RGS4 promotes the progression of gastric cancer through the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

BACKGROUND Regulator of G protein signaling(RGS)proteins participate in tumor formation and metastasis by acting on theα-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins.The speci-fic effect of RGS,particularly RGS4,on the progression of gastric cancer(GC)is not yet clear.AIM To explore the role and underlying mechanisms of action of RGS4 in GC develop-ment.METHODS The prognostic significance of RGS4 in GC was analyzed using bioinformatics based public databases and verified by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 90 patients with GC.Function assays were employed to assess the carcinogenic impact of RGS4,and the mechanism of its possible influence was detected by western blot analysis.A nude mouse xenograft model was established to study the effects of RGS4 on GC growth in vitro.RESULTS RGS4 was highly expressed in GC tissues compared with matched adjacent normal tissues.Elevated RGS4 expression was correlated with increased tumor-node-metastasis stage,increased tumor grade as well as poorer overall survival in patients with GC.Cell experiments demonstrated that RGS4 knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation,migration and invasion.Similarly,xenograft experiments confirmed that RGS4 silencing significantly inhibited tumor growth.Moreover,RGS4 knockdown resulted in reduced phosphorylation levels of focal adhesion kinase,phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase,and protein kinase B,decreased vimentin and N-cadherin,and elevated E-cadherin.CONCLUSION High RGS4 expression in GC indicates a worse prognosis and RGS4 is a prognostic marker.RGS4 influences tumor progression via the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on the Markov Transition Field and SE-IShufflenetV2 Model

A bearing fault diagnosis method based on the Markov transitionfield(MTF)and SEnet(SE)-IShufflenetV2 model is proposed in this paper due to the problems of complex working conditions,low fault diagnosis accuracy,and poor generalization of rolling bearing.Firstly,MTF is used to encode one-dimensional time series vibration sig-nals and convert them into time-dependent and unique two-dimensional feature images.Then,the generated two-dimensional dataset is fed into the SE-IShufflenetV2 model for training to achieve fault feature extraction and classification.This paper selects the bearing fault datasets from Case Western Reserve University and Paderborn University to experimentally verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.The generalization performance of the proposed method is tested under the variable load condition and different signal-to-noise ratios(SNRs).The experimental results show that the average accuracy of the proposed method under different working conditions is 99.2%without adding noise.The accuracy under different working conditions from 0 to 1 HP is 100%.When the SNR is 0 dB,the average accuracy of the proposed method can still reach 98.7%under varying working conditions.Therefore,the bearing fault diagnosis method proposed in this paper is characterized by high accuracy,strong anti-noise ability,and generalization.Moreover,the proposed method can also overcome the influence of variable working conditions on diagnosis accuracy,providing method support for the accurate diagnosis of bearing faults under strong noise and variable working conditions.

Forging an easier path through graduation:Improving the patient transition from paediatric to adult critical care

Adolescence and the journey to adulthood involves exciting opportunities as well as psychosocial stress for young people growing up.These normal experiences are potentially magnified for teenagers living with chronic illness or disability and their families.Advances in care have improved survival for children with a variety of serious chronic medical conditions such that many who may once have died in childhood now survive well into adulthood with ongoing morbidity.For those with highly complex needs,care is often provided at major paediatric hospitals with expertise,specially trained personnel,and resources to support young people and their families for the first decades of life.At the end of adolescence,however,it is generally appropriate and necessary for young adults and their caregivers to transition to the care of clinicians trained in the care of adults at general hospitals.While there are some well-managed models to support this journey of transition,these are often specific to certain conditions and usually do not involve intensive care.Many patients may encounter considerable challenges during this period.Difficulties may include the loss of established therapeutic relationships,a perception of austerity and reduced amenity in facilities oriented to caring for adult patients,and care by clinicians with less experience with more common paediatric conditions.In addition,there is a risk of potential conflict between clinicians and families regarding goals of care in the event of a critical illness when it occurs in a young adult with major disability and long-term health issues.These challenges present genuine opportunities to better understand the transition from paediatric to adult-based care and to improve processes that assist clinicians who support patients and families as they shift between healthcare settings.

An Inspiring Transition

Xinjiang has undergone significant changes in recent years.Government efforts to create a peaceful environment are visibly yielding results.Once rife with conflict,the region now enjoys stability and growth.A sense of calm and safety is evident on its streets,which are now brimming with commerce and culture.

Macroscopic perspective on phase transition behavior of natural single-crystal graphite under different pressure environments

Comprehensive understanding of the direct transformation pathway from graphite to diamond under high temperature and high pressure has long been one of the fundamental goals in materials science.Despite considerable experimental and theoretical progress,current experimental studies have mainly focused on the local microstructural characterizations of recovered samples,which has certain limitations for hightemperature and high-pressure products,which often exhibit diversity.Here,we report on the pressure-induced phase transition behavior of natural single-crystal graphite under three distinct pressure-transmitting media from a macroscopic perspective using in situ two-dimensional Raman spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and atomic force microscopy.The surface evolution process of graphite before and after the phase transition is captured,revealing that pressure-induced surface textures can impede the continuity of the phase transition process across the entire single crystal.Our results provide a fresh perspective for studying the phase transition behavior of graphite and greatly deepen our understanding of this behavior,which will be helpful in guiding further high-temperature and high-pressure syntheses of carbon allotropes.

Transmembrane channel-like 5 drives hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a difficult cancer to manage due to its highly invasive and metastatic nature.AIM To investigate the molecular function of transmembrane channel-like 5(TMC5)in vitro and in vivo,with the objective of identifying novel diagnosis and treatment targets for HCC.METHODS The expression of TMC in cancer and normal tissues,along with its correlation with HCC prognosis,was analyzed using the GENT2,GEPIA database,and Human Protein Atlas.COX analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between TMC5 expression and overall survival in TCGA-LIHC patients.Further experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of TMC5 in cancer progression through loss-and gain-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo.RESULTS Bioinformatics revealed that TMC5 expression was generally higher in tumors than in normal tissues,and its expression was associated with poorer patient survival outcomes.TMC5 expression in HCC tissues and cells was consistent with the results of the bioinformatics analysis.Suppression of TMC5 expression reduced migration,invasion,and proliferation,while also decreasing the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-associated molecules in MHCC97-LM3 cells.Conversely,higher TMC5 expression significantly increased cell migration,invasion,proliferation,and EMT in MHCC97 L cells.TMC5 knockdown significantly decreased both the formation and spread of nodules in liver tissue,whereas TMC5 overexpression promoted them.CONCLUSION Our study provides compelling evidence that TMC5 is highly expressed in HCC and drives cancer progression through the activation of EMT-mediated invasion.TMC5 could represent a valuable molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

SkullcapflavoneⅡsuppresses TGF-β-induced corneal epithelial mesenchymal transition in vitro

AIM:To investigate the effect of skullcapflavone II(SCF-II)on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)induced by transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β)in human corneal epithelial cells(HCECs),as well as to identify the signaling pathways that may be involved.METHODS:HCECs were cultured in vitro.At a SCFII(5,10μmol/L)dose,cell viability was analysed with a cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,and cell migration was monitored with wound healing and Transwell migration assays.There were 4 groups:SCF-II,TGF-β,SCF-II+TGF-βand Control.Western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to show the expression of EMT markers and the translocation of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)into the nucleus in the 4 groups.RESULTS:Treatment with SCF-II decreased HCEC viability in a dose-dependent manner.A concentration below 10μmol/L did not present obvious cell toxicity,and survival rates were more than 70%at 48h.Treatment with SCF-II(5 and 10μmol/L)significantly impeded migration in wound healing and Transwell migration assays(P<0.05),and EMT markers and NF-κB translocation into the nucleus were inhibited.After both TGF-βand SCF-II treatment,the migration of TGF-β-treated HCECs were suppressed by SCF-II(P<0.05).The expression levels of the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin(P<0.05),α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA;P<0.05)and NF-κB(P<0.05)in both TGF-β-and SCF-II-treated HCECs were lower than those in the HCECs treated with TGF-βalone and higher than those in HCECs treated with SCF-II alone.Immunofluorescence showed that the entry of NF-κB into the nucleus in both TGF-β-and SCF-IItreated HCECs was less than that in the TGF-β-treated HCECs.CONCLUSION:SCF-II inhibit TGF-β-induced EMT in HCECs by potentially regulating the NF-κB signalling pathway.Thus,SCF-II represents a candidate putative therapeutic agent in corneal fibrotic diseases.

A New Approach for the Calculation of Slope Failure Probability with Fuzzy Limit-State Functions

This study presents an innovative approach to calculating the failure probability of slopes by incorporating fuzzylimit-state functions,a method that significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of slope stability analysis.Unlike traditional probabilistic techniques,this approach utilizes a least squares support vector machine(LSSVM)optimized with a grey wolf optimizer(GWO)and K-fold cross-validation(CV)to approximate the limit-statefunction,thus reducing computational complexity.The novelty of this work lies in its application to one-dimensional(1D),two-dimensional(2D),and three-dimensional(3D)slope models,demonstrating its versatility andhigh precision.The proposed method consistently achieves error margins within 3%of Monte Carlo simulation(MCS)results,while substantially reducing computation time,particularly for 2D and 3D models.This makes theapproach highly practical for real-world engineering applications.Furthermore,by applying fuzzy mathematics tohandle uncertainties in geotechnical properties,the method offers a more realistic and comprehensive understandingof slope stability.As water is the main factor influencing the stability of slopes,this aspect is investigatedby calculating the phreatic line after the change in water level.Relevant examples are used to show that the failureprobability of a slope under water wading condition can increase by more than 20%(increase rates in 1D,2D and3D conditions being 25%,27%and 31%,respectively)compared with the natural condition.The influence ofdiverse fuzzy membership functions—linear,normal,and Cauchy—on failure probability is also considered.Thisresearch not only provides a strategy for better calculation of the slope failure probability but also pioneers theintegration of computational intelligence,fuzzy logic and fluid-dynamics in geotechnical engineering,presentingan innovative and efficient tool for slope stability analysis.

Necessity of Exact Calculation for Transition Probability

This paper shows that exact calculation for transition probability can make some systems deviate fromFermi golden rule seriously. This paper also shows that the corresponding exact calculation of hopping rate inducedby phonons for deuteron in Pd-D system with the many-body electron screening, proposed by Ichimaru, can explainthe experimental fact observed in Pd-D system, and predicts that perfection and low-dimension of Pd lattice are veryimportant for the phonon-induced hopping rate enhancement in Pd-D system.

An Improved Method for Estimating the Transition Probability Using Diameter Growth in Even-aged Forest Stands

The method of Zeng et al. (1991) employed diameter growth to estimate the transition probability of the matrix model in uneven-aged forest stands. In this paper the Weibull distribution for even-aged forest stands instead of uniform distribution chosen by Zeng is used. By comparing the results of the improved method with those of the original method of Zeng, it turns out that the improved method of Zeng given in this paper is more efficient.

Brownian Motion of Decaying Particles: Transition Probability, Computer Simulation, and First-Passage Times

Recent developments in the measurement of radioactive gases in passive diffusion motivate the analysis of Brownian motion of decaying particles, a subject that has received little previous attention. This paper reports the derivation and solution of equations comparable to the Fokker-Planck and Langevin equations for one-dimensional diffusion and decay of unstable particles. In marked contrast to the case of stable particles, the two equations are not equivalent, but provide different information regarding the same stochastic process. The differences arise because Brownian motion with particle decay is not a continuous process. The discontinuity is readily apparent in the computer-simulated trajectories of the Langevin equation that incorporate both a Wiener process for displacement fluctuations and a Bernoulli process for random decay. This paper also reports the derivation of the mean time of first passage of the decaying particle to absorbing boundaries. Here, too, particle decay can lead to an outcome markedly different from that for stable particles. In particular, the first-passage time of the decaying particle is always finite, whereas the time for a stable particle to reach a single absorbing boundary is theoretically infinite due to the heavy tail of the inverse Gaussian density. The methodology developed in this paper should prove useful in the investigation of radioactive gases, aerosols of radioactive atoms, dust particles to which adhere radioactive ions, as well as diffusing gases and liquids of unstable molecules.

On the Gauge Invariance of The Transition Probability of A Charged Particle in Electromagnetic Field

This paper suggests a principle to find a unitary operator U which transforms non-physical quantity, zero-potential Hamiltonian H0, into true physical quantity UH0U? for a charged particle in classical electromagnetic field, and puts forward a unified form of constructing gauge-independent transition probabilities in this case. Different methods correspond to different unitary operators which satisfy the above-mentioned principle.

Reachable set estimation for discrete-time Markovian jump neural networks with unified uncertain transition probability

This paper focuses on the reachable set estimation for Markovian jump neural networks with time delay.By allowing uncertainty in the transition probabilities,a framework unifies and enhances the generality and realism of these systems.To fully exploit the unified uncertain transition probabilities,an equivalent transformation technique is introduced as an alternative to traditional estimation methods,effectively utilizing the information of transition probabilities.Furthermore,a vector Wirtinger-based summation inequality is proposed,which captures more system information compared to existing ones.Building upon these components,a novel condition that guarantees a reachable set estimation is presented for Markovian jump neural networks with unified uncertain transition probabilities.A numerical example is illustrated to demonstrate the superiority of the approaches.

On the Gauge Invariance of the Transition Probability of a Charged Particle in Electromagnetic Field

This paper suggests a principle to find a unitary operator U which transforms non-physical quantity,zero-potential Hamiltonian Ho, into true physical quantity UHoU+ for a charged particle in classical electromagneticfield, and puts forward a unified form of constructing gauge-independent transition probabilities in this case. Differentmethods correspond to different unitary operators which satisfy the above-mentioned principle.

Templated synthesis of transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions

Transition metal phosphides(TMPs)have been regarded as alternative hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)catalysts owing to their comparable activity to those of noble metal-based catalysts.TMPs have been produced in various morphologies,including hollow and porous nanostructures,which are features deemed desirable for electrocatalytic materials.Templated synthesis routes are often responsible for such morphologies.This paper reviews the latest advances and existing challenges in the synthesis of TMP-based OER and HER catalysts through templated methods.A comprehensive review of the structure-property-performance of TMP-based HER and OER catalysts prepared using different templates is presented.The discussion proceeds according to application,first by HER and further divided among the types of templates used-from hard templates,sacrificial templates,and soft templates to the emerging dynamic hydrogen bubble template.OER catalysts are then reviewed and grouped according to their morphology.Finally,prospective research directions for the synthesis of hollow and porous TMP-based catalysts,such as improvements on both activity and stability of TMPs,design of environmentally benign templates and processes,and analysis of the reaction mechanism through advanced material characterization techniques and theoretical calculations,are suggested.

Correction:Impact of Transition Metal Layer Vacancy on the Structure and Performance of P2 Type Layered Sodium Cathode Material

Following publication of the original article[1],the authors reported that the author Hun-Gi Jung should be affiliated as 3,4 and 5 instead of 4 and 5.The author’s name“A.-Yeon Kim”needed to be updated to“A-Yeon Kim”,removing the period.The correct author’s name and affiliation have been provided in this Correction.The original article[1]has been corrected.

The Probability Density Function Related to Shallow Cumulus Entrainment Rate and Its Influencing Factors in a Large-Eddy Simulation

The process of entrainment-mixing between cumulus clouds and the ambient air is important for the development of cumulus clouds.Accurately obtaining the entrainment rate(λ)is particularly important for its parameterization within the overall cumulus parameterization scheme.In this study,an improved bulk-plume method is proposed by solving the equations of two conserved variables simultaneously to calculateλof cumulus clouds in a large-eddy simulation.The results demonstrate that the improved bulk-plume method is more reliable than the traditional bulk-plume method,becauseλ,as calculated from the improved method,falls within the range ofλvalues obtained from the traditional method using different conserved variables.The probability density functions ofλfor all data,different times,and different heights can be well-fitted by a log-normal distribution,which supports the assumed stochastic entrainment process in previous studies.Further analysis demonstrate that the relationship betweenλand the vertical velocity is better than other thermodynamic/dynamical properties;thus,the vertical velocity is recommended as the primary influencing factor for the parameterization ofλin the future.The results of this study enhance the theoretical understanding ofλand its influencing factors and shed new light on the development ofλparameterization.

Evolution of Superconducting-Transition Temperature with Superfluid Density and Conductivity in Pressurized Cuprate Superconductors

What factors fundamentally determine the value of superconducting transition temperature Tc in high temperature superconductors has been the subject of intense debate.Following the establishment of an empirical law known as Homes'law,there is a growing consensus in the community that the Tc value of the cuprate superconductors is closely linked to the superfluid density(ρ_(s))of its ground state and the conductivity(σ)of its normal state.However,all the data supporting this empirical law(ρ_(s)=AσT_(c))have been obtained from the ambientpressure superconductors.In this study,we present the first high-pressure results about the connection of the quantities of ρ_(s) and σ with T_(c),through the studies on the Bi_(1.74)Pb_(0.38)Sr_(1.88)CuO_(6+δ)and Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ),in which the value of their high-pressure resistivity(ρ=1/σ)is achieved by adopting our newly established method,while the quantity ofρs is extracted using Homes'law.We highlight that the Tc values are strongly linked to the joint response factors of magnetic field and electric field,i.e.,ρ_(s) and σ,respectively,implying that the physics determining T_(c) is governed by the intrinsic electromagnetic fields of the system.

Time series prediction of reservoir bank landslide failure probability considering the spatial variability of soil properties

Historically,landslides have been the primary type of geological disaster worldwide.Generally,the stability of reservoir banks is primarily affected by rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuations.Moreover,the stability of reservoir banks changes with the long-term dynamics of external disastercausing factors.Thus,assessing the time-varying reliability of reservoir landslides remains a challenge.In this paper,a machine learning(ML)based approach is proposed to analyze the long-term reliability of reservoir bank landslides in spatially variable soils through time series prediction.This study systematically investigated the prediction performances of three ML algorithms,i.e.multilayer perceptron(MLP),convolutional neural network(CNN),and long short-term memory(LSTM).Additionally,the effects of the data quantity and data ratio on the predictive power of deep learning models are considered.The results show that all three ML models can accurately depict the changes in the time-varying failure probability of reservoir landslides.The CNN model outperforms both the MLP and LSTM models in predicting the failure probability.Furthermore,selecting the right data ratio can improve the prediction accuracy of the failure probability obtained by ML models.

From VIB‑to VB‑Group Transition Metal Disulfides:Structure Engineering Modulation for Superior Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

The laminated transition metal disulfides(TMDs),which are well known as typical two-dimensional(2D)semiconductive materials,possess a unique layered structure,leading to their wide-spread applications in various fields,such as catalysis,energy storage,sensing,etc.In recent years,a lot of research work on TMDs based functional materials in the fields of electromagnetic wave absorption(EMA)has been carried out.Therefore,it is of great significance to elaborate the influence of TMDs on EMA in time to speed up the application.In this review,recent advances in the development of electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorbers based on TMDs,ranging from the VIB group to the VB group are summarized.Their compositions,microstructures,electronic properties,and synthesis methods are presented in detail.Particularly,the modulation of structure engineering from the aspects of heterostructures,defects,morphologies and phases are systematically summarized,focusing on optimizing impedance matching and increasing dielectric and magnetic losses in the EMA materials with tunable EMW absorption performance.Milestones as well as the challenges are also identified to guide the design of new TMDs based dielectric EMA materials with high performance.