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Background: Lung cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy and has the highest mortality rate among all tumors due to lymph node metastasis. Bone marrow and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated tumor-suppressive effects on lung cancer. This study investigated the effects of DPSC lysate on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of cancer cells were studied in vivo and in vitro. Methods: The proliferation, apoptosis, and migration/metastasis were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 assay, Annexin-V and propidium iodide staining, and the transwell assay, respectively. The expression levels of apoptosis-, cell cycle-, migration-, and adhesion-related mRNA and proteins were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot. The level and mRNA expression of tumor markers carcino embryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and qRT-PCR. Finally, a tumor-bearing mouse model was constructed to observe the tumor-suppressive effect of DPSC lysate after intraperitoneal injection. Results: DPSC lysate decreased the viability of A549 cells and induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Western blot confirmed that levels of Caspase-3, Bax, and Bad were increased, and Bcl-2 protein levels were decreased in A549 cells treated with DPSC lysate. In addition, DPSC lysate inhibited the migration and invasion of A549 cells; downregulated key genes of the cell cycle, migration, and adhesion; and significantly suppressed tumor markers. Xenograft results showed that DPSC lysate inhibited tumor growth and reduced tumor weight. Conclusions: DPSC lysate inhibited proliferation, invasion, and metastasis; promoted apoptosis in lung cancer cells; and suppressed tumor growth- potentially providing a cell-based alternative therapy for lung cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface downward shortwave radiation (DSR) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) play critical roles in the Earth's surface processes. As the main inputs of various ecological, hydrological, carbon, and solar photovoltaic models, increasing requirements for high-spatiotemporal-resolution DSR and PAR estimation with high accuracy have been observed in recent years. However, few existing products satisfy all of these requirements. This study employed a well-established physical-based lookup table (LUT) approach to the GeoNEX gridded top-of-atmosphere bidirectional reflectance factor data acquired by the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) sensors. It produced a data product of DSR and PAR over both AHI and ABI coverage at an hourly temporal step with a 1 km spatial resolution. GeoNEX DSR data were validated over 63 stations, and GeoNEX PAR data were validated over 27 stations. The validation showed that the new GeoNEX DSR and PAR products have accuracy higher than other existing products, with root mean square error (RMSE) of hourly GeoNEX DSR achieving 74.3 W m -2 (18.0 %), daily DSR estimation achieving 18.0 W m -2 (9.2 %), hourly GeoNEX PAR achieving 34.9 W m -2 (19.6 %), and daily PAR achieving 9.5 W m -2 (10.5 %). The study also demonstrated the application of the high-spatiotemporal-resolution GeoNEX DSR product in investigating the spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of surface solar radiation. The data product can be freely accessed through the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division GeoNEX data portal: https://data.nas.nasa.gov/geonex/geonexdata/GOES16/GEONEX-L2/DSR-PAR/ (last access: 12 March 2023) and https://data.nas.nasa.gov/geonex/geonexdata/HIMAWARI8/GEONEX-L2/DSR-PAR/ (last access: 12 March 2023) (10.5281/zenodo.7023863; Wang and Li, 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the oral cavity and its adjacent sites, which endangers the physical and mental health of patients and has a complex etiology. Chronic infection is considered to be a risk factor in cancer development. Evidence suggests that periodontal pathogens, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Treponema denticola, are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). They can stimulate tumorigenesis by promoting epithelial cells proliferation while inhibiting apoptosis and regulating the inflammatory microenvironment. Candida albicans promotes OSCC progression and metastasis through multiple mechanisms. Moreover, oral human papillomavirus (HPV) can induce oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). There is evidence that HPV16 can integrate with host cells' DNA and activate oncogenes. Additionally, oral dysbiosis and synergistic effects in the oral microbial communities can promote cancer development. In this review, we will discuss the biological characteristics of oral microbiome associated with OSCC and OPSCC and then highlight the mechanisms by which oral microbiome is involved in oral oncogenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis. These findings may have positive implications for early diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general and facile visible-light mediated protocol for the synthesis of 2-arylamino-5-aryl-1,3,4- thiadiazoles via one-pot condensation and intramolecular C–S coupling cascade reaction has been developed. This protocol is mild, practical, metal-free and exogenous oxidant-free, and only involves Eosin Y as photocatalyst using oxygen as the sole terminal oxidant. This protocol exhibits synthetic simplicity, broad scope of substrates, and excellent functional group compatibility. Gram-scale synthesis can be also facilitated with a satisfactory yield, which opens up the possibility of practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There were controversies over the relationship between Anion gap (AG) and mortality in critically ill patients. Therefore, a large multicenter cohort study was conducted to evaluate the association of AG and mortality in large-scale intensive care units (ICUs) patients. Methods. This retrospective cohort study included adult ICU patients enrolled from eICU Collaborative Research Database. According to initial serum AG upon ICU admission, patients were divided into three groups: AG < 8 mmol / L , 8 ≤ AG ≤ 16 mmol / L , and AG > 16 mmol / L. Logistic regression models were built to investigate the association between serum AG and ICU and hospital mortalities. Serum AG was added into Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV score and the model discrimination was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves. The relationship between serum AG and mortalities in patients with different acid-base status and serum lactate were also evaluated. An external validation was performed with the Critical care database comprising patients with infection at Zigong Fourth People's Hospital. Results. A total of 8520 patients entered the final cohort. There are 42 patients with serum AG < 8 mmol / L , 3238 patients with 8 ≤ AG ≤ 16 mmol / L , and 5240 patients with AG > 16 mmol / L. Serum AG > 16 mmol / L is related with increased ICU mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.530; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.305–1.794) and hospital mortality (OR, 1.618; 95% CI, 1.415–1.849), compared with 8 ≤ AG ≤ 16 mmol / L. Adding Serum AG to APACHE IV score could statistically improve the prediction of ICU (0.770 [0.761–0.779] to 0.774 [0.765–0.783], P = 0.001) and hospital mortalities (0.756 [0.747–0.765] to 0.761 [0.751–0.770], P = 0.012). The associations between serum AG and mortalities remain robust in patients with different acid-base statuses and serum lactate. The findings are validated in the external cohort. Conclusions. Initial serum AG > 16 mmol / L after ICU admission is associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelets play important roles in thrombosis, hemostasis, inflammation, and infection. We aimed to evaluate the association between platelet count and its variation trend and prognosis of patient with infectious diseases in intensive care units (ICUs). This retrospective cohort study extracted 4,251 critically ill adult patients with infectious diseases from the eICU Collaborative Research Database, whose platelet counts were measured daily during the first 7 days after admission. In the survivors, platelet counts decreased in the first days after admission, reached a nadir on day 3, and then returned and continued to rise above the admission value. In non-survivors, the platelet counts decreased after admission, without a subsequent upturn. We defined three subgroups according to the nadir platelet counts within 7 days: ≤50, 50–130, and ≥130 × 109/L, corresponding to high, intermediate, and low ICU mortality. A decreased platelet count was associated with increased ICU mortality (intermediate vs. low: 1.676 [1.285–2.187]; high vs. low: 3.632 [2.611–5.052]). In conclusion, during the first 7 days, platelet counts decreased after ICU admission, while increased subsequently in the survivors but not in the non-survivors. ICU mortality risk increased as nadir platelet count decreased below 130 × 109/L, and further boosted when it reached below 50 × 109/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) can be rapidly and deeply debrominated by S-nZVI@LDO. • > 50 % of TBBPA was completely mineralized only by S-nZVI@LDO under ambient conditions. • Electron efficiency of S-nZVI@LDO for TBBPA removal was 2.8 folds of that of S-nZVI. • Dissolved O 2 was activated to produce · O 2 – and · OH for TBBPA mineralization. • The report offers a new method for external oxidant-free in-situ elimination of TBBPA. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), currently the most widely used brominated flame retardant, has attracted significant attention. However, traditional methods for deep debromination or mineralization of TBBPA usually include multiple steps and require external oxidants. In this study, we report a complete degradation of TBBPA through a one-step process of only adding a layered double oxide-supported sulfurized nanoscale zero-valent iron (S-nZVI@LDO) under ambient conditions. TBBPA was rapidly removed by S-nZVI@LDO with an efficiency of 95.6 % (10 mg⋅L-1) within 12 h. The kinetic rate constant (0.0035 min−1) was greater when compared with traditional reductants. The produced Br- ion occupied 76.7 % of total Br content, and the concentration of total organic carbon decreased by over 50 %, suggesting a deep debromination and mineralization of TBBPA by S-nZVI@LDO. It is caused by the substantial improvement of electron transfer, O 2 adsorption, and hydrophobicity of S-nZVI@LDO facilitating synchronous reductive debromination and O 2 activation to produce · O 2 – and · OH, as approved by electrochemical test, O 2 -TPO analysis, EPR analysis, and density functional theory calculations. The enriched structural S(−II) and enhanced Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox cycling exerted vital roles in maintaining the reduction potential of the composite. The degradation pathways analysis confirmed that debromination-mineralization mechanisms dominated the complete degradation of TBBPA. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the one-step mineralization removal of TBBPA only using S-nZVI@LDO under ambient conditions and offers insight into external oxidant-free in-situ elimination of halogenated persistent organic pollutants in a natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnels, as critical underground infrastructures, often intersect with faults. Field investigations have underscored the susceptibility of fault-crossing tunnels to extensive damages during earthquakes. Hence, large-scale shaking table tests are conducted to investigate the deformation pattern and failure mechanism of fault-crossing tunnels under transverse excitation, particularly in non-rupture scenarios. The dynamic behavior of the tunnel, as expected, is dominated by the surrounding strata. Acceleration responses vary notably across different regions of the fault site. The disparity increases with the increments of seismic intensity and input frequency. The tunnel section at the interface between the fault and the hanging wall manifest the strongest acceleration, where the largest strains of the tunnel and most of the lining cracks also occur, highlighting its vulnerability to seismic vibrations. The damage-induced non-linearity of the tunnel is then identified by the decreasing dominant frequency thereof. The fault-crossing tunnel exhibits unique three-dimensional shearing-torsional deformations, elucidated through the test data and an analytical model. This deformation pattern provides a better understanding of the seismic responses of fault-crossing tunnels under seismic vibrations. • Dynamic responses of fault-crossing tunnels under seismic vibrations are studied by large-scale shaking table tests. • Faults have significant influence on tunnels under seismic vibrations even without rupture. • Vulnerable region of the tunnel, which is most intensely affected by the fault, is identified. • Deformation pattern and failure mechanism of fault-crossing tunnels under seismic vibrations are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cell survival, function and fate strongly depend on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteostasis. Although previous studies have implicated the ER stress signaling network in all stages of cancer development, its role in cancer metastasis remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the role of Gremlin-1 (GREM1), a secreted protein, in the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, public datasets showed a positive correlation between high expression of GREM1 and a poor prognosis for CRC. Secondly, GREM1 enhanced motility and invasion of CRC cells by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Thirdly, GREM1 upregulated expression of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and downregulated that of ATF4, and modulation of the two key players of the unfolded protein response (UPR) was possibly through activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and antagonization of BMP2 signaling pathways, respectively. Taken together, our results demonstrate that GREM1 is an invasion-promoting factor via regulation of ATF6 and ATF4 expression in CRC cells, suggesting GREM1 may be a potential pharmacological target for colorectal cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, a mechanism of current-collapse free for high-performance lateral AlGaN/GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with a thick single-crystal GaN cap layer is investigated. A high breakdown voltage of 1.74 kV and a low specific on-resistance (RON,sp) of 5.04 mΩ cm2 are achieved for the fabricated SBD with a spatial distance (LAC) of 15 μm. Benefiting from the optimized groove anode technique, including a low-damaged etching process and a post-anode-annealing process, a low leakage current of 87 nA/mm at −500 V as well as a low turn-on voltage of 0.8 V defined at an anode current density of 1 mA/mm are obtained. Holes induced by polarization effects at the GaN/AlGaN interface inject to the anode edge at the ON state, and the negatively charged centers induced by a groove etching process are neutralized, which lead to the suppressed tunneling current (ITU) and idealized ideality factor (η). The forward current density decreases due to the suppressed ITU at the barrier-limited region. When the devices are biased at the OFF state, holes around cathodes inject to the buffer layer, which suppress hole emission at the buffer layer, and current collapse is greatly suppressed even after a 300-s-long bias test at −600 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Review on the analytic methods of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath and their application in lung cancer diagnosis and classification. • Summarize the advantage and disadvantage of GC–MS、FT-IRC-MS、PTR-MS、IMS、E-nose、Dogs、SERS analytic methods. • Introduce the clinic studies of lung cancer diagnosis with VOCs detection. • Adopt bibliometric analysis to get a more comprehensive landscape of the development of analytic methods of VOCs. Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death, bringing a large burden to the society. Early detection and treatment are crucial to improve the survival rate of lung cancer patients. The current available clinic techniques for lung cancer diagnosis and classification are inevitably invasive, costly, over-diagnosed or incapable of early diagnosis. In this context, analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath, which has the potential to provide a cheaper, point-of-care, and non-invasive diagnosis of lung cancer, has been developed as a research hotspot in recent decades. However, there's still no VOCs-in-exhaled-breath test for detecting lung cancer in clinic. There are many obstructions for developing VOCs tests, which include the lack of recognized VOCs biomarkers for lung cancer and limited knowledge about the origin of the identified VOCs. Even so, there are numerous studies on VOCs and lung cancer, providing guidance to establish VOCs analytical platforms with diagnostic potential. Reviewing relevant studies, combined with bibliometric analysis based on studies from January 1st, 2019 to August 10th, 2023, this manuscript provides an overview of the approaches that have been used for the purpose of diagnosing lung cancer by VOCs-in-exhaled-breath tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA phosphorothioation (PT) is widely distributed in the human gut microbiome. In this work, PT-diet effect on nematodes was studied with PT-bioengineering bacteria. We found that the ROS level decreased by about 20–50% and the age-related lipofuscin accumulation was reduced by 15–25%. Moreover, the PT-feeding worms were more active at all life periods, and more resistant to acute stressors. Intriguingly, their lifespans were prolonged by ~21.7%. Comparative RNA-seq analysis indicated that many gene expressions were dramatically regulated by PT-diet, such as cysteine-rich protein (scl-11/12/13), sulfur-related enzyme (cpr-2), longevity gene (jnk-1) and stress response (sod-3/5, gps-5/6, gst-18/20, hsp-12.6). Both the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis suggested that neuroactivity pathways were upregulated, while phosphoryl transfer and DNA-repair pathways were down-regulated in good-appetite young worms. The findings pave the way for pro-longevity of multicellular organisms by PT-bacterial interference. Qiang Huang et al. fed C. elegans with E. coli containing phosphorothioate (PT) DNA or a control strain and evaluated the impact on animal physiology. They observed that worms fed PT(+) diets exhibited low reactive oxygen species, more active movement, and a longer lifespan compared to controls, suggesting that PT-DNA may have a positive effect on animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA phosphorothioation (PT) is widely distributed in the human gut microbiome. In this work, PT-diet effect on nematodes was studied with PT-bioengineering bacteria. We found that the ROS level decreased by about 20–50% and the age-related lipofuscin accumulation was reduced by 15–25%. Moreover, the PT-feeding worms were more active at all life periods, and more resistant to acute stressors. Intriguingly, their lifespans were prolonged by ~21.7%. Comparative RNA-seq analysis indicated that many gene expressions were dramatically regulated by PT-diet, such as cysteine-rich protein (scl-11/12/13), sulfur-related enzyme (cpr-2), longevity gene (jnk-1) and stress response (sod-3/5, gps-5/6, gst-18/20, hsp-12.8). Both the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis suggested that neuroactivity pathways were upregulated, while phosphoryl transfer and DNA-repair pathways were down-regulated in good-appetite young worms. The findings pave the way for pro-longevity of multicellular organisms by PT-bacterial interference. Qiang Huang et al. fed C. elegans with E. coli containing phosphorothioate (PT) DNA or a control strain and evaluated the impact on animal physiology. They observed that worms fed PT(+) diets exhibited low reactive oxygen species, more active movement, and a longer lifespan compared to controls, suggesting that PT-DNA may have a positive effect on animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonaceous shell-coated γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3@CNM) were synthesized from glucose caramelization and used as a novel magnetic solid-phase extraction medium for malachite green and crystal violet in environmental water. Malachite green and crystal violet were absorbed on to γ-Fe2O3@CNM by electrostatic and π-interactions. The morphologies, pore structures, surface functional groups, and magnetic properties of γ-Fe2O3@CNM were characterized by TEM, FTIR, hysteresis regression, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller analysis, zeta potential, XPS, and XRD. The magnetic solid-phase extraction procedure was optimized by extraction pH, absorption time, desorption solvent, and desorption time. The absorption capacities (qmax values) for malachite green and crystal violet were 34.2 and 27.9 mg g−1, respectively. After magnetic solid-phase extraction, malachite green and crystal violet were determined by LC-MS/MS. The analytical method was validated with a linear range of 0.02–20 ng mL−1, enrichment factor of 25.8 and 25.4, method detection limit of 0.004 ng mL−1, and intra-day precisions of 2.1% and 2.6% for malachite green and crystal violet, respectively. The relative recovery was found to be 73.4–101.5% for malachite green and 83.1–102.7% for crystal violet upon the application of the magnetic solid-phase extraction method to real water samples from lake, spring, sea, fishpond, and industrial waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonprobability samples, especially web survey data, have been available in many different fields. However, nonprobability samples suffer from selection bias, which will yield biased estimates. Moreover, missingness, especially nonignorable missingness, may also be encountered in nonprobability samples. Thus, it is a challenging task to make inference from nonprobability samples with nonignorable missingness. In this article, we propose a Bayesian approach to infer the population based on nonprobability samples with nonignorable missingness. In our method, different Logistic regression models are employed to estimate the selection probabilities and the response probabilities; the superpopulation model is used to explain the relationship between the study variable and covariates. Further, Bayesian and approximate Bayesian methods are proposed to estimate the response model parameters and the superpopulation model parameters, respectively. Specifically, the estimating functions for the response model parameters and superpopulation model parameters are utilized to derive the approximate posterior distribution in superpopulation model estimation. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the finite sample performance of the proposed method. The data from the Pew Research Center and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System are used to show better performance of our proposed method over the other approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retrieval of downward shortwave radiation (DSR) with high spatiotemporal resolution and short latency is critical. It is the fundamental driving force of surface energy, carbon, and hydrological circulations, and a key energy source for photovoltaic electricity. However, existing methods face significant challenges owing to cloud heterogeneity and their reliance on other satellite-derived products, which hinder the retrieval of accurate and timely DSR with high spatiotemporal resolution. In addition to the spectral features used in traditional approaches, deep learning (DL) can incorporate the spatial and temporal features of satellite data. This study developed and compared three DL methods, namely the DenseNet , the bidirectional gated recurrent unit without surface albedo as inputs (BiGRU nor), and the convolutional neural network with gated recurrent unit without surface albedo as inputs (CNNGRU nor). These methods were used to estimate DSR at 1 km and 10/15 min resolutions directly from top-of-atmosphere reflectance over the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) onboard Himawari-8 and the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard GOES-16 coverage, achieving high accuracies. The instantaneous root mean square error (RMSE) and relative RMSE for the three models were 68.4 (16.1%), 69.4 (16.3%), and 67.1 (15.7%) W / m 2 , respectively, which are lower than the baseline machine learning method, the multilayer perceptron model (MLP), with RMSE at 76.8 W / m 2 (18.0%). Hourly accuracies for the three DL methods were 58.6 (14.1%), 57.8 (14.0%), and 57.3 (13.8%) W / m 2 , which are within the DSR RMSEs that we estimated for existing datasets of the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) (88.8 W / m 2 , 21.4%) and GeoNEX (77.8 W / m 2 , 18.8%). The study illustrates that DL models that incorporate temporal information can eliminate the need for surface albedo as an input, which is crucial for timely monitoring and nowcasting of DSR. Incorporating spatial information can enhance retrieval accuracy in overcast conditions, and incorporating infrared bands can further improve the accuracy of DSR estimation. • 1 km and 10/15 min DSR estimated using deep learning from AHI and ABI. • Method can utilize spatial and temporal information in addition to spectral data. • Spatial structures improve retrieval accuracy under overcast conditions. • Temporal structures eliminate the dependency on the input data of surface albedo. • Thermal infrared bands improve accuracy particularly over surfaces with high albedo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether lung function, especially when complicated with SDB, has an increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) and congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods: A prospective study was performed within the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS). A total of 4161 individuals were followed up for an average of 10.91 years. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the predicted value of FVC and FEV1 were measured to evaluate lung function. The primary outcomes were the MI and CHF. Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the association between reduced lung function and the incidence of MI or CHF. In subgroup analysis, all the individuals were divided into Apnoea–Hypopnoea Index (AHI) < 5 subgroup and AHI ≥ 5 subgroup to explore the relationship. Results: Lung function were inversely associated with the incidence of MI or CHF. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for MI and CHF were 0.658 (0.543–0.797) and 0.792 (0.673–0.933) for every 1 L increase in FVC, 0.715 (0.567–0.902) and 0.738 (0.605–0.900) for every 1 L increase in FEV1, 0.986 (0.979–0.993) and 0.989 (0.983–0.995) for every 1% increase in FEV1/pre%, and 0.994 (0.988–0.999) and 0.991 (0.987–0.996) in FVC/pre%, respectively. In addition, the association of lung function with MI and CHF was more prominent in the subgroup with AHI ≥ 5. Conclusions: Lung function may be associated with incident MI and CHF in this large community cohort of middle-aged and older adults, especially in those with SDB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel nanostructure of gold nanosheets (NSs)-decorated TiO2 nanocolumns (NCs) coated on carbon fiber (Au NSs-TiO2 NCs/CF) is designed and fabricated. The structure and morphology can be adjusted from Tanghulu-like to sausage-shaped with the final concentration of chloroauric ions in the reaction solution. Au NSs-TiO2 NCs/CF have been proven to be an excellent SERS substrate with a high analytical enhancement factor, good uniformity, and great stability. Most importantly, SERS experiments can be carried out on one strand of Au NSs-TiO2 NCs/CF with the aid of a Raman confocal microscope. These Tanghulu-like and sausage-shaped Au NSs-TiO2 NCs/CF have great potential in SERS analysis of trace samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescent non-conventional organogelator, 2-(anthracen-9-yl)-4,5-diphenyl-1 H -imidazole, was found to be an integrated platform with multiple functionality. Balanced supramolecular interactions, based on π-π stacking between aromatic rings and intermolecular hydrogen bonding between neighboring imidazole rings, promote solvent gelation with a critical gelation concentration of 1.2 mg/mL (3.03 × 10 −3 mol/L) in cyclohexane. The intermolecular interactions can be modified by mechanical force, giving it piezochromic properties, and the xerogel has a much higher specific surface area, conferring higher sensitivity to pressure compared to the crystalline powder. The presence of imidazole in the gelator enables a selective response to fluoride anion. Addition of 0.3 equivalents of fluoride anion destroyed the gel (1.2 mg/mL), resulting in precipitation of a red solid that was isolated and identified by 1 H NMR and X-ray single crystal analysis. The red solid can be converted to the starting gelator molecule by addition of water to provide a recyclable chemosensor. This system represents a unique example of a simple organogelator with multiple functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of epilepsy are still unclear. Recent studies have indicated that inflammatory processes occurring in the brain are involved in a common and crucial mechanism in epileptogenesis. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) and its only receptor, C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 5 (CXCR5), are highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and participate in inflammatory responses. The present study aimed to assess the expression of CXCL13 and CXCR5 in the brain tissues of both patients with intractable epilepsy (IE) and a rat model (lithium-pilocarpine) of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) to identify possible roles of the CXCL13-CXCR5 signaling pathway in epileptogenesis. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemical, double-labeled immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were performed in this study. CXCL13 and CXCR5 mRNA expression and protein levels were found to be significantly up-regulated in the TLE patients and TLE rats. Further, CXCL13 and CXCR5 protein levels were altered during the different epileptic phases after onset of status epilepticus (SE) in the pilocarpine model rats, including the acute phase (6, 24, and 72 h), latent phase (7 and 14 days) and chronic phase (30 and 60 days groups). Moreover, double-labeled immunofluorescence analysis revealed that CXCL13 was mainly expressed in the cytomembranes and cytoplasm of neurons and astrocytes, while CXCR5 was mainly expressed in the cytomembranes and cytoplasm of neurons. Thus, the CXCL13-CXCR5 signaling pathway may play a possible pathogenic role in IE. CXCL13 and CXCR5 may represent potential biomarkers of brain inflammation in epileptic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a waste cotton fabrics-based nanosystem was fabricated to simultaneously remove copper (Cu(II)) and lead ions (Pb(II)) from water and soil. Therein, carboxyl-functionalized zinc oxide microsphere (ZnO–COOH) with peanut shape was carried by cotton fabric (CF) to get CF/ZnO–COOH nanosystem. CF/ZnO–COOH with a good foldable property possessed a high removal capacity for Cu(II) and Pb(II) via electrostatic attraction and chelation. The result indicated that their removal efficiencies of CF/ZnO–COOH could reach over 95% after 2 h. The adsorption process was consistent with Langmuir (R2 = 0.9905 of Cu(II) and R2 = 0.9846 of Pb(II)) and pseudo-second-order kinetic models (R2 = 0.9999 of Cu(II) and R2 = 0.9999 of Pb(II)). The thermodynamic data showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. Additionally, CF/ZnO–COOH also possessed a high fixation ability for Cu(II) and Pb(II) in sand-soil column, especially for Pb(II) (15 cm, 0.4 μg kg−1). Therefore, this wok provides an environmentally friendly and efficient way to remove Cu(II) and Pb(II) from water and soil concurrently. A waste cotton fabrics-based nanosystem was fabricated to remove Cu(II) and Pb(II) from water and soil simultaneously. [Display omitted] • A waste cotton fabrics-based nanosystem was got using ZnO–COOH and cotton fabrics. • The system could remove Cu(II) and Pb(II) from water and soil simultaneously. • Cu(II) and Pb(II) were effectively removed by electrostatic attraction and chelation. • The nanosystem gives a promising method for the reuse of waste cotton fabrics. • After treatment, the nanosystem can be separated conveniently from water and soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EphB family receptor tyrosine kinases, in cooperation with cell surface-bound ephrinB ligands, play a critical role in maintenance of dendritic spine morphogenesis, axons guidance, synaptogenesis, synaptic reorganization and plasticity in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the expression pattern of ephrinB/EphB in intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and the underlying molecular mechanisms during epileptogenesis remain poorly understood. Here we investigated the expression pattern and cellular distribution of ephrinB/EphB in intractable TLE patients and lithium chloride-pilocarpine induced TLE rats using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, double-labeled immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Compared to control groups, ephrinB3 and EphB3 mRNA expression were significantly up-regulated in intractable TLE patients and TLE rats, while the mRNA expression trend of ephrinB1/2 and EphB1/2/4/6 in intractable TLE patients and TLE rats were inconsistent. Western blot analysis and semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry confirmed that ephrinB3 and EphB3 protein level were up-regulated in intractable TLE patients and TLE rats. At the same time, double-labeled immunofluorescence indicate that ephrinB3 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm and protrusions of glia and neurons, while EphB3 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of neurons. Taken together, up-regulated expression of ephrinB3/EphB3 in intractable TLE patients and experimental TLE rats suggested that ephrinB3/EphB3 might be involved in the pathogenesis of TLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Large-scale shaking table model tests were performed on fault-crossing tunnels. • Discrepant responses along the longitudinal direction of the fault-crossing tunnels were quantified. • Aseismic effect of grouting on the fault-crossing tunnel was investigated clearly. • Optimized seismic design parameters for grouting were discussed. Tunnels crossing inactive faults may experience large differential deformations along their lengths during earthquakes, resulting in damage. Faults always have inferior material properties for historical geological reasons. Grouting is an auxiliary construction measure in fault-crossing tunnels and has the potential to be an economical and effective aseismic measure. However, the feasibility and seismic mitigation mechanisms of grouting in fault-crossing tunnels have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, large-scale shaking table tests were conducted to verify the aseismic effect of grouting in a tunnel crossing an inactive fault and to explore the seismic mitigation mechanism behind it. On this basis, verified numerical models were developed to determine the optimized design parameters. The test results indicate that grouting reduces the acceleration response of the tunnel within the fault and reduces the differences in the acceleration responses in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel induced by the fault. As grouting increases the shear strength and stiffness of the strata around the tunnel within the fault, the strain of the tunnel invert is effectively reduced by over 80%, and the potential damage of the invert uplift is reduced simultaneously. Meanwhile, grouting effectively reduces the diameter deformation of the tunnel within the fault and reduces the differences in tunnel deformation in different areas of the fault site. By reducing the resonance caused by the frequency components of the input seismic wave that is close to the natural frequency of the strata, which contributes most to the tunnel response, grouting effectively reduces the seismic responses of the fault-crossing tunnels. Increasing the stiffness of the grouting zone is an effective approach to improve its seismic mitigation performance. In the example of this study, adjusting the relative stiffness ratio to approximately 100 between the grouting zone and the fault resulted in a favorable condition for aseismic effects, which could be deemed to be a suitable parameter for grouting. The above results can provide a reference for the seismic design of mountain tunnels crossing inactive faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, machine learning (ML) has been successfully used in estimating downward shortwave radiation (DSR). To achieve global estimations, traditional ML models need sufficient ground measurements covering various atmospheric and surface conditions globally, which is difficult to accomplish. Training on the simulated data of a radiative transfer model (RTM) is a possible solution, but widely used RTMs ignore some complex cloud conditions which brings bias to simulations. In this study, a neural network applied with the transfer-learning (TL) concept is introduced to utilize both radiative transfer simulations and ground measurement data, achieving global DSR estimation with only top-of-atmosphere and surface albedo at local solar noon as inputs. The proposed method estimates both instantaneous and daily DSR from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data at 750-m resolution, and both the estimates are validated by 40 independent stations globally. The root mean-square error and relative root mean square error of instantaneous DSR validation over 25 Baseline Surface Radiation Network, seven Surface Radiation Network, and eight Greenland Climate Network stations in 2013 were 91.2 (16.1%), 106.3 (18.3%), 75.0 (24.2%) W / m 2, respectively, and the daily validation achieved 30.8 (15.5%), 33.5 (17.6%), and 31.3 (14.4) W / m 2, respectively. The proposed method presents significant high accuracy over polar regions and similar performances over other areas compared with traditional ML models, physics models (e.g., look-up tables and direct estimations), and existing DSR products. The algorithm is also applied to VIIRS swath data to test its global efficacy. Instantaneous mapping captures the spatial pattern of the cloud-mask product, and daily mapping shows spatial patterns similar to the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Synoptic TOA and surface fluxes and clouds product, but with more detail. Further analysis indicates that model performance is less sensitive to the quantity of training data after TL has been incorporated. This study demonstrates the advantages of TL on boosting both the generality and accuracy of DSR estimation, which can potentially be applied to other variable retrievals. • Transfer-learning used to estimate surface downward shortwave radiation from VIIRS data. • The method leverages the advantage of radiative transfer simulation and ground-based measurement. • Estimation of downward shortwave radiation over polar area was significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic investigation revealed that a fault fracture zone is one of the most vulnerable areas of mountain tunnels in earthquakes. For the tunnel crossing secondary fault, the fault may be permanently dislocated by the causative faults during earthquakes, making the tunnel subject to combined action of seismic motion and fault dislocation, which makes the seismic response of the tunnel more complicated. In order to investigate the seismic response of fault-crossing tunnels in this case and explore the suitability of different aseismic measures, three-dimensional numerical models with different widths of faults and different aseismic measures were developed in this study. By inputting accelerogram considering permanent displacements, the seismic responses of fault-crossing tunnels under the combined action of seismic motion and fault dislocation were simulated. The results showed that the acceleration and stress of the tunnel-crossing narrow fault are larger than those crossing wide faults during earthquakes. Grouting reinforcement can reduce the acceleration and stress of the tunnel within the fault during earthquakes, while flexible joints will increase the acceleration of the tunnel within the fault and increase the stress of the tunnel-crossing wide fault. For fault-crossing tunnels, if the fault width is narrow than the tunnel diameter, the best aseismic measure installs grouting reinforcement and flexible joints; if the fault width is wider than 10 times of the tunnel diameter, the best aseismic measure installs grouting reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delving deeply into the locus deleted in Prader-Willi syndrome, in this issue of Molecular Cell , Wu et al. (2016) identify SPA RNAs, a new class of 5′ snoRNA-capped lncRNAs that sequester RNA binding proteins and influence alternative splicing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shenzhen River (SZR) is a boundary river of two super-large modern cities and has important wetland ecological functions in the estuary, while it suffered unprecedented pollution during the past decades due to the rapid urbanizing of the catchment area. Twelve parameters of heavy metals (HMs), nutrients (N, P, TOC), and physicochemical indexes (pH, EC) of the SZR sediment from 8 typical sites were analyzed to explore their distribution, risk, and sources. The distribution of sediment parameters was closely related to the urban functional structure, basin topography, and anthropogenic control. Heavy metals (HMs) of SZR sediment were in a contamination degree order of Cd> >Cu> Zn> Pb> Ni> Cr, a combined risk of HMs and tremendous organic threat concentrated at the upper and middle reaches in the lower layer. HMs and nutrients in SZR sediments showed strong inner correlations but were limited influenced by physicochemical properties. Factor, clustering, and multiple linear regression analysis were comprehensively applied for the quantitative source apportionment. Industry-related sources and domestic wastewater were the major contamination sources, while the non-point sources like urban surface runoff, natural sources, and solid waste carrying should be paid special attention to considering their maintained increasing risk. [Display omitted] • SZR (Shenzhen River) sediments are expected to cause multiple HMs (heavy metals) risk and organic threats. • Distributions of SZR sediment contaminants have strong inner correlations and were affected by urbanization and human activities. • Multiple statistical analysis models were comprehensively applied to conduct the quantitative source apportionment. • Non-point pollution sources of SZR sediment were suggested to be paid special attention to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Letter presents work on lateral AlGaN-channel Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with impressive reverse blocking characteristics and low onset voltage (VON). A low reverse current (IR) of 28 nA/mm and low VON of 0.60 V are obtained by utilizing an AlGaN back barrier layer with high Al composition and low work function metal as the anode. The fabricated AlGaN-channel SBD with an anode–cathode distance (LAC) of 30 μm achieves a high blocking voltage of 2.55 kV and a power figure-of-merit of 363 MW/cm2. Meanwhile, the current transport mechanism of AlGaN-channel SBDs goes through thermionic emission, thermionic field emission, and trap-assisted tunneling as the reverse bias is gradually increased. The thermal activation energy (EA) is calculated to be 141.3 meV at high reverse bias. IR at 475 K is only 3 μA/mm, which shows an adequate barrier height for rectifying at high temperature even with low VON. The AlGaN-channel SBDs show great promise for next-generation power electronics with balanced forward and reverse characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-pot reaction of an aryl aldehyde with 2-cyanopyridine and ammonium acetate in refluxing acetic acid produced the known 2-(2′-pyridyl)imidazole and fused imidazoles. This suggests that the steric effect of aryl rings plays an important role in these syntheses. A possible mechanism of the reaction is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel NIR fluorescence probe for the detection of SIRT1 activity based on an intramolecular FRET effect was developed. • This is the first example to detect SIRT1 using NIR emission with well anti-interference effect. • The probe can not only detect SIRT1 in vitro, but also in situ image SIRT1 in live cells. It is urgent to implement ideal fluorophores to detect enzymatic activity of histone deacetylases (HDACs) because of their important roles in many cellular metabolisms such as transcription regulation and tumorigenesis. However, the emission wavelength of reported one-step fluorescent probes for the detection of HDACs is limited at visible region. In this paper, we construct a near infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe Lys-OBD for detecting the activity of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), one of the most important HDACs, with NIR emission based on an intramolecular FRET effect. Lys-OBD contains a non-emissive O-aryl NBD group (OBD) and a NIR emissive Cy5 fluorophore. After reaction with SIRT1, non-fluorescence OBD in Lys-OBD was changed to green emissive nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) through a deacetylation reaction followed by a backbone rearrangement. An intramolecular FRET between the energy donor NBD and the energy acceptor Cy5 was thus happened and the NIR emission of Cy5 could be detected. This FRET mechanism could further decrease the interference of high-concentration amino acid that are abound in living system in the process of SIRT1 detection. Thus, this probe can not only detect SIRT1 in vitro, but also image SIRT1 in live cells that high express SIRT1 with NIR fluorescence for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Observational researches reported the underlying correlation of plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration with respiratory tract infections (RTIs), but their causality remained unclear. Here, we examined the cause–effect relation between plasma MPO levels and RTIs. Materials and Methods. Datasets of plasma MPO levels were from the Folkersen et al. study (n = 21,758) and INTERVAL study (n = 3,301). Summarized data for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (2,795 cases and 483,689 controls) and lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in the intensive care unit (ICU) (585 cases and 430,780 controls) were from the UK Biobank database. The primary method for Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was the inverse variance weighted approach, with MR-Egger and weighted median methods as supplements. Cochrane's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outliers global test, funnel plots, and leave-one-out analysis were used for sensitivity analysis. Results. We found that plasma MPO levels were positively associated with URTI (odds ratio (OR) = 1.135; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.011–1.274; P = 0.032) and LRTI (ICU) (OR = 1.323; 95% CI = 1.006–1.739; P = 0.045). The consistent impact direction is shown when additional plasma MPO level genome-wide association study datasets are used (URTI: OR = 1.158; 95% CI = 1.072–1.251; P < 0.001 ; LRTI (ICU): OR = 1.216; 95% CI = 1.020–1.450; P = 0.030). There was no evidence of a causal effect of URTI and LRTI (ICU) on plasma MPO concentration in the reverse analysis (P > 0.050). The sensitivity analysis revealed no violations of MR presumptions. Conclusions. Plasma MPO levels may causally affect the risks of URTI and LRTI (ICU). In contrast, the causal role of URTI and LRTI (ICU) on plasma MPO concentration was not supported in our MR analysis. Further studies are needed to identify the relationship between RTIs and plasma MPO levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom-up nanofabrication, organizing colloidal nanoparticles into ordered clusters with structural and functional complexity, provides an alternative to yield nanometric smart structures unachievable in traditional top-down approaches. Those remarkable structures assembled of colloidal nanoparticles possessing optical properties feature exotic optical responses under the illumination of incident light, showing highly dependent on the particle separation, composition, and arrangement. Here, the nanoscale electromagnetic coupling in magnetic–plasmonic nanoparticle clusters is analyzed by using a 3D full-wave computational model, and the mechanism of the resonances in a split-ring resonator out of magnetic–plasmonic nanoparticle building blocks is also illustrated. In particular, once assembling those artificial molecules (split-ring resonator) into secondary metamaterial superstructures, such as split-ring resonator dimer and Y-shaped structures, a series of exotic optical responses are presented due to the greatly enhanced near-field coupling of nanoparticles and the generation of antiparallel ring currents in the asymmetrical superstructure, exhibiting flexible sensitivity to the changes of the surrounding environment. Besides, the H-shaped arrangement exhibits high sensitivity with Q = 50.5 at λ = 2.02 μ m. Our finding provides a platform for yielding complex structures with flexible tunability of the optical response through arranging those assembled artificial molecules into complex secondary structures, allowing for the development of smart sensing devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are highly dysregulated in cancer and are emerging as therapeutic targets. One example is NEAT1, which consists of two overlapping lncRNA isoforms, NEAT1_1 (3.7 kb) and NEAT1_2 (23 kb), that are functionally distinct. The longer NEAT1_2 is responsible for scaffolding gene-regulatory nuclear bodies termed paraspeckles, whereas NEAT1_1 is involved in paraspeckle-independent function. The NEAT1 isoform ratio is dependent on the efficient cleavage and polyadenylation of NEAT1_1 at the expense of NEAT1_2. Here, we developed a targeted antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) approach to sterically block NEAT1_1 polyadenylation processing, achieving upregulation of NEAT1_2 and abundant paraspeckles. We have applied these ASOs to cells of the heterogeneous infant cancer, neuroblastoma, as we found higher NEAT1_1:NEAT1_2 ratio and lack of paraspeckles in high-risk neuroblastoma cells. These ASOs decrease NEAT1_1 levels, increase NEAT1_2/paraspeckles and concomitantly reduce cell viability in high-risk neuroblastoma specifically. In contrast, overexpression of NEAT1_1 has the opposite effect, increasing cell proliferation. Transcriptomic analyses of high-risk neuroblastoma cells with altered NEAT1 ratios and increased paraspeckle abundance after ASO treatment showed an upregulation of differentiation pathways, as opposed to the usual aggressive neuroblastic phenotype. Thus, we have developed potential anti-cancer ASO drugs that can transiently increase growth-inhibiting NEAT1_2 RNA at the expense of growth-promoting NEAT1_1 RNA. These ASOs, unlike others that degrade lncRNAs, provide insights into the importance of altering lncRNA polyadenylation events to suppress tumorigenesis as a strategy to combat cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ovarian cancer is characterized by high metastatic potential and high mortality. More than 80% of primary ovarian malignancies are epithelial ovarian cancers. There is increasing evidence that Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) is highly correlated with the development of various types of cancer. However, the effects of SPOP on epithelial ovarian cancer and the associated molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Materials and methods: We compared SPOP expression between epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and normal ovarian tissues by using immunohistochemical staining. To determine the role of SPOP in epithelial ovarian cancer cells, we overexpressed or knocked down SPOP in the epithelial ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR-3 using lentiviral vectors. Results: Our results from the present study indicated that SPOP expression was significantly downregulated in human epithelial ovarian cancer and was associated with the FIGO stage and the histopathologic grading of the tumor. The overexpression and knockdown experiments revealed that SPOP inhibited proliferation while promoting apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Inhibition of SPOP mis-activated the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Conclusion: SPOP suppresses proliferation and promotes apoptosis in human ovarian cancer cells by inhibiting the Hh signaling pathway, offering the possibility of new approaches for the treatment of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is accompanied by loss of Zn2+, which is an important cause of glutamate excitotoxicity and death of local neurons as well as transplanted stem cells. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have the potential for neural differentiation and play an immunomodulatory role in the microenvironment, making them an ideal cell source for the repair of central nerve injury, including SCI. The zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF-8) is usually used as a drug and gene delivery carrier, which can release Zn2+ sustainedly in acidic environment. However, the roles of ZIF-8 on neural differentiation of DPSCs and the effect of combined treatment on SCI have not been explored. ZIF-8-introduced DPSCs were loaded into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel and in situ injected into the injured site of SCI rats. Under the effect of ZIF-8, axon number and axon length of DPSCs-differentiated neuro-like cells were significantly increased. In addition, ZIF-8 protected transplanted DPSCs from apoptosis in the damaged microenvironment. ZIF-8 promotes neural differentiation and angiogenesis of DPSCs by activating the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, which is a promising transport nanomaterial for nerve repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between self-reported daytime napping habits and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a large community-based study population.Methods: Of the 4170 participants, 55.5% were women and the mean age was 63.1 years (SD, 11.0 years). CVD included cardiovascular death, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, angina, and revascularization and was defined as the first confirmed incidence of CVD during an average 11-year follow-up. Self-reported daytime napping habits were recorded using baseline questionnaires. Backward stepwise Cox regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between CVD and napping habits.Results: In this study, 914 participants with CVD (21.9%) were observed. Participants who took regular long naps had a higher prevalence of incident CVD than did those who took regular short naps, irregular naps, or no naps (34.5% vs. 28.4%, 22.4%, 16.6%, respectively; P < 0.001). In the final backward stepwise Cox regression model, regular long naps were found to be associated with CVD (HR: 1.403, 95% CI: 1.079-1.825, P = 0.012).Conclusions: Regular long daytime napping was an independent risk factor for CVD. Healthy sleep habits may promote human health and prevent CVD.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00005275. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction sites are not generally flat but heterogeneous. It would be of significance to explore the patterns of ground response where soil and rock strata laterally distribute near the ground surface. Shaking table test of scaled free-field model is conducted to investigate the local site effect caused by the influence of soil-rock strata. In this test, model ground with artificial soil and rock is designed to reproduce the dynamic characteristics of the prototype. Recorded earthquake waves and site-specific artificial waves are selected as the bedrock motions inputted from the shaking table, in both transverse (SH wave) and longitudinal (SV wave) directions. Four sites of the ground are classified according to the combination of the soil deposit and the rock. The standard spectral ratio (SSR) is introduced to identify the fundamental frequency and the amplification amplitude of the four sites. Correspondingly, one-dimension (1D) theoretical analysis is used to clarify the amplification effects affected by the local constitution at each local site of the ground by comparing the response spectral ratios with the 1D analysis results (Aggravation factor). Site-specific parameters, such as the peak ground acceleration, arias intensity, and acceleration response spectra, are documented with discussions. It is found that the amplifications of locations vary with thickness of soil deposit, nonlinearity of soil property under increasing seismic intensity, and scattering of high-frequency components of input motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is involved in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) upon infection of normal cell and induces a highly variable composition of the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, systematic bioinformatics analysis of key genes associated with EBV regulation of immune infiltration is still lacking. In the present study, the TCGA and GEO databases were recruited to analyse the association between EBV infection and the profile of immune infiltration in GC. The weighted gene co‐expression analysis (WGCNA) was applied to shed light on the key gene modules associated with EBV‐associated immune infiltration in GC. 204 GC tissues were used to analysed the expression of key hub genes by using the immunohistochemical method. Real‐time PCR was used to evaluate the association between the expression of EBV latent/lytic genes and key immune infiltration genes. Our results suggested that EBV infection changed the TME of GC mainly regulates the TIICs. The top three hub genes of blue (GBP1, IRF1, and LAP3) and brown (BIN2, ITGAL, and LILRB1) modules as representative genes were associated with EBV infection and GC immune infiltration. Furthermore, EBV‐encoded LMP1 expression is account for the overexpression of GBP1 and IRF1. EBV infection significantly changes the TME of GC, and the activation of key immune genes was more dependent on the invasiveness of the whole EBV virion instead of single EBV latent/lytic gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of bicholesteryl-based gelators with different central linker atoms C, N, and O (abbreviated to GC, GN, and GO, respectively) have been designed and synthesized. The self-assembly processes of these gelators were investigated by using gelation tests, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, UV/Vis absorption, IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, rheology, and contact-angle experiments. The gelation ability, self-assembly morphology, rheological, and surface-wettability properties of these gelators strongly depend on the central linker atom of the gelator molecule. Specifically, GC and GN can form gels in three different solvents, whereas GO can only form a gel in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Morphologies from nanofibers and nanosheets to nanospheres and nanotubes can be obtained with different central atoms. Gels of GC, GN, and GO formed in the same solvent (DMF) have different tolerances to external forces. All xerogels gave a hydrophobic surface with contact angles that ranged from 121 to 152°. Quantum-chemical calculations indicate that the GC, GN, and GO molecules have very different steric structures. The results demonstrate that the central linker atom can efficiently modulate the molecular steric structure and thus regulate the supramolecular self-assembly process and properties of gelators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peptic ulcer disease is one of the most common diseases in gastroenterology clinics. However, reported data about the global burden of peptic ulcer disease are still scarce.Methods: This was a secondary data analysis on the prevalence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to peptic ulcer disease by sex, age group and socio-demographic index (SDI) at the global level in 21 regions and 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019 using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019.Results: Globally, the prevalence cases of peptic ulcer disease increased from 6 434 103 (95% uncertainty interval 5 405 963 to 7 627 971) in 1990 to 8 090 476 (6 794 576 to 9 584 000) in 2019. However, the age-standardized prevalence rate decreased from 143.4 (120.5 to 170.2) per 100 000 population in 1990 to 99.4 (83.9 to 117.5) per 100 000 population in 2019. Moreover, the age-standardized mortality rate decreased by 59.4% (55.3 to 63.1) and the DALYs rate fell by 60.6% (56.8 to 63.9) from 1990 to 2019. Across SDI quintiles, low-middle and low SDI quintiles had the highest age-standardized prevalence, mortality and DALYs rates from 1990 to 2019.Conclusion: The age-standardized prevalence, mortality and DALYs estimates of peptic ulcer disease decreased from 1990 to 2019 globally, but more efforts are needed for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcer disease in low SDI and low-middle SDI groups of countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies have shown that chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence is significantly higher in patients with hepatic steatosis (HS); however, it remains unclear whether HS is associated with serum creatinine (SCr). We aimed to explore the association between SCr levels and HS in a Chinese population.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study among 56,569 Chinese individuals. SCr level, other clinical and laboratory parameters, abdominal ultrasound and noninvasive fibrosis scores were extracted, and the fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4) was calculated.Results: A total of 27.1% of the subjects had HS. After 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) according to sex and age, we included 13,301 subjects with HS and 13,301 subjects without HS. SCr levels were significantly higher in the HS group than in the non-HS group [73.19 ± 15.14(μmoI/L) vs. 71.75 ± 17.49(μmoI/L), p < 0.001]. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed a positive association between SCr and the prevalence of HS. Stepwise regression analysis showed that the association between SCr and HS was independent of other metabolic syndrome components. The prevalence of HS increased significantly with increasing SCr levels. Metabolism-related indicators and liver enzymes were significantly higher in the HS group than in the non-HS group; furthermore, these parameters increased with increasing SCr levels. FIB-4 was significantly higher in the HS group than in the non-HS group but did not show an increasing trend with increasing SCr levels.Conclusions: Our results showed an independent association between SCr level and HS risk in a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Gallbladder and biliary diseases (GBDs) are one of the most prevalent medical issues in the digestive system. This study was designed to describe the characteristics of prevalence, death, and disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) of GBDs during 1990–2019 using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019. Methods: Prevalence, death, and DALYs for GBDs in different locations, years, sex, and age groups were estimated using DisMod‐MR 2.1 and a generic Cause of Death Ensemble Modeling approach. Countries and territories were categorized according to socio‐demographic index (SDI) quintiles. Results: The prevalence cases (127 345 732 to 193 493 378), death cases (82 430 to 124 941), and DALYs (4 604 821 to 6 352 738) of GBDs increased from 1990 to 2019. However, the age‐standardized rates of indicators decreased over the 30‐year period (prevalence, 2851.84 to 2350.78 per 100 000 population; death, 2.40 to 1.65 per 100 000 population; DALYs, 106.76 to 78.25 per 100 000 population). In 2019, the high and middle–high SDI regions had higher age‐standardized prevalence rates, the low SDI region had the highest age‐standardized death rate, and the middle SDI region had the highest DALYs and age‐standardized DALYs rate of GBDs. Being female, older age, and high body mass index were important risk factors for the burden of GBDs. Conclusions: Globally, there were improvements in overall health with regard to GBDs over the 30 years. However, the prevention of GBDs should be promoted in middle, middle–high, and high SDI regions, while more medical resources should be provided to improve treatment levels in low SDI region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a convenient approach to achieve fluorescence modulation based on self-assembled complexes between photochromic diarylethenes and solid-emissive Boron–Fluorine dye. Photochromism of the self-assemblies results in slight modulation of the Boron–Fluorine dye's fluorescence in dilute solution, but high-contrast ON/OFF fluorescence switching in nanoparticles and in the solid state. During this process, intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl units on diarylethenes and the imidazole ring on Boron–Fluorine dye play important role in the efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer from Boron–Fluorine dye to closed isomer of diarylethenes. The excitation wavelength (405 nm) of the self-assembled complexes hardly induces photochromism of diarylethene molecules, providing non-destructive readout ability. This system represents a simple and efficient alternative to the covalent system to achieve fluorescent switch in the solid state, and it may be potentially applied in rewritable high-density optical storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heart rate (HR) related parameters, such as HR variability, HR turbulence, resting HR, and nighttime mean HR have been recognized as independent predictors of mortality. However, the influence of circadian changes in HR on mortality remains unclear in intensive care units (ICU). The study is designed to evaluate the relationship between the circadian variation in HR and mortality risk among critically ill patients. Methods: The present study included 4,760 patients extracted from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II database. The nighttime mean HR/daytime mean HR ratio was adopted as the circadian variation in HR. According to the median value of the circadian variation in HR, participants were divided into two groups: group A (≤ 1) and group B (> 1). The outcomes included ICU, hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortalities. The prognostic value of HR circadian variation was investigated by multivariable logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Patients in group B (n = 2,471) had higher mortality than those in group A (n = 2,289). Multivariable models revealed that the higher circadian variation in HR was associated with ICU mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.393; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.112–1.745; P = 0.004), hospital mortality (OR, 1.393; 95% CI, 1.112–1.745; P = 0.004), 30-day mortality (hazard ratio, 1.260; 95% CI, 1.064–1.491; P = 0.007), and 1-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.207; 95% CI, 1.057–1.378; P = 0.005), especially in patients with higher SOFA scores. Conclusions: The circadian variation in HR might aid in the early identification of critically ill patients at high risk of associated with ICU, hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-emissive rhodamine complexes are obtained by mixing commercial rhodamine B (RhB) with the recently developed solid-emissive boron 2-(2′-pyridyl)imidazole (BOPIM) derivatives. The formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between RhB and BOPIM dyes plays a key role in the emission of RhB in the solid state. The disappearance of emissions from BOPIM dyes indicates the occurrence of efficient intermolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The hydrogen bond also helps prevent the intermolecular interaction between the carboxyl moieties on RhB to alleviate concentration-induced fluorescence quenching because the emission of the complexes can be directly lightened by excitation at the RhB absorption (510 nm). Our results indicate that intermolecular FRET assisted by non-covalent interactions can be an efficient tool for constructing red or near-infrared solid emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective detoxification and removal of arsenite (As(III)) has been widely concerned because of its strong toxicity and migration ability. In this study, we designed a layered double hydroxide-supported polyacrylate stabilized ferrous sulfide composite (PAA/FeS@LDH) and coupled it with UV excitation to purify As(III)-polluted water. The removal efficiency of As(III) under UV irradiation reached almost 100% in 120 min, and the first-order kinetic constant was 3.12 orders of magnitude higher than under dark. UV irradiation significantly accelerated the oxidation and detoxification of As(III) at the interface of PAA/FeS@LDH and treatment solution. It is attributable to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) intermediates, including .O 2 –, .OH, and SO 4 .– under UV irradiation, because of the presence of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs and iron valence states cycles. Importantly, .O 2 – may be rapidly captured and oxidized to 1O 2 on the surface of PAA/FeS@LDH that is also an important contributor to the oxidation removal of As(III). Noticeably, As(III) concentrations in the real water were rapidly reduced to below the guideline limitation of drinking water (10 μg/L) within 20 min under UV irradiation. Our outcomes provide a novel photoexcitation treatment system for the efficient detoxification and removal of As from actual wastewater. [Display omitted] • PAA/FeS@LDH coupled UV achieved an efficient detoxification and removal of As(III). • Non-free radical pathway contributed 9.77 % to the As(III) oxidation detoxification. • As(III) (1148 µg/L) in the real water was reduced to below 10 µg/L within 20 min • The mechanisms of As(III) photooxidation removal by PAA/FeS@LDH was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic reprogramming enables cancer cells to generate energy mainly through aerobic glycolysis, which is achieved by increasing the expression levels of glycolysis-related enzymes. Therefore, the development of drugs targeting aerobic glycolysis could be an effective strategy for cancer treatment. Icaritin (ICT) is an active ingredient from the Chinese herbal plant Epimedium with several biological activities, but its anti-cancer mechanism remains inconclusive. Using normal hepatocytes and hepatoma cells, our results showed that ICT suppressed cell proliferation and clonal formation and decreased glucose consumption and lactate production in liver cancer cells. In consistent, the mRNA and protein levels of several aerobic glycolysis-related genes were decreased upon ICT treatment. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that the expression levels of the aerobic glycolysis-related proteins were correlated with the p53 status in hepatoma cells. Using PFT-α or siRNA-p53, our results confirmed that ICT regulated aerobic glycolysis in a p53-dependent manner. In addition, ICT was found to stabilize p53 at the post-translational level which might be mediated by inhibiting MDM2 expression and affecting its interaction with p53. Finally, our results demonstrated that ICT increased the levels of ROS that activated p53 via the p38 MAPK pathway. In conclusion, ICT increased intracellular ROS levels in liver cancer cells, which promoted the stabilization and activation of p53, inhibiting the expression of aerobic glycolysis-related genes and glycolysis, and ultimately leading to the suppression of liver cancer development. • Icaritin inhibits growth of liver cancer cells. • Icaritin could be an aerobic glycolysis inhibitor and prevent the expression of key enzymes through P53. • Icaritin activates P53 via the ROS/P38 MAPK pathway in liver cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid layers composed of polyacrylic acid and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene are coated on the surface of Zn foils via electrophoresis deposition processes, realizing the construction of an artificial protective coating with the pre-introduction of excess Zn2+ towards suppressing Zn2+ 2D diffusion of Zn deposition behavior. In this case, the abundant carboxyl groups of polyacrylic acid benefit to the fast transport of Zn2+ in addition to the shield of anions and oxidants, restraining the corrosion and passivation of Zn metal anodes. Moreover, the appearance of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene with two-dimensional arrangements strengthens the structure stability and improves the hydrophilicity of hybrid layers so as to restrict the dendrite growth of Zn metal anodes. Accordingly, polyacrylic acid/Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene hybrid layer coated Zn electrodes in symmetric cells achieve a lifespan of over 1000 h at a current density of 3 mA cm−2 and an areal capacity of 3 mAh cm−2, superior to pristine Zn electrodes (107 h) and polyacrylic acid layer coated Zn electrodes (401 h). The full cell based on polyacrylic acid/Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene hybrid layer coated Zn anodes and Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 cathodes also exhibits a high capacity retention of 98.6 % after 1000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1. [Display omitted] • Hybrid layers were coated on the Zn metal surface via electrophoresis deposition. • The presence of PA facilitates the formation of coordination bond in hybrid layers. • The addition of MXene promotes the homogeneity and continuity of hybrid layers. • Hybrid layers can suppress the dendrite growth of Zn metal anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]