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Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent cancer worldwide, and the development of anti‐OSCC materials is urgent. The tumor microenvironment has been identified as a significant characteristic of cancer, with the pHe value in OSCC ranging from 6.56 to 6.97. Given the acidic nature of OSCC, the creation of pH‐sensitive antitumor materials has become a prominent area of research. A pH‐sensitive tertiary amine monomer, dodecylmethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEM), has been previously synthesized. This study aims to evaluate the impact of DMAEM on OSCC. The results demonstrated that DMAEM inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells. Furthermore, it promoted apoptosis and autophagy of OSCC cells, with its anti‐OSCC effect being strengthened in the acidic environment. In a subcutaneous transplantation tumor model, DMAEM inhibited the growth of OSCC and expression of Ki‐67. The analysis of 16S rDNA sequencing data revealed that DMAEM had no significant impact on the Alpha/Beta diversity of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota in mice and had minimal effect on its composition. Overall, this study suggests that DMAEM exhibits pH‐responsive behavior in the acidic tumor microenvironment, effectively inhibiting OSCC without disturbing the gastrointestinal microbiota. These findings highlight the potential of DMAEM for clinical applications in OSCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The close-coupled selective catalytic reduction (cc-SCR) catalyst is an effective technology to reduce tailpipe NOx emission during cold start. This paper investigated the optimal ammonia storage under steady and transient state in the cc-SCR. The study showed that a trade-off between NOx conversion efficiency and ammonia slip is observed on the pareto solutions under steady state, and the optimal ammonia storage is calculated with ammonia slip less than 10 µL/L based on the China Ⅵ emission legislation. The rapid temperature increase will lead to severe ammonia slip in the transient test cycle. A simplified 0-D calculation method on ammonia slip under transient state is proposed based on kinetic model of ammonia adsorption and desorption. In addition, the effect of ammonia storage, catalyst temperature and temperature increasing rate on ammonia slip are analyzed. The optimal ammonia storage is calculated with maximum ammonia slip less than 100 µL/L according to the oxidation efficiency of ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) downstream cc-SCR. It was found that the optimal ammonia storage under transient state is much lower than that under steady state in cc-SCR at lower temperature, and a phase diagram is established to analyze the influence of temperature and temperature increasing rate on optimal ammonia storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trait anxiety is a vulnerability factor for the development of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The hippocampus has been implicated in trait anxiety in normal and GAD populations. However, the exact neural mechanism of hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) and its association with clinical symptoms and trait anxiety in GAD patients remains unknown. We recruited 68 participants (37 drug-naïve non-comorbidity GAD patients and 31 matched healthy controls (HC)), assessed their trait and state anxiety, scanned them with structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and compared their hippocampal FC and volumes. We explored the relationships between hippocampal FC, clinical symptoms, and trait anxiety using partial correlation analyses; we also investigated the mediating effects of trait anxiety on the association between hippocampal FC and GAD symptom severity. The GAD group showed increased right hippocampal FC with left insula, which was positively correlated with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), and Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI). Trait anxiety mediated the relationship between hippocampal FC and anxiety levels. We found no significant difference in hippocampal volumes between GAD and HC. The sample size was moderate. The exclusion of comorbidity may reduce the generalizability of our results in normal clinical settings. The GAD patients showed no structural change but had functional alterations in the hippocampus. More importantly, future psychotherapy for this disorder should consider that trait anxiety might play a crucial role in the altered hippocampal FC in GAD. • GAD patients showed increased functional connectivity between right hippocampus and left insula. • Trait anxiety mediated the relationship between hippocampal FC and state anxiety level. • GAD patients showed no structural change but functional alterations in the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wavelet neural networks have been widely applied to dynamical system identification fields. The most difficult issue lies in selecting the optimal control parameters (the wavelet base type and corresponding resolution level) of the network structure. This paper utilizes the advantages of Legendre multiwavelet (LW) bases to construct a Legendre multiwavelet neural network (LWNN), whose simple structure consists of an input layer, hidden layer, and output layer. It is noted that the activation functions in the hidden layer are adopted as LW bases. This selection if based on the its rich properties of LW bases, such as piecewise polynomials, orthogonality, various regularities, and more. These properties contribute to making LWNNs more effective in approximating the complex characteristics exhibited by uncertainties, step, nonlinear, and ramp in the dynamical systems compared to traditional wavelet neural networks. Then, the number of selection LW bases and the corresponding resolution level are effectively optimized by the simple Genetic Algorithm, and the improved gradient descent algorithm is implemented to learn the weight coefficients of LWNN. Finally, four nonlinear dynamical system identification problems are applied to validate the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed LWNN-GA method. The experiment results indicate that the LWNN-GA method achieves better identification accuracy with a simpler network structure than other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I explore the interactional phenomenon of evasion by using Edmondson and House's (1981) typology, which divides speech act categories into 'Substantive' and 'Ritual' speech acts. First, I examined which speech acts are used by native Chinese speakers and learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) to realise evasive interactional responses in the Chinese linguaculture. Second, I compared the ways in which native speakers of Chinese and CFL learners realise evasions. Data were collected from 20 CFL learners and 20 native Chinese speakers, who completed a Discourse Completion Test featuring conflict scenarios such as a choice between lying and hurting someone's feelings. The results showed that the most frequented speech in evasive responses are Opine and Tell. Native Chinese speakers tend to use internal modification in the form of downgraders and honorifics, while CFL learners tend to use external mitigators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the output performance of the energy harvester, an I-L shaped magnetic coupling composite piezoelectric energy harvester (I-L MCCPEH) is constructed by introducing nonlinear magnetic force. A mathematical model is established and an experimental platform is built. Adjusting the distance between two magnets to change the output characteristics of I-LMCCPEH. Compare experiments and simulations to verify the correctness of the mathematical model. The results show that under the resonant frequency of 18.4 Hz, when the excitation acceleration is 0.2 g and the horizontal distance of the two magnets is 20 mm. the maximum output power is 1.2 mW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different sands have significant influences on MICP reinforcement effects. Using calcium carbonate production and bioflocculation lag period as evaluation criteria, this study investigates the optimal theoretical pH values of bacterial solutions with different concentrations. We reinforced four different sands using MICP at the optimal theoretical pH, and based on permeability, moisture retention, raindrop erosion, wind erosion, penetration, and SEM tests, the influence of sand properties on low-pH MICP reinforcement was analyzed and the low-pH MICP mechanism was revealed. The results indicate the following: (1) The optimal theoretical pH values for bacterial solutions with concentrations of 0.67 × 108 cells/mL, 3 × 108 cells/mL, and 10 × 108 cells/mL are 4.5, 3, and 4, respectively. (2) With 0.67 × 108, 3 × 108, and 10 × 108 cells/mL bacterial solutions, the strength of tailings sand containing calcium salt was 21.15%, 44.42%, and 13.61% higher than that of quartz sand, respectively. The effective reinforcement depth of alkaline reclaimed sand was 10, 8, and 6 mm lower than that of neutral calcareous sand, respectively. The strength of fine tailings sand was 70.41%, 58.04%, and 22.6% higher than that of coarse reclaimed sand. The effective reinforcement depth of fine quartz sand was 6, 4, and 4 mm lower than that of coarse calcareous sand. (3) Low pH temporarily suppresses urease activity, delaying calcium carbonate flocculation and enhancing reinforcement uniformity. To achieve optimal reinforcement effects, adjusting the actual optimal pH values of bacterial solution based on sand properties is essential in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deactivation of Pt/WOx/Al2O3 and Pt-Ru/WOx/Al2O3 catalysts in the glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) was investigated in autoclave. The selectivity of both catalysts toward 1,3-PDO was within 50–56% after the first five usages at 170 °C for 12 h with a H2 pressure of 9 MPa. With Pt/WOx/Al2O3, the conversion of glycerol decreased from 44.3% (1st reaction) to 27.2% (5th reaction), whereas a conversion of 52.4%, 48.0%, and 48.4% was obtained in the 1st, 5th, and 20th reactions, respectively, when Pt-Ru/WOx/Al2O3 was used. The characterizations of the catalysts showed that the pore structure of the catalyst changed because of the crystal structure of the catalyst support changing from γ-Al2O3 to pseudo-boehmite. However, the changes of the catalyst morphology were not responsible for the catalyst deactivation. Simultaneously, the acidity of catalysts was not shown to be a factor in their deactivation. On the other side, catalysts were not deactivated as a result of the loss of active components. Catalyst deactivation during glycerol hydrogenolysis was finally caused by the aggregation of active metal particles (Pt or Pt-Ru). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Early and accurate identification of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) at high risk of persistent acute respiratory failure (PARF) is crucial. We sought to determine the accuracy of simplified Lung Injury Prediction Score (sLIPS) and simplified Early Acute Lung Injury (sEALI) for predicting PARF in ward AP patients. Methods: Consecutive AP patients in a training cohort from West China Hospital of Sichuan University (n = 912) and a validation cohort from The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (n = 1033) were analyzed. PARF was defined as oxygen in arterial blood/fraction of inspired oxygen < 300 mmHg that lasts for > 48 h. The sLIPS was composed by shock (predisposing condition), alcohol abuse, obesity, high respiratory rate, low oxygen saturation, high oxygen requirement, hypoalbuminemia, and acidosis (risk modifiers). The sEALI was calculated from oxygen 2 to 6 L/min, oxygen > 6 L/min, and high respiratory rate. Both indices were calculated on admission. Results: PARF developed in 16% (145/912) and 22% (228/1033) (22%) of the training and validation cohorts, respectively. In these patients, sLIPS and sEALI were significantly increased. sLIPS ≥ 2 predicted PARF in the training (AUROC 0.87, 95% CI 0.84–0.89) and validation (AUROC 0.81, 95% CI 0.78–0.83) cohorts. sLIPS was significantly more accurate than sEALI and current clinical scoring systems in both cohorts (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Using routinely available clinical data, the sLIPS can accurately predict PARF in ward AP patients and outperforms the sEALI and current existing clinical scoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The render layer plays an essential role in the longevity of rammed earth constructions. A physicochemical analysis of the renders of the historical buildings of Fujian Tulou, a World Heritage site in Fujian, China, is presented in this paper to provide technical data related to the protection and restoration of this historical site. After a site investigation, the physical and chemical characteristics of the render layer were studied by means of particle-size analysis, unconfined compressive strength analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results obtained in the experimental study were analyzed and compared with those gathered from the literature, leading to the establishment of useful conclusions for the formulation of restoration mortars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is an important intermediate compound in the chemical industry. Green and environmentally friendly microbial synthesis methods are becoming increasingly popular in a range of industries. Compared to other chassis cells, Yarrowia lipolytica possesses advantages, such as high tolerance to organic acid and a sufficient precursor required to synthesize 3-HP. In this study, gene manipulations, including the overexpression of genes MCR-N C a , MCR-C C a , GAPN S m , ACC1 and ACS S e L 641 P and knocking out bypass genes MLS1 and CIT2, leading to the glyoxylate cycle, were performed to construct a recombinant strain. Based on this, the degradation pathway of 3-HP in Y. lipolytica was discovered, and relevant genes MMSDH and HPDH were knocked out. To our knowledge, this study is the first to produce 3-HP in Y. lipolytica. The yield of 3-HP in recombinant strain Po1f-NC-14 in shake flask fermentation reached 1.128 g·L−1, and the yield in fed-batch fermentation reached 16.23 g·L−1. These results are highly competitive compared to other yeast chassis cells. This study creates the foundation for the production of 3-HP in Y. lipolytica and also provides a reference for further research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease with increasing incidence worldwide. COVID-19 is a potentially life-threatening contagious disease spread throughout the world, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. More severe forms of both diseases exhibit commonalities with dysregulated immune responses resulting in amplified inflammation and susceptibility to infection. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR, expressed on antigen-presenting cells, acts as an indicator of immune function. Research advances have highlighted the predictive values of monocytic HLA-DR (mHLA-DR) expression for disease severity and infectious complications in both acute pancreatitis and COVID-19 patients. While the regulatory mechanism of altered mHLA-DR expression remains unclear, HLA-DR−/low monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells are potent drivers of immunosuppression and poor outcomes in these diseases. Future studies with mHLA-DR-guided enrollment or targeted immunotherapy are warranted in more severe cases of patients with acute pancreatitis and COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint replenishment problem has been extensively studied and the joint replenishment strategy has been adopted by a large variety of retailers in recent years. However, the joint replenishment problem under minimum order quantity and other constraints does not receive sufficient attention. This paper analyzes a retailing supply chain involving a supplier that provides quantity discount schedules and limits the order quantity. The order quantity constraints include minimum order requirements for each item and as to the total quantity; additionally, the latter cannot exceed the transport capacity constraint. These are common constraints in the retail industry today and create greater complexity and difficulty in the retailer's decision-making. To analyze the problem, an integer nonlinear programming model is set up to maximize retailers' profit with all practical constraints. A two-layer efficient algorithm named the Marginal and Cumulative Profit-Based Algorithm (MCPB) is then proposed to find whether to order and the optimal order quantity for each item. The results of computational experiments show that the proposed algorithm can find near-optimal solutions to the problem efficiently and is a reference for retailers to solve practical joint replenishment problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, business analytics has been widely used in various business sectors and has been effective in increasing enterprise value. With the advancement of science and technology in the Big Data era, business analytics techniques have been changing and evolving rapidly. Therefore, this paper reviews the latest techniques and applications of business analytics based on the existing literature. Meanwhile, many problems and challenges are inevitable in the progress of business analytics. Therefore, this review also presents the current challenges faced by business analytics and open research directions that need further consideration. All the research papers were obtained from the Web of Science and Google Scholar databases and were filtered with several selection rules. This paper will help to provide important insights for researchers in the field of business analytics, as it presents the latest techniques, various applications and several directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcareous sand is a special soil formed by the accumulation of carbonate fragments. Its compressibility is caused by a high void ratio and breakable particles. Because of its high carbonate content and weak cementation, its load-bearing capacity is limited. In this study, the optimal stimulation solution was obtained with response surface methodology. Then, the effect of reinforcing calcareous sand was analysed with unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, calcium carbonate content tests, microscopy and microbial community analyses. The components and concentrations of the optimal stimulation solution were as follows: sodium acetate (38.00 mM), ammonium chloride (124.24 mM), yeast extract (0.46 g/L), urea (333 mM), and nickel chloride (0.01 mM), and the pH was 8.75. After the calcareous sand was treated with the optimal stimulation scheme, the urease activity was 6.1891 mM urea/min, the calcium carbonate production was 8.40%, and the UCS was 770 kPa, which constituted increases of 71.41%, 35.40%, and 83.33%, respectively, compared with the initial scheme. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that calcium carbonate crystals were formed between the particles of the calcareous sand after the reaction, and the calcium carbonate crystals were mainly calcite. Urease-producing microorganisms became the dominant species in calcareous sand after treatment. This study showed that biostimulation-induced mineralization is feasible for reinforcing calcareous sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the number of active users of social media platforms is declining, posing a challenge to the sustainability of interest in social media and related industries. Therefore, it is of great significance to examine the environmental and psychological factors that influence the continuous use of social media. Until recently, little research has examined this topic from the perspective of the relationship between previous cyberbullying victimization experiences (PCVE) and the continuous use of social media (CUOSM), not to mention the psychological mechanisms that lead to this relationship. In addition, there are paradoxes in existing studies: one side believes that PCVE causes users to become addicted to using social media, while the other side argues that PCVE drives users to escape from using social media. In order to respond to this controversy and clarify the relationship between PCVE and CUOSM, this study introduces two psychological variables, namely "social media rumination (SMR)" and "distress", in order to construct a chain mediation model. Researchers surveyed 692 people who had experienced social media cyberbullying, and analyzed the data through SPSS and Mplus. The findings were as follows: 1. There is an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between PCVE and CUOSM. Specifically, the relationship initially exhibits a positive correlation (the period named fight), which then becomes negative (the period named flight). 2. When PCVE and CUOSM are positively correlated, SMR is the main factor that contributes to an increase in CUOSM. 3. When PCVE and CUOSM are negatively correlated, distress is the major factor that causes a decline in CUOSM. This study provides an explanation for the controversy in previous research, expands the scope of social media research, and provides a practical reference for social media platforms to enhance their existing users' continuous use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the clustering algorithm of big data fuzzy K-means is used to research and analyze the teaching management system. Since the values of the indicator variables of bad units are usually significantly different in smooth areas and discontinuous areas, we cluster the indicators of local areas through K-means clustering, so that only good units or bad units are included in each class. The server is deployed on the campus and is networked with the teaching computers of each classroom. Teachers log in to the class rate management system before or during class, log in to their respective users, select the corresponding class, and make corresponding attendance records according to the attendance of students in the class. The system automatically counts the number of expected arrivals, attendance, late arrivals, leave requests, and absenteeism for the class. Teachers can also fill in information feedback for this class: a list of absenteeism, classroom discipline, student learning status, teaching suggestions, and teaching testimonials. The development environment built by this system is a combination of PHP + MYSQL, which reasonably planned according to the overall needs. The development mode adopts the top-down model, which runs through the whole process from system development to testing to application. The most used floating point number encoding is the decimal floating point number encoding. The relationship of each module of the virtual reality teaching management system is sorted out, the overall framework of the virtual reality teaching management system is established, and the design of the business flow diagram of the management system is completed. This paper also uses Oracle database technology to further explain the design process of designing the system database. Finally, combined with the system design and implementation, the system test is completed from two aspects: system function test and performance test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeastern (SE) Yunnan is a major Sn polymetallic province of China, with the Dulong large Sn-Zn polymetallic deposit (in the Laojunshan orefield) being one of the most representative deposits. Our recent work had first identified helvine- group minerals in this deposit. These minerals mainly occur in massive sphalerite ores, and coexist with sphalerite, pyrrhotite, biotite, talc, cassiterite, and fluorite. Raman spectroscopic, X‑ray difraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) analyses indicate that these helvine-group minerals are oscillatory-zoned helvine-danalite. Both the helvine and danalite zones are mixed with varying proportion of the other helvine-group end-member, and our studies indicate that the oscillatory zoning was formed mainly by periodic fluctuations of the fluid physicochemical conditions (notably fS2 and fO2), but less related to the variation of the fluid Mn, Fe, and Zn contents. The helvine zone was likely formed in a higher fS2 but lower fO2 environment than the danalite zone. In this study, we present the first LA-ICP-MS in situ trace element data for the helvine-danalite minerals from Dulong, and the results indicate that the helvine has considerably high contents and a wide range of trace elements. The helvine is rich in Ca, Al, Sc, and Y, while the danalite is rich in Sn and P (reaching thousands of parts per million). Such trace element enrichments are likely controlled by their respective ionic size and chalcophile behavior. Meanwhile, the fO2 and fS2 conditions during the zoning formation may have also influenced the trace element distributions: trace elements may have mainly entered the helvine-group minerals by substituting into the M-sites in M4[BeSiO4]3S, for instance Al, Sc, and Y substitute for Mn, and Sn and Mg for Fe and Zn. It is noteworthy that the helvine and danalite zones are all HREE-enriched and have distinct negative Eu anomalies. This may be related to the high fluid F-Y-P contents during the mineral formation. High-F-Y fluids can readily incorporate HREEs into helvine-group minerals, and phosphates incorporate HREEs more readily in alkali fluids. Europium occurs as Eu2+ in the fluid, causing the negative Eu anomalies observed. We have also identified grains of cassiterite in the helvine-group minerals and its coexisting sphalerite. U-Pb dating on these cassiterite grains yielded 86.5 ± 1.6 Ma, coeval with the reported sulfide mineralization age. This indicates that both the Be and Sn-Zn polymetallic mineralization occurred in the Cretaceous, and may have been products of the Late Yanshanian Laojunshan magmatic-hydrothermal activity. Considering the close relations with many W(-Be) deposits nearby (e.g., Nanyangtian, Saxi, and Maka), the Laojunshan orefield may also have substantial Be mineralization potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PDLSCS: periodontal ligament stem cell sheet; JBMMSCS: jaw bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell sheet; CSCS: composite stem cell sheet. Hao Zhang and Shiyu Liu have contributed equally to this work Correction to: Stem Cell Research & Therapy (2016) 7:168 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-0... The original version of the above article contains errors that need to be corrected. [Extracted from the article]

In recent years, omni-channel retailing has become immensely popular among both retailers and consumers. In this approach, retailers often leverage their brick-and-mortar stores to fulfill online orders, leading to the need for simultaneous decision-making on replenishment and inventory rationing. This inventory strategy presents significant complexities in traditional dynamic pricing and inventory management problems, particularly in unpredictable market environments. Therefore, we have developed a dynamic pricing, replenishment, and rationing model for omni-channel retailers using a two-level partially observed Markov decision process to visualize the dynamic process. We propose to use a deep reinforcement learning algorithm, called Maskable LSTM-Proximal Policy Optimization (ML-PPO), which integrates the current observations and future predictions as input to the agent and uses the invalid action mask to guarantee the allowable actions. Our simulation experiments have demonstrated the ML-PPO's efficiency in maximizing retailer profit and service level, along with its generalized ability to tackle dynamic pricing and inventory management problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaussian processes (GPs), known for their flexibility as non-parametric models, have been widely used in practice involving sensitive data (e.g., healthcare, finance) from multiple sources. With the challenge of data isolation and the need for high-performance models, how to jointly develop privacy-preserving GP for multiple parties has emerged as a crucial topic. In this paper, we propose a new privacy-preserving GP algorithm, namely PP-GP, which employs secret sharing (SS) techniques. Specifically, we introduce a new SS-based exponentiation operation (PP-Exp) through confusion correction and an SS-based matrix inversion operation (PP-MI) based on Cholesky decomposition. However, the advantages of the GP come with a great computational burden and space cost. To further enhance the efficiency, we propose an efficient split learning framework for privacy-preserving GP, named Split-GP, which demonstrably improves performance on large-scale data. We leave the private data-related and SMPC-hostile computations (i.e., random features) on data holders, and delegate the rest of SMPC-friendly computations (i.e., low-rank approximation, model construction, and prediction) to semi-honest servers. The resulting algorithm significantly reduces computational and communication costs compared to PP-GP, making it well-suited for application to large-scale datasets. We provide a theoretical analysis in terms of the correctness and security of the proposed SS-based operations. Extensive experiments show that our methods can achieve competitive performance and efficiency under the premise of preserving privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fiber optic sensor coated with molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) hydrogel is firstly proposed for the detection of lead ion (Pb2+). By splicing a dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF) between two single-mode fibers (SMFs) to form a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), and using a fusion splicer to discharge the SMF input and output to form a thick waist cone to act as a coupler. A portion of the DCF cladding is etched to excite higher order cladding patterns and a hydrogel sensing film is applied to the etched area, the sulfur atoms in the sensing film form coordination bonds with Pb2+ and change the refractive index (RI) of the sensing film, which further leads to the wavelength shift of the resonant dip. The production process is simple and environmentally friendly. By monitoring the wavelength shift, the adsorption of Pb2+ is continuously monitored, and the sensor has a sensitivity of 3.25 × 108 nm/(mol/L) in the range of 0–1.1 × 10−8 mol/L Pb2+ in aqueous solution. The theoretical detection limit of Pb2+ concentration is 6.15 × 10−11 mol/L at a spectrometer resolution of 0.02 nm. In addition, the experimental results show that the sensor has good repeatability , selectivity and stability, and has a broad application prospect in the field of Pb2+ detection in industry and agriculture. • A SMF-DCF-SMF structure fiber sensor coated with molybdenum disulfide hydrogel is proposed for the detection of lead ion. • A sensitivity of 3.25×108 nm/(mol/L) is achieved and the theoretical detection limit of lead ion is 6.15×10-11 mol/L. • The characteristics of the sensor show applications in the field of lead ion detection in industry and agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Superior catalytic ability for PMS is achieved under a low metal loading level. • Hetero-single-atom dispersion reshapes electronic structure of the carbon carrier. • Metal sites mainly function as activity modulators rather than reactive sites. • The generation of HVMO depends on the electron densities around the metal atoms. • The ETP pathway ensures enduring oxidation efficiency in complex water matrices. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as competitive candidates for Fenton-like oxidation of micro-pollutants in water. However, the impact of metal insertion on the intrinsic catalytic activity of carrier materials has been commonly overlooked, and the environmental risk due to metal leaching still requires attention. In contrast to previous reports, where metal sites were conventionally considered as catalytic centers, our study investigates, for the first time, the crucial catalytic role of the carbon carrier modulated through hetero-single-atom dispersion and the regulation of Fenton-like oxidation pathways. The inherent differences in electronic properties between Fe and Co can effectively trigger long-range electron rearrangement in the sp2-carbon-conjugated structure, creating more electron-rich regions for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) complexation and initiating the electron transfer process (ETP) for pollutant degradation, which imparts the synthesized catalyst (FeCo-NCB) with exceptional catalytic efficiency despite its relatively low metal content. Moreover, the FeCo-NCB/PMS system exhibits enduring decontamination efficiency in complex water matrices, satisfactory catalytic stability, and low metal leaching, signifying promising practical applications. More impressively, the spatial relationship between metal sites and electron density clouds is revealed to determine whether high-valent metal-oxo species (HVMO) are involved during the decomposition of surface complexes. Unlike single-type single-atom dispersion, where metal sites are situated within electron-rich regions, hetero-single-atom dispersion can cause the deviation of electron density clouds from the metal sites, thus hindering the in-situ oxidation of metal within the complexes and minimizing the contribution of HVMO. These findings provide new insights into the development of carbon-based SACs and advance the understanding of nonradical mechanisms underpinning Fenton-like treatments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorine dioxide (ClO 2) is commonly used to reduce microbial contamination of horticultural produce, but research on physiology and metabolism of treated products is limited. In this study, the effects of ClO 2 on gene expression and metabolites of sweet corn kept at 20 ℃ for 12 d after treatment have been investigated. ClO 2 treatment resulted in down-regulation of PE, β-GAL, PG and EXP associated with kernel firmness, down-regulation of IN, FRK, GPI associated with sweetness, and up-regulation of L-APX, AOX, GLP, EDR4, PR-5 associated with antioxidant capacity and disease resistance. ClO 2 treatment also inhibited expression of genes associated with the biosynthesis and signaling of ethylene and abscisic acid. Metabolome analysis revealed that ClO 2 treatment maintained the content of flavonoids, coumarins and lignans in sweet corn. This study elucidates the physiological and molecular-level regulatory mechanism of ClO 2 treatment on the postharvest quality of sweet corn. [Display omitted] • ClO 2 increased the antioxidant capacity and disease resistance of sweet corn. • ClO 2 inhibited cell wall degradation, sucrose catabolism and ethylene production. • ClO 2 maintained the content of flavonoids, coumarins and lignans in sweet corn. • ClO 2 delayed the senescence of harvested sweet corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentiment analysis is one of the core tasks in natural language processing, and its main goal is to identify and classify the sentiment tendencies contained in texts. Traditional sentiment analysis methods and shallow models often fail to capture the rich semantic information and contextual relationships in text, while increasing the network depth is prone to problems such as network degradation, which has some limitations in terms of accuracy and performance. Based on this foundation, a sentiment analysis model called BERT-Invos (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT)-based stacked involutions) is introduced. The model utilizes the dynamic pre-training language model BERT to encode text, enabling rich semantic features and contextual understanding. In addition, the model employs stacked involutions with varying dimensions to extract features and perceive local information, gradually learning different scales and hierarchical representations of the input text. Furthermore, the proposed method incorporates nonlinear activation functions such as ReLU6 and H-Swish to enhance the model’s expression capability and performance, ultimately delivering classification results. In the experiment, a financial news sentiment dataset was utilized for model validation and comparison against other models. The results revealed that the model achieved an accuracy of 96.34% in sentiment analysis tasks, with precision, recall, and F1 score reaching 96.37%, 96.34%, and 96.34%, respectively. Additionally, the loss value could be minimized to 0.07 with stable convergence, thereby enhancing the accuracy of sentiment classification and reducing loss rates. This improvement facilitates better capturing of local patterns in text and addresses the issue of degradation in deep neural networks. Regarding the deep architecture of the proposed model, future work will focus on further exploring optimization techniques for model compression and deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent article in the journal Advanced Nanobiomed Research discusses a new approach to treating oral cancer. The researchers have designed a pH-sensitive smart monomer called DMAEM, which can react to changes in acidity. In the acidic environment of oral cancer, DMAEM can be transformed into a strong cytotoxic compound called DMADDM, effectively inhibiting the progression of the disease. For more information, readers can refer to the article by Bolei Li, Lei Cheng, and their colleagues. [Extracted from the article]

China attaches importance to the development of "specified, refined, characterized, innovative (SRCI)" small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the background of the major strategic adjustment of the new pattern of "dual circulation." This study studies the willingness and influencing factors of SMEs through questionnaire survey, interview, and data mining of 147 technology-based SMEs, 20 "SRCI" small giant enterprises, and 146 NEEQ-listed enterprises by descriptive statistics and inference statistics. To promote "SRCI" quality development of SMEs, the policy suggestions are guided to consummate the related industry, the established companies' cultivation library are improved, the public service platform of SMEs is established and improved, enterprises are guided to enhance independent innovation ability by "patent" to strengthen the innovative service supportability, and SMEs are guided to strengthen the echelon construction of talent team with the standard of high-quality development. Suggestions on strengthening the support for the listing of high-quality enterprises can provide a reference for the management of decision-making and enterprise practice of government departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the incidence of acute liver injury (ALI) is increasing year by year, and infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) can also induce ALI, but there are still no targeted therapeutic drugs. ZnO–NiO particles is mainly used to clean up reactive oxygen species (ROS) in industrial wastewater, and it is insoluble in water. Its excellent properties are discovered and improved by adding shuttle‐based bonds to make it more water‐soluble. ZnO‐NiO@COOH particles are synthetically applied to treat ALI. The p‐n junction in ZnO–NiO@COOH increases the surface area and active sites, thereby creating large numbers of oxygen vacancies, which can quickly adsorb ROS. The content in tissues and serum levels of L‐glutathione (GSH) and the GSH/oxidized GSH ratio are measured to assess the capacity of ZnO–NiO@COOH particles to absorb ROS. The ZnO–NiO@COOH particles significantly reduce the expression levels of inflammatory factors (i.e., IL‐1, IL‐6, and TNF‐α), macrophage infiltration, and granulocyte activation. ZnO‐NiO@COOH rapidly adsorb ROS in a short period of time to block the generation of inflammatory storms and gain time for the follow‐up treatment of ALI, which has important clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitiligo, Outer root sheath, PCT, Melanocyte stem cell, Melanocyte processing plant "Technical method of hair follicle melanocytes stem cell transplantation for the treatment of vitiligo", Patent number: ZL201910769979.1; also obtained PCT patent [[4]] patent number: PCT/CN2021/072340. Keywords: PCT; Vitiligo; Outer root sheath; Melanocyte stem cell; Melanocyte processing plant EN PCT Vitiligo Outer root sheath Melanocyte stem cell Melanocyte processing plant 2983 2984 2 11/02/23 20231201 NES 231201 Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-023-02692-5. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents an L-shaped piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) constructed by adding a cylindrical rigid body at the end of the horizontal cantilever. The theoretical model of the presented system is established. The correctness of the model is verified by testing performance and comparing the results. The effects of several key parameters on the output power and the optimal size parameters are deduced by simulation for the harvester. The presented harvester has a maximum power output of 533.9 μW under the resonant frequency of 15 Hz when the excitation acceleration is 0.2 g and optimal load resistance is 100 kΩ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thalassemia is a globally prevalent single-gene blood disorder, with nearly 7% of the world's population being carriers. Therefore, the development of specific and sensitive methods for thalassemia detection holds significant importance. Herein, a sandwich-type electrochemical/colorimetric dual-mode biosensor is developed based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)/graphdiyne (GDY) and DNA nanoframeworks for ultra-sensitive detection of CD142 gene associated with sickle cell anemia. Utilizing AuNPs/GDY as the substrate electrode, the fabricated sandwiched DNA nanoframework not only improves selectivity but also introduces numerous signal probes to further amplify the output signal. In the electrochemical mode, glucose oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of glucose, generating electrons that are transferred to the biocathode for a reduction reaction, resulting in an electric signal proportional to the target concentration. In the colorimetric mode, glucose oxidase catalyzes the generation of H 2 O 2 from glucose, and with the aid of horseradish peroxidase, H 2 O 2 oxidizes 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine to produce a colored product, enabling colorimetric detection of the target. The dual-mode biosensor demonstrates a detection range of 0.0001–100 pM in the electrochemical mode and a detection range of 0.0001–10,000 pM in the colorimetric mode. The detection limit in the electrochemical mode is determined to be 30.4 aM (S/N=3), while in the colorimetric mode is of 35.6 aM (S/N=3). This dual-mode detection achieves ultra-sensitive detection of CD142, demonstrating broad prospects for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have great potential to achieve a variety of tasks remotely such as aerial grasping, transporting and manipulating objects. Architectures with multiple UAVs have further enhanced the payload capacity and manipulability of these robots, for instance a Flying Parallel Robot (FPR) where a moving platform is cooperatively supported by multiple quadrotors with passive rigid links. In this paper, we address the vision-based state estimation and decentralized control applied to the multi-UAV parallel robot, taking the FPR as an example. An ArUco marker system is applied to estimate the relative pose of each UAV with respect to the common platform frame, along with the Extended Kalman Filter to reconstruct the robot state without the dependence on any external localization system. The interaction controller is then deployed in a decentralized manner, which is potentially more robust to communication delays or interruptions. The proposed methodology has been validated by real-time experiments demonstrating the teleoperation of the FPR interacting with the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of a Ni 34 Co 28 Cr 28 Al 10 multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) were investigated at different states. The as-cast and aged samples exhibited a primary face-cubic centered (FCC) phase and some B2 phase, wherein the FCC phase contained L1 2 precipitates and the B2 phase contained body-cubic centered (BCC) precipitates. The homogenized sample displayed a single FCC phase. The as-cast sample exhibited the best combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, resulting from multiple strengthening mechanisms, and Al-rich L1 2 and B2 precipitates which could suppress the transfer of Al atoms to surface leading to increased Cr content in passive film. • Corrosion behavior in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and mechanical properties of Ni 34 Co 28 Cr 28 Al 10 MPEAat three states were studied. • The as-cast and aged samples both showed FCC/L1 2 +B2/BCC phases and the HT sample showed a single FCC phase. • Tensile strength and coorosion resistance of MPEA samples were enhanced due to the presence of L1 2 and BCC precipitates. • L1 2 and B2 phases rendered the passive film exhibiting higher Cr content resulting in better anti-corrosion performance. • More unoxidized metal (except Al) content within the passive film improved the corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and cost-efficient fiber sensor based on multi-mode interference and core diameter mismatch technologies is proposed to detect the refractive index (RI) in this paper. The refractometer is fabricated by embedding a section of no-core fiber between a section of multimode fiber and dispersion-compensating fiber. Since the power distribution in the fiber will change with the effective refractive index of the cladding, the extinction ratio can be used to characterize the RI sensitivity. The experimental results show that a linear response is obtained with a RI sensitivity of 392.585 dB/RIU in the range of 1.333–1.374. Featured with high sensitivity, simple construction, easy fabrication, low cost and good repeatability, the novel refractometer has potential applications in practical chemical detecting and portable biological sensing. • A refractometer based on multi-mode interference and core diameter mismatch technologies is proposed. • The sensor head merely includes a MMF, NCF, and DCF orderly through automatic splicing without any special processing. • Utilizing extinction ratio demodulation, a RI sensitivity of 392.585 dB/RIU is achieved from 1.3330 to 1.3740, 5-7 times higher than untreated sensors. • Featured with high sensitivity, simple construction, easy fabrication, low cost and good repeatability, it holds potential for practical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and detailed data are vital for fundamental understanding of turbulent combustion. However, studies of turbulent combustion often suffer from measurement sparsity or high simulation cost. In the present work, for the first time, a physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) framework is established for three-dimensional high-resolution reconstruction of turbulent combustion with synthetic sparse data. The performance of the PINNs is evaluated on two different configurations of turbulent flames without and with a mean shear, including freely propagating planar premixed combustion and slot-jet premixed combustion. The reconstructed fields of velocity, temperature, and species mass fractions are compared with the high-fidelity direct numerical simulation (DNS) data, and both qualitative and quantitative analyses are performed for the model performance evaluation. The results show that by constraining with the residuals of the governing equations and limited information of sparse data, the proposed PINNs can recover the majority of flow and flame structures in a physics-informed way, even when noise has been added to the sparse data. It is noted that the effectiveness of the models can be influenced by various factors such as the size of the sparse dataset, noise levels, and complexity of turbulence/flame interactions. These factors should be carefully evaluated and addressed to ensure reliable predictions. Overall, this study highlights the potential of PINNs for data assimilation and provide new insights for the development of physics-informed methods in combustion research. Novelty and significance In the present work, a physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) framework for turbulent combustion has been established and the possibility of PINNs for high-resolution reconstruction of various field data in turbulent combustion was explored, which is the first of its kind. The velocity, temperature and species mass fractions were simultaneously reconstructed from limited pointwise sparse data, which were compared with the high-fidelity direct numerical simulation data with good agreements. The proposed PINNs have the capability to recover the flow and flame structures for turbulent flames without and with mean shear layers. Various factors such as the size of the sparse dataset, noise level, and complexity of turbulence/flame interactions on the model performance were also assessed. The study highlights the potential of PINNs for data assimilation and provide new insights for the development of physics-informed methods in combustion research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L., SBT) is being used as a folk medicine for their diverse medicinal properties. Flavonoids are generally considered as the main bioactive and characteristic ingredients in SBT. This review was conducted using a comprehensive literature search on the chemical components, quality control, pharmacokinetics of flavonoids from SBT (FSBT). Particularly, we highlighted the therapeutic potential in metabolic diseases and clinical applications of FSBT. More than 95 flavonoids have been identified from SBT. Although the oral bioavailability of FSBT was relatively low, FSBT displays significant effect on the regulation of metabolism to ameliorate metabolic disorders and their complications. There is a heightened need to explore the bioactive compounds in SBT and mechanism(s) of action of FSBT in order to fully understand the pathways of their activities. Practical applications: For years, due to the increasing emergence of metabolic syndrome and diverse functions of FSBT in regulating metabolism, they can be efficiently utilized for human health and have an urgent need to become a hotspot for research. This review will broaden the understanding of FSBT, providing some directions for further development and expanding the therapeutic applications of FSBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, to alleviate the growing pressure of energy shortages and environmental pollution, electrochemical energy conversion is seen as a fossil‐free, secondary pollution‐free, and highly efficiency pathway. Electrocatalysts, as the "heart" of the electrochemical conversion process, play a key role in accelerating reaction rates and promoting efficiency. Transition‐metal‐based layered double hydroxides (TM LDHs), one of the famous electrocatalysts, show unique 2D supermolecular‐stratified structure, excellent electronic properties, and their raw materials are easily available. In this review, electrocatalysis‐related properties of TM LDHs and the state‐of‐the‐art synthesis methods of TM LDH‐based electrocatalysts are summarized. Modifications for promoting the development of TM LDH‐based electrocatalysts are included, such as carbon materials modification, defect engineering, and noble metal loading. Then, the application of TM LDH nanosheets in the field of electrocatalysis is reviewed in detail. Finally, recent challenges, ongoing improvements, and future expectations for TM LDH nanosheets are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A general method to establish a delay compensation algorithm based on linear equations in the s domain is proposed. • The delay compensation algorithm can be easily established without analytical resolutions to dynamic differential equations. • The demonstration results of Rh-SPND and Ag-SPND indicate the applicability and effectiveness of this method. • Stability studies on sampling intervals and initial values show the robustness of this general method. Self-Powered Neutron Detectors (SPNDs) have long been widely used as reactor in-core neutron detectors. However, delayed type SPNDs, a typical type SPND with delayed current component, can not be directly used for real-time neutron flux monitoring. To solve this problem, several researchers have established compensation methods to reconstruct neutron flux. For the various SPNDs with delayed currents, the existing compensation methods are usually case-dependent. Therefore, a general compensation method for delayed type SPNDs with high portability is proposed in this paper. Based on linear equations in the s domain, this method is applicable for all the delayed SPNDs, giving the general compensation solution with definite iterations. Moreover, this compensation method is tested by two typical delayed SPNDs, indicating its high portability and applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNA-21 (miRNA-21) is currently the only known oncogenic miRNA that is upregulated in almost all malignant tumors and exhibits a broad spectrum of tumor recognition characteristics. It holds significant value in the early diagnosis, malignant degree assessment, and prognostic evaluation of tumors. In this study, a novel dual-mode self-powered sensing platform is developed using Au nanoparticles/graphdiyne as the electrode substrate and combined with DNA nanoring for highly sensitive and specific detection of miRNA-21. The DNA nanoring structure, which is easy to prepare and contains multiple recognition sites, induces significant electrochemical/colorimetric signal responses of the signaling molecule methylene blue. Under optimal conditions, the linear ranges of the electrochemical and colorimetric detection modes of this self-powered sensor are 0.1 fM-100 pM and 0.1 fM-10 nM, respectively, with the detection limits of 35.1 aM and 61.6 aM (S/N=3). This strategy provides a new reference for the sensitive detection of microRNA and has immense potential for application in the screening and detection of clinical nucleic acid diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of electrochemical water splitting process in acidic medium is restricted by the lack of highly efficient and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst. In this work, we report a facile soft template method to synthesize nanosized iridium oxide for electrocatalytic OER in acidic medium. The fabrication process involves thermal treatment of iridium complex and polypyrrole in air. The compositions and structures of the resulting catalytic materials are significantly influenced by the annealing temperature. The nanostructured iridium oxide synthesized at optimal 450 °C exhibits low overpotential (291.3 ± 6 mV) to reach 10 mA/cm2 current density towards OER, which is better than the commercial iridium oxide. Further investigation indicates that nanosized iridium oxide synthesized at 450 °C has high electrochemical active surface area to expose abundant accessible active sites, which can accelerate the OER rate. This method can also provide new guidance to prepare other metal oxide nanoparticles for various applications. Image 1 • Nanosized IrO 2 was synthesized by using polypyrrole (PPY) as soft template. • Temperature influences the electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) of the IrO 2. • PPY endows the as-synthesized IrO 2 with higher ECSA and better OER performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, home-based healthcare/rehabilitation has always been advocated by the government and is the most prevalent healthcare pattern. However, there is currently no data on how many each product has been purchased, and it is not clear what factors are associated with their use. The research aims to clarify the current practices and attitudes of the elderly on such matters, and further analyze their influence factors.Methods: This pilot study consisted of two-round regional survey, conducted from July 25 to August 3, 2015 and July 20 to August 10, 2018 respectively. Both surveys released on-site paper questionnaires and collected after filling out in different communities.Results: Two hundred forty-four valid questionnaires from 52 communities were collected. Compared with 2015 (30.8%), the number of people who did not purchase home healthcare devices in the same area decreased in 2018 (28.2%). Hemopiezometer (44.3%), glucometer (18.4%), massager (21.3%) and walking devices (19.3%) are the four main types of products that urbanites are most willing to buy. In addition, users' age group, education level, and income level were significantly correlated with the purchase of certain products.Conclusions: The types of home healthcare devices purchased by respondents are consistent with the distribution of chronic diseases of urban residents in China. The analysis of product brands also revealed the existing problems and huge growth space of the industry market, which also requires the government to introduce relevant policies and measures to regulate the market and accelerate the development of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium dioxide (VO 2) is one of the most promising thermochromic materials for smart windows application because of its ability to modulate infrared radiation (IR) by reversibly transform from semiconductor-like monoclinic VO 2 (M) to metallic rutile VO 2 (R) above its transition temperature ( τ c). Despite the promising potential, VO 2 has not been commercialized due to various technical difficulties which hinder its feasibilities outside of laboratories environment. One of those is the efficiency of high quality VO 2 thin-film fabrication process. In this paper, we presented a method utilizing high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) to deposit VO 2 thin-film on a commercial material such as soda-lime glass substrate with a respectable deposition rate of 5.7 nm/min. The VO 2 deposited on soda-lime glass exhibits excellent crystallinity and thermochromic properties (highest luminous transmission T lum ≈ 30.4%, and solar modulation Δ T sol ≈ 12%) in comparison with similarly prepared VO 2 on high temperature glass and quartz substrates. The high crystallinity rendered by short deposition duration and high ionization in HiPIMS process opens opportunities to apply high quality VO 2 thin-film onto a variety of substrate more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rye (Secale cereale L., 2n = 2x = 14, RR), a relative of common wheat, is a large gene resource pool for wheat improvement. Accurate and convenient identification of the rye chromatin in wheat background will facilitate the transfer and utilization of elite genes derived from rye in wheat breeding. Results: In the present study, five rye cultivars including Imperial, German White, Jingzhouheimai, Baili and Guyuan were sequenced by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) to develop large-scale rye-specific markers. Based on SLAF-seq and bioinformatics analyses, a total of 404 universal PCR-based and a whole set of Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers specific for the 14 individual rye chromosome arms were developed and validated. Additionally, two KASP markers specific for 1RS and 2RL were successfully applied in the detection of 1RS translocations in a natural population and 2RL chromosome arms in wheat-rye derived progenies that conferred adult resistance to powdery mildew. Conclusion: The 404 PCR-based markers and 14 KASP markers specific for the 14 individual rye chromosome arms developed in this study can enrich the marker densities for gene mapping and accelerate the utilization of rye-derived genes in wheat improvement. Especially, the KASP markers achieved high-throughput and accurate detection of rye chromatin in wheat background, thus can be efficiently used in marker-assisted selection (MAS). Besides, the strategy of rye-specific PCR-based markers converting into KASP markers was high-efficient and low-cost, which will facilitate the tracing of alien genes, and can also be referred for other wheat relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cyromazine (CYR) and its main degradation product melamine (MEL) are attracting wide attention due to their potential hazards to the environment and humans. In this work, double surfactants‐assisted electromembrane extraction (DS‐EME) by Tween 20 and alkylated phosphate was firstly used for purification and extraction of CYR and MEL, and the extract was directly analyzed by capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection. RESULTS: Under the optimum conditions, two targets could be well separated from the main interferences, including common biogenic amines and inorganic cations within 14 min. This developed method was successfully applied to the analyses of surface water, soil and cucumber samples, and the average recoveries were in the range 93.3–112%. DS‐EME provided a synergistic purification and enrichment effect for CYR and MEL by adding Tween 20 and alkylated phosphate into donor phase and supporting liquid membrane, respectively. Satisfactory limits of detection [0.2–1.5 ng mL−1, signal‐to‐noise ratio (S/N) = 3] could be obtained in the tested sample matrices, and the corresponding enrichment factors were up to 115∼123 times. CONCLUSION: This developed method provides an alternative for the simultaneous analysis of CYR and MEL in complex real‐world samples. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Porcine circovirus (PCV) disease caused by PCV type 2 (PCV2) is mainly attributed to immunosuppression and immune damage. PCV2 can infect vascular endothelial cells and induce high expression of endothelial IL-8. Dendritic cells (DCs), as professional antigen-presenting cells, can not only present antigens but also activate naïve T-cells, causing an immune response. Methods: To demonstrate whether endothelial IL-8 is the main factor inhibiting the maturation and related functions of dendritic cells during PCV2 infection, monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) and porcine iliac artery endothelial cells (PIECs) processed by different methods were co-cultured in two ways. Flow cytometry, molecular probe labeling, fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the MTS assay were used to detect the changes in related functions and molecules of MoDCs. Results: Compared to those in the PIEC-DC group, the endothelial IL-8 upregulation co-culture group showed significantly lower double-positive rates for CD80/86 and MHC-II of MoDCs and significantly increased endocytosis of MoDCs. Meanwhile, the adhesion rate and average fluorescence intensity of MoDCs were significantly downregulated in migration and adhesion experiments. Furthermore, the MHC-I and LAMP7 mRNA levels in MoDCs and the proliferation of MoDC-stimulated T-cells were markedly reduced. However, the changes in MoDCs of the endothelial IL-8 downregulation co-culture group were the opposite. Conclusions: PCV2-induced endothelial IL-8 reduces the adhesion and migration ability of MoDCs, resulting in a decreased maturation rate of MoDCs, and further inhibits antigen presentation by DCs. These results may explain the immunosuppressive mechanism of PCV2 from the perspective of the interaction between endothelial cells and DCs in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COX-2/PGE2 axis can play roles in mediating the progression of tumor. COX-2 induction was observed in oral cancer. In our previous study, we found Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogen prevalent in oral cancer, can activate the COX-2/PGE2 pathway in human oral keratinocyte (HOK) cells. Here, we investigated the proliferation of HOK cells affected by COX-2 induction and the role of COX-2 induction in the malignant transformation of HOK cells. We found S. aureus was able to facilitate HOK cell proliferation through upregulating COX-2 expression. With the induction of COX-2, expression of oral cancer-associated genes cyclin D1 was upregulated and p16 was downregulated. Transcriptome analysis showed that the "NF−kappa B signaling pathway" and "TNF signaling pathway" had the highest enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with COX-2 over-expression. Seven upregulated genes (jun, tlr4, cxcl1, lif, cxcl3, tnfrsf1β, and il1β) in these two pathways were critical for the increased proliferation of HOK cells and might be associated with COX-2. Malignant transformation of cells was evaluated by soft agar colony formation assay and S. aureus infection promoted HOK cell colony formation. These results suggest the potential of S. aureus to induce the infection-associated malignant transformation of oral epitheliums through COX-2 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are potential bioactive compounds with less bioavailability due to instability in physicochemical and physiological harsh environments. This study synthesized a "nanolipo-fibersomes (NLFS)" using Lipoid® S75 and Nutriose® FB 06 (dextrinization of wheat starch) through a self-assembly technique with probe sonication. We aimed to encapsulate delphinidin- 3-O -sambubioside (D3S) successfully and evaluate physicochemical and controlled release properties with improved antioxidant activity on palmitic acid (PA)-induced colonic cells (Caco-2 cells). D3S-loaded nanolipo-fibersomes (D3S-NLFS) were nanosized (< 150 nm), spherical shaped, and homogenously dispersed in solution with promising encapsulation efficiency (~ 89.31 to 97.31 %). Particles formation was further verified by FTIR. NLFS were well-stable in thermal, storage, and gastrointestinal mimic environments. NLFS exhibited better-controlled release and mucoadhesive properties compared to nanoliposomes (NL). The NLFS showed better cellular uptake than NL, which was correlated to higher mucoadhesive properties. Furthermore, D3S-NLFS exhibited promising protective effects against PA-induced cytotoxicity, O 2 •− radicals generation, mitochondrial dysfunctions, and GSH depletion, while the free D3S was ineffective. Among D3S-loaded nanoparticles, D3S-NLFS 3 was the most efficient nanocarrier followed by D3S-NLFS 2, D3S-NLFS 1, and D3S-NL, respectively. The above data suggest that nanolipo-fibersomes can be considered as promising nanovesicles for improving colonic delivery of hydrophilic compounds with controlled release properties and greater antioxidant activity. [Display omitted] • Developed nanolipo-fibersomes (NLFS) by self-assembly method with probe sonication. • Delphinidin- 3-O -sambubioside (D3S) was encapsulated to NLFS with higher EE >90 %. • D3S-NLFS exerted better physicochemical stability than D3S-nanoliposomes (NL). • Higher mucoadhesive properties and cellular uptake were found for D3S-NLFS. • D3S-NLFS showed improved antioxidant activities on PA-induced Caco-2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trace elements (e.g., Fe, Cd, Ge, Mn) entered into four types of sphalerite from Baisong. • The ore sulfur was seawater-derived via thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). • Mineral-scale S isotope and trace element coupling occurred in Baisong sphalerite. • The Baisong is best classified as a low-T (<180℃) MVT Pb-Zn deposit. The western Hunan-eastern Guizhou (WHEG) Pb-Zn ore belt in the southwestern Yangtze block is a main Pb-Zn province in China. The metallogenic characteristics of this ore belt were widely reported, but the ore-forming process is still poorly understood. The lower Cambrian carbonate-hosted Baisong deposit is a representative Pb-Zn deposit in the southern WHEG belt. Sphalerite trace elements and sulfur isotopic compositions from the Baisong Pb-Zn deposit could reveal the ore-forming fluid source and metallogenic processes. Four types of sphalerites have been distinguished (black colloidal sphalerite (Sp) I, light-colored sector Sp II, red zoned Sp III and brown zoned Sp IV, indicating four sulfide mineralization stages from the early ore phase. Sp I (66-117℃, δ34S: +24.8 to + 27.8‰) has the highest Cd-Ga-Ag-Cu contents among the four sphalerite types, and commonly overgrow with marcasite. This suggests that Sp I was formed from acidic fluids under high precipitation rate. The trace elements and sulfur isotopic compositions of Sp II (80-128℃, δ34S: +26.5 to + 28‰) are similar to Sp I. Sp II was likely formed by a decrease in oversaturation and precipitation rate with fluid pH increase. Sp III (127-164℃, δ34S: +31 to + 32.5‰), commonly overgrow on pyrite (Py I), has higher Mn-Fe-Ge but lower Cd-Cu-Ga-Ag contents and heavier sulfur isotopes than Sp II. Changes in precipitation environment and fluid compositions are likely major factors in forming Sp III (temperature increase, pH increase and more reduced). The forming of Sp III and Py I likely consumed the Fe and Ge in the fluid, depriving those elements from the later-formed Sp IV (97-141℃, δ34S: +25.7 to + 29.8‰). The sulfide δ34S value (+22.5 to + 46.3‰) implies that the S2- at Baisong was sourced from seawater sulfates via thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). Sphalerite trace element features reflect that the Baisong is an MVT deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of yttrium (Y) in CrAlN based hard coatings has been known to be able to improve the oxidation resistance and thermal stability of these coatings, which is an important characteristic for protective coatings at high temperatures. However, there has been limited information available for the effects of Y doping on the tribological properties of such coatings, especially the wear performance. In this paper, a systematic investigation on the triblogical properties of CrAlN coatings doped with different levels of Y was conducted to correlate the coatings' microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties with their Y contents. The results showed that the wear performance of the coatings decreased with increasing Y doping, though the coatings doped with low to moderate Y contents had comparable wear performance with the pristine CrAlN coatings. • Nanolayered Y-doped CrN/AlN deposited by hybrid HIPIMS-DCMS processes. • Y bombardment densified coating microstructure but reduced coating crystallinity, especially at the layer interface. • Effects of Y doping on coating wear performance and failure mechanisms determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many unimodal models have been developed to describe the soil water characteristic curves (SWCC). However, for soils with inner porosity the independent draining of the structural and matrix pores frequently results in two distinct air-entry values, which any single unimodal function does not reproduce adequately. In the presented study, a bimodal lognormal (BLN) SWCCs function have been developed for soils with inner porosity. The model involved two overlaying continua pore systems, the pore probability density functions of systems were assumed as lognormal distribution and them can be superposed to obtain the overall probability density function of the soil. The experimental SWCCs data were used to verify the proposed method. The fitted result showed that the BLN approach resulted in the best agreement between measurement and simulation (R2 > 0.99, RSME < 0.66). Another advantage of proposed function was capable of simulating bimodal SWCC using parameters which can be related to physical properties of the structural soils. These physically based parameters could more intuitively analyse the measured data. The BLN approach can potentially be used as effective tool for identifying mechanical and hydraulic porosities in the structural mediums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]