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Multiple internal reflection-based absorption-dominant stretchable electromagnetic shielding thin film by incorporating liquid metal grid structure is developed. The device demonstrates high electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (SE) (SET of up to 75 dB) with low reflectance (SER of 1.5 dB at the resonant frequency). The shielding properties of the device can be tuned by adjusting the liquid metal patterned grid spaces upon strain.

Abstract Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease that involves gradual loss of bone density and mass, thus resulting in increased fragility and risk of fracture. Inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), inhibit osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and several microRNAs are implicated in osteoporosis development. This study aimed to explore the correlation between TNF‐α treatment and miR‐27a‐3p expression in BMSC osteogenesis and further understand their roles in osteoporosis. An osteoporosis animal model was established using ovariectomized (OVX) mice. Compared with Sham mice, the OVX mice had a significantly elevated level of serum TNF‐α and decreased level of bone miR‐27a‐3p, and in vitro TNF‐α treatment inhibited miR‐27a‐3p expression in BMSCs. In addition, miR‐27a‐3p promoted osteogenic differentiation of mouse BMSCs in vitro, as evidenced by alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin Red‐S staining, as well as enhanced expression of the osteogenic markers Runx2 and Osterix. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis combined with experimental validation identified secreted frizzled‐related protein 1 (Sfrp1) as a downstream target of miR‐27a‐3p. Sfrp1 overexpression significantly inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and additional TNF‐α treatment augmented this inhibition. Moreover, Sfrp1 overexpression abrogated the promotive effect of miR‐27a‐3p on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Furthermore, the miR‐27a‐3p–Sfrp1 axis was found to exert its regulatory function in BMSC osteogenic differentiation via regulating Wnt3a–β‐catenin signalling. In summary, this study revealed that TNF‐α regulated a novel miR‐27a‐3p–Sfrp1 axis in osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The data provide new insights into the development of novel therapeutic strategies for osteoporosis.

Abstract Background Medical students face a heavy burden as they are tasked with acquiring a vast amount of medical knowledge within a limited time frame. Self-directed learning (SDL) has become crucial for efficient and ongoing learning among medical students. However, effective ways to foster SDL ability among Chinese medical students are lacking, and limited studies have identified factors that impact the SDL ability of medical students. This makes it challenging for educators to develop targeted strategies to improve students’ SDL ability. This study aims to assess SDL ability among Chinese medical students and examine the effects of career calling and teaching competencies on SDL ability, as well as the possible mechanisms linking them. Methods Data were collected from 3614 respondents (effective response rate = 60.11%) using cross-sectional online questionnaires and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. The questionnaire comprised a Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, Self-directed Learning Ability Scale (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.962), Teaching Competencies Scale, and Career Calling Scale. Results The average SDL ability score of Chinese medical students was 3.68 ± 0.56, indicating a moderate level of SDL ability. The six factors of the Self-directed Learning Ability Scale—self-reflection, ability to use learning methods, ability to set study plans, ability to set studying objectives, ability to adjust psychological state, and willpower in studying—accounted for 12.90%, 12.89%, 12.39%, 11.94%, 11.34%, and 8.67% of the variance, respectively. Furthermore, career calling was positively associated with SDL learning ability (β = 0.295, p

Abstract Background In medical imaging courses, due to the complexity of anatomical relationships, limited number of practical course hours and instructors, how to improve the teaching quality of practical skills and self-directed learning ability has always been a challenge for higher medical education. Artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic (AISD) software based on volume data reconstruction (VDR) technique is gradually entering radiology. It converts two-dimensional images into three-dimensional images, and AI can assist in image diagnosis. However, the application of artificial intelligence in medical education is still in its early stages. The purpose of this study is to explore the application value of AISD software based on VDR technique in medical imaging practical teaching, and to provide a basis for improving medical imaging practical teaching. Methods Totally 41 students majoring in clinical medicine in 2017 were enrolled as the experiment group. AISD software based on VDR was used in practical teaching of medical imaging to display 3D images and mark lesions with AISD. Then annotations were provided and diagnostic suggestions were given. Also 43 students majoring in clinical medicine from 2016 were chosen as the control group, who were taught with the conventional film and multimedia teaching methods. The exam results and evaluation scales were compared statistically between groups. Results The total skill scores of the test group were significantly higher compared with the control group (84.51 ± 3.81 vs. 80.67 ± 5.43). The scores of computed tomography (CT) diagnosis (49.93 ± 3.59 vs. 46.60 ± 4.89) and magnetic resonance (MR) diagnosis (17.41 ± 1.00 vs. 16.93 ± 1.14) of the experiment group were both significantly higher. The scores of academic self-efficacy (82.17 ± 4.67) and self-directed learning ability (235.56 ± 13.50) of the group were significantly higher compared with the control group (78.93 ± 6.29, 226.35 ± 13.90). Conclusions Applying AISD software based on VDR to medical imaging practice teaching can enable students to timely obtain AI annotated lesion information and 3D images, which may help improve their image reading skills and enhance their academic self-efficacy and self-directed learning abilities.

IntroductionSoft rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP) bacteria are globally dispersed pathogens that cause significant economic loss in potato and other crops. Our understanding of the SRP species diversity has expanded in recent years due to advances and adoption of whole-genome sequence technologies. There are currently 34 recognized SRP species that belong to the Dickeya and Pectobacterium genera.MethodsWe used whole-genome sequencing based analysis to describe the current distribution and epidemiology of SRP isolated from diseased potato samples obtained from commercial potato cropping systems in the United States. Our primary objectives in the present study were to: (1) identify the species of these SRP isolates recovered from potato samples across 14 states in the US, (2) describe the variation among SRP isolates from various US locations and track their temporal changes, and (3) evaluate the evolutionary relationships among these SRP isolates to deduce their source. We collected 118 SRP strains from diseased potato plants and tubers in 14 states between 2015 and 2022.ResultsWe identified three Dickeya and eight Pectobacterium species from diseased potato samples. Dickeya dianthicola, Pectobacterium parmentieri, P. carotovorum, and P. versatile appeared to be the predominant species, constituting 83% of the isolates. Furthermore, all D. dianthicola strains studied here as well as 90% of US D. dianthicola isolates sequenced to date exhibit significant clonality.DiscussionThe prevalence of this specific group of D. dianthicola, temporally and geographically, aligns with the occurrence of blackleg and soft rot outbreaks in the northeastern US after 2014. The genomic diversity observed in P. parmentieri implies multiple introductions to the US from at least four distinct sources, earlier than the arrival of the predominant group of D. dianthicola. In contrast, P. carotovorum and P. versatile appear to be widespread, long-term endemic strains in the US.

Biomedical assays based on optical nanoprobes play an important role in human health. Optical nanoprobes, the nanomaterials with special optical properties, are widely utilized in biomedical assays. Compared with traditional materials, the well-performed optical nanoprobes have certain properties, such as negligible interferences from the background fluorescence and scattering, simple operations and instruments, high sensitivity, and excellent specificity. This paper reviews the mechanisms, materials, and applications of optical nanoprobes. The mechanisms of optical nanoprobes involve fluorescence, phosphorescence, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), upconversion luminescence and chemiluminescence. Time-resolved luminescent nanoprobes are usually prepared from rare earth compounds and quantum dots (QDs). Ultralong inorganic phosphorescent nanoprobes are prepared from transition metal compounds, while ultralong organic phosphorescent nanoprobes are usually prepared from π-conjugated compound nanocrystals that exhibit a rigid confinement to suppress the non-radiative transitions and contain heavy atoms to enhance ISC. Time-resolved luminescent nanoprobes and ultralong phosphorescent nanoprobes minimize background interferences by longer luminescence lifetime. Chemiluminescent nanoprobes are usually prepared from compounds that can react with reactive oxygen species (ROS) to form peroxide bonds. Upconversion luminescent nanoprobes are usually prepared from inorganic rare earth fluoride nanocrystals. Chemiluminescent nanoprobes and upconversion luminescent nanoprobes can avoid background interferences because excitation light of shorter wavelength is not needed. FRET nanoprobes and luminescence quenching nanoprobes are prepared from a donor and an acceptor that can be linked or delinked by the analyte. Optical nanoprobes are applied in both in vitro diagnoses and in vivo imaging. The in vitro applications of optical nanoprobes include the determination of varieties of biomacromolecules and small molecules, while the in vivo imaging involves the diagnoses of inflammation and tumors.

Abstract The role of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) in investigating fertility, embryonic development, and pregnancy is of academic interest. However, there is ongoing controversy regarding the impact of DFI on pregnancy outcomes and the safety of offspring in the context of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). In this study, we conducted an analysis of clinical data obtained from 6330 patients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) at the reproductive medical center of The First People's Hospital of Shangqiu and The Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The patients was stratified into two distinct groups: IVF group and ICSI group, Within each group, patients were further classified into three subgroups. IVF: group A ( 30% and DFI 15–30% were significantly higher than those in IVF/ICSI groups with DFI 30% were significantly higher than DFI 15–30% group, the smooth fitting curve shows that there is a positive correlation between miscarriage rates and sperm DFI (OR 1.095; 95% CI 1.068–1.123; P 30% and DFI 15–30% exhibited a statistically significant decrease compared to those in the IVF/ICSI groups with DFI 30% was lower than that of the DFI 15–30% group. The smooth fitting curve analysis demonstrates a negative association between birth weight and sperm DFI (OR 0.913; 95% CI 0.890–0.937; P

Abstract To provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis (As), the current study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the effect of homocysteine (Hcy) on inducing the lipid deposition and foam cell formation of the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) via C1q/Tumor necrosis factor-related protein9 (CTRP9) promoter region Hypermethylation negative regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERs). Therefore, apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE−/−) mice were randomly divided into the control [ApoE−/− + normal diet (NC)] and high methionine [ApoE−/− + (normal diet supplemented with 1.7% methionine (HMD)] groups (n = 6 mice/group). Following feeding for 15 weeks, the serum levels of Homocysteine (Hcy), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. HE and oil red O staining were performed on the aorta roots to observe the pathological changes. Additionally, immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the protein expression levels of CTRP9, glucose-regulated protein 78 kD (GRP78), phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (p-PERK), activating transcription factor 6a (ATF6a), phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (p-IRE1α), sterol regulatory element binding proteins-1c (SREBP1c) and sterol regulatory element binding proteins-2 (SREBP2) in VSMC derived from murine aortic roots. In vitro, VSMC was stimulated with 100 μmol/l Hcy. After transfection of plasmids with overexpression and interference of CTRP9, ERs agonist (TM) and inhibitor (4-PBA) were given to stimulate VSMC cells. HE staining and oil red O staining were used to observe the effect of Hcy stimulation on lipid deposition in VSMC. Additionally, The mRNA and protein expression levels of CTRP9, GRP78, PERK, ATF6a, IRE1α, SREBP1c, and SREBP2 in VSMC were detected by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. Finally, The methylation modification of the CTRP9 promoter region has been studied. The NCBI database was used to search the promoter region of the CTRP9 gene, and CpG Island was used to predict the methylation site. After Hcy stimulation of VSMC, overexpression of DNMT1, and intervention with 5-Azc, assess the methylation level of the CTRP9 promoter through bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). The results showed that the serum levels of Hcy, TC, and TG in the ApoE−/− + HMD group were significantly increased compared with the ApoE−/− + NC group. In addition, HE staining and oil red O staining showed obvious AS plaque formation in the vessel wall, and a large amount of fat deposition in VSMC, thus indicating that the hyperhomocysteinemia As an animal model was successfully established. Furthermore, CTRP9 were downregulated, while GRP78, p-PERK, ATF6a, p-IRE1α, SREBP1c, SREBP2 was upregulated in aortic VSMC in the ApoE−/− + HMD group. Consistent with the in vivo results, Hcy can inhibit the expression of CTRP9 in VSMC and induce ERs and lipid deposition in VSMC. Meanwhile, the increased expression of CTRP9 can reduce ERs and protect the lipid deposition in Hcy induced VSMC. Furthermore, ERs can promote Hcy induced VSMC lipid deposition, inhibition of ERs can reduce Hcy induced VSMC lipid deposition, and CTRP9 may play a protective role in Hcy induced VSMC lipid deposition and foam cell transformation through negative regulation of ERs. In addition, The CTRP9 promoter in the Hcy group showed hypermethylation. At the same time as Hcy intervention, overexpression of DNMT1 increases the methylation level of the CTRP9 promoter, while 5-Azc can reduce the methylation level of the CTRP9 promoter. Finally, Hcy can up-regulate the expression of DNMT1 and down-regulate the expression of CTRP9. After overexpression of DNMT1, the expression of CTRP9 is further decreased. After 5-Azc inhibition of DNMT1, the expression of DNMT1 decreases, while the expression of CTRP9 increases. It is suggested that the molecular mechanism of Hcy inhibiting the expression of CTRP9 is related to the hypermethylation of the CTRP9 promoter induced by Hcy and regulated by DNMT1. 5-Azc can inhibit the expression of DNMT1 and reverse the regulatory effect of DNMT1 on CTRP9. Overall, the results of the present study suggested that Hcy induces DNA hypermethylation in the CTRP9 promoter region by up-regulating DNMT1 expression, and negatively regulates ERs mediated VSMC lipid deposition and foam cell formation. CTRP9 may potentially be a therapeutic target in the treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia and As.

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) protocol for patients aged 35 and above with poor ovarian response (POR), utilizing real-world data. This retrospective cohort study examined clinical information from a total of 4256 patients between January 2017 and November 2022. The patients were categorized into three groups: modified GnRH agonist protocol (2116 patients), GnRH antagonist protocol (1628 patients), and Mild stimulation protocol (512 patients). Comparative analysis was conducted on clinical variables and pregnancy outcomes across the three groups. The GnRH agonist protocol was associated with a higher number of oocyte number (4.02 ± 2.25 vs. 3.15 ± 1.52 vs. 2.40 ± 1.26, p

Abstract Magnetic liquid metal (LM) soft robots attract considerable attentions because of distinctive immiscibility, deformability and maneuverability. However, conventional LM composites relying on alloying between LM and metallic magnetic powders suffer from diminished magnetism over time and potential safety risk upon leakage of metallic components. Herein, we report a strategy to composite inert and biocompatible iron oxide (Fe3O4) magnetic nanoparticles into eutectic gallium indium LM via reactive wetting mechanism. To address the intrinsic interfacial non-wettability between Fe3O4 and LM, a silver intermediate layer was introduced to fuse with indium component into Ag x In y intermetallic compounds, facilitating the anchoring of Fe3O4 nanoparticles inside LM with improved magnetic stability. Subsequently, a miniature soft robot was constructed to perform various controllable deformation and locomotion behaviors under actuation of external magnetic field. Finally, practical feasibility of applying LM soft robot in an ex vivo porcine stomach was validated under in-situ monitoring by endoscope and X-ray imaging.

The combination of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) and immunochromatography has become a widely used and promising new detection technique for point-of-care testing (POCT). However, their low luminescence efficiency, non-specific adsorption, and image noise have always limited their progress toward practical applications. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated powerful representational learning and generalization capabilities in computer vision. We report for the first time a combination of AI and upconversion nanoparticle-based lateral flow assays (UCNP-LFAs) for the quantitative detection of commercial internet of things (IoT) devices. This universal UCNPs quantitative detection strategy combines high accuracy, sensitivity, and applicability in the field detection environment. By using transfer learning to train AI models in a small self-built database, we not only significantly improved the accuracy and robustness of quantitative detection, but also efficiently solved the actual problems of data scarcity and low computing power of POCT equipment. Then, the trained AI model was deployed in IoT devices, whereby the detection process does not require detailed data preprocessing to achieve real-time inference of quantitative results. We validated the quantitative detection of two detectors using eight transfer learning models on a small dataset. The AI quickly provided ultra-high accuracy prediction results (some models could reach 100% accuracy) even when strong noise was added. Simultaneously, the high flexibility of this strategy promises to be a general quantitative detection method for optical biosensors. We believe that this strategy and device have a scientific significance in revolutionizing the existing POCT technology landscape and providing excellent commercial value in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry.

Abstract Large‐scale integration of distributed generation and widespread use of power electronic equipment make power quality disturbances (PQDs) more complicated. There are still unsolved problems for the classification of multiple power quality disturbances (MPQDs) that consist of various kinds of single disturbances: (1) since the difference between the contribution degrees of every contained single disturbance to the composite disturbance is ignored, the logical labels cannot completely describe the composite disturbance; (2) the optimal feature in one granular space may not be optimal in another. These drawbacks lead to the degradation of MPQD classification, which should be considered a multi‐label model rather than single‐label model used in existing methods. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method to improve the classification performance of MPQDs. The label distribution, representing the contribution degree of a single disturbance to the composite disturbance, is introduced. In addition, the high‐dimensional feature space is reduced by multigranular optimization, where the fuzziness and redundancy are removed by the modified rough‐set method. To improve the performance of the classifier, the ensemble classification model based on homogeneous classifier integration is proposed to integrate the base classifiers constructed by the feature vectors from different granularity spaces. A large number of field recordings are applied to validate the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method performs better than traditional methods, especially under noisy environments.

Timely and accurately detecting personal protective equipment (PPE) usage among workers is essential for substation safety management. However, traditional algorithms encounter difficulties in substations due to issues such as varying target scales, intricate backgrounds, and many model parameters. Therefore, this paper proposes MEAG-YOLO, an enhanced PPE detection model for substations built upon YOLOv8n. First, the model incorporates the Multi-Scale Channel Attention (MSCA) module to improve feature extraction. Second, it newly designs the EC2f structure with one-dimensional convolution to enhance feature fusion efficiency. Additionally, the study optimizes the Path Aggregation Network (PANet) structure to improve feature learning and the fusion of multi-scale targets. Finally, the GhostConv module is integrated to optimize convolution operations and reduce computational complexity. The experimental results show that MEAG-YOLO achieves a 2.4% increase in precision compared to YOLOv8n, with a 7.3% reduction in FLOPs. These findings suggest that MEAG-YOLO is effective in identifying PPE in complex substation scenarios, contributing to the development of smart grid systems.

Nano-doped hollow fiber is currently receiving extensive attention due to its multifunctionality and booming development. However, the microfluidic fabrication of nano-doped hollow fiber in a simple, smooth, stable, continuous, well-controlled manner without system blockage remains challenging. In this study, we employ a microfluidic method to fabricate nano-doped hollow fiber, which not only makes the preparation process continuous, controllable, and efficient, but also improves the dispersion uniformity of nanoparticles. Hydrogel hollow fiber doped with carbon nanotubes is fabricated and exhibits superior electrical conductivity (15.8 S m−1), strong flexibility (342.9%), and versatility as wearable sensors for monitoring human motions and collecting physiological electrical signals. Furthermore, we incorporate iron tetroxide nanoparticles into fibers to create magnetic-driven micromotors, which provide trajectory-controlled motion and the ability to move through narrow channels due to their small size. In addition, manganese dioxide nanoparticles are embedded into the fiber walls to create self-propelled micromotors. When placed in a hydrogen peroxide environment, the micromotors can reach a top speed of 615 μm s−1 and navigate hard-to-reach areas. Our nano-doped hollow fiber offers a broad range of applications in wearable electronics and self-propelled machines and creates promising opportunities for sensors and actuators.

Attributed to the miniaturized body size and active mobility, micro- and nanomotors (MNMs) have demonstrated tremendous potential for medical applications. However, from bench to bedside, massive efforts are needed to address critical issues, such as cost-effective fabrication, on-demand integration of multiple functions, biocompatibility, biodegradability, controlled propulsion and in vivo navigation. Herein, we summarize the advances of biomedical MNMs reported in the past two decades, with particular emphasis on the design, fabrication, propulsion, navigation, and the abilities of biological barriers penetration, biosensing, diagnosis, minimally invasive surgery and targeted cargo delivery. Future perspectives and challenges are discussed as well. This review can lay the foundation for the future direction of medical MNMs, pushing one step forward on the road to achieving practical theranostics using MNMs.

Healing of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) autologous graft in a bone tunnel occurs through the formation of fibrovascular scar tissue, which is structurally and compositionally inferior to normal fibrocartilaginous insertion and thus may increase the reconstruction failure and the rate of failure recurrence. In this study, an injectable hydroxyapatite/type I collagen (HAp/Col Ⅰ) paste was developed to construct a suitable local microenvironment to accelerate the healing of bone-tendon interface. Physicochemical characterization demonstrated that the HAp/Col Ⅰ paste was injectable, uniform and stable. The in vitro cell culture illustrated that the paste could promote MC3T3-E1 cells proliferation and osteogenic expression. The results of a canine ACL reconstruction study showed that the reconstructive ACL had similar texture and color as the native ACL. The average width of the tunnel, total bone volume, bone volume/tissue volume and trabecular number acquired from micro-CT analysis suggested that the healing of tendon-bone interface in experimental group was better than that in control group. The biomechanical test showed the maximal loads in experimental group achieved approximately half of native ACL's maximal load at 24 weeks. According to histological examination, Sharpey fibers could be observed as early as 12 weeks postoperatively while a typical four-layer transitional structure of insertion site was regenerated at 48 weeks in the experimental group. The injectable HAp/Col Ⅰ paste provided a biomimetic scaffold and microenvironment for early cell attachment and proliferation, further osteogenic expression and extracellular matrix deposition, and in vivo structural and functional regeneration of the tendon-bone interface.

Lung cancer is the most common malignant cancer in the world, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer cases. Presently, chemotherapy is the main treatment, but the therapeutic effect is not satisfactory due to drug resistance. Feiyanning decoction (FYN), a widely used Chinese Tradition Medicine (TCM), shows a good effect on the treatment of lung cancer. However, the underlying mechanism seems unclear. In this study, FYN was applied to cisplatin-resistant A549 cell line. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) and Annexin V/PI kit. Xenograft mouse model was constructed to analyze the tumor growth. The results showed that FYN inhibited cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Downregulated of Bcl-2 and upregulated of HEATR1, TAp73, p53 and Bax were observed after treatment with FYN. Interestingly, all these effects induced by FYN were alleviated by HEATR1 overexpression in A549/DDP cells. Furthermore, FYN played a synergistic effect with cisplatin on the increase of cell apoptosis in vitro and the inhibition of tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, FYN played a synergistic effect with cisplatin on the inhibition of cell viability in NSCLC via negatively regulating HEATR1.

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and malignant cancers with no effective therapeutic approaches. Echinacoside (ECH), a phenylethanoid glycoside isolated from Chinese herbal medicine, Cistanche salsa, can inhibit HCC progression; however, poor absorption and low bioavailability limit its biological applications. Methods To improve ECH sensitivity to HepG2 cells, we developed a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-based drug delivery system to deliver ECH to HepG2 cells via galactose (GAL) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDE) conjugation (ECH@Au@MSN-PEGDE-GAL, or ECH@AMPG). Gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted to assess the effects of UBR5 on HCC cell apoptosis and glycolysis. Moreover, the interactions among intermediate products were also investigated to elucidate the mechanisms by which UBR5 functions. Results The present study showed that ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component N-recognin 5 (UBR5) acted as an oncogene in HCC tissues and that its expression was inhibited by ECH. AMPG showed a high drug loading property and a slow and sustained release pattern over time. Moreover, owing to the valid drug accumulation, ECH@AMPG promoted apoptosis and inhibited glycolysis of HepG2 cells in vitro. In vivo experiments demonstrated that AMPG also enhanced the antitumor effects of ECH in HepG2 cell-bearing mice. Conclusions Our results indicated the clinical significance of UBR5 as a therapeutic target. On the basis of the nontoxic and high drug-loading capabilities of AMPG, ECH@AMPG presented better effects on HCC cells compared with free ECH, indicating its potential for the chemotherapy of HCC.

Abstract Printing or patterning particle‐based liquid metal (LM) ink is a good strategy to overcome poor wettability of LM for its circuits’ preparation in flexible and printed electronics. Subsequently, a crucial step is to recover conductivity of LM circuits consisting of insulating LM micro/nano‐particles. However, most widely used mechanical sintering methods based on hard contact such as pressing, may not be able to contact the LM patterns' whole surface conformally, leading to insufficient sintering in some areas. Hard contact may also break delicate shapes of the printed patterns. Hereby, an ultrasonic‐assisted sintering strategy that can not only preserve original morphology of the LM circuits but also sinter circuits on various substrates of complex surface topography is proposed. The influencing factors of the ultrasonic sintering are investigated empirically and interpreted with theoretical understanding by simulation. LM circuits encapsulated inside soft elastomer are successfully sintered, proving feasibility in constructing stretchable or flexible electronics. By using water as energy transmission medium, remote sintering without any direct contact with substrate is achieved, which greatly protect LM circuits from mechanical damage. In virtue of such remote and non‐contact manipulation manner, the ultrasonic sintering strategy would greatly advance the fabrication and application scenarios of LM electronics.

Abstract Despite many nano-based strategies devoted to delivering cisplatin for tumor therapy, its clinical benefits are compromised by poor tissue penetration and limited DNA adducts formation of the drug. Herein, a cisplatin loading nanomotor based janus structured Ag-polymer is developed for cisplatin delivery of deeper tissue and increased DNA adducts formation. The nanomotor displayed a self‐propelled tumor penetration fueled by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in tumor tissues, which is catalytically decomposed into a large amount of oxygen bubbles by Ag nanoparticles (NPs). Notably, cisplatin could elevate the intracellular H2O2 level through cascade reactions, further promote the degradation of Ag NPs accompanied with the Ag+ release, which could downregulate intracellular Cl− through the formation of AgCl precipitate, thereby enhancing cisplatin dechlorination and Pt–DNA formation. Moreover, polymer can also inhibit the activity of ALKBH2 (a Fe2+-dependent DNA repair enzyme) by chelating intracellular Fe2+ to increase the proportion of irreparable Pt–DNA cross-links. It is found that deep tissue penetration, as well as the increased formation and maintenance of Pt–DNA adducts induced by the nanomotor afford 80% of tumor growth inhibition with negligible toxicity. This work provides an important perspective of resolving chemotherapeutic barriers for boosting cisplatin therapy. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Liquid metal (LM) can be integrated into microfluidic channel, bringing new functionalities of microfluidics and opening a new window for soft microfluidic electronics, due to the superior advantages of the conductivity and deformability of LMs. However, patterning the LMs into microfluidic channels requires either selective surface wetting or complex fabrication process. Results In this work, we develop a method to pattern the LMs onto the soft elastomer via soft lithographic process for fabrication of soft microfluidic sensors without the surface modification, bulky facilities, and complicated processes. The combination of the interfacial hydrogen bond and surface tension enables the LM patterns transfer to the soft elastomer. The transferred LM patterns with an ellipse-like cross-section further improve the stability under the mechanical deformation. Three proof-of-concept experiments were conducted to demonstrate the utilization of this method for development of thermochromic sensors, self-powered capacity sensors and flexible biosensor for glucose detection. Conclusions In summary, the proposed method offers a new patterning method to obtain soft microfluidic sensors and brings new possibilities for microfluidics-related wearable devices. Graphical Abstract

Ensuring food and nutrient supply is a crucial aspect of achieving food safety. With rapid population growth, urbanization, and social and economic development, the challenges related to China’s food and nutrient production have become increasingly prominent. This paper analyzed the characteristics of the spatiotemporal pattern evolution of food and nutrient production in China from 1995 to 2020, utilizing the conversion of various food nutrients and the establishment of a gravity center model. The results showed that: (1) Food production exhibited increasing trends in China, six regions, and 90% of the provinces. Notably, the structure of food production underwent significant changes in China, East China, Central-South China, Southwest China, Northwest China, and 60% of the provinces. (2) The output of all categories of food nutrients demonstrated increasing trends in China, six regions, and most provinces. At three different geographical scales, the changes of six food nutrients production structure showed significant differences. (3) Natural, political, social, economic, and technological factors played pivotal roles in influencing the gravity centers of food and nutrient production in China. The gravity centers of cereal production shifted northeast, while those of root and tuber, oil crops, and stimulants production moved westward. Additionally, the gravity centers of sugar crop, pulse, vegetable, fruit, and aquatic product production moved southwest and those of livestock and poultry production shifted northward. (4) Affected by the food production, the gravity centers of food energy, food protein, and food carbohydrate production shifted northward, while those of food fat, food vitamins, and food minerals production shifted northwest, southwest, and westward, respectively. The results of this study are of great significance for policy adjustments pertaining to the distribution pattern of food production, food security stability, and sustainable development in China.

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contribute to addressing the multiple and complex challenges faced by humankind. In particular, the increasing impact of climate change and globalization represent a great challenge for the sustainable development of Arctic countries and efforts are needed to measure, assess, and compare the progress toward SDGs and the trends in this region. This study used 69 indicators closely related to Arctic countries and a composite indicator approach to assess their sustainability performance. SDG interlinkages were also assessed through Spearman's rank order correlation. The results showed that the sustainable development of Arctic countries gradually improved from 2000 to 2020, with increasing scores recorded for 82% of the goals and 73% of the indicators. Overall, significant progress was observed in the SDG 10 (reduction of inequality), SDG 3 (health improvement), and SDG 4 (quality of education). The highest-ranking scores were obtained for poverty reduction (SDG 1), SDG 3, and climate actions (SDG 13) in 2020. Over the 21-year period, Sweden reached the highest overall score for sustainable development, and Russia showed the greatest improvement. Synergies dominated over trade-offs among and within SDGs. SDGs 1, 3, 9, 10, and 11 presented a relatively higher proportion of synergies, while higher proportions of trade-offs were observed for the 8–9, 8–11, 3–12, and 10–12 SDG pairs. The associations of industry development with clean energy use and environmental conservation were strengthened during the study period. However, the performance varied greatly for different indicators, goals, and their correlations among Arctic countries. The results indicate that the main challenges for these countries in relation to SDGs consist in promoting an inclusive economic model as well as sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal malignancies worldwide. It is inadequate to handle in terms of staging and restaging only based on morphological imaging modalities and serum surrogate markers. And the correct and timely staging of CRC is imperative to prognosis and management. When compared to established sequential, multimodal conventional diagnostic methods, the molecular and functional imaging 18F-FDG PET/CT shows superiorities for tailoring appropriate treatment maneuvers to each patient. This review aims to summarize the utilities of 18F-FDG PET/CT in CRC, focusing on primary staging, follow-up assessment of tumor responses and diagnostic of recurrence. In addition, we also summarize the technical considerations of PET/CT and the conventional imaging modalities in those patients who are either newly diagnosed with CRC or has already been treated from this cancer.

Summary: Crack control strategies have been proven very useful for enhancing the stretchability of metal film-based stretchable conductors. However, existing strategies often suffer from the drawbacks of complicated preparation and predefined effective directions. Here, we propose a crack compensation strategy for preparing conductors featured with high stretchability by using liquid metal microparticles (LMMPs)-embedded polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the substrate with a thin film of gold (Au) sputtered on the surface. LMMPs can be elongated to connect the cracked Au film upon stretching, which can form a conductive “island-tunnel” (IT) architecture to compensate for the cracks and maintain the conductivity. The high performance of the stretchable conductor is demonstrated by using it as electrodes to record surface electromyography of human brachioradialis and monitor electrocorticography signals of a rat in normal and epileptic states. The developed strategy shows the potential to provide a new perspective for the fabrication of flexible electronics.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in the World. Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is a rare tumor that originated from peptidergic neurons and neuroendocrine cells. NENs occurs in all parts of the body, especially in stomach, intestine, pancreas and lung. These rare tumors are challenging to diagnose at earlier stages because of their wide anatomical distribution and complex clinical features. Traditional imaging methods including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are mostly of useful for detection of larger primary tumors that are 1cm in size. A new medical imaging specialty called nuclear medicine uses radioactive substances for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Nuclear medicine imaging relies on the tissue-specific uptake of radiolabeled tracers. Nuclear medicine techniques can easily identify the NENs tissues for their ability to absorb and concentrate amine, precursors, and peptides, whereas the traditional imaging methods are difficult to perform well. The somatostatin receptor (SSTR) is a targetable receptor frequently expressed in the gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs), and is a promising target for tumor-targeted therapies and radiography. SSTR based somatostatin receptor imaging and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has emerged as a new hot subject in the diagnosis and treatment of GEP-NENs due to the rapid development of somatostatin analogues (SSAs) and radionuclide. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status of nuclear medicine imaging modalities in the imaging of GEP-NENs, and puts them in perspective of clinical practice.

The tumorigenesis of esophageal carcinoma arises from transcriptional dysregulation would become exceptionally dependent on specific regulators of gene expression, which could be preferentially attributed to the larger non-coding cis-regulatory elements, i.e. super-enhancers (SEs). SEs, large genomic regulatory entity in close genomic proximity, are underpinned by control cancer cell identity. As a consequence, the transcriptional addictions driven by SEs could offer an Achilles’ heel for molecular treatments on patients of esophageal carcinoma and other types of cancer as well. In this review, we summarize the recent findings about the oncogenic SEs upon which esophageal cancer cells depend, and discuss why SEs could be seen as the hallmark of cancer, how transcriptional dependencies driven by SEs, and what opportunities could be supplied based on this cancer-specific SEs.

Conjugated polymers (CPs) are an active research area and have been commonly used in optoelectronic devices, anticounterfeiting, bioimaging, and drug delivery due to their outstanding properties, such as a high quantum yield, photothermal stability, tunable spectra, and good biocompatibility. However, there have only been a few reports regarding flexible lighting due to the insoluble conjugated structure of CPs. Herein, a facile microemulsion method is used to solve the insolubility issue and fabricate CP nanoparticles for flexible lighting and microdeformation monitoring via high‐resolution inkjet printing. These CP nanoparticles are tuned to emit white light (color coordinates are (0.35, 0.35), and the correlated color temperature is 4810 K) by adjusting the CP ratios and polystyrene content. A CP‐based white light‐emitting diode (WLED) with a high color‐rendering index (up to 95) can be fabricated by coating these nanoparticles onto an ultraviolet light‐emitting diode (UVLED). At a driving current of 30 mA, the luminous efficacy of this WLED is 64 lm W−1 for at least 100 h. The resolution of the printing array is ≈40 μm (635 dots in−1), which can be used to detect 2 μm irreversible microdeformation. This approach may broaden the applications of CPs for flexible lighting and microdeformation monitoring.

Hydrogel, a material with outstanding biocompatibility and shape deformation ability, has recently become a hot topic for researchers studying innovative functional materials due to the growth of new biomedicine. Due to their stimulus responsiveness to external environments, hydrogels have progressively evolved into “smart” responsive (such as to pH, light, electricity, magnetism, temperature, and humidity) materials in recent years. The physical and chemical properties of hydrogels have been used to construct hydrogel micro-nano robots which have demonstrated significant promise for biomedical applications. The different responsive deformation mechanisms in hydrogels are initially discussed in this study; after which, a number of preparation techniques and a variety of structural designs are introduced. This study also highlights the most recent developments in hydrogel micro-nano robots’ biological applications, such as drug delivery, stem cell treatment, and cargo manipulation. On the basis of the hydrogel micro-nano robots’ current state of development, current difficulties and potential future growth paths are identified.

Though broadband achromatic metalens are attractive for biological applications, existing metalenses show limited performance in the biological imaging window. Here, the authors report high-efficiency broadband achromatic metalens featuring record-high aspect ratio titanium dioxide metasurfaces.

Bioelectronics are crucial for monitoring physiological signals, managing chronic health conditions and assisting surgical procedures, which demand biocompatibility, high conductivity and flexibility. Here, we report a conductive film based on polycaprolactone (PCL) film and liquid metal nanoparticles (LMNPs), denoted as PCL@LMNPs film. We loaded LMNPs onto the nanofibers of PCL film by suction filtration and broke LMNPs through mechanical sintering. Rupture LMNPs formed conductive paths, which provides us opportunities to construct different electronics. The biocompatibility of PCL@LMNPs film was confirmed by skin irritation test on human skin and cell viability test with Hela cells. In addition, the film can be degraded in the simulated body fluid, proving its potential in implantable electronics. What is more, by analyzing resistance change while PCL@LMNPs films was deformed, we can monitor the different action with varied forces applied on the films. We demonstrated flexible sensors based on the PCL@LMNPs films, which can realize weight sensing, sound sensing and breath monitoring. The unique properties of the fabricated PCL@LMNPs films show a great future for use in biocompatible and flexible electronics.

Micro/nanomotors (MNMs) are miniaturized machines that can convert many kinds of energy into mechanical motion. Over the past decades, a variety of driving mechanisms have been developed, which have greatly extended the application scenarios of MNMs. Enzymes exist in natural organisms which can convert chemical energy into mechanical force. It is an innovative attempt to utilize enzymes as biocatalyst providing driving force for MNMs. The fuels for enzymatic reactions are biofriendly as compared to traditional counterparts, which makes enzyme-powered micro/nanomotors (EMNMs) of great value in biomedical field for their nature of biocompatibility. Until now, EMNMs with various shapes can be propelled by catalase, urease and many others. Also, they can be endowed with multiple functionalities to accomplish on-demand tasks. Herein, combined with the development process of EMNMs, we are committed to present a comprehensive understanding of EMNMs, including their types, propelling principles, and potential applications. In this review, we will introduce single enzyme that can be used as motor, enzyme powered molecule motors and other micro/nano-architectures. The fundamental mechanism of energy conversion process of EMNMs and crucial factors that affect their movement behavior will be discussed. The current progress of proof-of-concept applications of EMNMs will also be elaborated in detail. At last, we will summarize and prospect the opportunities and challenges that EMNMs will face in their future development.

AbstractAbrupt changes in aperture (sudden expansion and contraction) are commonly seen in naturally occurred or artificial single fractures. The relevant research mainly focuses on the changes in fluid properties caused by the sudden expansion of the aperture in smooth parallel fractures. To investigate the effects of roughness on the nonlinear flow properties in a single rough fracture with abruptly aperture change (SF-AC), the flow characteristics of the fractures under different Reynolds numbers Re (50~2000) are simulated by the turbulence k-ε steady-state modulus with the Naiver-Stokes equation. The results show that, in a rough SF-AC, the growth of the eddy and the flow path deflection of the mainstream zone are more obvious than those in a smooth SF-AC, and the discrepancies between the rough and smooth SF-ACs become even more obvious when the relative roughness and/or Re values become greater. The increase of the fracture roughness leads to the generation of more local eddies on the rough SF-ACs and enhances the flow path deflection in the sudden expansion fracture. The number of eddies increases with Re, and the size of eddy area increases linearly with Re at first. When Re reaches a value of 300-500, the growth rate of the eddy size slows down and then stabilizes. Groundwater flow in a rough SF-AC follows a clearly visible nonlinear (or non-Darcy) flow law other than the linear Darcy’s law. The Forchheimer equation fits the hydraulic gradient-velocity (J-v) better than the linear Darcy’s law. The corresponding critical Re value at which the nonlinear flow starts to dominate in a rough SF-AC is around 300~500.

Understanding solute transport through macroscopic interfaces is essential to understand the effects of geological heterogeneity on contaminant transport in porous media. Studies of solute transport in compartmental porous media have noted the asymmetry of breakthroughs (BTCs) in solute movement across material interfaces, indicating the presence of discontinuous concentration that makes solute transport directionally dependent. Transition interfaces are more common in nature than sharp interfaces. To understand solute transport across transition interfaces, well-controlled laboratory experiments were performed. A numerical model was also built to understand mass accumulation and concentration discontinuity through transition as well as sharp interfaces. We conclude that directionally dependent asymmetry of BTCs was found with both sharp and transition interfaces. The asymmetry of BTCs was more pronounced at a transition interface than at a sharp interface. The mobile and immobile (MIM) model can better capture the directionally dependent transport of solutes through a sharp/transition interface than the advection-dispersion equation (ADE). The mobile water partition coefficient (β) and mass transfer coefficient (ω) in MIM were lager in the direction from fine sand to coarse sand (F-C). The time difference between tracer replace and tracer input is greater in the presence of an interface, especially transition interfaces. Even at small Reynolds numbers (1 × 10−4 to 0.116), solute transport across a discontinuous interface under reversible flow directions is most likely dominated by convective dispersion rather than an assumed diffusion process.

Crumb rubberised concrete (CRC) is a sustainable material that recycles rubber particles from end-of-life tyres as partial fine aggregates in concrete. To promote the applications of CRC in building structures, this paper presents an experimental study on the cyclic behaviour of beam-column joints from both CRC and traditional concrete (TC) frame structures. CRC with 15% rubber content by sand volume was employed. Three full scale CRC joint samples and one full scale TC sample were tested. Varying axial loads were applied on the top of columns and anti-symmetrical low-frequency cyclic loads were applied at the two beam ends. The failure modes, hysteretic behaviour, stiffness degradation, bearing capacity degradation, shearing capacity, displacement ductility and strain response of CRC and TC joints were investigated and compared. Both CRC and TC joint samples reached their ultimate loads due to shear failure. When CRC and TC were with similar strengths, the first crack loads, yielding loads, ultimate loads and ultimate displacements for TC and CRC joints at the same axial compression ratios were comparable with slight differences within 5%. However, CRC joints exhibited an improved energy dissipation ability by up to 10.4% over TC samples.

Expanded vermiculite (EV) is an innovative alternative to conventional fire-resistance material due to exceptional thermal performance and non-combustible property. In this study, the effect of elevated temperatures on microstructure, mechanical and physical properties of foam concrete containing EV as lightweight aggregates (LWA) was investigated. Foam concrete samples with 10%, 15% and 20% EV as sand replacement were developed and exposed to 300 ℃, 600 ℃, and 900 ℃. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test was conducted to identify microstructure changes in the cement matrix and fine aggregates after elevated-temperature exposure. The enhanced close-fitted bond in the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of EV-based foam concrete was observed in SEM, which might be due to the higher water absorption of EV granules. Residual compressive and flexural strength, relative porosity and water sorptivity coefficient of foam concrete were also obtained. The 15% EV reduced compressive strength loss of samples by 1.84%, 11.68% and 69.1% at 300 ℃, 600 ℃ and 900 ℃, respectively, compared with that of the reference as 9.81%, 33.7%, and 72.28%, respectively. Enhanced sorptivity-related durability and lower residual porosity were also obtained at elevated temperatures when 15% EV was added.

Micromotors have gained increasing attention in last two decades, due to their controllable self-propulsion maneuverability at micro scales. However, the effect of particle size on micromotors is still vague and interwoven due to the micromotors’ size, polydisperse distribution, and structural variations. Microfluidic technology is used to clarify the phenomenon, due to its precise micro scale fabrication. Herein, we fabricated a H2O2-driven self-electrophoretic Janus micromotor and systematically explored the effects of particle size on their dynamics, the sputtering distribution, and the rectifying voltages. Their speeds were found to be inversely proportional to their sizes. When the particle size was fixed, their speeds increased as coating thickness increased until its hemisphere was fully coated, and this critical coating thickness was also proportional to the sizes of the micromotors. As further investigation goes on, we noticed that electrical voltage to rectify micromotor was proportional to its size too. To summarize, our results showed that larger micromotors moved more slowly, required a thicker metal coating to reach full speeds, and needed higher voltages to be rectified. Through all of these investigations, we believed that microfluidic technology is a valuable tool, which can systematically probe micromotors dynamics and clarify our understanding of micromotors behaviors.

Strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) with superior tensile strength and ductility have been utilized as an effective repair material. A corrosion-resistant binder, calcium aluminate cement (CAC)–ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) blends, has been introduced into SHCC to expand its application in the concrete sewage network rehabilitation. As a repair material, the lightweight property is particularly favorable as it can broaden its functionality. This article presents a study on developing a novel lightweight CAC-GGBFS-blended SHCC using hollow glass microsphere (HGM), namely, HGMLW-SHCCs. The fine silica sand content was substituted with HGM at 25, 50, 75, and 100 vol% in HGMLW-SHCC. We examined flowability, density, uniaxial compressive behavior, direct tensile behavior, and pseudo strain-hardening indices. Microstructure analysis was also conducted to understand the meso-scale behavior of this new lightweight composite. The newly developed HGMLW-SHCC had a 28-day density of only 1756 kg/m3. Compressive and tensile strengths were determined in the range of 62.80–49.39 MPa and 5.81–4.19 MPa, respectively. All mixtures exhibited significant strain-hardening behavior. Even though the increased HGM content negatively affected the tensile strength of HGMLW-SHCC, it had a positive effect on its ductility. In addition, HGM can reduce crack width and tensile stress fluctuations significantly. The results showed that HGM was a promising material for producing strong and lightweight corrosion-resistant SHCCs to be used as a retrofitting material in the wastewater industry.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas that degrades ozone. Hypoxia and ocean acidification are becoming more intense as a result of climate change. The former stimulates N2O emissions, whereas the effects of the latter on N2O production vary by the ocean. Hypoxia and ocean acidification may play a critical role in the evolution of future oceanic N2O production. However, the interactive effects of hypoxia and ocean acidification on N2O production remain unclear. We conducted a research cruise in the Bohai Sea of China to assess the occurrence of ocean acidification in the seasonal oxygen minimum zone of the sea and further conducted laboratory incubation experiments to determine the effects of ocean acidification and hypoxia on N2O production. When pH decreased by 0.25, N2O production decreased by 50.77 and 72.38%, respectively. In contrast, hypoxia had a positive impact; when dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased to 3.7 and 2.4 mg L−1, N2O production increased by 49.72 and 278.68%, respectively. The incubation experiments demonstrated that the coupling of ocean acidification and hypoxia significantly increased N2O production, but, individually, there was an antagonistic relationship between the two. Structural equation modeling showed that the total effects of hypoxia treatment on N2O production changes weakened the effects of ocean acidification, with overall positive effects. Generally speaking, our results suggest that N2O production from the coastal waters of the Bohai Sea may increase under future climate change scenarios due to increasingly serious ocean acidification and hypoxia working in combination.

An organic–inorganic hybrid CuII–ErIII heterometallic arsenotungstate Na3[Cu(en)2(H2O)][Cu(en)2]1.5[H3Er(α-AsW11O39)2]·4H2O (1) (en = ethylenediamine) has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR and UV spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 displays an organic–inorganic 2-D sheet structure constructed by sandwich-type [H3Er(α-AsW11O39)2]8− fragments and [Cu(en)2]2+ connectors. From the topological viewpoint, if the [H3Er(α-AsW11O39)2]8− fragments are viewed as 3-connected nodes and [Cu(en)2]2+ connectors are considered as linkers, the 2-D sheet can be simplified into a 2-D (6,3)-network topology. Keywords: Polyoxometalate, Arsenotungstate, CuII–ErIII heterometallic derivative, Spectroscopic characterization

Abstract Background Liver cancer is the second leading causes of cancer-related death globally. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1) plays a critical role in metabolic profiles of tumors. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the mechanisms of PYCR1 on cell growth and survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Protein and mRNA expression levels of PYCR1 in 140 pairs of tumor and adjacent normal liver tissues of HCC patients were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Expressions of PYCR1 were inhibited in BEL-7404 cells and SMMC-7721 cells using gene interference technology. The cell proliferation was detected by Celigo and MTT assay. The colony formation assay was also performed. The cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometric assay. The effect of PYCR1 interference on tumor growth was observed by xenograft nude mice assay in vivo. The downstream pathway of PYCR1 interference was searched by microarray and bioinformatics analysis, and validated by qRT-PCR and western blot. Results PYCR1 levels were significantly up-regulated in HCC tumor tissues than adjacent normal liver tissues in both protein and mRNA levels (P

This study investigated the feasibility of distance protection in extra-high voltage (EHV) networks. In long-distance transmission lines, the distributed parameter characteristic of the EHV network is obvious. When a fault occurs far away from the measurement site, the measured impedance might not be directly proportional to the fault distance, and the protection domain of distance protection will be decreased. The detailed theory inferred and proven in this paper reveals that this phenomenon is widespread in EHV transmission lines. The results indicate that the protection domain error is greatly reduced by the application of the shunt reactor. Overall, simulation results show that the proposed method is effective for impedance relay, considering different characteristics, different lengths of lines, and compensation degrees. Keywords: EHV, Distance protection, Shunt reactor, Compensation degree

Real-time wireless respiratory monitoring and biomarker analysis provide an attractive vision for noninvasive telemedicine such as the timely prevention of respiratory arrest or for early diagnoses of chronic diseases. Lightweight, wearable respiratory sensors are in high demand as they meet the requirement of portability in digital healthcare management. Meanwhile, high-performance sensing material plays a crucial role for the precise sensing of specific markers in exhaled air, which represents a complex and rather humid environment. Here, we present a liquid metal-based flexible electrode coupled with SnS2 nanomaterials as a wearable gas-sensing device, with added Bluetooth capabilities for remote respiratory monitoring and diagnoses. The flexible epidermal device exhibits superior skin compatibility and high responsiveness (1092%/ppm), ultralow detection limits (1.32 ppb), and a good selectivity of NO gas at ppb-level concentrations. Taking advantage of the fast recovery kinetics of SnS2 responding to H2O molecules, it is possible to accurately distinguish between different respiratory patterns based on the amount of water vapor in the exhaled air. Furthermore, based on the different redox types of H2O and NO molecules, the electric signal is reversed once the exhaled NO concentration exceeds a certain threshold that may indicate the onset of conditions like asthma, thus providing an early warning system for potential lung diseases. Finally, by integrating the wearable device into a wireless cloud-based multichannel interface, we provide a proof-of-concept that our device could be used for the simultaneous remote monitoring of several patients with respiratory diseases, a crucial field in future digital healthcare management.

This article aims to explore a more suitable prediction method for tourism complex environment, to improve the accuracy of tourism prediction results and to explore the development law of China’s domestic tourism so as to better serve the domestic tourism management and tourism decision-making. This study uses grey system theory, BP neural network theory, and the combination model method to model and forecast tourism demand. Firstly, the GM (1, 1) model is established based on the introduction of grey theory. The regular data series are obtained through the transformation of irregular data series, and the prediction model is established. Secondly, in the structure algorithm of the BP neural network, the BP neural network model is established using the data series of travel time and the number of people. Then, combining BP neural network with the grey model, the grey neural network combination model is established to forecast the number of tourists. The prediction accuracy of the model is analyzed by the actual time series data of the number of tourists. Finally, the experimental analysis shows that the combination forecasting makes full use of the information provided by each forecasting model and obtains the combination forecasting model and the best forecasting result so as to improve the forecasting accuracy and reliability.

Panax notoginseng is an important functional health product, and has been used worldwide because of a wide range of pharmacological activities, of which the taproot is the main edible or medicinal part. However, the technologies for origin discrimination still need to be further studied. In this study, an ICP-MS/MS method for the accurate determination of 49 elements was established, whereby the instrumental detection limits (LODs) were between 0.0003 and 7.716 mg/kg, whereas the quantification limits (LOQs) were between 0.0011 and 25.7202 mg/kg, recovery of the method was in the range of 85.82% to 104.98%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 10%. Based on the content of multi-element in P. notoginseng (total of 89 mixed samples), the discriminant models of origins and cultivation models were accurately determined by the neural networks (prediction accuracy was 0.9259 and area under ROC curve was 0.9750) and the support vector machine algorithm (both 1.0000), respectively. The discriminant models established in this study could be used to support transparency and traceability of supply chains of P. notoginseng and thus avoid the fraud of geographic identification.

Graphene has been considered as an excellent biochemical sensors’ substrate material because of its excellent physical and chemical properties. Most of these sensors have employed enzymes, antibodies, antigens, and other biomolecules with corresponding recognition ability as recognition elements, to convert chemical signals into electrical signals. However, oxidoreductase enzymes that grow on graphene surfaces are affected significantly by the environment and are easily inactivated, which hinders the further improvement of detection sensitivity and robusticity. A gold-boosted graphene sensor was fabricated by the in situ electrochemical deposition of inorganic gold nanoparticles on vertical graphene nanosheets. This approach solves the instability of biological enzymes and improves the detection performance of graphene-based sensors. The uric acid sensitivity of the gold-boosted electrode was 6230 µA mM−1 cm−2, which is 6 times higher than the original graphene electrode. A 7 h GNSs/CC electrode showed an impressive detection performance for ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid, simultaneously. Moreover, it exhibited a reliable detection performance in human serum in terms of uric acid. The possible reason could be that the vertical aliened graphene nanosheet acts as a reaction active spot. This 3D graphene-nanosheet-based doping approach can be applied to a wide variety of inorganic catalytic materials to enhance their performance and improve their durability in aspects such as single-atom catalysis and integration of multiple catalytic properties.