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Walnut shell is lightweight material with high‐strength and toughening characteristics, but it is different from other nut shells' microstructure with two or three short sclerotic cell layers and long bundle fibers. It is essential to explore the fracture resistance biomechanism of lightweight walnut shell and how to prevent damage of bionic structure. In this study, it is found that the asymmetric mass center and geometric center dissipated impact energy to the whole shell without loading concentration in the loading area. Diaphragma juglandis is a special structure improved walnut shell's toughening. The S‐shape gradient porosity/elastic modulus distribution combined with pits on single auxetic sclerotic cells requires higher energy to crack expansion, then decreases its fracture behavior. These fantastic findings inspire to design fracture resistance devices including helmets, armor, automobile anti‐collision beams, and re‐entry capsule in spacecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is well-established as an important protective factor against degenerative conditions and a promoter of tissue growth and renewal. The discovery of Fibronectin domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) as the precursor of Irisin in 2012 sparked significant interest in its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic agent for various diseases. Clinical studies have examined the correlation between plasma Irisin levels and pathological conditions using a range of assays, but the lack of reliable measurements for endogenous Irisin has led to uncertainty about its prognostic/diagnostic potential as an exercise surrogate. Animal and tissue-engineering models have shown the protective effects of Irisin treatment in reversing functional impairment and potentially permanent damage, but dosage ambiguities remain unresolved. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the clinical and basic studies of Irisin in the context of degenerative conditions and explores its potential as a therapeutic approach in the physiological processes involved in tissue repair/regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface interactions in 2D vertically stacked heterostructures play an important role in optoelectronic applications, and photodetectors based on graphene/InSe heterostructures show promising performance nowadays. However, nonlinear optical property studies based on the graphene/InSe heterostructure are insufficient. Here, we fabricated a graphene/InSe heterostructure by mechanical exfoliation and investigated the optically induced charge transfer between graphene/InSe heterostructures by taking photoluminescence and pump–probe measurements. The large built-in electric field at the interface was confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Furthermore, due to the efficient interfacial carrier transfer driven by the built-in electric potential (~286 meV) and broadband nonlinear absorption, the application of the graphene/InSe heterostructure in a mode-locked laser was realized. Our work not only provides a deeper understanding of the dipole orientation-related interface interactions on the photoexcited charge transfer of graphene/InSe heterostructures, but also enriches the saturable absorber family for ultrafast photonics application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location pattern mining (SCPM) aims to discover subsets of spatial features frequently located together in proximate areas. Previous studies of SCPM solely concern the inter-features association of a pattern, but neglect the interesting intra-feature behavior. In this paper, we propose the task of spatial co-location pattern mining with coupling relation consideration (SCPM-CR) to capture complex relations embedded in a co-location. Specifically, InterPCI measure is designed to capture the inter-features coupling by considering the comprehensive interaction of objects for the features in a pattern, and luckily it possesses the anti-monotone property. Another measure, IntraCAI, is proposed to capture the congregating behavior of intra-feature objects under the restriction of a co-location. A general framework is designed for SCPM-CR task and experiments show that a large fraction of computation time is devoted to identifying the participating objects of a candidate pattern. To tackle this calculation bottleneck, a novel candidate-and-search algorithm is suggested, CS-HBS, equipped with heuristic backtracking search. Extensive experiments are conducted on real and synthetic datasets to demonstrate the superiority of SCPM-CR compared with traditional SCPM methods, and also to validate the efficiency and scalability of CS-HBS. Experimental results show that CS-HBS outperforms the baselines by several times or even orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A co-location pattern is a set of spatial features whose instances are frequently correlated to each other in space. Its mining models always consist of two essential steps. One step is to generate neighbor relationships between spatial instances, and another step is to check the prevalence of candidate patterns on the clique, star or Delaunay triangulation relationships. At least three major issues are addressed in this paper. First, since different spatial regions, different distribution densities, it is difficult to set appropriate parameters to generate ideal neighbor relationships. Second, the clique relationship and the others are so strongly rigid that the users' personal interests are suppressed; some interesting patterns are neglected without increasing redundancy. Third, the different strength of correlations among instances are neglected in prevalence calculation. It causes correlations among features to be undifferentiated. Accordingly, the main work of this paper includes: (1) The neighbor relationship generation can be improved on the idea that the distances between an instance and any of its neighbors are not remarkably different. (2) The type- β co-location pattern is defined and checked based on a co-occurrence where the closeness centrality of each instance is not less than a given threshold β. (3) Since the closeness centrality carries strength of correlations among instances, the strength of the correlations between a feature and the other ones in a type- β co-location pattern can be evaluated with prevalence calculation. Finally, experiments on synthetic and real-world spatial data sets are used to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of our works. The results show that fewer spatial neighbor relationships are generated, and more interesting patterns can be discovered by flexibly adjusting β according to the user's preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) infections result in substantial economic losses in the poultry industry. Recent findings have revealed that FAdV-4 significantly suppresses the host immune response upon infection; however, the specific viral and host factors contributing to this immunomodulatory activity remain poorly characterized. Moreover, diverse cell types exhibit differential immune responses to FAdV-4 infection. To elucidate cell-specific host responses, we performed transcriptomic analysis of FAdV-4 infected leghorn male hepatocellular (LMH) and chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells. Although FAdV-4 replicated more efficiently in LMH cells, it provoked limited interferon-stimulated gene induction. In contrast, FAdV-4 infection triggered robust antiviral responses in CEF cells, including upregulation of cytosolic DNA sensing and interferon-stimulated genes. Knockdown of key cytosolic DNA sensing molecules enhanced FAdV-4 replication in LMH cells while reducing interferon-stimulated gene expression. Our findings reveal cell-specific virus-host interactions that provide insight into FAdV-4 pathogenesis while identifying factors that mediate antiviral immunity against FAdV-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location pattern (SCP) mining aims to mine the implicit relationships between different spatial features. These features often have certain connections and co-occur in close geographical proximity. Regional co-location pattern (RCP) mining is a branch of SCP mining, which is usually used to discover some sets of spatial features that do not often co-occur in large spatial scales but co-occur in local regions. Discovering RCPs is still very challenging, because different RCPs will be obtained under different region partitions. However, existing region division methods still suffer from ignoring the influence of the density of individual feature instances, low recognition rate of regions with low density distribution but containing RCPs, and lack of semantic information in the delineated regions. To this end, first, we propose a novel multi-density clustering method based on maximal cliques (MCs) during the partitioning phase of RCP mining. Second, we design a two-stage mining algorithm based on MCs in the mining phase, which fully exploits the advantages of the MC to improve the mining efficiency, and the algorithm can quickly obtain new mining results when changing the prevalence threshold. Third, regional similarity is defined based on RCPs over regions to merge similar sub-regions. Finally, the proposed method is compared with a state-of-the-art method on both synthetic and real datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method can not only effectively solve the issues of existing methods to make the divided sub-regions more closely matched with the real spatial distribution, but also quickly obtain new mining results when changing the prevalence threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cr3+, Y3+ co-doped ZnGaSnO 4 (ZGSCY) shows enhanced persistent luminescence (PL) with the presence of H 2 O 2 in the solution. • Modification of ZGSCY with organosilica leads to improved dispersibility and enhanced PL intensity in response to H 2 O 2. • The intrinsic and extrinsic response mechanism is elucidated. • ZGSCY enables autofluorescence-free detection of H 2 O 2 in biological systems. Autofluorescence interference in the conventional fluorescence detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) in biological systems represents a long-lasting problem in the field of biosensing. Here, we report a Cr3+, Y3+ co-doped ZnGaSnO 4 (ZGSCY) nanoprobes which show long persistent luminescence (PL) that can be specifically enhanced by H 2 O 2 without background fluorescence interference. The mesoporous organosilica are coated on the surface of ZGSCY to enhance the biocompatibility of the nanoprobes. Importantly, PL intensity of the nanoprobes can be further improved, because of the specific response of tetrasulfide bond in organosilica to H 2 O 2. ZGSCY@MON show high-sensitive detection of H 2 O 2 in living cells and human serum with the advantages of high specificity, low detection limit (91 nM), and wide linear range (0.5–60 μM, 60–400 μM). Furthermore, the extraordinary detection capability of H 2 O 2 enables that the successful differentiate normal breast cells from breast cancer cells and the highly sensitive determination of serum glucose and cholesterol. We also clarified that the endogenous response originates from the UV-induced the interfacial electron transfer on ZGSCY regulated by H 2 O 2 and exogenous response stems from the elimination of the adsorption of PL from the organosilica by H 2 O 2. These findings open up a new effective way for autofluorescence-free detection of H 2 O 2 in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The erector spinae plane (ESP) block and thoracolumbar interfascial plane (TLIP) block were two novel plane blocks. The purpose of this study was to investigate TLIP block and ESP block on the effect of analgesic and opioid consumption in lumbar spine fusion surgery in the perioperative period. Methods: Three hundred and four patients who suffered lumbar spine fusion were included and randomly divided into three groups: a control group (n = 102), an ESP block group (n = 100), and a TLIP block group (n = 102). We recorded the numerical rating scale (NRS) pain at movement and static during the postoperative 48 h, opioid consumption, additional analgesic requirement, frequency of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) compressions, Bruggemann Comfort Scale (BCS) score, side effects, duration of hospital stay, and the life quality score (LQS) after operation at 6 months. Results: The patients in the ESP block group have better analgesia during 12–48 h postoperative time at static state, a lower frequency of PCA compressions at 24–48 h after surgery, and the opioid consumption in the PCA (sufentanil) were less than those in the TLIP block group (P < 0.05). However, the BCS and LQS scores were no different between the two plane block groups after surgery at 6 months. There was no difference in hospital stay and the incidence of side effect among the three groups. Conclusions: Our results found that patients who suffered ESP block have better analgesic effects and less pain scores in static states and less frequency of PCA compression and opioid analgesic consumption compared with those that suffered TLIP block. Trial Registration: ChiCTR1800019639. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of the study was to assess the uterus motions and bladder volume changes of fractional movements in cervical sites throughout the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment. Materials/methods: A prospective online MR imaging tracking study was conducted in EBRT 43 patients with at least 4 scans during each treatment (before: ultrasound scan, MRI scan, CBCT scan, after: MRI scan) were included. In order to improve the treatment repeatability, each patient was instructed to empty the bladder and drink 500 ml water 1 h before CT simulation and each treatment. If the ultrasound scan result reached the CT simulation volume of bladder, the treatment began. Bladder was outlined on the T2 weighted axial sequence and CBCT image by the two observers to avoid the influence of contouring. The data of bladder volume and scanning time were accurately recorded. The bladder volumes, filling rates and uterus motion were retrospectively analyzed by MIM software. Results: Inter-fraction variation of the bladder volume was significant (p < 0.0001). Intra-fraction mean increase of the bladder volume was modest (30 cc) but significant (p < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-fraction of the uterus motion were significant. The average time between the pre-and post-fraction MRI scans was 27.82 ± 7.12 min (range 10–55 min) for IMRT plans and 24.14 ± 5.86 min (range7-38 min) for VMAT plan. Average bladder filling rate was 3.43 ml/min. The bladder filling rate did not change significantly with the course of treatment, but the bladder was more intolerant. Conclusion: This is the most detailed assessment of intra-fraction and inter-fraction motion during EBRT for cervical cancer. Finally, this study will inform appropriate treatment margins for online adaptive radiotherapy. We suggest that at least one image scan is needed before the EBRT. The portable US scanner provides a quick but unreliable measurement of the bladder volume. There is a significant statistical difference between the results of ultrasonic scanning and that of image scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of the study was to assess the uterus motions and bladder volume changes of fractional movements in cervical sites throughout the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment. Materials/methods: A prospective online MR imaging tracking study was conducted in EBRT 43 patients with at least 4 scans during each treatment (before: ultrasound scan, MRI scan, CBCT scan, after: MRI scan) were included. In order to improve the treatment repeatability, each patient was instructed to empty the bladder and drink 500 ml water 1 h before CT simulation and each treatment. If the ultrasound scan result reached the CT simulation volume of bladder, the treatment began. Bladder was outlined on the T2 weighted axial sequence and CBCT image by the two observers to avoid the influence of contouring. The data of bladder volume and scanning time were accurately recorded. The bladder volumes, filling rates and uterus motion were retrospectively analyzed by MIM software. Results: Inter-fraction variation of the bladder volume was significant (p < 0.0001). Intra-fraction mean increase of the bladder volume was modest (30 cc) but significant (p < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-fraction of the uterus motion were significant. The average time between the pre-and post-fraction MRI scans was 27.82 ± 7.12 min (range 10–55 min) for IMRT plans and 24.14 ± 5.86 min (range7-38 min) for VMAT plan. Average bladder filling rate was 3.43 ml/min. The bladder filling rate did not change significantly with the course of treatment, but the bladder was more intolerant. Conclusion: This is the most detailed assessment of intra-fraction and inter-fraction motion during EBRT for cervical cancer. Finally, this study will inform appropriate treatment margins for online adaptive radiotherapy. We suggest that at least one image scan is needed before the EBRT. The portable US scanner provides a quick but unreliable measurement of the bladder volume. There is a significant statistical difference between the results of ultrasonic scanning and that of image scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of the study was to assess the uterus motions and bladder volume changes of fractional movements in cervical sites throughout the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment.Materials/methods: A prospective online MR imaging tracking study was conducted in EBRT 43 patients with at least 4 scans during each treatment (before: ultrasound scan, MRI scan, CBCT scan, after: MRI scan) were included. In order to improve the treatment repeatability, each patient was instructed to empty the bladder and drink 500 ml water 1 h before CT simulation and each treatment. If the ultrasound scan result reached the CT simulation volume of bladder, the treatment began. Bladder was outlined on the T2 weighted axial sequence and CBCT image by the two observers to avoid the influence of contouring. The data of bladder volume and scanning time were accurately recorded. The bladder volumes, filling rates and uterus motion were retrospectively analyzed by MIM software.Results: Inter-fraction variation of the bladder volume was significant (p < 0.0001). Intra-fraction mean increase of the bladder volume was modest (30 cc) but significant (p < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-fraction of the uterus motion were significant. The average time between the pre-and post-fraction MRI scans was 27.82 ± 7.12 min (range 10-55 min) for IMRT plans and 24.14 ± 5.86 min (range7-38 min) for VMAT plan. Average bladder filling rate was 3.43 ml/min. The bladder filling rate did not change significantly with the course of treatment, but the bladder was more intolerant.Conclusion: This is the most detailed assessment of intra-fraction and inter-fraction motion during EBRT for cervical cancer. Finally, this study will inform appropriate treatment margins for online adaptive radiotherapy. We suggest that at least one image scan is needed before the EBRT. The portable US scanner provides a quick but unreliable measurement of the bladder volume. There is a significant statistical difference between the results of ultrasonic scanning and that of image scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is an essential biomarker for tumor treatment. Affibody is an ideal vector for preparing HER2 specific probes because of high affinity and rapid clearance from normal tissues, etc. Zirconium-89 is a PET imaging isotope with a long half-life and suitable for monitoring biological processes for more extended periods. In this study, a novel 89Zr-labeled HER2 affibody, [89Zr]Zr-DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2, was synthesized, and its imaging characters were also assessed. Results: The precursor, DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2, was obtained with a yield of nearly 50%. The radiochemical yield of [89Zr]Zr -DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2 was 90.2 ± 1.9%, and the radiochemical purity was higher than 95%. The total synthesis time was only 30 min. The probe was stable in PBS and serum. The tracer accumulated in HER2 overexpressing human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells. In vivo studies in mice bearing tumors showed that the probe was highly retained in SKOV-3 xenografts even for 48 h. The tumors were visualized with good contrast to normal tissues. ROI analysis revealed that the average uptake values in the tumor were greater than 5% IA/g during 48 h postinjection. On the contrary, the counterparts of MCF-7 tumors kept low levels (~ 1% IA/g). The outcome was consistent with the immunohistochemical analysis and ex vivo autoradiography. The probe quickly cleared from the normal organs except kidneys and mainly excreted through the urinary system. Conclusion: The novel HER2 affibody for PET imaging was easily prepared with satisfactory labeling yield and radiochemical purity. [89Zr]Zr-DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2 is a potential candidate for detecting HER2 expression. It may play specific roles in clinical cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular smooth muscle cells from the pulmonary arteries (HPASMC) of subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit hyperplastic growth. The PAH HPASMC display an increased sensitivity to fetal bovine serum (FBS) and undergo growth at a very low, 0.2%, FBS concentration. On the other hand, normal HPASMC (obtained from non-PAH donors) do not proliferate at low FBS (0.2%). A previous genomic study suggested that the nuclear factor, FOXM1 and the polo like kinase 1 (PLK1) are involved in promoting this hyperplastic growth of the PAH HPASMC. Here we find that limiting the action of FOXM1 or PLK1 not only restricts the hyperplastic proliferation of the PAH HPASMC but also modulates the FBS stimulated growth of normal HPASMC. The PAH HPASMC exhibit significantly elevated PLK1 and FOXM1 expression and decreased p27 (quiescence protein) levels compared to normal HPASMC. Regulation of the expression of FOXM1 and PLK1 is accompanied by the regulation of downstream expression of cell cycle components, Aurora B, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1. Expression of these cell cycle components is reversed by the knockdown of FOXM1 or PLK1 expression/activity. Furthermore, the knockdown of PLK1 expression lowers the protein level of FOXM1. On the other hand, inhibiting the action of FOXO1, a growth inhibitor, further increases the expression of FOXM1 in PAH HPASMC. Although PLK1 and FOXM1 clearly participate in PAH HPASMC hyperplasia, at this time it is not clear whether their increased activity is the primary driver of the hyperplastic behavior of the PAH HPASMC or merely a component of the pathway(s) leading to this response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the differences in target volumes between preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRIpre) and postoperative MRI (MRIpost) for breast radiotherapy after breast‐conserving surgery (BCS) using deformable image registration (DIR). Methods and Materials: Seventeen eligible patients who underwent whole‐breast irradiation in the prone position after BCS were enrolled. On MRIpre, the gross tumor volume (GTV) was delineated as GTVpre, which was then expanded by 10 mm to represent the preoperative lumpectomy cavity (LC), denoted as LCpre. The LC was expanded to the clinical target volume (CTV) and planning target volume (PTV) on the MRIpre and MRIpost, denoted as CTVpre, CTVpost, PTVpre, and PTVpost, respectively. The MIM software system was used to register the MRIpre and MRIpost using DIR. Differences were evaluated regarding target volume, distance between the centers of mass (dCOM), conformity index (CI), and degree of inclusion (DI). The relationship between CILC/CIPTV and the clinical factors was also assessed. Results: Significant differences were observed in LC and PTV volumes between MRIpre and MRIpost (p < 0.0001). LCpre was 0.85 cm3 larger than LCpost, while PTVpre was 29.38 cm3 smaller than PTVpost. The dCOM between LCpre and LCpost was 1.371 cm, while that between PTVpre and PTVpost reduced to 1.348 cm. There were statistically significant increases in CI and DI for LCpost–LCpre and PTVpost–PTVpre (CI = 0.221, 0.470; DI = 0.472, 0.635). No obvious linear correlations (p > 0.05) were found between CI and GTV, primary tumor volume‐to‐breast volume ratio, distance from the primary tumor to the nipple and chest wall, and body mass index. Conclusions: Despite using DIR technology, the spatial correspondence of target volumes between MRIpre and MRIpost was suboptimal. Therefore, relying solely on preoperative diagnostic MRI with DIR for postoperative LC delineation is not recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, economic, and eco-friendly method of detecting ascorbic acid (AA) with excellent sensitivity was developed. The method took advantage of the fluorescence of carbon quantum dots (CDs) decreasing as the AA concentration increased through interactions between AA and Ag(I) in the presence of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) seeds, producing more AgNPs and allowing fluorescence resonance energy transfer between the AgNPs and the CDs. The change in the fluorescence intensity when AA was added was proportional to the AA concentration over the range 0-9.0 μM. The AA detection limit was 0.2 μM. This approach is a new method for determining the concentration of AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location pattern mining is an interesting and important task in spatial data mining which discovers the subsets of spatial features frequently observed together in nearby geographic space. However, the traditional framework of mining prevalent co-location patterns produces numerous redundant co-location patterns, which makes it hard for users to understand or apply. To address this issue, in this paper, we study the problem of reducing redundancy in a collection of prevalent co-location patterns by utilizing the spatial distribution information of co-location instances. We first introduce the concept of semantic distance between a co-location pattern and its super-patterns, and then define redundant co-locations by introducing the concept of δ-covered, where $\delta \,(0\leq \delta \leq 1)$ is a coverage measure. We develop two algorithms RRclosed and RRnull to perform the redundancy reduction for prevalent co-location patterns. The former adopts the post-mining framework that is commonly used by existing redundancy reduction techniques, while the latter employs the mine-and-reduce framework that pushes redundancy reduction into the co-location mining process. Our performance studies on the synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that our method effectively reduces the size of the original collection of closed co-location patterns by about 50 percent. Furthermore, the RRnull method runs much faster than the related closed co-location pattern mining algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camptothecin is a naturally occurred anticancer drug but exhibits limitations including poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and high level of adverse drug reactions on normal organs. To overcome these problems, this paper developed a novel amphiphilic Lau-Leu-HES carrier using hydroxyethyl starch, lauric acid, and L -leucine as starting materials. The carrier was successfully applied to prepare Lau-Leu-HES nanoparticles loading camptothecin. The drug loading efficiency and encapsulation efficiency of the nanoparticles were calculated to be 29.04% and 81.85%, respectively. The nanoparticles exhibited high zeta potential (–15.51 mV) and small hydrodynamic diameter (105.4 nm). Camptothecin in nanoparticles could be rapidly released under acidic condition (pH = 4.5), thereby indicating the high sensitivity under cancer microenvironments. Anticancer investigation revealed that the nanoparticles could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in vitro. Compared with commercial available drug doxorubicin, the nanoparticles could significantly inhibit the expression of kras v12 oncogene in transgenic Tg (EGFP-kras V12 ) zebrafish. These results indicate that the camptothecin-loaded Lau-Leu-HES nanoparticles are expected to be a potential candidate for cancer therapy. [Display omitted] • Lauric acid and L -leucine were used for modification of hydroxyethyl starch. • Camptothecin-loaded nanoparticles inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells. • Zebrafish model was used for investigating the anticancer activity of nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new cell-based method for mining co-locations on extended objects was presented. • Cell-relation operations replaced instance computing to speed up the calculation. • Neighbor relations were materialized into feature transactions of cells. • The algorithm was compared with the latest algorithm and the classical one. Spatial co-location pattern mining (SCPM) is intended to discover subsets of spatial features whose instances are frequently located together in geographic areas. Traditional SCPM methods are designed for point spatial instances. However, in reality, instances are mostly in the form of extended objects, e.g., lines, polygons. In addition, current SCPM methods with extended objects are less well researched and have two disadvantages: (1) Existing researches cannot effectively capture neighborhood relationships between extended objects and their mining results cannot properly reflect the distribution dependence of features; (2) These methods are not efficient enough with large datasets. This paper proposes a novel framework called cell-relation operations framework to overcome these issues. To eliminate the first shortcoming, the framework uses the area overlapping of buffers between objects to gain the neighbor relationships between extended objects and introduces participation index under buffer size k to identify prevalent co-location patterns. To address the second problem, our framework employs cell-relation operations rather than instance relation computing as the basic computing unit for co-location mining, which substantially speeds up the computation. The framework obtains spatial co-locations by counting the feature transactions of the cells and calculates the feature overlap ratio of the cells to generate co-locations. We implement experiments with real datasets to demonstrate that our framework's mining results are more reasonable and the proposed framework's runtime outperforms the baselines by 2 to 4 orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spatial co-location pattern is a group of spatial objects whose instances are frequently located in the same region. The spatial co-location pattern mining problem has been investigated extensively in the past due to its broad range of applications. In this paper we study this problem for fuzzy objects. Fuzzy objects play an important role in many areas, such as the geographical information system and the biomedical image database. In this paper, we propose two new kinds of co-location pattern mining for fuzzy objects, single co-location pattern mining (SCP) and range co-location pattern mining (RCP), to mining co-location patterns at a membership threshold or within a membership range. For efficient SCP mining, we optimize the basic mining algorithm to accelerate the co-location pattern generation. To improve the performance of RCP mining, effective pruning strategies are developed to significantly reduce the search space. The efficiency of our proposed algorithms as well as the optimization techniques are verified with an extensive set of experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spatial colocation pattern is a group of spatial features whose instances are frequently located together in geographic space. Discovering colocations has many useful applications. For example, colocated plant species discovered from plant distribution data sets can contribute to the analysis of plant geography, phytosociology studies, and plant protection recommendations. In this paper, we study the colocation mining problem in the context of uncertain data, as the data generated from a wide range of data sources are inherently uncertain. One straightforward method to mine the prevalent colocations in a spatially uncertain data set is to simply compute the expected participation index of a candidate and decide if it exceeds a minimum prevalence threshold. Although this definition has been widely adopted, it misses important information about the confidence which can be associated with the participation index of a colocation. We propose another definition, probabilistic prevalent colocations, trying to find all the colocations that are likely to be prevalent in a randomly generated possible world. Finding probabilistic prevalent colocations (PPCs) turn out to be difficult. First, we propose pruning strategies for candidates to reduce the amount of computation of the probabilistic participation index values. Next, we design an improved dynamic programming algorithm for identifying candidates. This algorithm is suitable for parallel computation, and approximate computation. Finally, the effectiveness and efficiency of the methods proposed as well as the pruning strategies and the optimization techniques are verified by extensive experiments with “real $(+)$ synthetic” spatially uncertain data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To segment the pelvic active bone marrow (PABM) using magnetic resonance (MR) functional imaging and investigate the feasibility and dosimetric characteristics of cervical cancer proton radiotherapy for active bone marrow (ABM) sparing. Methods: We collected CT and MR simulation images of 33 patients with cervical cancer retrospectively. The PBM was contoured on the MRI FatFrac images; the PBM was divided into high-active bone marrow (ABM-high) and low-active bone marrow based on the fat content of the PBM. Four radiotherapy plans were created for each patient, which included intensity-modulated photon therapy (IMRT), bone marrow sparing IMRT (IMRT-BMS), intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT), and bone marrow sparing IMPT (IMPT-BMS). The dosimetric differences among the four plans were compared. Results: The ABM-high volume in the enrolled patients accounted for 45.2% of the total ABM volume. The target coverage was similar among the four radiotherapy plans. IMRT-BMS, IMPT, and IMPT-BMS reduced the Dmean of ABM-high by 16.6%, 14.2%, and 44.5%, respectively, compared to the Dmean of IMRT (p < 0.05). IMPT-BMS had the best protective effect on the bone marrow. Compared to IMRT, the volume of ABM-high receiving an irradiation dose of 5–40 Gy decreased by 10.2%, 36.8%, 58.8%, 67.4%, 64.9%, and 44.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The MR functional imaging technique helped in the grading and segmentation of PABM. MR functional image-guided proton radiotherapy for cervical cancer can achieve optimal BMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Graphite is an inexpensive carbon material, but its hydrogen absorbing performance has attracted little attention. In this paper, in order to lower the cost of nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) battery, graphite is used as a hydrogen absorbing material in its negative electrode. The results of charge–discharge tests show that the graphite electrode has poor electrochemical hydrogen absorbing performance. The capacity of the graphite/AB5 alloy (90wt%) composite electrode is close to AB5 alloy (298mAh/g), but it has higher charge–discharge polarization and difficulty in activation. When graphite is modified with metal nickel powder by a simple ball milling process, the capacity of the composite electrode reaches to 315mAh/g and its activation is accelerated. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests show that hydrogen diffusion in the modified composite electrode is more rapid than in AB5 alloy, thereby resulting in lower charge–discharge polarization and better discharge performance at large currents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A spatial co-location pattern denotes a subset of spatial features whose instances frequently appear nearby. High influence co-location pattern mining is used to find co-location patterns with high influence in specific aspects. Studies of such pattern mining usually rely on spatial distance for measuring nearness between instances, a method that cannot be applied to an influence propagation process concluded from epidemic dispersal scenarios. To discover meaningful patterns by using fruitful results in this field, we extend existing approaches and propose a mining framework. We first defined a new concept of proximity to depict semantic nearness between instances of distinct features, thus applying a star-shaped materialized model to mine influencing patterns. Then, we designed attribute descriptors to perceive attributes of instances and edges from time series data, and we calculated the attribute weights via an analytic hierarchy process, thereby computing the influence between instances and the influence of features in influencing patterns. Next, we constructed influencing metrics and set a threshold to discover high influencing patterns. Since the metrics do not satisfy the downward closure property, we propose two improved algorithms to boost efficiency. Extensive experiments conducted on real and synthetic datasets verified the effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel maximal prevalent co-location pattern mining framework is presented. • The time and space costs are reduced efficiently by maximal cliques and hash tables. • Enumerating maximal cliques is accelerated by bit string operations. • The performance of the proposed method is proved by comparative experiments. Co-location patterns refer to subsets of Boolean spatial features with instances of these features frequently appear in nearby geographic space. Maximal co-location patterns are a compact representation of these patterns that lead users more easily to absorb results and make meaningful inferences. The current algorithms for maximal co-location pattern mining are based on a generate-test candidate model. The main execution time of this model is occupied by collecting co-location instances of candidates, which makes discovering maximal co-location patterns is still very challenging when data is big and/or dense. To take up the challenge, a novel maximal co-location pattern mining framework based on maximal cliques and hash tables (MCHT) is developed in this study. First, all maximal cliques that can compactly represent neighbor relationships between instances of a spatial data set are enumerated. The advantages of bit string operations are fully utilized to speed up the process of enumerating maximal cliques. Next, a participating instance hash table structure is constructed based on these maximal cliques. Then information about the co-location instances of maximal patterns can be queried and collected efficiently from the hash table. After that, by calculating participation indexes of these patterns to measure their prevalence, maximal prevalent co-location patterns can be filtered efficiently. Finally, a series of experiments is conducted on both synthetic and real-facility data sets to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can efficiently reduce both the computational time and the memory consumption compared with the existing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of city-residential solar hot water systems (SHWS) in a large-scale area is a complicated topic since many endogenous and exogenous factors would affect the results. This paper presents an adaptability evaluation model for regional SHWS in city-residential buildings through using multiple attribute-decision methods. The evaluation factors, including six variable parameters and eight constant parameters, were selected based on energy-economic-environment consideration. In addition, the provincial databases of the utilization of solar energy resources in China were established and 31 provincial capital cities were investigated. The results are summarized as follows: 1) the five most important factors, with summing weights accounting for 54% in total, are the solar radiation intensity, payback period, solar fraction, installation area, and water supply temperature; 2) compared with the evaluation methods regarding different factors, energy-economic-environment adaptability evaluation method is more reliable, especially when there are huge differences existing in solar energy resources, economic levels, and energy prices. 3) sensitivity analysis shows that it has little influence on the evaluation results when the weight of the first level evaluation index changes within 25%. The conclusions in this paper provide valuable guidance for renewable energy planner and decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoblasts are mechanosensitive cells. Tensile stress with different conditions, including loading time, frequency, magnitude, etc. would cause varied responses in osteoblasts. However, it was not clarified that the effect of the loading types on the osteoblasts. In this study, we focused on the effect of varied tensile stress types on osteoblasts, including isotropic stretch, biaxial stretch, and uniaxial stretch with the negative ratio of transverse strain to axial strain (NR) −1, 0, and 0.2 respectively. Cell proliferation was determined to be most efficient when stimulated by 6% strain at a frequency of 1 Hz and a negative value of 0 for 1 h/day. The varied strain resulted in a thickening of the F-actin cytoskeleton and a thinning of the nucleus. Nuclear flattening caused Yes-associated protein (YAP) to be transported to the nucleus. It was suggested that the influence of loading types on the mechanobiology responses must be noticed. The mechanism of cell mechanical sensitivity under varied loading types was explored, which would provide good suggestions for designing microstructures to control deformation patterns in bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With fast development of economy and trade globalization, the water resources system has undergone profound changes due to the overconsumption of physical water and the complex virtual water flow. China is poor in water and rich in arable land for the north, but rich in water and poor in arable land for the south. The spatial mismatch of water and food production has posed a great threat to sustainable development. To quantify the virtual water flow with grain trade and evaluate its influence on the regional water resources system, this study simulated the interprovincial virtual water flow embedded in grain transportation based on a linear optimization model and assessed the water pressure induced by virtual water flow. Results show that the annual virtual water flow (as much as 73.46 billion m3 in 2012) associated with interprovincial grain trade is mainly from the North to the South. The grain output areas are mainly located in the Northeast, Northwest, and the North China Plain, while the grain input areas are mainly distributed in the eastern and southern coastal provinces with well-developed economies. According to the estimation, when China's food demand reaches a peak of 650 million tons in 2030, the virtual water flow will further increase and the volume of virtual water flowing out of Northeast China will be up to 50 billion m3, accounting for 90% of the total virtual water flow. The increasing the virtual water outflow in North China will severely exceed the local water resources capacity in the arid and semi-arid areas and have an obvious negative impact on sustainable development in Northern China. Further improving the water use efficiency, adjusting the structure of spatial grain production distribution and physical-virtual water coupled management are effective countermeasures to ensure the coordination safety of food and water in China. Image 1 • There is a mismatch between water resources and cultivated land resources in China. • Anticipated population increases will exacerbate this problem in the future. • This study simulated interprovincial virtual water flow embedded in grain transportation. • Annual virtual water flow associated with grain trade is mainly from north to south. • Virtual water outflow in much of North China will exceed local water capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was supposed that auxetic structure with negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) expands under stretch and could enhance the screw-bone fixation. In this study, the novel auxetic structure based bone screws were designed, and mechanical properties and fixation strength were evaluated. Auxetic unit cells (A1–A6) were introduced into the design of screw bodies after a mechanical evaluation. Tubular auxetic structures (TA1–TA6), auxetic screws (AS1–AS6) and one non-auxetic screw (NS) were manufactured using 3D-printing. The fabrication process well reproduced the original designs despite the some mismatch in the macro and micro morphologies. Tensile tests on specimens were conducted experimentally and computationally. The relationship between NPR and fixation strength of the screws was investigated by computationally bone-pullout test. Among all screw designs, AS2 generated the largest stiffness and strength, and better NPR, AS5 produced the highest NPR, and smallest stiffness and strength. Maximal pullout force within low-, mid- and high-density bone was shown in AS5 (399.39 N), AS6 (561.07 N) and AS2 (1185.93 N) respectively. It was concluded that varying auxetic structures altered the screw's mechanical properties especially its functional properties. The bone-screw fixation could be improved by auxetic structures while other design factors should also be taken in account. Unlabelled Image • Auxetic bone screws were designed and explored for the first time. • The designed screw can be fabricated by SLM 3D-printing method. • Varying auxetic structures altered the screw's mechanical properties especially its functional properties. • The bone-screw fixation could be improved by auxetic structures while it is also affected by other design factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) in breast cancers provides promising opportunities for imaging and targeted therapy. Developing HER2 targeted positron emission tomography (PET) probes might be benefit for management of the disease. Small high-affinity scaffold proteins, affibodies, are ideal vectors for imaging HER2 overexpressed tumors. Despite of the initial success on development of 18F labeled ZHER2:342 affibody, the tedious synthesis producers, low yields and unfavorable pharmacokinetics may hinder the clinical use. 68Ga is an attractive positron emitter for PET imaging. A simple preparation of 68Ga labeled ZHER2:342 analog, 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-Cys-MZHER2:342, was reported in the study. The in vivo performances of the tracer for assessing HER2 status in breast cancers were also evaluated. NOTA-MAL conjugated Cys-MZHER2:342 was radiolabeled with 68Ga. The probe was evaluated by in vitro tests including stability and cell binding studies in breast cancer cells with different HER2 levels. In vivo evaluation was performed in mice bearing tumors using microPET imaging and biodistribution experiments. A PET/CT imaging study was initially performed in patients with breast cancers. The tracer was synthesized in a straightforward chelation method with satisfactory non-decay corrected yield (81±5%) and radiochemical purity (>95%). In vivo micro-PET imaging showed that HER2 high levels expressed BT474 xenografts were more clear visualized than HER2 low levels expressed MCF-7 tumors (16.12 ± 2.69 ID%/g vs 1.32 ± 0.19 ID%/g at 1 h post-injection). The outcome was consistent with the immunohistochemical analysis. No significant radioactivity was accumulated in healthy tissues (less than 2% ID/g) except kidneys. In a preliminary clinical study, 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-Cys-MZHER2:342 PET imaging allowed more high-contrast detection of HER2 positive primary tumors (maximum standardized uptake value = 2.16±0.27) than those in HER2 negative primary focus (maximum standardized uptake value = 0.32±0.05). No detectable side-effects were found. In summary, this study indicates the significant efficiency of the 68Ga labeled HER2 affibody. Preclinical and clinical studies support the possibility of monitoring HER2 levels in breast cancers using 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-Cys-MZHER2:342. The research investigated the feasibility of a 68Ga labeled HER2 affibody modified with a hydrophilic linker for breast cancer PET imaging. Favorable outcomes showed that the probe might be valuable for determining HER2 status of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective and efficient monitoring of mercury (Hg2+) contamination found in the environment and ecosystem has been carried out. Thus, a new 1,8‐naphthalimide‐based fluorescent probe NADP for the detection of Hg2+ based on a fluorescence enhancement strategy has been designed and synthesized. The NADP probe can detect Hg2+ with high selectivity and sensitivity and a low detection limit of 13 nm. The detection mechanism was based on a Hg2+‐triggered deprotection reaction, resulting in a dramatic change in fluorescence from colorless to green at physiological pH. Most importantly, biological investigation has shown that the NADP probe can be successfully applied to the monitoring of Hg2+ in living cells and zebrafish with low cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To establish and validate a predictive model combining pretreatment multiparametric MRI-based radiomic signatures and clinical characteristics for the risk evaluation of early rapid metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Methods: The cutoff time was used to randomly assign 219 consecutive patients who underwent chemoradiation treatment to the training group (n = 154) or the validation group (n = 65). Pretreatment multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) images of individuals with NPC were employed to extract 428 radiomic features. LASSO regression analysis was used to select radiomic features related to early rapid metastasis and develop the Rad-score. Blood indicators were collected within 1 week of pretreatment. To identify independent risk variables for early rapid metastasis, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed. Finally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to construct a radiomics and clinical prediction nomogram that integrated radiomic features and clinical and blood inflammatory predictors. Results: The NLR, T classification and N classification were found to be independent risk indicators for early rapid metastasis by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Twelve features associated with early rapid metastasis were selected by LASSO regression analysis, and the Rad-score was calculated. The AUC of the Rad-score was 0.773. Finally, we constructed and validated a prediction model in combination with the NLR, T classification, N classification and Rad-score. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.936 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.901–0.971), and in the validation cohort, the AUC was 0.796 (95% CI: 0.686–0.905). Conclusions: A predictive model that integrates the NLR, T classification, N classification and MR-based radiomics for distinguishing early rapid metastasis may serve as a clinical risk stratification tool for effectively guiding individual management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study seeks to examine the influence of the heartbeat on the position, volume, and shape of the heart and its substructures during various breathing states. The findings of this study will serve as a valuable reference for dose-volume evaluation of the heart and its substructures in radiotherapy for treating thoracic tumors. Methods: Twenty-three healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study, and cine four-dimensional magnetic resonance images were acquired during periods of end-inspiration breath holding (EIBH), end-expiration breath holding (EEBH), and deep end-inspiration breath holding (DIBH). The MR images were used to delineate the heart and its substructures, including the heart, pericardium, left ventricle (LV), left ventricular myocardium, right ventricle (RV), right ventricular myocardium (RVM), ventricular septum (VS), atrial septum (AS), proximal and middle portions of the left anterior descending branch (pmLAD), and proximal portion of the left circumflex coronary branch (pLCX). The changes in each structure with heartbeat were compared among different respiratory states. Results: Compared with EIBH, EEBH increased the volume of the heart and its substructures by 0.25–3.66%, while the average Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) increased by − 0.25 to 8.7%; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Conversely, the VS decreased by 0.89 mm in the left–right (LR) direction, and the displacement of the RV in the anterior–posterior (AP) direction significantly decreased by 0.76 mm (p < 0.05). Compared with EIBH and EEBH, the average volume of the heart and its substructures decreased by 3.08–17.57% and 4.09–20.43%, respectively, during DIBH. Accordingly, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the volume of the heart, pericardium, LV, RV, RVM, and AS. The average DSC increased by 0–37.04% and − 2.6 to 32.14%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) found in the right ventricular myocardium and interatrial septum. Furthermore, the displacements under DIBH decreased in the three directions (i.e.,− 1.73 to 3.47 mm and − 0.36 to 2.51 mm). In this regard, the AP displacement of the heart, LV, RV, RVM, LR direction, LV, RV, and AS showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). The Hausdorff distance (HD) of the heart and its substructures under the three breathing states are all greater than 11 mm. Conclusion: The variations in the displacement and shape alterations of the heart and its substructures during cardiac motion under various respiratory states are significant. When assessing the dose-volume index of the heart and its substructures during radiotherapy for thoracic tumors, it is essential to account for the combined impacts of cardiac motion and respiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) integration into the host genome is an important factor in HPV(+)OPSCC carcinogenesis, in conjunction with HPV oncoproteins E6/E7. However, a well‐studied investigation about virus–host interaction still needs to be completed. Our objective is to characterise HPV integration to investigate potential mechanisms of tumourigenesis independent of E6/E7 oncoproteins. Materials and methods: High‐throughput viral integration detection was performed on 109 HPV(+)OPSCC tumours with relevant clinicopathological information. Of these tumours, 38 tumours underwent targeted gene sequencing, 29 underwent whole exome sequencing and 26 underwent RNA sequencing. Results: HPV integration was detected in 94% of tumours (with a mean integration count of 337). Tumours occurring at the tonsil/oropharyngeal wall that exhibit higher PD‐L1 expression demonstrated increased integration sites (p =.024). HPV exhibited a propensity for integration at genomic sites located within specific fragile sites (FRA19A) or genes associated with functional roles such as cell proliferation and differentiation (PTEN, AR), immune evasion (CD274) and glycoprotein biosynthesis process (FUT8). The viral oncogenes E2, E4, E6 and E7 tended to remain intact. HPV fragments displayed enrichment within host copy number variation (CNV) regions. However, insertions into genes related to altered homologous recombination repair were infrequent. Genes with integration had distinct expression levels. Fifty‐nine genes whose expression level was affected by viral integration were identified, for example, EPHB1, which was reported to be involved in cellular protein metabolic process. Conclusions: HPV can promote oncogenesis through recurrent integration into functional host genome regions, leading to subsequent genomic aberrations and gene expression disruption. This study characterises viral integrations and virus–host interactions, enhancing our understanding of HPV‐related carcinogenesis mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graft copolymerization of lignocellulosic fibers with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) using a Fe2+–thiourea dioxide–H2O2 redox system (Fe2+–TD–H2O2) was studied to overcome the problems of poor compatibility and low surface strength when cellulosic fibers are composited with synthetic polymers. The results show that cellulose–poly(GMA) (CPGMA) was successfully synthesized from GMA and bleached Eucalyptus cellulosic fibers by Fe2+–TD–H2O2 in a mild aqueous solution. CPGMA had high graft rate (244%), high content of epoxy group, and high stability in water. X-ray diffraction patterns and 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analyses showed that graft copolymerization did not change the crystalline structure of the CPGMA fiber backbone cellulose, but the crystallinity of the CPGMA fiber decreased with an increase in amorphous PGMA grafting. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the grafting reaction occurred both inside and outside the fiber. The specific surface area and pore diameter of the grafted fibers were significantly affected by the grafting. The hydrophobicity of the fibers was significantly enhanced by graft copolymerization. PGMA grafting can enhance the compatibility between the modified fiber and synthetic polymer matrix, improving the processing runnability and product properties of composite materials. A high intensity focused ultrasound method was used to analyze the fiber surface strength. It was confirmed that graft copolymerization significantly improved the surface strength of the grafted fibers. Graft copolymerization can significantly improve the dimensional stability of cellulosic fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) is a benign proliferative skin disease in the epidermis and dermis. Large to giant CMNs are estimated to be associated with an increased lifetime risk of malignancy. It is necessary to estimate and monitor the risk of malignant transformation for giant CMNs. To date, the clinical "ABCD" criteria and immunohistochemistry studies can be confusing and, to some extent, subjective. Accordingly, the elucidation of genomic analyses of nevi is required to better understand the malignant transformation of CMNs. Here, we describe two large to giant CMNs of the scalp with opposite clinical-histological and molecular evaluations of potential malignancy risk. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a genetic study of large to giant CMNs of the scalp in East Asia. We recommend reviewing the molecular diagnosis together with careful medical history and histological information to facilitate the evaluation of the potential malignancy risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring adequate supply of food is the most important challenge facing China. With the dramatic change in food habits over the past few decades, the demand for arable land and irrigation water has also changed, undoubtedly increasing the uncertainty of ensuring China's food security. This study quantifies how China's food habits have influenced the requirements for arable land and water between 1981 and 2016 using data collected from multiple sources and projects the amount of arable land and irrigation water needed to ensure national food security. The results show that changes in food habit have led to increased demand for arable land and irrigation water during the past 30 years. In 1981, 124 million ha of arable land and 159 billion m³of irrigation water were needed for food consumption; however, these values increased to 137 million ha and 184 billion m³, respectively in 2016. Moreover, changes in food habit have exceeded the level of agricultural technology, becoming the main reason for increase in per capita demand of arable land and water after 1996. Under the current food habits, the demand for arable land and irrigation water will increase by 14% and 13%, respectively when the expected population peak occurs (in 2032), compared to those of 2016. However, if the food habits recommended by China's nutritionists are followed in the future, more arable land and irrigation water will be needed to meet China's demand compared to the current diet patterns. This study also proposes some measures to ensure China's food security based on the presented findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensing performance of a flexible strain sensor is determined by its conductive sensing elements, which are typically made of conductive materials such as metals, conductive polymers, or carbon-based materials. Carbon material is an essential material for preparing conductive sensing elements of flexible strain sensors. The microstructures of carbon materials and the geometrical configurations of the assembled carbon-based materials show great advantages in regulating the stretchability of the carbon-based flexible strain sensor. The wood-based aligned carbon microtubule array film has great application potential in the carbon-based flexible strain sensor, which may not only achieve better balance between sensitivity and stretchability, but also achieve the balance between performance and scalability. The abundant intertubular cavities in WACTA (wood-based aligned carbon microtubule array) film facilitate the penetration of the SEBS (poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene)) encapsulated polymers, leading to improved quality of the WACTA film encapsulated by SEBS polymer. The relative resistance of the WACTA flexible strain sensor responds quasi-linear to the applied strain (0–40%). The GF (gauge factor) of the WACTA flexible strain sensor is around 30. The WACTA flexible strain sensor is capable of full-cycle complete detection of strain with high sensitivity. They also demonstrated superb electromechanical integrity in terms of stability and repeatability. The sensing performance of the WACTA flexible strain sensor showed nearly no frequency dependence. The sensor can recognize forces as low as 2.5 mN. there is a good linear relationship between the loading tiny force and the relative resistance. The sensor exhibits excellent sensitivity to tiny signals such as sound, arterial pulse, and tiny weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of society, pollution accidents occur more frequently, and the effects of toxic substances containing silver on human health and environment are increasingly extensive. Therefore, the real-time on-site monitoring of silver ions is urgently needed. Based on the catalase-like properties of graphene/nano-platinum composites and the coupling effect between Pt and Ag+, a simple, unlabeled colorimetric sensing method is proposed to achieve the quantitative detection of Ag+. Under optimal conditions, the detection range of Ag+ by this colorimetric sensing method is 0.5–1000 μM, and the detection limit is 0.5 μM, which is lower than the previously reported detection limit of unlabeled Ag+ colorimetric sensing method, showing higher sensitivity and detection range. Under the same conditions, the sensor has almost no response to interference ions, showing good specific recognition ability. In addition, the colorimetric sensing method can be used to detect Ag+ in actual water samples, serving as a new paradigm for visual detection of Ag+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, more and more existing building has an ever increasing requirement of retrofit, which has been developed from individual measure to combination package of multiple measures. It has become the challenging task for screening building multiple energy retrofit measures package (BMERMP). In this paper, a stepwise screening methodology for BMERMP is proposed considering economic and risk aspects, which integrates Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) and Monte Carlo (MC) analysis. First of all, this paper puts forward a calculation reference table for energy saving retrofit potential. In addition, this paper also uses unit energy saving incremental cost (UESIC) to screen technology and suggests economic internal rate of return（EIRR）as cost-benefit analysis index of BMERMP. Furthermore, the authors propose the concept of Value-at-Risk (VaR) as an effective measure to control the risk. The VaR for EIRR is determined by risk variation and can be obtained through MC simulation. Meanwhile, the study takes a commercial building for example, this building comprises 19 measures in initial BMERMP by energy diagnosis and the VaR of initial BMERMP is 97.6%, which has a high risk. According to the ranking of UESIC value, when 4 high cost technologies are reduced, the VaR can be reduced to 0.07%, then the economy of BMERMP is feasible and the risk is controllable. This paper provides a new perspective for the decision maker to select BMERMP. Highlights • A stepwise screening methodology to select building multiple energy retrofit measures package (BMERMTP) is proposed. • The screening methodology integrate Life-Cycle Costing(LCC) and Monte Carlo(MC) analysis. • Cost-benefit analysis for BMERMTP adopt the economic benefits of energy retrofits in the economic period. • Present the concept of Value-at-Risk (VaR) as an effective measure to control the risk for BMERMTP. • It suggests calculation table for building energy-saving retrofit potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), members of the TGF-β superfamily, are known to regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, chemotaxis, and angiogenesis. BMPs also participate in the development of most tissues and organs in vertebrates. Recombinant human (rh) BMPs, such as rhBMP-2, rhBMP-4, and rhBMP-7, have been recently approved to augment spinal fusion and recalcitrant long-bone non-unions because of their equivalent or superior efficacy to autogenous bone graft in enhancing bony fusion. Nonetheless, the use of BMPs is contraindicated in surgery for bone tumors because of concerns that this anabolic growth factor may cause tumor proliferation. However, we have repeatedly reported that BMP-2 is effective in inducing osteogenic differentiation of a subpopulation of osteosarcoma (OSA) cells that acquire stem cell attributes and are capable of reconstituting tumor masses, which in turn suppress the malignancy of the bone tumor.Methods: 3×105/20 µL human OSA 143B cells were inoculated into 5–6 weeks old BABL/c nude mice to establish orthotopic OSA. X-ray device was used to monitor the developed tumors in animals. Necropsy was performed and the pathology of lung metastasis were tested by Haemotoxylin and Eosin. Moreover, bone formation induced by rhBMP-2 was investigated through micro-computed tomography. In addition, immunohistochemistry staining was used to evaluate the tumorigenicity and growth of OSA cells after rhBMP-2 treatment.Results: In the present study, we established an orthotopic model of OSA by inoculating 143B cells into BABL/c mice, which resulted in a tumor occurrence rate of 100%. Following the treatment with rhBMP-2, lung metastasis, which contributes to poor prognosis, was significantly restricted, indicating an additional aspect of rhBMP-2 to suppress expansion of OSA. Concurrently, our micro-computed tomography and radiographic analyses showed that rhBMP-2 reduced the invasion of tumor cells into adjacent bone tissue, which in turn helped to preserve the integrity of the affected bone tissue. Finally, the growth of Ki-67-positive cells and those cells that express high levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDHbr) was found to be inhibited in the developed tumors.Conclusion: On the basis of these results, we conclude that rhBMP-2 can impede the malignancy of OSA by reducing lung metastasis of the tumor. Induction of the tumor cells by rhBMP-2 also helps to preserve the impaired skeleton. These results imply that BMP-2 or BMP-2-mimetic drugs, if properly combined with traditional therapies, may provide a new therapeutic option for the treatment of OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]