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Javanese long pepper (Piper retrofractum Vahl) has become a popular commodity for spice and medicinal usage in Indonesia. Piperine is regarded as the main bioactive compound in the pepper, and the presence is affected by factors such as genetic, chemical classes, hybridization, ecological condition, planting system, post-harvest treatments, and storage. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of maturity degree (60, 75, and 90 days after flowering (DAF) and drying temperatures (40, 50, and 60°C) on the quality of pepper simplicia including phytochemical profile, weight loss, total ash content, acid-insoluble ash content, water-soluble extract, methanolic extract, as well as quantity of essential oil and piperine. The results exhibited that the simplicia quality complied with the standard of Indonesian herbal pharmacopeia. In addition, the highest content of essential oil was found in simplicia harvested at 60 DAF and dried at 40 °C. Considering the level of piperine, the highest quantity was obtained at treatments of 90 DAF and 40 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to investigate whether advanced age is an absolute contraindication for radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) through a single-center case series and a systematic review with meta-analysis. Materials and methods: In the single-center case series, 588 UTUC patients who underwent RNU between May 2003 and June 2019 in West China Hospital were enrolled, and cancer-specific survival (CSS) was the primary outcome of interest. In the systematic review with meta-analysis, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for related articles for further analysis. The endpoints for meta-analyses were overall survival (OS) and CSS. Results: The single-center case series included 57 (9.7%) octogenarians. The CSS of octogenarians after RNU was comparable to that of younger people. Advanced age (≥80) was not an independent risk factor for poor CSS (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.48, 2.40). In a systematic review with meta-analysis, the cut-off value of advanced age is 70, and the results showed that advanced age was associated with inferior OS (pooled HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.29, 2.01) and CSS (pooled HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.08, 1.65). However, the subgroup analysis of countries found no positive correlation between advanced age and CSS (pooled HR, 1.33; 95% CI 0.92, 1.74) in Chinese. Conclusions: Advanced age may no longer be an absolute contraindication for RNU. RNU can be safely and effectively performed on UTUC patients of advanced age after a comprehensive presurgical evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing is a modern technology that enables the creation of three-dimensional objects from various thermoplastic copolymers. One of the challenges of 3D printing is providing adequate support for complex shapes that may fall apart or deform during the printing process. Traditionally, support materials are used for this purpose, which are difficult to remove after printing and difficult to dispose of. This work focuses on the analysis of the solubility of the BVOH support filament in solutions with different pH values. In particular, the influence of pH on the dissolution time of the BVOH (Butenediol Vinyl Alcohol Co-polymer) copolymer in aqueous solutions and its influence on changes in the PETG base material from which the samples were printed were examined. It was found that the BVOH material combined with PETG is easily soluble in an alkaline environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulin resistance, oxidative stress, hyperlipidemia, and inflammation play main roles in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Some studies have reported that hesperidin can reduce hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia by inhibiting inflammatory pathways. In the current study, our purpose was to evaluate whether it can influence the primary parameters in NAFLD and improve the treatment effectiveness for future trials. Various studies have found that hesperidin involves multiple signaling pathways such as cell proliferation, lipid and glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation, which can potentially affect NAFLD development and prognosis. Recent findings indicate that hesperidin also regulates key enzymes and may affect the severity of liver fibrosis. Hesperidin inhibits reactive oxygen species production that potentially interferes with the activation of transcription factors like nuclear factor‐κB. Appropriate adherence to hesperidin may be a promising approach to modulate inflammatory pathways, metabolic indices, hepatic steatosis, and liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichome is a hair-like structure involved in mechanical and chemical defenses of plants against herbivorous insects. Nicotiana benthamiana, a wild tobacco plant, has well-developed glandular trichomes that secrete sugar esters with potent repellent and insecticidal properties. However, there is a lack of information about the effectiveness of trichome extract in the control of plant-sapping insects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of N. benthamiana trichome exudates on Bemisia tabaci MED (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a highly destructive insect pest that poses significant threats to both vegetable and ornamental plants globally. First, we determined the host preference and mortality of B. tabaci adults using the choice test and feeding assay towards tomato and N. benthamiana plants. B. tabaci preferred tomato over N. benthamiana plants. Second, we extracted N. benthamiana trichome exudates by washing the leaves with either water or ethanol and evaluated their oral toxicities against B. tabaci adults using a parafilm feeding chamber containing 20% sucrose solution. Oral ingestion of both extracts significantly increased mortality in a concentration-dependent manner. Oral ingestion of ethanol-washed 10% trichome extract caused >60% mortality in B. tabaci adults after 36 h. Third, trichome exudates were concentrated by drying to obtain a powder form, which was more potent in killing whiteflies than the liquid form. Oral ingestion of 1% trichome powder was completely lethal to B. tabaci within 36 h. N. benthamiana trichome exudates are highly toxic to B. tabaci through oral ingestion, suggesting that N. benthamiana can be used as a potential natural pesticide for whitefly management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, chiral symmetry in atomic nuclei has attracted significant attention and become one of the hot topics in current nuclear physics frontiers. This paper provides a review of experimental studies for nuclear chirality in China. In particular, the experimental setups, chiral mass regions, lifetime measurements, and simultaneous breaking of chirality and other symmetries are discussed in detail. These studies found a new chiral mass region (A ≈ 80), extended the boundaries of the A ≈ 100 and 130 chiral mass regions, and tested the chiral geometry of 130Cs, 106Ag, 80Br and 76Br by lifetime measurements. In addition, simultaneous breaking of chirality and other symmetries have been studied in 74As, 76Br, 78Br, 80Br, 81Kr and 131Ba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow significantly impacts the seasonal growth of Arctic sea ice due to its thermally insulating properties. Various measurements and parameterizations of thermal properties exist, but an assessment of the entire seasonal evolution of thermal conductivity and snow resistance is hitherto lacking. Using the comprehensive snow dataset from the Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition, we have evaluated for the first time the seasonal evolution of the snow's and denser snow-ice interface layers' thermal conductivity above different ice ages (refrozen leads, first-year ice, and second-year ice) and topographic features (ridges). Our dataset has a density range of snow and ice between 50 and 900 kgm-3 , and corresponding anisotropy measurements, meaning we can test the current parameterizations of thermal conductivity for this density range. Combining different measurement parameterizations and assessing the robustness against spatial heterogeneity, we found the average thermal conductivity of snow (<550 kgm-3) on sea ice remains approximately constant (0.26 ± 0.05 WK-1m-1) over time irrespective of underlying ice type, with substantial spatial and vertical variability. Due to this consistency, we can state that the thermal resistance is mainly influenced by snow height, resulting in a 2.7 times higher average thermal resistance on ridges (1.42 m2KW-1) compared to first-year level ice (0.51 m2KW-1). Our findings explain how the scatter of thermal conductivity values directly results from structural properties. Now, the only step is to find a quick method to measure snow anisotropy in the field. Suggestions to do this are listed in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone homeostasis, depending on the balance between bone formation and bone resorption, is responsible for maintaining the proper structure and function of the skeletal system. As an important group of transcription factors, retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptors (RORs) have been reported to play important roles in bone homeostasis by regulating the transcription of target genes in skeletal cells. On the other hand, the dysregulation of RORs often leads to various skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA). Herein, we summarized the roles and mechanisms of RORs in skeletal diseases, aiming to provide evidence for potential therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of sea ice openings like leads on wintertime Arctic clouds, the air mass transport is exploited as a heat and humidity feeding mechanism which can modify Arctic cloud properties. Cloud microphysical properties in the central Arctic are analysed as a function of sea ice conditions during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition in 2019–2020. The Cloudnet classification algorithm is used to characterize the clouds based on remote sensing observations and the atmospheric thermodynamic state from the observatory on board the research vessel (RV) Polarstern. To link the sea ice conditions around the observational site with the cloud observations, the water vapour transport (WVT) being conveyed towards RV Polarstern has been utilized as a mechanism to associate upwind sea ice conditions with the measured cloud properties. This novel methodology is used to classify the observed clouds as coupled or decoupled to the WVT based on the location of the maximum vertical gradient of WVT height relative to the cloud-driven mixing layer. Only a conical sub-sector of sea ice concentration (SIC) and the lead fraction (LF) centred on the RV Polarstern location and extending up to 50 km in radius and with an azimuth angle governed by the time-dependent wind direction measured at the maximum WVT is related to the observed clouds. We found significant asymmetries for cases when the clouds are coupled or decoupled to the WVT and selected by LF regimes. Liquid water path of low-level clouds is found to increase as a function of LF, while the ice water path does so only for deep precipitating systems. Clouds coupled to WVT are found to generally have a lower cloud base and larger thickness than decoupled clouds. Thermodynamically, for coupled cases the cloud-top temperature is warmer and accompanied by a temperature inversion at the cloud top, whereas the decoupled cases are found to be closely compliant with the moist adiabatic temperature lapse rate. The ice water fraction within the cloud layer has been found to present a noticeable asymmetry when comparing coupled versus decoupled cases. This novel approach of coupling sea ice to cloud properties via the WVT mechanism unfolds a new tool to study Arctic surface–atmosphere processes. With this formulation, long-term observations can be analysed to enforce the statistical significance of the asymmetries. Furthermore, our results serve as an opportunity to better understand the dynamic linkage between clouds and sea ice and to evaluate its representation in numerical climate models for the Arctic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data are commonly utilized for calculating sea ice displacements and, consequently, sea ice deformation strain rates. However, strain rate calculations often suffer from a poor signal-to-noise ratio, especially for products with a spatial resolution higher than 1 km. In this study, we applied a new filtering method to strain rate calculations derived from Sentinel-1 SAR image pairs with a spatial resolution of 800 m. Subsequently, we employed a power law to evaluate the deformation rates at decreasing spatial resolutions, assessing the quality of the filtered data. Upon positive evaluation of the filtered data, we introduced two innovative methods for sea ice deformation assessment. The first method, named 'damage parcels' (DP) tracking, involved the combined analysis of displacements and deformation strain rates to monitor divergence and convergence within the sea ice cover. Additionally, we proposed a new term to describe the behavior of the winter pack: 'Coherent Dynamic Elements' (CDE). CDEs are cohesive clusters of ice plates within the pack ice that move coherently along Linear Kinematic Features (LKFs). The second novel method developed in this study focused on exploring the geometrical properties of these CDEs. Both methods were applied to the winter collection of Sentinel-1 SAR imagery available during the N-ICE2015 campaign. Our results revealed a cyclically changing winter sea ice cover, marked by synoptic events and transitions from pack ice to the marginal ice zone. The DP were continuously tracked over a period of three weeks, including a major storm, revealing a remarkably slow healing process of existing LKFs. Furthermore, the CDE analysis demonstrated the presence of elongated CDEs with a density ranging from 5 to 20 per 100 km by 100 km, and the shortest distance between LKFs was found to be 5–10 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A library of 24 congeners of the natural product sulfuretin were evaluated against nine panels representing nine cancer diseases. While sulfuretin elicited very weak activities at 10 µM concentration, congener 1t was identified as a potential compound triggering growth inhibition of diverse cell lines. Mechanistic studies in HCT116 colon cancer cells revealed that congener 1t dose-dependently increased levels of cleaved-caspases 8 and 9 and cleaved-PARP, while it concentration-dependently decreased levels of CDK4, CDK6, Cdc25A, and Cyclin D and E resulting in induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colon cancer HCT116 cells. Mechanistic study also presented MET receptor tyrosine kinase as the molecular target mediating the anticancer activity of compound 1t in HCT116 cells. In silico study predicted folded p-loop conformation as the form of MET receptor tyrosine kinase responsible for binding of compound 1t. Together, the current study presents compound 1t as an interesting anticancer lead for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-ice ridges constitute a large fraction of the total Arctic sea-ice area (up to 40 %–50 %); nevertheless, they are the least studied part of the ice pack. Here we investigate sea-ice melt rates using rare, repeated underwater multibeam sonar surveys that cover a period of 1 month during the advanced stage of sea-ice melt. Bottom melt increases with ice draft for first- and second-year level ice and a first-year ice ridge, with an average of 0.46, 0.55, and 0.95 m of total snow and ice melt in the observation period, respectively. On average, the studied ridge had a 4.6 m keel bottom draft, was 42 m wide, and had 4 % macroporosity. While bottom melt rates of ridge keel were 3.8 times higher than first-year level ice, surface melt rates were almost identical but responsible for 40 % of ridge draft decrease. Average cross-sectional keel melt ranged from 0.2 to 2.6 m, with a maximum point ice loss of 6 m, showcasing its large spatial variability. We attribute 57 % of the ridge total (surface and bottom) melt variability to keel draft (36 %), slope (32 %), and width (27 %), with higher melt for ridges with a larger draft, a steeper slope, and a smaller width. The melt rate of the ridge keel flanks was proportional to the draft, with increased keel melt within 10 m of its bottom corners and the melt rates between these corners comparable to the melt rates of level ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive molecular dynamics simulations enable a detailed understanding of solvent effects on chemical reaction mechanisms and reaction rates. While classical molecular dynamics using reactive force fields allows significantly longer simulation time scales and larger system sizes compared with ab initio molecular dynamics, constructing reactive force fields is a difficult and complex task. In this work, we describe a general approach following the empirical valence bond framework for constructing ab initio reactive force fields for condensed phase simulations by combining physics-based methods with neural networks (PB/NNs). The physics-based terms ensure the correct asymptotic behavior of electrostatic, polarization, and dispersion interactions and are compatible with existing solvent force fields. NNs are utilized for a versatile description of short-range orbital interactions within the transition state region and accurate rendering of vibrational motion of the reacting complex. We demonstrate our methodology for a simple deprotonation reaction of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation with acetate to form 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazol-2-ylidene and acetic acid. Our PB/NN force field exhibits ∼1 kJ mol−1 mean absolute error accuracy within the transition state region for the gas-phase complex. To characterize the solvent modulation of the reaction profile, we compute potentials of mean force for the gas-phase reaction as well as the reaction within a four-ion cluster and benchmark against ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the surrounding ionic environment significantly destabilizes the formation of the carbene product, and we show that this effect is accurately captured by the reactive force field. By construction, the PB/NN potential may be directly employed for simulations of other solvents/chemical environments without additional parameterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotransfer printing (nTP) is one of the most promising nanopatterning methods given that it can be used to produce nano-to-micro patterns effectively with functionalities for electronic device applications. However, the nTP process is hindered by several critical obstacles, such as sub-20 nm mold technology, reliable large-area replication, and uniform transfer-printing of functional materials. Here, for the first time, a dual nanopatterning process is demonstrated that creates periodic sub-20 nm structures on the eight-inch wafer by the transfer-printing of patterned ultra-thin (<50 nm) block copolymer (BCP) film onto desired substrates. This study shows how to transfer self-assembled BCP patterns from the Si mold onto rigid and/or flexible substrates through a nanopatterning method of thermally assisted nTP (T-nTP) and directed self-assembly (DSA) of Si-containing BCPs. In particular, the successful microscale patternization of well-ordered sub-20 nm SiOx patterns is systematically presented by controlling the self-assembly conditions of BCP and printing temperature. In addition, various complex pattern geometries of nano-in-micro structures are displayed over a large patterning area by T-nTP, such as angular line, wave line, ring, dot-in-hole, and dot-in-honeycomb structures. This advanced BCP-replicated nanopatterning technology is expected to be widely applicable to nanofabrication of nano-to-micro electronic devices with complex circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of melt ponds on Arctic summer sea ice significantly alters its albedo and thereby the surface energy budget and mass balance. Large-scale observations of melt pond coverage and sea ice albedo are crucial to investigate the role of sea ice for Arctic amplification and its representation in global climate models. We present the new Melt Pond Detection 2 (MPD2) algorithm, which retrieves melt pond, sea ice, and open ocean fractions as well as surface albedo from Sentinel-3 visible and near-infrared reflectances. In contrast to most other algorithms, our method uses neither fixed values for the spectral albedo of the surface constituents nor an artificial neural network. Instead, it aims for a fully physical representation of the reflective properties of the surface constituents based on their optical characteristics. The state vector X , containing the optical properties of melt ponds and sea ice along with the area fractions of melt ponds and open ocean, is optimized in an iterative procedure to match the measured reflectances and describe the surface state. A major problem in unmixing a compound pixel is that a mixture of half open water and half bright ice cannot be distinguished from a homogeneous pixel of darker ice. In order to overcome this, we suggest to constrain the retrieval with a priori information. Initial values and constraint of the surface fractions are derived with an empirical retrieval which uses the same spectral reflectances as implemented in the physical retrieval. The snow grain size and optical thickness are changing with time and thus the ice surface albedo changes throughout the season. Therefore, field observations of spectral albedo are used to develop a parameterization of the sea ice optical properties as a function of the temperature history of the sea ice. With this a priori data, the iterative optimization is initialized and constrained, resulting in a retrieval uncertainty of below 8 % for melt pond and 9 % for open ocean fractions compared to the reference dataset. As reference data for evaluation, a 10 m resolution product of melt pond and open ocean fraction from Sentinel-2 optical imagery is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic core–quasiparticle coupling model for odd-A nuclei with octupole correlations is extended to include the monopole, quadrupole and octupole couplings between the core and the odd nucleon, based on the framework of covariant density functional theory. The model is tested in a study of low-lying excitation spectra for the odd-A nucleus 2 2 5 Ra. Theoretical results, e.g., the parity doublets, interband B (E 1) and intraband B (E 2) , are in very good agreement with the available data. In particular, the description of signature splitting in the ground-state band has been improved. This method provides a very useful tool for a systematic study of low-energy spectra in odd-mass actinides with octupole correlations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the reduction of technology nodes to less than 10 nm, ruthenium (Ru) has emerged as a viable replacement for copper (Cu) for back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) interconnects. Good surface uniformity while maintaining an appropriate thickness of Ru is required during the fabrication process, which can be achieved by employing the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process. However, a crucial step in the CMP process is to attain reasonable removal rates of high-mechanical-strength and chemically inert metals such as Ru. Hence, this study investigates a competent CMP slurry comprising potassium iodate (KIO3) as an oxidizer and fumed silica as an abrasive for polishing Ru. The polishing results show that adding KIO3 to fumed silica modifies the silica particles, thereby enhancing the removal rates of the metal. thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) characterization confirm the modification of the silica particles by KIO3 as an oxidizer. The studies reveal that the abrasive concentration usage was reduced to 60% due to silica modification. The surface morphology of the treated metal surface was evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). No adsorbed contamination or pitting is observed on the metal surface. The inhibition effect of 1,2,3-benzotriazole (BTA) was investigated in detail by performing potentiodynamic polarization experiments. The nature of the metal dissolution in KIO3 was investigated by examining the effect of solution temperature on the etch rates. The thermodynamic process of the system was found to be endothermic in nature, and the dissolution followed an associative mechanism. The results reported in this paper reveal that the proposed slurry can be used to significantly improve Ru polishing efficiency and provide desired selectivity without compromising the surface quality of the metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In defense of the internal and external environment of the lung airway, airway epithelial cells play important roles in resisting external microorganisms, toxic gases, sensitizing substances, and maintaining the stability of the internal environment of the airway. C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to ozone for 4 days (30 min/day) to induce lung injury. Airway responsiveness was measured using barometric whole-body plethysmography. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to detect pathological changes of the lung. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to count the number of macrophages and neutrophils. 16HBE14o- cells were exposed to ozone for 30 min. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide was used to detect cell proliferation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and catalase (CAT) in lung tissues and cells were also measured. The mRNA and protein expressions were detected by qPCR and western blot. We found that emodin attenuated ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation in vivo. Emodin reduced the production of ROS, increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes, and attenuated the oxidative damage in vivo. In vitro studies showed that emodin also decreased ROS generation and LDH release and enhanced CAT activity. Emodin attenuates ozone-induced TLR4, MyD88, and NF-êB expression. Emodin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties through the modulation of the TLR4-MyD88-NF-êB pathway in ozone-induced lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To expand the range of applications and overcome mechanical limitations of Polypropylene (PP), a commonly used industrial polymer, toughness modification is required. In this study, PP was toughened with ethylene octene copolymer (EOC) and nanoclay platelets and the blends and nanocomposites of PP/EOC were prepared by means of a melt mixing process, and the effect of different grades of EOC, the addition of nanoclay platelets, and the effect of compatibilizer on properties of the final system were investigated. Scanning and transition electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic-mechanical analysis were conducted to correlate the structure to the resulting properties. The results indicate that different grades of EOC with different molecular weights and viscosity can have a tremendous impact on droplet size and final properties of the blend sample. From a morphological point of view, the addition of EOC grade with higher viscosity (ƞi) in PP/EOC blends results in droplet matrix structure with larger EOC droplets. To decrease the droplet size, and hence improvement in final properties, nanoclay and compatibilizer were introduced to the blend. According to the results, selective localization of nanoclay and proper dispersion degree of nanoclay in the PP/EOC blend with higher viscosity grade of EOC containing nanoclay up to 3 wt.% lead to amelioration of the final properties of the system including complex viscosity, storage modulus, damping, and crystallinity. Moreover, the addition of the compatibilizer to the nanocomposite samples with 5 wt.% nanoclay can compensate for the deteriorated properties which occurred as a result of nanoclay aggregation in this system. This indicates that the addition of the nanoclay and compatibilizer plays an important role in toughening, morphology, and determining the final properties of the system as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting polymers have shown great potential in detecting gases at room temperature. This has caused the rapid development of these materials for gas sensing because their conductivity can be altered when exposed to oxidant or reductant molecules at room temperature. Nevertheless, due to their relatively high attraction to volatile organic and water molecules and low conductivity, they show low sensitivity, selectivity, and thermal instability that impede their practical applications as sensors. Moreover, semiconducting inorganic (metal oxide) sensors show distinct advantages in sensing gases, including high sensitivity, rapid response to low-concentration analytes, versatile exterior or surface chemistry, and high-surface area. However, their high-temperature operation has limited their sensing applications while performing excellently at room temperature. Combining these two sensitive materials brings synergistic effects. The hybrid increases sensitivity, selectivity, long-term stability, and low-temperature operation, which has concerned extensive interest in their use as sensors. This review summarizes the use of semiconducting metal oxides, conducting polymers, and the recent advancement in metal oxide-conducting polymer composites for their gas-sensing applications. Moreover, in this review, the advantages and limitations of these sensor materials are presented, and why the composites give an excellent synergistic effect by increasing sensing performance have been highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of the low-coordinate quadruply-bonded dimolybdenum complex Mo2[μ,κ2-PhB(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)2]2 (1) with Cp*Fe(η5-E5) (E = P, As) gives two trinuclear species Cp*Fe(μ3,η5:2:2-E5)Mo2[μ,κ2-PhB(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)2]2 (E = P (4) and As (5)). 4 undergoes facile isomerisation upon heating to give Cp*FeMo2[κ2-PhB(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)2](μ3,κ:κ:η2-P2)[μ3,κ:κ:η3κ-P3PhB(N-2,6-iPr2C6H3)2] (6), where the FeMo2P5 core motif displays a cubane-like structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective cleavage and functionalization of C(OH)−C bonds is of great importance for the production of value‐added chemicals from renewable biomass resources such as carbohydrates, lignin and their derivatives. The efficiency and selectivity of oxidative cleavage of C(OH)−C bonds are hindered by their inert nature and various side reactions associated with the hydroxyl group. The oxidative conversion of secondary alcohols to produce aldehydes is particularly challenging because the generated aldehydes tend to be over‐oxidized to acids or the other side products. Noble‐metal based catalysts are necessary to get satisfactory aldehyde yields. Herein, for the first time, the efficient aerobic oxidative conversion of secondary aromatic alcohols into aromatic aldehydes is reported using non‐noble metal catalysts and environmentally benign oxygen, without any additional base. It was found that CuI−1,10‐phenanthroline (Cu−phen) complex showed outstanding performance for the reactions. The C(OH)−C bonds of a diverse array of aromatic secondary alcohols were effectively cleaved and functionalized, selectively affording aldehydes with excellent yields. Detailed mechanism study revealed a radical mediated pathway for the oxidative reaction. We believe that the findings in this work will lead to many explorations in non‐noble metal catalyzed oxidative reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage caused by fire accidents is increasing worldwide. In particular, when a fire occurs, property damage directly affects the lives of citizens. Therefore, in this study, machine learning techniques were applied to analyze the prediction of the future amount of property damage from fire as well as the fire occurrence factors within a geographic area. To achieve this, three years of spatially distributed fire big data for Seoul, the capital of Korea, was used. For the predictive analysis of the amount of fire property damage, the results of analysis by applying machine learning techniques through k-fold cross-validation were calculated. As part of these results, when predicting and analyzing the amount of fire property damage using the random forest (RF) algorithm, an accuracy of 83% was calculated by comparing the predicted data with the actual data. On this basis, the importance of the fire risk factors was analyzed, and it was found that the main factor in the occurrence of fires is the condition of the facilities inside apartment houses. The findings of this study are expected to be used as an important guide for identifying property damage by fire and the factors determining the occurrence of fires in Korea, enabling the evaluation of their spatial distribution and the application of corrective measures to reduce possible damage by urban fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sappanwood is a resourceful, flowering tree belongs to the family Leguminosae with its origin mainly reported from Southeast Asia. It has been used for ages to cure human ailments including heart diseases, jaundice, respiratory problems, coughs, wounds, and allergies. The different parts of sappanwood including wood, heartwood, seeds, leaves, and bark are reported with bioactive constituents, which deliver essential assistance to the human body. Beyond contribution to health status, they also have encouraging benefits for food industries. The brazilin extracted from the heartwood part of sappanwood has been used as a food preservative and as an ingredient for functional foods. The studies prescribed in the given manuscript defined the role of sappanwood and its parts (wood, bark, seeds, leaves, and heartwood) in nutritional, food, and pharmacological area. Recent studies have shown several promising activities, particularly relaxant, digestive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, anticancer, and antagonistic effects. The popularity of sappanwood because of its medicinal and industrial importance specifies comprehensive references for its nutritional benefits. The existent work stated the recent research conveyed till date for valuation of nutritional eminence, phytochemicals constituents, industrial applications, and pharmacological significance of sappanwood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of preserving multicellularity and myocardial function in vitro, the cultivation of beating myocardial slices is an emerging technique in basic and translational cardiac research. It can be used, for example, for drug screening or to study pathomechanisms. Here, we describe staining for viable cardiomyocytes based on the immunofluorescence of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in human and rabbit myocardial slices. Biomimetic chambers were used for culture and measurements of contractile force. Fixable fluorophore-conjugated dextran, entering cells with a permeable membrane, was used for death staining. RyRs, nuclei and the extracellular matrix, including the t-system, were additionally stained and analyzed by confocal microscopy and image processing. We found the mutual exclusion of the RyR and dextran signals in cultivated slices. T-System density and nucleus size were reduced in RyR-negative/dextran-positive myocytes. The fraction of RyR-positive myocytes and pixels correlated with the contractile force. In RyR-positive/dextran-positive myocytes, we found irregular RyR clusters and SERCA distribution patterns, confirmed by an altered power spectrum. We conclude that RyR immunofluorescence indicates viable cardiomyocytes in vibratome-cut myocardial slices, facilitating the detection and differential structural analysis of living vs. dead or dying myocytes. We suggest the loss of sarcoplasmic reticulum integrity as an early event during cardiomyocyte death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with low recombination losses at low processing temperatures is an area of growing research interest as it enables compatibility with roll‐to‐roll processing on flexible substrates as well as with tandem solar cells. The inverted or p–i–n device architecture has emerged as the most promising PSC configuration due to the possibility of using low‐temperature processable organic hole‐transport layers and more recently, self‐assembled monolayers such as [4‐(3,6‐dimethyl‐9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)butyl]phosphonic acid (Me‐4PACz). However, devices incorporating these interlayers suffer from poor wettability of the precursor leading to pin hole formation and poor device yield. Herein, the use of alumina nanoparticles (Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs)) for pinning the perovskite precursor on Me‐4PACz is demonstrated, thereby improving the device yield. While similar wettability enhancements can also be achieved by using poly[(9,9‐bis(3′‐((N,N‐dimethyl)‐N‐ethylammonium)‐propyl)‐2,7‐fluorene)‐alt‐2,7‐(9,9‐dioctylfluorene)]dibromide (PFN‐Br), a widely employed surface modifier, the incorporation of Al2O3 NPs results in significantly enhanced Shockley–Read–Hall recombination lifetimes exceeding 3 μs, which is higher than those on films coated directly on Me‐4PACz and on PFN‐Br‐modified Me‐4PACz. This translates to a champion power conversion efficiency of 19.9% for PSCs fabricated on Me‐4PACz modified with Al2O3, which is a ≈20% improvement compared to the champion device fabricated on PFN‐Br‐modified Me‐4PACz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a cornerstone therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). The variations in nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) between patients with and without recurrences remain unclear. We aimed to characterize the nonlinear HRV before and after PVI in patients with and without recurrence. Methods: Twenty‐five drug‐refractory PAF patients (56.0 ± 9.1 years old, 20 males) who received PVI were enrolled. Holter electrocardiography were performed before, 1–3, and 6–12 months after PVI. After 8.2 ± 2.5 months of follow‐ups after PVI, patients were divided into two groups: the recurrence (n = 8) and non‐recurrence (n = 17) groups. Linear and nonlinear HRV variables were analyzed, including the Poincaré Plot analysis and the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA). Results: The non‐recurrence group, but not the recurrence group, had decreased high‐frequency component (HF), the root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD), and the Poincaré Plot index SD1 1–3 months after PVI and increased DFAslope2 6–12 months after PVI. The non‐recurrence group's LF/HF ratio and DFAslope1 decreased significantly 1–3 and 6–12 months after PVI, respectively, whereas there was no significant change in the recurrence group after PVI. Conclusions: Significantly reduced vagal tone 1–3 months after PVI, increased long‐term fractal complexity 6–12 months after PVI, and decreased sympathetic tone as well as short‐term fractal complexity 1–3 and 6–12 months after PVI led to a better AF‐free survival after PVI. These findings suggest that neuromodulation and heart rate dynamics play crucial roles in AF recurrence following PVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to describe clinical and imaging features of atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) and the associated risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: We conducted a retrospective and comparative study including 51 RA patients with AAS and 51 RA patients without AAS. Atlantoaxial subluxation was defined by the presence of an anterior C1C2 diastasis on the cervical spine radiograph in hyperflexion and/or an anterior, posterior, lateral or rotatory C1C2 dislocation on MRI with/without inflammatory signal. Results: In G1, clinical presentations revealing AAS were mainly neck pain (68.7%) and neck stiffness (29.8%). MRI revealed: diastasis C1C2 (92.5%), periodontoid pannus (92.5%), odontoid erosion (23.5%), vertical subluxation (9.8%) and spinal cord involvement (7.8%). A collar immobilisation and corticosteroid boluses were indicated in 86.3% and 47.1% of cases. C1‐C2arthrodesis was performed in 15.4% of cases. Atlantoaxial subluxation was significantly associated with: age at disease onset (p = 0.009), history of joint surgery (p = 0.012), disease duration (p = 0.001), rheumatoid factor (p = 0.01), anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide (p = 0.02), erosive radiographic status (p < 0.005), coxitis (p < 0.001), osteoporosis (p = 0.012), extra‐articular manifestations (p < 0.001), and high disease activity (p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified RA duration (p < 0.001, OR = 1.022 CI[1.01–1.034]) and erosive radiographic status (p = 0.01, OR = 21.236 CI[2.05–219.44]) as predictive factors of AAS. Conclusion: Our study showed that longer disease duration and joint destruction are the major predictive factors of AAS. Early treatment initiation, tight‐control and regular monitoring of cervical spine involvement are required in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GSK3β interacting protein (GSKIP) is a small A-kinase anchor protein previously reported to mediate the N-cadherin/β-catenin pool for differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells through overexpression of GSKIP to present the neuron outgrowth phenotype. To further investigate how GSKIP functions in neurons, CRISPR/Cas9 technology was utilized to knock out GSKIP (GSKIP-KO) in SH-SY5Y. Several GSKIP-KO clones resulted in an aggregation phenotype and reduced cell growth without retinoic acid (RA) treatment. However, neuron outgrowth was still observed in GSKIP-KO clones treated with RA. The GSKIP-KO clones exhibited an aggregation phenotype through suppression of GSK3β/β-catenin pathways and cell cycle progression rather than cell differentiation. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that GSKIP-KO was related to epithelial mesenchymal transition/mesenchymal epithelial transition (EMT/MET) and Wnt/β-catenin/cadherin signaling pathways, suppressing cell migration and tumorigenesis through the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin mediated EMT/MET. Conversely, reintroduction of GSKIP into GSKIP-KO clones restored cell migration and tumorigenesis. Notably, phosphor-β-catenin (S675) and β-catenin (S552) but not phosphor-β-catenin (S33/S37/T41) translocated into the nucleus for further gene activation. Collectively, these results suggested that GSKIP may function as an oncogene to form an aggregation phenotype for cell survival in harsh environments through EMT/MET rather than differentiation in the GSKIP-KO of SH-SY5Y cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frying foods in hot vegetable oil is an efficient and convenient method for food preparation that imbues the product with qualities that are desirable to consumers. During the process of frying, the heated oil cooks the food, but the high temperatures also promote the damaging oxidation and degradation reactions that decrease oil quality over time. In order to prevent these reactions, antioxidants have been added to fryer oil to extend its life. Synthetic antioxidants are typically added to fryer oil, however there is growing concern about their long-term effects on human health. Therefore, finding natural alternatives is an important area of research. This paper reviews the current research around using natural antioxidants to delay the decrease of oil quality under frying conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is the major exogenous agent that disturbs tissue homeostasis and hastens the onset of age‐related phenotypes (photoaging). Exposure to UV‐B radiation promotes apoptosis in human skin cells via induction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)‐mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress by activating the PERK‐eIF2α‐CHOP pathway, which plays a major role in exacerbating skin photoaging. Alleviating the production of ROS and boosting the antioxidant capacity of cells is the foremost therapeutic strategy to avert the repercussions of ultraviolet radiation exposure. In this study, we investigated the role of 3‐(1′‐methyltetrahydropyridinyl)‐2,4‐6‐trihydroxy acetophenone (IIIM‐8) in thwarting the UV‐B‐induced photoaging. We observed that IIIM‐8 ameliorates UV‐B‐induced oxidative stress, ER stress, Loss of Mitochondrial membrane potential, MAPK activation and Inflammation in irradiated skin cells. Ultraviolet radiation‐related damage to fibroblasts within the dermis leads to collagen degradation‐the hallmark of photoaging. IIIM‐8 substantially restored the synthesis of collagen and prevented its degradation via the downregulation of matrix metalloproteinases. Topical application of IIIM‐8 prevented BALB/c mice skin from UV‐B‐induced leukocyte infiltration, epidermal thickening and disruption of Extracellular matrix components. Implying that IIIM‐8 has a strong photoprotective property and has potential to be developed as a topical therapeutic/cosmeceutical agent against UV‐B‐induced photoaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesterol sulfate (CS) is an activator of retinoic acid‐related orphan receptor α (RORα). CS treatment or RORα overexpression attenuates osteoclastogenesis in a collagen‐induced arthritis mouse model. However, the mechanism by which CS and RORα regulate osteoclast differentiation remains largely unknown. Thus, we aimed to investigate the role of CS and RORα in osteoclastogenesis and their underlying mechanism. CS inhibited osteoclast differentiation, but RORα deficiency did not affect osteoclast differentiation and CS‐mediated inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. CS enhanced adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and sirtuin1 (Sirt1) activity, leading to nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) inhibition by decreasing acetylation at Lys310 of p65. The NF‐κB inhibition was restored by AMPK inhibitor, but the effects of CS on AMPK and NF‐κB were not altered by RORα deficiency. CS also induced osteoclast apoptosis, which may be due to sustained AMPK activation and consequent NF‐κB inhibition, and the effects of CS were significantly reversed by interleukin‐1β treatment. Collectively, these results indicate that CS inhibits osteoclast differentiation and survival by suppressing NF‐κB via the AMPK–Sirt1 axis in a RORα‐independent manner. Furthermore, CS protects against bone destruction in lipopolysaccharide‐ and ovariectomy‐mediated bone loss mouse models, suggesting that CS is a useful therapeutic candidate for treating inflammation‐induced bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In males, the factors that decrease limb muscle mass and strength in response to androgen deprivation are largely unknown. Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) protein levels are lower in the limb muscle of male mice subjected to androgen deprivation. The present study aimed to assess whether SIRT1 induction preserved limb muscle mass and force production in response to androgen deprivation. Physically mature male mice containing an inducible muscle‐specific SIRT1 transgene were subjected to a sham or castration surgery and compared to sham and castrated male mice where the SIRT1 transgene was not induced. SIRT1 induction partially preserved whole‐body lean mass, tibialis anterior (TA) mass and triceps surae muscle mass in response to castration. Further analysis of the TA muscle showed that muscle‐specific SIRT1 induction partially preserved limb muscle soluble protein content and fibre cross‐sectional area. Unilateral AAV9‐mediated SIRT1 induction in the TA muscle showed that SIRT1 partially preserved mass by acting directly in the muscle. Despite those positive outcomes to limb muscle morphology, muscle‐specific SIRT1 induction did not preserve the force generating capacity of the TA or triceps surae muscles. Interestingly, SIRT1 induction in females did not alter limb muscle mass or limb muscle strength even though females have naturally low androgen levels. SIRT1 also did not alter the androgen‐mediated increase in limb muscle mass or strength in females. In all, these data suggest that decreases in SIRT1 protein in the limb muscle of males may partially contribute to the loss of limb muscle mass in response to androgen deprivation. Key points: SIRT1 induction in skeletal muscle of male mice subjected to androgen deprivation partially preserved limb muscle mass and fibre cross‐sectional area.SIRT1 induction in skeletal muscle of male mice subjected to androgen deprivation did not prevent preserve limb muscle force generating capacity.SIRT1 induction in skeletal muscle of females did not alter baseline limb muscle mass, nor did it affect the androgen‐mediated increase in limb muscle mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide (MO) charge transport layers (CTLs) are widely used for fabricating highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to their superior stability, material and preparation cost, light transmission, and charge selection. However, the complex surface states, unbalanced carrier mobility, and variable energy band structure determined by MOs can lead to additional interfacial charge recombination and transport losses within the device, which limit further improvements in device performance. Extensive research has been conducted to address these challenges. In this review, an overview of current popular MO‐CTLs and their preparation methods for PSCs are provided. Interface regulation strategies, such as passivating interface defects, modulating interface energy level alignment, and improving interface contact are also discussed, which can enhance the performance of PSCs. Meanwhile, the commonly used dopants and doping strategies for optimizing the charge transport properties of CTLs are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its relevance for the Arctic climate and ecosystem, modeling sea-ice deformation, i.e., the opening, shearing, and ridging of sea ice, along linear kinematic features (LKFs) remains challenging, as the mechanical properties of sea ice are not yet fully understood. The intersection angles between LKFs provide valuable information on the internal mechanical properties, as they are linked to them. Currently, the LKFs emerging from sea-ice rheological models do not reproduce the observed LKF intersection angles, pointing to a gap in the model physics. We aim to obtain an intersection angle distribution (IAD) from observational data to serve as a reference for high-resolution sea-ice models and to infer the mechanical properties of the sea-ice cover. We use the sea-ice vorticity to discriminate between acute and obtuse LKF intersection angles within two sea-ice deformation datasets: the RADARSAT Geophysical Processor System (RGPS) and a new dataset from the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) drift experiment. Acute angles dominate the IAD, with single peaks at 48∘±2 and 45∘±7. The IAD agrees well between both datasets, despite the difference in scale, time period, and geographical location. The divergence and shear rates of the LKFs also have the same distribution. The dilatancy angle (the ratio of shear and divergence) is not correlated with the intersection angle. Using the IAD, we infer two important mechanical properties of the sea ice: we found an internal angle of friction in sea ice of μI=0.66±0.02 and μI=0.75±0.05. The shape of the yield curve or the plastic potential derived from the observed IAD resembles a teardrop or a Mohr–Coulomb shape. With these new insights, sea-ice rheologies used in models can be adapted or redesigned to improve the representation of sea-ice deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leads and fractures in sea ice play a crucial role in the heat and gas exchange between the ocean and atmosphere, impacting atmospheric, ecological, and oceanic processes. Our aim was to estimate lead fractions from high-resolution divergence obtained from satellite synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) data and to evaluate it against existing lead products. We derived two new leadfraction products from divergence with a spatial resolution of 700m calculated from daily Sentinel-1 images. For the first lead product, we advected and accumulated the lead fractions of individual time steps. With those accumulated divergence-derived lead fractions, we described comprehensively the presence of up to 10-day-old leads and analyzed their deformation history. For the second lead product, we used only divergence pixels that were identified as part of linear kinematic features (LKFs). Both new lead products accurately captured the formation of new leads with widths of a few hundred meters. We presented a Lagrangian time series of the divergence-based lead fractions along the drift of the MOSAiC expedition in the central Arctic Ocean during winter 2019/2020. Lead activity was high in fall and spring, consistent with wind forcing and ice pack consolidation. At larger scales of 50-150 km around the MOSAiC expedition, lead activity on all scales was similar, but differences emerged at smaller scales (10 km). We compared our lead products with 6 others from satellite and airborne sources, including classified SAR, thermal infrared, microwave radiometer, and altimeter data. We found that the mean lead fractions varied by 1 magnitude across different lead products due to different physical lead and sea ice properties observed by the sensors and methodological factors such as spatial resolution. Thus, the choice of lead product should align with the specific application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A melting snow layer on Arctic sea ice, as a composition of ice, liquid water, and air, supplies meltwater that may trigger the formation of melt ponds. As a result, surface reflection properties are altered during the melting season and thereby may change the surface energy budget. To study these processes, sea ice surface reflection properties were derived from airborne measurements using imaging spectrometers. The data were collected over the closed and marginal Arctic sea ice zone north of Svalbard in May–June 2017. A retrieval approach based on different absorption indices of pure ice and liquid water in the near-infrared spectral range was applied to the campaign data. The technique enabled us to retrieve the spatial distribution of the liquid water fraction of a snow layer and the effective radius of snow grains. For observations from three research flights, liquid water fractions between 6.5 % and 17.3 % and snow grain sizes between 129 and 414 µm were derived. In addition, the melt pond depth was retrieved based on an existing approach that isolates the dependence of a melt pond reflection spectrum on the pond depth by eliminating the reflection contribution of the pond ice bottom. The application of the approach to several case studies revealed a high variability of melt pond depth, with maximum depths of 0.33 m. The results were discussed considering uncertainties arising from the airborne reflection measurements, the setup of radiative transfer simulations, and the retrieval method itself. Overall, the presented retrieval methods show the potential and the limitations of airborne measurements with imaging spectrometers to map the transition phase of the Arctic sea ice surface, examining the snow layer composition and melt pond depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the outbreak of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first broke out in Hubei Province, China, at the end of 2019. It has brought great challenges and harms to global public health. SARS-CoV-2 mainly affects the lungs and is mainly manifested as pulmonary disease. However, one of the biggest crises arises from the emergence of COVID- 19-induced fibrosis. At present, there are still many questions about how COVID- 19 induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) occurs and how to treat and regulate its longterm effects. In addition, as an important process of fibrosis, the effect of COVID- 19 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may be an important factor driving PF. This review summarizes the main pathogenesis and treatment mechanisms of COVID-19 related to PF. Starting with the basic mechanisms of PF, such as EMT, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, inflammation, macrophages, innate lymphoid cells, matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, hedgehog pathway as well as Notch signaling. Further, we highlight the importance of COVID-19-induced EMT in the process of PF and provide an overview of the related molecular mechanisms, which will facilitate future research to propose new clinical therapeutic solutions for the treatment of COVID-19-induced PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells (WBG‐PSCs), when partnered with Si bottom cells in tandem configuration, can provide efficiencies up to 44%; yet, the development of stable, efficient, and scalable WBG‐PSCs is required. Here, the utility of the hybrid evaporation‐solution method (HESM) is investigated to meet these demanding requirements via its unique advantages including ease of control and reproducibility. A PbI2/CsBr layer is co‐evaporated followed by coating of organic‐halide solutions in a green solvent. Bandgaps between 1.55–1.67 eV are systematically screened by varying CsBr and MABr content. Champion efficiencies of 21.06% and 20.35% in cells and 19.83% and 18.73% in mini‐modules (16 cm2) for perovskites with 1.64 and 1.67 eV bandgaps are achieved, respectively. Additionally, 18.51%‐efficient semi‐transparent WBG‐PSCs are implemented in 4T perovskite/bifacial silicon configuration, reaching a projected power output of 30.61 mW cm−2 based on PD IEC TS 60904‐1‐2 (BiFi200) protocol. Despite similar bandgaps achieved by incorporating Br via MABr solution and/or CsBr evaporation, PSCs having a perovskite layer without MABr addition show significantly higher thermal and moisture stability. This study proves scalable, high‐performance, and stable WBG‐PSCs are enabled by HESM, hence their use in tandems and in emerging applications such as indoor photovoltaics are now within reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to examine the protective effect of Tribulus terrestris (TT) methanolic extract against Spirotetramat-induced (SPT) liver and kidneys toxicity in adult domestic pigeons. Thirty male pigeons weighing 309.20 ± 14.41g were divided equally into six groups and were treated orally as follows: (CT) was used as the control, the SPT group received 15 mg/kg BW/day of SPT, the TT100 and TT50 groups were administered 100 and 50 mg/kg BW/day of TT, respectively, in addition to (SPT+ TT100) and (SPT + TT50) groups. After ten consecutive weeks of treatment, pigeons were sacrificed, and their livers and kidneys were weighed and examined. Plasma was also analyzed for hepatic and nephrotic markers represented by alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total proteins, urea, creatinine, glucose, and uric acid. The results showed that SPT administration induced a significant increase in liver and kidney weights, and plasma ALT, AST, GGT activities. The biochemical markers revealed increases in total proteins, urea, creatinine, glucose, and uric acid levels. However, the co-treatment of TT with SPT has restored liver and kidney weight, ALT, AST, GGT, and all other examined biochemical parameters. The histopathological examination showed necrotic and remarkable alterations in the liver and kidney tissues of the SPT group. However, combined treatment has reduced the hepatic and renal tissue injury induced by SPT alone. The present study demonstrated that TT possesses potential cytoprotective effects against hepato-nephrotoxicity caused by SPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the cause for the low tensile plasticity in normal direction of high‐strength low‐alloy steel thick plate, tensile fracture observation, inclusion statistic, and microstructure observation of thick plate and solidification structure observation of continuous casting slab are carried out. The experimental results reveal that many MnS inclusions are only distributed on the platform of the tensile fracture and they only appear in the center of thick plate together with martensite and severe macrosegregation of elements C and Mn. It is concluded that the aggregated large‐sized MnS inclusions are the direct cause for reducing the tensile plasticity. Stress concentration on a single MnS inclusion during tensile testing can occur and cause a limited brittle fracture area. Aggregation of MnS inclusions creates a large brittle fracture area, which significantly reduces the tensile plasticity. The root cause of the aggregation of MnS inclusions is the well‐developed columnar crystals of continuous casting slab. The well‐developed columnar crystals push high concentration of solutes into the residual liquid‐phase zone in the center of continuous casting slab and create severe central macrosegregation which eventually lead to the appearance of aggregated large‐sized MnS inclusions with martensite in the center of thick plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow-layer segmentation and classification are essential diagnostic tasks for various cryospheric applications. The SnowMicroPen (SMP) measures the snowpack's penetration force at submillimeter intervals in snow depth. The resulting depth–force profile can be parameterized for density and specific surface area. However, no information on traditional snow types is currently extracted automatically. The labeling of snow types is a time-intensive task that requires practice and becomes infeasible for large datasets. Previous work showed that automated segmentation and classification is, in theory, possible but cannot be applied to data straight from the field or needs additional time-costly information, such as from classified snow pits. We evaluate how well machine learning models can automatically segment and classify SMP profiles to address this gap. We trained 14 models, among them semi-supervised models and artificial neural networks (ANNs), on the MOSAiC SMP dataset, an extensive collection of snow profiles on Arctic sea ice. SMP profiles can be successfully segmented and classified into snow classes based solely on the SMP's signal. The model comparison provided in this study enables SMP users to choose a suitable model for their task and dataset. The findings presented will facilitate and accelerate snow type identification through SMP profiles. Anyone can access the tools and models needed to automate snow type identification via the software repository "snowdragon". Overall, snowdragon creates a link between traditional snow classification and high-resolution force–depth profiles. Traditional snow profile observations can be compared to SMP profiles with such a tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the demand for organic fermented dairy products has been growing. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of major interest in the food industry due to their ability to form the quality and functionality of fermented products. A significantly higher LAB cell count is presented in organic (ORG) fermented products such as yoghurt and kefir, than their conventional (CONV) counterparts. There is still a lack of information on the possible explanation and evidence of ORG milk as a better medium for LAB growth. The aim of the present review is to summarise the results of research articles on the milk compounds and their effect on LAB growth, and to identify differences between ORG and CONV milk that may provide a plausible explanation for their influence on LAB growth in ORG milk. The monographic method was used in this study. According to the previous research, significant differences were established in a content and range of carbohydrates, nitrogen sources, fats, macroelements and microelements, as well bioactive compounds in ORG and CONV milk. The composition of ORG milk may have potential benefits for the development of LAB due to the higher concentration of peptides and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the thermal stability of enzymes is an essential factor in the industrial applications of enzymes. Many methods related to increased thermal stability were explained, and increasing salt bridges is one of the strategies for improving the thermal stability of enzymes. In this study, mutations T59E, I145R, N149R, V219D, and A262R are introduced into the native cellulase gene to produce the mutant 5M-cel5E cellulase. In silico results showed that the mutation increased the salt bridges from 15 to 28. Root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) calculations confirmed that the mutation increased protein stability. Furthermore, the docking results showed that the affinity of cellobiose for the 5M-cel5E active site (−122.759) was slightly decreased compared to native cellulase (−130.93). No enzymatic activity was found in 5M-cel5E cellulase after cloning, expression and purification. Activated the enzyme with a back mutation of R149N, the result of which was named 4M-cel5E. The last mutation increases the salt bridges from 15 to 22, creating 4 salt bridge networks. The 4M-cel5E enzyme exhibited a maximum activity of 463 U/mg at pH 6.0 and 45°C. The mutations also increased the enzyme thermal stability up to 1.5 and 3.4-fold at temperatures of 65 and 67°C, respectively. These mutations made the Clostridium thermocellum cellulase suitable for various industries such the biofuel and paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]