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This study investigated a multi-objective resequencing scheduling problem in the automotive manufacturing systems due to operational requirements on the color-batching of the paint shop and sequential requirements on the sequence adherence of an assembly shop. Resequencing cars as color-oriented batches reduced the costs of color changes and operational costs for paint shops. Also, assembly shops required paint shops to complete cars with fewer delays so that high sequence adherence with its demand was assured. Based on real-world applications, we investigated two contradictory objectives-color change costs and sequence tardiness-in a single-machine flowshop scheduling environment. A multi-objective-deep-Q-network algorithm was developed to determine the Pareto frontier. Reward shaping was designed to improve the convergence of the neural network. The 2D-folded-normal distribution was designed to sample the preference, which made the exploration and exploitation of the neural network more comprehensive and improved the training efficiency. Two experiments were conducted and showed that the proposed approach outperformed the meta-heuristic algorithm and the envelope Q-learning algorithm in solving time, performance, the convergence of the neural network, and the diversity of the Pareto frontier. Therefore, the proposed approach can be used in automotive paint shops to improve scheduling efficiency and reduce operational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprises often acquire technologies from external sources which are geographically dispersed. Although previous literatures have discussed the role of external technology acquisition (ETA) in enterprises' innovation performance, how innovation is affected by the breadth and depth of ETA is less investigated, and little is known about how geographical distance (GD) is involved. Therefore, this paper first analyses the relationship between the breadth, depth of ETA and enterprises' innovation performance with patent transaction data of listed manufacturing enterprises in China. Then we further investigate how GD moderates the relationship. Results show that both the breadth and depth of ETA positively affect enterprises' innovation performance. GD has no moderating effect on the relationship between the breadth of ETA and enterprises' innovation performance, but negatively moderates the relationship between the depth of ETA and enterprises' innovation performance. Our results have implications for enterprises' ETA strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authorities in China have been actively involved in the high-quality development of libraries, with an emphasis on supporting and extending National Reading. Providing appropriate and successful reading services requires well-prepared reading service librarians, empowered to design and deliver services that make reading enjoyable and accessible for all. Based on competency theory and empowerment theory, this study analyses the competency features of empowered reading service librarians and constructs a competency model based on those features. Through literature analysis and Behavioural Event Interview, a preliminary competency model comprising 16 discriminative competencies and 20 benchmark competencies was constructed, subsequently refined through 4 rounds of expert consultation using the Delphi method and resulting in a model with 11 discriminative competency features and 6 benchmark competency features. A questionnaire survey of reading service librarians and library users was undertaken to extract common factors and develop an iceberg model. The iceberg model comprises 4 dimensions: knowledge, skills, self-concept, and motivation, with 11 discriminative competency traits and 6 benchmark competency traits. The model extends our understanding of the important competencies underpinning the work of reading service librarians and can support developments in their professional education, performance evaluation, recruitment, and selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In harsh environments, turbochargers require continuous adjustment of the rotating speed, which can lead to differences in erosive wear on the blades compared to erosive wear under constant speed conditions. In this study, the erosion model expression for an aluminum alloy plate with a fitted Ks value of 20 μm under the erosion of 160 μm SiO2 particles is obtained through erosive wear experiments. Taking a turbocharger compressor as the research object, the influence of four commonly used working speeds on blade wear is analyzed. The results show that when the speed increases from 70,000 rpm to 130,000 rpm, the maximum wear rate concentration values for the main and splitter blades increase by approximately 590% and 310%, respectively. Finnie erosion model of real compressor blades was fitted through experiments. The working speed has a significant impact on the particle trajectory. As the speed increases, the wear area of the main blade gradually concentrates. As the speed increases, the wear area of the diverter vanes decreases abruptly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self–emulsification can be accomplished by enhanced oil recovery (EOR), the realization of the exploration of natural emulsifiers, which is a crucial task to understand the mechanism of crude oil self–emulsification, albeit it is, of course, accompanied by difficulties, during the development of shale crude oil. In this study, we separated the active components of crude oil, and with the help of modern characterization and laboratory tests, coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance of core flooding method, we fully explored the independent and synergistic effects of crude oil active components, and deepened the understanding of the mechanism of crude oil self–emulsification. Among the active components of crude oil, asphaltene and resin have vital effects on its self–emulsification, which is shown in the amphiphilic structure of asphaltene and the effect of resin solvent. Asphaltene can reduce oil–water interfacial tension to 19 mN/m, and the resin significantly increase the viscosity of emulsion. Meanwhile, resin and asphaltene stabilize the viscoelasticity of oil–water interface films and affect the phase transition of emulsions in different water oil ratio environment. As a result, the active components of crude oil are closely related to formation and stabilization of the emulsion, which together endue the inherent conditions of its self–emulsification. Core flooding test confirmed that some emulsions in nanoscale size are produced in shale porous media, and the average emulsion diameter size is 181 nm. This study explored the effects of natural emulsifiers on the self–emulsification of crude oil, thereby promising new potential opportunities for EOR of shale oil. Static experiment and core flooding test indicated that asphaltene and resin reduce the oil–water interfacial energy, and aromatic and saturated hydrocarbons stabilize the viscoelasticity of the oil–water interface to synergestically produce nanoscale emlusions in shale porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the association between loci rs3761847 and rs10818488 of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 1/complement C5 (TRAF1/C5) gene and the susceptibility to IgAV. 100 blood samples of children with IgAV and 100 blood samples of healthy children were collected from the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from June 2017 to June 2019. The target gene fragment was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the single nucleic acid gene polymorphism of the gene loci was detected by PCR sequencing based typing technique. The association between gene polymorphism of each locus and susceptibility to IgAV was analyzed. There were significant differences in both genotype (P <.05) and allele frequencies （P <.05) of rs3761847 of TRAF1/C5 gene between the IgAV group and the control group.Besides, the risks of developing IgAV in children with the TT genotype was 0.495 times and in children with the C allele was 1.627 times of that in children with other genotypes and alleles, respectively (P <.05). For IgAV patients, renal involvement risk in children with CC genotype was 5.859 times of that in children with other genotypes (P <.05). There were no significant differences in genotype (P >.05) and allele frequencies (P >.05) of rs10818488 of TRAF1/C5 gene between the IgAV group and the control group. IgAV patients with TT genotype had a 3.2 times higher risk of renal involvement than those with other genotypes (P <.05). There is an association between locus rs3761847 of TRAF1/C5 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and susceptibility to IgAV. The T allele at locus rs3761847 of TRAF1/C5 gene may be a protective factor for IgAV. The C allele at locus rs3761847 and the T allele at locus rs10818488 of TRAF1/C5 gene may be associated with kidney injury in IgAV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of the environment is becoming more and more serious due to the misuse of antibiotics. To protect the environment, polyoxometalates (POMs) emerged as potential green materials. These POMs contain anionic clusters of metal oxides, which exhibit favorable structural and physicochemical properties. They have demonstrated promising antiviral, antibacterial and antitumor activities in biomedicine. In the present study, fluconazole (FKZ)-modified POMs of Keggin structure were synthesized as an efficient bacteriostatic agent by the hydrothermal method. Furthermore, the bacteriostatic properties of the agent against various bacteria are analyzed. The bacteriostatic effect and bacterial inhibition rate are evaluated using three different methods: the filter paper slice method, determination of MIC value and the colony counting method. In addition, the leakage of morphologically repressive DNA of bacteria after being treated by the samples was investigated by TEM and UV, which resulted in speculation of repressive mechanisms. The experimental results demonstrated that the bacteriostat exhibited superior bacteriostatic properties compared to the classical polyoxometalate. Additionally, bacteriostatic agents are particularly effective in combating gram-negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making the go/no-go decision is critical in Phase II (or Ib) clinical trials. The conventional decision-making framework based on a binary hypothesis testing has been gradually replaced by the TODeM (Triple Outcome Decision-Making) which has three zones of outcomes: go, no-go, and consider. The TODeM provides more flexibility in decision-making with considering both of statistical significance and clinical relevance. However, Bayesian methods (e.g. EXNEX, MUCE, etc.) for the information borrowing are still based on the binary decision-making framework. We propose a new decision-making process G-TODeM (Generalized Triple Outcome Decision-Making) to apply those Bayesian methods with information borrowing across different cohorts to the TODeM framework. Essentially, the information borrowed from other cohorts can shrink the consider zone of the inference cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) often fail to achieve permanent complete remission (CR) and frequently relapse, indicating an urgent need to explore effective salvage therapies. Recent advances in AML treatment have been attributed to the combination of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) inhibitor venetoclax (VEN) with hypomethylating agents (HMAs); however, the use of this combination in young adults with relapsed or refractory (R/R) AML has not been reported. We retrospectively examined 31 young patients with R/R AML treated with VEN plus an HMA. We evaluated the demographic data, cytogenetic characteristics, AML types, response rates, and transplantation-related data for the patients in our cohort. The combination of VEN + HMA yielded a CR rate of 48.4%. The most prominent hematologic adverse event was neutropenia, which occurred in all patients, with 90.3% of cases being grade ≥3. Non-hematologic toxicities were relatively mild and infrequent, with an incidence of 45.2%. More than half of the patients with sustained CR had received an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), of whom two died of transplant-related complications. Our results showed that the combination of VEN + HMA appeared to be a highly effective and well-tolerated salvage therapy option for young patients with R/R AML, enabling more young patients to proceed to potentially curative allo-HSCT. However, additional, well-designed studies with larger numbers of patients are required to confirm the advantages of VEN + HMA in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhalation of high concentrations of phosgene often causes pulmonary edema, which obstructs the airway and causes tissue hypoxia. There is currently no specific antidote. This study was performed to investigate the effect behind pentoxifylline (PTX) treatment for phosgene-induced lung injury in rat models. Rats were exposed to phosgene. The protein levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and occludin proteins in lung tissue were determined. The effect of both prophylactic and therapeutic administration of PTX (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) was evaluated. The lung permeability index and HIF-1α protein level increased, the arterial blood oxygenation index (PaO2/FIO2 ratio) and occludin protein level decreased significantly 6 h after phosgene exposure (P < 0.05). PTX exerted protective effects by HIF-1α-VEGF-occludin signaling pathway to some extent. Moreover, prophylactic, but not therapeutic administration of PTX (100 mg/kg), exhibited a significant protective effect. Pretreatment with PTX protected against phosgene-induced lung injury, possibly by inhibiting differential expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, and occludin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsurface karst features are significantly developed in Guangxi Province, China. This area mainly contains fractured subsurface rock, abundant karst channels, and widely distributed underground fissure networks. Such adverse geological conditions could potentially create hydrogeological hazards such as collapses, water inrush, and mud inrush during infrastructure construction. The Hejing limestone mine is an opencast mine in Pingnan County, Guangxi, that produces cement. Mining activities have altered the seepage fields in this area, causing large amounts of groundwater to flood into the mining pit; this has caused many ground collapses while severely reducing limestone production. More than 24 km of surface electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles have been previously recorded in the region to identify potential karst positions and explore groundwater inrush paths. In this study. we employed surface and cross-borehole ERT surveys to delineate specific groundwater inrush paths on the eastern side of the mine and characterise karst distribution in the study area. Resistivity imaging results revealed some low-resistivity anomaly distributions and provided reliable geological information about the distribution of subsurface karst for future grouting work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double emulsions are recognized as an advanced design route for oil structuring that shows promising applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food fields. This review summarizes the main research advances of O/W/O double emulsions over the past two decades. It mainly focuses on understanding the preparation strategies, stabilization mechanism, and potential applications of O/W/O double emulsions. Several emulsification strategies are discussed, including traditional two-step emulsification method, phase-inversion approach, membrane emulsification, and microfluidic emulsification. Further, the role of interfacial stabilizers and viscosity in the stability of O/W/O double emulsions will be discussed with a focus on synthetic emulsifiers, natural biopolymer sand solid particles for achieving this purpose. Additionally, analytical methods for evaluating the stability of O/W/O double emulsions, such as advanced microscopy, rheology, and labeling assay are reviewed taking into account potential limitations of these characterization techniques. Moreover, possible innovative food applications are highlighted, such as simulating fat substitutes to decrease the trans- or saturated fatty acid content and developing novel delivery and encapsulation systems. This review paves a solid way for the exploration of O/W/O double emulsions toward large-scale implementation within the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, based on X reservoir conditions from Dagang Oilfield, China (temperature: 104 °C, salinity: 26376 mg/L), from the perspective of reducing interfacial tension and emulsification performance, IAPES (isododecyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfonate) with high temperature and high salt resistance was selected and its performance was evaluated. Finally, physical simulation experiments were conducted to form an in situ viscosity-increasing emulsion to enhance oil displacement efficiency. The experimental results show that when the concentration of IAPES is 0.3 wt%, the ability to reduce the interfacial tension of oil and water is significant and it has good antiaging stability. In addition, the lower the shear rate, the higher the water content, and the worse the emulsion stability. Finally, physical simulation experiments show that IAPES can increase the recovery rate by at least 28% in a larger permeability range. Under the experimental research conditions, the injection process parameters-injection speed (0.4 mL min−1) and injection volume (0.3PV) were optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of coral sands are significantly affected by the gradation changes caused by the particle breakage. In this paper, a series of triaxial consolidated drained (CD) shear tests were carried out to investigate the influence of gradation on the particle breakage and mechanical properties of coral sands. The results showed that the softening and dilatancy during shearing are more significant for coral sands with smaller average particle sizes under low confining pressure. The peak friction angle decreases with the confining pressure and can be fitted by a power function for different gradations. The particle size distribution of the "hyperbolic" or "straight" curve has a trend to transform into a "sigmoidal" type after shearing; and the variation is affected by the confining pressure and the initial gradation. The critical state lines of the coral sands with different gradations are parallel straight lines on the e − (p ′ / p a) ξ plane. In addition, the relative breakage of coral sand particles increases with the confining pressure and the mean particle size. Based on the triaxial compression test results, the expressions relating relative breakages to the confining pressure and the gradation parameters were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have caused a serious threat to the atmosphere and human health. Therefore, it is of great significance to exploit effective catalytic materials for the safe and effective catalytic elimination of VOCs. Herein, Ag-MnOx-ACF composite catalysts were constructed via a two-step impregnation strategy and used for catalytic toluene degradation. A remarkable low-temperature catalytic activity (T100 = 50℃), excellent stability, as well as CO2 selectivity (80%) were achieved over the Ag-MnOx-ACF catalyst. A series of characterizations indicated that the unique manganese defects structure of birnessite phase manganese oxide played an essential role for toluene oxidation, which was conducive to generating surface adsorbed oxygen. The higher ratio of Mn3+/Mn4+, abundant surface adsorbed oxygen and highly dispersed Ag species were determined to significantly facilitate toluene degradation. The mechanism of efficient degradation of toluene at low temperature was proposed. O3 and H2O molecules were activated via surface hydroxyl and Mn defects on Ag-MnOx-ACF to produce sufficient •OH, enhancing the degradation performance of toluene. We provide a new idea for the catalytic oxidation of benzene VOCs at low even room temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in multiplex bioassay around the theme of precision diagnostics have gained great focus. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is emerging as a powerful platform for multiplex bioassay due to its high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, particularly its reliable multiplex sensing ability. This review discusses the progress being made in the multiplex bioassay applicating ICPMS, mainly emphasizes on varieties of biomarkers and methodological innovations. Also, we summarized limitations and proposed prospects to shed new light on the emergence of more powerful and application-oriented analytical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine (Cl2), as an asphyxiant toxicant, induced poisoning incidents and acute lung injury (ALI) occur frequently. The specific pathogenesis of Cl2-induced ALI remains unclear. Immune cells play an important role in the process of lung damage. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology to explore T cells and macrophages molecular mechanism. Female BALB/c mice were exposed to 400 ppm Cl2 for 15 min. scRNA-seq technology was used to observe the heterogeneity of T cells and macrophages. Hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) staining was used to evaluate the degree of lung injury. Immunofluorescence was used to verify the highly expressed genes of our interest. A total of 5316 to 7742 cells were classified into eight different cell types. Several new highly expressed anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory genes were found in T cells and macrophages, which were further verified in vitro. Through the pseudotime analysis of macrophages, it was found that the expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes showed opposite trends in the development of Cl2-induced ALI. This study also mapped T cells-macrophage communication and identified the development of several important receptor-ligand complexes in Cl2-induced ALI. These findings are worthy of further exploration and provide new resources and directions for the study of Cl2-induced ALI in mice, especially in immune and inflammation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ignition prediction of polymer-bonded explosives is difficult due to complex multiphysics coupling processes with heterogeneous microstructure, such as microcrack, microvoid, crystal size, and the interface property. Traditional simulation completely depends on the materials model and it is quite time-consuming. In this paper, considering heterogeneous microcracks, the data-driven ignition prediction method is proposed. A hybrid machine learning algorithm integrated with principal component analysis (PCA), binary gravitational search algorithm (BGSA) and backpropagation neural networks (BPNN) is developed. Based on the ignition database produced by finite element simulation, combining the developed prediction method, the results show better accuracy and efficiency on ignition prediction, compared with another four traditional machine learning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for the bilinear Dunkl–Hausdorff operators on the product Lebesgue spaces and (central) Morrey spaces. We also obtain the sharp constant for the bilinear Dunkl–Hausdorff operators on the weighted Lebesgue spaces L k p (1 ≤ p < ∞) when the matrix A in the definition of operators is a scalar matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fish oil supplementation has been shown to be beneficial for hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation or dietary adjustment in dialysis patients.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to study the effects of omega-3 supplementation on dialysis patients. The variables of interest included the levels of blood lipids, inflammatory indicators, proteins, parathyroid hormone (PTH), gastrointestinal adverse reactions, and all-cause mortality. The mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 test. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to identify potential sources.Results: The systematic review included 49 RCTs and evaluated the efficacy and safety of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in dialysis patients. Data synthesis showed that compared with the control group, the group receivingomega-3 supplementation exhibited significantly decreased serum triglyceride (TG) levels, decreased C-reactive protein (CRP) and TNF-alpha levels, increased hemoglobin levels, reduced serum phosphorus levels, increased PTH levels, and increased gastrointestinal adverse reactions to a certain extent. Furthermore, there was no effect on the blood total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), albumin or calcium levels and all-cause mortality.Conclusion: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is related to a reduction in serum TG, LDL and inflammation index levels and has few adverse reactions. Therefore, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may be a useful nutrition therapy for dialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented and far-reaching impacts on the tourism industry worldwide. To fight against COVID-19 while maintaining economic development, China has adopted its unique policymaking system and made certain achievements in preventing the pandemic and promoting the recovery of domestic tourism, which may have reference values to other countries. By collecting the national-level tourism policies on COVID-19 in China and analyzing the connections between the keywords of these policies, this study conceptually proposes a new PASS (P: Pause-promote; A: Avoid-alternate; S: Supervise-stabilize; S: Support-sustain) approach for comprehensive and seamless policymaking for the public health crisis management in the tourism context. Even though the new PASS is derived based on China's pandemic policymaking experiences, its general values are well supported by the practices in other countries. Policy recommendations from perspectives of key stakeholders are summarized. Policymaking challenges are finally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives a number of Ulam type stability results of first-order linear and first-order nonlinear impulsive fuzzy differential equations in different cases by applying an appropriate inequality and the direct analysis method. First, the Ulam type stability results of linear impulsive fuzzy differentiable equations under a<0, (c1)-differentiable are given. Second, the Ulam type stability results of first-order nonlinear impulsive fuzzy differentiable equations under a<0, (c1)-differentiable and a<0, (c2)-differentiable are presented. Finally, examples are provided to illustrate our results. Our results transfer the corresponding results for impulsive ordinary differential equations to impulsive fuzzy ordinary differential equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide has a wide range of applications, and the explosion in presence of nitrous oxide can cause serious disaster. In this study, we reported the explosion characteristics of hydrogen-methane-nitrous oxide mixtures with different equivalence ratios (ϕ) in a closed cylindrical explosion vessel at sub-atmosphere pressure (40 kPa). The equivalence ratio (ϕ) is defined as the ratio of the actual N2O–blended fuel ratio to the stoichiometric N2O–blended fuel ratio in this study. The key parameters were obtained experimentally which reflected the explosion characteristics such as the maximum explosion pressure, maximum pressure rise rate, and deflagration index. The results demonstrated that the experimental explosion pressure was greater than the adiabatic explosion pressure and N2O made explosion have potential of deflagration to detonation transition (DDT). The addition of methane increased the peak of both the maximum explosion pressure and the maximum pressure rise rate when the value of ϕ is constant. The effect of methane fraction on the maximum pressure rise rate was negligible when the equivalence ratio was higher than 0.6. In addition, with the increase of methane content, the equivalence ratio of the maximum explosion pressure peak would increase, but the peak of the pressure rise rate was stable at where the equivalence ratio is about 0.7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the direct responsible cadre in China's local environmental management, the role of environmental protection bureau head (EPBH) is both critical and embarrassing. However, the profile of this group of cadres is largely unknown. This paper makes the first attempt to delineate China's prefectural EPBHs and find several distinct features. First, although advocated by the central authority, "be younger" has not been realized in the appointment of EPBH. On the contrary, older candidates have been more favored in recent years. Second, EPBH is primarily a political actor rather than professional actor. However, they have been bearing increasing political pressure due to professional task. Third, county governments and other prefectural departments are the most important sources of EPBH, while for general environmental officials, it is very hard to be promoted as EPBH. Fourth, the promotion chance of EPBH is relatively high and most of them have been promoted to county governments and other prefectural departments. Last, the number of EPBHs removed because of dereliction has increased notably, but only a small fraction was sanctioned for poor and fraud environmental supervision. Finally, corresponding suggestions are proposed to optimize the selection, appointment, and management of EPBH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale belongs to low-porosity and low-permeability reservoir, so it is difficult for fluid to enter pores through displacement. However, in the process of shale hydraulic fracturing, most of the fracturing fluid does not flowback after entering strata. It indicates that reaction may take place when fluid enters into strata, resulting in low flowback rate of fracturing fluid. Imbibition experiment and physicochemical properties test show that there is imbibition effect in shale. There are two stages: one is the initial rapid water absorption, while the other is later osmotic water absorption. The first stage is affected by the seam network system, while the other stage is mainly affected by the content of clay minerals. As clay minerals swell by absorbing water, the original fracture network system gradually expands, and porosity grows, permeability improves and recovery rate increases. The physicochemical properties test shows that (1) imbibition is influenced by both capillary force and mineral components. The higher the clay content is, especially the content of chlorite and illite/smectite (I/S) , the stronger the imbibition capacity is. (2) Shale with strong imbibition capacity also has strong seam-making capacity, which not only provides convenience for hydraulic fracturing but is more conducive to exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal temperature catalytic ozonation is an effective method for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A series of TiO2-supported noble metal catalysts were synthesized by a facile impregnation method. The as-prepared catalysts were evaluated for the catalytic oxidation of toluene. It was determined that the 1 wt%Pt/TiO2 exhibited outstanding performance that 65% conversion of toluene was achieved with the space velocity of 30,000 h−1 even at room temperature (25°C). The structure–activity relationship of various catalysts was investigated via BET, XRD, SEM, TEM as well as XPS. The results indicated that the uniform dispersion of Pt nanoparticles, abundant surface adsorbed oxygen species as well as the strong interaction between Pt and TiO2 favoured toluene degradation at normal temperature. Based on FT-IR, a simplified reaction scheme was proposed: toluene was first oxidized to benzoate species then alcohol species, ketones, carboxyl acids, which was finally degraded into CO2 and H2O. The low activation energy of 1 wt%Pt/TiO2 determined to be 47 kJ mol−1 also benefited for toluene degradation at ambient temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By highlighting the reactions of the court, this article examines legal translations and paratexts from the perspective of the special judicial reader to hopefully introduce new possibilities for legal translation studies. This article extends beyond a textual analysis of translations and specifically probes the intricacies of the application of George Jamieson's (1843–1920) English rendition of the Great Qing Code in the Hong Kong courtroom. It is demonstrated that the mutual complementarity between his translation and paratexts is not always grasped by the court, which leads to an unnecessary clash between expert evidence and Jamieson's opinions. Moreover, the incongruity between Jamieson's translation and paratexts is amplified under the court's gaze; this issue is further complicated by the English legal doctrine of judicial precedent, leading to both a judicial dilemma and concerns over the legitimacy of Jamieson's interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus which can cause irreversible visual impairment and blindness. We intended to investigate the function of circular RNA (circRNA) solute carrier family 16 member 12 (SLC16A12) in DR progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot assay were applied to measure RNA and protein expression. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) analysis. The angiogenesis ability was assessed by tube formation assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to analyze the release of inflammatory cytokines. Cell oxidative stress status was evaluated using commercial kits. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, and RNA-pull down assay were conducted to confirm the intermolecular interactions. CircSLC16A12 level was enhanced in the serum samples of DR patients and high glucose (HG)-treated HRECs. CircSLC16A12 absence protected HRECs from HG-induced apoptosis, blood-retinal barrier (BRB) injury, tube formation, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress. CircSLC16A12 acted as a sponge for microRNA-140-3p (miR-140-3p), and circSLC16A12 knockdown-mediated effects were largely reversed by the absence of miR-140-3p in HRECs under HG condition. miR-140-3p interacted with the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and the overexpression of FGF2 largely overturned miR-140-3p overexpression-mediated effects in HRECs. CircSLC16A12 interference reduced the expression of FGF2 by up-regulating miR-140-3p in HRECs. CircSLC16A12 silencing suppressed HG-induced dysfunction in HRECs partly by targeting miR-140-3p/FGF2 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compositions of volatile oil from Lagerstroemia indica L. were reported for the first time. Out of 114 components where 58, 63, 67 and 61 compounds were identified from the white, pink, mauve, carmine flower with yields of 0.92%, 1.15%, 1.12% and 1.08%, respectively. Main compounds of white flower were 2-methyl-cyclopentanone (9.41%), m-xylene (7.53%) while the pink, carmine flower contained octacosane (19.81% and 13.91%) and heneicosane (18.02% and 7.98%), respectively, and mauve flower contained cyclohexanone (8.13%), 1-octacosanol (7.87%). Only 23 components were common in four oils, representing 16.57–32.72% of the total oils. Composition classification of four oils included mainly alkanes, benzenes, ketones with 52.98–73.03% of the total oils. The results revealed the different characteristics in quality of these oils. The pink, mauve, carmine flower oils were found active against S. aureus and A. niger, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, E. coli and B. subtilis with MIC value of 0.078 mg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laryngeal cancer (LCa) is a prevalent malignant head and neck cancer with relatively unclear pathogenesis. A prior study has suggested that miR-183 differentially expressed in laryngeal-related malignancies, but its accurate role has not been fully ascertained in LCa. miR-183 expression in LCa tissues and cells was detected assisted by TCGA/GEO databases or qRT-PCR assay, relatively. Target genes of miR-183 were predicted via accessing to TargetScan website. Luciferase activity analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between miR-183 and its possible target. CCK-8, colony formation and transwell invasion and migration experiments were implemented to measure LCa cell viability, invasion and migration. Western blot assay was utilized to evaluate cell adhesion and EMT-related proteins expressions. The expression of miR-183 was expressed in LCa tissue samples and cells at higher levels than normal controls. Upregulation of miR-183 facilitated Hep-2 and TU212 cells viability, while miR-183 reduction inhibited the proliferative potential of Hep-2 and TU212 cells. TMSB4Y was determined as a possible target of miR-183, and its expression was decreased in LCa. LCa patients with low TMSB4Y expression had poorer outcomes relative to that with high TMSB4Y expression. TMSB4Y overturned the promoting impacts of miR-183 on the LCa cellular malignant behaviors, including cell proliferation, colonogenicity, invasion and migration. miR-183 overexpression inhibited cell adhesion through inhibiting TMSB4Y expression. Overall, all results elucidated that miR-183, as an oncogenic molecule in LCa, may be used to predict the prognosis of LCa patients by targeting TMSB4Y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to design a method of multi-source data fusion in multi-target collaborative navigation. First, the respective features of GPS/INS/RS/MO data in the navigation process are clarified. Then a multi-source data fusion method is designed including GPS/INS data fusion with adaptive Kalman filter, RS/MO data fusion with ranging table matching of observation targets, and joint adjustment with fused GPS/INS and RS/MO data. Finally, a simulation experiment is carried out to verify the improvement in positioning efficiency and precision. The results show that collaborative navigation based on multi-source data fusion can increase the stability and accuracy of the navigation service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, based on the existing literature, we extend a deterministic delayed SIS epidemic model with vaccination to the stochastic version. First, we show that the solution of system is globally unique, positive and stochastically bounded. Then, constructing suitable Lyapunov function, we study the stochastic stability of system at the disease-free equilibrium. Moreover, the threshold R ̂ 0 which determines the extinction or persistence in time mean of the disease is proposed. When R ̂ 0 is less than 1, the disease will disappear; while R ̂ 0 is greater than 1, the disease will persist. Moreover, we study the existence of the ergodicity and the stationary distribution of the model, which can help us better understand the dynamic behavior and statistical characteristics of stochastic delayed biological models. Finally, we apply the results to hepatitis B in Chinese mainland. Using the nonlinear Least-Square method, we estimate the parameter of the model and obtain the threshold R ̂ 0 = 0.0556. We forecast that hepatitis B infections in Chinese mainland will drop to about 20 million in 2100 from 90 million in 2015, and give the probability densities of Hepatitis B infections each year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Space-Time Colonialism: Alaska's Indigenous and Asian Entanglements" by Juliana Hu Pegues explores the complex relationships between Alaska Natives and Asian immigrants during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The book examines the discursive and material entanglements between these groups, as well as the processes of colonization, racialization, and empire. Through an analysis of historical periods such as the Alaskan purchase, the Gold Rush, the establishment of salmon canneries, and the World War II era, the author highlights the ways in which colonial notions of space and time shaped the experiences of Alaska Natives and Asian immigrants. The book emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research and offers new perspectives on settler colonialism, racial justice, and decolonization. [Extracted from the article]

Cell proliferation and senescence are processes induced by oxidative stress. In this study, we aimed to establish a cellular model of rapid proliferation and senescence of rat tail-tip fibroblasts by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a well-known oxidant. On this basis, changes in oxidative stress, inflammatory response and cell cycle of fibroblasts were studied. After H2O2 treatment, cell counting and flow cytometry results showed that 50 μM of H2O2 for 12 h and 100 μM for 8 h effectively promoted fibroblast proliferation, while 500 μM rapidly led to cell cycle arrest. In addition, stimulation with H2O2 at a concentration of 50 μM also promoted the inflammatory effects of the cells. At a concentration of 100 μM H2O2, the cellular antioxidant system began to collapse at 8 h and began to affect cellular activity. 500 μM of H2O2 at 4 h the levels of senescence-associated β-galactosidase, a marker of senescence and oxidative stress, were almost positive in fibroblasts. In addition, we found that the risk of fibroblasts carcinogenesis increased with increased H2O2 stimulation. The results of this study indicate that H2O2 can cause rapid proliferation and senescence of fibroblasts and that its mechanism of action may be mainly through influencing cellular antioxidant systems, cellular inflammatory responses and cell cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous anesthesia (IV) with local anesthesia (LA) in patients undergoing ultrasound (US)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of thyroid nodules. Methods: 50 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists classification grades I–II undergoing US-guided thyroid RFA were enrolled and randomly (1:1) divided into IV (conscious sedation with Ramsay Sedation Scale [RSS] scores of 2–3 with an anesthesiologist) and LA (subcutaneous anesthesia with lidocaine without an anesthesiologist) groups. Pre-, intra- and post-procedural blood pressure (BP) (SBP0/DBP0, SBP1/DBP1, and SBP2/DBP2), intra- and post-procedural pain (NRS1 and NRS2), ablated area volume, treatment time and adverse events were analyzed and compared. Results: Age, sex, weight, number, nature, volume of nodules, and SBP0/DBP0 showed no difference between both groups. 11 and 0 patients’ SBP1/DBP1 were elevated in the LA and IV groups. NRS1 differed between both groups. 6 patients in the LA group had moderate or severe pain, but none in the IV group. No between-group difference in SBP2/DBP2, NRS2, ablation completion rate and ablated volume was noted. The median procedure duration differed from 1109 (176) s in IV group and 723 (227) s in LA groups. There was no increased incidence of adverse events in IV group. Conclusions: IV with RSS scores of 2–3 maintained intra-procedural BP and relieved intra-procedural pain better, without affecting the ablation efficacy and increasing complications. Despite increased treatment time, IV is a potential option for patients undergoing US-guided RFA of thyroid nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptors regulate immune and inflammatory responses by activating the NF-ĸB pathway. Here, we report that B-cell-specific loss of dynein light chain 1 (DYNLL1, LC8) or its designated transcription factor ASCIZ (ATMIN) leads to severely reduced in vivo antibody responses to TLR4-dependent but not T-cell-dependent antigens in mice. This defect was independent of DYNLL1's established roles in modulating BIM-dependent apoptosis and 53BP1-dependent antibody class-switch recombination. In B cells and fibroblasts, the ASCIZ-DYNLL1 axis was required for TLR4-, IL-1-, and CD40-mediated NF-ĸB pathway activation but dispensable for antigen receptor and tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-α) signaling. In contrast to previous reports that overexpressed DYNLL1 directly inhibits the phosphorylation and degradation of the NF-ĸB inhibitor IĸB a, we found here that under physiological conditions, DYNLL1 is required for signal- specific activation of the NF-ĸB pathway upstream of IĸB a. Our data identify DYNLL1 as a signal-specific regulator of the NF-ĸB pathway and indicate that it may act as a universal modulator of TLR4 (and IL-1) signaling with wide-ranging roles in inflammation and immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA-146a (miR-146a) gene and susceptibility of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We systemically extracted the genetic data of miR-146a from previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of RA. Subsequently, we performed a replication study in an independent Chinese cohort for selected variant. A meta-analysis combined the previous GWASs with the replication study was also conducted. The epigenetic annotation and cytokine assay were used for exploring potential variant function. The extracted genetic association data from three previous GWASs showed that the allele T of functional SNP rs2431697 increased RA susceptibility. The significant association for the SNP was also found in the Chinese replication cohort (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.06–1.46, p = 8.69E-03). The estimated effect size for this SNP was larger in Asian population than that in European population (Asian meta-analysis: OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09–1.22, p = 4.37E-07; Tran-ethnic meta-analysis: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.04–1.10, p = 1.79E-06). The cytokine assay also showed that the risk allele T of the SNP rs2431697 is inversely associated with plasma TNF-α levels in health controls (p =.016). In summary, this study supports that genetic variant in miR-146a gene is associated with RA risk. The association between SNPs in miR-146a gene and susceptibility of RA was unclear. We investigated the genetic association using GWASs data and a replication study. The SNP rs2431697 in miR-146a gene is associated with RA risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZEB2 has been shown to be upregulated in the brain tissues of rats with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but its role in ICH-caused brain injury remains unclear. Here, an ICH rat model was established via intracerebral injection of autologous blood, and the lentivirus-mediated ZEB2 short hairpin RNA (sh-ZEB2) or negative control (scramble) were administered 0.5 hours after ICH. Silencing ZEB2 alleviated ICH-induced neurologic deficits and the increase of BBB permeability, brain water content and ZEB2 expression. Next, OGD (oxygen glucose deprivation) plus hemin was used to treat primary brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) to simulate the ICH condition in vitro. OGD plus hemin upregulated ZEB2 expression and apoptosis, but reduced cell viability, migration, TEER (transendothelial electric resistance) and the expression of vascular-endothelial (VE-) cadherin, occludin and claudin-5, which was reversed by inhibiting ZEB2. Mechanism researches showed that ZEB2 interacted with MDM2 to up-regulate MDM2 protein expression, and then increased E2F1 protein level by suppressing its ubiquitination, which in turn promoted the transcription of ZEB2 to induce its protein expression, so as to enhance the interaction between ZEB2 and MDM2, thereby contributing to OGD plus hemin-induced endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, the joint interference of ZEB2 and MDM2 in vivo had better mitigative effects on ICH-induced brain injury compared with silencing ZEB2 alone. In summary, ZEB2 interacted with MDM2 to promote BMEC dysfunction and brain damage after ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cell cancers typically exhibit high metastasis and recurrence, and this is thought to be due to renal cancer stem cells (CSCs). Meanwhile, aberrant activation of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is linked with CSCs. Resveratrol has direct or indirect impacts on the pathological activities of CSCs. However, the effects of resveratrol on renal CSCs remain to be elucidated. We cultured renal CSCs in serum-free medium. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression levels of related proteins. The mRNA changes were detected by qRT-PCR after resveratrol treatment. The CD133+ cells were quantified by flow cytometry analysis. Immunofluorescence staining images showed the changes in CD44 and Smoothened expression in the cell spheres. Renal CSCs were enriched by tumorsphere formation assays of ACHN and 786-O cells. Resveratrol treatments markedly decreased the size and number of cell spheres and downregulated the expression of the Shh pathway-related proteins and CSCs markers. Moreover, we observed that resveratrol inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis, while purmorphamine upregulated the Shh pathway and weakened the effects of resveratrol on renal CSCs. These results suggested that resveratrol is a potential novel therapeutic agent that targets inactivation of renal CSCs by affecting the function of the Shh pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, shale gas pressure fracturing volume development technology tends to be mature, shale gas backlog fracturing ends and enters the trial production stage. Due to the improper control of oil nozzle or its causes, the output drops sharply, or the drainage in the production process makes the funnel effect near the wellbore zone, resulting in the closure of the main fracture passage near the wellbore. However, the far-end complex sealing network structure produced by volume fracturing technology is still not fully closed, or secondary fractures occur in the absence of support for the original wellbore fractures or new complex fractures occur in the vicinity of the wellbore. The simple use of high-energy gas fracturing requires low cost, safety and simple and efficient characteristics, and the requirements for surface equipment are not too high. Existing methods mainly include well testing, sand washing by coiled tubing, gas lifting by coiled tubing, wellbore plugging removal, pumping and drainage by supplementary pressure well operator, etc. They can not fundamentally solve the need of closing or reopening new fractures in wellbore, and can not make new complex unclosed fractures near wellbore zone (without secondary fracturing). If the investment of surface equipment for secondary fracturing is similar to that of the first volume fracturing, and the investment is similar, the more complex situation will arise because of filtration and other reasons. At present, low concentration methane in air and wellbore is used to oxidize and exothermic to produce CO2 and H2O, and release energy at the same time. Temperature and pressure are the main means of energy in limited space. High energy gas formed after volume work can help to reopen the original fracture and form a new type of high energy gas fracturing method by means of air ignition and explosion, because the effect of high energy gas fracturing is not affected by stress, new cracks can be produced, and this crack can avoid overlapping with previous cracks. In particular, it can be pointed out that due to the improvement of thermal recovery of heavy oil and other means, the ground operation equipment has the commonality, and reasonable optimization of the construction plan can achieve the established purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial nitritation-anammox (PN-A) process, which significantly reduces energy and chemical input compared to the conventional biological nitrogen removal process, is a game-changing nitrogen-removal alternative. PN-A treating municipal wastewater (mainstream PN-A) may shed light on achieving a more sustainable energy-neutral municipal wastewater treatment, but practical applications are still not available. This review is therefore critically conducted to identify the challenges impeding the application of mainstream PN-A. At temperatures ≥ 25 °C, PN-A process treating mainstream wastewater can achieve comparable nitrogen removal performance to conventional processes, but the effluent quality may need to be improved to meet stringent discharge standards; at temperatures < 20 °C, long-term process instability, low nitrogen removal efficiency, and poor effluent quality are the main operating difficulties. The reasons are attributed to challenges in maintaining sufficient anammox activity and effective NOB suppression. A framework of operable solutions to these difficulties and challenges is suggested, among which the efficient anammox biomass retention should be prioritized. The effectiveness and practical availability of these solutions are also assessed. Ultimately, depending on technological readiness, a roadmap for the PN-A application is proposed to make the best of the benefits of PN-A and promote the implementation of energy-neutral/positive municipal wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The durative endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and subsequent apoptosis contributes to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). MiR-326 can reduce pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) expression, leading to ERS. Whereas, lncRNA RPPH1 is able to increase dendritic spine density and protect hippocampal pyramidal neurons through targeting miR-326. Our study aims to investigate the regulation of lncRNA RPPH1 and miR-326/PKM2 on ERS and related apoptosis in AD. SH-SY5Y cells treated with Aβ25-35 were selected as an in vitro AD model. RPPH1 and miR-326 overexpression and silencing cells were established by transforming vectors. The expression of RPPH1 and miR-326 were detected by qRT-PCR. MTT, flow cytometric, intracellular calcium assay and Western blot were used to test the functions of RPPH1 and miR-326 in SH-SY5Y cell proliferation, apoptosis and ERS. Dual-luciferase assay was used to detect the interaction among RPPH1, miR-326 and PKM2. RPPH1 overexpression enhanced the viability of SH-SY5Y cells, and attenuated the apoptosis of of SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, RPPH1 overexpression down-regulated ER stress related proteins such as GRP78, CHOP and cleaved caspase-12. Mechanistically, RPPH1 directly targeted miR-326, thereby counteracting its inhibitory effect on PKM2 expression, contributing to attenuation of apoptosis and ERS induced by Aβ25-35. Aβ25-35-induced ERS and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells can be attenuated by lncRNA RPPH1 through regulating miR-326/PKM2 axis. This study provided therapeutic options for AD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee pollen is a healthy honey bee product with high nutritional value and important bioactive functions. The antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities of the extracts and different fractions (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water fractions) of different floral sources of bee pollen were investigated. Four types of bee pollens were screened to select the bee pollen possessing the best activities and to identify its active components. The results demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction of camellia bee pollen had better antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities than its extract and other fractions, and obviously better than the other three bee pollens. The ethyl acetate fraction of camellia bee pollen was analyzed by HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The active compounds in this fraction were identified for the first time as trisubstituted hydroxycinnamic acid spermidines with the substituents of p-coumaroyl, caffeoyl and feruloyl. Our results suggest the camellia bee pollen should be more widely consumed because of its important bioactive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we describe a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction strategy for bongkrekic acid (BA) purification, enrichment, and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Bongkrekic acid (BA) was an important toxin that could cause liver and kidney damages, or even death. Furthermore, there were several food poisoning incidents occurred by BA in many countries including Indonesia, China, and so on. A rapid, simple and reliable determination of BA in plasma was of great value in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of poisoning patients. In this study, we describe a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction strategy for purification and enrichment of BA followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The BA (pKa value was 4.15) in the plasma samples were dispersed and extracted by methanol, dichloromethane and 0.1% phosphoric acid solution successively, in which the proper ratios and the dosages were all optimized in this study. The conditions for ionization source and the extracting conditions for BA were also optimized. The matrix effect ranged from 95.0% to 102%, indicating matrix effects may be negligible. The feasibility of the extraction method was tested by analysis of BA in plasma samples. The mean recoveries for BA determination were achieved between 88.3% and 98.4%. The LOD and LLOQ for BA were 3.7 and 10 µg L−1, respectively. The proposed method is fast and simple, and highly sensitive for testing BA in plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological electric fields (EFs), as one of the environmental cues influencing both normal and tumor cells, have profound effects on tumor cell malignancy potential. The cellular responses to EFs by choriocarcinoma cells and their underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, the migration/motility, cell cycle progression and proliferation of choriocarcinoma cells in electric field culture showed that choriocarcinoma cells migrated cathodally in an applied EF, and EF stimulation influenced cell cycle progression through G2/M arrest and therefore induced a reduction in cellular proliferation. The transcriptome of choriocarcinoma cells subjected to EF stimulation (150 mV/mm) was analyzed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), and the results were verified by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that ErbB and HIF-1 signaling pathways that are involved in cell migration/motility, cell cycle progression and proliferation were significantly altered in cells treated with an EF of 150 mV/mm compared with control cells, and in addition, the downstream pathways of these signaling pathways such as AKT and P42/P44 MAPK (ERK1/2) showed primary activation by Western blotting. This study's results suggest that an applied EF is an effective cue in regulating cellular phenotypes of choriocarcinoma cells and that transcriptional analysis contributes to the understanding of the mechanism of EF-guided cell functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]