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The electric double layer (EDL) at the electrode/electrolyte interface plays a crucial role to the electrochemical reactions of zinc ion batteries. For Zn anode, the EDL consists of H2O dipoles, which can cause Zn corrosion and passivation. Herein, the localized electronic‐rich (LER) structure performing as soild electrolyte interphase (SEI) changes the electron distribution, leading to the rapid capture of Zn2+, thus promoting the desolvation of the cH2O shell. Moreover, the LER generates an electrostatic repulsion effect to SO42−. Consequently, a unique H2O‐poor EDL is reconstructed with the distribution of Zn2+‐H2O‐SO42−, which inhibits side reactions and improves the deposition kinetics of Zn2+. In situ Raman intuitively confirms that the zinc‐ion‐flux is uniform during the whole electroplating process. LER as regulator for EDL structure, leads to smooth and fast Zn2+ deposition. The performance enhancement is demonstrated by LER@Zn//LER@Zn cells, which exhibit exceptional lifespan for 4800 h. Furthermore, the LER@Zn///MnO2 cell shows improved cycling stability over 1500 cycles, with a high capacity of 124 mAh g−1 at 5 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-type lectins in organisms play an important role in the process of innate immunity. In this study, a C-type lectin belonging to the DC-SIGN class of Micropterus salmoides was identified. MsDC-SIGN is classified as a type II transmembrane protein. The extracellular segment of MsDC-SIGN possesses a coiled-coil region and a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). The key amino acid motifs of the extracellular CRD of MsDC-SIGN in Ca2+-binding site 2 were EPN (Glu-Pro-Asn) and WYD (Trp-Tyr-Asp). MsDC-SIGN-CRD can bind to four pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), glucan, peptidoglycan (PGN), and mannan. Moreover, it can also bind to Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. Its CRD can agglutinate microbes and displays D-mannose and D-galactose binding specificity. MsDC-SIGN was distributed in seven tissues of the largemouth bass, among which the highest expression was observed in the liver, followed by the spleen and intestine. Additionally, MsDC-SIGN was present on the membrane of M. salmoides leukocytes, thereby augmenting the phagocytic activity against bacteria. In a subsequent investigation, the expression patterns of the MsDC-SIGN gene and key genes associated with the TLR signaling pathway (TLR4, NF-κB, and IL10) exhibited an up-regulated expression response to the stimulation of Aeromonas hydrophila. Furthermore, through RNA interference of MsDC-SIGN, the expression level of the DC-SIGN signaling pathway-related gene (RAF1) and key genes associated with the TLR signaling pathway (TLR4, NF-κB, and IL10) was decreased. Therefore, MsDC-SIGN plays a pivotal role in the immune defense against A. hydrophila by modulating the TLR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively reduce SO2 emissions, flue gas desulfurization methods are widely used in coal‐fired power plants. In desulfurization, the dry sorbent injection (DSI) technology has the advantages of high desulfurization efficiency, simple operation, convenient adjustment, and low initial investment. Here, a pilot‐scale experimental system was designed and built to investigate the desulfurization characteristics of the DSI technology. The influence of the residence time of the desulfurizer, the reaction temperature, the stoichiometric ratio of the desulfurization reaction, the particle size of the desulfurizer, the inlet SO2 concentration, the dust concentration, and the water vapor content in the flue gas on the desulfurization efficiency at low SO2 concentrations was studied by injecting NaHCO3 into the pipeline. The desulfurization efficiency can be significantly improved by reducing the desulfurizer particle size or increasing the water vapor content in the flue gas at low SO2 concentration. An empirical formula describing the dependence of the desulfurization efficiency on experimental parameters is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a leading cause of mortality and long-term disability, acute ischemic stroke can produce far-reaching pathophysiological consequences. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated abnormalities in the lower motor system following stroke, while the existence of Transsynaptic degeneration of contralateral spinal cord ventral horn (VH) neurons is still debated. Methods: Using a rat model of acute ischemic stroke, we analyzed spinal cord VH neuron counts contralaterally and ipsilaterally after stroke with immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, we estimated the overall lower motor unit abnormalities after stroke by simultaneously measuring the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude, repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS), spinal cord VH neuron counts, and the corresponding muscle fiber morphology. The activation status of microglia and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) in the spinal cord VH was also assessed. Results: At 7 days after stroke, the contralateral CMAP amplitudes declined to a nadir indicating lower motor function damage, and significant muscle disuse atrophy was observed on the same side; meanwhile, the VH neurons remained intact. At 14 days after focal stroke, lower motor function recovered with alleviated muscle disuse atrophy, while transsynaptic degeneration occurred on the contralateral side with elevated activation of ERK 1/2, along with the occurrence of neurogenic muscle atrophy. No apparent decrement of CMAP amplitude was observed with RNS during the whole experimental process. Conclusions: This study offered an overview of changes in the lower motor system in experimental ischemic rats. We demonstrated that transsynaptic degeneration of contralateral VH neurons occurred when lower motor function significantly recovered, which indicated the minor role of transsynaptic degeneration in lower motor dysfunction during the acute and subacute phases of focal ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research investigates associations between living arrangements and older adults' depressive symptoms and whether these associations are moderated by extended family, friends, and neighborhoods for White, Black, and Hispanic older adults. Background: The drastic marriage and kinship decline since the 1970s has raised growing concerns about aging alone in both the public and scholarship. This paper adopts critical race theory to examine the social convoy model which argues that distant networks will fill in to protect individuals from stressors in the absence of proximal relations. Methods: This paper applies multilevel mixed‐effects linear models to 2006–2018 waves of Health and Retirement Study (N = 44,304 obs., with 32,599 White, 7028 Black, and 4677 Hispanics). Results: While married couples living alone have the best mental health among Whites, co‐residing with both spouses/partners and children (the intergenerational coresidence) is associated with the lowest depressive symptoms for Black and Hispanic older adults. Moreover, strong social support from extended family and friends and a high level of neighborhood social cohesion can significantly mitigate increased depressive symptoms associated with living alone or with others only (people other than spouses/partners and children) for Whites, but not for Blacks and Hispanics. Conclusion: This research challenges the paradigm that considers "married couples living alone" as a normalized family structure. It also emphasizes the "double plight" of Black and Hispanic older adults, who show both a disproportionate decline in family ties and a lack of supportive distant relations serving as buffer zones in the absence of spouses and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of information technology, crowd-sourcing technology is increasingly used in non-invasive monitoring in smart cities. Applying recommendation algorithms in crowd-sourcing can optimise resource allocation, improve task-matching accuracy and enhance participant satisfaction, whereas existing recommendation algorithms cannot be directly applied in crowd-sourcing, as such scenarios have unique features, such as task timeliness and multi-role users. Designed explicitly for crowd-sourcing scenarios, our OPCA-CF (Outer-product Co-attention Collaborative Filtering) algorithm is formed by an upgraded ItemCF (Item-based Collaborative Filtering) algorithm as main-network and OPCA (Outer-product Co-attention) mechanism as a sub-network. Firstly, ItemCF is improved through attribute-level task feature learning, new-role feature and weighted cross-entropy in the loss function. Most importantly, we propose OPCA using outer-product, while the existing co-attention mechanism only uses inner-product. Compared with the best existing algorithm using real-world datasets, OPCA-CF's performance is proved to be superior by 1.24%, 4.25% and 5.35%, with binary classification indicators AUC (Area under Curve), recommended Lists related indicators HR (Hit Ratio) and MRR (Mean Reciprocal Rank), respectively. All the performance indicators verified the effectiveness of the OPCA-CF algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intracellular DNA-sensing pathway cGAS-STING, inflammasomes and pyroptosis act as critical natural immune signaling axes for microbial infection, chronic inflammation, cancer progression and organ degeneration, but the mechanism and regulation of the crosstalk network remain unclear. Cellular stress disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, facilitates the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore and the leakage of mitochondrial DNA to cell membrane, triggers inflammatory responses by activating cGAS-STING signaling, and subsequently induces inflammasomes activation and the onset of pyroptosis. Meanwhile, the inflammasome-associated protein caspase-1, Gasdermin D, the CARD domain of ASC and the potassium channel are involved in regulating cGAS-STING pathway. Importantly, this crosstalk network has a cascade amplification effect that exacerbates the immuno-inflammatory response, worsening the pathological process of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Given the importance of this crosstalk network of cGAS-STING, inflammasomes and pyroptosis in the regulation of innate immunity, it is emerging as a new avenue to explore the mechanisms of multiple disease pathogenesis. Therefore, efforts to define strategies to selectively modulate cGAS-STING, inflammasomes and pyroptosis in different disease settings have been or are ongoing. In this review, we will describe how this mechanistic understanding is driving possible therapeutics targeting this crosstalk network, focusing on the interacting or regulatory proteins, pathways, and a regulatory mitochondrial hub between cGAS-STING, inflammasomes, and pyroptosis. Short conclusion: This review aims to provide insight into the critical roles and regulatory mechanisms of the crosstalk network of cGAS-STING, inflammasomes and pyroptosis, and to highlight some promising directions for future research and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipidomics approach by UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS was used for the identification, quantification, comparison, and characterization of sphingolipids in virus infected marine Emiliania huxleyi BOF92 cells. The results show that 16 significantly changed sphingolipids (including Cer, CerG1, and SPHm) were identified during viral infection. Our data confirmed previously recognized facts that viral infection led to a shift toward virus-specific sphingolipids, which is consistent with the down-regulation of genes involved in the host de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis. Moreover, we revealed the upregulation of virus-encoded homologous genes participating in de novo sphingolipids biosynthesis and virus-specific hydroxylated long chain bases (LCBs) as phytoCer, suggesting the competitive inhibition of host sphingolipid synthesis to produce the required building blocks for viral production, replication, and assembly. Additionally, Cer 40:1;2, Cer 40: 2;2 isomer, and CerG1 39:0;2, Cer 39: 0;2 as novel metabolite markers might indicate the general dysfunctions in E. huxleyi in response to viral infection. Our results show that viral infection led to a profound remodeling of host sphingolipidome, by which viruses depend on the hijacking of host sphingolipid metabolism to support the viral life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background With high temperature becoming an increasing health risk due to a changing climate, it is important to quantify the scale of the problem. However, estimating the burden of disease (BoD) attributable to high temperature can be challenging due to differences in risk patterns across geographical regions and data accessibility issues. Methods We present a methodological framework that uses Köppen–Geiger climate zones to refine exposure levels and quantifies the difference between the burden observed due to high temperatures and what would have been observed if the population had been exposed to the theoretical minimum risk exposure distribution (TMRED). Our proposed method aligned with the Australian Burden of Disease Study and included two parts: (i) estimation of the population attributable fractions (PAF); and then (ii) estimation of the BoD attributable to high temperature. We use suicide and self-inflicted injuries in Australia as an example, with most frequent temperatures (MFTs) as the minimum risk exposure threshold (TMRED). Results Our proposed framework to estimate the attributable BoD accounts for the importance of geographical variations of risk estimates between climate zones, and can be modified and adapted to other diseases and contexts that may be affected by high temperatures. Conclusions As the heat-related BoD may continue to increase in the future, this method is useful in estimating burdens across climate zones. This work may have important implications for preventive health measures, by enhancing the reproducibility and transparency of BoD research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by a progressive deterioration of β‐cell function with a continuous decline in insulin secretion. Glucokinase (GCK) facilitates the rate‐limiting step of glycolysis in pancreatic β‐cells, to acquire the proper glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion. Multiple glucokinase activators (GKAs) have been developed and clinically tested. However, the dynamic change of human pancreatic GCK expression during T2D progression has not been investigated. Methods: We evaluated GCK expression by measuring the average immunoreactivity of GCK in insulin+ or glucagon+ cells from pancreatic sections of 11 nondiabetic subjects (ND), 10 subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), 9 with well‐controlled T2D (wT2D), and 5 individuals with poorly controlled T2D (uT2D). We also assessed the relationship between GCK expression and adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR) in human diabetic β‐cells. Results: We did not detect changes of GCK expression in IFG islets. However, we found β‐cell GCK levels were significantly increased in T2D with adequate glucose control (wT2D) but not in T2D with poor glucose control (uT2D). Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between GCK expression and adaptive UPR (spliced X‐box binding protein 1 [XBP1s] and activating transcription factor 4 [ATF4]), as well as functional maturity marker (urocortin‐3 [UCN3]) in human diabetic β‐cells. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that inductions of GCK enhanced adaptive UPR and UCN3 in human β‐cells, which might be an adaptive mechanism during T2D progression. This finding provides a rationale for exploring novel molecules that activate β‐cell GCK and thereby improve pharmacological treatment of T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of Distoseptispora, viz. D. mengsongensis, D. nabanheensis, and D. sinensis, are described and illustrated from specimens collected on dead branches of unidentified plants in Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses of LSU, ITS, and TEF1 sequence data, using maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI), reveal the taxonomic placement of D. mengsongensis, D. nabanheensis, and D. sinensis within Distoseptispora. Both morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analyses supported D. mengsongensis, D. nabanheensis, and D. sinensis as three new taxa. To extend our knowledge of the diversity of Distoseptispora-like taxa, a list of recognized species of Distoseptispora with major morphological features, habitat, host, and locality is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant debris are habitats favoring survival and multiplication of various microbial species. During continuing mycological surveys of saprobic microfungi from plant debris in Yunnan Province, China, several Corynespora-like and Dendryphiopsis-like isolates were collected from dead branches of unidentified perennial dicotyledonous plants. Four barcodes, i.e., ITS, LSU, SSU and tef1-α, were amplified and sequenced. Morphological studies and multigene phylogenetic analyses by maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference revealed three new Corynespora species (C. mengsongensis sp. nov., C. nabanheensis sp. nov. and C. yunnanensis sp. nov.) and a new Kirschsteiniothelia species (K. nabanheensis sp. nov.) within Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota. A list of identified and accepted species of Corynespora with major morphological features, host information and locality was compiled. This work improves the knowledge of species diversity of Corynespora and Kirschsteiniothelia in Yunnan Province, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a global health problem. In the past decades, the prevalence rate of obesity has risen sharply in epidemiology. Obesity has become an increasingly severe epidemic burden linked with different kinds of diseases, consisting of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic associated fatty liver disease, and even in COVID-19. Beneficial flavonoids in foods, as functional ingredients, combat obesity and maintain energy balance through multiple mechanisms. This review provides a brief overview of biological targets, possible mechanisms and the current therapeutic interventions including suppressing appetite, increasing energy consumption, regulating gut microbiota, inhibiting adipogenesis, anti-inflammation. In vitro and in vivo experiments as well as available clinical evidence related to the anti-obesity effects of pure flavonoid and flavonoid-rich extracts are also summarized and depicted. Furthermore, the metabolism and bioavailability of flavonoids are also concluded and discussed. Beneficial flavonoids have become promising candidates for treating and avoiding obesity, but poor bioavailability and short elimination half-life affects the absorption and efficacy. This paper reviews the different types of flavonoids and their potential effect of preventing obesity, which provide the basis for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Findings: What is the central question of this study?What is the role of mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2/Mrgprb2) in ulcerative colitis in relation to the intestinal flora, intestinal barrier and immune response?What is the main finding and its importance?Knockout of mouse Mrgprb2 aggravates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis, which is associated with altered gut microbiota and immune response and disruption of the intestinal barrier. MRGPRB2 may have a protective effect on DSS‐induced colitis. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic immune‐related disease, and changes in the intestinal microbiota and damage to the intestinal barrier contribute to its pathogenesis. Mast cells (MCs) are widely distributed in the gastrointestinal tract and are thought to be related to the pathogenesis of UC. Human mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) and its mouse homologue, Mrgprb2, are selectively expressed on MCs to recruit immune cells and modulate host defence against microbial infection. To investigate the role of Mrgprb2 in UC in mice, we compared the differences between Mrgprb2 knockout (b2KO) male mice and wild‐type (WT) male mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis in the severity of clinical symptoms, inflammatory cell infiltration, degree of intestinal barrier damage and composition of the intestinal flora. The results showed that weight loss, disease activity index score, colon shortening and colonic pathological damage were significantly increased in b2KO mice while MC activation, cytokine and chemokine secretion, and inflammatory cell infiltration were decreased. In addition, the abundance and diversity of the intestinal microbiota were reduced in b2KO mice. B2KO mice also exhibited a reduction of probiotics such as norank_f_Muribaculaceae and Lactobacillus and increase of harmful bacteria like Escherichia–Shigella. Intestinal mucosal barrier damage of b2KO mice was more severe than that of WT mice due to the attenuated expression of mucin‐2 and occludin. These results demonstrated that MRGPRB2 may have a protective effect on DSS‐induced colitis by altering the intestinal flora, participating in barrier repair and recruiting inflammatory cells to eliminate pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been a major public health problem. Tumor microenvironment (TME) greatly contributes to the heterogeneity of CRC and is crucial for the regulation of CRC progression. The authors' study aimed to develop a robust prognostic signature for CRC patients based on TME-related genes. Materials and Methods: Gene expression data and clinicopathologic information of CRC patients were collected from Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. TME-related genes with prognostic value were identified by Cox regression and bootstrap method. The authors used the prognostic genes to construct a robust prognostic model using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method. The immune and stromal cell abundance of CRC samples were estimated by a microenvironment cell populations-counter method. Results: Based on a training set that comprised 893 CRC samples and 4775 TME-related genes, they established a prognostic model consisting of 25 TME-related genes. With specific risk score formulae, the prognostic model divided CRC patients into high-risk and low-risk subgroups with significantly different survival, which were further confirmed in validation cohorts consisting of other 473 CRC cases or subpopulation of specific stages. The result of time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated strong predictive accuracy of the prognostic model both in training and validation cohorts. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 25-gene signature was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival, which was validated through clinical subgroups analysis. Further analysis revealed that CRC samples of high-risk group was abundant of stromal-relevant processes and had a significantly higher proportion of fibroblasts and endothelial cells infiltration. Conclusion: The authors established a robust prognostic signature of 25 TME-related genes which may be an effective tool for prognostic prediction and CRC patient stratification to assist in making treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of polypropylene (PP) to asphalt pavement construction, as one of the measures to dispose white waste, has suffered from many challenges. Meanwhile, the emerging nanomaterials for asphalt pavements has exhibited great potential and drawn the attention of many researchers. Therefore, in this study, the novel graphene/carbon black nanocomposite (GC) was selected to improve this dilemma by compounding with PP in different approaches. First, three kinds of asphalt binders incorporated with PP and GC were prepared by mechanical mixing. Subsequently, the temperature sweep, frequency sweep, multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), and linear amplitude sweep (LAS) have been performed to evaluate the rheological properties of PP/GC composite-modified asphalt binders. In addition, the low-temperature tensile fracture behaviors of the different modified asphalt were investigated through the force-ductility testing machine (FDTM). Moreover, the microstructure and chemical composition of the different modified asphalt binders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The experimental results confirmed that PP and GC synergistically increased the mechanical strength and high-temperature rutting resistance of the asphalt binder. As a result, the incorporation of GC significantly improved the stress sensitivity of the PP/CG composite-modified asphalt under repeated loading. Wherein, the polypropylene/GC masterbatch (PGC) modified asphalt, prepared by premixing process, exhibited superior fatigue-damage tolerance and low-temperature cracking resistance. SEM and FT-IR data revealed that the addition of GC facilitated the formation of a strong network structure of PP in the asphalt matrix by physical coblending. This study may cast some light on the application of PP and GC for asphalt modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the influences of glycinin for growth and intestinal structural integrity related to oxidative damage, apoptosis and tight junction of juvenile hybrid yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco ♀ × Pelteobaggrus vachelli ♂). Fish (initial weight, 1.02 ± 0.01 g) were fed diets containing five different levels of glycinin at 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that dietary glycinin levels had a negative correlation with final weight, feed intake, protein efficiency ratio and survival rate of the experiment fish. When the level of dietary glycinin exceeded 4%, the structural integrity of the posterior intestine was observably impaired, characterized by disordered and exfoliated margin of intestinal villi, blurred and broken boundaries of tight junctions, damaged organelles and cell vacuolation. Levels of 4–8% dietary glycinin depressed the total antioxidant capacity and total superoxide dismutase activities of posterior intestine. Furthermore, a high level of dietary glycinin linearly and quadratically down-regulated the mRNA expressions of Claudin-1, Occludin and ZO-1, while it linearly and significantly up-regulated the mRNA expressions of Bax, Cyt C, Caspase 3, Caspase 9 and p53 in the posterior intestine. In conclusion, dietary 4–8% glycinin impaired the morphological structure of the posterior intestine by inducing oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, and eventually impeded the growth performance of juvenile hybrid yellow catfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published in the National Science Review explores the role of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in gene expression regulation and genome stability within the germline. The study reveals that the length of piRNAs is crucial for their function in translational regulation and male fertility in mice and humans. The researchers discovered that a specific insertion module within PIWI proteins determines the length of loaded piRNAs. Deletion of this module resulted in shortened piRNAs and complete male sterility in mice. The study provides important insights into the regulation and function of piRNA length and its implications for male infertility. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy with high mortality, and it is urgent to find new and optimized treatment strategies for AML. In this study, bavachinin, isolated from Psoralea corylifolia L. exhibiting extensive anti-tumor activity in many solid tumors and a series of its synthesized analogs, were screened for their anti-cancer activity on AML cell lines.Methods: The cell viability of AML cells was measured using CCK-8 assays. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of apoptosis-related protein and autophagy-related protein/gene was detected by western blot, immunofluorescence or RT-PCR. Subcutaneous mice tumor model was used to evaluate the anti-cancer activity of D36 in vivo.Results: D36 robustly induced AML cells death in a dose-dependent manner with the IC50 value of 1.0 μM for HL-60 cells and 0.81 μM for MV4-11 cells at 24 h. D36 activated autophagy by inducing the accumulation of LC3B and promoting the autophagy flux. In addition, D36 triggered the extrinsic apoptosis by upregulating the protein level of FAS, cleaved-caspase 8, cleaved-caspase 3 and cleaved-PARP. D36 also blocked the cell cycle at S phase or G2/M phase in AML cells. In addition, we find that activation of caspase cascade induced apoptosis and meanwhile activated autophagy, autophagy activation in turns contributes to apoptosis. Furthermore, D36 suppressed the tumor growth in HL-60 AML-bearing mice without obvious side effects.Conclusion: This study suggests that D36 is a promising small-molecule for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescence device based on ultraviolet light is proposed in this paper, which currently stands at the design stage with the eventual aim to potentially detect virus/antibody fluorescence reactions. The designed device is proposed to have the characteristics of high reflectivity, low power consumption, wide spectrum of light source, and proper silver coating. For fabrication and raising product quality, 3D printing technology and a sputtering test will be used. In this connection, this paper firstly introduces the design sources; then, the ideas of inventing fluorescence detection devices based on ultraviolet light, followed by the data analysis as well as discussing the results of computer simulations. The design process, materials, methods, and experiments are demonstrated following the reality work procedure. Instead of directly using a virus or antibodies for the experiment, at the current design stage, we focus on using this device to detect the rhodamine B reagent. Experiment shows that this reagent can be successfully detected. With this achievement, we logically believe that such type of an ultraviolet optical sensor, with further development and testing, may have the possible value to detect a single virus such as COVID-19, as well as other viruses or small molecules. Though there is long way to go to achieve such a goal, future works experimenting with the detection device on real virus or antibodies can take place more efficiently with a good foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging transcriptome-wide high-throughput screenings reveal the landscape and functions of RNAs, such as circular RNAs (circRNAs), in human cancer. In addition, the post-transcriptional RNA internal modifications, especially N6-methyladenosine (m6A), greatly enrich the variety of RNAs metabolism. However, the m6A modification on circRNAs has yet to be addressed. Results: Here, we report an epitranscriptome-wide mapping of m6A-modified circRNAs (m6A-circRNA) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Utilizing the data of m6A methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and m6A-circRNAs microarray, we found that m6A-circRNAs exhibited particular modification styles in OSCC, which was independent of m6A-mRNA. Besides, m6A modification on circRNAs frequently occurred on the long exons in the front part of the coding sequence (CDS), which was distinct from m6A-mRNA that in 3'-UTR or stop codon. Conclusion: In conclusion, our work preliminarily demonstrates the traits of m6A-circRNAs, which may bring enlighten for the roles of m6A-circRNAs in OSCC. Highlights: 1. m6A-circRNAs exhibited their particular modification style in OSCC, which was independent of m6A-mRNA. 2. m6A on circRNAs frequently occurred on the long exons in the front part of CDS, which was distinct from m6A-mRNA that in 3'-UTR or stop codon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the health implications of intergenerational caregiving have been broadly investigated in the aging literature, less is known about caregivers in four-generation families and their living arrangements. Using 2011 and 2013 waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 12,914 obs.), we document enhanced life satisfaction of grandchild caregivers and sandwich caregivers caring for both grandchildren and parents than non-caregivers. When further taking living arrangements into consideration, we find that parent caregivers also benefit from care provision when not living with their parents and sandwich caregivers only have an advantage when co-residing with care recipients with adult children present in households. By contrast, grandchild caregivers living with grandchildren show substantially higher life satisfaction no matter adult children are present or not. The subgroup comparison suggests that females and rural residents enjoy psychological advantages over their male counterparts and urban counterparts in grandparenting within skipped-generation households and sandwich caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the characterization of gut microbiota in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Methods This was a case-control study. Patients with LADA and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were selected from the Department of Endocrinology, Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College from September 2019 to October 2020, and healthy people were selected as normal control people (NCP) from the physical examination center of this hospital. The data of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA), protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 antibody (IA-2A), etc., and the 16S rRNA gene sequence of the gut microbiota were collected. The analysis software QIIME (version 1.8.0) was used to analyze the alpha diversity index reflecting the diversity and richness of gut microbiota and the Beta diversity index reflecting the structural similarity between groups. The t-test or analysis of one-way variance, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test or χ² test were adopted for comparison among the groups. The changes of microbial functions were predicted based on the PICRUST. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between gut microbiota and biochemical data. Results A total of 42 subjects were included, including 14 in NCP group, 14 in T2DM group and 14 in LADA group. There was no significant difference in alpha diversity index (P<0.05), but there was significant difference in Beta diversity (P<0.05) among the three groups of gut microbiota. Compared with the NCP group, the short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria such as Lachnospira, Roseburia and Lac_(Ruminococcus) genera significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the Lac_(Ruminococcus) genera significantly decreased in LADA group compared with the T2DM as well (P<0.05). Compared with NCP group, the metabolic prediction function pathways such as phenylalanine synthesis, primary bile acid biosynthesis and secondary bile acid biosynthesis in LADA group decreased (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the GADA antibody titer was negatively correlated with Lac_(Ruminococcus) (r=-0.44), and positively correlated with Prevotella (r=0.38), Dialister (r=0.34), Rum_Ruminococcus genera (r=0.13, all P<0.05), the titer of IA-2A antibody was positively correlated with the Megasphaera genus (r=0.13, P<0.05). Conclusions LADA patients maight have a distinctive gut microbiota composition, accompanied with a decrease of some short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria Lachnospira, Roseburia and Lac_(Ruminococcus) genera, and a decrease in some important metabolic prediction function pathways such as phenylalanine synthesis, primary bile acid biosynthesis and secondary bile acid biosynthesis. In addition, islet autoantibodies are correlated with some genera like Prevotella, Dialister, and Rum_Ruminococcus genera, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of thermal cold cycling on the microstructure and properties of Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloy, hardness and tensile tests, resistivity tests, friction and wear tests, intergranular corrosion, and electrochemical corrosion tests were used to explore its mechanical properties, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance changes. Laser confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe and analyze the wear morphology, corrosion conditions, and microstructure of the alloy. The results show that after thermal cold cycling, the phase of the Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloy is a fine and dense Ω phase, and the microstructure is significantly optimized, effectively improving the properties of the alloy. As the number of cycles increases, the properties of the alloy change accordingly, when thermal cold cycled twice (TCC2), the small Ω phase is dispersed and evenly distributed on the matrix, which enhances the strengthening effect of the alloy. The hardness, yield strength, and tensile strength of the alloy are 155.6 HV, 445 MPa, and 484 MPa, respectively. The conductivity and resistivity at this time are 55.2 %IACS and 31.1 nΩ m, respectively. The wear resistance of the alloy is also improved, and the wear depth is decreased. The average friction coefficient is 1.214, and the wear rate is 0.51 × 10−4 mm3/m. The intergranular corrosion depth is 45 µm, the self-corrosion current density is 0.0048 mA cm−2, corrosion weight loss is 8.3 mg/cm2, the passivation film thickness is 1.82 nm, and the corrosion resistance is higher. As the number of cycles continues to increase, the aging time continues to extend, causing the size of the matrix precipitate phase to become coarser, the strengthening effect is weakened, and the properties of the corresponding alloy become degenerate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising clinical treatment strategy in recent years. Unfortunately, the satisfactory antitumor therapeutic efficacy of immunotherapy is limited by intricate immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITM). To remodel the ITM and alleviate the immune evasion, we constructed FA-PEG-modified liposomes to deliver plasmid IL-15 (pIL-15) and gemcitabine (GEM) (FPCL@pIL-15 + FPGL), respectively. The FPCL@pIL-15 (150 nm) and FPGL (120 nm) exhibited symmetrically spherical structures as well as desirable penetration and accumulation on tumor tissue depending on folic acid (FA) specialized targeting function. The transfected expression of IL-15 efficiently fosters the proliferation and co-activation of Natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+T cells through binding to IL-15R. FPGL upregulated the expression of Natural killer group 2 member D ligands (NKG2DLs) and reinforced recognition by NK cells to alleviate the immune evasion, and simultaneously promoted activation of CD8+T cells through immunogenic cell death (ICD) effects. More importantly, the combinatorial administration achieved intended anti-tumor efficacy in the subcutaneous 4T1 tumor model. In essence, we demonstrated that combining FPCL@pIL-15 with FPGL synergistically stimulates and mobilizes the immune system to reverse the ITM and trigger an anti-tumor immune response, indicating a tremendous potential for application in immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone is one of the most important gases in the atmosphere as it plays different roles based on the levels it presents. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiance while harming life at ground-level. In order to better understand the source of ozone pollution, transport of ozone, stratosphere-troposphere exchange of ozone, it is necessary to estimate the vertical profile of ozone. In this study, we derive the vertical ozone profile throughout the troposphere to the stratosphere by combing ozone retrievals from MLS (Microwave Limb Sounder) and TES (Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer). The combination algorithm is based on the MLS and TES retrieved vertical profiles of ozone, and averaging kernels of MLS, which represent the vertical sensitivity of the instrument. The combination algorithm was applied to the pairs of MLS and TES over the globe in 2007 as examples. The combined vertical profiles were compared with ozonesonde observations for validation, which indicate that the combined products extract information from MLS and TES have less biases than that of MLS or TES alone in general in both stratosphere and troposphere under certain quantitative criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific duration between the impact event and subsequent volcanic flows is highly variable based on previous works. The method of crater size-frequency distribution (CSFD) has been previously used to date the basalt in Orientale Basin, which yielded inconsistent resultant Absolute Model Age (AMA) ranges. The inconsistency may be attributed to the choice of counting area and identified superposed craters. In this study, we integrated the Chang'E-2 (CE-2) imaging data (7 m/pix) and the IIM and 20 m CE-2 DTMS data, re-divided Mare Orientale, and re-estimated the age of the basalts there. The ages revealed that (1) the central basalts had multiphase eruptions, beginning at 3.77 Ga (30 My after the impact event) with the longest duration of 1.51 Gy; (2) the edge basalts have a similar features as the central basalts, beginning at 3.75–3.50 Ga (50–300 My after the impact) with the longest duration of 0.67 Gy. Compared with the basalts along the basinal margin, the central basalts have higher Ti but lower Mg# contents, consistent with the basaltic magma fractionation trend. Spatial distribution characteristics indicate that the basalt eruption occurred in the impact direction upstream and in the center, but almost absent in the impact direction downstream. Accordingly, we speculate that the longevity of the lunar mare basaltic volcanism was affected by gravity changes, material balance, and other post-impact processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a teacher identity (TI) profoundly impacts teacher education program graduates' career intention and teaching practices. Existing studies on pre-service physical education teachers' teacher identity (PPET-TI) have used qualitative methods to focus on the dynamic and reflective features of TI. Quantitative studies that help reveal the universal and stable aspects of TI across contexts are scarce, which may be due to a lack of measuring instruments of PPET-TI. This study aimed to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the PPET-TI Scale. Scale items and structure were developed based on the theoretical framework of dynamic systems model of role identity, interviews with 19 pre-service physical education teachers (PPETs), and content validity evaluations by 10 experts. The initial PPET-TI Scale was then validated among 523 PPETs. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a measurement model including three domains: self-definitions, teaching goals, and professional responsibilities. This model showed an acceptable model fit to the data. Convergent validity, criterion validity, and discriminant validity of the scale scores were also within the acceptable range. The scores of the PPET-TI Scale also showed an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.91 for the entire scale). Teacher educators may use the PPET-TI Scale to understand PPETs' current TI and identify areas for intervention. The PPET-TI Scale enables future quasi-experimental studies to identify influencing factors of TI development and examine the effectiveness of TI interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetric reductive amination (ARA) is one of the most promising methods for the synthesis of chiral amines. Herein we report our efforts on merging two ARA reactions into a single‐step transformation. Catalyzed by a complex formed from iridium and a steric hindered phosphoramidite, readily available and inexpensive aromatic ketones initially undergo the first ARA with ammonium acetate to afford primary amines, which serve as the amine sources for the second ARA, and finally provide the enantiopure C2‐symmetric secondary amine products. The developed process competently enables the successive coupling of inorganic and organic nitrogen sources with ketones in the same reaction system. The Brønsted acid additive plays multiple roles in this procedure: it accelerates the formation of imine intermediates, minimizes the inhibitory effect of N‐containing species on the iridium catalyst, and reduces the primary amine side products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetric reductive amination (ARA) is one of the most promising methods for the synthesis of chiral amines. Herein we report our efforts on merging two ARA reactions into a single‐step transformation. Catalyzed by a complex formed from iridium and a steric hindered phosphoramidite, readily available and inexpensive aromatic ketones initially undergo the first ARA with ammonium acetate to afford primary amines, which serve as the amine sources for the second ARA, and finally provide the enantiopure C2‐symmetric secondary amine products. The developed process competently enables the successive coupling of inorganic and organic nitrogen sources with ketones in the same reaction system. The Brønsted acid additive plays multiple roles in this procedure: it accelerates the formation of imine intermediates, minimizes the inhibitory effect of N‐containing species on the iridium catalyst, and reduces the primary amine side products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fasciculation is an important sign for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our study aimed to analyze the difference in fasciculation detected with muscle ultrasonography (MUS) between ALS patients and non-ALS patients with symptoms resembling ALS.Methods: Eighty-eight ALS patients and fifty-four non-ALS (eight multifocal motor neuropathy, 32 chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy/Charcot-Marie-Tooth, and 14 cervical spondylopathy or lumbar spondylopathy) patients were recruited. MUS was performed on 19 muscle groups in cervical, lumbosacral, bulbar, and thoracic regions for each patient. The intensity of fasciculation was divided into five grades based on firing frequency and number in the involved muscle groups.Results: The overall detection rates were 72.8% in ALS and 18% in non-ALS patients. The fasciculation grades (median [IQR]) were 2 (0-3) in ALS and 0 (0-0) in non-ALS patients (P < 0.001). Fasciculations were observed in four regions for ALS patients and primarily distributed in proximal limbs. Fasciculations in non-ALS patients were primarily low-grade and mostly distributed in distal limbs.Discussion: The fasciculation grade was higher in ALS than non-ALS patients. The distribution pattern of fasciculation was different between ALS and non-ALS patients.Conclusions: The fasciculation grade and distribution pattern detected with MUS could help distinguish ALS from non-ALS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica (SiO2) aerogels are widely used in high-temperature insulation materials due to their low thermal conductivity. The hydrophobicity of SiO2 aerogels is considerably important for maintaining high-thermal insulation performance for a long duration. Traditional methods for the hydrophobic modification of SiO2 aerogels involve the modification of organic functional groups present on aerogel surfaces to replace original hydrophilic hydroxyl functional groups. However, due to the thermal damage of functional groups, SiO2 aerogels lose their hydrophobicity at high temperatures (400 °C), which limits the aerogel application in high-temperature fields. This study proposed a new hydrophobic method, chemical vapour deposition, to deposit a layer of hydrophobic boron nitride (BN) on the SiO2 aerogel surface. The surface hydrophobic angle of the BN-modified SiO2 aerogel reached 144.3°, and hydrophobic destruction temperature increased to 700 °C, indicating stable hydrophobicity. The method can be used to a decrease in aerogel surface energy through the deposition of a nano-BN film on the aerogel surface layer while maintaining the porous structure of the unmodified aerogel. The deposited BN layer protects the silica skeleton. This layer inhibits silica crystallisation and improves the thermal stability of aerogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the introduction of surface acoustic wave (SAW) technique for microfluidics has drawn a lot of attention. The pattern and mutual communication in cell layers, tissues, and organs play a critical role in tissue homeostasis and regeneration and may contribute to disease occurrence and progression. Tissue engineering aims to repair and regenerate damaged organs, depending on biomimetic scaffolds and advanced fabrication technology. However, traditional bioengineering synthesis approaches are time-consuming, heterogeneous, and unmanageable. It is hard to pattern cells in scaffolds effectively with no impact on cell viability and function. Here, we summarize a biocompatible, easily available, label-free, and non-invasive tool, surface acoustic wave (SAW) technique, which is getting a lot of attention in tissue engineering. SAW technique can realize accurate sorting, manipulation, and cells' pattern and rapid formation of spheroids. By integrating several SAW devices onto lab-on-a-chip platforms, tissue engineering lab-on-a-chip system was proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to summarize the application of this novel technique in the field of tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella, being one of the most widespread foodborne pathogens, is a compulsory test item required by national food safety standard of China and many other countries. More sensitive and specific Salmonella detection method is still needed since traditional methods are time consuming and highly dependent on enormous manpower and material resources. In this research, a bacteria detection method based on CRISPR‐Cas13a system (where CRISPR is Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) was proposed. The target DNA was amplified by PCR and transcribed into RNA by T7 transcriptase, which can activate the RNase activity of the Cas13a protein. The self‐folding quenched fluorescent probe can be cleaved by the activated Cas13a protein to generate fluorescent signal. We named this method as PCF detection (PCR‐CRISPR‐Fluorescence based nucleic acid detection). In this study, PCF detection showed excellent sensitivity, which can detect Salmonella genomic DNA with a minimum of 101 aM or 10° CFU/ml Salmonella bacteria in 2 hr. It also showed good specificity with no cross‐reaction with other common foodborne bacteria. Practical Application: The PCF detection method proposed in this article can detect Salmonella sensitively and specifically, providing a novel strategy for the detection of foodborne pathogens in food and has great application potential in other microbial detection fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Environmental contamination associated with viral load in respiratory tract. • Surface contamination associated with sampling interval time after people left. • Moist surfaces more vulnerable to remaining SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive. • Strict chemical disinfection strategy important for quarantine rooms. To determine the duration of SARS-CoV-2 persistence in quarantine hotel environments. 39 Patients confirmed by RT-PCR were included. We collected clinical features, laboratory test results, smear sample information, and quarantine room information. Genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted. We analyzed the factors associated with environmental contamination. Among 39 COVID-19 cases, 10 were asymptomatic and 37 were imported from aboard. We collected 271 swab samples from environmental surfaces related to observational patients. Eighteen swab samples from seven patients were positive. The highest contamination rates occurred on cups (100%), followed by hand sink (12.82%), toilet seat and flush (7.89%), telephone (5.56%), bedside table (5.56%), and floor drain (5.41%). The results showed that environmental surface contamination was associated with the clinical cycle threshold values for patients (P = 0.01) and the sampling interval time after the cases left their rooms (P = 0.03). The duration of environmental surface contamination was associated with the wet status of the sampling site (P = 0.01). Our findings showed that environmental contamination might be attributed to the viral load in the respiratory tracts of patients and the sampling interval time after the cases left their rooms. Moist surfaces were more vulnerable to remaining SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive. Our study highlights the importance of implementing strict chemical disinfection strategies in quarantine rooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aberrant inflammatory responses drive the initiation and progression of various diseases, and hyperactivation of NLRP3 inflammasome is a key pathogenetic mechanism. Pharmacological inhibitors of NLRP3 represent a potential therapy for treating these diseases but are not yet clinically available. The natural product butein has excellent anti-inflammatory activity, but its potential mechanisms remain to be investigated. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ability of butein to block NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the ameliorative effects of butein on NLRP3-driven diseases. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed bone-marrow-derived macrophages were pretreated with butein and various inflammasome stimuli. Intracellular potassium levels, ASC oligomerization and reactive oxygen species production were also detected to evaluate the regulatory mechanisms of butein. Moreover, mouse models of LPS-induced peritonitis, dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis, and high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were used to test whether butein has protective effects on these NLRP3-driven diseases. Results: Butein blocks NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse macrophages by inhibiting ASC oligomerization, suppressing reactive oxygen species production, and upregulating the expression of the antioxidant pathway nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Importantly, in vivo experiments demonstrated that butein administration has a significant protective effect on the mouse models of LPS-induced peritonitis, dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis, and high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Conclusion: Our study illustrates the connotation of homotherapy for heteropathy, i.e., the application of butein to broaden therapeutic approaches and treat multiple inflammatory diseases driven by NLRP3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To determine how diabetes technologies, including continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, impact glycemic metrics, prevalence of severe hypoglycemic events (SHEs), and impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) in people with type 1 diabetes in a real-world setting within the U.S. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this retrospective, observational study with cross-sectional elements, participants aged ≥18 years were enrolled from the T1D Exchange Registry/online community. Participants completed a one-time online survey describing glycemic metrics, SHEs, and IAH. The primary objective was to determine the proportions of participants who reported achieving glycemic targets (assessed according to self-reported hemoglobin A1c) and had SHEs and/or IAH. We performed additional subgroup analyses focusing on the impact of CGM and insulin delivery modality. RESULTS: A total of 2,074 individuals with type 1 diabetes were enrolled (mean ± SD age 43.0 ± 15.6 years and duration of type 1 diabetes 26.3 ± 15.3 years). The majority of participants (91.7%) were using CGM, with one-half (50.8%) incorporating AID. Despite high use of diabetes technologies, only 57.7% reported achieving glycemic targets (hemoglobin A1c <7%). SHEs and IAH still occurred, with ∼20% of respondents experiencing at least one SHE within the prior 12 months and 30.7% (95% CI 28.7, 32.7) reporting IAH, regardless of CGM or AID use. CONCLUSIONS: Despite use of advanced diabetes technologies, a high proportion of people with type 1 diabetes do not achieve glycemic targets and continue to experience SHEs and IAH, suggesting an ongoing need for improved treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Models of PRHR HX and IRWST based experimental facilities were built. • The primary and secondary side coupling heat transfer process of PRHR HX is implemented. • Complicated flow characteristics in PRHR HX are identified. • The calculation method and calculation model were verified. • The heat transfer capabilities of PRHR HX under different water levels were evaluated. The passive residual heat removal system (PRHRs) is an important heat transfer system to ensure the removal of residual heat in non-LOCA conditions occurring in advanced Generation III nuclear reactors. The water level of the In-containment Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST) decreases due to long-term water evaporation under accident conditions and the later stages of PRHRs operation. Additionally, the water level also decreases during the water leakage accidents. The reduction of water level contributes to a decrease in the heat transfer area and the passive residual heat removal ability of the core. In order to investigate the coupling heat transfer characteristics of both primary and secondary side in the heat exchanger under different water levels, Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the PRHR HX's operation under different water levels was carried out based on the scaled-down IRWST&PRHR HX experimental model. The fluid flow and heat transfer processes inside and outside the C-type tubes were analyzed in detail. The results indicate that when heat transfer area is reduced by 50%, the overall heat transfer rate is reduced by about 41%, meanwhile the average heat transfer coefficient is about 37.4% higher than that under the full water level condition. It indicates that PRHR HX can maintain high passive residual heat removal capacity even under half water level, which provides an important reference for the design and safe operation of the PRHR HX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of different recirculating flue gas ratios on corex gas combustion and different types of NOx generation rates were studied. • A flue gas interlayer structure between the gas and the internal secondary air passage can significantly reduce the NOx emissions of high calorific value gas and improve the emission reduction effect of flue gas recirculation technology. • A new type of burner with a wide range of application is designed, and the NOx can be lower than 100 mg/m3 when burning COREX gas. To tackle the problem of high nitrogen oxide (NO x) emissions and low combustion efficiency when burning COREX gas, a type of high-calorific gas that is a by-product of the Ouye furnace, a low-NO x burner with broad applicability was designed. In this study, the feasibility of flue gas recirculation technology applied to a swirl burner of COREX gas was investigated through Fluent numerical simulation, and the effect of central flue gas recirculation ratio on burner combustion characteristics and NO x generation rate was analyzed. The results indicated that the implementation of central flue gas recirculation reduced the NO x concentration from 288.4 mg/m3 to 101.48 mg/m3. To further reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, an interlayer structure for flue gas was proposed to be installed between the COREX gas and internal secondary air. Flue gas was extracted from the tail of the boiler and introduced into the interlayer structure, thereby delaying the fuel and internal secondary air mixing while achieving uniform diffusion of low-temperature and low-oxygen flue gas into the combustion zone. Compared with the structure without flue gas interlayer, the NO x concentration can be reduced from 101.48 mg/m3 to 61.54 mg/m3 by passing the flue gas through the central passage and flue gas interlayer with a mass ratio of 3:5.The study demonstrated that the low-NO x burner designed in this paper had sound inhibition effects on thermal and prompt NO x. Based on both actual operation and simulation results, it was observed that the outlet NO x concentration could be regulated within 100 mg/m3 across varying boiler loads. This marks the first application of a low-NO x burner for the combustion of COREX gas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen undescribed ursane-type triterpenoids, named as sangosides A–M (1 – 13), including two nor-ursanes, one split ring-ursane and ten ursanes, along with thirty-six known triterpenoids (14 – 49) were isolated and identified from the roots of Sanguisorba officinalis (Rosaceae). Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated through spectroscopic data, single-crystal X-ray crystallography and electronic circular dichroism analysis. Their Nrf2 activation activity was evaluated in 293 T cells in vitro. Compounds 2 , 5 – 7 , 9–13 , 19 , 25 , 26 , 28–39 , 41 and 46 showed significant Nrf2 agonistic effects compared with the control group at 25 μM, their cytotoxicity and dose-effect relationship were further studied in a dose-dependent manner. Their structure–activity relationships analysis suggested that the pentacyclic triterpenoids (10 , 11 , 30 – 34 and 41) contains two pairs of double bonds on the C & E rings and the ursane-type triterpenoids (25 and 26) with a carbonyl to C-2 and a hydroxyl group at C-3 all showed a considerably Nrf2 activation activity. These results suggested that S. officinalis was worthy of further investigation to find small molecule Nrf2 activators and facilitate their utilization as natural antioxidants. Thirteen undescribed triterpenoids (1–13) and thirty-six known triterpenoids (14–49) were isolated from the roots of S. officinalis with compounds 2 , 5 – 7 , 9–13 , 19 , 25 , 26 , 28–39 , 41 and 46 exhibiting significant Nrf2 agonist activity at 25 μM. [Display omitted] • Thirteen undescribed and thirty-six known triterpenoids were isolated from Sanguisorba officinalis. • The Nrf2 activation activity of the isolated compounds were evaluated in 293 T cells. • Compounds 2 , 5 – 7 , 9–13 , 19 , 25 , 26 , 28–39 , 41 and 46 showed remarkable Nrf2 agonist activity at 25 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the amorphization, physical stability and drug release of a model drug, carvedilol (CAR), when loaded onto functionalised calcium carbonate (FCC) using mechanochemical activation (vibrational ball milling). The solid-state characteristics and physical stability of CAR–FCC samples, prepared at different weight ratios and for different milling times, were determined using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction. Upon milling CAR–FCC samples containing 50% CAR, amorphization of CAR was observed after 10 min. For CAR–FCC samples milled for either 30 or 90 min, it was found that CAR was amorphised at all ratios (10–90% CAR), but FCC remained crystalline. The glass transition temperature (T gα) of the various CAR–FCC samples milled for 90 min was found to be similar (38 °C) for all ratios containing 20% CAR and above. The similar T gα s for the different drug ratios indicate deposition of amorphous CAR onto the surface of FCC. For CAR–FCC samples containing 10% CAR, a T gα of 49 °C was found, which is 11 °C higher compared with other CAR–FCC samples. This may indicate restricted molecular mobility resulting from CAR molecules that are in close contact with the FCC surface. The physical stability, under both stress (100 °C) and non-stress conditions (25 °C at dry conditions), showed that drug concentrations up to 30% CAR can be stabilized in the amorphous form for at least 19 weeks under non-stress conditions when deposited onto FCC, compared to less than a week physical stability of neat amorphous CAR. In vitro drug release showed that CAR–FCC samples containing 60% CAR and below can improve the drug release and generate supersaturated systems compared to neat amorphous and crystalline CAR. Samples with lower drug concentrations (40% CAR and below) can maintain supersaturation during 360 min of dissolution testing. This study indicates that the crystalline inorganic material, FCC, can facilitate amorphization of drugs, provide stabilization against drug crystallization, and improve dissolution properties of amorphous drugs upon mechanochemical activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, relying on the human immune system to kill tumour cells has become an effective means of cancer treatment. The development of peptide vaccines, which not only break the immune tolerance of a tumour but also attack malignant cells via specific antitumour immunity, has received increased attention in tumour immunization therapy due to their safety and easy preparation. The use of large‐scale sequencing technology enables the continuous discovery of new tumour antigens. With improved accuracy of epitope prediction by computer simulation and the usage of a tetramer assay, cytotoxic lymphocyte epitopes can be screened and identified more easily. Transmembrane peptide and nanoparticle technologies promote more effective intake and delivery of antigens. Consequently, considerable evolution from universal to personalized peptide vaccines has taken place, and such vaccines induce an efficient and specific immune response targeting tumour neoantigens. Recently, genomic analysis and bioinformatics approaches have greatly facilitated the breakthrough of personalized peptide vaccines targeting neoantigens, resulting in a renewed interest in this field. Further, the combination of tumour peptide vaccines with checkpoint blockades may improve patient outcomes. In this review, we discuss the development of tumour peptide vaccines and the new technological progress, from universalization to personalization, to highlight the substantial promise of tumour peptide vaccines in clinical cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective stereoscopic video saliency detection is challenging due to the diversity of visual contrast and the variability of object motion. In this paper, we propose a novel stereoscopic video saliency detection method based on spatiotemporal correlation and depth confidence optimization. First, spatial saliency is obtained by color contrast computation and further enhancing spatial correlation between neighbors. Second, temporal saliency is calculated by propagating motion information between frames. The special propagation in sequential frames and reverse sequential frames augments the temporal correlation. Furthermore, a depth confidence optimization is proposed to fuse the spatial saliency and temporal saliency to generate optimal saliency map adaptively. Experimental results on three datasets demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed saliency method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zebrafish dorsal forerunner cells (DFCs) undergo vigorous proliferation during epiboly and then exit the cell cycle to generate Kupffer’s vesicle (KV), a ciliated organ necessary for establishing left–right (L–R) asymmetry. DFC proliferation defects are often accompanied by impaired cilia elongation in KV, but the functional and molecular interaction between cell-cycle progression and cilia formation remains unknown. Here, we show that chemokine receptor Cxcr4a is required for L–R laterality by controlling DFC proliferation and KV ciliogenesis. Functional analysis revealed that Cxcr4a accelerates G1/S transition in DFCs and stabilizes forkhead box j1a (Foxj1a), a master regulator of motile cilia, by stimulating Cyclin D1 expression through extracellular regulated MAP kinase (ERK) 1/2 signaling. Mechanistically, Cyclin D1–cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 drives G1/S transition during DFC proliferation and phosphorylates Foxj1a, thereby disrupting its association with proteasome 26S subunit, non-ATPase 4b (Psmd4b), a 19S regulatory subunit. This prevents the ubiquitin (Ub)-independent proteasomal degradation of Foxj1a. Our study uncovers a role for Cxcr4 signaling in L–R patterning and provides fundamental insights into the molecular linkage between cell-cycle progression and ciliogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship collision is rare, yet it leads to serious consequences once it occurs, in particular for long-span bridges. This study investigates dynamic responses of a long-span, rail-cum-road cable-stayed bridge under ship collision through finite element analysis. Three ship tonnages were investigated, which are 3000, 5000, and 8000 t, respectively. The displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the bridge under ship collision are analyzed. The collision process is simulated in two explicit steps to improve the computational efficiency. First, the collision force is determined through a collision simulation of the ship to a rigid body that simulates the massive bridge pier. The collision force is then applied to the bridge to analyze the dynamic responses of the bridge. The simulation results of the collision force are compared with four different design codes. Analysis results from different codes show significant discrepancies, demonstrating lack of reliability of the formula recommended by the codes. The results indicate that the maximum displacement and acceleration occur at the top of the bridge pylon. The bridge's responses under ship collision decrease as the collision angle increases from 0° to 20°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To verify the biomechanical importance with respect to the integrity of posteromedial cortex of femoral neck fracture (FNF) and demonstrate whether the modified fixation of cannulated screws (CSs) could increase the biomechanical strength. Methods. A total of 24 left artificial femurs were randomly divided into three groups. The osteotomy was made in the center of the femoral neck at a 20° angle to the shaft axial. The posteromedial cortices of femoral neck were removed in groups B and C. In group A, 8 femurs with intact posteromedial cortex were fixed with three parallel partial thread screws (PTSs), forming a standard triangle. In group B, the femurs were stabilized with the same fixation of CSs like group A. In group C, two inferior PTSs were replaced by two fully thread screws (FTSs). Results. The lower A-P and axial stiffness and load to failure along with higher axial displacement were found in group B compared with group A (p≤0.001 for all). Between groups B and C, the modified fixation of CSs increased A-P and axial stiffness and load to failure and reduced the axial displacement (p≤0.001 for all). Conclusions. We verified that the comminuted posteromedial cortex affected the biomechanical strength adversely and resulted in higher displacement. The modified fixation of CSs characterized by two inferior FTSs could improve the biomechanical performance and buttress the femoral head fragment better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common type of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, of which the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to serve crucial physiological roles in various cardiac diseases. However, the genome-wide expression profile of lncRNAs remains to be elucidated in DCM. In the present study, a case-control study was performed to identify expression deviations in circulating lncRNAs between patients with DCM and controls by RNA sequencing. Partial dysregulated lncRNAs were validated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, and lncRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) co-expression network analyses were employed to probe potential functions of these dysregulated lncRNAs in DCM. Comparison between 8 DCM and 8 control samples demonstrated that there were alterations in the expression levels of 988 lncRNAs and 1,418 mRNAs in total. The dysregulated lncRNAs were found to be mainly associated with system development, organ morphogenesis and metabolic regulation in terms of 'biological processes'. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the gap junction pathway, phagosome, and dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy pathways may serve crucial roles in the development of DCM. The lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network also suggested that the target genes of the lncRNAs were different in patients with DCM as compared with those in the controls. In conclusion, the present study revealed the genome-wide profile of circulating lncRNAs in DCM by RNA sequencing, and explored the potential functions of these lncRNAs in DCM using bioinformatics analysis. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for future studies of lncRNAs in DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The treatment of vertical femoral neck fractures in young patients is a worldwide challenge. The purpose of this study is to introduce a new configuration of cannulated screw fixation in vertical femoral neck fractures by comparing with using ordinary cannulated compression screw (OCCS) alone biomechanically and clinically.Material and Method: Biomechanically, 20 synthetic femur models of femoral neck fractures with 20° of VN angle were divided into two groups. The first group was fixed with three ordinary cannulated compression screws defined as OCCS group; the second group was fixed with two Headless Cannulated Compression Screws (HCCS) plus an OCCS, defined as combination group and tested for axial stiffness and load to failure. Clinically, a prospective study was designed with 59 patients who have vertical femoral neck fractures and were treated with cannulated screw, including 31 patients with three ordinary cannulated compression screws alone and 28 patients with an ordinary cannulated compression screw plus two headless cannulated compression screws.Results: Biomechanically, our results showed that there was no significant difference of axial stiffness between OCCS group and combination group (109.92 ± 10.81 vs. 123.49 ± 15.13 N/mm, P = 0.145). But, the maximum load to failure of the combination group performed significant advantages than that of the OCCS group (446.85 ± 76.25 vs. 302.92 ± 80.46 N, P = 0.007). Clinically, the rates of fixation failure in the group treated with OCCS alone were 41.9%, while in the group treated with two types of screws were14.3% (P = 0.048).Conclusion: Our results suggested that using new configuration of an OCCS plus two HCCSs improved the outcome of vertical femoral neck fractures (FNF) patients compared to those using OCCS alone, which provides a new choice for treatment of FNF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a cellular organelle with central roles in maintaining proteostasis. The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER lumen causes ER stress. Cells evoke an evolutionarily conserved adaptive signaling network “unfolded protein response” to restore ER homeostasis, however, how the signaling network is delicately orchestrated remains largely unrevealed. Meanwhile, the HECT type E3 ligase Smad ubiquitylation regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1) has been reported to play critical roles in several important biological pathways by targeting distinct substrates for ubiquitylation, including WFS1, a critical mediator of ER stress, whereas the regulation of Smurf1 activity and abundance upon ER stress are poorly understood. Here, we identified Interleukin-1 Receptor Associated Kinase 2 (IRAK2) as a novel modulator of Smurf1 in response to ER stress induced cell death. Mechanistically, IRAK2 phosphorylates Smurf1 at threonine residues to promote its self-degradation by ubiquitylation, resulting in altered cascade of ER effectors to induce apoptosis. Reduced IRAK2 expression correlates with increased Smurf1 abundance in human colorectal cancer cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a novel mechanism of interplays for the different branches of ER stress signaling network and highlight IRAK2 as a potential tumor suppressor to counterbalance oncogenic Smurf1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of customer pose draws more and more attention of retailers and researchers, because this information can reveal the customer habits and the customer interest level to the merchandise. In the retail store environment, customers’ poses are highly related to their body orientations. For example, when a customer is picking an item from merchandise shelf, he or she must face to the shelf. On the other hand, if the customer body orientation is parallel to the shelf, this customer is probably just walking through. Considering this fact, we propose a customer pose estimation system using orientational spatio-temporal deep neural network from surveillance camera. This system first generates the initial joint heatmaps using a fully convolutional network. Based on these heatmaps, we propose a set of novel orientational message-passing layers to fine-tune joint heatmaps by introducing the body orientation information into the conventional message-passing layers. In addition, we apply a bi-directional recurrent neural network on top of the system to improve the estimation accuracy by considering both forward and backward image sequences. Therefore, in this system, the global body orientation, local joint connections, and temporal pose continuity are integrally considered. At last, we conduct a series of comparison experiments to show the effectiveness of our system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]