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Obesity (OB) is a prevalent metabolic disorder. With the advancement of the economy, the prevention and treatment of obesity is a big problem for the global community. The methods to lose weight include exercise, diet, medicine, and surgery. Compared with other methods, diet regulation is safer and more effective. Hawthorn fruit has the effect of reducing weight, but the mechanism of effectiveness are not clear. In this study, obesity model rats are used to conduct scientific pharmacological research on hawthorn flavonoids. Hawthorn flavonoids can effectively improve the body weight, lipid accumulation, and lipid levels of obese rats. The contents of the colon of rats are analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing technology. The intestinal microflora in obese rats changed significantly after flavonoids treatment, and they tended to be the control group. Based on liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry, serum metabolomics showed that the metabolites in the serum changed significantly, after hawthorn flavonoids treatment. Hawthorn flavonoids are especially involved in the biological processes of grade bile acid biosynthesis, histidine metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the disorder of intestinal microorganisms is connected to changes in serum metabolites. These findings give a new idea about how hawthorn flavonoids help with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthesis in natural systems involves a series of steps for energy transfer, but replicating this process in artificial light‐harvesting systems (ALHS) with three or more steps is still difficult. This work presents a set of ALHS that exhibit an intricate three‐step energy transfer mechanism. The ALHS are meticulously fabricated by utilizing cyano‐substituted diphenyl ethylene derivative (DCMI), cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), and sulfobutylether‐β‐cyclodextrin (SBE‐βCD) through host–guest and electrostatic interactions in water to create a multilevel molecular assembly serving as energy donors. Three distinct types of fluorescent dyes, namely rhodamine B (RhB), sulforhodamine 101 (SR101), and cyanine 5 (Cy5), are employed as energy acceptors. The DCMI‐2CB[7]@SBE‐βCD+RhB+SR101+Cy5 system demonstrates an effective three‐step sequential energy transfer process, which involves the transfer of energy from DCMI‐2CB[7]@SBE‐βCD to RhB, SR101, and Cy5 in a consecutive manner, resulting in a substantial energy transfer efficiency. Remarkably, within the multi‐step energy transfer system, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) exhibit a progressive augmentation. Furthermore, to fully utilize the harvested energy and obtained ROS, the ALHS with multistep sequential energy transfer further promotes the visible‐light induced photoredox thiol‐ene cross‐coupling reaction between thiophenol and styrene to selectively obtain sulfides and sulfoxides in water with high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A visible‐light‐induced strategy utilizing sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as distinctive oxidant and water as the oxygen source to transform silanes into siloxanes has been developed under mild conditions, realizing the efficient utilization and degradation of the strong greenhouse gas, sulfur hexafluoride, simultaneously. Mechanistic experiments demonstrate that the reaction proceeds through a radical pathway, and it has been confirmed that the oxygen atoms in the resulting siloxanes indeed originate from water by isotopic labeling experiments with 18O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an age‐related pulmonary interstitial disease with unclear etiology that poses a serious threat to human health. IPF interventions in clinical settings mainly involve oral medications, such as nintedanib (NIN), which exhibit limited accumulation in the lungs and neglect the epithelial micro‐environment. Inhalation is an efficient route for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. However, the mucus barrier in the trachea and the extracellular matrix (ECM) barrier in the interstitium are the two main obstacles to inhaled therapeutic agent delivery. Therefore, in this study, dual barrier‐penetrating inhaled liposomes (AN‐TR) are constructed utilizing tris‐(2‐carboxyethyl)‐phosphine (TCEP) and l‐arginine to penetrate the mucus and ECM barriers, respectively. This approach facilitates the thorough and uniform distribution of NIN and navitoclax (ABT‐263) across all five lung lobes. Furthermore, ABT‐263 can remove the senescent epithelial cells in the trachea and alveoli, thereby improving the efficiency of NIN for IPF treatment. This study suggests dual barrier‐penetrating inhaled liposomes as efficient noninvasive vehicles for first‐line clinical medications to improve the efficacy of IPF treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of the SCF3‐containing 1,1‐diaryl tertiary carbon stereocenters with high enantioselectivities is reported via a nickel‐catalyzed asymmetric C−C coupling strategy. This method demonstrates simple operations, mild conditions and excellent functional group tolerance, with newly designed SCF3‐containing synthon, which can be easily obtained from commercially available benzyl bromide and trifluoromethylthio anion in a two‐step manner. Further substrate exploration indicated that the reaction system could be extended to diverse perfluoroalkyl sulfide (SC2F5, SC3F7, SC4F9, SCF2CO2Et)‐substituted 1,1‐diaryl compounds with excellent enantioselectivities. The synthetic utility of this transformation was further demonstrated by convenient derivatization to optical SCF3‐containing analogues of bioactive compounds without an apparent decrease in enantioselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of loose combined cutting seton surgery on wound healing and pain in patients with high anal fistula, aiming to provide evidence‐based medical evidence for surgical method selection for these patients. A comprehensive computerized search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted to collect all relevant studies published up to November 2023, evaluating the effects of loose combined cutting seton surgery in treating patients with high anal fistulas. Two researchers independently screened, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the identified studies. RevMan 5.4 software was employed for data analysis. Overall, 16 articles were included, comprising 1124 patients, with 567 undergoing loose combined cutting seton surgery and 557 undergoing simple cutting seton surgery. The analysis revealed patients undergoing loose combined cutting seton surgery had a higher rate of postoperative wound healing (97.44% vs. 81.69%, odds ratio [OR]: 7.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.29–13.10, p < 0.00001), shorter wound healing time (standardized mean differences [SMD]: −1.48, 95% CI: −1.89 to −1.08, p < 0.00001), lower postoperative wound pain scores (SMD: −2.51, 95% CI: −3.51 to −1.51, p < 0.00001), and a lower rate of postoperative complications (3.43% vs. 20.83%, OR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.05–0.31, p < 0.00001). The current evidence suggests that compared to simple cutting seton surgery, loose combined cutting seton surgery in treating high anal fistulas can promote postoperative wound healing, shorten wound healing time, alleviate pain, and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, making it a worthy clinical practice for widespread application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first example of merging photoredox catalysis and copper catalysis for 1,4‐difunctionalization of 1,3‐enynes via 1,5‐HAT (hydrogen atom transfer) has been developed. The synthetic strategy exploits a radical translocation from an oxygen‐centered to a carbon‐centered radical with a subsequent radical addition to the 1,3‐enynes, affording tetrasubstituted allenenitriles in up to 90% yield. This strategy has mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0D‐2D p–n type CsPbBr3/BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst is successfully fabricated via the electrostatic self‐assembly process. On the basis of the photoluminescence and photocurrent density results, the CsPbBr3/BiOCl composite exhibits a higher charge separation rate than pure BiOCl and CsPbBr3. The degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) result shows that the CsPbBr3/BiOCl composite obtains the highest degradation rate of close to 100% within 60 min, which is significantly higher than those of pure CsPbBr3 (84.21%) and BiOCl (73.57%) because the p–n type heterojunction photocatalyst can promote the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. The free radical capture experiment demonstrates that •O2− plays a major role in the photodegradation of RhB. This study may provide insights into designing advanced photocatalysts for the clean‐ups of environmental pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast–myofibroblast differentiation (FMD) is a critical cellular phenotype during the occurrence and deterioration of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). FMD can increase with an elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on fibroblasts under oxidative stress. Thioredoxin‐interacting protein (TXNIP) is an α‐arrestin family protein that regulates the level of intracellular ROS. Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) can protect against FMD in PF. However, the relationship between Nrf2 and TXNIP in FMD remains elusive. Therefore, we established TGF‐β1‐induced FMD in vitro and bleomycin (BLM)‐induced mouse PF model in vivo to explore whether the activation of Nrf2 can inhibit TXNIP‐mediated FMD in PF. Dimethyl itaconate (DMI) was selected to activate Nrf2. Our results showed that TXNIP was elevated and FMD was aggravated in mice lung tissues after BLM administration compared with the saline group. Inversely, Nrf2 decreased TXNIP expression and alleviated FMD in PF. In vitro, TXNIP overexpression enhanced FMD and increased the level of ROS. In contrast, TXNIP deficiency by small interfering RNA (siRNA) attenuated TGF‐β1‐induced FMD and reduced ROS. An increase in ROS by H2O2 can upregulate TXNIP expression. Moreover, Nrf2 also inhibited TGF‐β1‐induced FMD and the increase of ROS, with reducing expression of TXNIP, and the inhibitory effect was better than TXNIP siRNA. These results suggest that activation of Nrf2 by DMI can protect against PF via inhibiting TXNIP expression. Our study may provide new therapeutic targets and treatment approaches for PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The development of advanced and inexpensive photocatalytic systems exhibiting high efficiency is highly desired for hydrogen (H2) production. In this work, a hydrothermal and in situ growth method was employed for the construction of CdS/MoS2/rGO nanocomposites by coupling MoS2/rGO with CdS to produce H2. The stability and photocatalytic properties of the nanocomposites for H2 evolution at different CdS content were investigated. RESULTS: It was found that CdS/MoS2/rGO nanocomposites with 0.35 wt% CdS displayed the highest H2 evolution rate of 11 331.65 μmol h−1 g−1. This corresponded to the apparent quantum efficiency of 10.4% at 420 nm, which was approximately 46 times higher than that of pure CdS. The CdS/MoS2/rGO nanocomposites showed excellent stability in 6‐run recycling experiments. Additionally, a plausible H2 production mechanism was proposed. CONCLUSION: The remarkable photocatalytic activity was attributed to the high electron–hole pair separation efficiency upon the introduction of MoS2/rGO. This work provides new insights for enhancing the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique mechanical properties and local lattice distortion (LLD) for hexagonal close‐packed (HCP) multiple principal element alloys (MPEAs) are very rarely studied so far. Employing density functional theory calculation based on special quasirandom structure, this work studies the influences of LLD on elastic properties for both novel hexagonal TiZrHf(Sc) MPEAs. Compared to the pristine structures, the lattice stability of distorted random structures is improved evidently. Moreover, LLD obviously lessens the shear elastic properties, which may be an ubiquitous phenomenon irrespective of the lattice types of MPEAs. These results also uncover the apparent improvement in malleable behavior and shear anisotropy for HCP MPEAs. So, the influence of LLD on elastic properties for HCP MPEAs is profound. The degree of LLD is further studied via the standard deviation of near‐neighbor (NN) and next NN bond length distributions as an effective indicator of LLD. More significant distortion uncovered in TiZrHf alloy corresponds consistently to the stronger effects of LLD in TiZrHf alloy. Bader's charge and charge density distribution also demonstrate the underlying impact on LLD for both HCP MPEAs, so electronic nature is a significant factor for LLD. The present study provides guideline for designing mechanical properties of TiZrHf‐based HCP MPEAs engineering materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of structural, elastic, and electronic properties of high entropy carbide (HfTaZrTi)C and (HfTaZrNb)C under high pressure have been studied within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) in conjunction with special quasirandom structures. With increasing pressure, lattice constants of high entropy carbides (HfTaZrTi)C and (HfTaZrNb)C gradually decrease, so volumes shrink, and densities gradually increase. Under high pressure up to 200 GPa, elastic stiffness coefficients for both carbides are almost linearly hardened and meet the elastic stability criteria. With increasing pressure, elastic moduli and Debye temperature of both high entropy carbides (HfTaZrTi)C and (HfTaZrNb)C increase, while theoretical Vickers hardness decreases, although Vickers hardness of (HfTaZrNb)C is always higher than (HfTaZrTi)C in the whole pressure. The ductility of (HfTaZrTi)C and (HfTaZrNb)C is improved under pressure, and brittle‐ductile transition occurs at about 50 and 60 GPa, respectively. The electronic structure demonstrates that, with increasing pressure, covalent bonds between transition metal atoms and carbon atoms are strengthened, accompanying delocalization. This effect is responsible for high values of bulk modulus and shear modulus under pressure and enhanced ductility. The ionic bonds of both high entropy carbides weaken with increasing pressure, and (HfTaZrTi)C is affected more strongly by the pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of finding the K shortest paths (KSPs) between a pair of nodes in a road network is an important network optimization problem with broad applications. Yen's algorithm is a classical algorithm for exactly solving the KSP problem. However, it requires numerous shortest path searches, which can be computationally intensive for real large networks. This study proposes a fast algorithm by introducing a generalized spur path reuse technique. Using this technique, shortest paths calculated during the KSP finding process are stored. Accordingly, many shortest path searches can be avoided by reusing these stored paths. The results of computational experiments on several large‐scale road networks show that the introduced generalized spur path reuse technique can avoid more than 98% of shortest path searches in the KSP finding process. The proposed algorithm speeds up Yen's algorithm by up to 98.7 times in experimental networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process have attracted significant attention in bioimaging applications owing to their high solid‐state emission efficiencies and large Stokes shifts. Herein, a series of simple AIEgens with ESIPT process, referred to as triphenylamine salicylaldehyde (TS) derivatives, are designed and synthesized by a rational hybridization of triphenylamine and salicylaldehyde units as the intramolecular rotor and ESIPT generator, respectively. Owing to the AIE and ESIPT effects, TS derivatives exhibit intense emission and large Stokes shifts (>140 nm) in the aggregated state. By altering the substituents in the triphenylamine units, their solid‐state emission varies from 490 to 590 nm. Owing to their excellent biocompatibilities and suitable lipophilicities, the TS derivatives are able to specifically and rapidly (<5 min) stain the lipid droplets in the cells in a wash‐free manner and successfully image the lipid‐rich tissue in vivo. Moreover, owing to their suitable hydrophilicity, TS and methoxyl substituted TS (TS‐OMe) are shown to stain gram‐positive bacteria with high selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

bsr‐d1, an allele encoding a transcription factor identified from the rice cultivar Digu, confers durable, broad‐spectrum resistance to infections by strains of Magnaporthe oryzae. bsr‐d1 was predicted to inhibit M. oryzae‐induced expression of Bsr‐d1 RNA and degradation of hydrogen peroxide to achieve resistance to M. oryzae. However, the global effect of biological process and molecular function on blast resistance mediated by Bsr‐d1 remains unknown. In this study, we compared transcriptomic profiling between Bsr‐d1 knockout (Bsr‐d1KO) lines and the wild type, TP309. Our study revealed that bsr‐d1 mainly regulates the redox state of plant cells, but also affects amino acid and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. We further found that BSR‐D1 indirectly regulates salicylic acid biosynthesis, metabolism, and signal transduction downstream of the activation of H2O2 signalling in the bsr‐d1‐mediated immune response. Furthermore, we identified a novel peroxidase‐encoding gene, Perox3, as a new BSR‐D1 target gene that reduces resistance to M. oryzae when overexpressed in TP309. These results provide new insights into the bsr‐d1‐mediated blast resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Broad‐spectrum resistance is highly preferred in crop breeding programmes. Previously, we have reported the identification of the broad‐spectrum resistance‐Digu 1 (bsr‐d1) allele from rice Digu. The bsr‐d1 allele prevents activation of Bsr‐d1 expression by Magnaporthe oryzae infection and degradation of H2O2 by peroxidases, leading to resistance to M. oryzae. However, it remains unknown whether defence pathways other than H2O2 burst and peroxidases contribute to the bsr‐d1‐mediated immunity.Blast resistance was determined in rice leaves by spray and punch inoculations. Target genes of OsMYB30 were identified by one‐hybrid assays in yeast and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Lignin content was measured by phloroglucinol–HCl staining, and acetyl bromide and thioacidolysis methods.Here, we report the involvement of the OsMYB30 gene in bsr‐d1‐mediated blast resistance. Expression of OsMYB30 was induced during M. oryzae infection or when Bsr‐d1 was knocked out or downregulated, as occurs in bsr‐d1 plants upon infection. We further found that OsMYB30 bound to and activated the promoters of 4‐coumarate:coenzyme A ligase genes (Os4CL3 and Os4CL5) resulting in accumulation of lignin subunits G and S. This action led to obvious thickening of sclerenchyma cells near the epidermis, inhibiting M. oryzae penetration at the early stage of infection.Our study revealed novel components required for bsr‐d1‐mediated resistance and penetration‐dependent immunity, and advanced our understanding of broad‐spectrum disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the rapid development of China's economy and the growth of people's travel demand, road transport industry has developed rapidly. However, at the same time, the traffic safety problems caused by the accelerated growth of transport vehicles are becoming more and more serious. Driver's driving behavior is closely related to traffic safety. With the help of data mining technology, we can make full use of the system data collected by road transportation industry to identify the bad driving behavior of transport vehicles and get seven secondary indicators of traffic safety evaluation indicators: overspeed, accelerated, decelerated, fatigue driving, idle preheating, overspeed idling, and flameout taxiing. According to the indicators, the occurrence times and duration are further subdivided into 14 three‐level indicators. Then, by using the analytic hierarchy process, through the construction of comparison judgment matrix and consistency checking, the corresponding weight of each evaluation index is determined with the help of the entropy method, and the formation safety of transport vehicles is evaluated. The results show that drivers with more fatigue driving, acceleration, and deceleration have higher driving risk. Transportation enterprises and relevant departments need to focus on their monitoring. The combination of data mining, data analysis algorithm, and traffic safety field in machine learning provides a demonstration for the study of safe driving behavior of transport vehicles in China and has a guiding significance for the supervision and training of drivers' driving behavior and reducing road safety risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese oak silkworm (Antheraea pernyi) and mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori) are economically important insects used for silk production and food resource. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) from the families of Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae are beneficial organisms currently considered in biological control. In this paper, we evaluated survival of two silkworm species exposed to four Steinernema species which are widely applied in pest control. The results showed that among four Steinernema species, S. bicornutum and S. feltiae did not have an effect on the larval survival to the two silkworm species, whereas S. carpocapsae and S. glaseri did have an effect. Each Steinernema species poses no threat to hatchability of eggs, pupation rate, larval durations and cocoon shell ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Microbiota dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been widely reported. The gut microbiota connect diet to the metabolism by producing small molecules via diverse metabolic pathways. In this study we aimed to investigate the dietary preferences of IBD patients, and to explore the interactions among gut microbiota composition, dietary components, and metabolites in relation to IBD. Methods: Dietary preferences of IBD patients (including those with ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's disease [CD]) and health controls were investigated, and their gut microbiota were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic analyses of fecal and biopsy samples. The metabolite profiles of the samples were then analyzed using gas and liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry analyses. Results: The daily intake of folic acid, niacin, vitamins C and D, calcium, and selenium differed significantly between patients with IBD and healthy controls. A decrease in long‐chain (such as arachidic, and oleic acid) and medium‐chain fatty acids (sebacic acid and isocaproic acid) as well as bile acid was observed in patients with IBD. Compared with healthy controls, 22 microbial species (including Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, and Clostridium clostridioforme CAG132) in the UC group and 37 microbial species (such as Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum) in the CD group were found to be correlated to diet and metabolites. Bacteroides fragilis was enriched in patients with IBD and associated with multi‐nutrients, and 21 metabolites including 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 and taurolithocholic acid. Conclusions: This study provides an interaction network to identify key micronutrients, microbiota components and metabolites that contribute to IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of pyrene‐fused azaacene‐type conjugated molecules containing two pyrazine units and up to eight rectilinearly arranged aromatic rings were prepared by condensation coupling reactions in moderate yields. The geometries and electronic structures associated with 2 and 5 were evaluated by DFT calculations. Photophysical properties indicated that these systems possess delocalized structures, and their optoelectronic properties can be tuned by extending the π‐conjugated length and introducing electronic‐withdrawing groups. The compounds were thoroughly investigated by XRD studies, electrochemistry and DFT calculations. High thermal stability and tunable energy levels make them excellent candidates as a class of organic molecular materials. Spiral staircase: A series of pyrene‐fused azaacene‐type conjugated molecules containing two pyrazine units and up to eight rectilinearly arranged aromatic rings were prepared. These molecules possess significant delocalization and tunable optoelectronic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐entropy metal diborides (Hf0.2Zr0.2Ta0.2M0.2Ti0.2)B2 (M = Nb, Mo, Cr) are a new class of ultrahigh temperature ceramics. The novel structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of (Hf0.2Zr0.2Ta0.2M0.2Ti0.2)B2 (M = Nb, Mo, Cr) are studied within density functional theory, with the compositional disorder being treated using the special quasi‐random structures technique. The elastic stiffness constants Cij, as well as bulk, shear and Young's modulus of (Hf0.2Zr0.2Ta0.2M0.2Ti0.2)B2 (M = Nb, Mo, Cr) are studied to estimate the mechanical properties. The ductility is also investigated from several criterions, showing that (Hf0.2Zr0.2Ta0.2M0.2Ti0.2)B2 (M = Nb, Mo, Cr) is still intrinsically brittle. The high Debye temperature of (Hf0.2Zr0.2Ta0.2M0.2Ti0.2)B2 (M = Nb, Mo, Cr) indicates the strong interatomic interactions and good thermal conductivity. The detailed investigations of electronic structure reveal that covalent and metallic bonds are respectively formed in the boron layer and the metal layer, mixed ionic and covalent bonds are formed between the metals and boron interlayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background 20-30% of patients do not benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) when the established selection criteria were applied. We hypothesized that a combined assessment of mechanical dyssynchrony, myocardial deformation, and diastolic function would identify patients who would benefit most from CRT. Method In 36 CRT patients, clinical evaluation and echocardiography were performed before and after CRT. Patients were classified into three subgroups according to their amount of response: echocardiographic responders, clinical responders, and nonresponders. Radial dyssynchrony and left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal, radial, and circumferential peak strain was assessed by speckle-tracking image. Diastolic function was quantified by conventional echocardiography. Result In addition to left bundle branch block, nonspecific intraventricular conduction disturbance with intraventricular dyssynchrony could also improve LV remodeling. Echocardiographic responders had better global longitudinal strain, global circumferential peak strain, and global radial strain at baseline which significantly increased at 12-month follow-up. An improvement in estimates of LV filling pressure and a decrease in mitral regurgitation and left atrial dimensions were observed only in echocardiographic responders to CRT. Patients with clinical but without echocardiographic response showed a significant improvement in atrioventricular (AV) synchrony and a nonsignificant improvement in other parameters. The nonresponder group did not improve the AV and intraventricular dyssynchrony. CRT could not improve restrictive filling pattern with normal filling time. Overall, those patients with AV and intraventricular dyssynchrony and those with best contractile function and short diastolic filling time of restrictive filling pattern at baseline demonstrated the greatest benefit from CRT. Conclusions Mechanical dyssynchrony, contractile function, and filling pattern are important determinants of the benefits in CRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxymatrine ( OMT) is a traditional Chinese medicine monomer and has been used for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis and many other diseases. We aimed to investigate whether OMT could induce hepatotoxicity in mice and explored the preliminary mechanisms of toxic effects. Twenty-four Institute for Cancer Research male mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, 40, 160 and 320 mg/kg OMT-treated group. OMT was orally administered once daily for 7 days. The OMT-treated group exhibited an improved liver index and increase in serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase,augmented liver histological injury, elevated levels of malondialdehyde and tumour necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-α) accompanied by the activation of caspase-9/-8/-3, up-regulated expressions of tumour necrosis factor receptor l ( TNFR1), TNF receptor-associated structure domain ( TRADD) and phosphorylation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-jun N-terminal protein kinases (p- SAPK/ JNK). Altogether, these results suggest that OMT at a dose of 320 mg/kg leads to liver damage and is related to the activation of JNK signalling pathway mediated by TNF-α in the liver of mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this updated meta-analysis was to further assess the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT) in treating bipolar disorder ( BD). Methods We carried out a literature search on PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to October 2015. We calculated the pooled relative risk of relapse rate and standard mean difference ( SMD) of mean change (data at a follow-up time-point - baseline) of the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Mania Rating Scale scores with their 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Subgroup analyses based on follow-up time were performed. Results Nine randomized controlled trials with 520 bipolar I or II disorder patients were reanalyzed. Overall analysis showed that CBT did not significantly reduce the relapse rate of BD or improve the level of depression. However, significant efficacy of CBT in improving severity of mania was proved based on the YMRS ( SMD = −0.54, 95% CI, −1.03 to −0.06, P = 0.03) but not based on MRS. Subgroup analyses showed that CBT had short-term efficacy in reducing relapse rate of BD (at 6 months' follow-up: relative risk = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29-0.81, P = 0.006) and improving severity of mania based on YMRS score (post-treatment: SMD = −0.30, 95% CI, −0.59 to −0.01, P = 0.04). Conclusion Short-term efficacy of CBT in reducing relapse rate of BD and improving the severity of mania was proved. But these effects could be weakened by time. In addition, there was no effect of CBT on level of depression in BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/Q-TOF MS) was developed for the analysis of chemical composition change in the production process of Re Du Ning injection, a Chinese medicine preparation with a combination of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and Artemisia annua L. A total of 90 compounds from raw materials-intermediates-Re Du Ning injection were detected; among them, 55 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized, and the characteristic ions of different types of compounds were described. Based on these studies, the different types of compounds in the various process routes were analyzed. A total of 28 compounds, including seven iridoid glycosides and six monoterpenes from G. jasminoides Ellis, five iridoid glycosides, nine phenolic acids and one unknown compound from L. japonica Thunb., were transferred to Re Du Ning injection, and two unknown compounds were generated in the production process of Re Du Ning injection. The results indicated that the Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutical process control is very important. This method could provide some reference for other Chinese medicine preparations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turn restrictions, such as 'no left turn' or 'no U-turn', are commonly encountered in real road networks. These turn restrictions must be explicitly considered in the shortest path problem and ignoring them may lead to infeasible paths. In the present study, a hybrid link-node Dijkstra's (HLND) algorithm is proposed to exactly solve the shortest path problem in road networks with turn restrictions. A new hybrid link-node labelling approach is devised by using a link-based labelling strategy at restricted nodes with turn restrictions, and a node-based labelling strategy at unrestricted nodes without turn restrictions. Computational results for several real road networks show that the proposed HLND algorithm obtains the same optimal results as the link-based Dijkstra's algorithm, while having a similar computational performance to the classical node-based Dijkstra's algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescent tracer, poly (acrylic-co-stearyl acrylate-co --3-acryloyl fluorescein) [poly (AA-co-SA-co-Ac-Flu)], used for real-time monitoring the penetration of amphiphilic acrylate copolymer, poly (acrylic-co-stearyl acrylate) [poly (AA-co-SA)], in leather was synthesized by radical polymerization of acrylic, stearyl acrylate and fluorescent monomer, 3-acryloyl fluorescein (Ac-Flu). The structure, molecular weight, introduced fluorescent group content and fluorescent characteristics of the fluorescent tracer and target copolymer, amphiphilic acrylate copolymer, were also characterized. The results show that the tracer presents the similar structural characteristics to the target and enough fluorescence intensity with 1.68 wt % of the fluorescent monomer introduced amount. The vertical section of the leather treated with the target copolymer mixing with 7% of the tracer exhibits evident fluorescence, and the change of fluorescence intensity along with the vertical section with treating time increasing can reflect the penetration depth of the target copolymer. The introduction of the fluorescent group in polymer structure through copolymerization with a limited amount of fluorescent monomer, Ac-Flu, is an effective way to make a tracer to monitor the penetration of the target in leather, which provides a new thought for the penetration research of syntans such as vinyl copolymer materials in leather manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Accumulating evidences demonstrate that abnormalities in whole blood viscosity (WBV) have been implicated in insulin resistance which may lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, epidemiological studies exploring the association between WBV and NAFLD were not available. Objective Our objective was to evaluate the association between WBV levels and risk of prevalent NAFLD. Design This was a cross-sectional population-based study performed in Shanghai, China. Patients A total of 8673 participants aged 40 years or older were included. Measurements WBV was calculated from haematocrit and plasma protein concentration, at a shear rate of 208-1 s, by a validated equation. NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasound after the exclusion of alcohol abuse and other liver diseases. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Results The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 30.2% in this population. With the increase of WBV level, participants have larger waist circumference (WC), more severe insulin resistance and the prevalence of NAFLD increased significantly with elevated WBV quartiles. Compared with those in the lowest quartiles, adults in the highest quartile of WBV levels have higher prevalence of NAFLD (adjusted odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48 2.13) and IR (2.72, 95% CI 2.26 3.27). Conclusions Elevated WBV is associated with prevalence of NAFLD and IR in middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While these four papers addressed different social science issues and applied different geocomputation techniques, together they highlight the many challenges and opportunities in geocomputation for social science. Geocomputation is an active research domain where advanced computational techniques are applied to solve spatial problems (Gahegan, 1999; Rees & Turton, 1998). The editors hope that this special collection will serve as the spur for GIScience and social science researchers to conceive new data sources, methodologies, and technologies and inspire the further development of geocomputation in social science. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT A series of novel imidazo[1,5- a]pyridine-hydrazone derivatives were synthesized and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), 1H NMR, 13C NMR and high resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). Typically, the spatial structure of compound 3j was determined using X-ray diffraction analysis. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectral characteristics of the compounds in dichloromethane and acetonitrile were investigated. Absorption peaks could be observed in the wavelength range 290-450 nm. It can also be seen that they display very similar maximum emission. The group attached to hydrazone hardly influenced the maximum emission. Furthermore, all the compounds were evaluated for antibacterial activity and were found to be more effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shigella compared with chloramphenicol. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy/SiO2 nanocomposite materials were prepared by cationic photopolymerization and sol-gel process using a novel epoxy oligomer (EP-Si(OC2H5)3) prepared by 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (IPTS)-grafted bisphenol A epoxy resin and tetraethyl orthosilicate as inorganic precursor. The chemical structures of EP-Si(OC2H5)3 were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the in situ generated nano-SiO2 dispersed uniformly in the EP matrix, and its average diameter is around 40 nm. The relationship between nanocomposite materials' thermal/mechanical properties and nano-SiO2 introduced were studied by thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and impact strength test. The results showed that the nanocomposite materials' thermal and mechanical properties improved a lot with increase of the SiO2 content. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generalized stacking fault (GSF) energy curves along the 〈110〉 direction on {111} slip plane for L12 Al3Sc and Al3Mg are calculated within the framework of density functional theory (DFT), and anti-phase boundary (APB) energies are obtained. Then the structures and properties of collinear dissociated 〈110〉{111} dislocations in Al3Sc and Al3Mg are studied using Peierls-Nabarro (PN) model combined with GSF energies, the obtained dislocation dissociation width of the 〈110〉{111} edge dislocation in Al3Sc is in agreement with the available experimental value. In comparison with Al3Mg, the dislocation dissociation widths of both screw and edge in Al3Sc are narrower and the Peierls energies and stresses are lower, while the core energies are much higher. Furthermore, for both Al3Sc and Al3Mg, the core energy of screw dislocation is smaller than that of edge dislocation, while the Peierls energy and stress of screw dislocation is slightly larger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of L12 type Al3X (X = Mg, Sc, Zr) have been investigated by first-principles calculations. The calculated elastic properties showed that Al3Sc was the stiffest and intrinsically brittle, while Al3Mg was the softest and exhibited ductility tendency. The obtained stress-strain curves demonstrated that both of the ideal tensile and shear strengths of Al3Zr were the strongest, followed by Al3Sc and Al3Mg, and Al3Zr was also the most ductile among three phases, which disagreed with the prediction from the calculated elastic properties, indicating that the mechanical properties should be measured from the complete stress-strain relations at both small and large strains. The electronic density of states (DOS) especially the variations of the charge density during the strain loading were investigated to unveil the intrinsic mechanism for the mechanical properties of L12 type Al3X (X = Mg, Sc, Zr) phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the correlation between glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level and macular volume in diabetes patients without diabetic macular oedema (DMO). Methods: We carried out an observational, cross-sectional study. Patients who had diabetes mellitus (DM) of ≥ 10 years duration without DMO were included. Only one eye of each patient was selected for analysis. Eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy were excluded. Central subfield thickness (CST), central subfield volume (CSV) and total macular volume (TMV) were measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Chronic HbA1c level was defined as the mean HbA1c value in the year prior to enrolment. Results: We included 97 eyes from 97 patients (47 women, 50 men; mean age 62.2 years). They included eight type 1 and 89 type 2 DM patients. The mean duration of DM was 15.5 years. Forty-two (43%) eyes had no diabetic retinopathy and 55 (57%) eyes had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. In statistical analysis, CST (mean 188.80 ± 27.64 μm; r = 0.220, p = 0.030), CSV (mean 0.149 ± 0.021 mm3; r = 0.213, p = 0.036) and TMV (mean 6.497 ± 0.715 mm3; r = 0.299, p = 0.003) positively correlated with chronic HbA1c level (7.95 ± 1.29%). The linear regression model showed that chronic HbA1c level (standardized coefficient 0.253; p = 0.013) and age (standardized coefficient — 0.206; p = 0.040) were factors significantly related to TMV. Conclusions: Chronic HbA1c level positively correlates with macular thickness and volume in patients with DM of ≥ 10 years duration without DMO. Our results suggest that subclinical macular volume and thickness changes may occur before DMO becomes clinically evident. Early tight glycaemic control prior to the onset of DMO may play an important role in preventing the deterioration of macular function by altering macular haemodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) occurs in up to 37% of patients following trauma/hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) and, in other settings, is due to alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) apoptosis. To determine if AEC apoptosis is a key contributor to ALI following T/HS and whether or not signal transducer and activator of translation (Stat)3 activation can prevent it, rats were pretreated with a Stat3 inhibitor or placebo and subjected to T/HS or sham protocol and resuscitated without or with interleukin (IL)-6. T/HS induced apoptosis in up to 15% of lung cells, 82% of which were AEC. Apoptosis increased with increasing duration of shock and required resuscitation. IL-6 treatment stimulated lung Stat3 activation and prevented AEC apoptosis. Pretreatment of rats with a Stat3 inhibitor blocked the antiapoptotic effect of IL-6. Mice deficient in Stat3β, a naturally occurring dominant negative isoform of Stat3, were resistant to T/HS-induced lung apoptosis. T/HS altered the expression of 87% of apoptosis-related genes. IL-6 treatment normalized expression of 75% of the genes altered by T/HS; Stat3 inhibition prevented normalization of 65% of the gene whose expression was normalized by IL-6. Thus, T/HS-induced AEC apoptosis, which depended on the duration of hypotension, required resuscitation and was prevented by IL-6-mediated activation of Stat3, which acted to normalize the apoptosis transcriptome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in ultraviolet (UV) B radiation on the earth's surface is a feature of current global climate changes. It has been reported that alternative oxidase (AOX) may have a protective role against oxidative stress induced by environmental stresses, such as UV-B. To better understand the characteristic tolerance of plants to UV-B radiation, the effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on the activity and expression of AOX in red kidney bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris) leaves were investigated in the present study. The results show that the total respiration rate and AOX activity in red kidney bean leaves increased significantly during treatment with enhanced UV-B. However, cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity did not change significantly. The H2O2 content was also markedly increased and reached a maximum of 4.45 mmol·L−1·g−1 DW (dry weight) at 24 h of UV-B treatment, before dropping rapidly. Both alternative pathway content and alternative pathway activity were increased in the presence of exogenous H2O2. Immunoblotting analysis with anti-AOX monoclonal antibody revealed that expression of the AOX protein increased in red kidney bean leaves under enhanced UV-B radiation, reaching a peak at 72 h. In addition, AOX expression in red kidney bean leaves was induced by exogenous H2O2. These data indicate that the increase in AOX activity in red kidney bean leaves under enhanced UV-B radiation was mainly due to H2O2-induced AOX expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional time-dependent quantum wave packet calculations have been carried out for Br + H2 on a new global ab initio and a semi-empirical extended London–Eyring–Polanyi–Sato potential energy surface. It is shown that on the ab initio surface, the threshold energy is much lower, and the reaction probabilities, cross sections, and rate constants are much larger. The effects of the initial rovibrational excitation have also been studied. Comparison of rate constants with experimental measurement implies that the ab initio surface is more suitable for quantum dynamic calculation. The possible reasons and mechanism for the dynamical difference on the two PES are analyzed and discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its disputed international status and a recently proindependence government, Taiwan is striving to erase the memory of China as the motherland and construct a local homeland legacy. In the last fifteen years, the Taiwanese government has started a vigorous nation-building process and has strived to construct Taiwan as an island-state in its own right. In this process, the traditional opera form - xiqu- has been deployed as a crucial element in the formation of national identity. This paper looks at the changing definition of 'national opera' in relation to the emergence of Taiwanese identity. Traditional opera in Taiwan has become a symbol of a multi-racial, culturally-hybrid Taiwanese identity. By negotiating a sense of identity and constructing new traditions, a new national narrative is formulated and takes effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the antioxidant activity in heated canola oil of hexane, acetone, and methanol extracts of dry roots of gansu huangqin ( Scutellaria rehderiana) as well as six flavonoids isolated from the acetone and methanol extracts. The oxidation was conducted at 95°C by monitoring oxygen consumption and decreases in both linoleic and α-linolenic acids. The acetone extract was most effective in inhibiting oxidation of canola oil, followed by the methanol extract. The antioxidant activity of gansu huangqin acetone extract was dose-dependent. Among the six flavonoids, baicalein and ganhuangenin were more effective than butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in protecting canola oil from oxidation. The present results suggest that the acetone extract of this root may be a potential source of natural antioxidants for use in processed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in natural antioxidants present in traditional Chinese herbal medicines. The present study examined the antioxidant activity of heane, acetone, and methanol extracts, as well as baicalein purified from the dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (common name: Huangqin), in heated canola oil. Oxygen consumption and decreases in linoleic acid linolenic acid content were monitored in canola oil held at 90–93°C. Among the three extracts, the acetone extract was most effective against oxidation of canola oil, followed by the methanol extract of the dry roots. The antioxidant activity of these three extracts correlated well with their content of baicalein, which provided strong protection to canola oil from oxidation. The antioxidant activity of Huangqin acetone extract was dose-dependent. The acetone extract at 100 ppm or above was even more effective than butylated hydroxytoluene at 200 ppm in protecting canola oil from oxidation. The present results suggest that the acetone extract of these roots should be further explored as a potential source of natural antioxidants for use in the processed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention is one of the basic cognitive functions sensitive to high altitude, and most studies have focussed on exposure times of approximately 3 years; however, it is unclear how attention changes in migrants who have lived and worked at high altitude for nearly 20 years. We explored the dynamics of attentional networks and neurophysiological mechanisms in migrants over 3–20 years using the Attentional Network Test combined with Electrocardiograph and Electroencephalography and found a consistent quadratic correlation between exposure and executive control efficiency, P3 amplitude and heart rate variability (HRV), with a decrease followed by an increase/relative stability, with approximately 10 years being the breakpoint. However, neither linear nor quadratic trajectories were observed for the alerting and orienting network. Mediation analysis revealed that the P3 amplitude mediated the decrease and increase in executive control efficiency with exposure time depends on the breakpoint. Correlations between HRV and executive control efficiency and P3 amplitude suggest that U‐shaped changes in executive control in migrants may be related to body homeostasis maintained by the autonomic nervous system, and that P3 amplitude may serve as a neurophysiological marker of migrants' adaptation/recovery from high‐altitude exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]