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To evaluate the impact of different momentum control variable (CV) schemes (CV5, the momentum control variable option with ψχ and CV7, the momentum control variable option with UV) on radar data assimilation (DA) in weather research and forecasting model data-assimilation (WRFDA) systems, a heavy snowfall in central and eastern regions of China, which started on 6 February 2022, was taken as a case in this study. The results of the wind-field increments from the single observation tests indicated that the wind-field increments had a larger range of influence when stream function and velocity potential (ψχ) were used as momentum control variables in CV5. Some spurious increments were also generated in the wind-field analysis, since CV5 tended to maintain the integrated value of the wind field. When U-wind and V-wind were used as control variables in CV7, the wind-field increments had a smaller impact range, and there was less dependence among different locations on the wind increments. For the heavy snow case, the CV7 schemes displayed some improvements in simulating the composite reflectivity compared to the other two experiments, since the composite reflectivity in the CV5 and control experiments were overestimated to some level. It was also found that the RMSEs were lower in the CV7 compared to those in the CV5 in the short-term forecasts during the data-assimilation cycles. Results also indicated that the CV7 had a more significant effect on the 6 h accumulated precipitation forecasts. Meanwhile, the experiment Exp_CV7 achieved the best ETS and FSS scores among the three groups of experiments, while Exp_CV5 appeared to be generally superior to the CTRL. In summary, the precipitation of Exp_CV7 yielded the rainfall intensity and location most close to the observation compared to those from both the CTRL and Exp_CV5 experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the thermodynamics of spherically symmetric, neutral and non-rotating black holes in conformal (Weyl) gravity. To this end, we apply different methods: (i) the evaluation of the specific heat; (ii) the study of the entropy concavity; (iii) the geometrical approach to thermodynamics known as thermodynamic geometry; (iv) the Poincaré method that relates equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics. We show that the thermodynamic geometry approach can be applied to conformal gravity too, because all the key thermodynamic variables are insensitive to Weyl scaling. The first two methods, (i) and (ii), indicate that the entropy of a de Sitter black hole is always in the interval 2 / 3 ≤ S ≤ 1 , whereas thermodynamic geometry suggests that, at S = 1 , there is a second order phase transition to an Anti de Sitter black hole. On the other hand, we obtain from the Poincaré method (iv) that black holes whose entropy is S < 4 / 3 are stable or in a saddle-point, whereas when S > 4 / 3 they are always unstable, hence there is no definite answer on whether such transition occurs. Since thermodynamics geometry takes the view that the entropy is an extensive quantity, while the Poincaré method does not require extensiveness, it is valuable to present here the analysis based on both approaches, and so we do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alternation from bipolar to unipolar resistive switching was observed in perovskite Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin films. By controlling the switching voltage, either bipolar or unipolar switching was obtained. When the switching voltage is higher than a threshold voltage, the device exhibits unipolar switching while if the switching voltage is lower than a threshold voltage, the device shows bipolar switching behavior. The bipolar-to-unipolar alternation is dynamically repeatable and may be related to the local modification of broken filaments by oxygen vacancy movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of the nonlinear thermal buckling and post-buckling of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic functionally graded porous nanobeams is analyzed based on Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory and by using a refined beam model. The beams with immovable clamped ends are exposed to the external electric voltages, magnetic potentials, a uniform transverse load and uniform temperature change. For the first time, the four types of porosity distribution in the nanobeam are considered and compared in complex electric–magnetic fields. Besides, the new formula of the effective material properties is proposed in this paper to simultaneously estimate the material distribution and porosity distribution in the thickness direction. The generalized variation principle is used to induce the governing equations, then the approximate analytical solution of the METE-FG nanobeams based on physical neutral surface is obtained by using a two-step perturbation technique. Finally, detailed parametric analyses are performed to get an insight into the effects of different physical parameters, including the slenderness ratio, small-scale parameter, volume fraction index, external electric voltages, magnetic potentials, porosity coefficient and different porosity distributions, for providing an effective way to improve post-buckling strength of porous beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free vibration of a bimaterial circular nano-tube is investigated. The tube is formed by bonding together a Si3N4/SUS304 functionally graded upper semi tube and a ZrO2/Ti-6Al-4V functionally graded lower semi tube. The material properties of the tube are assumed to vary along the radius according to power law with the power index of upper semi tube differing from that of lower semi tube. Based on non-local elasticity theory and Hamilton's principle, a refined beam model considering the effect of transverse shear deformation is used to derive the governing equations, then analytical solution is obtained by using a two-steps perturbation method. Our results were compared with the existing ones. The effects on tube's linear and non-linear frequency are analyzed of the factors, including small scale parameter, temperature, the double volume fraction indexes, slenderness ratio and different types of beam model. A new approach is suggested in this article to change the natural frequency of the tubes by adjusting constituent materials. In contrast to conventional approach, the new one can result in more accurate frequency control in the same dimensionless size of tubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Layer structured high-performance thermal management materials via integrating the advantages of boron nitride (BN, electrically insulating) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs, highly thermally conductive) as fillers were realized by a facile and scalable strategy. Outstanding thermal conductivity (TC) of 8.45 W m−1 K−1, the highest value among reported electrically insulating polymer-based materials, excellent electrical insulation (breakdown voltage∼5.33 kV/mm; volume resistance ∼ 10 12 Ω c m) and superior electromagnetic interface shielding performance are achieved at a filler loading of 17.88 vol%. Moreover, the mechanical properties and hardness are also in quite good range. Thus, a promising method is provided for large scale production of superior thermal management materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis is the major cause of death from lung cancer. Quercetin, a widely distributed bioflavonoid, is well known to induce growth inhibition in a variety of human cancer cells, but how it affects lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis is unclear. Herein, we found that quercetin inhibited the migration/invasion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and bone metastasis in an orthotopic A549 xenograft model by suppressing the Snail-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, survival times of animals were also prolonged after quercetin treatment. Mechanistic investigations found that quercetin suppressed Snail-dependent Akt activation by upregulating maspin and Snail-independent a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 9 expression pathways to modulate the invasive ability of NSCLC cells. In clinical samples, we observed that patients with Snail high /p-Akt high tumors had the shortest survival times. In addition, a lower survival rate was also found in ADAM9 high patients than in ADAM9 low patients. Overall, our results provide new insights into the role of quercetin-induced molecular regulation in suppressing NSCLC metastasis and suggest that quercetin has potential therapeutic applications for metastatic NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have highlighted the relation between high-fat (HF) diets, the gut microbiota, and inflammation. However, the role of sulfidogenic bacteria in mediating these effects has been explored only recently. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that an HF diet rich in saturated fat stimulates sulfidogenic bacteria and that these increases correlate with intestinal and systemic inflammatory responses. Forty C57BL/6Jmale mice were fed a low-fat (LF; 10%of energy) or an HF lard-based (60%of energy) diet for 6 or 20 wk. Mucosa samples were collected from the ileum, cecum, and colon and used for measuring 16S ribosomal RNA and functional genes of sulfidogenic bacteria. Matching intestinal samples and visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) depots were used to measure mRNA abundance for inflammatory genes. Mice fed the HF diet had greater ( < P 0.05) abundance of 3 types of sulfidogenic bacteria, primarily in colonic mucosa, compared with LF-fed mice at week 20. Although HF feeding did not increase intestinal inflammation at week 6, ileal markers of macrophage infiltration and inflammation were upregulated (< 0.05) 1- to 6-fold at week 20. HF feeding impaired the localization of the tight junction protein zonula P occludens 1 at the apical area of the ileal epithelium at weeks 6 and 20.Mice fed the HF diet had 1- to 100-fold greater (< 0.05) P mRNA levels of markers of macrophage infiltration in visceral and subcutaneous WAT at week 20, but not at week 6, compared with LF-fed mice. These results provide evidence that chronic, but not acute, consumption of an HF lard-based diet may be linked with pathways of microbial metabolism that potentially contribute to chronic intestinal and systemic inflammation. Such linkage provides further support for reducing consumption of saturated fats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have demonstrated that trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (18:2t10,c12)-mediated delipidation of human adipocytes was dependent on increased intracellular calcium and activation of inflammatory signaling in human primary adipocytes. These data are consistent with the actions of diacylglycerol and inositol triphosphate derived from phospholipase C (PLC)-dependent cell signaling. To test the hypothesis that PLC was an upstream activator of these cellular responses to 18:2t10,c12, primary cultures of human adipocytes were pretreated with 1-[6-((17β-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5 (10)-trien-17-yl)amino)hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U73122), a universal PLC inhibitor, followed by 18:2t10,d 2 treatment. U73122 attenuated 18:2t10,c12-mediated insulin resistance within 48 h and suppression of the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ, insulin-stimulated glucose transporter-4, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1, and the protein levels of PPARγ within 18-24 h. U73122 inhibited 18:2t10,c12-mediated induction of the inflammatory-related genes calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-β, cyclooxygenase-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8, secretion of IL-6 and IL-8, and the activation of extracellular signal-related kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and c-Jun within 18-24 h. Moreover, 13:2t10,c12 increased the mRNA levels of heat shock proteins within 6-24 h and intracellular calcium concentrations within 3 min, which were inhibited by U73122. Lastly, 18:2t10,c12 increased the abundance of PLCγ1 in the plasma membrane within 3 min. Taken together, these data suggest that PLC plays an important role in 18:2t10,c12-mediated activation of intracellular calcium accumulation, inflammatory signaling, delipidation, and insulin resistance in human primary adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide (N2O), the third most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), is highly stable and plays a significant role in stratospheric ozone destruction. The primary anthropogenic source of N2O stems from use of nitrogen fertilizers in soil. The bacterial enzyme nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR), naturally found in some soils, is the only known enzyme capable of catalyzing the final step of the denitrification pathway, conversion of N2O to N2. In this opinion, we discuss potential biology-based strategies to reduce N2O by amplifying the amount of available enzyme catalyst in agri-system environments during crop growth and in post-harvest detritus. N2OR from Pseudomonas stutzeri has been tested in transgenic plants with promising results. Such seed-borne phytoremediation systems targeted towards GHGs merit field testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply a Langevin model by imposing additive and multiplicative noises to study thermally activated diffusion over a fluctuating barrier in underdamped dynamics. The barrier fluctuation is characterized by Gaussian colored noise with exponential correlation. We present the exact solutions for the first and second moments. Furthermore, we use direct simulations to calculate the asymptotic probability for a Brownian particle passing over the fluctuating barrier. The results indicate that the correlation of the fluctuating barrier is crucial for barrier crossing dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat dipole consists of a heat source and a heat sink. The problem of an interfacial crack of a composite containing a circular inclusion under a heat dipole is investigated by using the analytical extension technique, the generalized Liouville theorem, and the Muskhelishvili boundary value theory. Temperature and stress fields are formulated. The effects of the temperature field and the inhomogeneity on the interfacial fracture are analyzed. As a numerical illustration, the thermal stress intensity factors of the interfacial crack are presented for various material combinations and different positions of the heat dipole. The characteristics of the interfacial crack depend on the elasticity, the thermal property of the composite, and the condition of the dipole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using Fourier transformation the boundary problem of periodical interfacial cracks in anisotropic elastoplastic bimaterial was transformed into a set of dual integral equations and then it was further reduced by means of definite integral transformation into a group of singular equations. Closed form of its solution was obtained and three corresponding problems of isotropic bimaterial, of a single anisotropic material and of a bimaterial of isotropy-anisotropy were treated as the specific cases. The plastic zone length of the crack tip and crack openning displacement (COD) decline as the smaller yield limit of the two bonded materials rises, and they were also determined by crack length and the space between two neighboring cracks. In addition, COD also relates it with moduli of the materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) accounts for the lowest survival rate among all types of head and neck cancers (HNSCC). However, the therapeutic approach for HPC still needs to be investigated. In this study, a theranostic 188Re-liposome was prepared to treat orthotopic HPC tumors and analyze the deregulated microRNA expressive profiles. The therapeutic efficacy of 188Re-liposome on HPC tumors was evaluated using bioluminescent imaging followed by next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, in order to address the deregulated microRNAs and associated signaling pathways. The differentially expressed microRNAs were also confirmed using clinical HNSCC samples and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Repeated doses of 188Re-liposome were administrated to tumor-bearing mice, and the tumor growth was apparently suppressed after treatment. For NGS analysis, 13 and 9 microRNAs were respectively up-regulated and down-regulated when the cutoffs of fold change were set to 5. Additionally, miR-206-3p and miR-142-5p represented the highest fold of up-regulation and down-regulation by 188Re-liposome, respectively. According to Differentially Expressed MiRNAs in human Cancers (dbDEMC) analysis, most of 188Re-liposome up-regulated microRNAs were categorized as tumor suppressors, while down-regulated microRNAs were oncogenic. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that cancer-related pathways and olfactory and taste transduction accounted for the top pathways affected by 188Re-liposome. 188Re-liposome down-regulated microRNAs, including miR-143, miR-6723, miR-944, and miR-136 were associated with lower survival rates at a high expressive level. 188Re-liposome could suppress the HPC tumors in vivo, and the therapeutic efficacy was associated with the deregulation of microRNAs that could be considered as a prognostic factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We in this paper dedicate to study the snap-buckling of functionally graded multilayer graphene platelet-reinforced composite curved beams with geometrical imperfections on the nanometer length. It is supposed that graphene platelets (GPLs) are uniformly distributed and randomly oriented in each layer, while its weight fraction varies from one layer to another based on various functionally graded patterns. The effective material properties of functionally graded multilayer GPLRC beams are evaluated via the model of the Halpin-Tsa. In the theoretical framework of the nonlocal strain gradient theory (NSGT) and the surface elasticity theory, a generalized nonlinear size-dependent curved beam model is established. The novel model includes not only a nonlocal parameter and a material length scale parameter of NSGT but also three surface constants of the surface elasticity theory, which can explore the coupling effect of nonlocal stress, strain gradient and surface energy on the snap-buckling of nanoarches. Furthermore, the present model can be transformed into the Euler-Bernoulli shallow arch model, the Timoshenko shallow arch model as well as the Reddy's higher-order shear deformation shallow arch model by choosing the appropriated shape function. Next, On the basis of the principle of Hamilton, the nonlinear governing equations of curved nanobeams are derived. Then to obtain the analytical solution of snap-buckling of curved beams, the nonlinear equations are solved by a two-step perturbation method. Finally, a detailed parametric study is carried out based on the analytical solution, aiming at analyzing the influences of respective physical parameters on the snap-buckling of such nanostructure. • A generalized nonlinear size-dependent curved beam model is established. • The governing equations are derived based on nonlocal strain gradient theory incorporating surface effects. • Obtaining the size-dependent post-buckling equilibrium paths of perfect and imperfect curved nanobeams. • The coupling effect of nonlocal stress, strain gradient and surface energy on the snap-buckling of curved nanobeams is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We in this article put forward a novel size-dependent beam model for static bending deformation of a functionally graded bi-semi-tube subjected to different boundary conditions based on the nonlocal strain gradient theory. The tube is formed by bonding together a ZrO 2 /Ti–6Al–4V functionally graded lower semi-tube and a Si 3 N 4 /SUS304 functionally graded upper one. The effective material properties P f of FG bi-semi-tubes are assumed to vary along the radius of tube. We propose a refined shear model without requiring a shear correction factor for bars with circular cross section. Next the model is used to derive the governing equations of the tube based on the Hamilton's principle. The obtained equations form present a detailed analysis include a nonlocal parameter as well as a material length scale parameter, so much that they can account for the size-dependent in static bending of FG bi-semi-tubes. Later, these equations are resolved analytically by using an improved perturbation method. The analytical solutions are used to discuss the influence of various physical parameters on static mechanical performance of nanotubes, such as double volume fraction indexes, inner radius, the variation of temperature, strain gradient parameter, nonlocal parameter, scale parameter ratio. At last, compared with the conventional approaches, the novel approach is suggested in such work to lead to more accurate bending deformation in the same dimensionless size of tubes. • Nonlinear bending of nano-tubes made of functionally graded bi-semi-tubes has n been studied in detail. • We put forward a novel displacement function without acquiring a shear correction factor. • Nonlocal strain gradient theory is used to characterize size-dependent of nanostructures. • The perturbation method is used for solving the problem to obtain an analytical solution. • In contrast to conventional approach, the present approach results in more accurate bending control in the same conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of wearable bioelectronic systems is a promising approach for optimal delivery of therapeutic treatments. These systems can provide continuous delivery of ions, charged biomolecules, and an electric field for various medical applications. However, rapid prototyping of wearable bioelectronic systems for controlled delivery of specific treatments with a scalable fabrication process is challenging. We present a wearable bioelectronic system comprised of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device cast in customizable 3D printed molds and a printed circuit board (PCB), which employs commercially available engineering components and tools throughout design and fabrication. The system, featuring solution-filled reservoirs, embedded electrodes, and hydrogel-filled capillary tubing, is assembled modularly. The PDMS and PCB both contain matching through-holes designed to hold metallic contact posts coated with silver epoxy, allowing for mechanical and electrical integration. This assembly scheme allows us to interchange subsystem components, such as various PCB designs and reservoir solutions. We present three PCB designs: a wired version and two battery-powered versions with and without onboard memory. The wired design uses an external voltage controller for device actuation. The battery-powered PCB design uses a microcontroller unit to enable pre-programmed applied voltages and deep sleep mode to prolong battery run time. Finally, the battery-powered PCB with onboard memory is developed to record delivered currents, which enables us to verify treatment dose delivered. To demonstrate the functionality of the platform, the devices are used to deliver H + in vivo using mouse models and fluoxetine ex vivo using a simulated wound environment. Immunohistochemistry staining shows an improvement of 35.86% in the M1/M2 ratio of H + —treated wounds compared with control wounds, indicating the potential of the platform to improve wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of wearable bioelectronic systems is a promising approach for optimal delivery of therapeutic treatments. These systems can provide continuous delivery of ions, charged biomolecules, and an electric field for various medical applications. However, rapid prototyping of wearable bioelectronic systems for controlled delivery of specific treatments with a scalable fabrication process is challenging. We present a wearable bioelectronic system comprised of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device cast in customizable 3D printed molds and a printed circuit board (PCB), which employs commercially available engineering components and tools throughout design and fabrication. The system, featuring solution-filled reservoirs, embedded electrodes, and hydrogel-filled capillary tubing, is assembled modularly. The PDMS and PCB both contain matching through-holes designed to hold metallic contact posts coated with silver epoxy, allowing for mechanical and electrical integration. This assembly scheme allows us to interchange subsystem components, such as various PCB designs and reservoir solutions. We present three PCB designs: a wired version and two battery-powered versions with and without onboard memory. The wired design uses an external voltage controller for device actuation. The battery-powered PCB design uses a microcontroller unit to enable pre-programmed applied voltages and deep sleep mode to prolong battery run time. Finally, the battery-powered PCB with onboard memory is developed to record delivered currents, which enables us to verify treatment dose delivered. To demonstrate the functionality of the platform, the devices are used to deliver H + in vivo using mouse models and fluoxetine ex vivo using a simulated wound environment. Immunohistochemistry staining shows an improvement of 35.86% in the M1/M2 ratio of H + —treated wounds compared with control wounds, indicating the potential of the platform to improve wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel is a low-carbon-intensity renewable fuel with up to 99% lower greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based diesel. The use of oil crops for biodiesel is under critical examination. It is expensive and suffers from the food versus fuel risk/benefit problem. Consequently, many countries (e.g. Malaysia and countries in the EU) are scaling back the use of oil crops as feedstock for biofuel production. The limitations of these traditional crops are leading the renewable fuels industry to consider innovative, sustainable, and profitable biomass-based platforms. Plant genetic engineering and other new breeding technologies are essential for developing such biomass-based platforms because they enhance plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, resulting in higher feedstock yields, greater net energy gain, and the generation of high-value co-products. We review and summarize the recent improvements of oil crops through plant genetic engineering that may increase widespread and cost-effective production of biodiesel and value-added co-products for green chemistry applications. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent influenza epidemics and pandemic potential are significant risks to global health. Public health authorities use clinical surveillance to locate and monitor influenza and influenza-like cases and outbreaks to mitigate hospitalizations and deaths. Currently, global integration of clinical surveillance is the only reliable method for reporting influenza types and subtypes to warn of emergent pandemic strains. The utility of wastewater surveillance (WWS) during the COVID-19 pandemic as a less resource intensive replacement or complement for clinical surveillance has been predicated on analyzing viral fragments in wastewater. We show here that influenza virus targets are stable in wastewater and partitions favorably to the solids fraction. By quantifying, typing, and subtyping the virus in municipal wastewater and primary sludge during a community outbreak, we forecasted a citywide flu outbreak with a 17-day lead time and provided population-level viral subtyping in near real-time to show the feasibility of influenza virus WWS at the municipal and neighbourhood levels in near real time using minimal resources and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy-intake is a major factor revolved in type 2 diabetes. A number of animal models have been adopted for studying the type 2 diabetes, but they differ greatly from human type 2 diabetes. The objectives of the present study are to set tip a suitable animal model, which is similar to the human type 2 diabetes, and then to understand possible molecular mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes. Twenty five-week-old Wistar male rats were randomized into four groups. One group was fed with basal diet (BD) whereas the others consumed high-energy diet (HD) of 20% sucrose and 10% lard. Four weeks later, BD and one of HD were sampled. Other groups continued to consume HD, but one of them was treated by one injection of streptozotocin (STZ) 130mg/kg body weight). After another four weeks, all were sacrificed. Changes in body weight were recorded, and levels of glucose. TG, TC, LDL in serum were analyzed by standard methods. Moreover, expressions of genes related to energy metabolism in liver, muscle and fat were measured by real-time RT-PCR. HD had no notable differentiation with BD on bodyweight and serum indices, but it altered gene expressions in a tissue-specific manner. Two receptors of adiponeefin, lepfin, PPARγ, UCP2 mRNA levels in fat were up regulated, whereas most of them were down regulated in liver. STZ treatment induced symptoms of diabetes, and the gene expression mentioned above exhibited changes in both tissue-and gene-specific manners. The results suggest that a combination of low dose STZ and high-energy intake can effectively induce type 2 diabetes by altering the related gene expressions in major metabolic tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health behaviors of higher education students can be negatively influenced by stressful events. The global COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to characterize and compare health behaviors across multiple countries and to examine how these behaviors are shaped by the pandemic experience. Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in universities in China, Ireland, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands and the United States (USA) were recruited into this cross-sectional study. Eligible students filled out an online survey comprised of validated tools for assessing sleep quality and duration, dietary risk, alcohol misuse and physical activity between late April and the end of May 2020. Health behaviors were fairly consistent across countries, and all countries reported poor sleep quality. However, during the survey period, the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the health behaviors of students in European countries and the USA more negatively than Asian countries, which could be attributed to the differences in pandemic time course and caseloads. Students who experienced a decline in sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic had higher dietary risk scores than students who did not experience a change in sleep quality (p = 0.001). Improved sleep quality was associated with less sitting time (p = 0.010). Addressing sleep issues among higher education students is a pressing concern, especially during stressful events. These results support the importance of making education and behavior-based sleep programming available for higher education students in order to benefit students' overall health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High levels of perceived stress and anxiety among university students are a global concern and are known to negatively influence sleep. However, few studies have explored how stress response styles, like psychological resilience and rumination, might alter these relationships. Using validated tools, perceived stress, anxiety, stress response styles, and sleep behaviors of undergraduate and graduate students from seven countries during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic were characterized in order to examine the relationships between these factors using mediation and moderation analyses. Students enrolled in universities in China, Ireland, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, the Netherlands, and the United States were recruited in May 2020. A total of 2254 students completed this cross-sectional study. Perceived stress and anxiety were negatively associated with sleep quality through the mediation of rumination. Increased psychological resilience weakened the relationships between perceived stress and anxiety on sleep quality. The majority of students reported that COVID-19 negatively influenced their mental health and sleep quality but not sleep duration. Based on these results, university students would likely benefit from sleep education and mental health promotion programs that include trainings to increase psychological resilience and reduce rumination, particularly during times of increased stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, the nonlinear bending and vibrational characteristics of porous tubes are analyzed for the first time. Within the framework of the nonlocal strain gradient theory, a size-dependent model for the tubes with radial inhomogeneity is formulated. It is assumed that the tube is made from functionally graded materials (FGM). Employed a new model for tubes which takes into account of the shear deformation effects, the motion equations are derived with the help of Hamilton variational principle and determined by the two-step perturbation technique. The validity and feasibility of the method are verified by actual examples. The effects of different parameters such as scaling parameters, porosity volume fraction, power law index and inner-to-outer radius ratio on the nonlinear bending and vibration behaviors of the porous tubes are particularly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional Langevin model plus a constraint on the heavy fragment deformation is used to study the fission dynamics for uranium and plutonium isotopes at low excitation energies. The potential energy surface is calculated with the macroscopic-microscopic model based on the two-center shell model. The Werner-Wheeler approximation is used to calculate the inertia tensor and the wall-and-window model is applied to calculate the friction tensor. In this work, the influence of the model parameters on the fission fragment mass distribution is investigated. The fission fragment mass distributions for 234,236,239U and 240Pu at low excitation energies are calculated and compared with the results of gef code as well as the evaluated data of ENDF/B-VIII.0. A nice agreement is found in the comparison, in which the incorporation of the constraint on the heavy fragment deformation plays an important role. In addition, the dependence of the mass distribution on the excitation energies for n+235U fission is also studied within the model. Furthermore, the correlation between the elongation and mass asymmetry at the scission point and the correlations of the fission time with both the elongation and mass asymmetry are studied. This study may shed light on understanding the dynamics of the superlong channel for symmetric fission and the standard channels for asymmetric fission in the gef model and other phenomenological fission models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metastasis rather than the primary cancer determines the survival of cancer patients. Activation of Akt plays a critical role in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the initial step in lung cancer metastasis. Apigenin (API), a flavonoid with a potent Akt-inhibitory effect, shows oncostatic activities in various cancers. However, the effects of API on metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. Methods: NSCLC cell lines with different epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) statuses and in vivo orthotopic bioluminescent xenograft model were employed to determine antitumor activity of API. Western blot and genetic knockdown by shRNA or genetic overexpression by DNA plasmids were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to investigate the prognosis of API-targeted genes. Results: API was demonstrated to inhibit the migration/invasion of NSCLC cells harboring different EGFR statuses via suppressing the Snail/Slug-mediated EMT. Mechanistic investigations showed that CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) was downregulated by API following suppressive interplay of Akt and Snail/Slug signaling to modulate the EMT and the invasive ability of NSCLC cells. CD26 expression was positively correlated with the invasive abilities of NSCLC cells and a worse prognosis of lung cancer patients. Furthermore, we observed that patients with CD26high/Akthigh tumors had the shortest recurrence-free survival times. In vivo, API drastically reduced the growth and metastasis of A549 xenografts through targeting CD26. Conclusions: CD26 may be a useful biomarker for predicting NSCLC progression. API effectively suppressed lung cancer progression by targeting the CD26-Akt-Snail/Slug signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]