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The hybrid rocket motor (HRM) emerges as a promising propulsion system offering thrust adjustment at a low cost. Prior research has indicated that the inclusion of micro Al additives enhances HRM performance, yet a comprehensive investigation remains absent. Thus, this study aims to explore the impact of Al particle additive content and size variation on the characteristics of hybrid rocket motors (HRMs) through experiments and simulations. Firing tests are conducted on HRMs employing unadulterated HTPB, 38 % additive Al (2 μm), and 58 % Al (2 μm). Experimental findings reveal enhancements of 12.6 % and 33.9 % in regression rate, and 2.5 % and 8.0 % in specific impulse for the 38 % Al and 58 % Al fuel configurations, respectively, compared to the base case. Subsequently, a numerical two-phase combustion model is built to analyze the inner flow field characteristics. The high consistency between experimental and simulation results validates the efficacy of the numerical approach employed. Following this, a series of simulations covering Al content ranging from 0 % to 58 % and Al particle sizes from 0.4 μm to 75 μm is conducted. Simulation outcomes indicate that specific impulse and combustion efficiency enhancements correlate with the increase in Al mass fraction for particles with diameters under 35 μm. However, high Al content proves detrimental to specific impulse and combustion efficiency when particle diameter exceeds 35 μm. Additionally, regression rate and thrust demonstrate an increase with Al content, albeit the rate of increment diminishes with larger Al particles. This study comprehensively examines the influence of Al particle addition on HRM performance and elucidates the underlying mechanisms, thereby offering insights into HRM design and manufacture. • Hybrid rocket firing tests are performed on HTPB, 38 %, and 58 % Al particle fuel. • Simulations with various Al particle contents and diameters are performed. • High Al content with diameter under 35 μm is beneficial for combustion efficiency. • High Al content with diameter over 35 μm is detrimental for combustion efficiency. • Large particle reduces the thrust enhancement brought by Al content rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of casticin (CAS) on lipopolysaccharide-induced injury of human normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and NF-κB-Keap1-Nrf2/ARE pathway. Methods: BEAS-2B cells were pretreated with different concentrations of casticin for 1 h, 2 h and 4 h, and then treated with 1 µg/ml liposolysaccharide to construct cell damage model. The contents of inflammatory factors in cell supernatant was detected by ELISA to screen the optimal concentration and time of casticin. The cells were divided into normal group, model group, Casticin group, ML385 group, Casticin+ML385 group and dexamethasone group. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, the concentrations of inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA, and the levels of NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, Keapl, Nrf2 and Nrf2 protein in cell nucleus were detected by Western blot. Results: The optimal concentration of CAS was 10 µmol/L and the optimal time was 2 h. Compared with normal group, the apoptosis rate, the contents of inflammatory factors, p-NF-κB p65 and Keap1 protein expression levels in model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and Nrf2 protein expression levels in cells and nuclei were significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with model group, apoptosis rate and contents of inflammatory factors in casticin group and dexamethasone group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), protein expression levels of p-NF-κB p65 and Keap1 in Casticin group were significantly decreased (P<0.01). The expression level of Nrf2 protein in cells and nuclei was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with ML385 group, apoptosis rate, inflammatory factors contents, p-NF-κB p65 and Keap1 protein expression levels in Casticin+ML385 group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), the expression level of Nrf2 protein in cells and nuclei were significantly increased (P<0.01). Conclusion: CAS can inhibit cell inflammation induced by lipo-polysaccharide by regulating NF-κB-Keap1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the clinical potential and safety of Moluodan to reverse gastric precancerous lesions. Methods: Patients aged 18–70 years diagnosed with moderate‐to‐severe atrophy and/or moderate‐to‐severe intestinal metaplasia, with or without low‐grade dysplasia, and negative for Helicobacter pylori were recruited in this randomized, double‐blind, parallel‐controlled trial. The primary outcome was the improvement of global histological diagnosis at 1‐year follow‐up endoscopy using the operative link for gastritis assessment, the operative link for gastric intestinal metaplasia assessment, and the disappearance rate of dysplasia. Results: Between November 3, 2017 and January 27, 2021, 166 subjects were randomly assigned to the Moluodan group, 168 to the folic acid group, 84 to the combination group, and 84 to the high‐dose Moluodan group. The improvement in global histological diagnosis was achieved in 60 (39.5%) subjects receiving Moluodan, 59 (37.8%) receiving folic acid, 26 (32.1%) receiving the combined drugs, and 36 (47.4%) receiving high‐dose Moluodan. Moluodan was non‐inferior to folic acid (95% confidence interval: −9.2 to 12.5; P = 0.02). High‐dose Moluodan had a trend for better protective efficacy, though there was no statistical significance. The disappearance rate of dysplasia was 82.8% in the Moluodan group, which was superior to folic acid (53.9%; P = 0.006). No drug‐related serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions: One pack of Moluodan three times daily for 1 year was safe and effective in reversing gastric precancerous lesions, especially dysplasia. Doubling its dose showed a better efficacy trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on investigating ablation characteristics of different nozzle materials in hybrid rocket motors by firing tests and numerical simulations. Hybrid rocket nozzles with different ablation materials are designed and manufactured. Four firing tests with working time of 40 s are conducted, and 90% hydrogen peroxide and polyethylene are adopted. The test results indicate that erosion rates of T705 graphite, whole felt C/C composite, axial rod braided C/C composite, and carbon/ceramic composite are 0.045 mm/s, 0.022 mm/s, 0.03 mm/s, and 0.01 mm/s. Circumferentially uneven ablation is found in the nozzle throat of T705 graphite and C/C composite, and this is mainly due to asymmetric oxidizer injection, asymmetric combustion, and uneven material properties. Transient numerical simulations of 40 s on nozzle thermochemical erosion are carried out, and the regression process of fuel wall and nozzle wall is solved by a dynamic grid technique. The error of average throat erosion rate between simulation results and test results is only 1.82%. The evolution process of nozzle profile and flow field structure are exhibited, and coupling effects between the erosion rate and nozzle profile are obtained. Simulation results show that as the working time increases, protrusions and pits appear on the nozzle inner wall and gradually extend. The temperature of nozzle wall and nozzle erosion rate on the windward side is higher, while they are lower on the leeward side. Nozzle throat erosion rate history is divided into four stages, and time nonlinear characteristics of the throat erosion rate are revealed. • 40 s firing tests of different nozzle materials are conducted. • Ablation properties of graphite, C/C composite and carbon ceramic are obtained. • Transient simulations of 40 s on nozzle thermochemical erosion are performed. • Simulation results agree with test data and evolution of nozzle profile is shown. • Time nonlinear characteristics of nozzle throat erosion rate are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric pump in the propellant supply system, with a wide range of fast thrust adjustment capabilities, can significantly enhance rocket motor performance. Previous research has focused on the performance and feasibility of hydrogen peroxide electric pumps for hybrid rocket motors; however, their dynamic characteristics remain unclear. This study numerically and experimentally investigated the transition stages in the flow field and head for an electric pump during the start-up of a hybrid rocket motor, as well as analyzed the effect of pipeline length between the pneumatic valve and the adjustable Venturi on the flow field and head. The simulation and experimental results indicate that during the start-up of the hybrid rocket motor, six transient stages are recorded when the pipeline length between the pneumatic valve and adjustable Venturi is 3 m. The head and internal flow field of the electric pump during the transient process were determined by the throttling position as well as by the filling status of the pipeline. The simulation results suggest that the shorter the pipeline length, the steadier and safer is the supply system. Our investigation provides a practical optimization strategy for electric pump supply systems in rocket motors. • The transient process of the electric pump during start-up of the hybrid rocket motor was obtained. • Physical mechanisms for the variation of head and internal flow field were obtained. • The effect of pipeline length on the transient process of the electric pump was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious health burden worldwide with high mortality. LncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) has been illustrated to serve as a biomarker for COPD progression. Nonetheless, its specific functions and mechanisms in COPD are unclarified. Methods: Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was utilized to stimulate 16HBE cells, and cigarette smoke combining with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was employed to induce COPD in rats. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were utilized for measuring protein and RNA levels. Flow cytometry was implemented for detecting cell apoptosis. Concentrations of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IFN-γ were examined using ELISA. Luciferase reporter assay was utilized for verifying the interaction between molecules. Hematoxylin–eosin staining was performed for histological analysis of rat lung tissues. Results: PVT1 was highly expressed in CSE-stimulated 16HBE cells and the lungs of COPD rats. PVT1 depletion restored the viability, restrained apoptosis and hindered inflammatory cytokine production in 16HBE cells under CSE treatment and alleviated pathological damages in COPD rats. PVT1 bound to miR-30b-5p and miR-30b-5p targeted BCL2 like 11 (BCL2L11). Overexpressing BCL2L11 offset the above effects mediated by PVT1 in CSE-triggered 16HBE cells. Conclusion: PVT1 enhances apoptosis and inflammation of 16HBE cells under CSE stimulation by modulating miR-30b-5p/BCL2L11 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise regulation of oxidizer mass flow rate is a crucial technology for hybrid rocket motors, and a flow control valve serves as a core component of an oxidizer delivery system. In this paper, we designed a variable area cavitating venturi (VACV) as a flow control valve to control oxidizer mass flow rate. Three types of experiments were carried out to investigate VACA-based flow feedback control and its application in hybrid rocket motors. Specifically, we measured flow characteristics at different pintle strokes and conducted five cold tests and one ground hot test based on flow feedback control. Test results are as follows: first, the VACA flow characteristic curve shows a wide regulation range with a flow regulation ratio of 21.8 and performs good linearity of 96.76%. Second, the mass flow rate curve measured with flow feedback control tracks the target curve. Flow feedback control effectively improves control accuracy by maintaining the steady-state error within 1.2%. Third, hot test results demonstrate that the VACA with flow feedback control can effectively maintain the accurate and consistent oxidizer mass flow rate during the firing stage of the hybrid rocket motor. The findings of this research indicate that VACA with flow feedback control can be used as an effective flow regulation component to maintain a constant and accurate oxidizer mass flow rate during the working stage of a hybrid rocket motor. • A firing test of a hybrid rocket motor based on feedback control was conducted. • VACV shows good linearity with a wide regulation range in flow characteristics curve. • Feedback control with VACV improves accuracy, keeping steady-state error within 1%. • Feedback control maintains an accurate and consistent oxidizer mass flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric pump integrated into propellant supply system boasts the expansive capacity for swift thrust adjustments, making it an indispensable asset for optimizing the performance of a hybrid rocket motor. Although previous studies have explored the efficacy and practicability of hydrogen peroxide electric pumps in hybrid rocket motors, the implications of their filling process on start-up have remained elusive. In this study, the filling process and its effect on the start-up of the electric pump were numerically and experimentally investigated. The experimental and simulation results show that the electric pump cannot be completely filled by opening only the valve upstream of the pump and that there are still areas of air in the pump after the filling process. The results of the start-up process of the electric pump with different filling conditions indicate that the air, filling and acceleration process increase the pressure and axial force fluctuation, decrease the efficiency and compromise the operational stability of the pump after start-up. The results of the filling process of the electric pump at 2000 rpm demonstrate that filling the pump after starting it further reduces its efficiency and operational stability. This study provides practical guidance for filling electric pump supply systems and starting electric pumps of the rocket engines, which ensures the stable operation of rocket engines. • The filling process of electric pump in a hybrid rocket motor was studied by simulation and test. • The start-up process of the electirc pump with different filling conditions was investigated. • The filling process of the electric pump at 2000 rpm was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study retains the basic structure of DRASTIC model and obtains more specific evaluation results by adding land-use type and groundwater resource yield parameters, modifying the rating scale and weight of nine parameters. Comparison of the modified DRASTIC-LY vulnerability map with the map of the original DRASTIC-LY method revealed differences in 40.49% of the study area. The risk map shows that the very high vulnerability area decreased from 2.79 to 1.67%, while the high vulnerability area increased from 18.70 to 28.86%. Areas with low vulnerability increased by 10.15%, while areas with medium vulnerability decreased by 15.01%. The areas with very high groundwater vulnerability are mainly distributed in the Hanbin area on the north bank of the Han River, the areas with high are mainly concentrated on both sides of the Fujia River, while the areas with low are distributed in most areas in the west of the basin. The Pearson’s correlation factor was 0.0583 in the original DRASTIC model, 0.1113 in the DRASTIC-LY method and 0.8291 in the modified DRASTIC-LY model, which indicated that the revised DRASTIC-LY model was more appropriate than the original model. The results can help the government with the protection of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metabolic stress present in the tumor microenvironment of many cancers can attenuate T cell antitumor activity, which is intrinsically controlled by the mitochondrial plasticity, dynamics, metabolism, and biogenesis within these T cells. Previous studies have reported that the complement C1q binding protein (C1QBP), a mitochondrial protein, is responsible for maintenance of mitochondrial fitness in tumor cells; however, its role in T cell mitochondrial function, particularly in the context of an antitumor response, remains unclear. Here, we show that C1QBP is indispensable for T cell antitumor immunity by maintaining mitochondrial integrity and homeostasis. This effect holds even when only one allele of C1qbp is functional. Further analysis of C1QBP in the context of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy against the murine B16 melanoma model confirmed the cell-intrinsic role of C1QBP in regulating the antitumor functions of CAR T cells. Mechanistically, we found that C1qbp knocking down impacted mitochondrial biogenesis via the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha signaling pathway, as well as mitochondrial morphology via the phosphorylation of mitochondrial dynamics protein dynamin-related protein 1. In summary, our study provides a novel mitochondrial target to potentiate the plasticity and metabolic fitness of mitochondria within T cells, thus improving the immunotherapeutic potential of these T cells against tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nylon is a common engineering plastic that is easy to machine and can serve as a mechanical end-part. Ultrasonic testing is a highly efficient nondestructive testing method for the inspection of nylon materials. However, the curvature of the surface causes scattering or focusing of the ultrasonic beam bring difficulties to detect the inner defects. In addition, some configuration parameters, such as the water path depth, also affect the acoustic field distribution. It is necessary to predict the acoustic field distribution to achieve a better testing accuracy. An acoustic field simulation model based on a multi-Gaussian beam is established to predict the focused acoustic field in a multilayer medium under a curved interface. The relationship between the acoustic focusing area and the water path depth was explored, and the water path depth is selected by simulating the effective detection region. C-scan imaging of specimens with artificial flat-bottom holes are performed at different water path depths. By comparing the quantitative analysis results of different water path depths, the error of the FBH size obtained by selecting a water path depth is significantly less than others. The ultrasonic C-scan images of nylon bar with natural flaws are compared with the microscopic CT tomography reconstruction images, and the comparison shows that the defects can be detected in the C-scan images. The results show that the proposed method can optimize the configuration parameters to improve the accuracy of the flaw sizing. This study provides an efficient technique for the detection of nylon bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radioresistance and immunosuppression remain the major obstacles in the anti-cancer treatments. This work studies the functions of sialic acid binding Ig like lectin 9 (SIGLEC9) and its related molecules in radioresistance and immunosuppression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The single-cell analysis showed that SIGLEC9 was mainly expressed on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Monocytes-derived macrophages were co-cultured with ESCC cells and subjected to radiotherapy. High or low doses of radiotherapy induced SIGLEC9 upregulation and M2 polarization of TAMs. Artificial inhibition of SIGLEC9 in TAMs suppressed the radioresistance and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in the co-cultured ESCC cells. Upstream molecules of SIGLEC9 were predicted via bioinformatics. LINC01004 recruited Spi-1 proto-oncogene (SPI1) in nucleus of TAMs to induce transcriptional activation of SIGLEC9. SIGLEC9 interacted with mucin 1 (MUC1). MUC1 overexpression in ESCCs induced M2 skewing of TAMs, enhanced radioresistance and immunosuppression, and promoted nuclear translocation of β-catenin to suppress radiotherapy-induced ferroptosis of ESCC cells. These effects were blocked upon SIGLEC9 suppression. In vitro results were reproduced in the animal models with xenograft tumors. Taken together, this study demonstrates that the LINC01004-SPI1 axis-activated SIGLEC9 in TAMs induces radioresistance and the formation of immunosuppressive TME in ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Old age is associated with increased co-morbidities, resulting in reduced life expectancy. Primary endocrine therapy is an alternative to primary surgical therapy for patients with breast cancer and increased co-morbidities. The aim was to review outcomes of primary endocrine therapy versus primary surgical therapy in older women with breast cancer. Methods: PubMed, Embase (Ovid), Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched systematically from January 2000 to May 2022. Single-arm studies were excluded. Primary outcomes were overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival. Secondary outcomes were local and regional failure of primary endocrine therapy, recurrence after primary surgical therapy, and health-related quality of life. Results: There were 14 studies including 14 254 patients (primary endocrine therapy 2829, 19.8 per cent; primary surgical therapy 11 425, 80.2 per cent), with the addition of four major studies (9538 patients) compared with the latest review in 2014. Seven studies defined primary surgical therapy as surgery plus adjuvant endocrine therapy, and six studies included patients with oestrogen receptor-positive tumours only. Patients in the primary endocrine therapy group were older than the primary surgical therapy group (mean difference 2.43 (95 per cent c.i. 0.73 to 4.13) years). Primary endocrine therapy led to worse overall survival than primary surgical therapy (HR 1.42, 95 per cent c.i. 1.06 to 1.91). Subgroup analysis of RCTs and prospective studies, however, showed comparable overall survival. Breast cancer-specific survival was also comparable (HR 1.28, 95 per cent c.i. 0.87 to 1.87). At 6 weeks, operated patients had significant arm symptoms and illness burden following major breast surgery compared with patients receiving primary endocrine therapy. Health-related quality of life, measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and EuroQol EQ-5D-5L™, was comparable in the two treatment groups. Conclusion: Overall survival was worse among older women receiving primary endocrine therapy in an analysis including all studies, but comparable in RCTs and prospective studies. This may be due to confounding by age and co-morbidities in retrospective cohort studies of primary endocrine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 1-(2-bromo-4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-4-(2-chlorobenzyl)-[1,2,4] triazolo[4,3-a]quinazolin-5(4H)-one was synthesized via a five-step reaction and its single-crystal was obtained via solution crystallization, which was followed by crystallographic analysis. The molecular structure was calculated using density functional theory (DFT) and conformational analysis showed that the optimized molecular structure from DFT was comparable with that elucidated using X-ray diffraction. At the same time, the physicochemical properties of the compound could be understood by analyzing its frontier molecular orbitals and molecular electrostatic potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the ablation resistance under long-time working conditions, a multiple interface nozzle with a carbon ceramic throat cap and a copper infiltrated tungsten throat insert is designed. Firstly, a transient numerical model on thermochemical erosion (considering surface reactions of carbon and tungsten) of the multiple interface nozzle in a hybrid rocket motor is established, and the regression of nozzle inner profile is simulated by adopting a dynamic grid technique. Then a 200 s firing test of the full-scale hybrid rocket motor with the multiple interface nozzle is conducted, and 98% hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene based fuel are adopted. Erosion steps are formed at the interface of the carbon ceramic and copper infiltrated tungsten, and its formation mechanism is discussed. The erosion step height on the windward side of the throat insert is larger than that on the leeward side of the throat insert. The nozzle inner profile after the test agrees well with the simulation results, and the error of the nozzle throat diameter between the simulation results and test data is about 3.45%, which verifies the accuracy of numerical models. Finally, effects of erosion steps on the ablation characteristics and thermal protection properties are studied by numerical simulations. The results indicate that the erosion rate on the leeward side is much lower than that on the windward side. On the leeward side, the obvious radial diffusion of the gas occurs and the erosion rate increases with the increase of the erosion step height. Local vortices at the position of erosion steps will improve the heat transfer coefficient. When the erosion step height increases, the temperature on the outside surface of the nozzle shell improves, and it is increased by 38.3 K on the shell surface in the nozzle throat at t = 200 s. Research findings in this paper can provide important support for the engineering application of hybrid rocket motors with multiple interface nozzles. • Transient simulations on thermochemical erosion of C and W are performed. • 200 s firing test of hybrid rocket motor with multiple interface nozzle is conducted. • Simulation results agree well with test data and erosion step is found. • Erosion rate on the leeward side is much lower than that on the windward side. • Nozzle shell temperature increases with the increase of erosion step height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a valuable method to perform transient numerical simulations for hybrid rocket motors (HRMs). A two-dimensional transient numerical simulation model based on Butterworth filter and dynamic mesh is established. The Butterworth filter adopted in this project is a second-order low-pass filter. Then a firing test is arranged to prove the accuracy of the numerical simulation model of the HRMs. This rocket motor adopts 98% hydrogen peroxide (HP) and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) fuel containing aluminum as the propellants. The results demonstrate that the Butterworth filter can significantly improve the smoothness of the combustion surface compared with non-filter. And the combustion chamber pressure and thrust of simulation and test results are in good agreement. The average deviation of combustion chamber pressure between the simulation and test is 0.9%, and the average deviation of thrust between the simulation and test is 3.3%, which verifies the feasibility of the numerical simulation model for this HRM. Comparing the regression rate and filtered regression rate along with axial distance over time, it is indicated that the high-frequency oscillations are filtered by the Butterworth filter. In order to compare the port of simulation and test, the combustion chamber is scanned by computed tomography (CT) after the test. The results demonstrate that the simulation and test results are in good agreement, and the average deviation of simulation and test results is 4.5% mainly due to the end-burning of grain and nitrogen blowing. Then, the long-time simulations that adopted the Butterworth filter and non-filter were conducted. The results demonstrate that the use of the Butterworth filter can significantly smooth the combustion surface and the model has the ability to perform long-time simulations. This project can make the simulation for HRMs closer to the test results and provide a valuable guide for HRMs simulation. • A simulation model of hybrid rocket motor based on Butterworth filter is established. • The Butterworth filter is adopted to smooth the combustion surface. • A firing test of hybrid rocket motor with fuel containing aluminum is carried out. • Simulated combustion surface is compared with the computed tomography scan results. • A long-time simulation is conducted to validate model accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This is a cross-sectional cohort study focused on assessing the influence of ocular biometric parameters of different camera devices for accurately predicting the intraocular lens (IOL) power in congenital ectopia lentis (EL) patients. Methods: This study includes a total of 91 eyes of 60 patients with congenital EL from June 2018 to April 2021. All patients underwent lens subluxation surgery with Cionni modified capsular tension rings implantation. Ocular parameters measured by partial coherence interferometry (IOLMaster 700; Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) and rotating Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam HR system; Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) were acquired from the database. The authenticity of the different keratometries (Ks) was analyzed by comparing the prediction error in spherical equivalent under controlled formula SRK/T, Haigis, and after Wang-Koch (WK) adjustment. Results: We observed significant greater K values were obtained in IOLMaster than Pentacam, resulting in more significant hyperopia error while calculating SRK/T. The IOL power calculated with the total corneal refractive power (TCRP) from Pentacam revealed the highest prediction accuracy, indicating that TCRP is the closest to the actual refractive power of the cornea. However, in an exceptional case for long eye patients, total K from IOLMaster was better recommended when using formula Haigis with WK adjustment. Conclusions: For most instances, TCRP is the best-recommended source of K value while calculating IOL power for EL patients. However, the total K from IOLMaster preferably fits for long eye patients, who require WK adjustment for Haigis formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation has an increasing role in the treatment of primary and metastatic lung tumors. Although microwave ablation (MWA) has emerged advantageous as a new ablation technology, more research is needed to improve it. This study aims to investigate the ablation zone of three microwave antennas in ex vivo porcine lung. Materials and Methods: In the ex vivo standard model and porcine lung model, MWA was performed in three power output settings (50 W, 60 W, and 70 W) for 3, 6, 9, and 12 min using three microwave antennas, with outer diameter of 1.03 mm (19G), 1.6 mm (16G), and 2.0 mm (14G). A total of 108 and 216 sessions were performed (3 or 6 sessions per time setting with the 14G, 16G, and 19G microwave antennas). After the MWA was complete, we evaluated the shape and extent of the coagulation zone and measured the maximum long-axis (along the needle axis; length [L]) and maximum short-axis (perpendicular to the needle; diameter [D]) of the ablation zones using a ruler; subsequently, the sphericity index (L/D) was calculated. The sphericity index can be simplified as long-axis/short-axis. Results: In the ex vivo standard model study, the long- and short-axis diameters and sphericity indices were not statistically different between the 14G, 16G, and 19G groups. In the ex vivo porcine lung study, the long- and short-axis diameters did not differ statistically between the 14G, 16G, and 19G groups (P < 0.05 each). The sphericity index for the 19G microwave antenna was higher than the sphericity indices for the 14G and 16G microwave antennas (P < 0.05); however, the index for the 14G microwave antenna was not statistically different than that for the 16G microwave antenna (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The ablation zone of the 19G antenna was the same as those of the 14G and 16G antennas in vitro. Thus, the 19G antenna may reduce the incidence of complications in lung tumor ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Krüppel-like factor 7 (klf7), a transcription factor in the nervous system to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation, has been recently identified as a causal gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the mechanism behind remains unknown. Result: To uncover this mechanism, in this study we characterized the involvement of klf7 in circadian rhythm by knocking down klf7 in N2A cells and examining the rhythmic expression of circadian genes, especially Clock gene. We constructed klf7−/− mice and then investigated into klf7 regulation on the expression of rhythm genes in vivo as well as the use of melatonin to rescue the autism behavior. Our results illustrated that circadian rhythm was disrupted in klf7 knockdown cells and that klf7−/− mice showed autism-like behavior. Also, we found that Clock gene was downregulated in the brain of these klf7−/− mice and that the downstream rhythm genes of Clock were disturbed. Melatonin, as a circadian regulation drug, could regulate the expression level and amplitude of rhythm genes in klf7 knockout cells and further rescue the autistic behavior of klf7−/− mice. Conclusion: Klf7 deficiency causes ASD by disrupting circadian rhythm related genes to trigger rhythm oscillations. To treat ASD, maintaining circadian homeostasis is promising with the use of melatonin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Withaferin A is a triterpenoid steroidal lactone and is commonly isolated from Withania somnifera. It has been shown to have tremendous pharmacological potential. Objectives: The present study was aimed at elucidating the mechanism of action of withaferin A against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Materials and Methods: MTT (tetrazolium dye) Assay was performed for the relative assessment of the viabilities of cell lines. The effect of withaferin A on the proliferative capability of HCC cells was analyzed using the EdU staining assay, and the colony-forming potential was assessed with the help of a clonogenic assay. Cell apoptosis was estimated through (Modified Annexin V/Propidium Iodide Apoptosis Assay) staining followed by flow cytometry. Transwell assays were carried out for estimating the migration and invasion of cancer cells. The qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively, were used for gene and protein expression studies. Results: Withaferin A selectively inhibited the viability of HCC cells although the viability of normal liver cells was minimally affected. The IC50 of withaferin A against the HepG2 cells was found to be 12 μM as against 150 μM for normal THLE-2 cells. The treatment with withaferin A significantly minimized the proliferation and colony-forming potential of cancer cells by inducing cell apoptosis. The percentage of apoptosis increased from 3.8% in control to 20.3% at 24 μM withaferin A. The cancer cell migration and invasion were significantly declined by withaferin A together with the inhibition of Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cells. The withaferin A treatment decreased the expression of carcinoma cell markers CD44, CD90, and EpCAM. The expression of miR-200c markedly increased under withaferin A treatment and the latter was shown to exert its anti-cancer effects through miR-200c-mediated inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in HCC cells. Conclusion: In conclusion, withaferin A modulated the expression of miR-200c in HCC cells to inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway and restricted the cancer cell EMT together with the inhibition of in vitro cancer cell growth and viability via induction of apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for real-time applications of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) makes Quality of Service (QoS)-based charging scheduling models an interesting and hot research topic. Satisfying QoS requirements (e.g. data collection integrity, charging respond delay, etc.) for the different applications of WSNs raises significant challenges. More precisely, an effective scheduling strategy not only needs to improve the charging efficiency of charging vehicles but also needs to reduce the charging respond delay of the requests to be charged, all of which must be based on the integrity of data collection. For such applications, existing studies on charging issue often deployed one or more mobile vehicles, which have deficiencies in practical applications. On one hand, it usually is insufficient to employ just one vehicle to charge many sensors in a large-scale application scenario due to the limited battery capacity of the charging vehicle or energy depletion of some sensors before the arrival of the charging vehicle. On the other hand, while the collaboration between multiple vehicles for large-scale WSNs can significantly increase charging capacity, the cost is too high in terms of the initial investment and maintenance costs of these vehicles. To overcome these deficits, in this work, we propose a novel QoS-based on-demand charge scheduling (abbreviated shortly as QOCS) model that one charging vehicle carries multiple removable battery powered chargers. In the novel QoS-based charging model, we study the charging scheduling problem of requesting nodes to guarantee the integrity of network data collection and maximize the satisfaction of charging services. In the QOCS model, We jointly consider the coverage contribution and energy urgency to sort the charging requests of sensors, and introduce a hybrid power supply mechanism based on supply and demand to improve energy utilization. We evaluate the performance of the proposed model through extensive simulation and experimental results show that our model achieves better performance than existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the quantitative assessment model of the swimming training effect based on the deep neural network by constructing a deep neural network model and designing a quantitative assessment model of the swimming training effect. This paper addresses the problem of not considering the influence of the uncertainties existing in the virtual environment when evaluating swimming training and adds the power of the delays in the actual training operation environment, which is used to improve the objectivity and usability of swimming training evaluation results. To better measure the degree of influence of uncertainties, a training evaluation software module is developed to validate the usability of the simulated training evaluation method using simulated case data and compare it with the data after training evaluation using the unimproved evaluation method to verify the correctness and objectivity of the evaluation method in this paper. In the experiments, the feature extractor is a deep neural network, and the classifier is a gradient-boosting decision tree with integrated learning advantages. In the experimental comparison, we can achieve more than 60% accuracy and no more than a 1.00% decrease in recognition rate on DBPNN + GBDT, 78.5% parameter reduction, and 54.5% floating-point reduction on DPBNN. We can effectively reduce 32.1% of video memory occupation. It can be concluded from the experiments that deep neural network models are more effective and easier to obtain relatively accurate experimental results than shallow learning when facing high-dimensional sparse features. At the same time, deep neural networks can also improve the prediction results of external learning models. Therefore, the experimental results of this model are most intuitively accurate when combining deep neural networks with gradient boosting decision trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is a significant operational parameter of denitrifying filter (DF), which affects the microbial activity and the pollutants removal efficiency. This study investigated the influence of temperature on performance of advanced synergistic nitrogen removal (ASNR) of partial-denitrification anammox (PDA) and denitrification, consuming the hydrolytic and oxidation products of refractory organics in the actual secondary effluent (SE) as carbon source. When the test water temperature (TWT) was around 25, 20, 15 and 10 °C, the filtered effluent total nitrogen (TN) was 1.47, 1.70, 2.79 and 5.52 mg/L with the removal rate of 93.38%, 92.25%, 87.33% and 74.87%, and the effluent COD cr was 8.12, 8.45, 10.86 and 12.29 mg/L with the removal rate of 72.41%, 66.17%, 57.35% and 51.87%, respectively. The contribution rate of PDA to TN removal was 60.44%∼66.48%, and 0.77–0.96 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD cr) was actually consumed to remove 1 mg TN. The identified functional bacteria, such as anammox bacteria, manganese oxidizing bacteria (MnOB), hydrolytic bacteria and denitrifying bacteria, demonstrated that TN was removed by the ASNR, and the variation of the functional bacteria along the DF layer revealed the mechanism of the TWT affecting the efficiency of the ASNR. This technique presented a strong adaptability to the variation of the TWT, therefore, it has broad application prospect and superlative application value in advanced nitrogen removal of municipal wastewater. [Display omitted] • COD cr , NO 3 − -N, NH 4 + -N and TN were effectively removed by ASNR. • The removal rate of TN still reached to 74.87% at around 10 °C. • The denitrifying bacteria and anammox bacteria activity was affected by the TWT. • The actual COD cr consumption for removing 1 mg TN was significantly reduced. • This technique has superlative application value and broad application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance energy characteristics of propellants in hybrid rocket motors, aluminum particles are added into the solid fuel. However, these particles may lead to nozzle mechanical erosion, which significantly affects the motor performance. This paper intends to study thermochemical and mechanical erosion mechanism of carbon-based nozzles in hybrid rocket motors with aluminum metallized fuel. A firing test is performed, and 95 % hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl‑terminated polybutadiene based fuel with aluminum particles are utilized. Experimental results show that many metal particles are ejected from the nozzle, and aluminum oxide deposits heavily on the nozzle inner surface. A method of numerical calculation coupled with two-phase flow, combustion of aluminum metallized fuel, thermochemical ablation reactions, and mechanical erosion is established. The errors of combustion chamber pressure and throat erosion rate between numerical calculation and test results are 0.53 % and 7.76 %, respectively. Simulation results indicate that with the increase of aluminum content, nozzle wall pressure gradually increases, while the mass fraction of H 2 O, CO 2 , OH, and O declines. The nozzle wall temperature and thermochemical erosion rate raise first and then reduce as aluminum content increases. The mechanical erosion is mainly distributed in the convergent section, and it raises with the increase of aluminum content. When aluminum content is up to 38 %, the maximum mechanical and thermochemical erosion rates are 0.09185 mm/s and 0.0976 mm/s, respectively. This reveals that effects of mechanical erosion on hybrid rocket nozzles should be carefully considered and evaluated under conditions of high aluminum content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oriented to the application of new generation strategic aircraft, M28 (Ti-4Al-5Mo-5 V-6Cr-1Nb) is a novel metastable β titanium alloy with outstanding strength. The research on the machining of such hard-to-machine material remains inadequate. To investigate the machinability of M28, milling experiments were made with the uncoated WC–Co carbide insert. The cutting force and tool life of M28 were compared with those of Ti-6Al-4 V in varying cutting speeds. The tool wear mode was also analyzed. The cutting force of M28 increases with cutting speed significantly, especially in high-speed cutting where it can reach as high as 132% of that of Ti-6Al-4 V. The "transgranular cut" of M28 contributes to the high cutting force. A much shorter tool life in cutting M28, ranging from 0.88% to 13.82% of that of Ti-6Al-4 V, was found in the experiment. Serious edge chipping occurred at the normal cutting speed as the result of stress concentration and abrasion of the secondary α precipitation. In high-speed cutting, chip adhesion, comb cracks, and tool plastic deformation were found at the edge as the result of the high temperature. In addition, the semi-crater at the worn edge tip was formed by the interaction of high-frequency cutting impact, carbide thermal softening, and diffusion wear. A better understanding of the machinability of M28 is conducive to the improvement in manufacture in the aviation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar flares are characterized by sudden enhancement of electromagnetic radiation from the atmospheres of stars. Compared to their solar counterparts, our knowledge on the coronal plasma dynamics of stellar flares and their connection to coronal mass ejections remains very limited. With time-resolved high-resolution spectroscopic observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we detected noticeable coronal plasma flows during several stellar flares on a nearby dMe star EV Lac. In the observed spectra of O viii (3 MK), Fe xvii (6 MK), Mg xii (10 MK), and Si xiv (16 MK) lines, these flare-induced upflows/downflows appear as significant Doppler shifts of several tens to 130 km sâˆ'1, and the upflow velocity generally increases with temperature. Variable line ratios of the Si xiii triplet reveal that this plasma flows in most flares are accompanied by an increase in the coronal plasma density and temperature. We interpret these results as X-ray evidence of chromospheric evaporation on EV Lac. In two successive flares, the plasma flow pattern and a sharp increase of the measured coronal density are highly suggestive of explosive evaporation. The transition from redshifts to blueshifts in such an explosive evaporation occurs at a temperature of at least 10 MK, much higher than that observed in solar flares (∼1 MK). However, in one flare the cool and warm upflows appear to be accompanied by a decreasing plasma density, which might be explained by a stellar filament/prominence eruption coupled to this flare. These results provide important clues to understanding the coronal plasma dynamics during flares on M dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to research ignition delay time and ignition process of catalytic hybrid rocket motor (HRM) with 95% hydrogen peroxide (95HP)/HTPB-based aluminum additive fuel. Firing tests are conducted with 95HP and different fuels on lab-scale HRMs. The aluminum weight fractions of four HTPB-based fuels are 38%, 48%, 58% and 65% respectively. Corresponding two-dimensional axisymmetric transient simulations are established to verify the relationship of catalytic ignition delay to fuel grain aluminum weight fraction and to catalytic decomposition temperature. The mono-propellant catalysis experiments of 95HP are carried out and show that the maximum temperature of decomposition products can reach 1140 K. The catalytic ignition delay time of 95HP/HTPB-based fuels is affected by the aluminum additive. When the aluminum weight fraction of the fuels is increased from 38% to 65%, the effective heating time of the ignition is correspondingly increased from 0.250 s to 0.556 s. The flame pictures are taken by the high-speed camera in the firing tests. A large number of sparks appear in the flame when it reaches a stable state, but there is no spark in the flame at the initial stage of ignition. Therefore, it is indicated that the aluminum does not participate in the chemical reaction at the initial stage of ignition, but may change the physical properties of the fuel. Similarly, the simulation results prove that the increase of the aluminum weight fraction of the fuel will increase the ignition delay time while the increase of catalytic decomposition temperature will greatly reduce the ignition delay time. • Firing tests are conducted with HTPB-based aluminum additive fuel. • Increasing of the aluminum fraction of fuel will increase the ignition delay time. • Aluminum does not participate in the chemical reaction before the fuel is ignited. • Two-dimensional axisymmetric transient simulations are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation direction and true velocity of a solar coronal mass ejection, which are among the most decisive factors for its geo-effectiveness, are difficult to determine through single-perspective imaging observations. Here we show that Sun-as-a-star spectroscopic observations, together with imaging observations, could allow us to solve this problem. Using observations of the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we found clear blueshifted secondary emission components in extreme-ultraviolet spectral lines during a solar eruption on 2021 October 28. From simultaneous imaging observations, we found that the secondary components are caused by a mass ejection from the flare site. We estimated the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of the ejecta from both the double Gaussian fitting method and the red-blue asymmetry analysis. The results of both methods agree well with each other, giving an average LOS velocity of the plasma of ∼423 km sâˆ'1. From the 304 Ă... image series taken by the Extreme ultraviolet Imager onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relation Observatory-A (STEREO-A) spacecraft, we estimated the plane-of-sky velocity from the STEREO-A viewpoint to be around 587 km sâˆ'1. The full velocity of the bulk motion of the ejecta was then computed by combining the imaging and spectroscopic observations, which turns out to be around 596 km sâˆ'1 with an angle of 42.°4 to the west of the Sunâ€"Earth line and 16.°0 south to the ecliptic plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major oil crop in China, with the world's largest planted area and total yield. Rapeseed has a high demand for nitrogen (N), and nitrogen deficiency in soil is an important limiting factor for rapeseed production. However, rapeseed responds to N deprivation by regulating its own morphology, structure, and physiology. We carried out the current experiment by utilizing low N (LN: 0.3 mM NO3−) and normal N (CK: 6.0 mM NO3−) treatments using Brassica napus as the experimental material. The study results showed that low N induced root elongation in rapeseed, and the root length of LN treatment was 2.37 times that of HN treatment. The dry matter of roots also significantly increased due to low N treatment. Meanwhile, low N treatment decreased photosynthetic pigment (including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids) contents and dry mass accumulation of leaves. A higher root/shoot ratio and N physiological efficiency were observed under low N treatment. The changes in cell wall components (pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), related enzymes, and genes' transcription levels in roots were determined and the results suggested that low N promoted the demethylation of ion-bound pectin (ISP) and covalently bound pectin (CSP), the content of CSP and cellulose. The promoted pectin methylesterase (PME) activity, inhibited pectin and cellulose degradation enzymes, and up/downregulation of related genes also confirming the results of cell wall components. The low N-increased demethylation degree of pectin and content of pectin and cellulose in cell walls was conducive to cell wall loosening and cell wall synthesis during cell division and elongation, ultimately promoting root-adaptive elongation. The study revealed a possible mechanism in which the alteration of cell wall component content and structure participates in cell elongation and expansion, which directly induces root elongation under N deficiency. The successful implementation of this research may be conducive to facilitating the development of rapeseed cultivars with high N use efficiency through root-based genetic improvements and improving plant adaptability to low N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops (or decayless oscillations for short) have attracted great attention since their discovery. Coronal bright points (CBPs) are mini-active regions and consist of loops with a small size. However, decayless oscillations in CBPs have not been widely reported. In this study, we identified this kind of oscillations in some CBPs using 171 Ă... images taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. After using the motion magnification algorithm to increase oscillation amplitudes, we made timeâ€"distance maps to identify the oscillatory signals. We also estimated the loop lengths and velocity amplitudes. We analyzed 23 CBPs and found 31 oscillation events in 16 of them. The oscillation periods range from 1 to 8 minutes (on average about 5 minutes), and the displacement amplitudes have an average value of 0.07 Mm. The average loop length and velocity amplitude are 23 Mm and 1.57 km sâˆ'1, respectively. Relationships between different oscillation parameters are also examined. Additionally, we performed a simple model to illustrate how these subpixel oscillation amplitudes (less than 0.4 Mm) could be detected. Results of the model confirm the reliability of our data processing methods. Our study shows for the first time that decayless oscillations are common in small-scale loops of CBPs. These oscillations allow for seismological diagnostics of the AlfvĂ©n speed and magnetic field strength in the corona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saxifraga sunhangiana, a new species of the genus Saxifraga sect. Irregulares (Saxifragaceae) from Gansu, China, is described and illustrated. This species is distinguishable by its abaxial leaf surface with singularly long white villous hairs and rather long rhizomes. Morphological and molecular data indicate that S. sunhangiana belongs to S. sect. Irregulares, and closely related to S. rufescens. The new species differs from S. rufescens by its terminal flower with two elongated, fusiform-lanceolate petals and leaves with glabrous petiole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at the dynamic characteristics study of variable thrust HRMs, for which a two-dimensional transient numerical model of HRM is established. Complete transient simulation based on dynamic mesh has been performed sequentially. An HRM with a thrust of three stages is designed and tested. The pressure, regression rate and thrust of the simulation results are in good agreement with the experiment data, which verifies the feasibility of the dynamic mesh technique for fuel regression simulation in HRMs. Specifically, the maximum deviations of pressure and thrust are less than 3.6% and 3.2%, respectively at the large mass flow rate stage. The numerical simulations show that the regression rate is not only related to the oxidizer mass flux, but also affected by the dynamic regression process. Max deviation of regression rate is 35% at the same oxidizer mass flux. Moreover, it is also demonstrated that the presence of vortex near front edge of fuel grain has a great effect on motor performance. Regression rate at front part of solid fuel is significantly high at the initial stage of throttling process, and regression rate downstream of the vortex obviously increases with time. In addition, the gas temperature of the pre-combustion chamber continuously increases with regression of fuel surface. Gas temperature of the post-combustion chamber is positively correlated with the oxidizer mass flow rate. This research can predict performance of HRMs more accurately, and provide a valuable guidance for variable thrust HRMs design. • A numerical simulation model of variable thrust hybrid rocket motor is established. • Dynamic mesh technique is used to simulate the regression of solid fuel surface. • A firing test of variable thrust hybrid rocket motor are conducted. • Average regression rate is different at the same oxidizer mass flux. • Regression rate of downstream of the vortex obviously increases with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case study for the global extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave and its chromospheric counterpart the Moreton-Ramsey Wave associated with the second X-class flare in Solar Cycle 25 and a halo coronal mass ejection (CME). The EUV wave was observed in the H α and EUV passbands with different characteristic temperatures. In the 171 Ă... and 193/195 Ă... images, the wave propagates circularly with an initial velocity of 600â€"720 km sâˆ'1 and a deceleration of 110â€"320 m sâˆ'2. The local coronal plasma is heated from log(T/K) ≈ 5.9 to log(T/K) ≈ 6.2 during the passage of the wave front. The H α and 304 Ă... images also reveal signatures of wave propagation with a velocity of 310â€"540 km sâˆ'1. With multiwavelength and dual-perspective observations, we found that the wave front likely propagates forwardly inclined to the solar surface with a tilt angle of ∼53°.2. Our results suggest that this EUV wave is a fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic wave or shock driven by the expansion of the associated CME, whose wave front is likely a dome-shaped structure that could impact the upper chromosphere, transition region, and corona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disease. To date, more than 1000 genes have been shown to be associated with ASD, and only a few of these genes account for more than 1% of autism cases. Klf7 is an important transcription factor of cell proliferation and differentiation in the nervous system, but whether klf7 is involved in autism is unclear. Methods: We first performed ChIP-seq analysis of klf7 in N2A cells, then performed behavioral tests and RNA-seq in klf7+/− mice, and finally restored mice with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of klf7 in klf7+/− mice. Results: Klf7 targeted genes are enriched with ASD genes, and 631 ASD risk genes are also differentially expressed in klf7+/− mice which exhibited the core symptoms of ASD. When klf7 levels were increased in the central nervous system (CNS) in klf7+/− adult mice, deficits in social interaction, repetitive behavior and majority of dysregulated ASD genes were rescued in the adults, suggesting transcriptional regulation. Moreover, knockdown of klf7 in human brain organoids caused dysregulation of 517 ASD risk genes, 344 of which were shared with klf7+/− mice, including some high-confidence ASD genes. Conclusions: Our findings highlight a klf7 regulation of ASD genes and provide new insights into the pathogenesis of ASD and promising targets for further research on mechanisms and treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effects of liquid oxidizer flow distribution on combustion characteristics and performance of hybrid rocket motor with axial injection through numerical simulations of two-phase flow. Axial injection is widely used in hybrid rocket motor, however, the regression of burning surface may change combustion efficiency of the motor at different moments. Consequently, it is necessary for hybrid rocket motor to design injector patterns that could increase the average combustion efficiency in the whole operating process. The orifice injector plate is divided into three areas, which are recorded as zone I, zone II and zone III, respectively. Oxidizer flow distribution is achieved through changing the diameter of injector holes in various zones, and three-dimensional steady numerical simulations of two-phase flow of hybrid rocket motor with axial injector patterns at different moments are conducted. The motor adopts 98% hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene as the propellants. Numerical analysis reveals that oxidizer flow distribution mainly influences the flow field structure in the pre-combustion chamber and front part of fuel grain port. Increasing oxidizer mass flow rate in zone III is beneficial for the chamber head thermal environment. Relative position in the radial direction of fuel grain inner surface and oxidizer distributed in the injector plate affects fuel regression rates, and the influence mainly exists in the front part of solid fuel grain. When the oxidizer mass flow rate in zone I is equal, the average fuel regression rate rises with the increase of oxidizer flow rate in zone II at initial moment, and decreases as the oxidizer in zone II increases at middle moment. The average combustion efficiency increases with the increase of oxidizer mass flow rate in zone II when the oxidizer in zone I remains unchanged. Both the average combustion efficiency and the chamber head thermal protection need to be considered in the design of axial injector patterns. Research results of this paper provide an important reference for the design of high performance injector patterns of hybrid rocket motor. • Effects of oxidizer flow distribution on hybrid rocket motor performance are studied. • Steady two-phase flow simulations for various injector patterns are conducted. • Adding oxidizer in zone III is good for thermal environment of the chamber head. • Relative position of fuel inner surface and oxidizer affects fuel regression rates. • When zone I is fixed, combustion efficiency raises with oxidizer in zone II adding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corydalis microflora and C. lidenii are recognised as separate species in "Flora of China" and the latest plant list. However, based on the examination of type specimens and field investigations, C. lidenii is shown to be conspecific with C. microflora. As a result, C. lidenii is synonymised with C. microflora in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new triterpenoids (1, 2) were isolated from the fresh bark of Ailanthus altissima. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including 1D and 2D NMR techniques and high-resolution mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the molecular mechanisms of cell behaviors is beneficial for promoting periodontal ligament stem cell (PDLSC)-mediated tissue regeneration. This study intends to explore the regulatory effects of EID3 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and osteogenic differentiation and to preliminarily explore the regulatory mechanism of EID3. Here, EID3 was overexpressed or knocked down in PDLSCs by recombinant lentivirus. Then, cell proliferation activity was analyzed by colony-forming assay, EdU assay, and cell cycle assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The osteo-differentiation potential was analyzed using ALP activity assay, ALP staining, alizarin red staining, and mRNA and protein assay of osteo-differentiation related genes. The results showed that when EID3 was knocked down, the proliferation activity and osteogenic differentiation potential of PDLSCs decreased, while they increased when EID3 was overexpressed. The cell apoptosis rate decreased in PDLSCs with EID3 knockdown but increased in PDLSCs with EID3 overexpression. Moreover, EID3 inhibited the transduction of the AKT/MTOR and ERK signaling pathway. In addition, TAZ negatively regulated the expression of EID3, and the overexpression of EID3 partially reversed the promotive effects of TAZ on the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. Taken together, EID3 inhibits the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation while promoting the apoptosis of PDLSCs. EID3 inhibits the transduction of the AKT/MTOR and ERK signaling pathways and mediates the regulatory effect of TAZ on PDLSC osteogenic differentiation. • The regulatory effects of EID3 on PDLSCs proliferation, apoptosis, and osteogenic differentiation was first identified. • EID3 inhibited the transduction of the AKT/MTOR and ERK signaling pathway in PDLSCs. • EID3 mediated the regulatory effect of TAZ on PDLSCs osteogenic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning low-dimensional representations for networks has attracted considerable research interest due to the ever-increasing volume and variety of network-based information. It becomes especially important and challenging for temporal networks whose nodes and attributes evolve as time changes. To address the problem of temporal network embedding, we propose a novel Dynamic Bayesian Temporal Network Embedding (DBTNE) method that adopts a probabilistic framework and represents network embeddings as Gaussian distributions for learning effective embeddings for temporal networks. Unlike the existing temporal network embedding methods that learn dynamic embeddings only for nodes, our DBTNE jointly learns the dynamic embeddings of both nodes and attributes in temporal attributed networks for effectively capturing the similarities among them, which greatly facilitates attribute-related learning tasks such as link prediction, object classification and user profiling. In addition, we model the temporal dynamics of both nodes and attributes with neural ordinary differential equations, which supports effective and efficient capture of long-range dependencies among embeddings at different timestamps. Extensive experimental results on real-world temporal networks demonstrate that our DBTNE achieves better performance than popular state-of-the-art methods, including DeepWalk, Node2Vec, CAN, HTNE, M2DNE, MTSN, Dane-ATT, for typical graph learning tasks, such as dynamic link prediction and node classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tuning band structures based on metal sulfides/Zr-MOF heterojunctions. • Greatly optimized band structures. • Significantly improved light energy utilization and optical-electronic properties. • Remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiencies and accelerated reaction kinetics. Assembly of advanced MOFs based heterojunctions is an effective avenue to facilitate light utility and photogenerated electron-hole separation for photochemical detoxification of Cr(VI) and degradation of reactive dyes. Systematically polishing the band states of photocatalysts is the crucial point but still requires further study. Herein, a band structure tuning strategy was designed by depositing carefully selected metal sulfides on a 2D Zr-MOF to assemble six metal sulfides/Zr-MOF heterojunctions. Fortunately, In 2 S 3 /Zr-MOF presents prominent optical-electronic properties and photocatalytic performances since the highly matched band structure. And its UV–Visible light utility, carriers migration rate, electron-hole separation efficiency and recombination inhibition ability have been greatly optimized. Ingeniously, In 2 S 3 /Zr-MOF (M5) exhibits best photochemical purification abilities towards ultra-stubborn reactive dyes RR11, RB21 and highly toxic Cr(VI) ions, under 500 W xenon lamp, with degradation/reduction efficiencies of 91.8, 93.3 % and 97.9 % within 5, 13 h and 70 min, respectively. Compared with pure In 2 S 3 and Zr-MOF, the photocatalytic degradation kinetics towards RR11 have been increased 27.18 and 38.50 times, respectively, providing the recyclability of more than 4 times. Mechanism studies confirm that ·O 2 − species play dominant roles in removal of reactive dyes, and the powerful electrons transfer from the conduction band (CB) of In 2 S 3 to Zr-MOF's relatively positive CB further reinforce their ability to combine with dissolved O 2 in water to provide more ·O 2 −. While the cooperation of electrons in CB of Zr-MOF with O 2 /·O 2 − has been suggested as the mechanism for photocatalytic detoxification of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). This study provides a feasible strategy for boosting the photochemical purification capacities of Zr-MOFs based heterojunction platforms. A band structure tuning strategy has been effectively designed and carried out by depositing diverse metal sulfides with unique band states on a 2D Zr-MOF, respectively, enabling precisely modulate the optical-electronic properties and boost the photocatalytic reduction and degradation efficiencies under xenon lamp. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignancies in head and neck. Platinum-based chemotherapy is an important treatment for NPC. However, the molecular mechanism of resistance to platinum drug remains unknown. Endoplasmic reticulum resident protein 44(ERp44), an unfolded protein response (UPR)-induced endoplasmic reticulum(ER) protein, is induced during ER stress. This research explored the mechanism of ERp44 in strengthening cisplatin resistance in NPC.Methods: Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the expression of ERp44 and Glucose-Regulated Protein 78(GRP78) in NPC. We took CCK8 to detect the role of ERp44 on cell chemosensitivity. Flow cytometric analysis and western blot were taken to analyze cell apoptosis. We performed differential centrifugation to isolate exosomes from serum or conditioned media of cells and analyzed the impact of exosomal ERp44 on cells cisplatin sensitivity. Finally, the results were confirmed in vivo.Results: We found the increased expression of ERp44 and GRP78 in NPC and ERp44 was highly expressed in ER-stressed tissues. Cell proliferation was inhibited after cisplatin treatment when ERp44 was knocked down and ERp44 strengthened cisplatin resistance by influencing cell apoptosis and pyroptosis. Then we also collected exosomes and cell viability was increased after the addition of NPC-derived-exosomes with cisplatin treatment. More importantly, our results showed under ERS, NPC cells secreted exosomes containing ERp44 and could transfer them to adjacent cells to strengthen chemoresistance.Conclusion: Our data suggested that exosomal ERp44 derived from ER-stressed NPC cells took an inevitable role in NPC chemoresistance and might act as a treatment target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the correlations between two qubits in the Grover search algorithm with arbitrary initial states by numerical simulation. Using a set of suitable bases, we construct the reduced density matrix and give the numerical expression of correlations relating to the iterations. For different initial states, we obtain the concurrence and quantum discord compared with the success probability in the algorithm. The results show that the initial states affect the correlations and the limit point of the correlations in the searching process. However, the initial states do not influence the whole cyclical trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Nitrate transporters (NRT) in plants are mainly encoded by the NPF and NRT2 gene families. We aimed to reveal the chromosome distribution, collinearity, coexpression and evolution of the NPF and NRT2 genes in the genome of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Nitrate transport activity of representative proteins was also verified. Methods: Genomic information, collinearity analysis, coexpression network analysis, nitrate transport activity and polymorphism analysis were integrated to identify and characterize the NPF and NRT2 genes. Results: We identified 331 NPF and 46 NRT2 genes in the wheat genome. Tandem duplication was the main driver of the expansion of the NRT2 genes. The NPF genes were mainly distributed on the 2-, 3- and 7- chromosome groups and in the R2b region. The NRT2 genes were mainly distributed on the 6-chromosome group and in the R1 region. Multiple transcription factor families were coexpressed with NPF and NRT2 genes in wheat. Two NPFs and one NRT2 could transport NO3− under either 0.5 mM or 10 mM nitrate concentrations. One hundred and eighty-five NPF and 27 NRT2 genes fit the neutral selection model. Natural variations in NPF genes resulted in differences in the nitrogen uptake of wheat. Conclusions: Duplication events are ubiquitous in NPF and NRT2 gene families in the wheat genome. GRAS may be a previously unrecognized transcription factor that regulates NPF genes expression. It is unreliable to predict the activity of NPF and NRT2 proteins based only on their phylogenetic relationships. Polymorphisms in NPF and NRT2 genes mainly accumulate by random drift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronal loops are the building blocks of solar active regions. However, their formation mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we present direct observational evidence for the formation of coronal loops through magnetic reconnection as new magnetic fluxes emerge into the solar atmosphere. Extreme-ultraviolet observations by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) clearly show the newly formed loops following magnetic reconnection within a plasma sheet. Formation of the loops is also seen in the Hα line-core images taken by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope. Observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board SDO show that a positive-polarity flux concentration moves toward a negative-polarity one with a speed of ∼0.4 km s−1 before the formation of coronal loops. During the loop formation process, we found signatures of flux cancellation and subsequent enhancement of the transverse field between the two polarities. The three-dimensional magnetic field structure reconstructed through a magnetohydrostatic model shows field lines consistent with the loops in AIA images. Numerous bright blobs with an average width of 1.37 Mm appear intermittently in the plasma sheet and move upward with a projected velocity of ∼114 km s−1. The temperature, emission measure, and density of these blobs are about 3 MK, 2.0 × 1028 cm−5, and 1.2 × 1010 cm−3, respectively. A power spectral analysis of these blobs indicates that the observed reconnection is likely not dominated by a turbulent process. We have also identified flows with a velocity of 20–50 km s−1 toward the footpoints of the newly formed coronal loops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G protein gamma 7 (GNG7) has been found to be aberrantly expressed in some kinds of malignant tumors. In this study, we mainly discuss the antitumor role of it in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. Protein levels of GNG7 in LUAD tissues were measured by western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. Cell proliferation, invasion and migration were detected by CCK-8 assay, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), and Transwell assay. In our study, GNG7 was down-regulated in LUAD, which significantly correlated with survival of LUAD patients. Functional experiments revealed that GNG7 significantly inhibited LUAD cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and E2F1 overexpression reversed these properties. GNG7 suppressed xenograft tumorigenesis in nude mice models in vivo. In conclusion, GNG7 functions as a tumor suppressor in LUAD cells through inhibiting E2F1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that quantum algorithms may solve problems efficiently that are intractable using conventional algorithms. Quantum algorithms can be designed with a set of universal quantum gates that transform input states into desired output states. However, designing quantum algorithms that transform states in desired ways is challenging due to its complexity. In this paper, we propose a machine learning framework for the transformation of unknown states into their corresponding target states. Specifically, a parameterized quantum circuit learns a given task by tuning its parameters. After the learning is done, the circuit is competent for the quantum task. This allows us to circumvent cumbersome circuit design based on universal quantum gates. If perfect transformation is forbidden by quantum theory, an optimal transformation can be obtained in terms of fidelity. This provides a research method to study various quantum no-go theorems that characterize the intrinsic gap between quantum and classical information. As examples, quantum state rotation and quantum state cloning are studied using numerical simulations. We also show the good robustness of our machine learning framework to corrupted training data, which is a very nice property for physical implementation on near-term noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitin is a major structural component of fungal cell walls and acts as a microbe‐associated molecular pattern (MAMP) that, on recognition by a plant host, triggers the activation of immune responses. To avoid the activation of these responses, the Septoria tritici blotch (STB) pathogen of wheat, Zymoseptoria tritici, secretes LysM effector proteins. Previously, the LysM effectors Mg1LysM and Mg3LysM were shown to protect fungal hyphae against host chitinases. Furthermore, Mg3LysM, but not Mg1LysM, was shown to suppress chitin‐induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Whereas initially a third LysM effector gene was disregarded as a presumed pseudogene, we now provide functional data to show that this gene also encodes a LysM effector, named Mgx1LysM, that is functional during wheat colonization. While Mg3LysM confers a major contribution to Z. tritici virulence, Mgx1LysM and Mg1LysM contribute to Z. tritici virulence with smaller effects. All three LysM effectors display partial functional redundancy. We furthermore demonstrate that Mgx1LysM binds chitin, suppresses the chitin‐induced ROS burst, and is able to protect fungal hyphae against chitinase hydrolysis. Finally, we demonstrate that Mgx1LysM is able to undergo chitin‐induced polymerization. Collectively, our data show that Z. tritici utilizes three LysM effectors to disarm chitin‐triggered wheat immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An isocyanate-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBI) was successfully synthesized by reacting hyperbranched polyester (BoltornTM HB-20) with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to monitor the molecular weight and its distribution changes during the synthesis. The structure and composition of IPDI were characterized by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The structure of HBI was confirmed by one-dimensional 1H, 13C NMR, and distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT) NMR spectroscopy as well as two-dimensional heteronuclear multiple bond coherence (2D-HMBC) and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, HBI was reacted with methoxypolyethylene glycols (MPEG) to obtain a water-dispersible polyisocyanate with hyperbranched structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the problems of low stiffness, small driving force and large balloon effect existing in the current soft actuator, this paper proposes an optimization method to enhance the overall stiffness of the soft gripper by using rigid components based on the multi-cavity soft pneumatic actuator. This paper introduces the main components of the actuator: the soft part poured by liquid silica gel, and the open rectangular rigid structures by 3D printed. The kinematics model of the finger is established based on the Piecewise Constant Curvature model(PCC). The bending performance of the enhanced stiffness gripper is verified by finite element analysis(FEA): the tip force of actuator increased with the increase of the number of rigid structures when the bending angle is constant. According to the and experimental data, the overall stiffness of soft gripper is increased by the rigid structure without affecting the flexibility of operation. And the maximum weight which can grasp is 3.4 times that of the traditional soft gripper, improved the grasping range of the soft gripper effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]