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Background: The relationship between circulating bile acids (BAs) and kidney function among patients with type 2 diabetes is unclear. We aimed to investigate the associations of circulating concentrations of BAs, particularly individual BA subtypes, with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 1234 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who participated in an ongoing prospective study, the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort. Circulating primary and secondary unconjugated BAs and their taurine- or glycine-conjugates were measured using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. CKD was defined as eGFR < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Logistic regression model was used to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: After adjusting for multiple testing, higher levels of total primary BAs (OR per standard deviation [SD] increment: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.65–0.92), cholate (OR per SD: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66–0.92), chenodeoxycholate (OR per SD: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69–0.96), glycocholate (OR per SD: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.68–0.96), and glycochenodeoxycholate (OR per SD: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.69–0.97) were associated with a lower likelihood of having CKD in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. No significant relationships between secondary BAs and odds of CKD were observed. Conclusions: Our findings showed that higher concentrations of circulating unconjugated primary BAs and their glycine-conjugates, but not taurine-conjugates or secondary BAs, were associated with lower odds of having CKD in patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively examine the associations of habitual calcium supplementation with cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and mortality in individuals with and without diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The main analysis included 434,374 participants from the UK Biobank. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Interactions of calcium supplement use with diabetes status were tested on multiplicative and additive scales. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 8.1 and 11.2 years, 26,374 incident CVD events and 20,526 deaths were documented, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, habitual calcium supplementation was significantly associated with higher risks of CVD incidence (HR 1.34; 95% CI 1.14, 1.57), CVD mortality (HR 1.67; 95% CI 1.19, 2.33), and all-cause mortality (HR 1.44; 95% CI 1.20, 1.72) in participants with diabetes, whereas no significant association was observed in participants without diabetes (HR 0.97 [95% CI 0.92, 1.03] for CVD incidence; HR 1.05 [95% CI 0.90, 1.23] for CVD mortality; HR 1.02 [95% CI 0.96, 1.09] for all-cause mortality). Significant multiplicative and additive interactions were found between habitual calcium supplementation and diabetes status on risks of CVD events and mortality (all Pinteraction < 0.05). In contrast, no significant interactions were observed between dietary or serum calcium and diabetes status. CONCLUSIONS: Habitual use of calcium supplements was significantly associated with higher risk of CVD events and mortality in people with diabetes but not in people without diabetes. Further studies are needed to balance potentially adverse effects of calcium supplement against likely benefits, particularly among patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The excretory/secretory (ES) antigen of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (ML) is currently the most widely used diagnostic antigen to detect T. spiralis infection. However, this antigen has certain drawbacks, such as a complicated ES antigen preparation process and lower sensitivity during the early phase of infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the features of a novel T. spiralis trypsin (TsTryp) and evaluate its potential diagnostic value for trichinellosis. Methods: The TsTryp gene was cloned and recombinant TsTryp (rTsTryp) expressed. Western blotting and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to confirm the antigenicity of rTsTryp. The expression pattern and distribution signature of TsTryp at various life-cycle stages of T. spiralis were analyzed by quantitative PCR, western blotting and the immunofluorescence test. An ELISA with rTsTryp and ML ES antigens was used to detect immunoglobulins G and M (IgG, IgM) in serum samples of infected mice, swine and humans. The seropositive results were further confirmed by western blot with rTsTryp and ML ES antigens. Results: TsTryp expression was observed in diverse T. spiralis life-cycle phases, with particularly high expression in the early developmental phase (intestinal infectious larvae and adults), with distribution observed mainly at the nematode outer cuticle and stichosome. rTsTryp was identified by T. spiralis-infected mouse sera and anti-rTsTryp sera. Natural TsTryp protease was detected in somatic soluble and ES antigens of the nematode. In mice infected with 200 T. spiralis ML, serum-specific IgG was first detected by rTsTryp-ELISA at 8 days post-infection (dpi), reaching 100% positivity at 12 dpi, and first detected by ES-ELISA at 10 dpi, reaching 100% positivity at 14 dpi. Specific IgG was detected by rTsTryp 2 days earlier than by ES antigens. When specific IgG was determined in serum samples from trichinellosis patients, the sensitivity of rTsTryp-ELISA and ES antigens-ELISA was 98.1% (51/52 samples) and 94.2% (49/52 samples), respectively (P = 0.308), but the specificity of rTsTryp was significantly higher than that of ES antigens (98.7% vs. 95.4%; P = 0.030). Additionally, rTsTryp conferred a lower cross-reaction, with only three serum samples in total testing positive from 11 clonorchiasis, 20 cysticercosis and 24 echinococcosis patients (1 sample from each patient group). Conclusions: TsTryp was shown to be an early and highly expressed antigen at intestinal T. spiralis stages, indicating that rTsTryp represents a valuable diagnostic antigen for the serodiagnosis of early Trichinella infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proteases secreted by Trichinella spiralis intestinal infective larvae (IIL) play an important role in larval invasion and pathogenesis. However, the mechanism through which proteases mediate larval invasion of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) remains unclear. A novel T. spiralis trypsin (TsTryp) was identified in IIL excretory/secretory (ES) proteins. It was an early and highly expressed protease at IIL stage, and had the potential as an early diagnostic antigen. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological characteristics of this novel TsTryp, its role in larval invasion of gut epithelium, and the mechanisms involved. Methodology/Principal finding: TsTryp with C-terminal domain was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and the rTsTryp had the enzymatic activity of natural trypsin, but it could not directly degrade gut tight junctions (TJs) proteins. qPCR and western blotting showed that TsTryp was highly expressed at the invasive IIL stage. Immunofluorescence assay (IFA), ELISA and Far Western blotting revealed that rTsTryp specifically bound to IECs, and confocal microscopy showed that the binding of rTsTryp with IECs was mainly localized in the cytomembrane. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) confirmed that rTsTryp bound to protease activated receptors 2 (PAR2) in Caco-2 cells. rTsTryp binding to PAR2 resulted in decreased expression levels of ZO-1 and occludin and increased paracellular permeability in Caco-2 monolayers by activating the extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway. rTsTryp decreased TJs expression and increased epithelial permeability, which could be abrogated by the PAR2 antagonist AZ3451 and ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. rTsTryp facilitated larval invasion of IECs, and anti-rTsTryp antibodies inhibited invasion. Both inhibitors impeded larval invasion and alleviated intestinal inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: TsTryp binding to PAR2 activated the ERK1/2 pathway, decreased the expression of gut TJs proteins, disrupted epithelial integrity and barrier function, and consequently mediated larval invasion of the gut mucosa. Therefore, rTsTryp could be regarded as a potential vaccine target for blocking T. spiralis invasion and infection. Author summary: Trichinella spiralis is an important foodborne parasitic nematode, and the intestinal infective larvae (IIL) invasion of host's intestinal mucosa is the key step in T. spiralis infection. But the mechanism of the IIL invasion of gut epithelium has not been completely elucidated. Characterization of interaction between the IIL invasive proteins and their receptors in intestinal epithelium cells will be valuable to understand larval invasion mechanism, and contribute in development of preventive veterinary vaccines against T. spiralis infection. Our results indicated that a novel T. spiralis trypsin (TsTryp) binding to PAR2 in intestinal epithelium activated ERK1/2 pathway, decreased expression of gut tight junctions (TJs) proteins, disrupted gut epithelial integrity and barrier function, and consequently mediated larval invasion of gut mucosa. Therefore, TsTryp may be regarded as a potential vaccine target to block T. spiralis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a fundamental reduction in the carbon emissions associated with grinding machines, it is imperative to systematically explore low-carbon considerations in the design phase. The spindle is a significant contributor to carbon emissions in grinding machines, and an effective approach for reducing carbon emissions is the structural optimization of the spindle. Most of the current optimization methods aim at improving processability without considering the reduction of carbon emissions. In this context, the present study addresses the issue of carbon emissions within the spindle design phase. Initially, the determination of the spindle's carbon emissions function and the selection of the optimization objective were undertaken. The structural factors that have a significant influence on the optimization objective were identified as optimization variables. Subsequently, the optimization objective function was established through the application of the fitting method. Finally, the proposed model was refined through the utilization of an enhanced whale algorithm. The findings indicate an 8.22% reduction in carbon emissions associated with the spindle, accompanied by marginal enhancements in both static and dynamic spindle performance. The concluding section of this paper deliberates on the impact of structural parameters on the specified objectives, thereby providing insights for the optimal design of the spindle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein hydrolysates (PHs) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are environmentally friendly biostimulants that effectively promote crop growth and alleviate the damage from abiotic stress. However, the physiological and molecular regulatory mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of PHs and AMF on growth, mineral nutrient absorption, and expression of Aquaporins and SOSs in Goutoucheng (Citrus aurantium) under salt stress. Results showed that PH application and AMF inoculation significantly promoted plant growth and enhanced mineral element absorption and sodium effluxion in citrus under salt stress. The biomass, root activity, leaves mineral nutrition contents in PHs, AMF, and combined (PHs and AMF) treatments were significantly higher than those of control. Leaves sodium content in three treatments was significantly lower than in the control. AMF and combined treatments showed dominant effects than PHs alone. Besides, PHs interacted with AMF on growth, nutrient absorption, and sodium effluxion. Importantly, AMF and PHs induced stress-responsive genes. PIP1, PIP3, SOS1, and SOS3 expression in PHs and AMF treatments was significantly higher than control. Thus, it was concluded that AMF and PHs enhanced the salt tolerance of citrus by promoting nutrient absorption and sodium effluxion via up-regulating the expression of PIPs and SOSs. The mixed application of PHs and AMF had a better effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the risk factors for new vertebral compression fractures (NVCFs) after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) and to create a nomogram to predict the occurrence of new postoperative fractures. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 529 OVCF patients who received PKP treatment in our hospital from June 2017 to June 2020. Based on whether there were new fractures within 2 years after surgery, the patients were divided into a new fracture group and a nonnew fracture group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the risk factors for the occurrence of NVCFs after surgery. The data were randomly divided into a training set (75%) and a testing set (25%). Nomograms predicting the risk of NVCF occurrence were created based on the results of the multivariate analysis, and performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs), calibration curves, and decision curve analyses (DCAs). A web calculator was created to give clinicians a more convenient interactive experience. Results: A total of 56 patients (10.6%) had NVCFs after surgery. The univariate analysis showed significant differences in sex and the incidences of cerebrovascular disease, a positive fracture history, and bone cement intervertebral leakage between the two groups (P < 0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that sex [OR = 2.621, 95% CI (1.030–6.673), P = 0.043], cerebrovascular disease [OR = 28.522, 95% CI (8.749–92.989), P = 0.000], fracture history [OR = 12.298, 95% CI (6.250–24.199), P = 0.000], and bone cement intervertebral leakage [OR = 2.501, 95% CI (1.029–6.082), P = 0.043] were independent risk factors that were positively associated with the occurrence of NVCFs. The AUCs of the model were 0.795 (95% CI: 0.716–0.874) and 0.861 (95% CI: 0.749–0.974) in the training and testing sets, respectively, and the calibration curves showed high agreement between the predicted and actual states. The areas under the decision curve were 0.021 and 0.036, respectively. Conclusion: Female sex, cerebrovascular disease, fracture history and bone cement intervertebral leakage are risk factors for NVCF after PKP. Based on this, a highly accurate nomogram was developed, and a webpage calculator (https://new-fracture.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/) was created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converting and storing solar energy directly as chemical energy through photoelectrochemical devices are promising strategies to replace fossil fuels. Metal oxides are commonly used as photoanode materials, but they still encounter challenges such as limited light absorption, inefficient charge separation, sluggish surface reactions, and insufficient stability. The regulation of surface oxygen species on metal oxide photoanodes has emerged as a critical strategy to modulate molecular and charge dynamics at the reaction interface. However, the precise role of surface oxygen species in metal oxide photoanodes remains ambiguous. The review focuses on elucidating the formation and regulation mechanisms of various surface oxygen species in metal oxides, their advantages and disadvantages in photoelectrochemical reactions, and the characterization methods employed to investigate them. Additionally, the article discusses emerging opportunities and potential hurdles in the regulation of surface oxygen species. By shedding light on the significance of surface oxygen species, this review aims to advance our understanding of their impact on metal oxide photoanodes, paving the way for the design of more efficient and stable photoelectrochemical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an important tool for measuring soil water content (SWC) at the field scale. The amplitude analysis of the early time signal (ETS) of GPR may provide a rapid way to estimate SWC. By assuming a homogeneous medium, various studies have been conducted on the relationship between the amplitude of ETS and the topsoil layer's electromagnetic parameters (dielectric permittivity and conductivity) through numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, and field experiments. Soil is a typical inhomogeneous medium, and soil cultivation is a factor affecting its heterogeneity. In this context, we discuss the ability of the amplitude of ETS to estimate the water content of heterogeneous soil. First, we establish a multi-scale stochastic medium model with the inhomogeneous distribution of dielectric permittivity and conductivity and simulate the GPR response by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to observe the influence of medium heterogeneity on the GPR response. The heterogeneity of the soil models is evaluated by a geostatistical analysis described by two parameters, correlation length and variability. Then, we analyze the relationship between variability and the average envelope amplitude (AEA) of ETS. A strong soil heterogeneity increases the error of the AEA method in estimating SWC. Finally, the AEA method is used to estimate the SWC of two adjacent fields with different heterogeneities, which were caused by different cultivation methods. The results of the numerical simulation and field experiment indicate that the soil heterogeneity can have an impact on the estimation of SWC using EST, with an error lower than 3% within a depth range of 1/2 λ to λ (wavelength). This suggests that the EST of GPR can be applied to soil layers with relatively large lateral changes in water content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Histones are the chief protein components of chromatin, and the chemical modifications on histones crucially influence the transcriptional state of related genes. Histone modifying enzyme (HME), responsible for adding or removing the chemical labels, has emerged as a very important class of drug target, with a few HME inhibitors launched as anti-cancerous drugs and tens of molecules under clinical trials. To accelerate the drug discovery process of HME inhibitors, machine learning-based predictive models have been developed to enrich the active molecules from vast chemical space. However, the number of compounds with known activity distributed largely unbalanced among different HMEs, particularly with many targets of less than a hundred active samples. In this case, it is difficult to build effective virtual screening models directly based on machine learning. Results To this end, we propose a new Meta-learning-based Histone Modifying Enzymes I nhibitor prediction method (MetaHMEI). Our proposed MetaHMEI first uses a self-supervised pre-training approach to obtain high-quality molecular substructure embeddings from a large unlabeled chemical dataset. Then, MetaHMEI exploits a Transformer-based encoder and meta-learning framework to build a prediction model. MetaHMEI allows the effective transfer of the prior knowledge learned from HMEs with sufficient samples to HMEs with a small number of samples, so the proposed model can produce accurate predictions for HMEs with limited data. Extensive experimental results on our collected and curated HMEs datasets show that MetaHMEI is better than other methods in the case of few-shot learning. Furthermore, we applied MetaHMEI in the virtual screening process of histone JMJD3 inhibitors and successfully obtained three small molecule inhibitors, further supporting the validity of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms associated with the phyllosphere play a crucial role in protecting plants from diseases, and their composition and diversity are strongly influenced by heavy metal contaminants. Dioecious plants are known to exhibit sexual dimorphism in metal accumulation and tolerance between male and female individuals. Hence, in this study we used male and female full-siblings of Populus deltoides to investigate whether the two sexes present differences in their phyllosphere microbiome structures and in their associated resistance to the leaf pathogenic fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora after exposure to excess soil cadmium (Cd). We found that Cd-treated male plants grew better and accumulated more leaf Cd than females. Cd stress reduced the lesion areas on leaves of both sexes after pathogen infection, but male plants exhibited better resistance than females. More importantly, Cd exposure differentially altered the structure and function of the phyllosphere microbiomes between the male and female plants, with more abundant ecologically beneficial microbes and decreased pathogenic fungal taxa harbored by male plants. In vitro toxicity tests suggested that the sexual difference in pathogen resistance could be attribute to both direct Cd toxicity and indirect shifts in the phyllosphere microbiome. This study provides new information relevant for understanding the underlying mechanisms of the effects of heavy metals involved in plant–pathogen interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated a method for in situ temporal characterization of an intense femtosecond laser pulse around its focus where the laser intensity exceeds 1014 W/cm2. Our method is based on the second harmonic generation (SHG) by a relatively weak femtosecond probe pulse and the intense femtosecond pulses under analysis in the gas plasma. With the increase in the gas pressure, it was found that the incident pulse evolves from a Gaussian profile to a more complicated structure featured by multiple peaks in the temporal domain. Numerical simulations of filamentation propagation support the experimental observations of temporal evolution. This simple method can be applied to many situations involving femtosecond laser–gas interaction, when the temporal profile of the femtosecond pump laser pulse with an intensity above 1014 W/cm2 cannot be measured in traditional ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by UV radiation can lead to lipid, protein, nucleic acid, and organelle damage, one of the core mechanisms mediating skin aging. In the photoaging process, how ROS drives the imbalance of the body's complex repair system to induce senescence‐like features is not fully understood. Methods: We irradiated human epidermal keratinocytes with 12 J/cm2 of UVA to establish an in vitro photoaging model. Then we employed whole‐transcriptome sequencing and O2K mitochondrial function assay to reveal the photoprotective mechanisms of liquiritigenin (LQ). Discussion: We found that skin reduces endogenous ROS by promoting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation uncoupling in response to UVA‐induced damage. However, this also causes excessive consumption and idling of nutrients, leading to the inhibition of cell proliferation, and ultimately accelerating the skin aging process. Here, we demonstrated that LQ can reduce stress in keratinocytes, increase oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production efficiency, and block the massive loss of skin nutrients and net energy stress. Furthermore, LQ can promote collagen synthesis and keratinocyte proliferation through the PI3K‐AKT pathway, thereby reversing photoaging. Conclusion: This work provides a new skin aging mechanism and solution strategy with high clinical translation value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent manufacturing is the main direction of manufacturing transformation and upgrading in developing countries. However, the issue of how to systematically improve the level of intelligent manufacturing in enterprises has not been effectively solved. The analyses in this study are based on data collected from a sample of 45 manufacturing companies in China from 2016 to 2018, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to explore the impact of R&D, policy support, and enterprise characteristics on the level of intelligent manufacturing. The results find that three modes and four configurations for enterprises achieve high-level intelligent manufacturing. Specifically, firstly, enterprises with larger scale and better benefits can achieve high-level intelligent manufacturing with less R&D investment. Secondly, large enterprises with a high leverage ratio and high R&D capital investment can sacrifice short-term profitability and complete intelligent transformation through lower human capital investment. With the help of policy support, we maintain a high human capital investment and accelerate the completion of the intelligent upgrade. Thirdly, small companies can use higher R&D human capital investment to achieve the goal of intelligence. These findings provide valuable insights for enterprises to effectively achieve intelligent transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) of different varieties and origins, is a popular aquatic product in Asian countries as a result of its unique flavor. Additionally, different genders and edible parts produce diverse volatile compounds that affect consumers' choices and preferences. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate these differences to determine the factors impacting consumer preferences. This study explored the influence of exogenous and endogenous factors on volatile compounds and the sensory quality of farmed crabs from different rearing conditions and varieties. The volatile compounds differed among different origins and significantly influenced consumer preferences. Consumers' perception of volatiles determines their preferences and choices of food. Furthermore, various factors, such as varieties, origin, gender, and edible parts, may influence volatiles. The perception of edible parts of E. sinensis in two origins (Chongming and Taixing) regarding overall hedonic score (9-points), just-about-right scale (5-points), and intensity of attributes (7-points) were analyzed. The results showed that consumers preferred the hepatopancreas odor of female crabs in Chongming, with an overall preference of 6.84 and RMAT (calculate the R-index by matrix) values >52.93%. The crabs' origin (different feeding and rearing condition) was the primary reason for the odor profiles. The appropriate meaty and toasted odor in the hepatopancreas increased the overall preference by approximately 14.65–20.60%. Furthermore, 2-acetylthiazole, a volatile compound with a fatty odor, may significantly affect preferences and consumption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of machine learning has the potential to estimate the probability of a second classification event more accurately than traditional statistical methods, and few previous studies on predicting new fractures after osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) have focussed on this point. The aim of this study was to explore whether several different machine learning models could produce better predictions than logistic regression models and to select an optimal model. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 529 patients who underwent percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for OVCFs at our institution between June 2017 and June 2020 was performed. The patient data were used to create machine learning (including decision trees (DT), random forests (RF), support vector machines (SVM), gradient boosting machines (GBM), neural networks (NNET), and regularized discriminant analysis (RDA)) and logistic regression models (LR) to estimate the probability of new fractures occurring after surgery. The dataset was divided into a training set (75%) and a test set (25%), and machine learning models were built in the training set after ten cross-validations, after which each model was evaluated in the test set, and model performance was assessed by comparing the area under the curve (AUC) of each model. Results: Among the six machine learning algorithms, except that the AUC of DT [0.775 (95% CI 0.728–0.822)] was lower than that of LR [0.831 (95% CI 0.783–0.878)], RA [0.953 (95% CI 0.927–0.980)], GBM [0.941 (95% CI 0.911–0.971)], SVM [0.869 (95% CI 0.827–0.910), NNET [0.869 (95% CI 0.826–0.912)], and RDA [0.890 (95% CI 0.851–0.929)] were all better than LR. Conclusions: For prediction of the probability of new fracture after PKP, machine learning algorithms outperformed logistic regression, with random forest having the strongest predictive power. Highlights: Machine learning significantly outperformed logistic regression models in predicting new fractures after osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. The random forest model performs best among these machine learning models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose and Methods: A global search for the lowest energy structure of CoB192− clusters was conducted. Results: Its ground state is a quasi-planar structure with the Co atom surrounded by a B8 ring. The central Co atom has an oxidation state of +1 with d8 electron configuration. The wave function analysis showed that the Co–B interaction is not a covalent bond. The bonding strength of peripheral B–B bonds is stronger than that of inner ones. The inner B8 ring bonds with outer boron atoms via σ- and π-type bonds. Conclusion: CoB192− shows remarkable aromatic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revisit the proton emitter 149Lu utilizing the recently developed triaxial relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum (TRHBc). By incorporating the microscopic nuclear structure properties from the TRHBc theory into the WKB approximation, we successfully reproduce the measured proton-emission half-life of 149Lu within experimental uncertainties. A triaxial ground state characterized by (β = 0.17 , γ = 31 ∘) has been clarified for 149Lu. The inclusion of triaxiality significantly changes nuclear density distributions and potentials, which results in enhanced binding of both the nuclear system and the proton-emitting orbital. As a result, a slightly extended half-life for the proton emission of 149Lu is achieved after considering triaxial deformation degrees of freedom. The examination of the dependence of the decay width on triaxial deformation parameters highlights the significance of microscopic description of nuclear deformation beyond the proton dripline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N-CQDs@PAZ/N-PMI coatings improve corrosion resistance by four orders of magnitude. • The catalytic property of N-CQDs can effectively consume corrosive media (O 2). • N-CQDs@Fe3+ complexes are effective in slowing down corrosion rate. • N-CQDs improve stability and self-healing ability of PAZ/N-PMI resins. Acrylic resins are widely used in the marine industry due to their low cost, weathering and pollution resistance, but deficiencies in corrosion resistance and poor stability limit their applications. To overcome this challenge, nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) with special structures (Pyridine, Pyrrole and Graphite N's) and multiple functional groups were successfully synthesized in this study using citric acid and ethylenediamine as the precursors, with the former special structure displaying a key role in catalyzing the conversion of corrosive medium (O 2), and the latter being able to form a stable complex with Fe3+, which effectively retarded the corrosion occurrence. Moreover, the nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the N-CQDs can form hydrogen-bonded cross-links with the acrylic resin, which not only enhances the self-healing ability of the acrylic resin, but also it significantly improves the overall stability. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis indicated that the impedance modulus of the N-CQDs@PAZ/N-PMI composite coatings prepared after the introduction of N-CQDs into PAZ/N-PMI resins was as high as 1011 Ω∙cm2, which was four orders of magnitude higher than that of the pure PAZ/N-PMI coatings (107 Ω∙cm2). Furthermore, the coating remained effective after 59 days of immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, demonstrating its long-term corrosion protection. Further microscopic characterization results demonstrated that the N-CQDs@PAZ/N-PMI composite coatings have excellent self-healing ability compared with the pure resin coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)), an anthropogenic heavy metal pollutant, is harmful to human beings, due to its carcinogenicity. In this study, a tourmaline–biochar composite (TMBC) was synthesized to remove Cr (VI) from an aqueous solution. The effects of different ratios (TM:BC) and pyrolysis temperatures on TMBC adsorption performance were compared. The TMBC samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope–energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The kinetics and thermodynamics were analyzed to investigate the sorption mechanism. The results showed that the proper pyrolysis temperature was 650 °C, and the ratio of TM:BC was 1:3. SEM results showed the TM was well attached to the BC which assisted tourmaline dispersion. The adsorption kinetics were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, indicating that the sorption was related to chemical absorption. Langmuir adsorption isotherms suggested monolayer adsorption between the Cr (VI) and the TMBC, and the maximum adsorption capacity of the TMBC for Cr (VI) was 43.64 mg/g, which was more than twice the amount for the pristine TM (17.84 mg/g). The automatic polarization of water caused by tourmaline was the unique adsorption property of the TMBC. Therefore, TMBCs can be used as an economic adsorbent in the remediation of heavy metal pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Convallaria (Asparagaceae) comprises three herbaceous perennial species that are widely distributed in the understory of temperate deciduous forests in the Northern Hemisphere. Although Convallaria species have high medicinal and horticultural values, studies related to the phylogenetic analysis of this genus are few. In the present study, we assembled and reported five complete chloroplast (cp) sequences of three Convallaria species (two of C. keiskei Miq., two of C. majalis L., and one of C. montana Raf.) using Illumina paired-end sequencing data. The cp genomes were highly similar in overall size (161,365–162,972 bp), and all consisted of a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions (29,140–29,486 bp) separated by a large single-copy (LSC) (85,183–85,521 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,877–18,502 bp). Each cp genome contained the same 113 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. Gene content, gene order, AT content and IR/SC boundary structure were nearly identical among all of the Convallaria cp genomes. However, their lengths varied due to contraction/expansion at the IR/LSC borders. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) analyses indicated that the richest SSRs are A/T mononucleotides. Three highly variable regions (petA-psbJ, psbI-trnS and ccsA-ndhD) were identified as valuable molecular markers. Phylogenetic analysis of the family Asparagaceae using 48 cp genome sequences supported the monophyly of Convallaria, which formed a sister clade to the genus Rohdea. Our study provides a robust phylogeny of the Asparagaceae family. The complete cp genome sequences will contribute to further studies in the molecular identification, genetic diversity, and phylogeny of Convallaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distiller's grain is rich in natural active ingredients and can be used as an excellent antioxidant feed for goats. The current study aimed to assess the feeding value of four different types of distiller's grains with an in vitro gas production trial. The chemical composition, total phenols, total anthocyanins, dry matter degradability, methane, hydrogen, and rumen fermentation parameters were evaluated. The results indicated that red distiller's grain and glutinous rice distiller's grain had higher (p < 0.05) levels of crude protein than the other two types. There were significantly (p < 0.05) higher concentrations of dry matter, ether extract, hemicellulose, and total carbohydrate in corn distiller's grain than in the other three types of distiller's grain. In addition, red distiller's grain showed a higher (p < 0.05) gas production rate constant (c) and ruminal outflow rate, as well as higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of total phenol, total anthocyanins and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, than the other three types of distiller's grains. In contrast, red distiller's grain displayed the lowest (p < 0.05) immediately soluble fraction (a) and half the time of maximum gas production relative to the other samples. In particular, the levels of methane (%) in white distiller's grain and glutinous rice distiller's grain were greater (p < 0.05) than that in red distiller's grain. Moreover, the ammonia nitrogen content in red distiller's grain was greater (p < 0.05) than that in white distiller's grain and corn distiller's grain. In contrast, red distiller's grain exhibited a lower (p < 0.05) level of ruminal fluid acetic acid relative to that found in white distiller's grain and corn distiller's grain. Taken together, the results showed that red distiller's grain and glutinous rice distiller's grain could be used as protein feed, red distiller's grain had higher levels of total phenols and total anthocyanins and a high DPPH scavenging activity; corn distiller's grain might be considered as an alternative energy source feed, and white distiller's grain exhibited higher total gas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alvania wangi Xu, Qi & Kong, sp. nov. (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Littorinimorpha, Rissoidae) was discovered within the intertidal zone in the Nanji Islands and Zhoushan Islands, Zhejiang Province, China. It has a radula characteristic of Alvania Risso, 1826, a protoconch sculptured with micro pits and lamellae between spiral lirae, and a teleoconch with growth lines and subobsolete cords. Specimens were examined using an integrative taxonomic approach incorporating morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses of concatenated mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear 28S rRNA gene sequences. The findings suggest that the new species is sister to Alvania circinata A. Adams, 1861 and is probably endemic to the shallow waters of the East China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition and spectra of untreated and heat-treated rubies from Mozambique and Madagascar were analyzed by an electron probe microscopy analysis, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Due to the different content of Fe and different inclusions, rubies from Madagascar belong to alkaline basalt deposit, while rubies from Mozambique belong to amphibole metamorphic rock. The ruby samples were heated to 900 °C to change their color. As Fe and Ti ions can be transferred into different valences and diffused into the interior of rubies, Cr ions in cracks or cleavages entered the crystal lattice during heat treatment and the content of Fe and Ti decreased, while the content of Cr increased in heat-treated rubies. After heating, blue-purple decreased and the red hue increased, while the blue color band disappeared and yellow appeared in the cracks of the samples because of the chemical changes. Compared with untreated rubies, the infrared absorption peaks of 2123 cm−1 and 1990 cm−1 related to inclusions disappeared, and the existence of 3236 cm−1 and 3186 cm−1 absorption peaks was a typical characteristic of heat-treated ruby, which was produced by changes in its inclusion. In addition, due to the weakened charge transfer of Fe2+ and Ti4+ and the increasing reaction of Fe2+ → Fe3+ along with the heat treatment, the UV-visible absorption peak at 400 nm shifted to purple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Bambusa belongs to the subtribe Bambusinae and the subfamily Bambusoideae. The subgenera of Bambusa has not been satisfactorily circumscribed, and this remains a major taxonomic issue. Simultaneously, genera such as Dendrocalamus and Gigantochloa have not been confidently assigned to Bambusa. Here, the phylogenetic relationships among subgenera were investigated using five chloroplast DNA markers (rpl32-trnL, rpl16, matK, rbcL, and trnH-psbA) for a sample of 50 ingroup and 16 outgroup species. A total of 186 key morphological descriptors were studied for the 50 ingroup species. The results indicated that five chloroplast DNA markers were possible to distinguish Bambusa species from other species and divide them into several clusters. Phylogenetic analyses conducted using morphological descriptors and a combined marker (rpl32-trnL+rpl16) revealed three and five distinct lineages, respectively, among the currently recognized Bambusa species. The branching pattern of the dendrogram was not completely consistent with the classical taxonomic classification of Bambusa. In addition, not all varieties and cultivars were clustered with McClure classifications. As the maximum parsimony topology and morphological analyses were inconsistent, some clustering results overlapped. Overall, the results obtained here do not support the current classification of the Bambusa subgenera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of low-dose gamma irradiation (0.3–0.9 kGy) on carotenoid accumulation in Cara Cara fruit (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) during storage. Additionally, the irradiation-induced ROS (reactive oxygen species) response and transcriptional levels of carotenoid biosynthesis genes were investigated. Immediate irradiation caused a temporary decrease in most carotenoid levels; however, values recovered during storage and were even higher than those of the control, particularly at 0.6 kGy, especially for carotenoid precursors and carotenes. The upregulated expression of psy , zds and lcyb during majority of the storage period, coupled with the strengthened interaction among adjacent carotenoids, might contribute to the enhanced accumulation of carotenoids in irradiated fruit. A highly positive correlation was found among ROS content, total carotenoids, and upstream expression of zds and lcyb , suggesting that the enhanced carotenoid content in irradiated Cara Cara fruits might be regulated by zds and lcyb in response to ROS accumulation. Antioxidant enzymes of APX, SOD, and CAT levels were significantly correlated with ROS accumulation. In summary, gamma irradiation (0.6 kGy) elevated the levels of carotenoids and antioxidant enzymes, which were potentially modulated by ROS in response to irradiation stress. • Immediate irradiation caused a temporary decrease of carotenoids, but recovered thereafter. • Low dose irradiation enhanced the accumulation of carotenoids, particularly at 0.6 kGy. • Psy, zds and lcyb were upregulated in the majority storage period in irradiated fruit. • The conversion of carotene into xanthophyll was limited in irradiated fruit. • Enhanced carotenoid content might be regulated by zds and lcyb in response to ROS accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An omnidirectional image with eye-tracking dataset called CrowdSourcing360 was constructed based on crowdsourced recall gaze fixations, and CrowdSourcing360 contained 16,200 pieces of data on 180 images. • Using this dataset CrowdSourcing360, a visual saliency prediction model CSnet360 was trained. • Experiments demonstrated that the visual saliency prediction performance of the CSnet360 outperformed most existing models even without using actual gaze fixations. • A VR interior design assistance prototype system was built and the preliminary study results indicated that the system could help designers to improve the quality of their design solutions. The prediction of the visual saliency of omnidirectional images in VR is valuable for understanding visual behaviors. However, the equipment cost, software setups, hardware operation, and other constraints in acquiring eye-tracking data of omnidirectional images for visual saliency prediction would lead to a low training efficiency and prediction performance. Therefore, this paper proposed a crowdsourcing method based on recall fixations, which was used to collect and construct an omnidirectional image with eye-tracking dataset called CrowdSourcing360, which contained 16,200 pieces of data on 180 images. Using this dataset, a visual saliency prediction model CSnet360 was trained. Experiments demonstrated that the visual saliency prediction performance of the CSnet360 outperformed most existing models even without using actual gaze fixations. Finally, a VR interior design assistance prototype system was built and the preliminary study results indicated that the system could help designers to improve the quality of their design solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Methyl-substituted decalin was synthesized by one-step alkylation reaction. • The synthesized fuel possesses high density and well cryogenic properties. • The pseudo reaction kinetics of alkylation reactions are investigated in detail. • A mechanism of decalin methylation reaction with solvent and catalyst was proposed. Alkyl decalins are promising jet fuel components with high density and well cryogenic properties, but are difficult to obtain. Here we bring up a facile approach to synthesize methyl-substituted decalins including methyl decalin, dimethyl decalin and trimethyl decalin via catalytic alkylation reaction. The reaction conditions are optimized to obtain the high decalin conversion of 83.1 %. Based on a series of experiments, it is indicated that the intermediate complex formed by tetramethylsilane, aluminum chloride and dichloroethane is the key to accelerate the reaction rate, and the reaction mechanism is proposed. Moreover, a pseudo-first-order irreversible reaction dynamics is studied, and the reaction kinetics parameters and reaction rate equati andons are obtained. After vacuum distillation, the fuel product shows high density (0.872 g/cm3) and high volumetric neat heat of combustion (36.9 MJ/L), much higher than those of RP-3 fuel. This work provides a facile method to synthesize high-performance jet fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of stable neutral metal endohedral cyclo[n]carbon is helpful for discovering single-molecule devices. Extensive structural search and density functional theory calculations performed here indicate that the perfect planar alkaline metal-doped complexes Sr@C 14 possess the well-defined global minima of the system with the metal atom located exactly at the center of the carbon ring. The configuration and bonding properties of C 14 are different from those of pristine cyclo [14]carbon. The significant stabilization when forming Sr@C 14 predominantly originates from the electrostatic interaction between Sr2+ and C 14 2−. The detailed molecular orbital, nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS), and ring current analyses indicate that Sr@C 14 is aromatic in nature. The NICS values of Sr@C 14 are considerably larger than those of benzene. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at different temperatures reveal that this system exhibits certain stability at low or moderate temperatures. The findings of this study effectively enrich the chemical structures and bonding patterns of metal-doped cyclo[n]carbon and provide the knowledge required to obtain novel structures of Sr@C 14 in future experiments. The ground state of neutral Sr@C 14 compounds are metal-centered monocyclic carbon ring structures. Charge transfer between strontium and C 14 forms stable [Sr]2+[C 14 ]2− ionic complexes. Sr@C 14 exhibits significant aromaticity and thermodynamic stability. [Display omitted] • The ground state of neutral Sr@C 14 compounds are metal-centered monocyclic carbon ring structures. • Charge transfer between strontium and C 14 forms stable [Sr]2+[C 14 ]2− ionic complexes. • Sr@C 14 exhibits significant aromaticity and thermodynamic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Source apportionment studies have struggled to quantitatively link secondary organic aerosol (SOA) to its precursor sources, due largely to instrument limitations. For example, aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS) provide quantitative measurements of the total SOA fraction, but lack the chemical resolution to resolve most SOA sources. In contrast, instruments based on soft ionisation techniques, such as extractive electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (EESI, e.g., the EESI time of flight mass spectrometer, EESI-TOF), have demonstrated the resolution to identify specific SOA sources but provide only a semi-quantitative apportionment due to uncertainties in the dependence of instrument sensitivity on molecular identity. We address this challenge by presenting a method for positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis on a single dataset which includes measurements from both AMS and EESI-TOF instruments, denoted "combined PMF" (cPMF). Because each factor profile includes both AMS and EESI-TOF components, the cPMF analysis maintains the source resolution capability of the EESI-TOF, while also providing quantitative factor mass concentrations. Therefore, the bulk EESI-TOF sensitivity to each factor can also be directly determined from the analysis. We present metrics for ensuring both instruments are well-represented in the solution, a method for optionally constraining factor profile contributions for one or both instruments, and a protocol for uncertainty analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, solitary wave solutions of particle mechanical metamaterials are studied, in which the mass-in-mass structure with local resonators is considered. The Hertzian contact theory is used to describe adjacent particles in a precompressed granular chain. The governing wave equations are decoupled, and the expressions of bright, dark, and peaked solitary waves are derived, respectively. According to the results, both the wave velocity and prestress can affect the propagation of solitary waves. The amplitudes of bright and peaked solitary waves are smaller when a larger prestress is applied, which are different from the dark solitons. Furthermore, the wave widths become larger as the prestress increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core–shell particles of the poly-2-methylaniline (PMAN)/carbonyl iron (CI) composite material were prepared by dispersion polymerization. Dopamine was used as a chemical grafting agent to modify the surface of CI particles to enhance the affinity between PMAN particles and pure CI particles. The morphology and crystalline structure of the prepared core–shell PMAN/CI microspheres were tested by TEM and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Their magnetic behaviors were analyzed using a vibrating-sample magnetometer. The sedimentation stability of the particles was further analyzed using a Turbiscan analyzer. The analysis results revealed that the dispersion stability of the particles was better than that of the pure CI particles. The characteristics of the PMAN/CI particle-based magnetorheological fluid with a yield stress of 4800 Pa at 342 kA/m were measured using a rheometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several epidemiological studies have suggested that vitamin D status is associated with risk of dementia in general populations. However, due to the synergistic effect between diabetic pathology and neuroinflammation, and the prothrombotic profile in patients with diabetes, whether vitamin D is associated with risk of dementia among patients with diabetes is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations of circulating vitamin D levels with risks of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VD) among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).Methods and Findings: This study included 13,486 individuals (≥60 years) with T2D and free of dementia at recruitment (2006-2010) from the UK Biobank study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations were measured using the chemiluminescent immunoassay method at recruitment. Serum 25(OH)D ≥ 75 nmol/L was considered sufficient, according to the Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines. Incidence of all-cause dementia, AD, and VD cases was ascertained using electronic health records (EHRs). Each participant's person-years at risk were calculated from the date of recruitment to the date that dementia was reported, date of death, date of loss to follow-up, or 28 February 2018, whichever occurred first. Among the 13,486 individuals with T2D (mean age, 64.6 years; men, 64.3%), 38.3% had vitamin D ≥ 50 nmol/L and only 9.1% had vitamin D ≥ 75 nmol/L. During a mean follow-up of 8.5 years, we observed 283 cases of all-cause dementia, including 101 AD and 97 VD cases. Restricted cubic spline analysis demonstrated a nonlinear relationship between serum 25(OH)D and risk of all-cause dementia (Pnonlinearity < 0.001) and VD (Pnonlinearity = 0.007), and the nonlinear association reached borderline significance for AD (Pnonlinearity = 0.06), with a threshold at around a serum 25(OH)D value of 50 nmol/L for all the outcomes. Higher serum levels of 25(OH)D were significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia, AD, and VD. The multivariate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for participants who had serum 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/L, compared with those who were severely deficient (25[OH]D < 25 nmol/L), were 0.41 (0.29-0.60) for all-cause dementia (Ptrend < 0.001), 0.50 (0.27-0.92) for AD (Ptrend = 0.06), and 0.41 (0.22-0.77) for VD (Ptrend = 0.01). The main limitation of the current analysis was the potential underreporting of dementia cases, as the cases were identified via EHRs.Conclusions: In this study, we observed that higher concentrations of serum 25(OH)D were significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia, AD, and VD among individuals with T2D. Our findings, if confirmed by replication, may have relevance for dementia prevention strategies that target improving or maintaining serum vitamin D concentrations among patients with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational design of bifunctional efficient electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) is desirable—while highly challenging—for development of rechargeable metal–air batteries. Herein, an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst is designed and fabricated by encapsulating Co nanoparticles in interconnected N‐doped hollow porous carbon nanofibers (designated as Co@N‐C/PCNF) using an ultrafast high‐temperature shock technology. Benefiting from the synergistic effect and intrinsic activity of the CoNC moiety, as well as porous structure of carbon nanofibers, the Co@N‐C/PCNF composite shows high bifunctional electrocatalytic activities for both OER (289 mV at 10 mA cm−2) and ORR (half‐wave potential of 0.85 V). The CoNC moiety in the composite can modulate the local environmental and electrical structure of the catalysts, thus optimizing the adsorption/desorption kinetics and decreasing the reaction barriers for promoting the reversible oxygen electrocatalysis. Co@N‐C/PCNF‐based aqueous Zn–air batteries (AZAB) provide high power density of 292 mW cm−2, and the assembled flexible ZAB can power wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of lignocellulosic materials for extracting functionalized cellulose nanocrystals (FCNs) in a green and sustainable method under mild conditions is limited owing to the strong hydrogen bonding in cellulose. A facile, green, and high-efficient avenue was developed to produce FCNs with high yield through the mechanochemistry synergetic effect of recyclable p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA)-catalyzed deep eutectic solvent (PDES) and microwave- solvothermal (MWS). FCNs with a high charge density of 1.59 e nm−2, a crystallinity of 81%, a better thermostability and dispersibility were obtained at a high yield of 87.6% by the one-step processing. The PDES could be easily recycled, and thus was beneficial to cost reduction and waste liquor treatment. Generated FCNs could be used to develop functional bionanocomposites due to their enhanced effect. When a loading of 1 wt% FCNs was added into gelatin matrix, the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the bionanocomposites increased 188 and 131%, respectively, suggesting their remarkable stress transfer potential. Thus, the study demonstrates a green and cost-effective approach for the mass production of FCNs, contributing to strong potential in building high-performance bionanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BilC, biliary cancer; BreC, breast cancer; CerC, cervical cancer; ColC, colorectal cancer; EsoC, esophagus cancer; GasC, gastric cancer; HANC, head and neck cancer; KidC, kidney cancer; Leuk, leukemia; LivC, liver cancer; LunC, lung cancer; PanC, pancreatic cancer; UroC, urothelial cancer. When analyzing FIGO staging, we found that I PCDHGB7 i was already hypermethylated in stage I of all cancer types analyzed (Figure S1), suggesting hypermethylated I PCDHGB7 i could be an early-stage cancer indicator. B Dear Editor b , We identified hypermethylated I PCDHGB7 i as a novel cancer marker and applied it to early cervical cancer (CC) screening. [Extracted from the article]

• A superimposed model applicable for predicting the growth rates of both stationary and sliding bubbles is proposed. • The force balance model for predicting bubble departure diameter and lift-off diameter is modified. • Present modified model predicts both departure and lift-off diameters with mean absolute percentage errors of 25.0 % and 24.0 %, respectively. The calculation of heat flux for each component in the wall heat flux distribution model involves a crucial parameter, namely the characteristic bubble diameter. The bubble departure diameter and lift-off diameter are two of the most significant characteristic bubble diameters. In this paper, the bubble growth rate and bubble force analysis in subcooled flow boiling under various inclination angles of the heating surface are investigated, and the bubble departure and lift-off diameters are calculated based on force balance. According to the energy balance method, a superimposed bubble growth model is proposed that incorporates the effects of superheated layer evaporation around the bubble, microlayer evaporation, and condensation at the top of the bubble on the bubble growth rate. This paper proposes a force balance model for heating surfaces with varying inclination angles, based on accurate calculations of wall superheat. The model has been validated by a large amount of experimental data and exhibits superior accuracy and stability compared to existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The impact of CO adsorption on electric double layer on Cu. • In situ spectroscopic and electrochemical impedance characterizations. • CO adsorption reduces electric double layer capacitance and local cation density. • CO adsorption leads to thicker electric double layer and lower dielectric constant. Understanding the interplay between reactant adsorbate and structure of the electric double layer (EDL) is crucial as it plays a key role in determining the efficiency and kinetics of heterogeneous electrocatalytic reactions. In this context, our study presents a comprehensive experimental analysis of the EDL structure and its interaction with CO adsorption on Cu surfaces. Utilizing in situ surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) and electrochemical impedance characterizations, we investigate the impact of CO adsorption on EDL properties at various CO pressures. Our findings demonstrate a significant decrease in EDL capacitance with increased CO adsorption, linked to reduced cation density, increased EDL thickness, and weakened interfacial electric field strength. Additionally, we observed a considerable decline in the relative dielectric constant of the EDL, which is likely attributable to the influence of adsorbed CO altering the dielectric properties of the medium. These results emphasize the critical role of adsorbate-EDL interactions in electrocatalytic processes, providing new insights into these complex dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anoikis resistance plays a critical role in the tumor metastasis by allowing survival of cancer cells in the systemic circulation. We previously showed that long non-coding RNAs APOC1P1-3 (lncRNA APOC1P1-3) inhibit apoptosis of breast cancer cells. In this study, we explored its role in anoikis resistance. Methods: We induced anoikis resistance in two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) under anchorage-independent culture conditions and studied lncRNA APOC1P1-3 effects on apoptosis. Using Dual-Luciferase activity assay, we determined whether it specifically binds to miRNA-188-3P. We further explored its role in lung metastasis by injecting MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231-APOC1P1-3-knock-down cells in female BALB/c nude mice. Results: We found that lncRNA APOC1P1-3 suppressed early apoptosis of these cells (demonstrated by gain or loss of their function, respectively) and promoted anoikis resistance via reducing activated- Caspase 3, 8, 9 and PARP. Moreover, it specifically binds to the target miRNA-188-3p acting as a "sponge" to block the inhibition of Bcl-2 (an anti-apoptosis protein). Conclusions: Our study supports a theory that lncRNA APOC1P1-3 can promote development of breast cancer metastasis via anoikis resistance by specifically binding to miRNA-188-3p to block the inhibition of Bcl-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time monitoring of SF6 status is of exceptional importance to ensure stable operation of the power system, to promptly diagnose whether an insulation failure has occurred and to assess the severity. Considering the excellent physicochemical properties and insulation defects of hexagonal boron nitride, the strategy of surface modification, namely, hydrogenation, fluorination, and combinations of the two ways, is proposed to improve its chemical activity, and the gas-sensing potential of the most effective one is investigated using density functional theory. The typical adsorption models of SF6 decomposition component gases on the surface of F-BN-H are constructed, and the most stable adsorption structures with their density of states, molecular orbitals, and sensing responses are analyzed. The results show that F-BN-H has good sensitivity to decomposition components of SF6. To be specific, SO2 and SOF2 have good adsorption properties, prominent charge transfer, and distinct change in electronic properties. The response of gas adsorption can be detected timely by the change in conductivity, and, additionally, the adsorbent has fast desorption capacity at room temperature. These results indicate that the F-BN-H-based gas sensor is a qualified potential candidate with dependable application and recoverability for detecting SF6 decomposition in high-voltage insulated equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Stenothyra glabra belonging to the truncatelloid family Stenothyridae is redescribed using morphological characters from the shell, operculum, and radula. The species is distinguished from other species in the group by its shell without spotted spiral lines and by its dome-shaped, mostly smooth, protoconch with some pits. Together with the morphological description, the complete mitogenome for the species is provided, which fill a knowledge gap in Stenothyridae. The mitogenome of S. glabra is 15,830 bp in length and has a circular structure. It contains 37 genes: 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 13 protein-encoding genes (PCGs). The overall A+T content of the mitogenome is 68.9%. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and COI sequence divergence separate S. glabra from its congeners and show that S. glabra and S. cf. divalis form a sister clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health monitoring and automatic notification system is crucial to the patients who suffer from apnea. However, most of them would not make any alert by themselves. They still need to work together with speakers or vibrators to remind the patients of their health conditions, leading to system complexity, low system integration, and poor reliability. Herein, a one-step health monitoring and automatic notification device (HMAND) based on the electrothermal effect of laser-induced graphene (LIG) is proposed to realize the integrated function of respiration monitoring and self-alarming on a single device at the same time. The periodic temperature change of the device is caused by breathing when it works in the monitoring mode. In the meantime, the HMAND will generate plenty of thermal energy to notify and rouse the patient when it detects abnormal breathing conditions. This study will be helpful for patients who suffer from apnea and open up a new way to realize the innovative applications in multifunctional integrated devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy in young adult men, and in many countries the incidence rates of testicular cancer have been increasing since the middle of the twentieth century. Since disease presentation and tumor progression patterns are often heterogeneous across racial groups, there may be important racial differences in recent TC trends.Methods: In this study, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data on TC patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2015 were analyzed, including the following racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic whites (NHW), Hispanic whites (HW), blacks, and Asians and Pacific Islanders (API). Patient characteristics, age-adjusted incidence rates, and survival were compared across racial groups. A multivariate Cox model was used to analyze the survival data of TC patients, in order to evaluate racial differences across several relevant factors, including marital status, age group, histologic type, treatment, stage, and tumor location.Results: NHWs had the highest incidence rates, followed by blacks, HWs, and APIs. There were significant survival differences among the racial groups, with NHWs having the highest survival rates and blacks having the lowest.Conclusion: An analysis of SEER data showed that racial differences existed among TC patients in the United States with respect to patient characteristics, incidence, and survival. The results can be useful to stakeholders interested in reducing the burden of TC morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common type of ovarian cancer and is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) is a small type I cytokeratin. The aim of this study is to explore the functional role of CK19 and its underlying mechanism in EOC. Methods: The expression levels of CK19 in EOC tissues were identified by Western blotting and RT-PCR assay. Transwell assay and CCK-8 proliferation assay were used to assess the invasion, migration and proliferation abilities of overexpressed or knockdown CK19 of ovarian cancer cells. We also detected the related genes of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway, including β-catenin, TCF7, LEF1, c-MYC and cyclin D1 in the transfected ovarian cancer cells by Western blotting and RT-PCR assay. Results: The results demonstrated that CK19 was upregulated in EOC tissue. CK19 was verified to promote the invasion, proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer cells. Additionally, CK19 activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by upregulated β-catenin, TCF7, LEF1, c-MYC and cyclin D1. Conclusions: In summary, this is the first study to investigate the role of CK19 in EOC. These findings provide a potential new therapeutic target for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Nanomaterials-based nickel foam (NF-C/CoS/NiOOH) with nanosheets structure and core–shell heterostructure was prepared for the first time by a facile and fast synthesis strategy of Joule-heating and water soaking treatment. The formation mechanism of nanosheets structure was proposed that the driving force of nanosheets structure generation was the metastable nickel activated by thermal shock, and the CoS could induce the NiOOH nanosheets growing continually. NF-C/CoS/NiOOH exhibited good oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, and overall water splitting performance. Nanomaterials based on nickel foam (NF) have been widely applied in energy conversion and storage field. Traditional synthesis methods such as hydrothermal method which is dangerous and high cost limited the scalable developments. Herein, we report a fast, simple, and low-cost synthesis method of nanomaterials based on NF by Joule-heating and water soaking treatment. Thin carbon-coated CoS on NF (NF-C/CoS) was synthesized by Joule-heating for a few seconds with rapid cooling. And then, NF-C/CoS/NiOOH with core–shell heterostructure was fabricated by soaking treatment of NF-C/CoS in water on which NiOOH nanosheets grew spontaneously. The formation mechanism is proposed that the coordination complex precursor converts into C/CoS on NF driven by Joule-heating, and the nickel on the surface of NF is activated to form metastable nickel simultaneously. The metastable nickel reacting with water leads to the formation of NiOOH, and the induction of CoS makes NiOOH grow continuously. This synthesis technology provides a new route to manufacture NF-based nanostructures, and the as-fabricated NF-C/CoS/NiOOH exhibits great potential as electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation of phosphoproteins is essential for understanding their vital roles in biological processes and pathology. Transition metal-based receptors and antibodies, the routinely used materials for phosphoproteins enrichment, both suffer from low sensitivity, low recovery and coverage. In this work, a novel smart copolymer material was synthesized by modifying porous silica gel with a poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-4-(3-acryloylthioureido) benzoic acid)0.35] (denoted as NIPAAm-co-ATBA0.35@SiO2). Driven by the hydrogen bonds complexation of ATBA monomers with phosphate groups, the copolymer-modified surface exhibited a remarkable adsorption toward native α-casein (a model phosphoprotein), accompanied with significant changes in surface viscoelasticity and roughness. Moreover, this adsorption was tunable and critically dependent on the polarity of carrier solvent. Benefiting from these features, selective enrichment of phosphoprotein was obtained using NIPAAm-co-ATBA0.35@SiO2 under a dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) mode. This result displays a good potential of smart polymeric materials in phosphoprotein enrichment, which may facilitate top-down phosphoproteomics studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The honeycomb-like and superhydrophilic porous CuO coatings are engineered on the brass plates. • The 2D evaporator with high light adsorption generates steam and electricity under sunlight illumination. • The 2D evaporator can also work at night under the introduction of input voltage. • All-day steam generation is achieved through the flexible photothermal transition and thermoelectricity of the evaporators. Solar energy-driven water evaporation is an effective way to obtain clean water through seawater desalination. Due to the day and night cycle, all-day steam generation is an urgent project. Here, 2D evaporators with effective heat management were designed and constructed by facile folding, in which superhydrophilic CuO coatings with honeycomb-like pores were in situ deposited on brass plates via electroplating and heat oxidation. In the daytime, the 2D evaporator has excellent photothermal performance due to the appropriate pore structure, light absorption, and water supply. The evaporation rate reaches 1.4 kg m−2 h−1, and the energy conversion efficiency of 93.5% under 1 sun in 3.5% artificial seawater for ten cycles. Except for solar-driven water evaporation, some heat converts into electricity due to the temperature difference between the two surfaces of the high thermal conductive 2D evaporator. At night, steam is generated through the flexible photoelectric transition. The evaporation rate is 5.8 kg m−2 h−1 at an input voltage of 6 V. The stable evaporation performance of this evaporation system and the advantages of all-day steam generation show considerable prospects. It may be widely used in pure water production in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Octamer-binding transcription factor 4-positive circulating tumor cell (OCT4+CTC) exhibits high stemness and invasive potential, which may influence the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). This study aimed to assess the prognostic role of OCT4+CTC in advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients who received ICI treatment. Methods: In total, 40 advanced CCA patients who received ICI treatment were included, and CTC and OCT4 counts were detected via a Canpatrol system and an RNA in situ hybridization method before ICI treatment. Patients were subsequently divided into none CTC, OCT4−CTC, and OCT4+CTC groups. Patients were followed up for a median of 10.4 months. Results: The percentages of patients in none CTC, OCT4−CTC, and OCT4+CTC groups were 25.0%, 30.0%, and 45.0%, respectively. The proportion of patients with lymph node metastasis was highest in OCT4+CTC group, followed by none CTC group, and lowest in OCT4−CTC group (P = 0.025). The objective response rate (ORR) was lowest in OCT4+CTC group, moderate in OCT4−CTC group, and highest in none CTC group (P = 0.009), while disease control rate was not different among three groups (P = 0.293). In addition, progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.001) were shorter in the OCT4+CTC group than in none CTC & OCT4−CTC group. Moreover, OCT4+CTC (versus none CTC) was independently linked with poorer PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 6.752, P = 0.001] and OS (HR = 6.674, P = 0.003) in advanced CCA patients. Conclusion: OCT4+CTC relates to lymph node metastasis and shows a good predictive value for poor treatment response and survival in advanced CCA patients who receive ICI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]