Search

Curve fitting is the most utilized technique to measure peak areas in time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) spectra. Reliable estimations of peak parameters should be provided. However, there is not currently a reliable method to estimate the half-width of spectral peaks. In this study, we present a method for peak detection in TOF-SIMS spectra, incorporating continuous wavelet transform and curve fitting. The half-width was estimated by derivative spectrometry based on continuous wavelet transform. Accurate parameters of each peak were obtained by subsequent curve fitting. The method was evaluated with simulated and real TOF-SIMS spectra of silicon isotopes. The results showed this proposed method obtained more accurate half-width estimations of spectral peaks. The fitted results also showed that the method has better performance on overlapping peaks and better resistance to noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innate immune system is the first line of defense against microbial pathogens. The activated innate immune system plays important roles in eliciting antimicrobial defenses. Despite the benefits of innate immune responses, excessive inflammation will cause host damage. Thus, tight regulation of these processes is required for the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Recently, a new class of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has emerged as important regulators in many physiological and pathological processes. Dysregulated lncRNAs have been found to be associated with excessive or uncontrolled inflammation. In this brief review, we summarize the roles of functional lncRNAs in regulating innate immune responses. We also discuss the roles of lncRNAs in macrophage polarization, an important molecular event in the innate immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During tumorigenesis and development, participation of the tumor microenvironment is not negligible. As an important component in the tumor microenvironment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been corroborated to mediate proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance in many cancers, including osteosarcoma. What's more, because of tumor site tropism, MSCs can be engineered to be loaded with therapeutic agents so that drugs can be precisely delivered to tumor lesions. In this review, we mainly discuss recent advances concerning the functions of MSCs in osteosarcoma and their possible clinical applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karakoram Highway (KKH) is an international route connecting South Asia with Central Asia and China that holds socio-economic and strategic significance. However, KKH has extreme geological conditions that make it prone and vulnerable to natural disasters, primarily landslides, posing a threat to its routine activities. In this context, the study provides an updated inventory of landslides in the area with precisely measured slope deformation (Vslope), utilizing the SBAS-InSAR (small baseline subset interferometric synthetic aperture radar) and PS-InSAR (persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar) technology. By processing Sentinel-1 data from June 2021 to June 2023, utilizing the InSAR technique, a total of 571 landslides were identified and classified based on government reports and field investigations. A total of 24 new prospective landslides were identified, and some existing landslides were redefined. This updated landslide inventory was then utilized to create a landslide susceptibility model, which investigated the link between landslide occurrences and the causal variables. Deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) models, including convolutional neural networks (CNN 2D), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), are employed. The inventory was split into 70% for training and 30% for testing the models, and fifteen landslide causative factors were used for the susceptibility mapping. To compare the accuracy of the models, the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used. The CNN 2D technique demonstrated superior performance in creating the landslide susceptibility map (LSM) for KKH. The enhanced LSM provides a prospective modeling approach for hazard prevention and serves as a conceptual reference for routine management of the KKH for risk assessment and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of model-based control systems depends a lot on the process model quality, hence the process model-plant mismatch is an important factor degrading the control performance. In this paper, a new methodology based on a process model evaluation index is proposed for detecting process model mismatch in closed-loop control systems. The proposed index is the ratio between the variance of the disturbance innovation and that of the model quality variable. The disturbance innovations are estimated from the routine operation data by an orthogonal projection method. The model quality variable can be obtained using the closed-loop data and the disturbance model estimated by adaptive Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) method. When the order of the disturbance model is less than 2 or the process time delay is large enough, no external perturbations are required. Besides, the proposed index is independent of the controller tuning and insensitive to the changes in disturbance model, which indicates that the proposed method can isolate the process model-plant mismatch from other factors affecting the overall control performance. Three systems with proportional integral (PI) controller, linear quadratic (LQ) controller and unconstrained model predictive control (MPC) respectively are presented as examples to verify the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Besides, Tennessee Eastman process shows the proposed method is able to detect process model mismatch of nonlinear systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CNTs/BT composite was synthesized for hydraulic-driven piezoelectric ozonation. • CNTs/BT composite has excellent catalytic activity and stability without ion leakage. • OH, O 2 − and H 2 O 2 are the active species in CNTs/BT-O 3 process. • Specific energy consumption of CNTs/BT-O 3 process is 29% lower than BT-O 3 process. The performance of hydraulic-driven piezoelectric catalysis process is not satisfactory for refractory organics degradation. Although the ozonation process catalyzed by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can increase the removal of refractory organics, the CNTs can be destroyed by ozone to reduce catalytic activity. Hence, a carbon nanotubes/BaTiO 3 (CNTs/BT) composite was prepared and employed to catalyze ozone for ibuprofen (IBP) removal under hydraulic force. The removal rate of IBP in the CNTs/BT-O 3 process was significantly higher than that in CNTs-O 3 and BT-O 3 processes. This outstanding performance was attributed to the adsorption and surface diffusion of CNTs, efficient electron transfer, as well as strong piezo-potential for abundant active species generation (such as OH and O 2 −). Notably, the removal of IBP only decreased by 3.19 % after 5 cycles of CNTs/BT composite with no metal ions leakage. In terms of energy consumption, the CNTs/BT-O 3 process is not only superior to traditional ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (such as US-O 3 , UV-O 3 , and E-O 3), but also outperforms the recently proposed piezoelectric ozonation process. Moreover, various refractory pollutants were effectively removed in CNTs/BT-O 3 process, and satisfactory removal of IBP was observed in the actual water matrix. This study provides an effective and stable approach to removing refractory organics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • As-synthesized Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 naturally contains moderate concentration of oxygen vacancies. • Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 is highly active in piezocatalytic degradation of AO7, MO, RhB, MB and their mixture. • Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 shows superior environmental adaptability and stability. • Real textile wastewater can be efficiently degraded by Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15. Piezocatalyst with high and stable efficiency for multiple pollutants degradation shows great promise for practical applications but remains a challenge. Herein, a self-modified oxygen-deficient piezoelectric Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 catalyst is synthesized via a facile method, which demonstrates outstanding piezocatalytic properties. Investigations reveal that an optimal concentration of oxygen vacancies could increase carrier concentration, reduce the electronic impedance and enhance carrier's separation efficiency under ultrasonic vibration, leading to superior piezocatalytic performance. As a result, the typical pollutants acid orange 7, methyl orange, rhodamine B and methylene blue dyes can be efficiently degraded by 98, 95, 94 and 94 %, respectively, within 30 and 50 min (for the latter three dyes), and the acquired degradation efficiencies are higher than most of the previously reported piezocatalysts. Moreover, Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 displayed excellent degradation efficiency for mixed dyes solution with a high first-order rate constant k (0.072 min−1), which is higher than most of the reported piezocatalysts for just single dye degradation. In addition, the Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 catalyst possesses superior environmental adaptability and highly efficient degradation ability for real textile wastewater. This work provides a novel and comprehensive strategy for designing high performance oxygen-deficient piezocatalysts that can be further extended to other Bi-based oxides, and also demonstrates that Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 is a promising eco-friendly and superior piezocatalyst for complex wastewater purification by harvesting mechanical energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As ancient gymnosperm and woody plants, cycads have survived through dramatic tectonic activities, climate fluctuation, and environmental variations making them of great significance in studying the origin and evolution of flora biodiversity. However, they are among the most threatened plant groups in the world. The principal aim of this review is to outline the distribution, diversity, and conservation status of Cycas in China and provide suggestions for conservation practices. In this review, we describe the taxonomy, distribution, and conservation status of Cycas in China. By comparing Chinese Cycas species with its relatives worldwide, we then discuss the current genetic diversity, genetic differentiation of Cycas, and try to disentangle the potential effects of Quaternary climate changes and topographical events on Cycas. We review conservation practices from both researchers and practitioners for these rare and endangered species. High genetic diversity at the species level and strong genetic differentiation within Cycas have been observed. Most Cycas species in southwest China have experienced population retreats in contrast to the coastal Cycas's expansion during the Quaternary glaciation. Additionally, human activities and habitat fragmentation have pushed these endangered taxa to the brink of extinction. Although numerous efforts have been made to mitigate threats to Cycas survival, implementation and compliance monitoring in protection zones are currently inadequate. We outline six proposals to strengthen conservation measures for Cycas in China and anticipate that these measures will provide guidelines for further research on population genetics as well as conservation biology of not only cycads but also other endangered species worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the industrial process, it is helpful to take the previous fault diagnosis results into consideration during the current determination of faulty variables. In this paper, an unsupervised data-driven fault diagnosis method based on normalized relative reconstruction-based contribution (RBC) and the minimum risk Bayesian (MRB) decision theory is presented. Normalized relative RBC is used to represent the characteristic of the observation of the samples, and beta distribution is adopted to approximate the probability density distribution of the variable being faulty or normal. On the basis of the adjustable loss function, the conditional risk is obtained. The fault diagnosis method based on MRB decision is proposed, which will reduce the influence of smearing effect, improve the diagnosis rate, handle faults with a small magnitude, and identify multiple process faults. Numerical simulation examples and the Tennessee Eastman process are given to show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peak detection is an important preprocessing step in the analysis of mass spectrometry data. Currently, most peak detection methods have limited identification ability when there are overlapping or low-amplitude peaks. In this paper, we present an improved algorithm that combines the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with the crazy climber algorithm. Particles move on the CWT coefficient matrix according to certain rules, and gradually gather at local maximal points. Peaks are identified by drawing ridges based on the weighted occupation measure of the grid points. The proposed method is evaluated using simulated noisy spectra and real spectra of benzene in nitrogen. The results show that the proposed approach is better at identifying overlapping peaks than existing methods. Receiver operating characteristic curves show that the proposed method can detect more true peaks while maintaining a low false discovery rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Grape-like CNTs/BT nanocomposite catalyst with Ti − C bond was synthesized. • CNTs/BT boosted hydraulic-driven piezo-activation of PMS for CBZ removal. • CNTs/BT-PMS system generated much more ROS than BT-PMS and CNTs-PMS systems with less energy. • CNTs acted as fast electron lanes for accelerating separation of piezoelectric carriers. • Piezoelectric field effectively suppressed destruction of CNTs in PMS system. Both carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and piezoelectric materials can activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS). However, the activation of PMS by CNTs suffers from poor reusability while hydraulic-driven piezo-activation of PMS faces the problem of limited charge separation. To solve the above problems, grape-like CNTs/BaTiO 3 (CNTs/BT) nanocatalyst with a Ti − C bond was prepared. Results indicated that hydraulic-driven CNTs/BT-PMS system offered remarkable carbamazepine removal efficiency (91.93%, 120 min) with satisfactory reusability. The energy consumption of PMS activation by CNTs/BT was only 39.33% and 26.59% of those by CNTs and BT, respectively. Piezoresponse force microscopy and finite element simulation further suggested that these superior performances were mainly responsible for the synergistic effects of CNTs and BT, leading to stronger piezoelectric response with efficient piezo-generated charge separation, which in turn improved the efficiency for producing reactive species. Notably, the built-in piezoelectric field of BT constantly replenished electrons to CNTs and effectively suppressed the destruction of CNTs caused by chemical oxidation. This durable composite might be a promising catalyst for PMS activation with potential utilization of residual hydraulic power during water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is an urgent need to learn more about the epidemiological features of dyslipidemia in youth to address the high burden of cardiovascular disease. Methods: This experiment was an observational, cross-sectional study. The samples were collected from 22,379 college students at Xinjiang Medical University. Result: The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 13.17%, which was significantly higher in men (23%) than in women (7.2%), p < 0.01. Similarly, the prevalence rate of obesity in men (11.4%) was significantly higher than that in women (3.4%). The composition of blood lipids, such as triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), began to increase gradually from the age of 22 and showed a sharp increase after the age of 30; however, a reverse trend was present in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In terms of the proportion of dyslipidemia in both men and women, low HDL-C accounted for the largest proportion (74%), followed by elevated TGs (14.5%). The overall distribution of rates of dyslipidemia and excess weight showed a U-shaped trend with increasing age, with the lowest rates seen in the 20–24 age group. Conclusion: Our study sheds light on the epidemiological features of dyslipidemia in young adults and enriches the limited data available on dyslipidemia, providing a reference for the close monitoring and control of risk factors to reduce the occurrence and progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of different second phases on the composite spinning-extrusion forming and mechanical properties of Al–Cu–Li alloy. With that purpose, four kinds of second phases blanks were controlled using preheating treatment, composite spinning-extrusion forming and mechanical properties test. Then, the correlation between the second phases and mechanical properties was further analyzed using electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that different second phases of Al–Cu–Li alloy can be regulated via reasonable preheating treatment. In addition, different second phases in the blank have various influences on composite spinning-extrusion forming, microstructure and mechanical properties of cylindrical parts. Dissolving the coarse second phases particles and precipitating the Al3Zr dispersoid in the blank can effectively improve the composite spinning-extrusion forming, inhibit the abnormal growth of recrystallized grains, and significantly enhance the mechanical properties of cylindrical parts with ribs. After regulation, the average grain size of the cylindrical parts is refined from about 90 μm to about 45 μm, and the average diameter of T1 phase is refined from 107 nm to 77 nm. In addition, the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of cylindrical parts are increased from 555 MPa to 588 MPa, 530 MPa to 564 MPa, and 9.1% to 11%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Pileostegia tomentella hand. Mazz (saxifragaceae) total coumarins (TCPT) show antitumour activity in colorectal cancer (CRC) with unknown mechanism of action. tumour angiogenesis mediated by exosomes-derived miRNa exhibits the vital regulation of endothelial cell function in metastasis of CRC. Objective: to investigate the effect of TCPT on exosomal miRNA expression and angiogenesis of CRC cells. Materials and methods: HT-29-derived exosomes were generated from human CRC cells (HT-29) or either treated with TCPT (100 μg/ml) for 24 h, followed by identification by transmission electron microscope, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and Western blot. co-culture experiments for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECS) and exosomes were performed to detect the uptake of exosomes in HUVECs and its influence on HUVECs cells migration and lumen formation ability. Potential target miRNas in exosomes were screened out by sequencing technology. Rescue assays of angiogenesis were performed by the transfecting mimics or inhibitors of targeted miRNa into HUVECs. Results: HT-29-derived exosomes, after TCPT treatment (Exo-TCPT), inhibited the migration and lumen formation of HUVECs, reduced the expression levels of vascular marker (FLT-1, VCAM-1 AND VEGFR-2) in HUVECs. Furthermore, the level of miR-375-3p was significantly upregulated in exo-tcPt. Rescue assays showed that high expression of miR-375-3p in hUVecs inhibited migration and lumen formation abilities, which was consistent with the effects of Exo-TCPT, whereas applying miR-375-3p inhibitors displayed opposite effects. Discussion and conclusion: TCPT exhibits anti-angiogenesis in CRC, possibly through upregulating exosomal miR-375-3p. Our findings will shed light on new target exosomes miRNA-mediated tumour microenvironment and the therapeutic application of Pileostegia tomentella in CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We introduce a new method for inferring changes in parameters of degenerate models. • Using this method, we can detect changes in parameters of the standard diffusion model with a conventional diffusion acquisition. • We showed that extra axonal signal is increased in white matter hyper intensities. Biophysical models that attempt to infer real-world quantities from data usually have many free parameters. This over-parameterisation can result in degeneracies in model inversion and render parameter estimation ill-posed. However, in many applications, we are not interested in quantifying the parameters per se , but rather in identifying changes in parameters between experimental conditions (e.g. patients vs controls). Here we present a Bayesian framework to make inference on changes in the parameters of biophysical models even when model inversion is degenerate, which we refer to as Bayesian EstimatioN of CHange (BENCH). We infer the parameter changes in two steps; First, we train models that can estimate the pattern of change in the measurements given any hypothetical direction of change in the parameters using simulations. Next, for any pair of real data sets, we use these pre-trained models to estimate the probability that an observed difference in the data can be explained by each model of change. BENCH is applicable to any type of data and models and particularly useful for biophysical models with parameter degeneracies, where we can assume the change is sparse. In this paper, we apply the approach in the context of microstructural modelling of diffusion MRI data, where the models are usually over-parameterised and not invertible without injecting strong assumptions. Using simulations, we show that in the context of the standard model of white matter our approach is able to identify changes in microstructural parameters from conventional multi-shell diffusion MRI data. We also apply our approach to a subset of subjects from the UK-Biobank Imaging to identify the dominant standard model parameter change in areas of white matter hyperintensities under the assumption that the standard model holds in white matter hyperintensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose an approach to accurately predict individual variability of task-evoked brain activity. • Prediction accuracy is on par with the repeat task-fMRI (tfMRI) scans, both on the Human Connectome Project and the UK Biobank datasets. • The shape and overall intensity of individual tfMRI activations can be modelled separately and explicitly. • Training on residuals improves prediction of individual-unique features in tfMRI activations. Modelling and predicting individual differences in task-fMRI activity can have a wide range of applications from basic to clinical neuroscience. It has been shown that models based on resting-state activity can have high predictive accuracy. Here we propose several improvements to such models. Using a sparse ensemble learner, we show that (i) features extracted using Stochastic Probabilistic Functional Modes (sPROFUMO) outperform the previously proposed dual-regression approach, (ii) that the shape and overall intensity of individualised task activations can be modelled separately and explicitly, (iii) training the model on predicting residual differences in brain activity further boosts individualised predictions. These results hold for both surface-based analyses of the Human Connectome Project data as well as volumetric analyses of UK-biobank data. Overall, our model achieves state of the art prediction accuracy on par with the test-retest reliability of task-fMRI scans, suggesting that it has potential to supplement traditional task localisers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Peroxymonosulfate could be efficiently activated by piezo-catalysis (PE) with hydraulic mixing. • The energy consumption of hydraulic PE-PMS process was only 2.56% and 22.87% of ultrasonic PE-PMS and traditional E-PMS processes, respectively. • BaTiO 3 as piezoelectric material maintained performance without valence and crystal phase changes after 10 cycles. • There was an optimal hydraulic gradient (7.72 s−1) in hydraulic PE-PMS process. • ·OH played a critical role in the hydraulic PE-PMS process for CBZ degradation. Although peroxymonosulfate (PMS) coupling with ultrasonic piezo-catalysis (PE) or electrolysis (E) exhibited satisfactory efficiency of organics degradation by generating more reactive species, the relatively high energy consumption restricted their application. Hydro-energy, as a clean energy resource, is available in water treatment and transportation processes. Herein, a hydraulic-driven PE-PMS process was proposed, using barium titanate as piezoelectric material for carbamazepine (CBZ) degradation. Results showed that CBZ was efficiently degraded (76.17%, 180 min) in the PE-PMS process with a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 8.15 × 10−3 min−1. Moreover, the degradation ratio of CBZ was still up to 64.19% after 10 cycles without valence and crystal phase changes. Importantly, the energy consumption of the hydraulic PE-PMS process (428.65 kWh m−3 order−1) was only 2.56% and 22.87% of ultrasonic PE-PMS and traditional E-PMS processes, respectively. Finite element method and electrochemical measurement were performed to understand the influence of the hydraulic gradient (G). A positive correlation between G and piezo-potential/current was found in the hydraulic PE-PMS process. However, there was an optimal G value (7.72 s−1) for CBZ degradation. Further studies showed that ·OH played a major role in CBZ degradation during the hydraulic PE-PMS process. Various refractory organics could be effectively degraded in this process, while a satisfactory degradation of CBZ was observed in the actual water matrices. Therefore, the hydraulic-driven PE-PMS system might be an efficient, sustainable, and energy-saving process for water treatment by the potential utilization of residual hydro-energy in water transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The degree of patch fragmentation of H. ammodendron gradually increased with succession. • The system change type of sand-binding vegetation H. ammodendron is a discontinuous system jump. • Soil water content in deep layers and the competition are the main driving factors leading to the spatial pattern variation. The spatial pattern of vegetation can reflect the impacts of the environment on plants and the response of plants to the environment, which can promote a deep understanding of the potential driving mechanisms of vegetation evolution and community maintenance. A sand-binding vegetation system without irrigation has been implemented in the oasis–desert transitional zone since the 1970 s, where the annual precipitation has been approximately 120 mm. While the mobile dunes have been effectively stabilized, a patchy pattern of sand-binding vegetation has been observed. However, we do not understand why the pattern of sand-binding vegetation changed from the initial uniform distribution to the current patchy pattern. In this study, low-altitude UAV remote sensing technology and imaging-based quantification techniques were used to explore the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the spatial patterns of sand-binding vegetation over 50 years. The spatial pattern of Haloxylon ammodendron changed gradually from a uniform distribution to an aggregated distribution, and the degree of patch fragmentation of H. ammodendron at the landscape scale gradually increased with the age of the sand-binding vegetation. The artificial sand-binding vegetation composed of H. ammodendron showed discontinuous change in which the system state reached a transition point after 30 years and changed to another state after 40 years. There were no significant correlations between the landscape indices and soil water content in the shallow layers (0–10 cm, 10–50 cm), while the soil water content in the 50–100 cm layers was significantly negatively correlated with the class area, percentage of landscape, largest patch index, percentage of like adjacencies and aggregation index and was positively correlated with the normalized landscape shape index. The soil water content in the 100–200 cm layers was positively correlated with the number of patches and patch density. Competition intensity at the individual level had a more significant effect on the area-type indices, and competition intensity at the population level had a more significant effect on the clustering-type indices. Finally, we found that the soil water content in deep layers and competition are the main drivers of the H. ammodendron spatial pattern change from a uniform pattern to a patchy pattern. These findings enrich theory on the self-organization of vegetation in arid and semiarid environments and have important theoretical and practical significance for the establishment and management of artificial vegetation in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate analgesic neural circuits activated by electroacupuncture (EA) at different sets of acupoints in the brain, goats were stimulated by EA at set of Baihui-Santai acupoints or set of Housanli acupoints for 30 min. The pain threshold was measured using the potassium iontophoresis method. The levels of c-Fos were determined with Streptavidin-Biotin Complex immunohistochemistry. The results showed pain threshold induced by EA at set of Baihui-Santai acupoints was 44.74%±4.56% higher than that by EA at set of Housanli acupoints (32.64%±5.04%). Compared with blank control, EA at two sets of acupoints increased c-Fos expression in the medial septal nucleus (MSN), the arcuate nucleus (ARC), the nucleus amygdala basalis (AB), the lateral habenula nucleus (HL), the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey (vlPAG), the locus coeruleus (LC), the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), the pituitary gland, and spinal cord dorsal horn (SDH). Compared with EA at set of Housanli points, EA at set of Baihui-Santai points induced increased c-Fos expression in AB but decrease in MSN, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, HL, and SDH. It suggests that ARC-PAG-NRM/LC-SDH and the hypothalamus-pituitary may be the common activated neural pathways taking part in EA-induced analgesia at the two sets of acupoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roll-to-roll (R2R) printing press provides a continuous printing process to print the multi-color patterns onto a web. To correctly print patterns on webs without the register error, it is necessary to regulate the web tension and transport velocity. In this paper, a mathematical model is built for R2R web printing system, and a model-based feedforward PD (MFPD) control method is proposed to reduce the effects of interaction in adjacent print units whose print cylinders are driven by electrical line shafts and is compared with other control methods. The proposed control method is applied to an industrial 7-color gravure printing register system. The register error can be controlled in the range of ±0.1 mm at a steady high speed, which meets the requirement of modern industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxyfuel process is a promising technique for carbon capture and storage, and a new application of perovskite-type oxide is as oxygen carrier for CO 2 capture in oxy-fuel combustion system. This study proposed a novelty process and an optimization study on the synthesis of the BaCoO 3−δ perovskite powders using microwave-assisted EDTA method. OA 16 (4 5 ) orthogonal experiments were employed to optimize the process parameters such as precursor pH, microwave time, microwave power and calcination temperature. The oxygen production performance of synthesized powders were investigated in a fixed-bed reactor system. It was found that the order of significant factors for oxygen production performance of synthesized perovskite samples is microwave radiation time > pH value of precursor solution > calcination temperature > microwave power. Based on the results of the range analysis, the best oxygen production performance of BaCoO 3−δ was found at pH value of precursor solution was 8, microwave radiation time was 30 min, microwave power was 700 W and calcination temperature was 600 °C. Finally, the optimized sample was selected as candidate for multiple oxygen adsorption/desorption cycles tests. Results demonstrate that the prepared perovskites via optimized microwave-assisted EDTA process can be used as a potential oxygen carrier for oxyfuel combustion application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a spacecraft is irradiated by electron in space, the surface flashover phenomenon on dielectric materials of a spacecraft can happen under the condition of lower dc voltage. In order to know the characteristics of surface flashover voltage on dielectric materials, we had a research about the dc surface flashover voltage of dielectric materials. In this paper, we prepared pure polyimide (PI) sample, and had surface flashover experiment for pure PI under dc voltage by low-energy electron irradiation. The results show that when electron energy is <20 keV, the surface flashover voltage of PI in vacuum can increase with the increase in the electron energy; when the electron energy is more than 20 keV, the dc surface flashover voltage can decrease slightly with the increase in the electron energy. When the density range of electron beam is changing from 0.175 to 1.75 \mu \textA /cm2, the dc surface flashover voltage of PI sample has an exponential decrease with the increase in the electron energy density, and this phenomenon is more obvious with the increase in the electron energy density. Also, we discussed the mechanism preliminarily of that electron beam energy and electron beam density influence on the dc surface flashover voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To investigate patterns of c-Fos and c-Jun expression induced by different frequencies of electroacupuncture (EA) in the brain, goats were stimulated by EA of 0, 2, 60, or 100 Hz at a set of “Baihui, Santai, Ergen, and Sanyangluo” points for 30 min. The pain threshold was measured using the potassium iontophoresis method. The levels of c-Fos and c-Jun were determined with Streptavidin-Biotin Complex immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the pain threshold induced by 60 Hz was 82.2% higher (P<0.01) than that by 0, 2, or 100 Hz (6.5%, 35.2%, or 40.9%). EA induced increased c-Fos and c-Jun expression in most analgesia-related nuclei and areas in the brain. Sixty Hz EA increased more c-Fos or c-Jun expression than 2 Hz or 100 Hz EA in all the measured nuclei and areas except for the nucleus accumbens, the area septalis lateralis, the caudate nucleus, the nucleus amygdala basalis, and the locus coeruleus, in which c-Fos or c-Jun expressions induced by 60 Hz EA did not differ from those by 2 Hz or 100 Hz EA. It was suggested that 60 Hz EA activated more extensive neural circuits in goats, which may contribute to optimal analgesic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the year 2023, 1 958 310 new cancer cases and 609 820 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States, estimated by Cancer Statistics, published by American Cancer Society. An accelerated decline in mortality rate of cancer continues since it reached the peak in 1991. The treatment advance brought survival benefit to patients which mainly contribute to the decline along with tobacco control and screening. COVID-19 pandemic caused 350 831 mortality and ranked 3rd in cause of death in 2020, and the mortality had a significant increase in multiple causes of death including cancer. By comparing the data of China and the United States released by GLOBOCAN database in 2020, it is found that, although the influence of the pandemic on cancer has not been evaluated. Although the incidence and mortality of cancer differ between US and China, the experiences are worth learning. Improving the standardization of diagnosis and treatment, enhancing the accessibility of cancer health care, upgrading the coverage of screening and increasing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rate are proven to be effective ways to reduce the mortality of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaO-based sorbents are considered suitable candidates for cyclic CO 2 capture at high temperatures. However, the CO 2 capture capacities of natural CaO-based sorbents decrease sharply after only a few cycles. This paper presents a novel wet mixing combustion synthesis to improve the cyclic CO 2 capture performance of CaO-based sorbents. Results show that preparation conditions significantly affected the cyclic performance of the sorbents. The optimal molar ratios of calcium to magnesium and fuel to metal oxides were 2 and 0.5, respectively, for the preparation process. The wet mixing combustion synthesis did not show the highest CO 2 capture capacity in comparison to the sol–gel combustion synthesis, however, the proposed method is still valid due to the low cost of the materials used. The sorbent prepared by the new method could achieve relatively stable cyclic CO 2 capture behavior, and showed a porous microstructure that can be maintained during cyclic reactions. The capture capacity of the sorbent obtained a 0.4 g CO 2 /g sorbent after 50 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Whether circulating microvesicles convey bioactive signals in neurodegenerative diseases remains currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the biochemical composition and biological function of exosomes isolated from sera of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods Proteomic analysis was performed on microvesicle preparations from grouped samples of patients with genetic and sporadic forms of PD, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and healthy subjects. Nanoparticle-tracking analysis was used to assess the number and size of exosomes between patient groups. To interrogate their biological effect, microvesicles were added to primary rat cortical neurons subjected to either nutrient deprivation or sodium arsenite. Results Among 1033 proteins identified, 23 exosome-associated proteins were differentially abundant in PD, including the regulator of exosome biogenesis syntenin 1. These protein changes were detected despite similar exosome numbers across groups suggesting that they may reflect exosome subpopulations with distinct functions. Accordingly, we showed in models of neuronal stress that Parkinson's-derived microvesicles have a protective effect. Interpretation Collectively, these data suggest for the first time that immunophenotyping of circulating exosome subpopulations in PD may lead to a better understanding of the systemic response to neurodegeneration and the development of novel therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the distributed containment control for second‐order multi‐agent systems with multiple stationary or dynamic leaders based on only position information. Based on stability and algebraic graph theories, some necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained. Firstly, when the leaders are stationary, a necessary and sufficient condition is given to guarantee that all followers will ultimately converge to the stationary convex hull spanned by the stationary leaders for arbitrary initial states. The containment control protocol is designed based on a distributed filter, which is used for estimating the neighbours' velocities of each follower. Secondly, when each leader is dynamic with constant velocity, using sampled current and outdated position data, a necessary and sufficient condition is obtained to drive the followers into the dynamic convex hull spanned by the dynamic leaders. Finally, some numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the proposed theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel series of zwitterionic gemini surfactants with different hydrophobic tails were synthesized and characterized. The physico-chemical properties of these products (such as surface tension, oil/water interfacial tension, foaming ability, and the wetting ability of paraffin-coated sandstone) were fully studied. The CMC of the synthesized surfactants ranged from 2.17 × 10 mol L to 5.36 × 10 mol L and corresponding surface tension ( γ) ranged from 26.49 mN m to 29.06 mN m, which showed excellent efficiency among the comparison surfactants. All the products can reduce the interfacial tension to a relatively low level of about 0.1-1.0 mN m. Additionally, results from applying different hydrocarbons suggested that the synergy will be clearer and oil/water interfacial tension will be lower if the oil components are similar to the surfactants. Contact angle and foaming measurements indicated that the surfactants exhibited good wetting and foaming abilities. The results of oil flooding experiments using an authentic sandstone microscopic model showed that C-12 and CA-12 could effectively improve the displacement efficiency by 21-29 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibody-based technology is the main method for diagnosis and treatment of snake bite envenoming currently. However, the development of an antibody, polyclonal or monoclonal, is a complicated and costly procedure. Aptamers are single stranded oligonucleotides that recognize specific targets such as proteins and have shown great potential over the years as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. In contrast to antibodies, aptamers can be selected in vitro without immunization of animals, and synthesized chemically with extreme accuracy, low cost and high degree of purity. In this study we firstly report on the identification of DNA aptamers that bind to β-bungarotoxin (β-BuTx), a neurotoxin from the venom of Bungarus multicinctus. A plate-SELEX method was used for the selection of β-BuTx specific aptamers. After 10 rounds of selection, four aptamer candidates were obtained, with the dissociation constant ranged from 65.9 nM to 995 nM measured by fluorescence spectroscopy. Competitive binding assays using both the fluorescently labeled and unlabeled aptamers revealed that the four aptamers bound to the same binding site of β-BuTx. The best binder, βB-1, bound specifically to β-BuTx, but not to BSA, casein or α-Bungarotoxin. Moreover, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and enzyme-linked aptamer assay demonstrated that βB-1 could discriminate B. multicinctus venom from other snake venoms tested. The results suggest that aptamer βB-1 can serve as a useful tool for the design and development of drugs and diagnostic tests for β-BuTx poisoning and B. multicinctus bites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breakdown in tolerance of autoreactive B cells in the lupus-prone NZM2410-derived B6.Sle1.Sle2.Sle3 (TC) mice results in the secretion of autoantibodies. TC dendritic cells (DCs) enhance B cell proliferation and antibody secretion in a cytokine-dependent manner. However, the specific cytokine milieu by which TC DCs activate B cells was not known. In this study, we compared TC and C57BL/6 (B6) control for the distribution of DC subsets and for their production of cytokines affecting B cell responses. We show that TC DCs enhanced B cell proliferation through the production of IL-6 and IFN-γ, while antibody secretion was only dependent on IL-6. Pre-disease TC mice showed an expanded PDCA1+ cells prior to disease onset that was localized to the marginal zone and further expanded with age. The presence of PDCA1+ cells in the marginal zone correlated with a Type I Interferon (IFN) signature in marginal zone B cells, and this response was higher in TC than B6 mice. In vivo administration of anti-chromatin immune complexes upregulated IL-6 and IFN-γ production by splenic DCs from TC but not B6 mice. The production of BAFF and APRIL was decreased upon TC DC stimulation both in vitro and in vivo, indicating that these B cell survival factors do not play a role in B cell modulation by TC DCs. Finally, TC B cells were defective at downregulating IL-6 expression in response to anti-inflammatory apoptotic cell exposure. Overall, these results show that the TC autoimmune genetic background induces the production of B cell-modulating inflammatory cytokines by DCs, which are regulated by the microenvironment as well as the interplay between DC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonresolving inflammatory processes affect all stages of carcinogenesis. Lactoferrin, a member of the transferrin family, is involved in the innate immune response and anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor activities. We previously found that lactoferrin is significantly down-regulated in specimens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and negatively associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and prognosis of patients with NPC. Additionally, lactoferrin expression levels are decreased in colorectal cancer as compared with normal tissue. Lactoferrin levels are also increased in the various phases of inflammation and dysplasia in an azoxymethane–dextran sulfate sodium (AOM-DSS) model of colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC). We thus hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory function of lactoferrin may contribute to its anti-tumor activity. Here we generated a new Lactoferrin knockout mouse model in which the mice are fertile, develop normally, and display no gross morphological abnormalities. We then challenged these mice with chemically induced intestinal inflammation to investigate the role of lactoferrin in inflammation and cancer development. Lactoferrin knockout mice demonstrated a great susceptibility to inflammation-induced colorectal dysplasia, and this characteristic may be related to inhibition of NF-κB and AKT/mTOR signaling as well as regulation of cell apoptosis and proliferation. Our results suggest that the protective roles of lactoferrin in colorectal mucosal immunity and inflammation-related malignant transformation, along with a deficiency in certain components of the innate immune system, may lead to serious consequences under conditions of inflammatory insult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] TiO2 aerogel film was used as the blocking layer in the photoanode of DSSC. [•] The film was deposited via sol–gel and ambient-drying process sintering at 500°C. [•] Power conversion efficiency was improved by 36% on P25 based photoanode. [•] Greatly inhibited recombination and enhanced electron lifetime were observed. [•] The slow diffusion rate of ions in small pores of aerogel plays a key role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of nickel on propane oxidation and sulfur resistance of Pt/Ce0.4Zr0.6O2 catalyst has been studied. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET area, H2 temperature programmed reduction. It has been found that the introduction of nickel not only enhances the surface area of the catalyst, but also decreases its reduction temperature. The nickel promoted catalyst is more active in complete oxidation of C3H8. Furthermore, the addition of nickel to the catalyst is able to improve the desorption amount of sulfur species under reducing atmosphere, which could decrease the accumulation of sulfur species in the catalyst. Consequently, the sulfur resistance of Pt/Ce0.4Zr0.6O2 catalyst has been improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

STUDY QUESTION How does the frequency of trinucleotide repeat dynamic mutations in offspring conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART) compare with the frequency of these mutations in control offspring conceived from spontaneous pregnancies? SUMMARY ANSWER There is a slight increase in dynamic mutation instability in offspring conceived through ART compared with the naturally conceived offspring. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY There is evidence to suggest that ART can increase the risk of birth defects and karyotypic abnormalities. However, the accumulating evidence of an association between ART and de novo genetic aberrations is controversial. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A prospective clinical observational study was performed on 246 families recruited from an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centre at a tertiary-care, university-affiliated teaching hospital from 2008 to 2012. The study included 147 ART families [75 IVF and 72 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)] in the study group and 99 natural-conception families in the control group. PARTICIPANTS, SETTING, METHODS Parental, umbilical cord and infant peripheral blood samples were collected, and the trinucleotide repeats of the ATN1, AR, ATXN1, ATXN3, Huntington, DMPK and FMR-1 genes were investigated between the generations; these genes were chosen due to their ability to undergo dynamic mutation. The frequencies and sizes of the mutational repeats, as well as the intergenerational instability, were measured. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In 2466 transmissions identified in the ART offspring, 2.11% (n = 52/2466) of the alleles were unstable upon transmission, while in the control group offspring, the frequency of dynamic mutation was 0.77% (n = 10/1300); this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The unstable transmission alleles were detected in 32 (2.48%) of the 1288 alleles from the IVF offspring and in 20 (1.70%) of the 1178 alleles from the ICSI offspring; both of these frequencies were significantly different from that of naturally conceived offspring (0.77%) (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in the sizes of the mutational repeats or in the rates of expansion or contraction among the three groups (P > 0.05). The repeat copy numbers of the examined genes were found to be within the normal ranges in all parents and infants. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION One strength of our study is the relatively large sample size; we were able to detect mutations in seven common dynamic genes, and this large sample size allowed us to detect unstable alleles. Although we observed a clear alteration in the frequency of dynamic mutation in the ART offspring compared with controls, further studies are urgently needed to confirm this observation and determine the cause of this phenomenon. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS DNA microsatellite analysis provides an important tool to assess genomic instability. In this study, we report an association between ART and the frequency of dynamic mutation. The instability could be a reflection of the core infertility problem, the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and/or the in vitro culture conditions. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB944901), the National Natural Science Program of China (No. 81070532; No. 81070541) and Natural Science Program of Zhejiang Province, China (No. Y2100822). There are no conflicts of interest to be declared. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The lead-free piezoelectric ceramics used in piezoelectric actuators have attracted extensive attention owing to their substantial electric-field-induced strain. In this study, The (1- x)Bi 0.5 (Na 0.41 K 0.09)TiO 3 - x Sr(Hf 0.5 Sb 0.4)O 3 (BNKT- x SHS) piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized using the conventional solid-state reaction method. The impact of SHS substitution on the microstructure and electrical properties was systematically explored. Among them, the BNKT-0.015SHS sample, featuring ergodic relaxor states, demonstrates a high piezoelectric strain coefficient (d 33 *) of 785 p.m./V under a low electric field of 50 kV/cm(Strain = 0.392 %). It exhibits a repeatable strain value of 0.47 % under an 80 kV/cm electric field(d 33 * = 590 p.m./V). Moreover, the strain values remain around 0.4 % between room temperature and 100 °C, with variations within 90 %. The heightened repeatable strain response is considered to be linked to the electric field-induced reversible phase transition occurring within the ergodic relaxor state. The higher strain temperature stability is ascribed to the coexistence of quadrilateral polar nanoregions and rhombic polydomain nanoregions. This study provides an effective example for achieving significant strain responses, presenting a feasible candidate material for applications in piezoelectric actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large adiabatic temperature change along with a wide operating temperature region is usually required for the electrocaloric materials to fulfill their refrigeration function. In general, doping foreign ions into BaTiO3 is the frequently utilized strategy in order to obtain excellent electrocaloric materials for the practical application. In the current paper, BaTiO3 lead‐free ferroelectric ceramics were doped by Ca2+ and Sn4+ simultaneously in order to generate a coexistence state at room temperature, where ferroelectric domains and nanodomains exit. As a result, a large polarization and a wide operating temperature range were finally induced. It is found that Ba0.9Ca0.1Ti0.85Sn0.15O3 has a maximum adiabatic temperature change of 0.85 K and an excellent working temperature region (65 K, ∆T > 90% Tmax) was achieved under an electric field of 50 kV/cm. The above phenomenon indicates that the modified BaTiO3 ceramics can be a good potential electrocaloric material in the state of cross‐existence of ferroelectric domains and nanodomains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have investigated an absorber based on two-dimensional hexagonal graphene array and theoretically propose a calculation method for the approximate conductivity of graphene in the terahertz band and its correction term, and we also theoretically explain the phenomenon of blue-shift of the absorption spectrum with increasing graphene chemical potential. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method shows that this absorber has the advantages of exciting high absorption rate, multi-band, tunable and high figure of merit (FOM). By discussing the analysis of different graphene geometries, we demonstrate the optimality of this result. The bottom layer of our absorber is composed of an Au reflection layer, and the middle layer is a silicon oxide dielectric layer. Four hexagonal two-dimensional graphene is placed at the top. Taking this as the basic unit, an array can be formed. Our absorber has a simple structure, which simplified the processing technology and saves the processing cost greatly. In the near-infrared band from 1600 nm to 1900 nm, our absorbers have absorption peaks of 99.70%, 99.25% and 99.82% at 1667.19 nm, 1691.71 nm and 1773.20 nm, respectively. In addition, the resonance wavelength of the absorber can also be adjusted by adjusting the chemical potential and refractive index of the silicon dioxide layer. The absorber also has the features of polarization and angular insensitivity. Our simulation results show that our absorber's absorption spectrum will change significantly as the ambient refractive index changes, and based on this, we can calculate the sensitivity and the figure of merit (FOM) of our model. We finally calculated the best FOM for the three peaks of our absorber (sorted by resonance wavelength from short to long) is 90.93, 90.96, 107.34, and the sensitivity is 290.25 nm/RIU, 309.95 nm/RIU, 318.50 nm/RIU, respectively. Thus, we trust that our absorbers can be widely used in Near-infrared thermal radiation, optical detector and Near-infrared sensors. [Display omitted] • A concise method for deriving the approximate conductivity of graphene in the terahertz band is proposed, and its correction term is given. • A theoretical explanation for the blue-shift phenomenon of absorption spectra when the chemical potential of graphene increases. • By FDTD simulation, the absorber has three perfect narrow band absorption peaks. • The absorption property can be turned by controlling chemical potential or relaxation time. • The wave absorber has extremely high FOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of ZY1, a novel 21-amino acid peptide from human placenta growth factor-1 (PlGF-1), against ocular neovascularization, and to study its possible toxicity to the retina and the underlying mechanism of antiangiogenic effect. Methods: MTS assays, a modified Boyden chamber and Matrigel™ were used to evaluate the effect of ZY1 on the proliferation, migration and tube formation of RF/6A rhesus macaque choroid-retina endothelial cells induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vitro. The antiangiogenic effect of ZY1 was also studied with corneal micropocket angiogenesis assays and oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) assays in mice. Electrophysiological tests and histological examinations were used to study the possible toxicity of ZY1 against mouse neuroretina. Competitive ELISA and Western blotting were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of ZY1. Results: ZY1 inhibited VEGF-induced RF/6A proliferation, migration and tube formation. It also inhibited ocular neovascularization when applied to the corneal micropocket angiogenesis assays and OIR assays in mice. Electrophysiological tests and histological examinations revealed no evident functional or morphologic abnormalities in mouse neuroretina after ZY1 injection. ZY1 competed for binding to VEGFR-1 against PlGF and VEGF and inhibited VEGFR-1/ERK/AKT activation. Conclusion: It is concluded that the novel peptide ZY1 is an effective inhibitor of ocular pathologic angiogenesis and may provide a promising alternative for ocular antiangiogenic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ceria zirconia solid solution (CZ) that contained BaSO4 was prepared by using coprecipitation method and was used as a supporter for preparing platinum catalyst. It is found that BaSO4 can be evenly distributed in the irregular mesoporous of the CZ. Furthermore, the addition of BaSO4 to the CZ is able to improve the desorption amount of sulfur species under reducing atmosphere, which could decrease the accumulation of sulfur species in the catalyst. Consequently, sulfur poisoning resistance of the catalyst has improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrotreating catalyst NiMo/Al2O3 was modified by adding nano-sized zeolite beta and by hydrothermal treatments. The catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, Pyridine-IR, 29Si NMR, 27Al NMR and TEM. The results showed that the addition of nanobeta could significantly enhance the hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrogenation, and hydrocracking abilities of the NiMo catalysts. The catalytic performance decreased in the order NiMo(C)>NiMo(15)>NiMo(D)>NiMo(7.5)≫NiMo/Al2O3. The presence of nanobeta could strengthen acid sites which facilitated the abilities of hydrocracking and removal of sulfur-containing compounds, especially those of refractory nature. Introduction of nanobeta could also induce the synergetic effect between NiMoS and the support material with thicker NiMoS slabs. This morphology change might be responsible for the improvement in hydrogenation. It was observed that hydrothermal treatment conditions could affect the acidity and the NiMoS morphology of the catalysts, which in turn alter the catalyst hydrogenation ability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polyubiquitination of misfolded proteins, especially K63- linked polyubiquitination, is thought to be associated with the formation of inclusion bodies. However, it is not well explored whether appropriate editing of the different types of ubiquitin linkages by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) affects the dynamics of inclusion bodies. In this study, we report that a specific DUB, ataxin-3, is required for the efficient recruitment of the neurodegenerative disease-associated protein copperzinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) to aggresomes. The overexpression of ataxin-3 promotes mutant SOD1 aggresome formation by trimming K63-linked polyubiquitin chains. Moreover, knockdown of ataxin-3 decreases mutant SOD1 aggresome formation and increases cell death induced by mutant SOD1. Thus, our data suggest that the sequestration of misfolded SOD1 into aggresomes, which is driven by ataxin-3, plays an important role in attenuating protein misfolding-induced cell toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex products with a tree-like structure usually have an asymmetric structure. Therefore, in order to avoid the separation of equipment and operation correlation during the scheduling, the structural attributes of products and the use of equipment resources should be fully considered. However, this feature is ignored in the current research works on the scheduling of multi-variety and small batch products. This leads to increased idle time for equipment and an extended makespan for products. To avoid this situation, a heuristic integrated scheduling algorithm via processing characteristics of various machines (HIS-PCVM) is proposed. In the integrated scheduling, the algorithm first divides the equipment into two categories: the special equipment and the general equipment according to the resources of the production scheduling system. Then, different scheduling methods are designed according to the equipment categories. The makespan of the product is further optimized through various combination methods. Moreover, the constraint audit strategy to guarantee the constraint relationship between the operations is optimized. The earliest scheduling time strategy is proposed to improve the parallelism and serial tightness of the operations. These strategies reduce the idle time of equipment effectively. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a better application effect in reducing the makespan of complex products, both with asymmetric structures and symmetric structures. This also shows that the algorithm is effective in improving the utilization rate of equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater dynamics caused by extraction and recharge are one of the primary causes of subsidence in the urban environment. Lahore is the second largest metropolitan city in Pakistan. The rapid expansion of this urban area due to high population density has increased the demand for groundwater to meet commercial and household needs. Land subsidence due to inadequate groundwater extraction has long been a concern in Lahore. This paper aims to present the persistent scatterer interferometry synthetic aperture radar (PS-InSAR) technique for monitoring the recent land subsidence in Lahore, based on the Sentinel-1 data obtained from January 2020 to December 2021. PS-InSAR techniques are very efficient and cost-effective, determining land subsidence and providing useful results. Areas of high groundwater discharge are prone to high subsidence of −110 mm, while the surroundings show an uplifting of +21 mm during the study period. The PS-InSAR study exposes the subsidence area in detail, particularly when the subsoil is characterized by alluvial and clay deposits and large building structures. This type of observation is quite satisfactory and similar to ground-based surface deformation pertinent to a high subsidence rate. Results will enable more effective urban planning, land infrastructure building, and risk assessment related to subsidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, the evolutionarily conserved intracellular adaptor protein, receptor of activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) was identified as a novel interaction partner of protein inhibitor of activated STAT 2 (PIAS2) using a yeast two-hybrid screening system. The direct interaction and co-localization of RACK1 with PIAS2 was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining analysis, respectively. The 5th to 7th Trp-Asp 40 (5–7 WD40) repeats of RACK1 were identified as the minimal domain required for interaction with PIAS2 by deletion analysis. Furthermore, multiple PIAS2-domains, particularly the ‘PINIT’ and RLD domains, bind the RACK1 5–7 WD40 domain. Structured summary of protein interactions: PIAS2 physically interacts with RACK1 by two hybrid (View interaction) RACK1 and PIAS2 colocalize by fluorescence microscopy (View interaction) PIAS2 physically interacts with RACK1 by two hybrid pooling approach (View interaction) PIAS2 and RACK1 colocalize by fluorescence microscopy (View interaction) PIAS2 physically interacts with RACK1 by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (View Interaction: 1, 2) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tissue templates for reconstruction and regeneration in vivo have achieved clinical successes for homogeneous tissues in well vascularized regions. Outstanding challenges exist for applications in poorly vascularized regions and for spatially differentiated tissues. Here, we present a strategy to control the spatial patterns of cell and vascular ingrowth throughout the volume of a bioremodelable and resorbable matrix via well-defined micropores and networks of microchannels. Our presentation of this approach includes: a description of a lithographic technique to form deterministic microstructures within a matrix of native collagen; elucidation of multistep process by which microstructures drive rapid invasion and vascularization; and demonstration of long range guidance of invasion through the full thickness of patterned templates. Experiments were performed in a murine wound model. These microstructured tissue templates (MTTs) could improve outcomes in reconstructive surgery and open paths to directed regeneration of spatially heterogeneous tissues or organs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has been recognized as an energy-efficient method for CO2 capture. For calcium sulfate (CaSO4) oxygen carrier, the rapid fall in the mechanical strength and reactivity limits its application in CLC. In this study, Taguchi robust design method with L 9 orthogonal array was implemented to optimize extrusion condition for the preparation of binder-supported CaSO4 oxygen carriers. The orthogonal experiment results showed the addition of SB powder enhanced both mechanical strength and conversion of CaSO4, and the optimal extrusion condition was 30g CaSO4, 12g SB powder, 2.5mL acetic acid, and 15mL water. The favorable oxygen carriers were comprehensively studied in a fixed bed reactor. The results of reduction test showed the mass-based reaction rates of the binder-supported CaSO4 were significantly increased, because the fresh samples had the higher surface area which was evidenced by pore structure analysis. Moreover, the favorable performance of binder-supported CaSO4 was explained by formation of CaAl2O4 which had excellent thermal stability and provided a stable nanosized framework between the crystal grains observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of neuroserpin polymers in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of cortical and subcortical neurons in the CNS because of neuroserpin point mutations. ER-associated degradation (ERAD) is involved in mutant neuroserpin degradation. In this study, we demonstrate that two ER-associated E3 ligases, Hrd1 and gp78, are involved in the ubiquitination and degradation of mutant neuroserpin. Overexpression of Hrd1 and gp78 decreases the mutant neuroserpin protein level, whereas Hrd1 and gp78 knockdown increases mutant neuroserpin stability. Moreover, ERAD impairment by mutant valosin-containing protein increases the mutant neuroserpin protein level and aggregate formation. Thus, these findings identify mutant neuroserpin as an ERAD target and show that Hrd1 and gp78 mediate mutant neuroserpin turnover through the ERAD pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The mechanism of the formation of oil–mineral-aggregates (OMA) is studied by particle image velocimetry (PIV) to evaluate factors that may influence its application as an oil spill countermeasure. Both stationary and moving oil droplet strategies are employed. The movements of mineral particles near an oil droplet are captured and the interactions between mineral particles and oil droplets are visualized through the vector fields of mineral particles. The interaction between two different crude oils and three types of minerals were evaluated in this work. The results show that hydrophobicity plays an important role in the interaction between mineral particles and oil droplets. Hydrophobic minerals (modified Kaolin) tend to have more oil–mineral attraction than hydrophilic minerals (original Kaolin and diatomite). The results obtained in this work suggest that the medium South American crude was more repulsive against hydrophilic minerals (both Kaolin and diatomite) than the Alaska North Slope crude. On comparison to the original Kaolin, the vector field for oil in motion shows a more intensive interaction between modified Kaolin and Alaska North Slope oil and higher velocities maintained for a longer time period. The effect of dispersant is also tested. The results show that the oil-dispersant mixing method does not significantly change the oil surface property, while the water-dispersant mixing does. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]