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Shabyar (SBA) is a traditional medicine formula for relieving vision loss caused by factors including diabetic retinopathy (DR) in clinics. However, the mechanism of it on retina protective effect still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate whether its protective effect was related to aldose reductase (AR) inhibition and retinal pigment epithelial cell injury mediated by autophagy or not. Human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) induced by high glucose was used as a model in vitro, with Epalrestat (EPL, AR inhibitor) and Difrarel (DFR, DR therapeutic drug) as positive controls. Western blotting and Polyol pathway products assay showed that SBA reduced the expression of AR protein and the content of ROS, and sorbitol, increased the level of Na+-K+-ATPase and alleviated cell edema. Western blotting and DCFH-DA probe assay showed that SBA decreased pAMPK/AMPK and pULK1/ULK1 which associated with autophagy initiation, down-regulated Beclin-1, Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, LC3 II and Bax/Bcl2 ratio, and up-regulated pmTOR/mTOR, SQSTM1/p62 and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reduces intracellular autophagosomes. Real-Time PCR assay showed that SBA had no significant effect on mRNA expression of AR and mTOR. These data demonstrated that SBA treatment inhibits the autophagy of ARPE-19 through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway, and reduced early-stage apoptosis occurred by high glucose. These findings reveal the protective role and mechanism of SBA on retinal pigment epithelium, and provide experimental basis for the clinical application of SBA in the treatment of DR.

Based on the existing core and logging data, as well as previous research achievements, various experimental data were obtained by means of thin section, casting thin section, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analyses, and cathodoluminescence. These data were used for the purposes of examining the features, diagenetic characteristics, and diagenetic evolution sequences of the Upper Paleozoic reservoirs of the Dongpu Depression, and analyzing the main controlling factors. The research results showed that the reservoir lithology was mainly subarkose, sublitharenite, feldspathic litharenite, and lithic arkose. The reservoir was generally characterized by ultra-low porosity and ultra-low permeability, with low porosity and low permeability in some areas. The pore types mainly include primary intergranular residual pores, dissolution pores, intercrystalline micropores, and microfractures. The pore throats are small and the throat channels are poorly sorted. The diagenetic processes mainly include compaction, pressure dissolution, cementation, metasomatism, and dissolution features of the research area. The diagenetic stages were determined to be mainly the middle diagenetic stages (Stage A and Stage B). The delta distributary channel and distributary bay of the Upper and Lower Shihezi Formation, along with the river channel sub-facies of the Shiqianfeng Formation, were considered to be the strata with good reservoir conditions. Moreover, the sand grains are dominated by medium-to-good sorting properties, sub-roundness and sub-angular, which provided a good spatial basis for the development of the primary pores. The calcite and kaolinite in the interstitial materials were corroded, which played a constructive role in the generation of the secondary pores. The results of the compaction, pressure dissolution, and cementation analyses indicate destructive diagenesis, which potentially reduced the porosity and permeability values. However, the dissolution, metasomatism, and chlorite lining cementation indicate improved diagenesis, which potentially increased the porosity and permeability values.

Microbes and microbiota dysbiosis are correlated with the development of lung cancer; however, the airway taxa characteristics and bacterial topography in synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (sMPLC) are not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the microbiota taxa distribution and characteristics in the airways of patients with sMPLC and clarify specimen acquisition modalities in these patients. Using the precise positioning of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB), we analyzed the characteristics of the respiratory microbiome, which were collected from different sites and using different sampling methods. Microbiome predictor variables were bacterial DNA burden and bacterial community composition based on 16sRNA. Eight non-smoking patients with sMPLC in the same pulmonary lobe were included in this study. Compared with other sampling methods, bacterial burden and diversity were higher in surface areas sampled by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Bacterial topography data revealed that the segment with sMPLC lesions provided evidence of specific colonizing bacteria in segments with lesions. After taxonomic annotation, we identified 4863 phylotypes belonging to 185 genera and 10 different phyla. The four most abundant specific bacterial community members detected in the airway containing sMPLC lesions were Clostridium, Actinobacteria, Fusobacterium, and Rothia, which all peaked at the segments with sMPLC lesions. This study begins to define the bacterial topography of the respiratory tract in patients with sMPLC and provides an approach to specimen acquisition for sMPLC, namely BAL fluid obtained from segments where lesions are located.

With the development of unconventional oil and gas exploration “from sea to land,” lacustrine fine-grained sedimentary rocks (FSR) have gradually attracted the attention of scholars and become an important topic in the field of unconventional oil and gas, but the research is still in its initial stage. In this study, lacustrine FSR in the Dongying Depression of the Bohai Bay Basin are used as the research object, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and quantitative image characterization are used to characterize the pore structure of the reservoir in the study area on multiple scales, analyze the reservoir characteristics control factors, and classify and evaluate the reservoir. The results show that: 1) the favorable petrographic phases of the FSR reservoir can be classified into six types of organic-rich lime mudstone, organic-rich laminoid lime clay rock, organic-rich laminoid clay micritic limestone, organic-bearing banding clay micritic limestone, organic-rich banding lime clay rock, and organic-bearing lumpy clay micritic limestone. With an average porosity of 12.3% and an average permeability of 10.58 mD, the overall reservoir is a typical low-porosity-low-permeability type; 2) the reservoir space types are diverse, with strong microscopic inhomogeneity; pores with a pore size of less than 2 nm almost have no contribution to the reservoir space; the pore volume and pore area are mainly provided by organic matter pores at the 100 nm level, mineral intergranular pores, and clay mineral shrinkage pores/slits. The FSR reservoirs in the study area are classified into three categories, and the pore structure of the reservoirs from categories I to III deteriorates in turn. This study provides a basis for the microscopic characterization, classification, and evaluation of lacustrine FSR reservoirs and their exploration.

The Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation and the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the central Yangtze area of southern China has a good prospect of shale gas exploration. So far, however, its complicated geological conditions and shale gas exploration and development potentials have not been understood completely, which affects its exploration achievements. In order to determine the main factors controlling shale gas enrichment in the Wufeng–Longmaxi Fms in this area, this paper studied the key shale gas enrichment conditions in the black shale there (e.g. sedimentary environments, reservoir development characteristics and preservation conditions) based on single-well comprehensive reservoir evaluation, combined with drilling, logging, core, outcrop and test data. In addition, it was compared with the main shale gas blocks in the Sichuan Basin, such as Jiaoshiba and Changning. And the following research results are obtained. First, the organic-rich shale section in this area was formed during the sedimentation from Wufeng Formation to the third submember of the first member of Longmaxi Formation. It is the deposit of deepwater continental facies, and its thickness is in a range of 15–39 m, presenting a trend of increasing from south to north. Second, the reservoir rocks in the high-quality shale sections are dominated by siliceous shale, and the reservoir porosity is in a range of 1.60–7.44%. The reservoir spaces are dominated by organic pores with good connectivity and high total organic carbon (TOC) content. The organic matter is of a sapropel–sapropel prone hybrid type, with a high thermal evolution degree, better gas bearing property and good fracturability. Third, the Dangyang synclinorium is characterized by better strata preservation, rock occurrence flat, less developed faults and thick and stable roofs and floors, so its shale gas preservation conditions are better. Fourth, different from the Changning and Jiaoshiba Blocks, the central Yangtze area is characterized by great burial depth, large bidirectional stress difference, and low formation pressure coefficient. In conclusion, the Wufeng–Longmaxi Fms is better in shale gas enrichment conditions and has a potential of further exploration. However, its commercial shale gas development and scale production increase in the future face challenges due to its large stress difference, great burial depth, and lower pressure coefficient.

Reachability analysis is one of the most basic and challenging problems in verification. We investigate this problem in multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) system by transforming the reachability analysis to decision-making problem tackled by mixed integer linear programming (MILP) solver Gurobi. We define syntax and semantics for multi-role strategy logic (mrSL) which is used to describe the reachability specification. The logic mrSL is a variant of SL to express properties, which provide a holistic perspective to describe reachability properties instead of specifying a specific agent reaches a certain state in the MARL system. And the algorithms to translate reachability property into MILP constraints are provided. A tool called MAReachAnalysis is introduced, which uses Gurobi to solve the corresponding reachability problem and evaluate it on the predator-prey task of multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) example, discussion of the experimental results obtained on a range of test cases.

Automatic train operation systems of high-speed trains are critical to guarantee operational safety, comfort, and parking accuracy. However, implementing optimal automatic operation control is challenging due to the train’s uncertain dynamics and actuator saturation. To address this issue, this paper develops a data-driven Koopman model based predictive control method for automatic train operation systems. The proposed control scheme is designed within a data-driven framework. First, using operational data of trains and the Koopman operator, an explicit linear Koopman model is built to characterize the train dynamics. Then, a model predictive controller is designed based on the Koopman model under comfort and actuator constraints. Furthermore, an online update mechanism for the Koopman model is developed to cope with the changing dynamic characteristics of trains, which reduces the accumulation errors and improves control performance. Stability analysis of the closed-loop control system is provided. Comparative simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed control approach.

The measurement of the concentration of suspended sediment in a water body is a very important content in the observation of hydrological elements, and it is also one of the important parameters for calculating the sediment resuspension flux. In order to accurately predict the distribution of lake sediment, this paper uses satellite remote sensing data to invert the suspended sediment concentration. The key to the quantitative inversion is the atmospheric correction and the suspended sediment concentration inversion algorithm. In this paper, satellite remote sensing technology and Internet of Things technology are combined to establish a new type of lake suspended sediment concentration distribution model. First of all, this paper combines the results of satellite remote sensing inversion and the results of on-site water sample inspections of the Internet of Things to obtain the original hydrological data of suspended sediment in the lake. Secondly, this paper combines ADAM with deep learning technology to simulate the lake flow field and predict the dynamic process of suspended sediment pollution under different conditions. Finally, through experimental simulation and field sampling experiments, the validity of the lake suspended sediment concentration model established in this paper is verified. This model can provide assistance for relevant agencies to grasp the temporal and spatial distribution of suspended sediment concentration in regional lakes in a comprehensive and timely manner, and can obtain the overall characteristics of the study area and the impact of humanistic engineering construction.

Context Huoxin pill (HXP) is a commonly used TCM prescription for treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, its mechanism in protecting against myocardial infarction (MI) remains unknown. Objective We performed a network pharmacology analysis to explore the bioactive ingredients, therapeutic effects, and mechanisms of HXP in protecting against MI. Materials and methods HPLC was used to identify major bioactive compounds, and overlap with MI target genes were visualised. 10-Week old C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned as: Sham-operated control, MI + Phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and MI + HXP (3 mg/mL and 9 mg/mL) treatment groups, received oral gavage administration once every two-days starting from 1-week prior to MI, and subsequently MI models were established for one-week before sacrifice. Results AKT1, VEGFA, TNF and RELA were identified as core target proteins among eighty-five candidate bioactive compounds identified in HXP with overlapping MI-related genes. HXP protection against MI was mainly via regulation of inflammatory pathways, notably TNF signalling pathway. Mouse models of MI and cardiac myoblasts demonstrated that HXP improved MI-induced injury via improving regulation of inflammatory response. Discussion and conclusion Stellasterol, deoxycholic acid, kaempferol, and quercetin are important active compounds contained in HXP with anti-inflammatory properties in the therapeutic treatment of MI. Due to the straightforward nature and effectiveness of taking oral HXP medications, our findings provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of HXP in treating patients with angina or myocardial ischaemia. Future research into the combination of surgical procedures or medications that restore blood flow together with HXP as supportive medication would be worthwhile.

Based on NCEP/FNL, surface observation and upper-air sounding data, and entries of the Southwest China Vortexes(SCVs) Yearbook, we analyzed the activities of Southwest China Vortexes with different vortex sources from 2012 to 2017. Composite and comparative analyses are conducted to the respective wind and other composite physical fields for the characteristics of Jiulong vortex, basin vortex and Xiaojin vortex prior and during the generation phase in the most frequent occurrence time of the year. The effects of background wind, cold and warm air flows, and frontogenesis on the generation of Jiulong vortex, basin vortex and Xiaojin vortex are then obtained. Results are as follows. (1) The main generation and moving period of SCV is from March to June. Jiulong vortex has the main role in SCV, followed by basin vortex. Xiaojing vortex is the least but has the biggest chance to move out of the source. (2) The formation of the Jiulong Vortex and the Xiaojin Vortex is related to the open shape topography of the southwest airflow flowing into their respective vortexes and the wind in Xiaojing vortex is stronger. The formation of the basin vortexes is related to the shear line. (3) The formation of Jiulong vortex and Xiaojin vortex is also related to the positive non-thermal wind vorticity in the warm advection area due to the influence of surface heating and southwest airflow on the leeward slope of the Plateau. However, the warm advection area of Jiulong vortex is larger than that of Xiaojin vortex, and its intensity is much lower than that of Xiaojin vortex. The formation of basin vortex is related to the stronger baroclinic effect of the cold air. (4) The formation of Jiulong vortex, Xiaojin vortex and basin vortex is all related to the enhancement of frontogenesis intensity of the respective vortex sources. But the factors influencing frontogenesis are different. The generation of Xiaojin vortex is mainly affected by the non-adiabatic pro?cess, and the formation of Jiulong vortex is mainly affected by the non-adiabatic change process, together with the horizontal and vertical motion of the airflow. The basin vortex generation is mainly affected by the vertical motion and the non-adiabatic also has some impact on it.

A high-temperature conductive silver slurry containing lead-free ZnO-B _2 O _3 -SiO _2 glass for metallization of ceramic MgTiO _3 substrate has been prepared. The ZnO-B _2 O _3 -SiO _2 glass was obtained by high-temperature melting and cold extraction with a transition temperature (T _g ) of 579 °C and thermal stability (∆T) of 105 °C as an inorganic bonding phase of high-temperature conductive silver paste. Then, silver paste with different glass powder content was sintered on ceramic MgTiO _3 substrate between 730 °C and 930 °C in increments of 50 °C. Characterization of the prepared materials revealed that their resistivity increases with the increase in glass powder content and decreases with the increase in sintering temperature. Sintering temperature and glass content have significant effects on the resistivity and adhesion of the thick silver film. When the silver paste with a glass content of 1.1 wt% was sintered at 830 °C for 10 min, the resulting thick silver film had a low resistivity of 1.81 μ Ω·cm (1.65 μ Ω·cm for silver) and a good adhesive strength of 39.4 N mm ^−2 . During the sintering process, the glass material melts and wets the silver powder, which promotes the sintering of the silver powder to form a dense network structure and improves the electrical conductivity of the silver film. In addition, the formation of ZnTiO _3 by chemical reactions between the glass and the substrate was observed, which dramatically improved the bonding strength of the silver film. Therefore, lead-free silver paste containing ZnO-B _2 O _3 -SiO _2 glass powder and MgTiO _3 ceramics has broad development prospects in ceramic filters.

In order to improve the added value of iron oxide scale and reduce the manufacturing cost of porous stainless steel, steel rolling iron oxide scale as an iron-containing raw material was used to prepare porous 316 stainless steel by high-temperature sintering under vacuum conditions, while carbon was used as a reducing agent and pore-forming agent, and the necessary metal powders were added. In our work, the specific reduction system was confirmed, including the sintering temperature, sintering time, vacuum degree and carbon amount, through thermodynamic calculation combined with experiments. Thermodynamic analysis results showed that the transformation process of the chromium element in the raw materials at 10−4 atm and 300~1600 °C was FeCr2O4 + Cr3O4→Cr2O3 + Cr3O4 + Cr23C6→Cr23C6 + Cr7C3 + FCC→FCC + Cr23C6→FCC→FCC + BCC→Cr(liq). The FCC phase with qualified carbon content could be obtained at 10−4 atm and 1200 °C, while 90.88 g iron oxide scale, 17.17 g carbon, 17.00 g metal chromium, 12.00 g metal nickel and 2.5 g metal molybdenum were necessary to produce 100 g porous 316 stainless steel. The porous 316 stainless steel with a carbon content of 0.025% could be obtained at 10−4 atm and 1200 °C for 180 min, while the chromium element underwent the transformation of metal, Cr→FeCr2O4→Cr23C6→Austenite. The porosity of the porous 316 stainless steel was 42.07%. The maximum size of impurity particles was 5 μm when the holding time reached 180 min. Magnetic separation was an effective method to reduce impurities in the porous stainless steel.

Abstract Background This study aimed to develop a set of perfect simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers with a single copy in the cotton genome, to construct a DNA fingerprint database suitable for authentication of cotton cultivars. We optimized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system for multi-platform compatibility and improving detection efficiency. Based on the reference genome of upland cotton and 10× resequencing data of 48 basic cotton germplasm lines, single-copy polymorphic SSR sites were identified and developed as diploidization SSR markers. The SSR markers were detected by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) for initial screening, then fluorescence capillary electrophoresis for secondary screening. The final perfect SSR markers were evaluated and verified using 210 lines from different sources among Chinese cotton regional trials. Results Using bioinformatics techniques, 1 246 SSR markers were designed from 26 626 single-copy SSR loci. Adopting a stepwise (primary and secondary) screening strategy, a set of 60 perfect SSR markers was selected with high amplification efficiency and stability, easy interpretation of peak type, multiple allelic variations, high polymorphism information content (PIC) value, uniform chromosome distribution, and single-copy characteristics. A multiplex PCR system was established with ten SSR markers using capillary electrophoresis detection. Conclusions A set of perfect SSR markers of cotton was developed and a high-throughput SSR marker detection system was established. This study lays a foundation for large-scale and standardized construction of a cotton DNA fingerprint database for authentication of cotton varieties.

Ocular Demodex infection is mainly manifested as ocular surface diseases, including meibomian gland dysfunction, dry eye disease, Demodex blepharitis, chalazion, keratoconjunctivitis, etc. The diagnosis is relatively simple and can be realized under the microscope, but it is easy to be misdiagnosed due to the subjective and objective factors such as similar symptoms, missing examination, experience diagnosis and treatment. There are many treatment methods for ocular Demodex infection, including external tea tree oil and other plant extracts, oral or external drugs, physical therapy(represented by strong pulse light therapy, moxibustion therapy), combined therapy, etc. In this paper, we reviewed the diagnosis and treatment of Demodex related ocular surface diseases, and discussed the latest research trends of this disease.

Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been proven effective in treating hypertensive patients in China. However, the mechanisms of action of UR in reducing hypertension and myocardial fibrosis are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of UR in an angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ) induced mouse model. The mice were randomly divided into 5 groups and infused with Ang Ⅱ (500 ng/kg/min) or saline, then administered UR (0.78, 1.56 or 3.12 g/kg/d) or saline for 4 weeks. UR treatment significantly attenuated the elevation of blood pressure caused by Ang Ⅱ. It enhanced myocardial function and attenuated the increase in the heart weight index and the pathological changes in the Ang Ⅱ-induced hypertensive mice. Furthermore, UR treatment inhibited cardiac fibrosis and significantly down-regulated collagen I, collagen Ⅲ, and α-SMA protein expression in cardiac tissues. UR also attenuated the expression of RhoA, ROCK1, CTGF, and TGF-β1. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts stimulated with Ang Ⅱ, UR significantly down-regulated the expression of Collagen I, Collagen III, RhoA, ROCK1, and α-SMA. In summary, UR can significantly attenuate Ang Ⅱ-induced hypertension and cardiac fibrosis, partly via suppression of the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway.

Background: Qingda granules (QDG) exhibit antihypertension and multiple-target-organ protection. However, the therapeutic potential of QDG on hypertensive renal injury remains unknown. Therefore, the main objective of the current study is to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of QDG treatment on renal injury in angiotensin (Ang) II-infused mice.Methods and results: Mice were infused with Ang II (500 ng/kg/min) or saline for 4 weeks with subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps. After infusion, mice in the Ang II + QDG group were intragastrically administrated with QDG daily (1.145 g/kg/day), whereas the control group and Ang II group were intragastrically administrated with the same amount of double-distilled water. Blood pressure of the mice monitored using the CODA™ noninvasive blood pressure system revealed that QDG treatment significantly attenuated elevated blood pressure. Moreover, hematoxylin–eosin staining indicated that QDG treatment ameliorated Ang II-induced renal morphological changes, including glomerular sclerosis and atrophy, epithelial cell atrophy, and tubular dilatation. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) identified 662 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in renal tissues of Ang II-infused mice, which were reversed after QDG treatment. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis based on DETs in both comparisons of Ang II vs. Control and Ang II + QDG vs. Ang II identified multiple enriched pathways, including apoptosis and p53 pathways. Consistently, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and Annexin V staining revealed that QDG treatment significantly attenuated Ang II-induced cell apoptosis in renal tissues and cultured renal tubular epithelial cell lines (NRK-52E). Furthermore, western blot analysis indicated that Ang II infusion significantly upregulated the protein expression of p53, BCL2-associated X (BAX), cle-caspase-9, and cle-caspase-3, while downregulating the protein expression of BCL-2 in renal tissues, which were attenuated after QDG treatment.Conclusion: Collectively, QDG treatment significantly attenuated hypertensive renal injury, partially by attenuating renal apoptosis and suppressing p53 pathways, which might be the underlying mechanisms.

In this contribution, we studied the effect of fluorine substitution on photogenerated charge generation, transport, and recombination in polymer solar cells. Two conjugated polymer materials, PBDTTT-E (fluorine free) and PTB7 (one fluorine substitution), were compared thoroughly. Meanwhile, various characterization techniques, including atomic force microscopy, steady-state spectroscopy, transient absorption spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, and electrical measurements, were employed to analyse the correlation between molecular structure and device performance. The results showed that the influence of fluorine substitution on both the exciton binding energy of the polymer and the carrier recombination dynamics in the ultrafast timescale on the polymer was weak. However, we found that the fluorine substitution could enhance the exciton lifetime in neat polymer film, and it also could increase the mobility of photogenerated charge. Moreover, it was found that the SOMO energy level distribution of the donor in a PTB7:PC71BM solar cell could facilitate hole transport from the donor/acceptor interface to the inner of the donor phase, showing a better advantage than the PBDTTT-E:PC71BM solar cell. Therefore, fluorine substitution played a critical role for high-efficiency polymer solar cells.

We assessed the role of the protein-coding gene chaperonin-containing TCP1 subunit 6A (CCT6A) in osteosarcoma, as this is currently unknown. Using data from the R2 online genomic analysis and visualization application, we found that CCT6A messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression is increased in osteosarcoma tissue and cells. Transfection of CCT6A small interfering RNA into cultured osteosarcoma cells revealed that CCT6A knockdown attenuates cell growth, cell viability, cell survival, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle progression at the G0/G1 phases. Moreover, CCT6A knockdown downregulated phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt), cyclinD1 and B-cell lymphoma-2, whereas upregulated Bcl-2-associated X-protein expression. Thus, CCT6A knockdown inhibits cell proliferation, induces cell apoptosis, and suppresses the Akt pathway.

AbstractThe propagation process of blasting vibration has always been a difficult problem affecting the stability of high slopes in open-pit mines. Taking the Jianshan Phosphorus Mine as the research background, combined with engineering geological investigation, field blasting test, blasting vibration monitoring, numerical simulation technology, and theoretical analysis, the three-dimensional dynamic stability of the adjacent high slope after blasting vibration was systematically studied. In our study, a small-diameter buffer shock-absorbing blasting technology near the slope was proposed, which greatly improved the production efficiency. Through regression analysis of a large amount of vibration test data, the law of blasting vibration propagation in Jianshan stope and Haifeng stope was obtained. In addition, by establishing four three-dimensional geomechanical numerical models, the slope’s own frequency, damping characteristics, and dynamic response acceleration distribution after detonation were studied, respectively. On the other hand, under the action of Ei Centro wave with 8-degree seismic intensity, the maximum total acceleration and maximum total displacement of the slope were calculated and analyzed. Both the explosion unloading of the 8-degree earthquake and the Ei Centro wave simulation results showed that the high slope near the Jianshan Phosphorus Mine was generally in a stable state. Thus, this study can provide technical support and theoretical guidance for mine blasting.

Glioma is a malignant tumor that often occurs in the adult central nervous system. Metadherin/astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (MTDH) is involved in the development of cancer, but its relationship with glioma remains unclear. This study is aimed at clarifying the role of MTDH in glioma. GEPIA was employed to find the difference of the expression level of MTDH and MYB protooncogene-like 2 (MYBL2) in glioma tissues and normal tissues, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB) were applied to verify the differential gene expression of MTDH and MYBL2 cells. After knocking down of MTDH, the expressions of forkhead box M1 (FoxM1), MTDH, and MYBL2 were detected by WB cells. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) was used to detect cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was applied to measure cell apoptosis. The transwell assay was utilized to investigate the ability of cell migration and invasion. The results showed that MTDH and MYBL2 were overexpressed in glioma cells compared with normal cells. The knockdown of MTDH would inhibit the expression of MYBL2 through decreasing the expression of FoxM1 and further reduce glioma cell proliferation and cell migration and invasion. The present study showed that knockdown of MTDH inhibits glioma proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis by downregulating MYBL2, which suggests that MTDH is a potential gene in clinical treatment of glioma.

Earthquakes are one of the most frequent and inevitable natural disasters that occur on Earth. The most important seismic isolation device used in the isolation technology is the isolation bearing, but the limited structure of the isolation bearing is not suitable for the seismic isolation and shock absorption of smart transportation buildings. Therefore, it is very important to improve the new generation of seismic isolation structures with good seismic isolation effect, stable performance, and economical performance. It is very important to study the structural composition of the isolation bearing and the rigidity of the isolation structure. Isolation bearings are designed to resist and absorb the energy of seismic shocks by installing substructures in the structure. Active control involves installing sensors on the structure and its foundation to determine how the structure responds to seismic action. In this paper, based on the intelligent transportation of the sensor network, the reticulated shell structure of the isolation bearing is analyzed. By introducing the architecture and network layout of the sensor network, it is beneficial to obtain more accurate seismic data in complex and difficult terrain. This paper analyzes the technical principle of seismic isolation technology, which can effectively avoid the upward transmission of ground vibration by increasing the flexibility and proper damping of the system. From the experimental data of the seismic response of the ground-isolated structure to the near-field pulsation and far-field vibration, the total energy of the ground-isolated structure under the near-field pulsed ground motion is the largest. The seismic isolation effect of the reticulated shell structure of the seismic isolation bearing prevents more than 80% of the seismic energy from being transmitted to the superstructure.

Gravity-flow can carry a large number of sediments and organic matters from shallow water to deep lakes with its strong transporting energy, directly or indirectly facilitating the formation of deep-water tight reservoirs and shale reservoirs. Therefore, studying the genetic types, dynamic mechanisms, and depositional models of gravity-flow deposits is essential in the exploration of unconventional petroleum in large lacustrine basins. This research studied the genetic types, dynamic mechanisms, and sedimentary models of the gravity-flow deposits of the Chang 6 oil group in the Heshui Area, Ordos Basin, China, aiming to reveal its petroleum geological significance. Core observation, microscopic thin section identification, particle size analysis, and determination of rare earth elements were carried out. As a result, three types of gravity-flow deposits are detected, namely, slide-slump, sandy debris flow, and turbidity current. A certain slope gradient in bed form is the necessary geomorphic condition for gravity flow formation, and determines its development level, distribution range, and flow transformation efficiency. Sufficient provenance lays the material foundation and determines its depositional composition and development type. Other factors include earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods, which serve as triggering forces. In addition, fragmentation, liquefaction, and fluid mixing are the main dynamic mechanisms driving flow transformation. Based on the flow type of gravity flow, particle size characteristics, gravity-flow transformation relations, development mechanism, and spatial distribution pattern, we distinguished two depositional gravity-flow models, i.e., slump turbidite body and sublacustrine fan. Re-portrait the spatial distribution of deep-water gravity flow in the study area. From the perspective of sedimentology, explain the genesis of sand bodies in the northeast and southwest. The sandy debris flow in the middle fan braided channel microfacies of the sublacustrine fan sways the development of thick massive sand bodies in the study area. Hybrid event beds formed by the fluid transformation in a slump turbidite are the potential dessert area for deep-water tight oil and gas.

Background: HAUS6 participates in microtubule-dependent microtubule amplification, but its role in malignancies including colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been explored. We therefore assessed the potential oncogenic activities of HAUS6 in CRC.Results: HAUS6 mRNA and protein expression is higher in CRC tissues, and high HAUS6 expression is correlated with shorter overall survival in CRC patients. HAUS6 knockdown in CRC cell lines suppressed cell growth in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting cell viability, survival and arresting cell cycle progression at G0/G1, while HAUS6 over-expression increased cell viability. We showed that these effects are dependent on activation of the p53/p21 signalling pathway by reducing p53 and p21 degradation. Moreover, combination of HAUS6 knockdown and 5-FU treatment further enhanced the suppression of cell proliferation of CRC cells by increasing activation of the p53/p21 pathway.Conclusion: Our study highlights a potential oncogenic role for HAUS6 in CRC. Targeting HAUS6 may be a promising novel prognostic marker and chemotherapeutic target for treating CRC patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and efficacy of camrelizumab in combination with nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 for the treatment of gastric cancer with serosal invasion.MethodTwo hundred patients with gastric cancer with serosal invasion who received neoadjuvant therapy from January 2012 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different neoadjuvant therapy regimens, the patients were divided into the following three groups: the SOX group (S-1 + oxaliplatin) (72 patients), SAP group (S-1 + nab-paclitaxel) (95 patients) and C-SAP group (camrelizumab + S-1 + nab-paclitaxel) (33 patients).ResultThe pathological response (TRG 1a/1b) in the C-SAP group (39.4%) was not significantly different from that in the SAP group (26.3%) and was significantly higher than that in the SOX group (18.1%). The rate of ypT0 in the C-SAP group (24.2%) was higher than that in the SAP group (6.3%) and the SOX group (5.6%). The rate of ypN0 in the C-SAP group (66.7%) was also higher than that in the SAP group (38.9%) and the SOX group (36.1%). The rate of pCR in the C-SAP group (21.2%) was higher than that in the SAP group (5.3%) and the SOX group (2.8%). The use of an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody was an independent protective factor for TRG grade (1a/1b). The use of camrelizumab did not increase postoperative complications or the adverse effects of neoadjuvant therapy.ConclusionCamrelizumab combined with nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 could significantly improve the rate of tumor regression grade (TRG 1a/1b) and the rate of pCR in gastric cancer with serosal invasion.

The value of a cementation exponent, usually obtained by rock and electricity experiments, significantly affects the calculation of water saturation, thickness of the hydrocarbon reservoir, and recovery rate. The determination of the cementation exponent for porous-media reservoirs has been a challenge because of the limited core sampling. A new method was proposed to determine the value of cementation exponent for complex triple-porosity media reservoirs in the work. Firstly, the work discussed the effects of fractures and nonconnected vugs on the cementation exponent of the reservoir as well as the calculation method of the cementation exponent of the dual-porosity media reservoir. Then, a new model for calculating the cementation exponent of triple-porosity media reservoirs was derived by combining the Maxwell-Garnett theory and series-parallel theory, which matched with the real physical-experiment data of rocks. The results showed that the fractures decreased the cementation exponent of the reservoir but the vugs increased. The mixture of matrix pores, fractures, and vugs made the value of the cementation exponent of the triple-porosity media reservoir vary around 2.0. The conductivity of the triple-porosity media reservoir was the external macroscopic expression of the microscopic conductive network. The new calculation model of the cementation exponent proposed in the work could reasonably predict the cementation exponent of the strongly inhomogeneous triple-porosity media reservoir.

It is a challenge to maintain a safe and efficient tracking for multiple high-speed trains under the moving block operational mode. In this paper, a novel cooperative tracking control based on a consensus algorithm and artificial potential field theory is proposed to realize the train tracking within a distance range. A tunable artificial potential function is first designed to dynamically adjust the distance between adjacent high-speed trains with real-time train states. By regulating the parameters of the artificial potential function, the safety distance can be adjusted according to the required tolerance deviation of the actual distance. Under the proposed strategy, each high-speed train operates with the desired speed and tracks the preceding one with an adjustable distance range. Numerical train operational cases are investigated to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Zigbee is a very popular technology for Internet of things (IoT) networks mainly because of its low power consumption and low-cost features. It shares the unlicensed 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio band with other wireless networks such as Wi-Fi. Usually, Zigbee and Wi-Fi networks coexist in indoor environments for their respective applications. Hence, the coexistence introduces interference for both types of networks lowering the performance of the networks, but Zigbee suffers more significant performance losses because of its lower transmission power than Wi-Fi. Since the number of IoT devices is increasing at an unprecedented rate due to numerous emerging applications and thus making the indoor environments very populous, the peaceful coexistence between Zigbee and Wi-Fi networks in proximity becomes an important research study. For this purpose, this paper presents a comprehensive performance study of a Zigbee network in the presence of a Wi-Fi interference network in a real-life apartment-based indoor environment where Wi-Fi access points of dense neighbors exist. The experiments were done in a XBee module-based Zigbee network for measuring the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), packet drop rate (PDR), and loopback throughput with and without nearby Wi-Fi traffic introduced on purpose. Various networking parameters such as the operating channels, the distances between Zigbee devices and Wi-Fi devices, the transmit timeout of Zigbee packets, and the transmission power of the Zigbee transmitter have been used in the experiments to study the network performance. Our results show that in the deployment of IoT networks in a smart home, radio interference from neighboring homes would not be an important factor, but serious considerations may need to be taken inside the same home. The experimental observations of this paper can serve as a good reference study for Zigbee network deployments in real indoor environments, particularly when interference sources are present in proximity.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of swimming on cancer induced muscle wasting and explore its underlying mechanism in CT-26 bearing mice.Methods: BALB/c mice (n = 16) injected with CT-26 cells were divided into two groups, including Tumor group (n = 8) and Swimming group (n = 8). Another 8 un-injected mice were set as Control group. Mice in Swimming group were subjected to physical training for swimming twice per day for 30 min intervals and 6 days per week for a total of 4 weeks. The tumor volume was monitored every 3 days and tumor weight was measured at the end of experiment. The changes of muscle function, pathological and cell apoptosis of quadriceps muscles were further assessed, and its underlying mechanisms were further explored using multiple biological technologies.Results: Swimming obviously alleviated tumor volume and weight in CT-26 bearing mice. Moreover, swimming attenuated the decrease of muscle tension, autonomic activities, and increase of muscle atrophy, pathological ultrastructure, as well as cell apoptosis of quadriceps muscles in CT-26 bearing mice. Furthermore, swimming significantly down-regulated the protein expression of NF-κB, p-NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and Bax, while up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2. Further differential expressed metabolites (DEMs) analysis identified a total of 76 (in anion mode) and 330 (in cationic mode) DEMs in quadriceps muscles of CT-26 bearing mice after swimming, including taurochenodeoxycholic acid, taurocholic acid, ascorbic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid.Conclusion: Swimming attenuates tumor growth and muscle wasting, and by suppressing the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway mediated inflammation, reducing the level of Bax medicated cell apoptosis, as well as modulating multiple metabolites might be the importantly underlying mechanisms.

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye disease. The inheritance methods include autosomal dominant inheritance, autosomal recessive inheritance, and sex-linked recessive inheritance. Currently, there are more than 3,000 mutation sites, which makes clinical treatment of this disease difficult. Ophthalmologists are committed to exploring the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, and have conducted a large number of experimental studies, mainly including drug treatment, cell transplantation, gene therapy, etc. Drug therapy includes traditional Chinese medicine, antioxidants, anti-apoptotic agents, neurotrophic factors, etc. Compared with other treatment methods, it is non-invasive and convenient and cheap, but its mechanism of action needs further research. Cell transplantation is considered an effective method for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, but it may cause preretinal membrane and macular folds. Although gene therapy has certain limitations, with the development of gene editing technology and new gene delivery vectors, it will become one of the most promising treatments for retinitis pigmentosa in the future. This article reviews and prospects the recent experimental research on retinitis pigmentosa.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common hematological autoimmune disease, in which defective mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are potentially involved. Our previous study suggested that MSCs in ITP patients displayed enhanced apoptosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in ITP by affecting megakaryopoiesis, platelet production and immunoregulation, whereas the roles of miRNAs in ITP-MSCs remain unknown. In a previous study, we performed microarray analysis to obtain mRNA and miRNA profiles of ITP-MSCs. In the present study, we reanalyze the data and identify miR-98-5p as a candidate miRNA contributing to MSC deficiency in ITP. miR-98-5p acts through targeting insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), and the subsequent downregulation of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) causes inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, which is involved in the process of MSC deficiency. Furthermore, miR-98-5p upregulates p53 by inhibiting β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP)-dependent p53 ubiquitination. Moreover, miR-98-5p overexpression impairs the therapeutic effect of MSCs in ITP mice. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) protects MSCs from apoptosis by downregulating miR-98-5p, thus providing a potential therapeutic approach for ITP. Our findings demonstrate that miR-98-5p is a critical regulator of ITP-MSCs, which will help us thoroughly understand the pathogenesis of ITP.

Citespace, a visualization-based analysis tool, has been used to analyze the literature data by visualizing the patterns and potential trends of a field. Previous studies show that when used for analyzing the literature in Chinese, Citespace could only conduct very basic analysis, different from its use in analyzing the literature data in English. To address this limitation, this study presents an approach to improving the use of Citespace for effective analysis of literature data in Chinese. The approach employs data-processing and data-analysis scripts in data collection, knowledge map generation, and interpretation steps to improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of analysis of literature data in Chinese. An empirical evaluation has been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.

Using the fractal geometry method, the microscopic pore structures of tight sandstone reservoirs in Kalpintag Formation of Shuntuoguole area in Tarim Basin were conducted fractal characterization on the base of test analysis data such as physical property, cast thin section, scanning electron microscope and mercury injection, and the genetic mechanism of pore structure heterogeneity was investigated. The storage spaces are dominated by intergranular dissolved pore, intragranular dissolved pore and residual intergranular pore, and the throat type consists of the necking throat, lamellar throat, curved lamellar throat and tube-shaped throat. The microscopic structure type includes Type I (fractal dimension≤2.350), Type II (2.350

AIM: To observe the effects of butterflybush flower eye drops at different concentrations on expression of inflammatory crtokines IL-1β, Mucin 5AC(MUC5AC)and P38MAPK in castrated male rabbits, and to explore the therapeutic effect of that drops on dry eyes. METHODS: Thirty-six male rabbits were randomly divided into blank group(A), model group(B), low concentrations butterflybush flower eye drops group(C, 1mg/mL), the medium concentrations drops group(D, 1.5mg/mL), the high concentrations drops group(E, 3mg/mL), and testosterone group(F). In addition to group A, the testes and epididymis were removed from each group to establish a dry eye animal model. After successful modeling, groups A and B remain unchanged. Groups C, D, and E were given different concentrations of butterflybush flower eye drops, 3 times/d. In group F, testosterone propionate was injected into the muscles of the thigh at a dose of 0.5mL/kg once every 3d. Fluorescein staining, Schirmer I test(SⅠt)and tear film break time(BUT)were measured under general anesthesia in each group, eatment. After 4wk of treatment, the rabbits were sacrificed and the conjunctival tissues of the eyes were taken. The expression of IL-1β, mucin 5AC and P38MAPK in the conjunctiva was detected by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS: Among low concentrations butterflybush flower eye drops group, the medium concentrations drops group and the high concentrations drops group, the SⅠt value was significantly higher than that of model group, and BUT was significantly longer than model group. The positive staining of corneal fluorescein was significantly improved compared with model group, which was statistically significant(PPCONCLUSION: Butterflybush flower eye drops have androgen-like effect. For castrated dry eyes of male rabbits, they can down-regulate the expression of IL-1beta and P38MAPK in dry conjunctival tissue and increase the expression of MUC5AC, thus reducing inflammation infiltration in dry conjunctival tissue and maintaining tear film stability, but their effect is weaker than that of androgen. To the treatment of dry eyes, the middle and high concentration groups of the drops had stronger effects than the low one, and the high concentration group was better than the medium one.

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor which threatens the health and life of the population. Long non‐coding RNA X‐inactive specific transcript (XIST) and mouse double minute clone 2 (MDM2) are connected with the tumorigenesis of LAD. Nevertheless, whether MDM2 is regulated by XIST has not previously been reported in LAD. Methods Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was employed to detect the expression of XIST, microRNA‐363‐3p (miR‐363‐3p) and MDM2 in LAD tissues and cells. The proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of LAD cells were determined by 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐YI)‐2, 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), transwell or flow cytometry assay, respectively. MDM2 protein level was detected using western blot analysis. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and RNA pulldown assay were performed to determine the interaction among XIST, miR‐363‐3p and MDM2. A xenograft tumor model was constructed to validate the effect of XIST on LAD cells in vivo. Results We found that XIST and MDM2 were remarkably elevated while miR‐363‐3p was reduced in LAD tissues and cells. Both XIST and MDM2 downregulation restrained proliferation, migration and invasion, and facilitated apoptosis of LAD cells in vitro. Importantly, XIST bound to miR‐363‐3p to modulate MDM2 expression in LAD cells. Moreover, miR‐363‐3p knockdown or MDM2 elevation reversed the effects of XIST downregulation on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of LAD cells. Furthermore, XIST knockdown constrained tumor growth on LAD cells in vivo. Conclusions XIST knockdown repressed proliferation, migration and invasion, and accelerated apoptosis of LAD cells by downregulating MDM2 expression via binding to miR‐363‐3p. Key points Significant findings of the study XIST and MDM2 were abnormally enhanced in LAD tissues and cells. Both downregulation of XIST and MDM2 repressed proliferation, migration and invasion, and boosted apoptosis of LAD cells in vitro. XIST bound to miR‐363‐3p to regulate MDM2 expression in LAD cells. Downregulation of XIST impeded tumor growth on LAD cells in vivo. What this study adds This study confirmed that XIST was a potential target for inhibiting the development of LAD, and affords a possible strategy for the treatment of LAD in the future.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease with a mild to severe risk of bleeding complications. First line treatment includes corticosteroids, immunoglobulins, or other. In this large cohort study, first-line strategies for treatment-naive adult primary ITP was studied in a real-world setting. Records from all adult ITP patients who received first-line treatment between January 2010 and December 2017 at Qilu Hospital were reviewed retrospectively (n = 699). During the study period, 271 patients were treated with high-dose dexamethasone (HDD) and 289 patients were treated with conventional prednisone (alone or in combination with other drugs). Initial responses were similar for the two groups (88.56% vs. 86.51%, P = 0.462), but patients in the HDD group responded earlier than the prednisone group (3 days vs. 5 days, P 0.05). Adverse events were more frequent and long-lasting in the prednisone group. Our study showed that HDD provided an effective and more rapid response as initial treatment of ITP, with comparable long-term prognosis and better tolerance when compared with conventional PDN (less than 3 months) in the real-world setting.

As an important organ of absorbing water and nutrients for rice, the cognition and expression of the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of roots has become a bottleneck in-depth study of rice roots due to the observing obstacles of soil. To clarify the morphological and distributional characteristics of rice roots, “root box” experiments are conducted to mensurate three dimensional spatial coordinates and morphological parameters of rice roots at different growth stages. Based on these experiments and the morphological parameters, the initial position of the root node and growth direction of branches are determined, a rice root model is constructed with B-spline curves by analyzing the topological structure of rice roots to quantify the biological characteristics of rice roots and summarize the morphological structure and growth characteristics of rice roots and improve the cubic growth function to describe the growth change in rice roots. Meanwhile, the output accuracy of the model is tested. In addition, dynamic simulation of rice root growth characteristics in 3D space is implemented using Visual C++ and the OpenGL standard graphics library. Analysis results indicate that the average simulated fitness of the total root length, surface area and volume is about 94.82%, 93.86%, and 91.96%, respectively. Therefore, the model can express the morphological characteristics and growth rules of rice roots at different growth stages, which enrich the digitization and visualization methods for roots of other crops.

For higher data throughput, the Massive Multi-input Multi-output (MIMO) system has been widely used in modern communication systems. Due to the circuit size and power consumption, it is difficult to integrate one Radio Frequency (RF) chain for each power amplifier (PA). As a result, MIMO transmitters with hybrid beam-forming don't have enough RF chains, and this demands the digital predistortion (DPD) block to deal with several power amplifiers (PA) simultaneously, which causes a shared DPD problem. This article presents an Analog Predistorter Averaged DPD (A2-DPD) for hybrid beam-forming massive MIMO transmitters. To linearize more than one PAs with one shared digital predistortion unit, continuously tunable Analog Predistortion (APD) modules are employed to uniform the nonlinear behavior of PAs in each channel. Based on iterative learning control (ILC) technique, crossed normalized mean square error (CNMSE) is derived to judge the uniformity of PAs. By comparing the CNMSE of each PAs, the best similarity state of PAs can be found. The nonlinear behavior of PAs can be adjusted to a similar state by tuning the APD control voltage. The adjustment makes PAs easier to be linearized by a shared DPD. Furthermore, an averaged DPD algorithm is proposed to improve the total linearity performance for each PA. Simulations are performed to study the relationship between CNMSE and PA uniformity and further simulations show the ability of A2-DPD to deal with a multi-PA scenario. In the end, to verify the feasibility of the proposed A2-DPD, two class-AB PAs with operating frequency at 3.5 GHz with the same type transistor and similar design are tested. Experimental results show the proposed A2-DPD can significantly improve the uniformity of PAs and the Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) can be improved by 8 dB compared with using the DPD parameter of the other PA.

ABSTRACT: The Nyasirori gold deposit, located in the middle-western end of the Musoma-Mara Archean greenstone belt in Tanzania, is a tectonic altered rock type gold deposit controlled by shear tectonic zone. This work conducted high-precision ground magnetic measurements to delineate fault structures and favorable prospecting targets, utilized induced polarization (IP) intermediate gradient to roughly determine the distribution and extension of the tectonic altered zone and gold ore (mineralized) bodies, and further carried out IP sounding and magnetotelluric sounding to locate the tectonic altered zone and gold ore (mineralized) bodies. The anomalous gradient belt of the combination of positive and negative micromagnetic measurements reflects the detail of shallow surface tectonic alteration zone and gold mineralization body. Micromagnetic profile anomalies indicate the spatial location and occurrence of concealed tectonic alteration zone and gold (mineralized) ore bodies. Soil geochemical measurements indicate that the ore-forming element Au correlates well with As and Sb, and As and Sb anomalies have a good indication to gold orebodies. Based on the multi-source geological-geophysical-geochemical information of the Nyasirori gold deposit, this work established an integrated prospecting model and proposed a set of geophysical and geochemical methods for optimizing prospecting targets.

Abstract Background LRP5/6 are co-receptors in Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Recently, we discovered multiple β-catenin independent functions of LRP5/6 in tumor cells and in the diseased heart. Nucleoporin 37 (NUP37) is an important component of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), whose elevated expression is associated with worsened prognosis in liver cancer. Previous studies have shown that NUP37 interacted with YAP and activated YAP/TEAD signaling in liver cancer. Our preliminary findings showed a nuclear location of LRP5. We thus tested the hypothesis that LRP5 may act as a genuine regulator of YAP/TEAD signaling via modulating NUP37 in a β-catenin-independent way. Methods We performed siRNA knockdown of LRP5, LRP6, or β-catenin in liver cancer HepG2 cells to determine the effect on tumor cell proliferation. Protein expressions and interaction between LRP5 and NUP37 were determined using immunoprecipitation and western blot analyses. Results HepG2 cell proliferation was markedly inhibited by knockdown of LRP5 but not LRP6 or β-catenin, suggesting that LRP5 has a specific, β-catenin-independent role in inhibiting HepG2 cell proliferation. Knockdown of NUP37 by siRNA inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells, whereas overexpression of NUP37 reversed the decrease in cell proliferation induced by LRP5 knockdown. Immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that LRP5 bound to NUP37. Furthermore, LRP5 overexpression restored NUP37 knockdown-induced downregulation of YAP/TEAD pathway. Conclusions LRP5 deletion attenuates cell proliferation via destabilization of NUP37, in a β-catenin-independent manner. LRP5 therefore acts as a genuine regulator of YAP/TEAD signaling via maintaining the integrity of the NPC, and implicates a therapeutic strategy in targeting LRP5 for inhibiting liver cancer cell proliferation.

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is an extensively used medicinal herb for the treatment of hypertension in traditional Chinese medicine. Baicalin, is an important flavonoid in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extracts, which exhibits therapeutic effects on anti-hypertension, but its underlying mechanisms remain to be further explored. Therefore, we investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of Baicalin on anti-hypertension. In vivo studies revealed that Baicalin treatment significantly attenuated the elevation in blood pressure, the pulse propagation and thickening of the abdominal aortic wall in C57BL/6 mice infused with Angiotensin II (Ang II). Moreover, RNA-sequencing and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses identified 537 differentially expressed transcripts and multiple enriched signaling pathways (including vascular smooth muscle contraction and calcium signaling pathway). Consistently, we found that Baicalin pretreatment significantly alleviated the Ang II induced constriction of abdominal aortic ring, while promoted NE pre-contracted vasodilation of abdominal aortic ring at least partly dependent on L-type calcium channel. In addition, Ang II stimulation significantly increased cell viability and PCNA expression, while were attenuated after Baicalin treatment. Moreover, Baicalin pretreatment attenuated Ang II-induced intracellular Ca2+ release, Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) expression and activation of MLCK/p-MLC pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The present work further addressed the pharmacological and mechanistic insights on anti-hypertension of Baicalin, which may help better understand the therapeutic effect of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi on anti-hypertension.

Laser-induced magnetization dynamics in a perpendicularly exchange-coupled TbFeCo/GdFeCo bilayer film are studied by using pump-probe magneto-optical Kerr spectroscopy. An ultrafast modulation effect on local magnetization orientation is observed. Such ultrafast magnetization reorientation in the GdFeCo layer is revealed to be triggered by the femtosecond laser pulse and driven by the effective exchange field. These processes occur within a timescale of hundreds of picoseconds, in which the field- and fluence-dependent dynamical behaviors are demonstrated. In addition, an atomistic Heisenberg model is proposed for studying the laser-induced magnetization dynamics by using micromagnetic simulation. The simulated results agree with the experimental phenomena and further reveal the underlying mechanism. These results show an approach for ultrafast manipulation of the local magnetization orientation in perpendicularly exchange-coupled structures.

Objective: We investigated the potency of cardiac repair based on echocardiography-guided multiple percutaneous left ventricular intramyocardial injection of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) after myocardial infarction (MI).Methods: Mice with surgically induced MI were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 in each group) and subjected to echocardiography-guided percutaneous left ventricular infarcted border injection of hiPSC-CMs (single dose; 10 μl 3 × 105 cells) or repeated injections of hiPSC-CMs at post-MI weeks 1 and 2 (multiple doses). The sham group of animals underwent all surgical procedures necessary for MI induction except for ligation. Then 4 weeks after MI, heart function was measured with transthoracic echocardiography. Engraftment was evaluated through the detection of human-specific cardiac troponin T. Infarct size and collagen volume were calculated with Sirius Red/Fast Green staining. Angiogenesis was evaluated with isolectin B4 staining. Cardiac remodeling was evaluated from the cardiomyocyte minimal fiber diameter in the infarcted border zone. Apoptosis was detected via TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining in cardiomyocytes from the infarcted border zone.Results: No mice died after echocardiography-guided percutaneous left ventricular intramyocardial injection. hiPSC-CMs were about nine-fold higher in the multiple-dose group at week 4 compared to the single-dose group. Multiple-dose transplantation was associated with significant improvement in left ventricular function, infarct size, angiogenesis, cardiac remodeling, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.Conclusion: Echocardiography-guided multiple percutaneous left ventricular intramyocardial injection is a feasible, satisfactory, repeatable, relatively less invasive, and effective method of delivering cell therapy. The delivery of hiPSC-CMs indicates a novel therapy for MI.

Heart failure (HF) describes a group of manifestations caused by the failure of heart function as a pump that supports blood flow through the body. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as one type of non-coding RNA molecule, have crucial roles in the etiology of HF. Accordingly, miRNAs related to HF may represent potential novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we first discuss the different roles of miRNAs in the development and diseases of the heart. We then outline commonly used miRNA chemical modifications and delivery systems. Further, we summarize the opportunities and challenges for HF-related miRNA therapeutics targets, and discuss the first clinical trial of an antisense drug (CDR132L) in patients with HF. Finally, we outline current and future challenges and potential new directions for miRNA-based therapeutics for HF.

Fusarium wilt of banana caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (TR4) is globally one of the most destructive soil-borne fungal diseases. Biological control using environmental microorganisms is considered as an alternative and sustainable strategy. Actinomycetes have the potential to explore biocontrol agents due to their production of diverse metabolites. The isolation and identification of high-efficiency and broad-spectrum antagonistic actinomycetes are the key for the application of biocontrol agents. In the present study, 60 actinomycetes were obtained from the rhizosphere soil of Machilus pingii in the primitive ecological natural reserve of Hainan province, China. Seventeen isolates and their extracts exhibited significant antifungal activity against F. oxysporum TR4. Particularly, strain BITDG-11 with the strongest inhibition ability had a broad-spectrum antifungal activity. The assay of its physiological and biochemical profiles showed that strain BITDG-11 had the ability to produce IAA and siderophores and had a positive response to gelatin liquefaction and nitrate reduction. Enzyme activities of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, lipase, and urease were also detected. Average nucleotide identity calculated by comparison with the standard strain genome of Streptomyces albospinus JCM3399 was 86.55% below the novel species threshold, suggesting that the strain could be a novel species. In addition, Streptomyces BITDG-11 obviously reduced the disease index of banana plantlets and promoted plant growth at 45 days post inoculation. The higher and lasting expression levels of defense genes and activities of antioxidant enzymes were induced in the roots of banana. Genome sequencing revealed that the Streptomyces BITDG-11 chromosome contained large numbers of conserved biosynthesis gene clusters encoding terpenes, non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, siderophores, and ectoines. Fifteen bioactive secondary metabolites were further identified from Streptomyces BITDG-11 extract by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Dibutyl phthalate demonstrating a strong antifungal activity was the major compound with the highest peak area. Hence, Streptomyces sp. BITDG-11 has a great potential to become an essential constituent of modern agricultural practice as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents.

Right ventricular (RV) remodeling is one of the essential pathological features in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). RV hypertrophy or fibrosis are the leading causes of RV remodeling. Magnolol (6, 6′, 7, 12-tetramethoxy-2,2′-dimethyl-1-β-berbaman, C18H18O2) is a compound isolated from Magnolia Officinalis. It possesses multiple pharmacological activities, such as anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the effects and underlying mechanisms of magnolol on RV remodeling in hypoxia-induced PAH. In vivo, male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to 10% O2 for 4 weeks to establish an RV remodeling model, which showed hypertrophic and fibrotic features (increases of Fulton index, cellular size, hypertrophic and fibrotic marker expression), accompanied by an elevation in phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3; these changes were attenuated by treating with magnolol. In vitro, the cultured H9c2 cells or cardiac fibroblasts were exposed to 3% O2 for 48 h to induce hypertrophy or fibrosis, which showed hypertrophic (increases in cellular size as well as the expression of ANP and BNP) or fibrotic features (increases in the expression of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, and α-SMA). Administration of magnolol and TG-101348 or JSI-124 (both JAK2 selective inhibitors) could prevent myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, accompanied by the decrease in the phosphorylation level of JAK2 and STAT3. Based on these observations, we conclude that magnolol can attenuate RV hypertrophy and fibrosis in hypoxia-induced PAH rats through a mechanism involving inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Magnolol may possess the potential clinical value for PAH therapy.

In this work, charge photogeneration dynamics in PTQ10:Y6 solar cells were studied by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies. For neat donor and acceptor films, we determined the exciton diffusion coefficients of PTQ10 and Y6 as 1.3 × 10−3 cm2·s−1 and 6.8 × 10−3 cm2·s−1, respectively. Furthermore, we find the LUMO and HOMO level offsets of 0.14 eV and 0.11 eV are sufficient for the dissociation of donor and acceptor excitons, respectively. For PTQ10:Y6 blend films, we find DIO additive could increase the scales of acceptor and donor phases. The acceptor phase increased slightly from 17.2 nm to 20.0 nm, while the donor phase increased from 2.3 nm to 5.8 nm. In addition, we find bimolecular recombination is a critical form for carrier recombination and DIO additive can significantly suppress the carrier recombination rate of PTQ10:Y6 active layer in an ultrafast time scale. This work is helpful for understanding the charge photogeneration processes in non-fullerene polymer solar cells.

The development of industrial robots in high-precision fields is currently constrained by the reliability of motion. Considering the influence of the joint clearance on the motion reliability of the industrial robot, the kinematic model of the industrial robot is established, the kinematic equation of the robot is deduced, and positive kinematic solutions are performed. The non-probability positioning accuracy reliability measure of a robot end-effector is proposed, based on the non-probability theory and method, combined with the prescribed permission interval and error interval, and different states of reliability can be judged according to the position relationship, the non-probability reliability properties are outlined, and the positioning accuracy reliability assessment model is established. Combined with the joint clearance modeling theory, the simulation of the robot end-effector under the influence of six joint clearances is carried out, and the displacement error interval of the end-effector under the preset motion path is analyzed for the industrial robot motion reliability problem. The motion path is split by time, and the end effector moves to different workspace areas in different time periods. The motion reliability of each segment is analyzed, and it is concluded that the reliability of the end-effector under the influence of uncertain joint clearance parameters changes in different working regions. Based on the above, the research direction of space division and partition parameter calibration is proposed, which lays a foundation for the study of partition non-probabilistic calibration of robot workspace.

Being able to deal with “moments of crisis” is crucial in intercultural communication. Using identities as an analytical lens, this paper examines different types of “moments of crisis” identified in educational virtual exchanges between Chinese and Finnish university students. The study shows that the participants use soothing and code-switching as strategies in these moments of crisis to “do” interculturality, i.e., to achieve interactional arrangements (e.g., moving the discussion forward) and self-other alignments (e.g., saving face). Focusing on soothing as a positive strategy and code-switching as an avoidance strategy in dealing with “moments of crisis”, we also scrutinize the emergence of the identities of mediator, fence-sitter, and facilitator in the students’ behaviors. Finally, students’ working experience, language use, and physical surroundings are identified as having a potential influence on their use of soothing and code-switching during the online intercultural interactions. Recommendations for preparing students for international virtual exchanges conclude the paper.

This study is concerned with the dynamic investigation and fixed-time synchronization of a fractional-order financial system with the Caputo derivative. The rich dynamic behaviors of the fractional-order financial system with variations of fractional orders and parameters are discussed analytically and numerically. Through using phase portraits, bifurcation diagrams, maximum Lyapunov exponent diagrams, 0–1 testing and time series, it is found that chaos exists in the proposed fractional-order financial system. Additionally, a complexity analysis is carried out utilizing approximation entropy SE and C0 complexity to detect whether chaos exists. Furthermore, a synchronization controller and an adaptive parameter update law are designed to synchronize two fractional-order chaotic financial systems and identify the unknown parameters in fixed time simultaneously. The estimate of the setting time of synchronization depends on the parameters of the designed controller and adaptive parameter update law, rather than on the initial conditions. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the theoretical results obtained.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune hemorrhagic disease. Endothelial cell activation/injury has been found in some autoimmune diseases including SLE, systemic sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, but its role in ITP pathogenesis remains unclear. This study attempted to elucidate the correlation between endothelial dysfunction and disease severity of ITP and find related markers to predict response to low-dose decitabine treatment. Compared with healthy volunteers, higher plasma levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Angiopoietin-2 were found in adult corticosteroid resistant ITP patients. Notably, ICAM-1 levels were negatively correlated with the platelet count, and positively associated with the bleeding score. Recently, we have reported the efficacy and safety of low-dose decitabine in adult patients with ITP who failed for the first line therapies. Here, we evaluated the correlation of plasma ICAM-1 level with the efficacy of low-dose decitabine therapy for corticosteroid resistant ITP. A total of 29 adult corticosteroid resistant ITP patients who received consecutive treatments of low-dose decitabine were enrolled in this study. Fourteen patients showed response (nine showed complete response and five showed partial response). The levels of ICAM-1 before and after treatment were significantly higher in the non-responsive ITP patients than in the responsive patients. As shown in the multivariable logistic regression model, the odds of developing no-response to low-dose decitabine increased by 36.8% for per 5 ng/ml increase in plasma ICAM-1 level [odds ratio (OR) 1.368, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.060 to 1.764]. In summary, this was the first study to elucidate the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and corticosteroid resistant ITP and identify the potential predictive value of ICAM-1 level for response to low-dose decitabine.