Conclusions: We think that the reasons of drought resistance among soybean varieties are as follows: the main metabolic pathways are different under drought stress; the contents of metabolites in these metabolic pathways are different; some physiological indexes are different, such as MDA, CAT, proline content and so on. Our study enhances the understanding of the metabolomic soybean drought stress response and provides a reference for soybean drought resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selectable markers help the transformed cell/tissue to survive in an otherwise lethal exposure to an antibiotic or herbicide. Unfortunately, almost all the traditional selectable markers are antibiotic and herbicide resistance genes, which are controversial on human health concerns and environmental impact. Novel plant-derived, non-antibiotic, and non-herbicide selectable markers are urgently needed in plant transformation. Our previous work showed that the seedlings of overexpression Arabidopsis lines of AtGASA6 survived on medium with a high concentration of sugar, which leads to the hypothesis that AtGASA6 could be a selectable marker on media with high or low sugar content. In this study, leaf explants of AtGASA6 overexpression tobacco lines regenerated shoots on sugar-free shooting medium while those of wild type could not. Moreover, the seeds of AtGASA6 overexpression tobacco lines germinated and grew into normal seedlings on sugar-free MS medium while those of WT could not. Attractively, no developmental defects were observed in AtGASA6 transgenic progenies. Using AtGASA6 as a selectable marker, overexpression tobacco lines of GAI, which restrains plant size, were created on sugar-free media. The GAI overexpression lines had a smaller plant size than that of control. Considering its plant-derived and non-antibiotic nature, GASA6 is promising to be used as a selectable marker in plant transformation. Key message: This research identifies a novel non-antibiotic selectable marker GASA6 using sugar-free selection medium, which could address ecological concerns and food safety issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to apply three advanced landslide susceptibility models (Fisher's linear discriminant analysis (FLDA), forest by penalizing attributes (FPA), and functional tree (FT)) to evaluate the landslide susceptibility in Muchuan County, China. Firstly, 12 landslide conditioning factors were prepared based on the local geo-environmental characteristics and relevant studies, including slope angle, slope aspect, elevation, profile curvature, plan curvature, topographic wetness index (TWI), land use, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), lithology, soil, distance to roads, and distance to rivers. Secondly, a landslide inventory map consisting of 279 landslides was randomly divided into training and validation datasets with the ratio of 70/30. Then, a certainty factors (CF) model was used to analyze the relationship between landslides and the classes of landslide conditioning factors, and a Chi-Squared statistic was used for contribution analysis. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC-value) and some statistical parameters are used to compare and verify the three landslide susceptibility models. After comparison and validation, the FPA model should be used as the best model for landslide susceptibility evaluation in Muchuan County in this study. This study can provide valuable information for local governments or organizations to study slope stability. At the same time, the landslide susceptibility map obtained can be a tool for reference for infrastructure planning, engineering design, and disaster mitigation design in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical corrosion behavior of an aged Fe-18Cr-15Mn-0.66 N high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was studied using the measurements of polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the composition of the passive films formed on the HNSS was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS analyses results showed that the passive films formed in this solution were composed of Cr oxide/hydroxide (mainly) and iron oxides (partially). The XPS depth profile suggested that near the passive film /HNSS interface, both Cr and Fe contents increased, but the Cr and Fe oxide/hydroxide contents decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), currently under intensive physics and engineering designs in China, is a major project representative of the low-density steady-state pathway to the controlled fusion energy. One of the primary tasks of the physics design for CFETR is the assessment and analysis of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of the proposed design schemes. Comprehensive MHD stability assessment of the CFETR baseline scenarios have led to preliminary progress that may further benefit engineering designs. For CFETR, the electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) power and current required for the full stabilization of neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) have been predicted in this work, as well as the corresponding controlled magnetic island width. A thorough investigation on resistive wall mode (RWM) stability for CFETR is performed. For 80% of the steady state operation scenarios, active control methods may be required for RWM stabilization. The process of disruption mitigation with massive neon injection on CFETR is simulated. The time scale of and consequences of plasma disruption on CFETR are estimated, which are found equivalent to International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). Major MHD instabilities such as NTM and RWM remain challenge to steady state tokamak operation. On this basis, next steps on CFETR MHD study are planned on NTM, RWM, and shattered pellet injection (SPI) disruption mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of dissolved yttrium and rare earth elements (REY) in sediment pore water provide important geochemical information. However, due to the low REY concentration, complex matrix, and limited sample volume (often only a few milliliters), analysis of the REY in pore water often is highly challenging. In this study, a method was established to determine the dissolved REY in pore water of marine sediments using an offline preconcentration step with the ethylenediaminetriacetate chelating resin, followed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In addition, using a commercially available automated trace-element preconcentration system, the preconcentration step can be fully automated, saving labor and providing a better control of the final elution volume. The experimental conditions (pH, elution volume, elution acid concentration, and organic complexation effect) were assessed, and the optimal conditions were chosen. In particular, the organic complexation effect was found to be negligible. The procedure blank and limit of detection were satisfactory for studying REY in pore water of marine sediments, and the method also yielded satisfactory recoveries for the REY elements (83–110%). The method was then applied to analyze the dissolved REY concentrations of pore water samples collected in a sediment core (~ 30 cm) in the central Indian Ocean. The vertical distribution, dissolved REY concentration, and the average Post Archean Australian Shale-normalized pattern of the REY showed similarities to the previously published pore water REY data. This method provides an accurate yet facile approach for the analysis of all 15 REY in marine pore water samples using the sample volume of only ~ 5 mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]