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Full genomic sequence shows HLA‐G*01:19 differs from HLA‐G*01:04:01:01 only at position 99 in exon 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in Experimental Dermatology, explores the levels of interleukin 38 (IL-38) in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), an autoimmune bullous disease. The study found that patients with PV had significantly lower serum levels of IL-38 compared to healthy controls. Immunohistochemical staining also revealed reduced expression of IL-38 in the epidermal layers of PV patients' skin. These findings suggest that IL-38 may play a role in modulating inflammatory responses and could have implications for understanding autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. However, further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. [Extracted from the article]

In the early Qing dynasty, the Jesuit missionary Louis de Poirot's (He Qingtai 賀清泰, 1735–1814) Chinese rendition of the Bible, Guxin Shengjing (The Ancient and New Testament) (古新聖經), reshaped the figure of Abraham. Contrary to the depiction by Chinese Jews of the era, de Poirot portrayed Abraham as a sage, resonating with the traditional Chinese concept of the "five cardinal relationships" (rulers to subjects, fathers to sons, husbands to wives, among siblings, and between friends), and an exemplar of virtue and faith, devoid of human flaws. Key differences emerged in translating Abraham's name, religious stature, and national identity, influenced by distinct belief systems, attitudes towards Confucian culture, and political dynamics. Analyzing these Catholic and Jewish perspectives on Abraham enhances our understanding of the Bible's contextualization and informs contemporary religious localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of global attention to climate change and environmental sustainability, the development timing and comprehensive cost of regional renewable energy power generation projects have become a focus of attention. By constructing effective models to evaluate them, it can help promote the healthy development of renewable energy projects. The research aims to quantitatively evaluate the development status of local renewable energy projects by constructing a comprehensive evaluation model, minimize information loss, and improve the accuracy of evaluation results. This study adopted a comprehensive evaluation model that combines Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on accelerated genetic algorithm, entropy weight method, and ideal point method. Firstly, the subjective weights of the development evaluation indicators for regional renewable energy power generation projects are calculated. Secondly, the entropy weight method is used to analyze the trend of each indicator and obtain objective weights. Finally, combined with the objective weights and the evaluation results calculated using the TOPSIS method, a comprehensive evaluation of renewable energy power generation projects in various regions is conducted. Through analysis, the core indicators of the development level of renewable energy power generation projects in various regions show specific performance, such as Hebei's evaluation value of 0.4945 in the proportion of comprehensive energy development, and Inner Mongolia's evaluation value of 0.4045 in the proportion of comprehensive energy installed capacity. Meanwhile, genetic optimization methods exhibit significant advantages in the calculation of optimization schemes compared to dynamic programming methods, possessing strong global search capabilities and high-precision solutions. This study provides a new research method and approach for the evaluation of regional renewable energy power generation projects, demonstrating the practical value and certain advantages of the research method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cu(II) complexes (H-5-FAP)2CuBr4 (1) and (H-2,3-dimpy)2CuCl4 (2) have been prepared and characterized structurally and magnetically (H-5-FAP = 2-amino-5-fluoropyridinium; H-2,3-dimpy = 2,3-dimethylpyridinium). They crystallize in the space groups P-1 and Pbcn, respectively, in comparison to their halido counterparts (H-5-FAP)2CuCl4 (1a) and (H-2,3-dimpy)2CuBr4 (2a) which crystallize in the space groups P21/c and P21/n. The differences in crystal packing, resulting in part from the difference in distortion of the CuX42− ions, create different magnetic lattices. Data for 1 were fit to the strong-rail ladder model resulting in a Curie constant of 0.400(8) emu-K/mol-Oe, J/kB-rail = −5.77(1) K and J/kB-rung = 3.17(3) K. Data for 2 were fit to the Curie-Weiss law resulting in a Curie constant of 0.398(1) emu-K/mol-Oe and θ = −0.11(4) K, indicating a virtual lack of magnetic exchange interactions. The structures and magnetic properties are compared to literature compounds and general trends noted. The differences in the chloride/bromide ions in the structure lead to significant differences in the packing in the cases of both 1 and 2, which result in differences in the antiferromagnetic exchange in both complexes and, in the case of 2, versus 2a, an elimination of the antiferromagnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saline–alkali soil seriously inhibits crop growth and yields and threatens the sustainable development of agriculture. Corn straw compost can alleviate saline–alkali stress and improve crop growth and development. In this study, we demonstrate that corn straw compost (CSC) improved soil physicochemical properties, e.g., decreased pH and electrical conductivity (EC), but increased soil nutrients, e.g., available nitrogen and phosphorus, and soluble organic carbon, as well as activities of sucrase and urease in saline–alkali soil. CSC affected the structure of water-stable aggregates (WSA) and the composition of soil microflora in saline–alkali soil. With the increase in the content of CSC, the abundances of some genera, e.g., Thermobacillus, Thermopolyspora, and Thermobispora, were significantly increased, suggesting that they play an important role in improving soil nutrient components and physicochemical properties, which subsequently improved plant growth and development. Consequently, the biomass and yields of rice grown in saline–alkali soil were greatly improved. In conclusion, CSC can improve saline–alkali soil activities and microbial communities, thus improving crop growth and yields. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of modern agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored a new artificial intelligence-assisted method to assist junior ultrasonographers in improving the diagnostic performance of uterine fibroids and further compared it with senior ultrasonographers to confirm the effectiveness and feasibility of the artificial intelligence method. In this retrospective study, we collected a total of 3870 ultrasound images from 667 patients with a mean age of 42.45 years ± 6.23 [SD] for those who received a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of uterine fibroids and 570 women with a mean age of 39.24 years ± 5.32 [SD] without uterine lesions from Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University between 2015 and 2020. The DCNN model was trained and developed on the training dataset (2706 images) and internal validation dataset (676 images). To evaluate the performance of the model on the external validation dataset (488 images), we assessed the diagnostic performance of the DCNN with ultrasonographers possessing different levels of seniority. The DCNN model aided the junior ultrasonographers (Averaged) in diagnosing uterine fibroids with higher accuracy (94.72% vs. 86.63%, P < 0.001), sensitivity (92.82% vs. 83.21%, P = 0.001), specificity (97.05% vs. 90.80%, P = 0.009), positive predictive value (97.45% vs. 91.68%, P = 0.007), and negative predictive value (91.73% vs. 81.61%, P = 0.001) than they achieved alone. Their ability was comparable to that of senior ultrasonographers (Averaged) in terms of accuracy (94.72% vs. 95.24%, P = 0.66), sensitivity (92.82% vs. 93.66%, P = 0.73), specificity (97.05% vs. 97.16%, P = 0.79), positive predictive value (97.45% vs. 97.57%, P = 0.77), and negative predictive value (91.73% vs. 92.63%, P = 0.75). The DCNN-assisted strategy can considerably improve the uterine fibroid diagnosis performance of junior ultrasonographers to make them more comparable to senior ultrasonographers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored a new artificial intelligence-assisted method to assist junior ultrasonographers in improving the diagnostic performance of uterine fibroids and further compared it with senior ultrasonographers to confirm the effectiveness and feasibility of the artificial intelligence method. In this retrospective study, we collected a total of 3870 ultrasound images from 667 patients with a mean age of 42.45 years ± 6.23 [SD] for those who received a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of uterine fibroids and 570 women with a mean age of 39.24 years ± 5.32 [SD] without uterine lesions from Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University between 2015 and 2020. The DCNN model was trained and developed on the training dataset (2706 images) and internal validation dataset (676 images). To evaluate the performance of the model on the external validation dataset (488 images), we assessed the diagnostic performance of the DCNN with ultrasonographers possessing different levels of seniority. The DCNN model aided the junior ultrasonographers (Averaged) in diagnosing uterine fibroids with higher accuracy (94.72% vs. 86.63%, P < 0.001), sensitivity (92.82% vs. 83.21%, P = 0.001), specificity (97.05% vs. 90.80%, P = 0.009), positive predictive value (97.45% vs. 91.68%, P = 0.007), and negative predictive value (91.73% vs. 81.61%, P = 0.001) than they achieved alone. Their ability was comparable to that of senior ultrasonographers (Averaged) in terms of accuracy (94.72% vs. 95.24%, P = 0.66), sensitivity (92.82% vs. 93.66%, P = 0.73), specificity (97.05% vs. 97.16%, P = 0.79), positive predictive value (97.45% vs. 97.57%, P = 0.77), and negative predictive value (91.73% vs. 92.63%, P = 0.75). The DCNN-assisted strategy can considerably improve the uterine fibroid diagnosis performance of junior ultrasonographers to make them more comparable to senior ultrasonographers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External magnetic field assisted laser welding (MALW) is proved to be effective in improving welding stability, inhibiting welding defects and enhancing mechanical properties. Large numbers of researches are focusing on this technology and aiming at revealing the mechanisms and effects of magnetic field on molten pool dynamics, weld appearances and microstructures. The MALW is an advanced welding method being potential for industrial extension due to its flexible and cost-effective features. However, a comprehensive summarization on recent researches and the latest achievements is lacking. This review is significant in developing advanced welding techniques and promoting application of magnetic field in materials processing. This paper reviews the recent progress of magnetic field assisted laser welding in three aspects: (i) Mechanisms, the fundamental interaction mechanisms between magnetic field and fluid flow basing on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD); (ii) Technologies, the technologies developed basing on magnetic field assisted laser welding; (iii) Effects, the effects of magnetic fields on defects, microstructures and properties. Finally, the main conclusions of current researches and potential prospects are discussed to supply useful directions for future exploration in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The strength of the TC4-CFRTP joint was improved by adding PA6/epoxy interlayer. • The addition of interlayer increases the binding area of TC4 and CFRTP. • The joining mechanism and fracture mechanism of the joint was revealed. • The temperature of the joint interface during welding was measured. Ti-6Al-4 V titanium alloy (TC4) and carbon fiber reinforced resin matrix composites (CFRTP) were successfully connected by laser welding after adding PA6 or epoxy as the interlayer. Experiments and simulations were performed to clarify the influence of the interlayers on the joint characteristics, including the strength, interfacial microstructure, failure behavior and joining mechanism under different laser heat inputs (LHI). The results showed that with the increasing heat inputs, the joint strength first increased and then decreased in accordance with the degree of melting/decomposition of the PA6/epoxy interlayer. When the interlayer was PA6, the highest tensile strength of 3428 N was generated under 38.5 J/mm. When the interlayer was epoxy, the highest tensile strength of 3855 N was generated under 45 J/mm. For each interlayer, there was an optimal LHI, when the LHI was lower than the optimal value, the interlayer was not completely melted; Otherwise, the high temperature at the interface can easily damage the CFRTP. All joints regardless of the types of interlayer demonstrated three fracture modes. Both the PA6 and epoxy interlayers can improve the heat distribution on surface of the CFRTP, leading to an increase in melting zone of the resins and thus a joint strength improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article establishes an analytical framework for the upper bound on the average Age-of-Information (AoI) in first-come-first-served (FCFS) wireless communications where a certain level of outage probability is unavoidable. To begin with, we analyze the average AoI and derive a general upper bound for G/G/1 systems with a certain outage probability. Subsequently, for an M/M/1 system with the FCFS scheme, we obtain a concise closed-form expression of the upper bound, and further refine the upper bound after analyzing the relative error. Interestingly, it is found by the analysis that the relative error is independent of the service rate, and the upper bound becomes tighter as the outage probability increases. Based on the refined upper bound, we minimize the average AoI for the communications suffering from block Rayleigh fading. We derive a closed-form expression of the outage probability over a fading channel, and then prove that the refined upper bound is a convex function with respect to the average update generating rate. Consequently, we optimize the AoI performance by solving a convex optimization problem formulated utilizing the refined upper bound expression. The numerical results indicate that the minimum average AoI can be reduced by either increasing the service rate or the transmission power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the global effort to reduce CO 2 emissions, the concurrent enhancement of pollutant degradation and reductions in fossil fuel consumption are pivotal aspects of microalgae-mediated wastewater treatment. Clarifying the degradation mechanisms of bacteria and microalgae during pollutant treatment, as well as regulatory biolipid production, could enhance process sustainability. The synergistic and inhibitory relationships between microalgae and bacteria are introduced in this paper. The different stimulators that can regulate microalgal biolipid accumulation are also reviewed. Wastewater treatment technologies that utilize microalgae and bacteria in laboratories and open ponds are described to outline their application in treating heavy metal-containing wastewater, animal husbandry wastewater, pharmaceutical wastewater, and textile dye wastewater. Finally, the major requirements to scale up the cascade utilization of biomass and energy recovery are summarized to improve the development of biological wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] • The synergistic and antagonistic interactions between bacteria and microalgae are summarized. • Different stimulators that could regulate microalgal biolipid accumulation are also reviewed. • Wastewater treatment technologies that utilize microalgae and bacteria in the laboratory and open ponds are described. • The trends in microalgae-bacterial consortium in multistage energy production are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innovation of biotechnologies has allowed the accumulation of omics data at an alarming rate, thus introducing the era of 'big data'. Extracting inherent valuable knowledge from various omics data remains a daunting problem in bioinformatics. Better solutions often need some kind of more innovative methods for efficient handlings and effective results. Recent advancements in integrated analysis and computational modeling of multi-omics data helped address such needs in an increasingly harmonious manner. The development and application of machine learning have largely advanced our insights into biology and biomedicine and greatly promoted the development of therapeutic strategies, especially for precision medicine. Here, we propose a comprehensive survey and discussion on what happened, is happening and will happen when machine learning meets omics. Specifically, we describe how artificial intelligence can be applied to omics studies and review recent advancements at the interface between machine learning and the ever-widest range of omics including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, radiomics, as well as those at the single-cell resolution. We also discuss and provide a synthesis of ideas, new insights, current challenges and perspectives of machine learning in omics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the robustness and timeliness for cooperative lossy communications in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks. The analytical framework consists of two steps: 1) calculating the outage probability, and 2) characterizing the Age-of-Information (AoI) for a given outage probability. Initially, we determine the outage probability based on the Shannon's lossy source-channel separation theorem. Numerical results indicate that joint decoding reduces the outage probability, and the system can achieve higher diversity order for less stringent distortion requirement. Then, we derive a closed-form expression of the lower bound on the average AoI for the communication system where outage events are constrained to an acceptable level. Moreover, we conduct a series of simulations for verifying the lower bound on the average AoI and evaluating the impact of UAV locations on the average AoI. It is demonstrated that the lower bound is tight when the server utilization ratio is either relatively busy or idle. For the case with a relatively large outage probability, we propose an intermittent transmission scheme to refine the AoI performance without extra energy consumption. The effectiveness of the intermittent transmission scheme for reducing the average AoI is verified by both the simulations and the lower bound analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-frequency measurements can provide much more new insights for drillstring dynamics compared to traditional instruments, leading to a new realm of understanding of drillstring behaviors in great detail than before. In this paper, data acquisition tools with high-frequency sample rates and the data processing are introduced. Based on high-frequency data, progress of drilling dynamics is summarized, including new understandings of low-frequency drillstring dynamics, high-frequency torsional oscillations (HFTOs), and high-frequency axial oscillations (HFAOs) and new findings for the coupling of vibrations and motions, as well as models and simulation methods to deeply comprehend high-frequency dynamics of drillstring. High-frequency measurements have been used for enabling drillers to improve drill performance, especially for field decision making, BHA selection, and bit design, usually through the ways of minimizing vibrations to obtain high-efficient drilling conditions, the high-frequency response near bit can also be used for lithology identification during drilling. Though there still exists a gap between research perspective and drilling practice, the industry of high-frequency measurements has gotten off a good start, which has huge potential to avoid nonproductive time thereupon reducing drilling cost in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants comprise an expanded endomembrane system, and transport within the network requires well-organized and accurate vesicle transport. Tethering complexes facilitate the early, exact contact among donor and acceptor membranes, operate to bring vesicles into a closer proximity for trans-SNARE complex assembly docking; these are classified as either long coiled-coil proteins or multi-subunit tethering complexes (MTCs). Numerous MTCs that function at different membrane trafficking steps have been recognized, where they function as significant interfaces between SNARE proteins, Rabs, and phosphoinositides. SNARE proteins assemble into complexes that catalyze the fusion between a donor and a target membrane. Studies of the diverse SNARE proteins provided further valuable information about vacuole biogenesis and vacuolar trafficking pathways related to cell-type specificity, plant development, growth, and the plant developed a specific traffic route to overcome environmental stress. In conclusion, tethers' selective recruitment during membrane fusion is controlled via diverse small GTPases, such as those in the RAB family. The MTCs promote SNARE complex assembly by direct interactions of MTC subunits with QSNAREs. A subset of MTC subunits exploits structurally similar CATCHR domains to mediate inter-subunit interactions as well as SNARE protein interactions. MTCs are subdivided into CATCHR (complexes associated with tethering containing helical rods: Dsl1, COG, GARP, EARP, and exocyst) and non-CATCHR (TRAPP I, II and III, HOPS and CORVET) complexes based on the structure of their subunits. This review summarized new information about SNARE proteins and tethering complexes, highlight new insights about their function, and discuss current debates and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A tryptophan based hypercrosslinked polymer was prepared via facile one-step polymerization. • The polymer exhibited excellent adsorption selectivity and capacity for sulfonamides. • The polymer was used as sorbent for pipette tip solid phase extraction of sulfonamides. • The developed PT-SPE/HPLC method was validated in water, milk and meat samples. A novel tryptophan-based porous polymer is designed and synthesized via a facile one-step hypercrosslinking polymerization process, and applied as sorbent for extraction of trace sulfonamides in foodstuffs. The developed polymer has high surface area, large conjugate system, and abundant functional groups (e.g., π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic attraction interactions), which endow it with superior affinity and high adsorption capacity for sulfonamides (16.16–59.29 mg g−1). The optimized SPE method is coupled with HPLC-DAD to create a sensitive and efficient protocol that provides good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9979), low limits of detection, satisfactory recoveries (92.5–109.5 %) and high precisions (RSDs < 8.24). In addition, the newly proposed method greatly reduces the amount of adsorbent (2.0 mg) and organic solvent (2.0 mL) used. Adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and simulation calculations studies further reveal the presence of monolayer adsorption, chemical adsorption process, and multiple interactions. Thus, this work presents a polymer capable of multiple interactions for the pretreatment of trace sulfonamides in foodstuffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A series of NiCo-LDHs were prepared by a novel ammonia diffusion method at room temperature. • The NiCo-LDH0.6 exhibits excellent electrochemical properties due to its large surface area and perfect honeycomb structure. • The optimal honeycomb-like NiCo-LDH shows a high specific capacitance of 1463.2F·g−1 at 1 A·g−1. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are favorable pseudocapacitance electrodes due to their adjustable composition and low cost. Here, a series of NiCo-LDHs were prepared by a novel ammonia diffusion method at room temperature. Compared with other synthesis methods, this method is a simple, green, original and effective method. The morphology, structure, and elemental composition of NiCo-LDH electrode materials were characterized and their electrochemical properties were tested. The optimal honeycomb NiCo-LDH shows a specific capacitance (Cs) of 1463.2F·g−1 at 1 A·g−1, and the rate capacity is 75.2 % at 20 A·g−1. Particularly, the Cs is still 87.9 % after 2000 charge–discharge cycles at a high current density of 20 A·g−1. In addition, the hybrid supercapacitor with NiCo-LDH//activated carbon (AC) could show an energy density of 23.4 Wh·kg−1 at a power density of 900 W·kg−1, along with 73.4 % capacity retention after 5000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Layer coral-like CoMoO 4 /NC composite is prepared by a facile method. • The coral-like CoMoO 4 is uniformly wrapped by graphene-like N -doped carbon network. • A new growth mechanism of layer coral-like CoMoO 4 /NC composite is proposed. • CoMoO 4 /NC electrode exhibits superior electrochemical kinetics and stability. • Our synthetic strategy is extended to other ternary metal oxides electrode materials. Encapsulation of metal oxide anode material with hierarchical structure in graphene-like high conductivity carbon network is conducive to improving the lithium storage performance of the anode material. However, it is very challenging to rational synthesizing anode materials with such structure. Herein, a mesoporous spiny coral-like CoMoO 4 (SCL-CMO) self-assembled from the mesoporous nanorods made of nanoparticles is prepared by a simple one-step solvothermal method. The layered coral-like CoMoO 4 @ N -doped Carbon (LCL-CMO@NC) composite is synthesized by polymerization of DA on the surface of SCL-CMO at room temperature and the subsequent sintering treatment. This LCL-CMO@NC composite perfectly combines the comprehensive advantages of the spiny coral-like hierarchical architecture and the N -doped graphene-like carbon coating, which not only effectively improve the electron and Li+ ion transport dynamics and accommodate the large volume changes, but also prevent hierarchical structure aggregation and pulverization during cycle process. Therefore, LCL-CMO@NC composite exhibits superior electrochemical kinetics and stability. The reversible specific capacity remained 1321.6 and 132 mA h g−1 after 900 and 10,000 cycles at 0.4 and 5 A g−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging technology in 5G, ultra-dense unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) network can significantly improve the system capacity and networks coverage. However, it is still a challenge to reduce interference and improve energy efficiency (EE) of UAVs. In this paper, we investigate a downlink power control problem to maximize the EE in an ultra-dense UAV network. Firstly, the power control problem is formulated as a discrete mean field game (MFG) to imitate the interactions among a large number of UAVs, and then the MFG framework is transformed into a Markov decision process (MDP) to obtain the equilibrium solution of the MFG due to the dense deployment of UAVs. Specifically, a deep reinforcement learning-based MFG (DRL-MFG) algorithm is proposed to suppress the interference and maximize the EE by using deep neural networks (DNN) to explore the optimal power strategy for UAVs. The numerical results show that the UAVs can effectively interact with the environment to obtain the optimal power control strategy. Compared with the benchmarks algorithms, the DRL-MFG algorithm converges faster to the solution of MFG and improves the EE of UAVs. Moreover, the impact of the transmit power on EE under the different heights of the UAVs is also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed relay Heck-type reaction of fluoroalkyl bromide and terminal alkenes. The reaction involves fluoroalkylation of alkenes and migration of double bonds via a 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer strategy. Through this method, a series of remote fluoroalkylated alkenes was obtained under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel theoretical scheme is proposed to implement quantum cyclic controlled teleportation (QCYCT) of three unknown states by utilizing a seven-qubit entangled state as the quantum channel, where Alice can transmit an unknown m-qubit state to Bob, Bob can transmit an unknown n-qubit state to Candy and Candy can transmit an unknown t-qubit state to Alice under the control of the supervisor David. Only controlled-not (CNOT) operations, Bell-state measurements, a single-qubit measurement and appropriate unitary operations are needed in this scheme, which can be realized in experiment easily. The desired state of each communicator can be recovered deterministically by using auxiliary particles. The direction of the cyclic controlled teleportation can also be altered throughout changing the selection of the particle pairs to be measured of each communicator. Compared with the previous QCYCT schemes, the proposed scheme possesses higher intrinsic efficiency in most cases and can transfer as many qubits as the communicators desire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction of Cu(II) bromide and chloride with 2-amino-5-iodopyridine produced a family of 4- and 5-coordinate complexes. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show antiferromagnetic exchange via the bihalide superexchange pathway. [Display omitted] Reaction of 2-amino-5-iodopyridine (5IAP) with copper(II) bromide or chloride in alcoholic solution led to four coordination complexes: [(5-IAP) 2 CuCl 2 ](H 2 O) (1), (5-IAP) 2 CuBr 2 (2), [(5-IAP) 2 CuBr 2 ] 2 (3) and [(5-IAP) 3 CuCl 2 ](H 2 O) n (4). The compounds were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements. 1 crystallizes as monomeric units with the 5IAP ligands in the syn -conformation and one lattice water molecule. 2 also exhibits syn- conformation 5IAP ligands, but forms a common bromide bibridged dimer structure. 3 is a conformational polymorph of 2 with anti -oriented 5IAP ligands. Long Cu⋯Br contacts link the molecules into chains. 4 crystallizes with 1.67 lattice water molecules, disordered over three positions. All four compounds exhibit strong halogen bonding. Variable field and temperature magnetic data were obtained on 1 – 3. 1 is paramagnetic, with no indication of magnetic exchange down to 1.8 K. 2 is well modeled as an antiferromagnetic dimer (J/k B = −22 K) with significant antiferromagnetic interactions between the dimers. 3 is well modeled as a uniform antiferromagnetic chain (J/k B = −6 K) with weak interchain interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By taking advantage of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as an oxidant, the photoredox‐catalyzed alkene oxydifluoroalkylation for formal C(sp3)−CF2R and C(sp2)=O formation is disclosed for the first time. This difunctionalization reaction employs readily available styrenes as the substrates and bromodifluoro compounds as the difluoroalkylating reagents, which can afford the difluorinated ketones in acceptable yields with excellent regioselectivity. Experiments indicate that fac‐Ir(ppy)3‐catalyzed oxydifluoroalkylation can proceed smoothly under base‐free conditions in the presence of AgTFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better assess the relationships between environmental exposures and health outcomes, an appropriate spatiotemporal interpolation is critical. Traditional spatiotemporal interpolation methods either consider the spatial and temporal dimensions separately or incorporate both dimensions simultaneously by simply treating time as another dimension in space. Such interpolation results suffer from relatively low accuracy as the true space-time domain is skewed inappropriately and the distance calculation in such domain is not accurate. We employ the efficient k-d tree structure to store spatiotemporal data and adopt several machine learning methods to learn optimal parameters. To overcome the computational difficulty with large data sets, we implement our method on an efficient cluster computing framework - Apache Spark. Real world PM2.5 data sets are utilized to test our implementation and the experimental results demonstrate the computational power of our method, which significantly outperforms the previous work in terms of both speed and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new allelic variant in HLA‐B*46:01 lineage, HLA‐B*46:01:25, has been identified in a male individual of Mongol ethnicity residing in northern China. Following polymerase chain reaction‐sequence‐based typing (PCR‐SBT), this novel variant was further confirmed by cloning, phasing and sequencing. HLA‐B*46:01:25 differs from HLA‐B*46:01:01 by a single synonymous T substitution at nucleotide position 137 (C ‐ T) in exon 4, corresponding to codon 228 (ACC‐ACT) of the mature HLA‐B mRNA molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The principle, device, and application of electrospinning technology was summarized. • The absorbing property of 1D electrospun fibers with different components was reviewed. • The challenges, opportunities, and new directions for further development were proposed. Amongst the various methods of microwave absorption (MA) material fabrication, electrospinning stands out as an innovative and promising technique for the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) nanofibers. These highly aligned and porous 1D electrospun nanofibers facilitate multiple scattering between fibers and exhibit superior signal attenuation due to cross-polarization and greater conduction loss. The introduction of interfaces and defects resulting from polycrystalline structures enhances the material's microwave absorption performance. This article comprehensively reviews recent progress in electrospinning technology, focusing on principles, methods, component-differentiated absorbers and perspectives for fabricating 1D nanofibers. We discuss the research trends of microwave absorbing technology and the unique advantages of using 1D electrospun fibers, taking into account factors such as molecular weight, applied voltage, and feed rate of polymer solution. In addition, we classify diverse types of 1D electrospun materials based on absorber types and analyze their influence mechanisms on MA characteristics. Finally, we highlight the potential of 1D electrospinning technology in providing perspectives for MA applications. We also discuss future directions for development based on the challenges and opportunities presented in this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen and many strains are multidrug resistant. KPC is one of the most problematic resistance mechanisms, as it confers resistance to most β-lactams, including carbapenems. A promising platform technology for treating infections caused by MDR pathogens is the nucleic acid-like synthetic oligomers that silence bacterial gene expression by an antisense mechanism. Objectives: To test a peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PPMO) in a mouse model of K. pneumoniae infection. Methods: PPMOs were designed to target various essential genes of K. pneumoniae and screened in vitro against a panel of diverse strains. The most potent PPMOs were further tested for their bactericidal effects in broth cultures and in established biofilms. Finally, a PPMO was used to treat mice infected with a KPC-expressing strain. Results: The most potent PPMOs targeted acpP, rpmB and ftsZ and had MIC75s of 0.5, 4 and 4 μM, respectively. AcpP PPMOs were bactericidal at 1-2 x MIC and reduced viable cells and biofilm mass in established biofilms. In a mouse pneumonia model, therapeutic intranasal treatment with -30 mg/kg AcpP PPMO improved survival by 89% and reduced bacterial burden in the lung by -3 logs. Survival was proportional to the dose of AcpP PPMO. Delaying treatment by 2, 8 or 24 h post-infection improved survival compared with control groups treated with PBS or scrambled sequence (Scr) PPMOs. Conclusions: PPMOs have the potential to be effective therapeutic agents against KPC-expressing, MDR K. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial strength between CFRTP and titanium is still weak and restricts its application in lightweight manufacturing. In this work, a new concept by in-situ constructing a sandwich interface with an interlocking structure and multi-chemical bonding to enhance interfacial strength was proposed. A novel method by designing and presetting interlayers with intersect-curved structures and dissimilar compositions was put forward to realize this in-situ construction. On the one hand, through presetting interlayer with designed intersect-curved structures, surface of CFRTP is changed from continued-heating to alternated-heating, which increases the maximum heat-input tolerance of CFRTP and prolongs cooling time. These contribute to deeper pinning depths with fully-filled resin into intervals, which greatly improve the interlocking strength at interface. On the other hand, by choosing an interlayer with a constituent chemically active with both CFRTP and base metal, the interfacial reaction is further enhanced, resulting in multi-chemical bonding including Fe-Ti and Fe-O at interface. This sandwich interface contributes to high strength of 45 MPa, which was 55% higher than non-interlayer samples in high heat input and four-folds higher than non-interlayer samples in low heat input. Compared with existing pre-treatment methods, this method was quite worth being recommended due to outstanding performance and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional sludge disposal is currently restricted by the risk of secondary pollution. Sludge carbon material has gained widespread attention because of its low cost and environmentally sustainable properties. However, owing to the high ash content and low–energy density of sludge, sludge pyrolysis alone has certain limitations, and the performance of carbon materials needs to be improved. Herein, a sludge–cyanobacteria composite carbon (SCC) was easily synthesized, and the adsorption process of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) by SCC was examined. SCC-700-2-50% exhibited a high S BET (1047.54 m2/g) and developed pore structure rich in functional groups (such as –NH, –OH, and C–O). The combination of pore structure and functional groups improved the adsorption performance of SCC. The adsorption processes exhibited a synergistic effect in a binary system: the q m of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) were 386 mg/g and 341 mg/g, respectively, and the selectivity of Cu(II) adsorption by SCC was greater than Cr(VI). The adsorption process, examined by SEM-EDS, FTIR, and XPS analysis, indicated that Cu(II) as a cationic interface strengthens Cr(VI) adsorption through electrostatic interaction, and the anion Cr(VI) created a valid electrostatic shield against the electrostatic repulsion between H+ and Cu(II), facilitating Cu(II) adsorption. SCC had great reusability: Cu(II) and Cr(VI) adsorption capacity were 90% and 84%, of the initial adsorption capacity, respectively, after six cycles. This study demonstrates the prospect of SCC as a valid adsorbent for multiple heavy metal contaminations removal. [Display omitted] • High-performance SCC was prepared from sludge and cyanobacteria. • SCC exhibited high adsorption capacity and good regenerative abilities. • Cu(II) enhanced Cr(VI) adsorption by electrostatic interaction. • Cr(VI) promoted Cu(II) adsorption through electrostatic shielding. • SCC as an adsorbent is promising for removing of multiple heavy metal contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a special type of ectopic pregnancy with a high risk of massive haemorrhage. Few studies have focused on the efficacy of prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion as a minimally invasive method in caesarean section. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion for patients with type III CSP. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Patients with type III CSP in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to June 2022 were enrolled. Eligible patients received prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion (defined as the AABO group) or uterine artery embolization (defined as the UAE group) before laparoscopic surgery. Clinical outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, body surface radiation dose, hospitalization expenses, and time to serum β-hCG normalization, and safety were also assessed. Results: A total of 68 patients met the criteria for the study, of whom 34 patients were in the AABO group and 34 patients were in the UAE group. The median intraoperative blood loss in the AABO and UAE groups was 17.5 (interquartile ranges [IQR]: 10, 45) and 10 (IQR: 6.25, 20) mL, respectively (P = 0.264). The body surface radiation dose of the AABO group was much lower than that of the UAE group (5.22 ± 0.44 vs. 1441.85 ± 11.59 mGy, P < 0.001). The AABO group also had lower hospitalization expenses than the UAE group (2.42 ± 0.51 vs. 3.42 ± 0.85 *10^5 yuan, P < 0.001). The average time to serum β-hCG normalization in the AABO group was 28.9 ± 3.21 d, which was similar to that in the UAE group (30.3 ± 3.72 d, P = 0.099). In addition, the incidence of adverse events in the AABO group was lower than that in the UAE group (5.9% vs. 58.8%, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Prophylactic AABO was equally as effective as UAE in patients with type III CSP but was safer than UAE during and after the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] MoS 2 is regarded as a hopeful anode candidate for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their various merits such as high specific capacity, abundant raw material reserves and low cost. However, their practical application is impeded by unsatisfied cycling ability due to the intense mechanical stress and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during Na+ insertion/extraction process. Herein, spherical MoS 2 @polydopamine derived highly conductive N -doped carbon (NC) shell composites (MoS 2 @NC) are designed and synthesized to promote the cycling stability. The internal MoS 2 core is optimized and restructured from the original micron-sized block to the ultra-fine nanosheets during initial 100–200 cycles, which not only improves the utilization of electrode materials but also shortens the ion transport distance. The outer flexible NC shell effectively maintains the original spherical structure of the overall electrode material and prevents the occurrence of large-scale agglomeration, which is conducive to form a stable SEI layer. Therefore, the core–shell MoS 2 @NC electrode presents a remarkable cyclic stability and a capable rate performance. Under a high rate of 20 A g−1, the high capacity of 428 mAh g−1 can be acquired after over ultra-long 10,000 cycles without obvious capacity loss. Moreover, the MoS 2 @NC‖Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 full-cell assembled by employing commercial Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 cathode can achieve a high capacity retention of 91.4% after 250 cycles at 0.4 A g−1. This work reveals the promising prospect of MoS 2 -based materials as anode of SIBs, and also has some inspirations on the structural design for conversion-type electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weld surface images were collected using a machine vision technique, and the geometry and texture features of the images were extracted by MATLAB software. Welding quality was determined by a weighted weld strength, elongation, impact energy and bending angle. A relationship between the welding quality and the image features was established. Experimental results indicate that the welding quality can be described quantitatively by such image features as the defect perimeter, invariant moment of IM 1 , IM 7 , IM 5 , IM 4 and rectangular degree, and a BP neural network model can be used to monitor the welding quality online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The associations of moderate alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and tobacco smoking with coronary heart disease (CHD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are not clearly clarified. The aims of the study were to evaluate the associations of lifestyle factors, hypertension, obesity, depression and sleep duration with CHD development among patients with T2D, and particularly, to examine the gender differences in risk factors for CHD.Methods: A total of 2335 T2D adults were selected from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Weighted univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.Results: The CHD prevalence among patients with T2D was 14.2% (18.1% and 10.4% for males and females, respectively), which increased with age (10.3% and 19.6% for age groups 18-64 and 65+, respectively). After adjusting for other factors, weighted logistic regression analyses showed that CHD among patients with T2D was significantly associated with being male, older age, past smoking, long sleep duration, hypertension, and high cholesterol level. Furthermore, the significant association of older age, past smoking, hypertension and high cholesterol level were observed particularly in males, while the association of long sleep duration with CHD was only observed in females. Hypertension was associated with CHD for both genders.Conclusions: Gender, age, past smoking, long sleep duration, hypertension and high cholesterol level were significantly associated with CHD among T2D patients; however, such associations differed by gender. Such gender disparities should be considered in the prevention and treatment of T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal behavior of coal gangue selected from Zhungeer, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The XRD data indicated that the mineral compositions of the coal gangue were kaolinite, boehmite, and quartz. The coal-gangue sample was considered as belonging to a typical mixture of kaolinite and boehmite. The XRD and FT-IR spectra clearly showed that the structural changes and dehydroxylation of coal gangue occurred with increased temperature from 100 to 900 °C. The reaction activity of coal gangue could be effectively improved by calcination. The calcined coal gangue contained considerable active amorphous AlO and SiO and had significant loss on ignition. The optimum activation temperature range of coal gangue was from 600 to 700 °C. The dissolution contents of SiO and AlO were 92.31 and 64.44 %, respectively, when the calcination temperature at 700 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A green and cost-effective sludge dewatering agent SBF was synthesized. • SBF notably decomposed EPS components and changed the protein secondary structure. • Increasing the hydrophobic substance of EPS by 41.6% after SBF conditioning. • Improving sludge dewatering by charge neutralization and hydrophobic association. • SBF conditioning sludge has great application potential in technology and economy. To clarify the effect of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), protein and hydrophilic substances on the dewatering efficiency during starch-grafted flocculant (SBF) conditioning, a green and cost-saving SBF was synthesized. Dewatering performance of sludge, secondary structure of protein, change of hydrophobic substances and removal of bound water were investigated. Results showed that after SBF conditioning, filter cake moisture content and specific resistance to filtration decreased from 75.63 % and 2.31 × 1012 m/kg to 66.76 % and 5.68 × 1011 m/kg, respectively. SBF neutralized the negative charges from the sludge system, promoting the increase of sludge flocs size and EPS decomposition, decreasing the compressibility of sludge and constructing a channel for water release. Moreover, the secondary structures of protein were changed through the interaction between SBF and the oxygen-containing functional groups in EPS, resulting in the reduction of hydrophilic substances and the increase of hydrophobic substances, which increased the hydrophobicity of molecules and thus improved the dewatering capacity of sludge. Meanwhile, the construction of sludge skeleton channels, charge neutralization, hydrophobic association effect were the primary mechanisms of SBF conditioning sludge dewatering. Additionally, SBF has an excellent economy as a sludge conditioner. This paper provided a new ideal for starch-based flocculants for improving the dewatering capacity of sludge treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the resolving long biofilm formation period problem of the moving bed biofilm reactor, a method for preparing modified carriers of bioflocculant doped in polylactic acid (PLA) to promote biofilm formation is proposed. The micron-scale porous structure is verified by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope. The modified material also has nano-scale pores in BET test. FTIR shows that the bioflocculant modified carriers have amino carboxyl and polysaccharide functional groups. The biofilm formation time is shortened, and the removal efficiency of COD and ammonia nitrogen are 14.14–21.15% and 6.08–15.41% higher than that of polyethylene carrier. Extend DLVO theory shows that bioflocculant modified carriers have lower energy barrier (149.18 kT) than other modified carriers. By immersing modified carriers and ordinary carriers in the bioflocculant bacteria solution, the high-throughput sequencing reveals that the microorganisms attached on the carriers of bioflocculant doped in PLA have better biodiversity and abundance of functional gene expression than others. [Display omitted] • A preparation method of bioflocculant doped in PLA modified carrier is proposed. • Biofilm formation is promoted on bioflocculant-doped carriers. • The doping of bioflocculant increases the diversity of biofilm communities. • Extend DLVO theory shows that bioflocculant-doped carrier has smaller energy barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grape seed procyanidins (GSPs) are polyphenolic compounds extracted from grape seeds and are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune modulating properties. As weaning stress in piglets can cause dysbacteriosis and oxidative damage to the intestine, resulting in diarrhea, the present study was conducted to determine whether administering GSPs can enhance intestinal antioxidant capacity and modulate gut microbiota to improve the overall gut health in weaned piglets. A total of 96 crossbred piglets were allocated randomly to four treatment groups; each treatment group comprised six replicate pens with four piglets per pen. Each group was fed one of the four dietary treatments for 28 days: the basal diet (control group) or the basal diet supplemented with 50, 100, or 150 mg/kg of GSPs. One piglet from each pen was euthanized to collect the jejunal mucosae for evaluating the intestinal antioxidant capacity and to collect the digesta of the cecum, colon, and rectum for assessing the succession of the gut microflora and determining the variations in the production of short chain fatty acid (SCFA). Dietary supplementation with GSPs enhanced the jejunal antioxidant capacity in weaned piglets, as evidenced by enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P < 0.001), increased mRNA abundance of superoxide dismutase (Sod1) and catalase (Cat) (P = 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (P < 0.001). The 100 mg/kg GSPs supplemented group showed enhanced Ace and Chao1 indices of the cecal, colonic, and rectal microflora when compared with those of the control group (P < 0.05), reflecting a rich bacterial community. Supplementing piglet diets with different concentrations of GSPs reduced the relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Anaerovibrio in various intestinal segments. A 100 mg/kg GSPs supplementation raised the abundances of probiotic Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_ group and Prevotella_1 in colon and rectum. Dietary GSPs supplementation increased the concentrations of the following SCFAs: acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid in the gut of weaned piglets. In particular, piglets supplemented with 100 mg/kg GSPs presented remarkable increases in the concentrations of acetic acid and butyric acid in the cecum and colon when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In summary, GSPs might exert salutary effects on the intestine of weaned piglets by enhancing the intestinal antioxidant capacity, modulating gut microbiota composition, and increasing the concentration of microbial metabolites (SCFAs) in the gut. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal catalysed C–N bond activation has attracted much attention and become one of the most promising bond disconnection and formation strategies that encompass a broad spectrum of applications in many reactions. In this tutorial review, efficient strategies for catalytic cleavage of C(sp)–N, C(sp2)–N and C(sp3)–N bonds and their applications in new C–C and C–N bond formation reactions are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted engineering of microbial genomes holds much promise for diverse biotechnological applications. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 systems are capable of efficiently editing microbial genomes, including that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Here, we demonstrate the use of TALENs to edit the genome of S. cerevisiae with the aim of inducing the overproduction of fatty acids. Heterodimeric TALENs were designed to simultaneously edit the FAA1 and FAA4 genes encoding acyl-CoA synthetases in S. cerevisiae . Functional yeast double knockouts generated using these TALENs over-produce large amounts of free fatty acids into the cell. This study demonstrates the use of TALENs for targeted engineering of yeast and demonstrates that this technology can be used to stimulate the enhanced production of free fatty acids, which are potential substrates for biofuel production. This proof-of-principle study extends the utility of TALENs as excellent genome editing tools and highlights their potential use for metabolic engineering of yeast and other organisms, such as microalgae and plants, for biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Analysis of research hotspots and trends of mycelial pellets as biocarriers. • Clarified the reason and mechanism of mycelial pellets as biocarriers. • Summarized the application in wastewater and recovery for resource and energy. • Presented the prospects and trends of mycelial pellets as biocarriers. Mycelial pellets, a new environment friendly biological carrier, have received wide attention from researchers due to porosity, stability and unique biocompatibility. In this article, the theoretical basis and mechanism of mycelial pellets as a biological carrier were analyzed from the properties of mycelial pellets and the interaction between mycelial pellets and other microorganisms. This article aims to collate and present the current application and development trend of mycelial pellets as biological carriers in wastewater treatment, resource and energy recovery, especially the symbiotic particle system formed by mycelial pellets and microalgae is an important way to break through the technical bottleneck of biodiesel recovery from wastewater. This review also analyzes the research hotspots and trends of mycelial pellets as carriers in recent years, discusses the challenges faced by this technology, and puts forward corresponding solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constitutive equation has been established based on the dislocation theory, the work hardening and dynamic recovery theory. The stress–strain curves of bainite steel have been measured by a hot compression experiment at temperatures of 1173, 1273, 1373, and 1473 K with strain rates of 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 s −1 on a thermo-mechanical simulator Gleeble-1500. The material constants involved in the constitutive equation have been optimized by an inverse analysis of the stress–strain curves. This information is used to determine the materials models of work hardening and dynamic recovery, and the strain–stress relationship of the investigated steel in high temperature deformation. The results are in agreement with those obtained from experimental measurements. They demonstrate that the material constants determined by the stress–strain curves can capture the underlying materials science of high temperature deformation. On this basis, the evolution law of dislocation density has been obtained in work hardening and dynamic recovery. A relationship function between the critical dislocation density for dynamic recrystallization and deformation parameters has been established. And an equation for recovery kinetics has been proposed with reference referring to the Avrami equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, copy number variation (CNV) of NKG2C gene was investigated in 1129 normal, unrelated individuals representing two southern Chinese Han populations (Hunan Han and Guangdong Han), two northern Chinese populations (Inner Mongolia Han and Inner Mongolia Mongol) and one southeastern Chinese Han population (Fujian Han) using polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific priming (PCR-SSP) method. CNV of NKG2C gene did not vary significantly among the five Chinese populations, with NKG2C gene deletion showing a frequency ranging from 0.2031 to 0.2688. Compared with worldwide ethnic groups, very significant difference was observed between the five Chinese populations and the Mexican mestizos (all P corrected = 0.0025), and between the Fujian Han population and the German population ( P corrected = 0.005). We further examined CNV of NKG2C and HLA-E allelic distribution in 653 patients afflicted with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Hunan province. Neither CNV of NKG2C nor HLA-E was associated with NPC. There was a trend of reduced NPC risk in individuals who were homozygous for both HLA-E ∗ 01:03 and NKG2C deletion (0.46% vs. 2.51%, P = 0.0076, P corrected = 0.0684, OR (95% CI) = 0.1794 (0.0473–0.6809)). Taken together, our results suggest that NKG2C deletion and HLA-E signalling pathway does not play a major role in determining genetic susceptibility to NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of microRNA, thousands of short, non-coding strands of RNA that regulate gene expressions on the transcriptional level throughout the body, raises the possibility of their roles as therapeutic targets in the treatment of a diverse range of diseases including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Specifically, their potential as therapeutic targets in the treatment of obesity has been highlighted. Brown adipose tissue containing a large number of mitochondria and expressing Ucp-1 is metabolically active through dissipating energy as heat in cold temperatures. Brown adipose, which was previously thought to be present only in neonatal and infants, has been recently unexpectedly identified in various anatomical regions of the adult human body. Furthermore, brown adipocytes have been shown to originate from skeletal and cardiovascular myoblast progenitor cells. Several identified microRNAs participate in the regulation of brown adipocyte differentiation through pathways involving the Prdm16 and C/ebp-β program. These miRNAs are potential therapeutic targets in the induction of brown adipocyte lineage differentiation from myoblast and white adipose, through which the Ucp-1 expression is regulated to increase calorie expenditure and reduce body weight in obese individuals. This review focuses on the current understanding of miRNAs on the regulation of brown adipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Arabidopsis thaliana, MAIGO 2 ( MAG2) is involved in protein transport between the endoplasmic reticulum ( ER) and the Golgi apparatus via its association with the ER-localized t- SNARE components SYP81/AtUfe1 and SEC20. To characterize the molecular machinery of MAG2-mediated protein transport, we explored MAG2-interacting proteins using transgenic A. thaliana plants expressing TAP-tagged MAG2. We identified three proteins, which were designated as MAG2- INTERACTING PROTEIN 1-3 [ MIP1 (At2g32900), MIP2 (At5g24350) and MIP3 (At2g42700)]. Both MIP1 and MAG2 localized to the ER membrane. All of the mag2, mip1, mip2 and mip3 mutants exhibited a defect in storage protein maturation, and developed abnormal storage protein body ( MAG body) structures in the ER of seed cells. These observations suggest that MIPs are closely associated with MAG2 and function in protein transport between the ER and Golgi apparatus. MIP1 and MIP2 contain a Zeste-White 10 ( ZW10) domain and a Sec39 domain, respectively, but have low sequence identities (21% and 23%) with respective human orthologs. These results suggest that the plant MAG2- MIP1- MIP2 complex is a counterpart of the triple-subunit tethering complexes in yeast (Tip20p-Dsl1p-Sec39p) and humans ( RINT1- ZW10- NAG). Surprisingly, the plant complex also contained a fourth member ( MIP3) with a Sec1 domain. There have been no previous reports showing that a Sec1-containing protein is a subunit of ER-localized tethering complexes. Our results suggest that MAG2 and the three MIP proteins form a unique complex on the ER that is responsible for efficient transport of seed storage proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Semi-hollow MnMoO 4 microspheres were prepared via solvothermal method. • MnMoO 4 microspheres were uniformly wrapped by carbon to obtain core-shell structure. • Core-shell MnMoO 4 @NC shows high structural stability and capacitance contribution. • MnMoO 4 @NC as an anode for LIBs delivers 817 mAh g-1 after 800 cycles at 1 A g-1. [Display omitted] Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are deemed as promising next-generation anode materials for alkali-ion batteries owing to their high energy density. However, the structures of the TMOs electrode materials are destroyed due to the huge volume changes during charging/discharging, so that the batteries cannot provide a long cycle life. Herein, a unique hierarchical MnMoO 4 @nitrogen-doped carbon (MnMoO 4 @NC) core-shell microspheres are synthesized as an advanced electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). Specifically, the semi-hollow microspheres structures of MnMoO 4 formed by self-assembly of nanoparticles can improve its utilization efficiency and the speed of ion transfer. Moreover, the uniform nitrogen-doped carbon layer not only improves the structural stability of MnMoO 4 but also enhances the electrical conductivity of the overall composite. The resultant MnMoO 4 @NC as an anode for LIBs delivers 817 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles at 1 A g−1, and for PIBs remains 95 mAh g−1 over 400 cycles at 0.5 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A porous carbon was prepared from Microcystis aeruginosa and polypropylene. • Polypropylene enhanced the pore structure of porous carbon. • Porous carbon exhibited a high S BET (2140 m2/g) and abundant functional groups. • Porous carbon exhibited a high methylene blue adsorption capacity (667 mg/g). Porous carbon obtained by co-pyrolysis of plastic and biomass has received a lot of attention due to its excellent adsorption properties, and the pore structure plays an essential role in adsorption performance, however, the pore structure is still not well understood. Herein, we synthesized cyanobacteria-based porous carbon derived from cyanobacteria and polypropylene plastic by one-step method. CPC-800–30% exhibited a high BET surface area (2140 m2/g), pore volume up to 1.44 cm3/g. PP not only improved the pore structure of porous carbon, but also enriched the types of functional groups, such as O–H, N–H, C=O, and –CH, due to dehydroxylation or amino group decreased, resulting in the hydrogen radicals increased, hence PP had positive effect for biomass during co-pyrolysis. Meanwhile, CPC-800–30% showed excellent methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacity (667 mg/g). This work provided a new strategy for enhancing porous carbon structure via using PP as additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid flocculant polyacrylamide-ferric chloride (PAM-FeCl 3) was developed to improve the dewaterability of sewage sludge and the dewatering performance, properties of treated sludge, composition and morphology distribution of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) were investigated. The physicochemical properties of the PAM-FeCl 3 were characterized, and its effectiveness as a sludge conditioner was evaluated. The results indicated that PAM-FeCl 3 conditioning was able to promote sludge dewaterability. Simultaneously, PAM-FeCl 3 neutralized the negative charges on the surface of sludge particles and increased the sludge floc size. Besides, PAM-FeCl 3 also formed a rough and porous floc structure that reduced sludge compressibility. Meanwhile, the exciting emission matrix analysis suggested that PAM-FeCl 3 can effectively disintegrate of EPS fraction in sludge and decompose the aromatic protein-like substances as well as the humic acid-like substances in EPS. Additionally, the larger sludge floc formation, electrostatic interaction and adsorption bridging effect resulted in compression of sludge structure and the decomposition of EPS fractions and improved sludge dewatering performance. [Display omitted] • The hybrid PAM-FeCl 3 was used as conditioner to improve sludge dewaterability. • PAM-FeCl 3 conditioning reduced sludge cake compressibility coefficient 41.30%. • The disintegration of LB-EPS facilitated the decrement of protein-like and humic acid. • Charge neutralization and adsorption bridging were responsible for sludge conditioning. • PAM-FeCl 3 has potential commercial value in realizing deep sludge dewatering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]