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Dual-confined porous Si@c-ZIF@carbon nanofibers (Si@c-ZIF@CNFs) are fabricated that possess excellent antioxidant capacity, high surface area and abundant pores, which enhances conductivity, relieves volume expansion and facilitates electrolyte penetration during cycling. When evaluated as self-supporting anodes for lithium-ion batteries, the Si@c-ZIF@CNFs exhibit excellent cycling and rate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EXTREME regimen (chemotherapy [CT; cisplatin/carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil]) plus cetuximab is a standard-of-care first-line (1L) treatment for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN), as supported by international guidelines. The phase III CHANGE-2 trial assessed the efficacy and safety of a modified CT regimen (with a reduced dose of both components) and cetuximab versus CT for the 1L treatment of Chinese patients with R/M SCCHN. Patients were randomised to receive up to six cycles of CT plus cetuximab followed by cetuximab maintenance until progressive disease or CT alone. The primary end-point was the progression-free survival (PFS) time assessed by the independent review committee (IRC). Overall, 243 patients were randomised (164 to CT plus cetuximab; 79 to CT). The hazard ratios for PFS by IRC and overall survival (OS) were 0.57 (95% CI: 0.40–0.80; median: 5.5 versus 4.2 months) and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.50–0.93; median: 11.1 versus 8.9 months), respectively, in favour of CT plus cetuximab. The objective response rates (ORR) by IRC were 50.0% and 26.6% with CT plus cetuximab and CT treatment, respectively. Treatment-emergent adverse events of maximum grade 3 or 4 occurred in 61.3% (CT plus cetuximab) and 48.7% (CT) of patients. CHANGE-2 showed an improved median PFS, median OS and ORR with the addition of cetuximab to a modified platinum/5-fluorouracil regimen, with no new or unexpected safety findings, thereby confirming CT plus cetuximab as an effective and safe 1L treatment for Chinese patients with R/M SCCHN. NCT02383966. • The EXTREME regimen is a standard-of-care first-line treatment option for R/M SCCHN. • The Asia–Pacific region has the most cases of head and neck cancers in the world. • CHANGE-2 evaluated 1L cetuximab plus CT in Chinese patients with R/M SCCHN. • Treatment with cetuximab plus CT was effective and safe. • These results led to the approval of cetuximab plus CT in China for R/M SCCHN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) emphasize a holistic achievement instead of cherry-picking a few. However, no assessment has quantitatively considered the evenness among all 17 goals. Here, we propose a systematic method, which first integrates both the evenness and the overall status of all goals, to distinguish the ideal development pathways from the uneven ones and then revisit the development trajectory in China from 2000 to 2015. Our results suggest that, despite the remarkable progress, a bottleneck has occurred in China since 2013 due to the stagnant developments in some SDGs. However, many far-reaching policies in China have been targeting these deficiencies since then, providing a perspective on how a country approaches sustainable development by promoting evenness among all SDGs. Our results also indicate that regions with the slowest progress are the developed provinces, owing to the persistent uneven status of all goals. Our study demonstrates the importance of adopting evenness in assessing and guiding sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apelin and its receptor angiotensin receptor - like 1 (APJ) are closely related to renal fibrosis, but their specific roles in renal fibrosis are still controversial. In this article, we discussed the role of Apelin/APJ system in renal fibrosis and its mechanism. Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) rat model was established to induce the environment of renal fibrosis and a competitive antagonist of the APJ receptor ML221 was administered to CIH rats. The rats were divided into Control, CIH and ML221 groups. HE staining was used to detect the inflammatory injury and fibrosis of renal tissue. The expressions of renal fibrosis-related indicators transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Human type I collagen (Col-Ⅰ) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The levels of oxidative stress indexes reactive oxygen species (ROS), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and inflammation-related indexes Interleukin (IL) −6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-1β were detected by ELISA. At the same time, the levels of Apelin-13 and AngiotensinII (AngⅡ) were also measured by ELISA. Finally, western blot was used to detect the expression of Apelin pathway and renal fibrosis-related proteins. In addition, at the cellular level, we divided the cells into Control, CIH, Apelin-13 and Apelin-13+ML-221 groups to further verify the specific mechanisms at the cellular level. The expression of Apeline-13 and its related pathways was significantly increased after the induction of CIH in rats. However, the degree of renal fibrosis in ML221 group was further significantly increased after inhibiting the expression of Apelin. At the cellular level, CIH model cells treated with Apelin-13 significantly reduced cell proliferation, oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and decreased the expression of fibrosis-related proteins, which can be reversed by ML221 administration. The increased reactivity of Apelin may be one of the protective mechanisms against renal fibrosis induced by CIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permafrost thaw could induce substantial carbon (C) emissions to the atmosphere, and thus trigger a positive feedback to climate warming. As the engine of biogeochemical cycling, soil microorganisms exert a critical role in mediating the direction and strength of permafrost C‐climate feedback. However, our understanding about the impacts of thermokarst (abrupt permafrost thaw) on microbial structure and function remains limited. Here we employed metagenomic sequencing to analyze changes in topsoil (0–15 cm) microbial communities and functional genes along a permafrost thaw sequence (1, 10, and 16 years since permafrost collapse) on the Tibetan Plateau. By combining laboratory incubation and a two‐pool model, we then explored changes in soil labile and stable C decomposition along the thaw sequence. Our results showed that topsoil microbial α‐diversity decreased, while the community structure and functional gene abundance did not exhibit any significant change at the early stage of collapse (1 year since collapse) relative to non‐collapsed control. However, as the time since the collapse increased, both the topsoil microbial community structure and functional genes differed from the control. Abundances of functional genes involved in labile C degradation decreased while those for stable C degradation increased at the late stage of collapse (16 years since collapse), largely driven by changes in substrate properties along the thaw sequence. Accordingly, faster stable C decomposition occurred at the late stage of collapse compared to the control, which was associated with the increase in relative abundance of functional genes for stable C degradation. These results suggest that upland thermokarst alters microbial structure and function, particularly enhances soil stable C decomposition by modulating microbial functional genes, which could reinforce a warmer climate over the decadal timescale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rain-on-snow (ROS) events can accelerate the surface ablation of sea ice, thus greatly influencing the ice–albedo feedback. However, the variability of ROS events over the Arctic Ocean is poorly understood due to limited historical station data in this region. In this study early melt season ROS events were investigated based on four widely used reanalysis products (ERA-Interim, JRA-55, MERRA, and ERA5) in conjunction with available observations at Arctic coastal stations. The performance of the reanalysis products in representing the timing of ROS events and the phase change of precipitation was assessed. Our results show that ERA-Interim better represents the onset date of ROS events in spring, and ERA5 better represents the phase change of precipitation associated with ROS events. All reanalyses indicate that ROS event timing has shifted to earlier dates in recent decades (with maximum trends up to -4 to -6 d per decade in some regions in ERA-Interim) and that sea ice melt onset in the Pacific sector and most of the Eurasian marginal seas is correlated with this shift. There has been a clear transition from solid to liquid precipitation, leading to more ROS events in spring, although large discrepancies were found between different reanalysis products. In ERA5, the shift from solid to liquid precipitation phase during the early melt season has directly contributed to a reduction in spring snow depth on sea ice by more than -0.5 cm per decade averaged over the Arctic Ocean since 1980, with the largest contribution (about -2.0 cm per decade) in the Kara–Barents seas and Canadian Arctic Archipelago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controversial results are reported whereby biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be promoted or inhibited by biochar amendment of soil. Metabolomics was applied to analyze the metabolic profiles of amendment with biochar (BB) and biochar inoculated with functional bacteria (Pseudomonas putida) (BP) involved in phenanthrene (PHE) degradation. Additionally, metagenomic analysis was utilized to assess the impact of different treatments on PHE degradation by soil microorganisms. Results indicated that BB treatment decreased the PHE biodegradation of the soil indigenous bacterial consortium, but BP treatment alleviated this inhibitory effect. Metabolomics revealed the differential metabolite 9-phenanthrol was absent in the BB treatment, but was found in the control group (CK), and in the treatment inoculated with the Pseudomonas putida (Ps) and the BP treatment. Metagenomic analysis showed that biochar decreased the abundance of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP116), which was detected in the Pseudomonas putida , thus alleviating the inhibitory effect of biochar on PHE degradation. Moreover, a noticeable delayed increase of functional gene abundance and enzymes abundance in the BB treatment was observed in the PHE degradation pathway. Our findings elucidate the mechanism of inhibition with biochar amendment and the alleviating effect of biochar inoculated with degrading bacteria. [Display omitted] • Biochar inhibited the degradation of phenanthrene. • Biochar inoculated with Pseudomonas putida alleviated its inhibitory effect. • Differential metabolite 9-phenanthrol was not observed in the treatment of biochar. • Two upstream metabolic pathways of phenanthrene were constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wettability differences of spodumene anisotropic crystal surfaces are investigated. • Contact angle relaxation, AFM, and DFT calculations are performed. • Explained differences in the wettability of spodumene anisotropic crystal planes. • Types and number of fracture bonds per unit area are the main influencing factors. • Wettability of water molecules on crystal planes is simulated via DFT calculations. Wettability directly reflects the interaction between minerals, reagents, and water, and is a key factor determining the flotation separation of minerals. Wettability differences of the spodumene anisotropic crystal surfaces are investigated in this study using contact angle relaxation, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The contact angle relaxation and AFM tests confirm the anisotropic wettability of spodumene surfaces from macro and micro perspectives, respectively, and the order of hydrophilicity is (0 1 0) > (1 0 0) > (1 1 0). The DFT calculations based on surface fracture key points and broken bond density explain the differences in the wettability of spodumene crystal surfaces, that is, the types of broken bonds and the number of broken bonds per unit area are the main influencing factors. The wettability of water molecules on different crystal surfaces is simulated based on the DFT calculations of the broken surface bonds and surface energy, which further verifies the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Oleate hydroxamic acid was synthesized and applied to bastnaesite flotation. • OLHA significantly increased the hydrophobicity of the bastnaesite surface. • OLHA and SHMP have competitive adsorption on the bastnaesite surface. • OLHA was interacted with bastnaesite by chemical absorption. Hydroxamic acid collectors display excellent selectivity but poor collecting ability in bastnaesite flotation. Improving the collecting capacity of hydroxamic acid collector appropriately become an effective method to enhance the performance of flotation reagents. A novel oleate hydroxamic acid (OLHA) as a collector was synthesized and applied to bastnaesite flotation in this work. The structure of OLHA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The single mineral and artificial mixed minerals flotation experiments results show that OLHA achieved efficient flotation separation of bastnaesite and barite when odium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was used as depressant. The contact angle, zeta potential, FTIR and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were performed to investigate the adsorption mechanism of OLHA. The contact angle results show that OLHA significantly improved the surface hydrophobicity of bastnaesite. Zeta potential and FTIR results show that in the presence of SHMP, OLHA selectively adsorbs to the surface of bastnaesite. Over all, OLHA adsorbs on the surface of bastnaesite through chemically adsorption, and strengthen the hydrophobicity of bastnaesite surface. Therefore, OLHA is a promising collector for bastnaesite flotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linkages between soil potentials and microbial functional genes are central in microbial ecology, though conflicting results have been obtained. Here, we investigated such linkages for log-transformed abundances of nitrogen (N) genes from grassland soils. The soil nitrification potential increased with rising A- amoA abundance only after it reaching 8.49 × e10 copy numbers g−1 soil, while the denitrification potential was positively correlated with narG and nirS after 8.44 × e10 and 8.12 × e10 copy numbers g−1 soil, respectively. Moreover, nitrification potential increased with rising ratio of A- amoA /B- amoA more strongly with a higher R2 after a threshold of 5.94, indicating that A- amoA controlled corresponding potential when it was abundant enough to overwhelm B- amoA. Our evaluation revealed the complexity between specific N genes and soil potentials, which were far from single linear relationships and abundant enough genes are necessary to correlate positively with corresponding functional potentials. • Complexities between specific nitrogen genes and soil potentials, which were far from single linear relationships. • A- amoA was positively correlated with NEA only when it became abundant enough after threshold. • narG and nirS were positively correlated with DEA and DN 2 when they became abundant enough. • A- amoA controlled NEA when it became abundant enough and overwhelmed B- amoA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for exploring biodegradable materials that possess multiple functionalities is rapidly increasing. However, achieving a balance between multiple functional properties is a critical objective that presents a significant challenge. In this study, we have developed multifunctional fibrous membranes with a porous layered structure and high porosity fabricated using alkali-treated kapok fibers via a wet-laid web formation and hot-pressing technique. A noteworthy phenomenon has been observed wherein a fibrous membrane can recover up to 4.49 times its original thickness and restore its hollow structure after being soaked in water for 24 h. This exceptional behavior is attributed to the combined effects of hydration and structure in the kapok fibers. Additionally, the kapok fibrous membrane demonstrates amphiphilic properties, evidenced by contact angles below 42° for water and oil. Furthermore, the membrane exhibits degradation rates of 17.91 % and 74.14 % after 15 and 30 days, respectively. The presence of associated substances and the unique hollow structure inherent in kapok fiber contribute to the outstanding antibacterial efficacy of the fibrous membrane, demonstrating a remarkable inhibition rate of 94 % and 95 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , respectively. This innovative approach enables the production of versatile biodegradable fibrous membranes with the potential to be utilized in various environmentally-conscious applications, particularly in personal protection and human health. [Display omitted] • Porous layered KFM, multifunctional, prepared via wet-laid & hot-pressing. • KFM exhibits amphiphilic properties with water and oil contact angles <42°. • KFM inhibits E. coli by 94 % and S. aureus by 95 %. • KFM thickness increased 4.49x after water absorption, indicating hollow recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodumene and feldspar have little difference in flotability due to their similar crystal chemistry properties. Fe-octyl hydroxamic acid (OHA) (iron complexes of octyl hydroxamic acid) demonstrates excellent selectivity but restricted collecting performance in spodumene flotation. In this work, we added sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) into Fe-OHA to obtain a novel multiple ligand collector, which was named Fe-OHA-SDS to enhance the collection ability of Fe-OHA. The efficient separation of spodumene from feldspar (the recovery difference was about 84 %) was achieved by Fe-OHA-SDS without adding depressants and foaming agents at pH 6.2. The separation mechanisms were explored by Zeta potential, contact angle, in-situ microcalorimetric, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. The findings revealed that Fe-OHA-SDS was more easily bonded to the spodumene surface than the feldspar surface. Meanwhile, the adsorption of Fe-OHA-SDS significantly expanded the hydrophobicity differences on these two mineral surfaces. The Fe-OHA-SDS was adsorbed on the spodumene surface through the Fe-O bond, which differed from the interaction mechanism of traditional mixed collectors on mineral surfaces. Therefore, Fe-OHA-SDS was an efficient collector with potential application value in spodumene flotation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) was used as a calcite depressant in smithsonite flotation. • The selective adsorption of HEDP on calcite surface hindered the adsorption of NaOL. • HEDP adsorbed on calcite surface by forming HEDP-Ca six-membered ring chelates. Removing calcite is a tricky problem in smithsonite flotation because of its better floatability. 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), a scale inhibitor in water treatment industry, was chosen as a calcite depressant. This study validated the effectiveness of HEDP in separating smithsonite from calcite by flotation using sodium oleate (NaOL) as the collector, and obtained a 70% recovery difference in a single mineral flotation. Artificial mixed mineral flotation obtained a concentrate with a grade of 44% and a recovery of more than 80%. Zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) tests were conducted to obtained some crucial information on the adsorption of NaOL and HEDP, demonstrating that the adsorption of HEDP on calcite surfaces was stronger than smithsonite. The intense adsorption of HEDP on calcite surfaces was attributed to chelation with surface calcium sites. Quantum chemical calculations suggested that the selectivity of HEDP was closely related to the phosphate groups. HEDP was chemically adsorbed on calcite surface by complexing with calcium sites to form six-membered ring chelate. Partial oxygen atoms of phosphate groups dominated in the reaction with calcium sites, and the deprotonation of phosphate groups enhanced the reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the indispensability and immense value of rare earth elements for scientific and technological advancements in the 21st century, extracting high-quality rare earth resources from nature has become a global priority. Bastnäsite-(Ce) is one of the known rare earth minerals with high rare earth content and wide distribution, which occupies a pivotal position in human life and high-end production activities, making its efficient development and utilization crucial. In recent years, research on separating bastnäsite-(Ce) from gangue minerals has focused on the flotation process, with flotation reagents playing a critical role in achieving effective separation. This paper provides a detailed summary of current research on the behavior of bastnäsite-(Ce) flotation agents on minerals, their interaction with mineral surfaces during flotation separation, and outlines future prospects for further research. [Display omitted] • Detailed summary of the classification of bastnaesite flotation reagents according to different functions • Focus on separation from gangue minerals is a key aspect of bastnaesite recovery. • Emphasis on the flotation reagent and mineral surface interaction mechanism for a very clear summary • Explain the obvious advantages of novel flotation reagents over traditional reagents • Prospects for flotation reagents for bastnaesite rare earth ore [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of interim positron emission tomography (iPET) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Among 53 enrolled patients, 39 had iPET-negative (iPET−) and 14 had iPET-positive (iPET+) scans. The objective response rate was 94.3%. The 3-year progression-free survival was 65.7% and the 3-year overall survival was 79.9%. The iPET− patients had significantly higher 3-year PFS rate (78.1% vs. 34.3%) and improved OS (87.1% vs. 62.3%) than iPET+ patients. In the univariate analysis, iPET− was the sole independent prognostic factor for PFS. In conclusion, PET/CT has a good prognostic value in patients with advanced-stage DLBCL. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT 01804127. Registered on March 5th, 2013, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01804127?term=01804127&rank=1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic stereolithography Three-Dimensional (SL-3D) printing has a unique advantage in forming ceramic parts with complex shapes. However, because of the effects of the slicing layer thickness, laser spot diameter, and curing inhomogeneity, its manufacturing dimensional accuracy still lags far behind traditional processing methods. In this study, a manufacturing process based on additive and subtractive technologies was used to prepare ceramic groove parts. The manufacturing process of ceramic groove parts is composed of SL-3D printing, debinding, micro-milling, and sintering processes. In order to improve the dimensional accuracy of ceramic groove parts, a model based on shrinkage compensation and micro-milling was proposed. The dimensional change pattern in the curing phase was modelled and a shrinkage compensation method was established to control the dimensional accuracy of the finished parts. A method to characterize the micro-chipping on machined edges of the workpiece was investigated by applying a micro-milling cutter to process the 3D-printed part pre-sintered at 1150 °C. The effectiveness of the proposed dimensional accuracy control method was verified by the case study of a ZrO 2 ceramic part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We disclose the unprecedented hybrid‐ruthenium catalysis for distal meta‐C−H activation. The hybrid‐ruthenium catalyst was recyclable, as was proven by various heterogeneity tests, and fully characterized with various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, highlighting the physical and chemical stability. Thereby, the hybrid‐ruthenium catalysis proved broadly applicable for meta‐C−H alkylations of among others purine‐based nucleosides and natural product conjugates. Additionally, its versatility was further reflected by meta‐C−H activations through visible‐light irradiation, as well as para‐selective C−H activations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is impacting the research community worldwide with unforeseen long‐term consequences for research, doctoral training, and international collaboration. It is already clear that the immediate effects of the crisis resulting from disrupted research stays and reduced career development opportunities are being most detrimental to early‐career researchers. Based on a Sino‐German international research training group dedicated to doctoral training and biodiversity‐ecosystem functioning research, we show how resilience of large collaborative research programs can be promoted in times of global crisis. We outline possible adaptations in the areas of funding, research, teaching and learning, supervision and mentoring, and international collaboration helping to reduce detrimental impact for early‐career researchers and to permanently strengthen the performance of large collaborative research groups in the postpandemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive extended Kalman filter (EKF) with two computation modes is proposed for system estimation of civil engineering structures under seismic excitations. The KF, in general, requires the process noise covariance matrix, which defines the uncertainty of the system model used in the filter, to be set appropriately. However, process noise is usually not known in practice, and tuning process noise in a trial-and-error manner can be time consuming and subjective; unsuccessful tuning can even result in divergence of the filter. In this study, the Robbins–Monro (RM) algorithm is combined with an EKF to adjust process noise automatically. Two computation modes, corresponding to time-invariant and time-varying parameter identification, are employed in the EKF-RM method. The RM algorithm makes the EKF-RM method robust and practical. In this study, the EKF-RM method is first numerically investigated with a simplified four-degrees-of-freedom (4-DOF) lumped mass model based on a real civil structure. In addition, the parameter variation tracking capability of the method is also studied by employing the 4-DOF lumped mass model. Further, the EKF-RM method is validated by two shaking table experiments from the E-defense database, including a full-scale four-story building experiment and a substructure experiment. Time-invariant system parameters are identified for the four-story building. Modal frequencies computed using the identified parameters are compared with the modal analysis results. Time-varying parameter identification is demonstrated by using the substructure experiment, which reveals strong nonlinearity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the high morbidity and poor clinical outcomes, early predictive and prognostic biomarker identification is desiderated in colorectal cancer (CRC). As a homologue of the Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) gene, the role of Neogenin-1 (NEO1) in CRC remained unveiled. This study was designed to probe into the effects and potential function of NEO1 in CRC. Methods: Online databases, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to evaluate NEO1 expression in colorectal cancer tissues. Survival analysis was performed to predict the prognosis of CRC patients based on NEO1 expression level. Then, cell proliferation was detected by colony formation and Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) assays. CRC cell migration and invasion were examined by transwell assays. Finally, we utilized the Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and GSEA to dig the potential mechanisms of NEO1 in CRC. Results: Oncomine database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that NEO1 was down-regulated in CRC. Further results validated that NEO1 mRNA and protein expression were both significantly lower in CRC tumor tissues than in the adjacent tissues in our clinical samples. NEO1 expression was decreased with the progression of CRC. Survival and other clinical characteristic analyses exhibited that low NEO1 expression was related with poor prognosis. A gain-of-function study showed that overexpression of NEO1 restrained proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells while a loss-of-function showed the opposite effects. Finally, functional pathway enrichment analysis revealed that NEO1 low expression samples were enriched in inflammation-related signaling pathways, EMT and angiogenesis. Conclusion: A tumor suppressor gene NEO1 was identified and verified to be correlated with the prognosis and progression of CRC, which could serve as a prognostic biomarker for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al 2 O 3 -SiC w toughened ceramic tools play vital role in high-speed machining of nickel-based superalloys due to their superior mechanical properties. Herein, owing to synergistic toughening mechanism, α-Si 3 N 4 particles are employed as reinforcement phase into Al 2 O 3 -SiC w ceramic composite to optimize mechanical properties of Al 2 O 3 -SiC w ceramic tools. Moreover, the influence of Si 3 N 4 content and sintering parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al 2 O 3 -20 vol%SiC w ceramic tool material is systematically investigated. Results reveal that appropriate amount of Si 3 N 4 particles is required to effectively increase the density of Al 2 O 3 -SiC w ceramic composites. The presence of Si 3 N 4 particles leads to formation of novel β-sialon phase during hot-press sintering, which effectively enhances fracture toughness and flexural strength of Al 2 O 3 -SiC w ceramic composites. It is observed that grain size of newly formed β-sialon phase is extremely sensitive to hot-pressing sintering conditions. The degree of chemical transformation of α-Si 3 N 4 into Si 6-z Al z O z N 8-z (β-sialon) and z -value of Si 6-z Al z O z N 8-z are significantly influenced by sintering temperature. Overall, Al 2 O 3 -20 vol%SiC w -15 vol%Si 3 N 4 ceramic tool material, with 1.5 vol%Y 2 O 3 -0.5 vol%La 2 O 3 -0.5 vol%CeO 2 (YLC) sintering additive, rendered optimal mechanical properties after sintering at 1600 °C under 32 MPa for 30 min. Improved mechanical performance can be ascribed to synergistic toughening and strengthening influence of whiskers and particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular design of purely organic fluorophores for highly efficient and stable deep‐blue organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is still a challenge. Excellent performances in terms of Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates, external quantum efficiency (EQE), brightness and lifespan, often cannot be achieved simultaneously in one deep‐blue OLED. Herein, a novel carbazole‐based thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter DPFCz‐TRZ is designed and synthesized through Friedel‐Crafts arylmethylation of Cz‐TRZ. Compared with the parent compound Cz‐TRZ, the OLED based on DPFCz‐TRZ exhibits significantly improved performances with a maximum EQE of 15.5 % and brightness beyond 16000 cd m−2, while retaining similar deep‐blue emission with a CIE coordinate of (0.15, 0.10), an electroluminescence (EL) maximum of λ=445 nm and full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 65 nm. Additionally, the device also shows a respectable lifetime (LT50, time to 50 % of initial luminance) of 78 h at 500 cd m−2, corresponding to a LT50 of 1304 h at 100 cd m−2. Impressively, a record high EQE of 5.2 % can be obtained at a very high luminance of 10000 cd m−2. This work demonstrates the first report of simultaneous achievement over 15 % EQE and 1000 h LT50 (100 cd m−2) in deep‐blue purely organic electroluminescence devices with a coordinate of (≤0.15, ≤0.10) and maximum brightness beyond 16000 cd m−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is characterized by persistent symptomatic inflammation of the nasal passage and sinus mucosa. Various microRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in CRS. Hence, the current study was conducted to explore the effect of microRNA-761 (miR-761) on remodeling of nasal mucosa and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was initially performed to predict the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with CRS. Gene targeting relationship between miR-761 and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) was analyzed by bioinformatics analysis and verified using dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Histopathological analyses of the nasal mucosa tissues were conducted via hematoxylin–eosin (HE) and alcian blue (AB)-periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining. ELISA was employed to determine the IL-8 and MMP-9 levels. To define downstream pathway of miR-761, levels of proteins related to LCN2/Twist1 signaling pathway were assessed. Additionally, the effects of miR-761 on EMT, proliferation, and apoptosis were determined. Results: LCN2 was highly expressed in CRS. LCN2 was a target of miR-761. miR-761 overexpression or LCN2 silencing decreased IL-8 and MMP-9 levels and morphological changes in nasal epithelial tissue from CRS mice. Overexpressed miR-761 or silenced LCN2 decreased the expression of LCN2 and Twist1, indicating LCN2/Twist1 signaling pathway was inactivated. Moreover, miR-761 overexpression or LCN2 silencing reduced the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin, while increased that of E-cadherin, suggesting inhibition of EMT. Furthermore, miR-761 overexpression or LCN2 silencing promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in CRS. Conclusion: Taken together, miR-761 suppressed the remodeling of nasal mucosa through inhibition of LCN2 and the LCN2/Twist1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is multifactorial, complex and not fully characterized yet. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have been found to contribute to the development and progression of NPC. Here, we aimed to investigate the putative role of miR-129-5p in NPC lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis (LNM), including the involvement of its target gene ZIC2 and the Hedgehog signaling pathway. Methods: The expression of miR-129-5p and ZIC2 in primary NPC tissues was assessed using RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses, followed by LNM and lymph vessel density (LVD) correlation analyses. A direct interaction between miR-129-5p and ZIC2 was verified using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of miR-129-5p and ZIC2 expression on NPC cell invasion, migration and proliferation in vitro, as well as on LDV and LNM in nude mice in vivo. Additionally, RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses were performed to determine the expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related factors. Results: We found that ZIC2 was highly expressed, and miR-129-5p was lowly expressed, in primary NPC tissues. In addition, we found that miR-129-5p can directly bind to and reduce ZIC2 expression. LVD was found to be negatively correlated with miR-129-5p and to be positively correlated with ZIC2 expression. Concomitantly, we found that miR-129-5p abrogated activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway via ZIC2 targeting, leading to suppression of NPC cell invasion, migration and proliferation in vitro as well as suppression of LNM and LVD in vivo. Conclusions: From our data we conclude that miR-129-5p, by decreasing ZIC2 expression, may inhibit NPC lymphangiogenesis and LNM through suppression of the Hedgehog signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite the important roles of soil microbes, especially the most diverse rare taxa in maintaining community diversity and multifunctionality, how different climate regimes alter the stability and functions of the rare microbial biosphere remains unknown. We reciprocally transplanted field soils across a latitudinal gradient to simulate climate change and sampled the soils annually after harvesting the maize over the following 6 years (from 2005 to 2011). By sequencing microbial 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons, we found that changing climate regimes significantly altered the composition and dynamics of soil microbial communities. A continuous succession of the rare and abundant communities was observed. Rare microbial communities were more stable under changing climatic regimes, with lower variations in temporal dynamics, and higher stability and constancy of diversity. More nitrogen cycling genes were detected in the rare members than in the abundant members, including amoA, napA, nifH, nirK, nirS, norB and nrfA. Random forest analysis and receiver operating characteristics analysis showed that rare taxa may act as potential contributors to maize yield under changing climatics. The study indicates that the taxonomically and functionally diverse rare biosphere has the potential to increase functional redundancy and enhance the ability of soil communities to counteract environmental disturbances. With ongoing global climate change, exploring the succession process and functional changes of rare taxa may be important in elucidating the ecosystem stability and multifunctionality that are mediated by microbial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial variability of microorganisms in grasslands can provide important insights regarding the biogeographic patterns of microbial communities. However, information regarding the degree of overlap and partitions of microbial communities across different habitats in grasslands is limited. This study investigated the microbial communities in three distinct habitats from Xilingol steppe grassland, i.e. animal excrement, phyllosphere, and soil samples, by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. All microbial community structures, i.e. for bacteria, archaea, and fungi, were significantly distinguished according to habitat. A high number of unique microorganisms but few coexisting microorganisms were detected, suggesting that the structure of microbial communities was mainly regulated by species selection and niche differentiation. However, the sequences of those limited coexisting microorganisms among the three different habitats accounted for over 60% of the total sequences, indicating their ability to adapt to variable environments. In addition, the biotic interactions among microorganisms based on a co-occurrence network analysis highlighted the importance of Microvirga, Blastococcus, RB41, Nitrospira, and four norank members of bacteria in connecting the different microbiomes. Collectively, the microbial communities in the Xilingol steppe grassland presented strong habitat preferences with a certain degree of dispersal and colonization potential to new habitats along the animal excrement- phyllosphere-soil gradient. This study provides the first detailed comparison of microbial communities in different habitats in a single grassland, and offers new insights into the biogeographic patterns of the microbial assemblages in grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aims to identify clinical features and prognostic factors of PT-DLBCL patients. Methods: Thirty-two patients were included in this retrospective study who were diagnosed as PT-DLBCL and treated in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between November 2010 and May 2018. The demographic details, clinico-pathological characteristics of the patients were summarized, and the impact on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. Results: The median age of the patients was 57 (range 36–76) years old. All patients received rituximab in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) for 4–6 cycles and central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis, with a CR rate 87.5% and an ORR 96.9%. Nineteen patients continued prophylactic contralateral testis radiation therapy (PCTRT) in our hospital. The 3-year PFS and OS rates were 79% and 92%, respectively. None of the 19 patients who received PCTRT experienced local recurrence. All three patients who suffered from CNS relapse were germinal center B-cell subtype. Kaplan–Meier analyses showed that PT-DLBCL patients with late-stage (Stage IV) (P =0.022), higher IPI score (IPI≥ 2) (P =0.017), B symptoms (P =0.004), and elevated LDH level (P =0.03) had a shorter PFS. More importantly, we found that patients with the ratio of the LDH level in serum to that in CSF ≥ 6.5 suffered from a worse PFS (P =0.028). Conclusion: Our work revealed that staging IV, IPI score ≥2, having B symptoms and elevated LDH level were risk factors for PT-DLBCL patients. Significantly, the PT-DLBCL patients with a high ratio of LDH level in serum to that in CSF were indicated to have a worse PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plates are applied to a wide array of structural applications of varying complexity. Each application requires rigorous analysis to determine the viability of the proposed model. One such application involves modeling a larger structure as a collection of smaller flat plates connected at the plate boundaries. Previous research into these types of structures has led to varying levels of accuracy. It has been dependent on the applications and assumptions involved. To improve the accuracy of these types of structures in a more general context, we propose expanding on current models of coupled plates by modeling the plates using Mindlin plate theory. We analyze the vibration of the improved model with general elastic boundary conditions, point supports and coupling conditions using the Fourier series method and finite element software. When the Fourier series method is applied directly, continuity issues arise at the plate coupling boundaries. To resolve these issues, the Fourier series solution of the vibration displacements is amended to include auxiliary functions. This improved coupled plate model is analyzed and numerically simulated for a variety of elastic boundary conditions and coupling conditions. The numerical results are produced using the Fourier series method and a finite element solution to demonstrate the validity of the improved coupled plate model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in labile carbon (LC) pools and microbial communities are the primary factors controlling soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in warming experiments. Warming is expected to initially increase Rh but studies show this increase may not be continuous or sustained. Specifically, LC and soil microbiome have been shown to contribute to the effect of extended warming on Rh. However, their relative contribution is unclear and this gap in knowledge causes considerable uncertainty in the prediction of carbon cycle feedbacks to climate change. In this study, we used a two‐step incubation approach to reveal the relative contribution of LC limitation and soil microbial community responses in attenuating the effect that extended warming has on Rh. Soil samples from three Tibetan ecosystems—an alpine meadow (AM), alpine steppe (AS), and desert steppe (DS)—were exposed to a temperature gradient of 5–25°C. After an initial incubation period, soils were processed in one of two methods: (a) soils were sterilized then inoculated with parent soil microbes to assess the LC limitation effects, while controlling for microbial community responses; or (b) soil microbes from the incubations were used to inoculate sterilized parent soils to assess the microbial community effects, while controlling for LC limitation. We found both LC limitation and microbial community responses led to significant declines in Rh by 37% and 30%, respectively, but their relative contributions were ecosystem specific. LC limitation alone caused a greater Rh decrease for DS soils than AMs or ASs. Our study demonstrates that soil carbon loss due to Rh in Tibetan alpine soils—especially in copiotrophic soils—will be weakened by microbial community responses under short‐term warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An advanced waste-to-energy system integrated with a coal-fired power plant has been proposed to improve the energy utilization of municipal solid waste. In the new design, the energy gained from the waste-to-energy boiler is employed to heat the feedwater and partial cold reheat steam of the coal power plant, and the feedwater of the waste-to-energy boiler is provided by the heat regeneration system of the coal power plant. Consequently, the energy obtained from the waste incineration products is injected into the steam cycle of the coal power plant, and the waste-to-electricity efficiency can be significantly boosted. Based on a 500 t/day waste-to-energy plant and a 630 MW coal power plant, the proposed hybrid scheme was evaluated compared with the conventional separate one. The results show that the waste-to-electricity efficiency is promoted by 9.16% points with an additional net power output of 3.71 MW, attributed to the suggested integration. Furthermore, the energy-saving mechanism of the novel concept was revealed by energy and exergy analyses. Finally, the new design was economically examined, which indicates that the dynamic payback period of the proposed waste-to-energy plant is only 3.55 years, which is 5.87 years shorter than that of the conventional one. • A novel hybrid waste-to-energy system integrated with a coal-fired power plant. • Several connections are built between the waste-to-energy and coal power production. • The energy obtained from waste is put into the steam cycle of the coal power plant. • The waste-to-electricity efficiency is notably promoted with a lower investment. • Plenty of economic benefits and a much shorter payback period can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• About 95% chromium can't be leached by hydrochloric acid and was recovered in the residue with a form of chromite. • High quality of magnesium chloride hexahydrate was prepared from the leachate by alkali precipitation and evaporation. • Leaching magnesium from the spent magnesia-chrome refractories was in accordance with pseudo-second-order model. • The apparent activation energy of the leaching process was 68.75 kJ/mol. In this study, recovery of chromium and magnesium from spent magnesia-chrome refractories was developed by acid leaching combined with alkali precipitation and evaporation. The optimized conditions for leaching were found to be particle size of −74 + 38 μm, hydrochloric acid solution of 5.0 mol/L, liquid-solid ratio of 5:1, leaching temperature of 343 K, leaching time of 90 min and agitation speed of 400 rpm. Under these conditions, 95.14% Cr was remained in the residual in the form of chromite, which could be directly used for metallurgy. Subsequently, more than 90% Cu, Pb, Bi and Si can be removed from the leachate through adjusting the pH to 7.0 by magnesium hydroxide. Then, magnesium chloride hexahydrate can be obtained from the final solution by evaporation. Detection analyses showed that the production of chromite and magnesium chloride hexahydrate could be used as industrial raw material. What's more, kinetics of magnesium leaching was also studied, and the results revealed that leaching magnesium from the spent magnesia-chrome refractories was in accordance with pseudo-second-order model and the corresponding apparent activation energy was 68.75 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Layered double hydroxide (LDH) was effectively modified with β-cyclodextrin (CD). • CD-functionalized LDH exhibits better boron adsorption than CD-intercalated LDH. • CD-LDH thin-film nanocomposite desalination membrane removes > 80 % boron at pH 8. • Stable desalination and boron separation in the thin-film nanocomposite membrane. The elimination of small and potentially toxic boron species in water is always a significant challenge for conventional membrane technologies. In this study, facile intercalation and functionalization of β-cyclodextrin (CD) onto layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have resulted in the formation of accessible hydroxyl functional groups and anions that exhibit strong sorption and host–guest interaction with boron. Through meticulous molecular design and optimization, the modified LDH possessing the maximum boron adsorption capacity of 96.1 mg g−1 was employed to fabricate a polyamide-based thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane with a loading of 0.10 wt%. This resultant membrane displayed a high salt rejection and water permeance of 99.4 % and 2.68 LMH bar−1 for brackish water, respectively, which can be attributed to the increased interlayer spacing of 1.67 nm and the thinner selective layer. The innovative TFN membrane also achieved a high boron rejection of 82.3 % against brackish water containing 2,000 mg L−1 NaCl and 15 mg L−1B at pH 8. This pioneering study provides valuable insights into the design of brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) membranes, through the synergistic use of macrocyclic molecules and inorganic layered nanomaterials, that could potentially revolutionize water reuse and boron removal applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NaOL/ND13 first used to separate spodumene and feldspar and showed a better selectivity. • NaOL/ND13 co-absorbed much stronger on the spodumene surface than that of feldspar. • NaOL/ND13 had a stronger chemical reaction with Al sites on spodumene than on feldspar. The mixed anionic/cationic collector sodium oleate/ N-lauryl-1, 3-propylene diamine (NaOL/ND13) was firstly used to separate spodumene from feldspar and exhibited high selectivity. The flotation experiments of single and artificial-mixed mineral showed that the mixed NaOL/ND13 (NaOL: ND13 = 5:1) exhibited excellent flotation separation performance for spodumene from feldspar at pH 8.0. The zeta potential measurement results showed that NaOL and ND13 adsorbed on the mineral surface through chemical and electrostatic adsorption, respectively. The FTIR measurement results showed that the dominant species of NaOL/ND13 adsorbed strongly on mineral surface than each of its components and the interaction between collector and spodumene surface was stronger than that of feldspar surface. Contact angle measurements showed the mixed NaOL/ND13 amplified the difference in surface hydrophobicity between spodumene and feldspar. Ultra-microcalorimetric measurements showed the greater the absolute values of the net reaction heat for spodumene and feldspar reacted with collectors, the better their flotation separability. XPS further showed that NaOL/ND13 had strong chemical reaction with Al sites on mineral surface, but the interaction of NaOL/ND13 with spodumene was stronger than that with feldspar. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to provide more reference value and a meaningful guide for the development of selective flotation collectors for spodumene and feldspar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agglomeration of bastnaesite and fine fluorite severely reduces the recovery of bastnaesite, and a method to address this issue is urgently needed. Using measurement techniques such as micro-flotation, contact angle, zeta potential, in situ attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (In situ ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and extended theory for calculating the stability of solution colloid (E-DLVO theory), this study investigated the selective adsorption mechanism of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP). The flotation results indicated that when sodium oleate (NaOL) was used as the collector, SHMP was 2.5 × 10−6 M, showing an outstanding flotation separation of bastnaesite from fine fluorite. The contact angle and zeta potential results showed that SHMP selectively increased the surface hydrophobicity and decreased the surface potential of fluorite. Additionally, in situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy measurements revealed that HPO 4 2- and H 2 PO 4 - of SHMP chemically reacted with Ca2+ ions on the surface of fluorite and finally formed CaHPO 4 and Ca(H 2 PO 4) 2 stable complexes. However, SHMP was adsorbed by bastnaesite. Furthermore, EDLVO theoretical calculations confirmed that with the addition of SHMP, the electrostatic attraction of the double electric layer between the particles weakened 10 times, hydration repulsion was intense, and the total force between the particles changed from attractive to repulsive. The results also showed that fluorite and bastnaesite dispersed each other. Thus, SHMP can be used as a high-performance selective depressant for the fluorite flotation to realize bastnaesite flotation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cellular behavior in normal mammary gland development and the progression of breast cancer is like the relationship between an object and its mirror image: they may appear similar, but their essence is completely different. Breast cancer can be considered as temporal and spatial aberrations of normal development in mammary gland. Glycans have been shown to regulate key pathophysiological steps during mammary development and breast cancer progression, and the glycoproteins that play a key role in both processes can affect the normal differentiation and development of mammary cells, and even cause malignant transformation or accelerate tumorigenesis due to differences in their type and level of glycosylation. In this review, we summarize the roles of glycan alterations in essential cellular behaviors during breast cancer progression and mammary development, and also highlight the importance of key glycan-binding proteins such as epidermal growth factor receptor, transforming growth factor β receptors and other proteins, which are pivotal in the modulation of cellular signaling in mammary gland. Our review takes an overall view of the molecular interplay, signal transduction and cellular behaviors in mammary gland development and breast cancer progression from a glycobiological perspective. This review will give a better understanding of the similarities and differences in glycosylation between mammary gland development and breast cancer progression, laying the foundation for elucidating the key molecular mechanisms of glycobiology underlying the malignant transformation of mammary cells. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Low-fired fluoride microwave dielectric ceramics (LiF, CaF 2 , SrF 2 and BaF 2) were prepared through a simple one-step sintering process. Fluoride ceramics, especially LiF, which had the lowest sintering temperature of 800 °C, could be well sintered below 1050 °C. Rietveld refinement results showed that LiF, CaF 2 , SrF 2 and BaF 2 ceramics crystallized into a cubic structure with space group Fm -3 m. The relative permittivity (ε r), quality factor (Q × f) and temperature coefficient of the resonant frequency (τ f) of the fluoride ceramics were closely related to relative density, the ionic polarizability of the primitive unit cell, the packing fraction and the bond valence. In this series of low-permittivity fluoride ceramics, LiF, CaF 2 and BaF 2 could be co-fired with Ag powders, and LiF ceramic exhibited the highest Q × f value of 73880 GHz, which is comparable to those of traditional oxide microwave dielectric ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Global climate change is projected to intensify soil drying-rewetting (DRW) events with extended drought, especially in arid and semiarid ecosystems. However, the extent to which the soil DRW with intensified drought can alter soil respiration (R s) in forests is still under debate, and subsequent legacy effects on R s are not well understood. Here, we conducted a 180-d soil incubation experiment to investigate how soil DRW with different drought intensities alter the R s in poplar (Populus simonii) and Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantations. The incubation experiment included four 30-d cycles of 1) constant moisture treatment (control), 2) DRW with 10-d drying and 20-d rewetting (DRW 10-20) or 3) DRW with 20-d drying and 10-d rewetting (DRW 20-10), and then an extended 60-d incubation under constant moisture. During the four DRW cycles, the direct C release with respiration of Mongolian pine soils (27 g C·m−2 in DRW 10-20 and 140 g C·m−2 in DRW 20-10 , respectively) decreased to a much lower extent than that of poplar soils (228 g C·m−2 in DRW 10-20 and 498 g C·m−2 in DRW 20-10 , respectively). R s did not significantly change during the extended 60-d incubation in the DRW 10-20 treatment compared to control treatment. However, the respired CO 2 were increased by 68 g C·m−2 in the poplar soils and 19 g C·m−2 in the Mongolian pine soils in the DRW 20-10 treatment, which approximately compensated for 14% of the decreases of total respiration during four DRW cycles. This legacy effect induced by the DRW with intensified drought was attributed to the higher amount of remaining substrates and soil microbial biomass. Our study highlights that DRW can cause both direct and legacy effects on R s , but the effects vary with drought intensity and forest type. Highlights • Soil respiration was measured during four drying-rewetting (DRW) cycles and an extended incubation. • DRW with longer drought decreased more soil respiration than with mild drought. • Extended incubation compensated for 14% of the drought-induced soil respiration reduction. • The DRW effects on soil respiration varied with drought intensity and forest type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Grazing interacted extreme drought timing to regulate steppe ecosystem CO 2 exchange. • Extreme drought reduced CO 2 uptake in a fenced steppe regardless of seasonal timing. • Early-season drought caused largest declines in CO 2 uptake in a grazed steppe. Abstract Climate models predict a substantial increase in the frequency of extreme drought, suggesting subsequent impacts on the carbon (C) and water cycles. Although many studies have investigated the impacts of extreme drought on ecosystem functioning, it remains unknown how the timing of extreme drought within a growing season may affect carbon and water cycling. Here we conducted a 3-year field experiment to investigate the influence of seasonal drought timing on ecosystem carbon and water exchange by excluding rainfall (for consecutive 30 days) during three periods of the growing season (May–June, July–August and August–September) in fenced and grazed sites of a semiarid temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia, China. In the fenced steppe, extreme drought reduced growing-season net CO 2 uptake regardless of drought timing, while in the grazed steppe, early-growing season drought caused relatively larger reductions to net CO 2 uptake than drought imposed later in the season. The effect of extreme drought on evapotranspiration (ET) was similar to that of CO 2 exchange at the fenced site, with consistent reductions of seasonally-integrated ET for all treatments compared with the ambient condition. In contrast, at the grazed site, the response of ET to extreme drought was more variable, possibly due to the absence of litter and greater bare ground. Surprisingly, both gross and net carbon uptake declined with increasing ET at the grazed site, while the fenced site showed the positive water-carbon linkage typically seen in semiarid ecosystems. The different responses of CO 2 and water exchanges for the fenced and grazed sites were regulated predominately by soil temperature and soil water content. Together, our results show that drought timing within the growing season can significantly alter drought impacts on ecosystem water and CO 2 exchanges, and that grazing management may further mediate the response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We analyzed the role of radiotherapy in patients with limited WR-DLBCL. • Radiotherapy did not benefit patients with CR after R-CHOP. • Patients with nasopharyngeal primary tend to have poor outcome. Abstract The standard treatment of waldeyer's ring DLBCL remains controversial. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the role of consolidation radiotherapy (RT) in patients with stage I/II diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) limited in Waldeyer's ring (WR). We included 72 patients, 42 were treated with immunochemotherapy alone (CT group) and 30 were treated with immunochemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (CT + RT group). All patients received at least 3 cycles of R-CHOP regimen and achieved complete remission (CR) after immunochemotherapy. After 53 months median follow-up time, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates in CT + RT group vs. CT group were 93.3% vs. 92.5% (P = 0.896), the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 96.7% vs. 94.4% (P = 0.649). Patients with oropharyngeal primary had relatively better 5-year PFS and OS rates compared to nasopharyngeal primary (PFS: 98.2% vs. 73.3%, p = 0.001; OS: 100% vs. 79.0%, p < 0.001). Moreover, the primary site was the only independent prognostic factor for PFS in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.012, HR 16.858 [95% CI: 1.883–150.933]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological nitrogen fixation, conducted by soil diazotrophs, is the primary nitrogen source for natural grasslands. However, the diazotrophs in grassland soils are still far from fully investigated. Particularly, their regional-scale distribution patterns have never been systematically examined. Here, soils (0–5 cm) were sampled from 54 grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau to examine the diazotroph abundance, diversity, and community composition, as well as their distribution patterns and driving factors. The diazotroph abundance was expressed as nifH gene copies, measured using real-time PCR. The diversity and community composition of diazotrophs were analyzed through MiSeq sequencing of nifH genes. The results showed that Cyanobacteria (47.94%) and Proteobacteria (45.20%) dominated the soil diazotroph communities. Most Cyanobacteria were classified as Nostocales which are main components of biological crusts. Rhizobiales, most of which were identified as potential symbiotic diazotrophs, were also abundant in approximately half of the soil samples. The soil diazotroph abundance, diversity, and community composition followed the distribution patterns in line with mean annual precipitation. Moreover, they also showed significant correlations with prokaryotic abundance, plant biomass, vegetation cover, soil pH values, and soil nutrient contents. Among these environmental factors, the soil moisture, organic carbon, available phosphorus, and inorganic nitrogen contents could be the main drivers of diazotroph distribution due to their strong correlations with diazotroph indices. These findings suggest that autotrophic and symbiotic diazotrophs are the predominant nitrogen fixers in Tibetan grassland soils, and highlight the key roles of water and nutrient availability in determining the soil diazotroph distribution on the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell biology offers promise for understanding the origins of the mammary gland. However, the distribution of mammary stem cell (MaSC) activities at earlier embryonic stages has not been fully identified. The markers for sorting adult MaSC, CD24, CD29, and CD49f have been applied to analyze fetal MaSCs. Here we explored mammary anlagen MaSCs by investigating the expression of CD24 and CD49f. According to the comparative analysis between adult mammary gland and fetal mammary anlagen, we found that fetal mouse mammary anlagen may possess a high percentage of potential MaSCs. Flow cytometry analysis revealed 2 distinct mammary anlagen populations: Lin–CD24med and Lin–CD24high. Sphere-forming and mammary repopulating assays confirmed that the stem cell activity of E14.5 mouse mammary anlagen was restricted to the Lin–CD24med cell population. Furthermore, CD24med mammary anlagen cells were separated into Lin–CD24medCD49f+ and Lin–CD24medCD49f– populations and identified, respectively. The results proved that the mammary anlagen Lin–CD24medCD49f+ cell population possesses more stem cell activities than the Lin–CD24medCD49f– cell population. However, a limited numbers of stem cells and large numbers of stromal cells were identified in mammary anlagen in the Lin–CD24med cell population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Temperature is an important correlate of global patterns of biodiversity, yet the mechanisms driving these relationships are not well understood. Taxa‐area relationships (TARs) have been intensively examined, but the effects of temperature on TARs, particularly for microbial communities, are largely undocumented. Here we present a continental‐scale description of temperature‐dependent nested TARs of microbial communities (bacteria and archaea) from soils of six forest sites spanning a temperature gradient from subalpine Colorado to tropical Panama. Our results revealed that spatial scaling rates (z‐values) of microbial communities varied with both taxonomic resolutions and phylogenetic groups. Additionally, microbial TAR z‐values increased with temperature (r = 0.739, P < 0.05), but were not correlated with other environmental variables tested (P > 0.05), indicating that microbial spatial scaling rate is temperature‐dependent. Understanding how temperature affects the spatial scaling of microbial biodiversity is of fundamental importance for preservation of soil biodiversity and management of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a novel leaf-like piezoelectric wind energy harvester based on the venation growth algorithm, which are derived from the prototype of dicotyledonous plant leaves that have the netted distributions of veins. Some triangle polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) leaves are designed and fabricated to be the energy harvesting element that is driven by the vortex induced vibration in the wind flow behind a bluff body. Wind tunnel experiments were carried out to investigate and compare the performances of energy harvesting capacity of different elements. Experimental results show that the output powers of the veined structures are 4–6 times higher than that of the structure without veins. The largest root mean square of open circuit output voltage reaches 1.094 V under the wind velocity of 11 m/s for the 110 μm thickness PVDF leaf with veins. The dynamic analysis indicates that the veins can greatly influence the mechanical coupling properties between the harvesters and the wind flow although the system has not reached a typical state of instability. It is confirmed that the presence of veins has an important effect on the efficiency of the energy harvesting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy associated with increased risk of metabolic disorders. Prevalence of adiposity and obesity is greater in women suffering from PCOS. Moreover, adipose tissue dysfunction has been demonstrated in PCOS patients, particularly in abdominal adipose tissue. This dysfunction likely aggravates the metabolic and reproductive abnormalities. We used liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry to compare the peptides secreted from PCOS and non‐PCOS abdominal adipose tissue. We detected 298 upregulated peptides and 31 downregulated peptides (absolute fold change ≥ 2 and p < 0.05). Twenty‐nine peptides were only detected in the PCOS group, while 18 were only detected in the control group. In addition, we demonstrate that these cleavage products are not degradation products of the proteasome based on previous studies reported. Gene Ontology enrichment and pathway analysis were performed to study differentially secreted peptides through their precursor proteins. We identified 12 peptides from 10 precursor proteins associated with PCOS, and 6 peptide sequences were located in the functional domains of their corresponding precursor proteins. These results provide a deeper understanding of adipose tissue‐derived peptides in PCOS for future functional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nitrification is boosted and denitrification is inhibited due to plant activities. • Boosted nitrification is positively correlated to ROL and higher HA-like content. • Inhibited denitrification is negatively correlated to ROL and phenol-like content. • Inhibited anammox is correlated to ROL and insufficient NO 2 −-N in rhizosphere. • Higher relative abundance of nrf in the nonrhizosphere promoted DNRA process. Plant rhizosphere is the most active hotspot for microbial nitrogen (N) removal in constructed wetlands (CWs), but the effects of plant root activities (i.e., radial oxygen loss, ROL and root exudates, REs) on different microbial N transformation processes, including nitrification, denitrification, anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) have not been comprehensively studied. In this study, N removal performance and transformation processes in the rhizosphere of CWs were investigated using rhizobox, planar optode system, and metagenomic approaches. Results suggested nitrification was promoted in the rhizosphere, due to the high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration caused by ROL and the humic acid-like substance in REs, making the rhizosphere a higher removal efficiency of NH 4 +-N than in the nonrhizosphere. Out of expectation, the denitrification process was not promoted by the REs, the potential "carbon source", but inhibited by the high DO concentration in the rhizosphere and the phenol-like substance (a kind of biological denitrification inhibitor) in REs. In addition, both anammox and DNRA processes were, for the first time, found to be inhibited in the rhizosphere. The humic acid-like substance in REs and ammonia-oxidation production hydroxylamine inhibited the activity of anammox microorganisms and genes, and there was a symbiotic relationship between anammox microorganisms and DNRA microorganisms. This study provides better and more complete insights into the biogeochemical cycle of N occurred in the rhizosphere of CWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect associated with the protein expression of VEGF, JAK2 and STAT3 on the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis in the development and progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: Fifty NPC patients in addition to 20 patients with chronic nasopharyngitis (CNP) were recruited for the purposes of the study. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry methods were employed to evaluate the protein expressions of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF in the NPC and CNP tissues, with their respective correlations with the clinicopathologic characteristics of NPC patients subsequently analyzed. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and Kaplan–Meier method were conducted to evaluate the respective correlations of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF with NPC as well as the survival rates of patients with NPC. Cox regression analyses was performed in determine the prognostic NPC factors. Results: Compared with the CNP tissues, the NPC tissues exhibited elevated levels of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF which were subsequently determined to share a positive correlation with T stages, lymph node metastasis (LNM), N stages and clinical stages, while a negative correlation with survival rates were observed in the NPC patients. Positive correlations between the expressions of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF were detected among the NPC tissues. NPC patients survival time with negative expressions of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF were observed to be longer than that of NPC patients with positive expressions of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF. T stage, LNM, N stage, clinical stage. The expressions of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF were discovered to be independent risk factors associated with the prognosis of patients with NPC. Conclusion: The results obtained from the present study support the notion that higher expressions of JAK2, STAT3 and VEGF may be correlated with the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of patients suffering from NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba1+1/ M[Si2O5+1/ M] low-permittivity microwave dielectric ceramics are prepared using the conventional solid-state method. Pure phases are obtained in barium silicates with M = 1, 3, 4, 5, and ∞, except for M = 7, in which two phases, Ba5Si8O21 and BaSi2O5, are observed. As the complexity of the crystal structure described by the Shannon information per reduced unit cell increases, the τf value tends to change from a negative to a positive value, except for M = 5, which has the highest complexity. A single Ba5Si8O21 phase with εr anomaly peak at −180°C exhibits a rare positive τf value (+25 ppm/°C), which is a novel temperature compensator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well documented that Snail plays a decisive role in various tumors. However, the direct effect of Snail on laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) has not been elaborated. In this study, we firstly detected the expression of Snail in 14 samples of patients with LSCC and found that its content was high in cancer tissues compared with adjacent tissues. Then we established LSCC Hep-2 cells with Snail silencing and validated the knockdown efficiency by Western blotting and real-time PCR. Results showed that silencing of Snail significantly inhibited the ability of adhesion, migration, and invasion of Hep-2 cells. Further study revealed that knockdown of Snail suppressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of Hep-2 cells, as evidenced by downregulation of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, integrin subunit beta 1 (ITGβ1), β-catenin, vimentin, N-cadherin, and fibronectin and upregulation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and E-cadherin. Additionally, transfection with the small interfering RNA of VDR reversed the effect induced by Snail silencing in Hep-2 cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that knockdown of Snail can inhibit the EMT process of LSCC cells through the VDR signaling pathway in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Viral dynamics was microbial density-dependent in the activated sludge process. • Lysogeny was common and widely distributed. • Temperate phages contributed little to the free virus community. The ecological behavior of bacteriophages (phages), the most abundant biological entity in wastewater treatment systems, is poorly understood, especially that of temperate phages. Here, the temporal dynamics of lytic and temperate phages in a laboratory-scale activated sludge reactor with a sludge bulking issue was investigated using coupled sludge metagenomic and viromic analyses. The lysogenic fragments (prophages) identified were widely distributed in the reconstructed metagenome-assembled genomes (61.7%, n = 227). However, only 12.3% of the identified prophages experienced lysogenic-lytic switching, and the abundance contribution of prophages to free virus communities was only 0.02–0.3%, indicating low activity of temperate phages. Although the sludge community changed dramatically during reactor operation, no massive prophage induction events were detected. Statistical analyses showed strong correlations between sludge concentration and free virus and temperate phage communities, suggesting microbial density-dependent virus dynamics in the sludge microbiota. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]