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The small molecule epiberberine (EPI) is a natural alkaloid with versatile bioactivities against several diseases including cancer and bacterial infection. EPI can induce the formation of a unique binding pocket at the 5′ side of a human telomeric G-quadruplex (HTG) sequence with four telomeric repeats (Q4), resulting in a nanomolar binding affinity (KDapproximately 26 nM) with significant fluorescence enhancement upon binding. It is important to understand (1) how EPI binding affects HTG structural stability and (2) how enhanced EPI binding may be achieved through the engineering of the DNA binding pocket. In this work, the EPI-binding-induced HTG structure stabilization effect was probed by a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) invasion assay in combination with a series of biophysical techniques. We show that the PNA invasion-based method may be useful for the characterization of compounds binding to DNA (and RNA) structures under physiological conditions without the need to vary the solution temperature or buffer components, which are typically needed for structural stability characterization. Importantly, the combination of theoretical modeling and experimental quantification allows us to successfully engineer Q4 derivative Q4-ds-A by a simple extension of a duplex structure to Q4 at the 5′ end. Q4-ds-A is an excellent EPI binder with a KDof 8 nM, with the binding enhancement achieved through the preformation of a binding pocket and a reduced dissociation rate. The tight binding of Q4 and Q4-ds-A with EPI allows us to develop a novel magnetic bead-based affinity purification system to effectively extract EPI from Rhizoma coptidis(Huang Lian) extracts.

To improve the mechanical properties of flax fiber reinforced polymer composites, flax/carbon fiber hybrid reinforced polymer composites were prepared by wet winding. The effects of carbon fiber volume fraction, carbon fiber monolayer thickness, and hybrid mode (carbon fiber dispersion) on the properties of hybrid composites were studied by tensile tests considering existing theoretical models. The results showed that the minimum repeating unit of flax fiber as skin and carbon fiber as core can yield a positive hybrid effect. In addition, a lower carbon fiber volume fraction reduced the carbon fiber monolayer thickness, and a higher degree of dispersion emphasized the positive hybrid effect of the hybrid composite. The stress–strain curves of the composite did not exhibit pseudo-ductility given the negligible difference in failure strain and large difference in modulus, such that the carbon fiber layer could not fracture multiple times. In an optimized hybrid composite, introducing 26.4% carbon fiber increased the composite strength by 129.3% compared with the flax fiber reinforced polymer and the composite toughness by 32% compared with the carbon fiber reinforced polymer.

We aimed to examine the subtype classification characteristics of depressive symptoms in Shiduparents (SDPs, parents who have lost their only child) and their associations with resilience and coping styles. The sample comprised 182 SDPs (Mean age = 59.93 ± 7.41 years, 61.5% females). Latent profile analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Three subgroups of depressive symptoms in SDPs were identified: the depression and pessimism group (38.4%), the low depression symptoms group (30.8%), and the well‐adapted group (30.8%). The low depression symptoms group had a lower education level and higher family monthly income than the depression and pessimism group. The low depression symptoms group and the well‐adapted group scored significantly higher in resilience, and lower in negative coping style than the depression and pessimism group. The results highlighted that target intervention is needed for SDPs with high education levels, low family monthly income, high negative coping style, and low resilience in the depression and pessimism group.

With the continuous development of information technology and information management systems, they are widely and successfully used in practice. Health behavior and psychological monitoring systems are a breakthrough in the technological transformation of the therapeutic field. It is widely used in the field of healing and health care with its characteristics of convenience, quickness, accuracy, and timeliness. In this study, 466 valid samples were collected by questionnaires from students. The results show that effort expectation, community influence, and convenience have a positive effect on the health behaviors monitored by the health behavior and psychological monitoring systems of school students, and the three factors indirectly influence the behavioral intention through influencing the perceived value, learning willingness, and perceived trust and then affect the actual behavior. Based on the analysis results of this research, the authors provide research and management recommendations for health behavior and psychological monitoring systems operators and researchers in related fields.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an immune-mediated disease of the bile ducts that co-occurs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in almost 90% of cases. Colorectal cancer is a major complication of patients with PSC and IBD, and these patients are at a much greater risk compared to patients with IBD without concomitant PSC. Combining flow cytometry, bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, and T and B cell receptor repertoire analysis of right colon tissue from 65 patients with PSC, 108 patients with IBD and 48 healthy individuals we identified a unique adaptive inflammatory transcriptional signature associated with greater risk and shorter time to dysplasia in patients with PSC. This inflammatory signature is characterized by antigen-driven interleukin-17A (IL-17A)+forkhead box P3 (FOXP3)+CD4 T cells that express a pathogenic IL-17 signature, as well as an expansion of IgG-secreting plasma cells. These results suggest that the mechanisms that drive the emergence of dysplasia in PSC and IBD are distinct and provide molecular insights that could guide prevention of colorectal cancer in individuals with PSC.

Hybrid carbon fiber/flax reinforced polymer composites (HFRPs) meet the requirements of high property to cost ratio for many structural applications. In the present study, HFRP plates produced with filament winding were studied on the property evolution subjected to 40 and 70 °C water immersion for eight-week. Water uptake and flexural properties of the HFRP samples were tested and analyzed in terms of the hybrid modes and fiber contents. The diffusion coefficient and equilibrium water absorption of fiber reinforced polymer composites increase and the performance deterioration intensifies with the increase in temperature. The equilibrium water absorption and the diffusion coefficient of the FFRPs are 7.6 and 3.8 times higher than those of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs), respectively. With the increase in the carbon fiber content, the hybrid samples showed a decrease in the water uptake and diffusion coefficient. HFRP with carbon fiber on the surface shows better hydrothermal resistance than other hybrid modes due to the barrier behavior of carbon fibers for water molecules. Fiber contents and hybrid modes also play a crucial role in the degradation of flexural properties. The flexural strength and modulus of HFRPs increase with increasing carbon fiber content but the nonlinear behavior becomes less obvious. The flexural strength and modulus of HFRPs with carbon fibers on the surfaces (CFC) are 3.59 and 7.96 times higher than those of the HFRP plates with flax on the surfaces (FCF) respectively. However, the significant water absorption in the flax layers deteriorates the stress transferring ability of the core flax layer, which causes the aging of CFC seriously.

ABSTRACTDuring the pandemic, sedentary behavior and social isolation threatened college students’ physical and mental health. The effectiveness of Sport Education on combinations of variables associated with well-being and physical activity was explored. Undergraduate students (N = 236) participated in a 15-week intervention; Sport Education (experimental) was compared to Direct Instruction (control). A structural equation modeling approach and Causal Mediation Analyses were conducted to test hypothesized models. A mixed factorial ANOVA was used to examine physical activity engagement. Sport Education students participated in physical activity significantly longer than the Direct Instruction group at posttest; student perceived role and task orientation significantly predicted physical activity engagement, social dysfunction, and perceived stress in the Sport Education condition. Given the climate, college students became more task-oriented, socially supported, and stress relieved through Sport Education. Future longitudinal and qualitative inquiries are encouraged to examine the effectiveness of Sport Education in motivating lifelong physical activity and well-being.

Carbon dot is a type of carbon material with an ultrasmall size of less than 10 nm for all three dimensions, which has attracted more and more attention due to its useful merits. Unfortunately, the complicated synthesis method and low yield largely limit its wide large-scale application. Herein, an inexpensive and high-efficiency aldol condensation method under ambient temperature and pressure was proposed for the large-scale synthesis of CDs, which can obtain products with 1.083 kg in 2 h and realize the functionalization of carbon dots doped with nitrogen (NCDs) and sulfur/nitrogen doubly (NSCDs), and then the mechanism and structure of CDs formation were explained. Moreover, utilizing the feature of controllable assembly of carbon dots, and combined with theoretical calculations, we have designed functionalized 1D carbon fibers (CF) to construct high-performance potassium storage anode materials through the assembly of carbon dots induced by a Zn compound. Benefitting from the microstructure and surface functional groups derived from CDs, the N-doped CF (NCF700) exhibits superior electrochemical energy storage performance for potassium ion batteries (PIBs). This study provides a low-cost and high-yield method to produce CDs and promotes the practical application of CDs in electrochemical energy storage.

Due to the application of deep learning method, defect detection in the industrial field is no longer limited to the traditional machine vision algorithm. However, the dependency of deep learning on samples and the lack of defect samples during industrial detection process are urgent problems that need to be solved. Based on Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) network, this paper proposes a defect sample simulation generation algorithm for industrial defect. Based on the characteristics of industrial defects, this paper first extracts the samples, intercepts the specific defects according to the location, and then uses the StyleGAN network training to generate the model. Then, based on the corresponding model of location information, new samples are generated. Finally, according to the generated samples and location information, we provide a typical image fusion method to generate the final samples. Through the simulation experiment of panel defects, the algorithm proposed in this paper can achieve the generation and fusion of defects, and form a new sample data set for use.

Bioluminescence (BL) imaging is among the most popular methods for visualizing biological processes in vitro, in live cells, and even in the whole organism. The alkylation of aminoluciferin at the 6′-amino site (2-hydroxyethyl luciferin, HE-AL) can emit more enhanced and sustained BL signals than d-luciferin and aminoluciferin, which is suitable for approaches that require long integration time such as three-dimensional animal BL imaging. Nevertheless, the drawback of HE-AL is that the synthesis procedure is complex, which leads to few BL probes based on HE-AL. In this Article, an efficient and facile approach to synthesize HE-AL was first established with an appreciate yield of 64% as compared with 15% previously reported. Then, designing HE-AL as a small molecular probe (R)-2-(6-((2-((2-((2,4-dinitrophenyl)thio)benzoyl)oxy)ethyl)amino)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole-4-carboxylic acid (DNPT-HS) was designed to detect endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in cancer cells and nude mice for further exploration of the biological roles of H2S in physiological and pathological processes. It was observed that DNPT-HS had excellent sensitivity in the luciferase-transfected cancer cells and nude mice, and the signal-to-noise ratios of DNPT-HS in cells and nude mice were 26 (Huh7 cells), 21 (MDA-MB-231 cells), and 7 (mice), which was the most efficient probe for imaging endogenous H2S. Overall, the excellent imaging properties of DNPT-HS for endogenous H2S make it a potentially powerful tool for further elucidating H2S biological functions.

To utilize the multiple functions and give full play of ginsenosides, a variety of ginsenosides with different structures were prepared into liposomes and evaluated for their effect on the stability, pharmacokinetics and tumor targeting capability of liposomes. The results showed that the position and number of glycosyl groups of ginsenosides have significant effect on the in vitroand in vivoproperties of their liposomes. The pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides liposomes indicated that the C-3 sugar group of ginsenosides is beneficial to their liposomes for longer circulation in vivo. The C-3 and C-6 glycosyls can enhance the uptake of their liposomes by 4T1 cells, and the glycosyls at C-3 position can enhance the tumor active targeting ability significantly, based on the specific binding capacity to Glut 1 expressed on the surface of 4T1 cells. According to the results in the study, ginsenoside Rg3 and ginsenoside Rh2 are potential for exploiting novel liposomes because of their cholesterol substitution, long blood circulation and tumor targeting capabilities. The results provide a theoretical basis for further development of ginsenoside based liposome delivery systems.

The cytomembrane-derived delivery platform represents a promising biomimetic strategy in oncotherapy. To achieve durable and reliable tumor inhibition, mature dendrosomes (mDs), which were isolated from bone marrow-derived dendritic cells undergoing CT26 tumor antigen (TA) stimulation, were fused with redox-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) that were composed of poly(disulfide ester amide) polymers with an intensified disulfide density and hydrophobic oxaliplatin (OXA) prodrugs with the ability to potentiate immunogenicity. In vitroand in vivoresults revealed that NP/mDs could induce tumor cell death through mitochondrial pathway and thus created immunogenic microenvironments, but also elicited immunocyte differentiation by TA cross-dressing and infiltration by direct presentation. By further neutralizing immune-regulatory interaction, the administration of PD-L1 antibody (αPD-L1) greatly improved antitumor efficiency of NP/mDs. Furthermore, the effectors of host immune systems effectively inhibited the growth and metastasis of distal tumors, likely because the autologous TA evoked by OXA and allogeneic TA delivered by mDs acted as additional stimuli to reinforce the immune response of tumor-specific T cells and immunosurveillance toward oncogenesis. These results demonstrated that NP/mDs could simultaneously realize immunogenic chemotherapeutics and specific TA delivery. In combination with αPD-L1, the antitumor effect was further enhanced. Therefore, NP/mDs provide a promising strategy for the comprehensive treatment of malignancy.

A ginsenoside Rh2-based multifunctional liposome system (Rh2-lipo) was innovatively developed.Rh2-lipo not only innovatively challenges the position of cholesterol as a liposome component, but also provides another innovative potential system with multiple functions for anti-cancer drug delivery.