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We study the blowing-up X ~ of a smooth projective variety X along a smooth center B that is equipped with a projective bundle structure over a variety Z. If the Picard number ρ (X) is 1 and dim ⁡ X is at most 4, we classify all such pairs (X , B). If X is a projective space P n (n ≥ 5) and dim ⁡ B is 2, we show that B is a linear subspace in X. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology has significantly increased the conversion efficiency of PV modules. However, the presence of partial shading in PV arrays can lead to multi-peaked output curves, which traditional MPPT methods struggle to track due to falling into local maximum power points. The paper proposes a MPPT control algorithm based on the combination of differential flat control (DFBC) and adaptive particle swarm optimization (APSO) algorithm. The PSO output value is used as the feed-forward feedback input of differential flat, and a second-order controller is used to track the reference flat trajectory, achieving global MPPT through differential flat control. The algorithm can overcome the system oscillation caused by the randomness of the PSO algorithm with the initialized particle position and the existence of control lag misjudgment. Simulation and experimental results show that the algorithm not only solves the problem that the traditional MPPT algorithm cannot find the global maximum power point, but also solves the problems that the traditional particle swarm algorithm has large randomness, slow convergence speed, and easy to produce large oscillations. The algorithm has greatly improved the tracking accuracy, tracking speed and response speed, realizing fast and accurate response to external changes, reducing energy loss, and improving the dynamic tracking performance of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer has become a leading cause of death and disease burden worldwide, closely related to rapid socioeconomic development. However, the fundamental reason is the lack of comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of cancer, accurate identification of preclinical cancer, and effective treatment of the disease. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to study specific mechanisms of cancer and develop effective prediction and treatment methods. Long Pentraxin PTX3 is a soluble pattern recognition molecule produced by various cells in inflammatory sites, which plays a role as a promoter or suppressor of cancer in multiple tumors through participating in innate immune response, neovascularization, energy metabolism, invasion, and metastasis mechanisms. Based on this, this article mainly reviews the role of PTX3 in various cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is an economically important fish with high farming value. This species is intolerant to hypoxia, which makes it susceptible to mass mortality and hinders the progress of amberjack cultivation. Based on a comparative analysis of the liver transcriptome between acute hypoxia-tolerant (HT) and intolerant (HS) groups, this study first explored the molecular mechanisms of acute hypoxia in greater amberjack. The results showed that the glycolipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and apoptotic pathways of greater amberjack significantly responded when exposed to acute hypoxia. In addition, the relative downregulation of apoptosis and autophagy-related genes, such as endog, hm13, and casp6, was also detected in the HT group. The NF-kB pathway was partly promoted in the HT group relative to the HS group to resist apoptosis. This investigation will offer significant technical assistance in the prevention of death caused by acute hypoxia and the subsequent reduction in financial losses. Acute hypoxia is a common abiotic stress in commercial aquaculture and has significant effects on fish physiology and metabolism. Due to its large size and rapid growth, the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is an economically important fish with high farming value. This species is intolerant to hypoxia, which makes it susceptible to mass mortality and hinders the progress of amberjack cultivation. Based on a comparative analysis of the liver transcriptome between acute hypoxia-tolerant (HT) and -intolerant (HS) groups, this study first explored the molecular mechanisms of acute hypoxia in greater amberjack. By simulating the acute hypoxic environment and using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), the differences in liver transcriptional changes between the acute hypoxia-tolerant (HT) and hypoxia-intolerant (HS) groups of greater amberjack were probed. Based on differential expression analysis, 829 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in both groups. Relative to the HS group, 374 DEGs were upregulated and 455 were downregulated in the HT group. Compared with the HS group, genes such as slc2a5 and prkaa2 related to promoting sugar transport and inhibiting lipid syntheses were upregulated, while genes that inhibit gluconeogenesis and promote lipid syntheses, such as pgp and aacs, were downregulated. The expression of odc1 was significantly and relatively downregulated in the HT group, which would lead to the inhibition of intracellular antioxidant activity and decreased scavenging of ROS. The NF-kB pathway was also promoted to some extent in individuals in the HT group relative to the HS group to resist apoptosis. In addition, the relative downregulation of apoptosis and autophagy-related genes, such as endog, hm13, and casp6, was also detected in the HT group. The present findings first reported the regulation mechanism by which liver tissue coped with the acute hypoxia stress in greater amberjack, which will provide important technical support for preventing acute hypoxia-induced death in advance and reducing economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carmustine (BCNU), a vital type of chloroethylnitrosourea (CENU), inhibits tumor cells growth by inducing DNA damage at O6 position of guanine and eventually forming dG-dC interstrand cross-links (ICLs). However, the clinical application of BCNU is hindered to some extent by the absence of tumor selectivity, poor stability and O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) mediated drug resistance. In recent years, tumor microenvironment has been widely utilized for advanced drug delivery. In the light of the features of tumor microenvironment, we constructed a multifunctional hypoxia/esterase-degradable nanomicelle with AGT inhibitory activity named HACB NPs for tumor-targeting BCNU delivery and tumor sensitization. HACB NPs was self-assembled from hyaluronic acid azobenzene AGT inhibitor conjugates, in which O6-BG analog acted as an AGT inhibitor, azobenzene acted as a hypoxia-responsive linker and carboxylate ester bond acted as both an esterase-sensitive switch and a connector with hyaluronic acid (HA). The obtained HACB NPs possessed good stability, favorable biosafety and hypoxia/esterase-responsive drug-releasing ability. BCNU-loaded HACB/BCNU NPs exhibited superior cytotoxicity and apoptosis-inducing ability toward the human uterine cervix carcinoma HeLa cells compared with traditional combined medication of BCNU plus O6-BG. In vivo studies further demonstrated that after a selective accumulation in the tumor site, the micelles could respond to hypoxic tumor tissue for rapid drug release to an effective therapeutic dosage. Thus, this multifunctional stimulus-responsive nanocarrier could be a new promising strategy to enhance the anticancer efficacy and reduce the side effects of BCNU and other CENUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice‐asymmetry‐driven selective area sublimation (SAS) process of GaN is systemically investigated by exploring the in situ dynamic evolution of the decomposition pathway under ultra‐high vacuum. The rationale of the SAS is confirmed as a strong anisotropic decomposition driven by lattice‐asymmetry of wurtzite crystal: the sublimation preferably starts along the ‐c axis due to the relatively lower decomposition energy barrier. Finally, the fabrication of site‐ and size‐controlled GaN nanowires has been achieved by utilizing the SAS process, exhibiting good controllability on the sidewall of nanowires. These findings shed light on the thermodynamic mechanism of the lattice‐asymmetry‐driven sublimation process in III‐nitrides, providing an efficient alternative approach for the tailoring of semiconductor micro/nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To assess the use of cytotoxic drugs as first-line chemotherapy for nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutation. Method. This study uses the network meta-analysis (NMA) method, with the inclusion of prospective randomized control studies related to the treatment of EGFR-positive nonsquamous NSCLC, to compare the efficacy of various EGFR-TKIs. As of September 4, 2022, 16 studies on a total of 4180 patients were included. The retrieved literature was comprehensively evaluated as per the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, and valid data were extracted and included for analysis. Results. The 6 treatment regimens included cetuximab, CTX (cyclophosphamide), icotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, and erlotinib. All of the 16 studies reported their findings about overall survival (OS), and 15 of them also reported findings about progression-free survival (PFS). The NMA results showed that there was no significant difference in OS among the 6 treatment regimens. It was observed that erlotinib had the highest likelihood of obtaining the best OS, followed by afatinib, gefitinib, icotinib, CTX, and cetuximab, in descending order. This indicates that the highest possibility of achieving the best OS was with erlotinib, while the lowest was with cetuximab. The NMA results also showed that the PFS achieved with treatment using afatinib, erlotinib, and gefitinib were all higher than that with treatment using CTX, with statistically significant differences. The results showed that there was no significant difference in PFS among erlotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, cetuximab, and icotinib. CTX, cetuximab, icotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, and erlotinib were ranked in descending order based on the PFS indicator SUCRA values, which implied that erlotinib had the highest possibility in achieving the best PFS, while CTX had the lowest. Discussion. EGFR-TKIs must be carefully selected for the treatment of different histologic subtypes of NSCLC. For EGFR mutation (+) nonsquamous NSCLC, erlotinib is most likely to achieve the best OS and PFS, which makes it the first choice in the formulation of a treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision accelerometers play an important role in satellite gravity field missions to measure the non-conservative forces acting on the satellites. To map the Earth's gravity field, the accelerometer data must be time-tagged using the on-board global navigation satellite system time reference. For example, in the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment mission, the time-tag error of the accelerometers must be within 0.1 ms with respect to the satellite clock. To realize this requirement, the time delay between the actual measurement time and the nominal time of the accelerometer should be considered and corrected. This paper presents the techniques for measuring the absolute time delay of an electrostatic accelerometer on the ground, where this delay is mainly introduced by the low-noise scientific data read-out system, which is based on a Σ–Δ (sigma–delta) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). First, the time-delay sources of the system are theoretically analyzed. Then, a time-delay measurement method is proposed, and its principle and system error are presented. Finally, a prototype is built to demonstrate and investigate the feasibility of the method. Experimental results show that the absolute time delay of the read-out system is 150.80 ± 0.04 ms. This important value is the basis for the final time-tag error correction of the scientific accelerometer data. Meanwhile, the time-delay measurement method described in this paper is also useful for other data acquisition systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and gastrointestinal malignancies are uncommon. Endovascular repair (EVAR) is widely used to treat AAA. However, no consensus exists on the optimal strategy for treating AAA when associated with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In addition, only few reports of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) after EVAR exist. Presentation of case: A pancreatic tumor was detected during follow-up after EVAR for AAA in an 83-year-old female patient. The diagnosis was high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. Modified pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was safely performed. The patient recovered moderately and was discharged two weeks after surgery. The pathological diagnosis was middle-grade pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The patient survived for 24 months with no recurrence or cardiovascular complications. Conclusions: Conducting periodic follow-ups after AAA surgery is helpful for the early discovery of gastrointestinal tumors. EVAR surgery is safe and feasible and thus recommended for AAA patients with pancreatic cancer, although it may increase the risk of cancer. The stage of malignancy and post-EVAR medical history can be valuable in evaluating the benefits of pancreatic surgery for such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the associations between flavonoid intake and total and cardiovascular mortality in the older participants from the prospective National Institute of Health-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study. We included 369,827 eligible participants (mean age 61.2 ± 5.4 years) who were free of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, diabetes, and end-stage renal disease at baseline. Dietary flavonoids and major subclasses (flavan-3-ols, flavones, anthocyanidins, flavonones, and flavonols) were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. During a median follow-up of 23.5 years, we identified 143,403 deaths, of which 40,660 from CVDs. After adjustment for major confounders, total dietary flavonoids and most flavonoid subclasses were related to significantly lower total mortality (hazard ratios: 0.87–0.94), comparing the highest and lowest quintiles. Besides, higher intakes of total flavonoids, flavonols, anthocyanidins, and flavones were consistently associated with lower risks of death from all CVDs (hazard ratios: 0.90–0.93), ischemic heart disease (hazard ratios: 0.89–0.94), cerebrovascular disease (hazard ratios: 0.84–0.89), and peripheral artery disease (hazard ratios: 0.79–0.81). Subgroup analysis revealed that the inverse relationships between dietary flavonoids and total and CVD mortality were more evident in former/current smokers than in never-smokers. In conclusion, high intakes of flavonoids were linked to lower total and CVD mortality among older people. Our results extended the current evidence that frequent consumption of flavonoids could be a practical approach to improving cardiovascular health during aging. [Display omitted] • Total flavonoid intake was associated with lower total and CVD mortality among 369,827 older people. • The associations between dietary flavonoids and mortality might slightly differ between flavonoid subclasses. • The cardiovascular benefits of dietary flavonoids were more evident in the former/current smokers than in the never-smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic hybrid rare-earth double perovskite has been paid more and more attention owing to its intriguing chemical and physical properties. In this paper, we report a new layered 2D hybrid rare-earth double perovskite (HQ)4KEu(NO3)8 (1, Q = quinuclidine), consisting of staggered layers of corner-sharing K(NO3)6 and Eu(NO3)6 octahedra, alternating with bilayers of the organic cations. Compound 1 could undergo two continuous reversible phase transitions induced by two driving gears of fan-like rotation movements of NO3− around Eu (261 K) and K atoms (291 K), respectively. A peak-like and a step-like dielectric anomaly were successively found corresponding to the phase transitions. In addition to the distinctive double dielectric response, compound 1 could exhibit the characteristic emission peaks of Eu3+ ions with a lifetime of 4.78 ms and an absolute quantum yield (QY) of 42.89%. This finding of a hybrid rare-earth double perovskite displaying two continuous reversible phase transitions and photoluminescence is expected to be utilized in designing multifunctional smart stimuli-responsive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite ferroelectric, [ClCH2CH2N(CH3)3][PbBr3] (CEPbBr) was obtained by the reaction of (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride [ClCH2CH2N(CH3)3]+Cl− with lead(II) bromide in a HBr aqueous solution. CEPbBr could undergo a reversible phase transition at 315/300 K with the space group change from Cc to Pna21 and exhibit the dielectric, SHG, and ferroelectric triple transitions between high and low states as a response to a temperature stimulus. The experimental spontaneous polarization (Ps) before and after phase transition for the single crystal sample is 6.20 μC cm−2 and 0.28 μC cm−2, respectively. In order to solve the problem of randomly distributed dipole orientation of powder-pressed pellet, highly-oriented flexible ferroelectric films were obtained by the method of β-phase dominated PVDF matrix-assisted in situ growth of CEPbBr particles. The protocol of inducing a preferred orientation by a polymer matrix may be key to developing highly-oriented flexible ferroelectric thin films for electronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of conical intersection on the excited dynamics of benzene is studied by ab initio theory of electronic structure, which provides an important insight into photophysical and photochemical reactions. Based on the CASSCF(6,6)/6-31+G(d, p) method, the topological structures of conical intersections S1/S and S2/S1 of benzene, as well as the optimal structures of the ground state (S) and excited states (S1, S2), are determined. The energy minima of the S1 state and S2 state are estimated at 4.608 eV and 6.889 eV, respectively. In addition, the energy values of the conical intersections of S1/S and S2/S1 are predicted to be 5.600 eV and 6.774 eV. According to the topological structures and energy values of the S2/S1 and S1/S conical intersections, the photophysical behavior of benzene excited to the S2 state and the effects of the S2/S1 and S1/S conical intersections are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combined heat and power (CHP) system, which consists of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and an integrated fuel processor is developed based on solving the energy balance between endothermic and exothermic hydrogen production reactions. The developed system simplifies the traditional complex fuel processing, and only three reactor units are needed—catalytic combustion, new integrated hydrogen production reactor and CO removal. In the novel CHP system, the H2‐rich reformate production from methanol and water is approximately 8 Nm3 h−1 with an H2 concentration of 53%–55% and CO less than 30 ppm. The CHP system was run continuously for more than 1100 h. The power demand was observed to be about 2–9 kW corresponding to the usual load of a residential unit. To increase the whole system efficiency, anode off‐gas (AOG) from fuel cell was returned to the fuel processor and utilized in the catalytic combustion reactor to improve the energy efficiency of the whole system. The average system efficiency can be increased from 60.3% to 67% by utilization of the energy from AOG catalytic combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is a fish species that has significant economic and cultural value. It has a large size and grows rapidly. However, the intolerance to hypoxia poses a major obstacle to the growth of its aquaculture industry. This study focuses on the gills and spleen, two organs closely associated with the response to acute hypoxic stress. By simulating the acute hypoxic environment and using Illumina RNA-Seq technology, we explored the gills and spleen transcriptome changes in the acute hypoxia intolerant and tolerant groups of greater amberjack. It was discovered that gill tissues in the tolerant group may maintain a stable intracellular energy supply by promoting glycolysis and β-oxidation compared to the intolerant group. Additionally, it promotes angiogenesis, enhances the ability to absorb dissolved oxygen, and accelerates oxygen transport to the mitochondria, adapting to the hypoxic environment. Anti-apoptotic genes were up-regulated in gill tissues in the tolerant group compared to the intolerant group, thereby minimizing the damage of acute hypoxia. On the other hand, the spleen inhibited the TCA and energy-consuming lipid synthesis pathways to supply energy under acute hypoxic stress. Pro-angiogenic genes were down-regulated in the spleen of individuals in the tolerant group compared to the intolerant group, which may be related to organ function. The suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the impaired immune response function of the spleen were also found. The study explored the acute hypoxic stress response in greater amberjack and the molecular mechanisms underlying its tolerance to acute hypoxia. • Key differentially expressed genes of gills and spleen related to acute hypoxia in Seriola dumerili were identified. • Gills of acute hypoxia-tolerant individuals promote glycolysis, β-oxidation, and angiogenesis. • Spleen of acute hypoxia-tolerant individuals inhibits tricarboxylic acid cycle, lipid synthesis, and glycolysis suppression. • Gills increase oxygen uptake, while the spleen releases blood cells to transport oxygen to tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PtCu 3 alloy nanocrystals with an excavated rhombic dodecahedral shape were successfully fabricated by a hydrothermal method. • This material showed high peroxidase-like activity and could be used for UV–Vis and colorimetric detection. • Paper strips could be made for colorimetric detection of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). • By simply attaching to the peel of apple, pear and peach, the paper strips can be successfully used for the determination of OPs. • This work can make a positive contribution to food safety warning. Nowadays, the widespread use of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in agricultural production leads to varying degrees of residues in crops, which pose a potential threat to human health. Conventional methods used in national standard for the detection of OPs in fruits and vegetables require expensive instruments or cumbersome sample pretreatment steps for the analysis. To address these challenges, in this work, we took advantage of the peroxidase-like activity of PtCu 3 alloy nanocrystals (NCs) for a colorimetric and smartphone assisted sensitive detection of OPs. With the assist of a smartphone, the concentration of OPs on the peel of fruits could be obtained by comparing the B/RG value (the brightness value of blue divided by those of red and green) of a test strip with a calibration curve. This work not only provides a facile and cost-effective method to detect pesticides but also makes a positive contribution to food safety warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two-dimensional carbon nanosheets (CNSs) were synthesized by a carbonization method. • PtCu 3 nanoparticles were introduced to improve the detection sensitivity. • CNSs and PtCu 3 nanoparticles showed good catalytic activity for H 2 O 2 reduction. • Dual signal amplification strategy was used for the sensitive detection of thrombin. • A wide linear range (0.01 pM to 32 nM) with a low detection limit were obtained. Thrombin (TB) is an enzyme involved in blood coagulation and associated with various diseases such as thromboembolic disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. This study introduces an electrochemical biosensor with a sandwich-type structure designed for the highly sensitive detection of TB. The working electrode (WE) was modified with gold nanoparticles loaded onto the carbonization product of two-dimensional Cu-bond tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (Cu-TCPP) nanosheets (referred to as Au@CNSs), enhancing the electrical conductivity and specific surface area of the WE. The modified electrode exhibited notable catalytic activity for H 2 O 2 reduction. One aptamer of TB (Apt1), with a sulfhydryl group (-SH-) at the end, can tightly bound to Au@CNSs through a S-Au bond. Additionally, PtCu 3 alloy nanocrystals, possessing high electrocatalytic activity towards H 2 O 2 reduction, were prepared and modified with another TB aptamer (Apt2). In the presence of TB, a sandwich-type biosensing interface formed, resulting in an increased reduction current for H 2 O 2. Under optimized conditions, the proposed aptasensor demonstrated a broad linear range from 0.01 pM to 32 nM and a low detection limit of 0.005 pM. Furthermore, the aptasensor exhibited excellent performance in terms of stability, reproducibility, and sensitivity, making it a promising tool for TB detection in human serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is a common critical clinical disease with high mortality that can cause approximately 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common clinical complication of sepsis, which occurs primarily as diffuse alveolar injury, hypoxemia, and respiratory distress. The mortality rate of ALI/ARDS is as high as 30%-40%, which greatly endangers human health. Due to the unclear pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS, its treatment is still a worldwide problem. At present, clinical treatment mainly relies on lung-protective ventilation, prone position ventilation, and fluid management. However, there is a lack of effective and specific treatment measures. In recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have committed to basic research on ALI/ARDS, trying to further clarify its pathogenesis and find new targets and methods for the treatment of ALI/ARDS. In this review, we summarize the signaling pathways related to alveolar injury and repair in sepsis-induced ALI/ARDS and their latest research progress. They include the NF-κB, JAK2/STAT3, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), mTOR, and Notch signaling pathways. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of these signaling pathways in sepsis-induced ALI/ARDS may provide new targets and ideas for the clinical treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising cell-based therapy for acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the optimal route of MSC transplantation remains controversial, and there have been no comparisons of the therapeutic benefits of MSC administration through different delivery routes. Methods: In this study, we encapsulated MSCs into a collagen matrix to help achieve local MSC retention in the kidney and assessed the survival of MSCs in vitro and in vivo. After transplanting collagen matrix-encapsulated-MSCs (Col-MSCs) under the renal capsule or into the parenchyma using the same cell dose and suspension volume in an ischemia/reperfusion injury model, we evaluated the treatment efficacy of two local transplantation routes at different stages of AKI. Results: We found that Col-MSCs could be retained in the kidney for at least 14 days. Both local MSC therapies could reduce tubular injury, promote the proliferation of renal tubular epithelial cells on Day 3 and alleviate renal fibrosis on Day 14 and 28. MSC transplantation via the subcapsular route exerts better therapeutic effects for renal functional and structural recovery after AKI than MSC administration via the parenchymal route. Conclusions: Subcapsular MSC transplantation may be an ideal route of MSC delivery for AKI treatment, and collagen I can provide a superior microenvironment for cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions to stabilize the retention rate of MSCs in the kidney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let l be a line in a projective space ℙn. We consider the blowing up ℙn(l) of ℙn along l. Assume that X is a smooth closed subvariety of ℙn. If the strict transform of X in ℙn(l) has a splitting tangent sequence and dim X is at least 2, then X is a linear subspace of ℙn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deformation behavior of coarse-grained soil under large cyclic stresses, such as those induced by strong earthquakes, has received limited attention. This study aims to investigate the cyclic accumulation behaviors and hysteresis loops of coarse-grained soil during drained cyclic triaxial tests, spanning a range from small to large cyclic stresses. The cyclic triaxial tests were primarily conducted under anisotropic consolidation conditions, with an axial-to-radial stress ratio of 2.0, confining pressures ranging from 100 to 500 kPa, and cyclic stresses varying from 0.01 to 1.85 times the confining pressure. Additionally, cyclic triaxial tests under isotropic consolidation conditions and constant mean stress conditions were performed for comparison and validation. The test results reveal that the properties of the hysteresis loops exhibit significant nonlinear behavior as cyclic stress increases, particularly concerning their shape, symmetry, degree of closure, and initial tangent modulus of elasticity. The cumulative axial strain displays three stages: strain increases slightly and gently at small cyclic stress, increases rapidly and substantially at medium cyclic stress, and decreases at large cyclic stress. The delineation of these phases is largely governed by the behaviors observed during the first cycle. Moreover, the cumulative volumetric strain increases monotonically with the increase of cyclic stress, with a more rapid increase at large cyclic stress. This study provides valuable insights into the cyclic deformation and constitutive modeling of coarse-grained soil under significant cyclic stress. • Expands research on coarse-grained soil deformation under large cyclic stresses. • Series of tests explore cyclic hysteresis and cumulation behavior in coarse-grained soils.g • Experiments show nonlinear properties of hysteresis loops and three stages of cumulative axial strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fused silica with structured and continuous patterns is increasingly demanded in advanced imaging and illumination fields because of its excellent properties and functional performance. Atmospheric pressure plasma, based on pure chemical etching under atmospheric pressure, is developed as a promising fabrication technique for fused silica due to its deterministic high material removal rate, controllable removal imprint and no mechanical load. The stable and controllable Gaussian-shape removal function makes computer-controlled plasma tool potential to generate complex structures with high accuracy, efficiency and flexibility. In the paper, computer-controlled atmospheric pressure plasma structuring (APPS) is proposed to fabricate 2D/3D patterns on fused silica optics. The capacitively coupled APPS system with a double-layer plasma torch and its discharge characteristics are firstly developed. By means of multi-physics simulation and process investigation, the stable and controllable Gaussian-shape removal function can be achieved. Two different structuring modes, including discrete and continuous APPS, are explored for 2D/3D patterns. A series of structuring experiments show that different kinds of 2D patterns (including square lens array, hexagon lens array and groove array) as well as complex 3D phase plate patterns have been successfully fabricated, which validates the effectiveness of the proposed APPS of 2D/3D patterns on fused silica optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, quasi‐periodic long‐term slow slip events (SSEs) of magnitude up to Mw7.5 have been observed about every 4 years in the Guerrero Seismic Gap, Mexico. We present numerical simulations of the long‐term SSE cycles along the 3D slab geometry of central Mexico. Our model accounts for the hydrated oceanic crust in the framework of rate‐and‐state friction and captures the major source characteristics of the long‐term SSEs occurring between 2001 and 2014, as inferred from geodetic observations. Synthetic surface deformation calculated from simulated fault slip is in good agreement with the cumulative GPS displacements. Our results suggest that the flat‐slab segment of the Cocos plate aids the large magnitudes and long recurrence interval of the long‐term SSEs. We conclude that 3D slab geometry is an important factor in improving our understanding of the physics of slow slip events. Plain Language Summary: Slow slip events (so‐called "silent earthquakes") have been detected worldwide in circum‐Pacific subduction zones, such as Cascadia and southwest Japan. Long‐term slow slip events occur about every 4 years in the Guerrero Seismic Gap (Mexico) where tectonic plate movement is largely accommodated by aseismic slip and no large earthquakes have been observed since 1911. We build a numerical model incorporating a realistic 3D geometry of the subducting slab and lab‐derived friction laws to investigate the physics of these slow slip events. The simulated events have slip patterns, magnitudes, and recurrence intervals comparable with the observed ones. Our study demonstrates that plate geometry is an important factor to account for when studying the initiation, propagation and arrest of slow slip. Key Points: We model sequences of long‐term slow slip events in the Guerrero Seismic Gap using a geometrically flexible three‐dimensional (3D) boundary integral methodOur model reproduces the source characteristics and surface deformation of the four long‐term slow slip events (SSEs) inferred from geodetic observationsThe flat segment of the Cocos plate likely aids the large magnitudes and long recurrence interval of the slow slip events in Guerrero [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, quasi‐periodic long‐term slow slip events (SSEs) of magnitude up to Mw7.5 have been observed about every 4 years in the Guerrero Seismic Gap, Mexico. We present numerical simulations of the long‐term SSE cycles along the 3D slab geometry of central Mexico. Our model accounts for the hydrated oceanic crust in the framework of rate‐and‐state friction and captures the major source characteristics of the long‐term SSEs occurring between 2001 and 2014, as inferred from geodetic observations. Synthetic surface deformation calculated from simulated fault slip is in good agreement with the cumulative GPS displacements. Our results suggest that the flat‐slab segment of the Cocos plate aids the large magnitudes and long recurrence interval of the long‐term SSEs. We conclude that 3D slab geometry is an important factor in improving our understanding of the physics of slow slip events. Plain Language Summary: Slow slip events (so‐called "silent earthquakes") have been detected worldwide in circum‐Pacific subduction zones, such as Cascadia and southwest Japan. Long‐term slow slip events occur about every 4 years in the Guerrero Seismic Gap (Mexico) where tectonic plate movement is largely accommodated by aseismic slip and no large earthquakes have been observed since 1911. We build a numerical model incorporating a realistic 3D geometry of the subducting slab and lab‐derived friction laws to investigate the physics of these slow slip events. The simulated events have slip patterns, magnitudes, and recurrence intervals comparable with the observed ones. Our study demonstrates that plate geometry is an important factor to account for when studying the initiation, propagation and arrest of slow slip. Key Points: We model sequences of long‐term slow slip events in the Guerrero Seismic Gap using a geometrically flexible three‐dimensional (3D) boundary integral methodOur model reproduces the source characteristics and surface deformation of the four long‐term slow slip events (SSEs) inferred from geodetic observationsThe flat segment of the Cocos plate likely aids the large magnitudes and long recurrence interval of the slow slip events in Guerrero [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleo-earthquakes along the Cascadia subduction zone inferred from offshore sediments and Japan coastal tsunami deposits approximated to M9+ and ruptured the entire margin. However, due to the lack of modern megathrust earthquake records and general quiescence of subduction fault seismicity, the potential megathrust rupture scenario and influence of downdip limit of the seismogenic zone are still obscure. In this study, we present a numerical simulation of Cascadia subduction zone earthquake sequences in the laboratory-derived rate-and-state friction framework to investigate the potential influence of the geodetic fault locking on the megathrust sequences. We consider the rate-state friction stability parameter constrained by geodetic fault locking models derived from decadal GPS records, tidal gauge and levelling-derived uplift rate data along the Cascadia margin. We incorporate historical coseismic subsidence inferred from coastal marine sediments to validate our coseismic rupture scenarios. Earthquake rupture pattern is strongly controlled by the downdip width of the seismogenic, velocity-weakening zone and by the earthquake nucleation zone size. In our model, along-strike heterogeneous characteristic slip distance is required to generate margin-wide ruptures that result in reasonable agreement between the synthetic and observed coastal subsidence for the AD 1700 Cascadia Mw∼9.0 megathrust rupture. Our results suggest the geodetically inferred fault locking model can provide a useful constraint on earthquake rupture scenarios in subduction zones. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fracture dynamics of solid materials: from particles to the globe'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this clinical case report, we present a rare subtype of amyloidosis, apolipoprotein CII (apo CII), which was diagnosed through a renal biopsy and subsequently confirmed by identifying the p.K41T mutation via germline DNA sequencing. Upon reviewing the literature, five patients exhibiting identical mutation were identified via renal biopsy, while an additional patient was diagnosed through biopsies of the fat pad and bone marrow. Notably, our patient is the youngest recorded case. We pioneered the application of immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy techniques for apo CII evaluation. Our report provides a detailed description of this case, supplemented by an extensive review encompassing apo CII, documented instances of apo CII amyloidosis with renal or systemic involvement, and potential underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium is a kind of trace element. Groundwater containing strontium is called mineral water when its content reaches a level that is beneficial for human physiology. Some groundwater resources in Shijiazhuang are rich in strontium. In this study, groundwater samples collected from 103 sites were studied for the hydrochemical characteristics of strontium and its formation mechanism in the groundwater system in Shijiazhuang City. The methods of source provenance analysis, factor correlation analysis, and runoff condition analysis were carried out in the study. The results showed that the content of strontium in eastern Shijiazhuang is higher than 0.229 mg/L, with a maximum content of 1.942 mg/L. The source of strontium is the dissolution of strontium-containing minerals in carbonate rock, sheet hemp rock, clastic rock, and granite in the Taihang Mountain area of the Hutuo River Basin. Strontium is positively correlated with total dissolved solids, bicarbonate, calcium magnesium, and free carbon dioxide. The erosion ability of groundwater strengthens the dissolution of strontium, and the geochemical action is mainly due to the dissolution. The enrichment and distribution of strontium are related to the conditions of groundwater runoff. Areas with good runoff conditions and strong mining are low in strontium, while areas with poor runoff conditions have high strontium content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of peak deviatoric stress (q peak) in gravels is crucial for engineering stability and safety. Due to the various influencing factors and the limited available samples, present empirical methods and conventional machine learning algorithms have limitations in generalization capability and achieving high performance in this complex relationship. This paper proposes a novel deep learning-based model termed Seft-Net. The model utilizes a segmented feature transformation (Seft) approach to improve convergence and robustness by leveraging prior knowledge that grouping gravel properties into three categories: particle (e.g., shape, hardness), soil mass (e.g., gradation, void ratio), and external factors (e.g., confining pressure). Subsequently, it applies a feature transformation module using depthwise separable convolutions to learn and fuse hierarchical representations across multiple layers. This enables Seft-Net to automatically extract high-level features from gravel properties that capture intricate nonlinear relationships with q peak. The model is trained and validated using a large-scale practical dataset from triaxial test results. Ablation studies confirmed the superiority of the proposed segmented feature transformation approach over the unsegmented approach, and the feature transformation module demonstrated optimal feature extraction capabilities. Comparative evaluations with three machine learning methods further validated the superior performance of Seft-Net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is extremely difficult to be completely excised by surgery due to its invasive nature. Thus, chemotherapy still is the mainstay in the treatment of glioma after surgery. However, the natural blood-brain barrier (BBB) greatly restricts the penetration of chemotherapeutic agents into the central nervous system. As a front-line anti-glioma agent in clinical, carmustine (BCNU) exerts antitumor effect by inducing DNA damage at the O 6 position of guanine. However, the therapeutic effect of BCNU was largely decreased because of the drug resistance mediated by O 6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and insufficient local drug concentrations. To overcome these obstacles, we synthesized a BCNU-loaded hypoxia-responsive nano-micelle with BBB penetrating capacity and AGT inhibitory activity, named as T80-HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs. In this nano-system, Tween 80 (T80) serves as a functional coating on the surface of the micelle, promoting transportation across the BBB. Hyaluronic acid (HA) with active tumor-targeting capability was linked with the hydrophobic O 6-benzylguanine (BG) analog via a hypoxia-sensitive azo bond. Under hypoxic tumor microenvironment, the azo bond selectively breaks to release O 6-BG as AGT inhibitor and BCNU as DNA alkylating agent. The synthesized T80-HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs showed good stability, favorable biocompatibility and hypoxia-responsive drug-releasing ability. T80 modification improved the transportation of the micelle across an in vitro BBB model. Moreover, T80-HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs exhibited significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against glioma cell lines with high AGT expression compared with traditional combined medication of BCNU plus O 6-BG. We expect that the tumor-targeting nano-micelle designed for chloroethylnitrosourea will provide new tools for the development of effective glioma therapy. [Display omitted] • A multifunctional tumor targeting nanocarrier was synthesized for delivery of BCNU. • The nanocarrier disintegrates under tumor hypoxia and releases the loaded drug. • Hyaluronic acid was linked to the nanocarrier for targeting CD44 in tumor cells. • Tween 80 was coated on the surface of nanocarrier to facilitate transport across BBB. • Tumor targeting and drug resistance reversal can be achieved for CENU therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater resources in North China are scarce, and nitrogen pollution, especially ammonia nitrogen pollution, in groundwater is a severe environmental challenge for this area. In this context, the effects of differentaquifer media on ammonia nitrogen adsorption in Hutuo river plain, north China were investigated in the study. In particular, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of Eh, clay particle and organic material content on ammonia nitrogen adsorption. The study found that Eh affected the migration and transformation of NH4+-N in aquifer media. When the clay particle content was less than or equal to 14%, the NH4+-N adsorption reached the equilibrium state in 210 min. The adsorption was the maximum when the clay content was 14% in the study. The NH4+-N adsorption of by three sand types increased with the increase of clay content. Meanwhile, the concentration of NO2−-N and NO3−-N increased, though the change was not significant. The increase in the organic matter content enhanced the oxidation of the medium, and pH value continued to decline, leading to H+ and NH4+ forming a competitive relationship in the solution. However, the NH4+-N adsorption capacity gradually increased as the organic matter consisting of more cation adsorption sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid water resources such as glaciers and snow cover are widely distributed in the western Tibetan plateau (WTP), and precipitation is the key supply of them. However, the characteristics of precipitation over the WTP remain unclear due to sparse observations. Using observation‐based gridded data (APHRODITE, GPCC), satellite products (TRMM, GPM), reanalysis data (ERA5, ERA‐Interim, JRA‐55) and weather research and forecasting model (WRF)‐simulation data (HAR10, HAR30), this study investigated the precipitation characteristics in high mountain areas (altitude >2,500 m a.s.l.) of the WTP (26–44°N, 70–85°E) from 2001 to 2013. Results show that annual GPM precipitation (336 mm) is much lower than that of other data sets (570–800 mm) for the WTP and appears to be an outlier; meanwhile, the other data sets show increasing precipitation as grid resolution decreases (becomes coarser). In contrast, high spatial resolution WRF simulations (HAR10, HAR30) yielded considerably higher precipitation in four strongly glacierized alpine areas (Western Himalaya, Karakorum, Tajikistan, and west Kunlun) than the other data sets. When compared to precipitation estimated using the water balance in nine glacierized catchments of the Upper Indus River Basin, the HAR data sets more reasonably represent the amount of precipitation in high mountain areas than the other data sets. The surface albedo, snow cover extent, and snow cover duration observed by satellites further indicate that the HAR data sets yield reasonable spatial variability of precipitation. This implies that the commonly used data sets (such as observation data and satellite products) underestimate the precipitation in high mountain areas. According to the HAR10 data, the four major glacierized areas on the WTP have similar precipitation amounts in summer and autumn, and the winter–spring contribution to annual precipitation is at least 70% in three of these areas (Western Himalaya, Karakorum, and Tajikistan). This pattern indicates that precipitation over the high‐altitude areas in WTP is mainly controlled by the mid‐latitude westerlies. The annual precipitation in these areas is over 1,000 mm, which is comparable to that of the southeast TP but much larger than that on the central plateau. Therefore, the spatial precipitation pattern across the TP is 'wet east and west, dry middle'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric pressure plasma processing (APPP) is proved to be potential in the fabrication of optical elements with high efficiency and near-zero damage. However, high convergence rate in the figuring process is hard to achieve because of the tool influence function (TIF) non-linearity. Directly solved dwell time map by conventional deconvolution methods does not consider the non-linear thermal effect, which leads to significant figuring error. In this paper, the optimization strategy for TIF non-linearity based on the velocity distribution in APPP is presented. The exponential model of TIF with non-linearity is established by trench experiments. A series of simulations are also conducted to analyze the thermal effect of non-linearity on the figuring process, indicating the TIF constantly changes with velocity distribution. Two evaluation parameters, relative balance factor and velocity concentration factor, are proposed to investigate the figuring capacity of calculated velocity distribution. With two evaluation parameters, the optimization strategy of velocity distribution based on TIF selection is proposed to suppress the non-linearity. Verification experiments are carried out to validate the two optimized TIFs. The results show that high convergence is achieved to be 72.41% and 82.81% for root-mean-square value respectively, which proves the feasibility of the proposed optimization strategy. • The simulation indicates TIF constantly changes with velocity distribution due to non-linear thermal effect. • Relative balance factor and velocity concentration factor, are used to evaluate the velocity distribution. • Two optimization strategies is proposed to suppress the TIF non-linearity effect. • High convergence of RMS error is achieved to be 72.41% and 82.81% respectively by two optimal TIFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of multidrug resistance (MDR) has seriously impeded the efficacy of drug treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Recent studies have indicated that S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8) is associated with the occurrence and development of MDR. Traditional Chinese medicine may provide drugs with the potential to be used as multidrug resistance reversal agents with low toxicity and multi-target characteristics. The present study selected K562/DOX cells, a CML drug-resistant cell line, as a research model, and aimed to examine whether curcumin was able to reverse the resistance to doxorubicin (DOX), and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. An MTT cytotoxicity assay indicated that curcumin at 0.5–2 µM reversed DOX resistance with a reversal index of 1.3–9.3. Western blot analysis revealed that curcumin treatment caused a downregulation of the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and S100A8 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. To study the internal association between S100A8 and P-gp, and the S100A8 role in drug resistance reversal, an RNA knockdown assay was conducted; however, S100A8 did not regulate the expression of P-gp or vice versa. After inhibiting the expression of S100A8 with specific small interfering RNA (si-S100A8), the sensitivity of K562/DOX cells to DOX was enhanced. In addition, si-S100A8 did not increase the intracellular accumulation of DOX, but increased the intracellular free calcium ion content, and the expression and activity of apoptosis-associated proteins, thereby inducing apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study suggested that inhibition of S100A8 expression increased DOX-induced apoptosis, and curcumin acted independently on S100A8 and P-gp to exert its drug resistance reversal effects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the pure chemical etching, atmospheric plasma processing techniques have been developed for fused silica optics fabrication, in order to achieve deterministic high rate material removal, small tool spot and no mechanical load applied. However, the surface smoothness tends to be deteriorated after etching process. Comprehensive characterization of surface topography after atmospheric plasma processing is necessary in order to understand the opacification phenomenon and etching mechanism. In this paper, a capacitively coupled atmospheric pressure plasma processing (CCAPPP) system and experimental setup are firstly presented. Chemical composition, surface topography, cross-section topography as well as quantitative surface roughness are respectively characterized and analyzed in detail. The results show that the topography difference between the transparent and the opaque area was not caused by chemical composition. The main differences in the microscopic topography were the size and density of etched cellular microstructures. The opacification phenomenon mainly resulted from the excessive roughening on the processed surface topography, causing visible light to be diffusely reflected. • Characterization of surface topography after atmospheric plasma processing explains the opacification phenomenon and etching mechanism. • XPS analysis shows SiC x F y O z thin film layer existed on processed areas and the topography difference was not caused by chemical composition. • The cellular microstructures in the opaque area indicate the opacification mainly resulted from the excessive roughening on the processed surface. • The roughness of plasma processed surface increased with respect to the original surface, causing visible light to be diffusely reflected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface measurement is essential to enhance accuracy and efficiency in ultra-precision machining. In order to increase the measurement availability and efficiency, offline lab-based solutions are shifting towards the use of surface metrology upon manufacturing platforms. With the lack of remounting errors, on-machine surface measurement (OMSM) allows the deterministic assessment of manufactured surfaces just-in-time and also provides valuable feedback to the process control of ultra-precision machining. This paper is aimed at reviewing the state-of-the-art OMSM and applications in the ultra-precision machining process. The benefits and considerations on the integration of metrology are discussed. The merits and limitations among different OMSM types are compared as well. Finally, the challenges and outlook of the ultra-precision machining-metrology integration are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study smooth complex projective varieties X such that some exterior power ⋀ r T X of the tangent bundle is strictly nef. We prove that such varieties are rationally connected. We also classify the following two cases. If T X is strictly nef, then X isomorphic to the projective space P n. If ⋀ 2 T X is strictly nef and if X has dimension at least 3, then X is either isomorphic to P n or a quadric Q n. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient machining of SiCp/Al composites is always a challenge due to their poor surface integrity. This paper aims to study the cutting mechanism considering the interaction between particles and reveals the removal process of SiC particles under different cutting parameters. Furthermore, a thorough analysis was conducted to examine the impact of SiC particles on cutting force, chip shape, and surface defects. The results indicate that the form of particle removal is determined by the relative position of the cutting path and SiC particles, which includes particle fracture, push-in, slip, and debonding. As the cutting depth increases, the cutting force also increases from 10.4 to 20.1 N, and the presence of SiC particles can cause significant fluctuations in the cutting force. In addition, an increase in cutting speed improves surface quality, and the chips primarily exhibit a block- and sheet-like shape. This study provides valuable insights into the removal mechanism and process research of SiCp/Al composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carmustine (BCNU) is a typical chemotherapy used for treatment of cerebroma and other solid tumors, which exerts antitumor effect by inducing DNA damage at O 6 position of guanine. However, the clinical application of BCNU was extremely limited due to the drug resistance mainly mediated by O 6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and absence of tumor-targeting ability. To overcome these limitations, we developed a hypoxia-responsive nanomicelle with AGT inhibitory activity, which was successfully loaded with BCNU. In this nano-system, hyaluronic acid (HA) acts as an active tumor-targeting ligand to bind the overexpressing CD44 receptors on the surface of tumor cells. An azo bond selectively breaks in hypoxic tumor microenvironment to release O 6-benzylguanine (BG) as AGT inhibitor and BCNU as DNA alkylating agent. The obtained HA-AZO-BG NPs with shell core structure had an average particle size of 176.98 ± 11.19 nm and exhibited good stability. Meanwhile, HA-AZO-BG NPs possessed a hypoxia-responsive drug release profile. After immobilizing BCNU into HA-AZO-BG NPs, the obtained HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs exhibited obvious hypoxia-selectivity and superior cytotoxicity in T98G, A549, MCF-7 and SMMC-7721 cells with IC 50 at 189.0, 183.2, 90.1 and 100.1 μm, respectively, under hypoxic condition. Near-infrared imaging in HeLa tumor xenograft models showed that HA-AZO-BG/DiR NPs could effectively accumulate in tumor site at 4 h of post-injection, suggesting its good tumor-targetability. In addition, in vivo anti-tumor efficacy and toxicity evaluation indicated that HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs was more effective and less harmful compared to the other groups. After treatment, the tumor weight of HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs group was 58.46 % and 63.33 % of the control group and BCNU group, respectively. Overall, HA-AZO-BG/BCNU NPs was expected to be a promising candidate for targeted delivery of BCNU and elimination of chemoresistance. • Poor selectivity and AGT-induced drug resistance limit the clinical application of carmustine (BCNU) as a chemotherapy. • A hypoxia and CD44 receptors dual-targeted nano-micelle with AGT inhibitor as a skeleton is developed for delivery of BCNU. • The nano-micelle showed good stability, favorable biocompatibility and high sensitivity in responding to tumor hypoxia. • BCNU-loaded nano-micelle showed high therapeutic efficacy, providing an optimized strategy for clinical application of CENUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smad ubiquitylation regulatory factor-1 (Smurf1) is one of C2-WW-HECT domain E3 ubiquitin ligases, it can regulate BMP pathway by mediating ubiquitylation degradation of Smad1/Smad5. Many functions about Smurf1 also are still unknown, especially in retina. This research is about to explore the role of Smurf1 in retina degeneration. Tail vein injection of sodium iodate (NaIO 3) in C57BL/6J mice was the animal model of retina degeneration. In NaIO 3 model, Smurf1 had more expression than normal mice. Specific Smurf1 inhibitor, A01, was injected into vitreous cavity. Results showed that inhibiting Smurf1 could alleviate acute retina injury, such as keeping a better retina structure in living imaging and histologic sections, less cell death and inflammation activation. Tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) was used to establish oxidative stress injury in human retinal pigments epithelial cell line (ARPE-19). Oxidative stress injury gradually caused co-upregulation of Smurf1, TGF-β1 and phosphorylated NF-κB (pNF-κB). TGF-β1 could directly induce Smurf1 expression. Inhibiting Smurf1 had an anti-epithelial mesenchymal transition (anti-EMT) function. Similarly, A01 also could inhibit the expression of pNF-κB, NLRP3 and IL-1β. At last, after searching bioinformatics database, Smurf1 had a possible interaction with beta-transducin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (β-TrCP), another E3 ubiquitin ligases. β-TrCP can mediate ubiquitination degradation of p-IκBα. Lentivirus- SMURF1 was used to overexpress Smurf1, and GS143 was used to inhibit β-TrCP. The results showed Smurf1 could directly induce NF-κB, pNF-κB, and NLRP3 expression, and keep a stable β-TrCP expression. However, inhibiting β-TrCP could cause more NF-κB activation and NLRP3 expression. Therefore, β-TrCP may play a negative role in NF-κB pathway activation. In summary, Smurf1 plays a role in exacerbating oxidative stress injury and inflammation in retina and may become a potential therapeutic target in ROS injury of retina. • The first research to explore the functions of Smurf1 in retina disease. • This research found a crosstalk between TGF-beta pathway and NF kappa B pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of SO42−/W−Zr catalysts with different W/Zr mole ratios were synthesized by solvent evaporation self‐assembly followed by impregnation of sulfuric acid. The catalysts were examined in the glycerol esterification with acetic acid, and fully characterized by XRD, BET, TEM, XPS, NH3‐TPD, H2O‐TPD and pyridine adsorption infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed that W/Zr mole ratio and calcination temperature significantly affected the structure, acidity and catalytic performance of the catalysts. SO42−/W−Zr(1:1)‐500 (with a W/Zr mole ratio of 1:1, calcined at 500 °C) exhibited the highest catalytic activity, which is mainly due to the fact that the catalyst had more acidic sites and good water tolerance. In addition, the catalyst also showed excellent recyclability, in five repeated runs the conversion of glycerol and yields of products remained stable. SO42−/W−Zr complex solid super acid catalysts with different Zr/Al mol ratios were synthesized by solvent evaporation self‐assembly followed by impregnation of sulfuric acid and used in the esterification of glycerol with acetic acid to glyceryl diacetate. SO42−/W−Zr(1:1)‐500 (with a W/Zr mole ratio of 1:1, calcined at 500 °C) exhibited high activity, selectivity, and excellent recyclability, owing to its abundant acidic sites and good water tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is conclusive evidence to demonstrate the role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in human development and growth, vision, and cell membrane fluidity (membrane order). N-3 PUFA also contribute to human health maintenance through correction of arrhythmias, inhibition of platelet aggregation and prolongation of clotting time, lowering blood pressure, lowering serum triglycerides and plasma homocysteine, being antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory, being cardio-protective, increasing insulin sensitivity in Asians, and decreasing the risk of breast and colorectal cancers. This understanding of a wide spectrum of biological effects attributable to n-3 PUFA has been unsettled by a systematic review of randomized clinical intervention trials (RCTs) which has reported that n-3 PUFA have negligible or no effect on all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Here, possible reasons for the inconsistencies in regard to n-3 PUFA and cardiovascular diseases, along with the implications for their broader biology, are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A novel polyvinyl alcohol-coated magnetic nanoparticle was first prepared and characterized. • Fe 3 O 4 @PVA showed high binding capacity and fast binding kinetics. • The whole process could complete in a short time. • Fe 3 O 4 @PVA proved to be an efficient method for the extraction of AAs in honey samples. Abstract The authors describe magnetic nanoparticles comprising of a Fe 3 O 4 core and a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coating for use in dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) of aminoglycoside antibiotics (AAs). The sorbent was investigated by Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and so on. The extraction conditions consisting of the proportion of ACN, pH value, buffer concentration and sorbent dosage were optimized. The nanoparticles have a large surface area (73.28 m2 g−1), a high binding capacity (11.33 μmol g−1) and a fast binding time (30 s). The Fe 3 O 4 @PVA is shown to be an effective adsorbent for the enrichment of AAs (streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin and kanamycin) in spiked honey. The limits of detection are as low as 0.993, 0.913 and 1.23 μg kg−1 for streptomycin, dihydrostreptomycin and kanamycin, respectively. The recoveries varied from 82.9% to 100.7% at the three spiking levels tested (40, 400, 4000 μg⋅kg−1). Intra-day and inter-day assay precision were < 12.1% (n = 6) and <12.8% (n = 3) at three spiking levels. These data showed that the method could be applied to the extraction of AAs in honey samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of 2022, an excessive amount of rainfall fell in Southwest China (SWC) under the background of frequent droughts in history. This extreme event occurred in the decaying phase of a La Niña event, and thus, presumably La Niña played a role in this extreme event. Based on observational diagnoses and model forecasts, the atmospheric circulation anomalies, contributions of remote forcing, and the predictability of this event were examined in this work. It is suggested that La Niña and the Tibetan Plateau upper-tropospheric warming are two major factors leading to the extreme event. In addition to the recognized impact of La Niña, the upper-tropospheric warming over the Tibetan Plateau modulates the Asian atmospheric circulation by inducing a northwest-southeast wave pattern extending from the Ural Mountains to the Indochina Peninsula via the western Tibetan Plateau. The meridional heat contrast associated with the Tibetan Plateau warming favors upward motion and excessive rainfall in SWC. The statistical connection between the SWC spring rainfall anomaly and the northwest-southeast wave pattern is confirmed by a climate model forecast. The model captured the wet pattern in SWC in spring 2022 in short (1–3 months) lead real-time predictions though there are biases in the area and severity. That may be due to that the model did not well capture the atmospheric circulation anomalies at the middle and high latitudes associated with the Tibetan Plateau upper-tropospheric warming. These results indicate that such an event is predictable to some extent if both the ENSO evolution and heat condition over the Tibetan Plateau can be well predicted. • In 2022 spring, an excessive amount of rainfall fell in Southwest China under the background of frequent droughts in history. • La Niña and the Tibetan Plateau upper-tropospheric warming are two major factors leading to the extreme event. • Such an event is predictable if both the ENSO evolution and heat condition over the Tibetan Plateau can be well predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) has been widely used for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in recent years. However, the role of hemoadsorption in ARDS patients requiring VV ECMO is unclear. Methods: Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to describe the effect of hemoadsorption on outcomes of ARDS patients requiring VV ECMO and elucidate the risk factors for adverse outcomes. We conducted and reported a systematic literature review based on the principles derived from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The systematic review searched Embase, CINHAL, and Pubmed databases for studies on ARDS patients receiving hemoadsorption and VV ECMO. The demographic data, clinical data and biological data of the patients were collected. Results: We ultimately included a total of 8 articles including 189 patients. We characterized the population both clinically and biologically. Our review showed most studies described reductions in inflammatory markers and fluid resuscitation drug dosage in ARDS patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or sepsis after hemoadsorption. Conclusion: Because most of the studies have the characteristics of high heterogeneity, we could only draw very cautious conclusions that hemoadsorption therapy may enhance hemodynamic stability in ARDS patients with COVID-19 or sepsis receiving VV ECMO support. However, our results do not allow us to draw conclusions that hemoadsorption could reduce inflammation and mortality. Prospective randomized controlled studies with a larger sample size are needed in the future to verify the role of hemoadsorption in ARDS patients requiring VV ECMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibition of free nitrous acid (FNA) on denitrifying phosphorus removal has been widely reported for enhanced biological phosphorus removal; however, few studies focus on the nitrous oxide (N2O) production involved in this process. In this study, the effects of FNA on N2O production and anoxic phosphorus metabolism were investigated using phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) culture highly enriched (91±4%) in Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis. Results show that the FNA concentration notably inhibited anoxic phosphorus metabolism and phosphorus uptake. Poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) degradation was completely inhibited when the FNA concentration was approximately 0.0923 mgHNO2-N/L. Higher initial FNA concentrations (0.00035 to 0.0103 mgHNO2-N/L) led to more PHA consumption/TN (0.444 to 0.916 mmol-C/(mmol-N·gVSS)). Moreover, it was found that FNA, rather than nitrite and pH, was likely the true inhibitor of N2O production. The highest proportion of N2O to TN was 78.42% at 0.0031 mgHNO2-N/L (equivalent to 42.44 mgNO2-N/L at pH 7.5), due to the simultaneous effects of FNA on the subsequent conversion of NO2 into N2O and then into N2. The traditional nitrite knee point can only indicate the exhaustion of nitrite, instead of the complete removal of TN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give a characterization of smooth quadrics in terms of the existence of full exceptional collections of certain type, which generalizes a result of C.Vial for projective spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface measurement is fundamental to further enhance accuracy and efficiency in ultra-precision machining. Advanced on-machine measurement (OMM) is evolving as the key enabling technology for autonomous and intelligent manufacturing. The present work integrates an interferometric probing system on an ultra-precision turning machine. However, due to relatively harsh environment in the machine tools, metrology characteristics of surface measuring instrument would deviate from those tested in laboratories. In order to improve the performance of on-machine measurement system, it is necessary to calibrate the OMM system and compensate the systematic errors. Three major error sources, including on-machine vibration, machine tool kinematic errors, and linearity errors are investigated according to the characteristics of interferometric single point OMM. For on-machine vibration, a theoretical study of the relationship between sampling frequency, scanning parameters, vibration frequency and topography frequencies of interest is first presented. Static and scanning vibration tests are performed in order to select the proper sampling frequency. Machine scanning error is mapped for OMM correction with the proposed kinematic error modelling measurement and compensation method. Calibration of the response curve and linearity error correction is conducted by measuring a radially distributed step height sample on the machine. Experimental investigation is conducted which proves the validity of proposed calibration methodology and the effectiveness of OMM. After the calibration process, OMM results agree well with calibrated offline measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study two-dimensional irreducible projective smooth algebraic semigroups. Minimal surface semigroups with Kodaira dimension at most one are partially classified. We also calculate the local dimension of the moduli scheme parameterizing all algebraic semigroup laws on a fixed minimal surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]