Search

Background: Gliomas are harmful to human health; they are the most common primary intracranial tumor. Ginsenoside CK (GS-CK) is converted from the diol ginsenoside. This study aimed to explore the effects of GS-CK on glioma cells SHG-44 and U251MG in order to provide clinical value for the treatment of gliomas. Materials and Methods: Cell proliferation was detected using the CCK-8 and CFU detection experiments. Cell apoptosis was detected by DAPI and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescence staining. Cell scratch and transwell assay were used to detect the effect of GS-CK on cell migration and invasion ability. Apoptosis-related protein expression was detected in the two cell lines after treatment with GS-CK. Results: Cell proliferation is obviously inhibited, and cell migration and invasion were also significantly inhibited by GS-CK. It also induced cell apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. GS-CK induced significant changes in mitochondrial apoptosis pathway-related protein expression of cytochrome C, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-3/8/9, Cleaved Caspase-3, and MMP-9 in glioma cells. Conclusion: GS-CK can inhibit glioma cells by regulating mitochondria-related apoptosis p53-bax-caspases pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are continuous efforts to elucidate the structure and biological functions of short hydrogen bonds (SHBs), whose donor and acceptor heteroatoms reside more than 0.3 Å closer than the sum of their van der Waals radii. In this work, we evaluate 1070 atomic-resolution protein structures and characterize the common chemical features of SHBs formed between the side chains of amino acids and small molecule ligands. We then develop a machine learning assisted prediction of protein-ligand SHBs (MAPSHB-Ligand) model and reveal that the types of amino acids and ligand functional groups as well as the sequence of neighboring residues are essential factors that determine the class of protein-ligand hydrogen bonds. The MAPSHB-Ligand model and its implementation on our web server enable the effective identification of protein-ligand SHBs in proteins, which will facilitate the design of biomolecules and ligands that exploit these close contacts for enhanced functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 0.5 mm thickness ultra-thin sheets of 6061-T4 Al and T2 Cu were butt joined by micro friction stir welding under different ω/ν. When the ω/ν was 36, the welding process resulted in a defect-free joint. This joint exhibited the highest tensile strength (222 Mpa), which was similar to the Al BM. This joint failed in the heat-affected zone on the Al side, where the hardness was lowest, leading to a ductile fracture. When the ω/ν was 9, the welding process led to the formation of agglomerated intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in upper nugget zone (NZ), and the IMCs layer of Al2Cu and Al4Cu9 developed in lower NZ. Therefore, the joint strength was greatly weakened, resulting in failure at the Al/Cu interface. The fracture mode of the joint exhibited a mixture of ductile and brittle behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Auranofin has significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. • Auranofin is very effective to multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. • Cross-resistance was not found in the existing antibiotics in combination with auranofin. • The structural modification of auranofin can improve the antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a significant issue associated with the clinical application of antibiotics. It is also challenging to discover and develop new antibiotics with novel scaffolds. Therefore, the repurposing of existing drugs has become a promising strategy for antibiotic drug discovery. Auranofin, an approved gold metallic drug, has been used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for many years. Recent research revealed that auranofin has strong antibacterial activity against multiple Gram-positive bacteria by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). These results inspired the development of gold complexes as antibacterial agents. Herein, we discuss recent advances in the development of auranofin and other gold complexes as antibacterial agents, providing a new viewpoint for the treatment of bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short hydrogen bonds (SHBs), whose donor and acceptor heteroatoms lie within 2.7 Å, exhibit prominent quantum mechanical characters and are connected to a wide range of essential biomolecular processes. However, exact determination of the geometry and functional roles of SHBs requires a protein to be at atomic resolution. In this work, we analyze 1260 high-resolution peptide and protein structures from the Protein Data Bank and develop a boosting based machine learning model to predict the formation of SHBs between amino acids. This model, which we name as machine learning assisted prediction of short hydrogen bonds (MAPSHB), takes into account 21 structural, chemical and sequence features and their interaction effects and effectively categorizes each hydrogen bond in a protein to a short or normal hydrogen bond. The MAPSHB model reveals that the type of the donor amino acid plays a major role in determining the class of a hydrogen bond and that the side chain Tyr-Asp pair demonstrates a significant probability of forming a SHB. Combining electronic structure calculations and energy decomposition analysis, we elucidate how the interplay of competing intermolecular interactions stabilizes the Tyr-Asp SHBs more than other commonly observed combinations of amino acid side chains. The MAPSHB model, which is freely available on our web server, allows one to accurately and efficiently predict the presence of SHBs given a protein structure with moderate or low resolution and will facilitate the experimental and computational refinement of protein structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-scale concurrent topology optimization method based on the couple stress theory is proposed for maximizing structural fundamental eigenfrequency. Because of the fact that the classical mechanics theory cannot reveal the size effect because of neglecting the influence of microstructure, the theory of couple stress including the microscopic properties of materials can be used to describe the size effect in deformations. On the foundation of the couple stress theory, the two-scale optimization model for finding optimal configurations of macrostructures and their periodic composite material microstructures is built. And the fundamental eigenfrequency of the macrostructure is maximized. The effective macroscopic couple stress constitutive constants of macrostructures are calculated by the representative volume element method. And a modified solid isotropic material with a penalization model is used to effectively avoid the localized mode. The optimization algorithm based on the bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization method is proposed. The optimal results of numerical examples show that the optimal topologies and natural frequencies obtained by the couple stress theory may differ significantly from those obtained by the typical Cauchy theory. It is obvious that couple stress theory can effectively describe the size effect in topology optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SWCMs reduced the flood magnitudes and sensitivities to rainstorm events. • Control effects of SWCMs on flood decrease with rainstorm intensity. • Small watersheds are more likely to cause large flood peaks in Loess Plateau. • Bare soil of agricultural terraces must be protected in earth-rocky mountainous areas. Flash floods resulting from extreme rainstorms seriously threaten regional socioeconomic development. However, few studies have explored the general impacts of soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) on flood peaks during extreme rainstorms through multiple field investigations. On the basis of field surveys of three rainstorm events in Shaanxi, Shandong, and Henan provinces, the effects of vegetation and agricultural terraces on flood peaks were investigated in 75 small watersheds in northern China. Compared with watersheds dominated by sloping cropland, the flood peak modulus of watersheds dominated by forest land, grass land, and agricultural terraces decreased by 54.75%, 47.80%, and 53.65%, respectively; the peak shaving effects (PSEs) of SWCMs were stronger during minor floods. Soil and water conservation measures reduced the flood magnitudes of small watersheds and their sensitivities to rainstorm events; the PSEs were positively correlated with the area of SWCMs. In earth-rocky mountainous areas, the PSEs of forest land were stronger than those of grassland and agricultural terraces, while in the loess hilly-gully areas, the PSEs of agricultural terraces were stronger than those of other SWCMs. In loess hilly-gully areas, the flash floods demonstrated a phenomenon of small rainfall amounts but substantial flood peaks. Besides the reasonable installation of SWCMs on slopes, appropriate channel measures (e.g., check dams) are warranted to cope with extreme rainstorm events. In northern earth-rocky mountainous areas, intercropping management should be promoted to cover bare soil on orchard agricultural terraces. Our results provide a theoretical basis for combating extreme rainstorm disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jiang‐flavor Chinese spirits are one of the four basic liquor types in China. It has thousands of years of history in China and is widely enjoyed because of its unique flavor and broad application. Although Jiang‐flavor Chinese spirits have a unique soy sauce flavor, the associated key compounds and production mechanism remain unknown. To investigate this process, soy sauce flavor‐producing strains were obtained, and their metabolites were evaluated. Using wheat as the fermentation medium, we observed changes in total acid, amino nitrogen, and reducing sugar in three strains of Bacillus cerberus with high yield of tetramethylpyrazine during the fermentation process. The results showed that total acid and amino nitrogen contents increased and reducing sugars decreased in a time‐dependent manner. Additionally, detection of volatile compounds via solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry that total pyrazine content reached 43.175%, 50.461%, and 45.955% in wheat fermentation medium fermented by strains Q1, Q2, and Q5, respectively, suggesting that this important flavor compound might be related to the flavor of soy sauce. Moreover, we found that fermentation time was an important factor in soy sauce flavor, as volatile compounds were detected at different times by the three strains, with pyrazines not detected before 48 hr and peaking at 50.461% after 144 hr. These results indicated that strain Q2 exhibited optimal fermenting performance and might be useful for fermentation of Jiang‐flavor Chinese spirits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the prevailing histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma and has unique metabolic reprogramming during its occurrence and development. Cell senescence is one of the newly identified tumor characteristics. However, there is a dearth of methodical and all-encompassing investigations regarding the correlation between the broad-ranging alterations in metabolic processes associated with aging and ccRCC. We utilized a range of analytical methodologies, such as protein‒protein interaction network analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, to form and validate a risk score model known as the senescence-metabolism-related risk model (SeMRM). Our study demonstrated that SeMRM could more precisely predict the OS of ccRCC patients than the clinical prognostic markers in use. By utilizing two distinct datasets of ccRCC, ICGC-KIRC (the International Cancer Genome Consortium) and GSE29609, as well as a single-cell dataset (GSE156632) and real patient clinical information, and further confirmed the relationship between the senescence-metabolism-related risk score (SeMRS) and ccRCC patient progression. It is worth noting that patients who were classified into different subgroups based on the SeMRS exhibited notable variations in metabolic activity, immune microenvironment, immune cell type transformation, mutant landscape, and drug responsiveness. We also demonstrated that PTGER4, a key gene in SeMRM, regulated ccRCC cell proliferation, lipid levels and the cell cycle in vivo and in vitro. Together, the utilization of SeMRM has the potential to function as a dependable clinical characteristic to increase the accuracy of prognostic assessment for patients diagnosed with ccRCC, thereby facilitating the selection of suitable treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the thought of distributivity between semi-t-operator and S-uninorm, this paper primarily explores the distributivity between extended semi-t-operator and extended S-uninorm on fuzzy truth value. First, Zadeh-extended semi-t-operator and S-uninorm are proposed on fuzzy truth value and some results of extended semi-t-operator are studied under special fuzzy truth values. Then, it concentrates on the sufficient condition about left and right distributivity of extended semi-t-operator over extended S-uninorm under the condition that semi-t-operator is left and right distributive over S-uninorm, respectively. Finally, when parameters satisfy different cases, sufficient conditions for the distributivity between extended semi-t-operator and extended S-uninorm are given under the condition that semi-t-operator satisfies distributivity or conditional distributivity over S-uninorm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are regarded as a promising battery mainly due to their high safety and environmental friendliness, but suffer from low capacity and energy density. Herein, a pre-intercalated manganese oxide (Na 0.55 Mn 2 O 4 ·1.5 H 2 O)/MXene hybrid (NMO/MXene) is successfully proposed for high-performance ZIBs, in which synergistic effect between MXene and NMO greatly improves the structural stability of NMO and facilitates fast charge transfer and ion diffusion kinetics. Therefore, the resulting NMO/MXene cathodes deliver high-rate capacity of 180 mAh g−1 at 10 C (3.08 A g−1) and long cycling life over 2500 times at 5 C, outperforming most reported Mn-base cathodes. The MXene-mediated strategy for advanced Mn-based cathodes developed here paves a new way to construct high-performance Zn-MnO 2 batteries. [Display omitted] • Pre-intercalated manganese oxide/MXene hybrid nanosheets (NMO/MXene) are prepared. • Synergistic effect between MXene and NMO greatly facilitates zinc storage. • The NMO/MXene electrode exhibits superior zinc storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A cross-sectional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging study.Objective: To classify and characterize endplate defects using routine lumbar MR images and to determine associations of endplate defects with Modic changes (MCs) and disc degeneration.Summary Of Background Data: Previously, a cadaveric study revealed that endplate lesions were common and associated with back pain history. New in vivo approaches appropriate for clinical studies are needed to further this potentially important line of research on the clinical significance of endplate lesions, including their relation with MCs, disc degeneration, and back pain.Methods: Using a MRI archive, 1564 endplates of 133 subjects (59 men and 74 women, mean age 58.9 ± 11.9 years) with the presence of MCs were retrospectively collected from April of 2014 to June of 2015. On the basis of morphological characteristics, a protocol was proposed to identify three distinct types of endplate defects, including focal, corner, and erosive defects. The location, size, and distribution patterns of various endplate lesions were characterized. MCs and disc degeneration were measured to examine their associations with endplate defects.Results: Endplate defects were observed in 27.8% of endplates studied. Greater age was associated with the presence of endplate defects. Focal defects were the most common (13.5%), followed by erosive defects (11.1%) and corner defects (3.2%). Defect types also differed in size and distribution patterns. Endplate defects and MCs had similar distribution patterns in the lumbar spine. The presence of endplate defects were associated with the presence of MCs (odds ratio = 4.29, P < 0.001), and associated with less disc signal intensity and disc height, and greater disc bulging (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The three endplate defects identified on routine MR images appear to represent different pathologies and may play a key role in the pathogenesis of MCs. This classification system may facilitate clinical studies on endplate defects.Level Of Evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an innovative radiation therapy that shows promise in treating certain types of cancer. Recent advancements in BNCT have focused on developing compact neutron source devices and more effective boron agents in mainland China. This paper highlights the successful transition of two compact neutron source devices from research to clinical trials, with plans underway for their registration as medical devices. Moreover, accelerator-based neutron source devices in construction and the development of boron agents are introduced. The challenges facing BNCT in practice in mainland China as a widely accepted and implemented cancer treatment are analyzed. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a promising cancer treatment modality that combines targeted boron agents and neutron irradiation to selectively destroy tumor cells. In mainland China, the clinical implementation of BNCT has made certain progress, primarily driven by the development of compact neutron source devices. The availability, ease of operation, and cost-effectiveness offered by these compact neutron sources make BNCT more accessible to cancer treatment centers. Two compact neutron sources, one being miniature reactor-based (IHNI-1) and the other one being accelerator-based (NeuPex), have entered the clinical research phase and are planned for medical device registration. Moreover, several accelerator-based neutron source devices employing different technical routes are currently under construction, further expanding the options for BNCT implementation. In addition, the development of compact neutron sources serves as an experimental platform for advancing the development of new boron agents. Several research teams are actively involved in the development of boron agents. Various types of third-generation boron agents have been tested and studied in vitro and in vivo. Compared to other radiotherapy therapies, BNCT in mainland China still faces specific challenges due to its limited clinical trial data and its technical support in a wide range of professional fields. To facilitate the widespread adoption of BNCT, it is crucial to establish relevant technical standards for neutron devices, boron agents, and treatment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organic/aqueous hybrid electrolyte consisting of 0.5 M Zn(OTf) 2 in triethyl phosphate and H 2 O solvents is developed to suppress the vanadium dissolution of V 2 O 5 ·1.6H 2 O/Ti 3 C 2 MXene heterostructure cathodes for long-term zinc ion batteries. [Display omitted] • An organic/aqueous hybrid electrolyte was used to suppress vanadium dissolution; • Ti 3 C 2 MXene was employed to improve zinc storage performance of vanadium oxide; • The as-fabricated V 2 O 5 /MXene cathodes exhibited superior zinc storage performance. Zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) have become a promising candidate for next-generation large-scale energy storage devices due to the intrinsic safety and low cost. However, their practical applications are seriously impeded by unsatisfying cycling life mainly due to the cathode dissolution in traditional aqueous electrolytes. Herein, we propose an organic/aqueous hybrid electrolyte (Zn(OTf) 2 -TEP/H 2 O) made of zinc triflate (Zn(OTf) 2) salt in triethyl phosphate (TEP) and H 2 O solvents to pair with two-dimensional (2D) vanadium hydrate oxide/Ti 3 C 2 MXene heterostructure cathodes (V 2 O 5 ·1.6H 2 O/MXene), which functions to greatly enhance the stability of the ZIBs. Benefiting from the suitable ionic conductivity of 5.81 mS cm−1, moderate de-solvation barrier of 0.26 eV, wide voltage window of 0.1–1.9 V and superior ability of inhibiting vanadium dissolution, the optimized organic/aqueous hybrid electrolyte with 80 % TEP in volume (Zn(OTf) 2 -TEP/H 2 O-80%) endowed V 2 O 5 ·1.6H 2 O/MXene cathodes with superior zinc storage performance, evidenced by a high capacity of 117.8 mAh g−1 after 4000 cycles and a capacity retention of 78.6 % at 0.5 A g−1. We have shown that the reversible Zn2+ intercalation/deintercalation mechanisms are responsible for the excellent zinc storage performance. It is believed that the novel organic/aqueous hybrid electrolyte reported here may pave a new way to construct durable ZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the unit interval with a t-norm or a t-conorm is a special monoid, a natural question is to consider the fuzzification of monoid. In this paper, we mainly present the fuzzy monoid and vague monoid with the help of aggregation functions. Firstly, the fuzzy submonoid about aggregation function is proposed, which can further be fuzzified to the fuzzy t-subnorm and t-subconorm to deal with imprecision. In particular, the corresponding concepts and properties can be obtained directly when aggregation function takes uninorm and nullnorm, respectively. Further, the concept of fuzzy submonoid is extended to lattice structure. Finally, the notion of vague monoid about aggregation operator is constructed and further the special cases under uninorms and nullnorms are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer (EC), one of the most common gynaecologic malignancies, can seriously impair female health. Although great advances in EC therapy have been achieved, specific and effective drugs for the disease are still limited. Here, different types of gold(I)–NHC compounds originated from 4,5-bis (4-methoxyphenyl) imidazole were designed and synthesised to target EC. Interestingly, the heteroleptic gold(I)-bisNHC complex 10 was 10 times more toxic than cisplatin or auranofin towards Ishikawa cells. Ex vivo studies found that complex 10 was characterised with a stronger anticancer effect than auranofin in the EC organoid model. Additionally, in vivo studies showed that complex 10 possessed a stronger anticancer effect (IRT = 44.86%) than auranofin (IRT = 19.93%) in the xenograft model of EC. Mechanistically, complex 10 could suppress the expression of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in vitro and in vivo , which are essentially involved in EC development. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that complex 10 is a gold-based complex with a strong anti-EC activity and has the potential to be regarded as a promising option for the treatment of EC. [Display omitted] • Different types of gold(I)–NHC compounds were designed and synthesized. • Heteroleptic gold(I)-bisNHC complex 10 has significant cytotoxicity towards EC cells. • 10 could suppress Nrf2 and TrxR expression, and promote apoptosis in EC cells. • 10 was characterised with a stronger anticancer effect than auranofin in the EC organoid model. • In vivo studies showed that 10 possessed a strong anticancer effect in EC xenograft model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0.5 mm thick AA 7075-T6 ultrathin sheets were butt jointed by conventional friction stir welding (C-FSW) and high speed friction stir welding (HS-FSW) under a constant rotational speed (ω)/welding speed (v) ratio of 6.67 rad/mm using a pinless tool. In this study, the conventional ω of 2000 rpm and conventional v of 300 mm/min were adopted by C-FSW, and the high ω of 8000 rpm and high v of 1200 mm/min were adopted by HS-FSW. Compared with C-FSW, HS-FSW presented a fast heating and cooling rate thermal characteristic with a slightly higher peak temperature and significantly shorter elevated-temperature exposure time. Kissing bond defect was appeared in the weld bottom for C-FSW. While, no obvious defect was found in the weld obtained by HS-FSW. Compared with C-FSW, the proportion of deformed grains in the center of nugget zone (NZ) fabricated by HS-FSW was increased. For the joint fabricated by HS-FSW, the upper NZ was dominated by recrystallized grains, and the lower NZ was dominated by deformed grains. The ultimate tensile strength of the joint fabricated by HS-FSW can reach 87% of base metal (BM), and its elongation, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were increased by 58.8%, 23.3% and 22.8% respectively compared with C-FSW. Both the joints fractured in the center of the NZ. The joint fabricated by C-FSW broke due to the kissing bond defect. While the joint fabricated by HS-FSW may be broken due to the weld thickness reduction. • The thermal cycle characteristics of HS-FSW were revealed. • The effect of the thermal cycle on microstructure was revealed. • The microstructures of the joint produced by HS-FSW were investigated by EBSD. • The tensile properties of the joint produced by HS-FSW were superior to by C-FSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Beta zeolites with controlled Si / Al ratio and particle size were synthesized and applied in LDPE catalytic cracking. • Gasoline factor (GF) correlating acidity and diffusion was proposed, and the GF fits well with experimental data. • M4 multi-dimensional chromatography was applied to analyze the fine composition of gasoline. • A high proportion of cyclo -olefins was discovered in the LDPE cracking gasoline. Plastics are widely used in daily life and industry. However, the natural degradation of waste plastics is very slow, causing considerable environmental problems. Catalytic cracking is able to convert waste plastics into fuels and chemicals, being an efficient and sustainable utilization route for waste plastics. Zeolites are commonly used as catalysts for this process, with the performance mainly affected by diffusion and acidity properties. It is necessary to elucidate the combinatorial effect of these two factors. Herein, zeolite Beta was used as the model catalyst for the catalytic cracking of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The synergistic effect of diffusion and acidity on the catalytic performance was explored by systematically controlling the Si/Al ratio (SAR) and particle size of zeolite Beta. By correlating the acidity and pore structure of Beta zeolites with the catalytic performance, a gasoline yield descriptor − gasoline factor (GF) was proposed, and GF fitted well with the gasoline yields of LDPE cracking by Beta zeolites, demonstrating that GF may provide theoretical guidance for the optimized design of zeolite catalysts in the LDPE cracking. Through fine analysis of the gasoline composition with M4 multi-dimensional chromatography, for the first time, a high proportion of cyclo-olefins was discovered in the gasoline products of all zeolite catalysts, which was ascribed to the unique long hydrocarbon chains of LDPE. Considering that cyclo-olefin copolymers possess high thermal stability and excellent chemical resistance, the cyclo-olefin monomers produced by the cracking of LDPE exhibit high potential in commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-optical switching with high switch efficiency is realized based on two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal made of polystyrene. The prism-film coupling method is used to couple energy of probe light into photonic crystal waveguide. High transmittance contrast of more than 60% is realized for the probe light. Time response of the optical switching is around l0 ps. The dynamical shifts of photonic gap induced by pump light are measured and analyzed in detail. The photonic gap shifts l0 nm under the excitation of 16.7 GW/cm2 pump intensity, which is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of an integrated OPECT biosensor gate and the EC color-changing region on the same chip was carried out, achieving sensitive detection through bioetching-induced signal changes. Enzymatic bioetching enables specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) detection by catalyzing the production of CdS, which modulates the channel current and generates a visual signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic effect between surface metal vacancies and a Schottky junction on enhanced transconductance, and the gating effect of an organic photoelectrochemical transistor was reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A terbium(III) complex-based time-resolved luminescence probe for selenocysteine can inhibit selenoprotein activity via a selenolate-triggered cleavage reaction of sulfonamide bonds in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topology optimization, as a powerful conceptual design method, has been widely adopted in both academic research and industrial applications. To further promote the development of topology optimization, many computer programs have been published for educational purposes over the past decades. However, most of the computer programs are constructed based on a linear assumption. On the basis of bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method, the paper presents a MATLAB implementation of the geometrically nonlinear topology optimization code for compliance minimization of statically loaded structures. Excluding 19 lines which are used for explanation, only 118 lines are needed for the initialization of the design parameters, nonlinear finite element analysis, sensitivity calculation, sensitivity filtration, and topological design variables update. Different design problems can be solved by modifying several lines in the proposed program. The complete 137-line code is included as an Appendix and is intended for educational purposes only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperative communications show the great advantage on the relays that can share their resource to improve the decoding of destination. However, relays are considered not reliable due to a low signal strength or high interference, where the relays only transmit a fraction of the message. To solve this problem, in this work, the block processing are implemented in partial transmission (PT), which allows the relays to divide the source information into small blocks and calculate the reliability information of the message. In the destination, a correlated spatial reception scheme is designed to jointly decode several information copies. The motivation is that even if each relay may not decode the message completely correct, the relay can still improve the decoding of destination. This paper formulates the end-to-end outage probability of PT with unreliable relays. Simulation shows the proposed strategy can provide a significant improvement over the conventional strategies with unreliable relays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is the most frequent malignant tumor of the genitourinary system. Postoperative chemotherapy drug perfusion and chemotherapy are important means for the treatment of BLCA. However, once drug resistance occurs, BLCA develops rapidly after recurrence. BLCA cells rely on unique metabolic rewriting to maintain their growth and proliferation. However, the relationship between the metabolic pattern changes and drug resistance in BLCA is unclear. At present, this problem lacks systematic research. In our research, we identified and analyzed resistance- and metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (RM-DEGs) based on RNA sequencing of a gemcitabine-resistant BLCA cell line and metabolic-related genes (MRGs). Then, we established a drug resistance- and metabolism-related model (RM-RM) through regression analysis to predict the overall survival of BLCA. We also confirmed that RM-RM had a significant correlation with tumor metabolism, gene mutations, tumor microenvironment, and adverse drug reactions. Patients with a high drug resistance- and metabolism-related risk score (RM-RS) showed more active lipid synthesis than those with a low RM-RS. Further in vitro and in vivo studies were implemented using Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN), a representative gene, which promotes gemcitabine resistance, and its inhibitor (TVB-3166) that can reverse this resistance effect. Statement of Significance: The RM-RM aid to accurately predict survival rates and are used to help guide BLCA patients to choose the appropriate treatment option, and by inhibiting the fatty acid synthesis pathway involved in FASN a potential therapeutic strategy for BLCA is presented [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cancer cells critically rely on antioxidant systems for cell survival and are vulnerable to further oxidative impairment triggered by agents generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, the classical design and development of inhibitors that target antioxidant defense enzymes such as thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) can be a promising anticancer strategy. Herein, it is shown that a gold(I) complex containing an oleanolic acid derivative (4 b) induces apoptosis of ovarian cancer A2780 cells by activating endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). It can inhibit TrxR enzyme activity to elevate ROS, mediate ERS and mitochondrial dysfunction, and finally leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of A2780 cells. Notably, this complex inhibits A2780 xenograft tumor growth accompanied by increased ERS level and decreased TrxR activity in tumor tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Strongly-coupled δ-MnO 2 /MXene heteronanosheets are synthesized for zinc batteries; • The δ-MnO 2 /MXene electrode exhibits Zn2+-exclusive storage in organic electrolyte; • The δ-MnO 2 /MXene electrode exhibits superior zinc storage performance. Low-cost and nontoxic manganese dioxide (MnO 2) cathodes have shown promising application in high-capacity and high-voltage rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ZIBs), but suffer from limited cycling life and energy density mainly due to poor electrical conductivity and structural failure induced by manganese dissolution and H+/Zn2+ co-intercalation in traditional aqueous electrolytes. Herein, two-dimensional strongly-coupled δ-MnO 2 /MXene heteronanosheets are efficiently developed for high-performance ZIBs, which mainly includes an in-situ polymerization of dopamine on Ti 3 C 2 MXene surface and subsequent redox reaction between KMnO 4 and polydopamine. Benefited from the conductive MXene nanosheets for fast electron transfer, and the thin thickness of δ-MnO 2 nanosheets for improved Zn2+ insertion kinetics and structural stability, the δ-MnO 2 /MXene heteronanosheets exhibit unique Zn2+-exclusive storage mechanism without proton storage induced disadvantages (e.g., Mn dissolution in traditional aqueous electrolytes) and superior zinc storage performance in 0.5 M zinc triflate in triethyl phosphate organic electrolyte (Zn(OTf) 2 /TEP), offering a capacity of ∼163 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1, a high capacity retention of 84.5 % after 1000 cycles, and an areal capacity of 1.9 mAh cm−2 when the mass loading is up to 10.5 mg cm−2. This work provides unique Zn2+-exclusive storage mechanism of δ-MnO 2 in organic electrolyte and opens up a new approach for building high-performance ZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scheme 1. Schematic diagram of novel boron carriers. [Display omitted] • Advancements in BNCT and limitations of existing boron-containing drugs. • Challenges and prospects for novel boron-containing delivery agents. • Enhanced tumor targeting ability and boron uptake as future directions for BNCT. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an emerging binary radiation therapy that exhibits high precision and lethlity for tumor. Its clinical efficacy has been demonstrated in locally aggressive tumors (glioma, melanoma, osteosarcoma, etc.). One paramount aspect of BNCT is the utilization of boron drugs, which has garnered significant attention from researchers. Currently, the primary boron agents employed in BNCT are L-p-boronophenylalanine (L-10BPA) and Na 2 10B 12 H 11 SH (BSH). The former has a low boron content and necessitates repeated administration, while the latter lacks tumor selectivity and induces undifferentiated damage. The advent of novel and promising boron agents provides an opportunity for BNCT to achieve the desired clinical outcomes. In this review, we primarily focus on the research status of various boron carriers over the past decade. These carriers can be categorized based on different design strategies, including cell membrane targeting (LATs, GLUTs, peptides, etc.), nuclear targeting (nucleic acid derivatives, DNA embedders), enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect (liposome, polymer, inorganic nanoparticles) and tumor affinity (porphyrins). We delve into the challenges and breakthroughs associated with the clinical translation of boron-containing compounds and offer suggestions for the research and development of novel boron carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure, morphology, fracture toughness and flaw sensitivity length scale of chain-extended poly(butylene succinate) with various pre-stretch ratios were studied. PBS modification adopted from a multifunctional, commercially available chain-extension containing nine epoxy groups (ADR9) as the first step chain extension and hydroxyl addition modified dioxazoline (BOZ) as the second step. Time-temperature superposition (TTS) studies show that the viscosity increased sharply and the degree of molecular branching increased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirm successful chain extension reactions. The orientation of the polymer in the pre-stretch state is such that spherulites deformation along the stretching direction was observed by polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM). The fracture toughness of sample (λfix = 5) is Γ ≈ 106 J m-2 and its critical flaw sensitivity length scale is Γ/Wc ≈ 0.01 m, approximately 5 times higher than PBS without chain-extension (Γ ≈ 2 × 105 J m-2 and Γ/Wc ≈ 0.002 m, respectively). The notch sensitivity of chain-extended PBS is significantly reduced, which is due to the orientation of spherulites more effectively preventing crack propagation. The principle can be generalized to other high toughness material systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical marginal seas host important sedimentary archives that may be exploited to reveal past changes in continental erosion, chemical weathering, and ocean dynamics. However, these records can be challenging to interpret due to the complex interactions between climate and particulate transport across ocean margins. For the southern South China Sea over the last 90 Kyr, we observe a contrasting temporal relationship between the deposition of clay minerals and magnetic minerals, which were associated with two different hydrodynamic modes. Fine‐grained clay minerals can be carried in suspension by ocean currents, leading to a rapid response to regional climate‐driven inputs. In contrast, changes in magnetic mineralogy were linked to glacial‐interglacial sea level variability, from which we infer a control by bedload transport and resuspension. Overall, this study indicates that the transfer pathways and mechanisms imparted by varying hydrodynamic conditions exert a substantial influence on the distribution of terrigenous material in continental margin sediments. Plain Language Summary: Sediments that accumulate in the ocean along continental margins contain the minerals that were eroded and transported by rivers on the nearby land masses. Past changes in the composition of such sediments can be used to reconstruct the history of physical erosion and chemical weathering on the continents, but can also be affected by ocean dynamics over orbital and millennial timescales. Here, clay mineralogy, sediment grain size, and rock magnetic signatures are measured in a core from the continental slope of the southern South China Sea, spanning the last 90 thousand years. Differences between the clay mineral and magnetic records, which are linked to finer and coarser sediment fractions respectively, indicate that specific mechanisms and timescales influenced sediment transport to the core site. This depositional framework must be considered when interpreting the timing of changes in weathering and erosion proxies hosted in sediment records from marginal seas. Specifically, fine‐grained clay minerals may reveal a rapid response to continental weathering changes, whereas the magnetic records are influenced by the transport of denser coarser‐grained minerals under the influence of sea level change. In addition, this framework could potentially serve as an indicator of past sea level change on wide continental shelves. Key Points: In the southern South China Sea, clay mineralogy responds rapidly to climate‐driven changes in inputs on orbital timescalesMagnetic content within the coarser and denser fraction is influenced by sea level change, through bedload and resuspension transportThis depositional framework may serve as a guideline for evaluating sea level change on wide continental shelves over orbital timescales [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optical switching is proposed, which is based on two dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal made of cerium doped barium titanate, and can work in the visible or infrared waveband. The optical nonlinearity originates from the delocalization of the titanium ions in the center of TiO6 octahedrons. The dynamical shift of the photonic bandgap with pump intensity is calculated on the basis of the optical Kerr effect. It is found that the pump light of 6.7 GW/cm2 can changes the transmittance of the probe light from 0% to 95% for the first sample in the visible waveband and from 0% to 92% for the second sample in the infrared waveband, respectively. The influences of the disorders caused by the random perturbations in the diameter or the position of the air hole on the optical switching are analyzed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper aims to investigate how the spatial distribution of boron in cells and oxygen concentration affect the DNA damage induced by charged particles in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) by Monte Carlo simulations, and further to evaluate the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induction. The kinetic energy spectra of α, 7Li particles in BNCT arriving at the nucleus surface were obtained from GEANT4 (Geant4 10.05.p01). The DNA damage caused by BNCT was then evaluated using MCDS (MCDS 3.10A). When α or 7Li particles were distributed in the cytomembrane or cytoplasm, the difference in DNA damage of the same types was less than 0.5%. Taking the 137Cs photons as the reference radiation, when the oxygen concentration varied from 0% to 50%, the RBE of 0.54MeV protons and recoil protons varied from 5 to 2, whereas it decreased from 10 to 3 for α or 7Li particles. The RBE of DSB induction all charged particles in BNCT decreased with the increase of oxygen concentration. This work indicated that the RBE of different radiation particles of BNCT might be affected by many factors, which should be paid attention to in theoretical research or clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-isomer of 4-borono-2-18F-fluoro-phenylalanine (L-[18F]FBPA) was generally applied in clinic for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). With radiotracer validation, D-isomer of [18F]FBPA (D-[18F]FBPA) was found a higher tumor to normal brain tissue ratio (TBR) than its L-isomer on positron emission tomography (PET) in rat brain glioma. The present study was conducted as a first-in-human study to explore the biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of D-[18F]FBPA in healthy human volunteers, compared with L-[18F]FBPA. D-[18F]FBPA or L-[18F]FBPA was injected intravenously. Five whole-body PET scans were performed for each subject in the next 2 h. Organ time-activity curves were drawn by measuring SUV mean in volumes of interest. Absorbed dose coefficient of target organs and effective dose (ED) were estimated on OLINDA/EXM. Two healthy volunteers (both males) and three healthy volunteers (2 males, 1 female) were intravenously injected with D-[18F]FBPA (5.5–7.2 MBq/kg) and L-[18F]FBPA (3.9–6.8 MBq/kg) respectively. Only limited accumulation of D-[18F]FBPA was observed in healthy human brain, pancreas, liver, spleen and skeleton. The ED was calculated to be 0.026 mSv/MBq. Urinary bladder wall received the highest dose of 0.28 mGy/MBq, followed by kidneys (0.06 mGy/MBq), and all the other organs received less than 0.03 mGy/MBq. For L-[18F]FBPA, higher uptake in brain, pancreas, liver, spleen and skeleton could be visualized, compared with D-[18F]FBPA. The ED of L-[18F]FBPA was 0.020 ± 0.001 mSv/MBq. Urinary bladder wall and kidneys still received the highest dose among organs but with lower values than those of D-[18F]FBPA. D-[18F]FBPA had lower activity in normal brain, liver, spleen, pancreas and skeleton, compared with its L-isomer. D-[18F]FBPA is safe from a radiological standpoint. D-[18F]FBPA was safe from a radiological standpoint, and had lower activity in normal brain, liver, spleen, pancreas and skeleton than its L-isomer. This study ensures the safety and validity of D-[18F]FBPA for further clinical trials in patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is associated with the anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (anti-PLA2R) antibody in 70% of cases. Some anti-PLA2R-negative patients have the PLA2R antigen in renal tissue. This study examined the prognosis of patients with PMN according to their serum anti-PLA2R antibody (SAb) and glomerular PLA2R antigen (GAg) status. Patients diagnosed with PMN were included retrospectively. Patients were grouped according to their PLA2R status into the SAb−/GAg−, SAb−/GAg+, and SAb+/GAg + groups. Baseline data, renal biopsy results, treatment, and clinical data were compared among the groups. Cox univariable and multivariable analyses examined the factors related to complete remission (CR). A total of 114 patients were enrolled; 10 (9%) in the SAb−/GAg−, 23 (20%) in the SAb−/GAg+, and 81 (71%) in the SAb+/GAg+ groups. Cumulative CR rate showed a significant difference between the SAb−/GAg − and SAb+/GAg+ groups (log-rank p = 0.003). The multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that age (HR = 0.968; 95%CI = 0.946–0.990; p = 0.005), SAb+/GAg+ versus SAb−/GAg− (HR = 0.387; 95%CI = 0.190–0.788; p = 0.009), SAb−/GAg+ versus SAb−/GAg− (HR = 0.398; 95%CI = 0.169, 0.939; p = 0.035), total renal chronicity score ≥2 (HR = 0.461, 95%CI: 0.277–0.766, p = 0.003), and IgA deposition (HR = 2.596; 95%CI = 1.227–5.492; p = 0.013) were all independently related (p < 0.05) to CR. The SAb and GAg status was an indicator of PMN prognosis. The patients with SAb−/GAg − had an increased likelihood of achieving CR than those with SAb−/GAg+ and SAb+/GAg+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-optical switching is demonstrated by use of defect mode in two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals made of polystyrene. Transmittance contrast of about 70% is achieved for the probe light. The dynamical shifts of the defect mode induced by pump intensity are measured and analyzed in detail. It is found that the defect mode shifts 5 nm under the excitation of 18.7 GW/cm2 pump intensity, which is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. Time response of the optical switching is smaller than the laser pulse of about 10 ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a cellular-level hadron therapy achieving therapeutic effects via the synergistic action of multiple particles, including Lithium, alpha, proton, and photon. However, evaluating the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) in BNCT remains challenging. In this research, we performed a microdosimetric calculation for BNCT using the Monte Carlo track structure (MCTS) simulation toolkit, TOPAS-nBio. This paper reports the first attempt to derive the ionization cross-sections of low-energy (>0.025 MeV/u) Lithium for MCTS simulation based on the effective charge cross-section scalation method and phenomenological double-parameter modification. The fitting parameters (λ 1 = 1.101, λ 2 = 3.486) were determined to reproduce the range and stopping power data from the ICRU report 73. Besides, the lineal energy spectra of charged particles in BNCT were calculated, and the influence of sensitive volume (SV) size was discussed. Condensed history simulation obtained similar results with MCTS when using Micron-SV while overestimating the lineal energy when using Nano-SV. Furthermore, we found that the microscopic boron distribution can significantly affect the lineal energy for Lithium, while the effect for alpha is minimal. Similar results to the published data by PHITS simulation were observed for the compound particles and monoenergetic protons when using micron-SV. Spectra with nano-SV reflected that the different track densities and absorbed doses in the nucleus together result in the dramatic difference in the macroscopic biological response of BPA and BSH. This work and the developed methodology could impact the research fields in BNCT where understanding radiation effects is crucial, such as the treatment planning system, source evaluation, and new boron drug development. • The new Lithium cross-sections for MCTS simulation are calculated and verified. • A significant difference in y spectra for Lithium is observed when using nano-SV. • y ‾ D for BPA and BSH is 158.35 and 132.47 keV/μm with nano-SV, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to overcome the shortage of the existing fiber grating displacement sensor in the process of measuring bidirectional deformation of the foundation pit, which are the reduction of precision and the decrease of the range, a Fiber Bragg grating-based wire-pull bidirectional displacement sensor is designed. There are two wedge-shaped sliding surfaces and an integrated equal-strength beam structure, which make the sensor have the advantages of anti-sliding interference and high sensitivity of beam deflection displacement measurement. The sensor prototype is manufactured and the related performance tests show that the sensitivity of the sensor is 11.921731 pm/mm in the range of −100 mm to 100 mm, and the correlation coefficient of the fitting curve has reached 0.9996. Compared with the theoretical calculation value, the measured wavelength drift of the full scale deviates by about −0.92% and 0.42%, which can meet the accuracy requirements of structural health monitoring of major facilities such as civil engineering for displacement and deformation measurement. Four calibrated displacement sensors are installed on the top beam of the foundation pit of Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world's largest aviation hub, to monitor the deformation of foundation pit in real time. The reason of the displacement change of each monitoring section is analysed and the actual working condition on the site is checked. The effectiveness of the FBG bidirectional displacement sensing in the displacement monitoring of foundation pit engineering is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although endocrine therapies involving pharmaceuticals, such as tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, had initially demonstrated good responses in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, they often led to drug resistance. ER plays a vital role in the progression of metastatic diseases. Fulvestrant, a first generation selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), can effectively downregulate the ER protein and inhibit its downstream signaling pathways. However, as the drug needs to be intramuscularly injected, its widespread use is limited owing to poor patient compliance. Herein, we described a novel class of orally bioavailable fluorine-substituted SERDs that exhibit improved pharmacokinetic profiles. We substituted the hydroxyl group of clinical SERD candidate 6 with a fluorine atom to diminish phase II metabolism. The subsequent structure–activity relationship (SAR) investigation identified 22h and 27b , which can effectively degrade ER in a dose-dependent manner and exhibit considerable antiproliferative potency and efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The excellent pharmacokinetic profiles of 27b render it promising candidate of clinically useful oral SERD. [Display omitted] • Novel FSERDs were designed, synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated. • Compound 22h and 27b exhibited nanomolar IC 50 values against MCF-7 cell line. • Compound 22h and 27b can degrade ER at low micromolar range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fractal wave velocity evolution model of the water-bearing coal is constructed to explore the relationship between the complex pore and fissure structure parameters of the water-bearing coal mass and the ultrasonic P-wave velocity, based on the fractal theory and with consideration of the attenuation of ultrasonic waves propagating in the porous media of coal. In addition, experimental study and numerical analysis of the model are carried out, the following conclusions are reached. (1) The P-wave velocity increases with the increase of the coal sample length, the water content, the wave velocity in the coal matrix and the maximum pore radius, and decreases with the increase of the minimum pore radius. (2) The experimental results also show that the P-wave velocity increases with the increase of the water content and fractal dimension of the coal sample, indicating that the wave velocity prediction model has high accuracy. (3) The fractal dimension, water content, wave velocity in the coal matrix and coal sample length have great effects on the P-wave velocity of coal samples, while the minimum pore radius and the maximum pore radius have relatively little influences on the P-wave velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a beam shaping assembly with high epithermal neutron flux output was designed based on a D-T neutron generator using Monte Carlo N-particle Transport Code. DO-Fe and AlF-Ni interlayer moderator, efficient multiplier, filters, and reflector were used to improve the neutron beam quality according to the requirements of boron neutron capture therapy while maintaining high flux of epithermal neutron beam. In addition, the dose performance of the beam from our proposed facility was assessed in the Snyder head phantom. The simulation results proved that the proposed neutron beam was applicable to the treatment of deep-seated brain tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A radiological study of type II Modic changes (MCs).Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of type II MCs on fat suppression (FS) magnetic resonance (MR) images and its association with radiological disc degeneration.Summary Of Background Data: Type II MCs are common endplate signal changes on MR images. On the basis of limited histological samples, type II MCs are thought to be stable fat degeneration. FS technique on MR, which can quantify fat content, may be an alternative to explore the pathology of MCs. To date, however, the characteristics of type II MCs on FS sequence have not been studied.Methods: Lumbar MR images conducted in a single hospital during a defined period were reviewed to include those with type II MCs and FS images. On FS images, signal status of type II MCs was visually classified as suppressed or not-suppressed. Signal intensity of vertebral regions with and without MCs was measured quantitatively on T2-weighted (T2W) and FS images to calculate fat content index and validate the visual classification. Using image analysis program Osirix, MCs size and adjacent disc degeneration were measured quantitatively. Paired t-tests and logistic regressions were used to determine the associations studied.Results: Sixty-four lumbar MRIs were included and 150 endplates with type II MCs were studied. Although signal of 37 (24.7%) type II MCs was suppressed on FS images, that of 113 (75.3%) was not suppressed. The discs adjacent to type II MCs had lower signal intensity (0.13 ± 0.003 vs. 0.14 ± 0.004, P < 0.001), lesser disc height (9.73 ± 1.97 vs. 11.07 ± 1.99, P < 0.001) and greater bulging area (80.0 ± 31.4 vs. 61.3 ± 27.5 for anterior bulging, 33.72 ± 21.24 vs. 27.93 ± 12.79 for posterior bulging, and 113.7 ± 39.9 vs. 89.2 ± 35.2 for total bulging, P < 0.05) than normal controls. Type II MCs that were not suppressed on FS image were associated with greater age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.11, P < 0.001], lower height (OR = 0.94, P < 0.05), and greater posterior bulging (OR = 1.05, P < 0.001) at the adjacent disc.Conclusion: Signal of most type II MCs was not suppressed on FS MR images, suggesting that there are ongoing complicated pathologies. Type II MCs may not merely represent fat replacement.Level Of Evidence: 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Appling atomistic simulations to study the radiation resistance of NiFeGr. • The lattice distortion can inhibit the collection of radiation-induced defects. • The interface can provide a strong sink for trapping defects. • The intrinsic characteristics of the CSA strengthen the interface trapping effect. Atomistic simulations were applied to investigate the coupling effect of the chemical complexity of single-phase concentrated solid solution alloys (SP-CSAs) and the defect-sink effects of graphene/CSA interfaces. The radiation-induced defect evolution and radiation resistance of NiFe–graphene (NiFeGr) nanocomposite were studied via energy calculation, cascade simulation, and defect insertion method. Results show that the interface acts as a defect trap to absorb interstitials and promote the migration of point defects toward the interface. The inherent effect of the CSAs promotes defect recombination, which significantly reduces the number of residual defects. At the same time, the concentrated solid solution alloy as matrix can effectively promote the strengthening of the interface. The combination of the two effects causes no obvious temperature effect of the radiation damage, but the material still shows good radiation resistance at high temperature. Therefore, the NiFeGr nanocomposite with synergy of concentrated solid solution alloy as a matrix and defect-sink effects from graphene interfaces shows good radiation resistance and broad application prospect in nuclear engineering materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a methodology to extend the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method for compliance minimization (stiffness maximization) design of material nonlinear continuum structures subject to both constraints on volume fraction and maximum von Mises stress. BESO method based on discrete variables can effectively avoid the well-known stress singularity problem in density-based methods with low density elements. The aggregated p -norm global stress measure is adopted to approximate the maximum von Mises stress. The conventional compliance design objective is augmented with p -norm stress measures by introducing one Lagrange multiplier. The Lagrange multiplier is employed to yield compromised designs of compliance and the p -norm stress. A scheme is developed for the determination of the Lagrange multiplier so that the maximum von Mises stress could be effectively constrained. The update of the binary topological design variables lies in the sensitivity numbers derived using the adjoint method. As for the highly nonlinear stress behavior, both topological variables and sensitivity numbers are filtered to stabilize the optimization procedure. The filtered sensitivity numbers are further stabilized with their historical information. A series of comparison studies has been conducted to validate the effectiveness of the method on several benchmark design problems. • The stress-constrained stiffness topology optimization model of material nonlinear is proposed. • The adopted p -norm global stress can well restrain the stress level of material nonlinear structures. • The stress concentration problems of material nonlinear structures can be well solved by the algorithm. • The stricter the stress constraint is set, the smoother is the stress distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stiffness-based topology optimization model under inertial loads is proposed. • Self-weight, centrifugal forces, the magnitude and direction of the additional acceleration are considered. • Inertial loads have great influence on the topological structure, especially when fixed external force is small. • The inertial loads change the magnitude and variation trend of objective function. • The iterative curves converge to constant values stably, and the convergence rate is fast. This paper proposes to investigate topology optimization of continuum structures with density-dependent inertial loads which including self-weight, centrifugal forces, the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of inertial loads in order to make topology optimization more realistic. By using an extended bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method, this work presents an extension of this procedure to deal with maximum stiffness (minimum compliance) topology optimization of continuum structures when different combinations of inertial loads and fixed forces are applied. Notably, the magnitude and direction of the acceleration of inertial loads are considered. The computation of the element sensitivity numbers is deduced in detail in order to achieve the optimum design. MATLAB programming of proposed mathematical approach is done and compared with the conventional structural optimization problems with fixed external force. The procedure has been tested in several 2D and 3D benchmark examples to illustrate and validate the approach. The inertial loads have great influence on the topological structure, especially when the fixed external force is relatively small. The inertial loads change the magnitude and variation trend of objective function. The iterative curves converge to constant values stably, and the convergence rate is fast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mo-48.2% Ag films were fabricated by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and annealed in an argon atmosphere. The effects of annealing on the surface morphology, resistivity and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of Mo-48.2% Ag films were investigated. Results show a mass of polyhedral Ag particles grown on the annealed Mo-48.2% Ag films' surface, which are different from that of as-deposited Mo-Ag film. Moreover, the thickness and the resistivity of Mo-48.2% Ag films gradually decrease as the annealing temperature increases. Furthermore, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations proved that the re-deposition Ag layer increases the "hot spots" between adjacent Ag nanoparticles, thereby greatly enhancing the local electromagnetic (EM) field. The Ag layer/annealed Mo-48.2% Ag films can identify crystal violet (CV) with concentration lower than 5 × 10−10 M (1 mol/L = 1 M), which indicated that this novel type of particles/films can be applied as ultrasensitive SERS substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize the measurement of the biological dose in wide range, this paper dis discribes a biodosimeter based on the radiation damage effect of proteins (bovine serum albumin, bovine hemoglobin, and casein) and completed a dosimeter response study under γ radiation. Gafchromic film was used to measure the protein solution dose, and the solution dose was obtained by combining the film dose and the dose conversion factor calculated by Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code (MCNP). The Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis technology (SDS-PAGE) was used to characterize the damage degree of proteins. By selecting the appropriate fitted range and weighted mean dose method, an accurate measurement of the film dose was realized. In the investigation of the irradiation damage effect of proteins, the damage degree of proteins gradually increased with increasing dose according to the exponential function. Different proteins have various response modes. For the three studied proteins, the protein with greater solution concentration were more difficult to degrade. The dose rate also influenced the damage effect of proteins. Damage degree was smaller at higher dose rates. A dose measurement from 2.3 to 2555.7 Gy was achieved by adjusting the concentration of the bovine serum albumin, and wide-range dose measurements is possible by changing protein types and the solution concentration. The novel dosimeter could realize wide-range biological dose measurement and prompt further research on the biological effect of radiation, given the great significance in the determination of the biological effects and in the health assessment of irradiated bodies. • A new biodosimeter based on the irradiation damage effect of proteins was discrcribed. • The protein solution dose was measured based on the accurate Gafchromic film dose. • The response study of the new biodosimeter under γ radiation was completed. • A wide-range dose measurement from 2.3 to 2555.7 Gy was achieved in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]