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Accurate identification of delirium in sepsis patients is crucial for guiding clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, there are no accurate biomarkers and indicators at present. We aimed to identify which combinations of cognitive impairment-related biomarkers and other easily accessible assessments best predict delirium in sepsis patients. One hundred and one sepsis patients were enrolled in a prospective study cohort. S100B, NSE, and BNIP3 L biomarkers were detected in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid and patients' optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD). The optimal biomarkers identified by Logistic regression are combined with other factors such as ONSD to filter out the perfect model to predict delirium in sepsis patients through Logistic regression, Naïve Bayes, decision tree, and neural network models. Among all biomarkers, compared with BNIP3 L (AUC =.706, 95% CI =.597–.815) and NSE (AUC =.711, 95% CI =.609–.813) in cerebrospinal fluid, plasma S100B (AUC =.729, 95% CI =.626–.832) had the best discrimination performance for delirium in sepsis patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that the combination of cerebrospinal fluid BNIP3 L with plasma S100B, ONSD, neutrophils, and age provided the best discrimination to cognitive impairment in sepsis patients (accuracy =.901, specificity =.923, sensitivity =.911), which was better than Naïve Bayes, decision tree, and neural network models. Neutrophils, ONSD, and cerebrospinal fluid BNIP3 L were consistently the major contributors in a few models. The logistic regression showed that the combination model was strongly correlated with cognitive dysfunction in sepsis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After undergoing fibula-free flap harvest, patients may experience complications such as ankle instability. It remains unclear whether these patients have deficits of proprioception, and the recovery process is also uncertain. This study aimed to objectively evaluate proprioception on the donor and normal side of surgical patients during long-term follow-up using the Pro-kin system. This study enrolled 36 patients who underwent reconstruction of the head and neck using osseous free flaps harvested from the fibula. Each patient underwent pre-operative evaluations and was subsequently evaluated at postoperative months 1, 3, 6, and 12. The study assessed the proprioceptive evaluation of the lower limbs, muscle function, range of motion of the ankle, and donor side complications. On the donor side, the average trace error (ATE) at postoperative month 1 was significantly higher than pre-operation, postoperative months 6 and 12 (P< 0.05). The test execution time (TTE) at postoperative month 1 was significantly increased by 9.875s compared to the pre-operative levels (P= 0.012, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4: 1.877–17.873) and by 11.583s compared to postoperative month 12 (P= 0.007, 95% CI: 2.858–20.309). The reduction in range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion was most pronounced at postoperative month 1, exhibiting an 11.25∘ decrease compared to pre-operative levels (P< 0.001, 95% CI: 6.304–16.16). Although the range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion gradually improved over time at postoperative months 3, 6, and 12, it remained lower than pre-operative levels (P< 0.05). The study revealed that the patients exhibited proprioceptive disturbances in both lower limbs at postoperative month 1. The proprioceptive function gradually improved over time, with a gradual decrease in donor site complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with strong invasiveness and poor prognosis. Previous studies have demonstrated the significant role of USP14 in various solid tumors. However, the role of USP14 in the regulation of HCC development and progression remains unclear. Methods: We discovered through GEO and TCGA databases that USP14 may play an important role in liver cancer. Using bioinformatics analysis based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we screened and identified USP14 as highly expressed in liver cancer. We detected the growth and metastasis of HCC cells promoted by USP14 through clone formation, cell counting kit 8 assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry. In addition, we detected the impact of USP14 on the downstream protein kinase B (AKT) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways using western blotting. The interaction mechanism between USP14 and HK2 was determined using immunofluorescence and coimmunoprecipitation (CO-IP) experiments. Results: We found that sh-USP14 significantly inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and invasion of liver cancer cells, promoting apoptosis. Further exploration revealed that sh-USP14 significantly inhibited the expression of HK2. Sh-USP14 can significantly inhibit the expression of AKT and EMT signals. Further verification through immunofluorescence and CO-IP experiments revealed that USP14 co-expressed with HK2. Further research has found that USP14 regulates the glycolytic function of liver cancer cells by the deubiquitination of HK2. USP14 regulates the autophagy function of liver cancer cells by regulating the interaction between SQSTM1/P62 and HK2. Conclusions: Our results indicate that USP14 plays a crucial role in the carcinogenesis of liver cancer. We also revealed the protein connections between USP14, HK2, and P62 and elucidated the potential mechanisms driving cancer development. The USP14/HK2/P62 axis may be a new therapeutic biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the application of hyperspectral image space–spectral fusion technology in lithologic classification, using data from China's GF-5 and Europe's Sentinel-2A. The research focuses on the southern region of Tuanjie Peak in the Western Kunlun Range, comparing five space–spectral fusion methods: GSA, SFIM, CNMF, HySure, and NonRegSRNet. To comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and applicability of these fusion methods, the study conducts a comprehensive assessment from three aspects: evaluation of fusion effects, lithologic classification experiments, and field validation. In the evaluation of fusion effects, the study uses an index analysis and comparison of spectral curves before and after fusion, concluding that the GSA fusion method performs the best. For lithologic classification, the Random Forest (RF) classification method is used, training with both area and point samples. The classification results from area sample training show significantly higher overall accuracy compared to point samples, aligning well with 1:50,000 scale geological maps. In field validation, the study employs on-site verification combined with microscopic identification and comparison of images with actual spectral fusion, finding that the classification results for the five lithologies are essentially consistent with field validation results. The "GSA+RF" method combination established in this paper, based on data from GF-5 and Sentinel-2A satellites, can provide technical support for lithological classification in similar high-altitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical exercise directly stretching the peripheral nerve promotes nerve regeneration; however, its action mechanism remains elusive. Our present study aimed to investigate the effects of mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) activated by mechanical stretching on the cultured Schwann cells (SCs) and explore the possible mechanism. Methods: Primary SCs from neonatal mice at 3–5 days of age were derived and transfected with the lentivirus vector expressing a mutant version of MscL, MscL-G22S. We first detected the cell viability and calcium ion (Ca2+) influx in the MscL-G22S-expressing SCs with low-intensity mechanical stretching and the controls. Proteomic and energy metabolomics analyses were performed to investigate the comprehensive effects of MscL-G22S activation on SCs. Measurement of glycolysis- and oxidative phosphorylation-related molecules and ATP production were respectively performed to further validate the effects of MscL-G22S activation on SCs. Finally, the roles of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in the mechanism of energy metabolism modulation of SCs by MscL-G22S activation was investigated. Results: Mechanical stretching-induced MscL-G22S activation significantly increased the cell viability and Ca2+ influx into the SCs. Both the proteomic and targeted energy metabolomics analysis indicated the upregulation of energy metabolism as the main action mechanism of MscL-G22S-activation on SCs. MscL-G22S-activated SCs showed significant upregulation of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation when SCs with stretching alone had only mild upregulation of energy metabolism than those without stimuli. MscL-G22S activation caused significant phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and upregulation of HIF-1α/c-Myc. Inhibition of PI3K abolished the MscL-G22S activation-induced upregulation of HIF-1α/c-Myc signaling in SCs and reduced the levels of glycolysis- and oxidative phosphorylation-related substrates and mitochondrial activity. Conclusion: Mechanical stretching activates MscL-G22S to significantly promote the energy metabolism of SCs and the production of energic substrates, which may be applied to enhance nerve regeneration via the glia-axonal metabolic coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sinuvertebral nerve overactivation is one of the mechanisms of neck pain caused by cervical disc herniation. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of sinuvertebral nerves has shown efficacy for the treatment of discogenic low back pain. However, relatively few studies evaluated the efficacy of RFA of sinuvertebral nerves for the treatment of chronic neck pain caused by cervical disc herniation. Methods: Clinical data were retrospectively collected from 168 patients diagnosed with cervical disc herniated neck pain from January 1, 2019, to September 1, 2022, who were treated with computed tomography (CT)-guided cervical disc RFA of at the Pain Medicine Center of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital. A 22-G RFA needle (Inomed, Emmendingen, Germany) was inserted between the carotid artery and trachea to the intervertebral disc under the direction of CT the scanner. Depending on the position of the protruding nucleus pulposus or the rupture of the annulus fibrosus, the needle was inserted into the posterior side of the intervertebral disc until the tip of the needle reached the target position. The numeric rating scale (NRS) score, pain relief and appearance of complications after RFA were evaluated. Results: A total of 168 patients underwent CT-guided RFA for cervical disc herniation. The average duration of pain was 67.07 ± 70.42 months. At 6 months of follow-up, the median preoperative NRS score decreased significantly from preoperative 5.41 ± 1.08 to postoperative 1.341 ± 1.25 at 1 month, 1.4 ± 1.38 at 3 months and 1.72 ± 1.41 at 6 months after RFA (p < 0.01). The numbers of patients with ≥ 50% of their neck pain relieved were 84% (141/168), 87% (147/168), 87% (147/168) and 79% (133/168) at 1 day, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after RFA, respectively. No serious complications related to treatment or long-term complications were observed. Conclusions: This study highlights that CT-guided RFA targeting the edge of cervical disc herniation to destroy the sinuvertebral nerves can effectively relieve neck pain, and the computed tomography (CT)-guided RFA treatment strategy has the advantages of having few complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is an economically valuable crop worldwide, and accurate and rapid leaf moisture content, nitrogen content, and soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value estimations are crucial for cotton growth. In this study, high-resolution spectral data were collected for the Tahe 2 cotton variety in Alar City, Xinjiang. The raw spectra were preprocessed using four methods: first derivative, standard normal variate transformation, second derivative, and multiplicative scatter correction. Wavelet coefficients at multiple scales were generated from the raw spectra using a continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and CWT with first derivative (CWT-FD). A quantitative detection model combining CWT and CWT-FD with successive projection algorithm – partial least squares (SPA-PLS) was developed to estimate the leaf moisture content, nitrogen content, and SPAD values. The performances of the different scales and methods for estimating these parameters were compared. Six stratification methods were employed to determine the optimal modelling results and decomposition scales for the parameters under various stratification schemes. The results demonstrated that the CWT and CWT-FD methods significantly improved the accuracy of estimating cotton canopy spectral characteristics related to the parameters, surpassing that of conventional spectral processing methods. The mexh, db5, and db5 wavelet basis functions, along with scale 3, were identified as the optimal modelling choices for moisture content, nitrogen content, and SPAD values throughout the cotton plant growth period. Among the six vertical stratification structures of cotton, the CWT and CWT-FD methods, along with the three wavelet basis functions, achieved the best results for the three parameters in the upper layer. The optimal relative percent deviation values for the three parameters of typical leaves ranged from 1.603 to 2.016, indicating satisfactory modelling performance. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for accurately estimating leaf moisture content, nitrogen content, and SPAD values using spectral technology, enabling the simultaneous extraction and monitoring of multiple physiological indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of PdAu nanospheres with wrinkled-surface are synthesized as efficient electrocatalysts for ethylene glycol and ethanol oxidation reactions. [Display omitted] • The universal and simple method of 3D Pd-based nanospheres with novel morphology are studied. • The introduction of Au effectively modifies the electronic structure of Pd. • The content of Au plays a key role in enhancing the electrocatalytic performances of PdAu NSs. • The superior electrocatalytic performances of PdAu NSs to EGOR and EOR were effectively confirmed compared to commercial Pd/C. Three dimensional (3D) noble-metal nanomaterials with special surface structures have been regarded as high-performance catalysts for alcohol oxidation on account of their superior thermal stability, electrical conductivity and large specific surface area. Although extensive efforts have been devoted to the preparation of 3D Pd-based catalysts with superior activity and stability, designing a simple, effective and eco-friendly method remains a challenge. Herein, we developed a facile one-step coreduction strategy to synthesize a series of 3D surface-wrinkled PdAu nanospheres (NSs) with tunable Pd/Au atomic ratios and found a universal method to prepare surface-wrinkled PdM (M = Au, Pt, Cu and Pb) NSs. Benefiting from the function of the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), the synthesized PdAu NSs with different composition possess abundant surface wrinkles, which is beneficial for exposing more electroactive centers. Attributed to the unique geometric morphology and optimized atomic ratio, the PdAu-2 NSs exhibited an optimal mass activity (MA) of 8103 mA mg−1 and 5113 mA mg−1 for the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), which was 6.1 and 4.1 times that of commercial Pd/C, respectively. Moreover, the PdAu-2 NSs exhibited superb stability after long-term current–time (i-t) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests of the EGOR and EOR. This work not only provides new avenues to engineer PdAu NSs with enhanced electrocatalytic performance but also offers guidance for extending to more 3D PdM (M = other metals) NSs with novel morphology applied to fuel cell fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a common tick-borne, natural focal disease. SFTS virus (SFTSV) transmission can occur between family members through close contact with an infected patient. In this study, we explored the possible transmission route of an outbreak cluster in east China. Method: A case-control study was carried out to analyze the potential risk factors for person-to-person transmission. Bunia virus was detected by IgM antibody, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Chi-square, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to calculate the association of possible risk factors for SFTSV transmission. Results: Two patients had a clear history of blood and aerosols contact, and one may be exposed to aerosols in a closed environment. Five close contacts of the Index patient were IgM-positive and three were IgM and SFTSV RNA positive. Exposure to a poorly ventilated space where the corpse was stored (χ2 = 5.49, P = 0.019) and contact with the Index patient's contaminated items (χ2 = 15.77, P < 0.001) significantly associated with SFTSV infection. Conclusion: We suspect that the cluster outbreak was possibly a person-to-person transmission of SFTSV, which may have been transmitted by directly contacting with blood of SFTS patient. The propagation of aerosols in closed environments is also an undeniable transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of bimetallic UiO-66-NH2(Zr–Hf) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were prepared by a green hydrothermal method and tested for their photocatalytic and piezo-catalytic properties. Among them, UN(0.75Zr) (metal node: 0.75Zr : 0.25Hf) shows the most superior piezo-photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate for 40 mg L−1 rhodamine B (Rh B) could reach 96.78% within 30 min, which was ∼4.66 and ∼3.30 times higher than that of photocatalysis and piezo-catalysis, respectively. Moreover, the main reactive oxidizing substances (ROS), including vacancies (h+) and hydroxyl radicals (˙OH), were identified by free radical scavenging experiments. In addition, the intermediates generated during Rh B degradation were analyzed by HPLC-MS, while a reasonable degradation pathway was presented. Our work utilizes a green and environmentally friendly method to prepare bimetallic MOFs, providing a novel solution for the rapid degradation of highly concentrated dye wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the direct current (DC) microgrid, a communication-less control algorithm to keep a stable state of the isolated DC microgrid is presented in this paper. In order to get balance of the state of charge (SoC) among multiple battery energy storage systems (BESs), a control algorithm with adaptive droop coefficient is proposed. When the SoC of BESs has a deviation, the droop coefficient will change with the SoC. The DC bus voltage is kept at a stable value within a small range of deviation using the proposed adaptive control algorithm, thus improving the voltage quality. The coordinated control strategy is significant to keep the system stable and to ensure the power balance of the DC microgrid. Finally, several representative cases are discussed and verified. The simulation results show that the DC bus voltage regulation has better stability and robustness without communication and the proposed control algorithm has a desirable performance on the balance of the SoC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral Prospectivity Mapping (MPM) is shifting toward intelligent deep mineralization searches in the era of big data and the increasing difficulties of surface deposit detection. Comparative analysis of two forms of mineralization prediction based on the Apriori algorithm was performed in the Meiling South mining area in the eastern Hami region of Xinjiang, China. In comparison 1, we use the Apriori algorithm to mine ore-forming information and determine the ore-forming voxel positions based on spatial distance and angle analysis. Then, we compare the ore-forming voxel positions determined by Apriori with the ore-forming voxel positions predicted by the mathematical model based on the conceptual model of mineralization, and these mathematical models include Gaussian Naive Bayesian (GNB) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). In comparison 2, the optimal prediction model is SVM, which is trained using the elements of mineralization prediction determined by the conceptual model of mineralization. Then, two sets of new elements of mineralization prediction are extracted from the original elements of mineralization prediction using the Apriori and Chi-square methods and then input into the SVM model for training. After we obtain the mineralization prediction results, we compare them with the original mineralization prediction results. The preceding comparison produced the following results. (1) Using the Apriori algorithm, the distribution characteristics of the high and low-grade ore bodies and the association rules between ore-bearing information were determined. (2) The prediction results of the GNB and SVM models displayed corresponding trends on the high and low-grade ore-bearing voxels identified by Apriori, which matched the rules mined by Apriori. (3) In comparison to the mineralization prediction elements screened by Chi-square and the original mineralization prediction elements based on the conceptual model of mineralization, the elements of mineralization prediction chosen based on Apriori have the best prediction effect in SVM when tested in new drill holes. Based on the mineralization prediction elements screened by Apriori, the number of accurate ore-bearing voxels (prediction probability greater than 0.5) predicted by the SVM model is 6, 5, and 1 in drill holes V1, V2, and V3, respectively. The collective results demonstrated that Apriori is explicit, intuitive, and interpretable for mineralization prediction and has a certain reference value for refining the determination of mineralization prediction elements and discovering mineralization mechanisms and laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the challenge of early detection of cotton verticillium wilt disease, naturally infected cotton plants in the field, which were divided into five categories based on the degree of disease severity, have been investigated in this study. Canopies of infected cotton plants were analyzed with spectral data measured, and various preprocessing techniques, including multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and MSC-continuous wavelet analysis algorithms, were used to predict the disease severity. With a combination of support vector machine (SVM) models with such optimization algorithms as genetic algorithm (GA), grid search (GS), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and grey wolf optimizer (GWO), a grading model of cotton verticillium wilt disease was established in this study. The study results show that the MSC-PSO-SVM model outperforms the other three models in terms of classification accuracy, and the accuracy, macro precision, macro recall, and macro F1-score of this model are 80%, 81.26%, 80%, and 79.57%, respectively. Among those eight models constructed on the basis of continuous wavelet analyses using mexh and db3, the MSC-db3(23)-PSO-SVM and MSC-db3(23)-GWO-SVM models perform best, with the latter having a shorter running time. An overall evaluation shows that the MSC-db3(23)-GWO-SVM model is an optimal model, with values of its accuracy, macro precision, macro recall, and macro F1-score indicators being 91.2%, 92.02%, 91.2%, and 91.16%, respectively. Moreover, under this model, the prediction accuracy on disease levels 1 and 5 has achieved the highest rate of 100%, with a prediction accuracy rate of 88% on disease level 2 and the lowest prediction accuracy rate of 84% on both disease levels 3 and 4. These results demonstrate that it is effective to use spectral technology in classifying the cotton verticillium wilt disease and satisfying the needs of field detection and grading. This study provides a new approach for the detection and grading of cotton verticillium wilt disease and offered a theoretical basis for early prevention, precise drug application, and instrument development for the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels (CNGCs) are nonselective cation channels that are ubiquitous in eukaryotic organisms. As Ca2+ channels, some CNGCs have also proven to be K+-permeable and involved in plant development and responses to environmental stimuli. Sugarcane is an important sugar and energy crop worldwide. However, reports on CNGC genes in sugarcane are limited. Results: In this study, 16 CNGC genes and their alleles were identified from Saccharum spontaneum and classified into 5 groups based on phylogenetic analysis. Investigation of gene duplication and syntenic relationships between S. spontaneum and both rice and Arabidopsis demonstrated that the CNGC gene family in S. spontaneum expanded primarily by segmental duplication events. Many SsCNGCs showed variable expression during growth and development as well as in tissues, suggesting functional divergence. Light-responsive cis-acting elements were discovered in the promoters of all the identified SsCNGCs, and the expression of most of the SsCNGCs showed a diurnal rhythm. In sugarcane, the expression of some SsCNGCs was regulated by low-K+ treatment. Notably, SsCNGC13 may be involved in both sugarcane development and its response to environmental stimuli, including response to low-K+ stress. Conclusion: This study identified the CNGC genes in S. spontaneum and provided insights into the transcriptional regulation of these SsCNGCs during development, circadian rhythm and under low-K+ stress. These findings lay a theoretical foundation for future investigations of the CNGC gene family in sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Downregulation of certain tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs) by aberrant methylation of CpG islands in the promoter region contributes a great deal to the oncogenesis and progression of several cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). Protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) is a newly identified TSG in various cancers and is downregulated in GC; however, the specific mechanisms of PCDH10 in GC remain elusive. Here, we elucidated a novel epigenetic regulatory signaling pathway involving the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF180 and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), responsible for modulating PCDH10 expression by affecting its promoter methylation. Results: We revealed that PCDH10 was downregulated in GC cells and tissues, and low PCDH10 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with GC. Additionally, PCDH10 overexpression suppressed GC cell proliferation and metastasis. Mechanistically, DNMT1-mediated promoter hypermethylation resulted in decreased expression of PCDH10 in GC tissues and cells. Further analysis revealed that RNF180 can bind directly to DNMT1 and was involved in DNMT1 degradation via ubiquitination. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between RNF180 and PCDH10 expression and an inverse association between DNMT1 and PCDH10 expression showed considerable prognostic significance. Conclusion: Our data showed that RNF180 overexpression upregulated PCDH10 expression via ubiquitin-dependent degradation of DNMT1, thus suppressing GC cell proliferation, indicating that the RNF180/DNMT1/PCDH10 axis could be a potential therapeutic target for GC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Downregulation of certain tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs) by aberrant methylation of CpG islands in the promoter region contributes a great deal to the oncogenesis and progression of several cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). Protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) is a newly identified TSG in various cancers and is downregulated in GC; however, the specific mechanisms of PCDH10 in GC remain elusive. Here, we elucidated a novel epigenetic regulatory signaling pathway involving the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF180 and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), responsible for modulating PCDH10 expression by affecting its promoter methylation. Results: We revealed that PCDH10 was downregulated in GC cells and tissues, and low PCDH10 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with GC. Additionally, PCDH10 overexpression suppressed GC cell proliferation and metastasis. Mechanistically, DNMT1-mediated promoter hypermethylation resulted in decreased expression of PCDH10 in GC tissues and cells. Further analysis revealed that RNF180 can bind directly to DNMT1 and was involved in DNMT1 degradation via ubiquitination. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between RNF180 and PCDH10 expression and an inverse association between DNMT1 and PCDH10 expression showed considerable prognostic significance. Conclusion: Our data showed that RNF180 overexpression upregulated PCDH10 expression via ubiquitin-dependent degradation of DNMT1, thus suppressing GC cell proliferation, indicating that the RNF180/DNMT1/PCDH10 axis could be a potential therapeutic target for GC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the common status of self-management in liver transplant recipients and to explore the mediating role of hope in the relationship between social support and self-management. Two hundred and ten liver transplant recipients from two tertiary hospitals were included. Questionnaires were used for general demographic information, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Herth Hope Index, and the Self-Management Questionnaire for Liver Transplantation Recipients. Lifestyle management of liver transplant recipients was good, while the communication with physicians, cognitive symptom management, and exercise dimensions were less than satisfactory. Minimal assurance of family and education levels were significantly associated with self-management. Social support was positively correlated with self-management and hope (r =.31, p <.01; r =.40, p <.01). Hope was positively correlated with self-management (r =.39, p <.01). Additionally, the effect of social support on self-management was partially mediated (β =.17, p <.01) by hope. The proportion of mediation of hope was 40.09%. Therefore, well-designed interventions that boost both social support and hope may help improve self-management behavior in liver transplant recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium metal is considered as a promising anode for its high energy density and low redox potential. However, dendrite growth and electrolyte‐lithium reaction lead to poor cycling stability of lithium anodes. Herein, a space‐confined strategy is proposed to realize stable Li metal anode by constructing a nonplanar interface with flexible tent‐like nanocavities. The tent‐like interface is achieved through the self‐assembly of graphene oxide on zinc nanosheets, accompanied by the spontaneous formation of ZnOC bond. Remarkably, the ZnOC bond immobilizes the graphene oxide layer to ensure tent‐like structural integrity, and shows excellent lithophilicity to induce homogeneous lithium deposition within nanocavities. Furthermore, the process of Li plating/stripping is confined inside tent‐like nanocavities to effectively decrease electrolyte content contact with fresh Li, which reduces hazardous electrolyte‐lithium reaction and thus eliminates continuous consumption of Li metal. Consequently, the symmetrical cells with the tent‐like interface deliver excellent long cycling performance over 1600 h at 1 mA cm−2, and full batteries show high‐capacity retention of 94.6% after 3000 cycles at 5 C. This strategy provides a unique flexible tent‐like interface to achieve stable lithium metal anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the particular structure of basin-shaped castings, their centrifugal solidification process is different from that of the tubular castings. This work attempts to study the effect of vertical centrifugal casting process parameters, including the pouring speed and temperature, the rotational speed, and the preheating temperature of the mold, on the formation of shrinkage defects in the Al-5Mg-3Zn-1Cu basin-shaped casting. The orthogonal design of experiments was employed to optimize the process parameters. Furthermore, the solidification procedure with different process parameters was simulated using ProCAST software to predict shrinkage defect distribution in the basin-shaped castings. The results show that the preheating temperature of the mold is the most significant parameter affecting the quality of the basin-shaped centrifugal casting. Moreover, when the pouring speed is 1kg/s, the pouring temperature is 700 °C, the rotational speed is 220r/min, and the mold temperature is 350 °C, the shrinkage defects are minimal, and the casting quality is improved. This result also was verified by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomedicine technology is a rapidly developing field of research and application that uses nanoparticles as a platform to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Nanoparticles loaded with drugs and imaging contrast agents have already been used in clinically, but they are essentially passive delivery carriers. To make nanoparticles smarter, an important function is the ability to actively locate target tissues. It enables nanoparticles to accumulate in target tissues at higher concentrations, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. Among the different ligands, the CREKA peptide (Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala) is a desirable targeting ligand and has a good targeting ability for overexpressed fibrin in different models, such as cancers, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, and atherosclerosis. In this review, the characteristic of the CREKA peptide and the latest reports regarding the application of CREKA-based nanoplatforms in different biological tissues are described. In addition, the existing problems and future application perspectives of CREKA-based nanoplatforms are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium (Li) resources are widely used in many strategic emerging fields; recently, several large-scale to super-large-scale pegmatite-type lithium deposits have been discovered in Dahongliutan, NW China. However, the natural environmental conditions in the Dahongliutan area are extremely harsh; hence, manpower in field exploration is difficult to achieve. Efficient and rapid methods for identifying Li-rich pegmatites, based on hyperspectral remote sensing technology, have great potential for promoting the discovery of lithium resources. Ground spectral research is the cornerstone of regional hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for geological mapping. Direct observation and analysis by the naked eye are part of a process that is mainly dependent upon abundant experience and knowledge from experts. Machine learning (ML) technology has the advantages of automatic feature extraction and relationship characterization. Therefore, identifying the spectral features of Li-rich pegmatite via ML can accurately and efficiently distinguish the spectral characteristics of Li-rich pegmatites and Li-poor pegmatites, enabling further excavation to identify the strongest predictors of Li-pegmatite and laying a foundation for the accurate extraction of Li-rich pegmatites in the West Kunlun region using HSI. The spectral characteristics of pegmatite in the visible near-infrared and shortwave infrared (VNIR–SWIR) spectra were observed and analyzed. Li-rich pegmatite was identified based on the diagnostic spectral waveform characteristic parameters of the local wavelength range. The results demonstrated that the pegmatite ML recognition model was based on spectral characteristic parameters of the local wavelength range, with good model explicability, and the area under the curve (AUC) calculated for the model is 0.843. A recognition model based on full-range spectrum data achieved a higher precision, and the AUC value was up to 0.977. The evaluation of the Gini coefficient presented the strongest predictors, which were used to map the spatial distribution lithology, based on GF-5, in Akesayi and the 509 mines, producing encouraging lithological mapping results (Kappa > 0.9, OA > 94%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, neural networks have been widely applied in many fields such as pattern recognition, signal and image processing and control theory. Over the past two decades or so, the analysis and synthesis for neural networks have received significant research attention. This paper provides a survey on the analysis and synthesis for neural networks, which is mainly concerned with the recent advances on stability analysis, state estimation and synchronization control for neural networks. First of all, the paper summarizes the recent results on the stability analysis for delayed neural networks, especially for neural networks with multiple discrete delays, neural networks with distributed delays, and discrete-time delayed neural networks. Then, the paper reviews the recent advances regarding the state estimation for neural networks with the emphasis on the network-based state estimation. Subsequently, the paper provides an overview on the synchronization control for neural networks. Finally, the conclusions and further research directions are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the associations between gambling participation, problem gambling, and cognition. Data were derived from the PINE study. Gambling participation was measured by Modified South Oaks Gambling Screen. Problem gambling was assessed with Problem Gambling Severity Index. Cognition was measured by East Boston Memory Test, Digit Span Backward, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and Mini-Mental State Examination. Of all participants, 41.940% were male. Higher gambling participation was significantly associated with higher global cognition (b =.008, SE =.003, p <.05), executive function (b =.118, SE =.049, p <.05), and episodic memory (b =.009, SE =.004, p <.05). Higher problem gambling was significantly related to lower Mini-Mental State Examination (b = -.105, SE =.031, p <.001). Guiding older adults' gambling behaviors and intervening in problem gambling timely might be crucial for their cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realize cotton growth monitoring, a cotton planting monitoring system based on image processing technology was proposed. The system requires camera to collect cotton canopy images, leaf areometer to detect the leaf area index, and spectrometer to detect the normalized vegetation index (NDVI) and the vegetation index (RVI). Due to different types of data, based on the establishment of the output transmission system, the canopy coverage was calculated by the image processing method, and there was a linear relationship between canopy coverage NDVI and RVI. The leaf area index (LAI) of N content was established, and the model of dry matter accumulation and canopy coverage was exponential. The experiment result shows that the linear and exponential coefficients of the model k and b increased with the increase of the nitrogen application rate. The fitting determination coefficient remained high under different nitrogen application rates. The fitting coefficient R2 of the three models in the two test fields ranged from 0.83 to 0.923, which also met the needs of model evaluation. The system was used to detect the cotton field with good accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal digestive system cancer with unclear pathogenesis. M-phase phosphoprotein 8 (MPP8) has been shown to play a vital role in several cancer types, such as non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer and melanoma; however, there have been no studies into its role in HCC. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of MPP8 in regulating malignant phenotypes of liver cancer cells, and to further investigate the underlying mechanism. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to analyze related data from a public database, and to predict the potential microRNAs (miRNAs) that might target MPP8 mRNA; reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to measure the levels of mRNA and miRNA; western blotting was employed to detect protein levels; Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and plate colony formation assays, wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay were performed to evaluate the ability of cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively; dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to identify the target association. The results showed that MPP8 was a risk factor for the survival of patients with HCC, and was up-regulated in HCC tissue samples and cell lines; MPP8 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of liver cancer cells; MPP8 knockdown suppressed the PI3K/Akt pathway, and activation of this pathway reversed the inhibited liver cancer cell phenotypes by down-regulating MPP8; miR-576-3p, which was low in liver cancer cells, negatively regulated MPP8 expression by directly targeting its mRNA; up-regulating MPP8 expression reversed the inhibited signaling pathway and malignant phenotypes of liver cancer cells by miR-576-3p overexpression. In conclusion, the miR-576-3p/MPP8 axis regulates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of liver cancer cells through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These findings lead novel insights into HCC progression, and propose MPP8 as a potential therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The continuous flow selective hydrogenation of MA to GBL is achieved. • The yield of GBL reaches to 91% over the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 catalyst. • PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 catalyst presents a low apparent activation energy (75 kJ mol−1). • Hydrogen spillover enhances the hydrogenolysis of C=O bonds. • HEA catalyst with sintering resistance and acid resistance shows good stability. The continuous flow selective hydrogenation of maleic anhydride (MA) to γ-butyrolactone (GBL) over highly efficient and long-term stable catalysts is a considerable promising strategy for both lab-scale as well as industrial application. In this work, a PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalyst is developed by the colloidal impregnation method, in which the HEA colloids are synthesized by lithium naphthalenide-driven reduction at mild conditions according to the redox potential of the various metals. The PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 catalyst exhibits highly efficient in the hydrogenation of MA with 91 % selectivity to GBL at full conversion of MA under the weighted hourly space velocity of 1.14 h−1, 3 MPa H 2 , and 260 °C. Due to the present of oxygen vacancy in the TiO 2 support and the hydrogen spillover, the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 HEA catalyst presents a low apparent activation energy (75 kJ mol−1), boosting the hydrogenolysis of C=O bonds for generating of GBL. The cocktail effect is presented in the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 catalyst, and its catalytic activity is much better than that of corresponding monometallic and bimetallic catalysts. It realizes the reduction and substitution of precious metal catalysts. In addition, the PtPdCoNiCu/TiO 2 catalyst with sintering resistance and acid resistance shows excellent long-term stability within 132 h. This work is of great significance for understanding HEA catalysis at the atomic level and provides the possibility for developing low-cost and efficient precious metal industrial catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is recognized as the most malicious form of breast cancer and exhibits an alarming tendency for recurrence, a heightened propensity for metastasis, and an overwhelmingly grim prognosis. Therefore, effective therapy approaches for TNBC are urgently required. In this study, the interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) expression level was analyzed by bioinformatics and verified by Western blot analysis. The effects of ISG15 on the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC cells were assessed using MTT, Colony formation, EdU, Transwell, and Flow cytometry assays. We also developed a cancer cell-biomimetic nanoparticle delivery system and evaluated its therapeutic efficacy in vivo. In this study, we reported that ISG15 was upregulated in TNBC, and its high expression level correlated with an increased risk of tumorigenesis. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, we discovered that ISG15 knockdown drastically suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration and induced apoptosis in TNBC cells. Our findings revealed that ISG15 was a candidate therapeutic target in TNBC because of its key role in malignant growth and invasion. Moreover, co-immunoprecipitation showed that ISG15 exerted oncogenic functions through its interaction with ATP binding cassette subfamily E member 1 and activated the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of the transcription signaling pathway. Furthermore, we created a nanoparticle-based siRNA camouflaged using a cancer cell membrane vesicle delivery system (the CM@NP complex) and confirmed its therapeutic effects in vivo. Our findings confirmed that ISG15 may play a pivotal oncogenic role in the development of TNBC and that CM@siRNA-NP complexes are an effective delivery system and a novel biological strategy for treating TNBC. • ISG15 upregulation occurs in TNBC, while its high expression level correlates with increased risks of tumorigenesis. • Knockdown of ISG15 dramatically suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration and induced apoptosis in TNBC cells. • ISG15 acted as a candidate therapeutic target in TNBC for its key role in the invasive and metastatic growth we have identified. • We created a nanoparticle-based siRNA camouflaged by a cancer cell membrane vesicle delivery system (CM@NP complexes) and examined its therapeutic effects in vivo. • Co-IP identified that ISG15 exerted oncogenic functions through its interaction with ABCE1 and activated JAK/STAT signaling pathway. • ISG15 may play a pivotal oncogenic role in the development of TNBC, and the CM@NP complexes are an effective delivery system and a novel biological strategy for treating TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aimed to determine the association between role stress and depressive symptoms, as well as the moderating role of job autonomy on the role stress‐depressive symptoms relationship. The data came from the China Social Work Longitudinal Study. Depressive symptoms were measured with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Role stress was assessed using two standardized scales of role conflict and role ambiguity. Job autonomy was assessed with a measure derived from the Job Content Questionnaire. We found that role conflict and role ambiguity were positively associated with depressive symptoms, while job autonomy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. In addition, job autonomy was found to act as a moderator against the detrimental effect of role ambiguity on depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that measures focusing on improving job autonomy and decreasing role stress are necessary to improve social workers' psychological well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeCoNiCr+x(TiC) (x: mass fraction; x = 5, 10, 15, respectively) composite high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings were fabricated by the plasma cladding method, aiming to investigate the effects of different mass fractions of TiC ceramic particles on the phase composition, microstructure evolution, hardness, and wear resistance performance of HEA coatings. The results showed that the FeCoNiCr coating consisted of a single FCC phase, and FeCoNiCr-TiC coatings consisted of FCC, TiC, and carbide phases. The Vickers hardness of the FeCoNiCr-TiC coatings increased with additional TiC ceramic particles, and was raised from 150 to 365 HV when the added TiC powder mass fraction was 15 wt.%. The coating with the highest hardness had the lowest mass loss of 1.8 × 10-6 (mm3/N × m), which is only 11% of the FeCoNiCr coating. However, cracks appear on the surface after wear. The number of the wear particles was relatively reduced when the TiC content in the coating was 10% wt.%, while the surface did not show any microcracks. The wear mechanisms of the FeCoNiCr-TiC coating were adhesive wear and abrasive wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers are at high risks of experiencing burnout. Despite abundant literature exploring the association between role stress, job autonomy, and burnout, there is a lack of clarity underlying the process that explain how role stress and job autonomy relate to the experience of burnout. Drawing upon a sample of 5,965 social workers in China, this study employed Job-Demands and Resources (JD-R) model as well as stress and coping theory to investigate how role stress and job autonomy are related with burnout through job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to examine the hypothetical model using AMOS 23.0. The data analysis showed that higher levels of role conflict and role ambiguity were associated with lower job satisfaction, which resulted in higher burnout. Whereas, higher levels of job autonomy were associated higher job satisfaction, which resulted in lower burnout. This study provided implications for human resource management of social work organizations. Reducing role conflict and role ambiguity and improving their job satisfaction combined with increasing job autonomy may be effective in protecting social workers from burnout. Future studies should include social workers in public sector into analysis to enrich our understanding regarding burnout of different groups of social workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the unique rules of elemental composition, the high entropy alloys (HEAs) possess excellent properties such as wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Combining HEAs with advanced thermal spray technology can provide new ideas and solutions to the problems encountered in the development of surface engineering. Researchers found that HEA coatings showed excellent potential in the field of high-temperature oxidation resistance. Based on this, this paper reviews the recent research achievements on the oxidation resistance of thermal sprayed HEA coatings. The effects of alloying elemental composition, microstructure and phase composition on the oxidation resistance of HEA coatings are compared and discussed. Subsequently, the research progress of HEA coatings in terms of oxidation resistance is summarized. The idea of optimizing the oxidation resistance of HEA coatings is proposed. The ultimate objective of this paper to promote the application of HEA coatings in the field of high-temperature protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The expression of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) prostate cancer‐associated ncRNA transcripts 1 (PCAT1) is increased in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It stimulates tumour growth and metastasis, but its role in the radioimmune responses remain unknown. We aimed to explore the impacts of PCAT1 on tumorigenesis and radioimmune responses and the underlying molecular mechanisms in NSCLC. Methods: Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify immunosuppressive lncRNAs involved with tumour invasion in NSCLC. The expression levels of PCAT1 were analysed by in situ hybridisation in 55 paired NSCLC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Both loss‐ and gain‐of‐function assays were performed to examine the effects of PCAT1 and SOX2 on NSCLC cell behaviours in vivo and in vitro. Bioinformatic analyses, chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) and dual‐luciferase reporter assays were applied to validate the regulatory effects of PCAT1 on SOX2 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase and rescue assays were utilised to identify the relationship between SOX2 and the cGAS/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signalling. Results: PCAT1 was immunosuppressive and related with NSCLC invasion. Increased PCAT1 was negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration in NSCLC. PCAT1 knockdown restrained proliferation, increased apoptosis, and repressed cell metastasis in vivo and in vitro. PCAT1 activated SOX2 that accelerated tumorigenesis and immunosuppression. SOX2 promoted tumour growth through inhibiting cytotoxic T‐cell immunity. Moreover, SOX2 restrained cGAS transcription and hampered downstream type I interferon (IFN)‐induced immune responses. Inhibition of PCAT1/SOX2 in collaboration with radiation further inhibited tumour growth, and initiated the cGAS/STING signalling pathway, which enhanced the immune responses of radiotherapy in NSCLC. Conclusions: PCAT1/SOX2 axis promoted tumorigenesis and immunosuppression through inhibition of cGAS/STING signalling‐mediated T‐cell activation. Inhibition of PCAT1 and SOX2 synergised with radiotherapy to activate the immune response and could serve as potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is still the most devastating disease of wheat globally. Despite the critical roles of the alternate host plants, the Berberis species, in the sexual reproduction and spread of Pst, the climate change impacts on the redistribution of Berberis plants, and their potential risk of incurring wheat stripe rust are scarcely discussed in the literature. This study evaluated the potential risk of Pst in wheat cultivation in Sichuan Province, China, for the first time, by analyzing the dynamics of Berberis plants and the change in Pst oversummering range under climate change scenarios. Ensembles of small models (ESMs) in combination with four algorithms were used to project the future (i.e., 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100) distributions of 54 Berberis species in Sichuan Province based on two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) scenarios. The species richness of Berberis was predicted to increase in northwestern Sichuan but decreased in southern and eastern Sichuan under both SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. The mean temperature of the driest quarter was found to be the determinant of the distributional shifts for the majority of Berberis plants. Our overlapping assessments indicated that the risk of wheat stripe rust would be reduced in southwestern Sichuan. In contrast, it would be aggravated in the northwest due to the predicted shifts of Berberis plants northwards and stronger shrinkage of Pst oversummering range occurring in the south than in the north. In the "hotspots" of the stripe rust pathogen, risk assessment in advance could provide a scientific basis for decision‐makers and local communities in effectively controlling wheat stripe rust, thus further sustaining food security through adapting to future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that causes the degeneration of motor neurons in the motor cortex and spinal cord. Patients with ALS experience muscle weakness and atrophy in the limbs which eventually leads to paralysis and death. NAD+ is critical for energy metabolism, such as glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, but is also involved in non-metabolic cellular reactions. In the current study, we determined whether the supplementation of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), an NAD+ precursor, in the diet had beneficial impacts on disease progression using a SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. We found that the ALS mice fed with an NMN-supplemented diet (ALS+NMN mice) had modestly extended lifespan and exhibited delayed motor dysfunction. Using electrophysiology, we studied the effect of NMN on synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) in symptomatic of ALS mice (18 weeks old). ALS+NMN mice had larger end-plate potential (EPP) amplitudes and maintained better responses than ALS mice, and also had restored EPP facilitation. While quantal content was not affected by NMN, miniature EPP (mEPP) amplitude and frequency were elevated in ALS+NMN mice. NMN supplementation in diet also improved NMJ morphology, innervation, mitochondrial structure, and reduced reactive astrogliosis in the ventral horn of the lumbar spinal cord. Overall, our results indicate that dietary consumption of NMN can slow motor impairment, enhance NMJ function and improve healthspan of ALS mice. • NAD levels progressively decline in SOD1G93A mice and are reduced in CNS. • Dietary NMN slowed motor behavior dysfunction in SOD1G93A mice. • NMN diet improved NMJ function and structure in SOD1G93A mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient synthesis of a sequence of low-dimensional PdAg networked nanochains assembled from nanoparticles with accelerated reaction kineties, boosted anti-CO poisoning and enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward EGOR and EOR. [Display omitted] • The novel synthesis of low-dimensional PdAg networked nanochains with 0D-1D composite structure are studied. • Ag assisted PdAg networked nanochains with abundant surface defects evidenced the modified electron structure of Pd. • The content of Ag plays a key role in enhancing the electrocatalytic performances of PdAg-2 NNCs. • The superior electrocatalytic performances of low-dimensional PdAg networked nanochains to EGOR and EOR were effectively confirmed compared to commercial Pd/C. Advanced 1D materials have become the focus due to the enhanced structure durability than 0D nanoparticles (NPs). Unfortunately, the unique electrocatalysts with 0D-1D composite structure are rarely reported. Herein, the low-dimensional PdAg networked nanochains (NNCs) with diverse element composition assembled from a sequence of NPs were designed as efficient 0D-1D electrocatalysts toward the ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The low-dimensional PdAg NNCs not only possess stronger structure stability than 0D NPs, but also endow catalysts with more abundant active sites than traditional 1D nanochains. Attributed to the synergistic electronic effect, abundant active sites and surface defects, the composition-optimized PdAg-2 NNCs behaved the optimal electrocatalytic activities, greatly surpassing most of reported studies. Benefiting from 0D-1D composite structure and stable networked nanochain feature, the PdAg-2 NNCs still remained higher current density after the 3600 s chronoamperometry (CA) experiment and without obvious decline through three consecutive CA tests compared to commercial Pd/C, revealing the remarkable stability. Meanwhile, the PdAg-2 NNCs exhibited the prominent anti-CO poisoning ability and the lowest onset oxidation potential, manifesting the enhanced reaction kinetics. This work fabricated a novel electrocatalyst with low-dimension composite structure, producing new guidelines for the synthesis of high-efficiency electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, natural aging (NA) has been carried out to accelerate the artificial aging process and enhance the mechanical properties of Al-5Mg-3Zn-1Cu Cast Alloys. The studies show that, during the first 120 h of natural aging, the supersaturated Al-5Mg-3Zn-1Cu cast alloy after the solution heat treatment is unstable, and an amount of nano solute clusters are precipitated from the matrix, which leads to the rapid increase of the hardness of the alloy. Moreover, introducing 120 h natural aging before artificial aging significantly shortens the peaked-aged time and improves the mechanical properties of peak-aged alloys, especially at 150 and 175 ℃ artificial aging temperatures. It is considered that the solute clusters precipitating in the matrix during natural aging and the precipitates formed during artificial aging co-develop to accelerate the artificial aging process of the alloy. In addition, the increase in the number of precipitates reduces the inter-precipitate spacing, which is inversely proportional to the strength of the alloy, resulting in a significant increase in the strength of the alloy. This research suggests that a combination of natural and artificial aging is an effective and economical method for achieving optimized mechanical properties for the Al-5Mg-3Zn-1Cu cast alloy. • Natural aging improves the hardness of the as-quenched Al-5Mg-3Zn-1Cu cast alloy. • Introducing natural aging before artificial aging accelerates the aging process and improves the mechanical properties. • The nanoclusters formed during both natural and artificial aging co-develop to accelerate the artificial aging process. • The reduced inter-precipitate spacing results in a significant increase in the strength of the alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three features were extracted to estimate Cotton Verticillium wilt disease index (DI). • Compared to color index and texture, vegetation index was significantly correlated with DI. • The introduction of normalized difference texture index combined with two textures can improve the accuracy of DI estimation. • Collaborative modeling of multiple sources of data to estimate DI has yielded good results. Verticillium wilt seriously jeopardizes cotton growth and restricts cotton yields. Therefore, it is important to accurately, rapidly, and non-destructively estimate the extent of cotton Verticillium wilt (CVW). The focus of this study was to explore the potential of combining the vegetation index (VI), color index (CI), and texture features to improve the accuracy of CVW disease severity estimation based on hexacopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images. Simple Linear Regression (LR) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) methods were used to determine correlations between VI, CI, texture, and normalized difference texture index (NDTI) variables and cotton Verticillium wilt disease index (DI). The LR model based on VI, CI, and NDTI was constructed, VIs, CIs, and NDTIs were fused, and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) Backpropagation Neural Network (BP) models were constructed to comparatively explore the estimation ability of each model on the degree of CVW disease. The results showed that VI was significantly correlated with DI, followed by NDTI, and CI. Compared with texture, NDTI containing both texture features was more significantly correlated with DI. The accuracy of the DI estimation using LR was highest for the one-factor VI model (R2 > 0.48, RRMSE < 51.48), followed by the NDTI model (R2 > 0.47, RRMS < 60.81) and the CI model (R2 > 0.33, RRMSE < 52.58). The PSO-BP and GWO-ELM were further used to model the DI estimation with different input variables. Regardless of the period, the fusion of three data sources (VIs + CIs + TIs) was preferable to a single data source or a combination of two data sources for different model inputs. In terms of different modeling algorithms, GWO-ELM combining VIs, CIs, and NDTIs had the highest estimation accuracy compared with SR and PSO-BP, with a validated R2 values of 0.65 (RRMSE = 42.96) at the flowering stage, 0.66 (RRMSE = 20.00) at the flower and boll stage, and 0.88 (RRMSE = 10.53) at the boll stage. This study demonstrated that the estimation accuracy of DI was significantly improved using collaborative modeling with multiple data sources. This study provides ideas and methods for monitoring crop disease conditions using low-altitude remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platostoma palustre (Blume) A.J.Paton is an annual herbaceous persistent plant of the Labiatae family. However, there is a lack of genomic data for this plant, which severely restricts its genetic improvement. In this study, we performed genome survey sequencing of P. palustre and developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers based on the resulting sequence. K-mer analysis revealed that the assembled genome size was approximately 1.21 Gb. A total of 15,498 SSR motifs were identified and characterized in this study; among them, dinucleotide, and hexanucleotide repeats had the highest and lowest, respectively. Among the dinucleotide repeat motifs, AT/TA repeat motifs were the most abundant, and GC/CG repeat motifs were rather rare, accounting for 44.28% and 0.63%, respectively. Genetic similarity coefficient analysis by the UPMGA methods clustered 12 clones, of P. palustre and related species into two subgroups. These results provide helpful information for further research on P. palustre resources and variety improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we have reported a facile one-pot strategy to synthesize fluorescent Cu nanclusters (Cu NCs) by using ʟ-histidine as stabilizer, and ascorbic acid as reducing agent. Cu NCs are stable, water-dispersible, and emit bright cyan emission with a quantum yield 26.08%. The Cu NCs can be employed as colorimetric and fluorimetric dual-mode detector, exhibiting excellent selectivity and sensitivity for detecting 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) specifically. Notably, Cu NCs were a sensitive sensor, which had speciality to detect DNP in range of linearity from 0.01 to 0.15 mM with a discernable limit as low as 3.96 μ M. The mechanism of efficiently selective detection of DNP by Cu NCs was analyzed by UV absorption, fluorescence decay spectrum, and the performance of ‘turn off’ towards DNP was determined as the inner filter effect and static quenching effect. Further, the environmental tolerance of the Cu NCs probe was estimated by using the different natural water samples, demonstrating its great promise in the field of DNP monitoring and water sample analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urine-derived stem cells (USCs) are adult stem cells isolated from urine with strong proliferative ability and differentiation potentials. Cell transplantation of USCs could partly repair liver injury. It has been reported that the proliferative ability of bone mesenchymal stem cells in patients with chronic liver failure is significantly lower than in patients without liver disease. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the biological characteristics of USCs from end-stage liver disease patients (LD-USCs, USCs from patients with liver disease) compared with those from normal healthy individuals (N-USCs, USCs from normal individuals), with a view to determining whether autologous USCs can be applied to the treatment of liver disease. In this study USCs were isolated from urine samples of male patients with end-stage liver disease. Adherent USCs exhibit a spindle- or rice grain-like morphology, and express CD24, CD29, CD73, CD90, and CD146 surface markers, but not CD31, CD34, CD45, and CD105. We observed no differences in cell morphology or cell surface marker profile between LD-USCs and N-USCs. LD-USCs exhibited similar proliferative, colony-forming, apoptotic, and migratory abilities to N-USCs. Both USCs demonstrated similar capacities for osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. When USCs were transplanted into CCl4 treatment-induced acute and chronic liver fibrosis mouse models, we observed a decrease in liver index, recovery of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, alleviation of liver tissue injury, and dramatic improvement of liver tissue structure. USC transplantation can effectively recover liver function and improve liver tissue damage in acute or chronic liver injury mouse models. According to the results, we concluded that the biological characteristics of LD-USCs are not affected by basic liver disease. This study provides further evidence of the stem cell characteristics and liver repair function of LD-USCs, which may serve as a theoretical and experimental foundation for autologous USC transplantation technology in the treatment of liver failure and end-stage liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extremely low value of the Northern Hemisphere annular mode (NAM) that occurred in the winter of 2009/2010 led to rare extreme low temperatures and heavy snow disasters over Northeast China. Studies on the effect of NAM on temperature often rely on correlation analysis, synthetic analysis, regression analysis, and other statistical methods. However, although the statistical method is instructive to the discussion of physical mechanisms, it cannot prove whether there is causality between variables. Here, we apply extended convergent cross mapping (ECCM) to detect the time-delayed causal interaction between NAM and winter surface air temperature (SAT) over Northeast China. Results indicate that the winter SAT information is encoded in the contemporaneous 1000 hPa NAM and vice versa, showing the contemporaneous bidirectional causality between them. In addition, we detected a unidirectional causality between 500 hPa NAM and winter SAT. NAM at 500 hPa can influence the SAT but not vice versa. Moreover, we examine the time-delayed causality between winter SAT and the stratospheric NAM at 50 hPa. Stratospheric NAM can influence the SAT approximately 10 days later. These causal relationships and feedback effects in dynamic systems have opened up the possibility of improving the prediction of winter SAT over Northeast China by using the NAM as an external factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD+ salvage pathway. Our previous study demonstrated that deletion of NAMPT gene in projection neurons using Thy1-NAMPT−/− conditional knockout (cKO) mice causes neuronal degeneration, muscle atrophy, neuromuscular junction abnormalities, paralysis and eventually death. Here we conducted a combined metabolomic and transcriptional profiling study in vivo in an attempt to further investigate the mechanism of neuronal degeneration at metabolite and mRNA levels after NAMPT deletion. Here using steady-state metabolomics, we demonstrate that deletion of NAMPT causes a significant decrease of NAD+ metabolome and bioenergetics, a buildup of metabolic intermediates upstream of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in glycolysis, and an increase of oxidative stress. RNA-seq shows that NAMPT deletion leads to the increase of mRNA levels of enzymes in NAD metabolism, in particular PARP family of NAD+ consumption enzymes, as well as glycolytic genes Glut1, Hk2 and PFBFK3 before GAPDH. GO, KEGG and GSEA analyses show the activations of apoptosis, inflammation and immune responsive pathways and the inhibition of neuronal/synaptic function in the cKO mice. The current study suggests that increased oxidative stress, apoptosis and neuroinflammation contribute to neurodegeneration and mouse death as a direct consequence of bioenergetic stress after NAMPT deletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) have widely been applied for knowledge representation and reasoning. However, in real life, reasoning is always accompanied with hesitation, which is deriving from the uncertainty and fuzziness. Especially, when processing the online data, since the internal and external interference, the distribution and characteristics of sequence data would be considerably changed along with the passage of time, which further increase the difficulty of modeling. In this article, based on intuitionistic fuzzy set theory, a new dynamic intuitionistic fuzzy cognitive map (DIFCM) scheme is proposed for online data prediction. Combined with a novel detection algorithm of concept drift, the structure of DIFCM can be adaptively updated with the online learning scheme, which can effectively improve the representation of online information by capturing the real-time changes of sequence data. Moreover, in order to tackle with the possible hesitancy in the process of modeling, intuitionistic fuzzy set is applied in the construction of dynamic FCM, where hesitation degree as a quantitative index explicitly expresses the hesitancy. Finally, a series of experiments using public data sets verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the effects of the interval and probability uncertain parameters imposed on the process of unbalance parameters identification from our previous paper (Mao et al. in: Shock Vib 2016:1–9, 2016) in Shock and Vibration. After employing uncertain parameters, we proposed the unbalance parameters identification method, and compared the results with those of previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study prepared the 7YSZ ceramic coatings based on AlCoCrFeNi bond coating by APS and PS-PVD methods, respectively. Two AlCoCrFeNi/7YSZ thermal barrier coating systems with different microstructures of ceramic coatings were obtained, and oxidation experiments at 1000 °C and 1100 °C were carried out for the two thermal barrier coating systems. The results showed that the AlCoCrFeNi/7YSZ(PS-PVD) thermal barrier coating system exhibits superior oxidation resistance compared to the AlCoCrFeNi/7YSZ(APS) thermal barrier coating system at 1000 °C and 1100 °C, which was attributed to the ceramic coating with a unique feather-columnar structure prepared by PS-PVD. Both thermal barrier coatings in this study produced a continuous and dense TGO layer composed of Al 2 O 3 after oxidation experiments. The oxidation rate constants k p of this study's two thermal barrier coatings were lower than the selected MCrAlY/YSZ thermal barrier coating systems under the same experimental conditions. It indicates that the AlCoCrFeNi bond coating exhibited excellent oxidation resistance and possesses the potential to be a new type of bond coating material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic zinc is a promising anode candidate of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, Zn anodes usually suffer from dendrite and side reactions, which will degrade their cycle stability and reversibility. Herein, we developed an in situ spontaneously reducing/assembling strategy to assemble a ultrathin and uniform MXene layer on the surface of Zn anodes. The MXene layer endows the Zn anode with a lower Zn nucleation energy barrier and a more uniformly distributed electric field through the favorable charge redistribution effect in comparison with pure Zn. Therefore, MXene‐integrated Zn anode exhibits obviously low voltage hysteresis and excellent cycling stability with dendrite‐free behaviors, ensuring the high capacity retention and low polarization potential in zinc‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic zinc is a promising anode candidate of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, Zn anodes usually suffer from dendrite and side reactions, which will degrade their cycle stability and reversibility. Herein, we developed an in situ spontaneously reducing/assembling strategy to assemble a ultrathin and uniform MXene layer on the surface of Zn anodes. The MXene layer endows the Zn anode with a lower Zn nucleation energy barrier and a more uniformly distributed electric field through the favorable charge redistribution effect in comparison with pure Zn. Therefore, MXene‐integrated Zn anode exhibits obviously low voltage hysteresis and excellent cycling stability with dendrite‐free behaviors, ensuring the high capacity retention and low polarization potential in zinc‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearings are considered as important mechanical components in rotating machines. Bearing load is used as an indication of monitoring rotor system health, but there are interval and probability uncertain parameters in the process of obtaining bearing load from the rotor system. A bearing load strip enclosed by two bounding distributions is then formed, rather than a single distribution that we usually obtain through the load identification method for a deterministic rotor system. In this paper, a computational inverse approach that combines the interval and perturbation analysis method with regularization is presented to stably identify bearing load strip. Using an interval analysis method, a calculated transient response of the rotor structure only subjecting to the bearing load can be approximated as a linear function of the interval parameters in the rotor system. The perturbation analysis method based on Taylor expansion is used to transform the problem of the bearing load identification involving in probability parameters into two kinds of certain inverse problem, namely, the bearing load identification combining the mean value of uncertain parameters with calculated transient response function and the sensitivity identification of bearing load to each probability parameter. Regularization is used to overcome ill-posedness of bearing load identification arising from the noise-contaminated observed response. A rotor system with two bearings is investigated to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the presented method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mahonia bealei (Fortune) Carrière (M. bealei) is a traditional medicine widely used by the Hmong community in Guizhou. It possesses diverse biological activities and shows promise in cancer treatment; however, contemporary pharmacological research in this area is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of M. bealei on alcoholic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We initially employed the LC-MS/MS method to identify the compounds present in M. bealei serum. Subsequently, its potential targets were predicted using public databases. Bioinformatics and network pharmacology approaches, such as univariate Cox regression and random forest (RF) algorithms, were utilized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the prognosis of alcoholic HCC. Survival curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted using alcoholic HCC-related data from TCGA and GEO to determine the diagnostic value of the identified DEGs. Molecular docking using the CDOCKER approach based on CHARMm was performed to validate the affinity between the predictive compounds and targets. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of M. bealei on cell proliferation, migration, and conducted western blot assays. The LC-MS/MS approach identified 17 therapeutic components and predicted 483 component-related targets, of which 63 overlapped with alcoholic HCC targets and were considered potential therapeutic targets. GO and KEGG pathway analysis revealed significant associations between the 63 overlapping targets and alcoholic HCC progression. Through various approaches in the Cytoscape 3.9.0 software, we confirmed 9 hub genes (CDK1 , CXCR4 , DNMT1 , ESR1 , KIT , PDGFRB , SERPINE1 , TOP2A , and TYMS) as core targets. TOP2A and CDK1 genes were identified as advantageous for diagnosing alcoholic HCC using univariate Cox regression, RF, survival curve, and ROC analysis. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated strong binding affinity between key bioactive components cyclamic acid, perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid, perfluorosulfonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, adenosine receptor antagonist (CGS 15943), and Prodigiosin and TOP2A and CDK1. In vitro experiments confirmed that M. bealei significantly suppressed cell proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells, while downregulating TOP2A and CDK1 expression. This study highlights the potential of M. bealei as a natural medicine for the treatment of alcoholic HCC. Six compounds (cyclamic acid, perfluoroalkylic carboxylic acids, perfluorosulfonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, adenosine receptor antagonist (CGS 15943), and Prodigiosin) present in M. bealei serum may exhibit therapeutic effects against alcoholic HCC by downregulating CDK1 and TOP2A expression levels in vitro. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]