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In this paper, we consider the parabolic–elliptic Keller–Segel system, which is coupled to the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations through transportation and friction. It is shown that when the system is diffused by Lévy motion, the well‐posedness of the mild solution to the corresponding Cauchy problem in homogeneous Besov spaces is established by means of the Banach fixed point theorem. Furthermore, we prove the Lorentz regularity in time direction and the maximal regularity of solutions. In addition, we obtain the additional regularity and explore the time decay property of global mild solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the Cauchy problem for time‐space fractional Keller‐Segel‐Navier‐Stokes model in ℝd(d≥2)$$ {\mathrm{\mathbb{R}}}^d\kern0.1em \left(d\ge 2\right) $$, which can describe the memory effect and anomalous diffusion of the considered system. The local and global existence and uniqueness in weak Lp$$ {L}^p $$ space are obtained by means of abstract fixed point theorem. Moreover, we explore the asymptotic stability of solutions as time goes to infinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walnut shell is lightweight material with high‐strength and toughening characteristics, but it is different from other nut shells' microstructure with two or three short sclerotic cell layers and long bundle fibers. It is essential to explore the fracture resistance biomechanism of lightweight walnut shell and how to prevent damage of bionic structure. In this study, it is found that the asymmetric mass center and geometric center dissipated impact energy to the whole shell without loading concentration in the loading area. Diaphragma juglandis is a special structure improved walnut shell's toughening. The S‐shape gradient porosity/elastic modulus distribution combined with pits on single auxetic sclerotic cells requires higher energy to crack expansion, then decreases its fracture behavior. These fantastic findings inspire to design fracture resistance devices including helmets, armor, automobile anti‐collision beams, and re‐entry capsule in spacecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ureteral obstruction is a urinary system disease that causes urinary retention, renal injury, renal colic, and infection. Ureteral stents are often used for conservative treatment in clinics, and their migration usually results in ureteral stent failure. The migrations include proximal migration to the kidney side and distal migration to the bladder side, but the biomechanism of stent migration is still unknown. Method: Finite element models of stents with lengths from 6–30 cm were developed. The stents were implanted into the middle of the ureter to analyze the effect of stent length on its migration, and the effect of stent implantation position on 6-cm-long stent migration was also observed. The stents' maximum axial displacement was used to assess the ease of stent migration. A time-varying pressure was applied to the ureter outer wall to simulate peristalsis. The stent and ureter adopted friction contact conditions. The two ends of the ureter were fixed. The radial displacement of the ureter was used to evaluate the effect of the stent on peristalsis. Results and discussion: The maximum migration occurs in the positive direction for a 6-cm-long stent implanted at the proximal ureter (CD and DE), but in the negative direction at the distal ureter (FG and GH). The 6-cm-long stent demonstrated almost no effect on ureteral peristalsis. The 12-cm-long stent diminished the radial displacement of the ureter from 3–5 s. The 18-cm stent diminished the radial displacement of the ureter from 0–8 s, and the radial displacement within 2–6 s was weaker than other time. The 24-cm stent diminished the radial displacement of the ureter from 0–8 s, and the radial displacement within 1–7 s was weaker than other time. Conclusion: The biomechanism of stent migration and ureteral peristalsis weakening after stent implantation was explored. Shorter stents were more likely to migrate. The implantation position had less influence on ureteral peristalsis compared with the stent length, which provided a reference for stent design aimed at reducing stent migration. Stent length was the main factor affecting ureteral peristalsis. This study provides a reference for the study of ureteral peristalsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two dimensional transition metal borides have been attracting broad interest due to its rich electronic and magnetic properties. Here, using first-principles calculations, we predict two transition metal boride monolayers, Cr2B12 and Mn2B12, composed of B12 icosahedra and transition metal atoms. It is found that both structures are thermodynamically stable with large cohesive energies and small formation energies. The Cr2B12 monolayer is a ferromagnetic (FM) quasi-half metal, and the Mn2B12 monolayer is an antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor with a bandgap of 0.41 eV. The critical temperature is found to be 145 and 135 K for the Cr2B12 monolayer and the Mn2B12 monolayer, respectively. Moreover, the electronic and magnetic properties of both systems can be tuned by applying external strains. Upon applying biaxial tensile/compressive strain, the (half metallic) bandgap of both systems increases/decreases, and a quasi-half metal to half metal transition is found for the Cr2B12 monolayer under 5% tensile and 4% compressive strain. Furthermore, the critical temperatures of both systems are found to increase with compressive strain and decrease with tensile strain, which reaches 165 and 510 K for the Cr2B12 monolayer and the Mn2B12 monolayer under 5% compressive strain, respectively. The results provide a strategy for designing 2D transition metal borides with potential applications in electronic and spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is well-established as an important protective factor against degenerative conditions and a promoter of tissue growth and renewal. The discovery of Fibronectin domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) as the precursor of Irisin in 2012 sparked significant interest in its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic agent for various diseases. Clinical studies have examined the correlation between plasma Irisin levels and pathological conditions using a range of assays, but the lack of reliable measurements for endogenous Irisin has led to uncertainty about its prognostic/diagnostic potential as an exercise surrogate. Animal and tissue-engineering models have shown the protective effects of Irisin treatment in reversing functional impairment and potentially permanent damage, but dosage ambiguities remain unresolved. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the clinical and basic studies of Irisin in the context of degenerative conditions and explores its potential as a therapeutic approach in the physiological processes involved in tissue repair/regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A co-location pattern is a set of spatial features that are strongly correlated in space. However, some of these patterns could be neglected if the prevalence metrics are based solely on the clique (or star) relationship. Hence, the l -reachability co-location pattern is proposed by introducing the l -reachability clique where the members of each instance pair can be reachable to each other in a given step length l. Because the average size of l -reachability co-location patterns tends to be longer, maximal l -reachability co-location pattern mining is researched in this paper. First, some sparsification strategies are introduced to shorten star neighborhood lists of instances in an updated graph called the l -reachability neighbor relationship graph, and then, they are grouped by their corresponding patterns. Second, candidate maximal l -reachability co-location patterns are iteratively detected in a size-independent way on bi-graphs that contain group keys and their intersection sets. Third, the prevalence of each candidate maximal l -reachability co-location pattern is checked in a binary search way with a natural l -reachability clique called the ⌊ l / 2 ⌋ -reachability neighborhood list. Finally, the effectiveness and efficiency of our model and algorithms are analyzed by extensive comparison experiments on synthetic and real-world spatial data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface interactions in 2D vertically stacked heterostructures play an important role in optoelectronic applications, and photodetectors based on graphene/InSe heterostructures show promising performance nowadays. However, nonlinear optical property studies based on the graphene/InSe heterostructure are insufficient. Here, we fabricated a graphene/InSe heterostructure by mechanical exfoliation and investigated the optically induced charge transfer between graphene/InSe heterostructures by taking photoluminescence and pump–probe measurements. The large built-in electric field at the interface was confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Furthermore, due to the efficient interfacial carrier transfer driven by the built-in electric potential (~286 meV) and broadband nonlinear absorption, the application of the graphene/InSe heterostructure in a mode-locked laser was realized. Our work not only provides a deeper understanding of the dipole orientation-related interface interactions on the photoexcited charge transfer of graphene/InSe heterostructures, but also enriches the saturable absorber family for ultrafast photonics application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location pattern mining (SCPM) aims to discover subsets of spatial features frequently located together in proximate areas. Previous studies of SCPM solely concern the inter-features association of a pattern, but neglect the interesting intra-feature behavior. In this paper, we propose the task of spatial co-location pattern mining with coupling relation consideration (SCPM-CR) to capture complex relations embedded in a co-location. Specifically, InterPCI measure is designed to capture the inter-features coupling by considering the comprehensive interaction of objects for the features in a pattern, and luckily it possesses the anti-monotone property. Another measure, IntraCAI, is proposed to capture the congregating behavior of intra-feature objects under the restriction of a co-location. A general framework is designed for SCPM-CR task and experiments show that a large fraction of computation time is devoted to identifying the participating objects of a candidate pattern. To tackle this calculation bottleneck, a novel candidate-and-search algorithm is suggested, CS-HBS, equipped with heuristic backtracking search. Extensive experiments are conducted on real and synthetic datasets to demonstrate the superiority of SCPM-CR compared with traditional SCPM methods, and also to validate the efficiency and scalability of CS-HBS. Experimental results show that CS-HBS outperforms the baselines by several times or even orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiolabeled FSH1 peptides are potential specific probes for FSHR imaging. However, moderate uptakes and fast washout from the tumors may limit its widespread use. In this study, 68Ga labeled modified FSH1 analogs was prepared and the imaging properties were determined in the prostate cancer model with or without aprotinin. NOTA-MAL-FSH4 was synthesized and labeled with 68Ga. The pharmacokinetic profile of the peptide after co-administration with aprotinin was determined through metabolism analyses and microPET imaging. 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-FSH4 was successfully prepared. The IC50 value of displacement 68Ga-NOTA-MAL-FSH4 with FSH1 was 139.4 ± 1.16 nM. The PC-3 prostate tumor was visible after administration of the 68Ga labeled tracer. In vitro RP-HPLC analysis revealed that the average percentage of intact peptide in the plasma, liver and tumor was 8.30, 9.57 and 7.06% respectively. In presence of aprotinin, the amounts of intact peptide increased to 34.32%, 20.63% and 15.39% in the counterparts respectively. MicroPET imaging showed that the uptakes of PC-3 tumors at 60mins after co-administration of 100 μg, 200 μg or 400 μg enzyme inhibitors were 2.91 ± 0.21%ID/g, 3.89 ± 0.16%ID/g and 9.21 ± 0.22%ID/g respectively. With the aid of a serine protease inhibitor, the performance of the 68Ga labeled peptide was optimized, which may benefit further clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A co-location pattern is a set of spatial features whose instances are frequently correlated to each other in space. Its mining models always consist of two essential steps. One step is to generate neighbor relationships between spatial instances, and another step is to check the prevalence of candidate patterns on the clique, star or Delaunay triangulation relationships. At least three major issues are addressed in this paper. First, since different spatial regions, different distribution densities, it is difficult to set appropriate parameters to generate ideal neighbor relationships. Second, the clique relationship and the others are so strongly rigid that the users' personal interests are suppressed; some interesting patterns are neglected without increasing redundancy. Third, the different strength of correlations among instances are neglected in prevalence calculation. It causes correlations among features to be undifferentiated. Accordingly, the main work of this paper includes: (1) The neighbor relationship generation can be improved on the idea that the distances between an instance and any of its neighbors are not remarkably different. (2) The type- β co-location pattern is defined and checked based on a co-occurrence where the closeness centrality of each instance is not less than a given threshold β. (3) Since the closeness centrality carries strength of correlations among instances, the strength of the correlations between a feature and the other ones in a type- β co-location pattern can be evaluated with prevalence calculation. Finally, experiments on synthetic and real-world spatial data sets are used to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of our works. The results show that fewer spatial neighbor relationships are generated, and more interesting patterns can be discovered by flexibly adjusting β according to the user's preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) infections result in substantial economic losses in the poultry industry. Recent findings have revealed that FAdV-4 significantly suppresses the host immune response upon infection; however, the specific viral and host factors contributing to this immunomodulatory activity remain poorly characterized. Moreover, diverse cell types exhibit differential immune responses to FAdV-4 infection. To elucidate cell-specific host responses, we performed transcriptomic analysis of FAdV-4 infected leghorn male hepatocellular (LMH) and chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells. Although FAdV-4 replicated more efficiently in LMH cells, it provoked limited interferon-stimulated gene induction. In contrast, FAdV-4 infection triggered robust antiviral responses in CEF cells, including upregulation of cytosolic DNA sensing and interferon-stimulated genes. Knockdown of key cytosolic DNA sensing molecules enhanced FAdV-4 replication in LMH cells while reducing interferon-stimulated gene expression. Our findings reveal cell-specific virus-host interactions that provide insight into FAdV-4 pathogenesis while identifying factors that mediate antiviral immunity against FAdV-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial co-location pattern refers to a subset of non-empty spatial features whose instances are frequently located together in a spatial neighborhood. Traditional spatial co-location pattern mining is mainly based on the frequency of the pattern, and there is no difference in the importance or value of each spatial feature within the pattern. Although the spatial high utility co-location pattern mining solves this problem, it does not consider the effect of pattern length on the utility. Generally, the utility of the pattern also increases as the length of the pattern increases. Therefore, the evaluation criterion of the high utility co-location mining is unfair to the short patterns. In order to solve this problem, this paper first considers the utility and length of the co-location pattern comprehensively, and proposes a more reasonable High-Average Utility Co-location Pattern (HAUCP). Then, we propose a basic algorithm based on the extended average utility ratio of co-location patterns to mining all HAUCPs, which solves the problem that the average utility ratio of patterns does not satisfy the downward closure property. Next, an improved algorithm based on the local extended average utility ratio is developed which effectively reduces the search space of the basic algorithm and improves the mining efficiency. Finally, the practicability and robustness of the proposed method are verified based on real and synthetic data sets. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively and efficiently find the HAUCPs from spatial data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the analytical solutions of conformable time-fractional Navier-Stokes equation (CTFNSE) in cylindrical coordinates. The solutions are constructed applying Lie symmetry analysis, separation of variables method, q -homotopy analysis method (q -HAM) and the fractional Laplace and finite Hankel transforms, respectively. In addition, based on the above symmetries, the conservation laws of CTFNSE are derived using new Noether theorem. The profiles of some exact solutions are presented for the purpose of visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Lie group analysis is developed to investigate the time-fractional Porous Medium equation. The symmetry group and the corresponding optimal system are obtained. Then, the similarity reductions are performed to construct some explicit group-invariant solutions. In addition, the conservation laws are derived by applying the new conservation theorem. Furthermore, some separation variable type solutions are obtained with the help of the homogenous balanced principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial co-location pattern (SCP) mining aims to mine the implicit relationships between different spatial features. These features often have certain connections and co-occur in close geographical proximity. Regional co-location pattern (RCP) mining is a branch of SCP mining, which is usually used to discover some sets of spatial features that do not often co-occur in large spatial scales but co-occur in local regions. Discovering RCPs is still very challenging, because different RCPs will be obtained under different region partitions. However, existing region division methods still suffer from ignoring the influence of the density of individual feature instances, low recognition rate of regions with low density distribution but containing RCPs, and lack of semantic information in the delineated regions. To this end, first, we propose a novel multi-density clustering method based on maximal cliques (MCs) during the partitioning phase of RCP mining. Second, we design a two-stage mining algorithm based on MCs in the mining phase, which fully exploits the advantages of the MC to improve the mining efficiency, and the algorithm can quickly obtain new mining results when changing the prevalence threshold. Third, regional similarity is defined based on RCPs over regions to merge similar sub-regions. Finally, the proposed method is compared with a state-of-the-art method on both synthetic and real datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed method can not only effectively solve the issues of existing methods to make the divided sub-regions more closely matched with the real spatial distribution, but also quickly obtain new mining results when changing the prevalence threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cr3+, Y3+ co-doped ZnGaSnO 4 (ZGSCY) shows enhanced persistent luminescence (PL) with the presence of H 2 O 2 in the solution. • Modification of ZGSCY with organosilica leads to improved dispersibility and enhanced PL intensity in response to H 2 O 2. • The intrinsic and extrinsic response mechanism is elucidated. • ZGSCY enables autofluorescence-free detection of H 2 O 2 in biological systems. Autofluorescence interference in the conventional fluorescence detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) in biological systems represents a long-lasting problem in the field of biosensing. Here, we report a Cr3+, Y3+ co-doped ZnGaSnO 4 (ZGSCY) nanoprobes which show long persistent luminescence (PL) that can be specifically enhanced by H 2 O 2 without background fluorescence interference. The mesoporous organosilica are coated on the surface of ZGSCY to enhance the biocompatibility of the nanoprobes. Importantly, PL intensity of the nanoprobes can be further improved, because of the specific response of tetrasulfide bond in organosilica to H 2 O 2. ZGSCY@MON show high-sensitive detection of H 2 O 2 in living cells and human serum with the advantages of high specificity, low detection limit (91 nM), and wide linear range (0.5–60 μM, 60–400 μM). Furthermore, the extraordinary detection capability of H 2 O 2 enables that the successful differentiate normal breast cells from breast cancer cells and the highly sensitive determination of serum glucose and cholesterol. We also clarified that the endogenous response originates from the UV-induced the interfacial electron transfer on ZGSCY regulated by H 2 O 2 and exogenous response stems from the elimination of the adsorption of PL from the organosilica by H 2 O 2. These findings open up a new effective way for autofluorescence-free detection of H 2 O 2 in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the connections between fundamental solutions and Lie symmetry groups for a class of conformable time fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) with variable coefficient are investigated for the first time. The group-invariant solutions to the considered equations are constructed by means of symmetry group method. Then, the corresponding fundamental solutions for these PDEs are established by taking the inverse Laplace transform of the group invariant solutions. In addition, some examples are introduced to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach. Furthermore, the conservation laws of these fractional PDEs are obtained making use of new Noether theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The erector spinae plane (ESP) block and thoracolumbar interfascial plane (TLIP) block were two novel plane blocks. The purpose of this study was to investigate TLIP block and ESP block on the effect of analgesic and opioid consumption in lumbar spine fusion surgery in the perioperative period. Methods: Three hundred and four patients who suffered lumbar spine fusion were included and randomly divided into three groups: a control group (n = 102), an ESP block group (n = 100), and a TLIP block group (n = 102). We recorded the numerical rating scale (NRS) pain at movement and static during the postoperative 48 h, opioid consumption, additional analgesic requirement, frequency of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) compressions, Bruggemann Comfort Scale (BCS) score, side effects, duration of hospital stay, and the life quality score (LQS) after operation at 6 months. Results: The patients in the ESP block group have better analgesia during 12–48 h postoperative time at static state, a lower frequency of PCA compressions at 24–48 h after surgery, and the opioid consumption in the PCA (sufentanil) were less than those in the TLIP block group (P < 0.05). However, the BCS and LQS scores were no different between the two plane block groups after surgery at 6 months. There was no difference in hospital stay and the incidence of side effect among the three groups. Conclusions: Our results found that patients who suffered ESP block have better analgesic effects and less pain scores in static states and less frequency of PCA compression and opioid analgesic consumption compared with those that suffered TLIP block. Trial Registration: ChiCTR1800019639. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of the study was to assess the uterus motions and bladder volume changes of fractional movements in cervical sites throughout the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment. Materials/methods: A prospective online MR imaging tracking study was conducted in EBRT 43 patients with at least 4 scans during each treatment (before: ultrasound scan, MRI scan, CBCT scan, after: MRI scan) were included. In order to improve the treatment repeatability, each patient was instructed to empty the bladder and drink 500 ml water 1 h before CT simulation and each treatment. If the ultrasound scan result reached the CT simulation volume of bladder, the treatment began. Bladder was outlined on the T2 weighted axial sequence and CBCT image by the two observers to avoid the influence of contouring. The data of bladder volume and scanning time were accurately recorded. The bladder volumes, filling rates and uterus motion were retrospectively analyzed by MIM software. Results: Inter-fraction variation of the bladder volume was significant (p < 0.0001). Intra-fraction mean increase of the bladder volume was modest (30 cc) but significant (p < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-fraction of the uterus motion were significant. The average time between the pre-and post-fraction MRI scans was 27.82 ± 7.12 min (range 10–55 min) for IMRT plans and 24.14 ± 5.86 min (range7-38 min) for VMAT plan. Average bladder filling rate was 3.43 ml/min. The bladder filling rate did not change significantly with the course of treatment, but the bladder was more intolerant. Conclusion: This is the most detailed assessment of intra-fraction and inter-fraction motion during EBRT for cervical cancer. Finally, this study will inform appropriate treatment margins for online adaptive radiotherapy. We suggest that at least one image scan is needed before the EBRT. The portable US scanner provides a quick but unreliable measurement of the bladder volume. There is a significant statistical difference between the results of ultrasonic scanning and that of image scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of the study was to assess the uterus motions and bladder volume changes of fractional movements in cervical sites throughout the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment. Materials/methods: A prospective online MR imaging tracking study was conducted in EBRT 43 patients with at least 4 scans during each treatment (before: ultrasound scan, MRI scan, CBCT scan, after: MRI scan) were included. In order to improve the treatment repeatability, each patient was instructed to empty the bladder and drink 500 ml water 1 h before CT simulation and each treatment. If the ultrasound scan result reached the CT simulation volume of bladder, the treatment began. Bladder was outlined on the T2 weighted axial sequence and CBCT image by the two observers to avoid the influence of contouring. The data of bladder volume and scanning time were accurately recorded. The bladder volumes, filling rates and uterus motion were retrospectively analyzed by MIM software. Results: Inter-fraction variation of the bladder volume was significant (p < 0.0001). Intra-fraction mean increase of the bladder volume was modest (30 cc) but significant (p < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-fraction of the uterus motion were significant. The average time between the pre-and post-fraction MRI scans was 27.82 ± 7.12 min (range 10–55 min) for IMRT plans and 24.14 ± 5.86 min (range7-38 min) for VMAT plan. Average bladder filling rate was 3.43 ml/min. The bladder filling rate did not change significantly with the course of treatment, but the bladder was more intolerant. Conclusion: This is the most detailed assessment of intra-fraction and inter-fraction motion during EBRT for cervical cancer. Finally, this study will inform appropriate treatment margins for online adaptive radiotherapy. We suggest that at least one image scan is needed before the EBRT. The portable US scanner provides a quick but unreliable measurement of the bladder volume. There is a significant statistical difference between the results of ultrasonic scanning and that of image scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of the study was to assess the uterus motions and bladder volume changes of fractional movements in cervical sites throughout the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment.Materials/methods: A prospective online MR imaging tracking study was conducted in EBRT 43 patients with at least 4 scans during each treatment (before: ultrasound scan, MRI scan, CBCT scan, after: MRI scan) were included. In order to improve the treatment repeatability, each patient was instructed to empty the bladder and drink 500 ml water 1 h before CT simulation and each treatment. If the ultrasound scan result reached the CT simulation volume of bladder, the treatment began. Bladder was outlined on the T2 weighted axial sequence and CBCT image by the two observers to avoid the influence of contouring. The data of bladder volume and scanning time were accurately recorded. The bladder volumes, filling rates and uterus motion were retrospectively analyzed by MIM software.Results: Inter-fraction variation of the bladder volume was significant (p < 0.0001). Intra-fraction mean increase of the bladder volume was modest (30 cc) but significant (p < 0.001). Both inter- and intra-fraction of the uterus motion were significant. The average time between the pre-and post-fraction MRI scans was 27.82 ± 7.12 min (range 10-55 min) for IMRT plans and 24.14 ± 5.86 min (range7-38 min) for VMAT plan. Average bladder filling rate was 3.43 ml/min. The bladder filling rate did not change significantly with the course of treatment, but the bladder was more intolerant.Conclusion: This is the most detailed assessment of intra-fraction and inter-fraction motion during EBRT for cervical cancer. Finally, this study will inform appropriate treatment margins for online adaptive radiotherapy. We suggest that at least one image scan is needed before the EBRT. The portable US scanner provides a quick but unreliable measurement of the bladder volume. There is a significant statistical difference between the results of ultrasonic scanning and that of image scanning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of lignin from woody biomass and subsequent conversion into useful products requires a solution to the problem of its solubility. The expanded C 9 formula of lignin, along with its atomic and functional groups, was determined by elemental analysis and NMRs spectroscopy. Based on the thus-obtained expanded C 9 formula, the cohesion parameters of lignin dispersion (10.8–11.1 cal1/2·cm−3/2), polarity (4.15–4.31 cal1/2·cm−3/2), hydrogen bonding (6.30–7.38 cal1/2·cm−3/2), and solubility (13.2–14.0 cal1/2·cm−3/2) were respectively calculated using atomic and functional group contributions method. We established the relationship between lignin structure and lignin solubility parameters. The dissolution characteristics of wheat straw organic acid lignin, industrial eucalyptus kraft lignin, bamboo kraft lignin, and softwood kraft lignin in formic acid–H 2 O, acetic acid–H 2 O, and formic acid–acetic acid–H 2 O solvent systems were analyzed. The results indicate that the dissolution behavior of lignins follows the solubility parameters theory. We have developed a lignin dissolution model according to the lignin structure. This model obeys the solubility parameter theory, overcomes the limitations of the "like dissolves like" principle in organic acid–water systems, and provides a concise method for the selection of lignin solvent systems and the quantitative determination of their solvent composition. [Display omitted] • The lignin structure was determined by elemental and NMRs analysis. • Relationship between lignin structure and solubility parameters was established. • Lignin dissolution behavior in organic acid–water obeys solubility parameter theory. • We established lignin dissolution model (LDM) based on solubility parameters. • LDM can be used for the design of lignin solvent system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the exact solutions and conservation laws of (2 + 1)-dimensional time fractional Navier–Stokes equations (TFNSE). Specifically, Lie symmetries and corresponding one-dimensional optimal system for TFNSE in Riemann–Liouville sense are obtained. Then, based on the admitted symmetries and optimal system, we reduce these equations to one-dimensional equations or (1 + 1)-dimensional fractional partial differential equations (PDEs) with the help of Erdélyi–Kober fractional differential operator and compound variable transformation. In addition, we solve the reduced PDEs applying power series expansion method and invariant subspace method, respectively. Furthermore, the conservation laws of TFNSE are derived using new Noether theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implants, including artificial joints, bone fixation devices, and other orthopedic implants, oral implants, and vascular interventional devices, are used to repair or replace human tissues or organs and restore their functions. Since biodegradable implants have advantage of avoiding long-term complications (including bone stress shielding, restenosis, thrombosis, and secondary surgery) while remaining safe and productive, personalized biodegradable implants will be an irresistible trend in the clinic for implantable and interventional medical devices. However, innovation of personalized biodegradable implants faces several challenges, including the interaction between the implant and its surrounding tissues or cells, the coordination of structural strength of implants and its degradation, the topological microstructure of implant and its fatigue properties, reliability, and safety. In this review, we introduced critical progresses achieved in the fields related to implants, including mechanical properties of materials, interaction between implants and host tissue, effect of stress on degradation; furthermore, we highlighted the optimized design and manufacture of implants as well as the evaluation of their reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately characterizing the liver’s mechanical properties is of paramount importance for disease diagnosis, treatment, surgical prosthetic modeling, and impact injury dummies. However, due to its inherent biological soft tissue nature, the characterization of mechanical behavior varies across testing methods and sample types. In this study, we employed transmission electron microscope and Micro CT to observe the morphology of the marginal and center of rat livers and conducted macroscopic mechanical tests to characterize their elasticity and viscoelasticity. The results revealed that the central region displayed higher metabolic levels, elongated mitochondria, and an abundance of rough endoplasmic reticulum at the micro-scale. At the mesoscale, larger diameter portal veins were mainly distributed in the central region, while smaller diameter arteries were predominantly located at the periphery. At the macroscale, under a strain rate of 0.0167 s−1, no significant differences were observed in the elastic properties between the two regions. However, as the strain rate increased up to 0.167 s−1, the central region displayed higher porosity, resulting in reduced liquid loss, increased hardness, and higher viscosity compared to the periphery. Consequently, the liver demonstrated overall heterogeneity, with isotropic models suitable for the peripheral region, while more intricate models may be required to capture the complexity of the central region with its intricate vasculature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement of the mechanical properties of brain tissue is of paramount importance for understanding its mechanics-biology relationship. Most published studies on brain viscoelasticity have been conducted using a single relaxation test, without validating the validity of linear viscoelasticity, which is insufficient to establish an accurate constitutive equation for brain tissue. We obtained the creep and relaxation profiles of fresh adult porcine white matter (N = 120) and gray matter (N = 56) under finite step-and-hold uniaxial compression, using a mechanical testing machine, with 16.67 mm/s loading rate and 80 s hold time. These curves were employed to determine viscoelastic properties and demonstrated an excellent fit with a concise power-law function. The average initial modulus for gray matter (GM) was 6.619 kPa, higher than that for white matter under transverse loading (WM-2D) at 5.579 kPa (p < 0.01), yet lower than that for white matter under axial loading (WM-1D) at 6.759 kPa (p = 0.0121). Notably, WM-2D exhibited the highest degree of fluidity (β = 0.216). Our findings reveal that gray matter behaves as a linear viscoelastic material with power-law creep compliance and relaxation modulus. Conversely, the creep and relaxation behavior of white matter deviates from the verification relationship derived from linear viscoelastic theory, indicating its nonlinearity. This fact underscores the inaccuracy of assuming a linear constitutive relationship to characterize the viscoelastic properties of white matter. By combining the power-law function with the experimentally obtained creep compliance and relaxation modulus, we offer a unique approach to determining the viscoelastic characteristics of brain tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) can reduce uptake and translocation of cadmium (Cd) in plants via plenty of ways, including regulation of root morphology. However, the underlying mechanisms on how Se will regulate root morphology under metal(loid) stresses are not fully illustrated. To fill up this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of 0.5 mg L−1 selenite (Se(IV)) on root exudates, root morphology, root endogenous hormones, and Cd uptake efficiency of rice under the 1 mg L−1 Cd stress condition. The results showed that Se(IV) significantly reduced shoot and root Cd concentrations, and decreased Cd uptake efficiency via root hairs determined by a non–invasive micro-test (NMT) technology. When compared to the 1 mg L−1 Cd (Cd1) treatment, addition of 0.5 mg L−1 Se(IV) (1) significantly reduced root surface area and tip numbers, and non–significantly reduced root length, but significantly enhanced root diameter and root volume; (2) significantly enhanced concentrations of tartaric acid in the root exudate solution, root auxin (IAA) and root jasmonic acid (JA) via a UHPLC or a HPLC analysis; (3) significantly up-regulated metabolites correlated with synthesis of IAA, JA, gibberellin (GA), and salicylic acid, such as GA53, M–SA, (+/−)7–epi–JA, and derivatives of tryptophan and indole in the metabolome analysis. However, results of transcriptome analysis showed that (1) no upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in IAA synthesis; (2) some upregulated DEGs were found to be enriched in JA and GA53 synthesis pathways. In summary, although Se(IV) stimulated the synthesis of IAA, JA, and GA53, it significantly inhibited root growth mainly by 1) affecting signal transduction of IAA and GA; 2) altering IAA polar transport and homeostasis; and 3) regulating DEGs including SAUR32 , SAUR36 , SAUR76 , OsSub33 , OsEXPA8 , OsEXPA18 , and Os6bglu24. • Se reduced shoot and root Cd concentrations, and Cd uptake efficiency by root hairs. • Se reduced surface area and tip numbers of roots although IAA and JA concentrations were promoted. • Se stimulated synthesis of DMs correlated with synthesis pathways of indole/tryptophan, JA, GA53 and M-SA. • Se up-regulated many DEGs enriched in synthesis pathways of JA and GA53, but not in that of IAA. • Se disturbed signal transduction pathways of most phytohormones thus blocked functions of these hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel Schiff-base fluorescent probes bearing different substituents were synthesized by the reaction of indole derivatives with 4-aminoantipyrine. The fluorescent behavior toward Cu2+ was studied by analyzing ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectra and fluorescence spectroscopy results, which demonstrated that compound 2 containing a methoxy moiety exhibited improved selectivity and stronger fluorescent emission for Cu2+. However, both of the evaluated probes were sensitive to Cu2+ at nM concentrations. Notably, compound 2 displayed remarkable fluorescence properties in a wide range of pH due to a stable chemical structure. The experimental data based on cyclic voltammetry (CV) were in good agreement with the fluorescence spectroscopy analysis and confirmed the formation of a fluorescent complex. In addition, the optimized geometry and related properties were established at B3LYP/6-31G using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Compound 2, which was efficiently synthesized in the present study, demonstrates potential for Cu2+ detection in various analysis and testing fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new phenothiazine‐based sensor PHE‐Ad for monitoring Hg2+ has been designed and synthesized based on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. The probes were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, and HRMS, and their optical properties were detected by UV and FL. It's showed the probes detection of Hg2+ compared to other metal ions (Mg2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Ag+, Co2+, Cr3+, Al3+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Fe3+, Fe2+, K+, Na+, and Cd2+) based on the test results. Besides, the detection limits were determined to be 2.12 × 10−8 M through the standard curve plot. In addition, sensor PHE‐Ad shows high selectivity and sensitivity for Hg2+ with a fast response in a suitable pH range. Furthermore, taking into account its good "turn‐on" fluorescent sensing behavior and low cell cytotoxicity, PHE‐Ad was successfully applied to detect and image Hg2+ in real water samples and living cells, which shows great potentials for application in environmental and biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berberine is a naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloid that has great potential as a lead compound for the development of highly effective anti-cancer agents. In this study, some hydrophobically modified berberine derivatives were synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry. All the synthesized compounds were subjected to cytotoxicity screening against various cancer cell lines, and the results indicated that most of the berberine derivatives exhibited high cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 3.24 to 7.30 μM. The linoleic acid-modified berberine derivative 8 was chosen for further studies, and was shown to significantly inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of A549 adenocarcinoma cells. Western Blot analysis revealed that compound 8 affected the expression of proteins associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis, particularly proteins associated with the MAPK pathway, such as p-ERK, p-38 and p-JNK. Compound 8 also strongly inhibited migration of A549 cells in a wound closure assay. All of these results indicate that berberine derivative 8 is a promising anti-cancer drug candidate for further biological investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spatial colocation pattern is a group of spatial features whose instances frequently appear together in close proximity to each other. The proximity of instances is generally measured by the distance between them. If the distance is smaller than a distance threshold that is specified by users, they have a neighbor relationship. However, it is difficult for users to give a suitable distance threshold and mining results also vary widely with different distance thresholds. In addition, using distance thresholds are hard to accurately obtain neighborhoods of instances in heterogeneous distribution density data sets. In this study, we propose a new method for determining the neighbor relationship of instances in space without the distance threshold based on Delaunay triangulation (DT). We design three filtering strategies, such as a feature invalid edge, a global positive edge, and a local positive edge, to constrain the original DT to accurately extract the neighborhoods of instances in space. Then, a miner called DT‐based colocation (DTC) pattern mining is developed. Different from the traditional algorithms which adopt the time‐consuming generate‐test candidate model, DTC directly collects the table instances of colocation patterns from the constrained DT by building neighboring polygons and filters prevalent patterns. We compare the results mined by DTC with by the traditional algorithms at macrolevel and microlevel on both real and synthetic data sets to prove that the DTC algorithm improves the effectiveness and fineness of mining results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is an essential biomarker for tumor treatment. Affibody is an ideal vector for preparing HER2 specific probes because of high affinity and rapid clearance from normal tissues, etc. Zirconium-89 is a PET imaging isotope with a long half-life and suitable for monitoring biological processes for more extended periods. In this study, a novel 89Zr-labeled HER2 affibody, [89Zr]Zr-DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2, was synthesized, and its imaging characters were also assessed. Results: The precursor, DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2, was obtained with a yield of nearly 50%. The radiochemical yield of [89Zr]Zr -DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2 was 90.2 ± 1.9%, and the radiochemical purity was higher than 95%. The total synthesis time was only 30 min. The probe was stable in PBS and serum. The tracer accumulated in HER2 overexpressing human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells. In vivo studies in mice bearing tumors showed that the probe was highly retained in SKOV-3 xenografts even for 48 h. The tumors were visualized with good contrast to normal tissues. ROI analysis revealed that the average uptake values in the tumor were greater than 5% IA/g during 48 h postinjection. On the contrary, the counterparts of MCF-7 tumors kept low levels (~ 1% IA/g). The outcome was consistent with the immunohistochemical analysis and ex vivo autoradiography. The probe quickly cleared from the normal organs except kidneys and mainly excreted through the urinary system. Conclusion: The novel HER2 affibody for PET imaging was easily prepared with satisfactory labeling yield and radiochemical purity. [89Zr]Zr-DFO-MAL-Cys-MZHER2 is a potential candidate for detecting HER2 expression. It may play specific roles in clinical cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial prevalent co-location pattern mining is to discover interesting and potentially useful patterns from spatial data, and it plays an important role in identifying spatially correlated features in many domains, such as Earth science and Public transportation. Existing approaches in this field only take into account the clique instances where feature instances form a clique. However, they may neglect some important spatial correlations among features in practice. In this paper, we introduce star participation instances to measure the prevalence of co-location patterns such that spatially correlated instances which cannot form cliques will also be properly considered. Then we propose a new concept called sub-prevalent co-location patterns (SPCP) based on the star participation instances. Furthermore, two efficient algorithms -- the prefix-tree-based algorithm (PTBA) and the partition-based algorithm (PBA) -- are proposed to mine all the maximal sub-prevalent co-location patterns (MSPCP) in a spatial data set. PTBA uses a typical candidate generate-and-test way starting from candidates with the longest pattern-size, while PBA adopts a step-by-step manner starting from 3-size core patterns. We demonstrate the significance of our proposed new concepts as well as the efficiency of our algorithms through extensive experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular smooth muscle cells from the pulmonary arteries (HPASMC) of subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) exhibit hyperplastic growth. The PAH HPASMC display an increased sensitivity to fetal bovine serum (FBS) and undergo growth at a very low, 0.2%, FBS concentration. On the other hand, normal HPASMC (obtained from non-PAH donors) do not proliferate at low FBS (0.2%). A previous genomic study suggested that the nuclear factor, FOXM1 and the polo like kinase 1 (PLK1) are involved in promoting this hyperplastic growth of the PAH HPASMC. Here we find that limiting the action of FOXM1 or PLK1 not only restricts the hyperplastic proliferation of the PAH HPASMC but also modulates the FBS stimulated growth of normal HPASMC. The PAH HPASMC exhibit significantly elevated PLK1 and FOXM1 expression and decreased p27 (quiescence protein) levels compared to normal HPASMC. Regulation of the expression of FOXM1 and PLK1 is accompanied by the regulation of downstream expression of cell cycle components, Aurora B, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1. Expression of these cell cycle components is reversed by the knockdown of FOXM1 or PLK1 expression/activity. Furthermore, the knockdown of PLK1 expression lowers the protein level of FOXM1. On the other hand, inhibiting the action of FOXO1, a growth inhibitor, further increases the expression of FOXM1 in PAH HPASMC. Although PLK1 and FOXM1 clearly participate in PAH HPASMC hyperplasia, at this time it is not clear whether their increased activity is the primary driver of the hyperplastic behavior of the PAH HPASMC or merely a component of the pathway(s) leading to this response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present paper investigates Lie symmetry analysis, one-dimensional optimal system, exact solutions and conservation laws of the (2 + 1)-dimensional time fractional thin liquid film equations (TFTLFE) with Riemann–Liouville fractional derivative. Explicitly, we obtain six vector fields and the one-dimensional optimal system admitted by TFTLFE. Then, we perform the symmetry reductions with the help of Erdélyi–Kober fractional differential operator and (2 + 1)-dimensional TFTLFE is reduced into (1 + 1)-dimensional fractional partial differential equations (FPDEs). Additionally, by means of compound variable transformation and the power series expansion method, the solution of reduced FPDEs is obtained and its convergence is verified. Moreover, we derive other solutions for the reduced equations taking advantage of the invariant subspace method. Furthermore, the conservation laws are also established utilizing generalized Noether's theorem. Finally, we construct the exact solution using the method of conservation laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the differences in target volumes between preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRIpre) and postoperative MRI (MRIpost) for breast radiotherapy after breast‐conserving surgery (BCS) using deformable image registration (DIR). Methods and Materials: Seventeen eligible patients who underwent whole‐breast irradiation in the prone position after BCS were enrolled. On MRIpre, the gross tumor volume (GTV) was delineated as GTVpre, which was then expanded by 10 mm to represent the preoperative lumpectomy cavity (LC), denoted as LCpre. The LC was expanded to the clinical target volume (CTV) and planning target volume (PTV) on the MRIpre and MRIpost, denoted as CTVpre, CTVpost, PTVpre, and PTVpost, respectively. The MIM software system was used to register the MRIpre and MRIpost using DIR. Differences were evaluated regarding target volume, distance between the centers of mass (dCOM), conformity index (CI), and degree of inclusion (DI). The relationship between CILC/CIPTV and the clinical factors was also assessed. Results: Significant differences were observed in LC and PTV volumes between MRIpre and MRIpost (p < 0.0001). LCpre was 0.85 cm3 larger than LCpost, while PTVpre was 29.38 cm3 smaller than PTVpost. The dCOM between LCpre and LCpost was 1.371 cm, while that between PTVpre and PTVpost reduced to 1.348 cm. There were statistically significant increases in CI and DI for LCpost–LCpre and PTVpost–PTVpre (CI = 0.221, 0.470; DI = 0.472, 0.635). No obvious linear correlations (p > 0.05) were found between CI and GTV, primary tumor volume‐to‐breast volume ratio, distance from the primary tumor to the nipple and chest wall, and body mass index. Conclusions: Despite using DIR technology, the spatial correspondence of target volumes between MRIpre and MRIpost was suboptimal. Therefore, relying solely on preoperative diagnostic MRI with DIR for postoperative LC delineation is not recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case of congenital hemangioma (CH) in the breast, accompanied by breast hypoplasia in a 12-year-old girl. CH is a rare cutaneous vascular tumor that develops in utero, and its relationship to breast development is uncertain. The authors suggest surgical intervention for CH in the breast before puberty to promote normal breast development. They emphasize the importance of accurate preoperative identification of CH subtypes and careful surgical dissection to avoid damage to the breast bud. The article calls for more reports on long-term postoperative breast development to evaluate the benefits of early surgical excision. [Extracted from the article]

The recombinant vaccinia virus VG9 and the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic were combined to kill cancer cells via both oncolytic activity and inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation in cells. The combinatory anti-tumour activity of these compounds was superior to the activity of VG9 or Stattic alone in vivo. The inhibition of tumour growth occurred via increased apoptosis and autophagy pathways. Furthermore, the combinatory anti-tumour activity was more efficient than that of VG9 or Stattic alone on xenografts, especially in nude mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM), mannosyl LAM (ManLAM), and mycolyl-arabinogalactan (mAG) are unique and ubiquitous cell wall constituents of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). It has been well documented that LAM, ManLAM, and mAG play an important role in mycobacterial infections and in the elicitation of specific immune responses against M. tb in the host. Therefore, LAM, ManLAM, mAG, and related molecules are attractive targets for the development of novel TB diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Accordingly, many research groups have spent great efforts in the chemical synthesis and biological studies of mycobacterium-related arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharides and their mimetics and conjugates. This article provides an extensive review about the progresses in this area. Due to the page limit of this journal, the review is published in three parts separately. This part (Part III) is focused on the biological applications of synthetic, structurally well-defined and homogeneous Arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharides and their mimetics or conjugates to gain in-depth understanding of mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis, host-pathogen interaction and other M. tb-related biological issues and their structure-activity relationships to guide new drug and vaccine design and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM), mannosyl LAM (ManLAM), and mycolyl-arabinogalactan (mAG) are unique and ubiquitous cell wall constituents of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), the bacterium causing tuberculosis (TB), one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. It has been well documented that LAM, ManLAM, and mAG play an important role in mycobacterial infections and in the elicitation of specific immune responses against M. tb in the host. Therefore, LAM, ManLAM, mAG, and related molecules are attractive targets for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for TB. Accordingly, great research efforts have been spent on the chemical synthesis and biological studies of mycobacterium-related arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharides and their mimetics and conjugates. This article provides an extensive review about the progresses in this area. Due to the page limit of the journal, this review is published separately in three parts. Part I is focused on various glycosylation methods or strategies and protection tactics for stereoselective and stereospecific construction of α- and β-arabinofuranosyl linkages, as well as their applications to the synthesis of simple to highly complex mycobacterium-related arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharides containing only α-linked or both α- and β-linked arabinofuranosyl residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM), mannosyl LAM (ManLAM), and mycolyl-arabinogalactan (mAG) are unique and ubiquitous cell wall constituents of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), the bacterium causing tuberculosis (TB). It has been well documented that LAM, ManLAM, and mAG play an important role in mycobacterial infections and in the elicitation of specific immune responses against M. tb in the host. Therefore, LAM, ManLAM, mAG, and related molecules are attractive targets for the development of novel TB diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Accordingly, numerous research groups have spent great effort on the chemical synthesis and biological studies of mycobacterium-related arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharides and their mimetics and conjugates. This article provides an extensive review about the progresses in this area. Due to the page limit of this journal, the review is published in three parts separately. This part (Part II) is focused on the synthesis of various ManLAM and mAG analogs containing mannose, galactose or galactosamine units and other natural structural motifs, as well as arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharide C-analogs and other derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel colorimetric and fluorescent probes 2-(1,3-dithiolanes)-10-ethyl phenothiazine (PHE-Ed) and 2-(1,3-dithianes)-10-ethyl phenothiazine (PHE-Pd) based on phenothiazine were successfully synthesized, and their structure was confirmed by NMR and high resolution mass spectra. Fluorescence investigations revealed that the synthesized probes could be used for the selective detection of Hg2+, which was accompanied with an obvious color change from colorless to light yellow. The applicable ability of the two probes was investigated by a series of competitive experiments, solid colorimetric experiments, and applied experiments, which proved that these probes showed high sensitivity and great potential to detect Hg2+ in environmental analysis systems. Furthermore, the detection mechanism of the probes was investigated by FT-IR spectra and NMR spectra, and the results indicated that the detection of Hg2+ was accomplished through the Hg2+-promoted deprotection of thioacetal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, economic, and eco-friendly method of detecting ascorbic acid (AA) with excellent sensitivity was developed. The method took advantage of the fluorescence of carbon quantum dots (CDs) decreasing as the AA concentration increased through interactions between AA and Ag(I) in the presence of silver nanoparticle (AgNP) seeds, producing more AgNPs and allowing fluorescence resonance energy transfer between the AgNPs and the CDs. The change in the fluorescence intensity when AA was added was proportional to the AA concentration over the range 0-9.0 μM. The AA detection limit was 0.2 μM. This approach is a new method for determining the concentration of AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Deformity of the first ray in hallux valgus patient has been deemed to mainly contribute to instability of the metatarsophalangeal joint. However, it is not clear whether the fixation of the distal osteotomy fragment and transposition of the sesamoid represent the best method for hallux valgus treatment. The aim of this study was to examine how postoperative hallux valgus osteotomy affects the stability of the first ray. Methods To accurately investigate the biomechanical behavior of the first ray in pre-/postoperative hallux valgus patients, we described the relative displacement and stress distribution of the first metatarsal bone and sesamoid by imageology, test measurement and foot finite element model. Findings Compared with the preoperative hallux valgus, the plantar pressure decreased by 47.8% and was redistributed on second metatarsal region. The peak stress and relative displacement of the distal osteotomy fragment increased by +55.7% and −59.9%, respectively. The movement of this component shifted toward the positive sagittal axis direction. In addition, the relative displacement of sesamoid decreased by 87.4% (0.18 mm) in vertical axis direction and the stress was also redistributed on medial and lateral region. Moreover, the strain of the medial main ligament was more favorable to reconstruct function of the first ray. Interpretation The findings showed that the osteotomy method was helpful for stability of the first ray. This would provide the stability suggestions for postoperative hallux valgus fixation and guide further rehabilitation. Highlights • The first ray in hallux valgus mainly contributes to instability of the joint. • To investigate biomechanical behavior of the first ray in hallux valgus • Testing, imageology and finite element model were used. • This would guide HV operation and further postoperative rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • GLP-1 agonists are diabetes drugs with neuroprotective effects. • The distribution of GLP-1R in the brain is associated with neurological disorders. • Aged rats have lower expression of GLP-1R compared with normal rats. • The change of GLP-1R expression in aged rats can be detected using microPET. • The results of biodistribution and IHC were consistent with microPET. Abstract The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has been demonstrated as a potential therapeutic target for some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and stroke. Besides, its distribution and density in brain regions are closely associated with cognition, motor function, learning and memory. Given the relationship between age and these neurological diseases, we firstly examined the influences of age on GLP-1R expression using [18F]AlF-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4 microPET imaging. The image showed that GLP-1R expression in nearly all regions of the brain of aged rats was evidently lower than that of normal rats. Significant differences were found in olfactory, striatum, hypothalamus, substantial nigra, and hippocampus, which have inseparable relations with some mental and neurological diseases such as PD and AD. Data obtained from biodistribution and immunohistochemistry staining also confirmed the image results. Taken together, these results illustrated decreased expression of GLP-1R in the brain of aged rats can be detected by [18F]AlF-NOTA-MAL-Cys39-exendin-4, which implied GLP-1R as a reliable target and GLP-1R PET imaging could be a promising technology in the field of neurological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]