Search

Harvested fruits and vegetables are prone to decay and quality deterioration during storage. Although traditional packaging and chemical treatments are effective, they are harmful to the environment and human health. Hence, higher requirements for food preservation technology are increasingly proposed. Nontoxic, renewable, degradable, and edible packaging for fruits and vegetables has become a research hotspot in recent years. Chitosan, alginate, cellulose, pectin, starch, and other polysaccharides as coating materials have been widely used. Compared with traditional plastic packaging and chemical treatment, these coatings exhibited a better preservation effect and higher safety. In this paper, the preservation mechanism of fruits and vegetables by edible coatings treatment was described, and the research on edible coatings used in fruits and vegetables was summarized. The effects polysaccharide-based edible coatings on physicochemical quality and antimicrobial effect of fruits and vegetables were reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by means of the null set defined by Wu (J Math Anal Appl. 2019;472:1741–1761), we introduce a set-valued equilibrium problem based on the null set, where the objective mapping takes values in a hyperspace equipped with a convex cone. Moreover, we obtain new existence results for set-valued equilibrium problems defined on compact or noncompact sets. Some applications are given to set optimization problems, to a set-valued variational inequality, to saddle point theorems for set-valued mappings, and to a generalized noncooperative game [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing temperature and pressure in the cylinder of the diesel engine, the in-cylinder environment gradually exceeded the thermodynamic critical point of hydrocarbon fuel. Compared with subcritical spray, the phase transformation mechanism of supercritical spray is essentially changed. In this paper, the n-heptane fuel sprays in three conditions case 1 (T1 = 400 K P1 = 2 MPa), case 2 (T2 = 600 K P2 = 2 MPa), and case 3 (T3 = 800 K P3 = 6 MPa) were obtained by high-speed digital schlieren method on the test platform of a constant volume combustion bomb. The spray liquid phase, liquid–gas mixed layer, and mixture were divided, and the variation rules of the spray cone angle, the liquid phase length, maximum interface thickness, and liquid– gas mixed layer area were discussed. The results showed that the higher the ambient temperature and pressure, the more severe the fragmentation of the spray. Compared with the subcritical condition, the spray penetration distance in the supercritical condition tended to be flat faster. Compared with 400 K, 2 MPa condition, the spray cone angle was about 33° and 50% larger at 800 K, 6 MPa condition. The liquid core area at 800 K, 6 MPa condition was 60 cm², reduced by 75% compared with 400 K, 2 MPa condition, resulting in better spray diffusion and mixing with atmospheric gas. The sensitivity analysis of ambient temperature and pressure on spray characteristic parameters shows that temperature has a greater impact on the interface mixing layer area (VIP = 1.23), and pressure has a greater on penetration distance and spray penetration rate (VIP = 1.23). When the environmental conditions exceed the thermodynamic critical point, the area of the liquid–gas mixed layer increases due to the transformation of spray from evaporation to diffusion and the phenomenon of interfacial layer enrichment. In summary, the supercritical condition promotes the mixing of spray and environment and has a positive effect on spray diffusion and atomization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three cases of the Zhang’s Cupping Triple Therapy, an innovative approach in traditional Chinese medicine that integrates modern technology with ancient healing techniques. The therapy, designed for pain management, particularly in the back, lumbar, and sacral regions, combines electrical cupping, targeted acupuncture along the spine, and infrared lamp radiation. Each component contributes synergistically to the overall therapeutic effect, enhancing blood flow, reducing inflammation, and promoting relaxation. The paper showcases three illustrative case studies, each addressing a different complex medical condition: ankylosing spondylitis and endometriosis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These cases demonstrate the therapy’s versatility and efficacy in providing significant pain relief, improving joint mobility, and enhancing the overall quality of life. The treatment outcomes highlight the potential of Zhang’s Cupping Triple Therapy in managing chronic conditions and underscore the value of integrating traditional therapies with modern medical practices. The paper presents strong cases for the recognition of alternative therapies like the Zhang’s Cupping Triple Therapy in mainstream healthcare, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to patient care and the potential for improved health outcomes in chronic condition management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed innovative EFDfO (Entropy Features Data Fusion Optimized) framework, a data-driven approach aimed at revolutionizing music education teaching. EFDfO combines data fusion, feature extraction, and optimization techniques to customize teaching strategies to individual students' unique learning profiles. The data related to students are collected with different sources and data were fused. The fused data are optimized with the Whale optimization technique to estimate the performance of the students. Simualtion analysis of the EFDfO demonstrates its potential to enhance student performance, with an average improvement of approximately 18% to 20% observed in pre-test and post-test scores. Moreover, the classification results indicate that, in most cases, EFDfO accurately categorizes students based on their performance and learning characteristics, although further refinement is needed to reduce misclassifications. Additionally, with the proposed EFDfO model the performance of the students are improved. EFDfO offers a promising av enue for personalized music education, ultimately enhancing students' learning experiences and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective • To explore the incidence and associated factors of glaucoma optic nerve damage (GOND) among patients with Posner-Schlossman syndrome. Methods • We retrieved relative studies till July 2022 using databases including PubMed, CNKI, VIP, and Wan-Fang. The retrieval terms include “Posner-Schlossman syndrome”, “Glaucomatocyclitic Crisis”, and “visual field”. The Chinese retrieval terms were the corresponding Chinese terminologies for the English terms mentioned above. The outcomes were the incidence of GOND among PSS patients, the male proportion, patient age, the proportion of patients with single eye affected, disease duration, and intraocular pressure during the episode in patients with or without GOND. Review manager 5.3 was used for the analysis. Results • In total, 19 studies were included in our analysis. The pooled incidence of GOND among PSS patients was 0.26 (95% CI = 0.16-0.43). Age [MD = 11.3(5.86, 16.73); P < .0001], disease duration [MD = 4.27 (3.38, 5.16), P < .00001], and single or double eye affected [RR = 0.69 (0.49, 0.98), P=.04] were significantly associated with the development of GOND. Whereas, gender [RR = 1.09 (0.91, 1.29), P = .35] and intraocular pressure at episodes [MD = 2.66 (-0.38, 5.7), P = .09] were not significantly associated with GOND development. Conclusion • A fraction of PSS patients ultimately develop GOND so physicians should not be highly optimistic about the prognosis of PSS patients and timely and effective treatment is very important. Patients of higher age, those with double eyes affected, and suffering from a long disease duration might be at a greater risk of developing GOND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for simultaneously sensing positions of multi droplets on a piezoelectric substrate was presented. A double D-value algorithm was presented to distinguish target droplets using CIELab color model. An application soft (app) was developed to sense positions of target droplets. In order to verify the presented method, black ink solution droplets on a 128°-YX LiNbO3 substrate were used to demonstrate for sensing droplets position. Results show that different number of target droplets can be distinguished and their positions can be simultaneously sensed. As an application, a 5 micro-liters black ink solution droplet was driven on the piezoelectric substrate by surface acoustic wave. Its position was sensed and its movement path was analyzed using developed app. In the meantime, the transporting velocity of the droplet was obtained, of which value is 0.33 mm/s from 6th second to 7th second at 27.5 dBm electric signal power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants produce a range of carbohydrates to meet their growth and developmental needs. Protein reversible phosphorylation plays key roles in coordinating multiple metabolic pathways and integrating diverse internal and external cues. Understanding such regulatory metabolism will provide novel resources for breeding and crop management by modulating metabolic pathways for control of growth and stress response. In this review, we summarize the complex, multifaceted functions of protein phosphorylation and their connections to plant metabolism. We focus particularly on carbohydrate metabolic pathways that are controlled by key kinases and discuss how they are linked to downstream changes in physiology, important agronomic traits and crop quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core needle biopsy (CNB) has been used with caution in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) due to concerns about catecholamine-related complications. While it is unclear what scientific evidence supports this claim, it h as limited the acquisition of biological samples for diagnostic purposes and research, especially in metastatic PPGL. We performed a systematic review and individual patient meta-analysis to evaluate the risk of complications after CNB in PPGL patients. The primary and secondary objectives were to investigate the risk of death and the occurrence of com plications requiring intervention or hospitalization, respectively. Fifty-six articles describing 86 PPGL patients undergoing CNB were included. Of the patients (24/71), 34% had metastases and 53.4% (31/58) had catecholamine-related symptoms before CNB. Of the patients (14/41), 34.1% had catecholamine excess testing prior to the biopsy. No CNB-related deaths were reported. Four patients (14.8%, 4/27) experienced CNB-related complications requiring hospitalization or intervention. One case had a temporary duodenal obstruction caused by hematoma, two cases had myocardial infarction, and one case had Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Eight patients (32%, 8/25) had CNB-related catecholamine symptoms, mainly transient hypertension, excessive diaphoresis, tachycardia, or hypertensive crisis. The scientific literature does not allow us to make any firm conc lusion on the safety of CNB in PPGL. However, it is reasonable to argue that CNB could be conducted after thorough consideration, preparation, and with close follow-up for PPGL patients with a strong clinical indication for such investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The different elastic properties of tension and compression are obvious in many engineering materials, especially new materials. Materials with this characteristic, such as graphite, ceramics, and composite materials, are called bi-modulus materials. Their mechanical properties such as Young's modulus have randomness in tension and compression due to different porosity, microstructure, etc. To calibrate the mechanical properties of bi-modulus materials by bridging finite element method (FEM) simulation results and scarce experimental data, the paper presents a data-fusion computational method. The FEM simulation is implemented based on parametric variational principle (PVP), while the experimental result is obtained by digital image correlation (DIC) technology. To deal with scarce experimental data, maximum entropy principle (MEP) is employed for the uncertainty quantification (UQ) and calibration of material parameters and responses, which can retain the original probabilistic property of a priori data. The non-parametric p-box is used as a constraint for data fusion. The method presented in this paper can quantify the mechanical properties of materials with high uncertainty, which is verified by a typical example of bi-modulus graphite. It is possible to find applications in the real-time estimation of structural reliability by combining with digital twin technology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, the fault tree mapping dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) method is applied to the reliability research study of centrifugal compressor units, and its usability and reliability are evaluated dynamically. First, the fault data using the K-means method eliminates abnormal data and builds a fault tree model. The structure is mapped to the DBN structure to complete the structure learning, and the logic gate is mapped to the conditional probability to achieve the parameter learning. Then the model is solved bidirectionally. The change rule of system node reliability with time is solved forward, and the posterior probability of the system node is solved reversely to complete fault diagnosis. Finally, Monte Carlo simulation analysis and the Markov process verify the dynamic reliability and steady-state availability. The results show that the Monte Carlo simulation method is almost consistent with the reliability prediction curve of the DBN model. Indicating that the accuracy of the DBN model is reliable and the computational efficiency is improved by about 81434 times. The steady-state availability calculated using the DBN model is approximately 0.99963, which is close to reality compared to the Markov process. This method can better describe centrifugal compressor units' dynamic reliability and maintainability and provide decision support for regular maintenance of essential parts and enterprise procurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During floristic surveys of Taxaceae in Hekou County, Yunnan Province, China, a putative natural hybrid between A. yunnanensis H.L. Li and A. hekouensis L.M. Gao was collected. Morphological and molecular evidence confirms its status as a natural hybrid. Amentotaxus × hybridia L.M. Gao has linear or linear-lanceolate leaves 6-13 cm × 1.0-1.5 cm, white stomatal bands with 34-40 rows on abaxial side, 2.5-3.5 mm, slightly wider than leaf margins; 3-6 seeds borne at the base of the branchlet, peduncle 1.3-1.6 cm long with 3-4 rows of persistent basal bracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Spinal hemangioblastomas (HBs) are a rare pathology, especially in the pediatric population. The natural history and long-term outcomes of pediatric patients with spinal HBs remain unclear due to their scarcity. Methods: A retrospective review of the clinical data and treatment outcomes of children with spinal HBs in our institution from 2012 to 2021 was conducted. Results: Thirty-nine pediatric patients were included, with an average age of 15.9 ± 2.9 years (range, 8-18 years), and 51.3% were female. Children were more likely to have von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease (p < 0.001), a family history of VHL (p < 0.001), multiple symptoms (p = 0.006), a shorter duration of symptoms (p < 0.001), and a larger lesion size (p = 0.004) and volume (p = 0.008) than their adult counterparts. The VHL-associated group of patients was more likely to present with multiple symptoms (p = 0.026), have a family history of VHL (p < 0.001), have multiple HBs (p < 0.001) and have synchronous intracranial lesions (p < 0.001) than the sporadic group. After surgery, 15 patients (38.5%) showed improved clinical outcomes, 17 patients (43.6%) remained unchanged, 4 patients (10.2%) worsened, and 3 patients (7.7%) died of tumor progression. During follow-up, there was a high rate of recurrence and repeated surgery, especially for children in the VHL-associated group. Conclusion: Pediatric patients with spinal HBs appear to have a higher relapse risk than their adult counterparts. Therefore, life-long follow-up of these patients is necessary, especially for VHL-associated cases. Surgery can benefit children with HBs and should be considered early to avoid irreversible neurological deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia is a common complication of malnutrition. Patients with colorectal cancer are prone to secondary sarcopenia due to nutrient absorption, intestinal obstruction, metabolic disorders and other reasons. Nutritional status not only participates in the body's normal function but also has an important impact on anti-tumor treatment. More and more evidence shows that sarcopenia has a negative effect on the treatment and prognosis of colorectal cancer. This article summarizes the related research, such as the influence of sarcopenia on the treatment of colorectal cancer. To evaluate the clinical value of sarcopenia in treating colorectal cancer and provide new ideas for the comprehensive treatment of sarcopenia in patients with colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Heading date is a vital agronomic trait that influences rice yield and adaption to local conditions. Hd3a, a proposed florigen that primarily functions under short-day (SD) conditions, is a mobile flowering signal that promotes the floral transition in rice. Nonetheless, how Hd3a is transported from leaves to the shoot apical meristem (SAM) under SDs remains elusive. Here, we report that FT-INTERACTING PROTEIN9 (OsFTIP9) specifically regulates rice flowering time under SDs by facilitating Hd3a transport from companion cells (CCs) to sieve elements (SEs). Furthermore, we show that the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) protein OsTPR075 interacts with both OsFTIP9 and OsFTIP1 and strengthens their respective interactions with Hd3a and the florigen RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T1 (RFT1). This in turn affects the trafficking of Hd3a and RFT1 to the SAM, thus regulating flowering time under SDs and long-day conditions, respectively. Our findings suggest that florigen transport in rice is mediated by different OsFTIPs under different photoperiods and those interactions between OsTPR075 and OsFTIPs are essential for mediating florigen movement from leaves to the SAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland area data is one of the important agricultural basic data, which provides parameter basis for the precise operation of agricultural equipment. In order to meet the technical needs of farmers and agricultural machinery operation service billing for acquiring basic information of farmland, this study proposes a farmland area measuring instrument based on the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. Firstly, the overall design scheme of the measuring instrument, the hardware circuit design scheme and the algorithm design scheme are introduced, and the triangulation area measurement algorithm is emphatically analysed. Finally, the design of this research is applied. The farmland area measuring instrument measures the area of different shapes of farmland and verifies the measurement accuracy. The results show that the average relative error of the measuring instrument for measuring the area of irregularly shaped farmland is 0.7%, which realizes the rapid and high-precision measurement of the area of arbitrarily shaped farmland. It is hoped that this study can provide some reference for the research on the area measurement of farmland in my country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Owing to an increasing demand for a continuous and coordinated health service, integrated care is being promoted worldwide. Chinese research on integrated care has rapidly increased over the last 20 years. However, popular topics, paths and trends of integrated care research in China have not been systematically summarised. The study aimed to examine the evolution of integrated care research in China and predict future research trends. Methods: We searched for integrated care research in China published 2000-2020 in Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and English (Web of Science). Research articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. CiteSpace 5.7.R3 was used to perform keyword clustering, timeline view and burst detection analyses. Results: We included 786 Chinese articles and 124 English articles. Chinese articles formed 10 clusters with 1814 keywords. English articles formed 5 clusters with 487 keywords. From 2000 to 2020, integrated care research in China comprised three stages: (1) In the start-up stage (2000-2007), keywords mainly focus on medical resource integration and two-way referral; (2) In the emergence stage (2008-2015), keywords primarily include integrated model, benefits of integration, paths to integration and incentive mechanisms; (3) In the maturation stage (2016-2020), the main keywords are patient preferences, shared management mechanisms, symbiosis theory, valuebased care, payment methods and people-oriented care. Discussion: With increasing health care system reform, popular integrated care research topics in the next stage will likely focus on people-oriented integrated care, service value and payment method reform. Academic research on integrated care in China will help to shape and lead policymaking. Conclusions: Integrated care research in China has gone through three stages over the last two decades. In the future, integrated care theory in China will be informed by concepts from other fields, such as value co-creation in public management, to address the current problem of lack of synthesis in integrated care in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved finite element method is proposed for inflatable beams with a global finite deformation and a local wrinkling behavior, based on the corotational approach and tension field theory. The finite deformation is decomposed into a rigid-body displacement in the global coordinate system and a small strain measured in the local coordinate system, by using the corotational approach. The tangent stiffness matrix of a three-node triangular membrane element is presented. With the modified bimodulus constitutive law, a wrinkling model is constructed for determination of the status of element (tension, wrinkled, or slack). To improve the rate of convergence, a consistent tangent material stiffness matrix is embedded into the local coordinate system. Numerical results are in good agreement with the existing experimental data. In some case, the proposed method can obtain more accurate deflection of inflatable beams than the postbuckling analysis of thin shells. A quadratic rate of convergence is observed for the proposed method, and thus the computational efficiency is improved greatly. The limitation of the method is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface evapotranspiration (ET) process is the key link in the interaction between land and atmosphere. However, the influence of different environmental factors on ET over transitional climate zones and the physical pattern of the interaction between multiple factors remain unclear. Therefore, based on the continuous observation data during the vegetation growing season of a typical grassland in the Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observation of Lanzhou University (SACOL) station from 2007 to 2012, the influence pattern of multiple environmental factors on ET over China's transitional climate zone was analysed. Each environmental factor exhibited significant seasonal and interannual variations. The mean value of ET was 1.67 mm day-1. Although the maximum values of sensible heat flux and vapour pressure deficit occurred in April and June, respectively, the maximum values of other environmental factors appeared from July to August. Net radiation, soil moisture, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were the main controlling factors of ET over the grassland, with correlation coefficients of 0.54, 0.52, and 0.46, respectively. The analysis of multiple environmental factors showed that when soil moisture, wind speed, net radiation, and NDVI reached 0.2 m³ m-3, 2 m s-1, 100 W m-2, and 0.2, respectively, ET varied in contrast with vapour pressure, vapour pressure deficit, and air temperature under the influences of weather processes, land–atmosphere coupling, and drought stress. These findings deepen our understanding of the role of ET in the land–atmosphere coupling process over the transitional climate zone in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postreperfusion significant arrhythmias (PRSA), which is known as part of the diagnostic criteria for postreperfusion syndrome, may serve as a precursor of postreperfusion cardiac arrest (PRCA). Considering the possible relationship between the use of liver grafts with high effluent potassium (eK+) concentrations and PRCA, we aimed to investigate the role of eK+ in PRSA development in deceased liver transplantation (LT). Using the prospectively collected data from a prior observational study, a retrospective study of 91 adult LT recipients with eK+ measurements between November 2016 and December 2018 was conducted to determine the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of PRSA. PRSA occurred in 46 cases (50.5%), and PRCA occurred in 8 patients (8.8%). Multivariable analysis demonstrated elevated eK+ concentration before reperfusion (odds ratio [OR], 1.425; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.134-1.790; P = 0.002), and higher serum potassium level at one minute following reperfusion (sK1+) (OR, 3.244; 95% CI 1.668-6.380; P = 0.001) as independent risk factors for PRSA. An eK+ ≥6.9 mmoL/L could predict PRSA with a sensitivity of 71.7% and a specificity of 80.0% (area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve [AUROC], 0.828). In comparison, an sK+1 ≥5.5 mmoL/L could predict PRSA with a sensitivity of 87.0% and a specificity of 64.4% (AUROC, 0.810). PRSA was associated with increased risks of PRCA, postreperfusion vasoplegia, and postoperative early allograft dysfunction. This study has demonstrated that eK+ has the potential to predict PRSA in deceased LT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which explores the higher-dimensional neural representations predict better episodic memory. It mentions the use of a large fMRI dataset of face-name associative memory tasks and principal component analysis to examine neural representational dimensionality (RD). It discusses that results provide a mechanistic understanding of the role of RD in supporting accurate episodic memory.

The article presents a study which explores the higher-dimensional neural representations predict better episodic memory. It mentions the use of a large fMRI dataset of face-name associative memory tasks and principal component analysis to examine neural representational dimensionality (RD). It discusses that results provide a mechanistic understanding of the role of RD in supporting accurate episodic memory.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), a positive-sense, enveloped RNA virus that belongs to the Flaviviridae family, hijacks cell host proteins for its own replication. We previously demonstrated that Golgi-specific brefeldin A (BFA) resistance factor 1 (GBF1), a regulator of intracellular transport, mediates CSFV infection. However, the molecular mechanism by which this protein regulates CSFV proliferation remains unelucidated. In this study, we constructed a series of plasmids expressing GBF1 truncation mutants to investigate their behavior during CSFV infection and found that GBF1 truncation mutants containing the Sec7 domain could rescue CSFV replication in BFA- and GCA (golgicide A)-treated swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVECs), demonstrating that the effect of GBF1 on CSFV infection depended on the activity of guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). Additionally, it was found that ADP ribosylation factors (ARFs), which are known to be activated by the Sec7 domain of GBF1, also regulated CSFV proliferation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ARF1 is more important for CSFV infection than other ARF members with Sec7 domain dependence. Subsequent experiments established the function of coatomer protein I (COP I), a downstream effector of ARF1 which is also required for CSFV infection by mediating CSFV invasion. Mechanistically, inhibition of COP I function impaired CSFV invasion by inhibiting cholesterol transport to the plasma membrane and regulating virion transport from early to late endosomes. Collectively, our results suggest that ARF1, with domain-dependent GBF1 Sec7, activates COP I to facilitate CSFV entry into SUVECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the failure modes, bearing capacity, ductility, and sleeve strain of grouted sleeve lapping connectors, 36 specimens were tested under uniaxial tensile load. The test results show that the sleeves are under longitudinal tension at the beginning, which changes to longitudinal compression in the late stage of loading, and the changing load increases gradually with the lap length. The force transmission path and mechanical mechanism of the connectors are analyzed. The distribution and development process of longitudinal sleeve stress is analyzed based on the constitutive model stress, and it is found that the sleeve changes from longitudinal tension to longitudinal compression at the late loading stage, which is consistent with the test results. Based on the test, the calculation formulas of the ultimate bond strength and critical lap length of the grouted sleeve lapping connector are proposed. The research results lay a theoretical foundation for the application of grouted sleeve lapping connectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct random phase approximation (RPA) and RPA with second-order screened exchange (SOSEX) have been implemented with complex orbitals as a basis for treating open-shell atoms. Both RPA and RPA+SOSEX are natural implicit current density functionals because the paramagnetic current density implicitly is included through the use of complex orbitals. We confirm that inclusion of the SOSEX correction improves the total energy accuracy substantially compared to RPA, especially for smaller-Z atoms. Computational complexity makes post self-consistent-field (post-SCF) evaluation of RPA-type expressions commonplace, so orbital basis origins and properties become important. Sizable differences are found in correlation energies, total atomic energies, and ionization energies for RPA-type functionals evaluated in the post-SCF fashion with orbital sets obtained from different schemes. Reference orbitals from Kohn-Sham calculations with semi-local functionals are more suitable for RPA+SOSEX to generate accurate total energies, but reference orbitals from exact exchange (non-local) yield essentially energetically degenerate open-shell atom ground states. RPA+SOSEX correlation combined with exact exchange calculated from a hybrid reference orbital set (half the exchange calculated from exact-exchange orbitals, the other half of the exchange from orbitals optimized for the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange functional) gives the best overall performance. Numerical results showthat the RPA-like functional with SOSEX correction can be used as a practical implicit current density functional when current effects should be included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article undertakes both theoretical and experimental investigation on the heat and mass transfer properties of wet air and solution (configured sodium hydroxide solution with the concentration of 2%) on the surface of corrugated packings under reduced ambient pressure conditions. Theoretical analysis reveals that a decreased atmospheric pressure environment is conducive to amplifying mass transfer potential difference. However, it concurrently mitigates the maximum possible mass of water vapor per unit volume of air. Subsequently, experiments were carried out under the following conditions: vacuum degree-0 ~ 40 kPa, inlet air velocity-0.8 ~ 1.6 m/s, inlet air temperature-12.0 ~ 22.0 °C, and inlet air relative humidity-50.0 ~ 95.0%. The experimental outcomes indicate that heat transfer coefficient is predominantly influenced by inlet air velocity and vacuum degree. An enhancement of inlet air velocity or a reduction of vacuum degree leads to a corresponding increase of heat transfer coefficient. Under consistent conditions for other parameters, as vacuum degree ascends, moisture absorption rate and efficiency exhibit a steady growth, albeit with a diminishing rate of increment. Under constant inlet air velocity and relative humidity conditions, mass transfer coefficient initially experiences an upsurge as vacuum degree rises, but eventually undergoes a decline. At a fixed inlet air temperature, mass transfer coefficient behaves differently depending on air temperature. It demonstrates a gradual decrease under cooler air temperatures as vacuum degree rises, whereas under warmer air temperatures, it initially increases and then decreases. The analysis reveals that elevating vacuum degree indeed augments mass transfer capability between wet air and solution. However, there exists an upper limit to this enhancement, dictated by the maximum amount of water vapor that wet air can bear upon reaching saturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid gland which is more difficult to diagnose than common thyroid cancer is an extremely rare disease. It is a malignant tumor that can secrete mucus. A 45-year-old Chinese man came to seek medical care because he found a lump in his right side. Tomography showed that there was a space-occupying lesion on the right thyroid gland which compressed the tracheal. After the operation of total thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection in the right central area, the pathological examination showed that tumor cells existed, showing a small nest-like and cribriform distribution characteristics. There were broad fibrous tissues, a large amount of mucus around the tumur cell that had no obvious amyloid deposition. The tumor cells were positive for thyroid transcription factor-1 and paired box gene-8, while they were focally positive for thyroglobulin. Considering the histological features and immunohistochemical profile and ruling out mucinous cancers originating from other organs. The patient was diagnosed with primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid gland. This patient is still alive at present. Prognosis of primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid gland is usually poor. The best way to improve the prognosis of these patients maybe to do surgery of complete tumor + lymph node resection as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two sections of the Xintiangou Formation were examined in the Yunyang area, Northeastern Sichuan Basin, China. One of them was systematically sampled from bottom to top. Palynology and geochemistry analyses were performed on 20 samples, and Paleoclimatic indicators were extracted. The sporopollen assemblage indicates arid and hot paleoclimate as a whole, and the geochemical index shows hot and humid paleoclimate. Combined with the analysis of sedimentary characteristics, it shows that the sedimentary period of the Xintiangou Formation in the study area is characterized by arid and hot paleoclimate as a whole, and there were fluctuations of relative moist and arid. The humid climate recorded by geochemical indicators may be the illusion that the unconsolidated sediments transported to the shore shallow lake zone experienced strong weathering. When studying the palaeoclimate characteristics of continental basins, it is necessary to analyze all kinds of palaeoclimate proxy indexes in combination with sedimentary facies, and there may be a deviation in using a single palaeoclimate proxy index to invert the palaeoclimate of continental basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gut microbiota is closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetes and affects the prognosis of diabetic complications, and the underlying mechanisms are only partially understood. We aimed to explore the possible link between the gut microbiota and vascular inflammation of diabetic mice. Methods: The db/db diabetic and wild-type (WT) mice were used in this study. We profiled gut microbiota and examined the and vascular function in both db/db group and WT group. Gut microbiota was analyzed by 16s rRNA sequencing. Vascular function was examined by ultrasonographic hemodynamics and histological staining. Clostridium butyricum (CB) was orally administered to diabetic mice by intragastric gavage every 2 days for 2 consecutive months. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were detected by fluorescence microscopy. The mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines was tested by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Compared with WT mice, CB abundance was significantly decreased in the gut of db/db mice, together with compromised vascular function and activated inflammation in the arterial tissue. Meanwhile, ROS in the vascular tissue of db/db mice was also significantly increased. Oral administration of CB restored the protective microbiota, and protected the vascular function in the db/db mice via activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Conclusion: This study identified the potential link between decreased CB abundance in gut microbiota and vascular inflammation in diabetes. Therapeutic delivery of CB by gut transplantation alleviates the vascular lesions of diabetes mellitus by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theory of codes, the well-known triangle conjecture was first proposed by D. Perrin and M.P. Schtzenberger in 1981. Building on the recent work [21], we further study finite maximal codes and present new findings related to triangle conjecture. This paper also provides a more concise set of results from [21] as well as amendments and corrections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Hip Inflammation MRI Scoring System (HIMRISS) in assessing hip involvement of AS patients with AS at different stages of the bath ankylosing spondylitis radiology index (BASRI-hip) scoring system.Methods: Fifty-two outpatients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were included in this study. The subjects' data includes demographics, clinical characteristics, disease activity score, and functional index. Based on the Harris hip scoring (HHS) of involved hip and BASRI-hip score, we devided these patients into no hip involvement group((HHS ≥ 80 and BASRI ≤ 1) (Group A), mild hip involvement subgroup (BASRI = 2 or BASRI ≤ 1 and HHS ≤ 79) (Group B), and moderate to advanced hip involvement subgroup (BASRI ≥ 3) (Group C). Data was analyzed statistically by SPSS software.Results: In total of 44 patients (88 hips), group A consisted of 21 hips, group B consisted of 42 hips and group C consisted of 25 hips. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in four raters were 0.955 ~ 0.977 and interrater ICC was 0.993. HIMRISS correlated moderately with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) (r = 0.540, p < 0.001), the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI) (r = 0.540, p < 0.001), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) (r = 0.581, p < 0.001), ASDAS-ESR (r = 0.604, p < 0.001), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS)-C reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.575, p < 0.001). HIMRISS in groups B and C was significantly higher than that in group A: 29.38 (17.00, 40.94) vs. 14.50 (11.38, 22.25), p = 0.009; 38 (31.13, 64.38) vs 14.50 (11.38, 22.25), p < 0.001.Conclusions: HIMRISS applied to patients with AS demonstrated a satisfactory reliability, meaning it is a reliable quantitive assessment tool for evaluating early hip involvement in patients with AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distributed replica dynamics (DRD) method is proposed to calculate rare-event molecular dynamics using distributed computational resources. Similar to Voter's parallel replica dynamics (PRD) method, the dynamics of independent replicas of the system are calculated on different computational clients. In DRD, each replica runs molecular dynamics from an initial state for a fixed simulation time and then reports information about the trajectory back to the server. A simulation clock on the server accumulates the simulation time of each replica until one reports a transition to a new state. Subsequent calculations are initiated from within this new state and the process is repeated to follow the state-to-state evolution of the system. DRD is designed to work with asynchronous and distributed computing resources in which the clients may not be able to communicate with each other. Additionally, clients can be added or removed from the simulation at any point in the calculation. Even with heterogeneous computing clients, we prove that the DRD method reproduces the correct probability distribution of escape times. We also show this correspondence numerically; molecular dynamics simulations of Al(100) adatom diffusion using PRD and DRD give consistent exponential distributions of escape times. Finally, we discuss guidelines for choosing the optimal number of replicas and replica trajectory length for the DRD method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing is expected to transform and upgrade the traditional foundry industry to realize the integrated manufacturing and rapid and low-cost development of high-performance components with complex shapes. The additive manufacturing technology commonly applied in casting mold preparation (fusible molds, sand molds/cores and ceramic cores) mainly includes selective laser sintering (SLS) and binder injection threedimensional printing (3DP). In this work, the research status of SLS/3DPcasting processes on material preparation, equipment development, process optimization, simulation and application cases in aerospace, automotive and other fields were elaborated. Finally, the developing trends of the additive manufacturing technology in the future of foundry field are introduced, including multi-material sand molds (metal core included), ceramic core-shell integration and die-casting dies with conformal cooling runners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow behaviors and heat transfer characteristics have been studied inside the dimpled tubes and spirally grooved tubes with different curvature degrees, which is considered for the first time within the influence factors. A three-dimensional numerical simulation by periodic boundary conditions is performed to model the fully developed flow of dimpled and grooved sections to acquire the finer mesh and more accurate results. In addition, the dimple and groove outlines with different curvature degrees are generated by polynomial functions. Effects of curvature degrees for dimpled tubes and spirally grooved tubes on flow, heat transfer, and comprehensive performances are discussed. The results indicate that the influence of curvature degrees for dimpled tubes exhibit an opposite behavior when compared with those for spirally grooved tubes. On the whole, all performance factors increase with the growing curvature degree for dimpled tubes but decrease with the increasing curvature degree for spirally grooved tubes. By comparing different curvature degrees, the maximum ranges of heat transfer enhancement are 1.50-2.22 and 2.54-2.82, respectively, for dimpled and grooved tubes with respect to Re. Thermal and hydraulic fields are considered to analyze the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement. The analysis shows that the way the dimple changes thermohydraulic properties differs from the way the groove changes the properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is a reservoir of stem cells that gives rise to all post-embryonic above-ground plant organs. The size of the SAM remains stable over time owing to a precise balance of stem cell replenishment versus cell incorporation into organ primordia. The WUSCHEL (WUS)/CLAVATA (CLV) negative feedback loop is central to SAM size regulation. Its correct function depends on accurate spatial expression of WUS and CLV3. A signaling pathway, consisting of ERECTA family (ERf) receptors and EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR LIKE (EPFL) ligands, restricts SAM width and promotes leaf initiation. Although ERf receptors are expressed throughout the SAM, EPFL ligands are expressed in its periphery. Our genetic analysis of Arabidopsis demonstrated that ERfs and CLV3 synergistically regulate the size of the SAM, and wus is epistatic to ERf genes. Furthermore, activation of ERf signaling with exogenous EPFLs resulted in a rapid decrease of CLV3 andWUS expression. ERf-EPFL signaling inhibits expression of WUS and CLV3 in the periphery of the SAM, confining them to the center. These findings establish the molecular mechanism for stem cell positioning along the radial axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous disease that remains untreatable. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of leukemia. miR-21 is highly expressed in multiple types of human cancer and displays oncogenic activities; however, the clinical significance of miR-21 in AML remains unclear. In the present study, it was demonstrated that miR-21 levels were high in patients with AML and in AML cell lines. Further experiments demonstrated that overexpression of miR-21 in Thp-1 human monocytes derived from acute mononuclear leukemia peripheral blood promoted cell proliferation, while downregulation of miR-21-5p, a mature sequence derived from the 5' end of the miR-21 stem-loop precursor (another mature sequence, miR-21-3p, is derived form 3' end of miR-21), inhibited cell proliferation. Specifically, it was observed that overexpression of miR-21 could promote the transition of Thp-1 cells into the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle, as shown by flow cytometry. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-21-5p arrested cells in the S and G2/M phases. Finally, BCL11B was determined to be a functional target of miR-21-5p by luciferase assays. Our study revealed functional and mechanistic associations between miR-21 and BCL11B in Thp-1 cells, which could serve to guide clinical treatment of AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) pandemic represents a global threat, and the interaction between the virus and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the primary entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2, is a key determinant of the range of hosts that can be infected by the virus. However, themechanisms underpinning ACE2-mediated viral entry across species remains unclear. Using infection assay, we evaluated SARS-CoV-2 entry mediated by ACE2 of 11 different animal species. We discovered that ACE2 of Rhinolophus sinicus (Chinese rufous horseshoe bat), Felis catus (domestic cat), Canis lupus familiaris (dog), Sus scrofa (wild pig), Capra hircus (goat), and Manis javanica(Malayan pangolin) facilitatedSARS-CoV-2 entry into nonsusceptible cells. Moreover, ACE2 of the pangolin also mediated SARS-CoV-2 entry, adding credence to the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 may have originated frompangolins. However, the ACE2 proteins of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (greater horseshoe bat), Gallus gallus (red junglefowl), Notechis scutatus (mainland tiger snake), or Mus musculus (house mouse) did not facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry. In addition, a natural isoform of the ACE2 protein of Macaca mulatta (rhesus monkey) with the Y217N mutation was resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting the possible impact of this ACE2 mutation on SARSCoV-2 studies in rhesus monkeys. We further demonstrated that the Y217 residue of ACE2 is a critical determinant for the ability of ACE2 to mediate SARS-CoV-2 entry. Overall, these results clarify that SARS-CoV-2 can use the ACE2 receptors of multiple animal species and show that tracking the natural reservoirs and intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 is complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a dual-band wearable monopole antenna adopting an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure, which operates at 2.45 and 5.8 GHz ISM bands and is suitable for wearable applications. Both the monopole antenna and the EBG structure are fabricated on an F4B semi-flexible substrate having a dielectric constant of 2.2. The EBG structure effectively isolates the human body from the radiation of the antenna and reduces the specific absorption rate (SAR) of it by more than 97.5%. This improves the antenna gain and the peak gain reaches 9.1 dBi at 5.8 GHz. The wearable performance of the antenna showed that it can sustain good performance even under realistic human body loading. Besides, the antenna has a small size, which makes it ideal for wearable applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistent problem of sexual assault on college campuses is receiving attention in both the public sphere and state legislatures. Although a considerable body of research examines various aspects of campus sexual assault, such as rates and reporting, scholars have not examined how state characteristics and interstate dynamics influence the policy process related to campus sexual assault. This gap is compounded by an underemphasis on gender in theories of state policy adoption, even as a record number of women serve in state legislatures. Drawing on a data set that captures the introduction and enactment of campus sexual assault legislation between 2007 and 2017, David R. Johnson and Liang Zhang examine in this article how the state policy adoption and diffusion framework explains the introduction and enactment of campus sexual assault policy. The results of their study show that the number of forcible sex offenses at public colleges, the number of female Democrats in state senates, contributions from women's interest groups, gubernatorial power, Republican influence, and bipartisan sponsorship influence the campus sexual assault policy process, with varying influence across legislative stages. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for researchers interested in policy adoption and gender issues as well as for advocates working on campus sexual assault policy reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disorder that often results in temporary and/or permanent functional impairment below the injured level. To date, few satisfactory therapeutic strategies are available to treat SCI. Hence, exploring novel strategies for SCI is an essential public health concern. Cell transplantation therapy, which is associated with neuroprotection, immunomodulation, axon regeneration, neuronal relay formation and myelin regeneration, provides a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI. The neuronal stem cell (NSC) preconditioning method is an emerging approach, which facilitates NSC survival and neuronal differentiation after implantation. The aim of the present study was to develop a feasible candidate for cell‑based therapy following SCI in rats and to investigate the role of high mobility group box‑1 (HMGB1) in NSC activation. The results of the present study showed that transplantation of NSCs, preconditioned with 1 ng/ml HMGB1, facilitated functional improvement of injured spinal cords, as indicated by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan mean scores, mechanical hypersensitivity and cold stimulation. Meanwhile, the histological examination of hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated that engraftment of HMGB1‑preconditioned NSCs resulted in decreased atrophy of the injured spinal cord. Meanwhile, the transplantation of HMGB1‑preconditioned NSCs resulted in an increased number of functional Nissl bodies in neurons, as detected by Nissl staining, and an increase in the number of βIII‑tubulin+ cells in the epicenter of injured spinal cords in rats with SCI. In addition, the results also demonstrated that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 promoted the differentiation of NSCs into neurons, and that the ERK signaling pathway played an important role in this process. In conclusion, the present data indicated that the preconditioning strategy with 1 ng/ml HMGB1 may present a feasible candidate for cell‑based therapy following SCI in rats, which may enlarge the scope of HMGB1 in NSC activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary key in novel recommendation is to judge whether an item is "new" for target users. The novelty of recommended items to users changes with time. Therefore, the effects of time factors on user preference, as well as the novelty and accuracy of the recommended items, have become key to novelty recommendation research. To increase novelty based on recommendation accuracy, a novel recommendation algorithm based on time-aware was proposed. First, a time attenuation parameter was introduced into a traditional algorithm to strengthen the weights of recently adopted items. Next, the calculation of innovation adoption activism was adjusted through time information. Differences among recommended items were calculated by combining the time of items that have been adopted by users and the quantity of relevant categories. Lastly, the novelty of recommended items was calculated by the result fusion strategy for Top-N recommendation. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was verified by conducting an offline experiment. Results demonstrate that the novelty of the recommendation list by the proposed algorithm is significantly higher than that of traditional algorithms. Novelty when the number of items in the candidate set reaches 300-400 reaches the peak. The recall rate of unknown items increases by 25%, whereas the recall rate of known items decreases by 60%. The average popularity of the recommendation list decreases by 50%, and the coverage rate increases by 200%. The proposed algorithm improves the ability of the recommendation system (RS) to explore novel items. This study provides references for improving the satisfaction of users with RSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vacuum-blowing cleaning system, utilizing positive and negative pressure mixed-delivery theory, has been adopted for the road sweeper vehicle. To enhance the solid particle separation performance and to evaluate the motion characteristics of inhaled particles under different structural parameters, the gas-solid flow in the vacuum-blowing cleaning system was investigated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology. The influence of the main structural parameters on the grade dust collection efficiency and average detention time of the inhaled particles was determined, such as suction-inlet diameter, suction-inlet inclination angle, and front baffle inclination angle. And the interplay between them was also investigated. In addition, a dust collection efficiency model was built, based on uniform design (UD) and multiple regression analysis (MRA), and subsequently verified via experiments. The results revealed that the structural parameters have significant influence on the dust collection performance. The suction-inlet diameter, front baffle inclination angle, and suction-inlet inclination angle exerted the highest, second-highest, and lowest influence, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction among structural parameters also influenced the collection performance. The highest, second-highest, and lowest levels of influence were determined for the inlet diameter/baffle inclination angle, inlet inclination angle/baffle inclination angle, and inlet diameter/inlet inclination interactions, respectively. The highest dust collection efficiency (i.e., 96.10%) and a short average detention time of particles in the chamber were realized under the following conditions: suction-inlet diameter and inclination angle: 200mm and 110°, respectively, and front baffle inclination angle: 105°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between grain sizes, seepage capacity, and oil-displacement efficiency in the Liushagang Formation of the Beibuwan Basin, this study identifies the multistage pore-throat structure as a crucial factor through a comparison of oil displacement in microscopic pore-throat experiments. The two-phase flow evaluation method based on the LieHorne model is utilized to effectively characterize and quantify the seepage characteristics of different reservoirs, closely relating them to the distribution of microscopic pores and throats. It is observed that conglomerate sandstones at different stages exhibit significant heterogeneity and noticeable differences in seepage capacity, highlighting the crucial role played by certain large pore throats in determining seepage capacity and oil displacement efficiency. Furthermore, it was found that the displacement effects of conglomeratic sandstones with strong heterogeneity were inferior to those of conventional homogeneous sandstone, as evidenced by multiple displacement experiments conducted on core samples with varying granularities and flooding systems. Subsequently, core-based experiments on associated gas flooding after water flooding were conducted to address the challenge of achieving satisfactory results in a single displacement mode for reservoirs with significant heterogeneity. The results indicate that the oil recovery rates for associated gas flooding after water flooding increased by 7.3%e16.4% compared with water flooding alone at a gas eoil ratio of approximately 7000 m³/m³. Therefore, considering the advantages of gas flooding in terms of seepage capacity, oil exchange ratio, and the potential for two-phase production, gas flooding is recommended as an energy supplement mode for homogeneous reservoirs in the presence of sufficient gas source and appropriate tectonic angle. On the other hand, associated gas flooding after water flooding is suggested to achieve a more favorable development effect compared to a single mode of energy supplementation for strongly heterogeneous sandstone reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental study of the frictional pressure drop characteristics of flow boiling heat transfer of CO2 in a horizontal minichannel with an inner diameter of Φ1.5 mm was carried out. Experimental conditions: heat flux (7.5 ~ 30 kW•m−2), mass flow rate (50 ~ 600 kg•m−2•s−1), saturation temperature (−40 ~ 0 °C), vapor quality (0 ~ 1). The comparison between the experimental results and theoretical flow pattern diagrams shows that the change of heat flux has little effect on the frictional pressure drop at high vapor quality area, but it has a decisive effect on the dryout and mist flow areas. The mass flow rate is the most important factor affecting the frictional pressure drop which has a decisive effect on the flow pattern experienced during the heat transfer process. The saturation temperature has an important influence on the flow pattern transition characteristics and the friction pressure drop decreases with the increase of saturation temperature. The influence of vapor quality on the frictional pressure drop is mainly caused by the flow pattern change in the minichannel. The flow visualization study shows that the theoretical flow pattern diagram can better reflect the flow pattern of CO2 in the phase-change heat transfer process and the transition trend of flow pattern under different working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system. MiR-25-3p was proved to be a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of many cancers. MiR-25-3p was found to be high expressed in the blood of EC patients. The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of miR-25-3p and its target gene on EC. Methods: miR-25-3p expression in the blood of EC patients and EC cells was detected by RT-qPCR. The target of miR-25-3p was identified by bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assay. After transfection, cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were detected by MTT, flow cytometry, wound healing, and transwell assays, respectively. The expressions of PTEN, Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved Caspase-3, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, and AKT were detected by Western blot. Results: MiR-25-3p was high expressed in the blood of EC patients and EC cells. MiR-25-3p targeted PTEN and inhibited the expression of PTEN. MiR-25-3p mimic increased the viability, migration, invasion and the expressions of Bcl-2, and inhibited the apoptosis and the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in EC cells. MiR-25-3p mimic also enhanced the expressions of p-PI3K and p-AKT and the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT in EC cells. PTEN overexpression not only had an opposite effect of miR-25-3p mimic, but also reversed the effect of miR-25-3p mimic on EC cells. Conclusion: MiR-25-3p targeted PTEN to promote the migration and invasion, and inhibit apoptosis of EC cells via the PI3K/AKT pathway, which might provide a new therapeutic target for EC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Galectin-3 may predict mortality for patients with aortic stenosis (AS) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). However, the results were inconsistent. We aimed to evaluate the association between baseline galectin and mortality after TAVR in a meta-analysis. Methods: Related follow-up studies were obtained by systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane's Library, and Embase databases. Both the fixed- and the random-effect models were used for the meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the influences of study characteristics on the outcome. Results: Five prospective cohort studies with 854 patients were included, with a follow-up period between 1 and 1.9 years. Patients with higher baseline circulating galectin-3 had an increased risk of all-cause mortality after TAVR (random-effects model: risk ratio [RR]: 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-2.23, P=0.002; fixed-effects model: RR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19-2.20, P=0.002; I2 = 4%). Adjustment of estimated glomerular filtration rate (RR: 1.73, P=0.02) or B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro-BNP (RR: 1.83, P=0.02) did not significantly affect the result. A trend of stronger association between higher baseline circulating galectin-3 and increased risk of all-cause mortality after TAVR was observed in studies with an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) (RR: 3.04, P=0.003) compared with those with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (RR: 1.42, P=0.04; P for subgroup difference =0.06). Conclusion: Higher circulating galectin-3 before the procedure may predict all-cause mortality of AS patients after TAVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]