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As a cultural carrier of historical inheritance, paper has high cultural, historical and scientific research value. But with the passage of time and the change of the environment, many paper are aging and damaged. In order to protect the paper, CMC-β-CD composite material for paper protection was synthesized by carboxymethyl cellulose as substrate, epichlorohydrin (ECH) as crosslinking agent, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as catalyst and solvent, and water as medium, β-cyclodextrin as grafter. Through single factor experiment, the synthetic condition was obtained. The structure of the synthesized materials was characterized by infrared spectroscopy; CMC-β-CD was applied to paper reinforcement. The effects of solution concentration on the tensile strength, tearing degree, folding times, whiteness and gloss of paper were tested, and the suitable conditions for coating paper were found. The results show that the mass concentration of 2 % CMC-β-CD is coated on paper, its mechanical properties are greatly improved, the gloss is slightly increased, and the whiteness is basically unchanged, which is in line with the principle of “repairing the old as the old”.

The development of effective multiphoton absorption (MPA) materials for near-infrared (NIR) light-driven photocatalysis holds great significance. In this study, we incorporated two multibranched cyclometallated iridium(III) modules with varying degrees of conjugation onto MPA-inert metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to active MPA performance. Subsequently, the MOFs were further modified with Co(II) and hyaluronic acid (HA) to fabricate MINCHand MISCH, respectively. By introducing octupolar molecules and expanding the conjugation, MISCHexhibited a larger MPA cross section for efficient NIR light absorption and improved carrier transfer, leading to outstanding NIR light-driven multiphoton photocatalytic hydrogen production. Moreover, the HA modification enabled MISCHto achieve specific multiphoton photocatalytic hydrogen therapy for cancer cells. This study provides valuable insights into constructing highly active MPA materials for NIR light-driven photocatalysis, presenting a potential platform for hydrogen therapy in tumor treatment.

Wheat bran, a principal byproduct of flour milling, stands as an abundant source of dietary fiber, yet its economic potential remains under-exploited in current forage applications. Arabinoxylan (AX), constituting the core of dietary fiber, emerges as a versatile compound with multifaceted functionalities. Its nutritional significance, coupled with its role in cereal food processing, has prompted a surge of studies focusing on the valorization of wheat bran AX. Moreover, the hydrolyzed derivative, arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (AXOS), demonstrates prebiotic and antioxidant properties, offering potential avenues to mitigate the risk of chronic diseases. This review summarizes current knowledge on the valorization of wheat bran AX in terms of the processing and nutritional properties of AX. Moreover, multiple novel applications of AX in the materials area, including biodegradable food packaging films, delivery of bioactive substances as nanoparticles, and the manufacture of food emulsifiers, are also highlighted to extend the utilization of AX. This review underscores the immense potential of wheat bran AX, advocating for its exploitation not only as a nutritional asset but also as a primary ingredient in advanced materials. The synthesis of nutritional and materials perspectives accentuates the multifaceted utility of wheat bran AX, thereby paving the way for sustainable valorization pathways. By unraveling the latent potential within AX, this paper advocates for the holistic and sustainable utilization of wheat bran in diverse, value-added applications.

The hydrophobicity of polyolefin separators causes poor compatibility with the internal environment of lithium-ion batteries and thus elevates lithium-ion migration barriers. In this research, hydroxy-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HTHP) coated separators are fabricated successfully based on the simple and easy-on impregnation method. Abundant hydroxyl groups in HTHP reinforce separator electrolyte affinity, generating the much lower contact angle and higher electrolyte uptake. Accordingly, HTHP-coated separators show broader electrochemical window and superior ionic conductivity and Li+transport number, which facilitate the Li+migration within porous pathways and hence maximally weaken counteranions-induced polarizations. The lower interfacial resistances also guarantee the Li+accelerated diffusion via the separator–electrodes interfaces. Therefore, batteries containing modified separators exhibit optimized C-rate capacity and cycling stability. However, immoderate HTHP coating blocks partial pores and thus restricts Li+transference, which deteriorates C-rate capacity and cycling durability in turn. This separator modification scheme possesses advantages of simple preparation, environment-friendly, and low manufacturing cost, providing practical guidance for low-cost and high-performance separator manufacture.

This article studies the stability issue of networked switched systems (NSSs) under denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. To address this issue, the derived limitations imposed on both the frequency of DoS attacks on each subsystem and the upper limit of attack duration that each subsystem can tolerate are mode-dependent, which is more efficient and flexible than the current results for NSSs. Moreover, we reveal the relationship between the upper bound of the average maximum tolerable attack duration associated with the corresponding subsystem and the actual mode-dependent average dwell time. Furthermore, we identify that the total tolerable DoS attack duration as a percentage of the system runtime in this article can be higher than existing results. Finally, an example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our work.

Aim: To assess the value of lumen diameter after percutaneous angioplasty (PTA) to predict functional dialysis use (FDU) of arteriovenous fistulas (AVF).Methods: We performed a retrospective study of all patients who underwent first PTA because of AVF stenosis between March 2019 and March 2021. The outcome was FDU of AVF at 6 months follow up. Independent factors of FDU were identified using multivariate regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to investigate the predictive ability of lumen diameter for FDU.Results: A total 68 patients were included into this study and the AVF of 53 cases (77.9%) were good for FDU after 6 months. The AVF age was younger in failure group than that in success group (16.1 ± 9.1 months vs 28.3 ± 20.0 months, p= 0.026). Compared with failure group, the post-PTA minimum luminal diameter (MLD) was bigger in success group (4.5 [4.0–4.5 mm] vs 5.5 mm [4.5–5.5 mm], p< 0.001). Meanwhile, the gain of lumen diameter in success group was also bigger than that in failure group (2.5 mm [2.0–3.0 mm] in failure group vs 3.0 mm [2.75–3.5 mm] in success group, p= 0.012). The residual stenosis was higher in failure group than that in success group (30% [10%–40%] vs 10% [0%−20%], p= 0.003). Logistic regression showed that AVF age and post-PTA MLD were independent predictors of FDU. ROC analysis showed that the gain of lumen diameter, post-PTA MLD and improvement of stenosis were comparable to predict FDU. For post-PTA MLD, the area under ROC curve was 0.804 (95% CI, 0.681–0.927, p< 0.001). The best cutoff is 4.75 mm, with the sensitivity and specificity was 71.7% and 80.0%, respectively.Conclusions: AVF age and post-PTA MLD were independently predictors for FDU of AVF after PTA. To get the best performance, a minimum vein diameter of 4.75 mm should be obtained after angioplasty.

AbstractAims/BackgroundBreast leukaemia (BL) is a rare breast malignancy that is treated differently from other malignant conditions. However, it is easily confused with other conditions; therefore, how to accurately diagnose is crucial. We retrospectively analysed the imaging findings of 13 patients to provide a diagnostic reference.MethodsFrom January 2015 to April 2023, 13 patients with BL confirmed by biopsy who underwent imaging in Peking University People’s hospital were retrospectively analysed. The imaging findings obtained via ultrasound (US), mammography (MMG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) were analysed, and the detection rates of these methods for diagnosing BL were compared.ResultsTwenty-nine lesions were detected in the 13 patients. These patients presented with palpable masses or breast swelling several months after treatment for leukaemia, mainly involving the bilateral breasts. Ultrasonography was performed for 13 patients, and all lesions were detected. Most of the identified masses were hypoechoic and had indistinct boundaries, irregular shapes, no enhancement of the posterior echo, and no abundant blood flow. MMG was performed for five patients, revealing breast masses, architectural distortion, and no abnormalities. MRI was performed for four patients, and all lesions were detected; most of the lesions were hypointense on T1-weighted imaging and hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging, with a decreased apparent diffusion coefficient and inhomogeneous enhancement. The enhancement curves were mostly inflow patterns. PET/CT was performed for four patients; two patients had hypermetabolism, and the other two had no obvious radioactive uptake.ConclusionCompared to MMG and PET/CT, US and MRI have higher detection rates. Furthermore, compared to MRI, US is inexpensive, convenient and efficient; therefore, it should be the first choice for diagnosing BL.

To synthesize colorless superheat‐resistant polyimide films, one of the valid approaches is the incorporation of the asymmetric and warped structures in the main chain. Applying this approach on 5(6)‐amino‐2‐(4‐aminobenzene)benzimidazole (PABZ) and changing its linearity, 6, 5′‐diamine‐2′‐methyl‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylbenzimidazole (5a) and 6, 3′‐diamine‐2′‐methyl‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylbenzimidazole (5b) were devised and synthesized successfully, then polymerized with 1,2,4,5‐cyclohexanetetracarboxylic dianhydride (HPMDA). The prepared poly(benzimidazole imide)s (PBIIs) with the rigid main chain and loose packing had the excellent heat‐resistant level (Tg> 400°C) and optical properties (T400> 80%). Besides, the alterations resulting from various linearities were discussed comprehensively. This research is beneficial to the application of optical field, providing a promising candidate of heat‐resistant colorless materials.

Composite films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyimide (PI) combine the advantages of both materials like excellent inertness to chemicals and thermal stability, which provide great potential in applications under harsh environments. However, strong adhesion between PTFE and PI layers still remains a big challenge. In this study, fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) as an intermediate layer was found to significantly enhance the adhesion of PTFE films to PI film, with peel strength up to 350 N/m in the manufactured direction comparing to the value of 0 for PTFE/PI composite film without FEP. It’s superior to that of commercially available products (25 N/m) under the same test conditions. The improved performance is attributed to the formation of interlocks of molecules at the interfaces between the PTFE and FEP layers, and FEP and PI layers as observed in the images obtained by atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Botanical insecticides are considered an environmentally friendly approach to insect control because they are easily biodegraded and cause less environmental pollution compared to traditional chemical pesticides. In this study, we reported the insecticidal activities of the ingredients from Taiwania flousianaGaussen (T. flousiana). Five compounds, namely helioxanthin (C1), taiwanin E (C2), taiwanin H (C3), 7,4′-dimethylamentoflavone (C4), and 7,7″-di-O-methylamentoflavone (C5), were isolated and tested against the second, third, and fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. Our results indicated that all five compounds showed insecticidal activities, and helioxanthin, which is an aryltetralin lignan lactone, was the most effective with LC50values of 0.60, 2.82, and 3.12 mg/L, respectively, 48 h after application, with its activity against the second instar larvae similar to that of pyrethrin and better than that of rotenone. Further studies found that helioxanthin accumulated in the gastric cecum and the midgut and caused swelling of mitochondria with shallow matrices and fewer or disappeared crista. Additionally, our molecular mechanisms studies indicated that the significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly associated with mitochondria and the cuticle, among which the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) gene was the most down-regulated by helioxanthin, and VDAC is the potential target of helioxanthin by binding to specific amino acid residues (His 122 and Glu 147) via hydrogen bonds. We conclude that aryltetralin lignan lactone is a potential class of novel insecticides by targeting VDAC.

The superhydrophobic surface and slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS)/lubricant-infused surface (LIS) have attracted increasing attention owing to their multifunctionality. However, their practical applications face several problems such as complex and inefficient preparation technology, loss of lubricant, and fragile microstructures. Therefore, new strategies for preparing microstructures must be developed for constructing superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings. Herein, a low-cost and high-efficiency method for developing superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings based on in situ grown TiO2on the surface of a hollow kapok fiber (KF) is reported. The anti-icing, antifouling, and anticorrosion performance of the superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings are compared. The superhydrophobic coating reduces the formation and accumulation of ice. The lubricant-infused coating exhibits an extremely low ice adhesion strength and durable anti-icing properties. The superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused coatings show the outstanding antifouling property of diatom; the superhydrophobic surface exhibits superior stability over LIS without an external force field. The lubricant-infused coating shows excellent corrosion resistance and durability when immersed in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The superhydrophobic coating loses its protection as a result of the corrosion media permeating the metal substrate via the electrolytic cell and coating interface, and the lubricant-infused coating provides lasting corrosion resistance because of the lubricant filling into the interface. Although the superhydrophobic coating is fragile and the lubricant-infused coating will lose lubricant, this simple and convenient approach can be repeated to keep the coatings active. This study provides new inspiration for the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces and LIS based on natural products.

ABSTRACTBackgroundStatins, previously rated as pregnancy category X agents, were contraindicated during pregnancy due to the teratogenic effects observed in animal studies. However, it is still controversial whether statins have detrimental impact on pregnant women or not, and some studies even suggest a potential benefit of statin use against pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to explore whether maternal exposure to statins is associated with increased rates of pregnancy-related adverse events (AEs), including abortion, abortion spontaneous, preterm birth, low birth weight, stillbirth/fetal death, and fetal complications.Research design and methodsData from 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2022 were extracted through the U.S. FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, to conduct disproportionality analysis and Bayesian analysis by reporting odds ratio (ROR) and Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) algorithms. To identify the potential risks of pregnancy-related AEs, each statin was compared to all the other drugs, all the other statins, and the reference drugs (fenofibrate and evolocumab).ResultsA total of 477 cases involving pregnancy-related AEs associated with stains were submitted to the FAERS database by healthcare professionals. No obvious disproportionate association of abortion, abortion spontaneous, or stillbirth/fetal death was identified for all statins during gestation. In comparison with all the other drugs, lovastatin showed an increased risk of fetal complications (ROR = 2.45, 95% CI, 1.22–4.95; IC025 = 0.63), and pravastatin demonstrated increased risks of preterm birth (ROR = 4.89, 95% CI, 3.65–6.54; IC025 = 1.69) and low birth weight (ROR = 9.60, 95% CI, 5.56–16.56; IC025 = 1.88). Similar results were found when compared lovastatin or pravastatin with fenofibrate. Furthermore, statins were associated with higher proportion of fetal complications and preterm birth when comparing with evolocumab.ConclusionsStatins did not increase the risk of pregnancy-related AEs, including abortion, abortion spontaneous, or stillbirth/fetal death. However, we did find significant disproportionality signals for preterm birth and low birth weight associated with pravastatin, and lovastatin was related to a higher proportion of fetal complications. The results in this study may provide evidence on the safety of statins during pregnancy, which need to be verified in further investigations.

Osteoporosis means a decrease in bone density, as a result of which bone strength decreases and becomes brittle, which increases the probability of fracture. Osteoporosis usually develops gradually and does not show any symptoms until a fracture occurs. Osteoporosis can occur in any bone of the body, but it is usually seen in the spine, pelvis, wrists, and ribs. Both men and women at any age may be affected by this disease, but according to statistics, the percentage of women suffering from osteoporosis is higher than men, and the probability of this disease increases with age. Recently, the metallic nanoparticles containing plant extracts have been used for the treatment of bone disorders such as osteoporosis. The obtained nanoparticle (Gold nanoparticles green-formulated by Glycine maxL seed extract) was characterized by advanced chemical and physical techniques like TEM, FTIR, and SEM. The cytotoxicity effects of gold nanoparticles against normal cell line i.e. HUVEC were assessed. Administration of gold nanoparticles ‎following methyl prednisolone sodium succinate induced osteoporosis in Wistar rats indicated a raise in the bone mineral content markers serum levels and a reduction in bone resorption markers urinary and serum levels. An incline in tibia and femur strength was observed particularly with 5 µg/kg of gold nanoparticles‎. Calcium homeostasis maintenance, collagen formation and free radicals scavenging can plausibly be the gold nanoparticles action mode ‎thereby combating osteoporosis induced by glucocorticoids.

2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) is a good replacement for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in melt-cast explosives due to its superior insensitivity. With the increasing use of DNAN-based melt-cast explosives, the prediction of reaction violence and hazard assessment of the explosives subjected to shock is of great significance. This study investigated the shock initiation characteristics for a DNAN-based melt-cast explosive, DHFA, using the one-dimensional Lagrangian apparatus. The embedded manganin gauges in the apparatus record the pressure histories at four Lagrangian positions and show that shock-to-detonation transition in DHFA needs a high input shock pressure. The experimental data are analyzed to calibrate the Ignition and Growth model. The calibration is performed using an objective function based on both pressure history and the arrival time of shock. Good agreement between experimental and calculated pressure histories indicates the high accuracy of the calibrated parameters with the optimization method.

A novel porous polydimethylsiloxane/bimetallic ZnCo-MOF carbonization (PDMS/ZnCo-MOF@C) sponge was successfully fabricated, followed by its utilization in GC-MS for the high efficiency extraction and determination of volatile compounds in cumin. The PDMS/ZnCo-MOF@C sponge exhibits outstanding properties with a considerable adsorption capacity, high surface area, and large pore volume and has shown potential as an ideal adsorbent for the separation and preconcentration of trace volatile compounds. The effect of different parameters on the extraction efficiency were investigated. Excellent analytical performances were achieved for the representative compounds (β-pinene, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, cuminaldehyde, and linalyl acetate), including wide linearity (2.31–440.1 ng) with high correlation coefficients (R2≥ 0.9979), low LODs (1.02–3.11 ng) and LOQs (2.45–7.08 ng), and satisfactory precision (intra-day RSDs ≤ 2.89% and inter-day RSDs ≤ 4.14%). The optimal method was applied for the analysis of cumin from different regions and 44 volatile compounds were identified. The correlation between the different regions of cumin and volatile compounds was explored using multivariate statistical analysis. These results demonstrated that PDMS/ZnCo-MOF@C is an efficient, simple and sensitive material for use in the pretreatment technique for the determination of the volatile compounds in aromatic plants.

Two-dimensional layered α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoplatelets with two distinguished sizes but similar aspect ratio were directly incorporated into polyamide 66 (PA66) by simple melt processing without using any surfactants. Through the electron microscopy analysis, the large ZrP nanoplatelets with ~ 1.33 μm in size and ~ 5.8 in aspect ratio exhibit a uniform dispersion in PA66 matrices at the filler loading up to 3 wt%, while the small ZrP nanoplatelets with an average size of ~ 230 nm and aspect ratio of ~ 6.2 tend to form large-scale aggregates in PA66 even at 1 wt% loading. Tensile testing results illustrate that the large ZrP nanoplatelets exhibit a better reinforcement effect in PA66 than the small ones. With the incorporation of 3 wt% large ZrP nanoplatelets, the PA66 nanocomposites exhibit an increase of ~ 10% in tensile modulus and ~ 14% in tensile strength as compared with the pure PA66. Pin-on-disc wear tests illustrate that the nanocomposites containing large ZrP nanoplatelets have better anti-wear properties than those prepared with small ZrP nanoplatelets. In specific, the PA66 nanocomposites containing 1 wt% large ZrP nanoplatelets show a ~ 43% decrease in friction coefficient and a ~ 59% reduction in the wear rate under the test condition of 40 N in load and 0.6 m/s in velocity. The mechanisms that are responsible for the mechanical and tribological enhancements in the PA66/ZrP nanocomposites have also been discussed. Graphical abstract2D layered α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoplatelets with large size can effectively enhance mechanical and tribological properties of PA66 nanocomposites.

Nutrient avidity is one of the most distinctive features of tumours. However, nutrient deprivation has yielded limited clinical benefits. In Gaucher disease, an inherited metabolic disorder, cells produce cholesteryl-glucoside which accumulates in lysosomes and causes cell damage. Here we develop a nanoparticle (AbCholB) to emulate natural-lipoprotein-carried cholesterol and initiate Gaucher disease-like damage in cancer cells. AbCholB is composed of a phenylboronic-acid-modified cholesterol (CholB) and albumin. Cancer cells uptake the nanoparticles into lysosomes, where CholB reacts with glucose and generates a cholesteryl-glucoside-like structure that resists degradation and aggregates into microscale crystals, causing Gaucher disease-like damage in a glucose-dependent manner. In addition, the nutrient-sensing function of mTOR is suppressed. It is observed that normal cells escape severe damage due to their inferior ability to compete for nutrients compared with cancer cells. This work provides a bioinspired strategy to selectively impede the metabolic action of cancer cells by taking advantage of their nutrient avidity.

Computational drug repositioning can identify potential associations between drugs and diseases. This technology has been shown to be effective in accelerating drug development and reducing experimental costs. Although there has been plenty of research for this task, existing methods are deficient in utilizing complex relationships among biological entities, which may not be conducive to subsequent simulation of drug treatment processes. In this article, we propose a heterogeneous graph embedding method called HMLKGAT to infer novel potential drugs for diseases. More specifically, we first construct a heterogeneous information network by combining drug-disease, drug-protein and disease-protein biological networks. Then, a multi-layer graph attention model is utilized to capture the complex associations in the network to derive representations for drugs and diseases. Finally, to maintain the relationship of nodes in different feature spaces, we propose a multi-kernel learning method to transform and combine the representations. Experimental results demonstrate that HMLKGAT outperforms six state-of-the-art methods in drug-related disease prediction, and case studies of five classical drugs further demonstrate the effectiveness of HMLKGAT.

Gibberellin (GA) functions in plant growth and development. However, genes involved in the biosynthesis and regulation of GA in crop plants are poorly understood. We isolated the mutant gad5-1(GA-Associated Dwarf 5), characterized by dwarfing, short internodes, and dark green and short leaves. Map-based gene cloning and allelic verification confirmed that ZmGAD5encodes ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase (KAO), which catalyzes KA (ent-kaurenoic acid) to GA12 conversion during GA biosynthesis in maize. ZmGAD5 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and is present in multiple maize organs. In gad5-1, the expression of ZmGAD5is severely reduced, and the levels of the direct substrate of KAO, KA, is increased, leading to a reduction in GA content. The abnormal phenotype of gad5-1was restored by exogenous application of GA3. The biomass, plant height, and levels of GA12and GA3in transgenic Arabidopsisoverexpressing ZmGAD5were increased in comparison with the corresponding controls Col-0. These findings deepen our understanding of genes involved in GA biosynthesis, and could lead to the development of maize lines with improved architecture and higher planting-density tolerance.

Germination, a powerful biofortification technique, holds immense potential in bolstering the micronutrient profile of essential staple grains, thereby paving the way for optimal nutritional enhancement. The primary goal of this study was to improve the technological functionality of germinated wheat flour by incorporating pentosanase (Pn) and glucose oxidase (Gox) enzymes, with particular emphasis on the evolutionary changes in its components. The inclusion of Gox did not produce any substantial impact on the volumetric characteristics of the steamed bread. The incorporation of Pn and Gox has been seen to enhance the overall excellence of steamed bread by optimizing loaf volume and textural characteristics while also improving the thermal stability of the dough. The existence of two endothermic peaks could be attributed to bound water or alterations in the granules within the starch crystallization region. Adding Pn and Gox reduced and increased the formation and stability time of the dough, respectively. A certain ratio was employed to assess alternations in the crystallinity of starch granules over a limited range. After steaming, a significant decrease in IR1047/1022was observed, indicating that the elevated temperature partially disrupted the internal starch crystal structure, leading to a gelatinization reaction with water. The ratio of tensile resistance (R) and elongation (E) of dough increased significantly compared to the control. The results obtained from this study indicate that the simultaneous inclusion of enzymes (Pn + Gox) holds significant promise for expanding the technological functionality of germinated wheat flour dough and improving the quality attributes of steamed bread.

The uncontrollable distribution of antitumor agents remains a large obstacle for specific and efficient cancer theranostics; thus, efficient construction of tumor-specific systems is highly desirable. In this work, a general design of tumor stimulus-activatable pretheranostic agents was put forward via a series of structures-tunable triphenylamine derivatives (TPA-2T-FSQ, TPA-2T-BSZ, and TPA-2T-ML) with phenothiazine, benzothiazine, and thiomorpholine as identifying groups of hypochlorite (HClO), respectively. Notably, the sulfur atom in phenothiazine of TPA-2T-FSQwas more easily oxidized to sulfoxide groups by HClO, transforming into an electron acceptor to form an excellent push–pull electronic system, which was beneficial to a large redshift of absorbance and emission wavelengths. Based on this, TPA-2T-FSQresorted to a key of overexpressed HClO in the tumor to open “three locks”, viz, NIR fluorescence, photothermal, and photoacoustic signals for multimodal diagnostic and treatment of the tumor. This study provided an elegant design to adopt tumor stimulus-triggerable pretheranostic for improving theranostic accuracy and efficiency, which was regarded as a promising candidate for precision medicine.

This research clarifies separator structure-chemical features determined Li plating-stripping behaviors, which provides new insights for building reliable relationships between separator structure design and practical LMBs applications.

The application of metallic materials in low-temperature and high-humidity environments suffers from two problems: corrosion and icing. To solve these problems, lubricant-infused surfaces (LISs) have been proposed. Herein, we design an LIS and report its anti-icing and anticorrosion properties. First, we applied the coating by spray painting with a hierarchical coral-like microstructure mixture. We then modified the surface to obtain good water repellency with a contact angle of about 151°. The surface is then infused with silicon oil, and the sliding characteristics are measured. The anti-ice and deicing properties of the LIS retard water freezing by over 515 s and lower ice adhesion to less than 10 kPa. After 20 icing-deicing cycles, the ice adhesion of samples painted with epoxy–resin-based paint with 40% flocking powder and infused with lubricant (called 0.4-EP-LIS) remains less than 40 kPa, showing that the coating is durable. The corrosion resistance is evaluated by electrochemical measurements, which show that, despite the different surface morphology and roughness, the anticorrosion properties improve in the following order: only coated samples, hydrophobic samples, and then lubricant-infused samples. Upon increasing the immersion time, the LIS low-frequency impedance Z0.01 Hzdecreases from 108to 106Ω, and the high-frequency phase angle increases from −90 to −60°. The corrosion rates of samples 0.3-EP-LIS (30% flocking powder) and 0.4-EP-LIS are 1.77 × 10–4and 4.14 × 10–4mm/year, respectively, which indicates excellent corrosion resistance. Thus, the proposed LIS coating improves the anti-icing and anticorrosion performance of metallic substrates.

Byline: Shuanggang. Chen, Xiaoshi. Zhang, Lujun. Shen, Han. Qi, Weimei. Ma, Fei. Cao, Lin. Xie, Ze. Song, Ying. Wu, Dandan. Li, Xizhi. Wen, Weijun. Fan Primary anorectal malignant melanoma (ARMM) [...]

Objective: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease around the world. This study investigated the role of microRNA (miR)-29b-3p in DN and the mechanism of the miR-29b-3p/EZH2 axis in DN. Methods: Peripheral blood samples of DN patients were collected and miR-29b-3p and EZH2 expression levels were evaluated using RT-qPCR. DN mouse models were successfully established, and then treated with miR-29b-3p overexpression or EZH2 silence. IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were assessed by ELISA. Blood glucose, serum creatinine (Scr), 24-h urine volume, 24-h urine protein, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were examined by automatic biochemical analyzer detection. HE staining was performed to observe the renal histopathology, and TUNEL staining was implemented to test apoptosis in renal tissues. The binding relationship between miR-29b-3p and EZH2 was validated by using a bioinformatics website and dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: miR-29b-3p was lowly expressed, and EZH2 was highly expressed in patients with DN. Overexpressing miR-29b-3p or silencing EZH2 attenuated renal dysfunction, suppressed inflammation and apoptosis, and relieved renal injuries in mice with DN. miR-29b-3p inhibited EZH2, and miR-29b-3p overexpression mitigated renal injuries in DN mice by repressing EZH2. Conclusion: miR-29b-3p suppresses EZH2 expression thereby inhibiting the progression of DN in mice.

Colorless polyimides (CPIs) with superheat resistance and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) are required urgently to employ as plastic substrates in flexible‐display devices. To attain the target properties, 2‐(2‐methyl‐4‐(4‐aminobenzamido)phenyl)‐5‐(4‐aminobenzamido)‐N‐phenylbenzimidazol (AB‐MPBZ) that contains biamide was synthesized, and its homo‐ and co‐polyimides were prepared with 1,2,4,5‐cyclohexanetetracarboxylic dianhydride (HPMDA) and cyclobutane‐1,2,3,4‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride (CBDA). The crank‐shaft‐like amide groups effectively increases the linearity and stiffness of polymer segments, providing CPI films with low CTE. On the basis, the CBDA based poly(benzimidazole imide) (PBII) series with dense interchain packing exhibits further reduced CTE down to 22 ppm K−1and increased glass‐transition temperature (Tg) up to 404 °C. Such good thermal properties indicate that the resultant copolyimides have potential applications as colorless flexible substrates. These provide a feasible approach to balance thermal and optical performance of polyimides.

Direct functionalization of inert C–H bonds is one of the most attractive yet challenging strategies for constructing molecules in organic chemistry. Herein, we disclose an unprecedented and Earth abundant Cu/Cr catalytic system in which unreactive alkyl C–H bonds are transformed into nucleophilic alkyl–Cr(III) species at room temperature, enabling carbonyl addition reactions with strong alkyl C–H bonds. Various aryl alkyl alcohols are furnished under mild reaction conditions even on a gram scale. Moreover, this new radical-to-polar crossover approach is further applied to the 1,1-difunctionalization of aldehydes with alkanes and different nucleophiles. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the aldehyde not only acts as a reactant but also serves as a photosensitizer to recycle the Cu and Cr catalysts.

Graphical abstract: A novel dual-mode sensor based on colorimetric and tyndall effect of gold nanoparticles for ultra-sensitive determination of Hg2+ was exploited.

In this study, the rat models of severe hypothermia induced by seawater immersion were established in artificial seawater immersion at 15°C for 5 hours. With the rewarming measurement of 37°C water bath, the rewarming effects were evaluated by monitoring basic vital signs and dynamically detecting intestinal inflammation cytokines. Fifty Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups including the control group (group C), hypothermia group (group H), 2-hour rewarming group (group R2), 6-hour rewarming group (group R6), and 12-hour rewarming group (group R12), with 10 in each group. The basic vital signs of rats (i.e., core temperature, respiration, heart rate, and muscle tremor) were constantly recorded. The inflammatory factors were detected in the intestinal tissue via a protein chip GSR-CAA-67 of Innopsys, and the verification by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The levels of cytokines (interleukin IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) were detected from blood samples collected at the end of the observation period via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression landscape of IL-1β in the intestinal tissue was validated by immunohistochemistry. Five hours of immersion in artificial seawater at 15°C successfully induced severe hypothermia of rats. After 2 hours of constant water bath rewarming at 37°C, the basic vital signs recovered to the normal level and maintained stably as well as the acute inflammatory reaction alleviated effectively, which indicated that 37°C of water immersion rewarming had the potential to be a suitable method for early treatment of water immersion hypothermia. After the process of hypothermia, several inflammatory cytokines of rats in rewarming groups changed distinctly with IL-1β, showing the most significant variations compared with group C, which confirmed IL-1β as a potential monitoring biomarker referring to the therapeutic effect of rewarming for severe hypothermia caused by seawater immersion.

Polyimides (PIs) with super heat‐resistance and ultralow coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) are required urgently to employ as plastic substrates in flexible‐display devices. To attain the target properties, we designed and synthesized a novel bibenzimidazole diamine characterized in having a N‐phenyl group, namely 1‐phenyl‐2,2′‐bibenzoimidazole‐5,5′‐diamine (PhDABZ), and focused on an aromatic poly(benzimidazole imide) series derived from 1,2,4,5‐benzenetetracarboxylic (PMDA). Incorporating bibenzimidazole and N‐substituent effectively increase the interchain interaction and chance for flexible film formation, which provides the PIs with high glass‐transition temperature (Tg> 480 °C) and dimensional stability (CTE < 10 ppm K−1). These data provide a feasible method to achieve higher thermal properties of PIs.

Background: Reoperation for recurrent or persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) after parathyroidectomy is challenging due to surgical scars and postoperative adhesions. Therefore, there is an increasing need to develop a new minimally invasive therapy. Objective: To analyze the efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with recurrent or persistent SHPT after parathyroidectomy. Patients and methods: From March 2013 to January 2022, 20 enlarged parathyroid glands in 10 patients with recurrent or persistent SHPT were treated with US-guided RFA. The levels of serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as clinical symptoms, were compared before and after RFA. The ablation procedure-related complications were also evaluated. The target range for iPTH levels was approximately 2–9 times the upper limit of normal (130–585 pg/mL). Results: The mean follow-up time was 49.6 ± 34.5 months (range from 6 to101 months). The levels of serum iPTH, Ca, and P decreased significantly one day post-ablation. Six months after RFA, 70% of patients reached the targets for iPTH, and 50% of patients reached targets at the end of follow-up. Two patients underwent repeat ablation at 9 months and 6 years after RFA, respectively, due to persistently elevated iPTH levels, and both had serum iPTH concentrations in the recommended range at the recent follow-up visit. The patients’ clinical symptoms significantly improved after ablation. Major complications after RFA included hoarseness (2/10) and permanent hypoparathyroidism (1/10). Severe hypocalcemia occurred in four patients (4/10) after ablation. Conclusion:: US-guided percutaneous RFA for recurrent or persistent SHPT is safe, efficacious, and repeatable, and can significantly improve hyperparathyroidism-related symptoms.

In the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases, overuse of antibiotics may lead to not only bacterial resistance to antibiotics but also dysbiosis of beneficial bacteria which are essential for maintaining normal human life activities. Instead, phage therapy, which invades and lyses specific pathogenic bacteria without affecting beneficial bacteria, becomes more and more popular to treat bacterial infectious diseases. For the effective phage therapy, it requires to accurately predict potential phage-host interactions from heterogeneous information network consisting of bacteria and phages. Although many models have been proposed for predicting phage-host interactions, most methods fail to consider fully the sparsity and unconnectedness of phage-host heterogeneous information network, deriving the undesirable performance on phage-host interactions prediction. To address the challenge, we propose an effective model called GERMAN-PHI for predicting Phage-Host Interactions via Graph Embedding Representation learning with Multi-head Attention mechaNism. In GERMAN-PHI, the multi-head attention mechanism is utilized to learn representations of phages and hosts from multiple perspectives of phage-host associations, addressing the sparsity and unconnectedness in phage-host heterogeneous information network. More specifically, a module of GAT with talking-heads is employed to learn representations of phages and bacteria, on which neural induction matrix completion is conducted to reconstruct the phage-host association matrix. Results of comprehensive experiments demonstrate that GERMAN-PHI performs better than the state-of-the-art methods on phage-host interactions prediction. In addition, results of case study for two high-risk human pathogens show that GERMAN-PHI can predict validated phages with high accuracy, and some potential or new associated phages are provided as well.

Transformer-based methods are recently popular in vision tasks because of their capability to model global dependencies alone. However, it limits the performance of networks due to the lack of modeling local context and global-local correlations of multi-scale features. In this paper, we present MISSFormer, a Medical Image Segmentation tranSFormer. MISSFormer is a hierarchical encoder-decoder network with two appealing designs: 1) a feed-forward network in transformer block of U-shaped encoder-decoder structure is redesigned, ReMix-FFN, which explore global dependencies and local context for better feature discrimination by re-integrating the local context and global dependencies; 2) a ReMixed Transformer Context Bridge is proposed to extract the correlations of global dependencies and local context in multi-scale features generated by our hierarchical transformer encoder. The MISSFormer shows a solid capacity to capture more discriminative dependencies and context in medical image segmentation. The experiments on multi-organ, cardiac segmentation and retinal vessel segmentation tasks demonstrate the superiority, effectiveness and robustness of our MISSFormer. Specifically, the experimental results of MISSFormer trained from scratch even outperform state-of-the-art methods pre-trained on ImageNet, and the core designs can be generalized to other visual segmentation tasks. The code has been released on Github: https://github.com/ZhifangDeng/MISSFormer.

A novel approach based on polydimethylsiloxane/graphene oxide/deep eutectic solvent (PDMS/GO/DES) sponge headspace solid phase extraction followed by GC-MS was successfully developed to determine the volatile components in cumin. The PDMS/GO/DES exhibits outstanding properties with high adsorption capacity and good chemical stability, and has shown its potentiality as an ideal adsorbent for the extraction of volatile compounds. The influence factors of the extraction process were investigated. Excellent analytical performances were achieved, including wide linearity (0.60–107.72 ng) with high correlation coefficients (R2≥ 0.9951), low LODs (0.23–9.23 ng) and LOQs (0.54–18.47 ng), satisfactory precision (intra-day RSDs ≤ 2.85% and inter-day RSDs ≤ 3.92%). Under the optimal extraction conditions, the volatile components in 17 cumin samples from four origins in Xinjiang were analyzed and 31 compounds were identified. PCA was used to establish the relationship between the origins and the volatile compounds for further discriminant analysis. The results showed that the PDMS/GO/DES method was a rapid, simple and sensitive technique for the analysis of volatile components in spices.

Driving behavior risk classification is a crucial issue in transportation systems because the prediction of vehicle hazard levels in advance can effectively reduce the occurrence of unnecessary traffic accidents. This paper proposes a novel Deep Multichannel Network Model (DMNM) for driving behavior risk classification. Based on real historical driving data, we present a driving behavior portrait framework with multidimensional factors and a dimensionless loss polymerization method. In this approach, first, we divide the related factors into three dimensions by their work methods, which are the inputs of the network. Second, the data of three original dimensions are extracted through fully connected layers to obtain embedding dimensions. Third, a new dimension indefensible factor is obtained by filter operation to eliminate the correlation between external factors and internal factors, which denotes the degree that the internal abnormal operational behavior can be explained by the external environment. Last, we regard the driving information as four channels of driving behaviors and extract the channel information through convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The numerical calculation and comparison results with real traffic data demonstrates the superior performance of our framework, and the accuracy of the proposed method in vehicle hazard classification is 95%.

Introduction: NPC2 is well known as a player for cholesterol transport. However, the biological role of NPC2 in cancer development and therapy is far from clear. Methods: Here, we explore the potential role of NPC2 in prognosis and immunotherapy across multiple cancer types by integrating RNA-seq data from TCGA and GTEx, protein data from CPTAC, and multiple web analysis databases. Results: Expression depiction between tumour and normal tissues indicated that NPC2 is overexpressed in the majority of the most common cancer types, including glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer, two cancers mostly difficult to diagnose and treat. Conclusion: Cancer stemness in glioblastoma is negatively associated with NPC2 level. NPC2 expression is positively correlated with immune cell infiltration and the expression of several immune checkpoints. IDH1 mutation in GBM is negatively correlated with NPC2 level, while a positive correlation has been found between TP53 mutation and NPC2 expression in pancreatic cancer. NPC2 is also correlated with levels of serum biomarkers used for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Graphical abstract: A novel biosensor based on bio-barcode amplification for the electrochemical detection of miR-7a was successfully developed.

The validation of remote sensing land surface temperature (LST) data necessitates a comparison between satellite retrieval outcomes and in situ observations. The efficiency of in situ observations can be ameliorated via analysis and modeling, whereby the heterogeneity of in situ observations on temporal and spatial scales is central to the analysis. A fresh algorithm has been developed to optimize deployment by relying on the standard deviation (STD) of spatial heterogeneity. The validation outcomes indicated that the coefficient of determination ( $R^{2}$ ) of the five typical surface features at three time points was 0.66, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.99 °C and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.62 °C. Moreover, the spatiotemporal heterogeneity character of typical surface features displayed different features, and the LST variation curves of each typical surface feature displayed a similar pattern under sunny conditions. The application of the Savitzky–Golay filtering (S-G filtering) method reduced errors by 4% of the total errors caused by random errors in in situ observations. With the analysis of the spatiotemporal characteristics of in situ observation. First, the number of required sites (NRS) algorithm computed a minimum sampling number of 4. Second, the analysis of the means algorithm computed the five optimal points. Additionally, the multipoint in situ observations were regularized by standard scores. The optimization of the selected points could be executed to improve the results by eliminating the “distance” points, which are located further away from the multipoint in situ observed LST statistical mean. Our outcomes will deepen the comprehension of the spatiotemporal character of in situ observed LST and enhance the efficiency of equipment with equivalent accuracy.

The 3D digital rock technology is extensively utilized in analyzing rock physical properties, reservoir modeling, and other related fields. This technology enables the visualization, quantification, and analysis of microstructures in rock cores, leading to precise predictions and optimized designs of reservoir properties. Although the accuracy of 3D digital rock reconstruction algorithms based on physical experiments is high, the associated acquisition costs and reconstruction processes are expensive and complex, respectively. On the other hand, the 3D digital rock random reconstruction method based on 2D slices is advantageous in terms of its low cost and easy implementation, but its reconstruction effect still requires significant improvement. This article draws inspiration from the Concurrent single-image generative adversarial network and proposes an innovative algorithm to reconstruct 3D digital rock by improving the generator, discriminator, and noise vector in the network structure. Compared to traditional numerical reconstruction methods and generative adversarial network algorithms, the method proposed in this paper is shown to achieve good agreement with real samples in terms of Dykstra-Parson coefficient, porosity, two-point correlation function, Minkowski functionals, and visual display.

In this paper, 1.5 wt% La-rich Mish Metal (LaMM) was added to AZ80 magnesium alloy, and microstructure evolution, texture development of AZ80 wheel hub were studied by single-pass radial forging, so as to provide basic data for the preparation of magnesium alloy wheel hub with uniform microstructure and excellent mechanical properties. A detailed microstructure analysis was performed using the optical microscopy (OM) and electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). The result shows that the LaMM greatly improves the refinement ability and deformation uniformity of AZ80 wheel hub, and the volume fraction of DRX is greatly increased, which is attributed to the increase of recrystallized nucleation cores in the RE (rare earth) phase bands through the effect of particle stimulated nucleation (PSN). The texture of the wheel hub is gradually weakened along the forming direction due to the increasing strain and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) degree. The larger cumulative strain can promote the activation of the non-basal slip systems and the generation of dislocations, which ultimately promotes the emergence of dynamic recrystallized (DRXed) grains and weakens the texture. The texture of AZ80 wheel hub is weakened by LaMM, which changes the DRX mechanism of spokes and lower rim part, promotes the occurrence of DRX, and produces more non-basal slip. Some of the grains are biased towards the basal plane, which is more conducive to grain slip, while the other DRXed grains are also deflected due to non-basal plane slip. The hardness values of AZ80-LaMM wheel hub are larger and more uniform than those of AZ80 wheel hub. This can be attributed to the fact that the RE phases inhibit the grain growth, keep the microstructure stable and produce better grain refinement.

Silver(i) ions (Ag+) are harmful to humans and can be bioaccumulated in organisms. Although numerous methods for Ag+analysis have been established, new strategies are still in urgent need. Here, we propose a colorimetric sensor based on polyadenine (polyA)-mediated DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the specific measurement of Ag+ions. In this strategy, a polyA-modified Au probe with high uniformity was assembled successfully. The method was based on Ag+-induced aggregation of the probe. Ag+was reflected according to the color variations of solution. Taking advantage of the low cost and convenient assembly of the polyA-based Au probe, our strategy determined Ag+with high sensitivity and wide range. In addition, by changing probes or nanoparticles, the proposed strategy is expected to be a universal platform for detecting other analytes in environmental and even biological samples.

Exploration of high-order multiphoton-excited fluorescent (H-MPEF) material for bioimaging with deeper tissue penetration and higher spatial resolution has attracted great interest but remains a challenge. Herein, a H-MPEF-responsive metal–organic framework-based material, ZLPH, was rationally fabricated by the pore confinement of a two-photon active unit (ZL) using the “ship-in-bottle” strategy. It demonstrated that the judicious selection effectively avoided the annoying weakened/quenched H-MPEF behavior due to the instability of ZLin the molecular state. Moreover, the obtained material, ZLPH, exhibited bright four-photon-excited fluorescence (4PEF) under the excitation of a 1550 nm femtosecond laser. In view of deep-tissue biological applications, it is envisioned that this work provides a promising platform for bright H-MPEF imaging.

Straw return and optimized nitrogen fertilizer application are common agronomic measures used in agricultural production, but the greenhouse effect these measures induce is often ignored. In this study, four treatments were employed: conventional fertilization (CF), optimized nitrogen fertilization (OF), conventional fertilization + straw return (CF + S), and optimized nitrogen fertilization + straw return (OF + S). A “closed static box” method was used to monitor methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and the variations in the ground temperature at 5-cm depth, soil nitrogen content, and soil organic matter content were analyzed. The results showed that OF reduced the soil nitrogen content, which reduced soil N2O emissions. Straw return increased the ground temperature at 5-cm depth and increased the soil organic matter content, which increased CH4emissions. Compared with CF, the cumulative emissions of CH4from the paddy soils of OF and OF + S decreased by 10.75% and 18.48%, respectively, while that of CF + S increased by 13.83%. The cumulative N2O emissions from the paddy soils of OF, CF + S, and OF + S decreased by 18.36%, 24.64%, and 32.85%, respectively. The global warming potential (GWP) of OF and OF + S decreased significantly, but the GWP of CF + S increased, and all treatments improved rice and wheat yields. The trend in the greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) was the same as that of GWP. In general, the application of straw provided additional nutrients to the soil, compensated for the reduction in soil nutrients caused by nitrogen reduction and fertilizer reduction, and ensured high rice yields.

We compared the bioequivalence, pharmacokinetics, and safety of metformin extended‐release (MXR) tablets manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd (Nantong, China) and Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) after a single oral dose under fasted/fed conditions. In this open‐label phase 1 study, 54 healthy volunteers (fasted, n =38; fed, n = 16) were randomly assigned to receive one 500‐mg MXR tablet that was manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing (Jiangsu) Co. or Merck KGaA. Respectively, the mean terminal half‐life was 7.5 and 6.8 hours in the fasted group, and 6.7 and 9.1 hours in the fed group. Median times to maximum observed concentration were 3 and 4 hours (fasted group) and 6 hours (both products, fed group). No significant differences were observed in the metformin plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) from time 0 to the last sampling time and maximum observed concentration between products. Geometric least square mean ratios for maximum observed concentration, AUC from time 0 to the last sampling time, and AUC from time 0 to infinity were nearly 100%; the corresponding 90%CIs for bioequivalence were within 80% to 125%. Diarrhea (26.4%), abdominal pain (5.7%), and nausea (3.8%) were the most common adverse events (AEs); AEs were mild. The mean AUC from time 0 to infinity (test and reference) was substantially increased by ≈45% in the fed condition (equivalent to a 1.5‐fold dose increase); this means food increased net systemic availability but had no impact on AE incidence. This was considered in the study design, which included MXR administration with evening meals. MXR tablets were bioequivalent under fasted/fed conditions and were safe and well tolerated.

The starch–phenolics complexes are widely fabricated as functional foods but with low phenolics retention limited by traditional liquid reaction and washing systems. In this study, ferulic acid (FA, 5%) was exogenously used in the crystalline form, and it reacted with starch in a high-solid extrusion environment, which was simultaneously controlled by thermostable α-amylase (0–252 U/g). Moderate enzymolysis (21 or 63 U/g) decreased the degree of the starch double helix and significantly increased the FA retention rate (>80%) with good melting and distribution. Although there were no significantly strong chemical bonds (with only 0.17–2.39% FA bound to starch hydrolysate), the noncovalent interactions, mainly hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic interactions, were determined by 1H NMR and molecular dynamics simulation analyses. The phased release of total FA (>50% in the stomach and ∼100% in the intestines) from bioextrudate under in vitrodigestion conditions was promoted, which gives a perspective for handing large loads of FA and other phenolics based on starch carrier.

Estimates of electricity consumption (EC) can provide effective guidance for energy allocation and energy-saving measures. For improving the accuracy of short-mid term EC forecasting, a novel nonintrusive attention-augmented deep learning model is proposed. This model, which is referred to as NAP-BiLSTM, consists of a nonintrusive attention-augmented-based preprocessing (NAP) block and a regular bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM). The NAP block is a kind of plug-and-play attention mechanism for time series, which can be combined with a deep neural model that processes sequential data without modifying its structure. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by two experiments, including univariate prediction using EC data from the U.S. and multivariate prediction using weather and energy data from Valencia. The root mean square error, mean absolute error, and mean absolute percentage error are used as metrics. The results demonstrate that the proposed model is highly promising for both univariate and multivariate analyses and outperforms state-of-the-art deep learning models.

Railway cold chain service network design (RCC-SND) aims to optimize the utilization of stations and lines as well as train allocations in a manner that minimizes costs while satisfying the service requirements of shippers. Furthermore, the uncertainties associated with freight demand, transportation costs, quality loss, station handling capacity, and arc capacity make the RCC-SND a complex decision-making problem. To tackle this challenge, we first formulate a Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) model to determine hub locations, freight wagon flows, and service frequency. To cope with uncertain parameters with varying degrees of uncertainty incorporated in the model, we extend the problem using fuzzy programming and further convert it to its crisp counterpart. A real-world cases study in Southwest China is performed to validate the proposed model, whose results provide different strategies for decision-makers with varying preferences. There are some main findings: As the number of hubs increases from 5 to 6, a maximum total cost savings of 1.99% can be achieved. Railway operators may opt for different decision preferences, for decisions prioritizing economic efficiency, the cost can decrease by 2.69% compared to deterministic optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) increasingly attract emphasis. Porous construction evolutions during LIBs operation inevitably deteriorate separators mechanical and electrochemical performances. In this research, separators with serial porous constructions are prepared accurately to reveal the dependency mechanism of separator porous structure design on LIB performances. Porous structure analyses, mechanical properties, orientation parameters, and thermal stability diagnosis verify uniform drawing deformations of casting films centralize pore size, optimize pore channel linearity, and retain isotropic texture. Heterogeneous pores with coarse fibrils emphasize under asynchronous drawing, causing worse permeability and anisotropic features, which likely suffered from potential safety hazards caused by excessive unidirectional shrinkage. Electrochemical and battery performance measurements uncover that concentrated pores with superior connectivity determine homogeneous Li+fluxes, uniformly expand electrodes to impose even compressive stress on separators, and thus reserve initial porous structure maximally to ensure cycling stability. Heterogeneous Li+fluxes derived from uneven pores with inferior connectivity cause excessive local compression stress on separators. Consequently, mechanically deteriorated porous structure highlight, in reverse impedes Li+transfer and worsens cell performances. This study suggests separator structural-chemical features function in ensuring LIB performances, which lays solid foundations for separator industrial manufacturing with suitable porous structures for LIBs.