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Recently, a novel radiohybrid tracer [18F]Lu-LuFL targeting the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) has been developed for PET imaging of solid tumors. This tracer has shown promising results, prompting us to conduct a first-in-human study to evaluate its efficacy for PET imaging of FAP in human body. In order to facilitate the routine production and clinical application of [18F]Lu-LuFL, a straightforward and efficient automated synthesis is described. The optimum labeling parameters were determined at laboratory scale, and subsequently incorporated into an automated production process. Further studies have demonstrated that clinical doses of [18F]Lu-LuFL can be prepared within 19 min, with excellent radio chemical purity (>99%) and activity yield (23.58% ± 2.20%, non-decay corrected), coupled with solid phase extraction (SPE) purification method. All the quality control results satisfy the required criteria for release. In conclusion, we have successfully synthesized [18F]Lu-LuFL with sufficient radioactivity and superior quality, thereby establishing its potential for further clinical application. • [18F]Lu-LuFL can be produced with an activity yield of 23.58% ± 2.20% within 19 min at r.t. in ALLINONE synthesis module. • This preparation of [18F]Lu-LuFL utilizing SiFA 18F–19F isotope exchange is very robust and highly reliable. • [18F]Lu-LuFL produced by ALLINONE synthesis module meets our quality control and release criteria. • [18F]Lu-LuFL showed promising tumor accumulation and favorable pharmacokinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are transient and not pathognomonic for psychiatric disorders, they may increase the risk of concurrent and future psychiatric disorders. However, the prevalence of PLEs and the different effects of PLE subtypes on mood outcomes are still unclear. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the prevalence of PLE subtypes and explore their relationship with the use of specific emotion regulation strategies and the level of affective lability among college students. The history of PLEs, the level of affective lability, and the use of specific emotion regulation strategies were assessed via self-reported questionnaires, and 1905 college students and 1812 college students were included in separate analyses. This study found that 14.44% of college students reported ever experiencing any of the five PLEs, with males reporting more PLE symptoms and a higher number of PLEs than females. Different PLE subtypes had different effects on the use of specific emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal or suppression) and the level of affective lability and also showed gender differences. Cognitive reappraisal and suppression differently predicted affective lability in males and females, and cognitive reappraisal mediated the relationship between hearing voices in PLEs and affective lability in males. In conclusion, PLEs were common in Chinese college students and gender differences were revealed in the prevalence of PLE subtypes. PLEs were associated with the use of specific emotion regulation strategies and the level of affective lability. Cognitive reappraisal may be a promising target for intervention aimed at relieving the effect of PLEs in non-clinical individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limitation of technology and budget, it is often difficult for sensors of a single remote sensing satellite to have both high-temporal and high-spatial (HTHS) resolution at the same time. In this article, we proposed a new multilevel feature fusion with generative adversarial network (MLFF-GAN) for generating fusion HTHS images. The MLFF-GAN mainly uses U-net-like architecture, and its generator is composed of three stages: feature extraction, feature fusion, and image reconstruction. In the feature extraction and reconstruction stage, the generator employs the encoding and decoding structure to extract three groups of multilevel features (MLFs), which can cope with the huge difference of resolution between high-resolution images and low-resolution images. In the feature fusion stage, adaptive instance normalization (AdaIN) block is designed to learn the global distribution relationship between multitemporal images, and an attention module (AM) is used to learn the local information weights for the change of small areas. The proposed MLFF-GAN was tested on two Landsat and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets. Some state-of-the-art algorithms are comprehensively compared with MLFF-GAN. We also carried on the ablation experiment to test the effectiveness of different submodules in the MLFF-GAN. The experiment results and ablation analysis show the better performances of the proposed method when compared with other methods. The code is available at https://github.com/songbingze/MLFF-GAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As clean, renewable energy, photovoltaic (PV) energy can reduce the ozone-layer loss and climate deterioration caused by the use of traditional types of energy to generate electricity. At present, most PV energy products involve the influence of cloud cover on solar radiation. However, the resolution and precision of most cloud cover data are not fine enough to reflect the actual cloud distribution in local areas. This leads to incorrect distribution results of PV energy in areas with high-spatial-variability clouds. Using high-resolution and high-precision cloud cover data obtained by satellite remote sensing to estimate the distribution of PV energy can solve this problem. In this study, the Global Land High-Resolution Cloud Climatology (GLHCC), a 10-day cloud frequency product with a resolution of 1 km and located in China, was used to construct a cloud-based solar radiation estimation model. Using the inverse relationship between cloud cover and solar radiation, the GLHCC was converted into sunshine percentage data. Using meteorological station data in China, a Least Squares Fit (LSF) and error check were carried out on the A-P, Lqbal, Bahel and Sen Models to determine the optimal solar radiation estimation model (Sen Model). Based on the sunshine percentage data, the Sen Model and terrain shielding factors, the distribution of PV energy in China was estimated. Finally, comparing to the Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) of the World Bank and the yearly average global irradiance of the Photovoltaic Geographic Information System (PVGIS), PV energy data in this paper more accurately reflected the distribution of PV energy in China, especially in areas with high-spatial-variability clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partial transmit sequence (PTS) technique is a fairly suitable scheme to mitigate the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) problem inherent in 5G multicarrier systems, especially considering a high-order QAM modulation design. However, the high computational complexity level and the speed of the convergence for optimizing the phases of the transmitting signal restrict this technique in practical applications. In this paper, a low-complexity frequency-domain-evaluated PTS (F-PTS) based on a spacing multiobjective (SMO) processing algorithm is proposed to reduce the PAPR values. The PAPR performance are accurately predicted in terms of modifying relative dispersion in the frequency domain. As a result, the complexity of searching the optimal phase factors and IFFT computing is simplified. Moreover, a frequency-domain- and time-domain-evaluating PTS (FTD-PTS) is employed to search the optimal solution with a reasonable complexity. Simulation results verify that the operation rate of F-PTS is significantly improved after transferring the exhaustive search strategy of PTS into the SMO algorithm, and the F-PTS PAPR reduction performance is just 0.3 dB away from theoretical optimal performance. The FTD-PTS spends an acceptable operation rate to obtain optimal PAPR reduction performance, which subtracts 0.5 and 0.6 dB more than PSO-PTS and conventional PTS at CCDF = 10 − 3 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen trilobite species belonging to 16 genera and 13 families are systematically documented from the Houping Formation (upper Dapingian-lower Darriwilian, Middle Ordovician) at the Datangkou and Dacao sections, Chengkou, northern Chongqing. Of these, a new species, Mioptychopyge chengkouensis sp. nov., is established and described. New morphological information is provided for previously known species on the basis of new specimens. Two trilobite associations based on faunal composition and dominant forms are distinguished from the Houping Formation, in ascending order, the Agerina Association (from the lower and middle members) and the Nileus-Illaenus Association (from the upper member). The Agerina Association lived in an inner shelf margin environment with carbonate substrate above storm wave base (<70 m deep), whereas the Nileus-Illaenus Association developed in a shallow outer shelf environment below storm wave base (>70 m deep), indicating a rise of relative sea level corresponding to the early Darriwilian transgression. The cluster and nonmetric multidimensional scaling analyses of the trilobites in the formation show that the fauna had a strong endemicity to South China and a close biogeographic connection with east Peri-Gondwana, especially Tarim, Annamia and central Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality are not understood. This study investigated the association of schizotypal personality traits with suicidality and explored the mediating role of cognitive appraisal and depression in the relationship between those two variables in a sample of Chinese college students. Participants (N = 2457) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, and three questions related to suicidality. The cognitive reappraisal score was lower in the students with suicidality than the students without suicidality, whereas scores for depression and schizotypal personality traits were higher in the students with suicidality than the students without suicidality. Schizotypal personality traits and depression were risk factors for suicidality. Depression mediated the association between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality. Cognitive reappraisal negatively affected symptoms of depression and had a significant mediating effect on the association between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality. Schizotypal personality traits and depression are risk factors for suicidality. Cognitive reappraisal and depression mediate the association between schizotypal personality traits and suicidality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amelioration of saline-sodic soil and the rational utilization of irrigation water resources are important environmental problems worldwide, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions. In order to study the water-salt dynamics and reclamation effects of CaCl2-amended brackish ice on saline-sodic soils, we conducted a laboratory experiment to study the salinity fractionation of brackish ice and the amelioration effects in different saline-sodic soils (ESP 20, 40, and 70) under four salinity levels (1, 1.6, 2.2, and 2.8 g/L) of brackish ice. Based on the analysis of soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), alkalinity, infiltration depth, and ionome, the results showed that the pH, SAR, and alkalinity of ESP 20 soil with a higher salinity (2.2 g/L, Na/Ca ≤ 1.14) of brackish ice could be improved. However, for high ESP soils (ESP 40 and 70), there was no significant difference among brackish ice treatments of 1, 1.6, 2.2, and 2.8 g/L, the 0–12 cm soil layer could be desalted, but more salts accumulated at the lower layer of the soil profile. We further determined an optimal brackish ice concentration to improve different ESP soils: 2.2 g/L brackish ice for ESP 20 soil, 1.6 g/L for ESP 40 soil, and 1 g/L for ESP 70 soil. CaCl2-amended brackish ice can be used to ameliorate saline-sodic soil, this study provides invaluable supporting information on saline-sodic soil reclamation by optimizing brackish ice salinity and sodicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, fumed silica has been used as smoke suppression and flame-retardant synergism in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites based on ammonium polyphosphate (APP). And, the synergistic smoke suppression property and flame-retardant effect of fumed silica in flame-retardant TPU composites are mainly intensively investigated by several methods, including smoke density test (SDT), cone calorimeter test (CCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), limiting oxygen index, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results of SDT show that fumed silica can significantly decrease smoke production of flame-retardant TPU composites. The results of CCT present that the addition of fumed silica can effectively reduce smoke production rate, total smoke release, smoke factor, heat release rate, and mass loss in the combustion process of flame-retardant TPU composites. The SEM results show that fumed silica can improve the quality of char residue after cone calorimeter test. All the results show that fumed silica is an effective smoke suppression agent and a good flame-retardant synergism with APP in TPU composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this work was to investigate the synergistic effect of expandable graphite (EG) and aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) on the flame retardancy of silicone rubbers (SR). The synergistic effects of EG with AHP in halogen-free flame-retardant SR composites have been studied by cone calorimeter test (CCT), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and the thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry (TG-IR). The CCT results showed that AHP and EG can effectively reduce the flammable properties including peak heat release rate, total heat release, smoke production rate, total smoke release, and smoke factor. An improvement of thermal stability of SR/AHP/EG was also observed. The experimental observations from digital photographs give positive evidence of the synergistic effects between AHP with EG. The TG results reveal that SR/AHP/EG samples show slower thermal degradation rate and higher thermal stability at high temperature than SR sample. The TG-IR results showed that the addition of AHP and EG significantly decreased the combustible gaseous products such as hydrocarbons. These attractive features of SR/AHP/EG suggest that the method proposed herein is a good approach to prepare very effective flame retardants and corresponding super flame-retarding SR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of satellite remote sensing technology and an ever-increasing number of Earth observation satellites being launched, the global volume of remotely sensed imagery has been growing exponentially. Processing the variety of remotely sensed data has increasingly been complex and difficult. It is also hard to efficiently and intelligently retrieve what users need from a massive database of images. This paper introduces an improved support vector machine (SVM) model, which optimizes the model parameters and selects the feature subset based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method and genetic algorithm (GA) for remote sensing image retrieval. The results from an image retrieval experiment show that our method outperforms traditional methods such as GRID, PSO, and GA in terms of consistency and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The archaeocyath-bearing reefs that first appeared in South China in the Atdabanian were last seen in the lower Toyonian (e.g., in the Tianheban and Jindingshan formations). The upper Toyonian–lower Amgan Qingxudong Formation of Hunan Province examined in this study includes large-sized reefs formed solely by calcimicrobes of Epiphyton, Kordephyton, Girvanella, Hedstroemia, and Renalcis. During the middle and upper Cambrian, small-scale stromatolite reefs were formed. The Qingxudong reefs are therefore interpreted to be the most well-developed microbial reefs of the post archaeocyath-bearing reefs in the late early Cambrian. The transition from archaeocyath-bearing to purely microbial reefs was caused by a decline in the diversity of metazoans, and was accompanied by a reduction in the abundance of reefs, possibly related in part to late early Cambrian regression. The late early Cambrian reefs of South China contain a well-preserved record of reef succession, and provide important insights into the factors that led to the demise of archaeocyath-bearing reefs and the subsequent long-lasting hindrances to the development of skeletal-dominated reefs during the middle and late Cambrian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To improve the capacity and energy density for Li-ion batteries, the composite of silicon and graphite has been regarded as the most promising alternative for next-generation anodes. However, the utilization of silicon has been limited by its large volume change and high manufacturing cost of nano silicon. Herein, the micron-size porous silicon is coated on the graphite and then encapsulated in carbon to form p-Si/G@C composite, in which the porosity and particle size of porous silicon are regulated by the element ratio and particle size of AlSi alloy. We find that the porous silicon with higher porosity and the smaller particle size shows better cycle stability and rate performance for p-Si/G@C electrode. Especially, by optimizing the porosity and particle size for porous silicon in the composite, the obtained p-0.8 μm Si 20 /G@C exhibits an initial reversible capacity of 649.4 mA h/g, the initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 81.85% and the outstanding cycle stability with the capacity retention of 83.1% after 500 cycles. With simple pre-lithiation, the ICE could be significantly increased to 97.16% and the cycle capacity becomes more stable. This rationally designed p-Si/G@C possesses the advantages of low production cost, simple synthesis process, which shows significant potential for practical use. The particle size and porosity of porous silicon are simultaneously optimized to obtain silicon-graphite composite with superior electrochemical properties. [Display omitted] • The particle size and porosity of porous Si in Si-graphite composite are optimized. • More pores and smaller particle sizes of porous Si result in better performance. • Pre-lithiation improves the ICE and cycle stability of Si-graphite composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Silurian and Devonian plant fossil record is the basis for our understanding of the early evolution of land plants, yet our appreciation of early global phytogeographic evolution has been constrained by the focus of most studies on deposits from Europe, North America, and, more recently, South China. Devonian plants have been recorded rarely from northeastern China, and among previous records, few plants have been illustrated and formally described. In this article, megafossil plants representing a Late Devonian-aged (probably Famennian) flora are described from a locality at northern Sonid Zuoqi, Inner Mongolia, NE China. The flora includes Melvillipteris sonidia new species, Archaeopteris sp., and fragments of some other plants. The new plant shows main axes and two orders of lateral branches. The first-order branches of this plant show a typical zigzag appearance and are borne in pairs on main axes. Second-order branches are straight or slightly flexed, and are borne helically or alternately on first-order branches. Sterile ultimate appendages and fertile structures of M. sonidia n. sp. are borne alternately on second-order branches. An associated palynological assemblage, as well as U-Pb ages of detrital zircon grains from adjacent horizons, are also reported, indicating a Late Devonian age in accord with the megafossil plants. The present study contributes to our appreciation of the Devonian floristic diversity of the Xing'an Block, and, through our review of the record of early vascular plants from NE China, more broadly to the understanding of the mid-latitude vegetation of the Northern Hemisphere during the Late Devonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nano Al 2 O 3 layer is coated on Cu-SSZ-13 by chemical liquid deposition (CLD). • High-Temperature SCR activity of aged Cu-SSZ-13 is preserved by Al modification. • Aggregated Cu is passivated as CuAlO 2 that are inert for NH 3 oxidation. • CuAl 2 O 4 and Al 2 O 3 , comparing with CuO, have higher affinity for Cu(OH) 2. • CuAl 2 O 4 forms with Al modification and captures detached Cu as CuAlO 2 upon aging. To improve the hydrothermal durability of Cu-SSZ-13 selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst, a thin Al 2 O 3 modification layer was coated on the external surface of Cu-SSZ-13 by a chemical liquid deposition (CLD) method. The high-temperature SCR activity of the Al-modified Cu-SSZ-13 can be maintained upon 750–800 °C hydrothermal aging, and over-oxidation of NH 3 is largely inhibited. Based on H 2 -TPR and EPR results, it is revealed that CuAl 2 O 4 -like species forms upon Al modification and converts further to CuAlO 2 -like species during aging, while the accumulation of CuO-like species is inhibited. The high affinity of Al-containing species (i.e. , Al 2 O 3 and CuAl 2 O 4 -like species) with Cu(OH) 2 is suggested by DFT calculations, indicating that Cu(OH) 2 detached from ion-exchange sites are captured by Al to form CuAlO 2 -like species instead of CuO-like species. The passivation of detached Cu species by coated Al leads to somewhat weakened low-temperature SCR activity, but successfully preserves the high-temperature SCR performance upon aging, which can be applied to high-temperature SCR scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a newly discovered enteric coronavirus. We have previously shown that the caspase-dependent FASL-mediated and mitochondrion-mediated apoptotic pathways play a central role in SADS-CoV-induced apoptosis, which facilitates viral replication. However, the roles of intracellular signaling pathways in SADS-CoV-mediated cell apoptosis and the relative advantages that such pathways confer on the host or virus remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that SADS-CoV induces the activation of ERK during infection, irrespective of viral biosynthesis. The knockdown or chemical inhibition of ERK1/2 significantly suppressed viral protein expression and viral progeny production. The inhibition of ERK activation also circumvented SADS-CoV-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these data suggest that ERK activation is important for SADS-CoV replication, and contributes to the virus-mediated changes in host cells. Our findings demonstrate the takeover of a particular host signaling mechanism by SADS-CoV and identify a potential approach to inhibiting viral spread. • SADS-CoV activated the ERK signaling pathway irrespective of viral replication. • Chemical inhibition and ERK1/2 knockdown markedly impaired SADS-CoV replication. • There were crosstalk between ERK and apoptotic pathways during SADS-CoV infection. • SADS-CoV exploits the ERK cascade to complete successful viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burn scar extraction using remote sensing data is an efficient way to precisely evaluate burn area and measure vegetation recovery. Traditional burn scar extraction methodologies have no well effect on burn scar image with blurred and irregular edges. To address these issues, this paper proposes an automatic method to extract burn scar based on Level Set Method (LSM). This method utilizes the advantages of the different features in remote sensing images, as well as considers the practical needs of extracting the burn scar rapidly and automatically. This approach integrates Change Vector Analysis (CVA), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) to obtain difference image and modifies conventional Level Set Method Chan-Vese (C-V) model with a new initial curve which results from a binary image applying K-means method on fitting errors of two near-infrared band images. Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI data sets are used to validate the proposed method. Comparison with conventional C-V model, OSTU algorithm, Fuzzy C-mean (FCM) algorithm are made to show that the proposed approach can extract the outline curve of fire burn scar effectively and exactly. The method has higher extraction accuracy and less algorithm complexity than that of the conventional C-V model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Unique amorphous phases could be formed in all the studied Fe(Hf x Ta1−x ) films. [•] BCC-Hf phase formation and preferred orientation were observed in Fe50Hf50 films. [•] Good soft magnetic properties were observed in the amorphous films obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the frequency of porcine hokovirus (PHoV) infection and its co-infection with porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) in China. A total of 485 domestic pig samples were tested for both PHoV and PCV2, and NS1 gene sequences from 11 PHoV strains were used for phylogenetic analysis. The prevalence of PHoV and PCV2 was 51.3 % and 36.3 %, respectively, and co-infection occurred in 20.2 %. PHoVs from the Chinese mainland showed a close relationship to those isolated in Hong Kong. Co-infection with both viruses was prevalent, and PHoV may contribute to the induction of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the complexity of landslide hazards, their manual investigation lacks efficiency and is time-consuming, especially in high-altitude plateau areas. Therefore, extracting landslide information using remote sensing technology has great advantages. In this study, comprehensive research was carried out on the landslide features of high-resolution remote sensing images on the Mangkam dataset. Based on the idea of feature-driven classification, the landslide extraction model of a fully convolutional spectral–topographic fusion network (FSTF-Net) based on a deep convolutional neural network of multi-source data fusion is proposed, which takes into account the topographic factor (slope and aspect) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as multi-source data input by which to train the model. In this paper, a high-resolution remote sensing image classification method based on a fully convolutional network was used to extract the landslide information, thereby realizing the accurate extraction of the landslide and surrounding ground-object information. With Mangkam County in the southeast of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau China as the study area, the proposed method was evaluated based on the high-precision digital elevation model (DEM) generated from stereoscopic images of Resources Satellite-3 and multi-source high-resolution remote sensing image data (Beijing-2, Worldview-3, and SuperView-1). Results show that our method had a landslide detection precision of 0.85 and an overall classification accuracy of 0.89. Compared with the latest DeepLab_v3+, our model increases the landslide detection precision by 5%. Thus, the proposed FSTF-Net model has high reliability and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Original Article I Discovery of the protolepidodendralean lycopsid Leclercqia from the Middle to Upper Devonian of Inner Mongolia, northeastern China i by Jinzhuang Xue et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.4147. GLO:O81/01dec21:gj4358-toc-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): . gl. [Extracted from the article]

• A novel iron matrix composite with (W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) f is synthesized via infiltration method. • (W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) f consists of a metal W core and a gradient structure Fe 3 W 3 C-Fe shell. • The compressive strength and strain of the composite reaches 1530 MPa and 33.2%. • Excellent combination of strength and strain is achieved by architecture design. The trade-off between strength and ductility of steel/iron matrix composite has been a long-standing challenge since decades. Therefore, this study proposes a novel strategy via the infiltration process to fabricate the iron matrix composite reinforced with (W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) composite fibers ((W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) f). By employing this strategy, the above-mentioned challenge can be successfully circumvented. The composition of (W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) f consists of a metal W fiber with an in-situ formed annular Fe 3 W 3 C-Fe layer on its surface, exhibiting a characteristic core–shell structure: W-fiber is the core and Fe 3 W 3 C-Fe layer, with a gradient structure, is the shell. Therefore, the synthesized composite, bolstered by the inclusion of the (W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) f reinforcement, demonstrated extraordinary strength of 1530 MPa, while simultaneously upholding an exceptional level of ductility at 33.2%. The excellent comprehensive mechanical properties were mainly attributed to the synergistic coupling effect of the high-strength (W-Fe 3 W 3 C/Fe) f and its large-area high-ductility matrix. The approach presented in this study offers a potentially favorable strategy for integrating the performance of steel/iron matrix composites in industrial production activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-of-care testing (POCT) of multiple chronic disease biomarkers is crucial for effective prevention and management of chronic diseases. Here, we developed a sensing platform based on microfluidics chip and oxygen-sensitive membrane (OSM), which utilized enzymatic oxygen consumption and OSM based signal conversion for portable detection of glucose, total cholesterol, uric acid, and triglyceride in blood. Their detection limits were 0.04 mM, 0.07 mM, 0.01 mM, and 0.05 mM, respectively, meeting clinical requirements. To avoid the reliance on laboratory equipment, a handheld mini centrifuge modified from a toy fan was developed for plasma separation and a smartphone was used for signal acquisition. In addition, signal conversion based OSM simplified reagent composition. Dry storage of reagents on the chip simplified operations and improved the stability of reagents. For chronic disease biomarkers in blood, the results obtained by our chips were consistent with commercial kits. We believe that this sensitive, low-cost, equipment-free sensing platform has a significant potential in self-management of chronic diseases. [Display omitted] • Multiplex detection for chronic disease biomarkers was developed. • A portable handheld mini centrifuge was used for plasma separation. • Oxygen-sensitive membrane was used as transducer element. • All operations could be completed on site without any sophisticated instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated an association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors in Chinese adolescents, and explored the underlying mechanism. Methods: The data of 3094 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years were collected from an epidemiological survey in China. All the subjects or their parents completed the Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, and the Adolescent Self-rating Life Event Checklist (ASLEC). Results: Relative to the non-schizoid group, adolescents with schizoid tendencies (male or female) showed significantly higher scores for aggressive behaviors, emotional abuse, and ASLEC. Regarding females only, those with schizoid tendencies had significantly higher (lower) scores for physical abuse and emotional neglect (physical neglect). The aggressive behaviors score was predicted by scores for schizoid tendencies (βmale = 0.620, βfemale = 0.638, both P < 0.001) and ASLEC (βmale = 0.125, βfemale = 0.061, both P < 0.01), and by childhood trauma score (males: emotional neglect [β = 0.045, P = 0.021]; females: emotional abuse and sexual abuse [β = 0.118 and − 0.062, both P < 0.01]). The ASLEC and childhood trauma scores mediated the association between scores for schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors, specifically, emotional neglect (emotional abuse and sexual abuse) in males (females). In females, the interaction between scores for childhood trauma and ASLEC affected the aggressive behaviors score (P = 0.023). Conclusions: Schizoid tendencies are associated with aggressive behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Recent life events and childhood trauma mediated an association between schizoid tendencies and aggressive behaviors. The interaction between childhood trauma and recent life events affected aggressive behaviors in females. Aggressive behaviors in adolescents may be ameliorated by reducing childhood trauma and life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Saline‐sodic lands threaten the food supply and ecological security in the western Songnen Plain of northeast China, and the gypsum is commonly adopted for restoration. However, the dynamics of soil bacterial community and the correlation with crop yield during restoring processes remain poorly understood. Here, we elucidated the soil chemical properties and bacterial communities and their associations with rice yield under different flue gas desulphurization gypsum (FGDG) application rates combined with brackish ice leaching. RESULTS: The increased application rate of FGDG generally improved soil reclamation effects, as indicated by soil chemical properties, bacterial diversity, and rice yield. Compared with fresh ice irrigation, the rice yield in brackish ice treatment increased by 15.84%, and the soil alkalinity and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) decreased by 35.19% and 10.30%, respectively. The bacterial alpha diversity significantly correlated and predicted rice yield as early as brackish ice melt, suggesting the bacterial diversity was a sensitive indicator in predicting rice yield. Meanwhile, the bacterial communities in the control possessed a high abundance of oligotrophic Firmicutes, while eutrophic bacterial taxa (e.g. Proteobacteria) were enriched after brackish water irrigation and FGDG application. Moreover, we also established a Random Forest model and identified a bacterial consortium that explained an 80.0% variance of rice yield. CONCLUSION: Together, our results highlight the reclaiming effect of brackish ice in the saline‐sodic field and demonstrate the sensitivity and importance of the soil bacterial community in predicting crop yield, which would provide essential knowledge on the soil quality indication and bio‐fertilizer development for soil reclamation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface chemistry control is a key means to improve substrate selectivity and enhance catalytic activity of nanozymes, a kind of novel artificial enzymes. Herein, we demonstrated that apart from chemical properties of functional groups, their spatial distance to the catalytic sites is also very important to improve the catalytic performance of nanozymes. Using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) coated gold nanorods (AuNR) as the example, we showed that cysteine (Cys) surface modification can greatly enhance the peroxidase activity of AuNR for the oxidation of substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). By using cysteine derivatives, the key role of the carboxylic group in cysteine is revealed in improving substrate binding and activity enhancement. The electrostatic interactions of carboxylic groups from adsorbed cysteine molecules with protonated amino groups of TMB bring TMB molecules to the surface Au active sites and thus markedly increase catalytic activity. In contrast, despite having two carboxylic groups, glutathione (GSH) surface modification only leads to quite limited improvement of catalytic activity. We speculated that due to large molecular size of GSH, the spatial distance between TMB-GSH and Au is larger than that between TMB-Cys and Au. Furthermore, Raman characterization indicated that at high Cys coverage, they form patches on rod surface via zwitterionic interactions, which may give additional benefits by decreasing the steric hindrance of TMB diffusion to surface Au atom sites. In all, our study highlights the importance of fine surface tuning in the design of nanozymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the formation and characterization of multiply negatively charged sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (NaAOT) aggregates in the gas phase, by electrospray ionization of methanol/water solution of NaAOT followed by detection using a guided-ion-beam tandem mass spectrometer. Singly and doubly charged aggregates dominate the mass spectra with the compositions of [NaAOT] ( n = 1-18 and z = 1-2). Solvation by water was detected only for small aggregates [NaAOTHO] of n = 3-9. Incorporation of glycine and tryptophan into [NaAOT] aggregates was achieved, aimed at identifying effects of guest molecule hydrophobicity on micellar solubilization. Only one glycine molecule could be incorporated into each [NaAOT] of n ≥ 7, and at most two glycine molecules could be hosted in that of n ≥ 13. In contrast to glycine, up to four tryptophan molecules could be accommodated within single aggregates of n ≥ 6. However, deprotonation of tryptophan significantly decrease its affinity towards aggregates. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) was carried out for mass-selected aggregate ions, including measurements of product ion mass spectra for both empty and amino acid-containing aggregates. CID results provide a probe for aggregate structures, surfactant-solute interactions, and incorporation sites of amino acids. The present data was compared with mass spectrometry results of positively charged [NaAOT] aggregates. Contrary to their positive analogues, which form reverse micelles, negatively charged aggregates may adopt a direct micelle-like structure with AOT polar heads exposed and amino acids being adsorbed near the micellar outer surface. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adachi, N., Ezaki, Y. & Liu, J. 2011: The oldest bryozoan reefs: a unique Early Ordovician skeletal framework construction. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 14-23. The oldest bryozoan reefs occur in the Lower Ordovician (late Tremadocian) Fenhsiang Formation of the Three Gorges area, South China. These reefs show a unique type of bryozoan ( Nekhorosheviella) framework, and were constructed as follows: the first stage involved colonization by lithistid sponges, which acted as a baffler to trap sediments, providing bryozoans with a stable substrate for attachment. The bryozoans then grew as an encruser on the surfaces of sponges, showing a preferential downwards and lateral growth within the sponge scaffolding to avoid biological and physical disturbance. Finally, these biotic combinations among skeletal organisms formed a rigid, three-dimensional skeletal framework. This mode of bryozoan growth in association with lithistid sponges is remarkable and unique in its growth direction, and the appearance of such reefs, just prior to the widespread development of skeletal-dominated reefs as part of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, provides an excellent example of the earliest attempts by skeletal organisms to form frameworks by themselves. This find significantly enhances our understanding of the initial stages of skeletal-dominated reef evolution and the ensuing development of reefs during the Middle-Late Ordovician. □ Bryozoa, Early Ordovician, lithistid sponge, Ordovician radiation, reef. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report a study of the generation and characterization of multiply charged, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (NaAOT) aggregates in the gas phase, using electrospray ionization (ESI) guided-ion beam tandem mass spectrometry. It was found that distributions of gas-phase NaAOT aggregate size and charge are related to the surfactant states in electrosprayed solutions. ESI mass spectra of NaAOT/water/hexane reverse micellar solutions show the compositions of [(NaAOT) n Na z ] z+, with the aggregation number (n) and charge (z) increase with increasing water content in solution. In contrast, gas-phase aggregates from NaAOT monomers in solution have smaller aggregation numbers and lower charges. Gas-phase NaAOT aggregates of n ≥13 could encapsulate one glycine molecule, and those of n ≥16 could encapsulate two glycine molecules. Up to five glycine molecules could be accommodated in single aggregates of n ≥24. Regardless of glycine encapsulation, no water molecules were detected within gas-phase NaAOT aggregates. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) was studied for mass-selected NaAOT aggregates with Xe, including measurements of product ion masses and CID cross-sections for both empty and glycine-encapsulating aggregates over the center-of-mass collision energy range of 0.1–8.0eV. CID results provide a detailed probe of aggregate structures as well as the interactions between surfactants and the encapsulated glycine molecules. Specifically, the dependence of glycine encapsulation on aggregate size is observed in CID product ion mass spectra, too. The present study demonstrates that NaAOT surfactants are able to form reverse micelles in the gas phase, and gas-phase reverse micelles can act as nanometer-sized vehicles for transport of non-volatile biomolecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Lower Ordovician records a transition from microbial- to metazoan-dominant reefs immediately prior to the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. The Hunghuayuan Formation (late Tremadocian-early Floian) of the Jianxin section in Anhui Province, South China, includes well-preserved reefs, which consist of a combination of microbial boundstones and microbial-lithistid sponge-receptaculitid boundstones. The microbial boundstones are characteristically made up of nodular or columnar stromatolites produced by an irregular alternation of Girvanella-rich layers and thick micrite layers in which the filamentous calcimicrobe Girvanella and bioclasts occur sporadically. Microbial biofilms, including the filamentous microbes, may have trapped and bound lime mud and/or precipitated micrite during their growth and metabolic activities. These activities contemporaneously contributed to substrate stabilisation, encrustation, and the construction of microbialite frameworks (stromatolites). In contrast, the microbial-lithistid sponge-receptaculitid boundstones are characterised by more micritic constituents than skeletal reef-building constituents. Thin and/or domal crusts produced by peloid and dense micrite, together with various proportions of Girvanella, occur upon bioclastic sediments and reef-building skeletal organisms. These micritic crusts with Girvanella therefore played roles as binders and stabilisers, and as consolidators by encrusting reef-building skeletal organisms. In the boundstones, it is remarkable that the degradation of lithistid sponges, due to microbial decay, produced micrite in the sponge bodies. As a result, lithistid sponges played an apparently inconspicuous but potentially significant role as micrite producers as well as automicrite framework constructors. These Lower Ordovician reefs, in which microbialites (e.g., stromatolites) dominate but coexist with metazoans (e.g., sponges), were widespread at the time. They provide excellent examples for understanding reefal palaeoecology during the transition from microbe-dominant reefs to reefs enriched in metazoans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reference genes are used to normalize target genes for relative quantification in gene expression studies. However, different experimental conditions may affect the expression of reference genes, which could lead to erroneous quantitative results. In this study, we performed real-time polymerase chain to investigate the expression of eight reference genes (rpoN, rpoD, dbhA, phaF, 16S rRNA, gst, lexA, and atkA) in Pseudomonas putida mt-2 during degradation of p-xylene. According to their expression stability, geNorm software analysis revealed that rpoN, rpoD, 16S rRNA, and atkA were suitable reference genes with highly stable expression, whereas phaF and dbhA were not suitable due to unstable expression. When normalized either to phaF or dbhA, xylA and xylE expression were significantly different compared to the expression levels normalized with the normalization factor (NF4) obtained from the four most stable reference genes (rpoN, -rpoD, -16S rRNA, and -atkA). The use of unstably expressing reference genes resulted in an over- or underestimation of target gene expression, a delay in maximal gene expression, and an increase in gene expression in the absence of inducer. While experimental results indicated that the relative maximum expression of xylA and xylE occurred at different times, unstable reference genes indicated that the maximum expression occurred at the same time. Our study indicates that a valid set of reference genes covering a broad expression range is recommended to accurately normalize and quantify the relative expression levels of the target gene(s) transcripts in many microbial processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Their reaction mechanisms, dynamics, and product structures were revealed by gas-phase ion-molecule reactions and mass spectrometry, from which a molecular-level understanding of the chemistry is provided for elucidating the biological consequences and implications. Ion-molecule reaction, mass spectrometry, nucleosides, reaction mechanisms, singlet oxygen Keywords: ion-molecule reaction; mass spectrometry; nucleosides; reaction mechanisms; singlet oxygen EN ion-molecule reaction mass spectrometry nucleosides reaction mechanisms singlet oxygen 1226 1226 1 09/29/21 20210901 NES 210901 B The Cover Feature illustrates b a synergetic damage of DNA guanine nucleobases by ionizing radiation and accompanying oxidation by electronically excited singlet molecular oxygen. [Extracted from the article]

A dramatic shift in microbial reefs occurred around the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. Here we describe changes in the composition, construction, and texture of microbial reefs in the Zavkhan Terrane of Gobi-Altai Province, western Mongolia, during the late Ediacaran and early Cambrian. Stromatolites consisting of peloids, micritic clots, and homogeneous lime mud without calcified microbes (calcimicrobes) are characteristic of the upper Ediacaran (units 9 and 16A of the Zuun-Arts Formation). In contrast, abundant thrombolites with stromatolites occur in the lowest Terreneuvian (units 17A and 17 of the Bayan Gol Formation). These Cambrian microbial reefs are made up of micritic clots and homogeneous lime mud in close association with calcimicrobes including Korilophyton , Renalcis , and Tarthinia. The thrombolites and calcimicrobial reefs studied herein occur directly stratigraphically above strata that record a strong negative shift in δ13C values and are dominated by small shelly fossils; these are the earliest known calcimicrobial reef representatives of the Phanerozoic. These microbial reefs changed almost simultaneously with drastic fluctuations in environmental conditions (e.g., seawater chemistry, Ca concentration, carbonate saturation, and oxygen level). These changes would have been influenced by the evolution of calcimicrobes and skeletal metazoans across the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. The present work provides crucial geobiological information on substantial shifts at the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary and how calcimicrobes and related textures appeared in tandem with the innovation of biomineralisation. • Stromatolites without calcimicrobes occur in the late Ediacaran. • Calcimicrobe-bearing thrombolites first appeared in the earliest Cambrian. • Calcimicrobial reefs formed after a strong negative shift in δ13C values and SSFs. • Microbial reefs changed almost synchronously with fluctuations in marine conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: PbS nanorods with a diameter of 20–50 nm have been synthesized successfully by surfactant-assisted hydrothermal route. The product was over 90% yield according to the amount of Pb(CH3CHOO)2 used. Experiments showed that the concentration of N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethyl- ammonium bromide (CTAB) and thiourea (Tu), reaction time and sulfur sources played important roles in the formation of the PbS nanorods. A reasonable mechanism for the formation of the PbS nanorods is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As the primary producers, acritarchs represent the base of the food chain in the Paleozoic marine ecosystem which links with the evolution of acritarchs. Based on high precision quantitative research, much information about Paleozoic marine ecosystem is provided. A quantitative analysis of Early-Middle Ordovician acritarch diversity changes in the Meitan Formation, Honghuayuan section, Tongzi, Guizhou is made and the the acritarch diversity curves are compared with sea level curves. We found that acritarch diversity changes were related to sea level changes during the Early-Middle Ordovician. Whereas sea level rose, and acritarch diversity also increased. An inshore-offshore model of acritarchs best explains the relative abundance changes of some acritarch taxa in relation to sea level changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peloids are major contributors to modern and ancient limestones, although their origins are not yet comprehensively understood. Upper Permian to Lower Triassic carbonate successions are well preserved at the Bangeng area in Guizhou Province, South China, where microbialites (thrombolites), coccoidal microbes and peloids are preserved together. These peloids are classified into three types (Peloid-A, B, C) that typically occur together along with coccoidal microbes and restricted bioclasts in a variety of microenvironments. Peloid-A is most common and exhibits close relationship with coccoidal microbes. Peloid-A1 has spherical grain and a size range typical for coccoidal microbes (10–60 μm in diameter), whereas Peloid-A2 is marked by larger spherical and subrounded grains with diffuse margins, ranging from 70 to 200 μm in diameter. Peloid-A1 is in part produced by the complete micritic filling in coccoidal microbes by their metabolic activities, whereas Peloid-A2 is related to the calcification of a colony of coccoidal microbes by their metabolic activities, or simply to the aggregation of individual peloids and coccoidal microbes. Peloids of this type might also originate from other carbonate precipitation processes. Peloid-B is derived merely by micrite filling in ostracodes and gastropods skeletons, whereas Peloid-C is of micritized-bioclast origin. These peloidal origins do not explain those of all environments and ages. Peloids are polygenetic in origin, irrespective of the presence of coccoidal microbes. However, it is emphasized that the peloids formed after the end-Permian extinction are dominated by microbes related ones. Those kinds of peloids might have occurred repeatedly and predominantly, especially in severely deteriorated environments such as those after the end-Permian mass extinction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Prior studies have explored the prevalence of social anxiety disorders and found that childhood major adverse experiences increased the risk of social anxiety. However, few studies analyzed features of social anxiety and explored the mediation mechanism of the relationship between childhood major adverse experiences and social anxiety in early adulthood.Methods: Two thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine college students from Hunan, China participated in the survey-based study. They completed questionnaires on major adverse childhood experiences, social anxiety symptoms, and a sense of security during a study conducted from 2017 to 2018.Results: 1) 33.38% of the students reported experiencing at least one social anxiety symptom; the highest detection rate (20.22%) was social anxiety symptoms related to participants' nervousness when in large groups. 2) Females and individuals who consumed alcohol in the past year and individuals with a poor physical condition had a significantly higher risk of having social anxiety symptoms (p<0.05). 3) Childhood major adverse events experience increased the risk of some social anxiety symptoms, especially experiencing 3 or more adverse events (p<0.05). 4) A sense of security mediated the relationship between childhood major adverse events experience and social anxiety symptoms.Conclusions: Extensive detection rate of social anxiety symptoms existed among college students, early adversities increased the risk of social anxiety in early adulthood, and the relationship between childhood major adversity and social anxiety was affected by sense of security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A light-responsive ion transport switch has been developed based on conformation-dependent azobenzene-incorporated lipophilic G-quadruplex channels, which provides a new smart approach for the selective transport of K+ ions across the lipid membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we presented a strategy for accurate trajectory tracking control of a quadrotor with unknown disturbances. To guarantee that the tracking errors of all system state variables converge to zero in finite time and eliminate the chattering phenomenon caused by the switching control action, a control strategy that combines linear prediction model of disturbances and fuzzy sliding mode control (SMC) based on logical framework with side conditions (LFSC) was designed. LFSC was applied for both position and attitude tracking of the quadrotor. Firstly, a linear prediction method was devised to minimize the effects of external disturbances. Secondly, a new fuzzy law was implemented to eliminate the chattering phenomenon. In addition, the stabilities of position and attitude were demonstrated by using Lyapunov theory, respectively. Simulation results and comprehensive comparisons demonstrated the superior performance and robustness of the proposed LFSC scheme in the case of external disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial protocell model mimicking stimuli-triggered extracellular matrix formation is demonstrated based on the self-immobilization of coacervate microdroplets. Endogenous enzyme activity within the microdroplets results in the release of Ca2+ ions that trigger hydrogelation throughout the external environment, which in turn mechanically supports and chemically stabilizes the protocells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New occurrences of middle–late Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) conodonts are reported from the Nyalam region, southern Tibet. The conodont-yielding strata, referred to the Chiatsun Group, accumulated on the north Indian continental margin of northern Gondwana. These Middle Ordovician conodonts include the informal species Histiodella sp. A in the middle part of the Lower Formation of the Chiatsun Group succeeded by a fauna of the Pygodus serra Zone in the upper part of that formation. Pygodus anserinus is recorded from the base of the Upper Formation of the Chiatsun Group. The Nyalam succession and its conodont taxa allow for precise correlation of the strata preserved on top of Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest), eastern Tibet and the Peri-Gondwana Lhasa (north central Tibet), South China, North China, Tarim Basin and Thailand-Malaysia (Sibumasu Terrane) terranes and/or microcontinents. The middle Darriwilian positive increase in δ13Ccarb values (carbon isotope excursion, or MDICE) is recorded from most terranes, and can be related to a late middle Darriwilian global short-term cooling and sea-level drop. The cooling event prompted temperate- to warm-water taxa to migrate towards the palaeoequator and constrained the Australasian Province to locations near and at the palaeoequator. The intensified oceanic circulation and upwelling on continental margins probably caused some characteristic taxa to become extinct. The incoming fauna was mainly of cool-water taxa. The conodont specimens from southern Tibet are black to pale grey, corresponding to conodont colour index (CAI) values of 5 to 6, which demonstrates that the host sedimentary rocks were once heated to more than 360°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Associations between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes and suicidal behaviors remains unclear. The current study explored the prevalence of suicidal behaviors, and its association with ADHD among Chinese medical students. Methods: Five thousand six hundred ninety-three medical college students participated. Symptoms of suicidal behaviors, ADHD, anxiety, depression, tobacco and alcohol use were assessed using online questionnaires. Results: The prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts among medical college students were 27.5, 7.9 and 14.8% respectively. Participants with ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I) had more than fivefold increased odds of suicidal behaviors, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of ADHD-I and ADHD combined type (ADHD-C) remained significant after controlling for confounding factors. Conclusions: ADHD is associated with high risk of suicidal behaviors. ADHD-I and ADHD-C were strongly associated with suicidal behaviors independent of comorbidities. The finding suggests the importance of addressing ADHD symptoms in suicide prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorinated alicyclic insecticides are believed to antagonize the action of the neuro transmitter -aminobutyric acid (GABA) at its receptor in vertebrates. Binding of the specific GABA A receptor ligand [35S]-t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) to channel catfish brain P2 membranes suggested a single population of receptors with a Kd (56.6 +/- 2.6 nM) and Bmax (2435 +/- 276 fmol/mg protein) that are similar to published values for other fish species. The competition of several chlorinated compounds for TBPS binding was investigated. The most potent inhibitors of TBPS binding were 12-ketoendrin, photoheptachlor epoxide, photoheptachlor, telodrin, and endrin, respectively, with IC50s of 20-90 nM. Photooxychlordane, photo -chlordane, and oxychlordane were intermediate in potency (122-219 nM), as were isodrin, dihydroisodrin, heptachlor epoxide, and -chlordane, which were similar in potency (311-397 nM). Dieldrin, lindane, and dihydroaldrin were much less potent (592-1103 nM). Heptachlor, aldrin, and -chlordane were weak inhibitors of TBPS binding (2073-2738 nM). Chlordene and chlordecone had the lowest potency of all compounds studied (10,201-21,178 nM) with the exception of mirex, which did not inhibit binding at a concentration of 50 muM. There is a good correlation between binding potency and the available toxicity data for several of these compounds in channel catfish. There is also a good correlation between the inhibitory potency in channel catfish by these types of compounds with that in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood adversity is related to poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. However, few studies have examined the epidemiology of major childhood adversities and their effects on depression and suicide attempts in Chinese college students.Methods: 2755 students completed a questionnaire of 10 items about major childhood adversities, one item about suicide attempts, and the Zung self-rating depression scale. Single-factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the association between different types of adversity/different numbers of types of adversity and suicide attempts/depression.Results: 1916 (69.55%) respondents reported they had experienced major childhood adversities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that witnessing a crash or murder, abuse by family members, and abuse by other adults or children were positively related to suicide attempts (OR: 1.712-2.222, all p<0.05). Abuse by other adults or children (OR=1.648, p<0.05) and serious injury during childhood (OR=1.494, p<0.05) were risk factors for depression. Those who had experienced 3 or more types of adversity were more likely to have depression (OR=1.806, p=0.002)and to have committed suicide attempts (OR= 3.307,p<0.001)compared to those without any adversities.Conclusion: The incidence of major childhood adversity is high among Chinese college students. Childhood adversity increases the risk of depression and suicide attempts. As the number of types of childhood adversity experienced by an individual increases, their risk ratio for suicide attempts and depression increases. To promote mental health, special attention should be given to those who have suffered childhood adversities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is a novel coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. High adaptive plasticity on the spike protein of SASR-CoV-2 enables it to transmit across different host species. In the present study, we collected 2092 high-quality genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 from 160 regions in over 50 countries and reconstructed their phylogeny. We also analyzed the polymorphic interaction between spike protein and human ACE2 (hACE2). Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is probably originated from a recombination event on the spike protein between a bat coronavirus and a pangolin coronavirus that endows it humans infectivity. Compared with other regions in the S gene of SARS-CoV-2, the direct-binding sites of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) is more conserved. We focused on 3,860 amino acid mutations in spike protein RBD (T333-C525) of SARS-CoV-2 and simulated their differential stability and binding affinity to hACE2 (S19-D615). The results indicate no preference for SARS-CoV-2 infectivity on people of different ethnic groups. The variants in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 may also be a good indicator demonstrating the transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 from its natural reservoir to human hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety and stress like mental illnesses are the common outcomes of viral epidemics and pandemics. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) was first reported in Wuhan, China, and then spread all over the world in a short time. Objectives: To highlight and discuss the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on mental or psychological health. Method: Literature search and collection of the information were performed using PubMed, the reports from the World health organization, and the Center for disease control and prevention. Results: COVID‐19 infection has already been declared as a global pandemic, which in association with infodemic has increased the risk of psychiatric/psychological disorders. A large population of the world is prone to develop anxiety, depressive disorders, and other mental abnormalities. Therefore, timely psychological interventions and preventive strategies are required. Moreover, the infection has been reported to be linked with cerebrovascular conditions; therefore, patients with underlying cerebrovascular diseases should be given attention. Conclusion: COVID‐19‐mediated mental health complications and cerebrovascular conditions may cause a huge burden on healthcare communities in the future. Therefore, timely intervention and the development or application of preventive strategies are required to decrease the risk of neurological consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube foams (CNFs) have been successfully used as near-critical-density targets in the laser-driven acceleration of high-energy ions and electrons. Here we report the recent advances in the fabrication technique of such targets. With the further developed floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method, large-area ($>25\kern0.5em {\mathrm{cm}}^2$) and highly uniform CNFs are successfully deposited on nanometer-thin metal or plastic foils as double-layer targets. The density and thickness of the CNF can be controlled in the range of $1{-}13\kern0.5em \mathrm{mg}/{\mathrm{cm}}^3$ and $10{-}200\kern0.5em \mu \mathrm{m}$ , respectively, by varying the synthesis parameters. The dependence of the target properties on the synthesis parameters and the details of the target characterization methods are presented for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas-quenching fabrication of perovskite films demonstrates promising compatibility for commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics. Seeking suitable ligand for the perovskite precursor inks to improve the crystalline quality of gas-quenched methylammonium free perovskite films is critical for realizing up-scalable fabrication of stable perovskite solar cells. In this work, a series of pyrrolidone-based ligands are employed in gas-quenching fabrication of FA 0.9 Cs 0.1 PbI 3 perovskite films. Optical and morphological characterizations indicate 2-pyrrolidone is the most preferred ligand to deliver a neat buried-interface as well as a light-trapping surface at the rear of the device, which maximized the light-harvesting and the photocurrent of the device. The corresponding device achieved a power conversion efficiency of 21.6% without any interfacial passivation, as well as reduced defect density from their electrical characteristics. Moreover, a more stable performance of the device is obtained with 2-pyrrolidone compared to other pyrrolidone-based ligands, demonstrating 2-pyrrolidone as a promising ligand in designing the perovskite inks for methylammonium-free perovskite solar cells. • Various pyrrolidone-based ligands are studied in gas-quenching of FA 0.9 Cs 0.1 PbI 3 films. • Bifacial optical properties of perovskite films are optimized with NP ligand. • smoother buried interface and a rougher surface contribute to enhanced light harvesting. • NP device achieved 21.6% efficiency without any interfacial passivation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXene, a two-dimensional (2D) material consisting of Ti 3 C 2 T x , has demonstrated significant potential for numerous applications, particularly in the areas of corrosion and wear resistance to protect metals. In this study, we reported the facile preparation of MXene/epoxy resin (EP) coatings through blending, which was successfully confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). With the lubrication of oleic acid (OA), an EP coating containing 1 wt% MXene exhibited superlubricity with a remarkably low coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.008. Furthermore, compared to the pristine substrate, the coating achieved an impressive reduction in the wear rate of 99.73 %. Under simulated seawater conditions, the coating demonstrated an exceptional corrosion protection efficiency (PE) of 99.38 %, which was attributed to the corrosion inhibition effect of MXene. The observed superlow friction was primarily attributed to the synergistic effects of a tribo-film of OA, the presence of the MXene film, and the improved mechanical properties of the EP coating due to the incorporation of MXene. Our study highlighted the potential of MXene as a protective material in long-term marine applications. • Coatings with both wear resistance and corrosion resistance were prepared. • The prepared coatings could enter the superlubricity regime. • MXene in E51 coating effectively improved the corrosion resistance. • Investigated the potential of MXene as a protective material for long-term marine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]