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Axially chiral biaryl scaffolds are important in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and asymmetric synthesis. Atroposelective ring‐opening of configurationally labile biaryl reagents via dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation provides a valuable approach to access axially chiral biaryl atropisomers. This review summarizes seminal contributions and recent advancements on this topic based on the use of different types of configurationally labile biaryl reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, low efficiency and stability due to unbalanced carrier injection remain urgent problems in inorganic quantum dot light†emitting diodes (QLEDs). To address these issues, the device was irradiated with ultraviolet light in this study, which improved the interface contact. This resulted in the smaller electron potential barrier, increased hole injection and more balanced carrier injection in the device. Ultimately, the device efficiency was improved, and the operating lifetime of the device was increased by ~91†fold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthenozoospermia (AZS) is a prevalent contributor to male infertility, characterized by a substantial decline in sperm motility. In recent years, large‐scale studies have explored the interplay between the male reproductive system's microecology and its implications for reproductive health. Nevertheless, the direct association between seminal microecology and male infertility pathogenesis remains inconclusive. This study used 16S rDNA sequencing and multi‐omics analysis to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the seminal microbial community and metabolites in AZS patients. Patients were categorized into four distinct groups: Normal, mild AZS (AZS‐I), moderate AZS (AZS‐II), and severe AZS (AZS‐III). Microbiome differential abundance analysis revealed significant differences in microbial composition and metabolite profiles within the seminal plasma of these groups. Subsequently, patients were classified into a control group (Normal and AZS‐I) and an AZS group (AZS‐II and AZS‐III). Correlation and cross‐reference analyses identified distinct microbial genera and metabolites. Notably, the AZS group exhibited a reduced abundance of bacterial genera such as Pseudomonas, Serratia, and Methylobacterium‐Methylorubrum in seminal plasma, positively correlating with core differential metabolite (hexadecanamide). Conversely, the AZS group displayed an increased abundance of bacterial genera such as Uruburuella, Vibrio, and Pseudoalteromonas, with a negative correlation with core differential metabolite (hexadecanamide). In vitro and in vivo experiments validated that hexadecanamide significantly enhanced sperm motility. Using predictive metabolite‐targeting gene analysis and single‐cell transcriptome sequencing, we profiled the gene expression of candidate target genes PAOX and CA2. Protein immunoblotting techniques validated the upregulation protein levels of PAOX and CA2 in sperm samples after hexadecanamide treatment, enhancing sperm motility. In conclusion, this study uncovered a significant correlation between six microbial genera in seminal plasma and the content of the metabolite hexadecanamide, which is related to AZS. Hexadecanamide notably enhances sperm motility, suggesting its potential integration into clinical strategies for managing AZS, providing a foundational framework for diagnostic and therapeutic advancements. Highlights: This study substantiates the potential clinical diagnostic utility of microbial composition and specific metabolites within seminal plasma for the asthenozoospermia (AZS) identification.Divergent microbial compositions and metabolite profiles within seminal plasma are discernible across varying degrees of AZS severity.Validation via in vitro and in vivo experiments corroborates hexadecanamide as a crucial metabolite influencing sperm motility in AZS, coupled with the dysregulation of target proteins (PAOX and CA2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present slope engineering measures are insufficient to intercept and infiltrate extreme rainstorm runoff in the Loess Plateau of China. The infiltration hole that has specific depth and volume can be used as a supplemental to slope engineering measures to rapidly reduce rainstorm runoff and store them into deep soil layers. In this study, the performance of infiltration holes (60, 80, and 100 cm in depth and 10 cm in diameter) in intercepting and infiltrating rainstorm runoff was evaluated through the field simulation experiment (rainfall intensity of 1.5 mm min−1). The results showed that infiltration holes directly increased the runoff infiltration area by 0.20, 0.26, and 0.32 m2. Before infiltration holes were filled up, all the runoff were intercepted, the reduced runoff were 5.70, 5.85, 8.85 mm, respectively. When runoff reducing rate reached stable (around 110 min), the stable runoff‐reducing rates were 0.079, 0.088, and 0.091 mm min−1, and the cumulative reduced runoff were 15.05, 18.11, and 20.97 mm, accounting for 30.41%, 36.59%, and 42.36% of the simulated rainstorm runoff. This implies that filtration holes could, on average, reduce runoff by 70.50, 132.42, and 256.26 mm within 12, 24, and 48 h, respectively. Based on the results, it was verified that infiltration holes could reduce most of the runoff under the scenario of historical extreme rainstorms in the past two decades. Our research determined the rainfall runoff reduced by infiltration holes and verified the effectiveness of infiltration holes under rainstorm events, and provided a prospective technique for regulating extreme rainstorm runoff and decreasing landslides and mudslides risks on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary With the increasing popularity of cloud native and DevOps, container technology has become widely used in combination with microservices. However, deploying container‐based microservices in distributed edge‐cloud infrastructure requires complex selection strategies to ensure high‐quality service for users. Existing container orchestration tools lack flexibility in selecting the best deployment location based on user cost budgets and are insufficient in providing personalized deployment solutions. This paper proposes a genetic algorithm‐based Internet of Things (IoT) application deployment and selection strategy for personalized cost budgets. The application deployment problem is defined as an optimization problem that minimizes user service latency under cost constraints, which is an NP‐hard problem. The genetic algorithm is introduced to solve this problem effectively and improve deployment efficiency. Comparative results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms four baseline algorithms, including time‐greedy, cost‐greedy, random, and PSO, using real datasets and some synthetic datasets. The proposed algorithm provides personalized deployment solutions for edge‐cloud infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiopoietin‐like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a secreted metabolism‐modulating glycoprotein involved in the progression of tumours, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and infectious diseases. In this study, more CD8+ T cells were activated to be effector T cells in ANGPTL4−/− mice. Impaired growth of tumours implanted in 3LL, B16BL6 or MC38 cells and reduced metastasis by B16F10 cells were observed in ANGPTL4−/− mice. Bone marrow (BM) transplantation experiments displayed that deficiency of ANGPTL4 in either host or BM cells promoted CD8+ T cell activation. However, ANGPTL4 deficiency in CD8+ T cells themselves showed more efficient anti‐tumour activities. Recombinant ANGPTL4 protein promoted tumour growth in vivo with the less CD8+ T cell infiltration and it directly downregulated CD8+ T cell activation ex vivo. Transcriptome sequencing and metabolism analysis identified that ANGPTL4−/− CD8+ T cells increased glycolysis and decreased oxidative phosphorylation, which was dependent on the PKCζ‐LKB1‐AMPK‐mTOR signalling axis. Reverse correlation of elevated ANGPTL4 levels in sera and tumour tissues with activated CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood was displayed in patients with colorectal cancer. These results demonstrated that ANGPTL4 decreased immune surveillance in tumour progression by playing an immune‐modulatory role on CD8+ T cells via metabolic reprogramming. Efficient blockade of ANGPTL4 expression in tumour patients would generate an effective anti‐tumour effect mediated by CD8+ T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elevated postprandial glucose (PPG) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Post-meal exercise effectively reduces PPG concentrations. However, the effect of accumulated versus continuous post-meal exercise on PPG control remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of individualized accumulated or continuous exercise on PPG in young adults with obesity. Twenty young adults with obesity (11 males) completed three 4-h randomized crossover trials with 6–14-day washout periods: (1) sitting (SIT), (2) one 30-min walking bout (CONT), and (3) three 10-min walking bouts separated by 20-min resting (ACCU). Walking was initiated 20 min before individual PPG peak after breakfast, which was predetermined by continuous glucose monitoring. Blood samples were collected at 15–30 min intervals, and the 24-h glucose was monitored via continuous glucose monitoring. Results: The 4-h PPG incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was 12.1%±30.9% and 21.5%±21.5% smaller after CONT (P = 0.022) and ACCU (P < 0.001), respectively, than after SIT. PPG concentrations were lower during CONT at 30–60 min and during ACCU at 30–105 min after breakfast than during SIT (all P < 0.05). The 4-h plasma insulin and C-peptide iAUC, and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions were lower after CONT and ACCU than after SIT (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Both continuous and accumulated exercises reduced PPG, insulin, and C-peptide concentrations and improved glucose fluctuations. Accumulated exercise maintained lower PPG concentrations for a longer time than continuous exercise in young adults with obesity. Clinical Trial Information: Clinical trial registration No. ChiCTR 2000035064, URL: ; (registered July 29, 2020). Both continuous and accumulated walking lowered post-meal glucose, insulin and C-peptide levels and improved glucose fluctuation. Postprandial glucose was kept lower for a longer time in accumulated than continuous walking. Accumulated post-meal exercise (e.g. three 10-min bouts of walking) could be recommended as a feasible and practical alternative protocol for postprandial glucose control, especially for those who have difficulty performing sufficient exercise in one session. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly‐γ‐glutamic acid (PGA) is a naturally degradable hydrophilic linear microbial polymer with moisturizing, immunogenic, cross‐linking, and hydrogel water absorption properties similar to hyaluronic acid, a biomaterial that is commonly used as a dermal filler. To explore the development feasibility of cross‐linked PGA as a novel dermal filler, we studied the local skin response to PGA fillers and the effect of various cross‐linking preparations on the average longevity of dermal injection. Injection site inflammation and the formation of collagen and elastin were also determined. PGA hydrogel particles prepared using 28% PGA and 10% 1,4‐butanediol diglycidyl ether showed optimal filler properties, resistance to moist heat sterilization, and an average filling longevity of 94.7 ± 61.6 days in the dermis of rabbit ears. Local redness and swelling due to filler injection recovered within 14.2 ± 3.6 days. Local tissue necrosis or systemic allergic reactions were not observed, and local collagen formation was promoted. Preliminary results suggested that dermal injection of cross‐linked PGA particles appeared safe and effective, suggesting that cross‐linked PGA particles could be developed as a new hydrogel dermal filler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the problem of robust direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) estimation with unknown sensor gain and phase uncertainties. A Dual‐Polarised Regularised Multiple FOCal Underdetermined System Solver is proposed to estimate the 2‐D DOA for the dual‐polarised conformal array. Each polarisation signal is decomposed into two orthogonal components, which are regarded as a pair of coherent signals, and the polarisation parameters are merged into the signal waveform. A sparse‐based method based on the coherent signals block is presented, implementing weight sharing and grid pruning within the block to alleviate the negative influence of the errors. Meanwhile, gain and phase errors are modelled as the equivalent noise, which can be suppressed with the adaptive adjustment for the regularisation parameter. As the insensitivity of the sparse‐based algorithm to coherent signals, the proposed algorithm can realise the blind polarisation 2‐D DOA estimation. The Cramer–Rao bound is derived, and simulations exhibit the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method with the unknown sensor gain and phase uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of exotic plants with high‐water consumption and high‐density planting have greatly changed the deep soil water environment on the Loess Plateau of China. Slope measures can intercept runoff to change slope soil water redistribution, however, the existing measures are not enough to improve deep soil water replenishment. Infiltration holes were used as a supplement of the existing slope measures. In this study, the effects of three different measures (the control without any measures, the level ditch, and the combination of level ditch and infiltration hole) on slope runoff and deep soil water redistribution were evaluated under field conditions. The results showed that the combined measure reduced the runoff by 44.1% and the sediments by 78.6% under an intense rainfall event compared with the control. After two rainy seasons, compared with the control and the level ditch, the combined measures significantly increased the soil water storage below 50 cm in the soil layer. Combining infiltration hole with level ditch improved the deep soil water replenishment within 30 cm from infiltration hole in a horizontal plane. Overall, the single‐level ditch was insufficient to improve deep soil water replenishment, and the combined measure can more effectively intercept runoff to increase the water replenishment of deep soils. Our findings provide a new thinking in regulating and utilizing slope runoff to effectively improve deep soil water replenishment in arid and semiarid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean is a pivotal protein and oil crop that utilizes atmospheric nitrogen via symbiosis with rhizobium soil bacteria. Rhizobial type III effectors (T3Es) are essential regulators during symbiosis establishment. However, how the transcription factors involved in the interaction between phytohormone synthesis and type III effectors are connected is unclear. To detect the responses of phytohormone and transcription factor genes to rhizobial type III effector NopAA and type III secretion system, the candidate genes underlying soybean symbiosis were identified using RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) and phytohormone content analysis of soybean roots infected with wild‐type Rhizobium and its derived T3E mutant. Via RNA‐seq analysis the WRKY and ERF transcription factor families were identified as the most differentially expressed factors in the T3E mutant compared with the wild‐type. Next, qRT‐PCR was used to confirm the candidate genes Glyma.09g282900, Glyma.08g018300, Glyma.18g238200, Glyma.03g116300, Glyma.07g246600, Glyma.16g172400 induced by S. fredii HH103, S. fredii HH103ΩNopAA, and S. fredii HH103ΩRhcN. Since the WRKY and ERF families may regulate abscisic acid (ABA) content and underlying nodule formation, we performed phytohormone content analysis at 0.5 and 24 h post‐inoculation (hpi). A significant change in ABA content was found between wild Rhizobium and type III effector mutant. Our results support that NopAA can promote the establishment of symbiosis by affecting the ABA signaling pathways by regulating WRKY and ERF which regulate the phytohormone signaling pathway. Specifically, our work provides insights into a signaling interaction of prokaryotic effector‐induced phytohormone response involved in host signaling that regulates the establishment of symbiosis and increases nitrogen utilization efficiency in soybean plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the shaped beam pattern synthesis based on the convex optimisation method for conformal arrays. First, the original pattern synthesis problem is transformed into a constrained optimisation problem for the power pattern. Then, it is rewritten as a convex optimisation problem through a linear approximation of weight vector. In order to enhance the resiliency of the algorithm, a robust linear approximate method is proposed with an adaptive upper bound of step size. The loss between the obtained and desired pattern is defined to dynamically adjust the upper bound. Benefiting from the flexible constraint, the proposed method can achieve the arbitrary beam pattern with fast convergence and robustness. Finally, numerous typical examples are provided to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Maize (Zea mays) is an important cereal crop with suitable stalk formation which is beneficial for acquiring an ideal agronomic trait to resist lodging and higher planting density. The elongation pattern of stalks arises from the variable growth of individual internodes driven by cell division and cell expansion comprising the maize stalk. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and regulatory network of the maize stalk development and differentiation process remain unclear. Here, we report spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomes using all internodes of the whole stalks from developing maize at the elongation and maturation stages. We identified four distinct groups corresponding to four developmental zones and nine specific clusters with diverse spatiotemporal expression patterns among individual internodes of the stalk. Through weighted gene coexpression network analysis, we constructed transcriptional regulatory networks at a fine spatiotemporal resolution and uncovered key modules and candidate genes involved in internode maintenance, elongation, and division that determine stalk length and thickness in maize. Further CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated knockout validated the function of a cytochrome P450 gene, ZmD1, in the regulation of stalk length and thickness as predicted by the WGCN. Collectively, these results provide insights into the high genetic complexity of stalk development and the potentially valuable resources with ideal stalk lengths and widths for genetic improvements in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scar brings great physical and mental pain to patients. Fat grafting may be a new and simple way to treat scar. This review aimed to systematically evaluate the correlation between fat grafting and scar reduction. Methods: The author searched Chinese and English literature databases such as CNKI, Wanfang Data, Cqvip, Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, CBM, etc. for articles published in the period from 2011 to 2021 about the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of fat grating on scar reduction, and then performed meta‐analysis with Review Manager 5.4. Results: A total of nine articles were included in the assessment of the effect of fat grafting on scar reduction, with meta‐analysis suggesting statistical significance (OR = 5.63, 95% CI: 3.01–10.53, p < 0.01). There was statistical significance in the difference observed between the simple fat grating group (p = 0.004) and the group of existing therapies combined with fat grafting (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Fat grafting may be a good method for scar treatment, especially when it's combined with other therapies. Still, due to the limitations of included RCTs, more large‐scale high‐quality RCTs must be carried out before solid conclusions can be drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is hydrophilic, biocompatible, and electrically neutral in an aqueous solution due to its unique internal structure. PEG is widely used to prepare hydrogels for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. In addition, PEG can be used as a functionalization agent of biomaterials to prolong the presence of drug systems in vivo in biomedical applications. The functionalization of PEG hydrogels using functional peptides gives PEG hydrogels the advantages of better biocompatibility, higher loading efficiency, more adjustable lifetime, and lower cost, which have exhibited promising applications in biomedical fields. In this review, recent advances in the functionalization of PEG hydrogels with peptides for biomedical applications are presented. For this aim, first, the basic properties of PEG hydrogels are described by introducing various preparation methods, and then, the functional regulation of PEG hydrogels is demonstrated with different motif‐designed peptides to achieve specific properties. Finally, biomedical applications of peptide‐engineered PEG hydrogels in controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, medical diagnostics, bioimaging, and biosensing are described in detail. This work provides a systematic literature review on this promising topic and facilitates readers in the design of composite materials and functional tailoring of PEG hydrogels with biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programmable smart materials that can respond locally to specific stimuli hold great potential for many applications, but controllable fabrication of these materials remains challenging. This work reports the development of novel programmable anisotropic materials with both magnetic and photothermal stimuli‐responsiveness, which are fabricated by anchoring thermosensitive poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm) and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of MoS2 nanosheets. Further embedding PNIPAm‐MoS2/Fe3O4 into 3D‐printed hydrogel cubes results in stimuli‐responsive building blocks, and the magnetic field can precisely control their orientation and near‐infrared (NIR) light absorbing property. Particularly, the variation of the orientation of MoS2/Fe3O4 block results in obvious changes of their photothermal efficiency and optical property. By exploiting the anisotropy of MoS2/Fe3O4 and their NIR light responsiveness, thermally‐induced phase transitions in individual 3D printed hydrogel building block can be locally controlled for magnetic field‐assisted programming a quick response (QR) code. Alternatively, fluorescent QR code with high contrast and security level can be achieved by photothermal‐induced release of fluorescent dyes. These 3D printed magnetically programmed hydrogels hold great potential for application in information storage, intelligent materials, and precise therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have reported that TIFA plays different roles in various tumor types. However, the function of TIFA in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Here, we showed that the expression of TIFA was markedly increased in CRC versus normal tissue, and positively correlated with CRC TNM stages. In agreement, we found that the CRC cell lines show increased TIFA expression levels versus normal control. The knockdown of TIFA inhibited cell proliferation but had no effect on cell apoptosis in vitro or in vivo. Moreover, the ectopic expression of TIFA enhanced cell proliferation ability in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the expression of mutant TIFA (T9A, oligomerization site mutation; D6, TRAF6 binding site deletion) abolished TIFA‐mediated cell proliferation enhancement. Exploration of the underlying mechanism revealed that the protein synthesis‐associated kinase RSK and PRAS40 activation were responsible for TIFA‐mediated CRC progression. In summary, these findings suggest that TIFA plays a role in mediating CRC progression. This could provide a promising target for CRC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil water, nitrogen, and organic matter contents are among the main limiting factors for successful vegetation restoration on degraded slopes in arid and semi‐arid areas. Combining slope engineering measures for revegetation is considered an effective eco‐rehabilitation practice used to restore degraded slopes. However, a single slope measure is insufficient to efficiently utilize runoff and sediments to improve soil water, nitrogen, and organic matter for revegetation. In this study, four treatments were implemented on a hilly slope in a temperate continental semiarid area slope engineered with fish‐scale pits (semicircle‐shaped pit, 1.0 m in diameter, 0.5 m in radius, and 0.2 m deep), namely: with gravel mulching (GM), straw mulching (SM), infiltration hole (IH), and without other measures (CK). The effects of the combined measures on soil water, nitrogen, and organic matter contents were analyzed over 4 years. The results showed that the soil water storage (0–100 cm) showed no significant differences among all treatments; however, the soil (100–260 cm) of GM/SM/IH treatment increased by 11.65%/8.62%/7.10% compared with CK (p < 0.05). The soil organic matter and nitrogen (0–100 cm) under IH were 73.34%/81.29%/98.32% and 77.37%/80.27%/85.31% higher than CK/SM/GM, respectively (p < 0.05). Overall, IH is the most effective measure for increasing nitrogen and organic matter, and it is equally effective with GM and SM to increase the water replenishment of deep soils in semiarid areas. Our findings provide the combined measures to combat soil water, nitrogen, and organic matter deficits for slope revegetation in arid and semiarid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedentary behavior (SB) results in hemodynamic alterations within the vasculature, leading to vascular dysfunction that may be attenuated by various interventions. This systematic review and meta‐analysis examined the effect of SB interventions on vascular function in adults using seven databases searched on December 17, 2020. All types of SB interventions were included such as short‐ and long‐term interventions (≥7 days) in participants aged ≥18 years. The pooled effect (mean difference) of intervention on three outcomes, namely, flow‐mediated dilation (FMD), shear rate (SR), and pulse wave velocity (PWV), was evaluated using random effects meta‐analyses. The revised Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool for randomized trials was employed to assess the quality of the included studies. Twenty‐six studies (21 short‐term and six long‐term interventions) involving 669 participants from eight countries were included. Evidence from meta‐analysis showed that short‐term interventions targeting SB improved FMD by 1.50% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.99) and increased SR by 12.70 S−1 (95% CI 7.86–17.54); no significant pooled effect was found for PWV. Long‐term SB interventions resulted in a 0.93% increase in FMD (95% CI 0.25–1.62) and had no significant effect on PWV. Findings of this systematic review and meta‐analysis suggest that both short‐ and long‐term SB interventions improved FMD but had no effect on PWV. Short‐term interventions had a greater effect in improving lower extremity arterial function. Further studies targeting long‐term SB interventions on vascular function in adults are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique features of solution‐processed quantum dots (QDs) including emission tunability in the visible range, high‐quality saturated color and outstanding intrinsic stability in environment are highly desired in various application fields. Especially, quantum dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs) are promising light sources for applications in displays. However, the imbalance injection of holes and electrons have always been a challenging issue of QLED. In this study, the modified ligands which is synthesized by ourselves are incorporated into QDs through solution ligand exchange. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of QDs is upshifted from ‐5.65eV to ‐5.35eV, leading to the decrement of the energy gap between the HOMO of QDs and the HOMO of hole transport layer. Through the successful ligands exchange, improvement by factors of 7.5 is achieved in maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) compared with QLED with OA ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We established an efficient and sustainable rhodium(III)‐catalyzed and ionic liquid‐mediated C−S and C−Se formation from readily available starting material acetanilide with diaryl disulfides and diaryl diselenides. The C−H activation proceeds in ionic liquid without extra silver salt as additive, and the catalytic media can be reused for several times to accomplish the catalysts sustainable utilization. Furthermore, this synthesis protocol is suitable for a wide functional group compatibility, and the directing group can be easily removed. Most importantly it can be developed as a facile access to phenothiazine scaffold with potent biological activities, thus this strategy can be broadly applied to organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The prevalence of heart failure (HF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is common. Contemporary data are lacking on the prognostic utility of the measurement of biomarker for patients with AMI complicated by HF according to preserved (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We aim to assess the association between D‐dimer levels and all‐cause mortality in patients with AMI complicated by different HF subtypes during hospitalization in the context of other risk factors. Methods and results: We enrolled 4495 patients with AMI with complete clinical and laboratory variable assessments in this cohort. D‐dimer levels were measured on admission immediately at baseline. We used Cox proportional hazards analysis to assess this association accounting for 18 relevant clinical variables. During the index hospitalization, 589 patients with AMI developed HFpEF, 513 patients with AMI developed HFrEF, and 3393 patients with AMI did not develop HF. The patients were divided into HFpEF, HFrEF, and non‐HF groups accordingly. The median length of follow‐up was 1 year (range: 1 to 24 months). During the whole follow‐up, 58 (15.5%), 107 (27.9%), and 96 (4.2%) of the patients experienced death event in HFpEF, HFrEF, and non‐HF groups, respectively. In each group, the patients were divided into high or low D‐dimer levels according to D‐dimer concentration (145 ng/mL). In the fully adjusted model, the risk of all‐cause mortality of those patients with high D‐dimer levels was 2.09 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.08 to 4.02, P = 0.02] times as high as the risk of patients with low D‐dimer levels in HFpEF group. When analysing D‐dimer as a continuous variable, this associations still existed. But there was no significant association between D‐dimer concentration and all‐cause mortality in HFrEF [hazard ratio (HR): 1.25, CI: 0.76 to 2.04, P = 0.37] or non‐HF (HR: 1.56, CI: 0.98 to 2.47, P = 0.06), respectively, after fully adjustment for other key clinical variables. Conclusions: High D‐dimer levels on admission were found to be strongly associated with the subsequent cumulative incidence of all‐cause mortality in patients with AMI complicated by HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online chemical cleaning of membrane bioreactor (MBR) with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) has been extensively applied for membrane fouling mitigation. However, it was recently revealed that residual NaClO from the online cleaning of MBR caused serious microbial lysis with the subsequent formation of dissolved organic matter (DOM), in which a substantial level of halogenated byproducts was detected. Different from those generated in potable water chlorination, most of the halogenated byproducts generated during MBR online cleaning with hypochlorite belonged to the haloaromatic family, which were apparently more toxic than aliphatic compounds. It was shown that a substantial amount of the generated halogenated byproducts passed through the microfiltration membrane and entered the surface waters through the discharge of MBR permeate. As such, the concentration of halogenated byproducts might likely reach an alarming level via bioaccumulation in the aquatic environment. This emerging situation indeed poses serious concerns for the aquatic environment, water supply and public health due to significantly high toxicity of haloaromatic compounds produced. Unfortunately, the potential halogenated byproducts‐associated environmental risks have not been carefully and systematically assessed towards the establishment of relevant regulations. Therefore, this review attempted to fill up such a gap by providing the insights into the potential environmental impacts of halogenated byproducts in the MBR permeate. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene‐based nanohybrid is considered to be the most promising nanomaterial for electrochemical sensing applications due to the defects created on the graphene oxide layers. These defects provide graphene oxide unique properties, such as excellent conductivity, large specific surface area, and electrocatalytic activity. These unique properties encourage scientists to develop novel graphene‐based nanohybrids and improve the sensing efficiency. This review, therefore, addresses this topic by comprehensively discussing the strategies to fabricate novel graphene based nanohybrids with high sensitivity. The combinations of graphene with various nanomaterials, such as metal nanoclusters, metal compound nanoparticles, carbon materials, polymers and peptides, in the direction of electrochemical sensing, were systematically analyzed. Meanwhile, the challenges in the functional design and application of graphene‐based nanohybrids were described and the reasonable solutions were proposed. This review provides recent advances of novel graphene‐based nanohybrids for electrochemical sensing by establishing interconnections between graphene and nanomaterials, thus yielding nanohybrids with metal nanoclusters, metal compound nanoparticles, carbon materials, polymers and peptides. In this Perspective, the challenges faced by the graphene‐based nanohybrids as electrochemical sensors are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Four types of carbohydrates, including Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide, Dendrobium aphyllum polysaccharide and β‐glucans from yeast and barley, were examined, and their structures were found to mainly contain 1,4‐linked‐β‐ d‐Glcp. Artificially simulated gastrointestinal digestion was conducted to characterise the changes of molecular weight, reducing sugars and released free monosaccharides by high‐performance liquid chromatography, kits and the newly developed gas chromatography (GC)‐mass spectrometry (MS)/MS analysis, which indicated that high molecular weight and complex spatial structures contributed to delayed monosaccharide release following exposure to digestive solution. The spatial structures of carbohydrates were changed during gastric digestion, but their primary structures were destroyed during intestinal digestion. Additionally, for the developed 7890A/7000 GC‐TQ/MS‐MS, the new analytical method was successfully used to analyse very low concentrations of monosaccharides in the simulated gastrointestinal digestive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A crude polysaccharide extract of Dendrobium aphyllum (cDAP, yield 38.15 ± 0.20%) was generated. The D. aphyllum polysaccharide (DAP, Mw 471.586 kDa), purified by DEAE‐Sepharose and Sephadex‐G200 Fast Flow, was composed of mannose (71.3%) and glucose (28.7%), according to GC–MS analysis. Its backbone was composed of β‐ d‐mannopyranose and β‐ d‐glucopyranose residues, as revealed by infrared spectroscopic analysis. Its glycosidic bond was mainly 1, 4‐linked, and the O‐acetyl groups were mainly linked to mannose residues, according to periodate oxidation and Smith degradation analysis. The DAP units polymerised into a filiform‐shaped spatial pattern, as characterised by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. DAP treatment enhanced cytokine secretion (nitric oxide, interleukin‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐α) and pinocytic and phagocytic capacities of RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages. The complement receptor 3 and mannose receptor were identified to be the receptors of DAP on RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that the Akt/mTOR/MAPK and IKK/nuclear factor‐ĸB pathways could be involved in DAP‐activated immunomodulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of star-shaped conjugated oligomers, 1,3,5-tri(2′-thienyl) benzene (3TB), 1,3,5-tri(3′,4′-ethylenedioxythienyl) benzene (3EB), 1,3,5-tri[5′,2'-(3',4'-ethylenedioxy-thienyl)-2′-thienyl] benzene (3ETB), and 1,3,5-tri[5′,2'-(3',4'-ethylenedioxy-thienyl)-2′-thienyl]-4-(3′,4′-ethylenedioxythienyl)benzene (3TB-4EDOT), were synthesized. The star-shaped polymer, poly(1,3,5-tri[5′,2'-(3',4'-ethylenedioxythineyl)-2′-thienyl]benzene) (P3ETB), was also prepared. The electrochemical and electrochromic properties of these conjugated oligomers and polymer were investigated. These oligomer and polymer films showed reversible, clear color changes upon electrochemical doping and dedoping. The color of the P3ETB film reversibly changed from orange to blue under doping and dedoping. The switching times for doping and dedoping were 1.2 and 0.9 s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel mixed hemimicelles and magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction method based on long-chain ionic liquids for the extraction of five fluorescent whitening agents was established. The factors influenced on extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, namely, the pH of sample solution at 8.0, the concentration of long chain ionic liquid at 0.5 mmol/L, the amount of Fe3O4 nanoparticle at 12 mg, extraction time at 10 min, pH 6.0 of methanol as eluent, and the desorption time at 1 min, satisfactory results were obtained. Wide linear ranges (0.02-10 ng/mL) and good linearity were attained (0.9997-0.9999). The intraday and interday RSDs were 2.1-8.3%. Limits of detection were 0.004-0.01 ng/mL, which were decreased by almost an order of magnitude compared to direct detection without extraction. The present method was applied to extract the fluorescent whitening agents in two kinds of paper samples, obtaining satisfactory results. All showed results illustrated that the detection sensitivity was improved and the proposed method was a good choice for the enriching and monitoring of trace fluorescent whitening agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electricity from the oxidation of organic substrates using anodic exoelectrogenic bacteria and have great potential for harvesting electric energy from wastewater. Improving oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance at a neutral pH is needed for efficient energy production. Here we show a nitrogen doped (≈4 wt%) ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) with a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity, with good electrocatalytic properties for ORR in MFCs. The MFCs using NDC air cathodes achieved a high maximum power density of 2300 mW m−2, which was 1.7 times higher than the most commonly used Pt/C air cathodes and also higher than most state-of-the-art ORR catalyst air cathodes. Rotating disk electrode measurements verified the superior electrocatalytic activity of NDC with an efficient four-electron transfer pathway ( n=3.9). These findings highlight NDC as a better-performing and cost-efficient catalyst compared with Pt/C, making it highly viable for MFC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenton oxidation using an aqueous mixture of Fe2+ and H2O2 is a promising environmental remediation strategy. However, the difficulty of storage and shipment of concentrated H2O2 and the generation of iron sludge limit its broad application. Therefore, highly efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts are in great need. Herein, a graphene catalyst is proposed for the electro-Fenton process, in which H2O2 is generated in situ by the two-electron reduction of the dissolved O2 on the cathode and then decomposes to generate .OH in acidic solution with Fe2+. The π bond of the oxygen is broken whereas the σ bond is generally preserved on the metal-free reduced graphene oxide owing to the high free energy change. Consequently, the oxygen is reduced to H2O2 through a two-electron pathway. The thermally reduced graphene with a high specific surface area (308.8 m2 g−1) and a large oxygen content (10.3 at %) exhibits excellent reactivity for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction to H2O2. A highly efficient peroxide yield (64.2 %) and a remarkable decolorization of methylene blue (12 mg L−1) of over 97 % in 160 min are obtained. The degradation of methylene blue with hydroxyl radicals generated in situ is described by a pseudo first-order kinetics model. This provides a proof-of-concept of an environmentally friendly electro-Fenton process using graphene for the oxygen reduction reaction in an acidic solution to generate H2O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of a high-fat ( HF) diet during pregnancy and lactation influences later life predisposition to obesity and cardiometabolic disease in offspring. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain poorly defined, but one potential target that has received scant attention and is likely pivotal to disease progression is that of the gut. The present study examined the effects of maternal supplementation with the anti-inflammatory lipid, conjugated linoleic acid ( CLA), on offspring metabolic profile and gut expression of taste receptors and inflammatory markers. We speculate that preventing high-fat diet-induced metainflammation improved maternal metabolic parameters conferring beneficial effects on adult offspring. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a purified control diet ( CD; 10% kcal from fat), CD with CLA ( CLA; 10% kcal from fat, 1% CLA), HF (45% kcal from fat) or HF with CLA ( HFCLA; 45% kcal from fat, 1% CLA) throughout gestation and lactation. Plasma/tissues were taken at day 24 and RT- PCR was carried out on gut sections. Offspring from HF mothers were significantly heavier at weaning with impaired insulin sensitivity compared to controls. This was associated with increased plasma IL-1 β and TNF α concentrations. Gut Tas1R1, IL-1 β, TNF α, and NLRP3 expression was increased and Tas1R3 expression was decreased in male offspring from HF mothers and was normalized by maternal CLA supplementation. Tas1R1 expression was increased while PYY and IL-10 decreased in female offspring of HF mothers. These results suggest that maternal consumption of a HF diet during critical developmental windows influences offspring predisposition to obesity and metabolic dysregulation. This may be associated with dysregulation of taste receptor, incretin, and inflammatory gene expression in the gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In mixed-culture microbial fuel cells (MFCs), exoelectrogens and other microorganisms compete for substrate. It has previously been assumed that substrate losses to other terminal electron acceptors over a fed-batch cycle, such as dissolved oxygen, are constant. However, a constant rate of substrate loss would only explain small increases in coulombic efficiencies (CEs, the fraction of substrate recovered as electrical current) with shorter cycle times, but not the large increases in CE that are usually observed with higher current densities and reduced cycle times. To better understand changes in CEs, COD concentrations were measured over time in fed-batch, single-chamber, air-cathode MFCs at different current densities (external resistances). COD degradation rates were all found to be first-order with respect to COD concentration, even under open circuit conditions with no current generation (first-order rate constant of 0.14 ± 0.01 h−1). The rate of COD removal increased when there was current generation, with the highest rate constant (0.33 ± 0.02 h−1) obtained at the lowest external resistance (100 Ω). Therefore, as the substrate concentration was reduced more quickly due to current generation, the rate of loss of substrate to non-exoelectrogens decreased due to this first-order substrate-concentration dependence. As a result, coulombic efficiencies rapidly increased due to decreased, and not constant, removal rates of substrate by non-exoelectrogens. These results show that higher current densities (lower resistances) redirect a greater percentage of substrate into current generation, enabling large increase in CEs with increased current densities. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 2163-2169. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here the synthesis and characterization of a reactive liquid crystal (RLC) as a novel polymeric nucleating agent for the promotion of the nucleation efficiency of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). The RLC was synthesized by an in-situ photo-polymerization and was then grafted onto the molecular chain of iPP by the reactive blending. The phase transition and crystalline morphologies of RLC-iPP in the bnucleation were studied. It is found that the nucleation efficiency of β-crystals of iPP can be increased to 42% with a very small amount of RLC grafting, which is much higher than the reported nucleation efficiency of polymeric nucleating agents up to now (23%). In addition, we found that the nucleation efficiency of bcrystals is strongly related to the concentration of RLC for the reactive blending. The nucleation efficiency was decreased from 42% to about 17% with the increase of RLC concentration from 0.5% to 4%. We propose a possible nucleation mechanism for this interesting phenomenon. It is expected that this new β-nucleation RLC will have potential industrial applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cover picture shows a concept of using a carbon aerogel as catalyst in air cathodes for microbial fuel cells. This nitrogen‐doped ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) has a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity. The NDC shows excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction at neutral pH. Microbial fuel cells using NDC air cathodes achieve a high maximum power density, higher than most of the state‐of‐the‐art catalysts used as air cathodes, and allow simultaneous wastewater treatment. More details can be found in the Full Paper by Zhang et al. on page 2788 in Issue 19, 2016 (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201600590). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]