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Two series of novel polycatenar dyes consisting of a triazole azobenzene core were synthesized efficiently by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. These compounds can self-assemble into SmC and Col hex / p 6 mm liquid-crystalline phases, and form multistimuli responsive organogels. Bicontinuous cubic phase (Cub V ) could be induced in the binary system of a bicatenar compound with SmC phase and a hexacatenar compound with Col hex / p 6 mm phase. Photophysical investigation indicates that these compounds have reversible photoresponsive properties in solution, liquid-crystalline and gel states. They can also act as chemosensors of Fe 3+ and sodium dithionite with high selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pursuing material with excellent irradiation resistance, high chemical durability, and stable mechanical properties under extreme conditions is of great significance for developing irradiation-resistant materials. Herein, a novel irradiation-resistant high-entropy fluorite oxide (Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2 Dy 0.2 Er 0.2) 2 Ce 2 O 7 is reported. After 9-MeV Au ion irradiation with ion fluence of 2.7 × 1015 and 4.5 × 1015 ions/cm2, the high-entropy (Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2 Dy 0.2 Er 0.2) 2 Ce 2 O 7 shows excellent phase stability without phase decomposition and transformation. In comparison with Nd 2 Ce 2 O 7 , the high-entropy (Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2 Dy 0.2 Er 0.2) 2 Ce 2 O 7 possesses much less amorphization and lattice expansion, suggesting its improved irradiation resistance. No pronounced variation in Raman spectra can be detected in the post-irradiated structure, implying rarely structural shift arises in high-entropy (Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2 Dy 0.2 Er 0.2) 2 Ce 2 O 7. After irradiation, there is no irradiation-induced segregation at grain boundaries or inside the grains of high-entropy (Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2 Dy 0.2 Er 0.2) 2 Ce 2 O 7. The nanoindentation tests reveal that the mechanical properties of the high-entropy fluorite oxide rarely degrade. The results, along with the insight into the mechanism of heavy-ion irradiation resistance, provide insight for the subsequent research on the heavy-ion irradiation of high-entropy ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a permanent and strong need for energy recovery to improve the efficiency of the hydraulic system in the field of the construction machinery. In addition, the digital pump will become powerful and versatile by employing different configurations and intelligent control of the flow distribution valves. Considering this case, we have proposed a novel digital pump in which every plunger is equipped with two flow distribution valves. By controlling these two valves, external hydraulic energy can be directly reused without other components. Based on the structure and working principle of the digital pump, the mathematical model is established and three working modes are detailed. To verify the feasibility and correctness of control methods, a performance simulation testing platform including a digital pump, load module, hydraulic energy to be recovered, and controller module was developed in AMESim R15 software. The pressure, flow rate, and torque simulations of the digital pump in three working modes were carried out. The simulation results have shown that the digital pump not only can be used as an ordinary pump but also has the function of recovery and immediate reutilization of another hydraulic energy. Meanwhile, the corresponding variable displacement control strategy is effective and the positive torque required to drive the digital pump can be reduced, which verified the energy-saving of this scheme. The ideas and contents in this paper can offer significant references for energy conservation technology of various engineering machineries and the intensive study of digital hydraulics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating multiple functions such as high electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption, thermal insulation, and resilience into one material is critical, especially for applications in harsh environment. SiC ceramic has received considerable attention as high‐temperature wave absorber, but its applications are limited by common wave absorption performance and brittleness of ceramics. Here by incorporating SiO2 with SiC in a unique three‐dimensional network structure, SiOC/SiC foam consisting of abundant SiOC thin flakes interconnected by numerous long interweaving SiC nanowires have been prepared. The foam shows high EM wave absorption with minimum reflection loss of −30.23 dB, broad effective absorption bandwidth of 5.4 GHz, and a nearly complete compressive resilience from 10% strain. Besides, the foam displays high‐temperature resistance up to 1400°C in air and good thermal insulation performance. Such multifunctional material is promising for applications in advanced aerospace industry under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation induced structural and energetic changes have been widely studied in crystalline materials, but studied to a much lesser extent in amorphous solids. Using a combination of neutron pair distribution function (PDF) analysis and high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry, we obtained critical insights into the structural and energetic evolution in a swift heavy ion irradiated amorphous SiOC polymer-derived ceramic. The radiation modified SiOC structure becomes energetically less stable by 24.0±1.6 kJ/mol compared to the unirradiated structure. This destabilization is related to decreased connectivity of the Si-O-C network and destruction of free carbon. In comparison with unirradiated SiOC, the irradiated structure is more likely to become phase separated during subsequent thermal annealing. Our study has important implications for evaluating amorphous SiOC ceramic as a possible radiation resistant structure for nuclear applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetically modified (GM) soybean DBN8002 has been approved for commercial planting in China. For enforcing GMO labeling policy, an event-specific real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) method was developed to target the junction fragment between the T-DNA left border and the flanking genomic DNA, yielding a 104 base pair (bp) amplicon. This event-specific qPCR method can identify and quantify the DBN8002 event with high specificity, satisfactory linearity, and acceptable accuracy. Furthermore, the DBN8002-event specific primer/probe set was successfully transferred to a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) platform for quantification. The quantitative results from qPCR were found to be comparable to those obtained from ddPCR, with a P-value exceeding 0.05, indicating no significant difference. The limit of detection (LOD) for both qPCR and ddPCR methods was determined to be 10 copies per reaction, while the limit of quantification (LOQ) was estimated to be 20 copies per reaction for qPCR and 40 copies per reaction for ddPCR. The collaborative validation demonstrated that the DBN8002 event-specific qPCR method had satisfactory repeatability and reproducibility. Both the event-specific qPCR and ddPCR methods are suitable for quantifying the DBN8002 content in samples. Additionally, ddPCR can be utilized for the characterization of DBN8002 reference materials. • An event-specific PCR method was developed for the identification of DBN8002 event. • Both qPCR and duplex ddPCR method can accurately quantify the DBN8002 content. • DBN8002/ lectin duplex ddPCR can be used for characterization of reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material with superior damage tolerance, chemical durability, and structure stability is of increasing interest in high-level radioactive waste management and structural components for advanced nuclear systems. In this paper, high-entropy (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 with pyrochlore-type structure was synthesized through conventional solid-state method. The as-synthesized high-entropy oxide maintained crystalline after being irradiated by using Au3+ with 9.0 MeV energy at the fluence of 4.5 × 1015 ions·cm-2, indicating its high tolerance to heavy-ion irradiation. The irradiation-induced order-disorder transition from pyrochlore structure to defective fluorite structure occurred in high-entropy (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7. After irradiation, no irradiation-induced segregation was observed at grain boundary. Moreover, the mechanical properties of high-entropy pyrochlore were improved. The heavy-ion irradiation resistance mechanisms of high-entropy pyrochlore were discussed in detail. Our work identified high-entropy (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Nd 0.2 Sm 0.2 Gd 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 can be a promising candidate for immobilization of high-level radioactive waste as well as advanced nuclear reactor system from the perspective of irradiation resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hygromycin phosphotransferase (HPT) gene as a selective marker is normally used in screening tests as a first step in detecting and quantifying genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in seeds, food, and feed materials. Nevertheless, if researchers only focus on the HPT gene, it is difficult to distinguish genetically modified (GM) crops from microbial infection, leading to miscalculation of the rate of GM materials in a given sample set. Here, we cloned the 7259 bp sequence carrying the HPT gene from soybean sprouts using the genome walking strategy. BLAST analysis revealed that this sequence was derived from plasmids naturally occurring in microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae or Salmonella sp. Using the reconstructed plasmid pFP-hpt, qualitative PCR and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) methods were established, and 261 bp and 156 bp products were produced. The specificity of these assays was assessed against related pFP-hpt plasmids, plant species with important agronomic traits, and GM crops containing the HPT gene. No unexpected results were observed between samples using these qualitative PCR and qPCR methods. The sensitivity of this qualitative PCR assay was determined at 20 copies, while the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of qPCR were both 5 copies per reaction. Our in-house validation indicated that the amplification efficiency, linearity, and repeatability of this qPCR assay were in line with performance requirements. Furthermore, a qualitative and quantitative duplex PCR showed high reliability for the simultaneous detection of the HPT gene in a plant sample and environmental micro-organisms harboring the HPT gene in one PCR reaction. These qualitative PCR and qPCR assays were able to differentiate between plants infected with E. coli harboring the HPT gene from GM plants, indicating that these two methods are broadly applicable for routine GMO testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated Cas proteins coupled with pre-amplification have shown great potential in molecular diagnoses. However, the current CRISPR-based methods require additional reporters and time-consuming process. Herein, a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-enhanced CRISPR/dCas9-mediated fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) termed Au-CFRET platform was proposed for rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of nucleic acid for the first time. In the Au-CFRET sensing platform, AuNP was functionalized with dCas9 and used as nanoprobe. Target DNA was amplified with FAM-labeled primers and then precisely bound with AuNP-dCas9. The formed complex rendered the distance between AuNP acceptor and FAM donor to be short enough for the occurrence of FRET, thus resulting in fluorescence quenching. Moreover, AuNPs were demonstrated to enhance binding efficiency of dCas9 to target DNA in Au-CFRET system. The key factors regarding the FRET efficiency were analyzed and characterized in detail, including the length of donor/acceptor and the size of AuNPs. Under the optimal conditions, Au-CFRET could determinate CaMV35S promoter of genetically modified rice as low as 21 copies μL−1. Moreover, Au-CFRET sensing system coupled with one-step extraction and recombinase polymerase amplification can identify the genuine plant seeds within 30 min from sampling to results at room/body temperature without expensive equipment or technical expertise, and requires no additional exogenous reporters. Therefore, the proposed sensing platform significantly simplified the system and shortened the assay time for nucleic acid diagnoses. [Display omitted] • An AuNP-dCas9-mediated FRET sensing (Au-CFRET) was proposed for the first time. • AuNP was used as energy quencher and functionalized with dCas9 as nanoprobe. • Nanoprobe enhanced dCas9 recognition by aggregating reaction components on AuNP surface. • This method can fast identify rice seeds within 30 min from sampling to results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel bisthienylethene-based rod-like liquid crystals containing different numbers of terminal fluorine atoms were designed and the effect of the terminal fluorination on liquid crystalline self-assembly, optical characteristics in solid state and mechanochromic behaviors was explored. The transition from non-liquid crystal via monotropic liquid crystal with smectic A phase to enantiotropic liquid crystal with smectic A phase can be achieved and the temperature ranges of smectic A phase gradually increase by increasing the terminal fluorination, which might be due to the increase in intermolecular interactions by increasing the number of terminal fluorine atom. All the compounds exhibited AIE characteristic and distinct solid-state fluorescence with yellow or orange color. In addition, the non-fluorosubstituted and difluorosubstituted bisthienylethene-based liquid crystals exhibited reversible mechanochromism, whereas the monofluorosubstituted and trifluorosubstituted bisthienylethene-based liquid crystals exhibited extremely weak mechanochromism due to different intermolecular interaction, molecular symmetry and molecular conformation. These investigations implied that the incorporation of fluorine atom could result in interesting self-assemblies and photophysical properties in different states, which also provided the understanding of the relationship between chemical structures and properties. [Display omitted] • AIE-active bisthienylethene-based mesogens containing different number of terminal fluorine atom are synthesized. • Increase in terminal fluorination increases the stability of smectic A phase. • Distinct solid-state emission and mechanochromic behavior are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jurassic coalfield in the mining area of western China exhibits a multi-layered groundwater system. However, it is subject to an arid and semi-arid climate with limited water resources. Consequently, the ecological environment is highly vulnerable, and the chemistry and quality of groundwater may be influenced by multiple factors. This study systematically the coal mining-motivated effect on the hydrochemistry and water quality of the groundwater system, using the Caojiatan Coal Mine as a case study. The analysis incorporates a combination of the self-organizing maps (SOM), entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), and traditional hydrochemical analysis methods. After coal mining, there was an increase in the proportion of HCO 3 -Ca and HCO 3 -Mg in the groundwater samples of J 2 z, J 2 y4, and J 2 y5. The groundwater is controlled by cation exchange as a whole. The J 2 y4 and above groundwater is influenced by both the dissolution of carbonate and silicate rocks before coal mining. After coal mining, the Quaternary and J 2 a groundwater in the western wing is primarily influenced by the dissolution of carbonate rocks; the J 2 z, J 2 y4 and J 2 y5 groundwater is primarily governed by the dissolution of silicate rocks and the oxidation of FeS 2 ; the J 2 y3 and below groundwater is primarily controlled by the dissolution of evaporate rocks. The resulting dilution effect after coal mining and the implementation of measures for the discharge of treated mine water make the groundwater quality of the J 2 y4 and higher aquifers tend to be better. The research findings serve as a valuable reference for promoting the sustainable development and protection of groundwater resources not only in the study area but also in other coal mines. • SOM offered valuable insights to clarify the diverse hydrochemical characteristics. • The hydrochemical process exhibited changes before and after coal mining. • Coal mining led to an improvement in groundwater quality due to dilution effect. • The coal mining-motivated effect on the hydrochemistry of groundwater system was systematically investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A self-powered photoelectric sensor based on hydrogel diodes is reported. • The proton generation and transfer mechanism of the photo-sensor is understood. • The device exhibits superior sustainable signal, rapid response and long-term durability. • The device have potential applications in artificial retina. Artificial retina requires photo-sensory units that convert light into electric signals without relying on any external power supply. Recent development on hydrogel diodes paves a new avenue for creating photo-electric signals that can be picked up by human optic nerves. Here, we report a self-powered photoelectric sensor based on hydrogel diodes doped with photoacid, which produces electric signal relying on no external power supply. The photoelectric sensor is self-powered due to the fact that the photoacid-released protons are mobilized under the influence of the built-in electric field in the hydrogel PN junction. The photo-induced open-circuit voltage reaches to 1.6 mV under 50 mW cm−2. We found that the highest electric response occurred when photoacid was presented at the cationic side of the hydrogel PN junction. A prototype consisting 9-element sensor array is prepared, and we have demonstrated its potential for spatially resolved visualization upon light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiOC polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) are commonly used materials for advanced structural and functional applications. Especially, when in the form of fibers, they are used in the SiC f /SiC composites that is being considered an option for fuel cladding components in the current and next-generation light water reactors. But the radiation effects of the SiOC PDCs have been rarely reported (mostly focused on SiC). Here we prepared SiOC nanocomposites consisting of β-SiC nanocrystals and turbostratic graphite embedded in amorphous SiOC matrix, and irradiated them at room temperature with 4 MeV Kr ions to different damage levels. The irradiation-induced changes in the microstructures, surface morphologies, and mechanical properties were studied. It is indicated much severer irradiation condition leads to higher rearrangement degree of Si-containing tetrahedral units in the amorphous SiOC matrix, higher disordering degree of the turbostratic graphite, but crystallinity of the β-SiC is preserved. No obvious change is detected in the macro properties such as surface morphologies and mechanical properties (hardness and modulus). This study indicates the potential of SiOC PDCs to radiation damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper constructs a radioisotope distribution model of deep groundwater. • The relationship between age and temperature of mixed water source is interpreted. • Response mechanism of radium–radon in mixed water source. With the deep mining of North China-type coalfield, the threat of mixed water source is increasingly serious, and water inrush accidents occur from time to time. Identifying the water inrush dynamic of limestone-mixed water source in high geothermal coal mine is difficult. This paper constructs a radioisotope distribution model of deep groundwater and obtains the dynamic data of radium and radon on the basis of the decay law of radionuclides and the principle of water balance and mass conservation. The radium – radon dating model is used to obtain the age of groundwater. Combined with the data of uranium and temperature, a dynamic identification model of multilayer limestone-mixed water source in coal seam floor is established by using a multielement mixed mass balance calculation method (M3). The relationship between the age of mixed water source and the mixing proportion of temperature and the contribution of recharge end member can be interpreted. The age of deep groundwater is negative correlation to the temperature. The temporal and spatial changes in mixed water sources and the response mechanism of radium–radon are described. Research results provide a new method to identify the source of water gushing in high geothermal coal mine, which is of great importance to improve coal mine safety production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-temperature thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials are desired for the development of high-efficient gas turbines and diesel engines. Herein, to meet up with this requirement, a new class of high-entropy fluorite-type oxides (HEFOs) has been synthesized via a solid-state reaction method. Comparing to La 2 Ce 2 O 7 , a promising TBC material, the HEFOs exhibit similar high thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) of 11.92×10−6∼12.11×10−6 K-1 at temperatures above 673 K but a better TEC matching performance at the temperature range of 473–673 K. It is also found that through tuning the average A-site cation radius, the TEC of the HEFOs could be tailored efficiently. The HEFOs also possess low thermal conductivities of 1.52-1.55 W∙m-1∙K-1 at room temperature, which is much lower than that of La 2 Ce 2 O 7 and comparable to pyrochlores as Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7. Moreover, the HEFOs display good sintering resistance and phase stability even at temperatures as high as 1873 K. The combination of these fascinating properties makes the HEFOs good candidates for thermal barrier coating and thermal insulating materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acylhydrazone-functionalized triphenylamine V-shaped liquid crystals (LCs) were synthesized for the first time. • They can self-assemble into room temperature hexagonal columnar LCs over a very wide temperature range. • They can form fluorescent organogels in n -heptanol. • They can act as excellent fluorescent probes for the detection of Cu2+. The construction of multifunctional supramolecular liquid crystals is a hot topic in current research. Herein, we reported the strategy of acylhydrazone-functionalization to construct a novel series of triphenylamine-based multifunctional V-shaped liquid crystals (namely, TPA- n ). These V-shaped molecules can not only self-assemble into room-temperature hexagonal columnar phase over a very wide range of temperatures, but also form fluorescent gels with the morphology of intertwined fibers in n -heptanol. Furthermore, based on the chelation-enhanced fluorescence quenching (CHEQ) mechanism, TPA- n demonstrated excellent fluorescent probes properties for rapid (respond time < 10 s), highly selective and sensitive (LOD = 0.72 nM) detection of Cu2+ in a mixed aqueous solution. Most importantly, probe TPA-12 has been successfully applied for the quantity analysis of Cu2+ in real water samples and fluorescent imaging of Cu2+ in live HT-22 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bistriazole benzo[1,2-b:4,3-b′]dithiophene (BDT) contained bolaamphiphiles have been synthesized via Sonogashira coupling and click reactions as key steps. For such compounds, the central bent bistriazole BDT core, the flexible methylene spacer led the rodlike core together with the terminal diol groups to twist to be U-shaped polar region. Micro-segregation of U-shaped polar region from the lipophilic chains generated a SmA phase. Furthermore, these compounds can act as super organogelators to gel different kinds of solvents with the lowest critical gelation concentration (CGC) of 0.2 mg/ml. Gel morphologies with scarcely reported nanostructures including nanofibers, nanobelts, nanodisks, nanotrumpets and nanotubes were firstly observed in bolaamphiphilic self-assembly system. Unlabelled Image • Bolaamphiphiles based on bistriazole BDT core have been synthesized. • They displayed only SmA phase due to the U shaped polar region. • They can act as super organogelators to form gels with exotic helical nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining the high electrical conductivity of graphene and excellent hydrophilicity of montmorillonite could synchronously improve the electron transfer and interfacial reaction efficiency of MoS 2 nanocomposites. • Hierarchical ternary 2D nanocomposites were hydrothermally prepared. • Three 2D nanomaterials of montmorillonite, graphene and MoS 2 were integrated in nanocomposites. • MoS 2 are assembled on the RGO/MMT with the interfacial interaction. • Nanocomposites possess efficient electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction. • Hydrophilicity of MMT and electrical conductivity of RGO improve synergistically performance. Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) nanosheets show excellent electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction stemming from the active edge sites, which have been considered as a promising electrocatalyst to substitute the scarce precious-metal. However, the hydrophobicity and poor electrical conductivity of MoS 2 restricts the further improvement of its catalytic performance for electrolysis of water. Herein, hierarchical ternary 2D nanocomposites were successfully prepared via hydrothermal synthesis of MoS 2 nanosheets on the reduced graphene oxide modified montmorillonite. Three 2D nanomaterials of montmorillonite, graphene and MoS 2 were integrated into hierarchical nanocomposites with the interfacial interaction. Due to the synergistic effects of montmorillonite and graphene, the obtained nanocomposites possess efficient electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution with low Tafel slope of 53 mV/dec. Combining the high electrical conductivity of graphene and excellent hydrophilicity of montmorillonite could synchronously improve the electron transfer and interfacial reaction efficiency of MoS 2 nanocomposites. This material design strategy in this study could pave a new avenue to construct the novel hierarchical 2D nanocomposites for electrochemical hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative and quantitative detection of genetically modified products is inseparable from the application of reference materials (RMs). In this study, a batch of genomic DNA (gDNA) certified reference materials (CRMs) was developed using genetically modified rice Kemingdao (KMD) homozygotes as the raw material. The gDNA CRMs in this batch showed good homogeneity; the minimum sample intake was determined to be 2 μL. The stability study showed that transportation by cold chain is preferable, no significant degradation trend was observed during a 12-month period when storing the gDNA CRMs at 4 °C and − 20 °C, and the number of freeze-thaw cycles cannot exceed 10. The property values of the copy number ratio of transgene and endogenous gene and the copy number concentration for gDNA CRMs were determined by a collaborative characterization of eight laboratories using the duplex KMD/PLD droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays. The uncertainty components of characterization, potential between-unit heterogeneity, and potential degradation during long-term storage were combined to estimate the expanded uncertainty of the certified value with a coverage factor k of 2.0. The certified value of copy number ratio for KMD gDNA CRM is 0.99 ± 0.05, and that of copy number concentration is (1.76 ± 0.10) × 105 copies/μL. Compared to the gDNA CRMs in availability, this batch of KMD gDNA CRMs is assigned accurate property values and can be directly used for qualitative and quantitative detection of GMOs as well as evaluation of the parameters of analytical methods with no need of further DNA concentration measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Generation of marker-free transgenic plants is very important to the regulatory permission and commercial release of transgenic crops. Co-transformation methods that enable the removal of selectable marker genes have been extensively used because they are simple and clean. Few comparisons are currently available between different strain/plasmid co-transformation systems, and also data are related to variation in co-transformation frequencies caused by other details of the vector design. Results: In this study, we constructed three vector systems for the co-transformation of allotetraploid Brassica napus (B. napus) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens and compared these co-transformation methods. We tested a mixed-strain system, in which a single T-DNA is harbored in two plasmids, as well as two "double T-DNA" vector systems, in which two independent T-DNAs are harbored in one plasmid in a tandem orientation or in an inverted orientation. As confirmed by the use of PCR analysis, test strips, and Southern blot, the average co-transformation frequencies from these systems ranged from 24 to 81% in T0 plants, with the highest frequency of 81% for 1:1 treatment of the mixed-strain system. These vector systems are valuable for generating marker-free transgenic B. napus plants, and marker-free plants were successfully obtained in the T1 generation from 50 to 77% of T0 transgenic lines using these systems, with the highest frequency of 77% for "double T-DNA" vector systems of pBID RT Enhanced. We further found that marker-free B. napus plants were more frequently encountered in the progeny of transgenic lines which has only one or two marker gene copies in the T0 generation. Two types of herbicide resistant transgenic B. napus plants, Bar+ with phosphinothricin resistance and Bar+EPSPS+GOX+ with phosphinothricin and glyphosate resistance, were obtained. Conclusion: We were successful in removing selectable marker genes in transgenic B. napus plants using all three co-transformation systems developed in this study. It was proved that if a appropriate mole ratio was designed for the specific length ratio of the twin T-DNAs for the mixed-strain method, high unlinked co-insertion frequency and overall success frequency could be achieved. Our study provides useful information for the construction of efficient co-transformation system for marker-free transgenic crop production and developed transgenic B. napus with various types of herbicide resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three series of AIE-active cyanostilbene-based amphiphilic mesogens with different degree of fluorination were synthesized. • The mesomorphic transition from Col hex / p 6 mm to Cub I / I m 3 ¯ m was achieved. • The increase in the degree of fluorination led to the disappearance of Cub I / I m 3 ¯ m. Three series of amphiphilic mesogens containing a cyanostilbene core with zero, one or two lateral fluorine atoms, which attach one polar glycerol group at one end and three lipophilic alkyl chains at the other end were synthesized by Suzuki coupling and Knoevenagel reactions. The thermodynamics, liquid crystalline and photophysical properties of these amphiphilic mesogens were evaluated by polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, small-angle X-ray diffraction, density functional theory calculation, absorption and emission spectra. The non-fluoro and mono-fluoro amphiphilic mesogens display a mesophase transition from hexagonal columnar phase to three-dimensional micellar cubic phase with I m 3 ¯ m lattice by the increase of temperature or the elongation of terminal lipophilic alkyl chains. The bi-fluoro amphiphilic mesogens can only self-organize into hexagonal columnar mesophase. Similar spectral properties and weak solvatochromism in these amphiphilic mesogens are observed attributed to the weak intramolecular charge transfer and weak influence of fluorine atom on the electronic properties in both ground and excited states. In addition, aggregation-induced emission behavior could be achieved in these amphiphilic mesogens due to the twisted molecular configuration. Therefore, complex self-assembly structures and interesting photophysical properties may be altered by varying the degree of fluorination of amphiphilic mesogens, which could promote the application of liquid crystalline materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering stoichiometry of materials is an effective strategy to optimize the comprehensive properties. Here we prepare high-entropy Er 2 (Y 0.2 Yb 0.2 Nb 0.2 Ta 0.2 Ce x) 2 O δ with single-phase fluorite structure by a solid-state reaction. The effects of stoichiometry of cerium on thermophysical properties and corrosion resistance to calcium−magnesium−alumina−silicate (CMAS) of the high-entropy oxides have been investigated. By engineering the cerium stoichiometry, thermal conductivity increases slightly from 1.21 to 1.36 W·m−1·K−1 and thermal expansion coefficients also increases from 10.56 × 10−6 to 11.61 × 10−6 °C−1 at 1000 °C. Furthermore, corrosion resistance of the high-entropy Er 2 (Nb 0.2 Ta 0.2 Y 0.2 Yb 0.2 Ce x) 2 O δ improves with the increase of cerium content. The effects of cerium content on CMAS resistance have been discussed in detail. Our work reveals that engineering stoichiometry of high-entropy oxides is expected to be an effective strategy to broaden the compositional space and optimize the thermophysical properties and CMAS corrosion resistance. • High-entropy fluorite oxides with engineered cerium stoichiometry were synthesized. • The effects of cerium stoichiometry on thermophysical properties were investigated. • The corrosion resistance can be improved by increasing the content of cerium. • Engineering cerium stoichiometry can optimize the comprehensive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bulk SiOC ceramics were prepared by spark plasma sintering of polymer-derived SiOC powders, and the effects of ion irradiation on their microstructures and properties were investigated in detail. High sintering temperature was conducive to low open porosity, high bulk density, nucleation and growth of β-SiC nanodomains, and graphitization of free carbon clusters in the SiOC ceramics. Ordering of the nanodomanins is beneficial for improving hardness and modulus of the ceramics. After 70 keV He ion irradiations, the β-SiC nanocrystals and graphitic clusters were partially amorphized, and their average grain size decreased by 13.6% and 50.9%, respectively. But no bubbling or peeling occurred on the irradiated sample surface, the hardness and modulus barely changed, indicating the SiOC ceramics are promising as radiation-tolerant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enforcement of GMO labeling regulations requires validated analytical methods and certified reference materials (CRMs). The early labeling regulations stipulated that the GMO content should be expressed as percentage, but did not specify what unit this percentage referred to. Two reference systems, using mass fraction and copy number ratio as measurement units, individually, are established for GMO analysis using different metrological traceability chains. Three types of CRMs, powder CRMs certified for mass fractions, genomic DNA CRMs, and plasmid DNA CRMs certified for copy number ratios, were developed for calibration and quality control. The type, certification, and measurement unit commutability of current GMO CRMs are presented and discussed in this paper. Both existing reference systems are facing a metrological challenge, although later EU regulations specified that the measurement unit of GMO content must be expressed in mass fraction and recommended to convert one unit into another by introducing a conversion factor, further efforts are required to explore which reference system is more metrologically sound. The determination of conversion factor per CRM batch is recommended to be based on the pure CRMs produced from pure GM materials, which is expected to be the best choice for calibration of PCR measurement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly selective and sensitive, low detection limits, and biocompatible turn-on copper ion fluorescent probes is of great significance for the environment and life sciences. In this study, a novel turn-on fluorescent probe T based on pyrene-acylhydrazone was synthesized via an efficient one-step condensation reaction and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS. The probe T exhibited high selectivity with a low detection limit of 0.304 nM towards Cu2+ in DMSO/H2O (v/v = 1 : 1) medium by a PET-TICT dual interplaying sensing mechanisms. Job's plot analysis and HRMS data confirmed the 1 : 1 binding stoichiometry between T and Cu2+ with an association constant of 5.7×103 M-1. Additionally, the binding model was investigated by 1H NMR titration and FT-IR spectra. Furthermore, probe T exhibits low cellular toxicity and excellent membrane permeability, and has been successfully applied for fluorescent imaging of copper ions in live HT-22 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel amphiphiles containing phenylthiophene and cyanostyrene group in the rigid core and a methyl and an oligooxyethylene unit at the terminal were synthesized by Suzuki coupling and Knoevenagel condensation reactions. The mesomorphic and optical behaviors were well demonstrated by POM, DSC, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV–vis spectra, fluorescence emission spectra, fluorescence lifetimes, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The positional isomer with terminal thiophene ring exhibits an enantiotropic nematic phase whereas the positional isomer with terminal benzene ring is non-mesogen, which might be attributed to the increasing intermolecular interaction induced by the position of thiophene ring. The UV–vis spectra of both compounds show little difference due to the similar rigid core. The emission spectra of the positional isomer with terminal benzene ring showed a distinct bathochromic shift in both solution and aggregated states than those of the positional isomer with terminal thiophene ring, which attributed to the distance between the cyano group and thiophene ring. The shorter distance could induce more obvious intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). Both positional isomers show AIE characteristics due to the restricted intermolecular rotation. Positional isomerism also induces a difference in reversible mechanochromic properties due to the changes in the molecular crystalline arrangement before and after grinding. The reversible fluorescence switching properties in the rewritable luminescent paper was also demonstrated. Therefore, positional isomerism could lead to distinct transition of self-assembly and optical properties, which paved a method to construct multifunctional molecules with different properties and applications. [Display omitted] • Two novel AIE-active amphiphiles containing phenylthiophene and cyanostyrene group are reported. • The positional isomerism induces distinct change on the self-assembly and emission behaviors. • Different mechanochromism behaviors lead to potential application in rewritable luminescent paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific and economical nucleic acid detection is crucial for molecular diagnoses in resource-limited settings. Various facile readout approaches have been developed for nucleic acid detection, but they have limited specificity. Herein, nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9)/sgRNA was used as an excellent DNA recognition probe system to develop a visual clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/dCas9-mediated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for specific and sensitive detection of cauliflwer mosaic virus 35s (CaMV35S) promoter in genetically modified (GM) crops. In this work, the CaMV35S promoter was amplified with biotinylated primers, and then precisely bound with dCas9 in the presence of sgRNA. The formed complex was captured by antibody-coated microplate and bound to a streptavidin-labeled horseradish peroxidase probe for the visual detection. Under the optimal conditions, dCas9-ELISA could detect CaMV35s promoter as low as 12.5 copies μL−1. Moreover, the proposed method was capable to distinguish the target sequence with single-base specificity. Coupled with one-step extraction and recombinase polymerase amplification, dCas9-ELISA can identify actual GM rice seeds within 1.5 h from sampling to results without expensive equipment and technical expertise. Therefore, the proposed method offers a specific, sensitive, rapid and cost-effective detection platform for molecular diagnoses. A CRISPR/dCas9-mediated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for visual detection of nucleic acid with single-base specificity. [Display omitted] • A dCas9-mediated ELISA was developed for visual detection of nucleic acid. • The dCas9-ELISA exhibited ultrahigh specificity at single-base resolution. • This system can identify actual rice seeds within 1.5 h from sampling to results. • The proposed method offered a specific, convenient and cost-effective platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microstructure evolution of oxide scale on dense SiOC monolithics were studied. • A dense and thin oxide scale was formed at 1100 °C and remained intact up to 18 h. • Thick oxide layer tended to crack for high thermal misfit strain. • Crystallization of amorphous silica induced volume shrinkage, causing crack formation. Forming stable and continuous oxide scale is the key to resist oxidation by acting as a surface-diffusion barrier to reduce further oxygen attack. Oxidation behavior of dense SiOC monolithics was studied from 900 °C to 1200 °C for up to 18 h. The oxide scale formed at 1000 °C and 1200 °C was ∼106 μm and ∼81 μm in thickness, respectively. High thermal misfit strain induced by the large thickness and volume shrinkage originated from crystallization of silica resulted in the scale cracking with oxidation time. However, the scale formed at 1100 °C remained dense and thin (∼43 μm) without any visible defects, protecting the SiOC base effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of breast cancer (BC) patients is increasing year by year, which is severely endangering to human life and health. c-Myc is a transcription factor, studies have shown that it is a very significant factor in tumor progression, but how it is regulated in BC is still not well understood. Here, we used the RIP microarray sequencing to confirm circXPO6, which had a high affinity with c-Myc and highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues and cells. CircXPO6 overexpression promoted tumor growth in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, circXPO6 largely promoted the expression of genes related to glucose metabolism, such as GLUT1, HK2, and MCT4 in TNBC cells. Finally, high levels of circXPO6 expression were found to be closely associated with malignant pathological factors, such as tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging, and histopathological grading of TNBC. Mechanistically, circXPO6 interacted with c-Myc to prevent speckle-type POZ-mediated c-Myc ubiquitination and degradation, thus promoting TNBC progression. Through the regulation of c-Myc-mediated signal transduction, circXPO6 plays a key role in TNBC progresses. This discovery can provide new ideas for TNBC molecular targeted therapy., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Biological proton channels have perfect selectivity in aqueous environment against almost all ions and molecules, a property that differs itself from other biological channels and a feature that remains challenging to realize for bulk artificial materials. The biological perfect selectivity originates from the fact that the channel has almost no free space for ion or water transport but generates a hydrogen bonded wire in the presence of protons to allow the proton hopping. Inspired by this, we used the interlayer spacings of covalent organic framework materials consisting of hydrophilic functional groups as perfectly selective artificial proton channels. The interlayer spacings are so narrow that no atoms or molecules can diffuse through. However, protons exhibit a diffusivity in the same order of magnitude as that in bulk water. Density functional theory calculations show that water molecules and the COF material form hydrogen bonded wires, allowing the proton hopping. We further demonstrate that the proton transport rate can be tuned by adjusting the acidity of the functional groups., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The genetically modified (GM) maize DBN9936 with a biosafety certificate will soon undergo commercial application. To monitor the safety of DBN9936 maize, three genomic DNA (gDNA) reference materials (RMs) (DBN9936a, DBN9936b, and DBN9936c) were prepared with nominal copy number ratios of 100%, 3%, and 1% for the DBN9936 event, respectively. DBN9936a was prepared from the leaf tissue gDNA of DBN9936 homozygotes, while DBN9936b and DBN9936c were prepared by the quantitative mixing of gDNA from the leaf tissues of DBN9936 homozygotes and non-GM counterparts. Validated DBN9936/ zSSIIb duplex droplet digital PCR was demonstrated to be an accurate reference method for conducting homogeneity study, stability study, and collaborative characterization. The minimum intake for one measurement was determined to be 2 μL, and the gDNA RMs were stable during transport at 37 °C for 14 days and storage at -20 °C for 18 months. Each gDNA RM was certified for three property values: DBN9936 event copy number concentration, zSSIIb reference gene copy number concentration, and DBN9936/ zSSIIb copy number ratio. The measurement uncertainty of the certified values took the uncertainty components related to possible inhomogeneity, instability, and characterization into account. This batch of gDNA RMs can be used for calibration and quality control when quantifying DBN9936 events.

Biological ion channels use the synergistic effects of various strategies to realize highly selective ion sieving. For example, potassium channels use functional groups and angstrom-sized pores to discriminate rival ions and enrich target ions. Inspired by this, we constructed a layered crystal pillared by crown ether that incorporates these strategies to realize high Li + selectivity. The pillared channels and crown ether have an angstrom-scale size. The crown ether specifically allows the low-barrier transport of Li + . The channels attract and enrich Li + ions by up to orders of magnitude. As a result, our material sieves Li + out of various common ions such as Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and Al 3+ . Moreover, by spontaneously enriching Li + ions, it realizes an effective Li + /Na + selectivity of 1422 in artificial seawater where the Li + concentration is merely 25 μM. We expect this work to spark technologies for the extraction of lithium and other dilute metal ions., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The mixing of wastewater and natural water releases abundant osmotic energy. Harvesting this energy could significantly reduce the energy and economic cost of water treatment, leading to sustainable wastewater treatment technology. Yet, such energy harvesting is highly challenging because it requires a material that is highly permeable to nontoxic ions while rejecting toxic ions in wastewater to reach high power density and prevent environmental pollution. In this work, we demonstrate that a light-augmented biomimetic multi-ion interaction in an MXene membrane can simultaneously realize high permeability of Na + ions for enhanced osmotic power generation and high selectivity to heavy metal ions up to a ratio of 2050 for wastewater treatment. The Na + permeability is enhanced by the photothermal effect of the MXene membrane. The transport of heavy metal ions, however, is suppressed because, under angstrom-confinement, heavy metal ions are strongly electrostatically repelled by the increased number of permeating Na + ions. As a result, the membrane can stably generate osmotic power from simulated industrial wastewater, and the power density can be enhanced by 4 times under light illumination of approximate 1 sun intensity. This work highlights the importance of multi-ion interaction for the transport properties of ionic materials, which remains rarely investigated and poorly understood in previous studies.

The development of highly selective and sensitive, low detection limits, and biocompatible turn-on copper ion fluorescent probes is of great significance for the environment and life sciences. In this study, a novel turn-on fluorescent probe T based on pyrene-acylhydrazone was synthesized via an efficient one-step condensation reaction and characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and HRMS. The probe T exhibited high selectivity with a low detection limit of 0.304 nM towards Cu 2+ in DMSO/H 2 O (v/v = 1 : 1) medium by a PET-TICT dual interplaying sensing mechanisms. Job's plot analysis and HRMS data confirmed the 1 : 1 binding stoichiometry between T and Cu 2+ with an association constant of 5.7×10 3 M -1 . Additionally, the binding model was investigated by 1 H NMR titration and FT-IR spectra. Furthermore, probe T exhibits low cellular toxicity and excellent membrane permeability, and has been successfully applied for fluorescent imaging of copper ions in live HT-22 cells., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Conducting target ions rapidly while rejecting rival ions efficiently is challenging yet highly demanded for ion separation related applications. Two-dimensional (2D) channels are widely used for ion separation, but highly selective 2D channels generally suffer from a relatively low ionic conductivity. Here we report that the 2D vermiculite channels have a Na + conductivity higher than bulk and at the same time reject heavy metal ions with a selectivity of a few hundreds. Such performance is attributed to the highly electronegative crystal surface and the extremely narrow channel (0.2 nm high), as also supported by the ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. We demonstrate that the highly selective and conductive sodium channels can be utilized to harvest osmotic power from industrial wastewater, achieving a power density of more than 20 W m -2 while preventing pollution from waste heavy metal ions. This work provides a strategy for wastewater utilization as well as treatment. Moreover, the investigation suggests the possibility to break the ionic permeability-selectivity trade-off by combining Ångstrom-scale confinement with proper surface engineering, which could lead to applications that are challenging for previous materials.

Background: Palbociclib has been approved for marketing in China. However, its effectiveness, safety, and latent variables in the Chinese population require further investigation., Methods: Information was retrieved from 397 patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) who received at least two cycles of palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (PAL plus ET) at eight clinical sites in China. The patients' demographic characteristics, treatment patterns, and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed., Results: The objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) for PAL plus ET were 28.97% and 66.25%, respectively. The median PFS was 14.2 months in the whole population. In addition to protein Ki-67 status and sensitivity to ETs, no liver metastases, fewer metastatic sites, an earlier line of therapy, and treatment combined with AI instead of FUL were also considered as independent prognostic factors for PAL treatment. Administration of PAL was generally well tolerated in patients with hormone-receptor-positive and human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC). The therapy was safe in the elderly population, which is consistent with the outcomes of the whole population and previous reports., Conclusions: In this most widely distributed study in China to date, palbociclib combined with ET proved its effectiveness for HR+/HER2- ABC treatment, and adverse events were manageable. Here, we identified some independent prognosis factors, but the mechanism by which these factors influence effectiveness requires further verification.

With the gradual increase of the coal mining depth, the mixing of multiple water sources intensifies and the activity of radium and radon in groundwater increases. Identifying the source of mine water inrush by using radium and radon isotopes is a new choice. In this paper, the mathematical statistics method, radioactive isotope decay theory, the mass conservation principle, and the numerical simulation method are used to analyze the influence of total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, and the hydrochemical ion content in groundwater on the isotope activity of radium, radon, uranium, thorium, and lead. The activity of thorium and lead is lower than the detection limit of the instrument, and the influence of coal mining activities on it is small. The simulation of the radium-radon mass balance in groundwater shows that the greater the adsorption coefficient (k) of solid particles in groundwater is, the more obvious the adsorption effect and the greater the influence on the radium-radon activity balance are. The radium-radon dating method is used to calculate the groundwater age. Results show that the groundwater age in the closed pit coal mining area is generally older than that in the mining coal mining area. Combined with the 222 Rn, 226 Ra, and 234 U radioactive isotopes and temperature, a mixing water source identification model of limestone in the coal seam floor is constructed. The model shows that the radium activity and temperature of the groundwater are inversely proportional to the mixing ratio of the Permian sandstone water. From the closed pit coal mining area to the mining coal mining area, the radium radon activity of the groundwater increases gradually, the groundwater age decreases significantly, the water cycle is accelerated, the mixing ratio of the Permian sandstone water decreases gradually, the mixing ratio of the Ordovician limestone water increases gradually, and the risk of coal mine water inrush increases. The research results prove the feasibility of the new method for accurately discriminating the mixing water sources in coal mine areas, which is of great significance to the improvement of the theory of coal mine water disaster prevention and control., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale and Objectives: This study aimed to develop a model incorporating axillary tail position on mammography (AT) for the prediction of non-sentinel Lymph Node (NSLN) metastasis in patients with initial clinical node positivity (cN+)., Methods and Materials: The study reviewed a total of 257 patients with cN+ breast cancer who underwent both sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). A logistic regression model was developed based on these factors and the results of post-NAC AT and axillary ultrasound (AUS)., Results: Four clinical factors with p<0.1 in the univariate analysis, including ycT0(odds ratio [OR]: 4.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.13-11.91, p<0.001), clinical stage before NAC (OR: 2.68, 95%CI: 1.15-6.58, p=0.025), estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR: 3.29, 95%CI: 1.39-8.39, p=0.009), and HER2 status (OR: 0.21, 95%CI: 0.08-0.50, p=0.001), were independent predictors of NSLN metastases. The clinical model based on the above four factors resulted in the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82(95%CI: 0.76-0.88) in the training set and 0.83(95% CI: 0.74-0.92) in the validation set. The results of post-NAC AUS and AT were added to the clinical model to construct a clinical imaging model for the prediction of NSLN metastasis with AUC of 0.87(95%CI: 0.81-0.93) in the training set and 0.89(95%CI: 0.82-0.96) in the validation set., Conclusions: The study incorporated the results of post-NAC AT and AUS with other clinal factors to develop a model to predict NSLN metastasis in patients with initial cN+ before surgery. This model performed excellently, allowing physicians to select patients for whom unnecessary ALND could be avoided after NAC., (Copyright © 2022 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Appropriate tracing methods for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) play a key role in accurate axillary staging. This prospective, non-inferiority, phase III RCT compared the feasibility and diagnostic performance of ultrasound-assisted carbon nanoparticle suspension (CNS) mapping with dual tracer-guided SLNB in patients with early breast cancer., Methods: Eligible patients had primary breast cancer without nodal involvement (cN0), or had clinically positive lymph nodes (cN1) that were downstaged to cN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to undergo either ultrasound-assisted CNS sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping (UC group) or dual tracer-guided mapping with CNS plus indocyanine green (ICG) (GC group). The primary endpoint was the SLN identification rate., Results: Between 1 December 2019 and 30 April 2021, 330 patients were assigned randomly to the UC (163 patients) or GC (167 patients) group. The SLN identification rate was 94.5 (95 per cent c.i. 90.9 to 98.0) per cent in the UC group and 95.8 (92.7 to 98.9) per cent in the GC group. The observed difference of -1.3 (-5.9 to 3.3) per cent was lower than the prespecified non-inferiority margin of 6 per cent (Pnon-inferiority = 0.024). No significant difference was observed in metastatic node rate (30.5 versus 24.4 per cent; P = 0.222), median number of SLNs harvested (3 (range 1-7) versus 3 (1-8); P = 0.181), or duration of surgery (mean(s.d.) 7.53(2.77) versus 7.63(3.27) min; P = 0.316) between the groups. Among the subgroup of patients who had undergone neoadjuvant treatment, the SLN identification rate was 91.7 (82.2 to 100) per cent in the UC group and 90.7 (81.7 to 99.7) per cent in the GC group., Conclusion: The diagnostic performance of ultrasound-assisted CNS mapping was non-inferior to that of dual tracer-guided SLN mapping with CNS plus ICG in patients with early breast cancer., Registration Number: NCT04951245 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Society Ltd.)

A label-free electrochemical impedimetric biosensor was constructed based on gold carbon dots (GCDs) modified screen-printed carbon electrode for the detection of genetic modified (GM) soybean. The structure and property of GCDs were investigated. The GCDs can directly bind to single-stranded DNA probes through Au-thiol interaction and boost electric conductivity for the DNA sensor construction. The quantification of target DNA was monitored by the change of electron-transfer resistance (R et ) upon the DNA hybridization on sensor surface. Under the optimal conditions, the R et response (vs. Ag reference electrode) increased with the logarithm of target DNA concentrations in a wide linear range of 1.0 × 10 -7  - 1.0 × 10 -13  M with a detection limit of 3.1 × 10 -14  M (S/N = 3). It was also demonstrated that the proposed DNA sensor possessed high specificity for discriminating target DNA from mismatched sequences. Moreover, the developed biosensor was applied to detect SHZD32-1 in actual samples, and the results showed a good consistency with those obtained from the gel electrophoresis method. Compared with the previous reports for DNA detection, the label-free biosensor showed a comparatively simple platform due to elimination of complicated DNA labeling. Therefore, the proposed method showed great potential to be an alternative device for simple, sensitive, specific, and portable DNA sensor., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Lightweight electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbers made of ceramics have sparked tremendous interest for applications in EM wave interference protection at high temperatures. However, EM wave absorption by pure ceramics still faces huge challenges due to the lack of efficient EM wave attenuation modes. Inspired by the energy dissipation mechanism during fracture of lobster shells with a soft and stiff multilayered structure, we fabricate a high-performance EM wave absorption ceramic aerogel composed of an alternating multilayered wave transparent Si 3 N 4 (N) layer and wave absorption SiC (C) layer by a simple restack method. The obtained N/C aerogel shows ultralow density (∼8 mg/cm 3 ), broad effective absorption bandwidth (8.4 GHz), strong reflection loss (-45 dB) at room temperature, and excellent EM wave absorption performance at high temperatures up to 1000 °C. The attenuation of EM wave mainly results from a "reflection-absorption-zigzag reflection" process caused by the alternating multilayered structure. The superior absorption performance, especially at high temperatures, makes the N/C aerogel promising for next-generation wave absorption devices served in high-temperature environments.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have always been the center of the experimental exploration of regenerative therapy together with other stem cells. Among with, peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PBMSCs) have been regarded as promising in clinical applications for its convenience of acquisition from peripheral blood. However, few reported experiments so far to elucidate the exact mechanisms of how PBMSC influence regeneration. As the ability of immunomodulatory is one of the crucial features that influence MSC to reconstruct impaired tissue, we decided to focus on the immunomodulatory abilities of PBMSCs and conducted experiments associated with macrophages and T lymphocytes, which are two main cell types that dominate the innate and acquired immunity. Therefore, a basis can be made from these experiments for applications of PBMSCs in regenerative therapy in the future., Methods: A Transwell system was used for the coculturing of PBMSCs with macrophages. T lymphocytes were cultured directly with PBMSCs. Flow cytometry and immunochemistry were conducted for identifying the phenotypes. Immunomagnetic microspheres, ELISA and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expressions of relevant molecules or mRNAs., Results: After coculturing PBMSCs with M0, the anti-inflammatory IL-10 was increased whereas the proinflammatory TNF-α decreased; the expression of CD11b, CD68, CD206, Arg-1, IL-10 and CCL-22 was up-regulated whereas IL-1β down-regulated. The expression of TGF-β, RORγt, Foxp3 and IL-10 was increased in the cocultured lymphocytes whereas IL-17 and IL-6 decreased; the ratio of CD4 + IL-17 + Th17/CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg was reduced., Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that PBMSCs promoted the anti-inflammatory features of macrophages and the Th17/Treg system. PBMSCs are able to inhibit inflammation associated with these two immune cell systems, and thus provide insight into how PBMSCs achieve their immunomodulatory ability., Competing Interests: There is no conflict of interest exist in this article., (© 2020 The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

MoS 2 has emerged as a good application prospect in the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nevertheless, the catalytic activity of MoS 2 is greatly restricted by its inferior electrical conductivity, inadequate exposure of active edge sites, and sluggish water dissociation dynamics. Herein, a 1D/2D heteronanostructure composed of SiC nanowires wrapped with MoS 2 nanosheets was prepared via the hydrothermal synthesis of MoS 2 on highly connected SiC nanowires (SiCnw). The nanocomposites exhibit an emerging tectorum-like morphology with interface connections of C-Mo bonds, which benefit the efficient interfacial transmission of electrons. Due to the synergetic catalytic effects of MoS 2 nanosheets and SiC nanowires, the MoS 2 /SiCnw nanocomposites possess efficient catalytic performance with a low Tafel slope (55 mV/dec). SiC nanocrystals could reduce the activated water dissociation energy barrier, and the morphologies of connected nanowires could improve the active site exposure and charge transport. The nanocomposites possess favorable hydrogen adsorption free energy from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The electrocatalytic performance of MoS 2 /SiCnw nanocomposites could be further improved by assembling the nanocomposites on a carbon fiber paper to enhance the electronic transmission efficiency.

Background: Excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) closely associates with postpartum obesity. However, the causal role of EGWG in postpartum obesity has not been experimentally verified. The objective of this study was to determine whether and how EGWG causes long-term postpartum obesity., Methods: C57BL/6 mice were fed with high-fat diet during gestation (HFFDG) or control chow, then their body composition and energy metabolism were monitored after delivery., Results: We found that HFFDG significantly increased gestational weight gain. After delivery, adiposity of HFFDG-treated mice (Preg-HF) quickly recovered to the levels of controls. However, 3 months after parturition, Preg-HF mice started to gain significantly more body fat even with regular chow. The increase of body fat of Preg-HF mice was progressive with aging and by 9 months after delivery had increased 2-fold above the levels of controls. The expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT) of Preg-HF mice was manifested by hyperplasia in visceral fat and hypertrophy in subcutaneous fat. Preg-HF mice developed low energy expenditure and UCP1 expression in interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) in later life. Although blood estrogen concentrations were similar between Preg-HF and control mice, a significant decrease in estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression and hypermethylation of the ERα promoter was detected in the fat of Preg-HF mice 9 months after delivery. Interestingly, hypermethylation of ERα promoter and low ERα expression were only detected in adipocyte progenitor cells in both iBAT and WAT of Preg-HF mice at the end of gestation., Conclusions: These results demonstrate that HFFDG causes long-term postpartum obesity independent of early postpartum fat retention. This study also suggests that HFFDG adversely programs long-term postpartum energy metabolism by epigenetically reducing estrogen signaling in both BAT and WAT.

The development of genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant crops has aroused great public concern about the risks on the eco-environment resulting from a release of toxic Cry proteins (such as Cry1Ab) to the soil. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to measure the Cry proteins level and the GM crops content. Here, we have tested for the first time a method that uses novel carbon nanospheres (CNPs) label-free electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunosensor for the ultrasensitive quantification of Cry1Ab and GM crops. In this work, novel CNPs were prepared from printer toner with a very facile approach, and linked with anti-Cry1Ab antibodies to modify a golden working electrode. The immunoreaction between Cry1Ab and its antibody formed an immunocomplex on the bioreceptor region of the sensor, which inhibited electron transfer between the electrode surface and the ECL substance, leading to a decrease of ECL response. Under the optimal conditions, the fabricated label-free ECL immunosensor determined Cry1Ab down to 3.0pgmL -1 within a linear range of 0.010-1.0ngmL -1 , showing significant improvement of sensitivity than that of most previous reports. Meanwhile, the proposed method was successfully applied for GM rice BT63 and GM maize MON810 detections down to 0.010% and 0.020%, respectively. Due to its outstanding advantages such as high sensitivity, ideal selectivity, simple fabrication, rapid detection, and low cost, the developed method can be considered as a powerful and pioneering tool for GM crops detection. Its use can also be extended to other toxin protein sensing in foods., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A novel immunochromatographic assay (ICA) was proposed for rapid and multiple assay of β2-agonists, by utilizing ractopamine (RAC) and salbutamol (SAL) as the models. Owing to the introduction of chemiluminescent (CL) approach, the proposed protocol shows much higher sensitivity. In this work, the described ICA was based on a competitive format, and horseradish peroxidase-tagged antibodies were used as highly sensitive CL probes. Quantitative analysis of β2-agonists was achieved by recording the CL signals of the probes captured on the two test zones of the nitrocellulose membrane. Under the optimum conditions, RAC and SAL could be detected within the linear ranges of 0.50-40 and 0.10-50 ng mL(-1), with the detection limits of 0.20 and 0.040 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3), respectively. The whole process for multianalyte immunoassay of RAC and SAL can be completed within 20 min. Furthermore, the test strip was validated with spiked swine urine samples and the results showed that this method was reliable in measuring β2-agonists in swine urine. This CL-based multianalyte test strip shows a series of advantages such as high sensitivity, ideal selectivity, simple manipulation, high assay efficiency and low cost. Thus, it opens up new pathway for rapid screening and field analysis, and shows a promising prospect in food safety., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Amorphous carbon nanoparticles (ACNPs) showing highly efficient quenching of chemiluminescence (CL) were prepared from candle soot with a very simple protocol. The prepared ACNP was employed as the novel energy acceptor for a chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET)-based immunoassay. In this work, ACNP was linked with transferrin (TRF), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was conjugated to TRF antibody (HRP-anti-TRF). The immunoreaction rendered the distance between the ACNP acceptor and the HRP-catalyzed CL emitter to be short enough for CRET occurring. In the presence of TRF, this antigen competed with ACNP-TRF for HRP-anti-TRF, thus led to the decreased occurrence of CRET. A linear range of 20-400 ng mL(-1) and a limit of detection of 20 ng mL(-1) were obtained in this immunoassay. The proposed method was successfully applied for detection of TRF levels in human sera, and the results were in good agreement with ELISA method. Moreover, the ACNPs show higher energy transfer efficiency than other conventional nano-scaled energy acceptors such as graphene oxide in CRET assay. It is anticipated that this approach can be developed for determination of other analytes with low cost, simple manipulation and high specificity., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of docetaxel and cisplatin plus S-1 (DCS) combination chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients., Methods: Chemo-naive patients with advanced gastric cancer, ECOG performance status of 0 to 1, and adequate organ function were eligible. All patients received docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) on day 1, plus S-1 orally 40-60 mg bid depending on body surface area on days 1-14, every 21 days. Efficacy and adverse events were evaluated every two cycles., Results: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled from February 2009 to January 2011 and 56 of them were evaluated for efficacy and tolerability. After a median follow up of 17.6 months, the objective response rate (RR) was 75%, the disease control rate (DCR) 83.9%, the median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) 6.5 (95% CI, 5.6-7.3) months and 15.5 (95% CI, 13.9-17.0) months, respectively. The median number of chemotherapy cycles was 5. Grade 3 or 4 adverse effects included neutropenia (60.7%), vomiting (14.3%), neurotoxicity (12.5%), thrombocytopenia (10.7%), diarrhea (10.7%), impaired liver function (3.6%), and hand-foot syndrome (1.8%)., Conclusion: Our study shows that DCS regimen is active against advanced gastric cancer with acceptable toxicities and it may be used as a new choice of first-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer.