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Solar energy, as an abundant, clean and renewable energy source, becomes a promising alternative to traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels and has received extensive research attention. Solar water evaporation, which utilizes sunlight as the sole power source, has become a significant strategy for water purification. Natural polysaccharides and their derived materials are widely used in solar evaporators due to their abundant sources as well as green, sustainable and biodegradable nature. This paper reviews the latest advances of polysaccharide-based solar evaporators in water purification. Polysaccharides including starch, cellulose, alginate, chitin/chitosan, carrageenan, and gum, are usually used as substrates for solar evaporators. Photothermal materials including carbon, polymers, semiconductors and plasmonic particles, serve as light absorbers to enhance the solar energy-to-heat conversion efficiency. Polysaccharides and their derived materials are combined with photothermal materials, resulting in the formation of various efficient solar interface evaporation platforms, such as hydrogels, aerogels, sponges, membranes, etc. Finally, the drawbacks and future directions of polysaccharide-based solar evaporators are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The branched structures of dendronized polymers can provide good steric stabilization for metal nanoparticle catalysts. In this work, an amphiphilic dendronized copolymer containing hydrophilic branched triethylene glycol moieties and hydrophobic branched ferrocenyl moieties is designed and prepared by one-pot ring-opening metathesis polymerization, and is used as the stabilizer for metal (Au, Ag and Pd) nanoparticles. These metal nanoparticles (Au nanoparticles: 3.5 ± 3.0 nm; Ag nanoparticles: 7.2 ± 4.0 nm; Pd nanoparticles: 2.5 ± 1.0 nm) are found to be highly active in both the 4-nitrophenol reduction and Suzuki–Miyaura reactions. In the 4-nitrophenol reduction, Pd nanoparticles have the highest catalytic ability (TOF: 2060 h−1). In addition, Pd nanoparticles are also an efficient catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura reactions (TOF: 1980 h−1) and possess good applicability for diverse substrates. The amphiphilic dendronized copolymer will open a new door for the development of efficient metal nanoparticle catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yangtze River Basin, there is an increasing demand for enhanced water pollution prevention and control in small watersheds. To delve deeper into the intricate relationship between pollutants and environmental features, as well as explore the key factors triggering pollution and their corresponding warning thresholds, this study was conducted along the Jiuqu River, a strategically managed unit in the upstream region of the Yangtze River, between 2022 and 2023. A total of seven monitoring sites were established, from which 161 valid water samples were collected. The k-nearest neighbors mutual information (KNN-MI) technique indicated that water temperature (WT) and relative humidity (RH) were the main environmental factors. The principal component analysis (PCA) of ten water quality parameters and three environmental factors unveiled the distinguishing characteristics of the primary pollution sources. Consequently, the pollution sources were categorized as treated wastewater > groundwater runoff > phytoplankton growth > abstersion wastewater > agricultural drainage. Furthermore, the regression decision tree (RDT) algorithm was used to explore the combined effects between pollutants and environmental factors, and to provide visual decision-making process and quantitative results for understanding the triggering mechanism of organic pollution in Jiuqu River. It conclusively identifies total phosphorus (TP) as the predominant triggering parameter with the threshold of 0.138 mg/L. The study is helpful to deal with potential water pollution problems preventatively and shows the interpretability and predictive performance of the RDT algorithm in water pollution prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of corrected baseline metabolic parameters in fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging (18 F-FDG PET/CT) for 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with primary diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patients and Methods Retrospective clinical and pathological data were collected for 199 patients of DLBCL diagnosed between January 2018 and January 2021. All patients underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT scans without any form of treatment. The corrected maximum standardized uptake value (corSUVmax), corrected mean standardized uptake value (corSUVmean), corrected whole-body tumor metabolic volume sum (corMTVsum), and corrected total lesion glycolysis of whole body (corTLGtotal) were corrected using the SUVmean in a 1-cm diameter mediastinal blood pool (MBP) from the descending thoracic aorta of patients. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression were used to examine the predictive significance of corrected baseline metabolic parameters on 3-year PFS of patients. The incremental values of corrected baseline metabolic parameters were evaluated by using Harrell's C-indices, receiver operating characteristic, and Decision Curve Analysis. Results The multivariate analysis revealed that only the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-International Prognostic Index (IPI) and corMTVsum had an effect on 3-year PFS of patients (p < 0.05, respectively). The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated significant differences in PFS between the risk groups classified by corSUVsum, corMTVsum, and corTLGtotal (log-rank test, p < 0.05). The predictive model composed of corMTVsum and corTLGtotal surpasses the predictive performance of the model incorporating MTVsum and TLGtotal. The optimal performance was observed when corMTVsum was combined with NCCN-IPI, resulting in a Harrell's C index of 0.785 and area under the curve values of 0.863, 0.891, and 0.947 for the 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS rates, respectively. Conclusion The corMTVsum offers significant prognostic value for patients with DLBCL. Furthermore, the combination of corMTVsum with the NCCN-IPI can provide an accurate prediction of the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The image quality of traditional animated characters is not high, the details are not real enough and so on. The optical image enhancement technology can improve the image quality and visual effect by adjusting the illumination and color of the image, and provide a better image processing means for animation production. This paper explores the effect and feasibility of applying light image enhancement technology to animated character images to provide better visual effects and more realistic image quality for animation production. The embedded image system is selected as the tool, which can process the image in real time and apply the optical image enhancement technology in the animation process. By adjusting the brightness, contrast and color of the image, the quality and fidelity of the animated character image are improved. The results show that the application of light image enhancement technology to animated character images can significantly improve the image quality and visual effect. The images become more realistic and realistic, and the details are sharper. The real-time processing ability of embedded image system ensures the application effect of optical image enhancement technology in animation production, which makes the animated character image more attractive and enjoyable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallopolymers with precise structures and particular properties have emerged as promising functional materials. The applications of metallopolymers depend on the unique characteristics of the metal centers (such as electronic, optical, magnetic, redox, etc.) and the superior mechanical and processing performances of classical polymers. Access to accurately design metallopolymers with well-defined structures and chemical compositions has enabled researchers to detailedly investigate their performances and a series of advanced applications. Along with the rapid development of modern synthetic chemistry and polymerization techniques, various functional metallopolymers have been synthesized largely and have shown many potential applications. Especially, controlled polymerizations, including ATRP, RAFT, ROMP, living anionic polymerization, and so on, are currently attracting considerable attention for the synthesis of well-defined metallopolymers. These polymerizations have become versatile and powerful synthetic tools, which enable the synthesis of new metallopolymers with accurately controlled molecular weight, relatively narrow molecular weight distribution, composition (block, graft, alternating gradient copolymers), and various functionalities. In this review, we highlight the most recent progress on the controlled synthesis of various well-defined metallopolymers. The review summarizes the recent progress on controlled polymerizations (such as ATRP, RAFT, ROMP, living anionic polymerization, etc.) for various well-defined metallopolymers, and these polymerizations enable the synthesis of novel metallopolymers with accurately controlled molecular weight, relatively narrow molecular weight distribution, composition (block, graft, alternating gradient copolymers), and diverse functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploiting high-efficiency and durable electrocatalysts toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is crucial for the advancement of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, we demonstrate the loading of platinum–palladium bimetallic nanoparticles (Pt–Pd NPs) onto poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-embellished titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets as the electrocatalyst (Ti3C2Tx/PEDOT/Pt–Pd) via a facile and rapid chemical reduction-assisted one-pot hydrothermal process. The structural and morphological analyses of Ti3C2Tx/PEDOT/Pt–Pd indicate that the three-dimensional (3D) hybrid structure formed between PEDOT and Ti3C2Tx provides a sizable active surface and more active sites, which enhances the homogeneous dispersion of the Pt–Pd NPs and facilitates mass transfer. The Schottky junctions formed between PEDOT and Pt–Pd NPs contribute to charge transfer. The electronic effects and synergistic interactions between the support and catalyst favor the electrocatalytic activity of the catalyst. The electrochemical test results reveal that the Ti3C2Tx/PEDOT/Pt–Pd catalyst has prominent electrocatalytic capability for the MOR. Compared with Ti3C2Tx/Pt–Pd and commercial Pt/C catalysts, the Ti3C2Tx/PEDOT/Pt–Pd catalyst has a larger electrochemical activity surface area (ECSA = 122 m2 g−1) and higher mass activity (MA = 1445.4 mA mg−1), as well as better CO tolerance and more reliable long-term durability (a peak current density retention of 71% after 5200 s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our Moon is by far the easiest natural, extraterrestrial celestial object for us to reach, and many space agencies, in particular the China National Space Administration, have publicized plans for manned missions there. Such high-profile projects must yield commensurate scientific outputs to justify their cost to the taxpayers. An important criterion for the selection of candidate experiments is the extent to which the Moon plays an integral and irreplaceable role, as opposed to offering only marginal advantages over Earth-orbit, space-based alternatives. In this study, we propose an experiment that excels in this regard, which considers the Moon as part of the experimental apparatus. Specifically, the Moon acts as a Weber bar-style resonant mass that responds to deci-Hertz gravitational waves (GWs). GW-excited lunar vibrations can be picked up by an array of (prefabricated on Earth and easy to transport to the Moon) small laser interferometric seismometers yielding GW detection. Such a setup would plug a gap in the GW frequency range already covered by the existing or underdevelopment detectors, and it can inform us on important astrophysics topics, such as the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) or intermediate mass black holes. We provide the instrument design as well as its deployment strategy, and we also summarize relevant science cases according to the estimated viable sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common refractory disease. Its exact pathophysiological mechanism is still unclear. Despite the availability of plentiful drugs to control IBS, most patients do not respond well. Ginsenoside Rd is one of the major active components of Panax ginseng, which has been verified to produce various pharmacological actions. However, the role of ginsenoside Rd in modulating smooth muscle contractility is still undefined. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rd on intestinal contractility and related mechanisms in IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticles have been widely used for catalysis because of its excellent catalytic activity and selectivity. Green and sustainable supports play a quite important role in the enhancement of the efficiency and recyclability of metal nanoparticles. Here, a cellulose/β-cyclodextrin hydrogel is applied to support tannic acid-encapsulated metal (such as Ag, Au, Pd and Cu) nanoparticles to generate nanocomposite hydrogels for catalysis. TEM analysis indicates that these metal nanoparticles have the average diameters of 6.5 nm for Au nanoparticles, 7.0 nm for Ag nanoparticles, 5.0 nm for Pd nanoparticles and 4.0 nm for Cu nanoparticles, respectively. The catalytic activities of the as-prepared metal nanocomposite hydrogels are estimated in a series of chemical reactions in the aqueous system. The recyclability, applicability and generality of these nanocomposite hydrogels are also well investigated. The nanocomposite hydrogels can be reused for at least 10 times in the 4-nitrophenol reduction, 8 times for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction and 6 times for click reaction, respectively. Furthermore, good yields are obtained in the catalytic process. This study gives a green and sustainable strategy to support metal nanoparticles with good catalytic activity and recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-cost polysaccharides, such as cellulose, chitosan, chitin and alginate, have come into sight for water treatment. Nevertheless, their treatment efficiency and capability are sometimes unsatisfactory because of the lack of active sites and functionalities. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the integration of polydopamine (PDA) into polysaccharide-based materials to develop high-performance products for wastewater treatment. PDA modification can endow polysaccharides with plentiful functional moieties (including catechol, amine, and phenyl groups) for binding heavy metals and organic pollutants. PDA coatings may increase interfacial stability and hydrophilicity for oil/water separation. PDA also may anchor various catalysts for catalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Furthermore, the good light-harvesting capability and photothermal transformation feature of PDA are available for solar-driven water purification. This review aims to give the comprehensive overview on the development of PDA-based polysaccharide materials for water treatment. PDA-based polysaccharide materials can be made into cost-effective and high-performance products (including hydrogels, aerogels, membranes, beads and nanocomposites) for adsorption of heavy metals and organic pollutants, oil/water separation, catalytic degradation of organic pollutants, and solar-driven water purification. This review will give valuable information for the design and exploitation of PDA-based polysaccharide materials in water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furthermore, the Supplementary Information file published with this Article contained an error, where the raw data of the Phos-p47 SP phox sp immunoblot was an inadvertent duplication of the Iba-1 raw data immunoblot (both shown in Figure 3, panel A). Correction to: I Scientific Reports i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58422-8, published online 31 January 2020 The original version of this Article contained an error in Figure 3, panel A, where the P-p47 SP phox sp immunoblot was inadvertently duplicated from the Iba-1 immunoblot. (B) p47phox phosphorylation (red) was detected using a phosphorylation specific antibody against p47phox (Ser359) and double stained with antibody against Iba-1 (green) by immunofluorescence. [Extracted from the article]

Progress in medical and surgical care has tremendously improved the survival rates of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, reduced aerobic capacity and health-related issues remain a threaten to quality survival and prevention of related complications among children and adolescents with CHD. This research program aims to develop and evaluate a WeChat-based health platform (HeartFIT) to facilitate cardiac rehabilitation and promote physical fitness for this rapidly expanding young population. The study protocol describes the use of an iterative process of using a mixed-methods strategy to develop, refine, and pilot test the proposed HeartFIT platform. A sequential problem-solving process comprising four iterative phases with ongoing end-user input will be implemented. In phase 1, relevant literature was systematically reviewed (completed) and then child-parent dyads will be interviewed to understand the broad context and the requirements and considerations of the target population toward the WeChat-based rehabilitation platform. In phase 2, key features and priority functionalities for the platform will be ideated and refined, and a digital interactive prototype will be created. In phase 3, heuristic evaluation and three rounds of end-user testing will be conducted to ensure further refinement and usability of the prototype. In phase 4, a prospective pilot study will be performed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the developed platform over a 12-week intervention period. If HeartFIT intervention is feasible, acceptable, and demonstrates promising efficacy, an adequately powered randomized controlled trial (future work) will be deployed to test the real-world effectiveness of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional hydrogels with good stretchability and self‐healing properties have attracted considerable attention in the field of flexible electronic devices. However, hydrogels constructed by traditional chemical crosslinking usually have poor mechanical properties and lack self‐healing, adhesion, and biocompatibility, which cannot meet the requirements of flexible wearable devices. This work introduced multiple dynamic crosslinking, including borate ester bond, Schiff‐base, and host–guest interaction, into polymer networks to fabricate triple‐network gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol/carbon nanotube composite hydrogels with good self‐healing ability (healing efficiency of 95.0%), mechanical strength (54.6 kPa), stretchability (778%), biocompatibility, conductivity, adhesion, and remodeling properties. Carbon nanotubes can serve as the filler to improve the electrical conductivity of the triple‐network hydrogels. The resulting hydrogel can be made into a strain sensor with high strain sensitivity (gauge factor up to 16.0). More importantly, the strain sensor can be used to monitor various human and organ movements. Owing to its good self‐healing ability, the self‐healed hydrogel sensor also can detect human movements with almost the same electrical signal strength as the original one. This study gives novel insights for the design of multifunctional self‐healing hydrogels that have great potential in various application fields such as electronic skins, soft robots, and wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) prefer to form single-phase solid solutions (body-centered cubic (BCC), face-centered cubic (FCC), or hexagonal closed-packed (HCP)) due to their high mixing entropy. In this paper, we systematically review the mechanical behaviors and properties (such as oxidation and corrosion) of BCC-structured HEAs. The mechanical properties at room temperature and high temperatures of samples prepared by different processes (including vacuum arc-melting, powder sintering and additive manufacturing) are compared, and the effect of alloying on the mechanical properties is analyzed. In addition, the effects of HEA preparation and compositional regulation on corrosion resistance, and the application of high-throughput techniques in the field of HEAs, are discussed. To conclude, alloy development for BCC-structured HEAs is summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper "Detecting gravitational wave with an interferometric seismometer array on lunar nearside" [1] was published in SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy (66, 109513 (2023), doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-023-2179-9). Due to an oversight on our part, some errors were made in the originally published paper. We apologize for these errors and offer the corresponding explanations and corrections for the readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Drought and salt stresses are common environmental threats that negatively affect rice development and yield. Here we report that the overexpression of AtUGT76C2 , a cytokinin glycosyltransferase, in rice modulates cytokinin homeostasis and confers the plants an eminent property in drought and salt tolerance. The transgenic plants exhibit sensitivity to salt and drought stress as well as abscisic acid during the germination stage and the postgermination stage while showing enhanced tolerance to drought and salinity at the young seedling stage and the mature stage. The overexpression of UGT76C2 decreases the endogenous cytokinin level and enhances root growth, which greatly contributes to stress adaptation. In addition, the transgenic plants also show enhanced ROS scavenging activity, reduced ion leakage under salt stress, smaller stomatal opening, and more proline and soluble sugar accumulation, which demonstrate that UGT76C2 acts as an important player in abiotic stress response in rice. To explore the molecular mechanism of UGT76C2 in response to stress adaptation, the expressions of eight stress-responsive genes including OsSOS1 , OsPIP2.1 , OsDREB2A , OsCOIN , OsABF2 , OsRAB16 , OsP5CR , and OsP5CS1 were detected, which showed notable upregulation in UGT76C2 overexpression plants under salt and drought stresses. Our results reveal that the ectopic expression of AtUGT76C2 confers the transgenic rice many traits in improving drought and salt stress tolerance in both developmental and physiological levels. It is believed that AtUGT76C2 could be a promising candidate gene for cultivating saline- and drought-tolerant rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apocynin has been widely used in vivo as a Nox2‐contaninig nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase inhibitor. However, its time‐dependent tissue distribution and inhibition on organ reactive oxygen species (ROS) production remained unclear. In this study, we examined apocynin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) after intravenous (iv) injection (bolus, 5 mg/kg) of mice (CD1, 12‐week). Apocynin was detected using a HPLC coupled to a linear ion‐trap tandem mass spectrometer. Apocynin peak concentrations were detected in plasma at 1 minute (5494 ± 400 ng/mL) (t1/2 = 0.05 hours, clearance = 7.76 L/h/kg), in urine at 15 minutes (14 942 ± 5977 ng/mL), in liver at 5 minutes (2853 ± 35 ng/g), in heart at 5 minutes (3161 ± 309 ng/g) and in brain at 1 minute (4603 ± 208 ng/g) after iv injection. These were accompanied with reduction of ROS production in the liver, heart and brain homogenates. Diapocynin was not detected in these samples. Therapeutic effect of apocynin was examined using a mouse model (C57BL/6J) of high‐fat diet (HFD, 16 weeks)‐induced obesity and accelerated aging. Apocynin (5 mmol/L) was supplied in drinking water during the HFD period and was detected at the end of treatment in the brain (5369 ± 1612 ng/g), liver (4818 ± 1340 ng/g) and heart (1795 ± 1487 ng/g) along with significant reductions of ROS production in these organs. In conclusion, apocynin PKPD is characterized by a short half‐life, rapid clearance, good distribution and inhibition of ROS production in major organs. Diapocynin is not a metabolite of apocynin in vivo. Apocynin crosses easily the blood‐brain barrier and reduces brain oxidative stress associated with metabolic disorders and aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia express constitutively a Nox2 enzyme that is involved in neuroinflammation by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Amyloid β (Aβ) plays a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease. However, the mechanism of Aβ-induced microglial dysfunction and redox-regulation of microgliosis in aging remains unclear. In this study, we examined Nox2-derived ROS in mediating microglial response to Aβ peptide 1–42 (Aβ42) stimulation in vitro, in aging-associated microgliosis in vivo and in post-mortem human samples. Compared to controls, Aβ42 markedly induced BV2 cell ROS production, Nox2 expression, p47phox and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, cell proliferation and IL-1β secretion. All these changes could be inhibited to the control levels in the presence of Nox2 inhibitor or superoxide scavenger. Compared to young (3–4 months) controls, midbrain tissues from wild-type aging mice (20–22 months) had significantly higher levels of Nox2-derived ROS production, Aβ deposition, microgliosis and IL-1β production. However, these aging-related changes were reduced or absent in Nox2 knockout aging mice. Clinical significance of aging-associated Nox2 activation, microgliosis and IL-1β production was investigated using post-mortem midbrain tissues of humans at young (25–38 years) and old age (61–85 years). In conclusion, Nox2-dependent redox-signalling is crucial in microglial response to Aβ42 stimulation and in aging-associated microgliosis and brain inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury contamination in soil and water has become a major concern to environmental quality and human health. Among the existing remediation technologies for mercury pollution control, sorption via iron-based materials has received wide attention as they are environmental friendly and economic, and their reactivity is high and controllable through modulating the morphology and surface properties of particulate materials. This paper aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on environmental application of a variety of iron-based sorbents, namely, zero valent iron, iron oxides, and iron sulfides, for mercury remediation. Techniques to improve the stability of these materials while enhancing mercury sequestration, such as nano-scale size control, surface functionalization, and mechanical support, were summarized. Mechanisms and factors affecting the interaction between mercury and iron-based materials were also discussed. Current knowledge gaps and future research needs are identified to facilitate a better understanding of molecular-level reaction mechanisms between iron-based materials and mercury and the long-term stability of the immobilized mercury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Novel well‐defined redox‐responsive Ferrocene (Fc)‐containing amphiphilic dendronized diblock copolymers are synthesized by the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization technique using Grubbs’ third‐generation olefin metathesis catalyst as the initiator. These dendronized block copolymers can self‐assemble into spherical micelles in aqueous solution. The size of self‐assembled micelles can be modulated by the composition (namely, the ratio of hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments) and concentration of the dendronized copolymers. The obtained micelles show reversible redox‐controlled self‐assembly behaviors using FeCl3 as oxidant and glutathione as reductant. Furthermore, the model molecule Rhodamine B is successfully loaded in these micelles, and the oxidation‐triggered controllable release is achieved by changing the type of oxidants (FeCl3 and H2O2) and their concentrations. This is the first example of redox‐responsive micelles self‐assembled by novel amphiphilic dendronized Fc‐containing block copolymers, and the present micelles are visualized to be potential candidates in many fields, especially in stimuli‐responsive drug delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their unique broken symmetry, amphiphilic Janus dendrimers and dendons provide fascinating properties for material, biological, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. The integration of various organometallic moieties into these macromolecules will further offer the opportunity to form complex and intelligent architectures and materials. Here, we report a novel, simple and multifunctional Janus dendron containing redox‐reversible hydrophobic ferrocene (Fc) unit, complexing‐effective 1,2,3‐triazole ligand and biocompatible hydrophilic triethylene glycol termini. Silver and gold nanoparticles were firstly successfully prepared by using the Janus dendron as the reducing agent of Au(III) and Ag(I), and the stabilizer of the corresponding nanoparticles. The redox response of the Fc moiety was then employed to trigger the release of model drug, rhodamine B, encapsulated in supramolecular micelles formed by the self‐assembly of the Janus dendron. Finally, the precise and excellent metal‐complexing ability of the triazole group in this dendron was fully utilized to stabilize a water‐soluble Cu(I) catalyst, forming supramolecular nanoreactors for the catalysis of the copper(I)‐catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition click reaction in only water. The multifunctional characteristics of this dendron highlight the potential for organometallic Janus dendrimers and dendrons in the fields of functional materials and nanomedicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indole propionic acid (IPA) is one of the important plant growth hormones for promoting rooting and fruiting. Labeling IPA receptor in plant tissues is able to further track the signal transduction processes of IPA and uncover the function mechanism of IPA on crop productions. In this paper, a tunable and nontoxic fluorescent probe for IPA receptors was designed and synthetized base on carbon dots (C dots). Firstly carboxyl-modified carbon dots were prepared by high temperature cracking of citric acid. The fluorescence emission wavelengths of C dots varied with the excitation wavelengths change. Then IPA-modified carbon dots (IPA-C dots) were prepared by coupling the amino of tryptophan with the carboxyl of as-prepared carbon dots. Compared with C dots, the fluorescence intensity of IPA-C dots was double and the fluorescence stability was satisfactory under various conditions. This probe retained the biological activity of IPA and acted as target recognition of IPA receptors in plant tissues. The probe could avoid green fluorescence background of plants. The imaging results showed that the IPA receptors mainly existed on the membrane of stele. The toxicity test indicated the probe was less toxic than traditional inorganic semiconductor quantum dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding new hardware features to a cloud computing server requires testing both the functionality and the performance of the new hardware mechanisms. However, commonly used cloud computing server workloads are not well-represented by the SPEC integer and floating-point benchmark and Parsec suites typically used by the computer architecture community. Existing cloud benchmark suites for scale-out or scale-up computing are not representative of the most common cloud usage, and are very difficult to run on a cycle-accurate simulator that can accurately model new hardware, like gem5. In this paper, we present PALMScloud, a suite of cloud computing benchmarks for performance evaluation of cloud servers, that is ready to run on the gem5 cycle-accurate simulator. We conduct a behavior characterization and analysis of the benchmarks. We hope that these cloud benchmarks, ready to run on a dual-machine gem5 simulator or on real machines, can be useful to other researchers interested in improving hardware micro-architecture and cloud server performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Newcache is a secure cache that can thwart cache side-channel attacks to prevent the leakage of secret information. All caches today are susceptible to cache side-channel attacks, despite software isolation of memory pages in virtual address spaces or virtual machines. These cache attacks can leak secret encryption keys or private identity keys, nullifying any protection provided by strong cryptography. Newcache uses a novel dynamic, randomized memory-to-cache mapping to thwart contention-based side-channel attacks, rather than the static mapping used by conventional set-associative caches. In this article, the authors present an improved design of Newcache, in terms of security, circuit design and simplicity. They show Newcache's security against a suite of cache side-channel attacks. They evaluate Newcache's system performance for cloud computing, smartphone, and SPEC benchmarks and find that Newcache performs as well as conventional set-associative caches, and sometimes better. They also designed a VLSI test chip with a 32-Kbyte Newcache and a 32-Kbyte, eight-way, set-associative cache and verified that the access latency, power, and area of the two caches are comparable. These results show that Newcache can be used as L1 data and instruction caches to improve security without impacting performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginsenoside Re (GRe) exerts diverse effects. Based on our observations, the present study was designed to investigate GRe-exerted bidirectional regulation (BR) on the contractility of isolated jejunal segment. Six pairs of different low and high contractile states of rat jejunal segment were established and used in the study. Stimulatory effects on the contractility of jejunal segment were exerted by GRe (10.0 μM) in all 6 low contractile states, and inhibitory effects were exerted in all 6 high contractile states, indicating that GRe exerted BR on the contractility of jejunal segment. The effects of GRe on the phosphorylation of 20 kDa myosin light chain, protein contents of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) and MLCK mRNA expression in jejunal segment in low and high contractile states were also bidirectional. GRe-exerted BR was abolished in the presence of neurotoxin tetrodotoxin or Ca channel blocker verapamil or c-Kit receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. Atropine blocked the stimulatory effects of GRe on jejunal contractility in low-Ca-induced low contractile state; phentolamine, propranolol and l-NG-nitro-arginine blocked the inhibitory effects in high-Ca-induced high contractile state, respectively. In summary, GRe-exerted BR depends on jejunal contractile state and requires the presence of enteric nervous system, Ca, and interstitial cells of Cajal; the stimulatory effects of GRe on jejunal contractility are related to cholinergic stimulation and inhibitory effects are related to adrenergic activation and nitric oxide relaxing mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Ginsenosides are primary active ingredients of ginseng, which are believed to have various health benefits. It is found that the biotransformation of ginsenosides mainly takes place in the gastrointestinal tract and the information about ginsenosides-exerted effects on intestinal contractility is not sufficient. Aims: The present study proposed that ginsenosides could exert stimulatory or inhibitory effects on intestinal motility depending on the assay condition-related intestinal contractile states and was to characterize the effects of ginsenosides on intestinal motility. Methods: Jejunal contractility determination, Western blotting analysis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to test the effects of total ginsenosides isolated from Panax ginseng C. A. Mey (Araliaceae) root. Results: The results showed that ginsenosides at the fixed concentration of 20 mg/L exerted bidirectional regulation (BR) on the contractility of isolated jejunal segment (IJS), depending on the contractile states. The contractility of IJS was increased by ginsenosides in low contractile states, which were correlated to the cholinergic activation, and the contractility of IJS was decreased by ginsenosides in high contractile states, which were correlated to the adrenergic activation and nitric oxide related mechanisms. Ginsenosides-induced BR was abolished in the absence of Ca2+ or by using tetrodotoxin, implicating the requirement of Ca2+ and the enteric nervous system. Effects of ginsenosides on myosin light chain phosphorylation and the mRNA expression of myosin light chain kinase were also bidirectional. Discussion and conclusion: Results suggest that ginsenosides may have the potential clinical implication for reliving the symptoms of alternative hypo- and hyper-intestinal motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p47phox is a key regulatory subunit of Nox2-containing NADPH oxidase (Nox2) that by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in Angiotensin II (AngII)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, the signalling pathways of p47phox in the heart remains unclear. In this study, we used wild-type (WT) and p47phox knockout (KO) mice (C57BL/6, male, 7-month-old, n = 9) to investigate p47phox-dependent oxidant-signalling in AngII infusion (0.8 mg/kg/day, 14 days)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. AngII infusion resulted in remarkable high blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in WT mice. However, these AngII-induced pathological changes were significantly reduced in p47phox KO mice. In WT hearts, AngII infusion increased significantly the levels of superoxide production, the expressions of Nox subunits, the expression of PKCα and C-Src and the activation of ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1), MKK3/6, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK and JNK signalling pathways together with an elevated expression of apoptotic markers, i.e., γH2AX and p53 in the cardiomyocytes. However, in the absence of p47phox, although PKCα expression was increased in the hearts after AngII infusion, there was no significant activation of ASK1, MKK3/6 and MAPKs signalling pathways and no increase in apoptosis biomarker expression in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, p47phox-dependent redox-signalling through ASK1, MKK3/6 and MAPKs plays a crucial role in AngII-induced cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally demonstrate all-optical wavelength conversions in a 10 μm radius resonance-split silicon microring resonator based on free carrier dispersion effect. The split resonance is caused by the mutual coupling between the two countertraveling modes inside the ring resonator. Dense wavelength conversions are performed at data rates from 500 Mbytes/s to 5 Gbytes/s and a dual-channel wavelength multicasting is realized at a data rate of 1.25 Gbytes/s. The resonance splitting phenomenon opens up opportunities to convert more closely spaced wavelengths, thus effectively increasing the system capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) affect patients in acute-care hospitals worldwide. No systematic review has been published on adoption and implementation of the infection prevention and control (IPC) key components. The objective of this systematic review was to assess adoption and implementation of the three areas issued by the "National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China" in acute-care hospitals in Mainland China, and to compare the findings with the key and core components on effective IPC, issued by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Methods: We searched PubMed and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for reports on the areas "structure, organisation and management of IPC", "education and training in IPC", and "surveillance of outcome and process indicators in IPC" in acute-care facilities in Mainland China, published between January 2012 and October 2017. Results were stratified into primary care hospitals and secondary/tertiary care hospitals. Results: A total of 6580 publications were retrieved, of which 56 were eligible for final analysis. Most of them were survey reports (n = 27), followed by observational studies (n = 17), and interventional studies (n = 12), either on hand hygiene promotion and best practice interventions (n = 7), or by applying education and training programmes (n = 5). More elements on IPC were reported by secondary/tertiary care hospitals than by primary care hospitals. Gaps were identified in the lack of detailing on organisation and management of IPC, education and training activities, and targets of surveillance such as central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator associated pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and Clostridium difficile infections. Information was available on adoption and implementation of 7 out of the 10 ECDC key components, and 7 out of the 8 WHO core components. Conclusion: To variable degrees, there is evidence on implementation of all NHCPRC areas and of most of the ECDC key components and the WHO core components in acute care hospitals in Mainland China. The results are encouraging, but gaps in effective IPC were identified that may be used to guide future national policy-making in Mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]