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Nutrient enrichment impacts grassland plant diversity such as species richness, functional trait composition and diversity, but whether and how these changes affect ecosystem stability in the face of increasing climate extremes remains largely unknown. We quantified the direct and diversity‐mediated effects of nutrient addition (by nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) on the stability of above‐ground biomass production in 10 long‐term grassland experimental sites. We measured five facets of stability as the temporal invariability, resistance during and recovery after extreme dry and wet growing seasons. Leaf traits (leaf carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and specific leaf area) were measured under ambient and nutrient addition conditions in the field and were used to construct the leaf economic spectrum (LES). We calculated functional trait composition and diversity of LES and of single leaf traits. We quantified the contribution of intraspecific trait shifts and species replacement to change in functional trait composition as responses to nutrient addition and its implications for ecosystem stability. Nutrient addition decreased functional trait diversity and drove grassland communities to the faster end of the LES primarily through intraspecific trait shifts, suggesting that intraspecific trait shifts should be included for accurately predicting ecosystem stability. Moreover, the change in functional trait diversity of the LES in turn influenced different facets of stability. That said, these diversity‐mediated effects were overall weak and/or overwhelmed by the direct effects of nutrient addition on stability. As a result, nutrient addition did not strongly impact any of the stability facets. These results were generally consistent using individual leaf traits but the dominant pathways differed. Importantly, major influencing pathways differed using average trait values extracted from global trait databases (e.g. TRY). Synthesis. Investigating changes in multiple facets of plant diversity and their impacts on multidimensional stability under global changes such as nutrient enrichment can improve our understanding of the processes and mechanisms maintaining ecosystem stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transitional metal nitride ZrN is known for its exceptional electrical conductivity and ability to display metallic and semiconducting properties by manipulating its stoichiometric ratio. As such, it has garnered significant attention in the realm of microelectronics applications. The MOCVD technique was utilized to grow ZrN films on a Si (111) substrate in this work, and the impact of chamber pressure was analyzed. The growth rate of the ZrN film showed a significant increase as the chamber vacuum rose. The columnar structure with pores appeared in SEM cross-sectional observation, which complies with the SMZ model and can be ascribed to the limited mobility of adsorbed particles. Under 10–20 Torr, a strong preferred orientation of (200) orientation was observed, and the domain matching model was used to explain its lattice-matching relationship with the Si substrate. The ZrN films deposited in our experimental groups demonstrated exceptional conductive properties, with a maximum value of 38 μΩ cm−1. This result highlights the potential of MOCVD-grown ZrN films to serve as conductive layers in Si-based devices. Furthermore, we comprehensively characterized the optical constants of reflectance, refractive index, and extinction coefficient. Analysis reveals that the ZrN film possesses excellent specular reflectivity in the red and near-infrared bands, making it a promising ideal reflective layer for optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovering three-dimensional structure from images is one of the important researches in computer vision. The quality of feature matching is one of the keys to obtaining more accurate results. However, as different objects or different surfaces of objects have similar images with the same elements and different typography, the camera pose estimation will be wrong and the task will fail. This paper proposes a new mismatch elimination algorithm based on global topology consistency. We first formulate the matching task as a mathematical model based on the global constraints, then convert the feature matching into grid matching, calculate the confidence of the grids according to the changes in the angle and displacement between correspondence grid vectors, and remove the mismatches with low confidence. The experiments have demonstrated that our proposed method performs better than the state-of-the-art feature matching methods to accomplish outlier match rejection in the task of similar image matching and could be helped to obtain the correct camera pose to reconstruct more complete and more accurate object models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heart valve is crucial for the human body, which directly affects the efficiency of blood transport and the normal functioning of all organs. Generally, decellularization is one method of tissue-engineered heart valve (TEHV), which can deteriorate the mechanical properties and eliminate allograft immunogenicity. In this study, removable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is used to encapsulate decellularized porcine heart valves (DHVs) as a dynamic template to improve the processability of DHVs, such as suturing. Mechanical tests show that the strength and elastic modulus of DHVs treated with different concentrations of PVA significantly improve. Without the PVA layer, the valve would shift during suture puncture and not achieve the desired suture result. The in vitro results indicate that decellularized valves treated with PVA can sustain the adhesion and growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). All results above show that the DHVs treated with water-soluble PVA have good mechanical properties and cytocompatibility to ensure post-treatment. On this basis, the improved processability of DHV treated with PVA enables a new paradigm for the manufacturing of scaffolds, making it easy to apply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a growing demand in the field of engineering systems for research on the vibration response of motor-gear systems under non-steady state conditions. However, conventional modeling and simulation techniques are primarily restricted to systems within a single energy domain. When dealing with intricate electromechanical coupling systems, the modeling process becomes increasingly intricate. Consequently, this study adopts bond graph theory as the foundation for analyzing the vibration characteristics of motor-gear coupling systems. In addressing the vibration issue of the motor-gear transmission system, a nonlinear bond graph model is established that takes into account the time-varying mesh stiffness, static errors, and tooth surface friction, among other nonlinear factors. Then, according to the coupling relationship between motor mechanical systems and electrical systems, the electromechanical coupling dynamic model of the motor-gear system is established using the method of bond graph. In addition, the state equation of the system is derived based on the bond graph model. Finally, the system is simulated using 20-sim software, and the electromechanical coupled vibration characteristics of the simulation results are analyzed. This article lays the foundation for the design and analysis of motor-gear coupling systems and multi-energy domain complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To probe the clinical effect of stem cell transplantation in combination with 308‐nm excimer laser therapy for vitiligo and to analyze its value in clinical application. Methods: A total of 56 patients with stable non‐segmental vitiligo in different parts who were not cured by other therapies visiting our hospital from March 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled as study subjects. They were treated by stem cell transplantation combined with 308‐nm excimer laser therapy. The treatment efficacy was observed and analyzed. Results: Among the 56 patients, 38 (67.85%) and 49 (87.5%) patients were cured at 6 and 12 months after treatment, respectively. Conclusion: Stem cell transplantation combined with 308‐nm excimer laser therapy for vitiligo achieves significant efficacy, with the cure rate far superior to that of other therapies for vitiligo. The therapy is worthy of popularization in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of surface displacement prediction of tunnel convergence displacement is used to make up for the failure of tunnel convergence displacement monitoring in the construction process, to supplement and verify the tunnel monitoring data, and to guide the construction. Firstly, some sets of systolic displacement and surface displacement data are obtained by field monitoring, which is used to calculate the parameter vector to be determined. The corresponding mathematical model is established and the systolic displacement of tunnel is predicted according to the monitoring data of surface displacement. Combined with field tunnel displacement monitoring and surface displacement monitoring, the correlation of displacement curve is analyzed, and the corresponding mathematical model is established. Combined with Matlab programming, the corresponding program language is written, the user interface is compiled, and the method of predicting tunnel convergence displacement by the ground displacement is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Si3N4/BN fibrous monolithic ceramics were successfully prepared by wet spinning extrusion and hot pressing, and the effects on its ablation performance and microstructure were studied. The samples were burned in an oxyacetylene flame for 60 s × 30 to evaluate the ablation resistance. With the increase in ablation time, the fibrous monolithic ceramics exhibited specific mass and linear ablation rates, which show a trend of first increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing again. When the ablation time is 60 s × 10, 60 s × 20, and 60 s × 30, the mass ablation rates of the fibrous monolithic ceramics are 1 × 10−5 mg/s, −8.3 × 10−6 mg/s, −6.7 × 10−7 mg/s, respectively; the linear ablation rates are 4.7 × 10−5 μg/s, −1.2 × 10−5 μg/s and 1.7 × 10−6 μg/s. After 60 s × 30 of ablation, the surface oxides of the species are washed away by the oxyacetylene flame, revealing a porous coral-like structure with many cracks. A glass phase layer, predominantly constituted by sintering aids, envelops the Si3N4 ceramic surface on the ablated sample, serving as an effective barrier against additional ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop materials suitable for aerospace applications, silicon nitride/boron nitride (Si 3 N 4 /BN) fibrous monolithic ceramics with varying BN contents were prepared. Employing analytical techniques such as XRD and SEM, coupled with mechanical testing equipment, the influence of BN concentration on the thermal shock resistance of Si 3 N 4 /BN fibrous monolithic ceramics was assessed. When the thermal shock differential is less than 800 °C, its residual flexural strength gradually decreases as the thermal shock differential increases. Conversely, when the differential exceeds 1000 °C, the residual flexural strength of the material increases. The residual strength of all samples reached its peak after undergoing a thermal shock assessment at a 1500 °C differential. When the BN mass fraction is 5 wt.%, the residual strength after a thermal shock at a temperature difference of 1500 °C is 387 ± 19 MPa, which is 124% higher than the original strength of the sample that did not undergo thermal shock (25 °C, 311 ± 18 MPa). The oxide layer formed on the thermal shock surface played a role in bridging defects introduced during material surface processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-area soil moisture (SM) data with high resolution and precision are the foundation for the research and application of hydrological and meteorological models, water resource evaluation, agricultural management, and warning of geological disasters. It is still challenging to downscale SM products in complex terrains that require fine spatial details. In this study, SM data from the Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) satellite were downscaled from 36 to 1 km in the summer and autumn of 2017 in Sichuan Province, China. Genetic-algorithm-optimized backpropagation (GABP) neural network, random forest, and convolutional neural network were applied. A fusion model between SM and longitude, latitude, elevation, slope, aspect, land-cover type, land surface temperature, normalized difference vegetation index, enhanced vegetation index, evapotranspiration, day sequence, and AM/PM was established. After downscaling, the in situ information was fused through a geographical analysis combined with a spatial interpolation to improve the quality of the downscaled SM. The comparative results show that in complex terrains, the GABP neural network better captures the soil moisture variations in both time and space domains. The GDA_Kriging method is able to merge in situ information in the downscaled SM while simultaneously maintaining the dynamic range and spatial details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nitride ceramics are regarded as a promising material for high-temperature structural applications due to their remarkable characteristics, including high strength, hardness, thermal conductivity, low dielectric properties, and resistance to creep at elevated temperatures. However, their susceptibility to catastrophic fracture at high temperatures remains a concern. Herein, Si3N4/BN fibrous monolithic ceramics have been successfully prepared by employing wet-spinning and hot-pressing techniques. We delved into the design and optimization of the spinning slurry and examined how the Si3N4/BN fiber diameter affects the ceramics' microstructure and mechanical properties. The spinning slurry exhibited exceptional stability and spinnability. Decreasing the fiber diameter contributed to material densification and improved mechanical properties. Notably, when the fiber diameter is 0.9 mm, the fabricated Si3N4/BN fibrous monolithic ceramics demonstrate a carbon content of 0.82%, a three-point bending strength of 357 ± 24 MPa, and a fracture toughness of 8.8 ± 0.36 MPa·m1/2. This investigation offers valuable insights into producing high-performance Si3N4/BN composite ceramics utilizing hot-pressing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the applicability of multidimensional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) together with multiphase contrast‐enhanced CT images on automated detection of diverse focal liver lesions (FLLs). Methods: We trained detection models based on 2.5D and 3D CNN frameworks using 567 patients with 3892 FLLs and validated on a relatively large independent cohort of 1436 patients with 4723 lesions. The detection performance across different phases (arterial, portal venous [PV], and combined phases) was assessed for the 2.5D model. The lesions were divided into two groups with a cutoff size of 20 mm, and further subdivided into four subgroups of <10, 10–20, 20–50, and ≥50 mm, to verify the detection rates for lesions of different sizes for the 2.5D and 3D models. McNemar's test was used to compare the detection sensitivities among different methods. In addition, sensitivity with 95% confidence intervals and free‐response receiver operating characteristics (FROC) curves were plotted for visualization of the detectability. Results: In the 2.5D model, the detection rate of PV phase outperformed arterial phase, and a combination of the two phases further improved the performance over a single phase. The detection sensitivities in the arterial, PV, and combined phases were 0.737 versus 0.802 versus 0.832 for all lesions. The 3D model was superior to the 2.5D model for detecting benign lesions (0.896 vs. 0.807, p < 0.001), malignant lesions (0.940 vs. 0.918, p = 0.013), and all lesions (0.902 vs. 0.832, p < 0.001) regardless of size division. Particularly, the 3D model showed higher sensitivity than the 2.5D model in detecting lesions smaller than 20 mm (0.868 vs. 0.759, p < 0.001). For lesions larger than 20 mm, both the 3D and the 2.5D models achieved excellent detection performance. Conclusions: The proposed CNN detection model was demonstrated to adaptively learn the feature representations of diverse FLLs and generalize well to a large‐scale validation dataset. The use of multiphase significantly improved the detectability of FLLs compared to single phase. 3D CNN framework showed an enhanced capability over the 2.5D in the detection of FLLs, particularly small lesions. The promising performance shows that the proposed CNN detection system could be a powerful clinical tool for the early detection of hepatic tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent newly discovered mode of cell death, can be induced by lenaltinib and plays an important role in the biological behaviors of BC. Therefore, the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in BC warrants further investigation. FRG expression profiles and clinical data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Immune-related pathways were found in the functional analysis. Significant differences in enrichment scores for immune cells were observed. Some patients from TCGA-BRCA were included as the training cohort. A six-gene prediction signature was constructed with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression. This model was validated in the rest of the TCGA-BRCA and GEO cohort. The expressions of the six FRGs were verified with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry in the Human Protein Atlas. Relapse or metastasis was more likely in the high-risk group. Risk score was an independent predictor of disease-free survival. Collectively, the ferroptosis-related risk model established in this study may serve as an effective tool to predict the prognosis in BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent newly discovered mode of cell death, can be induced by lenaltinib and plays an important role in the biological behaviors of BC. Therefore, the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in BC warrants further investigation. FRG expression profiles and clinical data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Immune-related pathways were found in the functional analysis. Significant differences in enrichment scores for immune cells were observed. Some patients from TCGA-BRCA were included as the training cohort. A six-gene prediction signature was constructed with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression. This model was validated in the rest of the TCGA-BRCA and GEO cohort. The expressions of the six FRGs were verified with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry in the Human Protein Atlas. Relapse or metastasis was more likely in the high-risk group. Risk score was an independent predictor of disease-free survival. Collectively, the ferroptosis-related risk model established in this study may serve as an effective tool to predict the prognosis in BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, controllable composites of Li+-doped ZnO with hierarchical spindle structures have been successfully prepared on conductive glass via a simple hydrothermal synthesis. By introducing Li+, a cation with strong adsorption capacity, the humidity sensing performance of the hierarchical spindle has been greatly improved and has become controllable. Compared with ZnO, the composite of Li+-doped ZnO keeps the hierarchical spindle structure of the material, improves the adsorption speed and reduces the response time. When the relative humidity (RH) varies from 11% to 95%, the impedance of the Li+-doped ZnO composite changes by 3 orders of magnitude, and its response and recovery time are 14 s and 11 s, respectively. By analyzing the sensing mechanism of the sensor, the effect of Li+ doping has been discussed. Under a low humidity condition, as an adsorption active material, Li+ improves the hydrophilic ability of the sensor. In a high humidity environment, Li+ participates in the conduction process resulting in a sharp drop in resistance, and the humidity sensing performance of the sensor has been improved. Because of the fast response time of Li+-doped ZnO, it has a crucial significance in the development prospects for humidity sensors and provides new insights for humidity sensors based on ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zirconium nitride (ZrN) is a candidate for contact metal and diffusion barrier in ohmic contacts for GaN-based devices due to its superior electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. This paper reported ZrN films deposited on GaN/Si templates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and analyzed the effect of substrate temperature (T s) on its growth mode, film stress, as well as electrical properties. Firstly, the surface morphology and film roughness of the resultant ZrN epilayers were investigated, which were found to vary dramatically with T s. Then, a temperature-dominated crystal formation process was reasonably proposed, revealing the transfer from the island to layer growth mode and the augmentation of the growth rate of ZrN with elevated T s. Stress information was obtained from the position of XRD diffraction peaks, indicating large in-plane lattice stretching in ZrN film and the presence of compressive stress in the GaN/Si template. The stress states can be related to island merger and thermal mismatch between ZrN and GaN, which proved satisfyingly advantageous in preventing the GaN layer from cracking during the subsequent preparation procedure. In addition, XPS surface and interface investigations were performed to identify the chemical state and the atomic content of the ZrN film, which also implied a relatively clear interface between the ZrN epilayer and GaN/Si template. Furthermore, Hall tests proved the resistivity of ZrN thin film can reach a minimum of 2.28 Ă— 10âˆ'4 Ω cm, owing to the grain boundary chaining and flat film surface at high temperatures. Overall, it appears to have promising prospects for its application in the contact layer and diffusion barrier of ohmic contact in GaN-based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A profound understanding on the corrosion kinetics and mechanisms is crucial to help improve the corrosion resistance of alloys. Corrosion of aluminum alloys is very complex due to the interplay among a bunch of electrochemical reactions, and the influences of diversified precipitates. In this work, a new multi‐phase field method is constructed to quantitatively analyze the corrosion kinetics of aluminum alloys, and a semi‐implicit algorithm is developed to solve the numerical divergence resulted by the terms of reactions in concentration equations. Then, this new method is successfully used to simulate the pitting processes in the cases of a uniform matrix, a polycrystalline matrix, and a non‐uniform matrix with secondary phase for aluminum alloys. More generally, the framework of this multi‐phase field model can potentially be used to study the corrosion of other alloy systems, and microstructure evolution of a broad range of electrochemistry processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The incidence of polymicrobial bloodstream infections is increasing, the clinical characteristics of polymicrobial Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infections (AB-BSI) are unclear, and there are no reports of polymicrobial AB-BSI in mainland China. Therefore, our objective was to identify the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of polymicrobial AB-BSI versus monomicrobial AB-BSI. Methods. A retrospective survey of all patients with AB-BSI from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019, and their clinical data were collected and analyzed by reviewing electronic medical records. All data were compared and analyzed between groups of monomicrobial and polymicrobial AB-BSI. Risk factors for polymicrobial AB-BSI were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results. A total of 204 patients were included, of which 39 (19.1%) were patients with polymicrobial AB-BSI. The main sources of the pathogenicity of polymicrobial Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infections were skin and soft tissue (38.5% vs. 16.4%, p = 0.002). Resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam as an independent factor for polymicrobial AB-BSI was found in multivariate analysis. Patients with polymicrobial AB-BSI had longer hospital stays compared to those with monomicrobial AB-BSI. However, there was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups. Conclusions. Polymicrobial AB-BSI accounted for a significant proportion among all AB-BSI, and it did not influence mortality but was related to slightly longer total hospital stays. Multidrug resistance was associated with the development of polymicrobial AB-BSI but does not directly lead to polymicrobial AB-BSI, whereas resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam was highly correlated with polymicrobial AB-BSI. Therefore, while treating A. baumannii bloodstream infections, clinicians cannot ignore the multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, especially piperacillin/tazobactam-resistant A. baumannii, which may predispose to the development of polymicrobial AB-BSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a genetic syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, special facial features, growth retardation, feeding difficulties, and multiple organ system abnormalities. NIPBL variants occur in approximately 80% of CdLS cases. Aims: We report a novel de novo heterozygous pathogenic variant in the NIPBL and its association with CdLS. We also examined the key regulatory sequences of the 5′ untranslated region in NIPBL mRNA. Few studies have reported mutation sites in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of the NIPBL that result in CdLS. Methods: The patient's medical history, clinical manifestations, physical examination, laboratory examination, Griffiths development assessment scale—Chinese version, and cardiac B-ultrasound were examined. Mutation screening was conducted using trio whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) and Sanger sequencing. Quantitative PCR was performed to measure the NIPBL expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A Dual-Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to evaluate the transcription of truncated mutants. Results: The proband showed characteristics of CdLS including thick eyebrows, a concave nasal ridge, long and smooth philtrum, downturned corners of the mouth, intellectual disability, postnatal growth retardation, and a short fifth toe. A novel de novo heterozygous pathogenic variant in the NIPBL (c.-467C > T) was identified. A Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that SPO1 (-490 bp to -360 bp) and SPO3 (-490 bp to -401 bp) induced the highest activity. Conclusions: We found a novel de novo heterozygous pathogenic variant (c.-467C > T) in the NIPBL resulting in CdLS. Our findings expand the spectrum of pathogenic mutations for CdLS. Our in vitro experiments elucidated important regulatory sequences in the 5′ UTR of the NIPBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. It is of vital importance to determine the safety of drugs. Pregnant women, as a special group, need to evaluate the effects of drugs on pregnant women as well as the fetus. The use of drugs during pregnancy may be subject to fetal toxicity, thus affecting the development of the fetus or even leading to stillbirth. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a toxicity rating for drugs used during pregnancy in 1979. These toxicity ratings are denoted by the letters A, B, C, D, and X. However, the query of drug pregnancy category has yet to be well established as electronic service. Results. Here, we presented PregTox, a publicly accessible resource for pregnancy category information of 1114 drugs. The PregTox database also included chemical structures, important physico-chemical properties, protein targets, and relevant signaling pathways. An advantage of the database is multiple search options which allow systematic analyses. In a case study, we demonstrated that a set of chemical descriptors could effectively discriminate high-risk drugs from others (area under ROC curve reached 0.81). Conclusions. PregTox can serve as a unique drug safety data source for drug development and pharmacological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrients and herbivores are well‐known drivers of grassland diversity and stability in local communities. However, whether they interact to impact the stability of aboveground biomass and whether these effects depend on spatial scales remain unknown. It is also unclear whether nutrients and herbivores impact stability via different facets of plant diversity including species richness, evenness, and changes in community composition through time and space. We used a replicated experiment adding nutrients and excluding herbivores for 5 years in 34 global grasslands to explore these questions. We found that both nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion alone reduced stability at the larger spatial scale (aggregated local communities; gamma stability), but through different pathways. Nutrient addition reduced gamma stability primarily by increasing changes in local community composition over time, which was mainly driven by species replacement. Herbivore exclusion reduced gamma stability primarily by decreasing asynchronous dynamics among local communities (spatial asynchrony). Their interaction weakly increased gamma stability by increasing spatial asynchrony. Our findings indicate that disentangling the processes operating at different spatial scales may improve conservation and management aiming at maintaining the ability of ecosystems to reliably provide functions and services for humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) constitute a family of enzymes that play a pivotal role in the regulation of intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides, including cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Dysregulation of PDE activity has been implicated in diverse pathological conditions encompassing cardiovascular disorders, pulmonary diseases, and neurological disorders. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting PDEs have emerged as promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of these ailments, some of which have been approved for their clinical use. Despite their success, challenges such as resistance mechanisms and off-target effects persist, urging continuous research for the development of next-generation PDE inhibitors. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the synthesis and clinical application of representative approved small-molecule PDE inhibitors, with the aim of offering guidance for further advancements in the development of novel PDE inhibitors. [Display omitted] • An overview of small-molecule PDE inhibitors in the clinic are timely organized. • Synthesis and clinical application of representative PDE inhibitors are highlighted. • Challenge and prospect are also provided to guide future design of PDE inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted approval to 77 new molecular entities (NMEs), consisting of 45 new chemical entities (NCEs) and 32 new biological entities (NBEs). These pharmacological agents encompass a broad spectrum of therapeutic domains, including oncology, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology and hepatology, metabolic disorders, and neurology. Among the 77 approved pharmaceuticals, three received accelerated review status, and 17 (22 %) were granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of rare diseases. This review provides an overview of the clinical applications and synthetic routes of 42 newly approved NCEs by the EMA in 2023. The objective is to offer a comprehensive understanding of the synthetic approaches used in the development of these drug molecules, thereby inspiring the creation of novel, efficient, and applicable synthetic methodologies. [Display omitted] • In 2023, the EMA approved 77 new drugs, comprising 45 chemical entities and 32 biologics. • Clinical applications and synthetic methods for 42 representative NCEs are focused. • Novel innovative pharmaceutical agents will be facilitated by these privileged structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AA2024-T351 alloy is widely used in civil engineering, machinery, and aerospace industries for bolts, rivets, and thin plate components. When in service within these fields, the components are susceptible to performance degradation and fracture failure due to fretting fatigue. In this study, a crystal plastic finite element method (CPFEM) model incorporating microstructure sensitivity is employed to predict the fretting fatigue crack initiation (FFCI) location and lifetime. The submodel method is utilized to simulate various microstructures in the contact region of the specimen under fretting fatigue. This research focuses on two fatigue indicator parameters (FIPs): accumulated plastic slip p and FIP FS , used to determine the hotspots for crack nucleation on the contact surface and subsurface in fretting fatigue. The study explores the impact of different grain size and orientation on crack nucleation and analyzes how various microstructural characteristics influence the crack initiation lifetime. The findings indicate that the influence of grain orientation distribution in fretting fatigue on the initiation location of contact surface cracks is not significant, but it has a notable impact on subsurface cracks. Different grain textures combinations exhibit a more pronounced anisotropy based on the accumulated plastic slip p than FIP FS. Additionally, the effect of grain orientation distribution on the FFCI lifetime is influenced by the average grain size, showing remarkable influence within a specific range of grain sizes. • The submodel method is employed to simulate the microstructure in the contact region during fretting fatigue. • FIPs can identify the position of FFCI on both the contact surface and subsurface. • The grain orientation has slightly impact on FFCI location of the contact surface but significatly on the subsurface. • The differences of FIPs exhibit a positive correlation with the grain size across various grain orientations. • The effect of grain orientation on FFCI lifetime depends on the external loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters have been a long-standing concern to societies at large. With growing attention being paid to resilient communities, such concern has been brought to the forefront of resilience studies. However, there is a wide variety of definitions with respect to resilience, and a precise definition has yet to emerge. Moreover, much work to date has often focused only on the immediate response to an event, thus investigating the resilience of an area over a prolonged period of time has remained largely unexplored. To overcome these issues, we propose a novel framework utilizing network analysis and concepts from disaster science (e.g., the resilience triangle) to quantify the long-term impacts of wildfires. Taking the Mendocino Complex and Camp wildfires - the largest and most deadly wildfires in California to date, respectively - as case studies, we capture the robustness and vulnerability of communities based on human mobility data from 2018 to 2019. The results show that demographic and socioeconomic characteristics alone only partially capture community resilience, however, by leveraging human mobility data and network analysis techniques, we can enhance our understanding of resilience over space and time, providing a new lens to study disasters and their long-term impacts on society. • Quantifying community resilience is an open research challenge • This paper develops a novel framework to quantify resilience after a disaster using network analysis • Using human mobility data associated with two wildfires, we measure robustness and vulnerability of communities • Results show community resilience closely tied to socio-economic and built environmental traits of the affected areas • Our approach paves a way to study disasters and their long-term impacts on society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COMT inhibitors are commonly used to improve the effectiveness of levodopa in treating Parkinson's disease by inhibiting its conversion to 3- O -methyldopa. Because of the serious side effect of nitrocatechol COMT inhibitors, it is necessary to develop non-nitrocatechol COMT inhibitors with a higher safety profile. Heparin has been observed to bind to COMT. However, the exact functional significance of this interaction is not fully understood. In this study, the contribution of different substitution of heparin to its binding with COMT was investigated. In vitro and in vivo , heparin oligosaccharides can bind to COMT and inhibit its activity. Furthermore, we enriched the functional heparin oligosaccharides that bind to COMT and identified the sequence UA2S-GlcN(S/Ac)6(S/H)-UA2S-GlcNS6(S/H)-UA2(S/H)-GlcNS6S as the characteristic structural domain of these functional oligosaccharides. This study has elucidated the relationship between the structure of heparin oligosaccharides and their activity against COMT, providing valuable insights for the development of non-nitrocatechol COMT inhibitors with improved safety and efficacy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress is an early predictor of atherosclerosis, which can cause various cardiovascular diseases. The glycocalyx layer on the endothelial cell surface acts as a barrier to maintain endothelial biological function, and it can be impaired by oxidative stress. However, the mechanism of glycocalyx damage during the development of atherosclerosis remains largely unclear. Herein, we established a novel strategy to address these issues from the glycomic perspective that has long been neglected. Using countercharged fluorescence protein staining and quantitative mass spectrometry, we found that heparan sulfate, a major component of the glycocalyx, was structurally altered by oxidative stress. Comparative proteomics and protein microarray analysis revealed several new heparan sulfate-binding proteins, among which alpha-2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG) was identified as a critical protein. The molecular mechanism of AHSG with heparin was characterized through several methods. A heparan analog could relieve atherosclerosis by protecting heparan sulfate from degradation during oxidative stress and by reducing the accumulation of AHSG at lesion sites. In the present study, the molecular mechanism of anti-atherosclerotic effect of heparin through interaction with AHSG was revealed. These findings provide new insights into understanding of glycocalyx damage in atherosclerosis and lead to the development of corresponding therapeutics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Characterizing quantitatively the physical characteristics of aggregate-cement interface. • Effects of casting and material composition factors on the microstructural and mechanical properties of ITZ are discussed systematically. • Developing correlations between microstructures and essential mechanical properties. • Seeking approaches to enhance the adhesion of paste to aggregates and fill micropores. Interfacial Transition Zones (ITZ) with high porosity are easier pathways for damage initiation and propagation. However, their mechanical performance has hardly been examined owing to the length scale of the microregions, as well as the heterogeneous and opaque constituent properties, which have been increasingly studied in recent years. This study presents a comprehensive review of the ITZ, determining strategies at the meso -micro level, quantitative characterization, and physical features. It focuses on the effects of various casting and material composition factors on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the ITZ, including porosity, thickness, volume, and elastic modulus. The correlations between the microstructures and the essential mechanical properties are discussed in detail. The weak bonding properties of the ITZ can be tailored by the material composition, which changes its internal microstructure, enhances the adhesion of the paste to aggregates, and fills micropores in cement. Several approaches can be employed to achieve this, such as adding minerals, increasing the curing age, and adjusting the water-cement ratio and sand fineness. The content of the weak ITZ can be reduced by optimizing the size distribution and volume fraction of the aggregates. Furthermore, modelling the gradient distribution of the ITZ thickness and elastic modulus is crucial in numerical simulations to enable an accurate investigation of the damage accumulation process in concrete. This study also identifies the challenges in the mechanical behavior of ITZ and serves as an engineering design guide for more advanced fracture-resistant concrete structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research proposed a replacement-type electrochemiluminescent (ECL) aptasensor for lysozyme (LYZ) detection at trace levels based on a full-electric modification electrode (FEMG) coupled to silica-coated Ru(bpy)32+/silver nanospheres (Ru/SNs@SiO2). The multi-walled carbon nanotubes–doped-thionine (MWCNTs/PTn) electropolymerized modified electrode was decorated with electrodeposited gold nanoparticles (GNs) to form the FEMG. Then, the FEMG was utilized as sensing substrates for the immobilization of the anti-lysozyme aptamer (LA); the stability and number of LA attaching onto the FEMG were dramatically increased. The ECL measurement was used to evaluate the hybridization reaction of LA and the Ru/SNs@SiO2 marked DNA probe, and it was noted as Ia. After the combination of the LA with the LYZ, the target-triggered replacement of the DNA probe was actualized and the ECL measurement descended to Ib. The ECL difference (ΔIECL = Ia − Ib) before and after the replacement event was utilized for quantitation of LYZ. As a result, the fabricated aptasensor with great sensitivity and specificity achieved a wide linear range (10 fM–10 pM) and a low limit of detection (5 fM). It obtained satisfactory recovery for the detection of LYZ in human serum, and the results were identified with the LYZ ELISA kit. Therefore, the proposed ECL sensor is expected to become a promising approach in the field of biomolecule detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land abandonment has been increasing in recent decades in Europe, usually accompanied by biodiversity decline. Whether livestock grazing and mowing can safeguard biodiversity across spatial scales in the long term is unclear.Using a 48‐year experiment in a salt marsh, we compared land abandonment (without grazing and mowing) and seven management regimes including cattle grazing, early season mowing, late season mowing, both early and late season mowing, and grazing plus each of the mowing regimes on plant diversity at the local and larger scales (i.e. aggregated local communities). Also, we compared their effects on community composition (both in identities and abundances) in time and space.Under land abandonment, plant diversity declined in the local communities and this decline became more apparent at the larger scale, particularly for graminoids and halophytes. All management regimes, except for late season mowing, maintained plant diversity at these scales.Local plant communities under all treatments underwent different successional trajectories, in the end, diverged from their initial state except for that under grazing (a cyclic succession). Year‐to‐year changes in local community composition remained at a similar level over time under land abandonment and grazing plus early season mowing while it changed under other treatments. Vegetation homogenized at the larger scale over time under land abandonment while vegetation remained heterogeneous under all management regimes.Synthesis. Our experiment suggests that late season mowing may not be sustainable to conserve plant diversity in salt marshes. Other management regimes can maintain plant diversity across spatial scales and vegetation heterogeneity at the larger scale in the long term, but local community composition may change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tris(dichloromethylsilylethyl)borane is a compound containing a B–C bond and Cl and H elements. Herein, we propose a novel method to synthesize polyborosilazanes using tris(dichloromethylsilylethyl)borane and boron trichlorosilane as boron sources and hexamethyldisilazane as a nitrogen source. The microstructure and chemical composition of the as-synthesized polyborosilazanes and as-annealed SiBCN ceramics were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope methods. The organic precursors were converted entirely into inorganic ceramics at 800 °C, and the ceramic yield of the polyborosilazanes was 88% at 1000 °C. SiBCN ceramics with irregular shapes contained chemical bonds of B–N, Si–N, and Si–C at 1500 °C and retained an amorphous structure below 1600 °C. After the first cycle, the fabricated SiBCN ceramic anodes exhibited a reversible capacity of 261.3 mA h/g, which was 2.6 times that reported in the literature (101 mA h/g). The discharge capacity decreased to 157.6 mA h/g after 30 cycles. The satisfactory electrochemical performance of the resulting SiBCN ceramic anodes can be attributed to the formation of conductive carbon species favoring the transport properties of lithium ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiBCN-reduced graphene oxide (SiBCN-rGO) ceramic composites with different rGO content derived from a single-source precursor were successful synthesized by polymer derived ceramics routes to tune their dielectric properties and electromagnetic wave absorption capacity. SiBCN-rGO ceramic composites with 6 wt% GO annealed at 1300 °C possessed the best microwave absorption performance obtaining the minimum reflection coefficient (RC min) of −62.71 dB at 10.72 GHz, and the thin thickness of 2.17 mm. Adjusting its thickness to 1.58 mm could obtain the maximum effective absorption bandwidth (RC < −10 dB) of 4.32 GHz. The microwave absorption mechanisms of the as-prepared SiBCN-rGO ceramic composites were mainly attributed to the conductive loss and polarization loss induced by the synergistic effects of amorphous SiBCN matrix, rGO and SiC nanocrystals. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying meaningful locations, such as home or work, from human mobility data has become an increasingly common prerequisite for geographic research. Although location-based services (LBS) and other mobile technology have rapidly grown in recent years, it can be challenging to infer meaningful places from such data, which – compared to conventional datasets – can be devoid of context. Existing approaches are often developed ad-hoc and can lack transparency and reproducibility. To address this, we introduce an R package for inferring home locations from LBS data. The package implements pre-existing algorithms and provides building blocks to make writing algorithmic 'recipes' more convenient. We evaluate this approach by analyzing a de-identified LBS dataset from Singapore that aims to balance ethics and privacy with the research goal of identifying meaningful locations. We show that ensemble approaches, combining multiple algorithms, can be especially valuable in this regard as the resulting patterns of inferred home locations closely correlate with the distribution of residential population. We hope this package, and others like it, will contribute to an increase in use and sharing of comparable algorithms, research code and data. This will increase transparency and reproducibility in mobility analyses and further the ongoing discourse around ethical big data research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have discussed the synthesis of nanoscale silicoboron carbonitride (SiBCN) nanofibers by electrospinning of novel polyborosilazane precursor solutions, which were synthesized from boron trichloride, tris(dichloromethylsilylethyl)borane and hexamethyldisilazane using a one-pot method, followed by pyrolysis at 1000 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. The influence of the processing procedure (solution concentration, feeding rate and spinning voltage) of the electrospum fibers was also investigated. TGA and FT-IR experiments were employed to study the polymer-to-ceramic conversion and SEM was used to characterize the final materials. Combining the precursor derived ceramics route and electrospinning process enables to product SiBCN nanofibers for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granulosa cell apoptosis contributes to the occurrence of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). HOXA1, belonging to the HOX gene family, is involved in regulating cancer cell apoptosis. However, whether HOXA1 participates in the granulosa cell apoptosis in DOR patients remains to be elucidated. In the current study, we demonstrated the differential transcriptomic landscape of granulosa cells in DOR patients compared to that in the controls and identified decreased expression of the HOXA1 gene. Meanwhile, we found that HOXA1 was a gonadotropin-response gene, in which FSH could promote its expression, whereas LH inhibited HOXA1 expression in human granulosa cells. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry and TUNEL staining results showed that inhibition of endogenous HOXA1 expression promoted human granulosa cell apoptosis. Moreover, knockdown of HOXA1 increased Bax while reducing Bcl2 protein expression. Furthermore, we found a total of 947 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 426 upregulated genes and 521 downregulated genes using transcriptome sequencing technology. Enrichment analysis results showed that the DEGs were involved in apoptosis and mitochondrial function-related signaling pathways. Knockdown of HOXA1 impaired mitochondrial functions, exhibiting increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP production and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, and abnormal mitochondrial cristae. Our findings demonstrated that aberrantly reduced HOXA1 expression induced granulosa cell apoptosis in DOR patients and impaired mitochondrial function, which highlighted the potential role of HOXA1 in the occurrence of DOR and provided new insight for the treatment of DOR. • Downregulation of the HOXA1 in human granulosa cells is involved in the occurrence of diminished ovarian reserve. • Reduced HOXA1 expression promotes cell apoptosis in human granulosa cells. • Inhibition of HOXA1 expression impairs human granulosa cell mitochondrial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has an important role in predicting survival in some solid tumors. However, little information is available concerning the change of the SII (∆SII) in colorectal cancer (CRC) after curative resection. This study was designed to evaluate the role of ∆SII in CRC patients who received surgery. Methods. A total 206 patients were enrolled in this study. Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival were assessed. The relationships between overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and ∆SII were analyzed with both univariate Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression methods. Results. Based on the patient data, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) optimal cutoff value of ∆SII was 127.7 for OS prediction. The 3-year and 5-year OS rates, respectively, were 60.4% and 36.7% in the high-∆SII group (>127.7) and 87.6% and 79.8% in the low-∆SII group (≤127.7). The 3-year and 5-year DFS rates, respectively, were 54.1% and 34.1% in the high-∆SII group and 80.3% and 78.5% in the low-∆SII group. In the univariate analysis, smoking, pathological stages III-IV, high-middle degree of differentiation, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, and the high-ΔSII group were associated with poor OS. Adjuvant therapy, pathological stages III-IV, vascular invasion, and ΔSII were able to predict DFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that pathological stages III-IV (HR = 0.442 , 95% CI = 0.236 -0.827, p = 0.011), vascular invasion (HR = 2.182 , 95% CI = 1.243 -3.829, p = 0.007), and the high-ΔSII group (HR = 4.301 , 95% CI = 2.517 -7.350, p < 0.001) were independent predictors for OS. Adjuvant therapy (HR = 0.415 , 95% CI = 0.250 -0.687, p = 0.001), vascular invasion (HR = 3.305 , 95% CI = 1.944 -5.620, p < 0.001), and the high-ΔSII group (HR = 4.924 , 95% CI = 2.992 -8.102, p < 0.001) were significant prognostic factors for DFS. Conclusions. The present study demonstrated that ∆SII was associated with the clinical outcome in CRC patients undergoing curative resection, supporting the role of ∆SII as a prognostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture (SM) is an important index of soil drought, and it directly controls the energy balance and water cycle of the land surface. As an indicator and amplifier of global warming, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is becoming warmer and wetter. Because of its particular geographical environment, large‐scale measurements of SM on the TP can only be achieved by satellite remote sensing. The resolution of current SM product of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite is 36 km, which is insufficient for many practical applications. In this study, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) are applied to increase the resolution of SM down to 1 km using the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. The preliminary results of the proposed algorithm are evaluated by station observations and other reanalysis products. The downscaled results are more consistent with the in situ observations, the Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS) from China Meteorological Administration (CMA), and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) than the original SMAP product. The downscaling algorithm is most effective for grasslands. It is demonstrated that high‐resolution SM products can be generated by fusing various features using machine‐learning algorithms. Key Points: A machine‐learning algorithm is proposed to increase the resolution of soil moisture products of remote sensing on the Tibetan PlateauTopographical features are applied to estimate soil moisture in complex terrains, so that the accuracy of estimation could be improvedRandom forest algorithm is applied to combine various features, and the results are expected to well fit the real situation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long‐term influence of persistent small herbivores on successional plant community configuration is rarely studied. We used a herbivore exclusion experiment along the successional gradient in a salt‐marsh system, to investigate the effects of hares and geese, and hares alone, on plant diversity at five successional stages (the earliest, two early, the intermediate and the late successional stages) in the short and long term, i.e. 7 and 22 years, respectively.Plant diversity declined over time at all successional stages except for the earliest one. Small herbivores slowed down species decline, but only at one early successional stage.Small herbivores slowed down species decline via decreasing dominance of preferred grass Festuca rubra in the short term, and less preferred Elytrigia atherica in the long term. The effects of hares and geese were more pronounced than hares alone, indicating an important additive role of geese, especially in the long term.Synthesis. Small herbivores can have a strong and long‐lasting impact on plant diversity, but it highly depends on the abundance of small herbivores, which in turn depends on the quality and abundance of forage plants. A diverse herbivore community may have more positive effects on regulating plant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid metabolism has been identified as an emerging hallmark of cancer, which was closely associated with cancer prognosis. Whether fatty acid metabolism-related genes (FMGs) signature play a more crucial role in biological behavior of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) prognosis remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to identify a reliable FMGs signature for assisting treatment decisions and prognosis evaluation of ESCC. In the present study, we conducted consensus clustering analysis on 259 publicly available ESCC samples. The clinical information was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, 80 ESCC samples) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE53625, 179 ESCC samples). A consensus clustering arithmetic was used to determine the FMGs molecular subtypes, and survival outcomes and immune features were evaluated among the different subtypes. Kaplan–Meier analysis and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was applied to evaluate the reliability of the risk model in training cohort, validation cohort and all cohorts. A nomogram to predict patients' 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rate was also studied. Finally, CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay, and transwell assay were implemented to evaluate the inherent mechanisms of FMGs for tumorigenesis in ESCC. Two subtypes were identified by consensus clustering, of which cluster 2 is preferentially associated with poor prognosis, lower immune cell infiltration. A fatty acid (FA) metabolism-related risk model containing eight genes (FZD10, TACSTD2, MUC4, PDLIM1, PRSS12, BAALC, DNAJA2 and ALOX12B) was established. High-risk group patients displayed worse survival, higher stromal, immune and ESTIMATE scores than in the low-risk group. Moreover, a nomogram revealed good predictive ability of clinical outcomes in ESCC patients. The results of qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the MUC4 and BAALC had high expression level, and FZD10, PDLIM1, TACSTD2, ALOX12B had low expression level in ESCC cells. In vitro, silencing MUC4 remarkably inhibited ESCC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Our study fills the gap of FMGs signature in predicting the prognosis of ESCC patients. These findings revealed that cluster subtypes and risk model of FMGs had effects on survival prediction, and were expected to be the potential promising targets for ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated the crosstalk between the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signaling pathways and the roles of these pathways in apoptosis, cell cycle progression, proliferation, and steroid hormone secretion in bovine follicular granulosa cells (GCs). Our results showed that Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathway components regulated the development of bovine follicular GCs by modulating the expression of apoptotic, cell cycle, and steroidogenesis-related genes and proteins. Moreover, the Notch2 protein interacted with the β-catenin protein. Ovarian follicular GCs are strongly implicated in the growth, development, and atresia of ovarian follicles. The Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signaling pathways participate in GC proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and steroid hormone production during follicular development. However, the crosstalk between Wnt and Notch signaling in GCs remains unclear. This study investigated this crosstalk and the roles of these pathways in apoptosis, cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, and steroid hormone secretion in bovine follicular GCs. The interaction between β-catenin and Notch2 in GCs was assessed by overexpressing CTNNB1, which encodes β-catenin. The results showed that inhibiting the Notch pathway by Notch2 silencing in GCs arrested the cell cycle, promoted apoptosis, reduced progesterone (P4) production, and inhibited the Wnt2-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway in GCs. IWR-1 inhibited Wnt2/β-catenin and Notch signaling, reduced GC proliferation, stimulated apoptosis, induced G1 cell cycle arrest, and reduced P4 production. CTNNB1 overexpression had the opposite effect and increased 17β-estradiol (E2) production and Notch2 protein expression. Co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that Notch2 interacted with β-catenin. These results elucidate the crosstalk between the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways and the role of these pathways in bovine follicular GC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Crystal plasticity theory is conducted to predict the crack initiation lifetime of fretting fatigue in AA2024-T351 alloy. • Both accumulated plastic slip and accumulated energy dissipation can predict the FFCI lifetime. • Fretting fatigue crack nucleation hotpots are determined by the difference of maximum value of maximum principal strain. • Multiple grain orientations affect the total cumulative shear strain distribution during fretting fatigue. • The macroscopic mechanical behavior of fretting fatigue remains consistent across different grain orientations. AA2024-T351 alloy finds extensive use as a component material in the fields of civil engineering, machinery and aerospace, which are prone to long-term contact loading during service that may cause catastrophic failure such as fretting fatigue. In this work, a crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) model has been established to predict the fretting fatigue crack initiation (FFCI) lifetime of AA2024-T351 alloy. Submodel methods for frictional contact parts are adopted, and crystal plasticity theory is utilized to obtain more accurate simulation results. The hotspots for fretting fatigue crack nucleation are determined by the difference of maximum value of maximum principal strain. The accumulated plastic slip and accumulated energy dissipation are utilized as fatigue indicator parameters (FIPs) to accurately predict FFCI lifetime. The results show that both FIPs predicted crack initiation lifetime are within twice the scatter band. Furthermore, the submodel is employed to generate diverse grain orientation sets while maintaining a constant total of 800 grains. The results indicate that different sets have little effect on the prediction of FFCI lifetime, but has a significant impact on the cumulative shear strain distribution between each individual grain at the mesoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to excellent comprehensive performance, colorless and transparent polyimide (CPI) films are the greatest potential substrates for flexible displays, lighting, and solar cells. In this work, CPI films were modified by direct fluorination to increase the wettability and transmittance. The effects of fluorination duration on the chemical structure and surface physical morphology of CPI films were investigated in detail by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that, depending on the fluorination duration, direct fluorination causes significant changes in surface composition and structure. The F/C and O/C ratios of the samples were enhanced as the fluorination time increased. Surface microcrack increased at initially, then decreased as fluorination time increased. The fluorinated surfaces exhibit a high hydrophily and lipophobicity, and consequently a very high surface energy, according to contact angle measurements. In comparison to original CPI film, the fluorinated CPI films exhibited higher optical transmittance in the ultraviolet–visible light region compared with original CPI film. In addition, the fluorinated CPI films showed good thermal stability up to 500 °C and higher glass transition temperatures (T g) compared with original CPI film. • Surface layer of CPI films is modified by direct fluorination. • Effects of direct fluorination on microstructure of the films are studied. • Direct fluorination extremely enhances the wettability without sacrificing the thermal properties. • The gradient-refractive index of fluorinated layer improves the transmittance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical wide bandgap semiconductor material, silicon carbide (SiC) has been widely used in the field of electrical and electronic materials due to its excellent electron transport characteristics. In this paper, two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin SiC nanosheets (SiC NSs) were for the first time achieved directly through an improved cryo-mediated liquid phase exfoliation process. Then three-dimensional (3D) SiC/rGO hybrid aerogels were assembled by a facile hydrothermal treatment followed by freeze drying. The supercapacitive performance of the as-obtained 3D SiC/rGO hybrid aerogels is systematically investigated by the combined use of cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The specific energy of 53.22 Wh kg−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 could be achieved with outstanding long-term cycling stability, demonstrating that ultrathin SiC NSs may be developed as promising electrode materials for high performance supercapacitors. 3D SiC/rGO aerogels with porous network structure shows excellent supercapacitive performances and long-term cyclic stability. Unlabelled Image • 2D ultrathin SiC nanosheets were firstly achieved by cryo-mediated exfoliation. • 3D SiC/rGO porous hybrid aerogels were assembled by a facile hydrothermal process. • 3D aerogels exhibits remarkable specific capacitance and long cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 3D NH 4 V 4 O 10 micro-flowers are prepared through hydrothermal method. • NH 4 V 4 O 10 is used as cathode in MLIBs for the first time. • NH 4 V 4 O 10 micro-flowers exhibit superior electrochemical performance. The hybrid magnesium-lithium-ion batteries (MLIBs) combine the advantages of Mg anode and the Li+ intercalation cathode. Constructing high-performance cathode is the key and challenge for the futuristic MLIBs research. Layer NH 4 V 4 O 10 is found to be an ideal cathode for MLIBs owing to layer structure and high work voltage (∼1.8 V vs. Mg/Mg2+). In this work, the NH 4 V 4 O 10 micro-flowers are prepared through a facile hydrothermal method. As cathode for MLIBs, the NH 4 V 4 O 10 exhibits a high specific discharge capacity of 228 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 in the voltage range of 0.5–2.0 V vs. Mg/Mg2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly selective and red emissive fluorescent probe (HCyNB) for penicillin G amidase (PGA) has been prepared in a simple two-step process. After enzymatic reaction, HCyNB showed a fast response to PGA and afforded a light-up red fluorescence assay of PGA with a detection limit of 0.067 U L−1, without interference from other biologically-relevant species and enzymes, including ROS. The easy synthesis, fast response, good sensitivity, remarkable selectivity and pH independence render HCyNB an outstanding tool for bioimaging of endogenous PGA in penicillinase-producing Bacillus subtilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) thin films were prepared by sol-gel spin coating on Si and glass substrates. X-ray diffraction indicated that the annealed V2O5 film grown on Si substrate was a α-phase orthorhombic structure, while the annealed V2O5 film grown on glass substrates was a β-phase monoclinic structure. Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of a V-O bond on both phase films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the annealed film on the Si substrate exhibited more uniform rod-like morphology compared with glass substrate film. Electrical measurements indicated the typical n-type semiconducting behavior of both annealed films coated on Si and glass substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Renal tubular injury is associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Free fatty acids (FFAs)-associated lipotoxicity contributes to injury of proximal renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells in diabetes. Palmitic acid (PA) which is the most abundant saturated fatty acid in FFAs is closely associated with the gradual decline of renal function. Astragalosides IV (AS-IV) has a variety of pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation. In the current study, we investigated the effects of AS-IV on PA-induced apoptosis of HK-2 cells and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that AS-IV (10, 20, 40 μmol/L) could alleviate PA-induced apoptosis of HK-2 cells. We found that AS-IV reduced the expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase3, but increased the expression of Bcl-2 and phosphorylated Nrf2 in HK-2 cells. Moreover, AS-IV reduced the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells. Our study suggests that AS-IV could protect against PA-induced apoptosis in HK-2 cells by inhibiting ROS generation and apoptotic protein expression. This study may provide a new theoretical option for the patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were surface fluorinated in a reaction kettle using a F2/N2 blend with 12.5% F2 by volume for the different time of 15, 30, 60, and 90 min at the same temperature of 30 °C. The chemical composition, surface morphology, wettability and thermal properties were characterized by attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), contact angle and surface energy measurement, and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA). It is found that surface chemical composition and structure was substantially altered due to fluorination and surface morphology evolved continuously with fluorination time. The results indicate that the surface hydrophilicity of the fluorinated PET films is much higher than that of the unfluorinated PET films and increases significantly with fluorination time, as the fluorination led to a large decrease in water contact and a dramatic increase in surface energy. An increase in the number of polar groups is regarded as the main reason for the increases of hydrophilicity with fluorination time. The surface fluorination causes a slight decrease in the thermal stability of PET films because of the introduction of chain scission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a sweep-coverage problem, each point of interest should be visited at least once by some mobile sensor every required time interval. Because of energy constraint, each mobile sensor has to visit a base station for replenishment before running out of its power. We model the problem as a distance constraint sweep-coverage problem the goal of which is to minimize the sum of the number of mobile sensors and the number of base stations used to meet the requirements. This paper presents an approximation algorithm with a guaranteed approximation ratio 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]