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A convenient silver-promoted radical cascade aryldifluoromethylation/cyclization of 2-allyloxybenzaldehydes has been developed. Experimental studies disclosed that the addition of aryldifluoromethyl radicals in situ produced from easily accessible gem-difluoroarylacetic acids to unactivated double bonds in 2-allyloxybenzaldehyde was an effective route to access a series of 3-aryldifluoromethyl-containing chroman-4-one derivatives in moderate to good yields under mild reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, hierarchical hybrid structures based on the combination of semiconductor micro/nanostructures and noble metal nanoparticles have become a hot research topic in the area of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this work, two core-satellite nanostructures of metal oxide/metal nanoparticles were successfully introduced into SERS substrates, assembling monodispersed small silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on large polydispersed ZnO nanospheres (p-ZnO NSs) or monodispersed ZnO nanospheres (m-ZnO NSs) core. The p-ZnO NSs and m-ZnO NSs were synthesized by the pyrolysis method without any template. The Ag NPs were prepared by the thermal evaporation method without any annealing process. An ultralow limit of detection (LOD) of 1 × 10−13 M was achieved in the two core-satellite nanostructures with Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as the probe molecule. Compared with the silicon (Si)/Ag NPs substrate, the two core-satellite nanostructures of Si/p-ZnO NSs/Ag NPs and Si/m-ZnO NSs/Ag NPs substrates have higher enhancement factors (EF) of 2.6 × 108 and 2.5 × 108 for R6G as the probe molecule due to the enhanced electromagnetic field. The two core-satellite nanostructures have great application potential in the low-cost massive production of large-area SERS substrates due to their excellent SERS effect and simple preparation process without any template. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is recognized as the earliest prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Emerging studies explored the effects of combined physical activity and cognitive training interventions on cognitive ability, psychological well-being, and emotion of older adults with SCD, but the results are now still controversial. Objective. This study systematically evaluated the enhancement effects of the combined physical-cognitive interventions on memory self-efficacy, objective cognitive function, psychological well-being, and emotion of older adults with SCD. Methods. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang degree and conference papers database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical (VIP) databases from their inception to 28 February 2020, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library, 2020, Issue 3), and the reference lists of all retrieved articles were searched. Data analysis and bias risk evaluation were conducted in 2020. Two reviewers (SG and YY) independently evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies using the RoB 2 tool. Results. Eleven RCTs involving 1713 participants with SCD (age 68.0 ± 6.1) were included for review and meta-analysis. The interventions in the included studies were physical activity combined with cognitive training. Multiple-modality exercise with mind-motor training, supervised strategy-based memory training sequentially after stationary cycling, Dejian Mind-Body intervention, and physical activity and cognitive stimulation were also practiced. Conclusions. Compared to the active or nonactive control groups, the combined interventions are effective in improving objective cognitive function in SCD which may show the potential value of combined physical-cognitive interventions in improving objective cognitive ability and preventing the conversion of SCD to MCI or AD and no adverse effects. However, owing to the limitations of the included studies, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The kapok fiber VIP was green, degradable and nonpetroleum-based. • Hollow structure and porosity of fibres retained in wet forming process. • The thermal conductivity of kapok fiber VIP was as lower as 6.12 mW/(m·K). • Thermal conductivity of VIPs insensitive to temperature change. Vacuum insulation panel (VIP) is a new type of thermal insulation material with ultra-low thermal conductivity. Most of the VIP core materials are petroleum based, which helps achieve good thermal insulation performance and long service life. However, high cost and poor sustainability are not conducive to the long-term development of this industry. In this study, a new strategy is developed to prepare VIP core materials by using light, eco-friendly, and renewable kapok fibres. The results show that the wet forming process of the kapok fibre core material can maintain their hollow structure of the fibre and the porosity of VIP core could reach above 94%. The prepared kapok fibre VIPs have excellent thermal insulation performance and the thermal conductivity was as lower as 6.12 mW/(m·K) at an internal pressure of 0.05 Pa. Furthermore, these VIPs have outstanding stable thermal performance, and thermal conductivity increased only by 9–13% when the ambient temperature increased from 15 to 55 °C. The VIP density is lower than 105 kg/m3 due to the special thin-walled and large cavity structure of kapok fibres. It was confirmed that kapok fibres are a potential alternative to fume silica for super novel VIPs that are green, renewable, and eco-friendly with sustainable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HDO of m-cresol was studied at 250 °C and 1 atm on Pt/Beta with varying BAS/Pt. • Increasing BAS density increases diffusion constraints of m-cresol and products. • Increasing BAS/Pt ratio reduces both the reaction rate and TOF of HDO. • Products distribution varies due to the combined effects of BAS/Pt and diffusion. • A low BAS/Pt is beneficial for improving stability by reducing coke deposition. Metal/zeolite bifunctional catalysts have been widely explored for hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of phenolics. However, the effect of acid-metal balance is not clearly understood because it is difficult to decouple this from other effects. In this work, a series of 1 wt.% Pt/Beta catalysts with different Brønsted acid site (BAS) to surface Pt ratios (BAS/Pt) were prepared by varying only the density of BAS, and tested in HDO of m-cresol at 250 °C and atmospheric pressure. Increasing BAS density increases intra-crystallite diffusion constraints of m-cresol/products due to strong chemisorption on BAS, and therefore slows their transportation through BASs toward the Pt sites inside the micropores of zeolite. As a result, both the reaction rate and turnover frequency of HDO are reduced with increasing BAS/Pt ratio. Increasing BAS/Pt ratio increases the yield of ring contraction products but reduces the yields of methylcyclohexane and methylcyclohexanone, because of the increased acid functionality and diffusion constraints of intermediates. A low BAS/Pt ratio is beneficial for improving catalytic stability by reducing coke deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the influence of various molar concentrations of vinylidene fluoride (VDF) on the piezoelectric and acoustic emission (AE) reception performances of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] sensors, we systematically investigated the crystal structures and the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of P(VDF-TrFE) films with different compositions of VDF and TrFE monomers and found that low proportion (<30 mol%) TrFE as a wedge inserted into molecular chains of P(VDF-TrFE) will not only improve the fraction of regular β-phase crystal grains but also decrease the dielectric constant (εr) of these copolymers, which favors the piezoelectric voltage coefficient (g33) of this P(VDF-TrFE) film. As such, a considerable remanent electric polarization (Pr ~ 11.4 μC cm2) under 200 MV/m and a large piezoelectric coefficient (d33 ~ -25 pC/N) are obtained in P(VDF-TrFE) 80/20-mol% films. It is worth noting that a sensor made from P(VDF-TrFE) 80/20 mol% shows an attractive AE reception property of approximately 84 dB, a high signal voltage of above 10 mV from time-domain analysis, and a large signal voltage of above 4 mV from frequency-domain analysis, which are close to standard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensors. Considering its unique characters of flexibility, no required stretching, easily shaped, having high thermal Faille temperatures (Tc ~ 135.7 ∘C), etc., P(VDF-TrFE) piezoelectric film is considered a promising material for sensors, actuators, and energy transfer units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of small molecule compounds to inhibit cell proliferation is one of the most promising approaches in cancer therapy. In the present study, a cell viability assay, flow cytometry analysis, western blotting and mouse xenograft models were used to investigate the anticancer activities of #2714 and its underlying mechanisms in lung cancer. The present in vitro results suggested that #2714 significantly inhibited the viability of the human non-small cell lung cancer line SPC-A1 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of 5.54 µM after 48 h of treatment. Additionally, #2714 inhibited SPC-A1 cell proliferation via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and by impairing mitochondrial membrane potential. The protein expression levels of Wnt 3a, Wnt 5a/b, phosphorylated (p)-β-catenin, p-glycogen synthase kinase 3β, and p-mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 were downregulated following treatment with #2714. Furthermore, using a mouse xenograft model, #2714 was identified to significantly inhibit tumor growth and to decrease cancer cell proliferation in vivo. #2714 may represent a novel effective anticancer compound targeting lung cancer cells. Additionally, #2714 was able to induce apoptosis and decrease cell proliferation in SPC-A1 cells via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Ce6 was one-pot loaded on amine-functionalized IONCs through amide bonds. • PCM can quickly melt and release DOX once the temperature is over its melting point. • The heat generated by the IONCs upon NIR laser can execute the combined therapy. • The iron oxide nanocarriers can be employed as T 2 weighted MRI contrast agents. Abstract Combination therapy involves the design of one unit with various therapeutic effects, such as simultaneous photothermal therapy (PTT), chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT), to produce high therapeutic efficacy with minimized side effects. Here, we designed a single near-infrared (NIR) light induced tri-mode (PTT, PDT and chemotherapy) combined therapeutic nanoplatform (named IONCs@Ce6-DOX/PCM) based on amine-functionalized iron oxide nanocrystals (IONCs). The IONCs, were subsequently loaded with the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6), doxorubicin (DOX) and a layer of tetradecanol (PCM, a temperature sensitive phase-change material used as a smart switch for drug release). In this system, the IONCs generate heat for PTT and melt the coated PCM when irradiated by a 650 nm laser with a low power density (230 mW/cm2), resulting in the release of encapsulated DOX. Simultaneously, the exposed Ce6 can also generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) under the same NIR light irradiation, thereby achieving combined therapy triggered by a single light. Moreover, taking advantage of the magnetic property of IONCs, the nanoplatform could also be developed as a biocompatible diagnostic agent for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This, indicates that the multifunctional carriers can facilitate a range of imaging guided cancer treatments and provide synergistic photothermal/chemo/photodynamic therapy for improved treatment efficiency and minimized side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Venlafaxine is one of the commonly prescribed antidepressants for major depressive disorder (MDD). Accumulated evidence revealed the involvement of glutamatergic system in the pathophysiology of MDD and antidepressant treatment.  Methods: We recruited 193 MDD patients who have been taking venlafaxine for 6 weeks, and investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GSK-3β and BDNF were associated with treatment response. Nine SNPs were selected randomly depending on association studies. Efficacy of treatment was determined by 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between responders and nonresponders. Results: After adjusting the false discovery rate, no significant difference was observed between response and nonresponse groups in allele or genotype distributions after venlafaxine treatment for 6 weeks. Conclusion: Our results indicated that genetic variants in the GSK-3β and BDNF may not be associated with treatment response in MDD patients treated with venlafaxine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On account of the relatively high theoretical capacity and lamellar structure, MoSe 2 is considered as an advanced anode material applied for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Unfortunately, the notorious issues of MoSe 2 including low electrical conductivity, tendency to restack and aggregate and high mechanical stress during cycling usually lead to the rapid deterioration of sodium storage properties. Herein, we propose the rational design and fabrication of NiSe 2 nanoparticles decorated flower-like MoSe 2 nanosheets simultaneously confined in N-doped carbon spheres (denoted as MoSe 2 -NC/NiSe 2) via successive solvothermal and selenization steps. The heterostructure as generated between NiSe 2 and MoSe 2 can effectively provide more rich redox chemistry and synergistic merits. Meanwhile, the derived N-doped carbon matrix can protect the MoSe 2 nanosheets from agglomeration, facilitate the electron transport in the composite, and accommodate the volume variation with the help of unique porous structure. Accordingly, the hybrid composite of MoSe 2 -NC/NiSe 2 presents a high capacity of 315 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 and high-rate feature with 146 mAh g−1 even over 2000 cycles at 5 A g−1, demonstrating the excellent sodium storage performance including fast charging/discharging and outstanding cycling durability when applied in SIBs. • The N-doped carbon prevents agglomeration of nanosheets and enhances the electron transfer ability. • The heterostructure provides more electroactive sites and increased (100) interlayer spacing of MoSe 2. • The hybrid composite of MoSe 2 -NC/NiSe 2 anode shows durable cyclic stability and outstanding rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • It was first time to attempt to cross link polydopamine and epigallocatechin-3-gallate together to enhance osteointegration for polyetheretherketone. • It showed that the cross-linked coatings provided phenolic hydroxyl and amino groups and enhanced hydrophilicity of the polyetheretherketone. • It may lay the foundation for the further deployment of the cross-linked polydopamine and epigallocatechin-3-gallate coating in clinical practice. The increasing demand for enhanced osteointegration calls for next-generation polyetheretherketone (PEEK) that can offer fast bone integration. Whether polydopamine (PDA) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) cross-linked coatings could improve osteointegration of PEEK remains unclear. Here, we fabricated a series of PDA and EGCG cross-linked coatings (PE coatings: P2E0.1, P2E0.5, P2E1, and P2E2 coatings) to enhance osteointegration of PEEK. The material characteristics of coatings were studied using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-BCA tests, and static water contact angle tests. We evaluated the cytotoxicity, cell adhesion, and osteogenic effects of the coatings in vitro. Furthermore, the P2E0.5 coating was selected to coat porous PEEK scaffold to observe osteointegration using micro-computed tomography and histology in a rabbit. The results show that the PE coatings provide phenolic hydroxyl and amino groups and enhanced hydrophilicity of PEEK, especially in the P2E0.5 coating. Several lines of cellular evidence suggest that P2E0.5 coatings exhibit a noncytotoxic and excellent osteogenic effect. Compared with PEEK, the P2E0.5-coated PEEK shows higher values of bone volume, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness. This study suggests that the PE coating is a promising candidate for surface modification of PEEK and may lay the foundation for further application of PE coatings in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ciliates are able to form resting cysts as a survival strategy in response to stressful environmental factors. Studies on the characteristics of cellular structure during encystment may provide useful information for further understanding of the regulatory mechanism of cellular patterns and supply new clues regarding the phylogeny of ciliates. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies were used to observe the ultrastructure of cells during encystment of the soil ciliateAustralocirruscf.australis. The dedifferentiation of ciliature was revealed for the first time. Ciliary shafts first shortened, and the remaining ciliature, including basal bodies and the fibrillar cirral basket, retracted into the cytoplasm and was surrounded by the autophagic vacuoles and then gradually digested. A large number of autophagic vacuoles were observed in mature resting cysts. Autophagy might not only be necessary for the differentiation of cellular structures during encystment but might also be important to sustain the basic life activities in the resting stage.Australocirruscf.australisformed a kinetosome-resorbing cyst and contained four layers in the cyst wall: the ectocyst, mesocyst, endocyst and granular layer. The ciliature resorbing state and the number of layers in the cyst wall were consistent with those found in other oxytrichous ciliates. However, the phenomenon wherein the two macronuclear nodules are not fused during encystment is not commonly observed among oxytrichids. Additionally, the octahedral granules in the mesocyst of this species exhibit different morphology from the congeners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is common in toddlers in developing countries. Iron fortified or meat-based complementary foods may be effective to prevent ID. Objective: Our objective was to compare iron status at 18 months and growth from 6 to 18 months in rural poor toddlers fed 3 different complementary foods. Methods: The study was nested within a larger trial in which 6-month-old infants were randomized to receive 50g/d meat (MG), an equi-caloric fortified cereal supplement (FG) or local cereal supplement (LG) for 1 year. Hb, sTfR, HsCRP, ferritin and AGP were measured in 410 blood samples collected by a random sampling (MG, 137; FG, 140; LG, 133); calprotectin was measured in feces. Body iron = -[log (sTfR ×1000/ferritin)-2.8229] /0.1207. ID = ferritin<12ug/L. Results: The toddlers in FG had the significantly highest levels in serum ferritin and body iron (P = 0.043, 0.004), and the rates of both ID and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) were the lowest in FG (P = 0.010, 0.021). The rate of systemic inflammation in FG was 30.71%, which was the highest among three groups (P = 0.042). No intervention effects on either the rates of ID and IDA or iron stores (serum ferritin and body iron) were shown in MG. The change in length-for-age z scores (LAZ) from 6 to 18 months among three groups was significantly different (P = 0.021) and a smaller decrease of LAZ in MG and a larger decrease of LAZ in FG were observed. Conclusion: Iron fortified cereal improved iron status of poor rural toddlers but was also associated with systemic inflammation which was likely to impair their growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the end product of the bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber in the colonic lumen, sodium butyrate (NaBt) has been reported to exert antitumor effects on colorectal cancer (CRC). In addition to functioning as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, NaBt also regulates the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) to inhibit CRC cell proliferation. Yet, the mechanisms involved are not completely understood. Here we investigate whether NaBt regulates miR-203 to inhibit CRC growth and explore the promising target gene of miR-203 in CRC cells. Methods: We conducted qRT-PCR and Western blotting assays to evaluate the effects of NaBt on the expression of miR-203 and NEDD9 in HT-29 and Caco-2 cell lines. The promising target gene of miR-203 was predicted by miRNA target prediction and dual luciferase reporter assay. CRC Cell proliferation, colony formation, cell apoptosis and cell invasion assays were performed to explore the effect of NaBt, miR-203 and NEDD9 on HT-29 and Caco-2 cell lines. Results: The results showed that NaBt increased the expression of miR-203 to induce CRC cell apoptosis as well as inhibit cell proliferation, colony formation and cell invasion. Moreover, we determined that the NEDD9 was a target gene of miR-203. NEDD9 partially overcame the inhibitory effects of miR-203 on CRC cell colony formation and invasion. Conclusions: NaBt could induce CRC cell apoptosis, inhibit CRC cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion through miR-203/NEDD9 cascade. The present study may enrich the mechanisms underlying the process that NaBt exerts anti-tumor effects on CRC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide the scientific basis for the environmental risk assessment of cycloxaprid and 6-Cl-PMNI (intermediate of cycloxaprid), the degradation properties of 6-Cl-PMNI in aerobic, anaerobic and/or sterile soil, as well as in water with different pH values at different temperature were explored under laboratory conditions using HPLC for its kinetics study and UPLC-MS/MS for the identification of its metabolites/degradation products. Fortification study showed that the recoveries of 71.4–100.5% with the maximum coefficient variation (CV) of 7.47% were obtained. The linear range was 0.1–10 mg/L with the good linearity of R 2 = 0.9990. For standard, the method LOD (limit of detection) and LOQ (limit of quantification) was 0.03 mg/L and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. Results demonstrated the good performance of the developed method. Kinetics study indicated that the degradation half-lives (t 0.5 ) in pH 3-pH 10 buffers varied from 111.8 d to 288.8 d at 25 °C but rapidly shortened to 1.6–25.7 d at 70 °C. Good negative linear ships (R 2 ≥ 0.8423) between half life and temperature were found. 6-Cl-PMNI could be readily degraded in non-sterile soil (t 0.5 0.8–7.5 d) while slowly degraded in sterile soil (t 0.5 64.8–91.2 d). Three hydrolytic products and one metabolite of 6-Cl-PMNI in aerobic soil were identified. The C C olefinic bond reacted with H 2 O by Markovnikov Additive Reaction and the split of C–Cl were mainly proposed as the possible reaction pathway for 6-Cl-PMNI degradation in water and in soil, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging may be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in the elderly. Dietary intervention can affect glucose tolerance in adults, which may be due to body composition and islet cell autophagy. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of various dietary interventions on islet cell autophagy. Pancreatic tissue and blood samples were collected from Sprague Dawley rats (14–16 months old, n = 15 for each group) that received a normal diet (ND), a high-fat diet (HFD), or a calorie-restricted diet (CRD). The body weight (BW), visceral fat, serum lipid levels, fasting serum glucose, insulin levels, and β/α cell area were determined in 14-16-(0-w), 16-18-(8-w), and 18-20(16-w)-month-old rats. Pancreatic islet autophagy (LC3B and LAMP2), AP (Acid Phosphatase) and apoptosis (apoptosis index, AI (TUNEL assay) and cleaved caspase-3) were detected using immunohistochemistry, ELISA and western blot. At 16 weeks, the expressions of LC3B, LAMP2 and AP markedly increased in both the HFD (P<0.01) and CRD (P<0.05) groups; however, an increase in the AI (P<0.05), cleaved caspase-3 and Beclin1 expression and a decrease in the expressions of BCL2 and BCLXL (P<0.05) were observed in only the HFD group. FFA, triglyceride levels, HOMA-IR, insulin levels and glucagon levels were significantly increased in the HFD group but decreased in the CRD group at 16 weeks (P<0.05). The degree of islet cell autophagy was potentially regulated by the levels of FFA and islet cell insulin and glucagon, which may have been due to the effects of Beclin1/BCL2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The segmentation and positioning of tea buds are the basis for intelligent picking robots to pick tea buds accurately. Tea images were collected in a complex environment, and median filtering was carried out to obtain tea bud images with smooth edges. Four semantic segmentation algorithms, U-Net, high-resolution network (HRNet_W18), fast semantic segmentation network (Fast-SCNN), and Deeplabv3+, were selected for processing images. The centroid of the tea buds and the image center of the minimum external rectangle were calculated. The farthest point from the centroid was extracted from the tea stalk orientation, which was the final picking point for tea buds. The experimental results showed that the mean intersection over union (mIoU) of HRNet_W18 was 0.81, and for a kernel with a median filter size of 3 × 3, the proportion of abnormal tea buds was only 11.6%. The average prediction accuracy of picking points with different tea stalk orientations was 57%. This study proposed a fresh tea bud segmentation and picking point location method based on a high-resolution network model. In addition, the cloud platform can be used for data sharing and real-time calculation of tea bud coordinates, reducing the computational burden of picking robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin as a naturally synthesized molecule in plants takes part in regulation of stress resistance. The mechanisms by which melatonin alleviates abiotic stresses are discussed.In recent years melatonin has emerged as a research highlight in plant studies. Melatonin has different functions in many aspects of plant growth and development. The most frequently mentioned functions of melatonin are related to abiotic stresses such as drought, radiation, extreme temperature, and chemical stresses. This review mainly focuses on the regulatory effects of melatonin when plants face harsh environmental conditions. Evidence indicates that environmental stress can increase the level of endogenous melatonin in plants. Overexpression of the melatonin biosynthetic genes elevates melatonin levels in transgenic plants. The transgenic plants show enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses. Exogenously applied melatonin can also improve the ability of plants to tolerate abiotic stresses. The mechanisms by which melatonin alleviates abiotic stresses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato fruits were treated by exogenous melatonin. The effect of melatonin on ethylene biosynthesis, ethylene perception, and ethylene signalling may contribute to fruit ripening and quality improvement in tomato.In this study, the effect of melatonin on the postharvest ripening and quality improvement of tomato fruit was carried out. The tomatoes were immersed in exogenous melatonin for 2h, and then the related physiological indicators and the expression of genes during post-harvest life were evaluated. Compared with control check (CK), the 50 µM melatonin treatment significantly increased lycopene levels by 5.8-fold. Meanwhile, the key genes involved in fruit colour development, including phytoene synthase1 (PSY1) and carotenoid isomerase (CRTISO), showed a 2-fold increase in expression levels. The rate of water loss from tomato fruit also increased 8.3%, and the expression of aquaporin genes, such as SlPIP12Q, SlPIPQ, SlPIP21Q, and SlPIP22, was up-regulated 2- to 3-fold under 50 µM melatonin treatment. In addition, 50 µM melatonin treatment enhanced fruit softening, increased water-soluble pectin by 22.5%, and decreased protopectin by 19.5%. The expression of the cell wall modifying proteins polygalacturonase (PG), pectin esterase1 (PE1), β-galactosidase (TBG4), and expansin1 (Exp1) was up-regulated under 50 µM melatonin treatment. Melatonin increased ethylene production by 27.1%, accelerated the climacteric phase, and influenced the ethylene signalling pathway. Alteration of ethylene production correlated with altered 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS4) expression. The expression of ethylene signal transduction-related genes such as NR, SlETR4, SlEIL1, SlEIL3, and SlERF2, was enhanced by 50 µM melatonin. The effect of melatonin on ethylene biosynthesis, ethylene perception, and ethylene signalling may contribute to fruit ripening and quality improvement in tomato. This research may promote the application of melatonin on postharvest ripening and quality improvement of tomato fruit as well as other horticultural productions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine (Cl) released from coal-fired power plants can be harmful to power equipment, the ecological environment and human health. Here, we investigated the Cl releasing characteristics from four coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) in China's Anhui province based on an ion chromatography analysis of the combustion by-production samples collected from different locations of the power plants. The results showed that Cl content in coals was low (198–367 μg·g−1), which positively correlated with the contents of lead, mercury and total sulfur, but was weakly correlated with the moisture and ash yield in coal. The releasing rate of Cl during coal combustion was highly correlated with temperature and volatile matter, and most Cl is transferred into the flue gas. Dust collector and wet flue gas devices equipped in the CFPPs were robust for removing Cl in the particulate phase, and the fabric filter showed a higher removal efficiency than the electrostatic precipitator. This study can provide theoretical support for Cl pollution control in coal-fired power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The switch for treatment was only triggered under high heat conditions, allowing for human-controlled, on-demand treatment. • CaO 2 degraded in acidic TME, producing H 2 O 2 , O 2 and Ca(OH) 2 , which could improve and remodel TME. • Free Ca2+ accumulated in tumor cells and could initiate the process of calcium overload and calcification. • Calcification could play a role in inhibiting tumor growth and aiding CT imaging. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is complex in composition and unique in nature, and is closely related to the growth, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. Improving and remodeling the TME to return it to a normalized state can fundamentally disrupt the environment and/or nutrient supply on which tumor cells depend. To achieve this goal, based on the unique physicochemical properties and biological effects of CaO 2 , we designed and constructed a Ca2+ nanogenerator (named as CaO 2 -Cu/ICG@PCM) that enables H 2 O 2 /O 2 self-supplementation and GSH depletion. The 808 nm laser induces the heat generation of photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) to initiate a series of reactions, followed by the production of copper ions, H 2 O 2 , O 2 and large amounts of Ca2+, which can eventually lead to the combined treatment of photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and calcium overload. Additionally, the reaction process is accompanied by the generation of Ca(OH) 2 , which greatly improves the acidic environment of TME and effectively promotes the oxidation process of GSH by H 2 O 2 , achieving the purpose of remodeling TME. It is worth mentioning that a large amount of free Ca2+ accumulating in tumor cells can rapidly initiate the process of calcium overload and calcification, which can not only play a role in tumor suppression, but also assist CT imaging to detect the effect of treatment. Thus, CaO 2 -Cu/ICG@PCM could be a promising candidate for bioimaging and tumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has exceeded 18% with narrow bandgap, non-fullerene materials Y6 or its derivatives when used as an electron acceptor. The PCE improvement of OPVs is due to strong photon harvesting in near-infrared light range and low energy loss. Meanwhile, ternary strategy is commonly recognized as a convenient and efficient means to improve the PCE of OPVs. In this review article, typical donor and acceptor materials in prepared efficient OPVs are summarized. From the device engineering perspective, the typical research work on ternary strategy and tandem structure is introduced for understanding the device design and materials selection for preparing efficient OPVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation fluctuation is sensitive to climate change, and this response exhibits a time lag. Traditionally, scholars estimated this lag effect by considering the immediate prior lag (e.g., where vegetation in the current month is impacted by the climate in a certain prior month) or the lag accumulation (e.g., where vegetation in the current month is impacted by the last several months). The essence of these two methods is that vegetation growth is impacted by climate conditions in the prior period or several consecutive previous periods, which fails to consider the different impacts coming from each of those prior periods. Therefore, this study proposed a new approach, the weighted time-lag method, in detecting the lag effect of climate conditions coming from different prior periods. Essentially, the new method is a generalized extension of the lag-accumulation method. However, the new method detects how many prior periods need to be considered and, most importantly, the differentiated climate impact on vegetation growth in each of the determined prior periods. We tested the performance of the new method in the Loess Plateau by comparing various lag detection methods by using the linear model between the climate factors and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The case study confirmed four main findings: (1) the response of vegetation growth exhibits time lag to both precipitation and temperature; (2) there are apparent differences in the time lag effect detected by various methods, but the weighted time-lag method produced the highest determination coefficient (R2) in the linear model and provided the most specific lag pattern over the determined prior periods; (3) the vegetation growth is most sensitive to climate factors in the current month and the last month in the Loess Plateau but reflects a varied of responses to other prior months; and (4) the impact of temperature on vegetation growth is higher than that of precipitation. The new method provides a much more precise detection of the lag effect of climate change on vegetation growth and makes a smart decision about soil conservation and ecological restoration after severe climate events, such as long-lasting drought or flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SREBP-1c is oncogenic via fatty acid and lipid synthesis alters lipogenesis. • Fatty acid related metabolic synthetase is required for tumorigenesis. • Specific fatty acid of palmitic acid is a tumor suppressor gene in fatty acid metabolism. • Inhibition of SREBP-1c is a potential strategy in the treatment of Gastric cancer. Aggressively growing tumors are characterized by significant variations in metabolites, including lipids, and can involve the elevated synthesis of de novo fatty acids. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)-based metabolomics and lipidomics were performed to compare human gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues from clinical patients. A series of cellular and molecular biological methods were applied to validate the lipidomics results. Palmitic acid (PA) was found to be significantly downregulated in gastric cancer tissues, and it was found that a high concentration of PA specifically inhibited cell proliferation and impaired cell invasiveness and migration in vitro in AGS, SGC-7901, and MGC-803 gastric cancer cell lines. Moreover, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1c) was activated in human gastric cancer tissues, and it promoted the expression of a series of genes associated with the synthesis of fatty acids, such as SCD1 and FASN. SREBP-1c knockdown rescued the migration and invasion defects in AGS and SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells. Taken together, our findings confirmed the variation in fatty acid synthesis in gastric cancer and identified SREBP-1c as a promising target for gastric cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Honeycomb MnO 2 with catalase-like activity can produce O 2 inside solid tumors. • The HA coating endowed the MCIH with the ability of actively targeted to the tumor site. • CuS nanoparticles and ICG molecules were loaded on with high loading rate (66.8% and 80.22%, respectively). • The released ICG and Mn2+ could be used for fluorescent imaging and T 1 -weighted MR imaging. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the internal environment where tumor cells grow and develop. Constructing TME-activatable, specific imaging and treatment system is highly desired for accurate cancer diagnosis and therapy. Herein, by utilizing the degrading ability of honeycomb MnO 2 in the TME, a tumor-targeted and O 2 -evolving photothermal/photodynamic therapeutic nanoplatform with dual-modal imaging capability was designed and fabricated. In the structure, self-assembled MnO 2 was regarded as a carrier for cargo loading and O 2 production, and subsequently the CuS nanoparticles (NPs) and indocyanine green (ICG) molecules with ultra- high loading characteristics (CuS NPs could be loaded up to nearly 66.8% and ICG molecules could be loaded up to 80.22%) were loaded and further wrapped in hyaluronic acid (HA), endowing the system with the capability for specific interaction with CD44 over-expressed on tumor cells. Upon irradiation with 808 nm laser, the photothermal therapy (PTT) effects of the CuS NPs and ICG molecules would be triggered with satisfactory photostability. The degradation of the carrier could generate O 2 , thus solving the problem of hypoxia in the TME. Simultaneously, the released ICG molecules could also exert strong photodynamic therapy (PDT) effects when activated by the same light. Indeed, PTT and PDT are two kinds of light-mediated treatment. Moreover, the recovered fluorescence of the ICG molecules and the released Mn2+ resulted in excellent fluorescent imaging and T 1 -weighted MR imaging. An imaging directed synergistic phototherapy has thereby been realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug delivery systems (DDSs) have emerged to help delivering the required cargo into the region of the tumor, achieving the objectives of extenuating the potential damage to the body and improving the therapeutic effectiveness. Here, we developed a one-pot process for encapsulating the unstable and hydrophobic d -α-Tocopherol succinate (α-TOS) in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) compounds (defined as α-TOS@ZIF-8) and subsequently coated with a hyaluronic acid (HA) shell to form the HA/α-TOS@ZIF-8 nanoplatform. Of particular note was when the concentration of α-TOS is l mg/mL, the loading rate was high up to 43.03 wt%. The study verified that HA shell, which could act as a smart "switch" and tumor-targeted "guider", had the capacity for extending blood circulation, enhancing the tumor-specific accumulation of DDS via CD44-mediated pathway. HA shell could be disintegrated by hyaluronidase (HAase) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the wrapped α-TOS@ZIF-8 exposed, thus leading to the decomposition of ZIF-8 in tumor acidic microenvironment to release the loaded α-TOS. Therefore, the HA/α-TOS@ZIF-8 nanoplatform has been achieved as a tumor-specific and on-demand drug delivery system, which improved the treatment efficiency. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March of this year, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and it continues to threaten public health. This global health crisis imposes limitations on daily movements, which have deteriorated every sector in our society. Understanding public reactions to the virus and the non-pharmaceutical interventions should be of great help to fight COVID-19 in a strategic way. We aim to provide tangible evidence of the human mobility trends by comparing the day-by-day variations across the U.S. from January 2020 to early April 2020. Large-scale public mobility at an aggregated level is observed by leveraging mobile device location data and the measures related to social distancing. Our study captures spatial and temporal heterogeneity as well as the sociodemographic variations and teleworking trends regarding the pandemic propagation and the non-pharmaceutical mobility interventions. All metrics adapted capture decreased public movements after the national emergency declaration. The population staying home has increased in all states before the stay-at-home mandates implemented and becomes more stable after the order with a smaller range of fluctuation. The public had been taking active responses, voluntarily staying home more, to the in-state confirmed cases while the stay-at-home orders stabilize the variations. As the estimated teleworking rates also continue to incline throughout the study period, the teleworking trend can be another driving factor for the growing stay-at-home population. We confirm that there exists overall mobility heterogeneity between the income or population density groups. The study suggests that public mobility trends are in line with the government message urging to stay home. We anticipate our data-driven analysis offers integrated perspectives and serves as evidence to raise public awareness and, consequently, reinforce the importance of social distancing while assisting policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, traffic-related sources are considered to be one of the major contributors to air pollutants in urban areas. As the number of motor vehicles increases, the impact of traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPs) on human health has also increased in recent years. People are easily exposed to TRAPs in their daily lives. However, long-term exposure to TRAPs can have adverse health effects. Mobile monitoring is more flexible compared to traditional urban monitoring stations and can effectively obtain the spatial variation characteristics of air pollutants. We mounted a sensor package on an electric bicycle and conducted mobile measurements of CO, NO2 and SO2 on a circular road in the center of Shaoxing, a city in the center of the Yangtze Delta, China. The CO, NO2 and SO2 concentrations were observed to be higher in the morning and evening rush hours, and the three pollutants show different seasonal and spatial variation characteristics. CO concentration was higher in urban arterial and crossroads. NO2 concentration was variable, alternating between high and low concentrations. SO2 concentration was relatively stable and aggregated. This study provides important information on the spatial and temporal variations of TRAPs, which helps commuters understand how to effectively reduce pollutant exposure during personal travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parental exposure to tebuconazole induced thyroid endocrine disruption in F0 and F1. • Diminished T 4 levels were found in F1 eggs/larvae. • Increased mRNA expression of ugt1ab was observed in F0 and F1 zebrafish. • Developmental toxicity was observed in F1 larvae after parental exposure. Azole fungicides are one class of the most extensively applied current-use pesticides. Tebuconazole is a common azole fungicide that has been frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems, thus raising concerns about its ecological safety. However, adverse effects of tebuconazole remain largely unknown, especially with regard to endocrine function in aquatic organisms. In the present study, sexually immature zebrafish were exposed to different concentrations of tebuconazole (0.05, 0.20 and 0.50 mg/L) for 60 days in order to test for transgenerational toxicity on the thyroid endocrine system. Thyroid hormone homeostasis, neuronal, and cardiovascular development were investigated in the F1 generation, which were reared in tebuconazole-free water. In the F0 generation, exposure to 0.20 and 0.50 mg/L tebuconazole reduced both thyroxine (T 4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T 3) levels in females, while the T 3 levels were unchanged in males. Decreased heart rate was found in F1 larvae, as well as diminished T 4 levels in F1 eggs/larvae. We also observed significantly increased expression of ugt1ab mRNA in two generations of zebrafish. Moreover, expression of mRNA associated with neuronal development (e.g. α1-tubulin , mbp , ga p43) and cardiovascular development (e.g. cacna1ab , tnncal) were significantly downregulated in F1 larvae at 5 and 10 dpf. In addition, tebuconazole was detected in F1 eggs following parental exposure, indicating maternal transfer. This study demonstrated that tebuconazole can be transferred to offspring from exposed parents, causing thyroid endocrine disruption and developmental toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Developing effective and "green" approaches to handle aquatic pollution problems is currently one of the most important research subjects of environmental remediation. In this paper, an environmentally friendly, low cost, self-cleaning, highly stable and multifunctional TiO 2 enhanced Sodium alginate composite (SAT) aerogel for oil-water separation is developed via a simple combined ionic cross-linking and freeze drying method. The morphological, structural and surface chemical properties of the as-prepared SAT aerogels is characterized by scanning electric microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Flourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The characterizations demonstrate that the SAT aerogel is of three-dimensional porous microstructure with uniformly dispersed TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) on alginate matrix. The hydrophilic alginate matrix combined with this unique morphostructure will ensure the SAT aerogels with underwater oleophobicity and subsequent excellent oil/water separation efficiency (up to 99.7%). Moreover, the firmly attached TiO 2 NPs can also endow the aerogel with better UV-aging resistance, photoinduced self-cleaning and environmental remediation performance. The SAT aerogel exhibits better oil/water separation reusability (at least 60 cycles) compared to SA aerogel and excellent photocatalytic performance for methyl orange (MO) degradation (>85% after 6 times repeated use). The "green" facile fabrication process, excellent oil/water separation, photoinduced self-cleaning and reusable performances make the SAT aerogel promising for practical application in aquatic environments. This work may open up new avenues for designing versatile aerogel for wastewater remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For SiC p /Al composites, the stability of the interface between SiC particles (SiC p ) and matrix is crucial. A novel method, in-situ coating of ex-situ SiC p , is developed in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys within this research. The microstructure, growth mechanism and strengthening behavior of the ex-situ SiC p with in-situ SiC coating were studied. Microstructure observation shows that due to the formation of in-situ coating, the interfacial bonding of ex-situ SiC p and matrix is improved. Further research reveals the epitaxial growth character of the in-situ SiC coating which has the same structure with ex-situ SiC p . The ex-situ SiC p with in-situ SiC coating is easily introduced into complex Al-Si alloys and the tensile strength of the alloy at both room temperature and 350 °C is improved remarkably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Epileptogenesis is a process of seizure development. Lamotrigine is a novel antiepileptic drug which is also used for antiepileptogenic research. Kindling models are recommended as potentially useful tools for antiepileptogenic treatment discovery. However, previous studies demonstrated that the antiepileptogenic effect of lamotrigine is controversial in the electrical kindling model. Chemical kindling such as with pentylenetetrazole is another kindling model. The aims of this study were to examine whether lamotrigine could prevent the development of seizure in pentylenetetrazole kindling rats. Methods Female rats were kindled by subconvulsive doses of pentylenetetrazole (35 mg/kg) once every other day for 15 times. Thereafter, the kindled rats received different doses of lamotrigine (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) before pentylenetetrazole to observe the anticonvulsant effect. For the antiepileptogenic experiment, rats were kindled as the same way while pretreated (1 h) with different doses of lamotrigine (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) before each injection of pentylenetetrazole. After a washout period for 1 week, the rats were administrated with pentylenetetrazole again for 3 times. The seizures were recorded each time. Later it was in vivo electrophysiological experiments followed with histologic analysis. Results For the anticonvulsant experiment lamotrigine dose-dependently suppressed pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. Here, 20 mg/kg of lamotrigine pretreatment significantly blocked the seizure development in rats for their seizure stages remained longer in 1-3 during the kindling phase. Mean seizure stages or generalized seizure durations in the 10 and 20 mg/kg lamotrigine pretreated groups were significantly lower or shorter when received 3 times of pentylenetetrazole after the washout period. Electrophysiological study also demonstrated 20 mg/kg of lamotrigine pretreatment obviously eliminated increased population spike amplitude in hippocampus. However, different doses of lamotrigine pretreatment could not alleviate severity of hippocampal neuronal damage. Conclusions The results suggest that adequate doses of lamotrigine can prevent seizure development in the pentylenetetrazole kindling rat model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obvious volume change and the dissolution of polysulfide as well as sluggish kinetics are serious issues for the development of high performance metal sulfide anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), which usually result in fast capacity fading during continuous sodiation and desodiation processes. In this work, by utilizing a Prussian blue analogue as functional precursors, small Fe-doped CoS2 nanoparticles spatially confined in N-doped carbon spheres with rich porosity were synthesized through facile successive precipitation, carbonization, and sulfurization processes, leading to the formation of bayberry-like Fe-doped CoS2/N-doped carbon spheres (Fe-CoS2/NC). By introducing a suitable amount of FeCl3 in the starting materials, the optimal Fe-CoS2/NC hybrid spheres with the designed composition and pore structure exhibited superior cycling stability (621 mA h g−1 after 400 cycles at 1 A g−1) and improved the rate capability (493 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1). This work provides a new avenue for the rational design and synthesis of high performance metal sulfide-based anode materials toward SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we investigated the effects of palmitic acid (PA) on multiple human gastric cancer cell lines and combined them with the results from clinical gastric cancer and paracancerous tissue samples. Our findings demonstrated that PA exerted anti-gastric cancer effects by regulating key molecules in the signal transduction and activation of a transcription 3 (STAT3) protein inhibitor of the activated STAT 3 (PIAS3) signaling pathway. Our results serve as a foundation for further research on the correlation between the anti-gastric cancer activity of PA and the STAT3-PIAS3 signaling pathway. Our results also represent a critical step toward understanding gastric cancer prevention and prognosis and promoting PA supplementation as a gastric cancer treatment. Lipidomic analyses have suggested that palmitic acid (PA) is linked to gastric cancer. However, its effects and action mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of PA on cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis in human gastric cancer, as well as the role of p-STAT3 in mediating its effects. The results of the MTT and colony formation assays revealed that PA blocked gastric cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. The EdU-DNA assay indicated that 50 μM of PA could block gastric cell proliferation by 30.6–80.0%. The Transwell assay also confirmed the concentration dependence of PA-induced inhibitory effect on cell invasion. The flow cytometry analysis indicated that PA treatment for 18 h could induce gastric cancer cell apoptosis. The immunohistochemical staining revealed that p-STAT3 levels were higher in the gastric cancer tissues than in the control tissues. We demonstrated that PA treatment for 12 h decreased the expressions of p-STAT3, p-JAK2, N-cadherin, and vimentin, and inhibited the nuclear expression of p-STAT3 in gastric cancer cells. Finally, PA treatment (50 mg/kg) decreased gastric cancer growth (54.3%) in the xenograft models. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that PA inhibits cell proliferation and invasion and induces human gastric cancer cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notwithstanding immune checkpoint blocking (ICB) therapy has made eminent clinical breakthroughs, overcoming immunologically "cold" tumors remains challenging. Here, a cascade potentiated nanomodulator AuPtAg‐GOx is engineered for boosting immune responsiveness. Upon 1064 nm laser irradiation, AuPtAg‐mediated mild photothermal therapy (PTT) activates cytotoxic T lymphocytes and reverses the immunogenic "cold" tumor microenvironment. Further, to amplify the thermal sensitivity of tumor cells, glucose oxidase (GOx) is introduced to suppress the production of heat shock proteins, thereby promoting mild photothermal therapy. Complementarily, AuPtAg nanozymes with catalase‐like activity can ameliorate tumor hypoxia, significantly improving the GOx activity. As a result, the combination of AuPtAg‐GOx with self‐augmented photothermal ability and PD‐L1 antibody can further escalate the antitumor efficacy. The AuPtAg‐GOx‐based synergistic starvation therapy, mild PTT, and immunotherapy cascade enhancement therapy strategy can be a favorable tool to effectively kill cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To investigate the relationship between hypertension status, hippocampus/hippocampal subregion structural alteration, and cognitive performance in subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Methods. All participants were divided into two groups according to blood pressure status: SCD without hypertension and SCD with hypertension. The cognitive assessments and T1-MPRAGE brain MRI were performed to measure the cognitive function and the volume of the hippocampus and hippocampal subregions. Association and mediating/moderating effects were analyzed between the volume of hippocampus/hippocampal subregions and cognitive scores. Results. Compared to the SCD without hypertension, we found (1) increased reaction time (RT) of the Go/No go test, compatible test, and divided attention visual task and (2) decreased volume of the left whole hippocampal/left subiculum/left CA1/left presubiculum/left parasubiculum/left molecular layer HP/left GC-ML-DG/left HATA in SCD with hypertension. There was a significant negative association between the volume of the left GC-ML-DG and Go/No go test RT in SCD without hypertension. A significant moderating effect of hypertension status on the relationship between the volume of the left GC-ML-DG and Go/No go test RT was found. Conclusion. The results suggested that hypertension status affects inhibitory control function and visual divided attention which may be related to the reduction of hippocampus/hippocampal subregion volume in SCD. Limitations. The study has several limitations. First, this study does not include a healthy control group. In further studies, healthy controls may need to assess the interaction between hypertension status and disease status on cognitive function. Second, we defined the hypertension status using with or without hypertension disease. More detailed parameters of hypertension status need to be further studied. Third, our study was a small number of participants/single-center and cross-sectional study, which may hinder its generalization. A large-sample/multicenter, longitudinal study is helpful to comprehensively understand the relationship between hypertension status and cognitive function in SCD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface modification is an important way to get better performance from organic solar cells (OSCs). A natural biomolecular material methionine was successfully applied as the electron transport layer (ETL) to the inverted OSCs in this work. A series of optical, morphological, and electrical characterizations of thin films and devices were used to analyze the surface modification effects of methionine on zinc oxide (ZnO). The analysis results show that the surface modification of ZnO with methionine can cause significantly reduced surface defects for ZnO, optimized surface morphology of ZnO, improved compatibility between ETL and the active layer, better-matched energy levels between ETL and the acceptor, reduced interface resistance, reduced charge recombination, and enhanced charge transport and collection. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of OSCs based on PM6:BTP-ec9 was improved to 15.34% from 14.25% by modifying ZnO with methionine. This work shows the great application potential of natural biomolecule methionine in OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uterine rupture is an obstetrical emergency with serious undesired complications for laboring mothers resulting in fatal maternal and neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of uterine rupture, its association with previous uterine surgery and vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC), and the maternal and perinatal implications.Methods: This is a population-based retrospective study. All pregnant women treated for ruptured uterus in one center between 2013 and 2020 were included. Their information retrieved from the medical records department were reviewed retrospectively.Results: A total of 209,112 deliveries were included and 41 cases of uterine rupture were identified. The incidence of uterine rupture was 1.96/10000 births. Among the 41 cases, 16 (39.0%) had maternal and fetal complications. There were no maternal deaths secondary to uterine rupture, while perinatal fatality related to uterine rupture was 7.3%. Among all cases, 38 (92.7%) were scarred uterus and 3 (7.3%) were unscarred uterus. The most common cause of uterine rupture was previous cesarean section, while cases with a history of laparoscopic myomectomy were more likely to have serious adverse outcomes, such as fetal death. 24 (59.0%) of the ruptures occurred in anterior lower uterine segment. Changes in Fetal heart rate monitoring were the most reliable signs for rupture.Conclusions: Incidence of uterine rupture in the study area, Shanghai, China was consistent with developed countries. Further improvements in obstetric care and enhanced collaboration with referring health facilities were needed to ensure maternal and perinatal safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Calmodulin (CaM) is a ubiquitous protein in eukaryotic cells, and it plays an important role in cancer progression. In this paper, a highly sensitive immunosensor adopting a dual-layered enzyme strategy was proposed for electrochemical detection of CaM. This immunosensor was constructed by introducing honeycomb-like mesoporous carbon (HMPC) as a sensor platform to sequentially immobilize antibody (Ab1), CaM and a multi-functionalized label. The label (HRP-PAupc-Ab1) was synthesized by covalently binding Ab1 and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to poly(acrylic acid)-functionalized Au popcorn (PAupc) nanoparticles. A novel dual-layered enzyme strategy was employed by incubating HRP-secondary antibody (HRP-Ab2) onto the label surface and the enhanced biocatalyzed precipitation was therefore induced. This immunosensor exhibited satisfactory analytical performances for CaM detection with a linear response ranging from 5.0pgmL−1 to 100ngmL−1 and a detection limit of 1.5pgmL−1. The immunosensor has also been successfully applied to the CaM analysis in two cancer cells (HepG2 and MCF-7) with high sensitivity, which has shown great potency for cancer study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Morphology evolution of ZrAlSi phase in Al–18Si–xZr alloys was detected. [•] The morphology transforms from flake-like to block-like with Zr content. [•] Effect of different morphological ZrAlSi on the properties of an A–Si piston alloy was studied. [•] Blocky ZrAlSi phase is good for the elevated-temperature tensile strength. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, a new Al–17Si–2.5P master alloy has been successfully prepared to refine primary Si in hypereutectic A390 alloys. By means of electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), a large number of AlP particles can be found in the Al–17Si–2.5P master alloy. An orthogonal L9(33) test was designed to investigate the integrated effects of refining factors including phosphorus addition level, melting temperature and holding time, and subsequently to optimize the processing parameters. It is found that under the optimized conditions, i.e., phosphorus addition of 375 ppm, melting temperature of 800 °C, and holding time of 30 min, the average sizes of primary Si can be most remarkably decreased from 116 μm to 14 μm with sphere-like morphology. Meanwhile, the Brinell hardness and tensile strength can be significantly increased by 14.1 and 27.8%, respectively. In addition, thermal analysis is also performed with differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) to analyze the solidification process of Al–18Si alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HMLB is degraded by high concentrations of GSH in tumor cells, leading to the release of Mn2+ and LPT. A combination of Mn2+-mediated CDT and dual pathway-activated cGSA-STING immunotherapy is used to inhibit tumor growth. [Display omitted] • HMLB is triggered only inside the tumor to achieve precise treatment of the tumor. • Degradation of HMLB in TME depletes GSH, which enhances the CDT effect of Mn2+. • Large amounts of free Mn2+ can activate the cGAS-STING pathway for immunotherapy. • Released LPT inhibits HER2 and mitigates its antagonistic effect on cGAS-STING. The cyclic-GMP-AMP synthetase stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is a naturally occurring immune pathway activated by cytosolic DNA. The end products of this pathway are type I interferon (type I IFN) and multiple cytokines, which have been utilized to carry out anti-tumor therapy in recent years. However, human embryonic growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), which is highly expressed in a variety of tumor cells, can inhibit the cGAS-STING pathway through phosphorylation, seriously interfering with the normal expression of this pathway. Therefore, if HER2 inhibition is not taken into account when activating the cGAS-STING pathway, the effectiveness of the STING pathway will be greatly reduced. Herein, we developed a nanosystem hMnO x -LPT@BSA (HMLB) with STING pathway activation for overcoming tumor suppression and enhancing immune response. In the presence of glutathione (GSH), honeycomb MnO x (hMnO x , HM) degraded and released a large amount of Mn2+, which could not only produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill tumor cells through a Fenton-like reaction but also bind to STING pathway components to improve cytosolic DNA detection. In response to the high expression of HER2 in tumor cells, the HER2-specific inhibitor Lapatinib (LPT) was introduced to promote cGAS-STING pathway-based immunotherapy together with Mn2+. The synergistic effect of the dual approach activation of the STING pathway and Mn2+-dependent chemodynamic therapy (CDT) could achieve the goals of inhibiting tumor growth and inducing immune responses. Therefore, we believe that this therapeutic strategy has a promising potential for further clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tebuconazole is widely used as fungicide and has frequently been detected at elevated concentrations in environmental media. To characterize the potential toxicity of tebuconazole on vertebrate and humans. Using zebrafish as a vertebrate model, the toxic effects in liver that produced by low-toxic concentrations of tebuconazole were assessed in adult zebrafish. We further focused on tebuconazole-induced toxicity and its possible mechanism in larval zebrafish using a hepatotoxicity assay. The induction of oxidative stress in adult fish was evaluated by superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity, and the increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio. Significantly increased enzyme activity was observed in the liver of male and female fish at both exposure and depuration stage. Exposure to maximum non-lethal (MNLC) concentration of tebuconazole from 72 to 120 h post-fertilization (hpf) affected the liver size and yolk retention in larval zebrafish. Decreased fluorescence intensity was observed in larval Tg(Apo14:GFP) zebrafish, indicating liver degeneration after tebuconazole treated. Histopathological examination confirmed the alterations in liver histoarchitecture in exposed zebrafish. Significant 1.28-fold and 1.65-fold increases in reactive oxygen species levels were observed in juveniles exposed to MNLC and lethal concentration 10 (LC 10) group, respectively. The acridine orange staining assay showed that apoptotic cells occurred in the liver regions. These results indicated that tebuconazole exposure resulted in impacts on the ecological risk in fish and vertebrate. Overall, the present study suggested further research in needed to better understand the tebuconazole-induced toxicity mechanism that associated with oxidative stress. Image 1 • Tebuconazole induced hepatotoxicity in both adult and larval zebrafish. • Tg(Apo14: GFP) zebrafish was used for hepatotoxicity assay. • Histopathological results showed alterations in liver histoarchitecture after exposure. • ROS-mediated pathway might induce apoptosis in zebrafish after tebuconazole exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current conventional photo-therapeutic agents often show low therapy efficacy because of their single treatment model, the limited penetration depth of excitation light and hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a new type of phthalocyanine manganese (MnPcE 4) photosensitizer with strong NIR absorption was designed and fabricated for the first time, and was used to modify pure Bi nanomaterials to obtain an intelligent multifunctional Bi/MnPcE 4 nanocomposites. The Mn2+ in the Bi/MnPcE 4 nanocomposite could catalyze H 2 O 2 to generate O 2 , thus helping to overcome TME hypoxia and enhancing the photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy. Further, the nanocomposites showed excellent T 1 -weighted MRI performance. Our novel use of a pure metal Bi core, offers lower toxicity, higher CT imaging performance, and a photothermal therapy (PTT) effect triggered by 808 nm near infrared (NIR) laser. Moreover, in vivo fluorescence imaging (in vivo FL) vividly showed that the nanocomposite rapidly accumulates in tumor sites due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and metabolized in the organs. The presence of Bi enables the use of these nanocomposites as a CT contrast agent, and the Mn content enables them to be used in MRI. This triple imaging ability implies that our nanocomposites have a high potential for use in imaging directed tumor therapy. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method of atmospheric pressure gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS) for the analysis of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in human serum was developed. Better sensitivity and selectivity were achieved compared to conventional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-MS/MS. The limits of detection (LODs) of OCPs ranged from 0.22 to 0.90 pg/mL for the analysis in serum samples. The recoveries and repeatability of the developed method were evaluated from the analysis of spiked serum at three levels (0.05, 0.5, and 5 ng/mL). The recoveries ranged from 84.5 to 118.2%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 20%. The developed APGC-MS/MS method was applied to measure OCPs in pooled human serum from the interlaboratory comparison study. The obtained results of OCPs were within the acceptable ranges. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of OCPs in human serum samples with the sample volume of up to 100 μL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-strength Al-based alloys that can operate at 250 °C and above remains a challenge. In this study, a heat-resistant and high-strength (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–Fe–Mn composite is designed using the liquid–solid reaction and hot extrusion. The strengthening phases, including sub-micron TiC, micron Al 3 (Fe, Mn), nano-sized AlN, and nano-sized Al 3 (Fe, Mn), in which the in–situ AlN particles are distributed in the matrix as networks, exhibit an attractive strengthening effect. Based on the results of electron backscatter diffraction, the extruded (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–Fe–Mn composite prefers to form fiber texture in the longitudinal and cross-section:<111> Al //ED. And the average grain size of (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–0.3Fe–0.1Mn composite is 0.69 µm. The ultimate tensile strength of the (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–Fe–Mn composite is as high as 215 MPa at 350 °C. And the high-temperature elongation of the (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–Fe–Mn composite is maintained while increasing the high-temperature strength. The improved performance of the (4TiC + 5AlN)/All–Fe–Mn is attributed to the synergistic effect of the multi-scale Al 3 (Fe, Mn) phases and particles. Furthermore, the formed micrometer Al 3 (Fe, Mn) phases are used to regulate the distribution of the TiC and AlN particles. The nano-Al 3 (Fe, Mn) dispersoids that precipitated during the homogenization can enhance the high-temperature deformation resistance of the matrix. In particular, the Fe and Mn atoms tend to aggregate at the TiC/Al interface, effectively modifying the interfaces between ex-situ TiC particles and the Al matrix. The modified interfaces of TiC/Al are beneficial to load transfer strengthening. The strengthening mechanisms of the (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–Fe–Mn composite have been analyzed in detail, and the main strength–increasing mechanisms are calculated from the microstructural data. This work may provide an important approach to preparing heat-resistant Al matrix composites with strength-ductility matching. • The UTS of (4TiC + 5AlN)/Al–0.3Fe–0.1Mn composite at 350 °C can reach 215 MPa and maintain a certain degree of ductility. • The synergistic effect of particles and multi-scale Fe/Mn enrichment is responsible for the enhanced UTS of A 3 composite. • The main strengthening mechanisms of A 3 composite were calculated through the microstructural data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article [1] because Figure 6a and 6b show overlap with Figure 4b in [2]. An investigation by Zhengzhou University has confirmed that these figures overlap. The data reported in this article are therefore unreliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]