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Rechargeable lithium‐oxygen (Li‐O2) batteries with high theoretical energy density are regarded as a promising candidate for the booming electric vehicle manufacturing industry, whereas their commercial application is hindered due to poor cyclic stability caused by the sluggish kinetics and inevitable cathode passivation. Herein, a synergistic working mechanism of Li‐O2 battery is initiated by implementing well‐designed hollow carbon shells with hierarchically porous hollow structure (HCS) assisted by dual redox mediators (RMs) simultaneously, so as to systemically address issues of diminished discharge capacity and reaction kinetics. The hierarchically porous structure of HCS constructs more space to accommodate Li2O2, increases the accessibility of active sites, and enhances discharge capacity. More importantly, the dual RMs regulate the growth mechanism of Li2O2 in surface‐mediated mode, resulting in an easily decomposed film‐like Li2O2 with higher electron transport capacity and improving the reaction kinetics. As a result of the synergistic effort, an HCS‐based Li‐O2 battery with dual RMs manifests a total discharge capacity of 24580 mA h g−1 and a prolonged cycle life of 2500 h at the current density of 100 mA g−1. This design philosophy will open up a new way to optimize and upgrade the cathode materials of Li‐O2 batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructural evolution of borosilicate glass–sulfate (BaSO4 or Na2SO4) mixture was observed in situ using a high‐temperature confocal scanning laser microscope. The phase compositions and sulfate retention of the mixture at different temperatures were also examined. The results indicate that for the glass–BaSO4 sample (abbreviated as BS), the borosilicate glass begins to melt at about 900°C, and the triangular BaSO4 crystals grow obviously between 900°C and 1100°C. At temperatures above 1100°C, the BaSO4 crystals gradually melt and decompose. For the glass–Na2SO4 sample (abbreviated as NS), strip‐shaped BaSO4 crystals begin to form at about 820°C after the borosilicate glass melting, and then gradually melt with further increasing temperature. When the temperature increases to 1000°C, the upper layer of the NS sample possesses Na2SO4, LiNaSO4, and BaSO4 phases, while the lower layer possesses an amorphous phase. Moreover, the SO3 retention in the BS sample remains almost unchanged with temperature increases from 900°C to 1100°C, and then decreases with further increasing temperature. The SO3 retention retained in the NS sample decreases rapidly at temperatures above 900°C. These findings can provide a guidance for vitrifying sulfur‐rich high‐level liquid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial ecosystem resilience is crucial for maintaining the structural and functional stability of ecosystems following disturbances. However, changes in resilience over the past few decades and the risk of future resilience loss under ongoing climate change are unclear. Here, we identified resilience trends using two remotely sensed vegetation indices, analyzed the relative importance of potential driving factors to resilience changes, and finally assessed the risk of future resilience loss based on the output data of eight models from CMIP6. The results revealed that more than 60% of the ecosystems experienced a conversion from an increased trend to a declined trend in resilience. Attribution analysis showed that the most important driving factors of declined resilience varied regionally. The declined trends in resilience were associated with increased precipitation variability in the tropics, decreased vegetation cover in arid region, increased temperature variability in temperate regions, and increased average temperature in cold regions. CMIP6 reveals that terrestrial ecosystems under SPP585 are expected to experience more intense declines in resilience than those under SSP126 and SSP245, particularly in cold regions. These results highlight the risk of continued degradation of ecosystem resilience in the future and the urgency of climate mitigation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of nanostructured bainite formed by austempering in high-carbon silicon steel is characterized by high resolution electron microscopy. The results show that the bainitic sheaves consist of nanoscale subunits. The found kinds of crystal lattice distortions of each subunit in one bainite lath show clear difference. The latest generated subunit has most distortions. As the subunit grows up, the lattice distortion gradually gets relaxed. This indicates that the subunits form with high phase transformation strain energy, which causes severe lattice distortion. The results provide new experimental evidence on subjects relevant to the understanding of the mechanism of formation of bainitic ferrite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most efforts in addiction research have focused on the involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex, including the infralimbic, prelimbic, and anterior cingulate cortical areas, in cocaine-seeking behaviors. However, no effective prevention or treatment for drug relapse is available. We focused instead on the motor cortex, including both the primary and supplementary motor areas (M1 and M2, respectively). Addiction risk was evaluated by testing cocaine seeking after intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of cocaine in Sprague Dawley rats. The causal relationship between the excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) in M1/M2 and addiction risk was explored by ex vivo whole-cell patch clamp recordings and in vivo pharmacological or chemogenetic manipulation. Our recordings showed that on withdrawal day 45 (WD45) after IVSA, cocaine, but not saline, increased the excitability of CPNs in the cortical superficial layers (primarily layer 2, denoted L2) but not in layer 5 (L5) in M2. Bilateral microinjection of the GABA A (gamma-aminobutyric acid A) receptor agonist muscimol to the M2 area attenuated cocaine seeking on WD45. More specifically, chemogenetic inhibition of CPN excitability in L2 of M2 (denoted M2-L2) by the DREADD (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs) agonist compound 21 prevented drug seeking on WD45 after cocaine IVSA. This chemogenetic inhibition of M2-L2 CPNs had no effects on sucrose seeking. In addition, neither pharmacological nor chemogenetic inhibition manipulations altered general locomotor activity. Our results indicate that cocaine IVSA induces hyperexcitability in the motor cortex on WD45. Importantly, the increased excitability in M2, particularly in L2, could be a novel target for preventing drug relapse during withdrawal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional data analysis has attracted considerable interest and is facing new challenges, one of which is the increasingly available data in a streaming manner. In this article we develop an online nonparametric method to dynamically update the estimates of mean and covariance functions for functional data. The kernel-type estimates can be decomposed into two sufficient statistics depending on the data-driven bandwidths. We propose to approximate the future optimal bandwidths by a sequence of dynamically changing candidates and combine the corresponding statistics across blocks to form the updated estimation. The proposed online method is easy to compute based on the stored sufficient statistics and the current data block. We derive the asymptotic normality and, more importantly, the relative efficiency lower bounds of the online estimates of mean and covariance functions. This provides insight into the relationship between estimation accuracy and computational cost driven by the length of candidate bandwidth sequence. Simulations and real data examples are provided to support such findings. for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery time, the time it takes for ecosystems to return to normal states after experiencing droughts, is critical for assessing the response of ecosystems to droughts; however, the spatial dominant factors determining recovery time are poorly understood. We identify the global patterns of terrestrial ecosystem recovery time based on remote sensed vegetation indices, analyse the affecting factors of recovery time using random forest regression model, and determine the spatial distribution of the dominant factors of recovery time based on partial correlation. The results show that the global average recovery time is approximately 3.3 months, and that the longest recovery time occurs in mid‐latitude drylands. Analysis of affecting factors of recovery time suggests that the most important environmental factor affecting recovery time is soil moisture during the recovery period, followed by temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Recovery time shortens with increasing soil moisture and prolongs with increasing VPD; however, the response of recovery time to temperature is nonmonotonic, with colder or hotter temperatures leading to longer recovery time. Soil moisture dominates the drought recovery time over 58.4% of the assessed land area, mostly in the mid‐latitudes. The concern is that soil moisture is projected to decline in more than 65% regions in the future, which will lengthen the drought recovery time and exacerbate drought impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, especially in southwestern United States, the Mediterranean region and southern Africa. Our research provides methodological insights for quantifying recovery time and spatially identifies dominant factors of recovery time, improving our understanding of ecosystem response to drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, thermo and pH-sensitive multifunctional poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co- N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, Poly(NIPAAm-co-MBA) - (N-4-amino-2-methylene-4-oxobutanoic acid, IAM) named as (PNM@IAM) core-shell microgels are synthesized by inverse microemulsion polymerization technique using two monomers, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-4-amino-2-methylene-4-oxobutanoic acid (IAM). The formation of the microgels are confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra. The light transmittance study shows that the microgels prepared at different concentrations and pHs exhibit different physical properties. The phase transition temperature is increased with the addition of IAM. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis reveals that the swelling of the microgels at basic environment is due to the deprotonation of the weak acid groups in IAM. The metal ion chelating test shows that the core-shell PNM@IAM could effectively absorb metal ions in highly basic environment. The absorption and release of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution could be controlled by adjusting the pH of the reaction environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of heavy traffic on urban expressways, the exits of expressway interchanges have become accident-prone sites. This study explores the impacts of various traffic control devices and road conditions on road safety at interchange exits based on driving behavior data from navigation software. The traffic order index (TOI) based on driving behavior and speed variation is used to evaluate road safety. The general safety characteristics and partitioned safety characteristics of interchange exit sections for different traffic control devices and under different road conditions were described, and a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to observe the influences of the traffic control devices, road conditions, congestion degree, and time on road safety. The results show that traffic control devices (the number of warning signs, number of advance exit signs and complexity of diagrammatic guide signs) and road conditions (the number of lanes and merging conflicts within 500 m) have significant influences on the road safety of interchange exits. Road conditions have the greatest impact on the safety of interchange exits, followed by the congestion index, traffic control devices, and time. The results could help traffic management departments reconstruct or rehabilitate traffic control devices and enable reasonable road planning at interchange exits. The safety evaluation method for traffic control devices and road conditions based on driving behavior data collected from navigation software could be further used on other roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bamboo part preference and a panda's age have been shown to shift the gut microbiota composition of the giant panda, thus eliciting changes in their nutrient utilization capacity. The present study compared the differences in nutrient digestibility and fecal microbiota composition between adult and geriatric captive giant pandas when fed exclusively with a diet comprising of either bamboo shoots or leaves. Bamboo part preference exerted a significant effect on nutrient digestibility and fecal microbiota composition in both adult and aged giant pandas. Bamboo part dominated over age in shaping the nutrient digestibility and gut microbiota composition of giant pandas. Bamboo part preference plays a critical role in influencing the nutrient utilization and gastrointestinal microbiota composition of captive giant pandas. However, the effects of bamboo part consumption on the nutrient digestibility and gut microbiome of geriatric giant pandas remain unknown. A total of 11 adult and 11 aged captive giant pandas were provided with bamboo shoots or bamboo leaves in the respective single-bamboo-part consumption period, and the nutrient digestibility and fecal microbiota of both adult and aged giant pandas in each period were evaluated. Bamboo shoot ingestion increased the crude protein digestibility and decreased the crude fiber digestibility of both age groups. The fecal microbiome of the bamboo shoot-fed giant pandas exhibited greater alpha diversity indices and significantly different beta diversity index than the bamboo leaf-fed counterparts regardless of age. Bamboo shoot feeding significantly changed the relative abundance of predominant taxa at both phylum and genus levels in adult and geriatric giant pandas. Bamboo shoot-enriched genera were positively correlated with crude protein digestibility and negatively correlated with crude fiber digestibility. Taken together, these results suggest that bamboo part consumption dominates over age in affecting the nutrient digestibility and gut microbiota composition of giant pandas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of individual social-cognitive propensity in the processing of nontransparent sentential meaning, exemplified by the morpho-syntactically unsupported iterative meaning in " The frog hopped for five minutes." Results of our speeded questionnaire in Mandarin Chinese showed that social cognitive propensity of typically-developed individuals, indexed by autistic-like traits, significantly correlated with online response times (RTs) of naturalness rating, while the effect was absent in offline rating scores. Individuals with higher autistic-like traits (i.e., lower social skills) took longer to process sentences with nontransparent meaning for making judgments. We argue that the computation of these sentences involves meaning contextualization—construing a coherent conceptual representation by integrating multiple lexical representations and evaluating sentential-discourse context. Such context-dependent meaning processing requires sufficient context sensitivity, which varies across individuals in association with social cognitive propensity. The pattern is captured by the Dual-Process Approach to information processing and social cognition: individuals with higher autistic-like traits are prone to deliberative reasoning with lower contextual sensitivity. This cognitive bias leads to greater cost when the full comprehension demands meaning contextualization, and therefore longer RTs in evaluating appropriate interpretations. The findings show that individual variability in social cognitive propensity modulates the online computation of nontransparent sentential meaning. • Comprehending nontransparent meaning requires an integration of lexical concepts with sentential-discourse context. • The cost of processing nontransparent meaning negatively correlated with individuals' social cognitive propensity. • People with higher autistic-like traits are less context-sensitive, taking longer to compute nontransparent meaning. • The effect of social cognitive propensity manifested in online response time but not offline judgments. • Individual variability in language processing can be captured by differential reliance on deliberation vs. intuition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic asthma is associated with allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory cell infiltration. While moderate-to-severe asthma with refractory symptoms is difficult to treat, methane is protective against organ damage. In this study, an asthmatic mouse model was established. Airway resistance under acetylcholine stimulation in asthmatic mice and histology of lung tissue injury were determined. EOS infiltration was determined by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed for the determination of relevant cytokine levels in asthmatic mice with or without methane treatment. The potential mechanisms of methane under anti-IL-10 antibody intraperitoneal intervention were assessed by ELISA and flow cytometry. Pulmonary T regulatory cells (Tregs) were analyzed by flow cytometry, and anti-CD25 antibody was used to block them. Immunoblot analysis was performed to evaluate if methane played a role in the asthmatic lungs via the NF-κB and MAPKs pathways. The results showed that methane significantly improved airway compliance, relieved asthma-induced lung injury, and reduced EOS accumulation and inflammatory mediators in the lungs of ovalbumin-treated asthmatic mice. Anti-IL-10 treatment diminished the ameliorating effect of methane on asthma. In addition, methane enhanced pulmonary Tregs in asthma, which could be blocked by the anti-CD25 antibody. Further analysis revealed that methane decreased p-p65/p65 and p-p38/p38 expression. In conclusion, methane is a readily available and inexpensive molecule potentially suitable for human use, which can alleviate asthma-induced lung injury and EOS infiltration through the IL-10 pathway by increasing Tregs and decreasing NF-κB and p38 MAPK in a mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction induced by infection, is a major public health problem. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and mortality of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock in China.Methods: We Searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library from 1 January 1992 to 1 June 2020 for studies that reported on the frequency and mortality of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock conducted in China. Random effects models were performed to estimate the pooled frequency and mortality of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock.Results: Our search yielded 846 results, of which 29 studies were included in this review. The pooled frequency of sepsis was estimated at 33.6% (95% CI 25.9% to 41.3%, I2 = 99.2%; p < 0.001), and the pooled mortality of sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock were 29.0% (95% CI 25.3%-32.8%, I2 = 92.1%; p = 0), 31.1% (95% CI 25.3% to 36.9%, I2 = 85.8%; p < 0.001) and 37.3% (95% CI 28.6%-46.0%, I2 = 93.5%; p < 0.001). There was significant heterogeneity between studies. With a small number of included studies and the changing definition of sepsis, trends in sepsis frequency and mortality were not sufficient for analysis. Epidemiological data on sepsis in the emergency department (ED) are severely lacking, and more research is urgently needed in this area is urgently needed.Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the frequency and mortality of sepsis and septic shock in China were much higher than North America and Europe countries. Based on our results, an extremely high incidence and mortality of sepsis and septic shock in China's mainland requires more healthcare budget support. Epidemiological data on sepsis and septic shock in ED are severely lacking, and more research is urgently needed in this area. Trial registration This systematic review was conducted according to the statement of the preferred reporting items for systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42021243325) and the meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea buckthorn, an important ecological and economical tree species, have remarkable drought and salt resistance. The plant-specific transcription factor TCPs play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, in sea buckthorn, the molecular mechanism of TCP proteins and their involvement in drought stress are unknown. Here, we found that the expression of HrTCP 20 was significantly up-regulated in sea buckthorn under drought stress. Overexpression of HrTCP 20 in Arabidopsis thaliana showed that the superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyphenol oxidase (POD), and chlorophyll (SPAD) content was significantly increased by 1.37 and 1.35 times. However, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased by 0.51 times. Our studies further confirmed that silencing HrTCP 20 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) led to a decrease in the content of defense enzymes, relative water content (RWC), and an increase of relative electrical conductivity (REC). Silencing HrTCP 20 also caused the jasmonic acid (JA) content to decrease in the VIGS-treated tree. Interestingly, we found that JA accumulation content and the expression of HrLOX 2, an essential enzyme for JA synthesis, was significantly inhibited in HrTCP 20-silenced sea buckthorn under drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid analysis also showed that HrTCP 20 is directly bound to HrLOX 2. Taken together, the HrTCP 20 transcription factor was a positive regulator in drought resistance of sea buckthorn. Further, our findings will provide comprehensive insights into the forest tree defence system of drought stress. • We identified HrTCP 20 involved in sea buckthorn resisting drought. • HrTCP 20 was a positive regulator of drought stress in sea buckthorn. • We confirmed the content of Jasmonic acid (JA) decreased in HrTCP20 silencing sea buckthorn which was sensitive to drought. • HrTCP20 could interacted with HrLOX2 which was a key gene in the JA synthesis pathway to increased the content of JA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic fungi were isolated from Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yang, and their diversity and antimicrobial and plant-growth-promoting activities were investigated. Of the 389 isolated endophytic fungi, 88.90% belonged to phylum Ascomycota and 11.10% to phylum Basidiomycota. The isolates were grouped into four taxonomic classes, 11 orders, 30 genera, and 45 species based on internal transcribed spacer sequencing and morphologic analysis. The host showed a strong affinity for the genera Diaporthe and Phyllosticta. The diversity of the fungi was highest in autumn, followed by spring and summer, and was lowest in winter. The fungi exhibited notable tissue specificity in P. bournei, and the species richness and diversity were highest in the root across all seasons. Five isolates showed antimicrobial activity against eight plant pathogens and reduced the incidence of leaf spot disease in P. bournei. Additionally, nine biocontrol isolates showed plant-growth-promoting activity, with five significantly promoting P. bournei seedling growth. This is the first report on the endophytic fungi of P. bournei and their potential applicability to plant disease control and growth promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed and synthesized a carboxylic acid-functionalized coumarin derivative sensor F3, which has a dual-channel response to CN− in DMSO/H2O (2:3, v/v) solution with a fluorescence detection limit of 3.09 × 10–8 M. After adding AcOH to F3-CN system, the fluorescence of the system recovered to its initial state, so F3 is a reversible fluorescence chemical sensor. Based on this, we applied it to the ultrasensitive IMPLICATION logic gate. In addition, we made a test strips that can be used to quickly and conveniently detect CN−. According to various characteristics and applications of F3, it can be concluded that sensor F3 is a promising sensor. The detection methods have strong anti-interference ability, convenient use, fast response speed and low detection limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: To examine if there was a curvilinear relationship between emotional labour and work engagement in Chinese nurses. Background: Emotional labour has both positive and negative effects on work engagement, but the curve relationship between the two has not been tested. Design: Correlational design. Methods: Multi‐stage stratified random sampling was used to recruit samples, and 528 nurses from 5 tertiary first‐class general hospitals were recruited in Henan Province. Data were collected by using Hong and Kim's Emotional Labor Scale for nurse and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale‐9. Curve estimation was used to explore the functional model between emotional labour and work engagement. Results were reported according to the STROBE Statement. Results: The three dimensions of emotional labour, 'emotional control effort in profession', 'patient‐focused emotional suppression' and 'emotional pretense by norms', had a function relationship of quadratic (R2 =.57, p <.001), quadratic (R2 =.569, p <.001) and cubic (R2 =.238, p <.001), respectively, with work engagement. Conclusions: There was a one‐way increasing quadratic function relationship between 'emotional control effort in profession' and work engagement. However, 'patient‐focused emotion suppression' and 'emotional pretense by norms' had an inverted U‐shaped curve relationship with work engagement. Below the moderate level, 'patient‐focused emotion suppression' and 'emotional pretense by norms' were positively related to work engagement. After a certain level, they were negatively related to work engagement. Relevance to clinical practice: Our results may provide evidences to manage nurses' emotional labour and improve their work engagement. It seems that encouraging or training nurses to learn and master more strategies of emotional control may improve work engagement. Moreover, nursing managers should fully recognise the positive and negative effects of different levels of emotional suppression and emotional pretense on work engagement, so as to develop targeted management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gluten-specific CD4+ T cells drive the pathogenesis of celiac disease and circulating gluten-specific T cells can be identified by staining with HLA-DQ:gluten tetramers. In this first single-cell RNA-seq study of tetramer-sorted T cells from untreated celiac disease patients blood, we found that gluten-specific T cells showed distinct transcriptomic profiles consistent with activated effector memory T cells that shared features with Th1 and follicular helper T cells. Compared to non-specific cells, gluten-specific T cells showed differential expression of several genes involved in T-cell receptor signaling, translational processes, apoptosis, fatty acid transport, and redox potentials. Many of the gluten-specific T cells studied shared T-cell receptor with each other, indicating that circulating gluten-specific T cells belong to a limited number of clones. Moreover, the transcriptional profiles of cells that shared the same clonal origin were transcriptionally more similar compared with between clonally unrelated gluten-specific cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of polystyrene particles with different nanoscale roughnesses on the morphology of polyisobutylene/polydimethylsiloxane blends was studied under shear flow by using confocal laser scanning microscopy. It was found that the surface roughness of particles strongly affected their diffusion and distribution behaviors, thereby determining the size and spatial arrangement of droplets in the blends. The roughness effect of particles was found to possess a strong dependence on both the blend ratio and the shear rate. The result suggested that the particle roughness can serve as a new parameter to control the structure-property correlation in particle-filled polymer blends, especially under slow flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building damage induced by the excavation conducted for the three-storey basement of the Kerry Center – a modernised business centre comprising large-scale departmental stores, business offices, apartments and a hotel in Hangzhou, China – was investigated. A method for estimating the building damage level considering the spatial effects of soil deformation around the excavation was also developed. The excavation site is in the Hangzhou urban centre, near to which stands an ancient building known as the Red House. Settlement, horizontal displacement and cracks on the Red House were studied to estimate the actual damage level. Surface settlements around several excavations were analysed to obtain a surface profile along the excavation. The results showed that the profile could be simplified to a parabolic model. A damage criterion based on the average state of strain in the distorted portion of the structure was derived considering the spatial effects of soil deformation. Different damage criteria, including tensile stress, cracks, distortion and horizontal strain, were used to evaluate the damage level of the Red House. The result obtained from the damage criterion presented in this paper agrees well with the actual building damage level. This criterion formed the basis of the preliminary analysis conducted prior to finite-element modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air filtration materials with high efficiency, low resistance, and extra antibacterial property are crucial for personal health protection. Herein, a tree‐like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibrous membrane with hierarchical structure (trunk fiber of 447 nm, branched fiber of 24.7 nm) and high filtration capacity is demonstrated. Specifically, 2‐hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP‐HTC) with near‐spherical three‐dimensional molecular structure and adjustable terminal positive groups is synthesized as an additive for PVDF electrospinning to enhance the jet splitting and promote the formation of branched ultrafine nanofibers, achieving a coverage rate of branched nanofibers over 90% that is superior than small molecular quaternary ammonium salts. The branched nanofibers network enhances mechanical properties and filtration efficiency (99.995% for 0.26 µm sodium chloride particles) of the PVDF/HBP‐HTC membrane, which demonstrates reduced pressure drop (122.4 Pa) and a quality factor up to 0.083 Pa−1 on a 40 µm‐thick sample. More importantly, the numerous quaternary ammonium salt groups of HBP‐HTC deliver excellent antibacterial properties to the PVDF membranes. Bacterial inhibitive rate of 99.9% against both S. aureus and E. coli is demonstrated in a membrane with 3.0 wt% HBP‐HTC. This work provides a new strategy for development of high‐efficiency and antibacterial protection products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as an important regulator during adipose development. Previous studies have revealed that miR-370 is related to lipid metabolic homeostasis, however, its roles in lipid accumulation remain to be established. In this study, we demonstrated that ssc-miR-370 was highly conserved across domestic animals, and relatively enriched in adipose tissues and skeletal muscles. Overexpression of ssc-miR-370 significantly promoted the proliferation of porcine preadipocytes through facilitating G1/S phase transition. Meanwhile, ssc-miR-370 mimics dramatically suppressed adipogenic differentiation, indicated by reduced triglyceride deposition as well as downregulated PPARγ and aP2 expressions. Furthermore, ssc-miR-370 was demonstrated to repress FoxO1 expression via directly targeting FoxO1 3′-UTR using dual luciferase activity assay. Our data evaluates miR-370 as a novel adipogenic modulator, which may be a potential target to reduce backfat thickness in pigs and fight obesity in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep involvement in the negative mood over long periods of time likely results in emotional disturbances/disorders and poor mental health. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is regarded as a typical mind-body practice combining aerobic exercise and meditation to prevent and treat negative mood. Although there are an increasing number of TCC studies examining anxiety, depression, and mental stress, the mechanisms underlying these negative emotions are not fully understood. This review study examined TCC studies related to emotional health from both clinical patients and healthy individuals. Next, several potential mechanisms from physiological, psychological, and neurological perspectives were evaluated based on direct and indirect research evidence. We reviewed recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, which demonstrated changes in brain anatomy and function, mainly in the prefrontal cortex, following TCC practice. Finally, the effects of TCC on emotion/mental health is depicted with a prefrontal cortex hypothesis that proposed "an immune system of the mind" indicating the role of the prefrontal cortex as a flexible hub in regulating an individual's mental health. The prefrontal cortex is likely a key biomarker among the multiple complex neural correlates to help an individual manage negative emotions/mental health. Future research is needed to examine TCC effects on mental health by examining the relationship between the executive control system (mainly prefrontal cortex) and limbic network (including amygdala, insula, and hippocampal gyrus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on on-board diagnostics and Global Position System installed in taxicabs, driver behavior data is collected. Left turn data on six similar curves are extracted, and speed, acceleration, yaw rate, and sideslip angle of drivers in time series are selected as clustering indexes. Initial clustering is implemented by Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) and Hierarchical Clustering, and the clustering results are put into the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to iteratively optimize the results for achieving convergence. Driver behavior patterns over time while driving on the curves and the statistical characteristics of different groups are examined. All indexes including lateral vehicle control and longitudinal vehicle control have a significant difference in different groups, indicating that the clustering method of DTW and HMM can effectively classify driver behavior. Finally, the driving behavior in different groups is further investigated and classified based on characteristics related to safe and ecological driving. This method can be applied by automobile insurance companies, and for the development of specific training courses for drivers to optimize their driving behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), boron drugs should accumulate selectively within a tumor and be quickly cleared from blood and normal organs. However, it is usually challenging to achieve the efficient tumor accumulation and the quick clearance simultaneously. Here we report the complex composed of a fructose-modified poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(l -lysine) block copolymer and p -boronophenylalanine, termed PEG-P[Lys/Lys(fructose)]-BPA, as a boron delivery system permitting selective accumulation within the target tumor with quick clearance from normal organs as well as blood. Our PEG-P[Lys/Lys(fructose)]-BPA could be internalized into tumor cells through LAT1 amino acid transporter-mediated endocytosis and retain in the targeted cells, thereby accomplishing more efficient accumulation and retention in a subcutaneous tumor than clinically used fructose-BPA complexes. Importantly, the moderately cationic property of the polymer facilitated renal clearance and PEG-P[Lys/Lys(fructose)]-BPA exhibited high accumulation contrast between the target tumor and the blood/normal organ. Finally, upon thermal neutron irradiation, PEG-P[Lys/Lys(fructose)]-BPA significantly inhibited the tumor growth in mice. PEG-P[Lys/Lys(fructose)]-BPA may be a promising boron delivery system for BNCT. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between socioeconomic status and the onset age of menarche is still not conclusive. This cross-sectional study was conducted among primary and middle school girls aged 7 to 16 years old in Tianjin, China, to explore the distribution of menarcheal age and its association with socioeconomic status. A self-designed structured questionnaire was completed by students and their parents to collect information on socioeconomic status (i.e., family income, parental education level, living residence), menarcheal status, and covariates (weight status of girls and their parents, sleeping hours per day, physical activity). Information on menarcheal status included whether or not menarche had occurred (Yes/No) and the exact age at menarche. Linear regression analysis was used to explore the association between socioeconomic status and menarcheal age before and after covariate adjustment. Among 1485 eligible girls with complete information, 445 had experienced menarche, with an overall menarche rate of 30%. The mean age at menarche was 12.9 years (95% confidence interval 12.8–13.0). Urban girls experienced menarche earlier than rural girls did (12.1 years vs. 13.5 years). Univariate analysis showed that urban residence and higher parental education were associated with earlier onset of menarche. After covariate adjustment, the significance still existed. However, after adjusting further for residence, the significant association with the parental education disappeared. Only urban residence was still significantly associated, even after further adjustment for parental education and family income, with adjusted regression coefficients (95% confidence interval) of − 1.087 (− 1.340,-0.834), indicating that the onset age of menarche among urban girls was 1.087 years (0.834, 1.340) younger than that among rural girls. Family income was not related to the onset age of menarche in any analyses. Conclusion: Urban-rural differences played a more important role in the early onset of menarche than socioeconomic differences between families. What is Known: • The age at menarche varies by race and country, but the global trend is towards earlier onset as a result of changes in nutrition, family structure, socioeconomic status, and physical condition. What is New: • Urban girls experienced menarche earlier than rural girls, but this urban-rural difference could not be explained by family income, parental education, weight status of the participants and their parents, participants' physical exercise and sleeping hours. • Higher parental education was associated with earlier onset of menarche, but this association disappeared after adjustment for living residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The apoptosis-related circRNAs in SCI were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. • Knockdown of cicRNA.7079 enhanced apoptosis in NSC-34 cells. • The apoptosis-related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network was constructed. • cicRNA.7079 plays an anti-apoptotic role via mmu-miR-6953-5p-Lgals3 axis in NSC-34 cells. Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to motor disturbance, sensory deficit, or autonomic dysfunction. The role of circRNAs in the pivotal physiopathological processes of SCI has been demonstrated recently. However, no similar research has been performed to explore the circRNAs involved in apoptosis after SCI. The differentially expressed circRNAs in mice spinal cord three days after SCI were originally detected with microarray assay (n = 4/group). Subsequently, potential apoptosis-related circRNAs were predicted by comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. In total, 1131 circRNAs varied (>2-fold change, p < 0.05) in the injured mice spinal cord. The characters of these circRNAs were summarized. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis was applied to predict the primary function of these circRNAs. 148 circRNAs were found to be correlated to the apoptosis injury progress in after SCI. Moreover, an apoptosis-related ceRNA network was constructed. In loss-of-function experiments, cicRNA.7079 knockdown enhanced apoptosis in NSC-34 motor neurons. This study may contribute to new insights into the mechanism of apoptosis after SCI. The anticipation of anti-apoptosis circRNA. 7079 may provide potential research targets for SCI in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper studies bidder behavior in auctions with an uncertain quality threshold. • A high-quality index results in a higher bid. • High-quality bidders are more likely to withdraw from an auction. • Bidding strategies in auctions with an uncertain quality threshold are inefficient. Procuring high-quality goods at reasonable prices is a critical public sector concern. Yet, procurers often do not advertise clear weighting rules for price and quality but set a flexible quality threshold upon participation. This paper studies endogenous entry and bidding behavior in such procurement auctions. Using unique data on pharmaceutical procurement in Guangdong, China, we find that a high-quality index acts as a signal of high production costs. We also observe that high-quality bidders are more likely to withdraw from bidding because of their prior commitment to quality. The procurers who use quality indicators in price auctions need a carefully considered quality threshold. Our results have important implications for price-quality trade-offs in procurements that have uncertain quality thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate endometrial receptivity often results in embryo implantation failure and miscarriage. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a key signaling molecule secreted during early embryonic development, which regulates embryonic maternal interface signaling and promotes embryo implantation. This study aimed to examine the impact of hCG on endometrial receptivity and its underlying mechanisms. An exploratory study was designed, and endometrial samples were obtained from women diagnosed with simple tubal infertility or male factor infertile (n = 12) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF, n = 10). Using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting, luteinizing hormone (LH)/hCG receptor (LHCGR) levels and autophagy were detected in the endometrial tissues. Subsequently, primary endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) were isolated from these control groups and treated with hCG to examine the presence of LHCGR and markers of endometrial receptivity (HOXA10, ITGB3, FOXO1, LIF, and L-selectin ligand) and autophagy-related factors (Beclin1, LC3, and P62). The findings revealed that the expressions of receptivity factors, LHCGR, and LC3 were reduced in the endometrial tissues of women with RIF compared with the control group, whereas the expression of P62 was elevated. The administration of hCG to ESCs specifically activated LHCGR, stimulating an increase in the endometrial production of HOXA10, ITGB3, FOXO1, LIF and L-selectin ligands. Furthermore, when ESCs were exposed to 0.1 IU/mL hCG for 72 h, the autophagy factors Beclin1 and LC3 increased within the cells and P62 decreased. Moreover, the apoptotic factor Bax increased and Bcl-2 declined. However, when small interfering RNA was used to knock down LHCGR, hCG was less capable of controlling endometrial receptivity and autophagy molecules in ESCs. In addition, hCG stimulation enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and mTOR proteins. These results suggest that women with RIF exhibit lower levels of LHCGR and compromised autophagy function in their endometrial tissues. Thus, hCG/LHCGR could potentially improve endometrial receptivity by modulating autophagy and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the impacts of the driver's risky driving behavior on traffic crash risk detection by constructing four models, including models with and without the use of risky driving behavior data before and during crash. The major findings are as follows. First, the accuracy of the model was improved by adding risky driving behavior variables to the traffic crash risk detection model. In the optimal model, the accuracy, recall, precision, false alarm rate, and the missing report rate are 93.0%, 91.2%, 77.5%, 6.6%, and 8.8% respectively. Second, the impact of traffic flow variables on crash risk in the model was modified by introducing risky driving behavior variables. Among them, the impact of traffic volume on crash risk increases, while the relationship between the average speed, congestion index, and crash risk decreases. Third, the effects of changes in risky driving behavior and traffic flow on the risk of traffic crashes are different at the time slices and space segments, and this effect relationship is characterized by nonlinearity. The results demonstrate the influence of temporal and spatial characteristics of risky driving behaviors on crash risk, which supports detection of traffic crash risks in time and develops crash prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To translate and psychometrically validate the Emotional Labour Scale (ELS) for nurses in China. Background: Emotional labour is an indispensable component of nursing practice. We currently lack a standard instrument to assess nurses' emotional labour that fits the nursing context in China. Method: Using convenience sampling, 561 nurses were recruited from five tertiary comprehensive hospitals. Internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, split‐half reliability, face validity, content validity, criterion validity and construct validity were used to evaluate the psychometric attributes of the scale. Results: Exploratory factor analysis verified a three‐factor scale structure with a cumulative variance contribution of the factors of 61.281%. The three factors were 'emotional control effort in profession,' 'patient‐focused emotional suppression' and 'emotional pretence by norms.' Cronbach's alpha values were 0.881, 0.807 and 0.764, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the three factors were consistent with the original scale structure. Conclusion: The C‐ELS for nurses is a reliable and valid instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties. Future studies should recruit a more representative sample of nurses in China to verify the applicability of the scale. Implications for nursing management: A reliable and quantitative instrument is available for leaders to evaluate clinical nurses' emotional labour and establish effective emotional labour management strategies based on the measurement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation is an important factor that affects energy consumption, and driving behavior is one of the main factors affecting vehicle fuel consumption. The purpose of this paper is to improve fuel consumption monitoring databases based on mobile phone data. Based on the mobile phone terminals and on-board diagnostic system (OBD) installed in taxis, driving behavior data and fuel consumption data are extracted, respectively. By matching the driving behavior data collected by a mobile phone with the fuel consumption data collected by OBD, the correlation between driving behavior and fuel consumption is explored, so that vehicle fuel consumption could be predicted based on mobile phone data. The fuel consumption prediction models are built using back propagation (BP) neural network, support vector regression (SVR), and random forests. The results show that the average speed, average speed except for idle (ASEI), average acceleration, average deceleration, acceleration time percentage, deceleration time percentage, and cruising time percentage are important indicators for fuel consumption evaluation. All three models could predict fuel consumption accurately, with an absolute relative error less than 10%. The random forest model is proved to have the highest accuracy and runs faster, making it suitable for wide application. This method lays a foundation for monitoring database improvement and fine management of urban transportation fuel consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fenclorim (Fen) can effectively protect rice from pretilachlor (Pre) injury, but its effects on rice have not been formally evaluated; thus, the Fen mode of action for alleviating the phytotoxicity caused by Pre in rice is not clear. This study aimed to examine the biochemical and physiological effects of Fen on rice and to determine the changes induced by Fen at the transcriptome level. Result: The chlorophyll content of rice plants was significantly affected by Pre but not by Fen. The activity of oxidative stress enzymes showed that Fen did not elicit any changes in oxidative stress; however, it reduced lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage induced by Pre. Fen did not affect the uptake of Pre but did affect its persistence in rice. In a transcriptome experiment, Fen upregulated genes in a detoxification pathway. Overall, 25 genes related to detoxification were identified, including P450, GST, and GT. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis showed that four P450 genes, CYP71Y83, CYP71K14, CYP734A2 and CYP71D55, and two GST genes, GSTU16 and GSTF5, were upregulated by Fen and/or Pre. Conclusion: Our work indicates that Fen acts in antioxidative defense in addition to enhancing the metabolism of herbicides in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important component of terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation performs a necessary function in linking the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere as well as soil sphere. The response of vegetation to its driving factors has been a hot research issue that needs to be further explored. Here, the temporal and spatial changes in vegetation cover in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2020 was characterized, and the responses to topographic elements, climate factors, geological hazards, and human activities was addressed. The outcomes proved that the average annual vegetation coverage in Shaanxi Province displayed a slight upward trend with a growing rate of 0.0545/10a. Specifically, enhanced vegetation index (EVI) increased significantly in most parts of the study area, while EVI decreased significantly in the border areas of Xi'an and Xianyang. There are differences in the effects of the driving factors on vegetation change during the study period. According to correlation analysis, vegetation was positively associated with temperature and negatively associated with precipitation. In addition, when the elevation was under 2500 m, EVI increased with elevation, while when the elevation used to be above 2500 m, EVI decreased with elevation. Moreover, geological disasters and soil erosion are the major driving factors in the reduction of vegetation cover. Human activities and national policies are the main driving factors for vegetation recovery in the study area. The results of the study are of great significance for ecosystem monitoring and provide a scientific basis for ecosystem restoration. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new type of heat exchanger design with four inlets and outlet is proposed. • The performance of the novel heat sink is studied by numerically and experimentally. • The effect of geometric parameters on the cooling ability is studied numerically. • The CFD results well agree with the numerical results. • The fatigue life of heat exchanger is analyzed and the numerical correlation of fatigue life is achieved. To solve the problems of heat dissipation and improve the reliability of high heat flux electronic devices, a new W-type mini microchannel heat exchanger is proposed. Firstly, the effect of the inlet and outlet positions on the flow and thermal behaviors are discussed. Secondly, two traditional heat sinks are introduced to compare the cooling ability with the new exchanger. The results shows that the temperature difference of W-type heat exchanger is 10.4 K, which is lower than that of the two traditional channels. Thirdly, the effect of width for the intermediate channel and inlet annular channel length on heat transfer characteristics are analyzed. The results indicate that when the width of the intermediate channel is 4 mm and the channel length is 15.5 mm, the temperature uniformity of the heat exchanger is the best with appropriate pressure drop. On this basis, the experimental test is carried out to verify the numerical results. It is found that the maximum Nusselt number and pressure drop errors between numerical and experimental tests are 8.01% and 5.06%, respectively, which verifies the correctness of the numerical results. In addition, the strength of the heat exchanger is checked, and the maximum working stress is 249.76 MPa indicating that the strength of the heat exchanger meets the using requirements. Finally, the influence of ambient temperature on the fatigue life of heat exchanger is analyzed. The results show that the fatigue life presents a trapezoidal trend with the change of ambient temperature. Moreover, the numerical correlation of fatigue life is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to propose an interactive training method based on the Unity 3D platform and to evaluate its effectiveness in comparison to a video-based training method in curbing speeding behavior and promoting road safety. Based on the attributes unique to drivers with Type A behavior patterns, this study selected 36 drivers with Type A personality and assigned them to one of two groups (the Unity-based training group, UTG; and the video-based training group, VTG). Moreover, a test questionnaire consisting of 20 items was designed to reveal the drivers’ mastery of knowledge related to speeding behavior through training. The research preliminarily analyzes the effectiveness of the interactive training method based on Unity 3D platform to improve speed management behavior by assessing the effects of the groups (the UTG and the VTG), test sessions (baseline, 30 min post-training, and three days post-training), and the interactive effects of the two factors on the test questionnaire score, the frequency of speeding and (FS), the percentage of time speeding (PTS), and the mean speed based on the two-way repeated-measures ANOVA. The results demonstrated that the Unity-based training method was, to some extent, more effective than the passive video training method at mastering knowledge related to speeding behavior and improving speed management behavior. Specifically, FS and PTS were significantly lower for the UTG than the VTG at the 30 min post-training sessions (p < 0.01) and the three-day post-training sessions (p < 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is an insidious yet preventable cause of developmental disability. The prenatal stage is a critical period for brain development with the concurrence of high vulnerability to the acute and prolonged effects of PAE. There is substantial evidence from both human observations and laboratory experiments that PAE is a common risk factor that predisposes to an array of postnatal mental disorders, including emotional, cognitive, and motor deficits. Although it is well accepted that PAE causes substantial morbidity, available treatments are limited. One reason is the lack of sufficient understanding about the neuroalterations induced by PAE, and how these changes contribute to PAE-induced mental disorders. Among a number of brain structures that have been explored extensively in PAE, the striatum has attracted great attention in the last 20 years in the field of PAE neurobiology. Interestingly, in animal models, the striatum has been considered as a pivotal switch of brain dysfunction induced by PAE, such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and neurodegeneration. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the understanding of morphological and functional changes in brain regions related to alterations after PAE, in particular the striatum. Because this region is central for behavior, emotion and cognition, there is an urgent need for more studies to uncover the PAE-induced alterations at the circuit, neuronal, synaptic and molecular levels, which will not only improve our understanding of the neuroplasticity induced by PAE, but also provide novel biological targets to treat PAE-related mental disorders with translational significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recycling organic wastes to arable land as fertilizers has been recognized as a sustainable utilization to reduce environmental pollution. Techniques used for the treatment of organic wastes determine their nutrient contents and thus fertilizer efficiency for agricultural applications. The current study investigated the influences of composting and carbon based materials (biochar and woody peat), on carbon and nitrogen loss in the process of agricultural wastes utilization in the soil batch experiments. The results indicated composting process significantly strengthened the organic matter mineralization, increased the carbon loss rates from 33.46-38.96% to 60.54–86.15% and the nitrogen loss rates from 5.01-22.22% to 48.64–58.16%, dominant lost as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and ammonia (NH 3) emissions. Addition of carbon based materials could effectively reduce the carbon and nitrogen loss during both composting and soil incubation process. When the composted organic wastes were used in the soil batch experiments, woody peat was more effective to reduce nitrogen loss, while biochar was more effective to control carbon loss. When organic wastes were directly fertilized to soil, biochar could effectively reduce nitrogen loss. These results suggested that fertilizing raw agricultural wastes to with carbon based materials could reduce carbon and nitrogen losses, and increased the nutrient bioavailability in soil in comparison with their farmland application after composting. Highlights • More carbon and nitrogen loss through composting in the utilization of agricultural wastes. • Carbon-based additives significantly reduced the carbon and nitrogen loss in composting. • Carbon-based additives significantly reduced the carbon and nitrogen loss of agricultural wastes in soil. • Woody peat was better on nitrogen loss controlling, while biochar on carbon loss controlling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Potato cold-induced sweetening (CIS) is a major drawback restricting potato process industry. Starch degradation and sucrose decomposition are considered to be the key pathways in potato CIS. Our previous study showed that the RING finger gene SbRFP1 could slow down starch degradation and the accumulation of reducing sugars (RS) through inhibiting amylase and invertase activity in cold-stored tubers. However, the regulation mechanism of SbRFP1 is not clear. In this paper, we first proved that SbRFP1 could promote starch synthesis and modify the shape of starch granules. By further yeast two hybrid, GST-pull down and inhibition of enzyme activity assays, we confirmed that SbRFP1 could slow down the transformation of starch to RS in tubers mainly through the inhibition of β-amylase StBAM1 activity. SbRFP1 was also proved to possess E3 ubiquitin ligase activity by ubiquitination assay. Thus, SbRFP1 may regulate the accumulation of RS in cold-stored tubers by ubiquitination and degradation of StBAM1. Therefore, our study reveals the regulatory mechanism of SbRFP1 in the process of CIS and provides more powerful evidence for the effect of starch degradation on potato CIS. Highlights • SbRFP1 interact and inhibit the activity of StBAM1. • SbRFP1 possess E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. • SbRFP1 regulate the accumulation of RS in cold-stored tubers by ubiquitination and degradation of StBAM1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between bile salt export pump (BSEP) polymorphisms and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) susceptibility. Retrieved studies from Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CBM databases about BSEP polymorphisms and ICP susceptibility were included. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) and publication bias were calculated. Ten related case-control studies on BSEP polymorphisms and ICP susceptibility were included. The pooled results showed a significant association between BSEP rs2287622 polymorphism and ICP risk in Asian population (OR >1, p < .01 for A vs. a and AA vs. Aa/aa) and general population (OR >1, p < .05 for A vs. a, Aa vs. aa, AA/Aa vs. aa), and a borderline statistical significance was found between BSEP rs473351 polymorphism and ICP susceptibility (OR = 1.66, p < .05), and no statistical significance was found in D482G or rs853782 polymorphisms and ICP risk (all p > .05). Additionally, no publication bias was found in these studies (all p > .05). Our current meta-analysis indicated that BSEP rs2287622 polymorphism could increase the susceptibility of ICP in Asians and in general populations, while rs473351, D482G, and rs853782 polymorphisms were not obviously associated with ICP risk, but it needs further larger study with ethnicity and various etiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of a Wilms' tumor (WT) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an extremely rare pediatric renal neoplasm. Its prognosis and clinicopathological features remain unclarified. Herein, we describe a case of the coexistence of a WT and an RCC in a male child aged 5 years and 10 months. The child had symptoms of hematuria for more than 1 month. Although his irises were clear, medical imaging revealed a potential malignant tumor in the left kidney. The patient underwent resection of the left kidney. The pathological diagnosis was the coexistence of a WT and papillary RCC. Negative surgical margins were examined. One month following the resection, chemotherapy with vincristine plus dactinomycin (EE-4A regimen) was commenced. At the 69-month follow-up, there was no recurrence or metastasis. The coexistence of a WT and an RCC in the pediatric population is considered a rare pathological event. At present, there is no standard treatment for these renal neoplasms. In this study, the RCC treatment, which was the same as that applied in cases of WTs, was reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By offering high sequencing speed and ultra-high-throughput at a low price, Illumina next-generation sequencing platforms have been widely adopted in recent years. However, an experiment with multiplexed library could be at risk of molecular recombination, known as “index switching”, which causes a proportion of the reads to be assigned to an incorrect sample. It is reported that a new advance, exclusion amplification (ExAmp) in conjunction with the patterned flow cell technology introduced on HiSeq 3000/HiSeq 4000/HiSeq X sequencing systems, potentially suffers from a higher rate of index switching than conventional bridge amplification. We took advantage of the diverse but highly cell-specific expression of antigen receptors on immune cells to quantify index switching on single cell RNA-seq data that were sequenced on HiSeq 3000 and HiSeq 4000. By utilizing the unique antigen receptor expression, we could quantify the spread-of-signal from many different wells (n = 55 from total of three batches) due to index switching. Based on full-length T cell receptor (TCR) sequences from all samples reconstructed by TraCeR and TCR gene expression quantified by Kallisto, we found index switching in all three batches of experiments investigated. The median percentage of incorrectly detected markers was estimated to be 3.9% (interquartile range (IQR): 1.7%-7.3%). We did not detect any consistent patterns of certain indices to be more prone to switching than others, suggesting that index switching is a stochastic process. Our results confirm that index switching is a problem that affects samples run in multiplexed libraries on Illumina HiSeq 3000 and HiSeq 4000 platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study prepared a novel low-cost surface functionalized carbon adsorbent (PPC) from biomass waste (pomelo peel) through a facile low-temperature (250 °C) one-step method under regular air atmosphere. The adsorption performance and mechanism of the carbon material for Ag(I) and Pb(II) were investigated by a range of sorption experiments and characterizations including SEM, EDX, XRD and FTIR. Sorption experimental results suggested that PPC had high adsorption capacities of 137.4 and 88.7 mg/g for Ag(I) and Pb(II), respectively, with adsorbent dosage of 2 g/L at unadjusted solution pH and room temperature (23 ± 1 °C). The characterization results indicated high-efficiency removal of the heavy metals by PPC was attributed to the strong chemical adsorption involving that Ag(I) ions were reduced as metallic Ag particles by oxygenic functional groups and Pb(II) ions were precipitated as Pb 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH crystals by phosphorous functional groups on the carbon surfaces. This study provides the possibility of synthesis high-efficient adsorbent using economic and environmental-friendly approach with low energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Room-temperature ionic liquids based on the bis ((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)-imide anion with the tributyl phosphate (TBP) system employed to extract lithium ion from salt lake brine with a high Mg/Li ratio. The influences of cation structure, concentration of ionic liquid and phase ratio on extraction efficiency were investigated. Results indicated that N-butyl pyridinium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)imide (BD) has high extraction efficiency for lithium; tributylmethylammomium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)imide (JA) has lower extraction efficiency for lithium and impurity ions but exhibits better selectivity; when cation exchange mechanism occurs during solvent extraction by using ionic liquids as a synergistic extraction agent, the cation more hydrophobic was, the more difficult for it to enter the solution exchange process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to determine whether the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is associated with early neurological deterioration (END) and poor outcomes in patients with single subcortical infarct (SSI). For this study, we prospectively enrolled patients with SSI admitted between 2015 and 2021. SHR was distributed in quartiles according to the size of each subgroup. END was defined as an increase of ≥ 2 total points in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) or ≥ 1 point in the motor items of the NIHSS within 7 days of hospital admission. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate patient prognosis. Good and poor outcomes were defined as mRS scores ≤2 and >2, respectively. The relationships between SHR and risk of END as well as outcomes were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. A total of 1049 patients with SSI with an average age of 59.49 years met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The incidence of END markedly increased with increasing SHR. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the highest SHR quartile was independently associated with an increased risk of both END (OR 4.04, 95% CI, 2.43–6.69, P < 0.001) and 3-month poor outcomes (OR 2.34, 95% CI, 1.44–3.82, P = 0.001), compared to the lowest quartile. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the SHR based on the area under the curve showed a diagnostic accuracy equal or greater than fasting plasma glucose. SHR is a reliable predictor of END and poor outcomes in patients with SSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the neurocognitive mechanisms supporting the processing of sentences involving compositional nontransparent meaning, investigating if the neural correlates are modulated by clausal and extra-clausal prior context. We probe through sentences like " The player jumped for 5 s. ", which engenders an iterative meaning (multiple jumping actions) that is morphosyntactically-unsupported yet obtained at the compositional level ([verb + adverbial]). We hypothesize that the non-transparent meaning is computed by comprehenders' contextual evaluation, which would be more effortful without guiding cues yet could be facilitated by the presence of biasing information in context. This predicts that the comprehension of nontransparent sentences is contextually modulated, eliciting greater cost than their transparent counterparts—particularly when they are processed in a neutral context than in an iterative-biasing context. The reported fMRI experiment showed that computing nontransparent meaning preferentially recruited the left inferior frontal gyrus (L.IFG), the left middle temporal regions, and the right IFG, in contrast to the transparent counterpart. Crucially, the left frontal activation subserving nontransparent sentences was attenuated in a biasing context, as compared to a neutral context. The context effect was corroborated by the results of iterativity judgments that showed differential iterative vs. non-iterative interpretations for the nontransparent sentences as cued by the clausal and extra-clausal context. While the influence of clausal context has been demonstrated, this study provides novel evidence showing that compositional meaning computation is modulated by prior context in addition. The findings reveal a left-lateralized frontal-temporal network for compositional nontransparent meaning that is subject to contextual modulation beyond morphosyntactic computation. • Processing compositional nontransparent meaning recruited the left frontal-temporal network including L.IFG and L.MTG. • Morphosyntactically-unsupported meaning is computed by integrative evaluation of both the intra- and extra-clausal context. • Contextualization of nontransparent meaning incurs cost, facilitated by a guiding context with attenuated L.IFG activation. • The neural network of compositional semantic processing can be tuned by contextual modulation beyond morphosyntax. • The findings support the Context-Dependence approach to combinatorial meaning computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Our study aims to investigate the role, effect and mechanisms of ESRP1 (epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1) in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: Microarray and immunohistochemical analysis of ESRP1 expression were performed in EOC cases. The correlations between ESRP1 expression and clinical factors on EOC were assessed. Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference and EGFP vector which contains ESRP1 gene were used to down-regulate and up-regulate ESRP1 expression in human EOC cell lines. Roles of ESRP1 in cell growth, migration and invasion of EOC cells were also measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell systems in vitro and by a nude mice intraperitoneal transplantation model in vivo. Results: By the analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) (p<0.05) and our own microarray data (p<0.001), ESRP1 expression in EOC was significantly different from normal ovarian tissue. It was abundant in the nuclei of cancer cells and in malignant lesions. However, it was weakly expressed or negative in both normal and benign lesions. High ESRP1 expression in EOC was associated with poor clinical outcomes. Decreased ESRP1 expression significantly increased cell migration and invasion both in vivo and in vitro. Snail strongly repressed ESRP1 transcription through binding to the ESRP1 promoter in EOC cells. Furthermore, ESRP1 regulated the expression of CD44s. Down-regulated ESRP1 resulted in an isoform switching from CD44v to CD44s, which modulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in EOC. Up-regulatin of ESRP1 was detected in mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) in vivo. Conclusions: ESRP1 regulates CD44 alternative splicing during the EMT process which plays an important role in EOC carcinogenesis. In addition, ESRP1 is associated with disease prognosis in EOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: This study is aimed at investigating the tissue reactions of heterogenic and allogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) mesh implanted in the vesicovaginal space in a rabbit model.Methods: Twenty eight rabbits were implanted with heterogenic or allogeneic mesh, respectively, in the vesicovaginal space, and 4 served as the no-implantation control group. Rabbits were sacrificed at 7, 30, and 90 days after implantation. Histopathological study and immunohistochemical examination for collagen were performed.Results: Heterogenic but not allogeneic mesh was identifiable at 90 days. In the allogeneic group, neovascularization was observed from day 7 after implantation. A chronic inflammatory reaction was noted in the heterogenic group at 30 days that decreased at 90 days. Inflammation was less in the allogeneic group, but giant cells and fibroblasts were present. With respect to collagen, the heterogenic mesh remained structurally unchanged at 90 days, while new collagen fibers were observed in the allogeneic group from day 7.Conclusion: The immunological outcomes of heterogenic and allogeneic ADM mesh are different. Heterogenic mesh induces a chronic inflammatory reaction at day 30 after implantation, and maintains its original form longer. Allogeneic mesh is associated with new collagen generation, but degrades earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]