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Simple Summary: It is well known that animal morphological traits are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, but further research is needed to investigate the extent to which the environment influences morphological traits under the same genetic background. As one of the most widely distributed freshwater shrimp species in the world, the crayfish has a strong territorial and combative habit, so the influence of the aquaculture environment on its morphological development is more obvious. Meanwhile, under the same environment, different sexes of crayfish also showed corresponding morphological differences due to their reproductive functions. In this study, juvenile crayfish hatched from the same population were cultured in different growing environments, and the effects of environment and sex on their morphological characteristics were evaluated by mathematical models such as correlation analysis, pathway analysis, and gray correlation, so as to provide a basis for the artificial selection of crayfish in the later stage of development. In this study, juvenile crayfish hatched from the same population were cultured in different growing environments: pond (D1), paddy field (D2), and aquaculture barrel (D3), and fed for 60 days. Crayfishes were selected randomly, females and males, 50 tails each from six groups (D1-♀, D1-♂, D2-♀, D2-♂, D3-♀, D3-♂) to measure the following morphological traits: full length (X1), body length (X2), chelicerae length (X3), chelicerae weight (X4), cephalothorax length (X5), cephalothorax width (X6), cephalothorax height (X7), eye spacing (X8), caudal peduncle length (X9), and caudal peduncle weight (X10). We found that the coefficient of variation (CV) of X4 was the largest in each culture mode, and males (28.58%~38.67%) were larger than females (37.76%~66.74%). The CV of X4 of crayfish cultured in D1 and D2 was larger than that of D3. All traits except X8 were positively correlated with body weight (p < 0.05). After pathway analysis, we found that X4, X5, X7, and X10 were significantly correlated with the body weight of D1-♀; the equation was YD1-♀ = −29.803 + 1.249X4 + 0.505X5 + 0.701X7 + 1.483X10 (R2 = 0.947). However, X2, X4, and X6 were significantly correlated with the body weight of D1-♂; the equation was YD1-♂ = −40.881 + 0.39X2 + 0.845X4 + 1.142X6 (R2 = 0.927). In D2-♀, X1, X4, X5, and X10 were significantly correlated with body weight; the equation was YD2-♀ = −12.248 + 0.088X1 + 1.098X4 + 0.275X5 + 0.904X10 (R2 = 0.977). X4 and X5 played a major role in the body weight of D2-♂ with the equation: YD2-♂ = −24.871 + 1.177X4 + 0.902X5 (R2 = 0.973). X3 and X10 mainly contributed to the body weight of D3-♀ with the equation: YD3-♀ = −22.476 + 0.432X3 + 3.153X10 (R2 = 0.976). X1 and X4 mainly contributed to the body weight of D3-♂ with the equation: YD3-♂ = −34.434 + 0.363X1 + 0.669X4 (R2 = 0.918). Comparing the pathway analysis with the gray relation analysis, we could conclude that the traits most correlated with body weight in D1-♀ were X10 and X7; in D1-♂, X6; in D2-♀, X10, X1, and X5; in D2-♂, X5; in D3-♀, X10; and in D3-♂, X4 and X1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brain's dynamic spontaneous neural activity is significant in supporting cognition; however, how brain dynamics go awry in subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains unclear. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the dynamic amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (dALFF) alterations in patients at high risk for Alzheimer's disease and to explore its correlation with clinical cognitive assessment scales, to identify an early imaging sign for these special populations. A total of 152 participants, including 72 SCD patients, 44 MCI patients and 36 healthy controls (HCs), underwent a resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed with various neuropsychological tests. The dALFF was measured using sliding‐window analysis. We employed canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to examine the bi‐multivariate correlations between neuropsychological scales and altered dALFF among multiple regions in SCD and MCI patients. Compared to those in the HC group, both the MCI and SCD groups showed higher dALFF values in the right opercular inferior frontal gyrus (voxel P <.001, cluster P <.05, correction). Moreover, the CCA models revealed that behavioural tests relevant to inattention correlated with the dALFF of the right middle frontal gyrus and right opercular inferior frontal gyrus, which are involved in frontoparietal networks (R =.43, P =.024). In conclusion, the brain dynamics of neural activity in frontal areas provide insights into the shared neural basis underlying SCD and MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rough structure microspheres developed using electrospinning show many superior properties, such as increased specific surface area and enhanced wettability, yielding numerous benefits to the applications in adsorption, separation, and others. In this study, biomimetic rough microspheres on string of polymethyl methacrylate nanofiber with hierarchical structure of micron-scale microsphere, and nanoscale Y-shape edges on the microsphere were innovatively and successfully developed by electrospinning. The resulting microsphere exhibited a steering-wheel-like Y shape, and the formation process was physically explained by the geometric potential theory. In the spinning process, irregular hexahedron-like droplet was firstly formed. Then, the hexahedron-like droplet changed to tetrahedron-like after the bottom contacted the collector. The tetrahedron-like droplet evolved into Y-shaped microsphere due to the geometric potential and the collapse of the center part owing to the solvent evaporation. Furthermore, similar to the natural lotus leaf, the hierarchical steering-wheel structure strengthened the nanofiber membrane roughness and endowed the membrane with superhydrophobicity, indicating the potential application in water treatment (oil-water separation, and dye and heavy metal ion adsorption), functional surface materials (self-cleaning fabrics), energy generation and other salient areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review presents a comprehensive exploration of the pivotal role played by the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex, with a particular focus on Nesprin proteins, in cellular mechanics and the pathogenesis of muscular diseases. Distinguishing itself from prior works, the analysis delves deeply into the intricate interplay of the LINC complex, emphasizing its indispensable contribution to maintaining cellular structural integrity, especially in mechanically sensitive tissues such as cardiac and striated muscles. Additionally, the significant association between mutations in Nesprin proteins and the onset of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) and Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy (EDMD) is highlighted, underscoring their pivotal role in disease pathogenesis. Through a comprehensive examination of DCM and EDMD cases, the review elucidates the disruptions in the LINC complex, nuclear morphology alterations, and muscular developmental disorders, thus emphasizing the essential function of an intact LINC complex in preserving muscle physiological functions. Moreover, the review provides novel insights into the implications of Nesprin mutations for cellular dynamics in the pathogenesis of muscular diseases, particularly in maintaining cardiac structural and functional integrity. Furthermore, advanced therapeutic strategies, including rectifying Nesprin gene mutations, controlling Nesprin protein expression, enhancing LINC complex functionality, and augmenting cardiac muscle cell function are proposed. By shedding light on the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying nuclear-cytoskeletal interactions, the review lays the groundwork for future research and therapeutic interventions aimed at addressing genetic muscle disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivalent drugs targeting homo-oligomeric viral surface proteins, such as the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike (S) protein, have the potential to elicit more potent and broad-spectrum therapeutic responses than monovalent drugs by synergistically engaging multiple binding sites on viral targets. However, rational design and engineering of nanoscale multivalent protein drugs are still lacking. Here, we developed a computational approach to engineer self-assembling trivalent microproteins that simultaneously bind to the three receptor binding domains (RBDs) of the S protein. This approach involves four steps: structure-guided linker design, molecular simulation evaluation of self-assembly, experimental validation of self-assembly state, and functional testing. Using this approach, we first designed trivalent constructs of the microprotein miniACE2 (MP) with different trimerization scaffolds and linkers, and found that one of the constructs (MP-5ff) showed high trimerization efficiency, good conformational homogeneity, and strong antiviral neutralizing activity. With its trimerization unit (5ff), we then engineered a trivalent nanobody (Tr67) that exhibited potent and broad neutralizing activity against the dominant Omicron variants, including XBB.1 and XBB.1.5. Cryo-EM complex structure confirmed that Tr67 stably binds to all three RBDs of the Omicron S protein in a synergistic form, locking them in the "3-RBD-up" conformation that could block human receptor (ACE2) binding and potentially facilitate immune clearance. Therefore, our approach provides an effective strategy for engineering potent protein drugs against SARS-CoV-2 and other deadly coronaviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation is a prevalent pathological process that accompanies the onset and progression of numerous acute and chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, pancreatitis, atherosclerosis, ischaemic brain/heart disease and so forth. However, conventional anti‐inflammatory drugs have certain disadvantages such as nonspecific tissue distribution, low bioavailability, and a short half‐life, resulting in off‐target side effects and limited efficacy in disease control. To address these issues, nanoparticles have emerged as a novel therapeutic paradigm in this field to attain inflammation targeting and improve drug pharmacokinetic properties via the well‐recognized enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect at the inflammatory site. Existing reviews are predominantly centered on inflammatory pathology introduction and vector design. As a necessary complement, this review mainly elaborates on the introduction of inflammation core events, the history of the drug delivery system for anti‐inflammatory drugs, the action mechanism of inflammation targeting vectors, nanoparticle classification based on targeting moiety, methods to combine targeting moiety with core nanoparticles, techniques to assess targetability in vitro and in vivo and finally the challenges and prospects in this field. The information provided herein offers practical guidance to researchers seeking to develop and evaluate inflammation targeting vectors rationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of Tianma Gouteng Decoction in the treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by studying the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK)/heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) pathway. Methods Using the random number table method, 30 SHR were divided into the model group, the Valsartan group (0.03 g/kg), and the Tianma Gouteng Decoction group (1 g/kg), 10 rats per group. Additionally, 10 Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were assigned to the normal group. Rats in the Valsartan group and the Tianma Gouteng Decoction group were given corresponding drugs, while rats in the normal group and the model group were administered an equivalent amount of saline orally for 8 consecutive weeks. Blood pressure was recorded on days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56. Following treatment completion, behavioral changes were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the changes in vascular morphology and structure. Masson staining was used to observe the degree of vascular fibrosis. The autophagy ultrastrucure were examined by electron microscopy. An immunofluorescence assay was conducted and the average fluorescence intensities of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK) and phosphorylated HSP27 (p-HSP27) in vascular tissue were calculated. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) content, plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) content, and vascular tissue anti-superoxide anion content were measured by spectrophotometry. Vascular aging was evaluated through a senescence-associated P-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining method. The mRNA expression levels of p38 MAPK, MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (MAPKAPK-2), HSP27, autophagy-associated protein 5 (ATG5), and p62 in vascular tissue were determined by real-time PCR. The protein expression levels of p-p38 MAPK, p-MAPKAPK-2, p-HSP27, ATG5, and p62 in vascular tissue were determined by Western blotting. Results Compared with the normal group, the blood pressure and irritability were increased, the rotational tolerance time was decreased, the thickness of vascular media (MT) and the ratio of vascular media thickness to vascular inner diameter (MT/LD) were significantly increased, the number of autophagosomes was decreased, the proportion of SA-β-gal positive cells was increased, the content of MDA was increased, the content of SOD and anti-superoxide anion were decreased, the average fluorescence intensity of p-p38 MAPK was increased, the protein expression levels of p-p38 MAPK and p-MAPKAPK-2 were increased, the mRNA and protein levels of p62 were increased, the average fluorescence intensity of p-HSP27 was decreased, and the mRNA expression level of HSP27 and the protein expression levels of p-HSP27, and the mRNA and protein levels of ATG5 were decreased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the blood pressure and irritability were decreased, the rotational tolerance time was increased, MT and MT/ LD were decreased, the number of autophagosomes was increased, the proportion of SA-β-gal positive cells was decreased, the content of MDA was decreased, the content of SOD and anti-superoxide anion were increased, the average fluorescence intensity of p-p38 MAPK was decreased, the protein levels of p-p38 MAPK and p-MAPKAPK-2 were decreased, the mRNA and protein levels of p62 were decreased, and the average fluorescence intensity of p-HSP27, the mRNA expression level of HSP27 and the protein expression levels of p-HSP27, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of ATG5 were increased in the Valsartan group and the Tianma Gouteng Decoction group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Tianma Gouteng Decoction can delay vascular aging in a spontaneous hypertensive rat model, possibly by regulating autophagy through the p38 MAPK/HSP27 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of Bacillus licheniformis supplementation on growth performance, immune function and intestinal microbes of White-feathered broilers. A total of 136 one-day-old White-feathered broilers with a body weight of about 42 g were randomly divided into two groups with four replicates in each group and 17 broilers in each replicate. The White-feathered broilers in the control group were fed with a basal diet, and the experimental group added 250 mg/kg Bacillus licheniformis preparation to the basal diet. The experiment lasted for 43 d. The results showed that at 43 days of age, compared to the control group, ADG of White-feathered broilers in the experimental group was increased by 6.18% (P<0.05), F/G was decreased by 4.9% (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the VH/CD in jejunum and ileum, the serum IgA, IgG, IgM and spleen index and thymus index were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the microbial diversity of cecum was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the bacterial community structure was significantly separated (P<0.05). The proportion of beneficial intestinal microorganisms Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus-torques increased, and the intestinal microbial composition improved. The study indicates that Bacillus licheniformis combined with the basal diet can improve the growth performance, immune function, intestinal structure, reduce microbial diversity in the cecum and increase the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the cecum, ensure the healthy growth of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, has also been found to play a role in embryonic stem (ES) cells. However, the exact mechanism and function of glutamatergic signaling in ES cells remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified a glutamatergic transmission circuit in ES cells that operates through an autocrine mechanism and regulates cell proliferation. We performed biological analyses to identify the key components involved in glutamate biosynthesis, packaging for secretion, reaction, and reuptake in ES cells, including glutaminase, vesicular glutamate transporter, glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, and cell membrane excitatory amino-acid transporter (EAAT). We directly quantified the released glutamate signal using microdialysis-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MD–HPLC–MS–MS). Pharmacological inhibition of endogenous glutamate release and the resulting tonic activation of NMDA receptors significantly affected ES cell proliferation, suggesting that ES cells establish a glutamatergic autocrine niche via releasing and responding to the transmitter for their own regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: At present, there is no consensus on the required duration of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET), yet there is no consistent conclusion on the factors influencing the efficacy of treatment with breast cancer after prolonged treatment. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of prolonged NET on the efficacy of patients with breast cancer and analyze the factors influencing the efficacy of treatment with breast cancer after the treatment duration is prolonged. METHODS: The case histories of 51 patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer and received NET in our hospital from September 2017 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received NET for over 12 months. The clinical efficacy and tumor size changes after treatment for six months and 12 months were compared, and the factors influencing the efficacy of treatment with breast cancer after patients' treatment duration was prolonged were analyzed. RESULTS: (1) Among the 51 patients, the objective remission rate (ORR) of NET, at T = 6 months was 21.6%, and the average tumor size was 15.52 ± 7.30 mm. The ORR of the NET at T = 12 months was 52.9%, and the average tumor size was 13.79 ± 7.43 mm. (2) After the treatment duration was prolonged, the clinical ORRs of patients with estrogen receptor (ER) (+) and progesterone receptor (PR) (+) were significantly higher than that of patients with ER (+) and PR (-) and patients with ER (-) and PR (+), which was (P < 0.05). (3) There was no significant difference between the patients' axillary lymph node status and the Ki67 expression before treatment and the clinical ORR after prolonged treatment, which was (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Prolonging the NET duration for patients with breast cancer can improve their clinical ORR and further reduce the tumor size, but patients' conditions should be closely monitored during the treatment process to prevent the progression of disease due to drug resistance. (2) The expression state of ER or PR may be used as a factor influencing the efficacy of treatment with breast cancer after prolonged treatment. (3) There was no significant effect on the patients' axillary lymph node status and the Ki67 expression before treatment on the clinical efficacy after prolonged treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to assess whether postoperative adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy could lead to better clinical outcomes for high-risk patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). Methods: In the cohort study, we retrospectively reviewed patients who received surgical resection for pCCA with curative intent from January 2018 to December 2021 at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. The patients at high risk for relapse were further analyzed. Among them, 20 patients received adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, 28 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 33 patients received surgery alone. The oncological outcomes and drug-associated adverse events were evaluated. Results: The 2-year overall survival (OS) rates in patients treated with adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and surgery alone were 80.0%, 49.4% and 22.6%, respectively. Univariable and multivariable Cox analyses showed that the treatment regimen and TNM stage were associated with adverse OS. Adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy led to an increase in OS compared with adjuvant chemotherapy [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.253; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.072–9.870; P = 0.037] or surgery alone (HR = 7.560; 95% CI 2.508–22.785; P < 0.001). The median recurrence-free survival was 22.0 months for the adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy group, 17.0 months for the adjuvant chemotherapy group, and 13.2 months for the surgery alone group (P = 0.177); these differences were not significant. The chemoimmunotherapy group was associated with more frequent hematological side effects than the chemotherapy group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Postoperative adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for resected pCCA patients showed improved OS compared with adjuvant chemotherapy or surgery alone, and further prospectively randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Miocene tragoportacins are widespread in Eurasia and Africa and are important members of the Hipparion fauna. The phylogenetic relationships within the tragoportacins are debatable due to the large number of species, fragmentary materials, and large intraspecific variations. The Chinese tragoportacins are rare and poorly studied in previous work. Recently, a dozen well-preserved skulls were excavated from northern China, providing important information for the classification and phylogenetic analysis of the Chinese tragoportacins. In this study, we assign the new material from Linxia Basin and Fugu County to Miotragocerus gregarius, providing detailed descriptions of both males and females. We discuss sexual dimorphism and compare the horn core, dentition and cranium characters in Miotragocerus, Tragoportax and related species. We also perform cladistic analyses, including Eurasian and African tragoportacins, Tetracerus and Eotragus. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that the two Chinese late Miocene tragoportacins belong to Miotragocerus and Tragoportax, which immigrated from the west to China in different periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene decorated with Ag nanoparticles can cross the defect and bridge the adjacent graphene sheets to enhance its conductivity, making the composite more suitable for conductive ink preparation rather than pure graphene. In this study, a facile one-pot method to prepare Ag NPs@graphene nanocomposite is proposed. Graphite is exfoliated by low-speed mechanical agitation and low-power ultrasonic to obtain pristine graphene, which has fewer structural defects and intrinsic defects than RGO. Then, Ag nanoparticles are in situ loaded on graphene with AgNO3 as the precursor, PVP as the dispersant, and glucose as the reducing agent, solving the negative effect of grain boundaries and overlap defects. Uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles are obtained anchored on or between the multi-layer graphene sheets. The average size of Ag nanoparticles is 56 nm. Finally, the prepared Ag NPs@graphene nanocomposite is used as conductive filler to prepare water-based conductive ink. At the optimal sintering temperature and time (150 °C for 20 min), the square resistance of the conductive patterns printed by screen printing is 21.6 mΩ sq−1, indicating that the conductive ink has great potential applications in printed electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, polyvinyl alcohol nanofibrous membrane was fabricated firstly by the high-curvature solid-needle electrospinning. The influence of electrode curvature (needle angle), spinning voltage, solution concentration and collector distance on nanofiber morphology was systematically investigated numerically and experimentally. Numerical simulation shows that the electrical field increases with the increase of spinning voltage, while decreases with the increase of needle angle and collector distance. The experimental results are consistent with the numerical results. Furthermore, the solution concentration can be used to adjust the diameter of polyvinyl alcohol nanofibers. The possible applications of the nanofiber membrane to energy generation, water treatment, and separation are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the existence of a least-energy sign-changing solutions for the following Kirchhoff-type equation: − (1 + b ∫ R 2 K (x) | ∇ u | 2 d x) div (K (x) ∇ u) = K (x) f (u) , x ∈ R 2 , where f has exponential subcritical or exponential critical growth in the sense of the Trudinger–Moser inequality. By using the constrained variational methods, combining the deformation lemma and Miranda's theorem, we prove the existence of a least-energy sign-changing solution. Moreover, we also prove that this sign-changing solution has exactly two nodal domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discoveries of tetraquarks not only enrich the hadronic spectrum but also provide more platforms to understand quantum chromodynamics. We study the production processes of hidden-charm and open-charm tetraquarks in B decays by analyzing their topological amplitudes. Relations between different channels are found, which confront tests by experiments to probe the nature of the tetraquarks. Furthermore, promising channels to find more tetraquarks are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipids are the essential components of the cell intracellular and plasma membranes. Sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG) is a glycolipid; glycolipids can replace phospholipids in maintaining phosphate (Pi) homeostasis in plants which are undergoing Pi starvation. Sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol synthase 1 (OsSQD1) is a critical enzyme in the first step of catalyzation in the formation of SQDG in rice. In this study, the expression pattern of different zones in roots of OsSQD1 in response to different Pi conditions is examined, and it is found that OsSQD1 is highly expressed in lateral roots under Pi-sufficient and -deficient conditions. The root phenotype observation of different OsSQD1 transgenic lines suggests that the knockout/down of OsSQD1 inhibits the formation and growth of lateral roots under different Pi conditions. Additionally, the lipid concentrations in OsSQD1 transgenic line roots indicate that OsSQD1 knockout/down decreases the concentration of phospholipids and glycolipids in Pi-starved roots. The OsSQD1 mutation also changes the composition of different lipid species with different acyl chain lengths, mainly under Pi-deprived conditions. The relative transcript expression of genes relating to glycolipid synthesis and phospholipid degradation is estimated to help study the mechanism by which OsSQD1 exerts an influence on the alteration of lipid composition and concentration in Pi-starved roots. Moreover, in Pi-starved roots, the knockout of OsSQD1 decreases the unsaturated fatty acid content of phospholipids and glycolipids. To summarize, the present study demonstrates that OsSQD1 plays a key role in the maintenance of phospholipid and glycolipid composition in Pi-deprived rice roots, which may influence root growth and development under Pi-deprived conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its dual gas- and liquid-like properties, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is considered an excellent solvent for dissolving precursors and penetrating nanoscale pores. After subsequent calcination, uniformly dispersed metal or metal oxide nanoparticles or nanowires can be obtained. Organometallic salts are commonly used precursors in this method because they usually have high solubility in scCO2. Therefore, solubility data are essential for the controllable synthesis of such nanocomposites. This work establishes a facile and accessible method for measuring the solubility of organic solids in scCO2. The solubilities of copper acetylacetonate and cobalt acetylacetonate were obtained at temperatures of 313–333 K and pressures of 11–24 MPa. And the solubilities were within 2.3 × 10−2 to 14.1 × 10−2 g/L for Cu(acac)2 and 6.9 × 10−2 to 13.4 × 10−2 g/L for Co(acac)2. The experimental data were fitted to the semi-empirical model with the AARD values of 4.58% and 2.14% for Cu(acac)2 and Co(acac)2, respectively, and the obtained equations could be used to predict solubility of the same systems in the experimental range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a solution method is used to synthesize lead‐free Cs3Sb2Br9 perovskite microplatelets. The freshly prepared microplatelets exhibit photoluminescence (PL) peaks at about 420 and 600 nm, when the excitation wavelengths are 325 and 532 nm, respectively. The 420 nm PL band is attributed to the band edge excitonic recombination while the 600 nm PL band originates from radiative defect state. The 600 nm emission is stronger than that of the 420 nm emission, implying the high density of defects and relatively poor crystal quality. Moreover, 2D PL and Raman mappings indicate the presence of defects at the edges. These features suggest the crystal quality, so as the structural stability of the Cs3Sb2Br9 microplatelets obtained by solution method is relatively inferior. During the storage, the Cs3Sb2Br9 microplatelets significantly degrade and the PL rapidly quenches. To improve the stability, a surface capping strategy by oleic acid (OA) is developed. The PL intensity retains more than 80% and the morphology maintains after storage for about one month, demonstrating the improved stability of the OA‐capped Cs3Sb2Br9 microplatelets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypersensitivity to general anaesthetics predicts adverse postoperative outcomes in patients. Hypoxia exerts extensive pathophysiological effects on the brain; however, whether hypoxia influences sevoflurane sensitivity and its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.Methods: Mice were acclimated to hypoxia (oxygen 10% for 8 h day-1) for 28 days and anaesthetised with sevoflurane; the effective concentrations for 50% of the animals (EC50) showing loss of righting reflex (LORR) and loss of tail-pinch withdrawal response (LTWR) were determined. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography, O-glycoproteomics, seahorse analysis, carbon-13 tracing, site-specific mutagenesis, and electrophysiological techniques were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms.Results: Compared with the control group, the hypoxia-acclimated mice required higher concentrations of sevoflurane to present LORR and LTWR (EC50LORR: 1.61 [0.03]% vs 1.46 [0.04]%, P<0.01; EC50LTWR: 2.46 [0.14]% vs 2.22 [0.06]%, P<0.01). Hypoxia-induced reduction in sevoflurane sensitivity was correlated with elevation of protein O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification in brain, especially in the thalamus, and could be abolished by 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine, a glutamine fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase inhibitor, and mimicked by thiamet-G, a selective O-GlcNAcase inhibitor. Mechanistically, O-GlcNAcylation drives de novo synthesis of glutamine from glucose in astrocytes and promotes the glutamate-glutamine cycle, partially via glycolytic flux and activation of glutamine synthetase.Conclusions: Intermittent hypoxia exposure decreased mouse sensitivity to sevoflurane anaesthesia through enhanced O-GlcNAc-dependent modulation of the glutamate-glutamine cycle in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering analysis is an unsupervised learning method, which has applications across many fields such as pattern recognition, machine learning, information security, and image segmentation. The density-based method, as one of the various clustering algorithms, has achieved good performance. However, it works poor in dealing with multidensity and complex-shaped datasets. Moreover, the result of this method depends heavily on the parameters we input. Thus, we propose a novel clustering algorithm (called the MST-DC) in this paper, which is based on the density core. Firstly, we employ the reverse nearest neighbors to extract core objects. Secondly, we use the minimum spanning tree algorithm to cluster the core objects. Finally, the remaining objects are assigned to the cluster to which their nearest core object belongs. The experimental results on several synthetic and real-world datasets show the superiority of the MST-DC to Kmeans, DBSCAN, DPC, DCore, SNNDPC, and LDP-MST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gliomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumors in adults. The fifth edition of the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, published in 2021, provided molecular and practical approaches to CNS tumor taxonomy. Currently, molecular features are essential for differentiating the histological subtypes of gliomas, and recent studies have emphasized the importance of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations in stratifying biologically distinct subgroups of gliomas. IDH plays a significant role in gliomagenesis, and the association of IDH status with prognosis is very clear. Recently, there has been much progress in conventional MR imaging (cMRI), advanced MR imaging (aMRI), and radiomics, which are widely used in the study of gliomas. These advances have resulted in an improved correlation between MR signs and IDH mutation status, which will complement the prediction of the IDH phenotype. Although imaging cannot currently substitute for genetic tests, imaging findings have shown promising signs of diagnosing glioma subtypes and evaluating the efficacy and prognosis of individualized molecular targeted therapy. This review focuses on the correlation between MRI and MRI-based radiomics and IDH gene-phenotype prediction, discussing the value and application of these techniques in the diagnosis and evaluation of the prognosis of gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Chinese queer activism by offering an empirically grounded discussion of the Beijing Rainbow Film Festival. The central argument is that while the exterior image of the film festival is to foster a context for queer culture and transform queer politics, an interior view of the festival's aim is to widen repertoires of acquaintance. The Beijing Rainbow Film Festival nourishes discursive urban experiences of foreseeable obstacles and expected coalitions, which fully embrace local indie filmmakers, tongzhi activists, cinephiles and LGBT spectatorship. It mirrors a ritual gathering, filled with conflict, resistance and variability alongside celebration. The analysis offered utilises a wide-ranging methodology drawn from urban, film, queer and organisational studies and seeks to juxtapose the tactics of depoliticisation with performative activism. In examining the relationship between the film festival and queer communities, cinephiles, (queer) auteurs, and the festival's curators, the article first examines the film festival for its depoliticising tendencies, in line with hegemonic neo-liberal society and the dynamics of urban politics in the context of an authoritarian state. The article finally analyses the organisation's performative practices, which I argue advance an ostensibly subversive position vis-à-vis political agents and the aesthetics of tongzhi films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the first endoplasmic reticulum-targeted near-infrared fluorescent probe, ISO-Chy, with a dicyanoisophorone derivative as a fluorophore is reported by introducing the recognition group of 4-bromobutyl for chymotrypsin detection. The probe can be easily synthesized and has shown satisfactory sensitivity and selectivity to chymotrypsin. Meanwhile, ISO-Chy has a large Stokes shift (135 nm) to minimize self-absorption and interference from autofluorescence and then generate significant fluorescence enhancement upon incubation with chymotrypsin. Additionally, ISO-Chy has an excellent ability to target the endoplasmic reticulum, along with preferable Pearson's correlation coefficients (Rr) of 0.9411 and 0.9522 in P815 cells and HepG2 cells, respectively. Moreover, ISO-Chy was successfully utilized to visualize endogenous chymotrypsin in P815 cells and HepG2 cells and was first used to detect chymotrypsin activity in HepG2 tumor-bearing mice. These findings indicate that ISO-Chy could be an effective tool for detecting endogenous chymotrypsin activity, supporting its use for investigating chymotrypsin function in pathologic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In this work, we modified a BiVO 4 photoanode with bilayer Fe-MOF and Ni-MOF as cocatalysts for the first time and obtained a highly efficient BiVO 4 composite photoanode whose photocurrent density was increased by 2.7 times. The optimized BiVO 4 /Fe-MOF/Ni-MOF photoanode demonstrated a photocurrent density of 1.80 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The onset potential of the BiVO 4 /Fe-MOF/Ni-MOF photoanode markedly decreased from 0.9 V to 0.69 V in comparison with the pure BiVO 4 photoanode. It is speculated that Fe-MOF and Ni-MOF led to more reactive oxygen evolution sites and that the bilayer cocatalysts synergistically promoted the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which may be the influencing factor for the photoelectrochemical performance of the BiVO 4 /Fe-MOF/Ni-MOF photoanode being distinctively enhanced. Thus, this work sheds some interesting new light on the construction of a high-efficiency photoanode for photoelectrochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the symmetric-triangular (ST) decomposition technique, a class of block ST (BST) preconditioners are proposed for generalized saddle point linear systems arising from the meshfree discretization of piezoelectric equations. By applying the BST preconditioners, we first transform the generalized saddle point linear systems into symmetric positive definite ones, which then can be solved in a fast and efficient way by the classical conjugate gradient (CG) or the preconditioned CG (PCG) iteration methods. Two practical BST preconditioners are presented and analyzed in detail. Eigen-properties and upper bounds of the condition numbers of the preconditioned matrices are proved. Implementation aspects are discussed. Finally, two numerical experiments arising from the piezoelectric strip shear deformation problem and the piezoelectric strip bending problem are presented. Numerical results show that the iteration steps of the PCG methods are independent of the number of degrees of freedom and the proposed BST preconditioners perform much better than some existing preconditioning techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NMF has been applied in about 130 fields (disciplines) in recent years. • The use of NMF in programming languages (free platforms) is summarized. • The classical basic NMF optimization methods are used in many NMF algorithms. • Supervised learning and reinforcement learning are gradually included in NMF. • Dynamic, case-by-case, and self-correction NMF methods are supposed to be developed. Although nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) is widely used, some matrix factorization methods result in misleading results and waste of computing resources due to lack of timely optimization and case-by-case consideration. Therefore, an up-to-date and comprehensive review on its algorithms and applications is needed to promote improvement and applications for NMF. Here, we start with introducing background and gathering the principles and formulae of NMF algorithms. There have been dozens of new algorithms since its birth in the 1990s. Generally, several or even more algorithms are adopted in a single software package written in R, Python, C/C++, etc. Besides, the applications of NMF are analyzed. NMF is not only most widely used in modern subjects or techniques such as computer science, telecommunications, imaging science, and remote sensing but also increasingly used in traditional subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and psychology, being accepted by around 130 fields (disciplines) in about 20 years. Finally, the features and performance of different categories of NMF are summarized and evaluated. The summarized advantages and disadvantages and proposed suggestions for improvements are expected to enlighten the future efforts to polish the mathematical principles and procedures of NMF to realize higher accuracy and productivity in practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid organ malignancy with a high mortality rate. Statistics indicate that its incidence has been increasing as well as the associated deaths. Most patients with PDAC show poor response to therapies making the clinical management of this cancer difficult. Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to the development of resistance to therapy in PDAC cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most prevalent stromal cells in the TME, promote a desmoplastic response, produce extracellular matrix proteins and cytokines, and directly influence the biological behavior of cancer cells. These multifaceted effects make it difficult to eradicate tumor cells from the body. As a result, CAF-targeting synergistic therapeutic strategies have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity in CAF origin, definition, and function, as well as high plasticity, majority of the available CAF-targeting therapeutic approaches are not effective, and in some cases, they exacerbate disease progression. This review primarily elucidates on the effect of CAFs on therapeutic efficiency of various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Strategies for CAF targeting therapies are also discussed. • The original, phenotypic, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs in PDAC are summarized. • The double-edged sword role of CAFs in various PDAC therapy was elucidation in detailed. • The CAF-related targeting strategies in PDAC were also mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breastfeeding might prevent childhood cancer by stimulating the immune system. Methods: The following databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, were searched from inception to January 10, 2021. Results: In dose-dependent manner, there was a statistically significant inverse association between any breastfeeding and the incidence of childhood cancer. There was no evidence that breastfeeding was inversely related to childhood cancer of the skeletal, reproductive, or sensory systems. However, breastfeeding was inversely associated with the incidence of hematological malignancies and cancers of the nervous and urinary systems. Among hematological malignancies, the relationship was significant for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but not for acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), or non-HL. Conclusions: The evidences demonstrated that breastfeeding have a potential protective role in preventing selective childhood cancer growth, especially for ALL, AML, cancer of nervous and urinary systems. This study recommended that breastfeeding be extended for as long as possible or maintained for at least 6 months to prevent selective childhood cancer growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is highly prevalent in British South Asians, yet they are underrepresented in research. Genes & Health (G&H) is a large, population study of British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis (BPB) comprising genomic and routine health data. We assessed the extent to which genetic risk for T2D is shared between BPB and European populations (EUR). We then investigated whether the integration of a polygenic risk score (PRS) for T2D with an existing risk tool (QDiabetes) could improve prediction of incident disease and the characterisation of disease subtypes.Methods and Findings: In this observational cohort study, we assessed whether common genetic loci associated with T2D in EUR individuals were replicated in 22,490 BPB individuals in G&H. We replicated fewer loci in G&H (n = 76/338, 22%) than would be expected given power if all EUR-ascertained loci were transferable (n = 101, 30%; p = 0.001). Of the 27 transferable loci that were powered to interrogate this, only 9 showed evidence of shared causal variants. We constructed a T2D PRS and combined it with a clinical risk instrument (QDiabetes) in a novel, integrated risk tool (IRT) to assess risk of incident diabetes. To assess model performance, we compared categorical net reclassification index (NRI) versus QDiabetes alone. In 13,648 patients free from T2D followed up for 10 years, NRI was 3.2% for IRT versus QDiabetes (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0% to 4.4%). IRT performed best in reclassification of individuals aged less than 40 years deemed low risk by QDiabetes alone (NRI 5.6%, 95% CI 3.6% to 7.6%), who tended to be free from comorbidities and slim. After adjustment for QDiabetes score, PRS was independently associated with progression to T2D after gestational diabetes (hazard ratio (HR) per SD of PRS 1.23, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.42, p = 0.028). Using cluster analysis of clinical features at diabetes diagnosis, we replicated previously reported disease subgroups, including Mild Age-Related, Mild Obesity-related, and Insulin-Resistant Diabetes, and showed that PRS distribution differs between subgroups (p = 0.002). Integrating PRS in this cluster analysis revealed a Probable Severe Insulin Deficient Diabetes (pSIDD) subgroup, despite the absence of clinical measures of insulin secretion or resistance. We also observed differences in rates of progression to micro- and macrovascular complications between subgroups after adjustment for confounders. Study limitations include the absence of an external replication cohort and the potential biases arising from missing or incorrect routine health data.Conclusions: Our analysis of the transferability of T2D loci between EUR and BPB indicates the need for larger, multiancestry studies to better characterise the genetic contribution to disease and its varied aetiology. We show that a T2D PRS optimised for this high-risk BPB population has potential clinical application in BPB, improving the identification of T2D risk (especially in the young) on top of an established clinical risk algorithm and aiding identification of subgroups at diagnosis, which may help future efforts to stratify care and treatment of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Developing the supercritical carbon dioxide microemulsion with a broad water content (W 0) window can provide more possibility for designing highly efficient chemical processes, which is challenging due to the lack of comprehension about its formation mechanism. Molecular dynamics simulation method is expected to reveal the microscopic stabilization mechanism of high-W 0 microemulsions. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the ternary systems with varied W 0 stabilized by 4FG(EO) 2 surfactant were designed according to phase behavior experiments. A systematic investigation was performed concerning the self-assembling, equilibrium morphology and detailed microstructure of the microemulsion droplet. An in-depth comparative study about the distribution of both H 2 O and CO 2 , the interfacial behaviors of 4FG(EO) 2 , as well as the microscopic interactions was conducted. For the first time, direct evidence was provided for the formation of water-in-carbon dioxide microemulsion with extremely high W 0 (80) under the effect of 4FG(EO) 2. Furthermore, a unique interfacial phenomenon, i. e. CO 2 accumulating at the interface, was revealed to be responsible for the formation and enhanced stability of the nanosized droplet with high W 0. This should set a new guiding star for synthesizing and selecting effective interfacial modifiers to create high-W 0 microemulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to explore the fluctuating expression of C/EBP Homologous Protein (CHOP) following rat carotid artery injury and its central role in vascular stenosis. Using in vivo rat carotid artery injury models and in vitro ischemia and hypoxia cell models employing human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (T/G HA-VSMCs), a comprehensive investigative framework was established. Histological analysis confirmed intimal hyperplasia in rat models. CHOP expression in vascular tissues was assessed using Western blot and immunohistochemical staining, and its presence in HAECs and T/G HA-VSMCs was determined through RT-PCR and Western blot. The study evaluated HAEC apoptosis, inflammatory cytokine secretion, cell proliferation, and T/G HA-VSMCs migration through Western blot, ELISA, CCK8, and Transwell migration assays. The rat carotid artery injury model revealed substantial fibrous plaque formation and vascular stenosis, resulting in an increased intimal area and plaque-to-lumen area ratio. Notably, CHOP is markedly elevated in vessels of the carotid artery injury model compared to normal vessels. Atorvastatin effectively mitigated vascular stenosis and suppresses CHOP protein expression. In HAECs, ischemia and hypoxia-induced CHOP upregulation, along with heightened TNFα, IL-6, caspase3, and caspase8 levels, while reducing cell proliferation. Atorvastatin demonstrated a dose-dependent suppression of CHOP expression in HAECs. Downregulation of CHOP or atorvastatin treatment led to reduced IL-6 and TNFα secretion, coupled with augmented cell proliferation. Similarly, ischemia and hypoxia conditions increased CHOP expression in T/G HA-VSMCs, which was concentration-dependently inhibited by atorvastatin. Furthermore, significantly increased MMP-9 and MMP-2 concentrations in the cell culture supernatant correlated with enhanced T/G HA-VSMCs migration. However, interventions targeting CHOP downregulation and atorvastatin usage curtailed MMP-9 and MMP-2 secretion and suppressed cell migration. In conclusion, CHOP plays a crucial role in endothelial injury, proliferation, and VSMCs migration during carotid artery injury, serving as a pivotal regulator in post-injury fibrous plaque formation and vascular remodeling. Statins emerge as protectors of endothelial cells, restraining VSMCs migration by modulating CHOP expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abnormal level of SO2 is closely related to many diseases. Therefore, developing an effective method for the detection of SO2 in biological environments has important physiological and pathological significance. In this work, a new fluorescent probe (CA-SO2) was designed and synthesized for efficiently and specifically detecting SO2 derivatives through nucleophilic addition reaction. The novel fluorescent probe (CA-SO2) showed high selectivity, fast response time (within 50 s), and low detection limit (LOD = 75 nM). Furthermore, after adding SO2 derivatives to the probe solution, the color of the solution changes from orange to colorless, which allows "naked eye" detection for SO2. Moreover, the probe has a large Stokes shift (129 nm) and excellent biocompatibility. The probe has been successfully applied to the detection of SO2 derivatives in living cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To change row spacing is a common agricultural practice to adjust plant density to enhance plant growth and development. Here we examined the fine root (≤1.0 mm in diameter) distribution and morphological characteristics of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in the 7th growth year under three row spacing settings (20 cm, 40 cm and 60 cm) on a terrace field in the semi-arid Loess Plateau region. Roots from 0 to 150 cm soil layers were utilized to evaluate the root biomass, distribution and morphological traits in April and October 2016. Results showed that fine root biomass (FRB) mainly distributed in the 0–40 cm soil layer, and it was higher under the 20 cm and 40 cm than that under the 60 cm row spacing treatment. FRB in October was lower than in April under all three row spacings. Compared with 20 cm and 60 cm row spacing, root surface area, root length density and specific root length under 40 cm row spacing were higher, while root diameter was smaller. These conferred switchgrass with larger soil exploration and root-soil interface. It implied that switchgrass grown under 40 cm row spacing had stronger ability on exploiting soil resources in the semi-arid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tongue sole tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI-2) C-terminus derived peptide, TC38, has previously been shown to kill Vibrio vulnificus cells without lysing the cell membrane; thus, the remaining bacterial shell has potential application as an inactivated vaccine. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the immune response induced by the novel V. vulnificus vaccine. The protective potential of TC38-killed V. vulnificus cells (TKC) was examined in a turbot model. Fish were intramuscularly vaccinated with TKC or FKC (formalin-killed V. vulnificus cells) and challenged with a lethal-dose of V. vulnificus. The results showed that compared with FKC, TKC was effective in protecting fish against V. vulnificus infection, with relative percent of survival (RPS) rates of 53.29% and 63.64%, respectively. The immunological analysis revealed that compared with the FKC and control groups, the TKC group exhibited: 1) significantly higher respiratory burst ability and bactericidal activity of macrophages at 7 d post-vaccination; 2) increased alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, lysozyme, and total superoxide dismutase levels post-vaccination; 3) higher serum agglutinating antibody titer with corresponding higher serum bactericidal ability, and a more potent serum agglutination effect, as well as an increased IgM expression level; 4) higher expression of immune relevant genes, which were involved in both innate and adaptive immunity. Taken together, this is the first study to develop a novel V. vulnificus inactivated vaccine based on AMP inactivation, and TKC is an effective vaccine against V. vulnificus infection for aquaculture. • TKC was generated by using TC38, a tongue sole TFPI-2 C-terminus derived peptide. • Fish vaccinated with TKC exhibited greater protection than that of FKC. • TKC stimulated higher innate and adaptive immune response in turbot than FKC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To assess the clinical efficiency of a novel ophthalmic viscosurgical device-free (OVD-free) method for intraocular collamer lens (EVO-ICL) implantation in myopic eyes. Methods. In this study, 40 patients underwent ICL implantation for both eyes: one eye underwent traditional ICL implantation, and the other eye underwent OVD-free (pure) ICL implantation. Preoperative and postoperative UDVA, BCVA, equivalent spherical degree (SE), IOP, visual quality index, subjective visual quality scale, corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), operation time, and complications were compared between and within the traditional and pure ICL implantation groups. Results. Increased IOP >22 mmHg 2 h after surgery was noted in 8 eyes (20%) in the traditional group, but not in the pure group (0%, P < 0.001). Increased IOP relative to baseline was significantly higher at 2 h after surgery for the traditional group compared with the pure group (P < 0.001). UDVA, BCVA, and SE were significantly improved in the pure group compared with those in the traditional group 1 day (P < 0.001 , P = 0.003) after implantation, but not 1 week or 3 months after. Modulation transfer function cut-off frequency (MTF cut-off), Strehl ratio (SR), and OV20% were significantly better in the pure group than in the traditional group 1 day after implantation (P = 0.013 , P = 0.009 , and P = 0.004). No significant difference in ECD changes within or between groups was observed (P > 0.05). The operation time for the pure group (2.897 ± 0.346 min) was significantly shorter than that for the traditional group (4.444 ± 0.656 min; P < 0.001). No complications were reported for either group during the observation period, except early IOP elevation in the traditional group. Conclusions. The pure ICL implantation method was associated with faster visual acuity recovery, shorter operation time, and more stable intraocular pressure. Pure ICL represents a safe and convenient method for ICL implantation compared with the traditional method, completely eliminating OVD-related complications without causing additional complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater desalination is vital to our modern civilization. Here, we report that the carbon honeycomb (CHC) has an outstanding water permeability and salt rejection in the seawater desalination, as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. More than 92% of ions are rejected by CHC at applied pressures ranging from 50 to 250 MPa. CHC has a perfect salt rejection at pressures below 150 Mpa. On increasing the applied pressure up to 150 MPa, the salt rejection reduces only to 92%. Pressure, temperature and temperature gradient are noted to play a significant role in modulating the water flux. The water flux increases with pressure and temperature. With the introduction of a temperature gradient of 3.5 K nm−1, the seawater permeability increases by 33% as compared to room temperature. The water permeability of the CHC is greater than other carbon materials and osmosis membranes including graphene (8.7 times) and graphyne (2.1 times). It indicates the significant potential of the CHC for commercial application in water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hezhengia bohlini is one of the extinct bovids with the most abundant material, especially skulls. To date, skulls have been described, and the phylogenetic relationships and dietary habits have been discussed, but the ontogenetic processes of this special bovid with robust horn cores and a heavily built cranium have not yet been explored. Intraspecific variation in H. bohlini is high, but the variation ranges of different parts of the skull are unknown. In this study, we took 28 measurements and distinguished five age stages from sub-adult to senile. We described the ontogeny of the horn core, dentition, and skull and compared allometric growth and intraspecific variations of different parts of the skull. Although horn core growth and cranial roof arching are supposed highly related, horn core robustness is not related to cranium shape, basioccipital size, nor skull length or width. The rapid horn core growth of H. bohlini occurs in a very short period, from sub-adult to adult, whereas minor modifications and the deposition of exostoses are lifelong processes. The ontogenetic trajectory of H. bohlini differs from that of the closely related urmiatherine, Urmiatherium intermedium, in its late horn core development and cranial roof elevation, but characteristic features of basicranium development are only slightly different in both species. This study not only provides a good model for the study of ontogenetic and intraspecific variations in fossil bovids but also provides a framework for classifying other bovids known from fewer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial outer membrane (OM), an asymmetric lipid bilayer functioning as a self-protective barrier with reduced permeability for Gram-negative bacteria, yet wasting nutrients and energy to synthesize, has not been studied for its effect on bioproduction. Here we construct several OM-defected halophile Halomonas bluephagenesis strains to investigate the effects of OM on bioproduction. We achieve enhanced chassis properties of H. bluephagenesis based on positive cellular properties among several OM-defected strains. The OM-defected H. bluephagenesis WZY09 demonstrates better adaptation to lower salinity, increasing 28%, 30% and 12% on dry cell mass (DCM), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) accumulation and glucose to PHB conversion rate, respectively, including enlarged cell sizes and 21-folds reduced endotoxin. Interestingly, a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co -21mol%4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB- co -21mol%4HB)) is produced by H. bluephagenesis WZY09 derivate WZY249, increasing 60% and 260% on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production and 4HB content, respectively. Furthermore, increased electroporation efficiency, more sensitive isopropyl β -D-1-thio-galactopyranoside (IPTG) induction, better oxygen uptake, enhanced antibiotics sensitivity and ectoine secretion due to better membrane permeability are observed if OM defected, demonstrating significant OM defection impacts for further metabolic engineering, synthetic biology studies and industrial applications. • Bacterial outer membrane (OM) defected cells increased permeability for better substance exchange and electroporation. • OM-defected Halomonas bluephagenesis enhanced growth, intra- and extracellular bioproduction. • OM-defected cells generate less LPS (endotoxin) to ensure more biosafety. • OM-defected cells are more sensitive to osmotic pressure, IPTG induction and electroporation. • OM-defected cells serve better as chassis for further engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method of detecting the single channel triaxial magnetic field information based on diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color center is introduced. Firstly, the incident angle of the bias magnetic field which can achieve the equal frequency difference optically-detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectrum of diamond NV color center is calculated theoretically, and the triaxial magnetic information solution model is also constructed. Secondly, the microwave time-controlled circuit module is designed to generate equal timing and equal frequency difference microwave pulse signals in one channel. Combining with the optical detection magnetic resonance technology, the purpose of sequentially locking and detecting the four formant signals on one side of the diamond NV color center (ms = –1 state signal) is achieved, and the vector magnetic field information detection is accomplished by combining the triaxial magnetic information solution model. The system can obtain magnetic field detection in a range of 0 mT–0.82 mT. The system's magnetic noise sensitivity is 14.2 nT/Hz1/2, and the deviation angle errors of magnetic field detection θx and θy are 1.3° and 8.2° respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures are potential candidates for next-generation semiconductor materials due to their extremely thin atomic structure and better optoelectronic properties. As a common method for growing heterostructures, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can synthesize both lateral and vertical heterostructures. However, the controlled synthesis of heterostructures still faces challenges due to fewer studies about the evolution of heterostructure morphology under different conditions. In this study, heterostructures with sharp interfaces are fabricated via the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth-based CVD technique using mixed sodium molybdate and sodium tungstate solutions. By optimizing a series of growth parameters, the modulation of MoxW1−xS2/MoS2 heterostructure morphology is achieved. In addition, lateral and vertical MoxW1−xS2/MoS2 heterostructures are synthesized by changing the molybdenum–tungsten molar ratio. This study provides a new strategy for synthesizing heterostructures with different growth ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• BA selectively inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation by acting on the upstream of ASC oligomerization. • BA attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-mediated inflammation and MSU-induced peritonitis mouse model. • BA can serve as a drug candidate for NLRP3 inflammasome-driven diseases. Brevilin A (BA), is a natural biologically active ingredient derived from Centipeda minima with several reports of anti-cancer, while its anti-inflammatory activity is rarely reported. Current studies have found the dysregulated activation of NLRP3 inflammasome cause a variety of inflammatory diseases. Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to the treatment of NLRP3-induced diseases. Here, we found that BA significantly attenuates the activation of caspase-1 and the subsequent secretion of the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in mouse macrophages and human THP-1 cells, showing the inhibitory effect of BA on the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Moreover, BA specifically inhibits NLRs inflammasomes activation triggered by multi-stimuli, but it has no effect on the AIM2 inflammasome activation, indicating that BA is a specific inhibitor of the NLRs inflammasomes. Research on the mechanism found BA inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation by blocking the upstream of ASC oligomerization. Importantly, in vivo experiments showed that BA markedly reduces the secretion of IL-1β to suppress NLRP3 inflammasome in the LPS-induced inflammation and MSU-challenged peritonitis model. In conclusion, our experiments show that BA is an effective NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor and can be regarded as a drug candidate for NLRP3 inflammasome-driven diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chamaerhodos is a small genus with ca 7–8 species with a disjunct distribution in Asia and western North America. Due to limited sampling of species and genes in previous studies, little is known about the phylogenetic relationships among the species. Moreover, chloroplast genomic resources for Chamaerhodos have been limited. Herein, we conducted a comparative analysis of the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of five Chamaerhodos species. The five cp genomes had a typical quadripartite structure with high conservation of gene content and gene order. These five cp genomes encoded an identical set of 129 genes, including 84 protein‐coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. Comparison of the boundaries between the IRs and single copy regions revealed only very slight boundary differences and the five cp genomes showed only little sequence divergence. Seven regions (trnR‐UCU‐atpA, trnS‐GCU‐trnG‐UCC, TrnG‐GCC‐trnfM‐CAU, trnL‐UAA intron, trnH‐GUG‐psbA, trnF‐GAA‐ndhJ, matK‐5′‐trnK‐UUU) were identified as excellent candidate markers. A total of 117, 108, 116, 117 and 118 perfect SSRs were detected in the cp genomes of Ch. altaica, Ch. canescens, Ch. erecta, Ch. sabulosa and Ch. trifida, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis support the monophyly of Chamaerhodos and place it as part of the Fragariinae clade sister to the clade of Dasiphora, Drymocallis and Potaninia. Within Chamaerhodos, Ch. canescens was inferred sister to a clade containing the other four species. The detailed characterization of the Chamaerhodos chloroplast genomes sets the foundation for further studies on the genus and its close relatives in the economically important Rosaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is caused by the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in esophageal mucosa. Of note, the earliest and the most frequent molecular behavior in the complicated pathogenesis of ESCA is DNA methylation. In the present study, we downloaded data of 178 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to explore specific DNA methylation sites that affect prognosis in ESCA patients. Consequently, we identified 1,098 CpGs that were significantly associated with patient prognosis. Hence, these CpGs were used for consensus clustering of the 178 samples into seven clusters. Specifically, the samples in each group were different in terms of age, gender, tumor stage, histological type, metastatic status, and patient prognosis. We further analyzed 1,224 genes in the corresponding promoter regions of the 1,098 methylation sites, and enriched these genes in biological pathways with close correlation to cellular metabolism, enzymatic synthesis, and mitochondrial autophagy. In addition, nine representative specific methylation sites were screened using the weighted gene coexpression network analysis. Finally, a prognostic prediction model for ESCA patients was built in both training and validation cohorts. In summary, our study revealed that classification based on specific DNA methylation sites could reflect ESCA heterogeneity and contribute to the improvement of individualized treatment and precise prognostic prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Scanning projection-based stereolithography (SPSL) is a powerful technology for additive manufacturing with high resolution as well as large building area. However, the surface quality of stitching boundary in an SPSL system has been rarely studied, and no positive settlement was proposed to address the poor stitching quality. This paper aims to propose an approach of multi-pass scanning and a compensation algorithm for multi-pass scanning process to address the issue of poor stitching quality in SPSL systems. Design/methodology/approach: The process of multi-pass scanning is realized by scanning regions repeatedly, and the regions can be cured simultaneously because of the very short repeat exposure time and very fast scanning. Then, the poor stitching quality caused by the non-simultaneous curing can be eliminated. Also, a compensation algorithm is designed for multi-pass scanning to reduce the stitching errors. The validity of multi-pass scanning is verified by curing depth test, while the performance of multi-pass scanning as well as proposed compensation algorithm is demonstrated by comparing with that of a previous SPSL system. Findings: The results lead to a conclusion that multi-pass scanning with its compensation algorithm is an effective approach to improve the stitching quality of an SPSL system. Practical implications: This study can provide advice for researchers to achieve the satisfactory surface finish with SPSL technology. Originality/value: The authors proposed a process of multi-pass scanning as well as a compensation algorithm for SPSL additive manufacturing (system to improve the stitching quality, which has rarely been studied in previous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the health website is an easily accessible source for patients to use when seeking health information, the quality of online health information has been a critical issue that concerns all stakeholders in healthcare. The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between users' evaluation of the health website quality and their gaze behavior on the web pages. Eye tracking and a self-report questionnaire based on the HONcode principles were used to address the objective. We found that (1) the evaluations of authority, privacy, financial disclosure, and advertising policy are positively correlated with the fixation count and total fixation duration toward corresponding page components, while the evaluations of complementarity and attribution are negatively correlated with the fixation count and total fixation duration to corresponding page components; and (2) the fixation count and total fixation duration toward health information sources are negatively related to the evaluation of health website quality, while the fixation count and total fixation duration to site owner are positively related to the quality evaluation. Users' attention to page components is closely related to the evaluation of principles, and also has a certain impact on the overall quality evaluation of a health website. Based on the findings, our research may serve to improve the health website design and be a foundation to develop an automatic evaluation approach of the health website quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]