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We study the interrelations between salt karst and landscape evolution at the Ze’elim and Hever alluvial fans, Dead Sea (DS), Israel, in an attempt to characterize the ongoing surface and subsurface processes and identify future trends. Using light detection and ranging, interferometric synthetic aperture radar, drone photography, time-lapse cameras, and direct measurements of floodwater levels, we document floodwater recharge through riverbed sinkholes, subsurface salt dissolution, groundwater flow, and brine discharge at shoreline sinkholes during the years 2011–2023. At the Ze’elim fan, most of the surface floodwater drains into streambed sinkholes and discharges at shoreline sinkholes, whereas at the Hever fan, only a small fraction of the floodwater drains into sinkholes, while the majority flows downstream to the DS. This difference is attributed to the low-gradient stream profiles in Ze’elim, which enable water accumulation and recharge in sinkholes and their surrounding depressions, in contrast with the higher-gradient Hever profiles, which yield high-energy floods capable of carrying coarse gravel that eventually fill the sinkholes. The rapid drainage of floodwater into sinkholes also involves slope failure due to pore-pressure drop and cohesion loss within hours after each drainage event. Surface subsidence lineaments detected by InSAR indicate the presence of subsurface dissolution channels between recharge and discharge sites in the two fans and in the nearby Lynch straits. Subsidence and streambed sinkholes occur in most other fans and streams that flow to the DS; however, with the exception of Ze’elim, all other streams show only minor or no recharge along their course. This is due to either the high-gradient profiles, the gravelly sediments, the limited floods, or the lack of conditions for sinkhole development in the other streambeds. Thus, understanding the factors that govern the flood-related karst formation is of great importance for predicting landscape evolution in the DS region and elsewhere and for sinkhole hazard assessment.

Yan-Chun Shan, Zhao-Chuan Yang, Liang Ma, Ni Ran, Xue-Ying Feng, Xiao-Mei Liu, Peng Fu, Ming-Ji Yi Department of Child Health Care, Pediatric Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ming-Ji YiDepartment of Child Health Care, Pediatric Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 of Jiangsu Road, Shinan District, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 532 82911223Email ymj1042_dryi@163.comObjective: This study aims to explore the clinical features and molecular diagnosis of FBN1-related acromelic dysplasia in Chinese patients.Methods: The clinical and genetic features of three FBN1-related acromicric dysplasia (AD)/geleophysic dysplasia (GD) Chinese patients from two families were reviewed, and comprehensive medical evaluations were performed. Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to detect genetic mutations associated with short statures, including FBN1. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the de novo mutation origin.Results: Patient 1 presented with short stature, short and stubby hands and feet, mild facial dysmorphism, hepatomegaly, delayed bone age and beak-like femoral heads. Patient 2 and this patient’s father merely presented with short stature, wide and short hands, and beak-like femoral heads. One novel mutation, c.5272G>T(p.D1758Y), and one known mutation, c.5183C>T(p.A1728V), were identified in these patients.Conclusion: The clinical features varied among these patients. The variant c.5272G>T(p.D1758Y) is a novel mutation.Keywords: FBN1, acromelic dysplasia, acromicric dysplasia, geleophysic dysplasia, short stature

The Geological Survey of Israel has upgraded and expanded the national Israeli Seismic Network (ISN), with more than 110 stations country-wide, as part of the implementation of a governmental decision to build a national Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system named TRUAA. This upgraded seismic network exhibits a high station density and fast telemetry. The stations are distributed mainly along the main fault systems, the Dead Sea Transform, and the Carmel-Zfira Fault, which may potentially produce Mw 7.5 earthquakes. The system has recently entered a limited operational phase, allowing for initial performance estimation. Real-time performance during eight months of operation (41 earthquakes) matches expectations. Alert delays (interval between origin-time and Earthquake Early Warning alert time) are reduced to as low as 3 s, and source parameter errorstatistics are within expected values found in previous works using historical data playbacks. An evolutionary alert policy is implemented based on a magnitude threshold of Mw 4.2 and peak ground accelerations exceeding 2 cm/s2. A comparison between different ground motion prediction equations (GMPE) is presented for earthquakes from Israel and California using median ground motion prediction equations values. This analysis shows that a theoretical GMPE produced the best agreement with observed ground motions, with less bias and lower uncertainties. The performance of this GMPE was found to improve when an earthquake specific stress drop is implemented.

Fas apoptotic signaling regulates diverse physiological processes. Acute activation of Fas signaling triggers massive apoptosis in liver. Upon Fas receptor stimulation, the BH3-only protein Bid is cleaved into the active form, tBid. Subsequent tBid recruitment to mitochondria, which is facilitated by its receptor MTCH2 at the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), is a critical step for commitment to apoptosis via the effector proteins Bax or Bak. MOAP-1 is a Bax-binding protein enriched at the OMM. Here, we show that MOAP-1-deficient mice are resistant to Fas-induced hepatocellular apoptosis and lethality. In the absence of MOAP-1, mitochondrial accumulation of tBid is markedly impaired. MOAP-1 binds to MTCH2, and this interaction appears necessary for MTCH2 to engage tBid. These findings reveal a role for MOAP-1 in Fas signaling in the liver by promoting MTCH2-mediated tBid recruitment to mitochondria.

Cereals grains are the prime component of the human diet worldwide. To promote food security and sustainability, new approaches to non-chemical weed control are needed. Early vigor cultivars with enhanced weed-competitiveness ability are a potential tool, nonetheless, the introduction of such trait in breeding may be a long and labor-intensive process. Here, two image-driven plant phenotyping methods were evaluated to facilitate effective and accurate selection for early vigor in cereals. For that purpose, two triticale genotypes differentiating in vigor and growth rate early in the season were selected as model plants: X-1010 (high) and Triticale1 (low). Two modeling approaches, 2-D and 3-D, were applied on the plants offering an evaluation of various morphological growth parameters for the triticale canopy development, under controlled and field conditions. The morphological advantage of X-1010 was observed only at the initial growth stages, which was reflected by significantly higher growth parameter values compared to the Triticale1 genotype. Both modeling approaches were sensitive enough to detect phenotypic differences in growth as early as 21 days after sowing. All growth parameters indicated a faster early growth of X-1010. However, the 2-D related parameter [projected shoot area (PSA)] is the most available one that can be extracted via end user-friendly imaging equipment. PSA provided adequate indication for the triticale early growth under weed-competition conditions and for the improved weed-competition ability. The adequate phenotyping ability for early growth and competition was robust under controlled and field conditions. PSA can be extracted from close and remote sensing platforms, thus, facilitate high throughput screening. Overall, the results of this study may improve cereal breeding for early vigor and weed-competitiveness.

During the past three decades, the Dead Sea (DS) water level has dropped at an average rate of ~1 m/year, resulting in the formation of thousands of sinkholes along its coastline that severely affect the economy and infrastructure of the region. The sinkholes are associated with gradual land subsidence, preceding their collapse by periods ranging from a few days to about five years. We present the results of over six years of systematic high temporal and spatial resolution interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) observations, incorporated with and refined by detailed Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) measurements. The combined data enable the utilization of interferometric pairs with a wide range of spatial baselines to detect minute precursory subsidence before the catastrophic collapse of the sinkholes and to map zones susceptible to future sinkhole formation. We present here four case studies that illustrate the timelines and effectiveness of our methodology as well as its limitations and complementary methodologies used for sinkhole monitoring and hazard assessment. Today, InSAR-derived subsidence maps have become fundamental for sinkhole early warning and mitigation along the DS coast in Israel and are incorporated in all sinkhole potential maps which are mandatory for the planning and licensing of new infrastructure.

We study the interrelations between salt karst and landscape evolution at the Ze'elim and Hever alluvial fans, Dead Sea (DS), Israel, in an attempt to characterize the ongoing surface and subsurface processes and identify future trends. Using light detection and ranging, interferometric synthetic aperture radar, drone photography, time-lapse cameras, and direct measurements of floodwater levels, we document floodwater recharge through riverbed sinkholes, subsurface salt dissolution, groundwater flow, and brine discharge at shoreline sinkholes during the years 2011–2023. At the Ze'elim fan, most of the surface floodwater drains into streambed sinkholes and discharges at shoreline sinkholes, whereas at the Hever fan, only a small fraction of the floodwater drains into sinkholes, while the majority flows downstream to the DS. This difference is attributed to the low-gradient stream profiles in Ze'elim, which enable water accumulation and recharge in sinkholes and their surrounding depressions, in contrast with the higher-gradient Hever profiles, which yield high-energy floods capable of carrying coarse gravel that eventually fill the sinkholes. The rapid drainage of floodwater into sinkholes also involves slope failure due to pore-pressure drop and cohesion loss within hours after each drainage event. Surface subsidence lineaments detected by InSAR indicate the presence of subsurface dissolution channels between recharge and discharge sites in the two fans and in the nearby Lynch straits. Subsidence and streambed sinkholes occur in most other fans and streams that flow to the DS; however, with the exception of Ze'elim, all other streams show only minor or no recharge along their course. This is due to either the high-gradient profiles, the gravelly sediments, the limited floods, or the lack of conditions for sinkhole development in the other streambeds. Thus, understanding the factors that govern the flood-related karst formation is of great importance for predicting landscape evolution in the DS region and elsewhere and for sinkhole hazard assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with ampullary duodenal carcinoma (a-DC) and develop a clinical model to dynamically and accurately predict the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in a-DC patients. Methods Data from 4077 patients (2004–2020) were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to form a training cohort, while 173 cases (2010–2020) from Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital in China were used as an external validation cohort. A reliable LASSO-logistic method was employed to identify independent risk factors for a-DC LNM, and a nomogram was developed based on these factors to assess the risk of a-DC LNM. The nomogram was evaluated using the Akaike information criterion, misclassification error, area under the curve, and likelihood ratio test. Finally, the nomogram’s accuracy and generalizability were externally validated.. Results After screening using LASSO and logistic regression four variables were identified as independent risk factors for a-DC LNM: sex (P

Abstract In wildlife populations, parasites often go unnoticed, as infected animals appear asymptomatic. However, these infections can subtly alter behaviour. Field evidence of how these subclinical infections induce changes in movement behaviour is scarce in free-ranging animals, yet it may be crucial for zoonotic disease surveillance. We used an ultra-high-resolution tracking system (ATLAS) to monitor the movements of 60 free-ranging swallows every 8 seconds across four breeding seasons, resulting in over 1 million localizations. About 40% of these swallows were naturally infected with haemosporidian parasites. Here, we show that infected individuals had reduced foraging ranges, foraged in lower quality habitats, and faced a lowered survival probability, with an average reduction of 7.4%, albeit with some variation between species and years. This study highlights the impact of subclinical infections on movement behaviour and survival, emphasizing the importance of considering infection status in movement ecology. Our findings provide insights into individual variations in behaviour and previously unobservable local parasite transmission dynamics.

Anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) antibodies are myositis-specific antibodies associated with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD). Some patients are positive for anti-ARS antibodies on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) but negative on RNA-immunoprecipitation (RNA-IP) (the gold standard method). Whether these patients should be considered truly positive for anti-ARS antibodies remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the clinical characteristics of these patients and verified the authenticity of their anti-ARS positivity. Patients who were positive for anti-ARS antibodies on ELISA were divided into the non-discrepant (positive on RNA-IP, n = 52) and discrepant (negative on RNA-IP, n = 8) groups. Patient clinical characteristics were compared between the groups. For each positive individual, the authenticity of anti-ARS antibody positivity on ELISA was cross-examined using protein-IP and western blotting. All patients in the discrepant group had lung involvement, including five (63%) with interstitial lung disease. The overall survival time was significantly lower in the discrepant group than in the non-discrepant group (p

Abstract Objective Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is known for its aggressiveness and treatment challenges due to the absence of ER, PR, and HER2 receptors. Our work emphasizes the prognostic value of LCP1 (Lymphocyte cytosolic protein 1), which plays a crucial role in cell processes and immune cell activity, to predict outcomes and guide treatments in TNBC. Methods We explored LCP1 as a potential biomarker in TNBC and investigated the mRNA and protein expression levels of LCP1. We investigated different databases, including GTEX, TCGA, GEO, cBioPortal and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Immunohistochemistry on TNBC and benign tumor samples was performed to examine LCP1's relationship with patient clinical characteristics and macrophage markers. We also assessed survival rates, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity related to LCP1 using various bioinformatics tools. Results The results indicated that LCP1 expression was higher in TNBC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. However, high expression of LCP1 was significantly associated with favorable survival outcomes in patients with TNBC. Enrichment analysis revealed that genes co-expressed with LCP1 were significantly enriched in various immune processes. LCP1 showed a positive correlation with the infiltration of resting dendritic cells, M1 macrophages, and memory CD4 T cells, and a negative correlation with M2 macrophages. Further analysis suggested a link between high levels of LCP1 and increased survival outcomes in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. Conclusion LCP1 may serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for TNBC, which was closely associated with immune cell infiltration, particularly M1 and M2 macrophages. Our findings may provide valuable insights into immunotherapeutic strategies for TNBC patients.

Abstract Thermal soaring, a technique used by birds and gliders to utilize updrafts of hot air, is an appealing model-problem for studying motion control and how it is learned by animals and engineered autonomous systems. Thermal soaring has rich dynamics and nontrivial constraints, yet it uses few control parameters and is becoming experimentally accessible. Following recent developments in applying reinforcement learning methods for training deep neural-network (deep-RL) models to soar autonomously both in simulation and real gliders, here we develop a simulation-based deep-RL system to study the learning process of thermal soaring. We find that this process has learning bottlenecks, we define a new efficiency metric and use it to characterize learning robustness, we compare the learned policy to data from soaring vultures, and find that the neurons of the trained network divide into function clusters that evolve during learning. These results pose thermal soaring as a rich yet tractable model-problem for the learning of motion control.

Targeting checkpoints for immune cell activation has been acknowledged known as one of the most effective way to activate anti-tumor immune responses. Among them, drugs targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) are approved for clinical treatment though several more are in advanced stages of development, which demonstrated durable response rates and manageable safety profile. However, its therapy efficacy is unsatisfactory in pancreatic cancer (PC), which can be limited by the overall condition of patients, the pathological type of PC, the expression level of tumor related genes, etc. To improve clinical efficiency, various researches have been conducted, and the efficacy of combination therapy showed significantly improvement compared to monotherapy. This review analyzed current strategies based on anti-CTLA-4 combination immunotherapy, providing totally new idea for future research.

Cynanchum acutum L. (Asclepiadaceae) is a perennial vine weed widespread in the Mediterranean region. In Israel, it is native to areas such as the Golan Heights, Galilee, and the northern Negev. Recently, its range has expanded to the Arava Valley in the southern part of Israel. In this study, we investigate the biology and phenology of C. acutum plants originating from both native and invasive populations. To achieve this, we utilized rhizomes from the invasive area in the southern region characterized by a hyper-arid desert climate (Yahel), and from the northern region characterized by a temperate climate (Gvat). Additionally, we examine chemical-based weed management approaches for controlling C. acutum. Rhizomes collected from the northern region showed higher emergence rates at temperatures between 15-30°C, whereas at 35°C, rhizomes from the southern region exhibited a higher emergence rate. Phenology experiments conducted simultaneously at southern and northern locations revealed that plants from the northern location flowered first at both sites. However, flowering initiation occurred ~20 days earlier on average when plants from both populations were grown at the southern site. Pre-emergence herbicide treatments using indaziflam and pyroxasulfone were effective in inhibiting C. acutum root formation. According to the percentage of emergence, pendimethalin showed higher emergence (93% and 100%) in comparison to indaziflam (10% and 93%) and pyroxasulfone (72% and 70%) (2020 and 2021, respectively). Treatments including the herbicide fluroxypyr, as well as the treatment of glyphosate + saflufenacil + surfactant were highly effective in controlling C. acutum plants. These results offer valuable insights into effective weed management strategies for addressing C. acutum infestations. Moreover, our findings underscore the remarkable plasticity of this species and shed light on how populations originating from diverse habitats may have adapted to distinct environmental conditions.

Abstract Recent reports have shown the feasibility of measuring biological age from DNA methylation levels in blood cells from specific regions identified by machine learning, collectively known as the epigenetic clock or DNA methylation clock. While extensive research has explored the association of the DNA methylation clock with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, its relationship with kidney diseases remains largely unexplored. In particular, it is unclear whether the DNA methylation clock could serve as a predictor of worsening kidney function. In this pilot study involving 20 subjects, we investigated the association between the DNA methylation clock and subsequent deterioration of renal function. Additionally, we noninvasively evaluated DNA damage in urinary shedding cells using a previously reported method to examine the correlation with the DNA methylation clock and worsening kidney function. Our findings revealed that patients with an accelerated DNA methylation clock exhibited increased DNA damage in urinary shedding cells, along with a higher rate of eGFR decline. Moreover, in cases of advanced CKD (G4-5), the DNA damage in urinary shedding cells was significantly increased, highlighting the interplay between elevated DNA damage and eGFR decline. This study suggests the potential role of the DNA methylation clock and urinary DNA damage as predictive markers for the progression of chronic kidney disease.

In order to study the relations between in-situ stress and fracture pressure, 112 vertical coalbed methane wells were selected as the research object in Shizhuangnan Block. The in-situ stress and fracture pressure were obtained by hydraulic fracturing calculation method. The correlation models between the fracture pressure and the horizontal principal stress and effective stress were established respectively. The characteristics of the in-situ stress and fracture pressure of the No.3 coal reservoir were revealed. The relationships between in-situ stress and fracture pressure were analyzed. The results show that the No.3 coal reservoir in Shizhangnan Block was a medium-high stress area as a whole and the stress field types were converted in the vertical direction. The stress field in the buried depth within 400-640 m area was a reverse fault stress field, the stress field in the buried depth within 640-810 m area was a strike-slip fault stress field and the stress field in the buried depth deeper than 810 m area was a normal fault stress field. The side pressure coefficient was 0.38-1.99. With a burial depth lower than 600 m, most side pressure coefficient was greater than 1; within 600-800 m, the side pressure coefficient was 0.52-1.93, and within the depth deeper than 800 m was less than 1. The fracture pressure was 12.89-36.10 MPa and its gradient was 1.47-6.09 MPa/hm. The fracture pressure and the buried depth showed a reversed S-shaped change. It had a large discreteness with a burial depth lower than 810 m, which was negatively correlated with the buried depth as a whole. The fracture pressure was positively correlated with the buried depth deeper than 810 m. To some extent, the maximum horizontal principal stress, minimum horizontal principal stress and their stress gradient were positively correlated to the fracture pressure of coal reservoir, but the correlation was not too strong. Under the same buried depth, the fracture pressure varied with the horizontal stress, but the influence of the minimum horizontal principal stress on the fracture pressure was obviously greater than that of the maximum horizontal principal stress. The fracture pressure and the horizontal stress deviation showed a reversed N-shaped change, and it had positive correlation with effective stress. The fracture pressure decreased with the increase of the stress deviation when the horizontal stress deviation was 2-4 MPa. The fracture pressure increases with the increase of the stress deviation when the horizontal stress deviation was 4-8 MPa. The fracture pressure decreases with the increase of the stress deviation when the stress difference was higher than 8 MPa.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common type of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide and leads to end-stage kidney disease. The proteinuria selectivity index (PSI) has been used to assess the prognosis in nephrotic syndrome, but its predictive value in patients with IgAN remains unclear. This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients who diagnosed with IgAN between March 2012 and March 2020. The PSI was calculated at the time of kidney biopsy. Patients were followed up from the time of kidney biopsy to kidney replacement therapy, death, transfer to another facility, or study completion. Ninety-four patients with a median age of 51 years were enrolled and divided according to the cutoff value of PSI determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis into low-PSI (PSI

Abstract Considerable progress has been made in the development of drug delivery systems for diabetic wounds. However, underlying drawbacks, such as low delivery efficiency and poor tissue permeability, have rarely been addressed. In this study, a multifunctional biohybrid nanorobot platform comprising an artificial unit and several biological components is constructed. The artificial unit is a magnetically driven nanorobot surface modified with antibacterial 2‐hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, which enables the entire platform to move and has excellent tissue penetration capacity. The biological components are two‐step engineered extracellular vesicles that are first loaded with mangiferin, a natural polyphenolic compound with antioxidant properties, and then glycoengineered on the surface to enhance cellular uptake efficiency. As expected, the platform is more easily absorbed by endothelial cells and fibroblasts and exhibits outstanding dermal penetration performance and antioxidant properties. Encouraging results are also observed in infected diabetic wound models, showing improved wound re‐epithelialization, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and accelerated wound healing. Collectively, a biohybrid nanorobot platform that possesses the functionalities of both artificial units and biological components serves as an efficient delivery system to promote diabetic wound repair through dual‐enhanced cell and tissue penetration and multistep interventions.

Summary: Phage therapy has re-emerged as a promising treatment for non-resolving infections. Given the lack of approved phage treatments, there is a need to establish a compassionate use pipeline. Here, we present a protocol for phage matching, treatment, and monitoring for compassionate bacteriophage use in non-resolving infections. We describe steps for consultation and request implementation, evaluating and comparing different aspects of phage activity, and phage production. We then detail procedures for multidisciplinary meetings, ethics approvals, phage therapy, and follow-up.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Onallah et al.1,2 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Abstract TAFRO syndrome is an acute systemic inflammatory disease characterized by thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis/renal dysfunction, and organomegaly. There have been increasing reports that TAFRO is a disease distinct from idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease and that TAFRO patients may be positive for anti-SSA antibodies. To assess anti-SSA antibody positivity and the clinical characteristics of the two diseases, we retrospectively compared 7 TAFRO and 10 iMCD patients in our hospital. The mean age of onset of TAFRO and iMCD was 48.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 41–53) and 45.0 (IQR, 35–53) years, respectively. The TAFRO and iMCD groups had 6 (86%) and 4 (40%) male patients, respectively, and the following pretreatment laboratory values: platelet count, 3.8 (IQR, 2.2–6.4) and 35.5 (IQR, 22.2–42.8) × 104/μL, respectively; C-reactive protein, 10.2 (IQR, 6.8–21.4) and 9.5 (IQR, 6.2–13.6) mg/dL, respectively; IgG, 1431 (IQR, 1112–1815) and 4725 (IQR, 3755–5121) mg/dL, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation (5 cases for anti-SSA) or protein array (5 cases for anti-SSA/Ro60) detected anti-SSA antibodies in six (86%) TAFRO patients but not in iMCD patients; it did not detect anti-SSB antibodies in any of the patients. None of the patients were diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome. All iMCD patients treated with tocilizumab (TCZ) responded well. Meanwhile, two of six TAFRO patients treated with TCZ showed inadequate responses; thus, both patients were switched to rituximab, following which they achieved remission. TAFRO and iMCD have different clinical features. TAFRO may be categorized as a severe phenotype of the anti-SSA antibody syndrome.

In this paper, the finite-time annular domain stability and stabilization of regime-switching jump diffusion system are discussed. With the help of explicit solution of multi-dimensional regime-switching jump diffusion system, we give the sufficient and necessary conditions for finite-time annular domain stability and stabilization of regime-switching jump diffusion system respectively. Finally, the importance of Markov chain and Poisson jump of our obtained finite-time annular domain stability condition are demonstrated by numerical examples.

Abstract Janus particles, which have an attractive patch on the otherwise repulsive surface, have been commonly employed for anisotropic colloidal assembly. While current methods of particle synthesis allow for control over the patch size, they are generally limited to producing dome-shaped patches with a high symmetry (C∞). Here, we report on the synthesis of Janus particles with patches of various tunable shapes, having reduced symmetries ranging from C2v to C3v and C4v. The Janus particles are synthesized by partial encapsulation of an octahedral metal-organic framework particle (UiO-66) in a polymer matrix. The extent of encapsulation is precisely regulated by a stepwise, asymmetric dewetting process that exposes selected facets of the UiO-66 particle. With depletion interaction, the Janus particles spontaneously assemble into colloidal clusters reflecting the particles’ shapes and patch symmetries. We observe the formation of chiral structures, whereby chirality emerges from achiral building blocks. With the ability to encode symmetry and directional bonding information, our strategy could give access to more complex colloidal superstructures through assembly.

Hindered growth often occurs because of psychological and environmental stress during the weaning period of piglets. This study aimed to compare the effects of growth performance, diarrhea indices, digestibility of nutrients, antioxidant capacity, neurotransmitters levels and metabolism of weaned pigs fed diets supplemented with pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and zinc oxide (ZnO). Pigs weaned at d 28 (n = 108) were fed with three different diets including: the basal diet (CTRL group), the basal diet supplemented with 3.0 mg/kg PQQ (PQQ group) and the basal diet containing 1,600 mg/kg ZnO (ZNO group). During the first 14 d, weaned pigs fed the diet supplemented with PQQ and ZnO decreased feed to gain ratio and diarrhea rate (P