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Exploiting photothermal agents with second‐near‐infrared (NIR‐II, 1000−1700 nm) emission and a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) is an appealing and challenging task. Herein, by simultaneously tailoring the D−A interaction and planarity in fluorophores, two donor‐acceptor (D−A) −type semiconducting polymers (SPs), T‐BTP and B‐BTP, are constructed. Compared with T‐BTP, B‐BTP shows increased intramolecular interactions and improved molecular planarity, leading to bathochromic‐shift absorption, NIR‐II emission, and high PCE. Notably, the B‐BTP NPs achieve a remarkable PCE of 84.7%, which is among the highest PCEs of SPs in NIR‐II fluorescence imaging‐guided photothermal therapy (PTT). Because of these promising features, B‐BTP NPs are successfully used in NIR‐II vascular imaging and cancer therapy. This study provides valuable guidelines for the development of high‐performance NIR‐II SPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights The polypyrrole wrapped‐carbon nanotube composites with the core‐shell design are prepared via two‐step self‐assembly originated from the multi‐interactions of dopant, zeolitic imidazolate framework, carbon nanotube and pyrrole. The core composed of carbon nanotube effectively improves the conductivity of the composite and provides stable double‐layer capacitance. The shell composed of polypyrrole and tightly wrapped on carbon nanotubes effectively prevents the volume expansion of polypyrrole while undergoing the process of doping/de‐doping as well as endows supercapacitors with high pseudocapacitance. The polypyrrole‐coated carbon nanotube displays a remarkable specific capacitance of 510 F g−1 when operating at a current density of 1 A g−1. Surprisingly, the assembled polypyrrole wrapped‐carbon nanotube//activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor not only possesses a high capacitance preservation of 88.5% after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 A g−1, but also shows superior flexibility and stable electrochemical behaviors when subjected to various bending angles. Furthermore, the flexible polypyrrole wrapped‐carbon nanotube//activated carbon supercapacitor achieves the superb energy density of 86.3 Wh kg−1 and the power density of 800 W kg−1 when operating at 1 A g−1. These results highlight the significant potential of this new generation of flexible supercapacitor devices. Polypyrrole is wrapped on carbon nanotube to form a core‐shell structure CNTs improve the conductivity and provides double‐layer capacitance The core‐shell design prevents the volume expansion of polypyrrole The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor shows superior flexibility [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) requires 16–24 hours, delaying initiation of appropriate antibiotics. Hence, there is a need for rapid AST. This study aims to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a rapid flow cytometric AST assay to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). Antibiotic exposure causes increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bacteria. We hypothesized that ROS can be used as a marker to determine MIC. We assessed three CRAB clinical isolates across fifteen antibiotics at various concentrations in a customized 96-well microtiter plate. The antibiotics assessed include amikacin, beta-lactams (ampicillin/sulbactam, aztreonam, cefepime, ceftolozane/tazobactam, doripenem, imipenem, meropenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam), levofloxacin, polymyxin B, rifampicin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and tetracyclines (tigecycline and minocycline). These clinical CRAB isolates were assessed for ROS after antibiotic treatment. Increased ROS levels indicated by increased RedoxSensorTM Green (RSG) fluorescence intensity was assessed using flow cytometry (FCM). MIC was set as the lowest antibiotic concentration that gives a ≥1.5-fold increase in mode RSG fluorescence intensity (MICRSG). Accuracy of MICRSG was determined by comparing against microtiter broth dilution method performed under CLSI guidelines. ROS was deemed accurate in determining the MICs for β-lactams (83.3% accuracy) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (100% accuracy). In contrast, ROS is less accurate in determining MICs for levofloxacin (33.3% accuracy), rifampicin (0% accuracy), amikacin (33.3% accuracy), and tetracyclines (33.3% accuracy). Collectively, this study described an FCM-AST assay to determine antibiotic susceptibility of CRAB isolates within 5 hours, reducing turnaround time up to 19 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KIFC3 is a member of Kinesin-14 family motor proteins, which play a variety of roles such as centrosome cohesion, cytokinesis, vesicles transportation and cell proliferation in mitosis. Here, we investigated the functional roles of KIFC3 in meiosis. Our findings demonstrated that KIFC3 exhibited expression and localization at centromeres during metaphase I, followed by translocation to the midbody at telophase I throughout mouse oocyte meiosis. Disruption of KIFC3 activity resulted in defective polar body extrusion. We observed aberrant meiotic spindles and misaligned chromosomes, accompanied by the loss of kinetochore-microtubule attachment, which might be due to the failed recruitment of BubR1/Bub3. Coimmunoprecipitation data revealed that KIFC3 plays a crucial role in maintaining the acetylated tubulin level mediated by Sirt2, thereby influencing microtubule stability. Additionally, our findings demonstrated an interaction between KIFC3 and PRC1 in regulating midbody formation during telophase I, which is involved in cytokinesis regulation. Collectively, these results underscore the essential contribution of KIFC3 to spindle assembly and cytokinesis during mouse oocyte meiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We compared the diagnostic performance of the short five-item and full seven-item Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment Questionnaire (MSRA-5 and MSRA-7) against the Strength, Assistance walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls (SARC-F) and SARC-F with calf circumference (SARC-CalF) scales for sarcopenia in healthy community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We conducted a post-hoc cross-sectional secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study, using data from 230 older adults (mean age 67.2±7.4 years, 92% Chinese, and 73% female) from the "Longitudinal Assessment of Biomarkers for characterization of early Sarcopenia and Osteosarcopenic Obesity in predicting frailty and functional decline in community-dwelling Asian older adults Study" (GeriLABS-2) conducted between December 2017 and March 2019 in Singapore. We performed receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to ascertain the area under the curve (AUC) for sarcopenia diagnosis using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 consensus criteria. We applied the DeLong method to compare the AUCs of the four instruments. Results: The MSRA-5 and MSRA-7 demonstrated poor diagnostic performance (AUC of 0.511, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.433-0.589 and AUC of 0.526, 95% CI 0.445-0.606, respectively), compared to that in SARC-CalF (AUC of 0.739, 95% CI 0.671-0.808) and SARC-F (AUC of 0.564, 95% CI 0.591-0.636). The SARC-CalF demonstrated significantly superior discriminatory ability compared to that in the SARC-F, MSRA-5, and MSRA-7 (all p<0.01). The MSRA-5 demonstrated lower sensitivity (0.464) and specificity (0.597) than in the SARC-CalF (0.661 and 0.738, respectively), whereas the MSRA-7 had higher specificity (0.887) and lower sensitivity (0.145). Conclusion: The poor diagnostic performances of the MSRA-5 and MSRA-7 in our study suggest limitations of self-reported questionnaires for assessing general and dietary risk factors for sarcopenia in healthy and culturally diverse community-dwelling older adults. Studies in different populations are needed to ascertain the utility of the MSRA for the community detection of sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Qing-Zao-Jiu-Fei Decoction (QZJFD) is a famous herbal formula commonly prescribed for the treatment of lung-related diseases in the ancient and modern times. Trichosanthis Fructus (TF) and Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus (FTB) are widely used for treatment of cough and pulmonary disease. In order to identify a more effective formula for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, we intend to add TF and FTB in QZJFD to form a modified QZJFD (MQZJFD). In this study, we aims to explore MQZJFD as an innovative therapeutic agent for pulmonary fibrosis using bleomycin (BLM)-treated rats and to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: BLM was given to SD rats by intra-tracheal administration of a single dose of BLM (5 mg/kg). QZJFD (3 g/kg) and MQZJFD (1, 2 and 4 g/kg) was given intragastrically daily to rats for 14 days (from day 15 to 28) after BLM administration for 14 consecutive days. Results: MQZJFD was found to contain 0.29% of amygdalin, 0.020% of lutin, 0.077% of glycyrrhizic acid and 0.047% of chlorogenic acid. BLM treatment could induce collagen deposition in the lung tissues of rats, indicating that the pulmonary fibrosis rat model had been successfully established. MQZJFD have better effects than the original QZJFD in reducing the pulmonary structure damage and collagen deposition of rat lung fibrosis induced by BLM. MQZJFD could reduce the hydroxyproline content in lung tissues of BLM-treated rats. The biomarkers of fibrosis such as matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were remarkably reduced after treatment with MQZJFD. MQZJFD also have anti-oxidant stress effects by inhibiting the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), but enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the level of glutathione (GSH) in the lung tissues of BLM-treated rats. Moreover, the MQZJFD markedly suppressed the over expressions of p-p65/p65 and p-IκBα/IκBα, but upregulated the Nrf2. MQZJFD also suppressed the protein expressions of p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2, p-p38/p38 and p-JNK/JNK in the lung tissues of BLM-treated rats. Conclusions: MQZJFD could improve the pulmonary fibrosis induced by BLM in rats via inhibiting the fibrosis and oxidative stress via suppressing the activation of NF-κB/Nrf2 and MAPKs pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to statistics, the incidence of liver cancer is increasing yearly, and effective treatment of liver cancer is imminent. For early liver cancer, resection surgery is currently the most effective treatment. However, resection does not treat the disease in advanced patients, so finding a method with a better prognosis is necessary. In recent years, ferroptosis and cuproptosis have been gradually defined, and related studies have proved that they show excellent results in the therapy of liver cancer. Cuproptosis is a new form of cell death, and the use of cuproptosis combined with ferroptosis to inhibit the production of hepatocellular carcinoma cells has good development prospects and is worthy of in-depth discussion by researchers. In this review, we summarize the research progress on cuproptosis combined with ferroptosis in treating liver cancer, analyze the value of cuproptosis and ferroptosis in the immune of liver cancer, and propose potential pathways in oncotherapy with the combination of cuproptosis and ferroptosis, which can provide background knowledge for subsequent related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frailty is prevalent in acute care and is associated with negative outcomes. While a comprehensive geriatric assessment to identify geriatric syndromes is recommended after identifying frailty, more evidence is needed to support this approach in the inpatient setting. This study examined the association between frailty and geriatric syndromes and their impact on outcomes in acutely admitted older adults. Methods: A total of 733 individuals aged ≥65 years admitted to the General Surgery Service of a tertiary hospital were assessed for frailty using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and for geriatric syndromes using routine nursing admission assessments, including cognitive impairment, falls, incontinence, malnutrition, and poor oral health. Multinomial logistic regression and Cox regression were used to evaluate the associations between frailty and geriatric syndromes and their concomitant impact on hospital length of stay (LOS) and 30-day readmissions. Results: Greater frailty severity was associated with an increased likelihood of geriatric syndromes. Individuals categorized as CFS 4-6 and CFS 7-8 with concomitant geriatric syndromes had 29% and 35% increased risks of a longer LOS, respectively. CFS 4-6 was significantly associated with functional decline (relative risk ratio=1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.07) and 30-day readmission (hazare ratio=1.78; 95% CI, 1.04-3.04), whereas these associations were not significant for CFS 7-8. Conclusions: Geriatric syndromes in frail individuals can be identified from routine nursing assessments and represent a potential approach for targeted interventions following frailty identification. Tailored interventions may be necessary to achieve optimal outcomes at different stages of frailty. Further research is required to evaluate interventions for older adults with frailty in a wider hospital context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate detection of lung metastasis is of great significance for making better treatment choices and improving cancer prognosis, but remains a big challenge in clinical practice. In this study, we propose a reinventing strategy to develop a pH‐activatable near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanoprobe, pulmonary metastasis tracer (denoted as PMT), based on assembly of NIR dye IR780 and calcium phosphate (CaP). By delicately tuning the intermolecular interactions during the assembly process and dye doping content, as well as the synthetic condition of probe, the fluorescence of PMT could be finely adjusted via the tumor acidity‐triggered disassembly. Notably, the selected PMT9 could sharply convert subtle pH variations into a distinct fluorescence signal to generate high fluorescence ON/OFF contrast, dramatically reducing the background signals. Benefiting from such preferable features, PMT9 is able to precisely identify not only the tumor sites in orthotopic lung cancer models but also the pulmonary metastases in mice with remarkable signal‐to‐background ratio (SBR). This study provides a unique strategy to turn shortcomings of traditional dye IR780 during in vivo imaging into advantages and further expand the application of fluorescent probe to image lung associated tumor lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate detection of lung metastasis is of great significance for making better treatment choices and improving cancer prognosis, but remains a big challenge in clinical practice. In this study, we propose a reinventing strategy to develop a pH‐activatable near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanoprobe, pulmonary metastasis tracer (denoted as PMT), based on assembly of NIR dye IR780 and calcium phosphate (CaP). By delicately tuning the intermolecular interactions during the assembly process and dye doping content, as well as the synthetic condition of probe, the fluorescence of PMT could be finely adjusted via the tumor acidity‐triggered disassembly. Notably, the selected PMT9 could sharply convert subtle pH variations into a distinct fluorescence signal to generate high fluorescence ON/OFF contrast, dramatically reducing the background signals. Benefiting from such preferable features, PMT9 is able to precisely identify not only the tumor sites in orthotopic lung cancer models but also the pulmonary metastases in mice with remarkable signal‐to‐background ratio (SBR). This study provides a unique strategy to turn shortcomings of traditional dye IR780 during in vivo imaging into advantages and further expand the application of fluorescent probe to image lung associated tumor lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, various kinds of attapulgite and biochar were selected as the raw material. Attapulgite, being an inorganic carrier, was used to prepare the mineral materials of the modified composite-clay, and iron of Fe (II/III) and biochar was loaded on the surface of the attapulgite through chemical precipitation. Both attapulgite and biochar samples loaded with Fe2+/3+ were characterized using the FTIR, FESEM, XRD, surface area analysis and zeta potentials. A soil culture pot experiment was also carried out. The results showed that APT5 and BAC5 were selected as the best raw materials for the preparation of Fe2+/3+ loaded attapulgite and biochar. The composite had the highest adsorption rate, while the ratio of BAC5 to ATP5 was 1:10. The crystal structure of attapulgite was changed significantly after surface modification, being converted into montmorillonite, as being illustrated by the analysis of FESEM, XRD and FTIR. XRD, FTIR and Zeta potential biocarbon and Fe2+/3+ were successfully loaded on the surface of attapulgite, while Cd2+ was mainly bonded with Fe on the surface of the composite to form stable chemical covalent bonds. Combining with the results of soil culture pot experiment, we further indicate that under the material of proportion of 3%, Cd2+ passivation effect in the soil was the best. Moreover, plant Cd content in plants decreased by 89.3%, fresh weight of plants increased by 514% and height increased by 34.6%. Fe(II/III) loaded attapulgite-biochar can provide a potential remedy for Cd-contamination in soil environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case of a low-grade, well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor originating from the skin. The patient, a 72-year-old man, presented with a reddish tumor on his sternal region. The tumor was treated with radiotherapy and later underwent Mohs micrographic surgery. Histopathology revealed two types of tumor cells, with one type invading the epidermis in a pagetoid growth pattern. The tumor was diagnosed as a low-grade well-differentiated cutaneous neuroendocrine tumor. The article also discusses the nomenclature and diagnostic criteria for this type of tumor, as well as its clinical presentation, histopathological features, and differential diagnoses. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses a case study of a 32-year-old female who presented with cobblestone-like plaques on her lower extremity, resembling elephantiasis. The patient had previously undergone dermatoplasty for suspected elephantiasis, but the current lesions were found to be eccrine syringofibroadenoma (ESFA), a rare cutaneous adnexal neoplasm. The histopathological examination revealed anastomosing epithelial strands extending from the epidermis into the dermis, with ductal differentiation. The authors suggest that the ESFA in this case may be reactive to the scars, chronic inflammation, and lymphedema. The recommended treatment is complete excision, but unfortunately, the patient was lost to follow-up. The article also discusses the potential risk factors for skin tumors, such as cutaneous trauma and the role of cicatrization and chronic inflammation in tumorigenesis. [Extracted from the article]

The article titled "The alcohol flushing syndrome: A risk factor for cancer" discusses the relationship between alcohol flushing syndrome (AFS) and an increased risk of cancer, particularly in East Asian male populations. AFS is characterized by facial flushing, palpitations, and nausea, and is caused by an inherited deficiency in the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). The article presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies from East Asian countries, which found that AFS was associated with an increased risk of all cancers, with the most significant relationships observed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma. The study also suggests that certain drinking patterns, such as daily drinking and consuming more than 200 g of pure ethanol per week, further exacerbate the cancer risks in flushers. The article emphasizes the need for education about the cause of AFS and its potential hazards to protect against chronic alcoholism and cancer risks. [Extracted from the article]

Extensive research over the past few years has been carried out on the synthesis of MOFs with high internal surface areas; however, introducing functional groups on their backbones at the same time is an ongoing challenge. Achieving MOFs with large pore apertures and at the same time having desirable functional groups is always a long-standing challenge since using longer links results in interpenetrating structures or instability. On the other hand, the crystalline nature of MOFs allows access to monitor and control host-guest interactions between structures and guest molecules. To better understand the effect of the structure and positions of functional groups on applications, a platform of azo (azobenzene-4,4-dicarboxylic acid (adc)) and azine (2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-3,4-diaza-2,4-hexadiene (4-bpdh)) containing MOFs has been designed and synthesized and used as a fluorescent probe for 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone (Danthron). Due to the flexible, polarizable, strong guest binding affinity and basic nature of these nitrogen-based groups, the resulting mixed linker MOFs can disclose fascinating structures along with imparting new properties. TMU-84 ([Cd(adc)(4-bpdh)].1.5DMF) and TMU-85 ([Zn1.5(adc)1.5(4-bpdh)]) are capable of distinguishing complementary and mismatched target sequences with high sensitivity and a significant Ksv (6572) value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize the available evidence and evaluate the effectiveness of chronoradiotherapy interventions in cervical cancer patients. This scoping review was performed by searching in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Wenpu, and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) databases. Databases were searched for studies published in English or Chinese from inception to 21 May 2021, and reference lists of relevant reports were scanned. Two investigators independently screened eligible studies in accordance with predetermined eligibility criteria and extracted data. The included studies were summarized and analyzed. Five studies including a total of 422 patients with cervical cancer were included in the scoping review; four studies were Chinese, and one was Indian. Main themes identified included the efficiency of chronoradiotherapy and relevant toxic and side effects, including diarrhea toxicity, hematologic toxicity, myelosuppression, gastrointestinal mucositis, and skin reactions. Administration of radiotherapy at different times of the day resulted in similar efficacy. However, the toxic side effects of morning radiotherapy (MR) and evening radiotherapy (ER) differed, with radiotherapy in the evening leading to more severe hematologic toxicity and myelosuppression. There were conflicting conclusions about gastrointestinal reactions with chronoradiotherapy, and further studies are needed. Radiation responses may be associated with circadian genes, through the influence of cell cycles and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, guanosine deaminase (GSDA) catalyzes the deamination of guanosine for nitrogen recycling and re-utilization. We previously solved crystal structures of GSDA from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtGSDA) and identified several novel substrates for this enzyme, but the structural basis of the enzyme activation/inhibition is poorly understood. Here, we continued to solve 8 medium-to-high resolution (1.85–2.60 Å) cocrystal structures, which involved AtGSDA and its variants bound by a few ligands, and investigated their binding modes through structural studies and thermal shift analysis. Besides the lack of a 2-amino group of these guanosine derivatives, we discovered that AtGSDA's inactivity was due to the its inability to seclude its active site. Furthermore, the C-termini of the enzyme displayed conformational diversities under certain circumstances. The lack of functional amino groups or poor interactions/geometries of the ligands at the active sites to meet the precise binding and activation requirements for deamination both contributed to AtGSDA's inactivity toward the ligands. Altogether, our combined structural and biochemical studies provide insight into GSDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat various diseases for thousands of years. However, the uncertainty of dosage as well as the lack of systemic evaluation of pharmacology and toxicology is one major reason why TCM remains mysterious and is not accepted worldwide. Hence, we aimed to propose an integrated dose–response metabolomics strategy based on both therapeutic effects and adverse reactions to guide the TCM dosage in treatment. Methods: The proposed methodology of integrated dose–response metabolomics includes four steps: dose design, multiple comparison of metabolic features, response calculation and dose–response curve fitting. By comparing the changes of all metabolites under different doses and calculating these changes through superposition, it is possible to characterize the global disturbance and thus describe the overall effect and toxicity of TCM induced by different doses. Rhubarb, commonly used for constipation treatment, was selected as a representative TCM. Results: This developed strategy was successfully applied to rhubarb. The dose–response curves clearly showed the efficacy and adverse reactions of rhubarb at different doses. The rhubarb dose of 0.69 g/kg (corresponding to 7.66 g in clinic) was selected as the optimal dose because it was 90% of the effective dose and three adverse reactions were acceptable in this case. Conclusion: An integrated dose–response metabolomics strategy reflecting both therapeutic effects and adverse reactions was established for the first time, which we believe is helpful to uncover the mysterious veil of TCM dosage. In addition, this strategy benefits the modernization and internationalization of TCM, and broadens the application of metabolomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to screen high-quality lactic acid bacteria strains with fast growth and reproduction, strong acid production ability and acid resistance from waste vegetable silage, to determine the high-quality strains suitable for the preparation of waste vegetable silage starter culture. In the experiment, the lactic acid bacteria attached to vegetable waste silage samples were screened out. The dominant isolated and screened lactic acid bacteria were purified and identified by traditional culture and 16S rRNA gene sequence. The acid-producing characteristics and growth rate of the identified lactic acid bacteria were determined, and the fermentation biological characteristics of the identified lactic acid bacteria were analyzed and tested. The results showed that three strains of high quality lactic acid bacteria were screened from the waste vegetables silage vegetables: Lactococcus lactis R-1 and Lactobacillus acidophilus R-2, R-3. The expeiment indicates that Lactobacillus acidophilus R-3 is suitable for the inoculation of waste vegetable silage according the indexes of low temperature resistance, acid production and growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new meroterpenoids (1 – 3) and ten known ones (4 – 13) were obtained from the endophytic fungus Talaromyces primulinus H21 isolated from the plant of Euphorbia sikkimensis. Their structures including their absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data such as HR-ESI-MS, 1D/2D NMR, and X-ray diffraction of single crystal together with comparison of experimental ECD with calculated ECD. All compounds were examined for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW264.7 cells, and compounds 3 , 9 , 12 , and 13 exhibited certain inhibition on NO production, with IC 50 values of 27.19, 41.55, 25.23, and 24.71 μM, respectively. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although megacities of emerging economies are facing a huge challenge of mismanaged plastic waste, what affects local consumers' recycling intention and behavior is poorly understood. This study aims to address this knowledge gap using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior model with four factors: attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavior control (PBC), and perceived facilitation from government and community (PF), in Shanghai and Mumbai. Specifically, the study explores how these factors affect each gender and age group differently. The findings reveal that, in Shanghai and Mumbai, PBC (Shanghai: β = 0.432, P < 0.001, Mumbai: β = 0.612, P < 0.001), as well as PF (Shanghai: β = 0.136, P < 0.01, Mumbai: β = 0.116, P < 0.01) are the most significant determinants. It is also true for female (PBC: β = 0.527, P < 0.001, PF: β = 0.124, P < 0.01) and male consumers (PBC: β = 0.656, P < 0.001, PF: β = 0.115, P < 0.05), as well as for older consumers (PBC: β = 0.643, P < 0.001, PF: β = 0.147, P < 0.05) and younger consumers (PBC: β = 0.418, P < 0.001, PF (β = 0.234, P < 0.001). Notably, female consumers (β = 0.133, P < 0.05) are more influenced by SN, but male consumers (β = 0.150, P < 0.01) and younger consumers (β = 0.181, P < 0.001) are more affected by ATT. Based on these results, specialized policy strategies for different groups were proposed. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors shaping recycling intention and behavior in megacities, facilitating the development of effective policies to tackle plastic waste management challenges. [Display omitted] • Female consumers are more sensitive by social pressure. • Male consumers and young consumers are more affected by attitude. • Government and community facilitation are vital to all groups. • Perceived behavior control impacts on consumers in all groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) have attracted increasing attention as smart materials with unique rheological properties. However, the preparation of STFs usually relies on a composite system of spherical nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol. In this work, novel multi-phase STFs (ILSTFs) were prepared in an ionic liquid by incorporating nanosized SiO 2 and rod-shaped calcium metasilicate (CaSiO 3) particles as a dispersed phase. Compared to traditional STFs, ILSTFs demonstrate excellent thermal stability. Rheological tests indicate that ILSTFs exhibit continuous shear thickening behavior, resulting in excellent energy absorption and impact wear resistance. In addition, ILSTFs can serve as a new type of lubricant. The tribological properties and impact resistance of ILSTFs were highly correlated with the shear thickening effect, with the multi-phase ILSTF system with CaSiO 3 demonstrating superior impact wear resistance compared to the single-phase system. In this study, finite element analysis (FEA) is further utilized to investigate the local damage evolution and energy absorption rate of STF under impact loading, providing insights into the underlying mechanism. This ionic liquid-based STF holds promise for applications as a flexible filling component in the fields of lubrication technology and impact protection structures. [Display omitted] • A novel multi-phase ILSTF based on ionic liquid as the carrier liquid was constructed. • The multi-phase ILSTF had good thermal stability and significant shear thickening effect. • ILSTF was used as a lubricant for the first time. • Finite element analysis (FEA) revealed the impact resistance mechanism of filled ILSTF in finite space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trajectory prediction for heterogeneous traffic agents in autonomous driving is a challenging and crucial task. A large amount of research has laid a solid foundation for this field. However, achieving accurate trajectory prediction remains a great challenge. In this paper, we propose a spatio-temporal interleaved model for multi-modal trajectory prediction of heterogeneous agents. The model consists of the following novel components: (1) a M ̲ ulti- S ̲ cale H ̲ eterogeneous A ̲ gent I ̲ nteraction E ̲ ncoder (MS-HAIE), which adopts different temporal receptive fields for heterogeneous agents to match their different traveling speed and enhance the model's expressive capability. (2) a C ̲ ross A ̲ ttention-guided S ̲ patio- T ̲ emporal I ̲ nterleaving M ̲ odule (CA-STIM), which combines the trajectory interaction information and independent temporal information of agents, so as to improve the spatial-dependent modeling capability of Transformer. (3) a M ̲ ulti-modal T ̲ rajectory D ̲ ecoder (MTD) to capture the multi-modality of traffic agents' trajectories and strengthen the network's comprehension and response capabilities. Our proposed method is evaluated on the Apolloscape and the Argoverse dataset, demonstrating superior performance over other state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods with a reduction of 12.48% WSADE and 26.04% WSFDE, respectively, compared to our baseline on the Apolloscape dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chirality Matters: The distinct role of surface chirality on the biological behaviors of near-infrared II fluorescent Ag 2 S quantum dots is reported. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that Ag 2 S quantum dots exhibit strongly chirality-dependent interactions with biological systems, including the protein corona formation, cellular uptake, biodistribution and tumor targeting abilities. [Display omitted] Near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescent nanoprobes hold great potential for biomedical applications. Elucidating the relationship between surface properties of NIR-II nanoprobes and their biological behaviors is particularly important for future probe design and their performance optimization. Despite the rapid development of NIR-II nanoprobes, the distinct role of surface chirality on their biological fates has rarely been exploited. Herein, chiral NIR-II fluorescent Ag 2 S quantum dots (QDs) are synthesized to investigate the relationship between their chirality and biological functions at both in vitro and in vivo levels. D- / L -Ag 2 S QDs exhibit significant differences on their interactions with serum proteins, which further affect the cellular uptake. As a result, D -Ag 2 S QDs can be internalized with higher efficiency (over 2-fold) than that of L -Ag 2 S QDs. Moreover, in vivo studies reveal that the chirality determines the primary localization of these chiral QDs, where a more efficient renal elimination of D -Ag 2 S QDs was observed than that of L -Ag 2 S QDs. Importantly, D -Ag 2 S QDs show preferential accumulation in tumor region than that of L -Ag 2 S QDs in orthotopic kidney tumor model, which points out a new avenue of enhancing targeting capabilities of nanoprobes by engineering their surface chirality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell has attracted much attention in recent years due to their advantages of environmental protection and high resource utilization, which is important for improving the global environment. Bipolar plates are the important components of fuel cell, which accounts for most of the weight and high cost. Compared with graphite bipolar plates, metal bipolar plates are easier to machining and have lower cost because of its good mechanical properties. However, in the acidic environment of proton exchange membrane fuel cell operation, metal bipolar plates are prone to corrosion, which leads to lower output efficiency of fuel cell and seriously affected the application. Applying a protective coating to the metal bipolar plates is an effective way to improve its corrosion resistance. This paper mainly introduces the research progress of several anti-corrosion coatings for metal bipolar plates in recent years, and summarizes the challenges and future requirements of metal bipolar plates. • Metal nitride and carbon based coating are suitable for metal bipolar plates. • Environmental standard of bipolar plates corrosion test should be unified. • High potential and long-term corrosion test of bipolar plates should be valued. • Multilayer coating and element doping are feasible for metal bipolar plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE))/semiconducting poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) blend systems have drawn great attention with their potential use for electronic applications, particularly non-volatile memory devices. It is essential to grasp a full understanding of the crystallization habits of the two polymers on different substrates for purposeful control of the structures of the blend and therefore the properties of the devices. Here, the effects of structure and morphology of the blend films generated at different substrate surfaces on the ferroelectric and switching properties of related devices are reported. It is identified that P(VDF-TrFE)/P3HT blend films prepared on graphene substrate show not only an obvious optimization in the ferroelectric behavior of P(VDF-TrFE), but also an enhancement of the charge transport within P3HT domains. By employing sandwich structure constructed by silver electrode and P3HT/P(VDF-TrFE) blend film on graphene substrate, high-performance ferroelectric memory devices have been obtained, which exhibit a great electrical switching behavior with high ON/OFF ratio of about 1000 and low coercive voltage of approximately 5 V. These findings provide useful guidance for fabricating high-performance ferroelectric memory devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder characterized by disturbed cellular and humoral immune responses. Dysregulations of immune system and immunosuppressive medications predispose SLE patients to infection. This study aims to investigate the alterations and absolute concentrations of lymphocyte subpopulations in SLE patients with different infection and their responses of low-dose IL-2 therapy. A total of 333 patients with SLE without recent infection, 162 patients suffering infection, and age and sex-matched 132 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Of them, 54 SLE patients (including 41 non-infected group and 13 infected group) received a 5-day course of low-dose IL-2 administration at a dose of 0.5 million IU per day. Lymphocyte subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Patients with SLE had lower levels of lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood such as T, B, NK, CD4 + T, CD8+ T, Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells, and the reduction in these cells was more obvious in patients with infection (p <.05 to p <.01). Low-dose IL-2 effectively expanded T (p <.001), B (p <.001), CD4 + T (p <.01), CD8 + T (p <.001), Th1 (p <.01), Th17 (p <.1), and Treg cells (p <.01) of SLE patients, these cells were comparable to that of HCs after the IL-2 treatment. Patients with SLE had insufficiency of circulating lymphocyte subsets. This phenomenon was more obverse in those accompanying infection, suggesting the low concentration of lymphocytes may be used as indicators of high infection risk in SLE patients. Low-dose IL-2 induced expansion of Treg cells and NK cells, which may contribute to the restoration of immune homeostasis in SLE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study takes three roadways with similar burial depths in different strata in Xieqiao Mine of Huainan as its research object. This study involves the observation and analysis of borehole stress gauge data under the influence of mining pressure. The observation data show that: (1) under the influence of mining, the high-wall vertical stress increases as the distance from the roadway surface increases, and the peak point is at 6 m. The increment value of vertical stress at the low side has a maximum value at 8 m and a peak value at 14 m. The increase value of horizontal stress of the high side has two peaks, which are 4 m and 6 m, respectively. The increment of horizontal stress in low walls is also about 8 m. (2) The mining influence range of working face mining is about 150 m. Mining influence distance can be divided into three stages: 0–25 m, 25–60 m, and beyond 60 m. The increase of vertical and horizontal stress caused by mining increases sharply within 25 m from the working face. (3) The buried depth of the roadway has an influence on the range of mining influence and the increase of mining stress caused by working face mining. The more the buried depth of the roadway increases, the greater the range of mining influence and the increased value of mining stress. (4) After roadway excavation, the surface deformation of roadway surrounding rock reduces the increase of mining stress near the roadway surface. The mutual verification between the analysis results and theoretical calculation results is helpful to roadway support design and advanced support design of the working face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (rhubarb), as one of the typical representatives of multi-effect traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), has been utilized in the treatment of various diseases due to its multicomponent nature. However, there are few systematic investigations for the corresponding effect of individual components in rhubarb. Hence, we aimed to develop a novel strategy to fuzzily identify bioactive components for different efficacies of rhubarb by the back propagation (BP) neural network association analysis of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for every data (UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE) and integrated effects. Methods: Through applying the fuzzy chemical identification, most components of rhubarb were classified into different chemical groups. Meanwhile the integration effect values of different efficacies can be determined by animal experiment evaluation and multi-attribute comprehensive indexes. Then the BP neural network was employed for association analysis of components and different efficacies by correlating the component contents determined from UPLC-Q-TOF/MSE profiling and the integration effect values. Finally, the effect contribution of one type of components may be totaled to demonstrate the universal and individual characters for different efficacies of rhubarb. Results: It suggested that combined anthraquinones, flavanols and their polymers may be the universal character to the multi-functional properties of rhubarb. Other components contributed to the individuality of rhubarb efficacies, including stilbene glycosides, anthranones and their dimers, free anthraquinones, chromones, gallic acid and gallotannins, butyrylbenzenes and their glycosides. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated that the bioactive components for different efficacies of rhubarb were not exactly the same and can be systematically differentiated by the network-oriented strategy. These efforts will advance our knowledge and understanding of the bioactive components in rhubarb and provide scientific evidence to support the expansion of its use in clinical applications and the further development of some products based on this medicinal herb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) combine the high separation performance of porous materials with the processibility of polymers and so possess potential for carbon capture from CO 2 -containing gas streams. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are promising candidates as molecular-sieve fillers in MMMs due to their tunability and ease of synthesis. We have compared four ZIFs, all as nanoparticles of similar sizes (ca. 400 nm), as MMM fillers, to investigate the effects of ZIF structure and chemistry on MMM performance of pure gas (CO 2 , N 2) permeation under the same conditions. The chosen ZIFs include two that exhibit strong CO 2 adsorption (hybrid ZIF-7/COK-17 and ZIF-94) and two that have higher pore volumes but weaker CO 2 interactions (ZIF-8 and a hybrid ZIF-11/ZIF-71). The hybrid ZIF-7/COK-17 and ZIF-94 are structurally related to ZIF-7 (rhombohedral sod topology) and ZIF-8 (cubic sod), respectively, via partial or complete substitution of benzimidazole or 2-methylimidazole by 4,5-dichloroimidazole or 4-methyl-5-imidazolecarboxaldehyde, while the hybrid ZIF-11/ZIF-71 has the rho topology but the same composition as the ZIF-7/COK-17 hybrid. In the first part of the comparative study, MMMs based on two types of commercial polymers, Matrimid®5218 and PEBAX-MH1657, were prepared containing the ZIF-7/COK-17 hybrid and also with ZIF-94. ZIF-94 shows much better compatibility with the polymers, forming homogeneous dispersions at all loadings attempted (≤35 % wt%) whereas the hybrid shows inhomogeneity above 12 wt% in each case. At 12 wt% loading, both fillers show an increase in CO 2 permeability at 1.2 bar and 293 K compared to the pure membrane (in PEBAX, this increases from 49.5 to 60 and 68 Barrer) which is the result of increased solubility compensating for decreased diffusivity, and this improvement in permeability continues to increase at the higher levels of loading possible with ZIF-94. ZIF-7/COK-17 in PEBAX show higher selectivity, achieving a calculated CO 2 /N 2 selectivity up to 70. Further investigation of CO 2 and N 2 permeation on MMMs with the four ZIFs at 12 wt% in PEBAX-MH1657 showed a clear distinction between the ZIF-94 and ZIF-7/COK-17 MMMs (which show higher membrane solubilities but lower diffusivities) compared to ZIF-8 and ZIF-11/ZIF-71 MMMs. At the loading chosen, the CO 2 permeability increase achieved by the four ZIFs over PEBAX-MH1657 increases in the order ZIF-11/-71, ZIF-7-COK-17 (ca. 60 Barrer) < ZIF-94 (68) < ZIF-8 (81), reflecting the complex interplay between CO 2 solubility (increasing with interaction strength) and diffusivity (increasing with available cage and window size). The calculated CO 2 /N 2 selectivity is highest for the hybrid ZIF-7/COK-17 membrane (70), which is attributed to molecular sieving effects in the rhombohedral sod structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision payloads such as ultra-stable optical clocks for next-generation space missions are greatly sensitive to the low-frequency micro-vibrations induced by various flexible appendages equipped on the spacecraft. The frequencies of such micro-vibrations are uncertain and near the measurement limit of acceleration sensors, leading to insufficient vibration control performance of classical feedback control. To solve this problem, a hybrid control algorithm which combines PI controller and the filter-x least-mean-square (FxLMS) algorithm is proposed in the paper. In particular, a frequency estimation algorithm is designed for the active vibration control system to provide the reference signal. In the new system, the rough estimation of disturbance frequency is given by the adaptive notch filter. Then, the frequency is refined by Kalman filter and provided into the autoregressive model, which fine-tunes the estimated frequency and offers the reference signal for the hybrid PI-FxLMS algorithm. Finally, the experimental prototype of active vibration control system is developed and the proposed control algorithm is adopted. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the frequency estimation algorithm and further validate that the proposed hybrid PI-FxLMS algorithm can effectively suppress the low-frequency micro-vibrations near the measurement limit of acceleration sensors and with uncertain frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO 2 emissions from energy consumption, especially in cities, are significant contributors to the global greenhouse effect. Cities are playing an increasingly important role in mitigating climate change. At present, there is a lack of a comprehensive CO 2 emission research framework to provide appropriate guidance for the low-carbon development of cities. This study explores the pathways for reducing CO 2 in cities by establishing a systematic CO 2 emission research framework, which is applied to Shanghai as the research area. The framework (1) decomposes CO 2 emission factors using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI), (2) analyses the decoupling state using the Tapio decoupling (TD) model, (3) evaluates decoupling efforts for driving factors, and (4) predicts future CO 2 emissions through Low the Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) model. The decomposition results showed that economic effect was the primary driver of CO 2 emissions in Shanghai. Energy intensity was the primary factor for reducing CO 2 emissions, and population scale was the primary factor for reducing emissions during the COVID-19. Moreover, the decoupling state of Shanghai gradually improved, which promoted the decoupling of the industrial and transportation sector, but suppressed the decoupling of the trade sector. The average decoupling effort index of energy intensity is as high as 0.84, which plays an important role in decoupling in Shanghai. Scenario simulations showed that strict and diversified policy implementation can effectively reduce CO 2 emissions and ensure Shanghai realizes peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2025. Finally, policy recommendations were proposed based on the results. This study provides a reference for the development of low-carbon cities. [Display omitted] • City-level CO 2 emission research framework is established. • Economic are the primary positive driving factors of CO 2 emission in Shanghai. • COVID-19 changed the primary negative factor from energy intensity to population. • Shanghai's overall decoupling is gradually improving but it is influenced by COVID-19. • Most effective factor of decoupling is energy intensity with effort index is 0.84. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lactate-Fe(II) complexing enhances abiotic Fe(II)-driven reductive dechlorination. • The hydrogen bond (Fe-OH∙∙∙∙∙∙O = C-) and Fe-O-C metal-ligand bond are responsible for the improved reactivity. • Lactate regulates the transition of Fe(II) coordination geometry and structural distortion. • Square planar Fe(II) geometry in lactate-Fe(II) (C3H5O3−:Fe(II) = 10:20) results in the highest reactivity. The coordination environment of Fe(II) significantly affect the reductive reactivity of Fe(II). Lactate is a common substrate for enhancing microbial dechlorination, but its effect on abiotic Fe(II)-driven reductive dechlorination is largely ignored. In this study, the structure-reactivity relationship of Fe(II) is investigated by regulating the ratio of lactate:Fe(II). This work shows that lactate-Fe(II) complexing enhances the abiotic Fe(II)-driven reductive dechlorination with the optimum lactate:Fe(II) ratio of 10:20. The formed hydrogen bond (Fe-OH∙∙∙∙∙∙O = C-) and Fe-O-C metal-ligand bond result in a reduced Fe(II) coordination number from six to four, which lead to the transition of Fe(II) coordination geometry from octahedron to tetrahedron/square planar. Coordinatively unsaturated Fe(II) results in the highest reductive dechlorination reactivity towards carbon tetrachloride (k 1 = 0.26254 min−1). Excessive lactate concentration (> 10 mM) leads to an increased Fe(II) coordination number from four to six with a decreased reductive reactivity. Electrochemical characterization and XPS results show that lactate-Fe(II)-I (C 3 H 5 O 3 −:Fe(II) = 10:20) has the highest electron-donating capacity. This study reveals the abiotic effect of lactate on reductive dechlorination in a subsurface-reducing environment where Fe(II) is usually abundant. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides have been widely used in the development of natural drugs and health food. However, polysaccharide characterization lags due to inherently complicated features and the limitations of existing detection approaches. We aimed to provide new insight into the fine structure and conformational visualization of polysaccharides from Gastrodia elata Blume, a medicinal and edible plant. A water-soluble polysaccharide (GEP2–6) with the high molecular weight of 2.7 × 106 Da was first obtained, and its purity reached 99.2 %. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses jointly revealed that GEP2–6 was a glucan linked by α-(1 → 4) and α-(1 → 6) glycosidic bonds. After enzymolysis, the local structure of GEP2–6 included α-1,4-Glc p , α-1,6-Glc p , α-1,4,6-Glc p , and α-1-Glc p at a molar ratio of 31.27∶1.32∶1.08∶0.93. The glycosidic linkage pattern of repeating units was further simulated by a glycan database and spatial examination software. The good dissolution performance was interpreted by dynamics simulation and practical molecular characteristics. Spherical flexible chains and the porous stable conformation were corroborated using atomic force microscopy. In addition, GEP2–6 could effectively scavenge DPPH and hydroxyl radicals as a promising natural antioxidant. These efforts will contribute to the expansion of clinical applications of this G. elata polysaccharide and the structural elucidation for macromolecular polysaccharides combined with traditional and modern analysis techniques. [Display omitted] • A water-soluble polysaccharide GEP2-6 was first purified from Gastrodia elata Blume. • GEP2-6 was an α-(1,4)(1,6)-D-glucan with the high molecular weight of 2.7 × 106 Da. • Enzymolysis and structure simulation assisted the polysaccharide characterization. • Water molecular dynamic simulation interpreted the dissolution performance. • AFM analysis demystified a new sight on the conformational visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of shear thickening fluids (STFs) in impact protection has attracted increasing attention as an innovative material capable of promptly perceiving and reacting to external stimuli. Herein, we synthesized the zeolitic imidazolium ester-like skeletal structure material ZIF-8 and employed it to create a new multi-phase STF. This involved incorporating ZIF-8 particles as a third dispersed phase and using a single-phase SiO 2 -based STF as the base liquid. The critical shear thickening rates of multi-phase STFs that contain ZIF-8 are lower, while their peak viscosities are higher. Additionally, a new method to characterize the mechanical properties of STF was established by constructing a light-load impact testing platform. The ZIF-8-based multi-phase STFs exhibit excellent energy dissipation ability, and an increased ZIF-8 content can improve the resistance to impact wear and energy absorption ability of the STFs. In particular, the impact crater volume is only 574 µm3 (reduced by 89.76%) when the ZIF-8 content is 7.5 wt%. The mechanism study shows that the nanoparticles inside the multi-phase STF are able to form a stable frictional contact network, thereby bolstering the shear thickening effect and rapid responsiveness during the impact process. This study introduces novel concepts for the design of impact protection materials. [Display omitted] • A novel device and method for evaluating the mechanical properties of STF under low-load conditions was developed. • Novel multiphase shear thickening fluids (STFs) were prepared by dispersing ZIF-8 into SiO 2 -based suspensions. • The incorporation of ZIF-8 improved the shear thickening properties of the STF. • The multi-phase STF exhibited notable wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Dysregulated energy metabolism has recently been recognized as an emerging hallmark of cancer. Tumor cells, which are characterized by abnormal glycolysis, exhibit a lower extracellular pH (6.5–7.0) than normal tissues (7.2–7.4), providing a promising target for tumor-specific imaging and therapy. However, most pH-sensitive materials are unable to distinguish such a subtle pH difference owing to their wide and continuous pH-responsive range. In this study, we developed an efficient strategy for the fabrication of a tumor metabolic acidity-activatable calcium phosphate (CaP) fluorescent probe (termed MACaP9). Unlike traditional CaP-based biomedical nanomaterials, which only work within more acidic organelles, such as endosomes and lysosomes (pH 4.0–6.0), MACaP9 could not only specifically respond to the tumor extra-cellular pH but also rapidly convert pH variations into a distinct fluorescence signal to visually distinguish tumor from normal tissues. The superior sensitivity and specificity of MACaP9 enabled high-contrast visualization of a broad range of tumors, as well as small tumor lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the high hardness and hydrogen passivation of carbon bonds, hydrogenated diamond‐like carbon (a‐C:H) film has shown promising potential to achieve ultra‐low friction and wear on steel surfaces. Here, a‐C:H film was successfully deposited on 9Cr18Mo steel via programmable high power pulse magnetron sputtering and potential application for industrial was evaluated. The a‐C:H films against different mating materials of GCr15 steel balls, Al2O3, Si3N4, ZrO2, and a‐C:H‐coated GCr15 balls all showed ultra‐low friction under a normal load of 5 N in a dry ambient air environment. Among them, self‐mating tribo‐system a‐C:H films on steel surfaces and a‐C:H‐coated steel balls achieve best friction performance; the principal reason is that both contacting surfaces coated with a‐C:H film have the lower electron affinities compared with other tribo‐systems. However, the differences of coefficient of friction (COF) for uncoated‐GCr15, Al2O3, ZrO2, Si3N4, and a‐C:H(GCr15) balls can be attributed to different sizes of clustering in wear debris. This work provides new insights on synthesis and industry application of the a‐C:H films with ultra‐low friction properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Salt stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting the yield and quality of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Thymol (a natural medicine) has been widely used in medical research because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the influence of thymol on the root growth of tobacco is not fully elucidated. In this study, the regulatory effects of different concentrations of thymol were investigated. Methodology: Here, histochemical staining and biochemical methods, non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT), and qPCR assay were performed to investigate the effect of thymol and mechanism of it improving salinity tolerance in tobacco seedlings. Results: In this study, our results showed that thymol rescued root growth from salt stress by ameliorating ROS accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and cell death. Furthermore, thymol enhanced contents of NO and GSH to repress ROS accumulation, further protecting the stability of the cell membrane. And, thymol improved Na+ efflux and the expression of SOS1, HKT1, and NHX1, thus protecting the stability of Na+ and K+. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the protecting effect of thymol in tobacco under salt stress, and we also identified the mechanism of it, involving dynamic regulation of antioxidant system and the maintenance of Na+ homeostasis. It can be a new method to improve salinity tolerance in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though amorphous carbon films are kinds of most distinguished lubricant materials, the friction coefficients of commercial amorphous carbon films are in the range of 0.05–0.40. To reduce the friction coefficients of those amorphous carbon films from the order of 0.01 to 0.001 range is still a big challenge. In order to solve the problem, in present work, a new strategy, called catalytic superlubricity, is proposed and carried out to achieve superlubricity by in-situ formation of graphene via introducing gold onto hydrogenated amorphous carbon (Au@a-C:H) film during friction. The results show that mulilayer graphene along with oriented polyolefin-like structures are formed due to the catalysis of Au nanoparticles, which is embedded in amorphous carbon matrix. Furthermore, the density functional theory calculations indicates that interlayer binding energy between graphene and the hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films' surface is comparable to that between graphene layers, resulting in low interfacial interactions between sliding interfaces for low friction. Then, the low interfacial interactions lead to superlubricity with a friction coefficient of 0.003. This study opens up a new routing for facile and scale up fabrication of superlubricant a-C:H films in industrial applications. [Display omitted] • Catalytic superlubriciy strategy was firstly proposed by introduced Au onto a-C:H film. • A low friction coefficient of about 0.003 is realized of Au@a-C:H film. • The weak interaction between graphene and saturated carbon matrix benefit for easy sliding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ontogenesis of catabolic abilities and energy metabolism during endogenous nutritional periods of tongue sole was investigated. In this work, trypsin‐like proteases (TRY) and triglyceride lipase (LIP) activities were measured to assess the capacities to catabolize proteins and lipids, respectively. Meanwhile, specific enzymes including pyruvate kinase (PK), glutamic oxalo acetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (HOAD) as well as their ratios were assayed to evaluate the abilities to use energy substrates of carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids, respectively, for energy production. In addition, activities of citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and LDH/CS ratio were calculated to analyse the evolution of aerobic and anaerobic pathways. The study found that hatching occurred at 38.8 h after fertilization (HAF), mouth‐opening day of eleuteroembryo appeared at 3 days after hatching (DAH), and the most rapid embryonic growth was observed in blastula stage before hatching. Enzymatic assay revealed that except for PK which appeared in cleavage stage onwards, all the other enzymes functioned after fertilization, preparing well for the coming embryogenesis of tongue sole. By comparing the average specific activity of enzyme in each period, it can be found that the highest value occurred at 3 DAH (for TRY, LIP, PK and LDH), 2 DAH (for GDH), fertilized egg (for GOT) and segmentation stage (for HOAD and CS), and the lowest value occurred at fertilized egg (for HOAD, CS and GDH), cleavage stage (for TRY, PK and LDH), gastrula stage (for GOT) and hatching day (for LIP). Based on the changeable patterns of metabolic enzymatic activities and ratios, it is concluded that metabolic capacities on three energy substrates displayed stage‐specific traits, and the dominant energy substrate was fatty acids before segmentation stage, amino acids until hatching day and carbohydrate during eleuteroembryo period. As for energy production mode, aerobic pathway appeared to increase greater in fertilized egg and gastrula stage, whereas anaerobic pathway played a predominant role during cleavage stage, blastula stage, segmentation stage and eleuteroembryo stage. These results are valuable to elucidate the nutritional requirements of embryonic stages in tongue sole and to further understand their energy metabolic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and practical approach for the synthesis of sulfonyl quinolines via ball milling promoted coupling of haloquinolines with sulfonic acid under metal-, solvent- and additive-free conditions has been developed. In contrast to the solvent-based sulfonylation reactions, this protocol has the advantage of shorter reaction time (10–20 min), mild reaction temperature, operational simplicity and excellent to quantitative yields, making this method very attractive for the preparation of sulfonyl quinoline compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the incidence of urological malignancies after renal transplantation (RT) is observed to be greater than in the general population, a better understanding of them is important. We present our experience with urological tumors in RT recipients at our transplant center, and analyze their incidence, management and outcomes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 2177 RT recipients on follow‐up at our center between 1990 and 2022 was conducted for de novo genitourinary malignancy. Patients diagnosed with malignancy before transplantation were excluded. Clinicopathological data at diagnosis and follow‐up were collected and analyzed. Kaplan‐Meier estimates were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS v.24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: The overall incidence of Urological malignancies was 3.9%, with 89 cancers diagnosed in 85 patients. Renal cell carcinoma was most common (n = 61, 68.5%), followed by prostate cancer (n = 10, 11.2%), urothelial carcinoma (n = 10, 11.2%), squamous cell carcinoma of the penis/scrotum (n = 7, 7.9%), and testicular cancer (n = 1, 1.1%). Mean duration between transplantation and diagnosis of malignancy was 9.9 (0.4–20.7) years. At a median follow‐up of 4.6 (018.2) years, 27 deaths were seen; 7(25.9%) were due to urological malignancy. CSS rates were 86% and 78% at five and ten years, respectively, after diagnosis. Conclusion: We present one of the largest series of de novo urological malignancies observed over an extended 30‐year follow‐up of RT recipients, demonstrating an elevated risk in line with other studies. Regular surveillance for malignancies is advised, in order to ensure early diagnosis and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guanosine deaminase (GSDA) in plants specifically deaminates (de)guanosine to produce xanthosine with high specificity, which is further converted to xanthine, a key intermediate in purine metabolism and nitrogen recycling. We solved GSDA's structures from Arabidopsis thaliana in the free and ligand-bound forms at high resolutions. Unlike GDA, the enzyme employs a single-proton shuttle mechanism for catalysis and both the substrate and enzyme undergo structural rearrangements. The last fragment of the enzyme loops back and seals the active site, and the substrate rotates during the reaction, both essential to deamination. We further identified more substrates that could be employed by the enzyme and compare it with other deaminases to reveal the recognition differences of specific substrates. Our studies provide insight into this important enzyme involved in purine metabolism and will potentially aid in the development of deaminase-based gene-editing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) had been discovered as an independent risk factor for high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) in patients with ischemic stroke. However, studies on the relationship between prediabetes and the occurrence of HPR remain scarce. This study is aimed at clarifying the association between prediabetes and HPR among patients with recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic stroke (TIA). Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke or TIA within 90 days after onset were recruited consecutively. All patients were divided into three groups: DM, prediabetes, and normal glucose tolerance according to fasting glucose, HbA1c, or OGTT. Three months later, all patients were performed platelet aggregation inhibition test and screened for high on-treatment platelet reactivity. The effect of prediabetes on HPR was analyzed in a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: This study recruited 237 patients with ischemic stroke or TIA, including 57 cases with prediabetes, 108 with DM, and 72 with normal glucose tolerance. Aspirin and/or clopidogrel resistance was discovered in 28 cases among prediabetes group, which was significantly more frequent than normal glucose tolerance group(49.1% versus 33.3%, P = 0.046). After adjusting for confounding factors, prediabetes was found as an independent risk factor for high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) among patients with recent ischemic stroke or TIA (odds ratio 2.92; 95% CI, 1.29 to 6.63, P = 0.01). Conclusions: Prediabetes was an independent risk factor for high on-treatment platelet reactivity in patients with recent ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Patients with prediabetes should be highlighted for the efficacy test of antiplatelet drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common solid malignant tumors worldwide with a high-recurrence-rate. Identifying the molecular signatures and specific biomarkers of GC might provide novel clues for GC prognosis and targeted therapy.Methods: Gene expression profiles were obtained from the ArrayExpress and Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were picked out by R software. The hub genes were screened by cytohubba plugin. Their prognostic values were assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and the gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA). Finally, qRT-PCR in GC tissue samples was established to validate these DEGs.Results: Total of 295 DEGs were identified between GC and their corresponding normal adjacent tissue samples in E-MTAB-1440, GSE79973, GSE19826, GSE13911, GSE27342, GSE33335 and GSE56807 datasets, including 117 up-regulated and 178 down-regulated genes. Among them, 7 vital upregulated genes (HMMR, SPP1, FN1, CCNB1, CXCL8, MAD2L1 and CCNA2) were selected. Most of them had a significantly worse prognosis except SPP1. Using qRT-PCR, we validated that their transcriptions in our GC tumor tissue were upregulated except SPP1 and FN1, which correlated with tumor relapse and predicts poorer prognosis in GC patients.Conclusions: We have identified 5 upregulated DEGs (HMMR, CCNB1, CXCL8, MAD2L1, and CCNA2) in GC patients with poor prognosis using integrated bioinformatical methods, which could be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for GC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the 30 Chinese provinces in 2000–2018 as the objects, this paper measures their agricultural environmental efficiencies (AEEs) with slack-based measure (SBM) containing an undesired output. Then, the features of the spatiotemporal evolution of AEE in China were explored on ArcGIS, and the factors affecting the AEE were analyzed with a geodetector. The results show that there is a huge provincial gap in AEE across China; most provinces with a high AEE belong to eastern coastal region, while most inland provinces had a relatively low AEE. Except for a few years, the AEEs in eastern, central, and western regions changed very slightly, and the eastern region had a higher AEE level than central and western regions. The results of spatiotemporal evolution show that, with the elapse of time, the high-AEE provinces gradually shifted to the inland; the AEE trend varied from province to province; the provinces were highly polarized in terms of AEE. The AEE is mainly affected by the following factors: fiscal expenditure, fertilizer intensity, pesticide intensity, and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) is a microtubule bundling protein that is involved in the regulation of the central spindle bundle and spindle orientation during mitosis. However, the functions of PRC1 during meiosis have rarely been studied. In this study, we explored the roles of PRC1 during meiosis using an oocyte model. Our results found that PRC1 was expressed at all stages of mouse oocyte meiosis, and PRC1 accumulated in the midzone/midbody during anaphase/telophase I. Moreover, depleting PRC1 caused defects in polar body extrusion during mouse oocyte maturation. Further analysis found that PRC1 knockdown did not affect meiotic spindle formation or chromosome segregation; however, deleting PRC1 prevented formation of the midzone and midbody at the anaphase/telophase stage of meiosis I, which caused cytokinesis defects and further induced the formation of two spindles in the oocytes. PRC1 knockdown increased the level of tubulin acetylation, indicating that microtubule stability was affected. Furthermore, KIF4A and PRC1 showed similar localization in the midzone/midbody of oocytes at anaphase/telophase I, while the depletion of KIF4A affected the expression and localization of PRC1. The PRC1 mRNA injection rescued the defects caused by PRC1 knockdown in oocytes. In summary, our results suggest that PRC1 is critical for midzone/midbody formation and cytokinesis under regulation of KIF4A in mouse oocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The role of Galectin-9 (Gal-9) in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action and therapeutic potential of Gal-9 in RA. We detected Gal-9 expression in clinical samples, explored the mechanism of function of Gal-9 by knockdown and overexpression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), and further verified it in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. We found that the levels of Gal-9 were considerably elevated in RA synovium than in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. A substantial decrease of Gal-9 was demonstrated after tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) inhibitor treatment in the plasma of patients with RA. Additionally, transcriptome sequencing revealed that Gal-9 was involved in the regulation of the TNF-α pathway. Gal-9 was considerably upregulated after TNF-α stimulation in FLSs, and knockdown of Gal-9 substantially inhibited TNF-α activated proliferation, migration and inflammatory response. According to cell transcriptome sequencing results, we further confirmed that Gal-9 could achieve these effects by interacting with MAFB and affecting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Finally, we knocked down Gal-9 on the CIA model and found that it could alleviate the progression of arthritis. In conclusion, our study revealed that the knockdown of Gal-9 could inhibited TNF-α induced activation in RA through MAFB, PI3K/AKT/mTOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• After solid–liquid equilibrium, the residual solid phase form is co-crystal. • After solid–liquid equilibrium, the solutes in saturated solutions were characterized by PXRD. • After the co-crystal was dissolved, the solutes in the solution were a mixture of HNIW and HMX. In the published work, the solubility of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane · 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane (2HNIW·HMX) co-crystal in two binary solvent mixtures has been reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]