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To better assess the practical value and avoid potential risks of the traditionally medicinal and edible basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune, which may arise from undescribed metabolites, a combination of elicitors was introduced for the first time to discover products from cryptic and low-expressed gene clusters under laboratory cultivation. Treating S. commune NJFU21 with the combination of five elicitors led to the upregulated production of a class of unusual linear diterpene-derived variants, including eleven new ones (1–11), along with three known ones (12–14). The structures and stereochemistry were determined by 1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS, ECD, OR and VCD calculations. Notably, the elongation terminus of all the diterpenes was decorated by an unusual butenedioic acid moiety. Compound 1 was a rare monocyclic diterpene, while 2–6 possessed a tetrahydrofuran moiety. The truncated metabolites 4, 5 and 13 belong to the trinorditerpenes. All the diterpenes displayed approximately 70% scavenging of hydroxyl radicals at 50 μM and null cytotoxic activity at 10 μM. In addition, compound 1 exhibited potent antifungal activity against the plant pathogenic fungi Colletotrichum camelliae, with MIC values of 8 μg/mL. Our findings indicated that this class of diterpenes could provide valuable protectants for cosmetic ingredients and the lead compounds for agricultural fungicide development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, there is no consensus on the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy. It is necessary to assess the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with iodine-125 seeds implantation (RFA-125I) in the treatment of recurrent HCC. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with postoperative recurrence of HCC receiving RFA-125I or RFA treatment from January 2013 to January 2023. Both RFA and 125I seeds implantation were performed under dual guidance of ultrasound and CT. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence, and complications were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 210 patients with recurrent HCC were enrolled in this study, including 125 patients in the RFA-125I group and 85 patients in the RFA group. The RFA-125I group showed a significantly better survival benefit than RFA group (median OS: 37 months vs. 16 months, P < 0.001; median PFS: 15 months vs. 10 months, P = 0.001). The uni- and multivariate analysis showed that RFA-125I was a protective factor for OS and PFS. There were no procedure-related deaths and no grade 3 or higher adverse events in both groups. Conclusions: RFA combined with 125I seeds implantation under dual guidance of ultrasound and CT is effective and safe for the treatment of HCC patients with recurrence after hepatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver cancer has a high incidence and mortality rate worldwide, and there is an urgent need to identify new therapeutic strategies and predictive targets to improve the clinical outcomes of advanced liver cancer. Ferroptosis holds promise as a novel strategy for cancer therapy. Epigenetic dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer, and noncoding RNAs are tightly involved in cell fate determination. Therefore, we aimed to identify a novel ferroptosis regulator from aberrantly expressed microRNAs that may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for liver cancer. Methods: The expression signature and prognostic value of miR-339 was assessed using TCGA data set. The role of miR-339/ATG7/FTH1 axis in liver cancer cells were evaluated through growth curve, colony formation, 7-AAD staining. The role of miR-339 in regulation of ferroptosis was determined by immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, and Elisa kits. Results: Here, we showed that miR-339 is aberrantly overexpressed in patients with liver cancer. In addition, miR-339 inhibition dramatically suppresses liver cancer progression. Furthermore, miR-339 silencing drives cell death and inhibits liver cancer progression, indicating that miR-339 may serve as a novel ferroptosis suppressor. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that miR-339 targets ATG7 to facilitate the autophagic degradation of FTH1 and prevent ferroptosis in liver cancer cells. Conclusions: We provide important evidence that the miR-339 inhibition activates of the autophagy pathway to promote ferroptosis by degrading FTH1 in liver cancer cells. We found that miR-339 regulates the balance between ferroptosis and autophagy in liver cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new capture process of NH3-containing gas treatment with ionic liquids was designed. • MOGA method was employed to optimize the process operational parameters. • The comparison of water scrubbing and IL-based process was carried out. • TPC of enhanced process can be reduced by 32.41 % than water scrubbing. Ammonia (NH 3) emission has caused serious environment issues and aroused worldwide concern. The emerging ionic liquid (IL) provides a greener way to efficiently capture NH 3. This paper provides rigorous process simulation, optimization and assessment for a novel NH 3 deep purification process using IL. The process was designed and investigated by simulation and optimization using ionic liquid [C 4 im][NTF 2 ] as absorbent. Three objective functions, total purification cost (TPC), total process CO 2 emission (TPCOE) and thermal efficiency (η eff) were employed to optimize the absorption process. Process simulation and optimization results indicate that at same purification standard and recovery rate, the novel process can achieve lower cost and CO 2 emission compared to benchmark process. After process optimization, the optimal functions can achieve 0.02726 $/Nm3 (TPC), 311.27 kg CO 2 /hr (TPCOE), and 52.21% (η eff) for enhanced process. Moreover, compared with conventional process, novel process could decrease over $ 3 million of purification cost and 10000 tons of CO 2 emission during the life cycle. The results provide a novel strategy and guidance for deep purification of NH 3 capture. SYNOPSIS: This work guides to optimization of the process for NH 3 capture and NH 3 resource recovery based on ionic liquids. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MgO/MCM-22 catalysts were prepared by a novel pre-impregnation method and their catalytic performances for the shape-selective alkylation of toluene with dimethyl carbonate into p-Xylene were investigated. Characterization results indicated that the Brønsted acid sites on the external surface of MCM-22 were efficiently covered by the as synthesized MgO without influencing the inner acidic sites in the sinusoidal channels and the internal pore entrance was efficiently adjusted by the pre-impregnation method. The as prepared MgO/MCM-22(PI) catalysts exhibited comparative para-selectivity but much higher toluene conversion than those over MgO-modified MCM-22 catalysts by general impregnation. The 10% MgO/MCM-22(PI) catalyst exhibited the best shape-selective performance for the highly uniform dispersion of the as synthesized MgO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacological effects of natural product therapy have received sigificant attention, among which terpenoids such as sesquiterpene lactones stand out due to their biological activity and pharmacological potential as anti-tumor drugs. Inula sesquiterpene lactones are a kind of sesquiterpene lactones extracted from Inula species. They have many pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation, anti-asthma, anti-tumor, neuroprotective and anti-allergic. In recent years, more and more studies have proved that they are important candidate drugs for the treatment of a variety of cancers because of its good anti-tumor activity. In this paper, the structure, structure–activity relationship, antitumor activities, mechanisms and targets of Inula sesquiterpene lactones reported in recent years were reviewed in order to provide clues for the development of novel anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interpolation concept can fill the holes in the difference coarray of nonuniform linear arrays (NLAs), thus ensuring effective enhancement of the degrees of freedom and expansion of the array aperture. However, compared to interpolation-based direction of arrival (DOA) estimation techniques, the application of interpolation to beamforming approaches has not been universally investigated. In this study, two robust adaptive beamforming algorithms are proposed. First, the observed data is interpolated and the signal of interest (SOI) is subtracted. Second, the vector completion problem of the received data associated with the derived virtual array is formulated, which can be implemented with the utilization of atomic norm minimization. Unlike previous algorithms, the proposed method obtains the interference plus noise covariance matrix (INCM) and the DOA of the SOI by solving the vector completion problem rather than matrix completion. Thereafter, this problem is solved iteratively in two convex steps, whose closed-form expressions for the alternating direction method of multipliers are derived to enhance computational efficiency. The first proposed algorithm calculates the weight vector using rows corresponding to the physical sensor locations of the INCM. The second one fills the gaps of NLAs using the virtual filling technique to form a consecutive array and directly applies the resulting INCM to compute the weight vector. Numerical simulations demonstrate the superior overall performance of the two proposed methods under nonideal scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide because of rapid progression and high incidence of metastasis or recurrence. Accumulating evidence shows that CD58-expressing tumor cell is implicated in development of various cancers. The present study aimed to reveal the functional significance of CD58 in HCC progression and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining (IHC), and western blotting were used to detect the expression of CD58 in HCC tissues and cells. The levels of sCD58 (a soluble form of CD58) in the cell supernatants and serum were assessed by ELISA. CCK-8, colony formation, and xenograft assays were used to detect the function of CD58 on proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Transwell assay and sphere formation assay were performed to evaluate the effect of CD58 and sCD58 on metastasis and self-renewal ability of HCC cells. Western blotting, immunofluorescence (IF), TOP/FOP Flash reporter assay, and subcellular fractionation assay were conducted to investigate the molecular regulation between CD58/sCD58 and AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis in HCC cells. Results: CD58 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues. Elevation of CD58 expression correlated with more satellite foci and vascular invasion, and poorer tumor-free and overall survival in HCC patients. Higher sCD58 levels were in HCC patients' serum compared to healthy individuals. Functionally, CD58 promotes the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, CD58 and sCD58 induce metastasis, self-renewal and pluripotency in HCC cells in vitro. Mechanistically, CD58 activates the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway by increasing phosphorylation of AKT or GSK3β signaling, promoting expression of Wnt/β-catenin target proteins and TCF/LEF-mediated transcriptional activity. Furthermore, AKT activator SC-79 or inhibitor LY294002 abolished the inhibitory effect of CD58 silencing on the proliferation, metastasis, and stemness of HCC cells. Conclusions: Taken together, CD58 promotes HCC progression and metastasis via activating the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway, suggesting that CD58 is a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of society, power consumption for the lighting and the ventilation in buildings accounts for more and more proportion of the total energy supply. With the aim of relieving the conflict between the fast-growing urbanization and power limitation, a solar optical guide lighting and ventilation (SOGLV) system combining natural lighting and natural ventilation is proposed in this study. The simulations are carried out to analyze the performance of optical guiding at different times by Monte Carlo method. Meanwhile, the performance of ventilation is simulated under different absorbed heat fluxes by Fluent. It is found from the research that the SOGLV system can achieve the goal of lighting and ventilation. The average indoor illumination intensity on the ground floor first increases then decreases within a day. The heat flux on the optical guide pipe wall appears in a block pattern. The maximum velocity is linearly correlated with the average absorbed heat flux on the optical guide wall, ranging from 0.90 m/s to 1.02 m/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with atezolizumab and bevacizumab (hereafter, TACE-Atez/Bev) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Materials and methods: Clinical information was collected from consecutive patients with advanced HCC who received treatment with TACE-Atez/Bev or Atez/Bev from April 2021 and October 2022. Treatment response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were the primary outcomes of this study. Adverse events (AEs) were the secondary outcomes. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was applied to reduce bias between two groups. Results: This study included 62 patients in the TACE-Atez/Bev group and 77 patients in the Atez/Bev group. The objective response rate (ORR) of the TACE-Atez/Bev group and the Atez/Bev group were 38.7% and 16.9% (P=0.004). However, there was no statistical difference in disease control rate between the two groups (69.4% vs 63.6%, P=0.479). Before PSM, the median OS was 14 months in the TACE-Atez/Bev group and 10 months in the Atez/Bev group (P=0.014). The median PFS in the TACE-Atez/Bev and Atez/Bev groups was 10 months and 6 months, respectively (P=0.001). After PSM, the median OS in the two groups was 14 months and 9 months, respectively (P=0.01). The median PFS was 7 months and 6 months, respectively (P=0.036). Multivariable analysis showed that treatment method was independent prognostic factors affecting OS. Conclusions: Compared with Atez/Bev treatment, TACE-Atez/Bev showed better OS, PFS, and ORR for Chinese patients with advanced HCC, with an acceptable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the mediating effect of social support in the relationship between the resilience and anxiety of new recruits to the Chinese military during COVID-19. We conducted a routine psychological assessment of 665 new recruits and the results indicated that resilience had a negative impact on anxiety symptoms and that social support mediated this association. Our findings suggest that improving the resilience of new recruits and strengthening their social support systems during the COVID-19 pandemic could effectively reduce their anxiety and improve their psychological health during the military adaptation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the unbiased model for money exchanges with collective debt limit: agents give at random time a dollar to one another as long as they have at least one dollar or they can borrow a dollar from a central bank if the bank is not empty. Surprisingly, this dynamic eventually leads to an asymmetric Laplace distribution of wealth (conjectured in [N. Xi, N. Ding, and Y. Wang, Phys. A, 357 (2005), pp. 543--555] and shown formally in a recent work [N. Lanchier and S. Reed, J. Stat. Phys., 176 (2019), pp. 1115--1137]). In this manuscript, we carry out a formal mean-field limit as the number of agents goes to infinity where we uncover a two-phase ODE dynamic. Convergence towards the unique equilibrium (two-sided geometric) distribution in the large time limit is also shown and the role played by the bank and debt (in terms of Gini index or wealth inequality) will be explored numerically as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide because of rapid progression and high incidence of metastasis or recurrence. Accumulating evidence shows that CD58-expressing tumor cell is implicated in development of various cancers. The present study aimed to reveal the functional significance of CD58 in HCC progression and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining (IHC), and western blotting were used to detect the expression of CD58 in HCC tissues and cells. The levels of sCD58 (a soluble form of CD58) in the cell supernatants and serum were assessed by ELISA. CCK-8, colony formation, and xenograft assays were used to detect the function of CD58 on proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Transwell assay and sphere formation assay were performed to evaluate the effect of CD58 and sCD58 on metastasis and self-renewal ability of HCC cells. Western blotting, immunofluorescence (IF), TOP/FOP Flash reporter assay, and subcellular fractionation assay were conducted to investigate the molecular regulation between CD58/sCD58 and AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis in HCC cells. Results: CD58 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues. Elevation of CD58 expression correlated with more satellite foci and vascular invasion, and poorer tumor-free and overall survival in HCC patients. Higher sCD58 levels were in HCC patients' serum compared to healthy individuals. Functionally, CD58 promotes the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, CD58 and sCD58 induce metastasis, self-renewal and pluripotency in HCC cells in vitro. Mechanistically, CD58 activates the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway by increasing phosphorylation of AKT or GSK3β signaling, promoting expression of Wnt/β-catenin target proteins and TCF/LEF-mediated transcriptional activity. Furthermore, AKT activator SC-79 or inhibitor LY294002 abolished the inhibitory effect of CD58 silencing on the proliferation, metastasis, and stemness of HCC cells. Conclusions: Taken together, CD58 promotes HCC progression and metastasis via activating the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway, suggesting that CD58 is a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the uniform reshuffling model for money exchanges: two agents picked uniformly at random redistribute their dollars between them. This stochastic dynamics is of mean-field type and eventually leads to a exponential distribution of wealth. To better understand this dynamics, we investigate its limit as the number of agents goes to infinity. We prove rigorously the so-called propagation of chaos which links the stochastic dynamics to a (limiting) nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE). This deterministic description, which is well-known in the literature, has a flavor of the classical Boltzmann equation arising from statistical mechanics of dilute gases. We prove its convergence toward its exponential equilibrium distribution in the sense of relative entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the repeated averaging model for money exchanges: two agents picked uniformly at random share half of their wealth to each other. It is intuitively convincing that a Dirac distribution of wealth (centered at the initial average wealth) will be the long time equilibrium for this dynamics. In other words, the Gini index should converge to zero. To better understand this dynamics, we investigate its limit as the number of agents goes to infinity by proving the so‐called propagation of chaos, which links the stochastic agent‐based dynamics to a (limiting) nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE). This deterministic description has a flavor of the classical Boltzmann equation arising from statistical mechanics of dilute gases. We prove its convergence towards its Dirac equilibrium distribution by showing that the associated Gini index of the wealth distribution converges to zero with an explicit rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar trough concentrator is used to increase the solar radiation intensity on absorbers for water heating, desalination, or power generation purposes. In this study, optical performances of four solar trough concentrators, viz. the parabolic trough concentrator (PTC), the compound parabolic concentrator (CPC), the surface uniform concentrator (SUC), and the trapezoid trough concentrator (TTC), are simulated using the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing method. Mathematical models for the solar trough concentrators are first established. The solar radiation distributions on their receivers are then simulated. The solar water heating performances using the solar trough concentrators are finally compared. The results show that, as a high-concentration ratio concentrator, the PTC can achieve the highest heat flux, but suffers from the worst uniformity on the absorber, which is only 0.32%. The CPC can generate the highest heat flux among the rest three low-concentration ratio solar trough concentrators. Compared with the PTC and the CPC, the TTC has better uniformity, but its light-receiving ratio is only 70%. The SUC is beneficial for its highest uniformity of 87.38%. Thermal analysis results show that the water temperatures inside the solar trough concentrators are directly proportional to their wall temperature, with the highest temperature rise in the PTC and the smallest temperature rise in the TTC. The solar trough concentrators' thermal deformations are positively correlated to their wall temperatures. The radial deformation of the SUC is much larger than those of other solar trough concentrators. The smallest equivalent stress is found in the SUC, which is beneficial to the long-term operation of the solar water heating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient biosynthesis of microbial bioactive natural products (NPs) is beneficial for the survival of producers, while self‐protection is necessary to avoid self‐harm resulting from over‐accumulation of NPs. The underlying mechanisms for the effective but tolerable production of bioactive NPs are not well understood. Herein, in the biosynthesis of two fungal polyketide mycotoxins aurovertin E (1) and asteltoxin, we show that the cyclases in the gene clusters promote the release of the polyketide backbone, and reveal that a signal peptide is crucial for their subcellular localization and full activity. Meanwhile, the fungus adopts enzymatic acetylation as the major detoxification pathway of 1. If intermediates are over‐produced, the non‐enzymatic shunt pathways work as salvage pathways to avoid excessive accumulation of the toxic metabolites for self‐protection. These findings provided new insight into the interplay of efficient backbone release and multiple detoxification strategies for the production of fungal bioactive NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient biosynthesis of microbial bioactive natural products (NPs) is beneficial for the survival of producers, while self‐protection is necessary to avoid self‐harm resulting from over‐accumulation of NPs. The underlying mechanisms for the effective but tolerable production of bioactive NPs are not well understood. Herein, in the biosynthesis of two fungal polyketide mycotoxins aurovertin E (1) and asteltoxin, we show that the cyclases in the gene clusters promote the release of the polyketide backbone, and reveal that a signal peptide is crucial for their subcellular localization and full activity. Meanwhile, the fungus adopts enzymatic acetylation as the major detoxification pathway of 1. If intermediates are over‐produced, the non‐enzymatic shunt pathways work as salvage pathways to avoid excessive accumulation of the toxic metabolites for self‐protection. These findings provided new insight into the interplay of efficient backbone release and multiple detoxification strategies for the production of fungal bioactive NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, aqueous solutions of 12 symmetrical tetra alkyl ammonium halides are modelled using the electrolyte cubic-plus-association (e-CPA) equation of state. The only adjustable parameter (the ion–water interaction parameter at reference temperature) is obtained by fitting the experimental mean ionic activity and osmotic coefficients at 298.15 K. The modelling results show that e-CPA can perform relatively well for the mean ionic activity and osmotic coefficients. To know a complete understanding of the capabilities and limitations of this modelling work, extensive analysis and discussion of experimental data, parameter estimation, and ion species is performed. Moreover, some possible improvements for the model are proposed based on the microscopic mechanism of the aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical results show that energy consumption in buildings takes up to 21.11% and 19.5% of China's total energy consumption and total CO SB 2 sb emissions, respectively [[7]]. In the past decade, renewable energy consumption in China has increased significantly. According to the latest China 2050 High Renewable Energy Penetration Scenario and Roadmap Study from the Energy Research Institute National Development and Reform Commission of China, the capacity of renewable power will account for over 60% of Chinese total power generation by 2050 [[2]]. [Extracted from the article]

With the developments of the electronic industry, efforts to achieve high DC insulating reliability are underway to improve the mean time to failure (MTTF) of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). However, there are few studies on appropriate measuring methods to evaluate their different reliability characteristics quantificationally. This study measured different reliability characteristics of BaTiO 3 -based multilayer ceramic capacitors sintered at three different temperatures with highly accelerated life tests (HALTs). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, two-parameter Weibull fitting, and a new method using a stud genetic algorithm were used to calculate their MTTF in HALT conditions, and the comparison among them was carried out to select a proper fitting way. With the appropriate method, their MTTF at the rated condition was predicted and compared. Their conduction modes were also differentiated to explain their aging sensitivities to temperature and voltage. As a result, a proper way to evaluate the sample's reliability characteristics with a bathtub curve was established, and the best sintering temperature for capacitance that is also the best for reliability at the rated condition was confirmed. Meanwhile, different conducting models of MLCCs were also proved to be related to their insulation stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganlanye (GLY), the leaf of Canarium album (Lour.) DC., is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb for warm disease treatment. We found that its aqueous extract could inhibit the influenza A virus. To find and characterize anti-influenza virus phytochemicals from GLY, we performed (1) bioassay-guided isolation, (2) a cell and animal assay, and (3) a mechanism study. Bioassay-guided isolation was used to identify the effective components. Influenza virus-infected MDCK cell and BALB/c mouse models were employed to evaluate the anti-influenza virus activities. A MUNANA assay was performed to find the NA inhibitory effect. As a result, urolithin M5 was obtained from the crude extract of GLY. It inhibited influenza virus activities in vitro and in vivo by suppressing the viral NA activity. In the MDCK cell model, urolithin M5 could inhibit an oseltamivir-resistant strain. In a PR8-infected mouse model, 200 mg/kg/d urolithin M5 protected 50% of mice from death and improved lung edema conditions. GLY was recorded as a major traditional herb for warm disease treatment. Our study identified GLY as a potent anti-influenza herb and showed urolithin M5 as the active component. We first report the in vivo activity of urolithin M5 and support the anti-influenza application of GLY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchrotron radiation dynamic imaging technology combined with the static characterization method was used to study the microstructural evolution and the growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the liquid Al/solid Cu interface. The results show that the interfacial microstructure can be divided into layered solid diffusion microstructures (AlCu3, Al4Cu9, Al2Cu3 and AlCu) and solidification microstructures (Al3Cu4, AlCu and Al2Cu) from the Cu side to the Al side. Meanwhile, the growth of bubbles formed during the melting, holding and solidification of an Al/Cu sample was also discussed, which can be divided into three modes: diffusion, coalescence and engulfment. Moreover, the growth of AlCu3 and (Al4Cu9 + Al2Cu3) near the Cu side is all controlled by both interfacial reaction and volume diffusion. The growth of Al3Cu4 adjacent to the melt is mainly controlled by the interfacial reaction, which plays a major role in the growth of the total IMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of the mismatch of the wideband underdetermined direction of arrival (DOA) estimation under the condition of the On‐grid model, this paper extends the narrowband Off‐Grid model to wideband and proposes a new DOA estimation algorithm for Off‐Grid sources based on group sparsity. The proposed algorithm first obtains the preliminary estimation result under the current predefined discrete grid through the group sparsity wideband DOA estimation algorithm. Then, the Off‐Grid optimisation problem is adopted to calculate the Off‐Grid deviation vector. It is also assumed that the off‐grid deviation vectors of each frequency subband are exactly the same, thereby reducing the number of parameters to be estimated. Therefore, the proposed algorithm can not only maintain similar or even better estimation accuracy but also greatly reduce the computational complexity. Finally, simulation is conducted and the results verify the effectiveness and performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To develop and compare machine learning models based on triphasic contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for distinguishing between benign and malignant renal tumors.In total, 427 patients were enrolled from two medical centers: Center 1 (serving as the training set) and Center 2 (serving as the external validation set). First, 1781 radiomic features were individually extracted from corticomedullary phase (CP), nephrographic phase (NP), and excretory phase (EP) CECT images, after which 10 features were selected by the minimum redundancy maximum relevance method. Second, random forest (RF) models were constructed from single-phase features (CP, NP, and EP) as well as from the combination of features from all three phases (TP). Third, the RF models were assessed in the training and external validation sets. Finally, the internal prediction mechanisms of the models were explained by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach.A total of 266 patients with renal tumors from Center 1 and 161 patients from Center 2 were included. In the training set, the AUCs of the RF models constructed from the CP, NP, EP, and TP features were 0.886, 0.912, 0.930, and 0.944, respectively. In the external validation set, the models achieved AUCs of 0.860, 0.821, 0.921, and 0.908, respectively. The “original_shape_Flatness” feature played the most important role in the prediction outcome for the RF model based on EP features according to the SHAP method.The four RF models efficiently differentiated benign from malignant solid renal tumors, with the EP feature-based RF model displaying the best performance.Materials and Methods: To develop and compare machine learning models based on triphasic contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for distinguishing between benign and malignant renal tumors.In total, 427 patients were enrolled from two medical centers: Center 1 (serving as the training set) and Center 2 (serving as the external validation set). First, 1781 radiomic features were individually extracted from corticomedullary phase (CP), nephrographic phase (NP), and excretory phase (EP) CECT images, after which 10 features were selected by the minimum redundancy maximum relevance method. Second, random forest (RF) models were constructed from single-phase features (CP, NP, and EP) as well as from the combination of features from all three phases (TP). Third, the RF models were assessed in the training and external validation sets. Finally, the internal prediction mechanisms of the models were explained by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach.A total of 266 patients with renal tumors from Center 1 and 161 patients from Center 2 were included. In the training set, the AUCs of the RF models constructed from the CP, NP, EP, and TP features were 0.886, 0.912, 0.930, and 0.944, respectively. In the external validation set, the models achieved AUCs of 0.860, 0.821, 0.921, and 0.908, respectively. The “original_shape_Flatness” feature played the most important role in the prediction outcome for the RF model based on EP features according to the SHAP method.The four RF models efficiently differentiated benign from malignant solid renal tumors, with the EP feature-based RF model displaying the best performance.Results: To develop and compare machine learning models based on triphasic contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for distinguishing between benign and malignant renal tumors.In total, 427 patients were enrolled from two medical centers: Center 1 (serving as the training set) and Center 2 (serving as the external validation set). First, 1781 radiomic features were individually extracted from corticomedullary phase (CP), nephrographic phase (NP), and excretory phase (EP) CECT images, after which 10 features were selected by the minimum redundancy maximum relevance method. Second, random forest (RF) models were constructed from single-phase features (CP, NP, and EP) as well as from the combination of features from all three phases (TP). Third, the RF models were assessed in the training and external validation sets. Finally, the internal prediction mechanisms of the models were explained by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach.A total of 266 patients with renal tumors from Center 1 and 161 patients from Center 2 were included. In the training set, the AUCs of the RF models constructed from the CP, NP, EP, and TP features were 0.886, 0.912, 0.930, and 0.944, respectively. In the external validation set, the models achieved AUCs of 0.860, 0.821, 0.921, and 0.908, respectively. The “original_shape_Flatness” feature played the most important role in the prediction outcome for the RF model based on EP features according to the SHAP method.The four RF models efficiently differentiated benign from malignant solid renal tumors, with the EP feature-based RF model displaying the best performance.Conclusions: To develop and compare machine learning models based on triphasic contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for distinguishing between benign and malignant renal tumors.In total, 427 patients were enrolled from two medical centers: Center 1 (serving as the training set) and Center 2 (serving as the external validation set). First, 1781 radiomic features were individually extracted from corticomedullary phase (CP), nephrographic phase (NP), and excretory phase (EP) CECT images, after which 10 features were selected by the minimum redundancy maximum relevance method. Second, random forest (RF) models were constructed from single-phase features (CP, NP, and EP) as well as from the combination of features from all three phases (TP). Third, the RF models were assessed in the training and external validation sets. Finally, the internal prediction mechanisms of the models were explained by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach.A total of 266 patients with renal tumors from Center 1 and 161 patients from Center 2 were included. In the training set, the AUCs of the RF models constructed from the CP, NP, EP, and TP features were 0.886, 0.912, 0.930, and 0.944, respectively. In the external validation set, the models achieved AUCs of 0.860, 0.821, 0.921, and 0.908, respectively. The “original_shape_Flatness” feature played the most important role in the prediction outcome for the RF model based on EP features according to the SHAP method.The four RF models efficiently differentiated benign from malignant solid renal tumors, with the EP feature-based RF model displaying the best performance.Graphical Abstract: To develop and compare machine learning models based on triphasic contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for distinguishing between benign and malignant renal tumors.In total, 427 patients were enrolled from two medical centers: Center 1 (serving as the training set) and Center 2 (serving as the external validation set). First, 1781 radiomic features were individually extracted from corticomedullary phase (CP), nephrographic phase (NP), and excretory phase (EP) CECT images, after which 10 features were selected by the minimum redundancy maximum relevance method. Second, random forest (RF) models were constructed from single-phase features (CP, NP, and EP) as well as from the combination of features from all three phases (TP). Third, the RF models were assessed in the training and external validation sets. Finally, the internal prediction mechanisms of the models were explained by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach.A total of 266 patients with renal tumors from Center 1 and 161 patients from Center 2 were included. In the training set, the AUCs of the RF models constructed from the CP, NP, EP, and TP features were 0.886, 0.912, 0.930, and 0.944, respectively. In the external validation set, the models achieved AUCs of 0.860, 0.821, 0.921, and 0.908, respectively. The “original_shape_Flatness” feature played the most important role in the prediction outcome for the RF model based on EP features according to the SHAP method.The four RF models efficiently differentiated benign from malignant solid renal tumors, with the EP feature-based RF model displaying the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) causes significant fatalities worldwide and lacks pharmacological intervention. Alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) plays a pivotal role in the remission of ARDS and is markedly impaired in the pathogenesis of ARDS. Here, we demonstrated that erythropoietin could effectively ameliorate lung injury manifestations and lethality, restore lung function and promote AFC in a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS. Moreover, it was proven that EPO-induced restoration of AFC occurs through triggering the total protein expression of ENaC and Na,K-ATPase channels, enhancing their protein abundance in the membrane, and suppressing their ubiquitination for degeneration. Mechanistically, the data indicated the possible involvement of EPOR/JAK2/STAT3/SGK1/Nedd4–2 signaling in this process, and the pharmacological inhibition of the pathway markedly eliminated the stimulating effects of EPO on ENaC and Na,K-ATPase, and subsequently reversed the augmentation of AFC by EPO. Consistently, in vitro studies of alveolar epithelial cells paralleled with that EPO upregulated the expression of ENaC and Na,K-ATPase, and patch-clamp studies further demonstrated that EPO substantially strengthened sodium ion currents. Collectively, EPO could effectively promote AFC by improving ENaC and Na,K-ATPase protein expression and abundance in the membrane, dependent on inhibition of ENaC and Na,K-ATPase ubiquitination, and resulting in diminishing LPS-associated lung injuries. [Display omitted] • EPO protects against septic acute lung injury by accelerating alveolar fluid clearance (AFC). • EPO accelerated AFC via restoring the protein expression of ENaC and Na,K-ATPase channels. • EPO suppressed the ubiquitination of ENaC and Na,K-ATPase for degradation by EPOR/JAK2/STAT3/SGK1/Nedd4-2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Film cooling has been widely applied to the highly efficient thermal protection of gas turbines. By using the simplified thermal lattice Boltzmann method (STLBM), a series of large-scale simulations of film cooling are performed to dig up the mixing mechanism of double rows film cooling with the combination of forward and backward jets at the first attempt. The combination of an upstream row with forward jet and a downstream row with backward jet is considered. The Reynolds number is 4000. The blowing ratio of the upstream coolant jet is fixed as B R 1 = 0.5 . For the downstream coolant jet ( B R 2 ), five values ranging from 0.2–0.8 are considered. The inclination angles of forward jet and backward jet are 35° and 145°, respectively. The numerical results reveal that the performance of film cooling is greatly improved by backward downstream jet due to the suppression of counterrotating vortex pair (CVP). Moreover, the flow structure is changed with the blowing ratio of backward jet. An anti-CVP having the opposite rotational direction to CVP appears as the blowing ratio of backward jet is large. The special flow structure weakens the adverse effect of CVP and transports much coolant jet to the cooled wall. Correspondingly, the time-averaged film cooling effectiveness is increased and the fluctuation of film cooling effectiveness is decreased. All of these indicate that a backward downstream jet with a large blowing ratio improves film cooling performance. The results obtained in this work help to the optimization of film cooling scheme, which also benefit the promotion and application of STLBM in gas turbine engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few-shot learning is a method to acquire learning ability in a small amount of sample data scenarios. This paper aims to study an online and offline interaction model applied to international Chinese education and teaching based on the few-shot learning method. It first expounds an overview of international Chinese education, including the connotation and characteristics of the hybrid mode of online teaching and offline teaching in international Chinese education, then designs an online and offline interactive model, and finally compares it with a baseline model and a traditional single teaching model. The experimental data shows that the accuracy and recall rate of the international Chinese education online and offline interaction model based on few-shot learning both reach 70%, which verifies its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar water heating system (SWHS) is one of the main ways to utilize solar energy. In this study, the design, transient performance, and techno-economic analysis of a hotel SWHS in Shanghai are carried out. Three distribution strategies are considered for the SWHS, which are small-scale distributed system (System I), medium-scale system (System II), and large-scale centralized system (System III). Transient performance simulation results show that starting frequency of the auxiliary heater is much lower in summer than that in winter. System III holds the highest annually average daily obtained heat per person (13.021 MJ/person) and the lowest annually average heat loss percentage (2.10%). System I has the highest annually average thermal efficiency, which is 48.05%. Cost of the collector accounts for more than 70% of the total investment of three types of systems. Payback period of the three types of systems is System I > System II > System III. When constructing the SWHS in Shanghai, the large-scale centralized system is suggested. This research provides a theoretical basis for the design, selection, and construction of the SWHS in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the problem of the direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of quasi‐stationary signals, a sparse reconstruction algorithm based on the sparse array is proposed in this study to improve the DOA estimation performance. Specifically, the quasi‐stationary signal is modelled based on the interleaved array (IA), where the algorithm makes full use of the high degree of freedom (DOF) and large array aperture of the interleaved array in the virtual domain. Then, the angle parameters are estimated depending on sparse reconstruction and the Khatri‐Rao transform, which can achieve a higher number of DOF. Compared with the angle measurement algorithm based on uniform linear array and nested linear array, the algorithm proposed in this study not only increases the DOF of angle measurement significantly, but also improves the accuracy of angle measurement. Finally, numerical simulations demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Sir, Cortical laminar necrosis (CLN) is a special form of cortical necrosis/infarctions which often resulted from extensive cerebral hypoxia or metabolic disorders of the brain. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders [[3]], patients with migraine history without aura should be classified as "ischemic stroke co-existing with migraine" rather than "migrainous infarction" [[4]]. Both cerebral infarction areas and CLN lesions at different periods presented decreased metabolism compared with the surrounding normal cortex. Different from lesions caused by a local cerebrovascular blockage, CLN often resulted from extensive cortical involvement. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib plus drug-eluting beads-transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) versus regorafenib monotherapy in colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) patients who failed standard treatment regimens. Methods: Totally, 76 eligible CRLM patients were analyzed, among which 42 patients received regorafenib monotherapy (as regorafenib group) and 34 patients received regorafenib plus DEB-TACE (as regorafenib plus DEB-TACE group). Results: Objective response rate (35.3% versus 7.1%, P = 0.002) and disease control rate (76.5% versus 47.6%, P = 0.011) were both increased in regorafenib plus DEB-TACE group compared with regorafenib group; meanwhile, negative conversion rate of carcinoembryonic antigen (66.7% versus 28.6%, P = 0.008) after treatment was elevated in regorafenib plus DEB-TACE group compared with regorafenib group. Notably, progression-free survival (PFS) (median value: 7.6 versus 4.1 months, P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (median value: 15.7 versus 9.2 months, P < 0.001) were both higher in regorafenib plus DEB-TACE group compared with regorafenib group. Furthermore, liver function indexes (alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and cholinesterase levels) after treatment were all similar between the two groups (all P > 0.05). In addition, the occurrences of upper abdominal distending pain (P < 0.001), nausea and vomiting (P = 0.002) and fever (P = 0.002) were higher in regorafenib plus DEB-TACE group compared with regorafenib group, while the majority of these adverse events were mild and tolerable. Conclusions: Regorafenib plus DEB-TACE is superior to regorafenib monotherapy regarding treatment response, PFS and OS, while induces tolerable post-embolization syndrome in CRLM patients who fail standard treatment regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper treats an agent-based model with averaging dynamics to which we refer as the K-averaging model. Broadly speaking, our model can be added to the growing list of dynamics exhibiting self-organization such as the well-known Vicsek-type models (Aldana et al. in: Phys Rev Lett 98(9):095702, 2007; Aldana and Huepe in: J Stat Phys 112(1–2):135–153, 2003; Pimentel in: Phys. Rev. E 77(6):061138, 2008). In the K-averaging model, each of the N particles updates their position by averaging over K randomly selected particles with additional noise. To make the K-averaging dynamics more tractable, we first establish a propagation of chaos type result in the limit of infinite particle number (i.e. N → ∞ ) using a martingale technique. Then, we prove the convergence of the limit equation toward a suitable Gaussian distribution in the sense of Wasserstein distance as well as relative entropy. We provide additional numerical simulations to illustrate both results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unsymmetrical diphenylphosphino-pyridinyl-triazole ligand was synthesized and characterized through IR, NMR and MS and the corresponding earth-abundant metal complex (cobalt) was prepared. Considering energy consumption and environmental friendliness, it is necessary to turn this diphenylphosphino-pyridinyl-triazole cobalt complex into a recyclable catalyst, which could easily be reused. Therefore, a heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized through Co-doping of C3N4, and the Co-nanoparticles on C3N4 revealed high catalytic activity for the synthesis of quinolines with good recovery performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the mutual coupling ratio of sparse linear array, a new linear array structure with two sparse uniform linear arrays interleaved nested, is proposed in this paper. The new sparse linear array structure is consisted of two subarrays which have N and M physical sensors, respectively. By setting appropriate interelement spacing and interleaving, the degrees‐of‐freedom, uniform degrees‐of‐freedom and array aperture of the proposed sparse array can reach 2NM+2N, 2(N+2M)+1 and max{(N−1)R1,(M−1)R2+d}, respectively. On one hand, the proposed sparse array has closed‐form expressions for the sensor locations. On the other hand, through comparative analysis, although the proposed array structure has lower uniform degrees‐of‐freedom, it can greatly increase the degrees‐of‐freedom, extend the array aperture, and reduce the mutual coupling ratio between physical sensors, which means better estimation performance of direction‐of‐arrival estimation can be achieved. Finally, the direction‐of‐arrival estimation performance of the proposed array structure is verified by numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HOOH+CH3, CH3OOH+CH3 and CH3CH2OOH+CH3 reactions were characterized using accurate ab initio methods with reliable basis sets. The reaction rate constants were calculated by canonical variational transition state theory as applied to a complex mechanism involving the formation of reactant complexes. The formation of aldehyde or formaldehyde was observed when the CH3 radical attacks on the CH2 group in CH3CH2OOH or on the CH3 group in CH3OOH. The results showed that the channels of H‐abstraction from OH group are dominant channels at low temperature, while the channels of OH‐transfer to CH3 become predominant with increasing temperature. For the CH3OOH+CH3 reaction, the channel producing CH2O+OH and the OH‐transfer channel have a similar rate coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory condition of pancreas with high morbidity and mortality, which has no effective medical treatment. Chaiqin chengqi decoction (CQCQD) has been clinically used for AP for many years in China. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. To investigate the mechanism of CQCQD on gasdermin D (GSDMD) -mediated pyroptosis in AP. In this study, network pharmacology was used to screen the potential mechanism of CQCQD protecting against AP and then we focused to investigate the mechanism of CQCQD on GSDMD mediated pyroptosis. Mouse models of AP were conducted by caerulein and L-arginine. In order to clarify the mechanism of CQCQD, two kinds of GSDMD gene knockout mice (Gsdmd−/− and Pdx1creGsdmdfl/fl) were applied. And the potential interaction between the main components of CQCQD and GSDMD was explored by molecular docking. In the caerulein-induced AP model, CQCQD ameliorated pancreatic pathological injury, attenuated systemic inflammation and serum enzymatic levers. Moreover, network pharmacology analysis showed GSDMD mediated pyroptosis was one of the core targets of CQCQD protecting against AP. Additionally, CQCQD appreciably decreased the levels of pyroptosis-related proteins N-terminal GSDMD, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3, and cleaved Caspase-1. Furthermore, the protective effect of CQCQD was neutralized in Gsdmd−/− and Pdx1creGsdmdfl/fl mice in caerulein-induced AP. In addition, we found that CQCQD protects pancreatic tissue from damage and pancreatitis-associated lung injury in the L-arginine-induced mouse model. Moreover, all of the main components of CQCQD possessed binding activity with GSDMD by molecular docking. Seventeen components bound with the human GSDMD Cys191 successfully, which is important for GSDMD pore formation. Among the components, rhein possessed the highest binding activity. CQCQD could reduce pancreatic necrosis and inflammatory response via inhibiting GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in acinar cells of AP. Rhein may be the key active ingredient of CQCQD in suppressing pyroptosis. [Display omitted] • NOD−like receptor signaling pathway was one of the core pathways of AP, active ingredients of CQCQD and cell death. • CQCQD protected against AP via inhibiting gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis. • Rhein may be the key active ingredient of CQCQD in suppressing pyroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Structural diversity of indole-diterpenoids from two co-cultured fungi was described. • These indole-diterpenoids displayed extensive biological activities. • The anti-influenza mechanism of compounds 1, 2, and 7 was further investigated. • The SAR of PTPs inhibitory activity of 1, 2, 4, 5, 9–16, and 19–21 was summarized. Co-culturing the marine-derived fungi Penicillium janthinellium with Paecilomyces formosus led to the isolation of nine new indole-diterpenes, janthinellumines A–I (1 – 9), along with twelve known analogues (10 – 21). The chemical structures including their absolute configurations of them were assigned by the analysis of extensive spectroscopic data and calculated ECD and VCD methods. These indole-diterpenoids displayed extensive biological activities, including anti-influenza A virus, protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitory, and anti- Vibrio activities. Among them, the anti-influenza mechanism of compounds 1 , 2 , and 7 was further investigated using neuraminidase inhibitory assay, molecular docking, and reverse genetics methods, suggesting that 1 , 2 , and 7 could interact with Arg371 of the viral neuraminidase. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) of PTPs inhibitory activity for indole-diterpene derivatives (1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 9 – 16 , and 19 – 21) was also summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge performance of antiferroelectric (AFE) capacitors is complicated and difficult to simulate due to the nonlinear polarization behavior of AFE. In this work, a nonlinear model for pulsed discharge AFEs was proposed based on a combination of the Preisach model and Kirchhoff's law. The model was driven by the data from first-order reversal curves and direct-current-bias (DC-bias) dielectric test measurements. Thus, the discharge behavior of the AFE can be studied without actual discharge experiments. Specifically, AFE discharge waveforms were calculated and evaluated for different size parameters and external circuit parameters that were conducive to compare the properties of different AFE materials. Moreover, the size effect of the capacitor on the discharge performance was discussed, which should draw the attention of researchers to prevent exaggerated conclusions. As a consequence, this method would fill the gap of AFE discharge simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the seismic base isolation problem for all low-complexity networks containing one inerter, one spring, and one damper is studied based on a multi-degree-of-freedom model. The analytical solutions for the H2 performance optimization are derived, and the traditional tuned mass damper (TMD) is employed for comparison. Extensive numerical simulations are performed to verify the effectiveness of the obtained results. The results show that for different seismic wave excitations, some isolators are better than TMD in controlling the displacement of the main structure. Moreover, with the increase of the TMD mass ratio, the isolation performances of the inerter-based isolators are increasingly better than that of TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the practical application of capacitors, especially in pulsed application, recoverable energy is a key parameter, which represents the ability to store energy. However, many existing evaluation methods for energy storage calculation have not been systematically implemented and comprehensively understood. In this work, four methods were applied to calculate the energy storage in linear, ferroelectric, and antiferroelectric capacitors. All methods were valid when the linear capacitor was examined. In terms of the ferroelectric capacitor, the method of equivalent parameter using DC-bias capacitance was infeasible under the high voltage owing to a massive decrease in field-dependent capacitance. As for the antiferroelectric capacitor with noticeable hysteresis, the maximum of energy storage was obtained by the method of integration of hysteresis loop, while the lower one was obtained in the fast discharge condition by the method of integration of UI (product of voltage and current). In summary, for different materials, both test conditions and calculation methods should be considered to get accurate energy storage, which best fits the working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Probiotics have been reported to reduce total cholesterol levels in vitro, but more evidence is needed to determine the clinical relevance of this activity. Chinese traditional fermented pickles are a good source of lactic acid bacteria. Therefore, pickle samples were collected for screening lactic acid bacteria based on their ability to survive stresses encountered during gastrointestinal passage and cholesterol reducing potency. Results: Seventy five lactic acid bacteria strains were isolated from 22 fermented pickles. From these bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum E680, showed the highest acid (85.25%) and bile tolerance (80.79%). It was sensitive to five of the eight antibiotics tested, inhibited the growth of four pathogenic bacteria, and reduced the total cholesterol level by 66.84% in broth culture. In vivo testing using hypercholesterolemic mice fed high-fat emulsion, independent of food intake, found that L. plantarum E680 suppressed body weight gain and reduced total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, with no effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions: Chinese traditional fermented pickles are a good source for probiotics. L. plantarum E680, isolated from pickles, was acid and bile tolerant, sensitive to antibiotics, and reduced cholesterol levels both in vitro and in vivo. Based on these results, L. plantarum E680 may have potential as a novel probiotic for the development of cholesterol-lowering functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secondary metabolites as natural products from endophytic fungi are important sources of pharmaceuticals. However, there is currently little understanding of endophytic fungi at the omics levels about their potential in secondary metabolites. Calcarisporium arbuscula, an endophytic fungus from the fruit bodies of Russulaceae, produces a variety of secondary metabolites with anti-cancer, anti-nematode and antibiotic activities. A comprehensive survey of the genome and transcriptome of this endophytic fungus will help to understand its capacity to biosynthesize secondary metabolites and will lay the foundation for the development of this precious resource. Results: In this study, we reported the high-quality genome sequence of C. arbuscula NRRL 3705 based on Single Molecule Real-Time sequencing technology. The genome of this fungus is over 45 Mb in size, larger than other typical filamentous fungi, and comprises 10,001 predicted genes, encoding at least 762 secretory-proteins, 386 carbohydrate-active enzymes and 177 P450 enzymes. 398 virulence factors and 228 genes related to pathogen-host interactions were also predicted in this fungus. Moreover, 65 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters were revealed, including the gene cluster for the mycotoxin aurovertins. In addition, several gene clusters were predicted to produce mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, alternariol, destruxin, citrinin and isoflavipucine. Notably, two independent gene clusters were shown that are potentially involved in the biosynthesis of alternariol. Furthermore, RNA-Seq assays showed that only expression of the aurovertin gene cluster is much stronger than expression of the housekeeping genes under laboratory conditions, consistent with the observation that aurovertins are the predominant metabolites. Gene expression of the remaining 64 gene clusters for compound backbone biosynthesis was all lower than expression of the housekeeping genes, which partially explained poor production of other secondary metabolites in this fungus. Conclusions: Our omics data, along with bioinformatics analysis, indicated that C. arbuscula NRRL 3705 contains a large number of biosynthetic gene clusters and has a huge potential to produce a profound number of secondary metabolites. This work also provides the basis for development of endophytic fungi as a new resource of natural products with promising biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar humidification-dehumidification system is of high significance to the freshwater supply in remote areas. In the present study, a humidification-dehumidification seawater desalination system combined with the chimney is designed and experimentally evaluated. Main parameters influencing its freshwater productivity are analyzed. It is found from this study that the cooling tower is required to obtain long-term steady freshwater generation. Raising the temperature difference between the evaporation and condensation chambers would lead to the rise of the freshwater productivity. There is a turning wind speed, beyond which increasing the wind speed would lead to the decline of both the freshwater productivity and the thermal efficiency. The turning wind speed is relevant to the ambient humanity and the heating power. Decreasing the heat power would increase the turning wind speed. When the heating power is 4.9 kW, the highest freshwater productivity and the highest efficiency are 48 g/min and 32.14%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary cause of cancer mortality. PAK1 plays key roles in many types of cancers. However, the role of PAK1 in HCC is not clear. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to determine expressions of PAK1, Snail and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins. Luciferase reporter assay was used to measure the interaction between PAK1 and Snail. Wound healing, transwell, colony formation assays and flow cytometry were used to assess cell migration, invasion, proliferation and apoptosis. Mouse tumor xenograft model was used to determine the effect of PAK1 on tumor growth in vivo. PAK1 and Snail were up-regulated in HCC cells. PAK1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and increased apoptosis of HCC cells. PAK1 knockdown also inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, PAK1 promoted EMT by targeting Snail. Knockdown of PAK1 could up-regulate pro-apoptotic proteins but down-regulate proliferation-related proteins via suppressing β-catenin signaling pathway. PAK1 promotes EMT process by increasing Snail, and facilitates progression of HCC by activating β-catenin pathway. • PAK1 and Snail are up-regulated in HCC. • PAK1 drives EMT programs through targeting Snail in HCC. • Knockdown of PAK1 inhibits migration and invasion by repressing EMT. • Knockdown of PAK1 suppresses cell proliferation but induces apoptosis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the technical feasibility of microwave ablation (MWA) for melanoma liver metastases with persistent high signal on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Materials and Methods: Seven patients with 22 target melanoma liver metastases who underwent MWA treatment were included. All procedure-related complications were observed and recorded. One month after MWA, the imaging features of treated liver metastases and ablation zones with different MRI sequences were reviewed to evaluate technique efficacy. To verify the correctness of the evaluation, MRI scans during patient follow-up were reviewed and compared with images before MWA to analyze changes in treated liver metastases and ablation zones.Results: All ablations were performed successfully, and there were no procedure-related major complications. After ablation, according to MRI T1-weighted pre-contrast or contrast sequences, the persistence of high signals from the treated lesions was noted inside the ablation zones of 19 lesions. Among these 19 lesions, 17 were completely covered by the ablation zones and were considered successfully treated, whereas two lesions were not completely covered and were considered unsuccessfully treated. Three lesions could not be detected on any MRI sequence after ablation and were also considered successfully treated. Finally, MRI scans during patient follow-up care verified these evaluations.Conclusion: MWA is a technically feasible option for melanoma liver metastases with special imaging features on MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a commonly diagnosed malignancy with highly heterogeneous incidence and mortality rates worldwide. High body mass index (BMI) is a well-defined risk factor for CRC. The mortality trends of CRC among patients who are overweight contributions at the global and national levels are largely unknown. Method: We collected data on CRC-related mortality attributable to high BMI from 1990 to 2017 from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 database. The annual average percentage change (AAPC) was used to quantify the CRC age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) trends. Results: Globally, approximately 896,040 CRC-related deaths occurred in 2017, among which 73,222 (8.2%; 54,193 in men and 19,029 in women) deaths were attributable to high BMI. The high-BMI-related CRC ASMR increased from 0.81 per 100,000 in 1990 to 0.93 per 100,000 in 2017, with an AAPC of 0.42 (95% CI 0.36, 0.49). The increasing trend was consistent among populations of different sexes and ages. A more pronounced increase was found in men and in regions with middle or low socio-demographic indexes. Conclusion: The increase in high-BMI-related CRC mortality suggests scarce attention to overweight in the current prevention strategies and highlights its priority in future prevention strategies for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spherical TiB 2p /Cu composite powder was prepared first by in-situ reaction coupled with the gas atomization method, then the bulk TiB 2p /Cu composites with diffusely distributed sub-micron TiB 2p were prepared by vacuum hot pressing (VHP). The densification behavior of in-situ TiB 2p /Cu composite powder compacts during sintering was investigated, indicating that the existence of TiB 2p inhibits the densification. The ultimate tensile strength, conductivity and relative density of the sintered TiB 2p /Cu composite are 400 MPa, 89.7% IACS and 99.7%, respectively, and the reasons for the high strength and conductivity of the composites were discussed. This work is expected to provide a technically viable solution for the preparation of high-performance TiB 2p /Cu composite by VHP with in-situ composite powder. [Display omitted] • The TiB 2p /Cu composites were prepared by vacuum hot pressing with in-situ composite powder. • High strength and high conductivity combination was achieved for sintered TiB 2p /Cu composites. • The TiB 2p significantly inhibited the densification of composite powder compact. • Better interfacial bonding and dispersive distribution of TiB 2p contribute to improve composite properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of localized injection of polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (PEI)‐EGFR‐small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanocomposites as a treatment for residual lung cancer after incomplete microwave ablation (MWA). Methods: Human lung cancer cell lines with high and low EGFR expression were selected for the study. The effects of PEG‐PEI‐EGFR‐siRNA nanocomposite transfection on the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of lung cancer cells were verified. Sixteen healthy ICR mice were injected into the lung to test the biological safety of the nanocomposites. In addition, 24 subcutaneous xenograft BALB/C nude mice with high EGFR expression were separated into four groups and then treated with an intratumoral injection of PEG‐PEI‐EGFR‐siRNA, PEG‐PEI‐normal control (NC)‐siRNA, PEG‐PEI‐EGFR‐siRNA after MWA, or PEG‐PEI‐NC‐siRNA after MWA. Tumor growth, pathological changes, and EGFR expression in each group were observed. Results: PEG‐PEI‐EGFR‐siRNA nanocomposites were transfected to HCC 827 cells showing high EGFR expression and to H23 cells showing low EGFR expression. In HCC827 cells, downregulation of EGFR gene expression reduced cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, whereas cell apoptosis increased. In contrast, in H23 cells, no significant differences in those parameters were detected. No acute toxicity occurred in the ICR mice during the biosafety test. Localized injection of PEG‐PEI‐EGFR‐siRNA nanocomposites significantly inhibited the growth of human lung xenografts in mice and the growth of residual tumors after MWA. Conclusion: PEG‐PEI‐EGFR‐siRNA nanocomposites may be a supplemental therapy strategy to treat residual lung cancer after incomplete MWA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of thermal ablation for the treatment of subpleural lung cancer. Methods: Eighty‐nine patients with 101 subpleural lung cancers were identified between January 2012 and July 2018 in our database and included in this study. Tumors were classified as adhering to cervical, costal, diaphragmatic, and mediastinal pleurae. Lesions were categorized based on their relationship to the pleura: close to the pleura, causing pleural indentation, and involving the pleura. The complete ablation rate, local progression‐free survival, complications, and associated factors were analyzed. Results: Subpleural lung cancers included lesions located under costal (n = 69), mediastinal (n = 17), cervical (n = 8), and diaphragmatic (n = 7) pleurae. The rate of complete ablation was 87.1% and the local progression‐free survival rates at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months were 86%, 77%, 75%, and 64%, respectively. Tumor size was the most important factor influencing technique efficacy (P < 0.05), with a complete ablation rate of only 55.6% in lung cancers measuring > 30 mm. There were nine (10.11%) major complications, including one chest abscess, five cases of pneumothorax, and three cases of hemothorax. The occurrence of major complications was associated with increased levels of pain within 48 hours post‐procedure (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Local thermal ablation is a safe and effective treatment for subpleural lung cancers. Tumor size was the most significant factor affecting technique efficacy. Post‐procedure pain indicated the possibility of major complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]