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Incident Ti–Si poisoning when applying traditional agents of microstructure manipulation in Al–Si alloys is always adverse to realize multilevel microstructure control. This work combined the manipulation by physically formed in-situ nano-ceramics from Fe79.58B11.26Si9.26 amorphous alloy and the micro-alloying to comprehensively improve the microstructure configuration of Al–7.0Si–4.0Cu alloy. It was suggested that micro-alloying of Mg and Sb prominently refined α-Al dendrites and eutectic silicon. Micro-alloying with Mg increased the nucleating temperature of α-Al, meanwhile Mg atoms can hinder the growth of α-Al and eutectic silicon. Sb atoms can also be adsorbed to the growth interfaces of eutectic silicon hindering the growth process. On this basis, trace Fe79.58B11.26Si9.26 amorphous alloy brought further optimization on α-Al dendrites and eutectic silicon, especially Al2Cu and Mg2Si, realizing the multilevel microstructure control. In-situ Fe2B and Fe3Si nano-ceramics were confirmed to have low lattice misfits with α-Al and silicon, serving as efficient nucleation sites and growth retardants. After combined micro-alloying and manipulation, the mean sizes of α-Al and eutectic silicon were significantly refined by 72.7% and 79.9%, respectively, meanwhile, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and plastic strain (δ) were improved to 480 MPa and 9.4%, corresponding to 30.1% and 77.4% improvement, respectively. This work provides new mentality to realize multilevel microstructure control and improvement of strength–toughness synergy in Al–Si alloys.

Abstract In the widely used Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury (ALI) mouse model, hepatocytes are known to die from programmed cell death (PCD) processes including apoptosis and necroptosis. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that CCl4 treatment could induce both apoptosis and necroptosis. Treatment of mice with the apoptosis inducer SMAC mimetic reduced necroptosis, led to less pronounced liver damage, and improved overall liver function. By LC-MS/MS, we found that PP2Acα expression was increased in ALI mice liver, and we confirmed its high expression in subacute hepatitis patients. We observed that ALI severity (including aggravated fibrogenesis) was significantly alleviated in hepatocyte-specific PP2Acα conditional knockout (PP2Acα cKO) mice. Furthermore, the relative extent of apoptosis over necroptosis was increased in the PP2Acα cKO ALI mice. Pursuing the idea that biasing the type of PCD towards apoptosis may reduce liver damage, we found that treatment of PP2Acα cKO ALI mice with the apoptosis inhibitor z-Vad-fmk increased the extent of necroptosis and caused severer damage. Mechanistically, disruption of PP2Acα prevents the dephosphorylation of pASK1(Ser967), thereby preventing the sustained activation of JNK. Inhibition of PP2Acα prevents CCl4-induced liver injury and fibrogenesis by disrupting ASK/JNK pathway mediated PCD signaling, ultimately improving liver function by biasing hepatocytes towards an apoptotic rather than necroptotic cell fate. Thus, targeting PP2A and/or ASK1 to favor apoptotic over necroptotic hepatocyte fate may represent an attractive therapeutic strategy for treating ALI.

Underwater optical communication is a new and feasible underwater communication technology, which has developed rapidly in recent years. To build a high-performance and practical underwater optical communication system, it is necessary to consider and optimize the design from the device to the system, from the internal modulation to the external environment. This paper summarizes the current problems of underwater optical communication from the aspects of underwater optical communication system transmitter and receiver, modulation format and underwater channel. The paper also classifies and summarizes the three key technologies of improving underwater optical communication distance, communication rate and communication stability, and gives the possible solutions. It provides reference for the follow-up system design and experimental research.

Abstract Millions of adenosine (A) to inosine (I) RNA editing events are reported and well‐studied in eukaryotes; however, many features and functions remain unclear in prokaryotes. By combining PacBio Sequel, Illumina whole‐genome sequencing, and RNA Sequencing data of two Klebsiella pneumoniae strains with different virulence, a total of 13 RNA editing events are identified. The RNA editing event of badR is focused, which shows a significant difference in editing levels in the two K. pneumoniae strains and is predicted to be a transcription factor. A hard‐coded Cys is mutated on DNA to simulate the effect of complete editing of badR. Transcriptome analysis identifies the cellular quorum sensing (QS) pathway as the most dramatic change, demonstrating the dynamic regulation of RNA editing on badR related to coordinated collective behavior. Indeed, a significant difference in autoinducer 2 activity and cell growth is detected when the cells reach the stationary phase. Additionally, the mutant strain shows significantly lower virulence than the WT strain in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Furthermore, RNA editing regulation of badR is highly conserved across K. pneumoniae strains. Overall, this work provides new insights into posttranscriptional regulation in bacteria.

Complex regional pain syndrome characterized by severe pain and dysfunction seriously affects patients’ quality of life. Exercise therapy is gaining attention because it can effectively relieve pain and improve physical function. Based on the previous studies, this article summarized the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of exercise interventions for complex regional pain syndrome, and described the gradual multistage exercise program. Exercises suitable for patients with complex regional pain syndrome mainly include graded motor imagery, mirror therapy, progressive stress loading training, and progressive aerobic training. In general, exercise training for patients with complex regional pain syndrome not only alleviates pain but also improves physical function and positive mental status. The underlying mechanisms of exercise interventions for complex regional pain syndrome include the remodeling of abnormal central and peripheral nervous system, the regulation of vasodilation and adrenaline levels, the release of endogenous opioids, and the increased anti-inflammatory cytokines. This article provided a clear explanation and summary of the research on exercise for complex regional pain syndrome. In the future, more high-quality studies with sufficient sample sizes may provide more exercise regimens and better evidence of efficacy.

Nowadays, the development of plant extracts as corrosion inhibitors to protect metals from corrosion is a popular research direction. However, given the vast diversity of plant species in nature, it is imperative to explore effective methods to improve screening efficiency in order to quickly identify the corrosion inhibition potential of plants. In this work, a new strategy for developing plant-extracted eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors based on the family and genus of plants is proposed. Three plants of different genera in the Asteraceae family, including Artemisia argyi extract (AAE), Chrysanthemum indicum extract (CIE), and Centipeda minima extract (CME), were selected and successfully prepared as novel corrosion inhibitors for Q235 steel in a sulfuric acid solution. The corrosion inhibition behavior and corresponding mechanism were systematically investigated by using some electrochemical tests (open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) and surface characterizations (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The experimental results illustrated that the main components of the three extracts were similar and that when combined with KI as mixed-type corrosion inhibitors, they could dramatically slow down the metal corrosion rate. The maximum value of the corrosion inhibition efficiency reached 96.29%, 96.50%, and 97.52%, respectively, at 200 mg/L and could increase to 98.64%, 97.65%, and 99.06%, respectively, with a prolonged immersion time. A synergistic effect exists between the three plant extracts and KI, leading to the firm adsorption of the three plant extract molecules onto a Q235 steel surface, thereby forming a robust protective film. This work demonstrated that plants of different genera in the Asteraceae family possessed similar corrosion inhibition capabilities, providing a novel way to select potential corrosion inhibitors from numerous plants based on family and genus classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]