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Brain's unique anatomical structure and physiological environment make it difficult to deliver therapeutic agents such as drug or light to a focal volume in brain for disease treatment. Physically targeting a fine structure in brain with a micro‐neural probe is an effective solution. Here, we present a hybrid miniaturized neural probe designed with micro‐fluidic channel(s) for drug delivery, micro‐electrode(s) for neural sensing and an optical fiber for optical‐related treatment. These functional components are integrated in a micro‐cannula (diameter <300 µm) with modular design and fabrication properties which can be conveniently adjusted for diverse applications. In vitro and in vivo tests confirm that this probe can precisely deliver drug to a focal volume in brain bypassing the blood brain barrier, and on‐site neural sensing can be achieved with the integrated neural electrode. Leveraging near infrared light’s scattering properties in brain, we demonstrate in vivo with rat glioblastoma model that this hybrid neural probe can be a platform for photothermal treatment of brain tumor. With these merits, the hybrid miniaturized neural probe will be an effective tool with great translational potentials for minimally invasive neural intervention such as drug delivery or combination treatment of brain diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease and affects about 25% of the population globally. NAFLD has the potential to cause significant liver damage in many patients because it can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis, which substantially increases disease morbidity and mortality. Despite the key role of innate immunity in the disease progression, the underlying molecular and pathogenic mechanisms remain to be elucidated. RNase L is a key enzyme in interferon action against viral infection and displays pleiotropic biological functions such as control of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. Recent studies have demonstrated that RNase L is involved in innate immunity. In this study, we revealed that RNase L contributed to the development of NAFLD, which further progressed to NASH in a time‐dependent fashion after RNase L wild‐type (WT) and knockout mice were fed with a high‐fat and high‐cholesterol diet. RNase L WT mice showed significantly more severe NASH, evidenced by widespread macro‐vesicular steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning degeneration, inflammation, and fibrosis, although physiological and biochemical data indicated that both types of mice developed obesity, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, dysfunction of the liver, and systemic inflammation at different extents. Further investigation demonstrated that RNase L was responsible for the expression of some key genes in lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis signaling. Taken together, our results suggest that a novel therapeutic intervention for NAFLD may be developed based on regulating the expression and activity of RNase L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human CST (CTC1‐STN1‐TEN1) is a ssDNA‐binding complex that interacts with the replisome to aid in stalled fork rescue. We previously found that CST promotes telomere replication to maintain genomic integrity via G‐quadruplex (G4) resolution. However, the detailed mechanism by which CST resolves G4s in vivo and whether additional factors are involved remains unclear. Here, we identify RECQ4 as a novel CST‐interacting partner and show that RECQ4 can unwind G4 structures in vitro using a FRET assay. Moreover, G4s accumulate at the telomere after RECQ4 depletion, resulting in telomere dysfunction, including the formation of MTSs, SFEs, and TIFs, suggesting that RECQ4 is crucial for telomere integrity. Furthermore, CST is also required for RECQ4 telomere or chromatin localization in response to G4 stabilizers. RECQ4 is involved in preserving genomic stability by CST and RECQ4 disruption impairs restart of replication forks stalled by G4s. Overall, our findings highlight the essential roles of CST and RECQ4 in resolving G‐rich regions, where they collaborate to resolve G4‐induced replication deficiencies and maintain genomic homeostasis. Synopsis: CST plays a crucial role in engaging RECQ4 with telomeres, enabling efficient resolution of G4 structures and restarting stalled replication forks. Their cooperative action addresses G4‐induced replication challenges, preserving genomic stability and homeostasis. RECQ4 and CST interact to unwind G4s, thereby resolving replication challenges and maintaining genomic stability.Depletion of RECQ4 leads to G4 accumulation at telomeres, resulting in telomere dysfunction.CST is essential for stabilizing RECQ4 at telomeres, irrespective of telomerase presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of organic semiconductor single crystal (OSSC) arrays has recently attracted considerable interest given their potential applications in flexible displays, smart wearable devices, biochemical sensors, etc. Patterning of OSSCs is the prerequisite for the realization of organic integrated circuits. Patterned OSSCs can not only decrease the crosstalk between adjacent organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs), but also can be conveniently integrated with other device elements which facilitate circuits application. Tremendous efforts have been devoted in the controllable preparation of OSSC arrays, and great progress has been achieved. In this review, the general strategies for patterning OSSCs are summarized, along with the discussion of the advantages and limitations of different patterning methods. Given the identical thickness of monolayer molecular crystals (MMCs) which is beneficial to achieve super uniformity of OSSC arrays and devices, patterning of MMCs is also emphasized. Then, OFET performance is summarized with comparison of the mobility and coefficient of variation based on the OSSC arrays prepared by different methods. Furthermore, advances of OSSC array‐based circuits and flexible devices of different functions are highlighted. Finally, the challenges that need to be tackled in the future are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavor is an essential attribute of grapes, but it quickly deteriorates and loses its quality. This study examined the effects of the selenium-chitosan treatment on the amino acid content and volatile components of freshly harvested grapes stored at 0°C. The amount and composition of precursors such as fatty acids and amino acids have an important influence on the formation of aroma compounds. In this article, the amino acids, volatile components, and some enzyme activities of different treated grapes were analyzed. The results of the analysis of free amino acid composition indicated that the selenium-chitosan treatment significantly reduced the loss of amino acid content by inhibiting the activities of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). The analysis also revealed that the significant differences in alcohol and aldehyde compounds primarily accounted for the variation in volatile components between treatments. The selenium-chitosan treatment slowed the decline in the content of aldehyde compounds and inhibited the increase in the range of alcohol compounds. These findings demonstrated that treatment with 25 mg L-1 selenium mixed with 1.0% chitosan solution has a positive effect on maintaining the flavor of Red Globe grapes. This treatment is worthy of future promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anion‐coordination‐driven assembly (ACDA) has proven to be a very effective strategy for the construction of polyhedral structures. Here we demonstrate that variation of the "angle" of the backbone of C3‐symmetric tris‐bis(urea) ligands, from triphenylamine to triphenylphosphine oxide, results in the change of the final construct from an A4L4 tetrahedron to a higher‐nuclearity, A6L6 trigonal antiprism (A=anion, herein PO43−; L=ligand). Most interestingly, this assembly features a huge hollow internal space that is divided into three compartments: one central cavity and two large outer pockets. This multi‐cavity character enables the binding of different guests, namely monosaccharides or polyethylene glycol molecules (PEG600, PEG1000 and PEG2000), respectively. The results prove that anion coordination by multiple hydrogen bonds may provide both sufficient strength and flexibility, thus making possible the formation of complicated structures with adaptive guest binding ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between small noncoding microRNA‐103 (miR‐103) and wound healing of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and the underlying molecular mechanism, forty type 2 diabetes mellitus with DFU (DFU group), and 20 patients with a chronic skin ulcer of lower limbs and normal glucose tolerance (SUC group) were included. Quantitative real‐time PCR method was used to determine miR‐103 expression levels in the wound margin tissue of subjects, and to analyse the relationship between the expression of miR‐103 and DFU wound healing. In vitro experiments were also performed to understand the effect of miR‐103 on the high glucose‐induced injury of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) cells. The results showed that the miR‐103 expression level in the DFU group was significantly higher than that in the SUC group [5.81 (2.25–9.36) vs 2.08 (1.15–5.72)] (P < 0.05). The expression level of miR‐103 in the wound margin tissue of DFU was negatively correlated with the healing rate of foot ulcers after four weeks (P = 0.037). In vitro experiments revealed that miR‐103 could inhibit the proliferation and migration of NHDF cells and promote the apoptosis of NHDF cells by targeted regulation of regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) gene expression in a high glucose environment. Down‐regulation of miR‐103 could alleviate high glucose‐induced NHDF cell injury by promoting RCAN1 expression. Therefore, the increased expression of miR‐103 is involved in the functional damage of NHDF cells induced by high‐glucose conditions, which is related to poor wound healing of DFU. These research findings will provide potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic skin wounds in diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between small non‐coding RNA‐204‐3p (miR‐204‐3p) and the onset and wound healing of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and the underlying molecular mechanism, sixty four newly diagnosed patients with T2DM without DFU (T2DM group), 82 T2DM patients with DFU (DFU group), and 60 controls with normal glucose tolerance (NC group) were included. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) method was used to determine miR‐204‐3p expression levels in peripheral blood and wound margin tissue of subjects, and to analyse the relationship between the expression of miR‐204‐3p and wound healing. In vitro experiments were also performed to understand the effect of miR‐204‐3p on high glucose induced injury of HaCaT cells (human keratinocytes). The results showed that miR‐204‐3p expression level of peripheral blood in the T2DM group was marked lower than that in the NC group [2.38 (1.31‐5.04) vs 3.27 (1.51‐6.98)] (P <.05). Similarly, the miR‐204‐3p expression level of peripheral blood in the DFU group was significantly lower than the T2DM group [1.15 (0.78‐2.89) vs 2.38 (1.31‐5.04)] (P <.01). The expression level of miR‐204‐3p in peripheral blood and wound margin tissues of DFU patients was positively correlated with the healing rate of foot ulcers after 8 weeks (P <.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that decreased expression of miR‐204‐3p in peripheral blood was an independent risk factor for DFU (OR = 2.95, P <.05). The results of in vitro experiments showed that miR‐204‐3p could improve the proliferation and migration of HKC cells and reduce the proportion of apoptosis of HKC cells by targeted regulation of zinc finger protein Kruppel like factor 6 (KLF6) in high glucose environment. Therefore, the decreased expression of miR‐204‐3p in peripheral blood and wound tissue of T2DM patients is closely related to the occurrence and poor wound healing of DFU. The down‐regulated expression of miR‐204‐3p can reduce its ability to antagonise the functional damage of keratinocytes induced by high‐glucose conditions. These results will provide potential targets for the treatment of DFU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial cell injury plays a critical part in ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI) and participates in the progression of AKI. Targeting renal endothelial cell therapy may ameliorate vascular injury and further improve the prognosis of ischemic AKI. Here, P‐selectin as a biomarker of ischemic AKI in endothelial cells is identified and P‐selectin binding peptide (PBP)‐engineered extracellular vesicles (PBP‐EVs) with imaging and therapeutic functions are developed. The results show that PBP‐EVs exhibit a selective targeting tendency to injured kidneys, while providing spatiotemporal information for the early diagnosis of AKI by quantifying the expression of P‐selectin in the kidneys by molecular imaging. Meanwhile, PBP‐EVs reveal superior nephroprotective functions in the promotion of renal repair and inhibition of fibrosis by alleviating inflammatory infiltration, improving reparative angiogenesis, and ameliorating maladaptive repair of the renal parenchyma. In conclusion, PBP‐EVs, as an ischemic AKI theranostic system that is designed in this study, provide a spatiotemporal diagnosis in the early stages of AKI to help guide personalized therapy and exhibit superior nephroprotective effects, offering proof‐of‐concept data to design EV‐based theranostic strategies to promote renal recovery and further improve long‐term outcomes following AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women are at risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Traditionally, patients who undergo laparoscopic gynaecological surgery are only allowed to initiate oral intake after return of bowel function, including bowel sounds or passage of flatus or stool. The present study was designed to assess the effect of liberal oral intake immediately after discharge from the post‐anaesthesia care unit (PACU) on PONV incidence in patients who underwent elective laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Methods: In total, 174 patients (aged 20–64 years) were randomly assigned to the traditional and liberal groups. In the traditional group, patients were allowed to initiate oral intake 6 h after discharge from the PACU. In the liberal group, patients were allowed oral intake immediately after discharge from the PACU. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV 48 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included ileus incidence, total dose of postoperative opiate (sufentanil) use, time to postoperative first flatus (FFL), first out‐of‐bed mobilisation and the duration of postoperative hospitalisation stay. Results: Incidence of PONV was not significantly different between both groups (32.18% vs. 33.33%, p = 0.872). Time to FFL in the liberal group was significantly shorter than that in the traditional group (14.82 ± 0.91 h vs. 17.50 ± 0.96 h, p = 0.024). The postoperative pain score at 48 h after surgery was significantly lower in the liberal group than that in the traditional group (2.48 ± 0.17 vs. 3.20 ± 0.19, p = 0.008) without an increase in sufentanil use (89.32 ± 1.02 µg vs. 89.92 ± 1.16 µg, p = 0.702). No ileus occurred in either group. When considering the time of actually return to regular diet, initiating regular diet no more than 6 h after discharge from PACU significantly shortened the time to first out‐of‐bed mobilisation (11.18 ± 1.01 h vs. 15.05 ± 0.70 h, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Our results indicate that liberal oral intake after discharge from the PACU in patients aged 20–64 years who underwent gynaecological surgery is safe and beneficial and supports the rationale for a more liberal diet regime postoperatively. Key points: Women are at risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. This single‐centre randomised controlled trial was designed to assess the effect of liberal oral intake immediately after discharge from post‐anaesthesia care unit (PACU) on PONV incidence in patients who underwent elective laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Liberal oral intake after discharge from the PACU in patients aged 20–64 years who underwent gynaecological surgery is safe and beneficial and supports the rationale for a more liberal diet regime postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound closure in fluid‐rich and dynamic environments is challenging. Wound closed by suturing or stapling is prone to tear, causing fluid leakage and inflection. Despite recent advances in tissue adhesive for wound sealing, existing tissue adhesive hydrogels are too soft and stretchable to keep wound edges together under dynamic loading. Here a biodegradable gradient modulus tissue adhesive composite (GmTAC), consisting of three functional components including a tissue adhesive matrix, a gradient modulus micro‐mesh, and an oil‐infused anti‐adhesion surface is presented. The 100 µm thick GmTAC patch can rapidly adhere on wet tissue surface to seal the wound, protect the wound from dynamic tear, prevent adhesion with surrounding tissue, and gradually degrade without the need of patch retrieval. Moreover, an optimally designed GmTAC patch can make the wounded intestine deform like its intact counterpart without visible tear or stress concentration even under large tension or inflation. Efficacy of the GmTAC for wound closure and tear prevention in dynamic and fluid‐rich environments is verified in vitro and in vivo with simulation. This study thereby demonstrates that this strategy has the great potential for the management of challenging wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anion‐coordination‐driven assembly (ACDA) is showing increasing power in the construction of anionic supramolecular architectures. Herein, by expanding the anion centers from oxoanion (phosphate or sulfate) to organic tris‐carboxylates, an Archimedean solid (truncated tetrahedron) and a highly entangled, double‐walled tetrahedron featuring a ravel topology have been assembled with tris‐bis(urea) ligands. The results demonstrate the promising ability of tris‐carboxylates as new anion coordination centers in constructing novel topologies with increasing complexity and diversity compared to phosphate or sulfate ions on account of the modifiable size and easy functionalization character of these organic anions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemostatic materials are widely used for bleeding control. However, existing blood‐absorbing wound dressing materials have two unaddressed challenges, blood loss through the hydrophilic material and strong clot adhesion that prevents gauze removal. Here, a nonwetting nanofiber structured material based on a two‐step spray coating procedure for hemostatic application is developed. Interfacial behaviors at the blood/clot‐material interface are exploited for bleeding control and minimizing wound adhesion. It is shown that this nonwetting material can retain blood within the wound, thus preventing blood loss. The nanofiber structure and kaolin microparticles collectively promote fast clotting to seal the wound and generate point‐to‐point contacts between clot and the nanofiber surface. These point‐to‐point contacts would subsequently be damaged by the interfacial shear induced by clot contraction, generating a peeling force significantly smaller than commercial low‐adherent or fast‐clotting hemostatic products. Its bleeding control and low adhesion properties are verified by in vivo animal experiments. The work therefore provides an efficient hemostatic material with excellent bleeding control and low wound adhesion properties, demonstrating an effective strategy to design advanced hemostatic materials by exploiting the interfacial behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a 3D nitrogen‐doped carbon network with excellent adsorption properties was prepared for bisphenol S (BPS) removal from water. An optimized sample B‐T700‐N3 with high Langmuir specific surface area as well as plentiful heteroatoms was screened out. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of conjugation and hydrogen bonding between the adsorbent and bisphenol S, B‐T700‐N3 demonstrated superior adsorption performance. The maximum adsorption amount (qmax,e) of the B‐T700‐N3 at equilibrium was determined to be up to 91 mg/g, which was comparable or even higher than that of the state‐of‐the‐art reported adsorbents. Experimental results illustrated that this adsorbent could also effectively remove other bisphenols (BPA, BPAF) from water. Overall, this novel adsorbent demonstrated a competitive performance for bisphenols removal in aqueous solution and can be a highly interesting candidate for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel gamma aminobutyric acid type B receptor subunit 1a (GABABR1a) biosensor modified with double‐layer gold has been developed for the first time. In this work, the synthesized plasmid was transfected into HEK‐293T cells by liposome transfection, and the target protein GABABR1a was obtained. The horseradish peroxidase was used as a signal amplification system to produce a double‐layer gold modified GABABR1a receptor biosensor. The ligand gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), jujuboside A and baclofen were detected by the time‐current method with the biosensor. The results showed that the action regularity of GABA, jujuboside A, and baclofen on GABABR1a receptor was fitted with hyperbolic fitting (R2 was 0.9740, 0.9770 and 0.9770, respectively). The double reciprocal method was used to figure out the affinity constant (Ka) of GABA, jujuboside A, and baclofen with the receptor, i. e. 2.1016×10−15 mol/L, 1.7601×10−14 mol/L, and 1.633×10−14 mol/L, respectively, indicating that these measured compounds exhibited different action strength on the receptor. Based on the above, this study will provide a basis for drug screening and will also provide a new idea and method for investigating quantitatively the interaction between receptors and ligands in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cinnamaldehyde (CIN) was added to edible composite films of soy protein isolate (SPI) and egg white (EW) to develop active food packaging. The effects of adding 2%–10% CIN on the structural, physical, and functional properties of the SPI/EW films were systematically evaluated. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction suggested the excellent compatibility of the components because hydrogen bonding occurred. Scanning electron microscopy indicated CIN affected the structure of the films. The incorporation of CIN significantly improved the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the films, but reduced the tensile strength and water vapor permeability. In particular, the addition of CIN at different concentrations significantly increased the elongation at break, water resistant, and UV–vis light barrier properties of the films. Therefore, SPI/EW/CIN films can be used as eco‐friendly bioactive materials in food packaging. Practical applications: In recent decades, many studies were devoted to the development of biodegradable and edible natural biopolymers to replace petroleum‐based polymer packaging. The edible bioactive packaging film can be prepared by adding active substances to the food packaging materials instead of directly adding it to the food, which not only maintains the original characteristics of the food, but also delays the deterioration and autoxidation of the food. This study evaluated the Microstructural, physical, and functional properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial activities) of composite films for use in food packaging and it is proved that it is possible in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to explore a new packaging film which is prepared with soybean protein isolate (SPI) and shellac (SHL) and research the effects of the amount of SHL on the water resistance and analyze the cause. Compared with the SPI film, the water resistance including water vapor permeability, moisture content, water absorption, contact angle, the resistance of mechanical strength and appearance to immersion water of SPI/SHL films were significantly improved. The films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope. The microstructure of films has been changed by the addition of SHL because the hydrogen bond was formed between SPI and SHL by the results of FTIR and XRD. All results showed that a dense reticular structure was formed with SPI after adding SHL, which improved the water resistance of the composite films. Practical applications: Shellac (SHL), which is recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is a natural animal secretory substance with nontoxic, moisture proof, and other properties. Soybean protein isolate (SPI) film is a kind of biodegradable packaging material, which has been studied because of excellent degradability compared with petroleum synthetic polymer. However, the film made from SPI itself is easily soluble in water, which also has the disadvantage of poor water resistance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to study the effect of SHL on the properties of SPI/SHL composite films and improve the water resistance of SPI film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the correlations of miR‐24 expression in peripheral plasma with the onset of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) and diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and explore the clinical value of miR‐24 as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of DFU and DFO, a total of 60 newly diagnosed T2DM patients without DFU (T2DM group), 112 T2DM patients with DFU (DFU group), and 60 healthy controls (NC group) were included. DFU group were further divided into DFO group (n = 64) and non‐DFO group (n = 48). MiR‐24 levels were determined by quantitative real‐time PCR, while clinical features and risk factors of DFU and DFO were explored. The expression level of miR‐24 in T2DM and DFU group was significantly lower than in NC group (P <.05), and that in DFU group was significantly lower than in T2DM group (P <.01). Additionally, the level of miR‐24 significantly decreased in DFO group compared to non‐DFO group (P <.01). Moreover, it was negatively correlated with the amputation rate in DFU group (P =.043) and positively correlated with healing rate after 8 weeks (P =.036). The multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that a low expression of miR‐24 was an independent risk factor for DFU and DFO. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the AUC of miR‐24 for the diagnosis of DFU and DFO was 0.849 (95% CI, 0.618‐0.879, P <.001) and 0.782 (95% CI, 0.595‐0.813, P <.001). Thus, a decreased expression of miR‐24 of T2DM patients was closely related to the occurrence, development and prognosis of DFU and DFO, suggesting the use of miR‐24 as a potential biomarker for the prediction of DFU and DFO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense ZrB2‐SiC‐Al3BC3 ultra‐high temperature ceramic composite was fabricated by hot pressing sintering at 1900°C for 1 hour under a pressure of 20 MPa using Zirconium diboride (ZrB2) as the raw material and a powder mixture of SiC, B4C, Al, and carbon as the sintering additive. Al and B4C underwent in situ reaction with carbon powder to produce Al3BC3, which promoted the densification of ZrB2 ceramic. SiC grains were found to be elongated during sintering. The ZrB2‐SiC‐Al3BC3 composite exhibited excellent mechanical properties, such as high flexural strength of 589 ± 147 MPa and fracture toughness of 7.81 ± 1.09 MPa m1/2. Oxidation behavior of the ZrB2‐SiC‐Al3BC3 composite was studied in air at 1500°C for 1 hour. A continuous layer of oxides consisting of a mixture of SiO2, Al2SiO5, and Al2O3 was formed on the surface of the ZrB2‐SiC‐Al3BC3 composite. This layer of oxides efficiently prevented oxygen from diffusing into the specimens during oxidation, which improved the oxidation resistance of the ZrB2 ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense polycrystalline cBN (PcBN)–SiCw composites were fabricated by a two‐step method: First, SiO2 was coated on the surface of cubic boron nitride (cBN) particles by the sol‐gel method. Then, silicon carbide whisker (SiCw)‐ coated cBN powder was prepared by carbon thermal reaction between SiO2 and carbon powders at 1500°C for 2 hour. Then, cBN–SiCw complex powders were sintered by high‐pressure and high‐temperature sintering technology using Al, B, and C as sintering additives. The phase compositions and microstructures of cBN–SiCw composites were investigated by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. It was found that the SiCw and Al3BC3 had been fabricated by in situ reaction, which cannot only promote densification but also improve mechanical properties. The relative density of PcBN composites increased from 96.3% to 99.4% with increasing SiCw contents from 5 to 20 wt%. Meanwhile, the Vickers hardness, fracture toughness and flexural strength of as‐obtained composites exhibited a similar trend as that of relative density. The composite contained 20 wt% of SiCw exhibited the highest Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of 42.7 ± 1.9 GPa and 6.52 ± 0.21 MPa•m1/2, respectively. At the same time, the flexural strength reached 406 ± 21 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiC whisker reinforced ZrB2-SiCw composites were prepared by sol-gel method and spark plasma sintering ( SPS) with designed composition of 10-30 vol% SiCw. The ZrB2-SiCw composite powder was synthesized by sol-gel method using zirconium diboride, tetraethoxysilane ( TEOS), and activated carbon as starting materials, then densified by SPS at 1700°C under a pressure of 40 MPa for 5 minutes. The phase compositions and microstructures of ZrB2-SiCw composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The relative density of ZrB2-SiCw composites increased from 83% to 98.5% with increasing SiCw contents from 10 vol% to 30vol% after sintering at 1700°C without additional sintering additives. Meanwhile, the fracture toughness and flexural strength of as-obtained composites exhibited a similar trend as relative density. ZrB2-30vol% SiCw composite showed the highest fracture toughness of 6.1 MPa·m1/2 and flexural strength of 350 MPa, which were attributed to the formation of SiC whisker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decomposition of aqueous monochloropropionic acids (MCPAs) was investigated by means of anodic contact glow discharge electrolysis (CGDE). With the decay of MCPAs, the corresponding total organic carbon (TOC) also decreased smoothly. Furthermore, it was found that chlorine atoms in the MCPAs were released as chloride ions. As the main by-products, oxalic acid and formic acid were detected. The acetic acid (CA), monochloroacetic acid (MCA), and propanedioic acid (PDA) were also detected as the primary intermediates for decomposition of the corresponding MCPAs. The decay of both MCPAs and TOC obeyed the first-order kinetics, respectively. The apparent rate constant for the decay of MCPAs increased with the increase in pKa values of MCPAs, while that for the decay of TOC was substantially unaffected. The reaction pathway involving the successive attack of hydroxyl radical and the carbon chain cleavage were discussed based on the products and kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the needs of future multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), thinner dielectric layers are necessary. To achieve this goal, the grain size and uniformity of the particles must be effectively controlled. In this study, we confirmed a core-shell particle structure by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of the ceramics were measured using an LCR meter. We found Ba0.991Bi0.006TiO3 particles form a core that was coated with a homogeneous Nb2O5-Co3O4 layer (~9 nm). The relationship between core-shell structure and εr-T curves of the Ba0.991Bi0.006TiO3@Nb2O5-Co3O4 ceramics by different sintering temperature has been investigated. Dense, fine-grained Ba0.991Bi0.006TiO@Nb2O5-Co3O4 ceramics were obtained by sintering at 1160°C. The ceramics met the X8R requirements, with a maximum dielectric constant of 2795, and a low dielectric loss at room temperature of 0.89%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Generalized Equilibrium Feedback Analysis method was used to isolate the contributions of major sea-surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) modes over three oceanic basins to the climate variability of tropical cyclone (TC) genesis number (TCGN) in the peak TC season over the western North Pacific (WNP) between 1970 and 2012. The results show that TCGN variation has a statistically significant response to the first SST mode over the tropical North Pacific (TNP1), Indian Ocean (IOBM) and North Atlantic (NA1). The dominant SSTA modes in the three basins contribute 16.6, 12.1 and 13.6% of total TCGN variance, respectively. Among them, TNP1 and NA1 are primarily responsible for TCGN interdecadal variability, with a contribution of 22 and 14.5% to its interdecadal variance at 96 and 93% confidence levels, respectively. TCGN interannual variability, on the other hand, is significantly influenced by IOBM and NA1 with a contribution of 17.6 and 14.3% of the total interannual variance, respectively. The maximum TCGN variability centres are located in the central WNP and South China Sea. The former is primarily associated with responses of low-level relative vorticity to TNP1 and NA1 and the latter is closely linked to the forcing from IOBM and NA1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work evaluated the properties of soy protein isolate (SPI)/nano‐silica (nano‐SiO2) films. The particle size distribution of the film solutions and the Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy of films indicated that there were hydrogen bonds and coordinate bonds between the SPI and nano‐SiO2. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated that an appropriate increase in the nano‐SiO2 content improved the morphology of the films. Finally, the effect of SPI‐based nanocomposite films on the preservation of Flammulina velutipes at 4 ± 1°C was investigated. After 10 days of storage, the weight loss and browning degree of F. velutipes in SPI films with 6% nano‐SiO2 were significantly lower (p < .05), and the use of SPI/nano‐SiO2 films could mitigate the losses of the total soluble solids and soluble protein contents. Therefore, SPI/nano‐SiO2 films can prolong the shelf life and optimize the production of F. velutipes. Practical applications: Fresh F. velutipes is nutritious and contains essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats. However, F. velutipes quickly undergoes browning, aging, and decomposition. Therefore, research in the F. velutipes preservation technology has important practical significance. In food packaging, the application of nanotechnology is gradually replacing traditional food packaging. However, no studies have reported the effects of SPI‐based nanocomposite materials on the shelf life of F. velutipes. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the properties of films and applications with F. velutipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of bionanocomposite materials for packages has received increasing attention due to environmental pollution issues. However, storage results in many undesirable properties in films. This study evaluated the effects of storage on simple layer and bilayer soy protein isolate/nano‐silica (SPI/nano‐SiO2) films, which may reduce the migration of nanoparticles, and on the properties (mechanical, barrier, and optical) and parameters (moisture content, sulfhydryl content, and glycerol migration rate) of the films. Compared to SPI films, SPI/nano‐SiO2 films had a higher moisture content, higher sulfhydryl content, lower glycerol migration rate and better properties after storage. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that hydrogen bonding existed between SPI and nano‐SiO2 and that α‐helix, β‐sheet, β‐turn, and random coil structures transformed due to bond breaking and formation during storage. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that SS‐3‐2 film had better morphologies after storage. In conclusion, bilayer films are safer and may replace simple layer films in food packaging. Practical applications: Based on an EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) scientific opinion, SiO2 is approved in the European Union. However, nanoparticles have been reported to process certain characteristics that pose a health hazard. To reduce the migration of nano‐SiO2, the contact area between the food and films with nano‐SiO2 must be reduced. SPI film is a biodegradable packaging material and has been widely studied due to its biodegradable properties, which are attributed to the lack of repeating units in peptides compared to petroleum synthetic polymers. However, the properties of SPI film change during storage, which limits its application. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of storage on the properties of simple layer and bilayer SPI/nano‐SiO2 films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Contribution of major SSTA modes to the climate variability of tropical cyclone genesis frequency over the western North Pacific" that was published in the February 3, 2016 issue is presented