Role of NEU3 Overexpression in the Prediction of Efficacy of EGFR-Targeted Therapies in Colon Cancer Cell Lines

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), through the MAP kinase and PI3K-Akt-mTOR axis, plays a pivotal role in colorectal cancer (CRC) pathogenesis. The membrane-associated NEU3 sialidase interacts with and desialylates EGFR by promoting its dimerization and downstream effectors’ activation. Among the targeted therapies against EGFR, the monoclonal antibody cetuximab is active only in a subgroup of patients not carrying mutations in the MAP kinase pathway. In order to better understand the EGFR-NEU3 interplay and the mechanisms of pharmacological resistance, we investigated the role of NEU3 deregulation in cetuximab-treated CRC cell lines transiently transfected with NEU3 using Western blot analysis. Our results indicate that NEU3 overexpression can enhance EGFR activation only if EGFR is overexpressed, indicating the existence of a threshold for NEU3-mediated EGFR activation. This enhancement mainly leads to the constitutive activation of the MAP kinase pathway. Consequently, we suggest that the evaluation of NEU3 expression cannot entirely substitute the evaluation of EGFR because EGFR-negative cases cannot be stimulated by NEU3. Furthermore, NEU3-mediated hyperactivation of EGFR is counterbalanced by the administration of cetuximab, hypothesizing that a combined treatment of NEU3- and EGFR-targeted therapies may represent a valid option for CRC patients, which must be investigated in the future.     

Wire-free electricity: Insights from a techno-futuristic exploration

Wireless Power Transmission is an emerging technology that enables the transmission of electricity without the use of artificial conducting mediums. Lack of significant technological breakthroughs widely affected its progress. In this paper, we analyze the early progress of WPT and attempt to forecast its growth using Pearl curve model. Fisher-Pry substitution model analysis indicates that technology substitution of wired transmission has just begun and half the substitution will be over by 2028. We conducted patent landscaping to identify hot domains and specific technology areas. Implications for technology developers and manufacturers, electric utility providers and national policymakers are also identified.     

Carborane and cyanine conjugated galactose targeted amphiphilic copolymers for potential near infrared imaging-guided boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT)

Near infrared fluorescent galactose targeted glycopolymer containing m-carborane has been synthesized through ring open and atom transfer radical polymerization, followed by post-functionalization with a cyanine NIR dye. The copolymer could self-assemble into micelles which work as a potential agent for imaging-guided boron neutron capture therapy. The NIR micelles revealed no cytotoxicity for HepG2 cells. An enhanced and fast endocytosis due to the specific interaction between the HepG2 cells and the glycopolymer could be traced by fluorescence microscopy, and the bioimaging makes it possible to trace the nanoparticles and provides information where and when the neutron irradiation should be triggered.     

机电控制无级变速器执行机构动态响应特性仿真研究

为研究夹紧力可调的机电控制无级变速器（EMCVT）电控电动执行机构的可靠性，及其速比和从动带轮夹紧力动态响应的影响因素，采用MATLAB/Simulink构建了EMCVT执行机构的动力学模型，设计了针对EMCVT电控电动执行机构的速比和夹紧力闭环控制器。对EMCVT输入转矩突变和目标速比突变两种工况进行了仿真分析，仿真结果表明：速比和从动带轮夹紧力动态响应的超调量和调节时间满足CVT的使用要求，从动带轮夹紧力响应时间小于1s，速比变化率可以达到2；EMCVT速比和从动带轮夹紧力动态响应的主要影响因素是执行电动机的负载和转动方向。     

Temporal information based GoP adaptation for linear video delivery schemes

An original wireless video transmission scheme called SoftCast has been recently proposed to deal with the issues encountered in conventional wireless video broadcasting systems (e.g. cliff effect). In this paper, we evaluate and optimize the performance of the SoftCast scheme according to the transmitted video content. Precisely, an adaptive coding mechanism based on GoP-size adaptation, which takes into account the temporal information fluctuations of the video, is proposed. This extension denoted Adaptive GoP-size mechanism based on Content and Cut detection for SoftCast (AGCC-SoftCast) significantly improves the performance of the SoftCast scheme. It consists in modifying the GoP-size according to the shot changes and the spatio-temporal characteristics of the transmitted video. When hardware capacities, such as buffer or processor performance are limited, an alternative method based only on the shot changes detection (AGCut-SoftCast) is also proposed. Improvements up to 16 dB for the PSNR and up to 0.55 for the SSIM are observed with the proposed solutions at the cut boundaries. In addition, temporal visual quality fluctuations are reduced under 1dB in average, showing the effectiveness of the proposed methods.     

Near-Field Drives Long-Lived Shallow Trapping of Polymeric C3N4 for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Undesired photoelectronic dormancy through active species decay is adverse to photoactivity enhancement. An insufficient extrinsic driving force leads to ultrafast deep charge trapping and photoactive species depopulation in carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄). Excitation of shallow trapping in g-C₃N₄ with long-lived excited states opens up the possibility of pursuing high-efficiency photocatalysis. Herein, a near-field-assisted model is constructed consisting of an In₂O₃-cube/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction associated with ultrafast photodynamic coupling. This In₂O₃-cube-induced near-field assistance system provides catalytic “hot areas”, efficiently enhances the lifetimes of excited states and shallow trapping in g-C₃N₄ and this favors an increased active species density. Optical simulations combined with time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy shows there is a built-in charge transfer and the active species lifetimes are longer in the In₂O₃-cube/g-C₃N₄ hybrid. Besides these properties, the estimated overpotential and interfacial kinetics of the In₂O₃-cube/g-C₃N₄ hybrid co-promotes the liquid phase reaction and also helps in boosting the photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic results exhibit a tremendous improvement (34-fold) for visible-light-driven hydrogen production. Near-field-assisted long-lived active species and the influences of trap states is a novel finding for enhancing (g-C₃N₄)-based photocatalytic performance.     

对称消声器传递损失测量及误差修正

为了提高对称消声器传递损失的测量效率，基于声学理论分析，提出了一种单负载法传递损失计算模型。针对反射系数较大的吸声末端，导致该方法在实际测量中存在较大误差的问题，推导出了一种能够消除测试管道末端反射声波在上、下游形成多次反射的修正公式。通过自制阻抗管进行试验测试，结果表明：在末端声学负载吸声性能良好的情况下，单负载法传递损失计算模型能够精确计算出对称消声器的传递损失；修正公式能够有效地消除末端负载所引起的反射波对传递损失计算的影响，降低对末端声学负载吸声性能的要求，保证单负载传递损失计算模型的适用性。     

Airborne spread of expiratory droplet nuclei between the occupants of indoor environments: A review

This article reviews past studies of airborne transmission between occupants in indoor environments, focusing on the spread of expiratory droplet nuclei from mouth/nose to mouth/nose for non‐specific diseases. Special attention is paid to summarizing what is known about the influential factors, the inappropriate simplifications of the thermofluid boundary conditions of thermal manikins, the challenges facing the available experimental techniques, and the limitations of available evaluation methods. Secondary issues are highlighted, and some new ways to improve our understanding of airborne transmission indoors are provided. The characteristics of airborne spread of expiratory droplet nuclei between occupants, which are influenced correlatively by both environmental and personal factors, were widely revealed under steady‐state conditions. Owing to the different boundary conditions used, some inconsistent findings on specific influential factors have been published. The available instrumentation was too slow to provide accurate concentration profiles for time‐dependent evaluations of events with obvious time characteristics, while computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies were mainly performed in the framework of inherently steady Reynolds‐averaged Navier‐Stokes modeling. Future research needs in 3 areas are identified: the importance of the direction of indoor airflow patterns, the dynamics of airborne transmission, and the application of CFD simulations.