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Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains the foremost cause of dementia and represents a significant unmet healthcare need globally. The complex pathogenesis of AD, characterized by various pathological and physiological events, has historically challenged the development of anti-AD drugs. However, recent breakthroughs in AD drug development, including the approvals of aducanumab, lecanemab, and sodium oligomannate (GV-971), have ended a nearly two-decade hiatus in the introduction of new AD drugs. These developments have addressed long-standing challenges in AD drug development, marking a substantial shift in the therapeutic landscape of AD. Moreover, natural products (NPs) have shown promise in AD drug research, with several currently under clinical investigation. Their distinct properties and mechanisms of action offer new avenues to complement and enhance existing AD treatment approaches. This review article aims to provide an overview of the recent advancements and prospects in AD therapeutics, focusing on both NPs and approved drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthorhombic niobium pentoxide (T-Nb 2 O 5) has been regarded as a potential anode candidate for high-power-density lithium ion batteries (LIBs)/lithium ion capacitors (LICs). Unfortunately, the practical application of T-Nb 2 O 5 anode is plagued by its poor intrinsic electronic conductivity and particle pulverization during the repeated lithiation/delithiation processes. Herein, VNbO 4 @Nb 2 O 5 heterostructure with complementary components was reported for the first time, in which the rutile VNbO 4 with high electronic conductivity can accelerate electron transfer and stabilize the loose "room-pillar" structure of T-Nb 2 O 5 , while the T-Nb 2 O 5 can contribute to optimize Li+ diffusion in VNbO 4 and facilitate Li+ diffusion along the favorable path with low steric hindrance. Besides, the unique heterostructure can optimize the energy band structure and induce internal electric fields, thus further improving the ionic/electronic conductivity of VNbO 4 @Nb 2 O 5. As a result, VNbO 4 @Nb 2 O 5 demonstrates an exceptional rate capacity of 108.1 mAh g−1 even at 100 C and long cycle stability when evaluated as an anode for LIB. Moreover, the assembled quasi-solid state lithium ion capacitor constructed by VNbO 4 @Nb 2 O 5 anode and activated carbon (AC) cathode possesses a high energy density of 103.9 Wh kg−1 even at high power density of 12 kW kg−1 [Display omitted] • VNbO 4 @Nb 2 O 5 heterostructure anode was synthesized via facile one-pot method for the first time. • VNbO 4 with high electronic conductivity enhance electron transfer and stabilize the loose structure of T-Nb 2 O 5. • T-Nb 2 O 5 optimizes Li+ transport in VNbO 4 and facilitate Li+ diffusion along the favorable path with low hindrance. • The built-in electric field formed at the heterogeneous interface accelerates the Li+ transport in VNbO 4 @ Nb 2 O 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) based data aggregation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Data aggregation approaches based on Compressive Sensing (CS) enjoy the benefits of having their traffic volume reduced. However, existing CS-based data aggregation schemes have drawbacks, such as errors in data reconstruction process and the large overheads in regenerating and broadcasting feasible measurement matrices when the network is scaled up. To this end, we propose a topology-aware data aggregation (TADA) protocol, which preserves the advantages of CS-based schemes while alleviating the aforementioned issues. Extensive performance comparisons demonstrate that the data reconstruction error rate of TADA is much lower than other CS-based schemes under test. More important, for most WSN applications, since the underlying physical layer prefers frames with small payloads, the proposed TADA utilizes less transmissions from sensors to UAV in each round of data aggregation, and thus can yields a lower energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, we study unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relaying networks with multi-hop, where one source communicates with one destination through the help of L relay hops. Cache is employed at the relay nodes nearby the destination. Then the destination can acquire the data directly through the cache instead of communicating with the source. For the multi-hop relaying networks with cache, we not only analyze the transmission performance of the considered system by deriving the analytical expressions for the outage probability as well as symbol error rate (SER), but also provide the asymptotic outage probability and SER, in the large region of transmit power. The proposed caching method is proved by simulation and numerical results, and validates that the usage of cache can provide ultra-reliable and low-latency communications for UAV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The outdated relay selection algorithm for UAV-enabled cooperative amplify-and-forward NOMA networks is investigated in this paper. The impacts of the system parameters such as the outdated coefficient, the transmission SNR, the relays' number and the average channel gain are evaluated by the exact analytical expressions as well as the asymptotic results on the outage probability. Based on the asymptotic expressions, we find that the diversity order of the system remains one, regardless of the relays' number and the average channel gain. Simulation results are provided to confirm the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two chromite spinel-based composite materials, Mn II Cr III 2 O 4 /Mn II Mn III 2 O 4 /C and CoCr 2 O 4 /C are successfully synthesized by a solid-state conversion process via annealing Mn Cr-coordination compound and Co Cr-coordination compound at 350 °C in air for 1 h, respectively. The two composite materials both show the morphology of nanoparticles, in which the spinels are embedded in carbon matrix into a continuous phase. The as-prepared composite materials are used as supercapacitor electrodes in basic electrolyte. The Mn II Cr III 2 O 4 /Mn II Mn III 2 O 4 /C composite material possesses a high specific capacity of 184.0 mAh g −1 at a current density of 0.5 A g −1 with a superior rate capability of 138.3 mAh g −1 (75.2% retention) at 20 A g −1 . Meanwhile, CoCr 2 O 4 /C nanoparticles also deliver a high specific capacity of 158.8 mAh g −1 at a current density of 0.5 A g −1 with a superior rate capability of 125.0 mAh g −1 (78.7% retention) at 20 A g −1 . The good supercapacitive behaviors of the two composite materials are probably attributed to the characteristics of bimetallic compound and the presence of multiple valence states in the samples, giving rise to obvious redox responses. And the Mn II Cr III 2 O 4 /Mn II Mn III 2 O 4 /C and CoCr 2 O 4 /C composites possess reversible electrochromism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 nanoflakes are in situ grown on Ni foam through a facile one-pot hydrothermal technique in a NH 4 VO 3 aqueous solution. The Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 @Ni foam composite material can be used as binder- and conductivity agent-free electrode in supercapacitor, it manifests a large specific capacitance of 465.5 F g −1 at a current density of 0.2 A g −1 and a superior rate capability of 317.5 F g −1 at 10 A g −1 , which is beneficial from its three-dimensional porous architecture cross-linked by the ultrathin Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 nanoflakes on Ni foam. Meanwhile, the Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 @Ni foam//Activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor can deliver a maximum energy density of 20.1 W h kg −1 at a power density of 752.0 W kg −1 . Significantly, the Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 @Ni foam electrode possesses reversible electrochromic behavior, and it shows obvious visible light-driven photoresponse with much higher specific capacitance (645.3 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 ) under illumination (650 nm > λ > 350 nm, 100 mW cm −2 ), which is probably associated with the semiconducting characteristics of the spin-polarized (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 and the quantum confinement effect of the nanoflakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskites have been ubiquitously utilized in both rigid and flexible optoelectronics with high performance. However, developing perovskites-based stretchable optoelectronics is highly challenging because perovskites are intrinsically not stretchable unlike some organic semiconductors. Here, for the first time, we devised a novel metal seeding growth method to obtain three-dimensional (3D) perovskite nanowire forests (NWFs) with excellent mechanical stretchability, akin to the seeding growth of grass in nature. Benefiting from their intrinsic stretchability, perovskite NWFs-based stretchable photodetectors have been demonstrated with excellent photodetection performance. Under 0% strain, the device dark current is as low as 0.18 nA cm-2 at − 2 V bias, contributing to an ultrahigh light-to-dark current ratio (I light / I dark) of 1.1 × 105 under 5.5 mW cm-2 illumination. The device also exhibits a high responsivity of 455.3 mA W-1 and specific detectivity of 8.69 × 1012 Jones. Meanwhile, under 80% strain conditions, the device have shown negligible performance drop, especially in the aspect of I light / I dark. Our work reports a novel growth process that leads to intriguing 3D perovskite nanostructures with unique mechanical flexibility and stretchability, in addition to high optoelectronic sensing performance. These appealing properties can find applications in high-performance stretchable and wearable optoelectronics in the future. [Display omitted] • A novel metal seeding growth of vertical 3-dimensional metal halide perovskite nanowire forests (NWFs) is demonstrated. • The growth process is akin to the seeding growth of grass in nature. • NWFs-based photodetector has an ultralow I dark of 0.18 nA cm-2 at − 2 V bias and an ultrahigh I light /I dark of 1.1 × 105. • The intrinsic stretchability of the perovskite NWFs enables high-performance stretchable photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sono-photo-Fenton, sono-Fenton and photo-Fenton methods combined with heterogeneous TiO 2 nanoparticles are adopted to investigate the degradation of sodium alginate (NaAlg), and the kinetics mechanism is also explored. Experimental results suggest that the reaction order of NaAlg degradation ( n ) is 0.51 and the extent of photocatalytic degradation can increase with the loading of TiO 2 nanoparticles. Meanwhile, as the catalyst concentration increases from 0.05 to 0.5 gL −1 , the degradation rate constant ( k ) is decreased. In addition, the structure of degraded NaAlg is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectra results indicate that the C2-C3 bond in the structure of NaAlg is broken and intra-molecular esters are formed during the degradation process due to the strong oxidization of the Fenton system. In general, the sono-photo-Fenton process with TiO 2 nanoparticles could provide an efficient way to degrade the NaAlg to low-molecular-weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, commercial Ni foams are directly oxidized into Ni@Ni(OH) 2 foams in a mild NH 4 NO 3 solution at 80 °C. When used as binder-free electrodes, these Ni@Ni(OH) 2 electrodes demonstrate a high areal capacitance of 6.4 F/cm 2 at a current density of 2.5 mA/cm 2 , or 1.62 F/cm 2 at a high current density of 30 mA/cm 2 . Nevertheless, they show a poor cycling ability with 70.4% (or 42%) capacitance retention after 2000 (or 5000) cycles at 30 mA/cm 2 . This kind of electrodes has a promising application in low-cost, high-performance supercapacitor, if an effective strategy is found to improve their cycling ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of laparoscopic versus minilaparotomic myomectomy on uterine leiomyoma in premenopausal women. We performed a computerized search of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 1996 to 2104. From 711 studies, a total of 4 studies met our inclusion criteria, and a meta-analytic technique was used to study the 4 randomized controlled trials involving 577 women with symptomatic uterine leiomyoma. Compared with the minilaparotomic myomectomy group, the laparoscopic myomectomy group showed a significantly less hemoglobin drop and blood loss, lower postoperative analgesic use, shorter duration of postoperative ileus, shorter hospitalization days and recovery time, and higher levels in the pregnancy rate per cycle and the live birth rate per cycle. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the operating time, complications, laparotomic conversion rate, cumulative pregnancy rate, cumulative live birth rate, and abortion rates. When performed by experienced surgeons in selected patients (e.g., symptomatic leiomyoma women who have the indications for surgery), laparoscopic myomectomy is a better choice than minilaparotomic myomectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pest control field, the sustained release of pesticides plays significant roles in effectiveness and environment friendly. In this study, the sodium alginate (SA), polyacrylamide (PAM) and montmorillonite (MMT) were utilized to fabricate the stretchable double-network nanocomposite hydrogel, which apply in a sustained release system of acetamiprid. These nanocomposite hydrogels were fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that adding MMT could significantly improve the sustained release performances of the hydrogels. The swelling behavior of all the hydrogels well fits into the Fickian diffusion model. The hydrogel with 5.0% MMT content shows the maximum pesticides loading rate of 13.32% and minimum pesticides release rate of 76.11%. The nanocomposite hydrogels take advantages of both the gelation property of alginate and the adsorption capacity of clays, has great potential in the application of pesticides carrier to improve the utilization efficiency of water-insoluble pesticides. Unlabelled Image • Stretchable double-network PAM/SA/MMT/Ca2+ gels were prepared and characterized. • PAM/SA/MMT/Ca2+ gels used for pesticide sustained release system. • MMT enhances the sustained release performances of the hydrogels. • The hydrogels can improve the utilization efficiency of water-insoluble pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binary metal compounds have higher conductivity and richer redox reactions due to the co-existence and synergism of different transition metals. Besides, carbon in composite materials has the advantage of enhancing electronic conductivity to promote fast electron transmission. Herein, a series of Ni m P n /C, Ni 2 P/C, Co 2 P/C and Ni x Co 2-x P/C nanohybrids with different Ni/Co molar ratios were synthesized by in-situ calcination/phosphorization of MOF precursors. These nanohybrid materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer and electrochemical tests. The NiCoP/C material possesses a granular structure with NiCoP nanoparticles anchored in a large number of carbon. Taking advantage of the bimetallic synergism and carbon anchoring effect, the as-prepared NiCoP/C sample delivers the most prominent specific capacities of 775.7C g−1 at 1 A g−1, and 582.4C g−1 at 20 A g−1 (20-fold) with a superior rate capability of 75.1% retention, much superior to those of the corresponding Ni m P n /C, Ni 2 P/C, Co 2 P/C, other Ni x Co 2-x P/C samples and various reported metal phosphide nanostructures/nanocomposites. Furthermore, the constructed NiCoP/C//activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor can exhibit a high energy density of 47.6 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 798.9 W kg−1, which was superior to those previously reported of Ni/Co phosphide nanomaterials. Image 1 • Ni m P n /C and Ni x Co 2-x P/C nanohybrids have been synthetised by in-situ calcination/phosphorization of the corresponding MOF. • Synergistic effect of Ni and Co significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance of Ni 2 P and Co 2 P. • NiCoP/C possesses high specific capacity and superior rate performance. • High energy density of 47.6 W h kg−1 at 798.9 W kg−1 can be obtained in ASC device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical and efficient routing protocols for networks of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have rapidly grown into a research hotspot in future advanced wireless communication. This paper studies a TDMA-based opportunistic cooperative relaying (OCR-TDMA) MAC scheme for Flying Ad-Hoc Networks (FANETs), which is applied in a two-hop relay network composed of source UAV, relaying UAV, destination UAV and helper UAVs. Here, helper UAVs are different with the default relaying UAV, and only help forwarding relay packets when certain conditions are met, which balances fairness and high efficiency. This paper proposes a method to calculate the throughput of OCR-TDMA. The theoretical analysis results and simulation results match well, and show attractive performance gain against CR-TDMA. Markablely, OCR-TDMA can perform well even in hostile communication environment, in which CR-TDMA is almost out of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological protection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is one part of China's national strategy, and to identify the spatiotemporal variation of ecosystem service values (ESV) and examine the YREB policies performances can provide effective knowledge and supports for making ecological protection policies. In this paper, the ESV of YREB's 11 units were measured based on equivalent factor value method. Panal data and regression discontinuity model were used to discuss the impact of the ecological protection policies issued 2012 and 2014 on the ESVs. The results showed that: (1) From 2009 to 2016, the total ESVs of the YREB increased from 617.49 billion USD to 844.84 billion USD, showing a pattern of slow increase (2009–2012), substantial growth (2012–2014) and stability of high level (2014–2016). Forestland and water body were the key types of land to ecological protection. For the average of all measured years, the two lands accounted for 43.24% of total ecological land and provided 82.36% of total ESVs;(2) Generally, all the units were closely related to the ecological protection policy and were positively affected. In the first period (2009–2012), the ESVs of 11 units had three statuses: declined, kept steady and moderately increased. After strong policy implementation, all units rose sharply (2012–2014) and maintained a steady increase at a high level (2014–2016); (3) Ecological protection policies have a significant positive effect on the ESVs. The policy in 2012 suppressed the downward trend of ESVs increase and the policy in 2014 had a positive impact to increase ESVs. This study proved that possible to achieve a win-win situation of urban development and ecological environmental protection by implementing ecological protection policies. Unlabelled Image • Unit value coefficients of ecosystem service value (ESV) were adjusted to fit YREB. • Forestland and waters were two key land categories to provide the ESV in YREB. • The spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ESVs in YREB were analyzed. • Appropriate ecological protection policies can promote the rapid growth of the ESVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Coated PEDV-loaded microspheres were developed by centrifugal granulation-fluidized bed coating. • Coated PEDV-loaded microspheres could protect PEDV antigens against the complex gastrointestinal environment in vitro and in vivo. • Oral vaccination with coated PEDV-loaded microspherescould induce higher levels of PEDV-specific antibodies in weaned piglets than the orally delivered PEDV only group. Abstract Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infects pigs of all ages by invading villous epithelial cells of the small intestine causing severe diarrhea with high mortality rate in suckling piglets. Mucosal immunity is believed to play an important role in PEDV control and mucosal delivery of vaccines induces mucosal immunity more efficiently than parenteral vaccination. In this study, coated PEDV-loaded microspheres with the size range of 700–900 μm in diameter were developed by centrifugal granulation-fluidized bed coating and demonstrated as an effective oral delivery system to protect PEDV antigens against the complex gastrointestinal environment by detecting the live virus particles in microspheres after the simulated gastric fluid treatment and the PEDV RNA in fecal swabs collected from all weaned piglets (100%) orally inoculated with coated PEDV-loaded microspheres. Weaned piglets orally immunized with coated PEDV-loaded microspheres developed higher levels of PEDV-specific antibodies (IgG and IgA) in their sera and saliva than those negative control groups (p < 0.001 or p < 0.01). Furthermore, neutralization assays demonstrated that serum antibodies in coated PEDV-loaded microspheres groups could significantly inhibit virus infection in Vero cells, compared to PEDV only group (p < 0.05). Overall, our results indicate that the coated PEDV-loaded microspheres might serve as an effective way to induce PEDV-specific mucosal immunity in pigs against PEDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Co-Mo-O (Co 1.2 MoO 4.2 ·1.3H 2 O)/Ni 3 S 2 nanosheet arrays were in-situ grown directly on Ni foam (NF) by a facile two-step hydrothermal reaction, in which the untrathin Co-Mo-O nanosheets are connected to each other into a three-dimensional (3D) porous hierarchical architecture with Ni 3 S 2 entrapped on the underneath Ni support. The resulting Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in KOH solution, which yields a 50 mA cm−2 of OER current density at an overpotential of 0.29 V, outperforming the state-of-the-art noble RuO 2 (η 50 = 0.42 V), Co-Mo-O/NF (η 50 = 0.33 V) and Ni 3 S 2 /NF (η 50 = 0.31 V). And it demonstrates a high specific capacity of 340 mAh g−1 at 2 mA cm−2 with good capability (82.1% of the retention at 32 mA cm−2) in basic solution when used as supercapacitor electrode, which is superior to those of Co-Mo-O/NF (183 mAh g−1) and Ni 3 S 2 /NF (70 mAh g−1). The outstanding electrochemical performance of Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF is associated with the synergistic effect of the individual components as well as the nanosheets directly grown on Ni conducting support with more active sites exposed. Furthermore, Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF displays good durability in 12 h-electrolysis experiment for OER and 10000 charge-discharge cycles. It is expected to benefit from Ni 3 S 2 entrapped by the protective layer of 3D porous Co-Mo-O nanosheet arrays, which not only can provide channel for electrolyte ion to pass through, but also improve the stability of Ni 3 S 2. In addition, the fabricated Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF//Activated carbon (AC) asymmetrical supercapacitor shows an ultra-high energy density of 57.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.1 kW kg−1. Graphical abstract Ultrathin Co-Mo-O nanosheet arrays were in-situ grown on Ni foam into 3D porous architecture with Ni 3 S 2 entrapped on Ni support, which exhibits electrocatalytic activity for OER (η 50 = 0.29 V), and demonstrates a specific capacity of 340 mAh g−1 at 2 mA cm−2 with good capability (82.1% of the retention at 32 mA cm−2) in KOH solution with good durability in 12 h-electrolysis experiment and 10000 charge-discharge cycles. Image 1 Highlights • The Ni 3 S 2 warped by Co-Mo-O (Co 1.2 MoO 4.2 · 1.3H 2 O) fabricated by hydrothermal method. • Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF exhibits an excellent performance for oxygen evolution reaction and supercapacitor. • The asymmetric supercapacitor device obtains high energy density and power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since a novel hyper-virulent fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) infection occurred in 2015, the novel FAdV-4 has been widely spreading across China, causing significant economic losses to the poultry industry. As the urgency of the issue calls for effective and efficient solutions, the present study investigated the possibility of the fiber-2 protein of the FAdV-4 to serve as a vaccine candidate against the novel FAdV-4. In the research, fiber-2 proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli , and then purified. To evaluate the immunogenicity of the recombinant fiber-2 protein, we investigated both the humoral and cellular immune responses in chickens immunized with fiber-2. The humoral immunity was assessed by detecting IgY antibodies and virus-neutralizing antibodies in chicken serum at 7, 14, 21 days post-immunization (dpi). We examined cellular immune responses by detecting CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ changes in chickens’ peripheral blood through using flow cytometry at 7, 14, 21 dpi. The cytokine production in the serum of the immunized chickens was detected by ELISA at 7, 14, 21 dpi to further explore the impact of the recombinant protein on the regulation of cytokines. The protective efficacy was determined by the survival rate of the immunized chickens challenged with the novel FAdV-4. The results show that the level of IgY antibodies of the chickens immunized with fiber-2 protein was significantly higher than that of the chickens immunized with an inactivated vaccine against FAdV-4. Moreover, 7 days after immunization, the CD4+ T-cell proliferative response of the chickens immunized with fiber-2 was significantly higher than that of the chickens immunized with the inactivated vaccine. Challenge experiment showed that the fiber-2 protein could provide full protection and the inactivated vaccine could provide 90 percent protection against the FAdV-4. These results suggest that the recombinant fiber-2 protein can be an ideal candidate for subunit vaccines against the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian coccidiosis is the most serious parasitic disease in the poultry industry. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore the effects of B. subtilis and live coccidiosis vaccine alone or in combination on the production performance and anticoccidiosis, as well as the dynamic changes of intestinal microbial community. Nine hundred ninty Mahuang chickens were randomized into 4 preimmune groups including control group, coccidiosis vaccine immunization group; B. subtilis administration group and a group that was administrated a combination of live coccidiosis vaccine and B. subtilis group. Intestinal mucosal scraps collected from all these experimental groups at the age of 8 d and 15 d for microbial community 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At the age of 25 d, 30 broilers from each preimmune group were randomly assigned to a subgroup infected with Eimeria spp. and renamed as CI, V-CI BS-CI, and VBS-CI group. The production performance was monitored at the age of 25 d, 35 d, 45 d, and 55 d for the rest broilers from each pre-immune group. Otherwise, in the Eimeria spp. challenge stage, intestinal mucosal scraps collected for microbial community sequencing, while duodenum, jejunum, and cecum collected for pathological examination after sacrifice at the age of 32 d. In addition, the oocysts per gram of feces (OPG) and intestinal lesion score of broilers after Eimeria spp. challenge were also counted. Overall, the probiotics and coccidiosis vaccine resulted in the significantly improvement of the production performance. Otherwise, the intestinal lesion score and OPG after Eimeria spp. infection was significantly decreased in the VBS-CI group (P < 0.05). Moreover, these protective effects may also be closely related to genus such as Romboutsia, Blautia , and Butyricococcus , as well as microbiota functions like the quorum sensing pathway. According to these results, a combination of B. subtilis and coccidiosis vaccines can improve performance and provide additional protection against Eimeria spp. infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to cisplatin presents a major obstacle in managing advanced-stage cervical cancer. Cuproptosis, a newly identified form of cell death induced by copper ions, has potential in overcoming chemoresistance. But the application of cuproptosis in cervical cancer resistant to cisplatin has not yet been reported. In this study, treatment with Elsm-Cu in cervical cancer cells induced cuproptosis, affecting cell proliferation and apoptosis was found. Moreover, cuproptosis in cervical cancer cells was significantly induced by baicalein. The combination of baicalein and cisplatin exhibited a synergistic effect on cervical cancer cells by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell viability via the induction of cuproptosis. Animal experiments demonstrated that this combination significantly suppressed tumor growth. Upon treating cells with SC79 (Akt agonist), a significant inhibition of the expression of cuproptosis-related proteins SDHB and FDX1 were observed, indicating that baicalein induced cuproptosis through the Akt pathway. These results indicated that baicalein, mediated through the Akt pathway to induce cuproptosis, had the potential to improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of duck astrovirus (DAstV) has occurred in duck farming regions of China, causing substantial economic setbacks in the duck industry. This investigation aimed to examine the variations in DAstV pathogenicity among ducks at different age intervals. Infections were induced in ducks at distinct age groups (1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d) utilizing the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain. The results indicate increased pathogenicity of the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain in ducklings aged 21 to 28 d, manifesting as liver and kidney enlargement, severe bleeding, and potential fatalities. Conversely, ducklings aged 1 and 14 d displayed milder symptoms postinfection. Notably, viral shedding continued in ducks of diverse age groups even 21 d postinfection (Dpi). Moreover, DAstV replicates in various tissues, predominantly affecting the liver. Immunohistochemical tests using rabbit anti-DAstV antibodies revealed robust positive signals in both the liver and kidneys, which correlated with the clinical symptom severity observed through macroscopic and microscopic examinations. Serum biochemical assays and indirect ELISA demonstrated a consistent response to DAstV infection across different age groups, with older ducklings exhibiting increased sensitivity. In conclusion, this study successfully replicated clinical symptoms similar to those of natural DAstV infection using the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain. Importantly, we systematically delineated the differences in susceptibility to DAstV among ducks at various ages, laying the foundation for further research into the pathogenic mechanisms of DAstV and potential vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riemerella anatipestifer (RA) causes epizootic infectious polyserositis in ducks with high mortality and leads to huge economic losses worldwide. Bacterial resistance poses a challenge for the control of the disease, vaccines failed to provide ideal cross-protection. Thus, the preparation of vaccines based on popular serotypes is important. In this study, we collected 700 brain and liver tissues of dead ducks from 8 provinces in southern China from 2016 to 2022 and obtained 195 RA isolates with serotypes 1, 2, 7, and 10. Serotypes 1 and 2 were the most prevalent (82%). A novel bivalent inactivated vaccine WZX-XT5 containing propolis adjuvant was prepared, we chose XT5 (serotype 1) and WZX (serotype 2) as vaccine strains and evaluated WZX-XT5-induced immune response and protective efficacy in ducks. Results showed that the XT5 (LD 50 , 3.5 × 103 CFU) exhibited high virulence and provided better protection against RA compared with ZXP, DCR and LCF1 (LD 50 , 108 CFU). Notably, the dose of 109 CFU provided ideal protection compared with 108 CFU, propolis and oil emulsion adjuvants induced stronger protective efficacy compared with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. Importantly, WZX-XT5 immunization induced high levels of RA-specific IgY, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 in serum and offered over 90% protection against RA with ultra-high lethal dose in ducks. Additionally, no clinical signs of RA infection or obvious pathological damage in tissues were observed in protected ducks. Overall, this study first reports the identification, serotyping and virulence of RA in ducks of southern China and the preparation of a novel bivalent inactivated vaccine, providing useful scientific information to prevent and control RA infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is one of the important pathogens in poultry industry and has led to major economic losses. Understanding the epidemiology is crucial to improve the control and eradication program of MG. This study collected 1,250 chicken samples, including trachea and lung, from China in 2022 to investigate the epidemiology of MG. Among the collected samples, 938 samples were positive for MG infection, resulting in an average positive rate of 75.04%. Additionally, 570 samples were positive for both MG and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) coinfection, with an average positive rate of 45.60%. A total of 183 MG infection positive samples in this study were selected for genotyping, and the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method based on 7 housekeeping genes was used. As a result, 183 samples belonged to 11 sequence types (STs), with ST-78 being the most prevalent. After BURST analysis, all 183 sequences were divided into group 3. Besides, 119 reference sequences from database and 183 sequences of this study were selected to construct the phylogenetic tree using the neighbor-joining method. The results revealed that the sequences from China, total 196 sequences, were classified into 4 branches. The findings suggest that the MG strains in China exhibit diverse genotypes, which may be related to international trade and the use of live vaccines. Furthermore, we detected the drug susceptibility of 10 isolated strains randomly, which may be helpful to guide the clinical use of drugs to control MG infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy is an important therapeutic modality in the treatment of cancers. Nevertheless, the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as hypoxia and high glutathione (GSH), limit the efficacy of radiotherapy. Manganese-based (Mn-based) nanomaterials offer a promising prospect for sensitizing radiotherapy due to their good responsiveness to the TME. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms of radiosensitization of Mn-based nanosystems, including alleviating tumor hypoxia, increasing reactive oxygen species production, increasing GSH conversion, and promoting antitumor immunity. We further illustrate the applications of these mechanisms in cancer radiotherapy, including the development and delivery of radiosensitizers, as well as their combination with other therapeutic modalities. Finally, we summarize the application of Mn-based nanosystems as contrast agents in realizing precision therapy. Hopefully, the present review will provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of Mn-based nanosystems, as well as their applications in radiotherapy, in order to address the difficulties and challenges that remain in their clinical application in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) have been discovered in swine herds from three provinces in China, suggesting a wide distribution in China. This study reports the occurrence of three novel APPV strains in China. They were detected from newborn piglets with clinical signs of congenital tremors (CT) in Guangdong Province, China. The complete genomic sequences of three novel APPV strains exhibited only 80.5%–84.1% nucleotide sequences homology with other APPV reference sequences available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these novel APPV strains formed independent branch from the American, German, Netherlandish, Australian and other Chinese strains. These results will help us better understand the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of APPV in China. Highlights • Three novel atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) strains were detected in China. • The homology exhibited only 80.5%–84.1% with other APPV reference sequences. • These APPV strains formed independent branch from other APPV reference sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • PDCoV infection caused severe diarrhea, virus shedding and intestinal lesion in weaned piglets. • PDCoV could induce TLR3 mRNA expression in infected Peyer's patches from weaned piglets. • PDCoV obviously induced IL-12, IFN-α, IFN-β, and PKR mRNA expression in infected Peyer's patches from weaned piglets. Abstract Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly identified swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes watery diarrhea in piglets and results in significant economic losses to the pig industry. Currently there are no effective treatments or vaccines for PDCoV. In particular, the pathogenesis of PDCoV infection is still largely unknown. In this study, we reported that inoculating conventional weaned piglets with 1 × 109 TCID 50 of the PDCoV CHN-GD-2016 strain by oral feeding could cause severe diarrhea. Virus RNA was detected in rectal swabs from 1 to 7 days post inoculation. In addition, microscopic lesions in small intestine were observed, and viral antigen also detected in the small intestines with PDCoV immunohistochemical staining. Importantly, PDCoV significantly induced mRNA expression of TLR3, IL-12, IFN-α, IFN-β, and PKR, the genes involved in modulation of the host immune responses, in infected Peyer's patches at 3 d.p.i., indicating that Peyer's patches play an important role in PDCoV immune responses in vivo. Collectively, our findings suggest that the observed gene expression profile might help explain immunological and pathological changes associated with PDCoV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, we propose and theoretically investigate a tunable stacked graphene metasurface, which can independently manipulate electromagnetic field at different terahertz frequency. By tuning the Fermi levels of graphene ribbons, the designed two-layers graphene ribbons can realize a required phase shift of ∼ 2 π for manipulating the terahertz wavefronts owing to the excitation of plasmon resonances at each layer of graphene ribbons. A reflective double-frequencies focusing metalens has been designed working at 3.5 THz and 7.0 THz. For the designed lens with focal lengths of 300 μ m , the focus depth of 3.5 THz and 7.0 THz electromagnetic wave (full width at half maximum along the Z direction) is 174. 7 μ m and 84 μ m , respectively. In addition, the resolution of focal points (full width at half maximum along the X direction) are close to the half-wavelength in the focusing plane, which are 48. 2 μ m and 21. 5 μ m respectively, demonstrating that the proposed metalens have superior performance. Furthermore, the focal length and offset distance of focal point of the lens can be tuned actively by changing gate voltages. The present graphene metasurface paves the way to engineering various potential applications for tunable, multiband, multifunctional metasurfaces. Highlights • A tunable stacked graphene metasurface can manipulate THz wavefronts. • Required phase shifts can be realized by changing the Fermi levels. • A double-frequency lens works at 3.5 THz and 7.0 THz respectively. • The focal length and offset distance of focal point can be tuned effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PEDV variants, causing severe diarrhea in neonatal suckling piglets with a mortality rate up to 100%, have being epidemic since late 2010 in china. To meet the pressing need of safe and cost-efficient PED maternal vaccines against PEDV variant, we vaccinated growing piglets with a flagellin-adjuvanted PED vaccine rSF-COE-3D by injection at Houhai acupoint. The vaccination not only enhanced the antibody responses of serum IgG/IgA, mucosal IgA and serum neutralizing antibody, but also improved the production of IFN-γ and IL-4. Moreover, rSF-COE-3D could provide a better protection against the challenge of a high pathogenic PEDV variant, with less diarrhea pigs, less pigs with detectable PEDV shed, lower rank values of feces and less apparent lesions and inflammation in duodenum of the PEDV infected pigs. The improved protective efficiency of rSF-COE-3D compared with COE was mostly benefited from the enhanced production of serum IgA, mucosal IgA in feces and serum neutralizing antibody titers. Taken together, our data suggest that rSF-COE-3D would be a novel efficient PED vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is an important re-emergent infectious disease and inflicts huge economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. To meet the pressing need of developing a safe and cost-efficient PED maternal vaccine, we generated three PED subunit vaccine candidates, using recombined Salmonella flagellin (rSF) as a mucosal molecular adjuvant. Domain D3 in rSF was replaced with COE domain of PEDV to generate rSF-COE-3D. COE fused to the flanking C′/N′ terminal of rSF yielded rSF-COE-C and rSF-COE-N. As a result, rSF-COE-3D could significantly improve COE specific antibody production including serum IgG, serum IgA, mucosal IgA and PEDV neutralizing antibody. Furthermore, rSF-COE-3D elicited more CD3 + CD8 + T cell and cytokine production of IFN-γ and IL-4 in mouse splenocytes. In summary, our data showed that rSF-COE-3D could improve specific humoral and mucosal immunity in mice, thus suggesting that rSF-COE-3D could be applied as a novel efficient maternal PED vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, cholesteryl-grafted sodium alginate derivatives (CSAD) with different molecular weights were synthesized by esterification. The structure of CSAD was confirmed by FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectrometers. The effects of pH and CSAD polymer concentration on the self-assembled behavior and particle size of CSAD were investigated by fluorescence measurement (FM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). In the presence of Ca 2+ , the cholesteryl-grafted sodium alginate derivative was used for fabricating self-assembled nanoparticles that can effectively encapsulate the drug acetamiprid. The drug-loaded nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The encapsulation efficiency ( EE ) and acetamiprid drug release behavior from the nanoparticles were also studied. The results reveal that CSAD self-assembled nanoparticles had a diameter of 100 nm and were nonaggregated in aqueous media; Moreover, the encapsulation efficiency and the release behavior of nanoparticles were influenced by the MW of CSAD. The mechanism of acetamiprid release was found to vary from non-Fickian (anomalous) to Fickian transport with a decrease in the molecular weight of CSAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alginate (Alg) was grafted on the surface of anisotropic silica (SiO 2 -x) via the Ugi reaction (Alg-SiO 2 -1, Alg-SiO 2 -2, and Alg-SiO 2 -4). Compared with pristine SiO 2 -x, modified SiO 2 -x is more sensitive to pH. Three stable liquid paraffin-in-water emulsions were prepared with Alg-SiO2-1, Alg-SiO2-2, and Alg-SiO2-4. Alg-SiO 2 -2 exhibited satisfactory emulsification ability. The emulsions became more stable as emulsion pH varied from 2.0 to 6.2 because of polymer chain interactions that led to the formation of a three-dimensional network. When the emulsion pH varied from 6.2 to 8.0, the particle charge increased, in turn increasing interparticle the electrostatic interactions that increased emulsion stability. When the emulsion pH was 9.0, the subsequent decrease in particle charge, decreased the emulsion stability. The model drug λ-cyhalothrin was embedded in the emulsions. A sustained-release assay demonstrated that increasing emulsion pH from 3.0 to 8.0 decreased cumulative drug release from the emulsion from 99.7% to 13.5%. This result indicated that the emulsion is a pH triggered drug delivery system. The sustained-release curves of λ-cyhalothrin are describable by the Weibull model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma synoviae (M. synoviae) is an important pathogen in poultry industry and has led to major economic losses. Understanding the epidemiology is crucial to improve control and eradication program of M. synoviae. In this study, 487 samples suspected with M. synoviae infection were collected from August 2020 to June 2021 in China. Among 487 samples, 324 samples were MS positive, the positive rate was 66.53%, and 104 strains were isolated from 324 positive samples. The multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method based on seven housekeeping genes was used to conduct genotyping 104 M. synoviae strains isolated, and the 104 isolates belonged to 8 sequence types (ST s) after MLST genotyping, and ST-34 had the highest proportion. After BURST analysis, all 104 isolates were divided into group 12 with other 56 strains isolated from China. Phylogenetic tree constructed by neighbor-joining method showed that nearly all of Chinese isolates (160 isolates) clustered together and separated from other reference isolates (217 isolates) in the PubMLST database. In conclusion, this study suggested that the M. synoviae strains in China were highly similar and independent of abroad strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realistic turbulence is the key component to obtain accurate simulations for large eddy simulation of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). At present, synthetic turbulence methods have been widely applied, but there are still some defects such that spatial correlations and cross-correlations between different velocity components cannot be strictly reproduced. Thus, we propose a new inflow turbulence generation (ITG) method, the consistency improved random flow generation (CIRFG) method. The proposed method is derived to model the spatial correlations and cross-correlations between different velocity components by explicitly embedding turbulence characteristics, thus it can be used widely in arbitrary situations without any empirical parameters. Meanwhile, the CIRFG method is maintained to satisfy arbitrary mean velocity, turbulence intensity, frequency spectra, temporal correlation, etc. Further, according to the simulation of ABL flows, it is verified that the new method has good self-sustainability of wind profiles. Finally, compared with the simulations of flow around high-rise building model with wind tunnel tests, it is demonstrated that the proposed method has high accuracy and feasibility. • The proposed method is derived explicitly to model the spatial correlations. • The method is proposed to satisfy cross-correlations between different velocities. • The proposed method has good self-sustainability of wind profiles. • The proposed method has the advantages of high accuracy and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2013, severe porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) outbreaks first appeared in USA, causing significant financial losses. To detect the geographic origin and timing of USA porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) isolates, we conducted a retrospective study to isolate 19 PEDV strains from positive samples obtained prior to April 2013. The results of phylogenetic and recombination analyses showed that GDS10 strain shared a common ancestor with CO13 strain, which was obtained from a piglet with severe diarrhea in USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The efficacy and safety of LNG-IUSs use in women with symptomatic uterine leiomyoma. [•] LNG-IUSs could decrease uterine volume and endometrial thickness. [•] LNG-IUSs could reduce menstrual blood loss. [•] LNG-IUS expulsion was related to leiomyoma size. [•] LNG-IUSs have no adverse effects on the ovarian function except for ovarian cysts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mycoplasma synoviae (MS), an important avian pathogen, can cause chronic respiratory disease, eggshell apex abnormalities, infectious synovitis, and arthritis in avian species, leading serious economic losses in the global poultry industry. To date, studies have shown significant different transcript profiles using various chicken cells after MS infection. However, in vitro cell models cannot fully represent the complex in vivo regulations after adventitious infection. The objective of this study was to explore the nature of the host-pathogen interaction during MS infection. The tracheal and spleen tissues of chickens were collected at d 0, 1, 3, and 5 postinoculation, and samples were analyzed for differential gene expression using Illumina RNA sequencing. A lot of significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in this analysis, and 861 DEGs were observed in trachea tissues and 753 DEGs were observed in spleen samples. Many of DEGs in trachea tissues participate in a variety of cellular activities, especially cellular metabolism. Immune-related DEGs were mainly enriched at d 3, and 5 postinfection in trachea tissues. While, DEGs in spleen tissues were significantly and mainly enriched into immune-related pathways. The results of this study show the direct interactions between MS and the chicken trachea and spleen for the first time. Early dysregulation of tissue-wide gene expression as observed here set the stage for persistent infection of MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nitrosamines are potent carcinogens and have been found in latex products. In 2007, twenty-seven natural latex gloves including sterile gloves, examination gloves and household use gloves were sampled from the Chinese market. This study monitored the migration of nitrosamines and nitrosatable substance from these gloves, and evaluated their mutagenicity using a Salmonella typhimurium mutation assay (Ames assay) with the strains TA98, TA97, TA100 and TA102 and by a micronucleus test (MN test) using ICR mice. In addition, the cytotoxicity of these compounds was determined by a MTT assay. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) were all found in samples treated with artificial sweat for 4h at 37°C, and total nitrosamines varied from 18.89 to 244.51μg/Kg. The nitrosamine mixture of NDMA, NDEA and NDBA was used in both the Ames assay and the MN test. The proportion of NDMA, NDEA and NDBA (1:10:20) was selected according to the proportion of nitrosamines migration from sample E05. In the Ames assay, the lowest dose (1.98×10−3 μg per plate) produced a positive result in the TA98 strain, corresponding to nitrosamines migration from sample E05 of 0.016g (the total nitrosamines migration from glove E05 was 122.55μg/kg). The TA100 strain responded positively at a dose of 4.96×10−2 μg per plate, corresponding to nitrosamines migration from glove E05 of 0.040g. The MN test showed nitrosamine migration of 3.04mg from 2066 pairs of sample E05 and could induce micronuclei in one mouse weighing 28g (average weight of one E05 glove was 6g). Extracts from gloves were found to be cytotoxic and there was a significant correlation between cytotoxicity (IC50) and the release level of nitrosamines. In conclusion, in view of the high content of nitrosamines in latex gloves and the potential toxicity of nitrosamines migration from these gloves, it is suggested that both an effective and feasible detection method and prescribed limits should be imposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A novel method based on TA-Fe3+ LBL self-assembly to make NF membranes was proposed. • The prepared NF membrane is superhydrophilic and has stable separation performance. • NF membrane has a permeance of 40.9 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 with over 93.9% dye rejection. • the proposed membrane preparation process is facile and environmental-friendly. Co-deposition between plant polyphenol tannic acid (TA) and Fe3+ has been reported to be a facile way to construct nanofiltration (NF) membranes. However, this strategy suffers the problems of low atom economy and generating a large amount of environment-harmful aggregate wastes in solution. This work proposed a novel method based on layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly for preparation of TA-Fe3+ complex based NF membrane. The proposed method was facile and environmental-friendly because it did not require any chemical or solvent involved pretreatment nor generated any aggregate waste. A series of characterizations proved the successful formation of TA-Fe3+ complex based top layer on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support surface. The resultant membrane showed superhydrophilicity property with water contact angle as low as 8°. Meanwhile, the optimized membrane showed a high water permeance of 40.9 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 whilst simultaneously maintained rejections higher than 93.9% towards various dyes with the molecular weight (MW) ranging from 320 to 1017 Da. Moreover, the as-prepared NF membranes showed stable long-term separation performance and good ion/organic selective separation performance. This study not only proposed a facile fabrication process for TA-Fe3+ complex based NF membrane, but also provided great potentials for sustainable molecular separation by the prepared membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]