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Na–S and K–S batteries, with high-energy density, using naturally more abundant and affordable metals compared with rare resources like Li, Co, and Ni elements, have inspired intense research interest. However, the sulfur cathodes for Na/K storage are plagued by soluble polysulfide shuttling, larger volumetric deformation, and sluggish redox kinetics. Here, we report that a conductive organosulfur polymer microcage, fabricated facilely with the microbe and elemental sulfur as precursors, can effectively address these issues for stable high-capacity Na–S and K–S batteries. The covalently bonded short-chain sulfur species enable superior reaction kinetics and avoid soluble polysulfide formation. The microcage architecture with built-in cavities buffers the volume deformation to ensure a resilient electrode. The resultant conductive organosulfur polymer can promise a combination of high capacity and extraordinary cyclability with a promising rate and Coulombic efficiency. Especially, as a K–S battery cathode, it could deliver a high capacity of 1206.5 mAh g–1together with an extraordinary cyclability (>99% capacity retention over 1100 cycles), which is much better than that of state-of-the-art sulfur cathodes. This work envisions new perspectives on building conductive organosulfur cathode materials with high performance via a simple and feasible protocol.

Background: in the current study, a comparative phytochemical analysis was carried out to explore the phenolic and flavonoid contents in the aerial parts of Vicia sativa L and Vicia monantha Retz growing in cultivated, reclaimed, and desert habitats.Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect Vicia methanolic extracts' individual phenolic and flavonoid constituents. The first-time synthesis of cadmium oxide nanoparticles (CdO NPs) using the aqueous extract of V. monantha has been developed using a green approach. Also, the cytotoxicity of V. monantha extract and CdO NPs was examined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for unveiling them as anti-HAV and anti-AdV.Results: Our results indicated that in the case of desert habitat, the contents of total phenolics (76.37 mg/g) and total flavonoids (65.23 mg/g) of V. monantha were higher than those of V. sativa (67.35 mg/g and 47.34 mg/g, respectively) and the contents of these secondary metabolites were even increased in V. monantha collected from reclaimed land (phenolics: 119.77 mg/g, flavonoids: 88.61 mg/g). Also, V. monantha surpassed V. sativa in the contents of some individual HPLC constituents, and hence, V. monantha was used to synthesize the green CdO NPs and subsequent antiviral tests. The average size of CdO NPs was determined to be 24.28 nm, and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of CdO NPs clearly showed their spherical form and varying particle sizes, with different diameters in the range of 19–29 nm. MTT assay was positive to the exposure of CdO NPs in the normal cell line, proposing that CdO NPs can reduce cell viability. V. monantha extract showed promising antiviral activity against Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Adenovirus (AdV) with SI of 16.40 and 10.54. On the other hand, CdO NPs had poor antiviral activity against HAV with an SI of 4.74 and moderate antiviral activity against AdV with an SI of 10.54.Conclusion: V. monantha is now considered a new, valuable natural resource for phenolics and flavonoids, especially when grown in reclaimed soil. The green CdO NPs based on V. monantha extract showed a promising antiviral effect against HAV and AdV.

A novel multifunctional separator, primarily composed of Zn2+-phytate coordination complex nanoparticles, has been prepared. Through coupling with fluoride-free wide-temperature-range electrolyte, environmentally friendly lithium batteries exhibit excellent electrochemical performance and safety.

ABSTRACTThe genus Laccaria(Hydnangiaceae, Agaricales) is an important ectomycorrhizal symbiont of a broad range of host plants. Laccaria guizhouensiswas collected from a subtropical mixed forest dominated by Fagaceae in Southwest China and described based on morphological characteristics and molecular data. Laccaria guizhouensisis characterised by its medium-sized basidiocarps and strong striate or sulcatus, flesh-coloured to brown pileus, flesh-coloured to brown lamellae, 2- to 4-spored basidia, globose to obellipsoid, hyaline, moderately echinulate basidiospores, and 1–1.5 μm-long echinulate. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS sequences (HMAS352265 and HMAS352266) indicated that L. guizhouensisrepresented a new species separated from all other Laccariaspecies.

Eleven alkaloids (1–11) including seven new ones, 1–7, were isolated from the solid fermentation of Aspergillus fumigatusVDL36, an endophytic fungus isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium dunalianumWight (Ericaceae), a perennial evergreen shrub distributed across the Southwest regions of China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods. The isolates were evaluated for in vitroantifungal activities against five phytopathogenic fungi (Fusarium oxysporum, Coriolus versicolor, Fusarium solani, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium graminearum). As a result, the new compounds fumigaclavine I (1), 13-ethoxycyclotryprostatin A (5), 13-dehydroxycyclotryprostatin A (6), and 12β-hydroxy-13-oxofumitremorgin C (7) exhibited antifungal activities with MIC values of 7.8–62.5 μg/mL which were comparable to the two positive controls ketoconazole (MIC = 7.8–31.25 μg/mL) and carbendazim (MIC = 1.95–7.8 μg/mL). Furthermore, compounds 1and 5demonstrated potent protective and curative effects against the tomato gray mold in vivo. Preliminary structure–activity relationships of the tested indole diketopiperazine alkaloids indicate that the introduction of a substituent group at position C-13 enhances their biological activities.

In recent years, optical pulse-coding (OPC) phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry ( $\varphi $ -OTDR) has been extensively researched. The widely adopted scheme involves splitting a pair of Golay codes into separate unipolar codes, which limits the frequency dynamic range as well as deteriorates the fidelity of demodulation results. To address the issues, multifrequency bipolar pulse-coding (MFBPC) $\varphi $ -OTDR is proposed in this study. In the novel schemes, multichannel pulse signals encoded by Golay complementary sequences are modulated to carriers of different frequencies simultaneously, quartering interrogation time compared with the conventional single-frequency unipolar pulse-coding (SFUPC) $\varphi $ -OTDR case. The maximum recoverable signal amplitude increases by more than four times with the same perturbation frequency and sensing range. Besides, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a crucial parameter in $\varphi $ -OTDRs, is proven to be improved by about 3 dB. Simulation and experiment results using the proposed scheme were compared against the SFUPC $\varphi $ -OTDR, verifying the frequency dynamic range enhancement and SNR improvement. The identified system performance has been demonstrated in a 2-km sensing range, achieving successful phase demodulation with frequencies up to 1.1 kHz, while the phase value is up to almost 20 rad, about four times larger than that of SFUPC $\varphi $ -OTDR under the same configuration.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) is a rapid, non-culture-based, high-throughput technique for pathogen diagnosis. Despite its numerous advantages, only a few studies have investigated its use in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

Quantum computing involves the preparation of entangled states across many qubits. This requires efficient preparation protocols that are stable to noise and gate imperfections. Here we demonstrate the generation of the simplest long-range order—Ising order—using a measurement-based protocol on 54 system qubits in the presence of coherent and incoherent errors. We implement a constant-depth preparation protocol that uses classical decoding of measurements to identify long-range order that is otherwise hidden by the randomness of quantum measurements. By experimentally tuning the error rates, we demonstrate the stability of this decoded long-range order in two spatial dimensions, up to a critical phase transition belonging to the unusual Nishimori universality class. Although in classical systems Nishimori physics requires fine-tuning multiple parameters, here it arises as a direct result of the Born rule for measurement probabilities. Our study demonstrates the emergent phenomena that can be explored on quantum processors beyond a hundred qubits.

Tip leakage flow (TLF) trajectory in a pump with gas entrainment is investigated via visualization experiments and numerical simulations. Starting position of tip leakage vortex (TLV) is determined accurately by numerical simulation. Under high liquid flow rate (Ql) and high inlet gas volume fraction (IGVF) conditions, TLF flows from suction surface to pressure surface near the leading edge of blade, and the direction of TLF gradually changes along the chord which flows from pressure surface to suction surface near the tailing edge. The angle between TLF and blade mean camberline increases progressively as either Qlor IGVF decreases, and starting position of TLV moves towards leading edge direction. As Qlor IGVF decreases, value of vorticity increases and high vorticity region moves towards leading edge. The entropy production rate at blade tip clearance is high, and entropy diffuses from pressure surface to suction surface due to jet flow in blade tip clearance. The greater the amount of accumulated gas there is, the greater the amount of entropy in the area. In addition, when gas is entrained in pump, there are many low frequency fluctuations generated in blade tip clearance.

Low-frequency vibration detection has always been a crucial application of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), particularly in hydroacoustic sensing, and seismic wave observation. However, the inevitable frequency drift of lasers poses a persistent challenge to subhertz vibration detection in DAS. In this work, we present a novel phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry ( $\boldsymbol {\varphi } $ -OTDR)-based DAS scheme to substantially enhance low-frequency vibration detection. Using just a single acoustic optical modulator (AOM), the probe signal in the form of a dual-pulse with specific delays and distinct carrier frequencies can be generated, thereby eliminating the need for an extra modulator and two additional couplers. Through a process of weight average and reference subtracting, the Rayleigh backscattering (RBS) signals resulting from the dual-pulse can be recombined, significantly improving low-frequency vibration detection. The experimental results confirm that the proposed scheme achieves a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement of up to 23 dB at a frequency of 1 Hz, corresponding to a noise level decrease of one order of magnitude and a sensitivity of $220~p\varepsilon /\sqrt {\text {Hz}}\text{@}60$ mHz~10 Hz. The minimum detectable vibration frequency verified here is as low as 80 mHz with an SNR exceeding 70 dB. In addition, the $R {^{{2}}}$ value shows an improvement after low-frequency enhancement in the 1-Hz linearity test. This work offers a cost-effective and superior performance DAS scheme that has the potential to facilitate DAS applications where low-frequency vibration monitoring is required.

The downsampling scheme of the Rayleigh backscattered (RBS) signal in heterodyne phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry ( $\Phi $ -OTDR) has been proven valid to reduce computational resource consumption, which is a critical issue in areas such as real-time monitoring applications. However, the influence of downsampling on the system’s sensing performances has not been explored. In this work, we established a model for the deterioration of noise caused by downsampling. The model reveals that the degradation of the power spectrum density (PSD) of the demodulated phase noise is attributed to the out-of-band noise aliasing into the beat frequency signal. Moreover, the model provides the PSD degradation at different downsampling frequencies. The upper bound of the PSD degradation has been verified in the experiment, without any antialiasing operations, which demonstrates good consistency with the theoretical and simulation predictions (the PSD deviation values are less than 0.5 dB). Additionally, we optimized the downsampling process using an antialiasing filter with a more matched filter characteristic, resulting in reduced noise PSD which still falls within the PSD degradation range. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed analysis of the downsampling influence on $\Phi $ -OTDR sensing performance. It provides theoretical guidance for practical engineering applications of downsampling.

Due to the instability of FeO at temperatures below 843 K, the fluidization reduction pathway of iron ore powder changes with the reduction temperature. Thus, the effect of temperature and reaction pathway interaction on the kinetics of fluidization reduction of iron ore powder under low-temperature conditions ranging from 783 to 903 K was investigated to describe the fluidization reduction rate of iron ore powder from three aspects: microstructure change, reaction limiting link, and apparent activation energy of the reaction, exploring their internal correlation. The experimental results revealed that in a temperature range of 783–813 K, the formation of a dense iron layer hindered the internal diffusion of reducing gas, resulting in relatively high gas diffusion resistance. In addition, due to the differences in limiting links and reaction pathways in the intermediate stage of reduction, the apparent activation energy of the reaction varied. The apparent activation energy of the reaction ranged from 23.36 to 89.13 kJ/mol at temperature ranging from 783 to 813 K, while it ranged from 14.30 to 68.34 kJ/mol at temperature ranging from 873 to 903 K.

Abstract: We study the entanglement features of the ground state of a system composed of spin 1 and 1/2 parts. In the light of the ground state degeneracy, the notion of average entanglement is used to measure the entanglement of the Hilbert subspace. The entanglement properties of both a general superposition as well as the mixture of the degenerate ground states are discussed by means of average entanglement and the negativity respectively.

The axial single-pass high temperature compression test of a hot-rolled extra-large heavy H-beam steel continuous casting billet (Q420 steel) under different deformation conditions through the Gleeble-1500D thermomechanical simulator was carried out. The modified Johnson–Cook model and the Arrhenius model based on strain-compensated of Q420 steel were established. The latter can more accurately reflect the flow behavior of Q420 steel. For the simulation of thermal compression, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) correlation models were developed and imported into DEFORM-3D software. According to simulation results, high temperatures and low strain rates are conducive to DRX. Due to the uneven distribution of equivalent strain and temperature in different parts of the same section, DRX volume fraction and grain size are unevenly distributed. At the center, the DRX volume fraction is the largest and the grain size is the smallest. The upper and lower edges are vice versa, and the left and right edges are centered. Optical microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction characterization methods were used to study the hot compression microstructure under different deformation conditions. As the deformation amount increases, complete DRX is gradually reached. The original austenite grain gradually becomes smaller. Local average misorientation decreases with the progression of DRX but increases with the amount of deformation after completion of DRX. As the temperature increases and the rate decreases, low angle grain boundaries and medium angle grain boundaries gradually decrease, and high angle grain boundaries gradually increase, indicating that dislocation decreases gradually, DRX grains increase gradually, and martensitic multilayer structure is obvious. As austenite grain size increases, the length of martensite lath increases, and the number of martensite blocks decreases.

Cavitation is one of the main causes of deteriorating stability of bulb turbines. To enhance their stability, this study examines the effects of runner cavitation on draft tube pressure fluctuation and vibration in bulb turbine through experimental methods. With varying cavitation coefficients, a synchronous test system, including a high-speed camera, vibration acceleration sensors and pressure pulsation sensors, is applied to obtain cavitation images of the runner, vibration and internal fluid pressure pulsation data of the draft tube. The results show that the correlated component of pressure pulsation signals during the cavitation process is the synchronous pressure pulsation of 16fnWith the development of cavitation, the amplitude of synchronous pressure pulsation increases first and then decreases. Cavitation enhances the high-frequency vibration on the wall of runner chamber. The root mean square (rms) of the vertical vibration component IMF3, the horizontal vibration components IMF2, IMF4 are linearly negatively correlated with the cavitation coefficient. The associated component between cavitation-induced vibration and pressure pulsation signal is 16fnand its harmonics. In the process of cavitation, pressure pulsation plays a leading role in vibration.

Nonapoptotic ferroptosis is a promising cancer treatment which offers a solution to the multidrug resistance of conventional apoptosis-induced programmed cancer cell death therapies. Reducing intracellular glutathione (GSH) is essential for inducing excess ROS and has been considered a crucial process to trigger ferroptosis. However, treatments reducing GSH alone have not produced satisfactory effects due to their restricted target. In this regard, FeCDs (Fe3+-modified l-histidine -sourced carbon dots) with dual GSH-consumption capabilities were constructed to engineer ferroptosis by self-amplifying intratumoral oxidative stress. Carbon dots have the ability to consume GSH, and the introduction of Fe3+can amplify the GSH-consuming ability of CDs, reacting with excess H2O2in the tumor microenvironment to generate highly oxidized •OH. This is a novel strategy through synergistic self-amplification therapy combining Fe3+and CDs with GSH-consuming activity. The acid-triggered degradation material (FeCDs@PAE–PEG) was prepared by encapsulating FeCDs in an oil-in-water manner. Compared with other ferroptosis-triggering nanoparticles, the established FeCDs@PAE–PEG is targeted and significantly enhances the consumption efficiency of GSH and accumulation of excess iron without the involvement of infrared light and ultrasound. This synergistic strategy exhibits excellent ferroptosis-inducing ability and antitumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo and offers great potential for clinical translation of ferroptosis.

A super diffuse broadband radar cross section (RCS) reduction surface design method based on rotated phase coding polarization conversion metasurfaces (PCMs) is proposed. Multiple PCMs with coding phases are employed for wideband RCS reduction, and the spatial locations of the PCMs are utilized for bistatic RCS reduction since it arouses a spatial phase. Furthermore, it is derived that the Pancharatnam–Berry (P-B) phase provides extra design freedom for bistatic RCS reduction. These three types of phases are combined for optimal wideband bistatic RCS reduction. To facilitate bistatic RCS reduction design, the variance of the scattered field ( $\bar \delta _{E}$ ) is derived as an indicator for the evenness of the whole space electric field distribution, and an optimal design method is developed thereafter. For comparison, two RCS reduction surfaces, termed MS1 and MS2, respectively, composed of phase coding PCMs are designed, fabricated, and measured to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The MS1 is designed by only using the spatial phase, and multiple coding phases, while MS2 is designed by further exploiting the P-B phase. The MS2 achieves 10-dB monostatic RCS reduction ranging from 8.8 to 25.4 GHz (97.1% relative bandwidth, which is 2.2% better than that of the MS1). More importantly, the MS2 realizes super diffuse characteristics under different incidences. It achieves 10-dB bistatic RCS reduction ranging from 9 to 25 GHz (94.2% relative bandwidth), and the maximum bistatic RCS reduction can reach up to 20 dB. The proposed broadband super diffuse RCS reduction design method is particularly desirable for both monostatic and bistatic RCS reduction of various complex coupling structures.

In the work, a vapor cooling condensation system was utilized to deposit various aluminum-doped gallium hafnium oxide (AlHfGaO) films at approximately 80 K. The various AlHfGaO films were used as the channel layers of deep ultraviolet (UV) C phototransistors. The undesired oxygen vacancy defects residing in the AlHfGaO films could be compensated and suppressed by doping Al dopants. Even though the cutoff wavelength of the phototransistors could be modulated by doping various Al atomic contents in the AlHfGaO channel layers, the performances of the resulting phototransistors could be improved due to the reduction of the amount of oxygen vacancy defects. Compared with the phototransistors using the HfGaO channel layer, when the phototransistors using the AlHfGaO channel layer with an Al atomic content of 3.16%, its cutoff wavelength was shifted from 240 to 225 nm, and the detectivity was improved from 1.62 $\times \,\,10^{{12}}$ to 3.16 $\times \,\,10^{{12}}$ Jones. Besides, the photoresponse speed was also improved.

The phosphorus-containing organic molecule as a novel fluorine-free multifunctional additive not only endows the commercial electrolytes with a good flame retardancy, but also is greatly helpful in stabilizing electrodes by regulating solid electrolyte interphase and solvation structure.

Amethystoidesic acid (1), a triterpenoid with an unprecedented 5/6/6/6 tetracyclic skeleton, and six undescribed diterpenoids, amethystoidins A–F (2–7), were isolated from the rhizomes of Isodon amethystoidesalong with 31 known di- and triterpenoids (8–38). Their structures were fully elucidated via extensive spectroscopic analysis including 1D and 2D NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compound 1is the first example of a triterpenoid possessing a rare ring system (5/6/6/6) derived from a contracted A-ring and the 18,19-seco-E-ring of ursolic acid. Compounds 6, 16, 21, 22, 24, and 27significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, which could be partly mediated by the downregulation of LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression.

To date, the extremely high polarity and poor signal intensity of macromolecular nucleic acids are greatly impeding the progress of mass spectrometry technology in the quality control of nucleic acid drugs and the characterization of DNA oxidation and RNA modifications. We recently described a general N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyl-trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) labeling method for oligonucleotide determination and applied it to the full-range profiling of tRNA in vitro and in vivo studies for the first time. The primary advantages of this method include strong retention, no observable byproducts, predictable and easily interpreted MS2data, and the circumvention of instrument harmful reagents that were necessary in previous methods. Selective labeling of N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyl-trifluoroacetamide to the terminal phosphate groups of oligonucleotides endows it broadly applicable for DNA/RNA profiling. Moreover, the improvement of sequence coverage was achieved in yeast tRNAphe(GAA)analysis owing to this method’s good detection capability of 1–12 nucleotides in length. We also extended this strategy to determine the abundance of modified bases and discover new modifications via digesting RNA into single-nucleotide products, promoting the comprehensive mapping of RNA. The easy availability of derivatization reagent and the simple, rapid one-step reaction render it easy to operate for researchers. When applied in characterizing tRNAs in HepG2 cells and rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a fragment of U[m1G][m2G], specific for tRNAAsn(QUU)in cells, was significantly upregulated, indicating a possible clue to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease pathogenesis.

Robotic manipulation and automation have gained increasing popularity in the food manufacturing industry due to their potential benefits for enhancing hygiene standards, enforcing quality consistency, promoting product traceability, and reducing labor costs. As a majority of robotic manipulation, the pick-and-place operation plays a crucial role in food handling applications. However, the reproducibility and comparability of results have put a dilemma that hinders further advancement in this field, especially for those unstructured scenarios. To tackle such thorny issues, this article proposes a benchmarking framework for system-level evaluation of robotic-assisted food handling under the line production environment. A typical food handling scenario, including a pick-and-place operation and a packing operation, is presented as the benchmark task, where food items are supposed to be picked from the tray and placed in the serving dish. A robotic system incorporating a high-speed Delta robot, vision system, conveyor belt, and end-effector is developed as the testbed for the benchmarking implementation. Finally, five variants of the robotic system with different end-effectors are evaluated using the proposed benchmarking framework. Comparative studies illustrate the performance of various benchmarked systems and validate the applicability of the benchmarking strategy for the food handling context. Videos of our experiments are available at https://youtu.be/SBAOoswnjWM.

ABSTRACT The influence of aging on the evolution of structure, morphology and rheology of base bitumen and SBS modified binders was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), atomic force microscopy [...]

This work reviews recent progress in the alloy design, microstructure, and mechanical properties of refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs). What's more, the underlying strengthening mechanisms and deformation behavior are discussed. Composed mainly of near-equimolar refractory elements, RHEAs have superior mechanical properties, especially at high temperatures. However, many of them have limited room-temperature ductility. Much work has been done to solve this trade-off, and some of the RHEAs have the potential to be used for high-temperature applications in the future. In addition to their mechanical properties, RHEAs have other attractive properties, such as biocompatibility and wear resistance, which are discussed. Finally, current problems and future suggestions for RHEAs are discussed.

Monotonic regression problems have been widely seen in many fields like economics and biostatistics. Usually the monotonic parameter space is used by the Bayesian methods using Bernstein polynomials. In this paper the authors extend the usual parameter space to a larger space in which all the proper parameters making the regression function to be monotonic are included. In order to ensure that the problem could be solved in the new parameter space, the authors use a projection posterior method to make inference. The authors show the proposed method has good approximation properties and performs well compared with other competing methods both in simulations and in practical applications.

Vascular remodeling contributes to the development of a variety of vascular diseases including hypertension and atherosclerosis. Phenotypic transformation of vascular cells, oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular calcification are closely associated with vascular remodeling. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are naturally released from almost all types of cells and can be detected in nearly all body fluids including blood and urine. EVs affect vascular oxidative stress, inflammation, calcification, and lipid plaque formation; and thereby impact vascular remodeling in a variety of cardiovascular diseases. EVs may be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis, and therapeutic strategies for vascular remodeling and cardiovascular diseases. This review includes a comprehensive analysis of the roles of EVs in the vascular remodeling in vascular diseases, and the prospects of EVs in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases.

SalmonellaEnteritidis (SE) is a zoonotic and vertically transmitted pathogen, often colonized in the reproductive tract of adult poultry, which can result in direct contamination of eggs and threaten human health. Previous studies have revealed that some pattern recognition receptors and resistance genes were involved in regulating immune responses to SE invasion in birds. However, the role of these immune response genes was not independent, and the interactions among the genes remained to be further investigated. In this study, SE burden and colonization were determined in reproductive tissue after the ducks were SE-infected, and RNA-sequencing was performed to construct co-expression networks by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The result showed that SE could be isolated from 22% of infected-birds in any segment of the reproductive tract and the SE was readily colonized in the stroma, small follicle, isthmus, and vagina of the reproductive tracts in morbid ducks. The top central, highly connected genes were subsequently identified three specific modules in the above four tissues at the defined cut-offs (P<0.01), including 60 new candidate regulators and 125 transcription factors. Moreover, those 185 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in these modules were co-expressed. Moreover, the hub genes (TRAF3, CXCR4and IL13RA1) were identified to act with many other genes through immune response pathways including NF-kappaB, Toll-like receptor, steroid biosynthesis, and p53 signaling pathways. These data provide references that will understand the immune regulatory relationships during SE infection, but also assist in the breeding of SE-resistant lines through potential biomarkers.

The effect of boron content on grain refinement of commercially pure aluminum by Al–5Ti–1B was quantitatively assessed. When the boron content is less than 0.03 wt.%, the refining performance of Al–5Ti–1B gradually is weakened as the boron content increases, which is attributed to the reaction of boron with the Al3Ti interlayer on TiB2and the consumption of solute Ti. On the contrary, when the boron content exceeds 0.03 wt.%, the refining performance of Al–5Ti–1B gradually recovers with increasing boron content, which is related to the formation of primary AlB2particles that provide additional nucleant substrates.

Inflammatory activation and oxidative stress promote the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which accounts for pathological vascular remodeling in hypertension. ELABELA (ELA) is the second endogenous ligand for angiotensin receptor-like 1 (APJ) receptor that has been discovered thus far. In this study, we investigated whether ELA regulated VSMC proliferation and vascular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). We showed that compared to that in Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs), ELA expression was markedly decreased in the VSMCs of SHRs. Exogenous ELA-21 significantly inhibited inflammatory cytokines and NADPH oxidase 1 expression, reactive oxygen species production and VSMC proliferation and increased the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) in VSMCs. Osmotic minipump infusion of exogenous ELA-21 in SHRs for 4 weeks significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure, alleviated vascular remodeling and ameliorated vascular inflammation and oxidative stress in SHRs. In VSMCs of WKY, angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced inflammatory activation, oxidative stress and VSMC proliferation were attenuated by pretreatment with exogenous ELA-21 but were exacerbated by ELA knockdown. Moreover, ELA-21 inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 in both SHR-VSMCs and Ang II-treated WKY-VSMCs. We further revealed that exogenous ELA-21-induced inhibition of proliferation and PI3K/Akt signaling were amplified by the PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002, while the APJ receptor antagonist F13A abolished ELA-21-induced PI3K/Akt inhibition and Nrf2 activation in VSMCs. In conclusion, we demonstrate that ELA-21 alleviates vascular remodeling through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-proliferative effects in SHRs, indicating that ELA-21 may be a therapeutic agent for treating hypertension.

Molecular design principles provide guidelines for augmenting a molecule with a smaller group of atoms to realize a desired property or function. We demonstrate that these concepts can be used to create an optical cycling centre, the Ca(I)–O unit, that can be attached to a number of aromatic ligands, enabling the scattering of many photons from the resulting molecules without changing the molecular vibrational state. Such capability plays a central role in quantum state preparation and measurement, as well as laser cooling and trapping, and is therefore a prerequisite for many quantum science and technology applications. We provide further molecular design principles that indicate the ability to optimize and expand this work to an even broader class of molecules. This represents a great step towards a quantum functional group, which may serve as a generic qubit moiety that can be attached to a wide range of molecular structures and surfaces.

Ginseng has been used in China as a superior medicinal material for thousands of years that can nourish the five internal organs, calm the mind and benefit wisdom. Due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective activities, one of the active components of ginseng, ginsenoside Rg1, has been extensively investigated in the remedy of brain disorders, especially dementia and depression. In this review, we summarized the research progress on the action mechanisms of Rg1 ameliorating depression-like behaviors, including inhibition of hyperfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, regulation of synaptic plasticity and gut flora. Rg1 may alleviate Alzheimer’s disease in the early phase, as well as in the middle-late phases through repairing dendrite, axon and microglia- and astrocyte-related inflammations. We also proposed that Rg1 could regulate memory state (the imbalance of working and aversive memory) caused by distinct stimuli. These laboratory studies would further the clinical trials on Rg1. From the prospective of drug development, we discussed the limitations of the present investigations and proposed our ideas to increase permeability and bioavailability of Rg1. Taken together, Rg1 has the potential to treat neuropsychiatric disorders, but a future in-depth investigation of the mechanisms is still required. In addition, drug development will benefit from the clinical trials in one specific neuropsychiatric disorder.

The ascorbic acid (AA) is a biomarker that can be used to detect the symptoms of severe disorders such as scurvy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular diseases. In this work, a simple and effective sensor model is developed to diagnose the presence of AA samples. To develop the sensor, a tapered single-mode optical fiber has been used with the well-known phenomenon of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). For LSPR, the tapered region is immobilized with synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) whose absorbance peak wavelengths appear at 519nm and 370nm, respectively. On the basis of nanoparticles (NPs) configurations, two different biosensor probes are developed. In the first one, the sensing region is immobilized with AuNPs and named Probe I. In the second probe, the immobilized layer of AuNPs is further coated with a layer of ZnO-NPs, and a resultant probe is termed as Probe II. The characterizations of synthesized AuNPs and developed fiber probes are done by the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometer, high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). To enhance the selectivity, a sensing region of probes is functionalized with ascorbate oxidase enzyme that oxidizes the AA in the presence of oxygen. The response of developed sensor probes is authenticated by sensing the samples of AA in the range from 500 nM to 1 mM, which covers the range of AA found in human bodies, i.e., 40µM–120µM. The performance analysis of the developed sensor probes has been done in terms of their stability, reproducibility, reusability, and selectivity. To observe the stability of AA, a pH-test has also been done that results in a better solubility of AA molecules in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution.

Background. Type I collagen is a major constituent of the interstitial connective tissue. Although ovarian carcinoma is known to induce the expression of type I collagen in the peritoneal cavity, the distribution and metabolic activity of this collagen in ovarian tumor tissue are not known. Methods. The distributions and staining intensities of different molecular forms of type I collagen in ovarian neoplasms were studied immunohistochemically with antibodies to the aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) and the cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), reflecting the presence of newly synthesized and old, cross-linked type I collagen, respectively. Results. A regular pattern of moderately staining, relatively uniform fibers was observed in the stroma of benign serous and mucinous cystadenomas, indicating limited participation in tumor growth. The staining was accentuated subepithelially in borderline epithelial neoplasms and in well differentiated cystadenocarcinomas, suggesting induction of the stromal collagen synthesis by the tumor cells. Fewer degraded collagen fibers were found in moderately differentiated carcinomas, most likely because of enzymatic degradation of the stroma surrounding the neoplasms during tumor spread. Strongly staining, irregular collagen fibers occurred closely around islets of tumor cells in undifferentiated malignant neoplasms and in metastases of ovarian carcinomas; also, intracellular staining was present in part of the malignant cells. In most cases, the staining reactions obtained with the two different antibodies were similar, probably indicating rapid processing of the newly synthesized type I collagen (indicated by PINP) to a maturely cross-linked form (indicated by ICTP). Conclusions. Synthetic and degradative processes are typical of the collagenous matrix in malignant ovarian tumors. Aberrant expression of type I collagen may occur in anaplastic ovarian carcinomas. Cancer 1995;75: 1010-7.

Abnormal interaction with the extracellular matrix is a basic property of malignant cells. Type III collagen is a major constituent of the extracellular matrix of soft tissues. Methods. Deposition of the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) was studied in benign (n = 41), borderline (n = 4), and malignant (n = 32) human ovarian tumors using the avidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase technique and affinity-purified antibodies to human PIIINP. It was then compared with the serum PIIINP concentrations of the patients at the time of operation. Results. In malignant tumors, the distribution of PIIINP was irregular both close to the epithelial cancer cells and further away, in the stroma. Another feature typical of malignant tumors was the varying staining intensity of the PIIINP-positive fibers. The benign tumors were characterized by a regular organization and an intensive staining of PIIINP. Borderline tumors showed a slightly decreased staining intensity and altered PIIINP distribution. A significant positive correlation was found between the PIIINP concentration in serum and the degree of irregularity in the distribution of PIIINP. Conclusions. These preliminary results indicate that malignant transformation in ovarian tumors is associated with disintegration of adjacent collagenous structures and with alterations in type III procollagen metabolism, which also leads to increased serum PIIINP levels. They suggest that biochemical or immunohistochemical detection of the PIIINP antigen could be clinically useful in ovarian tumors.

We report the efficient syntheses of chiral tetrahydroindole pyrazolinones by the asymmetric [3 + 2] cascade cyclizations (indolizations) of simple aniline derivatives with pyrazolinone ketimines as 2C synthons. The chiral phosphoric-acid-catalyzed system uses a concerted π–π interaction/dual H-bond control strategy to catalytically direct the asymmetric aniline, which undergoes a highly chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective [3 + 2] cascade annulation, furnishing a series of optically active tetra-hydroindole pyrazolinones with two contiguous chiral aza-quaternary carbon centers in excellent yields with excellent enantioselectivities. This method features a relatively broad substrate scope for amines and 2-naphthylamines and highlights the emerging value of direct chiral indolizations from simple amine sources in organic synthesis.

Vascularization is an essential step in successful bone tissue engineering. The induction of angiogenesis in bone tissue engineering can be enhanced through the delivery of therapeutic agents that stimulate vessel and bone formation. In this study, we show that cucurbitacin B (CuB), a tetracyclic terpene derived from Cucurbitaceae family plants, facilitates the induction of angiogenesis in vitro.

Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) greatly contributes to vascular remodeling in hypertension. This study is to determine the roles and mechanisms of miR-135a-5p intervention in attenuating VSMC proliferation and vascular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). MiR-135a-5p level was raised, while fibronectin type III domain-containing 5 (FNDC5) mRNA and protein expressions were reduced in VSMCs of SHRs compared with those of Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKYs). Enhanced VSMC proliferation in SHRs was inhibited by miR-135a-5p knockdown or miR-135a-5p inhibitor, but exacerbated by miR-135a-5p mimic. VSMCs of SHRs showed reduced myofilaments, increased or even damaged mitochondria, increased and dilated endoplasmic reticulum, which were attenuated by miR-135a-5p inhibitor. Dual-luciferase reporter assay shows that FNDC5 was a target gene of miR-135a-5p. Knockdown or inhibition of miR-135a-5p prevented the FNDC5 downregulation in VSMCs of SHRs, while miR-135a-5p mimic inhibited FNDC5 expressions in VSMCs of both WKYs and SHRs. FNDC5 knockdown had no significant effects on VSMC proliferation of WKYs, but aggravated VSMC proliferation of SHRs. Exogenous FNDC5 or FNDC5 overexpression attenuated VSMC proliferation of SHRs, and prevented miR-135a-5p mimic-induced enhancement of VSMC proliferation of SHR. MiR-135a-5p knockdown in SHRs attenuated hypertension, normalized FNDC5 expressions and inhibited vascular smooth muscle proliferation, and alleviated vascular remodeling. These results indicate that miR-135a-5p promotes while FNDC5 inhibits VSMC proliferation in SHRs. Silencing of miR-135a-5p attenuates VSMC proliferation and vascular remodeling in SHRs via disinhibition of FNDC5 transcription. Either inhibition of miR-135a-5p or upregulation of FNDC5 may be a therapeutically strategy in attenuating vascular remodeling and hypertension.

An accurate prediction of the critical gas velocity for the liquid loading is of great importance for operators to select the tubing diameter for the newly drilled gas wells, or to optimize the production rate for production wells. It is clear from previous experimental studies of the liquid entrainment rate in the gas core that the liquid is mainly carried in the form of film under the critical condition of the liquid loading onset. It is more reasonable to establish a mathematical model based on the film reversal rather than based on the droplet reversal. In our previous paper entitled “Prediction of the critical gas velocity of liquid unloading in the horizontal gas well”, a new analytical model was established based on the force balance between the gas-liquid interfacial friction force and the bottom film gravity, but the model is not very convenient to use because of the complexity of calculating the average film thickness. In the present study, a new method is proposed to calculate the average film thickness from the bubble drift velocity in the mixture, so the new analytical model becomes much easier to use. The new analytical model is evaluated against 103 sets of experimental data, the data in 124 vertical gas wells and one horizontal gas well. Meanwhile, the effect of the liquid loading on the production of the horizontal gas well is also analyzed.

The effects of TiB2and Zr on the microstructure, aging response and mechanical properties of hot-extruded Al–Zn–Mg–Cu based materials were investigated and compared by multi-scale microstructure characterization techniques. The results showed that proper addition of TiB2particles could refine grain size during solidification, promote dynamic recrystallization during extrusion, and inhibit grain growth during solution treatment. Meanwhile, Zr addition had minor influence on the grain refinement during solidification, but could effectively suppress recrystallization and grain growth compared with the Zr-free alloy. Furthermore, the TiB2addition could simultaneously enhance the aging kinetics and peak-aged hardness of the materials. Comparatively, Zr addition could also improve the peak-aged hardness with minor effect on the aging kinetics of the materials. Finally, the quench sensitivity, elastic modulus and tensile properties of the materials were compared and studied. Specifically, the relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties, and the strengthening mechanisms were discussed in detail.

Compared with the thin plate production process, the behavior of NbC precipitating would be different in thicker plate from the rolling processing due to reduction ratio conditions. The mechanism of epitaxial growth of NbC precipitating along with TiN particles was observed. The distribution of TiN particles, which influenced by N content in steels, would determine the distribution of the combined TiN + NbC particles by transmission electron microscopy. TiN particle is a high-temperature precipitate. The TiN particle is precipitated completely before the NbC particle is precipitated. It is concluded that the distribution of TiN was most important factor to control austenite grain size by Zener drag force. When the N content was higher in the steel would result in the coarser TiN particles which are harmful to controlling the size in roughing. Increasing of N content did not lead to an increase in the Zener drag force to control austenite grain size.

In this work, fabrication techniques and optimization of single-mode fiber (SMF)- and multi-mode fiber (MMF)-based differently tapered optical fiber (TOF) structures are discussed. Further, taper characteristics such as diameter, transmitted intensity, and repeatability are analyzed. The results show that 25 µm TOF consists of lower transmitted intensity, meaning higher evanescent waves materialize at the tapered surface, which helps in suitable potential application of TOF as an optical fiber sensor.