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Introduction: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common pathological type of lung cancer. The presence of lymph node metastasis plays a crucial role in determining the overall treatment approach and long‐term prognosis for early LUAD, therefore accurate prediction of lymph node metastasis is essential to guide treatment decisions and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Methods: We performed transcriptome sequencing on T1 LUAD patients with positive or negative lymph node metastases and combined this data with The Cancer Genome Atlas Program cohort to identify potential risk molecules at the tissue level. Subsequently, by detecting the expression of these risk molecules by real‐time quantitative PCR in serum samples, we developed a model to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis from a training cohort of 96 patients and a validation cohort of 158 patients. Results: Through transcriptome sequencing analysis of tissue samples, we identified 11 RNA (miR‐412, miR‐219, miR‐371, FOXC1, ID1, MMP13, COL11A1, PODXL2, CXCL13, SPOCK1 and MECOM) associated with positive lymph node metastases in T1 LUAD. As the expression of FOXC1 and COL11A1 was not detected in serum, we constructed a predictive model that accurately identifies patients with positive lymph node metastases using the remaining nine RNA molecules in the serum of T1 LUAD patients. In the training set, the model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89, and in the validation set, the AUC was 0.91. Conclusions: We have established a new risk prediction model using serum samples from T1 LUAD patients, enabling noninvasive identification of those with positive lymph node metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duplex stainless steels are widely used in many fields due to their excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. However, it is a challenge to achieve duplex microstructure and excellent properties through additive manufacturing. In this work, a 0.09% N 25Cr-type duplex stainless steel was prepared by additive manufacturing (AM) and heat treatment, and its corrosion resistance was investigated. The results show that, compared with S32750 duplex stainless steel prepared by a conventional process, the combination value of film resistance and charge transfer resistance of AM duplex stainless steel was increased by 3.2–5.5 times and the pitting potential was increased by more than 100 mV. The disappearance of residual thermal stress and the reasonable distribution of Cr and N elements in the two phases are the reasons for the improvement of the corrosion resistance of AM duplex stainless steel after heat treatment. In addition, the extremely high purity of AM duplex stainless steel with no visible inclusions resulted in a higher corrosion resistance exhibited at lower pitting-resistance-equivalent number values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese classical gardens are a significant cultural heritage in the history of world gardening, with their central architectural principle of "scenes changing as steps move" (步移景异) embodying traditional Chinese aesthetic ideals. This study employed the variation of visual complexity during a tour as a representation of this principle, using Jingxinzhai (静心斋) Garden as a case study. The visual environmental characteristics were quantified using the Fraclab box-counting, Canny edge detection, and DeepLab V3 + model, and the spatial distribution of fractal dimension and visual index of landscape elements were analyzed. Through partial correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and one-way ANOVA, the relevant factors (BVI, RVI, GVI, WVI) and influencing factors (BVI, RVI, GVI) and the differences among landscape element combinations of visual complexity were identified. Furthermore, the distribution patterns and causes of visual complexity in Chinese classical gardens were then discussed. This study proposes an effective method for quantifying the visual environmental characteristics of Chinese classical gardens and provides an explanation of the concept of "scenes changing as steps move" from the perspective of visual environment. It offers important references for a deeper understanding of Chinese classical garden design and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In brief, the mitochondrial genome of L. ikeae has a total length of 16,498 bp and encodes 13 PCGs, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a D-loop (control) region. Gene rearrangement is not observed. The mitochondrial genome of L. ikeae exhibits an AT preference, with AT skew > 0 and GC skew < 0 across the entire genome. The phylogenetic relationships of Sicydiinae based on 13 mitochondrial PCG sequences are Sicydium + (Stiphodon + (Sicyopus + Lentipes)) + Sicyopterus, indicating that Sicydium, Sicyopterus, Lentipes, and Stiphodon are all monophyletic groups. We sequenced and analyzed the complete mitochondrial genome of Lentipes ikeae and explored the phylogenetic relationships among Sicydiinae based on mitochondrial genome sequences. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of L. ikeae was determined using the Illumina HiSeq X Ten sequencing platform, and the gene structural characteristics and base composition were analyzed. Based on the mitochondrial genome sequences of 28 Sicydiinae species published in GenBank and mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs), Acanthogobius flavimanus (Gobionellinae) was selected as an outgroup to construct phylogenetic trees of Sicydiinae using the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. The mitochondrial genome of L. ikeae (GenBank number: OP764680) has a total length of 16,498 bp and encodes 13 PCGs, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a D-loop (control) region. Gene rearrangement is not observed. The mitochondrial genome of L. ikeae exhibits an AT preference, with AT skew > 0 and GC skew < 0 across the entire genome. The phylogenetic relationships of Sicydiinae based on 13 mitochondrial PCG sequences are Sicydium + (Stiphodon + (Sicyopus + Lentipes)) + Sicyopterus, indicating that Sicydium, Sicyopterus, Lentipes, and Stiphodon are all monophyletic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrodin, a phenolic glycoside, is a prominent component of Gastrodia elata , which is renowned for its sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and neuroprotective activities. Engineering heterologous production of plant natural products in microbial host represents a safe, cost-effective, and scalable alternative to plant extraction. Here, we present the construction of an engineered Yarrowia lipolytica yeast that achieves a high-titer production of gastrodin. We systematically refactored the yeast genome by enhancing the flux of the shikimate pathway and optimizing the glucosyl transfer system. We introduced more than five dozen of genetic modifications onto the yeast genome, including enzyme screening, alleviation of rate-limiting steps, promoter selection, genomic integration site optimization, downregulation of competing pathways, and elimination of gastrodin degradation. Meanwhile, we developed a Copper-induced Antisense-Transcriptional Regulation (CATR) tool. The developed CATR toolkit achieved dynamic repression and activation of violacein synthesis through the addition of copper in Y. lipolytica. This strategy was further used to dynamically regulate the pyruvate kinase node to effectively redirect glycolytic flux towards the shikimate pathway while maintaining cell growth at proper rate. Taken together, these efforts resulted in 9477.1 mg/L of gastrodin in shaking flaks and 13.4 g/L of gastrodin with a yield of 0.149 g/g glucose in a 5-L bioreactor, highlighting the potential for large-scale and sustainable production of gastrodin from microbial fermentation. • Heterologous enzymes of the gastrodin pathway have been re-screened. • Various endogenous promoters and genomic locus have been characterized. • A novel CATR tool was designed for regulating the pyruvate kinase node. • The engineering yeast gave a titer of 13.4 g/L gastrodin in a 5-L bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global population is ageing, life expectancy is gradually increasing, and employment is extended. We used an integrative literature review to study how using technological tools impacts the quality of working life among older workers.The integrative literature review method following PRISMA guidelines was used. The selection of articles in English was made according to the following inclusion criteria: scientific papers, content relevance, and topicality. The literature search covered the bibliographic-catalogue databases Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. After selection, a qualitative content analysis was applied to the data. From the initial twelve articles, we gained insight into how using technological tools impacts the quality of working life among older workers through a substantive analysis of the articles. Two content categories were identified: health of older workers and technostress. Regarding the impact on health, studies have focussed on various health outcomes like sleeping quality, mental health, workability arthritis as a chronic condition, physical and quality of life in older community-dwelling low-income, diet, physical activity, stress and tobacco use, stress, and job quality. Studies regarding technostress that we identified show mixed effects of significant and non-significant effects. Digital technologies can potentially improve the quality of working life among older workers but are currently under-researched. Further research is needed to develop effective interventions and evaluate their impact on the quality of life of older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to establish precise quality indicators for evaluating and enhancing ultrasound performance, employing a methodology based on a comprehensive review of the literature, expert insights, and practical application experiences. We conducted a thorough review of both the domestic and international literature on ultrasound quality control to identify potential indicators. A dedicated team was formed to oversee the complete indicator development process. Utilizing a three-round modified Delphi method, we sought expert opinions through personalized email correspondence. Subsequently, data from diverse hospital indicators were collected to validate and assess feasibility. A novel set of seven indicators was compiled initially, followed by the convening of a 36-member nationally representative expert panel. After three rounds of meticulous revisions, consensus was reached on 13 indicators across three domains. These finalized indicators underwent application in various hospital settings, demonstrating their initial validity and feasibility. The development of thirteen ultrasound quality indicators represents a significant milestone in evaluating ultrasound performance. These indicators empower hospitals to monitor changes in quality effectively, fostering efficient quality management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a new dynamic triggering mechanism for fault‐tolerant control of linear systems. In this mechanism, the dynamic threshold is constructed by instantaneous and averaged triggering errors with its bounds. Consequently, it can be automatically adjusted between the bounds. A new intermediate observer is built in the proportional‐integral form to improve the estimation accuracy. The corresponding fault‐tolerant controller is explored to actively compensate unknown faults. By resorting to the Lyapunov stability theory, a sufficient condition is obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities to make the closed‐loop system uniformly ultimately bounded with the required H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ performance. The elitist nondominated sorting genetic algorithm version II (NSGA‐II) is adopted to realize the multiobjective optimization of the H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ performance index γ$$ \gamma $$ and the allowable inter‐event time Tk$$ {T}_k $$. Finally, the proposed scheme is verified with two simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its unique physical and electrophilic properties, the difluoromethyl group (−CF2H) has been playing an irreplaceable role in the field of pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry. Methods that could efficiently incorporate the difluoromethyl group into the target molecules are increasing in the recent years. Developing a stable and efficient difluoromethylating reagent is thus highly attractive. In this review, we describe the development of a nucleophilic difluoromethylation reagent [(SIPr)Ag(CF2H)], including its elemental reaction, difluoromethylation reaction with different types of electrophiles, and its application in the synthesis of a nucleophilic and an electrophilic difluoromethylthiolating reagent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete memristors can be used to improve the chaos complexity of existing chaotic maps due to their special nonlinearities of internal states. In this paper, a unified memristor-based Gauss mapping model is presented by coupling discrete memristors with Gauss map and then four two-dimensional (2-D) memristive Gauss maps using four different memristance functions are derived. The memristor-based Gauss mapping model possesses two specific cases of infinitely many line fixed points and no fixed points, resulting in the appearance of hidden dynamics or self-exited dynamics. To address the stability analysis of this kind of hidden dynamics, we use a dimension-reduction conversion method to study the hidden period-doubling bifurcations therein. Afterwards, we simulate and discuss the hidden/self-exited dynamics of the four 2-D memristive Gauss maps using several numerical tools, and perform performance tests and hardware experiments of the generated hidden/self-exited chaotic/hyperchaotic attractors. The results demonstrate that the discrete memristor can make the four 2-D memristive Gauss maps produce complex dynamical behaviours and greatly improve the chaos complexity of the one-dimensional (1-D) Gauss map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raindrop impact causes soil erosion and the transfer of solutes into surface runoff, leading to soil solute loss and water pollution. Accurately modelling this process in complex agricultural environments is challenging. A new prediction model was applied to illustrate mechanisms of soil solute transfer into surface runoff, addressing the underestimation of solute concentration in surface runoff but limited by uncertain model parameters. Two laboratory experiments were conducted, studying solute loss from soil to surface runoff under initially saturated and unsaturated soil conditions. An elasticity sensitivity analysis was used to identify crucial parameters. To improve prediction results, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) method was coupled with the model during the early stage of the simulation, assimilating observed solute concentrations in surface runoff to update model parameters. After the early stage, the model generated predicted solute concentrations in surface runoff without the observed data until the simulation ended. Four model parameters, including incomplete mixing parameters α and γ, soil mixing layer depth hmix,t(t), and moving rate of the soil mixing layer front imix, were updated. The inflation method was used to prevent filter divergence caused by the EnKF. The simulation results showed that the EnKF significantly improved the model's prediction accuracy, even when applied during specific periods throughout the simulation. Updating α, γ, hmix,t(t) and imix resulted in better predictions compared to updating only α, γ and imix. This further demonstrated that the hmix,t(t) must be updated using the EnKF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-absorption effect in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has always been a bottleneck that causes spectral distortion even self-reversal, and poor quantitative accuracy, limiting the engineering application of LIBS. Microwave-assisted LIBS (MA-LIBS) has proven to be feasible to weaken the self-absorption effect, but the stability of microwave excitation and the microwave radiator need to be improved. In this study, a new single-probe microwave radiator was proposed to achieve superior injection of microwave power for the elimination of the self-reversal effect. The electromagnetic simulations of the single-probe radiator were first conducted for efficient microwave coupling. To evaluate the performance of the single-probe radiator, the effect of microwave parameters on self-reversal elimination of typical self-absorption elements sodium (Na) and potassium (K) in potassium feldspar samples was investigated and optimized. With the increase in microwave power, self-reversal was eliminated. Also, spectral evolution measurements have been performed and the results indicated significant self-reversal elimination and prolonged plasma lifetime in MA-LIBS. The results indicated that MA-LIBS with single-probe microwave excitation showed excellent potential in eliminating the self-reversal phenomenon and provided technical support for the application of LIBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realize the one-stop efficient and convenient services of all kinds of agriculture-related service subjects, the problems existing in the agriculture-related service channels, standard specifications, digital empowerment, publicity and display of "Agricultural Cloud 131" integrated information service platform in Fujian were analyzed, and the "unified window, integrated service, flexible framework, high efficiency and friendliness" were taken as the guidance. Focusing on the three major themes of agriculture-related services, data services and brand services, it was proposed to upgrade and integrate the old platform to build a comprehensive service platform for agriculture and rural areas in Fujian. The upgraded new platform realized the construction goal of "service integration, data intelligence, and display vividness". By proposing the promotion strategy of the integrated service platform, the application and promotion of the integrated service platform were further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orthogonal triangular factorization (QRF) method is a widespread tool to calculate eigenvalues and has been used for many practical applications. However, as an emerging topic, only a few works have been devoted to handling dynamic QR factorization (DQRF). Moreover, the traditional methods for dynamic problems suffer from lagging errors and are susceptible to noise, thereby being unable to satisfy the requirements of the real-time solution. In this paper, a bounded adaptive function activated recurrent neural network (BAFARNN) is proposed to solve the DQRF with a faster convergence speed and enhance existing solution methods' robustness. Theoretical analysis shows that the model can achieve global convergence in different environments. The results of the systematic experiment show that the BAFARNN model outperforms both the original ZNN (OZNN) model and the noise-tolerant zeroing neural network (NTZNN) model in terms of accuracy and convergence speed. This is true for both single constants and time-varying noise disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To establish a breast lesion risk stratification system using ultrasound images to predict breast malignancy and assess Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) categories simultaneously. Methods: This multicenter study prospectively collected a dataset of ultrasound images for 5012 patients at thirty-two hospitals from December 2018 to December 2020. A deep learning (DL) model was developed to conduct binary categorization (benign and malignant) and BI-RADS categories (2, 3, 4a, 4b, 4c, and 5) simultaneously. The training set of 4212 patients and the internal test set of 416 patients were from thirty hospitals. The remaining two hospitals with 384 patients were used as an external test set. Three experienced radiologists performed a reader study on 324 patients randomly selected from the test sets. We compared the performance of the DL model with that of three radiologists and the consensus of the three radiologists. Results: In the external test set, the DL model achieved areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 0.980 and 0.945 for the binary categorization and six-way categorizations, respectively. In the reader study set, the DL BI-RADS categories achieved a similar AUC (0.901 vs. 0.933, p = 0.0632), sensitivity (90.98% vs. 95.90%, p = 0.1094), and accuracy (83.33% vs. 79.01%, p = 0.0541), but higher specificity (78.71% vs. 68.81%, p = 0.0012) than those of the consensus of the three radiologists. Conclusions: The DL model performed well in distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions and yielded outcomes similar to experienced radiologists. This indicates the potential applicability of the DL model in clinical diagnosis. Key Points: • The DL model can achieve binary categorization for benign and malignant breast lesions and six-way BI-RADS categorizations for categories 2, 3, 4a, 4b, 4c, and 5, simultaneously. • The DL model showed acceptable agreement with radiologists for the classification of breast lesions. • The DL model performed well in distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions and had promise in helping reduce unnecessary biopsies of BI-RADS 4a lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For example, pharmacists failing to fully fulfil the responsibilities expected by their patients and/or to effectively communicate with their patients may lead to patients not trusting their pharmacists and thus disobeying the pharmacists' medication instructions.[15] Hospital pharmacists play an important role in improving patients' medication adherence in terms of drug supply, medication consultation and clinical pharmacy.[1],[16],[17] Patients' medication adherence is inevitably related to pharmacists' performance, and may also be dominated by their own social and psychological factors. For example, patients with poor medication adherence (such as D, F, G) believed that the extent of the patients' perceived expectations to hospital pharmacists being fulfilled by hospital pharmacists (that is, expressed in professional terms, maintaining status of patients' psychological contract with the pharmacists) is positively related to medication adherence. However, this is far from conclusive, and the effect of patients' psychological contract with hospital pharmacists on medication adherence need to be confirmed through additional qualitative analyze information from in-depth interviews with patients as medication adherence is a phenomenon with strong subjectivity and easily affected by subjective psychological factors. Inclusion criteria: (1)Patients who have received medication dispensing services in the outpatient pharmacy; (2)Patients have the necessary abilities to listen, speak, read and write Chinese; (3)Age >=18 years old; (4) The patient voluntarily participate and provide informed consent.[20] Draft Investigation Process The research was conducted by means of qualitative interview. [Extracted from the article]

Double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) intubation is more challenging than single-lumen tube intubation is, and the rigid video stylet (RVS) is one of the tools that has emerged to deal with this demanding intubation procedure. We evaluated whether the UE® RVS can shorten the DLT intubation time and improve the first-attempt intubation success rate compared with that of Macintosh laryngoscope (ML). A total of 130 participants scheduled to undergo thoracoscopic pulmonary surgeries were enrolled. They were randomized to receive either ML- or RVS-assisted DLT intubation. The primary outcomes were the intubation time and first-attempt intubation success rate. The secondary outcomes were the overall intubation success rate, mean arterial pressure, postoperative sore throat (POST), and postoperative hoarseness at 1 h and 24 h. Compared with the ML group, the intubation time was significantly shorter in the RVS group (p < 0.001; 30.82 ± 10.61 vs. 39.62 ± 6.54 s), however, the first-attempt success rate was significantly lower (p = 0.048; 83.08% vs. 95.16%). The POST at 1 h was less severe in the RVS group (p = 0.021). No significant differences were found for the other indicators. Among the patients with normal airways, the UE® RVS can achieve faster DLT intubation and decrease the severity of a POST at 1 h, although it was associated with a lower first-attempt intubation success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non‐heme iron ergothioneine synthase (EgtB) is a sulfoxide synthase that catalyzes oxidative C−S bond formation in the synthesis of ergothioneine, which plays roles against oxidative stress in cells. Despite extensive experimental and computational studies of the catalytic mechanisms of EgtB, the root causes for the selective C−S bond formation remain elusive. Using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, we show herein that a coordination switch of the sulfoxide intermediate is involved in the catalysis of the non‐heme iron EgtB. This coordination switch from the S to the O atom is driven by the S/π electrostatic interactions, which efficiently promotes the observed stereoselective C−S bond formation while bypassing cysteine dioxygenation. The present mechanism is in agreement with all available experimental data, including regioselectivity, stereoselectivity and KIE results. This match underscores the critical role of coordination switching in the catalysis of non‐heme enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non‐heme iron ergothioneine synthase (EgtB) is a sulfoxide synthase that catalyzes oxidative C−S bond formation in the synthesis of ergothioneine, which plays roles against oxidative stress in cells. Despite extensive experimental and computational studies of the catalytic mechanisms of EgtB, the root causes for the selective C−S bond formation remain elusive. Using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, we show herein that a coordination switch of the sulfoxide intermediate is involved in the catalysis of the non‐heme iron EgtB. This coordination switch from the S to the O atom is driven by the S/π electrostatic interactions, which efficiently promotes the observed stereoselective C−S bond formation while bypassing cysteine dioxygenation. The present mechanism is in agreement with all available experimental data, including regioselectivity, stereoselectivity and KIE results. This match underscores the critical role of coordination switching in the catalysis of non‐heme enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering microbes to produce plant-derived natural products provides an alternate solution to obtain bioactive products. Here we report a systematic approach to sequentially identify the rate-limiting steps and improve the biosynthesis of the cannabinoid precursor olivetolic acid (OLA) in Yarrowia lipolytica. We find that Pseudomonas sp LvaE encoding a short-chain acyl-CoA synthetase can efficiently convert hexanoic acid to hexanoyl-CoA. The co-expression of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase, the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass, the NADPH-generating malic enzyme, as well as the activation of peroxisomal β-oxidation pathway and ATP export pathway are effective strategies to redirect carbon flux toward OLA synthesis. Implementation of these strategies led to an 83-fold increase in OLA titer, reaching 9.18 mg/L of OLA in shake flask culture. This work may serve as a baseline for engineering cannabinoids biosynthesis in oleaginous yeast species. A yeast host Yarrowia lipolytica is genetically engineered to overcome rate-limiting steps and synthesize the cannabinoid precursor olivetolic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular dichroism (CD) has shown very interesting possibilities as a means to characterize the chiral signal of a chiral structure. Here, we theoretically demonstrated enhanced and tunable CD in the visible light regime using a composite structure consisting of a double-layer metal grating gaped by a dielectric waveguide layer. Based on the coupling of the waveguide modes and the localized plasmonic resonances, the CD could reach a maximum value as high as 0.52 at 635 nm, which is four times higher than the CD value obtained in a conventional double-layer grating without the waveguide coupling effect. Furthermore, the spectral positions of the enhanced CD bands could be easily tuned by controlling the structural parameters. The proposed hybrid double-grating and waveguide structures could have potential applications in chiral selective imaging, sensing and spectroscopy, especially where the transmission measurement is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAPKAPK2 (MK2) is an important regulator of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) pathway, which is involved in a plethora of cellular processes concluding the development of gamete cells in meiosis and resisting pathogenic bacterial infestation. Hyriopsis cumingii is a significant mussel resource in China and a good material for pearl breeding. To explore the role of MK2 in H. cumingii, MK2 was identified and cloned, whose full-length cDNA was 1568 bp, including 87 bp in 5′ UTR, 398 bp in 3′ UTR, and 1083 bp in the open reading frame (ORF) region, encoding 360 amino acids. The expression of MK2 was the highest in the gills. Meanwhile, there was a significant difference in the gonads. After Aeromonas hydrophila and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infestation, the transcript level of the MK2 was upregulated in the gills. It indicated that MK2 might be involved in the innate immune response of H. cumingii after a pathogenic attack. After quantifying H. cumingii of different ages, it was found that the expression of MK2 was highest at 1 year old. In situ hybridization (ISH) results showed that the blue-purple hybridization signal was very significant in the oocytes and egg membranes of the female gonads of H. cumingii. The expression of MK2 increased gradually at the age of 1 to 5 months and showed a downward trend at the age of 5 to 8 months. It was suggested that MK2 might play an important role in the formation of primitive germ cells in H. cumingii. To sum up, MK2 might not only be involved in the immune response against pathogenic bacterial infection but also might play an important role in the development of the gonads in H. cumingii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the application of memristors to improve chaos complexity in discrete chaotic systems has been paid more and more attention to. To enrich the application examples of discrete memristor-based chaotic systems, this article proposes a new three-dimensional (3-D) memristor-based Lozi map by introducing a discrete memristor into the original two-dimensional (2-D) Lozi map. The proposed map has no fixed points but can generate hidden hyperchaos, so it is a hidden hyperchaotic map. The dynamical effects of the discrete memristor on the memristor-based Lozi map and two types of coexisting hidden attractors boosted by the initial conditions are demonstrated using some numerical methods. The numerical results clearly show that the introduced discrete memristor allows the proposed map to have complicated hidden dynamics evolutions and also exhibit heterogeneous and homogeneous hidden multistability. Finally, a digital platform is used to realize the memristor-based Lozi map, and its experimental phase portraits are obtained to confirm the numerical ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigation safety is one of the primary operational requirements for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in a complex marine environment, mainly guaranteed by a reliable path planning system for collision avoidance. This work proposes a novel weighted sum multi-objective optimisation strategy for USV collision avoidance path planning in restricted waters. In particular, the coefficients of different objectives could be tuned to emphasise the most critical design consideration under varying navigation scenarios. Moreover, in addition to the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), the terrain and weather constraints were also considered in the path planning system. The proposed USV collision avoidance path planning framework's effectiveness was demonstrated through numerical simulations and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests. The numerical simulation results indicate that the proposed method could avoid collision with dynamic and static obstacles, and it is also adaptive to different navigation restrictions and preferences. Moreover, a USV navigation platform was established by incorporating true Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals, and HIL tests were performed with real-time AIS data in a water channel in the Zhoushan archipelago. The results demonstrate that the proposed USV path planning strategy is applicable in restricted waters with complex terrains and weather constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The potential of uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) to reduce chronic pain after thoracic surgery (CPTS) compared to open thoracotomy (OT) remains unexplored. This prospective study aims to assess the incidence of CPTS following U-VATS or OT and identify associated risk factors.Patients undergoing thoracic surgery were recruited from March 2021 to March 2022, categorized by surgical approach (U-VATS vs. OT). Standard clinical protocols for surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia were followed. Pain symptoms were assessed using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, with follow-ups up to 6 months. Perioperative factors influencing CPTS at 3 months were analyzed through univariate and multivariate methods.A total of 694 patients were analyzed. Acute pain after thoracic surgery (APTS) was significantly less severe in the U-VATS group (p < 0.001). U-VATS patients exhibited a lower incidence of CPTS at 3 months (63.4% vs. 80.1%, p < 0.001), with reduced severity among those experiencing CPTS (p = 0.007) and a decreased occurrence of neuropathic pain (p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis identified OT incision, moderate to severe APTS (excluding moderate static pain at 24 h postoperative), nocturnal surgery, and lung surgery as risk factors for CPTS.This study underscores the potential of U-VATS to reduce both the incidence and severity of CPTS at 3 months compared to OT. Furthermore, it highlights risk factors for CPTS, including OT incision, inadequately managed APTS, lung surgery, and nocturnal surgery. These findings emphasize the importance of considering surgical approach and perioperative pain management strategies to mitigate the burden of CPTS.Methods: The potential of uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) to reduce chronic pain after thoracic surgery (CPTS) compared to open thoracotomy (OT) remains unexplored. This prospective study aims to assess the incidence of CPTS following U-VATS or OT and identify associated risk factors.Patients undergoing thoracic surgery were recruited from March 2021 to March 2022, categorized by surgical approach (U-VATS vs. OT). Standard clinical protocols for surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia were followed. Pain symptoms were assessed using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, with follow-ups up to 6 months. Perioperative factors influencing CPTS at 3 months were analyzed through univariate and multivariate methods.A total of 694 patients were analyzed. Acute pain after thoracic surgery (APTS) was significantly less severe in the U-VATS group (p < 0.001). U-VATS patients exhibited a lower incidence of CPTS at 3 months (63.4% vs. 80.1%, p < 0.001), with reduced severity among those experiencing CPTS (p = 0.007) and a decreased occurrence of neuropathic pain (p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis identified OT incision, moderate to severe APTS (excluding moderate static pain at 24 h postoperative), nocturnal surgery, and lung surgery as risk factors for CPTS.This study underscores the potential of U-VATS to reduce both the incidence and severity of CPTS at 3 months compared to OT. Furthermore, it highlights risk factors for CPTS, including OT incision, inadequately managed APTS, lung surgery, and nocturnal surgery. These findings emphasize the importance of considering surgical approach and perioperative pain management strategies to mitigate the burden of CPTS.Results: The potential of uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) to reduce chronic pain after thoracic surgery (CPTS) compared to open thoracotomy (OT) remains unexplored. This prospective study aims to assess the incidence of CPTS following U-VATS or OT and identify associated risk factors.Patients undergoing thoracic surgery were recruited from March 2021 to March 2022, categorized by surgical approach (U-VATS vs. OT). Standard clinical protocols for surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia were followed. Pain symptoms were assessed using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, with follow-ups up to 6 months. Perioperative factors influencing CPTS at 3 months were analyzed through univariate and multivariate methods.A total of 694 patients were analyzed. Acute pain after thoracic surgery (APTS) was significantly less severe in the U-VATS group (p < 0.001). U-VATS patients exhibited a lower incidence of CPTS at 3 months (63.4% vs. 80.1%, p < 0.001), with reduced severity among those experiencing CPTS (p = 0.007) and a decreased occurrence of neuropathic pain (p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis identified OT incision, moderate to severe APTS (excluding moderate static pain at 24 h postoperative), nocturnal surgery, and lung surgery as risk factors for CPTS.This study underscores the potential of U-VATS to reduce both the incidence and severity of CPTS at 3 months compared to OT. Furthermore, it highlights risk factors for CPTS, including OT incision, inadequately managed APTS, lung surgery, and nocturnal surgery. These findings emphasize the importance of considering surgical approach and perioperative pain management strategies to mitigate the burden of CPTS.Conclusion: The potential of uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) to reduce chronic pain after thoracic surgery (CPTS) compared to open thoracotomy (OT) remains unexplored. This prospective study aims to assess the incidence of CPTS following U-VATS or OT and identify associated risk factors.Patients undergoing thoracic surgery were recruited from March 2021 to March 2022, categorized by surgical approach (U-VATS vs. OT). Standard clinical protocols for surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia were followed. Pain symptoms were assessed using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, with follow-ups up to 6 months. Perioperative factors influencing CPTS at 3 months were analyzed through univariate and multivariate methods.A total of 694 patients were analyzed. Acute pain after thoracic surgery (APTS) was significantly less severe in the U-VATS group (p < 0.001). U-VATS patients exhibited a lower incidence of CPTS at 3 months (63.4% vs. 80.1%, p < 0.001), with reduced severity among those experiencing CPTS (p = 0.007) and a decreased occurrence of neuropathic pain (p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis identified OT incision, moderate to severe APTS (excluding moderate static pain at 24 h postoperative), nocturnal surgery, and lung surgery as risk factors for CPTS.This study underscores the potential of U-VATS to reduce both the incidence and severity of CPTS at 3 months compared to OT. Furthermore, it highlights risk factors for CPTS, including OT incision, inadequately managed APTS, lung surgery, and nocturnal surgery. These findings emphasize the importance of considering surgical approach and perioperative pain management strategies to mitigate the burden of CPTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remotely located offshore wind farms (OWFs) are usually in unmanned operation, and are severely at risk from accidental or deliberate man-made damages, such as cable faults caused by vessel anchoring. In this work, a proactive alarming and interception method utilising unmanned surface vehicles (USV) is proposed to prevent suspect vessels from intruding OWF areas and damaging the assets. More specifically, the vessel intrusion interception system keeps monitoring the motion of surrounding vessels and assessing their potential intrusive risks. When a suspect intruder is identified, USV will be automatically deployed to proactively intercept the target vessel with an alarming and expelling system. In particular, a risk assessment model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight method (EWM) is established to predict the potential intrusive risk, and an improved fast marching square (FMS) algorithm is designed for USV path planning to guarantee dynamic and reliable vessel interception. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, case studies have been conducted for the Zhejiang Jiaxing 2 OWF with authentic vessel traffic data. Results indicate that the proposed risk assessment model based on AHP-EMW is able to correctly predict the potential intrusion risk in various scenarios, and the improved FMS path planning algorithm with multi-objective optimisation is capable of providing both efficient and safe trajectories for USV interception. • An intrusive vessel interception system for offshore wind farm asset protection. • An intrusive risk assessment model is established for different types of vessels. • A multi-objective optimisation path planning framework is developed for interception. • Effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified with authentic AIS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on deep learning (DL)-based models in breast ultrasound (US) remain at the early stage due to a lack of large datasets for training and independent test sets for verification. We aimed to develop a DL model for differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions on US using a large multicenter dataset and explore the model's ability to assist the radiologists. Methods: A total of 14,043 US images from 5012 women were prospectively collected from 32 hospitals. To develop the DL model, the patients from 30 hospitals were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 4149) and an internal test cohort (n = 466). The remaining 2 hospitals (n = 397) were used as the external test cohorts (ETC). We compared the model with the prospective Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System assessment and five radiologists. We also explored the model's ability to assist the radiologists using two different methods. Results: The model demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance with the ETC, with a high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC, 0.913), sensitivity (88.84%), specificity (83.77%), and accuracy (86.40%). In the comparison set, the AUC was similar to that of the expert (p = 0.5629) and one experienced radiologist (p = 0.2112) and significantly higher than that of three inexperienced radiologists (p < 0.01). After model assistance, the accuracies and specificities of the radiologists were substantially improved without loss in sensitivities. Conclusions: The DL model yielded satisfactory predictions in distinguishing benign from malignant breast lesions. The model showed the potential value in improving the diagnosis of breast lesions by radiologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proximal policy optimization (PPO) is a deep reinforcement learning algorithm based on the actor–critic (AC) architecture. In the classic AC architecture, the Critic (value) network is used to estimate the value function while the Actor (policy) network optimizes the policy according to the estimated value function. The efficiency of the classic AC architecture is limited due that the policy does not directly participate in the value function update. The classic AC architecture will make the value function estimation inaccurate, which will affect the performance of the PPO algorithm. For improvement, we designed a novel AC architecture with policy feedback (AC-PF) by introducing the policy into the update process of the value function and further proposed the PPO with policy feedback (PPO-PF). For the AC-PF architecture, the policy-based expected (PBE) value function and discount reward formulas are designed by drawing inspiration from expected Sarsa. In order to enhance the sensitivity of the value function to the change of policy and to improve the accuracy of PBE value estimation at the early learning stage, we proposed a policy update method based on the clipped discount factor. Moreover, we specifically defined the loss functions of the policy network and value network to ensure that the policy update of PPO-PF satisfies the unbiased estimation of the trust region. Experiments on Atari games and control tasks show that compared to PPO, PPO-PF has faster convergence speed, higher reward, and smaller variance of reward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loaders are widely used in the construction of earthworks for construction projects. Due to the large volume and mass of these machines, they have shortcomings such as low driving efficiency and high energy consumption. To address these shortcomings, this work applied eclectic drive technology to a loader's traction system. A wheel electric drive system with a switched reluctance driver (SRD) was developed. The operating principle and basic structure of the SRD system were analyzed. A new voltage PWM-controlled strategy with dynamic adjustable turn-on and turn-off angles and a single conducting phase in a fixed period was developed. Then, an SRD simulation model was established in MATLAB/Simulink. A simulation of the working condition for the loader was performed. A test bench for the SRD was built and accordingly the transportation and operation conditions were tested. The corresponding speed–time curve of transportation and operation was obtained. Simulation and experiment results showed that the electric drive system with SRD had excellent responses to changes in torque and speed and adapted well to the various working conditions of the loader. The system could effectively traction the loader and verified the feasibility and applicability of the wheel electric drive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a popular research direction in the field of intelligent transportation, various scholars have widely concerned themselves with traffic sign detection However, there are still some key issues that need to be further solved in order to thoroughly apply related technologies to real scenarios, such as the feature extraction scheme of traffic sign images, the optimal selection of detection methods, and the objective limitations of detection tasks. For the purpose of overcoming these difficulties, this paper proposes a lightweight real-time traffic sign detection integration framework based on YOLO by combining deep learning methods. The framework optimizes the latency concern by reducing the computational overhead of the network, and facilitates information transfer and sharing at diverse levels. While improving the detection efficiency, it ensures a certain degree of generalization and robustness, and enhances the detection performance of traffic signs in objective environments, such as scale and illumination changes. The proposed model is tested and evaluated on real road scene datasets and compared with the current mainstream advanced detection models to verify its effectiveness. In addition, this paper successfully finds a reasonable balance between detection performance and deployment difficulty by effectively reducing the computational cost, which provides a possibility for realistic deployment on edge devices with limited hardware conditions, such as mobile devices and embedded devices. More importantly, the related theories have certain application potential in technology industries such as artificial intelligence or autonomous driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging form of pollution, microplastic contamination of the coastal ecosystems is one of the world's most pressing environmental concerns. Coastal sediments have been polluted to varying degrees by microplastics, and their ubiquitous presence in sediments poses a threat to marine organisms. However, there is currently no ecological risk assessment of microplastics on aquatic biota in sediments. This study, for the first time, established a new procedure to evaluate the toxicity of microplastics on aquatic biota in sediments, based on the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) concept. The choice of Zhelin Bay as the case study site was based on its severe pollution status. The average content of microplastics in the sediments of Zhelin Bay was 2054.17 items kg−1 dry weight, and these microplastics consisted of 46 different species. Microplastics in sediments exist in five different forms, with the film form being the main composition, and the majority of microplastics have particle sizes ranging from 100 to 500 μm. Correlation analysis (CA) reveals significant negative correlations between microplastic abundance, and Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2. The toxicity of microplastics, based on the PRA concept, suggests that Zhelin Bay surface sediments had a low probability (3.43%) of toxic effects on aquatic biota. [Display omitted] • A new procedure has been established to assess the ecological risks of microplastics. • The new procedure can effectively assess the probability risk and toxicity of sediment microplastics. • The surface sediments of Zhelin Bay had a 3.44% probability of toxic effects on aquatic biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs), created by introducing synthetic cofactors into protein scaffolds, are an emerging class of catalyst for non‐natural reactions. Although many classes of ArMs are known, in vitro reconstitution of cofactors and proteins has been a limiting step in the high‐throughput screening and directed evolution of ArMs because purification of individual host proteins is time‐consuming. We describe the application of a platform to combine mutants of the P450 enzyme CYP119 and the cofactor Ir(Me)MPIX in vivo, by coexpression of the CYP119 mutants with the heme transporter encoded by the hug operon, to the directed evolution of ArMs containing Ir(Me)MPIX in whole cells. We applied this platform to the development an ArMs catalyzing the insertion of the acyclic carbene from α‐diazopropanoate esters (Me‐EDA) into the N−H bonds of N‐alkyl anilines, a combination of carbene and amine classes for which mutant enzymes of natural hemoproteins previously reacted with low enantioselectivity. The mutants of the artificial metalloenzyme Ir(Me)CYP119 identified by an evolution campaign involving more than 4000 mutants are shown to catalyze the reaction of Me‐EDA with N‐methyl anilines to form chiral chiral amino esters with high TON and good enantioselectivity, thereby demonstrating that the directed evolution of ArMs can rival that of natural enzymes in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs), created by introducing synthetic cofactors into protein scaffolds, are an emerging class of catalyst for non‐natural reactions. Although many classes of ArMs are known, in vitro reconstitution of cofactors and proteins has been a limiting step in the high‐throughput screening and directed evolution of ArMs because purification of individual host proteins is time‐consuming. We describe the application of a platform to combine mutants of the P450 enzyme CYP119 and the cofactor Ir(Me)MPIX in vivo, by coexpression of the CYP119 mutants with the heme transporter encoded by the hug operon, to the directed evolution of ArMs containing Ir(Me)MPIX in whole cells. We applied this platform to the development an ArMs catalyzing the insertion of the acyclic carbene from α‐diazopropanoate esters (Me‐EDA) into the N−H bonds of N‐alkyl anilines, a combination of carbene and amine classes for which mutant enzymes of natural hemoproteins previously reacted with low enantioselectivity. The mutants of the artificial metalloenzyme Ir(Me)CYP119 identified by an evolution campaign involving more than 4000 mutants are shown to catalyze the reaction of Me‐EDA with N‐methyl anilines to form chiral chiral amino esters with high TON and good enantioselectivity, thereby demonstrating that the directed evolution of ArMs can rival that of natural enzymes in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autohydrolysis is an extensively investigated pretreatment method due to its environmental friendliness. During autohydrolysis, most xylan from hemicellulose can be converted into xylooligosaccharides (XOS), and cellulose in the autohydrolyzed residues can be transformed into glucose after enzymatic hydrolysis. Both of these are value-added biochemicals in the biorefining process. In this work, paper mulberry (PM), which contains abundant protein, was utilized as a raw material to coproduce XOS and single-cell protein (SCP) through autohydrolysis and fermentation technologies. Results: The results showed that 8.3 g of XOS and 1.8 g of amino acids could be recovered in the autohydrolysate (based on 100 g raw material) after autohydrolysis (170 °C, 1 h). Moreover, 5.7 g of low-DP XOS along with 1.8 g of amino acids could be further obtained from the autohydrolysate after hydrolysis with endo-β-1-4-xylanase. In addition, 20.1 g of fermentable monosaccharides was recovered after hydrolyzing the autohydrolyzed PM with cellulase, which can be used to produce 4.8 g of SCP after fermentation with Candida utilis. Conclusion: As a valuable application of PM, a novel process is proposed to coproduce amino acid-rich XOS and SCP through autohydrolysis. The carbohydrate of PM is effectively converted to high value-added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are abundant shale gas resources in the Lower Paleozoic marine organic shale strata of the upper Yangtze region, South China. However, affected by multi-period tectonic activities, leading to poor exploitation of the Lower Paleozoic marine shale gas in the complex tectonic zone. Therefore, this study proposes fracturability index (FI) based on shale brittleness, fracture toughness, and stress decay rate. Therefore, this study combines logging data and rock mechanics experiments to obtain the rock mechanics parameters of the Fenggang block shale reservoir. Based on Young's modulus, fracture toughness and critical strain energy release rate, combined with the analytic hierarchy process, the shale fracturability index is proposed to guide the exploration and development of shale gas. The fracturability index of the Longmaxi Formation shale in the study area is 0.34 ~ 0.72. The fracturability of the middle and lower part of the Longmaxi Formation shale is obviously better than that of the upper part. In general, shale reservoirs with high brittleness index, low fracture toughness, and low critical strain energy release rate have high fracturability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internal jugular vein catheterization (IJVC) and subclavian vein catheterization (SCVC) have been the most preferred central venous catheterizations (CVC) clinically. Individual preference and institutional routine dominate the traditional CVC choice; however, it is lack of high-level evidence. We sought to provide better clinical strategy for CVC site choice based on anatomical landmark technique between IJVC and SCVC. Methods: We systematically reviewed eligible studies from PubMed, OVID, Cochrane and ClinicalTrials.Gov till February 2020. The primary outcomes were catheterization time and overall success rate, and the secondary outcomes were the first-attempt success rate and the instant mechanical complications. Ethical problems are not applicable. Results: A total of 3378 patients from 7 studies were included in the analyses. Neither difference was found on the catheterization time (SMD 95% CI: −0.095–0.124, p = 0.792), nor any difference on the overall success rate (RR = 1.017, 95% CI: 0.927–1.117, p = 0.721, I2 = 89.6%) between the 2 procedures. However, subgroup analyses showed overall success rate of IJVC was significantly lower than that of SCVC (RR = 0.906, 95% CI: 0.850–0.965, p = 0.002) in adults. The first-attempt success rate of IJVC group was higher in the adults (RR = 1.472, 95% CI: 1.004–2.156, p = 0.047). No significance was detected in arterial injury (RR = 1.137, 95% CI: 0.541–2.387, p = 0.735) and pneumothorax (RR = 0.600, 95% CI: 0.32–1.126, p = 0.112) between the two procedures. Hematoma was significantly more in IJVC group than that in SCVC group (RR = 2.824, 95% CI: 1.181–6.751, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Compared with IJVC, SCVC shows a higher overall success rate while a lower first-attempt success rate in adults, and has involved with less hematoma. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42020165444. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behavior of 5.5%Cr–8.5%Cr steels in a CO2 environment was studied. To clarify the effect of Volta potential on uniform corrosion and pitting corrosion, weight loss test, electrochemical measurement, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, confocal laser scanning microscope, and scanning Kelvin probe force microscope were conducted. The results show that there is a linear relationship between the surface potential of the steel substrate and the self‐corrosion potential. The increase of the Cr content reduces the surface potential and increases the self‐corrosion potential, reducing the thermodynamic tendency of corrosion. The Al‐oxide inclusions show lower potential than the substrate, and their sensitivity to pitting corrosion is affected by the potential difference with the substrate. The larger the potential difference, the easier it is tantamount to induce pitting corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most intractable tumors in the world due to its high rate of recurrence and heterogeneity. Liver cancer initiating cells also called cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in resistance against typical therapy and high tumor-initiating potential. However, the role of the novel circular RNA (circRNA) circIPO11 in the maintenance of liver cancer initiating cells remains elusive. Methods: CircRNAs highly conserved in humans and mice were identified from 3 primary HCC samples by circRNA array. The expression and function of circIPO11 were further evaluated by Northern blot, limiting dilution xenograft analysis, chromatin isolation by RNA purification-PCR assay (ChIRP) and HCC patient-derived tumor cells (PDC) models. CircIpo11 knockout (KO) mice were generated by a CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Results: CircIPO11 is highly expressed in HCC tumor tissues and liver CSCs. CircIPO11 is required for the self-renewal maintenance of liver CSCs to initiate HCC development. Mechanistically, circIPO11 recruits TOP1 to GLI1 promoter to trigger its transcription, leading to the activation of Hedgehog signaling. Moreover, GLI1 is also highly expressed in HCC tumor tissues and liver CSCs, and TOP1 expression levels positively correlate with the metastasis, recurrence and survival of HCC patients. Additionally, circIPO11 knockout in mice suppresses the progression of chemically induced liver cancer development. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that circIPO11 drives the self-renewal of liver CSCs and promotes the propagation of HCC via activating Hedgehog signaling pathway. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) against circIPO11 combined with TOP1 inhibitor camptothecin (CPT) exert synergistic antitumor effect. Therefore, circIPO11 and the Hedgehog signaling pathway may provide new potential targets for the treatment of HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin films can be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with adjustable electrical, optical and structural properties. However, the ternary ALD processes usually suffer from low growth rate and difficulty in controlling film thickness and elemental composition, due to the interaction of ZnO and SnO 2 processes. In this work, ZTO thin films with different Sn levels are prepared by ALD super cycles using diethylzinc, tetrakis(dimethylamido)tin, and water. It is observed that both the film growth rate and atom composition show nonlinear variation versus [Sn]/([Sn]+[Zn]) cycle ratio. The experimental thickness measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry and X-ray reflectivity are much lower than the expected thickness linearly interpolated from pure ZnO and SnO x films. The [Sn]/([Sn]+[Zn]) atom ratios estimated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have higher values than that expected from the cycle ratios. Hence, to characterize the film growth behavior versus cycle ratio, a numerical method is proposed by simulating the effect of reduced density and reactivity of surface hydroxyls and surface etching reactions. The structure, electrical and optical properties of ZTO with different Sn levels are also examined by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, Hall measurements and ultraviolet–visible–infrared transmittance spectroscopy. The ZTO turns out to be transparent nanocrystalline or amorphous films with smooth surface. With more Sn contents, the film resistivity gets higher (>1 Ω cm) and the optical bandgap rises from 3.47 to 3.83 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A primary-side regulation (PSR) constant current (CC) output and constant voltage (CV) output AC–DC converter is proposed and an adaptive high-precision closed-loop constant current control scheme is put forward in this paper. In the CC mode, the converter adopts the closed-loop control strategy to realize that the switching period adaptively converges to twice the demagnetization time, which realizes the CC output. In addition, exactly detecting the demagnetization time is a prerequisite for obtaining a high-precision output current. Therefore, a demagnetization time detection circuit is designed to provide accurate and reliable demagnetization information. The control IC was fabricated with the Nuvoton 0.5um BCD process, and a 5 V/2 A prototype circuit was implemented to verify its performance. Experimental results show that the CC deviation is within ± 1.4%, which is lower than the target value of ± 2.0%. Under different loads and AC inputs, the conversion efficiency in the CC mode varies between 76.3% and 80.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased neutrophil–endothelial binding and inflammatory responses are significant pathophysiological events in the maternal vascular system in preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder in human pregnancy. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its soluble receptors (soluble IL-6R (sIL-6R) and soluble gp130 (sgp130)) are critical inflammatory mediators. During pregnancy, maternal IL-6 and sgp130 levels were increased, but sIL-6R levels were decreased, in women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive pregnant women. However, little is known about differences in IL-6, sIL-6R, and sgp130 production by neutrophils and endothelial cells between normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. To study this, we isolated neutrophils and cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Production of IL-6, sIL-6R, and sgp130 was measured. The role of placental factor(s)-mediated neutrophil production of IL-6, sIL-6R, and sgp130 was also determined by pretreating neutrophils with placental conditioned medium generated from placental villous cultures. We found that IL-6 and sgp130 were mainly produced by endothelial cells, while sIL-6R was mainly produced by neutrophils. Endothelial cells from preeclampsia produced significantly more IL-6 and sgp130, and neutrophils from preeclampsia produced significantly less sIL-6R than normal pregnancy cells. Interestingly, production of IL-6, sIL-6R, and sgp130 were time-dependently increased when neutrophils and endothelial cells were co-cultured. We also found that neutrophils from normal pregnancies produced more IL-6, but less sIL-6R, after being primed by preeclamptic-placental conditioned medium. These results demonstrated that neutrophils and endothelial cells have different capacities in producing IL-6, sIL-6R, and sgp130 between normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. These results also provide evidence that the placenta plays a role in inducing neutrophil activation in preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among tibial plateau fractures, one specialized type is the posterolateral column fracture. There are few published studies on posterolateral tibial plateau fractures with a sheared fragment that was wedged into the intercondylar fossa without the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. According to our research, this case presentation is the first to describe in detail the treatment and long-term follow-up for this uncommon subtype of posterolateral tibial plateau fracture.Case Presentation: A 46-year-old female injured her right knee when she was riding a motorbike and was diagnosed with a posterolateral sheared tibial plateau fracture with a wedge-shaped fragment inserted into the femoral intercondylar fossa. The fracture was repaired with open reduction internal fixation surgery. The patient's recovery was followed for four years. The degree of healing as indicated by clinical and radiological examinations was substantial. The patient exhibited an excellent range of motion for the repaired knee (0-145°) and little discomfort. The Lysholm score was 96, the hospital for special surgery score was 98, the Rasmussen clinical assessment was 28, and the Rasmussen radiological assessment was 18.Conclusion: This study revealed that a posterolateral sheared tibial plateau, as seen in this case, can be reset and fixed sufficiently to achieve excellent long-term postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern China is affected by multi-stage tectonic activities, with strong fold deformation, complex fault systems and poor shale gas preservation conditions. Here, we used shale samples from the lower Silurian Longmaxi shale in the complex tectonic area of Southern China, to study the relationship between differential structural deformation, and pore structure and adsorption capacity. According to the deformation mechanism of the shale, it is further divided into brittle-slip rheological deformation (BD) and ductile-slip rheological deformation (DD). The results show that all micro-fractures can be observed under scanning electron microscopy in deformed shale samples, but in shale samples with different types of rheological deformation, the micro-fractures have large differences in scale, fracture length and lateral connectivity. The micro-fractures developed in DD shales are small in scale and short in fracture length, but have strong local connectivity. In contrast, brittle minerals are more developed in BD shales, and interlayer shearing has formed micro-fractures with large fracture length and good lateral connectivity, which is beneficial for later fracturing. In these two types of deformed shales, pores in organic matter are rare, and sporadic organic pores have small pore size and poor connectivity. The total pore volume (1.8–2.4 × 10−2 cm3 g–1) of BD shale samples is higher than that of DD shale samples (0.8–1.6 × 10−2 cm3 g–1). There is a positive correlation between total pore volume and quartz content. In addition, the specific surface area (12–18 m2 g–1) of DD shale samples is larger than that of BD shale samples (6–12 m2 g–1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse intrauterine environment has been considered a predisposing factor for fetal programming in preeclampsia. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we specifically explored if aberrant histone methylation occurs in fetal endothelial cells in preeclampsia. Strikingly, we found that increased di‐, and tri‐methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2 and H3K9me3) expression were associated with upregulation of methyltransferase G9a and downregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and CuZn‐SOD expression in preeclamptic HUVECs. We further demonstrated that hypoxia‐induced hypermethylation of H3K9 and reduced CuZn‐SOD expression mimicked what were seen in preeclamptic HUVECs and inhibition of G9a could attenuate these hypoxia‐induced adverse events. Our study was the first to identify hypermethylation status in fetal endothelial cells in preeclampsia, which provides plausible evidence that increased oxidative stress in the intrauterine environment is likely a mechanism to induce aberrant histone modification in fetal endothelial cells which may have a significant impact on fetal programming in preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylooligosaccharides riched in xylobiose and xylotriose exhibit various biological activities as prebiotics. However, the prebiotics of xylooligosaccharides for regulating the intestinal microbiota in colitis models has been rarely investigated. In this study, differences in prebiotic ability of xylooligosaccharides samples from paper mulberry branches using different methods, including autohydrolysis (termed as 170AH), sequent purification by polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin (termed as 170AH-XAD), and enzymatic hydrolysis using endo- β -1,4-xylanase (170AH-XAD-E) were investigated. Results revealed that 170AH-XAD-E possessing higher fractions of xylobiose and xylotriose exhibited the best performance in vitro by promoting the proliferation of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Lactobacillus acidophilus , with utilization rates of 92.30% and 91.00%, respectively. Additionally, 170AH-XAD-E outperformed the other samples in increasing the species' abundance of in vivo intestinal microbiota in colitis mouse model induced by Escherichia coli. Furthermore, 170AH-XAD-E selectively promoted the growth of Bacteroides , while inhibiting the proliferation of Firmicutes , Proteobacteria , and Actinobacteriota. These abilities of 170AH-XAD-E may be due to its potential to upregulate the population of intestinal microbiota associated with the functional abundance of Cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis and Inorganic ion transport and metabolism. Overall, this work demonstrates that XOS with high contents of xylobiose and xylotriose possesses excellent potential as intestinal microbiota regulators and anti-colitis agents. [Display omitted] • Xylooligosaccharides riched with xylobiose and xylotriose enhance probiotic growth. • Xylooligosaccharides with higher xylobiose and xylotriose increase gut flora. • Xylooligosaccharides with higher xylobiose and xylotriose alleviate colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural products continue to be the inspirations for us to discover and acquire new drugs. The seemingly unstoppable viruses have kept records high to threaten human health and well-being. The diversity and complexity of natural products (NPs) offer remarkable efficacy and specificity to target viral infection steps and serve as excellent source for antiviral agents. The discovery and production of antiviral NPs remain challenging due to low abundance in their native hosts. Reconstruction of NP biosynthetic pathways in microbes is a promising solution to overcome this limitation. In this review, we surveyed 23 most prominent NPs (from more than 200 antiviral NP candidates) with distinct antiviral mode of actions and summarized the recent metabolic engineering effort to produce these compounds in various microbial hosts. We envision that the scalable and low-cost production of novel antiviral NPs, enabled by metabolic engineering, may light the hope to control and eradicate the deadliest viruses that plague our society and humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]