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BackgroundData sharing in multicenter medical research can improve the generalizability of research, accelerate progress, enhance collaborations among institutions, and lead to new discoveries from data pooled from multiple sources. Despite these benefits, many medical institutions are unwilling to share their data, as sharing may cause sensitive information to be leaked to researchers, other institutions, and unauthorized users. Great progress has been made in the development of secure machine learning frameworks based on homomorphic encryption in recent years; however, nearly all such frameworks use a single secret key and lack a description of how to securely evaluate the trained model, which makes them impractical for multicenter medical applications. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to provide a privacy-preserving machine learning protocol for multiple data providers and researchers (eg, logistic regression). This protocol allows researchers to train models and then evaluate them on medical data from multiple sources while providing privacy protection for both the sensitive data and the learned model. MethodsWe adapted a novel threshold homomorphic encryption scheme to guarantee privacy requirements. We devised new relinearization key generation techniques for greater scalability and multiplicative depth and new model training strategies for simultaneously training multiple models through x-fold cross-validation. ResultsUsing a client-server architecture, we evaluated the performance of our protocol. The experimental results demonstrated that, with 10-fold cross-validation, our privacy-preserving logistic regression model training and evaluation over 10 attributes in a data set of 49,152 samples took approximately 7 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively. ConclusionsWe present the first privacy-preserving multiparty logistic regression model training and evaluation protocol based on threshold homomorphic encryption. Our protocol is practical for real-world use and may promote multicenter medical research to some extent.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become an urgent and serious global public health crisis. Community engagement is the first line of defense in the fight against infectious diseases, and general practitioners (GPs) play an important role in it. GPs are facing unique challenges from disasters and pandemics in delivering health care. However, there is still no suitable mobile management system that can help GPs collect data, dynamically assess risks, and effectively triage or follow-up with patients with COVID-19. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to design, develop, and deploy a mobile-based decision support system for COVID-19 (DDC19) to assist GPs in collecting data, assessing risk, triaging, managing, and following up with patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. MethodsBased on the actual scenarios and the process of patients using health care, we analyzed the key issues that need to be solved and designed the main business flowchart of DDC19. We then constructed a COVID-19 dynamic risk stratification model with high recall and clinical interpretability, which was based on a multiclass logistic regression algorithm. Finally, through a 10-fold cross-validation to quantitatively evaluate the risk stratification ability of the model, a total of 2243 clinical data consisting of 36 dimension clinical features from fever clinics were used for training and evaluation of the model. ResultsDDC19 is composed of three parts: mobile terminal apps for the patient-end and GP-end, and the database system. All mobile terminal devices were wirelessly connected to the back end data center to implement request sending and data transmission. We used low risk, moderate risk, and high risk as labels, and adopted a 10-fold cross-validation method to evaluate and test the COVID-19 dynamic risk stratification model in different scenarios (different dimensions of personal clinical data accessible at an earlier stage). The data set dimensions were (2243, 15) when only using the data of patients’ demographic information, clinical symptoms, and contact history; (2243, 35) when the results of blood tests were added; and (2243, 36) after obtaining the computed tomography imaging results of the patient. The average value of the three classification results of the macro–area under the curve were all above 0.71 in each scenario. ConclusionsDCC19 is a mobile decision support system designed and developed to assist GPs in providing dynamic risk assessments for patients with suspected COVID-19 during the outbreak, and the model had a good ability to predict risk levels in any scenario it covered.

BackgroundRewarding health knowledge and health service contributors with money is one possible approach for the sustainable provision of health knowledge and health services in online health communities (OHCs); however, the reasons why consumers voluntarily reward free health knowledge and health service contributors are still underinvestigated. ObjectiveThis study aimed to address the abovementioned gap by exploring the factors influencing consumers’ voluntary rewarding behaviors (VRBs) toward contributors of free health services in OHCs. MethodsOn the basis of prior studies and the cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST), we incorporated two health service content–related variables (ie, informational support and emotional support) and two interpersonal factors (ie, social norm compliance and social interaction) and built a proposed model. We crawled a dataset from a Chinese OHC for mental health, coded it, extracted nine variables, and tested the model with a negative binomial model. ResultsThe data sample included 2148 health-related questions and 12,133 answers. The empirical results indicated that the effects of informational support (β=.168; P

SERPINA3 K, also known as kallikrein-binding protein ( KBP), is a serine proteinase inhibitor with anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic activities. Our previous studies showed that SERPINA3 K inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis of endothelial cells but had no influence on SGC-7901 gastric carcinoma cells or Hep G2 hepatocarcinoma cells. However, it is unknown whether SERPINA3 K has a direct impact on other carcinoma cells and which mechanisms are involved. In this study, we report for the first time that SERPINA3 K not only decreased cell viability but also induced apoptosis in the colorectal carcinoma cell lines SW480 and HT-29. SERPINA3 K-induced apoptosis of SW480 and HT-29 was rescued by interference with Fas ligand ( Fas L) small hairpin RNA. Moreover, SERPINA3 K increased the expression of Fas L and activated caspase-8. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ ( PPARγ), a transcription factor of Fas L, was also upregulated by SERPINA3 K in a dose-dependent manner. The upregulation effect of Fas L induced by SERPINA3 K was reversed after interference with PPARγ small interfering RNA. These results demonstrated that SERPINA3 K-induced SW480 and HT-29 cell apoptosis was mediated by the PPARγ/ Fas/ Fas L signaling pathway. Therefore, our study provides additional insight into the direct anti-tumor function by inducing tumor cell apoptosis of SERPINA3 K in colorectal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique serpin, kallistatin, displays vasodilatory, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. Difficulty and low efficacy of obtaining recombinant kallistatin limit the wide investigation of its biological and pathological function. The present study employed a codon optimization algorithm to redesign the kallistatin gene and achieved a high yield of recombinant kallistatin protein. The kallistatin codons were redesigned for a more suitable Escherichia coli host without altering amino acids. Base composition and GC% content were compared between synthetic optimized kallistatin (opti-kallistatin) and wild-type kallistatin (wt-kallistatin). Both opti-kallistatin and wt-kallistatin were purified using Ni-NTA His-binding resins through fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). The identity and purity of kallistatin were confirmed by Coomassie blue staining, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and Western blot analysis. The output of opti-kallistatin protein was ∼2-fold increase (2.09 ± 0.23 mg/L) compared to wt-kallistatin (1.05 ± 0.2 mg/L). These results suggest that more common codon optimization in the E. coli host significantly increases the yield of heterologous human protein yields. This approach will remarkably facilitate the further investigation of kallistatin in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, a piezoelectric active sensing-based time reversal method was investigated for monitoring pipeline internal corrosion. An effective method that combines wavelet packet energy with a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) was proposed to identify the internal corrosion status of pipelines. Two lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patches were pasted on the outer surface of the pipeline as actuators and sensors to generate and receive ultrasonic signals propagating through the inner wall of the pipeline. Then, the time reversal technique was employed to reverse the received response signal in the time domain, and then to retransmit it as an excitation signal to obtain the focused signal. Afterward, the wavelet packet transform was used to decompose the focused signal, and the wavelet packet energy (WPE) with large components was extracted as the input of the CNN model to rapidly identify the corrosion degree inside the pipeline. The corrosion experiments were conducted to verify the correctness of the proposed method. The occurrence and development of corrosion in pipelines were generated by electrochemical corrosion, and nine different depths of corrosion were imposed on the sample pipeline. The experimental results indicated that the classification accuracy exceeded 99.01%. Therefore, this method can quantitatively monitor the corrosion status of pipelines and can pinpoint the internal corrosion degree of pipelines promptly and accurately. The WPE-CNN model in combination with the proposed time reversal method has high application potential for monitoring pipeline internal corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultra-thin layer HTaMoO 6 catalyst was successfully prepared by ball-milling/liquid-exfoliation procedure. • This preparation technique offers the benefits of simple operation, short preparation time, and does not require costly intercalating agents. • The exfoliated HTaMoO 6 nanosheets possessed favorable Brønsted/Lewis acid ratio and easily accessible active sites. • Good performance for hydration of glucose to HMF yield. The conversion of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a vital and valuable platform chemical, is sought after in industrial applications but poses significant challenges. In this research, we engineered an ultra-thin layer HTaMoO 6 catalyst using ball-milling/liquid-exfoliation technique, demonstrating its efficiency in catalyzing the transformation of carbohydrates to HMF. In contrast to the conventional method utilizing tetra(n-butylammonium) hydroxide as the intercalation agent, the ball-milling/liquid-exfoliation technique not only reduces catalyst preparation time (within 12 h) but also enhances the efficient intercalation, leading to the formation of an ultra-thin layer structure. The resulting catalyst exhibits high total acidity, a favorable Brønsted/Lewis acid ratio, and improved accessibility of active sites due to the thin layer structure post-exfoliation. Compared with bulk LiTaMoO 6 , the ultrathin layer HTaMoO 6 catalyst enables complete fructose dehydration with an HMF yield reaching 89.1 % under moderate reaction conditions (120 °C, 1 h) and 47.2 % yield of HMF is obtained from sucrose at 130 °C. This work provides a new method to fabricate the solid acid for the transformation of carbohydrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly competent clinical faculty is a prerequisite for graduating competent nurses, and it is very important to explore the comprehensive ability and post competence of clinical nursing teachers (CNT). To construct the competency evaluation elements of clinical nursing teachers and test the reliability and validity of the scale. A Delphi study. 34 Grade A tertiary hospitals and eight colleges and universities in China, covering 14 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government. Modified Delphi method was used in this study. Between August 2018 and May 2019, 40 experts participated in three rounds of consultation to build the CNT competency assessment scale. The expert coordination coefficient (W) and the coefficient of variation (CV) were used to examine the level of coordination and concentration of expert advice. Then, the reliability and validity of the scale were tested. Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 190 questionnaires were distributed to nursing teachers, and 187 were recovered. Cronbach's α coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of the scale. Validity was evaluated using the content validity index. After the three rounds of expert consultation, the questionnaire contained five dimensions and 44 elements. After expert inquiry, the total coefficient of variation index (CVI) value of the scale was 0.992, and the CVI of each item was 0.95–1.00. The Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient was 0.984. By comparing the results of the two surveys 2 months apart, the Pearson correlation coefficient was tested, and the retest reliability was 0.852. The Cronbach's α of the scale was 0.962, indicating excellent internal consistency. The scale of clinical nursing teachers' competence has high reliability and validity. This tool could be widely used to evaluate and improve nursing teaching. • Competent clinical nursing teachers are a prerequisite for graduating competent nurses. • Delphi was used to design and validate a scale of clinical nursing teachers' competence. • This scale has high reliability and validity. • This tool could be widely used to evaluate and improve clinical nursing teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of laser biomimetic treatment on different material compositions, five kinds of steels with different carbon element contents were studied by laser remelting. The characteristics (depth, width), microstructure, hardness, tensile properties, and wear resistance of the samples were compared. The results show that when the laser processing parameters are fixed, the characteristics of the unit increase with an increase of carbon element content. Moreover, the hardness of the unit also increases. Compared with the untreated samples, when the carbon content is 0.15–0.45%, the tensile strength of the laser biomimetic samples is higher than that of the untreated samples. For the biomimetic samples with different carbon content, with an increase of carbon content, the tensile strength increases first and then decreases, while the plasticity of the biomimetic samples decreases continuously. The bionic samples have better wear resistance than that of the untreated samples. For bionic specimens with different carbon elements, wear resistance increases with an increase of carbon element content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New ideas for improving the durability of hot forging tools. • The durability of the tools was tested under actual factory production conditions. • The finite element model was used to verify and interpret the experimental results. One of the key factors determining the lifetime or durability of hot forging tools is their resistance to wearing. The application of laser technology to prepare a non-smooth unit on the surface of hot forging tools has been found to be an effective method in improving the lifetime or durability of the hot forging tools. In this study, laser non-smooth surfaces were prepared by laser texturing technology on the surface of hot forging tools used in factories. The microstructure and the phase composition of the non-smooth unit were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the wear resistance of the unit at different angles was also examined. Three representative unit angles were identified on the surface of the hot forging tools for the actual application in the factory. Similar results of wearing were observed in the laboratory and the actual application test in the factory. The results show that the smaller the angle of the non-smooth unit, the higher the wear resistance of the non-smooth surface. It was evidently confirmed that the 0° unit ensures the best wear resistance and provides the longest durability to the hot forging tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The accumulation of M1-polarized macrophages and excessive inflammation are important in the pathogenesis of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). However, the underlying mechanism of DFU pathogenesis and the crucial regulators of DFU are less well known. Our previous study reported that kallikrein-binding protein (KBP), an angiogenesis inhibitor, was significantly upregulated in diabetic patients compared to its levels in controls. The effects of KBP on monocyte chemotaxis and macrophage M1 polarization were elucidated in this study. Methods: Plasma KBP levels and monocyte counts were assessed by ELISA and flow cytometry. Wound closure rates in different groups were monitored daily. The phenotype and recruitment of macrophages were measured by real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence assays. The expression of Notch and NF-κB signalling pathway members was determined by the methods mentioned above. ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were employed to explore the binding and transcriptional regulation of Hes1 and iNOS. Results: We found that plasma KBP levels and circulating monocytes were elevated in diabetic patients compared to those in nondiabetic controls, and both were higher in diabetic patients with DFU than in diabetic patients without DFU. KBP delayed wound healing in normal mice; correspondingly, KBP-neutralizing antibody ameliorated delayed wound healing in diabetic mice. Circulating monocytes and macrophage infiltration in the wound were upregulated in KBP-TG mice compared to those in control mice. KBP promoted the recruitment and M1 polarization of macrophages. Mechanistically, KBP upregulated iNOS by activating the Notch1/RBP-Jκ/Hes1 signalling pathway. Hes1 downregulated CYLD, a negative regulator of NF-κB signalling, and then activated the IKK/IκBα/NF-κB signalling pathway. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that KBP is the key regulator of excessive inflammation in DFUs and provide a novel target for DFU therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogenation of CO2 to free formic acid is not only one of the most effective measures to make waste profitable, but also a significant and promising method for the hydrogen storage. Herein, we firstly achieved the hydrogenation of CO2 to free formic acid at room temperature over Pd/MgAl‐LDH and the TON of free HCOOH could reach 116. The Ni dopant could further improve the performance of the catalyst and the TON could increase to 134 over PdNi/MgAl‐LDH, which results from more electronic‐rich Pd centre. It was also found that the chemical composition of LDH could affect the catalytic performance due to different alkalinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease on the molecular level. The molecular subtype will be altered during metastasis and affect patient outcomes and treatments. Breast cancer is prone to lymph node metastasis. Our study aimed to investigate whether subtype conversion occurs during lymph node metastasis and its underlying mechanism. We confirmed that hormone receptors were down-regulated, while HER2 was up-regulated during lymph node metastasis, and macrophages played a significant role in the process, probably via MNX1. Targeting macrophages or MNX1 may provide new avenues for endocrine therapy and targeted treatment of breast cancer patients with lymph node metastasis. Background: The progression of tumors from less aggressive subtypes to more aggressive states during metastasis poses challenges for treatment strategies. Previous studies have revealed the molecular subtype conversion between primary and metastatic tumors in breast cancer (BC). However, the subtype conversion during lymph node metastasis (LNM) and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Methods: We compared clinical subtypes in paired primary tumors and positive lymph nodes (PLNs) in BC patients and further validated them in the mouse model. Bioinformatics analysis and macrophage-conditioned medium treatment were performed to investigate the role of macrophages in subtype conversion. Results: During LNM, hormone receptors (HRs) were down-regulated, while HER2 was up-regulated, leading to the transformation of luminal A tumors towards luminal B tumors and from luminal B subtype towards HER2-enriched (HER2-E) subtype. The mouse model demonstrated the elevated levels of HER2 in PLN while retaining luminal characteristics. Among the various cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), macrophages were the most clinically relevant in terms of prognosis. The treatment of a macrophage-conditioned medium further confirmed the downregulation of HR expression and upregulation of HER2 expression, inducing tamoxifen resistance. Through bioinformatics analysis, MNX1 was identified as a potential transcription factor governing the expression of HR and HER2. Conclusion: Our study revealed the HER2-E subtype conversion during LNM in BC. Macrophages were the crucial cell type in TME, inducing the downregulation of HR and upregulation of HER2, probably via MNX1. Targeting macrophages or MNX1 may provide new avenues for endocrine therapy and targeted treatment of BC patients with LNM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal fibrosis significantly contributes to the progressive loss of kidney function in chronic kidney disease (CKD), with alternatively activated M2 macrophages playing a crucial role in this progression. The serum succinate level is consistently elevated in individuals with diabetes and obesity, both of which are critical factors contributing to CKD. However, it remains unclear whether elevated succinate levels can mediate M2 polarization of macrophages and contribute to renal interstitial fibrosis. Methods: Male C57/BL6 mice were administered water supplemented with 4% succinate for 12 weeks to assess its impact on renal interstitial fibrosis. Additionally, the significance of macrophages was confirmed in vivo by using clodronate liposomes to deplete them. Furthermore, we employed RAW 264.7 and NRK-49F cells to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: Succinate caused renal interstitial macrophage infiltration, activation of profibrotic M2 phenotype, upregulation of profibrotic factors, and interstitial fibrosis. Treatment of clodronate liposomes markedly depleted macrophages and prevented the succinate-induced increase in profibrotic factors and fibrosis. Mechanically, succinate promoted CTGF transcription via triggering SUCNR1-p-Akt/p-GSK3β/β-catenin signaling, which was inhibited by SUCNR1 siRNA. The knockdown of succinate receptor (SUCNR1) or pretreatment of anti-CTGF(connective tissue growth factor) antibody suppressed the stimulating effects of succinate on RAW 264.7 and NRK-49F cells. Conclusions: The causative effects of succinate on renal interstitial fibrosis were mediated by the activation of profibrotic M2 macrophages. Succinate-SUCNR1 played a role in activating p-Akt/p-GSK3β/β-catenin, CTGF expression, and facilitating crosstalk between macrophages and fibroblasts. Our findings suggest a promising strategy to prevent the progression of metabolic CKD by promoting the excretion of succinate in urine and/or using selective antagonists for SUCNR1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), glutamate-mediated neuronal excitotoxicity is considered the basis for cognitive impairment. The mRNA and protein expression of SERPINA4(Kallistatin) are higher in patients with AD. However, whether Kallistatin plays a regulatory role in glutamate-glutamine cycle homeostasis remains unclear. In this study, we identified impaired cognitive function in Kallistatin transgenic (KAL-TG) mice. Baseline glutamate levels were elevated and miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) frequency was increased in the hippocampus, suggesting the impairment of glutamate homeostasis in KAL-TG mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that Kallistatin promoted lysine acetylation and ubiquitination of glutamine synthetase (GS) and facilitated its degradation via the proteasome pathway, thereby downregulating GS. Fenofibrate improved cognitive memory in KAL-TG mice by downregulating serum Kallistatin. Collectively, our study findings provide insights the mechanism by which Kallistatin regulates cognitive impairment, and suggest the potential of fenofibrate to prevente and treat of AD patients with high levels of Kallistatin.

Retinal fibrosis is a severe pathological change in the late stage of diabetic retinopathy and is also the leading cause of blindness. We have previously revealed that N‐cadherin was significantly increased in type 1 and type 2 diabetic mice retinas and the fibrovascular membranes from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. However, whether N‐cadherin directly induces retinal fibrosis in DR and the related mechanism is unknown. Here, we investigated the pathogenic role of N‐cadherin in mediating retinal fibrosis and further explored the relevant therapeutic targets. We found that the level of N‐cadherin was significantly increased in PDR patients and STZ‐induced diabetic mice and positively correlated with the fibrotic molecules Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) and fibronectin (FN). Moreover, intravitreal injection of N‐cadherin adenovirus significantly increased the expression of FN and CTGF in normal mice retinas. Mechanistically, overexpression of N‐cadherin promotes N‐cadherin cleavage, and N‐cadherin cleavage can further induce translocation of non‐p‐β‐catenin in the nucleus and upregulation of fibrotic molecules. Furthermore, we found a novel N‐cadherin cleavage inhibitor, pigment epithelial‐derived factor (PEDF), which ameliorated the N‐cadherin cleavage and subsequent retinal fibrosis in diabetic mice. Thus, our findings provide novel evidence that elevated N‐cadherin level not only acts as a classic EMT maker but also plays a causative role in diabetic retinal fibrosis, and targeting N‐cadherin cleavage may provide a strategy to inhibit retinal fibrosis in DR patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) on periodontal homeostasis in mice and the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs). Micro-computed tomography and histology were performed to compare the alveolar bone volume, density, and bone-related markers between PEDF-deficient (PEDF−/−) and wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, after recombinant human PEDF treatment, the PDLF viability and osteogenic differentiation were examined using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, Von Kossa staining, Alizarin red staining, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and immunoblotting. The alveolar bone volume and density of PEDF−/− mice were significantly lower than those of the WT mice. Higher receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) expression and lower osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression levels were observed in the PEDF−/− group. Moreover, PEDF treatment did not affect the PDLF proliferation. PEDF dose-dependently improved mineral deposition. Compared with the control group, 250 ng/mL PEDF promoted OPG mRNA expression in PDLFs on Day 3 but inhibited RANKL, Wnt5a, GSK3b mRNA, and non-phosphorylated β-catenin protein expression. However, 250 ng/mL PEDF had no significant effect on the expression of Wnt3a. On Day 7, after culture with 250 ng/mL PEDF in osteogenic medium, the ALP and RUNX2 protein levels were upregulated. VEGF protein expression was reduced in a dose-dependent manner after PEDF stimulation. The PEDF protein expression increased as the osteogenic induction time increased. PEDF gene knockout suppresses periodontal homeostasis in mice, and PEDF treatment induces PDLF osteogenic differentiation in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of China's electrical industry, the safe operation of electrical facilities is very important for social stability and people's property safety. The failure detection method of conventional electrical equipment is hand detection, which has high experience of the detection person, lacks detection and error detection, and the detection efficiency is low. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, computer-assisted substation inspection is now possible, and substation inspection using an intelligent inspection robot equipped with an infrared device is one of the main substation inspection methods. In this paper, experiments are carried out using several neural network models. For example, if a faster region convolutional neural networks (RCNN) infrared detection model is employed, a good vg16 in the feature region of the extracted image takes into account the quality of the infrared image and the presence of multiple devices. Infrared images can be used to determine the basic features of various electronic devices. In order to detect targets in infrared images of electrical equipment, the fast RCNN target detection algorithm is used, and the overall recognition accuracy reaches 83.1%, and a good application effect is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigate the oxidation resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy with additions of La and La oxide (La2O3). The contributor is the practical La content in alloy. Both La and La2O3 are effective in improving the oxidation resistance of Mg alloys. The samples with La content of ∼ 0.7 wt.% possess the best resistance to oxidation of all. Oxide scale, ignition temperature and oxidation kinetics are analyzed. However, higher La content is detrimental to the oxidation resistance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of vision loss. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, accompanied by oxidative damage, plays a crucial role in AMD. It is well known that manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) encoded by SOD2 is a critical molecule in fighting against oxidative stress, and Snail encoded by SNAI1 is the essential transcription factor for EMT. However, the effect of MnSOD on EMT and the underlying mechanism in RPE cells remains unknown. In this study, we found that MnSOD knockdown triggered the EMT by upregulating Snail, while MnSOD overexpression reversed EMT even with TGFβ treatment in RPE cells, and the anti-oxidative stress activity of MnSOD mediated this observation. In addition, Snail depletion increased both expression and activity of MnSOD while Snail overexpression decreased MnSOD expression and activity, and Dual-luciferase reporter and ChIP assays showed that Snail directly bound to E-box (CACCTG) in the SOD2 promoter. Moreover, MnSOD over-expression and Snail interference co-treatment strengthened the anti-oxidation and EMT reversing. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that MnSOD prevents EMT of RPE cells in AMD through inhibiting oxidative injury to RPE. Moreover, a critical EMT transcription factor, Snail, functions as a new negative transcriptional factor of SOD2. Herein, the Snail-MnSOD axis forms a mutual loop in the development of AMD, which may be a novel systemic treatment target for preventing AMD. • MnSOD depletion triggers the EMT and MnSOD reverses TGFβ-induced EMT in RPE cells. • Snail functions as a new negative transcriptional factor of SOD2 by directly binding to E-box in its promoter. • The Snail-MnSOD axis forms a mutual loop in AMD, which may be a novel systemic treatment target for AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amount of surveillance video data needs effective and interactive methods to record and utilize. Traditional methods mainly focus on low-level analysis of surveillance video data and lack user interaction. Therefore, there is a strong demand of easy-to-use interaction for efficiently analyzing surveillance video information. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale approach merged on the data flow, objects, and frames to achieve visualization of surveillance video data. Combined with the advantage of sketch interaction, the design of multi-scale structure makes the analysis of surveillance content natural and fluent with annotation of video contents. Extensive user studies demonstrate the effectiveness for facilitating users' interactive visual analysis in surveillance video exploration and significantly reduce playback time to confirm available information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beige fat dissipates energy and functions as a defense against cold and obesity, but the mechanism for its development is unclear. We found that interleukin (IL)-25 signaling through its cognate receptor, IL-17 receptor B (IL-17RB), increased in adipose tissue after cold exposure and β3-adrenoceptor agonist stimulation. IL-25 induced beige fat formation in white adipose tissue (WAT) by releasing IL-4 and IL-13 and promoting alternative activation of macrophages that regulate innervation and up-regulate tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) up-regulation to produce more catecholamine including norepinephrine (NE). Blockade of IL-4Rα or depletion of macrophages with clodronate-loaded liposomes in vivo significantly impaired the beige fat formation in WAT. Mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) were protected from obesity and related metabolic disorders when given IL-25 through a process that involved the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-mediated thermogenesis. In conclusion, the activation of IL-25 signaling in WAT may have therapeutic potential for controlling obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Beige fat dissipates energy and functions as a defense against cold and obesity, but the mechanism for its development is unclear. This study reveals that IL-25 is upregulated upon cold exposure and induces beige fat formation, with corresponding benefits to metabolic homeostasis; the effects of IL-25 are mediated by changes in macrophage polarization, which in turn influence tissue innervation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 75ferrosilicon as a inoculation is introduced into the laser cladding. • Carbon ratio, phase transform and micro-hardness varies with 75ferrosilicon. • Grain size is the smallest at 0. 9 wt% 75ferrosilicon. • 0.9 wt% 75ferrosilicon is the best proportion for the corrosion resistance. Abstract The study described a new method which innovatively added 75ferrosilicon as a kind of inoculation into gray cast iron powder before the laser cladding process of gray cast iron. In order to investigate the effect of 75ferrosilicon on the microstructure and properties, we divided the content ratio of 75ferrosilicon into eight groups and compared the variety with the 75ferrosilicon. The result indicates that 75ferrosilicon has a significant impact on grain size, carbon distribution, phase transformation, carbide content, micro-hardness as well as corrosion resistance of cladding zone. 0.9 wt% 75ferrosilicon was proven to be the most suitable addition that not only mostly enhanced the anti-corrosion, minimized the grain size, but also decreased the volume of carbides from 38.74% to 34.07% compared with the 0 wt% 75ferrosilicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis are predominant during the metastasis of many types of cancers. However, the endogenous inhibitors that counterbalance the lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of tumors have not been well evaluated. Kallistatin has been recognized as an endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor.Methods and results: Our recent study showed for the first time that the lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was reduced in lung and stomach sections from kallistatin-overexpressing transgenic mice. Kallistatin expresses anti-lymphangiogenic activity by inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human lymphatic endothelial cells (hLECs). Therefore, the present study focuses on the relationships of changes in kallistatin expression with the lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis of gastric cancer and its underlying mechanisms. Our results revealed that the expression of kallistatin in cancer tissues, metastatic lymph nodes, and plasma of gastric cancer patients was significantly downregulated and that the plasma level of kallistatin was negatively associated with the phase of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, treatment with kallistatin recombinant protein decreased LVD and lymph node metastases in the implanted gastric xenograft tumors of nude mice. Mechanically, kallistatin suppressed the lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis by downregulating VEGF-C expression and secretion through the LRP6/IKK/IҡB/NF-ҡB signaling pathway in gastric cancer cells.Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that kallistatin functions as an endogenous lymphangiogenesis inhibitor and has an important part in the lymphatic metastasis of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel multifunctional sensor based on the ‘privileged ligand’ salen scaffold conjugated with BODIPY was designed and synthesized. This conjugate displays a sequential recognition of Hg 2+ and I − with high selectivity and sensitivity via formation of three-component ensembles.These new approaches have been successfully applied for the detection of their corresponding targets in Haihe River with acceptable recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we attempt to determine the source of the hornfels used to make the famous Late Middle Pleistocene lithic industry from Dingcun in North China. By combining geological mapping and geochemical fingerprinting (μ-XRF), we demonstrate that the source of the hornfels was around the Dagudui Mountain, 7 km east of Dingcun. Taking into consideration the Gujiao site, which is also located along the Fenhe River, the Palaeolithic inhabitants of the Fenhe River drainage basin had a good knowledge of the local rock sources, and used them over a very long period from the Middle Pleistocene to the Neolithic. Our geochemical data not only helps us to establish the source of the Dingcun industry, but also provides a reliable basis for the sub-classification of the hornfels that is more accurate than that resulting from visual inspection. In addition, our research initiates a new method for studying raw material sources of Chinese Paleolithic sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on observation of shell surface structures of wear-resistant organisms in the nature, Al–Ni "soft-hard interphase" nonsmooth bionic "shell" surface were prepared by adding alloy element Ni into the surface of 7075 Al alloy through laser alloying. Thereby, the wear resistance of 7075 Al alloy materials was significantly improved. By laser alloying and adding alloying element Ni to the surface of 7075 aluminum alloy, the "soft and hard alternating" non smooth bionic surface with different Al Ni unit spacing were prepared. Therefore, the wear resistance of 7075 aluminum alloy material is significantly improved. When the unit spacing was 3 mm, the wear resistance of bionic samples was optimized. In comparison with the untreated samples, the weight loss due to wear declined by 82.14% in the treated samples. Moreover, the stress distribution in the wear process of bionic samples was simulated by ABAQUS finite element simulation software. Together with the microstructure and phase changes of alloyed layers, the wear resistance mechanism of bionic alloyed samples was further analyzed. • 1.Non-smooth wear-resistant surface imitating shell structure was prepared on 7075 aluminum alloy by laser alloying. • 2.The optimal bionic unit spacing was 3 mm, and weight loss is reduced by 82.14% compared with the untreated samples. • ABAQUS FEM was used to simulate the stress of bionic samples with different unit spacing during wear process. • 4.The substrate and units of bionic surface exert a bionic effect of "rigid enhancement and flexible absorption". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser surface alloying technology was used to improve the fatigue wear resistance of gray cast iron. Comparative studies among the specimens with Cr or WC addition, with the Cr + WC addition and without addition were experimentally investigated. The strengthening mechanism of unit with Cr or WC addition was revealed by means of EDS. After fatigue wear tests, the improved level of fatigue wear resistance was assessed in light of the average mass loss of each group and the defects on various regions were significantly investigated and compared. A finite element method was carried out under laboratory conditions to illuminate the stress distribution on specimens' surfaces and the magnitude of contact stress along contact line. The results of fatigue wear test and finite element calculation were used to account for the fatigue wear resistance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bionic surfaces with various units hardness gradients were prepared by laser on 6082 Al alloy to imitate non-smooth surface of shells. • The units presented superior microstructure and hardness. • The wear resistance of Al alloy was increased by 72.57%. • The optimal unit hardness gradient distribution for wear resistance was obtained. • The wear resistance mechanism was deeply analyzed. Different hardness units were processed by laser melting according to the study and observation of wear-resistant surfaces of shells. Then a biomimetic 6082 aluminum alloy surface consisting of various hardness gradient units was formed to simulate the non-smooth surface of natural organisms. The influence of unit hardness gradient on wear resistance was discussed. Wear test showed the bionic units positively affected the wear resistance of samples. Experiment showed the wear resistance of bionic samples with units of three hardness gradients was the highest. At the same time, The bionic wear-resistant mechanism of "soft and hard phases" was deeply analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]