Search

AbstractThis paper studies groups and their coset monoids. The anti-abnormal subgroups of a group are firstly introduced and investigated. It is shown that a group is an N˜-group if and only if each subgroup of it is anti-abnormal. Also, it is proved that the coset semigroups of N˜-groups are exactly the E-reflexive inverse semigroups which are factorisable and the natural connection between their semilattice of idempotents and lattice of subgroups of their group of units is a dual isomorphism. Finally, some characterizations of the coset semigroups of S-groups (U-groups and residually central groups respectively) are given. This extends McAlister’s result in 1980. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying pathogenesis of anxiety remain elusive, making the pinpointing of potential therapeutic and diagnostic biomarkers for anxiety paramount to its efficient treatment. We undertook a proteome-wide association study (PWAS), fusing human brain proteomes from both discovery (ROS/MAP; N = 376) and validation cohorts (Banner; N = 152) with anxiety genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics. Complementing this, we executed transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) leveraging human brain transcriptomic data from the Common Mind Consortium (CMC) to discern the confluence of genetic influences spanning both proteomic and transcriptomic levels. We further scrutinized significant genes through a suite of methodologies. We discerned 14 genes instrumental in the genesis of anxiety through their specific cis -regulated brain protein abundance. Out of these, 6 were corroborated in the confirmatory PWAS, with 4 also showing associations with anxiety via their cis -regulated brain mRNA levels. A heightened confidence level was attributed to 5 genes (RAB27B, CCDC92, BTN2A1, TMEM106B, and DOC2A), taking into account corroborative evidence from both the confirmatory PWAS and TWAS, coupled with insights from mendelian randomization analysis and colocalization evaluations. A majority of the identified genes manifest in brain regions intricately linked to anxiety and predominantly partake in lysosomal metabolic processes. The limited scope of the brain proteome reference datasets, stemming from a relatively modest sample size, potentially curtails our grasp on the entire gamut of genetic effects. The genes pinpointed in our research present a promising groundwork for crafting therapeutic interventions and diagnostic tools for anxiety. • This study aims to identify causal factors of anxiety by integrating genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses. • We find 14 genes instrumental in the genesis of anxiety through their specific cis-regulated brain protein abundance. • CCDC92 acts as a multifaceted risk contributor to anxiety, potentially by modulating the brain's overall microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense Si 2 N 2 O ceramic was successfully prepared through the spark plasma sintering method at 1750 °C with nano-sized amorphous Si 3 N 4 powder as raw material. The reaction sintering process, mechanical and dielectric properties of the Si 2 N 2 O ceramic were investigated in detail. The results revealed that the amorphous Si 3 N 4 was initially crystallized to β-Si 3 N 4 , then oxidized to Si 2 N 2 O during the sintering process. With prolonging the dwell time, the grain orientation of Si 2 N 2 O gradually developed to the c-axis direction of the orthorhombic crystal. Meanwhile, the density of as-sintered ceramic was improved significantly, which greatly influenced the mechanical and dielectric properties of Si 2 N 2 O ceramic. In this work, the optimal dwell time of sintering process was 20 min, which is obviously shorter than the ordinary sintering methods. The Si 2 N 2 O ceramic fabricated at the above conditions exhibited the most favorable mechanical and dielectric properties with a bulk density of 2.80 ± 0.01 g cm−3, Vickers hardness of 13.1 ± 0.1 GPa, flexural strength of 214.1 ± 15.8 MPa, fracture toughness of 2.8 ± 0.3 MPa m1/2, and combined with low dielectric constant of around 3.5 to 4.5 at 8.2−12.4 GHz. Thus, the spark plasma sintering method is potentially regarded as a rapid way to prepare Si 2 N 2 O ceramic used as the structural and wave-transmitting functional material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathway by which drugs are injected subcutaneously behind the ear to act on the inner ear has not been fully elucidated. To compare the uptake of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) and dexamethasone (Dex) in the cochlea and facial nerve of rats following different administrations. Magnetic resonance imaging was applied to observe the distribution of Gd-DTPA in the facial nerve and inner ear. We observed the uptake of Dex after it was injected with different methods. Images of the intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) groups showed that the bilateral cochlea of the rat was visualized almost simultaneously. While in the left post-auricular (PA) injection group, it was asynchronous. The maximum accumulation (Cmax) of the Gd in the left facial nerve of the PA group (35.406 ± 5.32) was substantially higher than that of the IV group (16.765 ± 3.7542) (p <.01). Compared with systemic administration, PA has the advantages of long Gd and Dex action time and high accumulation concentration to treat facial nerve diseases. The distribution of Gd and Dex in the inner ear and facial nerve of rats following PA injection might be unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 41-month-old boy was presented to our hospital because of an intracranial mass suspected of cerebrovascular malformation. He was admitted and received cerebral angiography. The angiography result confirmed the intracranial mass was the dilated vein of Galen resulting from a pial arteriovenous fistula, which quite resembling the vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation. Considering one-time embolization of the fistula may greatly change the distribution of intracranial blood flow, we decided to perform staged embolization. In the first stage, we partially embolized the fistula, resulting in a sharp decrease in blood flow to the lesion. The second intervention was performed one month later, and completely embolized the fistula. The boy recoverd well and returned to normal childhood without any neurological deficits. Follow-up MR images obtained at 10 months after the last procedure showing total obliteration of the pAVF, gradually shrinking of the varix, and remodeling of the vein of Galen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder, and while its precise mechanism remains elusive, a connection to ferroptosis has been established. This study investigates the potential clinical diagnostic significance of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) during the acute phase of temporal lobe epilepsy. Methods: To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we accessed data from the GEO database and performed an intersection analysis with the FerrDB database to pinpoint FRGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. To assess the diagnostic utility of the discovered feature genes for the disease, ROC curve analysis was conducted. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was employed to validate the expression levels of these feature genes. Results: This study identified a total of 25 FRGs. PPI network analysis revealed six feature genes: IL6, PTGS2, HMOX1, NFE2L2, TLR4, and JUN. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the combination of these six feature genes exhibited the highest diagnostic potential. qRT-PCR validation confirmed the expression of these feature genes. Conclusion: We have identified six feature genes (IL6, PTGS2, HMOX1, NFE2L2, TLR4, and JUN) strongly associated with ferroptosis in epilepsy, suggesting their potential as biomarkers for the diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury usually triggers glial scar formation, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these pathological features are largely unknown. Using a mouse model of hippocampal stab injury (HSI), we observed that miR-331, a brain-enriched microRNA, was significantly downregulated in the early stage (0–7 days) of HSI. Intranasal administration of agomir-331, an upgraded product of miR-331 mimics, suppressed reactive gliosis and neuronal apoptosis and improved cognitive function in HSI mice. Finally, we identified IL-1β as a direct downstream target of miR-331, and agomir-331 treatment significantly reduced IL-1β levels in the hippocampus after acute injury. Our findings highlight, for the first time, agomir-331 as a pivotal neuroprotective agent for early rehabilitation of HSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new filter material, manganese oxide film coated clinoptilolite (MOFCC), was characterized and introduced to explore the effect in treating high concentration of manganese (1.71–2.12 mg L−1) from aqueous solution in fixed-bed column. Adsorption behavior of Mn(II) can be approximately described with the Langmuir isotherm. During the continuous 30 days filtration experiment, the removal rate of Mn(II) has maintained to be above 95.51%, the accumulated removal amount (806.42 mg) is much higher than the theoretical adsorption capacity (89.71 mg), which indicated that the removal of manganese by MOFCC includes both adsorption and auto-catalytic oxidation process, and it does not require a start-up period. SEM, EDS, XPS, XRD, ZETA potential and BET analyses were used to observe the surface properties of MOFCC. The manganese oxide film of MOFCC exhibits in clusters, apparently on occupied surface, the main component of the manganese oxide film is (Na0.7Ca0.3)Mn7O14·2.8H2O, the specific surface area of MOFCC is 38.76 m2 g−1, and the pore size is concentrated in the range of 3–40 nm, within the mesoporous range mesopores. pHpzc (point of zero charge) value is about 2.36. The characteristics of MOFCC make it an excellent manganese removal filter material for water treatment plant. Therefore, there is a long-term practical significance to develop new system for deep removal of manganese based on MOFCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The tumor immune microenvironment (TME) plays a vital role in tumorigenesis, progression, and treatment. Macrophages, as an important component of the tumor microenvironment, play an essential role in antitumor immunity and TME remodeling. In this study, we aimed to explore the different functions of different origins macrophages in TME and their value as potential predictive markers of prognosis and treatment. Methods: We performed single-cell analysis using 21 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), 12 normal, and four peripheral blood samples from our data and public databases. A prognostic prediction model was then constructed using 502 TCGA patients and explored the potential factors affecting prognosis. The model was validated using data from 4 different GEO datasets with 544 patients after integration. Results: According to the source of macrophages, we classified macrophages into alveolar macrophages (AMs) and interstitial macrophages (IMs). AMs mainly infiltrated in normal lung tissue and expressed proliferative, antigen-presenting, scavenger receptors genes, while IMs occupied the majority in TME and expressed anti-inflammatory, lipid metabolism-related genes. Trajectory analysis revealed that AMs rely on self-renew, whereas IMs originated from monocytes in the blood. Cell-to-cell communication showed that AMs interacted mainly with T cells through the MHC I/II signaling pathway, while IMs mostly interacted with tumor-associated fibrocytes and tumor cells. We then constructed a risk model based on macrophage infiltration and showed an excellent predictive power. We further revealed the possible reasons for its potential prognosis prediction by differential genes, immune cell infiltration, and mutational differences. Conclusion: In conclusion, we investigated the composition, expression differences, and phenotypic changes of macrophages from different origins in lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, we developed a prognostic prediction model based on different macrophage subtype infiltration, which can be used as a valid prognostic biomarker. New insights were provided into the role of macrophages in the prognosis and potential treatment of LUAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the association between drug and disease is important in drug development. However, existing approaches for drug–disease associations (DDAs) prediction are too homogeneous in terms of feature extraction. Here, a novel graph representation approach based on light gradient boosting machine (GRLGB) is proposed for prediction of DDAs. After the introduction of the protein into a heterogeneous network, nodes features were extracted from two perspectives: network topology and biological knowledge. Finally, the GRLGB classifier was applied to predict potential DDAs. GRLGB achieved satisfactory results on Bdataset and Fdataset through 10-fold cross-validation. To further prove the reliability of the GRLGB, case studies involving anxiety disorders and clozapine were conducted. The results suggest that GRLGB can identify novel DDAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of single-cell transcriptome sequencing technologies has opened new ways to study biological phenomena at the cellular level. A key application of such technologies involves the employment of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data to identify distinct cell types through clustering, which in turn provides evidence for revealing heterogeneity. Despite the promise of this approach, the inherent characteristics of scRNA-seq data, such as higher noise levels and lower coverage, pose major challenges to existing clustering methods and compromise their accuracy. In this study, we propose a method called Adjusted Random walk Graph regularization Sparse Low-Rank Representation (ARGLRR), a practical sparse subspace clustering method, to identify cell types. The fundamental low-rank representation (LRR) model is concerned with the global structure of data. To address the limited ability of the LRR method to capture local structure, we introduced adjusted random walk graph regularization in its framework. ARGLRR allows for the capture of both local and global structures in scRNA-seq data. Additionally, the imposition of similarity constraints into the LRR framework further improves the ability of the proposed model to estimate cell-to-cell similarity and capture global structural relationships between cells. ARGLRR surpasses other advanced comparison approaches on nine known scRNA-seq data sets judging by the results. In the normalized mutual information and Adjusted Rand Index metrics on the scRNA-seq data sets clustering experiments, ARGLRR outperforms the best-performing comparative method by 6.99% and 5.85%, respectively. In addition, we visualize the result using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection. Visualization results show that the usage of ARGLRR enhances the separation of different cell types within the similarity matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, low-temperature plasma was used as an efficient pretreatment method of corn kernels (XY335), which developed and optimized a process of enzyme activity. The effects of plasma pretreatment power (300, 400, 500 W), plasma pretreatment time (30, 40, 50 s) and air flow rate (100, 150, 200 mL min−1) on enzyme activity during this process were investigated. Regression equations were established through a three-factor and three-level Box-Behnken design and used to evaluate the optimal conditions for the process. The optimal pretreatment conditions of POD enzyme activity were plasma pretreatment power of 500 W, plasma pretreatment time of 30 s and air flow rate of 150 mL min−1. The optimal pretreatment conditions of CAT enzyme activity were plasma pretreatment power of 350 W, plasma pretreatment time of 30 s and air flow rate of 150 mL min−1. The optimal pretreatment conditions of SOD enzyme activity were plasma pretreatment power of 400 W, plasma pretreatment time of 30 s and air flow rate of 200 mL min−1. Results showed that low-temperature plasma can be used effectively to increase the enzyme activity of corn kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical corrosion aging of plutonium is a very important topic. It is easy to be corroded and produces oxidation products of various valence states because of its 5f electron orbit between local and non-local. On the one hand, the phase diagram of plutonium and oxygen is complex, so there is still not enough research on typical structural phases. On the other hand, most of the studies on plutonium oxide focus on PuO2 and Pu2O3 with stoichiometric ratio, while the understanding of non-stoichiometric ratio, especially for Pu2O3-x, is not deep enough. Based on this, using the DFT + U theoretical scheme of density functional theory, we have systematically studied the structural stability, lattice parameters, electronic structure, mechanical and optical properties of six typical high temperature phases of β -Pu2O3, α -Pu2O3, γ -Pu2O3, PuO, α -PuO2, γ -PuO2. Further, the mechanical properties and optical behavior of Pu2O3-x under different oxygen vacancy concentrations are analyzed and discussed in detail. The result shows that the elasticity modulus of single crystal in mechanical properties is directly related to the oxygen/plutonium ratio and crystal system. As the number of oxygen vacancies increases, the mechanical constants continue to increase. In terms of optical properties, PuO has the best optical properties, and the light absorption rate decreases with the increase of oxygen vacancy concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of wind speed (F) and angle (θ) on the photovoltaic (PV) cells' (monocrystalline silicon and triple-junction GaAs solar cells) temperature (T) and output characteristics (the short-circuit current (Isc), the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and the maximum power (Pmax)) have been studied experimentally and analyzed theoretically. The results first show that T and Isc of both cells decrease, but Voc and Pmax of both cells increase with an increase in F (θ). The reason is that the increase of F (θ) results in the heat exchange between the PV modules and the external environment increasing and tending to be stable. Second, T, Isc, Voc, and Pmax change rate of silicon cell are found to be more affected by F (θ) than that of GaAs cell. The reason is that the temperature coefficient of silicon cell is larger than that of GaAs cell. Finally, T, Isc, Voc, and Pmax of both cells are more sensitive to F than θ. This is because the cell's temperature changes depend more strongly on F. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of wind speed (F) and angle (θ) on the photovoltaic (PV) cells' (monocrystalline silicon and triple-junction GaAs solar cells) temperature (T) and output characteristics (the short-circuit current (Isc), the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and the maximum power (Pmax)) have been studied experimentally and analyzed theoretically. The results first show that T and Isc of both cells decrease, but Voc and Pmax of both cells increase with an increase in F (θ). The reason is that the increase of F (θ) results in the heat exchange between the PV modules and the external environment increasing and tending to be stable. Second, T, Isc, Voc, and Pmax change rate of silicon cell are found to be more affected by F (θ) than that of GaAs cell. The reason is that the temperature coefficient of silicon cell is larger than that of GaAs cell. Finally, T, Isc, Voc, and Pmax of both cells are more sensitive to F than θ. This is because the cell's temperature changes depend more strongly on F. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The significance of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (PORT) on the survival of resected IIIA‐N2 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. Here, we aimed to determine the predictive value of the three nodal classifications which might aid in PORT decision‐making. Methods: A total of 4797 patients with stage IIIA‐N2 resected NSCLC were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and were grouped by whether PORT was administered. Survival analysis was used to identify the patient groups who can benefit from PORT. Multivariate analysis was performed to confirm the independent risk factors for lung cancer‐specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS). A validation cohort of 1184 patients from three medical centers in China were also included. Results: PORT was not associated with better LCSS and OS in the entire cohort after propensity score matching (PSM). However, in the subgroups of positive lymph nodes 4 (PLN4), lymph node ratio 4 (LNR4), and log odds of positive lymph nodes 4 (LODDS4), PORT exhibited its role in improving LCSS (p < 0.05). Although the three nodal classifications were all identified as independent predictors of LCSS and OS, LODDS classification had the best discriminatory ability and prognostic accuracy for stage IIIA‐N2 patients. Similar results were also obtained in the validation cohort. Conclusions: The LODDS classification not only exhibited the best prognostic performance in predicting LCSS and OS in stage IIIA‐N2 disease, but also could help tailor individualized PORT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biclustering algorithm is an effective tool for processing gene expression datasets. There are two kinds of data matrices, binary data and non-binary data, which are processed by biclustering method. A binary matrix is usually converted from pre-processed gene expression data, which can effectively reduce the interference from noise and abnormal data, and is then processed using a biclustering algorithm. However, biclustering algorithms of dealing with binary data have a poor balance between running time and performance. In this paper, we propose a new biclustering algorithm called the Adjacency Difference Matrix Binary Biclustering algorithm (AMBB) for dealing with binary data to address the drawback. The AMBB algorithm constructs the adjacency matrix based on the adjacency difference values, and the submatrix obtained by continuously updating the adjacency difference matrix is called a bicluster. The adjacency matrix allows for clustering of gene that undergo similar reactions under different conditions into clusters, which is important for subsequent genes analysis. Meanwhile, experiments on synthetic and real datasets visually demonstrate that the AMBB algorithm has high practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the negative effects of the long-time and B 2 O 3 phase on the traditional sintering process for B 4 C-based composite ceramics, nearly fully dense B 4 C–VB 2 composite ceramics were prepared by reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) technology at 2000 °C with B and V 8 C 7 powders as raw materials in this paper. The effects of the degassing time during SPS on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the final products were investigated in detail. The results revealed that the proper degassing time was beneficial for the vent of B 2 O 3 during the sintering process, which refined the grain size, promoted densification and improved the mechanical properties of the composite ceramic. However, the redundant degassing time increased the holding time at high temperature, resulting in abnormal grain growth and mechanical performance deterioration. In the present work, the optimal degassing time was 6 min, and the final product prepared under the above conditions exhibited excellent comprehensive performance with a relative density of 99.2%, Vickers hardness of 31.2 GPa, bending strength of 654 MPa and fracture toughness of 5.7 MPa m1/2. In addition, the strengthening and toughening mechanisms of the products were mainly attributed to the residual thermal stresses and bridging structure caused by the fine B 4 C and VB 2 grains distributed uniformly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors target transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)‐mediated vascular endothelial growth factor to inhibit tumor revascularization and to slow tumor progression. The present study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of TACE combined with lenvatinib (TACE‐lenvatinib) and TACE combined with sorafenib (TACE‐sorafenib) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The clinical data of patients diagnosed with unresectable HCC who received TACE‐lenvatinib or TACE‐sorafenib between January 2018 and April 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The tumor response, progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 112 patients were enrolled and classified into the TACE‐lenvatinib group (n = 53) and the TACE‐sorafenib group (n = 59). The objective response rates of patients in the TACE‐lenvatinib and TACE‐sorafenib groups were 54.7% and 44.1%, respectively (p = 0.260), and the disease control rates (DCRs) were 81.1% and 61.0% (p = 0.020). The median PFS time was significantly longer in the TACE‐lenvatinib group than in the TACE‐sorafenib group (10.7 vs. 6.0 months; p = 0.002). The median OS time between the TACE‐lenvatinib and TACE‐sorafenib groups also showed a significant difference (30.5 vs. 20.5 months, p = 0.018). All treatment‐related AEs and grade 3/4 AEs were comparable between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Compared to TACE‐sorafenib, TACE‐lenvatinib was associated with better DCR, PFS and OS outcomes in patients with unresectable HCC. In subgroups of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer B stage or TACE‐refractory patients, TACE‐lenvatinib also showed a trend of superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A mechanical claw for seedlings fetching is designed to be suitable for low-damage seedling fetching methods. • The Unet network structure is improved, and the accuracy and robustness of the segmentation of the seedling leaves are improved. • A seedling point estimation algorithm is proposed to realize the calculation of seedling fetching posture and reduce seedling damage. • The seedling fetching effects of different seedling fetching methods were explored, and the effectiveness of the low-damage seedling fetching method was verified. Automatically, seedling fetching is a critical link in the automatic planting of facility agriculture. However, the damage caused by the mechanical claws to the seedling during the seedling fetching process seriously affects the survival rate of the seedling after being planted. To reduce the damage of the mechanical claw on the seedling leaves during seedling fetching, this paper proposes a low-loss seedling fetching method and designs a set of end-effectors suitable for the low-loss seedling fetching method. The low-damage seedling fetching way consists of a semantic segmentation algorithm and a seedling fetching point estimation algorithm, which can position the seedling leaves and calculate the optimal fetch seedling angle of the mechanical claw so that the mechanical claw can avoid seedling leaves during the seedling fetching to reduce the damage to the seedling. The backbone network of the Res-Unet model is composed of Resnet50, which can accurately extract the characteristics of plug seedlings. Comparative test results with other models show that our semantic segmentation model has high accuracy in positioning seedlings, with an MIoU value of 96.49%. Finally, a seedling fetching verification experiment was conducted, and the seedling damage rate was 4.16%. Compared with the ordinary seedling fetching method, the damage rate of the seedling was reduced by 15.28%. This method can minimize damage during the seedling fetching process and provide technical support for automated planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) played an important role in immunotherapy prognosis and treatment response. Immune cells constitute a large part of the tumor microenvironment and regulate tumor progression. Our research is dedicated to studying the infiltrating immune cell in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and seeking potential targets. Methods. The scRNA-seq data were collected from our FDZSH and two public datasets. The code for cell-type mapping algorithms was downloaded from the CIBERSORTx portal. The bioinformatics data of LUAD patients could be approached from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) portal. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses were performed to construct a risk model. TIMER2 and TIDE helped with the immune infiltration estimation, while PROGENy helped the cancer-related pathways' enrichment analysis. GSE31210 dataset and IMVigor ICB therapy cohort validated our findings as the external validation datasets. Results. We clustered the scRNA-seq dataset (integrating our FDZSH datasets and other public datasets) into 23 subpopulations. After curated cell annotation, we implemented Cibersort and WGCNA analysis to anchor the brown module and natural killer cell cluster1 due to the most relationship with tumor trait. The overlap of the brown module gene, natural killer cell signature, and DEGs of tumor and adjacent normal samples was screened by LASSO Cox regression. The obtained 5-gene risk model showed an excellent prognostic performance in the validation dataset. Furthermore, there was a correlation between risk score and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and tumor genomics abnormity. Patients with higher risk scores had a significantly lower immunotherapy response rate. Conclusion. Our observations implied that immune cells played a pivotal role in TIME and established a 5-gene signature (including IDH2, ADRB2, SFTPC, CCDC69, and CCND2) on the basement of nature killer markers targeted by WGCNA analysis. The significance of clinical outcome and immunotherapy response prediction was validated robustly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) played an important role in immunotherapy prognosis and treatment response. Immune cells constitute a large part of the tumor microenvironment and regulate tumor progression. Our research is dedicated to studying the infiltrating immune cell in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and seeking potential targets.Methods: The scRNA-seq data were collected from our FDZSH and two public datasets. The code for cell-type mapping algorithms was downloaded from the CIBERSORTx portal. The bioinformatics data of LUAD patients could be approached from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) portal. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses were performed to construct a risk model. TIMER2 and TIDE helped with the immune infiltration estimation, while PROGENy helped the cancer-related pathways' enrichment analysis. GSE31210 dataset and IMVigor ICB therapy cohort validated our findings as the external validation datasets.Results: We clustered the scRNA-seq dataset (integrating our FDZSH datasets and other public datasets) into 23 subpopulations. After curated cell annotation, we implemented Cibersort and WGCNA analysis to anchor the brown module and natural killer cell cluster1 due to the most relationship with tumor trait. The overlap of the brown module gene, natural killer cell signature, and DEGs of tumor and adjacent normal samples was screened by LASSO Cox regression. The obtained 5-gene risk model showed an excellent prognostic performance in the validation dataset. Furthermore, there was a correlation between risk score and tumor-infiltrating immune cells and tumor genomics abnormity. Patients with higher risk scores had a significantly lower immunotherapy response rate.Conclusion: Our observations implied that immune cells played a pivotal role in TIME and established a 5-gene signature (including IDH2, ADRB2, SFTPC, CCDC69, and CCND2) on the basement of nature killer markers targeted by WGCNA analysis. The significance of clinical outcome and immunotherapy response prediction was validated robustly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micro-Doppler (m-D) signature can describe the motion state and structure of the target in detail. It can be considered as an effective method for ship target detection and recognition in the marine environment. In this paper, an effective strategy is proposed to simulate the m-D signature and extract the ship's motion parameters on the time-varying sea surface. For this purpose, a ship target micro-motion model based on six degrees of freedom is first established. Then, the public domain strip (PDSTRIP) method is used to realize real-time estimation of ship motion. Next, a high-precision electromagnetic scattering model is used to generate radar echoes of a ship on the rough sea. Finally, the m-D signature can be acquired and analysed based on the obtained radar echo. The numerical results show that the instantaneous frequency and motion parameters can be estimated well from the m-D signature. At the same time, the proposed model can also be used to calibrate the Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) of ship targets in the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a local resonance mechanism to a periodic acoustic black hole (ABH) structure to achieve vibration control of plate structures and proposes a double-oscillator power-exponent prism phononic crystal. Results show that the periodic power-exponent prism can generate a high-frequency bandgap, the interior oscillator can generate a low-frequency bandgap, and the top oscillator can separate the frequency dispersion curve at around 700 Hz to form a bandgap with a width of 189 Hz. The double-oscillator power-exponent prism phononic crystal, composed of two types of oscillators and a power-exponent prism, can simultaneously have high-, middle-, and low-frequency bandgaps. Simulations and experiments show that it has a good attenuation effect on flexural vibration in the bandgap frequency band. The present results can provide a useful reference for bandgap design based on the combination of multiple mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although two Enhancer of Polycomb‐like proteins, EPL1A and EPL1B (EPL1A/B), are known to be conserved and characteristic subunits of the NuA4‐type histone acetyltransferase complex in Arabidopsis thaliana, the biological function of EPL1A/B and the mechanism by which EPL1A/B function in the complex remain unknown. Here, we report that EPL1A/B are required for the histone acetyltransferase activity of the NuA4 complex on the nucleosomal histone H4 in vitro and for the enrichment of histone H4K5 acetylation at thousands of protein‐coding genes in vivo. Our results suggest that EPL1A/B are required for linking the NuA4 catalytic subunits HISTONE ACETYLTRANSFERASE OF THE MYST FAMILY 1（HAM1) and HAM2 with accessory subunits in the NuA4 complex. EPL1A/B function redundantly in regulating plant development especially in chlorophyll biosynthesis and de‐etiolation. The EPL1A/B‐dependent transcription and H4K5Ac are enriched at genes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis. We also find that EAF6, another characteristic subunit of the NuA4 complex, contributes to de‐etiolation. These results suggest that the Arabidopsis NuA4 complex components function as a whole to mediate histone acetylation and transcriptional activation specifically at light‐responsive genes and are critical for photomorphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) has recently been used to illuminate cross-frequency coordination in neurophysiological activity of electroencephalogram. However, the PAC at a meso-scale (electrocorticogram, ECoG) and PAC between different areas have still not been fully clarified. Methods: In this study, we analyzed ECoG data recorded from surgical patients (n = 9) with pharmaco-resistant epilepsy during the surgical treatment. The modulogram and a genuine modulation index, based on a Kullback-Leibler distance and permutation test method, were developed and used to measure the slow oscillation (SO) (0.15-1 Hz)-α (8-13 Hz) PAC of within-lead and cross-lead during transitions from states of wakefulness to unconsciousness during propofol induced general anesthesia. Results: In within-lead SO-α PAC, the modulation index increased in the unconscious state (p < 0.05, Tukey's test), the percentages of genuine modulation indices also increased in the unconscious state (p < 0.001 in the frontal area and p < 0.01 in the parietal area), and distinct PAC patterns emerged more often. In cross-lead SO-α PAC, there are fewer PAC patterns compared to within-lead, and the percentages of genuine modulation indices decreased significantly (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The increased modulation index of within-lead and cross-lead SO-α PAC is associated with a reduction of information integration and the efficiency of long distance synchronization. These findings demonstrate that the propofol causes the neuronal populations to enter a ‘busy’ state in a local scale, which prevents the information integration in long-range areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the clinical features, molecular characteristics, and immune landscape of lung adenocarcinoma patients with KEAP1/NFE2L2/CUL3 mutations. Methods: The multi‐omics data from the GDC‐TCGA LUAD project of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were downloaded from the Xena browser. The estimate of the immune infiltration was implemented by using the GSVA analysis and CIBERSORT. The status of KEAP1/NFE2L2/CUL3 mutation in 50 LUAD samples of our department was detected by using Sanger sequencing, following the relative expression level of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) was validated by IHC and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Results: The Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses demonstrated that KEAP1/NFE2L2/CUL3 mutations had independent prognostic value for OS and PFS in LUAD patients. The differential analysis detected 207 upregulated genes (like GSR/UGT1A6) and 447 downregulated genes (such as PIGR). GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses demonstrated that DEGs were enriched in glutamate metabolism and the immune response. The constructed ceRNA network shows the linkage of differential lncRNAs and mRNAs. Three hundred and nine somatic mutations were detected, alterations in immune infiltration DNA methylations and stemness scores were also founded between the two groups. Eight mutated LUAD patients were detected by Sanger DNA sequencing in 50 surgical patients. GSR and UGT1A6 were validated to express higher in the Mut group, whereas the expression of PIGR was restrained. Furthermore, the IHC staining conducted on paraffin‐embedded tissue emphasizes the consistency of our result. Conclusion: This research implemented the comprehensive analysis of KEAP1/NFE2L2/CUL3 somatic mutations in the LUAD patients. Compared with the wild type of LUAD patients, the Mut group shows a large difference in clinical features, RNA sequence, DNA methylation, and immune infiltrations, indicating complex mechanism oncogenesis and also reveals potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sarcopenia is emerging as a prognostic factor in patients with malignant diseases. The prognostication of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC) with obstructive jaundice was complex, because these patients suffered compete mortality events beyond cancer itself. Our study was to investigate the association between low skeletal-muscle index and overall survival (OS) after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for obstructive jaundice due to PHC. Methods: We performed a retrospective survival analysis of patients undergoing PTBD for PHC-related obstructive jaundice between January 2016 and March 2019. Using computed tomography, we measured skeletal-muscle mass at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) to obtain a skeletal-muscle index (SMI). Then, we compared OS between low- and high-SMI groups. Furthermore, factors that could potentially affect OS were assessed. Results: One hundred and four patients (56 males; mean age 66 ± 12 years) were analyzed. Median OS after PTBD was 150 days. OS was shorter in patients with low SMI than in those with high SMI (median OS, 120 vs. 270 days; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that low SMI (hazard ratio [HR] 3.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–5.60; P < 0.001), intrahepatic metastasis (HR 2.98; 95% CI 1.89–4.69; P < 0.001) and elevated carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19–9 level (HR 1.00; 95% CI 1.00–1.00; P = 0.04) were significantly associated with OS. Conclusion: Low SMI was a predictor of dismal OS after PTBD for patients with PHC-related obstructive jaundice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep networks based Facial Expression Recognition (FER) have shown excellent performance. Due to high computational cost and memory resources, it is hard to develop these FER models in practical scenarios. In this paper, we design a small and effective deep network for FER based on facial local regions. Firstly, Regions of Interest (ROIs) related to facial Action Units (AUs) are cropped by facial landmarks and represented by Histogram Local Binary Pattern (HLBP) feature. Secondly, an effective and efficient light-weight network named MiniExpNet, is proposed by human–machine collaborative strategy, and only has 60 K parameters. To further improve the performance, we extend the MiniExpNet by integrating the Attention Block and self-distillation mechanism. The Attention Block exploits the importance of different ROIs for FER. The self-distillation mechanism is used for enhancing generalization ability during training. Extensive comparisons are made on three widely-used FER datasets, CK+, RaFD and Oulu-CASIA. Compared to exiting light-weight networks, the proposed model provides a better balance between accuracy, model size and speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandwich structures have several potential applications in structural engineering because of the different material properties of the skin and core. In particular, sandwich structures with heteromorphic cores can satisfy the special requirements of engineering and structural design. In this study, to enhance the critical thermal buckling behavior of sandwich structures with heteromorphic cores, we developed a free-form optimization system based on a gradient method to optimize the core shapes under a volume constraint. The free-form optimization system combined with a finite element method code and an in-house program consists of thermal buckling analysis, initial thermal stress analysis, the derivation of the sensitivity function, velocity analysis, and shape update. According to the optimal results of the design examples, the developed free-form optimization system could significantly enhance the thermal buckling behavior of sandwich structures. In particular, by simply specifying the constraint conditions in the velocity analysis, we could maintain the initial shape of the specified parts in the heteromorphic core during the free-form optimization process to satisfy special requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major histological subtype of esophageal cancer with inferior prognosis. Here, we conducted comprehensive transcriptomic, proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic characterization of human, treatment‐naive ESCC and paired normal adjacent tissues (cohort 1, n = 24) in an effort to identify new molecular vulnerabilities for ESCC and potential therapeutic targets. Integrative analysis revealed a small group of genes that were related to the active posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulation of ESCC. By using proteomic, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic data, networks of ESCC‐related signaling and metabolic pathways that were closely linked to cancer etiology were unraveled. Notably, integrative analysis of proteomic and phosphoproteomic data pinpointed that certain pathways involved in RNA transcription, processing, and metabolism were stimulated in ESCC. Importantly, proteins with close linkage to ESCC prognosis were identified. By enrolling an ESCC patient cohort 2 (n = 41), three top‐ranked prognostic proteins X‐prolyl aminopeptidase 3 (XPNPEP3), bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor (BPTF), and fibrillarin (FBL) were verified to have increased expression in ESCC. Among these prognostic proteins, only FBL, a well‐known nucleolar methyltransferase, was essential for ESCC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, a validation study using an ESCC patient cohort 3 (n = 100) demonstrated that high FBL expression predicted unfavorable patient survival. Finally, common cancer/testis antigens and established cancer drivers and kinases, all of which could direct therapeutic decisions, were characterized. Collectively, our multi‐omics analyses delineated new molecular features associated with ESCC pathobiology involving epigenetic, posttranscriptional, posttranslational, and metabolic characteristics, and unveiled new molecular vulnerabilities with therapeutic potential for ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strategy for the determination of picolinic acid (PLA) is developed by utilizing green-emissive boron and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanodots (BNCNDs) and Cu2+ ion. Hydroquinone, uric acid and boric acid act as carbon, nitrogen and boron sources for BNCNDs synthesis, respectively. Interestingly, the green emission of BNCNDs is quenched in the presence of Cu2+ by electron transfer. Upon addition of the specific reagent (PLA), Cu2+ ion is removed from the surface of BNCNDs owing to the formation of a strong complex between PLA and Cu2+ ion, which leads to a significant fluorescence recovery of BNCNDs. The "turn-on" phenomenon allows to determine PLA by a very simple method. This chemosensing method displays a linear range from 50 nM to 80 μM with a detection limit of 14 nM (3σ/k) for PLA. The method was applied to the determination of PLA in fetal bovine serum samples with the recoveries between 94 and 106%, which shows that this method has potential for use in applications to real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reflection and transmission characteristics of a system composed of two whispering‐gallery mode (WGM) resonators are explored. Each resonator contains a Zeeman split quantum dot and side‐couples to an optical fiber. The results indicate that the unidirectional reflectionlessness and transmissionlessness can be achieved by adjusting the coupling strength between the resonators and the optical fiber, as well as the transition rate between the counter‐propagating modes within the WGM resonators. Besides, a one‐to‐one correspondence is set up between the resonance frequencies of quantum dots' energy levels and the positions of reflectionlessness (transmissionlessness) peaks when phase shift between two WGM resonators is π$\pi$. This research provides the valuable insights for the development of quantum optical devices such as isolators, circulators, and routers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Association of RNA polymerase V (Pol V) with chromatin is a critical step for RNA‐ directed DNA methylation (RdDM) in plants. Although the methylated DNA‐binding proteins SUVH2 and SUVH9 and the chromatin remodeler‐containing complex DRD1‐DMS3‐RDM1 are known to be required for the association of Pol V with chromatin, the molecular mechanisms underlying the association of Pol V with different chromatin environments remain largely unknown. Here we found that SUVH9 interacts with FVE, a homolog of the mammalian retinoblastoma‐associated protein, which has been previously identified as a shared subunit of the histone deacetylase complex and the polycomb‐type histone H3K27 trimethyltransferase complex. We demonstrated that FVE facilitates the association of Pol V with chromatin and thus contributes to DNA methylation at a substantial subset of RdDM target loci. Compared with FVE‐independent RdDM target loci, FVE‐dependent RdDM target loci are more abundant in gene‐rich chromosome arms than in pericentromeric heterochromatin regions. This study contributes to our understanding of how the association of Pol V with chromatin is regulated in different chromatin environments. Significance Statement: We demonstrate that FVE interacts with SUVH9 and facilitates the association of RNA polymerase V with chromatin, thereby contributing to RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM) at a substantial subset of RdDM target loci. Compared with FVE‐independent RdDM target loci, FVE‐dependent RdDM target loci are more abundant in gene‐rich chromosome arms than in pericentromeric heterochromatin regions, suggesting that FVE is involved in the association of RNA polymerase V with chromatin especially at euchromatin regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune escape of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) impacts patient survival. However, the molecular mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) in RCC immune escape remains unclear. Quantitative real‐time PCR and western blotting results revealed that the expression of lncRNA SNHG1 and STAT3 were upregulated in RCC tissues and cells and that the expression of miR‐129‐3p was downregulated. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay results revealed the increased levels of immune‐related factors (interferon‐γ, tumour necrosis factor α, and interleukin‐2) in RCC tissues. SNHG1 knockdown or miR‐129‐3p overexpression inhibited the proliferation and invasion of A498 and 786‐O cells, while the proliferation and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells increased, which promoted the secretion of immune‐related factors. STAT3 overexpression decreased the protective effect of miR‐129‐3p overexpression on RCC cell immune escape. In addition, miR‐129‐3p knockdown and STAT3 overexpression decreased the protective effect of lncRNA SNHG1 knockdown on RCC cell immune escape. In addition, PD‐L1 expression was downregulated after lncRNA SNHG1 knockdown but upregulated after miR‐129‐3p knockdown and STAT3 overexpression. Dual‐luciferase assays showed that lncRNA SNHG1 targets miR‐129‐3p, and miR‐129‐3p targets STAT3. RNA pull‐down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays verified the regulatory relationship between SNHG1 and STAT3. In vivo, shSNHG1 prolonged the overall survival of RCC tumour model mice and inhibited RCC tumour growth and immune escape but increased CD8+ T cell infiltration in mice. Our findings provide an experimental basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of immune escape by RCC and reveal a novel target to treat this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Campylobacter jejuni is the major micro-bacillary pathogen responsible for human coloenteritis. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been shown to protect against Campylobacter infection. However, LAB with a good ability to inhibit the growth of C. jejuni in vitro are less effective in animals and animal models, and have the disadvantages of high cost, a long cycle, cumbersome operation and insignificant immune response indicators. Caenorhabditis elegans is increasingly used to screen probiotics for their anti-pathogenic properties. However, no research on the use of C. elegans to screen for probiotic candidates antagonistic to C. jejuni has been conducted to date. Results: This study established a lifespan model of C. elegans, enabling the preselection of LAB to counter C. jejuni infection. A potential protective mechanism of LAB was identified. Some distinct LAB species offered a high level of protection to C. elegans against C. jejuni. The LAB strains with a high protection rate reduced the load of C. jejuni in C. elegans. The transcription of antibacterial peptide genes, MAPK and Daf-16 signalling pathway-related genes was elevated using the LAB isolates with a high protection rate. The reliability of the lifespan model of C. elegans was verified using mice and chickens infected with C. jejuni. Conclusions: The results showed that different LAB had different abilities to protect C. elegans against C. jejuni. C. elegans provides a reliable model for researchers to screen for LAB that are antagonistic to C. jejuni on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the development of science and technology, there are increasing evidences that there are some associations between lncRNAs and human diseases. Therefore, finding these associations between them will have a huge impact on our treatment and prevention of some diseases. However, the process of finding the associations between them is very difficult and requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, it is particularly important to find some good methods for predicting lncRNA-disease associations (LDAs). Results: In this paper, we propose a method based on dual sparse collaborative matrix factorization (DSCMF) to predict LDAs. The DSCMF method is improved on the traditional collaborative matrix factorization method. To increase the sparsity, the L2,1-norm is added in our method. At the same time, Gaussian interaction profile kernel is added to our method, which increase the network similarity between lncRNA and disease. Finally, the AUC value obtained by the experiment is used to evaluate the quality of our method, and the AUC value is obtained by the ten-fold cross-validation method. Conclusions: The AUC value obtained by the DSCMF method is 0.8523. At the end of the paper, simulation experiment is carried out, and the experimental results of prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer are analyzed in detail. The DSCMF method is expected to bring some help to lncRNA-disease associations research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemics usually spread widely and can cause a great deal of loss to humans. In the real world, vaccination is the principal method for suppressing the spread of infectious diseases. The Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS) model suggests that voluntary vaccination may affect the spread of an epidemic. Most studies to date have argued that the infection rates of nodes in the SIS model are not heterogeneous. However, in reality, there exist differences in the neighbor network structure and the number of contacts, which may affect the spread of infectious diseases in society. As a consequence, it can be reasonably assumed that the infection rate of the nodes is heterogeneous because of the amount of contact among people. Here, we propose an improved SIS model with heterogeneity in infection rates, proportional to the degree of nodes. By conducting simulations, we illustrate that almost all vaccinated nodes have high degrees when the infection rate is positively correlated with the degree of a node. These vaccinated nodes can divide the whole network into many connected sub-graphs, which significantly slows down the propagation of an epidemic; the heterogeneity of infection rates has a strong inhibitory effect on epidemic transmission. On the other hand, when the infection rate is negatively related to the degrees of the infection rate nodes, it is difficult for most nodes to meet the inoculation conditions, and the number of inoculations is close to zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the development of a novel fluorescent (FL) nanoprobe for ratiometric detection of antibiotics in real-world samples has received more and more attention. In this article, the distinctive optical properties of deep-ultraviolet emission, a narrowed full width at half maximum (∼20 nm) and excitation-independent emission of a carbonized nanoprobe (CNP) were easily prepared by an environmentally friendly approach of solvothermal treatment using melamine as the precursor and H2O as the solvent. The obtained CNP can be further utilized as an efficient ratiometric FL nanoprobe for enrofloxacin (EFC) and feroxacin (FXC) detection based on the fact that the FL quenching of the CNP was accompanied by an FL increase with EFC/FXC based on the inner filter effect (IFE). Under the optimal conditions, excellent linear relationships existed between the relative FL intensity (FL290 nm/FL412 nm, CNP for FL290 nm and antibiotics for FL412 nm) and the concentrations of FXC and EFC in the range of 0.05–500.0 μM and 0.05–200.0 μM, with limits of detection of 21.74 and 22.43 nM (3σ/k), respectively. With the proposed ratiometric FL sensor, FXC and EFC in milk and serum samples can be rapidly and selectively analyzed without tedious pretreatment processes for real-world samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization has led to increasingly interconnected interactions among individuals. Their payoffs are affected by the investment decision of themselves and their neighbors, which will cause conflicting interests between individual and social investment. Such problems can be modeled as a networked public goods game (NPGG). In this paper, we study the Best-shot NPGG model by introducing three mechanisms: k -hop, payoff information use strategy, and access cost. We use evolutionary game theory and present the k -hop evolutionary Best-shot networked public goods game (k -EBNPG) to explore the impact of these three mechanisms on social welfare. The results show that social welfare will increase with a diminishing margin as k increases while introducing the payoff information use strategy can significantly improve social welfare when k > 1. Finally, we study the impact of access cost on social welfare and surprisingly find that social welfare will achieve the highest when the access cost is half the investment cost. • We propose the k -hop evolutionary Best-shot networked public goods game (k -EBNPG) model. • We delineate the evolutionary process into learning and accessing stages. • The social welfare will increase with a diminishing margin as k increases. • The social welfare will achieve the highest when the access cost is half the investment cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gram-negative bacteria, as well as some Gram-positive bacteria, possess hair-like appendages known as fimbriae, which play an important role in adhesion of the bacteria to surfaces or to other bacteria. Unlike the sex pili or flagellum, the fimbriae are quite numerous, with of order 1000 fimbriae appendages per bacterial cell. In this paper, a recently developed hybrid model for bacterial biofilms is used to examine the role of fimbriae tension force on the mechanics of bacterial biofilms. Each bacterial cell is represented in this model by a spherocylindrical particle, which interact with each other through collision, adhesion, lubrication force, and fimbrial force. The bacterial cells absorb water and nutrients and produce extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The flow of water and EPS, and nutrient diffusion within these substances, is computed using a continuum model that accounts for important effects such as osmotic pressure gradient, drag force on the bacterial cells, and viscous shear. The fimbrial force is modeled using an outer spherocylinder capsule around each cell, which can transmit tensile forces to neighboring cells with which the fimbriae capsule collides. We find that the biofilm structure during the growth process is dominated by a balance between outward drag force on the cells due to the EPS flow away from the bacterial colony and the inward tensile fimbrial force acting on chains of cells connected by adhesive fimbriae appendages. The fimbrial force also introduces a large rotational motion of the cells and disrupts cell alignment caused by viscous torque imposed by the EPS flow. The current paper characterizes the competing effects of EPS drag and fimbrial force using a series of computations with different values of the ratio of EPS to bacterial cell production rate and different numbers of fimbriae per cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified calibration curve method based on the combination of standard addition and traditional calibration curve methods was employed for the quantification of Prussian blue nanoparticles in rats in the presence of endogenous iron interferences. The assay was performed using inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) with yttrium as the internal standard, and validated in biomatrices including liver, heart, kidneys, lungs, spleen and whole blood. For the liver tissue, the intra-day and inter-day precision were 7.84% or less, and the accuracy was between 99.88% and 102.37%. For kidneys, lungs, heart, spleen, and blood, at each exo-additive level from 0.4 to 3.2 µg/mL, the intra-day accuracy was between 98.74% and 102.09%, and the intra-day precision was 6.17% or less. For the addition of no analyte, the intra-day accuracy was between 96.42% and 107.52%, and the intra-day precision was 15.67% or less. The stability was investigated at 25 °C for 24 h and 4 °C for 15 days in liver standard addition samples, and no significant degradation occurred under these conditions. This method was successfully applied to the preliminary pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution study of Prussian blue nanoparticles in rats. This approach may also be applied to the quantification of other ferruginous materials in the biological matrices with endogenous iron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current chemotherapy regimens on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) still have some drawbacks, such as intolerance and drug resistance, which calls need for the development of targeted therapy. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) is often overexpressed or abnormally activated in leukemia and involved in cell self‐renewal, proliferation, and stress adaptation. Overexpressed Aurora A (AURKA) is associated with poor prognosis in tumors, and inhibitors against AURKA are already in clinical trials. However, it has rarely been reported whether AURKA inhibitors restrain STAT5‐activated leukemia cells. In this study, we constructed STAT5 constitutively activated (cS5) cells and found that STAT5 promoted cell proliferation and colony formation. Moreover, cS5 cells showed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, which indicated higher mitochondrial metabolism in cS5 cells. A novel AURKA inhibitor AKI604 was synthesized and showed significant inhibitory effects to the proliferation and colony formation in both STAT5 constitutively activated and nonactivated AML cells. AKI604 induced mitochondrial impairment, leading to the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and the elevation of ROS as well as cellular calcium (Ca2+) levels. AKI604 could also decline basal oxygen consumption rate and ATP biosynthesis, indicating the damage of oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, AKI604 exhibited significant antitumor effect in the HL‐60 cS5 xenograft model of the BALB/c nude mice without an obvious influence on mice body weight and other healthy indicators. This study suggested that AKI604 was a potential strategy to overcome STAT5‐induced leukemic proliferation in AML treatment by inducing mitochondrial impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress in sentiment analytics and communication research provides a powerful scaffold by which to reexamine the long-debated research on residents' attitudes toward tourism. To mitigate the limitations of the classical survey-based research method, this study takes a news media sentiment analytics perspective to unveil how the residents' attitudes toward tourism evolve over time and how socioeconomic factors interact with such evolving attitudes in the context of Hong Kong. Drawn on a news data set containing 72,755 news articles published in Chinese language newspapers, this study computes the overall news sentiments for 156 calendar months since 2003, examines the face validity and nomological validity of the results, and discusses the long-run dynamics between residents' attitudes and typical socioeconomic factors. This study adds a vital dimension to current residents' attitudes research and practices from data-scarce to data-rich studies and from static snapshots to dynamic unfolding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of pyrazino[2,3‐a]acridine derivatives were prepared, via three‐component reaction of quinoxalin‐6‐amine, aromatic aldehydes and 5,5‐dimethyl cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione or cyclohexane‐1,3‐dione in ethanol as a solvent at reflux. The advantages of this protocol include mild reaction conditions, easy purification, high yields, and catalyst‐free approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal epilepsy is a common emergency phenomenon in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), which requires timely attention, early identification, and treatment. Traditional detection methods mostly use supervised learning with enormous labeled data. Hence, this study offers a semi-supervised hybrid architecture for detecting seizures, which combines the extracted electroencephalogram (EEG) feature dataset and convolutional autoencoder, called Fd-CAE. First, various features in the time domain and entropy domain are extracted to characterize the EEG signal, which helps distinguish epileptic seizures subsequently. Then, the unlabeled EEG features are fed into the convolutional autoencoder (CAE) for training, which effectively represents EEG features by optimizing the loss between the input and output features. This unsupervised feature learning process can better combine and optimize EEG features from unlabeled data. After that, the pre-trained encoder part of the model is used for further feature learning of labeled data to obtain its low-dimensional feature representation and achieve classification. This model is performed on the neonatal EEG dataset collected at the University of Helsinki Hospital, which has a high discriminative ability to detect seizures, with an accuracy of 92.34%, precision of 93.61%, recall rate of 98.74%, and F1-score of 95.77%, respectively. The results show that unsupervised learning by CAE is beneficial to the characterization of EEG signals, and the proposed Fd-CAE method significantly improves classification performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid computational method was proposed for simulation of biofilm growth processes using a continuum model for transport of water and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and a discrete model for simulation of bacterial cells. The current paper focuses on development of accurate models for different forces acting between bacterial cells, which are represented by spherocylinder particles. The major forces acting on the bacterial cells include drag from flow of EPS generated by the bacterial colony, adhesion forces (e.g., van der Waals adhesion and ligand–receptor binding) between colliding cell surfaces, lubrication force due to cell growth and EPS production, and tension from the fimbria appendages that project outward from many types of bacterial cells. The lubrication force and drag force act to separate the cells and expand the bacterial colony, whereas the adhesion and fimbria forces act to pull the bacterial colony together. Simulations are performed to examine the effect on biofilm development of each of these forces individually. The significance of different forces depends on the cell shape and other specifics of the given computation. However, there appears to be an opposing influence at the scale of the bacterial colony between the outward-oriented EPS drag on cells and the inward-oriented fimbria force. These two forces were particularly found to be important for determining the degree of orientation alignment of the cells. On the smaller scale of individual cells, the actions of the cell surface adhesion force and the lubrication force similarly oppose each other, with the balance influencing cell clustering and the degree of contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and widespread utilization of high-throughput sequencing technologies in biology has fueled the rapid growth of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data over the past decade. The development of scRNA-seq technology has significantly expanded researchers' understanding of cellular heterogeneity. Accurate cell type identification is the prerequisite for any research on heterogeneous cell populations. However, due to the high noise and high dimensionality of scRNA-seq data, improving the effectiveness of cell type identification remains a challenge. As an effective dimensionality reduction method, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is an essential tool for visualizing high-dimensional scRNA-seq data and identifying cell subpopulations. However, traditional PCA has some defects when used in mining the nonlinear manifold structure of the data and usually suffers from over-density of principal components (PCs). Therefore, we present a novel method in this paper called joint L 2 , p -norm and random walk graph constrained PCA (RWPPCA). RWPPCA aims to retain the data's local information in the process of mapping high-dimensional data to low-dimensional space, to more accurately obtain sparse principal components and to then identify cell types more precisely. Specifically, RWPPCA combines the random walk (RW) algorithm with graph regularization to more accurately determine the local geometric relationships between data points. Moreover, to mitigate the adverse effects of dense PCs, the L 2 , p -norm is introduced to make the PCs sparser, thus increasing their interpretability. Then, we evaluate the effectiveness of RWPPCA on simulated data and scRNA-seq data. The results show that RWPPCA performs well in cell type identification and outperforms other comparison methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the strong gravitational lensing of spherically symmetric black holes in the novel Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet (EGB) gravity surrounded by unmagnetized plasma medium. The deflection angle in the strong deflection limit in EGB spacetime with homogeneous plasma is derived. We find that both the coupling constant α in the novel EGB gravity and the presence of plasma can affect the radius of photon sphere, strong field limit coefficient and other lensing observables significantly, while plasma has little effect on the angular image separation and the relative magnifications as α / M 2 → − 8 and α / M 2 → 1 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is a highly vascularized solid tumor. Angiopoietin-2 (ANGPT2) has been described as an attractive target for antiangiogenic therapy. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles secreted by most cell types and contribute to cell-to-cell communication by delivering functional cargo to recipient cells. The expression of ANGPT2 in tumor-derived exosomes remains unknown. Methods: We detected the ANGPT2 expression in HCC-derived exosomes by immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunogold labeling, then observed exosomal ANGPT2 internalization and recycling by confocal laser scanning microscopy, co-immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. We used two HCC cell lines (Hep3B and MHCC97H) to overexpress ANGPT2 by lentivirus infection or knockdown ANGPT2 by the CRISPR/Cas system, then isolated exosomes to coculture with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and observed the angiogenesis by Matrigel microtubule formation assay, transwell migration assay, wound healing assay, cell counting kit-8 assay, immunoblotting and in vivo tumorigenesis assay. Results: We found that HCC-derived exosomes carried ANGPT2 and delivered it into HUVECs by exosome endocytosis, this delivery led to a notable increase in angiogenesis by a Tie2-independent pathway. Concomitantly, we observed that HCC cell-secreted exosomal ANGPT2 was recycled by recipient HUVECs and might be reused. In addition, the CRISPR-Cas systems to knock down ANGPT2 significantly inhibited the angiogenesis induced by HCC cell-secreted exosomal ANGPT2, and obviously suppressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition activation in HCC. Conclusions: Taken together, these results reveal a novel pathway of tumor angiogenesis induced by HCC cell-secreted exosomal ANGPT2 that is different from the classic ANGPT2/Tie2 pathway. This way may be a potential therapeutic target for antiangiogenic therapy. Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]