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Herein, a covalent organic framework (SO3-COF) containing sulfonic acid groups has been developed on the surface of alumina by a one-step method, labeled as SO3-COF@Al2O3. The experimental results show that SO3-COF@Al2O3 can effectively inhibit the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfide (LiPSs) in LSBs after loading the active material sulfur, and exhibits better cycling behavior than the initial polymer SO3-COF. The initial discharge specific capacity of this electrode material at 0.05C is as high as 1141 mA h g−1, and the capacity can be maintained at 466 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles with a capacity decay rate of 0.08% per cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a tracking control strategy based on fixed‐time for uncertain nonlinear systems with prescribed performance and actuator faults. Fuzzy logic systems are used to model unknown functions with uncertainties or fuzzy parameter features. The improvement of the conventional backstepping method through the introduction of command filtering technology has effectively addressed the challenge of a sharp increase in computational complexity during controller design. Additionally, a mechanism for error compensation has been established to mitigate the potential impact of errors that may arise during the filtering process on the system. Then, a new fixed‐time performance function is introduced into the adaptive backstepping method to ensure that the tracking signal with output error converges to an arbitrarily small neighborhood within a fixed time. Additionally, in order to enhance the tracking performance of the control method, the controller algorithm incorporates fault‐tolerant control based on the fixed‐time performance function. Finally, a numerical simulation of a power system with a static reactive power compensation device is presented, and demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed control algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the optimal extraction methods for flavonoids from Abelmoschus manihot flowers (AMF) is crucial for unlocking their potential benefits. This study aimed to optimize the efficiency of flavonoid extraction from AMF. After comparing extraction methods, the ultrasonic cell crusher demonstrated superior performance over conventional techniques. Four key factors—solid-to-liquid ratio (1:10 to 1:50 g·mL−1), ethanol concentration (55% to 95%), ultrasonic time (10 to 50 min), and ultrasonic power (5% to 25% of 900 W)—were investigated and normalized using the entropy weight method. This led to a comprehensive evaluation (CE). Optimization of extraction conditions for the ultrasonic cell crusher was achieved through response surface methodology and a deep neural network model, resulting in optimal parameters: ethanol volume fraction of 66%, solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:21 g/mL, extraction efficiency of 9%, and extraction duration of 35 min, yielding a CE value of 23.14 (RSD < 1%). Additionally, the inhibitory effects of the optimized extracts against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) were assessed. The results revealed that AMF extract (AMFE) exhibits inhibitory effects on S. mutans, with concomitant inhibition of sucrase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The MIC of AMFE against planktonic S. mutans is 3 mg/mL, with an MBC of 6 mg/mL. Within the concentration range of 1/8 MIC to 2 MIC of AMFE, the activities of sucrase and LDH decreased by 318.934 U/mg prot and 61.844 U/mg prot, respectively. The antioxidant activity of AMFE was assessed using the potassium ferricyanide reduction and phosphomolybdenum methods. Additionally, the effect of AMFE on DPPH, ABTS, and ·OH free radical scavenging abilities was determined. The concentrations at which AMFE exhibited over 90% scavenging rate for ABTS and DPPH free radicals were found to be 0.125 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Alcohol is implicated in epileptogenesis and seizures attack. An increasing number of studies about alcohol and epilepsy have been published. We aimed to assess research trends and hot spots in the field of alcohol and epilepsy. Patients and Methods: Literature concerning alcohol and epilepsy was systemically searched through the Web of Science database. Collaborative maps were quantitatively analyzed by using the VOSviewer and CiteSpace tools. Results: A total of 1578 papers about the field of alcohol and epilepsy were taken into analysis, which was written by 6840 authors from 2153 institutions in 85 countries, published in 676 journals, and cited 79 667 references from 10 750 journals. The United States was the leading country and had close ties with others. The University of Toronto was the most productive institution. Alcoholism‐clinical and experimental research was the fastest‐growing journal. Richard J. Bodnar was the author contributing the most literature. Analysis of keywords showed epilepsy, alcohol, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, and management were common themes. Conclusion: The presented study conducted the first bibliometric analysis of the field of alcohol and epilepsy, which will provide insights into the latest progress, evolution paths, frontier research hot spots, and future research trends in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an event-triggered finite-time neural control strategy is proposed for nonlinear power systems with unknown disturbances and static var compensator (SVC). We first transform the power system with SVC into a three-dimensional uncertain nonlinear system and then extend it to an n -dimensional uncertain nonlinear system. The disturbance observer is established to estimate external disturbances and the unknown nonlinear terms are approximated by the radial basis function neural networks. Moreover, to avoid the complexity explosion problem in the traditional backstepping method, the command filtering technique is adopted, and the error caused by the command filters is compensated. The adaptive event-triggered finite-time controller ensures that all signals are bounded in finite time and excludes Zeno phenomena. In the end, the simulation for the two-area interconnected power system with SVC is presented to verify the availability and feasibility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational thinking (CT), acknowledged as a crucial twenty-first century skill, has attracted considerable attention. However, cultivating CT in resource-limited rural schools is challenging, with limited research on its development in these settings. Unplugged programming, not constrained by the availability of computer hardware, may offer a promising approach to fostering CT skills within rural schools. This study conducted a six-week quasi-experimental project in a rural school in Guizhou, China. In this study, 43 students participated in unplugged activities in the experimental group, while 45 students in the control group did not engage in any form of programming activities. The findings are noteworthy: post-intervention, the experimental group showed notable improvements in CT skills and resilience, unlike the control group. Additionally, the study explored gender differences, revealing that students of all genders exhibited similar growth in CT skills and resilience through unplugged activities. Resilience was identified as a key factor in enhancing CT skills. Interviews further enriched the quantitative findings. This research provides valuable insights for educators to improve rural education and promote CT education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Tannic acid (TA), a naturally occurring polyphenol, has shown diverse potential in preventing intestinal damage in piglet diarrhea induced by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88. However, the protective effect of TA on ETEC k88 infection‐induced post‐weaning diarrhea and its potential mechanism has not been well elucidated. Therefore, an animal trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with TA on the intestinal diarrhea of weaned piglets challenged with ETEC K88. In addition, porcine intestinal epithelial cells were used as an in vitro model to explore the mechanism through which TA alleviates intestinal oxidative damage and inflammation. RESULTS: The results indicated that TA supplementation (2 and 4 g kg−1) reduced diarrhea rate, enzyme activity (diamine oxidase [DAO] and Malondialdehyde [MAD]) and serum inflammatory cytokines concentration (TNF‐α and IL‐1β) (P < 0.05) compared to the Infection group (IG), group in vivo. In vitro, TA treatment effectively alleviated ETEC‐induced cytotoxicity, increased the expression of ZO‐1, occludin and claudin‐1 at both mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, TA pre‐treatment increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes (such as T‐SOD) and decreased serum cytokine levels (TNF‐α and IL‐1β). Furthermore, TA increased cellular antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and decreased inflammatory response by down‐regulating the expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF‐kB and NLRP3. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that TA reduced the diarrhea rate of weaned piglets by restoring the intestinal mucosal mechanical barrier function, alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation. The underlying mechanism was achieved by modulating the p62‐keap1‐Nrf2 and TLR4‐NF‐κB‐NLRP3 pathway. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) caused by sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) is a major threat to buried pipelines. The crevices beneath disbonded coatings provide the environment for the survival and growth of SRB, accelerating the attachment of SRB and significantly reducing the effectiveness of buried pipelines. In this work, the influence of initial pH values (6.4, 8.0) and SRB concentrations (2.0 × 101, 4.5 × 102, 2.5 × 103 cells/mL) were investigated on the behaviors of L415 carbon steel. The results indicated that the overall uniform corrosion rate of L415 carbon steel decreased while the maximum pitting corrosion rate exhibited an increasing trend with the increasing of initial concentration of SRB. In comparison to the pH 6.4 environment, the overall risk of pitting corrosion in pH 8.0 environment was reduced due to the biomineralization of SRB, enhancing the protection of metal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have gained considerable attention for high theoretical specific capacity and energy density. However, their development is hampered by the poor electrical conductivity of sulfur and the shuttle of polysulfides. Herein, the acidified bamboo-structure carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) were mixed with polyvinylidene difluoride and pyrolyzed at high-temperature to obtain the fluorinated bamboo-structure carbon nanotubes (FBCNTs), which were compounded with sulfur as the cathode. The prepared S@FBCNTs with sulfur loading reaching 74.2 wt.% shows a high initial specific capacity of 1407.5 mAh·g−1 at the discharge rate of 0.1 C. When the discharge rate was increased to 5 C, the capacity could be maintained at 622.3 mAh·g−1. The electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes is effectively improved by semi-ionic C–F bonds formed by the doped F atoms and carbon atoms. Simultaneously, the surface of the F-containing carbon tubes exhibits strong polarity and strong chemisorption effect on polysulfides, which inhibits the shuttle effect of Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible anodes are a common form of anode ground bed for the cathodic protection of buried pipes in station areas, especially in new stations. In most cases, flexible anode ground beds could obtain uniform potential distribution and good protection. However, in the process of operation, there are also failure conditions such as anode body or cable breakage, electronic shorting between anode and pipes and other situations, resulting in poor protection. How to troubleshoot failures has become a difficult problem restricting the application of flexible anodes in actual production. In this paper, the failures of a flexible anode cathodic protection system in a station were assessed and analyzed in detail. The main reasons for the failures were the electronic shorting between the flexible anode and buried pipe in local area and the breaking of a partial flexible anode. The troubleshooting methods for two kinds of failures were explored. By measuring the potentials of both the flexible anode and pipes in different areas and the excavation test, the location of electronic shoring was determined. And through measuring the grounding resistance of the flexible anode and excavation test, the breaking location of the flexible anode was found. By repairing the failure sites, the failed system was restored to normal, which could provide guidance for the failure analyses of the flexible anode cathodic protection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose tissue plays an important role in systemic energy metabolism, and its dysfunction can lead to severe metabolic disorders. Various cells in adipose tissue communicate with each other to maintain metabolic homeostasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are recognized as novel medium for remote intercellular communication by transferring various bioactive molecules from parental cells to distant target cells. Increasing evidence suggests that the endocrine functions of adipose tissue and even the metabolic homeostasis are largely affected by different cell-derived EVs, such as insulin signaling, lipolysis, and metabolically triggered inflammation regulations. Here, we provide an overview focused on the role of EVs released by different cell types of adipose tissue in metabolic diseases and their possible molecular mechanisms and highlight the potential applications of EVs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Moreover, the current EVs-based therapeutic strategies have also been discussed. This trial is registered with NCT05475418. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimed at discovering small molecules as anticancer drugs or lead compounds from plants, a lindenane-type sesquiterpene dimer, chlorahololide D, was isolated from Chloranthus holostegius. The literature review showed that there were few reports on the antitumor effects and mechanisms of chlorahololide D. Our biological assay suggested that chlorahololide D blocked the growth and triggered apoptosis of MCF-7 cells by stimulating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and arresting the cell cycle at the G2 stage. Further mechanism exploration suggested that chlorahololide D regulated apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax. Moreover, chlorahololide D inhibited cell migration by regulating the FAK signaling pathway. In the zebrafish xenograft model, chlorahololide D was observed to suppress tumor proliferation and migration significantly. Considering the crucial function of angiogenesis in tumor development, the anti-angiogenesis of chlorahololide D was also investigated. All of the research preliminarily revealed that chlorahololide D could become an anti-breast cancer drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the application of quality control charts, most of the researches in profile monitoring are based on accurate measurements. Measurement errors, however, often exist in many manufacturing and service environment. In this paper, first, we investigate the effect of neglecting measurement errors on the performance of four common control charts for Phase II monitoring of polynomial profiles. Simulation studies in terms of average run length (ARL) metric show that neglecting the measurement errors adversely affects the capability of all mentioned control charts. Then, we reconstruct the control charts based on two consistent estimators and two remedial approaches including multiple measurement and increasing sample size are utilized to decrease the effect of measurement errors. The results show that the remedial approaches compensate for the mentioned effect to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the issue of adaptive event-triggered tracking control is investigated for time-delay nonlinear systems with input saturation and external disturbances. In the whole process of control design, the radial basis function neural networks are utilized to approximate uncertain nonlinearities. To estimate the unknown states, a neural network-based observer is constructed. Pade approximation method is adopted to eliminate the effect of input delay. A smooth non-affine function is introduced to replace input saturation, and an auxiliary variable is employed to obtain the actual control input. An event-triggered strategy is designed to reduce the utilization of communication and computation resources. Moreover, the command filtering technique is applied to handle the issue of "explosion of complexity" in the conventional backstepping method. The designed controller can assure that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded. Therefore, the proposed event-triggered neural control scheme can not only save network resources, but also improve the robustness of the system by dealing with input constraints and external disturbances. Finally, two simulation examples are given to verify the availability and feasibility of the designed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalia cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) dioxygenase (ADO) controls the stability of the regulator of G protein signaling 4 (RGS4) through the Cys branch of the Arg/N-degron pathway, thereby affecting the response of the body to hypoxia. However, the oxygen-sensing function of ADO remains unknown in teleost fish. Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) is one of the most important freshwater economic fishes in China. As the scale of the rearing density continues to increase, hypoxia has become an important factor threatening the growth of mandarin fish. Herein, the molecular characterization, the oxygen-sensing enzyme function, and the role in virus infection of ADO from mandarin fish (scADO) were explored. Bioinformation analysis results showed that scADO had all the molecular foundations for achieving thiol dioxygenase function: three histidine residues coordinated with Fe(II), PCO/ADO domain, and a "jelly roll" β-barrel structure. The expression pattern analysis showed that scAdo was highly expressed in the immune-related tissues, liver, and kidneys and responded to hypoxia on the expression level. Protein degradation experiment results revealed that scADO could lead to the degradation of RGS4 protein through the Cys branch of the Arg/N-degron pathway. Furthermore, the expression levels of scADO responded to fish virus infection. scADO could significantly promote the replication of Siniperca chuatsi rhabdovirus, and this was associated with its thiol dioxygenase activity. These findings not only demonstrate scADO as an oxygen-sensing protein in teleost fish, but are also of considerable importance for clarifying the contribution of the mechanism of hypoxia to the outbreaks of fish viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper focuses on the issue of the adaptive fuzzy fault‐tolerant control for a type of nonlinear system with input delay and disturbances. Fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) are used to estimate the unknown nonlinear quantities of the system. The Pade approximation is applied to counteract the negative effects of input delay on the system. The prescribed performance control based on error transformation helps to guarantee the transient performance of system errors. A fuzzy state observer is established to estimate the unmeasurable states of the system. Then, in presence of disturbances and actuator faults, a finite‐time control scheme is designed using the Lyapunov function and the backstepping technique. Based on Lyapunov stability, it is proved that the tracking error can converge to a specified range in a finite time, and all signals in the system are bounded in the controller design. In the end, the simulations of a second‐order system and a multi‐area interconnected power system certify the feasibility and effectiveness of the control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GRAS protein family is involved in plant growth and development, plant disease resistance, and abiotic stress response. Although the GRAS protein family has been systematically studied and reported in many plants, it has not been reported in oat, an excellent foodstuff crop of Gramineae. We identified 90 AsGRAS genes and all of the AsGRAS genes were randomly distributed on 21 chromosomes with 6 tandem duplicated genes and 49 pairs of segmental duplications, which may be the main reason for the expansion of the GRAS gene family. According to the phylogenetic tree, 90 AsGRASs were classified into 10 distinct subfamilies. Gene structure revealed introns varying from zero to seven, and all genes have conserved motifs and GRAS structure domain. Protein–protein interaction and miRNA prediction analysis showed that AsGRAS proteins mainly interacted with GA signalling, cell division, etc., and that the AsGRAS genes were targeted by miRNA171. RNA-seq and qRT–PCR data showed that GRAS genes were expressed at different growth and developmental stages and under different abiotic stresses in oat, indicating the potential role of GRAS genes in promoting growth and stress tolerance in oat. Overall, our evolutionary and expression analysis of AsGRAS genes contributes to the elucidation of a theoretical basis for the GRAS gene family. Moreover, it helped reveal gene function and laid the foundation for future agricultural improvement of oats based on functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry eye disease is a chronic disease of the ocular surface characterized by abnormal tear film composition, tear film instability, and ocular surface inflammation, affecting 5% to 50% of the population worldwide. Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) are systemic disorders with multi-organ involvement, including the eye, and play a significant role in dry eye. To date, most studies have focused on Sjögren's syndrome (one of the ARDs) since it manifests as two of the most common symptoms–dry eyes and a dry mouth-and attracts physicians to explore the relationship between dry eye and ARDs. Many patients complained of dry eye related symptoms before they were diagnosed with ARDs, and ocular surface malaise is a sensitive indicator of the severity of ARDs. In addition, ARD related dry eye is also associated with some retinal diseases directly or indirectly, which are described in this review. This review also summarizes the incidence, epidemiological characteristics, pathogenesis, and accompanying ocular lesions of ARD's related dry eye, emphasizing the potential role of dry eye in recognition and monitoring among ARDs patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was discovered the bimetallic Zn−Sb nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes can electrocatalyze CO2 into formate efficiently, comprising the best performance to date for Sb‐based catalysts under moderate overpotential. This project was accomplished by a versatile two‐step alcoholysis precipitation strategy with tunable Zn : Sb ratios, and the performance of optimized Zn2.33Sb0.67O4 was locked in the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction. During the subsequent electrolysis, the mixed phases of metallic Zn and Sb served as active centers. The Zn−Sb heterostructure and the electron relocation were confirmed. By means of interactions and possible additional binding sites for reaction intermediate *OCHO, the material displayed different catalytic properties from either Zn or Sb, and was selective for formate up to 92%, which was ca. 6.1 times or 4.6 times than that of each single component. The encouraging results highlight the power of the interaction between binary metallic components to synergistically electrocatalyze CO2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the application of control charts, most of the research in profile monitoring is based on accurate measurements. Measurement errors, however, often exist in many manufacturing and service environments. In this paper, we apply linear mixed models in the presence of measurement errors in fixed effects. We discuss three modified multivariate charts, namely Hotelling's T 2 , multivariate exponential weighted moving average (MEWMA) control chart, and multivariate cumulative sum (MCUSUM) control chart. Performance comparisons are made in terms of the average run length (ARL) and average extra quadratic loss (AEQL). Finally, a real data example on healthcare expenditures is used to illustrate the implementation of the proposed monitoring schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite activated autophagy ameliorating hepatocyte steatosis and metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), mechanisms underlying the beneficial roles of autophagy in hepatic deregulation of lipid metabolism remain undefined. We explored whether autophagy can ameliorate oleic acid (OA)-induced hepatic steatosis by suppressing pyroptosis. Pyroptosis is involved in hepatocyte steatosis induced by OA. In addition, autophagy flux was blocked in OA-treated hepatocytes. Treatment with OA induced lipid accumulation in liver cell line L-02, which was attenuated by rapamycin (Rap), an autophagy agonist, while aggravated by autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1). Inversely, treatment with pyroptotic agonist Nigericin aggravated OA-induced hepatic steatosis, while pyroptosis antagonist disulfiram ameliorated this effect. Mechanistically, treatment with Rap downregulated the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins, including NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-18, GSDMD expression evoked by OA, thus improving pyroptosis in hepatic steatosis. Significantly, overexpression of ATG5 obviously downregulated cleaved caspase-1 expressions without altering the total caspase1 expressions in hepatic cell steatosis. Taken together, our studies strongly demonstrated that the activation of ATG5 inhibits pyroptosis to improve hepatic steatosis and suggest autophagy activation as a potential therapeutic strategy for pyroptosis-mediated MAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the lack‐of‐fit test of parametric single‐index quantile models when the response variable is missing at random. The model's coefficients are estimated by an estimation method suitable for the quantile regression coefficients of the missing data. Simultaneously, an algorithm for solving the central subspace of the multidimensional quantile regression model with missing responses is proposed. Based on the central quantile regression subspace, we construct two‐dimensional reduction adaptive‐to‐model test statistics suitable for randomly missing response variables to avoid the curse of dimensionality. Under the null hypothesis and local alternative hypothesis, the asymptotic properties of the test statistics are obtained. The proposed testing methods are shown to be consistent and able to detect local alternative hypothetical models converging to the null model at the rate of order O(n−1/2h−1/4). A consistent bootstrap method is proposed to determine the critical values, and its asymptotic properties are established. The simulation results show that the proposed method is superior to existing methods in terms of both empirical size and power in the case of multidimensional and even high‐dimensional covariables. The ACTG Protocol 175 data set is analyzed to demonstrate the application of the testing procedures. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization are important for maintaining the health and productivity of Leymus chinensis steppe, their impact on the abundance and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in this ecosystem is still unclear. We used the amoA gene as a molecular marker to monitor changes in AOA and AOB under low and high N and P fertilization and applied the resin-core technique to measure soil N mineralization. We found that the abundance of AOA based on amoA gene copies, ranging from 7.51 × 107 to 1.23 × 108 copies g−1 soil, was higher than that of AOB. Fertilization, especially high N and P, increased the number of amoA copies associated with AOB. AOA and AOB communities were dominated by Crenarchaeota and Proteobacteria, respectively. Fertilization decreased the relative abundances of Thaumarchaeota in the AOA community and Proteobacteria in the AOB community and increased the relative abundance of Ammonia_oxidizing_bacteria_ensemble. In N and P fertilization treatments, soil N transformation was closely related to AOB but not AOA. Soil ammonium N and nitrate N reshape the structure of ammonia oxidizers of AOB but not those of AOA on L. chinensis steppes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chemoradiation therapy, the synergy between the radiation and the chemotherapeutic agent (CA) can result in a super-additive treatment. A priori, this increased effectiveness could be estimated from model calculations, if absolute cross sections (ACSs) involved in cellular damage are substantially higher, when the CA binds to DNA. We measure ACSs for damages induced by 10 eV electrons, when DNA binds to the CA cisplatin as in chemotherapy. At this energy, DNA is damaged essentially by the decay of core-excited transient anions into bond-breaking channels. Films of cisplatin-DNA complexes of ratio 5:1 with thicknesses 10, 15, and 20 nm were irradiated in vacuum during 5–30 s. Conformation changes were quantified by electrophoresis and yields extrapolated from exposure-response curves. Base damages (BDs) were revealed and quantified by enzymatic treatment. The ACSs were generated from these yields by two mathematical models. For 3197 base-pair plasmid DNA, ACS for single strand breaks, double strand breaks (DSBs), crosslinks, non-DSB cluster damages, and total BDs is 71 ± 2, 9.3 ± 0.4, 10.1 ± 0.3, 8.2 ± 0.3, and 115 ± 2 ×10−15 cm2, respectively. These ACSs are higher than those of nonmodified DNA by factors of 1.6 ± 0.1, 2.2 ± 0.1, 1.3 ± 0.1, 1.3 ± 0.3, and 2.1 ± 0.4, respectively. Since LEEs are produced in large quantities by radiolysis and strongly interact with biomolecules, we expect such enhancements to produce substantial additional damages in the DNA of the nucleus of cancer cells during concomitant chemoradiation therapy. The increase damage appears sufficiently large to justify more elaborate simulations, which could provide a quantitative evaluation of molecular sensitization by Pt-CAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the application of X80 pipelines in Northeast China, it is important to establish the correct cathodic protection (CP) potential. To achieve this, potentiodynamic polarization; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS); a slow strain rate test (SSRT); and a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fracture morphology analysis were carried out for an X80 steel gas pipeline at several temperatures in Heilongjiang Province, China. The results show that the hydrogen evolution potential of X80 steel in soil at different temperatures was about −900 mV (vs. CSE). The generated hydrogen atoms can be adsorbed on the surface of the pipelines to reduce the surface energy, or they can be diffused into the substrate and accumulate to the critical concentration, inducing the decohesion between different structures and generating additional plastic deformation through dislocation motion. With the peak impedance potential as the minimum potential and the hydrogen embrittlement potential as the maximum potential, the CP potential of X80 steel in the soil at 30 °C, 45 °C, and 60 °C ranged from −900 mV to −1100 mV (vs. CSE), temperatures at which the X80 steel does not corrode or cause hydrogen embrittlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the artificial neural networks for solving the elliptic differential equation with boundary layer, in which the gradient of the solution changes sharply near the boundary layer. The solution of the boundary layer problems poses a huge challenge to both traditional numerical methods and artificial neural network methods. By theoretically analyzing the changing rate of the weights of the first hidden layer near the boundary layer, a mapping strategy is added in traditional neural network to improve the convergence of the loss function. Numerical examples are carried out for the 1D and 2D convection–diffusion equation with boundary layer. The results demonstrate that the modified neural networks significantly improve the ability in approximating the solutions with sharp gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some macrofungi have a long history of being used as traditional or folk medicines, making significant contributions to human health. To discover bioactive molecules with potential anticancer properties, a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide (FOBP90-1) was purified from the medicinal macrofungus Fomitopsis officinalis. FOBP90-1 was found to have a molecular weight of 2.87 × 104 g/mol and mainly consist of →6)- α- d -Gal p -(1→, →2,6)- α - d -Gal p -(1→, →3)- α - l -Fuc p -(1→, →6)- β - d -Glc p -(1→, α - d -Man p -(1→, and 3- O -Me- α - l -Fuc p -(1→ according to UV, FT-IR, methylation analysis, and NMR data. In addition to its structural properties, FOBP90-1 displayed anticancer activity in zebrafish models. The following mechanistic analysis discovered that the in vivo antitumor effect was linked to immune activation and angiogenesis inhibition. These effects were mediated by the interactions of FOBP90-1 with TLR-2, TLR-4, PD-L1, and VEGFR-2, as determined through a series of experiments involving cells, transgenic zebrafish, molecular docking simulations, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). All the experimental findings have demonstrated that FOBP90-1, a purified fungal polysaccharide, is expected to be utilized as a cancer treatment agent. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant chert bands and nodules are discovered throughout the Mesoproterozoic Jixian System in the Ordos Basin. These cherts faithfully record the Jixian period oceanic conditions and paleoecology. However, the diagenetic mechanism of the cherts remains unclear and controversial. To understand the origin of these cherts, we performed a multitracer study by combining field reconnaissance, petrological analyses, Si isotope analysis, and major and trace element analysis of chert samples from the Qishan section. The results show that Jixian cherts had a high Al/(Al + Fe + Mn) value (~0.48), showed a flat distribution of rare earth elements in seawater, and most of the Fe/Ti values are <20. A weak negative Ce anomaly (~0.97) indicates the contribution of REY to weakly oxygenated seawater. The high isotopic composition of silicon (δ30Si = 0.74 ‰-1.35 ‰) and the average Si ex value of 37.52 indicate that there is a source of biological silica, and the relationship between Eu/Eu* and Y/Ho and δ30Si shows that the hydrothermal and volcanic influences were less and correlated with seawater. The chert bands were closely related to biological activities. The chert nodules were influenced by hydrothermal activity. Secondary cherts were related to diagenesis, but the nature of siliceous fluids remains unchanged, still characterized by biogenic activity origins. The sea oxygen concentration in the Jixian period had increased, with periodic variations in the intensity of biological activities affecting the pH of the water body, or biological photosynthesis binding SiO 2 colloid in water, affecting chert sediments, leading to frequent interlayering between dolomite and chert bands. Episodic hydrothermal fluids and late-stage diagenetic processes jointly influenced the formation of cherts. This study bears significant significance in enhancing our understanding of the sedimentary environment and the origin of cherts during the Jixian period in the Ordos Basin. • Cherts of the Jixian System formed in a low-oxygen water environment. • Cherts were of biogenic and chemical origins, and some of them had a replacement origin. • Silica sourced from dissolved silicon in seawater, organisms, and occasional hydrothermal fluids. • Biological activities affected chert deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Revealing the relationship between FTO mutations and treatment outcomes of ICIs contributes to clinical decision-making. • FTO gene polymorphisms are associated with the effectiveness and safety of ICIs treatment. • FTO rs12600192CC genotype carriers experienced extended PFS and OS, along with a decreased risk of irAEs. Identifying patients who can benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a critical challenge in immunotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the association between fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) polymorphisms and ICIs treatment outcomes. This retrospective study was conducted on 371 patients with malignant tumors who received ICIs treatment and were followed-up for a minimum duration of 12 months. Seven variants in FTO gene were genotyped using the Sequenome MassARRAY platform, and their associations with ICIs treatment outcomes were analyzed. Pharmacogenomic research revealed that individuals carrying the rs11075995AT/TT genotype were more likely to benefit from ICIs treatment compare to TT genotype. Cox regression analysis showed that rs1125338TT carriers exhibited a shorter progression-free survival (PFS, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.72, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.12–2.46), while rs12596638GG carriers experienced extended PFS (HR = 0.71, 95 % CI = 0.50–0.99). Multiple Cox regression analysis indicated that rs12596638GG (HR = 6.81, 95 %CI = 1.20–38.56) and rs1125338CC (HR = 1.78, 95 %CI = 0.07–0.45), rs12600192CC (HR = 0.13, 95 %CI = 0.037–0.44) genotypes were independently associated with overall survival (OS) after adjusting clinical characteristics. Furthermore, patients with rs12600192CC genotype had a lower risk of severe irAEs compared to those with GG/GC genotypes (P < 0.01). We identified FTO gene polymorphisms associated with treatment outcomes of ICI treatment in patients with multiple solid cancers, which might serve as potential predictive biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For aluminum laminated composites (ALCs), interlayer bonding strength plays a crucial role in its performance. In this work, 7050/Al/7A52 and 7A62/Al/7A52 ALC were studied to explore the effects of recrystallization and element diffusion on interfacial bonding quality and mechanical properties. The results show that attributed to the deformation localization occurs at the 7A52/pure Al interface, continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) and geometric dynamic recrystallization (GDRX) coexist, while only DDRX exists at the bonding interfaces of 7050/pure Al and 7A62/pure Al. Among them, 7A62/pure Al interface has the most obvious element diffusion behavior among the three kinds of interfaces. Notably, recrystallization would have a higher effect on improving bonding quality, which causes the 7A52/pure Al interface of the composites more difficult to delaminate during the tensile test. Besides, the enhancement of element diffusion depth at the 7A62/pure Al interface promotes the bonding strength of 7A62/Al/7A52 ALC to increase by 21.0% compared with that of 7050/Al/7A52 ALC. After the dynamic impact test, the peak flow stress and energy absorption value of 7A62/Al/7A52 ALC reached 567.1 MPa and 72.2 MJ/m3, and the interface remains intact. However, due to the existence of huge strength deviation in the 7A62/pure Al interface, it is more prone to fail during the tensile process, resulting in a decrease in the elongation of the composites. • Systematically investigates the effect of recrystallization and interfacial element diffusion on interface of 7xxx/pure Al. • Recrystallization would have a higher effect on improving bonding quality than element diffusion. • The huge strength deviation would accelerate the failure of bonding interface thus affect the elongation of composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) as the primary constituent of Polygonum multiflorum Thumb. (PM) possesses anti-oxidative, antihypercholesterolemic, anti-tumor and many more biological activities. The root of PM has been used as a tonic medicine for thousands of years. However, cases of PM-induced liver injury are occasionally reported, and considered to be related to the host immune status. The primary toxic elements and specific mechanisms PM causing liver damage are still not thoroughly clear. Our study aimed to investigate the influences of TSG on the immune response in idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of PM. The male C57BL/6 mice were treated with different doses of TSG and the alterations in liver histology, serum liver enzyme levels, proportions of T cells and cytokines secretion were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE), RNA sequencing, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Flow cytometry (FCM), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Then, primary spleen cells from drug-naive mice were isolated and cultured with TSG in vitro. T cell subsets proliferation and cytokines secretion after treated with TSG were assessed by CCK8, FCM and ELISA. In addition, mice were pre-treated with anti-CD25 for depleting regulatory T cells (Tregs), and then administered with TSG. Liver functions and immunological alterations were analyzed to evaluate liver injury. Data showed that TSG induced liver damage, and immune cells infiltration in the liver tissues. FCM results showed that TSG could activate CD4+T and CD8+T in the liver. Results further confirmed that TSG notably up-regulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-18, perforin and granzyme B in the liver tissues. Furthermore, based on transcriptomics profiles, some immune system-related pathways including leukocyte activation involved in inflammatory response, leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, regulation of interleukin-1 beta production, mononuclear cell migration, antigen processing and presentation were altered in TSG treated mice. CD8+T/CD4+T cells were also stimulated by TSG in vitro. Interestingly, increased proportion of Tregs was observed after TSG treatment in vitro and in vivo. Foxp3 and TGF-β1 mRNA expressions were up-regulated in the liver tissues. Depletion of Tregs moderately enhanced TSG induced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in serum. Our findings showed that TSG could trigger CD4+T and CD8+T cells proliferation, promote cytokines secretion, which revealed that adaptive immune response associated with the mild liver injury cause by TSG administration. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) mainly sustain immunological tolerance, and in this study, the progression of TSG induced liver injury was limited by Tregs. The results of our investigations allow us to preliminarily understand the mechanisms of PM related idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity. The mechanism of TSG induced liver injury. [Display omitted] • Polygonum multiflorum Thumb. (PM) induced liver injury is considered to be immune-mediated idiosyncratic liver injury. • TSG could trigger CD4+T and CD8+T cells proliferation and cytokine secretion both in vitro and in vivo. • Tregs involved in the progression of TSG induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fatigue properties of 2519A Al alloy were obviously improved after DST. • Increased aspect ratio of grain and PFZ width after DST increased the resistance to crack expansion along GBs. • Bridging effect of second phase reduced after DST enhance alloy's fatigue properties. 2519A aluminum alloy thick plates have excellent applications in the military industry due to their superior ballistic resistance and fatigue properties. However, the delamination cracking along the thickness direction of this alloy hinders its further utilization. To address this issue and enhance the fatigue properties of this alloy, the effect of single-stage solid solution treatment (SST) and two-stage solid solution treatment (DST) on the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior in the thickness direction of the alloy was investigated. Compared to the optimum SST, the volume fraction of the secondary phase of the alloy was reduced by 28.6% after DST. The precipitated phases were finer with more uniform distribution, and the volume fraction and number density of the precipitation increased by 47% and 30%, respectively. The DST resulted in a lower fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) and an increase of 2.92% in the critical stress intensity factor value (Δ Kcr). The crack propagation mode of the alloy after SST was inter/transgranular crack propagation, while it was transgranular after DST. The aspect ratio of grain and the number of secondary phases in the alloy decrease after DST. Meanwhile, the grain boundary (GB) precipitation phase spacing, the precipitation-free zone (PFZ) width, and the spacing between the secondary phases increase. These changes result in decreased crack sources in the alloy and reduced the bridging effect of secondary phases on fatigue cracks, thus improving the fatigue performance of the alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the nonlinearity, fluctuation, and intermittency of wind speed, its accurate prediction is essential for improving efficiency in wind power operation systems. In this regard, a hybrid model that combines the rime optimization algorithm (RIME), variational mode decomposition (VMD), multi-headed self-attention (MSA) mechanism and long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed for wind speed prediction. First, the number of modes and VMD penalty parameter are optimized with RIME, the optimized parameters are brought into the VMD to decompose the raw wind speeds, and a Lagrange multiplier and quadratic penalty function are introduced to obtain the input series. Then, a LSTM short-term wind speed prediction model is constructed based on the MSA mechanism and solved for the hidden states and weights of each layer of attention in the model. Finally, a ReLU activation function is used to activate the hidden states of the LSTM model, and a weighted sum vector is used as the final sequence representation, which is inputted to the output layer for specific prediction to obtain the short-term wind speed prediction results. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed model, wind speed data from four wind farms in Ningxia, China, and two sets of wind speed data from an M2 tower in the USA are selected, and 19 models are built to compare the performance of the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model outperforms other models on all datasets in terms of all five performance metrics, with smaller errors and higher prediction accuracy. • Tuning the parameters of the VMD by the RIME optimization algorithm. • Proposing a new MSA-LSTM module to prevent long-range dependencies. • An MSA is introduced to the LSTM input and to enhance sequence correlation. • The stability and robustness of the method are verified in different experiments. • The model was validated using six sets of data with different characteristic wind speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glehnia littoralis is an edible plant with significant medicinal value. To further elucidate the potential functional components for developing antitumor agents or functional foods, the polysaccharides in this plant were investigated, and a homogeneous polysaccharide, GLP90-2, was obtained through extraction and ethanol precipitation. By employing methylation, GC–MS, FT-IR, and NMR analysis, GLP90-2 was identified as an arabinan having a molecular weight of 7.76 × 103 g/mol and consisting of three types of residues: α - l -Ara f- (1→, →5)- α - l -Ara f- (1→, and →3,5)- α - l -Ara f- (1→. The subsequent functional analysis revealed that GLP90-2 suppressed tumor development and metastasis in a zebrafish model. Mechanistic studies have shown that GLP90-2 promoted the maturation of DC2.4 cells and macrophages and enhanced the expression of immune-related cytokines, which may be attributed to the interaction between GLP90-2 and TLR-4. Additionally, GLP90-2 exhibited a strong interaction with PD-1, contributing to the activation of immunity. Furthermore, GLP90-2 suppressed angiogenesis in the transgenic zebrafish model, and this impact may be ascribed to the modulation of the VEGF/VEGFR-2 signaling pathway. All the results indicate that GLP90-2 demonstrates a strong tumor immunotherapy effect in vivo and has high potential for development. [Display omitted] • An arabinan (GLP90-2) was purified from the roots of Glehnia littoralis. • The structural property of GLP90-2 was characterized. • GLP90-2 showed good antitumor effects by activating the immune system. • GLP90-2 showed interaction with the proteins TLR-4, PD-1, and VEGF. • The antitumor activity was related to angiogenesis inhibition based on zebrafish models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Pichia pastoris fermentation process with multi-operating conditions, it is difficult to predict the cell concentration under the new operating conditions by the soft sensor model established under the specific operating conditions. Inspired by the idea of transfer learning, a method based on an improved balanced distribution adaptive regularization extreme learning machine (IBDA-RELM) was proposed to solve the problem. The domain adaptation (DA) method in transfer learning is developed to reduce distribution distance by transforming data. However, the joint distribution adaptation (JDA) and the balanced distribution adaptation (BDA) in DA cannot be directly applied to regression problems. The fuzzy sets (FSs) method was proposed to solve this issue. Finally, a soft sensor model of Pichia pastoris cell concentration was realized by inputting the converted data to the RELM model. Simulation verification was carried out with three operating conditions at the scene of fermentation. The transfer effects of three DA methods, including transfer component analysis (TCA), improved joint distribution adaptation (IJDA) as well as IBDA, were compared. The predicted results show that IBDA-RELM had a better performance in the soft sensor of Pichia pastoris cell concentration under multi-operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triosteum himalayanum, Triosteum pinnatifidum (Triosteum L., Caprifoliaceae, Dipsacales) are widely distributed in China while Triosteum sinuatum mainly occurrs in northeast China. Few reports have been determined on the genus Triosteum. In the present research, we sequenced 2 chloroplast genomes of Triosteum and analyzed 18 chloroplast genomes, trying to explore the sequence variations and phylogeny of genus Triosteum in the order Dipsacales. The chloroplast genomes of the genus Triosteum ranged from 154,579 bp to 157,178 bp, consisting of 132 genes (86 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes). Comparative analyses and phylogenetic analysis supported the division of Dipsacales into two clades, Adoxaceae and six other families. Among the six families, a clade of Valerianaceae+Dipsacaceae was recovered as a sister to a clade of Morinaceae+Linnaeaceae. A closer relationship of T. himalayanum and T. pinnatifidum among three species was revealed. Our research supported that Loniceraferdinandi and Triosteum was closely related. Zabelia had a closer relationship with Linnaea borealis and Dipelta than Morinaceae. The divergence between T. sinuatum and two other species in Triosteum was dated to 13.4 mya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the problem of adaptive finite-time control is studied for a category of nonstrict-feedback nonlinear time-delay systems with input saturation and full state constraints. The fuzzy logic systems are applied to model the unknown nonlinear terms in the systems. Then, a novel tan-type barrier Lyapunov function is adopted to overcome the problem of full state constraints. By utilizing the finite-time control theory and the backstepping technique, a finite-time fuzzy adaptive controller is designed. The controller can guarantee that the tracking error is adjusted around zero with a small neighborhood in a finite time and all the signals in the closed-loop system are bounded. Finally, two simulation examples are included to verify the validity and feasibility of the control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of Ultra high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission, the direct current (DC) bias of power transformer is easily induced, which makes the transformer exciting current distorted, the ferromagnetic material saturated and the magnetic leakage increased, and then leads to the increase of core vibration and noise. Aiming at this problem, taking a 240 MVA, 330 kV three-phase five-column power transformer as an example, the coupling of the electromagnetic field, structural force field and acoustic field is studied, and the influence of DC bias on vibration and noise of power transformer core is analyzed in this paper. According to the magnetic density and electric density of transformer core under different magnetic bias degree, the structural force field is solved, and the displacement and surface acceleration of core are obtained, which can be as the excitation of sound field to determine the noise distribution of transformer. In order to avoid the natural frequencies which easily cause resonance, the modal analysis is needed to obtain the natural frequencies and modal modes of the core. The transformer noise under no-load and DC bias conditions of the prototype is tested experimentally and compared with the theoretical calculation, the results prove the accuracy of the simulation calculation method in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Veterans increasingly utilize both the Veteran's Health Administration (VA) and non-VA hospitals (dual-users). Dual-users are at increased risk of fragmented care and adverse outcomes and often do not receive necessary follow-up care addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). We developed a Veteran-informed social worker-led Advanced Care Coordination (ACC) program to decrease fragmented care and provide longitudinal care coordination addressing SDOH for dual-users accessing non-VA emergency departments (EDs) in two communities.Methods: ACC had four core components: 1. Notification from non-VA ED providers of Veterans' ED visit; 2. ACC social worker completed a comprehensive assessment with the Veteran to identify SDOH needs; 3. Clinical intervention addressing SDOH up to 90 days post-ED discharge; and 4. Warm hand-off to Veteran's VA primary care team. Data was documented in our program database. We performed propensity matching between a control group and ACC participants between 4/10/2018 - 4/1/2020 (N- = 161). A joint survival model using Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique was employed for 30-day outcomes. We performed Difference-In-Difference analyses on number of ED visits, admissions, and primary care physician (PCP) visits 120-day pre/post discharge.Results: When compared to a matched control group ACC had significantly lower risk of 30-day ED visits (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.61, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = (0.42, 0.92)) and a higher probability of PCP visits at 13-30 days post-ED visit (HR = 1.5, 95% CI = (1.01, 2.22)). Veterans enrolled in ACC were connected to VA PCP visits (50%), VA benefits (19%), home health care (10%), mental health and substance use treatment (7%), transportation (7%), financial assistance (5%), and homeless resources (2%).Conclusion: We developed and implemented a program addressing dual-users' SDOH needs post non-VA ED discharge. Social workers connected dual-users to needed follow-up care and resources which reduced fragmentation and adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We found that TRPV4 expression increased significantly in response to elevated IOP. • TRPV4 antagonist HC-067047 suppressed RGC apoptosis and protected visual function. HC-067 treatment upregulated the phosphorylation of CaMKII and suppressed the production of TNF-α in both control and COH eyes. • This indicated that TRPV4 antagonists may be a potential and novel therapeutic strategy for glaucoma. Glaucoma is characterized by a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), leading to irreversible visual function impairment. Sustained increase in intraocular pressure represents a major risk factor for glaucoma, yet the underlying mechanisms of RGC apoptosis induced by intraocular pressure remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the role of TRPV4 in RGC apoptosis in a rat model of chronic ocular hypertension (COH) and the underlying molecular mechanism. In the COH rat models, we evaluated the visual function, retinal pathological changes and RGC apoptosis. TRPV4 expression and downstream signaling molecules were also detected. We found that RGC density decreased and RGC apoptosis was induced in COH eyes compared with control eyes. TRPV4 expression increased significantly in response to elevated IOP. TRPV4 inhibition by the TRPV4 antagonist HC-067047 (HC-067) suppressed RGC apoptosis and protected visual function. HC-067 treatment upregulated the phosphorylation of CaMKII in both control and COH eyes. Finally, HC-067 treatment suppressed the production of TNF-α induced by ocular hypertension. The TRPV4 antagonist HC-067 might suppress RGC apoptosis by regulating the activation of CaMKII and inhibiting the production of TNF-α in the COH model. This indicated that TRPV4 antagonists may be a potential and novel therapeutic strategy for glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-fold interpenetrated 2D Zn based coordination polymer has been constructed by solvothermal conditions, which showed highly sensitive and stable sensing of Fe3+/nitrofurantoin in aqueous medium. [Display omitted] Rapid, sensitive and stable detection of antibiotics and heavy metal ions in water system is essential for human health. A two-fold interpenetrated 2D Zn (II) coordination polymer (CP) [Zn(BIPY)(bibp)] n (H 2 BIPY = 6-(5-carboxypyridin-2-yl) pyridine-3- carboxylic acid], bibp = 4,4′-bis (imidazolyl) biphenyl) has been designed by a rigid ligand and zinc nitrate. The excellent thermodynamic stability of Zn-CP can be confirmed by thermogravimetric (TG) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses. Meanwhile, fluorescence sensing experiments displayed Zn-CP can sensitively sensing of Fe3+/nitrofurantoin (NFT) with limit of detection of 1.33 μM/0.84 μM. The sensing mechanisms of Zn-CP for Fe3+/NFT are attributed to competitive absorption and static quenching between Zn-CP and Fe3+/NFT, and electron transfer from Zn-CP to NFT, which can be confirmed by patterns of PXRD, ultraviolet visible (UV–vis) spectra, fluorescence lifetime decay experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, anti-interference experiments and cyclic experiments showed that Zn-CP have excellent fluorescence sensing selectivity and stability for Fe3+/NFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a fossil Equus skull in Jinyuan Cave, Luotuo Hill, Dalian, is reported herein. The specimen was identified as Equus qingyangensis , based on the complexity of morphological features, and is considered to be as young as 1.2 Ma. Combined with the new finding, the known specimens of E. qingyangensis were reviewed and compared with other stenonid horse species in Eurasia. A skull previously reported as E. teilhardi , unearthed in the Nihewan Basin, is revised as E. qingyangensis. The recorded locations of E. qingyangensis findings are Bajiazui, Nihewan (s. s.), and the Jinyuan Cave. According to paleomagnetic data, mammalian fauna correlations, and significant environmental events, the ages of the Bajiazui and Nihewan (s. s.) localities are considered to be 2.1–1.7 Ma and correspond with the late Villafranchian faunae in Europe. Thus, based on the records, the temporal range of E. qingyangensis is 2.1–1.2 Ma. With climate change and exposure of the Bering Strait, the occurrence of E. qingyangensis in China was a significant biotic event. E. qingyangensis and another gracile species, E. stenonis , appeared and dispersed throughout Eurasia, and wolf-like canids and the large hyenid Pachycrocuta emerged during this period. Considering the roles equid and canid species played, we propose that this Equus – Canis occurrence represented a substantial biotic event during a series of major environmental and ecological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive finite‐time event‐triggered quantized control for the nonlinear systems considering uncertain parameters and external disturbances is investigated in this article. First, for the parametric nonlinear systems with external disturbances, an adaptive finite‐time event‐triggered control scheme with input quantization is proposed. The designed controller can ensure the semiglobal finite‐time stability of the closed‐loop system. Then, to deal with the global finite‐time control problem for the parametric nonlinear systems, a novel adaptive quantized event‐triggered control scheme is constructed. Finally, two simulation examples are utilized to illustrate the effectiveness of the adaptive event‐triggered control schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate discrete-time uncertain spatially interconnected systems (USISs), where uncertainties are modeled by linear fractional transformation (LFT). First, the well-posedness, quadratic stability and contractiveness of discrete-time USISs are introduced. Second, a sufficient condition is proposed to guarantee that discrete-time USISs are well-posed, quadratically stable and contractive. Then, a more tractable condition is derived to check the well-posedness, quadratic stability and contractiveness of discrete-time USISs via a modified bilinear transformation. Besides, the robust distributed filters which inherit the structure of the plants are designed. A sufficient and necessary condition is presented to guarantee the existence of the robust distributed filters. Finally, a vehicle platoon model demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint all over the world, and it is a risk factor of colorectal cancer. In this study, the protective of Quercetin against loperamide‐induced constipation and its potential mechanism in a rat model were investigated. Results showed that Quercetin at 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg could significantly (p <.05) increase the intestinal transit rate, motilin, gastrin, substance P levels, and concentration of short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs), reduce the somatostatin levels, and improve the gastrointestinal peristalsis of rats. In addition, the expression levels of enteric nerve‐related factors, glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), c‐Kit, stem cell factor (SCF), and aquaporin 3 (AQP3) were examined by RT‐qPCR and/or Western blot analysis. The results suggest that Quercetin relieves loperamide‐induced constipation by increasing the levels of interstitial cells of Cajal markers (c‐Kit and SCF), as well as AQP3. In conclusion, the present study suggested that Quercetin exerted a protective effect against loperamide‐induced constipation, which may be associated with its role in regulation of multiple signal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nuclear receptors play an important role in cellular metabolism and physiological and pathological processes. • Crosstalk between PTM regulates various metabolic and physiological activities. • SUMOylation nuclear receptors can regulate their function and affect cell metabolism. • SUMOylation nuclear receptors provides potential therapeutic targets for metabolic and inflammation-related diseases. The nuclear receptor superfamily is a family of ligand-activated transcription factors that play a key role in cell metabolism and human diseases. They can be modified after translation, such as acetylation, ubiquitination, phosphorylation and SUMOylation. Crosstalk between SUMO and ubiquitin, phosphorylation and acetylation regulates a variety of metabolic and physiological activities. Nuclear receptors play an important role in lipid metabolism, inflammation, bile acid homeostasis and autophagy. SUMOylation nuclear receptors can regulate their function and affect cell metabolism. It also provides a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis, tumor and other metabolic and inflammation-related diseases. This review focuses on the function of SUMOylation nuclear receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understory small trees and shrubs play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems. However, their biomass in northeastern China is still uncertain and has been heavily disregarded due to the limited number of available allometric equations. For this study, 782 plants from 33 species obtained by the destructive method were used to develop species-specific and generalized aboveground allometric biomass equations based on collar diameter (D) and height (H) using weighted nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression. Each biomass component was shown to be well predicted by D alone, with R2 adj. values mostly greater than 0.80. The majority of species performed better in the models for wood and aboveground biomass when H was included as D2H. Furthermore, generalized equations for the two components showed a comparatively large coefficient of variation but comparable Bias to species-specific equations, especially for small trees. It is recommended to estimate biomass using generalized equations for mixed species only when species-specific equations are unavailable at a given site. However, in the event when precision is not the primary concern, generalized equations are also suggested. The developed equations will help to improve the accuracy of biomass assessment of understory woody plants in northeastern China forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]