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Hot-rolled backup rolls are widely used in steel rolling and usually need to be repaired by arc hardfacing after becoming worn. However, a corrugated-groove defect commonly occurs on the roll surface due to the uneven hardness distribution in the hardfacing layers, affecting the proper usage of the roll. Accordingly, a new swing-arc submerged arc welding (SA-SAW) process is proposed to attempt to solve this drawback. The microstructure and hardness are then investigated experimentally for both SAW and SA-SAW hardfacing layers. It is revealed that a self-tempering effect occurs in the welding pass bottom and the welding pass side neighboring the former pass for both processes, refining the grain in the two areas. In all the zones, including the self-tempering zone (STZ), heat-affected zone (HAZ), and not-heat-affected zone in the welding pass, both SAW and SA-SAW passes crystallize in a type of columnar grain, where the grains are the finest in STZ and the coarsest in HAZ. In addition, the arc swing improves the microstructure homogeneity of the hardfacing layers by obviously lowering the tempering degree in HAZ while promoting the even distribution of the arc heat. Accordingly, the hardness of the SA-SAW bead overall increases and distributes more uniformly with a maximum difference of < 80 HV0.5 along the horizontal direction of the bead. This hardness difference in SA-SAW is accordingly decreased by ~38.5% compared to that of the SAW bead, further indicating the practicability of the new process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand for road traffic safety assessment, global concerns about road safety have been rising. This is particularly evident with the widespread adoption of V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) technology, where people are more intensively focused on how to leverage advanced technological means to effectively address challenges in traffic safety. Through the research of driving style recognition technology, accurate assessment of driving behavior and the provision of personalized safety prompts and warnings have become crucial for preventing traffic accidents. This paper proposes a risk field construction technique based on environmental data collected by in-vehicle sensors. This paper introduces a driving style recognition algorithm utilizing risk field visualization and mask learning technologies. The research results indicate that, compared to traditional classical models, the improved algorithm performs excellently in terms of accuracy, stability, and robustness, enhancing the accuracy of driving style recognition and enabling a more effective evaluation of road safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To raise narrow gap GMA welding efficiency while ensuring weld formation, the present work presents a thick-wire swing arc narrow gap GMA welding process assisted by cold wires. This process employs the thick wire and the pre-embedded cold wires to jointly increase the welding efficiency while improving the groove sidewall penetration by the swing arc. Two types of thick wires, conventional single-strand welding wire (SWW) and cable-type welding wire (CWW), are respectively used as main wire. After solving the series arc problem during CWW arc-igniting, the effects of the pre-embedded wire layer number on narrow gap weld formation and welding efficiency are investigated for thick-wire welding. Experimental results show that the weld thickness and the sidewall penetration do not obviously change with increasing the layer number of cold wires, while the weld layer height significantly grows. Additionally, the SWW weld formation looks more sound. Compared to thin-wire welding, the SWW and CWW thick-wire welding without the cold wire raises the deposition rate by about 38% and 58%, respectively. When pre-embedding two layers of cold wires, the increased percentage of the deposition rate further rises respectively to about 81% and 112%. These thus demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed process in addition to the higher efficiency of the CWW welding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV) is an eight-segment negative-sense RNA virus and is subjected to gene recombination between strains to form novel strains, which may lead to influenza pandemics. Seasonal influenza occurs annually and causes great losses in public healthcare. In this study, we examined the role of interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1 and 2 (IFIT1 and IFIT2) in influenza virus infection. Knockdown of IFIT1 or IFIT2 using a lentiviral shRNA increased viral nucleoprotein (NP) and nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) protein levels, as well as progeny virus production in A/Puerto Rico/8/34 H1N1 (PR/8)-infected lung epithelial A549 cells. Overexpression of IFIT1 or IFIT2 reduced viral NP and NS1 RNA and protein levels in PR/8-infected HEK293 cells. Overexpression of IFIT1 or IFIT2 also inhibited influenza virus infection of various H1N1 strains, including PR/8, A/WSN/1933, A/California/07/2009 and A/Oklahoma/3052/2009, as determined by a viral reporter luciferase assay. Furthermore, knockdown of IFIT1 or IFIT2 increased while overexpression of IFIT1 or IFIT2 decreased viral RNA, complementary RNA, and mRNA levels of NP and NS1, as well as viral polymerase activities. Taken together, our results support that both IFIT1 and -2 have anti-influenza virus activities by inhibiting viral RNA synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the development of microbial research technologies, microbiota research has received widespread attention. The parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia is a good model organism for studying insect behavior, development, evolutionary genetics, speciation, and symbiosis. This review describes key advances and progress in the field of the Nasonia –microbiome interactions. We provide an overview of the advantages of Nasonia as a model organism for microbiome studies, list research methods to study the Nasonia microbiome, and discuss recent discoveries in Nasonia microbiome research. This summary of the complexities of Nasonia –microbiome relationships will help to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between animals and their microbiomes and establish a clear research direction for Nasonia –microbiome interactions in the future. Parasitoid wasps of the genus Nasonia are an emerging model for research on animal development, pest control, (co)evolutionary genetics, speciation, phylosymbiosis, and endosymbiosis. The biological advantages of Nasonia wasps include rapid development, simple husbandry, haplodiploid genetics, functional and classical genetics, and interbreedable species. Recent findings indicate that Nasonia endosymbionts and the gut microbiome are involved in interspecific reproductive isolation and thus speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic economic emission dispatch (DEED) in combination with renewable energy has recently attracted much attention. However, when wind power is considered in DEED, due to its generation uncertainty, some additional costs will be introduced and the stability of the dispatch system will be affected. To address this problem, in this paper, the energy-storage characteristic of electric vehicles (EVs) is utilized to smooth the uncertainty of wind power and reduce its impact on the system. As a result, an interaction model between wind power and EV (IWEv) is proposed to effectively reduce the impact of wind power uncertainty. Further, a DEED model based on the IWEv system ( DEED IWEv ) is proposed. For solving the complex model, a self-adaptive multiple-learning multi-objective harmony-search algorithm is proposed. Both elite-learning and experience-learning operators are introduced into the algorithm to enhance its learning ability. Meanwhile, a self-adaptive parameter adjustment mechanism is proposed to adaptively select the two operators to improve search efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and the superiority of the proposed method in solving the DEED IWEv model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) aided wireless powered sensor network (WPSN). Specifically, a power station (PS) provides wireless energy to multiple internet of thing (IoT) devices which supports them to deliver their own messages to an access point (AP). Moreover, we deploy an IRS to enhance the performance of the WPSN by intelligently adjusting the phase shift of each reflecting element. To evaluate the performance of the IRS assisted WPSN, we maximize its sum throughput to jointly optimize the phase shift matrices and the transmission time allocations. Due to the non-convexity of the formulated optimization problem, we first derive the optimal phase shifts of the wireless information transfer (WIT) in closed-form. Consequently, a semi-definite programming (SDP) relaxed approach is considered to jointly design the phase shift matrix of the wireless energy transfer (WET) and the transmission time allocations. In addition, we propose a low complexity scheme to gain insights and reduce the computational complexity incurred by the SDP relaxed scheme. Specifically, the optimal solutions of the phase shifts and the transmission time allocation are derived in closed-form by the Majorization-Minimization (MM) algorithm, the Lagrange dual method and the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. Finally, numerical results are presented to validate the proposed schemes and confirm the beneficial role of the IRS in comparison to the benchmark schemes, where the proposed IRS assisted scheme achieves almost 100% higher sum throughput, in comparison to the counterpart without IRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To measure semantic similarity between words, a novel model DFRVec that encodes multiple semantic information of a word in WordNet into a vector space is presented in this paper. Firstly, three different sub-models are proposed: 1) DefVec: encoding the definitions of a word in WordNet; 2) FormVec: encoding the part-of-speech (POS) of a word in WordNet; 3) RelVec: encoding the relations of a word in WordNet. Then by combining the three sub-models with an existing word embedding, the new model for generating the vector of a word is proposed. Finally, based on DFRVec and the path information in WordNet, a new method DFRVec+Path to measure semantic similarity between words is presented. The experiments on ten benchmark datasets show that DFRVec+Path can outperform many existing methods on semantic similarity measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Our previous studies showed that over expression of AD‐associated mutant β‐amyloid precursor protein (APP) led to abnormalities of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of orexin‐A on mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy and mitochondrial structure in overexpression of AD‐associated mutant APP cells. We used 20E2 cells as the AD cell model. 20E2 cells were treated with orexin‐A (50, 100 nmol/L). The effect of different concentrations of orexin‐A on cell activity was detected by MTT. As compared with the non‐treated 20E2 cells, orexin‐A‐treated 20E2 cells showed increased expression of APP, decreased cell viability and decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level, decreased levels of regulatory proteins of mitochondrial biogenesis (peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator 1‐alpha [PGC‐1α], nuclear respiratory factor 1/2 [NRF1/2], mitochondrial transcription factor A [TFAM]), increased levels of regulatory proteins of mitophagy (Parkin, PTEN‐induced putative kinase 1 [PINK1], microtubule‐associated protein light chain 3 II/I [LC3‐II/LC3‐I]) and decreased p62 level, with damaged mitochondrial structure. Orexin‐A may reduce mitochondrial biogenesis, enhance mitophagy and damage mitochondrial structure in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A novel AAO-SBSPR (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic/Sequencing Batch Sidestream Phosphorus Recovery) process was developed for phosphorus (P) recovery and nutrient removal from municipal wastewater. Meanwhile, an operational strategy based on the P mass balance for the process was proposed, where P recovery rate was coupled with sludge retention time (SRT) so as to reduce the impact of P recovery on P content in activated sludge and maintain a stable operation of the process. The results show that the proposed operational strategy is helpful for the stable operation of the AAO-SBSPR process and up to 65% of the influent P was recovered with the phosphate removal efficiency of 99.1%. Both P recovery and extended SRT had limited influence on the P release and uptake rates of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). The results of high-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that the relative abundance of Accumulibacter increased while SRT was extended under high P recovery rate. Moreover, significant promotion of simultaneous nitrogen removal and P uptake was observed, where the ratio of anoxic P uptake to the total P uptake of the whole process increased from 41.7% in the AAO process to 77.5% in the AAO-SBSPR process, combined with the increase of total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency from 71.9% to 80.4%. The P recovery process is also beneficial for the reduction of sludge production and nitrification process as SRT was extended for high P recovery rate. Overall, the AAO-SBSPR process together with the operational strategy proposed in this study provides a promising and practical alternative for P recovery from municipal wastewater. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • An AAO-SBSPR process was proposed to recover P from municipal wastewater and 65% P was recovered. • An operational strategy associating the P recovery rate with SRT was proposed and validated. • Anoxic P uptake was promoted under high P recovery rate and long SRT. • Good nutrient removal performance was achieved. • Excess sludge production was minimized under long SRT and high P recovery rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was simulated using ASM1 coupled to a dedicated aeration model. The influent component fractionation and key stoichiometric and kinetic parameters were obtained based on experiments. The coupled model was verified using a mass balance approach, and can predict the pollutant removal profile and DO concentration accurately. Furthermore, several control strategies were compared by simulating the aeration process in the WWTP. The control strategies were based on two main control structures: (1) feedback ammonia PI (proportional and integral) control structure, and (2) cascade feedforward and feedback ammonia PI control structure. A comprehensive approach was adopted to assess the optimal performance of each control strategy at different setpoints of effluent ammonia concentration and aeration volumes under control. Meanwhile, the interaction between the feedforward controller and the feedback controller was studied. The results show that the feedforward structure was more reliable and effective than the feedback structure in energy saving and effluent quality control. The feedforward controller had a significant effect on the performance of the feedback controller. However, the feedback structure alone could save up to 13.2% aeration energy without worsening the effluent quality under the proper control volume and ammonia load. Therefore, the feedback structure can be used as an upgrade alternative of the current aeration strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Printed circuit board (PCB) wastewater was used to electrodeposit Cu@Cu 2 O composite coatings on the concrete surface to improve the antibacterial properties of sewers. The optimal current density was determined by surface analysis and bacteria inhibition experiments, and the effects of electrodeposition on the decontamination of PCB wastewater and recovery of copper element were investigated. The electrodeposited mortar specimens possessed good antibacterial abilities against Desulfovibrio , Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Escherichia coli (E. Coli) at a current density above 0.5 mA/cm2. Intact and smooth Cu@Cu 2 O coatings formed on the concrete surface as current density increased to 1.5 mA/cm2. However, further increasing the current density led to the formation of more needle-shaped build-ups and cracks. Thus, 1.5 mA/cm2 was determined to be the optimum current density taking into account the integrity of coatings, bactericidal property and the leaching rate of Cu2+ ions. Moreover, the chemical oxygen demand of PCB wastewater sharply decreased, and up to 85% of copper ions were recovered after reusing the PCB wastewater five times. The application of electrodeposition using PCB wastewater in the manufacture of antibacterial sewers and wastewater treatment holds great promise based on the estimated cost reduction and conceived environmental benefits. [Display omitted] • Cu@Cu 2 O composite coatings were electrodeposited on the concrete substrate using printed circuit board wastewater. • The eletrodeposited specimens exhibited good antibacterial properties against corrosive bacteria in sewers. • The recovery efficiency of copper and chemical oxygen demand removal ratio increased with the current density. • The electrodeposition using PCB wastewater could be applied in the manufacture of antibacterial sewers and wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) for a multiple-input–single-output (MISO) secrecy channel. First, transmit beamforming without artificial noise (AN) is designed to achieve the secrecy rate maximization problem subject to the transmit power and the energy harvesting (EH) constraints. This problem is not convex, but this can be solved by applying a bisection search to a sequence of the associated power minimization problems, each of which can be solved by using a novel relaxation approach. Moreover, we extend our proposed algorithms to the robust case by incorporating channel uncertainties. Then, transmit beamforming with AN is investigated for the secrecy rate maximization problem, where two relaxation approaches are presented, i.e., a two-level optimization algorithm and a successive convex approximation (SCA), to solve the secrecy rate maximization problem. In addition, tightness analyses of rank relaxation are provided to show that the optimal transmit covariance matrix exactly returns rank one. Simulation results are provided to validate the performance of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, Cu 2 O/CuO and Cu were electrodeposited onto a mortar surface to protect concrete sewers from microbially induced corrosion. The effects of temperature and electrolyte pH on the antimicrobial performance of the electrodeposited specimens were investigated through surface analysis and measurements of bacteria inhibition rate during the exposure to Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Variations in the number of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) cells were determined directly using haemocytometer, and sulphate concentration and pH of sulphate-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) medium were measured to evaluate the bactericidal property against SOB. Results demonstrate that all the electrodepositited specimens exhibited a favourable bactericidal performance. In addition, a short-term simulated microbially induced corrosion experiment running for 30 days was conducted. Visual, physical and ions leaching investigations of mortar samples were performed to estimate the durability. Considering the integrity of the coated surface, bactericidal property, the leaching rate of Cu2+ ions, and permeability of the treated specimens, 60 °C and pH 11 were determined to be the optimum conditions for electrodeposition. • Optimum parameters of electrodeposition of Cu 2 O/CuO and Cu on the mortar substrate was investigated. • The surface morphology and chemical composition of deposits were analyzed. • The bactericidal property, permeability of specimens and leaching of Cu2+ ions after electrodepostion was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrodeposition of Cu 2 O on the concrete surface was applied to protect the concrete sewers from microbially induced corrosion. The effects of deposition time, current density, and electrolyte type and concentration on the antimicrobial properties of the Cu 2 O-electrodeposited mortar specimen were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry were performed to analyse the morphology and chemical composition of the deposits. The results indicated that the main compositions of the deposits were Cu 2 O and Cu, and the copper content of the deposits increased with increasing the deposition time and current density. However, a high current density (over 1.5 mA/cm2) caused an increase in the permeability of mortar specimens due to the thermal expansion of steels inside. The deposits were found to inhibit the growth of both sulphate-reducing bacteria and sulphate-oxidizing bacteria. Taking into consideration the copper content, bactericidal property, permeability and adhesion between the deposits and the substrate, optimum parameters of electrodeposition were determined. This preliminary study provides a basis for further investigating the antimicrobial performance of the electrodeposited concrete sewers in a real sewer environment. • Optimum parameters of electrodeposition of Cu 2 O on the mortar substrate was investigated. • The surface morphology and specific component of depositions were analyzed. • The bactericidal property, cohesive strength and permeability of specimens after electrodepostion was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Successful operation of the AAO-SBSPR process was achieved using real wastewater. • About 60% of phosphorus (P) was recovered at the expense of lower P content. • Raising anoxic/aerobic tank volume ratio improved denitrifying P uptake. • Both population and diversity of PAOs increased in P recovery systems. Both synthetic and real municipal wastewaters were used to verify the applicability of a novel AAO-SBSPR (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic/Sequencing Batch Sidestream Phosphorus Recovery) process developed for the phosphorus (P) recovery and nutrients removal. P recovery strategy based on P mass balance of the process was employed where sludge retention time (SRT) of the systems was extended. Meanwhile, the anoxic/aerobic volume ratio was increased to enhance the activity of denitrifying P uptake. The results show that up to 59.8% and 75.2% of P from real and synthetic wastewaters were continuously recovered at the SRT of 35 d, respectively. The lower P recovery efficiency of the system fed with real wastewater was due to its lower influent P load and P content in activated sludge after P recovery was decreased from 0.059 mgP/mgVSS to 0.033 mgP/mgVSS. The analysis of the kinetic and stoichiometric parameters suggested that activities of the polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) in P recovery systems were retained under high P recovery efficiency, and more glycogen was degraded to provide energy for acetate uptake. This resulted in the highest average TP removal efficiency of 94.0% for the AAO-SBSPR process fed with real wastewater. Moreover, the enhancement of denitrifying P uptake activity was observed in P recovery systems. It was further improved by increasing the volume of the anoxic tank, which resulted in better TN removal performance. Meanwhile, the diversity of the microbial community was increased as the system was changed from the AAO process to the AAO-SBSPR process, and the relative abundances of the key functional bacteria such as nitrifiers, denitrifiers, PAOs and DPAOs were increased which strengthened the N-related metabolic pathways of the system remarkably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By a different use of relevance feedback (the order in which the relevant documents are retrieved, the terms of the relevant documents, and the terms of the irrelevant documents) in the design of fitness function, and by introducing three different genetic operators, we have developed a new genetic algorithm-based query optimization method on relevance feedback for Web information retrieval. Based on three benchmark test collections Cranfield, Medline and CACM, experiments have been carried out to compare our method with three well-known query optimization methods on relevance feedback: the traditional Ide Dec-hi method, the Horng and Yeh’s GA-based method and the López-Pujalte et al.’s GA-based method. The experiments show that our method can achieve better results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Machine-type communications (MTC) is a key technology for Internet-of-Things (IoT) services in 5G mobile communications and beyond. An essential design problem for an MTC network is the efficient and scalable data collection from low-power machine-type communication devices (MTCDs). This paper uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to facilitate data collection from a clustered MTC network on the ground. The notion of artificial energy map (AEM) is introduced as a novel modeling technique for energy efficiency analysis, which is critical to the subject of investigation here considering the limited energy of battery-powered MTCDs and UAVs. The proposed design framework first determines the number of MTCD clusters $L_\mathrm{{opt}}$ according to a certain criterion. A greedy learning clustering (GLC) algorithm is then employed to divide the MTCDs into $L_\mathrm{{opt}}$ clusters. For each MTCD cluster, an AEM is constructed, and the optimal UAV hovering strategy within the cluster can be obtained accordingly. Finally, the UAV stations travel across the clusters and collect data from each cluster while hovering above it. This AEM-based modeling technique leads to a solution that can effectively improve the energy efficiency (EE) of UAV-enabled data collection. However, the MTCD clustering strategy, UAV hovering strategy, and UAV flying strategy all have impacts on the overall energy efficiency, which results in a coupled optimization problem that is difficult to solve. The GLC-AEM method is proposed to decouple the original EE optimization problem into sub-problems that can be handled easily by standard optimization techniques. Simulation results show that the GLC-AEM algorithm can be applied to UAV-enabled data collection scenarios with single and multiple UAV stations, and it can improve the overall EE effectively. Besides, the GLC-AEM algorithm shows good scalability and consistent performance in clustered MTC networks. The more MTCDs, the higher the achieved EE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government's environmental protection policy can significantly contribute to alleviating resource shortages and curbing environmental pollution, but the impact of various policy instruments implemented by the government on energy efficiency is unclear. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2021, this paper analyses the impact of environmental regulation and the industrial structure on energy efficiency from the perspective of resource taxes. The U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and energy efficiency and between the optimization of industrial structure can significantly improve energy efficiency, and the optimization of industrial structure is conducive to weakening the initial inhibitory effect of environmental regulation. In addition, the analysis of regional heterogeneity showed that the impact of environmental regulation was stronger in the central and western regions, while the impact of industrial structure was stronger in the eastern and western regions. The conclusions of this study can help to expand the understanding of the relationship between environmental regulation and industrial structure on energy efficiency, provide policy enlightenment for the realization of green development and high-quality development, and provide Chinese examples and experiences for developing countries to improve energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interbasin water transfer project has realized the optimal allocation of water resources, improved economic benefits, improved people's life and welfare, and had an impact on the ecology. Taking Anhui Jianghuai water transfer project as an example, this study uses morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) to identify the core area, selects the patches in the core area, identifies the source according to the patch importance index, constructs the basic resistance surface according to the resistance factor, modifies the basic resistance surface by using the landscape connectivity index, and constructs the ecological corridor by combining the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the loop model (curve) to build the ecological network of the completed Huaihe River Water Transfer Project (Anhui). The results show that there are 83 sources, 197 potential ecological corridors, and 80 ecological nodes in the ecological network of Anhui Jianghuai project. Ecological network optimization strategies and protection suggestions are put forward for ecological sources, ecological corridors, and ecological nodes, respectively, so as to provide scientific reference and basis for the ecological environment protection and high-quality development of Anhui Jianghuai water transfer project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ·The effects of silica fume and fly ash on the stability of bound chloride ions were studied. • ·The mechanisms of chloride instability were analyzed. • ·The distribution of free chloride ions after electrochemical cloride extraction was investigated. This study investigated the stability of bound chloride ions in the cement mortars incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) during the electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE) process. The effect of the replacing ratio of fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) and sulfate concentration on the chloride binding and distribution after ECE treatment was studied using water and acid-soluble methods, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the concentration of the bound chlorides in the SCM incorporated cement mortars depended heavily on the content of Al 2 O 3 and the pH of the pore solution. Without ECE treatment, an increase in the FA content increased the concentration of bound chlorides while the addition of SF significantly decreased the chloride binding capacity. During ECE treatment, however, the stability of bound chlorides declined with increasing the FA content but increased with increasing the SF content under an electric field. It was also found that the presence of sulfate ions reduced the content of the chemically bound chlorides residing in Friedel's salts (FS) but had a negligible influence on the physically bound chlorides absorbed by calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H gel). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultrasound increased free amino acids and nucleotides contents in the semi-dried fish. • Heat treatment would promote the production of volatile substances. • Na+ and K+ played an important role in flavor characteristics of semi-dried fish. • Partial substitution of KCl for NaCl could improve the flavor. • Coordination treatment was beneficial to improve the flavor. This study investigated the flavor characteristics of semi-dried yellow croaker made by KCl instead of partial NaCl combined with ultrasound treatment before and after low temperature vacuum heating. The electronic tongue, electronic nose, free amino acids, 5′-nucleotides, and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry were employed. Electronic nose and electronic tongue results showed that different treatment groups had different sensitive signals to smell and taste. The odor and taste of each group were mainly affected by Na+ and K+. The difference between the groups becomes larger after thermal treatment. Ultrasound and thermal treatment both changed the content of taste components. In addition, each group contained 54 volatile flavor compounds. Among them, the combined treatment method gave semi-dried large yellow croaker pleasant flavor characteristics. Besides, it also improved the content of flavor substances. In conclusion, the semi-dried yellow croaker under sodium-reduced conditions showed better performance in flavor characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in terms of morbidity and mortality is immense. Novel treatments that can induce a protective immune response are urgently needed to effectively control the HBV epidemic and eventually eradicate chronic HBV infection.Methods: We designed and evaluated an HBV therapeutic vaccine consisting of a novel Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist T7-EA, an Alum adjuvant and a recombinant HBsAg protein. We used RNA-seq, ELISA and hTLR7/8 reporting assays to characterize T7-EA in vitro and real-time PCR to evaluate the tissue-retention characteristics in vivo. To evaluate the adjuvant potential, we administrated T7-EA intraperitoneally in a formulation with an Alum adjuvant and HBsAg in normal and HBV mice, then, we evaluated the HBsAg-specific immune responses by ELISA and Elispot assays.Results: T7-EA acted as an hTLR7-specific agonist and induced a similar gene expression pattern as an unmodified TLR7 ligand when Raw 264.7 cells were exposed to T7-EA; however, T7-EA was more potent than the unmodified TLR7 ligand. In vivo studies showed that T7-EA had tissue-retaining activity with stimulating local cytokine and chemokine expression for up to 7 days. T7-EA could induce Th1-type immune responses, as evidenced by an increased HBsAg-specific IgG2a titer and a T-cell response in normal mice compared to mice received traditional Alum-adjuvant HBV vaccine. Importantly, T7-EA could break immune tolerance and induce persistent HBsAg-specific antibody and T-cell responses in an HBV mouse model.Conclusions: T7-EA might be a candidate adjuvant in a prophylactic and therapeutic HBV vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The performance of the tracking task directly depends on target object appearance features. Therefore, a robust method for constructing appearance features is crucial for avoiding tracking failure. The tracking methods based on Convolution Neural Network (CNN) have exhibited excellent performance in the past years. However, the features from each original convolutional layer are not robust to the size change of target object. Once the size of the target object has significant changes, the tracker drifts away from the target object. In this paper, we present a novel tracker based on multi-scale feature, spatiotemporal features and deep residual network to accurately estimate the size of the target object. Our tracker can successfully locate the target object in the consecutive video frames. To solve the multi-scale change issue in visual object tracking, we sample each input image with 67 different size templates and resize the samples to a fixed size. And then these samples are used to offline train deep residual network model with multi-scale feature that we have built up. After that spatial feature and temporal feature are fused into the deep residual network model with multi-scale feature, so that we can get deep multi-scale spatiotemporal features model, which is named MSST-ResNet feature model. Finally, MSST-ResNet feature model is transferred into the tracking tasks and combined with three different Kernelized Correlation Filters (KCFs) to accurately locate target object in the consecutive video frames. Unlike the previous trackers, we directly learn various change of the target appearance by building up a MSST-ResNet feature model. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed tracking method outperforms the state-of-the-art tracking methods. Highlights • Firstly, we set up a residual learning framework to combine multiple different residual units by adding skip connection and multi-scale feature. • Secondly, we present a novel tracker based on deep multi-scale spatiotemporal features model. Our tracker can successfully locate the target object in the consecutive video frames. • Finally, the experimental results show that our tracker increases the tracking performance substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an essential pathway in cell cycle control. Dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway during viral infection has been reported. In this study, we examined the effect of modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling during influenza virus infection. The activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by Wnt3a increased influenza virus mRNA and virus production in in vitro in mouse lung epithelial E10 cells and mRNA expresson of influenza virus genes in vivo in the lungs of mice infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34. However, the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by iCRT14 reduced virus titer and viral gene expression in human lung epithelial A549 cells and viral replication in primary mouse alveolar epithelial cells infected with different influenza virus strains. Knockdown of β-catenin also reduced viral protein expression and virus production. iCRT14 acts at the early stage of virus replication. Treatment with iCRT14 inhibited the expression of the viral genes (vRNA, cRNA and mRNA) evaluated in this study. The intraperitoneal administration of iCRT14 reduced viral load, improved clinical signs, and partially protected mice from influenza virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ultrasound treatment combined with KCl instead of NaCl on the structure of myofibrillar proteins of semi-dried large yellow croaker was investigated by measuring protein oxidation indicators and observing structural changes. Compared with the fillets treated with NaCl combined with ultrasound, the fillets treated with KCl combined with ultrasound had high carbonyl content, low sulfhydryl content, small particle size, and strong surface hydrophobicity. In contrast, when KCl replaced 50% of NaCl, it was found that the oxidation was effectively alleviated, and intermolecular force was enhanced. According to structural changes, the irregular curvature of myofibrillar proteins accounted for a large number of smaller and more stable structures in KCl substitution with 50% NaCl. In conclusion, partial substitution of KCl for NaCl combined with ultrasound in the preparation of semi-dried rhubarb can protect myofibrillar protein structure and reduce oxidation to some extent. • Ultrasonication effectively promotes the unfolding and exposure of proteins. • The full KCl substitution group had a low content of chromogenic groups. • Na+ and K+ played an important role in maintaining the protein structure. • Partial substitution of KCl for NaCl can reduce the damage of MPs structure. • Partial substitution of KCl for NaCl can reduce protein oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute respiratory infection by influenza virus is a persistent and pervasive public health problem. Antiviral innate immunity initiated by type I interferon (IFN) is the first responder to pathogen invasion and provides the first line of defense. We discovered that Axin1, a scaffold protein, was reduced during influenza virus infection. We also found that overexpression of Axin1 and the chemical stabilizer of Axin1, XAV939, reduced influenza virus replication in lung epithelial cells. This effect was also observed with respiratory syncytial virus and vesicular stomatitis virus. Axin1 boosted type I IFN response to influenza virus infection and activated JNK/c‐Jun and Smad3 signaling. XAV939 protected mice from influenza virus infection. Thus, our studies provide new mechanistic insights into the regulation of the type I IFN response and present a new potential therapeutic of targeting Axin1 against influenza virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The aim of the study is to investigate the prognostic value of plasma interleukin-35 in the surgical treatment of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Material and Methods. Plasma IL-35 levels were measured in patients with ccRCC. The cut-off value of IL-35 was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the area under the curve (AUC). The effects of the IL-35 and other clinicopathological characteristics on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Result. Sixty-four ccRCC patients admitted to the urology department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were selected, of whom 50 were diagnosed with localized ccRCC. Plasma interleukin-35 levels were significantly higher in patients with ccRCC than that in healthy controls. The cut-off value of IL-35 was 99.7 pg/mL. Multivariate analysis selected by univariate analyses demonstrated that the preoperative IL-35 was an independent prognostic factor for 5-year OS (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.04, p < 0.0001) and 5-year PFS (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.03, p = 0.011) in all patients with localized ccRCC. Conclusion. Current results indicate that preoperative IL-35 is an independent prognostic marker for OS and RFS in patients with localized ccRCC after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical consequences of atherosclerosis are significant source of morbidity and mortality throughout the world, while the molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis are largely unknown. Methods: In this study, we integrated the DNA methylation and gene expression data in atherosclerotic plaque samples to decipher the underlying association between epigenetic and transcriptional regulation. Immune cell classification was performed on the basis of the expression pattern of detected genes. Finally, we selected ten genes with dysregulated methylation and expression levels for RT-qPCR validation. Results: Global DNA methylation profile showed obvious changes between normal aortic and atherosclerotic lesion tissues. We found that differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly associated with atherosclerosis by being enriched in atherosclerotic plaque formation-related pathways, including cell adhesion and extracellular matrix organization. Immune cell fraction analysis revealed that a large number of immune cells, especially macrophages, activated mast cells, NK cells, and Tfh cells, were specifically enriched in the plaque. DEGs associated with immune cell fraction change showed that they were mainly related to the level of macrophages, monocytes, resting NK cells, activated CD4 memory T cells, and gamma delta T cells. These genes were highly enriched in multiple pathways of atherosclerotic plaque formation, including blood vessel remodeling, collagen fiber organization, cell adhesion, collagen catalogic process, extractable matrix assembly, and platelet activation. We also validated the expression alteration of ten genes associated with infiltrating immune cells in atherosclerosis. Conclusions: In conclusion, these findings provide new evidence for understanding the mechanisms of atherosclerotic plaque formation, and provide a new and valuable research direction based on immune cell infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder. As the most common form of dementia, it affects more than 35 million people worldwide and is increasing. Excessive extracellular deposition of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is a pathologic feature of AD. Accumulating evidence indicates that macroautophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of AD, but its exact role is still unclear. Although major findings on the molecular mechanisms have been reported, there are still no effective treatments to prevent, halt, or reverse Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we investigated whether Aβ25–35 could trigger an autophagy process and inhibit the growth of SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, we examined the effect of methyllycaconitine (MLA) on the cytotoxity of Aβ25–35. MLA had a protective effect against cytotoxity of Aβ, which may be related to its inhibition of Aβ-induced autophagy and the involvement of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. Moreover, MLA had a good safety profile. MLA treatment may be a promising therapeutic tool for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the benefit of using intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) in multi-user multiple-input single-output (MU-MISO) systems, in the presence of eavesdroppers. We maximize the weighted sum secrecy rate by jointly designing the secure beamforming (BF), the artificial noise (AN), as well as the phase shift of the IRS. An alternating optimization (AO) method is proposed to deal with the formulated non convex problem. In particular, the secure beamforming and AN jamming matrix are optimally designed via the successive convex approximation (SCA) approach for given phase shift, which can be derived by considering the alternating direction method of multiplier (ADMM) and element-wise block coordinate decent (EBCD) methods. Finally, simulation results are presented to show the benefit of the IRS in terms of improving the secrecy performance, when compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Encouraged by the goal of developing an effective treatment strategy for prostate cancer, this study explored the mechanism involved in metformin-mediated inhibition of AR-negative prostate cancer. Methods: Cell behaviors of DU145 and PC3 cells were determined by CCK8 test, colony formation experiment and scratch test. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle distribution. Cell autophagy was induced with metformin, and an autophagy inhibitor, 3-MA, was used to assess the level of autophagy. Detection of LC3B by immunofluorescence was conducted to determine autophagy level. Cell proliferation, autophagy and cell cycle were examined by performing Western blot. DU145 and PC3 cell lines were transfected with AMPK siRNA targeting AMPK-α1 and AMPK-α2. Tumor formation experiment was carried out to evaluate the anti-prostate cancer effect of metformin in vivo. Results: The inhibitory effect of metformin on the proliferation of prostate cancer cell lines was confirmed in this study, and the mechanism of such an effect was related to autophagy and the block of cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. Metformin also induced the activation of AMPK, markedly promoted expression of LC3II, and down-regulated the expression of p62/SQSTM1. Animal experiments showed that the tumor volume of metformin group was smaller, meanwhile, the levels of p-AMPK (Thr172) and LC3B were up-regulated and the Ki-67 level was down-regulated, without abnormalities in biochemical indicators. Conclusion: This study found that autophagy induction might be the mechanism through which metformin suppressed the growth of AR-negative prostate cancer. Moreover, the activation of AMPK/autophagy pathway might be a therapeutically effective for treating AR-negative prostate cancer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aiming Yang,1 Xiang Gao,1 Zhengyu Zhu,4 Jianzhong Bi41Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266035, People's Republic of China; 2Department of Health Care, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266035, People's Republic of China; 3Department of Medicine Experimental Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266035, People's Republic of China; 4Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250033, People's Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhengyu Zhu; Jianzhong BiDepartment of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250033, People's Republic of ChinaTel +8617660083488; +8615153178111Email [email protected] ; [email protected] Background: Early cognitive impairment after transient ischemic stroke (TIA)/mild ischemic stroke (MIS) is common but easily overlooked. It has been demonstrated that DNA methylation plays a significant role in cognitive impairment and ischemic stroke. Furthermore, it has been reported that the RIN3 gene influences transportation of the amyloid β-protein. However, to our knowledge, there has been no research related to correlations between RIN3 methylation and early-onset cognitive impairment after TIA/MIS. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate this relationship in TIA/MIS patients. Methods: This study include 28 control subjects and 84 patients with TIA/MIS who were evaluated within 7 days of TIA/MIS onset using four single-domain cognitive scales. In addition, DNA methylation of whole blood was tested. RIN3 methylation was compared between TIA/MIS and control groups and between TIA/MIS patients with early cognitive impairment and those without early cognitive impairment. Clinical variables and RIN3 methylation sites with statistical differences were then used to construct a predictive model. Results: Hypomethylation of the RIN3 gene was observed in the whole blood of TIA/MIS patients relative to healthy controls. Furthermore, patients with early cognitive impairment after TIA/MIS had hypomethylation of RIN3 relative to those without early cognitive impairment. Conclusion: RIN3 methylation is strongly associated with TIA/MIS and TIA/MIS with early cognitive impairment. It is possible to influence the disease process by methylation via appropriate lifestyle and clinical interventions, and methylation of RIN3 gene sites may predict the occurrence of TIA/MIS with early cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Increasing evidence shows that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) methylation plays an essential role in many diseases related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Since mitochondrial impairment is a key feature of AD, mtDNA methylation may also contribute to AD, but few studies have addressed this issue. Methylation changes of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (CYTB) and cytochrome c oxidase II (COX II) genes in AD have not been reported. We analyzed mtDNA methylation changes of the CYTB and COX II genes in an APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model of AD using pyrosequencing. We examined mtDNA copy numbers and the levels of expression by quantitative real-time PCR. Average methylation levels of different CpG sites were ≤ 4.0%. Methylated mtDNA accounted for only a small part of the total mtDNA. We also observed hypermethylation of mitochondrial CYTB and COX II genes with decreased mtDNA copy numbers and expression in the hippocampi of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. mtDNA methylation may play an important role in AD pathology, which may open a new window for AD therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV) infections result in a large number of deaths and substantial economic losses each year. MicroRNAs repress gene expression and are involved in virus-host interactions. miR-29a is known to have anti-tumor and anti-fibrotic effects. However, the role of miR-29a in IAV infection is unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of miR-29a on IAV infection and the mechanisms by which it functions. IAV infection was found to cause decreased miR-29a expression in lung epithelial A549 cells and mouse lungs. Overexpression of miR-29a reduced IAV mRNA and protein levels and progeny virus production in HEK293 and A549 cells. Inhibition of IAV infection by miR-29a was observed with different strains of IAV, including A/PR/8/34, A/WSN/1933, and clinical isolates A/OK/3052/09 and A/OK/309/06 H3N2. Knockout of miR-29a using CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in an increase in viral mRNA and protein levels, confirming that miR-29a suppresses IAV infection. A 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) reporter assay showed that miR-29a had binding sites in the 3'-UTR of the Wnt-Ca2+ signaling receptor frizzled 5 gene, and overexpression of miR-29a reduced the level of the endogenous frizzled 5 protein. Wnt5a treatment of HEK293 and A549 cells enhanced IAV infection. Our results suggest that miR-29a inhibits IAV infection, probably via the frizzled 5 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate depth estimation is a research hotspot in the field of stereo vision. The accuracy of stereo matching algorithm directly determines the quality of depth map. Recent researches have transformed stereo matching methods into a supervised learning task. However, the previous methods may have mismatches in the regions of non-textures, boundaries and tiny details. In this paper, we propose a multi-task attention stereo network (MASNet) to integrate the feature information from a stereo image pairs for disparity estimation. Firstly, a segmentation attention head module (SAH) is proposed, which adds semantic segmentation clues for disparity estimation, uses global receptive field to guide network feature extraction learning refined features, and alleviates the negative impact of depth addition of the network. Secondly, we construct a multiple cost volume (MCV) to make full use of the aggregation ability of 3D convolution and provide a better similarity measures for disparity estimation. Thirdly, we embed Top-k pooling layer into the 3D CNN module to obtain the reduced aggregation feature. The feature is fed into the proposed shallow merging network and fused with the intermediate feature to obtain richer low-level features and make up for the comprehensiveness of network neck feature. The results of experiment on Scene Flow, KITTI 2012, and KITTI 2015 datasets show that our proposed network has a significant superiority over state-of-art stereo matching methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the majority of sports games video adopts MPEG image technology, and MPEG video compression is the current more mainstream approach. After compression, the quality of the video will decline, and other practical problems. However, the existing detection methods of sports video scene conversion, when dealing with MPEG compressed video, are not ideal, often appear the phenomenon of missing detection and wrong detection. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a detection method of sports scene conversion on MPEG compressed video based on fuzzy logic. Introducing fuzzy logic into the detection method of video scene conversion is the highlight of this method. Firstly, this paper preprocessed the video image according to the Convention. In this paper, the recognition of image features and specific extraction methods are introduced in detail, and the extraction algorithm of image color features is further optimized. For the design of the detection method, the main innovation is to fully combine the fuzzy logic and macroblock information. In the existing detection methods, different detection schemes are given for the abrupt change of video scene and the gradual change of scene. Finally, in order to verify the actual effect of the detection method in this paper, an experimental analysis based on the keyframe complexity detection method is established. After a number of experiments including the experimental results of scene transition, analysis, and processing time, through the analysis of data, a step-by-step proof of this method has good accuracy and recall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurofilament proteins as biomarkers of axonal degeneration have the potential to improve our capacity to predict and monitor neurological outcome in experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis (MS). We urgently need more accurate early predictive markers to direct the clinician when to provide neuroprotective therapy.Aims: To highlight the possible roles of neurofilament proteins in physiological and pathophysiological processes in the MS.Materials and Methods: Fifty female Wistar rats with MOG35-55 peptide induced EAE were randomly divided into two parts: control group and EAE group. All of them were along with expanded disability status scale (EDSS). The mice were sacrificed on day 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after the first immunization. Supernatant and pellet were separated at the same time. The degradation rates of NF in the brain nerve and spinal cord of each rat were measured by Western Blotting.Statistical Analysis: The data were expressed as mean ± SD. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by LSD's post-hoc tests, which was provided by SPSS 23.0 statistical software.Results and Conclusions: Neurofilament light protein may be more useful as a measure of ongoing neurodegenerative activity in EAE, which would make this protein a potential candidate for use as a surrogate marker for assessment of treatments aimed at reducing axonal injury. Future studies are warranted to support or refute the value neurofilament in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral ischemic stroke (IS) is a disease presenting high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Understanding of the pathogenesis underlying IS may facilitate the development of effective clinical therapeutic strategies and improve the prevention of this disease, decreasing its occurrence rate. Epigenetic alterations have recently attracted attention as possible mechanisms underlying IS. Additionally, tumor protein p53 (TP53) was identified to be involved in the pathophysiology of cerebral stroke. In the present study, the methylation status of the TP53 promoter was investigated in patients with IS and in age-matched healthy controls. The methylation status of the promoter of TP53 was significantly increased in patients with IS compared with healthy subjects. Additionally, the methylation level of the TP53 promoter was identified to be associated with carotid intima-media thickness, the degree of carotid atherosclerosis and the circulating levels of homocysteine in peripheral blood. The present findings may improve the understanding of the role of the epigenetic modifications of the TP53 promoter in IS pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Magnetic metal plated carbon fibers were prepared using electroless plating method. • Optimum pH and plating time associated with electroless plating were determined. • Nickel, cobalt, and nickel/cobalt plated carbon fibers were well aligned in cement paste with applied magnetic field. • Compression self-sensing effectiveness was greatly improved with pre-magnetic alignment treatment. The arrangement of carbon fibers in the cement matrix affects the stability and sensitivity of the composite. This study investigated the effects of bath pH and electroless plating time on the magnetic metallization (nickel coating, cobalt coating, and nickel-cobalt alloy coating) on carbon fibers and successfully prepared the CFRCs in which the metal-plated carbon fibers could be oriented by magnetic fields. The results showed that a pH of 10 and a plating time of 6 min were favorable for reaction kinetics, with the thickness gain, conductivity, and saturation magnetization of metal coatings all being the largest. The compressive strength of the prepared composites was increased by 26.5% by adding nickel-cobalt coated carbon fibers, which is attributed to the alignment of fibers refining pore structure. The resistivity of CFRCs with metal-plated carbon fibers is one order lower in magnitude than that with uncoated carbon fiber, due to that the alignment of fibers increases the conduction connectivity by decreasing the distance of fiber-fiber and the "quantum tunneling". The cyclic compressive loading tests showed that the resistance changed reversibly with strain, such that the degree of reversibility is higher for CFRCs with pre-magnetic treatment than those without the treatment. The piezoresistivity (strain sensitivity) of CFRCs was stronger with magnetic field-induced orientation treatment, showing that the strain sensitivity increased by 114% after pre-magnetic treatment for CFRCs containing nickel-cobalt coating. This is attributed to that the well-aligned metal-plated carbon fibers form more conduction paths along the alignment direction, such that the resistivity along this direction is more sensitive to the compressive strain parallel to this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to an increasing emergence of new and drug‐resistant strains of the influenza A virus (IAV), developing novel measures to combat influenza is necessary. We have previously shown that inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin pathway reduces IAV infection. In this study, we aimed to identify antiviral human microRNAs (miRNAs) that target the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway. Using a miRNA expression library, we identified 85 miRNAs that up‐regulated and 20 miRNAs that down‐regulated the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway. Fifteen miRNAs were validated to up‐regulate and five miRNAs to down‐regulate the pathway. Overexpression of four selected miRNAs (miR‐193b, miR‐548f‐1, miR‐1‐1, and miR‐509‐1) that down‐regulated the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway reduced viral mRNA, protein levels in A/PR/8/34‐infected HEK293 cells, and progeny virus production. Overexpression of miR‐193b in lung epithelial A549 cells also resulted in decreases of A/PR/8/34 infection. Furthermore, miR‐193b inhibited the replication of various strains, including H1N1 (A/PR/8/34, A/WSN/33, A/Oklahoma/3052/09) and H3N2 (A/Oklahoma/309/2006), as determined by a viral reporter luciferase assay. Further studies revealed that β‐catenin was a target of miR‐193b, and β‐catenin rescued miR‐193b‐mediated suppression of IAV infection. miR‐193b induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and delayed vRNP nuclear import. Finally, adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer of miR‐193b to the lung reduced viral load in mice challenged by a sublethal dose of A/PR/8/34. Collectively, our findings suggest that miR‐193b represses IAV infection by inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The environment of underground track structure (chloride, sulfate and stray current) was simulated. • Different factors affecting chloride binding capacity were studied. • The mechanisms of chloride instability were analysed. Abstract Destabilization and release of bound chlorides in reinforced concrete structures (RCS) cause accelerated corrosion of steel bars, posing an attendant risk to the durability of the whole structure. This problem is exacerbated by an aggressive environment where chloride and sulfate coexist, and stray current is present, which are commonly observed for RCS built in the subway system. This study tried to simulate the environment of underground track structure by means of intermixing sodium chloride with sodium sulfate and concurrently imposing a stray current. The chloride binding capacity of mortar samples prepared with different water-to-cement (w/c) ratio was examined. Moreover, the effect of current density on the stability of bound chlorides was also investigated. The results showed that the stability of bound chlorides was closely related to the w/c ratio and the current density. In the presence of stray current, the chloride binding capacity of cement mortars was significantly decreased by either a high w/c ratio or a high current density. Interestingly, stray current had a bigger impact on the stability of physically bound chlorides but a much smaller impact on the stability of chemically bound chlorides. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal gravimetric (DTG) analysis demonstrated that the destabilization of bounded chlorides under stray current and in the presence of sulfates was mainly attributed to the decomposition of the C-S-H gel and the Friedel's salts. Findings from this research shed new light on the fate of bound chlorides in RCS in complex subway environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-inflammatory effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were investigated. Twenty amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin-1 (PS1) double transgenic mice were randomly divided into two groups: the AD control group and the stem cell treatment group. The normal control group consisted of 10 non-transgenic mice. The stem cell treatment group was injected with BMSCs, and the two control groups were given the same volume of normal saline. The Morris water maze test was used to compare the memory function of mice, and the relative expression levels of β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and α-2-macroglobulin (A2M) genes were detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Amyloid β (Aβ)1–42 content in brain tissues of mice and inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared with that in the AD control group, the escape latency in the water maze in the stem cell treatment group was shortened, the time of crossing the ring for the first time was decreased, but the frequency of crossing the ring was increased (P<0.05). Aβ1–42 content in the AD control group was higher than that in the stem cell treatment group and the normal control group (P<0.05). The relative expression level of BACE1 gene in the stem cell treatment group was lower than that in the AD control group (P<0.05), but that of A2M gene was increased (P<0.05). At 14 days after treatment, the contents of IL-1, IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ in blood in the stem cell treatment group were lower than those in the AD control group (P<0.05). Human BMSCs can ameliorate the symptoms of AD by decreasing the levels of inflammatory cytokines and regulating the expression of Aβ-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by excessive accumulation of the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain, which has been considered to mediate the neuroinflammation process. Microglial activation is the main component of neuroimmunoregulation. In recent years, exosomes isolated from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSC-exosomes) have been demonstrated to mimic the therapeutic effects of hucMSCs in many inflammation-related diseases. In this study, exosomes from the supernatant of hucMSCs were injected into AD mouse models. We observed that hucMSC-exosomes injection could repair cognitive disfunctions and help to clear Aβ deposition in these mice. Moreover, we found that hucMSC-exosomes injection could modulate the activation of microglia in brains of the mice to alleviated neuroinflammation. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood and brains of mice were increased and the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines were decreased. We also treated BV2 cells with hucMSC-exosomes in culture medium. HucMSC-exosomes also had inflammatory regulating effects to alternatively activate microglia and modulate the levels of inflammatory cytokines in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial induced corrosion (MIC) is an increasing challenge in concrete wastewater conveyance systems. Preventing MIC usually requires a corrosion-resistant chemical/antibacterial coating on cement-based materials. This study investigated the effects of electroless plating time and temperature on the preparation of the Cu-plated hardened cement paste (HCP) and successfully applied electroless copper plating to modify the HCP surface for antibacterial properties. The results indicated that the main components of the coating were metallic copper nanoparticles and phosphate sediment. The HCP plated for 4 h resulted in a relatively higher mass gain (0.76%) and Vickers hardness (163.6 HV). 65 °C was more favorable for reaction kinetics, displaying better mass gain and Vickers hardness. Besides, the antibacterial assays and accelerated bio-corrosion experiments indicated that the Cu-plated HCP had a significant improvement in the antibacterial performance and MIC resistance. Therefore, the proposed electroless plating process is a viable method for cement-based material to meet the MIC challenge. • Electroless copper plating was successfully applied on the hardened cement paste. • The effect of plating time and bath temperature on the Cu coatings was investigated. • Cu-plated cement paste exhibited excellent antibacterial performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]