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Biomaterials capable of continuously inactivating pathogens are essential for suppressing transmission of infectious diseases, such as epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Here, capillary condensation of air moisture within nano‐confined spaces between superhydrophilic rigid nanorods is shown and target microbiology spontaneously stretch and inactivate aerosolized microorganisms. Specifically, the negative Gaussian curvature‐shaped water condensate causes fluidic straining, comprising surface tension and Laplace pressure, strong enough to deform and eliminate the selected bacteria. Plate counting quantifies the sharply reduced contact‐killing period for superhydrophilic and bare nanorods (6 vs 100 min for E. coli, 20 vs 120 min for S. aureus) under relative humidity of 70%. Theoretical calculations and experimental studies indicate increased mechanical straining and mechano‐bactericidal by improving air moisture content. To further illustrate utility, long‐term antibacterial medical masks are fabricated by integrating such nanorods onto commercial fabrics. Collectively, these findings highlight the immense potential of capillary condensation‐induced fluidic straining as an eco‐friendly, broad‐spectrum, and highly efficient antibacterial strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein‐based therapeutics and vaccines play a pivotal role in the realm of biomedical science. Pulmonary administration offers several advantages including rapid adsorption, non‐invasive, increased local drug concentration, and bypassed first‐pass metabolism, thus holding great potential to address multiple unmet medical needs in lung‐related diseases and vaccination. However, the limited success of inhaled proteins in clinical settings highlights the challenges associated with protein stability and the physiological barriers within the respiratory system. To overcome these hurdles, a variety of delivery systems including polymers, liposomes, cell‐derived membranes, and inorganic materials are developed to improve the stability, mucus penetration, retention time, and bioavailability of proteins. With the outbreak of COVID‐19, the pulmonary administration of proteins has drawn great attention. In this review, the design principle, preparation, biomedical application, progress in clinical translation, advantages, and disadvantages of each kind of delivery system are summarized, with an emphasis on carrier materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic reforming of bioethanol can produce green hydrogen (H2) and acetic acid (AcOH). In the present study, the conversion of aqueous ethanol (EtOH) over 4 wt%Ru-4 wt%Sn/TiO2 in a flow reactor was investigated at different temperatures at 0.1 MPa or at various pressures at 260 °C. The ethanol conversion was rather slow in liquid water, while the reactivity increased significantly when water was evaporated. Under gas-phase conditions at 0.1 MPa, the conversion rate increased with increasing reaction temperature, but the AcOH yield and H2 purity decreased due to by-production of CH4, CO, and CO2. The CH4 and CO generated by fragmentation of acetaldehyde (AA), an intermediate, were suppressed by increasing reaction pressure, although the formation of CH4 and CO2 generated from AcOH was pressure independent. Thus, the highest-pressure conditions in steam at a given reaction temperature are preferred for the production of pure H2. The initial step, EtOH → AA, was the rate-determining reaction, and the model experiments using AA as a substrate showed that the Cannizzaro reaction of two AA molecules to form EtOH and AcOH occurred preferentially. This oxidation system was confirmed to be effective at EtOH concentrations of up to 500 g/L in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer, usually occurring in the background of chronic liver disease. HCC lethality rate is in the third highest place in the world. Patients with HCC have concealed early symptoms and possess a high-level of heterogeneity. Once diagnosed, most of the tumors are in advanced stages and have a poor prognosis. The sensitivity and specificity of existing detection modalities and protocols are suboptimal. HCC calls for more sophisticated and individualized therapeutic regimens. Liquid biopsy is non-invasive, repeatable, unaffected by location, and can be monitored dynamically. It has emerged as a useable aid in achieving precision malignant tumor treatment. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating nucleic acids, exosomes and tumor-educated platelets are the commonest components of a liquid biopsy. It possesses the theoretical ability to conquer the high heterogeneity and the difficulty of early detection for HCC patients. In this review, we summarize the common enrichment techniques and the clinical applications in HCC for different liquid biopsy components. Tumor recurrence after HCC-related liver transplantation is more insidious and difficult to treat. The clinical use of liquid biopsy in HCC-related liver transplantation is also summarized in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Milk systems containing varying casein‐whey ratios (80:20, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 20:80) and lactose concentrations similar to those of bovine milk underwent ultrasound at 20 kHz for 1, 5 and 10 min. The influences of low‐frequency ultrasound on the physicochemical, structural, thermal and water mobility properties of lactose/protein systems were examined. The physiochemical properties, protein structural changes, water mobility and lactose crystallisation behaviour were mainly a function of the type of protein, the ratio of proteins and the sonication time. The particle size, turbidity and pH values of all milk systems decreased with the increase in sonication time. A higher proportion of whey in the system decreased the lactose crystallisation temperature without sonication. FTIR results indicated that the addition of lactose to the milk system delayed the protein‐protein aggregation until 5 min of sonication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smart nursing homes (SNHs) integrate advanced technologies, including IoT, digital health, big data, AI, and cloud computing to optimise remote clinical services, monitor abnormal events, enhance decision-making, and support daily activities for older residents, ensuring overall well-being in a safe and cost-effective environment. This study developed and validated a 24-item Expectation and Acceptability of Smart Nursing Homes Questionnaire (EASNH-Q), and examined the levels of expectations and acceptability of SNHs and associated factors among older adults in China. Methods : This was an exploratory sequential mixed methods study, where the qualitative case study was conducted in Hainan and Dalian, while the survey was conducted in Xi'an, Nanjing, Shenyang, and Xiamen. The validation of EASNH-Q also included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the determinants of expectations and acceptability of SNHs. Results: The newly developed EASNH-Q uses a Likert Scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), and underwent validation and refinement from 49 items to the final 24 items. The content validity indices for relevance, comprehensibility, and comprehensiveness were all above 0.95. The expectations and acceptability of SNHs exhibited a strong correlation (r = 0.85, p < 0.01), and good test-retest reliability for expectation (0.90) and acceptability (0.81). The highest tertile of expectations (X2=28.89, p < 0.001) and acceptability (X2=25.64, p < 0.001) towards SNHs were significantly associated with the willingness to relocate to such facilities. Older adults with self-efficacy in applying smart technologies (OR: 28.0) and those expressing a willingness to move to a nursing home (OR: 3.0) were more likely to have the highest tertile of expectations compared to those in the lowest tertile. Similarly, older adults with self-efficacy in applying smart technologies were more likely to be in the highest tertile of acceptability of SNHs (OR: 13.8). Conclusions: EASNH-Q demonstrated commendable validity, reliability, and stability. The majority of Chinese older adults have high expectations for and accept SNHs. Self-efficacy in applying smart technologies and willingness to relocate to a nursing home associated with high expectations and acceptability of SNHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing triethylenediamine (DA), 1,3-propanesultone (PS), whose ring opens during the formation of the dizwiterion-intermediate DA-2PS, and the metal chlorides XCly, where X = Sn(IV), Zn(II),Al(III), Fe(III) and Mn(II), are used for the synthesis of five kinds of acidic metal-based functionalized ionic liquid catalysts ([DA-2PS][XCly]2). Their chemical structures, thermal stability and dual acidic active site were analyzed. We investigated the performance of [DA-2PS][XCly]2 in catalyzing the esterification reaction between 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and ethylene glycol (EG) to synthesize poly (ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate)(PEF). Among the catalysts tested, [DA-2PS][SnCl5]2 exhibited the best catalytic performance under identical process parameters, and the optimal catalyst dosage was determined to be 0.05 mol% based on FDCA. The optimal conditions for the reaction were predicted using response surface methodology: a feed ratio of EG:FDCA = 1.96:1, an esterification temperature of 219.86 °C, a polycondensation temperature of 240.04 °C and a polycondensation time of 6.3 h, with a intrinsic viscosity of 0.67 dL·g−1. The resulting PEF was experimentally verified to exhibit an intrinsic viscosity of 0.68 dL·g−1 and a number average molecular weight of 28,820 g·mol−1. Finally, the structure and thermal properties of PEF were characterized. The results confirmed that PEF possessed the correct structure, exhibited high thermal stability and demonstrated excellent thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support more complex and robust online services, enterprise-class applications prefer to interconnect multiple servers as the pedestal to enhance the system's interoperability. However, the multiserver architecture always struggles to reconcile the trade-off between convenience and security, leaving users exposed to a variety of network attack threats. Existing security authentication schemes based on the Chebyshev Chaotic Map for multiserver architectures cannot provide three-factor (including password, biometric feature, and smart card) security. Therefore, we propose a novel Physical-Unclonable-Function-based Lightweight Three-Factor Authentication (PUF-LTA) scheme, which can achieve three-factor security. The PUF-LTA scheme mainly includes two components: (1) PUF-assisted registration and (2) lightweight mutual authentication with one-time interaction. During the PUF-assisted registration process, to defend against side-channel attacks on smart cards, the login credentials of users are XORed with the unique identifier generated by the PUF so that the adversary cannot obtain these secret login credentials. During the lightweight mutual authentication process, we combine the Chebyshev polynomial map and symmetric encryption/decryption to negotiate the session key between users and servers, which only needs one interaction. The security performance of PUF-LTA is theoretically proved by leveraging the random oracle model. In contrast with relevant multiserver authentication schemes, PUF-LTA is more efficient and suitable for resource-constrained multiserver environments because it can ensure secure three-factor authentication and support flexible biometrics and password updates with less computation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lack of a tumor-specific antigen as the target and an inhospitable tumor environment limit the clinical application of Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells (CAR Ts) in solid tumors, compared with its unprecedented results in treating hematological cancers, while tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) exhibit diverse T cell receptor clonality and superior tumor-homing abilities. In our study, we took advantage of the dual advantages of TIL-T and CAR T and constructed TIL CAR-T cells capable of MHC molecules and co-stimulatory signal-independent activation with tumor-specific broad-spectrum TCR expression. We innovatively constructed a humanized mouse colorectal cancer model, which provides an important platform for subsequent evaluation of human CD19-target CAR T cells. Meanwhile, TIL CAR-T cells have better anti-tumor efficacy than conventional CAR T, characterized by a better ability to enhance tumor invasion, relieve T cell exhaustion, and promote immune memory. Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells (CAR Ts) targeting CD19 have shown unprecedented prognosis in treating hematological cancers. However, the lack of a tumor-specific antigen as the target and an inhospitable tumor environment limit the clinical application of CAR T in solid tumors. Tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) exhibit diverse T cell receptor clonality and superior tumor-homing abilities. Therefore, in our study, human CD19-target TIL CAR-Ts armed with CD3ζ and 4-1BB signaling domains were constructed. Mouse colorectal cancer CT26 cells expressing human CD19 (hCD19+-CT26) were developed to assess the anti-tumor activity of TIL CAR-T cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Compared with splenic CAR T adoptive transfer, TIL CAR-T administration showed superior tumor suppression ability in hCD19+-CT26 tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, more T cells were found at the tumor site and had lower exhaustion-related inhibitory receptor (T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3, Tim3) expression and higher immune memory molecule (CD62L) expression. Overall, we provided an artificial tumor-specific antigen in solid tumors and demonstrated that combined CAR-expressing TIL-Ts (TIL CAR-Ts) exhibited strong anti-tumor activity, with improved T cell infiltration and immune memory. Our humanized tumor antigen presented platform of mice suggests that TIL CAR-T-based adoptive therapy could be a promising strategy for solid cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cistanche deserticola residues are by-products of the industrial production of Cistanche deserticola, which are currently often discarded, resulting in the waste of resources. In order to achieve the efficient utilization of Cistanche deserticola, dietary fiber from Cistanche deserticola residues was extracted chemically and the optimization of the extraction conditions was performed, using the response surface methodology to study the effects of the NaOH concentration, extraction temperature, extraction time, and solid–liquid ratio on the yield of water-soluble dietary fiber (SDF). The structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of the dietary fiber were also investigated. The results showed that the optimal conditions were as follows: NaOH concentration of 3.7%, extraction temperature of 71.7 °C, extraction time of 89.5 min, and solid–liquid ratio of 1:34. The average yield of SDF was 19.56%, which was close to the predicted value of 19.66%. The two dietary fiber types had typical polysaccharide absorption peaks and typical type I cellulose crystal structures, and the surface microstructures of the two dietary fiber types were different, with the surface of SDF being looser and more porous. Both dietary fiber types had good functional properties, with SDF having the strongest water-holding capacity and the strongest adsorption capacity for nitrite, cholesterol, sodium cholate, and glucose, while IDF had a better oil-holding capacity. These results suggest that Cistanche deserticola residues are a good source of dietary fiber and have promising applications in the functional food processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the research on the predictions of remaining useful life (RUL) of rotating machinery mainly focuses on the process of health indicator (HI) construction and the determination of the first prediction time (FPT). In complex industrial environments, the influence of environmental factors such as noise may affect the accuracy of RUL predictions. Accurately estimating the remaining useful life of bearings plays a vital role in reducing costly unscheduled maintenance and increasing machine reliability. To overcome these problems, a health indicator construction and prediction method based on multi-featured factor analysis are proposed. Compared with the existing methods, the advantages of this method are the use of factor analysis, to mine hidden common factors from multiple features, and the construction of health indicators based on the maximization of variance contribution after rotation. A dynamic window rectification method is designed to reduce and weaken the stochastic fluctuations in the health indicators. The first prediction time was determined by the cumulative gradient change in the trajectory of the HI. A regression-based adaptive prediction model is used to learn the evolutionary trend of the HI and estimate the RUL of the bearings. The experimental results of two publicly available bearing datasets show the advantages of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is cultivated and consumed worldwide. It requires great amounts of nitrogen (N) to achieve the best yield and quality. With a view to sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture, developing new genotypes with high productivity under low N conditions is an important approach. It is unclear how genes in tobacco are expressed at the cellular level and the precise mechanisms by which cells respond to environmental stress, especially in the case of low N. Here, we characterized the transcriptomes in tobacco leaves grown in normal and low‐N conditions by performing scRNA‐seq. We identified 10 cell types with 17 transcriptionally distinct cell clusters with the assistance of marker genes and constructed the first single‐cell atlas of tobacco leaves. Distinct gene expression patterns of cell clusters were observed under low‐N conditions, and the mesophyll cells were the most important responsive cell type and displayed heterogene responses among its three subtypes. Pseudo‐time trajectory analysis revealed low‐N stress decelerates the differentiation towards mesophyll cells. In combination with scRNA‐seq, WGCNA, and bulk RNA‐seq results, we found that genes involved in porphyrin metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, carbon fixation, photosynthesis, and photosynthesis‐antenna pathway play an essential role in response to low N. Moreover, we identified COL16, GATA24, MYB73, and GLK1 as key TFs in the regulation of N‐responsive genes. Collectively, our findings are the first observation of the cellular and molecular responses of tobacco leaves under low N stress and lay the cornerstone for future tobacco scRNA‐seq investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phloretin (Phl) is a flavonoid compound that contains multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups. It is found in many plants, such as apple leaves, lychee pericarp, and begonia, and has various biological activities, such as antioxidant and anticancer effects. The strong hydrogen bonding between Phl molecules results in poor water solubility and low bioavailability, and thus the scope of the clinical application of Phl is limited. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the water solubility of Phl for its use to further combat or alleviate skin aging and oxidative damage and develop antioxidant products for the skin. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a phloretin transfersome gel (PTG) preparation for transdermal drug delivery to improve the bioavailability of the drug and delay aging. Methods: Phloretin transfersomes (Phl-TFs) were prepared and optimized by the thin-film dispersion–ultrasonication method. Phl-TFs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Log P method was used to determine the solubility of the Phl-TFs. The skin penetration ability of the prepared PTG was evaluated using the Franz diffusion cell method. In addition, the in vivo pharmacokinetics of PTG were studied in rats, and an antioxidant activity investigation was conducted using a D-gal rat model. Results: Phl-TFs were successfully prepared with a Soybean Phosphatidylcholine (SPC)/CHOL ratio of 2.7:1 w/v, a phloretin concentration of 1.3 mg/mL, a hydration time of 46 min, an ultrasound time of 5 min, and an ultrasound power of 180 W. The Log P was 2.26, which was significantly higher than that of phloretin (p < 0.05, paired t test). The results of the in vitro penetration test demonstrated that the cumulative skin penetration of the Phl-TFs after 24 h was 842.73 ± 20.86 μg/cm2. The data from an in vivo pharmacokinetic study showed that the Cmax and AUC of PTG were 1.39- and 1.97-fold higher than those of the phloretin solution gel (PSG), respectively (p < 0.05, paired t test). The experimental results in aging rats showed that PTG had a better antioxidant effect. Conclusions: Phl-TFs and PTG preparations with a good shape, safety, and stability were successfully prepared. In vivo pharmacokinetics and preliminary antioxidant experiments further verified the transdermal penetration and antioxidant activity of the phloretin transdermal drug delivery preparation, providing an experimental basis for its further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In goats, most follicles in the ovaries will be atresia and only a few dominant follicles (DFs) may eventually mature and ovulate at a follicular wave. To investigate the potential microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate the expression of genes associated with follicular dominance or atresia, small RNA sequencing was performed on granulosa cells of DF and subordinate follicle at the first follicular wave in goats. A total of 108 differentially expressed miRNAs were detected in the two types of follicle granulosa cells: 16 upregulated miRNAs and 92 downregulated miRNAs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the target genes showed that TKTL1, LOC102187810, LOC102184409 and ALDOA are closely associated with follicle dominance and are involved in the pentose phosphate pathway. Furthermore, a coexpression network of miRNAs and follicular dominance-related genes was constructed. The qPCR results well correlated with the small RNA sequencing data. Our findings provide new insight for exploring the molecular mechanism of miRNAs in regulating follicular development in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a Cu NPs-incorporated carbon-containing mesoporous SiO2 (Cu/C-SiO2) was successfully synthesized through a grinding-assisted self-infiltration method followed by an in situ reduction process. The obtained Cu/C-SiO2 was then employed as a Fenton-like catalyst to remove tetracycline (TC) from aqueous solutions. TEM, EDS, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, FTIR, and XPS methods were used to characterize the crystal structure, morphology, porosity, chemical composition, and surface chemical properties of the catalyst. The effects of initial TC concentration, catalyst dosage, H2O2 dosage, solution pH, HA addition, and water media on the TC degradation over Cu/C-SiO2 were investigated. Scavenging and electrochemical experiments were then carried out to analyze the TC degradation mechanism. The results show that the Cu/C-SiO2 can remove 99.9% of the concentrated TC solution (C0 = 500 mg·L−1), and it can be used in a wide pH range (R.E. = 94–99%, pH = 3.0–11.0). Moreover, hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were detected to be the dominant reactive species in this catalytic system. This study provides a simple and promising method for the synthesis of heteroatom-containing mesoporous catalysts for the decomposition of antibiotics in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In colorectal cancer (CRC), the normal tissue adjacent to tumor (NAT) communicates actively with the tumor. Adult stem cells from the colon play a crucial role in the development of the colonic epithelium. In the tumor microenvironment, however, it is unclear what changes have occurred in colonic stem cells derived from NAT. Methods: Using an intestinal stem cell culture system, we cultured colonic cells from NAT and paired CRC tissue, as well as cells from healthy tissue (HLT). Clonogenicity and differentiation ability were used to compare the function of clones from NAT, HLT and CRC tissues. RNA high-throughput sequencing of these clones was used to identify the molecular characteristics of NAT-derived clones. Coculture of clones from HLT and CRC was used to assess molecular changes. Results: We found that the morphological characteristics, clonogenic ability, and differentiation ability of NAT-derived clones were consistent with those of HLT-derived clones. However, NAT-derived clones changed at the molecular level. A number of genes were specifically activated in NAT. NAT-derived clones enriched pathways related to inflammation and fibrosis, including epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway and TGF-beta signaling pathway. Our results also confirmed that NAT-derived clones could recruit fibroblasts in mice. In addition, HLT-derived clones showed high expression of FOSB when cocultured with tumor cells. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that colonic stem cells from NAT in the tumor microenvironment undergo changes at the molecular level, and these molecular characteristics can be maintained in vitro, which can induce fibrosis and an inflammatory response. AdcUiJqvdgZYHMRXwfb-XH Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco mildew and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) affect the quality of tobacco products during fermentation. Microbes are thought to play key roles in the development of specific properties of fermented tobacco; however, little is known about the bacteria involved in the fermentation process. This study aims to identify key microbes related to mildew and TSNA formation. Tobacco was fermented at 25 °C, 35 °C, and 45 °C for 2, 4, and 6 weeks, with unfermented samples used as controls. Our preliminary exploration found that TSNAs content elevated with the increase of temperature and period, and mildew was easy to occur at low temperature with short period. Hence, samples were divided into three groups: the temperature gradient group (25 °C, 35 °C, and 45 °C for 6 weeks); the low-temperature group (control, 25 °C for 2, 4, and 6 weeks); and the high-temperature group (control, 45 °C for 2, 4, and 6 weeks). After collecting fermented tobacco leaves, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to explore the structure and dynamic changes of bacterial community during fermentation. Methylobacterium and Deinococcus were shared between the temperature gradient and high-temperature groups and showed a linear downward trend; these might play a role in the production of TSNAs. Massilia, Ruminiclostridium, and Cellulosilyticum species increased with prolonged fermentation time in the low-temperature group; this might be associated with tobacco mildew. In summary, the microbial diversity of fermented tobacco was explored under different conditions. These findings might provide data and material support to improve the quality of fermented tobacco products; however, further omics based studies are warranted to analysis the gene and protein expression patter in the identified bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: QL1706 (PSB205) is a single bifunctional MabPair (a novel technical platform) product consisting of two engineered monoclonal antibodies (anti-PD-1 IgG4 and anti-CTLA-4 IgG1), with a shorter elimination half-life (t1/2) for CTLA-4. We report results from a phase I/Ib study of QL1706 in patients with advanced solid tumors who failed standard therapies. Methods: In the phase I study, QL1706 was administered intravenously once every 3 weeks at one of five doses ranging from 0.3 to 10 mg/kg, and the maximum tolerated dose, recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of QL1706 were investigated. In the phase Ib study, QL1706 was administered at the RP2D intravenously every 3 weeks, and the preliminary efficacies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), cervical cancer (CC), and other solid tumors were evaluated. Results: Between March 2020 and July 2021, 518 patients with advanced solid tumors were enrolled (phase I, n = 99; phase Ib, n = 419). For all patients, the three most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were rash (19.7%), hypothyroidism (13.5%), and pruritus (13.3%). The TRAEs and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of grade ≥ 3 occurred in 16.0% and 8.1% of patients, respectively. In phase I, 2 of 6 patients in the 10mg/kg group experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) (grade 3 thrombocytopenia and grade 4 immune-mediated nephritis), so the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was reached at 10 mg/kg. The RP2D was determined to be 5 mg/kg based on comprehensive analysis of tolerability, PK/PD, and efficacy. For all patients who received QL1706 at the RP2D, the objective response rate (ORR) and median duration of response were 16.9% (79/468) and 11.7 months (8.3—not reached [NR]), respectively; and the ORRs were 14.0% (17/121) in NSCLC, 24.5% (27/110) in NPC, 27.3% (15/55) in CC, 7.4% (2/27) in colorectal cancer, 23.1% (6/26) in small cell lung cancer. For immunotherapy-naive patients, QL1706 exhibited promising antitumor activities, especially in NSCLC, NPC, and CC, with ORRs of 24.2%, 38.7%, and 28.3%, respectively. Conclusions: QL1706 was well tolerated and demonstrated promising antitumor activity in solid tumors, especially in NSCLC, NPC, and CC patients. It is currently being evaluated in randomized phase II (NCT05576272, NCT05179317) and phase III (NCT05446883, NCT05487391) trials. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04296994 and NCT05171790. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrahedrane-derived compounds consist of n crossed quadrilaterals and possess complex three-dimensional structures with high symmetry and dense spatial arrangements. As a result, these compounds hold great potential for applications in materials science, catalytic chemistry, and other related fields. The Kirchhoff index of a graph G is defined as the sum of resistive distances between any two vertices in G. This article focuses on studying a type of tetrafunctional compound with a linear crossed square chain shape. The Kirchhoff index and degree Kirchhoff index of this compound are calculated, and a detailed analysis and discussion is conducted. The calculation formula for the Kirchhoff index is obtained based on the relationship between the Kirchhoff index and Laplace eigenvalue, and the number of spanning trees is derived for linear crossed quadrangular chains. The obtained formula is validated using Ohm's law and Cayley's theorem. Asymptotically, the ratio of Kirchhoff index to Wiener index approaches one-fourth. Additionally, the expression for the degree Kirchhoff index of the linear crossed quadrangular chain is obtained through the relationship between the degree Kirchhoff index and the regular Laplace eigenvalue and matrix decomposition theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying pathology is atheromatous vascular disease, resulting in coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease, in addition to the subsequent development of heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and other related disorders [[1]]. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the leading causes of the mortality of humans in the 21st century. This Special Issue contains seven original research articles and two review papers that further our collective knowledge of the etiology of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as the genetic and modifiable risk factors underlying the diseases. [Extracted from the article]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) safety and effectiveness can be ensured by establishing a suitable quality assessment system. This work aims to develop a pre-column derivatization HPLC method for Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. quality control. In this study, 1-(4′-cyanophenyl)-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (CPMP) was synthesized and reacted with monosaccharides derived from P. cyrtonema polysaccharides (PCPs), followed by HPLC separation. According to the Lambert–Beer law, CPMP has the highest molar extinction coefficient of all synthetic chemosensors. A satisfactory separation effect was obtained under a detection wavelength of 278 nm using a carbon-8 column and gradient elution over 14 min, with a flow rate of 1 mL per minute. Glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), and mannose (Man) make up the majority of the monosaccharide components in PCPs, and their molar ratios are 1.73:0.58:1. The confirmed HPLC method has outstanding precision and accuracy, establishing a quality control method for PCPs. Additionally, the CPMP showed a visual improvement from colorless to orange after the detection of reducing sugars, allowing for further visual analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of evidence suggested that gut microbiota is associated with liver diseases through the gut–liver axis. The imbalance of gut microbiota could be correlated with the occurrence, development, and prognosis of a series of liver diseases, including alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) seems to be a method to normalize the patient's gut microbiota. This method has been traced back to the 4th century. In recent decade, FMT has been highly regarded in several clinical trials. As a novel approach to reconstruct the intestinal microecological balance, FMT has been used to treat the chronic liver diseases. Therefore, in this review, the role of FMT in the treatment of liver diseases was summarized. In addition, the relationship between gut and liver was explored through the gut–liver axis, and the definition, objectives, advantages, and procedures of FMT were described. Finally, the clinical value of FMT therapy in liver transplant (LT) recipients was briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus ostreatus were selected as representatives to explore the effects of corn straw and xylosma sawdust on the production and activity of polysaccharides by edible fungi during solid-state fermentation. The results clearly indicated that the addition of lignocellulose could promote the polysaccharide content compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of polysaccharides reached the maximum when the glucose concentration was 1.5 %, and among them, the xylosma sawdust groups for two fungi (L. edodes -32.37 %, P. ostreatus -25.86 %) both performed better than corn straw groups (L. edodes -24.96 %, P. ostreatus -20.80 %). In addition, structural characterization and degradation mode analysis were carried out. The results showed that the structure of the xylosma had a stronger destruction than corn straw. The activities of lignocellulolytic enzymes such as carboxymethyl cellulase, filter paper enzyme, β-glucosidase and xylanase increased rapidly in the early stage of fermentation, which could degrade the cellulose and hemicellulose as raw materials for the synthesis of active polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most important agricultural production types in the world, orchards have high economic, ecological, and cultural value, so the accurate and timely mapping of orchards is highly demanded for many applications. Selecting a remote-sensing (RS) data source is a critical step in efficient orchard mapping, and it is hard to have a RS image with both rich temporal and spatial information. A trade-off between spatial and temporal resolution must be made. Taking grape-growing regions as an example, we tested imagery at different spatial and temporal resolutions as classification inputs (including from Worldview-2, Landsat-8, and Sentinel-2) and compared and assessed their orchard-mapping performance using the same classifier of random forest. Our results showed that the overall accuracies improved from 0.6 to 0.8 as the spatial resolution of the input images increased from 58.86 m to 0.46 m (simulated from Worldview-2 imagery). The overall accuracy improved from 0.7 to 0.86 when the number of images used for classification was increased from 2 to 20 (Landsat-8) or approximately 60 (Sentinel-2) in one year. The marginal benefit of increasing the level of details (LoD) of temporal features on accuracy is higher than that of spatial features, indicating that the classification ability of temporal information is higher than that of spatial information. The highest accuracy of using a very high-resolution (VHR) image can be exceeded only by using four to five medium-resolution multi-temporal images, or even two to three growing season images with the same classifier. Combining the spatial and temporal features from multi-source data can improve the overall accuracies by 5% to 7% compared to using only temporal features. It can also compensate for the accuracy loss caused by missing data or low-quality images in single-source input. Although selecting multi-source data can obtain the best accuracy, selecting single-source data can improve computational efficiency and at the same time obtain an acceptable accuracy. This study provides practical guidance on selecting data at various spatial and temporal resolutions for the efficient mapping of other types of annual crops or orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an essential crop that is widely consumed globally. The tiller density is an important factor affecting wheat yield. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the number of tillers during wheat cultivation and breeding, which requires considerable labor and material resources. At present, there is no effective high-throughput measurement method for tiller number estimation, and the conventional tiller survey method cannot accurately reflect the spatial variation of wheat tiller density within the whole field. Therefore, in order to meet the demand for the thematic map of wheat tiller density at the field scale for the variable operation of nitrogen fertilizer, the multispectral images of wheat in Feekes growth stages 2–3 were obtained by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and the characteristic parameters of the number of tillers were used to construct a model that could accurately estimate the number of tillers. Based on the vegetation index (VIs), this work proposed a gradual change features (GCFs) approach, which can greatly improve the disadvantages of using VIs to estimate tiller number, better reflect the tiller status of the wheat population, and have good results on the estimation of tiller in common models. A Lasso + VIs + GCFs method was constructed for accurate estimation of tiller number in multiple growth periods and fertilizer-treated wheat, with an average RMSE of fewer than 9 tillers per square meter, average MAE less than 8 tillers per square meter, and R2 above 0.7. The results of the study not only proposed a high-throughput measurement method for the number of tillers but also provided a reference for the estimation of tiller number and other agronomic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver cancer has caused a heavy burden worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the trends in the mortality and years of life lost (YLL) due to liver cancer and decompose the total deaths into three contributors: population growth, population aging, and mortality change. Methods: Our study used data from the cause-of-death surveillance system in Wuhan. The mortality and YLL rates were standardized according to the sixth national population census in China. This study calculated the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) to estimate the trends in the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized YLL rate (ASYR). Meanwhile, a decomposition analysis was used to explore the effect of population growth, population aging, and age-specific mortality change on the change in liver cancer deaths. Results: The ASMR of liver cancer declined at an annual rate of 4.6% from 30.87 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 20.29 per 100,000 people in 2019, while the ASYR was at an annual rate of 5.6% from 969.35 per 100,000 people in 2010 to 581.82 per 100,000 people in 2019. Similar downward trends were seen in men and women. The decomposition analysis found that total deaths number changed by −12.42% from 2010 to 2019, of which population growth and population aging caused the total death numbers to increase by 9.75% and 21.15%, while the age-specific mortality change caused the total death numbers to decrease by 43.32%. Conclusion: Although the ASMR of liver cancer has declined in recent years in Wuhan, it still causes a heavy burden with the increasing population and rapid population aging and remains an essential public health issue. The government should take measures to reduce the burden of liver cancer, especially among men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of genetic polymorphisms have been associated with susceptibility to or protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we focused on the rs738409 C>G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which produces the I148M variant of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) and is strongly associated with NAFLD. To enable mechanistic dissection, we developed a human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived multicellular liver culture by incorporating hPSC-derived hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and macrophages. We first applied this liver culture to model NAFLD by utilising a lipotoxic milieu reflecting the circulating levels of disease risk factors in affected individuals. We then created an isogenic pair of liver cultures differing only at rs738049 and compared NAFLD phenotype development. Our hPSC-derived liver culture recapitulated many key characteristics of NAFLD development and progression including lipid accumulation and oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and stellate cell activation. Under the lipotoxic conditions, the I148M variant caused the enhanced development of NAFLD phenotypes. These differences were associated with elevated IL-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activity in liver cultures, consistent with transcriptomic data of liver biopsies from individuals carrying the rs738409 SNP. Dampening IL-6/STAT3 activity alleviated the I148M-mediated susceptibility to NAFLD, whereas boosting it in wild-type liver cultures enhanced NAFLD development. Finally, we attributed this elevated IL-6/STAT3 activity in liver cultures carrying the rs738409 SNP to increased NF-κB activity. Our study thus reveals a potential causal link between elevated IL-6/STAT3 activity and 148M-mediated susceptibility to NAFLD. An increasing number of genetic variants manifest in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development and progression; however, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. To study these variants in human-relevant systems, we developed an induced pluripotent stem cell-derived multicellular liver culture and focused on a common genetic variant (i.e. rs738409 in PNPLA3). Our findings not only provide mechanistic insight, but also a potential therapeutic strategy for NAFLD driven by this genetic variant in PNPLA3. Our liver culture is therefore a useful platform for exploring genetic variants in NAFLD development. [Display omitted] • A hPSC-derived multicellular liver culture mimicking liver composition was developed. • Multicellular liver culture recapitulates many key features of NAFLD development. • Multicellular liver cultures harbouring PNPLA3 I148M enhance susceptibility to NAFLD. • Elevating IL-6/STAT3 signalling promotes PNPLA3 I148M -induced NAFLD progression. • Blocking trans-signalling by sgp130Fc protects against PNPLA3 I148M -induced NAFLD progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of low-cost electrode materials with enhanced activity and favorable durability for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) is a great challenge. MoS2 is an effective electrocatalyst with a unique layered structure. In addition, aluminosilica shells can not only provide more hydroxyl groups but also improve the durability of the catalyst as a protective shell. Herein, we have designed a hard-template route to synthesize porous yolk–shell MoS2@void@Aluminosilica microspheres in a NaAlO2 solution. The alkaline solution can directly etch silica (SiO2) hard templates on the surface of MoS2 microspheres and form a porous aluminosilica outer shell. The electrocatalytic results confirm that the MoS2@void@Aluminosilica microspheres exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity for HERs with lower overpotential (104 mV at the current density of −10 mA cm−2) and greater stability than MoS2 microspheres. The superior electrocatalytic activity of MoS2@void@Aluminosilica microspheres is attributed to the unique structure of the yolk@void@shell geometric construction, the protection of the aluminosilica shell, and the greater number of active sites offered by their nanosheet subunits. The design of a unique structure and new protection strategy may set up a new method for preparing other excellent HER electrocatalytic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A relevant definition of big data technology has been released by relevant research institutes in China. Big data technology is defined as follows: big data technology is a digitally important productivity factor in the network era; big data technology is based on network technology, statistical technology, and mathematical technology; big data technology, as a carrier of network technology, should be integrated with various industries and technologies other than contemporary ones in order to achieve better informatization and industrialization. In the context of the new crown epidemic in 2020, China's big data technology continues to grow steadily, with a total value of 39.2 trillion yuan, accounting for 38.6% of GDP. This paper investigates the risk constraint in the context of big data and optimizes the benign interaction mechanism of insurance management based on distorted risk metrics in this context. The current situation of insurance risk is investigated through a profound discussion of theories in this paper and through research methods such as distortion risk metrics and SQL Server database management. It is found that the overall situation of insurance industry development in the era of digital economy is not optimistic and so on. And relevant suggestions are made in the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian follicle development is a complex biological process regulated by several factors. More than 99% of the follicles in goat ovaries will be atresia and only a few will eventually mature and ovulate. To investigate the potential long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that regulate the expression of genes associated with follicular dominance or atresia, RNA‐seq was performed on dominant follicles (DFs) and subordinate follicles (SFs) of granulosa cells from goats at the first follicular wave. A total of 92 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 676 differentially expressed mRNAs were detected in both types of follicles. The qRT‐PCR results were consistent with the transcriptome sequencing data. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the differentially expressed mRNAs revealed that LHR and LDLR are associated with follicle dominance and are involved in the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway. The co‐located mRNAs CALM2 and PPP1CA were significantly enriched during oocyte meiosis and in the cAMP and oxytocin signalling pathways. The co‐expressed mRNAs were significantly enriched in the oestrogen signalling pathway and in ovarian steroidogenesis and progesterone‐mediated oocyte maturation. A co‐expression network of lncRNAs, target genes and differentially expressed genes was constructed. Follicle development‐related genes, such as LDLR, NOTCH1 and FGF12, were included. These findings expand the lncRNA catalogue and provide a basis for further studies on the mechanism of regulating follicular development in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre‐existing drug resistance and tumorigenicity of cancer cells are highly correlated with therapeutic failure and tumor growth. However, current cancer models are limited in their application to the study of intratumor functional heterogeneity in personalized oncology. Here, an innovative two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) model for patient‐derived cancer cells (PDCCs) and air–liquid interface (ALI) organotypic culture is established from colorectal cancer (CRC). The PDCCs recapitulate the genomic landscape of their parental tumors with high efficiency, high proliferation rate, and long‐term stability, while corresponding ALI organotypic cultures retain histological architecture of their original tumors. Interestingly, both 2D and 3D models maintain the transcriptomic profile of the corresponding primary tumors and display the same trend in response to 5‐Fluoruracil, regardless of their difference in gene expression profiles. Furthermore, single‐cell‐derived clones() are efficiently established and pre‐existing drug‐resistant clones and highly tumorigenic clones within individual CRC tumors are identified. It is found that tumorigenic cancer cells do not necessarily possess the stem cells characteristics in gene expression. This study provides valuable platform and resource for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the pre‐existing drug resistance and tumorigenicity in cancer cells, as well as for developing therapeutic targets specifically for pre‐existing drug‐resistant or highly tumorigenic clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common and malignant tumors in the urinary system. The aim of this research was to investigate the mechanism and clinical significance of miR-4461 in the RCC progression. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight (28) paired RCC tissue samples and adjacent nontumor tissue samples, as well as RCC cell lines were used to measure the expression of miR-4461 and protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 3C (PPP1R3C) transcript by real-time quantitative PCR. The target relationship between miR-4461 and PPP1R3C was predicted by TargetScan and further verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA pull-down assay. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and BrdU ELISA assay were performed to measure RCC cell viability and proliferation. In addition, caspase-3 activity assay and cell adhesion assay were implemented to measure RCC cell apoptosis and adhesion. Results: MiR-4461 was lowly expressed both in RCC tissues and cells, while upregulated PPP1R3C was tested in RCC tissues and cells. In addition, miR-4461 was validated to directly target PPP1R3C, thereby negatively regulating PPP1R3C. Particularly, miR-4461 exerted a clear inhibitory effect on the malignant phenotypes of RCC cells by binding and inhibiting PPP1R3C. Conclusion: MiR-4461, which served as a tumor suppressor, inhibited RCC progression by targeting and downregulating PPP1R3C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre‐existing drug resistance and tumorigenicity of cancer cells are highly correlated with therapeutic failure and tumor growth. However, current cancer models are limited in their application to the study of intratumor functional heterogeneity in personalized oncology. Here, an innovative two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) model for patient‐derived cancer cells (PDCCs) and air–liquid interface (ALI) organotypic culture is established from colorectal cancer (CRC). The PDCCs recapitulate the genomic landscape of their parental tumors with high efficiency, high proliferation rate, and long‐term stability, while corresponding ALI organotypic cultures retain histological architecture of their original tumors. Interestingly, both 2D and 3D models maintain the transcriptomic profile of the corresponding primary tumors and display the same trend in response to 5‐Fluoruracil, regardless of their difference in gene expression profiles. Furthermore, single‐cell‐derived clones() are efficiently established and pre‐existing drug‐resistant clones and highly tumorigenic clones within individual CRC tumors are identified. It is found that tumorigenic cancer cells do not necessarily possess the stem cells characteristics in gene expression. This study provides valuable platform and resource for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the pre‐existing drug resistance and tumorigenicity in cancer cells, as well as for developing therapeutic targets specifically for pre‐existing drug‐resistant or highly tumorigenic clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Magee equation 3 (ME3) is predictive of the pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer but with insufficient predictive performance. This study was designed to improve predictive ability by combining ME3 with additional clinicopathologic markers.Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 460 patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer from 2 centers. We obtained baseline characteristics, the ME3 score, and the number of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs). After performing a logistic regression analysis, a predictive nomogram was built and validated externally.Results: ME3 score (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10-1.17]; P < .001) and TILs (adjusted OR, 5.21 [95% CI, 3.33-8.14]; P < .001) were independently correlated with pCR. The nomogram (named ME3+) was established using ME3 and sTILs, and it demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.816 and 0.862 in internal and external validation, respectively, outperforming the ME3 score alone. sTILs and ME3 scores were also found to be positively correlated across the entire cohort (P < .001).Conclusions: The combination of sTILs and ME3 score potentially shows better performance for predicting pCR than ME3 alone. Larger validations are required for widespread application of ME3+ nomogram in NAC settings for HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac fibrosis is a significant global health problem associated with almost all types of heart disease. Extensive cardiac fibrosis reduces tissue compliance and contributes to adverse outcomes, such as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and even heart failure. It is mainly associated with pathological myocardial remodeling, characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in cardiac parenchymal tissues. In recent years, a growing body of evidence demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) have a crucial role in the pathological development of cardiac fibrosis. More than sixty miRNAs have been associated with the progression of cardiac fibrosis. In this review, we summarized potential miRNAs and miRNAs-related regulatory mechanisms for cardiac fibrosis and discussed the potential clinical application of miRNAs in cardiac fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe bleeding from deep and irregular wounds poses a significant challenge in prehospital and surgical settings. To address this issue, we developed a novel chitosan-based hemostatic dressing with a magnetic targeting mechanism using Fe 3 O 4 , termed bovine serum albumin-modified Fe 3 O 4 embedded in porous α-ketoglutaric acid/chitosan (BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS). This dressing enhances hemostasis by magnetically guiding the agent to the wound site. In vitro, the hemostatic efficacy of BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS is comparable to that of commercial chitosan (Celox™) and is not diminished by the modification. In vivo, BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS demonstrated superior hemostatic performance and reduced blood loss compared to Celox™. The hemostatic mechanism of BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS includes the concentration of solid blood components through water absorption, adherence to blood cells, and activation of the endogenous coagulation pathway. Magnetic field targeting is crucial in directing the dressing to deep hemorrhagic sites. Additionally, safety assessments have confirmed the biocompatibility and biodegradability of BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS. In conclusion, we introduce a novel approach to modify chitosan using magnetic guidance for effective hemostasis, positioning BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS as a promising candidate for managing various wounds. Illustration of targeting BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS guided by a magnetic field for multiple bleeding events. (A) Schematic illustration of the preparation of BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS, which includes the following components: CS (chitosan), KA (α-ketoglutaric acid), BSA (bovine serum albumin), and Fe 3 O 4 (iron oxide). (B) Schematic depiction of BSA/Fe 3 O 4 @KA/CS, detailing the mechanisms of magnetic guidance and its hemostatic effects. [Display omitted] • By integrating Fe 3 O 4 into modified chitosan, a targeted hemostatic dressing was designed and evaluated. • Magnetics-guided hemostasis dressing could reach the deep wound and pervade the irregular sites. • Modified chitosan matrix with Fe 3 O 4 could swiftly form clot to counteract severe hemorrage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the key structural properties of pectic polysaccharides that affect their gut fermentation behavior, structural characteristics and fecal fermentation ability of acid-extractable pectins obtained from 8 kinds of fruit and vegetable were compared. Results showed that the peach pectin presented a single molecular weight (Mw) distribution with large Mw (706.3 kDa), and the broccoli pectin owned high contents of arabinose (99.62 mg/g) and galactose (129.11 mg/g). Fermentation with these two pectins for 24 h improved the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium (13.42 % and 13.04 %, respectively), which had positive relation (p < 0.001) with Mw, arabinose and galactose. Hawthorn pectin was featured with low Mw, which also exhibited high linearity (6.96), supporting the relative abundance of Bacteroides (40.04 %) after fermentation. It had positive relation (p < 0.05) with linearity, acetate and butyrate. Tomato pectin was characterized by tri-Mw distribution with small polydispersity index (1.231, 1.120 and 1.106, respectively). Moreover, it displayed a compact and curved conformation in terms of smaller radius of gyration (Rg, 7.88 nm) and larger cross-sectional radius (Rc, 5.28 nm). Tomato pectin generated the highest content of short-chain fatty acids (61.59 mmol/L) among all the pectins after fermentation. Meanwhile, Ruminococcus was detected as key genera in the tomato pectin substrate, which was positively correlated (p < 0.05) with acetate, propionate, Rg and Rc. The correlation analysis further confirmed that Rg and arabinose content of the pectin have the greatest impact on the microbiota modification, followed by Rc and polydispersity index, promoting a deep understanding of the relationship between pectin structure and gut fermentation. [Display omitted] • The structure-fermentation relationship of various pectins was explored. • Arabinan and Rg of pectin represent greater impact on fermentation property. • Broccoli pectin with higher arabinose promotes Bifidobacterium and increases propionate. • Tomato pectin contained large branched RG-I with curl and compact conformation. • Tomato pectin fermentation modulated Ruminococcus , raising SCFAs generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of computer software and hardware technology, film and television production has made a breakthrough. More and more film and television works have changed from the traditional plane two-dimensional space projection to three-dimensional space projection. Three-dimensional works give the audience an immersive feeling. Taking human posture, one of the most important components in film and television works, as an example, this paper discusses the method of reconstructing three-dimensional human posture from two-dimensional images in film and television production. Starting from the research significance of two-dimensional image reconstruction of three-dimensional human posture in film and television production, the existing three-dimensional human posture in film and television production is analyzed. The audience can watch the film and television works in an all-round way to keep the film and television works fresh to the greatest extent. This paper provides a certain reference value for 3D stereoscopic projection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Texture has strong expressiveness in picture art, and color texture features play an important role in composition. Together with texture, they can convey the artistic connotation of portrait, especially in oil painting. Therefore, in order to make the picture form oil painting style and oil painting schema, we need to study the texture and color texture in combination with the previous oil painting art images. But now, there are few samples of good oil paintings, so it is difficult to study the texture and color texture in oil paintings. Therefore, in order to form a unique artistic style of modern oil painting and promote the development of modern oil painting art, this paper studies the texture and color texture characteristics in the environment of few oil painting works. This paper establishes a model through deep neural network to extract the image incentive and color texture of oil painting art works, which provides guidance for promoting the development of oil painting art. The experiments in this paper show that the depth neural network has high definition for the extraction of texture and color texture of small sample oil painting images, which can reach more than 85%. It has high guiding significance for the research and creation of oil painting art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By virtue of its large-covered spatial information and high-resolution spectral information, hyperspectral images make lots of mapping-based fine-grained remote sensing applications possible. However, due to the inconsistency of land-cover types between different images, most hyperspectral image classification methods keep their effectiveness by training on every image and saving all classification models and training samples, which limits the promotion of related remote sensing tasks. To deal with the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a hyperspectral image classification method based on class-incremental learning to learn new land-cover types without forgetting the old ones, which enables the classification method to classify all land-cover types with one final model. Specially, when learning new classes, a knowledge distillation strategy is designed to recall the information of old classes by transferring knowledge to the newly trained network, and a linear correction layer is proposed to relax the heavy bias towards the new class by reapportioning information between different classes. Additionally, the proposed method introduces a channel attention mechanism to effectively utilize spatial–spectral information by a recalibration strategy. Experimental results on the three widely used hyperspectral images demonstrate that the proposed method can identify both new and old land-cover types with high accuracy, which proves the proposed method is more practical in large-coverage remote sensing tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the difficulty in adapting the traditional English teaching evaluation model to the new situation of current education development, a research on college English teaching evaluation based on neural network is proposed. The thesis proposes that based on the neural network, from the perspective of teachers and students, while creating a positive and harmonious learning atmosphere, a college English teaching environment with interactive mechanism is established, and a teaching mode of English interactive mechanism is constructed in it. To obtain a better neural network model, to establish the performance evaluation index of college English teaching, to calculate the weight of the performance evaluation index of English teaching, and to realize the evaluation of college English teaching based on neural network, the experimental results show that the use of this method can significantly improve students' English scores, and the method has high approximation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the exact controllability problem for the wave equation on a finite metric graph with the Kirchhoff–Neumann matching conditions. Among all vertices and edges we choose certain active vertices and edges, and give a constructive proof that the wave equation on the graph is exactly controllable if Neumann controllers are placed at the active vertices and Dirichlet controllers are placed at the active edges. The proofs for the shape and velocity controllability are purely dynamical, while the proof for the exact controllability utilizes both dynamical and moment method approaches. The control time for this construction is determined by the chosen orientation and path decomposition of the graph. We indicate the optimal time that guarantees the exact controllability for all systems of a described class on a given graph. While the choice of the active vertices and edges is not unique, we find the minimum number of controllers to guarantee the exact controllability as a graph invariant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that occurs in women of reproductive age. Anovulation caused by abnormal follicular development is still the main characteristic of PCOS patients with infertile. Granulosa cell (GC) is an important part of the follicular microenvironment, the dysfunction of which can affect follicular development. Increasing evidence indicates that exosomal miRNAs derived from the follicular fluid (FF) of patients play critical roles during PCOS. However, which follicular fluid-derived exosomal miRNAs play a pivotal role in controlling granulosa cell function and consequently follicular development remain largely unknown, as does the underlying mechanism. Herein, we showed that miR-143-3p is highly expressed in the follicular fluid exosomes of patients with PCOS and can be delivered into granulosa cells. Furthermore, functional experiments showed that translocated miR-143-3p promoted granulosa cell apoptosis, which is important in follicle development. Mechanistically, BMPR1A was identified as a direct target of miR-143-3p. Overexpression of BMPR1A reversed the effects of exosomal miR-143-3p on GC apoptosis and proliferation by activating the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway. These results demonstrate that miR-143-3p-containing exosomes derived from PCOS follicular fluid promoted granulosa cell apoptosis by targeting BMPR1A and blocking the Smad1/5/8 signaling pathway. Our findings provide a novel mechanism underlying the roles of exosomal-miRNAs in the follicular fluid of PCOS patients and facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies for PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate is an important precursor of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) and a remarkable difference in nitrate accumulation between lamina and midrib of flue-cured tobacco has long been observed. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning this difference remain poorly understood. In this study, physiological and genetic factors impacting nitrate accumulation were identified in pot experiments using flue-cured tobacco K326 with contrasting nitrate content between lamina and midrib. The results showed that three times higher NO3-N content was observed in midrib than that in the lamina, along with lower pigment, NH4-N content, nitrate reductase activity (NRA), sucrose synthetase activity (SSA), and glutamine synthetase activity (GSA) in midrib. Transcriptome analysis revealed that expression of genes involved in porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, photosynthesis, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, starch and sucrose metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and biosynthesis of amino acids were significantly lower in midrib than in lamina. qRT-PCR results showed that the expression level of nitrate transporter genes LOC107782967, LOC107806749, LOC107775674, LOC107829632, LOC107799198, LOC107768465 decreased by 2.74, 1.81, 49.5, 3.5, 2.64 and 2.96-folds while LOC107789301 increased by 8.23-folds in midrib but not in lamina. Reduced chlorophyll content might result in low carbohydrate formation which is the source of energy and carbon skeleton supply, then the low capacity of nitrogen reduction, assimilation and transportation, and the poor ability of nitrate reallocation but the high capacity of accumulation might lead to nitrate accumulation in midrib. The results laid the foundation for reducing nitrate content and TSNA formation in tobacco midribs and their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental pollution of water is one of the problems that have plagued human society. The bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent iron (BnZVI) technology has increased wide attention owing to its high performance for water treatment and soil remediation. In recent years, the BnZVI technology based on the development of nZVI has been further developed. The material chemistry, synthesis methods, and immobilization or surface stabilization of bimetals are discussed. Further, the data of BnZVI (Fe/Ni, Fe/Cu, Fe/Pd) articles that have been studied more frequently in the last decade are summarized in terms of the types of contaminants and the number of research literatures on the same contaminants. Five contaminants including trichloroethylene (TCE), Decabromodi-phenyl Ether (BDE209), chromium (Cr(VI)), nitrate and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) were selected for in-depth discussion on their influencing factors and removal or degradation mechanisms. Herein, comprehensive views towards mechanisms of BnZVI applications including adsorption, hydrodehalogenation and reduction are provided. Particularly, some ambiguous concepts about formation of micro progenitor cell, production of hydrogen radicals (H ·) and H 2 and the electron transfer are highlighted. Besides, in-depth discussion of selectivity for N 2 from nitrates and co-precipitation of chromium are emphasized. The difference of BnZVI is also discussed. [Display omitted] • A review of the type of contaminants removed by bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent iron (BnZVI) is made. • The different synthesis and modification methods of BnZVI are reviewed. • The influence factors of contaminants removed by BnZVI are reported. • The multiple mechanisms of BnZVI with contaminants are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver transplantation (LT) is the primary treatment for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the 5-year survival rate after LT remains low for patients with advanced HCC. Recently, combining programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has achieved promising outcomes in advanced HCC treatment. However, there is a lack of sufficient clinical data demonstrating its effectiveness as a pre-LT down-staging treatment. The current study presented a case of advanced HCC beyond the Milan criteria who underwent LT and achieved a favorable outcome following PD-1 inhibitor combined with FOLFOX-HAIC therapy. Of note, due to treatment-induced tumor necrosis, precise post-treatment tumor size evaluation became challenging. To address this, circulating tumor DNA (ct-DNA) clearance was used as the LT criterion. After three cycles of Pembrolizumab and FOLFOX-HAIC therapy, the patient's serum ctDNA became undetectable and serum α-fetoprotein levels returned to normal. Magnetic resonance imaging results also revealed a significant reduction in liver tumor size post down-staging treatment. Subsequent to LT, serum ctDNA was monitored every two months, consistently yielding diminished results. There were no clinical signs of recurrence 19 months post-LT. These findings suggest that Pembrolizumab in combination with FOLFOX-HAIC may serve as a potential down-staging strategy prior to LT. In addition, ctDNA clearance may be considered a viable biomarker for LT eligibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed is one of the most important oil crops in the world, and the rapeseed yield is increasing every year. The number of seeds per silique is one of the critical factors in the rapeseed yield. Studies that examine the number of seeds per silique have an important influence on the rapeseed yield measurement and the breeding of high-yield rapeseed varieties. Image-analysis-based seed counting methods have the advantages of being fast, accurate, and convenient. Based on the light-transmitting characteristic of siliques, this study used the backlight method to obtain images of the siliques' inner seeds. Three methods, the OTSU, Faster-RCNN, and DeepLabV3+, were used for the rapeseed segmentation and counting under different light intensities. The results showed that the silique images obtained under the 18,600 l× light intensity were the most conducive to seed segmentation. Under this condition, the DeepLabV3+ method had the best accuracy for the segmentation and counting of rapeseed. The Recall and F1-score were greater than 91% and 94%, respectively. • Provides non-destructive method for calculating the number of seeds per silique. • The number of seeds in silique can be achieved directly based on backlight shooting. • The deep learning model performs better in seed number calculation. • The calculate accuracy of model is greater than 93%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A and B be two factors with dim A > 4 . In this article, it is proved that a bijective map Φ : A → B satisfies Φ ([ A ∙ B , C ]) = [ Φ (A) ∙ Φ (B) , Φ (C) ] for all A , B , C ∈ A if and only if Φ is a linear ∗ -isomorphism, or a conjugate linear ∗ -isomorphism, or the negative of a linear ∗ -isomorphism, or the negative of a conjugate linear ∗ -isomorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing homes integrated with smart information such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital health could improve not only the quality of care but also benefit the residents and health professionals by providing effective care and efficient medical services. However, a clear concept of a smart nursing home, the expectations and acceptability from the perspectives of the elderly people and their family members are still unclear. In addition, instruments to measure the expectations and acceptability of a smart nursing home are also lacking. The study aims to explore and determine the levels of these expectations, acceptability and the associated sociodemographic factors. This exploratory sequential mixed methods study comprises a qualitative study which will be conducted through a semi-structured interview to explore the expectations and acceptability of a smart nursing home among Chinese elderly people and their family members (Phase I). Next, a questionnaire will be developed and validated based on the results of a qualitative study in Phase I and a preceding scoping review on smart nursing homes by the same authors (Phase II). Lastly, a nationwide survey will be carried out to examine the levels of expectations and acceptability, and the associated sociodemographic factors with the different categories of expectations and acceptability (Phase III). With a better understanding of the Chinese elderly people's expectations and acceptability of smart technologies in nursing homes, a feasible smart nursing home model that incorporates appropriate technologies, integrates needed medical services and business concepts could be formulated and tested as a solution for the rapidly ageing societies in many developed and developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the fabrication of electron-rich Pt3M alloy-tailored carbon electrodes to maximize hole extraction. Through optimizing the doses and alloy species systematically, the best all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite solar cell achieved a power conversion efficiency of 9.08% and showed excellent long-term stability at 80% RH over 20 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]