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Abnormalities in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are pivotal in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Scutellarin (Scu), a flavonoid derived from marigold flowers, exhibits a spectrum of biological activities including anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects. Notably, Scu has demonstrated the capacity to mitigate vascular endothelial damage and prevent atherosclerosis via its antioxidative properties. Nevertheless, the influence of Scu on the formation of VSMC‐derived foam cells remains underexplored. In this study, Scu was evidenced to efficaciously attenuate oleic acid (OA)‐induced lipid accumulation and the upregulation of adipose differentiation‐associated protein Plin2 in a dose‐ and time‐responsive manner. We elucidated that Scu effectively diminishes OA‐provoked VSMC foam cell formation. Further, it was established that Scu pretreatment augments the protein expression of LC3B‐II and the mRNA levels of Map1lc3b and Becn1, concurrently diminishing the protein levels of the NLRP3 inflammasome compared to the OA group. Activation of autophagy through rapamycin attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome protein expression, intracellular lipid droplet content and Plin2 mRNA levels. Scu also counteracted the OA‐induced decrement of LC3B‐II levels in the presence of bafilomycin‐a1, facilitating the genesis of autophagosomes and autolysosomes. Complementarily, in vivo experiments revealed that Scu administration substantially reduced arterial wall thickness, vessel wall cross‐sectional area, wall‐to‐lumen ratio and serum total cholesterol levels in comparison to the high‐fat diet model group. Collectively, our findings suggest that Scu attenuates OA‐induced VSMC foam cell formation through the induction of autophagy and the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the Flaviviridae family, encompassing the Flavivirus and Hepacivirus genera, are implicated in a spectrum of severe human pathologies. These diseases span a diverse spectrum, including hepatitis, vascular shock syndrome, encephalitis, acute flaccid paralysis, and adverse fetal outcomes, such as congenital heart defects and increased mortality rates. Notably, infections by Flaviviridae viruses have been associated with substantial cardiovascular compromise, yet the exploration into the attendant cardiovascular sequelae and underlying mechanisms remains relatively underexplored. This review aims to explore the epidemiology of Flaviviridae virus infections and synthesize their cardiovascular morbidities. Leveraging current research trajectories and our investigative contributions, we aspire to construct a cogent theoretical framework elucidating the pathogenesis of Flaviviridae-induced cardiovascular injury and illuminate prospective therapeutic avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) contamination is a worldwide environmental problem that poses a grave threat to the water ecosystem and public health. Exposure to MC-LR has been associated with the development of intestinal injury, but there are no effective treatments for MC-LR-induced intestinal disease. Probiotics are "live microorganisms that are beneficial to the health of the host when administered in sufficient quantities". It has been demonstrated that probiotics can prevent or treat a variety of human diseases; however, their ability to mitigate MC-LR-induced intestinal harm has not yet been investigated. The objective of this study was to determine whether probiotics can mitigate MC-LR-induced intestinal toxicity and its underlying mechanisms. We first evaluated the pathological changes in colorectal tissues using an animal model with sub-chronic exposure to low-dose MC-LR, HE staining to assess colorectal histopathologic changes, qPCR to detect the expression levels of inflammatory factors in colorectal tissues, and WB to detect the alterations on CSF1R signaling pathway proteins in colorectal tissues. Microbial sequencing analysis and screening of fecal microorganisms differential to MC-LR treatment in mice. To investigate the role of microorganisms in MC-LR-induced colorectal injury, an in vitro model of MC-LR co-treatment with microorganisms was developed. Our findings demonstrated that MC-LR treatment induced an inflammatory response in mouse colorectal tissues, promoted the expression of inflammatory factors, activated the CSF1R signaling pathway, and significantly decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus. In a model of co-treatment with MC-LR and Lactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum), it was discovered that L. fermentum substantially reduced the incidence of the colorectal inflammatory response induced by MC-LR and inhibited the protein expression of the CSF1R signaling pathway. This is the first study to suggest that L. fermentum inhibits the CSF1R signaling pathway to reduce the incidence of MC-LR-induced colorectal inflammation. This research may provide an excellent experimental foundation for the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases in MC-LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was proposed recently that the fine-grained entropy of the Hawking radiation can be expressed by the semiclassical island formula, which reproduces the unitary Page curve. In this paper, we choose the "in" vacuum state and apply the quantum extremal surface construction to study the Page curve for the step-function Vaidya model of evaporating black holes in four dimensions, which is produced by the spherical null shells. Metrics of the three regions of this spacetimes are obtained. In addition, the entanglement islands for the step-function Vaidya model of evaporating black holes at very late times are studied. When cutoff surface A is located in Minkowski region III with uA< uH at very late times, we find that the location of the boundary of island ∂I depends on the value of 8M − vA + vI. Specifically, ∂I is inside, at or outside the horizon when 8M − vA + vI is less than, equal to or larger than zero respectively. Moreover, when cutoff surface A is located in Minkowski region III with uA> uH after the black hole evaporates completely, we find that entanglement island still exists and ∂I is located on an equal-time Cauchy surface of the observer A when r A 2 ≥ 64GNκc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most patients with hypertension are complicated with insulin resistance (IR), which is one of the risk factors of hypertension and can increase the level of serum homocysteine (Hcy) by affecting Hcy's metabolic enzyme and insulin level. Investigations in recent years have shown that Hcy is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. At present, folic acid is the prominent medicine used to reduce Hcy, but its effection for Hcy has an obvious individual difference, which is closely related to individual genes. Moreover, folic acid is chiefly used in patients with Hcy ≥15 μmol/L, but Hcy ≥10 μmol/L has had an adverse effect on the cardiovascular system. Randomized clinical trials have shown that dapagliflozin can improve IR. Therefore, whether it can reduce Hcy has become a new direction. This study was a retrospective case–control study. Patients with high serum Hcy and hypertension complicated with IR were divided into two groups: the dapagliflozin group (n = 166) and the control group (n = 198). Before and after 12 weeks of treatment, the changes in serum Hcy and IR index were measured and compared. We found that dapagliflozin could reduce the serum Hcy level of patients with hypertension and IR to a certain extent. Dapagliflozin could be a viable option for hypertension complicated with IR and hyperhomocysteinemia. However, these findings need to be further confirmed in future randomized clinical trials with a large number of samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discoveries of gravitational wave (GW) events most likely originating from black hole (BH) + neutron star (NS) mergers reveal the existence of BH+NS binaries. The formation of BH+NS binaries and their merger rates through isolated binary evolution have been investigated extensively with population synthesis simulations. A detailed stellar evolution modeling of the formation of this population, however, is missing from the literature. In this work, we create the first complete 1D model of more than 30 BH+NS progenitor systems, which are calculated self-consistently until collapse of the iron core with infall velocity exceeding 1000 km s−1. Focusing on the progenitors of BH–NS GW sources, we apply the MESA code starting from a post-common-envelope binary with short orbital period (<1 day) consisting of a BH and a zero-age main-sequence helium star that experiences stable mass transfer. The (ultra)stripped supernova explosion is subsequently modeled using a semianalytic method to reveal final remnant masses and momentum kicks. Three example systems (A, B, and C) eventually evolve into BH+NS binaries with component masses of (M BH, M NS) = (8.80, 1.53), (8.92, 1.45), and (5.71, 1.34) M ⊙, respectively. These NS masses could be significantly larger depending on the exact mass cut during the supernova explosion. These BH+NS systems are likely to merge and produce GW events within a Hubble time. System C is a potential progenitor of a GW200115-like event, while Systems A and B are possible candidates for a GW200105-like event and may represent the final destiny of the X-ray binary SS 433. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been found that the topology effect and the possible emergent hidden scale and hidden local flavor symmetries at high density reveal a novel structure of compact star matter. When N f ≥ 2 , baryons can be described by skyrmions when the number of color N c is regarded as a large parameter and there is a robust topology change—the transition from skyrmion to half-skyrmion—in the skyrmion matter approach to dense nuclear matter. The hidden scale and local flavor symmetries, which are sources introducing the scalar meson and vector mesons, are significant elements for understanding the nuclear force in nonlinear chiral effective theories. We review in this paper how the robust conclusions from the topology approach to dense matter and emergent hidden scale and hidden local flavor symmetries figure in generalized nuclear effective field theory (GnEFT), which is applicable to nuclear matter from low density to compact star density. The topology change encoded in the parameters of the effective field theory is interpreted as the hadron-quark continuity in the sense of the Cheshire Cat Principle. A novel feature predicted in this theory that has not been found before is the precocious appearance of the conformal sound velocity in the cores of massive stars, although the trace of the energy-momentum tensor of the system is not zero. That is, there is a pseudoconformal structure in the compact star matter and, in contrast to the usual picture, the matter is made of colorless quasiparticles of fractional baryon charges. A possible resolution of the longstanding g A quench problem in nuclei transition and the compatibility of the predictions of the GnEFT with the global properties of neutron star and the data from gravitational wave detections are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Au-Fe3O4 multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and integrated with lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for dual-mode detection of Salmonella typhimurium. The Au-Fe3O4 NPs not only combined excellent local surface plasmon resonance characteristics and superparamagnetic properties, but also exhibited good photothermal effect. In the detection, antibody-conjugated Au-Fe3O4 NPs first captured S. typhimurium from complex matrix, which was then loaded on the LFIA strip and trapped by the T-line. By observing the color bands with the naked eyes, qualitative detection was performed free of instrument. By measuring the photothermal signal, quantification was achieved with a portable infrared thermal camera. The introduction of magnetic separation achieved the enrichment and purification of target bacteria, thus enhancing the detection sensitivity and reducing interference. This dual-mode LFIA achieved a visual detection limit of 5 × 105 CFU/mL and a photothermal detection limit of 5 × 104 CFU/mL. Compared with traditional Au-based LFIA, this dual-mode LFIA increased the detection sensitivity by 2 orders of magnitude and could be directly applied to unprocessed milk sample. Besides, this dual-mode LFIA showed good reproducibility and specificity. The intra-assay and inter-assay variation coefficients were 3.0% and 7.9%, and with this dual-mode LFIA, other bacteria hardly produced distinguishable signals. Thus, the Au-Fe3O4 NPs-based LFIA has potential to increase the efficiency of pandemic prevention and control. Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticle proved to be a promising alternative reporter for LFIA, achieving multifunctions: target purification, target enrichment, visual qualitation, and instrumental quantification, which improved the limitations of traditional LFIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great breakthrough in solving black hole information paradox took place when semiclassical island rule for entanglement entropy of Hawking radiation was proposed in recent years. Up to now, most papers which discussed island rule of asymptotic flat black hole with D ≥ 4 focus on eternal black hole. In this paper, we take one more step further by discussing island of "in" vacuum state which describes one-sided asymptotically flat black hole formed by gravitational collapse in D ≥ 4. We find that island I emerges at late time and saves entropy bound. And boundary of island ∂I depends on the position of cutoff surface. When cutoff surface is far from horizon, ∂I is inside and near horizon. When cutoff surface is set to be near horizon, ∂I is outside and near horizon. This is different from the case of eternal black hole in which ∂I is always outside horizon no matter cutoff surface is far from or near horizon. We will see that different states will manifestly affect Sent in island formula when cutoff surface is far from horizon and thus have different result for Page time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether the circadian rhythms of blood pressure (BP) contribute to the presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the relationship between nocturnal BP and CMBs in hypertensive patients. Methods: This prospective case‐control study recruited 51 hypertensive patients with CMBs and 51 hypertensive patients without CMBs, matched with age and gender, serving as controls. A 24‐h ambulatory BP monitoring was conducted in all subjects. Differences in ambulatory BP parameters between the two groups were compared. Logistic regression analyzes were conducted to investigate the relationship between the ambulatory BP parameters and presence of CMBs. Results: Patients with CMBs had a significant higher nocturnal mean SBP and lower relative nocturnal SBP dipping rate. Two logistic models were constructed to explore the association between ABPM indices and the presence of CMBs, adjusted with history of ischemic stroke and smoking. In model 1, higher nocturnal mean SBP positively correlated with presence of CMBs [standardized β = 0.254, odds ratio (OR) = 1.029, p =.041]. In model 2, the relative nocturnal SBP dipping rate was negatively correlated with CMBs (standardized β = −.363, OR = 0.918, p =.007). Only patients with deep CMBs had significant higher nocturnal mean SBP and lower relative nocturnal SBP dipping rate in comparison with those without CMBs. Conclusions: Higher nocturnal SBP and lower relative nocturnal SBP dipping rate may be associated with CMBs in hypertensive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are low-mass X-ray binaries with hydrogen-deficient mass donors and ultrashort orbital periods. They have been suggested to be the potential Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) sources in the low-frequency region. Several channels for the formation of UCXBs have been proposed so far. In this paper, we carried out a systematic study on the He star donor channel, in which a neutron star (NS) accretes matter from a He main-sequence (MS) star through Roche lobe overflow, where the mass transfer is driven by the gravitational wave radiation. First, we followed the long-term evolution of the NS+He MS binaries by employing the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (mesa), and thereby obtained the initial parameter spaces for the production of UCXBs. We then used these results to perform a detailed binary population synthesis approach to obtain the Galactic rates of UCXBs through this channel. We estimate the Galactic rates of UCXBs appearing as LISA sources to be |${\sim} 3.1\!-\!11.9\, \rm Myr^{-1}$| through this channel, and the number of such UCXB- LISA sources in the Galaxy can reach about 1–26 calibrated by observations. This work indicates that the He star donor channel may contribute significantly to the Galactic UCXB formation rate. We found that the evolutionary tracks of UCXBs through this channel can account for the location of the five transient sources with relatively long orbital periods quite well. We also found that such UCXBs can be identified by their locations in the mass-transfer rate versus the orbital period diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here an excellent trimodality imaging‐guided synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT)/chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is proposed. To this end, a mixed‐metal Cu/Zn‐metal‐organic framework (MOF) is first assembled at room temperature on a nano‐scale. Interestingly, heating the MOF results in a Cu+/2+‐coexisting hollow porous structure. Subsequent heating treatment is used to integrate Mn2+ and MnO2 in the presence of manganese(II) acetylacetonate. The hollow composite achieves efficient loading of a photosensitizer, indocyanine green (ICG). Under laser irradiation, the aggregated ICG achieves photothermal imaging and PTT. Once released in the tumor site, ICG exhibits fluorescence imaging and PDT capacity. Cu+/Mn2+ ions perform Fenton‐like reaction with H2O2 to produce cytotoxic •OH for the enhanced CDT. Cu2+/MnO2 scavenge glutathione to improve the reactive oxygen species‐based therapy, while the formed Mn2+ ions enable "turn on" magnetic resonance imaging. Significantly, O2 is produced from the catalytic decomposition of endogenous H2O2 to improve ICG‐mediated PDT. Moreover, photothermal‐induced local hyperthermia accelerates •OH generation to enhance CDT. This synergistic drug‐free antitumor strategy realizes high treatment efficacy and low side effects on normal tissues. Thus, this mixed‐metal MOF is an efficient strategy to realize hollow structures for multi‐function integration to improve therapeutic capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the storage capacities of electrode materials is one of the most critical points for ion batteries. Two-dimensional (2D) topological semimetals with high carrier mobility are naturally suitable as electrode materials. Herein, using the first-principle calculations, 2D BP monolayer with Dirac-type band structure is predicted to be a superior anode material with ultrahigh capacity for both Li/Na-ion batteries. The BP monolayer remains metallic after the adsorption of Li/Na ions, ensuring a good conductivity. Furthermore, BP owns low diffusion barriers (0.35 eV for Li ions and 0.16 eV for Na ions) and a moderate lattice change (3%) during the process of charging and discharging. Remarkably, the storage capacity of monolayer BP is enhanced to 1924 mAh/g by multilayer adsorption of both Li/Na ions, much higher than those of most previous 2D anode materials. All these characteristics strongly suggest that BP has great potential as a superior anode material in Li/Na-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron-capture-supernovae (EC-SNe) provide an alternative channel for producing neutron stars (NSs). They play an important role in the formation of double NS (DNS) systems and the chemical evolution of galaxies, and contribute to the NS mass distribution in observations. It is generally believed that EC-SNe originate from e -captures on |$\rm ^{24}Mg$| and |$\rm ^{20}Ne$| in the massive degenerate oxygen–neon (ONe) cores with masses close to the Chandrasekhar limit (M Ch). However, the origin of EC-SNe is still uncertain. In this paper, we systematically studied the EC-SNe in NS + He star systems by considering the explosive oxygen burning that may occur in the near- M Ch ONe core. We provided the initial parameter spaces for producing EC-SNe in the initial orbital period − initial He star mass (log |$P_{\rm orb}^{\rm i}-M_{\rm He}^{\rm i}$|⁠) diagram, and found that both |$M_{\rm He}^{\rm i}$| and minimum |$P_{\rm orb}^{\rm i}$| for EC-SNe increase with metallicity. Then, by considering NS kicks added to the newborn NS, we investigated the properties of the formed DNS systems after the He star companions collapse into NSs, such as the orbital periods, eccentricities, and spin periods of recycle pulsars (P spin), etc. The results show that most of the observed DNS systems can be produced by NS kicks of |$\lesssim$| 50 km s−1. In addition, we found that NSs could accrete more material if the residual H envelope on the He star companions is considered, which can form the mildly recycled pulsars (P spin ∼ 20 ms) in DNS systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, two ultralong-period radio transients, GLEAM-X J162759.5-523504.3 (J1627) and GPM J1839-10 (J1839), were discovered with spin periods longer than 1000 s. The origin of these two ultralong-period radio transients is intriguing in understanding the spin evolution of neutron stars (NSs). In this work, we examine whether the interaction between strong magnetized NSs and fallback disks can spin NSs down to the observed ultralong period. Our simulations found that the magnetar + fallback disk model can account for the observed period, period derivative, and X-ray luminosity of J1627 in the quasi-spin-equilibrium stage. To evolve to the current state of J1627, the initial mass-accretion rate of the fallback disk and the magnetic field of the NS are in the range of (1.1–30) × 1024 g s−1 and (2–5) × 1014 G, respectively. In the active lifetime of the fallback disk, it is impossible for J1839 to achieve the observed upper limit of the period derivative. Therefore, we propose that J1839 may be in the second ejector phase after the fallback disk becomes inactive. Those NSs with a magnetic field of (2–6) × 1014 G and a fallback disk with an initial mass-accretion rate of ∼1024–1026 g s−1 are possible progenitors of J1839. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insect Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYPs or P450s) plays an important role in detoxifying insecticides, causing insect populations to develop resistance. However, the molecular functions of P450 gene family in Cyrtotrachelus buqueti genome are still lacking. Results: In this study, 71 CbuP450 genes have been identified. The amino acids length of CbuP450 proteins was between 183 aa ~ 1041 aa. They are proteins with transmembrane domains. The main component of their secondary structure is α-helix and random coils. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. buqueti and Rhynchophorus ferrugineus were the most closely related. This gene family has 29 high-frequency codons, which tend to use A/T bases and A/T ending codons. Gene expression analysis showed that CbuP450_23 in the female adult may play an important role on high temperature resistance, and CbuP450_17 in the larval may play an important role on low temperature tolerance. CbuP450_10, CbuP450_17, CbuP450_23, CbuP450_10, CbuP450_16, CbuP450_20, CbuP450_23 and CbuP450_ 29 may be related to the regulation of bamboo fiber degradation genes in C. buqueti. Protein interaction analysis indicates that most CbuP450 proteins are mainly divided into three aspects: encoding the biosynthesis of ecdysteroids, participating in the decomposition of synthetic insecticides, metabolizing insect hormones, and participating in the detoxification of compounds. Conclusions: We systematically analyzed the gene and protein characteristics, gene expression, and protein interactions of CbuP450 gene family, revealing the key genes involved in the stress response of CbuP450 gene family in the resistance of C. buqueti to high or low temperature stress, and identified the key CbuP450 proteins involved in important life activity metabolism. These results provided a reference for further research on the function of P450 gene family in C. buqueti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PSR J0636+5128 is a 2.87 ms binary millisecond pulsar (MSP) discovered by the Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey, and possesses the third shortest orbital period (P  = 1.6 h) among confirmed binary pulsars. Recent observations reported that this source is experiencing a rapid orbital expansion at a rate of |$\dot{P}=(1.89\pm 0.05)\times 10^{-12}\,\rm s\, s^{-1}$|⁠. The evaporation winds of the companion induced by the spin-down luminosity of the MSP may be responsible for such a positive orbital period derivative. However, our calculations show that the winds ejecting from the vicinity of the companion or the inner Lagrangian point cannot account for the observation due to an implausible evaporation efficiency. Assuming that the evaporation winds eject from the vicinity of the MSP in the form of asymmetric disc winds or outflows, the evaporation efficiency can be constrained to be ∼0.1. Therefore, the rapid orbital expansion detected in PSR J0636+5128 provides evidence of outflows and accretion disc around the MSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Paenibacillus was originally recognized based on the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny. Recently, a standardized bacterial taxonomy approach based on a genome phylogeny has substantially revised the classification of Paenibacillus, dividing it into 23 genera. However, the metabolic differences among these groups remain undescribed. Here, genomes of 41 Paenibacillus strains comprising 25 species were sequenced, and a comparative genomic analysis was performed considering these and 187 publicly available Paenibacillus genomes to understand their phylogeny and metabolic differences. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Paenibacillus clustered into 10 subgroups. Core genome and pan-genome analyses revealed similar functional categories among the different Paenibacillus subgroups; however, each group tended to harbor specific gene families. A large proportion of genes in the subgroups A, E, and G are related to carbohydrate metabolism. Among them, genes related to the glycoside hydrolase family were most abundant. Metabolic reconstruction of the newly sequenced genomes showed that the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, and citric acid cycle are central pathways of carbohydrate metabolism in Paenibacillus. Further, the genomes of the subgroups A and G lack genes involved in glyoxylate cycle and d-galacturonate degradation, respectively. The current study revealed the metabolic diversity of Paenibacillus subgroups assigned based on a genomic phylogeny and could inform the taxonomy of Paenibacillus. Key points: • Paenibacillus clustered into 10 subgroups. • Genomic content variation and metabolic diversity in the subgroup A, E, and G were described. • Carbohydrate transport and metabolism is important for Paenibacillus survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unitary evolution makes pure state on one Cauchy surface evolve to pure state on another Cauchy surface. Outgoing Hawking radiation is the only subsystem on the late Cauchy surface. The requirement that Hawking radiation should be pure amounts to requiring purity of the subsystem when the total system is pure. We will see that this requirement will lead to firewall even in flat spacetime, and thus is invalid. Information is either stored in the entanglement between field modes inside black hole and the outgoing modes or stored in correlation between geometry and Hawking radiation when singularity is resolved by quantum gravity effects. We will give a simple argument that even in semi-classical regime, information is (at least partly) stored in correlation between geometry and Hawking radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) with a period of P FRB = 16.35 ± 0.18 d from FRB 180916.J0158+65 were reported. It still remains controversial how such a periodicity might arise for this FRB. In this Letter, based on an assumption of a young pulsar surrounding by a debris disk, we attempt to diagnose whether Lense–Thirring precession of the disk on the emitter can produce the observed periodicity. Our calculations indicate that the Lense–Thirring effect of a tilted disk can result in a precession period of 16 d for a mass inflow rate of 0.5–1.5 × 1018 g s−1, a pulsar spin period of 1–20 ms, and an extremely low viscous parameter α = 10−8 in the disk. The disk mass and the magnetic field of the pulsar are also constrained to be ∼10−3  M ⊙ and <2.5 × 1013 G. In our model, a new-born pulsar with normal magnetic field and millisecond period would successively experience the accretion and propeller phases, and is visible as a strong radio source in the current stage. The rotational energy of such a young neutron star can provide the observed radio bursting luminosity for 400 yr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific aim of the space gravitational-wave (GW) detector Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) that was scheduled to launch in the early 2030s is to detect the low-frequency GW signals in the Galaxy. Its main candidate GW sources are compact binaries of white dwarfs and neutron stars. In this work, we examine whether compact intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) X-ray binaries could be potential LISA sources. Our simulations indicate that an IMBH binary with a 1000 M⊙ IMBH and a 3 M⊙ donor star in an initial orbital period near the so-called bifurcation period of 0.77 day could evolve into an ultra-compact X-ray binary, which will emit GW signals with a maximum frequency of 2.5 mHz. According to the evolutionary tracks of characteristic strain, IMBH X-ray binaries with the initial donor-star masses of 1–3 M⊙ and the initial orbital periods slightly less than the bifurcation periods will be detectable by the LISA in a distance of 15 kpc. Assuming each of 60 Galactic globular clusters hosts a 1000 M⊙ IMBH, the maximum number of compact IMBH X-ray binaries that LISA will detect in the Galaxy should be less than ten. Therefore, the detectability of compact IMBH X-ray binaries by the LISA is not optimistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is the only visceral organ that exhibits a remarkable capability of regenerating in response to partial hepatectomy (PH) or chemical injury. Improving liver regeneration (LR) ability is the basis for the favourable treatment outcome of patients after PH, which can serve as a potential indicator for postoperative survival. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Yiqi Huoxue recipe (YQHX) on LR after PH in rats and further elucidate its underlying mechanism. A two-thirds PH rat model was used in this study. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated, PH, YQHX + PH, and Fuzheng Huayu decoction (FZHY) + PH groups. All rats were sacrificed under anesthesia at 24 and 72 h after surgery. The rates of LR were calculated, and the expression levels of cyclin D1 and c-jun were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The protein levels of p-JNK1/2, JNK1/2, p-c-jun, c-jun, Bax, and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blotting, while the mRNA levels of JNK1, JNK2, c-jun, Bax, and Bcl-2 were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At the corresponding time points, YQHX and FZHY administration dramatically induced the protein levels of p-JNK1/2 compared to the PH group p < 0.05 , while FZHY + PH group showed prominently increase in p-JNK1/2 protein levels compared to the YQHX + PH group p < 0.05 . A similar trend was observed for the expression levels of p-c-jun. Compared to the PH group, YQHX and FZHY markedly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax at 24 h after PH, while those in the FZHY + PH group decreased more obviously p < 0.05 . Besides, in comparison with the PH group, YQHX and FZHY administration predominantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bcl-2 at 24 and 72 h after PH p < 0.05 . In conclusion, YQHX improves LR in rats after PH by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis via the JNK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The AP4B1 gene encodes a subunit of adaptor protein complex-4 (AP4), a component of intracellular transportation of proteins which plays important roles in neurons. Bi-allelic mutations in AP4B1 cause autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia-47(SPG47). Case presentation: Here we present a Chinese patient with spastic tetraplegia, moderate psychomotor development delay and febrile seizures plus. Brain MRIs showed dilated supratentorial ventricle, thin posterior and splenium part of corpus callosum. The patient had little progress through medical treatments and rehabilitating regimens. Whole exome sequencing identified novel compound heterozygous truncating variants c.1207C > T (p.Gln403*) and c.52_53delAC (p.Cys18Glnfs*7) in AP4B1 gene. Causal mutations in AP4B1 have been reported in 29 individuals from 22 families so far, most of which are homozygous mutations. Conclusions: Our study enriched the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of SPG47. Early discovery, diagnosis and proper treatment on the conditions generally increase chances of improvement on the quality of life for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a cyclic heptapeptide toxin produced by cyanobacteria, was found to induce genotoxic actions in various types of cells. Some investigators reported that microcystin-LR acted as tumor initiator in the observed genotoxic action mediated by this cyanotoxin. However, the underlying mechanisms underlying MC-induced DNA damage in the human intestine epithelium cell line (NCM460) are not known. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of 24 hr exposure to 5 or 10 µM MC-LR on intestinal DNA damage using NCM460 intestine cell line as a model. Data showed that MC-LR increased Olive tail moment (OTM) as evidenced by the comet assay, inhibited protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity, elevated reactive oxygen species levels (ROS) and enhanced γ-H2AX and p-p53 protein expression levels. Results indicated that MC-LR produced intestinal DNA damage by inhibiting PP2A activity, activating p53 protein and subsequently initiating excess generation of ROS. These observations suggest that MC-LR–induced intestinal DNA damage involves a complex series of events that include oxidant stress, PP2A enzymic inhibition and activation of p53 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) variant exposure poses a potential health hazard to ecosystem, animals, and humans. Previously investigators showed that autophagy plays a key role in MC-LR induced cytotoxicity immortalized murine ovarian granular KK-1 cells and rat Sertoli cells. Recently exposure to MC-LR via drinking water was reported to accumulate in mouse brain with associated adverse oxidant and inflammatory responses. However, autophagy the physiological mechanism required for cells to degrade their own impaired organelles to maintain their homeostasis has not been determined with respect to MC-LR actions on the central nervous system (CNS). Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of MC-LR on autophagy using human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells as CNS model. Data demonstrated that after treatment with 15 or 30 µmol/L MC-LR for 48 hr significantly reduced survival rate was noted in SK-N-SH cells. MC-LR increased the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins light chain 3 (LC3) II/I and p62 in SK-N-SH cells, resulting in the accumulation of LC3 and increased intracellular free calcium ion levels. Data indicated that MC-LR induced adverse effects on the CNS as evidenced by decreased cellular survival associated with inhibition of autophagy flux and consequent enhanced autophagosomes accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a frequently occurring hepatotoxic cyanotoxin produced by cyanobacterial blooms, poses a great threat to human health. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying MC-LR-induced hepatotoxicity remain to be determined. Recent investigators found that in many human diseases circular RNAs (circRNAs) a class of endogenous non-coding RNAs played critical roles in disease outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether circRNAs were involved in MC-LR-mediated hepatotoxicity using human normal liver cell line (HL7702). Using high-throughput sequencing analysis data demonstrated that expression levels of 3250, 3111, 3097, 3253 circRNAs were significantly altered at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 µM MC-LR. Expression levels of hsa_circRNA_0000657 and hsa_circRNA_0000659 were down-regulated while hsa_circRNA_0003247 and hsa_circRNA_0001535 were up-regulated in all MC-LR-exposed groups. The high-throughput sequencing results of selected circRNAs differential expression genes (DEGs) levels were verified by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the functions of circRNAs significantly altered in HL7702 cells were predominantly associated with metabolism, systems development, and protein binding. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis data revealed that the target genes of differentially expressed circRNAs in HL7702 cells were involved in FoxO signaling pathway, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, Ras signaling pathway, cell cycle, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and pathways in cancer. In summary, evidence indicates that a correlation may exist between circRNAs and MC-LR-induced hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesame oil is popular in China and many other Asian countries due to its pleasant flavor and high nutritional value. Sesame oil essence is often illegally added to other vegetable oils to counterfeit sesame oil. This study aimed to propose a rapid and cost-effective method, which could help to identify the sesame oil and counterfeit sesame oil. For this purpose, the counterfeit samples were prepared by adding essence to inferior oils (soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil), all oil samples were examined and their Raman spectra served as data for the construction of the soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) models and the important variables for distinguishing between authentic and counterfeit sesame oil were selected by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. The results showed that SIMCA is a strong chemometric technique for classification of authentic sesame oils and the types of counterfeit sesame oil samples based on Raman spectra, and a total 100% correct classification rate of sesame oil could be achieved. The methods allowed the identified counterfeit sesame oil in commercial sesame oil samples, opening the door to further research into the counterfeit detection of other liquid foods. • A rapid detection method for counterfeit sesame oil based on Raman spectra was developed. • OPLS-DA was successfully applied for the selection of important variables from Raman spectra. • The model based on the selected variables by SIMCA yielded the perfect results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heating and cooling can induce reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions of matter. In contrast, athermal photochemical processes can induce reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions of some newly developed azobenzene compounds. Azobenzene is photoswitchable. UV light induces trans‐to‐cis isomerization; visible light or heat induces cis‐to‐trans isomerization. Trans and cis isomers usually have different melting points (Tm) or glass transition temperatures (Tg). If Tm or Tg of an azobenzene compound in trans and cis forms are above and below room temperature, respectively, light may induce reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions. In this Review, we introduce azobenzene compounds that exhibit photoinduced reversible solid‐to‐liquid transitions, discuss the mechanisms and design principles, and show their potential applications in healable coatings, adhesives, transfer printing, lithography, actuators, fuels, and gas separation. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heizen und Kühlen kann reversible Fest‐flüssig‐Übergänge induzieren. Demgegenüber lassen sich in einigen neu entwickelten Azobenzolverbindungen durch athermische, photochemische Prozesse reversible Fest‐flüssig‐Übergänge auslösen. Azobenzol ist photoschaltbar: UV‐Licht induziert die trans‐zu‐cis‐Isomerisierung; sichtbares Licht oder Wärme induziert die cis‐zu‐trans‐Isomerisierung. trans‐ und cis‐Isomere haben in der Regel unterschiedliche Schmelzpunkte (Tm) oder Glasübergangstemperaturen (Tg). Wenn Tm‐ oder Tg‐Werte des trans‐ und cis‐Isomers einer Azobenzolverbindung oberhalb bzw. unterhalb der Raumtemperatur liegen, kann Licht reversible Fest‐flüssig‐Übergänge induzieren. In diesem Aufsatz stellen wir Azobenzolverbindungen vor, die photoinduzierte, reversible Fest‐flüssig‐Übergänge aufweisen, diskutieren die Mechanismen und Konstruktionsprinzipien und zeigen ihre Einsatzmöglichkeiten in heilbaren Beschichtungen, Klebstoffen, Transferdruck, Lithographie, Aktuatoren, Kraftstoffen und Gastrennung. Zum Schluss diskutieren wir die verbleibenden Herausforderungen in diesem Bereich. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nucleic acid isolation and purification are essential steps in molecular biology. Currently-used isolation methods focus on the extraction of all the nucleic acids from crude samples, yet ignore the specific nucleic acids of interest, which may induce the loss of the specific nucleic acids and hinder their analyses. Herein, a magnetic nanospheres (MNs)-based strategy for efficient capture and release of specific nucleic acids is developed. The DNA sequence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is taken as a model to validate this method. The MNs are modified with the complementary strand of HBV DNA for specific capture based on hybridization reaction. Then, by melting at high temperature, the captured DNAs are detached from the MNs to achieve release. The capture and release process are performed conveniently with magnetic separation. High capture efficiency (over 80%) and nearly 100% release efficiency for HBV DNA are achieved respectively via 40 min and 5 min interaction. While non-target DNAs are hardly captured, indicative of good selectivity. Moreover, after releasing DNAs, the MNs are directly regenerated and can be reused without degrading performance, which greatly reduces the operation costs. Finally, this method is applied to serum samples without any pretreatment, which exhibits similar capture and release capacity with those in the ideal samples, indicating its great application potential in practice. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • A magnetic nanospheres (MNs)-based strategy for efficient capture and release of HBV DNA is developed. • High capture efficiency (over 80%) and nearly 100% release efficiency for HBV DNA are achieved respectively via 40 min and 5 min interaction. • The strategy has good specificity, reproducibility, and can be directly used in serum samples without any pretreatment. • The MNs can be directly recycled without degrading performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bisphenol S is one of the alternative substitutes of Bisphenol A, a chemical widely recognized as an endocrine disrupting compound. In the past few years, a variety of studies on degradation of BPA demonstrated that microorganisms play important roles in the degradation process. However, the fate of BPS during wastewater treatment processes and the composition of microorganisms that functionalize BPS degradation remain to be explored. In this study, three bioreactors, R-BPS (amended with Bisphenol S), R-BPSHA (amended with Bisphenol S and humic acid) and Con (control bioreactor), were set up to investigate the fate of BPS and the microbial compositions and dynamics in the bioreactors, especially for the microorganisms associated with BPS removal. Results showed that a complete removal was achieved within 24 days. The addition of humic acid accelerated the elimination of BPS in both effluent and sludge. The results of 16S rRNA gene ampilicon sequencing revealed that the most abundant bacteria in all samples were affiliated to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi. Seven major genera were likely associated with BPS removal, including Pseudomonas , Azospira , Hydrogenophaga , Devosia , Delftia , Acidovorax and Rhodobacter. Among them, humic acid increased relative abundance of some bacteria, such as Pseudomonas , Hydrogenophaga and Acidovorax. These findings would give valuable information on the microbial community composition associated with BPS removal, providing biological background for bioremediation of BPS-contaminated environment. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Rapid removal of bisphenol S (50 ppm) occurred in activated sludge bioreactor. • The addition of humic acid accelerated elimination of bisphenol S. • Seven bacterial genera were likely associated with bisphenol S removal. • Humic acid increased relative abundance of Pseudomonas , Hydrogenophag a and Acidovorax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of microcystin-LR(MC-LR) variant a known hepatotoxin constitutes a global public health concern. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying MC-LR-induced hepatotoxicity remain to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate whether long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) were involved in MC-LR-mediated hepatotoxicity using human normal liver cell line HL7702 to profile lncRNAs after 24 hr treatment with MC-LR. With the use of high-throughput sequencing techniques, data showed that the expression levels of 37, 33, 34, 35 lncRNA were significantly altered following exposure to 1, 2.5, 5, or 10 μM MC-LR, respectively. In particular, the expression levels of LINC00847, MIR22HG and LNC_00027 were markedly increased in all treatment groups. It is of interest that LNC_00027 was identified as a novel lncRNA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was employed to determine the differentially expressed lncRNA levels. Analysis using Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment identified the functions of target genes involved in systems development, metabolism, and protein binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis demonstrated that MC-LR exposure upregulated some important signaling pathways including pathway in cancer, PI3K-AKT signaling and MAPK pathway. In summary, data indicate that the MC-LR-induced alterations in lncRNA may be associated with hepatotoxicity and that upregulation of LINC00847, MIR22HG and LNC_00027 may play important roles in the observed MC-mediated liver damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies previously demonstrated that microcystin (MC)-LR produced cytoskeletal damage, especially to actin filaments. However, the underlying mechanisms of MC-induced cytoskeletal reorganization remain to be determined. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 5 or 10 µM MC-LR on microfilament depolarization and expression of microRNA-451a (miR-451a) which plays a crucial role in cellular processes including cell proliferation, apoptosis and tumorigenesis in HL7702 liver cells after 24 hr treatment. Data demonstrated that MC-LR increased microfilament depolarization, elevated phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/ERK1/2) and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) but lowered miR-451a RNA expression levels. These molecular processes were associated with no marked changes in total protein ERK1/2. Data demonstrate that transfection with miR-451a may not be effective in the presence of MC-LR as evidenced by the inability of excess microRNA to prevent toxin-induced inhibition of threonine protein phosphatases1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) and microfilament reorganization in HL7702 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new depsidone derivative (1), aspergillusidone G, was isolated from a marine fungus Aspergillus unguis, together with eight known depsidones (2-9) and a cyclic peptide (10): agonodepside A (2), nornidulin (3), nidulin (4), aspergillusidone F (5), unguinol (6), aspergillusidone C (7), 2-chlorounguinol (8), aspergillusidone A (9), and unguisin A (10). Compounds 1-4 and 7-9 were obtained from the plasma induced mutant of this fungus, while 5, 6, and 10 were isolated from the original strain under chemical induction. Their structures were identified using spectroscopic analysis, as well as by comparison with literature data. The HPLC fingerprint analysis indicates that chemical induction and plasma mutagenesis effectively influenced the secondary metabolism, which may be due to their regulation in the key steps in depsidone biosynthesis. In bioassays, compound 9 inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 in 56.75 µM. Compounds 1, 5, 7, 8, and 9 showed moderate to strong activity towards different microbes. Compounds 3, 4, and 5 exhibited potent larvicidality against brine shrimp. In docking studies, higher negative CDOCKER interaction energy and richer strong interactions between AChE and 9 explained the greater activity of 9 compared to 1. Chemical induction and plasma mutagenesis can be used as tools to expand the chemodiversity of fungi and obtain useful natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid screening of multiple pathogens will greatly improve the efficiency of pandemic prevention and control. Colorimetric methods exhibit the advantages of convenience, portability, low cost, time efficiency, and free of sophisticated instruments, yet usually have difficulties in simultaneous detection and suffer from monotonous color changes with low visual resolution and sensitivity. Hence, coupled three kinds of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) with magnetic separation, we developed an achromatic colorimetric nanosensor with highly enhanced visual resolution for simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2, Staphylococcus aureus , and Salmonella typhimurium. The achromatic nanosensor was composed of SARS-CoV-2-targeting red gold NPs, S. aureus -targeting yellow silver NPs and S. typhimurium -targeting blue silver triangle NPs mixed as black color. In the detection, three corresponding magnetic probes were added into the above mixture. In the presence of a target pathogen, it would be recognized and combined with corresponding colored reporters and magnetic probes to form sandwich complexes, which were removed by magnetic separation, and the sensor changed from black to a chromatic color (the color of the reporters remained in supernatant). Consequently, different target pathogen induced different color. For example, SARS-CoV-2, S. aureus , and S. typhimurium respectively produced green, purple, and orange. While coexistence of S. aureus and S. typhimurium produced red, and coexistence of S. aureus and SARS-CoV-2 produced blue, etc. Therefore, by observing the color change or measuring the absorption spectra, multiple pathogen detection was achieved conveniently. Compared with most colorimetric sensors, this achromatic nanosensor involved rich color change, thus significantly enhancing visual resolution and inspection sensitivity. Therefore, this sensor opened a promising avenue for efficient monitoring and early warning of food safety and quality. [Display omitted] • Three kinds of plasmonic nanoparticles were coupled with magnetic separation. • An achromatic colorimetric nanosensor achieved multiple pathogen detection. • This nanosensor produced different colors with different targets. • The visual resolution of detection was significantly enhanced. • The sensitivity of naked-eye inspection was increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hubble Space Telescope observation of the double white dwarf (WD) binary SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 reveals that the massive WD has a surface gravity log g1 ~ 8.7 (which implies a mass of M1 ~ 1.06 M⊙) and an effective temperature T1 ~ 13 000 K, while the effective temperature of the low-mass WD (M2 < 0.24 M⊙) is T2 ~ 6400K. Therefore, the massive and the low-mass WDs have a cooling age τ1 ~ 1 Gyr and τ2 ≥ 5 Gyr, respectively. This is in contradiction with traditional binary evolution theory. In this paper, we propose a strange dwarf (SD) scenario to explain the formation of this double WD binary. We assume that the massive WD is a SD originating from a phase transition (PT) in a ~1.1 M⊙ WD, which has experienced accretion and spin-down processes. Its high effective temperature could arise from the heating process during the PT. Our simulations suggest that the progenitor of SDSS J125733.63+542850.5 can be a binary system consisting of a 0.65 M⊙ WD and a 1.5 M⊙ main-sequence star in a 1.492 d orbit. Especially, the secondary star (i.e. the progenitor of the low-mass WD) is likely to have an ultra-low metallicity of Z = 0.0001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To study the role of the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio in predicting survival outcomes for patients with advanced bladder cancer. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 150 patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer between January 2004 and June 2014. The neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio was computed on diagnosis and after the first cycle of chemotherapy. A neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio cut‐off of 3.0 was determined, with a concordance index of 0.89. Kaplan–Meier curves, log–rank tests, Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models were used to predict the association of the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio with survival outcomes. Results: Just five patients were alive at the end of the study; the rest died from metastatic bladder cancer. On multivariate analysis, higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status, lymphadenopathy, visceral metastases and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio ≥3.0 were associated with poorer overall survival (hazard ratio 1.67, P = 0.03; hazard ratio 1.97, P = <0.01; hazard ratio 2.02, P = <0.01; hazard ratio 5.06, P = <0.01), whereas chemotherapy conferred better overall survival (hazard ratio 0.546, P = 0.01). Furthermore, the role of chemotherapy prolonged survival longer in patients with a neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio <3.0 (median overall survival 13.0 vs 22.0 months, hazard ratio 0.273, P = 0.008) compared with a neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio ≥3.0 (median overall survival 4.0 vs 7.0 months, hazard ratio 0.452, P = 0.020). More importantly, when dichotomized to the four different pre‐ and post‐chemotherapy groups, patients with a pre‐ and post‐chemotherapy neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio <3.0 had the best additional median overall survival of 19.0 months compared with patients with a pre‐ and post‐chemotherapy neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio ≥3.0 (3.0 months). Conclusions: Elevated neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio is independently associated with poorer chemotherapeutic response and overall survival in patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer. The neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio can be an inexpensive novel factor in prognosticating disease progression and providing better patient counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quantification of the active groups on nanoparticle surface greatly facilitates the downstream functionalization, which is essential for their application. Among the common active groups, carboxyl group is one of the most popular groups. Hence, we used an improved gravimetric method to obtain the accurate number of the nanoparticles and further determined the number of the carboxyl groups on individual nanoparticles with titrimetry. In this work, polymer nanoparticles with carboxyl groups on their surfaces were taken as a model to validate this determination. Firstly, by using the total weight of the nanoparticles divided by the weight of one nanoparticle, their number concentration was determined. The total weight was obtained by measuring the dry mass of the nanoparticles, and the unit weight was calculated by the volume of a single nanoparticle multiplied with its density, in which the volume was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the density was determined by isopycnic gradient centrifugation. Directly using the real density of nanoparticles achieved more accurate quantification than the current gravimetric method which used the density of their bulk material counterparts for calculation. Then, a back titration was used to determine the carboxyl groups: Certain amount of nanoparticles were first to react with excess NaOH standard solution, and after complete reaction, the residual NaOH were measured by titration with HCl standard solution, from which the amount of the carboxyl groups on individual nanoparticles could be calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum many-body problem with exponentially large degrees of freedom can be reduced to a tractable computational form by neural network method [G. Carleo and M. Troyer, Science 355 (2017) 602, arXiv:1606.02318.] The power of deep neural network (DNN) based on deep learning is clarified by mapping it to renormalization group (RG), which may shed lights on holographic principle by identifying a sequence of RG transformations to the AdS geometry. In this paper, we show that any network which reflects RG process has intrinsic hyperbolic geometry, and discuss the structure of entanglement encoded in the graph of DNN. We find the entanglement structure of DNN is of Ryu-Takayanagi form. Based on these facts, we argue that the emergence of holographic gravitational theory is related to deep learning process of the quantum-field theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were in-situ deposited onto the ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) to function as a novel SPME coating. The specific area, pore volumes and average pore diameter for OMC and AuNP/OMC were calculated to be 411 and 281 m g, 0.93 and 0.69 cm g, 7.1 and 6.8 nm, respectively. The results indicate that the introduction of AuNPs greatly enhances the extraction of anilines, probably due to the strong interaction between gold and amino groups. The composite material was coated onto a fiber which then gave enrichment factors in the range from 1143 to 3420 for anilines, 45 to 845 for alcohols and 86 to 545 for phenols, indicating its extraction selectivity towards aniline. Following desorption, four anilines were quantified by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The method has low limits of detection (0.072-0.18 μg L) and a good precision (1.9-3.8%). It was successfully applied to the analysis of anilines in river and drinking samples. Recoveries range from 83.9% to 107.7% and 94.0 to 113.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a conjectured correspondence between any codimension-two convex surface and a quantum state (SS-duality for short). By applying thermofield double formalism to the SS-duality, we show that thermal geometries naturally emerge as a result of hidden quantum entanglement between two boundary CFTs. We therefore propose a general framework to emerge the thermal geometry from CFT at finite temperature, without knowing many details about the thermal CFT. As an example, the case of 2 d CFT is considered. We calculate its information metric and show that it is either BTZ black hole or thermal AdS as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting viable circulating tumor cells (CTCs) without disruption to their functions for in vitro culture and functional study could unravel the biology of metastasis and promote the development of personalized anti-tumor therapies. However, existing CTC detection approaches commonly include CTC isolation and subsequent destructive identification, which damages CTC viability and functions and generates substantial CTC loss. To address the challenge of efficiently detecting viable CTCs for functional study, we develop a nanosphere-based cell-friendly one-step strategy. Immunonanospheres with prominent magnetic/fluorescence properties and extraordinary stability in complex matrices enable simultaneous efficient magnetic capture and specific fluorescence labeling of tumor cells directly in whole blood. The collected cells with fluorescent tags can be reliably identified, free of the tedious and destructive manipulations from conventional CTC identification. Hence, as few as 5 tumor cells in ca. 1 mL of whole blood can be efficiently detected via only 20 min incubation, and this strategy also shows good reproducibility with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 8.7%. Moreover, due to the time-saving and gentle processing and the minimum disruption of immunonanospheres to cells, 93.8±0.1% of detected tumor cells retain cell viability and proliferation ability with negligible changes of cell functions, capacitating functional study on cell migration, invasion and glucose uptake. Additionally, this strategy exhibits successful CTC detection in 10/10 peripheral blood samples of cancer patients. Therefore, this nanosphere-based cell-friendly one-step strategy enables viable CTC detection and further functional analyses, which will help to unravel tumor metastasis and guide treatment selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent timing analysis reveals that the orbital period of the first-discovered accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 is increasing at a rate Ṗorb = (3.89 ± 0.15) × 10-12 s s-1, which is at least one order of magnitude higher than the value arising from the conservative mass transfer. An ejection of mass-loss rate of 10-9Mʘ yr-1 from the donor star at the inner Lagrangian point during the quiescence state could interpret the observed orbital-period derivative. However, it is unknown whether this source can offer such a high mass-loss rate. In this work, we attempt to investigate an evolutionary channel towards SAX J1808.4-3658. Once the accretion disc becomes thermally and viscously unstable, the spin-down luminosity of the millisecond pulsar and the X-ray luminosity during outbursts are assumed to evaporate the donor star, and the resulting winds carry away the specific orbital angular momentum at the inner Lagrangian point. Our scenario could yield the observed orbital period, the orbital-period derivative, and the peak X-ray luminosity during outbursts. Low-mass X-ray binaries with a 1.0Mʘ donor star, and an orbital period in the range of 0.8-1.5 d, may be the progenitor of SAX J1808.4-3658. Our numerical calculations propose that the current donor-star mass is 0.044Mʘ, which is approximately in agreement with the minimum mass of the donor star. In addition, our scenario can also account for the formation of black widows or the diamond planets like PSR J1719-1438. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) M82 X-2 has been identified to be an accreting neutron star, which has a P = 1.37 s spin period, and is spinning up at a rate Ṗ = −2.0 × 10−10 s s−1 −1. Interestingly, its isotropic X-ray luminosity Liso = 1.8 × 1040 erg s−1 during outbursts is 100 times the Eddington limit for a 1.4M⊙ neutron star. In this Letter, based on the standard accretion model we attempt to constrain the dipolar magnetic field of the pulsar in ULX M82 X-2. Our calculations indicate that the accretion rate at the magnetospheric radius must be super-Eddington during outbursts. To support such a super-Eddington accretion, a relatively high multipole field ( ≳ 1013 G) near the surface of the accretor is invoked to produce an accreting gas column. However, our constraint shows that the surface dipolar magnetic field of the pulsar should be in the range of 1.0−3.5 × 1012 G. Therefore, our model supports that the neutron star in ULX M82 X-2 could be a low-magnetic-field magnetar (proposed by Tong) with a normal dipolar field (∼1012 G) and relatively strong multipole field. For the large luminosity variations of this source, our scenario can also present a self-consistency interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The effective interfacial area in an RPB under offshore conditions were studied. • The periodic fluctuation of the effective interfacial area with rolling was revealed. • Increasing rotational speed was found to be effective against the liquid collection. Confined space and floating environment present high challenges for gas–liquid separation and purification processes on offshore platforms. Rotating packed beds (RPBs) have shown great potential in onshore application, but its performance under offshore conditions remains unclear. This study first investigates the effective interfacial area (a e) within an RPB under inclined and rolling conditions by using the CO 2 chemisorption method. The inclined state and rolling motion significantly affect a e , which is determined jointly by the secondary axial distribution and gas flow direction. The adverse effects occur at low rotational speed (N) due to the liquid collection driven by the gravity component, and increasing N was found to effectively against the collection and improve a e. Furthermore, a e under different motion periods and operating conditions were also investigated, and its relative rates of change and fluctuation can reach up to 17.4% and 10.7%, respectively. These results suggest that RPBs are somewhat resistant to marine conditions, providing the basis for offshore applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present how the thermal geometry emerges from CFT at finite temperature by using the truncated entanglement renormalization network, the cMERA. For the case of 2 d CFT, the reduced geometry is the BTZ black hole or the thermal AdS as expectation. In order to determine which spacetimes prefer to form, we propose a cMERA description of the Hawking–Page phase transition. Our proposal is in agreement with the picture of the recent proposed surface/state correspondence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Golgi apparatus is a dynamic membrane-bounded flattened cisternae in eukaryotic cells and responsible for biosynthesis, secretion, and intracellular signaling transduction. The dysfunction of the Golgi apparatus is related to a series of diseases including cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Sensitive and selective imaging of the Golgi structure or Golgi-related biomolecules provide valuable tools for in-depth understanding of the Golgi structure-function relationship and Golgi-related diseases. The last two decades have witnessed an explosion in the Golgi-targeting strategies, the combination of which with new imaging methods and nanotechnologies providing valuable tools for the Golgi-targeted biosensing, drug discovery and therapy. This review summarizes the different strategies for the Golgi imaging and therapy from historical origin to current development, discusses the advantages and limitations, and highlights possible future directions. • The Golgi apparatus is an indispensable organelle which related to a series of physiological processes and diseases. • The Golgi apparatus targeted imaging and therapy methods are important for investigating Golgi-related functions and diseases. • Different Golgi apparatus targeting methods have been summarized and discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The gas flow hydrodynamics in the RPB under floating motions was studied. • The alternation of the turbulence-enhanced and turbulence-weakened zone was found. • The influence mechanism was analyzed based on the gas velocity vector. As a typical process intensification device, a rotating packed bed (RPB) is promising for marine gas separation and purification. Previous studies have focused on the gas-phase characteristics of onshore RPBs without the function of floating motions. In this study, the effect of the six degrees of freedom floating motions on the gas-phase characteristics was investigated by experiments and simulation. Compared to the pressure drop under stationary conditions, the pressure drop under floating motions is generally lower and fluctuates. The heave motion causes a significant deviation and oscillation in the pressure drop. The simulation results revealed that the turbulence-enhanced zone (T-E zone) and the turbulence-weakened zone (T-W zone) appeared alternately and caused an evolution of the maldistribution factor. The floating motions enhance or weaken the radial, axial, and tangential slip velocities of the gas phase, which leads to the presence of a T-E/T-W zone and variation of flow direction. The results provided a deep understanding of offshore RPBs performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), a kind of “liquid biopsy”, represents a potential alternative to noninvasive detection, characterization and monitoring of carcinoma. Many previous studies have shown that the number of CTCs has a significant relationship with the stage of cancer. However, CTC enrichment and detection remain notoriously difficult because they are extremely rare in the bloodstream. Herein, aided by a microfluidic device, an immunomagnetic separation system was applied to efficiently capture and in situ identify circulating tumor cells. Magnetic nanospheres (MNs) were modified with an anti-epithelial-cell-adhesion-molecule (anti-EpCAM) antibody to fabricate immunomagnetic nanospheres (IMNs). IMNs were then loaded into the magnetic field controllable microfluidic chip to form uniform IMN patterns. The IMN patterns maintained good stability during the whole processes including enrichment, washing and identification. Apart from its simple manufacture process, the obtained microfluidic device was capable of capturing CTCs from the bloodstream with an efficiency higher than 94%. The captured cells could be directly visualized with an inverted fluorescence microscope in situ by immunocytochemistry (ICC) identification, which decreased cell loss effectively. Besides that, the CTCs could be recovered completely just by PBS washing after removal of the permanent magnets. It was observed that all the processes showed negligible influence on cell viability (viability up to 93%) and that the captured cells could be re-cultured for more than 5 passages after release without disassociating IMNs. In addition, the device was applied to clinical samples and almost all the samples from patients showed positive results, which suggests it could serve as a valuable tool for CTC enrichment and detection in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disc instability mechanism (DIM) is widely accepted to account for the transient behaviour of dwarf novae (DNe), which experience short outbursts separated by long quiescence. The duty cycle (the ratio between the outburst duration and the recurrence time) determines the amount of accreted mass by the white dwarf (WDs) during outbursts, thus playing an important role in the long-term binary evolution. Employing the code of Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics, we systemically investigate the influence of the duty cycles on the evolution of DNe and the mass growth of accreting carbon-oxygen (CO) WDs. Our calculations show that, while the DIM can considerably influence the accretion process, efficient WD-mass growth requires a particular range of the duty cycle. For WDs with the initial masses of 0.6, 0.7, and 1.1 M⊙, these duty cycles are 0.006 |$\, \le$| d |$\, \le$| 0.007, d   =  0.005, and , d   = 0.003 and the accumulated mass of the WDs can reach 0.1, 0.13, and 0.21 M⊙, respectively. In all of our simulations, no CO WDs can grow their masses to the explosion mass of Type Ia supernovae of about 1.38 M⊙. Because of a much short time-scale of the outburst state, the final donor-star masses and orbital periods are insensitive to the duty cycles. Therefore, we propose that the DIM in DNe could alleviate the WD mass problem to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]