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Background/objectives: The visual acuity (VA) outcomes after the first and second years of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) were evaluated, and the factors associated with treatment success were investigated., Methods: Using Medisoft electronic medical records (UK), this retrospective cohort study analysed VA outcomes, changes, and determinants in DMO patients at year 1 and year 2 after initial anti-VEGF injection. Descriptive analysis examined baseline demographics and clinical characteristics, while regression models were used to assess associations between these factors and changes in VA., Results: 728 DMO patients (1035 eyes) treated with anti-VEGFs (ranibizumab, aflibercept, or bevacizumab) at the Northern Ireland Mater Macular Clinic from 2008 to 2021 were evaluated. The mean age was 64.5 (SD 12.8) years, and 59.6% were male. In the first year, the median annual injection number and interval were 6.0 (IQR 5.0-8.0) and 6.1 weeks (IQR 5.4-7.8), respectively, and in the second year, they were 3.0 (IQR 2.0-5.0) and 10.0 weeks (IQR 6.5-20.1). In the first two treatment years, 83.4% and 79.8% of eyes had improved/stable VA (ISVA) respectively. The injection number, interval, baseline VA, age, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) significantly impacted VA outcomes., Conclusions: Our study confirms the effectiveness of anti-VEGF treatments in improving or maintaining vision for DMO patients, consistent with previous real-world clinical data. An elder age, a better baseline VA, low annual injection numbers (<5), and less frequent injection intervals (≥12 weeks) were negatively associated with ISVA success in the first two years. These findings have implications for managing patient expectations, allocating resources, and understanding DMO clinical management.

Color variation in plant leaves has a significant impact on their photosynthesis and plant growth. Camellia chekiangoleosa yellow-leaf mutants are ideal materials for studying the mechanisms of pigment synthesis and photosynthesis, but their mechanism of leaf variation is not clear. We systematically elucidated the intrinsic causes of leaf yellowing in the new Camellia chekiangoleosa variety 'Diecui Liuji' in terms of changes in its cell structure, pigment content, and transcript levels. This study indicates that the incomplete structure of chloroplast-like vesicles, the decrease in blue-green chlorophyll a, and the increase in yellow-green chlorophyll b in yellowing leaves are the direct causes of yellowing-leaf formation. The high expression of genes that catalyze the degradation of chlorophyll a ( PAO and RCCR ) and its conversion to chlorophyll b ( CAO ) in yellowing leaves leads to a decrease in the chlorophyll a content, while the low expression of CLH genes is the main reason for the increase in the chlorophyll b content. We also found transcription factors such as ERF, E2F, WRKY, MYB, TPC, TGA, and NFYC may regulate their expression. RT-qPCR assays of 12 DEGs confirm the RNA-seq results. This study will provide a foundation for investigating the transcriptional and regulatory mechanisms of leaf color changes.

Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (CLRh), Curcumae Radix (CRa), and Curcumae Rhizoma (CRh), derived from the different medicinal parts of the Curcuma species, are blood-activating analgesics commonly used for promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. Due to their certain similarities in chemical composition and pharmacological effects, these three herbs exhibit a high risk associated with mixing and indiscriminate use. The diverse methods used for distinguishing the medicinal origins are complex, time-consuming, and limited to intraspecific differentiation, which are not suitable for rapid and systematic identification. We developed a rapid analysis method for identification of affinis and different medicinal materials using attenuated total reflection-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) combined with machine learning algorithms. The original spectroscopic data were pretreated using derivatives, standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), and smoothing (S) methods. Among them, 1D + MSC + 13S emerged as the best pretreatment method. Then, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) was applied to visualize the results, and seven kinds of classification models were constructed. The results showed that support vector machine (SVM) modeling was superior to other models and the accuracy of validation and prediction was preferable, with a modeling time of 127.76 s. The established method could be employed to rapidly and effectively distinguish the different origins and parts of Curcuma species and thus provides a technique for rapid quality evaluation of affinis species.

Chinese scorpion (CS), a traditional animal-based medicine used for over a millennium, has been documented since AD 935-960. It is derived from the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch and is used to treat various ailments such as stroke, epilepsy, rheumatism, and more. Modern research has identified the pharmacological mechanisms behind its traditional uses, with active components like venom and proteins showing analgesic, antitumor, antiepileptic, and antithrombotic effects. Studies reveal that CS affects ion channels, crucial for cellular functions, through interactions with sodium, potassium, and calcium channels, potentially explaining its therapeutic effects. Future research aims to elucidate the precise mechanisms, target specific ion channel subtypes, and validate clinical efficacy and safety, paving the way for novel therapies based on these natural compounds.

Objectives: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is recognized for its complex composition and multiple therapeutic targets. However, current pharmacological research often concentrates on extracts or individual components. The former approach faces numerous challenges, whereas the latter oversimplifies and disregards the synergistic effects among TCM components. This study aims to investigate the scientific validity of focusing on the active constituent in TCM efficacy research, using Pueraria lobata ( P. lobata ) as a case study. Methods: Through spectrum-effect correlation analysis, network pharmacology, and molecular docking, five active ingredients of P. lobata were identified: puerarin, formononetin, tuberosin, 4',7-dihdroxy-3'-methoxyisoflavone, and Daidzein-4,7-diglucoside. These ingredients were combined to form an active constituent, which was subsequently tested in vitro and in vivo. Results: In in vitro, the active constituent exhibited superior effects in enhancing glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis compared to both the P. lobata extract and individual components. In vivo experiments demonstrated that medium and high doses of the active constituent were significantly more effective than P. lobata extract, with effects comparable to those of metformin in reducing blood sugar levels. Conclusions: The active constituent effectively improves T2DM by lowering blood glucose levels, promoting glycogen synthesis, and modulating glycolipid metabolism. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that it outperformed the P. lobata extract and individual components. This study establishes the scientific validity and feasibility of utilizing the active constituent as the focus for investigating the efficacy of TCM, thereby offering novel insights and a new research paradigm for future TCM investigations.

A dense monolithic SiC/(Hf 0.25 Ta 0.25 Zr 0.25 Nb 0.25 )C/C high-entropy ceramic nanocomposite was prepared using a polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) method combined with spark plasma sintering (SPS). The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the obtained nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning-electron microscope (SEM), and nanoindentation. The results indicate that the phase composition of SiC/(Hf 0.25 Ta 0.25 Zr 0.25 Nb 0.25 )C/C can be adjusted by modifying the metal content of the single-source precursor (SSP) through molecular design. The resulting precursor exhibits an exceptionally high ceramic yield, with mass retention of over 90% at 1100 °C, which guarantees the densification of the final SiC/(Hf 0.25 Ta 0.25 Zr 0.25 Nb 0.25 )C/C composites. The PDC route facilitates the in situ formation of a high-entropy phase within the ceramic matrix under low temperature pyrolysis conditions. Combined with SPS, a dense monolithic SiC/(Hf 0.25 Ta 0.25 Zr 0.25 Nb 0.25 )C/C nanocomposite was obtained, exhibiting an open porosity of 0.41 vol%, nano-hardness of 27.47 ± 0.46 GPa, elastic modulus of 324.00 ± 13.60 GPa, and fracture toughness of 3.59 ± 0.24 MPa·m 0.5 , demonstrating excellent mechanical properties.

Polyamides' properties are greatly influenced by the polymerization process and the type of feedstock used. The solid forms of nylon salts play a significant role in determining the final characteristics of the material. This study focuses on the long-chain bio-nylon 512. Firstly, we systematically investigated the possible solid forms of the nylon 512 salt, including crystal forms and morphologies, by massive experimental screening, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and TG-DSC measurements. The regulation and control of the various solid forms were achieved through solid-state transformations (SSTs) and solution-mediated phase transformations (SMPTs). Our findings shows that the nylon 512 salt exists in two crystal forms (anhydrate and dihydrate) and four morphologies (needle-like, plate-like, rod-like, and massive block crystal). Many factors will influence the formation of these solid forms, such as water activity, temperature, solvent, and ultrasonic physical fields. We can choose the right factors to regulate this as needed. On this basis, we studied the effects of different solid forms (crystal forms and morphologies) on the properties of the resulting polyamides prepared using direct solid-state polymerization (DSSP). The solid form of the salt had many effects on the polymer, including its structure, melting point, and mechanical properties. The polyamide obtained through DSSP of the anhydrate salt exhibited a higher melting point (204.22 °C) and greater elastic modulus (3.366 GPa) compared to that of the dihydrate salt, especially for the anhydrate salt of plate-like crystals.

Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels (CNGCs) are cell membrane channel proteins for calcium ions. They have been reported to play important roles in survival and in the responses to environmental factors in various plants. However, little is known about the CNGC family and its functions in luffa ( Luffa cylindrica L.). In this study, a bioinformatics-based method was used to identify members of the CNGC gene family in L. cylindrica . In total, 20 LcCNGCs were detected, and they were grouped into five subfamilies (I, II, Ⅲ, IV-a, and IV-b) in a phylogenetic analysis with CNGCs from Arabidopsis thaliana (20 AtCNGCs ) and Momordica charantia (17 McCNGCs ). The 20 LcCNGC genes were unevenly distributed on 11 of the 13 chromosomes in luffa, with none on Chromosomes 1 and 5. The members of each subfamily encoded proteins with highly conserved functional domains. An evolutionary analysis of CNGCs in luffa revealed three gene losses and a motif deletion. An examination of gene replication events during evolution indicated that two tandemly duplicated gene pairs were the primary driving force behind the evolution of the LcCNGC gene family. PlantCARE analyses of the LcCNGC promoter regions revealed various cis -regulatory elements, including those responsive to plant hormones (abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid) and abiotic stresses (light, drought, and low temperature). The presence of these cis -acting elements suggested that the encoded CNGC proteins may be involved in stress responses, as well as growth and development. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses revealed tissue-specific expression patterns of LcCNGCs in various plant parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit) and the upregulation of some LcCNGCs under low-temperature stress. To confirm the accuracy of the RNA-seq data, 10 cold-responsive LcCNGC genes were selected for verification by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. Under cold conditions, LcCNGC4 was highly upregulated (>50-fold increase in its transcript levels), and LcCNGC3 , LcCNGC6 , and LcCNGC13 were upregulated approximately 10-fold. Our findings provide new information about the evolution of the CNGC family in L. cylindrica and provide insights into the functions of the encoded CNGC proteins.

Replacing traditional disposable, non-biodegradable plastic packaging with biodegradable plastic packaging is one of the key approaches to address the issue of "white pollution". PBAT/PLA/inorganic filler composites are widely utilized as a biodegradable material, commonly employed in the field of packaging films. However, the poor dispersion of inorganic fillers in the polymer matrix and the limited compatibility between PBAT and PLA have led to inferior mechanical properties and elevated costs. In this work, we propose a simple and effective strategy to improve the dispersion of nano-CaCO 3 in a PBAT/PLA matrix through solid-state shear- milling (S 3 M) technology, combined with mechanochemical modification and in situ compatibilization to enhance the compatibility between PBAT and PLA. The impact of varying milling conditions on the structure and performance of the PBAT/PLA/CaCO 3 composites was investigated. During the milling process, PBAT and PLA undergo partial molecular chain fragmentation, generating more active functional groups. In the presence of the chain extender ADR during melt blending, more branched PBAT-g-PLA is formed, thereby enhancing matrix compatibility. The results indicate that the choice of milling materials significantly affects the structure and properties of the composite. The film obtained by milling only PBAT and CaCO 3 exhibited the best performance, with its longitudinal tensile strength and fracture elongation reaching 22 MPa and 437%, respectively. This film holds great potential for application in the field of green packaging.

Due to safety problems caused by the use of organic electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries and the high production cost brought by the limited lithium resources, water-based zinc-ion batteries have become a new research focus in the field of energy storage due to their low production cost, safety, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. This paper focused on vanadium dioxide and expanded graphite (EG) composite cathode materials. Given the cycling problem caused by the structural fragility of vanadium dioxide in zinc-ion batteries, the feasibility of preparing a new composite material is explored. The EG/VO 2 composites were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method, and compared with the aqueous zinc-ion batteries assembled with a single type of VO 2 under the same conditions, the electrode materials composited with high-purity sulfur-free expanded graphite showed more excellent capacity, cycling performance, and multiplicity performance, and the EG/VO 2 composites possessed a high discharge ratio of 345 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 , and the Coulombic efficiency was close to 100%. The EG/VO 2 composite has a high specific discharge capacity of 345 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 with a Coulombic efficiency close to 100%, a capacity retention of 77% after 100 cycles, and 277.8 mAh g -1 with a capacity retention of 78% at a 20-fold increase in current density. The long cycle test data demonstrated that the composite with expanded graphite effectively improved the cycling performance of vanadium-based materials, and the composite maintained a stable Coulombic efficiency of 100% at a high current density of 2 A/g and still maintained a specific capacity of 108.9 mAh/g after 2000 cycles.

An abnormal level of dopamine (DA), a kind of neurotransmitter, correlates with a series of diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Willis-Ekbom disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. Hence, it is imperative to achieve a precise, rapid detection method in clinical medicine. In this study, we synthesized nanocomposite carbon aerogels (CAs) doped with iron and iron carbide, based on algae residue-derived biomass materials, using Fe(NO 3 ) 3 as the iron source. The modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for DA detection, denoted as CAs-Fe/GCE, was prepared through surface modification with this composite material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed the successful doping of iron into the as-prepared CAs. Additionally, the electrochemical behavior of DA on the modified electrode surface was investigated and the results demonstrate that the addition of the CAs-Fe promoted the electron transfer rate, thereby enhancing their sensing performance. The fabricated electrochemical DA biosensor exhibits an accurate detection of DA in the concentration within the range of 0.01~200 µM, with a detection limit of 0.0033 µM. Furthermore, the proposed biosensor is validated in real samples, showing its high applicability for the detection of DA in beverages.

Background: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased odds of concurrent depression, indicating that the relationship between PCOS and depression is more likely to be comorbid. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we aimed to use bioinformatic analysis to screen for the genetic elements shared between PCOS and depression., Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out through GEO2R using the PCOS and depression datasets in NCBI. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and enrichment analysis were performed to identify the potential hub genes. After verification using other PCOS and depression datasets, the associations between key gene polymorphism and comorbidity were further studied using data from the UK biobank (UKB) database., Results: In this study, three key genes, namely, SNAP23 , VTI1A , and PRKAR1A , and their related SNARE interactions in the vesicular transport pathway were identified in the comorbidity of PCOS and depression. The rs112568544 at SNAP23 , rs11077579 and rs4458066 at PRKAR1A , and rs10885349 at VTI1A might be the genetic basis of this comorbidity., Conclusions: Our study suggests that the SNAP23 , PRKAR1A , and VTI1A genes can directly or indirectly participate in the imbalanced assembly of SNAREs in the pathogenesis of the comorbidity of PCOS and depression. These findings may provide new strategies in diagnosis and therapy for this comorbidity.

Pyroptosis, an innate immune response, plays a crucial role in the pathological process of inflammatory diseases. Although pyroptosis blockade is considered a potential therapeutic strategy, no ideal candidate drug has been identified. The natural product Chojaponilactone B (CJB) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects, but its role in macrophage pyroptosis has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of CJB in inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis. Using an LPS/ATP-induced THP-1 macrophage pyroptosis model, we found that CJB significantly inhibited pyroptosis and reduced the levels of NLRP3, caspase 1, N-GSDMD, and inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that CJB interfered with LPS/ATP-induced THP-1 macrophage gene expression, suggesting involvement in anti-inflammatory and anti-pyroptotic signaling pathways. Additionally, CJB suppressed LPS/ATP-induced elevations in TLRs, MyD88, pro-IL-1β, and NF-κB and blocked NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. In summary, CJB inhibits NLRP3 activation and macrophage pyroptosis through the TLR/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, providing important evidence for its development as a potential drug for treating pyroptosis-related inflammatory diseases.

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a global health crisis with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AEC-II) play a critical role in the pulmonary immune response against Mtb infection by secreting effector molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Here, human β-defensin 1 (hBD1), an important AMP produced by AEC-II, has been demonstrated to exert potent anti-tuberculosis activity. HBD1 overexpression effectively inhibited Mtb proliferation in AEC-II, while mice lacking hBD1 exhibited susceptibility to Mtb and increased lung tissue inflammation. Mechanistically, in A549 cells infected with Mtb, STAT1 negatively regulated hBD1 transcription, while CEBPB was the primary transcription factor upregulating hBD1 expression. Furthermore, we revealed that the ERK1/2 signaling pathway activated by Mtb infection led to CEBPB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, which subsequently promoted hBD1 expression. Our findings suggest that the ERK1/2-CEBPB-hBD1 regulatory axis can be a potential therapeutic target for anti-tuberculosis therapy aimed at enhancing the immune response of AEC-II cells.

This research paper introduces an innovative technique for measuring displacement using auxetic tubular structure (ATS). The proposed displacement measurement method is based on tubular structures with a negative Poisson's ratio. It capitalizes on the underlying principle that the elastic deformation-induced change in transmittance of the ATS can be translated into a corresponding modification in the output current of the solar cell. This method allows for the conversion of the variation in light transmission into a corresponding variation in output voltage. The construction of the ATS can be achieved through 3D-printing technology, enhancing the accessibility of displacement measurement and design flexibility. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed measurement method exhibits a linear error of less than 8% without any subsequent signal processing and achieves a sensitivity of 0.011 V/mm without signal amplification. Furthermore, experimental results also show that the proposed method has good repeatability and can maintain a high level of reliability and sensitivity when using different measurement devices. This confirms the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, showing a favorable linear relationship between the input and output of the measurement system with an acceptable sensitivity, repeatability, and reliability.

Concrete mixture design has been a key focus in concrete research. This study presents a new method for concrete mixture design by combining artificial neural networks (ANN), genetic algorithms (GA), and Scipy libraries for hybrid intelligent modeling. This method enables the prediction of concrete mechanical properties and the optimization of mix proportions with single or multi-objective goals. The GA is used to optimize the structure and weight parameters of ANN to improve prediction accuracy and generalization ability (R 2 > 0.95, RMSE and MAE < 10). Then, the Scipy library combined with GA-ANN is used for the multi-objective optimization of concrete mix proportions to balance the compressive strength and costs of concrete. Moreover, an AI-based concrete mix proportion design system is developed, utilizing a user-friendly GUI to meet specific strength requirements and adapt to practical needs. This system enhances optimization design capabilities and sets the stage for future advancements. Overall, this study focuses on optimizing concrete mixture design using hybrid intelligent modeling and multi-objective optimization, which contributes to providing a novel and practical solution for improving the efficiency and accuracy of concrete mixture design in the construction industry.

To investigate the micro-grinding process and performance of 2.5D C f /SiC composites and 2.5D SiC f /SiC composites in depth, single-factor micro-grinding experiments were conducted by using SiC ceramics as a comparison. Differences in the material removal process, surface microstructure, surface roughness, and grinding force of the three materials under the same grinding parameters were comparatively analyzed. The results indicate that crack propagation is severe during the micro-grinding process of SiC ceramics. The ground surface is uneven, accompanied by pit defects and large surface roughness Ra . However, the presence of reinforcing fibers and interfaces in the two types of composites can inhibit crack propagation or change their extension directions. Therefore, their surfaces are smooth and flat after grinding, with small defects and low surface roughness Ra . In addition, the grinding processes of the two composites are both related to fiber orientation. There are differences in crack propagation paths and fiber fracture positions in the weft fiber layer and the radial fiber layer, which result in different forms of grinding defects. During micro-grinding, the real-time force signals of 2.5D C f /SiC composites and 2.5D SiC f /SiC composites are relatively stable, while the signals of SiC ceramics have a large number of spikes. The average micro-grinding force of the three materials is: SiC ceramics > 2.5D SiC f /SiC composites > 2.5D C f /SiC composites.

In children with obesity, insulin hypersecretion is proposed to precede insulin resistance. We investigated if metformin could be used to attenuate insulin secretion from palmitate-treated isolated islets and its implication for children with obesity. Human islets were exposed to palmitate for 0.5 or 1 day, when metformin was introduced. After culture, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was measured. Children with obesity, who had received metformin for over six months ( n = 21, age 13.9 ± 1.8), were retrospectively evaluated. Children were classified as either "reducing" or "increasing" based on the difference between AUC 0-120 of insulin during OGTT before and after metformin treatment. In human islets, GSIS increased after culture in palmitate for up to 1 day but declined with continued palmitate exposure. Whereas adding metformin after 1 day of palmitate exposure increased GSIS, adding metformin after 0.5 days reduced GSIS. In children with "reducing" insulin AUC 0-120 ( n = 9), 2 h glucose and triglycerides decreased after metformin treatment, which was not observed in patients with "increasing" insulin AUC 0-120 ( n = 12). In isolated islets, metformin attenuated insulin hypersecretion if introduced when islet secretory capacity was maintained. In children with obesity, improved glycemic and lipid levels were accompanied by reduced insulin levels during OGTT after metformin treatment.

CO 2 , as a cheap and abundant renewable C1 resource, can be used to synthesize high value-added chemicals. In this paper, a series of bifunctional metallic niobium complexes were synthesized and their structures were characterized by IR, NMR and elemental analysis. All of these complexes have been proved to be efficient catalysts for the coupling reaction of CO 2 and epoxides to obtain cyclic carbonates under solvent- and co-catalyst-free conditions. By using CO 2 and propylene oxide as a model reaction, the optimal reaction conditions were systematically screened as: 100 °C, 1 MPa, 2 h, ratio of catalyst to alkylene oxide 1:100. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the bifunctional niobium catalysts can efficiently catalyze the coupling reaction with high yield and excellent selectivity (maximum yield of >99% at high pressure and 96.8% at atmospheric pressure). Moreover, this series of catalysts can also catalyze the coupling reaction at atmospheric pressure and most of them showed high conversion of epoxide. The catalysts have good substrate suitability and are also applicable to a variety of epoxides including diepoxides and good catalytic performances were achieved for producing the corresponding cyclic carbonates in most cases. Furthermore, the catalysts can be easily recovered by simple filtration and reused for at least five times without obvious loss of catalytic activity and selectivity. Kinetic studies were carried out preliminarily for the bifunctional niobium complexes with different halogen ions (3a(Cl - ), 3b(Br - ), 3c(I - )) and the formation activation energies ( E a ) of cyclic carbonates were obtained. The order of apparent activation energy E a is 3a (96.2 kJ/mol) > 3b (68.2 kJ/mol) > 3c (37.4 kJ/mol). Finally, a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used in the treatment of inflammatory pain, such as in osteoarthritis. Ketorolac tromethamine is considered to be an NSAID with strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic potency, however, traditional applications, such as oral administration and injections, often induce high systemic exposure, leading to adverse events such as gastric ulceration and bleeding. To address this key limitation, herein we designed and fabricated a topical delivery system for ketorolac tromethamine via cataplasm, which is based on a three-dimensional mesh structure formed by the cross-linking of dihydroxyaluminum aminoacetate (DAAA) and sodium polyacrylate. The viscoelasticity of the cataplasm was characterized by rheological methods and exhibited a "gel-like" elastic property. The release behavior showed a Higuchi model characteristic with a dose dependence. To enhance the skin permeation, permeation enhancers were added and screened utilizing ex vivo pig skin, in which 1,2-propanediol was found to have the optimal permeation-promoting effect. The cataplasm was further applied to a rat carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain model, which showed comparable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects with oral administration. Finally, the biosafety of the cataplasm was tested in healthy human volunteers, and reduced side effects were achieved as compared to the tablet formulation, which can be ascribed to less systemic drug exposure and lower blood drug concentrations. Therefore, the constructed cataplasm can reduce the risk of adverse events while maintaining efficacy, thus serving as a better alternative for the treatment of inflammatory pain, including osteoarthritis.

Amyloidogenesis is one of the key pathophysiological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of the toxic Aβ results from the catalytic processing of β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) associated β-amyloid converting enzyme 1 (BACE1) activity. It is reported that dead-box helicase 17 (DDX17) controls RNA metabolism and is involved in the development of multiple diseases. However, whether DDX17 might play a role in amyloidogenesis has not been documented. In the present study, we found that DDX17 protein level was significantly increased in HEK and SH-SY5Y cells that stably express full-length APP (HEK-APP and Y5Y-APP) and in the brain of APP/PS1 mice, an animal model of AD. DDX17 knockdown, as opposed to DDX17 overexpression, markedly reduced the protein levels of BACE1 and the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in Y5Y-APP cells. We further found that DDX17-mediated enhancement of BACE1 was selectively attenuated by translation inhibitors. Specifically, DDX17 selectively interacted with the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of BACE1 mRNA, and deletion of the 5'UTR abolished the effect of DDX17 on luciferase activity or protein level of BACE1. Here, we show that the enhanced expression of DDX17 in AD was associated with amyloidogenesis; through the 5'UTR-dependent BACE1 translation, DDX17 might serve as an important mediator contributing to the progression of AD.

Jujube fruit was well-loved and praised by the broad masses due to its delicious taste, abundant nutritional value, and medicinal properties. Few studies reported the quality evaluation and gut microbiota regulation effect of polysaccharides of jujube fruits from different producing areas. In the present study, multi-level fingerprint profiling, including polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, and monosaccharides, was established for the quality evaluation of polysaccharides from jujube fruits. For polysaccharides, the total content in jujube fruits ranged from 1.31% to 2.22%, and the molecular weight distribution (MWD) ranged from 1.14 × 10 5 to 1.73 × 10 6 Da. The MWD fingerprint profiling of polysaccharides from eight producing areas was similar, but the profile of infrared spectroscopy (IR) showed differentiation. The characteristic signals were screened and used to establish a discrimination model for the identification of jujube fruits from different areas, and the accuracy of identification reached 100.00%. For oligosaccharides, the main components were galacturonic acid polymers (DP, 2-4), and the profile of oligosaccharides exhibited high similarity. The monosaccharides, GalA, Glc, and Ara, were the primary monosaccharides. Although the fingerprint of monosaccharides was semblable, the composing proportion of monosaccharides revealed significant differences. In addition, the polysaccharides of jujube fruits could regulate the gut microbiota composition and possess potential therapeutic effects on dysentery and nervous system diseases.

Dicing is a critical step in the manufacturing process for the application of sapphire. In this work, the dependence of sapphire dicing on crystal orientation using picosecond Bessel laser beam drilling combined with mechanical cleavage was studied. By using the above method, linear cleaving with on debris and zero tapers was realized for the A1, A2, C1, C2, and M1 orientations, except for the M2 orientation. The experimental results indicated that characteristics of Bessel beam-drilled microholes, fracture loads, and fracture sections of sapphire sheets were strongly dependent on crystal orientation. No cracks were generated around the micro holes when laser scanned along the A2 and M2 orientations, and the corresponding average fracture loads were large, 12.18 N and 13.57 N, respectively. While along the A1, C1, C2, and M1 orientations, laser-induced cracks extended along the laser scanning direction, resulting in a significant reduction in fracture load. Furthermore, the fracture surfaces were relatively uniform for A1, C1, and C2 orientations but uneven for A2 and M1 orientations, with a surface roughness of about 1120 nm. In addition, curvilinear dicing without debris or taper was achieved to demonstrate the feasibility of Bessel beams.

The existing optical strain sensors based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) have limitations, such as a complex structure, a limited strain range (±200 με) and poor linearity performance (R-squared value < 0.9920); these limitations affect their potential practical applications. Here, four FBG strain sensors equipped with planar UV-curable resin are investigated. The proposed FBG strain sensors have a simple structure, a large strain range (±1800 με) and excellent linearity performance (R-squared value ≥ 0.9998); they further produce the following performances: (1) good optical properties, including an undistorted Bragg peak shape, narrow bandwidth (-3 dB bandwidth ≤ 0.65 nm) and a high side mode suppression ratio (SMSR, the absolute value of SMSR ≥ 15 dB); (2) good temperature sensing properties with high temperature sensitivities (≥47.7 pm/°C) and a good linearity performance (R-squared value ≥ 0.9990); and (3) excellent strain sensing properties with no hysteresis behavior (hysteresis error ≤ 0.058%) and excellent repeatability (repeatability error ≤ 0.045%). Based on their excellent properties, the proposed FBG strain sensors are expected to be applied as high-performance strain sensing devices.

Anxiety on college campuses has increased due to the COVID-19 epidemic's profound effects on society. Much research has been conducted on how the built environment influences mental health; however, little has been undertaken on how it affects student mental health in the context of the epidemic from the architectural scale perspective of academic buildings. Based on online survey data, this study develops multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression models to investigate students' satisfaction ratings of the academic buildings' physical environments during the epidemic and how these satisfaction ratings affect students' anxiety tendencies. According to the study's findings regarding the natural exposure perspective, students who perceived the academic building's poor semi-open space view ( p = 0.004, OR = 3.22) as unsatisfactory factors were more likely to show anxiety tendencies. In terms of the physical conditions, students who were dissatisfied with the noise level in the classroom ( p = 0.038, OR = 0.616) and the summer heat in semi-open spaces ( p = 0.031, OR = 2.38) were more likely to exhibit anxiety tendencies. Additionally, even after controlling for confusing distractions, the general satisfaction rating of the academic building's physical environments ( p = 0.047, OR = 0.572) was still able to significantly and negatively affect students' anxiety tendencies. The study's findings can be used in the architectural and environmental planning of academic buildings focusing on mental health.

A series of bifunctional Schiff base metal catalysts (Zn-NPClR, Zn-NPXH, and M-NPClH) with two quaternary ammonium groups were prepared for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and epoxide coupling reactions. The effects of the reaction variables on the catalytic activity were systematically investigated, and the optimal reaction conditions (120 °C, 1 MPa CO 2 , 3 h) were screened. The performances of different metal-centered catalysts were evaluated, and Co-NPClH showed excellent activity. This kind of bifunctional catalyst has a wide range of substrate applicability, excellent stability, and can be reused for more than five runs. A relatively high TOF could reach up to 1416 h -1 with Zn-NPClH as catalyst by adjusting reaction factors. In addition, the kinetic study of the coupling reaction catalyzed by three catalysts (Zn, Co, and Ni) was carried out to obtain the activation energy ( E a ) for the formation of cyclic carbonates. Finally, a possible mechanism for this cyclization reaction was proposed.

MADS-box genes encode transcription factors that affect plant growth and development. Camellia chekiangoleosa is an oil tree species with ornamental value, but there have been few molecular biological studies on the developmental regulation of this species. To explore their possible role in C. chekiangoleosa and lay a foundation for subsequent research, 89 MADS-box genes were identified across the whole genome of C. chekiangoleosa for the first time. These genes were present on all the chromosomes and were found to have expanded by tandem duplication and fragment duplication. Based on the results of a phylogenetic analysis, the 89 MADS-box genes could be divided into either type I (38) or type II (51). Both the number and proportion of the type II genes were significantly greater than those of Camellia sinensis and Arabidopsis thaliana , indicating that C. chekiangoleosa type II genes experienced a higher duplication rate or a lower loss rate. The results of both a sequence alignment and a conserved motif analysis suggest that the type II genes are more conserved, meaning that they may have originated and differentiated earlier than the type I genes did. At the same time, the presence of extra-long amino acid sequences may be an important feature of C. chekiangoleosa . Gene structure analysis revealed the number of introns of MADS-box genes: twenty-one type I genes had no introns, and 13 type I genes contained only 1~2 introns. The type II genes have far more introns and longer introns than the type I genes do. Some MIKC C genes have super large introns (≥15 kb), which are rare in other species. The super large introns of these MIKC C genes may indicate richer gene expression. Moreover, the results of a qPCR expression analysis of the roots, flowers, leaves and seeds of C. chekiangoleosa showed that the MADS-box genes were expressed in all those tissues. Overall, compared with that of the type I genes, the expression of the type II genes was significantly higher. The CchMADS31 and CchMADS58 genes (type II) were highly expressed specifically in the flowers, which may in turn regulate the size of the flower meristem and petals. CchMADS55 was expressed specifically in the seeds, which might affect seed development. This study provides additional information for the functional characterization of the MADS-box gene family and lays an important foundation for in-depth study of related genes, such as those involved in the development of the reproductive organs of C. chekiangoleosa .

In this study, a ternary hydrogen (H)-bonded complex intumescent flame retardant (TH-IFR) of melamine (ME) · phosphoric acid (PA)…pentaerythritol (PER) was synthesized through hydrothermal reaction. The combination of the synthesized TH-IFR with 4A molecular sieve as the synergist was used for the first time to improve the flame retardancy of polypropylene (PP). The involved structure, morphology, flame retardancy, flame-retarding mechanism and mechanical properties of the prepared PP composites were systematically investigated. The results show that incorporation of 1 wt% synergist 4A shows the optimum synergistic effect, and the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the flame-retarded (FR) PP composites are significantly improved. Incorporation of 4A could change the pyrolysis process of the entire system and promote the char-forming chemical interaction, thereby further enhancing the flame retardancy of FR PP composite. The synergistically flame-retarding mechanism of 4A is explained by the significantly improved quality and quantity of the solid-phase char layer, which is formed through generation of SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 substances, and also participation of PP macromolecular chains in the final char layer formation during burning. Furthermore, the improved dispersion and compatibility of TH-IFR in the composite is largely beneficial to the improvement of flame retardancy and mechanical properties.

Ammonium, imidazole, or pyridinium functionalized β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) were used as efficient one-component bifunctional catalysts for the coupling reaction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and epoxide without the addition of solvent and metal. The influence of different catalysts and reaction parameters on the catalytic performance were examined in detail. Under optimal conditions, Im-CD1-I catalysts functionalized with imidazole groups were able to convert various epoxides into target products with high selectivity and good conversion rates. The one-component bifunctional catalysts can also be recovered easily by filtration and reused at least for five times with only slight decrease in catalytic performance. Finally, a possible process for hydroxyl group-assisted ring-opening of epoxide and functionalized group- induced activation of CO 2 was presented.

Water scarcity limits the coordination between economic development and ecological protection of arid regions. This study presented the consumption pattern and future challenges for water resources and proposed sustainable use strategies for water security in Yanchi county from the arid region of northwest China. Our results showed that water withdrawals were close to the total available water resources. Agriculture consumed about 84.72% of the total water supply. Agricultural water use was influenced by breeding stock, rural per capita net income and effective irrigation area. Estimation of agricultural water demand was about 6582.20 × 10 4 m 3 under the rural revitalization scenario. Limited water supply and increased water demand pose challenges and impediments for rural revitalization and water security in Yanchi county. Water sustainable utilization can be achieved by increasing water supply from unconventional water resources and improving water use efficiency with governmental management. These findings may help policymakers to develop sustainable water use strategies during rural revitalization in arid regions.

Autophagy is a critical cellular adaptive response in tumor formation. Nutritional deficiency and hypoxia exacerbate autophagic flux in established malignancies, promoting tumor cell proliferation, migration, metastasis, and resistance to therapeutic interventions. Pro-survival autophagy inhibition may be a promising treatment option for advanced cancer. Furthermore, excessive or persistent autophagy is cytotoxic, resulting in tumor cell death. Targeted autophagy activation has also shown significant promise in the fight against tumor drug resistance. Several research groups have examined the ability of natural products (NPs) such as alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols, and anthraquinones to serve as autophagy inhibitors or activators. The data support the capacity of NPs that promote lethal autophagy or inhibit pro-survival autophagy from being employed against tumor drug resistance. This paper discusses the potential applications of NPs that regulate autophagy in the fight against tumor drug resistance, some limitations of the current studies, and future research needs and priorities.

In this paper, an experimental rig of a prefabricated temporary house (PTH) was first established. Then, predicted models for the thermal environment of the PTH with and without considering long-wave radiation were developed. Next, the exterior-surface, interior-surface and indoor temperatures of the PTH were calculated by using the predicted models. The calculated results were then compared with the experimental results to study the influence of long-wave radiation on the predicted characteristic temperature of the PTH. Finally, the predicted models were used to calculate the cumulative annual hours and the intensity of the greenhouse effect of four different climate cities (Harbin, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, China). The results showed that: (1) the predicted temperature values of the model considering long-wave radiation were closer to the experimental results; (2) the effect level of the long-wave radiation on the three characteristic temperatures of the PTH from big to small was: exterior-surface temperature, interior-surface temperature, and indoor temperature; (3) the long-wave radiation had the greatest impact on the predicted temperature value of the roof; (4) under different climate conditions, the cumulative annual hours and the intensity of the greenhouse effect considering long-wave radiation were smaller than those without considering long-wave radiation; (5) the duration of the greenhouse effect considering and ignoring long-wave radiation varied significantly with the climate region, and that in Guangzhou was the longest, followed by Beijing and Chengdu, and that in Harbin was the shortest., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

A new sesquiterpenoid ( 1 ) was obtained by hydrogenating Chlojaponilactone B. The structure of 1 was elucidated according to a combination of NMR, HRESIMS, and NOE diffraction data. The treatment of H 2 O 2 in a PC12 cell model was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of 1 . An MMT assay showed that 1 had no cytotoxicity to the PC12 cell and rescued cell viability from the oxidative damage caused by H 2 O 2 . The treatment of 1 stabilized the mitochondria membrane potential (MMP), which decreased the intracellular ROS level and reduced cell apoptosis in the oxidative stress model. The activities of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the content of intracellular glutathione (GSH) were significantly enhanced after the treatment of 1 . In addition, the results of qRT-PCR showed that 1 treatment minimized the cell injury by H 2 O 2 via the up-regulation of the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream enzymes Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutamate cysteine ligase-modifier subunit (GCLm), and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (Nqo1). Based on the antioxidant activity of 1 , we speculated its potential as a therapeutic agent for some diseases induced by oxidative damage.

Over the past decade, immunotherapy, especially cell-based immunotherapy, has provided new strategies for cancer therapy. Recent clinical studies demonstrated that adopting cell transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for advanced solid tumors showed good efficacy. TIL therapy is a type of cell-based immunotherapy using the patient's own immune cells from the microenvironment of the solid tumor to kill tumor cells. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the current strategies and challenges in TIL isolation and generation. Moreover, the current clinical experience of TIL therapy is summarized and discussed, with an emphasis on lymphodepletion regimen, the use of interleukin-2, and related toxicity. Furthermore, we highlight the clinical trials where TIL therapy is used independently and in combination with other types of therapy for solid cancers. Finally, the limitations, future potential, and directions of TIL therapy for solid tumor treatment are also discussed.

ATAD2 has received extensive attention in recent years as one prospective oncogene with tumor-promoting features in many malignancies. ATAD2 is a highly conserved bromodomain family protein that exerts its biological functions by mainly AAA ATPase and bromodomain. ATAD2 acts as an epigenetic decoder and transcription factor or co-activator, which is engaged in cellular activities, such as transcriptional regulation, DNA replication, and protein modification. ATAD2 has been reported to be highly expressed in a variety of human malignancies, including gastrointestinal malignancies, reproductive malignancies, urological malignancies, lung cancer, and other types of malignancies. ATAD2 is involved in the activation of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and is closely associated with tumorigenesis, progression, chemoresistance, and poor prognosis, but the oncogenic mechanisms vary in different cancer types. Moreover, the direct targeting of ATAD2's bromodomain may be a very challenging task. In this review, we summarized the role of ATAD2 in various types of malignancies and pointed out the pharmacological direction.

The presence of nitrite (NO 2 - ) in water and food leads to serious problems in public health and the environment. Therefore, it is important to develop a rapid and efficient method for the selective detection of NO 2 - . In this work, the synthesis and characterization of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -TbDPA nanoprobe have been carried out. The Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -TbDPA aqueous solution exhibits a strong green emission. Due to the addition of various concentrations of NO 2 - (0-100 μM), the fluorescence intensity has been suppressed. The nanoprobe Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -TbDPA exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward NO 2 - ions. Excellent linearity is obtained in the range of 5-80 μM with a detection limit of 1.03 μM. Furthermore, the presence of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles in Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -TbDPA nanospheres will also facilitate the effective separation of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -TbDPA from the aqueous solution. Our proposed strategy is expected to fabricate an organic-inorganic hybrid magnetic nanomaterial and can be used as an efficient sensor. It has been shown that this new strategy has numerous advantages, such as high stability, selectivity, and simplicity of operation. It demonstrates great potential for simple and convenient NO 2 - detection. It may expand to a variety of ranges in environmental monitoring and biomedical fields.

Blazed gratings are the critical dispersion elements in spectral analysis instruments, whose performance depends on structural parameters and topography of the grating groove. In this paper, high diffraction efficiency silicon-blazed grating working at 800-2500 nm has been designed and fabricated. By diffraction theory analysis and simulation optimization based on the accurate boundary integral equation method, the blaze angle and grating constant are determined to be 8.8° and 4 μm, respectively. The diffraction efficiency is greater than 33.23% in the spectral range of 800-2500 nm and reach the maximum value of 85.62% at the blaze wavelength of 1180 nm. The effect of platform and fillet on diffraction efficiency is analyzed, and the formation rule and elimination method of the platform are studied. The blazed gratings are fabricated by anisotropic wet etching process using tilted (111) silicon substrate. The platform is minished by controlling etching time and oxidation sharpening process. The fillet radius of the fabricated grating is 50 nm, the blaze angle is 7.4°, and the surface roughness is 0.477 nm. Finally, the blazed grating is integrated in scanning micromirror to form scanning grating micromirror by MEMS fabrication technology, which can realize both optical splitting and scanning. The testing results show that the scanning grating micromirror has high diffraction efficiency in the spectral range of 810-2500 nm for the potential near-infrared spectrometer application.

Currently, most neuroblastoma patients are treated according to the Children's Oncology Group (COG) risk group assignment; however, neuroblastoma's heterogeneity renders only a few predictors for treatment response, resulting in excessive treatment. Here, we sought to couple COG risk classification with tumor intracellular microbiome, which is part of the molecular signature of a tumor. We determine that an intra-tumor microbial gene abundance score, namely M-score, separates the high COG-risk patients into two subpopulations (M high and M low ) with higher accuracy in risk stratification than the current COG risk assessment, thus sparing a subset of high COG-risk patients from being subjected to traditional high-risk therapies. Mechanistically, the classification power of M-scores implies the effect of CREB over-activation, which may influence the critical genes involved in cellular proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and angiogenesis, affecting tumor cell proliferation survival and metastasis. Thus, intracellular microbiota abundance in neuroblastoma regulates intracellular signals to affect patients' survival.

In the world of terahertz bands, terahertz beam deflection has gradually attracted substantial attention, due to its great significance in wireless communications, high-resolution imaging and radar applications. In this paper, a low-reflection and fast-fabricated terahertz beam deflection device has been realized by utilizing graphene oxide paper. Using laser direct writing technology, graphene oxide has been patterned as a specific sample. The thickness of the graphene oxide-based terahertz devices is around 15-20 μm, and the processing takes only a few seconds. The experimental results show that the beam from this device can achieve 5.7° and 10.2° deflection at 340 GHz, while the reflection is 10%, which is only 1/5 of that of existing conventional devices. The proposed device with excellent performance can be quickly manufactured and applied in the fields of terahertz imaging, communication, and perception, enabling the application of terahertz technology.

The hysteretic behavior of square concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) stub columns subjected to sulfate corrosion and freeze-thaw cycle is examined by numerical investigation. The constitutive model of steel considered the Bauschinger effect, and compression (tension) damage coefficient was also adopted for the constitutive model of core concrete. The experimental results are used to verify the finite element (FE) model, which could accurately predict the hysteretic behaviors of the CFST piers. Then, the effects of the yield strength of steel, compressive strength of concrete, steel ratio, axial compression ratio, and alternation time on ultimate horizontal load are evaluated by a parametric study. The results showed that the yield strength of steel and the steel ratio have a positive effect of hysteretic behavior. The compressive strength of concrete and alternation time significantly decreased the unloading stiffness which causes the pinching phenomenon. The yield strength of steel, compressive strength of concrete, and alternation time of environmental factors (corrosion-freeze-thaw cycles) has no obvious effect on the initial stiffness, while the steel ratio has a remarkable effect. The ultimate horizontal load increases with the increasing steel ratio, yield strength of steel and compressive strength of concrete. Meanwhile, the decrement of alternation time led to the increase of ultimate horizontal load. This suggests that the confinement coefficient and alternation time are the two main factors that impact the ultimate horizontal load. A formula which considers the reduction coefficient for the ultimate horizontal load of the CFST columns subjected to sulfate corrosion and freeze-thaw cycles is proposed. The formulae can accurately predict the ultimate horizontal load with mean value of 1.022 and standard deviation of 0.003.

This study aimed to study the effects of different catalyst introduction methods on the distribution of SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) and the mechanical properties of SiC f /SiC composites. Two different catalyst-introduction methods (electroplating (EP) vs. atomic deposition (AD)) have been used to catalyze the growth of SiC nanowires in SiC f preforms. The morphology, structure and phase composition were systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SiCNWs-reinforced SiC f /SiC composited was densified by CVI. The compressive strength of the SiCNWs-reinforced SiC f /SiC composites was evaluated by radial crushing test. Compared with EP, atomic Ni catalysts fabricated by AD have higher diffusivity for better diffusion into the SiC f preform. The yield of SiCNWs is effectively increased in the internal pores of the SiC f preform, and a denser network forms. Therefore, the mechanical properties of SiCNW-containing SiC f /SiC composites are significantly improved. Compared with the EP-composites and SiC f /SiC composites, the compressive strength of AD-composites is increased by 51.1% and 56.0%, respectively. The results demonstrate that the use of AD method to grow SiCNWs is promising for enhancing the mechanical properties of SiC f /SiC composites.

Software-defined networking (SDN) is a new networking paradigm that realizes the fast management and optimal configuration of network resources by decoupling control logic and forwarding functions. However, centralized network architecture brings new security problems, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks are among the most critical threats. Due to the lack of an effective message-verification mechanism in SDN, attackers can easily launch a DoS attack by faking the source address information. This paper presents DoSGuard, an efficient and protocol-independent defense framework for SDN networks to detect and mitigate such attacks. DoSGuard is a lightweight extension module on SDN controllers that mainly consists of three key components: a monitor, a detector, and a mitigator. The monitor maintains the information between the switches and the hosts for anomaly detection. The detector utilizes OpenFlow message and flow features to detect the attack. The mitigator protects networks by filtering malicious packets. We implement a prototype of DoSGuard in the floodlight controller and evaluate its effectiveness in a simulation environment. Experimental results show the DoSGuard achieves 98.72% detecion precision, and the average CPU utilization of the controller is only around 8%. The results demonstrate that DoSGuard can effectively mitigate DoS attacks against SDN with limited overhead.

In the field of video action classification, existing network frameworks often only use video frames as input. When the object involved in the action does not appear in a prominent position in the video frame, the network cannot accurately classify it. We introduce a new neural network structure that uses sound to assist in processing such tasks. The original sound wave is converted into sound texture as the input of the network. Furthermore, in order to use the rich modal information (images and sound) in the video, we designed and used a two-stream frame. In this work, we assume that sound data can be used to solve motion recognition tasks. To demonstrate this, we designed a neural network based on sound texture to perform video action classification tasks. Then, we fuse this network with a deep neural network that uses continuous video frames to construct a two-stream network, which is called A-IN. Finally, in the kinetics dataset, we use our proposed A-IN to compare with the image-only network. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of the two-stream neural network model with uesed sound data features is increased by 7.6% compared with the network using video frames. This proves that the rational use of the rich information in the video can improve the classification effect.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that regulates a wide range of biological and toxicological effects by binding to specific ligands. AhR ligands exist in various internal and external ecological systems, such as in a wide variety of hydrophobic environmental contaminants and naturally occurring chemicals. Most of these ligands have shown differential responses among different species. Understanding the differences and their mechanisms helps in designing better experimental animal models, improves our understanding of the environmental toxicants related to AhR, and helps to screen and develop new drugs. This review systematically discusses the species differences in AhR activation effects and their modes of action. We focus on the species differences following AhR activation from two aspects: (1) the molecular configuration and activation of AhR and (2) the contrast of cis-acting elements corresponding to AhR. The variations in the responses seen in humans and other species following the activation of the AhR signaling pathway can be attributed to both factors.

The nanohole arrays on the silicon substrate can effectively enhance the light absorption in thin film silicon solar cells. In order to optimize the solar energy absorption, polystyrene microspheres with diameters of 1 μm are used to assist picosecond laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm to fabricate nanohole arrays on silicon substrate. The experimental results show that the morphology and size of the silicon nanoholes strongly depend on the laser fluence. At 1.19-1.59 J/cm 2 laser fluences, well-ordered arrays of nanoholes were fabricated on silicon substrate, with diameters domain from 250 to 549 nm and depths ranging from 60 to 99 nm. However, large amounts of sputtered nanoparticles appeared around the silicon nanoholes. To improve the surface morphology of silicon nanoholes, a nanolayered gold coating is applied on silicon surface to assist laser processing. The results show that, for gold-coated silicon substrate, sputtered nanoparticles around the nanoholes are almost invisible and the cross-sectional profiles of the nanoholes are smoother. Moreover, the ablation rate of the nanoholes on the gold-coated silicon substrate have increased compared to that of the nanoholes on the uncoated one. This simple method allows fast fabrication of well-ordered nanoholes on silicon substrate without sputtered nanoparticles and with smooth inner surface.

The aggregation and the rapid restructuring of the photoinduced electron-hole pairs restructuring in the process of photoelectric response remains a great challenge. In this study, a kind of Multi-walled carbon nanotubes loaded Alpha-Fe 2 O 3 (CNTs/α-Fe 2 O 3 ) heterostructure composite is successfully prepared via the one-step method. Due to the synergistic effect in the as-prepared CNTs/α-Fe 2 O 3 , the defect sites and oxygen-containing functional groups of CNTs can dramatically improve the interface charge separation efficiency and prevent the aggregation of α-Fe 2 O 3 . The improved photocurrent and enhanced hole-electron separation rate in the CNTs/α-Fe 2 O 3 is obtained, and the narrower band gap is measured to be 2.8 ev with intensive visible-light absorption performance. Thus, the CNTs/α-Fe 2 O 3 composite serves as an excellent visible light photocatalyst and exhibits an outstanding photocatalytic activity for the cationic dye degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). This research supplies a fresh application area forα-Fe 2 O 3 photocatalyst and initiates a new approach for design of high efficiency photocatalytic materials.

This study designed and synthesised a meta-amide-substituted dianiline monomer (m-DABA) as a stereoisomer of DABA, a previously investigated para-amide-substituted dianiline monomer. This new monomer was polymerised with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) to prepare a polyimide film (m-DABPI) in a process similar to that employed in a previous study. The relationship between the substitution positions on the monomer and the gas barrier properties of the polyimide film was investigated via molecular simulation, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) to gain deeper insights into the gas barrier mechanism. The results showed that compared with the para-substituted DABPI, the m-DABPI exhibited better gas barrier properties, with a water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) and an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) as low as 2.8 g·m -2 ·d -1 and 3.3 cm 3 ·m -2 ·d -1 , respectively. This was because the meta-linked polyimide molecular chains were more tightly packed, leading to a smaller free volume and lower molecular chain mobility. These properties are not conducive to the permeation of small molecules into the film; thus, the gas barrier properties were improved. The findings have significant implications for the structural design of high-barrier materials and could promote the development of flexible display technology.

Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) was used in the Al(OH) 3 /carbon black/ethanol slurries by the three-roll mixing to prepare AlN powder using the carbothermal reduction-nitridation (CRN) process in the experiments. The effects of PVB addition on the synthesis of AlN powder were studied by viscosity, tap density, XRD, SEM and TG measurements. The results showed that the PVB layer covering on the surface of Al(OH) 3 particles reduced the viscosity of Al(OH) 3 /carbon/ethanol slurry and increased the dispersion homogeneity of Al(OH) 3 /carbon raw powder. The tap densities of the Al(OH) 3 /carbon mixtures after three-roll milling could be increased with the increase in PVB addition. In the CRN process, most of the PVB covering Al(OH) 3 particles evaporated and supplied the passage for nitrogen removal to the particles. Based on the experimental data, the role of PVB on the mixing and CRN process was discussed.

By detecting the defect location in high-resolution insulator images collected by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in various environments, the occurrence of power failure can be timely detected and the caused economic loss can be reduced. However, the accuracies of existing detection methods are greatly limited by the complex background interference and small target detection. To solve this problem, two deep learning methods based on Faster R-CNN (faster region-based convolutional neural network) are proposed in this paper, namely Exact R-CNN (exact region-based convolutional neural network) and CME-CNN (cascade the mask extraction and exact region-based convolutional neural network). Firstly, we proposed an Exact R-CNN based on a series of advanced techniques including FPN (feature pyramid network), cascade regression, and GIoU (generalized intersection over union). RoI Align (region of interest align) is introduced to replace RoI pooling (region of interest pooling) to address the misalignment problem, and the depthwise separable convolution and linear bottleneck are introduced to reduce the computational burden. Secondly, a new pipeline is innovatively proposed to improve the performance of insulator defect detection, namely CME-CNN. In our proposed CME-CNN, an insulator mask image is firstly generated to eliminate the complex background by using an encoder-decoder mask extraction network, and then the Exact R-CNN is used to detect the insulator defects. The experimental results show that our proposed method can effectively detect insulator defects, and its accuracy is better than the examined mainstream target detection algorithms.

In this work, we successfully fabricated a transmissive saturable absorber (SA) with Ti 2 CT x MXene using the spin-coating method. By inserting the Ti 2 CT x saturable absorber into the diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) Nd:YAG laser, a stable passively Q-switched operation was obtained near 1.06 μm. At a pump power of 4.5 W, we obtained the shortest pulse duration of 163 ns with a repetition rate of 260 kHz. The corresponding single pulse energy and peak pulse power were 3.638 μJ and 22.3 W, respectively. The slope efficiency and the optical conversion efficiency of the laser were 21% and 25.5%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Ti 2 CT x was used in the passively Q-switched solid-state lasers. This work demonstrates that Ti 2 CT x can be a promising saturable absorber for solid-state laser pulse generation.