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Aim Materials and Methods Results Conclusions To evaluate gastric emptying (GE) and the glycaemic response to a 75‐g oral glucose load in newly diagnosed, treatment‐naïve Han Chinese with type 2 diabetes (T2D) before insulin pump therapy, after 4 weeks of insulin pump therapy, and 12–15 months after insulin pump therapy.Twenty participants with T2D (baseline glycated haemoglobin [± SD] 10.7% [± 1.2%] 93 [± 10] mmol/mol) ingested a 75‐g glucose drink containing 150 mg 13C‐acetate, to determine the gastric half‐emptying time, and underwent assessment of plasma glucose and serum insulin, C‐peptide and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) over 180 min before and after 4 weeks of insulin pump therapy (discontinued for 48 h before re‐assessment). Data were compared to those in 19 healthy participants matched for sex and age. After 12–15 months, GE was re‐measured in 14 of the T2D participants.At baseline, participants with T2D exhibited substantially augmented fasting and post‐glucose glycaemia, diminished insulin secretion, and more rapid GE (p < 0.05 each), but comparable GLP‐1, compared to healthy participants. Following insulin pump therapy, insulin secretion increased, GLP‐1 secretion was attenuated, fasting and post‐glucose glycaemia were lower, and GE was slowed (p < 0.05 each). The slowing of GE in T2D participants was sustained over 12–15 months of follow‐up.In newly diagnosed Han Chinese with T2D, GE is often accelerated despite poor glycaemic control and is slowed by short‐term insulin pump therapy. The effect on GE is maintained for at least 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultratrace-enriching biomarker analysis is an effective method for achieving highly accurate and enhanced sensitive detection. In this study, we have developed an enrichment detection platform by combining a minipillar array with an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for ultratrace enriching biomarker analysis. After optimizing the enrichment conditions of ATPS, target miRNAs at ultratrace levels specifically accumulate in the DEX-rich phase, which significantly increases the target miRNA concentration-related fluorescence intensity. Compared to non-enriched miRNA in the single-phase PEG solution, the detection limit of ATPS-enriched miRNA had improved more than 200-fold. The ATPS-based enrichment detection strategy offers a novel and convenient approach for the simultaneous detection of biomarkers with ultratrace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic flow prediction plays an instrumental role in modern intelligent transportation systems. Numerous existing studies utilize inter-embedded fusion routes to extract the intrinsic patterns of traffic flow with a single temporal learning approach, which relies heavily on constructing graphs and has low training efficiency. Different from existing studies, this paper proposes a spatio-temporal ensemble network that aims to leverage the strengths of different sequential capturing approaches to obtain the intrinsic dependencies of traffic flow. Specifically, we propose a novel model named graph temporal convolutional long short-term memory network (GT-LSTM), which mainly consists of features splicing and patterns capturing. In features splicing, the spatial dependencies of traffic flow are captured by employing self-adaptive graph convolutional network (GCN), and a non-inter-embedded approach is designed to integrate the spatial and temporal states. Further, the aggregated spatio-temporal states are fed into patterns capturing, which can effectively exploit the advantages of temporal convolutional network (TCN) and bidirectional long short-term memory network (Bi-LSTM) to extract the intrinsic patterns of traffic flow. Extensive experiments conducted on four real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed network obtains excellent performance in both forecasting accuracy and training efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delamination is one of the most common types of damage in fiber-reinforced composites. In this paper, borrowing from the concept of defect modes in imperfect phononic crystals, we propose a method for identifying delamination damages in composite materials. Specifically, by periodically arranging concentrated masses on the surface of a finite carbon fiber beam, the carbon fiber beam becomes a phononic crystal, and defect modes in Bragg bandgaps can be observed when there is delamination. With the spectral element method formulation, we show that the frequencies of defect modes are directly related to the length and location of the delamination. By performing algebraic addition and subtraction on the generated defect mode frequencies when applying excitations at the two ends of a defected carbon fiber composite beam, an approximately linear correlation with the length and location of delamination can be obtained. Our analytical and experimental results indicate that, by introducing periodicity on the carbon fiber composite beam and applying appropriate post-processing algorithm to the generated defect modes, rapid and accurate identification of the delamination length and location can be achieved based on the bandgap characteristics of the imperfect phononic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of the stannyl phosphaketene (Nacnac)SnPCO 1 (Nacnac = CH{(CMe)(2,6-iPr2C6H3N)}2) with B(C6F5)3 produced the 1,4-addition product of (Nacnac)SnPCO(B(C6F5)3). However, the corresponding reactions in the presence of dimethyl maleate, diisopropyl fumarate or diethyl-but-2-ynedioate gave [2+2] addition yielding four-membered phosphacycles, ((Nacnac)Sn(MeO2C))CHPC(OB(C6F5)3)CH(CO2Me), [(C6F5)3B)PC(OSn)C(CO2Me)CH(CO2Me)]2, (Nacnac)Sn(iPrO2C)CC(OAl(C6F5)3)P[CH(CO2iPr)CH2(CO2iPr)]CH(CO2iPr), and (Nacnac)SnP (EtO2CCC(CO2Et))CO(B(C6F5)3), respectively. In contrast, the corresponding reaction of phenylacetylene gave the FLP-addition product (Nacnac)SnOC(P)C(Ph)CH(B(C6F5)3). Collectively, this reactivity demonstrates that the stannyl phosphaketene 1 can act as a synthon for P-analogues of β-lactam derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four previously undescribed terpenoid glucosides, including one sesquiterpenoid di-glucoside (1), two new iridoid glucosides (2, 3), and a new triterpenoid tri-glucoside (4), were isolated from a 70% ethanol extract of the root of Gentiana macrophylla (Gentianaceae), along with eight known terpenoids. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic techniques, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HRMS (ESI), as well as chemical methods. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by quantum chemical calculation of its theoretical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum. The sugar moieties of all the new compounds were confirmed to be D-glucose by GC analysis after acid hydrolysis and acetylation. Anti-pulmonary inflammation activity of the iridoids were evaluated on a TNF-α induced inflammation model in A549 cells. Compound 2 could significantly alleviate the release of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-8 and increase the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current polymerase chain reactions‐based nucleic acid tests for large‐scale infectious disease diagnosis are always lab‐dependent and generate large amounts of highly infectious plastic waste. Direct non‐linear acoustic driven of microdroplets provide an ideal platform for contactless spatial and temporal manipulation of liquid samples. Here, a strategy to programmable‐manipulate microdroplets using potential pressure well for contactless trace detection is conceptualized and designed. On such contactless modulation platform, up to seventy‐two piezoelectric transducers are precisely self‐focusing single‐axis arranged and controlled, which can generate dynamic pressure nodes for effectively contact‐free manipulating microdroplets without vessel contamination. In addition, the patterned microdroplet array can act as contactless microreactor and allow multiple trace samples (1–5 µL) biochemical analysis, and the ultrasonic vortex can also accelerate non‐equilibrium chemical reactions such as recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). The results of fluorescence detection indicated that such programmable modulated microdroplet achieved contactless trace nucleic acid detection with a sensitivity of 0.21 copy µL−1 in only 6–14 min, which is 30.3–43.3% shorter than the conventional RPA approach. Such a programmable containerless microdroplet platform can be used for toxic, hazardous, or infectious samples sensing, opening up new avenues for developing future fully automated detection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This meta‐analysis aimed to assess the rate of malignant transformation (MT) of oral leukoplakia (OL) and to study potential risk factors for the MT of OL into oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Method: We performed a bibliographic search on nine electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, and Wanfang Data, for data on the MT rate of OL. Possible risk factors were calculated using Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis and Open Meta [Analyst] software. Results: The pooled proportion of OL MT for the total population described in the 26 selected studies was 7.20% (95% confidence interval: 5.40–9.10%). Nonhomogeneous type lesions, higher grades of dysplasia, the location of the lesion (tongue and multifocal), and female sex had significant effects on the MT of OL. Conclusion: OL tended to develop into OSCC (7.2%), and those with significant MT risk factors should be subjected to regular follow‐up and observation. However, we require large‐scale prospective studies to validate these results, together with unified clinicopathological diagnostic criteria, standardized risk factor recording/assessment methods, and long‐term follow‐up guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paclitaxel (PTX) is an anti-microtubule agent, used for the treatment of various types of cancers; however, it produces painful neuropathy which limits its use. Many neuroprotective agents have been introduced to mitigate PTX-induced neuropathic pain (PINP), but they pose many adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacological characteristics of soy isoflavone, and daidzein (DZ) in attenuating PINP. At the beginning of the investigation, the effect of DZ was confirmed through behavioral analysis, as it reduced pain hypersensitivity. Moreover, changes in the histological parameters were reversed by DZ administration along with vascular permeability. PTX administration upregulated transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels and purinergic receptors (P2Y), contributing to hyperalgesia; but administration of DZ downregulated the TRPV1 and P2Y, thus reducing hyperalgesia. DZ increased nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), playing a pivotal role in the activation of the antioxidant pathway. DZ also decreased neuronal apoptosis by decreasing caspase-3 and Bcl2-associated X-protein (Bax), while simultaneously, increasing Bcl-2. PTX administration produced severe DNA damage, which was mitigated by DZ. Similarly, DZ administration resulted in inhibition of neuroinflammation by increasing antioxidant enzymes and reducing oxidative stress markers. PTX caused increased in production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as the cytokines production, while DZ inhibited the pro-inflammatory mediators. Additionally, in silico pharmacokinetic and toxicodynamic study of DZ was also conducted. In summary, DZ demonstrated significant neuroprotective activity against PTX induced neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the potential of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) parameters in identifying metastatic cervical lymph nodes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients and to explore the relationships between DECT and pathological features. Methods: Clinical and DECT data were collected from patients who underwent radical resection of OSCC and cervical lymph node dissection between November 2019 and June 2021. Microvascular density was assessed using the Weidner counting method. The electron density (ED) and effective atomic number (Zeff) in non - contrast phase and iodine concentration (IC), normalized IC, slope of the energy spectrum curve (λHU), and dual-energy index (DEI) in parenchymal phase were compared between metastatic and non - metastatic lymph nodes. Student's t-test, Pearson's rank correlation, and receiver operating characteristic curves were performed. Results: The inclusion criteria were met in 399 lymph nodes from 103 patients. Metastatic nodes (n = 158) displayed significantly decreased ED, IC, normalized IC, λHU, and DEI values compared with non-metastatic nodes (n = 241) (all p < 0.01). Strong correlations were found between IC (r = 0.776), normalized IC (r = 0.779), λHU (r = 0.738), DEI (r = 0.734), and microvascular density. Area under the curve (AUC) for normalized IC performed the highest (0.875) in diagnosing metastatic nodes. When combined with the width of nodes, AUC increased to 0.918. Conclusion: DECT parameters IC, normalized IC, λHU, and DEI reflect pathologic changes in lymph nodes to a certain extent, and aid for detection of metastatic cervical lymph nodes from OSCC. Key Points: • Electron density, iodine concentration, normalized iodine concentration, λHU, and dual-energy index values showed significant differences between metastatic and non-metastatic nodes. • Strong correlations were found between iodine concentration, normalized iodine concentration, slope of the spectral Hounsfield unit curve, dual-energy index, and microvascular density. • DECT qualitative parameters reflect the pathologic changes in lymph nodes to a certain extent, and aid for the detection of metastatic cervical lymph nodes from oral squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a critical process that regulates the transfer of heat and water between land and the atmosphere. While satellite‐based ET algorithms can provide area‐wide daily ET estimates, few are independent of local meteorological measurements. The Variant of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Standard Evapotranspiration Algorithm (VISEA) can potentially run without ground‐based observations. However, the surface energy budgets used in VISEA generally overpredict daily net radiation and related ET. To improve the accuracy of net radiation and ET, we incorporated Brutsaert's atmosphere emissivity model and corrected the routine to calculate the downward long‐wave radiation on cloudy days (which we called VISEA2023 model). The VISEA2023 model predicted net radiation and ET that agreed well with measurements at seven ChinaFlux sites, with an R2 of 0.8 and an Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 30 W m−2 for net radiation, and an R2 of 0.6 and an RMSE of 1 mm day−1 for ET, respectively. Additionally, the VISEA2023 model is more robust in comparison to the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model output in 10 major river basins and 80 sub‐river basins, with an R2 of 0.91 (0.78) and an RMSE of 85 (127.4) mm year−1, than MOD16, which has an R2 of 0.81 (0.82) and an RMSE of 134.8 (157.7) mm year−1, and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer ET, which has an R2 of 0.92 (0.62) and an RMSE of 90.1 (136.1) mm year−1. The improved VISEA2023 model can offer near‐real‐time ET on a larger scale, improving our understanding of water cycles and their relation to climate change. Plain Language Summary: Evapotranspiration, also known as ET, is an essential process that plays a key role in the Earth's water cycle. Large‐scale ET can be calculated based on satellite observations, but current algorithms are not always accurate. The Variant of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Standard Evapotranspiration Algorithm (VISEA) is an innovative algorithm that can calculate ET without ground‐based data. However, VISEA overpredicts net radiation and the subsequent ET. We developed an improved algorithm by introducing Brutsaert's atmosphere emissivity model and quantifying the longwave radiation component as a function of cloudiness. The developed ET compares well with flux tower measurements and other ET products over China. This improved VISEA model has the potential to provide near‐real time ET on a larger scale, leading to a better understanding of water cycles and their relation to climate changes. Key Points: Am improved downward long‐wave radiation procedure is introduced in a satellite‐based evapotranspiration (ET) model on cloudy daysThis revised procedure can improve the accuracy of the daily net radiation and ET compared with in‐situ measurementsThe multi‐year mean value of the developed ET is more robust than other satellite‐based ET products in river basin comparison over China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhang (2021), Luo and Yin (2022) initiated the study of Lagrangian submanifolds satisfying ∇*T = 0 or ∇*∇*T = 0 in ℂn or ℂℙn, where T = ∇ ∗ h ˜ and h ˜ is the Lagrangian trace-free second fundamental form. They proved several rigidity theorems for Lagrangian surfaces satisfying ∇*T = 0 or ∇*∇*T = 0 in ℂ2 under proper small energy assumption and gave new characterization of the Whitney spheres in ℂ2. In this paper, the authors extend these results to Lagrangian submanifolds in ℂn of dimension n ≥ 3 and to Lagrangian submanifolds in ℂℙn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrion is an ideal target for amplifying ROS attack in antitumor treatment. Benefiting from distinctive properties of mitochondria, the precise delivery of ROS generator to mitochondria could maximumly utilize ROS for oxidation therapy. Herein, we prepared an innovative ROS-activatable nanoprodrug (HTCF) which dually targets tumor cells and mitochondria for antitumor therapy. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) was conjugated to ferrocene (Fc) and triphenylphosphine by thioacetal linker, to synthesize mitochondria-targeting ROS-activated prodrug (TPP-CA-Fc), which subsequently self-assembled into nanoprodrug via host-guest interactions between TPP-CA-Fc and cyclodextrin-decorated hyaluronic acid conjugate. Under mitochondrial high ROS condition, especially in tumor cells, HTCF selectively initiate in-situ Fenton reaction to catalyze H 2 O 2 into highly cytotoxic •OH, ensuring maximum generation and utilization of •OH for precision CDT. Meanwhile, the mitochondrial high ROS trigger thioacetal bond cleavage and CA release. The released CA stimulate mitochondrial oxidative stress aggravation and H 2 O 2 regeneration, which in turn react with Fc for more •OH generation, forming self-amplifying positive feedback cycle of CA release and ROS burst. With self-augmented Fenton reaction and mitochondria-specific destruction, HTCF ultimately induce intracellular ROS burst and severe mitochondrial dysfunction for amplified ROS-mediated antitumor therapy. Such an ingenious organelles-specialized nanomedicine exhibited prominent antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo, revealing underlying perspectives to amplify tumor-specific oxidation therapy. [Display omitted] • Designed HTCF is employed as mitochondrial-specialized nanoprodug for self-augmented oxidation therapy. • HTCF could initiate Fenton reaction to form self-amplifying positive feedback cycle of CA release and ROS burst. • This tumor-specific nanomedicine could induce intracellular ROS generation and severe mitochondrial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactions of (tBuO2CN)2 with FLPs are examined. B(C6F5)3 interacts with the carbonyl oxygen atoms inducing loss of CH2＝CMe2; however, in the presence of basic donors, the protons are intercepted affording the salts [Hbase]2 [((C6F5)3BO2CN)2] (base = tBu3P 1, NC5H2Ph32, HNC5H6Me43). In contrast, in the presence of (o-Tol)3P, a proton transfers to the diazo-N atom affording (o-Tol)3PN(CO2tBu)NHB(C6F5)34. Further addition of B(C6F5)3 to 4 prompts loss of olefin CH2＝CMe2 and CO2 affording (o-Tol)3PNHNHB(C6F5)35. The course of these reactions is examined by extensive DFT calculations. The nature of 5 is consistent with the FLP reduction of a diazene fragment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is an important mediator of the immune response. At present, the improvement of TNF-α after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is still controversial. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the present evidence based on a meta-analysis to elucidate the effects of TNF-α on OSAHS after CPAP treatment. Results: To measure TNF-α, ten studies used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and one used radioimmunoassay. The forest plot outcome indicated that CPAP therapy would lower the TNF-α levels in OSAHS patients, with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of 1.08 (95% CI: 0.62–1.55; P < 0.001) based on the REM since there is highly significant heterogeneity (I2 = 90%) among the studies. Therefore, we used the subgroup and sensitivity analyses to investigate the source of heterogeneity. The findings of the sensitivity analysis revealed that the pooled WMD ranged from 0.91 (95% CI: 0.52–1.31; P < 0.001) to 1.18 (95% CI: 0.74–1.63; P < 0.001). The findings were not influenced by any single study. Notably, there was homogeneity in the Asia subgroup and publication year: 2019, implying that these subgroups could be the source of heterogeneity. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis recommends that CPAP therapy will decrease the TNF-α level in OSAHS patients, but more related research should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Green Synthesis" has been broadly applied in drug synthesis and nanomaterial preparation. The integration of automated micro‐synthesis and high‐throughput screening systems is a key way to achieve the goal of green manufacturing. Here, a one‐click green synthesis platform is designed that integrates droplets arrays‐based micro‐synthesis for Raman enhancement performance high‐throughput screening of MNPs@Cu‐MOF (AuNPs@, AgNPs@, PtNPs@Cu‐MOF) under room temperature and normal pressure. The fully integrated ultrasound units can achieve rapid multi‐component mixing in the droplet array systems, and significantly accelerate materials growth as well as enhance encapsulation of noble metal nanoparticles into Cu‐MOF structures. Based on such integrated systems, structures with high Raman enhancement performance can be high‐throughput evaluation and easily screened out. The results indicated that the AgNPs@Cu‐MOF exhibited the best Raman enhancement performance, which is ≈8 times higher than pure AgNPs. Such a green and integrated platform provides a way for automated multi‐type composites fabrication, which can be expanded to multiple fields in the future via combined robotic platforms and artificial intelligence technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apoptosis is a major pathophysiological change following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and its receptor GLP-1R are widely expressed in the cardiovascular system and GLP-1/GLP-1R activates the protein kinase G (PKG)-related signaling pathway. Therefore, this study tested whether semaglutide, a new GLP-1 analog, inhibits I/R injury-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by activating the PKG/PKCε/ERK1/2 pathway. We induced myocardial I/R injury in rats and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in H9C2 cells and detected the effects of semaglutide, a PKG analog (8-Br-cGMP), and a PKG inhibitor (KT-5823) on the PKG/PKCε/ERK1/2 pathway and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. We found that semaglutide upregulated GLP-1R levels, and both semaglutide and 8-Br-cGMP activated the PKG/PKCε/ERK1/2 pathway, inhibited myocardial infarction (MI), decreased hs-cTNT levels, increased NT-proBNP levels, and suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis in I/R rats and H/R H9C2 cells. However, KT-5823 exerted contrasting effects with semaglutide and 8-Br-cGMP, and KT-5823 weakened the cardioprotective effects of semaglutide. In conclusion, semaglutide inhibits I/R injury-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by activating the PKG/PKCε/ERK1/2 pathway. The beneficial effect of GLP-1/GLP-1R, involved in the activation of the PKG/PKCε/ERK1/2 pathway, may provide a novel treatment method for myocardial I/R injury. • Semaglutide could increase GLP-1R level in the ischemic/reperfusion rats and hypoxia/reoxygenation H9C2 cells. • Both semaglutide and 8-Br-cGMP play a protective role in the ischemic/reperfusion rats and hypoxia/reoxygenation H9C2 cells. • KT-5823 could weaken the cardioprotective effects of semaglutide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is well known, self-similar solutions to the mean curvature flow, including self-shrinkers, translating solitons and self-expanders, arise naturally in the singularity analysis of the mean curvature flow. In this paper we give complete classifications of codimension one complete self-shrinkers with nonnegative constant scalar curvature. We also give alternative proofs of the classifications of codimension one translating solitons and self-expanders with nonnegative constant scalar curvature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is characterized by two or more consecutive pregnancy losses in the first trimester of pregnancy, experienced by 5% of women during their reproductive age. As a complex pathological process, the etiology of RSA remains poorly understood. Recent studies have established that gene expression changes dramatically in human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) during decidualization. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most prevalent epigenetic modification of mRNA in eukaryotic cells and it is closely related to the occurrence and development of many pathophysiological phenomena. In this study, we first confirmed that high levels of m6A mRNA methylation in decidual tissues are associated with RSA. Then, we used m6A‐modified RNA immunoprecipitation sequence (m6A‐seq) and RNA sequence (RNA‐seq) to identify the differentially expressed m6A methylation in decidual tissues from RSA patients and identified the key genes involved in abnormal decidualization by bioinformatics analysis. Using m6A‐seq, we identified a total of 2169 genes with differentially expressed m6A methylation, of which 735 m6A hypermethylated genes and 1434 m6A hypomethylated genes were identified. Further joint analysis of m6A‐seq and RNA‐seq revealed that 133 genes were m6A modified with mRNA expression. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that these unique genes were mainly enriched in environmental information processing pathways, including the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway. In summary, this study uncovered the transcriptome‐wide m6A modification pattern in decidual tissue of RSA, which provides a theoretical basis for further research into m6A modification and new therapeutic strategies for RSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for tuberculosis (TB). Evidence has linked the DM-related dysbiosis of gut microbiota to modifiable host immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. However, the crosslinks between gut microbiota composition and immunological effects on the development of latent TB infection (LTBI) in DM patients remain uncertain. Methods: We prospectively obtained stool, blood samples, and medical records from 130 patients with poorly-controlled DM (pDM), defined as ever having an HbA1c > 9.0% within previous 1 year. Among them, 43 had LTBI, as determined by QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-Tube assay. The differences in the taxonomic diversity of gut microbiota between LTBI and non-LTBI groups were investigated using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, and a predictive algorithm was established using a random forest model. Serum cytokine levels were measured to determine their correlations with gut microbiota. Results: Compared with non-LTBI group, the microbiota in LTBI group displayed a similar alpha-diversity but different beta-diversity, featuring decrease of Prevotella_9, Streptococcus, and Actinomyces and increase of Bacteroides, Alistipes, and Blautia at the genus level. The accuracy was 0.872 for the LTBI prediction model using the aforementioned 6 microbiome-based biomarkers. Compared with the non-LTBI group, the LTBI group had a significantly lower serum levels of IL-17F (p = 0.025) and TNF-α (p = 0.038), which were correlated with the abundance of the aforementioned 6 taxa. Conclusions: The study results suggest that gut microbiome composition maybe associated with host immunity relevant to TB status, and gut microbial signature might be helpful for the diagnosis of LTBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal‐supported CeO2 catalysts (such as Pt/CeO2) have been considered as the most promising exhaust‐treatment catalyst to meet the future emission standard. However, the Pt‐O‐Ce interface on Pt/CeO2 system seems to over‐stabilize the Pt sites to cause low activity for CO oxidation. In this work, by adding Fe oxides, the enhanced Pt‐FeOx interaction was formed with the disappearance of the Pt‐O‐Ce interface, facilitating the electron transfer from the support to the atomically dispersed Pt on the Pt‐FeOx interface for the dramatically CO (preferential) oxidation performance. The single‐atom Pt/1.5FeOx/CeO2 performed the best catalytic activity with a reaction rate of 0.58 s−1 at 144 °C (T100). Such strategy in resorting the special metal‐support interaction to tune the active sites can be extended to other metal‐oxide systems for further optimized catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental protection is a global objective and a key factor in future development. Decreasing volatile organic compounds and replacing fossil-based materials are considered huge challenges in the ecofriendly polyurethane (PU) industry. Although replacing solvent-based PU by water-based polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) is crucial, PUDs still contain some organic solvents, which should be removed by vacuum evaporation. In addition, the use of biobased materials derived from renewable sources instead of fossil-based materials is considered an ecofriendly technique. In this study, we synthesized biobased PUDs with a biomass polyether diol (polypropanediol H1000) through a patented solvent-free process without the addition of any organic solvent. We synthesized a series of solvent-free biobased PUDs by using H1000 incorporated with fossil polyether diol (poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol T1000) with various biocontents of formulation (60, 50, 40, 30, and 0 wt.%). When using biobased 60 wt.% PUD, Bio60-H100, the adhesion force is higher than fossil materials source, Bio0-H0 by cross-cut and scrub test. This is because of the high ether group concentration and increased number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds in H1000. As indicated by stress–strain curves, the toughness of the PU films from hard to soft when the ether group concentration of PU soft segments increased. In addition, the solvent-free biobased PUDs were flexible, exhibited superior softness, and demonstrated increased tear strength on recycled polyester fabric with a fluoride-free water-repellent agent (C0 W/R). In summary, we developed a series of high-biocontent environment-friendly solvent-free PUDs with favorable storage stability, which can be used in textile coating in the sustainable fabric industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the rigidity theorem of closed minimally immersed Legendrian submanifolds in the unit sphere. Utilizing the maximum principle, we obtain a new characterization of the Calabi torus in the unit sphere which is the minimal Calabi product Legendrian immersion of a point and the totally geodesic Legendrian sphere. We also establish an optimal Simons' type integral inequality in terms of the second fundamental form of three-dimensional closed minimal Legendrian submanifolds in the unit sphere. Our optimal rigidity results for minimal Legendrian submanifolds in the unit sphere are new and also can be applied to minimal Lagrangian submanifolds in the complex projective space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis is an abnormal immune-inflammatory response that is mainly caused by infection. It can lead to life-threatening organ dysfunction and death. Severely damaged tissue cells will release intracellular histones into the circulation as damage-related molecular patterns (DAMPs) to accelerate the systemic immune response. Although various histone-related cytotoxicity mechanisms have been explored, those that affect extracellular histones involved in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction are yet to be determined. Methods: Mouse aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were stimulated with different concentrations of histones, and cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Cellular senescence was assessed by SA β-gal staining. C57BL/6 mice were treated with histones with or without BML-275 treatment. RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 inflammasome proteins. The interaction of NLRP3 and ASC was detected by CoIP and immunofluorescence staining. Results: In this study, we found that extracellular histones induced senescence and inflammatory response in a dose-dependent manner in cultured VSMCs. Histone treatment significantly promoted apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC) as well as NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) interaction of inflammasomes in VSMCs. Forkhead box protein O4 (FOXO4), which is a downstream effector molecule of extracellular histones, was found to be involved in histone-regulated VSMC inflammatory response and senescence. Furthermore, the 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway was confirmed to mediate extracellular histone-induced FOXO4 expression, and blocking this signaling pathway with an inhibitor can suppress vascular inflammation induced by extracellular histones in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion: Extracellular histones induce inflammation and senescence in VSMCs, and blocking the AMPK/FOXO4 pathway is a potential target for the treatment of histonemediated organ injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millimeter‐Wave (mmWave) antennas for 5G communication require wide bandwidth, directional radiation patterns, low‐profile design and multilayer compatibility for module‐level integration. In this paper, we introduce a method of loading shorting pins to a patch antenna to generate extra zero modes. By merging the 2nd zero‐mode, TM01 mode, 3rd zero‐mode, and TM20 mode in the frequency spectrum, a wide bandwidth varying from 23 to 34 GHz and a low‐profile as 0.762 mm can be obtained. Based on this wideband patch antenna, a 4 × 2 antenna array is obtained with the ±40° scanning performance. Theoretical analysis, full‐wave simulations, and experimental performances are presented, validating the effectiveness of this method to achieve a wideband performance in mmWave band. It can be applied to 5G communication systems in mmWave band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow purple soils (Entisols) were widely distributed in hilly areas of southwest China and were easily subjected to drought due to the weak soil water retention capacity, which largely reduced the crop productivity. However, the impact of solum thickness on ecological traits and water use strategies of crops remain poorly understood under the shallow Entisol environment. In this study, water use patterns and physiological adaptation of maize with different solum thicknesses were investigated to ascertain the optimum solum thickness based on an in-situ experiment. Isotopic (2H and 18O) tracing technique was used to investigate the water sources for maize growth in sloping croplands with solum of 20 cm (C1), 40 cm (C2), 60 cm (C3), 80 cm (C4), 100 cm (C5) thickness. The morphological and physiological characteristics were also discussed under different soil moisture regimes. The results showed the soil water storage capacity significantly increased with solum thickness. The isotopes of xylem water in shallow solum (≦40 cm) were more enriched, indicating more contributions from the bottom soil water, especially under dry regimes (62.3% for C1, 42.8% for C2, at Jul. 09). The water sources utilized by maize in the treatments with solum thickness greater than 60 cm were relatively evenly distributed throughout the soil profile (mean 19.3%, 19.6% and 17.6%, respectively, in the 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–40 cm soil layer), and the water niche breadth increased with the solum thickness. Maize in shallow solum (≦40 cm) had lower biomass and higher specific leaf area (SLA) to reduce transpiration rate and improved water use efficiency (WUE i) (highest for C1, P <0.05, mean 14.8 μmol·mmol−1 under dry regimes), accompanying by lower photosynthetic rate, especially during the grain mature stage. The thicker solum (>60 cm) had significantly higher yields than in shallower solum (P <0.05), indicating that higher soil water storage in the thicker Entisol solum provided the most important base for cereal production. These findings suggested that maize on shallow croplands tended to use deep soil water and reduce water loss by restraining transpiration during drought conditions. However, the adaptation strategy through maintaining high SLA , low leaf area and height only ensured limited crop yields. Solum thickness is a critical index for affecting water use strategies and growth of maize, we recommended that greater than 60 cm is the optimum solum thickness for the maize plantation in the hilly croplands of the purple soil regions. [Display omitted] • Maize in shallow solums (0–40 cm) was more dependent on deeper soil moisture. • Soil water storage capacity significantly increased with solum thickness. • Maize planted in shallow solums had high WUE i but less dry matter accumulated. • Solum thickness of greater than 60 cm is recommended for the maize plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under-slab voids are critical to traffic safety, The acoustic vibration method can be used to accurately determine whether the road surface is de-voided or not. This paper utilizes ABAQUS to construct models of concrete pavement panels with various parametric study. The fundamental vibration frequencies of these models are computed, and their characteristics are summarized. Additionally, a model of impacting cement concrete pavement with a falling ball is established to investigate the vibration properties at different points. it can be concluded that the most significant factors affecting the vibration fundamental frequency are the foundation reaction coefficient and the void area. Delamination at the corners of the panels experiences higher maximum vibration accelerations under falling ball impact when support conditions are poorer. Longer delaminated edges correspond to greater vibration accelerations. The frequencies at various points within the delaminated area are identical, while the amplitudes mirror the same acceleration. Indicating that the position of deflation has a small effect on the vibration frequency and a relatively large effect on the vibration acceleration. This study can provide an effective and non-destructive basis for future intelligent traffic pavement inspections. • We found the most important factors affecting vibration fundamental frequency. • We established the ranking parameters based on sensitivity to develop priority. • We established a model of impacting cement concrete pavement with a falling ball. • We established the link between vibrational sound and road de-vacuuming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors took the financing warehouse in supply chain finance as an example, used the game between capital providers (banks and their entrusted logistics supervision enterprises) and capital demanders (core enterprises of supply chain, upstream suppliers, and downstream dealers) as the research object, and constructed the income matrices, respectively, and the Nash equilibrium of pure decision and mixed decision was calculated. The authors compared the game behavior of the participants in the traditional supply chain finance and the supply chain finance on the blockchain and the difference of the mixed decision Nash equilibrium whether blockchain rewards and punishment were added. When the rewards and punishment were added to encourage the transaction information placing in the blockchain, the Nash equilibrium point would be further away from the origin point, and the capital provider and the capital demander would choose to cooperate with greater probability. When the cost of the blockchain is gradually reduced, the two sides of the game choose to place the transaction information in the chain, which can improve the cooperation of the participants of the supply chain finance, and they can get more profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective activation of prodrugs is an important approach to reduce the side effects of disease treatment. We report a prodrug design concept for metal complexes, termed "metal‐carrying prochelator", which can co‐carry a metal ion and chelator within a single small‐molecule compound and remain inert until it undergoes a specifically triggered intramolecular chelation to synthesize a bioactive metal complex in situ for targeted therapy. As a proof‐of‐concept, we designed a H2O2‐responsive small‐molecule prochelator, DPBD, based on the strong chelator diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) and copper. DPBD can carry Cu2+ (DPBD‐Cu) and respond to elevated H2O2 levels in tumor cells by releasing DTC, which rapidly chelates Cu2+ from DPBD‐Cu affording a DTC–copper complex with high cytotoxicity, realizing potent antitumor efficacy with low systemic toxicity. Thus, with its unique intramolecularly triggered activation mechanism, this concept based on a small‐molecule metal‐carrying prochelator can help in the prodrug design of metal complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective activation of prodrugs is an important approach to reduce the side effects of disease treatment. We report a prodrug design concept for metal complexes, termed "metal‐carrying prochelator", which can co‐carry a metal ion and chelator within a single small‐molecule compound and remain inert until it undergoes a specifically triggered intramolecular chelation to synthesize a bioactive metal complex in situ for targeted therapy. As a proof‐of‐concept, we designed a H2O2‐responsive small‐molecule prochelator, DPBD, based on the strong chelator diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) and copper. DPBD can carry Cu2+ (DPBD‐Cu) and respond to elevated H2O2 levels in tumor cells by releasing DTC, which rapidly chelates Cu2+ from DPBD‐Cu affording a DTC–copper complex with high cytotoxicity, realizing potent antitumor efficacy with low systemic toxicity. Thus, with its unique intramolecularly triggered activation mechanism, this concept based on a small‐molecule metal‐carrying prochelator can help in the prodrug design of metal complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Penile amputation is an extremely rare genital injury. To the best of our knowledge, there are only about 200 cases reported in Chinese and English literature, most of them are case reports. So far, there is not any video demonstration of microscopic replantation of complete penile amputation with meticulous surgical skills.Objective: To provide a successful example of penile replantation after complete penile amputation through video presentation of the application of meticulous microsurgical techniques and optimized procedures.Materials and Methods: The 25-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital 3.5 hours after his penis was completely amputated due to self-mutilation. Microscopic penile replantation was immediately performed after preoperative preparation. After the surgical procedure, the patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, analgesia, antithrombotics and anxiolytic.Results: The total ischemic time was about 10 hours. The duration of surgery was about 7 hours. On the 14th day post-surgery, the wound healed smoothly, the glans was ruddy in color, and the appearance returned to normal without obvious complications. The patient urinates normally with a maximal urinary flow rate of 25 ml/s after removing the catheter. Three months after surgery, the local sensation of foreskin and glans recovered significantly, which showed that slight needling could lead to obvious pain, and the penis erection hardness score was 3 during morning erection or urinary bladder distention. Six months after surgery, the patient reported that he was completely satisfied with the result, which showed that the sensation of the penis and glans surface returned to almost normal and the optimal erection hardness score was 4.Conclusion: Careful microsurgical anastomosis of the dorsal arteries, deep dorsal vein, superficial dorsal vein and multiple dorsal nerves could obtain ideal recovery of penile appearance and function and avoid any obvious complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 5G communication utilizing millimeter‐wave (mmWave) band, multilayer configuration is popular for mmWave antenna with module‐level integration and high‐density design. However, multilayer construction adds several substrate layers and metallic ground layers to RF signal paths, which induces extra capacitances and inductances to the original antenna, thereby deteriorating impedance matching, and distorting radiation patterns. In this paper, we investigate the influence of multilayer structure on antenna performances, and apply substrate integrated coaxial line (SICL) design to eliminate these interferences from multilayer configuration. Equivalent circuit model of the multilayer configuration with SICL is presented and verified by simulations. A mmWave antenna unit and the 1 × 4 array in multilayer configuration with SICL design are measured. Experiments show that SICL design enables impedance matching and radiation patterns to be maintained without distortions when applying multiple layers to the mmWave antenna, validating this method. It can be applied to 5G mmWave antennas that desire multilayer construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at constructing a pyroptosis-related signature for prostate cancer (PCa) and elucidating the prognosis and immune landscape and the sensitivity of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy in signature-define subgroups of PCa. We identified 22 differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes in PCa from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The pyroptosis-related genes could divide PCa patients into two clusters with differences in survival. Seven genes were determined to construct a signature that was confirmed by qRT-PCR to be closely associated with the biological characteristics of malignant PCa. The signature could effectively and independently predict the biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa, which was validated in the GSE116918 and GSE21034. We found that patients in the high-risk group were more prone to BCR and closely associated with high-grade and advanced-stage disease progression. Outperforming clinical characteristics and nine published articles, our signature demonstrated excellent predictive performance. The patients in the low-risk group were strongly related to the high infiltration of various immune cells including CD8+ T cells and plasma B cells. Furthermore, the high-risk group with higher TMB levels and expression of immune checkpoints was more likely to benefit from immune checkpoint therapy such as PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors. The sensitivity to chemotherapy, endocrine, and targeted therapy showed significant differences in the two risk groups. Our signature was a novel therapeutic strategy to distinguish the prognosis and guide treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeast Asian (SEA) river basins, particularly Huang He, Yangtze and Mekong river basins, are home for large share of global population. The region is experiencing rapid socio‐economic development, urbanization and industrialization. Using Community Earth System Model large ensemble data, seasonal mean surface air temperature (SAT) in summer is projected to increase by ~6°C under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. As a consequence, in the long term (2071–2100), record‐breaking extreme hot and precipitation events are projected to increase by ~90–100% and ~ 60–70%, respectively. The climate mean SAT will increase by 4 ~ 5.5°C by the end of 21st century. Extreme events occur due to the combined influence of external forcing factors and internal variability. The relative strength of both the factors are estimated by signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), that is, the ratio of external forcings and internal variability. Until 2000/1998/2000, SNR < 1 over Huang He/Yangtze/Mekong river basins, that is, internal variability dominates over external forcings, while from 2001/1999/2001 onwards, SNR > 1, that is, external forcings strongly override the internal climate variability. Interestingly, the SAT variability at 50th (mean state) and 95th (record‐breaking hot/wet extreme) percentile will decrease significantly as climate warms in the future. It contradicts the existing hypothesis that as the climate warms in the future, variability will increase and weather will get more volatile everywhere. Interestingly, in our analysis, SAT variability appears to decrease over SEA river basins, which is opposite to the current understanding. It makes the result a novel one. We analyse the temperature–precipitation relationship under RCP8.5 scenario, which displays a peak‐shaped structure, that is, precipitation is increasing at low–mid‐range of temperature rise, while it decreases at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimethyl ether (DME), as an environmental-friendly alternative refrigerant, has received broadly attention. Phosphonium-based ionic liquids with good thermophysical properties are regarded as promising absorbents in absorption refrigeration systems. In this work, the measurement of solubility behavior to DME in trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ([P 6,6,6,14 ][Cl]) was carried out from 278.15 K to 348.15 K by means of isochoric saturation method. Non-random two liquid (NRTL) model and Krichevsky-Kasarnovsky (K-K) model were used to correlate the experimental data. The absolute average relative deviation between experimental liquid mole fraction and calculated values was 0.739% and 1.517% for NRTL model and K-K model respectively. Based on the solubility results, the performance of single-effect absorption refrigeration cycle used DME/[P 6,6,6,14 ][Cl] pairs was analyzed, and further compared with other working pairs composed of [P 6,6,6,14 ][C l ]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A data-driven and physical property-based hydrodynamic and acoustic mode decomposition method combining dynamic mode decomposition and Helmholtz decomposition is proposed. It allows decomposition and fast prediction of hydrodynamic and acoustic components of the flow field. The method is tested by a two-dimensional subsonic open cavity flow and a supersonic cold jet, and the hydrodynamic and acoustic features are revealed. For the cavity flow, it is found that the acoustic velocity inside the cavity is composed of several pairs of standing waves. The propagating trajectory of the acoustic waves in the cavity is well captured. The dynamic relation between the hydrodynamic and acoustic motion is investigated. For the supersonic jet, the method successfully identifies the screech in the far field and the "trapped wave" within the potential core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of water on stress-induced failure in D-shaped hard rock tunnels, a series of true triaxial tests were performed on naturally saturated red sandstone cube samples containing a D-shaped hole. A self-developed real-time monitoring device was used to observe and record hole failure in real time, and the process and characteristics of stress-induced failure in D-shaped holes were summarized. The influence of water on failure form, energy storage properties, surrounding rock stability, and axial stress on the stability of the surrounding rock was discussed, and the mechanism of water on stress-induced failure was revealed. The results show that the stress-induced failure in a water-bearing D-shaped tunnel can be divided into buckling deformation, tension cracking, macrocrack propagation and coalescence, and slab flaking. The dominant failure mode of the stress-induced changes from tension around the tunnel to shear of the surrounding rock in depth. A quiet period exists between two adjacent significant AE counts, and the length of the quiet period increases as the two horizontal principal stresses increase. Under the influence of water, the capacity of the surrounding rock to store elastic strain energy decreases, and the dissipated energy required for deformation and failure increases; the form of stress-induced failure changes from spalling accompanied by occasional rockburst to spalling. The increase in lateral stress can enhance the stability of the surrounding rock, and the influence of axial stress on the stability of the surrounding rock is related to the magnitude of lateral stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high concentration of iron in the micro-environment of ovarian endometriosis, it is plausible to hypothesize that ectopic endometrial cells may be more susceptible to undergoing ferroptosis. Manipulation of ferroptosis has been explored as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat related diseases. In this study, we examined the impact on ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs) of iron overload and an inducer of ferroptosis. We found that the iron concentration in the ovarian endometriosis was much higher than control samples. Treatment of cultured EESCs with ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) increase the sensitivity to undergo ferroptosis. By analyzing the RNA-seq results, it was discovered that zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2) was significantly downregulated in ferroptosis induced EESCs. Moreover, overexpression of EZH2 effectively prevented the induction of ferroptosis. In addition, the activity or expression of EZH2 is directly and specifically inhibited by the methyltransferase inhibitor GSK343, which raises the sensitivity of stromal cells to ferroptosis. Taken together, our findings revealed that EZH2 act as a suppressor in the induced cell ferroptosis through a PRC2-independent methyltransferase mechanism. Therefore, blocking EZH2 expression and inducing ferroptosis may be effective treatment approaches for ovarian endometriosis. • Iron overload increases the sensitivity of EESCs to undergo ferroptosis. • EZH2 was down-regulated during EESCs ferroptosis. • Overexpression of EZH2 effectively prevented the induction of ferroptosis. • EZH2 inhibits ferroptosis through a PRC2-independent methyltransferase mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point cloud denoising presents several complex challenges. First, most existing denoising methods are capable of addressing either large-scale or small-scale noise, but not both effectively. Second, the parameters in various algorithms are often difficult to fine-tune. Third, certain noise points are so proximate to normal points that they are challenging to distinguish and remove. To tackle these issues, we introduce a point cloud denoising approach based on the analysis of a point's neighborhood radius and gravitation. Through the analysis of a point's neighborhood radius, this method can automatically discern the presence of large-scale noise within the point cloud. For the point cloud with large-scale and small-scale noise, this method can separate the large-scale noise by analyzing the distribution characteristics of the radius of a point's neighborhood, leaving only small-scale noise to be addressed. For small-scale noise, the gravitation analysis method first analyzes the gravitation force on each doubtful point and then uses the force values to ascertain whether a point is indeed noise. Therefore, it can automatically identify and deal with point clouds with different noise scales. Experiments show this method can effectively remove multi-scale noise, and the average noise removal accuracy exceeds 98%. In addition, the absence of a need for manual parameter-setting enhances its practicality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence of lithology on the failure behavior of layered tunnel, true triaxial compression experiments were undertaken on cubical phyllite and yellow sandstone samples containing a "D" shaped hole. The failure progress of the hole sidewalls was monitored and captured using a miniature camera. The results reveal that the initial vertical failure stress of the phyllite samples presents a "U" shaped change as the bedding angle increases. At the bedding angle of 45°, compared with the initial vertical failure stress of the yellow sandstone tunnel, that of the phyllite tunnel is lower, resulting in larger rock fragments and deeper V-shaped grooves. The failure pattern of the phyllite tunnel is primarily manifested as extensive shear sliding failure, and the failure is more severe. The failure of the yellow sandstone tunnel is primarily characterized by the sequential laminar fracturing along the maximum principal stress direction, predominantly manifesting as tensile failure. The primary factors influencing the failure of two types of layered rocks are the significant variations in the clay mineral content within the rocks. For the phyllite, it contains nearly one-third of montmorillonite (a clay mineral). This results in the formation of weak bedding planes within surrounding rocks, which induces shear slip failures along these bedding planes. In contrast, the yellow sandstone has a lower clay mineral content, leading to the absence of distinct weak bedding planes within the surrounding rock. In this case, bedding planes present ignorable effect on the surrounding rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A phosphorylated bio-based chitosan functionalized MXene (PCS-MXene) was synthesized. • The TPU/PCS-MXene composites exhibited excellent thermal stability and mechanical performance. • The synergistic flame-retardant mechanism of MXene and phosphorylated chitosan in TPU were discussed and clarified. Recently, two-dimensional MXene demonstrated promising advantages to improve the flame-retardant performance of composites; however, its compatibility with polymer matrix is a great concern. In this study, MXene was first functionalized with phosphorylated chitosan (PCS) to obtain the PCS-MXene nanohybrid. The resulting nanohybrid was introduced into the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix via solution mixing followed by the hot-pressing method, affording TPU/PCS-MXene nanocomposite. The resulting nanohybrid exhibited superior compatibility with the TPU matrix, enhancing mechanical performance of the TPU/PCS-MXene nanocomposite compared to the pristine TPU and TPU/MXene nanocomposite. Besides, the flame-retardant performance of TPU/PCS-MXene nanocomposite was greatly enhanced, while the smoke emission was effectively suppressed. As only 3 wt% PCS-MXene was introduced, peak heat release rate, total heat release, and total smoke production of the composite decreased by 66.7%, 21.0%, and 27.7%, respectively, compared to the pristine TPU. Systematical characterization was then carried out to investigate the enhancement mechanism of PCS-MXene, highlighting the crucial role of PCS combined with the catalytic effect of MXene. In brief, the compatibility issues of MXene were effectively addressed, and its flame-retardancy enhanced greatly via the PCS modification, the bio-based characteristic of which, in turn greatly benefits the further development of MXene-polymer composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapeutic modality that can convert oxygen into cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) via photosensitizers to halt tumor growth. However, hypoxia and the unsatisfactory accumulation of photosensitizers in tumors severely diminish the therapeutic effect of PDT. In this study, a multistage nanoplatform is demonstrated to overcome these limitations by encapsulating photosensitizer IR780 and oxygen regulator 3-bromopyruvate (3BP) in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanocarriers. Results: The as-synthesized nanoplatforms penetrated deeply into the interior region of tumors and preferentially remained in mitochondria due to the intrinsic characteristics of IR780. Meanwhile, 3BP could efficiently suppress oxygen consumption of tumor cells by inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory chain to further improve the generation of ROS. Furthermore, 3BP could abolish the excessive glycolytic capacity of tumor cells and lead to the collapse of ATP production, rendering tumor cells more susceptible to PDT. Successful tumor inhibition in animal models confirmed the therapeutic precision and efficiency. In addition, these nanoplatforms could act as fluorescence (FL) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging contrast agents, effectuating imaging-guided cancer treatment. Conclusions: This study provides an ideal strategy for cancer therapy by concurrent oxygen consumption reduction, oxygen-augmented PDT, energy supply reduction, mitochondria-targeted/deep-penetrated nanoplatforms and PA/FL dual-modal imaging guidance/monitoring. It is expected that such strategy will provide a promising alternative to maximize the performance of PDT in preclinical/clinical cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study ground states of two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions in a trap V(x) rotating at the velocity Ω . It is known that there exists a critical rotational velocity 0 < Ω ∗ : = Ω ∗ (V) ≤ ∞ and a critical number 0 < a ∗ < ∞ such that for any rotational velocity 0 ≤ Ω < Ω ∗ , ground states exist if and only if the coupling constant a satisfies a < a ∗ . For a general class of traps V(x), which may not be symmetric, we prove in this paper that up to a constant phase, there exists a unique ground state as a ↗ a ∗ , where Ω ∈ (0 , Ω ∗) is fixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries were widely used due to their various advantages, but its further application and development have been seriously hindered by the low electrochemical discharge capacity of conventional hydrogen storage alloy electrode. The hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film electrode for Ni-MH battery has been proven to have a dramatic electrochemical capacity. We prepared a-Si:H thin films by a two-step process of rf-sputtering followed by hydrogenation, and investigated the effect of hydrogenation on the structure and electrochemical properties of which as an anode. The maximum discharge capacity of a-Si:H thin film electrode after hydrogenation increases from initial 180 mAh·g−1to 1827 mAh·g−1, which is over tenfold that of as-deposited hydrogen-less a-Si thin film electrode. Then, the preliminary relationships between hydrogen content and electrochemical performance of a-Si:H thin film electrode were analyzed, and several negative factors of electrochemical performance for a-Si:H thin film electrode were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment studied the effect of feed the stem and leaf of Glycyrrhiza uralensis on ruminal fermentation and microbial populations in dairy cow. 20 healthy (258±12) d Holstein dairy cows were used in a paired design with milk yield, lactation time and parity, which divided into control group (alfalfa group) and test group (stem and leaf of Glycyrrhiza uralensis group) with ten replicates in each group. The experimental period was 28 d. The results showed that the stem and leaf of Glycyrrhiza uralensis extremely increased the concentration of acetic acid, propionic acid and valeric acid (P<0.01), significantly increased the concentration of butyric acid (P<0.05), and significantly decreased the acetic/propionic (P<0.05). The stem and leaf of Glycyrrhiza uralensissignificantly decreased the number of Ruminococcus albus, Genus Ruminococcus and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens (P<0.05), and extremely decreased the number of Ruminococcus flavefaciens (P<0.01). The study indicates that the stem and leaf of Glycyrrhiza uralensis instead of alfalfa to feed dairy cows has an inhibitory effect on the Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Genus Ruminococcus in the rumen fluid, and improves the rumen parameters of dairy cows, which is beneficial to improve the utilization efficiency of feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, only frequentist model-selection methods have been studied with mixed-format data in the context of IRT model-selection, and it is unknown how popular Bayesian model-selection methods such as DIC, WAIC, and LOO perform. In this study, we present the results of a comprehensive simulation study that compared the performances of eight model-selection methods with mixed-format data to select the correct combination of IRT models. Findings of the simulation study indicate that DIC, WAIC, and LOO had excellent statistical power to choose the correct IRT model combination. They performed comparably with LRT and slightly preferably than AIC, and considerably better than BIC, AICc, and SABIC. In addition, the performances of the three Bayesian methods were more stable than those of AIC and LRT regardless of the sample size and ability distribution. The eight model-selection methods were applied to a real dataset for demonstration purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision-making activities of major public affairs are closely related to the public, so the decision results of such affairs must be supported by the public. The public must participate in decision-making activities to ensure their effectiveness, which further increases the complexity. In addition, attribute information and public opinion usually present different forms of expression in this type of problem, making decision-making more difficult. Therefore, a suitable decision approach must be chosen to deal with this type of decision problem. This paper addresses the decision-making characteristics of major public affairs and proposes a public-participation-based decision-making approach for mixed multiattribute decision-making problems in major public affairs. The proposed approach can work with entirely unknown attribute weights and decision-making values represented in multiple formats. First, the statistical distribution of public opinions is determined based on the expectation of the attributes, resulting in decision-making reference points for various attributes. The different forms of attributes and reference points are unified. Then, the values of the attributes and reference points are standardized. Afterward, the attribute prospect value for each alternative is calculated using the attribute value and corresponding reference points. The attribute weight intervals are determined based on the importance information of the attributes provided by the public. An optimization model is established to determine the attribute weights to maximize the alternative attribute deviation. Next, the comprehensive prospect value of each alternative is obtained to determine the ranking of the alternatives. Finally, a case analysis is conducted with a method comparison and sensitivity analysis, and the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach are verified. In the proposed method, the reference points for each attribute are set according to the distribution characteristics and ambiguity of public expectations, guaranteeing that public expectations can be effectively reflected in the attribute reference points. In the process of attribute weighting, based on the information for the attribute importance given by the public, the range of attribute weights is determined. Then, we obtain the exact value of the attribute weights using an optimization model to maximize the alternative attribute deviation. The final result of the attribute weights ensures the full expression of public opinion and can improve the differentiation of decision results, which is convenient for ranking alternatives. During evaluation of the alternatives based on prospect theory, the expression forms of attributes and reference points are unified. Subsequently, the values of them are normalized, which satisfy the decision-making requirement of major public affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To evaluate whether the overexpression of chemokine receptor-7 (CXCR7) in prostatic tissues obtained from men with Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) is associated with resistance to enzalutamide (Enza). Methods. Based on the inclusion criteria of CRPC in EAU guidelines, all eligible patients treated in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2019 were included. Cases underwent radical prostatectomy, docetaxel-based chemotherapy, or new endocrine therapies (including Enza or abiraterone), and cases with severe cardiopulmonary disease or other malignant tumors were excluded. After immunohistochemical staining for CXCR7 expression in prostatic biopsy tissues, all enrolled cases were divided into two groups, namely, the CXCR7-positive group and the CXCR7-negative group. And then, PSA response to Enza treatment was recorded in detail and comparatively analyzed. In addition, the Cox proportional hazard modeling and the Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to determine PSA progression-free survival (PSAP-FS) and clinical or radiographic progression-free survival (CRP-FS) in this cohort. Results. A total of 79 CRPC individuals were enrolled and evaluated in this study. Median follow-up durations were 24 months (range, 12-42) in the CXCR7-positive group (n = 47) and 28.5 months (range, 12-42) in the CXCR7-negative group (n = 32). The patients with lower CXCR7 expression showed much better PSA response to Enza treatment. There was 84.4% of CXCR7- cases showing decreasing PSA response, while there were 71.4% in the CXCR7/1+ group and 31.2% in the CXCR7/2+ group, respectively. All patients in the CXCR7/3+ group showed increasing PSA response to Enza treatment. And the percentage of patients whose PSA decreased over 50% is significantly higher in the CXCR7-negative group than in the CXCR7-positive group (68.8% vs. 8.5%, P < 0.001), and the percentage of patients whose PSA decreased over 90% is also remarkably higher in the CXCR7-negative group (43.8% vs. 0, P < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the oncologic outcomes of CXCR7-negative patients were improved much significantly by Enza treatment in comparison with those of CXCR7-positive patients. Significantly increased median PSAP-FS (21 months vs. 6 months, P < 0.0001) and CRP-FS (27 months vs. 9 months, P < 0.0001) were obtained in the CXCR7-negative group. The further stratified analysis in all CXCR7-positive patients demonstrated that the patients with higher CXCR7 expression showed much worse outcome. The median time of PSAP-FS was 21 months in the CXCR7/1+ group, 9 months in the CXCR7/2+ group, and 6 months in the CXCR7/3+ group, while the median time of CRP-FS was 21 months in the CXCR7/1+ group, 12 months in the CXCR7/2+ group, and 6 months in the CXCR7/3+ group, respectively. Conclusion. Overexpression of CXCR7 induced by an AR antagonist in CRPC patients displays much better treatment response to Enza. CXCR7 might be a novel therapeutic target gene for CRPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]