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The growing demand for renewable energy sources like wind and solar power requires accurate and reliable forecasting techniques for effective planning and operation. This study presents an attention-based spatial-temporal graph neural network–long short-term memory (ASTGNN-LSTM) model designed to predict wind speed and solar radiation using 20 years of meteorological data from five regions in Northwest China. The ASTGNN-LSTM model shows significant performance improvements over traditional methods, such as the historical average model, autoregressive integrated moving average model, and graph convolutional network with LSTM. After optimizing the hidden layers and learning rate, the relative errors for predicting wind speed and solar radiation are reduced to 27.15 % and 6.11 %, respectively. Sensitivity analysis reveals that location data have the most significant impact on predictions. These findings demonstrate that the ASTGNN-LSTM model effectively captures nonlinear relationships and can enhance renewable energy planning and management.

BackgroundDuodenal papilla carcinoma (DPC) is a rare malignancy often diagnosed at an advanced stage. When surgery is not feasible in localized disease due to advanced age or comorbidities, there remains no consensus on optimal management for these patients.Case summaryThis case series details the therapeutic outcomes of 125I seed implantation in two elderly patients with DPC. A notable tumor reduction was achieved within two months after implantation. Furthermore, both patients demonstrated radiological tumor response and survived for over six months following the initial 125I seed treatment, marking the first reported instance of 125I seed implantation to effectively control DPC.ConclusionThe anti-tumor activity of 125I seed implantation in the reported two cases of DPC underscores its potential as a viable treatment option for inoperable localized DPC.

Abstract Background SHARPIN (SHANK‐associated RH domain interactor) is a component of the linear ubiquitination complex that regulates the NF‐κB signaling pathway. To better understand the function of SHARPIN, we sought to establish a novel genetically engineered Syrian hamster with SHARPIN disruption using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Methods A single‐guide ribonucleic acid targeting exon 1 of SHARPIN gene was designed and constructed. The zygotes generated by cytoplasmic injection of the Cas9/gRNA ribonucleoprotein were transferred into pseudopregnant hamsters. Neonatal mutants were identified by genotyping. SHARPIN protein expression was detected using Western blotting assay. Splenic, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), and thymic weights were measured, and organ coefficients were calculated. Histopathological examination of the spleen, liver, lung, small intestine, and esophagus was performed independently by a pathologist. The expression of lymphocytic markers and cytokines was evaluated using reverse transcriptase‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results All the offspring harbored germline‐transmitted SHARPIN mutations. Compared with wild‐type hamsters, SHARPIN protein was undetectable in SHARPIN−/− hamsters. Spleen enlargement and splenic coefficient elevation were spotted in SHARPIN−/− hamsters, with the descent of MLNs and thymuses. Further, eosinophil infiltration and structural alteration in spleens, livers, lungs, small intestines, and esophagi were obvious after the deletion of SHARPIN. Notably, the expression of CD94 and CD22 was downregulated in the spleens of knockout (KO) animals. Nonetheless, the expression of CCR3, CCL11, Il4, and Il13 was upregulated in the esophagi. The expression of NF‐κB and phosphorylation of NF‐κB and IκB protein significantly diminished in SHARPIN−/− animals. Conclusions A novel SHARPIN KO hamster was successfully established using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Abnormal development of secondary lymphoid organs and eosinophil infiltration in multiple organs reveal its potential in delineating SHARPIN function and chronic inflammation.

Abstract Locating tables in document images is the first step to extracting table information, and high location precision is required. The dominant approach of table detection is based on an object detection algorithm, and the detector defines the prediction task as a regression problem, which inevitably leads to positioning errors. To address this issue, this paper presents an approach called Border Line Correction (BLC) to refine the rough prediction results of the original detector through the table boundary lines extracted from the document image. Our approach transforms the regression task into a classification problem, thus avoiding the inherent regression error of the object detection algorithm. Traditional annotation methods are inadequate for table detection tasks as they fail to capture the completeness and purity of the detection results. Therefore, this study treats the correct position of a table as a tolerance region. Additionally, to overcome the limitations of existing datasets in the materials domain, we collected 1183 samples from scientific literature in the materials field and created the MatTab dataset, annotating the tables with tolerance regions. This paper use Cascade RCNN with Swin Transformer as baseline models, and BLC is utilized to optimize the detection results. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements with BLC at an IOU of 0.95 on the MatTab, ICDAR2019, and ICDAR2017 datasets. In MatTab, the percentage of correctly detected complete and pure tables increased from 72.3% to 82.1%.

Abstract Risk communication is defined as the interactive exchange of information and opinions concerning risk, risk-related factors and risk perceptions amongst all the stakeholders of food safety throughout the risk analysis process. The interactive exchange of information occurs at three different levels i.e. informed level, dialogue level and engagement level. For an effective food safety risk communication (FSRC), it is important that the information should adhere to the core principles of risk communication which are transparency, openness, responsiveness and timeliness. Communication of a food safety risk within all the components of risk communication strategy constitutes a complex network of information flow that can be better understood with the help of a framework. Therefore, a model framework to communicate the risks associated with aflatoxins (AFs) dietary intake has been developed with the aim of (a) creating general awareness amongst public and (b) involving industry stakeholders in the prevention and control of risk. The framework has been motivated by the learnings and best practices outlined in the identified technical guidance documents for risk communication. Risk assessors, risk managers, industry stakeholders and general public have been identified as the major stakeholders for the present framework. Amongst them, industry stakeholders and general public has been selected as the major target audience for risk managers. Moreover, population residing in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has been identified as the main target group to reach.

In the ultra-low temperature environment, the material properties of the bearing change, which puts forward higher requirements for the dynamic performance of the bearing cage. The bearings operating in ultra-low temperature environments commonly use solid lubricants. This study first focused on measuring the traction coefficients of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) solid lubricant in a nitrogen atmosphere, and the Gupta fitting model is constructed to derive the traction equation. Subsequently, the dynamic differential equation of angular contact ball bearings was established, and the stability of the bearing cage in a nitrogen environment was simulated and analyzed based on the dynamic model. The accuracy of the simulation model was verified through comparison. The results show that less than 10% of errors exist between the experimental data and the traction curve fitted by the Gupta model, and the stability of the cage is closely related to operating parameters and bearing structure parameters. Cage stability increases with axial load but decreases with radial load. The cage stability is optimal when the radial internal clearance of the bearing is approximately 0.06 mm. When other conditions remain unchanged and the ratio of the cage pocket hole gap to the cage guide surface gap is 0.2, the cage stability is the best. The research results will provide a foundation for the design and application of solid-lubricated angular contact ball bearings in ultra-low temperature environments.

The fungus Xylaria sp. Z184, harvested from the leaves of Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve, has been isolated for the first time. Chemical investigation on the methanol extract of the culture broth of the titles strain led to the discovery of three new pyranone derivatives, called fallopiaxylaresters A–C (1–3), and a new bisabolane-type sesquiterpenoid, named fallopiaxylarol A (4), along with the first complete set of spectroscopic data for the previously reported pestalotiopyrone M (5). Known pyranone derivatives (6–11), sesquiterpenoids (12–14), isocoumarin derivatives (15–17), and an aromatic allenic ether (18) were also co-isolated in this study. All new structures were elucidated by the interpretation of HRESIMS, 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopy, and quantum chemical computation approach. The in vitro antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activities of the selected compounds and the crude extract were evaluated. The extract was shown to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells, with an inhibition rate of 77.28 ± 0.82% at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. The compounds 5, 7, and 8 displayed weak antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus areus subsp. aureus at a concentration of 100 μM.

Emerging evidence suggests that proline metabolism is important for regulating the survival and death of different types of cancer cells. Proline dehydrogenase (PRODH), an enzyme catalyzing proline catabolism, and the degradation products of proline by PRODH, such as ATP and ROS, are known to play critical roles in cancer progression. Notably, the role of PRODH in cancer is still complicated and unclear, and primarily depends on the cancer type and tumor microenvironment. For instance, PRODH induces apoptosis and senescence through ROS signaling in different types of cancers, while as a protumor factor, PRODH promotes malignant phenotypes of certain tumors under stresses such as hypoxia. In order to assess whether PRODH can serve as a novel target for cancer therapy, we will provide an overview of the biological functions of PRODH and its double-edged role in cancer in this article.

The large-scale development and utilization of new energy resource extremely promotes the construction and application of the flexible DC power grid especially in China. This paper focuses on the operation stability and new energy transmission of an actual regional power grid in North China, including new energy plants, the flexible DC power grid, a pumped storage hydropower plant (PSHP) with variable speed pumped storage unit (VSPSU) and regional AC power grids. According to the operation rules and goals, the economic operation model of the flexible DC-PSHP system is established by the mixed-integer second-order cone programming. Considering the transmission and consumption of the new energy generation, two operation strategies and three simulation scenarios are proposed. The day-ahead optimal operation schemes of PSHP in different scenarios are given by the case simulation. The results show that the proposed strategies can satisfy the operation demands of the regional power grid both in new energy generation transmission and operation economic benefits.

Combining the application of nitrogen and phosphorus is widely recognized as an effective measure to promote seedling growth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the combined application of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth and nutrient status of C. camphora container seedlings. Exponential fertilization was applied to a range of fertilizers, including single nitrogen fertilizer, single phosphorus fertilizer, and combinations of nitrogen and phosphorus to C. camphora. Eight distinct fertilization levels of treatment (CK, N1, N2, N3, P, N1P, N2P, and N3P) were established. The height and ground diameter of the seedlings were determined periodically in each treatment group. Biomass, root system (including root length, root surface area, and root volume), and nutrient accumulation (content of soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and starch in the root system, stems, and leaves) were determined for each treatment group of seedlings. The N3P treatment (N: 9000 mg∙plant−1 + P: 6000 mg∙plant−1) had the most significant effect on the height and ground diameter of C. camphora container seedlings, while the N3 treatment (N: 9000 mg∙plant−1) proved to be the most beneficial for biomass accumulation among the eight different fertilizer levels. In addition, a single P fertilizer (P: 6000 mg∙plant−1) emerged as the most effective fertilizer for enhancing root morphology (root length, root surface area, root volume, and root average diameter) and accumulating nutrient composition (soluble sugar, soluble protein, and starch). Furthermore, it was discovered that a high level of nitrogen fertilization hindered the accumulation of nutrient composition in C. camphora container seedlings. Our comprehensive analysis revealed that nitrogen fertilizer promoted the morphological growth of C. camphora container seedlings, while phosphorus fertilizer proved to be the most beneficial for root growth and nutrient composition accumulation. Additionally, it was emphasized that controlling the quantity of nitrogen fertilizer is also a crucial measure.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Combination treatments may prolong the survival of patients with GC. Acacetin, which is a flavonoid, exerts potent inhibitory effects on several types of cancer cells; however, the mechanisms of action remain poorly understood.Methods: Network pharmacology and RNA sequencing were used to predict the targets of acacetin, which were then verified by drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and molecular docking. The biological functions of acacetin in MKN45 and MGC803 cells were investigated using TUNEL assays, crystal staining and colony formation assays. The pathways affected by acacetin were verified through reverse experiments. The in vivo antitumor efficacy of acacetin was assessed in a subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model.Results: In this study, we identified EGFR from more than a dozen predicted targets as a protein that directly binds to acacetin. Moreover, acacetin affected the level of phosphorylated EGFR. In vitro, acacetin promoted the apoptosis of GC cells. Importantly, EGFR agonists reversed the inhibitory effects of acacetin on the STAT3 and ERK pathways. In vivo, acacetin decreased the protein levels of pEGFR in tumors, resulting in increased GC xenograft tumor regression without obvious toxicity.Conclusion: Our findings highlight EGFR as one of the direct targets of acacetin in GC cells. Acacetin inhibited the phosphatase activity of EGFR in vitro and in vivo, which played a role in the antitumor effects of acacetin. These studies provide new evidence for the use of acacetin as a potential reagent for the treatment of GC.

Bearings operating in ultra-low-temperature environments are commonly lubricated with solid lubricants. This study first focused on measuring the traction coefficients of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) solid lubricant under various working conditions. Based on this data, the friction power consumption of the bearings was calculated and analyzed using a dynamic model. Additionally, experimental verification of the bearing friction power consumption in ultra-low temperature environments was conducted. The research findings will serve as a foundation for the application of solid lubrication bearings in ultra-low-temperature environments.

Abstract Background Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a pivotal cellular phenomenon involved in tumour metastasis and progression. In gastric cancer (GC), EMT is the main reason for recurrence and metastasis in postoperative patients. Acacetin exhibits various biological activities. However, the inhibitory effect of acacetin on EMT in GC is still unknown. Herein, we explored the possible mechanism of acacetin on EMT in GC in vitro and in vivo. Methods In vitro, MKN45 and MGC803 cells were treated with acacetin, after which cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assays, cell migration and invasion were detected by using Transwell and wound healing assays, and protein expression was analysed by western blots and immunofluorescence staining. In vivo, a peritoneal metastasis model of MKN45 GC cells was used to investigate the effects of acacetin. Results Acacetin inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of MKN45 and MGC803 human GC cells by regulating the expression of EMT-related proteins. In TGF-β1-induced EMT models, acacetin reversed the morphological changes from epithelial to mesenchymal cells, and invasion and migration were limited by regulating EMT. In addition, acacetin suppressed the activation of PI3K/Akt signalling and decreased the phosphorylation levels of TGF-β1-treated GC cells. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that acacetin delayed the development of peritoneal metastasis of GC in nude mice. Liver metastasis was restricted by altering the expression of EMT-related proteins. Conclusion Our study showed that the invasion, metastasis and TGF-β1-induced EMT of GC are inhibited by acacetin, and the mechanism may involve the suppression of the PI3K/Akt/Snail signalling pathway. Therefore, acacetin is a potential therapeutic reagent for the treatment of GC patients with recurrence and metastasis.

Abstract Background Metastasis and/or recurrence can decrease the survival time of gastric cancer patients undergoing radical operation. Among them, those with stage IIIb and IIIc are especially at a high risk of metastasis and recurrence. The traditional Chinese medicine collaborative model (TCMCM) has been used in the treatment of cancer; however, its effects have not been systematically evaluated. This study is designed to evaluate whether TCMCM can decrease adverse effects after chemotherapy and reduce the recurrence and metastasis of stage IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer. Methods/design This prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial will recruit 260 patients with stage IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer who undergo radical surgery for D2 lymphadenectomy. The patients will be randomly assigned to receive usual adjuvant chemotherapy and TCMCM (intervention group) in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the intervention group will receive an oral traditional Chinese formula, auricular acupressure, and acupoint therapy. All participants will receive usual adjuvant chemotherapy. The primary outcome is a 3-year disease-free survival rate. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, side effects caused by chemotherapy, and safety-related measures. Assessments will be performed during the screening period, at 4 and 8 cycles after adjuvant chemotherapy, and 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months after randomization. Adverse events will be recorded. In addition, biological samples will be collected for mechanism analysis. Discussion This will be the first clinical trial to evaluate the effects of TCMCM on disease-free survival (DFS) and quality of life in patients with stage IIIb and IIIc gastric cancer. Our results may be used to standardize TCMCM. We will also perform a larger-scale clinical trial in the future. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03607656 . Registered on 1 July 2018. The final protocol version is V1.1.

In a previous study, Multiplex-nanopore-sequencing based whole genome sequencing (WGS) allowed for accurate in silico serotype prediction of Salmonella within one day for five multiplexed isolates, using both SISTR and SeqSero2. Since only ten serotypes were tested in our previous study, the conclusions above were yet to be evaluated in a larger scale test. In the current study we evaluated this workflow with 69 Salmonella serotypes and also explored the feasibility of using multiplex-nanopore-sequencing based WGS for antimicrobial resistance gene (AMR) and virulence gene detection. We found that accurate in silico serotype prediction with nanopore-WGS data was achieved within about five hours of sequencing at a minimum of 30× Salmonella genome coverage, with SeqSero2 as the serotype prediction tool. For each tested isolate, small variations were observed between the AMR/virulence gene profiles from the Illumina and Nanopore sequencing platforms. Taking results generated using Illumina data as the benchmark, the average precision value per isolate was 0.99 for both AMR and virulence gene detection. We found that the resistance gene identifier – RGI identified AMR genes with nanopore data at a much lower accuracy compared to Abricate, possibly due to RGI’s less stringent minimum similarity and coverage by default for database matching. This study is an evaluation of multiplex-nanopore-sequencing based WGS as a cost-efficient and rapid Salmonella classification method, and a starting point for future validation and verification of using it as a AMR/virulence gene profiling tool for the food industry. This study paves the way for the application of nanopore sequencing in surveillance, tracking, and risk assessment of Salmonella across the food supply chain.

Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, and zearalenone, are increasing in visibility as a public health threat through both acute and chronic exposure in food. USAID through its Feed the Future program has sponsored research in Nepal on mycotoxin contamination and the correlated high levels of stunting in children under age five. Communicating about mycotoxins is a complicated matter, as is communicating about any potentially serious economic or health threat that may be difficult to control. Two nominal group workshops in Nepal focused on identifying problems from multiple perspectives and developing potential communication strategies to mitigate the problem and potential concerns about it. Target audiences were identified along with their interests and effective channels to communicate with and within them. The first audience to work with is the government, as it must understand and value the problem and help generate confidence in potential regulatory and mitigation processes. Producers, educators and health professionals are the next audiences to address as they are the most closely involved with the problem. Consumer engagement is last, with a communication goal of sharing information to heighten awareness and minimize unwarranted public concern.

Abstract Identification of geographical origin is of great importance for protecting the authenticity of valuable agri-food products with designated origins. In this study, a robust and accurate analytical method that could authenticate the geographical origin of Geographical Indication (GI) products was developed. The method was based on elemental profiling using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in combination with machine learning techniques for model building and feature selection. The method successfully predicted and classified six varieties of Chinese GI rice. The elemental profiles of 131 rice samples were determined, and two machine learning algorithms were implemented, support vector machines (SVM) and random forest (RF), together with the feature selection algorithm Relief. Prediction accuracy of 100% was achieved by both Relief-SVM and Relief-RF models, using only four elements (Al, B, Rb, and Na). The methodology and knowledge from this study could be used to develop reliable methods for tracing geographical origins and controlling fraudulent labeling of diverse high-value agri-food products.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant carcinomas. CRC is characterized by asymptomatic onset, and most patients are already in the middle and advanced stages of disease when they are diagnosed. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the inflammatory-cancer transformation of advanced colorectal adenoma are the main causes of CRC. There is an urgent need for effective prevention and intervention strategies for CRC. In recent years, rapid research progress has increased our understanding of gut microbiota. Meanwhile, with the deepening of research on the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer, gut microbiota has been confirmed to play a direct role in the occurrence and treatment of colorectal cancer. Strategies to regulate the gut microbiota have potential value for application in the prevention and treatment of CRC. Regulation of gut microbiota is one of the important ways for natural products to exert pharmacological effects, especially in the treatment of metabolic diseases and tumours. This review summarizes the role of gut microbiota in colorectal tumorigenesis and the mechanism by which natural products reduce tumorigenesis and improve therapeutic response. We point out that the regulation of gut microbiota by natural products may serve as a potential means of treatment and prevention of CRC.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a clinical syndrome with pathological changes that are similar to those of alcoholic hepatitis without a history of excessive alcohol consumption. It is a specific form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that is characterized by hepatocyte inflammation based on hepatocellular steatosis. Further exacerbation of NASH can lead to cirrhosis, which may then progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is a lack of specific and effective treatments for NASH and NASH-driven HCC, and the mechanisms of the progression of NASH to HCC are unclear. Therefore, there is a need to understand the pathogenesis and progression of these diseases to identify new therapeutic approaches. Currently, an increasing number of studies are focusing on the utility of natural products in NASH, which is likely to be a promising prospect for NASH. This paper reviews the possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis and progression of NASH and NASH-derived HCC, as well as the potential therapeutic role of natural products in NASH and NASH-derived HCC.

In China, the power system has been developed toward the direction of high penetration of renewable energy plus high penetration of power electronic equipment (double high), which results in major challenges in the structure of power and grid. Generator excitation system control technologies have great significance in keeping the safe and stable operation of power systems, and the improvement of its performance is one of the most economical and effective means to deal with the above challenges. This paper reviewed the development history of excitation system control technology and pointed out the technical challenges brought by "double high" power system. Furthermore, the key techniques for mining and improving the network-related performance of excitation system were proposed, including performance test in laboratory, field test and evaluation, refine simulation modeling of excitation system control, additional stability control, auxiliary control strategy optimization, etc. Finally, the research focus and development direction of excitation system control technology in the future were prospected.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer of the digestive system that endangers human health. Immunotherapy is widely used in the treatment of patients with cancer. Some patients with dMMR/MSI-H CRC benefit from treatments that use immune checkpoint inhibitors, but most CRC patients are not sensitive to immunotherapy. Furthermore, internal resistance and immune escape lead to a reduced immunotherapy response. Therefore, the development of an effective combination therapy to improve the response rate to immunotherapy is a goal of cancer research. Natural products are potential candidates for comprehensive cancer treatments due to their wide range of immunomodulatory effects through multifactorial underlying mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the challenges in the treatment of CRC and assess the immunomodulatory effects of natural products and their active components. Our work suggests that natural products represent potential options for combined CRC immunotherapy.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The application of advanced technology has promoted accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Anhydroicaritin (AHI) is a flavonoid with therapeutic potential in BC treatment. The current study aimed to determine AHI’s mechanism in BC treatment via RNA sequencing, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, and experimental verification.Methods: Network pharmacology and MTT (3-(4,5)-dimethylthiazolyl-3,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide) experiments were conducted to first confirm AHI’s anti-BC effect. RNA sequencing was performed to identify the genes affected by AHI. Differential expression analysis, survival analysis, gene set enrichment analysis, and immune infiltration analysis were performed via bioinformatics analysis. Western blot analysis, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiment, molecular docking, and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) experiments were also performed to confirm AHI’s direct effect on glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) expression. Confocal immunofluorescence analysis was conducted to verify AHI’s effect on the occurrence and development of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Finally, BC nude mouse xenografts were established, and AHI’s molecular mechanism on BC was explored.Results: Network pharmacology results demonstrated that AHI’s therapeutic targets on BC were related to the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of BC cells. AHI significantly inhibited the proliferation of 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 BC cells in the MTT experiments. RNA sequencing results showed that AHI upregulated the GPX1 expression in the 4T1 and MDA-MB-231 BC cells. Next, bioinformatics analysis revealed that GPX1 is less expressed in BC than in normal breast tissues. Patients with high GPX1 expression levels tended to have prolonged overall survival and disease-free survival than patients with low GPX1 expression levels in BC. Western blot and RT-PCR experiments revealed that AHI increased the protein and mRNA levels of GPX1. Molecular docking and DARTS experiments confirmed the direct binding combination between AHI and GPX1. After the evaluation of the EMT scores of 1,078 patients with BC, we found a potential anti-BC role of GPX1 possibly via suppression of the malignant EMT. The confocal immunofluorescence analysis showed that AHI increased E-cadherin expression levels and reduced vimentin expression levels in BC cells. Animal experiments showed that AHI significantly inhibited tumor growth. AHI also inhibited EMT by enhancing GPX1 and caspase3 cleavage, hence inhibiting EMT markers (i.e., N-cadherin and vimentin) and Ki-67.Conclusion: GPX1 plays a critical role in BC, which may be a biomarker for the prognosis. In addition, AHI suppressed EMT by increasing GPX1 expression, which may serve as a potential therapy for BC treatment.

Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) have been widely adopted to solve partial differential equations (PDEs), which could be used to simulate physical systems. However, the accuracy of PINNs does not meet the needs of the industry, and severely degrades, especially when the PDE solution has sharp transitions. In this paper, we propose a ResNet block-enhanced network architecture to better capture the transition. Meanwhile, a constrained self-adaptive PINN (cSPINN) scheme is developed to move PINN’s objective to the areas of the physical domain, which are difficult to learn. To demonstrate the performance of our method, we present the results of numerical experiments on the Allen–Cahn equation, the Burgers equation, and the Helmholtz equation. We also show the results of solving the Poisson equation using cSPINNs on different geometries to show the strong geometric adaptivity of cSPINNs. Finally, we provide the performance of cSPINNs on a high-dimensional Poisson equation to further demonstrate the ability of our method.

Tea has become one of the most popular drinks worldwide because of its special taste and health benefits. ‘Yuhua’ tea is a famous specialty of Nanjing, China, a green tea produced from Camelia sinensis. It belongs to the green tea category and is one of the top ten most famous teas in China. The physical and chemical properties of soil are very important to the quality of tea. However, at present, there are few instances of research on the soil of the ‘Yuhua’ tea cultivation area. To provide the theoretical basis for improving the final quality of ‘Yuhua’ tea by soil management measures, the effects of the soil’s physical and chemical properties on the contents of important chemical components (free amino acids, tea polyphenols, and caffeine) of ‘Yuhua’ tea in three different cultivation areas in Nanjing were studied. The quality of ‘Yuhua’ tea is greatly influenced by the physical and chemical properties of the soil in which the tea plant grows. The free amino acid content and tea polyphenol content of tea leaves were significantly and negatively correlated with soil bulk density, pH, and water-soluble calcium content, while a significantly positive correlation was noticed between the two criteria and soil effective nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content. Additionally, the growth of the tea tree will be hampered and perhaps stressed if the soil’s helpful mineral concentration is too low. The tea tree may produce more caffeine as a result, which could lower the quality of the tea leaves. Therefore, implementing targeted soil management techniques is the key to promoting tea tree growth and improving tea quality. This study laid the foundation for the adoption of corresponding soil management measures to improve the quality of ‘Yuhua’ tea.

Aflatoxin contamination in corn is a significant issue, posing substantial health threats to humans and animals. Aflatoxin testing protects consumer health, ensures the safe global trade of corn, and verifies compliance with legislation; however, effective sampling procedures are essential to ensure reliable results. While many sampling procedures exist, there is no evidence to indicate which is the best approach to ensure accurate detection. Using scientific and gray literature sources, this review analyzed sampling procedures to determine an optimum approach to guide the development of standard practices. Results revealed that sampling is the major source of error in the accurate assessment of aflatoxin levels in food and crucial for obtaining reliable results. To guarantee low variability and sample bias-increased sample size and sampling frequency, the use of automatic dynamic sampling techniques, adequate storage, and homogenization of aggregate samples for analysis are advised to ensure a representative sample. However, there is a lack of evidence to support this or indicate the current utilization of the reviewed procedures. Inadequate data prevented the recommendation of sample sizes or frequency for optimum practice, and thus, further research is required. There is an urgent need to make sampling procedures fit-for-purpose to obtain accurate and reliable aflatoxin measurements.

This study aimed to test the friction coefficient of cryogenic bearing lubrication materials. A ball-on-disc type friction tester was developed in our lab using air bearings that could simulate the movement of cryogenic bearings under sliding-rolling contact. The tester is equipped with a temperature-controlled chamber to provide a minimum −175 °C low-temperature environment. Using air bearings is an important technique to reduce the base friction of the tester measurement system and ensure the accuracy of the friction coefficient measurement. The friction coefficients of the Ag coating and the PTFE coating were measured at different sliding-rolling velocities on this tester, and the results showed that the friction coefficient curves agreed well with the Gupta sliding model. The developed tester will provide important data for the dynamic analysis and life evaluation of the cryogenic bearings.

The use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data generated by the long-read sequencing platform Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) has been shown to provide reliable results for Salmonella serotype prediction in a previous study. To further meet the needs of industry for accurate, rapid, and cost-efficient Salmonella confirmation and serotype classification, we evaluated the serotype prediction accuracy of using WGS data from multiplex ONT sequencing with three, four, five, seven, or ten Salmonella isolates (each isolate represented one Salmonella serotype) pooled in one R9.4.1 flow cell. Each multiplexing strategy was repeated with five flow cells, and the loaded samples were sequenced simultaneously in a GridION sequencer for 48 h. In silico serotype prediction was performed using both SeqSero2 (for raw reads and genome assemblies) and SISTR (for genome assemblies) software suites. An average of 10.63 Gbp of clean sequencing data was obtained per flow cell. We found that the unevenness of data yield among each multiplexed isolate was a major barrier for shortening sequencing time. Using genome assemblies, both SeqSero2 and SISTR accurately predicted all the multiplexed isolates under each multiplexing strategy when depth of genome coverage ≥50× for each isolate. We identified that cross-sample barcode assignment was a major cause of prediction errors when raw sequencing data were used for prediction. This study also demonstrated that, (i) sequence data generated by ONT multiplex sequencing can be used to simultaneously predict serotype for three to ten Salmonella isolates, (ii) with three to ten Salmonella isolates multiplexed, genome coverage at ≥50× per isolate was obtained within an average of 6 h of ONT multiplex sequencing, and (iii) with five isolates multiplexed, the cost per isolate might be reduced to 23% of that incurred with single ONT sequencing. This study is a starting point for future validation of multiplex ONT WGS as a cost-efficient and rapid Salmonella confirmation and serotype classification tool for the food industry.

A warm-water doliolid species Dolioletta gegenbauri (Uljanin, 1884) was firstly recorded in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) during the autumn of 2019–2020. As a warm-water species, its native habitat lies in the East China Sea Shelf, >1000 km south of JZB. Distribution, abundance, stage composition, size frequency distribution, and relationships with environmental factors were studied. Both asexual and sexual reproduction stages were observed. Gonozooids generally dominated the population, indicating an active population development status. Abundance was significantly correlated to temperature. Water temperature in the two consecutive years was among the highest levels during the recent 3–4 decades. The continuous warming trends both in the China coastal seas and JZB likely expanded the biogeographic range. The sub branches of a boundary current, the Kuroshio Current, especially the Yellow Sea Warm Current, may play a central role during the northward extension. Moreover, its feeding, growth, reproduction, and recruitment could also be benefited from the neritic food environment. Finally, when the temperature dropped below 15 °C in the early winter, it disappeared in JZB. The seasonal expansion of D. gegenbauri in JZB could be facilitated by current transportation, warming, and the neritic environment.

Based on a dynamic analysis of rolling bearings, the equations for rocker arm full-type needle bearings were established by considering the traction coefficients of FVA-M reference lubricating oil, and then they were solved by the GSTIFF (Gear Stiff) integer algorithm with variable steps. The influence of working conditions on friction power consumption and the lubricant’s convective coefficients were investigated. Then, on the basis of the heat generation and heat transfer mechanisms, the frictional power consumption was used as the boundary condition of the bearings’ simulation model. Finally, temperature fields were calculated by the finite element method. The results showed that the overall value of frictional power consumption increased gradually with the increase in either the radial load or the rotation speed. The presence or absence of lubricating oil film in the contact area affected the heat conduction of the bearing, resulting in a temperature difference. Compared with the temperature of the radial load exerted on the bearing, the maximum temperature was more sensitive to the variations in the rotation speed. When running under the conditions of a fatigue life test, the steady-state temperature value of the bearing gradually decreased from the outer raceway to the needle roller and the outer ring surface, and then to the central shaft. The maximum temperature rise was 25.9 °C relative to the ambient temperature.

This article contains supportive data related to a research article entitled “Annual variation of species richness and lorica oral diameter characteristics of tintinnids in a semi-enclosed bay of western Pacific” (Feng et al., 2018) [1]. This article describes long term data of tintinnid assemblages in Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow sea, a semi-enclosed basin ecosystem of western Pacific, from May 2003 to December 2012. We sum up the whole dataset for each year showing tintinnid species occurrence and abundance at each site by date, as well as the photographic documentation of each tintinnid species. Further interpretation and discussion can be found in recently published by Feng et al. in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science at Science.

The reaction of enamine compounds with the Togni reagent in the presence of CuI afforded β-trifluoromethylated enamine intermediates, which were converted directly to biologically interesting trifluoromethylated 2H-azirines by an iodosobenzene (PhIO)-mediated intramolecular azirination in a one-pot process.

Background/Aims: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we investigated the clinical value and functional role of LncRNA DQ786243 (LncDQ) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: To investigate the expression level of LncDQ in HCC, we performed quantitative real-time PCR using total RNA extracted from HCC tumor tissues and their matched non-neoplastic counterparts, as well as from the serum of HCC patients and healthy volunteers. The correlation of LncDQ expression with clinicopathologic features and prognosis was analyzed. The functional role of LncDQ in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated by MTT cell viability, wound healing, and transwell assays in vitro and in vivo. RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to analyze the potential mechanism of LncDQ in HCC cells. Results: LncDQ was upregulated in both HCC tissue samples and serum and was correlated with low survival rate and adverse clinical pathological characteristics. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that LncDQ expression was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.804 with a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.8. Knockdown of LncDQ induced inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LncDQ regulated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway by interacting with EZH2, to epigenetically repress the expression of E-cadherin in HCC cells. Conclusions: Taken together, the results of our study indicate that LncDQ plays a critical role in HCC progression, and may serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HCC.

The food industry is facing a major transition regarding methods for confirmation, characterization, and subtyping of Salmonella. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is rapidly becoming both the method of choice and the gold standard for Salmonella subtyping; however, routine use of WGS by the food industry is often not feasible due to cost constraints or the need for rapid results. To facilitate selection of subtyping methods by the food industry, we present: (i) a comparison between classical serotyping and selected widely used molecular-based subtyping methods including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and WGS (including WGS-based serovar prediction) and (ii) a scoring system to evaluate and compare Salmonella subtyping assays. This literature-based assessment supports the superior discriminatory power of WGS for source tracking and root cause elimination in food safety incident; however, circumstances in which use of other subtyping methods may be warranted were also identified. This review provides practical guidance for the food industry and presents a starting point for further comparative evaluation of Salmonella characterization and subtyping methods.

Large-scale macro-algal blooms of Ulva prolifera (also called green tides) have appeared each summer since 2008 in the western Yellow Sea. In this study, we investigated the temporal variability in zooplankton community in the western Yellow Sea and its possible links to green tides using data from a long-term plankton survey off the coast of Qingdao, China. Environmental conditions observed in the study area during the green tide period (GTP: June–August, 2008–2013) were compared to the non-green tide period (NGTP: June–August, 2005–2007), to support the contention that variations observed in zooplankton community may be attributed to the green tides, as opposed to natural climatic or environmental variations. Zooplankton assemblage structure observed during the GTP was then compared to the NGTP. Significant variations were detected both in zooplankton abundance and assemblage structure between the two defined periods. The abundance of zooplankton, mainly copepods, was significantly decreased during the GTP. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of copepods decreased by approximately 10% and that of gelatinous zooplankton, including appendicularians, chaetognaths, and medusae, almost doubled (ca. increased by 6.4%). The dominant species of meroplankton completely changed, specifically, polychaeta, and echinoderm larvae were more dominant than decapod and bivalve larvae. With regard to zooplankton size structure, the NGTP showed a higher size diversity with more small-sized organisms, while the GTP showed a lower size diversity in the community. According to general linear models, the interannual variation in summer zooplankton abundance was significantly correlated with green tides. These results indicate that the temporal changes in zooplankton community may have a close link to the green tides.

Feature extraction is a key procedure in the fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. To obtain fault features with lower dimensionality and higher sensitivity, a feature extraction method based on adaptive multiwavelets transform (AMWT) and local tangent space alignment (LTSA) is proposed in this paper. AMWT is first used to obtain multiple features from the vibration signals of the machine under test to form a high-dimensional feature set. Then, in order to avoid the adverse effect of the irrelevant features in this high-dimensional feature set on the fault diagnosis result, a detection index (DI) is investigated to evaluate the sensitivity of the features and those with lower sensitivity are removed. After that, LTSA is applied for feature fusion to reduce the redundant features in the high-dimensional feature set. To validate the proposed method, performance of four feature extraction schemes based on (i) wavelet and LTSA, (ii) Geronimo, Hardin, and Massopust (GHM) multiwavelets and LTSA, (iii) AMWT and principal component analysis (PCA), and (iv) AMWT and multidimensional scaling (MDS) is compared with the proposed method. The feature extraction results by these methods are then fed into K-medoids classifier to discriminate the faults. The results show that the proposed method can improve the sensitivity of the extracted features and obtain higher fault recognition rate.

The fungus strain SCSIO 40433 was isolated from an Arctic-derived glacier sediment sample and characterized as Tolypocladium cylindrosporum. A new compound, cylindromicin (1), and seven known secondary metabolites (2–8) were isolated from this strain. The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Cylindromicin (1) featured a 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran skeleton. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was assigned via interpretation of key Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy (NOESY) correlations and Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) calculation. Cylindromicin (1) exhibited significant tyrosinase inhibition activity. This study highlights Polar fungi as a potential resource for new bioactive natural products.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Graphium doson was recovered through Illumina sequencing data. This complete mitochondrial genome of G. doson is 15,285 bp in length and has a base composition of A (39.8%), T (41.1%), C (11.5%), and G (7.6%), demonstrating a bias of higher AT content (80.9%) than GC content (19.1%). The mitochondrial genome contains a typically conserved structure among Lineidae mitogenomes, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), two ribosomal RNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), and a control region (D-loop region). The whole mt genome of G. doson and other Obtectomera mitogenomes (36 species, in total) were used for phylogenetic analysis. The result indicated G. doson has the closest relationship with Graphium leechi (KX011066.1) and clustered within Leptocircini Clade, which represents a distinct group.

Summary: Transcription factors and chromatin-remodeling complexes are key determinants of embryonic stem cell (ESC) identity. Here, we demonstrate that BRD4, a member of the bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) family of epigenetic readers, regulates the self-renewal ability and pluripotency of ESCs. BRD4 inhibition resulted in induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and commitment to the neuroectodermal lineage while reducing the ESC multidifferentiation capacity in teratoma assays. BRD4 maintains transcription of core stem cell genes such as OCT4 and PRDM14 by occupying their super-enhancers (SEs), large clusters of regulatory elements, and recruiting to them Mediator and CDK9, the catalytic subunit of the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), to allow Pol-II-dependent productive elongation. Our study describes a mechanism of regulation of ESC identity that could be applied to improve the efficiency of ESC differentiation. : Di Micco et al. now dissect the mechanisms by which BRD4 regulates embryonic stem cell (ESC) identity by binding to super-enhancers of core pluripotency genes and recruiting active transcription complexes. BRD4 inhibition results in defective elongation of super-enhancer-associated gene transcripts, loss of ESC self-renewal/pluripotency, and commitment to the neuroectodermal lineage.

Tintinnids are planktonic ciliates that play an important role in marine ecosystem. According to their distribution in the world oceans, tintinnid genera were divided into several biogeographical types such as boreal, warm water, austral and neritic. Therefore, the oceanic tintinnid assemblage could be correspondingly divided into boreal assemblage, warm water assemblage and austral assemblage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of boreal tintinnid assemblage in the Northwest Pacific and the Arctic, and to identify the connection between boreal tintinnid assemblage and neighboring assemblages. Surface water samples were collected along a transect from the East China Sea to the Chukchi Sea in summer 2014. According to the presence of boreal genera and warm water genera, three tintinnid assemblages (the East China Sea neritic assemblage, the Japan Sea warm water assemblage, and the boreal assemblage) were identified along the transect. The boreal assemblage extended from the Chukchi Sea to the waters north of the Sōya Strait. Densities peaks occurred at stations in the two branches of the Alaska Current and decreased both northward and southward. The densities were

Inter-turn short circuit of field windings (ISCFW) may cause the field current of a generator to increase, output reactive power to decrease, and unit vibration to intensify, seriously affecting its safe and stable operation. Full integration of mechanical and electrical characteristics can improve the sensitivity of online monitoring, and detect the early embryonic period fault of small turns. This paper studies the calculations and variations of unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP), of which the excitation source of rotor vibration is the basis and key to online fault monitoring. In grid load operation, ISCFW are first calculated with the multi-loop method, so as to obtain the numerical solutions of the stator and the rotor currents during the fault. Next, the air-gap magnetic field of the ISCFW is analyzed according to the actual composition modes of the motor loops in the fault, so as to obtain the analytic expressions of the air-gap magnetic motive force (MMF) and magnetic density. The UMP of the rotor is obtained by solving the integral of the Maxwell stress. The correctness of the electric quantity calculation is verified by the ISCFW experiment, conducted in a one pair-pole non-salient pole model machine. On this basis, comparing the simulation analysis with the calculation results of the model in this paper not only verifies the accuracy of the electromagnetic force calculation, but also proves that the latter has the advantages of a short time consumption and high efficiency. Finally, the influencing factors and variation law of UMP are analyzed by means of an analytic model. This develops a base for the online monitoring of ISCFW with the integration of mechanical and electrical information.