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Foodborne illnesses can be infectious and dangerous, and most of them are caused by bacteria. Some common food-related bacteria species exist widely in nature and pose a serious threat to both humans and animals; they can cause poisoning, diseases, disabilities and even death. Rapid, reliable and cost-effective methods for bacterial detection are of paramount importance in food safety and environmental monitoring. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) and electrochemical methods have been widely used in food safety and environmental monitoring. In this paper, the recent developments (2013–2023) covering PCR, LFIA and electrochemical methods for various bacterial species (Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli)), considering different food sample types, analytical performances and the reported limit of detection (LOD), are discussed. It was found that the bacteria species and food sample type contributed significantly to the analytical performance and LOD. Detection via LFIA has a higher average LOD (24 CFU/mL) than detection via electrochemical methods (12 CFU/mL) and PCR (6 CFU/mL). Salmonella and E. coli in the Pseudomonadota domain usually have low LODs. LODs are usually lower for detection in fish and eggs. Gold and iron nanoparticles were the most studied in the reported articles for LFIA, and average LODs were 26 CFU/mL and 12 CFU/mL, respectively. The electrochemical method revealed that the average LOD was highest for cyclic voltammetry (CV) at 18 CFU/mL, followed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at 12 CFU/mL and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at 8 CFU/mL. LOD usually decreases when the sample number increases until it remains unchanged. Exponential relations (R2 > 0.95) between LODs of Listeria in milk via LFIA and via the electrochemical method with sample numbers have been obtained. Finally, the review discusses challenges and future perspectives (including the role of nanomaterials/advanced materials) to improve analytical performance for bacterial detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, studies have reported a correlation that individuals with diabetes show an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mulberry leaves, serving as both a traditional medicinal herb and a food source, exhibit significant hypoglycemic and antioxidative properties. The flavonoid compounds in mulberry leaf offer therapeutic effects for relieving diabetic symptoms and providing neuroprotection. However, the mechanisms of this effect have not been fully elucidated. This investigation aimed to investigate the combined effects of specific mulberry leaf flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, rhamnocitrin, tetramethoxyluteolin, and norartocarpetin) on both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and AD. Additionally, the role of the gut microbiota in these two diseases' treatment was studied. Using network pharmacology, we investigated the potential mechanisms of flavonoids in mulberry leaves, combined with gut microbiota, in combating AD and T2DM. In addition, we identified protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) as a key target for kaempferol in these two diseases. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations showed that kaempferol has the potential to inhibit PTP1B for indirect treatment of AD, which was proven by measuring the IC50 of kaempferol (279.23 μM). The cell experiment also confirmed the dose-dependent effect of kaempferol on the phosphorylation of total cellular protein in HepG2 cells. This research supports the concept of food–medicine homology and broadens the range of medical treatments for diabetes and AD, highlighting the prospect of integrating traditional herbal remedies with modern medical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been implicated in thrombotic diseases. There is no definitive explanation for how NETs form during acute ischemic strokes (AIS). The purpose of our study was to investigate the potential mechanism and role of NETs formation in the AIS process. Methods: As well as 45 healthy subjects, 45 patients with AIS had ELISA tests performed to detect NET markers. Expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on platelet microvesicles (PMVs) was analyzed by flow cytometry in healthy subjects and AIS patients' blood samples. We established middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mice model to elucidate the interaction between PMPs and NETs. Results: A significant elevation in NET markers was found in patient plasma in AIS patients, and neutrophils generated more NETs from patients' neutrophils. HMGB1 expression was upregulated on PMVs from AIS patients and induced NET formation. NETs enhanced Procoagulant activity (PCA) through tissue factor and via platelet activation. Targeting lactadherin in genetical and in pharmacology could regulate the formation of NETs in MCAO model. Conclusions: NETs mediated by PMVs derived HMGB1 exacerbate thrombosis and brain injury in AIS. 59eUbqf-2Yb-L2dvdE9ZeT Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traction load of electrified railways is a special user of the power system, which will have a significant impact on and pose a challenge to the power system after grid connection. Considering the impact and fluctuation of traction load connected to the power grid, this paper proposed a method to study the influence of traction load on the transient stability of the power grid based on parameter identification. Firstly, according to the operation characteristics of traction load, a comprehensive traction load model based on the measurement-based method of induction motor parallel power function model is selected, and the objective function of parameter identification is determined. Then, the specific steps of using the improved gray wolf optimizer (IGWO) algorithm to achieve the parameter identification of the traction comprehensive load model are introduced, including chaotic map, nonlinear convergence factor, and individual position update. Next, with the IEEE39 bus system as the network background, the load parameters identified by the measured data of a line of the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway are imported into the Power System Analysis Software Package (PSASP) 7.0 for transient simulation to analyze the impact of traction load on the transient stability of the power grid. Finally, three typical load models are compared with the traction load model to draw relevant conclusions, and it is verified that the traction load characteristics are different from the general load model, which provides reference for the connection of electrified railway traction load to the power grid and the economic and technical construction of the power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the ERA5 reanalysis dataset, we analyzed the changes in extreme climate indices on the MP from 1981 to 2020, and the relationship between the extreme climate indices and atmospheric circulation indices. The results showed that (1) for temperature, (a) in terms of hot events, the inter-annual variation trends of summer days, warm days, and warm nights have significantly increased across the entire MP, with the central region experiencing a higher probability of extreme hot events. The inter-decadal variation of extreme hot indices showed a considerable increase from the period of 1991 to 2000 to the period of 2001 to 2010. (b) In terms of cold events, a substantial decrease in extreme cold events was revealed, with a great decrease from the period of 1981 to 1990 to the period of 1991 to 2000. (2) For precipitation, there was a decrease in extreme wet indices from 1981 to 2020. The simple precipitation intensity index (SDII) and total precipitation in wet days (PRCPTOT) exhibited a significant descending trend in the northern and northeastern MP. Decadal variations showed a decrease in extreme precipitation events, with a significant decline observed between the period of 1991 to 2000 and the period of 2001 to 2010. (3) For the relationship between the extreme climate indices and atmospheric circulation indices, extreme temperature indices are likely influenced by polar vortices, with the Asian polar vortex area index (APVAI) negatively correlated with extreme hot indices and the Asian polar vortex intensity index (APVII) positively/negatively correlated with most extreme hot and cold indices. Asian zonal circulation index (AZCI) showed significant correlations with most extreme hot and cold indices. Extreme precipitation indices only showed significant negative correlations with the Atlantic Meridional mode (AMM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of a muzzle brake has a significant effect on the overall technical performance of an automatic weapon. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization of a muzzle brake that enhances the overall performance, that is, it increases the muzzle brake efficiency and simultaneously decreases the noise emanating from the rifle upon discharge. A standard impact-reaction muzzle brake was selected as the research object. The optimal values of four structural parameters were established through multi-objective optimization. The process consists of design of experiments, coupled computational fluid dynamics and computational acoustics calculations, an approximation model, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Based on the results, the correlation and sensitivity between the structural parameters and the objectives were investigated. Moreover, the reaction force and noise directivity of the optimized muzzle brake were compared with those of the original design. The results show that the disk angle of the side holes was the most sensitive design variable for both efficiency and noise. The optimized muzzle brake had a remarkable improvement in brake efficiency accompanied by only a small increase in the sound pressure level, so it showed better overall performance. The optimization method proposed in this paper is practical and effective for engineering design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the prevalence of allergic diseases has increased significantly, causing great concern, and wheat, as one of the top 8 food allergens, is a common allergy trigger. Nevertheless, reliable estimates of the positivity rate of wheat allergens in the allergic population in China are still lacking. The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the positive detection rate of wheat allergens in the Chinese allergic population and further provide a reference for the prevention of allergy. CNKI, CQVIP, WAN-FANG DATA, Sino Med, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were retrieved. Related research and case reports about the positive rate of wheat allergen in the Chinese allergic population published from inception to June 30, 2022, were searched, and meta-analysis was performed using Stata software. The pooled positive rate of wheat allergens and 95% confidence interval were calculated by random effect models, and the publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test. A total of 13 articles were included for the final meta-analysis, in which wheat allergen detection methods involved only serum sIgE testing and SPT assessment. The results showed that the wheat allergen positivity detection rate in Chinese allergic patients was 7.30% (95% CI 5.68–8.92%). Subgroup analysis showed that the positivity rate of wheat allergens was influenced by region, but hardly by age and assessment method. The positive rates of wheat allergy in the population with allergic diseases were 2.74% (95% CI 0.90–4.58%) and 11.47% (95% CI 7.08–15.87%) in southern and northern China, respectively. In particular, the positive rates of wheat allergens were greater than 10% in Shaanxi, Henan and Nei Mongol, all of which belong to the northern region. These results suggest that wheat allergens are an important cause of sensitization in allergic populations from northern China, and therefore attention should be paid to early prevention in high-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of studies have studied the influence of emotional experience on an individual's estimation performance, but the influence of implicit emotion regulation is still unknown. Participants were asked to complete the following tasks in order: idiom matching task, multiplication computational estimation task (MCE task), gender judgment task (GJ task), and emotional experience intensity assessment task. The words matching task was adopted to achieve the purpose of implicit emotion regulation (implicit reappraisal and implicit suppression). Behavioral results showed that implicit reappraisal and implicit suppression equally contributed to improving an individual's estimation speed (but not ACC (accuracy)). The MCE task related ERP (event-related potential) results showed that the influence of implicit emotion regulation on estimation consisted of two phases. In the first phase (encoding phase), implicit reappraisal both enhanced (larger P1 amplitudes) and weakened (smaller N170 amplitudes) an individual's encoding sensitivity, while implicit suppression enhanced an individual's encoding sensitivity (larger P1 amplitudes). In the second phase (estimation strategies retrieval phase), implicit reappraisal (but not implicit suppression) cost more attention resources (larger LPC2 and LPC3 amplitudes). The present study suggested that both implicit reappraisal and implicit suppression contributed to improving an individual's estimation performance, and the regulation effect of implicit suppression (vs. implicit reappraisal) was better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis, a recently discovered iron-dependent regulated cell death, has been implicated in the therapeutic responses of various cancers including breast cancer, making it a promising therapeutic target to manage this malignancy. Phytochemicals are conventional sources for medication development. Some phytochemicals have been utilized therapeutically to treat cancers as pharmaceutic agents or dietary supplements. Intriguingly, a considerable number of antitumor drugs derived from phytochemicals have been proven to be targeting ferroptosis, thus producing anticancer effects. In this review, we provide a short overview of the interaction between core ferroptosis modulators and breast cancer, illustrating how ferroptosis affects the destiny of breast cancer cells. We also systematically summarize the regulatory effects of phytochemicals on ferroptosis and emphasize their clinical applications in breast cancer suppression, which may accelerate the development of their therapeutic use in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella is a bacterial pathogen which is one of the leading causes of severe illnesses in humans. The current study involved the design and development of two methods, respectively using iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP) and iron core gold nanoparticle (ICGNP), conjugated with the Salmonella antibody and the fluorophore, 4-Methylumbelliferyl Caprylate (4-MUCAP), used as an indicator, for its selective and sensitive detection in contaminated food products. Twenty double-blind beverage samples, spiked with Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, were prepared in sterile Eppendorf® tubes at room temperature. The gold layer and spikes of ICGNPs increased the surface areas. The ratio of the surface area is 0.76 (IONPs/ICGNPs). The comparative sensitivity and specificity of the IONP-based and the ICGNP-based methods to detect Salmonella were determined. The ICGNP method shows the limit of detection is 32 Salmonella per mL. The ICGNPs had an 83.3% sensitivity and a 92.9% specificity value for the presence and detection of Salmonella. The IONP method resulted in a limit of detection of 150 Salmonella per mL, and a 66.7% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity for the presence and detection of Salmonella. The higher surface area of ICGNPs increases the efficiency of detection. The monitoring of Salmonella can thus be achieved by a rapid magnetic fluorescent assay using a smartphone for image capture and analyze, providing quantitative results. The findings from the present study would help to detect Salmonella rapidly in water. It can improve the microbial quality of water and food safety due to the presence of Salmonella in the water environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the formation tracking control problem with prescribed performance is studied for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles whose disturbance is bounded with unknown boundary. Different from most existing works where prescribed performance control is realized based on error transformation, a new prescribed performance function-based adaptive strategy is proposed to guarantee both transient and steady state performance, which simplifies the design procedure. Furthermore, the proposed adaptive distributed sliding mode controller is of low complex and easily implementable, without utilizing the information of the external disturbance or any approximating structures to acquire such knowledge. Additionally, collision avoidance constraints among neighbors can be satisfied through appropriately designed performance bounds. Simulation verification also confirms the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy. MM stem cells (MMSCs) are thought to be the main causes of in vivo engraftment and eventual recurrence. As a notable new technology, cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) show a promising anti-tumor effect, due to their production of various ROS. In this study, we found that different types of plasma could inhibit MM's ability to form cell colonies, suppress MM in vivo engraftment, and extend survival times. We demonstrated that NAC (a ROS scavenger) could block ROS increases and reverse the inhibition of MM's cell-colony-formation ability, which was induced by the plasma treatment. By using a stem cell signaling array, we found that the Notch pathway was inhibited by the plasma treatment; this was further confirmed by conducting real-time PCRs of three MM cell lines. Together, these results constitute the first report of plasma treatment inhibiting MM in vivo engraftment and prolonging survival time by suppressing the Notch pathway via ROS regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma-activated solution (PAS) has attracted wide attention in cancer treatment because it can treat deep tumors and offer storability. The changes in reactive species and physicochemical properties of PAS during storage can affect its anticancer effect. In this study, the plasma-activated medium (PAM) was prepared by treating RPMI 1640 medium with afterglow gas generated by a custom-built air surface dielectric barrier discharge device. PAM was stored at four common temperature conditions (25 °C, 4 °C, −20 °C, and −80 °C) for 1 day, 4 days, and 7 days, and then, the physicochemical properties, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), and the anti-cancer effect on A549 cells under different storage conditions were compared. The results showed that PAM exhibited different anticancer effects at different storage temperatures over a 7 day storage period. The anticancer ability of PAM under 80 °C storage remained stable after 7 days of storage and decreased at all other temperatures. These results were also verified by apoptosis results, and the differences were mainly related to the concentration of H2O2 and NO2−, and oxido reduction potential. Our results provided a theoretical basis for the storage of PAM and its application in anticancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The installation of muzzle brake changes the flow direction of propellant gas, which leads to a decline in the recoil force but an increase in the muzzle flow noise of the side rear. Therefore, the coordination between high efficiency and low harm of muzzle brake is one of the factors limiting its optimization. To address this problem, a numerical method for evaluating the comprehensive performance of muzzle brake targeting muzzle brake efficiency and impulse noise is proposed in the present study. The two performance indexes are calculated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-computational aeroacoustics (CAA) coupled method. Afterwards, a corresponding experiment is conducted to verify its feasibility. Furthermore, the comprehensive performance of muzzle brakes with three different structures are analysed based on the two indexes obtained by the proposed numerical method. The results reveal that both indexes can be influenced by the structure of muzzle brakes. The increased braking efficiency is almost accompanied by increased impulse noise, but the functional relation is not linear dependence. Thus, the comprehensive performance can be improved by optimization of the structure. The evaluation method proposed in this paper has theoretical significance for optimizing muzzle brakes, which is of great engineering value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gut microbiota homeostasis is significant to host health and well-being. Treatment of red-crowned cranes with avian influenza vaccines and anthelmintics has played pivotal roles in therapeutic management in zoos. This study provides evidence concerning if and how the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic treatment impact the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes. For the first time, we revealed that the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes is resilient to the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic, which may be affected to disorder in the short term but can recover to homeostasis over time. In addition, it is proposed that more controlled experiments should be performed properly to contribute to animal disease control and optimal management in the zoo. Gut microbiota homeostasis is important for host health and well-being; however, drugs may affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Red-crowned cranes are a vulnerable species. Treatment of red-crowned cranes with avian influenza vaccines and anthelmintics has played pivotal roles in therapeutic management in zoos. To investigate the changes in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota after the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic treatment, we used 16S rRNA sequencing to obtain and compare the bacterial community composition before and after the treatment. The alpha diversity of the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes decreased on the day of the treatment and then fluctuated over time. The composition of gut microbiota tended to be similar in the short term after the treatment, as supported by the beta diversity hierarchical cluster analysis. Only 3, 8, and 72 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the three individuals were shared among the five groups before and after treatment. The relative abundance of Firmicutes significantly increased to 99.04% ± 0.28% on the day of the treatment, in which the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was 93.33% ± 5.85%. KEGG pathways analysis indicated that the main function of the gut microbiota is involved in metabolism, and the present study indicates that the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes is resilient to the avian influenza vaccine and anthelmintic, even disordered in the short term, and could recover over time. More individual experimentation and functional potential in metabolism are needed in the future to support animal disease control and optimal management in the zoo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the precipitation records of 2474 meteorological stations, this study investigated precipitation characteristics and trends in China from 1961 to 2010, including spatiotemporal distribution and changes in average annual precipitation amount, number of days when daily precipitation > = 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 mm, and extreme precipitation indices. The results showed that: (1) in terms of annual average precipitation amount, both dry to wet, wet to wetter, and shifting between wet and dry showed decadal and climatical fluctuations in annual precipitation totals in space and time, with a clear shift in space from the 0 to 200 mm and above 400 mm precipitation levels to the 200 to 400 mm precipitation level. (2) In terms of graded precipitation days, three kinds of trend changes were observed: (a) enhancement, manifested as an increase in precipitation events, mainly in the northwest and northeast of China; (b) reduction, manifested as a decrease in precipitation events, mainly in the central parts of China; and (c) polarization, which is manifested as a decrease in gentle and light precipitation events but an increase in dry days, heavy, and rainstorm precipitation events, primarily along coastal area in southeast China. (3) In terms of extreme precipitation events, precipitation persistence showed a decreasing trend, but an increasing trend in precipitation intensity and magnitude in most regions of China. This paper also presents the relationship between certain atmospheric circulation indices and the seasonal precipitation of summer and winter. The distribution characteristics and changes in minor precipitation events were highlighted, including gentle and light rain events. Relevant findings can provide scientific guidance for water resource management and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors, which can achieve tremendous power density and ultrafast charge/discharge speed, are crucial components for high power equipment. Yet, the synchronous achievement in high recoverable energy density (Wrec) and high efficiency (η) is a long‐term difficulty for dielectric ceramics. Herein, the (0.85 − x)NaNbO3–0.15BaTiO3–xBi(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 (NN–BT–xBMT) relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were proposed and studied. The doping of BMT was conducive to promoting the microstructure and bandgap and improving the dielectric relaxation properties of NN–BT ceramics. Finally, the sample of x = 0.10 presented a high Wrec of 5.9 J/cm3 and a high η of 90% simultaneously. In addition, the sample also exhibited superb charge/discharge performances with large power density (PD = 137 MW/cm3) and fast charge/discharge speed (t0.9 = 39 ns). The above results reveal that the NaNbO3‐based ceramics could serve as potential alternatives for advanced dielectric capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-protein-producing amino acid synthesized from the excitatory amino acid glutamate via the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase, is extensively found in microorganisms, plants and vertebrates, and is abundantly expressed in the spinal cord and brain. It is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian nervous system. GABA plays crucial roles in the regulation of synaptic transmission, the promotion of neuronal development and relaxation, and the prevention of insomnia and depression. As the major inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA plays pivotal roles in the regulation of pain sensation, which is initiated by the activation of peripheral nociceptors and transmitted to the spinal cord and brain along nerves. GABA exerts these roles by directly acting on three types of receptors: ionotropic GABA A and GABA C receptors and G protein-coupled GABA B receptor. The chloride-permeable ion channel receptors GABA A and GABA C mediate fast neurotransmission, while the metabotropic GABA B receptor mediates slow effect. Different GABA receptors regulate pain sensation via different signaling pathways. Here we highlight recent updates on the involvement of specific GABA receptors and their subtypes in the process of pain sensation. Further understanding of different GABA receptors and signaling pathways in pain sensation will benefit the development of novel analgesics for pain management by targeting specific GABA receptor subtypes and signaling pathways. [Display omitted] • GABA regulates synaptic transmission contributing to pain sensation. • GABA A receptor regulates membrane potential depending on transmembrane chloride gradient. • GABA A receptor-mediated analgesic effects rely on subunits compositions. • GABA B receptor modulates pain transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The applications of dielectric capacitors are essential for modern pulsed-power and high-power electronic devices. Antiferroelectric ceramics have garnered much attention as promising materials for capacitive energy storage on account of their ultrahigh recoverable energy density (W rec). However, the relatively high energy loss originating from electric field induced antiferroelectric-ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transition results in low energy storage efficiency (η). Herein, the La3+ ions incorporated (Pb 0.98 Sr 0.02)(Zr 0.85 Sn 0.15)O 3 antiferroelectric ceramics were explored to obtain stable antiferroelectric phase and trigger a unique multistage AFE-FE(Ⅰ)-FE(Ⅱ) phase transition simultaneously. Consequently, this strategy led to the achievement of an ultrahigh W rec of 13.9 J/cm3 and an enhanced η of 80.4% in the optimal composition. Notably, these ceramics have also demonstrated exceptional thermal reliability of W rec and η in a wide temperature range, outperforming other previously reported PbZrO 3 -based ceramics. These results offer an efficient approach to promote the capacitive energy storage behavior in antiferroelectric ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel poly(aspartic acid) based PASP-l-PAHy hydrogel possesses the comprehensive merits of injectability, self-biodegradability, shape-adaptability, transparence, biocompatibility, and adhesion is reported. The hydrogel could seamlessly fill and stably adhere to skin incisions, and accelerate wound healing process. [Display omitted] • Designing and developing a novel versatile poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel. • The multiple crosslinks of chemical bonds (amide bond) and physical bonds (ionic bond and hydrogen bond) endows the hydrogel with comprehensive merits. • Desired autolytic biodegradation ensures removal trauma of wound dressing after 10 days. • The poly(aspartic acid) based hydrogel accelerates rat skin full-thickness wound healing. Severely chronic dermal wounds with irregular rupture shapes or even cavities are calling for injectable and self-biodegradable wound dressings for skin lesion with complex contours remain a great challenge. Here, we report an injectable, self-biodegradable poly(aspartic acid)-l-poly(aspartyl hydrazide) (PASP-l-PAHy) hydrogel to address these issues. The starting materials were cheap, and the new strategy for fabrication of self-biodegradable poly(aspartic acid) based hydrogel was facile, efficient, mild and environmentally friendly, which is consistent with the concept of green chemistry. The hydrogel possesses the comprehensive merits of injectability, self-biodegradability, shape-adaptability, transparence, biocompatibility, and adhesion, and shows specific autolytic biodegradation. The hydrogel was generated by in-situ gelation of poly(aspartic acid) (PASP) and poly(aspartyl hydrazide) (PAHy) polymers based on dual chemical (amide bond) and physical (hydrogen bond and ionic bond) crosslinks. The acceleration of wound healing could be observed in a rat skin full-thickness wound model for repairing skin tissue defects via hydrogel injection and autolytic biodegradation, highlighting great potential applications in wound dressing for the irregular dermal lesions without secondary skin damage. The injectable and self-biodegradable hydrogel augments formation of blood vessels and mature granulation tissue, thus enabling faster skin tissue restoration outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photochemical vapor generation (PVG) of germanium (Ge) was first reported in this work. The synergistic effect from cobalt/chloride ions and air-liquid interfaces was found for the PVG of Ge. No obvious signal response was observed from the standard solution of Ge in 10% (v/v) formic acids (FAs) under UV irradiation. The addition of 300 mg L−1 of Co2+ and 30 mmol L−1 of Cl− resulted in enhanced photochemical reduction for Ge, and the introduction of air-liquid interfaces proceeding and succeeding the sample solution caused another 4.6 folds of enhancement in signal response of Ge. Under the selected condition, the limit of detection (LOD, 3σ, n = 11) was obtained to be 0.008 ng mL−1 with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP MS) measurement. A good precision, expressed as a relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 7) of 2.0%, was found from replicated measurements of 2 ng mL−1 of Ge. The generation efficiency was found to be no better than 9 ± 2%. The PVG mechanism of Ge was investigated in this work. The new finding is useful for understanding the principle of PVG, and further exploring the analytical and environmental application of PVG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a high‐entropy perovskite oxide Sr(Zr0.2Sn0.2Hf0.2Ti0.2Nb0.2)O3 (SZSHTN) was first introduced to Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT) lead‐free ferroelectric ceramics to boost both the high‐temperature dielectric stability and energy storage performance. Excellent comprehensive performance was simultaneously obtained in the 0.8NBT–0.2SZSHTN ceramic with high ε′ value (> 2000), wide ε′‐temperature stable range (TCC < 5%, 52.4–362°C), low tanδ value in a wide range (<0.01, 90–341°C) and high energy storage performance (Wrec = 3.52 J/cm3, Wrec and η varies ±6.08% and ±7.4% from 20 to 150°C), which endows it the promising potential to be used in high‐temperature environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of Lycosa shansia, and Lycosa singoriensis by combining Sanger and next-generation sequencing methods and analyzed the sequenced genomes in order to explore the phylogenetic placement and the mitogenome composition and evolution of these species. The mitochondrial genome of L. shansia was 14,638 bp, whereas that of L. singoriensis was 13,686 bp. The type of genes and direction of the coding strand present in the mitogenomes were the same as those in other species of Lycosoidea, including two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs). The mitogenomes of the two species exhibited negative AT and positive GC skews. This indicated that the nucleotide compositions of the mitogenomes of L. singoriensis and L. shansia tended to be T and G. Both the mean and median values of Ka/Ks of ATP8 were the highest among the 13 protein-coding genes, indicating that it might have evolved more rapidly than the other protein-coding genes in both species. ATP8 may have undergone more relaxed selection constraints and accumulated more mutations. In addition, many tRNAs lacked T and D stem loops; a few had no acceptor stems. The assessed species were recovered nested within Lycosidae with high support. The present findings will be useful for future studies on the mitogenome evolution of spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violet phosphorus (VP) has emerged as the most stable and biocompatible allotrope of phosphorus. Our study first reported the synergistic anti-cancer effects by combination treatment of violet phosphorene nanosheets (VPNS) and cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in vitro and in vivo. VPNS-1 exhibited remarkable efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth by suppressing arachidonic acid metabolism, while CAP induced cancer cell apoptosis through the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, the key role played by AKT and anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1) in the induction of apoptosis in VPNS-CAP treatment was demonstrated. Our combination therapy just like "tai chi", controlling cancer cell growth and death with low or no side effect. [Display omitted] • VPNS-1 and CAP have synergistic anti-cancer effects by in vitro and in vivo. • VPNS-1 inhibit tumor growth by suppressing arachidonic acid metabolism in vivo. • AKT, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1inhibition by co-treatment to induce cell apoptosis. • VPNS-1 and CAP treatment show low or no side effects in vivo. Violet phosphorene nanosheets (VPNS), another type of two-dimensional nonmetal nanostructure, is a promising nanomaterial for biomedical applications. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is an emerging anti-cancer strategy. Here, for the first time, a synergistic combination of VPNS and CAP exhibited remarkable efficacy in cancer treatment. Our findings revealed that VPNS and CAP effectively suppress cancer cell viability by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, we demonstrated the synergistic anti-cancer effect of VPNS and CAP in vivo , with low or no side effects. By metabolism analysis in vivo , we first reported that VPNS-1 inhibited tumor growth by down-regulating Delta-12-Prostaglandin J2, 8,9-DiHETrE, and Hepoxilin B, thereby suppressing arachidonic acid metabolism. Additionally, the down-regulation of AKT and anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1) of Bcl-2 family contributed to the inhibition of cell growth and the initiation of cell apoptosis. Our results unveiled a novel and promising anti-cancer approach involving the combined treatment of VPNS and CAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning (DL) approaches have the ability to accurately recognize promoter regions and predict their strength. Here, the potential for controllably designing active Escherichia coli promoter is explored by combining multiple deep learning models. First, "DRSAdesign," which relies on a diffusion model to generate different types of novel promoters is created, followed by predicting whether they are real or fake and strength. Experimental validation showed that 45 out of 50 generated promoters are active with high diversity, but most promoters have relatively low activity. Next, "Ndesign," which relies on generating random sequences carrying functional −35 and −10 motifs of the sigma70 promoter is introduced, and their strength is predicted using the designed DL model. The DL model is trained and validated using 200 and 50 generated promoters, and displays Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.49 and 0.43, respectively. Taking advantage of the DL models developed in this work, possible 6‐mers are predicted as key functional motifs of the sigma70 promoter, suggesting that promoter recognition and strength prediction mainly rely on the accommodation of functional motifs. This work provides DL tools to design promoters and assess their functions, paving the way for DL‐assisted metabolic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lidar presents a promising solution for bird surveillance in airport environments. However, the low observation refresh rate of Lidar poses challenges for tracking bird targets. To address this problem, we propose a gated recurrent unit (GRU)-based interacting multiple model (IMM) approach for tracking bird targets at low sampling frequencies. The proposed method constructs various GRU-based motion models to extract different motion patterns and to give different predictions of target trajectory in place of traditional target moving models and uses an interacting multiple model mechanism to dynamically select the most suitable GRU-based motion model for trajectory prediction and tracking. In order to fuse the GRU-based motion model and IMM, the approximation state transfer matrix method is proposed to transform the prediction of GRU-based network into an explicit state transfer model, which enables the calculation of the models' probability. The simulation carried out on an open bird trajectory dataset proves that our method outperforms classical tracking methods at low refresh rates with at least 26% improvement in tracking error. The results show that the proposed method is effective for tracking small bird targets based on Lidar systems, as well as for other low-refresh-rate tracking systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exploring the association of diet and indoor and outdoor environments on the gut microbiome of red-crowned cranes. We investigated the microbiome profile of the 24 fecal samples collected from nine cranes from day 1 to 35. Differences in the gut microbiome composition were compared across diet and environments. Results: A total of 2,883 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected, with 438 species-specific OTUs and 106 OTUs common to the gut microbiomes of four groups. The abundance of Dietzia and Clostridium XI increased significantly when the red-crowned cranes were initially fed live mealworms. Skermanella and Deinococcus increased after the red-crowned cranes were fed fruits and vegetables and placed outdoors. Thirty-three level II pathway categories were predicted. Our study revealed the mechanism by which the gut microbiota of red-crowned cranes responds to dietary and environmental changes, laying a foundation for future breeding, nutritional and physiological studies of this species. Conclusions: The gut microbiome of red-crowned cranes could adapt to changes in diet and environment, but the proportion of live mealworms in captive red-crowned cranes can be appropriately reduced at the initial feeding stage, reducing the negative impact of high-protein and high-fat foods on the gut microbiome and growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common and serious chronic lung disease in preterm infants with pathological characteristics of arrested lung development. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are a serious manifestation of oxidative stress damage, but little is known about the role of DSBs in BPD. The current study set out to detect DSB accumulation and cell cycle arrest in BPD and study the expression of genes related to DNA damage and repair in BPD through DNA damage signaling pathway-based PCR array to determine a suitable target to improve arrested lung development associated with BPD. Methods: DSB accumulation and cell cycle arrest were detected in a BPD animal model and primary cells, then a DNA damage signaling pathway-based PCR array was used to identify the target of DSB repair in BPD. Results: DSB accumulation and cell cycle arrest were shown in BPD animal model, primary type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII) and cultured cells after exposure to hyperoxia. Of the 84 genes in the DNA damage-signaling pathway PCR array, eight genes were overexpressed and 11 genes were repressed. Rad1, an important protein for DSB repair, was repressed in the model group. Real-time PCR and western blots were used to verify the microarray results. Next, we confirmed that silencing Rad1 expression aggravated the accumulation of DSBs and cell cycle arrest in AECII cells, whereas its overexpression alleviated DSB accumulation and cell cycle arrest. Conclusions: The accumulation of DSBs in AECII might be an important cause of alveolar growth arrest associated with BPD. Rad1 could be an effective target for intervention to improve this arrest in lung development associated with BPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify whether parameters measured from diffusion kurtosis and intravoxel incoherent motion help diagnose placenta percreta. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 75 patients with PAS disorders including 13 patients with placenta percreta and 40 patients without PAS disorders. Each patients underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), perfusion fraction (f), pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), mean diffusion kurtosis (MK) and mean diffusion coefficient (MD) were measured by the volumetric analysis and compared. MRI features were also analyzed and compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of different diffusion parameters and MRI features for distinguishing placental percreta. Results: D* was an independent risk factor from DWI for predicting placenta percreta with sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 76%. Focal exophytic mass remained as independent risk factor from MRI features for predicting placenta percreta with sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 88.1%. When the two risk factors were combined together, the AUC was the highest, 0.880 (95% CI 0.8–0.96). Conclusion: D* and focal exophytic mass were associated with placenta percreta. A combination of the 2 risk factors can be used to predict placenta percreta. Critical relevance statement: A combination of D* and focal exophytic mass can be used to differentiate placenta percreta. Key points: D* and focal exophytic mass were associated with placenta percreta. DWI parameters help quantify PAS. Placenta percreta can be differentiated with combination of risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usher syndrome (USH) is characterised by degenerative vision loss known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), sensorineural hearing loss, and vestibular dysfunction. RP can cause degeneration and the loss of rod and cone photoreceptors, leading to structural and functional changes in the retina. Cep250 is a candidate gene for atypical Usher syndrome, and this study describes the development of a Cep250 KO mouse model to investigate its pathogenesis. OCT and ERG were applied in Cep250 and WT mice at P90 and P180 to access the general structure and function of the retina. After recording the ERG responses and OCT images at P90 and P180, the cone and rod photoreceptors were visualised using an immunofluorescent stain. TUNEL assays were applied to observe the apoptosis in Cep250 and WT mice retinas. The total RNA was extracted from the retinas and executed for RNA sequencing at P90. Compared with WT mice, the thickness of the ONL, IS/OS, and whole retina of Cep250 mice was significantly reduced. The a-wave and b-wave amplitude of Cep250 mice in scotopic and photopic ERG were lower, especially the a-wave. According to the immunostaining and TUNEL stain results, the photoreceptors in the Cep250 retinas were also reduced. An RNA-seq analysis showed that 149 genes were upregulated and another 149 genes were downregulated in Cep250 KO retinas compared with WT mice retinas. A KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that cGMP-PKG signalling pathways, MAPK signalling pathways, edn2-fgf2 axis pathways, and thyroid hormone synthesis were upregulated, whereas protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum was downregulated in Cep250 KO eyes. Cep250 KO mice experience a late-stage retinal degeneration that manifests as the atypical USH phenotype. The dysregulation of the cGMP-PKG-MAPK pathways may contribute to the pathogenesis of cilia-related retinal degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric pressure cold plasmas are widely used in the biomedical field as evidenced by developments in recent years. In this study, a quartz tube-guided gas–liquid two-phase discharge has been configured with a hollow needle-water structure. The power source for the device was sinusoidal, and switching between a gas–liquid miscible discharge and a pure gaseous discharge was simple. It was discovered that the gas–liquid discharge was beneficial in terms of reactant species generation and reaction efficiency in terms of processing water. The types of particles, the physicochemical properties, and the concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the discharge were studied spectroscopically. The discharge was discovered to have high levels of H2O2 and NO2−, and the activated water was proven to be effective at sterilizing samples that were contaminated with micro-organisms. Key experimental parameters including the driving voltage and the air flow rate were optimized to achieve the best sterilization conditions. The membrane potential changes in the treated bacteria were also studied to explore the causes of bacterial inactivation. The results showed that the device exhibited a strong bactericidal effect for the gas–liquid mixed phase discharge operating at 17 kV for 5 min with a gas flow rate of 0.3 SLM. In addition, the present device offers enhanced sterilization efficiency relative to the efficiency of conventional plasma sterilization equipment and, therefore, has a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optogenetics has become a widely used technique in neuroscience research, capable of controlling neuronal activity with high spatiotemporal precision and cell‐type specificity. Expressing exogenous opsins in the selected cells can induce neuronal activation upon light irradiation, and the activation depends on the power of incident light. However, high optical power can also lead to off‐target neuronal activation or even cell damage. Limiting the incident power, but enhancing power distribution to the targeted neurons, can improve optogenetic efficiency and reduce off‐target effects. Here, the use of optical lenses made of polystyrene microspheres is demonstrated to achieve effective focusing of the incident light of relatively low power to neighboring neurons via photonic jets. The presence of microspheres significantly localizes and enhances the power density to the target neurons both in vitro and ex vivo, resulting in increased inward current and evoked action potentials. In vivo results show optogenetic stimulation with microspheres that can evoke significantly more motor behavior and neuronal activation at lowered power density. In all, a proof‐of‐concept of a strategy is demonstrated to increase the efficacy of optogenetic neuromodulation using pulses of reduced optical power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive predictive method of electricity consumption and load for Chinese rural residences is proposed. • The hourly electricity usage behavior of different seasons are analyzed. • The predictive method is verified at individual and regional scale. • The influence laws of usage behavior on electricity consumption and load for a certain case is explored. Electricity consumption and load prediction, and the influence laws of usage behavior are essential for smart grid and policy guidance. This paper presents an electricity consumption and load prediction method based on a stochastic model considering the randomness and seasonality in the usage behavior of appliances, with the aim of exploring the influence laws of the usage behavior. According to the proposed method, a model was developed and verified by taking certain regional rural residences as examples, and the influence of model inputs on electricity consumption and load were explored. The results showed that the modeled total electricity consumption of individual and regional rural residences were consistent with the actual values. The prediction accuracy of the model could be improved by more than 30% compared with the deterministic model results. Furthermore, the model could reasonably capture the electricity load profiles on a daily as well a seasonal basis. Our research provides a comprehensive framework to predict the electricity consumption and load for Chinese rural residences from sampling and data acquisition to model development, and to preliminarily explore the power demand characteristics and significant influencing factors, which may provide valuable data for power grid design and photovoltaic power generation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strontium carbonate (SrC) bioceramics are proposed as potential biomaterials to efficaciously repair the bone defects. However, the development of SrC bioceramics is restricted by their intrinsic low mechanical strength. In this study, SrC-based composite bioceramics (SrC-SrP) were fabricated by incorporating strontium-containing phosphate glass (SrP). The results indicated that aside from the main crystalline phase SrC, new compounds were generated in the SrC-SrP bioceramics. Incorporating 10 wt% SrP promoted densification, thus dramatically improving compressive strength of SrC-SrP bioceramics. The SrC-SrP bioceramics facilitated apatite precipitation on their surface, and sustainedly released strontium, phosphorus and sodium ions. Compared with the well-known β-tricalcium phosphate bioceramics, the SrC-SrP bioceramics with certain amounts of SrP enhanced proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenesis-related gene expressions of mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells. The SrC-SrP bioceramics with appropriate constituent can serve as novel bone regenerative biomaterials. [Display omitted] • Strontium carbonate-based composite bioceramics (SrC-SrP) were fabricated. • Strontium-containing phosphate glass (SrP) was incorporated into bioceramics. • Incorporating 10 wt% SrP dramatically improved compressive strength of SrC-SrP. • SrC-SrP facilitated apatite precipitation on the surface. • SrC-SrP enhanced proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I) Current clamp recording of hippocampus neuron stimulated with 20 ms pulse light without or with PS. Whole-cell patch clamp recording was conducted in ChR2-expressed cells stimulated by blue light in the presence of PS (PS(+)) or not (PS(-)). G) The curve between input power density and inward currents induced by light with PS or without PS in primary hippocampus neuron. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • An efficient chiral bioreactor (LAAO/HRP@ZIF-8) was first fabricated by in situ method. • Enhanced catalytic efficiency, stability and reusability of immobilized LAAO/HRP were achieved. • The chiral signal of amino acids (AAs) can be easily converted to fluorescence signal. • The bioreactor facilitates the discrimination and quantitation of multiple chiral AAs. Effective discrimination and quantitation of Amino acid (AA) enantiomers is enormously pivotal in diverse fields ranging from pharmaceutics to biological systems. We herein proposed a one-step strategy to construct a novel cascade bioreactor for chiral sensing of multiple AA enantiomers by coupling L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) and Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) (LAAO/HRP@ZIF-8). LAAO specifically catalyzes L-AAs to α-keto acid, ammonium and H 2 O 2 , and then the yielded H 2 O 2 oxidizes o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to strong yellow fluorescence signal of 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP) by wrapped HRP. ZIF-8 not only guaranteed free enzymes stability owing to the steric confinement effect of the framework, but also reinforced multi-enzyme cascade catalytic activity due to a preconcentration effect of the analyte inside the cavities. In view of this, the fabricated chiral sensor allowed highly sensitive enantioselectivity discrimination a range of chiral AA enantiomers, especially tryptophan (Trp), valine (Val), methionine (Met), phenylalanine (Phe), isoleucine (Ile), leucine (Leu) and alanine (Ala). According to the linear correlation between the content of L-AAs and fluorescence intensity, this sensor achieved the quantitative determination of Enantiomeric excess (ee) value with high accuracy, and the results were well matched with those obtained by High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, the prominent stability and satisfactory reusability of this sensor were favorably elucidated by using Trp as the model molecule. Our work provides an unprecedented protocol for enantioselective fluorescence discrimination and quantitative determination of ee value for AA enantiomers, and immensely advances the promising application field of multi-enzyme@metal-organic framework biocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple high-temperature calcination method was used to produce metallic molybdenum disulfide (1 T-Li x MoS 2). • The phase change increases the active site. • ML-100 adsorbent has good mercury removal efficiency and cycle stability. • Density functional theory(DFT) was used to verify the increase in surface activity after 2H-MoS 2 phase changed to 1 T-MoS 2. In this work, a simple high-temperature calcination method was used to produce metallic molybdenum disulfide (1 T-Li x MoS 2). Experiments and simulations show that 1 T-MoS 2 has stronger surface activity and enhances the adsorption capacity of Hg0, thereby effectively removing elemental mercury (Hg0) in coal-fired flue gas. Sample ML-100 could maintain a mercury removal efficiency of approximately 92% after 6-cycle experiments, and approximately 97% efficiency could be maintained throughout a long-term experiment. The proposed method converts the 2H phase to the 1 T phase by doping commercial MoS 2 with lithium ions, thereby improving the removal efficiency of elemental mercury in the flue gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]