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Although highly appealing for rapid access of molecular complexity, multi-functionalization of alkenes that allows incorporation of more than two functional groups remains a prominent challenge. Herein, we report a novel strategy that merges dipolar cycloaddition with photoredox promoted radical ring-opening remote C(sp 3 )-H functionalization, thus enabling a smooth 1,2,5-trifunctionalization of unactivated alkenes. A highly regioselective [3+2] cycloaddition anchors a reaction trigger onto alkene substrates. The subsequent halogen atom transfer (XAT) selectively initiates ring-opening process, which is followed by a series of 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (1,5-HAT) and intermolecular fluorine atom transfer (FAT) events. With this method, site-selective introduction of three different functional groups is accomplished and a broad spectrum of valuable β-hydroxyl-ϵ-fluoro-nitrile products are synthesized from readily available terminal alkenes., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Determinate inflorescence is indeed a pivotal agricultural characteristic in crops, notably impacting the architecture modification of Brassica napus (AACC, 2n = 38). Previous study identified a crucial gene Bnsdt2 that encodes the transcription factor BnaC09.TFL1 ( Terminal Flower 1 ). Here by two alleles were cloned and sequenced from indeterminate 2982 and determinate 4769, respectively, we found that BnaC09.TFL1 harbors two T/C and G/C non-synonymous mutations in exon 1, and contains sixty-six differences in a 1.9 Kb promoter sequence. Subsequently, BnaC09.TFL1 was introduced into B. napus 571 line by genetic complementation and overexpression, transgenic plants 571 CTO lines and 571 TC lines were all restored to the indeterminate inflorescence. Interestingly, after BnaC09.TFL1 was knocked out in 'Westar', transgenic plants Westar Tcr lines were mutated to determinate inflorescences. Additionally, a NIL-4769 line was constructed to evaluate the effect of BnaC09.TFL1 on agronomic traits of Brassica napus , the results demonstrated that BnaC09.tfl1 reduced the plant height and increased the branch number and branch thousand grain weight of Brassica napus. Finally, we performed RT-qPCR, GUS staining and subcellular localization experiments to analyze the expression pattern of BnaC09.TFL1 , the results showed that the expression of BnaC09.TFL1 at shoot apex of NIL-4769 was higher than that of 4769, GUS activity was detected at apical of Arabidopsis thaliana and BnC09.TFL1-GFP was detected in cell membrane, nucleus and cytoplasm. Our findings provide a firm molecular foundation for the study of rapeseed's molecular mechanism of determinate inflorescence formation, as well as theoretical guidance for the application of determinate inflorescence in rapeseed breeding., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01503-7., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

PRL1 and PRL3, members of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family, have been associated with cancer metastasis and poor prognosis. Despite extensive research on their protein phosphatase activity, their potential role as lipid phosphatases remains elusive. Methods: We conducted comprehensive investigations to elucidate the lipid phosphatase activity of PRL1 and PRL3 using a combination of cellular assays, biochemical analyses, and protein interactome profiling. Functional studies were performed to delineate the impact of PRL1/3 on macropinocytosis and its implications in cancer biology. Results: Our study has identified PRL1 and PRL3 as lipid phosphatases that interact with phosphoinositide (PIP) lipids, converting PI(3,4)P 2 and PI(3,5)P 2 into PI(3)P on the cellular membranes. These enzymatic activities of PRLs promote the formation of membrane ruffles, membrane blebbing and subsequent macropinocytosis, facilitating nutrient extraction, cell migration, and invasion, thereby contributing to tumor development. These enzymatic activities of PRLs promote the formation of membrane ruffles, membrane blebbing and subsequent macropinocytosis. Additionally, we found a correlation between PRL1/3 expression and glioma development, suggesting their involvement in glioma progression. Conclusions: Combining with the knowledge that PRLs have been identified to be involved in mTOR, EGFR and autophagy, here we concluded the physiological role of PRL1/3 in orchestrating the nutrient sensing, absorbing and recycling via regulating macropinocytosis through its lipid phosphatase activity. This mechanism could be exploited by tumor cells facing a nutrient-depleted microenvironment, highlighting the potential therapeutic significance of targeting PRL1/3-mediated macropinocytosis in cancer treatment., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Protein phosphatases are primarily responsible for dephosphorylation modification within signal transduction pathways. Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) is a dual-specific phosphatase implicated in cancer pathogenesis. Understanding PRL-3's intricate functions and developing targeted therapies is crucial for advancing cancer treatment. This review highlights its regulatory mechanisms, expression patterns, and multifaceted roles in cancer progression. PRL-3's involvement in proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance is discussed. Regulatory mechanisms encompass transcriptional control, alternative splicing, and post-translational modifications. PRL-3 exhibits selective expressions in specific cancer types, making it a potential target for therapy. Despite advances in small molecule inhibitors, further research is needed for clinical application. PRL-3-zumab, a humanized antibody, shows promise in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Our review summarizes the current understanding of the cancer-related cellular function of PRL-3, its prognostic value, and the research progress of therapeutic inhibitors.

In order to develop candidate materials for more metal ion battery anodes, a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure 3D-PGY was designed based on graphyne, and a sandwich structure graphene/PGY/graphene (G/PGY/G) was constructed by adjusting the distance between two layers of graphene with 3D-PGY as the middle layer. Systematic calculations have shown that 3D-PGY is thermally and mechanically stable even at temperatures up to 1000 K. Li can migrate in multiple diffusion directions in two structures because of its smaller radius while Na and K ions can only migrate through the larger pores. The energy barriers of Li, Na and K ions in 3D-PGY are 0.18, 0.43 and 0.27 eV respectively. After forming the sandwich structure with graphene, the minimum energy barriers of Li, Na and K ions are decreased to 0.12, 0.37 and 0.24 eV, respectively. As the anode for Li, Na, and K ion batteries, the theoretical specific capacities of 3D-PGY are about 558 mA h g -1 , and the average open circuit voltages of 3D-PGY and G/PGY/G are about 0.48/0.52/0.29 and 1.08/1.04/1.39 V, respectively. Finally, using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, the diffusion coefficients for 3D-PGY at different temperatures, as well as for G/PGY/G at 400 K were obtained. The Li, Na and K ions in both structures can diffuse rapidly and have good rate capabilities. These excellent performances show that the graphyne-based 3D porous structure and its sandwich-type graphene structure are very promising for the development of new battery materials.

Background: Riboflavin, a vital water-soluble vitamin with antioxidative activity, plays a critical role in maintaining overall bodily health and defense responses. However, its impact on fragrant rice yield and aroma remains unexplored., Results: In a 2022 pot experiment with Meixiangzhan and Yuxiangyouzhan fragrant rice cultivars, we applied riboflavin foliar treatments at concentrations of 0 (CK), 10 (R10), 20 (R20), and 40 (R40) mg L -1 during the initial heading stage. Riboflavin increased rice yield, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) content, and antioxidative properties. It boosted 2-AP level by 13.1-50.1% for Meixiangzhan and 22.3-35.3% for Yuxiangyouzhan, with the highest levels in R20 and R10 treatments. This increase is significantly correlated with elevated levels of proline, pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, pyrroline, and methylglyoxal, as well as heightened enzyme activities, including those of proline dehydrogenase, ornithine aminotransferase, and pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase (P5CS). The R20 treatment resulted in the highest yield due to an improved seed-setting rate. Importantly, a positive correlation emerged between 2-AP content and yield, both significantly linked to superoxide dismutase, proline, hydrogen peroxide, P5CS, catalase, and pyrroline., Conclusion: Riboflavin maintained enzyme activities, regulated substance synthesis pathways, and increased 2-AP and yield, especially in the R20 treatment. These insights advance fragrant rice production theory by uncovering riboflavin's role in the development of fragrant rice. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Peer victimization and depressive symptoms are highly relevant risks during adolescence. Understanding the dynamic patterns of interactions between peer victimization and depressive symptoms as well as gender differences in these variables can improve intervention strategies for adolescents navigating this critical transition period. In the present study, a large sample of Chinese adolescents reported peer victimization and depressive symptoms in four survey waves at six-month intervals. A total of 2534 adolescents (51.9% boys, M = 12.98 ± 0.60 years) were included in the latent change score (LCS) analysis. The results supported the reciprocal effects model obtained in the full sample. Changes in peer victimization were influenced by prior changes in depressive symptoms over time, and changes in depressive symptoms were influenced by prior levels of peer victimization. There were also gender differences, with boys exhibiting depressive symptom-driven effects on peer victimization, while girls exhibiting peer victimization-induced depressive symptoms. The dynamic relationships between peer victimization and depressive symptoms that promote and constrain each other in adolescents are elucidated in this study. Differentiating effects on boys and girls is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of practical interventions.

The development of lithium-ion batteries with simplified assembling steps and fast charge capability is crucial for current battery applications. In this study, we propose a simple in-situ strategy for the construction of high-dispersive cobalt oxide (CoO) nanoneedle arrays, which grow vertically on a copper foam substrate. It is demonstrated that this nanoneedle CoO electrodes provide abundant electrochemical surface area. The resulting CoO arrays directly act as binder-free anodes in lithium-ion batteries with the copper foam functioning as the current collector. The highly-dispersed feature of the nanoneedle arrays enhances the effectiveness of active materials, leading to outstanding rate capability and superior long-term cycling stability. These impressive electrochemical properties are attributed to the highly-dispersed self-standing nanoarrays, the advantages of binder-free constituent, and the high exposed surface area of the copper foam substrate compared to copper foil, which enrich active surface area and facilitate charge transfer. The proposed approach to prepare binder-free lithium-ion battery anodes streamlines the electrode fabrication steps and holds significant promise for the future development of the battery industry., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Transition metal (TM) dissolution is a direct consequence of cathode-electrolyte interaction, having implications not only for the loss of redox-active material from the cathode but also for the alteration of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) composition and stability at the counter electrode. It has widely been reported that the limited anodic stability of typical carbonate-based electrolytes, specifically ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolytes, makes high-voltage cathode performance problematic. Hence, the more anodically stable tetramethylene sulfone (SL) has herein been utilized as a co-solvent and a substitute for EC in combination with diethyl carbonate (DEC) to investigate the TM dissolution behavior of LiN 0.8 C 0.17 Al 0.03 (NCA) and LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO). EC|DEC and SL|DEC solvents in combination with either LiPF 6 or LiBOB salts have been evaluated, with LFP as a counter electrode to eliminate the influence of low potential anodes. Oxidative degradation of EC is shown to propagate HF generation, which is conversely reflected by an increased TM dissolution. Therefore, TM dissolution is accelerated by the acidification of the electrolyte. Although replacing EC with the anodically stable SL reduces HF generation and effectively mitigates TM dissolution, SL containing electrolytes are demonstrated to be less capable of supporting Li-ion transport and thus show lower cycling stability., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Billions of doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been administered and several cases of thrombocytopenia with thrombosis syndrome (TTS) have been reported after the administration of adenoviral vector vaccines. However, the effects of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, on coagulation are not well understood., Methods: In this randomized, controlled, open-label phase IV clinical trial, 270 participants including 135 adults aged 18-59 years and 135 adults aged 60 years or older, were enrolled and randomized to the CoronaVac group or to the control group in a 2:1 ratio and received two doses of CoronaVac or one dose of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and one dose of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine on days 0 and 28, respectively. Adverse events were collected for 28 days after each dose. Blood samples were taken on days 0, 4, 14, 28, 32, 42, and 56 after the first dose to evaluate neutralizing antibody titers and laboratory parameters of coagulation function and blood glucose., Results: Fourteen days after the second dose of CoronaVac, the seroconversion rates of neutralizing antibodies against the prototype strain and beta, gamma, and delta variants of concern (VOC) of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reached peak values of 89.31%, 23.3%, 45.3%, and 53.5%, respectively. The incidence of adverse reactions was 43.6% and 52.2% in the CoronaVac group and in the control group, respectively. All were mild or moderate in severity. For the laboratory parameters, there was no difference in the means of any parameter between the two groups at any time point, except for the D-dimer on day 14. However, the D-dimer in the CoronaVac group decreased on day 14 compared to the value at baseline, while a higher D-dimer value, instead of a decreased D-dimer value, was a risk factor for TTS., Conclusion: CoronaVac showed a good safety profile and could induce a humoral response against the prototype and VOCs of SARS-CoV-2 in adults 18 years or older, with no abnormal effects on laboratory parameters of blood glucose and coagulation function., Competing Interests: Authors XL, TY, YS, and YG are employed by Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd., YZ, JL, and JS are employed by Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors declare that this study received funding from Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd. The funder had the following involvement in the study: the study design, on-site monitoring, antibody detection, interpretation of data, the writing and review of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Xu, Lu, Liu, Zhao, Sun, Cao, Liu, Yang, Song, Lv, Xiong, Li, Sun, Xie, Gao and Zhang.)

The galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) is considered the go-to method for determining the Li + diffusion coefficients in insertion electrode materials. However, GITT-based methods are either time-consuming, prone to analysis pitfalls or require sophisticated interpretation models. Here, we propose the intermittent current interruption (ICI) method as a reliable, accurate and faster alternative to GITT-based methods. Using Fick's laws, we prove that the ICI method renders the same information as the GITT within a certain duration of time since the current interruption. Via experimental measurements, we also demonstrate that the results from ICI and GITT methods match where the assumption of semi-infinite diffusion applies. Moreover, the benefit of the non-disruptive ICI method to operando materials characterization is exhibited by correlating the continuously monitored diffusion coefficient of Li + in a LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 -based electrode to its structural changes captured by operando X-ray diffraction measurements., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Key Message: A novel quantitative trait locus for early flowering in spring oilseed rape, BnaC08cqDTF, was mapped to an 86-kb region on chromosome C08, and its causal gene, CRY2, was uncovered. Days to flowering is a very important agronomic and adaptive trait of Brassica napus oilseed rape (AACC, 2n = 38). We previously identified BnaC08cqDTF as a novel candidate quantitative trait locus (QTL) for early flowering in spring oilseed rape. Here, we present fine mapping of the locus and a study of its causal gene. Initial mapping was performed by QTL sequencing of DNA pools of BC 3 F 2 plants with extreme flowering times derived from crosses between the spring-type cv. No. 4512 (early flowering) and cv. No. 5246 (late flowering), along with fine mapping by target sequencing of the BC 3 F 2 and BC 4 F 2  populations. Fine mapping narrowed down BnaC08cqDTF to an 86-kb region on chromosome C08. The region harbored fifteen genes. After comparative analyses of the DNA sequences for mutation between A and C syntenic regions and detected by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR between the two parents, we found that BnaC08G0010400ZS harbors an A/G nonsynonymous mutation in exon 3. This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype was also correlated with early flowering in a 256 accession panel. BnaC08G0010400ZS is a homolog of the AT1G04400 gene (CRY2) in Arabidopsis. The analyses of transgenic Arabidopsis verified that BnaC08G0010400ZS is responsible for early flowering. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the genetic control mechanism of early flowering in spring Brassica napus and will promote the breeding for early mature varieties., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Due to the development of the novel materials, the past two decades have witnessed the rapid advances of soft electronics. The soft electronics have huge potential in the physical sign monitoring and health care. One of the important advantages of soft electronics is forming good interface with skin, which can increase the user scale and improve the signal quality. Therefore, it is easy to build the specific dataset, which is important to improve the performance of machine learning algorithm. At the same time, with the assistance of machine learning algorithm, the soft electronics have become more and more intelligent to realize real-time analysis and diagnosis. The soft electronics and machining learning algorithms complement each other very well. It is indubitable that the soft electronics will bring us to a healthier and more intelligent world in the near future. Therefore, in this review, we will give a careful introduction about the new soft material, physiological signal detected by soft devices, and the soft devices assisted by machine learning algorithm. Some soft materials will be discussed such as two-dimensional material, carbon nanotube, nanowire, nanomesh, and hydrogel. Then, soft sensors will be discussed according to the physiological signal types (pulse, respiration, human motion, intraocular pressure, phonation, etc.). After that, the soft electronics assisted by various algorithms will be reviewed, including some classical algorithms and powerful neural network algorithms. Especially, the soft device assisted by neural network will be introduced carefully. Finally, the outlook, challenge, and conclusion of soft system powered by machine learning algorithm will be discussed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Seed density per silique (SD) is an important agricultural trait and plays an important role in the yield performance of Brassica napus L. (B. napus). In this study, a genetic linkage map was constructed using a double haploid (DH) population with 213 lines derived from a cross between a low SD line No. 935 and a high SD line No. 3641, and a total of 1,098,259 SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) markers and 2,102 bins were mapped to 19 linkage groups. Twenty-eight QTLs for SD were detected on chromosomes A02, A04, A05, A09, C02, C03, C06, and C09 of B. napus, of which eight QTLs were on chromosome A09 and explained 5.89%-13.24% of the phenotypic variation. Furthermore, a consistent QTL for SD on chromosome A09, cqSD-A9a, was identified in four environments by QTL meta-analysis, explaining 10.68% of the phenotypic variation. In addition, four pairs of epistatic interactions were detected in the DH population via QTL epistasis analysis, indicating that SD is controlled not only by additive effects but also by epistatic effects that play an important role in spring B. napus., but with little environmental effect. Moreover, 18 closely linked SSR markers for cqSD-A9a were developed, as a result, it was mapped to a 1.86Mb (7.80-9.66 Mb) region on chromosome A09. A total of 13 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in the candidate interval by RNA-seq analysis, which were differentially expressed in buds, leaves and siliques both between and siliques both between two parents and two pools of extremely high-SD and low-SD lines in the DH population. Three of 13 DEGs were possible candidate genes that might control SD: BnaA09g14070D, which encodes a callose synthase that plays an important role in development and stress responses; BnaA09g14800D, a plant synaptic protein that encodes a membrane component; and BnaA09g18250D, which is responsible for DNA binding, transcriptional regulation, and sequence-specific DNA binding and is involved in the response to growth hormone stimulation. Overall, these results lay a foundation for fine mapping and gene cloning for SD in B. napus., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Xing et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Endogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) mediates abiotic and biotic stresses in plants. Exogenous MeJA application can stimulate and defend plant gene expression and induce plant chemical defense. The effects of foliar MeJA application on yield and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) biosynthesis of fragrant rice are scarcely investigated. The pot experiment was conducted by spraying different concentrations of MeJA (0, 1, and 2 μM; denoted as CK, MeJA-1, and MeJA-2) at the initial heading stage of two fragrant rice cultivars, Meixiangzhan and Yuxiangyouzhan. The results showed that foliar MeJA application significantly increased the grain 2-AP content by 32.1% and 49.7%, respectively, following MeJA-1 and MeJA-2 treatments, and the two cultivars showed the highest 2-AP content upon MeJA-2 treatment. However, the grain yield was increased in MeJA-1 as compared with MeJA-2 treatment for all rice cultivars and no significant differences were observed in yield and yield-related traits compared with CK. The aroma was improved by foliar MeJA application which was strongly associated with the regulation of the precursors and enzymes involved in 2-AP biosynthesis. In particular, the contents of proline, pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid, and pyrroline at maturity, as well as the activities of proline dehydrogenase, ornithine aminotransferase, and pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase, were positively correlated with grain 2-AP content. On the other hand, foliar MeJA application improved the contents of soluble protein, chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoid, and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, peroxidase activity and leaf chlorophyll contents were significantly positively correlated to 2-AP content following foliar MeJA application. Therefore, our results implied that foliar MeJA application increased aroma and influenced yield by regulating the physio-biochemistry characters and resistance, and suggested that the optimal concentration of MeJA for the best positive effect on the yield and aroma was 1 μM. However, further study is required to evaluate the metabolic level and molecular basis of the regulatory mechanism of foliar MeJA application on 2-AP in fragrant rice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

In this work, eco-friendly superhydrophobic coatings were prepared by dispersing hydrophobic silica nanoparticles and a waterborne silicone-modified polyurethane dispersion into an ethanol solution, which was free of fluorine and volatile toxic solvents. The effects of the silica content on the hydrophobicity and scratch resistance of the hydrophobic surfaces were investigated by WCA measurements and a sandpaper abrasion test, respectively. The experimental results indicated that when the silica content exceeded 30% by mass, the silica/silicone-modified polyurethane coatings had superhydrophobicity. Meanwhile, the superhydrophobic coatings with a silica content of 30% by mass simultaneously had the optimal mechanical stability. We studied the morphology and roughness of the hydrophobic surfaces with different silica content and attempted to briefly explain the influence mechanism of silica content. Furthermore, anti-icing and oil-water separation experiments were carried out on the superhydrophobic coatings, which exhibited good anti-icing performance and high separation efficiency. The eco-friendly superhydrophobic coating is expected to be applied in the fields of oil-water separation, anti-icing, and self-cleaning, etc.

In order to deeply study the heat conduction of nanoporous aerogel, a model of gas-solid heat conduction was established based on the microstructure of aerogel. The model was divided into two subdomains with uniform mesh because of the different gas-solid characteristics, and simulation was performed on each domain using the lattice Boltzmann method. The value of temperature on the boundaries of subdomains was determined by interpolation. Finally, the temperature distribution and the thermal conductivity were maintained. It can be concluded that when the gas-phase scale was fixed, the temperature distribution of the solid phase became more uniform when the scale increased; when the solid-phase scale was fixed, the temperature jump on the gas-solid interface decreased with the increase in the gas-phase scale; and the thermal conductivity of gas-solid coupling varied with the scale of the gas phase or solid phase, showing a scale effect in varying degrees.

Soft materials such as biological tissues are prone to deformation and generate different stable structures under external stimulation. This property is widely used to create tunable patterns, and the tuning of the wrinkling patterns can be applied to the control of elastic waves. In this paper, the wrinkling modes of film/substrate systems with different geometric dimensions and material parameters were studied. It is verified by numerical simulation that the elastic wave band gaps corresponding to the two wrinkling modes can be effectively superposed in one system, and the experimental samples with two wrinkling modes coexisting in one system were prepared by parameter optimization and a moisture-curing process. A vibration test showed that the hybrid system could effectively suppress the propagation of elastic waves. Combined with engineering needs, the wrinkling system under different loading conditions was studied, which provides a design guide for widening and regulating the elastic wave band gap.

Herein, we report a strategically novel method for the efficient construction of indole skeletons using 2-phenylisoxazol-5-ones as the starting material. This reaction proceeds via Brønsted acid-promoted α-iminyl cation generation by N-O bond cleavage and a subsequent intramolecular cyclization to afford 1 H -indole-3-carboxylic acid, which further undergoes decarboxylation to yield the final product. Control experiments show that N-O bond cleavage and intramolecular cyclization proceed so fast that the 1 H -indole-3-carboxylic acid could be isolated in high yields even after 5-10 min. The substrate scope of this transformation is broad, and the desired products are obtained in moderate to good yields. The transition-metal-free reaction condition, CO 2 as the sole byproduct, and good practicability add to the synthetic potential of this transformation in the pharmaceutical and flavor industries.

Purpose: The clinical and pathological data of patients with rhinofacial ulcers were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed to lay the foundation for standardized clinical treatment., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, etiology, pathological features, treatment methods, and prognosis of 243 patients with rhinofacial ulcers treated in the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology at six hospitals in Shandong Province, China from July 2014 to October 2021. The clinical characteristics and treatment methods of the rhinofacial ulcers were summarized to provide a basis for standardizing patients' diagnosis and treatment., Results: The male-to-female ratio of the 243 patients was 2.04:1, and their ages ranged from 25 to 91 years. The most common sites were the cheek, nasal dorsum, and upper lip. The common primary diseases were basal-cell carcinoma, squamous-cell carcinoma, and odontogenic fistula, but rare triggers played important roles in some cases, such as infection, autoimmune diseases, and adverse drug reactions. Surgical treatment was feasible for tumor ulcers; 71 patients with basal-cell carcinoma and 50 with squamous-cell carcinoma were treated with Mohs micrographic surgery. During the follow-up period of 1-84 months, most of the rhinofacial ulcers were cured, while natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, angiosarcoma, and melanoma were important causes of death., Conclusion: Various causes may lead to rhinofacial skin ulcers, and some cases lacking specificity of clinical manifestations are easily misdiagnosed in clinical practice. Histopathological biopsy is valuable for confirming the diagnosis, after which correct etiological treatment is very important., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Ma et al.)

The present study examined a moderated mediation model between life satisfaction and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19. Seven hundred and ninety college students participated in the study and completed questionnaires on life satisfaction, suicidal ideation, depression, and gratitude. Findings indicated that (1) Depression played a partial mediating role between life satisfaction and suicidal ideation. Life satisfaction was not only directly affected suicidal ideation, but also indirectly affected suicidal ideation through the mediating effect of college students' depression; (2) Gratitude played a moderating role in the effect of life satisfaction on depression, and the link between life satisfaction and suicide ideation was only significant for those with higher gratitude. This study provides practical implications for the prevention of suicidal behavior among Chinese college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yu, Liu, Ye, Tang, Huang and Liu.)

Purpose: COVID-19 has been exerting tremendous influence on an individual's physical behavior and mental health. In China, prolonged isolation may lead to depression among college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19. We conducted this study to explore the relationship among stressful life events, grit, gratitude, and depression in college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19., Methods: We investigated 953 college students from across China, with an average age of 20.38 ( SD =1.39) years. Participants completed four scales (Stressful Life Events Scale, Oviedo Grit Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, and Patients' Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item)., Results: The present study found that (1) stressful life events were positively correlated with depression in college students; (2) grit mediated the positive relationship between stressful life events and depression; (3) gratitude moderated the relationship between grit and depression, and such that there was a stronger association between grit and depression for college students with high gratitude., Conclusion: This study was of great significance for studying the relationship between stressful life events and depression in Chinese college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19. Results indicated that grit and gratitude of college students may be the main targets of depression prevention and intervention. The research conclusion has theoretical and reference value for solving and preventing depression in college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interest in this work., (© 2022 Liu et al.)

The global recurrent outbreak of COVID-19 has brought immense psychological distress to those affected. We conducted this study to explore the relationship among grit, stressful life events, depression, and life satisfaction in college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19. According to the properties of the bias-corrected bootstrap method, we surveyed 888 college students, with an average age of 20.84 ( SD = 1.57) years. Participants completed questionnaires regarding grit, depression, stressful life events, and life satisfaction. The results showed that 1) grit was correlated with life satisfaction ( r = 0.426, p < 0.001); 2) depression mediated the relationship between grit and life satisfaction [indirect effect = 0.0292, SE = 0.009, 95% CI boot = (0.135, 0.500)]; 3) The relationship between grit and depression was moderated by stressful life events (β = 0.107, SE = 0.028, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.053, 0.161]). The association between grit and depression became weaker for college students with high stressful life events. The results indicated that concerned about depression and stressful life events may be the main targets for improving life satisfaction among college students during the recurrent outbreak of COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Liu, Yu, Ye and Yang.)

This Communication demonstrates a novel and in situ simultaneous cavitation-doping (SCD) approach to construct bimetallic metal-doped cobalt metal-organic framework hollow nanospheres (CoM-MOF HNSs, with M = Ru or Fe). The key point of the SCD approach is the careful balance between the kinetics of Co-MOF being etched and the coordinative growth of a more stable CoM-MOF shell induced by Lewis acid (MCl 3 , with M = Ru or Fe). Our work provides a new method to synthesize bimetallic hollow MOFs and benefits the development of electrocatalysts.

Key Message: A major QTL, qBWA12, was fine mapped to a 216.68 kb physical region, and A12.4097252 was identified as a useful KASP marker for breeding peanut varieties resistant to bacterial wilt. Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a major disease detrimental to peanut production in China. Breeding disease-resistant peanut varieties is the most economical and effective way to prevent the disease and yield loss. Fine mapping the QTLs for bacterial wilt resistance is critical for the marker-assisted breeding of disease-resistant varieties. A recombinant inbred population comprising 521 lines was used to construct a high-density genetic linkage map and to identify QTLs for bacterial wilt resistance following restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing. The genetic map, which included 5120 SNP markers, covered a length of 3179 cM with an average marker distance of 0.6 cM. Four QTLs for bacterial wilt resistance were mapped on four chromosomes. One major QTL, qBWA12, with LOD score of 32.8-66.0 and PVE of 31.2-44.8%, was stably detected in all four development stages investigated over the 3 trial years. Additionally, qBWA12 spanned a 2.7 cM region, corresponding to approximately 0.4 Mb and was fine mapped to a 216.7 kb region by applying KASP markers that were polymorphic between the two parents based on whole-genome resequencing data. In a large collection of breeding and germplasm lines, it was proved that KASP marker A12.4097252 can be applied for the marker-assisted breeding to develop peanut varieties resistant to bacterial wilt. Of the 19 candidate genes in the region covered by qBWA12, nine NBS-LRR genes should be further investigated regarding their potential contribution to the resistance of peanut against bacterial wilt., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Here, a new three-dimensional (3D) porous h-BC 2 N was designed via the assembly of prismane C 8 and boron nitride chains as the candidates for alkali metal ion battery anodes. By systematic calculations, it is found that h-BC 2 N is both thermally and mechanically stable, even at a temperature as high as 1000 K. Li ions can migrate with multiple diffusion directions in h-BC 2 N, and the minimum diffusion barrier is only 0.10 eV lower than that of graphite. The theoretical specific capacity of the h-BC 2 N anode for Li is 549 mAh/g, which is higher than that reported for graphite. h-BC 2 N is also a promising anode for sodium (NIBs) and potassium ion batteries (KIBs) whose specific capacities are also large (549 mAh/g), and the energy barriers are 0.35 and 0.19 eV, respectively. Additionally, LIBs, NIBs, and KIBs exhibit voltage stability upon charging/discharging and good cycling stability. This theoretical exploration may open a new frontier in the search for more practical 3D porous structures as LIBs, NIBs, and KIBs anodes.

Cracks play an important role in strain sensors. However, a systematic analysis of how cracks influence the strain sensors has not been proposed. In this work, an intelligent and highly sensitive strain sensor based on indium tin oxide (ITO)/polyurethane (PU) micromesh is realized. The micromesh has good skin compatibility, water vapor permeability, and stability. Due to the color of the ITO/PU micromesh, it can be invisible on the skin. Based on the fragility of ITO, the density and resistance of cracks in the micromesh are greatly improved. Therefore, the ITO/PU micromesh strain sensor (IMSS) has an ultrahigh gauge factor (744.3). In addition, a finite element model based on four resistance layers is proposed to explain the performance of the IMSS and show the importance of high-density cracks. Compared with other strain sensors based on low-density cracks, the IMSS based on high-density cracks has larger sensitivity and better linearity. Physiological signals, such as respiration, pulse, and joint motion, can be monitored using the IMSS self-fixed on the skin. Finally, an invisible and artificial throat has been realized by combining the IMSS with a convolutional neural network algorithm. The artificial throat can translate the throat vibrations of the tester automatically with an accuracy of 86.5%. This work has great potential in health care and language function reconstruction.

gem -Difluorocyclopropane diester is disclosed as a new type of donor-acceptor cyclopropane, which smoothly participates in (3 + 2)-cycloadditions with various aldehydes and ketones. This work represents the first application of gem -difluorine substituents as an unconventional donor group for activating cyclopropane substrates in catalytic cycloaddition reactions. With this method, a wide variety of densely functionalized gem -difluorotetrahydrofuran skeletons, which are otherwise difficult to prepare, could be readily assembled in high yields under mild reaction conditions. Computational studies show that the cleavage of the C-C bond between the difluorine and diester moieties occurs upon a S N 2-type attack of the carbonyl oxygen., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: The determinate growth habits is beneficial for plant architecture modification and the development of crops cultivars suited to mechanized production systems. Which play an important role in the genetic improvement of crops. In Brassica napus, a determinate inflorescence strain (4769) has been discovered among doubled haploid (DH) lines obtained from a spring B. napus × winter B. napus cross, but there are few reports on it. We fine mapped a determinate inflorescence locus, and evaluated the effect of the determinate growth habit on agronomic traits., Results: In this study, we assessed the effect of the determinate growth habit on agronomic traits. The results showed that determinacy is beneficial for reducing plant height and flowering time, advancing maturity, enhancing lodging resistance, increasing plant branches and maintaining productivity. Genetic analysis in the determinate (4769) and indeterminate (2982) genotypes revealed that two independently inherited recessive genes (Bnsdt1, Bnsdt2) are responsible for this determinate growth trait. Bnsdt2 was subsequently mapped in BC 2 and BC 3 populations derived from the combination 2982 × 4769. Bnsdt2 could be delimited to an approximately 122.9 kb region between 68,586.2 kb and 68,709.1 kb on C09. BLAST analysis of these candidate intervals showed that chrC09g006434 (BnaC09.TFL1) is homologous to TFL1 of A. thaliana. Sequence analysis of two alleles identified two non-synonymous SNPs (T136C, G141C) in the first exon of BnaC09.TFL1, resulting in two amino acid substitutions (Phe46Leu, Leu47Phe). Subsequently, qRT-PCR revealed that BnaC09.TFL1 expression in shoot apexes was significantly higher in NIL-4769 than in 4769, suggesting its essential role in sustaining the indeterminate growth habit., Conclusions: In this study, the novel locus Bnsdt2, a recessive genes for determinate inflorescence in B. napus, was fine-mapped to a 68,586.2 kb - 68,709.1 kb interval on C09. The annotated genes chrC09g006434 (BnaC09.TFL1) that may be responsible for inflorescence traits were found., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Selective C-F bond functionalization of CF 3 group represents an appealing strategy for the incorporation of pharmaceutically privileged difluoromethylene moiety. Despite the recent significant advancement attained in the functionalization of Ar-CF 3 molecules, prescriptions amenable for alkenyl-CF 3 congeners remain sufficiently inadequate. Herein, we report a strategically novel protocol for the C-F bond elaboration of trifluoromethylalkene derivatives. By using readily available allyl metallics as nucleophilic coupling partner, the present reaction enables an expedient construction of structurally diversified CF 2 -bridged 1,5-dienes. Furthermore, the exquisite selectivity observed in this transformation is revealed to be based on the underlying mechanism that consists of a cascade of nucleophilic S N 2' defluorinative allylation and electronically promoted Cope rearrangement., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Controlling the morphology of highly homogeneous nanoribbons is one of the main goals for synthesizing catalysts with excellent activity and durability. In this Communication, platinum (Pt) nanoribbons were synthesized by a one-pot method. We used ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) as the regulator, under 8 atm of hydrogen (H 2 ), to synthesize zigzag-shaped two-dimensional Pt nanoribbons. Benefiting from their unique morphology, the Pt nanoribbons display superior electrocatalytic activity and stability.

The porous polymer matrix with good stability and confined microenvironment is considered as ideal support to stabilize isolated metal centers for catalysis. Herein, we report a "one-pot" method to prepare a kind of palladium complexed with azo porous organic polymer nanospheres (Pd-azo-POPs). The method combines the synthesis of azo-POPs with the reduction of the Pd ion, where azo serves as an anchoring group to limit the growth of Pd. The unique structure is conductive to the formation of a uniform active center and provides improved electron transfer. Pd-azo-POPs-80 exhibits a high catalytic activity and cycling stability both in 4-nitrophenol reduction and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. The k nor for the 4-nitrophenol reduction was 174.7 min -1  mM -1 and the conversion remains above 90% after 6 cycles. Meanwhile, the yield was still up to 94.5% after 5 cycles for the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction of benzene derivatives with I/Br under mild conditions., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: The dysregulation of ribosome biogenesis is associated with the progression of numerous tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) regulate ribosome biogenesis by guiding the modification of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). However, the underlying mechanism of this process in HCC remains elusive., Methods: RNA immunoprecipitation and sequencing were used to analyze RNAs targeted by ribosome proteins. The biological functions of SNORA23 were examined in HCC cells and a xenograft mouse model. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, the 2'-O-ribose methylation level of rRNAs was evaluated by qPCR, and the key proteins in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway were detected using Western blot., Results: Twelve snoRNAs were found to co-exist in 4 cancer cell lines using RPS6 pull-down assays. SNORA23 was downregulated in HCC and correlated with the poor prognoses of HCC patients. SNORA23 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo . We also found that SNORA23 regulated ribosome biogenesis by impairing 2'-O-ribose methylation of cytidine 4506 of 28S rRNA. Furthermore, SNORA23, which is regulated by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of 4E binding protein 1. SNORA23 and rapamycin blocked the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and impaired HCC growth in vivo ., Conclusions: SNORA23 exhibited antitumor effects in HCC and together with rapamycin, provided a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment., Competing Interests: No potential conflicts of interest are disclosed., (Copyright © 2021 Cancer Biology & Medicine.)

The Shandong Peninsula is the largest peninsula in China and has played a vital part in Chinese civilisation. The ancient independent Laizi kingdom was located on the Shandong peninsula. While large demographic changes have happened at this peninsula throughout history, the genetic landscape of modern populations on this peninsula has never been clarified. The aims of our study were to investigate population genetic characteristics of the populations on the Shandong peninsula and to reveal their genetic affinities with other populations around the world. Allele frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and forensic parameters of 15 autosomal STRs in the AmpF l STR ® Identifiler system were obtained from the studied populations with 2441 individuals in total. Allele frequencies were used to reveal the phylogenetic relationships among 287 worldwide populations. The combined power of discrimination (CPD) and the combined power of exclusion (CPE) in the whole of the Han population on the Shandong Peninsula were 0.999999999999999983 and 0.999998155, respectively. The 15 autosomal loci were polymorphic and informative among our studied populations. Genetic homogeneities were revealed between the modern populations on the Shandong Peninsula and Han nationalities from Northeastern China as well as East China.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived catalysts exhibit highly-efficient hydrogen or oxygen evolution performance on water splitting. However, it is an urgent problem to construct bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution performance. Herein, we adopted Ag nanowires as templates to prepare one-dimensional Ag nanowire@ZIF-8@ZIF-67 precursors (1D AgNW@ZIF-8@ZIF-67). Through pyrolysis, AgNW@ZIF-8@ZIF-67 precursors transformed into nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks (NCF) embedded with zinc-cobalt (ZnCo) nanoparticles on the surface of Ag NWs (denoted as Ag@ZnCo/NCF nanohybrids). The nanohybrids were consisted of Ag NWs with good conductivity and ZnCo/NCF nanohybrids with rich accessible active sites. Benefiting from their large specific surface area, accessible active sites and synergistic effect among components, Ag@ZnCo/NCF nanohybrids exhibit lower overpotentials of 139 mV and 279 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm -2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solution, severally. Compared with other catalysts, Ag@ZnCo/NCF nanohybrids possess smaller Tafel slope, indicating their higher catalytic activity. This work provides a new perspective for designing low-cost and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Developing the highly efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reactions (OERs), as vital half reactions of water splitting, is crucial for renewable energy technology. The electrocatalysts based on multi-component and hierarchically structured non-noble metal hydr(oxy)oxide materials are of great prospects. Herein, we report an efficient strategy at low temperatures for synthesizing amorphous iron-doped cobalt-molybdenum ultrathin hydroxide (Fe-CoMo UH) nanosheets. Benefiting from the ultrathin amorphous structure and multi-metal coordination, Fe-CoMo UH nanosheets exhibit outstanding performance for OERs with a low overpotential of 245 mV at 10 mA cm -2 , a small Tafel slope of 37 mV dec -1 and an excellent stability for 90 h. The mass activity of Fe-CoMo UH is higher than that of commercial Ir/C and most of the transition metal hydroxide catalysts. This work provides a feasible consideration for the construction of promising efficient non-noble metal catalysts.

Over the past decades, metal selenides have drawn considerable attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity. However, huge volume changes and sluggish electrochemical transfer kinetics hinder their applications in energy storage and conversion. In this work, we demonstrate an efficient and ingenious synthesis strategy to regulate nickel selenide electrodes by the introduction of copper and in situ coating with carbon (Cu-NiSe2@C). When used as anodes for lithium-ion batteries, the as-synthesized Cu-NiSe2@C delivered a high capacity of 1630 mA h g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 200 cycles and excellent rate performance as well as long-term cycling stability with a high capacity of 489 mA h g-1 at 10 A g-1 after 20 000 cycles. When coupled with a commercial LiFePO4 cathode, the full cells showed a high capacity of 463 mA h g-1 at 0.2 A g-1. Their superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the in situ carbon coating and copper doping, which can promote the electron/ion transfer kinetics, as well as alleviate the volume expansion during cycling. This work will open new opportunities for the development of high-performance anodes for lithium storage.

Background: Chlorophyll is the most important factor enabling plants to absorb, transfer and transform light energy and plays an important role in yield formation. Brassica napus is one of the most important oil crops. Breeding Brassica napus for high light efficiency by improving photosynthetic efficiency has considerable social and economic value. In Brassica napus, there have been studies of the initial location of chlorophyll in seed embryos and pericarps, but there are few reports on the fine mapping of chlorophyll QTLs. We constructed near-isogenic lines (NIL), fine-mapped a chlorophyll locus, and evaluated the effect of this dominant locus on agronomic traits., Results: The cqSPDA2 locus was mapped to an interval of 21.87-22.91 Mb on the chromosome A02 of Brassica napus using doubled haploid (DH) lines. To fine-map cqSPDA2, we built NIL and designed Indel primers covering the mapping interval. The 469 individuals in the BC 3 F 2 population were analyzed using these indel primers. Among these indel primers, 15 could narrow the mapping interval to 188 kb between Indel3 and Indel15. Next, 16 indel primers and 19 SSR primers were designed within the new narrower mapping interval, and 5 of the primer-amplified fragments were found to be polymorphic and tightly linked to the cqSPDA2 locus in the BC 4 F 2 population. The mapping interval was narrowed to 152 kb on A02 between SSR2 and Indel15. By gene expression analysis, we found three annotated genes in the mapping interval, including BnaA02g30260D, BnaA02g30290D and BnaA02g30310D, which may be responsible for chlorophyll synthesis., Conclusions: The locus cqSPDA2, a dominant QTL for chlorophyll content in Brassica napus, was fine-mapped to a 21.89-22.04 Mb interval on A02 . Three annotated genes (BnaA02g30260D, BnaA02g30290D and BnaA02g30310D) that may be responsible for chlorophyll synthesis were found.

A strategically novel protocol for ring-opening functionalization of aryl gem -difluorocyclopropanes (F 2 CPs), which allows an expedient construction of CF 3 -containing architectures via visible-light-promoted F-nucleophilic attack manifold, was disclosed. Single electron oxidation of F 2 CPs was ascribed as the critical step for the success of this transformation by prompting F-nucleophilic attack, as well as the ensuing C-C bond scission. The observed intriguing regioselectivity for fluoroincorporation in this reaction was rationalized by invoking the cation-stabilization property of gem -difluorine substituents and also the thermodynamic gains acquired from forming CF 3 functionality. By using cost-effective fluorination reagent and readily available substrates, a broad collection of structurally diversified α-allyl-β-trifluoromethyl ethylbenzene derivatives could be obtained in generally good yields. Further mechanistic investigations proved the engagement of a benzylic radical intermediate in this transformation.

Chemical modification of cellulose is beneficial to produce highly porous lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators, but introduction of high charge density adversely affects its electrochemical stability in a LiNi 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 O 2 (NMC)/graphite full cell. In this study, the influence of carboxylate functional groups in 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl-mediated oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNs) on the electrochemical performances of the LIB separator was investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in operando mass spectrometry measurements were used to elucidate the cause of failure of the batteries containing TOCN separators in the presence and absence of sodium counterions in the carboxylate groups and additives. For the TOCN separator with sodium carboxylate functional groups, it seems that Na deposition is the dominant reason for poor electrochemical stability of the cell thereof. The poor performance of the protonated TOCN separator, attributed to a high amount of gas evolution, is dramatically improved by adding 2 wt % of vinylene carbonate (VC) because of suppressed gas evolution. Unveiling the failure mechanism of the TOCN separators and successively implementing the strategies to improve performance, for example, removing Na, adding VC, and adjusting cycling rates, enable a remarkable cycling performance in the NMC/graphite full cell at ≈2 C (3 mA/cm 2 ) of a fast discharging rate. Despite the aforementioned efforts and compromises required, an increased charge density of the TOCN is beneficial to acquire a mechanically stronger separator. In conclusion, the manufacturing process of cellulose nanofibers needs to be carefully adjusted to acquire a desired separator property. To the best of our knowledge, it is first reported to perform operando gas evolution measurements to systematically investigate the electrochemical stability of nanocellulose as an LIB separator material. The results elucidate not only the challenges for extensive applications of hygroscopic biomaterials for commercial LIBs but also the practical solutions to achieve high electrochemical stability of the materials.

To explore the association between serum cystatin C (Cys-C) and renal damage in patients with chronic hepatitis B.We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 425 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Liver stiffness measured by FibroScan was used to diagnosis liver fibrosis. Cys-C levels were detected via latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay.A total of 425 patients were enrolled. Among them, 217 were patients with CHB with an eGFR > 90 mL/min/1.73 m and 208 with an eGFR ≤90 mL/min/1.73 m. Cys-C levels significantly differed in patients with eGFR > 90 mL/min/1.73 m compared with patients with eGFR ≤90 mL/min/1.73 m (0.81 ± 0.05 vs 1.05 ± 0.06 mg/L, P < .001). Moreover, the Cys-C levels were 0.82 ± 0.04 mg/L in patients without liver fibrosis, 0.98 ± 0.05 mg/L in patients with mild liver fibrosis, 1.05 ± 0.08 mg/L in patients with advanced liver fibrosis, and 1.12 ± 0.07 mg/L in patients with liver cirrhosis (P < .001). Multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the independent factors associated with a decreased eGFR. Multivariate analysis suggested that T2DM (P = .032), liver fibrosis (P = .013), and Cys-C level (P = .035) were the independent factors associated with the decreased eGFR in patients with CHB. While age (P = .020) and Cys-C level (P = .001) were the independent factors associated with the decreased eGFR in patients with CHB-related fibrosis.The fibrosis group had significantly higher Cys-C levels than those without fibrosis. Routine monitoring of Cys-C levels is of positive significance in preventing the development of renal impairment of CHB patients.

Background: The population genetics investigation of STR loci in specific populations is the basic premise for forensic practice, and the AmpFlSTRTM IdentifilerTM Plus kit is still widely used in most forensic DNA laboratories., Aim: To obtain more reliable and accurate population genetic data of 15 autosomal STRs in the Shandong Han population and explore the genetic relationship with 25 neighbouring Chinese populations., Subjects and Methods: A total of 5356 unrelated Chinese Han individuals from Shandong Province were genotyped using the IdentifilerTM Plus Kit. Allele frequencies and corresponding forensic statistical parameters were calculated. Population comparisons were further explored through the neighbour-joining tree and multidimensional scaling analysis., Results: A total of 217 alleles were calculated, the allele frequencies spanned from 0.0001 to 0.5340. The combined discrimination power (CDP) and the combined probability of paternity (CPE) of 15 STR loci were 0.99999999999999998755 and 0.999994524, respectively. Population comparisons demonstrated that Shandong Han have genetic homogeneity with most Sino-Tibetan populations., Conclusions: Our study updates the Shandong Han population database with a large sample size. These 15 STR loci in the Shandong Han population are more polymorphic and discriminatory than shown in previous data, which could be more applicable to personal identification and paternity testing, as well other population genetics studies.

Background: In China, three inactivated Enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccines have been approved. Although the vaccines in an immunization series should be from a single manufacture, children sometimes have to receive EV71 vaccines from more than one manufacturers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interchangeability and safety of vaccination with EV71 vaccines from two manufacturers among Chinese children., Methods: We conducted an open label and randomized controlled study among children aged 6-35 months from November 2018 to January 2019. The participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive EV71 vaccines in one of the four different schedules (two using a single vaccine for all doses from one manufacture, and two mixed schedules using vaccines from two manufactures). Blood samples were collected pre-vaccination (Day 0) and one month after the second dose (Day 60) for neutralizing antibody assay. Immunogenicity was assessed in the per-protocol cohort and safety was assessed in the total vaccinated cohort., Results: A total of 300 children were enrolled and randomized, of whom 89.0% (267/300) were included in the per-protocol cohort for immunogenicity analysis. The seroconversion rates of the EV71 neutralizing antibody in four groups ranged from 98.4% to 100.0%, and were not significantly different among the groups. Compared with other groups, geometric mean titer was higher in group D, in which the participants received Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) vaccine in the first dose and the Sinovac vaccine in the second dose. Safety profiles were similar among the four groups and no serious adverse events related to the vaccination were reported., Conclusions: Interchangeability of EV71 vaccines from two manufactures to complete an immunization series showed good immunogenicity and safety. The antibody response levels may vary by vaccination sequences of EV71 vaccines from the two manufacturers., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.govNCT03873740., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: WQ Yang, XH Tian, J LI, NN Jia and G Zeng are employed by the Sinovac Biotech Co., LTD. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The long non-coding (lnc)RNA cancer susceptibility 11 (CASC11) promotes gastric cancer, however its role in other diseases is unknown. The present study demonstrated upregulation of lncRNA CASC11 and microRNA (miR)-21 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Furthermore, the expression of CASC11 was positively correlated with that of miR-21 in HCC tumors. Moreover, overexpression of lncRNA CASC11 led to upregulation of miR-21 in HCC cells, whereas overexpression of miR-21 had no effect on CASC11 levels. The levels of lncRNA CASC11 and miR-21 were found to be upregulated in the plasma of patients with HCC during chemotherapy. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated upregulation of lncRNA CASC11 in HCC cells treated with carboplatin. Additionally, overexpression of lncRNA CASC11 promoted, whereas its knockdown inhibited the viability of HCC cells following carboplatin treatment. Finally, overexpression of miR-21 ameliorated the effects of lncRNA CASC11 knockdown on cell viability. Thus, these findings suggest that upregulation of lncRNA CASC11 is involved in the development of chemoresistance to carboplatin in patients with HCC, via the upregulation of miR-21., (Copyright © 2020, Spandidos Publications.)

Microencapsulation of Zingiber officinale essential oil (EO) in polysaccharide, chitosan (CH) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based on the electrostatic interaction between charged polysaccharides at pH 3.0 in dual delivery system. Ratio variations of CH and CMC in microencapsulation were studied at 1:2, 2:1 and 1:1. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the encapsulating materials combination on freeze-dried EO powders and to present the mechanisms for loading and releasing EO involved in the preparation of CH/CMC microcapsules. The spectroscopy analysis, physical properties, microstructural, encapsulation efficiency and EO release behavior in obtained EO microparticles were evaluated by using the analysis of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. Afterwards, the above prepared microcapsules were applied on winter jujube fruit (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) preservation. Results demonstrated that both the microstructure and stability of microencapsulation were improved in delivery system loading with CH and CMC (1:1) with the encapsulation efficiency of 88.50%, compared to other ratios of CH and CMC (1:2 and 2:1). Furthermore, the microencapsulation had a capacity to control and reduce the EO release, therefore the morphological and sensory quality of jujube fruits in EO delivery system during storage was enhanced significantly (P < 0.05), in comparison to control. Results revealed that the microparticles produced with CH and CMC (1:1) was considered to present better characteristics of microstructure, encapsulation efficiency, as well as to maintain higher nutritional quality for jujube fruit. Thus, EO microencapsulation loaded in CH/CMC-based dual delivery system has potential application and developmental value prospects in food industries., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water-splitting photoanodes based on semiconductor materials typically require a dopant in the structure and co-catalysts on the surface to overcome the problems of charge recombination and high catalytic barrier. Unlike these conventional strategies, a simple treatment is reported that involves soaking a sample of pristine BiVO 4 in a borate buffer solution. This modifies the catalytic local environment of BiVO 4 by the introduction of a borate moiety at the molecular level. The self-anchored borate plays the role of a passivator in reducing the surface charge recombination as well as that of a ligand in modifying the catalytic site to facilitate faster water oxidation. The modified BiVO 4 photoanode, without typical doping or catalyst modification, achieved a photocurrent density of 3.5 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V and a cathodically shifted onset potential of 250 mV. This work provides an extremely simple method to improve the intrinsic photoelectrochemical performance of BiVO 4 photoanodes., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

The catalytic C-F bond carboxylation of organofluorines with CO 2 gas remains a challenging problem in synthetic chemistry. Here, we describe a selective defluorinative carboxylation of gem -difluoroalkenes through photoredox/palladium dual catalysis. The C-F bond activation is enabled by single electron reduction through photoredox catalysis to generate a fluorovinyl radical, which subsequently participates in an unprecedented palladium-catalyzed carboxylation. This novel C-F functionalization proved applicable to a wide range of substituted gem -difluoroalkenes, providing a rapid access to valuable α-fluoroacrylic acids.

A novel strategy for the expedient construction of CF 3 -embeded tertiary/quarternary carbon centers was developed by taking advantage of photoredox catalysis. Thanks to a key step of single-electron oxidation, electron-rich gem-difluoroalkenes, which otherwise are essentially reluctant towards F-nucleoplilic addition, now readily participate in this fluoroallylation reaction. Furthermore, this strategy provides an elegant example for the generation, as well as functionalization, of α-CF 3 -substituted benzylic radical intermediates using cheap and readily available starting materials., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Association between the expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and the drug resistance of hepatoma cells was investigated. HepG-2 cells and HepG2/ADM cells were cultured, respectively. The morphology and status of the two groups of cells were observed by cell white light. The immunofluorescence by NF-κB and MDR1 staining on HepG-2 cells and HepG2/ADM cells, respectively, was applied and the fluorescence expression in the two groups of cells was observed. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of NF-κB and MDR1 mRNA, the NF-κB and MDR1 protein expression was detected by western blot analysis. The results of cell white illumination showed that the structure of HepG-2 and HepG2/ADM cells was complete and the cell morphology was normal, and there was no significant difference, and could be used for comparative study. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the expression of NF-κB and MDR1 in HepG-2 cells was very low, while the expression of NF-κB and MDR1 in HepG2/ADM cells was increased significantly. The RT-qPCR results showed that NF-κB and MDR1 mRNA expression in HepG-2 cells was very low, while NF-κB and MDR1 mRNA expression in HepG-2/ADM cells was significantly increased, and western blot results showed that NF-κB and MDR1 protein expression in HepG-2 cells was very low, while NF-κB and MDR1 protein expression in HepG-2/ADM cells was increased significantly. The results of variance analysis showed that there was significant difference in the expression of the control group and paeonol group (P<0.01). In conclusion, the expression of NF-κB in the drug-resistant cells of liver cancer is closely related to the resistance-related gene MDR1 . This result may provide a new solution for the drug resistance of liver cancer.

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in improving liver cirrhosis injury in rats and its effect on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway were observed. Rat model of liver cirrhosis was induced by injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ). A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: the normal control group (n=10), the model control group (n=13), and the AS-IV group (n=13). The normal control group was injected with olive oil and given carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-Na (10 ml/kg/day), the model control group was given CMC-Na (10 ml/kg/day), and the AS-IV group underwent intragastric administration of AS-IV (20 ml/kg/day). The content of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) of rats was detected. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β in serum were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was applied to observe morphological changes in liver tissues. The expression of collagens in liver tissues was detected via Masson's trichrome staining. Additionally, the expression of proteins in liver tissues was detected via western blotting. Compared with those in the blank group, the levels of AST, ALT, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were higher, the expression level of collagens in liver tissues was increased, and the expression ratios of phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt and p-mTOR/mTOR proteins were increased in the model group. Compared with the model group, AS-IV could significantly decrease the content of AST, ALT, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-β in serum of rats, obviously inhibit the expression of collagens in liver tissues and decrease the expression ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt and p-mTOR/mTOR proteins in liver tissues. AS-IV can inhibit the inflammatory response so as to reduce the expression of collagens, and its mechanism may play a key role by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.