Search

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The controlled autoregressive autoregressive moving average (CARARMA) models are of popularity to describe the evolution characteristics of dynamical systems. To overcome the identification obstacle resulting from colored noises, this paper studies the identification of the CARARMA models by forming an intermediate correlated noise model. In order to realize the real-time prediction function of the models, the on-line identification scheme is developed by constructing the dynamical objective functions based on the real-time sampled observations. Firstly, a rolling optimization cost function is built based on the observation at a single sampling instant to catch the modal information at a single time point and a generalized extended stochastic gradient (GESG) algorithm is proposed through the stochastic gradient optimization. Secondly, a rolling window cost function is built in accordance with the dynamical batch observations within data window by extending the proposed GESG algorithm and the multi-innovation generalized extended stochastic gradient algorithm is derived. Thirdly, from the perspective of theoretical analysis, the convergence proof of the proposed algorithm is provided based on the stochastic martingale convergence theory. Finally, the simulation analysis and comparison studies are provided to show the performance of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental and lifestyle factors play an etiological role in the pathogenesis of different glomerular diseases. Thus, exploring the epidemic characteristics of renal disease in different nationalities and regions is important. Materials and methods: Patients who underwent renal biopsy from October 2008 to October 2022 were included. The proportion and change tendency of glomerular diseases and the differences between the sexes and different ages and races were analyzed. Results: There were 15,146 cases of glomerular diseases (98.5%), involving 7538 males (49.8%) and 7608 females (50.2%). The mean age was 37.0 years (range 0–80 years). The proportion of membranous nephropathy (MN) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) showed an increased trend. The most common primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) was IgA nephropathy (IgAN, 44.6%), followed by minimal-change disease (MCD, 24.3%) and MN (15.4%). Lupus nephritis (LN, 30%) accounted for the largest proportion of SGNs, followed by Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN, 20.9%) and DN (19.8%). Compared with adults aged 18–60 years old, MCD and HSPN were more common in children and MN and DN in elderly individuals, statistically significant differences. Additionally, the sex and age distribution of PGN and SGN between the Tibetan and Han populations differed significantly, whereby LN was higher in the Han population and HSPN in the Tibetan population. Conclusion: The distribution of glomerular diseases showed age, sex and race differences. This research will be beneficial for providing epidemiological evidence for clinical diagnosis, disease prevention and public health decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a severe neurological condition that can occur at high altitudes. It is characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the brain, leading to a range of symptoms, including severe headache, confusion, loss of coordination, and even coma and death. Exosomes play a crucial role in intercellular communication, and their contents have been found to change in various diseases. This study analyzed the metabolomic characteristics of blood exosomes from HACE patients compared to those from healthy controls (HCs) with the aim of identifying specific metabolites or metabolic pathways associated with the development of HACE conditions. A total of 21 HACE patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited for this study. Comprehensive metabolomic profiling of the serum exosome samples was conducted using ultraperformance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‒MS/MS). Additionally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify the metabolic pathways affected in HACE patients. Twenty-six metabolites, including (+)-camphoric acid, choline, adenosine, adenosine 5′-monophosphate, deoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate, guanosine, and hypoxanthine-9-β-D-arabinofuranoside, among others, exhibited significant changes in expression in HACE patients compared to HCs. Additionally, these differentially abundant metabolites were confirmed to be potential biomarkers for HACE. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed several pathways that significantly affect energy metabolism regulation (such as purine metabolism, thermogenesis, and nucleotide metabolism), estrogen-related pathways (the estrogen signaling pathway, GnRH signaling pathway, and GnRH pathway), cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways (the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway and cAMP signaling pathway), and hormone synthesis and secretion pathways (renin secretion, parathyroid hormone synthesis, secretion and action, and aldosterone synthesis and secretion). In patients with HACE, adenosine, guanosine, and hypoxanthine-9-β-D-arabinofuranoside were negatively correlated with height. Deoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate is negatively correlated with weight and BMI. Additionally, LPE (18:2/0:0) and pregnanetriol were positively correlated with age. This study identified potential biomarkers for HACE and provided valuable insights into the underlying metabolic mechanisms of this disease. These findings may lead to potential targets for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention in HACE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Describe and analyze the trends of thyroid cancer incidence and mortality in Guangzhou, explore the potential influencing factors, and provide evidence for the government to formulate prevention and treatment measures. Methods: Incident and death cases of thyroid cancer were retrieved from the Guangzhou cancer registry. The joinpoint regression models were used to estimate the incidence and mortality trends. Age-period-cohort models were used to estimate the age, period, and cohort effects on the time trends. Grey correlation analysis was performed to explore possible connections between thyroid cancer and social factors. Results: A total of 15,955 new cases of thyroid cancer were registered in Guangzhou during 2004–2018, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of thyroid cancer increased from 4.29/105 in 2004 to 22.36/105 in 2018, with the average annual percentage change (AAPC) of 13.40%. The overall increase can be attributed to the increase in the incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which was dominated by tumors <2 cm. The ASIR was higher in women (16.12/105) compared to men (5.46/105), and young and middle-aged individuals had higher incidence rates than older people. The number of thyroid cancer deaths registered between 2010 and 2018 was 356, and the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were stable (approximately 0.42/105). Men's ASMR (0.34/105) and women's (0.49/105) were similar, and those 60 and older had greater mortality. The period and cohort relative risks showed an overall increasing trend. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between the ASIRs and social determinants. Conclusions: During the study period, the incidence rate of thyroid cancer among young and middle-aged people in Guangzhou showed a rapidly increasing trend, and the mortality was relatively stable. In the future, more effective preventive measures should be taken for this age group to reduce the burden of disease and avoid overdiagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid expansion of industrialization and urbanization, fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) pollution has escalated into a major global environmental crisis. This pollution severely affects human health and ecosystem stability. Accurately predicting PM2.5 levels is essential. However, air quality forecasting currently faces challenges in processing vast data and enhancing model accuracy. Deep learning models are widely applied for their superior learning and fitting abilities in haze prediction. Yet, they are limited by optimization challenges, long training periods, high data quality needs, and a tendency towards overfitting. Furthermore, the complex internal structures and mechanisms of these models complicate the understanding of haze formation. In contrast, traditional Support Vector Regression (SVR) methods perform well with complex non-linear data but struggle with increased data volumes. To address this, we developed CUDA-based code to optimize SVR algorithm efficiency. We also combined SVR with Genetic Algorithms (GA), Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to identify the optimal haze prediction model. Our results demonstrate that the model combining intelligent algorithms with Central Processing Unit-raphics Processing Unit (CPU-GPU) heterogeneous parallel computing significantly outpaces the PSO-SVR model in training speed. It achieves a computation time that is 6.21–35.34 times faster. Compared to other models, the Particle Swarm Optimization-Central Processing Unit-Graphics Processing Unit-Support Vector Regression (PSO-CPU-GPU-SVR) model stands out in haze prediction, offering substantial speed improvements and enhanced stability and reliability while maintaining high accuracy. This breakthrough not only advances the efficiency and accuracy of haze prediction but also provides valuable insights for real-time air quality monitoring and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li (Algebra 71:2823–2838, 2023) recently obtained several improvements on some partial trace inequalities for positive semidefinite block matrices. In this note, we present analogous partial trace inequalities involving partial transpose of positive semidefinite block matrix. The inequalities we show could be regarded as complements of Li’s results. In addition, some new partial trace inequalities for partial transpose of positive semidefinite block matrix are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic wounds caused by pathogenic bacterial infections have been a worldwide medical threat and challenge, ZnO is a promising antibacterial agent to promote infected wound healing. However, ZnO particles need to be with a wound dressing material to improve low-dose antibacterial efficacy while reducing cytotoxicity. The natural polysaccharide, chitin-based hydrogels can be applied as a preferential supporting matrix for the deposition of ZnO. In this study, we developed chitin/ZnO composite hydrogels (CZG hydrogels), which were applied for the biofilm-infected full-thickness wound treatment. The three-dimensional hydrophilic network structure of chitin hydrogels provided a large number of absorption sites for Zn2+ ions, and CZG hydrogels were prepared by in situ synthesis of ZnO. CZG hydrogels had potent broad-spectrum and long-lasting antibacterial activity, good bacteriostatic ability against high concentration of bacterial fluids. The in vivo studies showed that CZG hydrogels have a significant effect of accelerating biofilm-infected wound healing. Collectively, this work confirmed that chitin hydrogels could be applied as a preferential natural supporting matrix for the deposition of inorganic metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, and provided alternative antibacterial dressing for treating microbial infections and promoting wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) loaded inside and outside halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were prepared and developed as the heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for the removal of representative organic pollutants. Characterization results indicated that the samples with Fe3O4 NPs loaded outside the HNTs lumen (Fe3O4/HNTs) and inside the HNTs lumen (Fe3O4@HNTs) were successfully prepared. Both samples had typical magnetic hysteresis loops, while Fe3O4@HNTs exhibited higher magnetization intensity. The comparative experiments showed that Fe3O4@HNTs had better Fenton-like catalytic ability than that of Fe3O4/HNTs in the degradation of various organic pollutants. Taking Rhodamine B (RhB) as an example, the adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics of RhB onto Fe3O4/HNTs and Fe3O4@HNTs were also investigated. The comparative results demonstrated that the adsorption ability of Fe3O4/HNTs was better than that of Fe3O4@HNTs. Moreover, the dissolved concentration of Fe2+ and production amount of hydroxyl radical (·OH) in the Fe3O4@HNTs-H2O2 system were significantly higher than those in the Fe3O4/HNTs-H2O2 system. Based on aforementioned comparison, the nano-confinement effect in the Fe3O4@HNTs-H2O2 system was verified. This work provides meaningful guidance for the cheap and convenient design of nanoreactors for Fenton-like applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of cancer neoantigen vaccines that prime the anti-tumor immune responses has been hindered in part by challenges in delivery of neoantigens to the tumor. Here, using the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) in a melanoma model, we demonstrate a chimeric antigenic peptide influenza virus (CAP-Flu) system for delivery of antigenic peptides bound to influenza A virus (IAV) to the lung. We conjugated attenuated IAVs with the innate immunostimulatory agent CpG and, after intranasal administration to the mouse lung, observed increased immune cell infiltration to the tumor. OVA was then covalently displayed on IAV-CPG using click chemistry. Vaccination with this construct yielded robust antigen uptake by dendritic cells, a specific immune cell response and a significant increase in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes compared to peptides alone. Lastly, we engineered the IAV to express anti-PD1-L1 nanobodies that further enhanced regression of lung metastases and prolonged mouse survival after rechallenge. Engineered IAVs can be equipped with any tumor neoantigen of interest to generate lung cancer vaccines. A cancer vaccine is delivered to the lung by an engineered attenuated influenza virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical correlative factors and outcomes of treatment of bleb-associated endophthalmitis (BAE) following glaucoma filtration surgery in a Chinese population from the year 2012 to 2022, and to compare them with the clinical course during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic period. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive cases of BAE treated at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China, between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022. The clinical presentation, treatment modality, microbiological data, clinical course, and outcomes of visual acuity (VA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in all BAE cases were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 28 eyes with BAE were examined, predominantly in male patients (71.4%, p = 0.023). Most patients underwent trabeculectomy (89.3%, p ≤ 0.001), while a smaller proportion underwent Ex-PRESS implantation (10.7%). Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was the most common type of glaucoma (39.3%, p ≤ 0.001). Most patients (96.4%) presented with poor visual acuity, worse than 20/400, and IOP ranged from 3–60 mmHg. Treatment, including initial tap-and-inject procedure of antibiotics (Ceftazidime and Norvancomycin) or initial pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), was initiated 5.0 ± 7.1 days after BAE onset. Streptococcus was the most common causative organism (53.6% of cases, p ≤ 0.001). The visual acuity significantly improved from 2.58 ± 0.27 to 2.14 ± 0.85 (reported in logMAR) after treatment (p ≤ 0.001), and most patients maintained normal tension during follow-up. Poisson regression model analysis showed the annual incidence of BAE during the COVID-19 pandemic period was significantly twice greater than that of previous years. Conclusions: BAE may cause irreversible visual impairment. POAG filtering surgery with male sex and the COVID-19 pandemic period might be potentially relevant factors for BAE. Culture positivity was closely related to BAE prognosis, with Streptococcus species being the leading pathogenic organisms. Online outpatient services, early diagnosis, and timely treatment may rescue vision and maintain IOP control in the presence of BAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ventilation rate of cigarettes is an important indicator that affects the internal quality of cigarettes. When producing cigarettes, the unit may experience unstable ventilation rates, which can lead to a decrease in cigarette quality and pose certain risks to smokers. By establishing the ventilation rate prediction model, guide the design of unit parameters in advance, to achieve the goal of stabilizing unit ventilation rate, improve the stability of cigarette ventilation rate, and enhance the quality of cigarettes. This paper used multiple linear regression networks (MLR), backpropagation neural networks (BPNN), and genetic algorithm-optimized backpropagation (GABP) to construct a model for the prediction of cigarette ventilation rate. The model results indicated that the total ventilation rate was significantly positively correlated with weight (P < 0.01), circumference, hardness, filter air permeability, and open resistance. The results showed that the MLR models' (RMSE = 0.652, R2 = 0.841) and the BPNN models' (RMSE = 0.640, R2 = 0.847) prediction ability were limited. Optimization by genetic algorithm, GABP models were generated and exhibited a little better prediction performance (RMSE = 0.606, R2 = 0.873). The results indicated that the GABP model has the highest accuracy in the prediction of predicting ventilation rate and can accurately predict cigarette ventilation rate. This method can provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the stability study of the ventilation rate of the unit, improve the design and manufacturing capabilities and product quality of short cigarette products, and help to improve the quality of cigarettes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Facial expression recognition is gradually being integrated into the classroom environment for educational assessment. Most existing algorithms are based on single frontal faces and are less effective for processing multi-facial images in a real classroom environment. In particular, detecting small faces is a common and challenging problem due to low video resolution, blurred images and little feature information. To address these issues, we improved YOLOv5 with the idea of feature enhancement (FE-YOLOv5) and applied it to classroom teaching scenarios. With Resnet-34_Focal as the expression classification network, the overall framework was FEMFER. The Feature Enhancement fused more information of feature maps by the proposed upsampling (UPS) module and the Convolution-Batch normalization-Leaky ReLU (CBL) module. The UPS module reduced the network's local perceptual field and effectively learned detailed information from the backbone. The CBL module speeded up the model convergence while increasing the nonlinearity of the features. The network with the feature enhancement method could extract and fuse features efficiently, which was more suitable for small face detection in the classroom situation and solved the problem of inaccurate recognition of small targets in the original network. Our method achieved 81.42% (+7.18%) in mAP compared with the original YOLOv5 algorithm. The FEMFER intelligently assessed positive, neutral, and negative emotions, but it was currently limited to single-modal information extraction. Further research could be carried out from the perspective of fusing multi-modal information such as gestures and voice to realize more accurate affective computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the disease burden of early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) in individuals aged 40–49 years and provide baseline evidence for routine recommended age adjustment for CRC screening and other clinical decision-making. Methods: We collected data stratified by sex, risk factors, and socio-demographic index (SDI) from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 Data Resources. Trends in disease burden were analyzed by estimated annual percentage change. The Bayesian age-period-cohort model predicted the burden over the following 10 years. Results: In 2019, the global rates of incidence, mortality, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) of EO-CRC in people aged 40–44 years were 11.48 (95% uncertainty interval: 10.50–12.59), 4.35 (4.01–4.70), 72.63 (66.48–79.52), 209.82 (193.55–226.59) per 100,000 population. For people aged 45–49 years, the rates of these four estimates were 19.63 (17.97–21.54), 7.76 (7.16–8.41), 121.73 (110.99–133.84), and 335.83 (310.14–362.91), respectively. The incidence and prevalence rates for both age groups increased while the mortality and DALY rates remained stable from 1990 to 2019. In 2019, high-income North America had the highest incidence and prevalence rates. A low milk diet accounted for the largest proportion of global DALYs in EO-CRC, and there was a tendency for the DALY rate first to increase and then decrease with increasing SDI. The incidence and mortality rates were predicted to increase in the next 10 years. Conclusion: The current and future burden of EO-CRC among people aged 40–49 years is heavy. Substantial variation exists in disease burden across regions and countries. Urgent screening actions and policies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Little is known about the magnitude of the relation of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) constituents with hyperuricemia and serum uric acid (SUA) levels. Therefore, we aimed to assess the associations and to identify the most hazardous constituent. Methods: This study included 72,840 participants from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort. Annual average concentrations of PM2.5 mass and its major 7 constituents were matched to individuals by residential address. SUA levels exceeding 7.0 mg/dL (417 μmol/L) for men and 6.0 mg/dL (357 μmol/L) for women were considered to be hyperuricemia. Multiple logistic and linear regressions were performed on the association of single exposure to PM2.5 constituents with hyperuricemia and SUA, separately. The weighted quantile sum method was applied to examine the joint effect of PM2.5 constituents on hyperuricemia/SUA. Results: Significant positive associations were discovered between PM2.5 constituents and SUA/hyperuricemia. For example, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hyperuricemia for per standard deviation increase of PM2.5 mass, black carbon, organic matter, ammonium, and nitrate concentrations were 1.22 (1.12–1.32), 1.17 (1.08–1.27), 1.20 (1.10–1.31), 1.21 (1.11–1.31), and 1.28 (1.18–1.40), respectively. The joint exposure to PM2.5 constituents was significantly positively correlated with hyperuricemia (1.09, 1.05–1.14) and SUA (1.05, 1.03–1.06). And the weight of nitrate was the largest (0.668 for hyperuricemia, 0.586 for SUA). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that long-term exposure to PM2.5 constituents is associated with increased SUA levels and a higher risk of hyperuricemia. In particular, nitrate seems to be the main contributor. This study may help prevent hyperuricemia by promoting the introduction of precise preventive measures. Highlights: Considering the constituents of PM2.5 in assessing its toxicity and health effects. Exposure to PM2.5 constituents was related with serum uric acid and hyperuricemia. Nitrate contributed most to serum uric acid levels and hyperuricemia. The results of joint effects were verified by two different statistical methods. A large-scale sample of nearly 100,000 subjects from diverse ethnic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum decoherence tends to bring about the quantum-to-classical transition via the system–reservoir interaction, which is the main obstacle to the realization of quantum information processing. We propose a scheme to unconditionally create the quantum light source satisfying the nonclassical wave–particle complementary relation in the framework of the quantum theory of second-order coherence. The scheme uses the efficient and controllable two-mode squeezed vacuum reservoir coupled to the combination modes of interest rather than the original cavity modes in the two-level quantum beat laser. We investigate the complementarity of the generated two-mode squeezed state including the dependencies of the visibility and which-path information on the ratio of detuning and decay rate. The visibility is shown to be larger than unity, different from the vanishing which-path information. The resultant complementary reaches the quantum regime without any classical analogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We developed a nomogram to predict 3-year, 5-year and 7-year cancer survival rates of cancer patients. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 20,491 surviving patients first diagnosed with cancer in Guangzhou from 2010 to 2019. They were divided into a training and a validation group. Lifestyle, clinical and histological parameters (LCH) were included in multivariable Cox regression. Akaike information criterion was used to select prediction factors for the nomogram. The discrimination and calibration of models were assessed by concordance index (C-index), area under time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (time-dependent AUC), and calibration plots. We used net reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) to compare the clinical utility of LCH prediction model with the prediction model based on lifestyle factors (LF). Results: 13 prediction factors including age, sex, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, sleep duration, regular diet, tumor grading, TNM stage, multiple primary cancer and anatomical site were included in the LCH model. The LCH model showed satisfactory discrimination and calibration (C-index = 0.81 (95% CI 0.80–0.82) for training group and 0.80 (0.79–0.81) for validation group, both time-dependent AUC > 0.70). The LF model including smoking status, physical activity, sleep duration, regular diet, and BMI showed less satisfactory discrimination (C-index = 0.60 (95% CI 0.59–0.61) for training and 0.60 (0.58–0.62) for validation group). The LCH model had better accuracy and discriminative ability than the LF model, as indicated by positive NRI and IDI values. Conclusions: The LCH model shows good accuracy, clinical utility and precise prognosis prediction, and may serve as a tool to predict cancer survival of cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the coupled transformations between metal ions with variable valence states, manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) is regarded as an efficient catalyst in a heterogeneous Fenton-like system for the degradation of organic contaminants. In this work, the magnetic nanoscale MnFe2O4 was synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Results on the degradation tests indicated a high catalytic ability of MnFe2O4 nanocrystals to activate hydrogen dioxide (H2O2) to degrade active dye rhodamine B (RhB). Moreover, the RhB degradation process in the MnFe2O4-H2O2 Fenton-like system followed a Behnajady–Modirshahla–Ghanbery (BMG) kinetic model. The catalytic conditions, including catalyst dosage, RhB concentration, H2O2 dosage, solution pH and reaction temperature, had essential effects on RhB degradation efficiency and BMG kinetic parameters. The process optimization of RhB degradation was designed by central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). A mathematic model of the quadratic polynomial was established for the fitting analysis of RhB degradation, which was significant and reliable by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the programmed prediction, the optimum parameters for RhB degradation in the MnFe2O4–H2O2 system were determined as 2 of solution pH, 19.6 mmol·L−1 of H2O2 dosage, 2.0 g·L−1 of catalyst dosage and 180 min of reaction time. Under these optimum conditions, the predicted and experimental values of RhB degradation efficiency were 99.42% and 98.17%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to construct the global smooth solutions to the compressible viscous, non-isentropic, non-resistive magnetohydrodynamic equations in T 3 appears to be unknown. In this paper, we give a positive answer to this problem. More precisely, we prove a global stability result on perturbations near a strong background magnetic field to the 3D compressible viscous, non-isentropic, non-resistive magnetohydrodynamic equations. This stability result provides a significant example of the stabilizing effect of the magnetic field on electrically conducting fluids. In addition, we obtain an explicit decay rate for the solutions to this nonlinear system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysulfone (PSF) nanofibers with porous structures were fabricated by solution-blowing technique in one step which of a ternary blends of PSF/N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc)/tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ambient environment. The pore structure on PSF nanofibers could be controlled exactly by tuning the proportion of THF in the spinning solvents. The porous hierarchical structures forming in- and outside of the nanofibers were mainly due to the rapid volatilization of THF during the high-speed N2 purging spinning process, and the optimal content of THF was determined about 30 wt% in the mixed solvents. Then the PSF porous nanofibers were modified by in-situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) and polydopamine (PDA), respectively, via a simple one-step deposition process. The performance and characteristics of the nanofibers were characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle, and N2 adsorption/desorption measurement, etc. The results demonstrated that the porous structure on nanofibers was gradually prominent while the specific surface area (SSA) and the average pores size of nanofibers also rose continuously along with the increasing content of THF in the mixed solvent. The BET surface area and the average pore diameter were 30.91 m2/g and 17.63 nm, respectively, at 3/7 THF/DMAc mix weight ratio. After immobilizing the PANI or PDA on nanofibers, the surface wettability of the composite nanofibers was improved obviously due to the existence of hydrophilic units. Furthermore, the nanofibers were utilized as a stable and reliable adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dye removal from wastewater. The different pH values of dye adsorption as well as adsorption kinetics and isotherms were comprehensively investigated to analyze the adsorption capacity and mechanism. The adsorption performance of the dyes onto porous nanofibers especially for PDA or PANI-modified mats was strongly depended on the pH values and various physical or chemical synergistic effects. The dye adsorption mechanism of membranes was verified by the equation analysis and well described with the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Freundlich isotherm model. Finally, the dye-adsorbed nanofibers exhibited excellent reusability after four cycles of adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antioxidative and antiaging abilities of probiotic fermented ginseng (PG) were evaluated in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Lifespan and effect on heat stress and acute oxidative stress in C. elegans were significantly enhanced by PG. Antioxidative enzymes such as T-SOD, GSH-PX, CAT were significantly up-regulated, and MDA, ROS and apoptosis levels were significantly down-regulated. At the same time, PG exerted antioxidant and anti-aging activities by reducing the expression of DAF-2 mRNA and increasing the expression of SKN-1 and SOD-3 mRNA in C. elegans. In addition, the mechanism of antioxidative and antiaging activities of PG was explored through gut microbiota sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The results of gut microbiota indicated that PG could significantly improve the composition and structure of microbes in the gut of C. elegans, and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria was up-regulated. Untargeted metabolomic results elucidated that PG modulated antioxidant and antiaging activities through neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, Citrate cycle (TCA cycle), pyruvate metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism and D-Arginine and D-ornithine metabolism of C. elegans. These results indicated that PG had excellent antioxidant and anti-aging activities, providing research value for the development of functional foods and improvement of aging-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt nanowires with different shapes and sizes were synthesized by reduction of carboxylate salts of CoII in 1, 2-butanediol using a solvothermal chemical process. The well-crystallized Co nanowires with hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase are observed and the (002) crystalline direction is along the long axis of nanowires. The morphology control is strongly dependent on the reaction parameters. By varying the amount of capping agent in proper ranges, the effect of reaction parameters on controlling the size and shape of Co nanowires is demonstrated. With the amount of capping agent increasing, the aspect ratio of Co nanowires increases remarkably. However, the magnetic measurement of cobalt nanowires shows that the coercivity of the Co nanocrystals does not increase with the increase in aspect ratio monotonously, which suggests that the tip shape and microstructure also play an important role in the magnetization reversal process of the Co nanocrystals, and the aspect ratio plays a much less role as the ratio value exceeds 11. To further understand the effect of size on the magnetic properties in the Co nanowires, micromagnetic simulations were performed, which confirms that the magnetic properties are barely affected by the aspect ratio larger than 10. The highest coercivity of 624 kA·m−1 is obtained for ellipsoid nanowires with a mean length of 200 nm, which also displays a strong magnetic anisotropy. As a result, the highest energy product of the wires reaches 248 kJ·m−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages are important innate immune cells which can be polarized into heterogeneous populations. The inflammatory-activated M1 cells are known to be involved in all kinds of inflammatory diseases, which were also found to be associated with dysregulation of iron metabolism. While iron overload is known to induce M1 polarization, the valence states of iron and its intracellular dynamics during macrophage inflammatory activation have not been identified. In this study, THP-1-derived macrophages were polarized into M1, M2a, M2b, M2c, and M2d cells, and intracellular ferrous iron (Fe(II)) was measured by our previously developed ultrasensitive Fe(II) fluorescent probe. Significant accumulation of Fe(II) was only observed in M1 cells, which was different from the alterations of total iron. Time-dependent change of intracellular Fe(II) during the inflammatory activation was also consistent with the expression shifts of transferrin receptor CD71, ferrireductase Steap3, and Fe(II) exporter Slc40a1. In addition, accumulation of Fe(II) was also found in the colon macrophages of mice with ulcerative colitis, which was positively correlated to inflammatory phenotypes, including the productions of NO, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Collectively, these results demonstrated the specific accumulation of Fe(II) in inflammatory-activated macrophages, which not only enriched our understanding of iron homeostasis in macrophages, but also indicated that Fe(II) could be further developed as a potential biomarker for inflammatory-activated macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, all enterprises have adopted the means of informatization for enterprise management to adapt to the development of society. With the advent of the information age, enterprise transformation has become an inevitable trend. The management efficiency of enterprises is effectively improved, and the optimal scheduling and efficient management of personnel are realized to design and develop a human resource management (HRM) information system to meet the actual needs of enterprises. By studying the current problems of intelligent enterprise system and HRM information system, based on Java programming language, spring model–view–controller (MVC) web application system is combined with browser/server (B/S) framework, and construction is realized on an intelligent enterprise HRM information system. Aiming at the complexity of enterprise HRM, the meta-heuristic algorithm is adopted to optimize the human resource optimization scheduling module. Through the specific example data, the system implementation and model performance comparison experiments are carried out to further verify the effectiveness of the intelligent enterprise HRM information system proposed here. The results show that the HRM information system based on intelligent enterprise system realizes the effective collection and sorting of data, the running system meets the expected research objectives, and different modules can effectively perform specific functions; the algorithm based on meta-heuristic can realize the reasonable scheduling of personnel, and its model performance is significantly higher than the latest algorithm model. With the continuous increase in the number of events, what is improved is the optimal solution ability of the algorithm. Moreover, it decreases with the increase in the number of iterations, converging around 80 times, and the optimization efficiency reaches 86.35%; the system can find the optimal solution in a shorter time under the same number of iterations. Besides, after the system clustering, the accuracy of employee performance reaches 92%. The intellectualization of enterprise HRM greatly improves the office efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the great challenges for image semantic segmentation is the loss of object details caused by the extensive use of convolution and pooling operations, such as blurred edges and lines, ignoring small objects, etc. To address these problems, we propose the sensitive feature selection module (SFSM), which learns the distribution characteristics of each pixel on different channels at the same location by utilizing the feature maps from prior convolution layers. Then, the obtained weights are used to reweight each pixel on different channels, so that the object boundaries and small objects can be better focused by the network in the feature extraction process. At last, the information obtained by SFSM is combined with the original features to further improve the feature representation and help to obtain more accurate segmentation results. Experimental results show that our SFSM algorithm can improve the performance of semantic segmentation networks. By integrating our SFSM into FCN and DeepLabv3, we can get 0.21% and 0.6% accuracy improvement on the PASCAL VOC 2012 dataset respectively. For the Cityscapes dataset, although the segmentation task is relatively complicated, our improved networks still achieve excellent performance. To further verify our module is not restricted to specific networks or datasets, we embed it into DoubleU-Net to do medical image segmentation task on dataset ISIC-2018 and get 0.16% accuracy improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the anti-coronavirus potential and the corresponding mechanisms of the two ingredients of Reduning Injection: quercetin and luteolin. Methods: A pseudovirus system was designed to test the efficacy of quercetin and luteolin to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection and the corresponding cellular toxicity. Luteolin was tested for its activities against the pseudoviruses of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Virtual screening was performed to predict the binding sites by Autodock Vina 1.1.230 and PyMol. To validate docking results, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used to measure the binding affinity of the compounds with various proteins of the coronaviruses. Quercetin and luteolin were further tested for their inhibitory effects on other coronaviruses by indirect immunofluorescence assay on rhabdomyosarcoma cells infected with HCoV-OC43. Results: The inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus by luteolin and quercetin were strongly dose-dependent, with concentration for 50% of maximal effect (EC50) of 8.817 and 52.98 µmol/L, respectively. Their cytotoxicity to BHK21-hACE2 were 177.6 and 405.1 µmol/L, respectively. In addition, luetolin significantly blocked the entry of 4 pseudoviruses of SARS-CoV-2 variants, with EC50 lower than 7 µmol/L. Virtual screening and SPR confirmed that luteolin binds to the S-proteins and quercetin binds to the active center of the 3CLpro, PLpro, and helicase proteins. Quercetin and luteolin showed over 99% inhibition against HCoV-OC43. Conclusions: The mechanisms were revealed of quercetin and luteolin inhibiting the infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Reduning Injection is a promising drug for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of published meta-analyses (MAs) in four major gastrointestinal endoscopic journals, and identify the predicted factors for high quality. Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed to identify MAs from 1, January, 2016 to 31, December, 2020 in four major gastrointestinal endoscopic journals (including Digestive Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Surgical Endoscopy, and Endoscopy). We collected the characteristics of MAs after filtering unqualified articles, and assessed methodological and reporting qualities for eligible articles by AMSTAR tool and PRISMA checklist, respectively. Logistic regression was used for identifying predictive factors for high quality. Results: A total of 289 MAs were identified after screening by predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The scores (mean ± SD) of AMSTAR and PRISMA were 7.73 ± 1.11 and 22.90 ± 1.85, respectively. In PRISMA checklist, some items had less than 50% complete adherence, including item 2 (structured summary), items 5 (protocol and registration), items 12 and 19 (risk of bias in studies), item 27 (funding support). Item 1 (a priori design), item 4 (gray literature research), item 5 (list of included and excluded) were inferior to 50% adherence in AMSTAR tool. We found the predictive factors for high quality through logistic regression analysis: a priori design and funding support were associated with methodological quality. Protocol and registration influenced the methodological and reporting quality closely. Conclusion: In general, qualities on the methodology and the reporting of MAs published in the gastrointestinal endoscopic journals are good, but both of which still potentially need further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basalt fiber characterized by high corrosion resistance and relatively low production cost has been increasingly employed in concrete constructions worldwide. However, few studies focused on the flexural performance of basalt fiber reinforced concrete (BFRC) structural members. In this work, constitutive models for the compressive and tensile behavior of BFRC were firstly validated using experimental results. Then, analytical methods for the calculation of the flexural capacity, the moment of inertia of the cracked transformed section, the effective flexural rigidity of steel-reinforced basalt FRC (RBFRC) beams, and concrete-basalt FRC (RC-BFRC) composite beams were proposed. The analytical results indicate that the ultimate moment and maximum deflection at the mid-span under service load agree well with the experimental results, which is meaningful for guiding the design of structural members with BFRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the relationship between metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with biopsy-confirmed diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: A total of 316 participants with biopsy-confirmed DN between January 2008 and December 2019 were retrospectively assessed. Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the risk of incident ESRD in 50 patients with MAFLD and 50 patients without MAFLD, after using propensity score matching (PSM) to address the imbalances of sex, age, baseline-estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum albumin, 24-h urine protein, hemoglobin and systolic blood pressure. Results: During the median follow-up period of 3 years, there were 19 ESRD outcome events (19%) in PSM cohort. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis suggested that renal survival significantly deteriorated in patients with MAFLD versus those without MAFLD (p = 0.021). Additionally, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of MAFLD were 3.12 (1.09–8.95, p = 0.035), 3.36 (1.09–10.43, p = 0.036), 3.66 (1.22–10.98, p = 0.021), 4.25 (1.34–13.45, p = 0.014), 3.11 (1.08–8.96, p = 0.035) and 5.84 (1.94–18.5, p = 0.003) after adjustment for six models, including demographic, clinical and pathological characteristics as well as medication use at the time of renal biopsy, respectively. Besides, patients with higher liver fibrosis score had a greater possibility of ESRD, comparing to those with lower liver fibrosis score (p = 0.002). Conclusions: MAFLD increases the risk of incident ESRD in patients with biopsy-proven DN. Further research is needed to determine whether treatment targeting MAFLD improves the prognosis of DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph of order n with adjacency matrix A(G) and diagonal matrix D(G). For any real α ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] , denote A α (G) : = α D (G) + (1 - α) A (G) be A α -matrix of graph G. The eigenvalues of A α (G) are λ 1 (A α (G)) ≥ λ 2 (A α (G)) ≥ ⋯ ≥ λ n (A α (G)) , the largest eigenvalue λ 1 (A α (G)) is called the A α -spectral radius of G. The A α -separator S A α (G) of graph G is defined as S A α (G) = λ 1 (A α (G)) - λ 2 (A α (G)) . For two disjoint graphs G 1 and G 2 (where V (G 1) and V (G 2) are disjoint with v 1 ∈ V (G 1) , v 2 ∈ V (G 2) ); the coalescence of G 1 and G 2 with respect to v 1 and v 2 is formed by identifying v 1 and v 2 and is denoted by G 1 · G 2 . The A α -characteristic polynomial of G is defined to be Φ (A α ; x) = d e t (x I n - A α (G)) , where I n is the identity matrix of size n. A unicyclic graph is a simple connected graph in which the number of edges is equal to the number of vertices. In this paper, firstly, we give the A α -characteristic polynomial of the coalescent graph, and A α -eigenvalues of the star graph for the application. Secondly, we study the extremal graphs with the maximum and minimum A α -spectral radius of the unicyclic graph. Finally, we present the extremal graph with the maximum A α -separator of the unicyclic graph and calculate the range of A α -separator of the corresponding extremal graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is reported to be widely used in the surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which consists of two procedures: enucleation and morcellation. This study is to examine the efficiency and safety of two different morcellator systems within a cohort of men undergoing HoLEP for BPH. Methods: A total of 210 consecutive patients undergoing HoLEP and morcellation procedures were enrolled. Individuals were randomly divided into 2 separated groups: the first group (105 patients) was performed with a nephroscope using a mechanical Versacut morcellator and the second (105 patients) was performed with the new morcellation system, nephroscopes and Piranha morcellator. Perioperative characteristics were studied and analyzed. Results: The morcellation time and the morcellation rate was similar when the prostate volume (PV) ≤ 60 mL while the morcellation time was significantly shorter and the morcellation rate was higher in the Piranha group with PV > 60 mL. No significant difference was observed according to the bladder irrigation time, indwelling catheter time, and discharge time. Conclusion: Piranha morcellator presents a higher efficiency for the prostate over 60 mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are only a few platforms that integrate multiple omics data types, bioinformatics tools, and interfaces for integrative analyses and visualization that do not require programming skills. Here we present iLINCS (http://ilincs.org), an integrative web-based platform for analysis of omics data and signatures of cellular perturbations. The platform facilitates mining and re-analysis of the large collection of omics datasets (>34,000), pre-computed signatures (>200,000), and their connections, as well as the analysis of user-submitted omics signatures of diseases and cellular perturbations. iLINCS analysis workflows integrate vast omics data resources and a range of analytics and interactive visualization tools into a comprehensive platform for analysis of omics signatures. iLINCS user-friendly interfaces enable execution of sophisticated analyses of omics signatures, mechanism of action analysis, and signature-driven drug repositioning. We illustrate the utility of iLINCS with three use cases involving analysis of cancer proteogenomic signatures, COVID 19 transcriptomic signatures and mTOR signaling. There are only a few platforms that integrate multiple omics data types, bioinformatics tools, and interfaces for integrative analyses and visualization that do not require programming skills. Here the authors present an integrative web-based platform for analysis of omics data and signatures of cellular perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic value of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its relationship with renal structure changes in patients with type 2 diabetes and associated diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: 411 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes and biopsy-confirmed DN were enrolled in this retrospective study. MetS was defined according to the modified criteria of the 2005 International Diabetes Federation. Baseline demographics and clinical information at the time of renal biopsy were extracted from the hospital's electronic medical records system. Renal pathological findings were assessed according to Renal Pathology Society system. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to define the pathological covariates associated with MetS. A competing risk model, with death as the competing risk, was used to estimate the sub-distribution hazard ratio (SHR) of MetS for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Results: 224 (55%) patients had MetS. Patients with MetS had poor renal function and more severe interstitial fibrosis tubular atrophy scores (IFTA) than those without MetS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that IFTA was significantly associated with MetS (odds ratio per score increase 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–2.05). Of the patients with DN at risk, 40% of patients progressed to ESKD. After adjusting for renal function and pathological parameters, the presence of MetS was an independent predictor for progression to ESKD (SHR 1.93, 95% CI 1.34–2.79). The SHRs for progression to ESKD also increased as the number of MetS components increased. Additionally, adding the IFTA scores improved the prognostic power of a model that only contained MetS and clinical covariates for predicting future ESKD. Conclusion: MetS is an independent prognostic predictor of ESKD in patients with T2D and DN, while adding the IFTA scores increased the prognostic value of MetS for renal outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface modification can effectively improve the ability of hydrochar to capture pollutants from wastewater. In this work, polyaminophosphonated-functionalized hydrochar (PAP-HC) was successfully synthesized by a chemical grafting approach and applied efficiently to adsorb aqueous Pb(II). Properties of PAP-HC were characterized by ICP, FTIR, XPS, SEM–EDS, elemental analysis, zeta potential, and BET. The Pb(II) adsorbing behavior of PAP-HC was tested by batch adsorbing assays, including the pH impact, uptake kinetics, sorption isotherms, sorption thermodynamics, and PAP-HC recycling. Sorption isotherms were better illustrated by a Langmuir equation, while the kinetic profile was modeled by a pseudo-second-order equation. Adsorption of Pb(II) onto PAP-HC mainly relied on chelating Pb(II) with aminophosphonate groups of PAP-HC by XPS and FTIR analyses. The actual adsorbed amount of PAP-HC maximized to 179.92 mg·g−1 at 298 K, which showed high adsorption ability. Nitric acid and hydroxide solutions were suitable for desorption of adsorbed Pb(II) and activated PAP-HC, respectively. PAP-HC can be reused for at least five cycles without obvious change in adsorption performance. The results suggest PAP-HC is a prospective adsorbent to capture Pb(II) from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ferroptosis has attracted increasing interest in cancer therapy. Emerging evidences suggest that naturally occurring naphthoquinones exhibit potent anti-glioma effects via various mechanisms.Methods: The anti-glioma effects of plumbagin were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Anti-glioma mechanism of plumbagin was studied by proteomics, flow cytometry, MDA assay, western blot, and RT-PCR. Gene knockdown/overexpression, molecular docking, PharmMappper database, and coimmunoprecipitation were used to study the targets of plumbagin.Results: Plumbagin showed higher blood-brain barrier penetration ability than that of lapachol and shikonin and elicited significant growth inhibitory effects in vitro and in vivo. Ferroptosis was the main mechanism of plumbagin-induced cell death. Mechanistically, plumbagin significantly downregulated the protein and mRNA levels of xCT and decreased GPX4 protein levels. NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) was revealed as a plumbagin predictive target using PharmMappper database and molecular docking. Plumbagin enhanced NQO1 activity and decreased xCT expression, resulting in NQO1-dependent cell death. It also induced GPX4 degradation via the lysosome pathway and caused GPX4-dependent cell death.Conclusions: Plumbagin inhibited in vitro and in vivo glioma growth via targeting NQO1/GPX4-mediated ferroptosis, which might be developed as a novel ferroptosis inducer or anti-glioma candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with a simple preparation method and high catalytic efficiency is a primary step to improve energy conversion efficiency. In this work, a series of samples, including black phosphorus (BP) sheets, iron Bolide (Fe2B), Fe2+ doped BP (Fe2+/BP) sheets, and iron Bolide/black phosphorus (Fe2B/BP) sheets were prepared, and their electrochemical properties were investigated. It was found that the composite of amorphous Fe2B/BP sheets showed the best OER performance, which was significantly superior to BP sheets, Fe2B, and Fe2+/BP sheets. It could be seen that Fe2B/BP sheets composite had only a low overpotential of 179 mV at the current density of 10 mA/cm2 in 1 M KOH, and its Tafel slope was 70 mV/dec. In particular, after 1000 cycles, its overpotential only rose by 11 mV at the same current density of 10 mA/cm2, while, after 10 h, its current density only decreased by 0.91 mA/cm2 at the overpotential of 179 mV, showing good stability. This study will mainly explore the performance improvement mechanism in an attempt to synthesize better catalysts for OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the anticorrosive performance of waterborne epoxy (WEP) coating, small amounts of polyaniline (PANI) were blended under ultrasonic irradiation to obtain PANI/WEP composite coatings with high dispersibility of PANI particles. The PANI/WEP composite coatings were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Their adhesive force level and hardness grade were tested based on the Chinese National Standard GB/T9286-1998 and GB/T6739-1996, respectively. These results indicated that, compared to the pristine WEP coating, the addition of PANI with suitable content could completely fill the micropores or microcracks and remarkably improve the hardness grade of composite coatings. The electrochemical impedance spectra and Tafel polarization curves revealed that the addition of PANI not only could increase the impedance arc, but also could increase the impedance modulus at low frequency. Then, the salt spray tests were employed to observe the anticorrosive performance of PANI/WEP composite coatings. Finally, the enhanced anticorrosive mechanism of WEP coating by the addition of small amounts of PANI was proposed and discussed. The addition of PANI with suitable content could play an important role of physical and chemical barriers to improve the anticorrosive performance of waterborne epoxy coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) have gained increasing attention in current anti-cancer drugs discovery due to their unique mechanisms of action and remarkable cancer cell selectivity. However, considering rapid enzymatic hydrolysis and poor stability in vivo, the further application of CAPs is limited. Encapsulation of CAPs in cancer-targeting liposome may help improve their stability and plasma half-life. We previously discovered the L-K6, a natural sourced CAP, exerts promising anticancer activity. In the present study, we modified liposome by conjugating cancer-targeting molecule folic acid (FA) and encapsulating L-K6 to construct a liposomal nano-sized cancer-targeting drug delivery system (FA-L-K6-LIP). Characterization analysis of FA-L-K6-LIP showed an encapsulation efficiency of (48.11 ± 1.29) %, a particle size of (98.48 ± 0.23) nm, and a Zeta potential of (− 9.05 ± 0.17) mV. Transmission electron microscope observation revealed a sphere shape of FA-L-K6-LIP. The anticancer activity of FA-L-K6-LIP was further evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. MTT assay indicated a strong inhibiting effect of FA-L-K6-LIP against proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells in vitro. In addition, in nude mice carrying established MCF-7 xenografts, FA-L-K6-LIP specifically targeted tumor tissue and suppressed tumor growth. All these findings provide important experimental evidence for the development and clinical application of CAPs-encapsulated and FA-conjugated liposomal delivery system as potential anticancer agent in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the basic reaction to achieve water decomposition and hydrogen production. Here, an OER catalyst material, carbon-coated cobalt pyrophosphate/nickel phosphite (Co2P2O7/Ni(PO3)2@C) composite with sandwich structure, was prepared in vacuum environment by a simple method, which not only simplified the traditional two-step phosphating process but also directly formed carbon layer from homologous carbon. The tests for OER showed that the Co2P2O7/Ni(PO3)2@C composite had lower overpotential and Tafel slope as well as stable catalytic property in alkaline solution. In 1 M KOH, the composite exhibited the overpotential of 279 mV which was lower than that of commercial catalyst at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, and its Tafel slope is 102 mV dec−1. Due to the protection of the carbon layer, the composite exhibited good stability, so that the current density only decreased 3.9% after being cycled for 12 h. This study should help to obtain other stable electrocatalytic materials of transition metal compounds as OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was utilized for various life-saving biomedical applications. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of methylcellulose and hyaluronic acid (MC–HA) hydrogels containing AgNPs dressing materials were investigated for their wound healing efficiency to treat surgical excision wounds and the findings were studied and discussed. The effect of the ratio of AgNPs and MC–HA hydrogels on the quick gelation time maximum at 7.8 ± 0.39 min, in vitro degradation (81.6 ± 4.0%), and equilibrium swelling (67 ± 3.35) of MC–HA/AgNPs hydrogels was examined. The prepared MC–HA hydrogels containing AgNPs were studied using various characterization techniques such as UV–Visible spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The HRTEM average diameter of the synthesized MC–HA/AgNPs was measured to be 35 nm. The MC–HA/AgNPs showed excellent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Additionally, the superior wound recovering potential of AgNPs with MC–HA hydrogels compared to conventional formulations was illustrated in vitro in animals utilizing visual observations and histological study. The MC–HA/AgNPs hydrogels showed excellent antimicrobial activity and burn wound healing. Therefore, these MC–HA hydrogels containing AgNPs have great potential medicinal applications in nursing care in children after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Retraction Note: On A¿-spectrum of a unicyclic graph" has been retracted by the publisher, in agreement with the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Combinatorial Optimization. The article was part of a guest-edited issue, but an investigation by the publisher revealed concerns about compromised editorial handling and peer review process, inappropriate or irrelevant references, and not being in scope of the journal or guest-edited issue. The publisher, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, no longer has confidence in the results and conclusions of this article. The authors have not responded to correspondence regarding this retraction. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we use a classical method to establish Gaussian bounds of the fundamental matrix of a generalized parabolic Lamé system with only bounded and measurable coefficients. Second, we derive a maximal L 1 regularity result for the abstract Cauchy problem associated with a composite operator. In a concrete example, we also obtain maximal L 1 regularity for the Lamé system, from which it follows that the Lipschitz seminorm of the solutions to the Lamé system is globally L 1 -in-time integrable. As an application, we use a Lagrangian approach to prove a global-in-time well-posedness result for a viscous pressureless flow in a perturbation framework, but with possibly discontinuous densities. The method established in this paper might be a useful tool for studying many issues arising from viscous fluids with truly variable densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is increasing evidence for wet, monsoonal conditions in Southeast Asia during the late Eocene, it has not been clear when this environment became established. Cenozoic sedimentary sequences constrained by radiometrically dated igneous rocks from the Jianchuan Basin in the southeast flank of Tibetan Plateau now provide a section whose facies and climatic proxies determine this evolution. Semi-arid conditions had dominated the region since Paleocene controlled by the northern sub-tropical high pressure system, culminating in mid Eocene when desert dunes developed. From 36 Ma, the basin began to accumulate swamp sediments with coals, together with synchronous braided river deposits and diversified pollen assemblages, indicating significant increase in precipitation. This remarkable transition from dry to wet conditions precedes the Eocene/Oligocene boundary at 34 Ma, thus excluding general global cooling as the prime driver. We propose that uplift of Tibetan Plateau might have reached a threshold elevation by that time, operating through thermal and dynamic forcing, causing the inception or significant intensification of monsoonal rains to penetrate into this downwind locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is becoming more and more severe, especially in developing countries given the ever-increasing levels of particulate matter, which usually carries viruses and bacteria, has drawn considerable attention as a major threat to public health. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based antibacterial microfiltration hollow fiber membranes are fabricated using the cold-pressing method including paste extrusion, stretching and heating by adding silver-carried zirconium phosphate (AgZrP) into the lubricant and then mixed with PTFE powders. The AgZrP concentration has influences on membrane performance, such as morphology, tensile strength, thermal stability, filtration, and antifouling properties. The PTFE hollow fiber membranes containing 1 wt% AgZrP have a particle filtration efficiency of 97.7324 % for particles (0.3 μm) and 99.9984 % for particles (2.5 μm). The membranes, with AgZrP particles (≥1 wt%), possess high antibacterial activity and are capable of killing all the Escherichia coli (E. coli) and more than 98 % of the Staphylococci aureus (S. aureus) within 24 h of contact. After washing, the fouled filter media retains stable filtration performance and antibacterial property, indicating that AgZrP has a broad-spectrum and long-acting antibacterial activity. The PTFE/AgZrP hollow fiber membranes are supposed to be a candidate for its application in air filtration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a powerful and attractive method for detecting gene expression, qRT-PCR has been broadly used in aquaculture research. Understanding the biology of taimen (Hucho taimen) has drawn increasing interest because of its ecological and economic value. Stable reference genes are required for the reliable quantification of gene expression, but such genes have not yet been optimized for taimen. In this study, the stability levels of 10 commonly used candidate reference genes were evaluated using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The expression levels of the 10 genes were detected using 240 samples from 48 experimental groups consisting of 40 individuals treated under four heat-stress conditions (18, 20, 22, and 24 °C) for 24 h and 26 °C for 4, 24, 48, and 72 h. Six tissues (blood, heart, brain, gill, skin, and liver) were collected from each individual. Ribosomal protein S29 (RPS29) and ribosomal protein L19 (RPL19) were the most stable genes among all of the samples, whereas 28S ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA), attachment region binding protein (ARBP), and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) were the least stable. These results were verified by an expression analysis of taimen heat-stress genes (heat shock protein 60, hsp60, and heat shock protein 70, hsp70). In conclusion, RPS29 and RPL19 are the optimal reference genes for qRT-PCR analyses of taimen, irrespective of the tissue and experimental conditions. These results allow the reliable study of gene expression in taimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]