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The Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) ferroelectric single crystals have been commercially available as important components in medical ultrasound transducers due to their excellent piezoelectric and electromechanical coupling performance. The variation in piezoelectric and dielectric properties of PMN-PT single crystals with ambient temperature is an important application indicator. In this work, the PMN-PT single crystals after direct current poling (DCP) and alternating current poling (ACP) were subjected to the cyclic thermal treatment process. The thermal cycling stability and microstructural changes in PMN-PT single crystals were investigated. The ACP single crystals exhibit a higher dielectric constant ε 33 T / ε 0 (6500–7600) and piezoelectric coefficient d33 (2100–2500 pC N−1) compared to the DCP single crystals (ε 33 T / ε 0 of 4100–5000, d33 of 1200–1300 pC N−1). Under thermal cycling at 60 °C, the DCP and ACP single crystals exhibit good thermal cycling stability after 150 cycles. Microstructural observations show that the domain structure of the DCP single crystals exhibits "staggered domain walls, inhomogeneous domain size, variety of domain structure," while the relatively homogeneous stripe-like domains were observed in the ACP single crystals. After thermal cycling, new fine striped domains appear in both the DCP and ACP single crystals due to the instability of rotated polarization, but the piezoelectric and dielectric properties are not greatly affected. This work provides an intensive understanding of the effects of thermal cycling on the domain structure, which is useful for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Existing studies have found that circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as sponges for micro RNAs (miRNAs) to control downstream genes. However, the specific functionalities and mechanisms of circRNAs in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Methods: Patient cohorts from online databases were used to screen candidate circRNAs, while another cohort from our hospital was obtained for validation. CircSOD2 was identified as a potential oncogenic target, and its relevant characteristics were investigated during ccRCC progression through various assays. A positive feedback loop containing downstream miRNA and its target gene were identified using bioinformatics and validated by luciferase reporter assays, RNA pull-down, and high-throughput sequencing. Results: CircSOD2 expression was elevated in tumor samples and significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) and the tumor stage of ccRCC patients, which appeared in the enhanced proliferation, invasion, and migration of tumor cells. Through competitive binding to circSOD2, miR-532-3p can promote the expression of PAX5 and the progression of ccRCC, and such regulation can be salvaged by miR-532-3p inhibitor. Conclusion: A novel positive feedback loop, PAX5/circSOD2/miR-532-3p/PAX5 was identified in the study, indicating that the loop may play an important role in the diagnosis and prognostic prediction in ccRCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of the combined application of organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer using different tillage methods to delay the senescence of maize leaves. The yield and activities of GDH, CAT, APX, GR, and GSH enzymes in maize leaves were measured at different growth stages by using two tillage methods, three organic and inorganic combined applications (P1, P2, and P3), and four control treatments. (1) During the growth period, the R + S and R treatments were P1 treatments, with the highest enzyme activities noted for GDH, CAT, APX, GR, and GSH, which were 36.79–103.22% higher than those of CK. (2) The average yield of all R + S treatments was higher than that of R treatments, and the average yield of P1 treatment was the highest under R + S, which was 13,663.79 kg hm−2, which was 6.39%, 7.90%, and 14.67% higher than that of P2, P3, and CK, respectively, which was lower than that of R. The yield of P1 treatment was 2.53% higher. (3) There was a significant positive correlation between APX activity, CAT activity, GR activity, GDH activity, GSH activity, grain number per ear, ear length, and 100-grain weight of maize leaves at the grain filling stage, and a significant negative correlation between bald tip length and yield. The treatment details had the strongest enzyme activity and the highest yield when using the rotary tillage + subsoiling (R + S) P1 method, which was the most suitable tillage method and the best fertilizer ratio combination, which could be demonstrated and popularized in a large area in the dry farming area of spring maize in Shanxi Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) is an excellent antioxidant that is easily oxidized to 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroperoxyl-4-methyl-2,5-cyclohexadienone (BHTOOH). For the safety of BHT production and usage, it is meaningful to study the thermal stability and decomposition properties of BHT and BHTOOH. In this paper, the thermal decomposition properties of BHT and BHTOOH were compared by the mini closed pressure vessel test (MCPVT) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Their kinetics of thermal decomposition were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal decomposition products of BHT and BHTOOH were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The results show that there was no significant change in temperature pressure when BHT was warmed up under a nitrogen atmosphere, indicating that BHT was stable within 400 K. The thermal decomposition reaction of BHTOOH was rapid with an initial reaction temperature of 375.2 K. The initial exothermic temperature (Ti) and heat release (QDSC) of DSC were 384.9 K and 865.0 J g−1, respectively. The apparent activation energies (Ea) for the thermal decomposition reactions of BHT and BHTOOH calculated by the Kissinger method were 151.8 kJ mol−1 and 66.07 kJ mol−1, respectively. The main decomposition products of BHT were isobutene and 2-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol. The thermal decomposition products of BHTOOH included BHT, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-ethylphenol, 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4,4′-(1,2-ethanediyl) bis [2,6-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl) phenol, etc. Based on the thermal decomposition behavior and products, the reaction pathway has been described. These results indicate that BHT is a potential thermal hazard during production, storage and application. For the safety of the chemical industry, the oxidation of BHT should be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional bowel disorders and dysmetabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of disease. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of information regarding the causal relationship between circulating metabolites and IBS. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the causal relationship between genetically proxied 486 blood metabolites and IBS. Methods: A two-sample MR analysis was implemented to assess the causality of blood metabolites on IBS. The study utilized a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to examine 486 metabolites as the exposure variable while employing a GWAS study with 486,601 individuals of European descent as the outcome variable. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used to estimate the causal relationship of metabolites on IBS, while several methods were performed to eliminate the pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Another GWAS data was used for replication and meta-analysis. In addition, reverse MR and linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) were employed for additional assessment. Multivariable MR analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the direct impact of metabolites on IBS. Results: Three known and two unknown metabolites were identified as being associated with the development of IBS. Higher levels of butyryl carnitine (OR(95%CI):1.10(1.02–1.18),p = 0.009) and tetradecanedioate (OR(95%CI):1.13(1.04–1.23),p = 0.003)increased susceptibility of IBS and higher levels of stearate(18:0)(OR(95%CI):0.72(0.58–0.89),p = 0.003) decreased susceptibility of IBS. Conclusion: The metabolites implicated in the pathogenesis of IBS possess potential as biomarkers and hold promise for elucidating the underlying biological mechanisms of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Whether and how do Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) regulate the physiological functions of human sperm? SUMMARY ANSWER NHE-mediated flagellar intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis facilitates the activation of the pH-sensitive, sperm-specific Ca2+ channel (CatSper) and the sperm-specific K+ channel (KSper), which subsequently modulate sperm motility, hyperactivation, flagellar tyrosine phosphorylation, and the progesterone (P4)-induced acrosome reaction. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Sperm pHi alkalization is an essential prerequisite for the acquisition of sperm-fertilizing capacity. Different sperm functions are strictly controlled by particular pHi regulatory mechanisms. NHEs are suggested to modulate sperm H+ efflux. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a laboratory study that used samples from >50 sperm donors over a period of 1 year. To evaluate NHE action on human sperm function, 5-(N , N -dimethyl)-amiloride (DMA), a highly selective inhibitor of NHEs, was utilized. All experiments were repeated at least five times using different individual sperm samples or cells. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS By utilizing the pH fluorescent indicator pHrodo Red-AM, we detected alterations in single-cell pHi value in human sperm. The currents of CatSper and KSper in human sperm were recorded by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Changes in population and single-cell Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) of human sperm loaded with Fluo 4-AM were measured. Membrane potential (Vm) and population pHi were quantitatively examined by a multimode plate reader after sperm were loaded with 3,3′-dipropylthiadicarbocyanine iodide and 2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein, acetoxymethyl ester, respectively. Sperm motility parameters were assessed by a computer-assisted semen analysis system. Tyrosine phosphorylation was determined by immunofluorescence, and sperm acrosome reaction was evaluated by Pisum sativum agglutinin-FITC staining. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE DMA-induced NHEs inhibition severely acidified the human sperm flagellar pHi from 7.20 ± 0.04 to 6.38 ± 0.12 (mean ± SEM), while the effect of DMA on acrosomal pHi was less obvious (from 5.90 ± 0.13 to 5.57 ± 0.12, mean ± SEM). The whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that NHE inhibition remarkably suppressed alkalization-induced activation of CatSper and KSper. As a consequence, impairment of [Ca2+]i homeostasis and Vm maintenance were detected in the presence of DMA. During the capacitation process, pre-treatment with DMA for 2 h potently decreased sperm pHi, which in turn decreased sperm motility and kinetic parameters. Sperm capacitation-associated functions, including hyperactivation, tyrosine phosphorylation, and P4-induced acrosome reaction, were also compromised by NHE inhibition. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This was an in vitro study. Caution should be taken when extrapolating these results to in vivo applications. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study revealed that NHEs are important physiological regulators for human CatSper and KSper, which are indispensable for human sperm fertility, suggesting that malfunction of NHEs could be an underlying mechanism for the pathogenesis of male infertility. FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32271167 and 81871202 to X.Z.), Jiangsu Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Plan (JSSCRC20211543 to X.Z.), the Social Development Project of Jiangsu Province (No. BE2022765 to X.Z.), the Society and livelihood Project of Nantong City (No. MS22022087 to X.Z.), and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20220608 to H.K.). The authors have no competing interests to declare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION What is the significance and mechanism of human seminal plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) in regulating human sperm functions? SUMMARY ANSWER EV increases the intracellular Ca2+ concentrations [Ca2+]i via extracellular Ca2+ influx by activating CatSper channels, and subsequently modulate human sperm motility, especially hyperactivated motility, which is attributed to both protein and non-protein components in EV. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY EVs are functional regulators of human sperm function, and EV cargoes from normal and asthenozoospermic seminal plasma are different. Pre-fusion of EV with sperm in the acidic and non-physiological sucrose buffer solution could elevate [Ca2+]i in human sperm. CatSper, a principle Ca2+ channel in human sperm, is responsible for the [Ca2+]i regulation when sperm respond to diverse extracellular stimuli. However, the role of CatSper in EV-evoked calcium signaling and its potential physiological significance remain unclear. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION EV isolated from the seminal plasma of normal and asthenozoospermic semen were utilized to investigate the mechanism by which EV regulates calcium signal in human sperm, including the involvement of CatSper and the responsible cargoes in EV. In addition, the clinical application potential of EV and EV protein-derived peptides were also evaluated. This is a laboratory study that went on for more than 5 years and involved more than 200 separate experiments. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Semen donors were recruited in accordance with the Institutional Ethics Committee on human subjects of the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University and Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital. The Flow NanoAnalyzer, western blotting, and transmission electron microscope were used to systematically characterize seminal plasma EV. Sperm [Ca2+]i responses were examined by fluorimetric measurement. The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was performed to record CatSper currents. Sperm motility parameters were assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis. Sperm hyperactivation was also evaluated by examining their penetration ability in viscous methylcellulose media. Protein and non-protein components in EV were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrum. The levels of prostaglandins, reactive oxygen species, malonaldehyde, and DNA integrity were detected by commercial kits. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE EV increased [Ca2+]i via an extracellular Ca2+ influx, which could be suppressed by a CatSper inhibitor. Also, EV potentiated CatSper currents in human sperm. Furthermore, the EV-in [Ca2+]i increase and CatSper currents were absent in a CatSper-deficient sperm, confirming the crucial role of CatSper in EV induced Ca2+ signaling in human sperm. Both proteins and non-protein components of EV contributed to the increase of [Ca2+]i, which were important for the effects of EV on human sperm. Consequently, EV and its cargos promoted sperm hyperactivated motility. In addition, seminal plasma EV protein-derived peptides, such as NAT1-derived peptide (N-P) and THBS-1-derived peptide (T-P), could activate the sperm calcium signal and enhance sperm function. Interestingly, EV derived from asthenozoospermic semen caused a lower increase of [Ca2+]i than that isolated from normal seminal plasma (N-EV), and N-EV significantly improved sperm motility and function in both asthenozoospermic samples and frozen-thawed sperm. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This was an in vitro study and caution must be taken when extrapolating the physiological relevance to in vivo regulation of sperm. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings demonstrate that the CatSper-mediated-Ca2+ signaling is involved in EV-modulated sperm function under near physiological conditions, and EV and their derivates are a novel CatSper and sperm function regulators with potential for clinical application. They may be developed to improve sperm motility resulting from low [Ca2+]i response and/or freezing and thawing. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32271167), the Social Development Project of Jiangsu Province (BE2022765), the Nantong Social and People's Livelihood Science and Technology Plan (MS22022087), the Basic Science Research Program of Nantong (JC22022086), and the Jiangsu Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Plan (JSSCRC2021543). The authors declare no conflict of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Force‐responsive molecules that produce fluorescent moieties under stress provide a means for stress‐sensing and material damage assessment. In this work, we report a mechanophore based on Diels‐Alder adduct TAD‐An of 4,4′‐(4,4′‐diphenylmethylene)‐bis‐(1,2,4‐triazoline‐3,5‐dione) and initiator‐substituted anthracene that can undergo retro‐Diels‐Alder (rDA) reaction by pulsed ultrasonication and compressive activation in bulk materials. The influence of having C−N versus C−C bonds at the sites of bond scission is elucidated by comparing the relative mechanical strength of TAD‐An to another Diels‐Alder adduct MAL‐An obtained from maleimide and anthracene. The susceptibility to undergo rDa reaction correlates well with bond energy, such that C−N bond containing TAD‐An degrades faster C−C bond containing MAL‐An because C−N bond is weaker than C−C bond. Specifically, the results from polymer degradation kinetics under pulsed ultrasonication shows that polymer containing TAD‐An has a rate constant of 1.59×10−5 min−1, while MAL‐An (C−C bond) has a rate constant of 1.40×10−5 min−1. Incorporation of TAD‐An in a crosslinked polymer network demonstrates the feasibility to utilize TAD‐An as an alternative force‐responsive probe to visualize mechanical damage where fluorescence can be "turned‐on" due to force‐accelerated retro‐Diels‐Alder reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, which is driven by macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue and leads to elevated cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the circulation and tissues. Previous studies demonstrate that SENP3, a redox-sensitive SUMO2/3-specific protease, is strongly implicated in the development and progression of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of SENP3 in obesity-associated inflammation remains largely unknown. To better understand the effects of SENP3 on adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) activation and function within the context of obesity, we generated mice with myeloid-specific deletion of SENP3 (Senp3flox/flox;Lyz2-Cre mice). We found that the expression of SENP3 is dramatically increased in ATMs during high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. Senp3flox/flox;Lyz2-Cre mice show lower body weight gain and reduced adiposity and adipocyte size after challenged with HFD and during aging. Myeloid-specific SENP3 deletion attenuates macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue and reduces serum levels of inflammatory factors during diet and age-induced obesity. Furthermore, we found that SENP3 knockout markedly inhibits cytokine release from macrophage after lipopolysaccharide and palmitic acid treatment in vitro. Mechanistically, in cultured peritoneal macrophages, SENP3 protein level is enhanced by IL-1β, in parallel with the upregulation of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1). Moreover, we demonstrated that SENP3 modulates de-SUMO modification of YAP1 and SENP3 deletion abolishes the upregulation of YAP1 induced by IL-1β. Most importantly, SENP3 deficiency reduces YAP1 protein level in adipose tissue during obesity. Our results highlight the important role of SENP3 in ATM inflammation and diet and age-induced obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde-free adhesives are gaining attention due to their compatibility with green production methods. Decorative base paper (DBP) is known for its physical strength and printability and has a high ability for absorbing aldehyde-free adhesives for impregnation. In this paper, DBP was prepared with TiO2 and SiO2 combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), where the amount of TiO2 was reduced in the pulp process. The prepared DBP was impregnated by aldehyde-free adhesive and hot-pressed on wood-based panels. The results showed that upon SiO2 coating, the surface smoothness of base paper increased by 132.3 %, whereas the tensile strength increased by 33.6 %. Furthermore, the colour density of cyan, magenta, yellow and black colours increased by 75.4 %, 99.2 %, 51.9 % and 90.5 %, respectively. The surface properties like surface bonding strength and wear resistance of the covered wood-based panels were found to satisfy the standard requirements, which indicates the products can be used for furniture products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the low Mach and Froude number limit of global strong solutions to the fluid‐vacuum free boundary problem of the planar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with degenerate viscosity coefficients and well‐prepared initial data. Only the initial energy at the basic level is required to be small. The main difficulties are the degeneracy of the system yielded by vanishing of the density close to the free boundary, the singular terms due to the large coefficients inversely proportional to the Mach number and the Froude number, and the strong coupling of the magnetic field and the velocity. The uniform estimates of solutions with respect to the Mach number and the Froude number are established, which is the first result on the MHD equations with vacuum free boundary. At the same time, we obtain the convergence rates for the strong solutions global in time with well‐prepared initial data as the Mach number and the Froude number vanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive lung cancer subtype with an extremely poor prognosis. The 5-year survival rate for limited-stage (LS)-SCLC cancer is 10–13%, while the rate for extensive-stage SCLC cancer is only 1–2%. Given the crucial role of the tumor stage in the disease course, a well-constructed prognostic model is warranted for patients with LS-SCLC. The LS-SCLC patients' clinical data extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2018 were reviewed. A multivariable Cox regression approach was utilized to identify and integrate significant prognostic factors. Bootstrap resampling was used to validate the model internally. The Area Under Curve (AUC) and calibration curve evaluated the model's performance. A total of 5463 LS-SCLC patients' clinical data was collected from the database. Eight clinical parameters were identified as significant prognostic factors for LS-SCLC patients' OS. The predictive model achieved satisfactory discrimination capacity, with 1-, 2-, and 3-year AUC values of 0.91, 0.88, and 0.87 in the training cohort; and 0.87, 0.87, and 0.85 in the validation cohort. The calibration curve showed a good agreement with actual observations in survival rate probability. Further, substantial differences between survival curves of the different risk groups stratified by prognostic scores were observed. The nomogram was then deployed into a website server for ease of access. This study developed a nomogram and a web-based predictor for predicting the overall survival of patients with LS-SCLC, which may help physicians make personalized clinical decisions and treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the oxidation characteristics of isoprene were investigated using a custom-designed mini closed pressure vessel test (MCPVT). The results show that isoprene is unstable and polymerization occurs under a nitrogen atmosphere. Under an oxygen atmosphere, the oxidation process of isoprene was divided into three stages: (1) isoprene reacts with oxygen to produce peroxide; (2) Peroxides produce free radicals through thermal decomposition; (3) Free radicals cause complex oxidation and thermal runaway reactions. The oxidation of isoprene conforms to the second-order reaction kinetics, and the activation energy was 86.88 kJ·mol−1. The thermal decomposition characteristics of the total oxidation product and purified peroxide mixture were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The initial exothermic temperatures Ton were 371.17 K and 365.84 K, respectively. And the decomposition heat QDSC were 816.66 J·g−1 and 991.08 J·g−1, respectively. It indicates that high concentration of isoprene peroxide has a high risk of thermal runaway. The results of thermal runaway experiment showed that the temperature and pressure of isoprene oxidation were prone to rise rapidly, which indicates that the oxidation reaction was dangerous. The reaction products of isoprene were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The main oxidation products were methyl vinyl ketone, methacrolein, 3-methylfuran, etc. The main thermal runaway products were dimethoxymethane, 2,3-pentanedione, naphthalene, etc. Based on the reaction products, the possible reaction pathway of isoprene was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients presenting with brain metastases (BMs) from lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) often encounter an extremely poor prognosis. A well‐developed prognostic model would assist physicians in patient counseling and therapeutic decision‐making. Methods: Patients with LUSC who were diagnosed with BMs between 2000 and 2018 were reviewed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Using the multivariate Cox regression approach, significant prognostic factors were identified and integrated. Bootstrap resampling was used to internally validate the model. An evaluation of the performance of the model was conducted by analyzing the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration curve. Results: A total of 1812 eligible patients' clinical data was retrieved from the database. Patients' overall survival (OS) was significantly prognosticated by five clinical parameters. The nomogram achieved satisfactory discrimination capacity, with 3‐, 6‐, and 9‐month AUC values of 0.803, 0.779, and 0.760 in the training cohort and 0.796, 0.769, and 0.743 in the validation cohort. As measured by survival rate probabilities, the calibration curve agreed well with actual observations. There was also a substantial difference in survival curves between the different prognostic groups stratified by prognostic scores. For ease of access, the model was deployed on a web‐based server. Conclusions: In this study, a nomogram and a web‐based predictor were developed to assist physicians with personalized clinical decisions and treatment of patients who presented with BMs from LUSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients suffered from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have twice the risk of developing into neurodegenerative diseases later in their life. Thus, early intervention is needed not only to treat TBI but also to reduce neurodegenerative diseases in the future. Physiological functions of neurons highly depend on mitochondria. Thus, when mitochondrial integrity is compromised by injury, neurons would initiate a cascade of events to maintain homeostasis of mitochondria. However, what protein senses mitochondrial dysfunction and how mitochondrial homeostasis is maintained during regeneration remains unclear. Results: We found that TBI-increased transcription of a mitochondrial protein, phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5), during acute phase was via topological remodeling of a novel enhancer-promoter interaction. This up-regulated PGAM5 correlated with mitophagy, whereas presenilins-associated rhomboid-like protein (PARL)-dependent PGAM5 cleavage at a later stage of TBI enhanced mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) expression and mitochondrial mass. To test whether PGAM5 cleavage and TFAM expression were sufficient for functional recovery, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) was used to uncouple electron transport chain and reduce mitochondrial function. As a result, FCCP triggered PGAM5 cleavage, TFAM expression and recovery of motor function deficits of CCI mice. Conclusions: Findings from this study implicate that PGAM5 may act as a mitochondrial sensor for brain injury to activate its own transcription at acute phase, serving to remove damaged mitochondria through mitophagy. Subsequently, PGAM5 is cleaved by PARL, and TFAM expression is increased for mitochondrial biogenesis at a later stage after TBI. Taken together, this study concludes that timely regulation of PGAM5 expression and its own cleavage are required for neurite re-growth and functional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth dams or embankments are susceptible to instability due to internal seepage, piping, and erosion, which can lead to catastrophic failure. Therefore, monitoring the seepage water level before the dam collapses is an important task for early warning of dam failure. Currently, there are hardly any monitoring methods that use wireless underground transmission to monitor the water content inside earth dams. Real-time monitoring of changes in the soil moisture content can more directly determine the water level of seepage. Wireless transmission of sensors buried underground requires signal transmission through the soil medium, which is more complex than traditional air transmission. Henceforth, this study establishes a wireless underground transmission sensor that overcomes the distance limitation of underground transmission through a hop network. A series of feasibility tests were conducted on the wireless underground transmission sensor, including peer-to-peer transmission tests, multi-hop underground transmission tests, power management tests, and soil moisture measurement tests. Finally, field seepage tests were conducted to apply wireless underground transmission sensors to monitor the internal seepage water level before an earth dam failure. The findings show that wireless underground transmission sensors can achieve the monitoring of seepage water levels inside earth dams. In addition, the results supersede those of a conventional water level gauge. This could be crucial in early warning systems during the era of climate change, which has caused unprecedented flooding events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The education pathways and opportunities of schoolgirls in Asia are facing different challenges. The empirical studies have implemented Information and Communication Technology-enabled learning to expand such pathways and opportunities and promote education inclusiveness and equity. Through the Gender Analysis Framework, this review paper focuses on exploring and discussing how ICT-enabled learning may expand schoolgirls' education pathways and opportunities in Asia for inclusive and equitable education. This review covers 30 studies that adopted ICT-enabled learning, synthesizes, and presents four key ICT-enabled learning approaches: Emerging technologies-enabled learning, Digital game-based learning, Mobile-enabled learning, and Computer-assisted learning. Our result discusses about how different approaches in this review (in)directly impact on schoolgirls' access to assets, their practice and participation in learning activities, belief and perception of their own and other stakeholders', and how policies accommodate these approaches. The review further suggests several guidelines to develop an inclusive learning environment enabled by ICT to education pathways and opportunities of schoolgirls, thereby enhancing education inclusiveness and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug efflux transporter permeability glycoprotein (P-gp) plays an important role in oral drug absorption and distribution. Under microgravity (MG), the changes in P-gp efflux function may alter the efficacy of oral drugs or lead to unexpected effects. Oral drugs are currently used to protect and treat multisystem physiological damage caused by MG; whether P-gp efflux function changes under MG remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the alteration of P-gp efflux function, expression, and potential signaling pathway in rats and cells under different simulated MG (SMG) duration. The altered P-gp efflux function was verified by the in vivo intestinal perfusion and the brain distribution of P-gp substrate drugs. Results showed that the efflux function of P-gp was inhibited in the 7 and 21 day SMG-treated rat intestine and brain and 72 h SMG-treated human colon adenocarcinoma cells and human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. P-gp protein and gene expression levels were continually down-regulated in rat intestine and up-regulated in rat brain by SMG. P-gp expression was regulated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway under SMG, verified by a pathway-specific agonist and inhibitor. The elevated intestinal absorption and brain distribution of acetaminophen levels also confirmed the inhibited P-gp efflux function in rat intestine and brain under SMG. This study revealed that SMG alters the efflux function of P-gp and regulates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the intestine and the brain. These findings may be helpful in guiding the use of P-gp substrate drugs during spaceflight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Psilocin is an active metabolite form of psilocybin and exerts psychoactive effects. Recent studies suggest that psilocin may have regulatory effects on abuse drugs, but the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we want to explore the effects of psilocin on methamphetamine (METH)‐induced alterations of behavior in mice and its molecular mechanisms. Methods: Acute METH administration model and conditioned place preference (CPP) model were used to investigate the effects of psilocin on METH‐induced alterations of behavior. Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins. Results: In the acute 2 mg/kg METH administration model, 1 mg/kg psilocin counteracted METH‐induced elevation of activity. In the 1 mg/kg METH‐induced CPP model, 1 mg/kg psilocin inhibited CPP formation during the acquisition phase. However, psilocin did not impact METH extinction and relapse. Molecular results showed that the regulatory effect of psilocin on METH was underscored by altered expression of dopamine 2 receptor (D2R) and phosphorylated extra‐cellular signal‐regulated kinase (p‐ERK) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Trifluoperazine (TFP)‐2HCl is a D2R inhibitor, and SCH772984 is a selective extra‐cellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor that effectively inhibits ERK1/2 phosphorylation. The results indicated that 2 mg/kg TFP‐2HCl and 10 mg/kg SCH772984 blocked METH‐induced hyperactivity and acquisition of METH‐induced CPP. Conclusion: Psilocin has regulatory effects on METH‐induced alterations of behavior in mice via D2R‐mediated signal regulation of ERK phosphorylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image semantic segmentation methods based on convolutional neural networks rely on supervised learning with labels, and their performance often drops significantly when applied to unlabelled datasets from different sources. The domain adaptation methods can reduce the inconsistency of feature distribution between the unlabelled target domain data used for testing and the labelled source domain data used for training, thus improve the segmentation performance and have more practical applications. However, in the field of remote sensing image processing, if the spatial resolutions of the source domain and the target domain are different and this problem is not to be solved, the performance of the transferred model will be affected. In this paper, we propose a bidirectional semantic segmentation method based on super-resolution and domain adaption (BSSM-SRDA), which is suitable for the transfer learning task of a semantic segmentation model from a low-resolution source domain data to a high-resolution target domain data. BSSM-SRDA mainly consists of three parts: a shared feature extraction network; a super-resolution image translation module, which incorporates a super-resolution approach to reduce spatial resolution differences and visual style differences of the two domains; a domain-adaptive semantic segmentation module, which combines an adversarial domain adaptation approach to reduce differences at the output level. At the same time, we design a new bidirectional self-supervised learning algorithm for BSSM-SRDA that facilitates mutually beneficial learning of the super-resolution image translation module and the domain-adaptive semantic segmentation module. The experiments demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over other state-of-the-art methods on two remote-sensing image datasets, with mIoU improvements of 2.5% and 3.2%, respectively. Code: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Android is a growing target for malicious software (malware) because of its popularity and functionality. Malware poses a serious threat to users’ privacy, money, equipment and file integrity. A series of data-driven malware detection methods were proposed. However, there exist two key challenges for these methods: (1) how to learn effective feature representation from raw data; (2) how to reduce the dependence on the prior knowledge or human labors in feature learning. Inspired by the success of deep learning methods in the feature representation learning community, we propose a malware detection framework which starts with learning rich-features by a novel unsupervised feature learning algorithm Merged Sparse Auto-Encoder (MSAE). In order to extract more compact and discriminative feature from the rich-features to further boost the malware detection capability, a hybrid deep network learning algorithm Stacked Hybrid Learning MSAE and SDAE (SHLMD) is established by further incorporating a classical deep learning method Stacked Denoising Auto-encoders (SDAE). After that, we feed the feature learned by MSAE and SHLMD respectively to classification algorithms, e.g., Support Vector Machine (SVM) or K-NearestNeighbor (KNN), to train a malware detection model. Evaluation results on two real-world datasets demonstrate that SHLMD achieves 94.46 and 90.57 percent accuracy respectively, which outperforms the classical unsupervised feature representation learning Sparse Auto-encoder (SAE). MSAE performs similarly to SAE. SHLMD can further improve the performance of MSAE and the supervised fine-tuned method SDAE. Besides, we compare the performance of our methods with that of state-of-the-art detection approaches, including classical deep-learning-based methods. Extensive experiments show that our proposed methods are effective enough to detect Android malware. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardin is a master regulator of smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation, which induces the expression of smooth-muscle-specific genes through its direct association with serum response factor (SRF). During the past two decades, significant insights have been obtained regarding the regulatory control of myocardin expression and transcriptional activity at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels. However, whether and how SUMOylation plays important roles in modulating myocardin function remain elusive. In this study, we found that myocardin is modified by SUMO-1 at lysine 573, which can be reversibly de-conjugated by SENP2. SUMO-1 modification promotes myocardin protein stability, whereas SENP2 facilitates its proteasome-dependent degradation. Moreover, we found that PIAS4 is the SUMO E3 ligase that enhances the SUMOylation and protein stability of myocardin. Most importantly, we found that SENP2 promotes phenotypic switching of VSMC. We therefore concluded that SENP2 promotes VSMC phenotypic switching via de-SUMOylation of myocardin and regulation of its protein stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The noble gases argon and xenon are potential novel neuroprotective treatments for acquired brain injuries. Xenon has already undergone early-stage clinical trials in the treatment of ischaemic brain injuries, with mixed results. Argon has yet to progress to clinical trials as a treatment for brain injury. Here, we aim to synthesise the results of preclinical studies evaluating argon and xenon as neuroprotective therapies for brain injuries.Methods: After a systematic review of the MEDLINE and Embase databases, we carried out a pairwise and stratified meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was examined by subgroup analysis, funnel plot asymmetry, and Egger's regression.Results: A total of 32 studies were identified, 14 for argon and 18 for xenon, involving measurements from 1384 animals, including murine, rat, and porcine models. Brain injury models included ischaemic brain injury after cardiac arrest (CA), neurological injury after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and ischaemic stroke. Both argon and xenon had significant (P<0.001), positive neuroprotective effect sizes. The overall effect size for argon (CA, TBI, stroke) was 18.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.1-28.1%), and for xenon (CA, TBI, stroke) was 34.1% (95% CI, 24.7-43.6%). Including the CPB model, only present for xenon, the xenon effect size (CPB, CA, TBI, stroke) was 27.4% (95% CI, 11.5-43.3%). Xenon, both with and without the CPB model, was significantly (P<0.001) more protective than argon.Conclusions: These findings provide evidence to support the use of xenon and argon as neuroprotective treatments for acquired brain injuries. Current evidence suggests that xenon is more efficacious than argon overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous carbon nanosheets have shown great potential in electrochemical energy storage devices, yet their intrinsic limited volumetric capacity and energy density remain a great concern. Herein, lamellar porous carbon framework hybrids (LPCFHs) have been facilely developed by thermal-induced bulk self-assembly of block copolymers with precisely controllable molecular structure, followed by stepwise chemical crosslinking and morphology-persistent carbonization processes. The as-obtained LPCFHs consist of densely covalent connected alternate layers (porous carbon nanosheets and porous carbon spacers) and homogenously dispersed metal sulfide nanoparticles. The ordered compact stacking structure of carbon nanosheets endows LPCFHs with a high tap density and fast electron transfer both in lateral and vertical dimension, while the porous carbon spacers enable fast channels for ion transfer. Moreover, the metal sulfide nanoparticles strongly interacted with carbon nanosheets are homogenously distributed in LPCFHs, resulting in sufficient active sites. As a result, when used as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), tin sulfide-decorated LPCFHs (LPCFHs-SnS) deliver a volumetric capacity of up to 1285 mAh cm−3; meanwhile, high-rate capability (488 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (capacity retention of 88.3 % after 500 cycles at 1 A g−1) are also achieved, demonstrating great potential for practical application in LIBs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: The biochemical property and functional identification of three recombinant glycosyltransferases, including β‐1,4‐rhamnosyltransferase (Cps8R), β‐1,4‐galactosyltransferase (Cps8J) and α‐2,3‐sialyltransferase (Cps8K) involved in the biosynthesis of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit of serotype VIII capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of Group B Streptococci (GBS), were systematically investigated. Subsequently, these recombinant enzymes were employed for one‐pot three‐enzyme efficient synthesis of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit of GBS serotype VIII CPS using the chemically synthesized Glcα‐PP‐(CH2)11‐OPh as the starting substrate in a satisfying yield of 87%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two oxidovanadium(V) complexes, [VOL1(OEt)] (1) and [V2O2(L2)2(OEt)2] (2), where L1 and L2 are the anions of 2-amino-N′-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide (H2L1) and N′-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-hydroxybenzohydrazide (H2L2), respectively, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and electronic spectra, and 1H NMR spectra. Structures of the complexes were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray determination. The V atom in the mononuclear complex 1 is in square pyramidal coordination, and those in the dinuclear complex 2 are in octahedral coordination. Both aroylhydrazone ligands coordinate to the V atoms through the phenolate O, imino N, and enolate O atoms. The ethanol ligand in complex 1 is in terminal coordination mode, while that in complex 2 is in bridging coordination mode. The complexes function as effective olefin epoxidation catalysts with hydrogen peroxide as terminal oxidant and sodium hydrogen carbonate as a co-catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction process of gaseous 1,3-butadiene following ultraviolet irradiation at the temperature range from 298 to 323 K under nitrogen atmosphere was monitored by UV–vis spectrophotometry. A gaseous mini-reactor was used as a reaction vessel and could be directly monitored in a UV–vis spectrophotometer. We investigated the reactivity and kinetics of 1,3-butadiene under non-UV and UV irradiation to evaluate its photochemical stability. A second-order kinetic model with 50.48 kJ·mol–1 activation energy fitted the reaction data for non-UV irradiation, whereas a first-order kinetic model was appropriate in the case of UV irradiation with activation energies of 19.92–43.65 kJ mol–1. This indicates that ultraviolet light could accelerate the photolysis reaction rate of 1,3-butadiene. In addition, the reaction products were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and the reaction pathways were identified. The photolysis of 1,3-butadiene gave rise to various volatile products by cleavage and rearrangement of single C–C bonds. The differences between dimerization and dissociation of 1,3-butadiene under ultraviolet irradiation were elucidated by combining experimental and theoretical methods. The present findings provide fundamental insight into the photochemistry of 1,3-butadiene compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent decades, CuO–ZnO structures have been extensively investigated on account of their excellent properties and applications. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies on the structural and property variations in systems with different compositions under high pressure. In this study, the first-principles method was used to investigate the electronic and mechanical properties of the CuO–ZnO system under high pressure. We predict the presence of five stable ordered CuO–ZnO structures within the pressure range of 0–60 GPa. Notably, our computational analysis reveals the existence of superconductivity in Cu Zn 3 O 4 _ P m 3 ‾ m , which exhibits a transition temperature of 4.7K at 58 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing multi-orientation scene text detection methods generally contain two crucial components: regression prediction for text bounding boxes and classification prediction for text/non-text. However, these methods always regard classification prediction and regression prediction as two independent procedures, neglecting fully exploring their mutual relations. Based on this key observation, we propose an innovative Scale-Guided Regression Module (SRM), specially for multi-orientation scene text detection. Equipped with width-guided kernels and height-guided kernels of different sizes, our SRM can generate a series of scale feature maps of candidate texts by capturing their shape information in classification prediction. The scale feature maps are used to predict the width and height of candidate texts, which can serve as guides for regressing bounding boxes. In this way, the procedures of classification and regression can be coherently integrated. In addition, we adopt IoU loss to train our network and then integrate IoU loss and l 1 -smooth loss for fine-tuning. Extensive experiments on publicly available datasets demonstrate the state-of-the-art performance of our method. Notably, our method achieves significant improvement of performance on long texts, e.g., on MSRA-TD500, our method outperforms Basemodel with a great margin (4.86 % in terms of Recall). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was defined as a species of beta coronavirus causing atypical respiratory disease in humans. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented health and economic crisis worldwide. Little is known about the specifics of its influence on people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (PLWHA). In this study, we aim to investigate the prevalence and mortality in PLWHA co-infected with COVID-19. Methods: The databases PUBMED, EMBASE, BioRxiv, and medRxiv were searched up to 9 March 2021 to explore the prevalence and mortality rate of COVID-19 in PLWHA. Cohort studies and case series meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review. Results: We identified 14 eligible studies, 9 of which were cohort and 5 were case series. A total of 203,761 patients with COVID-19 were identified (7718 PLWHA vs. 196,043 non-PLWHA). Meta-analyses estimated the prevalence and mortality rate of COVID-19 in PLWHA was 0.774% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00393–0.01517] and 8.814% (95% CI 0.05766–0.13245) respectively. COVID-19 co-infected PLWHA do not seem to be associated with higher mortality, as compared to non-PLWHA [relative risk (RR) 0.96 (95% CI 0.88–1.06)]. The presence of comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, RR 5.2 (95% CI 4.25–6.36), hypertension and chronic cardiac disease, RR 4.2 (95% CI 1.09–16.10), and chronic kidney disease, RR 8.43 (95% CI 5.49–12.93) were associated with an increased mortality in COVID-19 co-infected PLWHA. Conclusion: The estimated prevalence and mortality rate of COVID-19 in PLWHA were 0.774% and 8.814%, respectively. Since most of the included studies used unmatched populations, comparisons between PLWHA and non-PLWHA should be interpreted with caution. Further investigations are needed for a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between cluster of differentiation 4 cell count, HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy, and COVID-19 related prognosis in PLWHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: A high-salt diet can aggravate oxidative stress, and renal fibrosis via the brain and renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) axis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) rats. (Pro)renin receptor (PRR) plays a role in regulating RAS and oxidative stress locally. However, whether central PRR regulates salt-induced renal injury in CKD remains undefined. Here, we hypothesized that the reduction of central PRR expression could ameliorate central lesions and thereby ameliorate renal injury in high-salt-load CKD rats. Results: We investigated RAS, sympathetic nerve activity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue injury in subfornical organs and kidneys in high-salt-load 5/6 nephrectomy CKD rats after the silencing of central PRR expression by intracerebroventricular lentivirus-RNAi. We found that the sympathetic nerve activity was reduced, and the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress were decreased in both brain and kidney. Renal injury and fibrosis were ameliorated. To explore the mechanism by which central inhibition of PRR expression ameliorates kidney damage, we blocked central MAPK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways as well as angiotensin converting enzyme 1–angiotensin II–angiotensin type 1 receptors (ACE1-Ang II-AT1R) axis. Salt-induced overexpression of renal RAS, inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in CKD rats were prevented by central blockade of the pathways. Innovation: This study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying salt-induced kidney damage. Targeting central PRR or PRR-mediated signaling pathway may be a novel strategy for the treatment of CKD. Conclusions: These results suggested that the silencing of central PRR expression ameliorates salt-induced renal injury in CKD through Ang II-dependent and -independent pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brassicaceae is an economically and scientifically important family distributed globally, including oilseed rape and the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. Although growing molecular data have been used in phylogenetic studies, the relationships among major clades and tribes of Brassicaceae are still controversial. Here, we investigated the core Brassicaceae phylogenetics using 222 plastomes and 235 nrDNA cistrons, including 106 plastomes and 112 nrDNA cistrons assembled from newly sequenced genome skimming data of 112 taxa. The sampling covered 73 genera from 61.5% tribes and four unassigned genera and species. Three well supported lineages LI, LII, and LIII were revealed in our plastomic analyses, with LI sister to LII + LIII. In addition, the monophyly of the newly delimitated LII was strongly supported by three different partition strategies, concatenated methods under Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses. LII comprised 13 tribes, including four tribes previously unassigned to any lineage, that is Biscutelleae as the earliest diverging clade and Cochlearieae as the sister to Megacarpaeeae + Anastaticeae. Within LII, the intertribal relationships were also well resolved, except that a conflicting position of Orychophragmus was detected among different datasets. In LIII, Shehbazia was resolved as a member of Chorisproreae, but Chorisproreae, Dontostemoneae, and Euclidieae were all resolved as paraphyletic, which was also confirmed by nrDNA analyses. Moreover, the loss of the rps16 gene was detected as likely to be a synapomorphy of the tribes Arabideae and Alysseae. Overall, using genome skimming data, we resolved robust phylogenetic relationships of core Brassicaceae and shed new light on the complex evolutionary history of this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many patients complain of pain following laparoscopic surgery. Clinicians have used ultrasound-guided posterior transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) and rectus sheath block (RSB) for multimodal analgesia after surgery. We investigated the analgesic effects of US-guided posterior TAPB with RSB on postoperative pain following laparoscopy-assisted radical resection of early-stage rectal cancer. Methods: Seventy-eight adults scheduled for laparoscopy-assisted radical resection of rectal cancer were enrolled in this double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Patients were randomized into 3 groups: the TR Group underwent US-guided bilateral posterior TAPB (40 mL 0.33% ropivacaine) with RSB (20 mL 0.33% ropivacaine); the T Group underwent US-guided bilateral posterior TAPB alone; and the Control Group received saline alone. All patients also had access to patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) with sufentanil. The primary outcome was postoperative sufentanil consumption at 0–24, 24–48, and 48–72 h. The secondary outcomes were postoperative pain intensity and functional activity score at rest and while coughing for the same three time periods, intraoperative medication dosage, use of rescue analgesia, recovery parameters, and adverse effects. Results: The three groups had no significant differences in baseline demographic and perioperative data, use of intraoperative medications, recovery parameters, and adverse effects. The TR group had significantly lower postoperative use of PCIA and rescue analgesic than in the other two groups (P < 0.05), but the Control Group and T Group had no significant differences in these outcomes. Conclusions: Postoperative US-guided posterior TAPB with RSB reduced postoperative opioid use in patients following laparoscopy-assisted radical resection of rectal cancer. Trial registration: The trial was registered with chictr.org (ChiCTR2000029326) on January 25, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a systematic high-pressure study on the Nb-Sn system using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The USPEX software package was used to investigate the crystal structure of Nb-Sn alloys under pressures ranging from 0 to 30 GPa. As a result, five new ground-state structures for the Nb-Sn alloys were predicted: Pm -3_Nb 7 Sn, I 4/ mmm_ Nb 2 Sn, P 6 4 22_NbSn 2 , P 4/ nmm _NbSn 3 and Cmcm _NbSn 3. According to our calculated results, it is found that eight compounds are thermodynamically and dynamically stable in Nb-Sn system under different pressures. These compounds are: Pm -3_Nb 7 Sn, Pm -3 n _Nb 3 Sn(A15), Fddd _NbSn 2 , I 4/ mmm _Nb 2 Sn, P 6 2 22_NbSn 2 , P 6 4 22_NbSn 2 , P 4/ nmm _NbSn 3 , and Cmcm _NbSn 3. The calculations of electronic properties indicate that structures exhibit metallic behavior. In addition, the superconducting transition temperatures of Pm -3_Nb 7 Sn at atmospheric pressure is ∼5.15 K, and our results also suggest that the superconducting properties arises mainly from the coupling between Nb-4 d electrons and phonons near the Fermi level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The easily cracking behavior of relaxor-PbTiO 3 based ferroelectric crystals limit their application. The average thermal expansion coefficients of PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT single crystals are 7.77–8.21 × 10−6 K−1 and 6.59–7.79 × 10−6 K−1 between 20–600 °C. The compression of the crystal by the platinum crucible and the abnormal thermal expansion behavior around phase transition temperature during the cooling process are the main cause of crystal cracking. [Display omitted] • The average thermal expansion coefficients of PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT single crystals are 7.77–8.21 × 10–6 K−1 and 6.59–6.79 × 10–6 K−1 between 20–600 °C. • The compression of the crystal by the platinum crucible and the abnormal thermal expansion behavior around phase transition temperature during the cooling process are the main cause of crystal cracking. Large-size Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 -PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) and Pb(In 1/2 Nb 1/2)O 3 -Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 -PbTiO 3 (PIN-PMN-PT) single crystals have been successfully produced. Nevertheless, the susceptibility of these crystals to cracking substantially hampers their application. This study investigates the thermal expansion characteristics of PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT crystals oriented along the 〈1 0 0〉, 〈1 1 0〉, and 〈1 1 1〉 directions, revealing no significant anisotropy. The average thermal expansion coefficients for the PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT crystals range from 7.77 to 8.21 × 10−6 K−1 and from 6.59 to 6.79 × 10−6 K−1, respectively, within the temperature range of 20 to 600 °C. Interestingly, the PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT crystals demonstrate unusual thermal expansion behavior around the phase transition temperature. The magnitudes of their thermal expansion coefficients are comparable to those of certain commercial crystals but are lower than that of platinum. The main causes inferred for crystal cracking include the pressure exerted by the platinum crucible and the abnormal thermal expansion behavior around the phase transition temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ca-Zr co-doped Na 0.94 Ca 0.03 Cr 0.97 Zr 0.03 O 2 sample was prepared by a facile solid-state reaction. • Ca-Zr co-doping was innovatively adopted to improve the structural reversibility at high cutoff voltage. • Na 0.94 Ca 0.03 Cr 0.97 Zr 0.03 O 2 exhibits excellent electrochemical performance in the voltage range of 1.5–3.8 V. O3-type NaCrO 2 has been researched as a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), however, it suffers from serious irreversible phase transitions when charged to 3.8 V, thereby resulting in a severe decline of reversible capacity. To improve the structural stability, small amounts of Ca2+ and Zr4+ ions are introduced into the O3-type NaCrO 2 via a facile solid-state reaction in this work. In the voltage range of 1.5–3.8 V, O3-type Na 0.94 Ca 0.03 Cr 0.97 Zr 0.03 O 2 delivers ∼ 120 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention of 64.6% after 500 cycles and a reversible capacity of 76 mAh g−1 at 20C, much better than those of O3-type NaCrO 2. The improved performance of O3-type Na 0.94 Ca 0.03 Cr 0.97 Zr 0.03 O 2 is attributed to the better structural reversibility and electrochemical reaction kinetics at the high charge cutoff voltage enabled by Ca and Zr co-doping. Our findings benefit the development of cathode materials with high energy density and high cycling stability for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shenqi Maixintong capsule (SMC), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, exerts various therapeutic effects, including nourishing one's vitality, improving blood circulation, regulating vital energy, and promoting coronary circulation. Studies have demonstrated that SMC could effectively alleviate atherosclerosis (AS) and delay its development. However, the effect of SMC on lipid metabolism remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the mechanism of SMC on lipid metabolism of RAW264.7 cells induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Drug-containing serum was prepared by intragastric administration of SD (Sprague Dawley) rats. RAW264.7 cells were transformed into foam cells with 25 mg/L ox-LDL. SMC-treated rat serum increased the survival rate of ox-LDL-induced RAW264.7 cells. Oil Red staining, total cholesterol, and free cholesterol detection data showed that the intermediated dose of SMC had the best effect on reducing the lipid accumulation, lipid droplets, intracellular cholesterol, and total cholesterol content of RAW264.7 cells. The results of western blotting showed that the expression of ABCA1, ABCG1, LXRα, PPARγ, and peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) was increased by SMC, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) was reduced, which promoted reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) of RAW264.7 cells and inhibited foam cell formation. Furthermore, SOD and MDA data indicated that SMC could reduce the senescence of RAW264.7 cells. These findings suggest that SMC might prevent ox-LDL-induced damage of macrophages in AS patients by improving cell viability and slowing down lipid accumulation and senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shenqi Maixintong capsule (SMC), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, exerts various therapeutic effects, including nourishing one's vitality, improving blood circulation, regulating vital energy, and promoting coronary circulation. Studies have demonstrated that SMC could effectively alleviate atherosclerosis (AS) and delay its development. However, the effect of SMC on lipid metabolism remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the mechanism of SMC on lipid metabolism of RAW264.7 cells induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Drug-containing serum was prepared by intragastric administration of SD (Sprague Dawley) rats. RAW264.7 cells were transformed into foam cells with 25 mg/L ox-LDL. SMC-treated rat serum increased the survival rate of ox-LDL-induced RAW264.7 cells. Oil Red staining, total cholesterol, and free cholesterol detection data showed that the intermediated dose of SMC had the best effect on reducing the lipid accumulation, lipid droplets, intracellular cholesterol, and total cholesterol content of RAW264.7 cells. The results of western blotting showed that the expression of ABCA1, ABCG1, LXRα, PPARγ, and peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) was increased by SMC, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) was reduced, which promoted reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) of RAW264.7 cells and inhibited foam cell formation. Furthermore, SOD and MDA data indicated that SMC could reduce the senescence of RAW264.7 cells. These findings suggest that SMC might prevent ox-LDL-induced damage of macrophages in AS patients by improving cell viability and slowing down lipid accumulation and senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block encryption is a fundamental cryptographic primitive in modern cryptography. However, it is impossible for block encryption to achieve the same security as one-time pad. Quantum mechanics has changed the modern cryptography, and lots of researches have shown that quantum cryptography can outperform the limitation of traditional cryptography. This article proposes a new constructive mode for private quantum encryption, named EHE , which is a very simple method to construct quantum encryption from classical primitive. Based on EHE mode, we construct a quantum block encryption scheme from pseudorandom functions. If the pseudorandom functions are standard secure, our scheme is indistinguishable encryption under chosen plaintext attack. If the pseudorandom functions are permutation on the key space, our scheme can achieve the same security as quantum one-time pad, and the secret key can be securely reused for exponential times if the receiver sends a confirmation after every round of "encryption–decryption." Thus, our scheme can be viewed as a positive answer to the open problem in quantum cryptography "how to unconditionally reuse or recycle the whole key of private-key quantum encryption." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum homomorphic encryption (QHE) is an important cryptographic technology for delegated quantum computation. It enables remote server to perform quantum computation on encrypted data, and the specific algorithm performed by Server is unnecessarily known by Client. Quantum fully homomorphic encryption (QFHE) is a QHE that satisfies both compactness and F -homomorphism (homomorphic for any quantum circuits). However, Yu et al. (Phys Rev A 90:050303, 2014) proved a negative result: Assume interaction is not allowed, it is impossible to construct perfectly secure QFHE scheme. So this article focuses on non-interactive and perfectly secure QHE scheme with loose requirement, e.g., quasi-compactness. This article defines encrypted gate, which is denoted by E G [ U ] : | α ⟩ → (a , b) , E n c a , b (U | α ⟩) . We present a gate-teleportation-based two-party computation scheme for EG[U], where one party gives arbitrary quantum state | α ⟩ as input and obtains the encrypted U-computing result E n c a , b (U | α ⟩) , and the other party obtains the random bits a, b. Based on E G [ P x ] (x ∈ { 0 , 1 }) , we propose a method to remove the P-error generated in the homomorphic evaluation of T / T † -gate. Using this method, we design two non-interactive and perfectly secure QHE schemes named GT and VGT. Both of them are F -homomorphic and quasi-compact (the decryption complexity depends on the T / T † -gate complexity). Assume F -homomorphism, non-interaction and perfect security are necessary properties, the quasi-compactness is proved to be bounded by Ω (M) , where M is the total number of T / T † -gates in the evaluated circuit. We prove VGT is M-quasi-compact and reaches the optimal bound. According to our QHE schemes, the decryption would be inefficient when the evaluated circuit contains exponential number of T / T † -gates. Thus, our schemes are suitable for homomorphic evaluation of any quantum circuit with low T / T † -gate complexity, such as any polynomial-size quantum circuit or any quantum circuit with polynomial number of T / T † -gates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Postnatal LPS exposure increases the depression-like behaviors of adult mice. • Postnatal LPS exposure impairs adult neurogenesis via decreasing GABA A R expression. • Astrocyte activation results in LPS-induced downregulation of BDNF/TrkB and GABA A R. • TAK-242 corrects the effect of LPS on neurogenesis and behavior via GABA system. Growing evidence indicates that early-life inflammation has adverse effects on adult hippocampal neurogenesis and GABA system. Based the report that hippocampal GABA system is a key modulator in adult hippocampal neurogenesis, the aim of this study was to investigate whether and how early inflammation affects GABAergic system resulting in the alterations of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and related behaviors. Neonatal mice received a daily subcutaneous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50 μg/kg) or saline on postnatal days (PND) 3–5. Behavioral tests were used to explore LPS-induced depression-like behaviors of adult mice. Immunohistochemistry staining and western blot were employed to detect adult neurogenesis, GABAergic system, glia activation and BDNF-TrkB pathway in the hippocampus. LPS-treated mice developed a depression phenotype with the inhibited maturation of hippocampal newborn neurons in adulthood. Compared with controls, LPS mice showed a decreased expression of GABAA receptor (GABA A R) protein. GABA A R agonist phenobarbital could rectify the decrease of BrdU+/NeuN+ cells in LPS mice. Additionally, postnatal LPS treatment resulted in the activation of astrocytes and the increase expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the second postnatal week and the downregulation of BDNF-TrkB pathway in adulthood. The treatment with TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242 restored the decrease of BrdU+/NeuN+ cells and depression-like behaviors in LPS mice via improving GABA A R. The results indicate that postnatal LPS exposure impairs adult hippocampal neurogenesis and causes depression-like behaviors through early astrocytes activation triggering the later GABA A R downregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senile osteoporosis is closely related to the loss of function of stem cells. In this study, we tried to investigate the potential of secretome from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) in recovering stem cell ability from senescence and then delaying bone loss. We first harvested bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from young and old rats and then compared their cellular characteristics such as cell growth, anti-senescence and differentiation. The results showed that these abilities were negatively affected by animal aging. Subsequently, aged BMSCs were exposed to secretome from hUCMSCs, and we found that this loss of cell potential can be modified by secretome treatment. Thereafter, the secretome was loaded into silk fibroin-based hydrogels and used for an in vivo animal study. The results showed that compared to the old untreated group, the bone formation capacity of aged rats was improved by local treatment of secretome-loaded silk fibroin hydrogels. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that secretome from hUCMSCs has the capacity to recover stem cell potential and delay local bone loss in age-related osteoporosis, which could potentially be applied in osteoporosis therapy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a member of the genus Bocavirus, family Parvoviridae, and subfamily Parvovirus and was first identified in nasopharyngeal aspirates of Swedish children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in 2005. It is the causative agent of nasopharyngeal aspirate disease and death in children. The HboV genomic structure is a linear single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Its clinical pathogenic characteristics have been extensively studied, however, at present the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of HBoV infection is not completely clear. In this study, a total of 293 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between ARTI cases and healthy plasma samples were characterized using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-coupled bioinformatics analysis, among which 148 were up-regulated and 135 were down-regulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) annotated an enrichment of DEPs in complement activation and biological processes like immunity, inflammation, signal transduction, substance synthesis, and metabolism. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis enriched DEPs mainly in the Wnt signaling pathway (ko04310), PPAR signaling pathway (ko03320), intestinal immune network for IgA production (ko04672), complement and coagulation cascades (ko04610), Toll-like receptor signaling pathway (ko04620) and B cell receptor signaling pathway (ko04662). Further, expression levels of three candidate proteins (upregulated PPP2R1A and CUL1, and downregulated CETP) were validated using western blotting. Our investigation is the first analysis of the proteomic profile of HBoV-infected ARTI cases using the iTRAQ approach, providing a foundation for a better molecular understanding of the pathogenesis of ARTI in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non‐coding RNAs, some of which are thought to be involved in gastric cancer development. Here, we examined the functions of circRNA hsa_circ_006100 in gastric cancer cells and an animal model of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: The expression of hsa_circ_006100, miR‐195 and various functional genes was determined by quantitative RT‐PCR. Cell viability, clone formation, apoptosis and cell migration/invasion abilities were analysed by the CCK‐8 assay, crystal violet staining, Hoechst staining and Transwell assay, respectively. A tumour model was established by subcutaneously injecting tumour cells into nude mice. Levels of protein expression were analysed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results: A bioinformatics analysis showed that miR‐195 was negatively co‐expressed with hsa_circ_006100. Patients with a high hsa_circ_006100 level or low miR‐195 level had tumours with a high TNM stage, poor cellular differentiation and lymph node metastasis. miR‐195 was targeted and inhibited by hsa_circ_006100. Overexpression of hsa_circ_006100 enhanced cellular viability and proliferation, while miR‐195 suppressed hsa_circ_006100‐enhanced cell growth and induced apoptosis in MGC‐803 and AGS cells. Forced hsa_circ_006100 expression promoted the migration and invasion of MGC‐803 and AGS cells, while those activities were inhibited by miR‐195. Mechanistically, GPRC5A was predicted as a target of miR‐195 and was upregulated in gastric cancer. A miR‐195 inhibitor restored cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion, and repressed apoptosis via GPRC5A. In vivo studies showed that knockdown of hsa_circ_006100 delayed tumour growth, reduced PCNA expression and upregulated miR‐195 and BCL‐2 expression which was restored by miR‐195 inhibition due to GPRC5A/EGFR signalling, and changed the EMT phenotype in vivo. Conclusions: Hsa_circ_006100 functions as an oncogene in gastric cancer and exerts its effects via miR‐195/GPRC5A signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lung microbiome plays a crucial role in human health and disease. Extensive studies have demonstrated that the disturbance of the lung microbiome influences immune response, cognition, and behavior. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of general anesthetics on lung microbiome. Eight-week-old male SD rats received a continuous intravenous infusion of propofol or inhalation of isoflurane for 4 h. 16S rRNA gene amplification from BALF samples was used to investigate the changes in the lung microbiome after interventions. We further performed neurobehavioral assessments to find the differential strains' association with behavior disorder after isoflurane anesthesia. The absolute and relative quantitation of 16S rRNA sequencing data showed that isoflurane altered the diversity and abundance of the lung microbiome in rats more than propofol. Elusimicrobia increased significantly in the isoflurane group. Both EPM and OFT results showed that rats exhibited depression-like behaviors after inhalation of isoflurane. In addition, significant differences were found in the COG/KO/MetaCyc/KEGG pathway enrichment analyses among the groups. Continuous inhalation of isoflurane changed the diversity and composition of the lung microbiota in rats, resulting in post-anesthesia depression. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Monetizing health has sparked controversy and has implications for pricing strategies of emerging health technologies. Medical insurance payers typically set up thresholds for quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gains based on health productivity and budget affordability, but they rarely consider patient willingness-to-pay (WTP). Our study aims to compare Chinese payer threshold and patient WTP toward QALY gain of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to inform a potential inclusion of patient WTP under more complex decision-making scenarios. Methods: A regression model was constructed with cost as the independent variable and QALY as the dependent variable, where the regression coefficients reflect mean opportunity cost, and by transforming these coefficients, the payer threshold can be obtained. Patient WTP was elicited through a contingent valuation method survey. The robustness of the findings was examined through sensitivity analyses of model parameters and patient heterogeneity. Results: The payer mean threshold in the base-case was estimated at 150,962 yuan (1.86 times per capita GDP, 95% CI 144,041–159,204). The two scenarios analysis generated by different utility inputs yielded thresholds of 112,324 yuan (1.39 times per capita GDP) and 111,824 yuan (1.38 times per capita GDP), respectively. The survey included 85 patients, with a mean WTP of 148,443 yuan (1.83 times per capita GDP, 95% CI 120,994–175,893) and median value was 106,667 yuan (1.32 times the GDP per capita). Due to the substantial degree of dispersion, the median was more representative. The payer threshold was found to have a high probability (98.5%) of falling within the range of 1–2 times per capita GDP, while the robustness of patient WTP was relatively weak. Conclusions: In China, a country with a copayment system, payer threshold was higher than patient WTP, indicating that medical insurance holds significant decision-making authority, thus temporarily negating the need to consider patient WTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, some new theorems for various cyclic contractions are established in G b -metric spaces to discuss the existence and uniqueness of the solutions for a class of the operator equations, which generalize many known results in corresponding literatures. On the other hand, we introduce the notion of the cyclic α - ψ φ-contractive mappings in G b -metric spaces and establish a new fixed point theorem, which is applied to consider the existence of the solutions of the integral equations and ordinary differential equations. Moreover, some examples are given to support our main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) play a key role in antiviral and inflammatory responses. Increasing evidence indicates that ubiquitination is crucial for regulation of RIG-I signaling pathway. Several ubiquitin ligases were reported to be involved in RIG-I-mediated signal transduction. In the present study, we demonstrated zebrafish RING finger protein 135 (zbRNF135) was a critical player in the regulation of RIG-I signaling pathway. zbRNF1 35 mRNA was widely expressed in different tissues of zebrafish. The expression of zbRNF135 was up-regulated post poly(I:C) treatment in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the expression profiles of RIG-I signaling pathway related genes (LGP2 , MDA5 , RIG-I , MAVS , TRAF3 , IRF3 and IRF7), together with its downstream molecules (IFN1 , ISG15 , Mx and PKR), were up-regulated by overexpression of zbRNF135 in ZF4 cells. Luciferase and ubiquitination assays revealed that overexpression of zbRNF135 facilitated zebrafish RIG-I (zbRIG-I)-mediated IFN1 promoter activation by mediating K63-linked ubiquitination of zbRIG-I. The co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that zbRNF135 specifically interacted with zbRIG-I. Our study indicated that zbRNF135 participated in innate immune response through modulating RIG-I signaling pathway. Highlights • Poly(I:C) stimulation induced zbRNF135 expression in vivo and in vitro. • zbRNF135 is a positive regulator of RIG-I signaling pathway. • zbRNF135 promoted K63-linked ubiquitination of zbRIG-I. • zbRNF135 interacted with zbRIG-I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some new coupled coincidence point and coupled fixed point theorems are established in partially ordered metric-like spaces, which generalize many results in corresponding literatures. An example is given to support our main results. As an application, we discuss the existence of the solutions for a class of nonlinear integral equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]