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In this paper, we focus on the localized rational waves of the variable-coefficient Heisenberg spin chain equation, which models the local magnetization in ferromagnet with time-dependent inhomogeneous bilinear interaction and spin-transfer torque. First, we establish the iterative generalized (m , N − m) -fold Darboux transformation of the Heisenberg spin chain equation. Then, the novel localized rational solutions (LRSs), rogue waves (RWs), periodic waves, and hybrid wave structures on the periodic, zero, and nonzero constant backgrounds with the time-dependent coefficients α (t) and β (t) are obtained explicitly. Additionally, we provide the trajectory curves of magnetization and the variation of the magnetization direction for the obtained nonlinear waves at different times. These phenomena imply that the LRSs and RWs play the crucial roles in changing the circular motion of the magnetization. Finally, we also numerically simulate the wave propagations of some localized semi-rational solutions and RWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the space gravitational wave detection mission, inertial sensors play the role of providing an inertial reference for the laser interferometric measurement system. Among them, the capacitance sensor serves as the core key technology of the inertial sensor, used to measure the relative position of the test mass (TM) in the electrode cage. The capacitance sensor utilizes synchronous demodulation technology to extract signals from the AC induction signal. When the phase of the demodulation switch signal is aligned, the synchronous demodulator can most effectively filter out noise, thus directly influencing the performance of the capacitance sensor. However, since the TM is in a suspended state, the information read by the capacitance sensor is dynamic, which increases the difficulty of demodulation phase alignment. In light of this, a method is proposed for achieving the phase alignment of the demodulation switch signal in a dynamic environment. This is accomplished by adjusting the phase of the demodulation switch signal, and subsequently computing the phase difference between the AC induction signal and the demodulation switch signal. At the same time, a measurement and evaluation method for phase deviation is also proposed. Ultimately, an automatic phase alignment system for the demodulation switch signal in dynamic environments is successfully implemented on an FPGA platform, and tests are conducted on a hexapod PI console platform to simulate dynamic environments. The experimental results demonstrate that the system accurately achieves phase alignment in the static environment, with a phase deviation of 0.1394 rad. In the simulated dynamic environment, the phase deviation is 0.1395 rad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the energy and exergy of the organic Rankine cycle driven by steel slag waste heat and solar energy were analyzed for various system configurations. In the system design, the technology of crushing waste heat pressurized hot smothering technology of steel slag rolls was considered. Subsequently, a regenerator was integrated into this system. The heat transfer and power conversion processes were numerically simulated using distributed parameters. The effects of various factors, such as solar collector area, regenerative coefficient, working fluid superheat, and flow rate, on the solar organic Rankine cycle system were analyzed. The results indicated that, under constant conditions, an optimal solar collector area of 800 m2 was identified for the system. Increasing the superheat in the organic Rankine cycle power generation system from 25 to 45 K resulted in a decrease in the work performed by the expander, leading to a reduction in both the thermal efficiency and the exergy efficiency of the system by 2.5% and 4.9%, respectively. Furthermore, when the mass flow rate of the circulating working fluid increased from 2.86 to 3 kg s−1, there was a noticeable improvement in the system's thermal and exergy efficiency. Specifically, the thermal efficiency increased by 1.7%, and the exergy efficiency increased by 1.8%. Comparatively, the thermal efficiency of the steel slag waste heat coupling regenerative solar organic Rankine cycle exhibited an 11.5% increase compared to the basic organic Rankine cycle. Additionally, the exergy efficiency demonstrated a notable increase of 7.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In cohort studies on liver cancer, there are often immortal time bias and interference of competing risk events. This study proposes to explore the role of internal and external radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma using SEER data, using a competing risk model and controlling immortal time bias. Methods: Data of SEER from 2004 till 2015 was included. To analyze whether there was a difference in survival between HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) patients receiving external radiation and internal radiation, we used a competing risk analysis after excluding immortal time bias, and created a nomogram to assess the risk of cancer-specific death (CSD) in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving radiotherapy. Results: Potential confounding factors adjusted, there was no significant difference in CSD between external and internal radiation therapy [HR and its 95% CI = 1.098 (0.874–1.380)]. The constructed nomogram performed better than the traditional AJCC model. The AUC and calibration curve results showed that this well-calibrated nomogram could be used to make clinical decisions regarding the prognosis and personalized treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma treated. There was no difference in the cumulative risk of death between patients with liver cancer treated with external radiation therapy and internal radiation therapy. Conclusion: There is no difference in the cumulative risk of death between patients with liver cancer treated with external radiation therapy and internal radiation therapy. The nomogram predicts the results more accurately. These results can be used to guide the choice of treatment options for patients with HCC and to predict their survival prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the close relationship between gestures and expressive language, little research has examined the roles of the parents' and children's gestures in the development of expressive language abilities in autistic children. Previous findings are also inconclusive. In the present study, we coded the gestures produced by the parents and their autistic children in parent-child interactions and compared the influence of their gestures on the children's expressive language abilities (N = 35; M = 4;10). Autistic children's deictic gestures positively predicted their Mean Length Utterance (MLU), word types, and word tokens whereas parents' deictic gesture inputs negatively predicted MLU and word types. The findings shed light on the importance of the gestures made by autistic children, which may trigger parents' gesture-to-word translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Some studies indicated that gender is associated with prognostic of cancer, However, currently the prognostic value of gender for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) survival is unclear. The aim of our study is to reveal the influence of gender on the prognosis of patients with GCA. Patients and methods: A total of 42,345 cases Chinese GCA patients were enrolled from our previously established GCA and esophageal cancer databases. The clinicopathological characteristics were retrieved from medical records in hospital. The follow-up was performed through letter, telephone or home interview. Among GCA patients, there were 32,544 (76.9%) male patients with the median age 62 years (range 17–97) and 9,801 (23.1%) female patients with the median age 61 years (range 17–95 years). The Chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier method were used to compare the continuous variables and survival. Cox proportional hazards model was used for competing risk analyses, hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated. Results: Men had shorter GCA-specific survival than women by multivariate analysis (HR 1.114; 95% CI 1.061 to 1.169; P < 0.001). Whether premenopausal, perimenopausal or postmenopausal, the survival of women was better than that of men (premenopausal vs. male, P < 0.001; perimenopausal vs. male, P < 0.001; postmenopausal vs. male, P = 0.035). It was worth noting that in patients with stages I, II, III, and IV, female patients survive longer than male patients (P = 0.049; P = 0.011; P < 0.001; P = 0.044, respectively). Conclusion: Gender is an independent prognostic factor for patients with GCA. In comparison with men, women have a significantly better outcome. Smoking and drinking may be protective factors for male GCA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as an attractive technique for the treatment of bacterial infections. However, the uncontrolled heat generation in conventional PTT inevitably causes thermal damages to healthy tissues and/or organs. It is thus essential to develop a smart and universal strategy to regulate the photothermal equilibrium temperature to a preset safe threshold. Herein, a thermoresponsive hydrogel‐enabled thermostatic PTT system for enhanced healing of bacteria‐infected wounds is reported. In this system, the near‐infrared (NIR)‐triggered heat generation by photothermal nanomaterials is spontaneously transferred to a thermoresponsive hydrogel with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), leading to its rapid phase transition by forming considerable light‐scattering centers to block NIR penetration. Such a dynamic and reversible process automatically regulates the photothermal equilibrium temperature to the phase‐transition point of the LCST‐type hydrogel. In contrast to temperature‐uncontrolled conventional PTT with severe thermal damages, the thermoresponsive hydrogel‐enabled thermostatic PTT provides effective protection on healthy tissues and/or organs, which remarkably accelerates wound healing by efficient bacterial eradication. This study establishes a smart, simple and universal PTT platform, holding great promise in the safe and efficient treatment of bacterial skin infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) leads to heart failure. Nitration of protein can alter its function. cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) is a key transcription factor involved in fibrosis. However, little is known about the role of nitrated CREB in MI-induced myocardial fibrosis. Meanwhile, downstream genes of transcription factor CREB in myocardial fibrosis have not been identified. This study aims to verify the hypothesis that nitrated CREB promotes MI-induced myocardial fibrosis via regulating the transcription of Col1a2 and Cxcl12. Results: Our study showed that (1) the level of nitrative stress was elevated and nitrated CREB was higher in the myocardium after MI. Tyr182, 307, and 336 were the nitration sites of CREB; (2) with the administration of peroxynitrite (ONOO−) scavengers, CREB phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and binding activity to TORC2 (transducers of regulated CREB-2) were attenuated; (3) the expressions of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins were upregulated and downregulated in accordance with the expression alteration of CREB both in vitro and in vivo; (4) CREB accelerated transcription of Col1a2 and Cxcl12 after MI directly. With the administration of ONOO− scavengers, ECM protein expressions were attenuated; meanwhile, the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of Col1a2 and Cxcl12 were alleviated as well. Innovation and Conclusion: Nitration of transcription factor CREB participates in MI-induced myocardial fibrosis through enhancing its phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and binding activity to TORCs, among which CREB transcripts Col1a2 and Cxcl12 directly. These data indicated that nitrated CREB might be a potential therapeutic target against MI-induced myocardial fibrosis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 38, 709–730. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The fractional order calculus (FROC) model has been developed to describe restrained motion of water molecules as well as microstructural heterogeneity, providing a novel tool for non-invasive tumor grading. Purpose: To evaluate the role of the FROC model in characterizing clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) grades. Material and Methods: A total of 59 patients diagnosed with ccRCC were included in this prospective study. The diffusion metrics derived from the mono-exponential model (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]), intra-voxel incoherent motion [IVIM] model [D, D*, f], and FROC model [Dfroc, β, μ]) were calculated and compared between low- and high-grade ccRCCs. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to establish the diagnostic models. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and DeLong test were performed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of metrics in grading ccRCC. Results: All the metrics except D* and f exhibited statistical differences between low- and high-grade ccRCCs. ROC analysis showed individual FROC parameters, μ, Dfroc, and β, outperformed ADC and IVIM parameters in grading ccRCC. For single parameter, μ demonstrated the highest AUC value, sensitivity, and diagnostic accuracy in discriminating the two ccRCC groups while β exhibited the optimal specificity. Importantly, the combination of Dfroc, μ, and β could further improve the diagnostic performance. Conclusion: The FROC parameters were superior to ADC and IVIM parameters in grading ccRCC, indicating the great potential of the FROC model in distinguishing low- and high-grade ccRCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of China Reform and Opening-up policy in 1978 gave birth to the Chinese new wave music, with an idiosyncratic manner of rebelliousness, individuality and innovation that brought a break-through in Chinese new music of the past. In this paper, we focused on a representative piano solo work Tai Chi (1987) by composer Zhao Xiaosheng who explored the ancient Chinese philosophy I Ching and the Tang Dynasty musical form Tang Daqu using Allen Forte's pitch class set theory. We analyzed how Zhao employed the Western sonata and Chinese Tang Daqu to reflect the yin-yang dualism, based on the composer's statement in the interview, researchers' analyses, and authors' suggestion. By decoding the pitch-class permutations that correspond to the 64 hexagrams of I Ching, the mathematical logic becomes the main way to combine the I Ching with serial music. Nevertheless, the compatibility between musical expression and commentaries of hexagrams is not reflected in the piano solo Tai Chi. Therefore, we discussed the entanglement of a compositional identity formation based on contradicting elements from that of the traditional Chinese musical culture and Western art music, with questions about the accretion and authenticity in the contemporaneity and musicalization of the ancient I Ching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a widespread environmental pollutant, benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)-induced neurotoxicity has received increasing attention. Studies have shown that BPDE-induced neurodegeneration is due partly to neuronal apoptosis. Unlike apoptosis, ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death, but its specific role in the neurotoxicity of BPDE remains unclear. In this work, we investigated the ferroptosis in BPDE-induced cell death in human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y using a specific pharmacological inhibitor. Lipid peroxides, malondialdehyde production, glutathione / glutathione peroxidase activity, superoxide dismutase activity, and iron content were evaluated. Consistent with previous studies, our data showed that 0.5 µM BPDE poisoning for 24 hr could induce cell apoptosis and that cell survival could be improved by using apoptosis inhibitors. But with prolonged exposure time (72 hr) or increased exposure dose (1.0 µM), we have elucidated and validated that BPDE triggered ferroptosis in human SH-SY5Y cells. We also revealed that suppression of ferroptosis by specific inhibitors, ferrostatin-1 and deferoxamine, significantly rescued the phenotypes of ferroptosis induced by BPDE. BPDE downregulated Nrf2 and its target genes related to redox regulation, GPX4 and SLC7A11, but upregulated HO-1. Our results first demonstrated that BPDE caused cytotoxic effects on cell death via apoptosis and ferroptosis. Most notably, long-term environmental exposure to BPDE becomes a concern due to ferroptosis. Redox imbalance is controlled by the Nrf2, SLC7A11, and HO-1, through which lipid peroxides and ferrous ion accumulation cause ferroptosis after BPDE treatment. These findings highlight that targeting ferroptosis could serve as an effective protective strategy for neurotoxicity of BPDE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) in adolescents is a concerning issue. Positive parenting has been found to protect against adolescent IGD, but the underlying mechanisms await further investigation. As such, this study examined the longitudinal association between parental involvement (PI) -- a specific type of positive parenting understudied in the literature of adolescent gaming disorder -- and IGD. Moreover, this study also tested consideration of future consequences (CFC) as a mediator and peer victimization (PV) as a moderator. Methods: A two-wave longitudinal research spanning 6 months apart was conducted. Participants were Chinese adolescents (final N = 434; 222 females; Mage 5 14.44 years, SD = 1.56). They provided ratings on PI, PV, and IGD at Wave 1, and CFC-immediate, CFC-future, and IGD at Wave 2. Results: Descriptive statistics showed that the prevalence rate of IGD was 10.81% and 9.45% at Waves 1 and 2, respectively. Moreover, results of moderated mediation model found that after controlling for Wave 1 IGD and covariates, Wave 1 PI was associated with Wave 2 IGD via preventing adolescents who had higher levels of PV from developing a tendence of CFC-immediate and via promoting adolescents who had lower levels of PV to develop a tendence of CFC-future. Discussion and Conclusions: Altogether, these results suggest that facilitative ecological systems (e.g., positive parenting and good relationships with peers) and personal strengths (e.g., positive future orientation) jointly contribute to the mitigation of adolescent IGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inhaled argon (iAr) has shown promising therapeutic efficacy for acute ischemic stroke and has exhibited impressive advantages over other inert gases as a neuroprotective agent. However, the optimal dose, duration, and time point of iAr for acute ischemic stroke are unknown. Here, we explored variable iAr schedules and evaluated the neuroprotective effects of acute iAr administration on lesion volume, brain edema, and neurological function in a mouse model of cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. Methods: Adult ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice were randomly subjected to sham, moderate (1.5 h), or severe (3 h) transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). One hour after tMCAO, the mice were randomized to variable iAr protocols or air. General and focal deficit scores were assessed during double-blind treatment. Infarct volume, overall recovery, and brain edema were analyzed 24 h after cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. Results: Compared with those in the tMCAO-only group, lesion volume (p < 0.0001) and neurologic outcome (general, p < 0.0001; focal, p < 0.0001) were significantly improved in the group administered iAr 1 h after stroke onset (during ischemia). Short-term argon treatment (1 or 3 h) significantly improved the infarct volume (1 vs. 24 h, p < 0.0001; 3 vs. 24 h, p < 0.0001) compared with argon inhalation for 24 h. The concentration of iAr was confirmed to be a key factor in improving focal neurological outcomes relative to that in the tMCAO group, with higher concentrations of iAr showing better effects. Additionally, even though ischemia research has shown an increase in cerebral damage proportional to the ischemia time, argon administration showed significant neuroprotective effects on infarct volume (p < 0.0001), neurological deficits (general, p < 0.0001; focal, p < 0.0001), weight recovery (p < 0.0001), and edema (p < 0.0001) in general, particularly in moderate stroke. Conclusions: Timely iAr administration during ischemia showed optimal neurological outcomes and minimal infarct volumes. Moreover, an appropriate duration of argon administration was important for better neuroprotective efficacy. These findings may provide vital guidance for using argon as a neuroprotective agent and moving to clinical trials in acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of language development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been primarily focused on the influence of child-based factors such as autism traits, IQ, and initial language skills. Yet the findings of these studies are inconclusive. There has, moreover, been little research compared the relative influences of child-based factors with environmental factors, (e.g. parental inputs). The current study attempts to fill this research gap by examining a range of both child-based factors and parental inputs. We measured the structural language abilities manifested in parent-child interactions over four time points across nine months in 42 Chinese-speaking autistic children (M=57.42Studies of language development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been primarily focused on the influence of child-based factors such as autism traits, IQ, and initial language skills. Yet the findings of these studies are inconclusive. There has, moreover, been little research compared the relative influences of child-based factors with environmental factors, (e.g. parental inputs). The current study attempts to fill this research gap by examining a range of both child-based factors and parental inputs. We measured the structural language abilities manifested in parent-child interactions over four time points across nine months in 42 Chinese-speaking autistic children (M=57.42months, SD=11.39). Our results showed that children’s mean length of utterance (MLU), word types, and word tokens grew rapidly, but their development trajectories varied. Initial expressive language ability was a significant predictor of children’s language outcomes, while nonverbal IQ and autism traits did not relate to children’s language abilities when controlling for initial expressive language ability. Parents’ MLU, word tokens, and word types did not associate with children’s structural language abilities. The findings shed lights on the importance of one of the child-based factors in particular, that is, initial expressive language skills, in the language development of autistic children.months, SD=11.39). Our results showed that children’s mean length of utterance (MLU), word types, and word tokens grew rapidly, but their development trajectories varied. Initial expressive language ability was a significant predictor of children’s language outcomes, while nonverbal IQ and autism traits did not relate to children’s language abilities when controlling for initial expressive language ability. Parents’ MLU, word tokens, and word types did not associate with children’s structural language abilities. The findings shed lights on the importance of one of the child-based factors in particular, that is, initial expressive language skills, in the language development of autistic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

14-3-3 proteins are signal moderators in sensing various stresses and play essential functions in plant growth and development. Although, 14-3-3 gene families have been identified and characterized in many plant species, its evolution has not been studied systematically. In this study, the plant 14-3-3 family was comprehensively analyzed from green algae to angiosperm. Our result indicated that plant 14-3-3 originated during the early evolutionary history of green algae and expanded in terricolous plants. Twenty-six 14-3-3 genes were identified in the tea genome. RNA-seq analysis showed that tea 14-3-3 genes display different expression patterns in different organs. Moreover, the expression of most tea 14-3-3 genes displayed variable expression patterns under different abiotic and biotic stresses. In conclusion, our results elucidate the evolutionary origin of plant 14-3-3 genes, and beneficial for understanding their biological functions and improving tea agricultural traits in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study compared the survival outcomes of different surgical approaches to determine the optimal approach for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) and aimed to standardize the surgical treatment guidelines for GCA. Methods: A total of 7103 patients with GCA were enrolled from our previously established gastric cardia and esophageal carcinoma databases. In our database, when the epicenter of the tumor was at or within 2 cm distally from the esophagogastric junction, the adenocarcinoma was considered to originate from the cardia and was considered a Siewert type 2 cancer. The main criteria for the enrolled patients included treatment with radical surgery, no radio- or chemotherapy before the operation, and detailed clinicopathological information. Follow-up was mainly performed by telephone or through home interviews. According to the medical records, the surgical approaches included transthoracic, thoracoabdominal, and transabdominal approaches. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied to correlate the surgical approach with survival in patients with GCA. Results: There were marked differences in age and tumor stage among the patients who underwent the three surgical approaches (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that survival was related to sex, age, tumor stage, and N stage (P < 0.001 for all). Cox regression model analysis revealed that thoracoabdominal approach (P < 0.001) and transabdominal approach (P < 0.001) were significant risk factors for poor survival. GCA patients treated with the transthoracic approach had the best survival (5-year survival rate of 53.7%), and survival varied among the different surgical approaches for different tumor stages. Conclusion: Thoracoabdominal approach and transabdominal approach were shown to be poor prognostic factors. Patients with (locally advanced) GCA may benefit from the transthoracic approach. Further prospective randomized clinical trials are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypical heterogeneity in language abilities is a hallmark of autism but remains poorly understood. The present study collected naturalistic language samples from parent–child interactions. We quantified verbal abilities (mean length of utterance, tokens, types) of 50 Chinese-speaking children (M = 5; 6) and stratified subgroups based on their autism traits, IQ, and language abilities. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, four groups were identified. Group 1, the least affected group, had mild autism, the highest IQ, and the strongest verbal abilities. Group 2, the severely affected group, had the lowest IQ, most severe autism symptoms, and weakest verbal abilities. Group 3 and Group 4 displayed average levels of verbal abilities and IQ. These findings may characterize the heterogeneous profiles of verbal abilities in Chinese-speaking children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twin-field quantum key distribution (TF-QKD) has attracted considerable attention because it can exceed the basic rate-distance limit without quantum repeaters. Its variant protocol, sending or not-sending quantum key distribution (SNS-QKD), not only fixes the security vulnerability of TF-QKD, but also can tolerate large misalignment errors. However, the current SNS-QKD protocol is based on the active decoy-state method, which may lead to side channel information leakage when multiple light intensities are modulated in practice. In this work, we propose a passive decoy-state SNS-QKD protocol to further enhance the security of SNS-QKD. Numerical simulation results show that the protocol not only improves the security in source, but also retains the advantages of tolerating large misalignment errors. Therefore, it may provide further guidance for the practical application of SNS-QKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete integrable nonlinear differential difference equations (NDDEs) have various mathematical structures and properties, such as Lax pair, infinitely many conservation laws, Hamiltonian structure, and different kinds of symmetries, including Lie point symmetry, generalized Lie bäcklund symmetry, and master symmetry. Symmetry is one of the very effective methods used to study the exact solutions and integrability of NDDEs. The Toda lattice equation is a famous example of NDDEs, which may be used to simulate the motions of particles in lattices. In this paper, we investigated the generalized Toda lattice equation related to 3 × 3 matrix linear spectral problem. This discrete equation is related to continuous linear and nonlinear partial differential equations under the continuous limit. Based on the known 3 × 3 Lax pair of this equation, the discrete generalized (m , 3 N − m) -fold Darboux transformation was constructed for the first time and extended from the 2 × 2 Lax pair to the 3 × 3 Lax pair to give its rational solutions. Furthermore, the limit states of such rational solutions are discussed via the asymptotic analysis technique. Finally, the exponential–rational mixed solutions of the generalized Toda lattice equation are obtained in the form of determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have conversation deficits, yet the growth of conversation abilities is understudied, especially in Chinese-speaking populations. Little is known about whether their parents' verbal responsiveness and redirectives are related to their conversation skills. Children with ASD (N = 37; M = 5;5) and their parents contributed their language samples. These children interacted with their parents at four time points over nine months. The number of conversational turns and the proportion of child-initiated conversation (but not the proportion of children's appropriate responses) grew over nine months. After controlling for time, autism severity, and language skills, parents' verbal responsiveness positively predicted children's appropriate responses. Parents' redirectives negatively predicted the proportion of children's appropriate responses and the number of conversational turns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design mismatched fluorescent probes to directly monitor the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in living cells. The introduction of mismatched bases in the fluorescent probe greatly enhances the strand displacement reaction rate toward the target lncRNA. These mismatched probes can monitor the intracellular lncRNA expression level in various cell lines and discriminate cancer cells from normal cells, holding great potential in fundamental biomedical research and clinical disease diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most biophysiological processes, sulfur dioxide (SO 2) is an important intracellular signaling molecule that plays an important role. The change of SO 2 in cells are closely related to various diseases such as neurological disorders and lung cancer, so it is necessary to develop fluorescent probes with the ability to accurately detect SO 2 during physiological processes. In this work, we designed and synthesized a multifunctional fluorescent probe TIS. TIS has excellent properties such as near-infrared emission, large stokes shift, excellent SO 2 detection capabilities, low detection limit, high specificity and visualization of color change before and after reaction. Simultaneously, TIS has low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, clear cell imaging capability and mitochondrial targeting ability. In addition, the ability of TIS to be applied to different material surfaces for latent fingerprint fluorescence imaging was also explored. TIS provides an excellent method for the accurate detection of SO 2 derivatives and shows great potential applications in near-infrared cellular imaging and latent fingerprint fluorescence imaging. (a) TIS response mechanisms for HSO 3 −. (b) application of TIS. [Display omitted] • A NIR emission fluorescent probe with AIE characterization. • TIS has long emission wavelength (795 nm) and large Stokes shift (265 nm). • Dual detection channel for SO 2 derivatives accurate detection. • Superior colocalization effect on mitochondrial (0.86). • Clear three-level finger imaging capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplementing probiotics or indigestible carbohydrates is a usual strategy to prevent or revert unhealthy states of the gut by reshaping gut microbiota. One criterion that probiotics are efficacious is the capacity to survive in the gastrointestinal tract. Biofilm is the common growth mode of microorganisms with high tolerances toward harsh environments. Suitable scaffolds are crucial for successful biofilm culture and large-scale production of biofilm-phenotype probiotics. However, the role of scaffolds containing indigestible carbohydrates in biofilm formation has not been studied. In this study, porous zein/cellulose composite scaffolds provided nitrogen sources and carbon sources simultaneously at the solid/liquid interfaces, being beneficial to the biofilm formation of Lactobacillus reuteri. The biofilms showed 2.1–17.4 times higher tolerances in different gastrointestinal conditions. In human fecal fermentation, the biofilms combined with the zein/cellulose composite scaffolds act as the "synbiotics" positively modulating the gut microbiota and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), where biofilms provide probiotics and scaffolds provide prebiotics. The "synbiotics" show a more positive regulation ability than planktonic L. reuteri , presenting potential applications in gut health interventions. These results provide an understanding of the synergistic effects of biofilm-phenotype probiotics and indigestible carbohydrates contained in the "synbiotics" in gut microbiota modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schematic illustration of photodynamic therapy of TTQ-Th to accelerate ablating cancer cells. [Display omitted] • Altering functional group of compounds enhances the ability to target mitochondria. • TTQ-Th has desirable advantage of large stokes shifts and bright NIR emission. • The sufficient ROS generation of TTQ-Th upon photoexcitation can ablate cancer cells. • TTQ-Th inhibit copper-based enzyme activity to suppress metastasis of cancer cells. Abnormally high levels of copper in tumors stimulate malignant proliferation and migration of cancer cells, which proposes a formidable challenge for the thorough therapy of malignant tumors. In this work, we developed a reliable, mitochondria-targeted near-infrared aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe, TTQ-Th, whose thiourea moiety specifically could recognize mitochondria even both upon loss of mitochondrial membrane potential or in fixated cells, and can capture copper overexpressed by tumor cells, leading to severe copper deficiency. In parallel, TTQ-Th can generate sufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon photoexcitation, while copper deficiency inhibits expression of related copper-based enzymes, resulting in a decline in ATP production. Such energy deficiency, combined with reduced MMP and elevated oxidative stress can lead to critical cell oncosis. Both in vitro and intracellular experiments can illustrate that the elevated ROS has remarkable damage to tumor cells and contributes to the elimination of the primary tumor, while copper deficiency further hinder tumor cell migration and induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner, which is an efficacious strategy for the treatment of malignant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constitutive model of the frozen soil-structure interface is a critical component of frozen soil mechanics research, and the surface roughness plays a significant role in determining the interaction between the soil and structure. Most of the previous research about the interface roughness mechanical behavior is based on numerical simulations, and these methods mainly depend on empirical and semi-empirical approaches to determine parameters. However, there is a lack of sufficient research on the internal mechanisms of micro-mechanical deformation of the contact surface based on roughness. To elucidate the impact of roughness on the deformation mechanism and mechanical behavior of frozen soil, a series of cryogenic direct shear tests and a binary medium model based on the interface of frozen soil-structure were conducted. The test was carried out at −4 °C under different normal load and roughness conditions. The test results showed that the shear curve of the specimen interface presented brittle failure, and the stress peak was evident at this temperature. Moreover, the shear zone was introduced to explain the change of roughness on the mechanical behavior of the samples. A binary medium constitutive model was established to depict the overall mechanical behavior of the interface during prepeak shear with different roughness. The simulated roughness, displacement, and shear stress are in good agreement with the measured data. The effectiveness of the model is evaluated by correlated factors, and it is verified that the model can properly depict the change of roughness on the mechanical characteristics of the interface. • Established an improved roughness algorithm that considers various factors. • The relationship between the surface roughness and the shear stress is analyzed. • A binary medium constitutive model considering the effect of roughness is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical deposition and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) are two widely used techniques for preparing semiconductor materials. However, there is limited research on combining the two methods to prepare CuO and Co 3 O 4 composites for supercapacitor applications. In this study, CuO/Co 3 O 4 semiconductor composites with spherical (S–CuO/Co 3 O 4) and wheat spike (W–CuO/Co 3 O 4) morphologies were prepared on nickel foam substrate using a combination of electrochemical deposition and successive ion-layer adsorption. The composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy to confirm their composition and morphology. The electrochemical properties of CuO/Co 3 O 4 materials were investigated using CV, GCD, and EIS. The results show that the load cycle has a significant impact on the performance of CuO/Co 3 O 4 , with a load period of 10 cycles exhibiting the best electrochemical performance. A comparison also reveals that the performance of the W–CuO/Co 3 O 4 electrode is better than that of the S–CuO/Co 3 O 4 electrode. In particular, at 1 mA/cm2 current density, the specific capacity of the W–CuO/Co 3 O 4 -10 electrode is 86.0 mAh/g, which is larger compared to S–CuO/Co 3 O 4 -10 electrode (55.8 mAh/g). After 5000 cycles of galvanostatic charge/discharge, the capacitance retention rate of the W–CuO/Co 3 O 4 -10 electrode remains 76.9 %. In addition, two water-system symmetrical supercapacitors connected in series can light up the LED for 8 min and still maintain a certain brightness. Modifying the morphology of composites has a significant impact on improving the capacitive properties of composites. This study demonstrates that the prepared CuO/Co 3 O 4 composite material has good application potential as electrode material for supercapacitors. [Display omitted] • CuO/Co 3 O 4 composite electrode materials were prepared by electrodeposition combined with the SILAR method. • The morphology of CuO/Co 3 O 4 electrode material has a great influence on properties. • W–CuO/Co 3 O 4 provides high specific capacity and good stability. • Symmetrical SCs assembled with W–CuO/Co 3 O 4 have good electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cartilage tissue engineering is a promising option for repairing cartilage defects, although harvesting a large number of seeding cells remains a major challenge. Cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs) seem to be a promising cell source. Hypoxic extracellular vesicles (EVs) may play a major role in cell-cell and tissue-tissue communication. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of hypoxic adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)-derived EVs on CSPCs proliferation and differentiation. The characteristics of ADSCs-derived EVs were identified, and proliferation, migration, and cartilage-related gene expression of CSPCs were measured with or without the presence of hypoxic ADSCs-derived EVs. SEM, histological staining, biochemical and biomechanical analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of hypoxic ADSCs-derived EVs on CSPCs in alginate hydrogel culture. The results indicated that the majority of ADSC-derived EVs exhibited a round-shaped or cup-shaped morphology with a diameter of 40–1000 nm and expressed CD9, CD63, and CD81. CSPCs migration and proliferation were enhanced by hypoxic ADSCs-derived EVs, which also increased the expression of cartilage-related genes. The hypoxic ADSCs-derived EVs induce CSPCs to produce significantly more cartilage matrix and proteoglycan. In conclusion, hypoxic ADSCs-derived EVs improved the proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of CSPCs for cartilage tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twin-field quantum key distribution (TF-QKD) is a new extraordinary QKD protocol, which can overcome the fundamental rate-distance limit without quantum repeaters. Moreover, its variant, the sending-or-not-sending twin-field quantum key distribution (SNS-QKD) protocol, can both tolerate large misalignment error and have a higher key rate; however, the light source is assumed to be the trusted one in the original SNS protocol. In this paper, we propose a more practical SNS-QKD protocol with plug-and-play architecture, named P & P SNS-QKD protocol. We present the framework of P & P SNS-QKD protocol and analyze the tight bound of its key rate with the four-intensity decoy-state method. The proposed protocol can avoid the careful adjustments, and the control of the system and the numerical simulations results show that the proposed protocol has a close key generation rate to that of the original SNS-QKD. Besides, the proposed protocol still maintains a high tolerance for misalignment errors even if the source is unknown and untrusted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the key effector cells in the occurrence and development of liver fibrosis, while aerobic glycolysis is one of the important metabolic characteristics of HSC activation. 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 (PFKFB3) is a homodimeric bifunctional enzyme, which is a rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis. This metabolite is important for the dynamic regulation of glycolytic flux. However, little is known about the role of PFKFB3 in liver fibrosis. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of PFKFB3 on aerobic glycolysis in the process of HSC trans-differentiation and liver fibrosis. Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and immunofluorescence assays were used to examine PFKFB3 expression inmice fibrotic liver tissue. The determination of extracellular acidification rate was used to examine changes in aerobic glycolytic flux, lactate production levels, and glucose consumption levels inHSCs upon TGF-β1 stimulation. Western blot analysis of the expression of PFKFB3, α-SMA protein, and type I collagen was done. Liver histopathology was also examined. Besides, glycolytic inhibition by pharmacologic approaches was used to demonstrate the critical role of glycolysis in liver fibrosis. Results: The PFKFB3 protein expressionwas increased inmouse fibrotic liver tissue. In addition, immunofluorescence revealed the colocalization of PFKFB3 and alpha-smoothmuscle actin (α-SMA) protein. In vitro experiments showed that PFKFB3 could promote glycolysis flux, lactic acid production, and glucose consumption of hepatic stellate cells. The PFKFB3 inhibitor was used in amouse model of liver fibrosis, and the inhibition of PFKFB3 reduced the degree of liver inflammation and liver fibrosis. Conclusions: PFKFB3 can promote HSC aerobic glycolysis, which, in turn, promotes HSC activation and liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frost heave damage is caused by the in situ freezing of pore water and segregated ice due to moisture migration. Previous studies have shown that in freezing soil, moisture migration is related to the pore water pressure gradient, and moisture migration is the dominant reason for the formation of an ice lens. However, the essential relationship between ice segregation and the matric potential is still controversial. Using a pF meter sensor, a 5TM volume water content sensor, and a digital image capture system, the relationship between the matric potential and the unfrozen water in saturated freezing soil was monitored in real time, and digital images of the formation of segregated ice were collected. Furthermore, the time space coupling relationships between the unfrozen water, the matric potential, the frost-heaving amount, the moisture migration, and the formation of an ice lens were systematically analyzed during soil freezing. The results demonstrate that there is an internal relationship between the moisture migration driven by the matric potential (from the micro-perspective) and the segregated ice layer effect (from the macroscopic perspective). In addition, the unfrozen water and the matric potential in the frozen area have a significant impact on the distribution of the segregated ice lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under consideration is the semi-discrete mixed focusing–defocusing coherently coupled nonlinear Schrödinger system with the fourth-order auxiliary linear problem, which may describe some dynamic behaviors of light pulses. Firstly, the modulational instability is studied to analyze the possible generation reason of diverse localized waves from plane wave solution. Secondly, based on the known 4 × 4 Lax pair, the discrete generalized (m , N - m)-fold Darboux transformation is constructed and extended to solve this discrete system. Finally, as an application of the resulting Darboux transformation, some exact solutions with position control parameters are derived and shown graphically, in particular, we obtain some novel rogue wave and periodic wave solutions with only one peak and no valleys on vanishing background, which are different from the usual fundamental rogue wave with one peak and two valleys. These results might be useful for understanding propagation of light pulses. • The semi-discrete mixed focusing–defocusing coherently coupled nonlinear Schrödinger system is studied. • The modulational instability of possible generation region for different localized waves is analyzed. • The generalized (m , N - m)-fold Darboux transformation for this semi-discrete system is first constructed. • Higher-order rogue wave solutions are investigated and discussed graphically. • Rogue waves without valleys on vanishing background are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting the organelles that generate oxidative stress and implementing oxidative stress therapy is an essential and ambitious task. As an important subcellular organelle in eukaryotic cells, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is significant in mediating the direction of cell metabolism and apoptosis. To achieve the goal, we rationally designed and synthesized a photosensitizer named TTQ-ER with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics. Such a probe connects the AIE-fluorophore to the glibenclamide backbone, which enables TTQ-ER to specifically target the ER and promote emission in the near-infrared region, avoiding the negative impact of autofluorescence in organisms. Meanwhile, TTQ-ER has a large stokes shift, excellent anti-photobleaching properties, and sufficient 1O 2 production (8.85-fold of Ce6). Apoptosis assay and cell migration assay further verified that excessive reactive oxygen species production by TTQ-ER in cancer cells could promote oxidative stress in the ER microenvironment and disrupt the normal biological function of ER, thus causing elevated local lipid peroxidation and inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. Consequently, this work offers informative ideas for designing a newly generation of photosensitizers to achieve accurate photodynamic therapy. Schematic diagram of TTQ-ER promoting apoptosis of cancer cells. [Display omitted] • TTQ-ER possesses bright NIR emission, large stokes shifts and precise ER targeting. • Significant ER-targeted specificity (Rr = 0.903). • Extremely high generation yield of 1O 2 (8.85-fold that of Ce6). • Superior photodynamic ablation of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ascendancy of China’s Cultural Revolution led to a purge of the rightists, including musicians. This article unveils composer Zhao Xiaosheng’s emotional entanglement of fear and suppressed hostility toward the revolution, reflected in the political and artistic ambivalence in his two ballades for solo piano composed after his father’s death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-staining positive, motile, rod-shaped and subterminal endospore-forming bacterium, designated strain SYSU K30005T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a karst cave in Libo county, Guizhou province, south-western China. Strain SYSU K30005T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Lysinibacillus fusiformis (98.6%) and Lysinibacillus sphaericus (98.2%). In phylogenetic tree, strain SYSU K30005T clade with the members of the genus Lysinibacillus. Based on the phylogenetic and 16S gene sequence result, strain SYSU K30005T was affiliated to the genus Lysinibacillus. The growth of SYSU K30005T was observed at 15–37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0–4% (w/v) NaCl (optimum in 3.5% NaCl). Cell wall peptidoglycan type was A4α (Lys–Asp). The cell-wall sugars of SYSU K30005T were ribose, galactose and mannose and MK-7 was the only quinone. The fatty acids (> 5% of total fatty acids) were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and iso-C17:0. The polar lipids profile included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatideylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified phospholipid. The genomic DNA G + C content was 37.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity values between SYSU K30005T and its closest relatives were below the cut-off level (95–96%) for species delineation. The results support the conclusion that strain SYSU K30005T represents a novel species of the genus Lysinibacillus, for which we proposed the name Lysinibacillus cavernae sp. nov. The type strain is SYSU K30005T (= KCTC 43130T = CGMCC 1.17492T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Aberrations in brain connections are implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). We previously demonstrated that Glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) reduction is associated with cognition decline. Nonetheless, it is elusive if the pattern of brain topological connectivity differed across PD with divergent serum GDNF levels, and the accompanying profile of cognitive deficits has yet to be determined. Methods: We collected data on the participants' cognition, demographics, and serum GDNF levels. Participants underwent 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging, and we assessed the degree centrality, brain network topology, and cortical thickness of the healthy control (HC) (n = 25), PD‐high‐GDNF (n = 19), and PD‐low‐GDNF (n = 19) groups using graph‐theoretic measures of resting‐state functional MRI to reveal how much brain connectivity varies and its clinical correlates, as well as to determine factors predicting the cognitive status in PD. Results: The results show different network properties between groups. Degree centrality abnormalities were found in the right inferior frontal gyrus and right parietal lobe postcentral gyrus, linked with cognition scores. The two aberrant clusters serve as a potentially powerful signal for determining whether a patient has PD and the patient's cognition level after integrating with GDNF, duration, and dopamine dosage. Moreover, we found a significant positive relationship between the thickness of the left caudal middle frontal lobe and a plethora of cognitive domains. Further discriminant analysis revealed that the cortical thickness of this region could distinguish PD patients from healthy controls. The mental state evaluation will also be more precise when paired with GDNF and duration. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that the topological features of brain networks and cortical thickness are altered in PD patients with cognitive deficits. The above change, accompanied by the serum GDNF, may have merit as a diagnosis marker for PD and, arguably, cognition status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, numerous measures have been proposed for quantifying the quantumness of a given system, and the existence of intrinsic connections among quantum resource measures has been proven. Here, we study the unified relationship between duality, first-order coherence, three-setting linear steering inequality, and maximum average fidelity between two masses due to gravity. Under gravitational inducement, an equivalent relationship was identified between the first-order coherence and duality. The coherence of a system can be controlled by adjusting arm lengths and the distance between the arms of an interferometer. In most cases, the first-order coherence of a system cannot be maximised. Furthermore, a trade-off relationship between gravitationally induced duality and steering violations was derived. We can adjust the arm length and distance between the arms of the interferometer such that the steering violation reaches its maximum at phase π . The results show that the value of the steering violation is always greater than 1; that is, the state of the system is steerable. In addition, we explored the intrinsic relationship between duality and the maximal average fidelity due to gravity. In most cases, the maximum average fidelity of the system is greater than 2/3, indicating that the state is useful for quantum teleportation. These results are important for investigating the intrinsic relationships among various quantum resources within the framework of gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study helium (He) supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI) into H-mode tokamak plasma, a simplified multicomponent-plasma model under the assumption of quasi-neutral condition is developed and implemented in the frame of BOUT ++. The simulation results show that He species propagate inwards after He SMBI, and are deposited at the bottom of the pedestal due to intensive ionization and weak spreading speed. It is found that almost all injected helium particles strip off all the bounded electrons. He species interact intensively with background plasma along the injection path during He SMBI, making deuterium ion density profile drop at the He-deposited location and resulting in a large electron temperature decreasing, but deuterium ion temperature decreasing a little at the top of the pedestal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrino oscillation is an important physical phenomenon in elementary particle physics, and its nonclassical features can be revealed by the Leggett–Garg inequality. It shows that its quantum coherence can be sustained over astrophysical length scales. In this work, we investigate the measure of quantumness in experimentally observed neutrino oscillations via the nonlocal advantage of quantum coherence (NAQC), quantum steering, and Bell nonlocality. From various neutrino sources, ensembles of reactor and accelerator neutrinos are analyzed at distinct energies, such as Daya Bay (0.5 km and 1.6 km) and MINOS (735 km) collaborations. The NAQC of two-flavor neutrino oscillation is characterized experimentally compared to the theoretical prediction. It exhibits non-monotonously evolutive phenomenon with the increase of energy. Furthermore, it is found that the NAQC is a stronger quantum correlation than quantum steering and Bell nonlocality even in the order of km. Hence, for an arbitrary bipartite neutrino-flavor state with achieving a NAQC, it must be also a steerable and Bell nonlocal state. The results might offer an insight into the neutrino oscillation for the further applications on quantum information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences in zinc finger of the cerebellum 1 (ZIC1) expression between cervical cancer tissue, precancer tissue and normal cervical tissue to determine its clinicopathological and prognostic value in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of ZIC1 in 569 fresh-frozen biopsy tissues, and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect ZIC1 protein expression in 80 CSCC tissues and 320 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade III samples. The association of ZIC1 expression with the clinicopathological characteristics of CSCC was then analyzed using Cox regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the prognostic value. The level of ZIC1 mRNA expression in CSCC was significantly lower compared with normal cervical tissues and CIN I–III tissues (P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between ZIC1 immunoreactivity score (IRS) in CSCC tissue and adjacent noncancerous tissue (R=−0.279; P=0.012); the mean IRS of ZIC1 in CSCC tissue was 5.36±3.48, which was significantly lower compared with the corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues (11.31±5.68; P<0.001) and CIN III samples (10.42±1.54; P<0.001). In addition, expression of ZIC1 was negatively associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P=0.027) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). In Cox regression analysis, ZIC1 expression [hazard ratio (HR), 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40–0.92; P=0.018), FIGO staging (HR, 3.55; 95% CI, 2.35–5.37; P<0.001) and lymph node metastasis (HR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.62–3.86; P<0.001) were three independent prognostic factors of overall survival. Furthermore, ZIC1 expression was also associated with disease-free survival (P=0.003). These results suggest that ZIC1 expression in CSCC may be lower than in normal cervical tissues or CIN tissues, and high expression of ZIC1 may be negatively associated with FIGO stage and lymph node metastasis. Therefore, ZIC1 may be a promising biomarker for the prognosis of CSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Communication effects can be evaluated from technical, medium and cultural level. • 54 influencing factors have been found to be critical to communication effects. • An evaluation model was constructed to assess the digital communication effects. • Content integrity, Interest and Cultural social significance are paramount factors. Intangible cultural heritage is confronted with the communication dilemma of a narrow audience and a lack of inheritor. With the development of digital technologies, the use of digital communication methods to reduce the communication gap has become a vital approach. Therefore, the process of changing the current conventional communication of intangible cultural heritage and improving the presentation of traditional treasures to the public, combined with digital communication technologies, has become the focus of the academic field. Based on the technology acceptance model and the attention-interest-desire-memory-action audience response model, this paper defines three layers of key factors that influence the digital communication effects of intangible cultural heritage and their respective weights. In-depth interviews with 50 experienced experts from six major areas related to this research are conducted with the assistance of the Delphi method. A theoretical evaluation model of the digital communication effects of intangible cultural heritage is constructed using the analytic hierarchy process. Through its findings, this research expects to provide academic references and operative guidelines for the practical application of digital communication technologies in cultural communication and to aid in the communication and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ni-Mg 2 Si/γ-Al 2 O 3 is effective for the CHC of the extract and ER from YL. • The CHC includes the hydrocracking of covalent bonds & hydrogenation of ARs in YL. • Total yield of cyclanes from the CHC is much higher than from the NCHC. A highly active difunctional Ni-Mg 2 Si/γ-Al 2 O 3 was prepared by thermally decomposing nickel tetracarbonyl onto γ-Al 2 O 3 impregnated with Mg 2 Si. The non-catalytic hydroconversion (NCHC) and catalytic hydroconversion (CHC) of the extract (E) and extraction residue (ER) from Yinggemajianfeng lignite were investigated over Ni-Mg 2 Si/γ-Al 2 O 3 at 240 °C in n -hexane. Benzyloxybenzene and oxybis(methylene)dibenzene were used as lignite-related model compounds to speculate the possible mechanisms for the catalytic hydrocracking and hydrogenation over Ni-Mg 2 Si/γ-Al 2 O 3. As a result, more organic matter in ER was converted to soluble portion (SP) by the CHC than by the NCHC. The main SP from the CHC are chain alkanes and cyclanes, while that from the NCHC is rich in arenes and oxygen-containing organic compounds. The results indicate that Ni-Mg 2 Si/γ-Al 2 O 3 effectively catalyze the hydrocracking of >C alk –O– linkages and the hydrogenation of aromatic rings in E and ER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregation-induced emission photosensitizers (AIE-PSs) targeting different subcellular organelles with time-dependent manner are highly promising for clinical applications but rarely reported. Herein, we designed and synthesized the near-infrared (NIR) emission AIE-PS (CTQ-S) with broad absorption and excellent type I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation efficiency that was superior to the widely used PS (Rose Bengal and Chlorine 6). With short-term incubation, CTQ-S anchored on the cell membrane (Rr: 0.843, Rr is for Pearson correlation coefficient) and gradually entered the mitochondria (Rr: 0.937) of cancer cells, showing excellent time-dependent fluorescence fluorescent imaging effect. Furthermore, CTQ-S realized the selective photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect in a time-dependent manner under white light irradiation. This work provided a new way for cancer cells fluorescence imaging and PDT. [Display omitted] • A NIR emission AIE-PS with wide absorption bands and large Stokes shifts. • CTQ-S displayed remarkable type I ROS generation efficiency. • Time-dependent targeting of the cell membrane or mitochondria of cancer cells. • Superior colocalization effect on cell membrane (0.843) and mitochondrial (0.937). • It exhibited a potent selective PDT effect by inducing mitochondrial damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with critical organelle targeting can maximize ablation of malignant tumors, which is a desirable route against cancer. However, the short excitation/emission wavelengths of conventional photosensitizers (PSs), the inefficient production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the inevitable aggregation-induced quenching phenomenon have restricted their development. Herein, we developed and synthesized a set of photoactivated fluorescent probes named MoTQu and MeTQu with aggregation-induced emission properties. The both of fluorescent probes have merits of bright near-infrared fluorescence emission, large stokes shift and enhanced intramolecular charge transfer attributed to the synergistic interaction of strong donor and acceptor of molecular. In addition, the optimal PS named MoTQu not only possesses superior anti-photobleaching, biocompatibility and extremely high-level ROS generation efficiency, on the other hand, can time-responsive target mitochondria and lysosomes in living cells to cause lysosomal dysfunction by generating large amount of ROS in situ under photoexcitation, subsequently targeting mitochondria through the positive electrical properties of the quinoline fraction, further inducing and promoting cancer cell damage and irreversible apoptosis. Consequently, we are convinced that MoTQu can be a powerful tool to foster the development of image-guided PDT. [Display omitted] • MoTQu has merit of time-responsive mitochondria and lysosomes targeting. • MoTQu have desirable advantages of large stokes shifts and bright NIR emission. • The sufficient ROS generation of MoTQu upon photoexcitation can ablate cancer cells. • Tiny doses of MoTQu under photoexcitation could suppress metastasis of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The heterogeneity of autism is well documented, but few studies have studied the heterogeneity of gesture production ability in autistic children. The present study aimed to identify subgroups of autistic children who displayed heterogeneous gesture production abilities and explore the underlying factors, including autism characteristics, intellectual ability, and language ability, that were associated with the heterogeneity. Methods: A total of 65 Chinese autistic children (mean age = 5;3) participated. Their autism characteristics and intellectual ability were assessed by standardized measurements. Language output and gesture production were captured from a parent-child interaction task. Results: We conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis and identified four distinct clusters. Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 both had low gesture production whereas Cluster 3 and Cluster 4 had high gesture production. Both Clusters 1 and 2 had relatively strong autism characteristics, in comparison to Clusters 3 and 4. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that children with stronger autism characteristics may gesture less often than those with weaker characteristics. However, the relationship between language ability and intellectual ability and gesture production was not clear. These findings shed light on the directions of intervention on gesture production for autistic children, especially those with stronger autism characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Optimized molecular side-chain has facilitated photosensitizers from type II to type I PDT. • BOTTQ can target dynamic lipid droplets with high fidelity. • BOTTQ NPs containing MAL moiety can effectively deplete GSH to promote ferroptosis. • Ferroptosis induced by BOTTQ NPs can stimulate cascade responses in other organelles. • BOTTQ NPs can efficaciously inhibit and ablate tumors in hypoxic conditions. Severe ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic iron-dependent cell death pathway, and extreme hypoxia and anomalous iron metabolism in tumors critically suppress the efficacy of ferroptosis therapy. Overcoming tumor hypoxia while facilitating ferroptosis is an extremely challenging task. Herein, the photosensitizer named BOTTQ with specific targeting of lipid droplet (LD) was synthesized by increasing the tail chain length of triphenylamine. The addition of alkoxy chains optimized the molecular structure and fostered inter-system crossing and type I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Besides, BOTTQ yielded large amounts of type I ROS under light excitation oxidize efficiently polyunsaturated fatty acids in lipid monolayer of LD and contribute to the formation of ferroptosis substrate. Meanwhile, the generation of type I ROS accelerated the Fenton reaction, thus effectively boosting the occurrences of ferroptosis. Furthermore, the successful encapsulation of BOTTQ into DSPE-PEG-MAL material not only elevates the stable type of nanoparticle colloids, but the MAL moiety can deplete the functional thiols of glutathione in a mild environment, which leads to glutathione failure and facilitates ferroptosis. Thus tumor-specific ferroptosis-inducing strategy offers a universally applicable therapy with the capacity to enhance type I ROS production and effectively contain tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Extreme quantum yields (51.57 % at solid state). • Significant lysosome-targeted specificity (Rr = 0.912). • Tracking of lysosomes' dynamic movement in living cells. High-fidelity imaging and long-term visualization of lysosomes are pivotal factors in the functional assessment of lysosomes, which perform an instrumental role in the physiological activity of cells. However, commercial probes have great limitations in lysosome exploration resulting from the aggregation-caused quenching effect as well as photobleaching instability and small Stokes shift. Therefore, we constructed a novel probe named TTAM with triphenylamine as the matrix and morpholine ring as the targeting group. In contrast with commonly accessible Lyso-tracker Red, TTAM has the merits of aggregation-induced emission effect, extremely high quantum yields (51.57 % solid-state) as well as fluorescence intensity, significant photostability, and high resolution. These properties make it ideal for imaging and activity monitoring lysosomes, which provides a powerful condition for bio-imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sigma profile and molecular fingerprint were used for molecule representation. • Hyperparameters were optimized by Bayesian optimization and local search algorithm. • Boxplots were used to investigate the model performance in different families of ILs. • The main factors affecting ILs toxicity were qualitatively analyzed. • The deep convolutional neural network can accurately predict the toxicity of ILs. This work proposed a hybrid molecular descriptor combined with deep learning method to model and evaluate the rational application of ionic liquids (ILs) through deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN). A total toxicity dataset of ILs against the leukemia rat cell line (ICP-81) was collected from the literature. The MACCS fingerprint and sigma profiles of the ILs were calculated using the RDKit packet and the COSMO-SAC model, respectively. The hyperparameters of the DCNN model were optimized by combining Bayesian optimization and local search algorithm. The importance of the feature descriptors was determined based on their influence on the DCNN model. The obtained results showed that the proposed model had a satisfactory prediction accuracy, and the coefficient of determination (R2) for the train set and test set were 0.972 and 0.965. This work provides guidance for the screening of ILs and their rational application in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Hereditary leukonychia is a rare nail dystrophy characterized by distinctive whitening of the nail plate. Mutations in the PLCD1 gene have been identified as a major causative factor in hereditary leukonychia (HL). However, few reports have analyzed the relationship between genotype and phenotype, especially in Chinese HL patients. Our study aims to explore the typical clinical features of hereditary leukonychia cases in Chinese Han pedigree and the correlations with PLCD1 gene mutation. Patients and methods: In this study, two Chinese patients presented with leukonychia and koilonychia. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) was performed to screen for the mutations in PLCD1 gene and other candidate genes for hereditary leukonychia. Parents with PLCD1 mutation were selected for Sanger sequencing. Results: A novel heterozygote missense mutation in exon 9 of PLCD1 gene was identified in the proband and his mother. Whole‐exome sequencing revealed both, the proband (III.5) and his mother (II.4) carrying c.1451A>G mutation, while other family members had a normal sequence of the PLCD1 gene. Conclusion: For the first time, a hereditary leukonychia case with PLCD1 mutation has been described in Chinese Han pedigree. This finding suggests the PLCD1 mutation maybe involved in hereditary leukonychia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A photoacoustic and fluorescence dual-mode probe for LTA 4 H sensing was developed. • Cy-ASP has high selectivity and high sensitivity toward LTA 4 H. • Combined with PA technology, Cy-ASP could image the activity of LTA 4 H in mice without dissection. • The probe Cy-ASP could fast locate the inflammation site in mice. Abstract Inflammation widely occurs in various tissues and organs in the human body. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of inflammation is essential to avoid severe complications. This study aims to obtain a non-destructive, fast, and comprehensive tool for the detection of pathogenic sites of inflammation in vivo. A fluorescence and photoacoustic dual-mode imaging probe, Cy-ASP, was first developed to detect inflammatory biomarker LTA 4 H with good sensitivity and selectivity in living small animal. Furthermore, the relationship between LTA 4 H and NF-κB in an LPS-induced cell was investigated. This work provides a new idea for the clinical diagnosis of pneumonia and hepatitis and revealing the upstream regulatory mechanism of LTA 4 H in the pneumonia model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]