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Tao Liu,1,* Ronghua Zuo,2,* Jia Song,1,* Jia Wang,3 Zhijian Zhu,1 Lifang Sun,1 Shasha Wang,1 Baoyin Li,1 Yesheng Pan,1 Bing Wang1 1Department of Cardiology, Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 201500, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Bing Wang, Department of Cardiology, Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 201500, People’s Republic of China, Email wangbing860716@163.comObjective: The association between serum uric acid (sUA) and incident abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), and severe abdominal aortic calcification (SAAC) in the general population of the United States (US) is unclear. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the association between sUA and the risk of AAC and SAAC.Methods: Individuals from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were analyzed cross-sectionally between 2013 and 2014. The restricted cubic spline (RCS), multivariable logistic regression model and subgroup analysis were utilized to evaluate the correlation between sUA and incident AAC, and SAAC. In addition, generalized additive models with smooth functions were employed to survey the relationship between sUA and the degree of AAC.Results: This study included 3016 individuals from the NHANES database. According to the RCS plot, sUA levels were associated with the risk of AAC/SAAC in a U-shaped pattern in the US population. The degree of calcification decreased at first and then increased with the increase in the sUA level.Conclusion: Close monitoring and adequate control of sUA levels in the US general population may reduce the risk of AAC and SAAC.Keywords: abdominal aortic calcification, serum uric acid, cross-sectional study, China, United States

Shengjue Xiao,1,* Zhenwei Wang,1,* Ronghua Zuo,2,* Yufei Zhou,3 Yiqing Yang,1 Tian Chen,1 Naifeng Liu1 1Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Naifeng Liu, Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaqiao, Nanjing, 210009, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 025 8327 2002, Email liunf@seu.edu.cnObjective: Our research was designed to investigate the relationship between systemic immune inflammation (SII) index and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer-related mortality in patients with CVD.Methods: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 1999 to 2018 to conduct this study. The association between SII index and all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality in patients with CVD was examined using restricted cubic splines (RCS), Cox proportional hazard models, and subgroup analysis, respectively. CVD was defined as a composite of five outcomes of CVD, including coronary heart disease (CHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Additionally, the link between SII index and all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality in patients with a composite of five outcomes of CVD was also explored.Results: In total, 5329 participants were included. The RCS also showed a U-curve correlation between SII index and the all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality in patients with CVD. As compared with the individuals with lowest quartile of SII index, hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality across the quartiles were (1.202 (0.981, 1.474), 1.184 (0.967, 1.450), and 1.365 (1.115, 1.672)), (1.116 (0.815, 1.527), 1.017 (0.740, 1.398), and 1.220 (0.891, 1.670)), and (1.202 (0.981, 1.474), 1.184 (0.967, 1.450), and 1.365 (1.115, 1.672)), respectively, in the full-adjusted model. The SII index also had a U-shaped relationship with all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality in patients with CHD, angina, and myocardial infarction. Additionally, the U-shaped relationship between SII index and all-cause, and cancer-related mortality also exists in CHF, and stroke. However, there was a positive linear correlation between SII index and CVD mortality in patients with CHF, and stroke.Conclusion: In the United States general population, the correlation between SII index and all-cause, CVD, and cancer-related mortality showed a U-shaped curve in patients with CVD.Keywords: all-cause mortality, cross-sectional study, cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer-related mortality, systemic immune inflammatory index

Haiyan Cui,1 Baohua Zhang,2 Mei Ruan,3 Chunmei Fang,4 Ning Li,5 Xiaoqin Sun,6 Junmei Qi,1 Rongrong Zuo,1 Shuangshuang Zhang,1 Jiansheng Rong2 1Pathology Department, The Fourth People Hospital of Zibo, Zibo, Shandong, 255067, People’s Republic of China; 2Pathology Department, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, Shandong, 255036, People’s Republic of China; 3Oncology Department, The Fourth People Hospital of Zibo, Zibo, Shandong, 255067, People’s Republic of China; 4Gynecology Department, Zibo Lianchi Women & Infants Hospital, Zibo, Shandong, 255000, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Physical Examination, Zichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Zibo, Shandong, 255100, People’s Republic of China; 6Pathology Department, Zibo Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Zibo, Shandong, 255000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jiansheng Rong, Pathology Department, Zibo Central Hospital, No. 54 Gongqingtuan West Road, Zibo, Shandong, 255067, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86 533-2360321, Email rongjiansheng_zbzx@163.comBackground: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of cervical cancer (CC) occurrence. This study aimed to explore whether abnormal microRNA (miR)-3653 is associated with HPV infection and to investigate the clinical value of miR-3653 in the diagnosis and prognosis of CC.Methods: Tumor tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected from 136 patients with CC. Cervical tissues from 101 patients with uterine fibroids were collected as controls. The expression of miR-3653 was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The ability of miR-3653 to discriminate between HPV positive (HPV+) and HPV negative (HPV-) CC patients, and to discriminate patients from controls was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Kaplan–Meier curves and Log rank tests were used to evaluate the relationship of miR-3653 with survival of CC patient. Whether miR-3653 could function as a prognostic indicator was evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses.Results: miR-3653, highly expressed in CC tissues, was associated with HPV infection, tumor diameter, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and lymph node metastasis in CC patients. Additionally, miR-3653 was increased in HPV+ controls, CC patients and CC cells. Moreover, miR-3653 could screen HPV+ controls, screen HPV+ patients and screen CC patients. Furthermore, miR-3653 was associated with the survival of CC patients (log-rank P < 0.001) and could serve as an independent prognostic indicator for CC patients.Conclusion: miR-3653, increased in CC, is related to HPV infection and may serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CC patients.Keywords: miR-3653, microRNA, HPV, cervical cancer, diagnosis, prognosis

Runan Zuo,1 Yan Zhang,1 Xiaorong Chen,1 Shiheng Hu,1 Xinhao Song,1 Xiuge Gao,1 Jiahao Gong,1 Hui Ji,1 Fengzhu Yang,1 Lin Peng,1 Kun Fang,2 Yingjun Lv,1 Junren Zhang,1 Shanxiang Jiang,1 Dawei Guo1 1Engineering Center of Innovative Veterinary Drugs, Center for Veterinary Drug Research and Evaluation, MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China; 2The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Dawei Guo; Shanxiang Jiang, Engineering Center of Innovative Veterinary Drugs, Center for Veterinary Drug Research and Evaluation, MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal, Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 25-84396215, Fax +86-25-84398669, Email gdawei0123@njau.edu.cn; nauvy@sina.comBackground: Halofuginone (HF)-loaded TPGS polymeric micelles (HTPM) were successfully fabricated using the thin-film hydration technique. HTPM via intravenous injection have been demonstrated to exert an excellent anticancer effect against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and subcutaneous xenografts. In the present study, we further explored the potential treatment effect and mechanism of orally administered HTPM alone and in combination with surgical therapy on TNBC in subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models.Methods: Herein, the stability and in vitro release behavior of HTPM were first evaluated in the simulated gastrointestinal fluids. Caco-2 cell monolayers were then used to investigate the absorption and transport patterns of HF with/without encapsulation in TPGS polymeric micelles. Subsequently, the therapeutic effect of orally administered HTPM was checked on subcutaneous xenografts of TNBC in nude mice. Ultimately, orally administered HTPM, combined with surgical therapy, were utilized to treat orthotopic TNBC in nude mice.Results: Our data confirmed that HTPM exhibited good stability and sustained release in the simulated gastrointestinal fluids. HF was authenticated to be a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and its permeability across Caco-2 cell monolayers was markedly enhanced via heightening intracellular absorption and inhibiting P-gp efflux due to encapsulation in TPGS polymeric micelles. Compared with HF alone, HTPM showed stronger tumor-suppressing effects in subcutaneous xenografts of MDA-MB-231 cells when orally administered. Moreover, compared with HTPM or surgical therapy alone, peroral HTPM combined with partial surgical excision synergistically retarded the growth of orthotopic TNBC. Fundamentally, HTPM orally administered at the therapeutic dose did not cause any pathological injury, while HF alone led to weight loss and jejunal bleeding in the investigated mice.Conclusion: Taken together, HTPM could be applied as a potential anticancer agent for TNBC by oral administration.Graphical Abstract: Keywords: triple-negative breast cancer, Halofuginone hydrobromide, TPGS polymeric micelles, subcutaneous xenografts, orthotopic xenografts, oral administration

Runan Zuo,1 Jingjing Zhang,1 Xinhao Song,1 Shiheng Hu,1 Xiuge Gao,1 Junqi Wang,1 Hui Ji,1 Chunlei Ji,1 Lin Peng,1 Hongbin Si,2 Gonghe Li,2 Kun Fang,3 Junren Zhang,1 Shanxiang Jiang,1 Dawei Guo1 1Center for Veterinary Drug Research and Evaluation, MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China; 2College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, People’s Republic of China; 3Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Dawei Guo; Shanxiang JiangCenter for Veterinary Drug Research and Evaluation, MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of ChinaTel + 86-25-84396215Fax + 86-25-84398669Email gdawei0123@njau.edu.cn; nauvy@sina.comBackground: Halofuginone hydrobromide (HF) is a synthetic analogue of the naturally occurring quinazolinone alkaloid febrifugine, which has potential therapeutic effects against breast cancer, however, its poor water solubility greatly limits its pharmaceutical application. D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) is a water-soluble derivative of vitamin E, which can self-assemble to form polymeric micelles (PMs) for encapsulating insoluble anti-tumor drugs, thereby effectively enhancing their anti-cancer effects.Methods: HF-loaded TPGS PMs (HTPMs) were manufactured using a thin-film hydration technique, followed by a series of characterizations, including the hydrodynamic diameter (HD), zeta potential (ZP), stability, drug loading (DL), encapsulation efficiency (EE), and in vitro drug release. The anti-cancer effects and potential mechanism of HTPMs were investigated in the breast cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, and normal breast epithelial cell line Eph-ev. The breast cancer-bearing BALB/c nude mouse model was successfully established by subcutaneous injection of MDA-MB-231 cells and used to evaluate the in vivo therapeutic effect and safety of the HTPMs.Results: The optimized HTPMs had an HD of 17.8± 0.5 nm and ZP of 14.40± 0.1 mV. These PMs exhibited DL of 12.94 ± 0.46% and EE of 90.6 ± 0.85%, along with excellent storage stability, dilution tolerance and sustained drug release in pH-dependent manner within 24 h compared to free HF. Additionally, the HTPMs had stronger inhibitory effects than free HF and paclitaxel against MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells, and little toxicity in normal breast epithelial Eph-ev cells. The HTPMs induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 by disrupting the mitochondrial membrane potential and enhancing reactive oxygen species formation. Evaluation of in vivo anti-tumor efficacy demonstrated that HTPMs exerted a stronger tumor inhibition rate (68.17%) than free HF, and exhibited excellent biocompatibility.Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate that HTPMs holds great clinical potential for treating triple-negative breast cancer.Keywords: halofuginone hydrobromide, triple-negative breast cancer, TPGS, polymer micelles

Ping Li,1–3,* Jian Wang,4,* Desheng Wu,3 Xiaohu Ren,3 Wen Wu,2,3 Ran Zuo,2 Qingbo Zeng,3 Bingyu Wang,2 Xi He,1 Jianhui Yuan,2,5 Ni Xie1,21Biobank, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518035, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Medicine, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Toxicology, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518035, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518020, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Occupational Health, Shenzhen Nanshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518054, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ni XieBiobank Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, No. 3002 Sungang West Road, Futian District, Shenzhen 518035, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 1 350 158 0802Fax +86 7 558 300 3435Email xn100@szu.edu.cnJianhui YuanDepartment of Occupational Health, Shenzhen Nanshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 95 Nanshang Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518054, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 1 350 158 0509Fax +86 7 558 300 3435Email jianhui_yuan@126.com*These authors contributed equally to this workPurpose: Lung cancer is one of the most life-threatening cancer worldwide with poor prognosis attributed to the lack of early diagnosis and proper therapy. The estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) is a multifunctional protein not limited to bind ligands and has been reported to be associated with numerous cancers. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of ERRα in lung cancer and to provide a novel perspective for lung cancer early diagnosis, targeted therapy, and prognosis assessment.Methods: The correlation between ERRα mRNA expression and survival time of the online clinical data about lung cancer was analyzed by using Kaplan–Meier (KM) plotter. A mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was constructed to detect the expression level of ERRα in tumor tissues. ERRα-knockdown LUAD cells were generated and the impacts of ERRα on cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis were further analyzed. Cancerous and paracancerous tissues were collected to semi-quantitative the levels of ERRα in LUAD clinical samples (n=88), combined with clinical information for prognostic analysis.Results: The KM plotter analysis suggested that ERRα is correlated with poor prognosis in LUAD (n=720) rather than in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) (n=524). ERRα is also upregulated in tumor tissues obtained from LUAD model mice. Quantitative analysis suggested an abnormal elevation of ERRα in LUAD cells rather than in LSCC cells. The results demonstrated that downregulation of ERRα impairs proliferation, invasion and migration abilities (P

Mineralization in the Earth's crust can be regarded as a singular process resulting in large amounts of mass accumulation and element enrichment over short time or space scales. The elemental concentrations modeled by fractals and multifractals show self-similarity and scale-invariant properties. We take the view that fluid-pressure variations in response to earthquakes or fault rupture are primarily responsible for changes in solubility and trigger transient physical and chemical variations in ore-forming fluids that enhance the mineralization process. Based on this general concept, we investigated mineral precipitation processes driven by rapid fluid pressure reductions by coupling mineralization to a cellular automaton model to reveal the nonlinear mechanism of the orogenic gold mineralization process using simulation. In the model, fluid pressure can increase to the rock failure condition, which was set as lithostatic pressure at a depth of 10 km (270 MPa), due to either porosity reduction or dehydration reactions. Rapid drops in pressure resulting from fault rupture or local hydrofracture may induce repeated gold precipitation. The geochemical patterns generated by the model evolve from depletion to enrichment patterns, and from spatially random to spatially clustered structures quantified by multifractal models and geostatistics. Results show how metal elements self-organize to form high metal concentration patterns displaying self-similarity and scale-invariance. These transitions are attributed to the growth and coalescence of sub-networks with different fluid pressures up to the percolation threshold, resulting in a wide range of fluid pressure reductions and gold precipitation in the form of clusters. The results suggest that cyclic evolution of fluid pressure and its effects on gold precipitation systems can effectively mimic the repeated mineralization superposition process, and generate complex geochemical patterns characterized by a multifractal model. The nonlinear behavior exhibits scale-invariance and self-organized critical threshold, where mineral phase separations result from fluid pressure reductions associated with fault failure.

Geochemical mapping is a crucial tool that can provide valuable insights for a wide range of applications, including mineral resources prospecting, environmental impact assessment, geological process understanding, and climate change research. Despite its significance, geochemical mapping requires spatial modeling based on sparse, heterogeneous, and potentially inaccurate data sets. Moreover, the underlying geological processes are often imperfectly understood. Therefore, uncertainty quantification (UQ) is vital in geochemical mapping to ensure accurate and reliable results, ultimately facilitating well‐informed decision‐making. In this contribution, we distinguish two primary types of uncertainties: systemic and stochastic. We identify the key sources of uncertainties in geochemical mapping and review the techniques that have been employed or hold potential for uncertainty quantification, communication, visualization, and sensitivity analysis. This contribution also illustrates the general procedure of UQ in geochemical mapping by a case study of mapping geochemical anomalies associated with gold mineralization in northwestern Sichuan Province, China. We also explore potential strategies for mitigating the critical uncertainties, such as gathering more geochemical data, developing more effective models, enhancing our understanding of the geochemical dispersion process, or leveraging other thematic information or knowledge. Future research should prioritize addressing underexplored uncertainties and implementing more practical applications to validate the UQ procedure in geochemical mapping. Plain Language Summary: Geochemical mapping is a vital tool for various applications such as finding minerals, assessing environmental impact, understanding geological processes, and researching climate change. However, the challenges lie in dealing with limited, varied, and potentially inaccurate data coupled with an imperfect understanding of geological processes. To ensure accurate and reliable results, we emphasize the importance of uncertainty quantification in geochemical mapping. Our review distinguishes between two main uncertainties, systemic and stochastic, and identifies their key sources in geochemical mapping. We also explore techniques for uncertainty quantification, communication, visualization, and sensitivity analysis. Using a case study in northwestern Sichuan Province, China, we illustrate the general procedure of uncertainty quantification by mapping geochemical anomalies related to gold mineralization. To address critical uncertainties, we suggest strategies such as gathering more data, improving models, and enhancing our understanding of geochemical dispersion. Future research should focus on exploring underexplored uncertainties and implementing more practical applications to validate the procedure of uncertainty quantification in geochemical mapping. Key Points: Geochemical mapping is intricate due to its scale‐dependent and heterogeneous natureUncertainty quantification is an essential part of geochemical mappingThe Monte‐Carlo framework is effective to account for multiple crucial sources of uncertainty manifested in geochemical mapping [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferation and migration of epidermal stem cells (EpSCs) are essential for epithelialization during skin wound healing. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) has been reported to play an important role in wound healing, but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Here, we investigate the contribution of ANGPTL4 to full-thickness wound re-epithelialization and the underlying mechanisms using Angptl4-knockout mice. Immunohistochemical staining reveals that ANGPTL4 is significantly upregulated in the basal layer cells of the epidermis around the wound during cutaneous wound healing. ANGPTL4 deficiency impairs wound healing. H&E staining shows that ANGPTL4 deficiency significantly reduces the thickness, length and area of the regenerated epidermis postwounding. Immunohistochemical staining for markers of EpSCs (α6 integrin and β1 integrin) and cell proliferation (PCNA) shows that the number and proliferation of EpSCs in the basal layer of the epidermis are reduced in ANGPTL4-deficient mice. In vitro studies show that ANGPTL4 deficiency impedes EpSC proliferation, causes cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and reduces the expressions of cyclins D1 and A2, which can be reversed by ANGPTL4 overexpression. ANGPTL4 deletion suppresses EpSC migration, which is also rescued by ANGPTL4 overexpression. Overexpression of ANGPTL4 in EpSCs accelerates cell proliferation and migration. Collectively, our results indicate that ANGPTL4 promotes EpSC proliferation by upregulating cyclins D1 and A2 expressions and accelerating the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase and that ANGPTL4 promotes skin wound re-epithelialization by stimulating EpSC proliferation and migration. Our study reveals a novel mechanism underlying EpSC activation and re-epithelialization during cutaneous wound healing.

Recently, Radio over Fiber (RoF) technology has become a hot research topic in the broadband communication access network field and has attracted much attention in the industry. This is mainly because the technology makes full use of the massive bandwidth of optical fiber transmission and the application advantages of flexible coverage of wireless communication. In the evolution and development of RoF technology, multi-dimensional multi-order modulation has important scientific research significance and practical value because it can improve the system bandwidth utilization and reduce the signal transmission and receiving cost. This paper summarizes the research progress of traditional amplitude modulation, typical multi-dimensional multi-order modulation and some representative new multi-dimensional multi-order modulation technologies. We also briefly analyzes the application prospect of multi-dimensional multi-order modulation technology in RoF system.

In this paper, the dependence of the stability and electronic structures of single-crystal 2H SiC and 3C SiC nanotubes on the sizes, surface facets, and surface saturation conditions are investigated with the help of density functional theory. The stabilities of each type of SiC nanotube increase as the wall-thicknesses increase no matter whether the surfaces are bare or saturated with hydrogen atoms. 2H SiC nanotubes are energetically more stable than 3C SiC nanotubes. The band gaps of each type of SiC nanotube decrease uniformly as the wall thicknesses increase when they are fully saturated or outer saturated with H atoms, while they increase uniformly when they are bare. The different trends of band gaps for bare and H-saturated SiC nanotubes reflect the competition between the quantum confinement effects and surface effects. Surface saturation can largely increase the band gaps especially for 2H SiC nanotubes. All the nanotubes possess direct band gaps when they are fully saturated with hydrogen atoms while most of them possess indirect ones when they are bare or half saturated. However, the bare or half-saturated single-crystal SiC nanotubes may also possess good optoelectronic properties because the top valance bands and bottom conduction bands are much flatter. Our results indicate that single-crystal SiC nanotubes, especially 2H SiC nanotubes, may have wider application prospects in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue behavior of antiferroelectric lanthanum-doped lead zirconate stannate titanate bulk material induced by bipolar cycling was investigated. Strain and polarization hysteresis loops, acoustic emissions (AEs), and biaxial strength were monitored. The material showed a high resistance to electric fatigue, concerning the losses in maximum strain, switchable polarization, and biaxial strength as well as modifications of AE patterns and microstructure. Fatigue microcracking is weak in the material during cycling. The pinning of antiferroelectric and ferroelectric domains by point defect agglomeration is discussed as the main fatigue mechanism. A diffuse antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition and an asymmetry of the strain hysteresis loop due to the electric cycling are described and explained as a result of the pinning process and offset polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the impact of the use of antibiotics on the effectiveness of nivolumab in the treatment of advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A literature search was conducted in various electronic databases to identify studies, which evaluated the impact of antibiotic use on the survival of patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC who have been treated with nivolumab. Six studies, comprising a total of 787 patients with 37.2% females and of age range 30–90 years, were included in the study. A lack of smoking history was reported in 14.4% of the patients. A meta-analysis was conducted in 678 and 713 patients for PFS and OS, respectively. The pooled HR was 1.95 (95% CI: 1.13–3.37, P = 0.016) for PFS and 2.70 (95% CI: 1.81–4.02, P < 0.001) for OS. Among patients exposed to antibiotics, the median PFS and OS were reduced by 1.6 months (95% CI: 1.5–1.7) and 8.8 months (95% CI: 8.5–9.1), respectively. Our study indicates that, among patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC, the use of antibiotics with nivolumab led to a decrease in the median OS by more than 8 months. Studying the mechanism of the effect of antibiotics on the efficacy of nivolumab in patients with NSCLC should also be prioritized.

Fresh agricultural products e-commerce has become an important way of agricultural products consumption, but China’s fresh agricultural products e-commerce is still in its infancy. It is urgent to find out the influencing factors of fresh agricultural products consumers’ online purchase intention for the development of fresh agricultural products e-commerce. This paper extracts the main factors affecting consumers’ online purchase intention of fresh agricultural products by text mining of 5958 online review data of Tmall Fresh Channel. On this basis, the multiple linear regression model is used to analyze the key factors affecting consumers’ intention to purchase fresh agricultural products online. The results show that the factors that consumers pay attention to mainly include product quality, service quality and perceived quality. In addition to appearance, price, product description reliability, distribution service quality and competitors, other factors have a significant impact on consumers’ online purchase intention and the impact is positive. This study expands the breadth and depth of the research on the influencing factors of fresh agricultural products consumers’ online purchase intention, and also provides targeted suggestions for enterprises to improve products and services, and promotes the healthy development of fresh agricultural products e-commerce.

The COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 not only had a significant impact on China at the macro level, but also triggered changes in public psychology and irrational behavior at the individual level, one of the typical features of which was the panic buying behavior exhibited by residents during the outbreak. Based on Perceived Risk theory, emotion infection theory and information processing theory, this paper investigates the influence of herd mentality on panic buying behavior and the mediating role of Perceived Risk and information overload, and validates the model by collecting data from 326 residents through a questionnaire. The results show that herding mentality, Perceived Risk, and information overload all have positive effects on panic buying; Perceived Risk and information overload partially mediate the effect between herding mentality and panic buying, and information overload carries more mediating effects. These results suggest that higher levels of herding, Perceived Risk, and information overload can intensify individuals’ panic buying and cause further irrational buying behavior. In response to the findings, this paper also proposes countermeasures to deal with panic buying from three aspects: individuals, media, and government.

[Purpose/significance] At present, the popularity of "involution" has become a cultural phenomenon, and the social reality it reflects deserves attention. Clarify the concept and characteristics of "involution" and measure it from a quantitative perspective, which helps to quickly seek the formation mechanism of "involution" and the path to solve it. [Method/process] At first, the study explained the evolution of the concept of "involution". Secondly, the evaluation index of "involution" is constructed in relation to the competition scenario of university students. Finally, we analyzed the experimental results, and gave corresponding suggestions from the three dimensions of individual and group. [Result/conclusion] As the randomness in the network topology decreases, the degree of competition for the "involution" of the system increases. The cooperative strategy can improve the total output of the system, while the total system input of the competitive strategy is high, but the total output of the system is low. On the whole, the value evaluation under the global mode is outstanding in the characteristics of high investment, low return and diminishing marginal utility, and the "involution" is serious.

BACKGROUND The identification of natural and synthetic amethyst is still a challenge for gemological laboratories either at home or abroad. Previous studies focus on twinning, color band, inclusions and the infrared spectrum. Controversy still exists on whether the 3595cm-1 and 3543cm-1 absorptions are indicative or conclusive clues when employing infrared spectroscopy to separate natural amethyst from synthetics. OBJECTIVES To characterize the features of natural and synthetic amethyst. METHODS Typical natural and synthetic amethyst samples were collected. The limitations of infrared spectroscopy to identify natural and synthetic amethyst were studied. The polarized Raman spectroscopy was applied to the identification of amethyst genesis. RESULTS The results showed that there were some limitations in the origin determination of amethyst by using the infrared absorption peaks of 3595cm-1 and 3543cm-1 as criteria. These peaks were indicative, but cannot be used as a decisive basis. The polarized Raman spectrum was complementary to infrared spectroscopy. The polarized Raman spectrum (the direction of both incident laser and Raman signal set as horizon-HH) peak of 400cm-1 were observed in all the natural amethyst, but this peak was absent in the synthetics. The polarized Raman spectrum (direction:HH) peaks of 795cm-1 and 448cm-1 appeared in all the synthetic amethyst, but were not detected in natural amethyst. CONCLUSIONS The difference of polarized Raman spectra may be related to different degree of crystal lattice deformation in natural and synthetic amethyst. The polarized Raman peaks of 400cm-1, 448cm-1 and 795cm-1 can be used as a new criterion for source determination of amethyst.