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Cancer cells have higher heat sensitivity compared to normal cells; therefore, hyperthermia is a promising approach for cancer therapy because of its ability to selectively kill cancer cells by heating them. However, the specific and rapid heating of tumor tissues remains challenging. This study investigated the potential of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) modified with tumor-homing peptides (THPs), specifically PL1 and PL3, for tumor-specific magnetic hyperthermia therapy. The synthesis of THP-modified MNPs involved the attachment of PL1 and PL3 peptides to the surface of the MNPs, which facilitated enhanced tumor cell binding and internalization. Cell specificity studies revealed an increased uptake of PL1- and PL3-MNPs by tumor cells compared to unmodified MNPs, indicating their potential for targeted delivery. In vitro hyperthermia experiments demonstrated the efficacy of PL3-MNPs in inducing tumor cell death when exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Even without exposure to an AMF, an additional ferroptotic pathway was suggested to be mediated by the nanoparticles. Thus, this study suggests that THP-modified MNPs, particularly PL3-MNPs, hold promise as a targeted approach for tumor-specific magnetic hyperthermia therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is involved in tumorigenesis, tumor growth and metastasis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in many digestive tract tumors. It is reportedly highly expressed in Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, but its effects on the occurrence and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unclear. In this study, real-time PCR and western blot analysis confirmed significant upregulation of DCLK1 expression in human ESCC tissues and cell lines. CCK-8 assay showed that transfection with siRNA against DCLK1 (si-DCLK1) markedly inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation in the ESCC cell lines Eca109 and TE1. Transwell assay revealed that si-DCLK1 transfection inhibited the migratory and invasive capacities of Eca109 and TE1 cells. Moreover, si-DCLK1 increased the chemosensitivity of these cells to cisplatin, as indicated by inhibited cell viability and colony formation, and increased ROS and apoptosis in cisplatin-treated cells. Western blot assay revealed that expression of nuclear β-catenin and c-Myc was significantly increased in ESCC tissues and that si-DCLK1 markedly downregulated nuclear β-catenin and c-Myc in Eca109 cells. Treatment with lithium chloride, an activator of β-catenin signaling, partially abolished the si-DCLK1-induced inhibition of proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance of ESCC cells. These findings suggest that knockdown of DCLK1 may inhibit the progression of ESCC by regulating proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemosensitivity via suppressing the β-catenin/c-Myc pathway, supporting a promising therapeutic target against ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater systems for ocean exploration and monitoring consist of a mix of geographically distributed stationary infrastructure and mobile units. The stationary infrastructure could be bottom-anchored nodes and surface buoys that are connected to a control center via cables and in-air radio links. Both the stationary and mobile units can be equipped with acoustic communication modules for underwater wireless data transmission. With the backbone (cable or radio) connection, those acoustic communication modules naturally form an underwater DAS. Similar to the DAS in terrestrial radio networks, the underwater DAS supports larger acoustic communication coverage and higher network throughput compared to the CAS. Furthermore, the characteristics of underwater acoustic channels, such as the frequency-dependent signal absorption loss and the low sound speed in water, lead to unique design challenges and unforeseen opportunities in the underwater DAS. This article examines both theoretical and system design issues pertaining to the underwater DAS, including operation strategies, communication algorithms and mobile node positioning, and pinpoints future research directions to fully realize its potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of cloud computing, most research on identity management has concentrated on protecting user data. However, users typically leave a trail when they access cloud services, and the resulting user traceability can potentially lead to the leakage of sensitive user information. Meanwhile, malicious users can do harm to cloud providers through the use of pseudonyms. To solve these problems, we introduce a reputation mechanism and design a reputation-based identity management model for cloud computing. In the model, pseudonyms are generated based on a reputation signature so as to guarantee the untraceability of pseudonyms, and a mechanism that calculates user reputation is proposed, which helps cloud service providers to identify malicious users. Analysis verifies that the model can ensure that users access cloud services anonymously and that cloud providers assess the credibility of users effectively without violating user privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a receiver for direct-sequence spread spectrum transmissions in underwater acoustic channels, which combines a per-survivor processing (PSP) structure with sparse channel estimation. Specifically, the PSP structure establishes the trellis on the symbol level to render a small to moderate number of states, thus reducing the computational complexity. Meanwhile, the sparse channel estimation is performed on the chip level, where the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm is used and a two-dimensional grid of path delay and Doppler scaling factor is incorporated in the dictionary construction. The effective combination of the PSP detection and sparse channel estimation achieves a good tradeoff between performance and complexity. Simulation and experiment results show that the proposed receiver outperforms the conventional RAKE receiver considerably, and most importantly, the proposed PSP receiver with an exact wideband dictionary maintains an excellent performance even for challenging underwater acoustic channels with large Doppler disparities on different paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a sparse channel estimator that exploits channel coherence across blocks for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in underwater acoustic (UWA) transmissions. We propose a novel channel variation model that the channel paths within a cluster share the same amplitude, delay, and Doppler scale variations from one block to the next, but different clusters vary independently. The variation offsets for different clusters are estimated based on the measurements on the pilot subcarriers of the current block. A hybrid channel estimator is developed that can effectively utilize both the channel knowledge from the previous block and the pilot observations of the current block. Performance results based on collected data from two experiments demonstrate that adaptation with multiple clusters outperforms that with one cluster, and that the proposed cluster-adaptation based channel estimator significantly improves the system performance relative to the pilot-based counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite that underwater acoustic channels are well known to contain various interferences, research on interference mitigation in underwater acoustic communications has been very limited. In this paper, we deal with a wideband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission in the presence of an external interference which occupies partially the signal band and whose time duration is shorter than the OFDM block. We parameterize the unknown interference waveform by a number of parameters assuming prior knowledge of the frequency band and time duration of the interference, and develop an iterative receiver, which couples interference detection via a generalized likelihood-ratio-test (GLRT), interference reconstruction and cancellation, channel estimation, and data detection. In addition to simulation results, we verify the receiver performance using data sets collected from two experiments. In both time-invariant and time-varying channels, the proposed iterative receiver achieves robust performance in the presence of unknown interference. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Obesity is a public health crisis in the United States. Targeting preadipocyte to adipocyte conversion may be an effective approach to regulate adipose mass. Using differential screening we identified Fstl1, a secreted glycoprotein with roles in immunomodulation, cell growth, cardioprotection, and vascularization, as a “preadipokine”. Fstl1 is highly expressed in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and dramatically downregulated early in their differentiation to adipocytes. Northern blot analysis of murine tissues reveals white adipose tissue (WAT), lung and heart as primary sites of Fstl1 transcript expression. In WAT, Fstl1 transcript is restricted to the preadipocyte-containing stromal-vascular cell population. Time course studies in multiple adipogenesis models reveal downregulation of Fstl1 is a hallmark of white and brown adipocyte conversion. By Western blot, we show culture media of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes contains high levels of Fstl1 protein that rapidly decline in adipocyte conversion. Moreover, we observe a correlation between preadipocyte phenotype and Fstl1 expression in that TNFα-mediated de-differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes is accompanied by re-expression of Fstl1 transcript and protein. Treatment of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with a panel of 18 hormones and other agents revealed the demethylating agent 5-aza-cytidine decreases Fstl1 transcript and protein levels by ∼90%. Furthermore, of 10 additional preadipocyte-expressed genes analyzed we find Pref-1, Col1A1, Sca-1/Ly6a, Lox and Thbs2, are also downregulated by 5-aza-cytidine. Using luciferase reporter constructs containing 791 or 3922bp of the Fstl1 5′ flanking region, we determine negative transcriptional regulation by Kruppel-like factor 15. Together, our data suggest downregulation of Fstl1 expression may be an important feature of preadipocyte to adipocyte conversion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we investigate various channel estimators that exploit channel sparsity in the time and/or Doppler domain for a multicarrier underwater acoustic system. We use a path-based channel model, where the channel is described by a limited number of paths, each characterized by a delay, Doppler scale, and attenuation factor, and derive the exact inter-carrier- interference (ICI) pattern. For channels that have limited Doppler spread we show that subspace algorithms from the array processing literature, namely Root-MUSIC and ESPRIT, can be applied for channel estimation. For channels with Doppler spread, we adopt a compressed sensing approach, in form of Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) and Basis Pursuit (BP) algorithms, and utilize overcomplete dictionaries with an increased path delay resolution. Numerical simulation and experimental data of an OFDM block-by-block receiver are used to evaluate the proposed algorithms in comparison to the conventional least-squares (LS) channel estimator. We observe that subspace methods can tolerate small to moderate Doppler effects, and outperform the LS approach when the channel is indeed sparse. On the other hand, compressed sensing algorithms uniformly outperform the LS and subspace methods. Coupled with a channel equalizer mitigating ICI, the compressed sensing algorithms can effectively handle channels with significant Doppler spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cartap is a widely used insecticide which belongs to a member of nereistoxin derivatives and acts on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor site. Its effects on aquatic species are of grave concern. To explore the potential developmental toxicity of cartap, zebrafish embryos were continually exposed, from 0.5 to 144h post-fertilization, to a range of concentrations of 25–1000μg/l. Results of the experiment indicated that cartap concentrations of 100μg/l and above negatively affected embryo survival and hatching success. Morphological analysis uncovered a large suite of abnormalities such as less melanin pigmentation, wavy notochord, crooked trunk, fuzzy somites, neurogenesis defects and vasculature defects. The most sensitive organ was proved to be the notochord which displayed defects at concentrations as low as 25μg/l. Both sensitivity towards exposure and localization of the defect were stage specific. To elucidate mechanisms concerning notochord, pigmentation, and hatching defects, enzyme assay, RT Q-PCR, and different exposure strategies were performed. For embryos with hatching failure, chorion was verified not to be digested, while removing cartap from exposure at early pre-hatching stage could significantly increase the hatching success. However, cartap was proved, via vitro assay, to have no effect on proteolytic activity of hatching enzyme. These findings implied that the secretion of hatching enzyme might be blocked. We also revealed that cartap inhibited the activity of melanogenic enzyme tyrosinase and matrix enzyme lysyl oxidase and induced expression of their genes. These suggested that cartap could impaired melanin pigmentation of zebrafish embryos through inhibiting tyrosinase activity, while inhibition of lysyl oxidase activity was responsible for notochord undulation, which subsequently caused somite defect, and at least partially responsible for defects in vasculature and neurogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we develop a fine synchronization algorithm for multiband OFDM transmission in the presence of frequency selective channels. This algorithm is based on maximum a posteriori (MAP) joint timing and channel estimation that incorporates channel statistical information, leading to considerable performance enhancement relative to existing maximum likelihood (ML) approaches. We carry out a thorough performance analysis of the fine timing algorithm, and link the diversity concept widely used in data communications to the timing performance. We show that the probability of the timing offset equal to or larger than Δ taps has a diversity order of N[subB] min (Δ, L) in Rayleigh fading channels, where NB is the number of subbands and L is the number of channel taps. This result reveals that the timing estimate is very much concentrated around the true timing as the signal to noise ratio (SNR) increases. Our simulations confirm the theoretical analysis, and also demonstrate the robustness of the proposed timing algorithm against model mismatches in a realistic UWB indoor channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we consider the class of linear space time block codes (STBCs) that possess the following properties: (i) enabling full antenna diversity, (ii) preserving the modulus of information symbols, and (iii) achieving the maximum rate of one symbol per channel use under (i) and (ii). We first provide an alternative construction for full-diversity rate-one STBCs that are based on linear constellation precoding (LCP). In sharp contrast to existing LCP-based designs, the proposed construction is modulus-preserving, thanks to an explicit unitary diagonal precoding on symbol blocks combined with an implicit fast-Fourier-transform (FFT) precoding via circularly shifted transmissions over multiple antennas. Our proposed construction also allows flexible choices on the precoder size, a feature not available in the original design. We then demonstrate that quasi-orthogonal (QO) STBCs can be constructed by embedding modulus-preserving LCP designs into orthogonal structures. Interestingly, QO-STBCs can be interpreted as space–time–frequency (STF) block codes, that were originally developed for multi-antenna multi-carrier systems, up to FFT transformations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents information on a study which described a multiuser-interference-free code division multiple access (CDMA) transceiver for frequency-selective multipath channels. System model; Design of the chip-interleaved block spread transceivers; Performance analysis and simulations; Conclusion.

Presents a study which derived novel blind channel estimators based on the finite alphabet property of information symbols for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and related multicarrier code-division multiple access systems. Matrix formulation of cyclic prefix- and zero padding-OFDM; Blind channel identifiability and estimation; Features of the channel estimation method.

Presents a study which developed a generalized frequency-hopping orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access system as a structured long code direct-sequence code-division multiple access system. Discussion on system modeling and motivation; Conclusions and discussion.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters were crucial for various physiological processes like nutrition, development, and environmental interactions. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for humans, and its role in plants depends on applied dosage. ABC transporters are considered to participate in Se translocation in plants, but detailed studies in soybean are still lacking. We identified 196 ABC genes in soybean transcriptome under Se exposure using next-generation sequencing and single-molecule real-time sequencing technology. These proteins fell into eight subfamilies: 8 GmABCA, 51 GmABCB, 39 GmABCC, 5 GmABCD, 1 GmABCE, 10 GmABCF, 74 GmABCG, and 8 GmABCI, with amino acid length 121–3022 aa, molecular weight 13.50–341.04 kDa, and isoelectric point 4.06–9.82. We predicted a total of 15 motifs, some of which were specific to certain subfamilies (especially GmABCB, GmABCC, and GmABCG). We also found predicted alternative splicing in GmABCs : 60 events in selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs)-treated, 37 in sodium selenite (Na 2 SeO 3)-treated samples. The GmABC genes showed differential expression in leaves and roots under different application of Se species and Se levels, most of which are belonged to GmABCB , GmABCC , and GmABCG subfamilies with functions in auxin transport, barrier formation, and detoxification. Protein-protein interaction and weighted gene co-expression network analysis suggested functional gene networks with hub ABC genes, contributing to our understanding of their biological functions. Our results illuminate the contributions of GmABC genes to Se accumulation and tolerance in soybean and provide insight for a better understanding of their roles in soybean as well as in other plants. • AS might represent an important mechanism to regulate the activity of GmABC transporters in response to selenium stress. • Endodermal suberin deposition reversibly might be a mechanism for soybean seedling to cope with SeNPs exposure. • The GmABC genes primarily participate in hormones transport, cell wall formation, and detoxification of HMs/metalloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pro-apoptotic peptides may be promising agents for cancer therapy owing to their ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. TatBim, a fusion peptide of Tat cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) and the BH3 domain derived from Bim apoptosis-inducing protein, is a pro-apoptotic peptide. In this study, based on the TatBim sequence, we attempted to minimize the CPP-Bim peptide while retaining apoptosis-inducing activity. The CPP and Bim parts were systematically shortened, and the pro-apoptotic activities of the shortened peptides were examined. We obtained TatBim-N1C2 and R8Bim-N1C2 as minimized peptides with efficient apoptotic activity. These peptides may have potential applications in future biomedical studies, such as cancer therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demands of power supply and data rate for mobile devices promote the research of simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). Optical SWIPT, as known as simultaneous light information and power transfer (SLIPT), has the potential for providing high-capacity communication and high-power wireless charging. However, SLIPT technologies based on light-emitting diodes have low efficiency due to energy dissipation over the air. Laser-based SLIPT technologies need strict positioning accuracy and scanning resolution, which may lead to the increase of costs and complexity. In this paper, we propose a mobile SLIPT scheme based on spatially separated laser resonator (SSLR) and intra-cavity second harmonic generation. The power and data are transferred via separated frequencies, while they share the same self-aligned resonant beam path, without the needs of receiver positioning and beam steering. We establish the analysis model of the resonant beam power and its second harmonic power. Numerical results show that the proposed system can achieve watt-level battery charging power and above 10-bit/s/Hz achievable rate at 6-m distance, which satisfies the requirements of most indoor mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) is a relatively rare malignancy and has the worst prognosis among head and neck cancer. Metastasis is the major cause of poor prognosis in HSCC patients. In this study, we found that 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1 or PDPK1) was overexpressed in HSCC. The overexpression was positively correlated lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and distant metastasis and indicated poor outcome. Loss and gain-of-function revealed that PDK1 increased cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro as well as tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanically, PDK1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promoted metastasis by activating the Notch1 signaling pathway. We further illustrated that PDK1 bound with the Notch1 intracellular domain, thereby inhibiting its ubiquitin-mediated degradation in a protein kinase B (Akt-) independent manner. In summary, PDK1/Notch1 axis played an important role in HSCC metastasis, and this investigation provided a new perspective on potential therapeutic targets for HSCC. • PDK1 correlates positively with tumor metastasis and indicates poor prognosis in patients with HSCC. • PDK1 promotes growth and metastasis of HSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. • PDK1 promoted EMT and metastasis through the Notch1 signaling pathway. • Upregulation of NICD1 by PDK1 was mediated by reducing the ubiquitination/degradation of NICD1 in cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, rice wine has the characteristics of fast fermentation, energy saving, and simple production due to the addition of commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, this kind of fermented rice wine has the disadvantages of single flavor and weak taste. To address this concern, the combination of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non‐Saccharomyces yeast has been identified as an effective approach to enhance the quality of fermented rice wine. This research aims to further enhance the ethyl ester and higher alcohol components of rice wine by utilizing the co‐fermentation method of high‐yield ester Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, thereby increasing the aroma complexity of rice wine. Results: According to the fermentation performance and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis, it was found that S. cerevisiae GJM and Z. rouxii SC01 have a strong metabolic ability for glucose and sucrose. Furthermore, the crucial alcohols such as isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, and phenylethyl alcohol increased by 85%, 29%, and 138%, respectively, when compared to single S. cerevisiae GJM. Additionally, the ethyl acetate and phenylethylene acetate were increased by 1.35 and 1.45 times, respectively, when compared to single S. cerevisiae GJM. These findings were comparable with the results of sensory evaluation and electronic nose analysis, where the fruit flavor score and the content of mellow substances were found to be higher. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the co‐fermentation of S. cerevisiae and high‐yield ester Z. rouxii has the potential to enhance the quality and diversity of aroma in liquid rice wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human movement is closely linked with muscle activities. Research has indicated that predicting human movements with surface electromyography signals is feasible. However, the classification accuracy of surface electromyography signal–based movements is still limited due to the low signal to noise ratio, especially when multiple movement categories are investigated. In this study, six representative time-domain feature extraction techniques and four frequency-domain feature extraction techniques with three different types of classifiers (the statistical classifier Gaussian mixture model, the neural network classifier multilayer perceptron, and the ensemble method AdaBoost) were applied for the recognition of 52 movements in Non-Invasive Adaptive Prosthetics database 1. From the experimental results, we observed that the performance of Gaussian mixture model was superior to that of the multilayer perceptron in both classification accuracy and computational load. When AdaBoost was introduced into the multilayer perceptron, the classification accuracy significantly improved, such that the performance was comparable with that of the Gaussian mixture model. Using the combination of the Gaussian mixture model and the mean of absolute value, we achieved an accuracy rate of 89.5% for the classification of the 52 movements, which was much higher than the 76% rate reported in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integrated model is developed to analyze the fundamental characteristics of a modal-independent linear ultrasonic motor with double piezoelectric vibrators. The energy method is used to model the dynamics of the two piezoelectric vibrators. The interface forces are coupled into the dynamic equations of the two vibrators and the moving platform, forming a whole machine model of the motor. The behavior of the force transmission of the motor is analyzed via the resulting model to understand the drive mechanism. In particular, the relative contact length is proposed to describe the intermittent contact characteristic between the stator and the mover, and its role in evaluating motor performance is discussed. The relations between the output speed and various inputs to the motor and the start-stop transients of the motor are analyzed by numerical simulations, which are validated by experiments. Furthermore, the dead-zone behavior is predicted and clarified analytically using the proposed model, which is also observed in experiments. These results are useful for designing servo control scheme for the motor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A curated database is developed to improve ARG detectability. • Sediments identified as key reservoirs for diverse ARGs. • Crucial ARGs, MGEs, and ARG carriers identified. • Rivers are unreliable water sources, human activities damage the water safety. • Establishing drinking water reservoirs is a strategy for ARG control. The exploration of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in drinking water reservoirs is an emerging field. Using a curated database, we enhanced the ARG detection and conducted a comprehensive analysis using 2.2 Tb of deep metagenomic sequencing data to determine the distribution of ARGs across 16 drinking water reservoirs and associated environments. Our findings reveal a greater diversity of ARGs in sediments than in water, underscoring the importance of extensive background surveys. Crucial ARG carriers—specifically Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas , and Mycobacterium were identified in drinking water reservoirs. Extensive analysis of the data uncovered a considerable concern for drinking water safety, particularly in regions reliant on river sources. Mobile genetic elements have been found to contribute markedly to the propagation of ARGs. The results of this research suggest that the establishment of drinking water reservoirs for supplying raw water may be an effective strategy for alleviating the spread of water-mediated ARGs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Sideroflexin 1 (SFXN1), a mitochondrial serine transporter implicated in one-carbon metabolism, is a prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, its role in LUAD progression remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the functional significance of SFXN1 in LUAD and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target. We analyzed SFXN1 expression and its diagnostic and prognostic value in LUAD using the Pan-cancer TCGA dataset. In vitro assays (CCK-8, cell cycle, EDU, wound-healing, and transwell) were employed to assess the role of SFXN1, complemented by in vivo experiments. RNA sequencing elucidated SFXN1-mediated cellular functions and potential mechanisms. Bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data from TCGA and GEO were used to investigate the correlation between SFXN1 and the tumor immune microenvironment. RT-qPCR, Western blot, and IHC assays validated SFXN1 expression and its impact on the immune microenvironment in LUAD. SFXN1 was upregulated in LUAD tissues and associated with poor prognosis. RNA-seq and scRNA-seq analyses revealed increased SFXN1 expression in tumor cells, accompanied by decreased infiltration of NK and cytotoxic T cells. SFXN1 knockdown significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration, and the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation and CCL20 expression may be the molecular mechanism involved. In vivo , targeting SFXN1 decreased Tregs infiltration and inhibited tumor growth. Our findings suggest that SFXN1 may be a potential therapeutic target for LUAD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical-layer network coding (PLNC) allows two remote terminals to exchange information in two time slots via a half-duplex relay. In this paper, we consider PLNC in underwater acoustic (UWA) two-way relay networks, with particular attention on the recovery of the network-coded codeword at the relay. Considering multiple paths in UWA channels with large delay spreads and temporal variations, orthogonal-frequency division-multiplexing (OFDM) is used as an underlying modulation. Distinct from existing works which mainly focus on the flat-fading channel and the non-iterative PLNC decoding, we investigate three iterative receivers at the relay in doubly-selective UWA channels. To estimate the network-coded codeword, the three receivers respectively adopt i) a conventional decoding scheme to recover the codewords from two terminals independently; ii) a decoding scheme to recover the network-coded codeword directly, and iii) a joint decoding scheme to recover a composite codeword formed by the codewords from the two terminals. In the time-varying channel, the intercarrier interference (ICI) in the received signal has been explicitly addressed in three receivers. Extensive simulations and experimental results reveal that the decoding scheme for direct recovery of the network-coded codeword cannot work well in the multipath channel, and that with a lower complexity the performance of the iterative separate-decoding scheme can catch up with that of the joint decoding scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are no commonly-agreed mathematical models for the input-output relationship of underwater acoustic channels. For each path in a time-varying multipath channel within a short period of time (e.g., one short data block), this paper proposes to use one polynomial to approximate the amplitude variation and another polynomial up to the first order to approximate the delay variation within a block duration. Under such a channel parameterization, the discrete-time channel input- output relationship tailored to zero-padded orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) transmissions is then derived, based on which an OFDM receiver is validated using experimental data collected during the 2008 Surface Processes and Acoustic Communications Experiment. For channels with a short coherence time, the numerical results show that incorporating both the amplitude and delay variations improves the system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between a smart target and a smart MIMO radar is investigated from a game theory perspective. Since the target and the radar form an adversarial system, their interaction is modeled as a two-person zero-sum game. The mutual information criterion is used in formulating the utility functions. The unilateral, hierarchical, and symmetric games are studied, and the equilibria solutions are derived. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In decentralized detection, local sensor observations have to be communicated to a fusion center through the wireless medium, inherently a multiple-access channel (MAC). As communication is bandwidthand energy-constrained, it has been suggested to use the properties of the MAC to combine the sensor observations directly on the channel. Although this leads to an array-processing gain if the sensors' transmissions combine coherently on the channel, it has been shown that this is not the case when they combine noncoherently. We review known results for the coherent case and then analyze the noncoherent case based on a simple on/off scheme combined with optimal sensor "censoring." Since the optimal forwarding function is not available, we also bound the performance using an equivalent communication problem and a centralized estimator to verify trends. We find that for noncoherent modulation, there is no processing gain using the MAC for decentralized detection, but compared to parallel-access channels (PACs) the MAC avoids the noncoherent combining loss. Still the performance of the MAC approach is only of diversity one, as the output of the MAC is approximately a zero-mean complex Gaussian random variable for a large number of sensor. The MAC performance can be increased by using multiple independent channels, each used as a MAC by all sensors, which we term diversity-MAC. This approach always outperforms the PAC scheme on Rayleigh fading channels, where the output is exactly Gaussian, but has inferior performance across random phase channels when few sensors are used, as the PAC does not create "artificial" fading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have determined that adipocytes are a major site of expression of the transcript for the novel alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), Adhfe1. Adhfe1 is unique in that the sequence of its encoded protein places it among the iron-activated ADHs. Western blot analysis reveals Adhfe1 encodes a 50kDa protein and immunocytochemical staining indicates mitochondrial localization. Adhfe1 transcript exhibits differentiation-dependent expression during in vitro brown and white adipogenesis. Unlike many adipocyte-enriched genes, however, Adhfe1 transcript expression in adipocytes is refractory to TNFα-mediated downregulation. However, use of pharmacological inhibitors reveals PI 3-kinase-mediated signals maintain the basal level of Adhfe1 transcript in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Tissue profiling studies show Adhfe1 transcript is restricted to white and brown adipose tissues, liver, and kidney. In comparison to C57BL/6 mice, Adhfe1 transcript is downregulated 40% in white adipose tissue of ob/ob obese mice. Further characterization of Adhfe1 should yield new insights into adipocyte function and energy metabolism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Mac-MTDH promoted cancer cell VM formation, migration, and invasion in vitro. • MTDH+ macrophages were predominant in the tumor-stromal region in proximity to VM. • MTDH overexpression triggered macrophage polarization toward M2 type. • The VEGFA-165/Flt-1 axis was responsible for Mac-MTDH' effect in cancer cells. • The in vivo mouse model further confirmed the in vitro cell line data. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) refers to vessel-like structures formed by aggressive tumor cells and is closely associated with cancer invasion and metastasis. Here, we investigated the effect of macrophage-derived MTDH on VM formation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its underlying mechanism. Macrophages with MTDH overexpression (Mac-MTDH) promoted cancer cell VM formation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Moreover, MTDH overexpression triggered macrophage polarization into M2 type tumor-associated macrophages. Analysis of HNSCC clinical samples revealed that MTDH+ macrophages were predominantly located in the tumor-stromal region in proximity to VM and correlated with lymph node metastasis. Mechanistically, Mac-MTDH enhanced the expression and secretion of VEGFA-165 rather than other VEGFA isoforms via ß-catenin. The VEGFA-165/Flt-1 axis was responsible for Mac-MTDH's effects in cancer cells through p-STAT3/Twist1/VE-cadherin pathway. Using mouse model, we further confirmed that Mac-MTDH increased VM formation and cancer metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, in subcutaneous xenograft mouse model, HN6 + Mac-MTDH tumor exhibited elevated expression of p-STAT3 and Twist1 than HN6 + Mac-NC tumors. This study revealed that Mac-MTDH promoted VM formation, cancer cell migration and invasion, and cancer metastasis through VEGFA-165/Flt-1 axis, and that macrophage-derived MTDH could be a potential therapeutic target in HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tracheostomy and endotracheal intubation can result in subglottic tracheal stenosis, and predisposition to keloid scar formation can increase stenosis risk after tracheal injury. This study aims to compare the incidence and severity of subglottic tracheal stenosis in keloid and non-keloid patients following iatrogenic tracheal injury, in particular tracheostomy.Methods: From 2012 to 2017, 218 573 patients were intubated for surgery; 2276 patients received tracheostomy in People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, China. Among these patients, 133 patients, who developed tracheal stenosis after intubation and/or tracheostomy, were divided into keloid or non-keloid groups; their Myer and Cotton grading of tracheal stenosis, time-to-onset of airway stenosis, and treatment outcome were assessed and compared.Results: The percentages of high grade (Myer and Cotton grading III/IV) tracheal stenosis were higher among keloid patients than non-keloid patients (intubation: 83.3% vs 25.7%; tracheostomy: 77.7% vs 33.3%). Time-to-onset of airway stenosis following intubation (tracheostomy) was 27 ± 5 (38 ± 13) and 41 ± 7 (82 ± 14) days for keloid and non-keloid patients, respectively (P < 0.01). The incidence of tracheal stenosis is higher in keloid than non-keloid subjects (19.4% vs 1.82%, P < 0.001). Keloid patients also required more frequent treatment (P < 0.01) of longer duration, yet cure rate was significantly lower (P < 0.01).Conclusions: Our study suggests that tracheostomized patients with keloid phenotype are more susceptibility to develop iatrogenic tracheal stenosis of greater severity and with poorer treatment outcome. Greater cautions may be required when performing tracheostomy in keloid subjects. More substantive analysis is warranted to establish keloid phenotype as a risk factor for tracheal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigation of impulsive noise has been extensively studied in wireline, wireless radio, and powerline communication systems. However, its study in underwater acoustic (UWA) systems is quite limited. This paper considers impulsive noise mitigation for underwater orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, where the system performance is severely impacted by the channel Doppler effect. We propose a practical approach based on a least squares formulation: First, the positions of impulsive noise are determined in the time domain based on the signal amplitude, and second, impulsive noise samples are jointly estimated with the Doppler shift based on the measurements of the OFDM null subcarriers. Based on the available channel estimate and tentative data symbol decisions, an iterative receiver is further developed. Data sets have been acquired in a recent sea experiment near Kaohsiung city, Taiwan, in May 2013. Performance results based on extensive simulations and collected data sets demonstrate that the proposed receivers effectively mitigate impulsive noise for UWA OFDM systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aroma and sensory characteristics of 21 commercial high-salt liquid fermentation soy sauces (HLFSS) suitable for different edible methods were investigated by MS-based non-targeted metabolomics workflow using headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) combined with sensory evaluation. A total of 325 compounds were detected, and 60 were considered aroma-active compounds. Light soy sauce (LSS) and premium soy sauce (PSS) for direct dipping contained more alcohols and esters. Aldehydes and furans were more abundant in dark soy sauce (DSS) used for stir-frying and braising. Principal component analysis (PCA) clustered LSS, DSS, and PSS into different quadrants and distinguished HLFSS of north-south origin. In addition, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) confirmed that the difference in volatile compounds of HLFSS in northern and southern China was related to local manufacturers' use of the Japanese and Cantonese fermentation processes. Sensory evaluations showed that LSS and PSS had prominent alcoholic and fruit aromas, while DSS had firmer caramel and malty aromas. Aroma-active compounds influenced regional differences in sensory attributes. The present study results will provide a theoretical basis for broadening industrial soy sauce production with different flavors. • A total of 325 volatile compounds were detected in soy sauce by HS-SPME-GC-MS. • Alcohols and aldehydes were the main differences between soy sauces. • The fermentation process caused regional differences between the north and south. • The content of key aroma active compounds affected the sensory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A passive radar system that coopts digital broadcast (DAB/ DVB) signals is appealing but challenging: a single-antenna receiver system can only measure a bistatic range/range-rate; and, due to the energy-efficient multitransmitter commercial implementation, there is a confounding uncertainty as to which transmitter (illuminator) was responsible for a given ?hit.? In a companion paper we proposed some ways to track directly in native geographic coordinates. Here we suggest and compare two approaches for track initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract—The tidal energy conversion system has become a major facility for ocean energy harvesting. The intermittency of tidal currents and the resulting large cyclic stresses in the tidal generator, however, make the energy harvesting from tidal currents more challenging than from other renewable sources, such as wind and solar. This paper presents a concept of maximum life-cycle tracking, which minimizes, the torque stress on the shaft, therefore maximizing the life cycle of the tidal energy systems by tracking power-speed curves with a power electronic inverter. By implementing the new concept, the life cycle of a the tidal generator can be extended tens of times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a target tracking system for passive radar suitable for a digital audio/video broadcast (DAB/DVB) network with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) illuminators of opportunity. In this system bistatic range and range-rate are available as a measurement while angular information is assumed unavailable or of very poor quality. There is also a novel association ambiguity between the signals and illuminators, this in addition to the usual one between the signals and targets, and hence an interesting data association problem. Our intention is to provide tracks directly in the geographic space (3-D Cartesian domain). Here, four filters are suggested. The first two are the extended Kalman filter (EKF) and unscented Kalman filter (UKF) based on a joint probabilistic data association (JPDA) modified to incorporate the additional assignment complexity. The other two filters are a bootstrap particle filter (BPF) and an auxiliary particle filter (APF) based on the data association under the probabilistic multi-hypothesis tracker (PMHT) measurement model, which means that each measurement's assignment is independent of all others. Simulation results show that these four filters can work properly, albeit naturally with different performance characteristics and complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A Swerling III/IV target is generally thought of as the sum of a dominant nonfluctuating reflector plus many smaller scatterers, and the many smaller scatterers are often thought of as having a combined voltage amplitude that is Rayleigh distributed (i.e., Swerling I/II). On the other hand, a Rician target is the result of a complex sum at baseband of a nonfluctuating object and a Rayleigh object. The Rician model is not easily reconciled with the standard four degree of freedom $\chi^2$ distribution for the (power) amplitude of a Swerling III/IV target, and, indeed, we show here that no Swerling III/IV target is Rician. However, when the nonfluctuating or "dominant" part of the Rician target is approximately 75% of the total reflection, their dissimilarity is minimized (and is small). This phenomenon holds true when Gaussian receiver noise is involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Alcohol, a major cause of human cardiomyopathy, decreases cardiac contractility in both animals and man. However, key features of alcohol-related human heart disease are not consistently reproduced in animal models. Accordingly, we studied cardiac histology, contractile function, cardiomyocyte long chain fatty acid (LCFA) uptake, and gene expression in male C57BL/6J mice consuming 0, 10, 14, or 18% ethanol in drinking water for 3months. At sacrifice, all EtOH groups had mildly decreased body and increased heart weights, dose-dependent increases in cardiac triglycerides and a marked increase in cardiac fatty acid ethyl esters. [3H]-oleic acid uptake kinetics demonstrated increased facilitated cardiomyocyte LCFA uptake, associated with increased expression of genes encoding the LCFA transporters CD36 and Slc27a1 (FATP1) in EtOH-fed animals. Although SCD-1 expression was increased, lipidomic analysis did not indicate significantly increased de novo LCFA synthesis. By echocardiography, ejection fraction (EF) and the related fractional shortening (FS) of left ventricular diameter during systole were reduced and negatively correlated with cardiac triglycerides. Expression of myocardial PGC-1α and multiple downstream target genes in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, including several in the electron transport and ATP synthase complexes of the inner mitochondrial membrane, were down-regulated. Cardiac ATP was correspondingly reduced. The data suggest that decreased expression of PGC-1α and its target genes result in decreased cardiac ATP levels, which may explain the decrease in myocardial contractile function caused by chronic EtOH intake. This model recapitulates important features of human alcoholic cardiomyopathy and illustrates a potentially important pathophysiologic link between cardiac lipid metabolism and function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Finding the minimum distance of low-density-parity-check (LDPC) codes is an NP-hard problem. Different from all existing works that focus on binary LDPC codes, we in this paper aim to compute the minimum distance of nonbinary LDPC codes, motivated by the fact that operating in a large Galois field provides one important degree of freedom to achieve both good waterfall and error-floor performance. Our method is based on the existing nearest nonzero codeword search (NNCS) method, but several modifications are incorporated for nonbinary LDPC codes, including the modified error impulse pattern, the dithering method, and the nonbinary decoder. Numerical results on the estimated minimum distances show that a code's minimum distance can be increased by careful selection of nonzero elements of the parity check matrix, or by increasing the mean column weight, or by increasing the size of the Galois field. These results support observations that have been made based on simulated performance in the literature. Finally, we provide an upper bound on the minimum distance for nonbinary quasi-cyclic LDPC codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]