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As an important pillar industry to protect people's livelihood, livestock and poultry industry plays an important role in promoting the agricultural quality and efficiency and promoting rural comprehensive revitalization. Under the background of the rural revitalization strategy, the supply capacity of livestock and poultry products in Chinese livestock and poultry industry has been gradually enhanced, the level of industrial scientific and technological innovation has been continuously improved, and the prevention and control of livestock and poultry diseases have been consistently reinforced, laying a solid foundation for enabling the high-quality development of the entire livestock and poultry industry chain. As the rural revitalization strategy gains momentum, the strategic focus of the high-quality development of the entire livestock and poultry industry chain is to vigorously promote the revitalization of livestock and poultry seed industry and effectively ensure that the livestock and poultry provenances are independently controllable, promote the sustainable development of livestock and poultry breeding industry and achieve a win-win situation of economic and ecological benefits, improve the processing and circulation system of livestock and poultry products, and strengthen the docking of supply and demand and the connection between production and marketing. In the future, we should focus on three aspects: Strengthening organizational guarantee, improving factor guarantee system and accelerating brand building, so as to lead the high-quality development of the entire livestock and poultry industry chain and provide strong support for driving rural comprehensive revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel quinoline-O-carbamate derivatives was rationally designed for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) by multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy. The target compounds were synthesised and evaluated by AChE/BuChE inhibition and anti-inflammatory property. The in vitro activities showed that compound 3f was a reversible dual eeAChE/eqBuChE inhibitor with IC50 values of 1.3 µM and 0.81 µM, respectively. Moreover, compound 3f displayed good anti-inflammatory property by decreasing the production of IL-6, IL-1β and NO. In addition, compound 3f presented significant neuroprotective effect on Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cell injury. Furthermore, compound 3f presented good stabilities in artificial gastrointestinal fluids, liver microsomes in vitro and plasma. Furthermore, compound 3f could improve AlCl3-induced zebrafish AD model by increasing the level of ACh. Therefore, compound 3f was a promising multifunctional agent for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the navigation performance and robustness of navigation system combining ultrawideband (UWB) and inertial navigation systems (INS) under complex indoor environments, an improved navigation method—Allan variance (AV) to assist a modified adaptive extended Kalman Filter based on the dynamic weight function (DWF-MAEFF)—is proposed. Firstly, AV is used to improved INS error dynamics by modeling the stochastic noise of an inertial sensor; which can compensate for inertial sensor error caused by stochastic noise during integrated navigation. Secondly, the MAEKF is developed by designing the weight function to adjust the weight of measurement noise reasonably and dynamically, which can further improve the robustness of the AEKF algorithm. Field tests were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed navigation method. The result indicated that an improvement of up to 60% over the existing integrated navigation method based on EKF and AEKF can be obtained by the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR), used in state-of-the-art smartphones, calculates pedestrian positions by using built-in inertial sensors. However, the complex and changeable usage modes of smartphones have been obstructing the development of PDR in the field of gait detection. Since the measurement of the sensor is affected by noise, position errors will emerge, needing to be corrected periodically via external measurements. To this end, an optimization-based PDR (OBPDR) method for smartphones is proposed in this study. First, an improved finite state machine (IFSM) gait detection method is designed, which can improve the gait recognition rate and stability compared with the traditional peak detection method. Second, the step detection algorithm proposed in this paper is combined with a heading estimation to obtain the PDR dynamic model. Finally, the measurements of GNSS are fused to the PDR model, based on an adaptive extended Kalman filter (AEKF) algorithm, which can enhance the adaptability of the system to the environment in order to reduce the cumulative errors of PDR. Experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results indicate that compared with the gait detection method, based on peak detection, and the integrated positioning method, based on an extended Kalman filter, the proposed method boasts favorable robustness and a high gait recognition rate, the recognition accuracy being kept between 97.5% and 98.5%; the average position error decreased by more than 67.25%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of single monitoring factor, weak comprehensive analysis ability, and poor real time performance in traditional environmental monitoring systems, a research method of residential environment pollution monitoring system based on cloud computing and Internet of Things is proposed. The method mainly includes two parts: an environmental monitoring terminal and an environmental pollution monitoring and management platform. Through the Wi-Fi module, the data is sent to the environmental pollution monitoring and management platform in real time. The environmental monitoring management platform is mainly composed of environmental pollution monitoring server, web server, and mobile terminal. The results are as follows. The data measured by the system is close to the data measured by the instrument, and the overall error is small. The measurement error of harmful gases is about 6%. PM 2.5 is about 6.5%. Noise is about 1%. The average time for sensor data update is 0.762 s. The average alarm response time is 2 s. The average data transfer time is 2 s. Practice has proved that the environmental pollution monitoring and alarm system operates stably and can realize real-time collection and transmission of data such as noise, PM 2.5, harmful gas concentration, illumination, GPS, and video images, providing a reliable guarantee for timely environmental pollution control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effect of Bacillus subtilis WB800N on diabetic wounds. Methods: Haematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining was used to observe the healing of skin wounds. Collagen deposition was assessed by Masson staining. Western blotting and qRT‐PCR were used to detect vascular endothelial‐related factors (VWF), CD31, TLR2, NLRP3, ASC and Caspase‐1 expression. 16S rDNA sequencing detected microbiota distribution. The concentrations of IL‐1β and IL‐37 were measured by ELISA. Apoptosis was measured by the TUNEL assay. Results: Compared with the control group, wound healing was delayed in diabetic mice. The wound area in the Bacillus subtilis group decreased more significantly than the diabetic wound group. H&E staining showed that Bacillus subtilis WB800N promoted wound healing and increased re‐epithelialization. Masson staining showed that Bacillus subtilis WB800N increased collagen deposition in mice with diabetic wounds. Bacillus subtilis WB800N upregulated VWF and CD31 protein expression in diabetic wounds mice. The 16S rDNA results showed that Bacillus subtilis WB800N reduced the diversity of the gut microbiota of diabetic wounds mice and regulated the microbial composition. At the genus level, Bacillus subtilis WB800N reduced the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and CG − 005 in diabetic wounds mice, whilst increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Bacillus subtilis WB800N increased the expression of TLR2, NLRP3, ASC and Caspase‐1. Bacillus subtilis WB800N increased the concentrations of IL‐1β and IL‐37 in serum. Bacillus subtilis WB800N upregulated cell apoptosis. The TLR2 antagonist Sparstolonin B (SsnB) reduced the expression of TLR2, NLRP3, ASC, Caspase‐1, IL‐1β and IL‐37 and the apoptosis in diabetic wounds mice, whilst the combined intervention of Bacillus subtilis and SsnB reversed the effect of SsnB treatment alone. Conclusion: Bacillus subtilis WB800N alleviated diabetic wound healing by regulating gut microbiota homeostasis and TLR2. Significance and impact of research: Our findings might provide potential therapeutic targets for diabetic wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of low-cost Micro Electro Mechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope severely deteriorates under unknown disturbances, such as temperature, vibration and shock. In this paper, gyroscope array based on deep learning is proposed to improve the accuracy of single gyroscope during unknown disturbances. First, the gyroscope raw data are subjected to modeling and estimation within long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. By training the model within the LSTM network, the intricate patterns and dynamic variations present in the gyroscope data could be captured, resulting in the generation of high-quality state estimates. Furthermore, the dropout technique is introduced to finely adjust the LSTM model, with the aim of reducing overfitting risks and effectively diminishing the computational complexity of the network. Lastly, state estimates generated by the LSTM are ingeniously combined with the raw gyroscope observations, furnishing the Kalman filter (KF) with input. The simulation and experiment results demonstrate that compared with the gyroscope array based on KF and H ∞ , the proposed method exhibits better performance and robustness. [Display omitted] • Innovative deep learning-based gyroscope array to boost low-cost MEMS gyroscope performance under disturbances. • LSTM neural networks for intricate pattern capture in gyroscope data, resulting in high-quality state estimates. • Dropout technique optimizes LSTM, reducing overfitting and computational complexity. • State estimates from LSTM enrich the Kalman filter's input, significantly improving performance compared to traditional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian trajectory prediction is an increasingly important research area in applied autonomous driving and social robotics. Effectively modeling the intricate interactions between pedestrians is paramount for improving trajectory prediction accuracy. However, when using Graph Neural Networks(GNNs) to model these interactions, fixed interactions tend to remain, preventing the graph model from making adaptive adjustments and thus resulting in significant discrepancies between the predicted and true trajectories. In this study, we propose a Dynamic-Evolving Relative Graph Convolutional Network(DERGCN) to predict the future trajectories of pedestrians. The network model captures the dynamically evolving pedestrian interactions and incorporates an evolving mechanism to simulate them. In addition, with a relative temporal encoding strategy employed to improve the dynamics of the graph further, our policy network yielded an improved predictive performance when tested on two challenging datasets. [Display omitted] • A trajectory forecasting framework with a dynamic graph is proposed. • A continuously evolving mechanism is proposed to model interactions between humans. • The continuously evolving mechanism is to model structural temporal dependencies. • The results reveal that our model has a superior prediction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The receptor kinase CRINKLY 4 (CR4) and its orthologs are known for their essential roles in cell differentiation and their shuttling between plasma membrane and cytoplasmic vesicles, a unique feature tied to their extracellular domain. However, the extracellular regulators of CR4 have been little known. Here we identified an OsCR4 Interacting Protein 1 (OsCIP1) (also named as OsLTPL36 in rice) by a yeast two-hybrid screen using the extracellular domain of OsCR4 (OsCR4E) as bait. OsCIP1/OsLTPL36 harbors a signal peptide and is localized to the outer surface of the plasma membrane. It interacted with the TNFR subdomain of OsCR4, causing an increase in OsCR4 recycling to the plasma membrane. oscip1 , in which OsCR4 protein was decreased, exhibited thinner aleurone layer, late germination and delayed growth; while OsCIP1- overexpressing plants, in which OsCR4 protein was increased, displayed enhanced growth at the early seedling stage. OsCIP1 was cleaved between W61 and Q62, and the resulting C-terminal half exhibited a greater affinity for OsCR4E than did its precursor. Abolishing this cleavage site compromises OsCIP1′s ability to promote seedling growth. Our results provide valuable clues for the regulation of CR4 activity and its functions in aleurone layer cell differentiation by a secreted small protein in rice. • OsCIP1 interacts with the extracellular TNFR subdomain of receptor kinase OsCR4. • Cleavage of OsCIP1 may occur between amino acid W61 and Q62. • OsCIP1 promotes aleurone layer development, seed germination and early seedling growth. • OsCIP1 regulates the stability of OsCR4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The efficacy of various chemotherapy regimens in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains under debate. We compared the efficacy and toxicity of a taxane-based regimen and regimen including fluorouracil in NPC.Materials and Methods: Eight-hundred and six patients with stage II-IVB NPC from four institutions in China were pair-matched (1:1 ratio) to the cisplatin plus fluorouracil (PF) group or cisplatin plus taxanes (TP) group using eight clinical factors. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. Toxicities were assessed in all patients.Results: Three-year DFS was significantly better in the TP group than PF group (82.5% vs. 72.7%, P=0.002), with no significant difference in OS, LRRFS or DMFS. TP led to significantly better DFS compared to PF in the subgroups advanced stage NPC, patients aged ≤45-years-old and female patients. In multivariate analysis, chemotherapy regimen was an independent prognostic factor for DFS [hazard ratio, 0.591, 95% CI 0.444-0.786, P=0.000]. Grade 3-4 leukopenia, neutropenia and anemia were significantly more common in the TP group; grade 3-4 mucositis, vomiting, vasculitis and diarrhea were more common in the PF group.Conclusion: Taxane-based regimens have a higher efficacy in NPC than regimens including fluorouracil, especially in patients with advanced stage, patients aged≤45-years-old and female patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The receiver's emittance and vacuum pressure are the two of great significance issues on the heat-loss which is the main factor reducing the efficiency of the parabolic though systems. In this paper, the thermal steady-state equilibrium method was used to test the receivers’ heat-loss. The receivers with increasing emittance were tested to study the variation of heat-loss. Meanwhile, the variable vacuum pressure in the annulus that affects the efficiency of the system was investigated. The influence of vacuumizing rate and getters on the vacuum pressure and heat-loss were discussed. The result shows that the emittance and vacuum pressure affect the receiver's heat-loss dramatically, and the emittance is the major influence factor on the thermal properties. The receiver with 0.08 emittance and 10 −3 Pa vacuum pressure has a satisfactory heat-loss of 215.6 W/m at 400 °C. The analysis further reveals that the synergistic effect of both emittance and vacuum pressure on the heat-loss can be reflected by the packaging temperature of the glass tube, and a fitting formula has been established to estimate the receivers’ heat-loss according to the packaging temperature of the glass tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper investigates the effect of the oscillatory flow induced by vibration on nucleation and grain growth in the undercooled melt in terms of the analytical method. The analytical solution shows that the oscillatory flow stimulates the meta-stable crystalline embryos to grow rapidly and facilitates to form a great number of nuclei in the undercooled melt during the initial stage of nucleation. As a grain grows, the oscillatory flow alternately facilitates and inhibits the growth of the grain such that the formed nuclei survive. For the low frequency and low acceleration, the interface temperature of a grain rises rapidly immediately after nucleation and then gradually decreases. For the high frequency, the interface temperature shows no significant difference with the increase of frequency. For the high acceleration, the interface temperature oscillates with the oscillatory flow. The oscillation acts as a stimulating and inhibitory effect and facilitates to produce a number of crystalline sites in the undercooled melt. The grains are refined with increasing vibration acceleration under a certain vibration frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fracture-dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) remain a challenging problem to treat. Although there are a number of papers describing the use of dynamic external fixators and force couples for treatment of unstable PIPJ fracture-dislocations acutely, the literature is scarce on delayed treatment of PIPJ fracture-dislocations, where malunion of the articular surface may theoretically compromise postoperative range of motion (ROM) at the PIPJ. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of dynamic distraction external fixation (DDEF) for the delayed treatment of PIPJ fracture-dislocations at least 3 weeks after the inciting injury. Methods: Ten consecutive patients were treated with delayed DDEF between 2010 and 2013. Postoperative ROM at the PIPJ was measured. Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score and Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire were administered to all patients postoperatively. Results: Mean time from injury to surgery was 27.5 days. The mean follow-up period was 23.7 months (range 10-36). The mean active ROM at the PIPJ on final postoperative follow-up was 83.9° (range 52-100). None of the patients experienced pin-tract infections. Mean DASH score was 3.7+3.4 and mean Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire score was 97.3+3.0. All patients returned to work and resumed normal activities. Conclusions: Delayed treatment of unstable PIPJ fracture-dislocations with a DDEF is effective in restoring function to the PIPJ. Nascent malunion of the PIPJ articular surface does not compromise postoperative outcomes and the joint surface undergoes remodelling over time to restore a smooth and functional articular surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 3c was a good and balanced multifunctional agent. • 3c was a good antioxidant agent and selective metal ions chelator. • 3c presented good neuroprotective effect and hepatoprotective effect. • 3c demonstrated favourable BBB penetration in vitro and drug-like property. In this work, a series of naringenin- O -carbamate derivatives was designed and synthesized as multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy. The biological activity in vitro showed that compound 3c showed good antioxidant potency (ORAC = 1.0 eq), and it was a reversible hu AChE (IC 50 = 9.7 μM) inhibitor. In addition, compound 3c significantly inhibited self-induced A β 1-42 aggregation, and it could activate UPS degradation pathway in HT22 cells and clear the aggregated proteins associated with AD. Moreover, compound 3c was a selective metal chelator, and it significantly inhibited and disaggregated Cu2+-mediated A β 1-42 aggregation. Furthermore, compound 3c displayed remarkable neuroprotective effect and anti-inflammatory property. Interestingly, compound 3c displayed good hepatoprotective effect by its antioxidant activity. More importantly, compound 3c demonstrated favourable blood–brain barrier penetration in vitro and drug-like property. Therefore, compound 3c was a promising multifunctional agent for the treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell therapy is an interventional treatment that introduces new cells into damaged tissues, which help in treating many diseases and injuries. It has been proved that stem cell therapy is effective for the treatment of cancers, diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and many other diseases. Recently, stem cell therapy has been introduced to treat parasitic infections. The culture supernatant of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is found to inhibit activation and proliferation of macrophages induced by the soluble egg antigen of Schistosoma japonicum, and MSC treatment relieves S. japonicum-induced liver injury and fibrosis in mouse models. In addition, transplantation of MSCs into naïve mice is able to confer host resistance against malaria, and MSCs are reported to play an important role in host protective immune responses against malaria by modulating regulatory T cells. In mouse models of Chagas disease, bone marrow mononuclear cell has been shown effective in reducing inflammation and fibrosis in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, and transplantation of the bone marrow mononuclear cells prevents and reverses the right ventricular dilatation induced by T. cruzi infection in mice. Preliminary clinical trials demonstrate that transplantation of bone marrow derived-cells may become an important therapeutic modality in the management of end-stage heart diseases associated with Chagas disease. Based on these exciting results, it is considered by stating that it is firmly believed that, within the next few years, we will be able to find the best animal models and the appropriate stem cell type, stem cell number, injection route, and disease state that will result in possible benefits for the patients with parasitic infections, and stem cell therapy, although at an initial stage currently, will become a real therapeutic option for parasitic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TRPC6 played a significant role in osteoblastic differentiation of PDLCs. • TRPC6 had notable osteogenic induction properties and is important for bone defect repair. • The results suggested that TRPC6 may be a promising therapeutic target in osteogenesis. Transient receptor potential channel 6 (TRPC6) is a receptor-operated Ca2+ channel that plays an important role in Ca2+ influx in the majority of non–excitable cells and influences calcium signalling and cellular responses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to gain insight into the role of TRPC6 in the osteogenesis of periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs). By western blot and immunohistochemical staining, the protein level of TRPC6 was found to be increased in a time-dependent manner during osteoblastic differentiation of PDLCs. In addition, the TRPC6 inhibitor SKF96365 was used to block the function of TRPC6 and inhibit osteoblastic differentiation of PDLCs. The TRPC6 activator hyperforin dicyclohexylammonium salt (hyperforin DCHA) was used to activate TRPC6 and promote osteoblastic differentiation of PDLCs. In vivo, wild-type mice showed better bone regeneration than TRPC6−/− mice, suggesting that TRPC6 has notable osteogenic induction properties and is important for bone defect repair. In conclusion, the current data demonstrated that TRPC6 plays a significant role in osteoblastic differentiation of PDLCs, suggesting that it may be a promising therapeutic target in osteogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among cancers, lung cancer is the most common cause of death in China. For the prevention and control of lung cancer, it is necessary to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of lung cancer mortality, as well as the changes in the trend and the affecting mechanism. Based on statistics and auto-correlation analysis, this paper studied the spatial and temporal distribution of lung cancer mortality in Yuhui District, Bengbu, Huaihe River Basin, from 2017 to 2020. In addition, Spearman's Rank Correlation Assessment Model and Geographic Detector Model were used to examine the relationship between environmental factors and lung cancer mortality to identify impact factors and their mechanisms. The findings indicated that: 1) from the characteristics of temporal distribution, the number of lung cancer deaths exhibited a linear growth tendency, with the highest mortality in winter; 2) from the characteristics of spatial distribution, lung cancer mortality showed a strong spatial agglomeration form, concentrating on two clustering areas, located in the old city and the central city of Bengbu, near the Huaihe River; 3) from the point of view of the whole research area, there were 15 impact factors with significant correlation in the built and natural environment factors. The significant impacting factors in the built environment included land use, road traffic, spatial form and blue-green space, which could indirectly affect lung cancer mortality, while air pollution and temperature constituted the significant impacting factors in the natural environment; 4) the influence of screened environmental factors on lung cancer mortality was different. Spatial stratified heterogeneity assessment, the interaction among environmental factors demonstrated statistical significance, it was found that the interaction between environmental factors in pairs had a significant enhancement effect on lung cancer mortality. To some extent, urban planning and policies could reduce lung cancer mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of Al additive on microstructures and hydrogen storage characteristics of Ti26.5Cr20(V0.45Fe0.085)100−x Al x Ce0.5 (x =0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5at.%) alloys have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and P–C-isotherm measurements. All of Al-added alloys consist of major BCC and secondary Al–Ce–O phases. The EDS analysis results show that aluminum is poor in the BCC phase but enriches in the secondary Al–Ce–O phase. As Al additive content increased, both the lattice parameters of the BCC phase and the hydrogen desorption equilibrium pressures increase, but the hydrogen storage capacities decrease. It is revealed that the substitution solid solution with BCC structure is formed by the substitution of Al for V atoms. It decreases the hydride stability of the BCC phase and degrades the hydrogen storage performance of the Al-added Ti26.5Cr20(V0.45Fe0.085)100−x Al x Ce0.5 alloys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Cellular events mediated by the Tie2 receptor are important to tumor neovascularization. Despite the complex interplay of the best-characterized Tie2 ligands, angiopoietins 1 and 2, Ang2 is purportedly “proangiogenic” in the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor. We examined whether in vivo administration of an RNA aptamer that specifically blocks Ang 2 would inhibit tumor angiogenesis and growth. Methods: Ang2-mediated Tie2 receptor phosphorylation was assessed in vitro in the absence and presence of aptamer coupled to polyethylene glycol. In vivo angiogenesis assay: CT26 murine colon carcinoma cells expressing green fluorescent protein were delivered into mouse dorsal skinfold window chambers. Animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of phosphate-buffered saline, low-dose (Ang2 aptamer-LD; 1 mg/kg/d), or high-dose aptamer (Ang2 aptamer-HD; 10 mg/kg/d). Vascular length density was measured under fluorescence microscopy. Primary tumor growth: CT26 cells expressing luciferase were injected into flanks of BALB/c mice to allow tumor growth monitoring by bioluminescence imaging. Animals received continuous phosphate-buffered saline or aptamer (1 mg/kg/d) via ALZET pumps. Tumors were assessed for CD31/PECAM-1 immunostaining and Hoechst dye uptake. Results: Pegylated aptamer inhibited Tie2 phosphorylation. Systemic aptamer administration reduced vascular length density (P ≤ 0.03) and decreased bioluminescence emission (P < 0.04), corresponding to 50% decrease in tumor volume (P = 0.04). Control tumors displayed abundant vascular marker staining, in contrast to tumors from aptamer-treated animals. Conclusions: in vivo administration of a clinically relevant, pegylated RNA aptamer specifically designed against Ang2 inhibited tumor angiogenesis and growth. These findings support targeted Ang2 inhibition as a relevant anti-angiogenic, anti-neoplastic strategy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Prolonged activation of NF-κB is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases and associated cancers. NF-κB activation is considered to be a main mechanism opposing TNFα-induced apoptosis. We investigated whether inhibition of NF-κB could sensitize tumor and endothelial cells to TNFα-induced apoptosis. As such, we developed a novel H1 RNA polymerase III promoter driven adenoviral vector to express an RNA aptamer, Ad-A-p50, which selectively inhibits NF-κB activation in the nucleus. This event sensitizes human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549) and human endothelial cells (HUVEC) to TNFα-induced apoptosis through the multiple pathways regulated by NF-κB, including Bcl-XL, HIF-1α, and VEGF. Our findings also suggest a new mechanism of HIF-1α regulation by NF-κB in the normoxic environment. RNA aptamer inhibition of NF-κB offers exciting opportunities for sensitizing inflammatory and tumor cells to TNFα-induced apoptosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Angiogenesis is essential for solid tumor growth. Although successful antiangiogenic therapies have been demonstrated in animal models, a systematic comparison of the efficacy of different antiangiogenic factors has not been described in the hepatic environment. To address this issue, CT26 murine colon carcinoma cells were transfected with retroviral vectors encoding murine endostatin (mEndostatin), human angiostatin (hAngiostatin), murine-soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, (msFlk-1), or murine-soluble Tie2 (msTie2). The transfected cells were then subjected to another round of transfection with a luciferase cDNA-encoding retroviral vector. Expression of these putative antiangiogenic proteins inhibited the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro but not tumor cells. To examine effects on tumor growth in vivo, modified cells were delivered via intrasplenic injection into BALB/c mice to induce liver metastases. Tumor burden was measured weekly by bioluminescence. Growth of hepatic metastases in vivo was significantly reduced in mice that were administered cells expressing msTie2 (76% reduction compared with control cells 21 days after intrasplenic inoculation; P < 0.05). Similar results were observed with cells that expressed msFlk-1 and hAngiostatin. However, expression of mEndostatin had no significant effect on the growth of liver metastases compared with control animals. These findings indicate that multiple antiangiogenic pathways are necessary for the growth of hepatic metastases, and each of these pathways is a potential clinically relevant antiangiogenic target for the treatment of this disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is an important signaling molecule involved in cell differentiation, proliferation, survival, and phagocytosis, and may participate in various brain functions. To determine whether it is also involved in cocaine sensitization, we measured the p85α/p110 PI3K activity in the nuclear accumbens (NAc) shell, NAc core, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) following establishment of cocaine sensitization and its subsequent reversal. Naïve rats were rank-ordered and split into either daily cocaine or saline pretreatment group based on their locomotor responses to an acute cocaine injection (7.5mg/kg, i.p.). These two groups were then injected with cocaine (40mg/kg, s.c.) or saline for 4 consecutive days followed by 9-day withdrawal. Cocaine sensitization was subsequently reversed by 5 daily injections of the D1/D2 agonist pergolide (0.1mg/kg, s.c.) in combination with the 5-HT3 antagonist ondansetron (0.2mg/kg, s.c., 3.5h after pergolide injection). After another 9-day withdrawal, behavioral cocaine sensitization and its reversal were confirmed with an acute cocaine challenge (7.5mg/kg, i.p.), and animals were sacrificed the next day for measurement of p85α/p110 PI3K activity. Cocaine-sensitized animals exhibited increased PI3K activity in the NAc shell, and this increase was reversed by combined pergolide/ondansetron treatment, which also reversed behavioral sensitization. In the NAc core and PFC, cocaine sensitization decreased and increased the PI3K activity, respectively. These changes, in contrast to that in the NAc shell, were not normalized following the reversal of cocaine-sensitization. Interestingly, daily injections of pergolide alone in saline-pretreated animals induced PI3K changes that were similar to the cocaine sensitization-associated changes in the NAc core and PFC but not the NAc shell; furthermore, these changes in saline-pretreated animals were prevented by ondansetron given 3.5h after pergolide. The present study suggests that selective enhancement of the PI3K activity in the NAc shell may be one of key alterations underlying the long-term cocaine sensitization. To the extent cocaine sensitization is an important factor in human cocaine abuse, pharmacological interventions targeted toward the NAc shell PI3K alteration may be useful in cocaine abuse treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: αvβ3 integrin is a crucial factor involved in a variety of physiological processes, such as cell growth and migration, tumor invasion and metastasis, angiogenesis, and wound healing. αvβ3 integrin exerts its effect by regulating endothelial cell (EC) migration, proliferation, and survival. Inhibiting the function of αvβ3 integrin, therefore, represents a potential anti-cancer, anti-thrombotic, and anti-inflammatory strategy. In this study, we tested an RNA aptamer, Apt-αvβ3 that binds recombinant αvβ3 integrin, for its ability to bind endogenous αvβ3 integrin on the surface of cells in culture and to subsequently affect cellular response. Our data illustrate that Apt-αvβ3 binds αvβ3 integrin expressed on the surface of live HUVECs. This interaction significantly decreases both basal and PDGF-induced cell proliferation as well as inhibition of cell adhesion. Apt-αvβ3 can also reduce PDGF-stimulated tube formation and increase HUVEC apoptosis through inhibition of FAK phosphorylation pathway. Our results demonstrate that by binding to its target, Apt-αvβ3 can efficiently inhibit human EC proliferation and survival, resulting in reduced angiogenesis. It predicts that Apt-αvβ3 could become useful in both tumor imaging and the treatment of tumor growth, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and inflammation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: We used bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to validate serial assessment of neoplastic growth within the murine liver. We hypothesized that, in mice bearing luciferase-expressing liver metastases, bioluminescence would reflect neoplastic burden estimated by liver weight.Materials and methods: Murine colon carcinoma cells were infected with a retroviral vector encoding luciferase. Bioluminescence was measured in vitro, and in vivo following intrasplenic tumor cell inoculation into Balb/C mice. At varying time intervals, mice were imaged and immediately killed to determine correlation of in vivo and ex vivo BL with liver weight. To examine sensitivity in vivo, we performed direct intrahepatic inoculation.Results: In vitro, photon emission correlated with increasing cell numbers. In the metastatic model, a statistically significant increase was depicted in both liver weight and bioluminescence 20 days after tumor inoculation compared with earlier time points (P < 0.0001). With progressively increasing tumor burden, however, a poor correlation between in vivo BL and liver weight was observed. When livers with very large tumors were excluded, R2 = 0.90. In contrast, correlation between ex vivo BL and liver weight remained high throughout the study period (R2 = 0.94).Conclusions: When imaging tumors at end-stages of disease, in vivo BL underestimates actual tumor burden. If context-specific limitations are recognized, however, BLI is a sensitive approach to temporal monitoring of tumor progression in preclinical models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Liver-targeted gene therapy using hepatocyte as recipient cells has recently been documented to be effective in treatment of numerous hepatic diseases, such as metabolic diseases and liver carcinoma. IFN-γ elicits antipreliferative and antifibrogenic activity in a variety of mesenchymal cells, including hepatic satellite cells. To investigate the antifibrogenic response of liver gene therapy mediated by intrasplenic transplantation of gene-modified hepatocytes, normal mouse liver cell line BNL CL.2 cells were transfected with murine IFN-γ gene (BNL.IFN-γ) in vitro, and transplanted intrasplenically into Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice. The amounts and distribution of IFN-γ (which inhibits collagen synthesis), TGF-β (which stimulates collagen synthesis) and extracellular matrix, including type I and III collagen, were detected. In mice infected with S. japonicum and then treated with BNL.IFN-γ, an increase of IFN-γ and decrease of TGF-β1 were detected at 20 weeks postinfection compared to untreated S. japonicum-infected mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that S. japonicum infection induced a marked increase of type I and III collagen synthesis. Whereas, 4 weeks after treatment with BNL.IFN-γ, net synthesis rates of type I and III collagen were markedly decreased in the liver of infected mice. In addition, a decreased expression of TGF-β1 and its receptor TGF-βRII in the liver of BNL.IFN-γ-treated mice was also observed. Moreover, the decrease in TGF-β1 and TGF-βRII protein approximately paralleled the decrease in their mRNA expression, which was detected by RNA dot blotting. The data indicate that intrasplenic transplantation of IFN-γ gene-modified hepatocyte can be a candidate approach to treat hepatic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Endurance training can have a negative impact on strength training and may lead to reduced strength gains, known as the interference effect. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as an endurance training mode may reduce this interference effect. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the effects of concurrent HIIT and resistance training (RT) on lower body explosive strength and maximum strength. METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the effects of HIIT modality, training status, and training duration on strength development following concurrent HIIT and RT. RESULTS: Meta-analysis showed that compared to RT alone, concurrent HIIT and RT will not affect the development of countermovement jump (CMJ) (WMD = - 0.17, 95%CI = - 1.45 to - 1.11) and half squat (WMD = - 0.05, 95%CI = - 2.42 to 2.32). Further, subgroup analysis revealed that HIIT-running workout was conducive to the development of both CMJ and half squat. Longer training duration was found to be more effective in developing CMJ, while shorter training duration was more suitable for developing half squat. Additionally, athletes showed greater improvement than non-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Combining HIIT and RT can enhance CMJ and half squat. The results of intervention are moderated by training variables and training status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a unipolar focused-RF device used to rejuvenate the middle and lower face and to create an assessment system. This retrospective study comprised 52 patients with mild-to-moderate skin laxity and wrinkles who received 1–3 treatments 1 month apart and were followed up for 1–7 months. At baseline and post-treatment, three blinded observers measured facial contour and lines, analyzed VISIA scores, and assessed the results using Alexiades Comprehensive Grading Scale (ACGS) and Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Significant improvements were observed (P <.05) in facial width (left 5.95%, right 5.66%), nasolabial folds (left 18.98%, right 20.56%), marionette lines (left 18.88%, right 25.80%), and cheek lines (left 3.35%, right 3.05%) and in the scores of wrinkles (15.37%), texture (13.67%), pores (6.48%), and red areas (6.57%) using VISIA. There was an obvious reduction in wrinkles, laxity, erythema/telangiectasia based on ACGS, and 75% improved and 5.8% much improved using GAIS. There was no severe side effect. We suggest that the unipolar focused-RF device is an effective and safe technique for middle and lower face rejuvenation and provides a series of comprehensive assessment methods based on standardized photos using VISIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a candidate material for hydrogen separation, Yb-doped SrCeO 3 has attracted increasing attention in recent decades. In the present study, Yb-doped SrCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 3-α ceramics were prepared by the dry pressing and sintering approach, with the microstructure evolution and the micro morphology investigated. It was indicated that the ceramics sintered in air were of a pure perovskite structure, and that the sintering temperature had a significant effect on the growth of ceramic grains. The average grain size increased from 1 ​μm to 10 ​μm with an increase in sintering temperature from 1300 to 1500 ​°C. Further investigation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of grain growth revealed that the grain boundary diffusion was the main driving force of grain growth during solid phase sintering, with a grain growth index of 4 and an activation energy of approximately 61.23 ​kJ ​mol−1. These results illustrate an obvious tendency of grain size growth. By electrochemical workstation with different atmospheres the effects of sintering temperature on the conductivity were characterized in the temperature range of 700–900 ​°C. The electrical conductivities σ of SrCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 3-α ceramics in different atmospheres were as follows: σ(wet hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry air) ​> ​σ(wet air). In the test atmosphere containing water and hydrogen the conductivity of protons increased with increasing temperature because of the protons jump between lattices in the form of interstitial hydrogen ions or bare protons. [Display omitted] • After sintering, Yb was completely dissolved in SrCeO 3 , and the Yb doped SrCeO 3 had a pure perovskite structure. Cell parameters of Yb doped SrCeO 3 were increased compared with SrCeO 3. • The radial shrinkage of 10% Yb doped SrCeO 3 ceramics increased from 7.29% at 1300 ​°C to 11.95% at 1500 ​°C. The results of sintering kinetics illustrated that the grain growth index of ceramics was 4, which indicated that the grain growth is mainly from the grain boundary diffusion. The activation energy of grain growth was about 61.23 ​kJ ​mol−1. • At 700–900 ​°C, the electrical conductivity of SrCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 3-α ceramics in different atmospheres was as follows: σ(wet hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry air) ​> ​σ(wet air). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getter alloy has the advantages of low cost and high hydrogen purity in small and medium-scale hydrogen purification. However, the commonly used ZrMnFe alloy is reactive to various impurities in hydrogen, and requires a temperature above 600 °C to remove methane. To improve reactivity with methane and ensure a high hydrogen adsorption platform pressure, partial substitution of Fe with Ni, which has a smaller bonding energy with methane ligand, is beneficial. In this work, we prepared ZrMnFeNi alloys with different Ni stoichiometric ratios by suspension induction melting and investigated their performance in purifying hydrogen containing trace amounts of methane. All alloys maintain C14 Laves phase, and the interplanar spacing of the (103) crystal planes decreases with the replacement of Ni. It is proved that ZrMnFeNi alloys can significantly improve the absorb efficiency of methane in hydrogen and reduce the removal temperature. At 450 °C, ZrMnFe 0.7 Ni 0.3 can remove 10 ppm methane to 0.124 ppm. The purification efficiency of hydrogen at 450 °C can reach 96.94%, while the purification efficiency of ZrMnFe alloy is only 27.12%. The ZrMnFe 0.7 Ni 0.3 alloy decomposes methane into carbon and hydrogen during purification, and the carbon diffuses into the alloy at high temperature to form a metal carbide with zirconium. The XPS results show that the electron-rich state of Ni is more beneficial for activating the C–H bond breaking of methane. • Ni contents is optimized for the best hydrogen purification performance. • Purification temperature reduction and efficiency improvement attributed to Ni doping. • The ZrMnFe 0.7 Ni 0.3 can remove 10 ppm methane in hydrogen to 0.124 ppm at 450 °C. • Electron-rich Ni may be more conducive to the activation of C–H bond cleavage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to: (i) analyze the load characteristics of 4 weeks cross-country skiing altitude training; (ii) analyze the relationships between methods of monitoring training load and physiological indicators changes of elite male Chinese cross-country skiers during this period. Practitioners collected load data during 4 weeks of altitude training camp. Participants performed maximal oxygen uptake, lactate threshold, body composition, and skierg power test before and after the training camp to investigate the changes in physiological performance. Edwards TRIMP, Lucia TRIMP, and session rating of perceived exertion were collected as internal load. Training distance, time recorded by the Catapult module were collected as external load. The result revealed a " pyramid " pattern in the load characteristics during the altitude training camp. The correlation between luTRIMP and percent change in physiological indicators was highest. Percentage changes in lactate threshold velocity (r =.78 [95% CI -.01 to.98]), percentage changes in lactate threshold HR (r =.71 [95% CI.14-.99]), percentage changes in maximum HR (r =.83 [95% CI.19–1.00]), percentage changes in skierg power-to-weight ratio (r =.75 [95% CI -.28 to.98]) had very large relationships with luTRIMP. In cross-country skiing altitude training, training loads should be reasonably controlled to ensure that athletes do not become overly fatigued. Methods of training load monitoring that combine with athletes' physiological characteristics and program characteristics have the highest dose-response relationships, it is an important aspect of cross-country ski training load monitoring. The luTRIMP could be a good monitoring tool in cross-country skiing altitude training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen flux of Pd–Ru membranes was investigated after they were exposed to H 2 S at different concentrations and over various period of time. The membranes were characterized by XPS, XRD, SEM, and hydrogen permeation tests. The Pd–Ru membrane exhibits excellent sulfur tolerance. The results show that when exposed to 10–80 ppm H 2 S at 723 K for 7 h, the hydrogen flux remains 57–73%. After removal of 10 ppm H 2 S, 100% recovery of flux is observed, and the flux recovers to 94% and 89% for membranes exposed to 30 ppm and 50 ppm H 2 S, respectively. Irreversible flux loss occurs when the membranes are exposed to 80 ppm H 2 S for 7 h or 30 ppm H 2 S for 72 h. The combination of SEM, XRD and XPS results shows that the presence of Ru on the surface significantly prevents the sulfidation of Pd. The initial rapid decrease in hydrogen flux appears to be mainly due to the blocking of surface sites, exacerbated by the subsequent formation of chemically adsorbed sulfur compounds. The high temperature annealing in H 2 decomposes the chemically adsorbed species. • The Pd–Ru membrane shows excellent sulfur tolerance. • The presence of Ru on the surface significantly prevents the sulfidation of Pd. • The physical adsorption and chemical adsorption of H 2 S occur simultaneously. • Formation of sulfur compounds causes irreversible hydrogen flux loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive brain degenerative disease that is common in the elderly. So far, there is no effective treatment. The multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy has been recognised as the most promising approach due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of AD. Herein, novel salicylic acid–donepezil–rivastigmine hybrids were designed and synthesised. The bioactivity results exhibited that 5a was a reversible and selective eqBChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.53 μM), and the docking provided the possible mechanism. Compound 5a also displayed potential anti-inflammatory effects and significant neuroprotective effect. Moreover, 5a exhibited favourable stabilities in artificial gastrointestinal solution and plasma. Finally, 5a demonstrated potential cognitive improvement in scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction. Hence, 5a was a potential multifunctional lead compound against AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Regulation of gene expression is fine-tuned by a dynamic equilibrium between repressive modifications and transcriptional activation of histone tails. Jumonji domain-containing 3 (Jmjd3), also known as KDM6B, is a specific histone demethylase for trimethylation on histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) that specifically removes the methylation of H3K27me3 and promotes gene expression. Our previous study showed that Jmjd3 inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis. In this study, we clarified the role of Jmjd3 in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced osteoblast apoptosis. Materials and Methods: Jmjd3 activity was inhibited by GSK-J4. Transfection of osteoblastic murine MC3T3-E1 cells with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to establish stable Jmjd3 knockdown cells. Osteoblast apoptosis was detected using Annexin V-APC/PI staining, cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-3 (caspase-3) activity assays, and Western blot. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to clarify the mechanism responsible for Jmjd3-regulated osteoblast apoptosis induced by TNF-α. Results: Based on Annexin V-APC/PI staining, caspase-3 activation, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, pretreatment with GSK-J4 and knockdown of Jmjd3 by shRNA transfection each inhibited osteoblast apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of Jmjd3 decreased the expression of Ras association domain family 5 (RASSF5), which is a pro-apoptotic gene of the Ras associated domain family. H3K27me3 levels in the promoter region of RASSF5 were up-regulated in the Jmjd3 knockdown cells. Conclusions: Jmjd3 regulated TNF-α-induced osteoblast apoptosis by targeting RASSF5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Location information is the core data in IoT applications, which is the essential foundation for scene interpretation and interconnection of everything, and thus high-precision positioning is becoming an immediate need. However, the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) effect of indoor complex environment on UWB signal occlusion has been a major factor limiting the improvement in ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning accuracy, and the optimization of NLOS error has not yet been studied in a targeted manner. To this end, this paper deeply analyzes indoor scenes, divides NLOS into two forms of spatial occlusion and human occlusion, and proposes a particle filtering algorithm based on LOS/NLOS mapping and NLOS error optimization. This algorithm is targeted to optimize the influence of two different forms of NLOS, using spatial a priori information to accurately judge the LOS/NLOS situation of the anchor, optimizing the NLOS anchor ranging using IMU to project the virtual position, judging whether the LOS anchor is affected by human occlusion, and correcting the affected LOS anchor using the established human occlusion error model. Through experimental verification, the algorithm can effectively suppress two different NLOS errors of spatial structure and human occlusion and can achieve continuous and reliable high-precision positioning and tracking in complex indoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphopenia is a common adverse effect of radiation therapy (RT). Little is known about the difference in lymphopenia between intensity modulated (photon) radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton and carbon ion radiation therapy (PCIRT). This study aimed to investigate lymphopenia differences between IMRT and PCIRT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical and dosimetric parameters were collected from 343 patients who received definitive IMRT or PCIRT for NSCLC. Severe lymphopenia (SRL) was defined as an absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) ≤0.5 × 103 cells/μL. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Propensity score matching was performed between the IMRT and PCIRT groups. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis was used to select appropriate dosimetric parameters. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the predictors of SRL. Compared with the IMRT group, the PCIRT group was less likely to develop SRL (P <.001). Compared with the non-SRL group, the SRL group showed significant association with poorer OS, with a median survival time of 29.2 versus 15.0 months (P =.046). IMRT was an independent risk factor of SRL (P =.004). A lower ALC before RT (P =.030) and larger planning target volume (PTV) (P =.002) were also significant independent risk factors for SRL. Moreover, the majority of dosimetric parameters of organs at risk in PCIRT were lower than those in IMRT (P <.001). Thoracic vertebra V5 (P =.002) and aorta V5 (P =.026) were identified as independent risk predictors of SRL after adding dosimetric parameters to the regression model. Compared with IMRT, PCIRT could reduce SRL incidence, possibly by limiting thoracic vertebra and aortic doses, and SRL was associated with poor outcomes in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific characteristics of remote sensing images, such as large directional variations, large target sizes, and dense target distributions, make target detection a challenging task. To improve the detection performance of models while ensuring real-time detection, this paper proposes a lightweight object detection algorithm based on an attention mechanism and YOLOv5s. Firstly, a depthwise-decoupled head (DD-head) module and spatial pyramid pooling cross-stage partial GSConv (SPPCSPG) module were constructed to replace the coupled head and the spatial pyramid pooling-fast (SPPF) module of YOLOv5s. A shuffle attention (SA) mechanism was introduced in the head structure to enhance spatial attention and reconstruct channel attention. A content-aware reassembly of features (CARAFE) module was introduced in the up-sampling operation to reassemble feature points with similar semantic information. In the neck structure, a GSConv module was introduced to maintain detection accuracy while reducing the number of parameters. Experimental results on remote sensing datasets, RSOD and DIOR, showed an improvement of 1.4% and 1.2% in mean average precision accuracy compared with the original YOLOv5s algorithm. Moreover, the algorithm was also tested on conventional object detection datasets, PASCAL VOC and MS COCO, which showed an improvement of 1.4% and 3.1% in mean average precision accuracy. Therefore, the experiments showed that the constructed algorithm not only outperformed the original network on remote sensing images but also performed better than the original network on conventional object detection images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While benefits of greenness exposure to health have been reported, findings specific to lung function are inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlations of greenness exposure with multiple lung function indicators based on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) monitoring database from multiple cities of Anhui province in China. Methods: We assessed the greenness using the annual average of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a distance of 1000-meter buffer around each local community or village. Three types of lung function indicators were considered, namely indicators of obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEV1/FEV3); an indicator of large-airway dysfunction (PEF); indicators of small-airway dysfunction (FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV3, FEV6, and FEV3/FVC). Linear mixed effects model was used to analyze associations of greenness exposure with lung function through adjusting age, sex, educational level, occupation, residence, smoking status, history of tuberculosis, family history of lung disease, indoor air pollution, occupational exposure, PM2.5, and body mass index. Results: A total of 2768 participants were recruited for the investigations. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with better FVC (153.33mL, 95%CI: 44.07mL, 262.59mL), FEV1 (109.09mL, 95%CI: 30.31mL, 187.88mL), FEV3 (138.04mL, 95%CI: 39.43mL, 236.65mL), FEV6 (145.42mL, 95%CI: 42.36mL, 248.47mL). However, there were no significant associations with PEF, FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV1/FVC, FEV1/FEV6, FEV3/FVC. The stratified analysis displayed that an IQR increase in NDVI was related with improved lung function in less than 60 years, females, urban populations, nonsmokers, areas with medium concentrations of PM2.5 and individuals with BMI of less than 28 kg/m2. Sensitivity analyses based on another greenness indice (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and annual maximum of NDVI remained consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions: Our findings supported that exposure to greenness was strongly related with improved lung function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study focused on the relationship between the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the dose of organs at risk in patients with stage II–III non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving intensity‐modulated radiotherapy. Methods: The clinical characteristics and dosimetric parameters of 372 patients were collected retrospectively. A high NLR was defined as that ≥1.525. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis was conducted to select appropriate dosimetric parameters. The risk factors of NLR were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Patients with a high NLR had poorer progression‐free survival (PFS) (p = 0.011) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.061). A low NLR (<1.525) predicted better PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.676, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.508–0.900, p = 0.007) and OS (HR 0.664, 95% CI: 0.490–0.901, p = 0.009). The aorta dose differed between the low and high NLR groups (all <0.1) in the univariate analysis. An aorta V10 was confirmed as a significant risk factor for a high NLR (odds ratio [OR] 1.029, 95% CI: 1.011–1.048, p = 0.002). Receiving chemotherapy before (OR 0.428, 95% CI: 0.225–0.813, p = 0.010) and during (OR 0.491, 95% CI: 0.296–0.815, p = 0.006) radiotherapy were predictive factors of a low NLR. Conclusion: The aorta dose was significantly associated with a high NLR. Patients with stage II–III NSCLC with a high NLR had poorer prognosis. Receiving chemotherapy before and/or during radiotherapy predicted a low NLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this exploratory study is (1) to determine the relationship between substitution network (Sub-N) parameters and teams' standings and (2) to find out the key individual performance indicators that differentiated substitution groups of players, and explore the association between players' percentages and team's standing within the obtained substitution groups. A total of 574,214 substitution events during the last 10 NBA seasons were analysed to construct Sub-N for each team observation. Three different player groups were obtained after clustering their playing time, clustering coefficient and vulnerability. Team's clustering coefficient, standard deviation of vulnerability and out-degree centrality of starters exhibited moderate to strong correlations with team's standing during playoffs (r = 0.54–0.76). The regression models showed that defensive win share (beta = 0.54–0.67), turnovers (−0.15 to −0.25) and assists (0.12–0.26) were predictive for all players' net ratings, and the role players who scored more points presented higher net ratings (0.34). Finally, players from top-playoff teams exhibited lower absolute value of vulnerabilities (r = 0.80). The findings demonstrate the feasibility of Sub-N for exploring the association between rotation and competitive performance, and provide quantitative reference for coaching staff to optimize substitution structures and rosters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The basis of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is the reconstruction of periodontal tissue under stress. Increasing the speed of OTM has always been the focus of attention. Objectives: Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are direct effector cells of mechanical force, but the mechanism by which PDLSCs sense mechanical stimuli is unclear. Methods: Human PDLSCs (hPDLSCs) were analyzed in the presence or absence of force loading with the Flexcell loading system in vitro. Then, periodontal tissues were analyzed after mechanical stimulation in vivo. In addition, cells in a confined microenvironment were analyzed to observe changes in the cytoskeleton and migration. Finally, TRPC6−/− mice were used to further verify the effect of TRPC6. After force application, the OTM distance, bone marrow density (BMD), TRPC6 and COL1 expression, and TRAP staining were evaluated in periodontal tissues. Results: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and western blot analyses revealed that TRPC6 was important during mechanical force application to hPDLSCs. Appropriate mechanical force application also induced TRPC6 activation in the OTM model and the confined microenvironment. Under a slightly confined microenvironment, treatment with the TRPC6 inhibitor SKF96365 and TRPC6 knockout decreased the migration speed of hPDLSCs and mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs). In addition, TRPC6−/− mice showed lower OTM distances and reduced osteogenic and osteoclastic differentiation. Conclusion: In summary, TRPC6 activation in PDLSCs mediated by appropriate mechanical force application contributes to periodontal tissue reconstruction. PDLSCs modulate periodontal tissue remodeling under appropriate mechanical stimulation through TRPC6; however, under excessive stress, alveolar bone and tooth roots are readily absorbed. Under this condition, environmental factors play a leading role, and the regulatory effect of TRPC6 is not obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To analyze the possible factors causing fatty liver in children based on ultrasound data of children in south Texas, and to establish machine learning models of fatty liver in children to provide ideas for the prevention and treatment of fatty liver in children.Methods: The binary classification model of fatty liver problem in obese children in Texas was established under the multiple model. First, we selected important features using the CatBoost algorithm. Second, the best parameters of the algorithm were selected on the training set and the validation set by using the grid search method, and all six models were tested on the test set. The six models then were compared by area under the curve value, precision, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score in a model evaluation. Then, two algorithms, logic regression and CatBoost, were selected to establish prediction models of fatty liver disease in children.Results: We selected body mass index, height, liver size, kidney volume, glomerular filtration rate, and liver diameter as the features used in the machine learning model. The prediction models we chose showed that children with higher body mass index at the same age tended to have a greater probability of fatty liver.Conclusions: Based on the analysis of the results of the two prediction models established by logistic regression and CatBoost, we determined that the mean probability of fatty liver in severely obese children was between 74.47% and 92.22%, 73.45% and 85.41% in obese children, and slightly higher in boys than in girls, with a mean difference of 3.00% to 3.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that atmospheric particulate matter has become the primary pollutant with serious harm and complex sources in recent years, this paper proposes an accurate identification method of pollution sources based on a receptor model to obtain the contribution rate of each pollution source category. This method takes the 75-day measured environmental receptor data of an area under the artificial intelligence cloud model as the basic data, uses the normrnd () function to expand the receptor data, and uses the positive definite matrix factor analysis (PMF) and principal component analysis (PCA) models to verify the rationality of the data expansion. The results are as follows: the number of extended simulated receptor component spectra has a certain effect on the PCA analysis results, but the effect is smaller than the extended range. All relative errors are less than 14%, and the relative error is the smallest when the six simulated receptor component spectra are expanded, that is, the PCA analysis results of the expanded data are most consistent with the measured data; the number of expanded simulated receptor component spectra has a certain influence on the PMF analysis results. But the relative error is less than 40%. When extending the spectrum of six simulated receptor components, the relative error is the smallest, that is, the PMF analysis results of the extended data are most consistent with the measured data. It is proven that this method provides a more direct basis for the targeted treatment of pollution sources that are more harmful to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the bicluster algorithms applied to the gene expression data were mostly based on real data. Therefore, they were susceptible to noise interference, and these algorithms rarely considered the time sequence between samples. This paper proposed an efficient time-continuous bicluster algorithm DTCB to mine the maximal time-continuous biclusters from the discrete time-series gene expression data. It used a new discretization method on gene expression data and defined three co-expression relations between genes in the discrete dataset. DTCB adopted several pruning and output techniques to improve the efficiency. It could produce maximal co-expression biclusters without candidate maintenance. The experimental results show that DTCB has efficient performance and better robustness. Simultaneously, the results can be of more statistical and biological significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new solar selective coating was optimization designed in our paper. Ti0.5Al0.5N and Ti0.25Al0.75N coatings were chosen as absorber layers and AlN coating was chosen as anti-reflection layer. The phase structure and optical constants of these coatings were studied by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively. The Ti0.5Al0.5N coating has a cubic NaCl-type structure and exhibits metallic character. However, the Ti0.25Al0.75N coating consists of cubic NaCl-type structure and hexagonal AlN structure and exhibits semiconducting property. AlN coating is expected as a dielectric layer. The solar selective coating was optimized using a computer program named TFCalc and verified by experimental results. The absorptance and low emittance of the optimized solar selective coating were 0.945 and 0.04 (82°C), respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The cDNA for goose interferon gamma (goIFN-γ) was cloned from PHA-stimulated goose peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by RT-PCR. This cDNA encodes a 19-amino acid signal peptide and a 145-amino acid mature protein, which shares a high homology with duck IFN-γ. Recombinant mature goose interferon gamma (rgoIFN-γ) generated from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems effectively inhibited the replication of goose paramyxovirus and recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus in vitro. These antiviral activities were abrogated by rabbit anti-rgoIFN-γ antibodies in vitro. Furthermore, rgoIFN-γ stimulated goose peritoneal macrophages to produce nitric oxide (NO) in vitro, demonstrating its macrophage activating factor (MAF) activity. Therefore, the availability of bioactive rgoIFN-γ and its specific antibodies provides valuable tools for studying T cell immunity in geese [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The cDNA of goose interferon-α (goIFN-α) was amplified from PHA stimulated PBMCs of goose by RT-PCR. The cDNA encodes a 30-amino acid signal peptide and a 161-amino acid mature protein, respectively. Recombinant mature goIFN-α (rgoIFN-α) expressed by prokaryotic and eukaryotic system possessed antiviral activity that was neutralized by rabbit anti-rgoIFN-α antibody in vitro. On the other hand, rgoIFN-α lacks intrinsic macrophage activating factor (MAF) activity, peripheral blood leukocyte-derived macrophages (PBLMs) could not produce nitric oxide (NO) by stimulate with rgoIFN-α as compared to stimulate with recombinant mature goIFN-γ (rgoIFN-γ) that was a powerful NO stimulant in vitro. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Al/Al2O3 composite deuterium barrier was deposited on the polished side of 316 L stainless steel by the method of radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The influence of the introduction of Al transition layer on the deuterium resistance performance of Al2O3 ceramic coating was studied. The field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), the grazing incident X-ray diffraction technique (GIXRD), and the auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were used to analyze the microscopic morphology, phase, and element distribution in the depth direction of the Al/Al2O3 coating, and the gas-driver permeation method was used to measure the deuterium permeation behavior of the coating sample. The results show that Al2O3 is amorphous after annealing at 873 K. Due to the oxidation of the Al transition layer, the connection between the coating and the substrate is tightly connected. Under the combined action of permeation temperature and pressure of 873 K and 80 kPa, the deuterium permeability of Al/Al2O3 coating is 6.35 × 10 − 14 mol·m-1·s-1·Pa-0.5, which shows that the Al/Al2O3 coating has excellent deuterium permeation resistance. Furthermore, deuterium permeability of the Al/Al2O3 coating was diminished by about 2 orders of magnitude compared with 316 L stainless steel, and it is reduced 2~3 times compared with the single Al2O3 coating sample. The study indicates that the introduction of the Al transition layer can significantly enhance the barrier effect of the Al/Al2O3 coating sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deuterium permeation barrier is an essential part in the core component of nuclear reactors. It can protect the structure made of steel from being penetrated by deuterium in a fusion reactor. However, residual stress induced in the operation would dramatically influence the mechanical endurance of the coating, threatening the safety of the facilities. In this paper, finite element analysis was conducted to investigate the residual stress in nanoscale Al2O3 and Y2O3 coatings and their composites under thermal shock, from 700°C to 25°C. The max principal stress is assumed as the cause of crack initiation in the coating, because ceramics are brittle and fragile under tensile stress. Max shear stress and max Mises stress in the systems are also analyzed, and the effect of thickness in the range 100 nm to 1000 nm was investigated. The max principal stress in Al2O3 coating reaches its maximum value, 1.33 GPa, when the thickness of coating reaches 450 nm. And the max principal stress decreases at a very low rate as the thickness increases exceeding 450 nm. The max principal stress in Y2O3 coating increases rapidly as the thickness increases when the thickness of the coating is below 250 nm, and the max principal stress is at about 0.9 GPa when the thickness exceeds 500 nm. The max principal stress in the Y2O3/Al2O3 (150 nm) composite coating occurs in the Al2O3 layer and shows no difference from the single layer of 150 nm thick Al2O3 coating. The max principal stress site of all three kinds of coating is located at the edge of the coating 25 nm away from the interface. The result shows that residual thermal stress in the coating increases as the thickness increases when the thickness of the coating is below 200 nm due to the stress singularity of the interface. And as the thickness exceeds 500 nm, the increase in thickness has little impact on the residual thermal stress in the coating. Coating an Y2O3 top layer will not introduce any more residual thermal stress under the thermal shock condition. The Y2O3 coating causes much less residual stress under thermal shock compared with Al2O3 owing to its much lower Young's modulus. The max principal stress in the 300 nm thick Y2O3 coating is 0.85 GPa while that of the Al2O3 coating is 1.16 GPa. The max residual stress of the composite Y2O3/Al2O3 (150 nm) coating is determined by the Al2O3 layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Transcriptome analysis of an in vitro model of IFN-γ-mediated C. psittaci persistence in HeLa cells. • 68 genes were up-regulated and 109 genes were down-regulated during persistent infection of C. psittaci in HeLa cells by cDNA microarrays assays. • Amoxicillin treatment could induce a non-infectious but viable (persistent) state in C. psittaci infected BALB/c mice. • Amoxicillin-exposed organisms three genes up regulates and five genes down-regulated expression of a panel of genes similar to that transcribed by cDNA microarrays assays in vitro , providing important insights towards understanding the potential targets of chlamydial persistence. Chlamydia psittaci is an obligate intracellular zoonotic pathogen that can enter a persistence state in host cells. While the exact pathogenesis is not well understood, this persistence state may play an important role in chronic Chlamydia disease. Here, we assess the effects of chlamydial persistence state in vitro and in vivo by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cDNA microarray assays. First, IFN-γ-induced C. psittaci persistence in HeLa cells resulted in the upregulation of 68 genes. These genes are involved in protein translation, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, lipid metabolism and general stress. However, 109 genes were downregulated following persistent C. psittaci infection, many of which are involved in the TCA cycle, expression regulation and transcription, protein secretion, proteolysis and transport, membrane protein, presumed virulence factor, cell division and late expression. To further study differential gene expression of C. psittaci persistence in vivo , we established an experimentally tractable mouse model of C. psittaci persistence. The C. psittaci -infected mice were gavaged with either water or amoxicillin (amox), and the results indicated that the 20 mg/kg amox-exposed C. psittaci were viable but not infectious. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screened by cDNA microarray were detected, and interestingly, the results showed upregulation of three genes (euo , ahpC , prmC) and downregulation of five genes (pbp3 , sucB_1 , oppA_4 , pmpH , ligA) in 20 mg/kg amox-exposed C. psittaci , which suggests that antibiotic treatment in vivo can induce chlamydial persistence state and lead to differential gene expression. However, the discrepancy on inducers between the two models requires more research to supplement. The results may help researchers better understand survival advantages during persistent infection and mechanisms influencing C. psittaci pathogenesis or evasion of the adaptive immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapeutic resistance in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is an unfortunate side effect of standard chemotherapy. This situation necessitates a better understanding of the molecular pathways underlying HBV + HCC chemoresistance in order to aid the development of novel chemotherapeutic targets. We generated two doxorubicin (DOX)-resistant HBV + HCC sublines HepG2.2.15 and Huh7–1.3. qRT-PCR was used to evaluate dysregulation in hexosamine pathway genes in chemosensitive and chemoresistant HBV + HCC cell lines in vitro. Western blots, luciferase reporter assays, and in vivo xenograft tumor studies were conducted to reveal the role of the miRNA-325–3p/DPAGT1 axis in HBV + HCC chemoresistance. The hexosamine pathway gene dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosamine phosphotransferase 1 (DPAGT1) was found to be upregulated in both DOX-resistant cell lines. Enhancing DPAGT1 activity significantly improved the survival of DOX-resistant cells. Silencing or pharmacological inhibition of DPAGT1 inhibited xenograft tumor growth under DOX-treated conditions. DPAGT1 upregulation was associated with higher levels of stemness-related markers and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug efflux transporters in DOX-resistant cell lines. miR-325–3p was found to negatively modulate DPAGT1 expression and phenocopied the effects of DPAGT1 silencing in vitro and in vivo. In HBV + HCC patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), high and low levels of tumor DPAGT1 and miR-325–3p expression, respectively, were associated with a poor chemotherapeutic response. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of miR-325–3p/DPAGT1 axis dysregulation in supporting HBV + HCC chemoresistance. • DPAGT1 is upregulated in DOX-resistant HBV + HCC cell lines. • Enhancing DPAGT1 activity improves DOX-resistant cell survival. • DPAGT1 silencing or inhibition inhibits xenograft tumor growth under DOX treatment. • miR-325–3p negatively modulates DPAGT1 expression and reverses its effects. • High DPAGT1 and low miR-325–3p are associated with a poor chemotherapeutic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]