Search

SCAP plays a central role in controlling lipid homeostasis by activating SREBP-1, a master transcription factor in controlling fatty acid (FA) synthesis. However, how SCAP expression is regulated in human cancer cells remains unknown. Here, we revealed that STAT3 binds to the promoter of SCAP to activate its expression across multiple cancer cell types. Moreover, we identified that STAT3 also concurrently interacts with the promoter of SREBF1 gene (encoding SREBP-1), amplifying its expression. This dual action by STAT3 collaboratively heightens FA synthesis. Pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 significantly reduces the levels of unsaturated FAs and phospholipids bearing unsaturated FA chains by reducing the SCAP-SREBP-1 signaling axis and its downstream effector SCD1. Examination of clinical samples from patients with glioblastoma, the most lethal brain tumor, demonstrates a substantial co-expression of STAT3, SCAP, SREBP-1, and SCD1. These findings unveil STAT3 directly regulates the expression of SCAP and SREBP-1 to promote FA synthesis, ultimately fueling tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased velocity associated with decaying seismicity in the subducting oceanic crust usually has been attributed to its eclogitization. However, the degree of the eclogitization of subducting oceanic crust at depth remains unclear due to the lack of velocity data for eclogite at pressures of >3 GPa. In this study, the P- and S-wave velocities of eclogite aggregates composed of omphacite and garnet (Omp100, Omp80Grt20, and Omp- 50Grt50) were measured simultaneously at pressures of up to 8 GPa using ultrasonic interferometry. The velocities of the eclogite aggregates increased with rising pressure and garnet content. By determining the velocities at different pressures using the finite strain equation, the elastic moduli of the eclogites and their pressure derivatives were determined to be KS0 = 119-134 GPa, KS0‰ = 5.2-5.3, G0 = 73-80 GPa, and G0‰ = 1.5-1.6. The high-wave velocity and low VP/VS ratio of the eclogites, combined with the seismic tomography and seismicity distribution, jointly constrain the depth and composition of eclogitization in the subducted oceanic crust of Northeast Japan, and a new 1-D velocity structure is proposed. We also compiled and calculated the depth of the eclogitization and the garnet content of the subducting oceanic crusts in 27 typical locations around the Pacific Ocean. The depth of the eclogitization was positively correlated with the age of the subduction zone, and the garnet content was estimated to be 12%-32% in our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hybrid finite-element model was developed for heat flux and temperature analyses in porous material. The model in this paper was based on an assumed heat flux hybrid finite-element method, which is a twofield functional. An independent heat flux field that meets a priori inner thermal equilibrium was assumed inside the element, and a temperature field was assumed on the cell boundary. Temperature was used as the Lagrange multiplier to introduce the continuous condition of heat flux at the hole edge into the functional, and a modified complementary energy functional was obtained. The element flux field that was built up of polynomial terms and reciprocal terms from the stream function and that can consider the shape of pores in location coordinates was raised for the first time. Several numerical examples are discussed and compared with conventional finite-element methods to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spliceosome, a multi-megadalton ribonucleoprotein complex, is essential for pre-mRNA splicing in the nucleus and ensuring genomic stability. Its precise and dynamic assembly is pivotal for its function. Spliceosome malfunctions can lead to developmental abnormalities and potentially contribute to tumorigenesis. The specific role of the spliceosome in B cell development is poorly understood. Here, we reveal that the spliceosomal U2 snRNP component PHD finger protein 5A (Phf5a) is vital for early B cell development. Loss of Phf5a results in pronounced defects in B cell development, causing an arrest at the transition from pre-pro-B to early pro-B cell stage in the bone marrow of mutant mice. Phf5a-deficient B cells exhibit impaired immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) chain expression due to defective V-to-DJ gene rearrangement. Mechanistically, our findings suggest that Phf5a facilitates IgH gene rearrangement by regulating the activity of recombination-activating gene endonuclease and influencing chromatin interactions at the Igh locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have focused on applying machine learning models in bottom hole pressure (BHP) prediction. However, the complex and uncertain conditions in deep wells make it difficult to capture spatial and temporal correlations of measurement while drilling (MWD) data with traditional intelligent models. In this work, we develop a novel hybrid neural network, which integrates the Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and the Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU) for predicting BHP fluctuations more accurately. The CNN structure is used to analyze spatial local dependency patterns and the GRU structure is used to discover depth variation trends of MWD data. To further improve the prediction accuracy, we explore two types of GRU-based structure: skip-GRU and attention-GRU, which can capture more longterm potential periodic correlation in drilling data. Then, the different model structures tuned by the Bayesian optimization (BO) algorithm are compared and analyzed. Results indicate that the hybrid models can extract spatial-temporal information of data effectively and predict more accurately than random forests, extreme gradient boosting, back propagation neural network, CNN and GRU. The CNNattention-GRU model with BO algorithm shows great superiority in prediction accuracy and robustness due to the hybrid network structure and attention mechanism, having the lowest mean absolute percentage error of 0.025%. This study provides a reference for solving the problem of extracting spatial and temporal characteristics and guidance for managed pressure drilling in complex formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of diverse homologs from lead compounds has been a common and important practice in medicinal chemistry. However, homologation of carboxylic acid derivatives, particularly amides, remains challenging. Here we report a hook-and-slide strategy for homologation of tertiary amides with tunable lengths of the inserted carbon chain. Alkylation at the a-position of the amide (hook) is followed by highly selective branched-to-linear isomerization (slide) to effect amide migration to the end of the newly introduced alkyl chain; thus, the choice of alkylation reagent sets the homologation length. The key step involves a carbon-carbon bond activation process by a carbene-coordinated rhodium complex with assistance from a removable directing group. The approach is demonstrated for introduction of chains as long as 16 carbons and is applicable to derivatized carboxylic acids in complex bioactive molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manchette is a crucial transient structure involved in sperm development, with its composition and regulation still not fully understood. This study focused on investigating the roles of CAMSAP1 and CAMSAP2, microtubule (MT) minus-end binding proteins, in regulating manchette MTs, spermiogenesis, and male fertility. The loss of CAMSAP1, but not CAMSAP2, disrupts the well-orchestrated process of spermiogenesis, leading to abnormal manchette elongation and delayed removal, resulting in deformed sperm nuclei and tails resembling oligoasthenozoospermia symptoms. We investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms by purifying manchette assemblies and comparing them through proteomic analysis, and results showed that the absence of CAMSAP1 disrupted the proper localization of key proteins (CEP170 and KIF2A) at the manchette minus end, compromising its structural integrity and hindering MT depolymerization. These findings highlight the significance of maintaining homeostasis in manchette MT minus-ends for shaping manchette morphology during late spermiogenesis, offering insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying infertility and sperm abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbiotic interactions between legumes and rhizobia lead to the development of root nodules and nitrogen fixation by differentiated bacteroids within nodules. Differentiation of the endosymbionts is reversible or terminal, determined by plant effectors. In inverted repeat lacking clade legumes, nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides control the terminal differentiation of bacteroids. Medicago truncatula contains ~700 NCR-coding genes. However, the role of few NCR peptides has been demonstrated. Here, we report characterization of fast neutron 2106 (FN2106), a symbiotic nitrogen fixation defective (fix-) mutant of M. truncatula. Using a transcript-based approach, together with linkage and complementation tests, we showed that loss-offunction of NCR343 results in impaired bacteroid differentiation and/or maintenance and premature nodule senescence of the FN2106 mutant. NCR343 was specifically expressed in nodules. Subcellular localization studies showed that the functional NCR343-YFP fusion protein colocalizes with bacteroids in symbiosomes in infected nodule cells. Transcriptomic analyses identified senescence-, but not defense-related genes, as being significantly upregulated in ncr343 (FN2106) nodules. Taken together, results from our phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses of a loss-of-function ncr343 mutant demonstrate an essential role of NCR343 in bacteroid differentiation and/or maintenance required for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of modified Park's technique in children with strabismus. Methods: A total of 120 patients were recruited in the Department of Ophthalmology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Anhui, China between January 2019 and December 2021. The patients were divided into study and control groups comprising 60 patients each. Control group underwent rectus muscle adjustment suture using standard incision, while study group received modified Park's technique, which involved intermuscular membrane incision and conjunctiva two-layer suture method. Various parameters such as perioperative indicators, tear film function, and patient satisfaction were assessed. Results: The study group had significantly lower intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery and length of hospital stay (p < 0.01). Also, it showed significantly higher Schirmer's time, tear film break-up time (TFBUT) time and significantly lower corneal staining score (p < 0.01). Satisfaction level was significantly higher in the study group compared to control group (p < 0.05). So also was clinical efficacy (91.67 %) compared to control group (83.33 %). Furthermore, study group exhibited significantly lower incidence of complications (5) compared to control group (11; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Enhanced Park's technique improves perioperative indicators, tear film function, and satisfaction level; it also produces high efficacy and lower incidence of complications. This suggests that it might be a viable substitute for conventional treatment of children with exotropia. However, long-term follow-up data will be required to establish the superiority of this treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus hystrix has been widely used as beverages, traditional condiments and folk medicines. In this study, 5,6-dihydroxypyranoflavone (1), a new flavonoid with an oxidized prenyl group, and three known phenols (2-4), were separated from the leaves of this plant. Their structures were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic data including 1D NMR, 2D NMR and mass spectral analysis. Additionally, 5,6- dihydroxypyranoflavone (1) exhibited moderate antioxidant effect against DPPH and ABTS free radicals with IC50 values of 18.28 ± 0.36 and 12.46 ± 0.82 μM, respectively. The results suggested that the dietary plant Citrus hystrix could be considered as a potential source of natural antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanistic steps that underlie the formation of higher hydrocarbons in catalytic carbon monoxide (CO) hydrogenation at atmospheric pressure over cobalt-based catalysts (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) have remained poorly understood. We reveal nonisothermal rate-and-selectivity oscillations that are self-sustained over extended periods of time (’24 hours) for a cobalt/cerium oxide catalyst with an atomic ratio of cobalt to cerium of 2:1 (Co2Ce1) at 220°C and equal partial pressures of the reactants. A microkinetic mechanism was used to generate rate-and-selectivity oscillations through forced temperature oscillations. Experimental and theoretical oscillations were in good agreement over an extended range of reactant pressure ratios. Additionally, phase portraits for hydrocarbon production were constructed that support the thermokinetic origin of our rate-and-selectivity oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topological ferromagnet CoS2 exhibits an anhysteretic, weakly first-order transition at the Curie temperature of 119.8 K with a tricritical point µ0Htcp at 0.034 T. Magnetic symmetry and the mixing of majority and minority spin eg bands at a subband crossing just above the Fermi level produce a topological component of the magnetization that leads to a negative M3 term in the Landau free energy. The position of the Fermi level relative to the subband crossing is critical for controlling the order of the transition. Hole doping in Co0.89Fe0.11S2 drains the minority-spin eg pocket and results in a normal second-order phase transition. Electron doping in Co0.94Ni0.06S2 raises the Fermi level toward the subband gap, producing a strongly first-order transition with 15 K hysteresis. Our results demonstrate a relation between topological electronic structure and thermal hysteresis at the Curie point, which may help in the search for magnetocaloric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jurassic Da'anzhai Member of the Sichuan Basin has good prospects in shale oil exploration and development. However, the lack of research on the relationship between different lithofacies and oil-bearing property restricts the research on the geological theory and further exploration and development of shale oil in Da'anzhai Member. Based on core, fluorescence thin sections, rock pyrolysis, total organic carbon (TOC), extraction of chloroform bitumen 'A', and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests, the oil-bearing characteristics and reservoir physical properties in different lithofacies of Da'anzhai Member were analyzed. The results suggest that the oil-bearing and physical properties of shale are better than shell lime-stone and their peperite. The crude oil discharge from thick shale is limited because of the petrophysical property difference. The Da2b layer thick shale has the best shale oil exploration and development potential, which is the focus of the next step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies a spatial econometric model to examine the impact of three-dimensional distance on interprovincial tourism economic spillover effects using panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019. The impacts of technological innovation, ecological environment, informatization level, industrial structure, infrastructure facilities, and location, on the indirect effect of the tourism economy are comparatively analyzed. It explores the regional characteristics and developmental changes of tourism economic spillover. The results show that, first, based on the three spatial matrices, the direct and total effect values of technological innovation are the largest when close to each other, and technological innovation among provinces with higher economic volumes significantly promotes positive interprovincial tourism economic spillover. Second, ecological environment is the main promoting factor of positive tourism economic spillover among neighboring provinces in China's western region. Third, industrial structure optimization shows a significant positive spatial spillover effect. Fourth, with gradual infrastructure improvement, the influence of infrastructure facilities on the spillover effect of interprovincial tourism economy weakens gradually. Fifth, improved information technology levels can effectively promote positive spatial spillover of the tourism economy. Sixth, the influence of location on the positive spatial spillover of the interprovincial tourism economy shows a gradually increasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chronic lung injury and dysregulated cellular homeostasis in response to particulate matter (PM) exposure are closely associated with adverse health effects. However, an effective intervention for preventing the adverse health effects has not been developed. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation on lung injury and elucidate the mechanism by which NMN improved immune function following subchronic PM exposure. METHODS: Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were placed in a real-ambient PM exposure system or filtered air-equipped chambers (control) for 16 wk with or without NMN supplementation in drinking water (regarded as Con-H2O, Exp-H2O, Con-NMN and Exp-NMN groups, respectively) in Shijiazhuang City, China (푛 = 20/group). The effects of NMN supplementation (500 mg/kg) on PM-induced chronic pulmonary inflammation were assessed, and its mechanism was characterized using single-cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of whole lung cells. RESULTS: The NMN-treated mice exhibited higher NAD+ levels in multiple tissues. Following 16-wk PM exposure, slightly less pulmonary inflammation and less collagen deposition were noted in mice with NMN supplementation in response to real-ambient PM exposure (Exp-NMN group) compared with the Exp-H2O group (all 푝 < 0.05). Mouse lung tissue isolated from the Exp-NMN group was characterized by fewer neutrophils, monocyte-derived cells, fibroblasts, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells induced by subchronic PM exposure as detected by scRNA-seq transcriptomic analysis. The improved immune functions were further characterized by interleukin-17 signaling pathway inhibition and lower secretion of profibrotic cytokines in the Exp-NMN group compared with the Exp-H2O group. In addition, reduced proportions of differentiated myofibroblasts and profibrotic interstitial macrophages were identified in the NMN-supplemented mice in response to PM exposure. Furthermore, less immune function suppression and altered differentiation of pathological cell phenotypes NMN was related to intracellular lipid metabolism activation. DISCUSSION: Our novel findings suggest that NMN supplementation mitigated PM-induced lung injury by regulating immune functions and improving lipid metabolism in male mice, providing a putative intervention method for prevention of human health effects associated with PM exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singlet fission (SF), whereby a singlet exciton is converted into a pair of triplet excitons, can improve the efficiency of solar cells. Pentacene has been extensively studied as the most promising SF compound, owing to its 200% yield of triplet states. However, the easy degradation of pentacene in the presence of light and air owing to photooxidation cannot be explained by the classical ¹O2 generation mechanism. To address this issue, in the present study, pentacene nanorods (Pc NRs) are prepared as a novel photosensitizer (PS); self-carried Pc NRs exhibited higher ¹O2 generation capacity. Thus, a novel ¹O2 generation mechanism is proposed based on the SF effect. The initial photon absorption occurs to access single-exciton states, S1–S3. Excited-state Pc pairs accelerate the SF effect in pentacene NRs, leading to a non-adiabatic transition to the dark D state. Dark D state is a singlet state by two triplets coupled overall, and it can transfer its energy to ³O2 for generating ¹O2. Using Pc NRs as PSs, photodynamic therapy (PDT) inhibits tumor growth in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice upon 405-nm-wavelength and 650-nm-wavelength laser irradiations. This study paves the way to discover novel PSs that are not considered with classical ¹O2 generation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of crab spider are described from the Xiaolong Mountains in Gansu Province, China: Ebelingia spirala sp. nov. (♂♀) and Lysiteles longensis sp. nov. (♂♀). Detailed morphological characters, a distribution map, photographs, and illustrations of the habitus and copulatory organs are given for each species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of massive infrastructure projects in Africa suffers from a shortage in natural aggregate materials, such as coarse sand and gravel for cemented sand and gravel (CSG) for hydraulic projects, which would delay progress and raise costs. In response to the scarcity of CSG aggregates and the challenges in the environment-friendly disposal of excavation waste, a design method for the mix proportion of CSG by using jaw-crushed material was proposed, and this method was suitable for similar projects to be constructed in Africa. First, the target grading for coarse aggregates was set based on Fuller's ideal grading to determine the optimal ratio of jaw-crushed material and smaller stones for gradation adjustment. Second, the target grading for fine aggregates was determined to be the III zone fineness modulus and obtained by seeking the proper ratio of local ultrafine river sand and artificial sand produced from rock grinding. Then, considering the compressive strength, the optimal CSG mix proportion was determined, where both volcanic ash and cement were added as cementitious materials. Finally, the proposed design method for jaw-crushed-material-based CSG was applied in the construction of a temporary overflow cofferdam at the Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power station in Africa, and its feasibility and effectiveness were verified. The results indicate that the optimal ratio between the jawcrushed material and small stones for the coarse aggregate of CSG is 0.85:0.15 (by weight by default unless otherwise specified), the best ratio of ultrafine river sand and artificial sand for the fine aggregate of CSG is 4:6 by weight, the optimum sand content of CSG is 30%, the water-cement ratio is 1.11, and the optimal dosage of volcanic ash is 58.3 kg per cubic meters of CSG (kg/CSG m³). The engineering practice of the temporary CSG overflow cofferdam demonstrates that the use of jaw-crushed material for CSG is feasible, and the proposed CSG mix proportion design method achieved the efficient utilization of jaw-crushed material, which can reduce the environmental impact of excavation waste and ensure the completion of temporary high-quality overflow cofferdam for seasonal floods. This study provides valuable scientific and engineering references for similar CSG projects that may use jaw-crushed material for the design and construction and has important scientific and engineering significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been increasingly used for cancer patients due to the fast delivery and improved dose conformity. Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) can significantly decrease dose to normal tissues and allow for dose escalation. However, current imaging techniques cannot provide four‑dimensional (4D) patient anatomy or dose information during VMAT, which is critical for ART that involves respiratory motion. A novel imaging tool named VMAT–computed tomography (VMAT‑CT) has the potential to reveal intra‑fractional patient information. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 4D adaptive VMAT based on 4D VMAT‑CT. Materials and Methods: A commercial QUASAR respiratory phantom and an in‑house deformable lung phantom were used in this study, and lung VMAT plans, including 4D union plan and 4D ART plan, were generated for the phantoms. A real lung patient’s plan was also used in this feasibility study. ART plans based on 4D VMAT‑CT were created for the phantoms and the real patient when planning goals were not met. Dose escalation plan based on 4D VMAT‑CT was also created for the real patient. Results: Planning target volume (PTV) coverage for the QUASAR phantom was 85.5% after breathing pattern being changed, and went up to 95% after adaptive re‑planning. PTV coverage for the deformable phantom was 93% after deformation and breathing pattern being changed, and went up to 95% after re‑planning. Re‑planning and dose escalation were feasible and can spare normal tissues for the real patient. 4D ART plan based on 4D VMAT‑CT required smaller margins than 4D union plan while maintaining the same prescription dose coverage. Conclusions: ART based on 4D VMAT‑CT is feasible and would potentially facilitate re‑planning and PTV dose escalation for VMAT patients who have the motion issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple ring rot, which is caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea, severely affects apple production. The mechanisms employed in apple cells against B. dothidea remain unknown. In this research, the pathogen infection mode and the relationship between cell death and disease resistance in 'Fuji'/B. dothidea interaction pathosystem were investigated. By using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), our research showed that the pathogen infects apple cells both intracellularly and extracellularly. However, compared with that in immature fruit, the incidence of hyphae in the interior of mature apple fruit cells increased dramatically, suggesting that cell wall-mediated penetration resistance could be important in apple resistance against B. dothidea. TEM ultrastructural characterization identified the nuclear morphology of programmed cell death induction in both apple fruit and callus cells under B. dothidea infection. Overexpression of MdVDAC2 (MDP0000271281), which encodes an outer-membrane localized anion channel protein in mitochondria, significantly promoted cell death under B. dothidea infection and simultaneously inhibited pathogen infection, suggesting that cell death represents a disease resistance mechanism in apple against B. dothidea infection. Furthermore, BdCatalase (KAF4307763), a cytochrome P450 family protein BdCYP52A4 (KAF4300696), and subtilisin-domain containing proteins were identified from B. dothidea -secreted proteins, which suggested the potential involvement of active oxygen species and phytoalexins in combating B. dothidea infection and triggering or dampening apple resistance. Collectively, our research suggested that cell wall-mediated penetration resistance, programmed cell death machinery and microbial effector-interrelated signaling were among strategies recruited in apple to combat B. dothidea. The current research laid the foundation for further investigations into resistance mechanisms in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies a spatial econometric model to examine the impact of three-dimensional distance on interprovincial tourism economic spillover effects using panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019. The impacts of technological innovation, ecological environment, informatization level, industrial structure, infrastructure facilities, and location, on the indirect effect of the tourism economy are comparatively analyzed. It explores the regional characteristics and developmental changes of tourism economic spillover. The results show that, first, based on the three spatial matrices, the direct and total effect values of technological innovation are the largest when close to each other, and technological innovation among provinces with higher economic volumes significantly promotes positive interprovincial tourism economic spillover. Second, ecological environment is the main promoting factor of positive tourism economic spillover among neighboring provinces in China's western region. Third, industrial structure optimization shows a significant positive spatial spillover effect. Fourth, with gradual infrastructure improvement, the influence of infrastructure facilities on the spillover effect of interprovincial tourism economy weakens gradually. Fifth, improved information technology levels can effectively promote positive spatial spillover of the tourism economy. Sixth, the influence of location on the positive spatial spillover of the interprovincial tourism economy shows a gradually increasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cells play critical roles both in the development of cancer and therapy resistance. Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can actively migrate to tumor sites, their impact on chimeric antigen receptor modified T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy has been little addressed. Using an in vitro cell co-culture model including lymphoma cells and macrophages, here we report that CAR-T cell-mediated cytotoxicity was significantly inhibited in the presence of MSCs. MSCs caused an increase of CD4+ T cells and Treg cells but a decrease of CD8+ T cells. In addition, MSCs stimulated the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and programmed cell death-ligand 1 which contributes to the immune-suppressive function of tumors. Moreover, MSCs suppressed key components of the NLRP3 inflammasome by modulating mitochondrial reactive oxygen species release. Interestingly, all these suppressive events hindering CAR-T efficacy could be abrogated if the stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) gene, which encodes the glycoprotein hormone STC-1, was knockdown in MSC. Using xenograft mice, we confirmed that CAR-T function could also be inhibited by MSC in vivo, and STC1 played a critical role. These data revealed a novel function of MSC and STC-1 in suppressing CAR-T efficacy, which should be considered in cancer therapy and may also have potential applications in controlling the toxicity arising from the excessive immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we present a new two-electrode photo-rechargeable FTO/TiO2/Cs3Bi2I9/Pt/FTO system. The key material is the photoactive lead-free perovskite Cs3Bi2I9, which performs photoelectric conversion and provides energy storage. This study is the first example of a battery system in which charging and discharging are based on bismuth redox chemistry. In the photo-charged state, the fabricated battery has an open-circuit voltage of ~0.28 V in the dark. With a series-connected pack of these batteries, an LED was lit for tens of seconds in the dark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient chemical synthesis is critical to satisfying future demands for medicines, materials, and agrochemicals. Retrosynthetic analysis of modestly complex molecules has been automated over the course of decades, but the combinatorial explosion of route possibilities has challenged computer hardware and software until only recently. Here, we explore a computational strategy that merges computer-aided synthesis planning with molecular graph editing to minimize the number of synthetic steps required to produce alkaloids. Our study culminated in an enantioselective three-step synthesis of (2)-stemoamide by leveraging high-impact key steps, which could be identified in computer-generated retrosynthesis plans using graph edit distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airfoil flow field data acquisition is pivotal to the study of aerodynamics, traditionally relying on time-consuming computational fluid dynamics simulations or expensive wind tunnel tests. Herein, we introduce a new methodology leveraging Transformer Neural Network (TNN), which differs from conventional methodologies by employing self-attention mechanisms, to effectively predict these critical flow field data using historical data. A comprehensive set of experiments demonstrates the TNN model’s exceptional predictive accuracy, achieving over 95% across various airfoils under various operating conditions. Beyond accuracy and efficiency, we introduce an attention principle in our TNN model enhancing its interpretability. By aligning the TNN model’s attention distribution with the aerodynamic principles of airfoils, we illustrate how it utilises these geometric attributes in its predictions, thereby offering theoretical backing to its predictive outcomes. Our TNN model’s commendable accuracy, efficiency and interpretability illuminate the pathway for continued exploration in the fusion of deep learning with computational fluid dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) is widely used in patients with pleural effusion (PE). This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively summarize the clinical complication from IPC. We searched four large electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library) for potentially relevant studies and assessed the included studies' quality using the methodological index for nonrandomized studies' criteria. Extracted data were used to pool rates, and to conduct subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Forty-one studies involving a cumulative 4983 patients with 5650 IPCs were included in this meta-analysis. The overall incidence of IPC complications was 20.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.0-26.3). The top four complications were: overall infection incidence 5.7% (95% CI: 0.7-2.4); overall catheter abnormality incidence 4.4% (95% CI: 2.8-6.3); pain incidence 1.2% (95% CI: 0.4-2.4); and overall loculation incidence 0.9% (95% CI: 0.1-2.1). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses for overall complications and infections by country, PE site, and PE type demonstrated these factors did not contribute significantly to heterogeneity. Further subgroup analyses for infection of benign PE showed that the overall infection incidence (12.6% [95% CI: 8.1-17.8] vs 0.7% [95% CI: 0.0-4.5]) and empyema incidence (9.1% [95% CI: 5.3-13.8] vs 0.0% [95% CI: 0.0-2.3]) of patients with liver-related PE were significantly higher than that of patients with heart-related PE. Our meta-analysis showed reliable pooled incidences of IPC-related complications, with infection being the most common. These results serve to remind clinicians about the incidence of IPC-related complications and emphasize the importance of taking corresponding preventive and therapeutic steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semi-rigid base road causes the road arching disease under the unique climate environment in the desert area. To solve this problem, numerical simulation technology, and thermodynamics theory were used to calculate the temperature field and stress field inside the road structure, and the engineering treatment measures of setting expansion joint in the semi-rigid base were proposed, and its application effect was verified. On this basis, the reasonable parameters of expansion joint setting were explored to provide a reference for the formulation of relevant specifications. The results show that the semi-rigid base produces extrusion stress under the action of ambient temperature, which leads to accumulation effect and makes the road arch. The smaller the elastic modulus and the wider the expansion joint, the more significant the absorption effect of extrusion stress. The height and vertical position of the expansion joint has no significant effect on the height development of the arch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burns not only damage the skin barrier, but also cause a series of inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress states. Among them, elderly patients are prone to suffer severe burns due to degenerative changes of their skin caused by aging factors, such as atrophy and thinning, etc. After burns, the body will continuously release inflammatory factors, resulting in systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and oxidative stress, which are related to the poor treatment effect and the poor prognosis of elderly burn patients. It seems to be difficult for conventional treatments to control the disease development of elderly burn patients effectively. Considering the rapidly increasing elderly population, it is priority to understand the pathological process and the mechanisms to formulate more appropriate treatment strategies for elderly burn patients. In recent years, owing to considerable advances in nanotechnology, a variety of nanomaterials have been developed for wound healing and inflammation regulation. Its good biocompatibility, cell proliferation stimulation and antibacterial properties make the clinical treatment strategy more optimized. Concurrently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have also been used in the burns field and have been proven effective in not only controlling the level of inflammation and regulating the systemic immune balance, but also promoting wound healing and vascularization. Here, this review covers burns classification, the pathological process of elderly burn patients, and the research progress of nanotechnology and MSCs in burns. Eventually, we summarize the advantages and challenges of emerging strategies such as nanotechnology and MSCs in the treatment of elderly burn patients, expecting to promote the clinical transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the value of single or combined detection of procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum amyloid A (SAA) and c-reactive protein (CRP) in the differential diagnosis of simple and strangulated intestinal obstruction. Methods: This retrospectively study collected 61 patients with intestinal obstruction. The patients were classified into the group of simple or strangulated intestinal obstruction according to operation. The age, sex, basic diseases, lesion sites and inflammatory indicators such as PCT, IL-6, SAA and CRP in two groups were collected and analyzed. The Students' T-test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively. The categorical variable was analyzed by the chi-square test. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to predict the differential diagnostic value of single and combined detection of the above clinical inflammatory indicators. Results: The serum levels of PCT, IL-6, SAA and CRP of the strangulated group were significantly higher than those of the simple group (p < .05). The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.907 for PCT, 0.712 for IL-6, 0.723 for SAA and 0.681 for CRP. With the cutoff values of PCT (0.24 ng/L), IL-6 (19.55 pg/L), SAA (282.50 mg/L) and CRP (63.00 mg/L), the sensitivity and specificity were 86.40% and 87.20% for PCT, 68.20% and 76.90% for IL-6, 59.10% and 87.20% for SAA, 63.60% and 87.20% for CRP, respectively. And the sensitivity and specificity were 86.40% and 89.70% for combined model. The differences between PCT and the combined model are tiny and neither clinically nor statistically significant. Conclusions: For discriminating strangulated intestinal obstruction from simple intestinal obstruction, PCT alone may be the preferred approach due to its simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies from targeted and untargeted metabolomics have consistently revealed that diet-related metabolites, including carnitine (C0), several species of acylcarnitines (AcyCNs), amino acids, ceramides, and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) may serve as potential multiple myeloma (MM) biomarkers. However, most of these approaches had some intrinsic limitations, namely low reproducibility and compromising the accuracy of the results. Objective: This study developed and validated a precise, efficient, and reliable liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for measuring these 28 metabolic risk factors in human serum. Design: This method employed isopropanol to extract the metabolites from serum, gradient elution on a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic column (HILIC) for chromatographic separation, and multiple reaction monitor (MRM) mode with positive electrospray ionization (ESI) for mass spectrometric detection. Results: The correlation coefficients of linear response for this method were more than 0.9984. Analytical recoveries ranged from 91.3 to 106.3%, averaging 99.5%. The intra-run and total coefficients of variation were 1.1-5.9% and 2.0-9.6%, respectively. We have simultaneously determined the serological levels of C0, several subclasses of AcyCNs, amino acids, ceramides, and LPCs within 15 min for the first time. Conclusion: The established LC-MS/MS method was accurate, sensitive, efficient, and could be valuable in providing insights into the association between diet patterns and MM disease and added value in further clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), as a natural flavonoid, has been proven to have therapeutic potential for corneal neovascularization (CNV) treatment; however, its therapeutic use is restricted due to its poor aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability. To overcome these limitations, a novel ISL-loaded nanoemulsion (ISL-NE) was designed for inhibiting CNV in this study. ISL-NE formulation was composed of propylene glycol dicaprylate (PGD), Cremophor® EL (EL35), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) and adding water with sodium hyaluronate, its particle size was 34.56 ± 0.80 nm with a low polydispersity index of less than 0.05, which suggested a narrow size distribution. The results demonstrated that ISL-NE released higher and permeated more drug than ISL suspension (ISL-Susp) in in vitro drug release and ex vivo corneal permeation study. ISL-NE showed no cytotoxicity in human corneal epithelial cells toxicity study, which was consistent with the result of ocular irritation study in rabbit eyes. ISL-NE had bioavailability 5.76-fold, 7.80-fold and 2.13-fold higher than ISL-Sups in tears, cornea and aqueous humor after a single dose of ISL-NE, respectively. Furthermore, the efficacy of ISL-NE treatment (0.2% ISL) was comparable to that of dexamethasone treatment (0.025%) in the inhibition of CNV in mice model. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the expressions of corneal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2) were decreased. In conclusion, the ISL-NE demonstrated excellent physicochemical properties, good tolerance, and enhanced ocular bioavailability. It could be a promising, safe, and effective treatment for CNV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the ideological and political (IAP) training of the college and university students is of a great interest for everyone due to the rapid change in the political issues and the race of super power. By analyzing the present states and research on the system of evaluating the IAP training of college students, it is obvious that the current evaluation systems are not satisfactory and have different deficiencies such as openness, transparency, and lack of supervision. The existing systems are pretty straightforward, and the assessment process is not open enough. The evaluation systems are not solid, and there are still many challenges for the evaluation system of IAP training of college students. Students can only accomplish a comparably fair and scientific assessment result by building an efficient and innovative decision-making system with the help of analyzing the evaluation system of the IAP education of the students. This allows the students to get to know each other more closely and better promote their overall growth. In this research work, we examined the present assessment systems of IAP education and presented a paper in order to emphasize its shortcomings and flaws such as openness, transparency, the lack of a distinct evaluation system, and supervision. Further, we examined the values of big data analytics in assessing college students' IAP education and present a new evaluation method based on big data analytics. The new approach assures the results transparency and openness, and hence, the evaluation system is assessed more accurately. Based on the experimental and evaluation results, it is recommended that the college teachers should understand the value of big data, and a separate platform needs to be developed through which different institutions may exchange data about the assessment system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection leads to autophagy, and the molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PPRV infection results in morphological changes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and activation of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) of the ER stress unfolded protein response (UPR). Knockdown of ATF6 blocked the autophagy process, suggesting ATF6 is necessary for PPRV-mediated autophagy induction. Further study showed that PPRV infection upregulates expression of the ER-anchored adaptor protein stimulator of interferon genes (STING), which is well-known for its pivotal roles in restricting DNA viruses. Knockdown of STING suppressed ATF6 activation and autophagy induction, implying that STING functions upstream of ATF6 to induce autophagy. Moreover, the STING-mediated autophagy response originated from the cellular pattern recognition receptor melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5). The absence of MDA5 abolished the upregulation of STING and the activation of autophagy. The deficiency of autophagy-related genes (ATG) repressed the autophagy process and PPRV replication, while it had no effect on MDA5 or STING expression. Overall, our work revealed that MDA5 works upstream of STING to activate ATF6 to induce autophagy. IMPORTANCE PPRV infection induces cellular autophagy; however, the intracellular responses and signaling mechanisms that occur upon PPRV infection are obscure, and whether innate immune responses are linked with autophagy to regulate viral replication is largely unknown. Here, we uncovered that the innate immune sensor MDA5 initiated the signaling cascade by upregulating STING, which is best known for its role in anti-DNA virus infection by inducing interferon expression. We first provide evidence that STING regulates PPRV replication by activating the ATF6 pathway of unfolded protein responses (UPRs) to induce autophagy. Our results revealed that in addition to mediating responses to foreign DNA, STING can cross talk with MDA5 to regulate the cellular stress response and autophagy induced by RNA viruses; thus, STING works as an adaptor protein for cellular stress responses and innate immune responses. Modulation of STING represents a promising approach to control both DNA and RNA viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus can cause a decrease in tear secretion and tear film composition, resulting in a series of pathological changes such as the stability of tear film, the increased risk of inflammation, peripheral neuropathy and impairment of meibomian glands, leading to dry eye. The imbalance of inflammatory mediators in diabetic patients and the injury of ocular surface are the main factors that aggravate dry eye. Nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome was related to the occurrence and development of various systemic diseases. Evaluate the difference between nod-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome and diabetic dry eye parameters in diabetic dry eye patients, analyze the trend of correlation and discuss its mechanism. All subjects received teardrop break time, tear Schirmer’s I test, fluorescein staining score and objective scatter index measurement. The level of nod-like receptor protein 3, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interleukin-18 in tears meanwhile nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interleukin-18, superoxide dismutase, monoamine oxidase type B in serum was measured by double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the promoter gene expression levels of nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, toll-like receptor 4, tumor necrosis factor alpha were determined by real-time quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. BUT in diabetic dry eye patients was shortened, tear Schirmer’s I test and fluorescein staining scores were reduced and the levels of nod-like receptor protein 3, interleukin1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 in tear increased significantly while the change of interleukin-10 was nonstatistical significance. Nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-18 in serum were increased significantly and superoxide dismutase, monoamine oxidase type B were decreased statistically, meanwhile, levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-10 has no statistical difference. The results of real-time quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction showed that levels of nod-like receptor protein 3, caspase-1, toll-like receptor 4, tumor necrosis factor alpha were statistically increased also. Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a strong positive correlation between nod-like receptor protein 3 levels and diabetic dry eye. The level of nod-like receptor protein 3 in diabetic dry eye increased significantly. There was a positive correlation between the clinical parameters and nod-like receptor protein 3 levels in diabetic dry eye, suggesting that regulation of nod-like receptor protein 3 level may provide new ideas for preventing and treating diabetic dry eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnels are crucial for transportation networks, necessitating regular inspection and structural deterioration evaluation to ensure their operational capacity. Previously, only traditional models have been developed to characterize the overall degradation of tunnels and with data shuffling the models trained ignore the utilization of historical data for future scenarios. To address the two gaps mentioned here, this study focuses on developing a data-driven ensemble learning strategy, covering both traditional and state-of-the-art deep learning-based models for future tunnel overall condition evaluation. Our strategy encompasses the latest data collection, preprocessing, model building on historical data, selection, and ensemble learning for assessing future cases. Hence, our model can accurately predict the overall condition of tunnels to optimize the maintenance and intervention plans. Compared to existing methods, our strategy improves accuracy with a more updated database, robustness against data imbalance, and generalizability to diverse tunnel databases and machine learning models. • Novel data-driven strategy evaluates tunnel deterioration accurately and robustly. • Use of both the latest and traditional models enhances model coverage. • Comparative analysis of numerical and categorical features in model performance. • A robust and accurate strategy for diverse tunnel datasets and model choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable and abundant carbohydrates are promising feedstocks for producing valuable chemicals. Here we report a highly efficient Zr-catalysed conversion of xylose and acetylacetone (acac) to a new type of bisfuranic monomer, 1-(4-((4-acetyl-5-methylfuran-2-yl)methyl)-2-methylfuran-3-yl)ethenone (MFE). The formation of MFE stems from the intermediate obtained through the nucleophilic addition of acac to xylose. Under optimized conditions (microwave irradiation, 140 °C, 24 min, NaI as an additive), MFE is obtained in near-quantitative yield (98%). Importantly, the reaction selectivity can be tuned by the inclusion of an additive. When NaCl is used, the reaction gives 3-(furan-2-ylmethylene)pentane-2,4-dione (FMPD, 55%), a jet-fuel precursor, and MFE (30%) with a total carbon yield of 85%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on straightforward xylose transformation to a bisfuranic compound with excellent carbon efficiency. This Garcia Gonzalez (GG) reaction inclusive strategy is remarkable and could lead to many innovations in bio-based polymer synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stemness of cancer cells contributes to tumorigenesis, the heterogeneity of malignancies, cancer metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. However, the roles and regulatory mechanisms maintaining stemness among breast cancer subtypes remain elusive. Our previous studies have demonstrated that ectopic expression and dynamic alteration of the mesenchymal transcription factor forkhead box F2 (FOXF2) differentially regulates breast cancer progression and metastasis organotropism in a cell subtype-specific manner. Here, we reveal the underlying mechanism by which FOXF2 enhances stemness in luminal breast cancer cells but suppresses that in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) cells. We show that luminal breast cancer and BLBC cells with FOXF2-regulated stemness exhibit partial mesenchymal stem cell properties that toward osteogenic differentiation and myogenic differentiation, respectively. Furthermore, we show that FOXF2 activates the Wnt signaling pathway in luminal breast cancer cells but represses this pathway in BLBC cells by recruiting nuclear receptor coactivator 3 (NCoA3) and nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCoR1) to the promoters of Wnt family member 2B (WNT2B) and frizzled class receptor 1 (FZD1) genes to activate and repress their transcription, respectively. We propose that targeting the Wnt signaling pathway is a promising strategy for the treatment of breast cancers with dysregulated expression of FOXF2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Unflattened photon beams exhibit many benefits over traditional flattened beams for radiotherapy (RT), but comprehensive evaluations of dosimetric results and beam-on time using flattening filter-free (FFF) beams for all types of breast irradiations are still lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate if FFF RT can maintain equal or better dose coverage than standard flattened-beam RT while reducing doses to organs at risk (OARs) and beam-on time for various types of breast cancer irradiations. Methods and Materials: FFF volumetric-modulated arc therapy (FFF -VMAT) and standard VMAT (STD-VMAT) treatment plans were created for 15 whole-breast irradiation (WBI) patients with 50 Gy/25 fractions, 13 partial-breast irradiation (PBI) patients with 38.5 Gy/10 fractions, and 9 postmastectomy irradiation (PMI) patients with 50 Gy/25 fractions. Planning target volume (PTV) coverage and dose to OARs were evaluated. Results: Both techniques produced clinically acceptable plans for all three types of irradiations. For WBI, FFF-VMAT plans exhibited similar PTV and OARs evaluation metrics as STD-VMAT. For PBI, FFF-VMAT plans showed significantly lower mean and maximum doses for ipsilateral and contralateral lungs, contralateral breast, and heart. For PMI, FFF -VMAT plans showed significantly lower mean dose and V5 for contralateral breast but significantly higher Dmean, Dmax, and V20 for ipsilateral lung and significantly higher Dmean, V22.5, and V30 for heart. FFF-VMAT techniques significantly reduced beam-on time than STD-VMAT for all cases. Conclusion: This work has shown that FFF beams are most beneficial for small-field irradiation such as PBI, and breast cancer patients could potentially benefit from the shortened beam-on time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous study, we found that a new type of Chikungunya virus particle with a complete capsid deletion (DC-CHIKV) is still infectious in BHK-21 cells and demonstrated its potential as a live attenuated vaccine candidate. However, the low yield as well as the disability to propagate in vaccine production cell line Vero of DC-CHIKV are not practical for commercial vaccine development. In this study, we not only achieved the successful propagation of the viral particle in Vero cells, but significantly improved its yield through construction of a chimeric VEEV-DC-CHIKV and extensive passage in Vero cells. Mechanistically, high production of VEEV-DCCHIKV is due to the improvement of viral RNA packaging efficiency conferred by adaptive mutations, especially those in envelope proteins. Similar to DC-CHIKV, the passaged VEEV-DC-CHIKV is safe, immunogenic, and efficacious, which protects mice from CHIKV challenge after only one shot of immunization. Our study demonstrates that the utilization of infectious capsidless viral particle of CHIKV as a vaccine candidate is a practical strategy for the development of alphavirus vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about the logic operations performed by semiconductor-based transistors are the basis of modern computing. It mentions about the concept of using topological defects in active matter to perform logic operations. It discusses the potential to perform computations and transmit information in active soft materials.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a combination of Shuangdan Mingmu capsules and laser therapy in diabetic retinopathy (DR), as well as on blood glucose index and quality of life. Methods: One hundred and twenty DR patients admitted to Zhenba County Peoples Hospital, Shaanxi were assigned equally to 2 groups: A and B. Retinal laser photocoagulation was performed for group B patients, while Shuangdan Mingmu capsules were given to group A, in addition to laser treatment. Ophthalmic parameters, blood glucose indices, ultrasonic indices, platelet parameters, quality of life, and incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) were determined and compared between groups A and B. Results: Following treatment, group A had significantly better ophthalmic parameters, blood glucose indices and platelet parameters (p < 0.05); better ultrasonic indices and quality of life (p < 0.001), and lower ADRs (p < 0.05) than group B. Conclusion: The combination of Shuangdan Mingmu capsules and laser therapy effectively cures ocular lesions, controls blood glucose, and lowers ADR in DR patients. Therefore, the combined therapy should be further investigated for the management of diabetic retinopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We formulate a microscopic, force-level statistical mechanical theory for the activated diffusion of dilute penetrants in dense liquids, colloidal suspensions, and glasses. The approach explicitly and self-consistently accounts for coupling between penetrant hopping and matrix dynamic displacements that actively facilitate the hopping event. The key new ideas involve two mechanistically (at a stochastic trajectory level) coupled dynamic free energy functions for the matrix and spherical penetrant particles. A single dynamic coupling parameter quantifies how much the matrix displaces relative to the penetrant when the latter reaches its transition state which is determined via the enforcement of a temporal causality or coincidence condition. The theory is implemented for dilute penetrants smaller than the matrix particles, with or without penetrant-matrix attractive forces. Model calculations reveal a rich dependence of the penetrant diffusion constant and degree of dynamic coupling on size ratio, volume fraction, and attraction strength. In the absence of attractions, a near exponential decrease of penetrant diffusivity with size ratio over an intermediate range is predicted, in contrast to the much steeper, non-exponential variation if one assumes local matrix dynamical fluctuations are not correlated with penetrant motion. For sticky penetrants, the relative and absolute influence of caging versus physical bond formation is studied. The conditions for a dynamic crossover from the case where a time scale separation between penetrant and matrix activated hopping exists to a "slaved" or "constraint release" fully coupled regime are determined. The particle mixture model is mapped to treat experimental thermal systems and applied to make predictions for the diffusivity of water, toluene, methanol, and oxygen in polyvinylacetate liquids and glasses. The theory agrees well with experiment with values of the penetrant-matrix size ratio close to their chemically intuitive values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To fully exploit the benefits of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for radiotherapy, it is desirable to develop segmentation methods to delineate patients' MRI images fast and accurately. The purpose of this work is to develop a semi-automatic method to segment organs and tumor within the brain on standard T1- and T2-weighted MRI images. Methods and Materials: Twelve brain cancer patients were retrospectively included in this study, and a simple rigid registration was used to align all the images to the same spatial coordinates. Regions of interest were created for organs and tumor segmentations. The K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classification algorithm was used to characterize the knowledge of previous segmentations using 15 image features (T1 and T2 image intensity, 4 Gabor filtered images, 6 image gradients, and 3 Cartesian coordinates), and the trained models were used to predict organ and tumor contours. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), normalized surface dice, sensitivity, specificity, and Hausdorff distance were used to evaluate the performance of segmentations. Results: Our semi-automatic segmentations matched with the ground truths closely. The mean DSC value was between 0.49 (optical chiasm) and 0.89 (right eye) for organ segmentations and was 0.87 for tumor segmentation. Overall performance of our method is comparable or superior to the previous work, and the accuracy of our semi-automatic segmentation is generally better for large volume objects. Conclusion: The proposed KNN method can accurately segment organs and tumor using standard brain MRI images, provides fast and accurate image processing and planning tools, and paves the way for clinical implementation of MRI-guided radiotherapy and adaptive radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of two-stage pretreatment consisting of tepid water (first stage) and FeCl3 (second stage) pretreatments on hemicellulose hydrolysis were investigated. A kinetic comparison between the single stage (FeCl3-only pretreatment) and the two-stage pretreatment was evaluated. Compared with single stage pretreatment, the two-stage pretreatment decreased the activation energy Ea of hemicellulose hydrolysis by 38.3% and decreased the optimal reaction time by 34.8%. Besides, the xylose content increased by 14.9% and the catalyst dosage decreased by 31.9% in the two-stage pretreatment. This study provided an efficient pretreatment process for hemicellulose hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Engineering thermal adaptations of enzymes is a popular field of study. Enzymes active at low temperature have been used in many industries; however, reports seldom describe improvements in enzyme activity at low temperatures using protein engineering. Results: Multiple amino acid sequence alignment of glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 32 showed an unconserved region located in the catalytic pocket. The exo-inulinase InuAGN25 showed the highest frequency of charged amino acid residues (47.4%) in this region among these GH 32 members. Notably, five consecutive charged amino acid residues (137 EEDRK141) were modeled as a loop fragment in this region of InuAGN25. Deletion of the loop fragment broke two salt bridges, one cation-p interaction, and the a-h elix-loop-310-helix structure at the N-terminal tail. The mutant exo-inulinase RfsMutE137D5 without the loop fragment was expressed in Escherichia coli, digested using human rhinovirus 3C protease for removal of the fused sequence at the N-terminus, and purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Compared to the wild-type enzyme, the optimum temperature and t1/2 at 50°C of purified RfsMutE137D5 decreased by 10°C and 31.7 min, respectively, and the activities at 20°C and 30°C increased by 11% and 18%, respectively. Conclusions: In this study, we engineered the loop to obtain the mutant exo-inulinase that showed an improved performance at low temperatures. These findings suggest that the loop may be a useful target in formulating rational designs for engineering thermal adaptations of GH 32 exo-inulinases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the multi-factor influence of stress, deflection, vibration, corrosion and other factors involved in the state assessment of hydraulic steel gates, established a gate health assessment system including the target layer, criterion layer and indicator layer. A hydraulic health assessment model combining fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and improved radar chart method is proposed. In this method, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is used to determine the weight of each index, and then the improved radar chart method is used to evaluate the criterion layer and the target layer respectively, and the gate evaluation level is standardized and drawn into the radar chart. An example of comprehensive evaluation of a radial gate is given, which visually expresses the various factors that affect the gate. While giving the health evaluation result of the gate state, it fully reflects the actual state of all aspects of the gate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In grassland ecosystems, large herbivorous animal grazing activity and increasing nitrogen deposition strongly alter microbial community structure and function. Understanding the effects of grazing and nitrogen addition on the spatial heterogeneity in soil microbial community structure, enzymatic activities and the underlying mechanisms are crucial for making better predictions of soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling. 2. We examined the spatial heterogeneity of soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activity associated with changes in soil microclimate, soil characteristics, plant biomass and soil nutrient responses to grazing and nitrogen addition using a manipulative experiment with control (CK), grazing (G), nitrogen addition (N) and grazing plus nitrogen addition (NG) treatments in a Leymus chinensis meadow steppe, in north-eastern China. 3. The results demonstrated that soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activities showed a high level of spatial dependence [C/(C + C0) = 0.9] in the CK plot. G, N and NG treatments not only reduced the spatial variability of soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activities but also reshaped the spatial links between enzyme activities and microbial community structure. Litter biomass, soil temperature and soil nutrients (soil dissolved inorganic nitrogen or soil dissolved organic carbon) explained 21%-27% of the spatial variability of soil microbial community structure in the CK treatment and pH was the strongest driver for the spatial variability of soil enzymatic activities. Meanwhile, the homogenization in soil water content induced by the N addition treatment was a determinant of the reduction in spatial heterogeneity of the microbial community structure. The combination of soil physico-chemical properties (bulk density, soil pH and soil dissolved inorganic nitrogen), soil temperature and root biomass explained 32%-43% of the spatial variability of the microbial community structure in the G treatment, and N and G treatments had additive effects on the spatial heterogeneity of total PLFAs by homogenizing root biomass. Plant biomass and microbial community structure were the major drivers for the spatial heterogeneity of enzymatic activities under G, N and NG. In NG, the change in spatial variability of enzymatic activities was dominated by N addition. Regardless of grazing, N addition facilitated the spatial correlation between microbial community structure and enzyme activities. 4. Overall, our results revealed the drivers of soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activities spatial pattern shift due to grazing and N addition, highlighting the role that spatial variability in soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activities has on the L. chinensis meadow steppe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]