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Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a significant global health issue, suspected to elevate the risk for various cancers. This study sought to discern whether COPD serves as a risk marker or a causative factor for prevalent cancers. Methods: We employed univariable MR (UVMR) analyses to investigate the causal relationship between COPD and the top ten common cancers. Sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the main findings. Multivariable MR (MVMR) and two-step MR analyses were also conducted. False-discovery-rate (FDR) was used to correct multiple testing bias. Results: The UVMR analysis demonstrated notable associations between COPD and lung cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95%CI 1.15–1.77, FDR = 6.37 × 10–3). This relationship extends to lung cancer subtypes such as squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). A tentative link was also identified between COPD and bladder cancer (OR = 1.53, 95%CI 1.03–2.28, FDR = 0.125). No significant associations were found between COPD and other types of cancer. The MVMR analysis that adjusted for smoking, alcohol drinking, and body mass index did not identify any significant causal relationships between COPD and either lung or bladder cancer. However, the two-step MR analysis indicates that COPD mediated 19.2% (95% CI 12.7–26.1%), 36.1% (24.9–33.2%), 35.9% (25.7–34.9%), and 35.5% (26.2–34.8%) of the association between smoking and overall lung cancer, as well as LUAD, LUSC, and SCLC, respectively. Conclusions: COPD appears to act more as a risk marker than a direct cause of prevalent cancers. Importantly, it partially mediates the connection between smoking and lung cancer, underscoring its role in lung cancer prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: WOX genes are a class of plant-specific transcription factors. The WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) family is a member of the homeobox transcription factor superfamily. Previous studies have shown that WOX members play important roles in plant growth and development. However, studies of the WOX gene family in blueberry plants have not been reported. Results: In order to understand the biological function of the WOX gene family in blueberries, bioinformatics were used methods to identify WOX gene family members in the blueberry genome, and analyzed the basic physical and chemical properties, gene structure, gene motifs, promoter cis-acting elements, chromosome location, evolutionary relationships, expression pattern of these family members and predicted their functions. Finally, 12 genes containing the WOX domain were identified and found to be distributed on eight chromosomes. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the blueberry WOX gene family had three major branches: ancient branch, middle branch, and WUS branch. Blueberry WOX gene family protein sequences differ in amino acid number, molecular weight, isoelectric point and hydrophobicity. Predictive analysis of promoter cis-acting elements showed that the promoters of the VdWOX genes contained abundant light response, hormone, and stress response elements. The VdWOX genes were induced to express in both stems and leaves in response to salt and drought stress. Conclusions: Our results provided comprehensive characteristics of the WOX gene family and important clues for further exploration of its role in the growth, development and resistance to various stress in blueberry plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a machine learning-based framework for mapping street patterns in urban morphology, offering an objective, scalable approach that transcends traditional methodologies. Focusing on six diverse cities, the research employed supervised machine learning to classify street networks into gridiron, organic, hybrid, and cul-de-sac patterns with the street-based local area (SLA) as the unit of analysis. Utilising quantitative street metrics and GIS, the study analysed the urban form through the random forest method, which reveals the predictive features of urban patterns and enables a deeper understanding of the spatial structures of cities. The findings showed distinctive spatial structures, such as ring formations and urban cores, indicating stages of urban development and socioeconomic narratives. It also showed that the unit of analysis has a major impact on the identification and study of street patterns. Concluding that machine learning is a critical tool in urban morphology, the research suggests that future studies should expand this framework to include more cities and urban elements. This would enhance the predictive modelling of urban growth and inform sustainable, human-centric urban planning. The implications of this study are significant for policymakers and urban planners seeking to harness data-driven insights for the development of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion from double rice cropping (RR) to maize-rice cropping (MR) have been occurring in recent years in Asia. However, effects on the environment by introducing maize into paddy still need more examination. The objective of this study was to assess differences in greenhouse gases emissions, carbon footprint and carbon neutrality between MR and RR cropping systems from 2016 to 2018. Results showed that the global warming potential (GWP) under MR cropping was 13.0 t CO2 eq ha−1, which was 20.0% higher than that of RR (10.8 t CO2 eq ha−1) due to its higher N2O emission. Although the GWP of MR increased, it significantly decreased carbon footprint by 17.3% in comparison with RR due to its higher gain yield. Simultaneously, MR had a substantial increase in net ecosystem economic efficiency by 62.5%. Nevertheless, carbon uptake was significantly higher in MR system, its carbon neutrality was lower than that of RR by 69.3% average. In conclusion, MR could be an effective sustainable cropping system with high yield and low carbon footprint in the subtropical regions. Considering the higher GWP of MR, further research is needed on appropriate agronomic practice to reduce carbon loss to realize higher carbon neutral potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dielectric loss angle can better reflect the overall insulation level of mining cables, so it is necessary to implement reliable and effective online monitoring of the dielectric loss angle of mining cables. In order to improve the monitoring accuracy of the dielectric loss angle tan δ of mining cables, a low-frequency dielectric loss angle online monitoring method combining signal injection method and double-end synchronous measurement method is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the superiority of the low-frequency signal in improving the detection accuracy of dielectric loss angle is explained, and the feasibility of the low-frequency signal injection method is analyzed. Secondly, the cable leakage is calculated using the double-terminal synchronous measurement method to measure the core current at the first and last ends of the cable, and the phase sum of the voltage at the first and last ends is selected as the reference phase quantity to realize the effective calculation of the dielectric loss angle tan δ of the cable. Then, the simulation model for online monitoring of dielectric loss angle of mining cable is built, and the feasibility of the online monitoring method proposed in this paper is verified by combining the simulation results. Finally, the theoretical and simulation analysis of the monitoring error of dielectric loss angle of mining cable is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a monolayer of TiX2 (X = S, Se) is used to suppress the shuttle effect of polysulfides, thereby accelerating the kinetic process of lower‐order polysulfides. The results show that the adsorption energies of the studied TiX2 for Na2Sn are all better than those of common electrolytes, and the effect of adsorption on the structure of Na2Sn is negligible. The calculated results show that the anchoring behavior of TiX2 to Na2Sn has no effect on the metallic properties of pristine TiX2. On the other hand, the introduction of this material can reduce the diffusion barrier energy of Na2S and improve the utilization rate of sulfur more effectively. In conclusion, TiX2 has suitable adsorption strength, enhances electrical conductivity, and promotes the oxidative decomposition process of polysulfides. It can be theoretically demonstrated that TiS2 is better than TiSe2 in improving the performance of sodium–sulfur batteries and is more suitable as an anchoring material (AM) for sodium–sulfur batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms of ZBTB20-AS1 on ZBTB20 and GSK-3β/Tau signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), SH-SY5Y cells were obtained for in vitro experiments and AD models were constructed using β-Amyloid 1–42. CCK8 assay was implemented for determining cell viability. Flow cytometry was used for cell apoptosis detection. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA-RNA pull down assay was employed for elucidating molecular interactions. Immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR and western blotting were performed for measuring gene expression. The results showed that expression of LncRNA ZBTB20-AS1 was significantly upregulated, while ZBTB20 was downregulated in SH-SY5Y-AD cells. ZBTB20 was the target gene of LncRNA ZBTB20-AS1. Overexpression of ZBTB20 or knockdown of LncRNA ZBTB20-AS1 inhibited SH-SY5Y-AD cells apoptosis and suppressed GSK3β/Tau pathway, and knockdown of ZBTB20-AS1 increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis. In conclusion, overexpression of ZBTB20-AS1 inhibited ZBTB20 expression and promoted GSK-3β expression and Tau phosphorylation, contributing to the development of AD. • LncRNA ZBTB20-AS1 was upregulated in AD. • miR-132–3p was the target gene of LncRNA ZBTB20-AS1. • ZBTB20 inhibited AD cells apoptosis and suppressed GSK3β/Tau pathway. • Knockdown of LncRNA ZBTB20-AS1 alleviated the progression of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the geometric and electronic structure of four gas molecules, including CH4, CH2O, CH3Cl and C6H6, on pristine and Cu/Ni‐modified C3N monolayer are investigated by using First principles. The calculations show that the Cu/Ni‐doping can effectively strengthen the gas adsorption ability of C3N. Upon gas‐C3N configuration, the adsorption energies are CH2O (0.11 eV) > C6H6 (0.09 eV) > CH3Cl (0.08 eV) > CH4 (0.05 eV). For Cu‐C3N configuration, the adsorption energies are C6H6 (3.26 eV) > CH3Cl (3.24 eV) > CH4 (3.22 eV) > CH2O (3.13 eV). For Ni‐C3N configuration, the adsorption energies are CH2O (1.48 eV) > C6H6 (0.66 eV) > CH3Cl (0.39 eV) > CH4 (0.11 eV). It is worth mentioning that the magnetic moment is reduced to 0 µB when CH2O are adsorbed on Cu/Ni‐C3N, and the maximum charge transfer is 0.71 e, 0.62 e, respectively. Moreover, its optical properties of adsorption of Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) gas molecules are studied. It can be found that the two main absorption peaks locate at 3.0 × 105 cm−1 nm and 2.8 × 105 cm−1 nm at the range of ultraviolet and visible light. The calculated results provide the theoretical reference for Cu‐C3N‐based VOCs sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the pulse current method is used for partial discharge (PD) monitoring of mining cables, the detected PD signals are seriously disturbed by the field noise, which are easily submerged in the noise and cannot be extracted. In order to realize the effective separation of the PD signal and the interference signal of the mining cable and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the PD signal, a denoising method for the PD signal of the mining cable based on genetic algorithm optimization of variational mode decomposition (VMD) and wavelet threshold is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the genetic algorithm is used to optimize the VMD, and the optimal value of the number of modal components K and the quadratic penalty factor α is determined; secondly, the PD signal is decomposed by the VMD algorithm to obtain K intrinsic mode functions (IMF). Then, wavelet threshold denoising is applied to each IMF, and the denoised IMFs are reconstructed. Finally, the feasibility of the denoising method proposed in this paper is verified by simulation and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the online insulation monitoring and fault diagnosis of mining cables are extensively discussed, while their operation status assessment has not been deeply studied. Considering that mining cables are closely related to the safe and stable operation of coal mine power supply systems, a comprehensive evaluation method including the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the membership cloud theory, and the D-S evidence theory is proposed in this paper in order to accurately assess the operation status of the mining XLPE cable. Firstly, the membership cloud is introduced to solve the index membership degree and the weights are calculated by an improved weight vector calculation method. Secondly, the conversion from the base layer indicator membership degree to the target layer trust degree is realized based on the D-S evidence theory. Then, the cable operation status is judged via the trust degree maximum and the distribution of conflict coefficients is further analyzed to warn the indicators with a bad status in the base layer. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed evaluation method is verified by a sufficient and detailed case analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block of proliferation 1 (BOP1) is a key protein that helps in the maturation of ribosomes and promotes the progression of the cell cycle. However, its role in the leaf morphogenesis of cotton remains unknown. Herein, we report and study the function of GhBOP1 isolated from Gossypium hirsutum. The sequence alignment revealed that BOP1 protein was highly conserved among different species. The yeast two-hybrid experiments, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and luciferase complementation techniques revealed that GhBOP1 interact with GhPES and GhWDR12. Subcellular localization experiments revealed that GhBOP1, GhPES and GhWDR12 were localized at the nucleolus. Suppression of GhBOP1 transcripts resulted in the uneven bending of leaf margins and the presence of young wrinkled leaves by virus-induced gene silencing assay. Abnormal palisade arrangements and the presence of large upper epidermal cells were observed in the paraffin sections of the wrinkled leaves. Meanwhile, a jasmonic acid-related gene, GhOPR3, expression was increased. In addition, a negative effect was exerted on the cell cycle and the downregulation of the auxin-related genes was also observed. These results suggest that GhBOP1 plays a critical role in the development of wrinkled cotton leaves, and the process is potentially modulated through phytohormone signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient utilization of oil shale resource is beneficial to environment and the resource diversity. In this work, a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) reactor was first used to pyrolyze Huadian oil shale experimentally, mainly focusing on the influence of fluidization flow rates. The yield of shale oil, char and non-condensable gas varies little at different fluidization flow rates, but the components in shale oil are different due to the secondary cracking, such as the fractions and species of aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and non-hydrocarbons. Then, the dense discrete phase model (DDPM) was used to track the trajectories of oil shale particles with different diameters in a bubbling fluidized bed. Population balance model (PBM) coupled Eulerian model was used to well describe the bubbling status of bed materials to characterize the hydrodynamic behaviors. Furthermore, a segmented kinetic model was compiled by UDF module to illuminate the pyrolysis of oil shale particles. The multi-phase reactive flow modeling clearly indicated the distribution of oil shale particles and gaseous products in BFB reactor, as well as pyrolysis time and the secondary cracking at different fluidization flow rates. In summary, this work provides a reference basis for complete pyrolysis of oil shale particles in a bubbling fluidized bed and generating shale oil with high yield and good quality. • Oil shale retorting technology is friendly to environment using fluidized bed. • Fast fluidization rate can increase time of oil shale complete pyrolysis. • Fast fluidization rate can cause deep secondary cracking. • High quality oil can be obtained when retorting at 0.5 m/s fluidization rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: By discussing the corresponding situation of PIM criteria and labels, it provides a reference for the formulation and update of the criteria and the content of the section of "medications for the elderly" in the labels, so as to realize rational drug use for the elderly. Methods: Extract the four indicators of Beers criteria, STOPP criteria, and the EU(7)-PIM list that involve dosage, duration, age, and mortality, and compare them with the latest labels for drugs marketed in the USA and the EU. Results: There are 148 drugs involving four indicators in the criteria, and 85.14% of the drugs are found in at least one region. In terms of dose, there are 28 drugs with inconsistent descriptions in the labels of the two regions, accounting for 47.46% of the 59 drugs found in both regions. A total of 42.37% of the drugs are consistent in both regions with the criteria (25/59), 28.81% of the drugs are inconsistent in both regions with the criteria (17/59), and 28.81% of the drugs are inconsistent in only one region with the criteria (17/59). The doses of 50 drugs found in F/D labels are consistent with the criteria, accounting for 54.35% of the 92 drugs found in F/D labels, and of 41 drugs found in E/H SmPC are consistent with the criteria, accounting for 60.29% of the 68 drugs found in E/H SmPC. Only the duration of omeprazole in the labels in both regions is consistent with the criteria, and only the age of prasugrel in both regions is consistent with the criteria. Five drugs whose labels mentioned increased mortality, accounting for 38.46% of the 13 drugs found in both regions. Conclusion: There are certain differences between PIM criteria and PIM criteria, labels and labels, and PIM criteria and labels, which will affect the use of drugs in the elderly. Therefore, the unity between the criteria and labels should be strengthened to provide more instructive guidance for the elderly, so as to jointly realize rational drug use in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A surrogate shale oil model was proposed based on model compounds with optimal proportions to reduce the complexity of Huadian shale oil to analyze its pyrolysis kinetics. There are mainly n-alkanes and n-olefins with C 8 –C 36 in shale oil according to GC-MS results, a small amount of aromatics and alcohols, as well as trace of esters, ketones and nitriles, etc. Pyrolysis behavior of shale oil was investigated by Py-GC-MS and FTIR, including the evolution of pyrolytic products and functional groups. Here, n-eicosane, 1-octadecene, pentadecanol and nonylbenzene were selected as surrogates based on GC-MS result. To obtain the optimal surrogate model, a novel multi-objective fusion adaptive optimization function with constraints was proposed to determine the optimal weighting factor of each component from the pareto optimal set. Then, the detailed pyrolysis kinetic mechanisms containing 745 species and 19392 reactions were developed to study its thermochemical conversion. Moreover, the skeletal mechanism reduced by decoupling and directed relation graph (DRG) was used to describe the thermal flow reactivity of these four components. In sum, this work provides an integrated description of shale oil pyrolysis, and gives a new method for studying the pyrolysis of oil shale intrinsically. • A surrogate shale oil model based on the typical model compounds was proposed. • The pyrolysis kinetic mechanism of surrogate shale oil model was developed. • The interaction about the cross-reactions of the four surrogates was analyzed. • The thermal reactivity of surrogates consistent with the target shale oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the geometric and electronic properties of the adsorption of volatile organic molecules (VOCs) such as CH 2 O, C 2 H 4 O, C 2 H 6 O on bismuthene monolayer with transition metal (TM = Nb, Zr) atoms adsorbed are investigated by using first–principles methods, aiming to explore the potential applications of TM–modified bismuthene monolayer in the field of organic molecular gas sensors. In contrast to the adsorption of organic molecules on Zr–bismuthene, Nb–bismuthene appears the chemisorption with multiple organic molecules, and it can be found that Nb–bismuthene could stably adsorb target molecules and exhibit outstanding charge transfer. The longer desorption time of organic molecules on Nb–bismuthene and the higher organic molecular adsorption capacity of the substrate at most temperatures, which suggests that Nb–bismuthene is suitable as a disposable sorbent for organic molecules, providing a viable direction for the application of Nb–bismuthene monolayer as a sensitive material for the removal of organic molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ESs of the YRDUA will decrease significantly from 2022 to 2050. • Conversion of cropland to urban land will result in more than 90% of the ESs losses. • Quantifying the impact of urban expansion on ESs for sustainable urban development. Assessing the effects of future urban expansion on ecosystem services (ESs) is essential for the sustainability of cities worldwide. Nonetheless, evaluating these effects of future urban expansion on ESs remains challenging due to the uncertainties associated with socioeconomic development and the intricate nature of urban expansion. In this research, we initially integrated the localized Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban (LUSD-urban) model to project the urban expansion of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA). Subsequently, we quantified the impacts of urban expansion on ESs utilizing the Integrated Valuation of ESs and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The outcomes indicate that the urban land in the YRDUA is projected to expand by 1,020.19–12,282.04 km2 at a growth rate of 3.71–44.67% from 2022 to 2050. Simultaneously, habitat quality (HQ), carbon storage (CS), water retention (WR), and air purification (AP) are expected to decline by 0.34–4.24%, 0.48–5.82%, 0.39–4.75% and 0.20–2.45%, correspondingly. Most importantly, the primary cause of ES losses is the conversion of cropland to urban land, accounting for more than 90% of the total ES losses. The results offer crucial contextual insights to support future synergistic development policies for urbanization and ecological conservation in the YRDUA under increased climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological systems vary in a day-night manner anticipating increased demand at a particular time. Heart is no exception. Cardiac output is primarily determined by heart rate and unsurprisingly this varies in a day-night manner and is higher during the day in the human (anticipating increased day-time demand). Although this is attributed to a day-night rhythm in post-translational ion channel regulation in the heart's pacemaker, the sinus node, by the autonomic nervous system, we investigated whether there is a day-night rhythm in transcription. RNAseq revealed that ~ 44% of the sinus node transcriptome (7134 of 16,387 transcripts) has a significant day-night rhythm. The data revealed the oscillating components of an intrinsic circadian clock. Presumably this clock (or perhaps the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus) is responsible for the rhythm observed in the transcriptional machinery, which in turn is responsible for the rhythm observed in the transcriptome. For example, there is a rhythm in transcripts responsible for the two principal pacemaker mechanisms (membrane and Ca2+ clocks), transcripts responsible for receptors and signalling pathways known to control pacemaking, transcripts from genes identified by GWAS as determinants of resting heart rate, and transcripts from genes responsible for familial and acquired sick sinus syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data mining, statistics, and data analysis are popular techniques to study datasets and extract knowledge from them. In this article, principal component analysis and factor analysis were applied to cluster thirteen different given arrangements about the Suras of the Holy Quran. The results showed that these thirteen arrangements can be categorized in two parts such that the first part includes Blachère, Davood, Grimm, Nöldeke, Bazargan, E'temad-al-Saltane and Muir, and the second part includes Ebn Nadim, Jaber, Ebn Abbas, Hazrat Ali, Khazan, and Al-Azhar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological systems vary in a day-night manner anticipating increased demand at a particular time. Heart is no exception. Cardiac output is primarily determined by heart rate and unsurprisingly this varies in a day-night manner and is higher during the day in the human (anticipating increased day-time demand). Although this is attributed to a day-night rhythm in post-translational ion channel regulation in the heart's pacemaker, the sinus node, by the autonomic nervous system, we investigated whether there is a day-night rhythm in transcription. RNAseq revealed that ~ 44% of the sinus node transcriptome (7134 of 16,387 transcripts) has a significant day-night rhythm. The data revealed the oscillating components of an intrinsic circadian clock. Presumably this clock (or perhaps the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus) is responsible for the rhythm observed in the transcriptional machinery, which in turn is responsible for the rhythm observed in the transcriptome. For example, there is a rhythm in transcripts responsible for the two principal pacemaker mechanisms (membrane and Ca2+ clocks), transcripts responsible for receptors and signalling pathways known to control pacemaking, transcripts from genes identified by GWAS as determinants of resting heart rate, and transcripts from genes responsible for familial and acquired sick sinus syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In this paper, we propose a weighted PMI based related component analysis (WPMI-RCA) method to search for the low-dimensional latent subspace of process variables that retains the maximal statistical associations with multiple quality variables. • Considering different correlations with different quality variables, a new weighted fusion index is constructed by combining PMI with the weighted fusion of Bayesian inference. Process variables with strong relations to quality can be selected to remove the redundancy and filter the noise on the original measurement space. • By transforming the axes in the measurement space, related components (RCs) with maximum correlation to quality are obtained by related component analysis (RCA) with the supervision of quality. Meaningful information hidden between process and quality data can be effectively captured. And the statistics in two orthogonal subspaces are defined for the quality-related process monitoring. • The simulation results of the numerical example and the benchmark TEP show the superior monitoring performance of the presented method. The detection rates for quality-related faults can be improved, the nuisance detections of quality-unrelated anomalies can be reduced at the same time. Industrial products have become the core of today's highly competitive international society, but quality-related faults happened in practical industrial processes heavily affect product quality. In this paper, we will consider the problem of the detection of quality-related faults. Inspired by part mutual information (PMI), we develop a process monitoring method called weighted PMI based related component analysis (WPMI-RCA). Firstly, combining PMI and Bayesian weighted fusion, process variables strongly related to quality are selected with the supervision of multi-quality indicators. Then, the selected variables are modeled by related component analysis (RCA) and thus orthogonal related components (RCs) containing the main information of quality variations can be obtained. The process data space can be divided into two subspaces and the monitoring statistics are developed for the quality-related fault detection. Finally, the validity of WPMI-RCA is demonstrated by a numerical example and the benchmark Tennessee Eastman process (TEP). The proposed method can improve the detection rates of quality-related faults and significantly reduce the nuisance detections. It may be helpful to improve the management efficiency for practical industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the main aromatics in shale oil from retorting Huadian oil shale and the functional groups during the pyrolysis of shale oil were studied experimentally. The aromatics in shale oil are mainly monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs). Alkylbenzenes are the most abundant in MAHs of shale oil. Then, nonylbenzene was selected as representative to explore the pyrolysis mechanism through theoretical calculation and kinetic modelling due to the activity of its alkyl side-chain and the abundance in alkylbenzenes of shale oil. The bond dissociation energies (BDE) of the C–C and C–H bonds were calculated using the CBS-QB3 quantum chemistry method to study its thermostability. Finally, the detailed pyrolysis kinetic mechanism of nonylbenzene was written by the GRI-Mech3.0 mechanism. A large number of the kinetic parameters were computed by the group-additivity method. In addition, the kinetic parameters of these two non-negligible retroene reactions of nonylbenzene were calculated by the CBS-QB3 method to develop the kinetic model. In summary, the pyrolysis mechanism can improve the understanding of shale oil reactivity due to that it could be chosen as a model compound for novel surrogate shale oil model and has a significant guidance on the development of the kinetic model of alkylbenzenes. • Nonylbenzene was selected as aromatic representative to study its pyrolysis mechanism. • A pyrolysis kinetic model of nonylbenzene was developed by kinetic modelling for the first time. • The kinetic parameters of large molecules were computed by the group-additivity method. • This work provides a theoretical basis for the development of the novel surrogate shale oil model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Extreme heat events have recently become more frequent and represent an increasing risk of damage to public health. However, the existing prediction of heatwave related health effects has limited representativeness and verification. Our study addressed the prediction of heatstroke occurrences based on three years' data of typical cities of hot temperature in China, and examined the importance ranks of model parameters including meteorological and socioeconomic status (SES) factors. The results show that meteorological factors contributed the most to model estimation of the parameters evaluated, and SES parameters, such as the search index, were also important indicators of heatstroke prediction. The model had a satisfying performance compared to traditional linear regression models. The model established in our study can be further applied to extreme weather-related impact research and reduce economic loss due to public health expenses. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Using heatstroke as indicator of heat related health impact and improved representativeness • Conducted non-conventional random forest prediction model on heatstroke in China • Obtained satisfying results compared to traditional linear regression model • Included search index as SES, and have important contributions in model prediction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevation of circulating levels of blood cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, and/or the decrease of HDL cholesterol levels have long been recognized as primary risk factors for developing atherosclerosis that leads to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Hypertriglyceridemia is an independent risk factor that is known to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Thus, various interventional efforts aimed at reducing hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia have been practiced clinically for decades to reduce morbidity and mortality risk associated with deleterious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. As such, many drugs have been developed and clinically used to treat hypocholesteremia and/or hypertriglyceridemia; however, dietary approaches including supplements along with changes in nutrition and lifestyle have become increasingly attractive and acceptable methods used to control borderline or moderately increased levels of blood cholesterol and triacylglycerols. In this regard, the use of a plant/herbal bioactive compound, berberine (BBR), has recently been studied extensively in terms of its efficacy as well as its mechanisms of action and safety as an alternative intervention that beneficially modulates blood lipids. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive update on BBR research, new concepts and directions in terms of product development and current challenges, and future prospects of using BBR to manage diseases and complications associated with dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monometallic Pd@ZIF-8, Ni@ZIF-8 and bimetallic Pd x Ni y @ZIF-8 catalysts have been successfully synthesized by a simple liquid impregnation-reduction method. The structure of catalysts and the electronic states of introduced metals were characterized and their catalytic performances were evaluated in Cu free and ligands free Sonogashira coupling reaction under atmosphere. Compared with monometallic catalyst, the as-synthesized bimetallic Pd 5 Ni 95 @ZIF-8 catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance with 94.50% yield. Therefore, the above experimental results suggested a synergistic effect derived from palladium and nickel, which enhanced Sonogashira coupling reaction obviously. Moreover, modification of Ni@ZIF-8 with trace of palladium can effectively promote its catalytic activity, indicating an economical way to develop efficient catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1) is a member of the highly conserved family of serine/threonine protein kinases regulated by Ras-related small G-proteins, Cdc42/Rac1. It has been previously demonstrated to be involved in cardiac protection. Based on recent studies, this review provides an overview of the role of Pak1 in cardiac diseases including disrupted Ca2+ homoeostasis-related cardiac arrhythmias, adrenergic stress- and pressure overload-induced hypertrophy, and ischaemia/reperfusion injury. These findings demonstrate the important role of Pak1 mediated through the phosphorylation and transcriptional modification of hypertrophy and/or arrhythmia-related genes. This review also discusses the anti-arrhythmic and anti-hypertrophic, protective function of Pak1 and the beneficial effects of fingolimod (an FDA-approved sphingolipid drug), a Pak1 activator, and its ability to prevent arrhythmias and cardiac hypertrophy. These findings also highlight the therapeutic potential of Pak1 signalling in the treatment and prevention of cardiac diseases.Linked Articles: This article is part of a themed section on Spotlight on Small Molecules in Cardiovascular Diseases. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.8/issuetoc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points The role of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 1 (PMCA1) in Ca2+ homeostasis and electrical stability in atrial tissue has been investigated at both organ and cellular levels in mice with cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of PMCA1 (PMCA1cko), The PMCA1cko hearts became more susceptible to atrial arrhythmic stress conditions than PMCA1loxP/loxP hearts., PMCA1 deficiency alters cellular Ca2+ homeostasis under both baseline and stress conditions., PMCA1 is required for maintaining cellular Ca2+ homeostasis and electrical stability in murine atria under stress conditions., Abstract To determine the role of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 1 (PMCA1) in maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis and electrical stability in the atrium under physiological and stress conditions, mice with a cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of PMCA1 (PMCA1cko) and their control littermates (PMCA1loxP/loxP) were studied at the organ and cellular levels. At the organ level, the PMCA1cko hearts became more susceptible to atrial arrhythmias under rapid programmed electrical stimulation compared with the PMCA1loxP/loxP hearts, and such arrhythmic events became more severe under Ca2+ overload conditions. At the cellular level, the occurrence of irregular-type action potentials of PMCA1cko atrial myocytes increased significantly under Ca2+ overload conditions and/or at higher frequency of stimulation. The decay of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger current that followed a stimulation protocol was significantly prolonged in PMCA1cko atrial myocytes under basal conditions, with Ca2+ overload leading to even greater prolongation. In conclusion, PMCA1 is required for maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis and electrical stability in the atrium. This is particularly critical during fast removal of Ca2+ from the cytosol, which is required under stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A risk assessment method considering the ramp rate of conventional units for short-term timescale is proposed. • A comprehensive risk index is devised considering wind power curtailment, load shedding, and redispatch cost of conventional units. • Based on the dynamic frequency response model, a transient frequency constraint considering the governor ramp rate of conventional units is constructed, and based on this, an optimal power flow model is proposed to calculate the severity of possible system states. • Improving the response speed can effectively reduce the system risk. To cope with dramatic wind power fluctuations, the conventional units must have a higher governor ramp rate. • The evaluation results of the proposed method can be used to guide the formulation of a short-time-ahead dispatching plan and wind power grid-connected plan, thereby improving the economics of the power system operation. The uncertainty of wind power output leads to an increased probability of supply-demand imbalance in the power system, while wind turbines operating at constant output weaken the frequency response capability of the system, leading to a system more prone to wind power curtailment and load shedding. Most studies on risk assessment of power system focus on the adequacy of frequency response capacity, with less attention to response speed. Therefore, a risk assessment method considering the governor ramp rate of conventional units is proposed. A comprehensive risk index is devised considering wind power curtailment, load shedding, and redispatch cost of conventional units. An optimal power flow model that considers the governor ramp rate of conventional units is proposed to quantify the consequences of the stochastic system states at the assessment time. The proposed method was analysed and validated based on the IEEE reliability test system. The results show that the optimal power flow model considering the governor ramp rate of conventional units can judge the consequences of stochastic states more rigorously to prevent underestimation of the risk. The proposed method can reflect the variation of risk with wind power level and load level, providing reference for scheduling plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection and control of toxic gas molecules are becoming more and more indispensable. In this paper, the electronic properties of primary and adsorbed transition metal (TM) atoms (Mo, Ni, Pd, Ti and Zr) arsenene with the adsorption of toxic nitrogenous gas molecules (NH 3 , NO and NO 2) by using first-principles methods. The calculated results show that the adsorption of transition metal atoms significantly enhances the interaction between gas molecules and the substrate. In particular, the arsenene with Ti or Zr adsorbed has the best adsorption energy and the most charge transfer from the substract to gas molecules. Most of the systems retain their semiconductor properties, expect for the Zr-Arsenene with nitric oxide adsorbed, which have unique metallic properties. Interestingly, the system with NO and NO 2 adsorbing can induce the magnetism. At the same time, uniaxial strain can change the adsorption strength of the system, and adjust the NO 2 sensing characteristics of arsenene. It is hoped that the arsenene with transition metal adsorbed is a potential candidate for the detection of nitrogen-containing toxic gas molecules. • The adsorption of transition metal atoms significantly enhances the interaction between gas molecules and arsenene. • The arsenene with Ti or Zr adsorbed has the best adsorption energy and the most charge transfer. • Uniaxial strain can change the adsorption strength and adjust the NO 2 sensing characteristics of arsenene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The automatic diagnosis of essential tremor can be achieved by optimizing the structure of the convolutional neural network. • Patient-friendly data capture solutions that do not require assistive devices, and solutions that do not copy templates to fully reflect hand-drawn features. • Sub-regional feature recognition and feature visualization refine the pathology study of ET from the perspective of automatic recognition. Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological disorders, and its mainly clinical symptoms, including patient hand's kinetic tremor, dystonia, ataxia, etc., would influence the daily life of patients inordinately. Current ET diagnosis highly replies on the clinical evaluation and neurological examination, so the objective measurement indicators are particularly important in the auxiliary diagnosis of ET. In this research, the Archimedes spiral line freehand sketching samples without template assistance is collected and the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model of optimized structure is adopted to fully analyze the tremor, spacing of turns, shape, etc. shown in the handwriting samples of patients with ET, including the following main process: characteristics extraction, model visualization and subregional relevance evaluation. Dropout is used as a regularization technique in the network structure. The test group consisted of 50 patients with confirmed ET and the control group consisted of 40 healthy individuals. The main research objectives of this paper comprise two points: on the one hand, to achieve effective automatic classification of patients with ET and healthy controls using a scheme combining deep learning and simple hand mapping for the purpose of primary disease screening; on the other hand, to design sub-regional automatic classification experiments to demonstrate that Archimedean spiral hand drawings of patients with ET do have distinct local features, and to lay the experimental foundation for future hand drawing-based automatic aid for the identification of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Our model's average accuracy rate in test set reaches 89.3%, and average AUC is 0.972, with favorable stability and generalization performance. Besides, subregional characteristics recognition proofs that the spiral line samples of most of the patients with ET show more category-related characteristics in the local area of upper right, which provides evidences and theory update for predecessors' medical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For quality-related process monitoring, the current approaches, such as partial least square (PLS) and its variants, often misjudge quality-unrelated anomalies as quality-related anomalies, which brings confusion to quality control personnel. Hence it is important to achieve high detection rates while ensuring the quality-related/-unrelated anomalies can be exactly detected and distinguished. In this article, dynamic related component analysis (DRCA) in full space is proposed to exactly distinguish quality-related/-unrelated anomalies while decreasing the rate of misjudging quality-unrelated anomalies as quality-related anomalies in dynamic processes. The augmented sample covariance matrices with the time lag shift technique are used to conduct eigenvalue decomposition and data transformation. Dynamic related components (DRCs) containing quality-related dynamic information and dynamic unrelated components (DUCs) containing quality-unrelated dynamic information are obtained, and their statistics are used for process monitoring. Both orthogonal quality-related subspaces and orthogonal quality-unrelated subspaces are modeled. Case studies on Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP) and a practical thermal power plant demonstrate the anomaly detection performance of DRCA and its ability to determine whether anomalies affect quality correctly. • The proposed method can effectively improve the performance of anomaly detection. • Compared with other methods, DRCA is more sensitive to dynamic changes of processes. • DRCA can accurately judge whether an abnormality affects quality. • Simulations indicate superior performance of DRCA, compared with comparative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context:Polymorphisms ofIL-32related closely to tumoregenesis. Materials and methods:TwoIL-32polymorphisms (rs12934561 and rs28372698) and mRNA expression were conducted by SNP genotype assay and real-time PCR in 423 lung cancer patients and 437 controls. Results:T allele of rs28372698 associated significantly with poor prognosis in moderate and well-differentiated lung cancer patients. TT genotype of rs12934561 related closely to poor survival status in squamous carcinoma.IL-32mRNA expression decreased in lung cancer. Discussion and conclusion:Our study indicates the importance ofIL-32polymorphism and mRNA expression in susceptibility and influence of survival status in lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Identification of changes in land use and ESV in Hubei. • Coupling analysis between environment and economy based on EEC evaluation. • Assessment of the impacts of relevant driving factors on EEC. • Detection of spatial clustering characteristics of EEC in Hubei. • Our research model improves existing model's ease of applicability. Environmental and economic coordination (EEC) is an essential indicator of sustainability and plays a vital role in human well-being. Quantifying trends in EEC and identifying the contributing factors are important to understand the relative impacts of human activities on ecological environment. For our case-study of 74 cities and counties in Hubei Province of China from 2000 to 2020, based on the changes of ecosystem service value (ESV), the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model was applied to calculate the EEC. The spatial–temporal differentiation characteristics of EEC were detected through spatial correlation analysis. By the spatial Durbin model and panel data, we quantified the impacts of driving factors on EEC. Our results indicated that the number of cities and counties in a coordinated state in Hubei Province declined from 2000 to 2010 and then gradually rose from 2010 to 2020, while 87.84% of the cities and counties showed an overall decreasing trend in EEC values. Hubei's EEC had obvious spatial clustering characteristics, with over 84.57% of cities and counties with medium to high EEC concentrated in the Wuhan City Circle and Yichang region, while those with low EEC were mainly concentrated in northwest, northeast and southwest of Hubei. For the driving factors, the promotion effects of industrial structure optimization and precipitation were evident, whereas the inhibition effects of increase in general public budget expenditure, population growth, urban expansion and rising temperatures were observed. The results provide important background understanding for achieving coordinated development of the ecological environment and socio-economy at regional and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an important influence of alcohols in shale oil on its thermochemical properties. In this work, the fractions and species of the alcohols in shale oil from retorting oil shale were studied experimentally. The alcohols exist mainly in the form of linear carbon chains with different lengths, as well as different sites of hydroxyls. Then, 7-tetradecanol and pentadecanol were selected for further exploring the pyrolysis mechanisms through theoretical calculation and kinetic modeling, due to their abundance and representativeness in alcohols of shale oil. Density functional theory (DFT) method was utilized to reveal the difficulty of the thermal cracking of these two alcohols. The results indicated that the dissociation energies of C-C bonds are lower than those of C-H bonds, the reaction of eliminating water has a low activation energy. The Mulliken charges imply that there is a large electrostatic attraction between the O atom and its attached C atom in 7-tetradecanol, but an electrostatic repulsion between them in pentadecanol, which is thought to have an effect on the elimination of water. Finally, the detailed pyrolysis kinetic mechanisms of these two alcohols were written in a systematic manner by the GRI-Mech3.0 mechanism. A large number of the kinetic parameters were computed by the group-additivity method, which are consistent with the thermochemical data calculated by DFT. In summary, this research provides a theoretical basis for development of the kinetic mechanisms of large molecular alcohols and the accurate surrogate shale oil model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study of heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure of cardiac autonomic responsiveness. Topics discussed include determination of HRV by heart rate; association of autonomic nerve activity with HRV; and relationship between high frequency power and heart rate. It notes that the data was collected from healthy conscious human, athletically trained conscious human, and conscious human exposed to autonomic blockade.

In this article, the effects of TM(TM = Ru, Ti) doping on the geometric and electronic structures of pristine stanene monolayer are investigated by using first-principles. Our calculated results show that TM atom can stably adsorb on the stanene monolayer surface. In particular, the Ti atom modification dramatically enhanced the adsorption energy. For instance, for the case of gas-stanene adsorption, adsorption properties are SF 6 (3.24eV) > SO 2 F 2 (2.7eV) > SOF 2 (2.25eV) > H 2 S (0.36eV). Upon Ru-stanene adsorption, adsorption properties are SF 6 (3.87eV) > SO 2 F 2 (2.44eV) > SOF 2 (1.51eV) > H 2 S (1.04eV). In the Ti-stanene adsorbing system, adsorption properties are SO 2 F 2 (7.85eV) > SOF 2 (7.47eV) > SF 6 (6.56eV) > H 2 S (1.04eV). Besides, the density of states (DOS) and band structure demonstrate that these systems are direct semiconductor. And charge density analysis reveals a significant charge transfer from TM-stanene to adsorbed gases, especially for the Ti-stanene adsorption system, it appears larger charge transfer than that of the pristine stanene and Ru-stanene adsorption system. In addition, the resolution time of SF 6 and its related decomposition gases show that Ru-stanene monolayer has a better sensing performance for H 2 S gas. Therefore, these results indicate that TM-stanene shows great sensing potential for a new type gas adsorbent. • The Ti atom modification dramatically enhanced the adsorption energy. • The calculated results demonstrate that these systems are direct semiconductor. • Ru-stanene monolayer has a better sensing performance for H 2 S gas than that of SOF 2 SO 2 F 2 and SF 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and human adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells (hATMSCs) have the potential to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, making them promising therapeutic candidates for treating damaged cardiac tissues. Currently, however, the differentiated cells induced from hUCMSCs or hATMSCs can hardly display functional characteristics similar to cardiomyocytes. In this study, we have investigated the effects of bioactive lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) on cardiac differentiations of hUCMSCs and hATMSCs in condition medium composed of cardiac myocytes culture medium or 5-azacytidine. Cardiac differentiations were identified through immunofluorescence staining, and the results were observed with fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. Synergistic effects of S1P and condition medium on cell viability were evaluated by MTT assays. Functional characteristics similar to cardiomyocytes were evaluated through detecting calcium transient. The differentiated hUCMSCs or hATMSCs in each group into cardiomyocytes showed positive expressions of cardiac specific proteins, including α-actin, connexin-43 and myosin heavy chain-6 (MYH-6). MTT assays showed that suitable differentiation time was 14 days and that the optimal concentration of S1P was 0.5 μM. Moreover, incorporation of S1P and cardiac myocytes culture medium gave rise to calcium transients, an important marker for displaying in vivo electrophysiological properties. This feature was not observed in the S1P-5-azacytidine group, indicating the possible lack of cellular stimuli such as transforming growth factor-beta, TGF-β. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a consumer panel augmented with state-specific measures of tobacco control activities to examine the main effects and interactions among consumer behaviors, particularly menthol cigarette smoking, and tobacco control environment on cessation over a six-year period. Methods We used the Nielson Homescan Panel, which tracks consumer purchasing behaviors, and tobacco control information matched to panelist zip code. We focused on 1582 households purchasing ≥ 20 packs from 2004 to 2009. Our analysis included demographics; purchasing behavior including menthol versus nonmenthol use (≥ 80% of cigarettes purchased being menthol), quality preferences (average price/pack), purchase recency, and nicotine intake (nicotine levels of cigarettes purchased); and tobacco control metrics (taxation, anti-tobacco advertising, smoke-free policies). Results Menthol smoking (Hazard Ratio [HR]=0.79, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.64, 0.99), being African American (HR=0.67, CI 0.46, 0.98), being male (HR=0.46, CI 0.28, 0.74), higher quality premium preferences (HR=0.80, CI 0.77, 0.91), lower recency (HR=1.04, CI 1.02, 1.05), and higher nicotine intake rates (HR=0.99, CI 0.99, 0.99) were related to continued smoking. No significant interactions were found. Conclusion While there were no interactions between menthol use and effects of tobacco control activities, we did find additional support for the decreased cessation rates among menthol cigarette smokers, particularly in the African American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy increases the risk of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease and thus inhibiting such hypertrophy is beneficial. In the present study, we explored the effect of a bioactive peptide (PAP) on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertrophy and associated ventricular arrhythmias in in vitro and in vivo models. PAP enhances p21 activated kinase 1 (Pak1) activity by increasing the level of phosphorylated Pak1 in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). Such PAP-induced Pak1 activation is associated with a significant reduction of Ang II-induced hypertrophy in NRVMs and C57BL/6 mice, in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Furthermore, PAP antagonizes ventricular arrhythmias associated with Ang II-induced hypertrophy in mice. Its antiarrhythmic effect is likely to be involved in multiple mechanisms to affect both substrate and trigger of ventricular arrhythmogenesis. Thus our results suggest that Pak1 activation achieved by specific bioactive peptide represents a potential novel therapeutic strategy for cardiac hypertrophy and associated ventricular arrhythmias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1) encodes a MADS-box protein that plays an essential role in integrating multiple flowering signals to regulate the transition from vegetative to reproductive development in the model plant Arabidopsis. Although SOC1-like genes have been isolated in various angiosperms, its orthologs in Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of flowering plants, are so far unknown. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of flowering time control in orchids, we isolated a SOC1-like gene, DOSOC1, from Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. DOSOC1 was highly expressed in reproductive organs, including inflorescence apices, pedicels, floral buds and open flowers. Its expression significantly increased in whole plantlets during the transition from vegetative to reproductive development, which usually occurred after 8 weeks of culture in Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile. In the shoot apex at the floral transitional stage, DOSOC1 was particularly expressed in emerging floral meristems. Overexpression of DOSOC1 in wild-type Arabidopsis plants resulted in early flowering, which was coupled with the up-regulation of two other flowering promoters, AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 and LEAFY. In addition, overexpression of DOSOC1 was able partially to complement the late-flowering phenotype of Arabidopsis soc1-2 loss-of-function mutants. Furthermore, we successfully created seven 35S:DOSOC1 transgenic Dendrobium orchid lines, which consistently exhibited earlier flowering than wild-type orchids. Our results suggest that SOC1-like genes play an evolutionarily conserved role in promoting flowering in the Orchidaceae family, and that DOSOC1 isolated from Dendrobium Chao Praya Smile could serve as an important target for genetic manipulation of flowering time in orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The present study was conducted to determine the efficacy and underlying mechanism of berberine (BBR), plant stanols (PS) and their combination on plasma lipids. Male Golden Syrian hamsters were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =15/group) and fed a cornstarch–casein–sucrose-based diet containing 0.15% cholesterol and 5% fat. Three treatment groups were supplemented with 0.17% (equivalent to 100mgkg−1 d−1) BBR, 1% PS, or a combination of both (BBRPS) for 4wk. At the end of the study, plasma lipids were analyzed with enzymatic methods, cholesterol absorption and synthesis using stable isotope tracer methodology, and gene and protein expressions in the liver and small intestine using real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. BBR and PS significantly lowered plasma total- and nonHDL-cholesterol levels, and BBRPS markedly improved cholesterol-lowering efficacy compared to BBR or PS alone. Further examinations revealed that BBR and PS both inhibited cholesterol absorption and by contrast, increased cholesterol synthesis, and exerted a synergistic action when they were combined. Plasma total or nonHDL-cholesterol levels were significantly correlated with cholesterol absorption rates. BBR upregulated sterol 27-hydroxlase gene expression and BBRPS increased both cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase and sterol 27-hydroxlase gene expressions. BBR and PS also synergistically decreased plasma triacylglycerides. These findings suggest that the cholesterol-lowering action of BBR might involve a combination of inhibition of cholesterol absorption and stimulation of bile acid synthesis. The combination of BBR and PS improves cholesterol-lowering efficacy through a synergistic action on cholesterol absorption, in addition to synergistically reducing plasma triacylglycerols in hamsters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the antioxidant α-lipoic acid (ALP) versus a medium chain triglyceride oil mixture (MCTo), which was designed to increase energy expenditure and to improve lipid profiles containing medium chain triglycerides, phytosterols, and omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil. A total of 48 hamsters were fed a) hypercholesterolemic (HC) control, b) HC MCTo, c) HC ALP, or d) HC MCTo/ALP diet for 4 weeks. No differences were observed on food intake, body weight, total body water, lean and fat mass, and tissue thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). ALP alone had no effect on total cholesterol (TC); however, MCTo feeding increased TC with (P < 0.03) and without (P < 0.003) ALP when compared with control. ALP increased HDL levels compared with control (P < 0.04) and MCTo/ALP (P < 0.007) groups. MCTo, with (P < 0.0001) or without (P < 0.006) ALP, increased non-HDL cholesterol levels versus control. The non-HDL:HDL cholesterol ratio was decreased by ALP compared with MCTo (45%) and MCTo/ALP (68%) (P < 0.0001), a similar trend was seen when compared with the HC control (22%) group (P < 0.14). Triglyceride levels were not altered by any dietary treatment. Liver and heart tissue reduced glutathione (GSH) was increased (P < 0.05) by all three treatments when compared with control. Both tissues showed an increase (P < 0.05) in oxidized glutathione (GSSG) when fed ALP as compared with other treatments. Hamsters fed ALP had a lower (P < 0.05) GSH/GSSG ratio compared with other treatment groups. In conclusion, MCTo feeding does not elicit beneficial effects on circulating plasma lipids and measures of body composition. In addition, our results do not clearly support an improvement in oxidative status through supplementation of ALP. However, our results do support the existence of beneficial effects of ALP on circulating lipoprotein content in the hamster. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To examine the effects of protein source and isoflavones on triglyceride (TG) fatty acid (TGFA) and cholesterol biosynthesis, subjects (>50 years, LDL cholesterol >130 mg/dl) underwent a four-phase randomized cross-over feeding trial. Diets contained either isolated soy protein or common sources of animal protein (25 g/1000 kcal), without or with isoflavones (49 mg/1000 kcal) and were each fed for 6 weeks. Blood samples from 20 hyperlipidemic subjects (6M, 14F, 62±9 years, BMI 26±3 kg/m2, LDL cholesterol >160 mg/dl after feeding animal protein without isoflavones) were selected to measure TGFA fractional synthetic rate (TGFA-FSR) and free cholesterol fractional synthetic rate (FC-FSR) over 24 h as deuterium oxide uptake into TGFA and free cholesterol. Soy protein reduced TG by 12.4% (P<0.0001), total cholesterol by 4.4% (P<0.001), and LDL cholesterol by 5.7% (P=0.003) compared to animal protein. The TGFA-FSR was reduced by13.3% (P=0.018) and FC-FSR was increased by 7.6% (P=0.017) after the soy protein relative to the animal protein. Isoflavones had no significant effect on TG and TGFA-FSR. Isoflavones reduced total cholesterol levels by 3.1% (P=0.009) but had no significant effect on LDL, HDL cholesterol levels, or FC-FSR. These data demonstrate that dietary protein type modulates circulating TG and cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic individuals by distinct mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Policosanols are a mixture of aliphatic alcohols derived from purified sugar cane. When administered at 5 to 20 mg/day, policosanols have been shown to decrease the risk of atheroma formation by reducing platelet aggregation, endothelial damage, and foam cell formation in animals. Additionally, policosanols have been shown to lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by 13 to 23% and 19 to 31%, respectively, while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol from 8 to 29%. Policosanols are thought to improve lipid profiles by reducing hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis while enhancing LDL clearance. When compared with statins, policosanols exhibit comparable cholesterol-lowering effects at much smaller doses. The mixture is well tolerated when administered to animals; however, a more precise safety profile is needed for humans. In summary, policosanols are a promising resource in the prevention and therapy of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but these results need to be confirmed in independent laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was to compare tonsillectomy with intraoperative suturing (TIS) and tonsillectomy without intraoperative suturing (TsIS) in preventing postoperative tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH). Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was followed. Articles compare TIS and TsIS in preventing PTH were included. The quality of eligible studies was assessed with the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) by two independent investigators. Random effect models were used to determine odds ratio (OR) with 95% CIs. Results: A total of 15 studies were analyzed. The pooled results showed the PTH rate was lower in the TIS group (OR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.47–0.88). The TIS group had a lower primary and secondary PTH rate than the TsIS group with OR values of 0.44 (95% CI, 0.30–0.64) and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.54–0.90), respectively. However, suturing did not show an advantage in reducing the risk of returning to the operation room for hemostasis (OR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.13–2.47). Adults might benefit from the intraoperative suturing procedure (OR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.16–0.60). Patients with more than three stitches on each side had a lower PTH rate (OR: 0.44; 95% CI, 0.32–0.60). Suturing the tonsillar fossa and pillars simultaneously could reduce the PTH rate (OR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.34–0.64). Conclusions: Intraoperative suturing is a good strategy for preventing PTH. More multicenter randomized controlled studies should be conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of this procedure. Level of Evidence: 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an ultra-wideband reflective polarization conversion metasurface (PCM) is proposed at first. Because the PCM is an anisotropic structure that is symmetric with respect to both x- and y-axes, and the reflection phase difference under x- and y-polarized incidences is close to 180° in an ultra-wide frequency range, the PCM can achieve both linear polarization conversion and circular-polarization (CP) maintaining reflection in the ultra-wide frequency band from 8.3 to 41.3 GHz except for near the frequency point of 38.8 GHz. Moreover, when its unit cell structure is rotated by 90°, its cross-polarized reflection coefficient under LP incidence, together with the co-polarized reflection coefficient under CP incidence, will be changed by almost 180° in phase. Thus, based on the PCM, an ultra-wideband coding diffusion metasurface (CDM) is further proposed for radar cross section (RCS) reduction. The simulation and experiment results indicate that the CDM can achieve effective RCS reduction in the ultra-wide frequency band of 8.2–41.7 GHz under normal incidence with arbitrary polarization; in addition, an ultra-wideband RCS reduction can still be realized under oblique incidence with an incident angle less than 45°, which shows that the CDM is of good application value in radar stealth technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of lncRNA LCTS5 in the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). LncRNA profiling was used to identify the novel lncRNA LCTS5. Viability and migration assays were implemented to evaluate the in vitro effect of LCTS5. Transplantation study was designed to investigate the in vivo role. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and lentiviral vector were used to alter LCTS5 expression. We identified a novel lncRNA named LCTS5 whose abundance is dramatically decreased in NSCLC. Overexpressing LCTS5 effectively inhibits viability and migration. Meanwhile, LCTS5 overexpression retards xenograft tumor growth and proliferation. LCTS5 interacts with INO80 to reduce INO80 occupancy at enhancer regions of multiple lung cancer related genes without affecting INO80 decay. The newly identified lncRNA LCTS5 impairs NSCLC progression and provides a compelling target for therapeutic intervention during NSCLC treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle air pollution has adverse health effects, and low-cost monitoring among a large population group is an effective method for performing environmental health studies. However, concern about the accuracy of low-cost monitors has affected their popularization in monitoring projects. To calibrate a low-cost particle monitor (HK-B3, Hike, China) through a controlled exposure experiment. Our study used a MicroPEM monitor (RTI, America) as a standard particle concentration measurement device to calibrate the Hike monitors. A machine learning model was established to calibrate the particle concentration obtained by the low-cost PM 2.5 monitors, and ten-fold validation was used to test the model. In addition, we used a linear regression model to compare the results of the machine learning model. A calibration method was established for the low-cost monitors, and it can be used to apply the monitors in future air pollution monitoring projects. The values of the random forest model calibration results and observations were more condensed around the regression line y = 0.99x + 0.05, and the R squared value (R2 = 0.98) was higher than that for the linear regression (R2 = 0.87). The random forest model showed better performance than the traditional linear regression model. Our study provided an effective calibration method to support the accuracy of low-cost monitors. The machine learning method based on the calibration model established in our study can increase the effectiveness of future air pollution and health studies. • A machine learning method was used to establish a random forest model for calibrating low-cost PM 2.5 monitors. • The random forest model showed better performance than the traditional linear regression model. • Our study provided a calibration method for low-cost monitors under indoor air pollution conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]