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To enhance the quality of life for individuals with diabetes, groundbreaking researches for non-invasive sensors were devised, capable of monitoring glucose levels in saliva. Herein, cocoon silk was first pyrolyzed and acid-treated, following by the decoration of NiO nanoparticles under calcination method. The activated carbon exhibits excellent electrocatalytic properties owing to the inherent presence of heteroatoms within the cocoon silk, specifically nitrogen and oxygen. The synergetic effect of NiO nanoparticles and cocoon silk-based carbons improves the electron transfer rate and enhances the electrocatalytic activity toward the detection of glucose. This enzyme-free glucose sensor shows the sensitivity of 74.24 μA mM−1 cm−2, the wide linear range from 1 to 3300 μM, and the low detection limit of 0.28 μM. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates good selectivity, repeatability, and stability. Importantly, it is able to detect the glucose levels in real human saliva without pretreatment, exhibiting great potentials in the application of non-invasive sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of single atom‐based catalysts and precise elucidation of the synergistic interaction between the metal site and substrate are pivotal to identifying the real active sites and explicating the catalytic mechanisms at the atomic scale, thus contributing to the development of high‐performance catalysts for diverse industrial implementations. Herein, a Ru single‐atom doping strategy is developed to activate the MoC substrate with superior hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in an alkaline medium. The atomically dispersed Ru sites are elaborately doped into MoC nanoparticles loaded on 3D N‐doped carbon nanoflowers (Ru‐SAs@MoC/NCFs hereafter). The experimental results and theoretical calculations manifest that the atomically isolated Ru dopants can effectively trigger the Mo sites with thermodynamically favorable water adsorption/dissociation energies and facilitate the OH− desorption on Ru sites and H adsorption on N sites, thus synergistically expediating the overall alkaline HER kinetics. As such, the well‐designed Ru‐SAs@MoC/NCFs demonstrate extraordinary HER activity with a low overpotential of 16 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 m KOH electrolyte, outperforming Pt/C benchmark and a vast of molybdenum/ruthenium‐based HER catalysts reported to date. These findings disclose the alkaline HER mechanistic induced by the atomic doping modulation and suggest a design principle of high‐efficiency electrocatalysts via the atomic‐level manipulation leverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite over a decade of development, smart cities remain at a stage of visions and expectations. There is a dualist attitude in the smart cities literature, whereby the research either studies the content of visions or compares the visions with the innovation outcomes. What expectations actually do in a smart city innovation process is often neglected. This article addressed this gap by adopting an ethnographic approach and applying conceptual tools from the sociology of expectations and strategic niche management to study a UK smart city project – the Open Programmable Harbour City (OPHC). This study enriches the literature on smart city vision by showing that expectation played four complex and paradoxical roles in making the OPHC: (1) It tidied up the messy past and prescribed a future. (2) It provided limited coordination for innovation activities. (3) It helped to attract attentions to the OPHC, but it also caused disappointments. (4) It provided protection for the negative experimental results, but the overprotection also impeded innovation. This article concludes with four valuable lessons about expectation management for smart city innovators and some fresh theoretical insights for the sociology of expectations and strategic niche management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: Does the presence of hydrothorax suggest that severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is associated with more severe conditions and worse pregnancy outcomes? Method of study: The clinical data for 868 hospital patients with severe OHSS following IVF-ET at Peking University Third Hospital between 1 January 2016 and 21 July 2021 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into two groups, the ascites alone group (n = 417) and the ascites combined with hydrothorax group (n = 451), to investigate the clinical features and pregnancy outcomes of patients with severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) combined with hydrothorax plus ascites. Results: The clinical data for 868 hospital patients with severe OHSS following IVF-ET were included. A total of 51.96% of patients with severe OHSS had hydrothorax plus ascites, mainly bilateral and moderate hydrothorax. Most cases with hydrothorax could be monitored and observed, and only 2.66% of the cases required thoracentesis and pleural drainage. Clinically, the time to visit due to worsening symptoms was longer; the hospital stay was shorter; and the OHSS-related laboratory tests, such as white blood cells (WBC), haematocrit (HCT), and ovarian diameter, were less severe in the ascites combined with hydrothorax group than in the ascites alone group. For live-birth outcomes of IVF-ET, the presence and the volume of hydrothorax were not independent risk factors, while the late onset of OHSS (odds ratio [OR]: 0.857 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.795, 0.925) and a history of foetal reduction (OR: 13.796 95% CI: 1.808, 105.288) were independent protective factors for live birth. Conclusions: Patients with severe OHSS combined with hydrothorax plus ascites have less severe clinical manifestations and laboratory tests than those with ascites alone. The presence and the volume of hydrothorax are unrelated to live-birth outcomes following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell-free compounds of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could be a safer and cheaper substitution for MSC transplantation and have gained substantial research interest for antiaging skin treatments. However, whether those bioactive components should be obtained from the cytoplasm or supernatant is yet to be determined. In this study, we examined the ingredients of the MSC cytoplasm extract (MSC-ex) and MSC supernatant (MSC-s) and evaluated their effect in a photoaging model. Although MSC-ex has a richer protein composition than MSC-s, the latter has a proteome associated with wound healing and blood vessel development. Over 85% of the proteins in MSC-s were also found in MSC-ex, including extracellular matrix protein and various growth factors. The results of real-time PCR and western blot also demonstrate that both MSC-s and MSC-ex can upregulate collagen, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and downregulate IL-1β and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), which were considered critical for antiphotoaging. This supports our observations in the Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and Masson staining assay that they have a comparable effect as MSCs in terms of enhancing dermal thickness, and stimulating collagen regeneration. Although MSC-s and MSC-ex showed a weaker immunosuppression effect than MSCs, moisture measurement showed that they repair damage more rapidly than MSCs. Furthermore, the histological results showed that MSC-s maintains a super effect on immunosuppression, epidermal repair, and angiogenesis. That may be associated with the higher content of laminin, TGF-β, and VEGF in MSC-s, as well as its super cytokine transcriptional regulation ability. Thus, both MSC-s and MSC-ex can safely and effectively promote the repair of skin light injury, similar to MSCs. Our findings can broaden the range of active factors available in cell-free treatment, determine the difference between MSC-s and MSC-ex, and provide a reference for the development of similar products in regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effect of intermittent mild cold stimulation (IMCS) on immune function of spleens and adaptability to cold stress in broilers, 400 healthy 1-day-old Ross-308 chickens were divided into 5 groups: CC (control) reared in normal thermal environment from 1 to 49 d; CS3, CS4, CS5, and CS6 (treatments) raised at 3°C below the temperature of CC for 3, 4, 5, or 6 h at 1-d intervals from 15 to 35 d, respectively. Subsequently, CS3-6 was raised at 20°C from 36 to 49 d. At 50 d, all groups were exposed to acute cold stress (ACS) for 12 h. The spleen immunity index at 22, 29, 36, 43, and 49 d, expression levels of toll-like receptors (TLRs), cytokines and immunoglobulins at 22, 43, and 49 d and heat shock proteins (HSPs) before and after ACS at 50 d were examined. The spleen index of broilers aged 22 to 49 d did not differ between CS and CC (P > 0.05), and the spleen index of CS5 was higher than that of CS3 at 49 d (P < 0.05). The mRNA levels of TLR5, TLR15, TLR21, and IL-2 in CS3, TLR3, TLR4, TLR15, TLR21, IL-2, IL-6, and IFN-ϒ in CS4, TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR21, IL-2, IFN-a, IFN-ϒ, IgA, and IgG in CS6, but all TLRs, immunoglobulins and cytokines except IFN-ϒ in CS5 differential expressed stably compared with CC at 43 and 49 d (P < 0.05). Compared with Pre-ACS, the mRNA levels of HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90 were upregulated in CS after ACS (P < 0.05). Except for HSP90 mRNA and HSP70 protein in CS6, and HSP90 protein in CS3, the levels of HSPs after ACS in all treatment groups were higher than those in CC (P < 0.05), and the highest HSPs levels after ACS were found in CS5. We concluded that IMCS could enhance immunity of spleens and adaptability to ACS in broilers, besides CS5 was the optimal program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian Mediator complex consists of over 30 subunits and functions as a transcriptional hub integrating signaling for tissue-specific gene expression. Although the role of the Mediator complex in transcription has been extensively investigated, the functions of distinct Mediator subunits in development are not well understood. Here, we dissected the role of the Mediator subunit Med23 in mouse cardiovascular development. Endothelial-specific Med23 deletion caused embryonic lethality before embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5). The mutant embryos exhibited intracranial hemorrhage and diminished angiogenesis with dilated blood vessels in the head region, where the expression of Med23 was abundant at E10.5. Med23 deficiency impaired vasculogenesis in the head region and impeded retinal angiogenesis. Knocking down Med23 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) resulted in angiogenic defects, recapitulating the vascular defects in Med23-mutant mice in a cell-autonomous manner. RNA sequencing in HUVECs indicated that Med23 deficiency resulted in the interruption of angiogenesis and the upregulation of angiopoietin2 (Ang2), an inducing factor for vascular network instability. Inhibition of Ang2 partially rescued angiogenic sprouting and lumen dilation defects in tube formation assays. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Med23 promotes angiogenesis and maintains vascular integrity, in part by suppressing Ang2 signaling. Loss-of-function analysis and RNA Sequencing shows that Mediator subunit Med23 is important for angiogenesis during mouse cardiovascular development, in part by regulating angiopoietin2, an inducing factor for vascular network instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness with a genetic predisposition. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified the α‐1C subunit of the L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channel (CACNA1C) gene as a significant risk gene for schizophrenia. However, there are inconsistent conclusions in case–control studies. Methods: We performed a comprehensive meta‐analysis of all available samples from existing studies under four different genetic models (recessive model, dominant model, additive model and allele model) to further confirm whether CACNA1C rs1006737 is an authentic risk single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for schizophrenia. Results: A statistically significant difference under the four models (all p < 0.05) was observed by pooling nine Asian and European studies, including a total of 12,744 cases and 16,460 controls. For European‐decent samples, a significant difference was identified between patients and controls for the four models (all p < 0.05). We observed a significant difference between patients and controls for the recessive model and allele model (GG vs. GA + AA: p < 0.00001; G vs. A: p < 0.00001) using a fixed effect model, but the dominant model (GG + GA vs. AA: OR: p = 0.15) and additive model (GG vs. AA: p = 0.11) showed no significant difference between patients and controls in the Asian samples. Conclusion: Our findings provide important evidence for the establishment of CACNA1C as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia across world populations, but its roles in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia need to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between mild elevation of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments in women with the first fresh embryo transfer. Methods: Large single-center retrospective cohort study of 15,728 patients from January 2018 to December 2022 were enrolled in the analyses. Clinical pregnancy rates, live birth rates, miscarriage rates, and ectopic pregnancy rates were compared between the TSH levels < 2.5 mIU/L group (N = 10,932) and TSH levels ≥ 2.5 mIU/L group (N = 4796). Subgroup analysis was performed for patients with TSH levels ≥ 2.5 mIU/L, dividing them into the thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO)–negative group (N = 4524) and the TPO-positive group (N = 272). Results: There were no significant differences in the aforementioned pregnancy outcomes between the TSH levels < 2.5 mIU/L group and TSH levels ≥ 2.5 mIU/L group. Similarly, no significant differences were observed in the pregnancy outcomes between the TPO-negative group and the TPO-positive group. Conclusion: Mildly elevated pre-conception TSH levels in thyroid-normal infertile patients did not have an impact on pregnancy outcomes of IVF/ICSI treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study data suggested that the synapse-associated protein 97 (SAP97) rs3915512 polymorphism is significantly related to clinical performance in schizophrenia. The cerebellum exhibits abundant expression of SAP97, which is involved with negative symptoms, cognition and emotion in schizophrenia. As functional dysconnectivity with the cortical-subcortical-cerebellar circuitry has been widely shown in patients with schizophrenia, cortical-subcortical-cerebellar dysconnectivity can therefore be considered a possible intermediate phenotype that connects risk genes with schizophrenia. In this study, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was applied to evaluate whether the SAP97 rs3915512 polymorphism changes cortical/subcortical-cerebellar resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in 104 Han Chinese subjects (52 first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and 52 matched healthy controls (HCs)). To examine RSFC between cortical/subcortical regions and the cerebellum, a ROI (region of interest)-wise functional connectivity analysis was conducted. The association between abnormal cortical/subcortical-cerebellar connectivity and clinical manifestation was further assessed in FES patients with different genotypes. The interactive effect of disease and genotype on RSFC was found between the frontal gyrus (rectus) and cerebellum. A positive correlation was suggested between RSFC in the cerebellum and the hostility scores in FES patients with the A allele, and no correlation was found in FES patients with the TT genotype. The current findings identified that SAP97 may be involved in the process of mental symptoms in FES patients via cerebellar connectivity depending on the rs3915512 polymorphism genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that binds diverse ligands involved in the development of inflammatory damage and diverse chronic diseases including schizophrenia. Here, three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (G82S, -374T/A, and -429T/C) in the RAGE gene were genotyped in 923 patients with schizophrenia and 874 healthy-matched controls in a Han Chinese population using the SNaPshot technique. Additionally, we investigated the association among aforementioned SNPs with the clinical psychotic symptoms of the patients and neurocognitive function. Our study demonstrated that the frequencies of the TC + CC genotypes and the C allele in the -429T/C polymorphism were significantly lower in the patients compared with the controls (p=0.031 and p=0.034, resp.). However, the significant effect disappeared when using Bonferroni correction (p=0.093 and p=0.102, resp.). And there were no significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between the patients and the controls for G82S and -374T/A polymorphisms. Additionally, the -429T/C C allele carriers had marginally higher Symbol coding scores than the subjects with the TT genotypes [p=0.031 and p (corr) = 0.093]. Our data indicate that the RAGE -429T/C polymorphism may be associated with the susceptibility of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Implantation is a limiting factor for treatment success in assisted reproduction. Both embryonic and endometrial factors contribute to implantation. Embryonic factors have often been ignored in previous studies about the role of endometrium in implantation. In this study, we sought to identify the endometrial genes associated with negative pregnancy outcomes following the transfer of a single euploid blastocyst. Methods: Computational analyses of the transcriptomes of mid‐secretory endometria from nine pregnant and seven non‐pregnant patients in a cycle preceding the transfer of a single euploid blastocyst in a vitrified‐warmed cycle were performed. Results: Principal component analysis of two reported endometrial receptivity gene sets showed close clustering of the pregnant and non‐pregnant samples. Differential gene expression analysis and co‐expression module analysis identified 131 genes associated with the pregnancy status. The endometrial signatures identified highlight the importance of immune and metabolic regulation in pregnancy outcome. Network analysis identified 20 hub genes that could predict pregnancy outcomes with 88.9% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity. Single‐cell gene expression analysis highlighted the regulation of endometrial natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, and macrophages during embryo implantation. Immune cell abundance analysis supported the dysregulation of cytotoxic immune cells in the endometria of non‐pregnant women. Conclusions: We reported the first endometrial gene signature associated with pregnancy after elimination of embryo aneuploidy and highlighted the importance of the endometrial immune microenvironment and metabolic status in pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schizophrenia is currently considered to be a polygene-related disease with unknown etiology. This research will verify whether the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the long intergenic noncoding RNA01080 (linc01080) contributes to the susceptibility and phenotypic heterogeneity of schizophrenia, with a view to providing data support for the prevention and individualized treatment of this disease. Method: The SNP rs7990916 in linc01080 were genotyped in 1139 schizophrenic and 1039 controls in a Southern Chinese Han population by the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (imLDR) technique. Meanwhile, we assessed and analyzed the association between this SNP and schizophrenics' clinical symptoms, and the cognitive function. Result: There was no significant difference in genotype distribution, allele frequency distribution, gender stratification analysis between the two groups. However, the SNP of rs7990916 was significantly associated with the age of onset in patients with schizophrenia (P = 8.22E-07), patients with T allele had earlier onset age compared with CC genotype carriers. In terms of cognitive function, patients with T allele scored lower than CC genotype carriers in the Tower of London score and symbol coding score in the Brief assessment of Cognition (BACS), and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.014, P = 0.022, respectively). Conclusion: Our data show for the first time that linc01080 polymorphism may affect the age of onset and neurocognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the potential protective effect of intermittent cold stimulation on lung tissues of broilers exposed to acute cold stress (ACS). A total of 384 one-day-old broilers were assigned to 4 experimental groups with 6 replicates of 16 birds each: control (CON) and ACS groups were reared at normal feeding temperature from d 1 to 42; cold treatment groups (CS3+ACS and CS9+ACS) were reared, respectively, at 3°C or 9°C for 5 h on alternate days below the CON group from d 15 to 35. Animals in CS3+ACS, CS9+ACS, and ACS groups were exposed at 10°C for 24 h on d 43. Subsequently, lung tissues were collected to perform histopathological examination and measurement of relevant indexes. The results showed that lung tissues in CS9+ACS and ACS groups exhibited increased inflammatory cell infiltrates and collagen deposition compared to the CON group, while this pathological phenomenon was less pronounced in the CS3+ACS group. Compared to CON group, H 2 O 2 and MDA contents were increased, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, GPx, T-AOC) were reduced in CS9+ACS and ACS group (P < 0.05); mRNA and protein levels of inhibitor of NF-κB, Smad7, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2, MMP9, and antioxidant-related genes were downregulated, whereas mRNA and protein levels of genes related to NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway-regulated inflammation and TGF-β1/Smad pathway-regulated fibrosis were upregulated in cold-stressed broilers (P < 0.05). mRNA levels of heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1, and MMP9 were increased in CS3+ACS group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression of most antioxidant-related genes was increased, and that of inflammation- and fibrosis-related genes was reduced in CS3+ACS group (P < 0.05). Therefore, cold stress caused oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to pulmonary fibrosis in broilers, whereas intermittent mild cold stimulation at 3°C below normal rearing temperature alleviated fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad pathway modulated by the Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. This study suggests that intermittent mild cold stimulation can be a potential strategy to reduce ACS-induced lung damage in broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting sustainable development in rural areas through industrial transformation has emerged as a global consensus. The rural complex, characterized by its integration of industrial elements, serves as an advantageous target for China's rural transformation and development. However, the lack of accurate assessment and identification of industrial resource potential has impeded the progress and growth of rural complexes. Therefore, there is a pressing need for an evaluation framework that includes screening and identification functionalities to effectively guide the industrial transformation of rural complexes. Commencing with a precise definition of rural complexes and an explanation of relevant policies, this study combines qualitative theoretical constructs with quantitative multi-criteria decision-making models. Additionally, the study incorporates the gravity model to measure the impact of urban radiation on rural areas. The resulting framework for evaluating industrial resource potential consists of "3 + 7" Modules. Subsequently, utilizing Changsha as a case study, the effectiveness of the evaluation framework is verified across 804 administrative villages. The findings classify these villages into three regions, revealing a circular distribution pattern characterized by decay from the urban center towards the periphery, except for education. Moreover, all modules demonstrate significant spatial autocorrelation. Infrastructure and the ecological environment exert a substantial influence on other industries, while notable synergies exist among the Internet, culture, tourism, and science & technology innovation. Finally, based on the findings, five development suggestions are proposed, focusing on spatial integration and construction mechanisms. The study strengthens the theoretical understanding of rural complexes, provide a practical decision-making tool for project approval processes and the diagnosis of rural industries, and enhance the strategic investment approach toward rural revitalization. • A new evaluation framework for rural complex based on industrial resource potential. • The staged and modular evaluation criteria under internal and external influences. • The gravity model was used to determine the degree of the economic impact of a central city. • Some industrial resources showed a positive correlation and a circle-like distribution. • The resource potential of 804 villages in Changsha was calculated and then analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel framework to construct multi-scales ecological networks in hilly areas was proposed. • The identification method of multi-scale ecological sources was refined. • The multi-scale ecological resistance surfaces were constructed. • The multi-scale ecological network system was modeled with scale nesting and hierarchical transmission. • The ecological restoration strategies based on multi-scale ecological networks have been proposed for the multi-level territorial space planning. With the deep expansion of urbanization, contradictions between human beings and the natural environment in hilly areas have shown the characteristics of multi-scale and complexity. The traditional construction of ecological network rarely focused on the relationship between ecological elements at different scales, which made it difficult to systematically solve the ecological problems. To address the gap, this paper proposed a novel framework to construct multi-scale ecological networks based on the discussion of the ecological environment problems at different space scales. Firstly, one of the most deeply urbanized hilly area in China (Changsha- Zhuzhou- Xiangtan urban agglomeration, CZXUA) was chosen as the study area. By constructing the multi-scale evaluation system of ecological patches importance (EPI) after conducting the Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), the identification method of ecological sources was optimized at different scales. Then, spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) was used to sort out the resistance factors at different scales, and the multi-scale resistance surfaces was constructed accordingly. Furthermore, the multi-scale ecological networks from the CZXUA to the central urban area were cooperatively constructed through the Least-cost path (LCP), circuit theory, hierarchical transmission and scale nesting. Finally, based on characteristics of the ecological networks at different scales, the study constructed the overall ecological security pattern in urban agglomeration, the ecological space development framework in metropolitan area and the green open space system in central urban area, which was well applied to the territorial space planning at different spacial scales. The results made up for the deficiency of single-scale ecological network in neglecting the important details of local areas, and provided a feasible ecological restoration plan for the decision makers and practitioners. This study can contribute to cross-scale ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation in hills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, most existing graph-based semi-supervised learning methods only use the label information of observed samples in the label propagation stage, while ignoring such valuable information when learning the graph. In this paper, we argue that it is beneficial to consider the label information in the graph learning stage. Specifically, by enforcing the weight of edges between labeled samples of different classes to be zero, we explicitly incorporate the label information into the state-of-the-art graph learning methods, such as the low-rank representation (LRR), and propose a novel semi-supervised graph learning method called semi-supervised low-rank representation. This results in a convex optimization problem with linear constraints, which can be solved by the linearized alternating direction method. Though we take LRR as an example, our proposed method is in fact very general and can be applied to any self-representation graph learning methods. Experiment results on both synthetic and real data sets demonstrate that the proposed graph learning method can better capture the global geometric structure of the data, and therefore is more effective for semi-supervised learning tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence suggests that the DOCK4 gene increases susceptibility to schizophrenia. However, no study has hitherto repeated this association in Chinese, and further investigated the relationship between DOCK4 and clinical symptoms in schizophrenic patients using clinical scales and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In this study, we genotyped three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2074127, rs2217262, and rs2074130) within the DOCK4 gene using a case-control design (including 1289 healthy controls and 1351 patients with schizophrenia). 55 first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and 59 healthy participants were divided by the genotypes of rs2074130 into CC and CT+TT groups. We further investigated the association with clinical symptoms and neural characteristics (brain activation/connectivity and nodal network metrics). Our results showed significant associations between all selected SNPs and schizophrenia (all P < 0.05). In patients, letter fluency and motor speed scores of T allele carriers were significantly higher than the CC group (all P < 0.05). Interestingly, greater brain activity, functional connectivity, and betweenness centrality (BC) in language processing and motor coordination were also observed in the corresponding brain zones in patients with the T allele based on a two-way ANCOVA model. Moreover, a potential positive correlation was found between brain activity/connectivity of these brain regions and verbal fluency and motor speed. Our findings suggest that the DOCK4 gene may contribute to the onset of schizophrenia and lead to language processing and motor coordination dysfunction in this patient population from China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediator complex orchestrates multiple transcription factors with the Pol II apparatus for precise transcriptional control. However, its interplay with the surrounding chromatin remains poorly understood. Here, we analyze differential histone modifications between WT and MED23-/- (KO) cells and identify H2B mono-ubiquitination at lysine 120 (H2Bub) as a MED23-dependent histone modification. Using tandem affinity purification and mass spectrometry, we find that MED23 associates with the RNF20/40 complex, the enzyme for H2Bub, and show that this association is critical for the recruitment of RNF20/40 to chromatin. In a cell-free system, Mediator directly and substantially increases H2Bub on recombinant chromatin through its cooperation with RNF20/40 and the PAF complex. Integrative genome-wide analyses show that MED23 depletion specifically reduces H2Bub on a subset of MED23-controlled genes. Importantly, MED23-coupled H2Bub levels are oppositely regulated during myogenesis and lung carcinogenesis. In sum, these results establish a mechanistic link between the Mediator complex and a critical chromatin modification in coordinating transcription with cell growth and differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A feasible electrospinning strategy was proposed to construct a 1D/1D hierarchical superstructure. • NiS/NiO hetero-nanoparticles immobilized firmly in such hierarchical superstructures. • NiS/NiO@N-C NT/NFs demonstrate prominent OER performance in alkaline electrolyte. • The chemisorption energies of the oxygen-related intermediates are optimized by NiS/NiO heterojunction. Electronic regulation via interfacial engineering is a versatile strategy to boost the efficiency of earth-abundant electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we demonstrate the combination of interfacial manipulation with nanoarchitectonics by elaborately designing Janus-structured NiS/NiO nanoparticles in-situ encapsulated within N-doped carbon nanotube "branches"/nanofiber "trunk"-typed superstructures (abbreviated as NiS/NiO@N-C NT/NFs hereafter) to effectively regulate the electronic configuration for expediating the OER process. The simultaneous realization of interfacial engineering and nanoarchitectonics renders the resultant NiS/NiO@N-C NT/NFs with optimized electronic configuration, increased oxygen vacancies, promoted mass diffusion channels and remarkable structural robustness. Therefore, the NiS/NiO@N-C NT/NFs exhibit outstanding OER activity with a small overpotential of 269 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and impressive long-term stability in alkaline electrolyte, representing an economical and competetive electrocatalyst for a number of sustainable energy devices. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations further validate that the formation of NiS/NiO heterojunction effectively tailors the chemisorption energies of the oxygen-related intermediates and reduces the reaction barrier, drastically accelating the OER kinetics. These findings demonstrating the significance of interface manipulation and hybridization with nanocarbon may offer a novel perspective for rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts towards the energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PBAs-derived strategy was proposed to construct atomic Fe-doped Mn 3 O 4 yolk-shell nanoboxes. • Fe-Mn 3 O 4 HYSNBs was demonstrated to be active and stable for the ORR. • Theoretical studies demonstrate Fe doping is effectively alter ORR intermediates adsorption energy. • Fe-Mn 3 O 4 HYSNBs as air–cathode display good battery performance in a primary Zn-air battery. The rational design of cost-effective and highly-performance transition metal-based electrocatalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essentially desirable to realize the commercial applications of metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Herein, Fe-doped Mn 3 O 4 hollow yolk-shell nanoboxes (Fe-Mn 3 O 4 HYSNBs) assembled from ultrathin nanosheets with a thickness of 1.5 nm are fabricated via utilizing KMn[Fe(CN) 6 ] prussian blue analogs as the sacrificed precursor. Choreographed construction of such hybrid hierarchical architecture and composite is responsible to generate substantially active sites and abundant channels for mass diffusion and ion transport. The resultant Fe-Mn 3 O 4 HYSNBs exhibit outstanding electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability, as well as good tolerance to methanol towards ORR in alkaline solution. Theoretical calculation demonstrates that the highly dispersed Fe active sites implanted within ultrathin Mn 3 O 4 nanosheets can effectively regulate electronic structure and ORR intermediates adsorption energy. Moreover, Fe-Mn 3 O 4 HYSNBs display high power density and specific capacity as an air–cathode in Zn-Air batteries, demonstrating outstanding practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cold stress has an adverse effect on immune, antioxidant, and neuroendocrine systems as well as growth performance of broilers. Much attention was focused on how to improve the cold resistance of animals. However, it is not clear how intermittent and mild cold stimulation regulate the immune function. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of intermittent and mild cold stimulation on the immune function of bursa in broilers. Our results indicated that the intermittent and mild cold stimulation (IMCS) could help broilers adapt to the low ambient temperature and maintain homeostasis by modulating the production of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), cytokines, and avian β-defensins (AvBDs) in the bursa of broilers. We expect to find a way to promote the establishment of cold adaptation through repeated intermittent cold trainings. Cold stress causes growth performance to decrease and increases production costs. Cold adaptation can enhance immune function and alleviate the negative impact caused by the stress condition. The study investigated the effect of intermittent and mild cold stimulation on the immune function of the bursa of Fabricius in broilers. A total of 400 healthy one-day-old broilers were divided into the control group (CC) and cold stimulation (CS) groups. The CC group was raised at a conventional raising temperature of broilers, while the CS groups were raised at 3°C below the temperature of the CC for three-, four-, five-, or six-hour periods at one-day intervals from 15 to 35 days of age (D35), denoted CS3, CS4, CS5, and CS6, respectively. Subsequently, they were raised at 20°C from 36 to 49 days of age (D49). The expression levels of TLRs, cytokines, and AvBDs were determined to access the immune function of bursa in broilers. After 21-day IMCS (at D36), the expression levels of TLR1, TLR15 and TLR21, interleukin (IL)-8, and interferon (IFN)-γ, as well as AvBD8 in CS groups, were lower than those in CC (p < 0.05). The expression levels of TLR3, TLR4 and TLR7, were decreased in the CS3, CS5, and CS6 groups (p < 0.05), but there were no significant differences in both the CC and CS4 groups (p > 0.05). When the IMCS ended for 14 days (at D49), the expression levels of TLR2, TLR3, TLR5, TLR7, TLR15, and TLR21, and IL-8, as well as AvBD2, AvBD4 and AvBD7 in CS groups, were lower than those in CC (p < 0.05). In addition to CS4, the expression levels of TLR1, IFN-γ, and AvBD8 in CS3, CS5, and CS6 were still lower than those in CC (p < 0.05). We concluded that the intermittent and mild cold stimulation could regulate immunoreaction by modulating the production of TLRs, cytokines, and AvBDs in the bursa, which could help broilers adapt to low ambient temperature and maintain homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hierarchical Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N heterostructure anchored on N-doped carbon has been developed by a facile NaCl template induced strategy. Both experimental and DFT calculations reveal that the developed catalyst exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity and stability towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. • Hierarchical Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N@N-C is synthesized by a facile and scalable hard-template route. • Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N nanosheets show unique interfaces nanostructure. • The obtained composite exhibits superior OER performance. • DFT calculations further reveal the synergy effect of the Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N@N-C. Rational development of high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of particular importance for renewable energy conversion and storage technologies. Herein, we developed a facile and easily scalable hard-template strategy to fabricate hierarchical Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N nanosheets (~4.37 nm in thickness) in situ coupled with N-doped carbon (Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N@N-C) as an efficient electrocatalyst for the OER. The elaborate construction of Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N can validly regulate the electronic structure, increase the number of active sites, and facilitate diffusion kinetics. Benefiting from the coupling effect between hierarchical Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N and the N-carbon matrix, the resultant Ni/Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N@N-C exhibits excellent OER performance in alkaline media, including a low overpotential of 260 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 46 mV dec−1, as well as remarkable stability for long-term electrolysis operation, significantly exceeding the findings for most previously reported OER electrocatalysts. Theoretical studies demonstrate that incorporation of Ni into Ni 0.2 Mo 0.8 N can effectively optimize water adsorption energy and enhance electronic states density near the Fermi level, which is conducive to accelerating the OER process. This work underlines a rational and new perspective for designing inexpensive and robust Mott-Schottky electrocatalysts toward OER for energy storage and conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study revealed that the SAP97 SNPs rs3915512 showed nominal genotype associations in the female PD. • Our study revealed that the minor allele of the rs3915512 and rs9843659 was significantly more common in PD patients with an early age of onset. • Our data indicated significant differences in the distribution of the onset age of the PD among different genotypes of the rs9843659 polymorphism. • The haplotypes CA consisting of rs9843659 and rs3915512 had the significant differences in frequencies between the controls and the patients with early onset PD. To investigate the relationship between SAP97 genetic polymorphisms and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) in Han Chinese population with the expectation of offering genetic data for the early prevention and treatment of the disease. In this study, we genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3915512 and rs9843659) in the SAP97 gene in 317 patients with PD and 317 healthy-matched controls in a Han Chinese population through the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (imLDR) technique. Then, we analyzed the association of each SNP, alone or in combination, with risk or age of onset of PD. The SAP97 rs3915512 and rs9843659 polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of PD. However, the minor allele of the rs3915512 and rs9843659 were significantly more common in PD patients with an early age of onset. Additionally, significant differences in the distribution of the onset age of the PD among different genotypes of the rs9843659 polymorphism. The CA haplotype was significantly related to early onset PD. Our data are the first to suggest that the SAP97 SNPs rs3915512 and rs9843659 and the CA haplotype may be significantly associated with early onset PD in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring cost‐effective and high‐performance bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of paramount importance for the advancement of H2 production technology, yet remains a huge challenge. Herein, a simple electrospinning–pyrolysis strategy is developed to directly immobilize uniform Ni3Co nanoparticles into a hierarchical branched architecture constructed by in situ formed N‐doped carbon‐nanotube‐grafted carbon nanofibers. The elaborate construction of such hybrid hierarchical architecture can effectively modulate the electronic structure of the active sites, enlarge the exposure of active sites, and facilitate the electron transfer and mass diffusion, favoring both the HER and OER. As a result, the optimized catalyst requires relatively low overpotentials of 114 and 243 mV for HER and OER, respectively, to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 0.1 m KOH electrolyte. When employed as a bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting, the resultant catalyst shows a low cell voltage of 1.57 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2, along with an impressive stability without noticeable attenuation even after 27 h. This work presents a successful demonstration in optimizing the electrocatalytic performance of Ni‐based bifunctional electrocatalysts by simultaneously considering modulation of electronic structure, hybridization with carbon substrate, and nanostructuring through a facile synthetic strategy, which provides a new avenue to the design of a rich variety of robust transition‐metal‐based electrocatalysts for large‐scale water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]