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Background: Previous researches on large animal models of diabetic cardiomyopathy were insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate early changes in left ventricular (LV) function and morphology in diabetic pigs using a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) time-volume curve and feature tracking technique. Methods: Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce diabetic in sixteen pigs. 3.0T MRI scanned the pig's heart before and 2, 6, 10 and 16 months after modelling. CMR biomarkers, including time-volume curve and myocardial strain, were compared to analyse the longitudinal changes in LV function and morphology. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between LV strain and remodelling. Cardiac specimens were obtained at 6, 10, and 16 months after modelling to observe the myocardial ultrastructural and microstructure at different courses of diabetes. Results: Twelve pigs developed diabetes. The 80% diastolic volume recovery rate (DVR) at 6 months after modelling was significantly higher than that before modelling (0.78 ± 0.08vs. 0.67 ± 0.15). The LV global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) (− 10.21 ± 3.15 vs. − 9.74 ± 2.78 vs. − 9.38 ± 3.71 vs. − 8.71 ± 2.68 vs. − 6.59 ± 2.90%) altered gradually from the baseline data to 2, 6, 10 and 16 months after modelling. After 16 months of modelling, the LV remodelling index (LVRI) of pigs increased compared with that before modelling (2.19 ± 0.97 vs. 1.36 ± 0.45 g/ml). The LVRI and myocardial peak strain were correlated in diabetic pigs (r= − 0.40 to − 0.54), with GLPS being the most significant. Electron microscopy and Masson staining showed that myocardial damage and fibrosis gradually increased with the progression of the disease. Conclusion: Intravenous injection of STZ can induce a porcine diabetic cardiomyopathy model, mainly characterized by decreased LV diastolic function and strain changes accompanied by myocardial remodelling. The changes in CMR biomarkers could reflect the early myocardial injury of diabetic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents are one of the most important factors promoting children's educational success. Using parent survey data from rural primary and middle schools in one county, this study examines the implementation of the parent councils (PCs) policy in rural China, specifically, the relationships among PCs, school-based parent involvement (PI), and parent satisfaction. Our analysis shows that not all schools have established PCs and only a small proportion of parents were aware of the existence of PCs. Multi-level mixed effects logistic regression results indicate that having a PC and perceiving a PC in school were both associated with improved parent-teacher communication and parent participation in various school activities. However, the magnitudes of the relationships were substantially higher in the models using perceived existence of PCs. Because of more frequent parent-teacher communication and parent participation in school activities, parent satisfaction levels were higher in schools with PCs, and the satisfaction levels were even higher in schools where parents were aware of the PC's existence. The findings contribute to our understanding of the importance of PI and have implications for policymakers and school leaders to promote parent satisfaction by establishing PCs, raising the awareness of PCs among parents, and increasing meaningful school-based PI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blaps rhynchopetera (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a beetle that is widely used in folk medicine in Southwest China. The defensive glands of B. rhynchopetera secrete a complex mixture of defensive fluids, which are invaluable sources of bioactive substances for potential biotechnological applications. To provide broader insight into the genetic and biochemical basis of these defensive secretions, we performed RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis on the defensive glands of B. rhynchopetera. We also identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the defensive gland tissue using selected muscle tissue as a control. We then performed GO and KEGG enrichment analysis on the DEGs to analyze expression patterns characteristic of the defensive glands. In total, we obtained 283,921,912 high‐quality clean reads, which we assembled into 39,735 transcripts with a mean length of 1,300.94 bp. These transcripts were then assembled into 27,104 unigenes with an average length of 1,143.05 bp. DEG analysis showed that 1,666 genes were significantly up‐regulated and 2,565 genes were significantly down‐regulated in defense gland tissues. GO enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed that most genes were enriched in GO terms related to substance metabolism and transport. KEGG pathway enrichment results showed that lysosome‐related pathways were the most highly enriched in DEGs, while many pathways related to specific metabolic pathways—such as N‐glycan biosynthesis and insect hormone biosynthesis—were significantly up‐regulated. Finally, it is also important to note that most GO terms related to pathogen defense as well as genes enriched in associated KEGG pathways were also significantly down‐regulated in defensive gland tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies reported that there was right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on RV systolic dysfunction and interventricular interactions using cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) in patients with essential hypertension. Methods and methods: Eighty-five hypertensive patients without T2DM [HTN(T2DM −)], 58 patients with T2DM [HTN(T2DM +)] and 49 normal controls were included in this study. The biventricular global radial, circumferential and longitudinal peak strains (GRS, GCS, GLS, respectively) and RV regional strains at the basal-, mid- and apical-cavity, were calculated with CMR-FT and compared among controls and different patient groups. Backward stepwise multivariable linear regression analyses were used to determine the effects of T2DM and left ventricular (LV) strains on RV strains. Results: The biventricular GLS and RV apical longitudinal strain deteriorated significantly from controls, through HTN(T2DM-), to HTN(T2DM +) groups. RV middle longitudinal strain in patient groups were significantly reduced, and LV GRS and GCS and RV basal longitudinal strain were decreased in HTN(T2DM +) but preserved in HTN(T2DM-) group. Multivariable regression analyses adjusted for covariates demonstrated that T2DM was independently associated with LV strains (LV GRS: β = − 4.278, p = 0.004, model R2 = 0.285; GCS: β = 1.498, p = 0.006, model R2 = 0.363; GLS: β = 1.133, p = 0.007, model R2 = 0.372) and RV GLS (β = 1.454, p = 0.003, model R2 = 0.142) in hypertension. When T2DM and LV GLS were included in the multiple regression analysis, both T2DM and LV GLS (β = 0.977 and 0.362, p = 0.039 and < 0.001, model R2 = 0.224) were independently associated with RV GLS. Conclusions: T2DM exacerbates RV systolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension, which may be associated with superimposed LV dysfunction by coexisting T2DM and suggests adverse interventricular interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve electrical matching between ethylene-propylene-diene misch-polymere (EPDM) reinforce insulation and crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) main insulation in direct current (DC) cable accessories, the glyceryl monooleate (GMO) organic compound composed of several polar-groups and one long carbon chain is employed for chemical graft modification on EPDM to ameliorate DC electrical performances. Charge trap characteristics are analyzed by testing thermal stimulation current (TSC) and verified by calculating first-principles electronic properties to elucidate the GMO-graft-modified charge trapping mechanism accounting for DC electric conductance and dielectric breakdown. The grafted GMO molecules introduce substantial shallow charge traps that lead to nonlinear profiles of electric conduction versus electric field and cause hopping transports of percolation conductance. Electric conductance of EPDM is significantly improved by GMO graft for electrical matching with XLPE, while a high level of dielectric breakdown strength is retained sufficiently for reinforce insulation in cable accessories. Shallow charge traps introduced by GMO graft are capable of capturing charge carriers to form homocharge layers near electrodes which can scatter the transporting charge carriers and exclude further charge injections, thus to mitigate the dielectric breakdown strength reduction caused by electric conductivity improvement. Electric field finite-element simulations demonstrate that the electric field in DC cable terminals can be evidently homogenized by using GMO-grafted EPDM as reinforce insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prodrug-converting enzyme, β-glucuronidase (β-GCase) is a lysosomal enzyme participating in the release of glucose from glucopyranosyl glycoside. In this work, for the first time, we have developed an analytical method exhibiting fluorometric signals for straightforward determination of β-GCase using silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs). Via hydrothermal treatment, in the water bath of 70 °C for 50 min, dopamine (DA) reacts with (3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino) ethylamino] propyltrimethoxysilane) (AEEA) to produce green fluorescent Si NPs. Enlightened by such easy reaction and β-GCase-triggered specific hydrolysis of dopamine-4-β-D-glucuronide (DA-GCU) into DA, we have designed an analytical method for β-GCase sensing through the production of Si NPs. Therefore, through the designed sensing platform, β-GCase activity was monitored, and the limit of detection (LOD) for this study was 0.02 U/L. Furthermore, the feasibility of the method was assessed by measuring β-GCase activity in human serum where recoveries and RSD were in the ranges 99–104% and 1.37–3.44, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving localization performance is one of the critical issues in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). As a range-free localization algorithm, Distance Vector-Hop(DV-Hop) is well-known for its simplicity but is hindered by its low accuracy and poor stability. Therefore, it is necessary to improve DV-Hop to achieve a competitive performance. However, the comprehensive performance of WSN is limited by computing and storage capabilities of sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose an algorithm with parallel and compact techniques based on Whale Optimization Algorithm (PCWOA) to improve DV-Hop performance. The compact technique saves memory consumption by reducing the original population. The parallel techniques enhance the ability to jump out of local optimization and improve the solution accuracy. The proposed algorithm is tested on CEC2013 benchmark functions and compared with some popular algorithms and compact algorithms. Experimental results show that the improved algorithm achieves competitive results over compared algorithms. Finally, simulation research is conducted to verify the localization performance of our proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractions B1 and B4 (134 g) were subjected to a normal-phase silica gel chromatography (300-400 mesh) with a gradient solvent system of CH SB 2 sb Cl SB 2 sb -MeOH, 100:1-0:1) to give seven major subfractions B1-1-B1-7. In our chemical investigation of this plant, 12 compounds ( B 1-12 b ) were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of I C. dichotoma i fruits. Compounds B 1-12 b were evaluated for cytotoxicity against Hep-2 cancer cell lines but only compounds B 1-3 b showed moderate cytotoxicity with IC SB 50 sb values of 102.1 ± 3.8, 70.0 ± 4.0, and 50.7 ± 1.0 g/mL, respectively. Fractions B3 and B4 (28 g) were subjected to a normal-phase silica-gel chromatography (300-400 mesh) with a gradient solvent system of dichloromethane-methanol (CH SB 2 sb Cl SB 2 sb -MeOH), 100:1-0:1) to give six major subfractions B3-1-B3-6. [Extracted from the article]

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is recognized as a promising technique to efficiently and economically capture emitted carbon dioxide in common combustion processes. In this study, the bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) fuel reactor performance of the CLC system was examined through numerical simulation. The reduction reaction performance obtained from conventional BFB fuel reactor and BFB fuel reactor incorporated with internal particle circulation denoted as internal circulation bubbling fluidized bed reactor (ICBFB), were compared under the same fuel flow rate and operating conditions. By using CH 4 as fuel and ilmenite as the oxygen carrier, it was found the reduction reaction can be enhanced by using the ICBFB fuel reactor due to particle circulation. The particle circulation increased the mixing and contact time between fuel and oxygen carrier that produced reduction reaction enhancement. Moreover, the simulation results indicated that higher reduction reaction performance can be achieved by higher reduction reaction temperature and initial oxygen carrier volume fraction. • A CFD model was built to study fuel reduction in a chemical looping combustion system. • The bubbling fluidized bed with and without internal particle circulation was used as the fuel reactor. • Fuel reduction can be enhanced by particle circulation due to increased particle mixing. • Reaction temperature plays an important role in fuel reduction in fuel reactor. • Fuel reduction can be enhanced by using a higher initial volume fraction of oxygen carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently, a novel group of CD34 and S100 co-expression spindle cell tumors with distinctive stromal and perivascular hyalinization harboring recurrent gene fusions involving RET, RAF1, BRAF, and NTRK1/2 gene has been identified. Case presentation: In this study, we reported two Chinese male patients with soft tissue tumors presenting in the right knee joint and the left thigh, respectively. For both patients, the tumors were completely excised with clear margin. Microscopically, case 1showed morphological overlap with neurofibroma, and case 2 showed overlap with lipomatous solitary fibrous tumor. Both tumors showed co-expression of S100 and CD34, and absence of SOX10. Genomic profiling with DNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay was performed and revealed KIF5B-RAF1 (K16:R8) and TLN2-RAF1 (T54:R8) rearrangements. RNA-based NGS and RT-PCR were performed to confirm the gene fusion. Conclusions: Though systemic therapy was not indicated in these two patients, identification of targetable kinase fusions may help to refine tumors with an ambiguous immunoprofile, and provides suggestions for targeted therapy in rare aggressive cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oblique shock/vortex interaction (OSVI) is numerically investigated based on the large-eddy simulation method. A Mach interaction between separated shock and incident shock can be found when the pressure at the recirculation region reaches a certain level. Based on the idea of spatial–temporal correlation, which considers the three-dimensional steady interaction as a two-dimensional unsteady problem, a qualitative analysis is conducted to explain complicated three-dimensional shock structures. The interaction can be regarded as a combination of the following events: the interaction between circular shock and normal shock, the reflection of shock wave on a subsonic interface, and the interaction between secondary circular shock and other shock structures. Though the original vortex has broken down, a pair of streamwise vortices can be observed in the downstream flow field, the formation of which is associated with the split of the recirculation region. Moreover, the recirculation region is found to act as a solid body, which means that the flow angle along a splitting curve can reflect the splitting speed. Three stages can be identified according to the change process of the flow angle along the splitting curve, which are rapid growth, linear growth, and decrease stages. Inspired by the studies on the shock-induced boundary layer separation, the flow field of the strong OSVI with a regular interaction is modeled to predict the initial flow angle of the splitting point which is the foundation of the study on other stages. The interaction type between separated shock and incident shock can also be judged according to this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural characteristics of the strong interaction between an oblique shock wave and streamwise vortex are experimentally investigated based on the nanoparticle-based planar laser scattering technology. Fine structures of reorganized vortices and helical structures are first recorded in experimental visualization. For the case with the strongest shock wave, a catastrophe process occurs due to the change of breakdown type, which gives birth to abundant small-scale vortical structures. Fractal and feature analyses indicate that the turbulent mixing dramatically increases after the interaction, especially for the case with spiral breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. (CAVA) has been confirmed to have promising anti‐obesity effects. However, the regulation of alkaloid extracts from flower of CAVA (Al) on lipid metabolism remain unknown. In this study, Al was optimized by ultrasound‐assisted extraction using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions were ultrasonic time 72 min, ethanol concentration 78% and liquid/solid ratio 30 ml/g with the maximum alkaloid yield 5.66%. LC–MS assay indicated that the alkaloid compounds were enriched in Al after optimization. Nine alkaloid compounds were identified in Al by LC–MS assay and stachydrine, caffeine and cathine appeared as the major alkaloid compounds. Bioactivity assay showed that Al treatment significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and reduced malonaldehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Al administration also reversed oleic acid‐induced hepatic steatosis in Hep G2 cells by inhibiting the expression of lipogenesis‐signaling genes including fatty acid synthase (FAS), peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor subtype γ (PPARγ), uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and retinol binding protein (RBP4). However, OA‐induced reduction of lipolysis‐related gene carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1A) in Hep G2 cells was not improved by Al supplementation. Moreover, the increased SOD activity and decreased MDA and ROS contents were also observed in Caenorhabditis elegans by Al addition. Al intervention exhibited the ability to inhibit lipid accumulation in C. elegans by suppressing expression of lipid metabolism‐related genes. These results suggested that the alkaloid extracts from the flower of CAVA showed great potential to regulate lipid metabolism. Practical Applications: The extraction of alkaloid extracts from the flower of CAVA was optimized with a maximum yield of 5.66%. The regulatory effects and mechanisms of Al on lipid metabolism of Hep G2 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans were also investigated. More clinical studies are required to evaluate the potential of using alkaloids from the flower of CAVA as therapeutic agents against lipid metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel radar-wave absorption nanocomposites are developed by filling the nanoscaled ferrites of strontium ferroxide (SrFe12O19) and carbonyl iron (CIP) individually into the highly flexible liquid silicone rubber (LSR) considered as dielectric matrix. Nanofiller dispersivities in SrFe12O19/LSR and CIP/LSR nanocomposites are characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, and the mechanical properties, electric conductivity, and DC dielectric-breakdown strength are tested to evaluate electrical insulation performances. Radar-wave absorption performances of SrFe12O19/LSR and CIP/LSR nanocomposites are investigated by measuring electromagnetic response characteristics and radar-wave reflectivity, indicating the high radar-wave absorption is dominantly derived from magnetic losses. Compared with pure LSR, the SrFe12O19/LSR and CIP/LSR nanocomposites represent acceptable reductions in mechanical tensile and dielectric-breakdown strengths, while rendering a substantial nonlinearity of electric conductivity under high electric fields. SrFe12O19/LSR nanocomposites provide high radar-wave absorption in the frequency band of 11~18 GHz, achieving a minimum reflection loss of −33 dB at 11 GHz with an effective absorption bandwidth of 10 GHz. In comparison, CIP/LSR nanocomposites realize a minimum reflection loss of −22 dB at 7 GHz and a remarkably larger effective absorption bandwidth of 3.9 GHz in the lower frequency range of 2~8 GHz. Radar-wave transmissions through SrFe12O19/LSR and CIP/LSR nanocomposites in single- and double-layered structures are analyzed with CST electromagnetic-field simulation software to calculate radar reflectivity for various absorbing-layer thicknesses. Dual-layer absorbing structures are modeled by specifying SrFe12O19/LSR and CIP/LSR nanocomposites, respectively, as match and loss layers, which are predicted to acquire a significant improvement in radar-wave absorption when the thicknesses of match and loss layers approach 1.75 mm and 0.25 mm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damage evolution in concrete after high temperature is a complicated procedure, in which the pre-peak strain hardening behaviour, the post-peak strain softening behaviour and the impact of high temperature play key roles. Uniaxial and biaxial compression damage models of concrete considering high temperature degradation effect are proposed based on damage theory and experimental phenomena. They consider that the destruction of concrete is actually the cumulative evolution course of the two meso-damage modes, rupture and yield. High temperature changes the mechanical performance in microstructure of concrete and the generation and propagation of microcracks. It could be described by adjusting the probability distributions which characterize the mesoscopic damage evolution. The damage constitutive model is employed to determine the stress-strain behaviour of concrete under uniaxial compression, and the calculated results are compared with the experimental results under different high temperature levels. Results indicate that the proposed model can not only predict the stress-strain behaviour with acceptable accuracy in macroscopic scale, but also reveal the damage evolution mechanism in mesoscopic scale. Finally, the constitutive behaviour under biaxial compression is also simulated to investigate the influence of high temperature on biaxial stress-strain behavior and strength envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first report from Cherry Valley ducks on a commercial duck farm in China (2008), duck astrovirus type 1(DAstV‐1)‐associated duck viral hepatitis (DVH) have been detected in several commercial duck flocks. A highly acute disease characterized by hepatitis broke out in ducklings in Shandong Province in March 2021, all diseased ducks have been immunized against the duck viral hepatitis vaccine. One DAstV‐1 strain, designated as DAstV‐SDWF, was isolated from a diseased duckling. Here, the isolation, cultivation, and characterization of DAstV‐1 isolate are described. The isolated astrovirus grew well in the LMH cell line. To determine the entire genomic of the DAstV‐SDWF isolate, the next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technique was conducted on the Illumina HiSeq platform. Complete genome sequence analysis revealed that DAstV‐SDWF isolate was 91.6%–98.6% homology with others DAstV‐1 deposited in Genbank. Similar clinical symptoms were successfully reproduced by an experimental infection study using the DAstV‐SDWF isolate. DAstV‐SDWF is the first DAstV‐1 strain whose experimental infection study has been conducted in China. Results of the above data demonstrated that DAstV‐1 could be one of the causative agents of the DVH occurring in China. The present works are likely to provide new insights into the pathogenicity and evolution of DAstV‐1 in ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The effect of current therapy is far from satisfactory; therefore, it is necessary to develop new UC therapeutic strategies. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 21 (LAB 21) has a protective effect in UC. We investigated the underlying mechanisms of action of LAB 21 using UC rat models established by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. The results showed that LAB 21 administration reduced the disease activity index, macroscopic scoring, and histopathological damage scores in UC rats. UC rats had up-regulated levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-17A, and an increased percentage of T helper 17 (Th17) cells, while LAB 21 treatment inhibited the up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines level and Th17 cell proportion. Moreover, LAB 21 administration attenuated the decrease of E-cadherin, ZO-1, and Occludin proteins in UC rats, and inhibited toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression and nuclear factor (NF)-κB nuclear translocation. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that LAB 21 exerts a protective effect in UC rats by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway and inflammatory response, down-regulating the proportion of Th17 cells, and reducing intestinal permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is a deadly tumor that accounts for the vast majority of brain tumors. Thus, it is important to elucidate the molecular pathogenesis and potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of glioma. In the present study, gene expression profiles of GSE2223 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Core modules and hub genes related to glioma were identified using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). After a series of database screening tests, we identified 11 modules during glioma progression, followed by six hub genes (RAB3A, TYROBP, SYP, CAMK2A, VSIG4, and GABRA1) that can predict the prognosis of glioma and were validated in glioma tissues by qRT-PCR. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to analyze the difference of immune cell infiltration between the glioma and control groups. Finally, Identification VSIG4 for immunotherapy response in patients with glioma demonstrating utility for immunotherapy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH), also known as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia, is a rare cause of endogenous Cushing's syndrome. In many familial cases of PBMAH, the variants in armadillo repeat containing 5 (ARMC5) gene are found to be associated with the disease. Here, we report a case of PBMAH harboring a novel frameshift variant in ARMC5 gene, which has not been previously reported in the literature. Case presentation: A 67-year-old woman was referred due to the clinical features of Cushing's syndrome. Radiological imaging and hormonal testing were carried out. The serum levels of cortisol were remarkably increased at late night and did not suppress even after 1 mg of dexamethasone administration, while the plasma levels of ACTH hormone were decreased significantly. The patient underwent unilateral left-sided laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and the diagnosis of PBMAH was substantiated by histopathological analysis. Moreover, the partial envelope was incomplete and the cell proliferation index was low. Specifically, inhibin α-subunit (+), syn focal (+), Ki-67 ~ 3% (+), CgA (-) and CEA (-) were observed. DNA sequencing data revealed that a novel frameshift variant (c.363_373delGCCAGTGCGCC, p.Pro122Alafs*61) was identified in ARMC5 gene. However, this variant was not detected in the daughter of the patient. The rest of the family members, including her sister, son and two brothers, were not consented for genetic testing. Conclusions: Early detection of ARMC5 variant status and familial screening might have important clinical implications for the diagnosis and prognosis of PBMAH patients. A novel ARMC5 frameshift variant (c.363_373delGCCAGTGCGCC, p.Pro122Alafs*61) was identified to be associated with the pathogenesis of PBMAH. ARMC5 sequencing may improve the identification of a causative gene variant for PBMAH and allow earlier diagnosis of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a common parasite that invades the epithelial cytoplasm in the hepatopancreas of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and results in slow growth of the host shrimps to cause significant economic loss in shrimp aquaculture. In this study, a TaqMan probe–based qPCR for quantitative detection of EHP was established. A pair of specific primers and a TaqMan probe were designed based on the sequence of cysteine desulfurase gene (NFS1) of EHP. The standard curve between cycle threshold (Ct) and the logarithmic starting quantity (SQ) of the template was determined as Ct = − 3.231 lg (SQ) + 40.638, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.998 and an amplification efficiency of 103.9%. The lower limit of quantification was 1.67 × 101 copies/μL for this TaqMan probe–based qPCR and 1.67 × 103 copies/μL for the conventional PCR. The TaqMan probe–based qPCR established in the research was 100 times more sensitive than the conventional PCR method. In addition, the results of clinical sample detection indicated that the present technique was efficient in detecting EHP in the hepatopancreas, feces, water, and pond bottom mud samples. Therefore, the established TaqMan probe–based qPCR is a suitable technique for detecting EHP in both shrimp and aquatic environment samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The white wax secreted by the male insects of the Chinese white wax scale (CWWS) is a natural high-molecular-weight compound with important economic value. However, its regulatory mechanism of wax biosynthesis is still unclear. In this study, a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to analyze transcriptome data of first- and second-instar females, early and late female adults, and first- and second-instar males. A total of 19 partitioned modules with different topological overlaps were obtained, and three modules were identified as highly significant for wax secretion (p < 0.05). A total of 30 hub genes were obtained through screening, among which elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids protein (ELOVL) and fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) are important catalytic enzymes of fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, their metabolic catalytic products are involved in the synthesis of wax biosynthesis. The results demonstrate that WGCNA can be used for insect transcriptome analysis and effectively screen out the key genes related to wax biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Considered the coupling effects of MSR, DIT, and EAR. • The regression models were constructed employing GWO-SVR to predict engine performance. • The optimal case was obtained adopting MOGWO and E-TOPSIS. • The maximum MSR reaches 56.16 % in the Pareto optimal set. Marine methanol-diesel compound combustion (DMCC) engines have received extensive attention in the shipping industry. This work aims to further improve the performance and evaluate the carbon reduction potential of the marine DMCC engine. First, the computational fluid dynamic model of the dual-fuel engine was built. Then, an intelligent regression method based on the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm optimized support vector machine regression (SVR) was proposed. The methanol substitution rate (MSR), excess air ratio (EAR), and diesel injection timing (DIT) were adopted as the decision variables to establish the regression models for NOx, CO, and CO 2 emissions and indicated specific fuel consumption (ISFC). Subsequently, a multi-objective grey wolf optimizer (MOGWO) and entropy weight TOPSIS were employed to obtain the optimal case for achieving low NOx and CO emissions and ISFC. Finally, the maximum MSR was explored to achieve greater carbon reduction benefits while balancing the NOx emission and ISFC. The results showed that after GWO optimization, the coefficients of determination of the SVR regression models are all greater than 0.95, with mean square errors consistently below 0.015. It indicates that the regression models have excellent consistency and applicability. The optimal case calculated by MOGWO and entropy-weighted TOPSIS enables co-optimization of the NOx emission and ISFC while maintaining the CO emission below 600 ppm. Compared to the original case, the optimal case achieves reductions of 26.22 % for NOx and 13.39 % for ISFC. The exploration of the maximum MSR reveals that in the Pareto optimal set, the maximum MSR reaches 56.16 %, at which point the NOx and CO 2 emissions reduce by 75.85 % and 59.32 % respectively, while the ISFC increases by 21.67 % compared to the original case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the details, analysis and results of an investigation into the compressive behaviour of concrete-filled stiffened steel tubular (CFSST) slender columns. These are members comprising an outer steel section with longitudinal stiffeners welded to the interior surface. A finite element (FE) model was developed and validated. An improvement in ultimate strength compared to conventional concrete-filled steel tubular column has been found due to the presence of stiffeners that reduce the width-to-thickness ratio of the steel tube, which in turn increases the effective cross-sectional area of the steel tube. Moreover, it was found that stiffeners increase the lateral confining pressure on the concrete. FE modelling was then employed to conduct a thorough parametric study to investigate the influence of a wide range of parameters. These included the slenderness ratio, concrete compressive strength, as well as the geometry and details of the stiffeners. Both medium-length and long CFSST columns, classified on the basis of slenderness ratio, were carefully studied and discussed, as well as their inherent differences. The strengths predicted from the FE simulations were compared with the design strengths obtained from various international design codes, and it was shown that the design expressions provide very conservative capacity predictions. Accordingly, a new three-stage confinement-based design model was proposed, which takes into account different confining mechanisms of columns based on their slenderness ratio. It is illustrated that this model provides a very accurate prediction of the square CFSST slender columns, and captures the key behavioural characteristics. • A confinement-based direct design model is developed for CFST slender columns with stiffened tubes. • EC4 and AISC design codes were found to be conservative. • Columns fail by elastic-plastic buckling show enhanced confinement of concrete, while it was negligible in elastic failure. • Plastic and elastic buckling slenderness limits have been provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-level domestic travels of central leaders serve as a platform for conveying political messages and spotlighting regions and policies of interest. However, there is a gap in the research that examines how these visits reflect networks among leaders. In this article, we underscore the significance of network analysis in scrutinizing the inspection tours of Chinese leaders. We posit that as China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping consolidates his power, his network naturally contracts due to institutional constraints. Utilizing various network analysis tools, we find that Xi Jinping’s inspection network has reduced in size since his first term. An examination of the network positions of individual officials in Xi’s inspection network indicates that those occupying pivotal network positions also hold key posts in the Party. Furthermore, we observe that a cadre’s importance in this network significantly influences their political advancement, and this has notably intensified throughout Xi’s second term with respect to promotion to the Politburo. This suggests that Xi might have been more inclined or better equipped to bring along his trusted associates on local visits later in his tenure. This article both presents empirical evidence to illustrate how Xi’s network has become smaller and more isolated and contributes to our understanding of the highest levels of Chinese politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fiscal system plays an important role in the government's environmental governance efforts. There is currently no consensus on how fiscal structure adjustments impact pollution and carbon reduction. This paper uses China's fiscal "province-managing-county" reform (FPMCR) implemented in 2004 as a quasi-natural experiment, utilizing panel data from 1670 counties in China from 2000 to 2020 to investigate the impact of fiscal decentralization on reduction pollution and carbon emissions (RPCE), as well as its underlying mechanisms. The results show that (1) from 2000 to 2020, China's RPCE shows an overall trend of fluctuating increase, with its value turning positive after 2013. China's RPCE exhibits a spatial pattern characterized by "lower in the north, higher in the south; higher in the east, lower in the west". (2) After implementing FPMCR , the RPCE levels in reformed counties decreased by −1.44%, showing that reformed county-level governments prioritize economic development over environmental protection. (3) The mechanism analysis found that after implementing FPMCR , reformed counties experienced a 9.16% increase in nighttime light intensity (NLI), and a 3.99% and 4.34% increase in the number of large-scale industrial enterprises (NLIE) and industrial agglomeration (IA), respectively. This suggests that FPMCR leads to radical urbanization and rapid industrialization in counties, which is detrimental to the improvement of RPCE levels. (4) The spatial heterogeneity analysis found that FPMCR's impact coefficient on RPCE levels in the eastern regions is −1.96%, while in the western regions it is −1.16%. This indicates that reformed counties in the eastern regions are more likely to invest expanded fiscal resources in economic development projects, leading to a decrease in RPCE levels. (5) The temporal heterogeneity analysis found that after the promulgation of the " Three-Year Action Plan to Win the Blue Sky Defense Battle " in 2018, the adverse impact of FPMCR on RPCE is completely reversed, leading to a 1.76% increase in RPCE levels. (6) Further analysis reveals that localizing leaders can slow down the promotion of county-level urbanization and industrialization by the FPMCR , benefiting the improvement of RPCE levels. In other words, "the outsider monk will not recite scriptures as well as a local one". This study has clarified the causal relationship and underlying mechanisms between fiscal decentralization and environmental governance, providing reliable theoretical support for optimizing grassroots fiscal systems and reducing environmental pollution in other transitional economies. It enriches the field of environmental economics related to fiscal decentralization. • Leader localization can shape government behavior following an increase in financial resources. • Enriched environmental economics research related to fiscal decentralization. • Increase more refined reduction of pollution and carbon emissions indicators to improve evaluability. • Clarify the causal relationship and internal mechanism between fiscal decentralization and environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimental tests of CFDSST columns is presented in detail in this paper. • Using ABAQUS, 3D finite element CFFSST column models under axial compression are developed. • The fundamental behaviour of the CFDSST columns is discussed in detail. • The feasibility of current design codes to design the CFDSST columns is evaluated. • The proposed design model is shown to predict well the strengths of CFDSST columns. This paper explores the performance of concrete-filled double-skin (square stiffened hollow sections (SHS) outer and circular hollow sections (CHS) inner) steel tubular (CFDSST) stub columns under axial compression through experimental research and finite element analysis. The static axial compression experiments of six concrete-filled stiffened steel tubular (CFST) stub columns and fifteen CFDSST stub columns were conducted. The test method, process, phenomena and results are introduced in detail. The results indicated that compared with conventional CFST stub columns, CFDSST stub columns with reasonable hollow ratio can maintain load-carrying capacity, increase ductility and reduce self-weight. Increasing the strength of concrete is the most effective way to increase the load-carrying capacities of specimens when other variables remain constant. Finite element (FE) software was then utilised to generate the models of current specimens. The simulation results showed reasonableness and accuracy compared to the experimental results. Based on the validated models, parameter analysis was performed to reveal the influence of concrete strength, width-to-thickness ratio of the outer steel tube, stiffener depth, hollow ratio and yield strength of the outer steel tube on the ultimate strengths of the specimens. In addition, compared with test and FE strengths, the ultimate strengths predicted by available international codes were found to be quite conservative. Consequently, a formula was proposed to predict the load-carrying capacity of CFDSST stub columns considering the effective cross-sectional areas of the outer steel tubes and the strength of the confined concrete. The formula has been shown to provide the best prediction with acceptable reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nitrogen heteroatom porous carbon (NPC) was prepared by oxalate activation strategy. • The NPC presents moderate heteroatom contents and hierarchical pore structures. • The NPC cathode displays large capacity, high energy density and long cycle life. Heteroatom doped porous carbons have been widely used in aqueous zinc ion hybrid capacitors (AZICs) due to their merits of simple preparation process, excellent electric conductivity and abundant expose active sites. However, toxic and corrosive processes hinder their further applications. Herein, we report a template-free strategy to prepare nitrogen doped porous carbons from coal tar pitch for AZICs. Due to the structural characteristics of hierarchical pores and N, O heteroatoms, the AZIC fabricated by cathode presents the highest discharge capacity (133.1 mAh g−1), the maximum energy density (112.3 Wh kg−1), an excellent rate performance (65.9 Wh kg−1 at 15.26 kW kg−1) and a superior cycle stability over 15,000 cycles. This study points to an environmentally-friendly strategy to construct heteroatom-doped porous carbons for high-performance AZICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are currently the most widely used host cells for production of recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs). Small-molecule additives related to cell cycle apoptosis and autophagy regulation have been used to promote RTP production. By combining two small-molecule additives, positive synergistic effects on transgene expression were observed in CHO cells. In the present study, six small-molecule additives were used, including hydrocinnamic acid (HCA), sodium butyrate (NaB), lithium acetate (LiAc), sodium succinate dibasic hexahydrate (SDH), decitabine (DAC), and sodium propionate (SP). Experiments to test the effects of their pairwise combinations on two different recombinant CHO cell lines (rCHO) were designed using Design-Expert 12.0. Different effects of various pairs of small molecules on apoptosis- and autophagy-related protein expression were observed in the rCHOs. The results showed that compared to the control culture, NaB alone increased the volumetric yield and specific productivity (Qp) by 166% and 143%, respectively. The volumetric yield and Qp of NaB combined with DAC (Cg1)-treated cells increased by 178% and 212%, respectively. Cg1 selectively blocked the cells in the G0/G1 cell cycle stage. The relative expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Beclin 1, and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3B) in Cg1-treated CHO cells were significantly increased, while relative levels of cleaved caspase-3 expression were significantly decreased. In conclusion, Cg1 had the most obvious effect on RTP production and Qp in CHO cells, suggesting the Cg1 combination of small molecules may be used to improve the expression of recombinant protein in CHO cells. • The combination of sodium butyrate and decitabine promotes transgene expression in CHO cells. • The combination of sodium butyrate and decitabine increases the yield and specific productivity. • The combination of sodium butyrate and decitabine inhibits CHO cell apoptosis. • The combination of sodium butyrate and decitabine blocks the cells in the G0/G1 stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have been widely used in the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA). The notable difference of the electrophysiological (EP) responses of hiPSC-CMs in serum and serum-free media (SFM) is puzzling and may impact regulatory decision-making on the cardiac safety of candidate drugs in inducing QT prolongation and torsade de pointes (TdP). In this study, we compared the EP responses of hiPSC-CMs to 10 CiPA compounds and moxifloxacin in serum and SFM; explained the potential reason behind the different EP responses—abiotic compound loss to plastic tubes/plates of hydrophobic compounds prepared in SFM; and investigated the impact of compound preparation methods on drug bioavailability in exposure media, which affects the TdP risk prediction of drugs tested in serum-containing and SFM. For assays to be conducted in SFM, awareness of abiotic compound loss of hydrophobic compounds in serum-free preparations is critical for delay repolarization evaluation and data extrapolation from in vitro to in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microscopic characterization of magnetic nanomaterials by magnetic probe interacting with ferromagnetic nano-domains is proposed according to finite-element magnetostatic field simulations. Magnetic forces detected by microscopic probe are systematically investigated on magnetic moment orientation, magnetization intensity and geometry of ferromagnetic nano-domains, and especially on permanent magnetic coating thickness and tilting angle of probe, to provide a theoretical basis for developing magnetic force microscopy. Magnetic force direction is primarily determined by magnetic moment orientation of nanosample, and the tip curvature dominates magnetic force intensity that is meanwhile positively correlated with nanosample magnetization and probe magnetic coating thickness. Nanosample should reach a critical thickness determined by its transverse diameter to be capable of accurately detecting the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic nanomaterials. Magnetic force signal relies on probe inclination when the sample magnetic moment is along probe tilting direction, which, however, is not disturbed by probe inclination when sample magnetic moment is perpendicular to probe tilting plane. Within the geometry of satisfying a critical size requirement, the magnetic force can successfully image the ferromagnetic nano-domains by characterizing their sizes and magnetic moment orientations. The present study is expected to provide effective analyzing schemes and theoretical evidences for magnetic force microscopy of characterizing magnetic structures in ferromagnetic nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent development of flexible display technology raised additional requirements for optical and electric properties of polyimides, accelerating the structure and property tunning of transparent polyimides. The unique electronic effect and steric hindrance effect of fluorine substitutions make fluorine-containing polyimides occupy an important position in the transparent polyimide family. In this work, a series of transparent aromatic polyimides were prepared from a fixed 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) and biphenyl diamines with different substitute groups at the 2,2′,6,6′-positions. We systematically studied the effects of pendant groups on the thermal, mechanical, optical and dielectric properties of these 6FDA-based polyimides with the aid of density function theory (DFT) calculation. In particular, we paid special attention to the simple but compact fluoro group substitution. The simple fluoro substitution brought the advantages of maintaining the linearity of the backbone and dense polymer chain packing, which would minimize the weakening of polyimides' inherent thermal, dimensional and mechanical properties. Comparing with trifluoromethyl substituted polyimides with the best optical transparency, polyimides containing fluoro substitutes exhibited slightly decreased optical transparency, but increased thermal and dimensional stability and higher mechanical strength. These results could shed light on the ultimate transparent polyimide film development toward the application in extreme working condition, e.g., the colorless polyimide substrate film for the flexible display technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A balanced filtering directional coupler (BFDC) based on slotline is designed in this article. The proposed coupler is composed of balanced microstrip/slot (MS) transition feed structures, three-line cross-finger-coupled resonant structures, and asymmetric parallel loaded branch. The MS transition feed structure is adopted at the input and output ports to make the differential mode (DM) response independent of the common mode (CM) one and achieve a good CM suppression. Two transmission zeros (TZs) are generated and controlled by the coupling of three-line cross-finger-coupled resonant structure; thereby, the out-of-band selectivity can be enhanced. Asymmetrical parallel loaded branch can effectively improve the flatness of the coupler. In order to verify the design strategy, the coupler was designed, fabricated, and measured, and the measurement results are in good agreement with the simulation ones. The DM operating band of the designed coupler covers 4.2–5.3 GHz [fractional bandwidth (FBW) $=24$ %] with 15-dB return loss. Isolation is better than 15 dB and CM suppression is better than 40 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D deficiency is a candidate risk factor for osteoporosis, characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD). We performed this two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effect of vitamin D on BMD. We extracted 143 single-nucleotide polymorphisms from a recent GWAS on 417,580 participants of European ancestry as instrumental variables, and used summary statistics for BMD at forearm (n = 10,805), femoral neck (n = 49,988), lumbar spine (n = 44,731) and total-body of different age-stages (< 15, 15–30, 30–45, 45–60, > 60) (n = 67,358). We explored the direct effect of vitamin D on BMD with an adjusted body mass index (BMI) in a multivariable MR analysis. We found no support for causality of 25-hydroxyvitamin D on BMD at forearm, femoral neck, lumbar spine, and total-body BMD across the lifespan. There was no obvious difference between the total and direct effect of vitamin D on BMD after adjusting for BMI. Our MR analysis provided evidence that genetically determined vitamin D was not causally associated with BMD in the general population. Large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to investigate the role of vitamin D supplementation in preventing osteoporosis in the high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $\mathcal {X}$ be a Banach space over the complex field $\mathbb {C}$ and $\mathcal {B(X)}$ be the algebra of all bounded linear operators on $\mathcal {X}$. Let $\mathcal {N}$ be a nontrivial nest on $\mathcal {X}$ , $\text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ be the nest algebra associated with $\mathcal {N}$ , and $L\colon \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}\longrightarrow \mathcal {B(X)}$ be a linear mapping. Suppose that $p_n(x_1,x_2,\ldots ,x_n)$ is an $(n-1)\,$ th commutator defined by n indeterminates $x_1, x_2, \ldots , x_n$. It is shown that L satisfies the rule $$ \begin{align*}L(p_n(A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_n))=\sum_{k=1}^{n}p_n(A_1, \ldots, A_{k-1}, L(A_k), A_{k+1}, \ldots, A_n) \end{align*} $$ for all $A_1, A_2, \ldots , A_n\in \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ if and only if there exist a linear derivation $D\colon \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}\longrightarrow \mathcal {B(X)}$ and a linear mapping $H\colon \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}\longrightarrow \mathbb {C}I$ vanishing on each $(n-1)\,$ th commutator $p_n(A_1,A_2,\ldots , A_n)$ for all $A_1, A_2, \ldots , A_n\in \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$ such that $L(A)=D(A)+H(A)$ for all $A\in \text {Alg}\mathcal {N}$. We also propose some related topics for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s13738-023-02876-w.Correction to: Journal of the Iranian Chemical Societyhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s13738-023-02876-wThe figure 1 caption was incorrectly published in the original publication. The complete correct caption is given below (Fig. 1).Graph: Fig. 1XRD patterns of b TiO 2 /MMT composites and a pure MMTThe original article has been corrected.By Feng Wei; Linxin Lei; Ying-hai Lyu; Haoming Li; Juan Li; Shiyao Li and Hao YuReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

Daptomycin is a new lipopeptide antibiotic for treatment of severe infection caused by multi-drug-resistant bacteria, but its production cost remains high currently. Thus, it is very important to improve the fermentation ability of the daptomycin producer Streptomyces roseosporus. Here, we found that the deletion of proteasome in S. roseosporus would result in the loss of ability to produce daptomycin. Therefore, transcriptome and 4D label-free proteome analyses of the proteasome mutant (Δprc) and wild type were carried out, showing 457 differential genes. Further, five genes were screened by integrated crotonylation omics analysis. Among them, two genes (orf04750/orf05959) could significantly promote the daptomycin synthesis by overexpression, and the fermentation yield in shake flask increased by 54% and 76.7%, respectively. By enhancing the crotonylation modification via lysine site mutation (K-Q), the daptomycin production in shake flask was finally increased by 98.8% and 206.3%, respectively. This result proved that the crotonylation modification of appropriate proteins could effectively modulate daptomycin biosynthesis. In summary, we established a novel strategy of gene screen for antibiotic biosynthesis process, which is more convenient than the previous screening method based on pathway-specific regulators. Key points: • Δprc strain has lost the ability of daptomycin production • Five genes were screened by multi-omics analysis • Two genes (orf04750/orf05959) could promote the daptomycin synthesis by overexpression [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulse current oxidation methods were used to degrade the malachite green (MG) using lead dioxide as anodes. The influences of operating parameters, including pulse frequency, pulse current density and pulse duty cycle, on the MG removal efficiency were investigated. The results indicate that MG removal efficiency can reach 99.6% after 90 min with the pulse frequency at 10 Hz, pulse current density at 30 mA cm−2 and pulse duty cycle at 0.6. The pulse degradation processes follow the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Comparison with direct current oxidisation methods, pulse oxidisation methods can enhance MG and COD removal efficiency and reduce the energy consumption. Moreover, pulse oxidisation methods can increase the amount of hydroxyl radicals generation and reduce side reactions (such as oxygen evolution) in the degradation process of MG. Finally, a possible degradation pathway of MG in pulse current modes was proposed based on the intermediate products identified by GC/MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes are small nanovesicles with a size of approximately 40-120 nm that are secreted from cells. They are involved in the regulation of cell homeostasis and mediate intercellular communication. In addition, they carry proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids that regulate the biological activity of receptor cells. Recent studies have shown that exosomes perform important functions in liver diseases. This review will focus on liver diseases (drug-induced liver injury, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, liver fibrosis, acute liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma) and summarize the therapeutic potential of exosomes from different cell sources in liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalyst-free, direct electrooxidative phenol derivatives C(sp3)–H mono- and di-alkylation reaction have been developed. In contrast to previous typical oxidative and electrochemical coupling, this electrosynthetic approach enables selective mono- and di-alkylations through metal- and external oxidant-free mild conditions via easily available electrodes. Advances of this strategy were proven by an unparalleled broad substrate scope for efficient C–C, C–N, C–O bond formation as well as excellent site- and regioselectivity. The electrochemical selective alkylations were devoid of additional electrolytes, could be conducted on a gram scale, and provided the enone products by cascade electrooxidative dehydrogenation, which highlight a notable potential for further late-stage diversification. Detailed mechanistic studies allowed to delineate the exact profile of the generation of the mono- and di-alkylation events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypothyroidism can manifest as several important cardiac abnormalities. There are few reports of ventricular dysrhythmias (VDs) in hypothyroidism. We described a rare case of VDs in severe hypothyroidism and reviewed the literature behind its management. Case presentation: A 67-year-old gentleman, with poor compliance to treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, presented with palpitations to the Emergency Department. He had runs of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT). He was treated with intravenous (IV) amiodarone and admitted to the intensive care unit for observation. He then developed recurrent Torsades de Pointes (Tdp) despite treatment with several anti-arhythmics. He required electrical cardioversion and eventual transvenous overdrive pacing (OP). VT recurred while he was on OP. VT resolved and he was weaned off OP only after adequate thyroid hormone replacement. Conclusions: VDs, including NSVT, Tdp, and VT, are rare and potentially lethal in hypothyroidism. Our case demonstrates important challenges in the management of severe hypothyroidism. Here, VDs are often refractory to treatment with drugs and electrical means. The choice(s) of anti-arrhthymics requires careful consideration and can be difficult before thyroid function tests are known. Amiodarone use should be cautioned as it is associated with thyroid dysfunction and QT interval prolongation. There is no literature to guide thyroid hormone replacement in this disease. Aggressive replacement is associated with adverse cardiovascular effects. Our case showed a fine balance between the risk of rapid thyroid hormone replacement and the urgency to terminate VDs. Its administration should be carefully monitored amidst bridging strategies like electrical cardioversion and OP to manage life-threatening VDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrins, a family of cell adhesion transmembrane receptors, mediate cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, and phagocytosis. In the present study, an integrin ChIntα 4 from Crassostrea hongkongensis was characterized to investigate its role in defensing against pathogenic bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus. The full-length cDNA sequence of ChIntα 4 was 3572 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 3168 bp, which encoded a polypeptide with 1055 amino acids. The mRNA expression of ChIntα 4 in the hemocytes was significantly up-regulated at 6 h and 24 h post V. alginolyticus stimulation (p < 0.01). The recombinant Ch Intα 4 protein could agglutinate the rabbit red blood cells and Gram-negative bacteria V. alginolyticus and Escherichia coli. Moreover, the phagocytic activity of the hemocytes was significantly down-regulated from 46.9% to 32.7% when blocked with anti- Ch Intα 4 antibody, and it was significantly up-regulated from 42.7% to 59.5% post transfection with pCI-neo- ChIntα 4 plasmid (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that Ch Intα 4 might be involved in resisting V. alginolyticus infection and regulating phagocytosis as a cell adhesion receptor in C. hongkongensis. • The sequence of ChIntα 4 was firstly cloned from Crassostrea hongkongensis. • The mRNA level of ChIntα 4 showed positive response post Vibrio stimulation. • Ch Intα 4 protein agglutinated the erythrocyte and Gram-negative bacteria. • Ch Intα 4 protein was demonstrated to regulate phagocytosis of the hemocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and extension of macrovascular invasion (MaVI) in a large cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and analyze the association between MaVI and overall survival (OS). Methods: From 2011 to 2018, 2540 patients with newly diagnosed HCC who were managed in our institution were enrolled in this retrospective study. Tumor invasion of the intrahepatic branches of the portal or hepatic veins was defined as peripheral MaVI. Tumor invasion of the main portal vein or inferior vena cava was defined as central MaVI. Results: MaVI prevalence was 16.2% (n = 411). Among patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C and Child–Pugh class A, 165 patients presented with peripheral MaVI and 89 patients with central MaVI. The median OS was 13.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.4–15.4) in the peripheral MaVI group and 6.6 months (95% CI: 3.6–9.5) in the central MaVI group (p < 0.001). In patients with BCLC stage C and Child–Pugh class B or BCLC stage D, 68 patients presented with peripheral MaVI and 89 patients with central MaVI. The median OS was 3.6 months (95% CI: 3.1–4.2) in the peripheral MaVI group and 2.8 months (95% CI: 2.1–3.4) in the central MaVI group (p = 0.674). Conclusion: The extension of MaVI significantly affected patient survival only in those with BCLC stage C and Child–Pugh class A. In patients with BCLC stage C and Child–Pugh class B or BCLC stage D, survival was poor irrespective of MaVI status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entanglement witnesses are fundamental tools for detecting entanglement. We prove the necessary and sufficient conditions via two entanglement witnesses for the full separability of system of the four-qubit GHZ and W mixed states in white noise in some parameter regions. The witnesses lead to the necessary conditions. For the sufficiency of the system, we generate three types of optimal product states. Then we show how to combine optimal product states to construct the four-qubit fully separable GHZ and W mixed states in white noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low–concentration of colloidal silica (usually from 5 to 20 wt%) for liquefaction mitigation has been widely studied. But fewer literatures have focused on higher concentration of colloidal silica for cementing sand. For calcareous sand seeped by 40 wt% colloidal silica, cyclic loadings were performed to explore its anti–liquefaction, long–term settlement and self–sensing characteristics. Cyclic triaxial apparatus were to perform anti–liquefaction and long–term settlement tests, and use self-built setup to perform self-sensing tests. The new findings are as follows: (1) for anti–liquefaction, specimens seeped by 40 wt% colloidal silica can't achieve liquefaction, i.e., the excess pore pressure ratios cyclically fluctuates between 1 and negative, which is not discovered by lower concentration of colloidal silica in the previous literatures; (2) for long–term settlement, cumulative strain is small after 20,000 cycles, and the cumulative strain is less than 1 % even the cyclic stress ratio (CSR) is greater than 1.1, indicating that the colloidal–silica–cemented sand has good resistance to deformation; (3) self–sensing characteristics have been discovered, i.e., a stress change of 90 kPa can lead to 59.37 % change in electrical resistivity, compared to Portland–cement-treated sand without change of resistivity under the same stress change. When Portland–cemented materials are added with conductive fillers in the previous literatures, they can exhibit self-sensing characteristics, but the stress sensitivity is still two orders lower than colloidal–silica–cemented sand. For colloidal–silica–cemented sand, based on the fact that the dry silica gel is non–conductive and only the salt solution in the micro porous media is conductive, the self–sensing feature can be attributed to the stress–induced deformation of micro conductive–salt–solution–filled channels (i.e., the deformation of conductive network). The above research indicates that colloidal–silica–seeped sand has a potential for self–sensing subgrades in the marine environments. • The self–sensing sensitivity is two orders higher than cement-based materials. • A new phenomenon that negative excess pore pressure ratio is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Retraction Note: Crystal Structures and Inhibiting Human Cardiac Myoma Cells Activity of Co(II) and Cu(II)-based Coordination Polymers Constructed from 4-(1 H-pyrazole-4-yl)Benzoic Acid and 4,4'-Bipyridine Ligands" has been retracted by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher due to evidence of systematic manipulation of the publication process. The investigation found issues such as unsupported citations, non-standard phrasing, anomalies in figures, and discrepancies in ethics approval statements. The authors have not responded to correspondence regarding the retraction. Springer Nature, the publisher, remains neutral in regards to jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • The extraction with MS can recover 95.6% of heavy oil from tank bottom sludge. • The synergic extraction facilitates reducing the neutral oil entrainment. • High grade of paraffins were obtained by the synergic extraction and subsequent fine separations. • The mechanisms for synergic extraction were revealed by molecular dynamics simulation. Tank bottom sludge (TBS), consisting of heavy oil (HO), sediment, and water, is one of liquid–solid wastes from petroleum production. Effective separation of HO from TBS and its isolation for value-added products are of great importance for avoiding the pollution from TBS and creating economic benefits. In this work, a two-step solvent extraction strategy is proposed to extract HO from TBS and enrich refined paraffin (RP) from HO. The effects of solvent type, extraction time, extraction times, and solvent volume on the HO extraction and RP enrichment were examined. The results show that more than 95% of HO was extracted using isometric carbon disulfide/acetone mixed solvent at room temperature and petroleum ether/acetonitrile (PE/AN) proved to be effective for enriching RP. The mechanism for the extraction with PE/AN is revealed by calculating the nonbonded interaction energy between PE/AN and selects model compounds at the molecular level. Independent gradient model isosurface and scatter plot prove the wide existence of van der Waals forces and X -H/ Y ···π bonds (X represents >CH or –O and Y denotes a cation or anion) between PE/AN and a model compound through molecular dynamics simulation. This work presents an environmentally friendly and feasible strategy for the clean production of RP from TBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The thermodynamics and structures of the water−vapor and water−graphite interfaces are investigated. • The performance of three association functionals and six PC-SAFT water parameter sets from literature are examined. • Certain functional or water parameter set may exhibit superior performance in specific scenarios. • In some cases, the optimal functional or parameter set remains inconclusive. In this work, we apply the perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) based classical density functional theory to investigate the thermodynamics and structures of the water−vapor and water−graphite interfaces. For the water−vapor interface, we examine the surface tension as well as structural characteristics such as density profiles and hydrogen bonding distributions along the interface. For the water−graphite interface, we investigate these same structural features at a contact angle of 90° at 300 K. Specifically, we focus on comparing the results obtained from the three association functionals and six PC-SAFT water parameter sets from literature with experimental data and molecular simulation results. We find that the three association functionals exhibit qualitatively similar behavior in the calculation of surface tension, and it is more influenced by the parameter set rather than the association functional. The optimal functional or parameter set for the calculation of density profile of the vapor − liquid interface remains inconclusive, whereas preferable parameter sets and functionals have been identified for the water−graphite interface. Furthermore, the three functionals demonstrate a remarkably similar and qualitatively accurate depiction of the hydrogen bonding structures at both interfaces when compared with molecular simulation results. The level of quantitative accuracy, however, relies on whether the parameter set accurately reproduces the average number of hydrogen bonds of bulk water as observed in this particular set of molecular simulation results. The results of the present work offer valuable guidance for further investigation into the adsorption and wetting behavior of water on graphite-like surface, as well as the properties of water confined at the nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home energy management systems (HEMS) have transformed the traditional structure of electricity consumption on the customer side and facilitate real-time interaction between the customers and the grid. However, the HEMS scheduling is currently challenged by a variety of uncertainties, including photovoltaic (PV) output, electric vehicle (EV) charging/discharging behavior, and real-time pricing (RTP), which can seriously impact home equipment scheduling and critical objectives like total cost and users' comfort. Therefore, a hybrid robust-stochastic (HRS) optimization approach for multi-objective home energy management with the consideration of uncertainties and users' comfort has been proposed in this paper. Firstly, a detailed classification and modeling of the loads in the household are carried out to facilitate the exchange between the user-side resources and the grid in a benchmark based on RTP. Then the stochastic charging/discharging behavior of EV is modeled by stochastic optimization (SO) methods, and uncertainties in PV production and RTP are modeled by robust optimization (RO) methods, making full use of the flexibility of various uncertainty parameters. Meanwhile, the users' requirements for comfort are considered, and a multi-objective function for the economy and comfort of the HEMS is established. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified by case studies. The results show that the proposed HRS is effective to deal with different levels of the uncertainty parameters and ensures the users' comfort requirements in home energy system. Moreover, the users can make trade-offs between various levels of robust decisions according to their needs of economic and comfort level, thus obtaining a variety of electricity consumption decisions. • A new hybrid robust-stochastic method is proposed to address the uncertainties for home energy management system. • A MILP optimized scheduling strategy of home energy management systems is proposed. • Multi-objectives for both electrical cost and customer comfort are considered. • The optimal scheduling solutions are selected subject to users' demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comprehensive evaluation of resistance of 31 strawberry varieties to Xanthomonas fragariae. • Bacteria biomass, disease incidence, bacteria fluorescence intensity, ratio of spot area to leaf area, jasmonic acid, and net photosynthetic rate were suitable indicators for evaluating strawberry resistance to Xanthomonas fragariae. • The evaluation system of strawberry resistance to Xanthomonas fragariae was established by correlation, coefficient of variation, and principal component analysis. Xanthomonas fragariae (X. fragariae) is a quarantine pathogen and a tremendous danger to the strawberry industry. Therefore, it's urgent to explore and breed resistant varieties to X. fragariae. In the present study, we evaluated the resistance of 31 strawberry varieties to the X. fragariae YL19-GFP, and finally, 9 moderate resistance (MR) varieties, 18 sensitive (S) varieties, and 4 highly sensitive (HS) varieties were screened. The net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll a content, jasmonic acid content, salicylic acid content of MR and HS varieties were decreased after inoculated YL19-GFP, while the content of ethylene and abscisic acid were increased. After analyzing the correlation and coefficient of variation between the different indicators of MR and HS varieties, we determined that the disease incidence, disease index, bacteria biomass bacteria fluorescence intensity, ratio of spot area to leaf area, jasmonic acid content, and net photosynthetic rate were suitable indicators for evaluating the strawberry resistance to X. fragariae. Subsequently, we evaluated the above indicator using principal component analysis (PCA) and established the score formula. This work provided a more accurate and comprehensive method to assess the resistance of strawberries to X. fragariae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]