Synthesis of ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO Nanocrystalline by Solution Combustion Method and Their Catalytic Effects on Thermal Behavior of KClO₄

Nanocrystalline ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO were synthesized by solution combustion method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Catalytic effects of as-synthesized ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO on thermal behavior of pure potassium perchlorate (KP) and KP/Al mixture were examined by Thermogravimetry-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG-DSC) analysis combining with SEM-EDS technique. Results showed that as-synthesized ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO both decreased melting and decomposition temperature of pure KP, and the catalytic activity of Cu-doped ZnO was higher than ZnO. Further, it was suggested that catalysts of ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO both promoted solid-state decomposition of KP before melting. In agreement with the catalytic effects on thermal behavior of pure KP, the addition of ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO not only significantly decreased the ignition temperature of KP/Al mixture, but also enhanced the total heat release of KP/Al. Solution combustion method is demonstrated to be an effective method to prepare metal oxide catalysts for catalyzing thermal decomposition of KP.</p

Silver Doping Mediated Route to Bimetallically Doped Carbon Spheres with Controllable Nanoparticle Distributions

We report a facile and efficient approach to prepare bimetallically doped Ag−M−carbon composites. Only if Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are embedded first into the submicrometer carbon spheres (CSs) can the second metal M (Pd, Pt, and Au) also be introduced into their interior. Especially at not too high concentrations of M-precursor ions (CM-ion), the locations and number density of the resulting NPs mirror those of the Ag NPs in/on the CSs. Therefore, the controllability of the Ag predoping allows control over the location dependent distribution of the NPs in the resulting bimetallic composites. The size and shape of the resulting NPs in the composites are largely controlled by the concentration CM-ion. The different shapes include solid core−shell and hollow NPs, as well as hedgehog-like hollow structures and dendritic aggregates. The nucleation and growth mechanisms, which differ between the different metals M, are discussed to explain the morphologies and the location dependence of the NPs in/on the CSs

Data_Sheet_1_Lactic Acid Bacteria Are Prevalent in the Infrabuccal Pockets and Crops of Ants That Prefer Aphid Honeydew.docx

Ants are evolutionarily successful species and occupy diverse trophic and habitat niches on the earth. To fulfill dietary requirements, ants have established commensalism with both sap-feeding insects and bacteria. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to characterize the bacterial composition and structure of the digestive tracts in three species of Formica ants and Lasius niger (Linnaeus)—species that predominantly feed on honeydew secreted by aphids. We found that bacterial communities displayed species- and colony-level signatures, and that bacterial communities in the infrabuccal pockets and crops were different from those in the midguts and hindguts. Lactobacillus and Wolbachia were dominant in the infrabuccal pockets and crops of workers, whereas Wolbachia was dominant in the midguts, hindguts and brood (larvae, pupae and cocoons). To learn more about the dominant Lactobacillus in ants, we assessed its prevalence in a wide range of aphid-tending ants using diagnostic PCR. We found that Lactobacillus was more prevalent in Formicinae than in Myrmicinae species. We also isolated four strains of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus lindneri, Weissella cibaria and Fructobacillus sp.) from the infrabuccal pockets and crops of aphid-tending ants using a culture-dependent method. Two predominant lactic acid bacterial isolates, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (La2) and Weissella cibaria (La3), exhibited abilities in catabolizing sugars (sucrose, trehalose, melezitose and raffinose) known to be constituents of hemipteran honeydew. These findings contribute to further understanding the association between ants, aphids and bacteria, and provide additional information on the function of lactic acid bacteria in ants.</p

New micelle myricetin formulation for ocular delivery: improved stability, solubility, and ocular anti-inflammatory treatment

Myricetin (Myr) is a naturally occurring flavonoid exhibiting diverse biological and pharmacological properties, but its characteristics such as water insolubility, poor aqueous stability, and poor bioavailability limit its clinical application, including in ophthalmology. To increase its clinical application in ophthalmology, Myr was designed to be encapsulated in a polyvinyl caprolactam–polyvinyl acetate–polyethylene glycol graft copolymer (PVCL-PVA-PEG) polymeric micelles to increases its aqueous solubility, stability, and corneal permeability to promote its efficacy in eye disease treatments. Thus, the Myr micelle ophthalmic solution was prepared and characterized encapsulation efficiency (EE), micelle size, and zeta potential. The chemical stability of Myr and the short-term storage stability of the Myr micelle ophthalmic solution were evaluated, followed by in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo ocular irritation; in vitro cellular uptake and in vivo corneal permeation; and in vitro antioxidant activity and in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy were also further evaluated. Myr could be incorporated into micelles with high EE. PVCL-PVA-PEG micelles significantly enhanced Myr’s aqueous solubility and chemical stability. The Myr micelle ophthalmic solution also showed high storage stability. In rabbits, the Myr micelle ophthalmic solution displayed good in vitro cellular tolerance. Remarkable improvements in in vitro cellular uptake and in vivo corneal permeation were also observed in the Myr micelle ophthalmic solution, and significant improvements in the in vitro antioxidant activity and in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy were also obtained. Overall, these results supported that the Myr micelle ophthalmic solution could be a promising nanomedicine for ocular tissues.</p

Table_1_The comparative analysis of SARIMA, Facebook Prophet, and LSTM for road traffic injury prediction in Northeast China.XLSX

ObjectiveThis cross-sectional research aims to develop reliable predictive short-term prediction models to predict the number of RTIs in Northeast China through comparative studies.MethodologySeasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Facebook Prophet (Prophet) models were used for time series prediction of the number of RTIs inpatients. The three models were trained using data from 2015 to 2019, and their prediction accuracy was compared using data from 2020 as a test set. The parameters of the SARIMA model were determined using the autocorrelation function (ACF) and the partial autocorrelation function (PACF). The LSTM uses linear as the activation function, the mean square error (MSE) as the loss function and the Adam optimizer to construct the model, while the Prophet model is built on the Python platform. The root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) are used to measure the predictive performance of the model.FindingsIn this research, the LSTM model had the highest prediction accuracy, followed by the Prophet model, and the SARIMA model had the lowest prediction accuracy. The trend in medical expenditure of RTIs inpatients overlapped highly with the number of RTIs inpatients.ConclusionBy adjusting the activation function and optimizer, the LSTM predicts the number of RTIs inpatients more accurately and robustly than other models. Compared with other models, LSTM models still show excellent prediction performance in the face of data with seasonal and drastic changes. The LSTM can provide a better basis for planning and management in healthcare administration.ImplicationThe results of this research show that it is feasible to accurately forecast the demand for healthcare resources with seasonal distribution using a suitable forecasting model. The prediction of specific medical service volumes will be an important basis for medical management to allocate medical and health resources.</p

DataSheet_1_METTL3-IGF2BP3-axis mediates the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer by regulating spermine synthase m6A modification.docx

Spermine synthase (SMS) is an enzyme participating in polyamine synthesis; however, its function and role in pancreatic cancer remains elusive. Here we report that SMS is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and predicts a worse overall survival and significantly promotes the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. Excessive SMS reduces the accumulation of spermidine by converting spermidine into spermine, which activates the phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase (AKT) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, SMS was identified as the direct target of both methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) and insulin like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), which directly bind to the m6A modification sites of SMS and inhibit mRNA degradation. Knockdown of METTL3 or IGF2BP3 significantly reduced the SMS protein expression and inhibited the migration of pancreatic cancer. We propose a novel regulatory mechanism in which the METTL3-IGF2BP3 axis mediates the mRNA degradation of SMS in an m6A-dependent manner to regulate spermine/spermidine conversion, which regulates AKT phosphorylation and EMT activation, thereby inducing tumor progression and migration in pancreatic cancer.</p

DataSheet_1_Kruppel homolog 1 modulates ROS production and antimicrobial peptides expression in shrimp hemocytes during infection by the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain that causes AHPND.doc

Shrimp aquaculture has been seriously affected by acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), caused by a strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that carries the Pir toxin plasmids (V. parahaemolyticus(AHPND)). In this study, the transcription factor, Kruppel homolog 1-like of Peneaus vannamei (PvKr-h1), was significantly induced in shrimp hemocytes after V. parahaemolyticus(AHPND) challenge, suggesting that PvKr-h1 is involved in shrimp immune response. Knockdown of PvKr-h1 followed by V. parahaemolyticus(AHPND) challenge increased bacterial abundance in shrimp hemolymph coupled with high shrimp mortality. Moreover, transcriptome and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that PvKr-h1 silencing followed by V. parahaemolyticus(AHPND) challenge dysregulated the expression of several antioxidant-related enzyme genes, such as Cu-Zu SOD, GPX, and GST, and antimicrobial peptide genes, i.e., CRUs and PENs, and reduced ROS activity and nuclear translocation of Relish. These data reveal that PvKr-h1 regulates shrimps’ immune response to V. parahaemolyticus(AHPND) infection by suppressing antioxidant-related enzymes, enhancing ROS production and promoting nuclei import of PvRelish to stimulate antimicrobial peptide genes expression.</p

Table_2_v1_Research on Portal Venous Hemodynamics and Influencing Factors of Portal Vein System Thrombosis for Wilson’s Disease after Splenectomy.xls

ObjectiveSplenectomy is one crucial solution for hypersplenism with portal hypertension. However, portal vein system thrombosis (PVST) caused by hemodynamic changes affects the prognosis of patients. We analyze the changes in portal vein hemodynamics following splenectomy for Wilson’s disease combined with portal hypertension and the influencing factors that lead to PVST.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, in which 237 Wilson’s disease patients with hypersplenism underwent splenectomy. The hemodynamic indices of the portal vein were monitored before surgery and on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days around surgery. The patients were divided into PVST and non-PVST groups. The clinical factors were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The Logit P was calculated according to the logistic regression prediction model, and the ROC curve for each independent factor was plotted.ResultsThe portal vein velocity, flow, and inner diameter showed a downward trend around surgery, with statistically significant differences between each time point (P ConclusionsSplenectomy relieves portal hypertension by reducing the hemodynamics index. PVST is linked to multiple factors, including preoperative portal vein diameter, velocity, flow, and splenic vein diameter, especially PLT on the postoperative 7th day and D-D on the postoperative 14th day. The predictive model is accurate in predicting PVST.</p

Table_1_v1_Research on Portal Venous Hemodynamics and Influencing Factors of Portal Vein System Thrombosis for Wilson’s Disease after Splenectomy.xls

ObjectiveSplenectomy is one crucial solution for hypersplenism with portal hypertension. However, portal vein system thrombosis (PVST) caused by hemodynamic changes affects the prognosis of patients. We analyze the changes in portal vein hemodynamics following splenectomy for Wilson’s disease combined with portal hypertension and the influencing factors that lead to PVST.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, in which 237 Wilson’s disease patients with hypersplenism underwent splenectomy. The hemodynamic indices of the portal vein were monitored before surgery and on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days around surgery. The patients were divided into PVST and non-PVST groups. The clinical factors were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The Logit P was calculated according to the logistic regression prediction model, and the ROC curve for each independent factor was plotted.ResultsThe portal vein velocity, flow, and inner diameter showed a downward trend around surgery, with statistically significant differences between each time point (P ConclusionsSplenectomy relieves portal hypertension by reducing the hemodynamics index. PVST is linked to multiple factors, including preoperative portal vein diameter, velocity, flow, and splenic vein diameter, especially PLT on the postoperative 7th day and D-D on the postoperative 14th day. The predictive model is accurate in predicting PVST.</p

Data_Sheet_6_v1_Research on Portal Venous Hemodynamics and Influencing Factors of Portal Vein System Thrombosis for Wilson’s Disease after Splenectomy.doc

ObjectiveSplenectomy is one crucial solution for hypersplenism with portal hypertension. However, portal vein system thrombosis (PVST) caused by hemodynamic changes affects the prognosis of patients. We analyze the changes in portal vein hemodynamics following splenectomy for Wilson’s disease combined with portal hypertension and the influencing factors that lead to PVST.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, in which 237 Wilson’s disease patients with hypersplenism underwent splenectomy. The hemodynamic indices of the portal vein were monitored before surgery and on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days around surgery. The patients were divided into PVST and non-PVST groups. The clinical factors were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The Logit P was calculated according to the logistic regression prediction model, and the ROC curve for each independent factor was plotted.ResultsThe portal vein velocity, flow, and inner diameter showed a downward trend around surgery, with statistically significant differences between each time point (P ConclusionsSplenectomy relieves portal hypertension by reducing the hemodynamics index. PVST is linked to multiple factors, including preoperative portal vein diameter, velocity, flow, and splenic vein diameter, especially PLT on the postoperative 7th day and D-D on the postoperative 14th day. The predictive model is accurate in predicting PVST.</p