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BackgroundClinical practice guidelines recommend early identification of cognitive impairment in individuals with hypertension with the help of risk prediction tools based on risk factors.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop a superior machine learning model based on easily collected variables to predict the risk of early cognitive impairment in hypertensive individuals, which could be used to optimize early cognitive impairment risk assessment strategies.MethodsFor this cross-sectional study, 733 patients with hypertension (aged 30–85, 48.98% male) enrolled in multi-center hospitals in China were divided into a training group (70%) and a validation group (30%). After least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis with 5-fold cross-validation determined the modeling variables, three machine learning classifiers, logistic regression (LR), XGBoost (XGB), and gaussian naive bayes (GNB), were developed. The area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score were used to evaluate the model performance. Shape Additive explanation (SHAP) analysis was performed to rank feature importance. Further decision curve analysis (DCA) assessed the clinical performance of the established model and visualized it by nomogram.ResultsHip circumference, age, education levels, and physical activity were considered significant predictors of early cognitive impairment in hypertension. The AUC (0.88), F1 score (0.59), accuracy (0.81), sensitivity (0.84), and specificity (0.80) of the XGB model were superior to LR and GNB classifiers.ConclusionThe XGB model based on hip circumference, age, educational level, and physical activity has superior predictive performance and it shows promise in predicting the risk of cognitive impairment in hypertensive clinical settings.

Accurate and reliable prediction of air pollutant concentrations is important for rational avoidance of air pollution events and government policy responses. However, due to the mobility and dynamics of pollution sources, meteorological conditions, and transformation processes, pollutant concentration predictions are characterized by great uncertainty and instability, making it difficult for existing prediction models to effectively extract spatial and temporal correlations. In this paper, a powerful pollutant prediction model (STA-ResConvLSTM) is proposed to achieve accurate prediction of pollutant concentrations. The model consists of a deep learning network model based on a residual neural network (ResNet), a spatial–temporal attention mechanism, and a convolutional long short-term memory neural network (ConvLSTM). The spatial–temporal attention mechanism is embedded in each residual unit of the ResNet to form a new residual neural network with the spatial–temporal attention mechanism (STA-ResNet). Deep extraction of spatial–temporal distribution features of pollutant concentrations and meteorological data from several cities is carried out using STA-ResNet. Its output is used as an input to the ConvLSTM, which is further analyzed to extract preliminary spatial–temporal distribution features extracted from the STA-ResNet. The model realizes the spatial–temporal correlation of the extracted feature sequences to accurately predict pollutant concentrations in the future. In addition, experimental studies on urban agglomerations around Long Beijing show that the prediction model outperforms various popular baseline models in terms of accuracy and stability. For the single-step prediction task, the proposed pollutant concentration prediction model performs well, exhibiting a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 9.82. Furthermore, even for the pollutant prediction task of 1 to 48 h, we performed a multi-step prediction and achieved a satisfactory performance, being able to achieve an average RMSE value of 13.49.

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) infects rice and maize, and seriously affects rice yields in main rice-producing areas. It can be transmitted via small brown planthopper (SBPH: Laodelphax striatellus Fallén). To more rapidly, sensitively, and highly throughput diagnose RBSDV in the wild condition, we first purified the recombinant His-CPRBSDV protein, and prepared the polyclonal antibodies against the His-CPRBSDV protein (PAb-CPRBSDV). Based on the PAb-CPRBSDV, we developed a series of serological detections, such as Western blot, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and a dot immunoblotting assay (DIBA). Furthermore, we developed a serological-based reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (S-RT-LAMP) that could accurately detect RBSDV in the wild. Briefly, the viral genomic dsRNA together with viral CP were precipitated by co-immunoprecipitation using the PAb-CPRBSDV, then the binding RNAs were crudely isolated and used for RT-LAMP diagnosis. Using the prepared PAb-CPRBSDV, four serology-based detection methods were established to specifically detect RBSDV-infected rice plants or SBPHs in the wild. The method of S-RT-LAMP has also been developed to specifically, high-throughput, and likely detect RBSDV in rice seedlings and SBPHs simultaneously. The antiserum prepared here laid the foundation for the rapid and efficient detection of RBSDV-infected field samples, which will benefit for determination of the virulence rate of the transmission vector SBPH and outbreak and epidemic prediction of RBSDV in a rice production area.

Although they are a valuable edible ectomycorrhizal fungus, truffles (Tuber spp.) nevertheless face significant difficulties in the development of their scale. As a type of high economic value nut-like economic forest tree, the pecan (Carya illinoinensis) serves as a natural host for truffles. However, the technology for mycorrhizal synthesis in pecan has not yet been developed, and it is still unclear how certain microbes affect this process. In this study, we inoculated the pecan root system with a suspension of truffle spores and investigated the growth physiology of pecan seedlings with various infestation levels, as well as changes in the soil’s physicochemical properties and the makeup of the microbial community at the root level. The findings showed that tuber inoculation significantly increased the peroxidase activity of the pecan root system, significantly decreased the pH, and effective phosphorus content of mycorrhizosphere soil, while increasing the nitrate nitrogen content, and significantly increased the abundance and diversity of the mycorrhizosphere soil fungal community. Different groups of fungal and bacterial markers were formed in the mycorrhizosphere of pecan seedlings at different levels of infestation. In the highly infested group, Rozellomycota and lasiosphaeriaceae were the difference marker fungi, and Xanthobacteraceae, Rhizobiaceae as well as Streptococcaceae were the difference marker bacteria. In the low-infestation group, sphaerosporella was differential marker fungi, and Bacillus and Tumebacillus were differential marker bacteria. The fungal marker flora of the control group consisted of Chaetomium and Gilmaniella. Pseudomonas was the marker bacterial community. Additionally, these fungi included Collarina and Rozellomycota, and several bacteria from the genera Pseudomonas, Gemmatimonas, and others showed highly significant relationships with changes in soil pH, effective phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen. In conclusion, pecan–truffle mycorrhizal seedlings have the potential to create the ideal microbial community structure needed for mycorrhizal growth, and these microorganisms have the potential to significantly alter the pH, effective phosphorus content, and nitrate nitrogen concentration of the mycorrhizosphere soil. Our results contribute to the understanding of how the mycorrhizosphere microbial community evolves when exogenous mycorrhizal fungi infest host plants and can offer some theoretical guidelines for growing pecan–truffle mycorrhizal seedlings.

Purpose. The aim of this study was to analyze choroidal vascular density alteration in high myopia with or without choroidal neovascularization by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods. This was a cross-sectional, observational study that included 60 high-myopia eyes. All the participants had comprehensive ophthalmic assessments with visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit lamp-assisted biomicroscopy, color fundus photography, axial length, optometry, and OCTA. Age, sex, and comorbidities were collected from their medical charts. Univariate and multiple analyses were made to compare the age, spherical equivalent, choroidal vascular density, gender, and choroidal thickness between normal and patients with choroidal neovascularization. Results. 60 eyes with high myopia were included in our study, including 30 eyes with choroidal neovascularization and 30 eyes without choroidal neovascularization or other fundus pathology. The mean age of high myopic patients was older in the choroidal neovascularization group than in the normal group (48.43 ± 19.06 years vs. 28.83 ± 9.92 years, p

This research investigated the value co-creation behaviors in livestreaming platforms and the internal mechanism of perceived value on consumer value co-creation behavior on the short-video platform TikTok. This research selected the Tiktok platform as the research object, and uses structural equation model to analyze consumer data. The results indicated that consumer-perceived value mediates the relationship between consumer engagement and citizenship behaviors. In addition, short-video platforms exhibit significant community attributes, and interactive behavior forms the primary part of consumer engagement that enhances the perceived value. Consumers join short-video platforms to look for communities that interest them. Consumers’ responses generate the perceived value. Thus, it enhances consumers’ intentions to continue using a particular service, which then increases the likelihood of citizenship behavior. This study also found that consumers’ creative behavior in short-video platforms embodies social and functional values. This suggested that consumers of livestreaming and short-video platforms such as TikTok tend to seek social recognition by sharing their opinions or daily lives. The examination of the mediating role of perceived value on the relationship between consumer engagement behavior and citizenship behavior revealed that perceived value significantly mediated the relationship between consumer engagement behavior and citizenship behavior. This provided evidence of the fact that consumers usually actively participate on the platform by uploading content and sharing their creations, with the motivation to generate significant social impact and gain the recognition of others. Firstly, TikTok’s consumers deeply engage on platforms in which their cognitive messages are integrated into the platform through interacting with others, browsing, and creating short videos. Secondly, TikTok provides a channel with high level of interactivity that facilitates social interaction among strangers. Video uploaders and fans develop positive interactive relationships. Thirdly, TikTok viewers may become video providers at some point; the act of co-creation creates economic value for the platform and generates emotional, functional, and social values for its consumers.

MicroRNA-155 (miR155) is overexpressed in various inflammatory diseases and cancer, in which bone resorption and osteolysis are frequently observed. However, the role of miR155 on osteogenesis and bone mass phenotype is still unknown. Here, we report a low bone mass phenotype in the long bone of Mir155-Tg mice compared with wild-type mice. In contrast, Mir155-KO mice showed a high bone mass phenotype and protective effect against inflammation-induced bone loss. Mir155-KO mice showed robust bone regeneration in the ectopic and orthotopic model, but Mir155-Tg mice showed compromised bone regeneration compared with the wild-type mice. Similarly, the osteogenic differentiation potential of bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs) from Mir155-KO mice was robust and Mir155-Tg was compromised compared with that of wild-type mice. Moreover, Mir155 knockdown in BMSCs from wild-type mice showed higher osteogenic differentiation potential, supporting the results from Mir155-KO mice. TargetScan analysis predicted sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor-1 (S1pr1) as a target gene of Mir155, which was further confirmed by luciferase assay and Mir155 knockdown. S1pr1 overexpression in BMSCs robustly promoted osteogenic differentiation without affecting cell viability and proliferation. Furthermore, osteoclastogenic differentiation of Mir155-Tg bone marrow-derived macrophages was inhibited compared with that of wild-type mice. Thus, Mir155 showed a catabolic effect on osteogenesis and bone mass phenotype via interaction with the S1pr1 gene, suggesting inhibition of Mir155 as a potential strategy for bone regeneration and bone defect healing.

As the dominant shrub community plant in the Mu Us Sandy Land, S. vulgaris is the key factor of ecological environment restoration in the Mu Us Sandy Land, It is of great significance to explore the estimation and inversion of content based on spectrum for ecological environment evaluation and intervention in Mu Us Sandy Land. The SVC HR-1024 portable feature spectrometer and SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter were used to study Mu Us Sandy Land of S. vulgaris. The best band is screened by correlation matrix method, the best vegetation index is screened by Structural Equation Modeling model, and then the best inversion model is established by different mathematical modeling methods. Results revealed that the vegetation indices and chlorophyll content were correlated, combining the six vegetation indices revealed that 610–690nm and 700–940 nm were the bands with the highest correlation. In the selection of optimal vegetation index, NDVI, ratio vegetation index and mNDVI perform best and are suitable for subsequent modeling. Of the four models, the partial least squares model had the best fitting effect (R2 > 0.91). The univariate linear regression model had the simplest processing procedure, but its accuracy was unstable (R2 = 0.1–0.9). multivariate stepwise regression accuracy is also appropriate (R2 > 0.8). The stability of BP neural network modeling is not high. Compare the four methods, PLS and multivariate stepwise regression have their own advantages, and the accuracy is higher, you can make a choice according to the demand as the late modeling method.

Bioinspired materials often achieve superior mechanical properties owing to their microscale architectures that resemble design motifs in biological materials. The bioinspired architectures can be extended to nanoscale, where carbon‐based materials, including graphene and carbon nanotubes, are excellent candidates as building blocks. This study introduces carbon‐based nanoarchitected metamaterials inspired by seven biological design motifs, i.e., cellular, gradient, tubular, fibrous, helicoidal, suture, and layered structures. Numerical studies based on molecular dynamics simulation along with continuum‐based finite element analysis are conducted for each bioinspired design to examine the unique mechanical properties, namely specific stiffness, specific strength, failure strain, and specific energy absorption, under tensile/shear loading conditions. Different deformation and failure mechanisms found by molecular simulation and continuum mechanics are discussed. The numerical results show that the mechanical properties of the introduced bioinspired and carbon‐based nanoscale designs may surpass the performance of the conventional carbon‐based counterparts. The developed nanoarchitected metamaterials demonstrate instances of possibilities for filling the empty regions in the Ashby charts to attain lightweight advanced materials that can also break the trade‐off between strength and failure strain. These findings impart lessons from the constitutive structure of biological materials to form the next generation of multifunctional architected metamaterials with rationally designed nano‐architectures.

As studies continue sequencing with deeper coverage, computational processing of these profiles has become increasingly resource consuming. Here the authors designed an efficient computational method called Chromap to align and preprocess high throughput sequencing data from chromatin profiling techniques, including ChIP-seq, Hi-C, or scATAC-seq, with a major decrease in runtime.

To improve internal combustion engine cooling systems, it is required to utilize the nucleate boiling heat transfer. Previous studies revealed it is affected by surface roughness, flow velocity, and degree of subcooling. This study investigated the heat transfer mechanisms (latent heat transport mechanism, sensible heat transport mechanism, and bubble agitation mechanism) when changing the above parameters. It was found that the increase in flow velocity and degree of subcooling increased the heat transfer due to the latent and sensible heat transport, while the increase in surface roughness increased the heat transfer due to the sensible heat transport and bubble agitation.

Systems for automatic detection of a single disease may miss other important conditions. Here, the authors show a deep learning platform can detect 39 common retinal diseases and conditions.

To improve the cooling system of internal combustion engines, the utilization of the nucleate boiling heat transfer is desired. Our previous study revealed the relationship between the water nucleate boiling heat flux and dimensionless numbers. By using 50% ethylene glycol aqueous solution (EG50%) as coolant, the nucleate boiling heat flux was measured on the corroded heating surface and compared with the experimental data of water as coolant. Subsequently, dimensional analyses were done to investigate the necessary dimensionless numbers affecting the forced flow nucleate boiling. Two new models are proposed for water and EG50% as coolants, and predicted heat flux results were found to be in an average error of 9.7% and 10.1%, respectively.

Although the newly introduced SDN and NFV technologies bring flexibility and convenience in network management, the dynamic forwarding policies introduced by SDN may cause invalidation in the network function policies, and the policies in different network functions may also cause conflicts due to their own behaviors.In order to verify the policies in SDN/NFV-based cloud network, the verification on policies between the network function and the SDN device, as well as across the network functions were considered.A unified policy expression for analysis was summarized, and policy verification scheme, framework and prototype implementation were proposed to verify the correctness of polices in different scenarios, then experiments were conducted to justify the effectiveness and performance

As one of the important national infrastructures, more and more attentions are attracted by the industrial control system for rail (ICS-R), with the rapid development of information technology and the increasingly severe network situation.The system composition of ICS-R was analyzed, the types of security threats faced by the ICS-R were summarized and analyzed, the practical cases of threat propagation were given, and the information security threat trend of ICS-R was analyzed considering the development trend of technology.Finally, several development suggestions were prospected as promising techniques.

Abstract Introduction Myocardial damage is a mostly incurable complication of multiple myeloma (MM) that seriously affects the treatment outcome and quality of life of patients. Exosomal circular RNAs (exo-circRNAs) play an important role in tumor occurrence and development and are considered key factors in MM pathogenesis. However, the role and mechanism of action of exo-circRNAs in MM-related myocardial damage are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate correlations between exo-circRNAs and MM and to preliminarily explore the role of exo-circRNAs in MM-related myocardial damage. Methods Six MM patients and five healthy controls (HCs) were included in the study. High-throughput sequencing and qRT-PCR verification were used to obtain a profile of abnormally expressed exo-circRNAs. GO, KEGG, miRanda, TargetScan and Metascape were used for bioinformatics analyses. H9C2 cells treated with exosomes from U266 cells were used in cell experiments. CCK-8, PCR, immunofluorescence and western blotting assays were used to detect cell proliferation and expression of autophagy-related indicators. Electron microscopy was used to observe the number of autophagic vesicles. Results Bioinformatics analysis showed that circRNAs with upregulated expression had the potential to promote MM-related myocardial damage. In addition, PCR results confirmed that circ-G042080 was abundantly expressed in the serum exosomes of 20 MM patients. Correlation analysis showed that the expression level of circ-G042080 was positively correlated with the clinical level of MM and MM-related myocardial damage and that circ-G042080 might interfere with MM-related myocardial damage through a downstream miRNA/TLR4 axis. Cell experiments demonstrated that the circ-G042080/hsa-miR-4268/TLR4 axis might exist in H9C2 cells incubated with exosomes and cause abnormal autophagy. Conclusion Abnormal expression of serum exo-circRNAs was found to be associated with MM-related myocardial damage, suggesting that exo-circRNAs might become a new diagnostic marker of MM-related myocardial damage and a therapeutic target.

Periodontitis is an infectious oral disease, which leads to the destruction of periodontal tissues and tooth loss. Although the treatment of periodontitis has improved recently, the effective treatment of periodontitis and the periodontitis-affected periodontal tissues is still a challenge. Therefore, it is urgent to explore new therapeutic strategies for periodontitis. Natural products show anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and bone protective effects to periodontitis and most of these natural products are safe and cost-effective. Among these, the plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PELNs), a type of natural nanocarriers repleted with lipids, proteins, RNAs, and other active molecules, show the ability to enter mammalian cells and regulate cellular activities. Reports from the literature indicate the great potential of PELNs in the regulation of immune functions, inflammation, microbiome, and tissue regeneration. Moreover, PELNs can also be used as drug carriers to enhance drug stability and cellular uptake in vivo. Since regulation of immune function, inflammation, microbiome, and tissue regeneration are the key phenomena usually targeted during periodontitis treatment, the PELNs hold the promising potential for periodontitis treatment. This review summarizes the recent advances in PELNs-related research that are related to the treatment of periodontitis and regeneration of periodontitis-destructed tissues and the underlying mechanisms. We also discuss the existing challenges and prospects of the application of PELNs-based therapeutic approaches for periodontitis treatment.

Abstract The Mu Us Sandy Land is located in the middle of the farming pastoral ecotone of northern China. The direction of the development of desertification has a direct impact on the economy and development of the northern region. Six remote sensing images acquired during 1990–2017 served as data sources. Using an ENVI 5.3 and ArcGIS 10.3 platform an analysis was conducted of the dynamic changes nearly 30 years in desertified land using a center of gravity moving model, annual change rate, a transfer matrix, and an aeolian desertification index; the factors driving desertification were discussed. The research shows that the time period can be divided into three stages of desertification: development (1990–2000), rapid reversal (2000–2010), and stable reversal (2010–2017). A total of 1680 km2 of desertification were managed over the three stages. Spatially, the distribution of the center of desertification from west to east includes mild, moderate, severe, and extreme desertification, which is consistent with the spatial distribution trends of desertified land in the Mu Us Sandy Land. By the end of 2017, the degree of desertification of the Mu Us Sandy Land was in the central area > northwest > southwest > east > south. Nearly 30 years, the wind speed has decreased year by year at the rate of 0.1 m s−1, which directly reduce the ability to winds to transport soil in the Mu Us Sandy Land and promoted the reversal of desertification. From 1990 to 2010, the climate tended to become warmer and drier. Environmental protection policies along with human intervention and control of desertification have played important roles in reversing desertification. From 2010 to 2020, under the general background of a warm-wet climatic tendency, rational use of sand resources and strengthening scientific control of desertification inducing factors are the keys to reversing desertification.

Autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are more easily available and frequently used for bone regeneration in clinics. Osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs involves complex regulatory networks affecting bone formation phenomena. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) refer to RNAs that do not encode proteins, mainly including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs, piwi-interacting RNAs, transfer RNA-derived small RNAs, etc. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies had revealed the regulatory role of ncRNAs in osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. NcRNAs had both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. During the physiological condition, osteo-stimulatory ncRNAs are upregulated and osteo-inhibitory ncRNAs are downregulated. The opposite effects might occur during bone degenerative disease conditions. Intracellular ncRNAs and ncRNAs from neighboring cells delivered via exosomes participate in the regulatory process of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the regulatory role of ncRNAs on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs during physiological and pathological conditions. We also discuss the prospects of the application of modulation of ncRNAs function in BMSCs to promote bone tissue regeneration in clinics.

BackgroundAccumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of Chordin-like 1 (CHRDL1) is associated with malignant biological behaviors in multiple cancers. However, the exact function and molecular mechanism of CHRDL1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear.MethodsThe expression levels of CHRDL1 in OSCC tissues and CAL27 cells were determined by RT-qPCR. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to detect CHRDL1 protein expression in sample tissues from OSCC patients. Gain of function and knockdown by lentivirus were further used to examine the effects of CHRDL1 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion in OSCC. Tail vein injection of CAL27 cells with dysregulated CHRDL1 expression was further used to examine the effect of CHRDL1 on lung colonization. RNA sequencing was performed to explore the molecular mechanisms of CHRDL1 that underlie the progression of OSCC.ResultsCHRDL1 was significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues and CAL27 cells compared to controls. CHRDL1 knockdown enhanced migration, invasion, adhesion, and EMT, but not proliferation, in CAL27 cells. Overexpression of CHRDL1 had the opposite effects. Moreover, CHRDL1 was proven to inhibit tumor metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, MAPK signaling pathway components, including ERK1/2, p38, and JNK, were found to regulate the malignant biological behaviors of CAL27 cells.ConclusionsOur results suggest that CHRDL1 has an inhibitory effect on OSCC metastasis via the MAPK signaling pathway, which provides a new possible potential therapeutic target against OSCC.

Serine incorporator (SERINC) proteins 1–5 (SERINC1-5) are involved in the progression of several diseases. SERINC2-4 are carrier proteins that incorporate the polar amino acid serine into membranes to facilitate the synthesis of phosphatidylserine and sphingolipids. SERINC genes are also differentially expressed in tumors. Abnormal expression of SERINC proteins occurs in human cancers of the breast, lung, colon, liver, and various glands, as well as in mouse testes. SERINC proteins also affect cleft lip and palate and nerve-related diseases, such as seizure Parkinsonism and borderline personality. Moreover, SERINC proteins have garnered significant interest as retroviral restriction factors, spurring efforts to define their function and elucidate the mechanisms through which they operate when associated with viruses. Human SERINC proteins possess antiviral potential against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), SARS-COV-2, murine leukemia virus (MLV), equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Furthermore, the crystal structure is known, and the critical residues of SERINC5 that act against HIV have been identified. In this review, we discuss the most prevalent mechanisms by which SERINC3 and SERINC5 antagonize viruses and focus on the potential therapeutic applications of SERINC5/3 against HIV.

To improve the thermal efficiency of ICEs, effective control of in-cylinder temperature is important. Utilization of nucleate boiling phenomenon to model the heat transfer is one of the measures that can be used for this purpose. Surface heat flux and bubble departure frequency measurements were done under the different wall superheat, coolant flow-rate, and temperature conditions. Subsequently, dimensional analyses were done to investigate the necessary dimensionless numbers acting on the heat flux model. The addition of power and exponential function of Jakob number was found to be effective, resulting in an average and minimum errors of 11.2% and 6.5%, respectively.

Abstract TNF receptor‐associated factor 6 (TRAF6) promotes the development of human lung cancer through bridging RAS and NF‐kB pathways; on the other hand, thioredoxin‐interacting protein (TXNIP) suppresses the growth of tumors. However, the crosstalk between TRAF6 and TXNIP in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is currently unclear. Here, we found that TXNIP expression induced by sodium butyrate (NaBu) was TRAF6‐dependent. Moreover, TXNIP interacted with TRAF6 via its PPxY motif. Polyubiquitylation analysis with wild‐type or mutant (Cysteine70 to Alanine) of TRAF6 further showed TRAF6 ubiquitylated TXNIP. NaBu reinforced the interaction of TRAF6/TXNIP as well as TXNIP’ polyubiquitylation. Moreover, treated with NaBu, the A549 cells with TRAF6/TXNIP double knockdown showed an enhanced protein expression of E‐cadherin comparing to cells with single gene or negative knockdown. The experimental results of transwell and nude mice xenograft showed that knocking down both TRAF6 and TXNIP in A549 cells affected its migration and proliferation compared to that of single knockdown or negative control cells. On the other hand, TXNIP localization was different depending on the cell types and fused‐tag (eg, FLAG or GFP). Our results revealed TRAF6 regulated the expression and polyubiquitylation of TXNIP in a NaBu‐dependent manner, alleviating tumorigenesis of TRAF6.

To detect large-variance code clones (i.e. clones with many modifications) in large-scale code repositories is difficult because most current tools can only detect almost identical or very similar clones. It has an important impact on downstream software applications such as bug detection, code completion, software analysis, etc. Recently, CCAligner made an attempt to detect the code clones with insertions or deletions in one place, which were called large-gap clones. Our contribution is to develop a novel and effective detection approach of large-variance clones to more general cases for not only the concentrated code modifications but also the scattered code modifications. A detector named LVMapper is proposed, borrowing and changing the approach of sequencing alignment in bioinformatics which can find two similar sequences with more differences. The ability of LVMapper was tested on 8 open source projects datasets, and the results show that LVMapper detected more than 5 times of large-variance clones compared with other state-of-the-art tools including CCAligner. Furthermore, our new tool also presents comparable recall for general Type-1, Type-2 and Type-3 clones with precision of 88.5% on the widely used benchmarking dataset BigCloneBench.

As a C4 energy crop widely planted all over the world, sweet sorghum is mainly used in sugar making and brewing. Fresh sweet sorghum stalks contain many natural ingredients that have antioxidant properties and can significantly inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens. In this study, the polyphenols in sweet sorghum were extracted by acid ethanol and ion precipitation, and the types of polyphenols were determined by HPLC-MS. The polyphenol content in fresh sweet sorghum stalks was 5.77 mg/g after process optimization with 18 types of phenolic acids identified. The extract had a total antioxidant capacity of 9.4 μmol Trolox/mL. Polyphenol extract of sweet sorghum displayed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria spp., and Salmonella spp. The extract increased the conductivity of cell suspensions by destroying the membrane structure, resulting in leakage of cell electrolytes. Changes in bacterial morphology and internal structure were indicated. The data describe an optimized process to extract polyphenols from sweet sorghum stalks and the methodology to identify the major components within the extract. The data provide a novel option for the comprehensive utilization of fresh sweet sorghum stalks.

Various hydrogels have been studied for nucleus pulposus regeneration. However, they failed to overcome the changes in the acidic environment during intervertebral disc degeneration. Therefore, a new functionalized peptide RAD/SA1 was designed by conjugating Sa12b, an inhibitor of acid-sensing ion channels, onto the C-terminus of RADA16-I. Then, the material characteristics and biocompatibility of RAD/SA1, and the bioactivities and mechanisms of degenerated human nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells (hNPMSCs) were evaluated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that RAD/SA1 self-assembling into three-dimensional (3D) nanofiber hydrogel scaffolds under acidic conditions. Analysis of the hNPMSCs cultured in the 3D scaffolds revealed that both RADA16-I and RAD/SA1 exhibited reliable attachment and extremely low cytotoxicity, which were verified by SEM and cytotoxicity assays, respectively. The results also showed that RAD/SA1 increased the proliferation of hNPMSCs compared to that in culture plates and pure RADA16-I. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blotting demonstrated that the expression of collagen I was downregulated, while collagen II, aggrecan, and SOX-9 were upregulated. Furthermore, Ca2+ concentration measurement and western blotting showed that RAD/SA1 inhibited the expression of p-ERK through Ca2+-dependent p-ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, the functional self-assembling peptide nanofiber hydrogel designed with the short motif of Sa12b could be used as an excellent scaffold for nucleus pulposus tissue engineering. Moreover, RAD/SA1 exhibits great potential applications in the regeneration of mildly degenerated nucleus pulposus.

The expansion and maintenance of the NPMSC (nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cell) phenotype are considered as potential therapeutic tools for clinical applications in intervertebral disc tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the harsh microenvironment within the intervertebral disc is the main limitation of its regeneration. The osmolarity of the intervertebral disc is higher than that of other tissues, which has an important influence on the biological characteristics of NPMSCs. In this study, we observed the effect of different osmolarities on the biological characteristics of human normal NPMSCs cultured in vitro and explored the role of osmolarity in intervertebral disc degeneration. Our data demonstrated that the change in osmotic pressure has an important effect on the biological activity of NPMSCs, and this effect may occur through the P16INK4A/Rb pathway. This study provides a theoretical basis for the future treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Purpose: To evaluate the ocular biometric parameters in patients with constant and intermittent exotropia by the measurement of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) optical biometer OA-2000 and comparing it with the normal control subjects.Design: Cross-sectional case-control study.Participants: Fifty-five constant and 24 intermittent patients with exotropia with central fixation and 77 orthotropic normal control participants aged 4–18 years old.Methods: Non-contact and high-resolution optical biometric OA-2000 measurements were conducted under uniform ambient light conditions. The statistical analysis included intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Bland-Altman plot, and independent t-tests.Main Outcome Measures: Spherical equivalent (SE), ocular biological parameters such as pupil diameter (PD), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), and axial lengths (AL). The absolute values of inter-eye differences for SE, PD, ACD, LT, and AL were recorded as AnisoSE, AnisoPD, AnisoACD, AnisoLT, and AnisoAL, respectively.Results: AnisoSE (0.878 vs. 0.577, P = 0.019), AnisoAL (0.395 vs. 0.208, P = 0.001), AnisoACD (0.060 vs. 0.032, P < 0.001), AnisoLT (0.060 vs. 0.031, P = 0.002), and AnisoPD (0.557 vs. 0.340, P = 0.002) were significantly larger in concomitant patients with exotropia. The SE, AL, ACD, LT, and PD showed excellent binocular correlation with ICC values that ranged from 0.943 to 0.987 in control participants and from 0.767 to 0.955 in concomitant exotropia patients. Bland-Altman plots showed the wider range of agreement in patients with concomitant exotropia than the control participants (SE: 5.0288 vs. 3.3258; AL: 2.2146 vs. 1.3172; ACD:0.3243 vs. 0.1682; PD: 2.4691 vs. 1.9241; and LT:0.3723 vs 0.1858).Conclusion: Patients with concomitant exotropia showed larger inter-eye differences in SE, ACD, LT, PD, and AL. Advice should be given to suspicious children to avoid or delay the development of concomitant exotropia.

Sa12b is a wasp peptide that can inhibit acid-sensitive ion channels (ASICs). The biological effects of nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells (NP-MSCs) have not been investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of Sa12b on the biological activity of NP-MSCs through ASICs in the acidic environment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). In this study, NP-MSCs were isolated from the nucleus pulposus (NP) in patients who underwent lumbar disc herniation surgery, identified by flow cytometry and tertiary differentiation, and cultured in vitro in an acidic environment model of IVDD with a pH of 6.2. Proliferation, and apoptosis were observed after different Sa12b concentrations were added to P2 generation NP-MSCs. The Ca2+ influx was detected using flow cytometry and laser confocal scanning microscopy, and qPCR was used to detect the relative expression of stem cell–associated genes (Oct4, Nanog, Jag1, and Notch1), the relative expression of extracellular matrix (ECM)–associated genes (collagen II, aggrecan, and SOX-9), and the relative expression of genes encoding ASICs (ASIC1, ASIC2, ASIC3, and ASIC4). Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of collagen II and aggrecan in different treatment groups. Cells isolated and cultured from normal NP were spindle-shaped and adherent, and they exhibited expansion in vitro. Flow cytometry results showed that the cells exhibited high expression of CD73 (98.1%), CD90 (97.5%), and CD105 (98.3%) and low expression of HLA-DR (0.93%), CD34 (2.63%), and CD45 (0.33%). The cells differentiated into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. According to the International Society for Cellular Therapy criteria, the isolated and cultured cells were NP-MSCs. With an increase in Sa12b concentration, the cell proliferation rate of NP-MSCs increased, and the apoptosis rate decreased significantly, reaching the optimal level when the concentration of Sa12b was 8 μg/μl. When the Sa12b concentration was 8 μg/μl and contained the ASIC non-specific inhibitor amiloride, the Ca2+ influx was the lowest, followed by that when the Sa12b concentration was 8 μg/μl. The Ca2+ influx was the highest in the untreated control group. qPCR results showed that as the concentration of Sa12b increased, the relative expression of Oct4, Nanog, Jag1, Notch1, collagen II, aggrecan, and SOX-9 increased, while that of ASIC1, ASIC2, ASIC3, and ASIC4 decreased. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Sa12b can improve the biological activity of NP-MSCs in severely acidic environments of the intervertebral disc by reducing Ca2+ influx via AISC inhibition and, probably, the Notch signaling pathway. This study provides a new approach for the biological treatment of IVDD. Inhibition of AISCs by Sa12b may delay IVDD and improve low back pain.

This paper is devoted to H∞ consensus design and online scheduling for homogeneous multiagent systems (MASs) with switching topologies via deep reinforcement learning. The model of homogeneous MASs with switching topologies is established based on switched systems theory, in which the switching of topologies is viewed as the switching among subsystems. By employing linear transformation, the closed-loop systems of MASs are converted into reduced-order systems. The problem of H∞ consensus design can be transformed to the issue of H∞ control. It is supposed that the consensus protocol is composed of two parts: dynamics-based protocol and learning-based protocol, where dynamics-based protocol is provided to guarantee the convergence and weighted attenuation and learning-based protocol is proposed to improve the transient performance. Then, the multiple Lyapunov function (MLF) method and mode-dependent average dwell time (MDADT) method are combined to ensure the stability and weighted H∞ disturbance attenuation index of reduced-order systems. The sufficient existing conditions of dynamics-based protocol are given through the feasible solutions of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Moreover, the online scheduling is formulated as a Markov decision process, and the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm in the framework of actor-critic is proposed for the compensation of disturbance to explore optimal control policy. The online scheduling of parameters of MASs is viewed as bounded compensation of dynamics-based protocol, whose stability can be guaranteed by nonfragile control theory. Finally, simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.

Calorie restriction (CR) and exercise training (EX) are two critical lifestyle interventions for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) and skeletal muscle are two important organs for the generation of heat. Here, we undertook detailed transcriptional profiling of these two thermogenic tissues from mice treated subjected to CR and/or EX. We found transcriptional reprogramming of BAT and skeletal muscle as a result of CR but little from EX. Consistent with this, CR induced alterations in the expression of genes encoding adipokines and myokines in BAT and skeletal muscle, respectively. Deconvolution analysis showed differences in the subpopulations of myogenic cells, mesothelial cells and endogenic cells in BAT and in the subpopulations of satellite cells, immune cells and endothelial cells in skeletal muscle as a result of CR or EX. NicheNet analysis, exploring potential inter-organ communication, indicated that BAT and skeletal muscle could mutually regulate their fatty acid metabolism and thermogenesis through ligands and receptors. These data comprise an extensive resource for the study of thermogenic tissue molecular responses to CR and/or EX in a healthy state.

Silicon (Si) plays a pivotal role in mitigating phytotoxicity caused by cadmium (Cd). However, few former reports focused on the internal mechanism how Si assisted in alleviating Cd stress in rice under different durations of Cd exposure. Herein, the effects of Si on subcellular distribution of Cd in rice roots under short-term (12 h) and long-term (20 d) Cd exposure were explored. Results showed that Si decreased shoot Cd concentration but had little impact on root Cd levels. Under short-term Cd exposure, subcellular distribution analysis showed that Si increased the ratio of Cd in root cell wall by 23.2~24.0%, and decreased the ratio of Cd in root soluble fraction by 20.6~21.5%. This suggested that Si supply improved root retention of Cd by fixing it on the cell wall and thus restricted intracellular transportation of Cd. Further analysis unraveled that pectin (especially ionic-soluble pectin) of the cell wall was the main binding component, and Si supply induced more Cd accumulation in covalent-soluble pectin and hemicellulose. Moreover, the overexpression of germin-like proteins (GLPs) proved the role of cell wall in moderating Cd toxicity. Under long-term Cd exposure, Si promoted phytochelatin 2 (PC2) and phytochelatin 3 (PC3) synthesis in cytosol, at the same time, Si down-regulated the expression of the Cd efflux-related protein multidrug resistance-associated protein-like ATP-binding cassette transporters (MRP-like ABC transporters) and limited Cd transportation from vacuole to cytosol. Taken together, Si rather predominates in limiting Cd translocation by the cell wall of root under short-term Cd exposure and promoting vacuole compartmentalization to mitigate the Cd toxicity under long-term exposure, instead of reducing the absorption of Cd in rice roots, thereby decreasing Cd delivery into shoots.

Empirical evidence suggests that financial risk has a heavy-tailed profile. Motivated by recent advances in the generalized quantile risk measure, we propose the tail value-at-risk (TVaR)-based expectile, which can capture the tail risk compared with the classic expectile. In addition to showing that the risk measure is well-defined, the properties of TVaR-based expectiles as risk measures were also studied. In particular, we give the equivalent characterization of the coherency. For extreme risks, usually modeled by a regularly varying survival function, the asymptotic expansion of a TVaR-based expectile (with respect to quantiles) was studied. In addition, motivated by recent advances in distributionally robust optimization in portfolio selections, we give the closed-form of the worst-case TVaR-based expectile based on moment information. Based on this closed form of the worst-case TVaR-based expectile, the distributionally robust portfolio selection problem is reduced to a convex quadratic program. Numerical results are also presented to illustrate the performance of the new risk measure compared with classic risk measures, such as tail value-at-risk-based expectiles.

The bark beetle, Scolytus schevyrewi (S. schevyrewi), is an economically important pest in China that causes serious damage to the fruit industry, particularly, in Xinjiang Province. Chemical signals play an important role in the behavior of most insects, accordingly, ecofriendly traps can be used to monitor and control the target pests in agriculture. In order to lay a foundation for future research on chemical communication mechanisms at the molecular level, we generate antennal transcriptome databases for male and female S. schevyrewi using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis. By assembling and analyzing the adult male and female antennal transcriptomes, we identified 47 odorant receptors (ORs), 22 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 22 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), and 11 chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Furthermore, expression levels of all the candidate OBPs and CSPs were validated in different tissues of male and female adults by semiquantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). ScosOBP2 and ScosOBP18 were highly expressed in female antennae. ScosCSP2, ScosCSP3, and ScosCSP5 were specifically expressed in the antennae of both males and females. These results provide new potential molecular targets to inform and improve future management strategies of S. schevyrewi.

In order to improve the computational accuracy of the AOA (angle of arrival) location, an AOA location method based on CTLS (constrained total least squares) and incorporating the effect of station errors is investigated. Its approximate closed-form solution is derived by first calculating the least squares solution, then substituting the least squares solution into the approximate closed-form solution and iterating to calculate the final result. Subsequently, since the result of the Fisher information matrix is minimized when the stations are uniformly distributed, the final accuracy of the AOA target location is improved by finding the optimal relative position deployment strategy for the sensor-carrying station in 3D space, under the assumption that the sensor carriers are uniformly distributed. Simulations show that, in the presence of station errors, the accuracy of AOA location is improved by approximately 10% using this paper’s calculation method, compared to the common least squares location method. In the process of target location, the Fisher information matrix is used to calculate the lower bound of the location result for the CRLB (Cramer–Rao lower bound), which is optimal when the azimuth is uniformly distributed and all on the same horizontal plane, if its pitch angle is 35.56°.

A robust metal- and solvent-free cascade radical-induced C-N cleavage/intramolecular 6-endo-dig annulation/hydrocarbonylation for the synthesis of the valuable 2-aryl-4H-chromen-4-ones is described. This practical synthesis strategy utilizes propargylamines and air as the oxygen source and green carbonylation reagent, in which propargylamines are activated by the inexpensive and available dimethyl 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionate) (AIBME) and (PhSe)2 as the radical initiators. This simple and green protocol features wide substrate adaptability, good functional group tolerance, and amenability to scaling up and derivatizations.

Auxetic textiles with a negative Poisson’s ratio show significant energy absorption and synclastic curvature characteristics and potential application value in sportsmen protection material. The stability and reliability of the structure and properties of auxetic textiles is also an important factor to assess and promote the application. Thus, auxetic yarns with multiple core/wrap structure were prepared by a 16-spindle braiding machine. It mainly focused on the axial stretching behavior and the relationship between the structure and auxetic effect of yarn samples. The maximum Poisson’s ratio of auxetic yarns was −3.26. The experimental results also showed that the complex yarns still presented an auxetic effect during 30 repeats of cycle stretching. According to the study about the repeatable stretchability and auxetic effect of complex yarns, it could be expected to provide more comfortable, safer, and smarter protective textiles.

Purpose: To develop an algorithm to detect and quantify hyperreflective dots (HRDs) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).Materials and Methods: Twenty OCTs (each OCT contains 128 b scans) from 20 patients diagnosed with DME were included in this study. Two types of HRDs, hard exudates and small HRDs (hypothesized to be activated microglia), were identified and labeled independently by two raters. An algorithm using deep learning technology was developed based on input (in total 2,560 OCT b scans) of manual labeling and differentiation of HRDs from rater 1. 4-fold cross-validation was used to train and validate the algorithm. Dice coefficient, intraclass coefficient (ICC), correlation coefficient, and Bland–Altman plot were used to evaluate agreement of the output parameters between two methods (either between two raters or between one rater and proposed algorithm).Results: The Dice coefficients of total HRDs, hard exudates, and small HRDs area of the algorithm were 0.70 ± 0.10, 0.72 ± 0.11, and 0.46 ± 0.06, respectively. The correlations between rater 1 and proposed algorithm (range: 0.95–0.99, all p < 0.001) were stronger than the correlations between the two raters (range: 0.84–0.96, all p < 0.001) for all parameters. The ICCs were higher for all the parameters between rater 1 and proposed algorithm (range: 0.972–0.997) than those between the two raters (range: 0.860–0.953).Conclusions: Our proposed algorithm is a good tool to detect and quantify HRDs and can provide objective and repeatable information of OCT for DME patients in clinical practice and studies.

Band keratopathy (BK) is a common complication in aphakic eyes with silicone oil tamponade for open-globe injury (OGI), characterized by the grayish-white opacities in the cornea, resulting in a significantly decreased vision when extending to the visual axis. To identify the risk factors for BK in aphakic eyes following vitreoretinal surgical treatment with silicone oil tamponade for OGIs, we performed a multicenter case-control study. The incidence of BK was 28% (28/100 eyes). The multivariate binary logistic regression revealed the silicone oil retention time (SORT) ≥6 months and zone III injury were significant risk factors for BK. From the hierarchical interaction, SORT ≥6 months had a significant risk for BK in eyes with rupture, aniridia, and zone III injury, while zone III injury had a significant risk for BK in eyes with rupture, incomplete/complete iris, and SORT ≥6 months. By using restricted cubic splines with three knots at the 25th, 50th, and 75th centiles to model the association of SORT with BK, we also found a marked increase in the risk for BK at ≥10 months and a slow increase after 6 months, but almost stable within 4–6 months.

BackgroundAdvanced prediction of the daily incidence of COVID-19 can aid policy making on the prevention of disease spread, which can profoundly affect people's livelihood. In previous studies, predictions were investigated for single or several countries and territories. ObjectiveWe aimed to develop models that can be applied for real-time prediction of COVID-19 activity in all individual countries and territories worldwide. MethodsData of the previous daily incidence and infoveillance data (search volume data via Google Trends) from 215 individual countries and territories were collected. A random forest regression algorithm was used to train models to predict the daily new confirmed cases 7 days ahead. Several methods were used to optimize the models, including clustering the countries and territories, selecting features according to the importance scores, performing multiple-step forecasting, and upgrading the models at regular intervals. The performance of the models was assessed using the mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), Pearson correlation coefficient, and Spearman correlation coefficient. ResultsOur models can accurately predict the daily new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in most countries and territories. Of the 215 countries and territories under study, 198 (92.1%) had MAEs 0.8. For the 215 countries and territories, the mean MAE was 5.42 (range 0.26-15.32), the mean RMSE was 9.27 (range 1.81-24.40), the mean Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.89 (range 0.08-0.99), and the mean Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.84 (range 0.2-1.00). ConclusionsBy integrating previous incidence and Google Trends data, our machine learning algorithm was able to predict the incidence of COVID-19 in most individual countries and territories accurately 7 days ahead.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the correlation between electroretinogram (ERG) and visual outcome in eyes with metallic intraocular foreign body (IOFB) injury.Methods: Cases with metallic IOFB injuries with preoperative ERG from January 2008 to May 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Five ERG responses were recorded, including rod response, maximal response, oscillatory potentials, cone response, and 30-Hz flicker. The results were compared between the affected and the contralateral eyes. All patients received surgery to remove IOFBs. The correlation between amplitudes, implicit times, and grades of ERG with final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was analyzed.Results: A total of 33 eyes of 33 patients were included. The eyes with IOFB had generally delayed implicit time and reduced amplitude in all waves. The maximum change was found in oscillatory potentials S3 and N1 (0.42 ± 0.42 and 1.95 ± 1.97 of the fellow eyes, respectively, p < 0.05). All amplitudes were negatively correlated with the final BCVA (rs: −0.676 to −0.459, all p < 0.05). In contrast, all implicit times were positively correlated with final BCVA, although, some of them were not statistically significant (rs: 0.035 to 0.687). Among them, oscillatory potential P3 has the highest correlation coefficient (rs = 0.687, p < 0.001). All grades of ERG waves were statistically correlated with the final BCVA (rs: −0.596 to −0.664, all p < 0.001).Conclusions: ERG can be used to assess visual outcome in metallic IOFB injury after surgery. Oscillatory potentials provided the most significant responses.

Multi-drug (or multi-element) combinations are often prescribed in the practice of clinical medicine and as foods for special medical purposes. The main motivations for these combinations are that most diseases contain multiple related targets and an appropriate combination can maximize benefits while minimizing adverse reactions. As such, it is especially important to derive mathematical models for their quantitative calculation. In this paper, we introduce mathematical rules for the synergistic, additive, and antagonistic effects of multi-drug combinations developed in our laboratory. We have established a “one-belt, one-line” model and provide examples of the quantitative calculation of the synergistic, additive, and antagonistic effects of a combination of multiple components. We also explain how to scientifically and precisely determine the intensity of these synergies, additions and antagonisms, as well as their corresponding dose ranges, thereby laying a solid theoretical foundation for market listing combinatorial drugs and foods for special medical purposes. Keywords: Multi-drug combination, Dose–effect belt, One-belt, one-line model, Foods for special medical purposes, Synergy, Addition, Antagonism

A new equation, which was dependent on physical principles, was developed for the study of heat transfer in CI engines which needs turbulence of gas flows to calculate heat flux. Proposed approach was implemented into a 1-D engine simulation, which was used to determine heat flux between in-cylinder gas and wall. Results from the suggested equation were compared to the previous conventional equations; Morel and Hohenberg, and to the engine experiments. The proposed equation showed better accuracy when compared with the conventional equations due to detailed representation of in-cylinder gas flow by dividing the combustion chamber into 6 different regions.

Tailings ponds are a major hazard, and are ranked 18th in the risk assessment of world accident hazards. The saturation line height is one of the most important factors that affects the safety of tailings ponds. Due to the extremely complicated seepage boundary conditions of tailings ponds, a precise calculation method is urgently needed for predicting the saturation lines. Therefore, the dynamic model should be investigated to evaluate the potential for dam breakage. In this paper, based on an analysis of tailings ponds in various regions, we use the long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm to predict the time-series variation of the saturation line height. To evaluate and validate our model, we compare with traditional models. The results demonstrate that the deep learning method significantly outperforms the traditional methods, provides a new strategy and has significant potential for tailings ponds safety prediction.

Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) belongs to a group of inherited retinal diseases with high genetic heterogeneity. This study aimed at identifying the disease-causing variants in patients with autosomal recessive RP. Methods: Three RP families with autosomal recessive inheritance and 139 sporadic RP patients were included. Complete ophthalmic examinations were conducted in all the study subjects. DNA samples were extracted from patients’ peripheral blood for whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis. Direct Sanger sequencing was conducted for validating the identified mutations and cosegregation pattern in the RP families. Results: One novel (c.7492G>C:p.Ala2498Pro and c.8422C>T:p.Ala2808Thr) and one reported (c.8012T>A:p.Leu2671X and 6416G>A:p.Cys2139Tyr) pair of compound heterozygous mutations, as well as one reported compound homozygous mutation (c.6416G>A:p.Cys2139Tyr/c.8012T>A:p.Leu2671X), were identified in the EYS gene from three families with autosomal recessive RP. All the mutations were cosegregated with the RP phenotype in the RP families. For the sporadic RP patients, seven novel and seven reported EYS variants were identified in 19 patients, including two novel frameshift (c.8301dupT:p.Asp2767fs and c.9437_9440del:p.Glu3146fs), three novel missense (c.8297G>C:p.Gly2766Ala, c.9052T>C:p.Trp3018Arg, and c.8907T>G:p.Cys2969Trp), and one nonsense (c.490C>T:p.Arg164X) variants. All the novel mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Most of the variants were located at the C-terminus of the EYS protein. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that all detected variants were damaging or possibly damaging. Conclusions: This study identified eight novel EYS variants and expanded the spectrum of EYS mutations in Chinese RP patients.

Repetition learning is an efficient way to enhance memory performance in our daily lives and educational practice. However, it is unclear to what extent repetition or multiple exposures modulate different types of memory over time. The inconsistent findings on it may be associated with encoding strategy. In this study, participants were presented with pairs of pictures (same, similar, and different) once (see section “Experiment 1”) or three times (see section “Experiment 2”) and were asked to make a same/similar/different judgment. By this, an elaborative encoding is more required for the “same” and “similar” conditions than the “different” condition. Then after intervals of 10 min, 1 day, and 1 week, they were asked to perform a recognition test to discriminate a repeated and a similar picture, followed by a remember/know/guess assessment and a contextual judgment. The results showed that after learning the objects three times, both item memory and contextual memory improved. Multiple exposures enhanced the hit rate for the “same” and “similar” conditions, but did not change the false alarm rate significantly. The recollection, rather than the familiarity, contributed to the repetition effect. In addition, the memory enhancement was manifested in each encoding condition and retention interval, especially for the “same” condition and at 10-min and 1-day intervals. These results clarify how repetition influences item and contextual memories during discriminative learning and suggest that multiple exposures render the details more vividly remembered and retained over time when elaborative encoding is emphasized.

Subretinal fibrosis is a common pathological change that causes vision loss in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Treatment modalities for subretinal fibrosis are limited. In the present study, the effects of fenofibrate, a specific peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor alpha agonist, on subretinal fibrosis of nAMD were tested, and its molecular mechanisms of action were delineated. Collagen deposition and protein expression of fibrotic markers, such as vimentin, collagen-1, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and fibronectin, were increased in very low–density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) knockout mouse, indicating Vldlr−/− mice can be used as a model for subretinal fibrosis. Fenofibrate suppressed subretinal fibrosis of Vldlr−/− mice by reducing collagen deposition and protein expression of fibrotic markers. Two fibrotic pathways, TGF-β—Smad2/3 signaling and Wnt signaling, were significantly up-regulated, while inhibited by fenofibrate in Vldlr−/− retinas. Moreover, fenofibrate significantly reduced the downstream connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression of these two pathways. Müller cells were a major source of CTGF in Vldlr−/− retinas. Fenofibrate was capable of suppressing Müller cell activation and thus reducing the release of CTGF in Vldlr−/− retinas. In cultured Müller cells, fenofibrate reversed TGF-β2–induced up-regulation of Wnt signaling and CTGF expression. These findings suggested that fenofibrate inhibits subretinal fibrosis by suppressing TGF-β—Smad2/3 signaling and Wnt signaling and reducing CTGF expression, and thus, fenofibrate could be a potential treatment for nAMD with subretinal fibrosis.

Summary: Exoskeletons of Odontodactylus japonicas, the “smasher-type” mantis shrimp, feature a raptorial appendage comprising a Bouligand architecture of chitin nanofibrils with newly observed voids or defects between the polysaccharide α-chitin and protein interfaces. Here, we use a continuous-fiber 3D printing technology to simulate such materials in carbon fiber-reinforced (helicoidal) composites, complete with the presence of voids due to imperfect printing. The specific impact energies of the 3D printed helicoidal composites are clearly superior and further enhanced by the presence of the voids. To explain the role of the Bouligand architecture, interlaminar stresses are computed and found to yield anti-delamination characteristics, and a theoretical model is derived to evaluate the optimal helicoidal architecture. Finite element modeling indicates that the voids tend to deform and coalesce on loading and appear to guide the fracture into the formation of an ideally twisted crack in the printed helicoidal composites, thereby contributing to the impact toughness.