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Minimum ignition energy (MIE) is a crucial parameter for identifying the hazards of combustible gases. To rapidly obtain accurate MIE values for various gases, the shape of the ignition source was simplified to cylindrical. Based on theories of heat conduction and chemical reaction kinetics, a physical model of the ignition process was established. The spatial and temporal evolution of temperature was used as a basis for judging the success of ignition. A numerical algorithm was developed and maximum flame temperatures and MIE were calculated for several combustible gases (H 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , C 4 H 10 , C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 2). This model accurately predicted the U-shaped trend of MIE values with concentration for CH 4 /air and H 2 /air mixtures. It found that the MIE was minimal at the stoichiometric concentration, at 0.37 mJ and 0.017 mJ, closely aligning with experimental data. This numerical model has been validated for its accuracy and promises to make relatively precise theoretical predictions for the MIE values of uncommon combustible gases or mixtures of various gases. [Display omitted] • New prediction model for the minimum ignition energy of gases. • Full consideration of ignition details and comparison with experimental values. • Maximum temperature and minimum ignition energy for multiple gases. • Trends in minimum ignition energy with concentration for H 2 and CH 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton Verticillium wilt is mainly caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae, which threatens the production of cotton. Its pathogen can survive in the soil for several years in the form of microsclerotia, making it a destructive soil-borne disease. The accurate, sensitive, and rapid detection of V. dahliae from complex soil samples is of great significance for the early warning and management of cotton Verticillium wilt. In this study, we combined the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with CRISPR/Cas12a technology to develop an accurate, sensitive, and rapid detection method for V. dahliae. Initially, LAMP primers and CRISPR RNA (crRNA) were designed based on a specific DNA sequence of V. dahliae, which was validated using several closely related Verticillium spp. The lower detection limit of the LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a combined with the fluorescent visualization detection system is approximately ~10 fg/μL genomic DNA per reaction. When combined with crude DNA-extraction methods, it is possible to detect as few as two microsclerotia per gram of soil, with the total detection process taking less than 90 min. Furthermore, to improve the method's user and field friendliness, the field detection results were visualized using lateral flow strips (LFS). The LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a-LFS system has a lower detection limit of ~1 fg/μL genomic DNA of the V. dahliae, and when combined with the field crude DNA-extraction method, it can detect as few as six microsclerotia per gram of soil, with the total detection process taking less than 2 h. In summary, this study expands the application of LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12a nucleic acid detection in V. dahliae and will contribute to the development of field-deployable diagnostic productions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation The full automation of digital neuronal reconstruction from light microscopic images has long been impeded by noisy neuronal images. Previous endeavors to improve image quality can hardly get a good compromise between robustness and computational efficiency. Results We present the image enhancement pipeline named Neuronal Image Enhancement through Noise Disentanglement (NIEND). Through extensive benchmarking on 863 mouse neuronal images with manually annotated gold standards, NIEND achieves remarkable improvements in image quality such as signal-background contrast (40-fold) and background uniformity (10-fold), compared to raw images. Furthermore, automatic reconstructions on NIEND-enhanced images have shown significant improvements compared to both raw images and images enhanced using other methods. Specifically, the average F 1 score of NIEND-enhanced reconstructions is 0.88, surpassing the original 0.78 and the second-ranking method, which achieved 0.84. Up to 52% of reconstructions from NIEND-enhanced images outperform all other four methods in F 1 scores. In addition, NIEND requires only 1.6 s on average for processing 256 × 256 × 256-sized images, and images after NIEND attain a substantial average compression rate of 1% by LZMA. NIEND improves image quality and neuron reconstruction, providing potential for significant advancements in automated neuron morphology reconstruction of petascale. Availability and implementation The study is conducted based on Vaa3D and Python 3.10. Vaa3D is available on GitHub (https://github.com/Vaa3D). The proposed NIEND method is implemented in Python, and hosted on GitHub along with the testing code and data (https://github.com/zzhmark/NIEND). The raw neuronal images of mouse brains can be found at the BICCN's Brain Image Library (BIL) (https://www.brainimagelibrary.org). The detailed list and associated meta information are summarized in Supplementary Table S3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas septicemia and columnaris disease are major bacterial diseases in grass carp; however, the drugs currently used to control these diseases pose environmental and health risks. This study aimed to screen for a probiotic Bacillus strain with antagonistic activity to prevent and control bacterial diseases in grass carp and to evaluate the antimicrobial activities, biosafety, and biocontrol effects of this strain. A Bacillus strain with antagonistic activity against Aeromonas hydrophila, obtained from grass carp intestines, was screened, and the isolate CYS06 was identified by analyzing the 16S rRNA and gyrA gene sequences. The antimicrobial spectrum of the strain CYS06 was determined, and the activities of amylase, cellulase, protease, and lipase of the strain CYS06 were determined. The whole genome of the strain CYS06 was sequenced using the nanopore sequencing technology platform, followed by the analysis of the antagonistic substance synthesis gene clusters and CAZy enzyme gene families. The biosafety of the strain CYS06 was evaluated via intraperitoneal injection into healthy grass carp. After the strain CYS06 was fed to the grass carp, its biological control effect on this fish was evaluated through artificial infection experiments. The strain CYS06 was identified as Bacillus velezensis, based on molecular identification, which shows broad antimicrobial activity against various fish pathogens. The strain CYS06 secretes amylase, cellulase, protease, and lipase. The genome size of the strain CYS06 is 3,914,159 bp, and it contains eight antagonistic substance synthesis gene clusters and many CAZy enzymes. The strain CYS06 exhibits high biological safety for grass carp, based on the challenge test. Feeding grass carp with the strain CYS06 for 4 weeks significantly enhanced the resistance of the fish to A. hydrophila. Strain CYS06 could inhibit the growth of Flavobacterium columnare under co-culture and reduce the amount of F. columnare adherence on the gills of grass carp, indicating that CYS06 has good potential for the prevention and control of columnaris disease. In conclusion, we isolated an antagonistic probiotic strain, CYS06, which exhibits a biological control effect on septicemia and columnaris disease caused by Aeromonas spp. and F. columnare in grass carp, respectively. This strain contains many antagonistic substance synthesis-related gene clusters and holds the potential to degrade various types of carbohydrates. As a biological control agent, the strain CYS06 exhibits significant potential for the prevention and control of bacterial diseases in grass carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most dangerous malignant tumors. The incidence rates of obesity related NAFLD and NASH are increasing year by year, and they are the main risk factors for HCC at present. Finding the mechanism of malignant transformation of NAFLD and NASH is helpful for early prevention and diagnosis. In this study, we performed differential analysis using NAFLD data, NASH data, and HCC data to identify crossover differential genes. Then, using the clinical data of TCGA, a prognostic risk prediction model of three genes (TEAD4, SOCS2, CIT) was constructed, and survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn. The prognostic model was validated using ICGC, GSE116174 and GSE54236 datasets. In addition, we assessed immune status and function in high- and low-risk populations using a prognostic model. Moreover, we assessed the expression of CIT in clinical samples and HCC cell lines and validated its role in HCC development. Our study elucidates the important role of the tumor immune microenvironment in the development of NAFLD/NASH to HCC, deepens the understanding of the pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH development to HCC, and is helpful for clinical management and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amblyopia is a developmental visual disorder that causes substantial visual deficits. Studies using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging have disclosed abnormal brain functional connectivity (FC) both across long‐range cortical sites and within the visual cortex in amblyopes, which is considered to be related to impaired visual functions. However, little work has examined whether restoring the vision of amblyopes accompanies with an improvement of FC. Here in adult amblyopes and healthy participants, we compared their brain FC before and after an altered‐reality adaptation training. Before the training, the voxel‐wise FCs of amblyopia patients were substantially weaker than those of healthy control participants both within and across the early visual areas. After the training, visual acuities improved in amblyopes but not in the control participants. The effect kept strengthening in the subsequent month without further adaptation. Importantly, we observed enhanced voxel‐wise FC both within and across the early visual areas of amblyopes. Moreover, the enhancement continued for at least 1 month. These results suggest that the effective treatment can improve both the amblyopes' vision and functional connections in the visual cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deepening of oil and gas exploration and development, the conventional seismic inversion technology has certain limitations for the fine research of complex reservoirs, and the actual production has high requirements for seismic resolution. The waveform indication technology is based on the waveform phase control mode, and uses the seismic waveform instead of the variogram. It can not only invert the wave impedance curve and realize high-precision prediction of the reservoir, but also simulate the characteristic curve reflecting the sensitivity of the reservoir to realize the reservoir under different parameters. characterization. Taking the second member of the Sangonghe Formation in the L block of the Manan slope in the Junggar Basin as an example, the sandstone changes rapidly laterally, has a small thickness, and has low conventional inversion resolution, making it unsuitable for predicting thin reservoirs. The waveform indication inversion was carried out to describe the distribution of the sandstone in the target layer, and the results were in line with geological understanding. After analyzing the relationship between the four properties of the reservoir, the oiliness of the sandstone in the target layer has a certain fitting relationship with the amplitude difference of the spontaneous potential curve. The reservoir indication simulation with the spontaneous potential curve as the characteristic curve was carried out. On the basis of the waveform indication inversion of the sandstone, further Oily sandstones were identified, and the simulation results were in good agreement with the drilling data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the environmental problems caused by the extensive use of plastics, this paper introduced a new strategy to add and modify the physical structure, which could not only reduce the use of plastics, but also improve the mechanical properties of bamboo plastic composites. In this work, the bamboo-woven structure was introduced into the bamboo fiber/low density polyethylene (LDPE) composites to enhance the mechanical properties. Besides, to enhance the interfacial compatibility, maleic anhydride (MA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used to modify LDPE and bamboo-woven structure, respectively. The mechanical properties of the prepared PVA-bamboo-woven structure/bamboo fiber/MA-LDPE composites were greatly improved. The bamboo plastic composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle (WCA) test and mechanical property test. The results showed that the bamboo-woven structure/bamboo fiber/MA-LDPE composite has superior properties at 45% bamboo fiber content. The tensile strength reached to 33.842 MPa, which was increased by 65.01% compared to the bamboo fiber/MA-LDPE composites, and the bending strength reached to 36.6585 MPa increased by 81.46% in relation to the bamboo fiber/MA-LDPE composites. In addition, even a large number of hydrophilic bamboo fibers and bamboo-woven structure were carried by the composites, a good hydrophobicity was still maintained and the WCA reached to 93.71°. The composites with excellent mechanical properties and hydrophobicity provided a reference for the use of bamboo fibers in environmentally friendly packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Johnson–Cook (J–C) constitutive model is not suitable for Ti-6Al-4V alloy in the high-speed cutting finite element simulation, as it has no response dynamic recrystallization softening effect under heavy impact and high temperature. In this paper, an improved constitutive model considering the recrystallization effect was established, and the parameters were fitted with the data of flow stress–strain of the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) test. The relevant theories of cutting finite element simulation were studied, such as nonlinear constitutive elastic–plastic deformation, strain state, and material yield. A subroutine that included the Recht shear failure instability criterion and the improved model was coded in Fortran and embedded in the finite element simulation software AdvantEdge FEM, along with the return mapping stress integration algorithm. The simulated stress of the improved model dropped dramatically from 460 MPa to 220 MPa when the temperature rises from 950 °C to 1000 °C, and its decline reached 46.7%, while the J–C model only decreased by 10%. Comparative studies indicate that the stress change of the improved constitutive simulation is closer to the SHPB test results than the J–C constitutive, and the new one is more suitable when it expresses the high temperature and heavy impact in the high-speed milling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training of viewing an altered‐reality environment dichoptically has been found to reactivate human adult ocular dominance plasticity, allowing improvement of vision for amblyopia. One suspected mechanism for this training effect is ocular dominance rebalancing through interocular disinhibition. Here, we investigated whether the training modulated the neural responses reflecting interocular inhibition. Thirteen patients with amblyopia and 11 healthy controls participated in this study. Before and after six daily altered‐reality training sessions, participants watched flickering video stimuli with their steady‐state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) signals recorded simultaneously. We assessed the amplitude of SSVEP response at intermodulation frequencies, which was a potential neural indicator of interocular suppression. The results showed that training weakened the intermodulation response only in the amblyopic group, which was in agreement with the hypothesis that the training reduced interocular suppression specific to amblyopia. Moreover, even one month after the training ended, we could still observe this neural training effect. These findings provide preliminary neural evidence in support of the disinhibition account for treating amblyopia. We also explain these results with the ocular opponency model, which, to our knowledge, is the first time for this binocular rivalry model to be used in explaining long‐term ocular dominance plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underwater robot (UR) is an embodiment of interdisciplinary technologies, integrating underwater communication, machinery, marine science, computer science, and robotics. Although URs enable a highly engaging and exploratory construction that can foster children's engineering education and ocean literacy, little work has explored UR design and education for children. In this paper, we present a study using URs to engage children in exploring engineering, robotics, environmental science, and marine sustainability. We introduce ModBot, a modular UR-making toolkit for children that uses hardware blocks and software applications for UR creation. We describe a study with 31 children (ages 5–8; 16 girls and 15 boys) and report how they learned UR concepts such as buoyancy and balance through playing with the ModBot kit and creating their own URs. This study is intended to investigate how URs can be used to spark children's interest in water environments and make a connection to robotics by the creation of their own URs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the fabrication and characterization of an organic distributed feedback laser excited from a semiconducting polymer gain layer, poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenyl-envinylene) (MEH-PPV). A holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal grating is fabricated on top of the homogeneous MEH-PPV layer as an external cavity. We established a model to calculate the confinement factor Γ. With the change of laser structural parameters (the refractive index of the grating layer, the film thickness of the MEH-PPV layer, etc.), the confinement factor Γ changes accordingly. It was found that a single longitudinal lasing mode could be observed only when the confinement factor Γ was in a specific range. Choosing a reasonable thickness of gain film and prepolymer with higher refractive index can obtain a lower threshold emission laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal human cancers. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection accounts for nearly 50% of HCC cases. Recent studies indicate that HBV infection induces resistance to sorafenib, the first-line systemic treatment for advanced HCC for more than a decade, from 2007 to 2020. Our previous research shows that variant 1 (tv1) of proliferating cell nuclear antigen clamp-associated factor (PCLAF), overexpressed in HCC, protects against doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. However, there are no reports on the relevance of PCLAF in sorafenib resistance in HBV-related HCC. In this article, we found that PCLAF levels were higher in HBV-related HCC than in non-virus-related HCC using bioinformatics analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of clinical samples and the splicing reporter minigene assay using HCC cells revealed that PCLAF tv1 was elevated by HBV. Furthermore, HBV promoted the splicing of PCLAF tv1 by downregulating serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2), which hindered the inclusion of PCLAF exon 3 through a putative cis-element (116–123), "GATTCCTG". The CCK-8 assay showed that HBV decreased cell susceptibility to sorafenib through SRSF2/PCLAF tv1. HBV reduced ferroptosis by decreasing intracellular Fe2+ levels and activating GPX4 expression via the SRSF2/PCLAF tv1 axis, according to a mechanism study. Suppressed ferroptosis, on the other hand, contributed to HBV-mediated sorafenib resistance through SRSF2/PCLAF tv1. These data suggested that HBV regulated PCLAF abnormal alternative splicing by suppressing SRSF2. HBV caused sorafenib resistance by reducing ferroptosis via the SRSF2/PCLAF tv1 axis. As a result, the SRSF2/PCLAF tv1 axis may be a prospective molecular therapeutic target in HBV-related HCC, as well as a predictor of sorafenib resistance. The inhibition of the SRSF2/PCLAF tv1 axis may be crucial in the emergence of systemic chemotherapy resistance in HBV-associated HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replacing fossil-based polymers with renewable bio-based polymers is one of the most promising ways to solve the environmental issues and climate change we human beings are facing. The production of new lignocellulose-based polymers involves five steps, including (1) fractionation of lignocellulose into cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; (2) depolymerization of the fractionated cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin into carbohydrates and aromatic compounds; (3) catalytic or thermal conversion of the depolymerized carbohydrates and aromatic compounds to platform chemicals; (4) further conversion of the platform chemicals to the desired bio-based monomers; (5) polymerization of the above monomers to bio-based polymers by suitable polymerization methods. This review article will focus on the progress of bio-based monomers derived from lignocellulose, in particular the preparation of bio-based monomers from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and vanillin, and their polymerization methods. The latest research progress and application scenarios of related bio-based polymeric materials will be also discussed, as well as future trends in bio-based polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are important in plant pathogenic resistance and comprise 17 families, including the PR4 family, with antifungal and anti-pathogenic functions. PR4 proteins contain a C-terminal Barwin domain and are divided into Classes I and II based on the presence of an N-terminal chitin-binding domain (CBD). This study is the first to isolate two PR4 genes, PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b, from Picea asperata, encoding PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b, respectively. Sequence analyses suggested that they were Class II proteins, owing to the presence of an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal Barwin domain, but no CBD. Tertiary structure analyses using the Barwin-like protein of papaya as a template revealed structural similarity, and therefore, functional similarity between the proteins. Predictive results revealed an N-terminal transmembrane domain, and subcellular localization studies confirmed its location on cell membrane and nuclei. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) demonstrated that PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b expression levels were upregulated following infection with Lophodermium piceae. Additionally, PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b were induced in Escherichia coli, where the recombinant proteins existed in inclusion bodies. The renatured purified proteins showed antifungal activity. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco overexpressing PaPR4-a and PaPR4-b exhibited improved resistance to fungal infection. The study can provide a basis for further molecular mechanistic insights into PR4-induced defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral anticoagulant is a necessary long-term treatment after mechanical valve replacement (MVR), and medication adherence has a great impact on patients with MVR. Although family caregiver burden is negatively correlated with medication adherence, little is known about the underlying mechanism. Purpose: To test whether family caregiver burden influences medication adherence through post-traumatic growth or medication literacy in patients with MVR. Patients and Methods: A total of 206 patients after MVR were included in this cross-sectional study from July 2021 to December 2021. Data regarding medication adherence, family caregiver burden, post-traumatic growth, and medication literacy were collected by questionnaires. Data were analyzed through SPSS, and pathway analysis was conducted by using AMOS, based on the bootstrapping method. Results: Post-traumatic growth was positively associated with medication adherence (r = 0.284, P < 0.05). Post-traumatic growth independently mediated the association of family caregiver burden on medication adherence [β = 0.32, 95% confidence intervals: (− 0.016, − 0.008)]. The mediated effect value for post-traumatic growth was 0.07, accounting for 24.14% of the total effect. The model's fit indices were adequate. Conclusion: The mediating effect of post-traumatic growth between family caregiver burden and medication adherence existed in patients with MVR. Interventions considering post-traumatic growth may be useful to increase medication adherence and improve patient rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of today's society is accompanied by the explosive growth of information data; in the process of information transmission, language is a very important carrier. Among all kinds of communication languages, English always occupies an important position and is one of the most commonly used languages in social life. Therefore, the practical significance of English education is self-evident. With the popularization of the Internet, intelligent phrase recognition in machine translation is the key technology. With the help of natural language processing technology, an English translation corpus can be built to accurately mark the parts of speech of short words, and phrase recognition technology is used to correct grammatical ambiguity effectively. Structural ambiguity is a difficult problem in the field of English translation. Based on the random matrix model of the improved GLR algorithm, phrase structure labelling is constructed through the phrase corpus. Revised annotation can effectively improve the accuracy of academic translation, and intelligent English translation is realized through recognition technology. Simulation experiments verify the effectiveness of the model, and the results show that the English translation intelligent recognition model has a high proofreading accuracy. When the value of P is 0.95, the high accuracy can be retained to the maximum and the efficiency and feasibility of improving the GLR algorithm in machine translation can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning is a discipline that covers probability theory, statistics, approximate theoretical knowledge, and complex algorithm knowledge. It is committed to real-time simulation of human learning methods, which can effectively improve learning efficiency. The main function of this calculation method is to use a relatively open platform to integrate the Internet, computers, memory, and other terminal applications through integrated technical means. For providing short-distance services and applications, we should start from the edge of the program to create a faster network. Service response covers the basic needs of real-time processing industry, intelligent applications, and security and privacy protection. This paper aims to study the recognition of urban traffic conditions and refine the recognition through the improvement of edge computing algorithms. This paper proposes a method to calculate traffic flow parameters, preprocess the traffic flow data, delete irrelevant features, use flow theory to delete wrong data, and change the data in time according to actual needs, carrying out refined discrimination and analysis of urban traffic status. The experimental results in this paper show that the use of edge computing to fine-tune the state of urban traffic can divert traffic, greatly reduce traffic congestion, and increase traffic safety by 13%. Among them, the efficiency of road network time and space resources has also increased by 23%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GE is less hazardous and has excellent development prospects in psoriasis. • GE directly binds with TLR4, suppressing of TLR4 protein expression and impacting MMP9. • GE targeted IL-22 and IL-23 was found for the first time. • The target of GE in treating psoriasis was quickly limited via network pharmacology and molecular docking. Psoriasis is an incurable immune-mediated disease affecting the skin or the joints. There are continuing studies on drugs for psoriasis prevention and treatment. This research found that Geniposide (GE) significantly thinned IMQ mice's skin lesions, reduced the scales, and lowered the presence of inflammatory cells in the pathology in a dose-dependent manner. GE inhibited IL-23, IL-22, IL-17A, IL-12, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in psoriatic mice serum. AKT1, TNF, TLR4, MMP9, MAPK3, and EGFR were selected as the top 6 targets of GE against psoriasis via network pharmacology, and GE-TLR4 has the most robust docking score value by molecular docking. Taken together, GE significantly inhibited TLR4 and MMP9 protein expression and influenced MyD88/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway. Finally, TLR4 was verified as the critical target of GE, which engaged in immunomodulatory activities and reduced MMP9 production in LPS and TAK-242-induced HaCaT cells. GE had a medium affinity for TLR4, and the K D value was 1.06 × 10-5 M. GE is an effective treatment and preventative strategy for psoriasis since it impacts TLR4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xiaoyaosan (XYS) is a traditional prescription for the treatment of liver depression and qi stagnation, and pharmacological studies have shown that XYS has great potential to reverse depression. However, anti-depression targets and the mechanism of XYS are still not entirely clear. The present study aims to explore and verify the anti-depression mechanism of XYS. The antidepressant effect of XYS was assessed in rats with depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stimulation (CUMS). The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) in different brain regions were measured using ELISA. The expression of organic cation transporters (Octs) were detected by western blot and immunohistochemical techniques. Then, Decynium-22 (D22), an Octs inhibitor, was injected into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to verify the correlation between Octs and depression-like behavior. Then, the effects of XYS on the behavior, neurotransmitter concentration, and Octs expression in D22-induced rats were examined. Finally, primary astrocytes were used to verify the mechanism of XYS exerting anti-depressant activity by regulating Octs. The result showed that XYS had a significant positive impact on the behavior of depression rats induced by CUMS. XYS also improved the secretion of 5-HT, DA, and NE in the PFC, as well as the promotion of Oct1, Oct2, and Oct3 expression in the PFC. These results suggest that XYS has the potential to alleviate depression by enhancing the secretion of neurotransmitters. This may be related to XYS regulation of Oct's expression. When the expression of Octs was inhibited in the PFC, rats exhibited behavior similar to depression, and XYS was able to reverse this behavior, indicating that Octs play a significant role in the development of depression and XYS may exert its antidepressant effects through the regulation of Octs. Furthermore, the study also found that dopamine uptake decreased after inhibiting the expression of Octs, and XYS-containing serum could reverse the downregulation of Oct1 and Oct3 and promote intracellular dopamine homeostasis in the astrocytes. Overall, XYS may exert antidepressant effects by promoting dopamine uptake to improve neurotransmitter transport by regulating the protein expression of Oct1 and Oct3 in astrocytes. The antidepressant effect of XYS may be attributed to its ability to regulate the expression of Oct1 and Oct3 in astrocytes of the PFC, thereby promoting neurotransmitter transport. [Display omitted] • Down-regulation of Octs induced by CUMS may play a crucial role in the development of depression. • XYS significantly increased the expression of Oct1, Oct2, and Oct3 in the PFC, and promoted neurotransmitter transport. • XYS up-regulated dopamine transport in primary astrocytes is associated with the promotion of Oct1 and Oct3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O 2 activation is vital for catalyzing the oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO). Despite the high O 2 activation capabilities demonstrated by noble metal catalysts, their practical application is impeded by their exorbitant cost. Herein, Co single atoms were successfully incorporated into titanium dioxide nanowires (TiO 2 -NWs). Furthermore, the key step in the HCHO catalytic oxidation process was elucidated through in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Finally, the intricate O 2 activation mechanism was explored, revealing the catalyst's exceptional performance in ambient HCHO oxidation. Notably, it outperformed commercial TiO 2 (TiO 2 -P25) by 13.3 times and Co-supported TiO 2 -P25 by 1.9 times. Co single atoms facilitated the conversion of O 2 into superoxide (O 2 -), significantly reducing the reaction barrier of dioxymethylene to formate. This superior O 2 activation was attributed to the active nature and unsaturated electronic configuration of Co single atoms. This study provides a novel, cost-effective strategy for creating HCHO elimination catalysts with accessible nonnoble transition metals. [Display omitted] • The Co single atom catalyst with unsaturated electronic configuration was constructed. • Co single atom activates O 2 to promote exceptional catalysis for ambient HCHO. • Elucidation of the catalytic mechanism of HCHO and its rate-limiting step. • Co single atom has superior O 2 activation ability than CoO nanoparticles. • The intricate O 2 activation mechanism was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stream power is the optimal hydraulic index for predicting Dc during farmland abandonment. • RSAD driven by farmland abandonment would better reflect the effect of roots on Dc. • Dc could be modeled by stream power, root surface area density, soil cohesion, and D 50. Vegetation restoration significantly affected root traits during farmland abandonment, thereby considerably altering the soil detachment process. However, few studies have investigated the effects of root traits on soil detachment capacity under different ages of farmland abandonment. To examine the effects of root trait changes caused by vegetation restoration on soil detachment capacity by overland flow (Dc) and soil resistance to erosion under different ages of farmland abandonment, flow scouring tests under five shear stress levels (2.80–12.95 Pa) were conducted on 125 undisturbed soil samples collected using an indoor variable slope flume. The results showed that, compared to slope farmland, the root traits of abandoned farmland (5, 12, 24, and 36 years) increased considerably, and the Dc and erodibility decreased by 51.3–93.9 % and 61.8–94.1 %, respectively. The critical shear stress of abandoned farmland gradually increased with the age of farmland abandonment, but remained less than that of slope farmland. Among hydraulic parameters, stream power was the optimal index for predicting Dc , while among root morphological traits, root surface area density (RSAD) was the best indicator for predicting Dc. The median soil particle size (D 50) and cohesion are important factors that affect soil detachment. According to the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model, Dc can be predicted using the RSAD and soil cohesion (R 2 = 0.95, NSE = 0.95). In addition, a new model was established to estimate the soil detachment capacity based on D 50 (R 2 = 0.97, NSE = 0.97). In the present study, the performance of the model was improved compared with that of previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have grown a large NaSr 3 Be 3 B 3 O 9 F 4 (NSBBF) crystal with a top-seeded solution method and generated a continuous-wave (cw) laser radiation at 266 nm with a Brewster-cut NSBBF. With a high-power cw 532 nm and a frequency doubling stage, up to 120 mW cw UV laser was generated at 266 nm. A high stability at 50 mW was obtained more than 10 h. This cw UV laser source is applicable for self-calibrating solar irradiators. • We have grown a NSBBF crystal with size of 45 × 30 × 25 mm3. • A continuous-wavelaser at 266 nm was realized using a Brewster-cut NSBBF with120 mW. • A stability of 50 mW was obtained for more than 10 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of developing hypertension. The relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level and incident hypertension remains controversial. This study examined the associations of the baseline level and change in the HbA1c level over 3 years with incident hypertension in non-diabetic individuals. Methods: This community-based cohort study was conducted with 2591 individuals aged 40–75 years without hypertension or diabetes at baseline, who participated in a longitudinal (REACTION) study program. Questionnaires were administered during interviews, and anthropometric and laboratory measurements were performed at baseline (2011) and follow-up (2014–2015). Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident hypertension. Results: Over a median follow-up period of 3.08 years (interquartile range 3.00, 3.25), 384 (14.82%) subjects developed hypertension. In the fully adjusted linear regression models, change in HbA1c remained significantly associated with changes in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure [β-coefficient (95% CI), 4.421 (2.811–6.032), 1.681 (0.695–2.667)]. Logistic regression analyses showed that baseline HbA1c level was positively associated with incident hypertension in the unadjusted model; however, the association was no longer significant after further adjustment. Change in HbA1c was positively associated with the development of hypertension, both as a categorical variable stratified by tertiles [adjusted OR (95% CI) in the highest tertile was 1.690 (1.240–2.303) versus the lowest tertile)] and as a continuous variable [adjusted OR (95% CI), 1.242 (1.106–1.394)], independent of age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose level, lipid profile, the HbA1c level at baseline and 3-year change in body mass index. Conclusions: A higher baseline HbA1c level was not an independent risk factor for incident hypertension, whereas the change in HbA1c was independently associated with a greater longitudinal increase in blood pressure and an increased risk of incident hypertension in non-diabetic individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In poultry, HyLine (HL) Hens are known for their excellent laying performance. However, ZhenNing (ZN) Hens, a native chicken breed in China, are known for their unique flavour. The intestinal mucosa, which is the main organ for nutrient absorption, could affect livestock product quality. In ZN Hens' intestinal mucosa, we found more villus wrinkles, larger villus circumference and higher amino acid transporters mRNA abundance compared with HL Hens. Among three laying periods of ZN Hens, in the intestinal lumen, Lactobacillus salivarius (L. sa.), Lactobacillus agilis (L. ag.) and Lactobacillus aviarius were the predominant species in the laying peak period. Furthermore, multiple‐antibiotics feeding in ZN Hens and predominant Lactobacillus feeding in HL Hens suggested that these Lactobacilli could indeed increase villus wrinkles and improve intestinal absorption. In HL Hens, L. sa. + L. ag. treatment could promote organoids budding in vitro, and promote epithelial proliferation in vivo. Collectively, the unique intestinal mucosa morphology in ZN Hens was due to the high abundance of intestinal L. sa. and L. ag. Transplant these Lactobacilli to HL Hens could increase their intestinal probiotics abundance, fine adjust the intestinal stem cell function and promote the epithelial proliferation, in turn, increase villus winkles and mucosal absorption area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing are combined to form a cloud computing data center, and cloud computing provides virtualization, storage, computing, and other support services for IoT applications. Data is the foundation and core of cloud IoT platform applications, and massive multisource heterogeneous IoT data aggregation and storage have basic requirements such as real-time, security, and scalability. This paper focuses on the aggregation and storage methods of massive heterogeneous cloud IoT data, solving the multisource data aggregation problem caused by inconsistent protocols and the heterogeneous data storage problem caused by inconsistent data types. A heterogeneous network protocol adaptation and data aggregation method is proposed for the multisource data aggregation problem caused by protocol inconsistency. A protocol adaptation layer is set up in the IoT virtual gateway to achieve compatibility with multiple types of data aggregation protocols, ensuring adaptive access to different types of IoT nodes, and on this basis, data is transmitted to the cloud IoT platform through a unified interface, shielding the variability of IoT sensing devices. Given the problems of device forgery and malicious tampering in the data aggregation process, we propose a fast authentication and data storage method for IoT devices based on "API key" and implant the device authentication API key into the protocol adaptation layer of the virtual gateway to realize the source authentication of IoT nodes and ensure the authenticity of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review mainly introduces in detail the progress of KBBF crystal over the last decade, with a full description of its crystal growth, new phase in hydrothermal growth, revised Sellmeier equations of the refractive index, improved prism-coupled devices, and the related new deep-UV laser sources. Several important applications on angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy will be reviewed. Finally, we give a prospect about the future development of KBBF crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An aluminum dust explosion is a major safety hazard that cannot be ignored. It is of great practical significance to investigate explosion flame propagation characteristics and powder inhibition mechanisms of aluminum dust. Based on a self-designed dust explosion experimental system, explosion flame propagation characteristics such as flame shape, temperature and velocity were captured. The effect of aluminum particle size on the flame propagation was explored, and inhibition performances and mechanisms of NaHCO3, CaCO3 and Na2HPO4 on aluminum dust explosion were experimentally and theoretically revealed. The proportion of white bright areas decreased from 17.9% to 7.9%, 8.0% and 8.8% respectively, and the temperature and velocity decreased obviously with powder inhibitors. Especially, NaHCO3 can reduce the maximum flame temperature and maximum flame velocity to 1411°C and 14.27 m/s respectively, and its inhibition performance was optimal. CaCO3 had better performance than Na2HPO4 in suppressing the flame propagation velocity and in delaying the ignition time, and Na2HPO4 was more advantageous in suppressing the explosion flame temperature. It is explained by the mechanism that substances containing Na and P can play an important role in the suppression of gas-phase reactions. The Na cycle (NaO ↔ Na) is effective in scavenging free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few epidemiological studies on SD in China. This study aims to clarify the epidemic distribution characteristics of SD in China and provide ideas and clues for the prevention and treatment of the disease. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 based on the hospital's epidemiological questionnaire. All enrolled patients completed a specific survey with 39 questions, related to demographic characteristics and the relative symptoms. Demographics, disease symptoms were characterized with descriptive statistics. The differences in the symptoms between different genders, disease courses, and regions were compared. A total of 1800 patients were recruited, of which 615 patients were diagnosed with SD. Among 615 SD patients, the proportion of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria was the highest, with 437 cases (71.1%). There is a female predominance (female/male ratio is 1.27:1), but there is no statistically significant difference between genders. The average disease course was 2.23 years. Among them, 429 patients had a course less than one year, accounting for about 2/3, and patients with a course more than one year accounted for less than 1/3. The clinical characteristics of patients with different course of disease were statistically different. The initial age is mainly concentrated in the 20–40 years old, accounting for 46.5% (286) of the total number. There are certain differences in incidence due to the different geographical conditions in north and south. Multiple types of urticaria may coexist in the same patient, and the number of patients with multiple urticaria is higher than the number of patients with simple SD. There are differences in the clinical manifestations of SD between north and south. Environmental factors may affect the occurrence of SD, which may have a similar etiology to other types of urticaria and the cause of SD can be explored from more perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate feasibility of the quantitative parameters of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) to assess therapy response in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with the traditional enhanced CT parameters based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guidelines. METHODS: Forty-five patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC who underwent DECT before and after chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) were prospectively enrolled. By comparing baseline studies with follow-up, patients were divided into two groups according to RECIST guidelines as follows: disease control (DC, including partial response and stable disease) and progressive disease (PD). The diameter (D), attenuation, iodine concentration and normalized iodine concentration of arterial and venous phases (ICA, ICv, NICA, NICv) and the percentage of these changes pre- and post-therapy were measured and calculated. The Pearson correlation was used to analyze correlation between various quantitative parameters. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate accuracy of therapy response prediction. RESULTS: The change percentages of Attenuation (Δ-Attenuation-A and Δ-Attenuation-V), IC (ΔICA and ΔICV) and NIC (ΔNICA and ΔNICV) pre- and post-therapy correlate with the change percentage of D (ΔD). Among these, ΔICA strongly correlates with ΔD (r = 0.793, P < 0.001). The areas under ROC curves generated using Δ-Attenuation-A, ΔICA, and ΔNICA are 0.796, 0.900, and 0.880 with the corresponding cutoff value of 9.096, −15.692, and −4.7569, respectively, which are significantly different (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative parameters of DECT iodine map, especially iodine concentration, in arterial phase provides a new quantitative image marker to predict therapy response of patients diagnosed with advanced NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of cell types is recognized as a major task in current single-cell genotyping and phenotyping. In neuroscience, 3-D neuron morphologies are often reconstructed from multi-dimensional microscopic images. Recent studies indicate that neurons could form very complicated distributions in the feature space, and thus they can be explored using manifold analysis. We have developed manifold classification toolkit software to replace the conventional clustering analysis to discover cell subtypes from three state-of-the-art collections of single neurons' 3-D morphologies that reconstructed from images. We have gathered 9208 3-D spatially registered whole mouse brain neurons from three datasets with the highest quality to date generated by the single neuron morphology community. To explore manifold distribution, our method uses minimum spanning tree-based principal skeletons to approximate locally linear embeddings, to explore the morphological feature spaces, which correspond to dendritic arbors, axonal arbors or both categories of arborization patterns of neurons. We show manifold classification is a suitable approach for a majority of often referred cell types, each of which was also discovered to contain multiple subtypes. Our results show an initial effort to employ manifold classification but not traditional clustering analysis as an alternative framework for analyzing 3-D neuron morphologies reconstructed from 3-D microscopic images. Availability and implementation Freely available at https://github.com/Mr-strlen/Cell_Pattern_Analysis_Tool.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of rapid global urbanization, the sustainable development of ecosystems should be considered. Accordingly, the Planetary Boundaries theory posits that reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants entering bodies of water is necessary as excess levels may harm the aquatic environment and reduce in water quality. Thus, based on the long-term monitoring data of representative urban rivers in the Yangtze River Delta region, we evaluated the nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of water bodies in different urbanization stages and further quantified the effect of urban forests on water quality improvement. The results showed that, with the continuous progression of urbanization, the proportion of impervious surface area increased, along with the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in water bodies. The critical period of water quality deterioration in urban rivers occurred during the medium urbanization level when the proportion of impervious surface area reached 55–65 %, and the probability of an abrupt increase in total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentration exceeded 95 %. However, increasing the area of urban forests during this period reduced TN pollution by 36.64 % and TP pollution by 49.03 %. The results of this study support the expansion of urban forests during the medium urbanization stage to improve water quality. Furthermore, our results provide a reference and theoretical basis for urban forest construction as a key aspect of the sustainable development of the urban ecosystem in the Yangtze River Delta and similar regions around world. [Display omitted] • Impervious surface area (ISA) was positively correlated with N and P levels in water. • Increasing urban forest area effectively reduced concentrations of N and P in water. • When the proportion of ISA reached 55–65 % is the critical period for improving water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Pt, Ni heteronuclear dual-single atom catalysts were constructed. • Bridging oxygen Pt-O-Ni activity was superior to Pt-O-Ti. • Ni SA significantly increased reactive oxygen species production. • Pt SA, Ni SA synergize to promote efficient catalysis of benzene. • Elucidation of the catalytic mechanism of benzene and its rate-limiting step. Excellent catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of benzene (C 6 H 6) require active sites with robust oxidation capabilities. Heteronuclear dual-single atom catalysts can exhibit enhanced catalytic activity through synergistic interactions between the dual single atoms (SAs). Herein, we successfully engineered a bimetallic single-atom catalyst, Pt 1 -Ni 1 /TiO 2 -NW, which demonstrates exceptional performance in C 6 H 6 oxidation. Various technologies, including X-ray absorption fine structure and Z-type spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, were used to identify the bimetallic single atoms within the catalyst. The catalytic oxidation of C 6 H 6 by Pt 1 -Ni 1 /TiO 2 -NW was comprehensively investigated. Finally, in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and density functional theory (DFT) were employed to reveal the underlying mechanism for the synergetic effect of the bimetallic single atoms. The results indicate that the introduction of Ni SA favors the formation of Pt SA. The T 90% of Pt 1 -Ni 1 /TiO 2 -NW reached 185 °C, a remarkable 40 °C lower than that of the single-atom catalyst Pt 1 /TiO 2 -NW. More importantly, the active center of Pt-O-Ni, formed by the collaboration of Pt SA and Ni SA with bridging oxygen, plays a crucial role in reducing the energy barrier during the conversion of C 6 H 6 to phenol and further to benzoquinones. This research provides a valuable methodology for constructing heteronuclear bimetallic single-atom catalysts tailed specifically for C 6 H 6 oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic conversion of bio-derived 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into useful chemical building blocks, particularly to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a crucial process for biomass utilization. Although recent decade has witnessed significant improvement of chemo-catalytic and electro-catalytic oxidation of HMF technologies, there are several technological challenges hindering further progress, such as not well-defined active sites, poorly defined surface, uncontrollable side reactions and harsh reaction conditions. To overcome these limitations, improvements can be made through catalyst particles engineering, electronic configuration regulation over the particles, active species modification, and mechanism clarification. This comprehensive review focuses on synthesis strategies, morphologies and mechanistic investigation of Co-based catalysts for both chemo-catalytic and electro-catalytic HMF oxidation to FDCA. The relationship between catalysts structures, active species, Co valence state, catalytic activity, and selectivity for –CHO and –OH group oxidation, is extensively discussed, providing valuable insights for the future design of atom-efficient biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals. It is found that morphologies, metal-metal/metal-support synergistic interactions, acidic/basic properties and valence state of metals are crucial for selective C–H and O–H activation during HMF oxidation. For further development of HMF oxidation, it is crucial to explore environmentally friendly reaction media, conduct comprehensive studies on the intrinsic kinetics of HMF oxidation, employ advanced characterization techniques and theoretical calculations to uncover the fundamental reactive mechanisms, and investigate the system under industrial required conditions. [Display omitted] • Metal-metal/metal-support synergistic interactions, acidic/basic properties and valence state of metals are crucial for selective C–H and O–H activation. • The development of neutral reaction media with excellent properties is urgently needed for HMF oxidation. • The intrinsic kinetics of the reactions are still unclear for the current HMF oxidation catalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α‐Substituted peroxides have been found in natural products and are widely used as anti‐malarial agents. Zn(OTf)2‐catalyzed peroxidation of 1,3,5‐triazines has been developed, accessing diversely substituted α‐amino tertiary alkylperoxides with high efficiency. Mechanistic investigations and useful synthetic application of the products have also been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All SL(n) contravariant L p harmonic valuations on convex polytopes are completely classified without homogeneity assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactic acid is an important platform compound used as raw material for the production of lactide and polylactic acid. However, its concentration and composition distribution are not as simple as those of common compounds. In this work, the mass concentration distribution of highly concentrated lactic acid is determined by back titration. The components of highly concentrated lactic acid, crude lactide, and polymer after the reaction are analyzed by HPLC. Different concentrations of lactic acid solution were prepared for the synthesis of lactide and its content in the product was determined by 1H NMR analysis. We found that lactide is more easily produced from high-concentration lactic acid solution with which the condensed water is easier to release. Hence, the removal of condensed water is crucial to the formation of lactide, although it is not directly formed by esterification of two molecules of lactic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by traditional solvents for carboxylic acid extraction being not environmentally friendly, novel hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on amides as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs) and terpenes as hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) were proposed as sustainable solvents. The structures were characterized by 1H NMR and GC-MS, meanwhile the formation mechanism was revealed by electrostatic potential (ESP) analysis. In addition, the partition coefficients and separation factors of lactic, malic, and tartaric acids (LA, MA, and TA) in novel DESs were tested by a simple solvent extraction approach. What's more, the contributions of HBAs and HBDs in improving the selective separation of carboxylic acids were confirmed by multiscale exploration and experimental research. HBAs increase the partition coefficient via forming double hydrogen bonds with LA, MA, and TA. HBDs improve the selectivity by competition with these acids. This finding can serve as a blueprint for the design of greener solvents for the selective separation of carboxylic acids in bioprocesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head and neck malignant tumor with a high incidence in specific regional distribution, and its traditional therapies face some challenges. It has become an urgent need to seek new therapeutic strategies without or with low toxicity and side effects. At present, more and more researchers has been attracting attention by nanotheranostic platform. Therefore, our team synthesized the polyethylene glycol-coated ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles-coupled sialyl Lewis X (USPIO-PEG-sLex) nanotheranostic platform with high temperature pyrolysis. Results: The USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles had excellent photothermal conversion property, and the temperature of USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles solution increased with its concentration and power density of near-infrared (NIR) on 808 nm wavelengths. Five USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles with different concentrations of 0 mg/ml, 0.025 mg/ml, 0.05 mg/ml, 0.1 mg/ml and 0.2 mg/ml were prepared. The biological toxicity results showed that the viability of NPC 5-8F cells is related to the concentration of USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles and the culture time (P < 0.001). The results of photothermal therapy (PTT) in vitro indicated that the viability of 5-8F cells decreased significantly with the concentration of USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles increases (P < 0.001), and the viability of NPC 5-8F cells were 91.04% ± 5.20%, 77.83% ± 3.01%, 73.48% ± 5.55%, 59.50% ± 10.98%, 17.11% ± 3.14%, respectively. The USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles could target the tumor area, and reduce the T2* value of tumor tissue. The T2* values of tumor pre- and post-injection were 30.870 ± 5.604 and 18.335 ± 4.351, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, USPIO-PEG-sLex nanoparticles as a photothermal agent for PTT could effectively inhibit tumor progression. The ratio of volume change between tail vein injection group, control group, nanoparticles without laser irradiation group and blank group after 5 treatments were 3.04 ± 0.57, 5.80 ± 1.06, 8.09 ± 1.96, 7.89 ± 2.20, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our synthesized USPIO-PEG-sLex nanotheranostic platform, and it may be become a new strategy for the treatment of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is the end-stage of fibrosis in chronic liver diseases, non-invasive early detection of liver fibrosis (LF) is particularly essential for therapeutic decision. Aberrant glycosylation of glycoproteins has been demonstrated to be closely related to liver abnormalities. This study was designed to enroll a total of 1,565 participants with LC/LF, chronic hepatitis virus (CHB) and healthy controls. Fibrosis was confirmed by liver biopsy. Using capillary electrophoresis N-glycan fingerprint (NGFP) analysis, we developed a nomogram algorithm (FIB-G) to discriminate LC from non-cirrhotic subjects. The FIB-G demonstrated good diagnostic performances in identifying LC with the area under the curve (AUC) 0.895 (95%CI: 0.857–0.915). Furthermore, the diagnostic efficiencies of FIB-G were superior to that of log (P2/P8), procollagen III N-terminal (PIIINP), type IV collage (IV-C), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), aspartate transaminase to platelets ratio index (APRI), and FIB-4 when detecting significant fibrosis (S0–1 vs. S2–4, AUC: 0.787, 95%CI: 0.701–0.873), severe fibrosis (S0–2 vs. S3–4, AUC: 0.844, 95%CI: 0.763–0.924), and LC (S0–3 vs. S4, AUC: 0.773, 95%CI: 0.667–0.880). Besides, changes of FIB-G were associated well with the regression of fibrosis and liver function Child–Pugh classification. FIB-G is an accurate multivariant N-glycomic algorithm for LC prediction and fibrosis progression/regression monitoring. The high throughput feasible NGFP using only 2 μL of serum could help physicians make the more precise non-invasive staging of LF or cirrhosis and reduce the need for invasive liver biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few evidences are available about the impact of temperature variation on childhood asthma in different seasons. This study aimed to assess the influence of temperature changes between neighboring days (TCN) on the exacerbation of asthma among children. Daily outpatient visits for childhood asthma (DOVCA) were collected from 17 main hospitals in Shanghai, China, from 2016 to 2018. A quasi-Poisson regression combined with distributed lagged nonlinear models was employed to estimate the association between TCN and asthma visits in cool or warm seasons, after controlling for short- and long-term trends, day of week, holidays, daily mean temperature, daily mean relative humidity, and air pollutants. The TCN varied from − 9.6 to 6.7 °C. The relationship between TCN and DOVCA greatly varied by season. In warm seasons, positive TCN (temperature rise) was associated with higher risks of asthma outpatient visits and negative TCN (temperature drop) was associated with lower risks; the associations were present on lag 1 day and lasted for 2 weeks; the cumulative relative risk of childhood asthma over 0 to 14 days was 1.98 (95% confidence interval: 1.42, 2.76) and 0.31 (95% confidence intervals: 0.21, 0.44) comparing a TCN of 2.5 °C (5th percentile) and − 3.2 °C (95th percentile) with 0 °C, respectively. In cool seasons, neither negative nor positive TCN showed significant risks. In conclusion, temperature rise might increase the risk of childhood asthma exacerbation and temperature drop might decrease the risks in warm seasons. There were no statistically significant influences in cool seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, for the first time, Porphyromonas gingivalis, an anaerobic bacterium, was selected to synthesize carbon dots. The achieved P. gingivalis–carbon dots (Pg‐CDs) exhibited strong fluorescence and high stability with capability for dual function as Fe3+ sensor and intracellular imaging agent. The detection limit for Fe3+ was as low as 1.85 µm. On the other hand, the prepared Pg‐CDs were an excellent candidate for biosensor with high biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the increase in health awareness has made fitness activities more and more popular in families. The lack of professional guidance and real-time feedback during home fitness training is often a limiting factor. In order to solve this problem, a home fitness assistance system based on Android mobile network and optical sensing system is proposed in this study. The purpose of the system is to provide personalized fitness guidance and real-time feedback to help users effectively conduct fitness training in a home environment. In order to achieve this goal, this paper uses the advantages of Android mobile network to realize real-time interaction and communication between users and the system. A fitness detection system based on light sensing technology is designed, which can accurately monitor the user's posture and movement, and provide corresponding feedback. Through the analysis of the experimental results, the home fitness assistance system has high accuracy and efficiency in providing personalized fitness guidance and real-time feedback. Users can choose the right training plan according to their needs and abilities, and get professional guidance and real-time feedback in the training process, so as to achieve better training results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Tripartite motif 47 (TRIM47) belongs to a category of the TRIM family. It takes part in cancer tumorigenesis, thus demonstrating important functions across numerous carcinomas. Unfortunately, it is still elusive towards TRIM47 expression, characteristic, and biological function in brain gliomas. Methods. Public database analysis was applied to analyze TRIM47 expression, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied to detect the expression of TRIM47 in 9 paired tissues of glioma. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases were applied to evaluate the overall survival (OS). Gene Ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were applied to analyze differentially expressed gene (DEG) functions. In vitro experiments were performed to validate TRIM47-mediated effects on glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Results. Compared to that in normal tissues, TRIM47 expression was greatly higher in glioma tissues, and its expression level was associated with different grades of glioma. Our data indicated that highly expressed TRIM47 displayed an association with the poor prognosis of glioma patients. Ablating TRIM47 obviously impeded glioma cell invasion and migration. Conclusion. TRIM47 could modulate glioma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Highly expressed TRIM47 exhibited a correlation with poor prognosis. All data imply that TRIM47 is a probable biomarker for glioma and has the potentiality to become a newly generated target for glioma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin is a pleiotropic molecule with multiple functions in plants. Since the discovery of melatonin in plants, numerous studies have provided insight into the biosynthesis, catabolism, and physiological and biochemical functions of this important molecule. Here, we describe the biosynthesis of melatonin from tryptophan, as well as its various degradation pathways in plants. The identification of a putative melatonin receptor in plants has led to the hypothesis that melatonin is a hormone involved in regulating plant growth, aerial organ development, root morphology, and the floral transition. The universal antioxidant activity of melatonin and its role in preserving chlorophyll might explain its anti‐senescence capacity in aging leaves. An impressive amount of research has focused on the role of melatonin in modulating postharvest fruit ripening by regulating the expression of ethylene‐related genes. Recent evidence also indicated that melatonin functions in the plant's response to biotic stress, cooperating with other phytohormones and well‐known molecules such as reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. Finally, great progress has been made towards understanding how melatonin alleviates the effects of various abiotic stresses, including salt, drought, extreme temperature, and heavy metal stress. Given its diverse roles, we propose that melatonin is a master regulator in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the challenges to sustainability is to efficiently and conveniently remove organic dyes from wastewater. Herein, a light ZIF-8@chitosan (CS) composite sponge with bulk density of 0.18 g cm−3 was prepared by an in situ method. The composite sponge possesses a three-dimensional porous structure with abundant chelating sites, which can efficiently and selectively remove congo red (CR). The maximum adsorption capacity (987.01 mg g−1) is higher than most chitosan-based adsorbents. High selective adsorption towards CR over other dyes is also demonstrated. Over 90% adsorption capacity was retained after five adsorption–desorption cycles. In addition, a column-mounted equipment for fixed-bed cycle wastewater treatment was assembled with a freestanding ZIF-8@CS sponge, which exhibited high CR removal efficiency of 99%. Based on the systematic spectroscopy characterization, the dominant role in the superior adsorption performance is attributed to the electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, π–π stacking and metal coordinating interaction between the ZIF-8@CS sponge and CR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic pollutants in water pose a serious risk to public health, hence, it is essential to develop new and innovative approaches to the remediation of contaminated water. This work demonstrates a highly effective bubble-propelled micromotor based on the surface coating of symmetrical carbon microspheres (CMSs) with catalytic manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoflakes and platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) (Pt-MnO2@CMS). This concept represents a simple and flexible strategy for the decomposition of organic pollutants in water and could be used to construct a wide range of diverse micromotors with applications in drug delivery, sensing, energy generation and environmental remediation. The unique hierarchical structure of the MnO2 nanoflakes and the uniform dispersion of Pt NPs in this material were confirmed. The resulting micromotors were found to move rapidly as a result of propulsion by oxygen bubbles generated in a H2O2 solution via the catalytic actions of the MnO2 nanoflakes and Pt NPs. In contrast to the intrinsic asymmetry of tubular and Janus structures, the self-driven motion of these symmetrical micromotors can be attributed to morphological variations and the uneven distribution of the cocatalysts. Combining a porous structure, rapid movement and Fenton-like reactions, these Pt-MnO2@CMS micromotors rapidly degraded methylene blue (MB), providing greater than 99% decolorization in just 30 min without the need for external agitation. Analyses of the adsorption mechanism based on pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics models showed that adsorption proceeded via chemical processes. These new micromotors are expected to have important environmental and biomedical applications. A highly effective bubble-propelled micromotor based on the surface coating of symmetrical carbon microspheres (CMSs) with catalytic manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoflakes and platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) (Pt-MnO2@CMS) was demonstrated. The unique hierarchical structure of the MnO2 nanoflakes and the uniform dispersion of Pt NPs in this material were confirmed. The resulting micromotors were found to move rapidly as a result of propulsion by oxygen bubbles generated in H2O2 solution. Combining the porous structure, rapid movement and Fenton-like reactions, these Pt-MnO2@CMS micromotors rapidly degraded methylene blue, providing greater than 99% decolorization in just 30 min without the need for external agitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and porous triptycene-based microporous polymer (TMP) was synthesized through a palladium acetate-catalyzed Suzuki reaction, and then Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S quantum dots (CZS QDs) were homogeneously decorated onto the TMP by a facile in situ precipitation approach to fabricate a 0D/3D heterojunction for the first time. Characterizations indicate TMP with large specific surface area (809 m2 g−1) not only stabilizes CZS QDs but also provides abundant photocatalytic active sites, which can facilitate the activation and adsorption of H 2 O molecules. The CZS QDs@TMP heterojunction possesses remarkably improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity and outstanding photostability. The optimized CZS QDs@TMP-1 heterojunction exhibits highest hydrogen-producing rate of 81.33 mmol h−1 g−1, about 16.1 times higher than that of pristine CZS. The high photocatalytic activity of CZS QDs@TMP is due to several positive factors, such as high surface area, construction of n-n type heterostructures, tiny size effect of CZS QDs and close contact between 0D CZS QDs and 3D TMP, which will synergistically promote the visible-light response, boost the interfacial charge transfer and reduce the photocorrosion of CZS. • A novel triptycene-based microporous polymer (TMP) was prepared for photocatalysis. • 0D Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S quantum dots (<8 nm) were deposited on 3D TMP. • A superior photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of 81.33 mmol h−1 g−1 was obtained. • Porous structure and quantum effect enhanced the charge separation and transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: NADPH oxidase-mediated H2O2 maintains proline concentration under NaCl stress through regulating its biosynthesis and degradation, conferring salt tolerance to wheat plants. Considerable attention has been paid to the specific role of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in plant stress responses. Here, using microscopic, pharmacological and biochemical approaches, we explored H2O2 production and its roles in redox control under salt stress in wheat roots. Exogenous H2O2 pretreatment decreased salt-induced lipid peroxidation, while increased proline content in wheat roots. Salt stress led to a transient increase in NADPH oxidase activity accompanied by accumulation of H2O2 and proline in roots. The elevated proline accumulation in the presence of NaCl was significantly suppressed by diphenyleneiodonium, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, and dimethylthiourea, a scavenger of H2O2. The rate-limiting enzyme involved in proline biosynthesis, Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), was induced by NaCl, whereas the house-keeping enzyme in proline degradation, proline dehydrogenase (ProDH), was inhibited. After 6 h, the activity of P5CS increased by 1.5-fold, whereas ProDH decreased by 13.9%. The levels of these enzymes, however, were restored by NADPH oxidase inhibitor or H2O2 scavenger. After treatment with H2O2, the effects of diphenyleneiodonium and or dimethylthiourea on proline content and activities of P5CS and ProDH were reversed. These results suggested that NADPH oxidase-mediated H2O2 alleviates oxidative damage induced by salt stress through regulating proline biosynthesis and degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, developing appropriate technology is one of the biggest challenges for society to reduce environmental impact. In this research, to avoid the traditional calcium salt method which produces a large amount of waste gypsum residue, a new way of separating citric acid from fermentation broth was developed by forming hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs), in which amide and citric acid were used as the hydrogen bond acceptor and donor respectively when amide was in contact with the fermentation broth containing citric acid. Among these amides, C10H21NO was found to be an efficient hydrogen bond acceptor forming hydrophobic DESs with the citric acid based on the molecular size and shape and has the largest hydrophobic equilibrium constant of 3.14. The hydrophobic DES formation mechanism was studied by analyzing the chemical bonds using FT-IR and quantum chemical (QC) calculations. C10H21NO was regenerated by elevating the temperature of the hydrophobic DESs. The regenerated C10H21NO exhibited good recycling properties with no obvious reduction of the ability to form hydrophobic DESs. This effective way of obtaining high-quality citric acids provides new ideas for the separation of other carboxylic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]