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This study aims to explore the molecular regulation mechanism of ubiquitination-specific protease 7 (USP7) in facilitating the stemness properties of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays were conducted in SK-Hep1 and HepG2 cells transfected with USP7 overexpression/knockdown plasmids and USP7 inhibitor P22077. The proliferation, migration, invasion, and self-renewal capacity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell, scratch, and tumor sphere formation, respectively. MS was performed to identify the potential substrate of USP7 following P22077 treatment. Co-IP assay was used to verify the interaction between USP7 and basic transcription factor 3 (BTF3) in HCC cells. The overexpression of USP7 could promote the proliferation, migration, invasion, and colony formation capacity of SK-Hep1 and HepG2 cells. Additionally, ectopic UPS7 enhanced the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stem-like characteristics of the HCC cells. In contrast, USP7 depletion by knockdown of USP7 or administrating inhibitor P22077 significantly inhibited these malignant phenotypes of SK-Hep1 and HepG2 cells. Following MS analysis, BTF3 was identified as a potential substrate for USP7. USP7 could interact with BTF3 and upregulate its protein level, while USP7 depletion significantly upregulated the ubiquitination levels. Overexpression of BTF3 partially rescue the inhibitory effects of USP7 depletion on the malignant phenotypes and stemness properties of SK-Hep1 and HepG2 cells. USP7 can promote the stemness and malignant phenotype of HCC by stabilizing BTF3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The growth and development of rice (Oryza sativa L.) are affected by multiple factors, such as ROS homeostasis and utilization of iron. Here, we demonstrate that OsUGE2, a gene encoding a UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, controls growth and development by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron (Fe) level in rice. Knockout of this gene resulted in impaired growth, such as dwarf phenotype, weakened root growth and pale yellow leaves. Biochemical analysis showed that loss of function of OsUGE2 significantly altered the proportion and content of UDP-Glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-Galactose (UDP-Gal). Cellular observation indicates that the impaired growth may result from decreased cell length. More importantly, RNA-sequencing analysis showed that knockout of OsUGE2 significantly influenced the expression of genes related to oxidoreductase process and iron ion homeostasis. Consistently, the content of ROS and Fe are significantly decreased in OsUGE2 knockout mutant. Furthermore, knockout mutants of OsUGE2 are insensitive to both Fe deficiency and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment, which further confirmed that OsUGE2 control rice growth possibly through Fe and H2O2 signal. Collectively, these results reveal a new pathway that OsUGE2 could affect growth and development via influencing ROS homeostasis and Fe level in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti6Al4V/Inconel625 bimetallic structure (TC4/IN625 BS) exhibits promising applications in the aerospace field under harsh environments, such as high temperatures and strong corrosion. Herein, two bimetallic structures of TC4 and IN625 are prepared by laser melting deposition (LMD) through gradient transition. The gradient transition layers of specimen 1 are TC4-xIN625 (x in the order of 20 wt.%, 40 wt.%, 60 wt.%, and 80 wt.%), whereas the gradient transition layers of specimen 2 are TC4-yIN625 (y in the order of 20 wt.% and 40 wt.%). The results reveal that, from TC4 side to IN625 side, the phase compositions of six regions of specimen 1 were α-Ti + β-Ti → α-Ti + β-Ti + Ti2Ni → β-Ti + Ti2Ni → TiNi + TiNi3 + (Cr, Mo) → TiNi + TiNi3 + γ-Ni + (Cr, Mo) → γ-Ni + laves, whereas the phase compositions of four regions of specimen 2 were α-Ti + β-Ti → α-Ti + β-Ti + Ti2Ni → β-Ti + Ti2Ni → γ-Ni + laves. Moreover, due to the generation of TiNi + TiNi3 eutectic structures and (Cr, Mo) brittle phases, specimen 1 exhibits transverse grain-piercing cracks in the transition layer with 60 wt.% IN625 content, whereas specimen 2 does not exhibit any cracks or other metallurgical defects. In the case of specimen 2, the tensile strength is about 215.97 MPa. This is a noticeable improvement compared with specimen 1, which cannot be measured due to the formation of cracks. These results indicate that the selection of a suitable gradient transition layer can effectively prevent crack formation in LMD-processed TC4/IN625 bimetallic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic elevation of left ventricular (LV) afterload contributes to adverse LV remodeling and myocardial impairment in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Incorporating LV afterload into global longitudinal strain (GLS) analysis, myocardial work facilitates early detection of LV dysfunction. The present study was to evaluate myocardial work in BAV patients with severe AS undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and to evaluate its prognostic impact on early postoperative outcomes. Between January 2021 and March 2022, BAV patients with severe AS scheduled for SAVR were included and underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography. Quantification of LV myocardial work was performed to obtain LV global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE). Clinical outcome was defined as a composite of major cardiovascular events including mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, acute kidney injury, low cardiac output syndrome and vascular complications during hospitalization or within 30 days after operation. Among 103 BAV patients with severe AS undergoing SAVR (mean age of 65 ± 9 years, 57.3% male), 22 experienced postoperative major cardiovascular events. BAV patients with major cardiovascular events demonstrated lower LV GWI (P < 0.001) and GCW (P = 0.002) along with elder age (P = 0.030), decreased LVGLS (P = 0.026) and right ventricular longitudinal strain (P = 0.019), and higher prevalence of abnormal average E/e' ratio (P = 0.029) than those without major events. Decreased LV GWI and GCW was independently associated with the occurrence of major cardiovascular events (P < 0.01 for adjusted OR). Multivariable logistic regression model including LV GWI demonstrated superior power than the model including LVGLS and yielded best discrimination for BAV patients with and without major cardiovascular events during early postoperative period. Echocardiography-based LV myocardial work overcomes the limitations of LVGLS and presents as a promising novel index for the early detection of functional myocardial damage and the optimization of intervention timing among BAV patients with severe AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Wall of China was a military facility that has been continuously built and used for over thousands of years, and is a world-renowned cultural heritage site today. The plants growing on top surface of the Great Wall caused the damage of the Great Wall, but the process of removing these plants may further damage the body of the Great Wall. In this paper, based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the expert Delphi method, we selected 13 specific indices from three Constraint Layer factors, and then estimated and identified 45 species/categories of plants on top surface of the Dazhuangke section of the Great Wall. The results showthe constitution and the evaluation gradeof the evaluation system. The factor of Disruptive Effects plays the main guidance role in the evaluation system of the Constraint Layer; The indices of Impact on the Near Side Wall is the core element of the evaluation model with the highest weight of the Standard Layer. And the "Preservation", "Partial Preservation"and "Removal" recommendations were given based on three evaluation grade (from Grade I to Grade III). This research provides scientific basis for the protective repair of the Great Wallheritage as well as "Garden on the Great Wall". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic and carbon-based lithium-ion batteries possess abundant resources, nontoxicity, environmental friendliness, and high performance, and they have been widely studied in the past decades. However, it remains a challenge to construct such batteries with high capacity, high cycling stability, and high conductivity simultaneously. Here, we elaborately design and integrate organic polymer (p-FcPZ) with graphene network to create a hybrid material (p-FcPZ@G) for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The bi-polar polymer p-FcPZ containing multiple redox-active sites endows p-FcPZ@G with both remarkable cycling stability and high capacity. The porous conductive graphene network with a large surface area facilitates rapid ions/electrons transportation, resulting in superior rate performance. Therefore, the half-cell based on p-FcPZ@G cathode exhibits simultaneously high capacity (∼250 mA h g−1 at 50 mA g−1), excellent cycling stability (retention of 99.999% per cycle for 10,000 cycles at 2,000 mA g−1) and superior rate performance. Additionally, the graphene-based full cell assembled with p-FcPZ@G cathode and graphene anode also demonstrates comprehensively high electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing attention to the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from lignocellulosic biomass by enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase. In this study, the feasibility of the application of a cellulase system from engineered strain Penicillium oxalicum cEES in the production of CNCs was assessed. Using commercial eucalyptus dissolving pulp (EDP) as substrate, the CNCs were successfully obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis with the cellulase cEES, and the total yields of CNCs reached 15.7% through three-step enzymatic hydrolysis of total 72 h (24 h for each step). The prepared CNCs were characterized and found that their crystallinity and thermal stability were higher than that of EDP. In the later stage of enzymatic hydrolysis, the process efficiency of enzymatic preparation of CNCs greatly decreased because of the high crystallinity of cellulosic substrate, and a simple homogenization treatment can promote the enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as produce fusiform CNCs with more uniform size and more fermentable sugar that could be further converted into fuels and bulk chemicals through fermentation. This study provides a feasible enzymatic preparation process for CNCs with engineered cellulase and commercial cellulosic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic pressure differential changes the microstructure of fabric and therefore affects air permeability, which determines the performance of parachutes. In this paper, the dynamic air permeability of different weaves is investigated numerically. The weave structures are modeled in three-dimensional microscopic view, and the obtained air permeability agrees well with the experimental results. The influence of the fabrics mechanical properties on air permeability is then studied. The main parameters include Poisson's ratio, Young's modulus and compression coefficient. Results show that Poisson's ratio of yarn is a significant factor of air permeability, while Young's modulus is a negligible factor. The effect of the compression coefficient on air permeability depends on weaving and porosity. The compression coefficient affects the air permeability through the variation of three microstructure parameters: fabric thickness, yarn width, and yarn spacing, while the Poisson's ratio affects yarn width. The results can contribute to the design of inflatable space applications and increase the accuracy of their performance analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liposome-mediated delivery is a possible means to overcome several shortcomings with C. elegans as a model for identifying and testing drugs that retard aging. These include confounding interactions between drugs and the nematodes' bacterial food source and failure of drugs to be taken up into nematode tissues. To explore this, we have tested liposome-mediated delivery of a range of fluorescent dyes and drugs in C. elegans. Liposome encapsulation led to enhanced effects on lifespan, requiring smaller quantities of compounds, and enhanced uptake of several dyes into the gut lumen. However, one dye (Texas red) did not cross into nematode tissues, showing that liposomes cannot ensure the uptake of all compounds. Of six compounds previously reported to extend lifespan (vitamin C, N-acetylcysteine, glutathione (GSH), trimethadione, thioflavin T (ThT), and rapamycin), this effect was reproduced for the latter four in a condition-dependent manner. For GSH and ThT, antibiotics abrogated life extension, implying a bacterially mediated effect. With GSH, this was attributable to reduced early death from pharyngeal infection and associated with alterations of mitochondrial morphology in a manner suggesting a possible innate immune training effect. By contrast, ThT itself exhibited antibiotic effects. For rapamycin, significant increases in lifespan were only seen when bacterial proliferation was prevented. These results document the utility and limitations of liposome-mediated drug delivery for C. elegans. They also illustrate how nematode-bacteria interactions can determine the effects of compounds on C. elegans lifespan in a variety of ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr(III)-organic complexes are stably presented in tanning, electroplating, and other industrial wastewaters, and their safe and efficient removal remains a current challenge. Available oxidation processes can remove Cr(III) complexes but readily result in highly toxic Cr(VI) accumulation. Herein, negligible Cr(VI) accumulation was achieved during photo-oxidation of Cr(III) complexes using a simple strategy of decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO). At the DO concentration of 5.0 mg·L−1 or less, the in-process formation of intermediate Cr(VI) was totally abated by in situ formed reductive species, and total Cr was reduced from 9.0–11.0 mg·L−1 to below 1.0 mg·L−1. A complete curtailment of Cr(VI) was observed after 30–60 min at pH 6.0–9.0. Increasing Cr(III)-EDTA concentration and decreasing pH value facilitated the in situ reduction of intermediate Cr(VI). Based on the identification of intermediates and additional Cr(II) and quenching experiments, the possible key species involved in intermediate Cr(VI) reduction were the photogenerated Cr(II) and some C-centered radicals from Cr(III)-EDTA decomplexation, and the possible mechanisms of Cr(III)-EDTA decomplexation and intermediate Cr(VI) reduction were thus proposed. The process also showed efficient treatment on other Cr(III) complexes (citrate, oxalate, and tartrate) and realistic Cr(III) complexed wastewater. This study would provide an insignificant Cr(VI)-accumulated alternative for efficient and safe removal of Cr(III) complexes from contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Root hairs are required for water and nutrient acquisition in plants. Here, we report a novel mechanism that OsUGE1 is negatively controlled by OsGRF6 to regulate root hair elongation in rice. Root hairs are tubular outgrowths generated by the root epidermal cells. They effectively enlarge the soil-root contact area and play essential roles for nutrient and water absorption. Here, in this study, we demonstrated that the Oryza sativa UDP-glucose 4-epimerase 1-like (OsUGE1) negatively regulated root hair elongation and was directly targeted by Oryza sativa growth regulating factor 6 (OsGRF6). Knockout mutants of OsUGE1 using CRISPR-Cas9 technology showed longer root hairs than those of wild type. In contrast, overexpression lines of OsUGE1 displayed shorter root hair compared with those of wild type. GUS staining showed that it could specifically express in root hair. Subcellular localization analysis indicates that OsUGE1 is located in endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus and plasma membrane. More importantly, ChIP-qPCR, Yeast-one-hybrid and BiFC experiments revealed that OsGRF6 could bind to the promoter of OsUGE1. Furthermore, knockout mutants of OsGRF6 showed shorter root hair than those of wild type, and OsGRF6 dominantly expressed in root. In addition, the expression level of OsUGE1 is significantly downregulated in Osgrf6 mutant. Taken together, our study reveals a novel pathway that OsUGE1 is negatively controlled by OsGRF6 to regulate root hair elongation in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article constructed a food taste deviation index using text analysis based on food culture as a measure of cultural inclusion. Cultural inclusion was related to corporate total factor productivity, aiming to investigate whether the cultural inclusion affects corporate sustainability. The findings showed uneven distribution of cultural inclusion in various areas of China, contributing to the unbalanced sustainable development of firms in different regions, as reflected by the higher total factor productivity of firms located in regions with higher cultural inclusion. A test using mountainous undulation as an instrumental variable verified the causal relationship between cultural inclusion and firm sustainability. Besides, a regression discontinuity design was employed to mitigate the impacts of the bidirectional causality. Moreover, a high level of cultural inclusion in top managers' hometown significantly improved corporate sustainability, suggesting that executives can transmit cultural inclusion in society. In addition, firms in more inclusive regions are more motivated to increase their social responsibility to staff as a way to promote their total factor productivity, suggesting that cultural inclusion promotes firm sustainability by increasing firms' care for staff. This article also found that cultural inclusion has heterogeneous effects across firms of different levels of industry competition, and different levels of analyst attention. The research reveals the impact of cultural inclusion on the real economy and help academics dissect the informal institutional reasons behind the sustainable development of firms in different geographies from a new perspective, contributing to the promotion of economic sustainability at the regional level and related policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain lateralization, a trait ubiquitous in vertebrates and invertebrates, refers to structural differences between the left and right sides of the brain or to the left and right sides controlling different functions or processing information in different ways. Many studies have looked into the advantages of lateralized brains and discovered that cerebral lateralization confers a fitness advantage. Enhancing cognitive ability has been proposed as one of the potential benefits of the lateralized brain, however, this has not been widely validated. In this study, we investigated the handedness of 34 subjects from four groups of Callitrichids, as well as their performance in two inhibitory control tasks (the revised A-not-B task and the cylinder task). The subjects had strong individual hand preferences, and only a few zoo-born individuals were ambidextrous. Sex and generation influence the strength of hand preference. In the cylinder task, the subjects showed differences between groups, and the performance of the second-generation was better than that of the first-generation. We found that neither the strength of hand preferences (ABS-HI) or direction of hand preferences (HI) was linked with success on the two inhibitory tasks. That is, we were unable to support the enhanced cognitive function hypothesis. We believe that individual ontogeny and the type of cognitive task have an impact on the support of this hypothesis. The advantages of lateralized brain may be reflected in tests that require multiple cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seabass (Lateolabraxjaponicus) is a major aquacultured fish species worldwide. The bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of metals in water, sediments, and commercial feed were investigated in L. japonicus from an aquaculture pond in the Pearl River Delta of South China. Aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were determined in the dorsal muscle, viscera, backbone, gill, and stomach contents of L. japonicus. The gill and stomach contents had higher levels of bioconcentration of most metals than other parts of fish. Based on the bioaccumulation factor, the gill and backbone exhibited the highest accumulation of Zn, while the viscera had the highest capacity to accumulate Cu. The mean biomagnification factor values exceeded for As in dorsal muscle, for Cu in the viscera, for Cr and Pb in the gill, and for Al, Cr, Fe, Cu, and Pb in the stomach contents, indicating efficient bioaccumulation from commercial feed and their habitat. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed two groups that resulted from the accumulation of metals in various parts of L. japonicus. Moreover, health risk assessment indicated that no notable adverse health effects occurred from the ingestion of L. japonicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuromorphic computing using nonvolatile memories is expected to tackle the memory wall and energy efficiency bottleneck in the von Neumann system and to mitigate the stagnation of Moore's law. However, an ideal artificial neuron possessing bio-inspired behaviors as exemplified by the requisite leaky-integrate-fire and self-reset (LIFT) functionalities within a single device is still lacking. Here, we report a new type of spiking neuron with LIFT characteristics by manipulating the magnetic domain wall motion in a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) heterostructure. We validate the mechanism of Joule heating modulated competition between the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction and the built-in field in the SAF device, enabling it with a firing rate up to 17 MHz and energy consumption of 486 fJ/spike. A spiking neuron circuit is implemented with a latency of 170 ps and power consumption of 90.99 μW. Moreover, the winner-takes-all is executed with a current ratio >104 between activated and inhibited neurons. We further establish a two-layer spiking neural network based on the developed spintronic LIFT neurons. The architecture achieves 88.5% accuracy on the handwritten digit database benchmark. Our studies corroborate the circuit compatibility of the spintronic neurons and their great potential in the field of intelligent devices and neuromorphic computing. Designing bio-inspired artificial neurons within a single device is challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate a spintronic neuron with leaky-integrate-fire and self-reset characteristics and corroborate a new trajectory of all-spin neuromorphic computing hardware holistic implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-aging treatment of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy by laser-directed energy deposition (LDED) is an efficient way to enhance their microstructure and properties, as well as to achieve their structural stability. The present work is aimed at investigating the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of the as-deposited and solution-aged LDEDed Ti6Al4V. The solution treatment is carried out within the temperature ranges of the (α + β) dual-phase and β single-phase regions. In the first case, the solution-aged LDEDed Ti6Al4V possesses a basketweave structure. With the increase in solution temperature, the coarsening (thickening) of the primary α(αI) phases in the basketweave organization is evident. Moreover, the content of (α + β) microstructures between the αI phases gradually increases, and the density of secondary reticular and punctate β (βII) phases within the αI phases becomes higher, as well. In turn, the αI phases from the initial β phase grain boundaries gradually disappear. In the second case, the structural modifications with increasing solution temperature of LDEDed Ti6Al4V are found to be mainly the same as in the above dual-phase region. The only difference is that Widmanstatten structure is formed, the αI phases of the lamellar structure become more apparent, and the primary αI phases at the grain boundaries of the initial β phases gradually increase. Besides, an increase in the solution temperature causes the tensile strength and the yield strength of Ti6Al4V to increase. On the contrary, the elongation and reduction of the area gradually decrease, but both are plastic fractures. Moreover, under 910 °C/1 h/WQ + 550 °C/4 h/AC and 950 °C/1 h/WQ + 550 °C/4 h/AC solution-aging conditions, the tensile properties of the alloy are found to be basically equivalent to the standard of forgings. However, the sample's mechanical properties after solution-aging treatment of the β single-phase region did not fully meet the requirements of forging standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste masks pose a serious threat to the environment, including marine plastic pollution and soil pollution risks caused by landfills since the outbreak of COVID-19. Currently, numerous effective methods regarding disposal and resource utilization of waste masks have been reported, containing physical, thermochemical, and solvent-based technologies. As for physical technologies, the mechanical properties of the mask-based materials could be enhanced and the conductivity or antibacterial activity was endowed by adding natural fibers or inorganic nanoparticles. Regarding thermochemical technologies, catalytic pyrolysis could yield considerable hydrogen, which is an eco-friendly resource, and would mitigate the energy crisis. Noticeably, the solvent-based technology, as a more convenient and efficient method, was also considered in this paper. In this way, soaking the mask directly in a specific chemical reagent changes the original structure of polypropylene and obtains multi-functional materials. The solvent-based technology is promising in the future with the researches of sustainable and universally applicable reagents. This review could provide guidance for utilizing resources of waste masks and address the issues of plastic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient separation of acetylene (C2H2) from carbon dioxide (CO2) and CnH4 (n = 1 and 2) to manufacture high purity C2H2 and recover other light hydrocarbons is technologically important, while posing significant challenges. Herein, we reported a new TiF62− anion (TIFSIX) pillared metal-organic framework (MOF) ZNU-5 (ZNU = Zhejiang Normal University) with ultramicropores for highly selective C2H2 capture with low adsorption heat through gate opening based molecular sieving effect. ZNU-5 takes up a large amount of C2H2 (128.6 cm3/g) at 1.0 bar and 298 K but excludes CO2, CH4, and C2H4. Such high capacity has never been realized in MOFs with molecular sieving. The breakthrough experiments further confirmed the highly selective C2H2 separation performance from multi-component gas mixtures. 3.3, 2.8, and 2.2 mmol/g of C2H2 is captured at ZNU-5 from equimolar C2H2/CO2, C2H2/CO2/CH4, and C2H2/CO2/CH4/C2H4 mixtures, respectively. Furthermore, 2.6, 2.0, and 1.5 mmol/g of > 98% purity C2H2 can be recycled from the desorption process. Combining high working capacity, low adsorption heat, as well as good recyclability, ZNU-5 is promising for C2H2 purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an intensively studied neurotrophin that promotes various physiological processes, such as acceleration of cell proliferation and differentiation, and is, therefore widely used in clinical applications. Methods and Results: In this study, an expression vector with a codon-optimized hBDNF gene was constructed and transferred into chloroplasts of tobacco by gene-gun. After three or four rounds of selection with optimal spectinomycin concentration, hBDNF was integrated into the chloroplast genome of homoplastomic plants, as confirmed by PCR and Southern hybridization. ELISA indicated that hBDNF fused with GFP represented approximately 15.72% ± 0.33% of total soluble protein in the leaves of transplastomic plants. Moreover, the chloroplast-derived hBDNF displayed biological activity similar to the commercial product. Conclusions: This is the first case report of hBDNF expression by chloroplast transformation in the plant model, providing an additional pathway for the production of chloroplast-expressed therapeutic proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MgH2 with a large hydrogen capacity is regarded as a promising hydrogen storage material. However, it still suffers from high thermal stability and sluggish kinetics. In this paper, highly dispersed nano-Ni has been successfully prepared by using the polyol reduction method with an average size of 2.14 nm, which significantly improves the de/rehydrogenation properties of MgH2. The MgH2—10wt% nano-Ni sample starts releasing H2 at 497 K, and roughly 6.2wt% H2 has been liberated at 583 K. The rehydrogenation kinetics of the sample are also greatly improved, and the adsorption capacity reaches 5.3wt% H2 in 1000 s at 482 K and under 3 MPa hydrogen pressure. Moreover, the activation energies of de/rehydrogenation of the MgH2—10wt% nano-Ni sample are reduced to (88 ± 2) and (87 ± 1) kJ·mol−1, respectively. In addition, the thermal stability of the MgH2—10wt% nano-Ni system is reduced by 5.5 kJ per mol H2 from that of pristine MgH2. This finding indicates that nano-Ni significantly improves both the thermodynamic and kinetic performances of the de/rehydrogenation of MgH2, serving as a bi-functional additive of both reagent and catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: TMB is one of the potent biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint blockade. The association between TMB and efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced lung cancer has not been comprehensively explored. Methods: Ninety lung cancer patients receiving first-line chemotherapy with large panel next-generation sequencing data of pre-treatment tumor tissue were identified. The effect of TMB on PFS of chemotherapy were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: The median TMB level of lung cancer patients enrolled in this study was 9.4 mutations/Mb, with TMB levels in smokers significantly higher than those in non-smokers. All patients were divided into high TMB and low TMB groups with the cutoff of the median TMB. The patients with low TMB had longer PFS of first-line chemotherapy (median PFS 9.77 vs 6.33 months, HR = 0.523, 95% CI 0.32–0.852, log-rank P = 0.009). Subgroup analysis showed that PFS of chemotherapy favored low TMB than high TMB among subgroups of male, age < 60, NSCLC, adenocarcinoma, stage IV, ECOG PS 0, driver mutation positive, TP53 wild type and patients not receiving bevacizumab. In multivariate analysis, PFS of chemotherapy remained significantly longer in low TMB group (HR = 0.554, p = 0.036). In those patients received immunotherapy upon unsatisfactory chemotherapy, PFS of immunotherapy was much longer in high TMB group (median PFS 32.88 vs 6.62 months, HR = 0.2426, 95% CI 0.06–0.977, log-rank P = 0.04). Conclusions: TMB level of tumor tissue is a potent biomarker for efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in lung cancer. It may provide some clues for the decision of treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially improve the reliability of transformer protection by fusing multiple features. However, owing to the data scarcity of inrush current and internal fault, the existing methods face the problem of poor generalizability. In this paper, a denoising-classification neural network (DCNN) is proposed, one which integrates a convolutional auto-encoder (CAE) and a convolutional neural network (CNN), and is used to develop a reliable transformer protection scheme by identifying the exciting voltage-differential current curve (VICur). In the DCNN, CAE shares its encoder part with the CNN, where the CNN combines the encoder and a classifier. Based on the interaction of the CAE reconstruction process and the CNN classification process, the CAE regards the saturated features of the VICur as noise and removes them accurately. Consequently, it guides CNN to focus on the unsaturated features of the VICur. The unsaturated part of the VICur approximates an ellipse, and this significantly differentiates between a healthy and faulty transformer. Therefore, the unsaturated features extracted by the CNN help to decrease the data ergodicity requirement of AI and improve the generalizability. Finally, a CNN which is trained well by the DCNN is used to develop a protection scheme. PSCAD simulations and dynamic model experiments verify its superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The cellulosed-based macrofibers possess super-strong tensile strength of 449 MPa and excellent electrical conductivity of 5.32 S cm−1. The cellulosed-based macrofiber can be degraded within 108 h in the cellulase solution. The designed fabric-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) shows a maximum output power of 352 μW, which can effectively drive commercial electronics. The designed fabric-based TENG as self-powered sensors can effectively monitor the human movement of walking, running, jumping, arm lifting, arm bending, and leg lifting.Electronic fibers used to fabricate wearable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) for harvesting human mechanical energy have been extensively explored. However, little attention is paid to their mutual advantages of environmental friendliness, mechanical properties, and stability. Here, we report a super-strong, biodegradable, and washable cellulose-based conductive macrofibers, which is prepared by wet-stretching and wet-twisting bacterial cellulose hydrogel incorporated with carbon nanotubes and polypyrrole. The cellulose-based conductive macrofibers possess high tensile strength of 449 MPa (able to lift 2 kg weights), good electrical conductivity (~ 5.32 S cm−1), and excellent stability (Tensile strength and conductivity only decrease by 6.7% and 8.1% after immersing in water for 1 day). The degradation experiment demonstrates macrofibers can be degraded within 108 h in the cellulase solution. The designed fabric-based TENG from the cellulose-base conductive macrofibers shows a maximum open-circuit voltage of 170 V, short-circuit current of 0.8 µA, and output power at 352 μW, which is capable of powering the commercial electronics by charging the capacitors. More importantly, the fabric-based TENGs can be attached to the human body and work as self-powered sensors to effectively monitor human motions. This study suggests the potential of biodegradable, super-strong, and washable conductive cellulose-based fiber for designing eco-friendly fabric-based TENG for energy harvesting and biomechanical monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To guarantee the safety and quality of food and prolong its shelf life, a novel multi-functionalized chitosan-based film with the outstanding antimicrobial property was prepared by incorporating with β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and octyl gallate (OG). The OG encapsulation with βCD to form inclusion complexes (βCD/OG-IC) endows OG with improved water-solubility and physicochemical stability. The formation of βCD/OG-IC has been proved through analytical techniques including FTIR, XRD, DSC and 1H NMR. Then the chitosan (CS) films containing βCD/OG-IC were fabricated and their mechanical, physical properties and antimicrobial activities against four foodborne pathogens (E. coli, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens) were evaluated. The increased antibacterial activities of the CS film containing βCD/OG-IC were demonstrated by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zone. Meanwhile, the composite films showed higher tensile strength, more excellent water vapor resistance in contrast to pure CS films. Additionally, the composite films showed slow-release capacity and enhanced antibacterial efficacy to remarkably extend the shelf life of blueberry and asparagus. Our results substantially suggest that CS film containing βCD/OG-IC is a potential candidate for use as a multi-functionalized layer in the food-packaging system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV) polymerase protein PB2 has been shown to partially inhibit the host immune response by blocking the induction of interferons (IFNs). However, the IAV PB2 protein that regulates the downstream signaling pathway of IFNs is not well characterized. Here, we report that IAV PB2 protein reduces cellular sensitivity to IFNs, suppressing the activation of STAT1/STAT2 and ISGs. Furthermore, IAV PB2 protein targets mammalian JAK1 at lysine 859 and 860 for ubiquitination and degradation. Notably, the H5 subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus with I283M/K526R mutations on PB2 increases the ability to degrade mammalian JAK1 and exhibits higher replicate efficiency in mammalian (but not avian) cells and mouse lung tissues, and causes greater mortality in infected mice. Altogether, these data describe a negative regulatory mechanism involving PB2-JAK1 and provide insights into an evasion strategy from host antiviral immunity employed by IAV. The PB2 subunit of the RNA polymerase of influenza virus antagonizes interferon signalling. Here, the authors biochemically characterise the molecular interactions that mediate this, and how this impacts viral replication in the context of different influenza subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based electrodes of potassium-ion batteries are of great research interest ascribed to their low cost and environmentally friendly distinctions. However, traditional carbon materials usually exhibit weak mechanical properties and incomplete crosslinking, resulting in poor stability and electrochemical performance. Herein, we report a new strategy for modifying reduced graphene oxide into a uniform few-layer structure through a sol—gel method combined with acid etching treatment. The obtained chemical cross-linking and mechanically reinforced carbon network constructed by graphene (CNCG) demonstrates excellent electrochemical and mechanical properties. Adopted as a free-standing anode (∼ 7 mg·cm−2) for potassium ion battery, the as-achieved CNCG delivers a high reversible specific capacity of 317.7 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 50 mA·g−1 and admirable cycle stability (208.4 mAh·g−1 at 50 mA·g−1 after 500 cycles). The highly reversible structural stability and fully cross-linked properties during potassiation are revealed by ex-situ characterization. This work provides new ideas for the synthesis of new carbon materials and the development of high-performance electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a validated CFD model is used to analyze the flow field and pollutant distribution in an isolated canyon (street aspect ratio, W/H = 1) by considering different street categories and arrangements of void deck under a perpendicular inflow wind. The results reveal that the street geometry affects significantly the in-canyon flow structures and thus the pollutant distributions. Comparing with the regular street canyon (a main clockwise vortex is obtained therein), the void deck can cause several vortices when a strong stream of air passes through the canyon. It is the most conducive to pollutant removal for the void decks at both buildings, while the construction with void deck at the upstream building causes pollutant accumulation on the windward side. Moreover, a larger high-pollution zone is generated above the elevated road due to the wind recirculation therein, and for the two-level street and the street with depressed road, the weak wind leads to the accumulation of traffic pollutants in the underground space. This study will provide technical support for urban street planning and design to alleviate traffic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart drug delivery nanosystem is significant for tumor treatments due to its possibility of temporally, spatially, and dose-controlled release. However, the therapeutic efficacy of drug delivery nanosystem is often compromised in cancer treatment as the enrichment of therapeutic agents in the reticuloendothelial system. Herein, doxorubicin (DOX) loaded biomimetic drug delivery nanosystem with macrophage cell membrane (MCM) camouflaged, MnFe2O4-DOX-MCM nanocube (NC), is developed for cancer treatment with tumor targeting, pH-stimuli drug release, and chemo-photothermal therapeutic effects. The nanosystem shows the capability of immune escape and enhanced cellular uptake of cancer cells due to the MCM decoration. Acid-labile bond between the MnFe2O4 NCs and DOX remains stable at physiological condition and release drugs immediately in response to the endo-/lysosome pH stimuli. Meanwhile, the photothermal effect of the nanosystem destroys tumor tissue, which further promotes chemotherapeutic efficacy. In vivo results demonstrate the tumor homing ability and produce a notable synergistic therapeutic effect of the NCs. Thus, biomimetic pH-responsive drug delivery nanosystem, MnFe2O4-DOX-MCM NCs, is an effective nanoplatform, which might be potential application for cancer synergistic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is a well-known technique for controlled polymer synthesis. However, the ATRP usually employed toxic heavy metal ionas as the catalyst and was susceptible to molecular oxygen, which made it should be conducted under strictly anoxic condition. Conducting ATRP under ambient and biocompatible conditions is the major challenge. In this study, cytochrome C was explored as an efficient biocatalyst for ATRP under biocompatible conditions. The cytochrome C catalyzed ATRP showed a relatively low polymer dispersity index of 1.19. More interestingly, the cytochrome C catalyzed ATRP showed superior oxygen resistance as it could be performed under aerobic conditions with high dissolved oxygen level. Further analysis suggested that the Fe(II) embed in the cytochrome C might serve as the catalytic center and methyl radical was responsible for the ATRP catalysis. This work explored new biocompatible catalyst for aerobic ATRP, which might open new dimension for practical ATRP and application of cytochrome C protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communities next to national parks, known as gateway communities, can benefit from national park development. Gateway communities are unique and limited in the degree to which, and direction in which, they can be developed. In this research, Banff National Park was used as a case study to explore residents' perceptions of the impact of national park tourism via a survey questionnaire distributed in communities at three different spatial levels (core, intermediate, and remote portal). The data analyses were based on a sample of 231 respondents and were processed using factor analysis and linear regression models for different communities. The results identified six impact factors, and the differences in each community were analyzed. The findings indicated that residents' perceptions of the impacts of tourism in the town of Canmore rank first, followed by those of Banff and Golden. The regression analysis revealed that Banff was found to have the most supportive residents, and their support for tourism was found to be significantly affected by community natural environmental factors and cultural development factors. Canmore residents were mainly affected by cultural factors. Golden residents were least supportive due to through natural environmental factors and quality of life factors. An adaptive analysis revealed that Banff has the closest economic relationship with national park tourism, and Golden the weakest. Balancing the positive and negative impacts of tourism, exploring more cultural service functions of the communities, seeking a more diverse industrial structure, planning year-round tourism, and cooperating with other communities to ensure local benefits are recommended. The findings may provide an additional understanding of the local perceptions of tourism impacts and local support from a spatial perspective and can help sustainable tourism management by assisting communities to optimize the tourism industry structure and local management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the formation and evolution of urban surface thermal environment is crucial for urban planning and improving the environment of a settlement. Qingdao was selected in this study as a typical coastal city undergoing rapid urbanization, and the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of its urban surface thermal environment from 2010 to 2019 were evaluated. The random forest (RF) algorithm was adopted to obtain its land surface temperature (LST) map with 30-m resolution by downscaling the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST product; the remote sensing indices emphasizing different land cover types, LST calculated by the radiative transfer equation, and elevation were used as input variables in the algorithm. The heat island intensity (HII), urban heat island (UHI) volume, and UHI grade were used to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of the urban surface thermal environment in Qingdao. The results show an increasing trend in average HII between 1.1 and 2.52°C in the study area over the past 10 years. The northern city appeared to have the highest UHI volume, while change of the UHI volume in Huangdao District of southwestern Qingdao was the most significant. The areas with high HII have gradually expanded during the last 10 years, and the areas with a 10-yr persistently high HII are distributed mainly in old urban areas with high building density and a dense population. Different factors may influence UHI, such as artificial heat sources, surface heat sources, and hybrid heat sources. Finally, adjusting the urban structure, increasing the vegetated area, and changing building colors are proposed to mitigate UHI in the areas with continuously high HII. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the main risk factors for intracranial cerebral artery stenosis (ICAS), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) might be an effective predictor of ICAS. However, there are a few studies revealing the relationship between FBG and ICAS. We aim to identify the association between FBG and ICAS in Koreans. Methods: This was a secondary study based on a cross-sectional study. A total of 1011 Korean individuals who were asymptomatic but with high cerebrovascular risk underwent an examination in a Korean medical centre from March 2008 to December 2014. The main measure was FBG, while the main outcome was ICAS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses of FBG in the presence of ICAS were performed to examine the potential association. The author used the data provided by the paper "Association between Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Level and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease" for secondary analysis. Results: The average age of the participants was 64.2 ± 9.1 years old, and approximately 35% of them were males. There were 24 participants suffering from ICAS in the first FBG tertile (< 5.4 mmol/L), while there were 26 in the second tertile (5.4–7.1 mmol/L) and 50 in the third tertile (≥ 7.1 mmol/L). The non-adjusted relationship between FBG and ICAS was positive. After controlling potential confounders, the association of FPG with ICAS remained positive, as well as in subgroups analysis, such as age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and COAD. The association remained unchanged after adjusted sex, age, hypertension, DM, uric acid, hyperlipidaemia, and CAOD (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.02–1.15). The analyses also showed that the positive association was statistically significant (P < 0.05) among individuals without diabetes. Conclusions: This study showed a positive relationship between FBG and ICAS, which suggests that clinicians may need to be simultaneously concerned about FBG and ICAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of meaning in life and individual characteristics on dignity in patients with advanced cancer. Methods: One hundred sixty-seven patients with advanced cancer participated in this study. Dignity was assessed with the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), meaning in life was assessed with the Meaning in Life Scale (MiLS), and performance status was defined as the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also measured. Independent T tests and one-way ANOVA were performed for the PDI scores and sociodemographic and clinical variables. Relationships among the PDI, MiLS, and KPS scores were evaluated with bivariate analyses (Spearman rank correlation). A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors the of PDI score. Results: Patients reported a mean of 4.2 (SD 4.9) problems affecting their sense of dignity; 21.6% reported moderate to severe loss of their sense of dignity. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that a lower MiLS score, younger age, inpatient status, and a lower KPS score predicted the loss of dignity. Stepwise regression showed that 49.8% of dignity-related distress could be explained by the MiLS score, age, inpatient status, and the KPS score. Conclusion: Self-perceived dignity is significantly negatively associated with meaning in life, age, inpatient status, and performance status. The early recognition of risk factors for the loss of dignity and interventions to enhance meaning in life may prevent the loss of dignity in patients with advanced cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal effect on the flow and dispersion of pollutants emitted from a rooftop stack is investigated by means of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) models with wind tunnel experimental validations. The leeward wall and its nearby ground are heated simultaneously to mimic solar radiation. Seventeen Ri (Richardson number) cases with four inflow wind speeds (1, 3, 6, and 9 m/s) and five temperature differences (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 K) between the heated surface and ambient air are considered to represent the interaction between thermal buoyancy force and inertia force. The results reveal that (1) the steady RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes) computations with Boussinesq approximation can generally reproduce the effect of thermal buoyancy on the wake flow and pollutant distribution in wind tunnel experiments; (2) the wake vortex flow is less affected by the thermal buoyancy force at small Ri (e.g., Ri ≤ 0.26) while an upward flow rather than a clockwise vortex structure is developed in the near wake at Ri ≥ 0.58; (3) it is inappropriate to place fresh air intakes on the leeward wall of the emitting building, but natural ventilation through windows on the leeward wall can be implemented at higher Ri (e.g., Ri = 2.33); (4) at the pedestrian respiration height downstream of the building, the distance between the location of maximum pollutant concentration and the leeward wall increases linearly with Ri while the maximum dimensionless concentration decreases exponentially with increasing Ri; (5) the air temperature is rapidly reduced away from the heated wall/ground and a heat accumulation zone is formed at the ground corner next to the leeward wall. This study can be helpful for determining the strategy for natural ventilation through windows and for evaluating the impacts of rooftop stack exhaust on air quality downstream of emitting buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is a reversible state between ideal health and illness and it can be effectively reversed by risk prediction, disease prevention, and personalized medicine under the global background of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM) concepts. More and more Chinese nurses have been troubled by psychological symptoms (PS). The correlation between PS and SHS is unclear in nurses. The purpose of current study is to investigate the prevalence of SHS and PS in Chinese nurses and the relationship between SHS and PS along with predisposing factors as well as to discuss the feasibility of improving health status and preventing diseases according to PPPM concepts in Chinese nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with the cluster sampling method among 9793 registered nurses in Foshan city, China. SHS was evaluated with the Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25 (SHSQ-25). Meanwhile, the PS of depression and anxiety were evaluated with Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) self-assessment questionnaires. The relationship between PS and SHS in Chinese nurses was subsequently analyzed. Results: Among the 9793 participants, 6107 nurses were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of SHS in the participants was 74.21% (4532/6107) while the symptoms of depression and anxiety were 47.62% (2908/6107) and 24.59% (1502/6107) respectively. The prevalence of SHS in the participants with depression and anxiety was significantly higher than those without the symptoms of depression (83.3% vs 16.7%, P < 0.001) and anxiety (94.2% vs 5.8%, P < 0.0001). The ratio of exercise habit was significantly lower than that of non-exercise habit (68.8% vs 78.4%, P < 0.001) in SHS group. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of SHS and PS in Chinese nurses. PS in Chinese nurses are associated with SHS. Physical exercise is a protective factor for SHS and PS so that the exercise should be strongly recommended as a valuable preventive measure well in the agreement with PPPM philosophy. Along with SDS and SAS, SHSQ-25 should also be highly recommended and applied as a novel predictive/preventive tool for the health measures from the perspectives of PPPM in view of susceptible population and individual screening, the predisposition to chronic disease preventing, personalization of intervention, and the ideal health state restoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel broadband hybrid piezoelectric-electromagnetic-electrostatic energy harvester with frequency up-conversion is proposed to improve the harvesting bandwidth and energy conversion efficiency. The designed device generates vibration energy with much higher frequency than ambient vibration frequency, which uses the magnet to impact periodically on the piezoelectric cantilever with the top electrode of electrostatic element. The dynamic model of the hybrid energy harvester is established, and performances are experimental tested under the sinusoidal excitation and practical application environment. The results show that multi-mechanisms composite structure can realize the complementary advantages of electrostatic-piezoelectric-electromagnetic mechanisms and improve the energy conversion efficiency effectively compared with a single harvesting mechanism. The fabricated harvester can output electric energy in the frequency range of 1–38 Hz, which significantly reduces frequency dependence, and the maximum power is measured to be 11.7 mW and 12 mW during cycling and walking respectively, which is the sum of the power generated by three different elements. Furthermore, the fabricated prototype can also light up six light-emitting diodes (LEDs) simultaneously when handy shaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Event evolution analysis which provides an effective approach to capture the main context of a story from explosive increased news texts has become the critical basis for many real applications, such as crisis and emergency management and decision making. Especially, the development of societal risk events which may cause some possible harm to society or individuals has been heavily concerned by both the government and the public. In order to capture the evolution and trends of societal risk events, this paper presents an improved algorithm based on the method of information maps. It contains an event-level cluster generation algorithm and an evaluation algorithm. The main work includes: 1) Word embedding representation is adopted and event-level clusters are chosen as nodes of the events evolution chains which may comprehensively present the underlying structure of events. Meanwhile, clusters that consist of risk-labeled events enable to illustrate how events evolve along the time with transitions of risks. 2) One real-world case, the event of "Chinese Red Cross", is studied and a series of experiments are conducted. 3) An evaluation algorithm is proposed on the basis of indicators of map construction without massive human-annotated dataset. Our approach for event evolution analysis automatically generates a visual evolution of societal risk events, displaying a clear and structural picture of events development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel broadband hybrid piezoelectric and electromagnetic energy harvester using in the low frequency vibration environment is proposed, which combines nonlinear magnet force and frequency-up conversion mechanism simultaneously. Performances are studied by theoretical analysis and experimental test. Electromechanical governed equations of harvester are established, and analytical solutions of vibration response, output voltage and power are derived. Then, effects of nonlinear force, spacing between low frequency vibration beam and piezoelectric beam, load resistance and input excitation on harvester performances are investigated by experimental test. It can be concluded that the harvester can be used to work at the low-frequency environment efficiently, and the resonant frequency and harvesting bandwidth can be tuned by the nonlinear force between the magnets and the spacing between beams. Moreover, the larger the nonlinear magnetic force and the smaller the distance between two beams, the lower working frequency and the larger bandwidth. Compared with the corresponding linear apartment, output power and bandwidth of proposed harvester are improved 90% and 125% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma (OS), a malignant bone tumor, mainly occurs in adolescents. Cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133) is one of the most common tumor stem cell biomarkers. The prognostic significance of CD133 in OS has been reported, while the conclusions of these study were inconsistent. This study was conducted to investigate the association between CD133 expression and OS. We performed a search using several database including NCBI PubMed, Springer, CNKI, Web of Science and Wanfang for relevant papers about the prognostic value of CD133 on OS published before October 19, 2019. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to evaluate the outcomes. Seven reports including 498 OS patients were used for evaluating the association between CD133 positive expression and OS clinicopathological features. CD133 positive expression was not related to the age, gender, tumor size, tumor location and pathological type of OS. The expression of CD133 was significantly associated with high ennecking stage of OS (OR 9.67, 95% CI 5.56–16.80, P < 0.05) and OS local recurrence (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.84–4.94, P < 0.05). In addition, the expressions of CD133 predict metastasis (OR 7.64, 95% CI 4.93–11.85, P < 0.05). Moreover, this study indicated that CD133 expression was correlated to lower 5-year overall survival in OS with the pooled OR of 5.85 (95% CI 3.30–10.37, P < 0.05). Our reported shown that positive expression of CD133 is significantly correlated with ennecking stage, local recurrence, metastasis and low 5-year overall survival rate of OS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper put forward an improved synchronization problem for neural networks with Markov jump parameters. The traditional Markov jump neural network (MJNN) only considers the basic external time-varying delays, ignoring both the distributed and leakage delays in the internal transmission of the neural network and the small time-varying errors in the mode switching of Markov probability transition rates. In this paper, we focus on the synchronization of MJNN with mixed time-varying delay. And an improved Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional is constructed. The convergence of inequalities is solved by using affine Bessel–Legendre inequalities and Wirtinger double integral inequalities. At the same time, a new method is used to optimize the mathematical geometric area of the time-varying delay and reduce the conservativeness of the system. Finally, a sample point controller is constructed to synchronize the driving system and the corresponding system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern China is undergoing a variety of social conflicts as the arrival of new era with the transformation of the principal contradiction. Then monitoring the society stable is a huge workload. Online societal risk perception is acquired by mapping on-line public concerns respectively into societal risk events including national security, economy & finance, public morals, daily life, social stability, government management, and resources & environment, and then provides one kind of measurement toward the society state. Obviously, stable and harmonious social situations are the basic guarantee for the healthy development of the stock market. Thus we concern whether the variations of the societal risk are related to stock market volatility. We study their relationships by two steps, first the relationships between search trends and societal risk perception; next the relationships between societal risk perception and stock volatility. The weekend and holiday effects in China stock market are taken into consideration. Three different econometric methods are explored to observe the impacts of variations of societal risk on Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Composite Index. 3 major findings are addressed. Firstly, there exist causal relations between Baidu Index and societal risk perception. Secondly, the perception of finance & economy, social stability, and government management has distinguishing effects on the volatility of both Shanghai Composite Index and Shenzhen Composite Index. Thirdly, the weekend and holiday effects of societal risk perception on the stock market are verified. The research demonstrates that capturing societal risk based on on-line public concerns is feasible and meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 18 (hFGF18) in mammalian cells and Escherichia coli has been extensively used for fundamental research and clinical applications, but they are difficult, expensive. The expression of recombinant proteins fused to oleosin protein have distinct advantages, such as safety, ease, low cost. So we have expressed hFGF18 fused to oleosin protein in the oil bodies of Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) and screen the proliferation effect of NIH3T3 cells. The vector of oleosinhFGF18 fusion gene was constructed and transformed into wild A. thaliana. Transformed A. thaliana lines were obtained by the floral dip method and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR results indicated that the oleosin-hFGF18 fusion gene was integrated into the A. thaliana genome. The oil bodies expression of oleosin-hFGF18 was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. The biological activity showed that oil bodies expressing oleosin-hFGF18 could stimulate the proliferation of NIH3T3 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generic compact modeling methodology for emerging nonvolatile memories is proposed by coupling comprehensive physical equations from multiple domains (e.g., electrical, thermal, magnetic, phase transitions). This concept has been applied to three most promising emerging memory candidates: PCM, STT-MRAM, and RRAM to study their device physics as well as to evaluate their circuit-level performance. The models' good predictability to experiments and their effectiveness in large-scale circuit simulation suggest their unique role in emerging memory research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 9 has oncogenic activity and plays an important role in the development of ovarian, lung, prostate, and gastric cancers. In the present study, with the aim of reducing the cost of utilizing growth factors in cancer research, a simple and efficient method for the preparation of recombinant human (rh)FGF9 in Escherichia coli was established. The rhFGF9 fusion protein (6 × His-TEV-rhFGF9) and the native protein released by tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease were obtained using a Ni-NTA system, with > 95% purity. Both purified forms of rhFGF9, with and without fusion tags, significantly stimulated the proliferation of NIH3T3 cells. The FGF9 subfamily, including FGF9, FGF16, and FGF20, in addition to rhFGF16, rhFGF9, and rhFGF20, were shown to stimulate the proliferation and migration of HuH7 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the stimulation of HuH7 cell proliferation and migration with rhFGF9 and rhFGF20 were associated with the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways and matrix metalloproteinase-26 (MMP26). Inhibition of the ERK and NF-κB pathways blocked cell migration, and NF-κB was demonstrated to be regulated by ERK. Therefore, the present study demonstrates a simple method for the preparation of biologically active rhFGF9 protein. Furthermore, the results indicate that exogenous rhFGF9- and rhFGF20-activated ERK/NF-κB signal transduction pathways play important roles in the regulation of HCC cell proliferation and migration, and this discovery helps to find the potential for new solutions of the treatment of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the protective effects of helix B surface peptide (HBSP) on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl). Methods: HBSP (8 nmol/kg) was intraperitoneally injected into C57 BL/6 mice 2 h after CCl administration. Serum and liver tissue samples were collected 24 h after injury. Liver function and histological injuries were evaluated. Inflammatory cell infiltration and cytokines were examined and hepatocytes apoptosis was measured. The human liver cell line LO2 and murine primary hepatocytes were stimulated by CCl with and without HBSP treatment and glutathione peroxidase activity, cell survival, and apoptosis were evaluated. In addition, we examined the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway to elucidate the mechanism underlying HBSP-mediated protection in acute liver injury. Results: HBSP significantly decreased serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in liver tissues after CCl injection compared with those in the control group. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that the number of CD3-, CD8-, and CD68-positive cells and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 were significantly decreased by HBSP treatment. Additionally, HBSP reduced apoptosis in vivo. In an in vitro study, the glutathione peroxidase activity and survival rate increased, while the total apoptotic rate was reduced in the HBSP-treated group compared with that in the control group after CCl treatment. HBSP activated the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway, which was confirmed by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, HBSP increased the survival of mice with acute liver injury, and this effect was abolished by LY294002. Conclusions: HBSP is a potential therapeutic agent against acute liver injury induced by CCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]