Hypoxia-related THBD+ macrophages as a prognostic factor in glioma: Construction of a powerful risk model.

Glioma is a prevalent malignant tumour characterized by hypoxia as a pivotal factor in its progression. This study aims to investigate the impact of the most severely hypoxic cell subpopulation in glioma. Our findings reveal that the THBD+ macrophage subpopulation is closely associated with hypoxia in glioma, exhibiting significantly higher infiltration in tumours compared to non-tumour tissues. Moreover, a high proportion of THBD+ cells correlates with poor prognosis in glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Notably, THBD+ macrophages exhibit hypoxic characteristics and epithelial-mesenchymal transition features. Silencing THBD expression leads to a notable reduction in the proliferation and metastasis of glioma cells. Furthermore, we developed a THBD+ macrophage-related risk signature (THBDMRS) through machine learning techniques. THBDMRS emerges as an independent prognostic factor for GBM patients with a substantial prognostic impact. By comparing THBDMRS with 119 established prognostic features, we demonstrate the superior prognostic performance of THBDMRS. Additionally, THBDMRS is associated with glioma metastasis and extracellular matrix remodelling. In conclusion, hypoxia-related THBD+ macrophages play a pivotal role in glioma pathogenesis, and THBDMRS emerges as a potent and promising prognostic tool for GBM, contributing to enhanced patient survival outcomes.

Preparation and curing behaviour of microencapsulated curing agents for cold-mixed epoxy asphalt.

This study aimed to improve control over the curing behaviour of cold-mixed epoxy asphalt by using a microencapsulated curing agent (2-PZ@PC). Prepared through solvent evaporation, the 2-PZ@PC microcapsules had 2-phenylimidazole as the core material and polycarbonate as the shell material. The research examined the impact of core-shell mass ratio on microcapsule morphology and composition. Various equations, including the kinetics equation, Kissinger equation, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, and Crane equations, were employed to assess the sustained release effect of 2-PZ@PC microcapsules on epoxy resin curing behaviour. Fluorescence microscopy and viscosity experiments were used to observe the release state of microcapsules and confirm the retardation phenomenon during construction. Optimal 2-PZ@PC microcapsules displayed a smooth spherical morphology and a maximum encapsulation rate of 32 wt% at a 1:1 core-shell ratio. The microencapsulated curing agent effectively regulated cold-mixed epoxy asphalt's curing behaviour, enhancing retention time control and application reliability.

Investigation of the soft carbon microstructure in silicon/carbon anodes for superior lithium storage.

It is essential to consider the controllable microstructure of soft carbon and its enhancement effect on the electrochemical performance of silicon (Si) active materials. In this study, a series of Si@mesocarbon microbead (Si@MCMB) composites were prepared using mesophase pitch as the soft carbon source to coat nano-Si. The results showed that the ordered carbon layer stacking of soft carbon increased slightly with increasing heat treatment temperature in the range of 800-1400 °C. The Si@MCMB composites at higher temperature had a turbostratic carbon layer texture with rich porosity and smaller specific surface area, and had good cycle stability and high rate performance. These results highlighted that the co-existing structure of turbostratic carbon arrays with abundant porosity from soft carbon, provided the electron/ion transfer channels, underwent Si alloy volume change and enhanced the mechanical stability. Importantly, the relationship between the capacity retention rate of the Si@MCMB anodes and the microstructural characteristics (carbon layer and porosity) of soft carbon was established, which provided effective guidance for the design of high-performance silicon/carbon (Si/C) anode materials.

[Effect of acupuncture at Huatuo Jiaji (EX-B2) combined with core muscle training on motor function of lower limbs in patients with hemiplegia after stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture at Huatuo Jiaji (EX-B2) combined with core muscle training on motor function of lower limbs, balance function and core muscle in patients with hemiplegia after stroke. METHODS: A total of ninety-six patients with hemiplegia after stroke were randomly and equally divided into acupuncture, training and combination groups (n=32 cases in each). Patients of the acupuncture group were given acupuncture at the 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th chest vertebrae, and the 1st to 5th lumbar vertebrae of EX-B2. Patients in the training group received core muscle training. In the combination group, both acupuncture treatment and core muscle training were given to the patients. The treatment was conducted once daily, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. The Fugl-Meyer lower limb motor function score (FMA), Berg balance function scale (BBS), Barthel index (BI) and surface electromyography (sEMG) of the erector spinae and rectus abdominis were evaluated before and after treatment and during the follow-up period. RESULTS: Compared with the scores before the treatment, the FMA, BBS and BI scores were obviously increased after the treatment and during the follow-up period in the three groups respectively (P<0.05). After treatment and during the follow-up period, the root mean square (RMS) of erector spinae and rectus abdominis in the sitting position flexed 45° and extended 30° on the healthy and affected side were higher than those of the same side before treatment in the three groups (P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of combination of acupuncture at EX-B2 and core muscle training was obviously superior to that of single acupuncture or single training (P<0.05). Before the treatment, the RMS of erector spinae and rectus abdominis in the sitting position flexed 45° and extended 30° on the affected side were lower than those of the healthy side in the three groups (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the RMS of the erector spinae and rectus abdominis of the affected side and the healthy side in the comprehensive group after treatment and during the follow-up period (P＞0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at EX-B2 combined with core muscle training can significantly improve the balance function and lower limb motor function of patients with hemiplegia after stroke.

The impact of urban land misallocation on inclusive green growth efficiency: evidence from China.

Inclusive green growth (IGG), as a new way to attain sustainable development, aims to achieve comprehensive and coordinated economic, social, and environmental development. How to define IGG and explore its driving factors is key to realizing IGG. This study takes China as an example, using panel data from 30 provinces in Mainland China from 2009 to 2018 for research. The epsilon-based measure (EBM) model and Global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) index are used to evaluate China's IGG, and a spatial panel regression model of the impact of urban land resource misallocation on IGG is established. The research found that (1) China's IGG level from 2009 to 2018 displayed an upward trend, and combined with exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), it was found that IGG has an obvious spatial correlation; (2) the regression model shows that the misallocation of land resources hinders the improvement of IGG in China; and (3) the decomposition of spatial spillover effects demonstrates that the misallocation of land resources has negative externalities, which will also have adverse effects on neighboring areas.

Does environmental regulation induce improved financial development for green technological innovation in China?

The effect of environmental regulations on the nexus between financial development and biased technological innovation is a prerequisite for optimizing systems of environmental and financial policies to gain sustainable development goals (SDGs) in emerging markets. Drawing on China's city-level data from 2003 to 2018, we established econometric models and obtained the following empirical results. Financial development (FD) can promote energy- and environmental-biased technological progress, but, owing to the inverted U-shaped relationship, economic development, and resource endowment, the impact that FD has on biased technological progress is heterogeneous; unreasonable FD will also hinder green technological progress. Threshold model shows that with the improvement of environmental regulation, the impact of energy- and environmental-biased technological progress is also increasing. The development of green finance under SDGs is an important driving force in green technological progress. Finally, we offer suggestions to optimize environmental and financial policymaking and implementation from a government intervention perspective.

The nonlinear impact of fiscal decentralization on carbon emissions: from the perspective of biased technological progress.

The impact of Chinese-style fiscal decentralization (FD) on environmental pollution has been studied. Using data from 285 prefecture-level cities across the country from 2003 to 2018. A panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model of fiscal decentralization's impact on carbon emissions under energy and environmental-biased technology progress is established. The research shows that biased technological progress determines the direction of the impact of FD on carbon emissions. In areas with low level of energy and environmental-biased technological progress, FD increases carbon emissions. FD reduces carbon emissions in areas with higher environmental technology level but increases carbon emissions in areas with higher energy-biased technology progress. This study has theoretical and practical significance for China's decentralization system, biased technological progress, and carbon peak target.

Measuring China's regional inclusive green growth.

In response to the increasing pressure of global resource management and environmental issues and a slowdown in the related economic growth, China has proposed an inclusive green growth strategy based on coordination between society, the economy, and the environment. The alignment of resources with the socio-economic development goals is a key issue that must be addressed for inclusive green growth. A comprehensive directional distance function and slacks-based measure model are proposed to evaluate the inclusive green growth levels of 285 cities in China from 2003 to 2015. The Luenberger indicator is used to decompose the drivers of inclusive green growth. Our research shows that the main obstacle to China's inclusive green growth is the magnitude of technical change, which is not aligned with China's green development level. Hence, it is necessary to coordinate overall inclusive green growth levels using both technical and regional aspects. This research provides a reference not only for China's economic green development, but also for that of developing countries, enabling the coordination of economic development and environmental resource protection.

A spatio-temporal perspective of China's industrial circular economy development.

The circular economy pattern is the key to solve the contradiction between industrial development and resource protection. Based on the principle of the "3Rs" of the circular economy (reduction, reuse, and resource utilization), and combined with the characteristics of industrial and provincial circular economy development from the perspective of material flow analysis, this study constructs an evaluation index system of industrial circular economy in China's provinces. A combination of the global entropy and the coefficient of variation methods is used to calculate the comprehensive index of industrial circular economy development. Furthermore, this study analyzes the development of China's provincial industrial circular economy from the two dimensions of time and space. The results show that China's industrial circular economy developed rapidly during the Eleventh and Twelfth Five-Year Plan periods. Resource output, resource consumption, and resource reuse and waste disposal have improved over time, but the outlook for emissions of major pollutants is not optimistic. China's industrial circular economy has significant spatial correlation and obvious regional differences, since the development of the circular economy requires a large amount of capital input, and the capacity of capital input fundamentally depends on the regional economic situation. Therefore, the spatial agglomeration pattern of China's industrial circular economy is roughly the same as that of China's economic development. Eastern China has the fastest development, followed by the central and northeast regions, while the western region, especially the northwest, lags the other regions.

Moving Model Test of High-Speed Train Aerodynamic Drag Based on Stagnation Pressure Measurements.

A moving model test method based on stagnation pressure measurements is proposed to measure the train aerodynamic drag coefficient. Because the front tip of a high-speed train has a high pressure area and because a stagnation point occurs in the center of this region, the pressure of the stagnation point is equal to the dynamic pressure of the sensor tube based on the obtained train velocity. The first derivation of the train velocity is taken to calculate the acceleration of the train model ejected by the moving model system without additional power. According to Newton's second law, the aerodynamic drag coefficient can be resolved through many tests at different train speeds selected within a relatively narrow range. Comparisons are conducted with wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations, and good agreement is obtained, with differences of less than 6.1%. Therefore, the moving model test method proposed in this paper is feasible and reliable.

Particle-size distribution and phosphorus forms as a function of hydrological forcing in the Yellow River.

Samples were collected monthly from January to December in 2010, and daily observations were made during the water-sediment regulation event in June-July 2010. Sequential extractions were applied to determine the forms of P in different particle-size fractions and to assess the potential bioavailability of particulate phosphorus (PP). The results indicated that exchangeable phosphorus, organic phosphorus, authigenic phosphorus, and refractory phosphorus increased with the decreasing of particulate size; conversely, detrital phosphorus decreased with the decreasing of particulate size. The content of bioavailable particulate phosphorus (BAPP) varied greatly in different sizes of particles. In general, the smaller the particle size, the higher the content of bioavailable phosphorus and its proportion in total phosphorous was found in these particles. Hydrological forcing controlled the variability in the major P phases found in the suspended sediments via changes in the sources and the particle grain-size distribution. The variation of particle sizes can be attributed also to different total suspended sediment (TSS) sources. Water-sediment regulation (WSR) mobilized only particulate matter from the riverbed, while during the rainstorm soil erosion and runoff were the main source. The BAPP fluxes associated with the "truly suspended" fraction was approximately 200 times larger than the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) flux. Thus, the transfer of fine particles to the open sea is most probably accompanied by BAPP release to the DIP and can support greater primary and secondary production.

[Distribution of phosphorus in surface sediments from the Yellow River estuary wetland].

Surface sediments were collected from Yellow River estuary wetland. The distribution of phosphorus in sediments was analyzed with modified SEDEX. The results indicated that the contents of TP in surface sediments varied from 12.12 micromol x g(-1) to 25.37 micromol x g(-1), and the mean value was 20.70 micromol x g(-1), in which the Detrital P and Authigenic P were the main forms. Median particle size was closely related with the distribution of phosphors, Exchangeable P, Authigenic P and Organic P mainly consisted of smaller sediment size, while Detrital P mainly consisted of larger sediment size. The distribution of P in sediment was affected by organic matter. Exchangeable P, organic P and refractory P increased with the increasing TOC. The bio-available phosphorus included exchangeable P, iron-bound P,organic P and ranged from 1.15-6.74 micromol x g(-1), with an average of 4.27 micromol x g(-1) for all sediment samples. The contribution of BAP to TP was 6.35% -30.4%.