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Objective Methods Results Conclusion This study aimed at ascertaining the efficacy and safety of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with donafenib versus HAIC alone in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Seventy HCC patients were enrolled for our study, and they were randomized by simple randomization using computer‐generated random numbers into two groups: control group and observation group. Regular follow‐up reviews were conducted to assess the efficacy of treatments. The levels of apoptotic factors, the levels of hepatic fibrosis indices, the levels of serum tumor vascular factors and tumor markers, and the occurrence of adverse reactions in the two groups were recorded and compared.Disease control rate, objective response rate, and progression‐free survival (PFS) of patients in the observation group were higher in contrast to the control group. After 12 weeks of treatment, lower mRNA expression of c‐mesenchymal‐epithelial transition factor, telomerase, and Fas Ligand and higher mRNA expression of Fas and Caspase‐3 were observed in HCC tissues of the observation group versus the control group (p < 0.05); lower detection values of serum laminin, hyaluronic acid, collage type IV, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, and alpha‐fetal protein (AFP) were noted in HCC patients of the observation group in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05); there was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups.Donafenib combined with HAIC in the treatment of unresectable HCC patients can notably reduce serum AFP levels, improve hepatic fibrosis, enhance short‐term efficacy, prolong PFS, and have a favorable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable zinc batteries are promising choices for eco‐friendly, safe and cost‐effective energy storage solutions. However, their commercial adoption faces challenges such as low Coulombic efficiency (CE) and poor reversibility of Zn anodes. To address these issues, a new green electrolyte based on N,N'‐Dimethylpropyleneurea (DMPU) has been developed, affording a robust, dendrite‐free Zn anode with over 5000 h of cycle stability and a high average CE of 98.49%. Zn anode in DMPU‐electrolyte significantly outperforms aqueous electrolyte with 67 times longer cycle life, demonstrating excellent anode stability. Moreover, ultra‐stable Zn anode in DMPU‐electrolyte cycled for over 10 000 cycles at 1.0 mA cm−2 showcases excellent reversibility. The Dimethylpropyleneurea‐triflate anion generated solid electrolyte interphase enables homogeneous and rapid Zn2+‐diffusion at the electrode interface, leading to a structured hexagonal Zn deposit. Furthermore, as electrolyte additive, DMPU significantly stabilizes Zn anode at severe conditions (5.0 and 10.0 mA cm−2) along with remarkable enhancement in CE (99.12%). This study offers valuable insights into the development of hybrid and organic electrolytes to advance Zn battery technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis is attracting extensive attention in recent years because it can directly convert mechanical energy from the ambient environment (such as tiny vibrations and noise) into piezopotential for catalytic activities. Dyes are widely used in diverse industries, including paper, printing, and textiles, which cause serious environmental problems due to their persistence and toxicity. Unlike traditional catalysts that rely on chemical reactions to drive dye degradation, piezocatalysts offer a sustainable and cost‐effective alternative to breaking down complex molecules through creating highly reactive species, which have shown a significant promise in the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this review, the basic principles of piezocatalysis are first outlined, specifically describing two ubiquitous forms of driving force in nature. Following the catalytic mechanism, the current mainstream piezocatalytic materials are classified into two categories: organic and inorganic materials with detailed discussions. Moreover, after investigating and analyzing previous literature, effective strategies for improving piezocatalytic efficiency for dye degradation are systematically compared and summarized. In the end, current issues that need to be addressed in the future as well as potential research directions related to piezocatalysis are prospected. This work provides an insight into solving current issues to advance the piezocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaporation‐driven electricity generators have been proposed to generate electricity by water interacting with nanostructured materials. However, several proposed mechanisms, such as intrinsic gradient of polar functional groups principle and electrokinetic effect perspective, are in wide discrepancy. Here, through the combination of theoretical calculations involving time dimension on material's moisturizing process and experimental analyses, it is revealed the working principle through the water molecule triple roles in driving moisture electric generators (MEGs): 1) intrinsic H2O absorption on the material surface and splitting into hydroxy group and proton due to the polarizability of the material surface determined by the static electric potential of the materials. This process induces the electrochemical potential difference of the materials via the work function changes; 2) freely diffused protons derived from the H2O splitting work as the ions charge carriers; 3) via the hydrogen bond of the water molecules to drive charge carriers diffuse between opposite electrodes, maintaining the internal circuit current flow. It is successfully unveiled that anatase TiO2 based materials for output voltage changes correlated to the domains' work function's difference, tuning by the surface adsorption species (H, Cl, OH) and anisotropic exposed crystal facets of the material. This work unveils MEG's general working principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of curing agents n‐octylamine (OA) and m‐xylene diamine (MXDA) on the mechanical and memory properties of E51 epoxy resin (EP) are investigated in this work. The curing mechanism and thermal stability of OA and MXDA with EP are also investigated via Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, the influence of curing agent ratios on the thermo‐dynamic mechanical properties of EP are investigated through dynamic thermo‐mechanical analysis, and the relationship between the storage modulus, the hysteresis phase angle and the temperature are constructed. Moreover, the cross‐linking densities of the EP with different curing agent ratios are calculated using Archimedes's method. Besides, the effects of different proportions of curing agents on the mechanical properties of EP are studied. The results show that with the increases of MXDA ratio, the phase transition temperature, crosslink density, recovery temperature, recovery rate, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, strain strength, and strain modulus are enhanced, however, the hysteresis phase angle MXDA ratio and the tenacity decrease. Finally, the shape memory mechanism of E51 is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new type of secondary ion battery, aqueous zinc‐ion battery has a broad application prospect in the field of large‐scale energy storage due to its characteristics of low cost, high safety, environmental friendliness, and high‐power density. In recent years, manganese dioxide (MnO2)‐based materials have been extensively explored as cathodes for Zn‐ion batteries. Based on the research experiences of our group in the field of aqueous zinc ion batteries and combining with the latest literature of system, we systematically summarize the research progress of Zn−MnO2 batteries. This article first reviews the current research progress and reaction mechanism of Zn−MnO2 batteries, and then respectively expounds the optimization of MnO2 cathode, Zn anodes, and diverse electrolytes and their effects on battery performance. Additionally, primary challenges related to different components and their respective strategies for mitigating them are discussed, with the ultimate objective of offering comprehensive guidance for the design and fabrication of high‐performance Zn−MnO2 batteries. Finally, the future research and development direction of aqueous Zn−MnO2 batteries with high energy density, high safety and long life is envisioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver‐zinc (Ag–Zn) batteries are a promising battery system for flexible electronics owing to their high safety, high energy density, and stable output voltage. However, poor cycling performance, low areal capacity, and inferior flexibility limit the practical application of Ag–Zn batteries. Herein, we develop a flexible quasi‐solid‐state Ag–Zn battery system with superior performance by using mild electrolyte and binder‐free electrodes. Copper foam current collector is introduced to impede the growth of Zn dendrite, and the structure of Ag cathode is engineered by electrodeposition and chloridization process to improve the areal capacity. This novel battery demonstrates a remarkable cycle retention of 90% for 200 cycles at 3 mA cm−2. More importantly, this binder‐free battery can afford a high capacity of 3.5 mAh cm−2 at 3 mA cm−2, an outstanding power density of 2.42 mW cm−2, and a maximum energy density of 3.4 mWh cm−2. An energy management circuit is adopted to boost the output voltage of a single battery, which can power electronic ink display and Bluetooth temperature and humidity sensor. The developed battery can even operate under the extreme conditions, such as being bent and sealed in solid ice. This work offers a path for designing electrodes and electrolyte toward high‐performance flexible Ag–Zn batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converting degraded croplands into perennials has been proposed as an effective method of soil N sequestration, however, the dynamics of deep soil N (>100 cm) following cropland conversion are not well understood. In this study, we synthesized 3049 observations to detect the changes in deep soil N content following cropland conversion on the arid and semiarid Loess Plateau. Our results showed that converting croplands into perennials significantly increased the soil N content by an average of 57.4%, 23.1%, and 29.5% in the surface (0–20 cm), subsurface (20–100 cm), and deep (100–200 cm) layers, respectively. The extent of the increase was influenced significantly by the land‐use conversion types and tree species. Specifically, the conversion of croplands into deep‐rooted forests or shrubs, particularly Robinia pseudoacacia and Caragana microphylla, exhibited higher advantages in deep soil N sequestration. Moreover, deep soil N sequestration increased significantly with time since cropland conversion (p < 0.001), and the rates in deep soils were approximately 26.1% and 66.7% of that in 0–20 and 20–100 cm soils, respectively. In the long term, converting croplands into forests and shrubs showed higher potential for deep soil N sequestration. Linear regression analysis showed that the changes of deep soil N sequestration were influenced significantly by initial soil N content (p < 0.001) and humidity index (p < 0.001), with the slopes in >100 cm layers being 2 to 3 times than that in the top meter, indicating higher sensitivity in deep soils. Overall, this study provides evidence that converting degraded croplands into perennials may contribute to deep soil N accumulation in N‐limited regions, which could potentially alleviate N limitation and sustain long‐term ecosystem carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterborne epoxy resins have been extensively applied to industries as green paints. However, waterborne epoxy resins are affected by several issues. To enhance their mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, we added nanotitanium‐based hybrid materials (NTH), and methyl methacrylate (MMA)/nitrile rubber (NBR)/graphene oxide (GO) to waterborne epoxy resin. The researchers suggest that adding NTH and MMA/NBR/GO can well modify waterborne epoxy resin. Upon addition of 6 wt.% NTH and 1 wt.% MMA/NBR/GO (2‐1 coating), scanning electron microscopy imaging shows that the coating is flat, with no evident crevices. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy results indicate that compared with the case in which either NTH or MMA/NBR/GO is added, the coating is denser when both fillers are added. The mechanical properties were also investigated, and the results demonstrate that the coating displayed a pencil hardness rating of "2H" and achieved a grade of "0" in terms of adhesion, respectively. Additionally, the coating's anticorrosion performance was evaluated through electrochemical tests. Tafel tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests reveal that the 2‐1 coating possesses superior corrosion resistance with respect to the other coatings. Additionally, after a neutral salt spray test lasting 1440 h, the surface of the coating showed no signs of corrosion according to salt spray tests. Finally, the anticorrosion mechanism is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the anti‐corrosion of the waterborne epoxy resin coating, we filled GO‐TiO2 into the coating with ultrasound and stirring method. Results show that coatings rendered optimum properties at GO‐TiO2 content of 0.4 wt% with a hardness of 3H and rate of thermal weight loss reduce 8.3 wt%. After immersion for 30 days, coating exhibited water absorption ratio of merely 11.25% and open circuit potential of −0.871 V. After 1000 h of scratch‐neutral salt spray test, no obvious signs of corrosion were observed on surface. Moreover, Electrochemical results demonstrated that maximum impedance modulus of 0.4GO‐TiO2 coating was 2.18 × 106 Ω cm2, corresponding to superior corrosion resistance. What is more, anticorrosion mechanism was discussed. In conclusion, Filling GO‐TiO2 improved mechanical properties, thermal stability and corrosion resistance of waterborne epoxy resin coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D object matching and registration on point clouds are widely used in computer vision. However, most existing point cloud registration methods have limitations in handling non‐rigid point sets or topology changes (e.g. connections and separations). As a result, critical characteristics such as large inter‐frame motions of the point clouds may not be accurately captured. This paper proposes a statistical algorithm for non‐rigid point sets registration, addressing the challenge of handling topology changes without the need to estimate correspondence. The algorithm uses a novel Break and Splice framework to treat the non‐rigid registration challenges as a reproduction process and a Dirichlet Process Gaussian Mixture Model (DPGMM) to cluster a pair of point sets. Labels are assigned to the source point set with an iterative classification procedure, and the source is registered to the target with the same labels using the Bayesian Coherent Point Drift (BCPD) method. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves lower registration errors and efficiently registers point sets undergoing topology changes and large inter‐frame motions. The proposed approach is evaluated on several data sets using various qualitative and quantitative metrics. The results demonstrate that the Break and Splice framework outperforms state‐of‐the‐art methods, achieving an average error reduction of about 60% and a registration time reduction of about 57.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial perception technologies capable of sensing and feeling mechanical stimuli like human skins are critical enablers for electronic skins (E‐Skins) needed to achieve artificial intelligence. However, most of the reported electronic skin systems lack the capability to process and interpret the sensor data. Herein, a new design of artificial perceptual system integrating ZnO‐based synaptic devices with Pt/carbon nanofibers‐based strain sensors for stimuli detection and information processing is presented. Benefiting from the controllable ion migration after indium doping, the device can emulate various essential functions, such as short‐term/long‐term plasticity, paired‐pulse facilitation, excitatory post‐synaptic current, and synaptic plasticity depending on the number, frequency, amplitude, and width of the applied pulses. The Pt/carbon nanofibers‐based strain sensors can detect subtle human motion and convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals, which are further processed by the ZnO devices. By attaching the integrated devices to finger joints, it is demonstrated that they can recognize handwriting and gestures with a high accuracy. This work offers new insights in designing artificial synapses and sensors to process and recognize information for neuromorphic computing and artificial intelligence applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide has a wide application prospect as filler due to its excellent physical blocking, coating reinforcement, and cathodic protection properties. However, graphene oxide is highly susceptible to agglomerative reunions. Three types of anti‐corrosion coatings were prepared on 5083 Al alloy by a simple smearing method. The coatings are based on neat epoxy resin by introducing different amounts of graphene oxide, methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber, and methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber/ graphene oxide fillers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results show that methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber/graphene oxide fillers enhance the thermal stability of the epoxy resin‐based coatings. The SEM morphology shows the well‐dispersed methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber/graphene oxide in the coating. The 2 and 1 wt% methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber/graphene oxide coating exhibits excellent mechanical properties and outstanding anti‐corrosion properties, respectively. At 1 wt%, the OCP of the coating is −0.21 V. Additionally, the coating exhibits great anti‐corrosion performance after immersion for 196 h. Compared to the pristine coating and methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber coatings, the methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber/graphene oxide coatings show better thermal stability, mechanical properties and anti‐corrosion properties. The methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber fillers degrade the thermal stability and anti‐corrosion protection and do not affect mechanical properties. Compared with graphene oxide coatings, the surface of methyl methacrylate/nitrile rubber/graphene oxide coatings is smoother with better dispersion, possessing better mechanical and anti‐corrosion properties though only a fewer amounts of graphene oxide were filled in epoxy resin. The better corrosion resistance of the coating can be attributed to the synergistic effect of a physical barrier and a coulomb block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The packing states of luminescent molecules can be affected by external stimuli, leading to changes in the emission energy. Compared with the traditional organics and metal−organic frameworks, closely packed coordination polymers (CPs) have more transition types and better stabilities, respectively. However, little attention is paid to the closely packed CPs in the field of piezochromism, and much less to the corresponding optical mechanism. For studying the effect of molecular structure and the energy transfer on piezochromism, ten [Cu2I2] cluster‐based CPs with bridging aromatic ligands and terminal triphenylphosphine ligands are constructed to explore the pressure‐dependent luminescence, especially the influences of bridging ligand length, supramolecular interactions, and halogen atoms on the wavelength shift for luminescent piezochromism. In these CPs, the conformational and structural flexibilities can be effectively increased by lengthening the bridging ligand and addition of pendent methyl groups in the phosphine ligands, respectively, resulting in more obvious piezochromism. In addition, the XLCT/MLCT ratios are efficiently modulated by adjusting the flexibility of halogen electron cloud, which further affects the piezochromic property. Upon the combined effect of multiple flexibilities, a closely packed CP with a large wavelength shift (77 nm) and reversible piezochromism is found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced elastomers are increasingly used in emerging areas, for example, flexible electronics and devices, and these real‐world applications often require elastomers to be stretchable, tough and fire safe. However, to date there are few successes in achieving such a performance portfolio due to their different governing mechanisms. Herein, a stretchable, supertough, and self‐extinguishing polyurethane elastomers by introducing dynamic π–π stacking motifs and phosphorus‐containing moieties are reported. The resultant elastomer shows a large break strain of ≈2260% and a record‐high toughness (ca. 460 MJ m−3), which arises from its dynamic microphase‐separated microstructure resulting in increased entropic elasticity, and strain‐hardening at large strains. The elastomer also exhibits a self‐extinguishing ability thanks to the presence of both phosphorus‐containing units and π–π stacking interactions. Its promising applications as a reliable yet recyclable substrate for strain sensors are demonstrated. The work will help to expedite next‐generation sustainable advanced elastomers for flexible electronics and devices applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yarn supercapacitors have attracted significant attention for wearable energy storage due to their ability to be directly integrated with garments. Conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) based yarn supercapacitors show limited cycling stability because of the huge volume changes during the charge–discharge processes. In addition, laundering may cause damage to such yarn supercapacitors. Here, the fabrication of PPy‐based re‐stickable yarn supercapacitors is reported with good cycling stability by employing vapor phase polymerization (VPP) and water‐soluble polyethylene oxide (PEO) film as the adhesive layer. VPP duration and cycle are controlled to achieve multi‐layered PPy electrodes. The assembled yarn supercapacitors show a good cycling stability with capacitance retention of 79.1% after 5000 charge–discharge cycles. The energy stored in the yarn supercapacitor is sufficient to power a photodetector. After gluing the yarn supercapacitors onto a PEO film, the devices can be stunk on and peeled off the garment to avoid the mechanical stresses during the washing process. Three yarn supercapacitors connected in parallel on PEO film show negative changes in electrochemical performance after 5 sticking‐peeling cycles. This work provides a facile way to fabricate PPy‐based re‐stickable energy storage devices with high cycling stability for smart garments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KH570‐modified magnetic hydrogel nanocomposite absorbents (KH570‐mHNAs) with semi‐interpenetrating networks (semi‐IPNs) were synthesized by radical copolymerization based on poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid), PVP and KH570‐modified magnetic nanoparticles. KH570‐mHNAs with porous and ravine structure have the target structure confirmed by FTIR and XRD results. KH570‐mHNAs have high adsorption capacities of Cu(II) (163 mg/g), Cd(II) (150 mg/g), and Pb(II) (460.8 mg/g), approaching the absorption equilibrium at 60 min. Heavy metal absorption was highly dependent on different process variables, such as pH value, initial heavy metal ion concentration, contact time, and temperature. The endothermic, entropy increasing, and spontaneous nature of heavy metal ion adsorption was revealed from thermodynamic study. Heavy metal ions adsorption isotherms and kinetics were in agreement with the Langmuir model and pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model, respectively. Besides, KH570‐mHNAs had good magnetic responsiveness, desorption, and reusability, which made it a promising adsorbent for removing heavy metal ions from the contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preoperative assessment of the consistency of pituitary macroadenomas (PMA) might be needed for surgical planning. Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic performance of radiomics models based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for preoperatively evaluating the tumor consistency of PMA. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: One hundred and fifty‐six PMA patients (soft consistency, N = 104 vs. hard consistency, N = 52), divided into training (N = 108) and test (N = 48) cohorts. The tumor consistency was determined on surgical findings. Field Strength/Sequence: T1‐weighted imaging (T1WI), contrast‐enhanced T1WI (T1CE), and T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI) using spin‐echo sequences with a 3.0‐T scanner. Assessment: An automated three‐dimensional (3D) segmentation was performed to generate the volume of interest (VOI) on T2WI, then T1WI/T1CE were coregistered to T2WI. A total of 388 radiomic features were extracted on each VOI of mpMRI. The top‐discriminative features were identified using the minimum‐redundancy maximum‐relevance method and 0.632+ bootstrapping. The radiomics models based on each sequence and their combinations were established via the random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM), and independently evaluated for their ability in distinguishing PMA consistency. Statistical Tests: Mann–Whitney U‐test and Chi‐square test were used for comparison analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), and relative standard deviation (RSD) were calculated to evaluate each model's performance. ACC with P‐value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Eleven mpMRI‐based features exhibited statistically significant differences between soft and hard PMA in the training cohort. The radiomics model built on combined T1WI/T1CE/T2WI demonstrated the best performance among all the radiomics models with an AUC of 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–0.92), ACC of 0.87 (CI: 0.84–0.89), SEN of 0.83 (CI: 0.81–0.85), and SPE of 0.87 (CI: 0.85–0.99) in the test cohort. Data Conclusion: Radiomic features based on mpMRI have good performance in the presurgical evaluation of PMA consistency. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating multiple semiconductors with distinct physical properties is a practical design strategy for realizing novel optoelectronic devices with unprecedented functionalities. In this work, a photonic resistive switching (RS) memory is demonstrated based on solution‐processed bilayers of strontium titanate (SrTiO3 or STO) quantum dots (QDs) and all‐inorganic halide perovskite CsPbBr3 (CPB) with an Ag/STO/CPB/Au architecture. Compared with the single‐layer STO or CPB RS device, the double‐layer device shows considerably improved RS performance with a high switching ratio over 105, an endurance of 3000 cycles, and a retention time longer than 2 × 104 s. The formation of heterojunction between STO and CPB significantly enhances the high resistance state, and the separation of the active silver electrode and the CPB layer contributes to the long‐term stability. More importantly, the photonic RS device exhibits UV–visible dual‐band response due to the photogating effect and the light‐induced modification of the heterojunction barrier. Last, tri‐mode operation, i.e., photodetector, memory, and photomemory, is demonstrated via tailoring the light and electric stimuli. This bilayer device architecture provides a unique approach toward enhancing the performance of photoresponsive data‐storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural defects are ubiquitous for polycrystalline perovskite films, compromising device performance and stability. Herein, a universal method is developed to overcome this issue by incorporating halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) into perovskite polycrystalline films. CsPbBr3 QDs are deposited on four types of halide perovskite films (CsPbBr3, CsPbIBr2, CsPbBrI2, and MAPbI3) and the interactions are triggered by annealing. The ions in the CsPbBr3 QDs are released into the thin films to passivate defects, and concurrently the hydrophobic ligands of QDs self‐assemble on the film surfaces and grain boundaries to reduce the defect density and enhance the film stability. For all QD‐treated films, PL emission intensity and carrier lifetime are significantly improved, and surface morphology and composition uniformity are also optimized. Furthermore, after the QD treatment, light‐induced phase segregation and degradation in mixed‐halide perovskite films are suppressed, and the efficiency of mixed‐halide CsPbIBr2 solar cells is remarkably improved to over 11% from 8.7%. Overall, this work provides a general approach to achieving high‐quality halide perovskite films with suppressed phase segregation, reduced defects, and enhanced stability for optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: A gold(I)‐catalyzed 6‐endo‐dig cyclization of aromatic 1,5‐enynes was developed to synthesize 2‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)anilines. The functional group tolerance of this cyclization was examined systematically and a possible mechanism was proposed. The derivatization of 2‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)aniline was carried out to facile access to benzo[α]carbazole, benzo[c,h]cinnoline and dibenzo[i]phenanthridine derivatives in a divergent way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Asian honey bees; Gnetum; gymnosperms; moths; nocturnal pollination; plant-insect interactions; pollen theft; tropical rainforests EN Asian honey bees Gnetum gymnosperms moths nocturnal pollination plant-insect interactions pollen theft tropical rainforests 1 4 4 12/03/21 20211201 NES 211201 Bees belong to modern groups of pollinators, which originated concurrently with new angiosperms (flowering plants), and might have contributed to the global gymnosperm-to-angiosperm turnover in the mid-Cretaceous (125-90 million years ago [Ma]; Cardinal and Danforth 2013, Peris et al. 2017). Our data suggest that diurnal honey bees disrupt the pollination of an insect-pollinated gymnosperm by reducing the pool of pollen available for nocturnal pollinators, resulting in decreased pollinator pollen loads and reduced seed set. Then, in bee-present season, we quantified honey bee visitation rate, pollen loads on honey bees and pollen remaining in anthers after honey bee visits to assess the intensity of theft. [Extracted from the article]

Virtual synchronous generator technology can effectively improve the anti‐interference characteristics of the system frequency and bus voltage in the microgrid, and solve the problems of insufficient damping and low inertia of the system. However, in an islanded microgrid with multiple distributed generation, the difference in line impedance will cause local voltage deviations, which in turn leads to a series of problems, such as reducing power distribution accuracy and increasing bus voltage drop. Therefore, for the island‐type microgrid multi‐inverter distributed power generation parallel system, in order to solve the problem of low power distribution accuracy and large frequency oscillation caused by system parameters in virtual synchronous generator control, an improved virtual synchronous generator control algorithm based on adaptive droop coefficient is proposed in this paper, which not only eliminates the resistance component of the line impedance, makes the system impedance characteristic present a purely inductive nature, but also realises real‐time adjustment of active and reactive power. While maintaining the stability of the bus voltage and system frequency, it maintains high power distribution accuracy and improves the dynamic performance and operational stability of the power grid system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to isolate, characterize, and identify wild lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from native grass silage on the Inner Mongolian Plateau, and the effects of wild LAB strains on the nutritive and fermentation characteristics of sorghum–sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor L. × S. sudanense L.) silage were also investigated. These isolates were evaluated using morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. Three isolated strains were Gram‐positive, homofermentative, catalase‐negative, not produce gas from glucose, and rod‐shaped. These strains could grow normally at pH 3.5–8.0, 15–30 ˚C and NaCl 3 and 6.5%. They were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum group by sequencing 16S rRNA. Compared to uninoculated silage, all LAB‐inoculated silages significantly (P <.05) increased lactic acid (LA) content and ratios of lactic acid/acetic acid (LA/AA), while, reduced pH and ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N). Among all the isolated LAB strains, XM2 showed the highest (P <.05) crude protein (CP), LA, ratio of LA/AA and LAB, lowest (P <.05) pH, AA, propionic acid (PA), butyric acid (BA), NH3–N than the other isolated LAB strains. Strain XM2 is a potential starter culture for sorghum–sudangrass hybrid silage. Core Ideas: This is the first study of lactic acid bacteria isolated from meadow grassland and typical grassland and their silages on the Inner Mongolian Plateau.Lactic acid bacteria could enhance the fermentation quality of sorghum–sudangrass hybrid.The strain XM2 performed better and is a potential starter culture for sorghum–sudangrass hybrid silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface chemistry of colloidal quantum dots (CQD) play a crucial role in fabricating highly efficient and stable solar cells. However, as‐synthesized PbS CQDs are significantly off‐stoichiometric and contain inhomogeneously distributed S and Pb atoms at the surface, which results in undercharged Pb atoms, dangling bonds of S atoms and uncapped sites, thus causing surface trap states. Moreover, conventional ligand exchange processes cannot efficiently eliminate these undesired atom configurations and defect sites. Here, potassium triiodide (KI3) additives are combined with conventional PbX2 matrix ligands to simultaneously eliminate the undercharged Pb species and dangling S sites via reacting with molecular I2 generated from the reversible reaction KI3 ⇌ I2 + KI. Meanwhile, high surface coverage shells on PbS CQDs are built via PbX2 and KI ligands. The implementation of KI3 additives remarkably suppresses the surface trap states and enhances the device stability due to the surface chemistry optimization. The resultant solar cells achieve the best power convention efficiency of 12.1% and retain 94% of its initial efficiency under 20 h continuous operation in air, while the control devices with KI additive deliver an efficiency of 11.0% and retains 87% of their initial efficiency under the same conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myriophyllum, among the most species‐rich genera of aquatic angiosperms with ca. 68 species, is an extensively distributed hydrophyte lineage in the cosmopolitan family Haloragaceae. The chloroplast (cp) genome is useful in the study of genetic evolution, phylogenetic analysis, and molecular dating of controversial taxa. Here, we sequenced and assembled the whole chloroplast genome of Myriophyllum spicatum L. and compared it to other species in the order Saxifragales. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of M. spicatum is 158,858 bp long and displays a quadripartite structure with two inverted repeats (IR) separating the large single copy (LSC) region from the small single copy (SSC) region. Based on sequence identification and the phylogenetic analysis, a 4‐kb phylogenetically informative inversion between trnE‐trnC in Myriophyllum was determined, and we have placed this inversion on a lineage specific to Myriophyllum and its close relatives. The divergence time estimation suggested that the trnE‐trnC inversion possibly occurred between the upper Cretaceous (72.54 MYA) and middle Eocene (47.28 MYA) before the divergence of Myriophyllum from its most recent common ancestor. The unique 4‐kb inversion might be caused by an occurrence of nonrandom recombination associated with climate changes around the K‐Pg boundary, making it interesting for future evolutionary investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the applied value of rapid on‐site evaluation during endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent EBUS with a guide sheath for PPLs at our hospital from December 2015 to June 2017 in this retrospective study. The samples obtained from each operation were made rapid on‐site evaluation at the same time. The results of rapid on‐site evaluation were compared with the pathological diagnosis. Results: A total of 127 PPLs in 124 patients were included in the study. 70 lesions were malignancy in the final pathological diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of rapid on‐site evaluation for malignancy during EBUS with a guide sheath for PPLs was 88.6%, 98.2%, 98.4%, 87.5% and 92.9%, respectively. Conclusions: Rapid on‐site evaluation during EBUS with a guide sheath has a high diagnostic value for malignant PPLs. ROSE during EBUS‐GS has high specificity, positive predictive value and diagnostic accuracy rate for the examination of peripheral pulmonary diseases. It is important to make this procedure more popular in intervention centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to conduct comprehensive phylogeographic and demographic analyses to examine the degree to which topographic and climatic conditions have affected the patterns of diversification and migration in a strictly montane inhabitant, the montane long‐tailed mole (Scaptonyx fusicaudus). Location: The mountains of south‐western China and adjacent mountains including Mts. Bashan, Dalou and Qinling also known as the sky islands in south‐western China. Taxon: The long‐tailed mole (S. fusicaudus), a semi‐fossorial mammal distributed in the sky islands of south‐western China, is a relict species and the sole representative of the tribe Scaptonychini. Methods: We sequenced one mitochondrial and six nuclear genes from 113 samples across the species' range. We estimated phylogenetic relationships and divergence times, conducted genetic structuring and species delimitation using multiple approaches and used Approximate Bayesian Computation to test potential gene flow. We conducted ecological niche modelling to predict the species' potential distribution in the present, the last glacial maximum and the last interglacial (LIG). Results: The species comprises a minimum of 17 operational taxonomic units which are isolated in different mountain ranges. The lowlands and large rivers act as barriers to dispersal, and have isolated evolutionary lineages for up to 11 million years. Long‐distance dispersal is evident among a few discrete montane archipelagos. Suitable climatic conditions during the LIG are limited to only a few sites, thus geographically restricting climatic stable areas across geological periods (from the LIG to the present). Main conclusions: For low‐vagility species, the complex topography of the sky islands has promoted exceptional diversification through a combination of eco‐environmental stability as well as geographic fragmentation. The mountains have acted as a buffer against climate change, and have provided continuously suitable habitats for S. fusicaudus since the early Late Miocene, supporting the hypothesis that the sky islands constitute "museums" of ancient lineages. Lowlands and river valleys have acted as barriers preventing gene flow, while the montane archipelagos could have provided stepping stones to facilitate dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a challenging malignancy due to distant metastasis. RELA, a major component of the NF‐κB pathway, could serve as an oncogene through activating proliferation or migration‐related gene expression, including NEAT1, a well‐known oncogenic long noncoding RNA. In the current study, the expression and function of RELA and NEAT1 in PDAC were examined. The potential upstream regulatory microRNAs of RELA were screened and verified for their correlation with RELA and NEAT1. The expression and function of the selected miR‐302a‐3p were evaluated. RELA and NEAT1 expression were upregulated in PDAC tissues, particularly in PDAC tissues with lymph node metastasis, and their expression correlated with clinical parameters. RELA overexpression promoted PDAC cell proliferation and migration, which could be partially attenuated by the NEAT1 knockdown. By binding to RELA, miR‐302a‐3p inhibited RELA expression, as well as PDAC cell proliferation and migration. RELA downstream NEAT1 expression was negatively regulated by miR‐302a‐3p; the suppressive effect of NEAT1 knockdown on PDAC cell proliferation and migration was partially attenuated by miR‐302a‐3p inhibition. Moreover, through direct binding, the expression of miR‐302a‐3p was also negatively regulated by NEAT1. The expression of miR‐302a‐3p was downregulated and negatively correlated with RELA or NEAT1 in tissue samples, indicating that rescuing miR‐302a‐3p expression may inhibit PDAC cell proliferation and migration through RELA/NEAT1. In summary, RELA, NEAT1, and miR‐302a‐3p form a feedback loop in PDAC to modulate PDAC cell proliferation and migration. The expression of miR‐302a‐3p was down‐regulated and negatively correlated with RELA or NEAT1 in tissue samples, indicating that rescuing miR‐302a‐3p expression may inhibit PDAC cell proliferation and migration through RELA/NEAT1. In summary, RELA, NEAT1 and miR‐302a‐3p form a feedback loop in PDAC to modulate PDAC cell proliferation and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: The drivers of extraordinary species diversity and endemism in biodiversity hotspots remain elusive. To identify such drivers, it is necessary to understand the origin of allopatric cryptic diversity that formed as an important part of the biodiversity in low‐latitude montane areas. Here, we test hypotheses regarding the patterns and processes that underlie the diversity of Asian shrew‐like moles (Uropsilus, Uropsilinae, Talpidae), which exhibit strikingly high cryptic diversity. Specifically, we test the hypotheses that niche conservatism and complex topography explain the largely cryptic diversification of these small montane mammals. Location: The mountains of Southwest China (MSC), which are a biodiversity hotspot, and adjacent areas. Materials and methods: A total of 186 specimens that include all seven species of Uropsilus were collected from key geographical areas of the MSC. One mitochondrial and six nuclear genes were sequenced for phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses. We reconstructed the phylogeny and delimited species boundaries within Uropsilus using multiple methods. We also tested the hypothesis of phylogenetic niche conservatism and examined the effect of topography on genetic divergence. Furthermore, we implemented a hierarchical examination of spatial‐temporal dynamics in our study system. Results: Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses discovered vastly more cryptic diversity than had been identified in morphology‐based taxonomy. Significant niche similarity between sibling phylogroups was detected and the genetic structure of Uropsilus accorded well with the topography of the MSC. Relatively stable biogeographical diffusion and demography, as well as in situ persistence during the last glacial cycle, were detected. Main conclusions: Our analysis indicates that much genetic diversification has occurred without evident niche divergence; hence topographical diversity has provided strongly geographical isolation and ecological gradients which reinforce niche conservatism for sedentary organisms. Cryptic species, as the consequence of a lack of variability in the traits, is attributed to stabilizing selection by the optimal ecological and/or climatic envelopes over evolutionary time‐scales. Our findings indicate that global biodiversity in certain areas could be underestimated. Analyses of other biological systems can determine the universality of niche conservatism in the MSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three conjugated polymers with alkyl chains of different lengths are designed and synthesized, and their structure-property relationship as organic thermoelectric materials is systematically elucidated. All three polymers show similar photophysical properties, thermal properties, and mechanical properties; however, their thermoelectric performance is influenced by the length of their side chains. The length of the alkyl chain significantly influences the electrical conductivity of the conjugated polymers, and polymers with a short alkyl chain exhibit better conductivity than those with a long alkyl chain. The length of the alkyl chain has little effect on the Seebeck coefficient. Only a slight increase in the Seebeck coefficient is observed with the increasing length of the alkyl chain. The purpose of this study is to provide comprehensive insight into fine-tuning the thermoelectric properties of conjugated polymers as a function of side-chain engineering, thereby providing a novel perspective into the design of high-performance thermoelectric conjugated polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, we explore our current understanding of the fern and lycophyte diversity occurring in the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot (EABH). The review explores the species diversity of this region in the context of the Afromadagascan pteridophyte diversity based on an exhaustive species list assembled in the synopsis of Afromadagascan pteridophytes published by Roux in 2009. The list was updated by incorporating recent progress in our understanding of the taxonomy and phylogeny of these plants. Evidence for a distinct pteridophyte flora occurring in the East African mountain region was discovered using ordination and clustering analyses. This EABH floras shares links to other Afromadagascan pteridophyte floras such as the one in the tropical lowland forests of central and western Africa. These floras share the dominance of species that preferably occur in humid climates whereas other African pteridophyte floras tend to contain a higher proportion of xeric adapted ferns. The phylogenetic composition of the EABH pteridophyte flora was assessed by comparing global versus local proportion of orders, families, and genera. This analysis revealed distinct patterns that are partly caused by the radiation of Blotiella and Triplophyllum besides selective colonization of species pre-adapted to Afromadagascan climates. In situ speciation in the East African tropical mountains may have contributed to the global diversity of widespread genera such as Asplenium and Pteris. In summary, this is the first comprehensive attempt to assess the pteridophyte diversity of the East African mountains providing the framework for future studies on their conservation, ecology, and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gnetum (Gnetales) has long been regarded as insect pollinated due to its range-restricted distribution in tropical rain forests, where wind pollination is supposed to be detrimental. However, ubiquitous pollen limitation in the tropics might cause transition to anemophily, or even ambophily for reproductive assurance, especially for gymnosperms such as Gnetum, which exhibit various anemophilous syndromes, including absence of petals, greenish color of strobili, dioecy and uniovulate flowers. Pollination treatments applied to Gnetum parvifolium in southern China revealed this rare and endangered species to be pollen limited and incapable of apomixis. Pollen grains of G. parvifolium did not adhere to each other and could be trapped by interception traps near the male and female strobili. Seed set in the netted treatment (anemophily) was significantly higher than in the bagged treatment (apomixis) but lower than open pollination (anemophily and entomophily), indicating that both wind and biotic pollination contributed to seed production of G. parvifolium. The occurrence of ambophily in Gnetum and the prevalence of anemophily in E hpedra and W elwitschia suggest that wind may also play a role in the pollination of the ancient Gnetales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the development and clinical characteristics of nail changes in hand, foot, and mouth disease ( HFMD). Methods A telephone survey was conducted with the parents of patients diagnosed with HFMD in the Fourth General Hospital of Nanhai from June to August 2013 to document nail changes within 3 months of diagnosis of HFMD. Results Valid survey results were obtained from 273 cases. Definitive nail changes were identified in 56 patients (20.5%). More boys (25.8%) than girls (10.6%) (p < 0.01) showed changes. The age distribution ranged from 1 to 5 years, and nail changes were rare in children younger than 1 year of age (p < 0.01). Nail changes were usually seen 1 to 2 months after the onset of HFMD and lasted for 1 to 8 weeks, most for approximately 4 weeks. Toenails or fingernails could be affected and the changes were more likely to occur synchronously. Fingernails were more commonly involved than toenails. When both fingernails and toenails were involved, this typically occurred synchronously. Although there were cases with all toenails and fingernails involved (16.1%), we did not encounter any instances involving 13 to 19 nails. The nail changes mainly presented as onychomadesis. Spontaneous recovery without special treatment was the course for all patients. No relapse or new nail involvement was identified. Conclusions Nail change associated with HFMD usually occurs within 1 to 2 months after onset, mainly presents as onychomadesis, and is a self-limited process. Possible mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite great strides in past years are being made to generate motions of elastic materials such as cloth and biological skin in virtual world, unfortunately, the computational cost of realistic high-resolution simulations currently precludes their use in interactive applications. Thin elastic materials such as cloth and biological skin often exhibit complex nonlinear elastic behaviors. However, modeling elastic nonlinearity can be computationally expensive and numerically unstable, imposing significant challenges for their use in interactive applications. This paper presents a novel simulation framework for simulating realistic material behaviors with interactive frame rate. Central to the framework is the use of a constraint-based multi-resolution solver for efficient and robust modeling of the material nonlinearity. We extend a strain-limiting method to work on deformation gradients of triangulated surface models in three-dimensional space with a novel data structure. The simulation framework utilizes an iterative nonlinear Gauss-Seidel procedure and a multilevel hierarchy structure to achieve computational speedups. As material nonlinearity are generated by enforcing strain-limiting constraints at a multilevel hierarchy, our simulation system can rapidly accelerate the convergence of the large constraint system with simultaneous enforcement of boundary conditions. The simplicity and efficiency of the framework makes simulations of highly realistic thin elastic materials substantially fast and is applicable of simulations for interactive applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel aqueous gelcasting technique was employed to prepare porous silicon nitride ceramics using water-soluble copolymer of isobutylene and maleic anhydride (Isobam) as both dispersant and gelling agent. The effects of fabrication parameters, including sintering additives, the second phase ( BN), and pore-forming agent (corn starch), on the microstructure and mechanical properties were separately investigated. The sample with Yb2O3 as sintering additive, having a porosity of ~48.6%, showed a high flexural strength of 233 MPa and a high fracture toughness of 2.72 MPa·m1/2. With addition of 2.5wt% BN, the sample exhibited a high flexural strength of 211 MPa due to the uniform microstructure with β-Si3N4 grains. A high porosity of ~60% and a flexural strength of 110 MPa were obtained by adding 20wt% starch into the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel pH- and temperature-dual responsive hydrogel was synthesized by inverse microemulsion polymerization, using itonic acid (IA) as pH-responsive monomer, N-isopropylacrylamide (NPAM) as thermo-responsive monomer and acrylamide (AM) as the nonionic hydrophilic monomer. Factors affecting water and salt absorption, as well as swellability of the dual responsive hydrogels, such as IA/NPAM mass ratio and crosslinker amount, were investigated. pH- and temperature-sensitivity and dynamic viscoelasticity behaviors of the dual responsive hydrogels were also studied. The dual responsive responsive hydrogels showed suitable water and salt absorbency, remarkable pH-, and temperature-sensitivity, adjustable swellability and enhanced viscoelastic behaviors under high stress. Water absorbency and pH-sensitivity increased while salt absorbency and temperature- sensitivity decreased with increasing IA/NIPAM mass ratio. Both water absorbency and salt absorbency increased first with crosslinker amount increased to 0.2 wt %, and then decreased with increasing crosslinker amount. Temperature-induced shrinkage range of the dual responsive hydrogels was higher and broader than that of the conventional poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel. TEM indicated that the as-synthesized hydrogel particles were regular and spherical-like in shape and had the mean particle size of 49nm in the range of 30-78 nm. FTIR indicated the structure of the dual responsive hydrogels. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42139. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescent dextrans are commonly used as macropinocytic probes to study the properties of endocytic cargoes; however, the effect of the size of dextrans on endocytic mechanisms has not been carefully analyzed. By using chemical and siRNA inhibition of individual endocytic pathways, we evaluated the internalization of two commonly used dextrans, Dex10 (dextran 10 kDa) and Dex70 (dextran 70 kDa), in mammalian HeLa cells and Caenorhabditis elegans coelomocytes. We revealed that Dex70 enters these two cell types predominantly via clathrin- and dynamin-independent and amiloride-sensitive macropinocytosis process; Dex10, on the other hand, enters the two cell types through clathrin-/dynamin-dependent micropinocytosis in addition to macropinocytosis. In addition, although different-sized dextrans follow different endocytic processes, they share common post-endocytic events. Herein, though straightforward, our studies support that the size of nanomaterials could play a paramount role in their inclusion into endocytic vesicles and suggest that care should be taken while selecting endocytic pathway markers. Based on our results, we propose that Dex70 is a better probe for macropinocytosis, whereas Dex10 and smaller molecules are better for probing general fluid-phase endocytosis, which includes macropinocytic and micropinocytic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a new spatio-temporal texture (SpTeT) based method for distinguishing vulnerable versus stable atherosclerotic plaques on DCE-MRI using a rabbit model of atherothrombosis. Methods: Aortic atherosclerosis was induced in 20 New Zealand White rabbits by cholesterol diet and endothelial denudation. MRI was performed before (pretrigger) and after (posttrigger) inducing plaque disruption with Russell's-viper-venom and histamine. Of the 30 vascular targets (segments) under histology analysis, 16 contained thrombus (vulnerable) and 14 did not (stable). A total of 352 voxel-wise computerized SpTeT features, including 192 Gabor, 36 Kirsch, 12 Sobel, 52 Haralick, and 60 first-order textural features, were extracted on DCE-MRI to capture subtle texture changes in the plaques over the course of contrast uptake. Different combinations of SpTeT feature sets, in which the features were ranked by a minimum-redundancy-maximum-relevance feature selection technique, were evaluated via a random forest classifier. A 500 iterative 2-fold cross validation was performed for discriminating the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque and stable atherosclerotic plaque on per voxel basis. Four quantitative metrics were utilized to measure the classification results in separating between vulnerable and stable plaques. Results: The quantitative results show that the combination of five classes of SpTeT features can distinguish between vulnerable (disrupted plaques with an overlying thrombus) and stable plaques with the best AUC values of 0.9631 ± 0.0088, accuracy of 89.98% ± 0.57%, sensitivity of 83.71% ± 1.71%, and specificity of 94.55% ± 0.48%. Conclusions: Vulnerable and stable plaque can be distinguished by SpTeT based features. The SpTeT features, following validation on larger datasets, could be established as effective and reliable imaging biomarkers for noninvasively assessing atherosclerotic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel wheat straw composite superabsorbent was prepared by graft polymerization with acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), and maleic anhydride-modified wheat straw in aqueous solution, using N, N-methylene- bis-acrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linker and ammonium persulfate (APS) and sodium bisulfite (SBS) as redox initiators. Factors influencing the degree of carboxylation, such as reaction time, reaction temperature, and the amount of maleic anhydride, were investigated. Morphologies and structure of the wheat straw composite superabsorbent were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Water absorption of wheat straw composite superabsorbent was rapid, requiring 13.1 min to reach 63% of equilibrium absorbency (781 g/g). FTIR spectra indicate that maleic anhydride has been reacted onto the wheat straw backbone and the structure of wheat straw graft copolymer is formed. SEM data show that the fibrous morphology of wheat straw disappears and gel aggregates with many large microporous holes are formed after wheat straw graft modification. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3404-3410, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background G protein-coupled receptor family C group 5 member A (GPRC5A), a member of G protein-coupled receptor family, has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor in lung tissue. The biological functions of GPRC5A have therefore been linked to lung tissue. However, the biological significance of this gene product remains obscure. In this study, we investigated the expression of GPRC5A proteins in normal oral tissue and oral squamous cell carcinoma ( OSCC), and we characterized its biological activity in OSCC cell lines. Methods Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining were used to investigate the expression of GPRC5A in both OSCC cell lines and clinical samples. GPRC5A stable transfectants and their parental OSCC cells were characterized for their biological activities in anchorage-independent growth. Results High levels of immunohistochemical GPRC5A expression were detected in normal oral tissue, especially differentiated area. In contrast, GPRC5A expression was dramatically repressed in OSCCs ( P < 0.01). The immunohistochemical GPRC5A expression was moderately well differentiated, but greatly repressed in moderately differentiated OSCCs and completely repressed in poorly differentiated OSCCs. Overexpression of GPRC5A in OSCC CAL27 cells resulted in a suppressed anchorage-independent growth activity, a transforming phenotype. Conclusions GPRC5A is expressed in normal oral epithelium. Repression of GPRC5A is associated with poorly differential grade of OSCCs. Overexpression of GPRC5A in OSCC cell line reversed the malignant phenotype. Thus, GPRC5A is important for homeostasis in oral tissue, and deletion or repression of this gene may involve in tumorigenesis of OSCCs and may serve as a prognostic marker for malignant type of OSCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A corn stalk-composite superabsorbent with water absorbency of 660 g/g within 30 min, was prepared by graft copolymerization with acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SSS), and corn stalk in aqueous solution after the pretreatment of corn stalks (CS), using N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) and sodium bisulfite (SBS) as redox initiators. Factors influencing water absorbency and gel strength of the superabsorbent composite, such as the amount of corn stalk, the mass ratio of acrylic acid to acrylamide, the degree of neutralization for AA and the amount of crosslinker, were investigated. Morphologies and structure of the corn stalk-composite superabsorbents were characterized by FTIR, SEM and optical microscope. FTIR spectra indicate the structure of corn stalk graft-copolymer. SEM data show that the discontinuous sheet structures of corn stalks disappear and gel aggregates with many large microporous holes and small capillary pores are formed after corn stalk graft modification. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While chitosan (CS) has been researched widely as a non-viral vector, its usefulness has been limited by its low cell specificity and transfection efficiency. Therefore, we successfully synthesized galactosylated chitosan (GC) and complexed it with an enhanced green fluorescent protein plasmid (pIRES-EGFP) for transfection into cultured H22 cells (murine hepatic cancer cell line) using various GC/EGFP ( N/ P) charge ratios. Maximal gene transfection rates detected by flow cytometry occurred at an N/ P ratio 5:1. Compared with those of lipofectin/EGFP and naked pIRES-EGFP, GC/EGFP complexes show a very efficient cell-selective transfection to hepatocytes. The MTT assay detected relatively low cytotoxicity in cells transfected with GC. A recombinant plasmid granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-SCF) and interleukin (IL) 21 (pIRES/GM-CSF-IL21) was successfully constructed and GC/GM-CSF-IL21 nanoparticles (average diameter, 82.1 nm) were administered via the tail vein of mice with liver metastasis of colon cancer model, for 5 consecutive days. The GC/GM-CSF-IL21 nanoparticles exhibited hepatocyte and passive tumor specificity, increased therapeutic efficacy compared to control groups, promoted leukocytes to aggregate in tumor tissues, and activated the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells and cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL). Our results indicate that GC can be used in gene therapy to improve transfection efficiency and can be used as an immunological stimulant in vivo. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To investigate the brain iron deposits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy age-matched controls using phase imaging. Materials and Methods Twenty-six AD patients and 24 healthy controls were recruited. A three-dimensional high-resolution, gradient-echo sequence was used to acquire phase data in the coronal plane. A high-pass filter was used to remove the phase variation caused by field inhomogeneity. The regions evaluated included the bilateral putamen, globus pallidus, and the head and body of the hippocampus. Results Significantly lower phase values in both the basal ganglion and hippocampus were revealed in the AD group compared to the normal controls ( P < 0.05). The phase value in the right side of the head of the hippocampus had a moderate positive correlation with the MMSE score ( r= 0.603, P = 0.000) and a negative correlation with the duration of the disease ( r = −0.677, P = 0.013). Using −0.0972 radians as an optimal cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity for differentiation between AD and normal controls reached 95.8 and 80.8%, respectively. Conclusion Phase imaging proved to be a useful method for the differentiation between normal controls and AD patients. An investigation of the excessive accumulation of iron in the hippocampus may help us better understand the pathologic process and neuropsychological dysfunction of AD disease. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:793-798. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we established an in vitro cellular carcinogenesis model of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), including the human immortalized oral epithelia cells (HIOECs) and its derived cancerous HB96 cells. In this study, comparative proteomic analysis identified that Annexin A1 was one of the significantly down-regulated genes in the cancerous HB96 cells. To investigate Annexin A1 down-regulation and its potential usefulness as a molecular marker in OSCC, we further screened Annexin A1 expressions with a panel of OSCC lines, and clinical samples of cancerous and the paired adjacent normal tissues from primary OSCC patients. By Western blot analysis and real-time PCR, we showed that both Annexin A1 mRNA and protein expressions decreased in OSCC cell lines except in two cell lines for the mRNA levels. Immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR also showed that both Annexin A1 mRNA and protein expressions decreased in the cancerous tissues from OSCC patients compared with those in the paired adjacent non-malignant epithelia. More importantly, both Annexin A1 mRNA and protein expressions negatively correlated with the pathologic differentiation grades of cancerous tissues. The lower Annexin A1 mRNA or protein expressions correlated with the poorer pathologic differentiation grades. These results suggest that decreased expression of Annexin A1 contributes to the cancerous progression of OSCC, and Annexin A1 may be a potential biomarker for pathologic differentiation grade of OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]