Search Results (19,811)

The four-eyed fir bark beetle Polygraphus proximus Blandford (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) has become an aggressive invader in Siberia’s fir forests in recent decades. However, its spread in the invaded area is not yet complete; this species is absent so far in most of the Siberian fir Abies sibirica Ledeb. range. To predict this process, appropriate models are needed, including at the local level. One of the essential parameters for modeling is the flight characteristics of imago. To evaluate its flight potential, we placed slabs (sections of the bark with a thin sapwood layer) in an area without forests or with forests with an absence of fir at the end of May. The beetles overwintered under the bark in these slabs. We also placed short fir trap logs at distances ranging from 50 to 1500 m in the four cardinal directions from the release point to attract migrating beetles. After the beetles from the slabs had completed their migration, we evaluated the number of parental pairs (male and female) of the four-eyed fir bark beetle on the trap logs (p) and their number per dm² (p_S). The sole factor that affected the colonization of host objects in our experiment was the distance from the release point. The relationship between p and p_S and the distance to the release point can be accurately represented by a negative exponential curve. This experiment established a flight distance of 1500 m, with calculated values of 4919 m for p and 2965 m for p_S. However, an analysis of similar experiments and studies using flight mills suggests that these values may not be extreme in an environment with few and sparse host objects. In conditions of abundant food supply, the actual flight distance of P. proximus beetles is significantly less than the theoretically possible maximum. Full article

Diatomite, a natural adsorbent rich in active silica, serves as a valuable precursor for geopolymer synthesis. The safe disposal of diatomite as a failed lead (Pb(II)) adsorbent is critical to prevent secondary contamination. This study investigated the immobilisation efficiency of geopolymerisation for Pb(II)-rich diatomite sludge. Low-grade diatomite with high ignition loss was utilised in the synthesis of alkali-activated geopolymers. It was demonstrated that the geopolymers achieved a compressive strength of 28.3 MPa with a 50% replacement rate of metakaolin by diatomite sludge, which was not a compromise in strength compared to that of the geopolymer with no Pb(II) (26.2 MPa). The leaching behaviour of Pb(II) was evaluated using water and acetic acid, yielding concentrations below 3 mg/L and immobilisation efficiencies of 95% in both scenarios. Analytical techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) elucidated the mineral composition and chemical environment of the geopolymers. These analyses revealed that Pb(II) migrated from diatomite pores, potentially forming soluble hydroxides under sufficient hydroxide, which then participated in condensation with silicon and aluminium monomers, effectively immobilising Pb(II) within amorphous aluminosilicate gels. Furthermore, the formation of the amorphous gels within diatomite pores hindered Pb(II) leaching, encapsulating Pb(II) effectively. This study presents a novel approach to immobilising heavy metals within building materials, enhancing mineral resource utilisation efficiency while addressing environmental contamination concerns. Full article

Abstract: Numerous approaches targeting hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) have emerged as pivotal therapeutic strategies to mitigate liver fibrosis and are currently undergoing clinical trials. The investigation of herbal drugs or isolated natural active compounds is particularly valuable, due to their multifaceted functions and low risk of side effects. Recent studies have hinted at the potential efficacy of verbascoside (VB) in ameliorating renal and lung fibrosis, yet its impact on hepatic fibrosis remains to be elucidated. This study aims to evaluate the potential effects of VB on liver fibrosis by assessing its ability to inhibit HSC activation. VB demonstrated significant efficacy in suppressing the expression of fibrogenic genes in activated LX-2 cells. Additionally, VB inhibited the migration and proliferation of these activated HSCs by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and downregulating the AMPK pathway. Furthermore, a biosafe reverse microemulsion loaded with VB (VB-ME) was developed to improve VB’s instability and low bioavailability. The optimal formulation of VB-ME was meticulously characterized, revealing substantial enhancements in cellular uptake, ROS-scavenging capacity, and the suppression of HSC activation. Full article

This work demonstrates the potentials of a commercially available few-layer graphene (FLG) in enhancing the electro-dissipative properties, mechanical strength, and UV protection of polyolefin blend composites; interesting features of electronic packaging materials. Polyethylene (PE)/ polypropylene (PP)/ FLG blend composites were prepared following two steps. Firstly, different concentrations of FLG were mixed with either the PE or PP phases. Subsequently, in the second step, this pre-mixture was melt-blended with the other phase of the blend. FLG-filled composites were characterized in terms of electrical conductivity, morphological evolution upon shear-induced deformation, mechanical properties, and UV stability of polyolefin blend composites. Premixing of FLG with the PP phase has been observed to be a better mixing strategy to attain higher electrical conductivity in PE/PP/FLG blend composite. This observation is attributed to the influential effect of FLG migration from a thermodynamically less favourable PP phase to a favourable PE phase via the PE/PP interface. Interestingly, the addition of 4 wt.% (~2 vol.%) and 5 wt.% (~2.5 vol.%) of FLG increased an electrical conductivity of ~10 orders of magnitude in PE/PP—60/40 (1.87 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm) and PE/PP—20/80 (1.25 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm) blends, respectively. Furthermore, shear-induced deformation did not alter the electrical conductivity of the FLG-filled composite, indicating that the conductive FLG network within the composite is resilient to such deformation. In addition, 1 wt.% FLG was observed to be sufficient to retain the original mechanical properties in UV-exposed polyolefin composites. FLG exhibited pronounced UV stabilizing effects, particularly in PE-rich blends, mitigating surface cracking and preserving ductility. Full article

Nearly 28,000 children, ranging from kindergarten to secondary-school age, commute between mainland China and Hong Kong for education on a daily basis. They are known as cross-border students (CBS)—those who legally hold permanent Hong Kong citizenship and attend schools in Hong Kong, but reside in mainland China, a unique population in the context of cross-border migration. Social media has reported various challenges faced by CBS, but systematic research on this population is limited. This study proposes a resilience and social capital framework to understand the psychosocial adjustments of CBS when faced with different levels of adversities. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of 445 CBS, this study examines how family and community social capital promote the self-esteem, mental well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction of CBS through individual resilience in the face of single and multiple adversities. The results of structural equation modelling suggest that family social capital serves as a significant promotive and protective factor for the self-esteem, mental well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction of CBS in the presence of both single and multiple adversities, while community social capital can promote only mental well-being of CBS in the presence of single or no adversity. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings for researchers, parents, and service professionals are also discussed. Full article

Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related death, with the dissemination and colonization of primary tumor cells at the metastatic site facilitated by various molecules and complex pathways. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the metastatic process is critical for the development of effective interventions. Several epigenetic modifications have been identified that play critical roles in regulating cancer metastasis. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of recent advances in understanding the role of epigenetic modifiers, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, enhancer reprogramming, chromatin accessibility, and N6-methyladenosine, in metastasis-associated processes, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer cell migration, and invasion. In particular, this review provides a detailed and in-depth description of the role of crosstalk between epigenetic regulators in tumor metastasis. Additionally, we explored the potential and limitations of epigenetics-related target molecules in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cancer metastasis. Full article

IFNγ, a pleiotropic cytokine produced not only by activated lymphocytes but also in response to cancer immunotherapies, has both antitumor and tumor-promoting functions. In ovarian cancer (OC) cells, the tumor-promoting functions of IFNγ are mediated by IFNγ-induced expression of Bcl3, PD-L1 and IL-8/CXCL8, which have long been known to have critical cellular functions as a proto-oncogene, an immune checkpoint ligand and a chemoattractant, respectively. However, overwhelming evidence has demonstrated that these three genes have tumor-promoting roles far beyond their originally identified functions. These tumor-promoting mechanisms include increased cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, resistance to chemotherapy and immune escape. Recent studies have shown that IFNγ-induced Bcl3, PD-L1 and IL-8 expression is regulated by the same JAK1/STAT1 signaling pathway: IFNγ induces the expression of Bcl3, which then promotes the expression of PD-L1 and IL-8 in OC cells, resulting in their increased proliferation and migration. In this review, we summarize the recent findings on how IFNγ affects the tumor microenvironment and promotes tumor progression, with a special focus on ovarian cancer and on Bcl3, PD-L1 and IL-8/CXCL8 signaling. We also discuss promising novel combinatorial strategies in clinical trials targeting Bcl3, PD-L1 and IL-8 to increase the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. Full article

CdS quantum dots (CdS QDs) are regarded as a promising photocatalyst due to their remarkable response to visible light and suitable placement of conduction bands and valence bands. However, the problem of photocorrosion severely restricts their application. Herein, the CdS QDs-Co₉S₈ hollow nanotube composite photocatalyst has been successfully prepared by loading Co₉S₈ nanotubes onto CdS QDs through an electrostatic self-assembly method. The experimental results show that the introduction of Co₉S₈ cocatalyst can form a stable structure with CdS QDs, and can effectively avoid the photocorrosion of CdS QDs. Compared with blank CdS QDs, the CdS QDs-Co₉S₈ composite exhibits obviously better photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. In particular, CdS QDs loaded with 30% Co₉S₈ (CdS QDs-30%Co₉S₈) demonstrate the best photocatalytic performance, and the H₂ production rate reaches 9642.7 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, which is 60.3 times that of the blank CdS QDs. A series of characterizations confirm that the growth of CdS QDs on Co₉S₈ nanotubes effectively facilitates the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers, thereby improving the photocatalytic hydrogen production properties of the composite. We expect that this work will facilitate the rational design of CdS-based photocatalysts, thereby enabling the development of more low-cost, high-efficiency and high-stability composites for photocatalysis. Full article

In this paper, to obtain antenna arrays with grating lobes suppression capability in wideband and achieve a low peak sidelobe level (PSLL), two non-uniform spiral antenna arrays and an enhanced Harris Hawks optimization (EHHO) algorithm are proposed. By controlling the parameters of the spiral line and sampling equidistant on the spiral line, the sampling points that make up the non-uniform array can be arranged in the plane uniformly and non-uniformly. The simulation results indicate that, because of this special arrangement, the non-uniform arrays obtain the capability of grating lobe suppression in wideband or wide spacing arrangement when compared to the classic uniform array. In addition, to obtain lower PSLL, the Harris Hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm is used for array synthesis because of its diversity of search methods. By employing the step-type taper distribution strategy and the migration strategy, the algorithm’s search ability is enhanced, and the simulation results indicate the EHHO algorithm obtains a better solution in terms of the PSLL than other algorithms. A simple patch antenna is designed to build the non-uniform spiral arrays synthesized by the EHHO algorithm. The calculation and simulation results validate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm. Full article

New discoveries and breakthroughs have been made in recent years in the deep parts of the central Junggar Basin, where the Jurassic reservoirs are unconventionally dense with abnormal overpressure development. The development and distribution of overpressure in this basin and the influence of overpressure on petroleum accumulation were analyzed. There are two extremely high overpressure systems in the Jurassic Badaowan and Xishangyao formations, from where the abnormal overpressure in the strata overburdened Jurassic reservoirs was transferred. Paleopressure simulations show that hydrocarbon generation pressurization of the main source rocks in the Badaowan Formation is a process characterized by at least two phases of overpressure increase followed by a phase of overpressure release. Overpressure inhibits the thermal evolution of source rocks in the study area, resulting in lower values of maturity parameter Ro at depths > 4500 m compared with the normal values at depths < 4500 m. The deep reservoirs > 4500 m are very dense, with strong compaction and little retention of primary pore space, indicating the overpressure did not protect the primary pores, while the over-pressured acidic fluid promoted the formation of dissolved pore space. Overpressure and faults are two key factors of petroleum migration, and they jointly control petroleum accumulation in the central Junggar Basin. Full article

This study investigated the migration patterns of oxygen in the deoxidation process of Ti-48Al alloy scrap using electromagnetic levitation (EML) technology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to analyze the oxygen distribution patterns and migration path during EML. The refining process resulted in three types of oxygen migration: (1) escape from the lattice and evaporation in the form of AlO, Al₂O; (2) formation of metal oxides and remaining in the alloy melt; (3) attachment to the quartz tube wall in the form of metal oxides such as Al₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃. The oxygen content of the scrap was dropped with a deoxidation ratio of 62%. It indicated that EML can greatly promote the migration and removal of oxygen elements in Ti-Al alloy scrap. Full article

In order to investigate the composition and differences in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in yak and cattle-yak meat and determine the key metabolites and metabolic pathways related to flavor formation. In this study, the VOCs and non-volatile metabolites in Longissimus dorsi muscle of two groups of samples were detected and analyzed by gas chromatography–ion migration spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that 31 VOCs were identified by GC-IMS, including 5 alcohols, 5 ketones, 5 esters, 3 aldehydes, 2 furans, 2 hydrocarbons, 1 amine, 1 acid, 1 thiazole, 1 pyrazine, and 5 others. Most of them were alcohols, ketones, esters, and aldehydes. A total of 75 non-volatile metabolites with significant differences were obtained by GC-MS screening, among which amino acid contents such as serine, glycine, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid were significantly up-regulated in cattle-yak, and glutamic acid and tyrosine were significantly up-regulated in yak. The non-volatile differential metabolites in the two groups were significantly enriched in the metabolic pathways of arginine biosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation. By combining GC-IMS and GC-MS, this study comprehensively and intuitively reflected the differences in VOCs between yak and cattle-yak meat, and clarified the metabolomic reasons for the differences in VOCs, so as to provide a theoretical basis for meat quality improvement. Full article

Introduction: War in Ukraine prompted an enormous refugee influx into Europe, including approximately 4200 people with HIV. The unique healthcare features of Ukrainian refugees living with HIV were compared between two infectious disease departments in Bonn, Germany, and Szczecin, Poland. Methods: This is a retrospective study on 161 people living with HIV (PLWH) refugees from Ukraine seeking care in Bonn (n = 30) and Szczecin (n = 131) between April 2022 and May 2023. Demographic, virologic, immunologic, and coinfection data were analyzed. Results: The majority of the studied individuals were female: 64% (n = 84) in Szczecin and 60% (n = 18) in Bonn. The main HIV transmission mode was heterosexual sex in 73.5% (n = 114). All were on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) on arrival, primarily on the TLD regimen (TDF/3TC/DTG) (68.4%, n = 106). In Germany, cART was most frequently switched to BIC/TAF/FTC in 83.4% (n = 25); in Poland, the most common combination was TDF/FTC + DTG (58%, n = 76). A prevalence of replicating hepatitis C was in 11.7% (n = 15), and that for chronic hepatitis B (HBV) was in 4.7% (n = 4). History of past tuberculosis was reported in 16.9% (n = 14, Poland, and n = 7, Germany). Follow-up after 6 months showed immunological reconstitution with a mean increase of CD4+ of 10 (IQR: −69.5–120.5) cells/µL in Poland and 51.5 (IQR: −22.5–135.5) cells/µL in Germany; p = 0.04. Virologic suppression (<40 HIV-RNA/mL) was high in care entry (n = 62; 98%) for Poland, and n = 26 (92.6%) for Germany, and suppression was achieved in the majority of patients in the 6-month control (89.7% in Poland vs. 95.7% in Germany). Conclusions: Health challenges posed by war migration extend beyond HIV to coinfections as HBV, HCV, and tuberculosis give an indication for a broader search for coinfections, often less common in the new country. Full article

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most prevalent type of hematopoietic malignancy. Despite recent therapeutic advancements, the high relapse rate associated with extramedullary involvement remains a challenging issue. Moreover, therapeutic targets that regulate the extramedullary infiltration of AML cells are still not fully elucidated. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) is known to influence the progression and migration of solid tumors; however, its role in AML is largely unknown. This study explored the roles of AHR in the invasion and migration of AML cells. We found that suppressed expression of AHR target genes correlated with an elevated relapse rate in AML. Treatment with an AHR agonist on patient-derived AML cells significantly decreased genes associated with leukocyte trans-endothelial migration, cell adhesion, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. These results were further confirmed in THP-1 and U937 AML cell lines using AHR agonists (TCDD and FICZ) and inhibitors (SR1 and CH-223191). Treatment with AHR agonists significantly reduced Matrigel invasion, while inhibitors enhanced it, regardless of the Matrigel’s stiffness. AHR agonists significantly reduced the migration rate and chemokinesis of both cell lines, but AHR inhibitors enhanced them. Finally, we found that the activity of AHR and the expression of NMIIA are negatively correlated. These findings suggest that AHR activity regulates the invasiveness and motility of AML cells, making AHR a potential therapeutic target for preventing extramedullary infiltration in AML. Full article

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy in men. Although the prognosis in the early stages is good, the treatment of advanced PCa remains a formidable challenge. Even after an initial response to hormone therapy or chemotherapy, recurrences are frequent and resistance to any systemic treatment is common. β-Carotene (BC), a plant-derived tetraterpene, is known for its antioxidant capacity and can modulate multiple cellular signaling pathways, potentially affecting androgen synthesis. We investigated the influence of BC (dissolved in EtOH/THF with a cell culture medium or encapsulated in liposomes (LP-BCs)) on the viability, migration potential, and connective tissue cleavage capabilities of several PCa cell lines (Du145, LNCaP, PC-3, and 22Rv1) and a healthy prostate model (RWPE cells). BC significantly reduced the proliferative capacity of all investigated cell lines at various concentrations (1.5–30 µM) and decreased cell migration. However, it significantly increased the expression of epidermal–mesenchymal transition (EMT) master proteins in all cancer cell lines and RWPE (p < 0.05) These effects were not observed with LP-BCs. This study suggests that LP-BCs, with their higher antiproliferative capabilities and pronounced inhibition of the EMT, may be a more effective form of possible PCa prevention or treatment than the free form. LPs may also modulate lipid metabolism in PCa cells. Full article