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Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly heterogeneous disorder that typically emerges in adolescence and can occur throughout adulthood. Studies aimed at quantitatively uncovering the heterogeneity of individual functional connectome abnormalities in MDD and identifying reproducibly distinct neurophysiological MDD subtypes across the lifespan, which could provide promising insights for precise diagnosis and treatment prediction, are still lacking. Leveraging resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 1148 patients with MDD and 1079 healthy control participants (ages 11–93), we conducted the largest multisite analysis to date for neurophysiological MDD subtyping. First, we characterized typical lifespan trajectories of functional connectivity strength based on the normative model and quantitatively mapped the heterogeneous individual deviations among patients with MDD. Then, we identified neurobiological MDD subtypes using an unsupervised clustering algorithm and evaluated intersite reproducibility. Finally, we validated the subtype differences in baseline clinical variables and longitudinal treatment predictive capacity. Our findings indicated great intersubject heterogeneity in the spatial distribution and severity of functional connectome deviations among patients with MDD, which inspired the identification of 2 reproducible neurophysiological subtypes. Subtype 1 showed severe deviations, with positive deviations in the default mode, limbic, and subcortical areas and negative deviations in the sensorimotor and attention areas. Subtype 2 showed a moderate but converse deviation pattern. More importantly, subtype differences were observed in depressive item scores and the predictive ability of baseline deviations for antidepressant treatment outcomes. These findings shed light on our understanding of different neurobiological mechanisms underlying the clinical heterogeneity of MDD and are essential for developing personalized treatments for this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The durability of fuel cells is significantly impaired by chemical and mechanical degradations of perfluorosulfonic-acid membranes. However, how the mechanical degradation, especially the fatigue crack propagation behavior, is impacted by chemical degradation is not clear. In this paper, the fatigue crack propagation behavior of Nafion 212 and Nafion XL composite membranes after chemical degradation are investigated. The fluoride release rates of Nafion 212 and Nafion XL membrane are 0.335 and 0.095 μmol cm−2 h−1, respectively. Likewise, the fatigue crack propagation rate of Nafion 212 membrane is also larger, which is attributed to two fatigue crack propagation mechanisms induced by chemical degradation, including bubble collapsing and pore interconnecting. By contrast, the fatigue crack propagation mechanism of Nafion XL membrane is not significantly changed where chemical degradation only accelerates crack growth in exterior surface layers. These findings provide new insights into the failure mechanisms under combined chemical and mechanical degradations. Image 1 • Fatigue crack propagation behavior after chemical degradation are investigated. • Fluoride release and fatigue crack propagation rate of two membranes are compared. • Two new fatigue crack propagation mechanisms are identified for Nafion 212 membrane. • Chemical degradation does not change crack growth mechanism of Nafion XL membrane. • The role of reinforcement layer is more important with increasing degradation level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term effects of oxytetracycline (OTC) with a high concentration on the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) process were evaluated, and the role of static magnetic field (SMF) was further explored. The stress of OTC at 50 mg/L had little effect on the nitrogen removal of anammox process at the first 16 days. With the continuous addition of OTC and the increase of nitrogen loading, the OTC inhibited the nitrogen removal and anammox activity severely. During the 32 days of recovery period without OTC addition, the nitrogen removal was further deteriorated, indicating the inhibition of OTC on anammox activity was irreversible and persistent. The application of SMF alleviated the inhibition of OTC on anammox to some extent, and the specific anammox activity was enhanced by 47.1% compared to the system without SMF during the OTC stress stage. Antibiotic efflux was the major resistance mechanism in the anammox process, and tetA , tetG and rpsJ were the main functional antibiotic resistance genes. The addition of OTC weakened the metabolic interactions between the anammox bacteria and the symbiotic bacteria involved in the metabolism of cofactors and secondary metabolites, leading to the poor anammox activity. The adaptability of microbes to the OTC stress was improved by the application of SMF, which can enhance the metabolic pathways related to bacterial growth and resistance to environmental stress. [Display omitted] • Oxytetracycline inhibited the anammox process severely. • The inhibition on anammox was irreversible and persistent. • Antibiotic efflux was the major antibiotic resistance mechanism. • Magnetic field alleviated the inhibition of oxytetracycline on anammox. • Oxytetracycline weakened the metabolic interactions of the anammox consortia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferrihydrite (Fh) is an important iron mineral in paddy soil and is prone to phase transition during dynamic redox condition, which affects Cd distribution and induces Cd isotope fractionation across soil to rice. Here, we conducted rice culture experiments with or not Fh application under different irrigation regimes to study the relationship between Fe species and Cd availability, as well as the isotope ratio of Cd in different Cd pools in paddy soil-rice system. Fh addition under continuous flooding (FL) with the decrease of pe + pH from 9.36 to 3.44 promoted the formation of amorphous Fe oxides as increased by 120.1% and facilitated Cd immobilization along with the increase of Fe/Mn oxides bound Cd by 25.3%, compared with continuous drying (DY) treatment. The isotopically heavy Cd were preferentially enriched from soil to extractable Cd (Δ114/110Cd extractable Cd-soil = 0.39–0.62‰) and from soil to grain (Δ114/110Cd grain-soil = 0.40–0.66‰) particularly at low pe + pH and with Fh addition, while light Cd were enriched in Fe/Mn oxides (Δ114/110Cd Fe/Mn oxides bound Cd-extractable Cd = −0.65 ∼ −0.14‰). Besides, the expression of transporters involved in Cd transport in rice like OsNRAMP1 , OsNRAMP1 , OsHMA3 , OsHMA2 and OsLCT1 were suppressed under low pe + pH condition. These findings indicated that low pe + pH facilitated Cd stabilization by the existence of more amorphous iron oxides, which induced the enrichment of heavy Cd isotope in liquid phase and light in Fe/Mn (oxy)hydroxides, respectively. [Display omitted] • Flooding facilitating ferrihydrite formation limited Cd mobility across soil to rice. • The extractable Cd in soil decreased with the decrease of pe + pH. • Heavy Cd were enriched from soil to grain particularly with ferrihydrite addition. • The expression of Cd transporters were suppressed at low pe + pH condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional connectome studies have revealed widespread connectivity alterations in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the low frequency bandpass filtering (0.01–0.08 Hz or 0.01–0.1 Hz) in most studies have impeded our understanding on whether and how these alterations are affected by frequency of interest. Here, we performed frequency-resolved (0.01–0.06 Hz, 0.06–0.16 Hz and 0.16–0.24 Hz) connectome analyses using a large-sample resting-state functional MRI dataset of 1002 MDD patients and 924 healthy controls from seven independent centers. We reported significant frequency-dependent connectome alterations in MDD in left inferior parietal, inferior temporal, precentral, and fusiform cortices and bilateral precuneus. These frequency-dependent connectome alterations are mainly derived by abnormalities of medium- and long-distance connections and are brain network-dependent. Moreover, the connectome alteration of left precuneus in high frequency band (0.16–0.24 Hz) is significantly associated with illness duration. Multisite harmonization model only removed linear site effects. Neurobiological underpinning of alterations in higher frequency (0.16–0.24 Hz) should be further examined by combining fMRI data with respiration, heartbeat and blood flow recordings in future studies. These results highlight the frequency-dependency of connectome alterations in MDD and the benefit of examining connectome alteration in MDD under a wider frequency band. • FCS in the low frequency band (0.01-0.06 Hz) is highly reproducible, and is more sensitive to MDD alterations. • Frequency-resolved FCS alterations of MDD consisted by altered medium-/long-distance, inter-network functional connections. • FCS alterations of MDD in higher frequency are associated with illness duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pectin oligosaccharides include both high and medium molecular weight products. • Pectin oligosaccharides improved the storage stability of infant formulas. • Pectin oligosaccharides inhibited the Maillard reactions in infant formulas. • Pectin oligosaccharides inhibited the intestinal absorption of advanced glycation end products. Pectin oligosaccharides with a molecular weight greater than 700 Da was obtained from the pomace of kiwi (Actinidia arguta). Based on characteristics analysis and inhibitory activity of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation in vitro , the target pectin oligosaccharides was added to infant formulas and then subjected to accelerated storage. Results showed that pectin oligosaccharides supplementation inhibited the browning of infant formulas and glassy transition of lactose, and slowed down the increase of water activity under accelerated storage conditions. Pectin oligosaccharides also inhibited the formation of AGEs in infant formulas, such as 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine, Nε-carboxyethyl-lysine, methylglyoxal hydromidazolones, glyoxal hydromidazolones, glyoxal-lysine dimer, methylglyoxal-lysine dimer and pyrraline. Besides, permeability studies using Caco-2 cell monolayer also showed that pectin oligosaccharides supplementation inhibited the intestinal absorption of AGEs, especially 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine, Nε-carboxyethyl-lysine and glyoxal hydromidazolones. These results provide a reliable theoretical basis for the application of pectin oligosaccharides in infant formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transfection efficiency of non-viral gene vectors is influenced by many factors, including chemical makeup, cellular uptake pathway and intracellular delivery. To investigate the effect of lipid saturation on transfection efficiency of polycation liposomes (PCLs), a soybean phospholipids (SPL), egg phospholipids (EPL) and hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) series was used to prepare PCLs. Testing these PCLs in a luciferase assay indicated that with increasing saturation (SPL

Abstract: Purpose: The objective of this study is to analyze the clinical outcomes and anorectal manometry (AM) in infants with congenital high anorectal malformations treated with posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) and laparoscopically assisted anorectal pull through (LAARP). Materials and Methods: From August 2005 to December 2008, 23 patients with congenital high anorectal malformations were randomly distributed into PSARP and LAARP groups. All of them underwent LAARP (11 cases) or PSARP (12 cases) at 2 or 3 months old. Clinical outcomes and results of anorectal manometry were compared between patients at the age of 17.4 ± 4.9 and 19.3 ± 6.2 months (P = .4270), respectively. Results: Kelly''s clinical score for patients in LAARP and PSARP groups was 3.91 ± 1.14 and 3.83 ± 1.40 (P = .8827), respectively. Anal canal resting pressure and high-pressure zone length were 29.4 ± 7.2 vs 23.4 ± 6.5 mm Hg (P = .0479) and 14.9 ± 3.0 vs 13.9 ± 3.1 mm (P = .4414), respectively. Rectal anal inhibitory reflex was observed in 81.8% (9/11) and 83.3% (10/12) patients (P = 1.0000), respectively. The mean length of stay during the second hospitalization was 10.6 ± 0.9 and 14.3 ± 1.4 days (P < .0001), respectively. Conclusions: Although no significant difference can be noted in clinical scoring between both groups, the results of anorectal manometry indicate that LAARP can significantly improve anal canal resting pressure and reduce the length of stay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Recent work indicates that mechanical force induces small-bowel growth, although methods reported do not have direct clinical application. We report a clinically feasible technique of enterogenesis and describe intestinal function in this model. Methods: Using a pig model (n = 11), we stretched isolated small intestinal segments mechanically for 7 days in vivo with an intraluminal device. Control segments were not stretched. Morphology, histology, and epithelial proliferation were assessed. Absorption and epithelial barrier function were examined in an Ussing chamber. Results: Stretch segments were significantly longer than Control segments and had nearly 2-fold greater surface area (P < .001). Mucosal thickness was much greater in Stretch than Control segments (772 ± 134 vs. 647 ± 75 μm, P = .02). Although villus height was reduced in Stretch and Control segments (353 ± 76 vs. 324 ± 76 μm, P = .6) versus native jejunum (522 ± 87, P < .0005), crypt depth was increased dramatically in Stretch (450 ± 95 μm) versus Control segments (341 ± 64, P = .005). This observation was accompanied by a 2-fold increase in cellular proliferation (26.3 ± 3.8 vs 12.1 ± 6.6 % bromodeoxyuridine+, P < .05). Barrier function was intact ([3H]-mannitol permeation, 0.16 ± 0.08%, vs native jejunum, 0.17 ± 0.08%, P = .81). Glucose-mediated sodium transport was similar in Stretch versus native jejunum segments (60.0 ± 23.5 vs 82.3 ± 47.3 μA/cm2, P = .31), as was carbachol-induced chloride transport (82.4 ± 72.2 vs 57.2 ± 33.4 μA/cm2, P = .54) and alanine absorption (16.46 ± 12.94 vs 23.53 ± 21.31 μA/cm2, P = .53). Conclusions: Mechanical stretching induces small intestinal growth, while maintaining function. Epithelial architecture does change, such that a decrease in villus height is offset by a marked increase in crypt depth and a 2-fold increase in epithelial proliferation. Epithelial barrier and absorptive functions remain intact. The device described may have direct clinical applicability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The synthesis of ABC triblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate)-block-polystyrene (PEO-b-PMMA-b-PS) via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is reported. First, a PEO–Br macroinitiator was synthesized by esterification of PEO with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide, which was subsequently used in the preparation of halo-terminated poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PEO-b-PMMA) diblock copolymers under ATRP conditions. Then PEO-b-PMMA-b-PS triblock copolymer was synthesized by ATRP of styrene using PEO-b-PMMA as a macroinitiator. The structures and molecular characteristics of the PEO-b-PMMA-b-PS triblock copolymers were studied by FT-IR, GPC and 1H NMR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intrahepatic bile duct adenoma (BDA) is a rare benign epithelial liver tumor derived from bile duct cells. We report the first case of pediatric bile duct adenoma in the world. Furthermore, we review the diagnosis, pathology, treatment and prognosis of bile duct adenoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical and mechanical degradations of perfluorosulfonic-acid membranes are two factors contributing to the reduced durability of fuel cells. While the mechanisms of isolated chemical or mechanical degradation are extensively investigated, the impact of chemical degradation on mechanical degradation is not fully understood. In this paper, the fracture behavior of Nafion 212 membranes with different chemical degradation levels are investigated. To characterize the degradation level and probe the molecular origins of chemical degradation, fluoride release, Fourier-transformer infrared spectra, conductivity and swelling behavior are measured. It is found that chemical degradation causes predominant loss of side-chains. A transition from ductile to brittle fracture is observed with increasing degradation level. In addition, the cross-sections are examined to link fracture behavior with microstructure changes. While the decreased fracture toughness is attributed to reduced mechanical properties such as Young's modulus and break strain, the decreased crack propagation resistance is ascribed to reduced plastic zone size ahead of crack tip, which reduces the plastic energy dissipation. These findings not only provide new mechanical dataset of degraded membranes for performance and durability modelling to take into account of chemical degradation effect but also improve the understanding of membrane durability. Image 1 • Fracture behavior of Nafion membranes are explored after chemical degradation. • Chemical degradation causes predominant loss of side chains. • Crack transforms from ductile to brittle fracture with increasing degradation level. • Stretch zone size from cross-section observation is related to crack propagation. • Reduced crack propagation resistance is ascribed to decreased plastic zone size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, poly(3-acrylaminophenylboronic acid) modified graphene oxide (GO-PAAPBA) has been prepared by polymerization of 3-acrylaminophenylboronic acid (AAPBA) on the surface of GO. The –O · free radical was formed by γ-ray radiation, which initiated the polymerization of AAPBA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the structure of GO-PAAPBA. The grafting density of poly(3-acrylaminophenylboronic acid) is increased with increasing of the absorbed dose. The GO-PAAPBA was added into vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (Vi-PDMS) to prepare room temperature cured silicon rubber composites (SR/GO-PAAPBA). The GO-PAAPBA exhibits better dispersion performance than pure GO, which is contribute to improve thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. Significantly, with grafting density of PAAPBA increasing, the comprehensive performances of SR/GO-PAAPBA are more remarkable. SR/GO-PAAPBA-1.88 with outstanding thermal and mechanical abilities exhibits beat neutron shielding property. The neutron transmission of SR/GO-PAAPBA-1.88 is 10% lower than that of SR. The SR nanocomposite with efficient thermal conductivity and neutron shielding ability has a promising prospect to be applied as advanced flexible shielding material. • Boronic acid with vinyl group was polymerized on GO by γ-ray radiation. • GO-PAAPBA was blended with Vi-PDMS to prepare SR/GO-PAAPBA at room temperature. • SR/GO-PAAPBA-1.88 exhibited outstanding beat neutron shielding property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gait disorders are common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and objective, quantifiable, and portable evaluation methods are needed in clinical practice. We assessed the differences in gait characteristics between patients with PD and healthy controls (HCs) using two-dimensional (2D) video and explored the diagnostic value of 2D video for early-stage PD.Methods: Sixty-eight patients with PD and 48 HCs were recruited. All participants walked a standard 5-m track while recorded using mobile phones. The differences in gait characteristics between the groups and gait parameters of patients with early-stage PD were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the discrimination activity of gait parameters.Results: Compared with HCs, patients with PD had shorter step length (S/M, p < 0.001/0.001), faster cadence (p = 0.044), slower walking speed (p < 0.001), smaller arm-swing angle (S/M, p < 0.001/0.001), slower arm-swing velocity (S/M, p < 0.001/0.001), and greater variability and asymmetry. The patients with early-stage PD had similar characteristics. After combined step length and variability and asymmetry of arm-swing angle, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity reached 84.6% and 89.6%, respectively, and an area under the curve of 0.91 (0.84-0.97).Conclusion: We proposed a new method to improve the sensitivity of early-stage PD diagnosis using 2D video, which, as a portable and objective method, could be used to evaluate gait disorders in PD, including in early-stage PD. Combined diagnostic analysis of step length and variability and asymmetry of arm-swing angle could improve the sensitivity of PD diagnosis and was helpful in distinguishing patients with early-stage PD from HCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to construct carboxymethyl dextran (CMD)-coated magnetoliposomes (MLs), another stealth MLs alternative to PEGylated MLs, for theranostic application. Particularly, the on-demand release of CMD-MLs under low-frequency alternating magnetic field (LF-AMF) was studied. We found that as-prepared MLs exhibited good stability and high drug loading ability for doxorubicin (DOX). Cytotoxicity assay against human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells showed that the DOX-loaded CMD-MLs were less toxic than free DOX due to the sustained release of DOX. However, the release of DOX-loaded CMD-MLs was enhanced by low-frequency alternating magnetic field without hyperthermia generation. The MLs also acted as an efficient T 2 -weighted contrast agent during in vitro MRI measurements. The above results provide useful information on in vivo diagnostic/therapeutic efficacy of DOX-loaded CMD-MLs for some cancers, such as brain cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Organic wide bandgap semiconductor is a hot research topic in optoelectronic fields. In this work, a series of diphenylether-, 9,9-biphenylfluorene- and tetraphenylsilane-centered wide bandgap materials are designed and synthesized. Comprehensive experiments and theoretical calculations are conducted to investigate their intrinsic thermal stability, photophysical property, electrochemical behavior and device performance, aiming at exploring the potentials of oxygen, sp3-hybridized carbon and silicon atoms for wide bandgap materials. They all can interrupt molecular conjugation to generate wide bandgaps. By modification of appropriate donor and acceptor, relatively high triplet energy level (E T) can be obtained in the resulting materials. Quantum chemical calculations indicate the sort of triplet energy levels of N-carbazole > fluorene > benzonitrile, which fully supports the experimental results. Tetraphenylsilane-based materials display lower LUMO levels than corresponding diphenylether- and 9,9-biphenylfluorene-centered materials owing to the dπ-pπ conjugation. Among them, DCzSiPy/FIrpic doped device gives the best device performance with maximum current efficiency of 35.6 cd/A and maximum external quantum efficiency of 16.8%, demonstrating the superiority of tetraphenylsilane skeleton. 9,9-Biphenylfluorene-based doped devices have comparable efficiencies with tetraphenylsilane-hosted ones, meaning 9,9-biphenylfluorene unit also can be a good constructing skeleton for wide bandgap host materials. Graphical abstract Their potentials of diphenylether-, 9,9-biphenylfluorene- and tetraphenylsilane-centered wide bandgap hosts for FIrpic are investigated. Tetraphenylsilane-based doped devices give better performance demonstrating the superiority of tetraphenylsilane skeleton. Image 1 Highlights • A series of different wide bandgap host materials for FIrpic are investigated. • Tetraphenylsilane-based hosts display lower LUMO levels owing to dπ-pπ conjugation. • DCzSiPy/FIrpic doped device possesses the highest EQE of 16.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both soil irrigation and sulfur (S) are associated with the precipitation of cadmium (Cd)-sulfide in paddy soil, their interaction affecting on Cd solubility and extractability is still unknown. This study primarily discusses the effect of exogenous S addition on the bioavailability of Cd in paddy soil under unsteady pe + pH conditions. The experiment was treated with three different water strategies: continuous dryness (CD), continuous flooding (CF), and alternating dry-wet cycles for one cycle (DW). These strategies were combined with three different S concentrations. The results indicate that the CF treatment, particularly when combined with S addition, had the most significant effect on reducing pe + pH and Cd bioavailability in the soil. The reduction of pe + pH from 10.2 to 5.5 resulted in a decrease in soil Cd availability by 58.3%, and Cd accumulation in rice grain by 52.8%, compared to the other treatments. While it was more conducive to the formation of iron plaque on the root surface in DW treatment with S addition at rice maturing stage and enhanced the gathering of Fe/S/Cd. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis further confirmed a significant negative correlation (r = −0.916) between the abundance of soil Fer-reducing bacteria (FeRB) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) like Desulfuromonas , Pseudomonas , Geobacter, and the Cd content in rice grains. This study provides a basic mechanistic understanding of how soil redox status (pe + pH), S addition, and FeRB/SRB interacted with Cd transfer in paddy soil-rice tissues. [Display omitted] • The reduction of pe + pH induced the decreases of Cd accumulation in rice grain by 52.8%. • Low pe + pH promoted the formation of iron plaque on the root surface. • Soil FeRB and SRB like Desulfuromonas, Pseudomonas, Geobacter functioned at Cd stabilization. • Low pe + pH induced by exogenous addition of S further accelerated CdS formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous Zn||LiFePO 4 (Zn||LFP) hybrid batteries are gaining increasing interest because of their stable charging/discharging, non-flammability, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, aqueous hybrid batteries still face the challenges of sluggish charge transfer and ion diffusion processes due to electrolyte freezing at subzero temperatures. Herein, we designed an antifreeze hydrogel electrolyte for low-temperature Zn||LFP battery. This hydrogel electrolyte is comprised of double-network κ-carrageenan/PAAm containing moderately concentrated electrolyte (1 M ZnCl 2 and 7 M LiCl), possesses high elasticity with a fracture strain of 834% and high ionic conductivity of 14.8 mS cm−1 at −40 °C. It also enables a stable Zn plating/stripping efficiency with reduced interface resistance and alleviates undesired H 2 evolution. The corresponding flexible Zn||LFP battery with hydrogel electrolyte displays outstanding cycle stability with capacity retentions of 95.2% and 80.5% after 2000 cycles at −20 °C and −40 °C, respectively. In addition, the battery exhibits low self-discharge rate and retains good electrochemical stability under different destructive mechanical testing including bending, folding, and puncturing. Owing to the ion-orientation effect, cooperative solvation effect, and interface wettability, the hydrogel electrolyte endows Zn||LFP battery with prolonged cyclability, subzero-temperature operation, and mechanical safety as compared to the liquid electrolyte counterpart. • Optimized hydrogel electrolyte with high mechanical strength and ionic conductivity (14.8 mS cm−1 at −40 oC). • Hydrogel electrolyte provides better interface wettability and stability for Zn plating/stripping. • Hydrogel electrolyte based Zn||LiFePO 4 has high cycling stability and negligible self-discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the application of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) in various areas, achieving high performance blue OLEDs with outstanding efficiencies at high luminance is still desired. Herein, we focus on realizing stable and highly efficient pure blue OLED capable of harvesting triplets via triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA). Three fused polycyclic aromatic substituents, naphthalene, pyrene and anthracene, are selected to construct phenanthroimidazole-functionalized molecules ( 1–3 ), among which pyrene and anthracene comprised ones display TTA characteristics in electroluminescence devices. High photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 57% is found in the neat film of emitter 2 from judicious molecular design. The nondoped OLED of 2 exhibits pure blue emission with CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.14) and demonstrates a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 5.11%, stable EQE over 5% at luminance of 300–3000 cd m -2 , EQE of 4.76% at an ultra-bright luminance of 10000 cd m -2 and a maximum luminance of 54300 cd m -2 . Such great device performance are responsible for the appreciable TTA contribution substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The treatment of glioblastoma remains a huge challenge due to the lack of an efficient way to deliver drugs across the blood–brain barrier (BBB), and the pharmacotherapy options are very limited. In this work, a biomimetic BBB-penetrating albumin nanosystem modified by a brain-targeting peptide was designed for co-delivering a TGF-β receptor I (TGFβRI) inhibitor (LY2157299) and an mTOR inhibitor (celastrol). The albumin nanosystem can target nAChRs overexpressed both on the BBB and glioma cells, thereby promoting drug delivery into the glioma. The biomimetic nanoparticles could repolarize tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from M2 to M1 phenotype by suppressing the STAT6 pathway, thereby reducing TGF-β1 secretion and inducing cell apoptosis. In addition, the treatment also blocked TGF-β/SMAD2 signaling pathway. The glioma-targeting ability and therapeutic efficacy were confirmed in an orthotopic glioma mouse model. The biomimetic nanoparticles significantly prolonged the survival rate, showing a decrease in the proportion of M2-like TAMs and the levels of TGF-β1 and lactic acid in the glioma tissues. This delivery and treatment strategy provides a new approach for the treatment of gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polyethylenimine (PEI) is widely applied in non-viral gene delivery vectors. PEI with high molecular weight is highly effective in gene transfection but is high cytotoxic. Conversely, PEI with low molecular weight displays lower cytotoxicity but less delivering efficiency. To overcome this issue, a novel copolymer with mannosylated, a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), grafting into PEI with molecular weight of 1800 (Man-PEI1800-CPP) were prepared in this study to target antigen-presenting cells (APCs) with mannose receptors and enhance transfection efficiency with grafting CPP. The copolymer was characterized by 1H NMR and FTIR. Spherical nanoparticles were formed with diameters of about 80–250 nm by mixing the copolymer and DNA at various charge ratios of copolymer/DNA(N/P). Gel retardation assays indicated that Man-PEI1800-CPP polymers efficiently condensed DNA at low N/P ratios. Cytotoxicity studies showed that Man-PEI1800-CPP/DNA complexes maintained in a high percentage of cell viability compared to the PEI with molecular weight of 25 k (PEI25k). Laser scan confocal microscopy and flow cytometry confirmed that Man-PEI1800-CPP/DNA complexes resulted in higher cell uptake efficiency on DC2.4 cells than on Hela cells line. The transfection efficiency of Man-PEI1800-CPP was significantly higher than that of PEI25k on DC2.4 cells. More importantly, the complexes were mainly distributed in the epidermis and dermis of skin and targeted on splenocytes after percutaneous coating based on microneedles in vivo. These results indicated that Man-PEI1800-CPP was a potential APCs targeted of non-virus vector for gene therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, the effect of unstable pe + pH levels on the transformation of Fe oxides in different-sized soil fractions and its impact on Cd speciation were explored. Paddy soil samples collected from two locations in China were cultivated for two months under one of four pe + pH conditions: flooding + N 2 (T1), flooding (T2), 70% water holding capacity (T3), and 70% water holding capacity + O 2 (T4). Chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to identify the mineralogical phases and species of Fe and Cd in paddy soils. The results show that the decrease of soil pe + pH level favored the transformation of well-crystallized Fe oxides (Fe c), such as hematite and goethite, into poorly-crystallized (Fe o) and organically-complexed (Fe p) forms. The transformation promoted the binding of Cd to Fe oxides and was primarily responsible for up to a 41.8% decrease of soil DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid)-extractable-Cd content. In addition, the decline in pe + pH value reduced Fe concentrations in soil particle fractions of 0.2–2-mm (17.8%–30.6%) and <0.002-mm (20.7%–31.7%) of the two flooding treatments. The decreased Fe concentrations were closely associated with less Fe c contents in these same fractions and more Fe o and Fe p in coarser aggregates (P < 0.01). Importantly, the increase in contents of Fe o and Fe p in the 0.002–2 mm fraction were significantly correlated with content of Fe-/Mn-oxide-bound Cd (OX-Cd) in larger particle-size fractions (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the increasing content of OX-Cd played a crucial role in reducing DTPA-Cd content. This study demonstrates that low pe + pH values favor the transformation of crystalline Fe oxides into a poorly-crystallized and organically-complexed phase, which facilitates Cd accumulation in coarser aggregates and enhances Cd stability in paddy soils. Unlabelled Image • Low pe + pH condition induces the decline in level of crystallinity of Fe oxides. • Low-crystalline Fe oxides exhibit high adsorption affinity of Cd in paddy soil. • Soil pe + pH decline favours the accumulation of Fe o and Fe p in larger aggregates. • Fe redistribution in different-sized aggregates affects Cd availability in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) in soil is closely related to cadmium (Cd) uptake by rice plants, and soil pe + pH significantly influences Fe redox behavior. This study aimed to explore the influential mechanisms of varying pe + pH conditions on the transformation of iron oxides in the rhizosphere and the subsequent effect on Cd accumulation in rice plants. A two-month pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of soil pe + pH on the fractions of iron oxides and formation of iron plaque (IP), as well as the effect of these changes on Cd uptake by rice plants (Oryza sativa L.). Different irrigation strategies, 70% water holding capacity (DY), continuous flooding (FL), and alternate flooding/drying weekly (AWD), were used to achieve various soil pe + pH levels. The results showed that low pe + pH conditions (under the FL and AWD treatments) were more beneficial to the transformation of crystalline iron oxides into amorphous forms in rhizosphere soil and the precipitation of IP on rice roots. The increase of amorphous iron oxides resulted in the reduction of Cd availability in rhizosphere soil by immobilizing more Cd on Fe oxides. Moreover, Cd adsorbed on rice root surfaces reacted with IP, inhibiting Cd soil-to-root transport. The two mechanisms combinatively functioned at decreasing Cd concentration in rice shoots by 14.1–33.1% at low pe + pH conditions compared to that of the high pe + pH (DY treatment). These results indicate that lowering soil pe + pH effectively reduced Cd accumulation in rice plants, probably through the immobilization of amorphous Fe oxides on Cd and sequestration of iron-plaque on Cd. • Low pe + pH conditions facilitated the transformation of crystalline iron oxides into amorphous forms in soil. • The increase of amorphous Fe promoted the immobilization of Cd in rice rhizosphere soil. • The formation of iron plaque at low pe + pH levels was beneficial for Cd attachment on root surfaces. • Different iron fractions were responsible for the variation of soil Cd bioavailability under variable pe + pH conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Tibetan Plateau geothermal belt in the southwest of China hosts a number of hot springs with a wide range of temperature and hydrogeochemical conditions, which may harbor different niches for the distribution of microbial communities. In this study, we investigated hydrochemical characteristics and microbial community composition in 16 hot springs with a temperature range of 34.6 to 88.2 °C within and across three typical hydrothermal fields (Kangding, Litang, and Batang). According to aquifer lithologic and tectonic differences, the hydrochemical compositions of hot springs displayed an apparent regional-specific pattern with distinct distributions of major and trace elements (e.g., Ca2+, Mg2+, F−/B) and were primarily formed by water-rock interaction across the three hydrothermal fields. Nonetheless, microbial communities significantly assembled with the temperature rather than the geographic locations with distinct hydrogeological features. Low temperature (<45 °C), moderate temperature (55–70 °C) and high temperature (>70 °C) groups were identified based on their community compositions. Proteobacteria and Nitrospirae were the predominant phyla in low-temperature hot springs, while in moderate to high-temperature springs they were mainly composed of Aquificae , Deinococcus - Thermus , Thermodesulfobacteria , Thermotogae and Cyanobacteria. Variation partition analysis suggested a higher explanation of temperature (29.6%) than spatial variable (1.8%) and other geochemical variables (2.5%) on the microbial distribution. Microbial co-occurrence network showed >80% negative associations hinting a low co-existence pattern and highlighted the driving force of temperature as well as F− or total organic carbon (TOC) for microbial interactions. Microbial dissimilarity displayed significant linear correlations with environmental (temperature) and geographic distance in Batang but only with temperature in Kangding area, which might be attributed to the regional-specific hydrogeochemistry. This study may help us to better understand the distribution of the microbial community in hot spring across different hydrothermal fields. Unlabelled Image • Wide range of temperature from 34.6 to 88.2 °C within and across three typical hydrothermal fields • Hydrochemical composition of hot springs displayed a regional-specific pattern. • Microbial community distributes in relative to the temperature rather than geographic location. • Distinct distance-decay relationships across fields result from reginal geochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater microbial community normally co-varies with the associated geochemical transect in some hydrogeological sections along flowpath. However, in hydrogeological section with similar geochemical transect (e.g., salinity, ion compositions) how microbial community in groundwater varies are poorly understood. In this study, groundwater samples were collected at six boreholes vertically and horizontally along a generalized groundwater flowpath in the Golmud area, Qaidam Basin, northwest China. High-throughput sequencing and multivariate statistical analysis were applied to explore the underlying relationships between microbial community structure and hydrogeochemical environment. The result showed that microbial communities changed considerably at both horizontal and vertical scales, although the groundwater samples were of relatively stable ionic compositions and hydrochemical types. The dominant bacterial phyla in groundwater varied from Alphaproteobacteria , Betaproteobacteria and Flavobacteriia in 'phreatic and phreatic-like' groundwater in the recharge area to Gammaproteobacteria in the confined groundwater in the lacustrine plain. At both vertical and horizontal scale, Gammaproteobacteria increased while Alpha - and Betaproteobacteria decreased as the function of distance. Genera Roseateles , Aquabacterium , Sphingomonas , Acinetobacter , Acidovorax and Flavobacterium presented in phreatic groundwater, while Pseudomonas , Hydrogenophaga and Perlucidibaca presented in confined groundwater. Spatial distribution of microbial community was highly affected by the pH (for 'phreatic and phreatic-like' groundwater) and ORP (for confined groundwater) of groundwater that had similar salinity or ion compositions. This research extends our knowledge about microbial communities' variation along groundwater flowpath in studied area and similar arid or semi-arid areas. Unlabelled Image • Microbial community in groundwater along a generalized flowpath was investigated. • The groundwater major ion compositions and salinity remained relatively stable. • Microbial communities changed considerably at both horizontal and vertical scales. • Gammaproteobacteria increased while Alpha - and Betaproteobacteria decreased. • ORP and pH were the relevant factors influencing groundwater microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]