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Background and Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of minocycline, vonoprazan, amoxicillin, and bismuth quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment. Methods: From August 2022 to May 2023, clinical data were collected from patients who received H. pylori eradication treatment at West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University. One group received the MVAB regimen (amoxicillin, minocycline, vonoprazan, and colloidal bismuth pectin), while another group received the FOAB regimen (amoxicillin, furazolidone, omeprazole, and colloidal bismuth pectin), both administered for 14 days. Follow‐up assessments of safety and compliance were conducted within 1 week after treatment completion. One and a half months after treatment, the success of eradication was evaluated using the urea breath test. Results: For the MVAB regimen as a first‐line treatment, the eradication rate was 90.1% (127/141, 95% CI: 85.1–95.1%) in the ITT analysis and 93.4% (127/136, 95% CI: 89.2–97.6%) in the PP analysis as a first‐line treatment. As a second‐line treatment, the eradication rate was 91.3% (21/23, 95% CI: 78.8–103.8%) in both analyses. For the FOAB regimen as a first‐line treatment, the eradication rate was 98.0% (50/51, 95% CI: 94.1–101.2%) in the ITT analysis and 100% (50/50, 95% CI: 100%) in the PP analysis. As a second‐line treatment, the eradication rate was 100% (6/6, 95% CI: 100%) in both analyses. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (MVAB regimen: 5.5% and FOAB regimen: 8.8%; P > 0.05). Conclusions: The MVAB regimen could indeed be a viable alternative treatment option to conventional therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer (EC) stands as the most prevalent gynecological tumor in women worldwide. Notably, differentiation diagnosis of abnormity detected by ultrasound findings (e.g., thickened endometrium or mass in the uterine cavity) is essential and remains challenging in clinical practice. Herein, we identified a metabolic biomarker panel for differentiation diagnosis of EC using machine learning of high-performance serum metabolic fingerprints (SMFs) and validated the biological function. We first recorded the high-performance SMFs of 191 EC and 204 Non-EC subjects via particle-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (PELDI-MS). Then, we achieved an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.957–0.968 for EC diagnosis through machine learning of high-performance SMFs, outperforming the clinical biomarker of cancer antigen 125 (CA-125, AUC of 0.610–0.684, p < 0.05). Finally, we identified a metabolic biomarker panel of glutamine, glucose, and cholesterol linoleate with an AUC of 0.901–0.902 and validated the biological function in vitro. Therefore, our work would facilitate the development of novel diagnostic biomarkers for EC in clinics. Synopsis: Endometrial cancer (EC) diagnostic suffers from a lack of non-invasive, specific and sensitive tools. Machine learning of high-performance serum metabolic fingerprints (SMFs) was used to identify a metabolic biomarker panel for differentiation diagnosis of EC vs. Non-EC. An SMFs database of 191 EC and 204 Non-EC subjects was built via particle-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (PELDI-MS). A metabolic biomarker panel for differentiation diagnosis of EC was identified, with an AUC of 0.901–0.902 and an accuracy of 82.8–83.1%. The metabolite biomarker functions on EC cell behavior were evaluated in vitro (including proliferation, colony formation, migration, and apoptosis). Endometrial cancer (EC) diagnostic suffers from a lack of non-invasive, specific and sensitive tools. Machine learning of high-performance serum metabolic fingerprints (SMFs) was used to identify a metabolic biomarker panel for differentiation diagnosis of EC vs. Non-EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full‐color emission from solid single‐component organic materials is highly desired to realize inexpensive and non‐toxic organic electronics. However, as the three primary colors, red, green, and blue (RGB), have significantly different energies, observation of RGB luminescence from a single‐component molecule is extremely challenging. In this study, a coronene nanorod single‐component single‐crystal is prepared, which exhibits blue fluorescence at ambient conditions and realizes full‐color emission, for the first time, by altering the molecular packing through high‐pressure compression. A valuable insight into the relationships between structure and optical properties of coronene at high pressures is obtained by combining various spectroscopic studies. During compression, it is found that the tuneable piezochromic luminescence of coronene is strictly related to the molecular packing and crystallographic symmetry. This study not only provides insight into the structure‐optical property relationships of hydrocarbon but also promotes the development of single molecular systems with different molecular packing that exhibit RGB emissions even at ambient conditions even with a single excitation wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expeditious growth of modern transportation and industrialization has given rise to serious noise pollution, which has brought disaster to the world economy and human health. Most existing sound‐absorber with single pore structures suffer from large weight and the incidence and dissipation of noise that are difficult to be enhanced simultaneously. Herein, gradient‐structured elastic ceramic nanofiber aerogels with cellulose nano‐nets are successfully structured through step‐by‐step directional freeze‐casting technology, which has a gradient structure of "larger pore‐middle pore‐smaller pore" in the propagation direction of sound waves and dual nanofiber networks perpendicular to the direction of sound waves. The integration of gradient pore structures and dual nanofiber networks effectively improves the acoustic contact area of aerogels while increasing the acoustic incidence. The noise reduction coefficient of the obtained lightweight gradient aerogels (average density only 9 mg cm−3) reaches 0.58, and the low‐frequency air compressor noise can be reduced by 23.1 dB. Besides, the silica sol with hydrophobic groups endows gradient aerogels with good mechanics (plastic deformation only 5.7% after 1000 compressions) and superhydrophobic properties (water contact angle of ≈150°). The successful construction of gradient‐structured dual network nanofiber aerogels will offer new horizons for the upgrading of nextgen noise absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon aerogels (CAs) are desirable for thermal protection in aerospace because of their lightweight and high‐temperature insulation characteristic; however, their intrinsic brittleness and flaw sensitivity easily trigger catastrophic failure when resisting high‐frequency thermal shocks or complex mechanical stresses. Compression is the predominant load applied on aerogels by aerodynamic pressure and pre‐tightening force; therefore, the structural elasticity and exceptional capability to keep thermal performance under impact stress are crucial in deciding the actual availability of aerogels. This review presents the recent progress in newly resilient CAs for thermal protection, focusing on reliable structural stability, thermal stability, and thermal superinsulation property. The influence law of microstructures on heat transfer behaviors is first investigated, followed by construction strategies for adiabatic CAs, emphasizing the recoverable deformability resulting from increased continuity of building blocks from 0D nanoparticles to 1D nanofibers/nanotubes and then to 2D nanosheets. Moreover, the optimization of thermal stability in high‐temperature aerobic environments and thermal insulation performance are discussed. Finally, it raises current challenges and further opportunities for CAs toward better properties and brighter prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the early stage of atherosclerosis (AS) without plaque formation is of great significance. Herein, we developed a metal organic framework (MOF)‐based fluorescence nanoprobe to analyze the progression of AS by assessing the levels of protein phosphorylation and glucose in blood and tissue. The probe was prepared by post‐modification of the MOF with iodine (I3−)‐rhodamine B (RhB) associate, which realizes the specific recognition of target object through the metal joint ZrIV and I3−‐RhB, respectively. We investigated different stages of target object changes in the early non‐plaque stage of AS in blood. It was found that the levels of phosphate and glucose in the blood were higher than those of the normal mice. The results of two‐photon images showed that early AS mice had higher levels of protein phosphorylation and glucose than that of the normal mice. The present study provides a suitable fluorescence tool for further revealing the pathogenesis and progression of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed pixels and spectral variations commonly occur in images of karst areas because these areas have rugged topography and high surface heterogeneity. Consequently, the bedrock exposure rate cannot be accurately estimated using the existing rock index method based on remote sensing and the fixed endmember mixed pixel decomposition model. In order to solve this problem, using LANDSAT operational land imager/thematic mapper (OLI/TM) images as the data source, this study estimated the bedrock exposure rate based on a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) considering spectral variability. In addition, this approach was compared with existing commonly used methods for estimating bedrock exposure rate. The results show that: (1) GLMM showed the highest performance in estimating bedrock exposure rate, with a total accuracy of 88.05% and a kappa coefficient of 0.845, and the accuracy exceeded 70% for different levels of bedrock exposure rate. However, the total accuracy of other commonly used bedrock exposure methods is was below 66%, being higher only in areas with bedrock exposure rates less than 20% and more than 70%. (2) By applying each method to different terrain scenes, GLMM was found to be more stable than other methods, and the estimated bedrock exposure rate is the closest to the ground reference value with a root mean square error less than 0.093. Other methods, including fully constrained least squares unmixing (FCLSU) and karst bare‐rock index (KBRI), have a certain gap in different scenes, and their accuracy is not high. (3) Without any ground reference data, the accuracy of the direct unmixing result of GLMM is very close to that calculated by the regression model, and the accuracy difference among different grades of bedrock exposure rate is less than 5%, thus outperforming the other methods. GLMM can effectively estimate the bedrock exposure rate at different times using different data. Therefore, GLMM has great potential in extracting rocky desertification information in karst areas. It can also be a reference method for the rapid, accurate, and long‐term evaluation of rocky desertification in karst areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inflammatory microenvironment involves changes in pH and protein phosphorylation state and is closely related to the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis (AS). Herein, we constructed a dual‐detection fluorescence nanosensor PCN‐NP‐HPZ based on post modification of MOFs, which realized the simultaneous detection and imaging of pH and phosphorylation through the pH‐sensitive group piperazine and the ZrIV node of the MOFs. The sensors were used to monitor changes in blood pH and phosphate levels at different time stages during atherosclerotic plaque formation. Two‐photon fluorescence imaging was also performed in the vascular endothelium. Blood tests combined with two‐photon fluorescence images indicated that in the early stage of AS, blood and tissue pH levels were lower than that of the normal mice, while phosphate and tissue phosphorylation levels were higher than that of the normal mice. The present study provides a new analysis method for the assessment of early atherosclerotic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There are few analyses of the 15 red blood group system antigen coding genes found in the Yunnan Yi nationality. This has caused many poteintial dangers relating to clinical blood transfusion. In this report, the coding genes and distribution of 15 blood group antigens system in the Yi nationality were tested and compared with those of Han nationality and other ethnic minorities. Methods: The samples came from the healthy subjects in the first people's Hospital of Qujing, Yunnan Province. Two hundred and three Yunnan Yi and 197 Han nationality individuals were included. Thirty‐three blood group antigens with a low frequency from the 15 blood group systems of Yunnan Yi blood donors were genotyped and analyzed by PCR‐SSP. Sanger sequencing was used to detect A4GALT from the Yunnan Yi nationality. The χ2 test was used to analyze observed and expected values of gene distribution to verify conformation to the Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium law. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze gene frequency distribution, and the statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The ABO blood group examination results for the Yi nationality and the local Han nationality in Qujing City, Yunnan Province, showed the majority were type A and type O, while the least prevalent was type AB. RhD+ accounts for more than 98% of the Yi and Han populations. There was a significant difference in ABO blood group antigen distribution between these two nationalities (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the composition ratio of D antigen in the Rh blood group system (p > 0.05). Compared with Tibetan (Tibet), Zhuang (Nanning), and Dong (Guangxi), the gene distribution frequencies of Rh blood group system phenotype CC were significantly lower in the Yunnan Yi nationality (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in six erythrocyte phenotypic antigens in the Yi nationality in Yunnan compared with Han nationality, such as LW(a−b−), JK(a−b+), MMSs, Di(a−b+), Wr(a−b−), and Kp(a−b+) (p < 0.05). There were gene phenotypes with a low frequency in the four rare blood group systems: LW, MNS, Wright, and Colton. Several different mutation types occurred in the P1PK blood group system's A4GALT gene. Conclusion: Yunnan Yi nationality has a unique genetic background. There are some significantly different distributions of blood group system genes with a low frequency in different regions and groups in China. Multiple mutations in the A4GALT gene of the P1PK blood group system may be related to their environment and ethnic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional ceramic materials are suboptimal for use in complex environments because of their brittleness and sensitivity to flaws. As such, developing flexible and elastic ceramic materials is extremely urgent in frontier domains where high‐frequency vibration or high‐intensity bending environments are inevitable. Fibrillation of ceramic materials is an effective way for the transition of brittleness to flexibility and elasticity, due to its ability to absorb and dissipate stresses through large axial deformations. Here, a comprehensive review of the newly emerging flexible and elastic ceramic fiber materials is presented, starting from an introduction to the fundamental concept, followed by an in‐depth analysis of the relationship between their microstructures and mechanical behaviors, laying emphasis on the toughening mechanism of both individual fibers and fiber assemblies. Finally, current challenges and future development are demonstrated. It is expected that this review may provide meaningful guidance for the advancement of ceramic fiber materials toward better performance and brighter prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease regulated by metabolic disorders, the effective intervention of which depends on diverse phenotypes (e.g., insulin resistance). Serum metabolic fingerprint (SMF) holds promise in characterizing the pathogenesis stress related to diseases; yet, PCOS diagnosis and phenotyping are time‐consuming and challenging due to the lack of an integrated metabolic tool. Here, a nanoparticle‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry platform is introduced for one‐time serum metabolic fingerprinting and to identify the metabolic heterogeneity associated with obesity in PCOS patients. A decision tree based on the acquired SMFs is constructed, and real‐world simulations on independent internal and external cohorts are performed. The decision tree yields the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of 0.967 for PCOS diagnosis and AUC of 0.898 for phenotyping, respectively. The technical robustness of the "one‐stop shop" decision tree across laboratories is validated for clinical utility. The decision tree aims to improve PCOS management in comparison to clinical assessment, leading to a potential reduction in multiple blood tests and physician workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantioselective Ni‐catalyzed C(sp3)−H bond activation remains an elusive challenge. Herein, we used phosphine oxide‐ligated Ni−Al bimetallic catalyst to realize enantioselective Ni‐catalyzed aliphatic C(sp3)−H activation of formamides, providing a series of chiral N‐containing heterocycles in 40–95 % yield and 70–95 % ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis exhibits potential to damage drug‐resistant cancer cells. However, it is still restricted with the "off‐target" toxicity from the undesirable leakage of metal ions from ferroptosis agents, and the lack of reliable imaging for monitoring the ferroptosis process in living systems. Herein, we develop a novel ternary alloy PtWMn nanocube as a Mn reservoir, and further design a microenvironment‐triggered nanoplatform that can accurately release Mn ions within the tumor to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, produce O2 and consume excess glutathione for synergistically enhancing nonferrous ferroptosis. Moreover, this nanoplatform exerts a responsive signal in high‐field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which enables the real‐time report of Mn release and the monitoring of ferroptosis initiation through the signal changes of T1‐/T2‐MRI. Thus, our nanoplatform provides a novel strategy to store, deliver and precisely release Mn ions for MRI‐guided high‐specificity ferroptosis therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanozymes with intrinsic enzyme‐like characteristics have attracted enormous research interest in biological application. However, there is a lack of facile approach for evaluating the catalytic activity of nanozymes in living system. Herein, we develop a novel manganese‐semiconducting polymer‐based nanozyme (MSPN) with oxidase‐like activity for reporting the catalytic activity of itself in acid‐induced cancer therapy via ratiometric near‐infrared fluorescence (NIRF)‐photoacoustic (PA) molecular imaging. Notably, MSPN possess oxidase‐like activity in tumor microenvironment, owing to the mixed‐valent MnOx nanoparticles, which can effectively kill cancer cells. Because the semiconducting polymer (PFODBT) is conjugated with oxidase‐responsive molecule (ORM), the catalytic activity of nanozyme can be correlated with the ratiometric signals of NIRF (FL695/FL825) and PA (PA680/PA780), which may provide new ideas for predicting anticancer efficacy of nanozymes in living system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a cyclic amplification method for an organic afterglow nanoreporter for the real‐time visualization of self‐generated reactive oxygen species (ROS). We promoted semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (PFODBT) as a candidate for emitting near‐infrared afterglow luminescence. Introduction of a chemiluminescent substrate (CPPO) into PFODBT (PFODBT@CPPO) resulted in a significant enhancement of afterglow intensity through the dual cyclic amplification pathway involving singlet oxygen (1O2). 1O2 produced by PFODBT@CPPO induced cancer cell necrosis and promoted the release of damage‐related molecular patterns, thereby evoking immunogenic cell death (ICD)‐associated immune responses through ROS‐based oxidative stress. The afterglow luminescent signals of the nanoreporter were well correlated with light‐driven 1O2 generation and anti‐cancer efficiency. This imaging strategy provides a non‐invasive tool for predicting the therapeutic outcome that occurs during ROS‐mediated cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel strategies still need to be proposed that can be used to identify and detect toxic environmental pollutants. In this paper, two channels of colorimetry and fluorescence 'turn-on' fluorescent probe 1 (7-hydroxy-8-[(2-hydroxy-phenylimino)- methyl]-4-methylbenzopyran-2-one) for the simple yet highly selective detection of CN have been successfully designed and synthesized. Crystal features of probe 1 were defined using X-ray single crystal diffractometry. Probe 1 showed a strongly colorimetric and fluorescence response to CN that induced obvious naked-eye colour changes in aqueous solution (DMSO/H2O, 3:1 v:v). In addition, probe 1 for CN detection displayed low detection limits of 3.91 x 10 8 M, which were significantly lower than the 1.9 x 10 6 M maximum level specified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for potable water. The sensing mechanism for probe 1 was attributed tothe deprotonation processasshown by1H NMRtitration. Moreover, based on the visible colorimetry and fluorescence change for probe 1 to CN, measurement was performed for simulated water samples containing CN. This study provides a broad prospect for solving other pollution problems and promoting the design of new fluorescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a promising technology in the biological world. As one of the CRISPR‐associated (Cas) proteins, Cas12a is an RNA‐guided nuclease in the type V CRISPR‐Cas system, which has been a robust tool for gene editing. In addition, due to the discovery of target‐binding‐induced indiscriminate single‐stranded DNase activity of Cas12a, CRISPR‐Cas12a also exhibits great promise in biosensing. This minireview not only gives a brief introduction to the mechanism of CRISPR‐Cas12a but also highlights the recent developments and applications in biosensing and gene regulation. Finally, future prospects of the CRISPR‐Cas12a system are also discussed. We expect this minireview will inspire innovative work on the CRISPR‐Cas12a system by making full use of its features and advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of proper chiral ligands, enantioselective C(sp2)–H borylation has been a challenging goal for a long time. Recently, three different types of well‐designed chiral ligands were developed, not only addressing this challenge, but also providing a good inspiration for the future development of other asymmetric reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of proper chiral ligands, enantioselective C(sp2)–H borylation has been a challenging goal for a long time. Recently, three different types of well‐designed chiral ligands were developed, not only addressing this challenge, but also providing a good inspiration for the future development of other asymmetric reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As plentiful roof‐top photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) have been installed in residential houses, smart homes which provide reliable and cost‐efficient energy for customers have been increasingly developing. This study proposes a smart home coordinated operation framework consisting of day‐ahead scheduling of a BESS and deferrable appliances as well as real‐time BESS affinely adjustable control. The scheduling aims to minimise daily energy usage bills and the affinely adjustable control aims to eliminate fluctuations of intermittent PV output and at‐will uncertain appliances. This study proposes an affinely adjustable robust energy management system (AAREMS) which can optimise the day‐ahead scheduling with full consideration of the real‐time BESS control under uncertainties. Moreover, affinely adjustable robust counterpart formulation is developed to solve the AAREMS under the worst case of real‐time uncertainty realisation. The simulation results verify the high efficiency of the proposed AAREMS in minimising the energy usage bills for the customers and providing certain and invariable power injection for the utility grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Botanical pesticide plays an essential role in the control of agricultural pests. Corydalis curviflora Maxim. is used as a cholagogue and larvicide in the rural areas of Northwest China. In this study, our objective was to identify the insect active ingredients of C. curviflora extract. RESULTS: Bioassay‐guided isolation of the high active fraction led to the identification of two novel N‐demethyl hexahydrobenzophenanthridine‐type alkaloids, Curviflorain A (1) and Curviflorain B (2), together with nine known alkaloids, ambiguanine A (3), ambiguanine B (4), ambiguanine C (5), 6‐acetylambinine (6), 1,1‐dimethyl‐6‐methoxy‐7‐hydroxyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline (7), hendersine B (8), coryximine (9), isochotensine (10) and corysolidine (11). Compounds 1, 2, and 6 showed promising activity to the larvae of Culex pipiens pallens Coq. and Aedes albopictus Skuse. These compounds were also tested against the insect pests, Mythimna separata walker. and Schizaphis graminum Rondani. CONCLUSION: These findings provide a better understanding of the insecticidal activity of C. curviflora extract and the active compounds. This has the potential to lead to a more effective botanical insecticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twofold C−H annulation of readily available formamides and alkynes without built‐in chelating groups was achieved. Ni−Al bimetallic catalysis enabled by a bulky BINOL‐derived chiral secondary phosphine oxide (SPO) ligand proved to be critical for high reactivity and high selectivity. This reaction uses readily available formamides as starting materials and provides a concise synthetic pathway to a broad range of chiral ferrocenes in 40–98 % yield and 93–99 % ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) has taken heavy tolls on the global economy and public health, calling for air filters that can remove PM from high‐temperature emission sources. However, creating desirable filter media capable of capturing polydisperse fine particles (PFPs) effectively and enduringly, while also withstanding high speed airstream, is extremely challenging. Here, a biomimetic and bottom‐up strategy to prepare superelastic, strong, and thermostable nanofibrous aerogels (NFAs) as cascade filters by assembling semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN)‐based nanofibers into a gradient architecture is reported. Inspired by the robust loofah sponges originating from stiff cellulose networks, the mechanical property of NFAs is enhanced via tailoring the chain flexibility of heat‐resistant semi‐IPNs. Further constructing a gradient cellular architecture endows NFAs with a versatile cascade filtration behavior for capturing polydisperse fine particles. The resultant semi‐IPN‐based gradient NFAs exhibit temperature‐invariant superelasticity, a high compressive stress (7.9 kPa) and modulus (12 kPa), high filtration efficiency (>99.97%, PM0.3), low pressure drop (≈50% that of membranes), and ultrahigh dust‐holding capacity (114 g m−2). The fabrication of this attractive material paves the way for designing next‐generation air filters for industrial dust removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoring as one of fascinating geometries exhibits unique size‐dependent physical and chemical properties endowed by its circular feature. However, to the best of our knowledge, super‐large elliptical nanorings cannot be fabricated by the existing techniques. Herein, we successfully fabricated super‐large elliptical AgAu nanorings creatively by splitting single Ag nanowires along their longitudinal axes involving oil/water interfacial self‐assembly of Ag nanowires and the galvanic replacement between interfacial Ag nanowires and AuCl4− located in the water phase. The formation of AgAu nanoring is mainly attributed to the local nanomasking of Au atoms and asymmetrical etching on interfacial Ag nanowire. Additionally, as‐prepared super‐large elliptical AgAu nanorings with rough surfaces exhibit enhanced catalytic performance towards the reduction of p‐nitrophenol due to the combination of the compositional and structural effects. This strategy, without doubt, provides a convenient way for precisely carving nanoparticles, and has the potential for processing other metallic or non‐metallic nanoparticles. The table of contents entry: Super‐large elliptical AgAu nanorings are creatively fabricated by splitting single Ag nanowires along their longitudinal axis due to the local nanomasking of Au atoms and asymmetrical etching of AuCl4− ions on interfacial Ag nanowire. This strategy provides a convenient way for precisely carving nanoparticles, and has the potential for processing other nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospun nanofibrous membranes with outstanding mechanical property, breathability, and waterproofness are critical in protective fields; however, great challenges still remain in creating such functional materials. A novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF)/polyvinyl butyral (PVB) breathable-waterproof membrane with robust mechanical performance is fabricated by introducing thermal post-treatment into electrospun membranes. Embedding of PVB enriches the pristine PVdF nanofibrous membranes with bonded network, optimized pore size, and porosity. The composite membranes are endowed with robust tensile stress of 10.5 MPa and good breaking elongation of 64.5%, which are about four times that of the pure non-bonded PVdF membranes. Apart from this, the bonded PVdF/PVB membranes express integrated properties of high water vapor transmittance rate (10.6 kg m−2 d−1), modest air permeability (9.8 mm s−1), and good waterproofness (58 kPa). Furthermore, the convenience and efficient of this fabrication process will allow for large-scale production of PVdF/PVB breathable-waterproof nanofibrous membranes with robust mechanical performance and board applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected polyhydroxyl-bridged tetranuclear ZnII complex and a benzoquinone compound derived from metal-ion promoted reactivity of Schiff base ligands were synthesized and characterized. The reaction of zinc(II) acetate dihydrate with oxime-type Schiff base ligand HL1 [HL1 = 1-(3-((3,5-dibromosalicylaldehyde)amino)phenyl) ethan-1-one O-benzyl oxime] in methanol, acetone and acetonitrile resulted in the chemoselective cleavage of the C=N bond of the Schiff base HL1 and then the further addition of acetone to two salicylaldehyde molecules derived from cleavage of the C=N bond in situ α,α double aldol reaction promoted by ZnII ions. The newly formed ligands H4L2 coordinate to four ZnII ions forming a defect-dicubane core structure [ZnII 4(H2L2)2(μ3-OCH3)2(μ-OCH3)2(CH3OH)2] (1) bridged exclusively by oxygen-based ligands. The similar ligand HL3 [HL3 = 1-(3- ((3,5-dichlorosalicylaldehyde)amino)phenyl)ethan-1-one O-benzyl oxime)] was employed to react with CdII acetate dihydrate under the same reaction conditions. No aldol addition occurred but a unexpected benzoquinone compound 2,5-bis(((3-(1-((benzyloxy)imino)ethyl) phenyl)imino)methyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (2) formed. The results provided interesting insights into one-pot routes involving in situ reactions act as a strategy for obtaining a variety of polymeric/polynuclear complexes which are inconvenient to obtain from directly presynthesizing the ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ortho-selective rhodium-catalyzed direct C−H arylation of 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL), to deliver the widely used but not easily available 3,3′-diaryl BINOL, has been developed. This highly efficient one-step synthetic approach is the shortest route to date and is greatly facilitated by the newly developed ligand system comprising tBu2PCl, Ph2-cod, and Cy3P⋅HBF4. In addition, the same procedure can facilitate the challenging syntheses of 3-bulkyaryl BINOLs in good to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, a miniaturised tri‐band lowpass–bandpass (LP‐BP) filter is proposed by using lumped‐element structure. The lowpass passband (LP) and the first bandpass passband (1‐BP) are produced by using the transmission zeros to divide a lowpass filtering response into a dual‐band LP‐BP filtering response. The second bandpass passband (2‐BP) is produced by further loading a lumped‐element circuit. As an example, an LP with 3 dB cut‐off frequency of 1 GHz, and two BPs centred at 2.45/5.2 GHz for the WLAN applications are designed. The fabricated tri‐band LP‐BP filter has low passband insertion losses of 0.08/0.69/1.38 dB, and occupies a compact circuit area of 0.055λgc × 0.063λgc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An FeBr3-catalyzed reductive coupling of various aldehydes with alkenes that proceeds through a direct hydride transfer pathway has been developed. With iPrOH as the hydrogen donor under mild conditions, previously challenging coupling reactions of unactivated alkyl and aryl aldehydes with simple alkenes, such as styrene derivatives and α-olefins, proceeded smoothly to furnish a diverse range of functionalized alcohols with complete linear regioselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Dr. Paolo Davoli and his colleagues stated that the conclusions drawn by us were misleading from a mycotoxicological perspective, as they cast doubts on the edibility of a mushroom species ( Tricholoma terreum) that has been always recognized as safe. Unfortunately, they made a mistake, and seriously misinterpreted our data, which resulted in scepticism of our research. Saponaceolides B and M were tested for their stabilities heating directly on and boiling in water. It is undoubted that both saponaceolides B and M are capable of withstanding prolonged heating during cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water channel aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is expressed at epithelial cell plasma membranes in renal proximal tubules and thin descending limb of Henle. Recently, AQP1 was reported to interact with β-catenin. Here we investigated the relationship between AQP1 and Wnt signaling in in vitro and in vivo models of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD). AQP1 over-expression decreased β-catenin and cyclinD1 expression, suggesting down-regulation of Wnt signaling, and coim-munoprecipitation showed AQP1 interaction with β-catenin, glycogen synthase kinase 3b, LRP6, and Axin1. AQP1 inhibited cyst development and promoted branching in matrix-grown MDCK cells. In embryonic kidney cultures, AQP1 deletion increased cyst development by up to ~40%. Kidney size and cyst number were significantly greater in AQP1-null PKD mice than in AQP1-expressing PKD mice, with the difference mainly attributed to a greater number of proximal tubule cysts. Biochemical analysis revealed decreased β-catenin phosphorylation and increased β-catenin expression in AQP1-null PKD mice, suggesting enhanced Wnt signaling. These results implicate AQP1 as a novel determinant in renal cyst development that may involve inhibition of Wnt signaling by an AQP1-macromolecular signaling complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The established tradition of consuming and marketing wild mushrooms has focused attention on mycotoxicity, which has become a global issue. In the present study, we describe the toxins found in a previously unknown poisonous European mushroom Tricholoma terreum. Fifteen new triterpenoids terreolides A-F ( 1- 6) and saponaceolides H-P ( 8- 16) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of the toxic mushroom T. terreum. Terreolides A-C ( 1- 3) possessed a unique 5/6/7 trioxaspiroketal system, whereas terreolides D-F ( 4- 6) possessed an unprecedented carbon skeleton. Two abundant compounds in the mushroom, saponaceolide B ( 7) and saponaceolide M ( 13), displayed acute toxicity, with LD50 values of 88.3 and 63.7 mg kg−1 when administered orally in mice. Both compounds were found to increase serum creatine kinase levels in mice, indicating that T. terreum may be the cause of mushroom poisoning ultimately leading to rhabdomyolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chiral discrimination studies of biological system are theoretically and practically significant for the development of chiral drugs and life science. Our work has embarked upon the interaction between serum albumin (SA) (including human SA and bovine SA), R,S-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine, and R,S-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine. The formation of intermediate transition state, binding sites, and chiral discrimination ability can be investigated by ultraviolet-visible spectra and fluorescence spectra. Moreover, both the changes of hydrophobic microenvironment and energy transfer can be detected by synchronous fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetime. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the Cauchy problem for the three-dimensional nematic liquid crystal flows with partial viscosity, and a blow up criterion of smooth solutions is established. This result is analogous to the celebrated Beale-Kato-Majda breakdown criterion for the incompressible Euler equations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor was used for the chiral recognition of five pairs of enantiomers by using goat serum albumin (GSA) and rabbit serum albumin (RbSA) as chiral selectors. Serum albumin (SA) was immobilized on the QCM through the self-assembled monolayer technique, and the surface concentration of GSA and RbSA were 8.8 × 10−12 mol cm−2 and 1.2 × 10−11 mol cm−2, respectively. The QCM biosensors showed excellent sensitivity and selectivity. Meanwhile, the chiral recognition of SA sensors was quite species dependent. There were differences between GSA and RbSA sensors in the ability and the preference of chiral recognition. To R, S-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthylamine ( R, S-1-TNA), R, S-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine ( R, S-4-MPEA), and R, S-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine ( R, S-3-MPEA), the preference of the stereoselective SA-drug binding of the two kinds of SA sensors were consistent. However, to R, S-2-octanol ( R, S-2-OT) and R, S-methyl lactate ( R, S-MEL), the two kinds of SA sensors had opposite chiral recognition preference. Moreover, the interactions of SA and the five pairs of enantiomers have been further investigated through ultraviolet (UV) and fluorescent (FL) spectra. The UV/FL results were in accordance with the consequence of QCM. Chirality 24:804-809, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, poly[aqua(μ2-1 H-imidazole-4-carboxylato-κ3 N3, O: O′)hemi(μ2-oxalato-κ4 O1, O2: O1′, O2′)cadmium(II)], [Cd(C4H3N2O2)(C2O4)0.5(H2O)] n, exhibits a two-dimensional network. The CdII cation is coordinated to one N atom and two carboxylate O atoms from two 1 H-imidazole-4-carboxylate (Himc) ligands, two carboxylate O atoms from the bridging oxalate anion and one ligated water molecule; these six donor atoms form a distorted octahedral configuration. The oxalate anion lies on a centre of inversion. The Himc ligands connect the CdII cations to form -Cd-Himc-Cd-Himc-Cd- zigzag chains, with a Cd...Cd separation of 5.8206 (6) Å along the b direction, which are further linked by tetradentate oxalate anions to generate a two-dimensional herringbone architecture in the ab plane. These layers are extended to form a three-dimensional supramolecular framework via O-H...O and N-H...O hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions. The solid-state photoluminscent behaviour of the title compound has been investigated at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two nickel(II) complexes, namely {[NiL(MeOH)(μ-OAc)]2Ni} ·2CH2Cl2 ·2MeOH ( 1) and {[NiL(EtOH)(μ-OAc)]2Ni} ·2EtOH ( 2) {H2L = 5, 5′-dimethoxy-2, 2′-[(ethylene)dioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol}, were synthesized and structurally characterized. Two trinuclear NiII complexes are both hexacoordinate around the central NiII atoms, showing octahedral coordination arrangements, and each complex comprises three divalent NiII atoms, two deprotonated L2- ligands, in which four μ-phenoxo oxygen atoms forming two [NiL( X)] ( X = MeOH or EtOH) units, and coordinated and non-coordinated solvent molecules. Complex 1 exhibits a 2D supramolecular network through intermolecular O-H ···O, C-H ···O and C-H ···π interactions, whereas complex 2 forms an infinite 1D chain by intermolecular C-H ···O hydrogen bonding interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven new tremulane-type sesquiterpenes ( 1- 7) have been isolated from cultures of the basidiomycete Conocybe siliginea. Their structures and relative configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data (HSQC, HMBC, 1H-1H COSY, ROESY) and MS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]