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INTRODUCTION Maternal smoking during pregnancy disturbs fetal lung development, and induces in their offspring childhood respiratory diseases. Whether it has a continued impact on offspring adult lung health and exerts a casual effect of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), remains uncertain. We seek to determine the causal relationships between maternal smoking around birth and offspring adult CRDs, using summary data from previously described cohorts. METHODS Mendelian randomization (MR) study was used to analyze the genome-wide associations of maternal smoking around birth and offspring adult CRDs, including respiratory insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), related respiratory insufficiency, emphysema, COPD, COPD hospital admissions, early onset of COPD, later onset of COPD, asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), lung cancer (LC), small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). RESULTS After removing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with smoking by the offspring, maternal smoking around birth was associated with increased risk of offspring adult respiratory diseases (OR=1.14; 95% CI: 1.013-1.284; p=0.030), respiratory insufficiency (OR=2.413; 95% CI: 1.039-5.603; p=0.040), COPD (OR=1.14; 95% CI: 1.013-1.284; p=0.003), and asthma (OR=1.336; 95% CI: 1.161-1.538; p<0.001). Besides, maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with a greater risk of LUSC (OR=1.229; 95% CI: 0.992-1.523; p=0.059) than the risk of IPF (0R=1.001; 95% CI: 0.999-1.003; p=0.224), LC (0R=1.203; 95% CI: 0.964-1.501; p=0.103), or SCLC (OR=1.11; 95% CI: 0.77-1.601; p=0.577). CONCLUSIONS In this MR analysis, maternal smoking around birth caused a strong risk factor for the offspring to develop lung problems and CRDs in adulthood. The policy related to smoking cessation for mothers during pregnancy should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy metabolism is highly interdependent with adaptive cell migration in vivo. Mechanical confinement is a critical physical cue that induces switchable migration modes of the mesenchymal-to-amoeboid transition (MAT). However, the energy states in distinct migration modes, especially amoeboid-like stable bleb (A2) movement, remain unclear. In this report, we developed multivalent DNA framework-based nanomachines to explore strategical mitochondrial trafficking and differential ATP levels during cell migration in mechanically heterogeneous microenvironments. Through single-particle tracking and metabolomic analysis, we revealed that fast A2-moving cells driven by biomimetic confinement recruited back-end positioning of mitochondria for powering highly polarized cytoskeletal networks, preferentially adopting an energy-saving mode compared with a mesenchymal mode of cell migration. We present a versatile DNA nanotool for cellular energy exploration and highlight that adaptive energy strategies coordinately support switchable migration modes for facilitating efficient metastatic escape, offering a unique perspective for therapeutic interventions in cancer metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed second-line therapy options for metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) patients following first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. Among 65 patients, combination therapy (TKI plus anti-PD1) showed improved response rates (ORR 50.0%, DCR 70.5%) compared to TKI monotherapy (ORR 14.3%, DCR 28.6%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) for combination therapy was 9.2 months vs. 5.4 months for TKI monotherapy, with similar adverse event rates. Anti-PD-1 plus TKI therapy appears effective and safe for nccRCC patients who progressed after initial TKI treatment. Objectives: Guidelines recommend clinical trials or tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) as the first-line option for systemic therapy for non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC) with limited efficacy. However, the preferred subsequent options remain unclear when patients progress after first-line treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 plus TKI therapy as the second-line regimen in nccRCC. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with metastatic nccRCC who failed first-line TKI therapy between October 2011 and September 2020. The baseline characteristics of the patients and adverse events (AEs) were collected. Efficacy measures included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: The current study enrolled 65 patients, with a median age of 48 (interquartile 37-60) years. Among all patients, 21 received TKI monotherapy while 44 patients received combination therapy (TKI plus anti-PD1). The ORR and DCR for the whole cohort were 38.5% and 56.9%, respectively. ORR (50.0% vs. 14.3%, P = .006) and DCR (70.5% vs. 28.6%, P = .001) were improved in the combination group compared with the TKI group. The overall second-line PFS was 7.7 (95% CI: 6.1-9.3) months and OS was 25.2 (19.5-30.8) months. Patients receiving combination therapy had a longer PFS compared with those receiving TKI monotherapy [median PFS (95% CI): 9.2 (5.9-12.4) vs. 5.4 (2.6-8.2) m, Log-rank P = .002]. The incidence of treatment-related AEs of grade 3 or higher was comparable between the 2 groups (56.8% vs. 52.4%). Conclusion: Anti-PD-1 plus TKI therapy appeared effective and safe in the treatment of patients with metastatic nccRCC who progressed after first-line TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are widely present in foods and affect the flavour of fermented cultures. This study investigates the effects of fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus JYLA-16 (La), Lactobacillus plantarum JYLP-375 (Lp), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus JYLR-005 (Lr) on the flavour profile of blueberry juice. RESULTS: This study showed that all LABs strains preferentially used glucose rather than fructose as the carbon source during fermentation. Lactic acid was the main fermentation product, reaching 7.76 g L-1 in La-fermented blueberry juice, 5.86 g L-1 in Lp-fermented blueberry juice, and 6.41 g L-1 in Lr-fermented blueberry juice. These strains extensively metabolized quinic acid, whereas oxalic acid metabolism was almost unaffected. Sixty-four volatile compounds were identified using gas chromatography--ion mobility spectrometry (GC--IMS). All fermented blueberry juices exhibited decreased aldehyde levels. Furthermore, fermentation with La was dominated by alcohols, Lp was dominated by esters, and Lr was dominated by ketones. Linear discriminant analysis of the electronic nose and principal component analysis of the GC--IMS data effectively differentiated between unfermented and fermented blueberry juices. CONCLUSION: This study informs LABs selection for producing desirable flavours in fermented blueberry juice and provides a theoretical framework for flavour detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the energy efficiency of pure electric vehicles, the author proposes a thermal energy recovery and automation monitoring system for motor equipment based on new energy vehicles. Based on the analysis of the battery thermal management model, a series heat exchange model between the motor and the battery was established. An integrated thermal management system control strategy based on motor waste heat recovery was proposed for electric vehicles in low temperature environments, and simulation and validation were conducted at different environmental temperatures (-10~0 °C). The simulation results show that this configuration can shorten the heating time by 111-343 seconds compared to traditional battery thermal management systems during the heating stage. During the insulation stage, frequent activation of positive temperature coefficient thermistor can be avoided and the battery temperature can be maintained around 20 °C, which is not only conducive to extending the battery life but also reduces the comprehensive energy consumption by 4.39-7.70%. On the other hand, this configuration can reduce the impact of low temperature on comprehensive energy consumption from 9.77-2.07%. It is proved that heat recovery can effectively alleviate the range anxiety caused by ambient temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report three sets of newly identified late Mesoproterozoic mafic intrusions in the southwestern Yangtze Block, China. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) baddeleyite and zircon U-Pb analyses yield crystallization ages of ca. 1.15 Ga for the Boka dolerites, ca. 1.07 Ga for the Lanniping gabbros, and ca. 1.06 Ga for the Tong'an mafic dikes. These are tholeiitic to alkaline rocks with enriched mid-ocean-ridge basalt (E-MORB)-like trace-element patterns and superchondritic εNd(t) values, indicating a partial melting origin from the asthenospheric mantle. These results, along with existing data, define two episodes of late Mesoproterozoic, rift-related mafic magmatism in the southwestern Yangtze Block: an early phase at 1.17-1.14 Ga and a late phase at 1.07-1.02 Ga. Initiation of the two episodes of extensional events in the southwestern Yangtze Block coincided with high-grade Grenville-aged metamorphism in Hainan Island and possible early collision of Cathaysia with the southwestern Yangtze Block, indicating an impactogen model. Therefore, we interpret the observed two episodes to have resulted from local collision between the southwestern Yangtze Block and the Cathaysia Block (including Hainan Island), which was possibly a part of western Laurentia during the assembly of Rodinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an experimental on the flexural performance of prestressed concrete-encased high-strength steel beams (PCEHSSBs). To study the applicability of high-strength steel (HSS) in prestressed concrete-encased steel beams (PCESBs), one simply supported prestressed concrete-encased ordinarystrength steel beam (PCEOSSB) and eight simply supported PCEHSSBs were tested under a four-point bending load. The influence of steel strength grade, I-steel ratio, reinforcement ratio and stirrup ratio on the flexural performance of such members was investigated. The test results show that increasing the I-steel grade and I-steel ratio can significantly improve the bearing capacity of PCESB. Increasing the compressive reinforcement ratio of PCEHSSB can effectively improve its bearing capacity and ductility properties, making full use of the performance of HSS in composite beams. Increasing the hoop ratio has a small improvement on the load capacity of the test beams; setting up shear connectors can improve the ductile properties of the specimens although it does not lead to a significant increase in the load capacity of the combined beams. Then, combined with the test data, the comprehensive reinforcement index considering the location of reinforcement was proposed to evaluate the crack resistance of specimens. The relationship between the comprehensive reinforcement index and the crack resistance of specimens was given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic reconnection is a crucial energy conversion process in plasmas, and it is important to study the forms of energy conversion and their distribution in this process. Previous research has focused mainly on the energy fluxes in symmetric reconnection, while the study of asymmetric reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause, especially in terms of statistical analysis of multiple events, has not been reported before. Therefore, 10 magnetic reconnection events at the magnetopause observed by MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale) satellite that passed through the electron diffusion region were used for analysis. Although the contribution of different energy flux varies case by case, our results show that in most events, the ion enthalpy flux is dominant, followed by the Poynting flux. The ion heat flux is slightly smaller than the Poynting flux, while the sum of ion kinetic energy flux, electron enthalpy flux and electron heat flux only accounts for less than 10% of the total energy flux. By projecting the normalized energy flux of all events into B L − V (i , L) plane (in L M N coordinate), we find that the energy flux in M direction is comparable to the energy flux in L direction and also there is an "anti-correlated" relationship between the ion velocity and ion heat flux around reconnection diffusion region, consistent with previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) technology within the hotel industry marks a transformative shift in the way guests experience and engage with hospitality services. Virtual reality, with its immersive and interactive capabilities, enables hotels to provide a novel and engaging environment for guests. From virtual tours of hotel rooms and amenities to immersive experiences showcasing local attractions and cultural highlights, VR has the potential to revolutionize the pre-booking and on-site guest experience. This paper focused on the user experiences within hotel rooms enhanced with virtual reality (VR) technology. Leveraging content analysis, sentiment analysis, and advanced classification models, we aim to unravel the intricacies of user sentiments and preferences in this evolving domain. The content analysis reveals a spectrum of user opinions, ranging from enthusiastic endorsements of immersive VR content to nuanced critiques of room ambiance and interactivity. Subsequently, a sentiment analysis model accurately categorizes these sentiments, showcasing its effectiveness in capturing the diverse user expressions. Our classification analysis demonstrates the robustness of the sentiment analysis model, with high accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score metrics. Comparatively, we introduce a proposed BERT model, harnessing advanced natural language processing techniques, and observe its performance against traditional sentiment analysis and an AutoEncoder Model. The results indicate that the BERT model matches the performance of traditional sentiment analysis, outperforming the AutoEncoder Model. This underscores the effectiveness of leveraging state-of-the-art language models in understanding and classifying user sentiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ether-a-go-go (EAG) channels are key regulators of neuronal excitability and tumorigenesis. EAG channels contain an Nterminal Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain that can regulate currents from EAG channels by binding small molecules. The molecular mechanism of this regulation is not clear. Using surface plasmon resonance and electrophysiology we show that a small molecule ligand imipramine can bind to the PAS domain of EAG1 channels and inhibit EAG1 currents via this binding. We further used a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, electrophysiology, and mutagenesis to investigate the molecular mechanism of EAG1 current inhibition by imipramine binding to the PAS domain. We found that Tyr71, located at the entrance to the PAS domain cavity, serves as a "gatekeeper" limiting access of imipramine to the cavity. MD simulations indicate that the hydrophobic electrostatic profile of the cavity facilitates imipramine binding and in silico mutations of hydrophobic cavity-lining residues to negatively charged glutamates decreased imipramine binding. Probing the PAS domain cavity-lining residues with site-directed mutagenesis, guided by MD simulations, identified D39 and R84 as residues essential for the EAG1 channel inhibition by imipramine binding to the PAS domain. Taken together, our study identified specific residues in the PAS domain that could increase or decrease EAG1 current inhibition by imipramine binding to the PAS domain. These findings should further the understanding of molecular mechanisms of EAG1 channel regulation by ligands and facilitate the development of therapeutic agents targeting these channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2022, the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) became dominant in China due to its high infectivity and lower mortality rate. The risk of critical illness and mortality among patients with hematologic malignancies who contracted SARS-CoV-2 was particularly high. The aim of this study was to draft a consensus to facilitate effective treatments for these patients based on the type and severity of the disease. Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, a steering committee consisting of experienced hematologists was formed by the Specialized Committee of Oncology and Microecology of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association. The expert group drafted a consensus on the management and intervention measures for different types of hematologic malignancies based on the clinical characteristics of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, along with relevant guidelines and literature. The expert group drafted independent recommendations on several important aspects based on the epidemiology of the Omicron variant in China and the unique vulnerability of patients with hematologic malignancies. These included prophylactic vaccinations for those with hematologic malignancies, the use of plasma from blood donors who recovered from the novel coronavirus infection, the establishment of negative pressure wards, the use of steady-state mobilization of peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells, the provision of psychological support for patients and medical staff, and a focus on maintaining a healthy intestinal microecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attribution of compound events informs preparedness for emerging hazards with disproportionate impacts. However, the task remains challenging because space-time interactions among extremes and uncertain dynamic changes are not satisfactorily addressed in the well-established attribution framework. For attributing the 2020 record-breaking spatially compounding flood-heat event in China, we conduct a storyline attribution analysis by designing simulation experiments via a weather forecast model, quantifying component-based attributable changes, and comparing with historical flow analogs. We quantify that given the large-scale circulation, anthropogenic influence to date has exacerbated the extreme Mei-yu rainfall in the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River during June-July 2020 by ~6.5% and warmed the co-occurring seasonal extreme heat in South China by ~1°C. Our projections show a further intensification of the compound event by the end of this century, with moderate emissions making the rainfall totals ~14% larger and the season ~2.1°C warmer in South China than the 2020 status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the impact of regional land use land morphology on carbon emissions from a regional perspective. The study first quantifies the land morphology of the Yangtze River Delta region from 2005 to 2017 by calculating a series of parameters. These parameters include city scale, shape complexity, shape fragmentation, spatial aggregation and spatial diversity. Then, a panel data model of these parameters and overall urban carbon emissions was developed and analyzed by multiple linear regression. It was found that city scale spatial diversity had significant positive effects on carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta region, while the complexity of urban shape had a negative effect. Based on these findings, the study proposes that in terms of overall urban structure, it is necessary to strengthen and improve the degree of compact clustering of morphology and functions, and advocate a highly connected "polycentric" agglomeration cluster model; within cities, the complexity and fragmentation of land morphology should be reduced through a "narrow roads and small blocks" transportation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to explore the mechanism by which high mobility group box-1 and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species enhance each other's influence on the amplitude of electroretinogram and the permeability of the vitreous. According to the purpose of the experiment, the experimental rats were separated into a control group, a diabetes group and a Shenling Baizhu powder group. The messenger ribonucleic acid expression of microRNA-23 and microRNA-27a in rat muscle tissue was quantitatively analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The contractility of rat soleus skeletal muscle was analyzed by electrical stimulation program. Western blot analysis of rat muscle growth protein synthesis and the expression of myostatin signaling pathway was carried out. The expression of renal fibrosis-related albumin was tested by Western blot. The messenger ribonucleic acid expression of microRNA-23, 27a in the diabetic group was lower than control group (p<0.05), and the expression in the Shenling Baizhu powder group was higher than diabetic group (p<0.05). Compared with the control group, the diabetic group had lower body weight (p<0.05), and raised blood glucose concentration and diabetes volume (p<0.05). The ratio of phosphorylated protein kinase B/protein kinase B and phospho forkhead box protein O1/forkhead box protein O1 protein expression in the Shenling Baizhu powder group was higher than diabetic group (p<0.05), while the phosphatase and tensin homolog protein expression was lower (p<0.05). The protein expression of myostatin, FBXO32 and TRIM63 in the diabetes group was higher than control group (p<0.05), and the expression in the Shenling Baizhu powder group was lower than diabetes group (p<0.05). Compared with the control group, the protein expression of transforming growth factor-beta, suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic 2/3, alpha-smooth muscle actin, collagen-1a and fibronectin was higher in the diabetes group (p<0.05), and the expression in the Shenling Baizhu powder group was lower than diabetes group (p<0.05). Shenling Baizhu powder can improve diabetes-induced sarcopenia by up-regulating microRNA expression, activating the insulin-like growth factor 1/phosphoinositide 3-kinases/ protein kinase B signaling pathway and inhibiting the myostatin cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective • This study aimed to investigate the potential of miRNA-21-5p as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), specifically examining its relevance in distinguishing between AIS and transient ischemic attack (TIA) and its predictive ability for short-term prognosis. Methods • A total of 84 AIS patients (AIS group), 39 TIA cases (TIA group), and 30 healthy volunteers (Control group) were enrolled in this study. The relative expressions of miRNA-21-5p in serum upon admission were recorded and compared. The statistical analysis involved employing Student’s t-test or analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare means. Additionally, linear correlations were evaluated to determine the associations between different variables. Results • The expression of miRNA-21-5p was significantly upregulated in the AIS group compared to the TIA and Control groups (P < .001), with no statistical difference observed between the TIA and Control groups. Furthermore, within the AIS group, the expression of miRNA-21-5p was found to be significantly increased in the poor prognosis subgroup (mRS 3-6 points) compared to the good prognosis subgroup (mRS 0-2 points) (P < .05). The area under the curve (AUC) of miRNA-21-5p for predicting AIS from TIA and 30-day poor prognosis of AIS were 0.710 and 0.641, respectively. Additionally, miRNA-21-5p showed positive correlations with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of AIS patients, respectively. Conclusions • Serum miRNA-21-5p levels exhibit considerable potential as a promising biomarker. They play a crucial role in distinguishing between AIS and TIA. Additionally, these levels offer valuable predictive insights into the severity and short-term prognosis of AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the most common and deadliest diseases affecting millions of human beings globally. Treatment of cancer has achieved great advancements, and chemotherapy remains one of the most important means. However, the chemotherapy suffers from apparent limitations including drug resistance, systemic toxicity, adverse effects, and tumor recurrence, creating an urgent demand to develop novel anticancer chemotherapeutics. Furoxan derivatives could exert anticancer activity via releasing high concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), which could induce cellular apoptosis, arrest cell cycle, inhibit the migration and invasion of cells, and suppress angiogenesis. Hence, furoxan derivatives demonstrated potent in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficiency. In particular, furoxan hybrids, combination of other anticancer pharmacophores with furoxan moiety, demonstrated significant therapeutic effects on various cancers including drug-resistant forms since these derivatives could act on multiple targets in cancer cells simultaneously. Accordingly, furoxan hybrids constitute an important source in the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents with anticancer activity. This review is to highlight the current scenario of furoxan hybrids with anticancer potential, covering articles published from 2012 to present. The structure--activity relationships and mechanisms of action are discussed to continuously open up a map for the remarkable exploration of more effective candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a circularly polarized millimeter-wave L-shaped dipole antenna based on low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology is proposed, which realizes compact size and low-profile performance. The designed antenna consists of radiation patches and the grounded coplanar waveguide-substrate integrated waveguide (GCPW-SIW) feeding structure, which connects each other by two via holes. The radiation patches include a pair of L-shaped patches and four parasitic patches. The simulated results show that the proposed antenna operates from 26.5 to 29.5 GHz for |S11| < -10 dB and AR < 3 dB with a peak gain of 6.7 dBic. The antenna element size is only 0.58-0×0.58-0×0.056-0, where -0 is free-space wavelength at the center frequency of 28 GHz. A sample of the antenna is fabricated and measured to verify the proposed design, which has a good agreement with the simulated ones, indicating that the antenna has potential applications for the fifth generation (5G) mm-Wave n257 (26.5 - 29.5 GHz) frequency band communications and satellite communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-related acute kidney injury (S-AKI) is a common and significant complication of sepsis in critically ill patients, which can often only be treated with antibiotics and medications that reduce S-AKI symptoms. The precise mechanism underlying the onset of S-AKI is still unclear, thus hindering the development of new strategies for its treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the pathogenesis of S-AKI to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets for its early diagnosis and treatment. Heparanase (HPA), the only known enzyme that cleaves the side chain of heparan sulfate, has been widely studied in relation to tumor metabolism, procoagulant activity, angiogenesis, inflammation and sepsis. It has been reported that HPA plays an important role in the progression of S-AKI. The aim of the present review was to provide an overview of the function of HPA in S-AKI and to summarize its underlying molecular mechanisms, including mediating inflammatory response, immune response, autophagy and exosome biogenesis. It is anticipated that emerging discoveries about HPA in S-AKI will support HPA as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target to combat S-AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of sealed or semi-sealed, multiscale natural fracture systems appears to be crucial for the successful stimulation of deep reservoirs. To explore the reaction of such systems to reservoir stimulation, a new numerical simulation approach for hydraulic stimulation has been developed, trying to establish a realistic model of the physics involved. Our new model successfully reproduces dynamic fracture activation, network generation, and overall reservoir permeability enhancement. Its outputs indicate that natural fractures facilitate stimulation far beyond the near-wellbore area, and can significantly improve the hydraulic conductivity of unconventional geo-energy reservoirs. According to our model, the fracture activation patterns are jointly determined by the occurrence of natural fractures and the in situ stress. High-density natural fractures, high-fluid pressure, and low effective stress environments promote the formation of complex fracture networks during stimulation. Multistage or multicluster fracturing treatments with an appropriate spacing also increase the stimulated reservoir area (SRA). The simulation scheme demonstrated in this work offers the possibility to elucidate the complex multiphysical couplings seen in the field through detailed site-specific modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infiltrated pre-inflammatory monocytes and macrophages have important roles in the induction of diabetic lung injuries, but the mechanism mediating their infiltration is still unclear. Here, we showed that airway smooth muscle cells (SMCs) activated monocyte adhesion in response to hyperglycemic glucose (25.6 mM) by significantly increasing hyaluronan (HA) in the cell matrix, with concurrent 2- to 4-fold increases in adhesion of U937 monocytic-leukemic cells. The HA-based structures were attributed directly to the high-glucose and not to increased extracellular osmolality, and they required growth stimulation of SMCs by serum. Treatment of SMCs with heparin in high-glucose induces synthesis of a much larger HA matrix, consistent with our observations in the glomerular SMCs. Further, we observed increases in tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) expression in high-glucose and high-glucose plus heparin cultures, and the heavy chain (HC)-modified HA structures existed on the monocyte-adhesive cable structures in high-glucose and in high-glucose plus heparin-treated SMC cultures. Interestingly, these HC-modified HA structures were unevenly distributed along the HA cables. Further, the in vitro assay with recombinant human TSG-6 and the HA14 oligo showed that heparin has no inhibitory activity on the TSG-6-induced HC-transfer to HA, consistent with the results from SMC cultures. These results support the hypothesis that hyperglycemia in airway smooth muscle induces the synthesis of a HA matrix that recruits inflammatory cells and establishes a chronic inflammatory process and fibrosis that lead to diabetic lung injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the effect of abietic acid (AA) in the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups: sham, AP, AP + 20 mg/kg AA, and AP + 40 mg/kg AA groups. To induce AP mouse model, the mice received intraperitoneal (IP) injections of cerulein. The extent of pancreatic tissue damage was evaluated by histological examination. Serum ALT, lipase, and amylase levels were determined by commercial kits while TUNEL assay was used to assess the apoptosis of pancreatic cells. The contents of Bax, Caspase-3, Bcl-2, p-ERK/ERK, p)JNK/JNK, and p-P38/P38 in pancreatic tissues were evaluated by western blot while the contents of IL)6, TNF-α, IL-1β, nitrite, MDA, and GSH in the tissues were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results: AA relieved pancreatic damage and reduced ALT, lipase, and amylase levels in cerulein)treated AP mouse (p < 0.001). AA repressed apoptosis of pancreatic cells in cerulein-induced AP mouse, and inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the mice by reducing IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, nitrite, and MDA contents; it also enhanced the levels of GSH in the tissues (p < 0.001). In addition, AA inhibited MAPK pathway activity in the mice (p < 0.001). Conclusion: AA ameliorates pancreatic damage, pancreatic cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in cerulein-induced AP mouse by inhibiting MAPK pathway. This study offers a new potential drug for the management of AP and expands the relevant molecular regulatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) plays a pivotal role in regulating lipid metabolism and hepatic PPARγ transactivation contributes to fatty liver development. Fatty acids (FAs) are well-known endogenous ligands for PPARγ. Palmitate, a 16-C saturated FA (SFA) and the most abundant SFA in human circulation, is a strong inducer of hepatic lipotoxicity, a central pathogenic factor for various fatty liver diseases. In this study, using both alpha mouse liver 12 (AML12) and primary mouse hepatocytes, we investigated the effects of palmitate on hepatic PPARγ transactivation and underlying mechanisms, as well as the role of PPARγ transactivation in palmitate-induced hepatic lipotoxicity, all of which remain ambiguous currently. Our data revealed that palmitate exposure was concomitant with both PPARγ transactivation and upregulation of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), a methyltransferase catalyzing the degradation of nicotinamide, the predominant precursor for cellular NAD+ biosynthesis. Importantly, we discovered that PPARγ transactivation by palmitate was blunted by NNMT inhibition, suggesting that NNMT upregulation plays a mechanistic role in PPARγ transactivation. Further investigations uncovered that palmitate exposure is associated with intracellular NAD+ decline and NAD+ replenishment with NAD+-enhancing agents, nicotinamide and nicotinamide riboside, obstructed palmitate-induced PPARγ transactivation, implying that cellular NAD+ decline resulted from NNMT upregulation represents a potential mechanism behind palmitate-elicited PPARγ transactivation. At last, our data showed that the PPARγ transactivation marginally ameliorated palmitate-induced intracellular triacylglycerol accumulation and cell death. Collectively, our data provided the first-line evidence supporting that NNMT upregulation plays a mechanistic role in palmitate-elicited PPARγ transactivation, potentially through reducing cellular NAD+ contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in-house designed transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) instrument has been developed and commissioned at beamline BL18B of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). BL18B is a hard (5-14 keV) X-ray bending-magnet beamline recently built with sub-20 nm spatial resolution in TXM. There are two kinds of resolution mode: one based on using a highresolution-based scintillator-lens-coupled camera, and the other on using a medium-resolution-based X-ray sCMOS camera. Here, a demonstration of full-field hard X-ray nano-tomography for high-Z material samples (e.g. Au particles, battery particles) and low-Z material samples (e.g. SiO2 powders) is presented for both resolution modes. Sub-50 nm to 100 nm resolution in three dimensions (3D) has been achieved. These results represent the ability of 3D non-destructive characterization with nano-scale spatial resolution for scientific applications in many research fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a single compound extracted from Asian and American ginseng, ginsenoside Rg3 works commonly as an adjuvant reagent in combatting cancer. The anti-cancer role of Rg3 has been mentioned in many studies. However, the mechanism of its function in colon cancer remains unclear. Expression of miR-15b-5p and AXIN2, Pearson correlation and binding sites between ATXN8OS, miR-15b-5p and AXIN2 were analyzed using bioinformatics. The downstream regulatory genes of ATXN8OS were predicted, and the binding relationship was examined by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and dual-luciferase assays. qRT-PCR was utilized to examine ATXN8OS expression and its downstream target genes in colon cancer cells. Western blot assay was employed for determining expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related marker proteins. As for examination of cell migration and invasion, transwell assay was carried out. The determination of ATXN8OS location was accomplished by fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. The proportion of marker proteins in epithelial and mesenchymal cells was detected by immunofluorescence. ATXN8OS showed high expression in colon cancer cells, and its low expression induced by ginsenoside Rg3 could suppress colon cancer cell invasion and migration. ATXN8OS indirectly up-regulated AXIN2 expression by targeting miR-15b-5p, thereby facilitating the EMT ability as well as colon cancer cell invasion and migration. The molecular mechanism by which ATXN8OS/miR-15b-5p/AXIN2 signaling axis promoted metastasis of colon cancer cells was expanded upon in this study. We also revealed the suppressive role of ginsenoside Rg3 in colon cancer, which may provide novel insights into the therapeutic application of ginsenoside Rg3 in colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is no consensus on the optimal regimen for unresectable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), so this retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors (T-L-P) versus TACE combined with lenvatinib (T-L) or TACE alone. Method: Data were collected from 204 patients with unresectable recurrent HCC who received T-L-P, T-L, or TACE alone at three medical centers from January, 2019 to December, 2020 for analysis. The survival outcomes, tumor response, and adverse events were compared between three groups, and risk factors were further investigated. Results: The median overall survival in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were not reached, 25.6, and 15.7 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The median progression-free survival in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were 24.1, 17.3, and 13.7 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The best objective response rate in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were 70.4%, 48.9%, and 42.5%, respectively. The best disease control rate in the T-L-P, T-L, and TACE alone groups were 100.0%, 97.8%, and 87.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the T-L-P and T-L groups for Grade 3/4 adverse events. Conclusion: T-L-P regimen was safe and superior to T-L or TACE alone in improving survival for unresectable recurrent HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Translocase of the inner mitochondrial membrane 50 (TIMM50) is universally considered to play a key role in several malignancies. However, its role in predicting colorectal cancer (CRC) patient prognosis remains unclear. Material and methods: A total of 192 CRC patients (123 men and 69 women) who underwent radical resection participated in this study. The patients were followed up every 3 months after surgery for 5 years. TIMM50 expression in tumour tissues was measured by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. TIMM50 expression was studied to assess correlations with clinicopathological factors and survival time. Results: TIMM50 expression increased significantly in CRC tumour tissues. Moreover, high TIMM50 expression was related to pathologic stage (p = 0.043), N stage (p = 0.048) and distant metastasis (p = 0.015), but TIMM50 expression was not related to other clinical factors. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with low TIMM50 expression had a longer overall survival than those with high TIMM50 expression (p = 0.002). Furthermore, distant metastasis and high TIMM50 expression were confirmed as independent prognostic factors for the overall survival of CRC patients in a multivariate analysis (p = 0.003). Conclusions: TIMM50 may be a key factor for monitoring CRC and a new prognosis indicator for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core aim of motion-recognition technology is to detect moving targets and extract the target's movement characteristics, classifying these so as to judge the corresponding action category. Moving target detection and tracking form the core of computer vision research topics in military visual guidance, robot visual navigation, industrial product detection, medical diagnosis, traffic monitoring, and virtual reality, and is also very important in terms of practical value and the broad prospects for development in other fields. However, in human behavior recognition algorithms, the background, light, environment, and other factors make identification accuracy difficult to obtain and unstable, with limited application scenarios. Because traditional target detection and tracking is based on monocular vision algorithm robustness, which is poor, this makes it difficult to detect and track moving targets in complex environments. In recent years, with the maturity of target detection and visual range-finding technology, pure static target visual barium distance or the depth of target detection cannot meet the demand of the market. Therefore, we need the efficient collection of deep information in moving target detection systems. Binocular stereo vision technology, as a hot research field in computer vision, can be widely used in the field of sports to achieve target detection and ranging functions. In view of this, this paper adopted a stereoscopic vision for use in target detection and tracking methods. This paper proposes a stereo-matching method based on hierarchical network minimum segmentation, where the method uses three-dimensional images from two layers of the pyramid decomposition by splitting the global optimal search strategy into a minimum at the top of the image to match with the initial parallax at the bottom of the image through regional gray correlation matching. Both reduce the search space of the stereo matching and improve matching accuracy. At the same time, this paper uses the motion of a football shot to prospect this recognition method, which can identify the target area. The Snake contour model method was also utilized to extract the target contour. This method has the following three characteristics: when ambient light changes slowly and suddenly, it can correctly detect moving targets; when the object is lit with cast shadows, the moving target can be detected correctly and is not affected by the shadows. When rigid target motion and deformation occur, it can correctly extract the target contour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic lipotoxicity plays a central role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; however, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, using both cultured hepatocytes (AML-12 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes) and the liver-specific gene knockout mice, we investigated the mechanisms underlying palmitate-elicited upregulation of CD36, a class B scavenger receptor mediating long-chain fatty acids uptake, and its role in palmitate-induced hepatolipotoxicity. We found that palmitate upregulates hepatic CD36 expression. Despite being a well-established target gene of PPARγ transactivation, our data demonstrated that the palmitate-induced CD36 upregulation in hepatocytes is in fact PPARγ-independent. We previously reported that the activation of ATF4, one of three canonical pathways activated upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, contributes to palmitate-triggered lipotoxicity in hepatocytes. In this study, our data revealed for the first time that ATF4 plays a critical role in mediating hepatic CD36 expression. Genetic inhibition of ATF4 attenuated CD36 upregulation induced by either palmitate or ER stress inducer tunicamycin in hepatocytes. In mice, tunicamycin upregulates liver CD36 expression, whereas hepatocyte-specific ATF4 knockout mice manifest lower hepatic CD36 expression when compared with control animals. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CD36 upregulation upon palmitate exposure represents a feedforward mechanism in that siRNA knockdown of CD36 in hepatocytes blunted ATF4 activation induced by both palmitate and tunicamycin. Finally, we confirmed that the ATF4-CD36 pathway activation contributes to palmitate-induced hepatolipotoxicity as genetic inhibition of either ATF4 or CD36 alleviated cell death and intracellular triacylglycerol accumulation. Collectively, our data demonstrate that CD36 upregulation by ATF4 activation contributes to palmitate-induced hepatic lipotoxicity. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We provided the initial evidence that ATF4 is a principal transcription factor mediating hepatic CD36 expression in that both palmitate- and ER stress-elicited CD36 upregulation was blunted by ATF4 gene knockdown in hepatocytes, and hepatocyte-specific ATF4 knockout mice manifested lower hepatic CD36 expression. We further confirmed that the ATF4-CD36 pathway activation contributes to palmitate-induced hepatolipotoxicity as genetic inhibition of either ATF4 or CD36 alleviated cell death and intracellular triacylglycerol accumulation in response to exogenous palmitate exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heparin can block pathological responses associated with diabetic nephropathy in animal models and human patients. Our previous studies showed that the interaction of heparin on the surface of rat mesangial cells (RMCs) entering G1 of cell division in hyperglycemic glucose: 1) blocked glucose uptake by glucose transporter 4; 2) inhibited cytosolic uridine diphosphate-glucose elevation that would occur within 6 h from G0/G1; and 3) prevented subsequent activation of hyaluronan synthesis in intracellular compartments and subsequent inflammatory responses. However, specific proteins that interact with heparin are unresolved. Here, we showed by live cell imaging that fluorescent heparin was rapidly internalized into the cytoplasm and then into the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and nuclei compartments. Biotinylated-heparin was applied onto the surface of growth arrested G0/G1 RMCs in order to extract heparin-binding protein(s). SDS-PAGE gels showed two bands at -70 kDa in the extract that were absent when unlabeled heparin was used to compete. Trypsin digests of the bands were analyzed by MS and identified as calreticulin and prelamin A/C. Immunostaining with their antibodies identified the presence of calreticulin on the G0/G1 RMC cell surface. Previous studies have shown that calreticulin can be on the cell surface and can interact with the LDL receptor-related protein, which has been implicated in glucose transport by interaction with glucose transporter 4. Thus, cell surface calreticulin can act as a heparin receptor through a mechanism involving LRP1, which prevents the intracellular responses in high glucose and reprograms the cells to synthesize an extracellular hyaluronan matrix after division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most lethal cancer globally and is associated with poor prognosis. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) can regulate biological properties of carcinoma cells. FABP5 is overexpressed in many types of cancers; however, the role and mechanisms of action of FABP5 in GC remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and biological functions of FABP5 in GC. Materials and Methods: We assessed FABP5 expression using immunohistochemical analysis in 79 patients with GC and evaluated its biological functions following in vitro and in vivo ectopic expression. FABP5 targets relevant to GC progression were determined using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Results: Elevated FABP5 expression was closely associated with poor outcomes, and ectopic expression of FABP5 promoted proliferation, invasion, migration, and carcinogenicity of GC cells, thus suggesting its potential tumor-promoting role in GC. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis indicated that FABP5 activates immune-related pathways, including cytokine)cytokine receptor interaction pathways, interleukin-17 signaling, and tumor necrosis factor signaling, suggesting an important rationale for the possible development of therapies that combine FABP5-targeted drugs with immunotherapeutics. Conclusions: These findings highlight the biological mechanisms and clinical implications of FABP5 in GC and suggest its potential as an adverse prognostic factor and/or therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To extract accurately and quickly the fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) for the case of soybean crops in alpine black-soil regions during flowering-podding and seed-filling growth stages, we use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect multi-spectral images of the soybean crops. Different vegetation indices for the multi-spectral bands are analyzed and compared. These are a vegetative index (VEG), a colour index of vegetation extraction (CIVE), an excessive green-feature index (EXG), an excessive green-and-red difference index (EXGR), a combined vegetation index (CVI), a normalized green-blue difference index (NGBDI), a normalized vegetation index (NDVI), a soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and a modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI). A supervised classification method is combined with a threshold method based on statistical histograms of the vegetation indices. This offers an efficient technique for extracting the soybean coverage in the alpine black soils. We divide our experimental field into soil pixels and soybean pixels, while the UAVbased remote-sensing data is divided into the categories of soil and soybean vegetation, using a supervised classification method. Then intersects of the histograms of the vegetation-indices distributions derived with the UAV data are taken as thresholds for the soil and soybeanvegetation pixels. The soybean FVC extracted from synchronously collected high-resolution visible-light images with the ground resolution 0.036 m is used as a reference value for the comparative analysis of the accuracies. Our study reveals the following: (1) the FVCextraction accuracy becomes higher than 90% if the thresholds of the vegetation indices are determined by the statistical histograms and the images obtained with the UAVs are classified in order to extract the FVC, (2) one obtains too high a coverage with the NGBDI index; the corresponding errors are equal to 6.14% and 2.18% respectively for the flowering-podding and seed-filling stages, (3) the COM, VEG, EXG, SAVI and MSAVI indices demonstrate a sufficient accuracy and reliability, and (4) the EXG index provides the highest precision at the podding stage, while the COM index is the best for the period of soybean-kernel filling. Our results represent an important reference for future high-precision extraction of the soybean-vegetation coverage at different growth stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical dependence of 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) reinforced with continuous carbon fibres (CCFs) on the selected printing conditions was investigated. The meltextrusion- based 3D-printing (ME3DP) method was employed to fabricate specimens, of which the dependence of tensile, flexural and cryo-impact properties on layer thickness, printing speed and layer number was evaluated. Results showed that the printed TPU reinforced with raw CCFs revealed an over five-fold increase in tensile yield stress with the occurrence of necking phenomenon whereas those reinforced with preimpregnated CCFs (PCCFs) displayed brittle fracture which was also confirmed by the impact testing. The flexural strength and modulus of the printed CCFs/TPU were greatly raised over that of TPU and the PCCFs provided a much more enhancement. Both the increased yield stress and flexural strength implied an improved capacity for dynamic load bearing. Finally, the structure--property relationship was established via interface microstructure detection and simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing demand for simple and efficient sample delivery technology to match the rapid development of serial crystallography and its wide application in analyzing the structural dynamics of biological macromolecules. Here, a microfluidic rotating-target device is presented, capable of three-degrees-of-freedom motion, including two rotational degrees of freedom and one translational degree of freedom, for sample delivery. Lysozyme crystals were used as a test model with this device to collect serial synchrotron crystallography data and the device was found to be convenient and useful. This device enables in situ diffraction from crystals in a microfluidic channel without the need for crystal harvesting. The circular motion ensures that the delivery speed can be adjusted over a wide range, showing its good compatibility with different light sources. Moreover, the three-degrees-of-freedom motion guarantees the full utilization of crystals. Hence, sample consumption is greatly reduced, and only 0.1 mg of protein is consumed in collecting a complete dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of alternative stable states and hysteresis underpinned by positive feedback mechanisms explains why it is often difficult to restore submerged macrophytes in shallow lakes. It is especially difficult to restore water quality of turbid tropical lakes. It has been speculated that transplanting macrophytes tolerant of high turbidity may help the system escape from the turbid state, but systematic assessments are so far largely lacking. Here we conducted a mesocosm transplanting experiment in a shallow lake of subtropical China to mimic macrophyte restoration. We transplanted three common native turbidity-tolerant submerged macrophyte species in shallow-water mesocosms and monitored water quality within one growing season. Our experiment demonstrated that following artificial recolonization, the submerged macrophytes could indeed persist in turbid shallow water. However, the persistence of submerged macrophytes cannot significantly improve water quality, and cannot reverse the ecosystem state of tropical shallow lakes within one growing season. Our results thus provide useful implications to the current lake restoration practices. In real-world situations, it may not be realistic to anticipate rapid restoration through macrophyte transplantation only. Monitoring the long-term effects of macrophyte transplantation is imperative for lake restoration. Our work highlights the need to harness the nuanced hidden complexity for tropical lake restoration and calls for attention to alternative stable states among practitioners of lake management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we consider the concentration of positive solutions for the following equation with Trudinger-Moser nonlinearity: ∫-∆Nu - ∆qu + V(εx)(|u|N-2u + |u|q-2u) = f(u), x ∈ RN, u ∈ W1,N(RN) ∩ W1,q(RN), x ∈ RN, where V is a positive continuous function and has a local minimum, ε > 0 is a small parameter, 2 ≤ N < q < +∞, f is C¹ with subcritical growth. When V and f satisfy some appropriate assumptions, we construct the solution uε that concentrates around any given isolated local minimum of V by applying the penalization method for the above equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need to explore and validate novel biomarkers relevant to patients with myocardial infarction (MI), which is the leading cause of death in the world. Dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) based on two Gene Expression Omnibus microarrays were analyzed using bioinformatics technology and experiments. KEGG andGOenrichment analyses were performed to explore potential mechanisms of myocardial infarction progression. Immune infiltration analysis was used to assess the relationship between the immune microenvironment and myocardial infarction. The DOX-induced myocardial injury model was used to simulate myocardial infarction. qRT-PCR was performed to validate the expression of hub genes. 5 downregulated miRNAs and 14 upregulated mRNAs were identified in total. Functional analysis revealed that some immune-related pathways were significantly enriched. T cells CD8+ were mainly enriched in the normal tissues compared to the myocardial infarction tissues. Meanwhile, the T cells CD4+ memory resting were highly enriched in the myocardial infarction tissues compared to the normal tissues. Experimental validation of miRNAs and mRNAs contributed to the identification of 4 miRNAs and 12 mRNAs that may play a crucial role in the DOX-induced myocardial infarction cell model. Our study successfully identified several genes that may be related to myocardial infarction progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng is a valuable medicinal plant which is affected by many diseases during its long cultivation period. Ginseng root rot, caused by Fusarium oxysporum, has become severe in China. This soilborne pathogen comprises many formae speciales based on host specificity. Ten representative isolates from diseased ginseng rot root showed pathogenicity on ginseng. To identify the forma specialis of the F. oxysporum strains, host range tests of three representative isolates were carried out on nine plant species. All three isolates caused severe symptoms only on ginseng, but only slight or no visual symptoms on the other eight hosts, indicating that the strains were host-specific to ginseng. Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on sequences of the translation elongation factor 1-a (EF-1a) gene, two endopolygalacturonase genes (Pg1, Pg5) and two exopolygalacturonase genes (Pgx1 and Pgx4). The ten F. oxysporum isolates from ginseng clustered into a unique group clearly separated from other formae speciales already described. Based on the host range tests and phylogenetic analyses, the isolates of F. oxysporum derived from ginseng have been identified as a new forma specialis, designated Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ginseng. This is the first report of forma specialis of F. oxysporum on ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembling peptides (SAPs) have enormous potential in medical and biological applications, particularly noninvasive tumor therapy. SAPs self-assembly is governed by multiple non-covalent interactions and results in the formation of a variety of morphological features. SAPs can be assembled in a variety of ways, including chemical conjugation and physical encapsulation, to incorporate multiple bioactive motifs. Peptide-based nanomaterials are used for chemotherapy, delivery vehicles, immunotherapy, and noninvasive tumor therapies (e.g. photodynamic therapy) by employing the self-assembling properties of peptides. The recent increase of SAPs is almost entirely due to their excellent biocompatibility, responsiveness toward tumor microenvironment, multivalency, and structural versatility. Synergistic therapy is a more effective and powerful approach to treat the tumor. Notably, SAPs can be used to subtly combine various treatments. Importantly, SAPs are capable of subtly making the combination of various treatments. This review describes mechanisms of peptides self-assemble into various structures and their biomedical applications with a focus on possible treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare apparent temperatures – that is a combination of 2 m air temperature, relative humidity and surface wind speed in four Earth System Models under the modest greenhouse emissions RCP4.5, the “business-as-usual" RCP8.5 and the stratospheric aerosol injection G4 geoengineering scenarios. Apparent temperatures come from both a 10 km resolution dynamically downscaled model (WRF), and a statistically bias corrected (ISIMIP) and downscaled simulation for the greater Beijing region. ISIMIP downscaling method tends to simulate apparent temperatures well at present in all seasons, and WRF produces warmer winters than does ISIMIP. WRF produces warmer winters and cooler summers than does ISIMIP in the future. These differences mean that estimates of numbers of days with extreme apparent temperatures vary systematically with downscaling method, as well as between climate models and scenarios. Air temperature changes dominate differences in apparent temperatures between future scenarios even more than they do at present because the reductions in humidity expected under solar geoengineering are overwhelmed by rising vapor pressure due to rising temperatures and the lower windspeeds expected in the region in all future scenarios. Urban centres see larger rises in extreme apparent temperatures than rural surroundings due to differences in land surface type, and since these are also the most densely populated, health impacts will be dominated by the larger rises in apparent temperatures in these urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The superior vena cava (SVC) is the main component of non-pulmonary vein (PV) ectopy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Researchers have found that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume is related to the AF substrate, which can be defined by the low voltage area (LVA). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SVC-EAT and SVC-AF. Twenty-six patients with SVC-AF triggers were identified as the SVC-AF group. Other three groups were defined and included as the LVA-AF group (LVA>5%), non-LVA-AF group (LVA<5%), and physical examination (PE) group. EAT around left atrium (LA-EAT) and SVC-EAT volumes were obtained using a cardiac risk assessment module. According to the SVC/LA-EAT ratio, there are significant differences between the SVC-AF group and the three control groups (the SVC-AF group 0.092±0.041 vs. the LVA-AF group 0.054±0.026, the non-LVA-AF group 0.052±0.022, and the PE group 0.052±0.019, all P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggests the optimal cut-off point of SVC/LA-EAT ratio is 6.8% for detecting SVC-AF patients, with 81.1% sensitivity, 73.1% specificity, and an area under the curve of 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.91). Those with SVC-AF have a higher SVC/LA-EAT ratio and empirical SVC isolation could be considered if the SVC/LA-EAT ratio was over 6.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model predictive control (MPC) for smart building operation management has become an increasingly popular and important topic in the academic community. Based on a total of 202 journal articles extracted from Web of Science, this study adopted a science mapping approach to conduct a holistic review of the literature sample. Chronological trends, contributive journal sources, active scholars, influential documents, and frequent keywords of the literature sample were identified and analyzed using science mapping. Qualitative discussions were also conducted explore in details the objectives and data requirements of MPC implementation, different modeling approaches, common optimization methods, and associated model constraints. Three research gaps and future directions of MPC were presented: the selection and establishment of MPC central model, the capability and security of processing massive data, and the involvement of human factors. This study provides a big picture of existing research on MPC for smart building operations and presents findings that can serve as comprehensive guides for researchers and practitioners to connect current research with future trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Robot-assisted thoracic surgery has gradually been accepted as an alternative treatment for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) owing to its advantages. However, severe incomplete interlobar fissure may lead to a high rate of conversion and postoperative morbidity. This retrospective study was conducted to assess the safety and efficiency of robot-assisted lung resection for patients with incomplete fissures (IFs). Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was performed in our institution from March 2021 to November 2021, and 207 patients with NSCLC who underwent robot-assisted anatomic lung resection were included in this study. Patients were divided into the IF group and the complete fissure (CF) group according to the level of fissure, which was determined based on the anatomical classification of pulmonary fissures. Results: The number of patients in the IF and CF groups was 87 and 120, respectively. In univariate analysis, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of operative time (p = 0.66), intraoperative blood loss (p = 0.26), chest tube duration (p = 0.41), incidence of prolonged air leakage (PAL, p = 0.49), or length of postoperative hospital stay (p = 0.25). No patients experienced bronchopleural fistula, pneumonia, or cardiovascular complications. The total cost in the IF group was higher than that in the CF group (¥83,655 ± 13,314 versus ¥78,211 ± 11,980, p = 0.002). Conclusion: IF does not increase the difficulty of lung cancer surgery with robotic platforms. Robot-assisted anatomic lung resection using the tunnel technique is an effective and safe method for IF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium fortuitum infections of the musculoskeletal system are commonly missed, given their rarity and the absence of systemic symptoms. In this study, we isolated the M. fortuitum from the skin sinus tract of a traffic accident patient's right medial knee surgical incision (over the open fracture wound), and confirmed by Morphological analysis, MALDI-TOF MS, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and mNGS. Then we adjusted the treatment plan and treated the patient with cefoxitin, amikacin, and doxycycline. At three months follow-up review, his wound had completely healed. This report may provide a reference for the clinical treatment of Mycobacterium fortuitum infection in patients with open fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firstly, four types of BeiDou dual-frequency combined common-view time transferring modes were briefly introduced. The software rnx2cgg, supporting the new signals in BeiDou-3 not included in CGGTTS V2E (Common GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) Generic Time Transfer Standard Version 2 Extended), was developed for converting RINEX (Receiver Independent Exchange Format) to CGGTTS. Secondly, the BeiDou timing error models were comprehensively analyzed, including SISRE (Signal-In-Space Ranging Error), pseudorange measurement noise, and DCB (Differential Code Bias). Then, the common-view weighting function was mathematically determined based on the error modes. Finally, the performances of single-station timing and between-station common-view were analyzed with the time transfer experiments between BSNC (Beijing Satellite Navigation Center) and MGEX (The Multi-GNSS Experiment and Pilot Project) stations. The experiments show that, the closure error of the whole link from ground to space is better than 2 ns. The BeiDou common-view noise is about 0.7 ns, corresponding to the time transferring stability of 1 × 10 − 9 / τ in short and medium term over long distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use four Earth System Model (ESM) to simulate climate under the modest greenhouse emissions RCP4.5, the "business-as-usual" RCP8.5 and the stratospheric aerosol injection G4 geoengineering scenarios. These drive a 10 km resolution dynamically downscaled model (WRF), and a statistically bias corrected (ISIMIP) and downscaled simulation in a 450×330 km domain containing the Beijing province, ranging from 2000 m elevations to sea level. The 1980s simulations of surface temperatures, humidities and windspeeds using statistical bias correction makes for a better estimate of mean climate determined by ERA5 reanalysis data than does the WRF simulation. However correcting WRF output with Quantile-Delta Mapping bias correction removes the offsets in mean state and results in WRF better reproducing observations over 2007-2017 than ISIMIP bias correction. WRF simulations show consistently 0.5°C higher mean annual temperatures than from ISIMIP due both to the better resolved city centers and also to warmer winter temperatures. In the 2060s WRF produces consistently larger spatial ranges of surface temperatures, humidities and windspeeds than ISIMIP downscaling across the three future scenarios. WRF and ISIMIP methods produce very similar spatial patterns of temperature with G4 are always cooler than RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, by a slightly larger amount with ISIMIP than WRF. Humidity scenario differences vary greatly between ESM and hence ISIMIP downscaling, while for WRF the results are far more consistent across ESM and show only small changes between scenarios. Mean windspeeds show similarly small changes over the domain, although G4 is significantly windier under WRF than either RCP scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely thought that oceanic subduction can trigger cratonic keel delamination, but the southwestern Yangtze craton (SYC; southwestern China) lost its lower keel during Cenozoic continental collision. The upper mantle beneath the thinned SYC contains its incompletely delaminated keel, which has high-velocity seismic anomalies. Combining geophysical observations with the geochemistry of Eocene mafic potassic lavas derived from the SYC mantle at different depths, we suggest that the deep (~130 km) delaminated lithosphere was more fertile and dense, with low-forsterite (Fo; molar 100 × Mg/[Mg + Fe] = 91.3) and high-δ18O (5.9‰) olivine, than the shallow (~55 km) intact lithosphere (Fo = 94.2; δ18O = 5.2‰), although both were rehydrated and oxidized. The deep keel underwent strong refertilization and densification owing to the addition of Fe-rich basaltic melts during earlier oceanic subduction. Subduction-driven refertilization and subsequent collision-driven cooling caused cratonic keel delamination due to compositional and thermal densification rather than hydration- or oxidation-induced rheological weakening. Our study provides an example of Cenozoic cratonic keel delamination in a collisional orogen and highlights the key roles of compositional and thermal densification in delamination during subduction and collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Alpine herbs exhibited tens of fold variations in plant surface water storage (PWS). • The correlations between PWS and plant traits were complex for predicting PWS. • Plant strategy theory clarified the multifaceted traits effects on PWS per projected area. • Expansion of competitive species in alpine meadows may intensify interception loss and exacerbate water scarcity. Rainfall interception by vegetation is essential in precipitation redistribution within ecosystems and greatly affects water services. However, the patterns of interspecies variation in plant surface water storage (PWS) remain unclear, which greatly limits our understanding of the relationship between species composition and vegetation rainfall interception. Thus, we aimed to examine whether the plant ecological strategy, which is an internal driving force and comprehensive characteristic of plant traits, can serve as a PWS predictor. The PWS of thirty-nine common plant species in natural, degraded, and restored alpine meadows within the Ruoergai wetland was compared, and the variability in PWS between these species was examined from both plant trait and ecological strategy perspectives. The results showed that PWS per plant (IWSC) ranged from 0.12 to 9.32 mL plant−1, and PWS based on projected area (PSCI) and fresh weight (PMS) ranged from 0.01 to 0.94 mm and 0.11 to 1.29 g g−1, respectively. The PSCI was comparatively lower in Cyperaceae, whereas the PMS was relatively lower in Polygonaceae, and Poaceae. The correlations between PWS and multidimensional plant traits are complex for predicting PWS but can be clarified by considering plant ecological strategies. Further regression analysis revealed that as an evolutionary representation of the crucially related plant traits, plant competition significantly positively affected both IWSC and PSCI, and stress tolerance obviously negatively affected these two parameters (P < 0.05). The correlation between plant strategy and PSCI implied that the increased dominance of competitive species in alpine meadows may intensify interception loss, thereby hindering rainfall allocation to soil and exacerbating water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]