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A new method was proposed to address fault diagnosis by applying the digital twin (DT) high-fidelity behavior and the deep learning (DL) data mining capabilities. Subsequently, the proposed fault distribution GAN (FDGAN) was built to map virtual and physical entities for the data from the established test platform. Finally, the MobileViG was employed to validate the model and diagnose faults. The accuracy of the proposed method with training samples of 600 and 800 were 88.4% and 99.5%, respectively. These accuracies surpass those of other methods based on CycleGAN (98.86%), CACGAN (94.92%), ACGAN (86.45%), ML1D-GAN (82.33%), and transfer learning (99.38%). Therefore, with the integration of global connectivity, an innovative network structure, and training methods, FDGAN can effectively address challenges such as network degradation, limited feature extraction in small windows, and insufficient model robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method based on a digital twin is proposed for fault diagnosis, in order to compensate for the shortcomings of the existing methods for fault diagnosis modeling, including the single fault type, low similarity, and poor visual effect of state monitoring. First, a fault diagnosis test platform is established to analyze faults under constant and variable speed conditions. Then, the obtained data are integrated into the Unity3D platform to realize online diagnosis and updated with real-time working status data. Finally, an industrial test of the digital twin model is conducted, allowing for its comparison with other advanced methods in order to verify its accuracy and application feasibility. It was found that the accuracy of the proposed method for the entire reducer was 99.5%, higher than that of other methods based on individual components (e.g., 93.5% for bearings, 96.3% for gear shafts, and 92.6% for shells). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol (ethanol) consumption has different influences on arterial disease, being protective or harmful depending on the amount and pattern of consumption. The mechanisms mediating these biphasic effects are unknown. Whereas endothelial cells play a critical role in maintaining arterial health, this study compared the effects of moderate and high alcohol concentrations on endothelial cell function. Methods: Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) were treated with levels of ethanol associated with either low‐risk/moderate drinking (i.e., 25 mM) or high‐risk/heavy drinking (i.e., 50 mM) after which endothelial function was assessed. The effect of ethanol's primary metabolite acetaldehyde (10 and 25 μM) was also determined. Results: Moderate ethanol exposure (25 mM) improved HCAEC barrier integrity as determined by increased transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), inhibited cell adhesion molecule (CAM) mRNA expression, decreased inflammatory cytokine (interferon‐γ and interleukin 6) production, inhibited monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1) expression and monocyte adhesion, and increased homeostatic Notch signaling. In contrast, exposure to high‐level ethanol (50 mM) decreased TEER, increased CAM expression and inflammatory cytokine production, and stimulated MCP‐1 and monocyte adhesion, with no effect on Notch signaling. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity were increased by both alcohol treatments, and to a greater extent in the 50 mM ethanol group. Acetaldehyde‐elicited responses were generally the same as those of the high‐level ethanol group. Conclusions: Ethanol has biphasic effects on several endothelial functions such that a moderate level maintains the endothelium in a nonactivated state, whereas high‐level ethanol causes endothelial dysfunction, as does acetaldehyde. These data show the importance of dose when considering ethanol's effects on arterial endothelium, and could explain, in part, the J‐shaped relationship between alcohol concentration and atherosclerosis reported in some epidemiologic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two photosensitizers (CCOH and CCN) were designed and synthesized by introducing coumarin into the curcumin (CUR) structure. Compared with CUR, more reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated by CCOH and CCN in type I and II synergy upon light irradiation. Cell experiments indicated that CCN with an excellent LD-targeting effect could be used to monitor the changes in the morphology and number of LDs in tumor cells during PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The localization of sensor nodes is an important problem in wireless sensor networks. The DV-Hop algorithm is a typical range-free algorithm, but the localization accuracy is not high. To further improve the localization accuracy, this paper designs a DV-Hop algorithm based on multi-objective salp swarm optimization. Firstly, hop counts in the DV-Hop algorithm are subdivided, and the average hop distance is corrected based on the minimum mean-square error criterion and weighting. Secondly, the traditional single-objective optimization model is transformed into a multi-objective optimization model. Then, in the third stage of DV-Hop, the improved multi-objective salp swarm algorithm is used to estimate the node coordinates. Finally, the proposed algorithm is compared with three improved DV-Hop algorithms in two topologies. Compared with DV-Hop, The localization errors of the proposed algorithm are reduced by 50.79% and 56.79% in the two topology environments with different communication radii. The localization errors of different node numbers are decreased by 38.27% and 56.79%. The maximum reductions in localization errors are 38.44% and 56.79% for different anchor node numbers. Based on different regions, the maximum reductions in localization errors are 56.75% and 56.79%. The simulation results show that the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is better than that of DV-Hop, GWO-DV-Hop, SSA-DV-Hop, and ISSA-DV-Hop algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notch is important to vessel homeostasis. We investigated the mechanistic role of caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) in mediating the effects of alcohol (Ethanol/EtOH) on the γ‐secretase proteolytic activity necessary for Notch signaling in vascular cells. Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) were treated with EtOH (0–50 mM), Notch ligand delta‐like ligand 4 (Dll4), and the γ‐secretase inhibitor DAPT. EtOH stimulated Notch signaling in HCAEC as evidenced by increased Notch receptor (N1, N4) and target gene (hrt2, hrt3) mRNA levels with the most robust response achieved at 25 mM EtOH. Ethanol (25 mM) stimulated γ‐secretase proteolytic activity, to the same extent as Dll4, in HCAEC membranes. Ethanol inhibited Cav‐1 mRNA and protein levels in HCAEC. Caveolin‐1 negatively regulated γ‐secretase activity in HCAEC as Cav‐1 knockdown stimulated it, while Cav‐1 overexpression inhibited it. Moreover, Cav‐1 overexpression blocked the stimulatory effect of EtOH on γ‐secretase activity in HCAEC. Although EtOH also inhibited Cav‐1 expression in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC), EtOH inhibited γ‐secretase activity in HCASMC in contrast to its effect in HCAEC. The inhibitory effect of EtOH on γ‐secretase in HCASMC was mimicked by Cav‐1 knockdown and prevented by Cav‐1 overexpression, suggesting that in these cells Cav‐1 positively regulates γ‐secretase activity. In conclusion, EtOH differentially regulates γ‐secretase activity in arterial EC and SMC, being stimulatory and inhibitory, respectively. These effects are both mediated by caveolin‐1 inhibition which itself has opposite effects on γ‐secretase in the two cell types. This mechanism may underlie, in part, the effects of moderate drinking on atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, consensus tracking control is considered for a class of nonlinear second-order multi-agent systems in an undirected communication topology subject to input magnitude and rate constraints (MRCs). Initially, the control inputs are designed directly using the smooth hyperbolic tangent function. Subsequently, some auxiliary signals are developed to guarantee input rate constraints simultaneously. By employing the backstepping method, the proposed control scheme can ensure uniform ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop system, and the consensus tracking error of each agent can converge to a small neighborhood near zero. Finally, the single-link robot manipulator multi-agent system model is used to perform numerical simulations to demonstrate the control effect further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological performance of lubricant is significantly affected by additive concentration. To realize optimization of additive concentrations, an eXtreme Gradient Boosting machine learning method was proposed to predict the tribological performance of a lubricant, reflected by wear volume, with data collected from four-ball friction experiments. The Shapley Additive exPlanation tool was used to explain the predictions of the model. Particle swarm optimization was used to optimize additive concentration proportions. The tribological properties of grease additives were verified through validation experiment. The chemical components of wear scars include MXenes, carbon films, iron oxides, and iron phosphides, which facilitate direct contact between friction surfaces. This study provides a novel data-driven approach for optimization of additive concentrations with effective and predictable tribological performance. [Display omitted] • A machine learning-based method was used for the optimal lubricant additive concentration selection. • SHAP explanation tool confirmed the importance of friction conditions as well as additive concentrations. • Particle swarm optimization was used to realize optimality searching of additive concentration proportions. • Enhancement in synergistic effect among lubricant additives with optimal proportions predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) harbor rich assemblages of malaria parasites, including three species closely related to P. falciparum (sub-genus Laverania), the most malignant human malaria parasite. Here, we characterize the ecology and epidemiology of malaria infection in wild chimpanzee reservoirs. We used molecular assays to screen chimpanzee fecal samples, collected longitudinally and cross-sectionally from wild populations, for malaria parasite mitochondrial DNA. We found that chimpanzee malaria parasitism has an early age of onset and varies seasonally in prevalence. A subset of samples revealed Hepatocystis mitochondrial DNA, with phylogenetic analyses suggesting that Hepatocystis appears to cross species barriers more easily than Laverania. Longitudinal and cross-sectional sampling independently support the hypothesis that mean ambient temperature drives spatiotemporal variation in chimpanzee Laverania infection. Infection probability peaked at ~24.5 °C, consistent with the empirical transmission optimum of P. falciparum in humans. Forest cover was also positively correlated with spatial variation in Laverania prevalence, consistent with the observation that forest-dwelling Anophelines are the primary vectors. Extrapolating these relationships across equatorial Africa, we map spatiotemporal variation in the suitability of chimpanzee habitat for Laverania transmission, offering a hypothetical baseline indicator of human exposure risk. Chimpanzees are known to suffer from malaria parasitism. Here, the prevalence and epidemiology of several malaria parasites is examined in a wild chimpanzee population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study is to explore the effects of a mindfulness yoga treatment on emotional disorders, fatigue, pain, and health-related quality of life in early-stage breast cancer patients. Methods: The eligible 136 participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to the experimental group (mindfulness yoga + conventional care) and the control group (conventional care). The hospital anxiety and depression scale was used to assess anxiety and depression symptoms as the primary outcome. Secondary results comprised fatigue (RPFS-CV), pain (BPI-C), and health-related quality of life (FACT-B). Assessments were performed at baseline time, the 8th week, and the 20th week. Results: The Experimental group had a better prognosis in comparison with those in the control group, especially for anxiety [inter-group effect, T1: 1.18 (95% CI 0.20–2.17; P = 0.018)], depression [T1: 1.49 (95% CI 0.48–2.50; P = 0.004)] and health-related life quality [T1: − 6.34 (95% CI − 11.81 to − 0.87; P = 0.023)]. While fatigue [T1: 0.23 (95% CI − 0.24–0.69; P = 0.337); T2: 0.27 (95% CI − 0.16–0.71; P = 0.219)] and pain [T1: 1.11 (95% CI − 0.05–2.27; P = 0.060); T2: 0.68 (95% CI − 0.27–1.62; P = 0.159)] were not different between the two groups. Conclusion: In patients with early-stage breast cancer who had received adjuvant chemotherapy, treatment with mindfulness yoga is as effective as conventional care in improving physical function. Along with other treatments, mindfulness yoga may help alleviate anxiety and depression to improve the overall physical and mental health and quality of life of early-stage breast cancer patients. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Registration number: ChiCTR2100052842, Reg. Date: 2021/11/6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic metal surfaces have significant applications in various areas such as surface self-cleaning, resistance reduction, anti-corrosion, etc. However, inexpensive preparation methods for superhydrophobic surfaces with a good mechanical stability are still to be developed. In this study, microarray structures on TC4 alloy were readily fabricated using a wire electrical discharge machining technology. Following the treatment with a fluorinating reagent, the microarray surface exhibited excellent superhydrophobic properties, where the largest contact angle and the smallest sliding angle reached 159° and 3°, respectively. Influences of the dimensions of microarray structure on the TC4 alloy surface wettability were also investigated in this study. Experiments show that this superhydrophobic surface possesses favorable self-cleaning, good mechanical stability, and promising anti-corrosion properties. In addition, by controlling the dimensions of the microstructure a superhydrophobic surface with a gradient wettability was also fabricated, which exhibits the property of doing nondestructive transportation of liquids. • Superhydrophobic surface on TC4 alloy surface is realized by using low-cost wire electrical discharge machining. • The influences of microarray structure size on surface wettability are systematically analyzed. • The prepared superhydrophobic surface has excellent mechanical stability, corrosion resistance and self-cleaning effect. • The gradient superhydrophobic surface is achieved by adjusting the dimension of the microarray structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have first selected 28 indicators based on the selection principle of financial indicators adopted in relevant studies both at home and abroad from seven aspects, which include profitability, long-term and short-term solvency, company development capacity, operating capacity, cash flow generation capability, equity characteristics, and board characteristics. Subsequently, we have conducted the comparative analysis and comprehensive study on the logistic early warning model and BP neural network to provide reference for managers and stakeholders to select the optimal model. In addition, through our study on the dynamic early warning of BP neural network, we intend to convey the concept of constantly updating the model to both managers and stakeholders. Therefore, this paper provides ideas for the research on the model of financial crisis early warning for China's manufacturing industry. The study is of significance for guiding the research of related issues in the manufacturing sector and can also provide reference for the early warning of other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Arterial endothelium plays a critical role in maintaining vessel homeostasis and preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Low‐to‐moderate alcohol (EtOH) consumption is associated with reduced atherosclerosis and stimulates Notch signaling in endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether EtOH protects the endothelium against serum amyloid A1 (SAA1)‐induced activation/injury, and to determine whether this protection is exclusively Notch‐dependent. Methods and Results: Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) were stimulated or not with "pro‐atherogenic" SAA1 (1 μM) in the absence or presence of EtOH (25 mM), the Notch ligand DLL4 (3 μg/ml), or the Notch inhibitor DAPT (20 μM). EtOH stimulated Notch signaling in HCAEC, as evidenced by increased expression of the Notch receptor and hrt target genes. Treatment with EtOH alone or stimulation of Notch signaling by DLL4 increased eNOS activity and enhanced HCAEC barrier function as assessed by trans‐endothelial electrical resistance. Moreover, EtOH and DLL4 both inhibited SAA1‐induced monolayer leakiness, cell adhesion molecule (ICAM, VCAM) expression, and monocyte adhesion. The effects of EtOH were Notch‐dependent, as they were blocked with DAPT and by Notch receptor (N1, N4) knockdown. In contrast, EtOH's inhibition of SAA1‐induced inflammatory cytokines (IL‐6, IFN‐γ) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was Notch‐independent, as these effects were unaffected by DAPT or by N1 and/or N4 knockdown. Conclusions: EtOH at moderate levels protects against SAA1‐induced endothelial activation via both Notch‐dependent and Notch‐independent mechanisms. EtOH's maintenance of endothelium in a nonactivated state would be expected to preserve vessel homeostasis and protect against atherosclerosis development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the influence of region of interest (ROI) placement on the predictive value of 3D MRE in differentiating the histologic grade of HCC. Methods: 85 patients with pathologically confirmed HCCs were analyzed using 3D MRE imaging, two radiologists measured the tumor stiffness with three different ROI positioning methods. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was expressed in terms of inter- and intra-observer agreements. Kruskal–Wallis rank test or one-way ANOVA was used to compare the difference in MRE stiffness across the three-ROI positioning methods. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (ROC) was performed, and the area under curve (AUC) was measured to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: There were 64 (75%) well-or-moderately differentiated HCCs and 21(25%) poorly differentiated HCCs included finally. Almost excellent inter- and intra-observer agreements (all ICC > 0.82) were observed for all three-ROI methods, the volumetric method has the highest values (inter-observer ICC 0.967, intra-observer ICC 0.919, 0.926, respectively). The mean stiffnesses of poorly differentiated HCC obtained by two readers were significantly higher than well-or-moderately differentiated HCC with volumetric method (7.07 ± 1.57 Kpa, 5.00 ± 1.49 Kpa, and 6.85 ± 1.49 Kpa, 4.94 ± 1.48 Kpa, respectively) and three-ROI method (6.14 ± 1.71 Kpa, 4.91 ± 1.56 Kpa and 5.94 ± 1.61 Kpa, 4.84 ± 1.54 Kpa, respectively) but not on single-ROI method (p > 0.005), for the diagnostic performance, the highest area under the curve (AUC) with a value of 0.837, 0.812 by using the volumetric method, followed by the three-ROI method (0.713, 0.754) and single-ROI method. Conclusion: Different ROI positioning methods significantly affect HCC tumor stiffness measurements. The whole tumor volumetric analysis is superior to ROI-based methods for predicting the grade of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the value of gadobenate dimeglumine–enhanced MRI in predicting the pathologic grade of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and methods: Patients with pathologically proven HCC who underwent preoperative gadobenate dimeglumine–enhanced dynamic MRI were included. Two radiologists blinded to pathology results evaluated images in consensus. Lesions were evaluated quantitatively in terms of ratio of enhancement (RE), and qualitatively based on image features related to tumor aggressiveness. Logistic regression and ROC analyses were used to determine the value of these parameters to predict pathologic grade. Results: In total, 221 patients (194 males, 27 females, aged 52.9 ± 11.7 years) with 49 poorly differentiated HCCs and 172 well/moderately differentiated HCCs were evaluated. Features significantly related to poorer pathologic grade at univariate analysis included lower RE in the early arterial phase (EAP) (p = 0.001), nonsmooth margins (p = 0.001), absence of capsule (p < 0.001), arterial peritumoral hyperenhancement (p < 0.001), higher AFP (p = 0.004), multiple tumors (p = 0.026), and larger tumor size (p = 0.028). At multivariate analysis, lower RE (EAP) (OR = 0.144, p = 0.002), absence of capsule (OR = 0.281, p = 0.004), and arterial peritumoral hyperenhancement (OR = 4.117, p < 0.001) were independent predictive factors for poorer pathologic grade. ROC analysis showed lower RE (EAP) was predictive of poorer pathologic grade (AUC = 0.667). AUC increased to 0.797 when combined with absence of capsule and presence of peritumoral hyperenhancement. Conclusions: Lower RE (EAP), absence of capsule, and arterial peritumoral hyperenhancement were predictive biomarkers for poorer pathologic grade of HCC on gadobenate dimeglumine–enhanced dynamic MRI. Key Points: • Gadobenate dimeglumine–enhanced dynamic MRI was a useful quantitative biomarker for preoperative prediction of pathologic grade in patients with HCC. • Lower RE in the early arterial phase, absence of capsule, and arterial peritumoral hyperenhancement were potential imaging indicators for preoperative prediction of poorer pathologic grade of HCC on gadobenate dimeglumine–enhanced MRI. • A lower RE in the early arterial phase was effective at predicting poorer pathologic grade of HCCs but prediction is improved when combined with absence of capsule and presence of peritumoral hyperenhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fog represents an underestimated water resource, particularly in arid coastal areas where the abundance of fog makes fog harvesting a highly viable and operational option. In response to the limitations of traditional fog harvesting techniques, biomimetic fog harvesting materials with special wettable surfaces have emerged as a promising solution, offering a notable enhancement in water collection efficiency (WCE). This work presents a bio‐inspired multi‐strategy fog harvesting material integrated with a wettability contrast pattern and asymmetric wettability. The implementation of multiple strategies at each stage of fog harvesting synergistically improves the WCE of aluminum plates by up to 53%. A solar‐powered active fog‐collecting system is devised based on this material to cope with changing environments, which demonstrates a significant improvement in WCE compared to a conventional fog net, reaching up to 736.67% under a static fog environment. This work provides a viable design of bio‐inspired fog harvesting materials and offers a promising approach for their large‐scale implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liner is affixed to the inner side of the ball mill cylinder to protect the cylinder. Through isothermal compression experiments, Arrhenius constitutive models, peak strain models, critical strain models, dynamic recrystallization dynamic models, and grain size models suitable for the forging process of Mn–Cr–Ni–Mo steel used in ball mill liners were established. By utilizing Deform software, a 3D thermo‐force‐structure coupling model for the hot forging process of ball mill liners was constructed, and the volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization and average grain size during forging was predicted. The response surface model was employed to investigate how process parameters interacted with each other and affected microstructure uniformity in ball mill liners. After optimization, the optimal parameters were determined: initial forging temperature at 1200 °C, forging speed at 30 mm s−1, and friction coefficient at 0.3. Subsequently, a hot forging experiment on ball mill liners was conducted using these optimized parameters; samples were analyzed through backscattered electron diffraction device experiments and microscopic tissue observations. Results demonstrated that microstructural changes observed during actual forging processes aligned with numerical simulation results—thus verifying both the accuracy of the Mn–Cr–Ni–Mo steel material model and numerical simulation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on wind speed, direction and power data, an assessment method of wind energy potential using finite mixture statistical distributions is proposed. Considering the correlation existing and the effect between wind speed and direction, the angular-linear modeling approach is adopted to construct the joint probability density function of wind speed and direction. For modeling the distribution of wind power density and estimating model parameters of null or low wind speed and multimodal wind speed data, based on expectation–maximization algorithm, a two-component three-parameter Weibull mixture distribution is chosen as wind speed model, and a von Mises mixture distribution with nine components and six components are selected as the models of wind direction and the correlation circular variable between wind speed and direction, respectively. A comprehensive technique of model selection, which includes Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, the coefficient of determination R2 and root mean squared error, is used to select the optimal model in all candidate models. The proposed method is applied to averaged 10-min field monitoring wind data and compared with the other estimation methods and judged by the values of R2 and root mean squared error, histogram plot and wind rose diagram. The results show that the proposed method is effective and the area under study is not suitable for wide wind turbine applications, and the estimated wind energy potential would be inaccuracy without considering the influence of wind direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DBT reconstructs high‐resolution tomographic images through multi‐angle scanning. We aimed at investigating the diagnostic value of DBT in breast microcalcifications of Asian women. The clinical characteristics and diagnostic accuracy of FFDM and DBT in 70 breast cancer patients were compared. 52 malignant lesions and 24 benign lesions were found in 76 breast microcalcifications. FFDM presented with high sensitivity and low specificity of 94.2% and 45.8%, while DBT presented with high sensitivity and medium specificity of 96.1% and 62.5%. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic coincidence rate of DBT were higher than those of FFDM (84.7%, 88.2%, 85.5% vs. 79.0%, 78.5%, 78.9%, respectively). The AUC of DBT was significantly higher than that of FFDM (Z = 2.322, P = 0.020), at 0.700 ± 0.055 [0.584‐0.800] and 0.793 ± 0.052 [0.685‐0.878], respectively. Thus, we concluded that DBT improves the diagnostic accuracy and detection rate of microcalcifications in Asian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crosstalk between the lysosome and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is essential for maintaining intracellular homeostasis and normal physiological activities. However, simultaneously visualizing the lysosome and ER by using a single fluorescent probe is of considerable significance and challenge. In this work, we developed a near-infrared (NIR) pH probe (F–CCOH) by introducing 7-hydroxycoumarin into the curcumin difluoroboron skeleton. The F–CCOH probe presented strong red emission (630 nm) under acidic conditions and NIR emission (755 nm) under basic conditions, which was attributed to the deprotonation of the hydroxyl group on coumarin. Moreover, by monitoring changes in the fluorescent intensity of F–CCOH in two channels, the pH variety of the lysosomes and ER in living cells can be visualized simultaneously. The experimental results showed that pH changes in the lysosome and ER were opposite during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. This finding is extremely valuable for revealing the crosstalk between lysosome and ER in physiological activities. • F–CCOH exhibits red emission (630 nm) and near-infrared emission (755 nm) under different pH. • F–CCOH can simultaneously target lysosome and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in living cells. • The pH changes in the lysosome and ER were opposite during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxalate CL as an energy source to excite photosensitizers has attracted tremendous attention in photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this work, peroxyoxalate CPPO and hypocrellin B (HB)‐based nanoparticles (CBNPs) for ultrasound (US)‐enhanced self‐exciting PDT were designed and prepared. CBNPs showed an excellent therapeutic effect against cancer cells with the assistance of US. This US‐enhanced‐chemiluminescence system avoids the dependence on external light and provides an example for inspiring more effective and precise strategies for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypocrellin B (HB) derived from naturally produced hypocrellins has attracted considerable attention in photodynamic therapy (PDT) because of its excellent photosensitive properties. However, the weak absorption within a "phototherapy window" (600–900 nm) and poor water solubility of HB have limited its clinical application. In this study, two HB derivatives (i. e., HE and HF) were designed and synthesized for the first time by introducing two different substituent groups into the HB structure. The obtained derivatives showed a broad absorption band covering the near‐infrared (NIR) region, NIR emission (peaked at 805 nm), and singlet oxygen quantum yields of 0.27/0.31. HE‐PEG‐NPs were also prepared using 2‐distearoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine‐N‐[methoxy(polyethyleneglycol)‐2000] (DSPE‐mPEG2000) to achieve excellent dispersion in water and further explored their practical applications. HE‐PEG‐NPs not only retained their 1O2‐generating ability, but also exhibited a photothermal conversion efficiency of 25.9%. In vitro and in vivo therapeutic results revealed that the synergetic effect of HE‐PEG‐NPs on PDT and photothermal therapy (PTT) could achieve a good performance. Therefore, HE‐PEG‐NPs could be regarded as a promising phototheranostic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stem cells present in the vessel wall may be triggered in response to injurious stimuli to undergo differentiation and contribute to vascular disease development. Our aim was to determine the effect of moderate alcohol (EtOH) exposure on the expansion and differentiation of S100 calcium‐binding protein B positive (S100β+) resident vascular stem cells and their contribution to pathologic vessel remodeling in a mouse model of arteriosclerosis. Methods and Results: Lineage tracing analysis of S100β+ cells was performed in male and female S100β‐eGFP/Cre/ERT2–dTomato transgenic mice treated daily with or without EtOH by oral gavage (peak BAC: 15 mM or 0.07%) following left common carotid artery ligation for 14 days. Carotid arteries (ligated or sham‐operated) were harvested for morphological analysis and confocal assessment of fluorescent‐tagged S100 β + cells in FFPE carotid cross sections. Ligation‐induced carotid remodeling was more robust in males than in females. EtOH‐gavaged mice had less adventitial thickening and markedly reduced neointimal formation compared to controls, with a more pronounced inhibitory effect in males compared to females. There was significant expansion of S100β+‐marked cells in vessels postligation, primarily in the neointimal compartment. EtOH treatment reduced the fraction of S100β+ cells in carotid cross sections, concomitant with attenuated remodeling. In vitro, EtOH attenuated Sonic Hedgehog‐stimulated myogenic differentiation (as evidenced by reduced calponin and myosin heavy chain expression) of isolated murine S100β+ vascular stem cells. Conclusions: These data highlight resident vascular S100β+ stem cells as a novel target population for alcohol and suggest that regulation of these progenitors in adult arteries, particularly in males, may be an important mechanism contributing to the antiatherogenic effects of moderate alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microarray has indicated a huge number of miRNAs exist in reproductive tissues and cells. Moreover, the expression of miRNA in the reproductive system varies under the strict monitoring of different regulations. To understand the role of miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional gene regulation in female reproduction, we investigated the level and function of a mir-let-7 family member in both mice and human uterine receptivity. As we observed, mir-let-7 a/g had a higher expression in mouse and human receptive uterine epithelium; the level of mir-let-7a was under the inverse regulation of estrogen and progesterone; upregulated mir-let-7a/g in mouse and human uterine epithelium increased uterine receptivity, thus improved implantation-related embryo attachment and outgrowth ability; the let-7a/g enhanced uterine receptivity through suppressing canonical Wnt signaling. In summary, our findings suggest that mir-let-7 a/g increases uterine receptivity via inhibiting Wnt signaling and under the modulation of ovarian hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanically weak superwetting materials are difficult to apply to real complex environments for efficient crude oil-in-water emulsion separation. Herein, robust TiO2-coated meshes were fabricated by spraying titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 P25) and aluminum phosphate (AP) binder suspension on a stainless steel mesh. The AP with inorganic adhesive was developed to enhance the bonding force between nanoparticle coatings and the stainless steel meshes and the detailed interaction mechanism has been comprehensively explained. The robust TiO2-coated meshes show excellent underwater superoleophobicity, even for crude oil. Moreover, the underwater superoleophobic meshes enjoy eminent separation capacity for various oil-in-water emulsions, including crude oil-in-water emulsion, with separation efficiency higher than 99.8% even after 10 cycles. Furthermore, the coated meshes can maintain separation efficiencies of over 99.4% after 500 scratch cycles, sand impact cycles, solvent immersion tests and ultrasonic treatment. The mechanical durability of the mesh causes it to have great prospects in extensive industrial applications and harsh circumstances. In addition, the mesh can be successfully used for degrading organic dyes with high efficiency under UV light irradiation, making it a prospective candidate for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary central nervous system (PCNS) extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTCL), is an exceedingly rare tumor. To the best of our knowledge, only 27 cases and only one reported aberrant CD20 expression have been documented in the literature. Here we present a second case of PCNS ENKTCL with aberrant CD20 expression in a 43‐year‐old immunocompetent Chinese female. The patient presented with tremors, weakness in the right upper limb, and a slow reaction. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple brain lesions. A histological examination revealed a diffuse distribution of intermediate‐sized pleomorphic lymphocytes with angiocentric growth. The tumor cells expressed CD2, CD3, CD56, T‐cell intracellular antigen‐1, granzyme B, and Epstein–Barr virus‐encoded RNAs (EBERs), with additional partial and weak CD20 and CD30 expression. Despite a confirmatory pathological diagnosis, the patient refused treatment and was discharged, ultimately dying from the disease. In the literature review, the clinical, immunohistochemical, EBERs, treatment, and prognostic features of PCNS ENKTCL were summarized. Although PCNS ENKTCT is extremely rare, it does occur and should always be included in differential diagnoses. CD20 expression should be evaluated routinely with relevant markers. The accumulation of cases is crucial for developing an effective treatment strategy for this rare and aggressive malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Changes in oil composition are indicated during SSA-B&M. • Acidic compounds increase during biodegradation but crack when Easy%Ro > 0.8 %. • Nitrogen compounds resistant to biodegradation and maturation are characterized. • Two new indices were defined to recover biodegradation and maturity during SSA-B&M. The Tarim and Junggar basins are major petroliferous sedimentary deposits in China. Some oil reservoirs in these basins experienced superimposed secondary alterations including early biodegradation followed by thermal maturation/alteration (SSA-B&M). Heteroatomic polar organic compounds in crude oil are significantly influenced by SSA-B&M, which play a vital role in understanding the evolutionary history of oil reservoir. However, research on such alterations is limited. The present study employed negative and positive ion electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS) to investigate the molecular transformations of heteroatomic organic compounds in crude oils resulting from SSA-B&M. The findings indicate that biodegradation leads to an enrichment of naphthenic acids, while subsequent cyclization, aromatization and thermal cracking reactions enhances the aromaticity of the pyrolysis products of all the oil samples with varying degree of biodegradation. Notably, highest aromaticity was observed for the crude oil that has been most severely altered by biodegradation. During early and moderate stages of biodegradation, the abundances of O2 compounds (molecules contain two oxygen atoms) representing carboxylic acids were continuously increasing. However, at severe biodegradation levels, fatty acids with 1 double bond equivalents (DBE) underwent degradation, while the naphthenic acids were further enriched. Subsequently, during maturation, O2 compounds with 1 to 5 DBE experienced a steady decline in abundance. The naphthenic acids mainly experienced aromatization, while the fatty acids were partly decarboxylized and cracked thereby forming new n-alkanes. Biodegradation led to modification in neutral nitrogen compounds with 3 to 4 condensed rings (DBE = 9–12) and long alkyl side chains, while the impact on basic nitrogen compounds was relatively minimal. After subsequent thermal maturation, both neutral and basic nitrogen compounds with long alkyl side chains underwent cracking, while those with shorter alkyl side chains and higher degrees of condensation tended to remain relatively unchanged. Finally, two new indices were defined and tested to correctly evaluate the maturation and biodegradation level for crude oils that have experienced SSA-B&M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Laverania clade comprises the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as well as at least seven additional parasite species that infect wild African apes. A recent analysis of Laverania genome sequences (Otto TD, et al. 2018. Genomes of all known members of a Plasmodium subgenus reveal paths to virulent human malaria. Nat Microbiol. 3: 687–697) reported three instances of interspecies gene transfer, one of which had previously been described. Generating gene sequences from additional ape parasites and re-examining sequencing reads generated in the Otto et al. study, we identified one of the newly described gene transfers as an assembly artifact of sequences derived from a sample coinfected by two parasite species. The second gene transfer between ancestors of two divergent chimpanzee parasite lineages was confirmed, but involved a much larger number of genes than originally described, many of which encode exported proteins that remodel, or bind to, erythrocytes. Because successful hybridization between Laverania species is very rare, it will be important to determine to what extent these gene transfers have shaped their host interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support vector data description (SVDD), an efficient one-class classification method, captures the spherically shaped boundary around the same class data and achieves classification for setting the boundary related to support vectors (SVs). As SVDD constructs an irregular hypersphere in high-dimensional space, it is unreasonable to keep the classification boundary a constant value. When the classification dataset is complicated, constant classification boundary will decrease the accuracy of classification. In this paper, we present a dynamic hypersphere SVDD (DH-SVDD) without describing boundary for one-class classification. In training process, important SVs of training dataset describe the static hypersphere. In testing process, dynamic hypersphere is described according to the new important SVs of the testing sample and training dataset. If there is a significant change of hypersphere structure, it means the new sample is an outlier. In this method, without any classification boundary, it can complete one-class classification with fully considering the related information of new sample and historical dataset. Thus, it can significantly improve the one-class classification accuracy of SVDD in complex datasets. Comparison is conducted among the proposed DH-SVDD, K-chart SVDD, Max limit SVDD and Validation limit SVDD. The effectiveness of the proposed method is also verified by the experimental UCI datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cigarette filter coated stainless steel meshes could be applied to on-demand separation of immiscible oil/water mixtures and emulsions with high efficiency. The rapid industrial growth and the frequent oil spill accidents have led to the large production of oily wastewater. Thus, it is urging to develop a low-cost and eco-friendly material to purify the oily wastewater. In our work, the waste cigarette filter as the raw material was used to prepare cigarette filter coated meshes (CFCMs) by a facile electrospinning approach. The as-prepared CFCMs prewetted with water or oil achieved the special wetting performance of underwater superoleophobicity or underoil superhydrophobicity without any further chemical modification. Hence, the cigarette filter coated meshes with larger or smaller pore size can be applied to on-demand immiscible oil/water mixtures (light or heavy oil/water mixtures) and oil/water emulsions separation (water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions), respectively. Moreover, the CFCMs still exhibited high separation efficiency larger than 99.9% for immiscible oil/water mixtures and emulsions after many cyclic testing. The work provides an application in oil/water separation for waste cigarette filters and contributes to reduce the pollution for environment from the waste cigarette filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new water-soluble fluorescent probe 1 based on hemicyanine dye is designed for selective detection of glutathione (GSH). Probe 1 shows a tremendous colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence response toward GSH with high selectivity over cysteine/homocysteine. After nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction with GSH, probe 1 undergoes an intramolecular aldimine condensation that leads to forming a ring, which is accompanied by 107 and 41 nm red-shifts in the absorption and fluorescence spectra, respectively. Subsequent experiments in living cells indicate that probe 1 has a good photostability and response to mitochondrial GSH level in a ratiometric manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving an understanding of the biodegradation of organic sulfur compound(s) (OSC) in crude oils has been hampered by limitations in separation methods and analytical techniques. In this study, a simulated aerobic biodegradation experiment was performed on a sulfur-rich crude oil, from which a series of biodegraded oils from slight to moderate degrees of biodegradation were obtained. Molecular transformations in these biodegraded oils were investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT–ICR MS) under both positive- and negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) modes. The variations in the distributions of saturated hydrocarbons, OSCs, and acidic components during aerobic biodegradation were studied. A gradual decrease of OSCs with alkyl chains during biodegradation, especially in those with few sulfur-containing or naphthenic/aromatic rings, was observed. In addition, sulfur-containing phenols with alkyl chains also exhibited a trend of gradual decrease similar to alkyl phenols, with fewer ring numbers being more susceptible to biodegradation. The biodegradation pathways for OSCs and sulfur-containing acids, as well as certain other heteroatomic compounds, are discussed. Terminal oxidation, rather than sulfur-specific degradation, is the more likely biodegradation pathway of these OSCs, as in the case of n -alkanes in this study. Sulfur-containing carboxylic acids may be the biodegradation products of these OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic sulfur compounds (OSCs) are abundant in immature crude oils, including “polar” OSCs that are defined here as compounds containing one or more heteroatom(s) in addition to sulfur atoms having sufficient polarity to be analyzable by electrospray ionization (ESI) without derivatization. An understanding of the origins of polar OSCs in crude oils has been hampered by limitations in their analytical characterization. In this paper, we employed a high field (9.4 T) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) coupled with ESI to study the sulfur-rich immature crude oils from the Jianghan Basin in China. The results show that the polar OSCs usually have non-sulfur counterparts, i.e., heteroatom-containing compounds without sulfur, with similar carbon number ranges, but slightly lower DBE (double bond equivalence) distributions. The similar or even identical carbon number distributions of the polar OSCs and their non-sulfur counterparts indicate their inheritance from the same precursors. The sulfur rings in polar OSCs are formed by intramolecular sulfurization that leads to the increases in DBEs compared to their non-sulfur counterparts. The results also indicate that the number of sulfur rings that can be formed in polar OSCs is largely controlled by the number of available reactive functional groups in their precursors. This paper extends our knowledge of intramolecular sulfurization during early diagenesis, especially for polar heteroatom-containing compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There are few studies about the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS), which was developed with the purpose of standardizing the interpretation and reporting of liver imaging examinations in patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of HCC diagnosis using LI-RADS. Material and Methods The computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and clinical data of 297 lesions in 249 patients between June 2012 and August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Using LI-RADS 2014, two radiologists evaluated the lesions and a LI-RADS category was retrospectively assigned to each nodule. Results The final diagnoses of 297 nodules in 249 patients consisted of 191 malignant and 106 benign lesions. Out of 44 LI-RADS category 1 lesions, none were HCCs. However, 2/25 category 2 lesions, 3/35 category 3 lesions, 16/25 category 4 lesions, 151/156 category 5 lesions, and 3/12 category LRM/OM (probable malignancy, not specific for HCC/other malignancy) lesions were HCCs. The Kappa value was 0.44 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.39-0.49) between two observers during LI-RADS grading. Conclusion The negative predictive value of LI-RADS category 1 was 100%. In addition, a relevant proportion of lesions categorized as category 2 or 3, or even as other malignancies, were HCCs. LI-RADS category 5 had a high specificity for HCC. LI-RADS was not able to give a differential diagnosis for the false-positive lesions of LI-RADS category 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support Vector Data Description (SVDD) is an efficient monitoring method that captures the spherically shaped boundary around the normal batch data and sets the control limit related to support vectors (SVs) for online monitoring. Using nonlinear transformation functions, SVDD constructs an irregular hypersphere in high dimensional space. When the batch process is complicated, the accuracy of monitoring will decrease with traditional control limit of SVDD. In this paper, dynamic hypersphere based support vector data description (DH-SVDD) is proposed for batch process monitoring. In training process, static hypersphere is built by the important SVs of training dataset. In testing process, dynamic hypersphere is built by the important SVs of combined dataset with current test sample and training dataset. If there is a significant change between these two hyperspheres, it means that the current test sample is an outlier. Thus, DH-SVDD has a relatively high monitoring accuracy because it fully considers relationship between the current test sample and the historical training dataset in high dimensional space. Comparison is conducted between the proposed DH-SVDD and traditional methods such as K-chart-SVDD, max limit SVDD and validation limit SVDD. The effectiveness of the DH-SVDD is also verified by a semiconductor etch process and a fed-batch penicillin fermentation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanoparticles concentration sensor based on doped film and terahertz (THz) metamaterial has been proposed. By coating the nanoparticles doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film on the surface of THz metamaterial, the effects of nanoparticle concentration on the metamaterial resonances are investigated through experiments and numerical simulations. Results show that resonant frequency of the metamaterial linearly decreases with the increment of doping concentration. Furthermore, numerical simulations illustrate that the redshift of resonance results from the changes of refractive index of the doped film. The concentration sensitivity of this sensor is 3.12 GHz/0.1%, and the refractive index sensitivity reaches 53.33 GHz/RIU. This work provides a non-contact, nondestructive and sensitive method for the detection of nanoparticles concentration and brings out a new application on THz film metamaterial sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings were prepared on low carbon steel from silicate electrolyte without and with Al nanoparticles, respectively. The structure, composition, anti-wear and anti-corrosion properties of the PEO coatings were investigated. The results indicated that the Al nanoparticles in the silicate electrolyte turned into alumina during the PEO process and reduced the amount of iron oxides in the coating. The PEO coating prepared from silicate electrolyte with Al nanoparticles showed enhanced wear resistance due to the formation of alumina. Furthermore, the coating was characterized by sealed pores on the surface, different from the open pores on the surface of PEO coating prepared from silicate electrolyte without Al nanoparticles. The modified structure and the changed composition of PEO coating by introducing Al nanoparticles in the electrolyte significantly improved the corrosion resistance of the coating, demonstrated by the electrochemical corrosion and salt spray tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two lipid-droplets (LDs) targeting photosensitizers (C-S-2 and C-S-3) were designed and synthesized. • C-S-2 and C-S-3 presented NIR emission and singlet oxygen generation capability under laser irradiation. • C-S-3 processed better photostability, superior LDs targeting capability and stronger photodynamic effect than C-S-2. The development of photosensitizers (PSs) with subcellular targeting capability has raised interest for photodynamic therapy (PDT) research. In this work, two coumarin-based photosensitizers (C-S-2 and C-S-3) were designed and synthesized via expanding their π-conjugation, introducing strong electron-donor and acceptor groups, and adopting sulfur substitution strategy. These sulfured-coumarins exhibited near-infrared emission (greater than 650 nm), lipid droplet-targeting ability and obvious photocytotoxicity under laser irradiation. In particular, C-S-3 exhibited better photostability, superior lipid droplet-targeting capability, and stronger photodynamic effect on cancer cells than C-S-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a fluorescent probe to distinguish between cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy) is always a challenge owing to their structural similarity, and the simultaneous detection of Cys and Hcy by utilizing different emission channels is especially difficult. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new fluorescent probe to differentiate between Cys and Hcy on the basis of a coumarin derivative with a chlorine atom and an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde. Cys and Hcy induced different cascade reactions with the probe, which led to different products with distinct photophysical properties. The nonfluorescent probe responded to Cys and emitted strong blue fluorescence, whereas it reacted with Hcy and generated yellow fluorescence without interference from glutathione. In addition, the probe was successfully applied to distinguish between Cys and Hcy in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescent probe ( 1 ) for distinguishing amongst biothiols, including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH), is developed based on different cascade reactions. The key design feature of fluorescent probe 1 is the integration of two potential reaction groups for the thiol and amino groups of biothiols in one molecule. By reacting with the halogen atom and α, β-unsaturated malonitrile in probe 1 , Cys, Hcy and GSH can generate a total of three main products with distinct photophysical properties. Probe 1 shows a strong fluorescence turn-on response to Cys with blue–green emission by using an excitation wavelength of 390 nm. At an excitation wavelength of 500 nm, probe 1 responds to GSH over Cys and Hcy and emits strong orange fluorescence. The discrimination of biothiols can be demonstrated by cell imaging experiments, indicating that probe 1 can be a useful tool for the selective imaging of Cys and GSH in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two coumarin-based boron complexes (HBN and MBN) with aggregation-induced emission were designed and synthesized. The photophysical properties of the complexes were investigated in different solvents and in the solid state. Results showed that the inhibited CN isomerization by N,O-chelated BF2 caused the significant enhancement of fluorescence in THF. In particular, the complexes displayed red-shifted emissions (>60 nm) in mixed solvents of CH3CN and water because of the aggregation-induced charge-transfer enhancement. In the solid state, the bright red emission appeared at 650 nm (620 nm), with a Stokes shift of 170 nm. Cell-imaging experiments indicated that the complexes have good membrane permeability and can be used as lysosome trackers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax account for more than 95% of all human malaria infections, and thus pose a serious public health challenge. To control and potentially eliminate these pathogens, it is important to understand their origins and evolutionary history. Until recently, it was widely believed that P. falciparum had co-evolved with humans (and our ancestors) over millions of years, whilst P. vivax was assumed to have emerged in southeastern Asia following the cross-species transmission of a parasite from a macaque. However, the discovery of a multitude of Plasmodium spp. in chimpanzees and gorillas has refuted these theories and instead revealed that both P. falciparum and P. vivax evolved from parasites infecting wild-living African apes. It is now clear that P. falciparum resulted from a recent cross-species transmission of a parasite from a gorilla, whilst P. vivax emerged from an ancestral stock of parasites that infected chimpanzees, gorillas and humans in Africa, until the spread of the protective Duffy-negative mutation eliminated P. vivax from human populations there. Although many questions remain concerning the biology and zoonotic potential of the P. falciparum- and P. vivax- like parasites infecting apes, comparative genomics, coupled with functional parasite and vector studies, are likely to yield new insights into ape Plasmodium transmission and pathogenesis that are relevant to the treatment and prevention of human malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipophorin is the most abundant lipoprotein particle in insect hemolymph. Lipophorin receptor (LPR) is a glycoprotein that binds to the lipophorin and mediates cellular uptake and metabolism of lipids by endocytosis. However, the roles of LPR in uptake of lipids in the integument and ovary remain unknown in the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria). In present study, we characterized the molecular properties and biological roles of LmLPR in L. migratoria. The LmLPR transcript level was high in the first 2 days of the adults after eclosion, then gradually declined. LmLPR was predominately expressed in fat body, ovary and integument. Using immuno-detection methods, we revealed that LmLPR was mainly localized in the membrane of oenocytes, epidermal cells, fat body cells and follicular cells. RNAi-mediated silencing of LmLPR led to a slight decrease of the cuticle hydrocarbon contents but with little effect on the cuticular permeability. However, the neutral lipid content was significantly decreased in the ovary after RNAi against LmLPR , which led to a retarded ovarian development. Taken together, our results indicated that LmLPR is involved in the uptake and accumulation of lipids in the ovary and plays a crucial role in ovarian development in L. migratoria. Therefore, LmLPR could be a promising RNAi target for insect pest management by disrupting insect ovarian development. • LmLPR silencing provoked a dramatic decrease in the content of lipids in ovary, consequently retarded the development of ovary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superwetting that is being subdivided to multiple superlyphobic states exists unique superiority in a specific interfacial application. Fine controlling superwetting surface is lack of systematic research. Due to the harsh conditions on the creation of underoil superhydrophilicity and suerhydrophobicity in oil of underwater superoleophobic surface, so far controllable fabrication strategies of the underwater superoleophobic surfaces in oil still remain a challenge. Herein, underwater superoleophobic surfaces from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity in oil are controllable constructed by mixing commercial titanium dioxide nanoparticles, aluminum phosphate, and n-Alkyl acids, where the surface heterogeneous chemistry is finely controlled by changing the chain length of n-alkanoic acids. Under the rational surface energy, underoil superhydrophilicity and underoil superhydrophobicity of the underwater superoleophobic surfaces can be efficiently regulated via simply adjusting the chain length of n-alkanoic acids. The under-liquid dual superlyophobic surface can be achieved when an appropriate parameter denoted chain length of n-Alkyl acids (n) is between 14 and 16. However, when the parameter (n) is to be within 4 and 6, the superhydrophilicity in oil of underwater superoleophobic surface can be realized. This finding can connect the molecular-level conformational transformation and the conversion of macroscopic surface alternative wettability, providing the molecular-level design principle of superwetting interfacial in under-liquid environments. • Precisely controllable construction of the under-liquid superwetting surface is achieved. • The superwetting can be regulated via adjusting the chain length of n-alkanoic acids of the surface. • It can provide the molecular-level design principle of superwetting interfacial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granulosa cells surround the oocytes as a component of ovarian follicles and produce sex steroids and growth factors to support oocyte development. Mitochondria is one of the multiple factors regulating granulosa cell function by modulating bioenergetic pathways and maintaining cells' metabolic needs. Lin28a was reported to regulate the primordial germ cell development in the ovary and affect the fertility rate in females. However, whether Lin28a modulated mitochondria function in granulosa cells to regulate steroidogenesis remains a further exploration. In this study, we utilized immortal human granulosa cells (HGrC1) to overexpress or suppress the protein level of Lin28a. Results showed that overexpression of Lin28a could decrease the estrogen level, ATP content, mitochondrial membrane potential and Glutathione (GSH) level, while silencing Lin28a caused the opposite effect. Further, we found that overexpression of LARS2, a mitochondrial leucyl-tRNA synthetase, could increase the estrogen level, ATP content, mitochondrial membrane potential and GSH level while silencing LARS2 caused adverse results. Overexpression of LARS2 reversed Lin28a-induced estrogen downregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, overexpression of LARS2 increased the mRNA level of Pgc1α and Nrf2 , which were involved in mitochondrial biogenesis. Besides, Lin28a could directly bind to the mRNA of Lars2 to suppress its translation. Taken together, overexpression of Lin28a caused mitochondrial dysfunction in granulosa cells via suppressing LARS2 expression. This study can provide new insights into how Lin28a regulates mitochondrial function in granulosa cells and influences female fertility. • Overexpression of Lin28a induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human granulosa cells. • Overexpression of LARS2 improved mitochondrial function in human granulosa cells. • Overexpression of LARS2 reversed Lin28a induced mitochondrial dysfunction. • Lin28a directly bound to the mRNA of Lars2 to suppress its translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The singlet fission process involves the conversion of one singlet excited state into two triplet states, which has significant potential for enhancing the energy utilization efficiency of solar cells. Carotenoid, a typical π conjugated chromophore, exhibits specific aggregate morphologies known to display singlet fission behavior. In this study, we investigate the singlet fission process in lycopene H-aggregates using femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy aided by quantum chemical calculation. The experimental results reveal two reaction pathways that effectively relax the S2 (11Bu+) state populations in lycopene H-aggregates: a monomer-like singlet excited state relaxation pathway through S2 (11Bu+) → 11Bu− → S1 (21Ag−) and a dominant sequential singlet fission reaction pathway involving the S2 (11Bu+) state, followed by S* state, a triplet pair state [1(TT)], eventually leading to a long lifetime triplet state T1. Importantly, the presence of both anionic and cationic fingerprint Raman peaks in the S* state is indicative of a substantial charge-transfer character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more attention has been paid to the design of new fluorescent imaging agents with good photostability and water solubility, especially those with emissions in the deep-red and near-infrared regions. In this work, we designed and synthesized four novel fluorescent dyes with deep-red or NIR fluorescence by hybridizing coumarin and pyronin moieties based on our previous work. Introduction of carboxylic acid in the dyes not only imparted the dyes with water solubility but also provided a versatile sensing platform for designing the fluorescent probes and sensors of biomolecules. The photophysical properties of these new dyes were investigated through absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Cell imaging experiments showed that esterification products could selectively stain lysosomes with good photostability, thereby indicating that they could be useful in the development of fluorescent probes for bioimaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence imaging is a promising tool for the visualization of biomolecules in living systems and there is great demand for new fluorescent dyes that absorb and emit in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Herein, we constructed three new fluorescent dyes ( NBC dyes) based on keto-benzo[ h]coumarin ( k-BC) and benzopyrilium salts. These dyes showed large Stokes shifts (>100 nm) and NIR emission (>800 nm). The relationship between the structures and optical properties of these dyes was further investigated by using density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-3G level of theory. Fluorescence images indicated that the fabricated dyes exhibited good photostability and low cytotoxicity and, thus, have potential applications as imaging agents in living cells and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]