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The unique microstructures of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) provide them with excellent mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, having important applications in the fields of medical devices, military equipment, aerospace, etc. However, the superb mechanical properties also contribute to poor machinability of the BMGs. Currently, researchers have proposed to improve the machinability by single-point diamond turning, laser-assisted machining and ultrasonic vibration-assisted machining, but their plasticity and viscous flow remain unchanged, thus restraining further enhancement of surface quality. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma jet (APCPJ), which is rich in active particles, can effectively ameliorate material machinability by modulating material properties. In this paper, we propose to use the APCPJ to regulate the properties of BMGs, and carry out nanoindentation, nanoscratching, and micro-milling experiments to investigate the influence mechanisms of APCPJ on the material properties and cutting process. The results demonstrate that after modified by APCPJ, plastic deformability of the BMGs is improved due to the increase of free volume content; meanwhile, the viscous flow is inhibited. The micro-milling experiments indicate that under the conditions of feed rate V f = 500 μm/s, spindle speed n = 30,000 rpm, and cutting depth a p = 5 μm, the improvement effect of APCPJ on the cutting process is relatively optimum. The surface roughness Ra of the Zr-based BMG and Ti-based BMG obtained by APCPJ are respectively 0.076 μm and 0.081 μm, which can be reduced by 37.7 % and 38.2 % compared with dry micro-milling. The cutting forces F z in the direction of cutting depth are also reduced by 30.9 % and 23.3 %, respectively. The APCPJ-assisted micro-milling method proposed in this work may ameliorate the machining quality of BMGs and promote the application of BMGs and APCPJ-assisted machining technology in aerospace and precision machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical force loading is essential for maintaining bone homeostasis, and unloading exposure can lead to bone loss. Osteoclasts are the only bone resorbing cells and play a crucial role in bone remodeling. The molecular mechanisms underlying mechanical stimulation-induced changes in osteoclast function remain to be fully elucidated. Our previous research found Ca2+-activated Cl− channel Anoctamin 1 (Ano1) was an essential regulator for osteoclast function. Here, we report that Ano1 mediates osteoclast responses to mechanical stimulation. In vitro, osteoclast activities are obviously affected by mechanical stress, which is accompanied by the changes of Ano1 levels, intracellular Cl− concentration and Ca2+ downstream signaling. Ano1 knockout or calcium binding mutants blunts the response of osteoclast to mechanical stimulation. In vivo, Ano1 knockout in osteoclast blunts loading induced osteoclast inhibition and unloading induced bone loss and. These results demonstrate that Ano1 plays an important role in mechanical stimulation induced osteoclast activity changes. An essential role of the Ca2+-activated Cl− channel, Anoctamin 1, is identified in mediating the response of osteoclasts to mechanical stimulation. Ano1 knockout in osteoclasts inhibits unloading- induced osteoclast activation and unloading-induced bone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnon, an elementary excitation of an orderly magnetic system, is currently receiving substantial attention due to its excellent spin transmission properties. Researchers have observed a clear correlation between magnon transport properties and temperature. Existing theories do include the influence of temperature, but cannot clearly explain many phenomena, including a detected abnormal negative signal. In this article, we build a new magnon transport theory based on the Boltzmann method, which incorporates a magnetic field-induced "anti-diffusion" driving term, a magnon-phonon interaction induced thermal driving term, and diverse scattering terms, such as a scattering process which leads magnons to a special state with a collective velocity. We claim that collective velocity is the crucial factor in producing an abnormally negative signal. We formulated an equation capturing the system's spin properties, which we solved. Our results qualitatively explain the abnormal phenomenon observed in experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire is essential in altering land ecosystems' structures, processes, and functions. As a critical disturbance in the China–Mongolia–Russia cross-border area, it is vital to understand the potential drivers of wildfires and predict where wildfires are more likely to occur. This study assessed factors affecting wildfire using the Random Forest (RF) model. No single factor played a decisive role in the incidence of wildfires. However, the climatic variables were most critical, dominating the occurrence of wildfires. The probability of wildfire occurrence was simulated and predicted using the Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). The particle swarm optimization (PSO) model and genetic algorithm (GA) were used to optimize the ANFIS model. The hybrid ANFIS models performed better than single ANFIS for the training and validation datasets. The hybrid ANFIS models, such as PSO-ANFIS and GA-ANFIS, overcome the over-fitting problem of the single ANFIS model at the learning stage of the wildfire pattern. The high classification accuracy and good model performance suggest that PSO-ANFIS can be used to predict the probability of wildfire occurrence. The probability map illustrates that high-risk areas are mainly distributed in the northeast part of the study area, especially the grassland and forest area of Dornod Province of Mongolia, Buryatia, and Chita state of Russia, and the northeast part of Inner Mongolia, China. The findings can be used as reliable estimates of the relative likelihood of wildfire hazards for wildfire management in the region covered or vicinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore whether the defect of visual function is a risk factor of knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sports injury and to provide a theoretical basis for the primary prevention of ACL sports injury. This cross-sectional study included 392 participants divided into two groups: the sports injury group (287 with sports injury of knee) and the control group (105 healthy volunteers). Participants in the sports injury group were further divided into the ACL-Intact group (133) and the ACL-Deficient group (154). Participants in the sports injury group received a questionnaire about the conditions of their injury (including injury action, site condition, weather, contact) and a visual examination by synoptophore (including binocular vision, subjective and objective oblique angle, visual fusion range, stereoacuity). Participants in the control group only received the visual examination. In the end, we found that low visual fusion range (p = 0.003) and injury action, especially quick turn (p = 0.001), sudden stop (p < 0.001) and jump (p = 0.001), are the major risk factors for ACL injury in the analysis of the integrated data. In addition, athletes with low vision fusion range have increased risk of ACL sports injury when they make a sudden stop on wooden floor, plastic floor or cement floor on cloudy days (OR = 13.208). Visual factors, especially low fusion range, significantly increase the risk of ACL sports injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy has been widely reported to alleviate neuropathic pain with few side effects in both clinical practice and animal studies worldwide. However, little is known about the comparison of the therapeutic efficacy among the diverse EA schemes used for neuropathic pain. The present study is aimed at investigating the therapeutic efficacy discrepancy between the single and combined-acupoint EA and to reveal the difference of mechanisms behind them. Electroacupuncture was given at both Zusanli (ST36) and Huantiao (GB30) in the combined group or ST36 alone in the single group. Paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) was measured to determine the pain level. Electrophysiology was performed to detect the effects of EA on synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn of the vGlut2-tdTomato mice. Spinal contents of endogenous opioids, endocannabinoids, and their receptors were examined. Inhibitors of CBR (cannabinoid receptor) and opioid receptors were used to study the roles of opioid and endocannabinoid system (ECS) in EA analgesia. We found that combined-acupoint acupuncture provide stronger analgesia than the single group did, and the former inhibited the synaptic transmission at the spinal level to a greater extent than later. Besides, the high-intensity stimulation at ST36 or normal stimulation at two sham acupoints did not mimic the similar efficacy of analgesia in the combined group. Acupuncture stimulation in single and combined groups both activated the endogenous opioid system. The ECS was only activated in the combined group. Naloxone totally blocked the analgesic effect of single-acupoint EA; however, it did not attenuate that of combined-acupoint EA unless coadministered with CBR antagonists. Hence, in the CCI-induced neuropathic pain model, combined-acupoint EA at ST36 and GB30 is more effective in analgesia than the single-acupoint EA at ST36. EA stimulation at GB30 alone neither provided a superior analgesic effect to EA treatment at ST36 nor altered the content of AEA, 2-AG, CB1 receptor, or CB2 receptor compared with the CCI group. Activation of the ECS is the main contributor of the better analgesia by the combined acupoint stimulation than that induced by single acupoint stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnon, an elementary excitation of an orderly magnetic system, has recently received a great deal of attention due to its excellent spin transmission properties. Many researchers have observed a strong correlation between magnon transport properties and temperature. Although existing theories already include the influence of temperature, they cannot clearly explain many phenomena. In this article, we introduce a new scattering process, inspired by the nature of the magnon itself and based on the Boltzmann method, which clearly impacts the transport properties of the magnon. This new scattering process is named Normal scattering, and makes the transport of the magnon exhibit a fluid-like property, which can be captured by a viscous fluid transport equation. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with experimental results and the proportion of Normal scattering in the overall scattering changes with temperature, which convincingly explains the temperature dependence of magnon transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical forces are essential to maintain skeletal homeostasis, and microgravity exposure leads to bone loss. During space flight, bone mineral density is decreased because of the inactivation of osteoblast and activation of osteoclast. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still not clear. CD44 acts as a cellular surface adhesion molecule, which plays an important role in signal transduction between cells. Numerous studies have shown that CD44 plays diverse roles in promoting pre-osteoclast fusion. However, the role of CD44 in the alteration of osteoclast function induced by simulated microgravity remains to be fully elucidated. In this work, we utilized a ground-based, microgravity-simulation system, the Rotating Wall Vessel Bioreactor (RWVB). Using the RWVB, we demonstrated that simulated microgravity enhanced osteoclast function, meantime CD44 mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased. To verify the effects of CD44 on alteration of osteoclast function induced by simulated microgravity, specific siRNAs targeting CD44 were transfected. The results showed knockdown of CD44 inhibited the alteration of osteoclast function induced by simulated microgravity. Moreover, we found that clinorotation activated the NF-κB/NFATc1-mediated signaling pathway, which was downregulated after knockdown of CD44. Our study provided evidence that CD44 positively regulated osteoclast function and therapeutic suppression of CD44 may counteract bone loss induced by simulated microgravity. • CD44 was significantly increased in osteoclasts under SMG. • Knockdown of CD44 inhibited the upregulation of osteoclast function under SMG. • CD44 mediated the activation of osteocalsts through NFκB/NFATc1 pathway under SMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's rapid urbanization growth during the past decades which has highly promoted its affluence has induced various challenges for the countryside. The problem of rural decline of quite many villages which are suffering depopulation in turn challenges the urbanization sustainability in China. By way of in-depth historical and literature review, the paper finds distorted urban-rural relationship and the tendency of village decline owing to China's long time urban biased policy. By further investigating China's new-type urbanization strategy, the paper draws concerns about future rural development which is less mentioned in the plan. It calls for ruralization and actions to revitalize the countryside so as to be adapted to China's new-type urbanization plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A synergistic combined strategy with quinolinic acid (QA) and DMF was developed. • A multi-passivation mechanism of QA was investigated. • The high-quality perovskite films with grain size over 1 µm were formed. • A champion device with undoped PEDOT:PSS with a PCE of 18.56% was fabricated. We developed a new combined method in which quinolinic acid (QA) passivation and DMF solvent annealing are carried out sequentially to enhance the performance of inverted perovskite solar cells. Upon systematic investigation, we found that: 1). One QA molecule not only passivates more than one defects within lattice or neighboring lattices, creating a multi-passivation effect, but also enhances the interactions between lattices, due to pyridine ring and dicarboxylic acid functional groups in the molecule; 2). By combining with DMF solvent annealing post-treatment sequentially, high quality perovskite films with very large grain size over 1 µm are obtained on the substrate of PEDOT: PSS. As a result, the PSC fabricated with the combined method demonstrates an excellent humidity stability and yields a PCE of 18.56% with 20% and 11.6% increment of V oc and J sc , respectively. To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest reported PCE for inverted PSCs with undoped PEDOT:PSS as hole transporting layer. Therefore, our work indicates that the combined strategy of multi-passivation with QA and solvent annealing with DMF sequentially has a significant potential for highly-efficient and stable inverted planar PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Sequence alignment is one of the most popular tools of modern biology. NCBI's PSI-BLAST utilizes iterative model building in order to better detect distant homologs with greater sensitivity than non-iterative BLAST. However, PSI-BLAST's performance is limited by the fact that it relies on deterministic alignments. Using a semi-probabilistic alignment scheme such as Hybrid alignment should allow for better informed model building and improved identification of homologous sequences, particularly remote homologs.Results: We have built a new version of the tool in which the Smith-Waterman alignment algorithm core is replaced by the hybrid alignment algorithm. The favorable statistical properties of the hybrid algorithm allow the introduction of position-specific gap penalties in Hybrid PSI-BLAST. This improves the position-specific modeling of protein families and results in an overall improvement of performance.Availability: Source code is freely available for download at http://bioserv.mps.ohio-state.edu/HybridPSI, implemented in C and supported on linux.Contact: bundschuh@mps.ohio-state.eduSupplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Sevoflurane preconditioning induces brain ischemic tolerance, but the mechanism remains poorly elucidated. Nitration is an important form of post-translational modification in pathological signaling. This study was to investigate the role of thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) nitration in neuroprotection effect induced by sevoflurane preconditioning in a transient stroke model in rats. Methods: Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were preconditioned with 2% sevoflurane or vehicle oxygen exposure, 1 h per day, for 5 consecutive days. At 24 h after the last exposure, rats were subjected to focal brain ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 90 min, followed by 72-h reperfusion. Trx-1 expression and activity, as well as the content of nitrotyrosine at penumbra were detected at 24 h after preconditioning and 2, 8, 24, 72 h after MCAO. Nitrated Trx-1 was examined by immunoprecipitation at 8 h after MCAO. The role of Trx-1 nitration in ischemic tolerance was assessed by administration of nitrated human-Trx-1 prior to MCAO. Neurological scores, brain infarct volumes and TUNEL staining were evaluated at 24 h after reperfusion. Results: Ischemic stroke decreased Trx-1 activity but not the expression in penumbra tissue. The content of nitrotyrosine was elevated after MCAO. Preconditioning with sevoflurane increased Trx-1 activity and reduced its nitration at 8 h after MCAO in comparison with vehicle preconditioning. The decrement of Trx-1 activity was correlated with its nitration level. Exogenous administration of nitrated human-Trx-1 reversed the brain ischemic tolerance of sevoflurane preconditioning, exacerbating brain infarct volume, neurobehavioral defects and apoptosis, while administration of human-Trx-1 had no effect on the sevoflurane preconditioning-induced neuroprotection. Conclusion: Ischemic stroke reduces Trx-1 activity via post-translational nitrative modulation in rats. Sevoflurane preconditioning induces brain ischemic tolerance and anti-apoptosis by partially preserving Trx-1 activity via inhibiting nitration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) MXene-based materials are gained significant attention as a prospective anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their superior metallic conductivity, high volumetric capacitance, and thermal stability. However, the unsatisfactory electrochemical performance of MXene-based anodes essentially restricts their practical use attributed to the prevalent interlayer stacking. The urchin-like Ti 3 C 2 @CNTs involve grafting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the 3D hollow MXene via catalytic growth could promise to overcome this obstacle. As conductive bridges, the CNTs further expedite the exchange of charges at the interface, resulting in improved electrochemical kinetics of the composite, which exhibits a high specific capacity of 286.2 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 2000 cycles. Beneficial from the well-designed architecture, outstanding microwave absorption was achieved with the optimal reflection loss of −48.1 dB covering the C band. This study proposed a practical strategy for fabricating the Ti 3 C 2 @CNTs composite in high-performance lithium-ion batteries and microwave absorbers. • An effective strategy is to prepare a 3D urchin-like Ti 3 C 2 @CNTs composite. • The 3D Ti 3 C 2 @CNTs electrode displays a high specific capacity of 286.2 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 2000 cycles. • The composite exhibits outstanding microwave absorption with the optimal reflection loss of –48.1 dB covering the C band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop a temperature-sensitive perm agent that can reduce the risk of the active ingredient sodium thioglycolate (TGA(Na) in the perm agent to humans. We found that the loading of TGA(Na) in the pure poloxamer formulation reduces its gelation temperature and allows it to gel at room temperature, so we added cationic surfactants to increase its gelation temperature. The temperature-sensitive perm agent was prepared by adjusting the ratio of additives to the desired temperature, and it remained liquid below 32 °C and solidified on contact with the scalp (32 °C). The release behavior of sodium thioglycolate was studied by in vitro release studies and rheology, and the perm performance was investigated. The results showed that its perm efficiency was comparable to that of conventional perm agents, but its sodium thioglycolate transdermal volume was much lower than that of conventional perm agents, with a reduction of nearly 62 %. These results suggest the potential of the temperature-sensitive perm as a healthier alternative for perm design products. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Paper-based cascade sensitized structure of CuInSe 2 /Cu 3 (BTC) 2 /Y:ZnO was assembled. • The entropy-driven SDA propelled DNAzyme roller amplification strategy was designed. • Surface plasmon resonance-enhanced cascaded sensitization effect was proposed. Herein, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-enhanced cascaded sensitization effect of CuInSe 2 /Cu 3 (BTC) 2 /yttrium doped ZnO (Y:ZnO) photosensitive structures were integrated on lab-on-paper photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing platform for the ultrasensitive detection of microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) based on entropy-driven strand displacement amplification (SDA) propelled DNAzyme roller amplification strategy. The Y element doping equipped the paper-based Y:ZnO nanorods with enhanced PEC performance, which was further cosensitized with Cu 3 (BTC) 2 metal-organic framework (MOF) and CuInSe 2 quantum dots (QDs), giving a cascaded sensitization effect for generating a robust and stable photocurrent signal. The SPR effect between CuInSe 2 QDs and Au nanoparticles (NPs) was activated with the aid of entropy-driven SDA propelled DNAzyme roller amplification-induced conversion of target miRNA-21 to Au NPs-labelled track DNA (track DNA-Au), which could effectively promote the photogenerated carrier separation and transfer of CuInSe 2 /Cu 3 (BTC) 2 /Y:ZnO cascade sensitized structures via hot-electron transfer mechanism, further enhancing the photocurrent signal. Based on this designed "signal-on" mode, the quantitative detection of miRNA-21 was achieved with high sensitivity, good specificity, and excellent practicability, which provided a promising model for developing lab-on-paper diagnostic tool for biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate deep-learning-based image inpainting techniques for emergency remote sensing mapping. Image inpainting can generate fabricated targets to conceal real-world private structures and ensure informational privacy. However, casual inpainting outputs may seem incongruous within original contexts. In addition, the residuals of original targets may persist in the hiding results. A Residual Attention Target-Hiding (RATH) model has been proposed to address these limitations for remote sensing target hiding. The RATH model introduces the residual attention mechanism to replace gated convolutions, thereby reducing parameters, mitigating gradient issues, and learning the distribution of targets present in the original images. Furthermore, this paper modifies the fusion module in the contextual attention layer to enlarge the fusion patch size. We extend the edge-guided function to preserve the original target information and confound viewers. Ablation studies on an open dataset proved the efficiency of RATH for image inpainting and target hiding. RATH had the highest similarity, with a 90.44 % structural similarity index metric (SSIM), for edge-guided target hiding. The training parameters had 1 M fewer values than gated convolution (Gated Conv). Finally, we present two automated target-hiding techniques that integrate semantic segmentation with direct target hiding or edge-guided synthesis for remote sensing mapping applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Chinese government's emergency emissions reduction strategy which aims to reduce air pollution and mentions topics including a decline in the concentration of particulate matter and a study about the environmental effects of urban and rural development.

A letter to the editor is presented related to a study on geological implications of China's land creation projects, led by researcher Peiyue Li and others.

Aliasing refers to the phenomenon that high frequency signals degenerate into completely different ones after sampling. It arises as a problem in the context of deep learning as downsampling layers are widely adopted in deep architectures to reduce parameters and computation. The standard solution is to apply a low-pass filter (e.g., Gaussian blur) before downsampling (Zhang in: ICML, 2020). However, it can be suboptimal to apply the same filter across the entire content, as the frequency of feature maps can vary across both spatial locations and feature channels. To tackle this, we propose an adaptive content-aware low-pass filtering layer, which predicts separate filter weights for each spatial location and channel group of the input feature maps. We investigate the effectiveness and generalization of the proposed method across multiple tasks, including image classification, semantic segmentation, instance segmentation, video instance segmentation, and image-to-image translation. Both qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate that our approach effectively adapts to the different feature frequencies to avoid aliasing while preserving useful information for recognition. Code is available at https://maureenzou.github.io/ddac/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fabrication of slippery coating without loss of lubricant. • The resistance to the loss of lubricants. • Quantum chemical calculation of interaction energy between silicone oil and polyorganosilazane molecules. • The better anti-icing and anti-corrosion ability. Inspired by Nepenthes pitcher plant, slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) has been received great concern. However, the fabrication and application of SLIPS generally cannot avoid the complicated construction of the micro/nanostructures and the loss of the lubricant. In addition, despite another slippery covalently surface can exhibit liquid-like properties of SLIPS, the chemical grafting reaction conditions are usually harsh and low-efficiency. To address these challenges, herein an easy, high-efficiency and non-fluorinated strategy to create a flat slippery coating without the loss of lubricant (SCLL) was reported. The better flatness and the own hydrophobicity of the cured polyorganosilazane (PSZ) combined with the silicone oil molecules on its surface endowed the SCLL excellent slippery property. Moreover, the strong intermolecular attraction and the large adhesion work originated from the chemical affinity between PSZ and silicone oil molecules allowed the proposed SCLL with no lubricant loss. We further showed the SCLL has promising application prospects in the ice resistance, indicated by its longer icing-delaying time and lower ice adhesion strength, compared with original Al surface. Our envision is that SCLL may be applied in the practical industry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the core technologies of electric vehicles (EVs), the state of charge (SOC) estimation algorithm of lithium-ion batteries is directly related to the performance of the battery management system (BMS). Before EVs are put into the market, the SOC estimation algorithm must be tested and verified to ensure the reliability of the BMS and the safe operation of EVs. Therefore, this paper establishes a lithium-ion batteries' SOC estimation algorithm verification platform for the comprehensive performance evaluation and verification of the new SOC estimation algorithm. In addition, there are two schemes, including real-time SOC estimation verification and offline SOC estimation verification can be selected, which improve the reliability and efficiency of verification. Firstly, the design idea of the verification platform (the research and development purpose, functional requirements, and the overall design scheme) is introduced in detail. Secondly, the modular design idea is used to design the hardware structure of the verification platform, which mainly includes the BMS host module, BMS slave module, battery charger module, and electronic load module. Finally, the software system, including the communication architecture, the SOC reference standard and evaluation indexes of the algorithm, and the upper computer function and implementation is designed to realize the functions of the verification platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new synergistic emulsification mechanism of O/W Pickering HIPEs was proposed. • A green and eco-friendly hydrogel with hyperbranched imprinted sites was designed. • The sorbents exhibit rapid capture kinetics, high absorption capacity and excellent selectivity. • A lasting adsorption stability were realized in practical samples. Hyperbranched sorbents has attracted extensive concern from scholars at home and abroad owing to its rich surface termination recognition units and hyperbranched crosslinking structure. In this work, a new kind of porous hyperbranched boronate affinity molecularly imprinted hydrogel (PHs@CNCs@Y-Br-MIPs) were prepared via Pickering emulsion template method for selective separation and purification of flavonoids in complex agricultural wastewater. The novel multi-response hyperbranched Pickering particles based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can effectively enhanced the biocompatibility, hydrophilic, and interface stability of the emulsion system. Meanwhile, the introduction of dipentaerythritol hexyl (3-mercaptopropionic acid) (DH) in CNCs@SH@Y-Br could provide abundant hyperbranched anchor groups for immobilizing template molecules, resulting in the formation of more specific binding sites. In addition, the 4-formyl-1,2 phenylbis (2-bromo-2-methyl protocarbamate) (Y-shaped initiator) can precisely regulate the distribution of imprinted site and imprinted efficiency via atomic radical polymerization (ATRP). As expected, the resulting PHs@CNCs@Y-Br-MIPs showed fast adsorption kinetics (360 min) for NRG under pH = 7.4 and the excellent NRG adsorption capacity (Q max = 42.28 μmol g−1). Compared to non-imprinted polymer, the PHs@CNCs@Y-Br-MIPs exhibited the promising imprinting factors (IF = 2.74) owing to the abundant boronate affinity sites numbers of 46.81 μmol g−1 and the high-affnity binding site density of 0.56 μmol/m2 on PHs@CNCs@Y-Br-MIPs. The adsorption–desorption cycles proved excellent regenerability (only 6.79 % loss) after six adsorption–desorption cycles. Furthermore, the NRG extraction rate of PHs@CNCs@Y-Br-MIPs increased to 93.61 %. The purified NRG had good antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (13.17 mm of antibacterial bands). As such, the ability to hyperbranched imprinted polymers-regulate the recognition site density and selectivity highlights their significance in functioning as smart porous imprinted sorbents for separation and purification of targeted flavonoid molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An innovative emulsion interfacial assembly imprinted strategy was designed. • The optimized adsorbent has excellent biocompatibility and mechanical ability. • Hyperbranched imprinted sites facilitate NRG adsorption at multicomponent extract. • The outstanding adsorption selectivity in practical natural products can be enabled. Hydrogel-based molecular imprinted materials have attracted much attention in separation science and technology. However, traditional hydrogel imprinting sorbents face the limited number of imprinting sites, resulting in low adsorption capacity. Herein, a novel hyperbranched boronate affinity imprinted hydrogel (APOH-BA-MIPs) was prepared based on emulsion microreactors for the specific separation of flavoniods. Interestingly, the new Pickering particles (CNCs@GMA@SH-A-CD) with hyperbranched anchor groups and suitable hydrophilic properties were fabricated, which significantly grafted the specific recognizing sites. Meanwhile, the cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cyclodextrins (CDs) composite can effectively enhance the emulsion stability. The addition of functioned CNCs solid emulsifier would effectively enhance the mechanical stability of micro-nano imprinting assembly sorbents during the adsorption process. The mechanical properties of the resulting APOH-BA-MIPs were also improved (Young's moduli 1.73 MPa). The results of adsorption experiments of APOH-BA-MIPs show fast adsorption kinetics (300 min) for NRG under pH = 7.4. The APOH-BA-MIPs still exhibited a significant adsorption capacity (56.03 μmol g−1 at 308 K) for NRG compared to other structural analogues, such as CC, RT, QRCT, ARS and LTL. The imprinting factor (IF) of 3.24 was observed for APOH-BA-MIPs compared to their non-imprinted counterpart. The high affinity site number of APOH-BA-MIPs were calculated to be as high as 53.11 μmol g−1. The regeneration performance of APOH-BA-MIPs still remained at 93.75 % after seven adsorption–desorption cycles. Additionally, the purity can be extracted from agricultural waste pomelo peel to 91.37 %. The purified NRG exhibited excellent antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus. This work provides a new strategy for the fabrication of micr-nano imprinted sorbents with abundant and uniform recognition sites for specific capture flavonoid molecules from agricultural waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Without adequate treatment, pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by sustained pressure overload eventually leads to heart failure. WWP1 (WW domain-containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1) is an important regulator of aging-related pathologies, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of WWP1 in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling and heart failure is yet to be determined.Methods: To examine the correlation of WWP1 with hypertrophy, we analyzed WWP1 expression in patients with heart failure and mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. TAC surgery was performed on WWP1 knockout mice to assess the role of WWP1 in cardiac hypertrophy, heart function was examined by echocardiography, and related cellular and molecular markers were examined. Mass spectrometry and coimmunoprecipitation assays were conducted to identify the proteins that interacted with WWP1. Pulse-chase assay, ubiquitination assay, reporter gene assay, and an in vivo mouse model via AAV9 (adeno-associated virus serotype 9) were used to explore the mechanisms by which WWP1 regulates cardiac remodeling. AAV9 carrying cardiac troponin T (cTnT) promoter-driven small hairpin RNA targeting WWP1 (AAV9-cTnT-shWWP1) was administered to investigate its rescue role in TAC-induced cardiac dysfunction.Results: The WWP1 level was significantly increased in the hypertrophic hearts from patients with heart failure and mice subjected to TAC. The results of echocardiography and histology demonstrated that WWP1 knockout protected the heart from TAC-induced hypertrophy. There was a direct interaction between WWP1 and DVL2 (disheveled segment polarity protein 2). DVL2 was stabilized by WWP1-mediated K27-linked polyubiquitination. The role of WWP1 in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy was mediated by the DVL2/CaMKII/HDAC4/MEF2C signaling pathway. Therapeutic targeting WWP1 almost abolished TAC induced heart dysfunction, suggesting WWP1 as a potential target for treating cardiac hypertrophy and failure.Conclusions: We identified WWP1 as a key therapeutic target for pressure overload induced cardiac remodeling. We also found a novel mechanism regulated by WWP1. WWP1 promotes atypical K27-linked ubiquitin multichain assembly on DVL2 and exacerbates cardiac hypertrophy by the DVL2/CaMKII/HDAC4/MEF2C pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the optimal interpolation (OI) algorithm, a daily fusion product of high-resolution global ocean columnar atmospheric water vapor with a resolution of 0.25° was generated in this study from multisource remote sensing observations. The product covers the period from 2003 to 2018, and the data represent a fusion of microwave radiometer observations, including those from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS), WindSat, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System sensor (AMSR-E), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2), and HY-2A microwave radiometer (MR). The accuracy of this water vapor fusion product was validated using radiosonde water vapor observations. The comparative results show that the overall mean deviation (Bias) is smaller than 0.6 mm; the root mean square error (RMSE) and standard deviation (SD) are better than 3 mm, and the mean absolute deviation (MAD) and correlation coefficient (R) are better than 2 mm and 0.98, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Bone loss is common in AS, and miR-214 plays an important role in regulating bone formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-214, the production of which is stimulated by IL-17A, on bone loss in AS. Methods Peripheral blood was obtained from 32 patients with AS and 24 healthy controls. Levels of IL-17A, soluble RANK ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin in serum were evaluated by ELISA, and the relative level of miR-214 in serum was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. In addition, we assessed the relationship between levels of miR-214, IL-17A and bone loss in primary murine osteoblasts and mouse bone marrow cells. Results The expression of RANKL and miR-214 in osteoblasts was increased following stimulation by IL-17A, and osteoblasts stimulated by IL-17A promoted the expression of miR-214 in osteoclasts and the activity of osteoclasts. We showed that osteoblast-derived miR-214 could be transferred to osteoclasts and could then regulate their activity. The levels of IL-17A and miR-214 were much higher in the serum of patients with AS than in that of healthy controls, and the relative level of miR-214 was positively correlated with the level of IL-17A in the serum and synovial fluid of the patients with AS, not healthy controls. The level of miR-214 in the serum of AS patients has potential diagnostic value. Conclusion The production of miR-214 in osteoblasts is stimulated by IL-17A. It is an important inhibitor of bone formation in AS, and the serum level of miR-214 might be of potential diagnostic value for AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cardiac Ca2+ signalling plays an essential role in regulating excitation‐contraction coupling and cardiac remodelling. However, the response of cardiomyocytes to simulated microgravity and hypergravity and the effects on Ca2+ signalling remain unknown. Here, we elucidate the mechanisms underlying the proliferation and remodelling of HL‐1 cardiomyocytes subjected to rotation‐simulated microgravity and 4G hypergravity. Materials and Methods: The cardiomyocyte cell line HL‐1 was used in this study. A clinostat and centrifuge were used to study the effects of microgravity and hypergravity, respectively, on cells. Calcium signalling was detected with laser scanning confocal microscopy. Protein and mRNA levels were detected by Western blotting and real‐time PCR, respectively. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining was used to analyse cell size. Results: Our data showed that spontaneous calcium oscillations and cytosolic calcium concentration are both increased in HL‐1 cells after simulated microgravity and 4G hypergravity. Increased cytosolic calcium leads to activation of calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II/histone deacetylase 4 (CaMKII/HDAC4) signalling and upregulation of the foetal genes ANP and BNP, indicating cardiac remodelling. WGA staining indicated that cell size was decreased following rotation‐simulated microgravity and increased following 4G hypergravity. Moreover, HL‐1 cell proliferation was increased significantly under hypergravity but not rotation‐simulated microgravity. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates for the first time that Ca2+/CaMKII/HDAC4 signalling plays a pivotal role in myocardial remodelling under rotation‐simulated microgravity and hypergravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequently-occurring oil spills and wastewater discharge pose great threats to ecological environment and economy. Although various extreme wettability materials have been designed for separations of oil/water mixtures, most of them tend to involve toxic chemical reagents, thus resulting in second pollution to the environment. This paper develops polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) meshes with excellent chemical stability, reversible super-wettability and good reusability for efficient gravity-driven oil/water separation. Superhydrophobic PDMS meshes can be fabricated by directly constructing microstructures via laser-textured aluminum sheet templates, and heavy oils/water mixtures can thus be separated. After treated by atmospheric-pressure plasma jet for just 2 mins, the superhydrophobic PDMS meshes become superhydrophilic-underwater-superoleophobic, and separation of light oils/water mixtures can be thereby achieved. More interestingly, the plasma-treated superhydrophilic meshes can recover to be superhydrophobic by heating under 80 °C for 20 mins. Therefore, PDMS meshes with reversible super-wettability can be efficiently prepared, and the separation efficiencies for various heavy/light oils and water mixtures are all above 96%. In addition, the prepared PDMS meshes show excellent separation ability under harsh conditions including hot water, acidic and salty conditions, having great application potential in oil/water separation field. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in regulating osteogenic differentiation and bone formation. Thus far, no study has established the pathophysiological role for miRNAs identified in human osteoporotic bone specimens. Here we found that elevated miR-214 levels correlated with a lower degree of bone formation in bone specimens from aged patients with fractures. We also found that osteoblast-specific manipulation of miR-214 levels by miR-214 antagomir treatment in miR-214 transgenic, ovariectomized, or hindlimb-unloaded mice revealed an inhibitory role of miR-214 in regulating bone formation. Further, in vitro osteoblast activity and matrix mineralization were promoted by antagomir-214 and decreased by agomir-214, and miR-214 directly targeted ATF4 to inhibit osteoblast activity. These data suggest that miR-214 has a crucial role in suppressing bone formation and that miR-214 inhibition in osteoblasts may be a potential anabolic strategy for ameliorating osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sun, W.; Zhang, J.; Meng, J.; Li, Y., and Cao, K., 2020. An arctic gridded sea surface temperature product constructed from spaceborne radiometer data. In: Jung, H.-S.; Lee, S.; Ryu, J.-H., and Cui, T. (eds.), Advances in Geospatial Research of Coastal Environments. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 102, pp. 280-286. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A sea surface temperature (SST) record with a grid size of 0.1° for the Arctic region is presented by fusing satellite-derived SST products from three passive-microwave (WindSat, AMSR-E and ASMR2) and four infrared (AVHRR, MODIS onboard Terra and Aqua, and VIIRS) radiometers (RMs). In this study, optimum interpolation (OI) is used to construct the dataset. The fused SST data of Arctic covering the regime north of 60°N span from 2010 to 2018, available with the format of NetcDF. The accuracy of the gridded Arctic SST product was assessed with the drifting buoy measurements. Comparisons with the measurements from Argo buoys show that the Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSE) of the fusion SST data obtained in this study is relatively stable with values ranging from 0.54 to 0.75 °C. This gridded SST data set is characterized with a high spatiotemporal resolution and an assured accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to find the circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) co-related with the severity of coronary artery calcification (CAC), and testify whether the selected miRNAs could reflect the obstructive coronary artery disease in symptomatic patients. Patients with chest pain and moderated risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) were characterized with coronary artery calcium score (CACS) from cardiac computed tomography (CT). We analyzed plasma miRNA levels of clinical matched 11 CAC (CACS > 100) and 6 non-CAC (CACS = 0) subjects by microarray profile. Microarray analysis identified 34 differentially expressed miRNAs between CAC and non CAC groups. Eight miRNAs (miR-223, miR-3135b, miR-133a-3p, miR-2861, miR-134, miR-191-3p, miR-3679-5p, miR-1229 in CAC patients) were significantly increased in CAC plasma in an independent clinical matched cohort. Four miRNAs (miR-2861, 134, 1229 and 3135b) were correlated with the degree of CAC. Validation test in angiographic cohort showed that miR-134, miR-3135b and miR-2861 were significantly changed in patients with obstructive CAD . We identified three significantly upregulated circulating miRNAs (miR-134, miR-3135b and 2861) correlated with CAC while detected obstructive coronary disease in symptomatic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]