Layered microporous polymers by solvent knitting method

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, especially 2D organic nanomaterials with unprecedentedly diverse and controlled structure, have attracted decent scientific interest. Among the preparation strategies, the top-down approach is one of the considered low-cost and scalable strategies to obtain 2D organic nanomaterials. However, some factors of their layered counterparts limited the development and potential applications of 2D organic nanomaterials, such as type, stability, and strict synthetic conditions of layered counterparts. We report a class of layered solvent knitting hyper-cross-linked microporous polymers (SHCPs) prepared by improving Friedel-Crafts reaction and using dichloroalkane as an economical solvent, stable electrophilic reagent, and external cross-linker at low temperature, which could be used as layered counterparts to obtain previously unknown 2D SHCP nanosheets by method of ultrasonic-assisted solvent exfoliation. This efficient and low-cost strategy can produce previously unreported microporous organic polymers with layered structure and high surface area and gas storage capacity. The pore structure and surface area of these polymers can be controlled by tuning the chain length of the solvent, the molar ratio of AlCl(3), and the size of monomers. Furthermore, we successfully obtain an unprecedentedly high–surface area HCP material (3002 m(2) g(−1)), which shows decent gas storage capacity (4.82 mmol g(−1) at 273 K and 1.00 bar for CO(2); 12.40 mmol g(−1) at 77.3 K and 1.13 bar for H(2)). This finding provides an opportunity for breaking the constraint of former knitting methods and opening up avenues for the design and synthesis of previously unknown layered HCP materials

REAL-TIME MONITORING DEFORMATION OF BUILDING USING PHOTOGRAPHY DYNAMIC MONITORING SYSTEM

The spatial structure building is a type of building system; it is necessary to monitor deformation to determine its stability and robustness. Under the dynamic deformation of structures, it is challenging to determine appropriate zero image (the reference image) if we use the PST-IM- MP (photograph scale transformation-image matching-motion parallax) method to obtain the deformation of structures. This paper offers the Z-MP (zero-centered motion parallax) method to solve these problems and offers PDMS (Photography Dynamic Monitoring System) based on the digital photography system to monitor the dynamic deformation of the tennis stadium located in Jinan Olympic Sports Center. The results showed that the spatial structures of the tennis stadium were robust, and the deformations were elastic and within the permissible value. Compared with the PST-IM-MP method, the Z-MP method is more suitable for deformation monitoring structures under real-time deformation. This paper indicates PDMS has advantages of the simplicity of operations, automation, and the ability of non-contact dynamic deformation monitoring for multiple points in a short period. In the future, it will have broader application prospects

SIDE: Sequence-Interaction-Aware Dual Encoder for Predicting circRNA Back-Splicing Events

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a critical role in gene regulation and association with diseases due to their specialized structure, which is formed as a closed loop structure during a non-canonical splicing process where the donor site back-spliced to an upstream acceptor site. As fundamental work to clarify their functions and mechanisms, a large number of computational methods for predicting circRNA formation have been proposed, among which, in particular, deep learning is utilized to capture relevant patterns from raw RNA sequences and model their interactions to facilitate prediction. However, these methods fail to fully utilize the important characteristics of back-splicing events, i.e., the positional information of the splice sites and the interaction features of its flanking sequences, for prediction. To this end, we hereby propose a novel approach called SIDE for predicting circRNA back-splicing events using only nucleotide sequences. Our model employs a dual encoder to capture global and interactive features of the sequence, and then a decoder designed by the contrastive learning to fuse out discriminative features improving the prediction of circRNAs formation. Empirical results on three real-world datasets have shown the effectiveness of SIDE. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/scu-kdde/Bioinfo-SIDE-2023

Association between arteriosclerosis index and lumbar bone mineral density in U.S adults: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES 2011–2018

BackgroundThe arteriosclerosis index, defined as the ratio of non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol to high density lipoprotein cholesterol (NHHR), has emerged as a novel biomarker for various diseases. The relationship between NHHR and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) has not been previously examined.MethodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2018. NHHR was calculated as (total cholesterol—high-density lipoprotein cholesterol)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Lumbar BMD was calculated to Z scores. Weighted multivariate linear regression, subgroup analysis, interaction analysis, generalized additive model, and two-piecewise linear regression were used.ResultsA total of 8,602 participants were included. The negative association between NHHR and lumbar BMD was consistent and significant (Model 1: β = −0.039, 95% CI: −0.055, −0.023, p < 0.001; Model 2: β = −0.045, 95% CI: −0.062, −0.027, p < 0.001; Model 3: β = −0.042, 95% CI: −0.061, −0.023, p < 0.001). The linear relationship between NHHR and lumbar BMD was significantly influenced by body mass index (p for interaction = 0.012) and hypertension (p for interaction = 0.047). Non-linear associations between NHHR and lumbar BMD Z scores were observed in specific populations, including U-shaped, reverse U-shaped, L-shaped, reverse L-shaped, and U-shaped relationships among menopausal females, underweight participants, those with impaired glucose tolerance, those with diabetes mellitus and those taking anti-hyperlipidemic drugs, respectively.ConclusionsNHHR exhibited a negative association with lumbar BMD, but varying across specific populations. These findings suggest that NHHR should be tailored to individual levels to mitigate bone loss through a personalized approach. Individuals at heightened risk of cardiovascular disease should focus on their bone health

MONITORING DYNAMIC GLOBAL DEFLECTION OF A BRIDGE BY MONOCULAR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

This study uses MDP (monocular digital photography) to monitor the dynamic global deflection of a bridge with the PST-TBP (Photographing scale transformation-time baseline parallax) method in which the reference system set near the camera is perpendicular to the photographing direction and does not need parallel to the bridge plane. A SONY350 camera was used to shoot the bridge every two seconds when the excavator was moving on the bridge and produced ten image sequences. Results show that the PST-TBP method is effective in solving the problem of the photographing direction being perpendicular to the bridge plane in monitoring the bridge by MDP. The PST-TBP method can achieve sub-pixel matching accuracy (0.3 pixels). The maximal deflection of the bridge is 55.34 mm which is within the bridge’s allowed value of 75mm. The MDPS (monocular digital photography system) depicts deflection trends of the bridge in real time, which can warn the possible danger of the bridge in time. It provides key information to assess the bridge health on site and to study the dynamic global deformation mechanism of a bridge caused by dynamic vehicle load. MDP is expected to be applied to monitor the dynamic global deflection of a bridge

Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in cervical spine surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundTranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic drug associated with reduced blood loss in a range of surgical specialties. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of TXA in cervical surgery, focusing on its effects on intraoperative blood loss and related outcomes.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases to identify all literature related to TXA used in cervical spinal surgery. Intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, total blood loss, postoperative hematological variables, and complications were analyzed.ResultsEight trials met the inclusion criteria. The pooled results showed that intraoperative blood loss, total blood loss, and postoperative drainage volume were significantly lower in the TXA group than in the control group. The hemoglobin and hematocrit on postoperative day 1 was significantly higher in the TXA group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in complications between the two groups.ConclusionThe available evidence indicates that TXA effectively reduces blood loss in cervical spinal surgery while maintaining a favorable safety profile, without increasing associated risks.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023459652

Regulatory Mechanisms of the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Diabetic Cutaneous Ulcers

Skin ulcers are a serious complication of diabetes. Diabetic patients suffer from vascular lesions and complications such as peripheral neuritis, peripheral vascular lesions, and collagen abnormalities, which result in skin wounds that are refractory and often develop into chronic ulcers. The healing of skin ulcers requires an inflammatory reaction, wound proliferation, remodeling regulation, and control of stem cells. Studies investigating diabetic cutaneous ulcers have focused on cellular and molecular levels. Diabetes can cause nerve and blood vessel damage, and persistent high blood sugar levels can cause systemic multisite nerve damage based on peripheral neuropathy. The long-term hyperglycemia state enables the polyol glucose metabolism pathway to be activated, increasing the accumulation of toxic substances in the vascular injured nerve tissue cells. Sustained hyperglycemia leads to dysfunction of epithelial cells, leading to a decrease in pro-angiogenic signaling and nitric oxide production. In addition, due to impaired leukocyte function in hyperglycemia, immune function is impaired and the immune response at relevant sites is insufficient, making diabetic foot more difficult to heal. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a highly conserved signal transduction pathway involved in a variety of biological processes, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. It is considered an important pathway involved in the healing of skin wounds. This article summarizes the mechanism of action of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway involved in the inflammatory responses to diabetic ulcers, wound proliferation, wound remodeling, and stem cells. The interactions between the Wnt signal pathway and other metabolic pathways are also discussed

Comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis reveals mechanisms of selenium-regulated anthocyanin synthesis in waxy maize (Zea mays L.)

Anthocyanins in maize (Zea mays L.) kernels determine the plant’s color and can enhance its resistance. Selenium (Se) significantly impacts plant growth, development, and secondary metabolic regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Se regulates anthocyanin synthesis in waxy corn remain unclear. This study employed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the mechanisms through which selenium influences anthocyanin synthesis in yellow and purple waxy corn. The results showed that maize varieties with higher anthocyanin content had higher selenium enrichment capacity in their kernels. Under selenium stress, HN2025 exhibited 1,904 more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 140 more differential metabolites compared to HN5. The expression levels of anthocyanin synthesis-related genes and transcription factors such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, flavonoid 3-hydroxylase (F3H), dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR), chalcone synthase (CHS), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), anthocyanin 5,3-O-glucosyltransferases, and anthocyanidin reductase, MYB, and bHLH were strongly induced in HN2025. Metabolomic analysis revealed significant enrichment in anthocyanin biosynthesis, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, phenylalanine biosynthesis, and phenylalanine metabolism under selenium treatment. Three up-regulated PAL genes and one C4H gene were significantly enriched with DAMs in phenylalanine metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and anthocyanin biosynthesis, resulting in significant differences between HN5 and HN2025 in selenium-induced anthocyanin metabolism-related pathways. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the effects of selenium on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize kernels

JUNO Sensitivity to Invisible Decay Modes of Neutrons

We explore the bound neutrons decay into invisible particles (e.g., $n\rightarrow 3 \nu$ or $nn \rightarrow 2 \nu$) in the JUNO liquid scintillator detector. The invisible decay includes two decay modes: $n \rightarrow { inv}$ and $nn \rightarrow { inv}$. The invisible decays of $s$-shell neutrons in $^{12}{\rm C}$ will leave a highly excited residual nucleus. Subsequently, some de-excitation modes of the excited residual nuclei can produce a time- and space-correlated triple coincidence signal in the JUNO detector. Based on a full Monte Carlo simulation informed with the latest available data, we estimate all backgrounds, including inverse beta decay events of the reactor antineutrino $\bar{\nu}_e$, natural radioactivity, cosmogenic isotopes and neutral current interactions of atmospheric neutrinos. Pulse shape discrimination and multivariate analysis techniques are employed to further suppress backgrounds. With two years of exposure, JUNO is expected to give an order of magnitude improvement compared to the current best limits. After 10 years of data taking, the JUNO expected sensitivities at a 90% confidence level are $\tau/B( n \rightarrow { inv} ) > 5.0 \times 10^{31} \, {\rm yr}$ and $\tau/B( nn \rightarrow { inv} ) > 1.4 \times 10^{32} \, {\rm yr}$.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures, 4 table