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Commercially pure aluminum alloy, AA1100, presents good electrical and thermal conductivity, high formability, and low cost. Those favorable characteristics have the potential to enable bipolar plates with improved economics and enhanced performance compared to current stainless steel bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. An accurate constitutive model is essential to develop and optimize processing parameters and effectively control the forming process. The objective of this work is to develop a constitutive model of AA1100 that is able to simulate stress-strain relation, formed geometry, and predict the onset of fracture strain to avoid forming failure. Initially, a set of tensile tests at temperature between 300 and 500 °C and strain rate between 0.005 and 1.0/s were conducted to examine the deformation behavior. Then, a set of damage-based unified viscoplastic constitutive equations is proposed and calibrated based on the results of stress-strain data. A genetic algorithm optimization method is applied to search for best fitting material constants in constitutive equations. The proposed model shows good predictability of both the stress-strain relation and fracture strain at low strain rate and high-temperature conditions. The accuracy of proposed model is also evaluated statistically. A comparison of the proposed model with three popular models (Arrhenius-type model, Johnson-Cook model, and Zerilli-Armstrong model) was made. The proposed model shows the best experimental agreement with correlation coefficient of 0.96 in contrast to 0.25, 0.38, and 0.75 for the popular models, respectively. The proposed model can help to optimize the elevated temperature forming process and guide die design to enable optimal geometric features in the formed components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Thyroid cancer incidence rate has increased substantially worldwide in recent years. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is currently the golden standard of thyroid cancer diagnosis, which however, is invasive and costly. In contrast, breath analysis is a non-invasive, safe and simple sampling method combined with a promising metabolomics approach, which is suitable for early cancer diagnosis in high volume population. Objectives: This study aims to achieve a more comprehensive and definitive exhaled breath metabolism profile in papillary thyroid cancer patients (PTCs). Methods: We studied both end-tidal and mixed expiratory breath, solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-HRMS) was used to analyze the breath samples. Multivariate combined univariate analysis was applied to identify potential breath biomarkers. Results: The biomarkers identified in end-tidal and mixed expiratory breath mainly included alkanes, olefins, enols, enones, esters, aromatic compounds, and fluorine and chlorine containing organic compounds. The area under the curve (AUC) values of combined biomarkers were 0.974 (sensitivity: 96.1%, specificity: 90.2%) and 0.909 (sensitivity: 98.0%, specificity: 74.5%), respectively, for the end-tidal and mixed expiratory breath, indicating of reliability of the sampling and analysis method Conclusion: This work not only successfully established a standard metabolomic approach for early diagnosis of PTC, but also revealed the necessity of using both the two breath types for comprehensive analysis of the biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sarcopenia, as an emerging public health concern, has been associated with postoperative adverse outcomes in various surgical procedures. However, the evidence regarding the impacts of sarcopenia on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remained limited. This study aimed to assess the impacts of sarcopenia on primary TKA based on the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol. Methods: This retrospective study included 291 patients who received unilateral TKA from October 2017 to May 2018 in our institution. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the algorithm of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. The handgrip strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer and the muscle mass was estimated by a previously validated anthropometric equation. Patients were classified into sarcopenia group and non‐sarcopenia group. The outcomes included complications, postoperative length of stay (LOS), total hospitalization cost, operative time, total estimated blood loss, blood transfusion rate, and the 12‐item forgotten joint score (FJS‐12) at the follow‐up. The propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust confounding factors. We compared continuous variables using Student's t‐test and the Wilcoxon Mann–Whitney U test for normal and non‐normal distributions, respectively, and categorical variables with chi‐square tests. Results: Of the 291 patients, 58 (19.9%) patients were identified as having sarcopenia. After PSM, each group matched 42 patients. All matched patients were followed‐up at least 5 years. Patients with sarcopenia had higher rates of surgical complications compared to the non‐sarcopenia group (p = 0.019), and no significant difference was observed in 30‐day readmission, and periprosthetic joint infection. The sarcopenia group had significantly longer LOS (p = 0.038), higher total hospitalization (p = 0.015) than the non‐sarcopenia group. For the FJS‐12 scores at follow‐up, patients with sarcopenia had significantly higher scores than the non‐sarcopenia group (p = 0.024). Conclusion: Our findings indicated sarcopenia may be a risk factor for postoperative complications, prolonged LOS, increased hospitalization cost and reduced patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the methods based on space-time memory network have achieved advanced performance in semi-supervised video object segmentation, which has attracted wide attention. However, this kind of methods still have a fatal limitation. It has the interference problem of similar objects caused by the way of non-local matching, which seriously limits the performance of video object segmentation. To solve this problem, we propose a Kernel-guided Attention Matching Network (KAMNet) by the use of local matching instead of non-local matching. At first, KAMNet uses spatio-temporal attention mechanism to enhance the model’s discrimination between foreground objects and background areas. Then KAMNet utilizes gaussian kernel to guide the matching between the current frame and the reference set. Because the gaussian kernel decays away from the center, it can limit the matching to the central region, thus achieving local matching. Our KAMNet gets speed-accuracy trade-off on benchmark datasets DAVIS 2016 ( J & F of 87.6%) and DAVIS 2017 ( J & F of 76.0%) with 0.12 second per frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by using the method of integration within the ordered product of operators and entangled state representation, the degree of second-order coherence of coherent state evolving in a laser channel is derived for the first time, which exhibits its anti-bunching property. The master equation of the laser channel is solved by entangled state representation, and the cumulant for deriving mean and mean-square photon numbers is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on society; it changed the way we work, learn, socialise, and move throughout the world. In the United Kingdom, policies such as business closures, travel restrictions, and social distance mandates were implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 and implemented and relaxed intermittently throughout the response period. While negative emotions and feelings such as distress and anxiety during this time of crisis were to be expected, we also see the signs of human resilience, including positive feelings like determination, pride, and strength. A longitudinal study using online survey tools was conducted to assess people's changing moods during the pandemic in the UK. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was used to measure self-reported feelings and emotions throughout six periods (phases) of the study from March 2020 to July 2021. A total of 4,222 respondents participated in the survey, while a sub-group participated in each of the six study phases (n = 167). The results were analysed using a cross-sectional study design for the full group across each study phase, while prospective cohort analysis was used to assess the subset of participants who voluntarily answered the survey in each of the six study phases (n = 167). Gender, age and employment status were found to be most significant to PANAS score, with older people, retirees, and women generally reporting more positive moods, while young people and unemployed people generally reported lower positive scores and higher negative scores, indicating more negative emotions. Additionally, it was found that people generally reported higher positive feelings in the summer of 2021, which may be related to the relaxation of COVID-19-related policies in the UK as well as the introduction of vaccines for the general population. This study is an important investigation into what allows for positivity during a crisis and gives insights into periods or groups that may be vulnerable to increased negative states of emotions and feelings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Graves' disease increases bone resorption in hyperthyroidism, leading to elevated serum calcium levels and a negative bone balance. Thymic hyperplasia is observed in some Graves' disease patients. What's more, there have been a few reports of increased serum calcium and severe osteoporosis induced by Graves' disease with thymic hyperplasia. It remains unclear whether Graves' disease with thymic hyperplasia is associated with higher serum calcium levels. Our study aimed to investigate the possibility of elevated serum calcium levels and aggravated bone mobilization in Graves' disease patients with thymic hyperplasia. Methods: Newly diagnosed and untreated patients with Graves' disease (n = 96) were enrolled. They were divided into two groups based on the incidental detection of thymic hyperplasia during imaging. Albumin, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyrotrophin receptor antibody (TRAb) were measured, and a computerized tomography of the chest was obtained. Results: Patients with Graves' disease who had thymic hyperplasia were notably younger (P=0.018) and exhibited higher serum calcium levels (P=0.001) compared to those with Graves' disease without thymic hyperplasia. In the multiple regression analysis, thymic hyperplasia, TRAb, and female gender were significant variables associated with elevated serum calcium levels in patients with Graves' disease, collectively accounting for 31.7% of the variation in serum calcium. Conclusions: Graves' disease patients with thymic hyperplasia showed higher serum calcium levels. thymic hyperplasia, TRAb, and female gender were found to be correlated with increased serum calcium levels in Graves' disease, suggesting a potential association between thymic hyperplasia and bone mobilization in Graves' disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: EWSR1::NFATC2 rearranged sarcomas are a group of rare round, undifferentiated sarcomas with clinicopathological features different from those of Ewing's sarcoma (ES) family and other non-ES sarcomas. We report 4 cases of this rare sarcoma and review their features. Materials and methods: Four cases of EWSR1::NFATC2 rearranged round cell sarcoma of the bone from the Pathology Department of Peking University People's Hospital were retrospectively studied. Clinical and pathological data were summarized, and immunohistochemical staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and Next-generation sequencing (NGS) were performed. Relevant literature reports were also reviewed. Results: Among the four cases of EWSR1::NFATC2 rearranged round cell sarcoma, three were male, and one was female, with the age ranged from 14 to 34 years old at diagnosis (mean age: 27.5 years). All tumors were located in the femur and ranged in size from 4 to 8cm (mean 6cm), involving the surrounding soft tissues. All four patients underwent surgical treatment, and three received chemotherapy and radiotherapy postoperatively. Follow-up results showed that all four patients were alive. Histologically, the tumors exhibited small round cell sarcoma phenotype, with the stroma rich in mucin or exhibiting a glassy appearance. The tumor cells diffusely expressed CD99, NKX2.2, NKX3.1 and focal expression of CK and EMA was observed. FISH analysis showed that EWSR1 gene rearrangement was detected in all 4 cases, accompanied by 5' locus amplification. EWSR1::NFATC2 fusion probe demonstrated multi yellow fusion signals. NGS identified EWSR1::NFATC2 breakpoints in exon 9 and exon 3 in all 4 cases. The average follow-up duration of the study group was 88 months (range from 26—180 months). One case experienced both local recurrence and metastasis to the lung and chest wall. One case presented with local recurrence. The remaining two cases did not have the recurrence or metastasis. Conclusion: Although the disease can locally recur and metastasize to the lungs, its mortality rate is significantly lower than that of Ewing sarcoma and other high-grade small round cell undifferentiated sarcomas. Therefore, it supports to classify this tumor as a separate subtype of small round cell sarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar power generation has great development potential as an abundant and clean energy source. However, many factors affect the efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) module; among these factors, outdoor PV modules are inevitably affected by stains, thus reducing the power generation efficiency of the PV panel. This paper proposes a framework for PV module stain detection based on UAV hyperspectral images (HSIs). The framework consists of two stain detection methods: constrained energy minimization (CEM)-based and orthogonal subspace projection (OSP)-based stain detection methods. Firstly, the contaminated PV modules are analyzed and processed to enhance the data's analytical capability. Secondly, based on the known spectral signature of the PV module, stain detection methods are proposed, including CEM-based stain detection and OSP-based stain detection for PV modules. The experimental results on real data illustrate that, in comparison with contrasting methods, the proposed method achieves stain detection results that closely align with known stain percentages. Additionally, it exhibits a fitting curve similar to the more maturely developed electroluminescence-based methods currently in use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the unambiguous correct discrimination of three multi-copy quantum states with equal a priori probability. The measurement operators include the success operators and the correct operators. Using this scenario, we introduce the concept of the relative average correct probability, as a function of the average success probability. Based on the analysis of the relative average correct probability, the problem given in Chefles (Phys Rev A 64:062305, 2001) are solved completely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the predictive performance of multiparameter and histogram features derived from amide proton transfer-weighted imaging (APTWI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) for histopathological types of breast tumors. Region of interest (ROI) was delineated by outlining the largest slice of the tumor on the false-color images of the DKI, IVIM and APTWI parameters, and extracted the histogram features. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of parameters in predicting benign and malignant breast lesions, molecular prognostic biomarkers, lymph node status, and subtypes of breast lesions. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlations between each parameter and clinical-pathological factors. All 52 breast lesions were enrolled in this prospective study, including 8 benign lesions and 44 breast cancers. To diagnose malignant and benign breast lesions, the value of APT (min) performed best, with the AUC reaching 0.983. According to the different imaging methods, the APTWI performed best. To predict the positive status of ER, PR, Ki67, the value of D app (uniformity) , D app (uniformity) , f (entropy) performed best, with the AUC values reaching 0.743, 0.770, 0.848, respectively. For the identification of Luminal B, HER2-enriched, and TNBC breast cancers, K app (max) , f (kurtosis) , and D app (uniformity) performed best, with AUC values reaching 0.679, 0.826, 0.771, respectively. This study found the APTWI, IVIM and DKI parameters could diagnose breast cancer. The histogram features of DKI and IVIM, based on tumor heterogeneity, may help to predict breast cancer subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Haversian system-like gradient scaffolds using the TPMS structure realized bionics of the natural bone tissue. • The gradient TPMS scaffold demonstrated appropriate shear stress and larger permeability, leading to better bone ingrowth. • The gradient TPMS scaffold exhibited better performance in stress conduction and stress shielding effect can be reduced. • The in silico model can do benefit for the future scaffold design by reducing time cost and animal numbers. The bone ingrowth depth in the porous scaffolds is greatly affected by the structural design, notably the pore size, pore geometry, and the pore distribution. To enhance the bone regeneration capability of scaffolds, the bionic design can be regarded as a potential solution. We proposed a Haversian system-like gradient structure based on the triply periodic minimal surface architectures with pore size varying from the edge to the center. And its effects in promoting bone regeneration were evaluated in the study. The gradient scaffold was designed using the triply periodic minimal surface architectures. The mechanical properties were analyzed by the finite element simulation and confirmed using the universal machine. The fluid characteristics were calculated by the computational fluid dynamics analysis. The bone regeneration process was simulated using a in silico computational model containing the main biological, physical, and chemical variation during the bone growth process. Finally, the in vitro and in vivo studies were carried out to verify the actual osteogenic effect. Compared to the uniform scaffold, the biomimetic gradient scaffold demonstrated better performance in stress conduction and reduced stress shielding effects. The fluid features were appropriate for cell migration and flow diffusion, and the permeability was in the same order of magnitude with the natural bone. The bone ingrowth simulation exhibited improved angiogenesis and bone regeneration. Higher expression of the osteogenesis-related genes, higher alkaline phosphatase activity, and increased mineralization could be observed on the gradient scaffold in the in vitro study. The 12-week in vivo study proved that the gradient scaffold had deeper bone inserting depth and a more stable bone-scaffold interface. The Haversian system-like gradient structure can effectively promote the bone regeneration. This structural design can be used as a new solution for the clinical application of prosthesis design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D reconstruction is extremely important in CAD (computer-aided design)/CAE (computer-aided Engineering)/CAM (computer-aided manufacturing). For interpretability, reinforcement learning (RL) is used to reconstruct 3D shapes from images by a series of editing actions. However, typical applications of RL for 3D reconstruction face problems. The search space will increase exponentially with the action space due to the curse of dimensionality, which leads to low performance, especially for complex action spaces in 3D reconstruction. Additionally, most works involve training a specific agent for each shape class without learning related experiences from others. Therefore, we present a hierarchical RL approach with transferability to reconstruct 3D shapes (HRLT3D). First, actions are grouped into macro actions that can be chosen by the top-agent. Second, the task is accordingly decomposed into hierarchically simplified sub-tasks solved by sub-agents. Different from classical hierarchical RL (HRL), we propose a sub-agent based on augmented state space (ASS-Sub-Agent) to replace a set of sub-agents, which can speed up the training process due to shared learning and having fewer parameters. Furthermore, the ASS-Sub-Agent is more easily transferred to data of other classes due to the augmented diverse states and the simplified tasks. The experimental results on typical public dataset show that the proposed HRLT3D performs overwhelmingly better than recent baselines. More impressingly, the experiments also demonstrate the extreme transferability of our approach among data of different classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the fire hazard of epoxy resin (EP), an efficient flame retardant (ADM) containing phosphophenanthrene and thiazole groups is synthesized and used as co-curing agent for 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl methane to prepare EP/ADM composites. EP/4 mass% ADM composites with phosphorus content of only 0.25 mass% reach UL-94 V-0 rating and the limiting oxygen index value is high to 35.8%. The results reveal that the peak heat release rate, total smoke production, and total heat release of EP/4 mass% ADM composites are reduced by 24%, 14.4% and 16.7%, respectively, in comparison with those of pure EP. The improvement in flame retardancy is mainly attributed to the decomposition of DOPO which produces HPO• and PO• to capture the reactive radicals in the gaseous phase. The thiazole group releases hindered amine groups and inactive gas with a dilution effect in the gaseous phase thus further enhancing the effect of the phosphophenanthrene group. Besides, ADM helps to increase the glass transition temperature (Tg) of EP/ADM composites, which is 176 °C for EP/4 mass% ADM composites, which is higher than the value (172 °C) of EP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptomyces are one of the most prolific sources of bioactive and structurally diverse secondary metabolites for natural product drug discovery. Genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed that the genomes of Streptomyces harbor a wealth of cryptic secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters that could encode novel compounds. In this work, a genome mining approach was employed to investigate the biosynthetic potential of Streptomyces sp. HP-A2021, isolated from rhizosphere soil of Ginkgobiloba L. The complete genome of HP-A2021 was sequenced and contained the 9,607,552 base pair linear chromosome with a GC content of 71.07%. The annotation results revealed the presence of 8534 CDSs, 76 tRNA genes, and 18 rRNA genes in HP-A2021. The highest dDDH and ANI values based on genome sequences between HP-A2021 and the most closely related type strain, Streptomycescoeruleorubidus JCM 4359, were 64.2% and 92.41%, respectively. In total, 33 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters with an average length of 105,594 bp were identified, including the putative thiotetroamide, alkylresorcinol, coelichelin, and geosmin. The antibacterial activity assay confirmed that the crude extracts of HP-A2021 showed potent antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic bacteria. Our study demonstrated that Streptomyces sp. HP-A2021 will propose a potential use in biotechnological and novel bioactive secondary metabolite biosynthetic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase retrieval (PR) problem is to reconstruct real/complex functions from the magnitudes of their Fourier/frame measurements in classical computational imaging. In this paper, we consider phase retrieval of complex vectors/images from the magnitudes of short-time fractional Fourier transform (STFrFT). In our setting, the above problem is solved by minimizing a least square ReLu loss function and a novel algorithm by alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is presented. As shown in the numerical simulations on complex signals/images, our proposed PR-ADMM algorithm from STFrFT has a better recovery performance with flexible window functions and appropriate fractional orders. It demonstrates to have satisfactory performance from mixed phaseless STFrFT measurements. Compared with several six other main algorithms, the proposed algorithm explicitly recovers the phase of image with higher the peak signal-to-noise ratio. Meanwhile, the proposed algorithm is robust to noise. These also generalize some of about phase retrievals with Fourier measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marine Lenhart syndrome is a rare disease and causes refractory hyperthyroidism. So far, little evidence on the combination of both Marine Lenhart syndrome and Hashimoto's thyroiditis is available. We suspect that Marine Lenhart syndrome when combined with Hashimoto's thyroiditis might have its particular features, which are not exactly the same as those of the isolated Marine Lenhart syndrome. Case presentation: A 56-year-old middle-aged man presented with recurrent hyperthyroidism, and Graves' disease combined with Hashimoto's thyroiditis was considered. Radionuclide imaging showed a hot nodule, but ultrasonography suggested the possibility of malignancy with a category of 4B according to the Chinese-Thyroid Imaging-Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS) model. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed eosinophilic follicular lesions with papillary features, and prompted that papillary thyroid carcinoma could not be excluded. Partial thyroidectomy was performed and the nodule was proven to be benign by histopathology. The final diagnosis was atypical Marine Lenhart syndrome with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Conclusions: Marine Lenhart syndrome combined with Hashimoto's thyroiditis has its particular characteristics, showing some signs mimicking malignancy. Limitations of ultrasonography and FNAC in diagnosis should be noted in these scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Early and accurate identification of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) at high risk of persistent acute respiratory failure (PARF) is crucial. We sought to determine the accuracy of simplified Lung Injury Prediction Score (sLIPS) and simplified Early Acute Lung Injury (sEALI) for predicting PARF in ward AP patients. Methods: Consecutive AP patients in a training cohort from West China Hospital of Sichuan University (n = 912) and a validation cohort from The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (n = 1033) were analyzed. PARF was defined as oxygen in arterial blood/fraction of inspired oxygen < 300 mmHg that lasts for > 48 h. The sLIPS was composed by shock (predisposing condition), alcohol abuse, obesity, high respiratory rate, low oxygen saturation, high oxygen requirement, hypoalbuminemia, and acidosis (risk modifiers). The sEALI was calculated from oxygen 2 to 6 L/min, oxygen > 6 L/min, and high respiratory rate. Both indices were calculated on admission. Results: PARF developed in 16% (145/912) and 22% (228/1033) (22%) of the training and validation cohorts, respectively. In these patients, sLIPS and sEALI were significantly increased. sLIPS ≥ 2 predicted PARF in the training (AUROC 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.89) and validation (AUROC 0.81, 95% CI 0.78–0.83) cohorts. sLIPS was significantly more accurate than sEALI and current clinical scoring systems in both cohorts (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Using routinely available clinical data, the sLIPS can accurately predict PARF in ward AP patients and outperforms the sEALI and current existing clinical scoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic constitutes a serious public health concern worldwide. Currently, more than 6 million deaths have occurred despite drastic containment measures, and this number is still increasing. Currently, no standard therapies for COVID-19 are available, which necessitates identifying effective preventive and therapeutic agents against COVID-19. However, developing new drugs and vaccines is a time-consuming process, and therefore, repurposing the existing drugs or redeveloping related targets seems to be the best strategy to develop effective therapeutics against COVID-19. Autophagy, a multistep lysosomal degradation pathway contributing to nutrient recycling and metabolic adaptation, is involved in the initiation and progression of numerous diseases as a part of an immune response. The key role of autophagy in antiviral immunity has been extensively studied. Moreover, autophagy can directly eliminate intracellular microorganisms by selective autophagy, that is, "xenophagy." However, viruses have acquired diverse strategies to exploit autophagy for their infection and replication. This review aims to trigger the interest in the field of autophagy as an antiviral target for viral pathogens (with an emphasis on COVID-19). We base this hypothesis on summarizing the classification and structure of coronaviruses as well as the process of SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication; providing the common understanding of autophagy; reviewing interactions between the mechanisms of viral entry/replication and the autophagy pathways; and discussing the current state of clinical trials of autophagy-modifying drugs in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We anticipate that this review will contribute to the rapid development of therapeutics and vaccines against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxins are a class of phytohormones with roles involved in the establishment and maintenance of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS). Auxin response factors (ARFs) and Auxin/Indole‐acetic acids (AUX/IAAs), as two transcription factors of the auxin signaling pathway, coregulate the transcription of auxin response genes. However, the interrelation and regulatory mechanism of ARFs and AUX/IAAs in regulating AMS are still unclear. In this study, we found that the content of auxin in tomato roots increased sharply and revealed the importance of the auxin signaling pathway in the early stage of AMS. Notably, SlARF6 was found to play a negative role in AMF colonization. Silencing SlARF6 significantly increased the expression of AM‐marker genes, as well as AMF‐induced phosphorus uptake. SlIAA23 could interact with SlARF6 in vivo and in vitro, and promoted the AMS and phosphorus uptake. Interestingly, SlARF6 and SlIAA23 played a contrary role in strigolactone (SL) synthesis and accumulation in AMF‐colonized roots of tomato plants. SlARF6 could directly bind to the AuxRE motif of the SlCCD8 promoter and inhibited its transcription, however, this effect was attenuated by SlIAA23 through interaction with SlARF6. Our results suggest that SlIAA23‐SlARF6 coregulated tomato‐AMS via an SL‐dependent pathway, thus affecting phosphorus uptake in tomato plants. Summary statement: Auxin and strigolactones (SLs), are involved in the establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS) from the early recognition to final arbuscular formation, but the interaction between auxin and SLs and which auxin components are involved in remain elusive. In the present study, we report that SlIAA23‐SlARF6 coregulated tomato‐AMS via an SL‐dependent pathway, thus affecting phosphorus uptake in tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tissue‐resident cardiac macrophage subsets mediate cardiac tissue inflammation and repair after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)‐expressing macrophages have phenotypical similarities to M1‐polarized macrophages, are pro‐inflammatory, and recruit CCR2+ circulating monocytes to infarcted myocardium. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) from CCR2̶ macrophages, which phenotypically resemble M2‐polarized macrophages, promote anti‐inflammatory activity and cardiac repair. Here, the authors harvested M2 macrophage‐derived sEV (M2EV) from M2‐polarized bone‐marrow‐derived macrophages for intramyocardial injection and recapitulation of sEV‐mediated anti‐inflammatory activity in ischemic‐reperfusion (I/R) injured hearts. Rats and pigs received sham surgery; I/R without treatment; or I/R with autologous M2EV treatment. M2EV rescued cardiac function and attenuated injury markers, infarct size, and scar size. M2EV inhibited CCR2+ macrophage numbers, reduced monocyte‐derived CCR2+ macrophage recruitment to infarct sites, induced M1‐to‐M2 macrophage switching and promoted neovascularization. Analysis of M2EV microRNA content revealed abundant miR‐181b‐5p, which regulated macrophage glucose uptake, glycolysis, and mitigated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation. Functional blockade of miR‐181b‐5p is detrimental to beneficial M2EV actions and resulted in failure to inhibit CCR2+ macrophage numbers and infarct size. Taken together, this investigation showed that M2EV rescued myocardial function, improved myocardial repair, and regulated CCR2+ macrophages via miR‐181b‐5p‐dependent mechanisms, indicating an option for cell‐free therapy for AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Strontium (Sr) is one of the essential microelements of the body, which mainly exists in the bone. Sr has been demonstrated to affect the formation of bone by regulating the development of cattle chondrocytes, which make cartilage. However, the molecular mechanism by which Sr regulates the growth of bovine chondrocytes is unknown. In this study, we investigated 111 differentially expressed genes and 286 differentially expressed proteins. Sr was involved in pathways related to proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes, fat metabolism, the inflammation process, and immune responses of chondrocytes. This study described the potential regulatory mechanism of Sr in bovine chondrocytes and provided new insights into the functions and application of Sr in ruminants. Strontium (Sr) is a trace element found mainly in bone, and it performs a dual action by promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption. Sr has been used to evaluate the gastrointestinal calcium (Ca) absorption capacity of dairy cows due to the similar physicochemical properties of the two elements. However, the possible effects of Sr on dairy cows remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential regulatory mechanism of Sr in bovine chondrocytes by performing transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. A total of 111 genes (52 up-regulated and 59 down-regulated) were identified as significantly altered (1.2-fold change and p < 0.05) between control and Sr-treated groups. Moreover, LC-MS-based proteomic analysis detected 286 changed proteins (159 up-regulated and 127 down-regulated) between the control and Sr-treated groups (1.2-fold change and p < 0.05). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations of a combination analysis of the transcriptomic and proteomic data revealed that the genes were predominantly involved in chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, fat metabolism, the inflammation process, and immune responses. Overall, our data reveal a potential regulatory mechanism of strontium in bovine chondrocytes, thus providing further insights into the functions and application of Sr in ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microimplant-assisted rapid palatal expansion is increasingly used clinically; however, the effect on the upper airway volume in patients with maxillary transverse deficiency has not been thoroughly evaluated yet. The following electronic databases were searched up to August 2022: Medline via Ovid, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and ProQuest. The reference lists of related articles were also reviewed by manual search. The Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized trials (ROB2) and the Risk of Bias in non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool were used to evaluate the risks of bias of the included studies. The mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of changes in nasal cavity and upper airway volume were analyzed using a random-effects model, and subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Two reviewers independently completed the process of screening studies, extracting data, and assessing the quality of studies. In total, twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. After assessing the full texts, only thirteen studies were included, with nine studies selected for quantitative synthesis. Oropharynx volume increased significantly after immediate expansion (WMD: 3156.84; 95% CI: 83.63, 6230.06); however, there was no significant change in nasal volume (WMD: 2527.23; 95% CI: −92.53, 5147.00) and nasopharynx volume (WMD: 1138.29; 95% CI: −52.04, 2328.61). After retention a period, significant increases were found in nasal volume (WMD: 3646.27; 95% CI: 1082.77, 6209.77) and nasopharynx volume (WMD: 1021.10; 95% CI: 597.11, 1445.08). However, there was no significant change after retention in oropharynx volume (WMD: 789.26; 95% CI: −171.25, 1749.76), palatopharynx volume (WMD: 795.13; 95% CI: −583.97, 2174.22), glossopharynx volume (WMD: 184.50; 95% CI: −1745.97, 2114.96), and hypopharynx volume (WMD: 39.85; 95% CI: −809.77, 889.46). MARPE appears to be linked with long-term increases in nasal and nasopharyngeal volume. However, high-quality clinical trials are required to further verify the effects of MARPE treatment on the upper airway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Light is a particularly important environmental cue that regulates a variety of diverse plant developmental processes, such as photomorphogenesis. Blue light promotes photomorphogenesis mainly through the activation of the photoreceptor cryptochrome 1 (CRY1). However, the mechanism underlying the CRY1‐mediated regulation of growth is not fully understood.Here, we found that blue light induced N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification during photomorphogenesis partially via CRY1. Cryptochrome 1 mediates blue light‐induced expression of FKBP12‐interacting protein 37 (FIP37), which is a component of m6A writer. Moreover, we showed that CRY1 physically interacted with FIP37 in vitro and in vivo, and mediated blue light activation of FIP37 binding to RNA. Furthermore, CRY1 and FIP37 modulated m6A on photomorphogenesis‐related genes PIF3, PIF4, and PIF5, thereby accelerating the decay of their transcripts.Genetically, FIP37 repressed hypocotyl elongation under blue light, and fip37 mutation could partially rescue the short‐hypocotyl phenotype of CRY1‐overexpressing plants.Together, our results provide a new insight into CRY1 signal in modulating m6A methylation and stability of PIFs, and establish an essential molecular link between m6A modification and determination of photomorphogenesis in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This study explored the pathological constitution as it relates to low quality of life in HIV-infected MSM patients, as a reference for clinical treatment. Methods. It had a cross-sectional research design using structured questionnaires to collect data, including patient's basic data, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, Wang Qi constitution, and WHOQOL-BREF-Taiwan version questionnaires. We considered the association between constitutions and quality of life of HIV-infected MSM patients. Results and Discussion. The project accepted 203 HIV-infected MSM participants. The three most common pathological constitutions were Yang deficiency 15.5%, yin deficiency 13.1%, and qi deficiency 11.2%. The study determined scores for various quality of life domains: psychological (13.44 ± 2.27), social relationship (13.81 ± 2.80), physiological (14.43 ± 2.41), and environmental (14.78 ± 2.21). The TCM constitution is strongly correlated with the quality of life. Excess constitution had the worst quality of life. Comparing the infected time over one year with the time of <0–2 weeks, the adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were determined for abnormal CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (OR: odds ratio: 0.03, 0.07, respectively, p < 0.001). Compared with the Gentleness constitution, there is a significant difference between the Deficiency and Excess constitution in sleep status and negative mood by multiple regression analysis (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The Excess constitutions was correlated with worse quality of life. Even if the immune system was restored, the psychosocial domain, sleep status, and negative mood were not improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: SET Domain Containing Protein 8 (SET8), a member of the SET domain containing methyltransferase family involved in several biological processes and SET8 expression levels, reportedly affects the outcomes of patients with breast cancer, renal cancer, prostate carcinoma, and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, there have been no relevant studies on the biofunction and use of SET8 expression in the prediction of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) outcomes. Methods: In our study, SET8 expression levels were detected using immunohistochemical staining, western blotting, and quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) with semiquantitative analysis for laryngeal cancer outcomes. Additionally, we assessed the influence of SET8 on the behaviour of laryngeal cancer cells in vitro, using cell counting kit-8, clone formation, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assays. We subsequently performed qRT-PCR and western blotting for an in-depth study of SET8. Results: Our study showed marked upregulation of SET8 in tumour tissues and laryngeal cancer cell lines. High SET8 expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with LSCC, and its expression can be used as an independent predictor of LSCC outcome. Subsequent functional analyses indicated that SET8 knockdown exerted an inhibitory effect on proliferation, migration, and invasiveness in vitro. Conclusions: SET8 may be associated with epithelialmesenchymal transition. Our results demonstrate that higher SET8 expression is an unfavourable prognostic predictor and exerts tumour-promoting effects in LSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies without effective targeted therapies. MUC1 has emerged as a potential common target for cancer therapy because it is overexpressed in a variety of different cancers including the majority of pancreatic cancer. However, there are still no approved monoclonal antibody drugs targeting MUC1 have been reported. Recently, we generated a humanized MUC1 antibody (HzMUC1) specific to the interaction region between MUC1-N and MUC1-C. In this study, we generated the antibody drug conjugate (ADC) by conjugating HzMUC1 with monomethyl auristatin (MMAE), and examined the efficacy of HzMUC1-MMAE against the MUC1-positive pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Western blot and immunoprecipitation were used to detect MUC1 in pancreatic cancer cells. MUC1 localization in pancreatic cancer cells was determined by confocal microscopy. HzMUC1 was conjugated with the monomethyl auristatin (MMAE), generating the HzMUC1-MMAE ADC. Colony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to assess the effects of the HzMUC1-MMAE cell viability, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Capan-2 and CFPAC-1 xenograft model were used to test the efficacy of HzMUC1-MMAE against pancreatic cancer. Results: HzMUC1 antibody binds to MUC1 on the cell surface of pancreatic cancer cells. HzMUC1-MMAE significantly inhibited cell growth by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. Importantly, HzMUC1-MMAE significantly reduced the growth of pancreatic xenograft tumors by inhibiting cell proliferation and enhancing cell death. Conclusion: Our results indicate that HzMUC1-ADC is a promising novel targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer. HzMUC1-ADC should also be an effective drug for the treatment of different MUC1-positive cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies without effective targeted therapies. MUC1 has emerged as a potential common target for cancer therapy because it is overexpressed in a variety of different cancers including the majority of pancreatic cancer. However, there are still no approved monoclonal antibody drugs targeting MUC1 have been reported. Recently, we generated a humanized MUC1 antibody (HzMUC1) specific to the interaction region between MUC1-N and MUC1-C. In this study, we generated the antibody drug conjugate (ADC) by conjugating HzMUC1 with monomethyl auristatin (MMAE), and examined the efficacy of HzMUC1-MMAE against the MUC1-positive pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Western blot and immunoprecipitation were used to detect MUC1 in pancreatic cancer cells. MUC1 localization in pancreatic cancer cells was determined by confocal microscopy. HzMUC1 was conjugated with the monomethyl auristatin (MMAE), generating the HzMUC1-MMAE ADC. Colony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to assess the effects of the HzMUC1-MMAE cell viability, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Capan-2 and CFPAC-1 xenograft model were used to test the efficacy of HzMUC1-MMAE against pancreatic cancer. Results: HzMUC1 antibody binds to MUC1 on the cell surface of pancreatic cancer cells. HzMUC1-MMAE significantly inhibited cell growth by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. Importantly, HzMUC1-MMAE significantly reduced the growth of pancreatic xenograft tumors by inhibiting cell proliferation and enhancing cell death. Conclusion: Our results indicate that HzMUC1-ADC is a promising novel targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer. HzMUC1-ADC should also be an effective drug for the treatment of different MUC1-positive cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been extensively studied in a variety of diseases. However, research on their relationship with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is limited. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between these two indicators and renal function in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes and assess whether they can serve as predictors of DKD. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 655 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). The differences in the NLR and PLR among the groups and their correlation with renal function were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze independent risk factors for DKD, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the predictive values of the NLR and PLR for the disease. Results: The NLR and PLR were significantly different among the three groups, and they increased with increasing levels of albuminuria. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the NLR and PLR were positively correlated with the UACR but negatively correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (p< 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that these two indicators were independent risk factors for DKD (p< 0.001). The results of ROC curve analysis suggested that the NLR (AUC=0.794; 95% CI, 0.760– 0.827; p< 0.001) and PLR (AUC=0.665; 95% CI, 0.623– 0.706, p< 0.001) had important diagnostic value for DKD. Conclusion: The NLR and PLR were closely associated with renal function among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, and high NLR and PLR values may serve as predictors of DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Herbivore grazing and nitrogen (N) input may alter the multiple ecosystem functions (i.e., multifunctionality, hereafter) associated with carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) cycling. Most studies on variations in plant diversity, soil biotic or abiotic factors, and linkages to ecosystem functions have focused on grazing or N enrichment alone. Few studies have combined these two factors to explore the role of plant resource stoichiometry (C:N:P ratios) in ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) control. Here, we evaluated the direct and indirect effects of stocking rate (0, 2.7, 5.3, and 8.7 sheep ha− 1) and N addition rate (0, 5, 10, and 20 g N m− 2 yr− 1) on a range of ecosystem functions and EMF via changing plant diversity, soil pH and plant resource stoichiometry in a typical steppe on the Loess Plateau. Results: We found that increasing stocking rate and interaction between grazing and N addition significantly decreased EMF, while increasing N addition rate significantly promoted EMF. Grazing decreased soil NH4+-N, soil NO3−-N, aboveground biomass, and plant C, N, and P pools, but increased soil total N and P at 8.7 and 5.3 sheep ha− 1, respectively. N addition increased soil NH4+-N, NO3−-N, and total P. Plant aboveground biomass, and plant C, N, and P pools increased at the lower N addition rate (≤ 5 g N m− 2 yr− 1) under grazing. The structural equation models indicated that (1) EMF was driven by the direct effects of grazing and the indirect effects of grazing on plant resource stoichiometry and soil pH; (2) EMF increased with increasing N addition rates, but such positive response of EMF to increasing N addition rates was alleviated at high levels of plant resource stoichiometry and diversity; and (3) the indirect effects of plant diversity induced by grazing and N addition had moderate effects on EMF via the variations of plant resource stoichiometry. Conclusions: This study demonstrated grazing and N addition had contrasting effects on ecosystem multifunctionality in a typical steppe, and highlighted the capacity of plant diversity in balancing plant elements that serve as a key mechanism in the maintenance of EMF in response to intensive grazing and N enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the fire retardancy of epoxy resin (EP), lamellar cobalt potassium pyrophosphate (LCPP) nanocrystal whiskers with a length of 100–300 nm were designed and synthesized by a liquid technique. LCPP with high thermal stability was blended into EP to prepare the EP/LCPP composites. The results show that the EP/LCPP composites have higher thermal stability and produce more residues compared to pure EP. The combustion results display that the LOI value of the EP/10wt%LCPP composites was significantly improved to 35.9%, and the EP/6wt%LCPP composite can reach a UL-94 V-1 rating. Additionally, the peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate of the EP/10wt%LCPP composites dramatically decreased by 43.8% and 48.5%, respectively. The improved flame retardancy and smoke suppression are mainly attributed to the inherent physical barrier of LCPP and the excellent catalytic carbonization ability of LCPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are mutually connected. We aim to investigate the association between rheumatoid factor (RF) and MS in general population, explore the potential value of RF for assessment of metabolic status, and further provide a reference to the establishment of CVD primary prevention for this population. Methods: We assessed the health check-up subjects, accordance with the inclusive criteria, from 1 January 2015 to 31 October 2021 in a large refereed general hospital, in this retrospective study. Subjects were categorized into four groups according to their levels of RF. Multivariate logistic regression models along with the Odds ratio (OR) and Confidence interval (CI) values were used to measure the association between RF and MS. Results: A total of 13,690 subjects were analyzed. Prevalence of MS increased with RF level (P for trend < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for multiple covariates, RF level was significantly associated with MS prevalence (highest RF quartile: OR, 1.420; 95% CI 1.275,1.581, according to the revised National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria; OR, 2.355; 95% CI 2.085,2.660, according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria) (both P for trends < 0.001). Among the MS components, there were evidence of increasing trends for overweight/obesity (highest RF quartile: OR, 3.165; 95% CI 2.827,3.543) and hypertension (highest RF quartile: OR, 1.722; 95% CI 1.549,1.914) (both P for trends < 0.001), but decreasing trend for low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (highest RF quartile: OR, 0.245; 95% CI 0.214,0.281) (P for trend < 0.001), with increasing RF quartiles. Conclusions: RF level is associated with MS prevalence in general population. RF might be a valuable biomarker for assessment of metabolic status in this population. We should be aware of the cardiovascular risk for the higher-RF subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead‐free halide double perovskites continue to draw increasing attention in view of their nontoxicity and stability compared to lead‐based perovskites. High‐end full‐color displays and white light illumination are based on blue‐light excitation. However, the excitation of blue light of lead‐free halide double perovskites Cs2AgInCl6 at room temperature faces a great challenge, which is crucial to its commercial application. In this study, Cs2Ag0.6Na0.4In0.8Bi0.2Cl6/xKBr(KI), which can be excited under blue light, have been synthesized by solid‐phase compression method. Under blue‐light excitation, Cs2Ag0.6Na0.4In0.8Bi0.2Cl6/16KBr and Cs2Ag0.6Na0.4In0.8Bi0.2Cl6/16KI emit 605 nm orange light and 665 nm red light, respectively. Based on that, orange and red light‐emitting devices are fabricated excited by blue light. The performance of blue‐light excitation can not only make the double perovskites widely used in light‐emitting devices, but also as a light‐emitting down‐shift layer in photovoltaic devices to improve the performance of photovoltaic modules. With the Cs2Ag0.6Na0.4In0.8Bi0.2Cl6/16KBr, the power conversion efficiency of the Si solar cell increases 4.80% and 8.14% under the sunlight and white light‐emitting devices, respectively. The blue‐light excitation of lead‐free double perovskites at room temperature offers greater development potential in the field of display devices and optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma is defined as bone marrow contains higher level of plasma cells, and well-known malignant tumour of B lymphocytes. Recently, nanoparticles have been synthesised and applied in the field of biomedicine. RPMI8226 cells were treated with selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) at various concentrations for 48 h. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell morphology, ATP level, apoptosis, and caspase-3 and caspase-9 expressions were determined. RPMI8226 cell viability was reduced 4.7%, 11.3%, 32.7%, 48.6% and 60.3% at 20–100 µg/ml of SeNPs respectively. Intracellular ROS level was increased in RPMI8226 cells 31.9%, 86%, 167% and 313.6% at 40–100 µg/ml of SeNPs respectively. ATP level was reduced in RPMI8226 cells 15.8%, 32.6%, 48.3% and 55.5% at 40–100 µg/ml of SeNPs respectively. Higher concentration of SeNPs showed nuclear coagulation, cell contraction, and more cell debris were noted with increased concentration of SeNPs, and dose-dependent relationship was observed. Apoptosis of RPMI8226 cells increased with increased concentration of SeNPs. SeNPs also increased mRNA and protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in RPMI8226 cells. Taking all these data together, it is concluded that the SeNPs could effectively induce apoptosis, and cell death of multiple myeloma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The girder, abutment and pile of integral abutment jointless bridges (IAJB) are integrated. In IAJBs, the backfill soil behind abutments is directly subjected to the horizontal cyclic displacements originated by the expansion and contraction of girders under thermal loadings. Meanwhile, the monolithic behavior of the abutment and pile of IAJBs causes more complexity in calculating the backfill earth pressure in IAJBs as compared with other bridges and earth retaining structures. In this paper, it is shown that the existing earth pressure calculation methods are inaccurate for IAJBs; therefore, a modified method for calculating the backfill earth pressure behind the abutment and the internal forces of the piles of the IAJBs is proposed. For this purpose, a quasi-static cyclic test was performed on a scaled specimen to understand the behavior of backfill earth pressure and internal forces of the integral abutment and the pile during expansion and contraction of the bridge considering the soil-structure interaction. The test results including bending moment and shear force of the abutment and pile were briefly discussed. In addition, the external forces at the bottom of the abutment calculated by the existing earth pressure methods were compared, and the internal forces of the pile based on the elastic foundation beam method were discussed. The analysis results showed that the bending moment distribution of the pile under the positive displacement loads (during the expansion when the abutment was pushed toward the backfill) was significantly larger than that under the negative displacement loads (during the contraction when the abutment was pulled away from the backfill). The internal forces of the pile calculated by the existing earth pressure theories based on the elastic foundation beam method were much different from the test results. Meanwhile, the internal forces of the pile calculated by the proposed method were more accurate and can be used as a reference for the design of IAJBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate lncRNA FLG-AS1-mediated miR-380-3p/SOCS6 axis in inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of retinal epithelial cells in diabetic retinopathy (DR). Fasting blood was collected from 60 DR patients and 60 healthy controls. The Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of FLG-AS1 and miR-380-3p in DR patients. qRT-PCR and/or Western blotting were used to detect the expression of FLG-AS1, miR-380-3p, and SOCS6. After gain of function of FLG-AS1 or SOCS6 or loss of function of miR-380-3p, high glucose (HG)–treated human retinal pigment epithelial ARPE-19 cells were subjected to TUNEL assessment of apoptosis. ELISA was performed to detect the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in cell culture supernatant. DCFH-DA was used to detect the level of ROS in the cells. MDA and SOD assay kits were used to measure the activity of MDA and SOD in the cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the binding between miR-380-3p and FLG-AS1 or between miR-380-3p and SOCS6. Streptozotocin injections were used to induce diabetes in rats which were injected with FLG-AS1 overexpression lentiviral vectors in the eye. Twenty weeks later, retinal tissue was isolated and stained with hematoxylin–eosin or TUNEL. Compared to that in healthy controls, FLG-AS1 expression decreased 2.5-fold and miR-380-3p expression increased 2.6-fold in the serum of DR patients. The expression levels of FLG-AS1 and miR-380-3p were negatively correlated in DR patients (r = −0.3772, P = 0.003). Overexpression of FLG-AS1 reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of HG-treated ARPE-19 cells and alleviated retinal injury in diabetic rats. FLG-AS1 promoted the expression of SOCS6 by targeting miR-380-3p. Inhibition of miR-380-3p or overexpression of SOCS6 reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of HG-treated ARPE-19 cells. FLG-AS1 mitigates DR by regulating retinal epithelial cell inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis via the miR-380-3p/SOCS6 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tissue engineering is a rapidly evolving, multidisciplinary field that aims at generating or regenerating 3D functional tissues for in vitro disease modeling and drug screening applications or for in vivo therapies. A variety of advanced biological and engineering methods are increasingly being used to further enhance and customize the functionality of tissue engineered scaffolds. To this end, tunable drug delivery and release mechanisms are incorporated into tissue engineering modalities to promote different therapeutic processes, thus, addressing challenges faced in the clinical applications. In this review, we elaborate the mechanisms and recent developments in different drug delivery vehicles, including the quantum dots, nano/micro particles, and molecular agents. Different loading strategies to incorporate the therapeutic reagents into the scaffolding structures are explored. Further, we discuss the main mechanisms to tune and monitor/quantify the release kinetics of embedded drugs from engineered scaffolds. We also survey the current trend of drug delivery using stimuli driven biopolymer scaffolds to enable precise spatiotemporal control of the release behavior. Recent advancements, challenges facing current scaffold-based drug delivery approaches, and areas of future research are discussed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a model plant for Chinese herbal medicine with significant pharmacologic effects due to its tanshinone components. Our previous study indicated that nitrogen starvation stress increased its tanshinone content. However, the molecular mechanism of this low nitrogen-induced tanshinone biosynthesis is still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of tanshinone biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza under different N conditions [N-free (N0), low-N (Nl), and full-N (Nf, as control) conditions] by using transcriptome and metabolome analyses. Our results showed 3,437 and 2,274 differentially expressed unigenes between N0 and Nf as well as Nl and Nf root samples, respectively. N starvation (N0 and Nl) promoted the expression of the genes involved in the MVA and MEP pathway of tanshinone and terpenoid backbone biosynthesis. Gene ontology and KEGG analyses revealed that terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, hormone signal transduction, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were promoted under N starvation conditions, whereas starch and sucrose metabolisms, nitrogen and phosphorus metabolisms, as well as membrane development were inhibited. Furthermore, metabolome analysis showed that metabolite compounds and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were upregulated. This study provided a novel insight into the molecular mechanisms of tanshinone production in S. miltiorrhiza in response to nitrogen stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the influence of the communication mode of "Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thanks (AIDET)" on the postoperative recovery and quality of life of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods. Sixty patients with percutaneous coronary intervention in our hospital from April 2019 to April 2021 were selected. The patients were randomly divided into a control group (n = 30) and research group (n = 30). The control group received integrated medical and nursing rounds, and the research group received integrated medical and nursing rounds combined with AIDET communication mode. The scores of nursing satisfaction, cardiac function, self-nursing ability, short-term prognosis, and quality of life were compared between the two groups. Results. In the comparison of nursing satisfaction between the two groups, the satisfaction of the research group was low in 1 case, moderate in 6 cases, and high in 27 cases, with a satisfaction rate of 96.67%. In the control group, there were 7 cases with low satisfaction, 10 cases with moderate satisfaction, and 13 cases with high satisfaction, with a satisfaction rate of 76.67%. The nursing satisfaction of the research group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After intervention, the cardiac function of the two groups was improved. The LVEF and LVESVI of the research group were higher than those of the control group, while the WMSI of the research group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). In the comparison of self-nursing ability, the self-nursing maintenance, self-nursing management, self-nursing confidence, and total score of self-nursing in the research group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), revascularization, arrhythmia, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac death in the research group were obviously lower than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After intervention, the scores of quality of life of the two groups decreased, and the scores of physiological function, psychological function, social function, and health self-cognition in the research group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Medical and nursing integrated ward rounds combined with AIDET communication mode can effectively improve the prognosis of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention to promote the establishment of a harmonious nurse-patient relationship. The patients' self-care ability is able to be effectively enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercuric chloride (HgCl 2) is an environmental pollutant with serious nephrotoxic effects, but the underlying mechanism of HgCl 2 nephrotoxicity is not well understood. Ferroptosis and necroptosis are two programmed cell death (PCD) modalities that have been reported singly in heavy metal-induced kidney injury. However, the interaction between ferroptosis and necroptosis in HgCl 2 -induced kidney injury is unclear. Here, we established a model of HgCl 2 -exposed chicken embryo kidney (CEK) cells to dissect the progresses and mechanisms of these two PCDs. We found that ferroptosis was initially activated in CEK cells after HgCl 2 exposure for 12 h, and necroptosis was activated subsequently at 24 h. Importantly, further study indicated that the shift from ferroptosis to necroptosis was driven by ROS, which was produced by iron-dependent Fenton reaction, and the iron chelation by DFO prevented the sequential activation of both ferroptosis and necroptosis. To investigate the source of intracellular iron, the regulation of iron homeostasis was first explored and demonstrated a tendency for intracellular iron overload in CEK cells. Interestingly, the cellular ferritin, a free iron depository, decreased in a time-dependent manner. Further studies revealed that the degradation of ferritin was attributed to the activation of selective cargo receptor nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4)-mediated ferritinophagy, and the inhibition of ferritinophagy by CQ prevented the HgCl 2 -induced cell death. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that HgCl 2 released excess free iron via ferritinophagy, led to a sustained accumulation of ROS and ultimately activated ferroptosis and necroptosis sequentially. These findings provide a new understanding for the nephrotoxic mechanism of HgCl 2. [Display omitted] • HgCl 2 induces NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy to elevate LIP. • Free ferrous iron released by ferritinophagy initiates the process of ferroptosis. • The continuous accumulation of ROS due to free ferrous iron triggered necroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) play a crucial role in the staging, prognosis and therapy of patients with breast cancer. Purpose: To predict the number of metastatic ALNs in breast cancer via radiomics. Material and Methods: We enrolled 197 patients with breast cancer who underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). A total of 3386 radiomic features were extracted from the early- and delayed-phase subtraction images. To classify the number of metastatic ALNs, logistic regression was used to develop a radiomic signature and nomogram. Results: The radiomic signature were constructed to distinguish the N0 group from the N+ (metastatic ALNs ≥ 1) group, which yielded area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.82 and 0.81 in the training and test group, respectively. Based on the radiomic signature and BI-RADS category, a nomogram was further developed and showed excellent predictive performance with AUC values of 0.85 and 0.89 in the training and test groups, respectively. Another radiomic signature was constructed to distinguish the N1 (1–3 ALNs) group from the N2–3 (≥4 metastatic ALNs) group and showed encouraging performance with AUC values of 0.94 and 0.84 in training and test group, respectively. Conclusions: We developed a nomogram and a radiomic signature that can be used to predict ALN metastasis and distinguish the N1 from the N2-3 group. Both nomogram and radiomic signature may be potential tools to assist clinicians in assessing ALN metastasis in patients with breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Al 2 TiO 5 ceramics have drawn increasing attention in diverse applications owing to their low thermal expansion coefficient, and good resistance to thermal shock; however, Al 2 TiO 5 ceramics prepared in previous studies still exhibited a relatively high density, which limited their further application in the field of high-temperature thermal insulation. Herein, we reported the successful fabrication of hierarchically porous Al 2 TiO 5 ceramics with a unique three-dimensional skeleton structure formed by overlapped ceramic nanofibers. Results show that the introduction of SiO 2 into Al 2 TiO 5 nanofibers could significantly improve their thermal stability and meanwhile reduce their formation temperature. Al 2 TiO 5 nanofibers with 10 mol% SiO 2 exhibited a superior microstructure and excellent thermal stability, and were selected as the raw material in the subsequent preparation of corresponding porous ceramics. Porous Al 2 TiO 5 ceramics prepared by the freeze-gel casting exhibited a unique hierarchical pore structure with large pores originating from the sublimation of ice crystal and small pores formed by the overlapped of fibers. This unique microstructure endowed porous ceramics with an ultra-high porosity (97.59–95.59%), ultra-low thermal conductivity (0.0456–0.0754 W m−1 K−1) and excellent thermal stability. Owing to these outstanding characteristics, the resulting porous Al 2 TiO 5 ceramics are expected to be employed as the high-temperature thermal insulation material in a wide spectrum of advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries is considered as a promising system for large scale electrochemical energy storage system owing to their intrinsic safety, and low cost. Nevertheless, the industrialization process is slow due to the constraints of high-performance cathode materials. Adjusting the layered structure of V 2 O 5 through metal ion or polymer intercalation can effectively improve low electron conductivity, vanadium dissolution, and slow ion transport kinetics. Herein, the conductive polymer polypyrrole-intercalated V 2 O 5 ·H 2 O (PVOH) was successfully prepared via simple hydrothermal method and following interface polymerization reaction. Getting benefit from the insertion of polypyrrole, the prepared PVOH composite material achieves a V 2 O 5 cathode with a more open structure, rich active sites, and greater stability, allowing for an expanded crystal plane spacing of 14.5 Å. Therefore, the PVOH electrode demonstrates a discharge capacity of 475 mAh g−1 and a cycling stability of 95 % capacity retention after 2000 cycles. The intercalating conductive polymers strategy can become a new approach to improve the electrochemical behavior of vanadium oxide cathodes. [Display omitted] • The conductive polymer polypyrrole-intercalated PVOH was successfully prepared. • The PVOH has a more open structure, rich active sites, and an expanded crystal plane spacing of 14.5 Å. • The PVOH electrode demonstrates a discharge capacity of 475 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1. • A detailed investigation is conducted on the co-insertion mechanism of Zn2+/H+ by the different ex-situ characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guanxi and followership play important roles in employees' interaction with their supervisors. Extant studies have found that supervisor-subordinate guanxi can predict subordinates' attitudes and behaviors toward their supervisors. However, little is known about the relationship between guanxi closeness and subordinates' following supervisors. Accordingly, drawing on conservation of resource theory (COR), we develop a two-path mediation model and examine the direct impact of guanxi closeness on followership, the mediating role of burnout and power distance orientation, discussing the dual impacts of guanxi closeness. To reduce the common method basis, a two-wave time-lagged (interval of one month) study was conducted. Then, we collected 239 pieces of data to test our hypotheses using path analyses. Results show that the direct effect of guanxi closeness on followership is significant. Additionally, guanxi closeness weakens followership by reducing employee burnout. Meanwhile, guanxi closeness can decrease employees' power distance orientation (PDO) and then enhance followership. These findings reveal the dual impacts of guanxi closeness and extend our understanding of guanxi showing positive impact as well as negative impact. Therefore, managers should cultivate guanxi closeness with subordinates to enhance followership by reducing subordinates' PDO while providing resources and support to employees involved in burnout. These behaviors are conducive to helping managers to attain subordinates' following. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 2D NH 2 -MIL-53(Al) films co-modified with Ga and tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin not only reduce the band gap but also promote the charge carrier's separation and transfer efficiency. • In comparison with other reported MOF photocatalysts, NMA-Ga5%-L30 film stands out with the highest photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation activity in a pure water system. • This sample film was readily recovered from a photocatalytic system and exhibits significant cycling stability. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) is a clean oxidizing agent and potential energy carrier. Photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production has garnered increased attention due to its green and energy-saving process. However, existing photocatalysts face several challenges, such as limited response to visible light, the requirement for sacrificial reagents, and complications in powder recycling. In this work, we synthesized two-dimensional (2D) NH 2 -MIL-53(Al) films co-modified with Ga and tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) with enhanced photocatalytic activity of 268.7 µmol∙g−1∙h−1 from only O 2 and pure H 2 O, reaching 3.5 times higher than pure NH 2 -MIL-53(Al). Notably, in comparison with other reported MOF photocatalysts, NMA-Ga5%-L30 stands out with the highest photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation activity in a pure water system under visible light. Moreover, this sample film was readily recovered from a photocatalytic system and exhibits significant cycling stability. The heightened photocatalytic activity is attributed to the dual modification, which not only reduces the photogenerated band gap but also promotes the charge carrier's separation and transfer. This work provides a strategy for the design of MOFs-based photocatalysts with easy recycle properties for artificial photosynthesis of H 2 O 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study determines the frequency and way of people doing activities from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021 during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Six online surveys were carried out between April 2020 and July 2021. 4,992 participants were engaged in the cross-sectional study and 203 participants who provided repeat responses were included in the subset sample of prospective cohort analysis. Primary outcomes measured were the frequency and the mode of doing the activities (online or in-person) across sixteen selected activity groups, as defined by the UK National Time Use Survey. The results show that cultural activities, spending time with others, and travelling, were the activities with the largest proportions of frequency and mode changes. The most significant changes occurred from March to June 2020, a period that included the first lockdown. Survey results from this period show a significant decrease among most of the sixteen measured activities. From March to October 2020, a period which spans the first lockdown and its subsequent ease of restrictions, showed the most significant shift from accessing activities in-person to online. Despite 'Freedom Day', the July 19th 2021 date in which all restrictions were abolished, it was found that people do cultural activities and group activities at a significantly lower frequency than before the pandemic. In addition, despite a lack of restrictions after this date, more than half of participants access many activities, such as spending time with others, shopping, work and studying, online or hybrid. This study provides an invaluable insight into understanding how people in the UK changed their lifestyle, including what activities they do, and how they accessed those activities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health policy implemented to address the pandemic. These results may serve as unique evidence for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper firstly constructs a set of digital maturity evaluation system for small and medium-sized enterprises based on the maturity model theory and adopts the AHP-DEMATEL evaluation method to evaluate the digital maturity of small and medium-sized enterprises. The four dimensions of digital strategy, operational technology, cultural organization capabilities, and ecosystem explore the impact mechanism of digitalization on enterprise product transformation capabilities. This research fully combines theory with practice and effectively makes up for the lack of digital theory research of small- and medium-sized enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Early prediction of bloodstream infections (BSI) among obstetric patients remains to be a challenge for clinicians. The objective of this study was to develop a risk score and assess its discriminative ability in febrile obstetric patients in a maternal intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Between May 2015 and August 2020, a total of 497 febrile obstetric patients were categorized into BSI group (n = 276) and Non-BSI group (n = 221) based on the result of blood cultures. White blood cell count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), time of interval from amniorrhea to fever (IFAF) and maximum body temperature (Tmax) were compared between the two groups. All patients were divided into training set (n = 298) and validation set (n = 199). The risk score was established using univariate and multivariate logistic regression from patients in the training set, and its discriminative ability was tested among patients in the validation set. Results: The levels of neutrophil, CRP, PCT, IFAF and Tmax were significantly higher in BSI group than those in Non-BSI group. PROM, Tmax, neutrophil and CRP acted as independent predictive factors for BSI in the training set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of risk score for early prediction of BSI in the training, validation set and the whole population was 0.829 (95% CI 0.783–0.876), 0.848 (95% CI 0.792–0.903) and 0.838 (95% CI 0.803–0.873), respectively. Conclusion: The risk score has a feasible discriminatory ability in early prediction of BSI in febrile obstetric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to compare the influence of temperature on the micro-explosion intensity and frequency of BD60E40 droplet group (the ratio of biodiesel to ethanol was 60:40) and BD60R10E30 droplet group (the ratio of biodiesel, RP-3, and ethanol was 60:10:30), a five-droplet synchronous heating experimental system was established. Using this experimental system, the heating sequence experiments of BD60E40 droplet group and BD60R10E30 droplet group in the range of 500–800 °C were carried out under simulated atmospheric conditions. By adjusting the ambient temperature, not only the ignition and expansion of the droplet group were found, but also the supermicro-explosion phenomenon was observed. In the experiment, the life cycle of droplet group had different characteristics under different temperatures and the life cycle of BD60E40 droplet group was calculated under 500–800 °C. The characteristics and reasons of BD60E40 droplet group life cycle changing with temperature were analyzed. Furthermore, the frequency model of supermicro-explosion of droplet group was established and calculated, and the influence of combustion on supermicro-explosion was analyzed. Furthermore, the reason for the difference of micro-explosion intensity between BD60E40 droplet group and BD60R10E30 droplet group was compared and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]