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The effects of length, diameter, temperature, and axial strain on the thermal conductivity of armchair and zigzag WS 2 nanotubes are systematically investigated by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the thermal conductivity gradually increases with the increase in the length, while it is insensitive to nanotube diameter variation. The thermal conductivity of armchair and zigzag WS 2 nanotubes is remarkably reduced as temperature increases due to the increment of phonon–phonon scattering and reduction of the phonon mean free path. In addition, compressive strain can increase thermal conductivity due to increased contributions from low-frequency phonons, while the opposite is true in the case of tensile strain. The chirality has a slight influence on the thermal transport properties of the WS 2 nanotube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the solidification microstructure and phase transitions of Dy-Tb-Fe alloy samples were studied by using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). No stable ternary compound was detected in the present experiments. The phase transformation temperatures of eight Dy-Tb-Fe alloy samples were measured. Based on the experimental results determined in this work and reported in the literature, the phase equilibria of the Dy-Tb-Fe system was calculated using the CALPHAD method. The calculated vertical sections are consistent with the experimental results determined in this work and reported in the literature. Furthermore, in combination with the experimental solidification microstructure, the solidification behavior of Dy-Tb-Fe alloy samples was analyzed through the thermodynamic calculation with the Gulliver–Scheil non-equilibrium model. The simulated results agree well with the experimental results. This indicates that the reasonable thermodynamic parameters of the Dy-Tb-Fe system were finally obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Divergent selection of populations in contrasting environments leads to functional genomic divergence. However, the genomic architecture underlying heterogeneous genomic differentiation remains poorly understood. Here, we de novo assembled two high‐quality wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum K. Koch) genomes and examined genomic differentiation and gene expression patterns under abiotic stress in two populations. These two populations had a shared ancestry and originated in close geographic proximity but experienced different selective pressures due to their contrasting micro‐environments. We identified structural variants that may have played significant roles in affecting genes potentially associated with well‐differentiated phenotypes such as flowering time and drought response between two wild barley genomes. Among them, a 29‐bp insertion into the promoter region formed a cis‐regulatory element in the HvWRKY45 gene, which may contribute to enhanced tolerance to drought. A single SNP mutation in the promoter region may influence HvCO5 expression and be putatively linked to local flowering time adaptation. We also revealed significant genomic differentiation between the two populations with ongoing gene flow. Our results indicate that SNPs and small SVs link to genetic differentiation at the gene level through local adaptation and are maintained through divergent selection. In contrast, large chromosome inversions may have shaped the heterogeneous pattern of genomic differentiation along the chromosomes by suppressing chromosome recombination and gene flow. Our research offers novel insights into the genomic basis underlying local adaptation and provides valuable resources for the genetic improvement of cultivated barley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of tectonic, provenance, and paleogeomorphologic systems is important for defining the basin evolution and it is also the basis for the accurate evaluation of oil and gas potential of a basin. The provenance and paleogeomorphology of the western Ordos Basin and the Hexi Corridor in the southwestern North China Craton(sw-NCC) have long been debated. In this study, detrital zircon geochronology, petrography and geochemistry methods are used to analyse the evolution of provenance and paleogeomorphology in the sw-NCC during the Middle–Late Triassic, and the provenance and paleogeomorphic relationships with tectonic events are discussed. The U–Pb detrital zircon geochronology of the Yaoshan samples in the western Ordos Basin are clear and consistent, and shows that there are three major age populations, 2700–2200 Ma, 2150–1650 Ma and 450–220 Ma. While the age spectrums of the samples from different formations in the Hexi Corridor are complex, showing significant differences. The whole results imply that the Hexi Corridor and the west margin of the Ordos Basin had a unified source during the Middle Triassic, which is the western NCC. However, in the Late Triassic, the sediment of the Hexi Corridor was mainly from the Qilian–Qaidam Terrane while the source of the western Ordos Basin remained unchanged. Besides the provenance analysis, the stratigraphic correlation, petrology and geochemistry analyses also support that the Hexi Corridor was temporarily connected with the Ordos Basin during the Middle Triassic but was separated from the Ordos Basin by a small-scale, underwater paleo-uplift during the Late Triassic. The evolution of the provenance and paleogeomorphology in the southwestern Ordos Basin was related to the closure of the shallow shelf of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the characteristics of pore-throat in tight sandstone reservoirs in the Dibei area of the Kuqa Depression in the Tarim Basin (Northwest China) and to make clear its impact on reservoir quality and productivity, microscopic observation and quantitative analysis of 310 tight sandstones in the Kuqa Depression are carried out by using various methods. Microscopic observation shows that the shapes of the pores are flat, oval, and long-narrow. A great number of throats connect the nanoscale pores in the form of a network. Quantitative analyses including RCMP (rate-controlled mercury penetration), HPMI (high-pressure mercury injection), NA (nitrogen adsorption), and routine and stress-dependent core analysis show that the peak of pores radius ranges from 125 μm to 150 μm, and the throat radius is in the range of 1 μm-4 μm. The throat space accounts for about 2/3 of the total space of the tight sandstones, which is the major storage space for natural gas. The space shape has a great influence on the reservoir seepage capacity, particularly under the condition of overburden pressure. The pores with throat radius greater than 300 nm have free fluid, and they contribute more than 98% of the reservoir permeability. The pore spaces with throat radius among 300 nm-52 nm can release fluids by reservoir stimulation. The pore-throats with radius < 52 nm cannot release the irreducible hydrocarbon fluids. In addition, formation pressure is easy to destroy tight sandstone reservoir. The research results will provide insights into the efficient recovery of natural gas in tight sandstones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesoproterozoic Jixian System (1.6–1.4 Ga) in the Luonan area, southern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), is characterized by complete development, continuous sedimentation and a low degree of structural deformation, resulting in well-preserved palaeontological and paleoenvironmental records. Carbon, oxygen and strontium isotopes of 382 dolostone samples from the Jixian System in Xiong'er Rift, southern margin of the NCC are analysed for the restoration of paleoenvironment and stratigraphic correlation. The results show that the δ13C values of these samples mainly concentrate between −1.8‰ and 2.0‰, and the values can be divided into three segments. The δ18O values are mainly between −6.5‰ and −3.5‰, with frequent fluctuations and weak regularity. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio ranges from 0.7051 to 0.7139, with an average value of 0.7085. Its fluctuations have certain regularity and are negatively correlated with the carbon isotopes, indicating that the sea-level changes during the Jixian period in the southern margin of the NCC. The carbon isotope curve of the samples from the study section is very similar to those of the Xiong'er Rift and the Yanliao Rift of the NCC. The −3.2‰ δ13C negative excursion in the middle and upper parts of the Xunjiansi Formation corresponds to the δ13C negative excursion from the top of the Wumishan Formation to the bottom of the Tieling Formation in the Yanliao Rift. Combined with previous research data, the Jixian System that deposited in the Xiong'er Rift and the Yanliao Rift can be approximately correlated with each other. In addition, the carbon isotope data obtained from this study is comparable to global carbon isotope values during the same period. The rise and oscillation of carbon and strontium isotope values during this period may be a response to the break-up of the Colombian supercontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of zero-sum differential games, this paper addresses the fault-tolerant tracking control (FTTC) problem for nonlinear systems with multiplicative actuator faults. By augmenting the nominal system, the trajectory tracking problem is transformed into an optimal regulation problem. A fault observer is designed to estimate the multiplicative actuator fault factor. In order to better reflect system performance, a comprehensive performance index function including the trajectory tracking error, the control input, and the multiplicative actuator fault is constructed. By considering the control input and the multiplicative actuator fault as two players in the zero-sum differential game (ZSDG), the FTTC problem is thus transformed into a ZSDG problem. Then, a fault-tolerant control based on ZSDG is designed by solving the Hamilton–Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equation. Since the HJI equation is difficult to solve, a critic neural network is constructed to obtain its approximation, which constitutes the Nash equilibrium of the ZSDG. The closed-loop faulty system is guaranteed to be uniformly ultimately bounded via the Lyapunov's direct method. The effectiveness of the developed FTTC method is demonstrated by two simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Pulmonary nodule detection and segmentation are currently two primary tasks in analyzing chest computed tomography (Chest CT) in order to detect signs of lung cancer, thereby providing early treatment measures to reduce mortality. Even though there are many proposed methods to reduce false positives for obtaining effective detection results, distinguishing between the pulmonary nodule and background region remains challenging because their biological characteristics are similar and varied in size. The purpose of our work is to propose a method for automatic nodule detection and segmentation in Chest CT by enhancing the feature information of pulmonary nodules. Methods: We propose a new UNet-based backbone with multi-branch attention auxiliary learning mechanism, which contains three novel modules, namely, Projection module, Fast Cascading Context module, and Boundary Enhancement module, to further enhance the nodule feature representation. Based on that, we build MANet, a lung nodule localization network that simultaneously detects and segments precise nodule positions. Furthermore, our MANet contains a Proposal Refinement step which refines initially generated proposals to effectively reduce false positives and thereby produce the segmentation quality. Results: Comprehensive experiments on the combination of two benchmarks LUNA16 and LIDC-IDRI show that our proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in the tasks of nodule detection and segmentation tasks in terms of FROC, IoU, and DSC metrics. Our method reports an average FROC score of 88.11% in lung nodule detection. For the lung nodule segmentation, the results reach an average IoU score of 71.29% and a DSC score of 82.74%. The ablation study also shows the effectiveness of the new modules which can be integrated into other UNet-based models. Conclusions: The experiments demonstrated our method with multi-branch attention auxiliary learning ability are a promising approach for detecting and segmenting the pulmonary nodule instances compared to the original UNet design. • Propose a new UNet-based model with multi-branch attention auxiliary learning to handle the lung nodule detection and segmentation problem. • Propose three modules: Projection module, Fast cascading context module, and Boundary enhancement module for enhancing the lung nodule feature. • MANet contains a Proposal Refinement step to effectively reduce false positives by fusing lung nodule feature regions at multiple levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, management, and survival of patients with appendiceal mucinous neoplasm misdiagnosed as ovarian tumor and initially treated by a gynecological oncologists. We retrospectively reviewed data for 71 patients identified from January 1, 2006 to September 31, 2018 with a final pathological diagnosis of appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. All patients were diagnosed as having ovarian tumor preoperatively and initially treated at Department of Gynecological Oncology. The median patients' age was 61 years, and the median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 16, with a complete cytoreduction score (CCR0/1) achieved in 46.47% of patients. Two patients received hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Estimated 5-year and 10-year survival was 76.7% and 53.4%, respectively. PCI and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were identified as independent predictors of poor overall survival. Because of the high rate of ovarian metastases and the difficulty diagnosing appendiceal mucinous neoplasm preoperatively, this condition should be highlighted in gynecological oncology. Because initial surgical intervention is often performed by gynecological oncologists, updating the management guidelines for appendiceal mucinous tumor is needed because the rates of CCR0/1 resection and HIPEC are much lower in patients who are misdiagnosed. • Ovarian involvement was present in 77.46% of our patients with appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. • CCR0/1 resection and HIPEC use are much lower in misdiagnosed patients. • PCI and serum LDH level are independent predictors of poor overall survival. • Ovarian involvement does not significantly influence prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the first domesticated grain crops and represents the fourth most important cereal source for human and animal consumption. BarleyVarDB is a database of barley genomic variation. It can be publicly accessible through the website at http://146.118.64.11/BarleyVar. This database mainly provides three sets of information. First, there are 57 754 224 single nuclear polymorphisms (SNPs) and 3 600 663 insertions or deletions (InDels) included in BarleyVarDB, which were identified from high-coverage whole genome sequencing of 21 barley germplasm, including 8 wild barley accessions from 3 barley evolutionary original centers and 13 barley landraces from different continents. Second, it uses the latest barley genome reference and its annotation information publicly accessible, which has been achieved by the International Barley Genome Sequencing Consortium (IBSC). Third, 522 212 whole genome-wide microsatellites/simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were also included in this database, which were identified in the reference barley pseudo-molecular genome sequence. Additionally, several useful web-based applications are provided including JBrowse, BLAST and Primer3. Users can design PCR primers to asses polymorphic variants deposited in this database and use a user-friendly interface for accessing the barley reference genome. We envisage that the BarleyVarDB will benefit the barley genetic research community by providing access to all publicly available barley genomic variation information and barley reference genome as well as providing them with an ultra-high density of SNP and InDel markers for molecular breeding and identification of functional genes with important agronomic traits in barley. Database URL : http://146.118.64.11/BarleyVar [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: An excess-tillering semi-dwarf gene Hvhtd was identified from an EMS-induced mutant in barley and alternative splicing results in excess-tillering semi-dwarf traits. Tillering and plant height are important traits determining plant architecture and grain production in cereal crops. This study identified an excess-tillering semi-dwarf mutant (htd) from an EMS-treated barley population. Genetic analysis of the F1, F2, and F2:3 populations showed that a single recessive gene controlled the excess-tillering semi-dwarf in htd. Using BSR-Seq and gene mapping, the Hvhtd gene was delimited within a 1.8 Mb interval on chromosome 2HL. Alignment of the RNA-Seq data with the functional genes in the interval identified a gene HORVU2Hr1G098820 with alternative splicing between exon2 and exon3 in the mutant, due to a G to A single-nucleotide substitution at the exon and intron junction. An independent mutant with a similar phenotype confirmed the result, with alternative splicing between exon3 and exon4. In both cases, the alternative splicing resulted in a non-functional protein. And the gene HORVU2Hr1G098820 encodes a trypsin family protein and may be involved in the IAA signaling pathway and differs from the mechanism of Green Revolution genes in the gibberellic acid metabolic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volcaniclastic rocks are important unconventional oil and gas reservoirs from which it is difficult to determine the protolith due to strong metasomatic alteration. Intensive alteration has occurred in much of western China, but few robustly documented examples are known from which to assess the alteration processes. Further recognition from the petrological and mineralogical record is essential to quantify the diagenetic environment, the degree of alteration, and its impacts. Permian volcanic rocks are widely developed in the western Sichuan Basin (southwestern China), with a thickness of more than 200 m. The thickness of volcaniclastic rocks in the Permian Emeishan Basalt Formation is up to 140 m, with a 5600~6000 m burial depth. In this study, we demonstrate an approach to recognizing hydrothermal alteration by the occurrence of scapolite megacryst mineral pseudomorphs (SMMPs) in Permian volcaniclastic rocks in the Sichuan Basin (southwestern China). The results show that SMMPs in the Permian volcaniclastic rocks in the western Sichuan Basin mainly occur in the lower part of the Permian basalts as intragranular minerals and rock inclusions. Scapolite is transformed into quartz and albite, and only the pseudomorph is preserved, indicating secondary hydrothermal fluid metasomatic alteration. Scapolite is formed after microcrystalline titanite and is the product of the high-temperature pneumatolytic metasomatism of plagioclase from the mafic protolith during the post-magmatic stage. The mixing of meteoric water and barium-rich hydrothermal fluid leads to the precipitation of barite; additionally, the pores are filled with barite and halite after the alteration of scapolite. The silicification and hydrothermal dissolution of scapolite and the albitization of sodium-rich matrix minerals increase the pore volume, which is conducive to the later recharge by hydrothermal fluids. The discovery of SMMPs can serve as an indicator of the high-temperature pneumatolytic metasomatism and mixing of meteoric water and deep hydrothermal fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By employing the properties of the sum operators, we investigate the solutions of the n-order fractional differential equations multiple point boundary value problem (in short BVP) with the boundary conditions contains a parameter. We not only obtain the existence and uniqueness of solutions about this BVP but also construct an iterative scheme to approximate the solution which is important for practical application. An example is given to demonstrate the validity of our main results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The heterogeneity limits the effective application of immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). Precise immunotyping can help select people who may benefit from immunotherapy and guide postoperative management by describing the characteristics of tumor microenvironment. Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical information of patients were collected from ACRG and TCGA-STAD datasets. The immune subtypes (ISs) were identified by consensus clustering analysis. The tumor immune microenvironments (TIME) of each IS were characterized using a series of immunogenomics methods and further confirmed by multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) staining in clinical samples. Two online datasets and one in-house dataset were utilized to construct and validate a prognostic immune-related gene (IRG) signature. Results: STAD patients were stratified into five reproducible ISs. IS1 (immune deserve subtype) had low immune infiltration and the highest degree of HER2 gene mutation. With abundant CD8+ T cells infiltration and activated cytotoxicity reaction, patients in the IS2 (immune-activated subtype) had the best overall survival (OS). IS3 and IS4 subtypes were both in the reactive stroma state and indicated the worst prognosis. However, IS3 (immune-inhibited subtype) was characterized by enrichment of FAP+ fibroblasts and upregulated TGF-β signaling pathway, while IS4 (activated stroma subtype) was characterized by enrichment of ACTA2+ fibroblasts. In addition, mIHC staining confirmed that TGF-β upregulated FAP+ fibroblasts were independent risk factor of OS. IS5 (chronic inflammation subtype) displayed moderate immune cells infiltration and had a relatively good survival. Lastly, we developed a nine-IRG signature model with a robust performance on overall survival prognostication. Conclusions: The immunotyping is indicative for characterize the TIME heterogeneity and the prediction of tumor prognosis for STADs, which may provide valuable stratification for the design of future immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the regularities of multi-source dust diffusion and distribution in a fully mechanized caving face,similar numbers were derived on the basis of similarity rule and kinematic equation of gas-solid two-phase flow. In addition,a scaled test model was constructed to simulate dust diffusion during coal cutting,support advancing, coal caving, transshipping and other multi-operations under the conditions of 1. 0,1. 5, 2. 0,2. 5 m/s wind velocity and 1. 69%, 2. 63%, 3. 83%, 4. 87% moisture content. Results indicate that the wind velocity has a great impact on each dust source while the outcome of the impact varies according to different situations. The optimal wind velocity is 1. 5 m/s. Moreover the moisture content of coal dust significantly affects dust diffusion, and the optimal moisture content should not be less than 3. 8% . From these results,it is concluded that the superimposed effect of the multi-source dust concentration distribution is obvious, therefore the comprehensive measures of dust prevention and reduction should be taken in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micro-structural changes of jams containing different amounts of cross-linked acetylated starch (CAS) have been studied using rheological measurements, sensory evaluation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and laser particle analysis. The results indicated that all samples exhibited pseudoplastic flow with yield stress. Subsequent dynamic oscillatory rheological study also showed that jam structure was more compact in the presence of 20% CAS. SEM analysis demonstrated that there was a fine, homogeneous network in the microstructure of apple jams. Furthermore, it was found that the particle size was smaller after adding CAS. Therefore, we conclude that CAS could be an appropriate gelling agent for apple jams, and the most suitable CAS content for industrial manufacturing was 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity, characterized as a state of low-level inflammation, is a powerful determinant influencing the development of insulin resistance and progression to type 2 diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of fucoxanthin in experimental high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice and antioxidant activity in PC12 cells under oxidative stress situation. The anti-inflammatory potential of fucoxanthin in the regulation of maleic dialdehyde (MDA), polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was determined by ELISA. Fucoxanthin significantly inhibited obesity-induced upregulation of the production of IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2. Moreover, fucoxanthin suppressed MDA and infiltration of PMNs. The protective effects were associated with lack of hypertrophy and crown-like structures in mammary gland. At the same time, fucoxanthin showed an advantage of antioxidant activity in PC12 cells under oxidative stress situation. These results suggest that supplementation of fucoxanthin is a promising strategy for blocking macrophage-mediated inflammation and inflammation-induced obesity and its associated complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium dioxide is an important structural and functional material which is widely used in the field of gas sensor, fuel cell, ceramics, catalysis, and so on. This research takes urea as the precipitating agent, the anionic surfactant as template. Taking ZrOCl2as zirconium source, the research studies the factors that affect the experimental results such as the reaction temperature, reaction time, surfactant. Furthermore, the research detects and measures the obtained zirconia powders and discusses various conditions that affect the production of nano ZrO2. Taking chlorine oxidation zirconium and urea into reaction, the best conditions of each factor for single factor experiment are: reaction temperature is 80°C, reaction time is 20 h, surfactant is sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the calcination condition is 600°C (heating rate 5°C / min) for 4 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The molecular mechanisms of lung cancer susceptibility have not been fully understood. Although it has been described that germline polymorphisms are associated with either mutation or methylation of genes, the link between gene polymorphisms and gene-gene interactions has not been investigated. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine whether CYP1A1/GSTM1 polymorphisms can affect the relationship between TP53 mutation and CDKN2A hypermethylation in lung cancer. Methods: This study included 196 primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. CYP1A1 MSPI and GSTM1 polymorphisms were characterized through PCR-RFLP on DNA isolated from peripheral lymphocytes. TP53 mutations of exons 5 through 9 and CDKN2A promoter hypermethylation in both cancer tissues and corresponding normal tissues were analyzed by direct sequencing and methylation-specific PCR (MSP) respectively. Results: TP53 mutation in the tumor was associated with squamous cell histology and CDKN2A methylation was associated with older age (≥60 years), heavy smoking (>30 pack-years), squamous cell histology and advanced stage (stage II–IV). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking degree, histology type and TNM stage, the correlation between TP53 mutation and CDKN2A methylation was significant in patients with CYP1A1 risk genotype (p = 0.038), but not in those with CYP1A1 homogeneity wild genotype (p = 0.151). Conclusions: This may suggest that TP53 mutation and CDKN2A methylation specifically interact to promote lung tumorigenesis in subjects with CYP1A1 risk genotype but not in those with CYP1A1 wild-type homozygotes, implying different pathways for the development of lung carcinoma with respect to CYP1A1 polymorphism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Earthquakes and other catastrophic events frequently occurring worldwide can be considered as outliers and cause a growing and urgent need to improve our understanding of the negative effects imposed by such disasters. Earthquakes can intensively impact the birth outcomes upon psychological and morphological development of the unborn children, albeit detailed characteristics remain obscure. Methods and Findings: We utilized the birth records at Du Jiang Yan and Peng Zhou counties to investigate the birth outcomes as a consequence of a major earthquake occurred in Wenchuan, China on May 12, 2008. Totally 13,003 of neonates were recorded, with 6638 and 6365 for pre- and post- earthquake, respectively. Significant low birthweight, high ratio of low birthweight, and low Apgar scores of post-earthquake group were observed. In contrast, the sex ratio at birth, birth length and length of gestation did not show statistical differences. The overall ratio of birth-defect in the postearthquake (1.18%) is statistically high than that of pre-earthquake (0.99%), especially for those in the first trimester on earthquake day (1.47%). The birth-defect spectrum was dramatically altered after earthquake, with the markedly increased occurrences of ear malformations. The ratio of preterm birth post-earthquake (7.41%) is significant increased than that of pre-earthquake (5.63%). For the birth outcomes of twins, significant differences of the ratio of twins, birth weight, ratio of low birthweight and birth-defect rate were observed after earthquake. Conclusion: A hospital-based study of birth outcomes impacted by the Wenchuan earthquake shows that the earthquake was associated with significant effects on birth outcomes, indicating it is a major monitor for long-term pregnant outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A carotenoid gene (crtR-B) from the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis, encoding β-carotene hydroxylase that was able to catalyze the conversion of β-carotene to zeaxanthin and canthaxanthin to astaxanthin, was cloned into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast expression vector p64D to yield plasmid p64DcrtR-B. The vector p64DcrtR-B was transferred to the chloroplast genome of C. reinhardtii using micro-particle bombardment. PCR and Southern blot analyses indicated that crtR-B was integrated into the chloroplast genome of the transformants. RT-PCR assays showed that the H. pluvialiscrt R-B gene was expressed in C. reinhardtii transformants. The transformants rapidly synthesized carotenoids in larger quantities than the wild-type upon being transferred from moderate to high-intensity white light. This research provides a foundation for further study to elucidate the possible mechanism of photo-protection by xanthophylls and other carotenoids in high light conditions or through exposure to UV radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer (PCa) is an extensive heterogeneous disease with a complex cellular ecosystem in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the manner in which heterogeneity is shaped by tumors and stromal cells, or vice versa, remains poorly understood. In this study, single‐cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and bulk ATAC‐sequence are integrated from a series of patients with PCa and healthy controls. A stemness subset of club cells marked with SOX9highARlow expression is identified, which is markedly enriched after neoadjuvant androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT). Furthermore, a subset of CD8+CXCR6+ T cells that function as effector T cells is markedly reduced in patients with malignant PCa. For spatial transcriptome analysis, machine learning and computational intelligence are comprehensively utilized to identify the cellular diversity of prostate cancer cells and cell‐cell communication in situ. Macrophage and neutrophil state transitions along the trajectory of cancer progression are also examined. Finally, the immunosuppressive microenvironment in advanced PCa is found to be associated with the infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs), potentially induced by an FAP+ fibroblast subset. In summary, the cellular heterogeneity is delineated in the stage‐specific PCa microenvironment at single‐cell resolution, uncovering their reciprocal crosstalk with disease progression, which can be helpful in promoting PCa diagnosis and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the CALPHAD approach was employed to model the thermodynamics of the Au-Ge-X (X = In, Sb, Si, Zn) ternary systems, leveraging experimental phase equilibria data and previous assessments of related binary subsystems. The solution phases were modeled as substitutional solutions, and their excess Gibbs energies were expressed using the Redlich–Kister polynomial. Owing to the unavailability of experimental data, the solubility of the third elements in the Au-In, Au-Sb, and Au-Zn binary intermetallic compounds was excluded from consideration. Additionally, stable ternary intermetallic compounds were not reported in the literature and, thus, were not taken into account in the present thermodynamic calculations. Calculations of liquidus projections, isothermal sections, and vertical sections for these ternary systems have been performed, aligning with existing experimental findings. These thermodynamic parameters form a vital basis for creating a comprehensive thermodynamic database for Au-Ge-based alloys, which is essential for the design and development of new high-temperature Pb-free solders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper pushes the envelope on decomposing camouflaged regions in an image into meaningful components, namely, camouflaged instances. To promote the new task of camouflaged instance segmentation of in-the-wild images, we introduce a dataset, dubbed CAMO++, that extends our preliminary CAMO dataset (camouflaged object segmentation) in terms of quantity and diversity. The new dataset substantially increases the number of images with hierarchical pixel-wise ground truths. We also provide a benchmark suite for the task of camouflaged instance segmentation. In particular, we present an extensive evaluation of state-of-the-art instance segmentation methods on our newly constructed CAMO++ dataset in various scenarios. We also present a camouflage fusion learning (CFL) framework for camouflaged instance segmentation to further improve the performance of state-of-the-art methods. The dataset, model, evaluation suite, and benchmark will be made publicly available on our project page. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the original publication of this article, the acknowledgement section has been missed to publish. Now the same has been provided in this correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artificial mutagenesis not only provides a new approach to increase the diversity of desirable traits for breeding new varieties but are also beneficial for characterizing the genetic basis of functional genes. In recent decades, many mutation genes have been identified which are responsible for phenotype changes in mutants in various species including Arabidopsis and rice. However, the mutation feature in induced mutants and the underlying mechanisms of various types of artificial mutagenesis remain unclear. Results: In this study, we adopted a transcriptome sequencing strategy to characterize mutations in coding regions in a barley dwarf mutant induced by gamma-ray radiation. We detected 1193 genetic mutations in gene transcription regions introduced by gamma-ray radiation. Interestingly, up to 97% of the gamma irradiation mutations were concentrated in certain regions in chromosome 5H and chromosome 7H. Of the 26,745 expressed genes, 140 were affected by gamma-ray radiation; their biological functions included cellular and metabolic processes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that mutations induced by gamma-ray radiation are not evenly distributed across the whole genome but located in several concentrated regions. Our study provides an overview of the feature of genetic mutations and the genes affected by gamma-ray radiation, which should contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of radiation mutation and their application in gene function analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MEK1/ERK signaling pathway plays an important role in most tumor progression, including colorectal cancer (CRC), however, MEK1-targeting therapy has little effective in treating CRC patients, indicating there may be a complex mechanism to activate MEK1/ERK signaling pathway except RAS activated mechanism. Methods: To investigate the clinical significance of IMP3, we analyzed its expression levels in publicly available dataset and samples from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. The effects of IMP3 on proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined by in vitro and in vivo experiments. To investigate the role of IMP3 in colon carcinogenesis, conditional IMP3 knockout C57BL/6 mice was generated. The IMP3/MEKK1/MEK/ERK signaling axis in CRC was screened and validated by RNA-sequencing, RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter and western blot assays. Results: We find RNA binding protein IMP3 directly bind to MEKK1 mRNA 3′-UTR, which regulates its stability, promote MEKK1 expression and sequentially activates MEK1/ERK signaling. Functionally, IMP3 promote the malignant biological process of CRC cells via MEKK1/MEK1/ERK signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo, Moreover, IMP3−/− mice show decreased the expression of MEKK1 as well as colorectal tumors compared with wild-type mice after treatment with azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate. Clinically, the expression of IMP3 and MEKK1 are positive correlated, and concomitant IMP3 and MEKK1 protein levels negatively correlate with metastasis in CRC patients. In addition, MEK1 inhibitor in combination with shRNA-IMP3 have a synergistic effect both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that IMP3 regulates MEKK1 in CRC, thus activating the MEK1/ERK signaling in the progression of colorectal cancer, Furthermore, these results provide new insights into potential applications for combining MEK1 inhibitors with other target therapy such as IMP3 in preclinical trials for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Stromal organization; Neoadjuvant therapy; Locally advanced rectal cancer EN Stromal organization Neoadjuvant therapy Locally advanced rectal cancer 2116 2118 3 07/31/21 20210801 NES 210801 Anqi Wang, Jing Zhang and Cong Tan contributed equally to this work. The relationship between tumour stroma percentage, the tumour microenvironment and survival in patients with primary operable colorectal cancer. Examined hematoxylin/eosin-stained slides of pre-treatment tumor biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of rectal carcinoma and identify and capture three separate fields (× 20 microscopic field, with tumor extending to all corners). [Extracted from the article]

The division of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) into germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) and activated B-cell-like (ABC) subtypes based on gene expression profiling has proved to be a landmark in understanding the pathogenesis of the disease. This study aims to identify a novel biomarker to facilitate the translation of research into clinical practice. Using a training set of 350 patients, we identified a two-gene expression signature, 'LIMD1-MYBL1 Index', which is significantly associated with cell-of-origin subtypes and clinical outcome. This two-gene index was further validated in two additional dataset. Tested against the gold standard method, the LIMD1-MYBL1 Index achieved 81% sensitivity, 89% specificity for ABC group and 81% sensitivity, 87% specificity for GCB group. The ABC group had significantly worse overall survival than the GCB group (hazard ratio = 3.5, P = 0.01). Furthermore, the performance of LIMD1-MYBL1 Index was satisfactory compared with common immunohistochemical algorithms. Thus, the LIMD1-MYBL1 Index had considerable clinical value for DLBCL subtype classification and prognosis. Our results might prompt the further development of this two-gene index to a simple assay amenable to routine clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is regarded as an important contributor to breast cancer bone metastasis. However, previous studies did not provide direct clinical evidence for a role of RUNX2 in bone-specific metastasis in breast cancer, and the mechanism of RUNX2 in cancer cell recruitment and adhesion to the bone remains unclear. In this study, we showed that RUNX2 expression is positively correlated with the risk of bone-specific metastasis in lymph node-negative breast cancer patients. Then, we identified ITGA5 as a transcriptional target of RUNX2 from multiple candidate genes encoding adhesion molecules or chemokine receptors. We further provided experimental and clinical evidence that RUNX2, in an integrin α5-dependent manner, promotes the attraction and adhesion of breast cancer cells to the bone and confers cancer cell survival and bone colonization advantages. Overall, our findings clarify an adhesion-dependent mechanism of RUNX2 for the osteotropism and bone colonization of breast cancer cells and implicate RUNX2 and integrin α5 as potential molecular markers for the prediction of bone metastasis and therapeutic targets for the treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gastric cancer is one of the common malignant tumors with a high incidence and mortality in China. Prognostic biomarkers and potential predictors of the treatment efficacy of gastric cancer urgently need to be identified. Integrin‐β (ITGB) is a superfamily of integrins and is involved in cell adhesion, tissue repair, immune response, and tumor metastasis. Methods: We analyzed ITGB1 expression in our hospital samples of the gastric cancer cohort. And the public data of The Cancer Genome Atlas stomach adenocarcinoma (TCGA‐STAD), The Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG)/GSE62254, and GSE15459 data sets were analyzed by using the bioinformatic methods. The relationships between ITGB1 expression and clinicopathological features, patient prognosis, activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway, and tumor immunosuppressive factors were also explored. Results: The positive rate of ITGB1 expression in the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center gastric cancer tumor tissues was 61.4% (258/420) and correlated with deep invasion (p = 0.017), an advanced clinical stage (p = 0.011), and a poor prognosis (p < 0.05). The TCGA‐STAD/ACRG/GSE15459 cohorts also showed similar results. ITGB1 is one of the upstream molecules of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway and is correlated with tumor immune suppression. In gastric cancer, we found a correlation between ITGB1 expression and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway activity. In the TCGA‐STAD/ACRG/GSE15459 cohorts, ITGB1 expression was positively associated with immunosuppressive factors and negatively associated with immunoactive factors. Patients with low ITGB1 expression exhibited a significantly high immunotherapy response ratio according to an analysis of tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE), which may indicate that ITGB1 is a potential predictor of immunotherapy efficacy. Conclusions: ITGB1 affects the prognosis in gastric cancer patients and plays a core role in immune suppression in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the expression and clinical relevance of CAF-associated markers, EZH2 and FOXM1 in gastric samples.Methods: Protein expression were detected and evaluated by multi-plex immunofluorescence (mIF) in 93 cases of gastric cancer (GC) and 31 cases of gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (GIN). The correlation among their expression, and the relationship of them with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in GC were then analyzed.Results: FAP was specific expressed in the CAFs of GC samples, and thus be utilized as a CAF-associated marker in our subsequently analysis. The immunostaining of EZH2, FOXM1 and FAP were significantly upregulated in patients with GC tissues than in those normal gastric mucosa or GIN tissues. The average fluorescence intensity of FAP was slightly positively correlated with EZH2 in GC, GIN and normal samples, whereas the percentage of FAP positive cells has no correlation with that of EZH2. Both the percentage of positive cells and the average fluorescence intensity of FOXM1 were positively correlated with that of FAP and EZH2 in GC, GIN and normal samples, except for FOXM1 and EZH2 expression in normal tissue samples. No significant association was observed between FAP expression and any clinicopathological parameters, whereas the positive frequency of EZH2 and FOXM1 were correlated with tumor location significantly and tumor invasion depth, respectively. In addition, there was strong positive correlations between FAP protein expression and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and EZH2 expression was positively associated with OS in patients with GC. Furthermore, EZH2 and FAP protein expression was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS, respectively.Conclusions: These results suggest that both EZH2 and FOXM1 expression was positively associated with CAFs abundance in GC. They may be potential cellular target for therapeutic intervention, especially in patients with a large number of CAFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the molecular heterogeneity of sarcomas and their immunologically quiet character, immunotherapy (e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors) plays a viable role in only a subset of these tumors. This study aimed to determine the immune subtypes (IMSs) of sarcomas for selecting suitable patients from an extremely heterogeneous population. Results: By performing consensus clustering analysis of the gene expression profiles of 538 patients with sarcomas in online databases, we stratified sarcomas into three IMSs characterized by different immune cell features, tumor mutational burdens (TMBs), gene mutations, and clinical outcomes. IMS1 showed an immune "hot" and immunosuppressive phenotype, the highest frequencies of CSMD3 mutation but the lowest frequencies of HMCN1 and LAMA2 mutations; these patients had the worst progression-free survival (PFS). IMS2 was defined by a high TMB and more gene mutations, but had the lowest frequency of MND1 mutations. IMS3 displayed the highest MDN1 expression level and an immune "cold" phenotype, these patients had the worst PFS. Each subtype was associated with different expression levels of immunogenic cell death modulators and immune checkpoints. Moreover, we applied graph learning-based dimensionality reduction to the immune landscape and identified significant intra-cluster heterogeneity within each IMS. Finally, we developed and validated an immune gene signature with good prognostic performance. Conclusions: Our results provide a conceptual framework for understanding the immunological heterogeneity of sarcomas. The identification of immune-related subtypes may facilitate optimal selection of sarcoma patients who will respond to appropriate therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Wnt signaling pathways are highly conserved cascades that mediate multiple biological processes through canonical or noncanonical pathways, from embryonic development to tissue maintenance, but they also contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous cancers. Recent studies have revealed that Wnt signaling pathways critically control the interplay between cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and potentially impact the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the evidence that Wnt signaling pathways boost the maturation and infiltration of macrophages for immune surveillance in the steady state but also polarize TAMs toward immunosuppressive M2-like phenotypes for immune escape in the TME. Both cancer cells and TAMs utilize Wnt signaling to transmit signals, and this interaction is crucial for the carcinogenesis and progression of common solid cancers, such as colorectal, gastric, hepatocellular, breast, thyroid, prostate, kidney, and lung cancers; osteosarcoma; and glioma. Specifically, compared with those in solid cancers, Wnt signaling pathways play a distinct role in the pathogenesis of leukemia. Efforts to develop Wnt-based drugs for cancer treatment are still ongoing, and some indeed enhance the anticancer immune response. We believe that the combination of Wnt signaling-based therapy with conventional or immune therapies is a promising therapeutic approach and can facilitate personalized treatment for most cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A GNSS-LiDAR-inertial odometry and mapping system is developed with high efficiency and stability at the same time. • A coarse-to-fine state estimation framework based on iterated error-state Kalman filter is provided for multi-sensor navigation systems. • GNSS initialization, multi-layer outlier rejection, and multi-sensor motion compensation are designed for the filter-based state estimation architecture. • A series of comprehensive experiments on multiple levels are conducted to verify the performance and feasibility of the method. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) aims to solve the problems of robot localization and mapping in unknown environments. Recent related research usually uses closed-loop correction or integrate GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) into the optimization framework to ensure the long-term system accuracy and stability at the cost of huge computational resources. To balance efficiency and accuracy, this paper presents a fast and stable GNSS-LiDAR-inertial state estimator: GNSS, LiDAR and IMU are fused to achieve state estimation from coarse to fine, thereby improving the system accuracy and stability; the overall framework based on iterated error-state Kalman filter makes our system faster than most multi-sensor fusion SLAM. We also design a fast GNSS online initialization method and a multi-layer outlier rejection mechanism for our system. In addition, we apply backward propagation for multi-sensor motion compensation to overcome the limitations of fast motion. Finally, comprehensive experiments demonstrate that our system achieves higher accuracy and computational efficiency than the state-of-the-art navigation systems on the latest challenging public datasets, and perform equally well in the real environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perioperative chemotherapy (ChT) and preoperative chemoradiation (CRT) are both the standard treatments for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). CRT can achieve a higher pathological complete regression (pCR) rate, but whether this higher pCR rate can be transformed into a long-term survival benefit remains inconclusive. Therefore, relevant studies are in progress. On the other hand, immunotherapy has been established for the first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and has been widely explored in the perioperative setting. The combination of chemotherapy/radiotherapy and immunotherapy may have a synergistic effect, which will lead to a better antitumor effect. The preliminary reports of ongoing studies show promising results, including a further improved pCR rate. However, the preferred treatment combination for LAGC is still not established. To solve this problem, we are carrying out this randomized phase II trial, which aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of perioperative chemotherapy plus the use of PD-1 antibody with or without preoperative chemoradiation for LAGC.Methods: Eligible patients with LAGC or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma were randomized to receive perioperative ChT, PD-1 antibody, surgery with (Arm A) or without preoperative CRT (Arm B), and PD-1 antibody maintenance until one year after surgery. The primary endpoint of this study is that the pCR rate of Arm A will be significantly higher than that of Arm B. The secondary endpoints include the pathological partial regression (pPR) rate, R0 resection rate, objective response rate (ORR), event-free survival (EFS), overall survival (OS), safety and surgical complications. Moreover, several explorative endpoints will be evaluated to find and validate the predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy.Discussion: The results of the NeoRacing study will provide important information concerning the application of PD-1 antibody in LAGC patients during the perioperative setting. Meanwhile, the two treatment protocols will be compared in terms of efficacy and safety.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05161572 . Registered 17 December 2021 - Retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The increasing incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) urgently requires updated biomarkers. The ABC transporter family is a widespread family of membrane-bound proteins involved in the transportation of substrates associated with ATP hydrolysis, including metabolites, amino acids, peptides and proteins, sterols and lipids, organic and inorganic ions, sugars, metals, and drugs. They play an important role in the maintenance of homeostasis in the body. Purpose. This study aims to search for new markers in the ABC transporter gene family for diagnostic and prognostic purposes through data mining of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) datasets. Methods. A total of 980 samples, including 684 CRC patients and 296 controls from five different datasets, were included for analysis. The construction of the PPI (protein-protein interaction) network and pathway analysis were performed in STRING database and DAVID (database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery), respectively. In addition, GSEA (gene set enrichment analysis) and WGCNA (weighted gene co-expression network analysis) were also used for functional analysis. Results. After several rounds of screening and validation, only the ABCB5 gene was retained among the 49 genes. Conclusions. The results demonstrated that ABCA5 expression is reduced in CRC and patients with high ABCA5 expression have better OS, which can provide guidance for better management and treatment of CRC in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-holding capacity properties of native and acetate cassava starch were evaluated by freeze-thaw stability and XRD. The results indicated that acetate starch was suitable to be used in sausage for its more stable and lower retrogradation properties compared to native starch. The water-holding capacity (WHC) of pork sausages with acetate starch was analyzed by NMR T2 relaxometry, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and SEM. NMR T2 relaxometry and MRI displayed the significant effect of acetate starch on the water content in sausages. Water-holding capacity of sausages first increased then decreased with increase of acetate starch. The sausage with 5% w/w acetate starch had the highest content of immobilized water. The result was consistent with the data indirectly obtained from DSC. SEM analysis demonstrated that the sausage with 5% w/w acetate starch had appropriate structure and pore size to hold water. Therefore, we concluded that the sausage with 5% w/w acetate starch had the best WHC property in pork sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] ATPS was first used as a solvent to extract alliin from garlic powder. [•] Compared with traditional extraction method, aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) not only improved the alliin yield but also concentrated extract solution of alliin to a large extent. [•] Chromatography was used following by ATPE to purify alliin, the combination of them provided a rapid and effective method for alliin extraction and purification. [•] In this paper, cation-exchange resins 001Ã?7 was converted to NH4 + form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this research, the effect of cross-linked acetylated starch on the set yoghurt system was studied by investigating the flowability, viscoelasticity, zeta potential, conductivity and microstructure of the set yogurt system. The results indicated that the stability, elastic modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G″) of the set yogurt system increased as the concentrations of cross-linked acetylated starch increased. The set yogurt system, which added the cross-linked acetylated starch, exhibited shear-thinning behavior and belonged to yield pseudoplastic fluid. The SEM micrographs demonstrated that the microstructures of set yoghurt were mainly composed by the network of casein. By adding cross-linked acetylated starch, the network of casein was strengthened, and both conductivity of the yoghurt system and particle size of casein micelles due to absorption of modified starch revealed the aggrandizement trend. It can be deduced that the starch adsorbs onto the surface of the casein micelle and this phenomenon prevents flocculation of the casein micelles owing to electrostatic adhesion, steric stabilization and osmotic effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Satisfactory dihydroxyacetone production by Gluconobacter frateurii on crude glycerol. [•] High production of dihydroxyacetone (up to 125.8gl−1) from crude glycerol. [•] Optimization of dihydroxyacetone fermentation process by G. frateurii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating the prediction time of separation performance and flow field characteristics in industrial hydrocyclones holds paramount importance for real-time control. Machine learning methods exhibit significant advantages in this particular aspect. This study presents a network model that integrates a long short-term memory (LSTM) layer with a fully connected layer to accurately forecast the flow field and separation performance under various operational conditions, leveraging CFD data. The study evaluates the effect of factors such as the number of LSTM layers and neurons per layer on the model's performance, aiming to identify the optimal network structure. The results demonstrate that the predicted flow field and performance of the hydrocyclones using LSTM closely align with the outcomes from CFD simulations. The average absolute percentage error is constrained to within 6%, which significantly enhances the prediction efficiency. The findings contribute to a more efficient and automated separation process in industrial environments. [Display omitted] • The inner flow behaviors can be instantaneously predicted by the derived LSTM. • The layers and neurons are investigated to achieve optimal parameters in LSTM. • The proposed model has an average absolute percentage error within 6%. • The derived LSTM saves huge computational time compared to CFD model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing hydrocyclone inlet design is regarded as an effective strategy to mitigate the adverse effect of particle misplacement and improves separation efficiency. This work proposes innovative hydrocyclone designs based on spiral inlet with a specific spiral angle and tangential inlet with a specific curvature radius. The new designs are evaluated and compared with a standard design using a validated two–fluid model. The separation performance, flow characteristics and volume fraction distribution are considered in the evaluation. An optimum spiral inlet design is identified, with an inlet spiral angle of 90° under the current conditions. This inlet design evidently improves the tangential velocity, strengthens the stability of the air core and reduces short-circuit flows. Additionally, the new inlets help improve the volume fraction of coarse particles in the region near the spigot, mitigating the misplacement of coarse and fine particles. This study offers a new perspective for improving hydrocyclone flows and performance. [Display omitted] • The new tangential and spiral inlet configurations are designed and investigated. • The innovative inlet designs significantly improve particles separation efficiency. • The multiphase flow characteristics are analyzed to elucidate the separation mechanism. • An optimum spiral inlet design is identified to effectively reduce particle misplacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited previous studies focused on the death and progression risk stratification of colorectal cancer (CRC) lung metastasis patients. The aim of this study is to construct a nomogram model combing machine learning-pathomics, radiomics features, Immunoscore and clinical factors to predict the postoperative outcome of CRC patients with lung metastasis. In this study, a total of 103 CRC patients having metastases limited to lung and undergoing radical lung resection were identified. Patch-level convolutional neural network training in weakly supervised manner was used to perform whole slides histopathological images survival analysis. Synthetic minority oversampling technique and support vector machine classifier were used to identify radiomics features and build predictive signature. The Immunoscore for each patient was calculated from the density of CD3+ and CD8+ cells at the invasive margin and the center of metastatic tumor which were assessed on consecutive sections of automated digital pathology. Finally, pathomics and radiomics signatures were successfully developed to predict the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) of patients. The predicted pathomics and radiomics scores are negatively correlated with Immunoscore and they are three independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS prediction. The combined nomogram showed outstanding performance in predicting OS (AUC = 0.860) and DFS (AUC = 0.875). The calibration curve and decision curve analysis demonstrated the considerable clinical usefulness of the combined nomogram. Taken together, the developed nomogram model consisting of machine learning-pathomics signature, radiomics signature, Immunoscore and clinical features could be reliable in predicting postoperative OS and DFS of colorectal lung metastasis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Using genomic structural equation modelling, this research demonstrates an efficient way to identify genetically correlating traits and provides an effective proxy for multi-trait selection to consider the joint genetic architecture of multiple interacting traits in crop breeding. Breeding crop cultivars with optimal value across multiple traits has been a challenge, as traits may negatively correlate due to pleiotropy or genetic linkage. For example, grain yield and grain protein content correlate negatively with each other in cereal crops. Future crop breeding needs to be based on practical yet accurate evaluation and effective selection of beneficial trait to retain genes with the best agronomic score for multiple traits. Here, we test the framework of whole-system-based approach using structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate how one trait affects others to guide the optimal selection of a combination of agronomically important traits. Using ten traits and genome-wide SNP profiles from a worldwide barley panel and SEM analysis, we revealed a network of interacting traits, in which tiller number contributes positively to both grain yield and protein content; we further identified common genetic factors affecting multiple traits in the network of interaction. Our method demonstrates an efficient way to identify genetically correlating traits and underlying pleiotropic genetic factors and provides an effective proxy for multi-trait selection within a whole-system framework that considers the joint genetic architecture of multiple interacting traits in crop breeding. Our findings suggest the promise of a whole-system approach to overcome challenges such as the negative correlation of grain yield and protein content to facilitating quantitative and objective breeding decisions in future crop breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: The future of plant cultivar improvement lies in the evaluation of genetic resources from currently available germplasm. Today's gene pool of crop genetic diversity has been shaped during domestication and more recently by breeding. Recent efforts in plant breeding have been aimed at developing new and improved varieties from poorly adapted crops to suit local environments. However, the impact of these breeding efforts is poorly understood. Here, we assess the contributions of both historical and recent breeding efforts to local adaptation and crop improvement in a global barley panel by analysing the distribution of genetic variants with respect to geographic region or historical breeding category. By tracing the impact that breeding had on the genetic diversity of Hordeum vulgare (barley) released in Australia, where the history of barley production is relatively young, we identify 69 candidate regions within 922 genes that were under selection pressure. We also show that modern Australian barley varieties exhibit 12% higher genetic diversity than historical cultivars. Finally, field‐trialling and phenotyping for agriculturally relevant traits across a diverse range of Australian environments suggests that genomic regions under strong breeding selection and their candidate genes are closely associated with key agronomic traits. In conclusion, our combined data set and germplasm collection provide a rich source of genetic diversity that can be applied to understanding and improving environmental adaptation and enhanced yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), is currently an economically important aquaculture animal. Its genetic basis has been scarcely reported, however, partly due to the absence of abundant molecular markers in the genome. In this study, Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) loci were mined, based on genome survey sequencing via the next generation sequence of the red swamp crayfish. A total of 4897 SSR loci were identified, with the most abundant type being the di-nucleotide repeat motifs (75.2%), followed by tri- (20.4%), tetra- (3.8%), penta- (0.5%), and hexanucleotide (0.2%) repeats. In total, 1546 SSR markers were validated to be amplified, and 721 of these were identified as polymorphic SSR markers. Fifty polymorphic SSR markers were randomly selected for the identification of the genetic diversity of the 14 red swamp crayfish populations in China. The expected and observed heterozygosity and polymorphism information content were 0.39, 0.30, and 0.29, respectively, on average. The results indicated a medium genetic diversity among the 14 investigated populations. These probably cluster into three genetic populations. The current study provides abundant genetic markers and information on the 14 populations, which can be helpful for genetic diversity estimation and molecular breeding of the red swamp crayfish. Résumé: L'écrevisse rouge de Louisiane, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), est une espèce d'aquaculture importante économiquement. Sa base génétique est peu connue, due en partie à l'absence de marqueurs moléculaires abondants dans son génome. Dans cette étude, l'analyse des microsatellites (SSR) de l'écrevisse rouge a été effectuée, sur la base d'un séquençage du génome par séquençage nouvelle génération (NGS). Un total de 4897 loci SSR ont été identifiés, le type le plus abondant de motifs répétés étant les di-nucléotides (75,2%), suivi par les répétitions à tri- (20,4%), tétra- (3,8%), penta- (0,5%), et hexa-nucléotides (0,2%). Au total, 1546 marqueurs ont été validés pour être amplifiés, et 721 d'entre eux ont été identifiés comme marqueurs SSR polymorphiques. 50 marqueurs SSR polymorphiques ont été sélectionnés au hasard pour l'identification de la diversité génétique des 14 populations d'écrevisse rouge de Louisiane en Chine. L'hétérozygotie attendue et observée et l'indice de polymorphisme ont été, en moyenne, respectivement de 0,39, 0,30, et 0,29. Les résultats montrent une diversité génétique moyenne parmi les 14 populations étudiées, qui se regroupent probablement dans trois populations génétiques. Cette étude fournit des marqueurs génétiques abondants et des informations sur les 14 populations, qui peuvent être utiles pour l'estimation de la diversité génétique et la sélection moléculaire de l'écrevisse rouge de Louisiane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Two tightly linked genes for rice purple leaf sheath were identified via map-based cloning. Further analysis indicated that these two genes together with OsC1 co-regulating the purple leaf sheath. The purple color of the leaf sheath in rice is dependent on the accumulation of anthocyanins such as cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (C3G) and peonidin 3-O-glucoside (P3G). Although many genes related to leaf sheath color have been mapped, the genetic basis for leaf sheath color is not yet clear. Here, PSH1 (purple leaf sheath 1) was mapped to chromosome 1 using an F2 and a RIL population. Map-based cloning and transformation assays further divided PSH1 as two tightly linked bHLH genes, Rb1 and Rb2. Ectopic expression of these two genes resulted in substantial accumulation of C3G and P3G in the leaf blade, leaf sheath and pericarp. Single gene mutants displayed a faded purple leaf sheath or green leaf sheath in the top half of the leaf sheath, but double mutants displayed a green leaf sheath, indicating that both genes have dosage effects on anthocyanin synthesis. However, overexpression of Rb1 and Rb2 sharply decreased grain filling. A segregation ratio of green to purple was 15:1 observed in the F2 population from parents Minghui 63 and Xizang 2, which both had green leaf sheaths; these results demonstrate that dominant complementary interaction between OsC1 and Rb (Rb1 and Rb2) controls the purple leaf sheath. These findings systematically uncovered the genetic basis of leaf sheath color and provided alternative genes for breeding anthocyanin-rich rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: GCNT4 is a member of the glucosaminyl (N-acetyl) transferases family that has been implicated in multiple human malignancies. However, the role of GCNT4 in gastric cancer (GC) is unknown. In this present study, we aimed to explore the role and clinicopathological correlation of GCNT4 in GC. Materials and Methods: We first evaluated the dysregulation of GCNT4 in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and then we performed RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry to validate the results in a cohort of in-house patients. The clinicopathological correlation and function of GCNT4 in GC were also analysed. Results: GCNT4 was found to be significantly downregulated in GC. In addition, GCNT4 expression correlated with tumour depth, nervous invasion and pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) stage. Moreover, lower GCNT4 levels conferred poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) to GC patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that GCNT4 protein expression is an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with GC. Further functional experimental results revealed that overexpression of GCNT4 appears to halt GC cell proliferation and the cell cycle. Conclusion: Altogether, these findings indicated that GCNT4 regulates the GC cell cycle and have important implications for the selection of therapeutic targets to prevent tumour proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: An effective and stable quantitative resistance locus, QSc.VR4, was fine mapped, characterized and physically anchored to the short arm of 4H, conferring adult plant resistance to the fungus Rhynchosporium commune in barley. Scald caused by Rhynchosporium commune is one of the most destructive barley diseases worldwide. Accumulation of adult plant resistance (APR) governed by multiple resistance alleles is predicted to be effective and long-lasting against a broad spectrum of pathotypes. However, the molecular mechanisms that control APR remain poorly understood. Here, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of APR and fine mapping were performed on five barley populations derived from a common parent Vlamingh, which expresses APR to scald. Two QTLs, designated QSc.VR4 and QSc.BR7, were detected from a cross between Vlamingh and Buloke. Our data confirmed that QSc.VR4 is an effective and stable APR locus, residing on the short arm of chromosome 4H, and QSc.BR7 derived from Buloke may be an allele of reported Rrs2. High-resolution fine mapping revealed that QSc.VR4 is located in a 0.38 Mb genomic region between InDel markers 4H2282169 and 4H2665106. The gene annotation analysis and sequence comparison suggested that a gene cluster containing two adjacent multigene families encoding leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase-like proteins (LRR-RLKs) and germin-like proteins (GLPs), respectively, is likely contributing to scald resistance. Adult plant resistance (APR) governed by QSc.VR4 may confer partial levels of resistance to the fungus Rhynchosporium commune and, furthermore, be an important resource for gene pyramiding that may contribute broad-based and more durable resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]