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Sertoli cell (SC) proliferation plays an important role in sperm production and quality; however, the regulatory mechanism of SC proliferation is not well understood. This study investigated the role of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the regulation of immature boar SC activity. Cell counting kit-8, Seahorse XFe96, mitochondrial respiratory enzyme-related assay kits, and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect SC proliferative viability, oxygen consumption rate (OCR), mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activity, and the ultrastructure of primary cultured SCs in vitro from the testes of 21-day-old boars. A dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the miRNA-mRNA target interaction. Western blotting was used to analyze cell proliferation-related protein expression of p38, p21, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), Cyclin D3, and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (Rb). Each experiment had a completely randomized design, with three replicates in each experiment. The results showed that the AMPK inhibitor (Compound C, 20 μM-24 h) increased cell proliferation viability, ATP production, and maximal respiration of SCs by 0.64-, 0.12-, and 0.08-fold (p < 0.05), respectively; increased the SC protein expression of PCNA, CDK4, Cyclin D3, and p-Rb by 0.13-, 0.09-, 0.88-, and 0.12-fold (p < 0.05), respectively; and decreased the SC protein expression of p38 and p21 by 0.36- and 0.27-fold (p < 0.05), respectively. The AMPK agonist AICAR (2 mM-6 h) significantly inhibited SC ultrastructure, OCR, mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activity, and cell proliferation-related protein levels. AMPK was validated to be a target gene of miR-1285 based on the result in which the miR-1285 mimic inhibited the luciferase activity of wild-type AMPK by 0.54-fold (p < 0.001). MiR-1285 mimic promoted the OCR of SCs, with 0.45-, 0.15-, 0.21-, and 0.30-fold (p < 0.01) increases in ATP production, basal and maximal respiration, and spare capacity, respectively. MiR-1285 mimic increased the mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activity of SCs, with 0.63-, 0.70-, and 0.97-fold (p < 0.01) increases in NADH-Q oxidoreductase, cytochrome c oxidase, and ATP synthase, respectively. Moreover, the miR-1285 mimic increased the protein expression of PCNA, CDK4, Cyclin D3, and p-Rb by 0.24-, 0.30-, 0.22-, and 0.13-fold (p < 0.05), respectively, and reduced the protein expression of p38 and p21 by 0.58- and 0.66-fold (p < 0.001). MiR-1285 inhibitor showed opposite effects on the above indicators and induced numerous autophagosomes and large lipid droplets in SCs. A high dose of estradiol (10 μM-6 h, showed a promotion of AMPK activation in a previous study) significantly inhibited SC ultrastructure, mitochondrial function, and proliferation-related pathways, while these adverse effects were weakened by Compound C treatment or miR-1285 mimic transfection. Our findings suggest that the activation and inhibition of AMPK induced by specific drugs or synthesized targeted miRNA fragments could regulate immature boar SC proliferative activity by influencing the CDK4/Cyclin D3 pathway and mitochondrial function; this helps to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of male sterility in clinical practice. • Compound C increases immature boar SC proliferative activity. • MiR-1285 mimic can target and inhibit AMPK. • AMPK inhibition increases SC mitochondrial function and CDK4/Cyclin D3 pathway. • AMPK activation damages SC ultrastructure. • AMPK inhibition reduces adverse effects of estradiol on SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-adjuvanting protein vaccines have been proved to be highly immunogenic with efficient codelivery of adjuvant and antigen. Current protein vaccines with built-in adjuvants are all modified at the peptide backbone of antigen protein, which could not achieve minor epitope interference and adjuvant multivalency at the same time. Herein, we developed a new conjugate strategy to construct effective adjuvant-protein vaccine with adjuvant cluster effect and minimal epitope interference. The toll-like receptor 7 agonist (TLR7a) is covalently conjugated on the terminal sialoglycans of SARS-CoV-2-S1 protein, leading to intracellular release of the small-molecule stimulators with greatly reduced risks of systemic toxicity. The resulting TLR7a-S1 conjugate elicited strong activation of immune cells in vitro , and potent antibody and cellular responses with a significantly enhanced Th1-bias in vivo. TLR7a-S1-induced antibody also effectively cross-neutralized all variants of concern. This sialoglycoconjugation approach to construct protein conjugate vaccines will have more applications to combat SARS-CoV-2 and other diseases. A new conjugating strategy was developed to construct effective self-adjuvanting protein vaccines through sialoglycoconjugation. The resulting adjuvant-glycoprotein conjugate (TLR7a-S1) induced effective anti-virus humoral and cellular immunity. [Display omitted] • TLR7a-S1 conjugate vaccine was developed by a novel sialoglycoconjugation approach. • Sialic acids on the glycoprotein were used as linkage sites for conjugating adjuvants onto antigens. • The conjugated TLR7a reduces potential toxicities by impeding its diffusion to the whole body. • TLR7a-S1 elicited potent antibody and cellular responses with a significantly enhanced Th1-bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative trading, relying on diverse parameter combinations, is becoming increasingly the norm for trading strategies in financial investments. The performance of these strategies is intricately linked to these parameters. However, the performance on the training set after backtesting does not ensure success on a test set and may lead to overfitting. This study emphasizes enhancing stability and robustness in trading-strategy parameters by introducing a 'parameter plateau.' Traditional brute-force methods for exploring high-dimensional parameter spaces can be intricate and time-consuming. To address this challenge, we present an efficient alternative that identifies stable and robust parameters by configuring parameter plateaus to mitigate overfitting risks. A step-by-step search algorithm is proposed to determine the optimal parameters, leveraging the power of particle-swarm optimization. In continuous, multi-dimensional solution spaces, particle-swarm optimization is invaluable for the swift and effective discovery of the desired solutions. Experiments underscore the substantial influence of the parameter plateau concept on parameter selection, highlighting the pivotal role of particle-swarm optimization in efficiently navigating complex solution spaces and thereby enabling the discovery of stable and profitable trading strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) can cause serious health problems, but data are scarce. We have previously developed a grid-scale model (GSM) to simulate PM 2.5 -PAH levels on an hourly basis. This study aims to verify the applicability of the model to different years and to reasonably assess the long-term spatiotemporal effects on PAH variation in Kaohsiung. From the resulting database, the annual mean of PM 2.5 -PAH was found to have decreased from 3.18 in 2005 to 1.78 ng m−3 in 2018, representing an overall decrease of 44%. Thus, this study found that the progressive decrease in PAH levels was closely related to green transport and the gradual tightening of industrial operation regulations. Namely, in the urban area near the central public transport hubs, the estimated PAHs had significantly decreased by 16% (0.37 ng m−3) in 2009 with the operation of the high-speed railway in 2007 and the mass rapid transit in 2008. Near industrial areas, PAHs were reduced by environmental regulations, including air pollution control fees and cap-and-trade policies. By using GSM simulation, this study demonstrated a useful and feasible urban planning tool, and can serve as a reference for future studies related to epidemiology and environmental management. [Display omitted] • Estimating hourly PAH levels from 2005 to 2018 in Kaohsiung using grid-scale model. • Despite increasing population, estimated PAHs decreased by 44% from 2005 to 2018. • After adopting green public transport, PAHs reduced by 16% at Transport Center Hub. • Industrial PAHs reduced through air pollution control fees and cap-and-trade policies. • Relocating factories and creating new industrial zones effective in controlling PAHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the impact of freshwater shortage on coastal areas, coastal factories have gradually chosen seawater circulation cooling towers for industrial cooling. The circulating seawater easily generates thick scales, obstructs pipes, and affects heat transfer. Different from the development of scale inhibitors and membrane treatment, there are few fundamental researches on scale formation in seawater pretreatment. In this study, the effects of seawater concentration on scaling time and crystal shapes were investigated through on-line monitoring scaling experiments and scale collection. When the concentration of seawater increased (0.5–2.5 times), the scaling time was delayed, and the formation of large aggregates decreased. Subsequently, the scale delay of calcium carbonate caused by high ion concentration was confirmed by sodium and potassium ion gradient tests and the Visual MINTEQ model. The dynamic simulation further revealed that high ion saturation inhibits calcium and carbonate ions' collision, binding, and agglomeration. Sodium ions inhibit scale formation through electrostatic repulsion with calcium ions, while potassium ions occupy spatial sites around calcium ions. Furthermore, the aragonite formation tendency in highly ion-saturated solutions provides a theoretical basis for industrial carbon capture technology at the end of cyclic cooling. [Display omitted] • High concentration ratio of seawater inhibits scale formation. • Concentration of sodium or potassium solution affects the scaling time and the crystal form. • Collision, combination, and agglomeration process of scale-prone ions are hindered by other ions. • Seawater with a high circulation ratio is favorable for the formation of aragonite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tsunamis are sometimes observed to lead with a wave trough, causing the shoreline to recede before the main tsunami wave arrives and floods the coast. The widely adopted benchmark wave, the solitary wave, is unable to capture this drawback phenomenon, amongst the many shortcomings in using the solitary wave to mimic a tsunami. To investigate how the drawback phenomenon affects wave runup, in this study we performed laboratory experiments using leading-depression N-waves (LDNs). A 1 : 10 uniform slope was placed in the wave flume to study wave runup. Emphases were placed on how the runup of LDNs deviate from the runup of solitary waves of the same amplitude. By adopting consistent and parameterized methods for generating LDNs and comparing them with solitary waves, we successfully categorized LDNs into three types and explained their runup trends. Based on the 88 cases of LDNs realized in the laboratory experiments, we found that the leading depression tends to facilitate and intensify wave breaking, hence lowering the runup of breaking LDNs. On the other hand, since the leading depression tends to increase wave front steepness, steep nonbreaking LDNs may cause higher runup than solitary waves. Overall, we observed that the runup of small-amplitude LDNs can potentially be larger than the runup of solitary waves, whereas the runup of finite-amplitude LDNs has the same order of magnitude as the runup of solitary waves. As real tsunamis are generally small-amplitude waves, our laboratory observations suggest that using solitary waves as opposed to LDNs to mimic tsunamis may underpredict the runup. • Large number of experiments are performed using leading-depression N-waves (LDNs). • Leading depression tends to facilitate and intensify wave breaking, reducing runup. • Bore-like feature of an LDN tends to increase runup. • Non- or mildly breaking LDN with steep wave front tends to cause higher runup. • Overall, small-amplitude LDNs may cause higher runup than solitary waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mars is one of the main targets of deep space exploration. Continuous and high spatial resolution global monitoring of Martian atmosphere is an important way to understand the aeronomy and meteorology of Mars. The atmospheric wind and chemical species in the photochemical cycle such as CO, O 3 , H 2 O, and H 2 O 2 can be measured in large scale by Terahertz limb sounding technique to improve our understanding of Martian atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. The spectrum in the frequency region of 300 ∼ 1000 GHz is analyzed according to the request of Mars exploration. Considering the requirements of the satellite on the parameters of load weight and power, a Martian atmosphere THz limb sounder working in the frequency of 547 ∼ 579 GHz is proposed. The planetary toolbox of ARTS (Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator) is used to simulate the performance of the instrument. Results show that by using CO lines to retrieve the temperature profile, the total precision can be < 4 K. The precision is < 2 K at an altitude below 45 km. The retrieval precision of H 2 O is < 50 % at an altitude below 50 km, and the best precision is 2% below 30 km. The retrieval precision of H 2 O 2 is < 50 % below 40 km. The retrieval precision of O 3 is < 60 % below 50 km. The retrieval precision of the atmospheric line of sight wind is < 5 m · s − 1 above 65 km, and the best precision is 2 m · s − 1. In conclusion, the middle and upper atmospheric wind and the abundance of the chemical species can be well measured by using THz limb sounding technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique high isoelectric point of lysozyme (LYZ) restricts its application in composite antibacterial coating due to the unfavorable liability to electrostatic interaction with other components. In this work, the antibacterial activity of a dispersible LYZ–carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan (CMKGM) polyelectrolyte complex was evaluated. Kinetic analysis revealed that, compared with free LYZ, the complexed enzyme exhibited decreased affinity (K m) but markedly increased V max against Micrococcus lysodeikticus , and QCM and dynamic light scattering analysis confirmed that the complex could bind with the substrate but in a much lower ratio. The complexation with CMKGM did not alter the antibacterial spectrum of LYZ, and the complex exerted antibacterial function by delaying the logarithmic growth phase and impairing the cell integrity of Staphylococcus aureus. Since the LYZ–CMKGM complex is dispersible in water and could be assembled easily, it has great potential as an edible coating in food preservation. [Display omitted] • Complexation with carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan increased the K m of lysozyme. • Complexation with carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan increased the V max of lysozyme. • The complexation did not change the antibacterial spectrum of lysozyme. • The complexed lysozyme inhibits cell growth by delaying the logarithmic phase. • The complexed lysozyme sterilizes by impairing cell wall and membrane integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ship-borne Stewart platform compensates for the six-degree-of-freedom motion induced by the ship, thereby enhancing operational reliability, safety, and expanding the operational window. Firstly, this paper investigates the dynamical characteristics during the motion compensation process. It reveals that the platform's motion generates an inertia force that counteracts the inertia force generated by the ship's motion, then only the gravity is left to compensate for each leg. Subsequently, the nonsingular terminal sliding mode control law of the platform is derived based on the dynamical characteristics to achieve robust control performance, followed by a comprehensive analysis of Lyapunov stability. To improve the accuracy of the robust controller, an adaptive estimation method utilizing time-delay estimation and Kalman filtering is employed to estimate the time-varying gravity. This approach significantly enhances the precision of the controller. Finally, to validate the compensation effect of the proposed method under conditions of parameter uncertainty, measurement uncertainty, and disturbances, a simulation model of the Stewart platform is established. Comparative analysis with the PID(Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control method and RBSMC(Recursive Backstepping Sliding Mode Control) demonstrates that the proposed method effectively improves the compensation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid B receptor (GABA B R) encephalitis is an uncommon form of autoimmune encephalitis associated with a poor prognosis and a high fatality rate. We aim to find diagnostic markers for anti- GABA B R encephalitis as well as the effects of immune cell infiltration on this pathology. For quantitative proteomic analysis, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation were used in conjunction with LC-MS/MS analysis. To conduct functional correlation analyses, differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Following that, we used bioinformatics analysis to screen for and determine the diagnostic signatures of anti- GABA B R encephalitis. ROC curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic values. To assess the inflammatory status of anti- GABA B R encephalitis, we used cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of the RNA transcript (CIBERSORT) and explored the link between diagnostic markers and infiltrating immune cells. Overall, 108 robust DEPs (47 upregulated and 61 downregulated) were identified, of which 11 were immune related. The most impressively enriched pathways were complemented and coagulation cascades, actin cytoskeleton regulation, and cholesterol metabolism; GSEA revealed that the enriched pathways were considerably differentially connected to immune modulation. Eleven immune-related DEPs were chosen for further investigation. We developed a novel diagnostic model based on CSF1R and AZGP1 serum levels using ROC analysis (area under the ROC curve = 1). M1 macrophages and activated natural killer cells are likely to play a role in course of anti- GABA B R encephalitis. We identified CSF1R and AZGP1 are possible anti-GABA B R encephalitis diagnostic indicators, and immune cell infiltration may have a significant impact on the development and occurrence of anti- GABA B R encephalitis. • M1 macrophages and natural killer cells function in anti-GABA B R encephalitis. • CSF1R and AZGP1 are possible anti-GABA B R encephalitis diagnostic biomarkers. • Immune cell infiltration may impact anti-GABA B R encephalitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Secondary and tertiary carbamates are prepared in high efficiency in an unprecedentive strategy. • Active transition metal-functionalized MOFs are synthesized via an in situ -grown protocolunder solvent-free mechanochemical conditions. • Both aminesand aniline are well tolerated. The solvent-free synthesis of MOF represents a promising and environmentally benign protocol. This paper outlines a green one-pot mechanochemical method for the synthesizing of UiO-66 in the absence of solvent, along with the implantation of three different metals (Cu, Ni, and Pd) into the defect sites. The materials have proven to be effective catalysts in the transformation between azidocarbonate and amines/anilines in moderate to excellent isolated yields (up to 94%), exhibiting better advantages compared with the exiting methodologies. More interestingly, Cu and Ni exhibited very good catalytic performance towards primary and secondary amines, respectively. It also should be noted that high yield was still observed after six cycles. Our work presents a novel and straightforward strategy for the preparation of secondary and tertiary carbamates in an unprecedented fashion, greatly enriched the toolbox for the synthetic community. Moreover, the combination of experimental studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations gave more insight and evidence for the mechanism. Accompanied by the advantages of the effective and recyclable catalyst, the broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and excellent reaction yields made the established method attractive in heterogeneous catalysis and the carbamates synthesis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser manipulation of nuclear decay has extremely promising applications. In this study, cutting-edge Gaussian lasers were combined with the latest data on α decay to thoroughly investigate the factors that impact the penetration probability in laser-assisted α decay of nuclei, while considering the deformation of the nucleus. Our calculations reveal that using state-of-the-art laser fields can marginally alter the half-life of α decay by affecting the penetration probability within a narrow range. Moreover, our findings demonstrate two key points: (1) By deriving an analytical formula for the rate of change of the α decay penetration probability in an ultra-intense laser field, we unveil the negative correlation between the α decay energy and the rate of change of the α decay penetration probability. (2) We attribute the wavelength as the determinant of the effect of the average rate of change of the penetration probability, which we explain by reconstructing the laser pulse width and wavelength. This research offers a rapid method to estimate the rate of change of the α -decay penetration probability and serves as a valuable reference for future experimental investigations of laser-nuclear interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kagome lattices have attracted much attention because of their potential in superconductivity and topological applications. In this work, we proposed three two-dimensional Janus breathing-Kagome lattices, Nb 3 TeCl 7 , Nb 3 TeBr 7 and Nb 3 TeI 7 , and further investigated their stability, electronic and thermoelectric (TE) transport performance. We illustrated that the three materials all possess high stability, and low cleavage energy of 0.21–0.22 J/m2. Besides, they exhibit common features of Kagome lattices, such as fat bands and van Hove singularities near band-edges, which lead to high Seebeck coefficient (0.37–0.57 mV/K) and TE power factor of (2.79 − 3.71 mW/K2m). Further, owing to their asymmetric Janus structures, the strong coupling between acoustic and optical phonons, as well as low frequency for lying-phonons, the three lattices also possess low lattice thermal conductivity of 1.06–2.76 W/mK. Ultimately, they deliver promising TE figure of merit of {0.28, 0.39, 0.43} at 300 K, and increase further to {1.09, 1.39, 1.40} at 700 K, demonstrating breathing-Kagome lattice Nb 3 TeX 7 are suitable candidates in TE application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous polycaprolactone (PCL)/calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) composite fibers with different compositions were fabricated via electrospinning by using chloroform/dimethyl sulfoxide (volume ratio = 8:2) as the co-solvent. It was found that the incorporation of fine CSH powders greatly improved the morphology of the PCL fibers and generated continuous, bead-free PCL/CSH composite fibers with the pore diameter varying from 0.2 to 1.1 μm when 20% CSH was added. As compared with the PCL fibers, the PCL/CSH composite fibers also exhibited enhanced thermal stability and hydrophilicity. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of the PCL/CSH fibrous membranes first increased and then decreased with the increase of the CSH content, while their ductility exhibited a sustained decrease. Moreover, after immersion in water, the PCL-20%CSH composite fibers presented a much higher tensile strength than the pristine ones probably due to the self-setting of the CSH powders through the porous structure. In addition, the PCL-20%CSH composite fibers displayed a strong ability to form bone-like apatite after immersion in simulated body fluid for 3 days, which suggests their potential applications in bone tissue regeneration as a novel type of substitute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is considered to be an effective treatment for inflammation-related diseases, and small molecules origin from natural products show promising activity against sEH. Two undescribed protostanes, 3 β -hydroxy-25-anhydro-alisol F (1) and 3 β -hydroxy-alisol G (2) were isolated from Alisma orientale and identified as new sEH inhibitors with IC 50 values of 10.06 and 30.45 μM, respectively. Potential lead compound 1 was determined as an uncompetitive inhibitor against sEH, which had a K i value of 5.13 μM. In-depth molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that amino acid residue Ser374 plays an important role in the inhibition of 1 , which also provides an idea for the development of sEH inhibitors based on protostane-type triterpenoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study sought to develop a decision aid with cartoon pictures and evaluate its effectiveness in increasing consistency between elderly individuals and their surrogates regarding end-of-life care.Methods: A pre-post quasi-experimental design was adopted using the Life Support Preferences Questionnaire. The intervention had two components: (1) increasing participants' knowledge of medical treatments related to end-of-life care, and (2) sharing their end-of-life wishes. The experimental group received an intervention, whereas the control group received usual care.Results: A total of 110 participants in 55 pairs of elderly individuals with average aged 86.4 and their surrogates (27 in the experimental group, 28 in the control group) were recruited from a veterans hospital in northern Taiwan. Nearly 90 % of elderly individuals were male. The multiple linear regression showed that the inconsistent gap between elderly individuals and their surrogates in the experimental group decreased 12 points than the control group after controlling the covariances (B = -12.116, p = 0.032).Conclusion: The intervention improved the consistency between elderly individuals and their surrogates regarding end-of-life care.Practice Implications: A decision aid with cartoon pictures may support the discussion of end-of-life care in older Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for rapid, cost-effective, and high-throughput detection methods. To better analyze the antibody levels against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in vaccinated or infected subjects, we developed a multiplex detection named Barcode Bead Fluorescence (BBF) assay. These barcode beads were magnetic, characterized by 2-dimensional edges, highly multiplexed, and could be decrypted with visible light. We conjugated 12 magnetic barcode beads with corresponding nine spike proteins (wild-type, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and current omicrons), two nucleocapsid proteins (wild-type and omicron), and one negative control. First, the conjugated beads underwent serial quality controls via fluorescence labeling, e.g., reproducibility (R square = 0.99) and detection limits (119 pg via anti-spike antibody). Next, we investigated serums from vaccinated subjects and COVID-19 patients for clinical applications. A significant reduction of antibody levels against all variant beads was observed in both vaccinated and COVID-19 studies. Subjects with two doses of mRNA-1273 exhibited the highest level of antibodies against all spike variants compared to two doses of AZD1222 and unvaccinated. We also found that COVID-19 patients showed higher antibody levels against spike beads from wild-type, alpha, beta, and delta. Finally, the nucleocapsid beads served as markers to distinguish infections from vaccinated subjects. Overall, this study developed the BBF assay for analyzing humoral immune responses, which has the advantages of robustness, automation, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constructing a high-quality dataset for complex orchard scenes. • Proposing a multi-scale feature fusion Segformer semantic segmentation network. • Introducing a novel method to obtain accurate depth information of the targets. • Combining the semantic segmentation results with binocular vision. • The ranging error is less than 6 %, and the overall algorithm runs in 0.8 s. The automation of orchard production is increasingly relying on robotics, driven by the advancements in artificial intelligence technology. However, accurately comprehending semantic information and precisely locating various targets within orchard environments remain challenges. Current research often relies on expensive multi-sensor fusion techniques or vision-only approaches that yield inadequate segmentation outcomes for perceiving orchard surroundings. To address these issues, this article proposes a novel approach for target ranging in complex orchard scenes, leveraging semantic segmentation results. The article introduces the MsFF-Segformer model, which employs multi-scale feature fusion to generate high-precision semantic segmentation images. The model incorporates the MiT-B0 encoder, which utilizes a pure attention mechanism, and the MsFF decoder, specifically designed for multi-scale feature fusion. The MsFF decoder includes the AFAM module to effectively align features of adjacent scales. Additionally, the channel attention module and depth separable convolution module are introduced to reduce model parameter size and obtain feature vectors with rich semantic levels, enhancing the segmentation performance of multi-scale targets in orchards. Based on the accurate semantic segmentation outcomes in orchard environments, this study introduces a novel approach named TPDMR that integrates binocular vision to estimate the distances of various objects within orchards. Firstly, the process involves matching the semantic category matrix with the depth information matrix. Subsequently, the depth information array that represents the target category is obtained, and any invalid depth information is filtered out. Finally, the average depth of the target is calculated. Evaluation of the MsFF-Segformer model on a self-made orchard dataset demonstrates superior performance compared to U-net and other models, achieving a Mean Intersection over Union (MIoU) of 86.52 % and a Mean Pixel Accuracy (MPA) of 94.05 %. The parameters and prediction time for a single frame are 15.1 M and 0.019 s, respectively. These values are significantly lower than those of U-net, Deeplabv3+, and Hrnet models, with reductions of 84.1 %, 32.5 %, 5.9 % and 69.4 %, 59.7 %, 64.2 % respectively. The TPDMR method demonstrates a high level of accuracy and stability in target ranging, with a ranging error of less than 6 % across all targets. Furthermore, the overall algorithm runtime is estimated to be approximately 0.8 s, indicating efficient performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C 4 photosynthesis is more efficient than C 3 photosynthesis for two reasons. First, C 4 plants have evolved efficient C 4 enzymes to suppress wasteful photorespiration and enhance CO 2 fixation. Second, C 4 leaves have Kranz anatomy in which the veins are surrounded by one layer of bundle sheath (BS) cells and one layer of mesophyll (M) cells. The BS and M cells are functionally well differentiated and also well coordinated for rapid assimilation of atmospheric CO 2 and transport of photo-assimilates between the two types of cells. Recent comparative transcriptomics of developing M and BS cells in young maize embryonic leaves revealed not only potential regulators of BS and M cell differentiation but also rapid early BS cell differentiation whereas slower, more prolonged M cell differentiation, contrary to the traditional view of a far simpler process of M cell development. Moreover, new upstream regulators of Kranz anatomy development have been identified and a number of gene co-expression modules for early vascular development have been inferred. Also, a candidate gene regulatory network associated with Kranz anatomy and vascular development has been constructed. Additionally, how whole genome duplication (WGD) may facilitate C 4 evolution has been studied and the reasons for why the same WGD event led to successful C 4 evolution in Gynandropsis gynandra but not in the sister species Tarenaya hassleriana have been proposed. Finally, new future research directions are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dimer nanojunction. • Emissive material. • Plasmon-modulated photoluminescence mechanisms. Plasmonic nanojunctions can generate hot electrons around them under irradiation, and these hot electrons can interact with the emissive materials around the plasmonic nanojunctions, resulting in a change in the photoluminescence mechanism of emissive materials. The emission enhancement factors of nanocomposites under plasmon-modulated effects strongly depended on (1) electron transfer mechanisms: direction and driving force of electron transfer between compositions; (2) the position and number of hot electrons generated around the dimer nanojunction. Under carefully controlled irradiation conditions (wavelength/intensity), these nanocomposites exhibit two different plasmon-modulated photoluminescence mechanisms: (1) suppression of photoluminescence: the emission enhancement factors of nanocomposites composed of conducting polymers can reach − 67%; (2) enhancement of photoluminescence: the emission enhancement factors of nanocomposites composed of emissive molecule (organic dyes) or emissive semiconductor crystal can reach 300% and 700%, respectively. These results paved the way for designing highly emissive composites for optically stimulated optoelectronic devices, solid-state lighting, biosensing et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• K. mikimotoi showed a strong capability to mobilize cellular P pool for growth under P deficiency. • PolyP only contributed approximately 1–3 % to particulate P in K. mikimotoi. • K. mikimotoi utilized P components other than polyP under P deficiency. • Cellular polyP was mobilized until severe P limitation. • PolyP may not play a crucial role in cellular P storage in dinoflagellates. Polyphosphate (polyP) has long been recognized as a crucial intracellular reservoir for phosphorus in microorganisms. However, the dynamics of polyP and its regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic phytoplankton in response to variations in external phosphorus conditions remain poorly understood. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to examine the intracellular polyP-associated metabolic response of the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi , a harmful algal bloom species, through integrated physiological, biochemical, and transcriptional analyses under varying external phosphorus conditions. Comparable growth curves and Fv/Fm between phosphorus-replete conditions and phosphorus-depleted conditions suggested that K. mikimotoi has a strong capability to mobilize the intracellular phosphorus pool for growth under phosphorus deficiency. Intracellular phosphate (IPi) and polyP contributed approximately 6–23 % and 1–3 %, respectively, to the overall particulate phosphorus (PP) content under different phosphorus conditions. The significant decrease in PP and increase in polyP:PP suggested that cellular phosphorus components other than polyP are preferred for utilization under phosphorus deficiency. Genes involved in polyP synthesis and hydrolysis were upregulated to maintain phosphorus homeostasis in K. mikimotoi. These findings provide novel insights into the specific cellular strategies for phosphorus storage and the transcriptional response in intracellular polyP metabolism in K. mikimotoi. Additionally, these results also indicate that polyP may not play a crucial role in cellular phosphorus storage in phytoplankton, at least in dinoflagellates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Domain-adversarial Neural Network based damage detection method for bridge structures. • The domain invariant feature space between the source and target domain is extracted by adversarial training. • The damage label information is transferred from the source domain to the target domain for damage detection. • The proposed method can reduce the distribution gap and achieve higher damage detection accuracy. Bridge damage detection methods based on moving load induced response and deep learning are popular, and they are effective when the training data generated by a finite element model (FEM) and the testing data measured from the actual bridge have the same distribution. However, their distributions are normally different due to the measurement and model error. This paper proposes a Domain-adversarial Neural Network (DANN) based damage detection method for bridge structures. The moving load induced displacement responses of the FEM and the actual bridge are taken as network inputs, and the feature space with the minimum differentiation between the edge distributions of the FEM (source domain) and the actual bridge (target domain) is extracted by adversarial training between the domain discriminator and the feature extractor. This feature space is a domain invariant feature of the source domain and the target domain and contains damage information only. Thus the damage label information is transferred from the source domain to the target domain for damage detection. Numerical and experimental examples manifest that the proposed method can reduce the distribution gap between the source domain and the target domain, and achieve higher damage detection accuracy than that of the traditional deep learning method by using a small number of sensors without a large amount of damage label data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iridium (III) complexes have attracted much attention as electrochemiluminescence (ECL) luminophores, but their inferior ECL efficiency (Φ ECL) in the aqueous solutions has impeded further applications. Herein, meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine (TCPP) was developed as interfacial charge mediator to dramatically enhance aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL) of tris (2-phenylpyridine) iridium(Ⅲ) (Ir(ppy) 3), thus improving its Φ ECL. As an interfacial charge mediator, TCPP can efficiently accelerate the electrooxidation of Ir(ppy) 3 through higher hole transport kinetics. Meanwhile, it is found that its rigid structure can suppress the motions of Ir(ppy) 3 to elevate radiative transition efficiency in emission process. Thus, a significantly enhanced AIECL was achieved for aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) Ir(ppy) 3 @TCPP. Compared to monomer Ir(ppy) 3 , Ir(ppy) 3 @TCPP increased ECL efficiency by 18 times. Ir(ppy) 3 @TCPP served as AIEgens to construct ECL biosensor for detecting miRNA-126. Strand-displacement amplification (SDA) coupled with rolling-circle amplification (RCA) for improving the conversion efficiency of target miRNA-126. The integration of excellent AIECL characteristics of Ir(ppy) 3 @TCPP and outstanding amplification efficiency of SDA-RCA endowed sensing system with high sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 17 aM. This work creatively exploited interfacial charge modulation as an effective way to enhance AIECL efficiency. The prepared Ir(ppy) 3 @TCPP provided much attractive ECL system for bioanalysis. • Interfacial charge modulation was explored to improve AIECL efficiency. • TCPP could accelerate electrooxidation of Ir(ppy) 3 and suppress Ir(ppy) 3 motions. • SDA was coupled with RCA for improving conversion efficiency of target miRNA-126. • AIECL characteristics combined with dual nucleic acid amplification endowed bioassay with high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multifunctional fluorescent sensor Zn-MOF was successfully prepared by hydrothermal reaction, Zn2+ as node, 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)-benzene (L) and chiral ligands D(+)-camphoric acid (D-H 2 cam) as linkers. The study of fluorescence properties revealed that it was a multifunctional fluorescence sensor could not only be used to distinguish for HSO 4 −, but also could be used to detect acidic amino acids (Glu, Asp) and relay determination for basic amino acids (Arg, Lys). [Display omitted] • A multifunctional fluorescence sensor Zn-MOF is successfully synthesised. • It can be used to detection of HSO 4 −, acidic amino acids and relay recognition for basic amino acid. • This sensor is fast response, high selectivity, sensitivity, anti-jamming, and recyclability. A multifunctional fluorescent sensor Zn-MOF was successfully prepared by hydrothermal reaction, Zn2+ as node, 1,3,5-tris(1-imidazolyl)-benzene (L) and chiral ligands D(+)-camphoric acid (D-H 2 cam) as linkers. It had been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), circular dichroism (CD), chromaticity coordinates (CIE) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The study of fluorescence properties revealed that the multifunctional fluorescent sensor Zn-MOF exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity to detect HSO 4 − or glutamate (Glu)/aspartic (Asp) by "Turn Off" the emission. Furthermore, the in situ generated [Zn-MOF + Glu/Asp] system was used for the relay detection of arginine (Arg)/lysine (Lys) without separation and purification and exhibited a new fluorescence "Turn On" signal under the same conditions. In addition, the sensing process possessed out-standing cost-saving, rapid responsiveness as well as recyclability in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric technology is attractive for waste heat recovery and clean energy; it is highly desired as a potential power supply. In this paper, we investigated the stability, elastic, electronic structures and thermoelectric properties of unexplored 2D materials, GeSb 2 Te 4 and GeBi 2 Te 4 , which deliver high stability, acceptable cleavage energies (0.32–0.33 J/m2), and narrow band gaps of 0.80 and 0.69 eV. We also revealed that the septuple layers possess anisotropic electron and hole mobilities of about 1593.71/791.50 and 522.04/240.52 cm2/Vs, which result in high conductivities of 107–108 S/m, as well as desirable thermoelectric power factors of 28.08–70.382 mW/Km2. Besides, owing to the low group velocities and strong dissipative scattering for low-lying phonons, the materials inherit the low lattice thermal conductivities of 1.51 and 0.41 W/mK. As a result, their thermoelectric figure of merit reaches 1.60 and 1.70 at 300 K, and rises further to 3.80 and 4.16 at 700 K. Together, 2D GeSb 2 Te 4 and GeBi 2 Te 4 are suitable candidates for low-medium temperature thermoelectric application. • 2D GeSb 2 Te 4 and GeBi 2 Te 4 have high stability, and acceptable cleavage energies of 0.32–0.33 J/m2. • They possess band gaps of 0.80 and 0.69 eV, and show carrier mobility of 102−103 cm2/Vs. • They exhibit low lattice thermal conductivities of 1.51 and 0.41 W/mK, high ZT of 1.60 and 1.70 at 300 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is regarded as a promising therapeutic approach to treat inflammation and its related disorders. In present work, we investigated inhibitory effects of forty-nine kinds of traditional Chinese medicines against sEH. Inula helenium showed significant inhibitory effect against sEH, and the extract of I. helenium was isolated to obtain eight compounds, including 4 H -tomentosin (1), xanthalongin (2), linoleic acid (3), 8-hydroxy-9-isobutyryloxy-10(2)-methylbutyrylthymol (4), dehydrocostus lactone (5), alantolactone (6), costunolide (7), and isoalantolactone (8). Among them, 4 H -tomentosin (1), xanthalongin (2), and linoleic acid (3) showed significantly inhibitory activities on sEH with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50) from 5.88 ± 0.97 μM to 11.63 ± 0.58 μM. The inhibition kinetics suggested that 4 H -tomentosin (1) and xanthalongin (2) were mixed-competitive type inhibitors with inhibition constants (K i) of 7.02 and 6.57 μM, respectively, and linoleic acid (3) was a competitive type inhibitor with a K i values of 3.52 μM. The potential interactions of 4 H -tomentosin (1), xanthalongin (2), and linoleic acid (3) with sEH were analyzed by molecular docking, which indicated that these bioactive compounds had interactions with key amino acid residues Tyr343, Ile363, Tyr383, and His524. • Eight compounds were isolated from I. helenium. • Compounds 1-3 could inhibit sEH activity with IC 50 values from 5.88 ± 0.97 μM to 11.63 ± 0.58 μM. • They were all mixed-competitive type inhibitor with Ki values from 3.52 μM to 7.02 μM • Molecular docking revealed interaction of compounds 1-3 with sEH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical violence against women is a major public health problem in African countries; however, no studies have focused on factors associated with violent injuries to women in Africa.Objectives: A matched case-control study was conducted to investigate risk factors for injuries from physical violence against African women in The Gambia.Methods: Over a 12-month study period, study participants were recruited from emergency departments of eight government-managed health care facilities. Cases were female patients aged ≥ 15 years who had been violently injured. Matched by the health facility, date of injury, sex, and age, a control patient for each case was selected from those injured due to nonviolent mechanisms.Results: In total, 194 case-control pairs were recruited. Results of a conditional logistic regression showed that being a Fula (odds ratio [OR] 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-5.66), living in an extended family compound (OR 3.07; 95% CI 1.22-7.72), having six or more female siblings (OR 3.10; 95% CI 1.38-6.97), having been raised by grandparents (OR 3.34; 95% CI 1.06-10.51), and having been verbally (OR 3.04; 95% CI 1.56-5.96) or physically abused (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.34-8.39) in the past 12 months were significantly associated with injury from physical violence.Conclusion: Most risk factors identified for violent injury among African women are unique to the studied geography. Violence prevention programs, if designed based on these identified risk factors, may be more effective for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) has been considered an environmental-friendly phosphate fertilizer without cadmium (Cd) input into soils, but its possibility of Cd fixation in soil needs to be explored. Since direct inoculation results in a rapid decline of the population and activity, we immobilized Bacillus megaterium with maize straw biochar (B-PSB) and investigated its feasibility in remediating Cd-contaminated soil. Pot experiments showed that the application of B-PSB significantly ameliorated the growth of Brassica chinensis under Cd stress, with a fresh weight increased by 59.08% compared to the Cd-control. B-PSB reduced Cd accumulation in Brassica chinensis by 61.69%, and promoted the uptake of P and N by 134.97% and 98.71% respectively. Microbial community analysis showed B-PSB recruited more plant growth-promoting bacteria in near-rhizosphere soil, which provides a favorable microenvironment for both PSB and crops. Column leaching experiments verified that B-PSB achieved the dissolution of stable P while fixing Cd. Batch tests further revealed that biochar served as a successful carrier facilitating the growth of B. megaterium and Cd immobilization. Given the widespread Cd contamination in agricultural soils, our results indicate that B-PSB is a promising soil amendment to secure food safety. [Display omitted] • Biochar-immobilized PSB (B-PSB) is employed to remediate Cd-contaminated soil. • B-PSB showed higher capabilities of P solubilization and Cd fixation than PSB alone. • B-PSB alleviated the toxic effects of Cd and improved Brassica chinensis growth. • B-PSB increased the abundances of plant growth-promoting bacteria in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cumulative evidence suggests that oxytocin is involved in the male sexual behaviors. However, no significant sexual impairments were observed in oxytocin gene knock-out (KO) mice, suggesting that oxytocin is not necessary for sexual behavior in male mice. To better understand the role of oxytocin in male erection, two types of oxytocin gene KO mice were created. In the first type, the oxytocin gene was deleted in the zygote, while in the second type, the oxytocin gene was mutated in adulthood by injecting the CRISPR/Cas9 AAVs. The results showed that disrupting the oxytocin gene at either the embryonic or adult stage did not affect erection, indicating that oxytocin is not necessary for penile erection. Pharmacologically, injecting oxytocin receptor agonist Carbetocin into the VTA of the oxytocin gene KO mice still evoked penile erection. By employing the Oxt-Ires-Cre mice, we found that specifically activating oxytocinergic neurons through chemogenetics strongly induced penile erection, while inhibiting these neurons blocked the erection responses. Furthermore, ablating PVN oxytocinergic neurons abolished the male erection response. In conclusion, although the neuropeptide oxytocin is not essential for male erection, the activity of oxytocinergic neurons is required. Our results might reflect the redundancy in the central nerve system in the sense that many signals contribute to the activation of oxytocinergic neurons to evoke penile erection during sexual behaviors. • Oxytocin gene was knocked-out by Crispr/Cas9 technique at different stage. • Mutating oxytocin gene at any stage did not influence the male sexual behavior. • Oxytocin receptor agonist still evoked penile erection in OXT-KO mouse. • Chemogenetically activating oxytocinergic neuron led to penile erection. • Inhibiting or ablating oxytocinergic neuron abolished penile erection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg isotope compositions are widely analyzed using the sample-standard bracketing (SSB) method on MC-ICP-MS. However, it is not clear how accurate and how precise the Mg isotope data could be by using the SSB method on MC-ICP-MS. In this study, we conducted doping experiments to artificially produce a ∼0.03‰ δ26Mg offset to quantitatively evaluate the utility of 2SD, 2SE, and t SE (t is the Student'T) error in identifying subtle isotope variations. The 2SD represents the most conservative estimation for accuracy. For samples with a large number of repeated measurements, the dataset will follow a normal distribution, and accuracy at a 95% confidence level can be measured by ±2SE. For samples with a small number (<9) of repeated measurements, the dataset will follow a t -distribution, and the accuracy at a 95% confidence level can be measured by ± t SE. The results of a series of doping experiments show that the two standard deviations (2SD) of δ26Mg is 0.04‰, which is larger than the artificial 0.03‰ offset. The two-standard error (2SE) and the t SE are both smaller than 0.02‰ when measured by six times, which can both resolve the 0.03‰ offset. Given that Mg isotope analysis is routinely repeated about 3∼5 times in most laboratories, t SE is more robust than 2SE and 2SD in identifying subtle Mg isotope variation. Although we highlight the role of statistics in Mg isotope analysis, the readers should notice that chemical treatment and instrumentation settings are first-order factors that control data quality. [Display omitted] • Better understand the precision and accuracy of δ26Mg analyzed by SSB-MC-ICP-MS. • Different uncertainty expressions for isotope data are evaluated. • Artificial doping experiments show the reliability of t SE for SSB analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sb 2 Te 3 -based thermoelectric thin film is a competitive candidate for preparing thermoelectric thin film devices, which power the wearable electronic devices and chip-sensor of internet-of-things. In this work, a directed thermal diffusion reaction method was applied to synthesize p -type Sb 2 Te 3 thin films synthesis at polyimide flexible substrate with self-assembled growth. A high power factor of 1.94 mWm−1K−2 with excellent flexibility which is very competitive among similar Sb 2 Te 3 based materials by the control of synthesis condition, especially the chemical composition. Meanwhile, the performance of thermoelectric thin film device is limited by contact resistance. Thus the more systematic study of contact resistance, including choice of electrode material for the device was investigated. The results indicate that Mo/Sb 2 Te 3 have the lowest contact resistivity compared with Al/Sb 2 Te 3 and Ni/Sb 2 Te 3. In addition, the fabricated flexible device with Mo electrode has outstanding thermal stability. [Display omitted] • A novel directed thermal diffusion reaction method was applied for p -type Sb 2 Te 3 thin films. • Sb 2 Te 3 thin film controlled by synthesis condition can achieve a high power factor. • The fabricated flexible device with Mo electrode has a low contact resistance and a high output power. • This Sb 2 Te 3 thin film device possesses excellent flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterial membrane protein Large 3 (MmpL3), an inner membrane protein, plays a crucial role in the transport of mycolic acids that are essential for the viability of M. tuberculosis and has been a promising therapeutic target for new anti-TB agents. Herein, we report the discovery of pyridine-2-methylamine antitubercular compounds using a structure-based drug design strategy. Compound 62 stands out as the most potent compound with high activity against M. tb strain H37Rv (MIC = 0.016 μg/mL) as well as the clinically isolated strains of MDR/XDR-TB (MIC = 0.0039–0.0625 μg/mL), low Vero cell toxicity (IC 50 ≥ 16 μ g /mL), and moderate liver microsomal stability (CL int = 28 μL/min/mg). Furthermore, the resistant mutant of S288T due to single nucleotide polymorphism in mmpL3 was resistant to pyridine-2-methylamine 62 , demonstrating compound 62 is likely target to MmpL3. [Display omitted] • Utilizing a structure-directed approach, a series of pyridine-2-methylamine compounds were designed and synthesized. • Compound 62 displayed potent antitubercular activity against the clinical isolates of MDR and XDR-TB (MIC = 0.004–0.063 μg/mL). • Compound 62 showed low Vero cytotoxicity and moderate metabolic stability. • Target verification demonstrated compound 62 is likely to target MmpL3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a different types of reactor are operating at the same area and the same period of time, released radionuclides are hard to follow in the environment. In general, isotopic techniques can be used for source localization. To obtain the distribution of hydrogen isotope in soil, eight sampling points were selected along the local dominant wind direction with different distances away from Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, and soil samples at different depths (0–2, 2–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–30 cm) were collected in December 2019 and December 2020, respectively. The concentrations of hydrogen isotopes were measured in the soil samples at different depth. The spatial distribution of tritium and deuterium in the surface soil was related to soil properties and the distance from the nuclear power plant. It was found that tritium and deuterium are generally enriched in the upper layer. Determination of the deuterium concentration in the environment may be a new way to trace the released tritium from the reactors. • By studying the distribution of hydrogen isotopes in the soil around nuclear power plants with different types of reactors, the foundation was laid for tracing the sources of tritium in the soil. • Tritium and deuterium were mainly concentrated on the surface soil, and their concentration decreased with the increase in depth. • Tritium and deuterium have different migration rules in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of interfacial twin boundary (ITB) phases at { 112 } 〈 111 〉 β and { 332 } 〈 113 〉 β twin boundaries (TBs) in β-Ti alloys are not well characterized yet. In this work, the local structural features of TBs plus ITB-ω and ITB-α″ phases are carefully investigated with first-principles calculations. It shows the formation of ITB-ω at (112) [ 11 1 ¯ ] β and (332) [ 11 3 ¯ ] β TBs are favorable in kinetics, especially the former is further favorable in interfacial energy. Both ITB-ω phases are internally driven by the energy reduction induced by the β→ω transformation. Whereas, the formation of ITB-α″ at (332) [ 11 3 ¯ ] β TB is infeasible in kinetics and the ITB-α″ is most likely the accompanying or untransformed α″ particle assisting (332) [ 11 3 ¯ ] β twinning. The formation of ITB phases are highly associated with the types and concentrations of β-stabilizers. The origins and how the ITB-ω and ITB-α″ can be tailored by the β-stabilizers of Mo, Nb and V are clearly demonstrated. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Four pairs of enantiomeric β -carboline alkaloids, (+/−)-kumudine A-D, along with their biosynthesis-related compound kumudine E, were obtained from the stems of Picrasma quassioides. Their structures, including the absolute configurations, were determined via extensive spectroscopic data combined with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopic analyses and quantum mechanical ECD calculations. (+/−)-Kumudine A possessed a scaffold of β -carboline-phenylpropanoid adduct, which were the first examples of this type of β -carboline alkaloid from nature. The cytotoxicity assay against hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B and HepG2 cells was evaluated by SRB assay, which showed that (−)-Kumudine B had stronger effect than its enantiomer (+)-Kumudine B in Hep3B cells. Moreover, further flow cytometry analysis also supported the enantioselectivity between (+)-Kumudine B and (−)-Kumudine B, suggesting that the compounds caused death of hepatoma cells through apoptosis induction. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Nine undescribed β -carboline dimers were isolated from Picrasma quassioides. • Kumudine A was the first example of β -carboline-phenylpropanoid adduct from nature. • (+/−)-Kumudine B showed enantioselective inhibitory activity against Hep3B cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This paper proposes a novel two-phase damage detection method for structures under a moving load. • The proposed method utilizes both wavelet signal processing and wavelet finite element model for damage detection. • The proposed method consists of two sequential phases, namely localization and quantification. • The proposed method is successfully validates it via a laboratory experiment of a scaled beam structure. Abstract This paper proposes a damage detection method with two phases, namely, localization and quantification, for beam structures subjected to moving load and successfully validates it via a laboratory experiment. Firstly, the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is applied to decompose the displacement response change induced by a moving vehicle and locate potential structural damages. Then adaptive-scale wavelet finite element model (WFEM) updating is employed to estimate the damage severity in the identified damage regions in a progressive fashion. The elemental scales of WFEM are adaptively changed according to not only the moving vehicle position but also the progressively identified damage regions. Such a method can effectively minimize the number of modeling degree-of-freedoms (DOFs) and updating parameters during optimization. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method is examined through a laboratory experiment with different damage scenarios. The results indicate the proposed method can achieve good consistency between structural modeling, damage scenarios, and load conditions, as well as an optimal tradeoff between damage detection accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective: Left-behind children have a high incidence of behavioral problems in some Eastern countries, especially China. We sought to assess the combined effects of physical neglect, a major embodiment of the left-behind phenomenon, and the trauma of being left behind on subsequent behavioral problems. Method: 776 children (including 600 left-behind children) aged 12–16 years were chosen by cluster sampling in rural China. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form and the Conners Teacher Rating Scale were used to evaluate physical neglect and behavioral problems. Results: Left-behind children experienced more physical neglect (mean difference = 0.63; 95%CI 0.15–1.10; P = 0.01) and were more inattentive (mean difference=0.11; 95%CI 0.03–0.19; P = 0.009) than non-left-behind children. Physically neglected left-behind children had higher scores for conduct problems, inattention, and hyperactivity index than non-left-behind without physical neglect group (P < 0.05 for each). Among left-behind children, physical neglect group had significantly more conduct problems than those of controls (mean difference=0.14; 95%CI 0.05–0.23; P = 0.008). Physically neglected non-left-behind children had higher scores for conduct problems than those of left-behind children without physical neglect (mean difference=0.31; 95%CI 0.13–0.47; P = 0.003). Among physically neglected children, left-behind children had significantly higher scores for inattention than those of non-left-behind children (mean difference=0.13; 95%CI 0.04–0.22; P = 0.037). Conclusion: Left-behind children have more behavioral problems than non-left-behind children. Physical neglect may result in more severe conduct problems than those associated with staying behind, and staying behind may lead to inattention. Exposure to both may lead to more obvious behavioral problems. Therefore, we should accord more attention to physically neglected and left-behind children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This research employed an in-situ growth method to fabrication of multi-walled nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Fe 3 O 4 electromagnetic absorber. Such a binary material system is featured with good impedance matching behavior and moderate attenuation ability, thus exhibits excellent electromagnetic absorption properties. The results reveal that MWCNTs/Fe 3 O 4 exhibits distinct polarization relaxation phenomenon which inducted by interface polarization. This intensity of interface polarization is tunable by controlling the contact area of Fe 3 O 4 and MWCNTs. Due to the contribution of interface polarization loss behavior, the MWCNTs/Fe 3 O 4 sample achieves a wide band electromagnetic absorption property which the frequency region with RL < −10 dB can covers 5.7 GHz at 1.5 mm. The method of utilizing interface strategy to boost dielectric loss ability has an efficient way to gain wide band electromagnetic absorber. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • MWCNTs/Fe 3 O 4 shows dual magnetic/dielectric loss ability. • The weight ratio of MWCNTs/Fe 3 O 4 is tunable. • The effective frequency of MWCNTs/Fe 3 O 4 was up to 5.7 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Nanohybrid comprising iron oxide, carbon dots and polyglycerol is fabricated. • The nanohybrid is efficiently internalized into target cells by magnetic attraction. • The internalized nanohybrid emits non-bleaching, multicolor fluorescence. • Pt-based anticancer drug is loaded on the nanohybrid and delivered into tumor cells. Abstract Multifunctional nanohybrids are attracting increasing attention for potential biomedical applications such as bioimaging and drug delivery due to their combined advantages of individual components. However, challenges in the improvement of their synthesis and colloidal stability to facilitate practical biomedical applications still remain. In this work, we report an efficient synthetic approach to fabricate magnetofluorescent nanohybrid (IO-PG-CD) comprising fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IOs) through polyglycerol (PG) mediated covalent linkage in aqueous media. CDs and IOs are first grafted with PG layer, and then functionalized with carboxyl and amino groups, respectively. The resulting CD-PG-COOH and IO-PG-NH 2 handled as simple chemical compounds are integrated through EDC/NHS crosslinking to obtain the desired IO-PG-CD nanohybrid. The unprecedented hydrophilicity of PG layer endows IO-PG-CD nanohybrid with excellent colloidal stability in various physiological media, facilitating biomedical applications in vitro and in vivo. IO-PG-CD nanohybrid exhibits low cytotoxicity and its uptake by cells can be obviously enhanced by external magnetic attraction. The internalized IO-PG-CD nanohybrid emits multicolor fluorescence as observed by confocal fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating much better photostability than the nanoparticle labeled with organic dye. Taking advantage of enormous chelating carboxyl groups on the surface of IO-PG-CD nanohybrid, platinum-based anticancer drug was loaded on the surface (IO-PG-CD/Pt) through complexation and delivered into cancer cells in a magnetically enhanced manner, killing the cancer cells efficiently in vitro. Moreover, in vivo cancer therapy indicates that the external magnetic attraction also obviously improves the anticancer efficacy of IO-PG-CD/Pt in HeLa subcutaneous xenografts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 12 acetylene transitions in total, two from cold bands and ten from hot bands, measured between 3335.0–3336.5 cm−1. • Linestrengths and Ar-, N 2 -, CH 4 -, and self-broadening/narrowing coefficients reported for two cold band transitions with Voigt, Rautian, and Galatry fits. • Linestrengths and self-broadening coefficients reported for ten hot band transitions with Voigt fits. • Temperature-dependence of lineshape parameters measured above room temperature. Abstract Knowledge of the acetylene spectrum is important for astrophysics, atmospheric, and combustion chemistry research. Twelve acetylene transitions across eleven bands have been studied between 3335.0 and 3336.5 cm−1 with a tunable interband cascade laser. Linestrengths and temperature-dependent lineshape parameters, including collisional broadening and narrowing, are reported through Voigt, Rautian, and Galatry lineshape fits to two strong cold band transitions. Measurements were made in pure acetylene, as well as with diluents argon, nitrogen, and methane, over a temperature range of 296–637 K and pressures of 5–90 Torr. Linestrengths and temperature-dependent self-broadening coefficients are also reported for ten weak hot band transitions through Voigt lineshape fits, measured between 296–513 K and 5–20 Torr. Line parameter measurements are found to be in good agreement with the literature and extend experimental lineshape studies of acetylene into new rovibrational bands, a sparsely-studied temperature regime, and a new perturber: methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an intestinal inflammatory disorder. Exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) donors such as diallyl trisulfide (DATS) have been used as anti-inflammatory mediators. However, an ideal method of administering DATS has yet to be established owing to its poor water solubility. Herein, a self-spray coating system that is derived from a DATS-loaded capsule with foaming capability (CAP-w-FC) is proposed for treating colitis. Following the rectal administration of CAP-w-FC into rats bearing colitis and its subsequent dissolution in the intestinal fluid, a spray coating system is self-assembled in situ. This system greatly promotes the dissolution of the poorly water-soluble DATS by producing nano-scaled micellar particles that are sprayed onto the large luminal surface of the colorectal tract. Following the internalization of the micellar particles by colon epithelial cells, their loaded DATS reacts with intracellular glutathione to yield H 2 S. This exogenous H 2 S then diffuses through plasma membranes to carry out its biological functions, including suppressing the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inhibiting the adhesion of macrophages on the vascular endothelium, and repairing colonic inflamed tissues. Analytical results demonstrate that this self-spray coating system may be used as a unique drug delivery technique for covering the large colorectal surface to treat IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Hippocampal neuronal network activity is regulated by stiffness of extracellular matrix. • Modulation of substrate stiffness on neuronal network activity is dependent on a specific type of ECM protein. • Stiff substrate enhance voltage-gated Ca2+ channel function, synaptic connectivity, and spontaneous Ca2+oscillations. Abstract Neuronal growth, differentiation, extension, branching and neural network activity are strongly influenced by the mechanical property of extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the mechanism by which substrate stiffness regulates a neural network activity, and the importance of ECM composition in conferring substrate stiffness sensing have not been explored. To address this question, the hippocampal neurons were seeded on the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate with different stiffness, which were coated with fibronectin and laminin respectively. Our results show that voltage-gated Ca2+ channel currents are greater in neurons on the stiff substrate than on the soft substrate. In addition, the neurons exhibit a greater increase of Ca2+ currents on laminin-coated stiff substrate than on those coated with fibronectin, indicating that the composition of ECM can modulate responses to substrate stiffness of neurons. Paired patch-clamp recordings have shown that upregulation of neural effective synaptic connectivity is greater on the laminin-coated stiff substrate than on the fibronectin-coated ones. Consistently, laminin-coated stiff substrate enhances Ca2+ oscillations of neurons is greater that compared with the fibronectin-coated ones. Our study demonstrates that a direct role for substrate stiffness in regulating neuronal network activity and indicate that this modulation is dependent on a specific type of ECM protein, which should be taken into account for the design of biomaterials for neuronal tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract β -Carboline alkaloids in Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. have been proven to possess inhibitory activity against various cancer cells. However, their effect on hepatocellular carcinoma and structure-activity relationships (SAR) have not been systematically reported. In this work, bioactivity-directed fractionation of P. quassioides led to the separation of active fraction A2–2. A total of 39 β -carbolines, including 4 new ones (1–4), were obtained from the active fraction. Moreover, all the isolated compounds were identified in the active fraction A2–2 by LC-MS. The cytotoxicity on HepG2 and Hep3B cells of all compounds was screened by MTT assay, and the SAR were established. The SAR were also supported by the apoptosis ratio of HepG2 cells using flow cytometry analysis after treatment with potential compounds 1 , 2 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 29 , 36 and 38. It suggested that these active compounds caused death of hepatoma cells through apoptosis induction. In addition, further study revealed that compounds 12, 29, 36 significantly activated caspase-3 in HepG2 cells. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural frequencies are attractive in structural damage detection as they can be conveniently measured and are usually less contaminated by experimental noise. However, generally natural frequencies alone are not sufficient for a unique solution when applied in finite element model (FEM) updating based damage detection. In view of this, a damage detection method by using a parked vehicle induced frequencies variation is proposed in this paper. Firstly the phenomenon of frequency variation caused by a parked vehicle is illustrated via a simulated simply supported beam. Then a FEM updating based damage detection method is proposed by using measured frequencies of the vehicle-bridge system with the vehicle parked at different locations. Numerical and experimental examples with different damage scenarios are conducted to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. The results indicated that it possesses the ability of taking advantage of the high accuracy and overcomes the insufficient quantity of the natural frequencies for damage detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten novel symmetric 3,5-bis(arylidene)-4-piperidone derivatives (BAPs, 1–10 ) and fourteen dissymmetric BAPs ( 11–24 ) were synthesized and evaluated the cytotoxicity. All of the compounds have been screened for their anti-inflammatory activity characterized by evaluating their inhibitory effects on LPS-induced IL-6, TNF- α secretion. Among them, BAP 23 exhibits both the highest anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Western blot analysis showed that BAP 23 markedly reduced the levels of Bcl-2 but increased the levels of cleaved caspase-3and Bax. Moreover, BAP 23 prominently inhibited LPS-induced activation of NF- κ B in RAW264.7 cells as well as TNF- α -induced activation of NF- κ B in HepG2 cells by blocking phosphorylation of inhibitor I κ B α and p65. Consistent with these results, we found that BAP 23 prevented the nuclear translocation of NF- κ B induced by LPS or TNF- α . BAP 23 could reasonably bind to the active site of Bcl-2 protein and p65 which is proved by molecular docking modes. These data indicate that BAP 23 is a more potent inhibitor of NF- κ B activity which exhibites both anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing incidence and mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In this study, microRNA-122 (miR-122) mimics and relevant control oligonucleotides were transfected into HepG2 cells in vitro , followed by coptisine (COP) and sorafenib treatments. Cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and colony formation assay, wound-healing assay, Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry, respectively. Histopathology and miR-122 were analyzed by haemotoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and real-time RT-PCR, respectively; whereas, the relevant protein expressions were detected by western blot. In vivo , COP enhanced the expression of miR-122 by 160% compared to control in male BALB/c nude mice; COP not only protected the liver morphology but also showed a significant anti-cancer effect. Further, there was no remarkable difference between the tumor weights in the COP and sorafenib groups, but there was a striking difference to the tumor control group (p < 0.05). Hence, COP inhibited the proliferation, migration and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells; moreover, it inhibited the tumor growth in nude mice by up-regulating the expression of miR-122. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric energy of wave gliders mainly comes from solar energy, which limits its application in cloudy conditions or at or at high latitudes. This paper presents a wave glider with a Gyroscopic Wave Energy Converter called the GyroWEC-Glider, which harnesses the pitch or roll motion of wave glider to generate electricity. The gyroscope's precession torque accelerates the rotor spin through the stimulation of the float's pitch motion, thanks to the gear constraints. The system's adaptability to random sea conditions is achieved through the use of a one-way bearing and torsion spring. Based on Fossen's equation and Euler's law, a dynamic model of the GyroWEC-Glider is established. Through simulation using MATLAB/Simulink, it was found that wave propulsion is minimally affected by wave power generation. The influence of the critical speed and torsional stiffness on power generation under irregular waves are investigated. Compared with the traditional wave glider, the GyroWEC-Glider is able to absorb 16.7% more wave energy, and provides an additional 24 W of electricity over the long-term average. It will be of great significance for expanding the application scenario of wave gliders. • The scheme of integrating the gyroscopic WEC into the wave glider is proposed. • The dynamic model of self-accelerating gyroscopic rotor is provided. • The GyroWEC-Glider increases power by 24 W and absorbs 16.7% more wave energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) versus long-acting insulins (LAIs) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using real-world data. A Markov model was utilized to estimate healthcare costs (US$) and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of receiving treatments over 10 years from the healthcare sector perspective. Model inputs were derived from the analyses of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database or published literature on Taiwanese T2D populations. Base-case analysis was performed for the overall study cohort and subgroup analyses were stratified by the presence or absence of established cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) or chronic kidney diseases (CKDs). Overall, using GLP-1RAs versus LAIs cost $6,053 per QALY gained. Results were robust across sensitivity and scenario analyses. Among patients with established CVDs and CKDs, GLP-1RA versus LAI therapy saved $673 (cost-saving) and cost $1,675 per QALY gained, respectively. Among patients without established CVDs and CKDs, GLP-1RA versus LAI therapy cost $9,093 and $7,659 per QALY gained, respectively. Using GLP-1RAs versus LAIs for T2D patients represented good economic value in real-world practice. Pronounced economic benefits of GLP-1RA therapy among those with prior CVDs or CKDs support rational treatment decisions and optimal healthcare resource allocation for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]