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With the enhancement of people's awareness of healthy diet, the innovation of food function has become a hot topic. Self-microemulsion system is an anhydrous pre-concentration system which contains a mixture of oil phase, surfactants, co-surfactants, and bioactive substances in a certain proportion. Food bioactive substances can be loaded in self-microemulsion system, which can improve the bioavailability of food bioactive substances. Moreover, it also fully exerts the physiological and pharmacological activities of food bioactive substances. In this paper, the basic properties, components and preparation methods of self-microemulsion are systematically reviewed. Further, the application examples of self-microemulsion system to promote bioactive substances bio-utilization in food field in recent years are summarized, which provides a reference for the application of self-microemulsion system in food field.

Abstract Achieving high‐precision extraction of sea islands from high‐resolution satellite remote sensing images is crucial for effective resource development and sustainable management. Unfortunately, achieving such accuracy for sea island extraction presents significant challenges due to the presence of extensive background interference. A more widely applicable noise‐tolerant matched filter (NTMF) scheme is proposed for sea island extraction based on the MF scheme. The NTMF scheme effectively suppresses the background interference, leading to more accurate and robust sea island extraction. To further enhance the accuracy and robustness of the NTMF scheme, a neural dynamics algorithm is supplemented that adds an error integration feedback term to counter noise interference during internal computer operations in practical applications. Several comparative experiments were conducted on various remote sensing images of sea islands under different noisy working conditions to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed neural dynamics algorithm‐assisted NTMF scheme. These experiments confirm the advantages of using the NTMF scheme for sea island extraction with the assistance of neural dynamics algorithm.

Objectives: The recent surge of Mpox outbreaks in multiple countries has garnered global attention. As of July 12, 2023, there have been 88,288 reported cases of Mpox worldwide. Although genetic variation was not found to be the cause of the epidemic outbreak, the reasons for its rapid spread remain unclear. Methods: Using the niche method, this study identified high-risk regions for Mpox and determined that human factors are the primary contributors to global risks. To further investigate, a travel network resistance surface was created based on various modes of transportation and was combined with sea, airline, highway, and railway routes to construct the least cost path for human travel networks in different risk areas. Results: The results indicated that high-risk regions for Mpox are mainly concentrated in Europe and the United States, with large risk ranges and high-risk values. The least cost path revealed three primary transmission paths rely on developed transportation networks, including internal transmission in North America, Europe-Africa, and Europe-Asia-Africa. These findings suggest that human activities, facilitated by developed travel networks, remain the main contributing factor to the spread. Conclusions: In summary, based on the Mpox epidemic report, this study conducted risk prediction and driving factor analysis on Mpox. The research results indicate that human use of transportation for long-distance activities is a key factor leading to the rapid spread of the virus. Subsequently, we focused on studying the global transmission pathways of Mpox and revealed several transmission pathways with high global population migration rates by constructing the LCPs between different high-risk areas. This study also emphasizes the importance of applying early monitoring data of Mpox to model risk prediction in controlling emerging infectious diseases, providing a new perspective for controlling Mpox and similar diseases.

Abstract Studying deception is vital for understanding decision-making and social dynamics. Recent EEG research has deepened insights into the brain mechanisms behind deception. Standard methods in this field often rely on memory, are vulnerable to countermeasures, yield false positives, and lack real-world relevance. Here, we present a comprehensive dataset from an EEG-monitored competitive, two-player card game designed to elicit authentic deception behavior. Our extensive dataset contains EEG data from 12 pairs (N = 24 participants with role switching), controlled for age, gender, and risk-taking, with detailed labels and annotations. The dataset combines standard event-related potential and microstate analyses with state-of-the-art decoding approaches of four scenarios: spontaneous/instructed truth-telling and lying. This demonstrates game-based methods’ efficacy in studying deception and sets a benchmark for future research. Overall, our dataset represents a unique resource with applications in cognitive neuroscience and related fields for studying deception, competitive behavior, decision-making, inter-brain synchrony, and benchmarking of decoding frameworks in a difficult, high-level cognitive task.

Some bioactive substances are insoluble in water and have low bioavailability, which limits their application. In recent years, how to effectively deliver bioactive substances has attracted wide attention. However, the commonly used food-grade encapsulation carriers, lipids, polysaccharides and proteins, often have limitations when used alone, which limits their effectiveness in delivery systems. Coupling protein with lipid or polysaccharide is an emerging technology for the manufacture of new delivery systems. Compared with a single carrier, these multivariate conjugates have better synergistic effects in vivo, which improves stability and encapsulation efficiency of delivery systems, and can maximize the functional properties and biological activities of products. This paper mainly reviews the importance and limitations of lipids, polysaccharides and proteins as delivery systems, and horizontally compares the advantages and disadvantages between single matrix and multi-composite carrier matrix. The coupling of protein-lipid/polysaccharide binary matrix is taken as the main research object, and the coupling mechanism, coupling method and its advantages in nutrition delivery are discussed. The future research direction is also prospected.

Abstract Despite their notable unidirectional water transport capabilities, Janus membranes are commonly challenged by the fragility of their chemical coatings and the clogging of open microchannels. Here, an on-demand mode-switching strategy is presented to consider the Janus functionality and mechanical durability separately and implement them by simply stretching and releasing the membrane. The stretching Janus mode facilitates unidirectional liquid flow through the hydrophilic micropores-microgrooves channels (PG channels) fabricated by femtosecond laser. The releasing protection mode is designed for the in-situ closure of the PG channels upon encountering external abrasion and impact. The protection mode imparts the Janus membrane robustness to reserve water unidirectional penetration under harsh conditions, such as 2000 cycles mechanical abrasion, 10 days exposure in air and other rigorous tests (sandpaper abrasion, finger rubbing, sand impact and tape peeling). The underlying mechanism of gridded grooves in protecting and enhancing water flow is unveiled. The Janus membrane serves as a fog collector to demonstrate its unwavering mechanical durability in harsh real-world conditions. The presented design strategy could open up new possibilities of Janus membrane in a multitude of applications ranging from multiphase separation devices to fog harvesting and wearable health-monitoring patches.

In this study, the loss of quality from the oxidative thermal decomposition of jute fiber was explored during the production of reinforced composite materials. Amino silicone oil was used to modify jute fiber, which was then subjected to thermogravimetric analysis. The modified fiber's thermal decomposition temperature was found to be 271 °C, enhancing the composite's thermal stability. The study also investigated how different jute fiber content affected the mechanical and sound absorption properties of composite materials. Results showed that jute fiber composites had better mechanical properties than pure polypropylene materials, and the average sound absorption coefficient of jute polypropylene composites increased with fiber content. Adding jute fiber to polypropylene effectively improved the sound absorption and noise reduction performance of the material. The average sound absorption coefficient of the composite material at a mass content of 20 wt% was 120 % higher than that of the polypropylene matrix material.

Evidence of the joint association between exposure to multiple environmental chemicals and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is scarce. In this study, 281 participants from Zhuhai, China (138 patients with NAFLD vs. 143 healthy participants) were recruited to explore the associations of 40 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 11 neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs), and 8 benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) with the risk of NAFLD. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its emerging alternatives (6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate [6:2 Cl-PFESA] and 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid [8:2 FTSA]), NEO metabolites (m-NEOs), BTR, and BTH were the predominant PFAS, NEOs, BTRs and BTHs, respectively. The total median concentrations of PFAS (20.4 ng/mL vs. 7.16 ng/mL) and NEOs (7.24 ng/mL vs. 6.23 ng/mL) in NAFLD group were significantly higher than those in healthy group. Sex differences in PFAS exposure have been observed among patients with NAFLD. 8:2 FTSA and short-chain PFAS were more predominant in female patients with NAFLD, whereas other emerging (i.e., 6:2 and 8:2 Cl-PFESA) and legacy PFAS (i.e., PFOS and long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids) easily accumulated in male patients with NAFLD. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive association between PFOS and alanine transaminase (ALT) in serum samples from patients with NAFLD (β = 23.2, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 7.82, 38.5). Conversely, negative correlations were observed between 5-hydroxy-imidacloprid (5-OH-IMI) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) (β = −2.73, 95% CI: −5.29, −0.18), as well as between tolyltriazole (TTR) and total bilirubin (TBIL) (β = −0.70, 95% CI: −1.33, −0.08) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) (β = −0.59, 95% CI: −0.98, −0.20). The Bayesian kernel machine regression model revealed a positive joint effect of exposure to PFAS and NEO on elevated NAFLD outcomes, suggesting that exposure to PFAS and NEO might exacerbate the severity of NAFLD. This study fills the knowledge gap between multi-pollutant exposure and NAFLD risk.

This paper proposes a current-fed dual active bridge (DAB) converter with an asymmetric three-phase transformer, aiming to achieve high efficiency over a wide operating range. In the proposed converter, the neutral point (junction) of the three-phase transformer is clamped by the DC power supply on the primary side and by a capacitor on the secondary side, decoupling each phase of the transformer. This configuration enables transformers with different turn ratios, allowing for the selection of energizing phases according to the circuit condition. In order to show the effectiveness of the proposed converter, this paper models the power losses of the proposed converter and shows its efficiency characteristics through theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the efficient operating modes corresponding to the circuit and load conditions are indicated based on the theoretical analysis. Experiments using a 1 kW prototype demonstrate the validity of the theoretical analysis. Consequently, the efficiency characteristics obtained experimentally indicate similar trends from the theoretical analysis, confirming that the proposed converter operates efficiently over a wide range. Additionally, the proposed converter is compared using the analytical models to a DAB converter with a symmetric three-phase transformer. As a result, it is shown that the proposed converter can achieve an efficiency improvement of more than five percentage points (% points) under light loads, and the efficiency drop in specific operating points can be capped by 1.25% points.

China is the largest Carbon Emissions country in the world. The data analysis and simulation of the sampled residential buildings reveals that there exists a large gap between the monitoring data and energy simulation. Based on the thermal comfort theory, we further explored the relationship between the energy consumption behaviors of residents and building ventilation emission reduction. This study constructed a questionnaire to analyze the use habits of existing residential buildings and equipment. The results show the range of suitable outside temps. In this paper, the findings of the survey were combined with the probability of summer outside temp range profiles to derive the thermal comfort satisfaction of the sample population. In the summer high temperature environment, natural ventilation can help to reduce indoor temperature and reduce the concentration of pollutants in the indoor air, thereby improving indoor air quality and reducing energy consumption. The findings can evaluate the emission reduction potential of natural ventilation. The study provided directions for the implementation of low carbon natural ventilation in residential buildings: natural ventilation can be used to reduce residential energy consumption and carbon emissions, reducing the need for mechanical ventilation. This enables environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings and uses renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal energy as an energy supply. In addition, the study examined the emission reduction potential of natural ventilation measures in the summer temperature range of 26°C to 28°C, which could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.61 kg per square meter.

Proppant is one of the key materials for hydraulic fracturing. For special situations, such as middle-deep reservoirs and closure pressures ranging from 40 MPa to 60 MPa, using a single proppant cannot solve the contradiction between performance, which means crushing rate and fracture conductivity, and cost. However, using combined proppants is an economically effective method for hydraulic fracturing of such special reservoirs. Firstly, for different types, particle sizes, and proportions of combined proppants, various contact relationships between proppant particles are considered. The random phenomenon of proppant particle arrangement is described using the Monte Carlo method, and the deterministic phenomenon of proppant particles is processed using an optimization model, achieving computer simulation of the microscopic arrangement of proppant particles. Secondly, a mathematical model for the force analysis of combined proppant particles is established, and an improved singular value decomposition method is used for numerical solution. A computational model for the crushing rate and fracture conductivity of combined proppants is proposed. Thirdly, the numerical calculation results are compared and discussed with the test values, verifying the accuracy of the computational model. Finally, the application of combined proppants is discussed, and a model for optimizing the proportion of combined proppants is proposed. The onsite construction technology is introduced, and the cost and economic benefits of combined proppants are compared with those of all ceramic particles and excessive all-quartz sand. It is proved that combined proppants can balance performance and price, and are an economically effective method for hydraulic fracturing of special reservoirs. The research results can select the optimal proppant material and optimize the combination of different proppant types, which can help achieve cost reduction and efficiency increase in oil and gas development.

Abstract Background Luminal breast cancer (BC) is the predominant subtype of breast cancer with a sustained risk of late recurrence and death. Understanding the molecular mechanisms for the oncogenesis of luminal BC would improve the prognosis for this large subset of patients. SPDEF was reported to be dysregulated in breast cancers. However, the biological functions and underlying molecular mechanism of SPDEF in luminal BC remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the potential roles of SPDEF underlying subtype-specific functions in BC, especially in luminal subtypes. Methods The expressions and clinicopathological characteristics of SPDEF in luminal BC patients were evaluated bioinformatically. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to investigate the oncogenic function and stemness maintenance of SPDEF in luminal BC. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual luciferase reporter assays were conducted to determine the transcription regulation of GALNT7 by SPDEF. GALNT7 levels in serum from luminal BC patients were further detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results SPDEF is markedly upregulated in luminal BC and positively associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis. Furthermore, we confirmed that SPDEF enhanced the proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness of luminal BC cells in vitro as well the tumorigenicity in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated the stimulative effect of SPDEF on the progression and stemness of luminal BC, which is mediated by its directly transcriptional target GALNT7. Clinically, we verified that the GALNT7 can be used as a noninvasive diagnostic marker. Noteworthy, the combined detection of serum GALNT7 and traditional tumor markers can enhance diagnostic accuracy thus is of vital importance in the early diagnosis of luminal BC. Conclusions Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which SPDEF transcriptionally activates GALNT7 via directly binding to its promoter to promote cell proliferation, motility and stemness, and led to luminal BC tumorigenesis and poor prognosis.

Abstract Nowadays the complex international political situation has caused the shortage of coal supply in the European region. Scholars have done a lot of research on supplier evaluation. However, these studies don’t reflect the variability of the indicators, such as interruption caused by recent war. Coal-electricity-integrated companies have a large demand for thermal coal and high requirements for stable supply, so they need to conduct timely and effective short-term evaluation of suppliers. This paper improves the CRITIC method and uses short-term transaction data for a coal-electricity-integrated firm to evaluate its coal suppliers. The results show that the improved CRITIC method effectively avoids the problem of weight changes caused by conflicting value ranges of indicators, and its evaluation results are more consistent with the actual situation, which can meet the requirements of large coal enterprises for evaluating suppliers.

Utilizing the Marangoni effect, miniaturized machineries can be endowed with self-propulsion. Here, the authors report high-performance Marangoni hydrogel rotors with asymmetric porosity and drag reduction profile and demonstrate multiple potential functionalities.

Abstract Background Drug closed-loop management reflects the level of hospital management and pharmacist service. It is a challenge for hospital pharmacists to realize the whole-process closed-loop management of drugs in hospital pharmacies. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the operational effect of using mobile technology to build a closed-loop drug management system. Methods Using mobile technology, replacing the traditional paper dispensing model and constructing a multinode information collection system according to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Standard, we reformed the hospital information system and inpatient pharmacy workflow and then evaluated the new approach using statistical methods. Results After the transformation, the entire process of drug data can be traced. Closed-loop management, as well as real-time data verification and control, thereby improves the work efficiency and reduces the drug dispensing time. By reducing the work error rate, the number of dispensing errors decreased from 5 to 1 case/month. The comprehensive dispensing process can achieve the whole workflow of paperless operation and reduce the use of paper A4 by 180,000 pieces per year. Conclusions Mobile technology can improve the service level of pharmacies, enhance the level of drug management and hospital quality management, ensure the safety of medication for inpatients, and significantly reduce the amount of paper used.

Small-scale electromagnetic soft actuators are characterized by a fast response and simple control, holding prospects in the field of soft and miniaturized robotics. The use of liquid metal (LM) to replace a rigid conductor inside soft actuators can reduce the rigidity and enhance the actuation performance and robustness. Despite research efforts, challenges persist in the flexible fabrication of LM soft actuators and in the improvement of actuation performance. To address these challenges, we developed a fast and robust electromagnetic soft microplate actuator based on a laser-induced selective adhesion transfer method. Equipped with unprecedentedly thin LM circuit and customized low Young’s modulus silicone rubber (1.03 kPa), our actuator exhibits an excellent deformation angle (265.25°) and actuation bending angular velocity (284.66 rad·s ^−1 ). Furthermore, multiple actuators have been combined to build an artificial gripper with a wide range of functionalities. Our actuator presents new possibilities for designing small-scale artificial machines and supports advancements in ultrafast soft and miniaturized robotics.

Objectives This research was designed to examine the associations between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and clinicopathological parameters, and to explore the prognostic value of ADC values in predicting the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and outcome of patients suffering from neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix (NECCs). Methods This retrospective study included 83 patients with NECCs, who had undergone pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between November 2002 and June 2019. The median follow-up period was 50.7 months. Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn manually by two radiologists. ADC values in the lesions were calculated using the Functool software. These values were compared between different clinicopathological parameters groups. The Kaplan–Meier approach was adopted to forecast survival rates. Prognostic factors were decided by the Cox regression method. Results In the cohort of 83 patients, nine, 42, 23, and nine patients were in stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively. ADCmean, ADCmax, and ADCmin were greatly lower in stage IIB–IVB than in stage I–IIA tumours, as well as in tumours measuring ≥ 4 cm than in those < 4 cm. ADCmean, FIGO stage, and age at dianosis were independent prognostic variables for the 5-year overall survival (OS). ADCmin, FIGO stage, age at diagnosis and para-aortic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic variables for the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) in multivariate analysis. For surgically treated patients (n = 45), ADCmax was an independent prognostic parameter for both 5-year OS and 5-year PFS. Conclusions ADCmean, ADCmin, and ADCmax are independent prognostic factors for NECCs. ADC analysis could be useful in predicting the survival outcomes in patients with NECCs.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer characterized by its highly aggressive behavior, early recurrence, and poor outcomes, when compared with other subtypes. Due to the absence of the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression, TNBC lacks meaningful biomarkers and an effective therapeutic strategy. Chemotherapy remains the main adjuvant treatment for patients with TNBC. Anthracycline/taxane-based regimens are the standard of care in adjuvant settings. The addition of capecitabine or platinum may offer extra benefits to patients with TNBC, but at the cost of increased toxicity or adverse events. Dose-dense chemotherapy may enhance treatment efficacy in patients who are able to tolerate the treatment regimen, especially in high-risk patients. As a heterogenous disease, TNBC can be classified into several molecular subtypes according to genomic or transcriptional features, which may indicate potential targets for more precise and individualized treatment strategies. With our increased understanding of signal pathways associated with TNBC, as well as the discovery of novel biomarkers indicative of TNBC prognosis, several new therapeutic options are under investigation, and some have already reported good results. In this review, we summarized the current conventional therapeutic strategies and emerging clinical trials regarding adjuvant treatment for TNBC. Furthermore, we evaluated the prognostic value of several potential targets and the progress of targeted therapy in TNBC, both in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in pediatric patients after liver transplantation, and to establish a population pharmacokinetics model, which can provide a reference for clinical dosage adjustment.Methods: A prospective study in a single center was performed on pediatric patients who were administrated with mycophenolate mofetil dispersible tablets (MMFdt) for at least 4 days after liver transplantation continuously. Blood samples were collected in ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid anticoagulant tubes before dosing and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after the morning intake of MMFdt. The concentrations of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in plasma were assayed with a validated reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method. UGT1A8 518C > G, UGT1A9 -275T > A, UGT1A9 -2152C > T, UGT2B7 211G > T, SLC O 1B1 521T > C polymorphism were determined by Sanger sequencing. Nonlinear mixed effects modeling was used to establish the population pharmacokinetics (PPK) model. The predictability and stability of the model were internally evaluated by the goodness of fit plots, visual prediction check, normalized prediction errors, and bootstraps.Results: A two-compartment model with first-order absorption and first-order elimination was established with 115 MPA concentrations from 20 pediatric patients. The final model were: CL/F (L/h) = 14.8×(WT/7.5)0.75×(DOSE/11.16)0.452×е0.06, Ka (h−1) = 2.02×(WT/7.5)−0.25, Vc/F (L) = 6.01×(WT/7.5), Vp/F (L) = 269 (fixed), Q/F (L/h) = 15.4×(WT/7.5)0.75×е1.39. Where CL/F was the apparent clearance rate, Ka was the absorption rate constant, Vc/F was the apparent distribution volume of the central compartment, Vp/F was the apparent distribution volume of the peripheral compartment, Q/F was the atrioventricular clearance rate, WT was the body weight of the subject, and DOSE was the MMFdt administered dose. The model indicated there was large inter-individual variability in CL/F and Q/F after multiple dosing of MMFdt. Internal evaluation results showed that the final model had good stability and prediction performance.Conclusion: A stable and predictive population pharmacokinetic model of MMFdt in pediatric patients after the early stage of liver transplantation was established. The pediatric patient’s weight and the dose of MMFdt can be a reference to adjust the MMFdt dose.

The zinc metal anode is the most promising metal anode material in aqueous battery systems due to its low cost and high theoretical capacity. However, it still undergoes irreversible reactions such as premature failure of the dendrites/dead Zn during Zn stripping/plating, resulting in the inferior cycling stability of the Zn-based full cell. Here, we demonstrate a facile 3D-Cu alloy coating to improve Zn reversibility by providing spatial voids to accommodate the plated Zn to form dendrite-free morphology. Combining the larger 3D surface and the alloying–dealloying process, the Zn anode reactions exhibit enhanced reaction kinetics to meet large operating current densities. The 3D-Cu-coated Zn anode can deliver improved cycling stability for 350 h under a large areal capacity of 3 mAh cm−2. It also enables MnO2–Zn at the full cell level to achieve a specific capacity of 205 mAh g−1 and longer cycling for 350 cycles with 87.4% retention of the initial capacity. This research provides a new pathway to achieve high reversible Zn metal chemistry.

Abstract In this paper, we first synthesis three-dimensional jasmine-like Cu@L-aspartic acid(L-ASP) inorganic–organic hybrid nanoflowers to load palladium-platinum nanoparticles (Pd–Pt NPs) as the signal enhancer in order to quantify intracellular speckle-type POZ domain protein. Scanning electron microscope, fourier transform infrared, energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis was used to characterize the newly synthesized materials. The newly formed Cu@L-Asp/Pd-PtNPs can catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and exhibit excellent catalytic performance. When different concentration of speckle-type POZ domain protein is captured by speckle-type POZ domain protein antibody linked to the surface of Cu@L-Asp/Pd–Pt NPs, the current signal decreases with the increase concentration of speckle-type POZ domain protein. After optimization, the speckle-type POZ domain protein immunosensor exhibited a good linear response over a concentration range from 0.1–1 ng mL−1 with a low detection limit of 19 fg mL−1. The proposed sensor demonstrates good stability within 28 days, acceptable reproducibility (RSD = 0.52%) and selectivity to the speckle-type POZ domain protein in the presence of possible interfering substances and has potential application for detecting other intracellular macromolecular substances.

BackgroundBreast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer−related mortality in females and the most common malignancy with high morbidity worldwide. It is imperative to develop new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for early diagnosis and effective treatment in BC.MethodsWe revealed the oncogene function of cadherin 1 (CDH1) via bioinformatic analysis in BC. Moreover, miRNA database was utilized to predict miRNAs upstream of CDH1. Expression of CDH1-related miRNAs in BC and their values in BC stemness and prognosis were analyzed through TCGA‐BRCA datasets. In addition, Gene Ontology (GO) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed to explore the potential functions and signaling pathways of CDH1 in combination with CDH1-related miRNAs in BC progression. Finally, the differential expressions of soluble E-cadherin (sE-cad), which is formed by the secretion of CDH1-encoded E-cadherin into serum, analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression level of CDH1-related miRNAs in serum samples.ResultsThe mRNA and protein expressions of CDH1 were elevated in BC tissues compared with normal counterparts. Moreover, CDH1 overexpression was positively correlated with BC stage, metastatic, stemness characteristics, and poor prognosis among patients. In predictive analysis, miR-340, miR-185, and miR-20a target CDH1 and are highly expressed in BC. miR-20a overexpression alone was strongly associated with high stemness characteristics and poor prognosis of BC. Additionally, GO, KEGG, and hallmark effect gene set analysis demonstrated that CDH1 in combination with overexpression of miR-340, miR-185, or miR-20a participated in multiple biological processes and underly signaling pathways involving in tumorigenesis and development of BC. Finally, we provide experimental evidence that the combined determination of serum sE-cad and miR-20a in BC has highly diagnostic efficiency.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence for CDH1 as an oncogene in BC and suggests that miR-20a may regulate the stemness characteristics of BC to exert a pro-oncogenic effect by regulating CDH1. Moreover, sE-cad and miR-20a in serum can both be used as valid noninvasive markers for BC diagnosis.

Although the East Asian monsoon is believed to be an important driver for the origin and evolution of the biotas in this region, the association has rarely been rigorously tested. Here, using phylogenetic comparative methods and analyses of key innovations of adaptive traits, we investigated evolutionary patterns of the East Asian cyprinid opsariichthyin-xenocyprinin-cultrin clade; the dominant species in lakes and rivers, which are the typical productions of monsoon climate. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed the relationships as (Opsariichthys-tribe + (((Oxygaster-tribe ​+ ​Aphyocypris-tribe) ​+ ​Metzia-tribe) ​+ ​(Paralaubuca-tribe + (Squaliobarbus-tribe + (Hypophthalmichthys-tribe + (xenocyprinins ​+ ​cultrins)))))). Based on Bayesian relaxed-clock methods, we found that origins of the Squaliobarbus- and Hypophthalmichthys-tribes bearing the key adaptation of riverine spawning with drifting eggs occurred 22.5 and 21.1 Mya, respectively. These times are consistent with the Early Miocene origin of major rivers (e.g., Yangtze River) and the appearance of the East Asian monsoon climate. Diversification of the cultrins, characterized by spawning of adhesive eggs as well as swimming and feeding in lentic waters, were estimated to have evolved 16.6 to 0.2 Mya. This period covers three phases of enhancement of the East Asian monsoon from the Middle Miocene to the Pliocene (around 15–13, 10–7, and 3.5 Mya). The habitats of these cultrins and their evolution also suggest the appearance and development of a lake-river environment during those periods. Therefore, our results suggest close relationships between the evolution of these fishes and geological events in East Asia. Further, they provide knowledge that may help facilitate future conservation strategies such as the maintenance of high river flows during dam construction and operation.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis. Increasing evidence has revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) are strongly associated with the pathogenesis and progression of MM. Here, we investigated the role of microRNA‐637 (miR‐637) in MM to identify potential therapeutic targets. We measured the expression of miR‐637 in bone marrow samples of MM patients and MM cell lines by quantitative real‐time PCR and western blot. The effect of miR‐637 on proliferation and apoptosis of MM primary cells was also investigated. Analyses of four bioinformatics databases showed that miR‐637 is associated with nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) in MM cells, which was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. We found that the overexpression of miR‐637 suppressed the development of MM. miR‐637 mimics increased the levels of Bax, cleaved caspase 3, and P62, and decreased the levels of Bcl2 and LC3. Additionally, luciferase reporter assays were performed to demonstrate that NUPR1 is the main target of miR‐637 in MM cells. Overexpression of NUPR1 reversed the effects of miR‐637 mimics in MM cells. Our results suggest that miR‐637 inhibits cell proliferation and autophagy, and promotes apoptosis in MM cells by targeting NUPR1. Our findings also suggest that miR‐637 may have potential as a novel molecular therapeutic target for MM treatment.

Background: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of SHR4640, a highly selective urate transporter-1 inhibitor, in combination with febuxostat, in patients with primary hyperuricemia. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled phase II study, patients whose fasting serum uric acid (sUA) levels were ⩾ 480 μmol/L at screening with gout or sUA levels were ⩾ 420 μmol/L lasting for at least 3 months without gout, either with sUA levels ⩾ 540 μmol/L at screening or sUA levels ⩾ 480 μmol/L with comorbidities at screening, were enrolled. Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive SHR4640 10 mg plus febuxostat 80 mg, SHR4640 10 mg plus febuxostat 40 mg, and SHR4640 5 mg plus febuxostat 20 mg orally once daily. The primary end point was the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Results: A total of 93 patients were randomized and received treatment. TEAEs occurred in 55.9% of patients. The incidence of TEAEs was comparable among all the groups. Serious TEAEs occurred in one patient (1.1%), with no deaths observed. The proportion of patients who achieved the target sUA levels by week 4 was 79.3%, 96.6%, and 75.0% in the SHR4640 10 mg plus febuxostat 80 mg, SHR4640 10 mg plus febuxostat 40 mg, and SHR4640 5 mg plus febuxostat 20 mg groups, respectively. The mean percent reduction of sUA was 59.7%, 63.7%, and 41.8%, respectively. Conclusion: SHR4640 plus febuxostat exhibited a tolerable safety profile and substantial sUA lowering activity in patients with primary hyperuricemia. Registration: www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn ; CTR 20192429

Gross primary productivity (GPP) is an important parameter that represents the productivity of vegetation and responses to various ecological environments. Using the Mann–Kendall methods, Pearson correlation, and the Geodetector, this study investigated the spatiotemporal variation and driving factors of GPP from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that (1) in terms of spatial distribution, GPP showed a trend of “low-high-low” regions, with low values for grassland and arable land and a high value for forest land. The growth trend is fast in forest areas, while the growth trend is not obvious in cultivated areas. The regions with significant growth accounted for 68.73% of the whole region. (2) The whole region shows a growth rate of 2.07 g C∙m−2∙yr−1, showing obvious seasonality, with a slow growth trend in spring and autumn and a fast growth trend in summer. (3) The driving factors of GPP spatial differentiation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were land surface temperature, land use type, and nighttime light data, while precipitation and downward surface shortwave radiation show no strong explanatory power for the spatial differentiation of GPP, which means that these two factors have less driving force on the spatial differentiation of GPP. The interaction of LUCC with the other factors presents two-factor enhancement, while the LST interaction with the other three factors presents non-linear enhancement. This study could provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.

Air-source heat pump with vapour injection is a prospective efficient heating method for electric railway vehicles in cold regions. A heating performance analysis modelling for air source heat pump with vapour injection is set up for performance optimization in this paper. The maximum errors of the program are within 15%. Heating performance, as well as the optimal injection ratio is analysed. The optimal injection ratio varies mainly from 0.12 to 0.3 under the typical working condition of railway vehicles in winter. It goes up with increasing inlet air temperature of condenser and goes down with increasing ambient temperature. The ambient temperature has very little effect on the optimal injection temperature of the internal heat exchanger. The results indicate that the expander valve opening of the injection branch can be controlled by its outlet temperature to get the optimal heating performance.

Objective This study aimed to explore the prognostic factors and outcomes of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the cervix and to determine appropriate treatment. Methods A single-institution retrospective analysis of 172 patients with NETs was performed based on the new International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO 2018) staging system. Results Among the 172 eligible patients, 161 were diagnosed with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC), six with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, four with typical carcinoid tumors and one with SCNEC combined with an atypical carcinoid tumor. According to the FIGO 2018 staging guidelines, 31 were stage I, 66 were stage II, 57 were stage III, and 18 were stage IV. The 5-year survival rates of patients with stage I–IV disease were 74.8%, 56.2%, 41.4% and 0%, respectively. The 5-year progression-free survival rates of patients with stage I–IV disease were 63.8%, 54.5%, 30.8% and 0%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, advanced FIGO stage, large tumor and older age were identified as independent variables for 5-year survival in patients with stage I–IV disease. FIGO stage, tumor size and para-aortic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for 5-year progression-free survival in patients with stage I–IV disease. For the patients receiving surgery (n = 108), tumor size and pelvic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for 5-year survival, and pelvic lymph node metastasis for 5-year progression-free survival. In stage IVB, at least six cycles of chemotherapy (n = 7) was associated with significantly better 2-year OS (83.3% vs. 9.1%, p < 0.001) and 2-year PFS (57.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.01) than fewer than six cycles of chemotherapy(n = 11). Conclusion Advanced FIGO stage, large tumor, older age and lymph node metastasis are independent prognostic factors for NETs of the cervix. The TP/TC and EP regimens were the most commonly used regimens, with similar efficacies and toxicities. Standardized and complete multimodality treatment may improve the survival of patients with NETs.

A global challenge to sustainable development is land degradation, and to achieve land degradation neutrality, monitoring, mapping, and impact assessment of ongoing ecological restoration efforts is necessary. Here, we analyze the desertification process and role of restoration projects at a spatial and temporal scale in Mu Us Desert from 2001 to 2018. We used 17 years of data to (1) assess the vegetation trend including its significance and map land degradation based on Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 15.3.1 (2) address how vegetation activity has changed under the influence of restoration programs and climate change (3) estimate how successful are the positive human interventions to achieve Land degradation neutrality. Results showed an overall increasing vegetation trend (85.69% significant increasing) and a partial decreasing vegetation trend (1.33% significant decreasing) in Mu Us desert. Ecological restoration activities are found to be one of the key driving forces of vegetation restoration in the desert, however, limited impact of climatic factors on vegetation cover change was observed. Results revealed that 41.42% of total significant restoration is attributed to ecological restoration programs out of which 40.42% area has shown improvement in all three sub-indicators of land degradation.

The large area estimation of forest canopy closure (FCC) using remotely sensed data is of high interest in monitoring forest changes and forest health, as well as in assessing forest ecological services. The accurate estimation of FCC over the regional or global scale is challenging due to the difficulty of sample acquisition and the slow processing efficiency of large amounts of remote sensing data. To address this issue, we developed a novel bounding envelope methodology based on vegetation indices (BEVIs) for determining vegetation and bare soil endmembers using the normalized differences vegetation index (NDVI), modified bare soil index (MBSI), and bare soil index (BSI) derived from Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 image within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, then combined the NDVI with the dimidiate pixel model (DPM), one of the most commonly used spectral-based unmixing methods, to map the FCC distribution over an area of more than 90,000 km2. The key processing was the determination of the threshold parameter in BEVIs that characterizes the spectral boundary of vegetation and soil endmembers. The results demonstrated that when the threshold equals 0.1, the extraction accuracy of vegetation and bare soil endmembers is the highest with the threshold range given as (0, 0.3), and the estimated spatial distribution of FCC using both Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 images were consistent, that is, the area with high canopy density was mainly distributed in the western mountainous region of Chifeng city. The verification was carried out using independent field plots. The proposed approach yielded reliable results when the Landsat 8 data were used (R2 = 0.6, RMSE = 0.13, and 1-rRMSE = 80%), and the accuracy was further improved using Sentinel-2 images with higher spatial resolution (R2 = 0.81, RMSE = 0.09, and 1-rRMSE = 86%). The findings demonstrate that the proposed method is portable among sensors with similar spectral wavebands, and can assist in mapping FCC at a regional scale while using multispectral satellite imagery.

The mechanisms by which plant age regulates flowering remain incompletely understood. Here the authors show that age dependent regulation of SPL transcription factors by miR156 influence flowering via control of NF-YB8 expression in Chrysanthemum.

Accurate information on tree species is in high demand for forestry management and further investigations on biodiversity and environmental monitoring. Over regional or large areas, distinguishing tree species at high resolutions faces the challenges of a lack of representative features and computational power. A novel methodology was proposed to delineate the explicit spatial distribution of six dominant tree species (Pinus tabulaeformis, Quercus mongolia, Betula spp., Populus spp., Larix spp., and Armeniaca sibirica) and one residual class at 10 m resolution. Their spatial patterns were analyzed over an area covering over 90,000 km2 using the analysis-ready large volume of multisensor imagery within the Google Earth engine (GEE) platform afterwards. Random forest algorithm built into GEE was used together with the 20th and 80th percentiles of multitemporal features extracted from Sentinel-1/2, and topographic features. The composition of tree species in natural forests and plantations at the city and county-level were performed in detail afterwards. The classification achieved a reliable accuracy (77.5% overall accuracy, 0.71 kappa), and the spatial distribution revealed that plantations (Pinus tabulaeformis, Populus spp., Larix spp., and Armeniaca sibirica) outnumber natural forests (Quercus mongolia and Betula spp.) by 6% and were mainly concentrated in the northern and southern regions. Arhorchin had the largest forest area of over 4500 km2, while Hexingten and Aohan ranked first in natural forest and plantation area. Additionally, the class proportion of the number of tree species in Karqin and Ningcheng was more balanced. We suggest focusing more on the suitable areas modeling for tree species using species’ distribution models and environmental factors based on the classification results rather than field survey plots in further studies.

Although miR-related mechanisms have been implicated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a precise role for miR-3188 has not been reported in this context. Here, Zhao et al. show that FOXO1-induced miR-3188 acts as a tumour suppressor in NPC by regulating the axis mTOR/PI3K/Akt/c-Jun.