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Herein, we have developed a non-enzymatic, isothermal amplification assay (NIA sensor) based on a catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) reaction for quantifying the relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila. Through detection of the MUC-1437 gene (limit of detection: 8.3 fM) in a dynamic range from 10 fM to 1 nM, the NIA sensor shows high sensitivity and selectivity in preclinical models of mice fed a normal or high-fat diet (HFD), and treated with antibiotics (ATB). The NIA sensor, which operates without the use of any enzymes, leading to simplicity and cost-effectiveness, has great potential for biosensing research and clinical diagnostic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has rapidly evolved into a surveillance society. While much attention has been paid to describing the leviathan represented by the presence of surveillance cameras in China, empirical evidence on the mechanisms of the creep of surveillance remains limited. Using data collected through fieldwork and in-depth interviews, this study explores the spread of surveillance cameras and the resistance encountered in a middle school in northern China. We find that surveillance cameras were first introduced for security purposes, but their application was quickly expanded to discipline students and avoid responsibilities in school management. We further explore the resistance to the creep made possible by the existence of exempted spaces, the difficulty of self-surveillance, and what might be called the boomerang effect. Through the case study of a middle school, this research sheds light on the formation of the Chinese surveillance society from a bottom-up approach and contributes to the global literature on surveillance creep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), with its excellent tensile properties, can be used as an alternative to decorative materials that are heavy in cross-section, enabling architectural decoration field to develop in the direction of light weight and changeable shape. However, the extremely low water-binder ratio of UHPC produces obvious autogenous shrinkage, which leads to the development of many micro-cracks. When the micro-cracks develop to a certain extent, they can have a very negative impact on the finishing of the architecture. This paper studies the influence of medium-burnt quicklime dosing on the hydration process and mechanical properties of UHPC cured at room temperature and elucidates the mechanism by which medium-burnt quicklime reduces autogenous shrinkage in UHPC. The results show that the crystal growth pressure generated by the hydration of f-CaO (free calcium oxide) can significantly compensate the autogenous shrinkage of UHPC. The dosage of 3 % medium-burnt quicklime can make the mechanical properties and shrinkage properties of UHPC reach the relative optimum, and the autogenous shrinkage of UHPC can be reduced to 181.36 με. Although the medium-burnt quicklime reduces the hydration products by delaying the hydration of UHPC, it also can reduce the porosity and the percentage of the multi-harmful pores, and refine the pore aperture. In addition, the interfacial transition zone between the UHPC matrix and the steel fibres can be reduced due to the extrusion of Ca(OH) 2 crystal growth pressure on the surrounding crystals, resulting in a tighter lapping between the crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinking particles are a critical conduit for the transport of surface microbes to the ocean's interior. Vertical connectivity of phylogenetic composition has been shown; however, the functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities has not yet been explored in detail. We investigated protein and taxa profiles of both free-living and particle-attached microbial communities from the surface to 3000 m depth using a combined metaproteomic and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach. A clear compositional and functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities was observed throughout the water column with Oceanospirillales, Alteromonadales, and Rhodobacterales as key taxa. The surface-derived particle-associated microbes increased the expression of proteins involved in basic metabolism, organic matter processing, and environmental stress response in deep waters. This study highlights the functional vertical connectivity between surface and deep-sea microbial communities via sinking particles and reveals that a considerable proportion of the deep-sea microbes might originate from surface waters and have a major impact on the biogeochemical cycles in the deep sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Extended Quantum Molecular Dynamics (EQMD) model is one of the few QMD-like transport approaches that can describe the α -clustering structure with efficient computational power. However, compared to most QMD-like models, the choice of equation of state (EOS) for nuclear matter is very limited. In this work, a Monte Carlo integral method is employed to calculate the density integration with non-integer exponent. We demonstrate the superiority of our approach by studying the isovector giant dipole resonance (IVGDR). This improvement will be beneficial for the EQMD model to study more valuable effects for heavy ion collisions in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Splicing factor proline- and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) is a multifunctional protein that controls various biological functions. As a potential therapeutic target and a promising prognostic indicator, the potential effects and processes of SFPQ in HCC require further investigation. Methods: The RNA sequencing data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus, International Cancer Genome Consortium, and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases to analyze SFPQ expression and differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We utilized the LinkedOmics database to identify co-expressed genes. A Venn diagram was constructed to determine the overlapping genes between the DEGs and the co-expressed genes. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on the overlapping genes and DEGs. Furthermore, our study involved functional enrichment analysis, a protein-protein interaction network analysis, and an analysis of immune cell infiltration. The cBioPortal and Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub were utilized to investigate the genetic alterations of SFPQ and the single-cell transcriptome visualization of the tumor microenvironment. A ceRNA network was established with the assistance of the ENCORI website. Finally, we elucidated the clinical significance of SFPQ in HCC by employing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and prognostic nomogram models. Results: The expression of SFPQ in HCC tissues was significantly elevated compared to normal tissues. GSEA results indicated that increased expression of SFPQ was associated with pathways related to HCC. The ceRNA network, including SFPQ, hsa-miR-101-3p, AC023043.4, AC124798.1, AC145207.5, and GSEC, was constructed with the assistance of ENCORI. High SFPQ expression was related to a poor prognosis in HCC and its subtypes. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that elevated SFPQ expression is an independent predictive factor. Conclusions: The overexpression of SFPQ may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker, indicating a poor prognosis in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fruit diseases cause significant quantitative and qualitative losses. • Nanotechnology emerged as an efficient tool for disease management. • Beneficial microbes also have an effective role in managing fruit diseases. Management of fruit diseases is a leading challenge at the cutting-edge innovations in agriculture having a direct impact on safety, sustainability and quality of food. The present review hunts through the innovative domains of nano-based and biocontrol and approaches for the disease management of fruits, exploring the mechanism of actions as well as the plausible impacts on agriculture. Various types of nano-materials, along with their mode of action, are analyzed comprehensively, highlighting their antimicrobial potential, genetic and physical disruption capacities, command over production of ethylene and maturity of harvest, intervention with cellular pathways, and part it plays in modulating the activities of enzymes and gaseous interchange. The biocontrol strategy concentrates on using naturally occurring agents to manage pathogenic organisms and to evaluate the mode of action of these bio-agents. It also focuses on parameters that influence the efficiency of these bio-agents as well as their effect on the quality of the fruits. The present in-depth review focuses on providing a comprehensive picture of both these novel strategies, emphasizing their potential as a sustainable substitute for conventional strategies of control, their efficiency, and their significance in disease management of fruits. Simultaneously, it provides important insight into the subsequent agricultural strategies in the future and the materialization of sustainable, eco-friendly, and efficient means of minimizing losses and maintenance of the quality of fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of studies have shown how feedback interactions between plants and soil can influence primary and secondary succession. However, very little is known about the patterns and mechanisms of such plant–soil feedbacks on stressed mine tailings ecosystem, which can be severely contaminated by a range of toxic elements.In a two‐phase plant–soil feedback experiment based on the rare earth element (REE) mine tailing soil, we investigated biotic (changes in bacterial and fungal communities) and abiotic (changes in chemical properties) legacies of three pioneer grass species, and examined feedback effects of three grasses, two legumes and two woody plants with different root traits.Positive plant–soil feedbacks were found in Miscanthus sinensis, Paspalum thunbergii and Tephrosia candida, and neutral feedbacks were observed in the other four plants. These effects corresponded with an increase in nutrients and total organic carbon, as well as a decrease in acidity and extractable aluminium and REEs. There were less signs of biotic changes in the conditioned tailings.The correlation analysis suggested a relationship between plants' responses to soil legacies and root traits, as well as root economics spectrum. On the mine tailings, acquisitive species with higher specific root length appeared to have greater potential for positive feedback.Synthesis and application. Our study shows that early succession on contaminated rare earth element mine tailings may lead to more positive plant–soil feedback than predicted based on results of non‐contaminated soils, mainly due to the alleviation of abiotic stress in tailings. Therefore, the improvement of specific abiotic soil stress and the trait‐based selection of acquisitive plants should be preferentially considered to promote the primary restoration of degraded land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decorative ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is easily contaminated with organic and inorganic pollutants owing to its hydrophilicity. Long-term pollution causes the aesthetics of UHPC to diminish gradually. The antifouling ability of decorative UHPC can be improved by adding functional coatings. However, the decorative UHPC surface is smooth and dense. An ordinary superhydrophobic coating offers a single function, and cannot adhere stably to the UHPC surface. The coating detachesis easily off after long-term use, thus causing the material to lose its self-cleaning performance. In this study, a multifunctional self-cleaning coating with a double-layered structure is designed. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used as the bottom layer, which increases the adhesion of the coating to UHPC and provides hydrophobicity to the coating. The surface layer is a nano-SiO 2 /TiO 2 superhydrophobic layer modified with polymethylhydrosiloxane. Nanoparticles form a regular micro/nano composite structure on the surface of the UHPC via self-assembly. The introduction of TiO 2 imparts excellent photocatalytic performance to the coating. Experimental results show that the prepared multifunctional coating not only prevents the adhesion of inorganic pollutants, but also effectively decomposes organic pollutants, such as methylene blue, and significantly improves the self-cleaning performance of UHPC. When the SiO 2 :TiO 2 ratio is 2:3 and the PDMS content is 2.5 wt%, the static contact angle of the coating surface is 157.2° and the sliding angle is 2.1°. The coating exhibits excellent superhydrophobic photocatalytic performance, wear resistance, water erosion resistance, acid and alkali resistance, and ultraviolet light stability. In addition, the excellent superhydrophobicity and mechanical stability of the coating are explained based on chemical characterisation and micro-area morphology analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion doping is an effective strategy for achieving high‐performance flexible Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells by defect regulations. Here, a Li&Na co‐doped strategy is applied to synergistically regulate defects in CZTSSe bulks. The quality absorbers with the uniformly distributed Li and Na elements are obtained using the solution method, where the acetates (LiAc and NaAc) are as additives. The concentration of the harmful CuZn anti‐site defects is decreased by 8.13% after Li incorporation, and that of the benign NaZn defects is increased by 36.91% after Na incorporation. Synergistic Li&Na co‐doping enhances the carrier concentration and reduces the interfacial defects concentration by one order of magnitude. As a result, the flexible CZTSSe solar cell achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.53% with certified 10.12%. Because of the high PCE and the homogeneous property, the Li&Na co‐doped device is fabricated to a large area (2.38 cm2) and obtains 9.41% PCE. The co‐doping investigation to synergistically regulate defects provides a new perspective for efficient flexible CZTSSe solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer therapeutic vaccine can induce antigen-specific immune response, which has shown great potential in cancer immunotherapy. As the key factor of vaccine, antigen plays a central role in eliciting antitumor immunity. However, the insufficient antigen delivery and low efficiency of antigen presentation by dendritic cells (DCs) have greatly restricted the therapeutic efficiency of vaccine. Here we developed a kind of DC hybrid zinc phosphate nanoparticles to co-deliver antigenic peptide and photosensitive melanin. Owing to the chelating ability of Zn2+, the nanoparticles can co-encapsulate antigenic peptide and melanin with high efficiency. The nanovaccine showed good physiological stability with the hydration particle size was approximately 30 nm, and zeta potential was around − 10 mV. The nanovaccine showed homologous targeting effect to DCs in vivo and in vitro, efficiently delivering antigen to DCs. Meanwhile, the nanovaccine could effectively reflux to the tumor-draining lymph nodes. When combined with near-infrared irradiation, the nanovaccine induced effective mild heat in vitro and in vivo to promote antigen presentation. After administrating to MC38 tumor-bearing mice, the hybrid nanovaccine effectively promoted the maturation of DCs, the expansion of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and helper T cells, and the secretion of immunostimulatory cytokines, thereby significantly inhibiting tumor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have investigated how the effectiveness of hand washing in removing hand contaminants is influenced by the performance and duration of each step involved. We conducted an observational study by recruiting participants from a university campus, with the aim to comprehensively evaluate how performance, duration and demographic factors influence hand washing effectiveness. Methods: A total of 744 videos were collected from 664 participants in July-October 2022 and independently evaluated by two infection control experts through labelling videos for correct and incorrect performance of each step. The individual hand washing effectiveness was determined by quantifying the percentage of residual fluorescent gel on the dorsum and palm areas of each participant's hands. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors that were significantly associated with better hand washing effectiveness. An exposure-response relationship was constructed to identify optimal durations for each step. Approximately 2300 hand images were processed using advanced normalization algorithms and overlaid to visualize the areas with more fluorescence residuals after hand washing. Results: Step 3 (rub between fingers) was the most frequently omitted step and step 4 (rub the dorsum of fingers) was the most frequently incorrectly performed step. After adjustment for covariates, sex, performance of step 4 and step 7 (rub wrists), rubbing hands during rinsing, and rinsing time were significantly associated with hand washing effectiveness. The optimal overall hand washing time was 31 s from step 1 to step 7, and 28 s from step 1 to step 6, with each step ideally lasting 4–5 s, except step 3. The palms of both hands had less fluorescence residuals than the dorsums. The areas where residuals most likely appeared were wrists, followed by finger tips, finger webs and thumbs. Conclusions: Performance and duration of some hand washing steps, sex and rinsing time were associated with hand washing effectiveness. The optimal duration might be applied to all seven steps to achieve the best decontamination results. Further studies are needed to refine hand hygiene standards and enhance compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA nanoparticles hold great promise for a range of biological applications, including the development of cutting-edge treatments and diagnostic tests. Their subnanometer-level addressability enables precise, specific modifications with a variety of chemical and biological entities, making them ideal as diagnostic instruments and carriers for targeted delivery. This paper focuses on the potential of DNA nanomaterials, which offer scalability, programmability, and functionality. For example, they can be engineered to provide highly specific biosensing and bioimaging capabilities and show promise as a platform for disease diagnosis and treatment. Successful operation of various biomedical nanomaterials has been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. However, there are still significant challenges to overcome, including the need to improve the scalability and reliability of the technology, and to ensure safety in clinical applications. We discuss these challenges and opportunities in detail and highlight the progress and prospects of DNA nanotechnology for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male moths utilize their pheromone communication systems to distinguish potential mates from other sympatric species, which contributes to maintaining reproductive isolation and even drives speciation. The molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution of pheromone communication systems are usually studied between closely-related moth species for their similar but divergent traits associated with pheromone production, detection, and/or processing. In this study, we first identified the functional differentiation in two orthologous pheromone receptors, OR14b, and OR16, in four Helicoverpa species, Helicoverpa armigera, H. assulta, H. zea, and H. gelotopoeon. To understand the substrate response specificity of these two PRs, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of OR14b and OR16 based on AlphaFold2 structural prediction, and molecular docking, allowing us to predict a few key amino acids involved in substrate binding. These candidate residues were further tested and validated by site-directed mutagenesis and functional analysis. These results together identified two hydrophobic amino acids at positions 164 and 232 are the determinants of the response specificity of HarmOR14b and HzeaOR14b to Z9-14:Ald and Z9-16:Ald by directly interacting with the substrates. Interestingly, in OR16 orthologs, we found that position 66 alone determines the specific binding of Z11-16:OH, likely via allosteric interactions. Overall, we have developed an effective integrated method to identify the critical residues for substrate selectivity of ORs and elucidated the molecular mechanism of the diversification of pheromone recognition systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of suitable c-axis oriented boron doped zinc oxide (BZO) thin films is vital for many applications. The properties of films critically depend on film preparation methods and the type of substrate. Furthermore, ion implantation at a specific position or depth of a sample substantially affects the properties of films. In this study, a contrast between the electronic structure of ZnO thin films grown on glass and silicon (Si) substrates and then implanted with B ions at 40 keV with a concentration of 5 × 1013 ions/cm2 was investigated. The B ions were implanted using a 3 MV tandem accelerator. Secondary ion mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy, and x-ray diffraction were used to study the distribution and depth of B ions, surface morphology, and the crystallinity of ZnO and BZO thin films. The preferential orientation, texture, surface roughness, and grain size of the ZnO thin films were affected by B ion implantation. O K-, Zn L3-, and K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), and Zn K-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure techniques were used to investigate the electronic structure of the BZO thin films and to determine the substrate influence. O K- and Zn L3-edge XANES spectra of the BZO/glass thin films revealed an enhanced electron transfer from Zn to O as compared to the BZO/Si thin film, implying that B implantation increased the negative effective charge on the O ions. Interestingly, in contrast to the definition of electronegativity, an increase (decrease) in the number of O 2p (Zn 3d/4sp) unoccupied states due to an enhanced O 2p–Zn 3d/4sp hybridization is observed in the BZO/Si thin film as compared to the BZO/glass thin film, suggesting an increase in the number of O 2p-dangling bonds. This would affect the conductivity and luminescent behavior of the ZnO/Si thin films after B doping, which will be useful in optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Felids are the only definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. However, the biological features of the feline small intestine following T. gondii infection are poorly understood. We investigated the changes in the expression of RNAs (including mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs) in the small intestinal epithelia of cats following T. gondii infection to improve our understanding of the life cycle of T. gondii and cat responses to T. gondii infection. Methods: Fifteen cats were randomly assigned to five groups, and the infection groups were inoculated with 600 tissue cysts of the T. gondii Pru strain by gavage. The small intestinal epithelia of cats were collected at 6, 10, 14, and 30 days post infection (DPI). Using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we investigated the changes in RNA expression. The expression levels of differentially expressed (DE) genes and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) identified by RNA-seq were validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Differential expression was determined using the DESeq R package. Results: In total, 207 annotated lncRNAs, 20,552 novel lncRNAs, 3342 novel circRNAs and 19,409 mRNAs were identified. Among these, 70 to 344 DE mRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs were detected, and the post-cleavage binding sites between 725 ncRNAs and 2082 miRNAs were predicted. Using the co-location method, we predicted that a total of 235 lncRNAs target 1044 protein-coding genes, while the results of co-expression analysis revealed that 174 lncRNAs target 2097 mRNAs. Pathway enrichment analyses of the genes targeted by ncRNAs suggested that most ncRNAs were significantly enriched in immune or diseases-related pathways. NcRNA regulatory networks revealed that a single ncRNA could be directly or indirectly regulated by multiple genes or ncRNAs that could influence the immune response of cats. Co-expression analysis showed that 242 circRNAs, mainly involved in immune responses, were significantly associated with T. gondii infection. In contrast, 1352 protein coding RNAs, mainly involved in nucleic acid process/repair pathways or oocyte development pathways, were negatively associated with T. gondii infection. Conclusions: This study is the first to reveal the expression profiles of circRNAs, lncRNAs and mRNAs in the cat small intestine following T. gondii infection and will facilitate the elucidation of the role of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of T. gondii infection in its definitive host, thereby facilitating the development of novel intervention strategies against T. gondii infection in humans and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of repeated repair of concrete caused by the damage of concrete structure repair system in a sulphate environment, the quicklime modified sulphoaluminate cement (CSA)–ordinary Portland cement (OPC) –mineral admixture composite repair material was utilised to obtain the law and mechanism of quicklime, improving the mechanical properties and sulphate resistance of composite repair materials. In this paper, the effects of quicklime on the mechanical properties, as well as sulphate resistance of CSA–OPC–ground granulated blast furnace slag (SPB) and CSA–OPC–silica fume (SPF) composites, were studied. The findings reveal that the addition of quicklime improves the stability of ettringite in SPB and SPF composite systems, promotes the pozzolanic reaction of mineral admixtures in composite systems, and significantly increases the compressive strength of both SPB and SPF systems. The 8 h compressive strength of SPB and SPF composite systems increased by 154% and 107%, and the 28 d compressive strength enhanced by 32% and 40%. After the quicklime was added, the formation of C-S-H gel and calcium carbonate in SPB and SPF composite systems was promoted, the porosity was reduced, and the pore structure was refined. The porosity was reduced by 2.68% and 0.48%, respectively. The mass change rate of various composite systems under sulphate attack was reduced, and the mass change rate of the SPCB30 and SPCF9 composite systems decreased to 0.11% and −0.76% after 150 dry–wet cycles. Additionally, the mechanical strength of different composite systems under sulphate attack was improved, so that the sulphate resistance of different ground granulated blast furnace slag and silica fume composite systems was improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the primary drugs for treating musculoskeletal pain. However, there are currently no evidence-based recommendations about drug selection, drug administration, drug interactions, and use in special populations or other pharmacology-related content of such medications. To this end, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee developed multidisciplinary guidelines on using topical NSAIDs to treat musculoskeletal pain. (2) Methods: The guidelines development process followed the World Health Organization guideline development handbook, the GRADE methodology, and the statement of Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare. The guideline panel used the Delphi method to identify six clinical questions to be addressed in the guidelines. An independent systematic review team conducted a systematic search and integration of evidence. (3) Results: Based on the balance between the benefits and harms of an intervention, the quality of the evidence, patient preferences and values, and resource utilization, the guideline panel developed 11 recommendations and nine expert consensuses on using topical NSAIDs to treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. (4) Conclusions: Based on the effectiveness and overall safety of topical NSAIDs, we recommend patients with musculoskeletal pain use topical NSAIDs and suggest high-risk patients use topical NSAIDs, such as those with other diseases or receiving other concurrent treatments. The evidenced-based guidelines on topical NSAIDs for musculoskeletal pain incorporated a pharmacist perspective. The guidelines have the potential to facilitate the rational use of topical NSAIDs. The guideline panel will monitor the relevant evidence and update the recommendations accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing molecular approaches to the creation of robust and water-resistant adhesive materials promotes a fundamental understanding of interfacial adhesion mechanisms as well as future applications of biomedical adhesive materials. Here, we present a simple and robust strategy that combines natural thioctic acid and mussel-inspired iron-catechol complexes to enable ultra-strong adhesive materials that can be used underwater and simultaneously exhibit unprecedentedly high adhesion strength on diverse surfaces. Our experimental results show that the robust crosslinking interaction of the iron-catechol complexes, as well as high-density hydrogen bonding, are responsible for the ultra-high interfacial adhesion strength. The embedding effect of the hydrophobic solvent-free network of poly(disulfides) further enhances the water-resistance. The dynamic covalent poly(disulfides) network also makes the resulting materials reconfigurable, thus enabling reusability via repeated heating and cooling. This molecule-engineering strategy offers a general and versatile solution to the design and construction of dynamic supramolecular adhesive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enabling dynamically tunable emissive systems offers opportunities for constructing smart materials. Clusteroluminescence, as unconventional luminescence, has attracted increasing attention in both fundamental and applied sciences. Herein, we report a supramolecular poly(disulfides) network with tunable clusteroluminescence. The reticular H‐bonds synergize the rigidity and mobility of dynamic networks, and endow the resulting materials with mechanical adaptivity and robustness, simultaneously enabling efficient clusteroluminescence and phosphorescence at 77 K. Orthogonally tunable luminescence are achieved in two manners, i.e. slow backbone disulfide exchange and fast side‐chain metal coordination. Further exploration of the reprocessability and chemical closed‐loop recycling of intrinsic dynamic networks for sustainable materials is feasible. We foresee that the synergistic strategy of dynamic chemistry offers a novel pathway and potential opportunities for smart emissive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enabling dynamically tunable emissive systems offers opportunities for constructing smart materials. Clusteroluminescence, as unconventional luminescence, has attracted increasing attention in both fundamental and applied sciences. Herein, we report a supramolecular poly(disulfides) network with tunable clusteroluminescence. The reticular H‐bonds synergize the rigidity and mobility of dynamic networks, and endow the resulting materials with mechanical adaptivity and robustness, simultaneously enabling efficient clusteroluminescence and phosphorescence at 77 K. Orthogonally tunable luminescence are achieved in two manners, i.e. slow backbone disulfide exchange and fast side‐chain metal coordination. Further exploration of the reprocessability and chemical closed‐loop recycling of intrinsic dynamic networks for sustainable materials is feasible. We foresee that the synergistic strategy of dynamic chemistry offers a novel pathway and potential opportunities for smart emissive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer in the East Asian monsoon region is characterized by heavy rainfall and high temperature. Its onset, depicted by monsoon rainfall and/or airflow as well as surface air temperature, has been well documented. However, the onset of summer season is rarely addressed in northern East Asia (NEA) around the northern edge of the East Asian summer monsoon. This study investigates the feature, mechanism, and variability of the summer onset in NEA based on the ERA-5 reanalysis dataset for 1979–2020. Results show that, in climatology, the onset of summer in NEA occurs in pentad 31 when the spring-to-summer warming process is decelerated at the highest rate. The change in the warming rate is mainly attributed to a decrease in the diabatic heat, mostly surface sensible heat, and temperature advection plays a small role. After the onset of summer, regional low-level northwesterly winds are weakened, and a local NEA cyclonic low forms. The latter, coupled with monsoon southerly airflow to the south, advects more moisture into NEA and increases regional rainfall. Furthermore, a temperature threshold of 17 °C, the climatological regional mean surface air temperature in pentad 31, was proposed to depict summer onset in NEA. Based on the temperature threshold, the year-to-year variability of summer onset timing in NEA is revealed, ranging from pentad 29 (late May) to 34 (middle June), with the standard deviation of 1.2 pentads. It advanced by 0.6 pentads, on average, after the late 1990s. This study provides a new method to objectively quantify the timing of summer onset in East Asia, which is thermodynamically explainable and may help us to depict and monitor summer onset in different latitudes and topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence has shown that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules play fundamental roles in cells, and many are stable in body fluids as circulating RNAs. Study on these ncRNAs will provide insights into toxoplasmosis pathophysiology and/or help reveal diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: We performed a high-throughput RNA-Seq study to comprehensively profile the microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in rabbit serum and urine after infection with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts during the whole infection process. Results: Total RNA extracted from serum and urine samples of acutely infected [8 days post-infection (DPI)], chronically infected (70 DPI) and uninfected rabbits were subjected to genome-wide small RNA sequencing. We identified 2089 miRNAs and 2224 novel piRNAs from the rabbit sera associated with T. gondii infection. Meanwhile, a total of 518 miRNAs and 4182 novel piRNAs were identified in the rabbit urine associated with T. gondii infection. Of these identified small ncRNAs, 1178 and 1317 serum miRNAs and 311 and 294 urine miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in the acute and chronic stages of infections, respectively. A total of 1748 and 1814 serum piRNAs and 597 and 708 urine piRNAs were found in the acute and chronic infection stages, respectively. Of these dysregulated ncRNAs, a total of 88 common DE miRNAs and 120 DE novel piRNAs were found in both serum and urine samples of infected rabbits. Conclusions: These findings provide valuable data for revealing the physiology of herbivore toxoplasmosis caused by oocyst infection. Circulating ncRNAs identified in this study are potential novel diagnostic biomarkers for the detection/diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in herbivorous animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global spread of infectious diseases is currently a prominent threat to public health, with the accelerating pace of globalization and frequent international personnel intercourse. The present study examined the epidemiological characteristics of overseas imported cases of acute infectious diseases in Guangzhou, China. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the distribution of diseases, demographic characteristics, and temporal and spatial variations of imported cases of acute infectious diseases in Guangzhou based on the surveillance data of notifiable infectious diseases from 2005 to 2019, provided by Guangzhou center for Disease Control and Prevention. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was applied to examine the trend in the number of imported cases over time. Results: A total of 1,025 overseas imported cases of acute infectious diseases were identified during the study period. The top three diseases were dengue (67.12%), malaria (12.39%), and influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 (4.10%). Imported cases were predominantly males, with a sex ratio of 2.6: 1 and 75.22% of the cases were those aged 20–49 years. Businessmen, workers, students and unemployed persons accounted for a large proportion of the cases (68.49%) and many of the cases came from Southeast Asia (59.02%). The number of imported cases of acute infectious diseases increased during the study period and hit 318 in 2019. A clear seasonal pattern was observed in the number of imported cases with a peak period between June and November. Imported cases were reported in all of the 11 districts in Guangzhou and the central districts were more seriously affected compared with other districts. Conclusions: The burden of dengue imported from overseas was substantial and increasing in Guangzhou, China, with the peak period from June to November. Dengue was the most common imported disease. Most imported cases were males aged 20–49 years and businessmen. Further efforts, such as strengthening surveillance of imported cases, paying close attention to the epidemics in hotspots, and improving the ability to detect the imported cases from overseas, are warranted to control infectious diseases especially in the center of the city with a higher population density highly affected by imported cases. Author summary: Guangzhou, a city located in the south of China, is heavily affected by imported infectious disease, with frequent trade, personnel movements and unique subtropical monsoon climate which favors transmissions of various infectious diseases. In this study, we examined the epidemiological characteristics of imported cases of acute infectious diseases in Guangzhou, 2005–2019. Our findings highlighted the potential risk of spread of infectious diseases triggered by imported cases. The top three imported acute infectious diseases were dengue, malaria and influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and most of the imported cases came from Southeast Asian. The burden of dengue imported from overseas was substantial and increasing in Guangzhou, China, with the peak period from June to November. Most imported cases were males aged 20–49 years and businessmen. Further efforts, such as strengthening surveillance of imported cases, paying close attention to the epidemics in hotspots, and improving the ability to detect the imported cases from overseas, are warranted to control infectious diseases especially in the center of the city with a higher population density highly affected by imported cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the current situation of diseases on Atractylodes lancea, the etiology, pathogenesis, symptoms and control methods of root diseases, leaf diseases and other diseases of A. lancea are analyzed, in order to provide a reference for the diagnosis and control of diseases on A. lancea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of the solar coronal plasma to supersonic speeds is one of the most fundamental yet unresolved problems in heliophysics. Despite the success of Parker's pioneering theory on an isothermal solar corona, the realistic solar wind is observed to be non-isothermal, and the decay of its temperature with radial distance usually can be fitted to a polytropic model. In this work, we use Parker Solar Probe data from the first nine encounters to estimate the polytropic index of solar wind protons. The estimated polytropic index varies roughly between 1.25 and 1.5 and depends strongly on solar wind speed, faster solar wind on average displaying a smaller polytropic index. We comprehensively analyze the 1D spherically symmetric solar wind model with the polytropic index γ ∈ [ 1 , 5 / 3 ]. We derive a closed algebraic equation set for transonic stellar flows, that is, flows that pass the sound point smoothly. We show that an accelerating wind solution only exists in the parameter space bounded by C 0 / C g < 1 and (C 0 / C g) 2 > 2 (γ − 1) , where C0 and Cg are the surface sound speed and one half of the escape velocity of the star, and no stellar wind exists for γ > 3 / 2. With realistic solar coronal temperatures, the observed solar wind with γ ≳ 1.25 cannot be explained by the simple polytropic model. We show that mechanisms such as strong heating in the lower corona that leads to a thick isothermal layer around the Sun and large-amplitude Alfvén wave pressure are necessary to remove the constraint in γ and accelerate the solar wind to high speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in municipal sludge and antibiotics in wastewater is critical in wastewater treatment, resource recovery, and sludge management. Therefore, it is increasingly urgent to investigate the distribution coefficient (Log K) of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) in EPS, particularly in sludge-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and aqueous phase systems. Herein, through balance experiments, the concentrations of SAs were determined using alkaline extraction EPS (AEPS) and alginate-like extracellular polymer (ALE) systems, and the Log K DOC values were determined. The results showed that the Log K DOC of AEPS was higher than that of ALE, which exhibited a negative K DOC value, indicating an inhibitory effect on dissolution. For the three SAs studied, the Log K DOC values were in the following order: sulfamethoxazole > sulfapyridine > sulfadiazine. This order can be attributed to the differing physicochemical properties, such as polarity, of the SAs. Three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectra and fitting results indicated a lack of aromatic proteins dominated by tryptophan and humus-like substances in ALE. Meanwhile, the hydrophobic interaction of aromatic proteins dominated by tryptophan was the main driving force in the binding process between AEPS and SAs. [Display omitted] • The distribution characteristics of sulfonamides in two systems were different. • Proportion of tryptophan and humus-like substances is different. • Hydrophobic substances tryptophan play a key role in the binding. • The binding potential is sulfamethoxazole > sulfapyridine > sulfadiazine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is an emergency condition caused by sudden hemorrhage or infarction and characterized by sudden sella turcica compression, intracranial hypertension and meningeal stimulation. PA usually occurs secondary to pituitary adenomas and can serve as the initial manifestation of an undiagnosed pituitary adenoma in an individual. In the present study, a case of PA following surgery for cervical stump adenocarcinoma was reported. The patient experienced an abrupt onset of headache and drowsiness on postoperative day 1 (POD1), and developed blurred vision and blepharoptosis of the left eye on POD4. Pituitary MRI confirmed the diagnosis of PA, prompting the initial administration of hydrocortisone to supplement endogenous hormones, followed by trans-sphenoidal resection. At the six-week follow-up, the patient had fully recovered, with only mild residual blurring of vision. Diagnosing PA post-surgery can be a challenging task due to its symptomatic overlap with postoperative complications. The existing literature on PA after surgery was also reviewed, including the symptoms, time of onset, imageological examination, management, potential risk factors and outcome to improve on early detection and individualized treatment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The occurrence of SMX and K ALE decreases as pH increases. • With the increase of pH, SMX concentration in ALE decreased. • SMX concentration of ALE extracted via dialysis lower than ethanol extraction. • ALE holds potential in agricultural and other application sectors. The recovery of biopolymers, particularly alginate-like extracellular polymers, from municipal sludge represents a promising step toward sustainable sludge treatment practices. Originating from wastewater plants in complexly polluted environments, alginate-like extracellular polymers carry potential environmental risks concerning their reuse. This study employs ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the distribution coefficients and occurrence of alginate-like extracellular polymers and sulfamethoxazole. Results demonstrate a negative distribution coefficient, suggesting an inhibitory effect on sulfamethoxazole dissolution. The ethanol-extracted alginate-like extracellular polymers exhibits higher sulfamethoxazole levels (approximately 52%) than those obtained via dialysis extraction. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix analysis and adsorption studies indicate the absence of tyrosine-like substances in the alginate-like extracellular polymers, unlike in other extracellular polymeric substances. This absence diminishes hydrophobic interactions, highlighting that electrostatic interactions play a more important role. These insights are crucial for understanding the adsorption behavior of alginate-like extracellular polymers and optimizing their large-scale extraction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The research timeline of alginate-like extracellular polymers (ALE) are mapped. • The key factors of ALE recovery in wastewater plant was summarized and discussed. • Sludge treatment requires reconstruction with ALE recovery. • Environmental and economic sustainability of ALE requires detailed assessment. • The environmental health risk of ALE products deserves further exploration. The recovery of alginate-like extracellular polymer (ALE) from municipal sludge is a highly anticipated approach for addressing resource and climate crises, achieving sustainable development, and transforming water-resource factories. This review begins with the recovery of ALE from sludge and analyzes the current status of ALE-recovery research. The goal of ALE recovery is product-centered, and the approach considers the entire recovery chain. For the first time, this study presents a timeline of ALE research and clarifies the sequence of events in this research. Two aspects of a series of critical issues in ALE recycling are discussed: the value-added benefit of ALE recycling and its external influence. Different types of sludge and extraction methods are among the many key factors in a sewage-treatment plant that affect the recovery rate of ALE. We believe that introducing ALE recovery into the sludge-treatment process will have a series of external effects (such as changes in the properties of the treated sludge) that will affect further treatment. In addition, the environmental and economic sustainability of ALE recovery still requires further analysis, and the environmental risks due to the presence of pollutants in products that utilize ALE need to be investigated further. Herein, we summarize the current status of research regarding ALE recovery, which is expected to provide useful reference information for the large-scale recovery of ALE anticipated in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct acetoxylation of substituted benzylamines has been accomplished through methoxyiminoacyl (MIA)‐mediated Pd‐catalyzed C−H functionalization. A diverse array of phenylalanine substrates is amenable to this protocol, providing acetoxylation benzylamine derivatives with good to high efficiency. Computational results revealed that HOAc enhanced the stability of Pd−O bond, which obviously accelerate the reductive elimination step of the acetoxylation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halides can produce a broadband emission spectrum of self-trapped excitons (STEs) with a large stokes shift because they have strong electron-phonon coupling and soft lattice. In this study, CsCdCl 3 : x Sb3+ perovskite microcrystals were prepared using a simple co-precipitation strategy at room-temperature. Their composition, morphology and phase structure were characterized by EDS, XPS, SEM and XRD. The result showed that the structure of the CsCdCl 3 : x Sb3+ perovskite microcrystals was hexagonal. In terms of luminescence, the un-doped CsCdCl 3 sample showed a quite broadband emission from the host STEs with a large Stokes shift of 340 nm. The PLE and PL of the CsCdCl 3 :0.007Sb3+ sample show two absorptions at the wavelength of 300 and 355 nm, which is because of the 1S 0 → 1P 1 and 1S 0 → 3P 1 transitions of Sb3+ ions and the enhanced cyan emission from STEs emission of [SbCl 6 ] octahedra induced by a heterovalent doping strategy, respectively. In addition, in the PL spectra, there are two luminescence centers in the CsCdCl 3 : x Sb3+ samples. The emission peak at 500 nm is higher than that at 600 nm, which can be attributed to the STEs of [SbCl 6 ] and the two face-sharing octahedra [Sb 2 Cl 9 ], respectively. The formation of STEs can be demonstrated by the large S value. The CsCdCl 3 : x Sb3+ samples undergo two thermal processes, with an activation energy of 127 meV (E a2) at a high temperature and 101 meV (E a1) at a low temperature. Finally, they have good thermal and anti-water stability, and thus can be possibly applied in white LED with CIE color coordinates of 0.4119 and 0.3897, the CCT of 3227 K and CRI of 79.3. The CsCdCl 3 : x Sb3+ display the enhanced cyan emission from STEs emission of [SbCl 6 ] octahedral induced by a heterovalent doping strategy, with the good thermal and anti-water stability endowing their promising prospects in solid state lighting. [Display omitted] • CsCdCl 3 : x Sb3+ microcrystals were prepared by a simple co-precipitation strategy at room-temperature. • The un-doped CsCdCl 3 sample showed a quite broadband emission with a large Stokes shift of 340 nm. • The enhanced cyan emission from STEs emission of [SbCl 6 ] octahedral was induced by a heterovalent doping strategy. • Two luminescence centers at 500 and 600 nm can be attributed to the STE of [SbCl 6 ] and [Sb 2 Cl 9 ], respectively. • The good thermal and anti-water stability endow CsCdCl 3 :Sb3+with a promising prospect in solid state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has shown that the solar wind in the inner heliosphere is characterized by the quasi omnipresence of magnetic switchbacks (“switchback” hereinafter), local backward bends of magnetic field lines. Switchbacks also tend to come in patches, with a large-scale modulation that appears to have a spatial scale size comparable to supergranulation on the Sun. Here we inspect data from the first 10 encounters of PSP focusing on different time intervals when clear switchback patches were observed by PSP. We show that the switchbacks modulation, on a timescale of several hours, seems to be independent of whether PSP is near perihelion, when it rapidly traverses large swaths of longitude remaining at the same heliocentric distance, or near the radial-scan part of its orbit, when PSP hovers over the same longitude on the Sun while rapidly moving radially inwards or outwards. This implies that switchback patches must also have an intrinsically temporal modulation most probably originating at the Sun. Between two consecutive patches, the magnetic field is usually very quiescent with weak fluctuations. We compare various parameters between the quiescent intervals and the switchback intervals. The results show that the quiescent intervals are typically less Alfvénic than switchback intervals, and the magnetic power spectrum is usually shallower in quiescent intervals. We propose that the temporal modulation of switchback patches may be related to the “breathing” of emerging flux that appears in images as the formation of “bubbles” below prominences in the Hinode/SOT observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia affects elderly males, with progression presenting the risk of urinary complications and eventual surgical intervention. We aimed to evaluate the effects of Chinese herbal medicine in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2013. A total of 4142 patients newly diagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia were enrolled and divided into cohorts of Chinese herbal medicine users and nonusers by performing 1:1 propensity score matching. The risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related complications was assessed by the Cox proportional hazard model. The cumulative incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related surgeries was assessed by Kaplan–Meier method. Results: During the study period, the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related complications was lower in the Chinese herbal medicine cohort than non‐Chinese herbal medicine cohort with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.73–0.92) after controlling for multiple variables. Subgroup analysis revealed that Chinese herbal medicine users had a significantly lower risk of urinary tract infection (adjusted hazard ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.50–0.89) and urinary retention (adjusted hazard ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.72–0.97). In addition, Chinese herbal medicine users also had a lower incidence rate of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related surgery (32.14 vs 40.20, adjusted hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.61–0.89) and a longer surgery‐free interval than non‐Chinese herbal medicine users (3.98 vs 3.00 mean person‐year, P < 0.001). Data revealed Salviae miltiorrhizae and Ji‐Sheng‐Shen‐Qi‐Wan as the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal medicine by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicine might have effects in the benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related complications and surgeries in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Using conventional endoscope to perform endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is difficult because of the one-handed operation and blind dissection caused by gravity. Poor visualization of the submucosal plane causes ESD to be associated with a high risk of bleeding and perforation. This study aimed to develop a novel ESD-assistive robot system and to evaluate its efficacy. Methods: A novel flexible auxiliary single-arm transluminal endoscopic robot (FASTER) was developed. A total of 36 artificial lesions in ex vivo porcine stomachs were removed using the FASTER-assisted ESD method (n = 18) and the conventional ESD method (n = 18). Lesions were 2 cm or 4 cm in diameter, located on the anterior and posterior walls of the antrum. Primary outcome measurements were dissection time and dissection speed. Results: The dissection time in FASTER-assisted ESD was significantly shorter than that in conventional ESD (7 min vs 13 min, p = 0.012), mainly because of the faster dissection speed (148.6 vs 97.0 mm2/min, p = 0.002). The total procedure time in FASTER-assisted ESD was shorter than that in conventional ESD, but the difference was not significant (16 min vs 24 min, p = 0.252). Complete en bloc resection was achieved in all lesions. No perforations were detected. The FASTER exhibited the ability of regrasp, multidirectional traction, and proper tension control during ESD. Conclusion: FASTER significantly increased the dissection speed by providing proper traction and achieving good submucosal vision. This new device is expected to facilitate ESD in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the stability problem of a magnetohydrodynamic current sheet with the presence of a plasma jet. The flow direction is perpendicular to the normal of the current sheet and we analyse two cases: (1) the flow is along the antiparallel component of the magnetic field; (2) the flow is perpendicular to the antiparallel component of the magnetic field. A generalized equation set with the condition of incompressibility is derived and solved as a boundary value problem. For the first case we show that the streaming kink mode is stabilized by the magnetic field at $V_0/B_0 \lesssim 2$ , where $V_0$ and $B_0$ are the jet speed and upstream Alfvén speed, and it is not affected by resistivity significantly. The streaming sausage mode is stabilized at $V_0/B_0 \lesssim 1$ , and it can transit to the streaming tearing mode with a finite resistivity. The streaming tearing mode has larger growth rate than the pure tearing mode, though the scaling relation between the maximum growth rate and the Lundquist number remains unchanged. When the jet is perpendicular to the antiparallel component of the magnetic field, the most unstable sausage mode is usually perpendicular (wavevector along the jet) without a guide field. But with a finite guide field, the most unstable sausage mode can be oblique, depending on the jet speed and guide field strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an efficient domain decomposition-based framework for nonlinear multiscale PDE problems. The framework is inspired by manifold learning techniques and exploits the tangent spaces spanned by the nearest neighbors to compress local solution manifolds. Our framework is applied to a semilinear elliptic equation with oscillatory media and a nonlinear radiative transfer equation; in both cases, significant improvements in efficacy are observed. This new method does not rely on a detailed analytical understanding of multiscale PDEs, such as their asymptotic limits, and thus is more versatile for general multiscale problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety issue of lithium‐ion batteries is a crucial factor limiting their large‐scale application. Therefore, it is of practical significance to evaluate the impact of their overcharge behavior because of the severe levels of oxygen release of cathode materials during this process. Herein, by combining a variety of in situ techniques of spectroscopy and electron microscopy, this work studies the structural degradation of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) accompanying the oxygen release in the overcharge process. It is observed that a small amount of O2 evolves from the initial surface at ≈4.7 V. When charging to a higher voltage (≈5.5 V), a large amount of O2 evolves on the newly formed surface due to the occurrence of microcracks. Based on experimental results and theoretical calculations, it is determined that the oxygen release mainly occurs in the near‐surface regions, where the remaining oxygen vacancies accumulate to create voids. To suppress the oxygen release, single‐crystalline NCM811 with integrated structure is introduced and serves as a cathode, which can effectively inhibit morphology destruction and reduce the activation of lattice oxygen in the surface region. These findings provide a theoretical basis and effective strategy for improving the safety performance of Ni‐rich cathode materials in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that melt inclusions in the casting process of 7085 aluminum alloy seriously affect the ingot quality, this study introduces ultrasonic bending vibration into the melt of the launder in the semi-continuous casting process of 7085 aluminum alloy and investigates the online purification effect of ultrasonic bending vibration on the melt of 7085 aluminum alloy through a metallographic analysis, SEM analysis, and EDS energy spectrum analysis. The results show that, under the action of the ultrasonic, the inclusions in the aluminum melt are transformed from a large number of elongated large inclusions with a size of more than 50 μm, and granular inclusions with a size of about 5–15 μm, into a small amount of smaller than 30 μm point-like small inclusions. In addition, the average area ratio of inclusions in the melted sample was reduced from 3.835 (±0.05)% to 0.458 (±0.05)%, and the residual refining agent in the aluminum melt was effectively removed. It was also found that under the action of ultrasonic bending vibration, the tiny inclusions in the melt aggregate with each other, and interact with the residual refining agent in the melt to further grow, and are attached to the inner surface of the ceramic cavity channel to be removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FePO 4 was recovered by co-extraction from the ash acidic leachate. • Organic phase from co-extraction process could extracted Li from salt-lake brine. • Li-product could also be obtained from the desalinated brine by adsorption. • LiFePO 4 was synthesized by recovered FePO 4 and extracted Li. • LiFePO 4 had a similar electrochemical property to a commercial material. Phosphorus (P) recovered from sludge-incinerated ash (SIA) could be applied to synthesize highly added-value products (FePO 4 and LiFePO 4) with in situ Fe in SIA. Indeed, LiFePO 4 is a future of rechargeable batteries, which makes lithium (Li) highly needed. Alternatively, Li could also be extracted from concentrated brines to face a potential crisis of Li depletion on lands. Based on H 3 PO 4 and Fe3+ co-extracted from the acidic leachate of SIA by tributyl phosphate (TBP), FePO 4 (31.2 wt% Fe, 17.6 wt% P and the molar ratio of Fe/P = 0.98) was easily formed only adjusting pH of the stripping solution to 1.6. Interestingly, the organic phase from the first-stage co-extraction process of Fe3+ and H 3 PO 4 could be utilized for Li-extraction from salt-lake brine, based on the TBP-FeCl 3 -kerosene system, and a good performance (78.7%) of Li-extraction and separation factors (β) (186.0–217.4) were obtained. Furthermore, the compounds with Li-extraction are complex, possibly LiFeCl 4 ∙2TBP, in which Li+ could be stripped to form Li 2 CO 3 by 4.0 M HCl (with a stripping rate up to 83%). Besides, Li 2 CO 3 could also be obtained from desalinated brine by adsorption with manganese oxide ion sieve (HMO) and desorption with HCl. In the two cases, almost pure Li 2 CO 3 products were obtained, up to 99.7 and 99.5 wt% Li 2 CO 3 respectively, after further purification and concentration. Finally, recovered FePO 4 and extracted Li 2 CO 3 were synthesized for producing LiFePO 4 that had a similar electrochemical property (69.5 and 77.8 mAh/g of the initial discharge capacity) to those synthesized from commercial raw materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infections, imposing a substantial burden on healthcare systems globally. While lipid disorders have been observed in the lungs of infants and young children with RSV pneumonia, the specific characterization of these lipids and their roles in the development and progression of RSV pneumonia remain largely unexplored. To address this tissue, we established a non-targeted high-resolution lipidomics platform using UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS to analyze lipid profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from mice infected with RSV. Through the lipidomics analysis, a total of 72 lipids species were identified, with 40 lipids were significantly changed. Notably, the primary changes were observed in ether phospholipids and lysophospholipids. Furthermore, a targeted lipidomics analysis utilizing UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS was developed to specifically assess the levels of lysophospholipids, including lysophosphocholine 16:0 (LPC 16:0), lysophosphoethanolamine 16:0 (LPE 16:0) and lysophosphoglycerol 16:0 (LPG 16:0), in RSV-infected mice compared to control mice. Animal experiments revealed that LPE 16:0, rather than LPC 16:0 or LPG 16:0, provided protection against RSV-induced weight loss, reduced lung viral load, regulated immune cells and mitigated lung injury in mice afflicted with RSV pneumonia. In summary, our findings suggested that the host responses to RSV infection pathology are closely with various lipid metabolic. Additionally, our results elucidated novel biological functions of LPE 16:0 and offering new avenues for drug development against RSV pneumonia. • Pulmonary surfactant lipids metabolic disorders in RSV infected mice revealed by untargeted lipidomics. • Utilized UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS to determinate 3 lysophospholipids 16:0 in the targeted lipidomics. • Lipid disorders of RSV infected mice was characterized by lipid peroxidation. • The potential prevention of LPE 16:0 against the RSV pneumonia was discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradation of coal was closely related to coal rank. In this study, three kinds of coals whose coal ranks from high to low were Zhundong coal (ZDC), Hongshaquan coal (HSQC) and Heishan coal (HSC) were degraded by Bacillus sp. XK1 isolated from mine water. The degradation experiment results indicated that the degradation rate increased with the decrease of coal rank, and the highest degradation rate of HSC (low-rank coal) was 78.2 %, which was three times higher than that of ZDC (high-rank coal). The enzyme activity experiment showed that the alkaline protease and lignin peroxidase secreted by Bacillus sp. XK1 were key substances for coal biodegradation, and the alkaline protease activity and lignin peroxidase activity were all the highest in the presence of HSC, which were beneficial for coal biodegradation. The adsorption experiment found that HSC was more favorable to contact with Bacillus sp. XK1 than ZDC and HSQC. Furthermore, biodegradation products analysis suggested that with the decrease of coal rank, the contents of long chain alkanes in liquid products increased, among which the highest content of long chain alkane in liquid product of HSC was 86.98 %. The above experimental results demonstrated that biodegradation of low rank coal was an effective pathway. • As the coal rank decreased, the degradation rate increased. • Alkaline protease and lignin peroxidase secreted by Bacillus sp. XK1 were key substances for coal biodegradation. • With the decrease of coal rank, the contents of long chain alkanes in liquid products increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the transverse momentum weighted Sivers asymmetries in the processes with transversely polarized proton target, including the P h T z M p sin ⁡ (ϕ h − ϕ S) weighted asymmetry in charged hadron production in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic scattering (SIDIS) and the q T M p sin ⁡ (ϕ S) weighted asymmetry in π − p Drell-Yan process. These asymmetries can be expressed as the product of the transverse-moments of the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions (PDFs) and fragmentation functions (FFs). Using the parametrization for the Sivers function of the proton, the unpolarized PDFs of proton and pion, and the unpolarized FF of charged hadron, we present the numerical calculation for weighted Sivers asymmetries in SIDIS and Drell-Yan processes at the kinematics of COMPASS. We find that our prediction for the SIDIS process is in agreement with the recent COMPASS measurement. Recent new high-statistics data of Sivers asymmetry measured in SIDIS process and Drell-Yan process from COMPASS favored the sign change of Sivers function. High-precision experimental data of weighted asymmetries are still needed to test the sign change property of the Sivers function between SIDIS and Drell-Yan processes and to constrain the sea quark Sivers function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseflow is a crucial water source in the inland river basins of high-cold mountainous region, playing a significant role in maintaining runoff stability. It is challenging to select the most suitable baseflow separation method in data-scarce high-cold mountainous region and to evaluate effects of climate factors and underlying surface changes on baseflow variability and seasonal distribution characteristics. Here we attempt to address how meteorological factors and underlying surface changes affect baseflow using the Grey Wolf Optimizer Digital Filter Method (GWO-DFM) for rapid baseflow separation and the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network model for baseflow prediction, clarifying interpretability of the LSTM model in baseflow forecasting. The proposed method was successfully implemented using a 63-year time series (1958–2020) of flow data from the Tai Lan River (TLR) basin in the high-cold mountainous region, along with 21 years of ERA5-land meteorological data and MODIS data (2000–2020). The results indicate that: (1) GWO-DFM can rapidly identify the optimal filtering parameters. It employs the arithmetic average of three methods, namely Chapman, Chapman-Maxwell and Eckhardt filter, as the best baseflow separation approach for the TLR basin. Additionally, the baseflow significantly increases after the second mutation of the baseflow rate. (2) Baseflow sources are mainly influenced by precipitation infiltration, glacier frozen soil layers, and seasonal ponding. (3) Solar radiation, temperature, precipitation, and NDVI are the primary factors influencing baseflow changes, with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients exceeding 0.78 in both the LSTM model training and prediction periods. (4) Changes in baseflow are most influenced by solar radiation, temperature, and NDVI. This study systematically analyzes the changes in baseflow and response mechanisms in high-cold mountainous region, contributing to the management of water resources in mountainous basins under changing environmental conditions. • A rapid separation method for baseflow based on the Grey Wolf Optimization algorithm was proposed. • Identified the key factors influencing baseflow variations in high-altitude mountainous regions. • LSTM was employed for baseflow prediction, followed by interpretability analysis of the forecasted baseflow results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced concrete is an advanced class of construction materials that display higher mechanical and durability performance, but limited information is available on the bond behavior of reinforcement rebar in steel-polypropylene hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (SPHFRC) in marine environments, which produce crack states commonly seen in reinforced concrete structural components. In this study, a hybrid method for predicting the bond response behavior of SPHFRC under monotonic and cyclic loading was developed. The proposed method combining mechanical-driven model and generative adversarial networks (e.g., GAN) method. Experimental databases were constructed. Two empirical models were developed. The GAN method enhanced its prediction accuracy through adversarial training support by database and hyper-parametric analytics. Finally, to verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the developed model, a total of 65 SPHFRC specimens under cyclic loading were conducted. The comparison shows that this model can reproduce the corrosion-induced bond deterioration of SPHFRC. The model can also capture the cyclic bond degradation of SPHFRC and other types of ultra-high-performance concrete with an acceptable range. • A hybrid method for predicting the bond response of SPHFRC was proposed. • Two empirical models were proposed. • The effect of corrosion on the bond performance of SPHFRC structures was investigated. • 65 sets of experimental specimens were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. In theory, the hyperfractionated radiotherapy can enhance biological effect dose against tumor and alleviate normal tissue toxicity. This study is to assess the efficacy and safety of preoperative hyperfractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with oral capecitabine in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods. We retrospectively screened patients with LARC from January 2015 to June 2016. Patients that received hyperfractionated IMRT or conventional fractionated IMRT were eligible in the hyperfractionation (HF) group or conventional fractionation (CF) group, respectively. The primary outcome was the complete response rate. Secondary outcomes included toxicity, postoperative complications, anus-reservation operation rate, local recurrence and distant metastases rate, overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Results. 335 patients were included in the analysis. The complete response rate for the hyperfractionated and conventional fractionated IMRT was 20.41% vs. 23.47% (P = 0.583). The anus-reservation operation rate was 68.37% vs. 65.31% (P = 0.649). There were no cases of grade 4 toxicity during radiotherapy; the rate of grade 3 toxicity and postoperative complications was both comparable between groups. However, in the CF group, more patients had a second operation due to complications (0.0% vs. 5.68%, P = 0.011). The cumulative local regional recurrence and distant metastases rates of the HF group and CF group were 5.10% vs. 9.18% (P = 0.267) and 22.45% vs. 24.49% (P = 0.736), respectively. The 5-year OS, CSS, and DFS in the HF group and CF group were 86.45% vs. 73.30% (P = 0.503), 87.34% vs. 75.23% (P = 0.634), and 70.80% vs. 68.11% (P = 0.891), respectively. Conclusions. The preoperative hyperfractionated IMRT with oral capecitabine, with an acceptable toxicity and favorable response and survival, could reduce the rate of secondary surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies have shown that genetic variation and environmental factors are associated with individual differences in therapeutic efficacy and side effects of opioids. However, the focus of these studies has been on a single factor of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or haplotypes, for which results have rarely been validated. For complex traits, such as cancer pain and opioid response, interactions between multiple genetic variation and environmental factors need to be considered to explain the opioid individual differences. Methods: We conducted an exploratory two-stage cross-sectional study with 1027 Chinese patients who were taking strong opioid medications for their cancer pain, and genotyped 110 SNPs to explore the association of SNPs, haplotypes, gene–gene and gene–environment interactions with opioid dose, pain relief, and opioid-induced constipation. Results: Due to the failure to meet Benjamini–Hochberg criteria in the discovery stage or to be validated in replication stage, no association was found between SNPs, haplotypes, paired SNP–SNP interactions or multi-dimensional gene–gene interactions and opioid response. However, for gene–environment interactions, optimal models have been constructed in all phenotypes of opioid response. Conclusions: This study reveals for the first time that construction of multidimensional gene–environment interactions enables better interpretations of the effect of genetic variation and environmental factors on the opioid response in patients with cancer pain. Trial registration: Chictr.org.cn, identifier, ChiCTR2000033576. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding parameters in a deep neural network (NN) that fit training data is a nonconvex optimization problem, but a basic first-order optimization method (gradient descent) finds a global optimizer with perfect fit (zero-loss) in many practical situations. We examine this phenomenon for the case of Residual Neural Networks (ResNet) with smooth activation functions in a limiting regime in which both the number of layers (depth) and the number of weights in each layer (width) go to infinity. First, we use a mean-field-limit argument to prove that the gradient descent for parameter training becomes a gradient flow for a probability distribution that is characterized by a partial differential equation (PDE) in the large-NN limit. Next, we show that under certain assumptions, the solution to the PDE converges in the training time to a zero-loss solution. Together, these results suggest that the training of the ResNet gives a near-zero loss if the ResNet is large enough. We give estimates of the depth and width needed to reduce the loss below a given threshold, with high probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patients were randomly tested with one or two or three combined tests, including CT, vHIT and high stimulus rate ABR. Keywords: vestibular migraine; caloric test; video head impulse test; auditory brainstem response EN vestibular migraine caloric test video head impulse test auditory brainstem response 224 227 4 12/27/21 20220101 NES 220101 Key Points We retrospectively analysed the value of vestibular function tests combined with high stimulus rate auditory brainstem response in vestibular migraine. (blue: vHIT, red: CT, yellow: high stimulus rate ABR) gl Caloric test (CT) The patient was supine at 30° on the bed during the tests. [Extracted from the article]

An unusual specimen of the genus Ptychanthus (Lejeuneaceae) was collected in Xizang, differing from the common P. striatus in the perianth, having only five, wing-like keels (one dorsal, two lateral and two ventral), the lateral and ventral keels being sharper than the dorsal one. Molecular-phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences showed that the plant was deeply nested within P. striatus. As the differences in perianth structure could not be attributed to plasticity, we interpret the phylogenetic position of the plant as the result of a recent speciation process and describe it as a new variety, P. striatus var. motuoensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]