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Constructing powerful anode/cathode interphases by modulate ion solvation structure is the principle of electrolyte design. However, the methodological and theoretical design principles of electrolyte/solvation structure and their effect on electrochemical performance are still vague. Here, we propose a cationic weakly coordinating-intervention strategy for modulating the Na+ solvation sheathes and constructing robust anode/cathode interphases in sodium-metal batteries. Unlike the local highly concentrated electrolytes, 1,2-difluorobenzene can weakly coordinate with Na+ thus transforming the solvation structure into Na+-anion-incorporated structures and strengthening anode/cathode interphases formation by combining with salt decomposition. Furthermore, the correlations between the electrode interface properties and solvation structure are revealed, which can be tuned by the weakly coordination. Ultimately, the modulated electrolyte achieves 97.5% Coulombic efficiency for 600 cycles in Na‖Cu cells at 1 mA cm−2 and a beneficial lifetime (2500 h) in Na‖Na cells. Meanwhile, Na‖PB cells have achieved long-term operation at 4.8 V, along with operation at wide temperatures. Here, authors propose a weakly coordinating-intervention strategy to modulate the Na+ solvation sheath and construct a robust interphase in sodium-metal batteries. Correlation between electrode interface properties and solvation structure is also stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translating RNA-seq into clinical diagnostics requires ensuring the reliability and cross-laboratory consistency of detecting clinically relevant subtle differential expressions, such as those between different disease subtypes or stages. As part of the Quartet project, we present an RNA-seq benchmarking study across 45 laboratories using the Quartet and MAQC reference samples spiked with ERCC controls. Based on multiple types of ‘ground truth’, we systematically assess the real-world RNA-seq performance and investigate the influencing factors involved in 26 experimental processes and 140 bioinformatics pipelines. Here we show greater inter-laboratory variations in detecting subtle differential expressions among the Quartet samples. Experimental factors including mRNA enrichment and strandedness, and each bioinformatics step, emerge as primary sources of variations in gene expression. We underscore the profound influence of experimental execution, and provide best practice recommendations for experimental designs, strategies for filtering low-expression genes, and the optimal gene annotation and analysis pipelines. In summary, this study lays the foundation for developing and quality control of RNA-seq for clinical diagnostic purposes.Here the authors report on an RNA-seq benchmarking study that demonstrates greater inter-lab variations in detecting subtle differential expression. The study reveals the impact of experimental execution, experimental designs, low-expression gene filtering, and analysis tool selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization and integration of the genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome and metabolome of different datasets is difficult owing to a lack of ground truth. Here we develop and characterize suites of publicly available multi-omics reference materials of matched DNA, RNA, protein and metabolites derived from immortalized cell lines from a family quartet of parents and monozygotic twin daughters. These references provide built-in truth defined by relationships among the family members and the information flow from DNA to RNA to protein. We demonstrate how using a ratio-based profiling approach that scales the absolute feature values of a study sample relative to those of a concurrently measured common reference sample produces reproducible and comparable data suitable for integration across batches, labs, platforms and omics types. Our study identifies reference-free 'absolute' feature quantification as the root cause of irreproducibility in multi-omics measurement and data integration and establishes the advantages of ratio-based multi-omics profiling with common reference materials. Multi-omics data are readily integrated using quartet reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certified RNA reference materials are indispensable for assessing the reliability of RNA sequencing to detect intrinsically small biological differences in clinical settings, such as molecular subtyping of diseases. As part of the Quartet Project for quality control and data integration of multi-omics profiling, we established four RNA reference materials derived from immortalized B-lymphoblastoid cell lines from four members of a monozygotic twin family. Additionally, we constructed ratio-based transcriptome-wide reference datasets between two samples, providing cross-platform and cross-laboratory 'ground truth'. Investigation of the intrinsically subtle biological differences among the Quartet samples enables sensitive assessment of cross-batch integration of transcriptomic measurements at the ratio level. The Quartet RNA reference materials, combined with the ratio-based reference datasets, can serve as unique resources for assessing and improving the quality of transcriptomic data in clinical and biological settings. A new RNA reference set improves detection of differential expression in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new member of the high energy astronomical transient monitoring network, Gamma-ray Transient Monitor (GTM) is an all-sky monitor onboard the Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) mission which has been launched in March 2024. In this work, we investigate the space radiation environment of DRO, and study the in-flight background of GTM using GEANT4. The background count rate on each of the 5 GTP detectors of GTM is estimated to be about 800 ∼ 1000 counts/s in the energy range from 20 keV to 1 MeV after one-year operation on orbit. We find that there are two distinct spectral lines clearly visible in the background spectrum, i.e. the 59 keV emission line from the embedded calibration source 241 Am and the 511 keV emission line induced by space radiations, which are suitable for the in-flight energy gain calibration. These results provide important reference for the development of payload, design of observation strategies, in-flight calibration of instrument and research of scientific objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated a potential relationship between zinc and epilepsy. The aim of this study is to investigate the causal relationship between zinc, zinc-dependent carbonic anhydrase, and gray matter volume in brain regions enriched with zinc and epilepsy, as well as explore the possible mechanisms by which zinc contributes to epilepsy. First, this study assessed the risk causality between zinc, carbonic anhydrase, and gray matter volume alterations in zinc-enriched brain regions and various subtypes of epilepsy based on Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. And then, this study conducted GO/KEGG analysis based on colocalization analysis, MAGMA analysis, lasso regression, random forest model, and XGBoost model. The results of Mendelian randomization analyses showed a causal relationship between zinc, carbonic anhydrase-4, and generalized epilepsy (p = 0.044 , p = 0.010). Additionally, carbonic anhydrase-1 and gray matter volume of the caudate nucleus were found to be associated with epilepsy and focal epilepsy (p = 0.014, p = 0.003 and p = 0.022, p = 0.009). A colocalization relationship was found between epilepsy and focal epilepsy (PP.H4.abf = 97.7e − 2). Meanwhile, the MAGMA analysis indicated that SNPs associated with epilepsy and focal epilepsy were functionally localized to zinc-finger-protein-related genes (p < 1.0e − 5). The genes associated with focal epilepsy were found to have a molecular function of zinc ion binding (FDR = 2.3e − 6). After the onset of epilepsy, the function of the gene whose expression changed in the rats with focal epilepsy was enriched in the biological process of vascular response (FDR = 4.0e − 5). These results revealed mechanism of the increased risk of epilepsy caused by elevated zinc may be related to the increase of zinc ion-dependent carbonic anhydrase or the increase of the volume of zinc-rich caudate gray matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common pathological subtype of kidney cancer, accounts for approximately 70% to 80% of all cases. Histone deacetylase 10 (HDAC10) belongs to the HDAC class IIb subgroup, one of the histone deacetylases (HDAC) family. Previous studies suggest that HDAC10 may regulate the development of multiple tumor types. The specific molecular mechanisms employed by HDAC10 in the etiology of ccRCC still need to be discovered. Methods: The analysis included examining HDAC10 expression levels and their clinical importance within a cohort of inpatients and ccRCC patients documented in the Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA). Moreover, the biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of HDAC10 were investigated. Results: HDAC10 showed increased expression in ccRCC tumor tissues. Subsequent analysis revealed overexpression of HDAC10 was associated with advanced clinical phenotype and unfavorable prognosis. The absence of HDAC10 significantly decreased ccRCC cell proliferation and migration capabilities. Mechanistic research suggests that HDAC10 may promote RCC development by activating the Notch-1 pathway and downregulating PTEN expression levels. Conclusion: In summary, HDAC10 can modulate critical biological processes in ccRCC, including proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Notably, the Notch-1 pathway and PTEN serve as crucial signaling pathways and target genes through which HDAC10 regulates the progression of ccRCC. These findings offer a novel outlook for ccRCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China adopted a market-based pricing mechanism for petroleum products to improve the economic efficiency of resource allocation, thereby exposing its macroeconomy to higher shocks in world crude oil price volatility. To address the WCOP volatility, the price of petroleum products is subject to government regulations. However, the macroeconomic effects of PPP regulations are yet to be studied thoroughly. Accordingly, this study first quantifies the degree of PPP regulation using a “profit + cost” model, followed by the filtration of the macroeconomic impacts of fiscal and monetary policies and then analyzes the economic effects of PPP using an SVAR model. Furthermore, a counterfactual analysis is conducted to verify the results. It was found that PPP regulation could alleviate the shock of WCOP volatility on industrial value-added, finished fixed asset investment, and the producer price index. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the macroeconomic effects of PPP regulations and provide policymakers with new information on the necessity of PPP regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how organisms have adapted to persist in unpredictable environments is a fundamental goal in biology. Bet hedging, an evolutionary adaptation observed from microbes to humans, facilitates reproduction and population persistence in randomly fluctuating environments. Despite its prevalence, empirical evidence in microalgae, crucial primary producers and carbon sinks, is lacking. Here, we report a bet-hedging strategy in the unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. We show that isogenic populations reversibly diversify into heterophenotypic mobile and non-mobile cells independently of environmental conditions, likely driven by stochastic gene expression. Mobile cells grow faster but are stress-sensitive, while non-mobile cells prioritise stress resistance over growth. This is due to shifts from growth-promoting activities (cell division, photosynthesis) to resilience-promoting processes (thickened cell wall, cell enlargement, aggregation, accumulation of antioxidant and energy-storing compounds). Our results provide empirical evidence for bet hedging in a microalga, indicating the potential for adaptation to current and future environmental conditions and consequently conservation of ecosystem functions.Bet hedging is an evolutionary strategy facilitating survival in randomly fluctuating environments. Here, the authors report bet hedging in the unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis, undergoing reversible diversification into mobile and non-mobile cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The step-like initial value problem of the Fokas–Lenells equation is discussed based on Whitham modulation theory. Via the finite-gap integration method, the zero-phase, one-phase, N-phase solutions, and corresponding Whitham equation are obtained. Analytical and graphical methods are used to provide elementary wave structures of rarefaction waves and dispersive shock waves, which allows the classification of all wave structures that evolve from initial discontinuities. Finally, two typical Riemann problems are solved and represented graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the study of the (2+1)-dimensional Ito equation with spatially variable coefficients. The Lax integrability of the equation is confirmed by the Lax pair derived from the Bell polynomials. In addition, the Hirota bilinear form, the Bäcklund transformation and infinite conservation laws of the equation are obtained by the Bell polynomials. More importantly, the ansatz method is utilized to construct lump solutions and interaction solutions between one line soliton and one lump, and the Hirota bilinear method is employed to construct different types of N-soliton solutions and interaction solutions for the (2+1)-dimensional Ito equation with different coefficient functions. All these solutions are presented graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the integrability and exact solutions of a (2+1)-dimensional variable coefficient Korteweg-de Vries equation. The bilinear form, Bäcklund transformations, and Lax pair of this equation are obtained using the Bell polynomial method. Soliton solutions, including lump solitons, breather solitons, and hybrid solutions, are constructed by assuming different auxiliary functions in the bilinear ansatz method. Additionally, the soliton solutions are presented as figures for different variable coefficient functions and undetermined items under appropriate parameter choices. The Bäcklund transformations also lead to Lax pair and the infinity conservation laws that ensure the integrability of the nonlinear system under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium cation embedded cellulose acetate/poly(vinyl butyral) composite superfine fibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning. Then, these composite fibers were treated with hydrazine hydrate/NaOH/ethanol solution to regenerate cellulose from cellulose acetate and poly(vinyl alcohol) from poly(vinyl butyral). Meanwhile, the Pd2+ cations were reduced to Pd0 nanoparticles, which were evenly dispersed inside the fibers. The catalytic performance of these embedded Pd0 nanoparticles were evaluated by Suzuki reaction. The catalysis results show that this novel fibrous catalyst was highly active to catalyze the Suzuki reaction of aromatic iodides and bromides with yields over 90%. Moreover, this fibrous palladium catalyst could be readily recovered and reused for 15 times with little loss of initial catalytic activity. The high catalytic activity can be ascribed to the superfine diameter of fibers while the excellent recyclability can be attributed to the embedment of active palladium species inside the fibers. Therefore, we have developed a facile method to prepare highly active and stable cellulose supported palladium fibrous catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) consists of two small satellites operating in the same Earth orbit with opposite phases. Its scientific goal is to monitor the electromagnetic counterparts associated with Gravitational Wave events (GWE) and other cosmic high energy transient sources. As the main detector, the Gamma-Ray Detector (GRD) adopts LaBr 3 :Ce scintillator coupled with SiPM array. Each GRD has two output channels, i.e. high gain channel (8 ∼ 250 keV) and low gain channel (50 ∼ 6000 keV). In this paper, we present the low gain calibration results of GRDs with radioactive sources on ground, including the E-C relation, energy resolution, absolute detection efficiency and spatial response. Meanwhile, the consistency between the measurements and Geant4 simulation demonstrates the accuracy of the simulation code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main work of this paper is to study the soliton solutions and asymptotic behavior of the integrable reverse space-time nonlocal Sasa–Satsuma equation, which is derived from the coupled two-component Sasa–Satsuma system with a specific constraint. The soliton solutions of the nonlocal Sasa–Satsuma equation are constructed through solving the inverse scattering problems by Riemann–Hilbert method. Compared with local systems, discrete eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the reverse space-time nonlocal Sasa–Satsuma equation have novel symmetries and constraints. On the basis of these symmetry relations of eigenvalues and eigenvectors, the one-soliton and two-soliton solutions are obtained and the dynamic properties of these solitons are shown graphically. Furthermore, the asymptotic behaviors of two-soliton solutions are analyzed. All these results about physical features and mathematical properties may be helpful to comprehend nonlocal nonlinear system better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the exact soliton solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional generalized Hirota–Satsuma–Ito equations with time-dependent linear phase speed. Based on the Painlevé integrability test of this equation, the condition of the integrability is determined. Then the general N-soliton solutions are constructed by Hirota bilinear method. Not only the expressions of exact solutions and their degenerations, but also the spatial structures are presented for different choices of the parameters, including the line soliton, periodic soliton, lump soliton and their interaction forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional state of CD8+ T cells determines the therapeutic efficacy of PD-1 blockade antibodies in tumors. Amino acids are key nutrients for maintaining T cell antitumor immunity. In this study, we used samples from lung cancer patients treated with PD-1 blockade antibodies to assay the amino acids in their serum by mass spectrometry. We found that lung cancer patients with high serum taurine levels generally responded to PD-1 blockade antibody therapy, in parallel with the secretion of high levels of cytotoxic cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α). CD8+ T cells cultured with exogenous taurine exhibited decreased apoptosis, enhanced proliferation, and increased secretion of cytotoxic cytokines. High SLC6A6 expression in CD8+ T cells was positively associated with an effector T cell signature. SLC6A6 knockdown limited the function and proliferation of CD8+ T cells. RNA sequencing revealed that SLC6A6 knockdown altered the calcium signaling pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, and T cell receptor signaling in CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, taurine enhanced T cell proliferation and function in vitro by stimulation of PLCγ1-mediated calcium and MAPK signaling. Taurine plus immune checkpoint blockade antibody significantly attenuated tumor growth and markedly improved the function and proliferation of CD8+ T cells in a mouse tumor model. Thus, our findings indicate that taurine is an important driver for improving CD8+ T cell immune responses and could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With open-chain polyether as the bridge chain, a new fungal-modified material with diamidoxime groups was prepared by a series of uncomplex synthesis reaction. The orthogonal experiment obtained its optimized adsorption conditions as follows: the initial pH value of 6.5, the initial uranyl concentration of 40 mg L−1, the contact time of 130 min, and the a solid–liquid ratio of 25 mg L−1. The maximum adsorption capacity of target material was 446.20 mg g−1, and it was much greater than that of the similar monoamidoxime material (295.48 mg g−1). The linear Langmuir (R2 = 0.9856) isotherm models and the linear pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9931) fit the experimental data of uranium (VI) adsorption better, indicating the adsorption mechanism should mainly be the monolayer adsorption and chemical process. In addition, the relevant experiments exhibited the prepared material had the good reusability, which reached 84.25% of the maximum capacity after five cycles, and the excellent anti-interference performance. The above features suggest the modified fungus material will have the good application prospect in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular subtyping of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is essential for understanding the mechanisms and discovering actionable targets of this highly heterogeneous type of breast cancer. We previously performed a large single-center and multiomics study consisting of genomics, transcriptomics, and clinical information from 465 patients with primary TNBC. To facilitate reusing this unique dataset, we provided a detailed description of the dataset with special attention to data quality in this study. The multiomics data were generally of high quality, but a few sequencing data had quality issues and should be noted in subsequent data reuse. Furthermore, we reconduct data analyses with updated pipelines and the updated version of the human reference genome from hg19 to hg38. The updated profiles were in good concordance with those previously published in terms of gene quantification, variant calling, and copy number alteration. Additionally, we developed a user-friendly web-based database for convenient access and interactive exploration of the dataset. Our work will facilitate reusing the dataset, maximize the values of data and further accelerate cancer research. Measurement(s) RNA expression profiling • whole-exome sequencing (WES) • somatic mutations • copy number alterations (CNAs) Technology Type(s) RNA sequencing • DNA sequencing • OncoScan CNV assay Factor Type(s) Intervention or procedure Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens Sample Characteristic - Location China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the high toxicity and widespread availability, it is of great importance to develop accurate, sensitive, and convenient assays for fluoride ion (F−) detection. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescent system is established for point-of-care testing (POCT) of F− with a smartphone as analyzer. The sensing system of calcein-QDs-Eu3+ contains two fluorescent probes of calcein (green emission) and ZnCdSe/ZnS QDs (red emission). The sensing system only presents red emission in that the calcein emission is quenched due to the combination between calcein and Eu3+. When F− is introduced, the fluorescence of calcein is recovered due to the stronger interaction between F− and Eu3+, which changes the emission from red to green. The ratiometric strategy offers an obvious fluorescence color change of the system, which eliminates interference and improves the detection accuracy. Specifically, the sensing system has excellent selectivity in that Eu3+ is more inclined to bind with F− rather than other anions. The developed assay was further used to prepare a test paper and hydrogel for POCT. To further improve the detection sensitivity and realize quantitative analysis, a smartphone installed with a color scan app is integrated as signal reader and analyzer, which is used for POCT of F− in real samples, showing great application potential in environmental protection and food safety evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rat is one of the most widely-used models in chemical safety evaluation and biomedical research. However, the knowledge about its microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns across multiple organs and various developmental stages is still limited. Here, we constructed a comprehensive rat miRNA expression BodyMap using a diverse collection of 320 RNA samples from 11 organs of both sexes of juvenile, adolescent, adult and aged Fischer 344 rats with four biological replicates per group. Following the Illumina TruSeq Small RNA protocol, an average of 5.1 million 50 bp single-end reads was generated per sample, yielding a total of 1.6 billion reads. The quality of the resulting miRNA-seq data was deemed to be high from raw sequences, mapped sequences, and biological reproducibility. Importantly, aliquots of the same RNA samples have previously been used to construct the mRNA BodyMap. The currently presented miRNA-seq dataset along with the existing mRNA-seq dataset from the same RNA samples provides a unique resource for studying the expression characteristics of existing and novel miRNAs, and for integrative analysis of miRNA-mRNA interactions, thereby facilitating better utilization of rats for biomarker discovery. Measurement(s) miRNA expression profiling Technology Type(s) Next Generation Sequencing Factor Type(s) organ • age • sex Sample Characteristic - Organism Rattus norvegicus [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies reverse space and/or time nonlocal Fokas–Lenells (FL) equation, which describes the propagation of nonlinear light pulses in monomode optical fibers when certain higher-order nonlinear effects are considered, by Hirota bilinear method. Firstly, we construct variable transformations from reverse space nonlocal FL equation to reverse time and reverse space-time nonlocal FL equations. Secondly, the multisoliton and quasi-periodic solutions of the reverse space nonlocal FL equation are derived through Hirota bilinear method, and the soliton solutions of reverse time and reverse space-time nonlocal FL equations are given through variable transformations. Also, dynamical behaviors of the multisoliton solutions are discussed in detail by analyzing their wave structures. Thirdly, asymptotic analysis of two- and three-soliton solutions of reverse space nonlocal FL equation is used to investigate the elastic interaction and inelastic interaction. Finally, the infinite conservation laws of three types of nonlocal FL equations are found by using their lax pairs. The results obtained in this paper possess new properties that different from the ones for FL equation, which are useful in exploring novel physical phenomena of nonlocal systems in nonlinear media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paramagnetic complexes containing gadolinium ions have been widely used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in clinic. However, these paramagnetic complexes pose some safety concerns. There is still a demand for the development of stable MRI contrast agents that exhibit higher sensitivity and superior functionality to existing contrast agents. Here, we develop carbonized paramagnetic complexes of manganese (II) (Mn@CCs) to encapsulate Mn2+ in sealed carbonized shells with superhigh r1 relaxivity. Compared to the most common clinical contrast agent Magnevist, investigations in vivo demonstrate that the Mn@CCs cross the intact blood-brain barrier of normal health mice with minor metal deposition; preferentially target the glioma tissues distribute homogeneously with high penetration in an intracranial mouse model; delineate clear tumor margins in MRIs of ultrasmall single-nodule brain tumors, and multi-nodular liver tumors. The sensitivity, accuracy and low toxicity offer by Mn@CCs provides new opportunities for early molecular diagnostics and imaging-guided biomedical applications. Improving the imaging of cancer may enhance the treatment of patients, Here, the authors develop a Mn(II) based nanoparticle contrast agent for MRI imaging and show that the nanoparticles can cross the brain barrier and image glioma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our investigation, a smartphone-integrated ratiometric fluorescent sensing system with lanthanide-based infinite coordination polymers (Ce-GMP-DPA@Tb-DPA) as signal probe has been successfully constructed for sensitive and portable detection of water in organic solvents. The Ce-GMP-DPA presents blue luminescence which is suppressed once the Tb-DPA is integrated to form the complex of Ce-GMP-DPA@Tb-DPA. Due to the energy transfer from Ce to Tb, the as-formed Ce-GMP-DPA@Tb-DPA exhibits green fluorescence of Tb-DPA. The presence of water can decompose the Tb-DPA, which blocks energy transfer from Ce to Tb, resulting in the decrease of green emission of Tb-DPA and the recovery of blue emission of Ce-GMP-DPA. Therefore, a ratiometric fluorescence assay is established for quantitative water detection within a wide linear range from 0.2 to 90.0% in ethanol. The limit of detection (LOD) reaches as low as 0.16% in ethanol, 0.62% in THF, and 0.0076% in acetonitrile, respectively. Furthermore, a smartphone installed with Color Picker APP as signal reader and analyzer is designed to integrate with the detection assay. With white spirit as real sample, water can be on-site detected with high accuracy (RSD < 2.81%). The developed platform presents great potential for portable water detection in practical application with merits of low cost, easy carry, and simple operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newcastle disease, designated a class A disease of poultry by the Office international des epizooties (OIE), is an acute infection caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV). The merging of the envelope of NDV with the membrane of a target host cell is the key step in the infection pathway, which is driven by the concerted action of two glycoproteins: haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion (F) protein. When the HN protein binds to the host cell surface receptor, the F protein is activated to mediate fusion. The three-dimensional structure of the F protein has been reported to have low electron density between the DIII domain and the HRB domain, and this electron-poor region is defined as the HRB linker. To clarify the contributing role of the HRB linker in the NDV F protein-mediated fusion process, 6 single amino acid mutants were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis of the HRB linker. The expression of the mutants and their abilities to mediate fusion were analysed, and the key amino acids in the HRB linker were identified as L436, E439, I450, and S453, as they can modulate the fusion ability or expression of the active form to a certain extent. The data shed light on the crucial role of the F protein HRB linker in the acquisition of a normal fusogenic phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its remarkable electrical, mechanical and thermal properties, graphene has been considered the most promising reinforcing filler for the development of rubber nanocomposites. In this work, a novel interfacial structure consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/N-tert-butyl-2-benzothiazole sulfonamide (NS)/natural rubber (NR) (NR/NS-rGO) with covalent bond connections was fabricated using one-step modification and coprecipitation methods. When the filler loading of NS-rGO is 0.42 vol.%, not only the thermal conductivity of the rubber composite increases to 0.237 Wm−1 K−1, which is 21.5% higher than that of pure NR; meanwhile, the internal heat generation decreases to 2.6 °C, which is 45.8% lower than that of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/ascorbic acid (VC)/natural rubber (NR) (NR/VC-rGO), and the mechanical properties have been greatly improved. The results demonstrated that the covalent bond connections greatly reduced interfacial thermal resistance at the filler/matrix interface. Furthermore, the enhanced interfacial interaction reduced frictional heat generation at the filler/matrix interface. More importantly, this strategy provided creative insights into the high application potential of graphene in the rubber industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation, characterization, and uranium (VI) adsorption properties of tri-amidoxime modified marine fungus material (ZZF51-GPTS-EDA-AM/ZGEA) were investigated in this study. ZGEA was synthesized by four steps of condensation, nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic addition, and nitrile amidoxime and characterized by a series of methods containing FT-IR, TGA, SEM, and BET. Contrasted with uranium (VI) adsorption capacity of original fungus mycelium (15.46 mg g−1) that of the functional material (584.60 mg g−1) was great under the optimal factors such as uranium (VI) ion concentration 40 mg L−1, solid-liquid ratio 50 mg L−1, pH of solution 5.5, and reaction time 120 min. The above data were obtained by the orthogonal method. The cyclic tests showed that ZGEA had good regeneration performance, and it could be recycled at least five adsorption-desorption processes. The thermodynamic experimental adsorption result fitted Langmuir and Freundlich models, which explored monolayer and double layers of uranium (VI) adsorption mechanism, and the kinetic adsorption results were in better consistent with the pseudo-second-order and pseudo-first-order dynamic models (R2 > 0.999). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescence strategy based on the outstanding catalytic capability of CuS nanoparticles (CuSNPs) has been developed for highly sensitive and specific determination of o,o-dimethyl-o-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (DDVP) under enzyme-free and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-free conditions. In the presence of DDVP, CuSNPs can catalyze non-fluorescence substratum of Amplex red (AR) into resorufin, which exhibits fluorescence emission at 584 nm under excitation at 540 nm. The sensing system exhibits outstanding specificity and only responds to DDVP and no other organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). A wide linear range is obtained from 0.0001 to 0.1 μg/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.1 ng/mL. Furthermore, paper-based test strips have been constructed for visual detection of DDVP under ultraviolet light irradiation. By integrating a smartphone installed with Color Picker APP, point-of-care detection with quantitative determination is realized, demonstrating substantial potential applications of the as-developed assay for in situ detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new class of robust superhydrophobic cotton fabric was prepared by chemically grafting method for removing oil from contaminated waters. Furthermore, the mechanical, chemical, and thermal durability of superhydrophobic cotton fabric was evaluated in detail. The superhydrophobic cotton fabric did not only showed excellent separation efficiency (ca.100%) and ultrafast separation rate (ca. 13,600 L/h m2) but also exhibited excellent durability. Especially, the oil/water separation rate was almost 10 times than that reported in previous works. The work provides a new method to design and large-scale prepare oil/water separation materials with high performance for industrial use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A composite RGO/ZnO-mrs, which is reduced graphene oxide (RGO) decorated with ZnO microrods (ZnO-mrs), with excellent electromagnetic wave absorbing performance was prepared by a simple mechanical mixing and direct freeze-drying method. The load of ZnO-mrs in this composite is controlled effectively by changing mass ratio of raw materials Zn(Ac)2·2H2O and graphene oxide (GO), then the balance between dielectric loss ability to electromagnetic wave and impedance matching with free space of the absorbing composite RGO/ZnO-mrs prepared can be obtained, and then its high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption ability. When mass ratio of GO to Zn(Ac)2·2H2O is 1:3, composite RGO/ZnO-mrs filled with only 15 wt% exhibits the most significant electromagnetic wave absorption properties, its minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of − 38.5 dB is obtained at 15.4 GHz and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is up to 5.4 GHz (12.6–18 GHz) with a thickness of 2 mm only. The basic electromagnetic wave absorption mechanism of this composite is discussed systematically. All results demonstrate that composite RGO/ZnO-mrs in this study is very promising as a broadband absorption, light weight, especially with a simple and expandable preparing process electromagnetic wave absorber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 2 (3), 9 (10), 16 (17), 23 (24)-tetrakis-(8-quinoline-oxy) phthalocyanine zinc(II) (ZnQPc) was prepared and then quaternized to obtain water soluble zinc phthalocyanine (ZnQPc4+). Then, ZnQPc4+ was used as a photosensitizer for a series of POM catalysts, including Dawson type K6[α-P2W18O62]·14H2O (P2W18) and K10[α-P2W17O61]·20H2O (P2W17) and Keggine type H3PW12O40·xH2O (PW12). The Keggin type PW12 showed higher efficiency with 18.2 μmol of H2 evolution (turnover number (TON) = 14,550) for 6 h upon ZnQPc4+ sensitization in relation to two Dawson P2W17 and P2W18 in a visible light–driven water-soluble system with isopropanol and H2PtCl6·6H2O. In addition, the complexes of ZnQPc4+ with a series of POM catalysts (P2W17, P2W18, and PW12) were also used as photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in water, and it was found that the complexes of ZnQPc4+ with P2W17 and PW12 showed improved photocatalytic activity, and the degradation rates of MB reached 100% at a small dosage under natural pH and visible light. The high efficacy of POM catalysts for H2 evolution and the degradation of MB were attributed to the sensitization of POMs by ZnQPc4+, which was enabled by the transfer of photogenerated electrons of ZnQPc4+ to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of POM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient adsorbent for the treatment of Cr(VI) was simply fabricated by combining graphene oxide with MoS2 nanosheets via in situ hydrothermal process with CTAB as the surfactant. The experimental results indicated that the agglomeration of the MoS2 nanosheets are reduced and uniformly grown on the graphene sheet during the in situ hydrothermal process, and the introduction of graphene oxide provided higher specific surface area and abundant oxygenic groups. Based on this, the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) onto MoS2/rGO was 75.9% at pH 2.0, which was higher than that of bulk MoS2 (61.0%). On account of Sips adsorption isotherm model, the highest uptake capacity of MoS2/rGO toward Cr(VI) reached 80.8 mg g−1. The adsorption kinetic consequences showed that the chemisorption process was the control step, and the removal mechanism for Cr(VI) is redox and adsorption; in this way, the adsorbed Cr(VI) was partially reduced to Cr(III). Furthermore, this as-prepared adsorbent also presented satisfying reusability for removal of Cr(VI) and can be used for the selective removal of Cr(VI) in the presence of NO3−. In short, it may provide a potential route to enhance the adsorption property of MoS2 toward heavy metals through incorporating with GO, which would expand the applications of MoS2 in the field of treatment of the heavy metal wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the case of a smart home, the ability to recognize daily activities depends primarily on the strategy used for selecting the appropriate features related to these activities. To achieve the goal, this paper presents a daily activity feature selection strategy based on the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Firstly, a daily activity feature is viewed as a vector in Pearson Correlation Coefficient formula. Secondly, the relation degree between daily activity features is obtained according to weighted Pearson Correlation Coefficient formula. At last, redundant features are removed by the relation degree between daily activity features. Two distinct datasets are adopted to mitigate the effects of the coupling of the dataset used and the sensor configuration. Three different machine learning techniques are employed to evaluate the performance of the proposed approach in activity recognition. The experiment results show that the proposed approach yields higher recognition rates and achieves average improvement F-measures of 1.56% and 2.7%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with localized waves in the (3+1)-dimensional Boiti–Leon–Manna–Pempinelli equation in the incompressible fluid. Based on Hirota's bilinear method, N-soliton solutions related to Boiti–Leon–Manna–Pempinelli equation are constructed. Novel nonlinear wave phenomena are obtained by selecting appropriate parameters to N-soliton solutions, and time evolutions of different kinds of solitary waves are investigated in detail. Rich elastic interactions are illustrated analytically and graphically. More specifically, the inelastic interactions, i.e., fusion and fission of solitary waves, are constructed by choosing special parameters on kink solitons and breathers. The analysis of the influence of parameters on propagation is revealed in three tables. The results have potential applications in fluid mechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections caused by foodborne microorganisms are a great threat to the global environment and public healthcare today. Thus, rapid, portable and sensitive assays that can realize the identification of foodborne bacteria are highly desired. In this study, a smart fluorescent and colorimetric dual-readout sensing system has been established for simple and rapid E. coli determination by utilizing the Cu2+-triggered oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPD). Initially, Cu2+ can oxidize OPD to OPDox, resulting in an orange-yellow fluorescence and visible pale-yellow color. However, E. coli can effectively reduce Cu2+ into Cu+, inhibiting the Cu2+-triggered oxidation of OPD to OPDox. Consequently, the introduction of E. coli can turn off both the fluorescence and the UV-vis absorbance signals of the OPD-Cu2+ system, illustrating an original mechanism for fluorescent and colorimetric dual-channel detection of E. coli. Moreover, a filter paper-based visual sensor was built and coupled with OPD-Cu2+ solution under the assistance of a UV lamp. The as-prepared sensor can detect E. coli quantitatively with the help of a typical smartphone color-scanning application (APP). Thus, this study offers a valid dual-mode assay for sensitive and on-site visible detection of E. coli, guaranteeing the reliability of the results and is more attractive for practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe3O4@PANI@rGO/EP coating with a tunable surface roughness was prepared by a facile spraying method under the assistance of magnetic field for enhancing microwave absorption properties. The structure and microwave absorption properties of nanocomposite coating were characterized and compared as a function of magnetic field. It was found that the surface roughness of nanocomposite coating increased with increasing in magnetic field, which further improved the microwave absorption performance. Fe3O4@PANI@rGO/EP with a surface roughness of 1.93 μm showed a minimum RL value of − 28.2 dB at 10.5 GHz with a thickness of only 1.0 mm and a bandwidth of 5.5 GHz from 8.1 to 13.6 GHz (< − 10.0 dB). The enhanced microwave absorption performance was attributed to that rough surface could simultaneously decrease reflection of electromagnetic wave and enhance dissipation ability of electromagnetic wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of resident-activity-recognition systems is an important measure in the evaluation of smart homes performance. An imbalanced distribution of activity classes, however, severely degrades this performance. Traditional approaches towards realization of activity recognition focus on the improvement of recognition algorithms rather than imbalanced-data adjusting. Even state-of-the-art recognition algorithms have been limited to exclusively improving activity-recognition performance. The proposed study focuses on imbalanced-data adjusting and presents an improved Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) algorithm to address issues concerning imbalanced activity classes. Instead of linear interpolation, the proposed algorithm uses the Euclidean distance of each minor activity to adjust the distribution of activity classes, thereby generating new synthetic minority activities in the neighborhood of remaining minority-class examples. Two public datasets were utilized in this study to validate the improved SMOTE algorithm. Results demonstrate that the proposed approach favorably outperforms traditional SMOTE algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficiency electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite with low microwave reflection was fabricated by introducing nickel coated ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene particles (UHMWPE@Ni) into ground tire rubber (GTR) matrix. Chain-like carbon black (CB) aggregates in GTR domains connected discontinuous Ni layers to form a hybrid conductive network. The remarkable EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) and low reflection characteristics of GTR/UHMWPE@Ni composites were attributed to the well-connected Ni–CB hybrid conductive network with both magnetic hysteresis loss and electrical loss, and the multi-interfaces structure induced by the selectively distributed Ni layer at the interface between UHMWPE and GTR. With only 1.04 vol% Ni content, the EMI SE of GTR/UHMWPE@Ni composite reached 47.3 dB in X band. Because of the synergistic effect of the Ni–CB hybrid network, the power coefficient of reflectivity (R) of the composite was as low as 0.58. The result indicated that our work provided a feasible strategy to fabricate efficient electromagnetic shielding materials with low microwave reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional nano-flower structure of MoS2/PANI nanocomposites were successfully fabricated via the in situ polymerization method. The best reflection loss could reach − 50.57 dB at 5.04 GHz with the thickness of 5.0 mm and the efficient absorption bandwidth (RL ≤ − 10 dB) was about 2.08 GHz when the mass ratio of MoS2/PANI was 5:5. Additionally, in the case of satisfying effective electromagnetic wave absorption, other two effective and even wider absorption bandwidth could achieve 4.96 GHz (13.04–18.00 GHz) and 3.68 GHz (8.08–11.76 GHz) at the thickness of 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm, respectively. According to the electromagnetic parameters' analyses, the more multi-interfaces introduced by the construction of such three-dimensional nano-flower structure, the more multi-polarization and reflection could be occurred, the better electromagnetic wave absorption could be achieved. The results indicated that MoS2/PANI nanocomposites were the promising electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid (AA) detection in biological sample and food sample is critical for human health. Herein, a MnO2 nanosheet (MnO2-NS)-based ratiometric fluorescent nanosensor has been developed for high sensitive and specific detection of AA. The MnO2-NS presents peroxidase-like activity and can oxidize non-fluorescent substrate of o-phenylenediamine (OPDA) into fluorescent substrate, presenting maximum fluorescence at 568 nm (F568). If MnO2-NS is premixed with AA, the MnO2-NS is then decomposed as Mn2+ by AA, decreasing the fluorescent intensity of F568. Meantime, AA is oxidized as dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), which can react with OPDA to generate fluorescent substrate. A new fluorescence response is found at 425 nm (F425). The dual fluorescent responses can be excited with a universal excitation wavelength, simplifying the detection procedure. With F425/F568 as readout, limit of detection for AA reaches as low as 10.0 nM. Satisfactory recoveries are found for AA detection in serum and diverse beverages. The ratiometric strategy significantly eliminates false-negative and false-positive results, providing a cost-effective, rapid, and reliable way for AA detection in real sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZrO2 nanoparticles were electrostatic self-assembled on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) for enhancing the mechanical and tribological properties of phenolic resin. Zeta potential analysis and structural characterization confirmed that ZrO2 nanoparticles had been successfully adhered onto the surface of GO, and the as-prepared ZrO2@GO nanohybrid possessed good dispersity. The results showed that filling 1.5 wt% ZrO2@GO nanohybrid could improve the flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength of phenolic resin (PF) by 38.6%, 10.7% and 8.3%, respectively. When 0.5 wt% ZrO2@GO was added, the initial decomposition temperature and the residual content at 800 °C of PF increased by 20.0% and 16.9%, respectively. The ZrO2@GO nanohybrid also exhibited synergistic effect for improving the tribological performance of PF effectively, that when adding 0.5 wt% ZrO2@GO nanohybrid, the average friction coefficient and wear rate of the composites reduced by 21.8% and 30.6%, respectively. SEM observation and 3D non-contact surface topography analysis showed the wear surface of ZrO2@GO nanohybrid filling PF composite was smooth, low spalling and shallowly grooved with the typical characteristic of abrasive wear. It was explained that the ZrO2@GO nanohybrid could play the role of rolling bearings, form stable and smooth friction transfer film and enhance the interfacial interaction, thus indicated the synergistic wear-resisting performance for PF matrix. It provides a green, convenient and fast method for preparing ZrO2 nanoparticles-attached GO nanohybrid that can enhance the mechanical and tribological performance of resin-based materials effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]