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Summary: Interleukin‐18 (IL‐18), a potent and multifunctional pro‐inflammatory cytokine, plays a critical role in regulating β‐cell failure, β‐cell death, insulin resistance, and various complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). It exerts its effects by triggering various signaling pathways, enhancing the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO), as well as promoting immune cells infiltration and β‐cells death. Abnormal alterations in IL‐18 levels have been revealed to be strongly associated with the onset and development of DM and its complications. Targeting IL‐18 may present a novel and promising approach for DM therapy. An increasing number of IL‐18 inhibitors, including chemical and natural inhibitors, have been developed and have been shown to protect against DM and diabetic complications. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the production, biological functions, action mode, and activated signaling pathways of IL‐18. Next, we shed light on how IL‐18 contributes to the pathogenesis of DM and its associated complications with links to its roles in the modulation of β‐cell failure and death, insulin resistance in various tissues, and pancreatitis. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of targeting IL‐18 for the diagnosis and treatment of DM is also highlighted. We hope that this review will help us better understand the functions of IL‐18 in the pathogenesis of DM and its complications, providing novel strategies for DM diagnosis and treatment. DM is one of the most common chronic metabolic diseases caused by β‐cells β‐cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. IL‐18 contributes to the progression of DM and its complications by inducing β‐cells failure and death, insulin resistance, and pancreatitis. IL‐18 orchestrates β‐cell failure and death, insulin resistance, and pancreatitis through modulation of IL‐18‐related signaling pathway, inflammatory responses, NO production, and immune cells infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Li‐ion batteries, the origin of memory effect in Al‐doped Li4Ti5O12 has been revealed as the reversible Al‐ion switching between 8a and 16c sites in the spinel structure, but it is still not clear about that for olivine LiFePO4, which is one of the most important cathode materials. In this work, a series of Na‐doped and Ti‐doped LiFePO4 are prepared in a high‐temperature solid‐state method, electrochemically investigated in Li‐ion batteries and characterized by X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Magic‐Angle‐Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS NMR). Compared with non‐doped LiFePO4, the Ti doping can simultaneously suppress the memory effect and the Li−Fe anti‐site, while they are simultaneously enhanced by the Na doping. Meanwhile, the Ti doping improves the electrochemical performance of LiFePO4, opposite to the Na doping. Accordingly, a schematic diagram of phase transition is proposed to interpret the memory effect of LiFePO4, in which the memory effect is attributed to the defect of Li−Fe anti‐site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As the most common internal post‐transcriptional RNA modification in eukaryotic cells, N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) performs a dynamic and reversible role in a variety of biological processes mediated by methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and m6A binding proteins (readers). M6A methylation enables transcriptome conversion in different signals that regulate various physiological activities and organ development. Over the past few years, emerging studies have identified that mRNA m6A regulators defect in β‐cell leads to abnormal regulation of the target mRNAs, thereby resulting in β‐cell dysfunction and loss of β‐cell identity and mass, which are strongly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathogenesis. Also, mRNA m6A modification has been implicated with insulin resistance in muscles, fat, and liver cells/tissues. In this review, we elaborate on the biological features of m6A methylation; provide a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms that how it controls β‐cell function, identity, and mass as well as insulin resistance; highlight its connections to glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism linking to T2DM; and further discuss its role in diabetes complications and its therapeutic potentials for T2DM diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PRDM5 is considered a tumor suppressor in several types of solid tumors and is involved in multiple cellular processes. However, target genes regulated by PRDM5 in lung cancer and its potential mechanism are poorly defined. Methods: Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan‐Meier estimates based on the online databases. RNA‐sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to identify the differentially expressed genes in PRDM5‐overexpressed A549 cells. Results: We observed deregulated PRDM5 in several lung adenocarcinoma cell lines and its association with a poor prognosis. PRDM5 overexpression inhibited the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in a xenograft model. PRDM5 upregulated the promoter activity of SOCS1, which then inhibited the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the low expression of PRDM5 promotes the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells by downregulating SOCS1 and then upregulating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difluoroacetohydrazonoyl bromides, which are stable in air at room temperature, are demonstrated to be good difluoromethyl building blocks for construction of CF2H‐substituted pyrazoline and pyrazole compounds via [3+2] cycloaddition with electron‐deficient olefins under mild conditions. A series of CF2H‐substituted pyrazolines and pyrazoles were obtained in good yields. The method has the advantages of mild reaction conditions, good regioselectivity, broad substrate scopes and easy operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the popular application of alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) hybrid power grid, ultra‐high‐voltage (UHV) AC/DC cables of long‐distance and large‐capacity transmission systems have been strongly demanded. Voltage stabilizers are widely used to resist AC electrical tree of cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation materials, but poor compatibility with polymer matrix limited improvement of DC insulation performance. In this research, the maleic anhydride‐modified 2,4‐dihydroxybenzophenone as a novel voltage stabilizer 4‐(4‐benzoyl‐3‐hydroxyphenoxy)‐4‐oxobut‐2‐enoic acid (MDVS) was synthesized to improve the electrical properties of XLPE. The XLPE‐g‐MDVS with different contents of MDVS was prepared, and both AC electrical properties and DC electrical properties were tested. The results indicate that the modified XLPE retain the characteristic of voltage stabilizer to resist AC electrical tree and improve breakdown strength, and to exhibit excellent DC insulation performance in a wide temperature range. In the comparison with the pristine XLPE, the graft of MDVS can significantly suppress space charge accumulation and decrease DC conductivity. At 70°C, the maximum amount of space charge density of XLPE‐g‐1.2wt%MDVS is 56.2% lower than that of XLPE, and the DC conductivity decreases by nearly two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the DC breakdown strength of XLPE‐g‐1.2wt%MDVS materials exhibit higher than that of the pristine XLPE. In addition to the self‐excited energy dissipation of the voltage stabilizer, quantum chemical calculations demonstrated that the improvement of DC performance attributed to the deep traps introduced by MDVS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There is a possible interaction between the underlying mechanisms of perceptual-cognitive tasks and motor control. For example, landing biomechanics changed during perceptual-cognitive tasks undertaken at different levels of fatigue of the athlete. Thus, this study explored the effect of perception-cognitive tasks interventions on male soccer players' landing mechanisms at different levels of fatigue. Methods. Perceptual-cognitive tasks during games were simulated using classic multiple object tracking (MOT) paradigms, and 15 male soccer players completed MOT tasks under nonfatigue (NF), moderate fatigue (MF), and severe fatigue (SF). Landing-associated indicators were collected and calculated using a Vicon and force measuring platform. Results. Level of fatigue and MOT task significantly affected hip and knee flexion angles, hip and knee extension moments, and vertical ground reaction force. Specifically, hip and knee flexion angles were significantly higher in MOT than non-MOT tasks at all levels of fatigue. In NF state, hip and knee extension moments were significantly smaller during MOT than non-MOT tasks. In SF state, the hip extension moment was larger during MOT than non-MOT tasks. In both MF and SF states, vertical ground reaction force was significantly higher in MOT than non-MOT tasks. Conclusion. Although soccer players landed cautiously when not fatigued, they were significantly less able to do this and handle challenging perceptual-cognitive task movements when fatigued. Thus, landing performance is affected by perceptual-cognitive task interference in fatigue conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry technology (GC‐MS) to identify volatile chemical components in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (LCH). The TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction online platform were used to screen and predict the potential targets of the chemical components of LCH, and GeneCards, CTD, OMIM, DisGeNET, GEO databases were used to collect the potential targets of chronic cerebral circulation insufficiency (CCCI). A total of 50 volatile chemical components in LCH were analyzed and identified, and 126 potential targets for LCH treatment of CCCI were screened on this basis. Through further network topology analysis, 33 core components and 36 potential core targets were screened out. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that LCH played a therapeutic role through signaling pathways such as Neuroactive ligand‐receptor interaction, Alzheimer disease, Pathways of neurodegeneration‐multiple diseases, Proteoglycans in cancer, and Chemical carcinogenesis‐receptor activation. The molecular docking results showed the top 4 active ingredients, Ligustilide, Terpineol, 3‐Butylidenephthalide, and Linalool, and the top 5 core targets CREBBP, HSP90AA1, ESR1, VEGFA, and NR3 C1 all have good binding activity. The free energy is less than ≤‐5 kcal/mol, and the molecular docking conformation is stable. LCH may improve the symptoms of CCCI by acting on inhibiting inflammatory factors, protecting nerve cells, and promoting angiogenesis pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. At present, studies have confirmed that NDRG4 is specifically expressed in the heart, while its effect on the heart is still unclear. This study is to explore the effect of NDRG4 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis caused by acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods. Twenty SD rats were randomly divided into Sham (left anterior descent of heart without ligation) and AMI groups. In this study, coronary artery ligation was used to establish an AMI model, and the AMI model was verified by auxiliary examination and pathological examination. Besides, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) was used to detect the expression level of Bax and Bcl-2 in heart tissues, and NDRG mRNA levels in tissues were also detected. qRT-PCR technology was used to verify the transfection efficiency of NDRG4 in H9C2 cells, and the change of apoptosis level of H9C2 cells was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and TUNEL staining; besides, the expression level of apoptosis-related factors was detected by WB and qRT-PCR technology. Simultaneously with the modeling of rats, we injected adenovirus (Ad) into the heart tissue and examined the structural and functional changes of the rat heart. Then, WB technology was used to detect the expression level of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Results. The heart function and heart structure of rats in the MI group were dramatically worse, and the expression level of NDRG4 was also dramatically reduced. The overexpression of NDRG4 in H9C2 cells can effectively inhibit the ischemia/hypoxia- (I/H-) induced decrease in cell viability and increase in apoptosis rate and inhibit the increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Moreover, overexpression of NDRG4 in heart tissue can effectively improve the cardiac function and structural destruction caused by MI. In addition, NDRG4 can inhibit JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation. Conclusion. The expression of NDRG4 in the MI tissue of rats was suppressed, while overexpression of NDRG4 by injection of Ad can obviously protect the rat heart. Furthermore, overexpression of NDRG4 in H9C2 cells can effectively inhibit the I/H-induced decrease in cell viability and increase in apoptosis rate, and this may be related to the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: NT Pro‐BNP is a blood marker secreted by cardiomyocytes. Myocardial stretch is the main factor to stimulate NT Pro‐BNP secretion in cardiomyocytes. NT Pro‐BNP is an important risk factor for cardiac dysfunction, stroke, and pulmonary embolism. So does atrial myocyte stretching occur when patients have atrial fibrillation (AF)? Whether atrial muscle stretch induced by AF leads to increased NT Pro‐BNP remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between NT Pro‐BNP and AF. Hypothesis: AF can cause changes in myocardial tension. Changes in myocardial tension may lead to increased secretion of NT Pro‐BNP. We hypothesize that NT Pro‐BNP may increase in AF with or without LAD enlargement. Methods: This clinical study is an observational study and has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Ethical approval documents is attached. The study retrospectively reviewed 1345 patients with and without AF. After excluding 102 patients who were not eligible, the final total sample size was 1243 cases: AF group 679 patients (378, 55.7% males) and non‐AF group 564 patients (287, 50.8% males). NT Pro‐BNP was observed in AF group and non‐AF group with or without LAD. After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, left atrial diameter, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cerebral infarction, NT Pro‐BNP remains statistically significant with AF. Conclusion: NT Pro‐BNP can be used as a risk predictor of AF with or without left atrial enlargement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 10‐week experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary lipid levels on growth, feed utilization, lipid deposition, health status and digestive enzyme activities of juvenile Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii). Six isonitrogenous diets were formulated with lipid levels at 51.1 (L5), 88.7 (L9), 129.6 (L13), 169.3 (L17), 208.4 (L21) and 248.8 g/kg (L25). The sturgeons fed with L17 had the highest growth and feed utilization. Higher dietary lipid obtained significantly lower PPV than that of L17 (p <.05). Based on WGR, PPV, the optimal dietary lipid was estimated at 169.9, 176.0 g/kg. The lipid deposition in the whole body, muscle and liver enhanced significantly as the dietary lipid increased (p <.05). Dietary lipid levels affected serum biochemical parameters, with the highest AST, TC, LDL‐C and LDL‐C/TC in L21 or L25 group and highest HDL‐C in the L17 group. Serum antioxidants, oxidants and liver MDA content maintained upward trends with increasing dietary lipid from 51.1 to 248.8 g/kg (p <.05). Lipase activity in the spiral valve intestine increased when dietary lipid rose from 51.1 to 169.3 g/kg, but declined when lipid level up to 208.4 and 248.8 g/kg (p >.05). To sum up, the optimal dietary lipid was 169.9–176.0 g/kg for juvenile Acipenser baerii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil respiration is controlled by land‐use changes associated with cropland vegetation restoration, and this can vary with topography, although the magnitude of this effect and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. We synthesized 69 recently published papers from China to explore the influence of topography‐related changes in land use on soil respiration where croplands were converted into orchards (abbreviated as C‐O), grasslands (abbreviated as C‐G), or woodlands (abbreviated as C‐W). Our results showed that not only did land‐use change have a significant influence on soil respiration, but this varied with topography. While C‐O resulted in a decrease in soil respiration by, on average, 3.1%, both the magnitude and sign of the change varied with topography, with an 8.2% increase for flat areas and a 14.7% decrease for slopes. For the C‐G conversions, soil respiration increased, on average, by 21.4%, with a 19.5% and a 24.3% increase for flat and slope topography, respectively. For C‐W, soil respiration increased, on average, by 28.0%, with only a 1.6% increase for flat areas, but a 39.9% increase for slopes. Soil temperature, soil moisture, root biomass, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio), and soil density also varied with topography, with larger changes for slopes than for flat topography. Increases in soil respiration associated with different topography were closely related to changes in soil temperature, SOC, MBC, and root biomass (P < 0.05), but were not correlated with changes in soil moisture, C:N ratio, or soil density (P > 0.05). The contribution of different drivers to the change in soil respiration under different topographical conditions showed a trend of SOC > root biomass > MBC > soil temperature. Based on these results, topography‐related variations in soil respiration need to be accounted for when quantifying the impact of land‐use change in C budgets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In the field of new energy vehicles, battery liquid cooling systems are widely adopted due to their convenient packaging and high cooling efficiency. To address the challenge of relatively poor temperature uniformity in liquid cooling systems, this research introduces a novel wedge structure to enhance system cooling performance and temperature consistency. Firstly, six innovative wedge structures were proposed and comprehensively evaluated based on their heat transfer characteristics. Secondly, the impact of the structural parameters of the selected wedge design on the system's heat dissipation was investigated. Finally, optimizations were conducted on various factors, including arrangement schemes, number of passages, and inlet and outlet directions. The results indicate that the wedge structure disrupts the flow state of the cooling medium, promotes increased coolant flow within the channel, and enhances the heat dissipation of the module. The newly implemented structure can maintain the average module temperature at 32.59°C. By merely arranging the wedges alternately in a single channel, the maximum module temperature can be reduced to 32.41°C, and the temperature difference can be narrowed to 4.52°C, representing a decrease of 2.82°C in maximum temperature and 1.95°C in temperature difference compared with a smooth channel. This proves that the new wedges exhibit exceptional performance in heat dissipation and temperature uniformity. Furthermore, by upgrading the single liquid‐cooled module to a double liquid‐cooled module with full alternating flow, the temperature difference can ultimately be controlled to 4°C, and the maximum temperature is reduced to 29.84°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonum hydropiper L. (PL) is widely used in treating enteritis in China. This study interpreted the active ingredient and mechanism of PL against enteritis through UHPLC‐Q‐Orbitrap HRMS, network pharmacology and molecular docking. UHPLC‐Q‐Orbitrap HRMS of PL manifested 68 compounds. In addition, the primary candidate genes and potential active components were identified by topological analysis of the single‐component disease gene interaction network. The interaction between the active ingredient, whose drug‐likeness properties were confirmed by Lipinski's rule, and the therapeutic gene was confirmed by molecular docking analysis. AutoDock Vina in AutoDock Tools was used to conduct molecular docking between significant components and critical genes. The advantage of this experiment is that the UHPLC‐Q‐Orbitrap HRMS method increases the total chemical composition of PL. Secondly, we obtained active compounds through network pharmacology and found that PL mainly acts on multiple inflammatory pathways in the treatment of enteritis. 61 potential genes of PL for the treatment of enteritis were obtained. The genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as response to oxidative stress, inhibition of inflammatory factors and inflammatory pathways, and role in treating enteritis by participating in AR, NOS2, MMP9, MMP2, SRC, and other signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucurbitacin IIa was first found in plants and it belongs to tetracyclo triterpenoids. It is one of the most important active components in cucurbitaceae plants. Studies have found that cucurbitacin IIa has a variety of pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antihepatitis B virus, inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus replication, and antidepressant effect. However, the underlying mechanisms, intracellular targets, and structure-activity relationships of cucurbitacin IIa remain to be completely elucidated. This review summarizes the current advances concerning the phytochemistry and pharmacology of cucurbitacin IIa. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and CNKI were used to find relevant information about cucurbitacin IIa using keywords such as "Cucurbitacin IIa," "Pharmacology," and "Phytochemistry." These pharmacological effects involve the actin cytoskeleton aggregation, the regulation of JAK2/STAT3, ERBB-MAPK, CaMKII α/CREB/BDNF signal pathways, as well as the regulation of survivin, caspases, and other cell cycles, apoptosis, autophagy-related cytokines, and kinases. It has high development and use value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging oncogenes were reportedly linked to the complicated subtypes and pathogenesis of clinical gliomas. Herein, we first comprehensively explored the potential correlation between growth‐arrest‐specific two family genes (GAS2, GAS2L1, GAS2L2, GAS2L3) and gliomas by bioinformatics analysis and cellular experiments. Methods: Based on the available datasets of TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas), CGGA (Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas), and Oncomine databases, we performed a series of analyses, such as gene expression, survival prognosis, DNA methylation, immune infiltration, and partner enrichment. We also utilized two glioma cell lines to conduct the colony formation and wound‐healing assay. Results: GAS2L3 gene was highly expressed in glioma tissues compared to normal brain tissues (p < 0.05). We further observed the relationship between the high expressed GAS2L3 and poor clinical prognosis of brain low‐grade glioma (LGG) cases in our Cox proportional hazard model (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.1715, p < 0.001). Moreover, DNA hypomethylation status of GAS2L3 was correlated with the high expression of GAS2L3 in LGG tissues and the poor clinical prognosis of primary glioma cases (p < 0.05). We also found that the high expression of GAS2L3 was associated with the infiltration level of immune cells, especially the T cells (p < 0.0001). Functional enrichment analysis of GAS2L3‐correlated genes and interaction partners further indicated that GAS2L3 might take part in the occurrence of glioma by influencing a series of biological behaviors, such as cell division, cytoskeleton binding, and cell adhesion. Additionally, our cellular experiment data suggested that a highly expressed GAS2L3 gene contributes to the enhanced proliferation and migration of glioma cells. Conclusion: This study first analyzed the potential role of GAS2 family genes, especially GAS2L3, in the clinical prognosis and possible functional mechanisms of glioma, which gives a novel insight into the relationship between GAS2L3 and LGG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter inputs can influence soil respiration directly through labile C availability and, indirectly, through the activity of soil microorganisms and modifications in soil microclimate; however, their relative contributions and the magnitude of any effect remain poorly understood. We synthesized 66 recently published papers on forest ecosystems using a meta‐analysis approach to investigate the effect of litter inputs on soil respiration and the underlying mechanisms involved. Our results showed that litter inputs had a strong positive impact on soil respiration, labile C availability, and the abundance of soil microorganisms, with less of an impact related to soil moisture and temperature. Overall, soil respiration was increased by 36% and 55%, respectively, in response to natural and doubled litter inputs. The increase in soil respiration induced by litter inputs showed a tendency for coniferous forests (50.7%)> broad‐leaved forests (41.3%)> mixed forests (31.9%). This stimulation effect also depended on stand age with 30‐ to 100‐year‐old forests (53.3%) and ≥100‐year‐old forests (50.2%) both 1.5 times larger than ≤30‐year‐old forests (34.5%). Soil microbial biomass carbon and soil dissolved organic carbon increased by 21.0%‐33.6% and 60.3%‐87.7%, respectively, in response to natural and doubled litter inputs, while soil respiration increased linearly with corresponding increases in soil microbial biomass carbon and soil dissolved organic carbon. Natural and doubled litter inputs increased the total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) content by 6.6% and 19.7%, respectively, but decreased the fungal/bacterial PLFA ratio by 26.9% and 18.7%, respectively. Soil respiration also increased linearly with increases in total PLFA and decreased linearly with decreases in the fungal/bacterial PLFA ratio. The contribution of litter inputs to an increase in soil respiration showed a trend of total PLFA > fungal/bacterial PLFA ratio > soil dissolved organic carbon > soil microbial biomass carbon. Therefore, in addition to forest type and stand age, labile C availability and soil microorganisms are also important factors that influence soil respiration in response to litter inputs, with soil microorganisms being more important than labile C availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Lithium‐sulfur batteries have drawn widespread attention as favorable energy storage systems. However, the low conductivity of S gives rise to a poor specific capacity. Moreover, the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPS) causes a rapid performance deterioration in Li‐S systems. Herein, Co9S8 implanted on N‐doped graphene (Co9S8‐NG) is proposed to support S in cathodes. The N‐doped graphene substantially enhanced the electronic conductivity of the S‐based cathode. Meanwhile, Co9S8 with a high polarity not only effectively immobilized the LiPS species through chemical binding but also considerably catalyzed the LiPS electrochemical conversion, ultimately suppressing its shuttle effect. As expect, the cathode with the Co9S8‐NG composite demonstrated high specific capacities of 1051.5 and 564.6 mA h g−1 at 0.2 and 2 C, respectively. Moreover, a satisfactory cycling stability was displayed at 1 C for 400 cycles, with an average capacity fading of 0.085% per cycle. Therefore, Co9S8‐NG was exhibited to improve the cathode performance in numerous aspects and can be regarded as a potential host material to improve the overall performance of Li‐S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The printable polyamide 12 (PA12) nanocomposite filaments with 6 wt % graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) for fused deposition modeling (FDM) were prepared by melting compounding and smoothly printed via a commercial FDM three-dimensional (3D) printer. The thermal conductivity (λ) and elastic modulus ( E) of 3D printed PA12/GNPs parts along to the printing direction had an increase by 51.4% and 7% than that of compression molded parts, which is due to the GNPs preferentially aligning along to the printing direction. Along with these improved properties, ultimate tensile strength of 3D printed PA12/GNPs parts was well maintained. These results indicate that FDM is a new way to achieve PA12/GNPs parts with enhanced λ over compression moulding, which could contribute to realize efficient and flexible heat management for a wide range of applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45332. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disinfection efficacy of acidic electrolyzed water including slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and strongly acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) on the fresh-cut lotus roots and their effects on the appearance quality of fresh-cut lotus root were evaluated in the present paper. The results showed that SAEW treatment could reduce the natural microbial flora populations as well as the inoculated populations of fresh-cut lotus roots significantly. Also, our results obtained from the present study suggested that SAEW treatment could maintain the appearance quality and market values more effectively than acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) treatment. Considering that SAEW is environmentally friendly and has dual efficacy of disinfection and browning-prevention, it may be a better choice in the processing of fresh-cut lotus roots. The results implied that SAEW could inhibit the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, thus keep the overall visual quality. However, how SAEW treatments affect PPO activity of the fresh-cut lotus roots is still unknown and further research is needed. Practical applications How to prevent the quality deterioration of fresh-cut lotus root, which limited its safety and processing, had become a serious problem. In the past, the strong disinfection efficacy of acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and its application in food industry including the disinfection of fruits and vegetables were widely reported. Due to its neutral pH and lower available chlorine concentration (10-30 mg/L), slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) showed a promising prospect in the agriculture and food industry. In the present study, the disinfection efficacy of SAEW on the fresh-cut lotus roots was investigated. Moreover, the effect of SAEW treatment on the appearance quality of fresh-cut lotus root was evaluated. This study confirmed that SAEW treatment might have a high potential for practical use in the processing fresh-cut lotus roots processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate effects of stocking density on welfare of Amur sturgeon ( Acipenser schrenckii), an experiment was designed using three initial stocking densities in flow-through tanks ( LSD = 3.7 kg m−3, MSD = 6.9 kg m−3, and HSD = 9.3 kg m−3, respectively) for 60 days. Growth, body composition, and haematological and biochemical parameters were monitored. The mortality and feed conversion rate ( FCR) were not affected by stocking density. However, the specific growth rate ( SGR), final weight and weight gain in the HSD group were significantly lower than in the LSD and MSD groups. The hepatosomatic ( HSI) and viscerosomatic indices ( VSI) varied inversely with regard to stocking density. Stocking density did not affect crude protein levels in fish. In contrast, the total lipid level was significantly higher in the LSD group compared to the MSD and HSD groups. The levels of erythrocytes and haemoglobin were positively correlated with stocking density. Serum total bilirubin and urea in HSD group were significantly higher than in the LSD group while serum triglycerides showed opposite tendencies. Differences between treatments were not registered for glucose, total protein and albumin. In conclusion, higher stocking density resulted in increased immunosuppression and enhanced energy mobilization. The latter was necessary to enable Amur sturgeon to cope with crowding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared core-shell polymer-silsesquioxane hybrid microcapsules from cage-like methacryloxypropyl silsesquioxanes (CMSQs) and styrene (St). The presence of CMSQ can moderately reduce the interfacial tension between St and water and help to emulsify the monomer prior to polymerization. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and TEM analysis demonstrated that uniform core-shell latex particles were achieved. The polymer latex particles were subsequently transformed into well-defined hollow nanospheres by removing the polystyrene (PS) core with 1:1 ethanol/cyclohexane. High-resolution TEM and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis showed that the final nanospheres possessed hollow cavities and had porous shells; the pore size was approximately 2-3 nm. The nanospheres exhibited large surface areas (up to 486 m2 g−1) and preferential adsorption, and they demonstrated the highest reported methylene blue adsorption capacity (95.1 mg g−1). Moreover, the uniform distribution of the methacryloyl moiety on the hollow nanospheres endowed them with more potential properties. These results could provide a new benchmark for preparing hollow microspheres by a facile one-step template-free method for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been little consensus on how to quantitatively assess immune reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as part of the standard of care. We retrospectively analyzed 11 150 post-transplant immune profiles of 1945 patients who underwent HSCT between 2012 and 2020. 1838 (94.5%) of the cases were allogeneic HSCT. Using the training set of patients (n = 729), we identified a composite immune signature (integrating neutrophil, total lymphocyte, natural killer, total T, CD4 + T, and B cell counts in the peripheral blood) during days 91-180 after allogeneic HSCT that was predictive of early mortality and moreover simplified it into a formula for a Composite Immune Risk Score. When we verified the Composite Immune Risk Score in the validation (n = 284) and test (n = 391) sets of patients, a high score value was found to be associated with hazard ratios (HR) of 3.64 (95% C.I. 1.55-8.51; p = .0014) and 2.44 (95% C.I., 1.22-4.87; p = .0087), respectively, for early mortality. In multivariate analysis, a high Composite Immune Risk Score during days 91-180 remained an independent risk factor for early mortality after allogeneic HSCT (HR, 1.80; 95% C.I., 1.28-2.55; p = .00085). In conclusion, the Composite Immune Risk Score is easy to compute and could identify the high-risk patients of allogeneic HSCT who require targeted effort for prevention and control of infection., (© 2023 The Authors. American Journal of Hematology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)