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BACKGROUND: Endurance training can have a negative impact on strength training and may lead to reduced strength gains, known as the interference effect. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as an endurance training mode may reduce this interference effect. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the effects of concurrent HIIT and resistance training (RT) on lower body explosive strength and maximum strength. METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the effects of HIIT modality, training status, and training duration on strength development following concurrent HIIT and RT. RESULTS: Meta-analysis showed that compared to RT alone, concurrent HIIT and RT will not affect the development of countermovement jump (CMJ) (WMD = - 0.17, 95%CI = - 1.45 to - 1.11) and half squat (WMD = - 0.05, 95%CI = - 2.42 to 2.32). Further, subgroup analysis revealed that HIIT-running workout was conducive to the development of both CMJ and half squat. Longer training duration was found to be more effective in developing CMJ, while shorter training duration was more suitable for developing half squat. Additionally, athletes showed greater improvement than non-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Combining HIIT and RT can enhance CMJ and half squat. The results of intervention are moderated by training variables and training status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to separately compare and rank the effect of various living-low and training-high (LLTH) modes on aerobic and anaerobic performances in athletes, focusing on training intensity, modality, and volume, through network meta-analysis. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, EBSCO, and Cochrane from their inception date to June 30, 2023. Based on the hypoxic training modality and the intensity and duration of work intervals, LLTH was divided into intermittent hypoxic exposure, continuous hypoxic training, repeated sprint training in hypoxia (RSH; work interval: 5–10 s and rest interval: approximately 30 s), interval sprint training in hypoxia (ISH; work interval: 15–30 s), short-duration high-intensity interval training (s-IHT; short work interval: 1–2 min), long-duration high-intensity interval training (l-IHT; long work interval: > 5 min), and continuous and interval training under hypoxia. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the standardized mean differences (SMDs) among the effects of various hypoxic interventions on aerobic and anaerobic performances. From 2,072 originally identified titles, 56 studies were included in the analysis. The pooled data from 53 studies showed that only l-IHT (SMDs: 0.78 [95% credible interval; CrI, 0.52–1.05]) and RSH (SMDs: 0.30 [95% CrI, 0.10–0.50]) compared with normoxic training effectively improved athletes' aerobic performance. Furthermore, the pooled data from 29 studies revealed that active intermittent hypoxic training compared with normoxic training can effectively improve anaerobic performance, with SMDs ranging from 0.97 (95% CrI, 0.12–1.81) for l-IHT to 0.32 (95% CrI, 0.05–0.59) for RSH. When adopting a program for LLTH, sufficient duration and work intensity intervals are key to achieving optimal improvements in athletes' overall performance, regardless of the potential improvement in aerobic or anaerobic performance. Nevertheless, it is essential to acknowledge that this study incorporated merely one study on the improvement of anaerobic performance by l-IHT, undermining the credibility of the results. Accordingly, more related studies are needed in the future to provide evidence-based support. It seems difficult to achieve beneficial adaptive changes in performance with intermittent passive hypoxic exposure and continuous low-intensity hypoxic training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is one of the significant diseases that threaten the survival of men worldwide, with the progression of androgen deprivation therapy, become much rely on it, finally, developed into castration-resistant prostate cancer (ADT). In western countries, ranks second in incidence, and in China, with increasing lifespan, the incidence of prostate cancer is rising steadily. Although chemotherapy agents, such as taxane, have achieved some efficacy, treatment failure still occur. As sensitivity of hormone levels change, the disease can progress to castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Because of the poor efficacy of traditional surgery, endocrine therapy, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, the treatment options for castrate-resistant prostate cancer are limited. Advanced prostate cancer can progress on immunotherapy, and thus, bio -immunotherapy targeting the unique, prostate microenvironment is an important option. In this paper, we systematically revealed the role of three types of bio-immunotherapies (immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumors, vaccines, cytokines) in castrate-resistant prostate cancer, providing a reference for clinical treatment of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the safety of lithium-ion batteries has attracted much attention. All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are promising replacements for liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion batteries due to their high energy density and excellent safety. The choice of electrolyte is the most critical part of ASSBs. Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO)-based solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) render high energy density, wide electrochemical window and high lithium-ion mobility. However, their low lithium-ion conductivity compared with liquid organic electrolytes and rigid interfacial contact at electrode/electrolyte interface mainly hinder the development of LLZO-based ASSBs. Herein, we review recent progress in the area of LLZO-based SSEs by discussing the structure and transport mechanism of lithium (Li)-ions of LLZO. Also, we summarize bottleneck problems and corresponding solutions, providing theoretical basis and technical support for the development of LLZO-based ASSBs. Finally, future prospects of LLZO-based ASSBs are discussed in next-generation energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of p-cymene from the catalytic dehydrogenation of dipentene is one of the most vital approaches for the synthesis of p-cymene in the chemical industry. Herein, CTF polymer was synthesized by an ionothermal method via using terephthalonitrile as monomer and NaCl-KCl-ZnCl2 ternary mixture as catalyst and solvent, and Pd/CTF catalyst was prepared by loading CTF matrix with Pd nanoparticles via a chemical reduction method. The as-obtained Pd/CTF catalyst with the loading amount of 5 wt% Pd showed remarkable catalytic activity in the dehydrogenation of dipentene to p-cymene with a high conversion rate of 100% and a high selectivity of 96% at the reaction temperature of 220 °C in a stainless-steel autoclave containing 0.1 MPa of Ar gas, and also exhibited good stability in the recycling tests. The strong interaction between Pd nanoparticles and CTF and the enhanced electron transfer at the metal-semiconductor interface contribute to the outstanding catalytic performance of Pd/CTF for the dehydrogenation of dipentene to p-cymene. This work demonstrates that the metal-semiconductor catalysts possessed excellent potential in the production of high-value-added chemical products from terpenes conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main research in this paper is the state bounding problem of high‐order quaternion Hopfield neural networks (HOQHNNs) with time‐varying discrete delays, unbounded distributed delays, and bounded disturbances. In the research process, firstly, the considered HOQHNNs are decomposed into four equivalent real‐valued Hopfield neural networks (RHNNs) to solve the problem that quaternion multiplication is not commutative, and then, a sufficient condition related to time delays is given to ensure that the state trajectories that are contained in or globally exponentially convergent into a cuboid. Thereby, the corresponding reachable set estimation is obtained. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate validity of theoretical results. At present, the research on HOQHNNs with mixed time delays adopts Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) method, which needs to not only choose the appropriate LKF but also take into account both conservatism and computational complexity. Besides, there is no literature to study the state bounding of HOQHNNs with mixed delays. The method suggested in the present text has three merits: (1) According to the definition of state bounding straightway, it has no use any LKF, which avoids massive calculations and solutions of high‐dimensional matrix inequalities; (2) it is available not only to HOQHNNs but also to RHNNs and complex‐valued Hopfield neural networks (CHNNs); and (3) make up for the blank of state bounding research of HOQHNNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop and validate a novel nomogram risk assessment model to predict the possibility of type II endoleak (T2EL)-related re-intervention. The data of 455 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) procedures between January 2018 and December 2021 at our single center were retrospectively reviewed. Following the implementation of exclusion criteria, 283 patients were finally included and divided into T2EL-related re-intervention (n = 42) and non-T2EL (n = 241) groups. The overall T2EL-related re-intervention rate for 283 patients was 14.8% (42/283). Using multivariate analysis, significant risk factors for re-intervention included age (OR, 1.172; 95% CI, 1.051–1.307; P = 0.004), smoking (OR, 13.418; 95% CI, 2.362–76.215; P = 0.003), diameter of inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) (OR, 21.380; 95% CI, 3.060–149.390; P = 0.002), and number of patent lumbar arteries (OR, 9.736; 95% CI, 3.175–29.857; P < 0.001). The discrimination ability of this risk-predictive model was reasonable (concordance index [C-index] = 0.921; 95% CI, 0.878–0.964). The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit test was performed on the model, and the chi-square value was 3.210 (P = 0.920), presenting an excellent agreement between the model-predicted and observed values. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve identified that the risk thresholds of re-intervention were a diameter of > 2.77 mm for the diameter of the inferior mesenteric artery and a proportion of < 45.5% for thrombus volume in the aneurysm sac. This novel nomogram risk assessment model for predicting the possibility of patients' T2EL-related re-interventions after EVAR should be helpful in discriminating high-risk patients. Two novel risk thresholds may imply a higher possibility of T2EL-related re-intervention after EVAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel calcium copper titanate (CaCu3Ti4O12)–polyvinylidene fluoride composite (CCTO@PVDF) with Cu-deficiency was successfully prepared through the molten salt-assisted method. The morphology and structure of polymer composites uniformly incorporated with CCTO nanocrystals were characterized. At the same volume fraction, the CCTOs with Cu-deficiency displayed higher dielectric constants than those without post-treatment. A relatively high dielectric constant of 939 was obtained at 64% vol% CCTO@PVDF content, 78 times that of pure PVDF. The high dielectric constants of these composites were attributed to the homogeneous dispersion and interfacial polarization of the CCTO into the PVDF matrix. These composites also have prospective applications in high-frequency regions (106 Hz). The enhancement of the dielectric constant was predicted in several theoretical models, among which the EMT and Yamada models agreed well with the experimental results, indicating the excellent distribution in the polymer matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any tunnel construction inevitably causes differential soil movements, resulting in additional adverse effects on existing pipelines. Although there are many jointed pipelines in practice, previous studies commonly simplified existing pipelines as continuous structures. In this study, centrifuge tests were designed and conducted to investigate the influence of joint stiffness on pipeline response due to tunnel excavation. Along the longitudinal pipeline direction, upward and downward pipe–soil relative movements were identified. Because of relatively flexible joints causing a reduction in the pipeline flexural stiffness, tunneling-induced maximum settlement in the jointed pipeline was much larger than that in the continuous pipeline. Tunnel excavation caused bending moment in the continuous pipeline only, while bending moment and joint rotation occurred simultaneously in the jointed pipeline. As a result of joint rotation, tunneling-induced maximum bending strain in the jointed pipeline was less than 42.4% of that in the continuous pipeline. If a jointed pipeline is assumed as a continuous structure, tunneling-induced pipeline settlement is underestimated, while bending strain is grossly overestimated. All the centrifuge test results were adopted to verify the validity of calculation charts for estimating tunneling-induced maximum bending strain and joint rotation in existing pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of safe, low-cost and highly active non-precious metal electrocatalysts plays a vital role in efficient hydrogen production. Herein, Mo2C/Mo2N heterostructure was in-situ synthesized by a two-step method for excellent hydrogen evolution performance at a universal pH range. The results show that the optimized MoCN-750-2h only needs 86.5, 102.5 and 120.5 mV overpotentials to reach 10 mA·cm−2 in alkaline, acidic and neutral media, respectively. Not only that, MoCN-750-2h had a low Tafel slope (37.2 and 88.5 mV·dec−1) in alkaline and neutral media, implying that catalytic kinetic is close to the level of Pt/C. These results can be attributed to reasonable C and N content in MoCN-750-2 h, optimizing the electron cloud distribution of Mo2C/Mo2N heterostructure to boost hydrogen production.MoCN heterostructure was in-situ synthesized by a two-step method for excellent hydrogen evolution performance at a universal pH range. The optimized electron cloud distribution of Mo2C/Mo2N would promote the formation of electron transfer channels, boosting the hydrogen evolution catalytic activity of the heterostructure. The MoCN heterostructure only needs 86.5,102.5 and 120.5 mV overpotentials to reach 10 mA·cm−2 in alkaline, acidic and neutral media, respectively. Not only that, MoCN-750-2 h had a low Tafel slope (37.2 and 88.5 mV·dec−1) in alkaline and neutral media, implying that catalytic kinetic is close to the level of Pt/C.Graphical Abstract: The development of safe, low-cost and highly active non-precious metal electrocatalysts plays a vital role in efficient hydrogen production. Herein, Mo2C/Mo2N heterostructure was in-situ synthesized by a two-step method for excellent hydrogen evolution performance at a universal pH range. The results show that the optimized MoCN-750-2h only needs 86.5, 102.5 and 120.5 mV overpotentials to reach 10 mA·cm−2 in alkaline, acidic and neutral media, respectively. Not only that, MoCN-750-2h had a low Tafel slope (37.2 and 88.5 mV·dec−1) in alkaline and neutral media, implying that catalytic kinetic is close to the level of Pt/C. These results can be attributed to reasonable C and N content in MoCN-750-2 h, optimizing the electron cloud distribution of Mo2C/Mo2N heterostructure to boost hydrogen production.MoCN heterostructure was in-situ synthesized by a two-step method for excellent hydrogen evolution performance at a universal pH range. The optimized electron cloud distribution of Mo2C/Mo2N would promote the formation of electron transfer channels, boosting the hydrogen evolution catalytic activity of the heterostructure. The MoCN heterostructure only needs 86.5,102.5 and 120.5 mV overpotentials to reach 10 mA·cm−2 in alkaline, acidic and neutral media, respectively. Not only that, MoCN-750-2 h had a low Tafel slope (37.2 and 88.5 mV·dec−1) in alkaline and neutral media, implying that catalytic kinetic is close to the level of Pt/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To report our preliminary results of thermal ablation, including microwave and radiofrequency ablation assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for cT1b renal tumors. A total of 56 patients with cT1b renal tumors who underwent microwave ablation or radiofrequency ablation assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy between January 2014 and May 2018 were enrolled. Thirty of them underwent microwave ablation assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (MWA-LPN group), and the other 26 received radiofrequency ablation assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RFA-LPN group). Baseline, perioperative and follow-up data were compared between the two groups. There were no statistical differences with respect to patients' gender, age, tumor size, RENAL score, BMI and estimated glomerular filtration rate between the MWA-LPN and RFA-LPN group, nor were any differences observed in warm ischemia time, post-operative complications and hospital stay. Patients in the MWA-LPN group had shorter median operative time (p =.012), less estimated blood loss (p =.023). Median follow-up was 36 months (range 12–64). Three-year cancer-specific and progression-free survival was 100% and 96.4%. The overall kidney recurrence rate was 3.6% in the present study. Thermal ablation assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a safe, effective nephron-sparing treatment which provides acceptable results for selective cT1b renal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Model tests are conducted to explore pipe response to tunnel passive face instability. • Pipe experiences settlement first, followed by heave due to tunnel face passive instability. • Pipes located at 0.7 D -1.2 D ahead of tunnel face experience excessive deformations. • Dimensionless graphs are proposed for estimating pipe bending strains due to ground heave. Earth pressure balanced shield tunnelling is commonly used to alleviate soil disturbance and adverse effects on existing infrastructures. If soil excavation or discharge rate is not properly controlled, soil pressures acting on tunnel face may increase or decrease rapidly. However, current studies mainly concentrated on pipeline deformations caused by tunnel excavation and active face instability. In this study, physical model tests together with numerical parametric study are conducted to explore pipeline deformation mechanisms due to progressively passive instability of tunnel face. Because of soil localised failure mechanisms, ground and existing pipeline experience settlement first, followed by heave as an increase in tunnel face horizontal movement. Moreover, the measured limiting pressure against passive face instability is much smaller than the upper bound solutions considering soil blowout mechanisms. For tunnel cover-to-diameter ratios (C/D) of 1.0 and 1.5, pipelines experience maximum deformations when they are located at 0.7 D and 1.2 D ahead of tunnel face, respectively. For these two C/D ratios, face passive instability induced longitudinal deformation zone ahead of tunnel face are 1.5 D and 2.0 D , respectively. By varying C/D ratio from 1.0 to 1.5, the maximum heave and bending strain indued in the pipeline are reduced by up to 83.4% and 73.4%, respectively. The maximum bending strain of pipeline along its vertical direction is 24.3%-43.0% larger than that along its horizontal direction. Two dimensionless groups are proposed to develop dimensionless graphs, which can effectively calculate pipeline bending strain under arbitrary ground heave, pipeline dimension and soil property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The groundwater level divides the soils into unsaturated zone and saturated zone, imposing an indispensable effect on the soil–pile interaction behavior. In this work, the groundwater level is introduced into soil–pile group interaction models for advancing the dynamic impedance research of pile groups. The motion equation of pile groups is modeled by the finite element method. The vibration solution of soils considering the groundwater level is solved via the precise integration method, which is utilized as the kernel function to construct the boundary integral equation. The coupled finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM) establishes the unsaturated soil–pile group interaction equation, which is further solved based on the soil–pile compatibility condition. After confirming the reliability of the above theory, parametric analyses are provided to discuss the effect of a series of key parameters on the impedance function of pile groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground improvement using a joint technology combined with in situ shallow stabilization of soft clay and soil–cement column-reinforced foundations is an effective technique for the treatment of soft soil foundations. This paper presents a methodology to study the performances of a new joint composite foundation under embankments with an emphasis on the load transfer in the stabilized layer. The deformations of the columns, the surrounding soil, and the overlying stabilized layer are compatible by applying the stress continuity and volume settlement continuity at the bottom of the stabilized layer. Two assumptions of the stabilized layer were considered: a perfectly rigid situation and a deformable one. The corresponding uniform vertical strain between the columns and the surrounding soils in the case of a rigid stabilized layer and the load transfer in the embankment, a stabilized layer, and a column-reinforced foundation in the case of a deformable stabilized layer were analyzed. The settlement and stress concentration ratios of the column-reinforced foundation were evaluated through a parameter study. To give full play to the bearing function of the columns under working conditions in this paper, a reasonable stabilized depth was assumed to be 1.8–2.5 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement stabilized clay (CSC) from dredged sediment or sludge is receiving increasing attention for its use as construction material. In this paper, seven CSC mixture samples were tested to investigate the effect of constituent proportion parameters and curing time (T) on strength characteristics. Results illustrate that clay-water/cement ratio (W/C) is significantly related to the unconfined compression strength ( q u ) of CSC. This relationship can be expressed by power function with a great degree of accuracy. After fitting and modeling the test data, two experiential formula models for the characterization of CSC strength are developed, which contain multiple parameters without other variable coefficients or parameters. Finally, methods derived from two experiential formulas to estimate the CSC strength under various parameter variables are proposed, and the prediction accuracy evaluation of derivation data and validation data are analyzed. Relationship of CSC strength and clay-water/cement ratio can be expressed by a power function. Strength coefficients are modeled with the moisture content of clay and the curing time. Prediction model are developed to estimate CSC strength under various parameters without variable coefficients. Estimation results correspond well with the actual measured strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste mud processing is an urgent problem in in situ construction with no existing method of address. Identifying a highly effective, low-energy and environmentally friendly treatment method would hold great significance. This paper introduces a fast, economic and environmentally friendly construction technology centred on the in situ solidification process. After solidification, bearing capacity and strength of mud pool increases rapidly and it can then be used as roadbed filling or directly as a highway roadbed or building foundation. Combined with the actual general situation of projects, laboratory mixing tests were conducted by using the cement, fly ash, superfine slag powder and plant ash as solidification additives. Vane strength and in situ loading tests were conducted, in which waste mud processing effects were evaluated using the proposed in situ solidification construction technology as a basis. In addition, exponential curve and hyperbolic models were adopted to fit incomplete original loading data, from which the ultimate bearing capacity of the testing field region was obtained. A bearing capacity prediction technique evaluating in situ solidification technology suitable for field use was proposed through comparison and analysis of contrasting measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), and swine acute diarrhea syndrome-coronavirus (SADS-CoV) are three emerging and re-emerging coronaviruses (CoVs). Symptoms caused by these three viruses are extremely similar, including acute diarrhea, vomiting and even death in piglets. To date, strict biosecurity is still the most effective disease prevention and control measures, and the early detection of pathogens is the most important link. Here, we developed a microfluidic-RT-LAMP chip detection system for the first time, which could detected PEDV, PDCoV and SADS-CoV simultaneously, and had advantages of rapid, simple, sensitive, high-throughput, and accurate at point-of-care settings. The lowest detection limits of the microfluidic-RT-LAMP chip method are 101 copies/μL, 102 copies/μL and 102 copies/μL for PEDV, PDCoV and SADS-CoV, respectively. The whole detection procedure can be finished rapidly in 40 min without any cross-reaction with other common swine viruses. A total of 173 clinical swine fecal samples characterized with diarrheal symptoms were used to evaluate the performance of the newly developed system, which presented good stabilities (C.V.s<5%) and specificities (100%), and possessed sensitivities of 92.24%, 92.19% and 91.23% for PEDV, PDCoV and SADS-CoV respectively. In summary, the established microfluidic-RT-LAMP chip detection system could satisfy the demanding in field diagnoses, which was suitable for promotion in remote areas due to its fast, portable and cost-effective characters. Image 1 • Microfluidic chip and LAMP were firstly integrated for high-throughput and multitarget detection of PEDV, PDCoV and SADS-CoV. • The microfluidic-RT-LAMP chip system established greatly facilitated the rapid diagnosis of the PEDV, PDCoV and SADS-CoV. • The microfluidic chip device provides excellent prospects in swine enteric coronaviruses surveillance for remote areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are highly promising next‐generation photovoltaic devices because of the cheap raw materials, ideal band gap of ≈1.5 eV, broad absorption range, and high absorption coefficient. Although lead‐based inorganic‐organic PSC has achieved the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.2%, the toxic nature of lead and poor stability strongly limits the commercialization. Lead‐free inorganic PSCs are potential alternatives to toxic and unstable organic‐inorganic PSCs. Particularly, double‐perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6‐based PSC has received interests for its all inorganic and lead‐free features. However, the PCE is limited by the inherent and extrinsic defects of Cs2AgBiBr6 films. Herein, an effective and facile strategy is reported for improving the PCE and stability by introducing an N719 dye interlayer, which plays multifunctional roles such as broadening the absorption spectrum, suppressing the charge carrier recombination, accelerating the hole extraction, and constructing an appropriate energy level alignment. Consequently, the optimizing cell delivers an outstanding PCE of 2.84%, much improved as compared with other Cs2AgBiBr6‐based PSCs reported so far in the literature. Moreover, the N719 interlayer greatly enhances the stability of PSCs under ambient conditions. This work highlights a useful strategy to boost the PCE and stability of lead‐free Cs2AgBiBr6‐based PSCs simultaneously, accelerating the commercialization of PSC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer susceptibility candidate 9 (CASC9) is a recently identified lncRNA that acted as a tumor promotor in diversified cancer types. However, its role in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains unknown. The expression of CASC9 was measured in 52 human PTC tissues and PTC cell lines as well as their controls. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of PTC cells were determined after knockdown or overexpression of CASC9 to evaluate the effect of CASC9 on PTC cells. Also, the role of PTC tumorigenesis was confirmed in mice xenograft models. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms of CASC9 were further researched. We found that CASC9 expression was augmented in human PTC tissues and cells. Higher CASC9 expression was associated with large tumor size, advanced stage, or lymph node metastasis. Downregulation of CASC9 significantly attenuated the proliferative, migrative, and invasive abilities of PTC cells, and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. While overexpression of CASC9 elevated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PTC cells. miR‐488‐3p expression was decreased, and ADAM9 level was increased in PTC tissues and cells. CASC9 expression was negatively related to miR‐488‐3p, but positively associated with ADAM9 expression in PTC tissues. Molecular mechanism analysis revealed that CASC9 functioned via sponging miR‐488‐3p to regulate ADAM9 expression, followed by activation of EGFR‐Akt signaling. In conclusion, lncRNA CASC9 promoted the malignant phenotypes of PTC via modulating miR‐488‐3p/ADAM9 pathway. This study may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melittin (MEL), the primary active component of bee venom, has recently emerged as a promising cancer chemotherapeutic agent. However, the instability and rapid degradation of MEL is a significant challenge in practical therapeutic applications. In the present study, graphene oxide (GO)-based magnetic nanocomposites (PEG-GO-Fe3O4) were prepared and adopted as the drug delivery vehicles of MEL, and the anticancer effects of PEG-GO-Fe3O4/MEL complexes on human cervical cancer HeLa cells were studied. PEG-GO-Fe3O4 exhibited a series of unique physical and chemical properties resulting in multiple interactions with MEL, and ultimately the release of MEL. In vitro experiments showed that PEG-GO-Fe3O4/MEL not only distinctly enhanced the inhibition effect on HeLa cells, but also induced pore formation in the cell membrane that ultimately led to cell lysis. In this newly developed drug delivery system, PEGylated GO plays the role of a MEL protector while Fe3O4 nanoparticles act as magnetic responders; therefore active MEL can be released over a long period of time (up to 72 h) and maintain its inhibition effect on HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the defects induced by displacement cascade in gold nanotubes, primary knock-on atoms with kinetic energies of 1 keV were introduced at the exterior surface of the nanotubes. The evolution of the collision cascade as well as the defects generated in the nanotube were studied using molecular dynamics simulation. We found that point defects and stacking faults were induced by the cascade. The interior surface of the nanotube acts as the sinks to absorb the point defects as the same as the exterior surface does, especially when the distance between them is decreased. Consequently, both the two surfaces influence the time evolution and the residual number of point defects in the nanotubes. In the gold nanotubes with fixed external diameter, the number of interstitials is decreased with the internal diameter increasing, while the number of vacancies does not show a clear trend with the variation of the internal diameters. The probability of formation of stacking faults is higher in gold nanotubes with larger internal diameters which caused by the fact that the formation of stacking faults is facilitated by the interior surface. The results show that, due to the specific geometry of the nanotubes, the evolution and the production of the cascade-induced damage has its own features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil solidification technology can create an artificial hard shell on a soft soil surface but the type and proportion of the curing agent, the construction technology, and the strengthening depth have large influences on the strengthening effect and engineering cost. This study introduces a new technology of soil solidification whereby an artificial hard shell layer is used as a new method to improve the soft ground. For the in-situ solidification technology, the soil and curing agent are mixed well by using a strong stirring machine so that the soil is strengthened rapidly and forms a hard crust. We introduce the key technology of the in-situ soil solidification method and determine the in-situ crust carrying capacity. The indoor experiment on the curing agent proportions is validated with field tests and a vane shear test, static penetration test, and plate loading test are used to evaluate the reinforcement effect. The experimental results show that the in-situ curing technology of dredged fill processing markedly reduced the reinforcement depth range of the soil water content, improved the physical and mechanical indices, and increased the bearing capacity and strength of the artificial hard shell layer, thereby fully meeting the requirements for the bearing capacity of construction machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Parallel arrays of Co-Ni nanotubes with external diameter of 150 nm, wall thickness of 20 nm, and length of about 0.8 μm were successfully fabricated in ion-track etched polycarbonate (PC) templates by electrochemical deposition. The morphology and composition of the nanotubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Temperature dependent magnetic analyses were performed with superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer which indicate that saturation magnetization of the nanotubes follows modified Bloch's law in the range 80–300 K. An abrupt deviation of the experimental curve (increase in magnetization) was observed from the modified Bloch's law below 80 K, which can be attributed to the disordered surface spins in the nanotubes due to the finite size effects. Finally, it was found that coercivity measured at different temperatures follows Kneller's law within the premises of Stoner–Wohlfarth model for ferromagnetic nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red clay is widely distributed in Zhejiang Province, China. Rain-induced shallow landslides easily occur on red clay slopes due to the reduction in shear strength caused by rainwater infiltration. The aim of this paper was to study the soil–water characteristic of red clay and its application on analyzing the stability of red clay slope. A series of field tests at different depths of red clay slope were carried out to monitor the variations of water content and matric suction under typical climate conditions. The results showed that the distribution of water content in red clay slope is complex because of long-term wetting–drying cycles. The water content within shallow layer is sensitive to external environment, and the response time of the water content is related to rainfall intensity. It is also observed that the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) varies at different depths. The SWCCs of red clay can be fitted by linear function. The SWCCs from laboratory tests illustrated that saturated water content is more than 40%. Most of the SWCCs obtained at the depth of 90 cm are within the hysteresis loops of the SWCCs from laboratory test. The short-term rainfall has less effect on the stability of the slope, but the stability continuously decreases after the rain stops. The SWCCs obtained from laboratory were applied to analyze slope stability. Considering the influence of cracks, the computed results are close to field data. The study has a certain directive significance to the design of red clay slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slopes are vulnerable to landslides, particularly under the process of infiltration. Considering the process of infiltration, we produced a modified Green-Ampt model, in which the new parameter of water content at the wetting front was introduced. We experimentally determined this parameter, which proved to be a constant and with ponding water was 1.7 times higher. We combined the improved model and experiments with a traditional limit equilibrium method, and this simplified method was applied to calculate a safety factor, which can be used to dynamically evaluate the slopes and provide new insights into design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semi-dry or moist sediment above the groundwater level forms the vadose zone, while the continuous groundwater system below the groundwater level forms the aquifer. It is generally believed that the vadose zone is composed of unsaturated soils, while the aquifer is composed of saturated soils. The groundwater level would affect the distribution of unsaturated soils and saturated soil along the depth direction, and further change the dynamic behavior of soils under external excitation. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the 3D dynamic response of layered soils considering the influence of groundwater level. The investigated model is established based on dynamic governing equations of unsaturated soils and saturated soils. The precise integration method is combined with Fourier transform to solve the investigated model. To verify the feasibility, the proposed model is achieved and solved by the user-defined PDE module in COMSOL. The two results are in good agreement. Finally, several parametric analyses are provided to discuss the influence of key parameters on dynamic response of layered soils considering the groundwater level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reported the fabrication of poly(vinyl alcohol)-chitosan (PVA-CS) microspheres composite nanofibers by electrospinning technique. The chitosan microspheres were firstly prepared by electrospray with the solution of chitosan and combretastatin A4. The morphology and size distribution of chitosan microspheres were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The influencing factors including the concentrations of both PVA and CS microspheres were studied. The physical properties of the composite nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The drug release rate, MTT toxicity test, and cell culture were also investigated in detail. Results indicate that the chitosan microsphere-loaded composite nanofibers can be prepared when the PVA concentration is 120 mg/mL. The continuity of the nanofibers was influenced by the concentration of CS microspheres. The characteristic peaks of CS or PVA were not observed in the diffractograms after the CS and PVA were processed using the high-voltage electrostatic technique. In addition, the drug release rate showed that nanofibers induce an obvious slow-release effect. Composite nanofibers were non-toxic to fibroblasts cells, and the fibroblasts cells could proliferate on the nanofiber mat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial crust layer formed by in-situ stabilization combined with pre-stressed pipe piles over soft ground has been proposed to reduce foundation settlement in road construction. To analyze the effects of the artificial crust layer, the field measurements from a road project, including the strength of field stabilized soil, settlement and the load distribution between soils and piles were investigated. The results showed that the ratio of 28-day field unconfined compressive strength to laboratory strength ranged from 0.28 to 0.45 at the same stabilized agent. Additionally, the artificial crust layer had a greater compression modulus and strength compared with soft clay, so that the deformation of stabilized soil only accounted for about 5% of the total settlement. The foundation consolidation speed was slower because of the impervious properties of the artificial crust layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slender piles embedded in soft ground or liquefied soil may buckle under vertical load. In this paper, both small- and large-scale model tests are conducted to investigate the buckling mechanisms of a slender pile and the lateral earth pressure acting on the pile. To observe the buckling of a slender pile, the strain-controlled loading method is adopted to apply a vertical load. When the two ends of a slender pile are hinged, the buckling mechanisms of small- and large-scale model tests are same. It should be noted that this applies only to a system with a small ratio of pile bending stiffness to soil bending stiffness. An applied vertical load increases with an increasing pile head settlement until it reaches the critical buckling load. By further increasing the pile head settlement, the measured load approaches the critical buckling load. In the large-scale model test, the measured lateral earth pressure (i.e., active and passive) acting on the slender pile varies linearly with the lateral pile displacement when the measured range is 3–5 m beneath the ground. A critical buckling calculation method has been adopted to compare with the conventional “m” method. The two-sided earth pressure calculation method can achieve more approximate results with the model test. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, various tests were carried out in order to evaluate the suitability of stabilising high water content waste mud as a fill material. The unconfined compressive strength and elastic modulus of mud treated with different stabilizers were determined. Besides, the relevant micro-structural changes were observed by conducting scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of stabilizers at regular dosage yields (9%) were compared and the optimal additive combination of cement and ash that exhibited favorable strength and elastic modulus was identified accordingly. A field-simulated undrained shear test on the cement and fly ash (FA) mud treated for various curing times (7 and 28 days) was run and the constitutive relationships were derived. The cohesive intercept decreased and failure friction increased over time, while shear strength between the treated mud at 7 and 28 curing days decreased as confining pressure increased. This implies that heaping preloading and other methods imposed during the initial stages of mud treatment can dramatically enhance its strength and reduce the necessary curing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compared with the usual methods, the direct analysis method proposed in the paper can not only derive simple solvable conditions, but also need not construct any LKF. • The proposed method is applicable to both RMNNs and CMNNs. • No model transformation is involved, which reduces the derivation process. This paper mainly studies the global exponential stability in Lagrange sense (GESLS) of quaternion memristive neural networks (QMNNs) with leakage delays, unbounded distributed delays and time-varying discrete time delays. In the process of research, instead of traditional decomposition into real-valued memristive neural networks (RMNNs) or complex-valued memristive neural networks (CMNNs), we consider the QMNN as a whole, and then give a sufficient condition related to time delays to ensure that the considered QMNN is GESLS. An example is provided to illustrate validity of theoretical results obtained in the end. The method proposed in the present text has two merits: (1) According to the definition of GESLS directly, no Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) is required, which avoids massive calculations and solutions of high-dimensional matrix inequalities; (2) It is available not only to QMNNs, but also to RMNNs and CMNNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Governing equations of the beam are established by euler-bernoulli and dynamic unsaturated soil theories. • Equivalent stiffness of the subgrade is obtained in transformed domain based on compatibility conditions. • Solution of the beam-subgrade system is acquired by introducing the inverse fourier transform. • Performance of the beam on unsaturated subgrade due to moving load and the variation of saturation is evaluated. Performance evaluation of the beam subject to the variation of saturation change of the subgrade is of significance to the optimal design of the high speed railway (HSR). This study proposes a mathematical modelling to describe the dynamic interaction between a beam and a layered transversely isotropic unsaturated subgrade. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli theory and the dynamic unsaturated soil theory, governing equations of this mathematical model are established. With the aid of the precise integration method, Fourier transform and compatibility conditions, the equivalent stiffness of the subgrade is obtained in the transformed domain. Introducing the equivalent stiffness into the beam motion equation, the dynamic solution of the beam-subgrade system is acquired by further introducing the inverse Fourier transform. After verifying the correctness of this theory, a series of numerical examples are provided to discuss the parametric sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reported an experimental and numerical study of a novel brace-type hybrid damper composed of steel slit plates enhanced by the friction mechanism. A test programme including six proof-of-concept specimens was carried out. The test results showed that the specimens exhibited multiple yielding stages, and the hysteretic response curves of the specimens were dependent on geometric configurations of the steel slit plates and the clamping force of bolts. The expected energy dissipation sequence accompanied by excellent ductility of the novel hybrid damper specimens was confirmed. The ploughing effect phenomenon between the friction interfaces as evidenced by the wear of the steel plates and increasing friction force was confirmed, which contributed to enhanced friction energy dissipation of the dampers under cyclic loadings. Then, a numerical investigation was conducted to take insights into the resisting mechanism of the specimens. The adequacy of the finite element modelling techniques was justified by a good correlation between test responses and numerical simulations. The test and numerical studies demonstrated that the energy dissipation sequence as a result of the hybrid energy dissipation mechanism contributed to improving the energy dissipation capacity and ductility of the steel slit plates. To facilitate the practical design of the novel hybrid dampers, a theoretical prediction model enabling quantification of critical mechanical quantities of the novel hybrid damper was developed, and the sufficiency of the design model was justified by comparison among the test responses, numerical results, and design predictions. • A novel brace-type hybrid damper composed of steel slit plates enhanced by the friction mechanism was proposed. • Six damper specimens were designed and physically tested. • Proposed hybrid damper can achieve excellent energy-dissipation capacity and ductility. • The resisting mechanism of the hybrid damper was comprehensively numerical studied. • A theoretical prediction model of the novel hybrid damper was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated vertical drains with vacuum preloading is widely used in accelerating consolidation of dredger fill. Based on the property of ultra-soft soil and engineering demands, this paper proposes a 3D drainage system comprising a new-type drainage. First, the structural features, working principle, and construction technology of the 3D drainage are explained, and field test at dredger fill treatment project is used to verify the feasibility of the method. It is found in the field test that in contrast to the traditional plastic sheet drains, the 3D drainage system reduces the duration of vacuum preloading by 50% and increases the soil vane shear strength by 30%, producing good test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stabilization of dredged sediment and reusing the mixture as a construction material is an effective way to reduce environmental problems and save natural resources. However, the crushing process that occurs during construction may affect the mechanical properties and leachability of the reused stabilized soil, an issue that is less reported. Therefore, consolidated undrained triaxial tests and semi-dynamic leaching tests were conducted on stabilized sediments and recompacted crushed stabilized sediment grains (SG) to evaluate the influence of the crushing process. The results of the triaxial tests showed that the stabilized sediment exhibited strain-softening and brittle behaviors under various confining pressures (100, 200, and 400 kPa), while strain-hardening and ductile behaviors were more obvious in the SG. The reduction in cohesion between stabilized sediment and the SG reflected a loss of cementation bonding during the crushing process. The overall leaching behaviors versus curing time of heavy metals (As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Hg) in stabilized sediment was similar to that of SG. The leaching mechanism indicated a good immobilization of heavy metals in stabilized sediment, while their stability in SG was poorer. The reason for the differences in triaxial strength properties and leachability were mainly attributed to the fact that the strong cementation bonding was destroyed by the crushing process, weakening the soil structure and raising the potential for release of elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A BFS estimation algorithm based on mixed moment is proposed. • Computation time of proposed algorithm is much less than typical algorithms. • Errors estimated by proposed algorithm and pseudo-Voigt fit are very similar. • No initial guesses, iterations and convergence criterion are needed. • Proposed algorithm is more accurate than quadratic fit and cross-correlation. To estimate Brillouin frequency shift with high accuracy and less computational burden, the mixed moment is used to estimate it for the distributed optical fiber sensor. Its computational burden is much less than that of the typical algorithms. Meanwhile, it is free of curve fitting and initialization of fitting parameters. The optimal order in the proposed algorithm is determined. The accuracy and computation time of the proposed algorithm, the typical spectrum fitting algorithms based on the pseudo-Voigt model, the quadratic polynomials, and the cross-correlation algorithm are compared for the simulated and collected Brillouin spectra with different signal-to-noise ratios. The results reveal that the computation time of the proposed algorithm is only 1/6464–1/3986, 1/33–1/24, 1/111–1/72 of that of the other three algorithms. However, its accuracy is close to that of the spectrum fitting algorithm based on the pseudo-Voigt profile and is a little higher than that of the other two algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate whether remote ischaemic preconditioning ( RIPC) reduces renal injury in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy ( LPN)., Patients and methods In all, 82 patients undergoing LPN were randomly assigned to either the RIPC or control group, with 40 and 38 patients, respectively completing 6-months follow-up., RIPC was conducted after induction of anaesthesia, which consisted of three 5-min cycles of right lower limb ischaemia and 5 min of reperfusion during each cycle., The primary outcome was the absolute change in glomerular filtration rate ( GFR) of the affected kidney by renal scintigraphy from baseline to 6 months., The secondary outcomes included urinary retinol-binding protein ( RBP) levels measured at 24 and 48 h, serum creatinine, and estimated GFR ( eGFR) at 1 and 6 months, and changes in GFR by renal scintigraphy., Results There were no differences in the change of GFR of the affected kidney at 6 months, while it was significantly decreased by 15.0% in the control group vs 8.8% in the RIPC group at 1 month ( P = 0.034)., The urinary RBP levels increased 8.4-fold at 24 h in the control group compared with a lower increase of 3.9-fold in the RIPC group ( P < 0.001)., There were no differences in the serum creatinine level or eGFR at 1 and 6 months between the two groups., Conclusions In patients undergoing LPN, RIPC using transient lower limb ischaemia may reduce renal impairment in the short term, but failed in the longer term despite a non-significant trend in favour of RIPC., These novel data support the need for a larger study of RIPC during LPN surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been considered as an important therapy for small renal lesions. The main limitation of RFA, however, is the lack of pathologic confirmation of complete tumor eradication. A single center, open label, randomized pilot study was designed to evaluate whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonovue, performed in real time could allow us to determine the end point during laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (LRFA) and the clinical outcome of this method. Patients and Methods: Ninety-six patients undergoing LRFA were randomly assigned to CEUS or a control group; finally, 38 and 40 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of renal-cell carcinoma completed a 3-month follow-up. CEUS was conducted in real time during the procedure to determine the end point in the CEUS group. The primary outcome was the incomplete ablation rate according to a radiographic image at 3 months after the procedure. The secondary outcome included the local tumor control rate and disease-free survival rate. Results: There were no differences in the incomplete ablation rate and disease-free survival rate between the two groups. Within a median 16-month follow-up period, three incomplete ablations and two local recurrences according to a radiographic image were found in the control group. Meanwhile, there was no incomplete ablation or recurrence but one lung metastasis in the CEUS group. The local tumor control rate was 87.5% (35/40) in the control group vs 100% (38/38) ( P=0.073) in the CEUS group. Conclusion: In patients undergoing LRFA, there were no differences in the incomplete ablation rate and local tumor control rate between the CEUS group and the control group in our study despite a nonsignificant trend in favor of CEUS. CEUS may have the potential to provide more effective renal tumor ablation. These novel data support the need for a larger study of CEUS during LRFA surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Protein sequence clustering has been widely used as a part of the analysis of protein structure and function. In most cases single linkage orgraph-based clustering algorithms have been applied. OPTICS (Ordering Points To Identify the Clustering Structure) is an attractive approach due to its emphasis on visualization of results and support for interactive work, e.g., in choosing parameters. However, OPTICS has not been used, as far as we know, for protein sequence clustering. Results: In this paper, a system of clustering proteins, SEQOPTICS (SEQuence clustering with OPTICS) is demonstrated. The system is implemented with Smith-Waterman as protein distance measurement and OPTICS at its core to perform protein sequence clustering. SEQOPTICS is tested with four data sets from different data sources. Visualization of the sequence clustering structure is demonstrated as well. Conclusion: The system was evaluated by comparison with other existing methods. Analysis of the results demonstrates that SEQOPTICS performs better based on some evaluation criteria including Jaccard coefficient, Precision, and Recall. It is a promising protein sequence clustering method with future possible improvement on parallel computing and other protein distance measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug discovery is a cost and time-intensive process that is often assisted by computational methods, such as virtual screening, to speed up and guide the design of new compounds. For many years, machine learning methods have been successfully applied in the context of computer-aided drug discovery. Recently, thanks to the rise of novel technologies as well as the increasing amount of available chemical and bioactivity data, deep learning has gained a tremendous impact in rational active compound discovery. Herein, recent applications and developments of machine learning, with a focus on deep learning, in virtual screening for active compound design are reviewed. This includes introducing different compound and protein encodings, deep learning techniques as well as frequently used bioactivity and benchmark data sets for model training and testing. Finally, the present state-of-the-art, including the current challenges and emerging problems, are examined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the failure mechanism of Ti60 titanium alloy in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) at 500°C. Ti60 specimens were characterized before and after the 500°C VHCF test, and the fracture surfaces were observed. The results show that there are three different fatigue failure mechanisms at 500°C: (i) equiaxed primary α phase (αp) cleavage, forming small unsmooth facets and rough fracture area (RA), and fusion of non‐adjacent facets to grow into the main crack. (ii) αp grains gather into large grain with triple junction, and large grain slip to form large fusion facet. (iii) Oxide shedding and then cracks form. A dynamic recurrent neural network model is used to predict the fatigue life of Ti60 alloy, 91% of the overall predictions were within the scatter band of 3.0, and 100% were within the scatter band of 5.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: T cell stress response state (TSTR), as a novel immune concept previous studies have proposed, has not yet been explored in prostate cancer (PC). As a type of cellular efflux, exosomes play important roles in the occurrence and development of PC. Method: Here, we conducted a combined analysis on extracellular vesicle related genes (EVRGs) in PC using data from single-cell RNA (scRNA), spatial transcriptome (ST), and bulk RNA sequencing. Result: Preliminary findings have revealed that heat shock protein family H (Hsp110) member 1 (HSPH1) possesses two identities, one being EVRGs and the other being a member of the heat shock protein family involved in TSTR, which may promote the differentiation of conventional T cells towards Th1 or Th2 cells through the pathway of IL2-MYC-IL2RA, thereby promoting the increase of CD8 + T cells in the tumor area, especially in the invasive zone, and inhibiting the invasion of PCs. We also notice the negative response of HSPH1 + CD8 + T cell related genes in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Western blot (WB) and droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) demonstrated that the mRNA and protein levels of HSPH1 in EVs of PCs were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues. Conclusion: Results above indicate the potential of HSPH1 as a critical therapeutic target in PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of safe, efficient, and non‐noble‐metal electrocatalysts is a promising approach for hydrogen energy production. However, due to low electrical conductivity and weak stability, non‐noble metal catalysts for HER are significantly limited in practice. Here, a method for low‐cost catalysts was reported for synthesizing Mo‐CoP/Ti3C2Tx composites in which Mo‐doped CoP materials were facilely grown on the surface of Ti3C2Tx MXene. The introduction of MXene and the doping of Mo promoted electron transfer and increased the active sites compared with CoP. As HER electrocatalysts, the Mo‐CoP/Ti3C2Tx materials exhibited a good HER activity with a low overpotential of only 117 mV. What's more, these catalysts had shown excellent electron conductivity, fast catalytic dynamics, and a boosted electrochemical active surface. Suitable synthetic ratios were obtained by optimizing the MXene substrate and the Mo doping amount. This work provided a new guide for the design and exploration of MXene based electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional Dye Interlayers: Simultaneous Power Conversion Efficiency and Stability Enhancement of Cs2AgBiBr6 Lead-Free Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cell through Adopting a Multifunctional Dye Interlayer (Adv. Funct. Keywords: charge carrier separation; Cs2AgBiBr6; dye interlayer; energy level alignment; perovskite solar cell EN charge carrier separation Cs2AgBiBr6 dye interlayer energy level alignment perovskite solar cell 1 1 1 06/06/20 20200604 NES 200604 In article number 2001557, Wei Wang, Zongping Shao, and co-workers introduce a multifunctional dye interlayer into lead-free all-inorganic Cs SB 2 sb AgBiBr SB 6 sb -based perovskite solar cells to enhance the efficiency and stability by broadening the absorption spectrum, accelerating the charge carrier extraction, and constructing an appropriate energy level alignment. Charge carrier separation, Cs2AgBiBr6, dye interlayer, energy level alignment, perovskite solar cell. [Extracted from the article]

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant tumor with relatively high incidence and mortality in endocrine system. Research about thyroid cancer-related targets is the basis for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer and the development of new drugs. However, the predictive value of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) for the diagnosis and prognosis of thyroid cancer is still in the preliminary stage of exploration. Thus, we for the first time investigated the effects and associated regulatory mechanism of lncRNA Forkhead box D3 antisense RNA 1 (FOXD3-AS1) in thyroid cancer in vitro and in vivo. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure the expression of lncRNA FOXD3-AS1 and miR-296-5p. Cell proliferation was detected through colony formation assay. Cell cycle was analyzed through flow cytometry. Cell mobility was valued through transwell invasion assay and wound healing assay. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of proteins related to cell proliferation and cell migration and TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. Luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between FOXD3-AS1 and miR-296-5p. Tumor xenograft model was established and immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to examine the expression of Ki67 and VEGF. We found that the expression of lncRNA FOXD3-AS1was upregulated and it had negative correlation with the level of miR-296-5p in thyroid cancer tissues and cells. LncRNA FOXD3-AS1 knockdown effectively suppressed cell proliferation and cell invasion in vitro. Further study revealed that miR-296-5p was a target of lncRNA FOXD3-AS1 and FOXD3-AS1 exerted anti-tumor effect through up-regulating miR-296-5p. Moreover, we found that FOXD3-AS1 knockdown suppressed the aggressive biological behaviors of thyroid cancer through inactivating the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. Subsequently, the in vivo experiments further verified that the FOXD3-AS1/miR-296-5p axis exerted obvious anti-tumor effect through inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis and the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway was also inactivated in vivo by the inhibition of FOXD3-AS1. Inhibition of LncRNA FOXD3-AS1 suppresses the aggressive biological behaviors of thyroid cancer via elevating miR-296-5p and inactivating TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. • Up-regulated FOXD3-AS1 is correlated with down-regulated miR-296-5p in thyroid cancer tissues and cells. • Inhibition of LncRNA FOXD3-AS1 suppresses cell proliferation，cell invasion and migration in thyroid cancer cells. • Sh-FOXD3-AS1 exerted anti-tumor effect in thyroid cancer cells by elevating miR-296-5p. • Inhibition of LncRNA FOXD3-AS1 exerted anti-tumor effect by mediating the inactivation of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. • Inhibition of LncRNA FOXD3-AS1 suppresses the progression of thyroid cancer in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The feasibility of using anhydrous sodium metasilicate as a geopolymer activator for soil stabilization had been verified. • The strengths of stabilized clay samples activated by a conventional activator and the ASM activator had been compared. • The effects of modulus ratio, content of activators, GGBS on the strengths of stabilized clay samples were evaluated. • The two-stage process of dissolution ofASM powder in geopolymer-stabilized clay was verified by the 29Si MAS-NMR results. This paper presents recent research on the use of anhydrous sodium metasilicate (ASM) powder as the alkaline activator of a one-part geopolymer binder for use in soil stabilization, to enhance the strength properties of soft clay. Geotechnical, mineralogical and microstructural tests were used to determine the performance of the geopolymer binder when mixed into an artificial soft clay. Comparison with the strength development of geopolymer-stabilized clay samples activated by a conventional sodium hydroxide activator and the ASM activator had been made. The effects of modulus ratio (SiO 2 /Na 2 O), content of the activators, as well as the GGBS content, water content, and curing time on the strength development of the geopolymer-stabilized clay samples were evaluated. The results indicate that the ASM powder alone is suitable as an alkaline activator to generate a one-part geopolymer binder for soil stabilization based on its high 28-d strength (4.2 MPa) and its modulus ratio, which was in the optimal range (0.9–1.2). The microstructural analyses confirm the influence of the two-stage dissolution process of the hydrated amorphous alkali metal silicate powders on the strength development of the ASM-powder clay samples and the formation of the geopolymer gels. This study demonstrates that the ASM powder can be used to substitute for sodium hydroxide in generating a geopolymer binder, which can lead to more practical applications for geopolymer in soil stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliability and service life of power cables is closely related to the cable ampacity and temperature rise. Therefore, studying the temperature field distribution and the cable ampacity is helpful to improve the construction guidelines of cable manufacturers. Taking a 8.7/15 kV YJV 1 × 400 XLPE three-loop power cable as the research object, cable temperature is calculated by IEC-60287 thermal circuit method and numerical simulation method, respectively. The results show that the numerical simulation method is more in line with the actual measured temperature, and the relative error is only 0.32% compared with the actual measured temperature. The temperature field and air velocity field of cluster cables with different laying methods are analyzed by finite element method. The corresponding cable ampacity are calculated by secant method. The results show that when the cable is laid at the bottom of the cable trench, the cable current is 420 A, which is 87.5% of the regular laying. Under irregular laying mode, the temperature of cable is higher than that of regular laying mode and the cable ampacity is lower than that of regular laying mode. At the same time, a multiparameter online monitoring system is developed to online monitor the temperature, water level and smoke concentration of the cable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hyperhomocysteinemia can increase the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm by 7-fold. • Hyperhomocysteinemia can impair aortic endothelial function via its involvement in a series of inflammatory reactions. • RASSF2 plays a role in inflammation and immune cell chemotaxis. • Homocysteine-related genes, RASSF2 and IL-1β, may participate in the formation of AAA by promoting endothelium inflammation. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a fatal cardiovascular disorder with high mortality and morbidity rates. To date, no drug has shown to significantly alleviate the risk of AAA. Previous studies have indicated that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) significantly increases the incidence of AAA by disrupting endothelial cell homeostasis; however, the potential molecular mechanisms require clarification. Herein, we aimed to integrate transcriptomics analysis and molecular biology experiments to explore the potential molecular targets by which HHcy may increase the incidence of AAA. We integrated two AAA data profiles (GSE57691 and GSE7084) based on previously published microarray ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNAseq) data from the GEO database. Additionally, 500 μM homocysteine-treated human aorta endothelium cells microarray dataset (GSE175748) was downloaded and processed. Subsequently, single-cell RNA-seq profiles of the aortic aneurysms (GSE155468) were downloaded, scaled, and processed for further analysis. The microarray profiles analysis demonstrated that the Ras association domain family member 2 (RASSF2) and interleukin (IL)-1β are potentially the target genes involved in the HHcy-mediated aggravation of AAA formation. Single-cell RNAseq analysis revealed that RASSF2 might impair endothelial cell function by increasing inflammatory cell infiltration to participate in AAA formation. Finally, we conducted reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence analysis to validate the up-regulated mRNA expression of RASSF2 (p = 0.008) and IL-1β (p = 0.002) in AAA tissue compared to control tissue. Immunofluorescence staining revealed overexpression of RASSF2 protein in AAA tissue sections compared to control tissue (p = 0.037). Co-localization of RASSF2 and the aortic endothelium cell marker, CD31, was observed in tissue sections, indicating the potential involvement of RASSF2 in aortic endothelial cells. To summarise, our preliminary study revealed that HHcy may worsen AAA formation by up-regulating the expression of RASSF2 and IL-1β in aortic endothelium cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While stabilized marine sediment (SMS) is widely used in construction projects, its mechanical response may be influenced by its environment, such as contact with liquids of different pH value, the extent of which is not well understood. In this context, a marine sediment stabilized with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Ground-Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) is studied in this paper. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, mass loss analyses and micro-structure evaluations were conducted on SMS specimens having different curing durations (7, 28, 56 and 98 days) and in contact with liquids with different pH values (1, 7 and 10) for 100 days in a tank leaching setup. The results indicate that 1) replacement of OPC by GGBS in the ratio of 1:1 is most efficient in improving the UCS of the SMS considered herein; 2) UCS values determined after leaching at pH=7 and 10 are greater than those without leaching, whereas UCS values after leaching at pH=1 are lower than those without leaching, and 3) a reduced mass loss and a more compact structure occurs with greater leachate pH. Based on the experimental observations, a novel elastoplastic constitutive model with analytical stress–strain solutions is presented to describe the mechanical behaviour of SMS. The influences of two factors (leachate pH and curing durations) on the model parameters are analysed using the binary quadratic nonlinear regression method. The analytical model is shown to be capable of predicting the mechanical performance in various pH environments, representative of a variety of SMS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]