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In the past decades, the rapid depletion of non‐renewable energy sources has caused growing energy crisis and increasing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), which aggravates global warming and catastrophic climate change. Electrocatalysis is regarded as an effective method for consuming atmospheric CO2 and simultaneously alleviating the energy problem by converting CO2 into high value‐added chemicals. Amorphous nanomaterials with long‐range disordered structures possess abundant highly unsaturated atomic sites and dangling bonds on their surfaces, thus providing a large number of active sites, and show unique electronic structures compared to their crystalline counterparts due to the distinct atomic arrangements. Therefore, amorphous nanomaterials are recently demonstrated as highly efficient catalysts for diverse electrocatalytic reactions, including electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Here the rational synthesis and electrocatalytic performance of newly emerging amorphous nanomaterials will be outlined for electrocatalytic CO2RR. Importantly, the intrinsic merits of these amorphous catalysts in CO2RR processes will be summarized and highlighted. Finally, these perspectives on the remaining challenges and some potential future directions in this emerging field will also be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) converts the greenhouse gas CO2 into valuable chemicals under mild conditions and is considered a promising approach to reaching carbon neutralization. However, its efficiency and selectivity towards desired products remain far below the requirements for industrial implementation because of its complex reaction mechanism and diverse intermediates. Particularly, the C–C coupling step in the CO2RR is the key step to ensure a high yield of value-added multi-carbon products. Herein, we discuss a recently developed approach to facilitate the C–C coupling step via the rational tuning of the local microenvironment around active sites. First, recent progress and the mechanism of the CO2RR are briefly described. Next, representative approaches of catalyst engineering, including tandem catalysis, molecular modification, micro-structure regulation, proton donation, hydrophobicity and electric field effect, are highlighted to enrich or regulate the intermediates. Finally, persistent technological challenges are summarized and several personal perspectives are provided to propel the industrial application of the CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species distribution and activity patterns vary across regions, and these patterns reveal key information about the biology of a given species. However, such data in Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve located in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province, China, are inadequate due to limited monitoring studies. From September 2017 to December 2019, 57 infrared cameras were installed to monitor species distribution relative to distance from National Highway 210, and spatial and temporal activity patterns in Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve (elevation range 1,100 to 2,802 m). Sixteen species of mammals were recorded in our survey. The 4 most frequently detected species were Reeves's Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Pere David's Rock Squirrel (Sciurotamias davidianus), and Golden Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi). Daily patterns of these species indicated that Reeves's muntjacs and golden takins were more active at dawn and dusk, whereas wild boars and Pere David's rock squirrels were more active during the day. The relative abundance index of these mammals varied seasonally. Wild boars and Pere David's rock squirrels showed no obvious preference in elevation distribution, Reeves's muntjacs preferred low-elevation habitats (1,300 to 1,600 m), and golden takins mainly inhabited high-elevation areas (1,900 to 2,100 m). Golden takins showed obvious avoidance of roads, with avoidance distance from the road of >300 m. In contrast, Reeves's muntjacs were remarkably abundant within 200 m of the road. For both wild boars and Pere David's rock squirrels, there was no significant difference in RAI among 5 highway ranges. These findings help describe the distribution and activity patterns of these species in Qinling, to monitor their population dynamics, and to develop tailored conservation strategies for the 4 species and sympatric wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 22 May 2021, an earthquake (98.3° E and 34.59° N) struck Maduo town in Qinghai province, occurring along a relatively obscure secondary fault within the block. We utilized 105 archived Sentinel-1A/B acquisitions to investigate the coseismic deformation and the evolution of postseismic displacements in both the temporal and spatial domains, as well as the associated dynamic mechanisms of the 2021 Maduo earthquake. The interference fringes and coseismic deformation revealed that the primary feature of this event was the rupture along a left-lateral strike-slip fault. The released seismic moment was close to 1.88 ×   10 20   N · m , which is equivalent to an Mw 7.45 event. Simultaneously, the maximum coseismic slip reached approximately 4 m along the fault plane. The evolution of postseismic displacements in both the temporal and spatial domains over 450 days following the mainshock was further analyzed to explore the underlying physical mechanisms. Generally, the patterns of coseismic slip and afterslip were similar, although the postseismic displacements decayed rapidly over time. The modeled afterslip downdip of the coseismic rupture (at depths of 15–40 km) effectively explains the postseismic deformation, with a released moment estimated at 4.57 ×   10 19   N · m (corresponding to Mw 7.04). Additionally, we found that regions with high coseismic slip tend to exhibit weak seismicity, and that afterslip and aftershocks are likely driven by each other. Finally, we estimated the Coulomb Failure Stress changes ( Δ C F S ) triggered by both coseismic rupture and aseismic slip resulting from this event. The co- and postseismic Δ C F S show similar patterns, but the magnitude of the postseismic Δ C F S is much lower ( ≤ 0.01 MPa). We found that Δ C F S notably increased on the Yushu segment of the Garze-Yushu-Xianshuihe Fault (GYXF), as well as the Maqin–Maqu and Tuosuo Lake sections of the East Kunlun Fault (EKF). Therefore, we infer that these fault segments may have a higher potential seismic risk and should be carefully monitored in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing an intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) is one of the most promising ways of achieving carbon neutrality, but its air-electrode is restricted by the conflict between the sluggish catalytic activity and durability. Herein, an A-site high-entropy perovskite composite La0.2Ba0.2Sr0.2Ca0.2Ce0.2−xCoO3−δ–xCeO2 (LBSCCC–CeO2) air-electrode material is fabricated via a one-step self-constructing strategy, which shows excellent oxygen reduction activity and stability due to the high-entropy structure and the synergy effect between LBSCCC and interfacial CeO2. This work provides a new way of fabricating high-performance air-electrodes in IT-SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomedicine has reshaped the landscape of cancer treatment. However, its efficacy is still hampered by innate tumor defense systems that rely on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for fuel, including damage repair, apoptosis resistance, and immune evasion. Inspired by the naturally enzymatic reaction of glucose oxidase (GOx) with glucose, here a novel "two birds with one stone" technique for amplifying enzyme‐mediated tumor apoptosis and enzyme‐promoted metabolic clearance is proposed and achieved using GOx‐functionalized rhenium nanoclusters‐doped polypyrrole (Re@ReP‐G). Re@ReP‐G reduces ATP production while increasing H2O2 concentrations in the tumor microenvironment through GOx‐induced enzymatic oxidation, which in turn results in the downregulation of defense (HSP70 and HSP90) and anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 proteins, the upregulation of pro‐apoptotic Bax, and the release of cytochrome c. These processes are further facilitated by laser‐induced hyperthermia effect, ultimately leading to severe tumor apoptosis. As an enzymatic byproduct, H2O2 catalyzes the conversion of rhenium nanoclusters in Re@ReP‐G nanostructures into rhenate from the outside in, which accelerates their metabolic clearance in vivo. This Re@ReP‐G‐based "two birds with one stone" therapeutic strategy provides an effective tool for amplifying tumor apoptosis and safe metabolic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapy is a great success and breakthrough in immunotherapy. However, there are still lots of barriers to its wide use in clinical, including long time consumption, high cost, and failure against solid tumors. For these challenges, researches are deplored to explore CAR cells to more appliable products in clinical. This minireview focuses on the advanced non‐viral materials for CAR‐T transfection ex vivo with better performance, delivery systems combined with other therapy for enhancement of CAR‐T therapy in solid tumors. In addition, the targeted delivery platform for CAR cells in vivo generation as a breakthrough technology as its low cost and convenience. In the end, the prospective direction and future of CAR cell therapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been increasing over the past decade, and to date, effective pharmacotherapies that enhance LV diastolic function have not yet been identified. Though some data has demonstrated the beneficial effects of exercise training on LV diastolic function, little is known about the adaptations of diastolic function to daily physical activity (PA). Accordingly, our study aimed to investigate the impact of daily PA on tissue Doppler indices of LV diastolic function. Methods: A total of 432 participants were enrolled for clinically indicated echocardiography from July 2019 to July 2020 at Peking University People's Hospital. Participants aged ≥ 18 years were included if they had stable PA in the past six months and normal LV systolic function. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics, medical history, and daily PA. According to PA Guidelines for Americans, we identified these participants into low-intensity PA (LPA) group and moderate-high-intensity PA (MHPA) group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to match potential confounding factors between the two groups. The clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters between LPA group and MHPA group were compared using student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square test as appropriate. Results: After matching potential confounding factors using PSM with a 1:3 matching ratio, our final analysis included 86 cases in the MHPA group and 214 cases in the LPA group. All demographic characteristics and comorbidities were statistically similar between the two groups. Compared to the LPA group, the MHPA group showed higher septal e' (7.9 ± 2.9 cm/s versus 7.2 ± 2.6 cm/s, P = 0.047). Other echocardiographic parameters associated with LV diastolic function concerning lateral e' and average E/e', also trended towards improved LV diastolic function in the MHPA group, but failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that moderate-high-intensity daily PA was associated with improved septal e', suggesting that moderate-high-intensity PA could potentially ameliorate LV diastolic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated systemic disease with multiple organs involvement, such as cardiovascular, live, gut, endocrine, and so on. Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a rare comorbidity associated with psoriasis, while BP occurring in erythrodermic psoriasis (EP) is very rare. In this case, we reported a woman with severe EP who developed BP, in whom beta hemolytic streptococcus infection was a possible triggering factor. The complicated condition of such patients needs to draw attention of the physician and study further for better treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE This study aimed to verify whether the use of the Kaiser score can improve the diagnostic performance in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for suspicious lesions and avoid further invasive diagnostic approaches. METHODS This retrospective study enrolled 97 patients who underwent breast MRI before undergoing breast biopsy or surgery. Evaluations were conducted on all MRI images individually by 2 radiologists using the Kaiser score. Neither radiologist had the knowledge of the final histopathological diagnosis. The ability of the Kaiser score in diagnosis was established via a receiver performing characteristic (ROC) analysis, which was measured by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Youden index was used to define the optimal cutoff value. Kaiser score categories were dichotomized into positive (cutoff score > 4) and negative scores (cutoff score ≤ 4). Cohen's kappa coefficient was used to analyze the inter-rater agreement. RESULTS Histopathology revealed 56 malignant and 41 benign lesions. The AUC for all lesions evaluated by the Kaiser score was 0.992 (95% CI: 0.981-1.0) and 0.958 (95% CI: 0.920-0.996) for 2 radiologists, respectively. Inter-rater agreement of the dichotomized Kaiser score was excellent (κ=0.894, P < .001). A total of 20 lesions (33.8%) previously categorized as BI-RADS 4 were reduced to BI-RADS 2/3 (19 benign lesions and 1 malignant lesion). CONCLUSION The Kaiser score is a valuable auxiliary diagnostic tool for improving the diagnostic ability of radiologists, whose experiences in breast MRI are diverse. In some cases, the application of the Kaiser score could possibly avoid unnecessary breast biopsies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Early diagnosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who are at a high risk of heart failure (HF) progression remains controversial. This study aimed at identifying new predictive biomarkers of post-AMI HF and at revealing the pathogenesis of HF involving these marker genes. Methods and Results: A transcriptomic dataset of whole blood cells from AMI patients with HF progression (post-AMI HF, n = 16) and without progression (post-AMI non-HF, n = 16) was analyzed using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The results indicated that one module consisting of 720 hub genes was significantly correlated with post-AMI HF. The hub genes were validated in another transcriptomic dataset of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (post-AMI HF, n = 9; post-AMI non-HF, n = 8). PRKAR1A, SDCBP, SPRED2, and VAMP3 were upregulated in the two datasets. Based on a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset of leukocytes from heart tissues of normal and infarcted mice, PRKAR1A was further verified to be upregulated in monocytes/macrophages on day 2, while SDCBP was highly expressed in neutrophils on day 2 and in monocytes/macrophages on day 3 after AMI. Cell–cell communication analysis via the "CellChat" package showed that, based on the interaction of ligand–receptor (L–R) pairs, there were increased autocrine/paracrine cross-talk networks of monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils in the acute stage of MI. Functional enrichment analysis of the abovementioned L–R genes together with PRKAR1A and SDCBP performed through the Metascape platform suggested that PRKAR1A and SDCBP were mainly involved in inflammation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that PRKAR1A and SDCBP, as well as their combination, had a promising prognostic value in the identification of AMI patients who were at a high risk of HF progression. Conclusion: This study identified that PRKAR1A and SDCBP may serve as novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of post-AMI HF and also revealed their potentially regulatory mechanism during HF progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circularly polarized room‐temperature phosphorescence (CPRTP) is of paramount importance for applications in information encoding, bioimaging, and optoelectronic devices, however, it remains challenging to organize highly efficient CPRTP materials with controlled handedness and long afterglow. Herein, as an outstanding novel finding, it is diclosed that ultralong CPRTP with on‐demand chiroptical properties is simple to realize using the earth‐abundant cellulose and silica. It is shown that left‐handed chiral nematic nanoporous silica films featuring defect photoluminescence enable ultralong CPRTP with an unprecedented control of the handedness. This work presents that the chiral nematic nanoporous silica films display right‐handed CPRTP and left‐handed CPRTP with the phosphorescence dissymmetry factors up to −0.130 and 0.093 as well as the afterglow lifetimes of 1.094 and 0.949 s, respectively. The potential of the transparent chiral nematic nanoporous silica films, capable of ultralong CPRTP and selective reflection of left‐handed circularly polarized light, for the development of anticounterfeiting optical labels is showcased. This work presents a versatile strategy and a step toward the development of ultralong CPRTP materials with on‐demand chiroptical properties from readily available defect phosphors for photonic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom photocatalysts have shown their fascinating strengths in enhancing charge transfer dynamics; however, rationally designing coordination sites by metal doping to stabilize isolated atoms is still challenging. Here, a one‐unit‐cell ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) nanosheet with abundant Cu dopants serving as the suitable support to achieve a single atom Pt catalyst (Pt1/Cu–ZIS) is reported, and hence the metal single atom–metal dopant interaction at an atomic level is disclosed. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations highlight the unique stabilizing effect (Pt–Cu interaction) of single Pt atoms in Cu‐doped ZIS, while apparent Pt clusters are observed in pristine ZIS. Specifically, Pt–Cu interaction provides an extra coordination site except three S sites on the surface, which induces a higher diffusion barrier and makes the single atom more stable on the surface. Apart from stabilizing Pt single atoms, Pt–Cu interaction also serves as the efficient channel to transfer electrons from Cu trap states to Pt active sites, thereby enhancing the charge separation and transfer efficiency. Remarkably, the Pt1/Cu–ZIS exhibits a superb activity, giving a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 5.02 mmol g−1 h−1, nearly 49 times higher than that of pristine ZIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For studying the level of pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Xinjiang Urumqi petrochemical wastewater irrigation area of farmland soil profiles, 60 soil samples were collected from the wastewater irrigation area and 3 different land-use types (cultivated land, wasteland, and forest land) were included. To investigate the distributions of PAHs in soil, the source analysis is performed using the method of characteristic ratio and the total index method. The results show that the PAHs content in the surface soil of the sewage irrigation area is 237.3–2028.6 µg/kg, with an average value of 911 µg/kg. The PAHs contents in the soil of different land-use types are in the following order: woodland > cultivated land > wasteland. In the soil profile of the polluted irrigated area, 0–40 cm is the main polluted layer, the dominant component being the 2–3-ring PAHs. The monomer concentration and the total PAHs concentration both decrease with increasing soil depth. According to the characteristic ratio and the total index method, the irrigation of petrochemical wastewater is considered the main contributor to PAHs pollution in the soil of different land types in the sewage irrigation area. In addition, there is the problem of automobile exhaust emissions and the influence of incomplete combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of heterogeneous photocatalytic H2O2 activation in Fenton‐like processes is closely related to the local electron density of reaction centre atoms. However, the recombination of electron‐hole pairs arising from random charge transfer greatly restricts the oriented electron delivery to active center. Here we show a defect engineered iron single atom photocatalyst (Fe1‐Nv/CN, single Fe atoms dispersed on carbon nitride with abundant nitrogen vacancies) for the activation of H2O2 under visible light irradiation. Based on DFT calculations and transient absorption spectroscopy results, the engineered nitrogen vacancies serve as the electron trap sites, which can directionally drive the electrons to concentrate on Fe atoms. The formation of highly concentrated electrons density at Fe sites significantly improves the H2O2 conversion efficiency. Therefore, the optimized single atom catalyst exhibiting a higher ciprofloxacin degradation activity, which was up to 18 times that of pristine CN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of heterogeneous photocatalytic H2O2 activation in Fenton‐like processes is closely related to the local electron density of reaction centre atoms. However, the recombination of electron‐hole pairs arising from random charge transfer greatly restricts the oriented electron delivery to active center. Here we show a defect engineered iron single atom photocatalyst (Fe1‐Nv/CN, single Fe atoms dispersed on carbon nitride with abundant nitrogen vacancies) for the activation of H2O2 under visible light irradiation. Based on DFT calculations and transient absorption spectroscopy results, the engineered nitrogen vacancies serve as the electron trap sites, which can directionally drive the electrons to concentrate on Fe atoms. The formation of highly concentrated electrons density at Fe sites significantly improves the H2O2 conversion efficiency. Therefore, the optimized single atom catalyst exhibiting a higher ciprofloxacin degradation activity, which was up to 18 times that of pristine CN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom CoN4 active sites have demonstrated excellent efficiency in peroxymonosulfate activation. However, the identification of CoN4 active sites and the detailed singlet oxygen generation mechanism in peroxymonosulfate activation remains ambiguous. We demonstrate a strategy to regulate the generation of reactive oxygen species by atomically dispersed cobalt anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon. As indicated by experiment and DFT calculations, CoN2+2 was the active site and singlet oxygen was the predominant reactive oxygen species with a proportion of 98.89 %. Spontaneous dissociation of adsorbed peroxymonosulfate on the CoN2+2 active sites was energetically unfavorable because of the weakly positive Co atoms and CoN2+2 coordination, which directed PMS oxidation by a non‐radical pathway and with simultaneous singlet oxygen generation. The generated singlet oxygen degraded several organic pollutants with high efficiency across a broad pH range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom CoN4 active sites have demonstrated excellent efficiency in peroxymonosulfate activation. However, the identification of CoN4 active sites and the detailed singlet oxygen generation mechanism in peroxymonosulfate activation remains ambiguous. We demonstrate a strategy to regulate the generation of reactive oxygen species by atomically dispersed cobalt anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon. As indicated by experiment and DFT calculations, CoN2+2 was the active site and singlet oxygen was the predominant reactive oxygen species with a proportion of 98.89 %. Spontaneous dissociation of adsorbed peroxymonosulfate on the CoN2+2 active sites was energetically unfavorable because of the weakly positive Co atoms and CoN2+2 coordination, which directed PMS oxidation by a non‐radical pathway and with simultaneous singlet oxygen generation. The generated singlet oxygen degraded several organic pollutants with high efficiency across a broad pH range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: In this work, important commercial pharmaceutical intermediates, phenylpropionic acid compounds, are successfully obtained by catalyzing the reaction of carbon dioxide with phenyl halides using MOF‐5, a typical metal‐organic framework (MOF) material. The influence of temperature, pressure, catalyst type and light on the reaction is investigated, and a 90.3% selectivity towards fluorophenylpropionic acid is reached. Significantly, the catalysts are effective for varied benzyl compounds containing different substituent groups. The catalysts are stable and remain active after three cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in zeolites research emerging from interdisciplinary efforts have opened new opportunities beyond conventional applications. Colloids drive much current research owing to their distinct collective behaviors, but so far, using zeolites as a colloidal building block to construct ordered superstructures remains unexplored. Herein we show that self‐assembly of colloidal zeolite LTA superball (ZAS) by tilted‐angle sedimentation forms macroscopic films with micro‐mesoporosity and 3D long‐range periodicity featuring a photonic band gap (PBG) that is tunable through the superball geometry and responds reversibly to chemical vapors. Remarkably, self‐assembly of ZAS at elevated temperature forms 3D chiral photonic crystals that enable negative circular dichroism, selective reflection of right‐handed circularly polarized (CP) light and left‐handed CP luminescence based on PBG. We present a novel class of functional colloids and zeolite‐based photonic crystals with the ability to manipulate light in several ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in zeolites research emerging from interdisciplinary efforts have opened new opportunities beyond conventional applications. Colloids drive much current research owing to their distinct collective behaviors, but so far, using zeolites as a colloidal building block to construct ordered superstructures remains unexplored. Herein we show that self‐assembly of colloidal zeolite LTA superball (ZAS) by tilted‐angle sedimentation forms macroscopic films with micro‐mesoporosity and 3D long‐range periodicity featuring a photonic band gap (PBG) that is tunable through the superball geometry and responds reversibly to chemical vapors. Remarkably, self‐assembly of ZAS at elevated temperature forms 3D chiral photonic crystals that enable negative circular dichroism, selective reflection of right‐handed circularly polarized (CP) light and left‐handed CP luminescence based on PBG. We present a novel class of functional colloids and zeolite‐based photonic crystals with the ability to manipulate light in several ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mw 7.8 Kaikōura, North Canterbury, New Zealand earthquake, which occurred on 14 November 2016 (local time), was one of the most complex continental earthquakes ever documented and among the largest instrumentally recorded events in New Zealand history. The epicenter was located at the southern termination of the Hikurangi margin, where the subducting Pacific Plate transfers into the dextral Alpine transform fault. In this work, we precisely estimate three-dimensional coseismic and postseismic displacements caused by this event from continuous global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) stations in New Zealand. The Kaikōura earthquake activated significant and diverse coseismic and postseismic deformation on a large spatial scale, located mainly in the southern part of the North Island and the northern part of the South Island. Station CMBL had the largest coseismic offsets and the most remarkable postseismic displacements. The accumulated postseismic displacements at this station reached 13, 7 and 29% of the coseismic values on the east, north and vertical components, respectively, in the first 1.5 years after the mainshock. Integrating our estimated coseismic displacements with previously published coseismic displacements, we inverted for the spatial distribution of coseismic slip and spatiotemporal evolution of postseismic slip. Our optimal coseismic model suggests that rupture occurred both on shallow crustal faults, and to some extent at the southern Hikurangi subduction interface. The GPS-inverted coseismic moment release is equivalent to an Mw 7.9 event. The postseismic slip was not only significantly extended at the subduction interface, but also appeared on the Needles fault. The cumulative moment magnitude is Mw 7.35 in the first 1.5 years after the event, and Mw 7.35, Mw 6.95 and Mw 6.80 during the periods 0.0–0.5, 0.5–1.0 and 1.0–1.5 years, respectively, indicating rapid decay of the postseismic deformation. Comparing the spatial distribution of the postseismic to the coseismic slip, although their direction is similar, the discrepancy between their location is significant: the slip located along the shallow crustal faults activated the coseismic deformation, while the slip located on the deep subduction interface controlled the postseismic deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of plate boundary deformation has been enhanced by transient signals observed against the backdrop of time‐independent secular motions. We make use of a new analysis of displacement time series from about 1,000 continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) stations in California from 1999 to 2018 to distinguish tectonic and nontectonic transients from secular motion. A primary objective is to define a high‐resolution three‐dimensional reference frame (datum) for California that can be rapidly maintained with geodetic data to accommodate both secular and time‐dependent motions. To this end, we compare the displacements to those predicted by a horizontal secular fault slip model for the region and construct displacement and strain rate fields. Over the past 19 years, California has experienced 19 geodetically detectable earthquakes and widespread postseismic deformation. We observe postseismic strain rate variations as large as 1,000 nstrain/year with moment releases equivalent up to an Mw6.8 earthquake. We find significant secular differences up to 10 mm/year with the fault slip model, from the Mendocino Triple Junction to the southern Cascadia subduction zone, the northern Basin and Range, and the Santa Barbara channel. Secular vertical uplift is observed across the Transverse Ranges, Coastal Ranges, Sierra Nevada, as well as large‐scale postseismic uplift after the 1999 Mw7.1 Hector Mine and 2010 Mw7.2 El Mayor‐Cucapah earthquakes. We also identify areas of vertical land motions due to anthropogenic, natural, and magmatic processes. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of the kinematic datum by improving the accuracy of high‐spatial‐resolution 12‐day repeat‐cycle Sentinel‐1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar displacement and velocity maps. Key Points: Displacement fields from 19 years of GPS data in California are preferable to velocity fields in characterizing 3‐D transient motionsMapping of secular and transient motions at high temporal and spatial resolution is required for maintaining a 3‐D kinematic reference frameDisplacement fields derived from continuous GPS and InSAR provide 200‐m resolution with millimeter‐level velocity uncertainties [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient Z‐scheme photocatalytic system constructed with 1D CdS and 2D CoS2 exhibited high photocatalytic hydrogen‐evolution activity of 5.54 mmol h−1 g−1 with an apparent quantum efficiency of 10.2 % at 420 nm. More importantly, its interfacial charge migration pathway was unraveled: The electrons are efficiently transferred from CdS to CoS2 through a transition atomic layer connected by Co–S5.8 coordination, thus resulting in more photogenerated carriers participating in surface reactions. Furthermore, the charge‐trapping and charge‐transfer processes were investigated by transient absorption spectroscopy, which gave an estimated charge‐separation yield of approximately 91.5 % and a charge‐separated‐state lifetime of approximately (5.2±0.5) ns in CdS/CoS2. This study elucidates the key role of interfacial atomic layers in heterojunctions and will facilitate the development of more efficient Z‐scheme photocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient Z‐scheme photocatalytic system constructed with 1D CdS and 2D CoS2 exhibited high photocatalytic hydrogen‐evolution activity of 5.54 mmol h−1 g−1 with an apparent quantum efficiency of 10.2 % at 420 nm. More importantly, its interfacial charge migration pathway was unraveled: The electrons are efficiently transferred from CdS to CoS2 through a transition atomic layer connected by Co–S5.8 coordination, thus resulting in more photogenerated carriers participating in surface reactions. Furthermore, the charge‐trapping and charge‐transfer processes were investigated by transient absorption spectroscopy, which gave an estimated charge‐separation yield of approximately 91.5 % and a charge‐separated‐state lifetime of approximately (5.2±0.5) ns in CdS/CoS2. This study elucidates the key role of interfacial atomic layers in heterojunctions and will facilitate the development of more efficient Z‐scheme photocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tartar sand boa, Eryx tataricus (Lichtenstein, 1823), is a vulnerable species in China, which is mainly distributed in desert regions. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of E. tataricus was determined and annotated. The 18,606-bp circular genome contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 2 control regions. The overall base composition was: 37.1% A, 24.9% C, 25.7% T, and 12.4% G, with a total A+T content of 62.8%. The general genomic characters including genome size, nucleotides composition, and gene order were similar to those of other boas species. Phylogenetic analysis of all 11 Henophidia species indicated that the Boidae is a monophyletic group, and E. tataricus showed the close relationship to Boa constrictor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We re-estimated the seismic moment of the 2011 M w 9.0 Tohoku earthquake by using far-field coseismic displacements from 41 continuous GPS stations in Northeast Asia. In support of nearly 100 GPS campaign stations, we interpolate precise interseismic velocities at continuous GPS stations which are lacked of pre-seismic observations by using the Gaussian distance-based interpolation method, aiming to pursuiting more accurate post-seismic displacements. Then, we invert for the mantle viscosity and effective lithosphere thickness in the study area by employing nonlinear least squares fitting of the high signal-to-noise horizontal post-seismic displacements from 2.5 to 4.5 yr after the earthquake at 9 GPS stations distributed perpendicular to the fault plane of the earthquake, and the viscoelastic spherical Earth dislocation theory with modified fault slip model. The optimum solution of the inversion realizes the viscosity being 1.0× 1019 Pa s and the lithospheric thickness being 30 km. We find that the far-field post-seismic displacements caused by afterslip and mantle viscoelastic relaxation are approximately equal within 2.5 yr, and after 4.5 yr the cumulative effects of the latter component dominate the total far-field post-displacements. The result indicated that we cannot ignore the effects of mantle viscoelastic relaxation in the far field, even immediately after this earthquake. In addition, in the study of the far-field post-seismic displacements, we should take the signal-to-noise ratio of the GPS data into account with adequate observations to ensure the accuracy of the inversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixtured pygmy frog (Microhyla mixtura, Liu and Hu 1966) is an endemic species in China, which has suffered habitat degradation and isolation recently. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of M. mixtura was sequenced and annotated. The 16,729-bp circular mitochondrial genome contained a conserved set of 37 mitochondrial genes including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. The gene order was identical to the typical vertebrate gene arrangement. The overall base composition of this genome was as follows: 29.5% A, 24.9% C, 31.4% T, 14.2% G, with a total A+T content of 60.9%. Both phylogenetic trees based on the maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference showed that Microhyla was grouped within Microhylinae and M. mixtura was closely related to Microhyla okinavensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outdoor equipment failures of track circuits are usually not easy to be detected. In addition, the location of outdoor equipment failures can cause trouble for on-site maintainers. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a novel method for fault diagnosis of railway track circuits based on multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). Firstly, a locomotive signal induced voltage model was established based on the uniform transmission-line theory. The locomotive signal amplitude envelope (LSAE) signals of the track circuit in the normal and fault conditions were solved out. Through this model, the influence mechanism of track circuit faults on the LSAE signals was revealed. On the basis of MF-DFA, the generalised Hurst exponents and multifractal spectra of the LSAE signals were obtained. Then the six-dimensional vectors extracted from the multifractal spectra were used as the fault features. Finally, these features were input to the extreme learning machine (ELM) to identify faults. The fault diagnosis accuracy using the method proposed in this paper reached 94.2949% after k-fold cross validation. The results indicated that MF-DFA had obvious advantages in the application of track circuit fault diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GNB2L1 and its O-GlcNAcylation has been reported to play roles in gastric cancer metastasis. However, the roles of GNB2L1 in chemoresistance of gastric cancer has never been determined. In the present study, we found that GNB2L1 was downregulated in chemoresistant patients of gastric cancer, and observed the decrease of GNB2L1 in protein levels instead of mRNA levels in different chemoresistant gastric cancer cell lines. Further we proved that this downregulation of GNB2L1 was resulted from its elevated O-GlcNAcylation catalyzed by OGT in both cell lines and patients. Next, we investigate the function of GNB2L1 and its O-GlcNAcylation on gastric cancer metastasis during chemoresistance, and confirmed Ser124 as the major O-GlcNAcylation site on GNB2L1 that regulated its function on metastasis. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that GNB2L1 modulated EMT via regulating the translation of EMT-related proteins in the process of chemoresistance. In summary, this study indicated that GNB2L1 and its O-GlcNAcylation regulated metastasis via modulating the translation of EMT-related proteins in the chemoresistance of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Serum amyloid A ( SAA), an acute phase protein, is highly expressed in psoriatic lesions but its function is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to explore its role in activation of keratinocytes. Materials and methods Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence were performed to examine SAA expression in imiquimod ( IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mice. In vivo function of SAA was examined by treating psoriasis-like mice with SAA neutralising antibody. Cell viability was monitored using the CCK-8 assay. Real-time PCR was performed to determine expression of genes associated with differentiation and inflammation. Ki67+ percentage and immunological markers were analysed by flow cytometry. Involvement of formyl peptide receptor-like 1 ( FPRL1) in SAA signal transduction was determined by RNA interference. Binding of SAA and FPRL1 was examined by co-immunoprecipitaion. Western blotting was conducted to assess phosphorylation of downstream signalling molecules. Results SAA was highly expressed in skin lesions of IMQ-treated psoriasis-like mice and neutralising SAA attenuated epidermal hyperplasia and inflammation. SAA in vitro promoted keratinocyte proliferation and expression of immunological mediators, while inhibiting differentiation. Effects of SAA on keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation were mediated by FPRL1, as well as activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Conclusions These observations indicate that SAA/ FPRL1 contributed to pathogenesis of psoriasis by promoting keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for disease therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been found to be highly prevalent in psoriatic patients. Adult onset psoriasis could be divided into either early or late onset psoriasis. The associations between NAFLD and related metabolic comorbidities and age at onset of psoriasis have not yet been investigated. Our study was to evaluate the associations between prevalence of NAFLD and related metabolic conditions and early, late, and childhood onset psoriasis. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Data on clinical characteristics of NAFLD and related metabolic diseases (diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, and metabolic syndrome) were collected. The prevalence of NAFLD in 439 patients (mean: 51±14 years, range: 18–85 years) was 55.8%. NAFLD was frequently identified in early onset patients (74.2%), and this diagnosis was particularly common in patients currently younger than 40 (85.3%). Diabetes was the least prevalent component of metabolic syndrome in early onset patients with metabolic syndrome but the most often found component in late onset ones. Patients with childhood onset psoriasis had the lowest frequencies of all metabolic comorbidities except hyperuricemia among the three groups. In the multivariate analyses, early onset was independently and positively associated with NAFLD, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperuricemia and independently and negatively associated with diabetes among early and late onset patients. The results suggested prevalence of NAFLD and related metabolic comorbidities was associated with age at onset of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Early onset of psoriasis was independently associated with greater odds of NAFLD, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia and smaller odds of diabetes compared to late onset. Early onset patients have metabolic syndrome mainly related to lipid disorders and abnormal glucose metabolism was not often involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Findings What is the central question of this study? Does Danzhi Qing'e (DZQE) regulate lipid metabolism and improve ovarian function in a rat model of perimenopausal hyperlipidaemia, and could this effect be mediated through the AMPK pathway?, What is the main finding and its importance? We revealed that DZQE is a pharmacotherapy that could activate the AMPK pathway to improve ovarian function and lipid metabolism during perimenopause complicated with hyperlipidaemia syndrome in an animal model. Thus, this study provides a novel therapeutic option for treating perimenopausal syndrome and highlights the therapeutic potential of DZQE in perimenopausal rats., Menopause is an important event in a woman's life. During perimenopause, accompanied by development of osteoporosis and dyslipidaemia, ovarian function gradually declines. Dyslipidaemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, cerebrovascular disease and breast cancer in postmenopausal women. All of these contribute to impairment of liver function, particularly fatty liver disease, because liver dysfunction is associated with ovarian dysfunction and hyperlipidaemia. The aim of this study was to define a therapeutic approach to improve ovarian function and attenuate lipid accumulation in order to prevent perimenopause-induced ovarian dysfunction and hyperlipidaemia. Four-week-old female Wistar rats were injected i.p. with 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (4-VCD) and fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) to serve as a model of perimenopause complicated with hyperlipidaemia. The 4-VCD induces perimenopause, while the HFD causes hyperlipidaemia. Five days after administration of 4-VCD, the 4-VCD + HFD-treated rats were assessed daily for oestrous cycle stage by vaginal cytology. Rats were then assigned into groups, in which 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 g kg−1 Danzhi Qing'e (DZQE) or estradiol valerate was administered intragastrically for 8 weeks. Expression levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), oestrogen and testosterone measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay served as biomarkers for perimenopause and ovarian dysfunction. The expression levels of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the liver were determined with Western blotting, and aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were analysed using an automated biochemical analyser to examine liver function. The DZQE improved ovarian function by upregulating oestrogen and testosterone concentrations in serum and downregulating FSH and LH serum concentrations. Moreover, DZQE reduced serum concentrations of triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein in a dose-dependent manner to regulate lipid levels during perimenopause. Furthermore, DZQE increased AMPK at both the transcriptional and translational levels and decreased the expression of SREBP-1c gene as well as its downstream target gene, fatty acid synthase. Danzhi Qing'e improved dyslipidaemia during menopause and also had an effect on liver function. Danzhi Qing'e is an effective Chinese herbal compound, which improves ovarian function and lipid metabolism in perimenopause complicated with hyperlipidaemia at least in part through the AMPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baicalein has been used for many years as a popular antiviral and antibacterial in China. Recent investigations revealed that baicalein also has anti-inflammatory activities. Our results indicated that baicalein increases ERE-luciferase activity in an estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent manner when either ERα or ERβ were coexpressed in Hela cells. This study examined whether baicalein exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in RAW264.7 cells through an estrogen receptor-dependent pathway and through regulation of NF-ĸB activation. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells, baicalein exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-α mRNA expression; NO production; as well as inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, PGE, and TNF-α) production through an ER-dependent pathway. These effects are accompanied with the inhibition of the transcription factor NF-ĸB activation and IκBα phosphorylation. We therefore conclude that baicalein inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production via regulation of the NF-ĸB pathway and estrogen-like activity, suggesting that it may be useful for preventing inflammation-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galanin-like peptide ( GALP) gene, encoding a member of the galanin family of neuropeptides involved in reproduction, was differentially expressed in PMSG-hCG stimulated pre-ovulatory ovarian follicles of Chinese Taihu and Large White sows in our previous study. In the present study, promoter region and genetic mutations of the porcine GALP gene were determined. A 1,322 bp contig in 5′-flanking region was predicted to contain 5 potential transcription promoters by Neural Network Promoter Prediction version 2.2. 5′-deletion expression in both CHO and hela cells showed that there were a negative regulatory element at −852 to −803 bp and a positive regulatory element at −1,318 to −1,269 bp. Comparative sequence analyses of Chinese Taihu and Large White GALP gene sequence revealed the c.*27C> G mutation in the 3′-UTR and the c.88- 1225C> G mutation in intron 1, which can be detected by HhaI and AluI PCR-RFLP, respectively. The association analysis with litter size traits showed that at both loci CC and GG genotypes were different for NBA for all parities in DIV pigs ( P < 0.05). However, two SNPs were not in significant linkage disequilibrium analyzed using SHEsis online software, and could be used in pig breeding individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Chinese Taihu is one of the most prolific pig breeds in the world, which farrows at least five more piglets per litter than Western pig breeds partly due to a greater ovulation rate. Variation of ovulation rate maybe associated with the differences in the transcriptome of Chinese Taihu and Large White ovaries. In order to understand the molecular basis of the greater ovulation rate of Chinese Taihu sows, expression profiling experiments were conducted to identify differentially expressed genes in ovarian follicles at the preovulatory stage of a PMSG-hCG stimulated estrous cycle from 3 Chinese Taihu and 3 Large White cycling sows by using the Affymetrix Porcine Genechip™. Results: One hundred and thirty-three differentially expressed genes were identified between Chinese Taihu and Large White sows by using Affymetrix porcine GeneChip (p ≤ 0.05, Fold change ≥ 2 or ≤ 0.5). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these genes belonged to the class of genes that participated in regulation of cellular process, regulation of biological process, biological regulation, developmental process, cell communication and signal transduction and so on. Significant differential expression of 6 genes including WNT10B and DKK2 in the WNT signaling pathway was detected. Real-time RT-PCR confirmed the expression pattern in seven of eight selected genes. A search of chromosomal location revealed that 92 differentially expressed transcripts located to the intervals of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for reproduction traits. Furthermore, SNPs of two differentially expressed genes- BAX and BMPR1B were showed to be associated with litter size traits in Large White pigs and Chinese DIV line pigs (p ≤ 0.1 or p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Our study detected many genes that showed differential expression between ovary follicles of two divergent breeds of pigs. Genes involved with regulation of cellular process, regulation of biological process, in addition to several genes not previously associated with ovarian physiology or with unknown function, were differentially expressed between two breeds. The suggestive or significant associations of BAX and BMPR1B gene with litter size indicated these genetic markers had the potentials to be used in pig industry after further validation of their genetic effects. Taken together, this study reveals many potential avenues of investigation for seeking new insights into ovarian physiology and the genetic control of reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and sensitive LC method for the quantitative determination of gemfibrozil in human plasma samples is described. Mometasone furoate was used as the internal standard. Plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation using methanol. Separation was performed at 40 °C on a YMC® ODS-A reverse phase column (5 μm particle size, 150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) using 0.2% ( v/v) triethylamine in water (adjusting to pH 4.0 with phosphoric acid) and acetonitrile (45:55, v/v) as mobile phase which was delivered at 1.5 mL min−1. Ultraviolet detection was performed at 230 nm. The linear concentration range for gemfibrozil was 0.25–50 μg mL−1. The detection limit of this method was 0.1 μg mL−1. Intra- and inter-assay RSD ranged from 0.63 to 2.04% and 1.37 to 4.27%, respectively. The method was sensitive, simple and repeatable enough to be used in pharmacokinetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed daily displacement time series from 34 continuous GPS stations in Nepal and 5 continuous GPS stations in South Tibet, China, and extracted the first 4.8 years of postseismic motion after the 2015 Mw7.8 Gorkha earthquake. With the longer duration GPS observations, we find that postseismic displacements mainly exhibit southward and uplift motion. To study the postseismic afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation, we built a 3-D spherical finite-element model (FEM) with heterogeneous material properties and surface topography across the Himalayan range, accounting for the strong variations in material properties and surface elevation along the central Himalayan arc. On the basis of the FEM, we reveal that the predicted viscoelastic relaxation of cm level moves southward to the north of the Gorkha earthquake rupture, but in an opposite direction to the observed postseismic deformation in the south; the postseismic deformation excluding viscoelastic relaxation is well explained by afterslip downdip of the coseismic rupture. The afterslip is dominant during 4.8 years after the 2015 Mw7.8 Gorkha earthquake; the contribution by the viscoelastic relaxation gradually increases slightly. The lack of slip on a shallow portion and western segment of the MHT during and after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake implies continued seismic hazard in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Angoroside C, cinnamic acid, and harpagoside are bioactive constituents in Scrophularia ningpoensis. Currently, an infrared-assisted extraction (IRAE) method coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) for the analysis of bioactive constituents in this plant is lacking. Methods: A method based on HPLC following IRAE has been developed for quantifying angoroside C, cinnamic acid, and harpagoside in Scrophularia ningpoensis. Four main factors, namely, extraction solvent, solid/liquid ratio, illumination time, and distance between the infrared lamp and the round-bottom flask, were optimized for extraction. Furthermore, conventional ultrasonic extraction (USE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were also investigated to validate the developed method. Results: The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ethanol concentration, 37.5%; solid/liquid ratio, 1:25; illumination time, 10 min; and distance between infrared lamp and round-bottom flask, 3 cm. The results of method validation demonstrated that the developed method meets the requirement of analysis. Conclusion: The results show that the IRAE-HPLC is a simple, accurate, and green analytical preparatory method for the potential extraction and quantification of angoroside C, cinnamic acid, and harpagoside in Scrophularia ningpoensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]