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Emerging evidence suggests that pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, has been implicated in cancer progression. The involvement of specific proteins in pyroptosis is an area of growing interest. TOM20, an outer mitochondrial membrane protein, has recently garnered attention for its potential role in pyroptosis. Our previous study found that NBT could induce pyroptosis by ROS/JNK pathway in esophageal cancer cells. This study aims to investigate whether NBT induces pyroptosis and verify whether such effects are involved in up-regulation of TOM20 in esophageal cancer cells. The University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer data analysis Portal (UALCAN) was used to analyze the clinical significance of GSDME in esophageal cancer. MTT assay, morphological observation and Western blot were performed to verify the roles of TOM20 and BAX in NBT-induced pyroptosis after CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout. Immunofluorescence was used to determine the subcellular locations of BAX and cytochrome c. MitoSOX Red was employed to assess the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. KYSE450 and TOM20 knockout KYSE450-/- xenograft models were established to elucidate the mechanisms involved in NBT-induced cell death. In this study, NBT effectively upregulated the expression of TOM20 and facilitated the translocation of BAX to mitochondria, which promoted the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytoplasm, leading to the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and finally induced pyroptosis. Knocking out TOM20 by CRISPR-Cas9 significantly inhibited the expression of BAX and the downstream BAX/caspase-3/GSDME pathway, which attenuated NBT-induced pyroptosis. The elevated mitochondrial ROS level was observed after NBT treatment. Remarkably, the inhibition of ROS by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) effectively suppressed the activation of TOM20/BAX pathway. Moreover, in vivo experiments demonstrated that NBT exhibited potent antitumor effects in both KYSE450 and TOM20 knockout KYSE450-/- xenograft models. Notably, the attenuated antitumor effects and reduced cleavage of GSDME were observed in the TOM20 knockout model. These findings reveal that NBT induces pyroptosis through ROS/TOM20/BAX/GSDME pathway, which highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting TOM20 and GSDME, providing promising prospects for the development of innovative and effective treatment approaches for esophageal cancer. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the potential effect of stock enhancement on a coastal ecosystem. Based on data collected from the 2020 bottom trawl survey and literature information, an Ecopath model was constructed containing 19 functional groups representing the coastal area of southern Zhejiang, China. Jellyfish (Rhopilema esculenta) and black seabream Acanthopagrus schlegelii were selected as target-enhancing species based on their extensive juvenile release records. The maximum carrying capacity of these two species was estimated by static Ecopath and the potential ecological effects of enhancement activity for these two species were evaluated by the Ecosim routine. The trophic level (TL) of the functional groups in the coastal area of southern Zhejiang ecosystem ranged from 1 (primary producers) to 4.56 (sharks). The mean transfer efficiency of the coastal area ecosystem of southern Zhejiang was 8.71%, in which the relatively low transfer efficiency from TL2 to 3 was considered the main bottleneck that limited the biomass of higher TL species in this ecosystem. System characteristics indicated that the coastal area ecosystem of southern Zhejiang was vulnerable to disturbances and had low recovery ability. Enhancement simulation results indicated that the enhancement of jellyfish and black seabream had a partial impact on the functional groups of the ecosystem. Both jellyfish and black seabream enhancements adversely affected most groups of fish, cephalopods, and crabs, while jellyfish release stimulated the biomass of crabs. Ultimately, the present study indicates that the enhancement of black seabream decreased the total fish biomass via complex trophic interactions in the food web. Additionally, this study shows that recapture rates might not be sufficient to evaluate the net effect of stock enhancement, and therefore highlight the importance of ecosystem-based assessments for stock enhancement. [Display omitted] • Ecosystem-level effects of different stock enhancement strategies were analyzed. • An ecosystem model represents the southern Zhejiang coastal area, China, was constructed. • The enhancement of Jellyfish and Black seabream had partial impacts on the functional groups of this ecosystem. • Recapture rates might not be sufficient to evaluate the effect of stock enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular stiffening is associated with the prognosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelial dysfunction, as shown by reduced vasodilation and increased vasoconstriction, not only affects vascular tone, but also accelerates the progression of CVD. However, the precise effect of vascular stiffening on endothelial function and its mechanism is unclear and a possible underlying has not been determined. In this study, we found that increasing substrate stiffness promoted endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression and inhibited endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Additionally, miR-6740-5p was identified as a stiffness-sensitive microRNA, which was downregulated by a stiff substrate, resulting in increased ET-1 expression. Furthermore, we found that substrate stiffening reduced the expression and activity of the calcium channel TRPV4, which subsequently enhanced ET-1 expression by inhibiting miR-6740-5p. Finally, analysis of clinical plasma samples showed that plasma miR-6740-5p levels in patients with carotid atherosclerosis were significantly lower than those in healthy people. Taken together, our findings show a novel mechanically regulated TRPV4/miR-6740/ET-1 signaling axis by which substrate stiffness affects endothelial function. Our findings indicate that vascular stiffening induces endothelial dysfunction, thereby accelerating progression of CVD. Furthermore, this study indicates that endothelial dysfunction induced by improper biophysical cues from cardiovascular implants may be an important reason for complications arising from the use of cardiovascular implants. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The incidence of cardiovascular disease is accompanied by increased vascular stiffness. Our work indicated that increased vascular stiffness accelerates the development of cardiovascular disease by inducing endothelial dysfunction, which is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. In addition, we identified a novel underlying molecular pathophysiological mechanism by which increased stiffness induce endothelial dysfunction. Our work could help determine the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease induced by biomechanical factors. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the feeding habits of black croaker (Atrobucca nibe) to fully understand its role in the food web in southern coastal waters of Zhejiang, China. In total, 225 black croakers were collected in a bottom trawl survey, of which 195 were used for the stomach contents analysis and 30 for high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Both approaches showed that the main prey was shrimp, with Alpheus japonicus being the most predominant. In addition, black croaker also fed on other benthic species, suggesting that it was a demersal predator. Feeding intensity also varied with black croaker body length, as did prey preference, from small-sized species to larger species with increases in fish size; in addition, prey species were more diverse in the large-bodied prey group. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the feeding habit of black croaker was most significantly correlated with temperature and dissolved oxygen. HTS was shown to be a feasible high precision semi-quantitative analytical approach, although it must be combined with morphological methods to obtain more complete feeding data; thus, it could provide an effective scientific basis for feeding ecology studies of marine organisms. • The feeding habits of common economic fish in China were analyzed. • A comprehensive analytical method combining stomach content analysis and high-throughput sequencing was applied. • The influence factors of feeding habits were analyzed as explanatory variables in canonical correspondence analysis. • The feasibility of applying high-throughput sequencing to the feeding habits analysis of black croaker was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attapulgite (ATP) clay as an important ceramic raw material appears with natural nano-rod like morphology and widely co-exists with other minor minerals. To improve the mechanical performance and to reduce the sintering temperature of aluminium titanate (AT) ceramic membrane support, porous aluminium titanate ceramic has been prepared from Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 system mixed with attapulgite clay by solid-phase reaction at relative low temperature 1300 °C. The added contents of attapulgite clay were 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% in weight percent ratio, respectively. The phase composition, open porosity, strength, sintering behavior and microstructure as well as pore size distribution of porous aluminium titanate ceramic were systematically investigated. The XRD analysis suggests that the enhanced secondary phase mullite was produced when sintering temperature was above 1200 °C with added attapulgite clays. The SEM images show that microcracks caused by the grain anisotropy of generated aluminium titanate were increased with the rising of sintering temperature. Both the maximum pore size and average pore size decrease with the increasing sintering temperature as the specimen was reacted with some attapulgite clay. Under the condition of 25 wt% attapulgite clay addition and sintering temperature of 1300 °C, the obtained porous ceramic membrane support of aluminium titanate has a open porosity of 32.41% and bending strength of 45.48 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-associated acute liver injury contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and is associated with increased mortality. Currently, no specific therapeutics for sepsis-associated liver injury are available. With excess levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) being implicated as key players in sepsis-induced liver injury, we hypothesize that ROS-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) formed via the self-assembly of diblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(propylene sulfide) (PPS) may function as an effective drug delivery system for alleviating sepsis-induced liver injury by preferentially releasing drug molecules at the disease site. However, there are no reports available on the biocompatibility and effect of PEG-b-PPS-NPs in vivo. Herein, this platform was tested for delivering the promising antioxidant therapeutic molecule melatonin (Mel), which currently has limited therapeutic efficacy because of its poor pharmacokinetic properties. The mPEG-b-PPS-NPs efficiently encapsulated Mel using the oil-in-water emulsion technique and provided sustained, on-demand release that was modulated in vitro by the hydrogen peroxide concentration. Animal studies using a mouse model of sepsis-induced acute liver injury revealed that Mel-loaded mPEG-b-PPS-NPs are biocompatible and much more efficacious than an equivalent amount of free drug in attenuating oxidative stress, the inflammatory response, and subsequent liver injury. Accordingly, this work indicates that mPEG-b-PPS-NPs show potential as an ROS-mediated on-demand drug delivery system for improving Mel bioavailability and treating oxidative stress-associated diseases such as sepsis-induced acute liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several kinds of crystalloid solutions have been used in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock (HS). Clinicians are faced with how to select the resuscitation fluids. The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of 3 crystalloid solutions, such as normal saline (NS), lactated Ringer's (LR), and Plasma-lyte A (PA), on acid-base status and intestine injury in rats subjected to HS.Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. The sham group had no blood withdrawal. The other groups were subjected to severe HS and then injected with NS, LR, or PA. All treatments were followed with an infusion of red blood cell suspension. The mean arterial pressure was monitored throughout the experiment. The arterial blood gas, malonaldehyde, and myeloperoxidase levels in the small intestine were assayed 120 minutes after resuscitation.Results: Plasma-lyte A treatment could restore the pH, base excess (BE), HCO3-, Pao2, and Paco2. Comparing with sham group, NS failed to correct the decreased pH, BE, and HCO3- (P < .05), whereas LR treatment showed the decreased BE and HCO3- (P < .05) and increased Pao2 (P < .05). There were no significant differences in malonaldehyde among the 4 groups (P > .05). Both PA and LR were more effective than NS in decreasing the myeloperoxidase level in the small intestine (P < .01).Conclusions: Although the 3 crystalloid solutions play different roles, PA is better at correcting the acid-base balance and improving intestine injury during HS than NS and LR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation involves overwhelming reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and subsequent tissue injury. We investigated the effects of the potent antioxidant carboxyfullerene (C 3 ) on acute liver injury during hemorrhage shock/resuscitation. C 3 infusion reduced the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, methemoglobin content, malondialdehyde content, myeloperoxidase activity and expression levels of tumor necrosis factor -α and interleukin-6; it increased superoxide dismutase activity in the liver. The histologic injury score and apoptotic index were also markedly decreased after C 3 treatment compared with the vehicle group. Additionally, C 3 -treated rats showed a significant decrease in nuclear factor-κB DNA binding capacity, which was preceded by reduced phosphorylation of the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 subunit in the liver. C 3 nanoparticles ameliorate oxidative stress, the inflammatory response, and subsequent acute liver injury after hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation. These protective effects appear to be mediated through the inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB pathway. C 3 treatment may be a promising strategy to improve tissue injury in hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent medical need to develop effective therapies that can ameliorate damage to the radiation-exposed hematopoietic system. Nanozymes with robust antioxidant properties have a therapeutic potential for mitigating radiation-induced hematopoietic injury. However, enhancing nanozyme recruitment to injured tissues in vivo while maintaining their catalytic activity remains a great challenge. Herein, we present the design and preparation of a biomimetic nanoparticle, a mesenchymal stem cell membrane camouflaged Prussian blue nanozyme (PB@MSCM), which exhibits biocompatible surface properties and demonstrates enhanced injury site-targeting towards the irradiated murine bone marrow niche. Notably, the constructed PB@MSCM possessed redox enzyme-mimic catalytic activity and could scavenge overproduced reactive oxygen species in the irradiated bone marrow cells, both in vitro and ex vivo. More importantly, the administration of PB@MSCM significantly mitigated hematopoietic cell apoptosis and accelerated the regeneration of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Our findings provide a new targeted strategy to improve nanozyme therapy in vivo and mitigate radiation-induced hematopoietic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death (PCD), is reported to play important roles in the treatment of tumors. In our previous studies, we found that neobractatin (NBT), a caged prenylxanthone isolated from edible fruits of Garcinia bracteata C. Y. Wu ex Y. H. Li, showed anticancer effects against different cancer cells. However, the effect of NBT on pyroptosis is not well understood.Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether and how GSDME-mediated pyroptosis contributes to NBT-induced antitumor effects in esophageal cancer (EC) cells.Methods: Cell viability assay and colony formation assay were used to determine the anticancer effects of NBT in esophageal cancer cells. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay and microscopy imaging were used to detect the main characteristic of pyroptosis. CRISPR-Cas9 knockout and siRNA knockdown were performed to verify the roles of GSDME and caspase-3 in NBT-induced pyroptosis. Flow cytometry was used to measure the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and cell apoptosis. The changes of related protein level were detected by Western blot. Furthermore, animal experiments were used to verify the in vivo effect of NBT.Results: The results showed that NBT reduced the viability of EC cells mainly through GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Morphologically, NBT induced cell swelling and formed large bubbles emerging from plasma membrane in wild type EC cells. Furthermore, NBT induced the cleavage of GSDME by activating caspase-3 in EC cells. On the other hand, caspase-3 activated by NBT also induced apoptosis especially at high dosage. Knocking down GSDME switched NBT-induced cell death from mainly pyroptosis to apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic studies indicated that NBT led to accumulation of ROS, which then regulated the phosphorylation of both JNK and MEK/ERK. In the absence of ROS or caspase-3, NBT-induced pyroptosis and apoptosis were completely reversed. Moreover, NBT showed a significant antitumor effect in both the KYSE150 and GSDME knockout KYSE150-/- xenograft models by inducing pyroptosis and apoptosis, respectively.Conclusion: Our results indicated that natural compound NBT could induce GSDME-mediated pyroptosis and apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells, making it a potential therapeutic drug in clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO), an endothelial-derived relaxing factor, plays important roles in a variety of pathophysiological conditions such as hemorrhagic shock (HS). So far, the impact of NO administration in HS treatment has been controversial. Through literature review, we summarize here the biphasic effects of NO in early and late phases of HS. Evidence suggests that NO administration is beneficial in the early stage while detrimental in the late stage of HS. We further propose inhalation of NO as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HS in the early stage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The use of a membrane with a relatively loose 'active layer' opened a new paradigm for the application of osmotically driven processes. An effective way of imparting the osmotic pressure difference across the 'active layer' is to employ divalent salts as the draw solute, whose negative effects on the organic fouling have been documented in the literature. This study was targeted on investigating the fouling by clay suspensions when performing the forward osmosis (FO) with a nanofiltration (NF)-like membrane. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was exploited to analyze the fouling phenomena in a way of determining the critical point of the initial flux, below which the fouling could be completely or partially inhibited. In comparison with the flux-decline measurements, the OCT-based characterization generated a series of digitalized cake layers for numerically evaluating the surface coverage and specific deposit, which provides direct evidence to support the hypothesis that the back diffusion of the draw solute could have significant impact on the initial deposition of the clay particles. That is, the presence of the draw solute in the boundary layer could favor the slow growth of the cake layer even if the initial flux was lower than the critical point. Mapping the local growth rates also indicates that the increase in affinity between the membrane and the clay particles could vary the characteristics of the instability-induced streamwise vortices. In particular, the markedly decreased critical point of the initial flux highlights the role of divalent cations in forming coordinate bonds between the clay particles and the NF-like membrane. All the characterization results offer valuable knowledge to enhance the design of the novel osmotically driven processes. • Forward osmosis was implemented using an NF-like membrane. • Fouling by clay suspensions was studied via the OCT-based characterization. • The critical point was identified by the surface coverage and specific deposit. • The draw solute varied the interplay between the clay particles and membrane. • The role of divalent cations was highlighted in the fouling by clay particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of social media in contributing to participatory democracy in a cross-national context. By examining the Sunflower social movement in Taiwan and targeting a particular subgroup—Taiwanese citizens abroad—this study assesses factors that influence citizens abroad to engage in social media use for social movements as well as how different activities on social media contribute to political participation. The findings show that individual’s personal attitude and civic attitude exert a positive influence on political participation through opinion expression and activism on social media. Similarly, negative emotions toward the government’s handling of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) also promote political participation through expressing opinion and joining movement-related groups on social media. The paths signify the importance of attitude, emotion, and active use of social media for social movement in cross-national mobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Coal fly ash by NaOH roasting enhances the volatilization of mercury at lower temperatures. • More water-soluble arsenic and selenium compounds are generated by NaOH roasting. • More acid-soluble lead and cadmium compounds are obtained by NaOH roasting. • NaOH roasting can effectively improve the recovery of rare earth elements in coal fly ash. Coal fly ash (CFA) has been considered an important alternative resource for rare earth elements (REEs) and other critical metals such as Ge, Ga, U, etc. Concerns regarding the migration and transformation of harmful trace elements (HTEs: Hg, As, Se, Pb, Cd, Cr) from CFA to the environment are of great significance for the technical design of the recovery of REEs from CFA as well as its economic evaluation and environmental impact assessment. Here, the migration and transformation of these HTEs during the recovery of REEs from CFA activated by NaOH roasting were investigated. The recovery of REEs from CFA was above 90% under the conditions of the alkali-to-ash ratio of 1.2 and roasting temperature of 318 °C. In the NaOH roasting process, mercury compounds, i.e., Hg 2 Cl 2 , HgCl 2 , and HgSO 4 , were converted into HgO, which was then partially reduced to elemental Hg (Hg0) in the water generated during the roasting process and promoted the release of Hg from CFA. In addition, other HTEs, e.g., As, Se, Pb, Cd, and Cr, were also transformed into compounds during the NaOH roasting process that were easier to be leached out during the following water and acid leaching process compared to that without the roasting process. For example, As compounds (As 2 O 5 , As 2 O 3 , Ca 3 (AsO 4) 2 , and FeAsO 4) were converted into Na 3 AsO 4. Se compounds (Se, SeO 2 , and CaSeO 3) were converted into Na 2 SeO 3. PbSO 4 and PbCl 2 were converted into PbO. CdCl 2 and CdSO 4 were converted into CdO. CrO 3 , CrCl 3 , and Cr 2 (SO 4) 3 were converted into Na 2 CrO 4 and NaCrO 2. The experimental results of this work provided insights into understanding the migration and transformation of these HTEs and the associated leaching behavior during the recovery of REEs from CFA activated using a NaOH roasting approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developing novel catalysts with tailorable structure and morphology is recognized as a promising strategy in environmental catalysis. • Catalyst pore structure plays a major role in improving the structural stability, substance migration and transport, and specific surface area. • The catalytic activity and N 2 selectivity can be enhanced via pore structure and morphology tuning. • Adjusting the exposure degree and crystal phase of specific crystal facets allows for precise control of catalyst activity and N 2 selectivity. • Tailoring structure and morphology is an effective and economical method to overcome the bottlenecks in the development of deNO x catalysts. The increasing severity of nitrogen oxide (NO x) pollution has drawn significant attention to the development of novel and promising flue gas denitrification technologies. Among them, the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology has been widely applied in flue gas denitrification for coal-fired power plants, waste incineration facilities, steel mills and other industries. Developing novel catalysts with controllable structure and tailorable morphology is recognized as one of the most challenging strategies in environmental catalysis. From both macro- and microscopic perspectives, this review summarizes the recent progress in the structure of NH 3 -SCR catalysts, with an emphasis on classification, synthesis methods, catalytic performance as well as structure-performance relationships, and the findings in the crystal morphology, along with the development trends related to SCR catalysts. This work can provide a guideline for optimizing SCR catalyst design and performance in different industrial fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a model of learning dynamics and learning energy, one that analyzes learning systems scientifically. This model makes response to the learner action by means of some equations relating to learning dynamics, learning energy, learning speed, learning force, and learning acceleration, which is analogous to the notion of Newtonian mechanics in some way; therefore, this model is named Learning Response Dynamics. First, in this paper, the relationship between learning dynamics and learning speed has been investigated in a learning system, and then the changes of learning energy are inferred from the relationships obtained. The learning effect is estimated according to the changes of the learning energy. Based on the learning portfolios of the learners, the model is designed to investigate the changes of learning speed over time. Various dynamics will influence the learning speed. These dynamics include the traits of the learners, the traits of the learning materials, and the stimulation of the learning activities. How to use different dynamics to motivate the learners is crucial to the success of learning. This model converts the factors in a learning system to quantified and comprehensible data, deducing the relationships between those factors. It makes the study of the learning system more efficient and scientific. With the experience of the two-year ongoing experiments on distance learning, and with the learning information discovered from the web-based-distance-class learners'' learning portfolios by means of data mining techniques, the learning model mentioned above is inferred, tested and verified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Two major forms of inherited J-wave syndrome (JWS) are recognized: early repolarization syndrome (ERS) and Brugada syndrome (BrS).Objectives: This study sought to assess the distinct features between patients with ERS and BrS carrying pathogenic variants in SCN5A.Methods: Clinical evaluation and next-generation sequencing were performed in 262 probands with BrS and 104 with ERS. Nav1.5 and Kv4.3 channels were studied with the use of patch-clamp techniques. A computational model was used to investigate the protein structure.Results: The SCN5A+ yield in ERS was significantly lower than in BrS (9.62% vs 22.90%; P = 0.004). Patients diagnosed with ERS displayed shorter QRS and QTc than patients with BrS. More than 2 pathogenic SCN5A variants were found in 5 probands. These patients displayed longer PR intervals and QRS duration and experienced more major arrhythmia events (MAE) compared with those carrying only a single pathogenic variant. SCN5A-L1412F, detected in a fever-induced ERS patient, led to total loss of function, destabilized the Nav1.5 structure, and showed a dominant-negative effect, which was accentuated during a febrile state. ERS-related SCN5A-G452C did not alter the inward sodium current (INa) when SCN5A was expressed alone, but when coexpressed with KCND3 it reduced peak INa by 44.52% and increased the transient outward potassium current (Ito) by 106.81%.Conclusions: These findings point to SCN5A as a major susceptibility gene in ERS as much as it is in BrS, whereas the lower SCN5A+ ratio in ERS indicates the difference in underlying electrophysiology. These findings also identify the first case of fever-induced ERS and demonstrate a critical role of Ito in JWS and a higher risk for MAE in JWS probands carrying multiple pathogenic variants in SCN5A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant cell and water relationship regulates morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics to optimize carboxylation for enhanced biomass yield in sugarcane. Insufficient water irrigation is one of the serious problems to impair potential yield of agriculturally important sugarcane cash crop by loss in plant performance. Our study aims to reveal consequences of foliar spray of silicon (Si) using calcium metasilicate powder (Wollastonite, CaO.SiO 2) to alleviate the adverse effects of limited water irrigation in sugarcane. Silicon (0, 50, 100 and 500 ppm) was applied as foliar spray on normally grown 45 days old sugarcane plants. Further, these plants were raised at half field capacity (50%) using water irrigation precisely up to 90 days under open environmental variables. Consequently, restricted irrigation impaired plant growth-development, leaf relative water content (%), photosynthetic pigments, SPAD unit, photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll fluorescence variable yield (Fv/Fm) and biomass yield. Notably, it has enhanced values of proline, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2), malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidative defense enzyme molecules viz., catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The foliar spray of Si defended sugarcane plants from limited water irrigation stress as Si quenched harmful effect of water-deficit and also enhanced the operation of antioxidant defense machinery for improved sugarcane plant performance suitably favored stomatal dynamics for photosynthesis and plant productivity. • Silicon enhances biomass productivity, tolerance to environmental stresses and protection. • Foliar application of Si mitigated negative impacts of limited water irrigation. • Si quenches harmful effects of water-deficit with operation of antioxidant defense machinery. • Silicon extends photosynthetic performance in sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Cu-Mn-Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst showed NO removal rates exceeding 80 % at 150–360 °C, and exhibited excellent stability as well as good tolerance to SO 2 & H 2 O under experimental conditions. • The modification of Cu and Mn promoted more ad-NH 3 and ad-NO x species on the surface of the Fe-based ZSM-5 catalyst, enhancing the redox activity and SCR reaction performance. • The co-doping of Cu and Mn elements increased the proportions of Mn4+, Cu+, Fe3+ and chemisorbed oxygen on the catalyst surface, prompting the catalytic activity. • The NH 3 -SCR reaction followed both E-R and L-H mechanism on the Fe-based ZSM-5 catalyst. In this paper, a series of Fe-based catalysts with Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) as supports were synthesized using the sol–gel method to obtain the Fe/ZSM-5, Mn-Fe/ZSM-5, Cu-Fe/ZSM-5 and Cu-Mn-Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts. The synthesized catalysts were examined and characterized via catalytic activity testing, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N 2 adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM), temperature-programmed desorption of NH 3 (NH 3 -TPD), temperature-programmed reduction with H 2 (H 2 -TPR) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The results showed that the Cu-Mn-Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst had the best catalytic performance compared with the other catalysts. In addition, Fe/ZSM-5 and Cu-Mn-Fe/ZSM-5 all exhibited excellent stability as well as good tolerance to SO 2 & H 2 O under the experimental conditions. Further characterization results showed that with co-doping of Cu and Mn, the amount of Mn4+, Cu+, Fe3+ and surface chemisorbed oxygen (O β) on the surface of Fe/ZSM-5 increased, promoting the catalytic performance. The DRIFT studies revealed that the NH 3 -SCR reaction followed both the E-R and L-H mechanism on the surface of the Fe-based ZSM-5 catalyst. The Fe-based ZSM-5 catalyst is a good candidate for NH 3 -SCR both in high reactivity and outstanding stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-based treatment is emerging as an effective way to remove the oil and reclaim fresh water from an oil-in-water emulsion. The mechanisms underlying the complex interactions between the oil droplets and the porous membrane substructures, however, are not fully understood, which may hinder our effort to design novel membranes. The objective of this study is to establish a correlation between the rejection of oil droplets and the membrane morphology via a theoretical approach based on network modeling. The porous membrane was numerically discretized into a system of cubic unit cells, whose coordinate directions were exploited to derive a bond-node structure. Numerical algorithms based on the finite element analysis and a 'maze' solver were developed to explore the network topology in a complementary way. It was established by the network modeling that the trans-droplet pressure (TDP) should be markedly less than the trans-membrane pressure (TMP) when the porous structure is highly connected; the surface coverage could have a significant impact on the distribution of the TDPs. Instead of assuming that the membrane be composed of straight-through cylindrical pores, a critical pressure model was integrated with the network modeling to predict the initial rejection of oil droplets as the membrane morphology was topologically varied. The modeling results were then exploited to reconcile the critical pressure model with the experimental data in the literature. To conclude, the network model would offer a powerful tool that could help understand mechanisms for the rejection of oil droplets and thus enhance the performance of membrane-based oily wastewater treatment. • A network model was developed to study the effects of membrane morphology. • The trans-droplet pressure was correlated with the topological substructures. • A critical pressure model was integrated with the network modeling. • The initial rejection of oil droplets was predicted by the integrated models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]