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Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a highly selective and potent α2-adrenoceptor (α2-AR) agonist that is widely used as a clinical anesthetic to induce anxiolytic, sedative, and analgesic effects. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that DEX protects against acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by sepsis, drugs, surgery, and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in organs or tissues, indicating its potential role in the prevention and treatment of AKI. In this review, we summarized the evidence of the renoprotective effects of DEX on different models of AKI and explored the mechanism. We found that the renoprotective effects of DEX mainly involved antisympathetic effects, reducing inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress, reducing apoptosis, increasing autophagy, reducing ferroptosis, protecting renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs), and inhibiting renal fibrosis. Thus, the use of DEX is a promising strategy for the management and treatment of perioperative AKI. The aim of this review is to further clarify the renoprotective mechanism of DEX to provide a theoretical basis for its use in basic research in various AKI models, clinical management, and the treatment of perioperative AKI. • The renoprotective effects of dexmedetomidine are mainly involved in seven ways. • The various renoprotective mechanisms of dexmedetomidine are not completely independent but are connected to form a network. • Inhibiting oxidative stress is one of most important mechanisms of dexmedetomidine, and can reduce inflammation, apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MnO 2 /GO nano-hybrids were fabricated under mild conditions. • More than 91% norfloxacin was degraded within 20 min. • The mineralization rates of norfloxacin could reach to 76%. • Possible degradation pathways were proposed. In this work, 1D MnO 2 nano-needles were prepared and grown on the graphene oxide (GO) nano-sheets successfully. The morphology and structure of materials were explored. The MnO 2 nano-needles with a length of 200–400 nm were distributed uniformly on the GO nano-sheets. As a result of GO substrate, the MnO 2 /GO nano-hybrids (MnO 2 /GO) have the much larger surface area and more surface oxygen-containing functional groups than MnO 2 nano-needles, which are beneficial for enrichment and degradation of the norfloxacin (NOR). Results showed that more than 80% NOR was degraded within 20 min at the dose of 10 mM PMS and 0.8 g/L catalysts. Moreover, the optimal pH in MnO 2 /PMS and MnO 2 /GO/PMS system were both acidic condition. Furthermore, the mechanism of PMS activation by MnO 2 /GO was investigated through radical identification using quenching experiments and EPR techniques. According to this, the HSO 5 − of PMS reacted with Mn (IV)/Mn(III) to form a redox loop, and GO played an important role in the degradation process. Finally, the transformation intermediates of NOR were identified and four probable degradation pathways were speculated. This work would provide a potential contribution towards NOR removal in the environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many methods have been developed to study nonparametric function-on-function regression models. Nevertheless, there is a lack of model selection approach to the regression function as a functional function with functional covariate inputs. To study interaction effects among these functional covariates, in this article, we first construct a tensor product space of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and build an analysis of variance (ANOVA) decomposition of the tensor product space. We then use a model selection method with the L 1 criterion to estimate the functional function with functional covariate inputs and detect interaction effects among the functional covariates. The proposed method is evaluated using simulations and stroke rehabilitation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a nonconcave penalized M-estimation of the least absolute relative errors (penalized M-LARE) method for a sparse multiplicative regression model, where the dimension of model can increase with the sample size. Under certain appropriate conditions, the consistency and asymptotic normality for the penalized M-LARE estimator are established. Simulations and a real data analysis are in support of our theoretical results and illustrate that the proposed method performs well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using Implicit Function Theorem, we get the asymptotic expansion and normality of the minimum -divergence estimator which is seen to be a generalization of the maximum likelihood estimator for loglinear models under product-multinomial sampling. Then we use and -divergence measures to construct statistics in order to solve some classical problems including testing nested hypotheses. In last section we apply this method to a real data and do some simulation study to show the validness of and assess the finite-sample performance among different . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To effectively manage the automated warehouse, aiming at the optimization of goods location assignment, an optimization function for the assignment of storage location was established with the shelf stability and access efficiency as the goal according to the principle of storage space allocation. To optimize the picking location of the roadway stacker when exiting the warehouse, a mathematical function model was established by analyzing the picking strategy of the warehouse delivery operation. The research results showed that the optimization of the cargo space and the optimization of the stacker crane operation route can improve the overall operating efficiency. It is concluded that the model can reduce the cost of goods handling and storage, the time lost in the storage process and handling process, thereby decreasing logistics costs and increasing revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an important transcriptional regulator that plays a protective role against various cardiovascular diseases. Omaveloxolone is a newly discovered potent activator of Nrf2 that has a variety of cytoprotective functions. However, the potential role of omaveloxolone in the process of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure are still unknown. In this study, an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy model was established to investigate the protective effect of omaveloxolone in vivo and in vitro. Our study first confirmed that omaveloxolone administration improved ISO-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy in mice and neonatal cardiomyocytes. Omaveloxolone administration also diminished ISO-induced cardiac oxidative stress, inflammation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In addition, omaveloxolone administration activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, and Nrf2 knockdown almost completely abolished the cardioprotective effect of omaveloxolone, indicated that the cardioprotective effect of omaveloxolone was directly related to the activation of the Nrf2 signaling. In summary, our study identified that omaveloxolone may be a promising therapeutic agent to mitigate pathological cardiac hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is one of the tumors with the worst prognosis, causing serious harm to human health. The RNA network and immune response play an important role in tumor progression. While a systematic RNA network linked to the tumor immune response remains to be further explored in pancreatic cancer. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, the MIR600HG/hsa-miR-342-3p/ANLN network was determined. WB and IHC were used to confirm the high expression of ANLN in pancreatic cancer. The prognostic model based on the RNA network could effectively predict the survival prognosis of patients. The analysis of immune infiltration showed that the MIR600HG/hsa-miR-342-3p/ANLN network altered the level of infiltration of T helper 2 (Th2) and effector memory T (Tem) cells. Furthermore, we found that the chemokines chemokine ligand (CCL) 5 and CCL14 may play a key role in immune cell infiltration mediated by the RNA network. In conclusion, this study constructed a prognostic model based on the MIR600HG/hsa-miR-342-3p/ANLN network and found that it may function in tumor immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The least product relative error (LPRE) estimator and test statistic to test linear hypotheses of regression parameters in the multiplicative regression model are studied when the number of covariate variables increases with the sample size. Some properties of the LPRE estimator and test statistic are obtained such as consistency, Bahadur presentation, and asymptotic distributions. Furthermore, we extend the LPRE to a more general relative error criterion and provide their statistical properties. Numerical studies including simulations and two real examples show that the proposed estimation performs well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the method of randomly weighted bootstrap to derive the approximation of M-estimates in linear models. Assumptions; Theorems; Asymptotical validity under mild conditions.

• Superior catalytic ability for PMS is achieved under a low metal loading level. • Hetero-single-atom dispersion reshapes electronic structure of the carbon carrier. • Metal sites mainly function as activity modulators rather than reactive sites. • The generation of HVMO depends on the electron densities around the metal atoms. • The ETP pathway ensures enduring oxidation efficiency in complex water matrices. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as competitive candidates for Fenton-like oxidation of micro-pollutants in water. However, the impact of metal insertion on the intrinsic catalytic activity of carrier materials has been commonly overlooked, and the environmental risk due to metal leaching still requires attention. In contrast to previous reports, where metal sites were conventionally considered as catalytic centers, our study investigates, for the first time, the crucial catalytic role of the carbon carrier modulated through hetero-single-atom dispersion and the regulation of Fenton-like oxidation pathways. The inherent differences in electronic properties between Fe and Co can effectively trigger long-range electron rearrangement in the sp2-carbon-conjugated structure, creating more electron-rich regions for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) complexation and initiating the electron transfer process (ETP) for pollutant degradation, which imparts the synthesized catalyst (FeCo-NCB) with exceptional catalytic efficiency despite its relatively low metal content. Moreover, the FeCo-NCB/PMS system exhibits enduring decontamination efficiency in complex water matrices, satisfactory catalytic stability, and low metal leaching, signifying promising practical applications. More impressively, the spatial relationship between metal sites and electron density clouds is revealed to determine whether high-valent metal-oxo species (HVMO) are involved during the decomposition of surface complexes. Unlike single-type single-atom dispersion, where metal sites are situated within electron-rich regions, hetero-single-atom dispersion can cause the deviation of electron density clouds from the metal sites, thus hindering the in-situ oxidation of metal within the complexes and minimizing the contribution of HVMO. These findings provide new insights into the development of carbon-based SACs and advance the understanding of nonradical mechanisms underpinning Fenton-like treatments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on big experimental data analysis and the replenishment operation in a crane & shuttle based storage and retrieval system (C&SBS/RS). It is proposed that the order structure is expressed by three indicators: the order strength, the order size, and the order density. This aims to develop a regression function for the replenishment strategy to reveal the relationship between the order structure and replenishment parameters. The simulation model of the system is developed using FlexSim 7.1. A total of 13,440 combinations of order structures are provided as the simulation input. The statistical analyses are completed using the popular statistical software MINITAB. In this study, we use two different methods, best subset regression, and stepwise regression, to fit the regression function and find the best regression. According to the regression function, operation managers can develop better operation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-commerce retailers face the challenge to assemble a large number of time-critical picking orders. Common parts-to-picker autonomous intelligent warehouses such as automated vehicle storage and retrieval system and robotic mobile fulfillment system are often a little ill-suited for these prerequisites. A mixed-robotic fulfillment system is a hybrid robot picking system based on multi-device collaboration. It is a fusion innovation of traditional automated vehicle storage and retrieval system and robotic mobile fulfillment system. This paper comprehensively considers the characteristics of the system and customer demand, through the construction of a queuing network model to evaluate the performance of the system. A series of problems such as order service time, throughput capacity, and vehicle quantity configuration are analyzed experimentally. The validity of the model is verified by a simulation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on measures and minimum estimators , we present three families of test statistics for testing nonadditivity in loglinear models. The minimum estimator can be seen to be a generalization of the maximum likelihood estimator. In the process of testing nonadditivity, the two-stage tests procedure is usually used as the standard method. The unknown parameters are first estimated by some method (here ) and then these estimators which are treated as known constants are applied in the second-stage of this procedure. These three families of statistics which generalize the conclusions in Pardo and Pardo (2005) are asymptotically chi-squared. In the last section, we apply our method to a practical example and do a simulation study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Autoregressive (AR) models with finite variance errors have been well studied. This paper is concerned with AR models with heavy-tailed errors, which is useful in various scientific research areas. Statistical estimation for AR models with infinite variance errors is very different from those for AR models with finite variance errors. In this paper, we consider a weighted quantile regression for AR models to deal with infinite variance errors. We further propose an induced smoothing method to deal with computational challenges in weighted quantile regression. We show that the difference between weighted quantile regression estimate and its smoothed version is negligible. We further propose a test for linear hypothesis on the regression coefficients. We conduct Monte Carlo simulation study to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed procedures. We illustrate the proposed methodology by an empirical analysis of a real-life data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The best-r-point-average (BRPA) estimator of the maximizer of a regression function, proposed in Changchien (in: M.T. Chao, P.E. Cheng (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1990 Taipei Symposium in Statistics, June 28–30, 1990, pp. 63–78) has certain merits over the estimators derived through the estimation of the regression function. Some of the properties of the BRPA estimator have been studied in Chen et al. (J. Multivariate Anal. 57 (1996) 191) and Bai and Huang (Sankhya: Indian J. Statist. Ser. A. 61 (Pt. 2) (1999) 208–217). In this article, we further study the properties of the BRPA estimator and give its convergence rate under some quite general conditions. Simulation results are presented for the illustration of the convergence rate. Some comparisons with existing estimators such as the Mu¨ller estimator are provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The authors derive laws of the iterated logarithm for kernel estimator of regression function based on directional data. The results are distribution free in the sense that they are true for all distributions of design variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in tumor occurrence. The role of miR-378a-5p and CDK1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) was investigated in this study. Methods: Investigation of TCGA database and the detection of miR-378a-5p expression in colorectal cancer pathological tissues and colorectal cancer cell lines were undertaken by using qRT-PCR. We performed cell function experiments (CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, cell apoptosis assessment, and cell cycle assessment) and nude mouse tumor formation experiments to evaluate the effects of miR-378a-5p on proliferation, metastasis, and invasion to explore the role of miR-378a-5p in vivo and in vitro. Next, through TCGA database, immunohistochemical staining of pathological tissues, and cell function experiments, the role of the target gene CDK1 of miR-378a-5p was verified by database prediction, and dual luciferase reporter gene experiments in colorectal cancer cells were performed. Finally, whether upregulation of CDK1 restores the inhibitory effect of overexpression of miR-378a-5p on the proliferation of CRC cells was studied by overexpression of CDK1. Results: Bioinformatic analysis showed significant downregulation of miR-378a-5p levels in colorectal cancer (CRC). Cell function experiments and tumor xenograft mouse models confirmed the low expression of miR-378a-5p within CRC tissues, which indicated the tumor suppressive role of miR-378a-5p in CRC. To better explore the regulation of miR-378a-5p in CRC, we predicted and validated cell cycle-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDK1) as the miR-378a-5p target gene and observed that miR-378a-5p suppressed CRC cell proliferation by targeting CDK1. Conclusion: The results of this study help to elucidate the mechanism by which miR-378a-5p can be used as a tumor marker to inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer and CDK1, which is related to the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. MiR-378a-5p inhibits CRC cell proliferation by suppressing CDK1 expression, which may become a possible therapeutic target for treatment of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting energy metabolism holds the potential to effectively treat a variety of malignant diseases, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) is a key regulator of energy metabolism. However, PGC1α′s role in cancer, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. In the present study, we reported that PGC1α was significantly downregulated in HCC cell lines and specimens. Moreover, reduced expression of PGC1α in tumor cells was correlated with poor prognosis. PGC1α overexpression substantially inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. On the contrary, the knockdown of PGC1α produced the opposite effect. The mechanism was at least partially due to the upregulation of mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1) caused by PGC1α, which promoted mitochondrial biogenesis by binding to nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1). Consequently, the production of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by mitochondrial oxidation was elevated above a critical threshold for survival. Furthermore, we found that PGC1α could enhance the antitumor activity of sorafenib and doxorubicin in HCC through ROS accumulation-mediated cell death. These results indicate that PGC1α/NRF1-MPC1 axis is involved in HCC progression and could be a promising target for HCC treatment. Image 1 • Low expression of PGC1α and MPC1 was associated with the poor prognosis of HCC. • PGC1α and MPC1 could inhibit HCC cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. • PGC1α/NRF1-MPC1 axis activates mitochondrial biogenesis and drives ROS production. • PGC1α/NRF1-MPC1 axis attenuates HCC progression. • PGC1α could enhance the sensitivity to sorafenib/doxorubicin treatment in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) metal oxides have been of great interest owning to their particular properties such as rapid electron transfer capability. Herein, we present a novel ultrathin single-crystalline bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nanosheet wrapped by reduce graphene oxide (rGO), which exhibits rapid electron and Li ion transfer in Li-ion battery anode. The 2D profile of both Bi2O3 and rGO sheets enables them to contact steadily, forming a sandwiched structure, which is beneficial for the transport of electrons and Li ions. The Bi2O3@rGO anodes exhibit a capacity of 218 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a rate of 0.5 C, which exceeds the bare Bi2O3 and some reports about Bi2O3 anodes. In addition, density of states (DOSs) and band gap structures of the Bi2O3 wrapped with rGO have been investigated through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which show that the band gap is improved and the electron transfer is significantly enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UiO-66-NH 2 can effectively remove norfloxacin in water. • UiO-66-NH 2 can remove norfloxacin well in the neutral pH range. • The NH 2 and Zr O bonds play important role for norfloxacin removal. • Various adsorption mechanisms for norfloxacin removal are explored. Antibiotics abuse has been a significant threat to the environment and human health. In this study, we successfully synthesized highly stable amino-functionalized Zr-based metal–organic frameworks (UiO-66-NH 2) and studied the adsorption behaviors of norfloxacin (NOR) in water. The adsorption capacities of UiO-66-NH 2 reached a maximum of 222.5 mg/g for NOR, which were considerably higher than that of most reported adsorbents. Moreover, the equilibrium time (6 h) was less than that of several previously reported adsorbents. Ionic-strength-influenced experiments showed that NaCl and CaCl 2 aqueous solutions could improve the removal efficiency of NOR. The presence of humic acid could barely affect the adsorption amount. At a concentration of 10 mg/L, the highest partition coefficient of 20.9 mg/g/µM was obtained, and the removal rate of NOR was as high as 91.6%, implying that UiO-66-NH 2 offered considerable adsorption performance at a low concentration of NOR. In addition, UiO-66-NH 2 exhibited good regeneration efficiency, thus offering the possibility to remove norfloxacin from sewage. Finally, several credible adsorption mechanisms were proposed. The results will aid us to comprehend the surface interaction between organic micropollutants and UiO-66-NH 2 and prefigure the potential of UiO-66-NH 2 as a novel adsorbent for the removal of NOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring (C-IONM) can further reduce the incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury compared with intermittent intraoperative nerve monitoring (I-IONM) in high-risk thyroid surgery is still controversial. This observational study aimed to evaluate the incidence of vocal cord paralysis (VCP) in high-risk thyroid surgeries performed with I-IONM and C-IONM. High-risk thyroid surgical patients operated with I-IONM or C-IONM by the same group of surgeons in the thyroid surgery department of our institution between January 2014 and February 2018 were analyzed. Differences in the incidence rates of temporary and permanent VCP between the two groups were compared. A P -value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 344 patients who underwent high-risk thyroid surgery (550 nerves at risk [NARs]) were observed, with 238 patients (374 NARs) operated with I-IONM and 106 patients (173 NARs) operated with C-IONM. The incidence of temporary and permanent VCP was 1.9% (7/374) and 0.8% (3/374) in the I-IONM group and 1.2% (2/173) and 0% (0/173) in the C-IONM group, respectively, showing no statistical difference (P = 0.726 and P = 0.555). The incidence rate of impending recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries successfully prevented in the C-IONM group was 5.2% (9/173). Both I-IONM and C-IONM are equally safe and effective in high-risk thyroid surgery. C-IONM can help predict impending recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in real time and has a good warning feature, thereby minimizing critical maneuvers in high-risk thyroid surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The low pre‐ and intraoperative diagnostic rates in follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) often lead to inadequate surgical resection and necessitate further completion surgery. Therefore, the preoperative prediction of FTC in thyroid nodules is essential. Design and Patient: Patients were categorized into two data sets: the modelling data set, which included 3649 patients admitted to our centre between January 2014 and December 2016, and the validation data set, which included 1253 patients admitted between January and December 2017. Patient data from the FTC and non‐FTC groups were initially included in a modelling data set to establish a preoperative prediction model. This model was subsequently employed in a validation data set for external validation of the predictive value. The positivity rate for FTC predicted by the model was compared with that of the intraoperative frozen sections. Results: The preoperative serum thyroglobulin level, nodule diameter, calcification status, solidity and blood supply were selected as predictors for the model. The regression equation was as follows: Y = 0.010 × (thyroglobulin level) + 0.556 × (nodule diameter) + 0.675 × (calcification status) + 2.355 × (nodule component) + 1.072*(blood flow) − 9.787. The model positively predicted FTC at values of Y ≥ −4.11. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio of the prediction model were 89.2%, 90.2%, 87.7%, 39.2 and 0.11, respectively. External validation of the model demonstrated acceptable results. The positive prediction rate of the model was 90.7% (78/86), which was significantly higher than that of the intraoperative frozen sections (10.5% [9/86]; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: We successfully established and validated a simple and reliable preoperative prediction model for FTC using the preoperative thyroglobulin level and ultrasonographic features of the thyroid nodules. This model may improve the preoperative evaluation of FTC in clinical settings and facilitate the development of a reasonable surgical programme for FTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in surgical outcomes between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and between patients with high serum calcium and those with normal blood calcium, as well as to explore the epidemiological trend of PHPT in northern China. Methods. Clinicopathologic data of 197 patients (50 men and 147 women) with PHPT who underwent surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from 2008 to 2017 were analyzed. Changes in clinicopathology were compared among different subgroups of patients. Patients were categorized into subgroups based on serum calcium levels, whether or not they presented with symptoms, and admission time. Results. Of the total patients, 82.23% had hypercalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (HCPHPT), 17.77% had normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NCPHPT), 45.18% had symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (SPHPT), and 54.82% had asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (ASPHPT). Seventy-seven cases of PHPT involved thyroid nodules, with 22 confirmed as papillary thyroid carcinoma, and 29 confirmed as nodular goiter. There was no significant difference in the success rate of surgery, postoperative recurrence rate, and the symptoms of temporary hypocalcemia between the HCPHPT and NCPHPT groups, and between the SPHPT and ASPHPT groups. The incidence of PHPT has increased threefold since 2013. Conclusions. Symptoms and serum calcium levels did not affect the results of surgical treatment for PHPT. The incidence of PHPT in northern China is increasing. Moreover, PHPT manifestation has shifted from the symptomatic to the asymptomatic form. Thyroid surgery should be performed in PHPT patients with thyroid nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Mn-based materials have a great potential for selective removal of organic contaminants with the assistance of oxidants (PMS, H 2 O 2) and the direct oxidation. However, the rapid oxidation of organic pollutants by Mn-based materials in PMS activation still presents a challenge due to the lower conversion of surface Mn (III)/Mn (IV) and higher reactive energy barrier for reactive intermediates. Here, we constructed Mn (III) and nitrogen vacancies (Nv) modified graphite carbon nitride (MNCN) to break these aforementioned limitations. Through analysis of in-situ spectra and various experiments, a novel mechanism of light-assistance non-radical reaction is clearly elucidated in MNCN/PMS-Light system. Adequate results indicate that Mn (III) only provide a few electrons to decompose Mn (III)-PMS* complex under light irradiation. Thus, the lacking electrons necessarily are supplied from BPA, resulting in its greater removal, then the decomposition of the Mn (III)-PMS* complex and light synergism form the surface Mn (IV) species. Above Mn-PMS complex and surface Mn (IV) species lead to the BPA oxidation in MNCN/PMS-Light system without the involvement of sulfate (SO 4 • ̶) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). The study provides a new understanding for accelerating non-radical reaction in light/PMS system for the selective removal of contaminant. [Display omitted] • Mn (III) and Nv were successfully constructed in MNCN to reduce its sluggishness. • Nv was a positive contribution in PMS activation by In-situ and DFT analysis. • Superoxide radical, Mn-PMS complexes and surface Mn (IV) were major active species. • The mechanism of PMS activation with light was unlike normal SO 4 •- and •OH radicals. • Excited photoelectrons rose BPA oxidation by Mn-PMS complex and Mn (IV) production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associations have been demonstrated between fertility drugs and a variety of hormone-sensitive carcinomas. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between fertility drugs used in the treatment of female infertility and the risk of thyroid cancer. To investigate the clinical significance of fertility drugs used for the treatment of female infertility and the risk associated with thyroid cancer, we performed a literature search using PubMed, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, and EBSCOHOST for comparative studies published any time prior to July 21, 2017. The studies included women who were treated for infertility with fertility drugs, such as clomiphene citrate, gonadotropins, or other unspecified fertility agents, which reported the incidence of thyroid cancer as the main outcome. Eight studies were included in the meta-analyses. Among women with infertility, there was a significant positive association between thyroid cancer risk and the use of fertility drugs (relative risk [RR] = 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–1.64; P=0.002). Additionally, among women with infertility, the use of clomiphene citrate was associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer compared to women who did not use fertility drugs (RR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.12–1.88; P=0.005). After pooling results, we found that the parity status of infertile women using fertility drugs was not associated with thyroid cancer risk (RR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.61–1.58, P=0.95). In summary, clomiphene citrate (the most commonly used fertility drug) and other fertility drugs are associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of hydroxytyrosol (HT) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Our results show that HT could inhibit proliferation, induce G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human HCC cells. Mechanically, we found that HT could suppress the activation of AKT and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathways. HT also significantly inhibited the tumor growth, angiogenesis and the activation of AKT and NF-κB pathways in an orthotopic model of human HCC in vivo. These data suggest that HT may be a promising candidate agent for the treatment of HCC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] IFN-α regulates the LPS-induced expression of cytokines in the murine spleen. [•] IFN-α positively regulates the expression of KC and LIX in the LPS-activated spleen dependent on STAT-1. [•] IFN-α increases neutrophilic recruitment via the enhanced expression of KC and LIX in the spleen during LPS stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: To assess the association of alcohol consumption with metabolic syndrome (Mets) in a Chinese population. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was performed in 19,215 participants aged 40 years or over in Shanghai of China during June 2008–April 2009. Information about the alcohol consumption including quantity and type of alcoholic beverage was obtained using a standard questionnaire. Physical examination was performed and fasting blood samples were obtained for the measurements of biochemical indicators. Results: In male wine-only consumers, after adjusted for age, sex, BMI, education levels, exercise and smoking habit, severe alcohol consumption (≥50.0g/d), compared with non-alcohol consumption, conferred 53% increased risk of having MetS. In women, alcohol consumption did not have relation to the prevalence of Mets. In the beer-only, liquor-only and mixed type consumers, no significant associations between MetS or its components and the quantity of alcohol consumption were detected. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that excessive wine consumption (alcohol ≥50.0g/d) is associated with higher prevalence of MetS in Chinese men. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Fetuin-A is an important player in the enhancement of insulin resistance. We aimed to investigate the association of serum fetuin-A and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a community based Chinese population. Methods: A total of 5469 subjects aged 40 years or above were recruited from two urban communities in Shanghai. Demographic, anthropometric and biochemical features were collected according to a standard protocol. Serum fetuin-A levels were measured using ELISA and the modified NCEP-ATP III criteria were adopted to diagnose MetS. Results: A higher level of serum fetuin-A was well associated with a variety of metabolic disorders and an increased prevalence of MetS. The relative risks for MetS were markedly elevated in a dose-dependent manner both before and after extended adjustment in total participants (adjusted odds ratios were 1.00, 1.11, 1.20 and 1.40 for fetuin-A quartiles 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively; P value for trend=0.0002). MetS risks were also significantly associated with serum fetuin-A in various subgroups of sex, age, body mass index and glycaemic status. Moreover, an elevated serum fetuin-A was also independently associated with MetS components including central obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose and high triglycerides. Stepwise regression analyses revealed fetuin-A as an independent determinant of insulin resistance measured by the index of homeostasis model (HOMA-IR) (β =0.064; P =0.009). Conclusion: Serum fetuin-A levels were strongly and independently associated with MetS and its components in community-dwelling Chinese adults. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we work on a general multivariate regression model under the regime that both p , the number of covariates, and n , the number of observations, are large with p ∕ n → κ (0 < κ < ∞). Unlike previous works that focus on a sparse regression vector β , we consider a more interesting situation in which β is composed of two groups: components in group I are large while components in group II are small but possibly not zeros. This study aims to explore the asymptotic behavior of the ridge-regularized high-dimensional multivariate M-estimator of β in group II. By applying the double leave-one-out method, we successfully derive a nonlinear system comprised of two deterministic equations, which characterizes the risk behavior of the M-estimator. The system solution also enables us to yield asymptotic normality for each component of the M-estimator. Moreover, we present rigorous proofs to these approximations that play a critical role in deriving the system. Finally, we perform experimental validations to demonstrate the performance of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel polysulfides-immobilized composite is presented for Li-S battery. • The TiO 2 @PANI@S composite exhibits a high electrochemical performance. • Strong adsorption between the composite and polysulfides is presented. • Enhanced electron transfer and ion diffusion are achievable. Li-S batteries are promising new energy-storage systems owing to their high theoretical energy density. However, the volume-change and poor conductivity of S, and shuttle effect severely restrict applications. Here, we present a novel semispherical composite consisting of sulfur and polyaniline (PANI) hydrogel coating on a bowl-shaped hollow TiO 2. The TiO 2 @PANI@S composites show an excellent performance with a high capacity of 1058 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.2 C, and a stable Columbic efficiency of 99.8%. The composites also possess a recoverable rate-performance under repeated tests. The Li+ ion diffusion co-efficiency is studied, which indicates that the semispherical composite enables a rapid Li+ ion transportation. In addition, the density functional theory calculations confirm a strong adsorption of TiO 2 towards polysulfides including for Li 2 S 4 , Li 2 S 6 , and Li 2 S 8 , which efficiently suppress the shuttle effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, lung cancer has the highest rates of mortality and morbidity, with the majority of its pathology attributable to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MicroRNAs are pivotal in the occurrence and development of cancer. However, the role of miRNA-593-5p in the progression of NSCLC is not clear. In this study, we investigate, in vitro, whether miRNA-593-5p inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation. To clarify its specific mechanism of inhibition, we used bioinformatics to predict its target genes and identified PLK1. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed the binding of miR-593-5p to the PLK1 3′-UTR in a sequence-specific manner in NSCLC cells. Additionally, we also found through Western blot and quantitative RT-PCR that miR-593-5p down-regulates the expression of PLK1 protein. Finally, PLK1 overexpression was shown to disinhibit NSCLC cell proliferation. Taken together, this evidence suggests that miR-593-5p inhibits NSCLC cell proliferation by inhibiting PLK1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]