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Cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice is a serious issue affecting food safety. Understanding the molecular regulatory mechanisms of Cd accumulation in rice grains is crucial to minimizing Cd concentrations in grains. We identified a member of the low-affinity cation transporter family, OsLCT2 in rice. It was a membrane protein. OsLCT2 was expressed in all tissues of the elongation and maturation zones in roots, with the strongest expression in pericycle and stele cells adjacent to the xylem. When grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soils, rice plants overexpressing OsLCT2 significantly reduced Cd concentrations in the straw and grains. Hydroponic experiment demonstrated its overexpression decreased the rate of Cd translocation from roots to shoots, and reduced Cd concentrations in xylem sap and in shoots of rice. Moreover, its overexpression increased Zn concentrations in roots by up-regulating the expression of OsZIP9, a gene responsible for Zn uptake. Overexpression of OsLCT2 reduces Cd accumulation in rice shoots and grains by limiting the amounts of Cd loaded into the xylem and restricting Cd translocation from roots to shoots of rice. Thus, OsLCT2 is a promising genetic resource to be engineered to reduce Cd accumulation in rice grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of cis‐[Ru(acac)2(CH3CN)2] (acac−=acetylacetonate) with 1.5 equiv. of corresponding bidentate nitrogen and sulfur ligands in ethanol gave a series of bis(acetylacetonato) ruthenium(II/III) complexes [(acac)2Ru(dimbpy)](PF6) (dimbpy=4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine) (1), [(acac)2Ru(phen)] (phen=o‐phenanthroline) (2), [(acac)2Ru(opd)] (opd=o‐phenylenediamine) (3), [(acac)2Ru(4‐Bropd)] (4‐Bropd=4‐bromo‐o‐phenylenediamine) (4) and [(acac)2Ru(S2CNMe2)] (5), respectively. Complexes 1–5 were characterized by FT‐IR, NMR and UV‐Vis spectroscopies along with their electrochemical properties. The structures of complexes 1–5 have been unambiguously established by single crystal X‐ray crystallography. The photocatalytic properties for hydrogen production by water splitting of complexes 1–5 under visible light (λ>420 nm) were also investigated in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new cage compounds with high energy and low sensitivity by introducing –C(R2)–, –N(R)–, and –O– were designed. Then their properties including electronic structures, heats of formation, densities, detonation performances, thermal stability, and impact sensitivity were investigated using density functional theory. The results show that most of the designed compounds show excellent performance comparable with CL‐20, indicating that designing novel cage compounds is a very effective way to obtain potential energetic compounds with outstanding detonation properties. Taking both the detonation performance and stability into consideration, six compounds may be selected as attractive potential candidates of high energy density compounds. It may be expected that our results would contribute to the theoretical design of new‐generation energetic explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deteriorating relations between the USA and China since 2018 have extended to education and scientific research arenas. We put the US–China science and education in a historical perspective and describe the win–win situation when both countries collaborated. We discuss an ongoing loss–loss scenario of the decoupling and speculate its far-reaching adverse impacts beyond bilateral territories. We call for actions to be taken for a brighter future by the leaderships in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the era of evidence-based policy-making (EBPM), scientific outputs and public policy should engage with each other in a more interactive and coherent way. Notably, this is becoming increasingly critical in preparing for public health emergencies.Methods: To explore the coevolution dynamics between science and policy (SAP), this study explored the changes in, and development of, COVID-19 research in the early period of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, from 30 December 2019 to 26 June 2020. In this study, VOSviewer was adopted to calculate the link strength of items extracted from scientific publications, and machine learning clustering analysis of scientific publications was carried out to explore dynamic trends in scientific research. Trends in relevant policies that corresponded to changing trends in scientific research were then traced.Results: The study observes a salient change in research content as follows: an earlier focus on "children and pregnant patients", "common symptoms", "nucleic acid test", and "non-Chinese medicine" was gradually replaced with a focus on "aged patients", "pregnant patients", "severe symptoms and asymptomatic infection", "antibody assay", and "Chinese medicine". "Mental health" is persistent throughout China's COVID-19 research. Further, our research reveals a correlation between the evolution of COVID-19 policies and the dynamic development of COVID-19 research. The average issuance time of relevant COVID-19 policies in China is 8.36 days after the launching of related research.Conclusions: In the early stage of the outbreak in China, the formulation of research-driven-COVID-19 policies and related scientific research followed a similar dynamic trend, which is clearly a manifestation of a coevolution model (CEM). The results of this study apply more broadly to the formulation of policies during public health emergencies, and provide the foundation for future EBPM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The accelerated shedding of extracellular domains of syndecan‐4 (SDC4) is associated with central obesity and insulin resistance, while the association between serum SDC4 and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is unknown. We aimed to examine the association between SDC4 and NAFLD. Methods: Adults undergoing a health examination from 1 June 2019 to 31 December 2019 were enrolled. A diagnosis of NAFLD was made with an abdominal ultrasound. Logistic regression models and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the role of SDC4 in predicting NAFLD. Results: In total, 533 eligible participants were finally enrolled, among them 157 (29.46%) had NAFLD. The proportion of patients with NAFLD increased with the increasing quartiles of serum SDC4. With the increase of serum SDC4 levels, metabolic features including waist circumference, serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance were significantly increased. SDC4 was an independent factor for NAFLD (odds ratio 1.963, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.628‐2.367, P < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve of SDC4 for predicting NAFLD was 0.934 (95% CI 0.910‐0.959). The optimal cut‐off value was 6.575 ng/mL at Youden's index of 0.767. SDC4 had the highest diagnostic sensitivity (84.1%), positive predictive value (82.5%), negative predictive value (93.3%) and positive likelihood ratio (11.356) among all the variables. Conclusions: Elevated serum SDC4 level is associated with metabolic disorders and the prevalence of NAFLD among general population. Serum SDC4 may serve as a biomarker of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple surgical approaches have been proposed to repair the congenital choanal atresia. However, there remains no general consensus about the optimal surgical technique. This study aimed to describe and evaluate outcomes of the endoscopic septonasal flap technique combined with bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stents for repair of congenital choanal atresia in neonates and infants. Methods: Clinical data of 37 neonates and infants with congenital choanal atresia who received nasal endoscopic surgery with the flap technique between January 2018 and July 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent the ultra‑low‑dose paranasal sinus computed tomography imaging preoperatively to confirm diagnosis and plan the surgery. In these patients, the mirrored L-shaped flap technique was performed for bilateral atresia and the cross-over L-shaped flap technique was performed for unilateral atresia. A total of 22 patients had silicone stents postoperatively and 15 patients had bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stents postoperatively. Silicone stents were removed at one month postoperatively under secondary general anesthesia, while no anesthesia was needed to remove the bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stents. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 10 months to 3 years. Results: The septonasal flap technique was performed in all patients. Compared with the silicone stents group, the average operative duration and the hospital length of stay in the bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stents group were decreased [(97.46 ± 15.37) min vs (83.49 ± 19.16) min t = 13.733, P < 0.001] [(12.8 ± 3.22) d vs (7.67 ± 3.91) d t = 15.082, P < 0.001], the average number of procedures was reduced [(2.04 ± 0.64) vs (1.00 ± 0.001), t = 82.689, P < 0.001], the differences were statistically significant. There were no reports of postoperative restenosis and complications in the bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stents group, and follow-up endoscopic examinations showed patency and stable nasal passages in all cases. Conclusions: The endoscopic septonasal flap technique can effectively expose and expand the choanal bony structure for repair of congenital choanal atresia in neonates and infants. The combined use of this technique along with bioabsorbable steroid-eluting stents can help prevent the need for revision procedures and also against stent-related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic core–shell nanostructures hold great promise in elucidating the bimetallic synergism. However, it remains a challenge to construct atomically precise core–shell with high‐valence active metals on the gold surface. In this work, we report the total structure of a [Au42Cd40(SR)52]2− core–shell nanocluster and multiple implications. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction (SCXRD) reveals that the structure possesses a two‐shelled Au6@Au36 core and a closed cadmium shell of Cd40, and the core–shell structure is then protected by 52 thiolate (‐SR) ligands. The composition of the nanocluster is further confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). A catalytic test for styrene oxidation and a comparison with relevant nanoclusters reveal the surface effect on the catalytic activity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic core–shell nanostructures hold great promise in elucidating the bimetallic synergism. However, it remains a challenge to construct atomically precise core–shell with high‐valence active metals on the gold surface. In this work, we report the total structure of a [Au42Cd40(SR)52]2− core–shell nanocluster and multiple implications. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction (SCXRD) reveals that the structure possesses a two‐shelled Au6@Au36 core and a closed cadmium shell of Cd40, and the core–shell structure is then protected by 52 thiolate (‐SR) ligands. The composition of the nanocluster is further confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). A catalytic test for styrene oxidation and a comparison with relevant nanoclusters reveal the surface effect on the catalytic activity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of a systematic frequency uncertainty beyond 10−18 clock has triggered a multitude of investigations on the multipolar and higher-order lattice light shifts. The Cd atom has been proposed as a new candidate for the development of a lattice clock because of its smaller blackbody radiation shift at room temperature. Here, we apply an improved combined method of the Dirac–Fock plus core polarization and relativistic configuration interaction methods to calculate the dynamic multipolar polarizabilities of the Cd clock states. The effects of the high-order core-polarization potentials on the energies, reduced matrix elements, and multipolar polarizabilities have been evaluated systematically. The detailed comparison with available literature demonstrates that taking into account of the high-order core-polarization potentials is a simple and effective approach to improve the results of atomic properties for heavy atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this paper, the adaptive fuzzy controller design problem is investigated for a class of switched nonlinear systems in nonstrict feedback form, in which the unknown functions are considered and are approximated. Moreover, the system states are constrained in corresponding compact. By using Barrier Lypunov function method and backstepping technique, the adaptive fuzzy controller is designed such that all the signals in the closed‐loop system are bounded, the system output can track the desired signal to small compact, and all the system states satisfy the constraint conditions. Finally, the simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this article, based on partial differential equations (PDEs), the flexible manipulator system with both dead‐zone input and state constraints is studied. The dynamic model of the flexible manipulator system is described by PDEs. The parameters of the dead‐zone input are unknown, and the state constraint problem is also considered. An adaptive approach is proposed to offset the effects caused by dead‐zone input. Thus, to guarantee that all states remain within their respective constraint regions, the boundary control law based on the barrier Lyapunov function is given, and an adaptive controller is designed. According to the Lyapunov analysis method, the control method is given to ensure that all signals of the closed‐loop system are bounded and all states satisfy the constraint conditions. Finally, simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control method in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountain foothills of inner Asia have served as a corridor of communication and exchange for at least five millennia, using historically documented trade routes such as the Silk Road and the Tea-Horse Road. Recent research has illustrated the important role that this mountain corridor played in the dispersal of crops and farming technology between northeast and southwest Asia 5,000 to 1,000 years ago. However, the role of the mountain valleys along the southern rim of the Pamirs and Himalaya in facilitating crop dispersals has not yet been fully explored. Notably, ongoing debates over secondary dispersals of Hordeum (barley) and Triticum (wheat) into China and the routes of dispersal for the East Asian crops Oryza sativa (rice), Prunus persica (peach) and P. armeniaca (apricot) into northern India are continuing topics of inquiry. In this article, we add to these discussions by focusing on archaeobotanical remains from the Barikot site (ca. 1200 bce–50 ce) in the Swat valley of northern Pakistan. The Swat valley is an ancient settlement zone in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram foothills, whose cultural features have always had a strong link with inner Asia. The archaeobotanical assemblage illustrates that a diverse array of crops, with origins across Asia, were cultivated around the same settlement. Additionally, these farmers likely implemented seasonal cropping cycles and irrigation that required various labour inputs and water management regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the conventional inert gas used for coal firefighting, mainly CO2 and N2, experience certain deficiencies when used in coal firefighting under particular geological conditions, composite inert gas can be a feasible choice in such situations. Nevertheless, the fire inhibition characteristics and application potential of composite inert gas have not been explored in depth. To expedite the wider use of composite inert gas in preventing and controlling coal spontaneous combustion, the fire inhibition characteristics and application potential of composite inert gas have been evaluated by using temperature programmed experiment and engineering analogy for the first time. The results show that the fire inhibition effect falls in the order of as N2 < composite inert gas < CO2, and as the result of the competitive adsorption, the composite inert gas exhibits better performance than N2 and more resembles CO2 in the fire inhibition; Moreover, since the composite inert gas has lower toxicity and cost than CO2, the cost of composite inert gas is only 57.1% of CO2, it offers an overall more balanced performance taking into account fire protection effect, safety, and fire protection cost. The unique advantages of composite inert gas allow broad application in the prevention and control of the coal spontaneous combustion under some special geological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosinase is a bifunctional enzyme mediating the o-hydroxylation and two-electron oxidation of monophenols to o-quinones. The monophenolase activity of tyrosinase is much desired for the industrial synthesis of catechols. However, the generally low ratio of monophenolase/diphenolase activity of tyrosinase limited its utilization in the industry. In this study, a novel tyrosinase from Armillaria ostoyae strain C18/9 (AoTyr) was characterized, and the results showed that the enzyme has an optimal temperature of 25°C and an optimal pH of 6. The enzyme has comparable monophenolase and diphenolase activities and exhibits substrate inhibition in both of the activities. In silico analysis and mutagenesis experiments showed that residues 262 and 266 play important roles in modulating the substrate inhibition and enzymatic activities of AoTyr, and the replacement of D262 with asparagine significantly increased the monophenolase/diphenolase catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km ratios) (1.63-fold) of the enzyme. The results from this study indicated that this novel tyrosinase could be a potential candidate for the industrial biosynthesis of catechols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A content analysis of 62 job postings for East Asian studies librarians in the United States and Canada during 2008-2019 demonstrates that major job responsibilities have expanded to include collection development and management, reference and research assistance, instruction, liaison work, and outreach; relationship building and collaboration are emerging roles; skills and abilities have been progressively occupying a larger proportion than knowledge and experience in the required qualifications; top frequently required abilities and skills are generic and behavioral; and professional experiences are often preferred rather than required. The results of this research are of practical relevance to subject specialists in other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokines are key modulators of the immune responses and represent promising therapeutics for a variety of cancers. However, successful translation of cytokine-based therapy to the clinic is limited by, among others, severe toxicities and lack of efficacy due to cytokine pleiotropy and off-target activation of cells. Engineering cytokines with enhanced therapeutic properties has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these challenges. Advances in protein engineering and protein-polymer conjugate technologies have fostered the generation of cytokines with enhanced target cell specificity and longer half-life than the native ones. These novel cytokines exhibit reduced systemic toxicities while focusing the activities at the tumor site, thus, enhancing antitumor immunity. The growing toolbox of cytokine engineering strategies will further stimulate the development of smart cytokine-based immunotherapies with enhanced efficacy and safety profiles. • Cytokines represent an interesting therapeutic tool as they can act on both innate and adaptive immune systems. • Molecular engineering of cytokines improves cytokine specificity and reduces off-target effects. • Chemical modifications of cytokines with polymers or peptides increase cytokine half-life and tissue/cell specificity. • Limitations of cytokine-based therapies, such as pleiotropy and toxicities, may be circumvented by engineered cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qianhe gold deposit, located at Xiong'ershan in Eastern Qinling, with estimated gold reserves of 22 tons, hosts six orebodies within auriferous quartz veins and hydrothermally‐altered rocks along E–W trending faults. Here we present results from an integrated study involving field investigation, ore petrology, in situ sulphur isotopes, and trace elements analysis of gold‐bearing pyrite with a view to understanding the genesis of the hydrothermal gold mineralization. Three generations of pyrite are identified in the Qianhe Au deposit: Py1 is composed of coarse‐grained, euhedral cubic grains occurring at the margin of stage I quartz + pyrite vein; Py2 is occurs as porous grains coexisting with other sulphide minerals in stage II quartz + polymetallic sulphide veins; and Py3 is mainly composed of anhedral grains in stage III quartz + calcite + fluorite vein. Among the three generations, Py2 has the highest contents of Au (mean = 3.5 ppm), Ag (mean = 46.0 ppm), Zn (mean = 303 ppm), and Cu (mean = 346 ppm). The distribution and concentration of these trace elements are likely to be controlled by micro/nano‐inclusions in pyrite. The Co/Ni ratios range from 0.010 to 296, with most values lying between 0.1 and 10. The δ34S values of the various pyrite generations show a wide range between −17.9‰ and 4.5‰ with obviously higher values in Py3 (2.0‰ to 4.5‰) than those in Py1 (−16.7‰ to −13.5‰) and Py2 (−17.9‰ to −9.0‰). The negative δ34S values in Py1 and Py2 possibly resulted from sulphur isotope fractionation between sulphide and sulphate minerals. As sulphate minerals are absent in stage III, the slightly positive δ34S values in Py3 suggest a mixed source from mantle‐derived material and wall rocks of the Xiong'er Group. We correlate the genesis of gold mineralization in the Qianhe deposit with the extension and lithospheric thinning during Early Cretaceous, when ore‐bearing fluids channelled along fault zones induced hydrothermal alteration and Au mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the change of social economic system and the rapid growth of agricultural economy in China, the amount of agricultural energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions has increased dramatically. Based on the estimation of agricultural carbon dioxide emissions from 1991 to 2018 in China, this paper uses EKC model to analyze economic growth and agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. The Kaya method is used to decompose the factors affecting agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. The experimental results show that there is a co-integration relationship between economic growth and the total intensity of agricultural carbon emissions, and between economic growth and the intensity of carbon emissions caused by five types of carbon sources: fertilizer, pesticide, agricultural film, agricultural diesel oil and tillage. Economic growth is the main driving factor of agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, technological progress has a strong role in promoting carbon emission reduction, but it has a certain randomness. However, the impact of energy consumption structure and population size on carbon emissions is not obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate pollution in surface water and ground water has drawn wide attention, which has brought challenges to human health and natural ecology. Electroreduction of nitrate to NH 3 in waste water was a way to turn waste into wealth, which has attracted interest of many researchers. Using Nickel foam as substrate, we prepared Pd/In bimetallic electrode (NF–Pd/In) according to a two-step electrodeposition method. There are many irregularly shaped particles in the size range of 10 nm–100 nm accumulated on the surface of prepared NF–Pd/In electrode, which could supply high specific area and more active sites for nitrate electroreduction. FESEM-EDS, XRD and XPS analysis confirmed the uniform distribution of Pd and In on the surface of prepared NF–Pd/In electrode, with a mass ratio of 4.5/1. Above 96% of 100 mg/L NO 3 −-N was removed and 95% of NH 3 selectivity was reached after 5 h of reaction under −1.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl sat. KCl when using 0.05 mol/L of Na 2 SO 4 as electrolyte. High concentration of NaCl (0.05 mol/L) in the test solution dramatically decreased the NH 3 selectivity because the produced NH 3 could be further oxidized to N 2 by the formed HClO from Cl−. EIS tests indicated that the prepared NF–Pd/In electrode showed much lower electrode resistance than NF due to the adsorptive property and electrocatalytic ability for nitrate removal. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the presence of In could promote the conversion of NO 3 − to *NO 3 during the process of nitrate electroreduction to NH 3. Circulating tests demonstrated the stability of prepared NF–Pd/In electrode. Graphic abstract. [Display omitted] • Irregularly shaped particles of 10 nm–100 nm on NF–Pd/In surface. • High nitrate removal efficiency (96%) and high NH3 selectivity (95%). • In could promote the conversion of NO3- to *NO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] A portable multi-color colorimetric molecular imprinting polymers sensor for specifically identifing H5N1 from various subtypes influenza A virus with high sensitivity (LOD = 11.6 fM) is constructed. The proposed sensor is cheap (RMB 0.286 Yuan), easy to store and carry, and the detection results can be exhibited by fluorescence, UV-Vis spectrum and naked eyes. • Portable molecularly imprinted sensor. • Ultra-sensitive detection of H5N1 (LOD, 11.6 fM). • Self-service detection of influenza H5N1 with naked eye. • Results presented by three-modes. • Low cost (RMB 0.286 Yuan each). At present, the ability to identify subtypes of influenza A virus (IAV) with high similarity in morphology, size, and surface structure is suffered from significant challenges. In this study, we report on the development of a portable, multi-color, colorimetric molecular imprinting polymer (MIP)-based sensor that can specifically identify H5N1. To construct this sensor, using H5N1 as a template, the MIPs was obtained on the Fe 3 O 4 @ quantum dots (QDs) prepared in advance. Then, the Fe3+@PDA∼ Apt probe, which was designed for specificity for H5N1, was prepared by modifying the H5N1 ∼ Apt on the surface of the pre-prepared Fe3+-embedded dopamine nanoparticles. A sandwich structure would be formed via the specific combination of MIPs, H5N1 and Fe3+@PDA ∼ Apt. During detection, the fluorescence of QDs quenched, achieving the first detection mode of viruses through the change of fluorescence intensity. Subsequently, Fe3+ in the solution was released, K 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ] and K 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] were added to achieve a multi-color colorimetric detection sensor visible to the naked eyes. The third detection mode can be achieved by detecting the absorbance of the solution by ultraviolet–visible. The sensor was capable of differentiating the target H5N1 virus from other IAV subtypes with high specificity and sensitivity (LOD = 11.6 fM), and the detection of the virus could be enabled by fluorescence spectroscopy, UV–vis spectrophotometry, and colorimetric indication three modes, to provide a reliable point-of-care detection method for ensuring the accurate treatment of patients with H5N1 infection. Importantly, the MIP-based sensor could conveniently achieve the self-service detection at a cost of only RMB in 0.28 yuan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theories and constructs of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and trust are all widely discussed in research on the sharing economy. Previous empirical research, however, has yielded inconsistent results about the degree of association in the aforementioned theoretically covered constructs. This study used an integrated model that included the TAM, TPB, and trust to investigate factors that primarily influence participation intention in the sharing economy. A meta-analysis of 146 studies was conducted to summarize effect sizes for 12 pairs of relationships. The findings demonstrate a high positive correlation for each relationship in the model. Then, meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) was used to test the original, the extended Combined-TAM-TPB (C-TAM-TPB), and the extended C-TAM-TPB with trust model (trust-enhanced extended model). The findings indicate that the trust-enhanced extended model has the best explanatory power for the behavioral intention in the sharing economy. We also examined the moderating effects of platform type and economic development level to discover the sources of the inconsistent outcomes of previous studies. The findings show that each relationship varies significantly across platform types, and most relationships are higher in the accommodation-sharing scenario. Besides, the results of the moderating effect of economic development level demonstrate that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have a stronger influence on attitude in developed countries. Still, trust has a larger effect on behavioral intention in developing countries. • Using a meta-analytic approach examines how variables in C-TAM-TPB and trust internally correlated. • Enhancing C-TAM-TPB with trust helps improve its explanatory power in predicting sharing intention. • Trust has a crowding out effect on perceived behavioral control in predicting sharing intention. • All paths in the trust-enhanced extended C-TAM-TPB are significantly platform-type differentiated. • Most paths in the trust-enhanced extended C-TAM-TPB are significantly economic-development-level differentiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reuse of arsenic (As)-contaminated paddy fields is a global challenge because long-term flooding would result in As release due to the reductive dissolution of iron minerals. Biochar amendment is a common and effective remediation technique for As-contaminated paddy soil. However, the literature is still lacking in systematic research on the function of biochar in controlling the complexation of released dissolved organic matter (DOM) and iron oxides and its synergistic impact on the availability of As in flooded paddy soil. In the present study, bamboo biochar was prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures (300, 450 and 600 °C), as BB300, BB450 and BB600. Four paddy soil treatments including BB300, BB450, BB600 applications (1% ratio, m/m, respectively) and control (CK, no biochar application) were set and incubated for 60 d in flooding condition. The results showed that As availability represented by adsorbed As species (A-As) was mitigated by BB450 amendment compared with CK. The amendment of BB450 in paddy soil facilitated the complexation of HCl extractable Fe(III)/(II) and DOM and formation of amorphous iron oxides (e.g. complexed Fe species). Moreover, the abundance of Geobacteraceae and Xanthomonadaceae , as common electroactive bacteria, was promoted in the BB450 treated paddy soil in comparison to CK, which assisted to form amorphous iron oxides. The formed amorphous iron oxides then facilitated the formation of ternary complex (As–Fe-DOM) with highly stability, which could be considered as a mechanism for As immobilization after biochar was applied to the flooding paddy soil. Thus, the synergistic effect between amorphous iron oxides and electroactive stains could make main contribution to the passivation of released As in paddy soil under long-term flooding condition. This study provided a new insight for As immobilization via regulating iron-organic ligand complexation amendment with biochar in flooding paddy soil. [Display omitted] • Bamboo biochar (BB) was prepared under different pyrolysis temperatures. • BB at 450 °C altered electroactive bacteria activity (e.g. Geobacteraceae , Xanthomonadaceae). • Presence of BB changed the bacterial community composition and α diversity. • Co-deposition of Fe, As in the presence of DOM contributed to As passivation in paddy soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed nine new cage compounds by using different numbers of linkages –N(NO2)– and –N(NH2)– to connect the two skeletons of 1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazinane (RDX) or 1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocane (HMX) to construct the cage frameworks, similar to the skeleton of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL‐20). Then, their electronic structures, heats of formation, energetic properties, and impact sensitivities were studied using density functional theory. The types of intermolecular interactions and the changes in sensitivity were analyzed. Compared to the parent compounds RDX, HMX, and CL‐20, all the designed compounds present extraordinary high detonation properties (D > 9.70 km/s and P > 44.30 GPa). Considering the detonation performance and impact sensitivity, the four compounds may be regarded as potential candidates of high‐energy‐density compounds. Our results will contribute to a new strategy for the theoretical design of new energetic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In eukaryotes, N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive factor (NSF) is a conserved AAA+ATPase and a key component of the membrane trafficking machinery that promotes the fusion of secretory vesicles with target membranes. Here, we demonstrate that the Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains a single copy of NSF, AtNSF, which plays an essential role in the regulation of leaf serration. The AtNSF knock‐down mutant, atnsf‐1, exhibited more serrations in the leaf margin. Moreover, polar localization of the PIN‐FORMED1 (PIN1) auxin efflux transporter was diffuse around the margins of atnsf‐1 leaves and root growth was inhibited in the atnsf‐1 mutant. More PIN1‐GFP accumulated in the intracellular compartments of atnsf‐1 plants, suggesting that AtNSF is required for intracellular trafficking of PIN between the endosome and plasma membrane. Furthermore, the serration phenotype was suppressed in the atnsf‐1 pin1‐8 double mutant, suggesting that AtNSF is required for PIN1‐mediated polar auxin transport to regulate leaf serration. The CUP‐SHAPED COTYLEDON2 (CUC2) transcription factor gene is up‐regulated in atnsf‐1 plants and the cuc2‐3 single mutant exhibits smooth leaf margins, demonstrating that AtNSF also functions in the CUC2 pathway. Our results reveal that AtNSF regulates the PIN1‐generated auxin maxima with a CUC2‐mediated feedback loop to control leaf serration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy may lead to the perturbation of gut microbiota. We aim to investigate the impact of probiotics on eradication rate and gut microbiota during eradication therapy. Methods: A total of 162 patients receiving bismuth quadruple therapy were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups given probiotics (n = 83) or placebo (n = 79) for 4 weeks. Fecal samples were collected before treatment and 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after eradication therapy. Gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results: The eradication rates in the placebo and probiotics group were 82.43% and 87.01%, respectively (P > 0.05). Compared with baseline, alpha and beta diversity was significantly altered 2 weeks after eradication in both groups, which was restored at week 8. There were no significant differences in diversity between the two groups. H. pylori eradication therapy resulted in enrichment of some detrimental bacteria taxa such as Shigella, Klebsiella, and Streptococcus, while probiotics supplementation could rapidly restore these taxa levels after eradication and increase the taxa of Bacillus and Lactobacillales. Functional analysis revealed that lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and polymyxin resistance pathways were significantly enriched after eradication, while probiotics supplementation mainly enriched the cofactors and vitamins metabolism pathways. Increased relative abundances of Roseburia and Dialister were associated with the positive eradication outcome. Conclusions: Probiotics supplementation might help to construct a beneficial profile of gut microbiota after eradication therapy. Specific bacteria taxa are associated with H. pylori eradication outcome. These findings may be of value in rational use of probiotics during H. pylori eradication. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900022116. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiolated-alloy nanocluster Au15.37Cu16.63(S-Adm)20 ((AuCu)32 for short) has been synthesized. Single crystal X-ray crystallography (SC-XRD) proved that this cluster contains a Au14Cu6 core, which is composed of double superatom chains, two M4(SR)5 (M = Au/Cu) motifs, four Cu(SR)2 monomer staples and two SR molecules at the waist. The composition of this nanocluster is confirmed by SC-XRD and further verified by XPS, EDX and 2H-NMR. Surprisingly, double superatom chains connect to each other only via two Au–Au bonds, which makes the kernel resemble a tunnel. Combined with DFT calculation and electronic structure analysis, it is further proved that the (AuCu)32 nanocluster contains six 2e alloy superatomic Au3Cu2+ units. This work is the first report showing that superatom units (CuAu32+) self-assembling to a hollow kernel maintain the superatom characteristic of metal nanoclusters, which enriches the fundamental knowledge of metal superatom clusters. The stable electronic structure of the nanocluster provides an experimental basis for theoretical analysis in the future. In addition, the hollow structure may be promising in catalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to discover new agents with high anti‐inflammatory activity, 22 new 4‐sulfonyloxy/alkoxy benzoxazolone derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their anti‐inflammatory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced nitric oxide (NO) production and TNF‐α expression in RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. Most of these compounds displayed greater inhibitory ability against NO production than the lead compound 4‐o‐methyl‐benzenesulfonyl benzoxazolone, and the most active compound 2h exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity against NO, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 production with IC50 values 17.67, 20.07, and 8.61 μΜ, respectively. The effects of 2h were comparable or stronger than those of the positive control celecoxib. Compound 2h also displayed higher activity in vivo than celecoxib in a mouse model of xylene‐induced ear edema, based on their inhibitory rates of 42.69% and 30.87%, respectively. Further molecular analysis revealed that compound 2h significantly reduced the iNOS levels in cell supernatant and suppressed the protein expression of iNOS, p‐p38, p‐ERK, and nuclear NF‐κB. The results indicated that the anti‐inflammatory effect of 2h might be realized through the regulation of ERK‐ and p38‐mediated mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)‐NF‐κB/iNOS signaling, thereby reducing the excessive release of NO, IL‐1β, and IL‐6. Our findings demonstrated that compound 2h, a new benzoxazolone derivative, could inhibit activation of the MAPK‐NF‐κB/iNOS pathway, supporting its potential as a novel anti‐inflammatory agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in the XPR1 gene are associated with primary familial brain calcifications (PFBC). All reported mutations are missense and inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. PFBC patients exhibited movement disorders, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and other associated symptoms with diverse severity, even within the same family. We identified and enrolled a patient with PFBC. Clinical data were comprehensively collected, including the age of onset, seizure types and frequency, trigger factors of paroxysmal dyskinesia, response to drugs, and general and neurological examination results. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to detect pathogenic variants. We further systematically reviewed the phenotypic and genetic features of patients with XPR1 mutations. The patient showed bilateral calcification involving basal ganglia and cerebellar dentate. Clinically, he presented as paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia with infantile convulsions (PKD/IC) with favorable outcome. We identified a compound heterozygous XPR1 mutation (c.786_789delTAGA/p.D262Efs*6, c.1342C>T/p.R448W), which were inherited from unaffected parents respectively. Further literature review shows a wide range of clinical manifestations of patients with XPR1 mutations, with movement disorders being the most common. This is the first report of biallelic mutations in XPR1. The findings suggest for the first time a possible link between PKD/IC and XPR1 mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected at high redshift can be used to trace the Hubble diagram of the universe. However, the distance calibration of GRBs is not as easy as that of SNe Ia. For the calibration method based on the empirical luminosity correlations, there is an underlying assumption that the correlations should be universal over the whole redshift range. In this paper, we investigate the possible redshift dependence of six luminosity correlations with a completely model-independent deep-learning method. We construct a network combining the recurrent neural networks (RNN) and the Bayesian neural networks (BNN), where RNN is used to reconstruct the distance–redshift relation by training the network with the Pantheon compilation, and BNN is used to calculate the uncertainty of the reconstruction. Using the reconstructed distance–redshift relation of Pantheon, we test the redshift dependence of six luminosity correlations by dividing the full GRB sample into two subsamples (low-z and high-z subsamples), and find that only the Ep − Eγ relation has no evidence for redshift dependence. We use the Ep − Eγ relation to calibrate GRBs, and the calibrated GRBs give tight constraints on the flat ΛCDM model, with the best-fitting parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have used first principles methods to systematically investigate the quantum confinement effect on the electronic properties of zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) InAs nanowires (NWs) with different orientations and diameters, and compared their electronic properties before and after pseudo-hydrogen passivation. The results show that the calculated carrier effective masses are dependent on the NW diameter, except for [110] ZB NWs, and the hole effective masses of [111] ZB NWs are larger than the electron effective masses when the NW diameter is ≥26 Å. The band alignments of [111] ZB and [0001] WZ NWs reveal that the effect of quantum confinement on the conduction bands is greater than on the valence bands, and the position of the valence band maximum level changes little with increasing NW diameter. The pseudo-hydrogen passivated NWs have larger band gaps than the corresponding unpassivated NWs. The carrier effective masses and mobilities can be adjusted by passivating the surface dangling bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, titled "In Memoriam: A Tribute to Rob Britt," is a heartfelt tribute to Rob Britt, who recently passed away. The author reflects on their personal experiences with Rob, highlighting his exceptional kindness, unwavering support, remarkable patience, and selfless helpfulness. They first met Rob in 2009 at a CEAL meeting in Chicago, where he provided technical support and was always ready to resolve any issues. Over the years, the author collaborated closely with Rob on various projects and admired his dedication and expertise. The author expresses their deep grief and extends condolences to Rob's family and loved ones, hoping that his memory will continue to inspire others. [Extracted from the article]

AbstractPanic attacks (PAs) are intense episodes of anxiety with severe physical symptoms that can impair an individual’s social and occupational functions. Psychoeducation, a structured educational intervention, aims to improve various health aspects, including mental disorders. Delivering psychoeducation via the Internet can overcome barriers to accessing mental health treatment. This study examined the effectiveness of online psychoeducation on panic symptoms, anxiety, and quality of life (QOL) among people experiencing PAs. In this quasi-experimental design, 157 participants with PAs were recruited, and 136 eligible participants were allocated to treatment and control groups. The treatment group received an eight-session online psychoeducational program over 8 weeks, while the control group received reading materials. Outcome variables, including panic symptoms, anxiety, and QOL, were measured at baseline, 1-week post-intervention, and at 8-week follow-up using the Panic Disorder Dimensional (PD-D) scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. In the treatment group, the split-plot ANOVA showed a significant reduction in panic symptoms [F(1, 98) = 18.86, p < 0.01] and anxiety [F(1, 98) = 18.241, p < 0.01] compared to the control group. However, the intervention did not significantly affect QOL [F(1, 98) = 0.278, MSE = 153.007, p > 0.05]. The online psychoeducational program effectively reduced panic symptoms and anxiety levels but did not significantly impact QOL. Internet-based interventions, including psychoeducation, can improve access to mental health treatment, potentially reducing the treatment gap and enhancing overall mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction commonly occurs cesarean section. • Delayed recovery in gastrointestinal function can lead to many complications. • Intravenous dexmedetomidine could accelerate gastrointestinal function recovery. • This method can shorten the postoperative hospital stay and reduce medical costs. Gastrointestinal dysfunction after cesarean section negatively affects postoperative recovery. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to improve postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery and laparoscopic gastrectomy, but its role in cesarean section has not been fully elucidated. The study aimed to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on gastrointestinal function after cesarean section. 220 pregnant women who underwent elective cesarean section were randomized into group D and group S. Group D patients received a loading dose of 0.5 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine for 10 mins followed by a maintenance dose of 0.5 μg/kg/h intravenously immediately after the umbilical cord was cut intraoperatively, whereas the other group (group S) received an equivalent quantity of normal saline as loading and maintenance dose IV by infusion pump. The primary outcome was time to first flatus after surgery (hours). Secondary outcomes included time to first feces and first bowel sounds (hours), incidence rates of postoperative gastrointestinal complications, and the length of postoperative hospital stay (days). Modified intention-to-treat analysis showed that patients in Group D had a significantly shorter time to first flatus (21 [16 to 28.25] vs. 25 [18 to 32.25] h; P = 0.014), time to first feces (45.5 [35.75 to 55.25] vs. 53 [40 to 60] h; P = 0.019), and time to first bowel sounds (P = 0.010), a lower incidence of abdominal distension (21[20.6 %] vs. 36[34.3 %], P = 0.027), shorter length of postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.010) compared to patients in Group S. Intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion reduces the time to first flatus, the incidence of abdominal distension, and shortens the length of hospital stay, promoting gastrointestinal function after cesarean section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moist and warm environment in the household washing machine provides ideal living conditions for the growth and survival of various microorganisms. However, the biodiversity of bacterial community in the different parts of washing machine from Chinese households has not been clarified. In this study, we assessed the bacterial communities in sealing strip, detergent drawer, inner drum, water filter and greywater of ten domestic washing machines quantitatively and qualitatively in Chengdu, southwestern China. The microbial cultivation results indicated that the washing machines from Chengdu had a severe microbial contamination reflected by large counts on bacteria, fungi and coliform. Furthermore, the sequencing data showed that the different parts displayed distinctive bacterial compositions. At the level of genus, the anaerobic bacteria of Caproiciproducens and Acidipropionibacterium were predominant in sealing strip. Barnesiella, Shinella and Sellimonas were detected as the characteristic bacteria in detergent drawer. The pathogens of Luteibacter and Corynebacterium at the genus level were the dominant bacteria in inner drum and water filter, respectively. The genera of Azospira, Roseococcus, Elstera and Aquicella, which belonged to the pathogenic phylum of Proteobacteria, were identified as bioindicators for the greywater. Gene function analysis on the sequencing data illustrated that the bacteria from washing machines were potentially associated with bacterial infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. This study shows the bacterial diversity in the different parts of washing machines, providing new clues for bacterial contamination in washing machines from Chinese households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A disintegrin and metalloproteinases 10 (ADAM10) and ADAM17 are transmembrane metalloproteinases that cleave the membrane-anchored proteins. They act as α-secretase that cleaves amyloid precursor protein (APP), precluding the production of amyloid-β, thus protecting against the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the degradation pathway of ADAM10 and ADAM17 remains unknown. In this study, we show that ADAM10 and ADAM17 are degraded through the lysosomal pathway. The lysosomal cysteine protease, AEP, plays an important role in the degradation of ADAM10/17. AEP directly cleaves ADAM10/17. Knockout of AEP increases the content of ADAM10/17 in the brain. Given the protective role of ADAM10 and ADAM17 against AD, AEP-mediated degradation of ADAM10/17 may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD. • ADAM10 and ADAM17 were degraded by the lysosome pathway. • The lysosome enzyme, AEP, degraded ADAM10 and ADAM17 in vitro and in vivo. • Knockout of AEP elevated the content of ADAM10 and ADAM17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron overload triggers the ferroptosis in the heart following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) charges the cellular iron uptake. Bioinformatics analysis shows that the three molecules of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), p53 and TfR1 form a unique pathway of USP7/p53/TfR1. This study aims to explore whether USP7/p53/TfR1 pathway promotes ferroptosis in rat hearts suffered I/R and the underlying mechanisms. The SD rat hearts were subjected to 1 h-ischemia plus 3 h-reperfusion, showing myocardial injury (increase in creatine kinase release, infarct size, myocardial fiber loss and disarray) and up-regulation of USP7, p53 and TfR1 concomitant with an increase of ferroptosis (reflecting by accumulation of iron and lipid peroxidation while decrease of glutathione peroxidase activity). Inhibition of USP7 activated p53 via suppressing deubiquitination, which led to down-regulation of TfR1, accompanied by the decreased ferroptosis and myocardial I/R injury. Next, H9c2 cells underwent hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro to mimic the myocardial I/R model in vivo. Consistent with the results in vivo, inhibition or knockdown of USP7 reduced the H/R injury (decrease of LDH release and necrosis) and enhanced the ubiquitination of p53 along with the decreased levels of p53 and TfR1 as well as the attenuated ferroptosis (manifesting as the decreased iron content and lipid peroxidation while the increased GPX activity). Knockdown of TfR1 inhibited H/R-induced ferroptosis without p53 deubiquitination. Based on these observations, we conclude that a novel pathway of USP7/p53/TfR1 has been identified in the I/R-treated rat hearts, where up-regulation of USP7promotes ferrptosis via activation of the p53/TfR1 pathway. Image 1 • The protein levels of USP7, p53 and TfR1 are all elevated in the I/R-treated rat hearts. • Suppression of USP7 mitigate the myocardial I/R injury via reduction of ferroptosis. • USP7 promotes ferroptosis in the I/R-treated hearts via activation of p53/TfR1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant cells have a powerful capacity in their propagation to adapt to environmental change, given that a single plant cell can give rise to a whole plant via somatic embryogenesis without the need for fertilization. The reprogramming of somatic cells into totipotent cells is a critical step in somatic embryogenesis. This process can be induced by stimuli such as plant hormones, transcriptional regulators and stress. Here, we review current knowledge on how the identity of totipotent cells is determined and the stimuli required for reprogramming of somatic cells into totipotent cells. We highlight key molecular regulators and associated networks that control cell fate transition from somatic to totipotent cells. Finally, we pose several outstanding questions that should be addressed to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant cell totipotency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrity and research ethics are cherished institutions in academic world. Although most societies have rules and codes that govern ethical conducts in research, few studies have provided quantitative evidence on the impacts of these regulations and codes on the behaviors of researchers. In the context of a nationwide anti-corruption campaign in China, this paper evaluates the changes of principal investigators' reimbursement behavior in a leading university when new reimbursement policies were introduced. Utilizing a novel grant dataset and a regression discontinuity design, we find that the new policies lowered PIs' monthly average amount of reimbursement from research grants by 35%, which can be interpreted as a reduction in grant misuse. Following speculations we argue that institutionalizing orchestrated efforts on grant management, payroll systems, and research integrity education is in the right direction toward building China into a true scientific power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: It is unclear how primary colorectal cancer (CRC) cells select to metastasize to the liver or lungs, the most frequent distant metastasis of CRC. We aimed to identify the key genes and pathways that may predict the distant metastasis of CRC to these sites. Methods: Three gene expression array datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus were analyzed. Protein–protein network analyses, best subsets regressions and backward stepwise regression analyses were used to screen the key genes and their expressions were used to construct a predictive logistic regression model. Expression data from local clinical samples were used as a validation dataset. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to test the performance of the predictive model. Results: In total, 59 differentially expressed genes (DEG) related to liver‐metastasis, 90 related to lung metastasis and 45 related to both liver and lung metastasis were identified. The KEGG pathways and gene oncology (GO) terms that were enriched in liver and lung metastasis were identified. A predictive logistic regression model consisted of SPARC, COL1A2, MMP9, COL11A1, COL3A1, CXCL12 and THBS2 was established. The area under the ROC curve reached 0.839 in predicting liver and lung metastasis, using our clinical samples as the validation dataset. Conclusions: Seven key genes capable of predicting liver and lung metastasis of colorectal cancer were identified, which provides clues for exploring the mechanism of selecting target organs during the metastatic process in CRC and inspires the researches for new potential targets for therapy to inhibit metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active fault-tolerant control (FTC) problem for a class of switched nonlinear systems is investigated by using average dwell time method. First, an observer-based fault detection scheme is established. Because only the system output is assumed to be available, the threshold of fault detection only depends on the output error. Moreover, all the signals in the closed-loop system are bounded in fault-free case. After a fault has been detected, the fault estimation and FTC schemes are activated. Due to the existence of faults, unstable subsystems are allowed to exist. The fault-tolerant controllers of subsystems and a class of switching signals with average dwell time are designed such that all the signals in the closed-loop system remain bounded, and the system states can be estimated by the observer. Finally, in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we apply it to the switched RCL circuit system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ballistic thermoelectric properties (TPs) in boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) are studied using the nonequilibrium Green's function atomistic simulation of electron and phonon transport. A comparative analysis for TPs between BNNRs and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is made. Results show that the TPs of BNNRs are better than those of GNRs stemming from the higher power factor and smaller thermal conductance of BNNRs. With increasing the ribbon width, the maximum value of ZT (ZTmax) of BNNRs exhibits a transformation from the monotonic decrease to nonlinear increase. We also show that the lattice defect can enhance the ZTmax of these nanoribbons strongly depending on its positions and the edge shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze heat generation in a quantum dot coupled to normal leads and subject to an ac field, a formula is derived for the heat generated Q using the nonequilibrium Keldysh Green's function technique. The numerical results show that the external ac field influences significantly the heat generated. The threshold bias decreases to Vt=ω0-nω through photon absorption. Additional steps emerge from photon-assisted tunneling, and the width of the step is equal to the frequency of photon ω and the height increases with the magnitude of the ac field. For large V/ω, the Q/ω curves display many resonant peaks due to multi-photon absorptions and emissions. Moreover, a negative differential heat generation can be observed as ω>ω0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Introduction:The quality of maternal health care service is a crucial determinant of maternal morbidities and mortalities. This study aimed to explore feasibility and relative efficacy of WeChat (WC), of specialist team (ST) service, and of combined of both interventions (WC-ST) for improving the quality of maternal health care in China. Materials and Methods:A four-arm randomized controlled trial of 1,400 pregnant women was conducted in three hospitals in Chengdu, Southwest China, from December 2016 to October 2017. Eligible women were randomly assigned to either of three intervention groups or the control group (service as usual; SAU). Main outcome measures were satisfaction rate and uptakes of maternal health care service at 49 days postpartum based on questionnaire survey. Results:No significant differences in satisfaction rate were found among four groups at baseline (p = 0.981), and significant group differences were noted at 49 days postpartum (p < 0.001), with the highest rate from WC-ST group (98.6%), followed by that of ST (95.2%) and WC (91.6%) groups, and SAU group being the lowest (85.2%). The same pattern of group difference was observed in measures of health care uptake behaviors. Most health care uptake measures from the baseline to post-trial were significantly improved within each of the intervention groups, while most such measures in the control group were not different from baseline to post-trial. Discussion and Conclusions:The WC and ST service is feasible and potentially effective in improving the quality of maternal health care service in China. The study has revealed limitations and options for improvement in future main trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number, intensity and order of emergence of HIV-1 specific antibodies in serum or plasma were associated with the stage of HIV-1 infection. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the HIV-1 confirmatory results tested by western blot (WB) or recombination immunoblot assay (RIBA) in Wuhan, 2012–2018, to access the profiles of HIV-1 specific antibodies. A total of 14432 HIV-suspected serum or plasma samples collected from local hospitals and other HIV screening laboratories were further screened by two 4th generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits in our laboratory, of which 11068 specimens (76.69%) had at least one positive ELISA result and thereby were finally confirmed with WB or RIBA. RIBA had identified 652 (81.09%) positive and 13 (1.62%) indeterminate cases from July 1, 2014 to January 7, 2015, while WB had identified 8358 (81.43%) positive and 643 (6.26%) indeterminate cases in the other times during 2012–2018. The indeterminate rate of WB was significant higher than that of RIBA (p<0.001). Although the number of HIV-1 infected subjects increased significantly from 2012 (n = 911) to 2018 (n = 1578), the positive rate of HIV-1 antibodies decreased markedly from 70.08% in 2012 to 58.79% in 2018 (p<0.001). The most commonly observed antibody profile was gp160+gp120+p66+(p55+)p51+gp41+p31+p24+p17+ (4131, 49.43%) for WB-MP and gp160+gp120+gp41+p31+p24+p17+ (382, 58.59%) for RIBA-WANTAI, and the absence of reactivity to three possible serologic markers for recent HIV-1 infection, p31, p66, and p51, increased significantly from 2012 to 2018, with the overall rate of 17.03%, 9.40%, and 15.15%, respectively. The suspected acute HIV-1 infection was also observed to be increased in recent years, with an overall rate of 1.00%. Our results indicated the detection rate had decreased for HIV-1 infection, but increased for suspected recent and acute HIV-1 infection during 2012–2018, reflecting the efforts of intervention among high risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the local character of spontaneous brain activity in type-2 diabetic patients with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) and its relationship with clinical features via the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) method. A total of 31 subjects (15 females and 16 males) with type-2 diabetic VH and 31 normal controls (NCs) with similar characteristics (sex, age and educational level) were recruited in the present study. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The local character of spontaneous brain activity was assessed using the ALFF method. The difference between the type-2 diabetic patients with VH and NCs was determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Pearson's correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between the mean ALFF values of specific brain areas and related clinical manifestations in type-2 diabetic patients with VH. The ALFF values of type-2 diabetic patients with VH were significantly increased in the right and left cerebellum posterior lobes, left cerebellum posterior lobe/left lingual gyrus and bilateral superior frontal gyrus/left postcentral gyrus, compared with those obtained for NCs (P<0.05). By contrast, these values were significantly decreased in the left and right middle frontal gyri, right medial frontal gyrus/left anterior cingulate, right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus/middle frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus of the former group compared with the NCs (P<0.05). Nevertheless, there was no significant association between the mean ALFF values and clinical characteristics in different brain areas. Unusual spontaneous activity occurred in multiple brain areas, which may suggest the neuropathological mechanisms of visual impairment in type-2 diabetic patients with VH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adjuvant immunotherapy has recently emerged as a potential treatment strategy for breast cancer. The tumor-associated protein mucin 1 (MUC1) has received increasing attention due to its high expression in numerous types of common tumors, in which MUC1 acts as a cancer antigen. However, the simple mixed composition of an adjuvant and a peptide is not a sufficient rationale for a MUC1 peptide-based vaccine. The present study developed a novel Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist-conjugated MUC1 peptide vaccine (T7-MUC1), which elicited an effective immune response and a robust antitumor effect in a mouse breast cancer model. In vitro, T7-MUC1 significantly increased the release of cytokines in mouse bone marrow dendritic cells and spleen lymphocytes, and induced the dendritic cell-cytokine-induced killer response against tumor cells with high MUC1 expression. In vivo, it was observed that the 4T1 tumor weights in mice immunized with the T7-MUC1 conjugate were reduced by ≥70% compared with those in the control group. Furthermore, the therapeutic responses in vivo were attributed to the increase in specific humoral and cellular immunity, including high antibody titers, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity. The percentages of CD3+/CD8+ T-cells were significantly higher in the T7-MUC1 treatment group compared with those in the control group. Therefore, the results of the present study suggested that the T7-MUC1 vaccine inhibited tumor growth in mice and thus may have potential as a therapeutic candidate in clinical trials for breast cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Release of titanium ions (Ti ions) frequently occurs around dental implants and, as a consequence, higher content of Ti is typically present in peri-implantitis tissue. Unlike chronic periodontitis, Ti ions may play a role in the development of peri-implantitis. Inflammasomes are multiprotein signal transduction complexes, involved in inflammation and immune response, which lead to the secretion of mature cytokines associated with the progression of peri-implantitis. It is well known that T lymphocytes dominate the immune response in peri-implantitis, but whether Ti ions can impact the assembly of functional inflammasomes in T cells still remains unclear. Here, we observed that the mRNA expression of NLRP3 and CASP1, as well as the secretion of IL-1β, increased after 6-h incubation of Jurkat T cells with PHA and Ti ions. Moreover, measurement by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry assay indicates that Ti ions can promote the production of ROS, while NLRP3 expression and IL-1β secretion are reduced after treatment of Jurkat cells with NAC (ROS scavenger). Taken together, we presently show that Ti ions can activate NLRP3 inflammasome and then promote IL-β secretion in vitro, where ROS may play a mechanistic role in this activation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the adaptive control problem for a class of nonlinear single-input single-output lower triangular systems with partial state constraints and unknown backlash-like hysteresis. To prevent the partial states from transgressing the predefined constrained region, a barrier Lyapunov function is presented, whose values will increase to infinity when any of its parameters grows to a given boundary value. To counteract the effect caused by the backlash-like hysteresis, an auxiliary variable with its adaptive mechanism is introduced in the backstepping technique. At the same time, the output of the considered systems can track the reference signal, and all the variables in the design procedure are uniformly ultimate boundedness. In the end, a numerical example is employed to validate the efficiency of the developed theoretical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]