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To satisfy the requirement of the polarized light celestial positioning for the high precise information of solar spatial position, a new detecting method for the position of the sun by a new three channel polarization imaging system is proposed based on atmospheric polarization mode. The method is used to calculate the position of the sun by using the polarization information of the atmospheric polarization mode. Compared with the traditional method based on spot detection, the current one is an indirect calculation method to calculate the sun position by using the polarized light characters. This method has advantages such as wide field of view and high precision. The system consists of industrial CMOS lens, polarizer and fish-eye lens. We build up an experimental platform to verify the method based on theory. The experiment shows that the measurement accuracy is 0.02°. Therefore, this method not only meets the requirement of detection, but also provides a new solution for the field of the sun position detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breaching of a dam depends on the complex interaction between the dam and the backwater lake. Here, we conduct a series of experiments to investigate the failure mechanisms of landslide dams by considering debris composition and geomorphic parameters (dam height and lake volume), discern the failure mode and predict peak outflow rates of landslide dams in the field and in model tests. The failure modes of landslide dams are regulated by soil properties such as the shear strength and seepage. Failures of fine-grained and widely graded dams are induced by overtopping along with seepage instability and headcutting, respectively. Coarse-grained dams remain stable. Geomorphic parameters of dams govern the infilling time and affect the failure modes by the seepage. Seepage significantly reduces the stability of fine-grained dams and changes breach evolution and duration, while its effect on widely graded and coarse-grained dams is weak. Peak outflow rates of fine-grained dams are larger than those of widely graded dams with the same dam height due to larger breach depths and erosion rates. The peak outflow rate and breach duration are more related to the breach depth than the dam height because the influence of soil properties is considered in the former. Peak outflow rates of landslide dams are well predicted by a regression analysis with the lake volume, dam height and soil properties. Our results facilitate the understanding of breach mechanisms of landslide dams and prediction of peak outflow rates based on dam parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomedicines while showing a great potential in improving the performance of chemotherapeutics like docetaxel (DTX) are distressed by a high liver deposition and poor tumor penetration, which might not only cause liver toxicity but also moderate therapeutic effect. Herein, we report that cRGD-directed 24 nm disulfide-crosslinked micellar docetaxel (cRGD-MDTX) presents low liver accumulation, high tumor uptake, and deep tumor penetration, leading to the potent suppression of different solid tumors. cRGD-MDTX was optimized with a cRGD density of 4% and DTX loading of 10 wt%. Interestingly, cRGD-MDTX enabled an extraordinary tumor-liver ratio of 2.8/1 with a DTX uptake of 8.3 %ID/g in α v β 3 over-expressing PC3 prostate tumor. The therapeutic studies demonstrated striking antitumor effects of cRGD-MDTX toward PC3 prostate tumor, prostate cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDX), orthotopic A549-Luc lung cancer and orthotopic SKOV3-Luc ovarian tumor models, in which tumor growth was effectually inhibited and 6–8 times better improvement of median survival time over free DTX was observed. This small disulfide-crosslinked micellar drug capable of relegating liver deposition opens a new avenue to nanomedicines for targeted therapy. [Display omitted] • 24 nm disulfide-crosslinked biodegradable micellar docetaxel effectively mitigates liver deposition. • α v β 3 integrin-targeting combined with small size enables high tumor uptake and deep tumor penetration. • cRGD-MDTX induces superior chemotherapy of prostate, lung and ovarian tumors to free DTX. • cRGD-MDTX displays an extraordinary tumor-to-liver ratio of 2.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the transfer matrix method, the absorption properties of multilayer dielectric structures composed of the molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2), respectively, tungsten disulfide (WS 2) in the visible light range have been investigated theoretically and numerically. The MoS 2 and WS 2 are treated as surface conductivity with infinitesimal thickness. The results show that the absorptance can be modulated by the angle and polarization direction of the incident light, the number of layers and the thickness of the dielectric layers. Under the best selection of these factors, when only a monolayer of MoS 2 or WS 2 covers the surface of silicon, the absorptance can be increased to about 49.7% and 48.9%, respectively. The average value of the absorption of MoS 2 -based structures is greater than that of WS 2 under the same parameters. The investigation would broaden the applications based on MoS 2 /WS 2 optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gompertz growth plays an important role in simulating the development of animal, plants and cancer cells. We study a competitive model with the Gompertz growth, which is perturbed by environmental noises. The explicit threshold conditions are obtained for the stochastic permanence and extinction of the populations, which reveal how stochastic noises affect the competitive exclusion and coexistence of two competing populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica hollow microspheres with moonscape-like rough surface (RS) and macroporous surface (MS) have been controllably synthesized by a water–oil–water three-phase emulsion method, which are used as supports of the heterogeneous catalysts for the catalytic hydrogenation of nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR). It is found that Pd can be uniformly dispersed on both amino-functionalized RS and MS supports and both the catalysts show high hydrogenation activity with 100% selectivity to C=C bonds. However, the reusability of Pd/N-RS is much better than that of Pd/N-MS, maintaining 92% of activity without any regeneration treatment after five times of recycling experiment. The high activity retention is because the moonscape-like surface of the RS support is favorable for the contact of NBR macromolecules with the active sites, and more importantly, the NBR macromolecules do not need to diffuse into the interior of the catalyst, leading to fast desorption of the hydrogenated NBR from the surface of catalyst and re-exposure of the active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of resolution of digital elevation models (DEMs) and the increasing application of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) over large areas have created problems for the efficiency of calculating the LS factor for large data sets. The pretreatment for flat areas, flow accumulation, and slope-length calculation have traditionally been the most time-consuming steps. However, obtaining these features are generally usually considered as separate steps, and calculations still tend to be time-consuming. We developed an integrated method to improve the efficiency of calculating the LS factor. The calculation model contains algorithms for calculating flow direction, flow accumulation, slope length, and the LS factor. We used the Deterministic 8 method to develop flow-direction octrees (FDOTs), flat matrices (FMs) and first-in-first-out queues (FIFOQs) tracing the flow path. These data structures were much more time-efficient for calculating the slope length inside the flats, the flow accumulation, and the slope length linearly by traversing the FDOTs from their leaves to their roots, which can reduce the search scope and data swapping. We evaluated the accuracy and effectiveness of this integrated algorithm by calculating the LS factor for three areas of the Loess Plateau in China and SRTM DEM of China. The results indicated that this tool could substantially improve the efficiency of LS-factor calculations over large areas without reducing accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an orthogonal optical grating structure is demonstrated as a displacement sensing element. The grating is made with gradient periodicity and height on both sides of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate using an oxygen plasma treatment of prebent PDMS. Based on Fraunhofer diffraction effect, it is experimentally shown that any displacement can be quantitatively characterized in both the x and y directions with an estimated maximum error value of 0.4% and a resolution of 300 μm − 1 . With this simple and low cost technology, it is proved that this structure can operate as a single element sensor for vectorial displacement signals, which can be applied for vectorial displacement measurement and multi-axis integrated displacement sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sudden breach of a landslide dam seriously threatens the safety of people and property downstream. The failure mechanism of landslide dams is significantly affected by the grain size distribution of the dam material. In this study, a series of experiments are conducted to investigate the effects of grain composition on the stability, breach process, and breach parameters of landslide dams. The results show that dams remain stable with seepage for a coarse-dominated dam, fail by overtopping along with piping for a fines-dominated dam, and fail by overtopping alone for a balanced-composition dam. The failure mode is regulated by the composition of dam material, stress condition and hydraulic gradient. Backward erosion occurs for dams with fines contents <5 % due to the movement of debris, during which the width:depth ratio of the cross section first decreases and then increases. By contrast, for dams with fines contents higher than 15 %, headcutting occurs and a step-pool structure develops because the small grains are more easily washed away than the coarse grains. In this scenario, the width:depth ratio first increases and then decreases. Dam longevity nonlinearly increases with increasing fines content. The breach hydrography changes from a single peak to multiple peaks with increasing fines content, and the peak discharge is sensitive to the median diameter of dam material. In addition, the breach degree, defined as the ratio of the releasing potential energy (total potential energy minus the residual potential energy) to the total potential energy of the lake upstream of the landslide dam, is controlled by this median diameter. This study improves our understanding of failure mechanisms and aids the hazard assessment of landslide dams. • The fines content controls the breach pattern, longevity and peak discharge. • The fines content affects the evolution of both longitudinal and cross sections. • The proportions of silt, sand, and gravel affect the stability of landslide dams. • The median diameter of debris controls the morphology of a residual dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hierarchical Ni 3 S 2 @NMV-L/rGO heterostructure was prepared by heteroatom doping and electrodeposition methods. • The influences of V doping content on the electrochemical performances of NMV-L/rGO composites were investigated. • The Ni 3 S 2 @NMV-L/rGO electrode exhibits excellent specific capacity of 1412.0 C g−1 at 1 A g−1. • The assembled battery-supercapacitor hybrid (BSH) device exhibits desirable energy density of 60.0 W h kg−1 at 849.1 W kg−1. [Display omitted] Transition metal dopant engineering and rational architecture design have been proven to be effective strategies to improve the electrochemical energy storage properties of electrodes. Herein, V-doped NiMn-layered double hydroxide composites were supported on reduced graphene oxide-coated Ni foam (NMV-L/rGO) by a hydrothermal method. The influences of V content on the electrochemical performances of NMV-L/rGO composites were investigated in detail. At an optimal content of V doping (15%), the NMV-L/rGO-15 reveals enhanced electrochemical properties, and it is subsequently applied as the substrate for the electrodeposition of Ni 3 S 2 layer. Benefiting from the collaborative effect of NMV-L/rGO-15, Ni 3 S 2 , and rGO materials, as well as the unique hierarchical architecture, excellent electrochemical performance is obtained in the as-prepared Ni 3 S 2 @NMV-L/rGO-15 composite, which exhibits a high specific capacity of 1412.0 C g−1 at 1 A g−1 as well as desirable long-term stability of 89% over 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the as-fabricated battery-supercapacitor hybrid device (BSH) based on Ni 3 S 2 @NMV-L/rGO-15 and activated carbon (AC) electrodes displays a remarkable energy density of 60.0 W h kg−1 at the power density of 849.1 W kg−1 and superior capacity retention of 96% through 7000 cycles. Such excellent results indicate that the Ni 3 S 2 @NMV-L/rGO-15 composite holds great potential as electrode material for high-performance BSHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The erosion processes on a convex slope were analyzed by a 3D reconstruction method. • Rill and interrill erosion contributed 60 and 40% to the slope erosion based on DEM. • The differences of slope erosion between the convex slope and uniform slope were discussed. • Slope erosion rate was positively correlated with rill density and rill dissection degree. Rill erosion is one of the main forms of soil erosion on hillslopes in hilly and gully regions of the Loess Plateau. For simplicity, many studies assume hillslopes with a uniform sloping profile. However, the most loess hillslopes are convex shape with variable degrees in this area. Estimating soil losses and planning soil conservation practices on such slopes have required much local judgment. The objective of this study was to clarify soil erosion evolution qualitatively and quantitatively on a convex slope based on a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technique and geographic information system (GIS) in simulated rainfall experiments. The results showed that: (1) The erosion processes of the convex slope could be reasonably described with the following stages: splash and sheet erosion – drop pits – head-cut erosion – intermittent rill – continuous rill – rill network development – transition from rill to ephemeral gully. (2) Soil loss rate from the convex slope varied from 0.127 Kg m−2 min−1 in the sheet erosion stage to 0.342 Kg m−2 min−1 in rill network development stage, which was much greater compared with the results of uniform slope erosion reported by others in this area. Once rill erosion evolved into the dominant erosion pattern (after 30 mm of rainfall), rill length, width, and depth enlarged noticeably with headward and lateral erosion. (3) The contribution of sediment from rill and inter-rill erosion to total erosion was accurately depicted, and rill erosion contributed up to 60% of the total sediment amount. (4) Soil erosion rate was significantly correlated with rill morphological parameters—fractal dimension, rill density, and degree of rill dissection (correlation coefficients of 0.978, 0.989, and 0.980, respectively). These results are helpful for the qualitative and quantitative understanding of the erosion processes of hillslopes in Chinese Loess Plateau, and have an important reference for the rational arrangement of erosion control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ni 3 S 2 /CoAl-LDH/rGO heterostructures were prepared via hydrothermal and electrodeposition methods. • The influences of different mass loading of Ni 3 S 2 on morphology and electrochemical performances are investigated. • The optimized electrode delivers excellent specific capacitance of 2457.5 F g−1. • The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits an outstanding energy density and a high cycling stability. [Display omitted] Three-dimensional hierarchical hybrid composites incorporating both CoAl-layered double hydroxide and Ni 3 S 2 grown onto the framework of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on Ni foam were successfully fabricated by hydrothermal procedure combined with electrodeposition method (Ni 3 S 2 /CoAl-LDH/rGO). The Ni 3 S 2 nanoplates was anchored on the surface of the CoAl-LDH/rGO nanosheets, forming a cross linked core-shell structure. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the outer Ni 3 S 2 layer can significantly influence the morphology and electrochemical properties of the hybrid electrodes. Benefiting from its attractive structural feature and strong synergy of multiple components, excellent results were obtained in the composite with the optimal mass loading of Ni 3 S 2 layer, which exhibited an excellent specific capacitance of 2457.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a desirable cycling behavior of 90.0% retention over 5000 cycles. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor using Ni 3 S 2 /CoAl-LDH/rGO as positive electrode and active carbon as negative electrode delivers a high energy density of 59.8 W h kg−1 at a power density of 402.8 W kg−1 and a good cycling property (91% capacitance retention after 8000 cycles). These encouraging results demonstrate that such hybrid nanostructure provides great potential as electrode material for the energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to evaluate the ability of laboratories to perform spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) genetic testing in newborns based on dried blood spot (DBS) samples, and to provide reference data and advance preparation for establishing the pilot external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for SMA genetic testing of newborns in China., Methods: The pilot EQA scheme contents and evaluation principles of this project were designed by National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL), National Health Commission. Two surveys were carried out in 2022, and 5 batches of blood spots were submitted to the participating laboratory each time. All participating laboratories conducted testing upon receiving samples, and test results were submitted to NCCL within the specified date., Results: The return rates were 75.0% (21/28) and 95.2% (20/21) in the first and second surveys, respectively. The total return rate of the two examinations was 83.7% (41/49). Nineteen laboratories (19/21, 90.5%) had a full score passing on the first survey, while in the second survey twenty laboratories (20/20, 100%) scored full., Conclusions: This pilot EQA survey provides a preliminary understanding of the capability of SMA genetic testing for newborns across laboratories in China. A few laboratories had technical or operational problems in testing. It is, therefore, of importance to strengthen laboratory management and to improve testing capacity for the establishment of a national EQA scheme for newborn SMA genetic testing.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of Chinese laboratories for inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on urine samples. Meanwhile, based on the result of the pilot external quality assessment (EQA) scheme, we hope to establish a standardized and reliable procedure for future EQA practice., Methods: We recruited laboratories that participated in the EQA of quantitative analysis of urinary organic acids with GC-MS before joining the surveys. In each survey, a set of five real urine samples was distributed to each participant. The participants should analyze the sample by GC-MS and report the "analytical result", "the most likely diagnosis", and "recommendation for further tests" to the NCCL before the deadline., Results: A total of 21 laboratories participated in the scheme. The pass rates were 94.4% in 2020 and 89.5% in 2021. For all eight IMDs tested, the analytical proficiency rates ranged from 84.7% - 100%, and the interpretational performance rate ranged from 88.2% - 97.0%. The performance on hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA), 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency (MCCD), and ethylmalonic encephalopathy (EE) samples were not satisfactory., Conclusions: In general, the participants of this pilot EQA scheme are equipped with the basic capability for qualitative organic acid analysis and interpretation of the results. Limited by the small size of laboratories and samples involved, this activity could not fully reflect the state of clinical practice of Chinese laboratories. NCCL will improve the EQA scheme and implement more EQA activities in the future.

To address the needs of polarized light navigation for accurate position information of feature points in the sky, an accurate solar position detection method based on an all-sky polarization pattern imaging system is proposed. Unlike the traditional spot-based solar position detection method, this method uses the polarization information inherent in the atmosphere to accurately measure solar position. This approach is characterized by simple detection, high accuracy, and wide application range. The optical acquisition system is composed of three miniature large-field camera modules and polarizers, which enables a more compact structure, smaller size, and lesser height. Based on this principle, the solar position solution algorithm was simulated and then verified in various weather environments using the optical acquisition system built as part of this study. Solar position was detected at different moments on the same day in clear weather, and the accuracy of the measured solar altitude and azimuth angles was 0.024° and 0.03°, respectively. The accuracy of the measured solar altitude and azimuth angles was 0.08° and 0.05°, respectively, when the sun was shielded by high-rise buildings and 0.3° and 0.1° when the sun was shielded by branches and tree leaves. Aerosol concentrations exceeding a certain amount destroyed the Rayleigh distribution pattern of polarized light, thus affecting solar position detection accuracy. It is concluded that this novel detection method can not only meet the needs of polarized light navigation for solar position, but also provide a new exploration idea for enthusiasts who are eager to explore the mysteries of the universe.

Actively targeted nanomedicines though conceptually attractive for tumor therapy are extremely hard to realize due to problems of premature drug leakage, excessive liver accretion, inadequate tumor uptake, and/or retarded drug release inside tumor cells. Here, we systemically studied the influence of disulfide crosslinking on the in vitro and in vivo performance of integrin-targeting micellar docetaxel (t-MDTX). Of note, t-M5DTX with a high disulfide content was clearly advantageous in terms of stability, intracellular drug release, anti-tumor activity toward α V β 3 -overexpressing A549 cells, blood circulation and therapeutic efficacy in orthotopic A549-luc lung tumor-bearing mice. t-MDTX induced extraordinary tumor targetability with tumor-to-normal tissue ratios of 1.7-8.3. Further studies indicated that t-M5DTX could effectively eradicate α V β 3 -overexpressing lung and prostate cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDX), in which ca. 80% mice became tumor-free. This integrin-targeting disulfide-crosslinked micellar docetaxel emerges as a promising actively targeted nanoformulation for tumor therapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Nanomedicines have a great potential in treating advanced tumor patients; however, their tumor-targeting ability and therapeutic efficacy remain unsatisfactory. In addition to PEGylation and ligand selection, particle size, stability and drug release behavior are also critical to their performance in vivo. In this paper, we find that small and cRGD-guided disulfide-crosslinked micellar docetaxel (t-MDTX) induces superior tumor uptake and retention but without increasing liver burden, leading to extraordinary selectivity and inhibition of α v β 3 overexpressing lung tumors. t-MDTX is further shown to effectively treat α v β 3 -positive patient-derived tumor models, lending it a high potential for clinical translation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Main Conclusion: Transcriptomics and methylomics were used to identify the potential effects resulting from GM rice breeding stacks, which provided scientific data for the safety assessment strategy of stacked GM crops in China. Gene interaction is one of the main concerns for stacked genetically modified crop safety. With the development of technology, the combination of omics and bioinformatics has become a useful tool to evaluate the unintended effects of genetically modified crops. In this study, transcriptomics and methylomics were used as molecular profiling techniques to identify the potential effects of stack through breeding. Stacked transgenic rice En-12 × Ec-26 was used as material, which was obtained through hybridization using parents En-12 and Ec-26, in which the foreign protein can form functional EPSPS protein by intein-mediated trans-splitting. Differentially methylated region (DMR) analysis showed that the effect of stacking breeding on methylation was less than that of genetic transformation at the methylome level. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis showed that the DEGs between En-12 × Ec-26 and its parents were far fewer than those between transgenic rice and Zhonghua 11 (ZH11), and no unintended new genes were found in En-12 × Ec-26. Statistical analysis of gene expression and methylation involved in shikimic acid metabolism showed that there was no difference in gene expression, although there were 16 and 10 DMR genes between En-12 × Ec-26 and its parents (En and Ec) in methylation, respectively. The results indicated that the effect of stacking breeding on gene expression and DNA methylation was less than the effect of genetic transformation. This study provides scientific data supporting safety assessments of stacked GM crops in China., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In the present study, a practical method for synthesizing the key intermediate 5,7-dichlorotetrahydroisoquinoline-6-carboxylic acid ( 1 ) of Lifitegrast was proposed. First, an investigation was conducted into the utilization of the impurity and recrystallization method in the synthesis of 5,7-dichlorotetrahydroisoquinoline ( 5 ·HCl) via Friedel-Crafts cyclization. Through the screening of different protection groups, a previously unreported quaternary ammonium salt ( 13 ) was isolated with a 95.9% yield and 99.6% purity by simply adjusting the pH during the carboxylation reaction. Subsequently, free state 1 was obtained by controlling the pH to 4-5 with HCl(aq), thereby avoiding the need for a free operation in the synthesis of the API of Lifitegrast. Further, the triphenylmethanol (TrOH) was recycled to triphenylmethyl chloride (TrCl) using CaCl 2 /HCl(aq) with 93.0% yield and 98.0% purity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Lack of knowledge on the destiny of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in the Tibetan Plateau region of China prevents the public from being aware of the need for protecting these unique aquatic ecosystems that are precious water resources and source areas of the Yellow River. To address this knowledge gap, this study systematically investigated the multi-residue analysis, distribution, and potential risks of six types of OMPs, namely, neonicotinoid pesticides (NEOs), fungicides, organophosphate esters (OPEs), organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), psychoactive substances (PSs), and antidepressants (ADs), in surface waters of major cities in Qinghai. A total of 31 compounds, consisting of 8 NEOs, 1 fungicide, 12 OPEs, 2 OPPs, 5 PSs, and 3 ADs, were detected in >50% of the sites, showing their ubiquitous nature in the study area. Results showed that the total OMP concentration in surface water was 28.3-908 ng/L, and OPEs were the dominant composition (48.6%-97.4%). The risk quotient values of the detected diazinon and dursban regularly exceeded 1 for aquatic organisms at all sampling sites, indicating moderate-high chronic ecological risk. The joint probability curves showed that dursban and NEOs have higher risk levels than other OMPs. Although the results of the non-carcinogenic total hazard quotient of the OMPs in the surface water was less than 1 in all age groups and the carcinogenic risk was lower than the negligible risk level, the potential risks to children and infants were considerably greater and should not be underestimated. In addition to pollutant concentration and exposure duration, ingestion rate and body weight (BW) are also important factors affecting health risk, with BW having a negative effect. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this report is the first to describe OMP pollution in Qinghai, and the results provide new insight into the ecological security of the water resources of the Tibetan Plateau., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recently, layered BeN 4 as a novel Dirac semimetal has been fabricated (M. Bykov, T. Fedotenko, S. Chariton et al. Phys. Rev. Lett ., 2021, 126 , 175501). Motivated by the experiment, we perform first-principles calculations to predict the stability, magnetic configurations, and electronic structures of unsaturated BeN 4 nanoribbons with an armchair-terminated edge. The magnetic interactions and electronic properties of BeN 4 nanoribbons are sensitively influenced by the edge morphology. The BeN 4 nanoribbons with both edges occupied by Be atoms undergo a transition from a ferromagnetic (FM) metal to an antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor with the increase of ribbon width. The configurations with edges situated by Be and N atoms are FM/ferrimagnetic (FIM) metals or nearly half-metals, and the spin polarizability is as high as 85% when the ribbon width is N = 5. The nanoribbons with both edge sites occupied by pentagonal N atoms are nonmagnetic (NM), while the nanoribbons terminated by N atoms in a hexagonal ring are FM metals. We also explore the magnetic properties and band structures of BeN 4 nanoribbons with hydrogen passivation. Our results open up a versatile edge engineering avenue to design BeN 4 -based spintronic and nanoelectronic devices.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the third pole of the world, and information on the consumption of psychoactive substances (PSs) in this area is scarce. In this study, we selected Qinghai Province as the research area, and the per capita consumption and prevalence of PSs were investigated using wastewater-based epidemiology. Samples from 17 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in 5 major cities in Qinghai Province were monitored, and 11 PSs were detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results showed that the target compounds were detected in all samples, with relatively high concentrations of ephedrine (2.1-4825.3 ng/L) and methamphetamine (1.5-295.7 ng/L). The consumption of methamphetamine in Xining City, Haidong City, and Haixi City was up to 78.4, 16.8, and 21.2 mg/1000 inh/d (the PS consumption per 1000 inhabitants in 1 day), respectively, higher than that in the other two cities, which was the result of the different consumption patterns and its relationship with the economic levels of each city. High consumption of methadone (47.9 mg/1000 inh/day) was found in Xining City, which might be related to the methadone maintenance therapy sites in the city. Methamphetamine was the most prevalent drug, with the prevalence ranging from 0.003 (Guoluo) to 0.197% (Xining), and the prevalence of other PSs was low. The ecological risk assessment of PSs in the effluent of WWTPs showed that methadone exerted a low risk to aquatic organisms in three sites, while other substances posed potential risk or no risk. However, the long-term effect of PSs cannot be ignored., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Thiamethoxam (THM) is a commercial neonicotinoid insecticide with broad-spectrum insecticidal activity. It has been widely detected in the aquatic environment, but its behavioral toxicity on aquatic organisms received limited attention. In this study, adult zebrafish were exposed to THM at three levels (0.1, 10, and 1000 μg/L) for 45 days to investigate its effect on their ecological behavior, histopathology, bioaccumulation, and stress response. The bioconcentration factor in zebrafish brain was significantly higher (p < 0.05) at low concentration of THM (0.1 μg/L) than in other treatment groups. In terms of individual behavior, the locomotor activity, aggregation, and social activity of fish were enhanced after THM exposure, but the memory of the food zone was disturbed and abnormal swimming behavior was observed. THM exposure caused brain tissue necrosis, erythrocyte infiltration, cloudy swelling, and other pathological changes in brain tissue and affected the concentrations of acetylcholinesterase and cortisol related to neurotoxicity. The condition factor and organ coefficients (brain, heart, and intestine) of zebrafish were markedly impacted by THM treatment at 0.1 and 1000 μg/L, respectively. This finding showed that THM was more harmful to fish behavior than lethality, reproduction, and growth, and a behavioral study can be a useful tool for ecological risk assessment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cotton is an important natural fiber crop and economic crop worldwide. The quality of cotton fiber directly determines the quality of cotton textiles. Identifying cotton fiber development-related genes and exploring their biological functions will not only help to better understand the elongation and development mechanisms of cotton fibers but also provide a theoretical basis for the cultivation of new cotton varieties with excellent fiber quality. In this study, RNA sequencing technology was used to construct transcriptome databases for different nonfiber tissues (root, leaf, anther and stigma) and fiber developmental stages (7 days post-anthesis (DPA), 14 DPA, and 26 DPA) of upland cotton Coker 312. The sizes of the seven transcriptome databases constructed ranged from 4.43 to 5.20 Gb, corresponding to approximately twice the genome size of Gossypium hirsutum (2.5 Gb). Among the obtained clean reads, 83.32% to 88.22% could be compared to the upland cotton TM-1 reference genome. By analyzing the differential gene expression profiles of the transcriptome libraries of fiber and nonfiber tissues, we obtained 1205, 1135 and 937 genes with significantly upregulated expression at 7 DPA, 14 DPA and 26 DPA, respectively, and 124, 179 and 213 genes with significantly downregulated expression. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway analyses were performed, which revealed that these genes were mainly involved in catalytic activity, carbohydrate metabolism, the cell membrane and organelles, signal transduction and other functions and metabolic pathways. Through gene annotation analysis, many transcription factors and genes related to fiber development were screened. Thirty-six genes were randomly selected from the significantly upregulated genes in fiber, and expression profile analysis was performed using qRT-PCR. The results were highly consistent with the gene expression profile analyzed by RNA-seq, and all of the genes were specifically or predominantly expressed in fiber. Therefore, our RNA sequencing-based comparative transcriptome analysis will lay a foundation for future research to provide new genetic resources for the genetic engineering of improved cotton fiber quality and for cultivating new transgenic cotton germplasms for fiber quality improvement., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of tibial transverse transport (TTT) combined with nose ring drain (NRD) in the treatment of severe diabetic foot ulcer., Methods: The clinical data of 60 patients with severe diabetic foot (Wagner grade 3 or 4) ulcer who were admitted between April 2017 and August 2020 and met the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 30 cases were treated with TTT combined with NRD (TTT+NRD group), and 30 cases were treated with TTT (TTT group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, diabetes duration, preoperative glycated hemoglobin, comorbidities, wound area, and duration, side, and grade of diabetic foot ( P >0.05). The wound healing time, wound healing rate, amputation rate, recurrence rate, duration of antibiotic therapy, hospital stay, number of hospitalizations, and number of operations were recoreded and compared between the two groups., Results: No obvious surgical complications occurred in the two groups. Patients in both groups were followed up 3-13 months, with an average of 5.7 months. The duration of antibiotic therapy and hospital stay in the TTT+NRD group were significantly shorter than those in the TTT group ( P <0.05). There was no significant difference in wound healing time, wound healing rate, number of hospitalizations, and number of operations between the two groups ( P >0.05). During follow-up, there was no recurrence of ulcer in the TTT+NRD group while 2 recurrent cases (6.7%) in the TTT group. The difference in recurrence rate was not significant ( P =0.492). One case (3.3%) in the TTT+NRD group underwent amputation due to acute lower extremity vascular embolism, and 1 case (3.3%) in the TTT group underwent amputation due to secondary necrosis. The difference in amputation rate was not significant between the two groups ( P =1.000)., Conclusion: TTT combined with NRD is an effective method for the treatment of severe diabetic foot ulcers with deep infections or relatively closed cavities or sinuses. It can shorten the time of antibiotic use and the length of hospitalization; and the NRD has a good drainage effect without obvious comorbidities, procedure and the postoperative care are simple and easy to obtain materials.