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5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) is a basic drug that is used to treat colorectal cancer. Patients who receive 5-Fu chemotherapy often experience side effects that affect the digestive system, such as intestinal injury and diarrhoea, which significantly affect patient compliance with anticancer treatment and quality of life. Therefore, identifying approaches to treat or prevent these side effects is urgent. Dasabuvir (DSV) is a hepatitis C virus inhibitor, but its impact on 5-Fu-induced intestinal injury remains unknown. Our study investigated the effects of DSV on 5-Fu-induced intestinal injury in HUVECs, HIECs and male BALB/c mice. We found that 5-Fu caused intestinal damage by inducing senescence, increasing inflammatory factor expression, and generating oxidative stress. Compared with 5-Fu treatment alone, DSV inhibited senescence by reducing senescence-β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP, including IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α) and senescence marker expression levels (p16, p21, and p53). Moreover, the anti-senescence effect of DSV was achieved by inhibiting the mTOR signaling pathway. DSV increased antioxidant enzyme levels and alleviated intestinal tissue injury in mice. In addition, DSV suppressed the 5-Fu-induced increase the diarrhoea scores and ameliorated the weight loss, food intake and water intake of the mice. Overall, this study indicated that DSV could be used to treat chemotherapy-induced intestinal damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal cellular and humoral immune responses to the allogeneic fetoplacental unit are a normal part of pregnancy adaptation. Overactive or dysregulated immune responses that often manifest as inflammation are considered a key element for the development of preeclampsia. Infiltration and activation of macrophages, nature killer cells, and T lymphocytes are frequently observed in the decidua and placenta associated with preeclampsia. In addition to local inflammation, systemic inflammatory changes including increased levels of TNF-α and interleukins (ILs) are detected in the maternal circulation. Syncytin-1 is an endogenous retroviral envelope protein that mediates the fusion of trophoblasts to form syncytiotrophoblasts, a cellular component carrying out most of placental barrier, exchange, and endocrine functions. In addition to these well-defined fusogenic functions that are known for their close association with preeclampsia, multiple studies indicated that syncytin-1 possesses nonfusogenic activities such as those for cell cycle and apoptosis regulation. Moreover, syncytin-1 expressed by trophoblasts and various types of immune cells may participate in regulation of inflammation in preeclamptic placenta and decidua. This review concentrates on the triangular relationship among inflammation, syncytin-1 nonfusogenic functions, and preeclampsia pathogenesis. Data regarding the reciprocal modulations of inflammation and poor vascularization/hypoxia are summarized. The impacts of syncytin-A (the mouse counterpart of human syncytin-1) gene knockout on placental vascularization and their implications for preeclampsia are discussed. Syncytin-1 expression in immune cells and its significance for inflammation are analyzed in the context of preeclampsia development. Finally, the involvements of syncytin-1 nonfusogenic activities in neuroinflammation and multiple sclerosis are compared to findings from preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilayer-lidar-used solution is popular though financial consumption is extremely expensive. In addition, multilayer lidars are barely able to reconstruct an incremental three-dimensional (3D) spatial mapping, due to the limited pitch-angler movement. To solve this problem, in this paper we design and develop a device employed a low budget single-layer lidar and a stepping motor. Spatial coordinate algorithm converts single-layer lidar data from polar coordinates to Cartesian coordinates (3D). Then the converted point cloud data is processed in two stage. In the first stage, the converted 3D data is coarse registered by the SAC-IA algorithm to obtain a better initial pose. In the second stage, the ICP algorithm is used to accurately register the point cloud data to reconstruct the incremental 3D spatial mapping. The experiments performed show that the single-layer lidar used spatial mapping by the two-stage method senses more complete space than that of using 16-layer lidar. The quantitative analysis of the incremental 3D spatial mapping experiments show that the accuracy (0.0998) meets the engineering requirements. Moreover, the lower cost (40% off) is also an advantage for low budget applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells induce kidney transplant tolerance by increasing regulatory T (Treg) cells. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell exosomes (BMMSC-Ex) promote Treg cell differentiation. Long non-coding RNA differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) is expressed in BMMSCs and can be encapsulated in exosomes. We aimed to explore the role of DANCR in BMMSC-Ex in immune tolerance after kidney transplantation and related mechanism. The isogenic/allograft kidney transplantation mouse model was established, and levels of serum creatinine (SCr) were determined. Hematoxylin–eosin staining was conducted to detect the inflammation, and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the infiltration of CD4+ T cells. Levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, and IL-2 were examined by ELISA. Flow cytometry was conducted to determine Treg cells. In the allograft group, the inflammatory response was severe, CD4+ T cell infiltration, SCr levels, and plasma rejection-related factors were up-regulated, while injection of BMMSC-Ex reversed the results. BMMSC-Ex increased Treg cells in kidney transplantation mice. Interference with DANCR reversed the promoting effect of BMMSC-Ex on Treg cell differentiation. DANCR bound to SIRT1, promoted ubiquitination and accelerated its degradation. The injection of BMMSC-Ex (after interference with DANCR) promoted SIRT1 levels, inflammatory response, CD4+ T cell infiltration, SCr levels, and plasma rejection related factors' expression, while Treg cells were decreased. LncRNA DANCR in BMMSC-Ex promoted Treg cell differentiation and induced immune tolerance of kidney transplantation by down-regulating SIRT1 expression in CD4+ T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have ordered pore and cage structure, and its central metal ions can provide a uniform active site. Modifying MOFs or preparing MOFs composites and derivatives could enhance the properties of MOFs-based materials, such as improving stability of the framework, regulating the electronic properties near the active site, promoting oxygen migration or the formation of more active oxygen species, improving the photo-generated carrier migration, and increasing the affinity between the active site and the pollutants. In view of these advantages, MOFs-based materials show excellent performance in the removal and utilization of typical gaseous pollutants. This article summarizes the application of MOFs-based materials in the removal and utilization of typical gaseous pollutants (e.g. sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon oxides, volatile organic compounds, and methane). The prospects and challenges of MOFs-based materials in the future research and practical work of gaseous pollutant removal are also proposed, in order to stimulate the enthusiasm for the development of more efficient MOFs-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin (Sn) powders with pyramid chain and dendrite structures are successfully prepared by electrodeposition in choline chloride-ethylene glycol deep eutectic solvent (ChCl-EG DES) at 343 K. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrates that increasing SnCl2 concentration from 30 to 70 mM is favorable for the reduction of Sn(II) ions to metallic Sn on Ni electrode. The roles of current density (10–30 mA·cm−2) and SnCl2 concentration (30–70 mM) on the current efficiency and energy consumption are discussed during the electrodeposition of Sn powders. Experimental results show that the current efficiency and energy consumption are 88.7% and 347.1 kW·h·t−1, respectively at 20 mA·cm−2 and 50 mM SnCl2. Besides, the micromorphology and crystal structure of Sn powders are analyzed by FESEM and XRD. Morphology analysis manifests that pyramid chains and dendrites in length of 30–220 μm are the dominate morphologies and the formation mechanism of the pyramid chain is also discussed. Moreover, XRD analysis and crystal texture reveal that metallic Sn is obtained with a body-centered tetragonal crystal structure. The (101) plane is the preferred at higher current density, while the (200) plane gets the strongly preferred orientation as SnCl2 concentration increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loglinear pattern of respiratory scaling has been studied for over a century, while an increasing number of non-loglinear patterns have been found in the plant kingdom. Several previous studies had attempted to reconcile conflicting patterns from the aspects of statistical approaches and developmental stages of the organisms. However, the underlying enzymatic mechanism was largely ignored. Here, we propose an enzyme-driven law of photosynthetic scaling and test it in typical crop seedlings under different water conditions. The results showed that the key enzyme activity, the relative photosynthetic assimilation and the relative growth rate were all constrained by the available water, and the relationship between these biological traits and the available water supported our predictions. The enzyme-driven law appears to be more suitable to explain the curvature of photosynthetic scaling than the well-established power law, since it provides insight into the biochemical origin of photosynthetic assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of multi-axis polishing of blisk, path planning is one of the core contents. It not only determines the polishing efficiency but also affects the polishing accuracy. However, as one of the most important roles, the influences of tool orientation on freeform surface roughness have not been paid enough attention. To address that, a method to reduce the roughness through tool orientation optimization is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the model of polishing freeform surface with abrasive cloth wheel is established to describe the influence of tool orientation on the uniformity of material removal. It is described with the distribution of compression deviation along the contact curve and the trajectory of grain. Based on that, the model of tool orientation optimization is established and solved with the PSO (particle swarm optimization) method. Where, both the deviations of maximum compression and ideal angle are taken as evaluation indicators. At last, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified with a plane and an open blisk respectively. Besides, the results also show that both the deviation of compression and the angle between tool orientation and feed direction can affect the roughness of polished surface. And the latter is more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In five-axis machining of blisk, the filleted end mill has attracted more and more attention because of its larger cutting width. However, it is still a hard work to find the tool posture without interference. In this paper, a method is proposed to solve the collision-free regions. Based on the visibility of free-form surface, a tool-surface tangent model of the filleted end mill is established. With the model, only critical points on profiles of checking surface are searched with a self-adapting step length and the corresponding critical vectors are calculated and mapped to construct the collision-free regions. Firstly, critical points on the boundaries are searched according to the given precision. Meanwhile, the corresponding critical vectors are calculated and some special searched points are selected as the endpoints of each profile. Then, the adjacent critical points are searched along the profile by adjusting iteratively with a self-adapting step length in the parameter domain one by one. During the search, the corresponding critical vectors are calculated too. After that, the critical vectors are mapped to construct the subinterval collision-free regions in two-dimensions. And a method is adopted to combine collision-free regions. This algorithm is finally verified with a closed blisk and compared with a referenced method. The results show that it can efficiently solve collision-free regions in five-axis milling of blisk with a filleted end mill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the treatment cost required for the recovery of patients with nerve injury, a rehabilitation training robot based on single-degree-of-freedom eight-link leg mechanism is proposed. The robot imitates human gait by repeatedly and naturally moving the legs. Clinical cases show that this training can help patients to carry out targeted exercises, such as leg activity exercises, improving balance, physical training and so on. The motion cycle of the mechanism is matched with the generalized gait cycle in clinic. Then, based on the support phase and swing phase of the gait cycle, the mechanism is optimized by adjusting the link length through kinematic analysis. The theoretical calculation and virtual simulation are carried out by using SOLIDWORKS, MATLAB and ADAMS software, and the feasibility of the mechanism is verified. The conclusion of theory and simulation is that the design of this single-degree-of-freedom eight-link leg walking mechanism can provide a basis for low-cost rehabilitation training based on patients with spinal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the feasibility of unenhanced CT images for endoleak detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) after endovascular repair (EVAR). Methods: Patients who visited our hospital after EVAR from July 2014 to September 2021 were retrospectively collected. Two radiologists evaluated the presence or absence of endoleaks using the combination of contrast-enhanced and unenhanced CT as the referenced standard. After segmenting the aneurysm sac of the unenhanced CT, the radiomic features were automatically extracted from the region of interest. Histogram features of patients with and without endoleak were statistically analyzed to explore the differences between the two groups. Twelve common machine learning (ML) models based on radiomic features were constructed to evaluate the performance of endoleak detection with unenhanced CT images. Results: The study included 216 patients (69 ± 8 years; 191 men) with AAA, including 64 patients with endoleaks. A total of 1955 radiomic features of unenhanced CT were extracted. Compared with patients without endoleak, the aneurysm sac outside the stent of patients with endoleak had higher CT attenuation (41.7 vs. 33.6, p < 0.001) with smaller dispersion (51.5 vs. 58.8, p < 0.001). The average area under the curve (AUC) of the ML models constructed with unenhanced CT radiomics was 0.86 ± 0.05, the accuracy was 81% ± 4, the sensitivity was 88% ± 10, and the specificity was 78% ± 5. When fixing the sensitivity to > 90% (92% ± 2), the models retained specificity at 72% ± 10. Conclusions: Unenhanced CT features exhibit significant differences between patients with and without endoleak and can help detect endoleaks in AAA after EVAR with high sensitivity. Clinical relevance statement: Unenhanced CT radiomics can help provide an alternative method of endoleak detection in patients who have adverse reactions to contrast media. This study further exploits the value of unenhanced CT examinations in the clinical management and surveillance of postoperative abdominal aortic aneurysm. Key Points: • Unenhanced CT features of the aneurysm sac outside the stent exhibit significant differences between patients with and without endoleak. The endoleak group showed higher unenhanced CT attenuation (41.7 vs 33.6, p <.001) with smaller dispersion (51.5 vs 58.8, p <.001) than the nonendoleak group. • Unenhanced CT radiomics can help detect endoleaks after intervention. The average area under the curve (AUC) of twelve common machine learning models constructed with unenhanced CT radiomics was 0.86 ± 0.05, the average accuracy was 81% ± 4. • When fixing the sensitivity to > 90% (92% ± 2), the machine learning models retained average specificity at 72% ± 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce, for the first time in the literature, a three-stages two-step method. The new algorithm has the following characteristics: (1) it is a two-step algorithm, (2) it is a symmetric method, (3) it is an eight-algebraic order method (i.e of high algebraic order), (4) it is a three-stages method, (5) the approximation of its first layer is done on the point $$x_{n-1}$$ and not on the usual point $$x_{n}$$ , (6) it has eliminated the phase-lag and its derivatives up to order two, (7) it has good stability properties (i.e. interval of periodicity equal to $$\left( 0, 22 \right) $$ . For this method we present a detailed analysis : development, errorand stability analysis. The new proposed algorithm is applied to systems of differential equations of the Schrödinger type in order to examine its efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the microbial structures, functional potentials, and biofouling-related genes in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The results showed that the microbial community in the MBR was highly diverse. Notably, function analysis of the dominant genera indicated that common genes from different phylotypes were identified for important functional potentials with the observation of variation of abundances of genes in a certain taxon (e.g., Dechloromonas). Despite maintaining similar metabolic functional potentials with a parallel full-scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) system due to treating the identical wastewater, the MBR had more abundant nitrification-related bacteria and coding genes of ammonia monooxygenase, which could well explain its excellent ammonia removal in the low-temperature period. Furthermore, according to quantification of the genes involved in exopolysaccharide and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) protein metabolism, the MBR did not show a much different potential in producing EPS compared to the CAS system, and bacteria from the membrane biofilm had lower abundances of genes associated with EPS biosynthesis and transport compared to the activated sludge in the MBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe magnetite (FeO) nanoparticles modified with 3-(N,N-diethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane (FeO-PSA NPs) for use as a sorbent for dispersive solid phase extraction of pesticide residues. The FeO-PSA NPs were prepared by silanizing FeO NPs and modifying them with 3-(N,N-diethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, FTIR and zeta potential measurements were employed to characterize the modified NPs. They were then used as an adsorbent to remove acidic interferences (such as malic acid and succinic acid), which are major interferences in LC-MS/MS analysis in causing ion suppression in the MS spectra of pesticides. In addition, graphitized carbon black (GCB) was used as an adsorbent to eliminate interferences by pigments. The use of FeO-PSA NPs can replace time-consuming centrifugation as used in the so-called QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method. This improvement is particularly significant in high-throughput analysis. Following the optimization of the quantities of FeO-PSA NPs and GCB, the method was applied to the determination of 56 pesticides in (spiked) fruits (apple, kiwi, orange and pear) by ultra-HPLC-MS/MS. The analytical ranges typically extend from 1 to 200 ng∙mL, and recoveries range from 60.2 to 130 % at different concentrations of all four kinds of fruits. The LOQs for the pesticides are 10 ng∙kg, which makes the method a viable tool for pesticide monitoring in fruits. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Fe2O3/BiVO4 composite photo-Fenton catalysts were prepared by a simple ultrasonic-assisted calcination method. By changing the calcination temperature, FB-2 with tetragonal structure BiVO4 has excellent photo-Fenton performance. The crystal structure and chemical composition of the composite catalyst were studied by a series of characterizations. Under 5 W LED illumination, 97% rhodamine B dye (Rh B) was degraded within 40 min in FB-2 sample, which was attributed to the high efficiency of photogenic electron–hole pair separation. The subsequent capture experiment and Tafel test proved that h+, e−, ·OH were the main active substances in the degradation process and the flow direction of electrons in the reaction process. The composite catalyst has good cyclic stability and efficient photo-Fenton catalytic degradation performance, and has good reference value for the degradation of water dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Significant progression of spinal deformity could occur during the peak of pubertal growth in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Gender differences in spinal and vertebral inclination have been reported in asymptomatic young adults and are thought to affect the risk of curve progression in male and female AIS. The present study aimed to investigate whether there were gender differences in the sagittal spinal-pelvic profile and whether any differences occurred before or developed during the normal pubertal growth spurt. Methods: The sagittal up-right standing spine X-ray films from 71 male and 82 female asymptomatic adolescents were collected. The inclination of the global spine was analyzed by measuring the spino-sacral angle (SSA) and the spinal tilt (ST). Additionally, the inclination of the vertebrae (T1-L5), thoracic kyphosis (T4-T12) and lumbar lordosis were measured. These subjects were divided into the ascending phase (non-fused triradiate cartilage) G1 subgroup, the peak (fused triradiate cartilage and Risser grade 0-1) G2 subgroup and the late phase (Risser grade 2-5) of pubertal growth G3 subgroup. The comparisons between the males and females were carried out within the subgroups. Results: In the subgroups G1 and G2, the females showed a trend of less ventral inclination in the upper thoracic vertebrae (T1-T5) and greater dorsal inclination in the lower thoracic vertebrae (T7-T12), although the differences were not statistically significant. In the G3 subgroup, the females showed significantly larger SSA (133.7° ± 4.5° vs. 128.4° ± 4.0°), ST (96.3° ± 2.6° vs. 94.8° ± 3.4°) and dorsal inclination of T1 and T12-L2 than did the males ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: Although a trend toward a more backward inclination of the spine and individual vertebrae might pre-exist during the ascending phase or peak of pubertal growth, the differences become more significant during the late stage of puberty. The observation could be related to relatively active anterior vertebral overgrowth that occurs in females during pubertal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

F-box proteins, which are the substrate-recognition subunits of SKP1-cullin 1-F-box protein (SCF) E3 ligase complexes, have pivotal roles in multiple cellular processes through ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation of target proteins. Dysregulation of F-box protein-mediated proteolysis leads to human malignancies. Notably, inhibitors that target F-box proteins have shown promising therapeutic potential, urging us to review the current understanding of how F-box proteins contribute to tumorigenesis. As the physiological functions for many of the 69 putative F-box proteins remain elusive, additional genetic and mechanistic studies will help to define the role of each F-box protein in tumorigenesis, thereby paving the road for the rational design of F-box protein-targeted anticancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online/offline signature schemes allow one to quickly compute a digital signature from a precomputed coupon. In this paper, we present an ID-based online/offline signature for wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which is based on Hohenberger' RSA signature (Crypto 09). We argue that due to significant reduction in costs of computation and storage, our scheme is particularly suitable for the WSNs environment with severely constrained resources. Our scheme can be proved secure under the factoring assumption without random oracles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a first step in our search for new opiates, we have established cellular assays to monitor opioid receptor activation and study the activities of a set of morphine derivatives. Intracellular calcium changes were monitored in human embryonic kidney-293 T cells expressing individual opioid receptors upon cotransfection with a chimeric G protein. This assay was validated by comparing the potencies of the endogenous peptides to reported values. All of the opiates were found to interact with the three opioid receptor subtypes but with a range of differences in efficacies and potencies. Most of the opiates preferentially acted at the μ receptor. None of the opiates showed a preference for the δ receptor. Only oripavine and its precursor thebaine showed a preference for the κ over the μ receptor. The results indicate that the opiates with a C-3 hydroxyl group or C-6 ketone group but in the presence of a 7, 8-single bond exhibit higher activity. It is noteworthy that the 6- O-methyl group seems to improve the selectivity for κ receptor. This is the first comparative and comprehensive report on the activation of the three different opioid receptors by a set of morphine derivatives in a well-defined assay system. These data can serve as a basis for the characterization of novel opiates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Body composition (BC) may be associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) growth, but the results of previous research are contradictory. This study aimed to explore the relationship between BC and postoperative aneurysm progression. Methods: Patients with regular postoperative follow-ups were retrospectively identified. The volume change of the aneurysm was measured to evaluate AAA progression. After segmenting different body components (subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, pure muscle, and intramuscular fat), the shape features and gray features of these tissues were extracted. Uni- and multivariable methods were used to analyze the relationship between imaging features of BC and AAA growth. Results: A total of 94 patients (68 ± 8 years) were eligible for feature analyses. Patients with expansive aneurysms (29/94; volume change > 2%) were classified into Group(+) and others with stable or shrunken aneurysms (65/94) were classified into Group(−). Compared with Group(+), Group(−) showed a higher volume percent of pure muscle (21.85% vs 19.51%; p =.042) and a lower value of intramuscular fat (1.23% vs 1.65%; p =.025). CT attenuation of muscle tissues of Group(−) got a higher mean value (31.16 HU vs 23.92 HU; p =.019) and a lower standard deviation (36.12 vs 38.82; p =.006) than Group(+). For adipose tissue, we found no evidence of a difference between the two groups. The logistic regression model containing muscle imaging features showed better discriminative accuracy than traditional factors (84% vs 73%). Conclusions: Muscle imaging features are associated with the volume change of postoperative aneurysms and can make an early prediction. Adipose tissue is not specifically related to AAA growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) have attracted enormous interest due to the coexistence of charge density wave (CDW) order, unconventional superconductivity (SC) and anomalous Hall effect (AHE). In this paper, we reported an intensive investigation on Cs(V1−xTax)3Sb5 single crystals with systematic Ta doping. Ta was confirmed to be doped into V-site in the Kagome layer from both single crystal X-ray diffraction structural refinement and scanning transmission electron microscopy observation. The highest Ta doping level was found to be about 16%, which is more than twice as much as 7% in Nb-doped CsV3Sb5. With the increase of Ta doping, CDW order was gradually suppressed and finally vanished when the doping level reached to more than 8%. Meanwhile, superconductivity was enhanced with a maximum critical temperature (Tc) of 5.3 K, which is the highest Tc in the bulk crystal of this Kagome system at ambient pressure so far. The μ0Hc2(T) behavior demonstrates that the system is still a two-band superconductor after Ta doping. Based on the electrical transport measurement, a phase diagram was set up to exhibit the evolution of CDW and SC in the Cs(V1−xTax)3Sb5 system. These findings pave a new way to search for new superconductors with higher Tc in the AV3Sb5 family and establish a new platform for tuning and controlling the multiple orders and superconducting states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Exogenous SL positively regulates pepper DS by altering the root morphology, photosynthetic character, antioxidant enzyme activity, stomatal behavior, and SL-related gene expression. Drought stress (DS) has always been a problem for the growth and development of crops, causing significant negative impacts on crop productivity. Strigolactone (SL) is a newly discovered class of plant hormones that are involved in plants’ growth and development and environmental stresses. However, the role of SL in response to DS in pepper remains unknown. DS considerably hindered photosynthetic pigments content, damaged root architecture system, and altered antioxidant machinery. In contrast, SL application significantly restored pigment concentration modified root architecture system, and increased relative chlorophyll content (SPAD). Additionally, SL treatment reduced oxidative damage by reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (24–57%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (79–89%) accumulation in pepper seedlings. SL-pretreated pepper seedlings showed significant improvement in antioxidant enzyme activity, proline accumulation, and soluble sugar content. Furthermore, SL-related genes (CcSMAX2, CcSMXL6, and CcSMXL3) were down-regulated under DS. These findings suggest that the foliar application of SL can alleviate the adverse effects of drought tolerance by up-regulating chlorophyll content and activating antioxidant defense mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and predicting the regional groundwater storage (GWS) fluctuation is an essential support for effectively managing water resources. Therefore, taking Shandong Province as an example, the data from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) is used to invert GWS fluctuation from January 2003 to December 2022 together with Watergap Global Hydrological Model (WGHM), in-situ groundwater volume and level data. The spatio-temporal characteristics are decomposed using Independent Components Analysis (ICA), and the impact factors, such as precipitation and human activities, which are also analyzed. To predict the short-time changes of GWS, the Support Vector Machines (SVM) is adopted together with three commonly used methods Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA), Auto-Regressive Moving Average Model (ARMA), as the comparison. The results show that: (1) The loss intensity of western GWS is significantly greater than those in coastal areas. From 2003 to 2006, GWS increased sharply; during 2007 to 2014, there exists a loss rate − 5.80 ± 2.28 mm/a of GWS; the linear trend of GWS change is − 5.39 ± 3.65 mm/a from 2015 to 2022, may be mainly due to the effect of South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The correlation coefficient between GRACE and WGHM is 0.67, which is consistent with in-situ groundwater volume and level. (2) The GWS has higher positive correlation with monthly Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) considering time delay after moving average, which has the similar energy spectrum depending on Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) method. In addition, the influencing facotrs on annual GWS fluctuation are analyzed, the correlation coefficient between GWS and in-situ data including the consumption of groundwater mining, farmland irrigation is 0.80, 0.71, respectively. (3) For the GWS prediction, SVM method is adopted to analyze, three training samples with 180, 204 and 228 months are established with the goodness-of-fit all higher than 0.97. The correlation coefficients are 0.56, 0.75, 0.68; RMSE is 5.26, 4.42, 5.65 mm; NSE is 0.28, 0.43, 0.36, respectively. The performance of SVM model is better than the other methods for the short-term prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique for chromosomal insertion of large DNA segments is much needed in plant breeding and synthetic biology to facilitate the introduction of desired agronomic traits and signaling and metabolic pathways. Here we describe PrimeRoot, a genome editing approach to generate targeted precise large DNA insertions in plants. Third-generation PrimeRoot editors employ optimized prime editing guide RNA designs, an enhanced plant prime editor and superior recombinases to enable precise large DNA insertions of up to 11.1 kilobases into plant genomes. We demonstrate the use of PrimeRoot to accurately introduce gene regulatory elements in rice. In this study, we also integrated a gene cassette comprising PigmR, which confers rice blast resistance driven by an Act1 promoter, into a predicted genomic safe harbor site of Kitaake rice and obtain edited plants harboring the expected insertion with an efficiency of 6.3%. We found that these rice plants have increased blast resistance. These results establish PrimeRoot as a promising approach to precisely insert large segments of DNA in plants. Large genetic cargos are precisely inserted into plant genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the application of approach referred to as the orphan-receptor strategy to the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR14) to show that it binds the bioactive peptide known as urotensin II. Rationale behind the use of cysteine-bridge-containing peptides on GPR14; Types of peptides tested; Process used to develop a urotensin II analogue suitable for binding studies; Pharmacological profile of GPR14.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the application of virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) in reducing metal artifacts in rabbit VX2 liver cancer models treated with microwave ablation (MWA) therapy. A total of 31 VX2 liver cancer models that accepted CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation were analyzed. Conventional images (CIs) with the most severe metallic artifacts and their corresponding energy levels from 40 to 200 keV with 10 keV increment of VMIs were reconstructed for further analysis. Objective image analysis was assessed by recording the attenuation (HU) and standard deviation of the most severe hyper/hypodense artifacts as well as artifact-impaired liver parenchyma tissue. Two radiologists visually evaluated the extent of artifact reduction, assessed data obtained by a diagnostic evaluation of liver tissues, and appraised the appearance of new artifacts according to the grade score. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the difference between CIs and each energy level of VMIs. For subjective assessment, reductions in hyperdense and hypodense artifacts were observed at 170–200 keV and 160–200 keV, respectively. The outcomes of the diagnostic evaluation of adjacent liver tissue were statistically higher at 140–200 keV for VMIs than for CIs. In terms of objective evaluation results, VMIs at 90–200 keV reduced the corrected attenuation of hyperdense and of artifact-impaired liver parenchyma compared with CIs (P < 0.001). When VMIs at 80–200 keV decreased the hypodense artifacts (P < 0.001). Therefore, we concluded that VMIs at 170–200 keV can obviously decrease the microwave ablation needle-related metal artifacts objectively and subjectively in rabbit VX2 liver cancer models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency and accuracy of point set registration is always a challenge to deal with. In this paper, we propose an improved algorithm using a scale invariant feature extracted. The larger transformation scale and rotation angle cause lower registration accuracy. The initial corresponding point set can be obtained using a scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) operator. In addition, the geometric features of the points are combined to remove the wrong points. The unit quaternion algorithm is used to estimate the best rigid body transformation matrix for precise registration. The experiments show that the registration accuracy increases by 7.99%, while the time consumption decreased by 6.24% in a typical indoor scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently discovered kagome superconductors offer a promising platform for investigating intertwined orders and novel states, including topology, superconductivity, charge density waves, and more. The interplay among these orders can spontaneously break rotational symmetry, giving rise to exotic phenomena such as nematicity or even nematic superconductivity. Here we present our findings on the two-fold symmetric superconductivity in thin-flake RbV3Sb5 in response to direction-dependent in-plane magnetic fields, in contrast to the inherent six-fold structural symmetry of the crystal lattice. The two-fold symmetry was evidenced through a combination of magnetoresistance transport experiments, critical magnetic field measurements, and observations of anisotropic superconducting gaps. Additionally, by altering the experimental configuration, we also detected the presence of six-fold symmetric components superimposed on the two-fold symmetry at the boundary between normal and superconducting states. Our results underscore the correlation-driven symmetry-breaking phenomena and emphasize the potential of this correlated kagome family as a promising platform for investigating intertwined orders, including unconventional superconductivity. Kagome materials provide a platform to investigate the interplay between a range of ordered phases such as charge density waves, superconductivity, as well as non-trivial topological properties. Here, the authors observed the two-fold symmetric superconductivity in RbV3Sb5, which suggests the presence of unconventional superconductivity involved with nematic states and spin-orbit-parity coupled superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop and validate a CT-based radiomics model for the prediction of the overall survival (OS) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) treated with drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE). Methods: Patients were retrospectively enrolled from two institutions for the constitution of training (n = 69) and validation (n = 31) cohorts with a median follow-up of 15 months. A total of 396 radiomics features were extracted from each baseline CT image. Features selected by variable importance and minimal depth were used for random survival forest model construction. The performance of the model was assessed using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, integrated discrimination index (IDI), net reclassification index (NRI), and decision curve analysis. Results: Type of PVTT and tumor number were proved to be significant clinical indicators for OS. Arterial phase images were used to extract radiomics features. Three radiomics features were selected for model construction. The C-index for the radiomics model was 0.759 in the training cohort and 0.730 in the validation cohort. To improve the predictive performance, clinical indicators were integrated into the radiomics model to form a combined model with a C-index of 0.814 in the training cohort and 0.792 in the validation cohort. The IDI was significant in both cohorts for the combined model versus the radiomics model in predicting 12-month OS. Conclusions: Type of PVTT and tumor number affected the OS of HCC patients with PVTT treated with DEB-TACE. Moreover, the combined clinical-radiomics model had a satisfactory performance. Clinical relevance statement: A CT-based radiomics nomogram, which consisted of 3 radiomics features and 2 clinical indicators, was recommended to predict 12-month overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombus initially treated with drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization. Key Points: • Type of portal vein tumor thrombus and tumor number were significant predictors of the OS. • Integrated discrimination index and net reclassification index provided a quantitative evaluation of the incremental impact added by new indicators for the radiomics model. • A nomogram based on a radiomics signature and clinical indicators showed satisfactory performance in predicting OS after DEB-TACE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly malignant and difficult to detect, while few blood markers are currently available for diagnosing PC. Methods: We obtained differential expression genes (DEGs) from GEO (gene expression omnibus) database and assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), receiver operating characteristic (ROC), univariate and multifactorial regression analysis, and survival analysis in our clinic center. Through the TCGA (the cancer genome atlas) database, we analyzed functional enrichment, different risk groups with survival analysis, immunological features, and the risk score established by the Cox regression model and constructed a nomogram. Result: Immunoglobulin heavy constant delta (IGHD) was remarkably upregulated in peripheral blood from PC patients, and IGHD was a potential independent biomarker for PC diagnosis (ROC sensitivity, 76.0%; specificity, 74.2%; area under the curve (AUC) = 0.817; univariate logistic regression analysis: odds ratio (OR) 1.488; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.182–1.872; P < 0.001; multiple logistic: OR 2.097; 95% CI 1.276–3.389, P = 0.003). In addition, the IGHD expression was remarkably reduced after resectioning the primary tumor. High IGHD expression indicated higher lymphocyte infiltration and increased activities of immunological pathways in PC patients. KRAS and SMAD were observed with a prominent difference among top mutated genes between the two groups. The risk score predicted reliable clinical prognosis and drug responses. Furthermore, a nomogram with the risk score and clinical characteristics was constructed, showing a better predictive performance. Conclusion: IGHD is a valuable PC diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Sichuan Basin, seismic activity has been low historically, but in the past few decades, a series of moderate to strong earthquakes have occurred. Especially since 2015, earthquake activity has seen an unprecedented continuous growth trend, and the magnitude of events is increasing. Following the M5.7 Xingwen earthquake on 18 Dec. 2018, which was suggested to be induced by shale gas hydraulic fracturing, a swarm of earthquakes with a maximum magnitude up to M6.0 struck Changning and the surrounding counties. Questions arose about the possible involvement of industrial actions in these destructive events. In fact, underground fluid injection in salt mine fields has been occurring in the Sichuan Basin for more than 70 years. Disposal of wastewater in natural gas fields has also continued for about 40 years. Since 2008, injection for shale gas development in the southern Sichuan Basin has increased rapidly. The possible link between the increasing seismicity and increasing injection activity is an important issue. Although surrounded by seismically active zones to the southwest and northwest, the Sichuan Basin is a rather stable region with a wide range of geological settings. First, we present a brief review of earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher since 1600 to obtain the long-term event rate and explore the possible link between the rapidly increasing trend of seismic activity and industrial injection activities in recent decades. Second, based on a review of previous research results, combined with the latest data, we describe a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics and occurrence conditions of natural and injection-induced major seismic clusters in the Sichuan Basin since 1700. Finally, we list some conclusions and insights, which provide a better understanding of why damaging events occur so that they can either be avoided or mitigated, point out scientific questions that need urgent research, and propose a general framework based on geomechanics for assessment and management of earthquake-related risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously demonstrated that Mettl3-silencing dendritic cells (DCs) exhibited immature properties and prolonged allograft survival in a murine heart transplantation model. Exosomes derived from donor DCs (Dex) are involved in the immune rejection of organ transplantation, and blocking Dex transfer may suppress immune rejection. Herein, this study aimed to investigate whether Mettl3 knockdown inhibits the secretion and activity of donor Dex, thereby inhibiting donor Dex–mediated immune rejection. The imDex, mDex, shCtrl-mDex, and shMettl3-mDex were obtained from the culture supernatant of DCs (immature DCs, mature DCs, shCtrl-infected mature DCs, shMettl3-infected mature DCs) derived from donor BALB/c mouse bone marrow and then co-cultured with splenic T cell lymphocyte suspension from recipient C57BL/6 mice in vitro or injected into recipient C57BL/6 mice before the cardiac transplantation. Donor shMettl3-mDex expressed lower concentration of exosomes and lower expression of Mettl3, Dex markers (ICAM-1, MHC-I, MHC-II), as well as lower ability to activate T cell immune response than shCtrl-mDex. Administration of donor shMettl3-mDex attenuated immune rejection after mouse heart transplantation and prolonged the allograft survival. In summary, Mettl3 knockdown inhibits the immune rejection of Dex in a mouse cardiac allograft model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of early postoperative CT texture analysis in aneurysm progression. Ninety-nine patients who had undergone post-endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) infra-renal abdominal aortic aneurysm CT serial scans were enrolled from July 2014 to December 2019. The clinical and traditional imaging features were obtained. Aneurysm texture analysis was performed using three methods—the grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), the grey-level run length matrix (GLRLM), and the grey-level difference method (GLDM). A multilayer perceptron neural network was applied as a classifier, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and area under the curve (AUC) analysis were employed to illustrate the classification performance. No difference was found in the morphological and clinical features between the expansion (+) and (−) groups. GLCM yielded the best performance with an accuracy of 85.17% and an AUC of 0.90, followed by GLRLM with an accuracy of 87.23% and an AUC of 0.8615, and GLDM with an accuracy of 86.09% and an AUC of 0.8313. All three texture analyses showed superior predictive ability over clinical risk factors (accuracy: 69.41%; AUC: 0.6649), conventional imaging features (accuracy: 69.02%; AUC: 0.6747), and combined (accuracy: 75.29%; AUC: 0.7249). Early post-EVAR arterial phase-derived aneurysm texture analysis is a better predictor of later aneurysm expansion than clinical factors and traditional imaging evaluation combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced TiO2 nanotube arrays were obtained by hydrogen-thermal and electrochemical reduction methods respectively, and the photoelectrochemical performances were studied. Phase structures, elemental compositions, and surficial morphologies were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the structural differences between as-prepared TiO2 NTAs and reduced TiO2 NTAs, including two different reducing products. The photoelectrochemical performances of TiO2 NTAs were found to be enhanced by both two reducing methods. The different mechanisms of hydrogen-thermal reduction and electrochemical reduction were investigated by comparing optical absorption, charge transport, separation efficiency of charge carriers, and surficial reactions during the photoelectrochemical processes. For hydrogen-thermal-reduced TiO2 NTAs, the improved photoelectrochemical performances are induced by high optical absorption and low recombination of charge carries, whereas for electrochemical reduced TiO2 NTAs, the enhanced performances are attributed to low charge transport resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a complex disease with unclear etiopathogenesis. Systemic and persistent low bone mineral density is an independent prognostic factor for curve progression. The fundamental question of how bone quality is affected in AIS remains controversy because there is lack of site-matched control for detailed analysis on bone-related parameters. In this case-control study, trabecular bone biopsies from iliac crest were collected intra-operatively from 28 severe AIS patients and 10 matched controls with similar skeletal and sexual maturity, anthropometry and femoral neck BMD Z-score to control confounding effects. In addition to static histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography (μCT) and real time-PCR (qPCR) analyses, individual trabecula segmentation (ITS)-based analysis, finite element analysis (FEA), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were conducted to provide advanced analysis of structural, mechanical and mineralization features. μCT and histomorphometry showed consistently reduced trabecular number and connectivity. ITS revealed predominant change in trabecular rods, and EDX confirmed less mineralization. The structural and mineralization abnormality led to slight reduction in apparent modulus, which could be attributed to differential down-regulation of Runx2, and up-regulation of Spp1 and TRAP. In conclusion, this is the first comprehensive study providing direct evidence of undefined unique pathological changes at different bone hierarchical levels in AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sub-micrometer lead powders were electrodeposited on a mild steel (MS) substrate in PbS-containing (10-50 mM) choline chloride-urea deep eutectic solvent (ChCl-urea DES) at 353 K and 2.5 V. The electrochemical behaviors of the Pb(II)/Pb on MS and glass carbon electrodes were determined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurement. It indicates that the reduction of Pb(II) is a quasi-reversible process. The increase in PbS concentration effectively promotes the EPb(II)/Pb shift in positive direction which can facilitate the reduction of Pb(II). The initial nucleation stage of metallic lead on MS electrode is a three-dimensional instantaneous nucleation for diffusion control and the diffusion coefficient of Pb(II) at 353 K is about 2.40 × 10−7 cm2/s. The three-dimensional sub-micrometer lead particles are agglomerated together and composed of many overlapped lead flakes about 150-200 nm. Moreover, the XRD results reveal that metallic lead can be deposited with a face-centered-cubic structure and the strongest peak intensity is (111) plane. This finding provides a theoretical guidance for the one-step preparation of sub-micrometer lead powders using galena concentrate as raw material by an eco-friendly and facile electrochemical approach in close neutral electrolyte, which can efficiently shorten the production flow and realize the integration of metallurgy and material processes.Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental system of swirl spray cooling is designed to study the transient heat transfer efficiency of spray cooling with spray flow evolution. At an initial temperature of 300 °C, the spray cooling process is observed on a hot wall using a 20 mm × 20 mm square of aluminum alloy as the cooled specimen and water as the cooling medium. To measure the temperature variation, five high-precision thermocouples are used at five different locations along the vertical axis of the cooling specimen. Using the finite difference method, the one-dimensional unsteady heat conduction equation is solved, and the surface heat flux curve is obtained by inversion. The transient heat flux evolution curves under different working conditions are found by varying the spray height and flow rate. As a result, the spray cooling process is divided into four stages: I. the Leidenfrost effect stage (where the heat flux rises slowly), II. the liquid film formation stage (during which the heat flux rises sharply), III. the boiling stage (during which the heat flux decreases gradually), and IV. the convective evaporation stage (where the heat flux tends to equilibrium). As the heat flux reaches its peak value, the cooling process changes from the liquid film forming stage (stage II) to the boiling stage (stage III). The effect of spray height on liquid film is more significant when compared with the effect of pressure, which demonstrates that the heat transfer capacity at a spray height of 5 mm is significantly higher than at 10 mm and 15 mm, leading to the conclusion that the appropriate spray height is an important factor in maximizing the efficiency of spray cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane fouling remains an obstacle to wide-spread applications of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment and reclamation. Herein, we report a simple method to prepare a composite conductive microfiltration (MF) membrane by introducing a stainless steel mesh into a polymeric MF membrane and to effectively control its fouling by applying an external electric field. Linear sweep voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses showed that this conductive membrane had very good electrochemical properties. Batch tests demonstrated its anti-fouling ability in filtration of bovine serum albumin, sodium alginate, humic acid and silicon dioxide particles as model foulants. The fouling rate in continuous-flow MBRs treating wastewater was also decreased by about 50% for this conductive membrane with 2 V/cm electric field compared to the control test during long-term operation. The enhanced electrostatic repulsive force between foulants and membrane, in-situ cleaning by H2O2 generated from oxygen reduction, and decreased production of soluble microbial products and extracellular polymeric substances contributed to fouling mitigation in this MBR. The results of this study shed light on the control strategy of membrane fouling for achieving a sustainable operation of MBRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molting behavior is an important physiological process related to metamorphosis, growth, and reproduction in crustaceans. Previous studies indicated that the molting process was controlled by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and upstream hormones, peptides, and environmental factors, which regulate 20E function. Eclosion hormone (EH) in insect is a kind of neuropeptide that is regulated by 20E and triggers ecdysis behavior at the end of molting process. However, the function of eclosion hormone gene during the molting process in crustaceans is still largely unknown. In the present study, an eclosion hormone-like gene EcEHL was identified from Exopalaemon carinicauda. The deduced amino acid sequence of EcEHL contained a signal peptide, a typical eclosion domain, and six conserved cysteine residues forming three putative disulfide bonds. EcEHL was predominantly expressed in the epidermis, gill, and eyestalk of shrimp. In situ hybridization analysis showed that EcEHL transcripts were localized in gill cells and in medulla externa X-organ, medulla terminalis X-organ, sinus gland, and lamina ganglionaris of eyestalks. During the molting process of shrimp, EcEHL showed the highest expression level in shrimp at the premolt stage. The expression level of EcEHL in shrimp at mid premolt stage was up-regulated by injection of exogenous 20E. Silencing of EcEHL using double-stranded RNA delayed both the molting process and ecdysis rate of E. carinicauda. Furthermore, injection of exogenous 20E to shrimp at mid premolt stage (D2) could remarkably speed up the molting process and also raise the ecdysis rate of E. carinicauda. The results revealed that EcEHL might participate in the molting process of shrimp and its expression was regulated by 20E. These data will help us to understand the molecular mechanism of molting in crustacean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive-free nano-polycrystalline diamond (nPCD) composite was sintered by using a mixture of micro-diamond (MD) and onion-like carbon (OLC) as raw materials at 4–6 GPa/1000–1400 °C/5–30-min holding time. The composition, morphology, microstructure, density, and hardness of the nPCD composite were measured by XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, Archimedes principle, and Vickers hardness tester. Molecular dynamics of OLC with MD addition phase transition to nPCD at HPHT was calculated. The effect of MD and high-pressure sintering parameters on the OLC transformation process and the composition, microstructure, properties of nPCD composite were studied. The results showed that the MD was uniformly distributed in the nPCD composite. MD acted as the nucleus to promote the conversion of OLC to diamond. The increase in sintering pressure enhanced the density and hardness of the nPCD composite. When the sintering pressure was raised from 4 to 6 GPa, the density of the nPCD composite was increased from 2.72 to 3.02 g/cm3, and the hardness was increased from 41.85 to 56 GPa. The increase in sintering temperature and holding time made the density and hardness of the nPCD composite increase first and then decrease. Nanotwinned diamond with 10-nm size appeared in the nPCD region in the nPCD composite. The presence of nanotwinned diamonds increased the hardness of the nPCD composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) was a serious nerve injury, which involves complex genetic changes. This paper was intended to investigate the function and mechanism of differentially expressed genes in SCI. The three datasets GSE92657, GSE93561 and GSE189070 of SCI from GEO database were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We identified the common DEGs in the three datasets GSE92657, GSE93561 and GSE189070 of SCI from GEO database. Next, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed. Subsequently, the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that DEGs were significantly enriched in immune response, inflammatory response. The expression level of immune-related genes (Arg1, Ccl12, Ccl2, Ifitm2, Ifitm3, and et al.) at different time points of SCI were analyzed in GSE189070 dataset. Next, differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were identified in SCI compared with normal based on GSE158194 database. DE-miRNA and targeted immune-related genes were predicted by miRwalk, including miR-487b-5p targeted Ifitm3, miR-3072-5p targeted Ccl3, and et al. What's more, the miR-487b was identified and verified to be down-regulated in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 cell model. Further, the miR-487b inhibited cell inflammation and apoptosis in LPS-induced BV2 cell by targeted Ifitm3. For the first time, our results revealed that miR-487b may play an important regulatory role in SCI by targeted Ifitm3 and provide further evidence for SCI research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A meta-analysis of the relevant literature evaluated the feasibility, safety, and potential benefits of single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA) relative to those of conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA). Methods: The major biomedical databases, including ClinicalTrials.gov, were searched up to January 2022 for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). SILA and CLA were compared regarding patient body mass index, operative time, and perioperative complications. The Cochrane Handbook and RevMan 5.3 were used to judge trial quality and perform the meta-analysis, respectively. Results: The 17 included RCTs comprised 2068 patients, of whom 1039 and 1029 patients underwent SILA and CLA, respectively. The operative time for SILA was longer than that for CLA (MD = 8.35 min, 95% CI = 6.58 to 10.11, P < 0.00001), but the cosmetic results from SILA were superior (SMD = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.58 to 1.03, P < 0.00001). However, the incidence rates were similar in terms of patient body mass index; postoperative pain scores; and rates of abdominal abscess, conversion to open surgery, ileus, surgical site infection, and overall perioperative complications between the two groups. Conclusion: SILA is a safe technique for acute appendicitis, and its cosmetic outcomes are superior to those of CLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-size Bi2Se3 tape electrode (BTE) was prepared by peeling off a 2 × 1 × 0.5 cm high-quality single crystal. The feasibility of using the flexible BTE as an efficient bioplatform to load Au nanoparticles and probe DNA for HIV-1 DNA electrochemical sensing was explored. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that the resultant biosensor has a wide linear range from 0.1 fM to 1 pM, a low detection limit of 50 aM, excellent selectivity, reproducibility and stability, and is superior to the pM DNA detection level of Pt-Au, graphene-AuNPs hybrid biosensors. This outstanding performance is attributed to the intrinsic surface state of Bi2Se3 topological insulator in facilitating electron transfer. Therefore, BTE electrochemical biosensor platform has great potential in the application for sensitive detection of DNA biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To retrospectively analyze the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in super-aged patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC), as well as the effects of TACE on quality of life (QOL) and anxiety state.Methods: In this study, 32 AGC patients aged over 80 years old were enrolled and treated with TACE. Complications of TACE and total effective rate of symptom relief after TACE were observed. Changes of the maximum diameter of solid tumors before and after TACE were compared by reexamination of abdominal computerized tomography. QOL, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) scores of tumor patients were performed before TACE and 3d, 28d, and 90d after TACE.Results: No serious complications occurred during or after TACE in any patient. The total effective rate of symptom relief was 56.25% at 28d after TACE and 71.88% at 90d after TACE. Compared with before TACE, the maximum diameter of tumor was significantly decreased after TACE; ECOG was increased at 3d after TACE, while was decreased at 28d and 90d after TACE (P < 0.05); QOL and HAMA had no significant change at 3d after TACE, while increased significantly at 28d and 90d after TACE (all P < 0.05).Conclusion: TACE was safe and effective, could shrink tumors, and improve the QOL and anxiety for super-aged patients with AGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically review the clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of patients with subaxial cervical spinal tuberculosis (SCS-TB) and evaluate the current evidence for surgical or nonsurgical treatment. Method: A systematic review was performed using the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases. Studies published in English from January 2000 to December 2018 were included in the search. A reference lists search of relevant articles was also conducted for other potential references. The risk of bias was assessed with the 13-item criteria recommended by the Cochrane Back and Neck Group and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies. Results: Fifteen articles were included with a total of 456 patients, of which only 1 study was randomized and fourteen were nonrandomized. The most common symptom reported was neck pain and stiffness, and the most common segment involved was C5. Of the 456 patients, 329 (72.1%) were treated surgically. Most experienced neurologic recovery after surgery. Instrumentation resulted in maintenance of the correction of alignment throughout the follow-up period. The use of radical debridement is still in debate. Conclusions: Anti-TB therapy is necessary for all SCS-TB patients, including those underwent surgical management. For patients with neurological dysfunction, the surgical method with decompression and instrumentation could provide better cervical spinal alignment and stability. For adult, the radical debridement remains in debate, while for children, radical debridement may cause the development of progressive kyphosis during growth. Larger randomized comparative studies with longer follow-up times are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusion is beneficial to improve the accuracy of target detection in polarization images. In this paper, we propose an image fusion algorithm that combines nonsubsampled contourlet transform (NSCT) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). First, the fast guide filter and pulse-coupled neural network (PCNN) are employed to eliminate the noise of the polarization angle images. Second, the degree of linear polarization and polarization angle images are fused to obtain the polarization characteristic image. Finally, the polarization characteristic image is fused with the intensity image by NSCT. The CNN network is involved to extract mutilayer features from the high-frequency components of NSCT. The zero-phase component analysis (ZCA) is applied to normalize these features. The fusion coefficients of the high-frequency subband fusion coefficients are obtained by calculating the activity energy map of feature image. The low-frequency subband fusion coefficients are obtained by the strategy of regional energy. The result image is reconstructed by inverse NSCT. The experimental results show that the average gradient of the fused image is 51.3% higher than that of polarized intensity image, while the spatial frequency is improved by 35.1%. This algorithm is superior to others in terms of subjective visual effect and objective evaluation parameters, which is suitable for target detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the isolation from brain extracts and the characterization of the natural ligand of a particular orphan G-coupled receptor (GPCR), SLC-1, that is sequentially homologous to the somatostatin receptors. The neuropeptide melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) as the natural ligand of the receptor; Demonstration that nanomolar concentrations of MCH strongly activate SLC-1 related pathways through Galpha i and/or Galpha q proteins; Indication that therapies targeting the MCH receptor should act on the neuronal regulation of food consumption

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) has become the major challenge for kidney transplantation, and the efficacy of existing therapies was limited to prevent AMR. Increasing evidences have demonstrated the link between gut microbiota alterations and allograft outcome. However, there has been no comprehensive analysis to profile the gut microbiota associated with AMR after kidney transplantation. We performed this study to characterize the gut microbiota possibly associated with AMR. Fecal specimens were collected from 24 kidney transplantation recipients with AMR and 29 controls. DNA extracted from the specimens was processed for 16S rRNA gene sequencing using Illumina MiSeq. Gut microbial community of recipients with AMR was significantly different from that of controls based on unweighted (P = 0.001) and weighted (P = 0.02) UniFrac distances, and the bacterial richness (observed species: P = 0.0448; Chao1 index: P = 0.0450; ACE index: P = 0.0331) significantly decreased in the AMR group. LEfSe showed that 1 phylum, 5 classes, 7 families, and 10 genera were increased, whereas 1 class, 2 order, 3 families, and 4 genera were decreased in the AMR group. Specific taxa such as Clostridiales could be potentially used as biomarkers to distinguish the recipients with AMR from the controls (AUC = 0.77). PICRUSt analysis illustrated that 16 functional pathways were with significantly different abundances in the AMR and control groups. Our findings provide a foundation for further investigation on the role of gut microbiota in AMR after kidney transplantation, and potentially support novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic options for AMR. Key points: • Gut microbial community of kidney recipients with AMR was different from that of controls. • Clostridiales is a potential marker to distinguish recipients with AMR from controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]