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Urban surface and near-surface air temperatures are known to be often higher than their rural counterparts, a phenomenon now labeled as the urban heat island effect. However, whether the elevated urban temperatures are more persistent than rural temperatures at timescales commensurate to heat waves has not been addressed despite its importance for human health. Combining numerical simulations by a global climate model with a surface energy balance theory, it is demonstrated here that urban surface and near-surface air temperatures are significantly more persistent than their rural counterparts in cities dominated by impervious materials with large thermal inertia. Further use of these materials will result in even stronger urban temperature persistence, especially for tropical cities. The present findings help pinpoint mitigation strategies that can simultaneously ameliorate the larger magnitude and stronger persistence of urban temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although morbidity has decreased in developed regions, cervical cancer (CC) continues to have the highest incidence of all gynecological malignancies. The burden of morbidity and mortality in developing regions is also rising quickly, especially for advanced CC. Along with apoptosis, iron death, and other forms of programmed cell death, pyroptosis is a significant inflammatory process. Its connection to the malignancy mechanism has been verified. The expression of genes linked to pyroptosis in CC tissue and its relationship to prognosis, however, remain poorly understood. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas, we first discovered 13 differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes (DE-PRGs) in the study (TCGA). Based on DE-PRGs, CC patients were divided into four subtypes. The 4 parts' times showed large variations according to the K-M curve. Then, using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression method, we created a mod el for predicting CC based on pyroptosis-associated genes. There were significant differences in overall survival (OS) times involving the high-risk and low-risk groups for all CC patients in the TCGA group, who were divided into lowrisk and high-risk groups (p equals 0.0441). The risk score status as an independent prognostic factor for CC was confirmed by independent prognostic predictor validation. The analyses of single-sample gene set and enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Ontology (GO) all revealed significant differences in immune cells and immune pathways involving high- and lowrisk groups (p less than 0.001), indicating a weakened immune status in high-risk groups. In conclusion, pyroptosis-associated genes are involved in tumor immunity and can help determine a patient's prognosis for CC. As a result, we have created and validated a signature that is related to pyroptosis and predicts CC prognosis, which may aid in early diagnosis, prognostic analysis, and immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus-solubilizing microbes play key roles in improving phosphorus availability and in alleviating phosphorus nutrient limitation in soils. However, we did not have a comprehensive understanding of the overall research progress and development trend of phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms. In this study, we obtain documents from the Web of Science (WOS) core collection between 2002 and 2022, and a comprehensive review of the progress of global research on soil phosphate solubilizing microorganisms was conducted by using the VOSviewer bibliometric analysis tool. The results showed an increasing trend in the number of published articles from 2002 to 2022. India, accounting for 28% of the total number of published articles, became the most productive country. However, Canada was the country with the highest average citation frequency of articles. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was the greatest contributor with the most publications. Among the published journals, Frontiers in Microbiology, Applied Soil Ecology and Plant and Soil were the top three core journals in this field. Based on the keyword analysis, the assessment of the mechanisms between phosphorus solubilizing microbes and the soil carbon cycles with the different management practices became the new research trend among the scientific communities. These findings would provide an important reference value for future in-depth research on soil phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emulsion is of great concern in the process of crude oil production. In the later stages of heavy oil reservoir development, the crude oil produced on the surface exists in the form of emulsion, accompanied by sand production. Some sand particles are transported to the surface with the fluid. It is necessary to determine the mechanism by which the type and size of clay particles affect the performance of emulsions in order to aid in demulsification. Therefore, the effects of different clay particles and sizes on the shape and stability of the emulsion and stability was studied. The research results show that emulsion droplets with added montmorillonite contain more clay particles in their interior compared to droplets with added kaolin and illite systems. The diameter of the droplets in the montmorillonite system is larger and mostly ranges between 10–12 μm. The proportion of droplets with a diameter of 12–20 μm in the kaolin and illite systems is smaller than that in the montmorillonite system. When the same type of clay particles are added, with the increase in particle size, the late-stage water volume and viscosity of the montmorillonite system are the highest. The range of water volume is 6.38–7.3 mL, and the viscosity slightly increases within the range of .07–.66 mPa·s. When the clay particles are 8–10 μm, the viscosity increase of each system also gradually becomes smaller. The molecular dynamics simulation results show that the effects of adding clay particles on the root mean square displacement in different directions are z-axis > y-axis > x-axis. The addition of clay particles in the system has a lower crude oil migration speed compared to the blank system, ranging from .0001 to .0003 Å2 /ps. The addition of clay particles mainly affects the root mean square displacement of oil droplets in the vertical direction. Through this study, the effects of different clay particles on the emulsion of heavy oil have been preliminarily determined, providing guidance for the treatment of heavy oil emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Hepatopulmonary syndrome is a serious respiratory injury caused by chronic liver disease. Excessive pulmonary capillary angiogenesis is the key pathological event. However, the mechanism of microRNA regulatory pulmonary capillary angiogenesis is still unclear. Materials and Methods: The hepatopulmonary syndrome rat model was constructed by Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) surgery. The expression tread of miR181-5p and Wif1 was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot in various tissues and disease processes. Wif1 was predicted as one of the potential target genes of miR181-5p by bioinformatic assay. miR181-5p mimics and inhibitors were used to increase/decrease miR181-5p levels in pulmonary microvascular cells. And Wif-1 specific recombinant lentiviruses were used to up-regulate and down-regulate Wif1 in pulmonary microvascular cells. Then, CCK8, Transwell, and tube formation assay were used for pulmonary microvascular cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. And Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to assess that miR181-5p may direct regulate Wif-1 in HPS rats. Results: The result showed miR181-5p specifically activates the Wnt signaling pathway by inhibiting Wif1 and then promotes pulmonary microvascular cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, thereby accelerating the process of HPS. We finally verified Wif1 as a novel and direct target of miR181-5p in HPS. Conclusion: Taken together, we revealed an important miR-181-5p/Wif1/Wnt pathway in regulating pathological angiogenesis. It will prove beneficial as a therapeutic strategy for hepatopulmonary syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and optical properties of orthorhombic Ce0.7Nd0.3AlO3 under different pressures are studied with the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof screened hybrid functional. With the increase of pressure, both the lattice constants and the band gap show a decreasing trend. The pressure not only reduces the bandwidth of the middle and high valence bands but also increases the strength of the density of states. The main peak of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant and the static dielectric constant increase continuously with the increasing pressure. The blue-shift of prominent peaks of absorption coefficient, reflectivity, and energy-loss energy are obvious with the increasing pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotoneaster densiflorus, a new species of Rosaceae from western Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, we inferred that the new species belongs to Cotoneaster Ser. Salicifolii sensu Yü et al. (1974) in the Flora of China and Fryer and Hylmö (2009). This species is most similar to C. salicifolius, but differs in its leaf blade of ovate-lanceolate to obovate shape (vs. elliptic-oblong to ovate-lanceolate), smaller lengthwidth ratio of 2.37 ± 0.31 (vs. 3.17 ± 0.32), slightly conduplicate (vs. not conduplicate), less lateral veins of 6–8 pairs (vs. 12–16 pairs), upper surface slightly rugose (vs. rugose), leaf margin plane (vs. revolute), lower surface densely grey tomentose (vs. grey tomentose, with bloom), greater corolla diameter of 7–9 mm (vs. 5–6 mm), styles 2 (vs. 2–3), pyrenes 2 (vs. 2–3), larger pollen grains P/E values of 2.05 ± 0.12 (vs. 1.19 ± 0.05) and leaf epidermis type W (vs. type I). Based on phylogenetic analysis of the whole chloroplast genome, C. densiflorus is sister to C. rhytidophyllus, but distantly related to C. salicifolius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new weak Galerkin method with weakly enforced Dirichlet boundary condition is proposed and analyzed for the second order elliptic problems. Two penalty terms are incorporated into the weak Galerkin method to enforce the boundary condition in the weak sense. The new numerical scheme is designed by using the locally constructed weak gradient. Optimal order error estimates are established for the numerical approximation in the energy norm and usual L2 norm. Moreover, by using the Schur complement technique, the unknowns of the numerical scheme are only defined on the boundary of each piecewise element and an effective implementation of the reduced global system is presented. Some numerical experiments are reported to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is a lack of understanding regarding carbon (C) sequestration in China arising as a result of phosphorus (P) limitation. In this study, a global land surface model (CABLE) was used to investigate the response of C uptake to P limitation after 1901. In China, P limitation resulted in reduced net primary production (NPP), heterotrophic respiration, and net ecosystem production (NEP) in both the 2030s and the 2060s. The reductions in NEP in the period 2061–70 varied from 0.32 Pg C yr−1 in China to 5.50 Pg C yr−1 at the global scale, translating to a decrease of 15.0% for China and 7.6% globally in the period 2061–70, relative to the changes including C and nitrogen cycles. These ranges reflect variations in the magnitude of P limitation on C uptake (or storage) at the regional and global scales. Both in China and at the global scale, these differences can be attributed to differences in soil nutrient controls on C uptake, or positive feedback between NPP and soil decomposition rates, or both. Our results highlight the strong ability of P limitation to influence the pattern, response, and magnitude of C uptake under future conditions (2030s–2060s), which may help to clarify the potential influence of P limitation when projecting C uptake in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamines promote cellular proliferation. Their levels are controlled by ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 1 (Az1, encoded by OAZ1), through the proteasome-mediated, ubiquitin-independent degradation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis. Az1-mediated degradation of other substrates such as cyclin D1 (CCND1), DNp73 (TP73) or Mps1 regulates cell growth and centrosome amplification, and the currently known six Az1 substrates are all linked with tumorigenesis. To understand whether Az1-mediated protein degradation might play a role in regulating other cellular processes associated with tumorigenesis, we employed quantitative proteomics to identify novel Az1 substrates. Here, we describe the identification of LIM domain and actin-binding protein 1 (LIMA1), also known as epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN), as a new Az1 target. Interestingly, between the two EPLIN isoforms (α and β), only EPLIN-β is a substrate of Az1. The interaction between EPLIN-β and Az1 appears to be indirect, and EPLIN-β is degraded by Az1 in a ubiquitination-independent manner. Az1 absence leads to elevated EPLIN-β levels, causing enhanced cellular migration. Consistently, higher LIMA1 levels correlate with poorer overall survival of colorectal cancer patients. Overall, this study identifies EPLIN-β as a novel Az1 substrate regulating cellular migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever, caused by a large icosahedral DNA virus (African swine fever virus, ASFV), is a highly contagious disease in domestic and feral swine, thus posing a significant economic threat to the global swine industry. Currently, there are no effective vaccines or the available methods to control ASFV infection. Attenuated live viruses with deleted virulence factors are considered to be the most promising vaccine candidates; however, the mechanism by which these attenuated viruses confer protection is unclear. Here, we used the Chinese ASFV CN/GS/2018 as a backbone and used homologous recombination to generate a virus in which MGF110-9L and MGF360-9L, two genes antagonize host innate antiviral immune response, were deleted (ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L). This genetically modified virus was highly attenuated in pigs and provided effective protection of pigs against parental ASFV challenge. Importantly, we found ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L infection induced higher expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA compared with parental ASFV as determined by RNASeq and RT-PCR analysis. Further immunoblotting results showed that parental ASFV and ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L infection inhibited Pam3CSK4-triggered activating phosphorylation of proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB subunit p65 and phosphorylation of NF-κB inhibitor IκBa levels, although NF-κB activation was higher in ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L-infected cells compared with parental ASFV-infected cells. Additionally, we show overexpression of TLR2 inhibited ASFV replication and the expression of ASFV p72 protein, whereas knockdown of TLR2 had the opposite effect. Our findings suggest that the attenuated virulence of ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L might be mediated by increased NF-κB and TLR2 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflection acoustic logging is a new technology for identifying geological structures around the well. It can be used to describe the geological structure, such as formation interface, fracture, and limestone cave. Based on the acoustic logging tool composed of the source and array receiver, the method can be used to image the geological structure around the well. Through migration imaging, the section crossing the well can be obtained in any azimuth. In the current three-dimensional (3D) display technology of reflection acoustic logging, the reflection plane around the well is always displayed as a reflection arc. The arc surface correction method can correct the arc surface in 3D imaging into a plane. According to the similarity criterion in a physical experiment and the need for practical research, we designed a scale model well experiment of dipole reflection acoustic logging. We obtained the 3D display of the reflection structure around the well by the experiment and realized the arc surface correction of the 3D display in reflection acoustic logging. The application shows the method can qualitatively describe the lateral extension length of the geological structure around the well. After the arc surface correction, the geological structure can be more accurately described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study exploring how ETS Variant Transcription Factor 4 (ETV4) mediates dosage-dependent prostate tumor initiation and cooperates with p53 loss to generate prostate cancer. It mentions that Single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing showed that stabilized ETV4 induced a previously unidentified luminal-derived expression cluster with signatures of cell cycle, senescence, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Genome cyclization is essential for viral RNA (vRNA) replication of the vertebrate-infecting flaviviruses, and yet its regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Yellow fever virus (YFV) is a notorious pathogenic flavivirus. Here, we demonstrated that a group of cis-acting RNA elements in YFV balance genome cyclization to govern efficient vRNA replication. It was shown that the downstream of the 59-cyclization sequence hairpin (DCS-HP) is conserved in the YFV clade and is important for efficient YFV propagation. By using two different replicon systems, we found that the function of the DCS-HP is determined primarily by its secondary structure and, to a lesser extent, by its base-pair composition. By combining in vitro RNA binding and chemical probing assays, we found that the DCS-HP orchestrates the balance of genome cyclization through two different mechanisms, as follows: the DCS-HP assists the correct folding of the 59 end in a linear vRNA to promote genome cyclization, and it also limits the overstabilization of the circular form through a potential crowding effect, which is influenced by the size and shape of the DCSHP structure. We also provided evidence that an A-rich sequence downstream of the DCS-HP enhances vRNA replication and contributes to the regulation of genome cyclization. Interestingly, diversified regulatory mechanisms of genome cyclization, involving both the downstream of the 59-cyclization sequence (CS) and the upstream of the 39-CS elements, were identified among different subgroups of the mosquitoborne flaviviruses. In summary, our work highlighted how YFV precisely controls the balance of genome cyclization to ensure viral replication. IMPORTANCE Yellow fever virus (YFV), the prototype of the Flavivirus genus, can cause devastating yellow fever disease. Although it is preventable by vaccination, there are still tens of thousands of yellow fever cases per year, and no approved antiviral medicine is available. However, the understandings about the regulatory mechanisms of YFV replication are obscure. In this study, by a combination of bioinformatics, reverse genetics, and biochemical approaches, it was shown that the downstream of the 59-cyclization sequence hairpin (DCS-HP) promotes efficient YFV replication by modulating the conformational balance of viral RNA. Interestingly, we found specialized combinations for the downstream of the 59-cyclization sequence (CS) and upstream of the 39-CS elements in different groups of the mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Moreover, possible evolutionary relationships among the various downstream of the 59-CS elements were implied. This work highlighted the complexity of RNA-based regulatory mechanisms in the flaviviruses and will facilitate the design of RNA structure-targeted antiviral therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer is one of the cancers with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aryl sulfonamide indisulam inhibits the proliferation of several types of cancer cells through its function as a molecular glue to promote the ubiquitination and degradation of RNA-binding motif protein 39 (RBM39). However, it is unknown whether and how indisulam regulates the migration of cancer cells. In this work, using label-free quantitative proteomics, we discover that indisulam significantly attenuates N-cadherin, a marker for epithelial to mesenchymal transition and migration of cancer cells. Our bioinformatics analysis and biochemical experiments reveal that indisulam promotes the interaction between the zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), a transcription factor of N-cadherin, and DCAF15, a substrate receptor of CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase, and enhances ZEB1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. In addition, our cell line-based experiments demonstrate that indisulam inhibits the migration of gastric cancer cells in a ZEB1-dependent manner. Analyses of patient samples and datasets in public databases reveal that tumor tissues from patients with gastric cancer express high ZEB1 mRNA and this high expression reduces patient survival rate. Finally, we show that treatment of gastric tumor samples with indisulam significantly reduces ZEB1 protein levels. Therefore, this work discloses a new mechanism by which indisulam inhibits the migration of gastric cancer cells, indicating that indisulam exhibits different biological functions through distinct signaling molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the role and mechanisms of action of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) (LINC00461) in breast cancer. Methods: Human breast cancer cell lines and normal mammary epithelial cell lines as well as their corresponding negative controls (NC) were cultured and co-transfected with Lipofectamine 3000. Expressions of LINC00461 and miR-607 were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), while the SLC1A3 level was evaluated by western blot. The role of LINC00461 in cell proliferation, apoptosis, cycle arrest, glycolysis, and chemoresistance was determined by MTT, colony formation, flow cytometry, and ELISA assays. Results: The LINC00461 level was overexpressed in breast cancer cell lines (p ˂ 0.05). Knockdown of LINC00461 in MCF-7 cells inhibited cell viability (p ˂ 0.01) and the degree of colony formation (p ˂ 0.001), induced cell apoptosis (p ˂ 0.001) and cycle arrest (p ˂ 0.01), and suppressed glucose consumption (p ˂ 0.001), lactate production (p ˂ 0.001), LDHA activity (p ˂ 0.05) and cisplatin sensitivity (p ˂ 0.05). Overexpression of LINC00461 in MDA-MB-468 cells resulted in reverse outcomes. LINC00461 positively regulated the expression of SLC1A3 via miR-607 in breast cancer cells. It was mechanistically established that LINC00461 is bound to miR-607 and miR-607 bound to SLC1A3, and this was confirmed by luciferase assay. Conclusion: LINC00461 induces cell proliferation, cycle arrest, glycolysis, and chemoresistance by modulating miR-607/SLC1A3 axis in breast cancer. The results lay the theoretical basis for monitoring and therapy of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast evolution in the field of the replicase nsp2 represents a most prominent feature of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Here, we determined its biological significance in viral pathogenesis by constructing interlineage chimeric mutants between the Chinese highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) strain JXwn06 (lineage 8) and the low-virulent NADC30-like strain CHsx1401 (lineage 1). Replacement with nsp2 from JXwn06 was surprisingly lethal to the backbone virus CHsx1401, but combined substitution with the structural protein-coding region (SP) gave rise to viable virus CHsx1401-SPnsp2JX. Meanwhile, a derivative carrying only the SP region (CHsx1401-SPJX) served as a control. Subsequent animal experiments revealed that acquisition of SP alone (CHsx1401-SPJX) did not allow CHsx1401 to gain much virulence, but additional swapping of HP-PRRSV nsp2 (CHsx1401-SPnsp2JX) enabled CHsx1401 to acquire some properties of HP-PRRSV, exemplified by prolonged high fever, microscopic lung hemorrhage, and a significant increase in proinflammatory cytokines in the acute stage. Consistent with this was the transcriptomic analysis of persistently infected secondary lymphoid tissues that revealed a much stronger induction of host cellular immune responses in this group and identified several core immune genes (e.g., TLR4, IL- 1 b, MPO, etc.) regulated by HP-PRRSV nsp2. Interestingly, immune activation status in the individual groups correlated well with the rate of viremia clearance and viral tissue load reduction. Overall, the above results suggest that the Chinese HP-PRRSV nsp2 is a critical virulence regulator and highlight the importance of nsp2 genetic variation in modulating PRRSV virulence and persistence via immune modulation. IMPORTANCE Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been a major threat to the world swine industry. In the field, rapid genetic variations (e.g., deletion, mutation, recombination, etc.) within the nsp2 region present an intriguing conundrum to PRRSV biology and pathogenesis. By making chimeric mutants, here, we show that the Chinese highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) nsp2 is a virulence factor and a much stronger inducer of host immune responses (e.g., inflammation) than its counterpart, currently epidemic, NADC30-like strains. Differences in the ability to modulate host immunity provide insight into the mechanisms of why NADC30-like strains and their derivatives are rising to be the dominant viruses, whereas the Chinese HP-PRRSV strains gradually give away center stage in the field. Our results have important implications in understanding PRRSV evolution, interlineage recombination, and persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aromaticity is one of the most important concepts in chemistry. However, there is still no unified chemical insight for various systems with conjugated sp2 carbon. Herein, we proposed a superatomic-molecule theory to build a generalized electron rule for polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons, fullerenes and 2D periodic materials. Taking benzenoid units as 2D superatoms, polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons and C60 can be seen as superatomic molecules consisting of bonded superatoms, resulting in local aromaticity. In superatomic molecules, π electrons are not totally delocalized, but localized in a single superatom forming superatomic lone pairs or shared by two atoms forming a superatomic bond, mimicking rules in classical valence bond theory. Moreover, two 2D superatomic crystals (C18H6 and C54H18) are predicted to have fairly large band gaps (∼1.8 eV), although the π electrons are conjugated and delocalized. The proposed superatomic-molecule theory provides generalized chemical insights into the nature of local aromaticity, which can be qualitatively evaluated by the chemical intuition given by superatomic Lewis structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the effects of intense pulsed light (IPL) on oxidative stress (OS) in perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC). Background: IPL treatment has been proven effective for dry eye disease (DED). However, we have observed that, after IPL treatment, some patients with DED combined with allergic conjunctivitis (AC), an immune response condition in which excessive OS causes and exacerbates inflammatory damage, not only show an improvement in eye dryness, but also their AC-related eye itching is relieved. The mechanism by which IPL inhibits allergic reactions is not clear. Methods: Five patients with moderate-to-severe PAC were given two IPL treatments on the periorbital skin with a 2-week interval. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores and signs of AC, including eye redness and conjunctival follicles, were assessed before the first treatment (day 1) and 2 weeks after the second treatment (day 30). Tears were also collected at the same time, and lipid oxidation (LPO) metabolite analysis was performed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to investigate the effects of IPL on OS response. Results: The average VAS score significantly decreased with treatment (30.2 for day 1, 10.6 for day 30; p < 0.001). The general signs of PAC showed no difference (p > 0.05). LPO metabolite analysis revealed that 17,18-diHETE, which is an oxidation product of eicosapentaenoic acid, and 13-OXoODE, which is an oxidation product of linoleic acid, are significantly downregulated after IPL treatment. Conclusions: The photothermal effect of IPL attenuates OS in PAC, and this seems to be one of the mechanisms by which IPL treatment improves PAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Existing guidelines and studies on the benefits of cerclage in twin pregnancies with a dilated cervix have low reliability and inconsistent conclusions. New randomized control trials and cohort studies focusing on twin pregnancies with cervical insufficiency were published recently. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to compare outcomes of cerclage placement and expectant treatment in twin pregnancies with a dilated cervix using recent data. Methods We screened the PubMed, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Library databases to identify randomized controlled trials and cohort studies comparing maternal and perinatal outcomes of twin pregnancies with cervical dilation, with and without cerclage placement, published until December 2020. Estimates were pooled using random-effects or fixed-effect models depending on the heterogeneity. Mean difference, 95% confidence interval, and relative risk were used to compare the outcomes. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The meta-analyses followed the guidance of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standard and the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines for systematic reviews of observational studies. Results Five studies, comprising 275 twin pregnancies, met the inclusion criteria; of those, 167 underwent cerclage and 108 were expectantly managed. Cerclage placement significantly prolonged the interval from the time of diagnosis to delivery and reduced the incidence of preterm delivery, perinatal death, and complications. The fetal outcomes improved significantly in cases managed with cerclage. Conclusion Therefore, emergent cerclage is a potential option for managing twin pregnancies with cervical dilation of at least 1 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The load that borne by ship mining system is very complex. The vibration of lifting pipe can be significantly affected by ocean current and wind load, which has a key impact on material lifting, ore bin storage and ship towing. Considering the composite load condition, the vibration control equation of mining ship is established based on the transverse swing mechanism of ship hull, and the variation law of transverse disturbance is obtained. The dynamic equation is constructed according to the bearing characteristics of the lifting system and the D'Alembert principle. The Wilson method is used to analyze and obtain the transverse vibration spectrum response of the lifting pipe under different wind loads, hull disturbance velocity and water depth. Based on the analogy method and hammering method, the vibration feedback test-bed of the lifting system is built, and the time-domain and frequency-domain vibration characteristics of the lifting pipe model under different water depths are obtained. The results show that in shallow water, the disturbance of mining ship and the composite load of ocean current are the key factors affecting the vibration amplitude of lifting pipe respectively. With the increase of water depth, the characteristic frequency and amplitude of the system decrease, and the amplitude gradually presents a discontinuous phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the inhibitory effects of intense pulsed light (IPL) on meibomian gland (MG) inflammation. Background: IPL treatment is effective for dry eye disease (DED) caused by meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). However, the anti-inflammatory and regeneration stimulating effects of IPL on MGD remain unclear. Moreover, studies on inflammatory metabolites in MG secretions are lacking. Methods: Six patients with DED were administered two IPL treatments. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaires were used to assess DED, MGD signs, including degree of obstruction, secretion, and atrophy of the MG, tear film break-up time (TBUT) was assessed before and after treatments. To determine IPL treatmentinduced changes in metabolites, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze MG secretions. Results: Data were gathered before the first treatment (time A) and 2 weeks after the second treatment (time B). Average OSDI score showed a significant decrease (time A and B measurements were 44.07 and 16.65, respectively). Besides, statistically significant differences were observed in MG signs before and after treatments: degree of obstruction improved and secretions became thinner. TBUT was significantly increased to the normal range. LCMS/MS led to the identification of 53 differentialmetabolites: 23were upregulated (e.g., estradiol, coenzymeQ, and azelaic acid) and 30 were downregulated (e.g., prostaglandins, 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, and arachidonic acid). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that most differential metabolites were involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the flavor differences of freeze‐dried sea cucumber powder, processed for different time intervals, under vibration mill‐assisted complex enzyme hydrolysis using electronic nose (E‐nose) and gas chromatography‐ion mobility spectrometry (GC‐IMS). The results of principal component analysis by E‐nose showed distinction among the four groups of freeze‐dried sea cucumber powder (papain‐neutral protease (PN) and flavorzyme‐neutral protease (FN), processed for 60 and 80 min). The GC‐IMS revealed 35 volatile compounds. Subsequently, based on the fingerprint and heat map results, the flavor differences among the samples were clearly distinguished. When compared to the other three groups, the 60‐FN group exhibited a greater variety and quantity of volatile compounds such as octanal, heptanal, hexanal, (E, Z)‐2,6‐nonadienal, and nonanal. The 80‐PN group exhibited high amounts of 2‐propanone, ethylbenzene, ethyl acetate, and 2,5‐dimethylpyrazine. In addition, the vibration mill technique was considered to be a mild enzyme‐assisted method. Practical applications: This study found that different enzyme types and physical technology operation time can affect the different volatile flavor compounds of freeze‐dried sea cucumber powder, which can be quickly and effectively be identified by E‐nose and GC‐IMS technology to improve the flavor and quality of the product, while facilitating the rapid adjustment and development of the industry. Meanwhile, the results of the study could provide a reference for the deep processing and flavor improvement of the sea cucumber industry and make an important contribution to the related literature. In addition, this could also promote the development and application of non‐thermal processing technologies such as vibratory mill in the freeze‐dried sea cucumber powder industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to incorporate clinicopathological, sonographic, and mammographic characteristics to construct and validate a nomogram model for predicting disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: Patients diagnosed with TNBC at our institution between 2011 and 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. A nomogram model was generated based on clinicopathological, sonographic, and mammographic variables that were associated with 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis in the training set. The nomogram model was validated according to the concordance index (C-index) and calibration curves in the validation set. Results: A total of 636 TNBC patients were enrolled and divided into training cohort (n = 446) and validation cohort (n = 190). Clinical factors including tumor size > 2 cm, axillary dissection, presence of LVI, and sonographic features such as angular/spiculated margins, posterior acoustic shadows, and presence of suspicious lymph nodes on preoperative US showed a tendency towards worse DFS. The multivariate analysis showed that no adjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 6.7, 95% CI: 2.6, 17.5, p < 0.0005), higher axillary tumor burden (HR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.0, 7.1, p = 0.045), and ≥ 3 malignant features on ultrasound (HR = 2.4, CI: 1.1, 5.0, p = 0.021) were identified as independent prognostic factors associated with poorer DFS outcomes. In the nomogram, the C-index was 0.693 for the training cohort and 0.694 for the validation cohort. The calibration plots also exhibited excellent consistency between the nomogram-predicted and actual survival probabilities in both the training and validation cohorts. Conclusions: Clinical variables and sonographic features were correlated with the prognosis of TNBCs. The nomogram model based on three variables including no adjuvant chemotherapy, higher axillary tumor load, and more malignant sonographic features showed good predictive performance for poor survival outcomes of TNBC. Key Points: • The absence of adjuvant chemotherapy, heavy axillary tumor load, and malignant-like sonographic features can predict DFS in patients with TNBC. • Mammographic features of TNBC could not predict the survival outcomes of patients with TNBC. • The nomogram integrating clinicopathological and sonographic characteristics is a reliable predictive model for the prognostic outcome of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the defect that the quality of English flipped classroom teaching cannot be quantitatively evaluated, an English flipped classroom teaching model based on big data learning analysis is proposed. In the English flipped classroom teaching mode, which applies the flipped classroom teaching mode, the classroom teaching links are changed, the preview feedback, joint answer and question between teachers and students, classroom teaching, and teachers' questions are taken as the key links of classroom teaching, and the teacher education and school management system are improved, so as to complete the reform of English flipped classroom teaching mode. The convolution neural network is used to extract the evaluation text features, mine the association rules of massive evaluation text data through the Apriori algorithm, determine the evaluation index of English flipped classroom teaching quality, and complete the evaluation of English flipped classroom teaching quality by using the decision tree method in big data analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed method can quantitatively evaluate the quality of English flipped classroom teaching by using the evaluation text, and the evaluation accuracy and recall rate are higher than 98%, which can realize the objective evaluation of English flipped classroom teaching quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten 4β-N-substituted derivatives of 4′-O-demethylpodophyllotoxin were designed by aldehydes reacting with 4′-O-demethylpodophyllotoxin. Their cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines (HeLa) was evaluated using the MTT assay. Compounds 7a–7d, 7f, 7g, and 7h exhibited pronounced stronger activity than that of the positive control etoposide (VP-16). 4β-N-Substituted derivatives of 4′-O-demethylpodophyllotoxin were worthy of further study with potential antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person search has long been treated as a crucial and challenging task to support deeper insight in personalized summarization and personality discovery. Traditional methods, e.g., person re-identification and face recognition techniques, which profile video characters based on visual information, are often limited by relatively fixed poses or small variation of viewpoints and suffer from more realistic scenes with high motion complexity (e.g., movies). At the same time, long videos such as movies often have logical story lines and are composed of continuously developmental plots. In this situation, different persons usually meet on a specific occasion, in which informative social cues are performed. We notice that these social cues could semantically profile their personality and benefit person search task in two aspects. First, persons with certain relationships usually co-occur in short intervals; in case one of them is easier to be identified, the social relation cues extracted from their co-occurrences could further benefit the identification for the harder ones. Second, social relations could reveal the association between certain scenes and characters (e.g., classmate relationship may only exist among students), which could narrow down candidates into certain persons with a specific relationship. In this way, high-level social relation cues could improve the effectiveness of person search. Along this line, in this article, we propose a social context-aware framework, which fuses visual and social contexts to profile persons in more semantic perspectives and better deal with person search task in complex scenarios. Specifically, we first segment videos into several independent scene units and abstract out social contexts within these scene units. Then, we construct inner-personal links through a graph formulation operation for each scene unit, in which both visual cues and relation cues are considered. Finally, we perform a relation-aware label propagation to identify characters' occurrences, combining low-level semantic cues (i.e., visual cues) and high-level semantic cues (i.e., relation cues) to further enhance the accuracy. Experiments on real-world datasets validate that our solution outperforms several competitive baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on data collected during ethnographic fieldwork in a factory in south-east China to describe the significance of a group of activities colloquially known as "pulling the sheep's wool" (haoyangmao). This wide-ranging set of thrift-oriented practices involves gaining rewards and discounts by collecting various credits and points, most often through activities conducted on online shopping, news and payment platforms. Recent studies have sought to reposition thrift as a morally-infused consumptive practice for the creation of value, through which the concept of the house is enacted. However, this paper demonstrates how thrift is viewed by labourers as a kind of "work". As such, it is able to act in a factory environment largely unmoored from notions of domesticity, instead delineating social boundaries between production line workers and managers, fostering communal behaviours amongst labourers and—through a process of earmarking—allowing for workers to direct a greater share of their wages toward household economies. We argue that this conception of thrift as labour actually reworks the way that consumption conjoins with production, challenging our received understandings of consumption, while also providing new possibilities for the creation of both value and personhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) protects against acute stress-induced liver injury, but what's less clear lies in the specific mechanism. To elucidate the specific mechanism underlying DEX on acute stress-induced liver injury, an in vivo model was constructed on rats with acute stress-induced liver injury by 15 min of exhaustive swimming and 3 hr of immobilization. DEX (30 µg/kg) or miR-34a-5p agomir was injected into model rats. Open field test was used to verify the establishment of the model. Liver injury was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Contents of norepinephrine (NE), alanine aminotransfease (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum of rats were detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and those of oxidative stress markers (reactive oxygen species (ROS), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione (GSH), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX)) were measured using commercial kits. Apoptosis of hepatocytes was detected by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Western blot was performed to detect the expressions of SOD2, COX-2, cytochrome C, Cleaved caspase 3, Bax, Bcl-2, P-JNK, JNK, P-p38, p38 and c-AMP, p-PKA and PKA in liver tissues. As a result, liver injury in model rat was alleviated by DEX. DEX attenuated the increase in the levels of NE, ALT, AST, MDA, ROS, apoptosis, SOD2, COX-2, Cytochrome C, cleaved caspase 3, Bax, and P-JNK, P-p38, c-AMP, P-PKA and miR-34a-5p, and the decrease in the levels of SOD, GPX, GSH and Bcl-2 in model rats. Furthermore, miR-34a-5p overexpression could partly reverse the effects of DEX. Collectively, DEX could alleviate acute stress-induced liver injury through ROS/JNK/p38 signaling pathway via downregulation of miR-34a-5p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based sensor, 4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)benzoxime (TPE-phos), has been rationally designed for phosgene detection. The sensor has a tetraphenylethylene unit combined with an oxime moiety. TPE-phos undergoes nitrile formation after the oxime group reacts with phosgene, which will give a significant "light-up" fluorescence due to the AIE effect within seconds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke is a disease characterized by sudden cerebral ischemia and is the second leading cause of death worldwide. We aimed to develop and validate a nomogram model to predict mortality in intensive care unit patients with stroke.Methods: All data involved in this study were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database (MIMIC-III). The data were analyzed using multivariate Cox regression, and the performance of the novel nomogram, which assessed the patient's overall survival at 30, 180, and 360 days after stroke, was evaluated using Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. A calibration curve and decision curve were introduced to test the clinical value and effectiveness of our prediction model.Results: A total of 767 patients with stroke were randomly divided into derivation (n = 536) and validation (n = 231) cohorts at a 7:3 ratio. Multivariate Cox regression showed that 12 independent predictors, including age, weight, ventilation, cardiac arrhythmia, metastatic cancer, explicit sepsis, Oxford Acute Severity of Illness Score or OASIS score, diastolic blood pressure, bicarbonate, chloride, red blood cell and white blood cell counts, played a significant role in the survival of individuals with stroke. The nomogram model was validated based on the C-indices, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis results.Conclusions: The plotted nomogram accurately predicted stroke outcomes and, thus may contribute to clinical decision-making and treatment as well as consultation services for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about the establishment of a translational paradigm of the protein synthesis of pluripotency transcription factors and epigenetic regulators imposed on their established roles in controlling pluripotency. It mentions that translational control has emerged as a fundamental regulatory layer of proteome complexity that governs cellular identity and functions.

In this study, the effects of the thermal ultrasonic enzyme inactivation process on flavor enhancement in sea cucumber hydrolysates (SCHs) and its impact on the inactivation of neutral proteases (NPs) were investigated. The body wall of the sea cucumber was enzymatically hydrolyzed with NPs. On the one hand, the structure of NPs subjected to different enzyme inactivation methods was analyzed using ζ-potential, particle size, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. On the other hand, the microstructure and flavor changes of SCHs were examined through scanning electron microscopy, E -nose, and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The results indicated that thermal ultrasound treatment at 60 °C could greatly affect the structure of NPs, thereby achieving enzyme inactivation. Furthermore, this treatment generated more pleasant flavor compounds, such as pentanal and (E)-2-nonenal. Hence, thermal ultrasound treatment could serve as an alternative process to traditional heat inactivation of enzymes for improving the flavor of SCHs. • Thermal ultrasonic inactivation was comparable to traditional inactivation. • Ultrasound requires heat treatment assistance to inactivate enzyme. • Thermal ultrasound caused structural changes in neutral protease. • Thermal ultrasonic inactivation improved flavor of sea cucumber hydrolysates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a patient in China with fever of unknown origin who visited 3 hospitals in 3 weeks and was finally given a diagnosis of acute Q fever, determined by metagenomics next-generation sequencing. Our results indicate that physicians are unfamiliar with Q fever and the disease is neglected in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Responsive photonic crystals have attracted much attention due to their strong capability to manipulate the propagation of light in the visible region, but it is still a big challenge to invisibility and mechanical stability. Here, the novel Poly(ether sulfone)/Poly(acrylic acid) inverse opal photonic crystals, which have high mechanical stability and can release visible patterns after wetting with water, are discussed. The Poly(ether sulfone)/Poly(acrylic acid) inverse opal photonic crystals are also responsive to the concentration of ethanol, and the structural color response times increase with increasing ethanol concentration. This design uses the selective infiltration, hydrogen bonding and capillary action of solvent to realize the spectral diversity of reflectance. Owing to the high polarity and hydrogen bonding ability of carboxyl groups, water molecules are adsorbed easily by the poly(acrylic acid) gel. Subsequently, the encrypted information is decrypted due to the redshift of the structural color. Because of its lower polarity and hydrogen bonding ability relative to water, ethanol can impede the absorption of solvent by gel. Therefore, the ethanol concentration can be identified based on the structural color response time. Furthermore, reliable information decryption methods make Poly(ether sulfone)/Poly(acrylic acid) inverse opal photonic crystals potentially uesful as trusted encryption devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection in cloven-hoofed animals causes severe inflammatory symptoms, including blisters on the oral mucosa, hoof, and breast; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the inflammatory response is unclear. In this study, we provide the first evidence that the FMDV protein VP3 activates lipopolysaccharide-triggered Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. FMDV VP3 increased the expression of TLR4 by downregulating the expression of the lysozyme-related protein Rab7b. Additionally, Rab7b can interact with VP3 to promote the replication of FMDV. Our findings suggested that VP3 regulates the Rab7b-TLR4 axis to mediate the inflammatory response to FMDV. IMPORTANCE Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection causes a severe inflammatory response in cloven-hoofed animals, such as pigs, cattle, and sheep, with typical clinical manifestations of high fever, numerous blisters on the oral mucosa, hoof, and breast, as well as myocarditis (tigroid heart). However, the mechanism underlying the inflammatory response caused by FMDV is enigmatic. In this study, we identified the VP3 protein of FMDV as an important proinflammatory factor. Mechanistically, VP3 interacted with TLR4 to promote TLR4 expression by inhibiting the expression of the lysozyme-related protein Rab7b. Our findings suggest that FMDV VP3 is a major proinflammatory factor in FMDV-infected hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in women worldwide. Early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve the management of breast cancer. Liquid biopsies are becoming convenient detection methods for diagnosing and monitoring breast cancer due to their noninvasiveness and ability to provide real-time feedback. A range of liquid biopsy markers, including circulating tumor proteins, circulating tumor cells, and circulating tumor nucleic acids, have been implemented for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis, with each having its own advantages and limitations. Circulating extracellular vesicles are messengers of intercellular communication that are packed with information from mother cells and are found in a wide variety of bodily fluids; thus, they are emerging as ideal candidates for liquid biopsy biomarkers. In this review, we summarize extracellular vesicle protein markers that can be potentially used for the early diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer or determining its specific subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large DNA virus that is highly contagious and pathogenic in domestic pigs with a mortality rate up to 100%. However, how ASFV suppresses JAK-STAT1 signaling to evade the immune response remains unclear. In this study, we found that the ASFV-encoded protein MGF-505-7R inhibited proinflammatory IFN-γ-mediated JAK-STAT1 signaling. Mechanistically, MGF-505-7R was found to interact with JAK1 and JAK2 and mediate their degradation. Further study indicated that MGF-505-7R promoted degradation of JAK1 and JAK2 by upregulating the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF125 expression and inhibiting expression of Hes5, respectively. Consistently, MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV induced high levels of IRF1 expression and displayed compromised replication both in primary porcine alveolar macrophages and pigs compared with wild-type ASFV. Furthermore, MGF-505-7R deficiency attenuated the virulence of the ASFV and pathogenesis of ASF in pigs. These findings suggest that the JAK-STAT1 axis mediates the innate immune response to the ASFV and that MGF-505-7R plays a critical role in the virulence of the ASFV and pathogenesis of ASF by antagonizing this axis. Thus, we conclude that deletion of MGF-505-7R may serve as a strategy to develop attenuated vaccines against the ASFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When dealing with object tracking in complex scenes, such as occlusion, illumination variation, deformation, and low resolution, the traditional correlation filter (CF) has some shortcomings in the object representation model and the relocation. To optimize the filter model and improve the success rate of the tracking algorithm, an appearance representation model and a saliency-guided relocation model were proposed in this study. An adaptive weighted multifeature fusion model was designed based on the analysis of the internal correlation between different feature representation and CF responses. The weight coefficients were allocated adaptively according to the response value, and the final object position was obtained under the constraint of penalty term. With the first frame and the latest tracking result taken as the guidance, the saliency of the object was detected by using the updated multi-layer cellular automata method to achieve the purpose of object relocation after tracking drift or failure. Finally, the size of the object was predicted according to the strategy of size detection based on filter response. The accuracy of the proposed algorithm was verified by comparative experiments on benchmark data sets. Results show that the appearance representation model of the proposed algorithm is effective. The overlap success rate and distance precision rate of the proposed algorithm are 0.673 and 0.724, which are better than the results of other comparison algorithms. The proposed algorithm effectively solves the tracking drift or loss caused by complex scenes, such as occlusion, illumination variation, and low resolution. This study eliminates the problem of object recognition caused by environmental changes and provides references for the anomaly detection of real-time traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhenium (Re) metal has been well known for the high corrosion resistance in strong acid and alkaline electrolyte, which makes it a potential electrocatalyst toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the low HER activity (>100 mV @ 10 mA/cm2) is a fatal flaw and the reason Re metal does not receive much attention comparing to other noble metal such as Platinum (Pt), Iridium (Ir) and Ruthenium (Ru). To improve the HER activity of Re metal, in this work, we have incorporated a small amount of Zr atoms into Re lattice to form Re based intermetallic Zr5Re24. The large Zr atoms can expand the subunits of the structure and increase the Re−Re bond lengths while the low electronegativity of Zr atoms will donate electrons to Re atoms and fill more antibonding state of Re−Re bond. Both crystal‐structural and electronic‐structural factors will reduce the bond strength of Re−Re bond and thus weaken the corresponding hydrogen adsorption energy (ΔGHad). This can adjust the ΔGHad of Zr5Re24 to an optimal position and enhance the HER activity from Re metal (η10∼125 mV) to Zr5Re24 (η10∼90 mV). Moreover, it was realized that OH molecule on the surface of Zr5Re24 and Re metal will not occupy the most active site (i. e. poison effect) nor significantly influence the ΔGHad to the optimized position (i. e. 0 eV), which well elucidate the similar HER activity in acid or alkaline electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of acrosome formation in the crab sperm is a hot topic in crustacean reproduction research. Dynein is a motor protein that performs microtubule-dependent retrograde transport and plays an essential role in spermatogenesis. However, whether cytoplasmic dynein participates in acrosome formation in the crab sperm remains poorly understood. In this study, we cloned the cytoplasmic dynein intermediate chain gene (Pt-DIC) from Portunus trituberculatus testis. Pt-DIC is composed of a p150glued-binding domain, a dynein light chain (DLC)-binding domain, and a dynein heavy chain (DHC)-binding domain. The Pt-DIC gene is widely expressed in different tissues, showing the highest expression in the testis, and it is expressed in different stages of spermatid development, indicating important functions in spermatogenesis. We further observed the colocalization of Pt-DIC and Pt-DHC, Pt-DHC and tubulin, and Pt-DHC and GM130, and the results indicated that cytoplasmic dynein may participate in nuclear shaping and acrosome formation via vesicle transport. In addition, we examined the colocalization of Pt-DHC and a mitochondrion (MT) tracker and that of Pt-DHC and prohibitin (PHB). The results indicated that cytoplasmic dynein participated in mitochondrial transport and mitochondrial degradation. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that cytoplasmic dynein participates in acrosome formation, nuclear shaping, and mitochondrial transport during spermiogenesis in P. trituberculatus. This study will provide valuable guidance for the artificial fertilization and reproduction of P. trituberculatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gross primary production (GPP) plays a crucial part in the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. A set of validated monthly GPP data from 1957 to 2010 in 0.5° × 0.5° grids of China was weighted from the Multi-scale Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project using Bayesian model averaging (BMA). The spatial anomalies of detrended BMA GPP during the growing seasons of typical El Niño years indicated that GPP response to El Niño varies with Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) phases: when the PDO was in the cool phase, it was likely that GPP was greater in northern China (32°–38°N, 111°–122°E) and less in the Yangtze River valley (28°–32°N, 111°–122°E); in contrast, when PDO was in the warm phase, the GPP anomalies were usually reversed in these two regions. The consistent spatiotemporal pattern and high partial correlation revealed that rainfall dominated this phenomenon. The previously published findings on how El Niño during different phases of PDO affecting rainfall in eastern China make the statistical relationship between GPP and El Niño in this study theoretically credible. This paper not only introduces an effective way to use BMA in grids that have mixed plant function types, but also makes it possible to evaluate the carbon cycle in eastern China based on the prediction of El Niño and PDO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore the beneficial effects of virtual reality (VR) interventions on upper-and lower-limb motor function, balance, gait, cognition and daily function outcomes in stroke patients. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Data Sources: English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) and Chinese databases (Chinese BioMedical Literature Service System, WANFANG, CNKI) and the Clinical Trial Registry Platform were systematically searched from inception until December 2019. Additionally, reference lists of the included studies were manually searched. Review Methods: The methodological quality of studies was scored with the Cochrane 'risk-of-bias tool' and PEDro scale from the Physiotherapy Evidence Database by two independent evaluators. Results: In total, 87 studies with 3540 participants were included. Stroke patients receiving VR interventions showed significant improvements in Fugl-Meyer assessment of Upper Extremity, Action Research Arm Test, Wolf Motor Function Test, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Lower Extremity, Functional Ambulation Classification, Berg Balance Scale, Time Up and Go, Velocity, Cadence, Modified Barthel Index and Functional Independence Measure. However, differences between VR intervention and traditional rehabilitation groups were not significant for Box-Block Test, 10 m Walk Test, Auditory Continuous Performance Test, Mini-Mental State Examination and Visual Continuous Performance Test. Conclusion: This review suggests that VR interventions effectively improve upper-and lower-limb motor function, balance, gait and daily function of stroke patients, but have no benefits on cognition. Impact: This review identified the positive effects of VR-assisted rehabilitation on upper-and lower-limb motor function, balance, gait and daily function of stroke patients. And, we verified the duration of VR intervention affects some health benefits. The benefit of VR on cognitive function requires further investigation through large-scale multicentre RCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land use and land cover change (LULCC) presents the large-area features since the 1980s in East Asia, particularly over China, where the largely complicated LULCC has happened for the simultaneous interconversion of croplands, forests, grasslands, and urban lands. In this study, the regional coupled model AVIM-RIEMS2.0 with dynamic vegetation process is employed to examine the impacts of LULCC on regional climate over East Asia. The results show that regional climate and terrestrial surface processes exhibit significantly seasonal and interdecadal signals in East Asia. With the influences of LULCC, forest increased 33.3% and 20.3% from the 1980s to 1990s and from the 1990s to 2000s, respectively. Meanwhile, cropland decreased 17.8% in the 1990s (compared to the 1980s) and 24.8% in the 2000s (compared to the 1990s), respectively. These transitions of land surface processes are roughly coincident with the interdecadal variations in temperature and precipitation, which trigger generally opposite changes in the 1980s as compared to the 1990s, especially over eastern China. The seasonal variability of climatic components is more evident in winter than summer, except for the precipitation. The climate change is also somewhat remarkable under the non-LULCC conditions, combined with the changes in wind fields at the 850 hPa from the simulations during three decades; they together suggest that climate change is also modulated by other controlling factors, such as East Asian monsoon circulations in addition to LULCC conversions. These results highlight the importance of LULCC in regional modeling studies, which would have practical significance in climate mitigation and adaptation over East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we simulate the magnitude of urban heat islands (UHIs) during heat wave (HWs) in two cities with contrasting climates (Boston, Massachusetts, and Phoenix, Arizona) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model and quantify their drivers with a newly developed attribution method. During the daytime, a surface UHI (SUHI) is found in Boston, which is mainly caused by the higher urban surface resistance that reduces the latent heat flux and the higher urban aerodynamic resistance ra that inhibits convective heat transfer between the urban surface and the lower atmosphere. In contrast, a daytime surface urban cool island is found in Phoenix, which is mainly due to the lower urban ra that facilitates convective heat transfer. In terms of near-surface air UHI (AUHI), there is almost no daytime AUHI in either city. At night, an SUHI and an AUHI are identified in Boston that are due to the stronger release of heat storage in urban areas. In comparison, the lower urban ra in Phoenix enhances convective heat transfer from the atmosphere to the urban surface at night, leading to a positive SUHI but no AUHI. Our study highlights that the magnitude of UHIs or urban cool islands is strongly controlled by urban-rural differences in terms of aerodynamic features, vegetation and moisture conditions, and heat storage, which show contrasting characteristics in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-processable methylammonium lead trihalide perovskites exhibit remarkable highabsorption and low-loss properties for solar energy conversion. Calculation from density functional theory indicates the presence of non-equivalent halogen atoms in the unit cell because of the specific orientation of the organic cation. Considering the (100) orientation as an example, I1, one of the halogen atoms, differs from the other iodine atoms (I2 and I3) in terms of its interaction with the organic cation. The valance-band-maximum (VBM) and conduction-band-minimum (CBM) states are derived mainly from 5p orbital of I1 atom and 6p orbital of Pb atom, respectively. The spatially separated charge densities of the electrons and holes justify the low recombination rate of the pure iodide perovskite. Chlorine substitution further strengthens the unique position of the I1 atom, leading to more localized charge density around the I1 atom and less charge density around the other atoms at the VBM state. The less overlap of charge densities between the VBM and CBM states explains the relatively lower carrier recombination rate of the iodine-chlorine mixed perovskite. Chlorine substitution significantly reduces the effective mass at a direction perpendicular to the Pb- Cl bond and organic axis, enhancing the carrier transport property of the mixed perovskite in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a devastating infectious disease in pigs, severely threatening the global pig industry. To efficiently infect animals, ASFV must evade or inhibit fundamental elements of the innate immune system, namely the type I IFN response. In this study, we identified that ASFV MGF-505-7R protein exerts a negative regulatory effect on STING-dependent antiviral responses. MGF-505-7R interacted with STING and inhibited the cGAS-STING signaling pathway at STING level. MGF-505-7R overexpression either degraded STING or STING expression was reduced in ASFV-infected cells via autophagy, whereas STING expression was elevated in MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV-infected cells. We further found that MGF-505-7R promoted the expression of the autophagy-related protein ULK1 to degrade STING, whereas ULK1 was elevated in MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV-infected cells. Moreover, MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV induced more IFN-b production than wild-type ASFV and was attenuated in replication compared with wild-type ASFV. The replicative ability of MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV was also attenuated compared with wild-type. Importantly, MGF-505-7R-deficient ASFV was fully attenuated in pigs. Our results showed for the first time, to our knowledge, a relationship involving the cGAS-STING pathway and ASFV MGF-505-7R, contributing to uncover the molecular mechanisms of ASFV virulence and to the rational development of ASFV vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a preliminary assessment of intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment for allergic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC)-associated ocular itch. Background: Current control measures for AKC rely primarily on drugs. IPL is effective for dry eye disease (DED). Furthermore, phototherapy is effective for managing skin inflammation and pruritus, suggesting that eye itching could decrease in some patients having AKC complicated with DED following IPL treatment to control dry eye symptoms. Methods: Thirty-five patients having DED complicated with mid-to-severe AKC were administered three IPL treatments to the periorbital skin. The eye scores of subjective symptoms and signs of AKC and tear film breakup time (TBUT) were retrospectively assessed before and after each treatment. Results: The scores for AKC-related symptoms and signs were determined four times: on Day 1 (time 0), Day 15 (time 1), Day 45 (time 2), and Day 75 (time 3) before each treatment. The average symptom score significantly decreased with treatments (time 0: 30.97, time 1: 15.03, time 3: 10). The average sign score for both eyes decreased after the first IPL treatment (left eye: 7.97 vs. 11.38; right eye: 8.1 vs. 11.1). There were no further improvements in the signs after the last treatment. The TBUT value in the right eye increased from times 0 to 3 (2.31 vs. 4.66 vs. 7.71 vs. 7.74). The TBUT value in the left eye increased from times 0 to 3 (2.50 vs. 6.97 vs. 7.57 vs. 8.24). Conclusions: Symptoms and signs improved after IPL treatment in patients with AKC. Eye itching was gradually controlled and rarely recurred. IPL may be effective for AKC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (PA-HSOS) is a rare disease with no specific treatment. Anticoagulants, antithrombotics, and microcirculation therapy can alleviate the progression of PA-HSOS. The application of rivaroxaban in patients with PA-HSOS has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban in the treatment of PAHSOS caused by Gynura segetum. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the clinical data of patients with PA-HSOS in the acute/subacute phase caused by the administration of Gynura segetum. The patients were divided into warfarin and rivaroxaban groups according to the anticoagulant therapy they received. The related biochemical indicators were monitored during hospitalization. Liver ultrasound, liver elastography, and related biochemical indicators were reviewed every two weeks or one month after discharge. The patients were followed until 1 year after complete remission or death. The efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban was compared with that of warfarin according to the patients' hepatic venous recanalization rates and the occurrence of bleeding events. Results: The study included 20 patients, with 10 in the warfarin group and 10 in the rivaroxaban group. The results show that the average anticoagulant course in the rivaroxaban group was significantly shorter than that in the warfarin group (P = 0.007). With treatment, the remission rates of the rivaroxaban and warfarin groups reached 90%. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions or bleeding events between the t wo groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with warfarin, rivaroxaban, a new oral anticoagulant, is convenient and safe for clinical use. It has a significant effect on PA-HSOS and a low risk of bleeding. This provides a new anticoagulant treatment for PA-HSOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]