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Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has gained a lot of interest as a potassium storage material with a high anode capacity. However, the slow reaction kinetics and its highly unstable structure prevent the full realization of its electrochemical performance during the insertion and extraction of K+. Herein, sulfur vacancy-modified MoS2 nanolayers grown coaxially with an external carbon coating and internal carbon nanotube support (denoted as C–MoS2−x@CNTs) are designed as anode materials for potassium storage. This unique structure enables fast K+ reaction kinetics facilitated by S vacancy engineering, uniform growth of MoS2 nanolayers controlled by internal carbon nanotubes, and the stability of the complete electrode preserved by the encapsulation of carbon. Therefore, the prepared C–MoS2−x@CNTs reveal a high rate performance value of 180.9 mA h g−1 (5 A g−1) with a reversible capacity value of 323.8 mA h g−1 (50 mA g−1). It sustains a capacity of 141.2 mA h g−1, exhibiting excellent cycling stability, even after 300 cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "pace‐of‐life" syndrome (POLS) framework can encompass multiple personality axes that drive important functional behaviors (e.g., foraging behavior) and that co‐vary with multiple life history traits. Food hoarding is an adaptive behavior important for an animal's ability to adapt to seasonal fluctuations in food availability. However, the empirical evidence for the relationships between animal personality and hoarding behavior remains unclear, including its fitness consequences in the POLS framework. In this study, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), a social rodent, was used as a model system to investigate how boldness or shyness is associated with food hoarding strategies during the food hoarding season and their impact on over‐winter survival and reproduction at both individual and group levels. The results of this study showed that, compared with shy gerbils, bold gerbils had a lower effort foraging strategy during the food hoarding season and exhibited lower over‐winter survival rates. However, bold–shy personality differences had no effect on over‐winter reproduction. These findings suggest that the personality is a crucial factor influencing the foraging strategy during the food hoarding season in Mongolian gerbils. Personality may be related to energy states or the reaction to environmental changes (e.g., predation risk and food availability) in bold or shy social animals. These results reflect animal life history trade‐offs between current versus future reproduction and reproduction versus self‐maintenance, thereby helping Mongolian gerbils in adapting to seasonal fluctuations in their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "pace‐of‐life" syndrome (POLS) framework can encompass multiple personality axes that drive important functional behaviors (e.g., foraging behavior) and that co‐vary with multiple life history traits. Food hoarding is an adaptive behavior important for an animal's ability to adapt to seasonal fluctuations in food availability. However, the empirical evidence for the relationships between animal personality and hoarding behavior remains unclear, including its fitness consequences in the POLS framework. In this study, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), a social rodent, was used as a model system to investigate how boldness or shyness is associated with food hoarding strategies during the food hoarding season and their impact on over‐winter survival and reproduction at both individual and group levels. The results of this study showed that, compared with shy gerbils, bold gerbils had a lower effort foraging strategy during the food hoarding season and exhibited lower over‐winter survival rates. However, bold–shy personality differences had no effect on over‐winter reproduction. These findings suggest that the personality is a crucial factor influencing the foraging strategy during the food hoarding season in Mongolian gerbils. Personality may be related to energy states or the reaction to environmental changes (e.g., predation risk and food availability) in bold or shy social animals. These results reflect animal life history trade‐offs between current versus future reproduction and reproduction versus self‐maintenance, thereby helping Mongolian gerbils in adapting to seasonal fluctuations in their habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient rearing is necessary for the successful biological control of pests. The braconid wasp, Microplitis manilae, is a natural solitary parasitoid of larval Spodoptera frugiperda. However, the effect of the host diet on the parasitism success of M. manilae on S. frugiperda larvae remains unclear. Here, we determined the parasitism rate, oviposition, eclosion rate, developmental period and offspring sex ratio of M. manilae parasitizing S. frugiperda fed with fresh corn leaves or an artificial diet. M. manilae parasitizing the corn leaf‐fed S. frugiperda larvae exhibited a significantly higher parasitism rate (40%), oviposition (62.50 eggs/female) and eclosion rate (81.38%) than the wasp parasitizing the artificial diet‐fed S. frugiperda larvae (22%, 38.33 eggs/female, and 58.73%, respectively). Furthermore, M. manilae parasitizing the corn leaf‐fed S. frugiperda larvae exhibited a significantly shorter developmental period (16.35 days) and lower sex ratio (1.17) than the wasp parasitizing the artificial diet‐fed S. frugiperda larvae (18.00 and 2.15 days, respectively). Overall, M. manilae exhibited better parasitic success on corn leaf‐fed S. frugiperda larvae than on artificial diet‐fed S. frugiperda larvae. Therefore, using fresh corn leaf‐fed S. frugiperda is the most suitable strategy for mass‐rearing M. manilae for pest biocontrol. Our findings suggest M. manilae as an effective biocontrol candidate for controlling S. frugiperda in corn fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atractylenolide II (AT-II), the major bioactive compound of Atractylodes macrocephala, exhibits anti-cancer activity against many types of tumors, but the roles and the potential mechanisms in endometrial cancer remain unclear. In the present study, AT-II treatment was found to significantly suppress RL95-2 and AN3CA cell proliferation and glycolysis, and induced their apoptosis by inactivating the ERK signaling pathway, accompanied by the changing expression of the glycolytic key enzymes and apoptotic-related proteins. Peptidyl arginine deiminase 3 (PADI3), as the candidate target gene of AT-II, was highly expressed in the endometrial cancer tissues and associated with a poor prognosis according to bioinformatics analysis. PADI3 knockdown inhibited proliferation and glycolysis in endometrial cancer cells and induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, AT-II negatively regulated the expression of PADI3, and PADI3 overexpression reversed the effects of AT-II on endometrial cancer cells. Our findings suggested that the anti-cancer function of AT-II is associated with the suppression of glycolysis and induction of apoptosis by blocking the PADI3-ERK signaling pathway. Thus, AT-II represents a novel therapeutic target for endometrial cancer and targeting AT-II may serve as a potential strategy for the clinical therapy of endometrial cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high increase in interface density has become the main bottleneck for heat dissipation in gallium nitride/aluminum nitride (AlN)/silicon carbide (SiC) based nanodevices. In this paper, the interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) of AlN/SiC interface is investigated by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. It is found that introducing amorphous layers at AlN/SiC interface will result in an enhancement of its ITC by 2.32 times. Three different amorphous layers are investigated and can be achieved by fast thermal annealing. Among them, the amorphous SiC layers work best, and the amorphous AlN layers work worst. Further spectral analysis reveals that the enhancement of ITC comes from the strengthening of interfacial inelastic phonon processes, which boosts the transport of modes at a wide frequency range. What is more, as the thickness of amorphous layers increases, the enhancement of ITC weakens. This research provides a highly operational strategy to enhance ITC and enriches our understanding of inelastic phonon process at interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parnassia wightiana Wall. ex Wight & Arn., a perennial herb, is an alpine plant distributed across three biodiversity hotspots in China. This species offers an excellent study system to analyze the distribution pattern and genetic structure of high mountainous plant populations. Three chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) regions (rpl32-trnL, trnL-F, and trnS-G) from 442 individuals of 39 populations and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) from 418 individuals of 38 populations were sequenced and analyzed. We identified a total of 26 haplotypes based on the concatenated sequences of cpDNA and a total of 36 based on ITS sequences. A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance indicated significant phylogeographic structure among populations. Mismatch analysis of multipeak and Tajima's D neutral test demonstrated Parnassia wightiana populations within China had not experienced abrupt expansion recently. The allopatric fragmentation resulted in the geographic isolation due to environmental heterogeneity, producing a high proportion of private haplotypes in the distribution of Parnassia wightiana within China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moreover, the post-processing strategy was inspired by the voting approach, and the class information of the superpixel was determined by the majority classes of pixels within it. Superpixel segmentation was performed with different parameters to exploit the multiscale information of objects, and several superpixel maps can be obtained. Specifically, the pre-processing method regards each superpixel as a minimum processing unit instead of a pixel, and the post-processing method combines the superpixel segmentation maps with pixel-wise classification results by using a voting strategy. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of five different approaches to cervical cancer surgery. Methods: We conducted a systematic search for comparative studies on different radical hysterectomy types for cervical cancer in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. All included observational studies used survival analyses to compare clinical outcomes of patients undergoing different radical hysterectomy types. All studies were assessed by the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale with scores of at least seven points. We extracted the relevant data and conducted a network meta‐analysis to compare clinical outcomes among five surgical approaches. Results: Thirty studies (n = 11 353) were included. Robotic surgery had the lowest blood loss volume and hospitalization duration; open surgery had the shortest operative time. Vaginal assisted laparoscopic surgery was associated with the highest number of resected lymph nodes and lowest rate of perioperative complications. Survival outcomes and tumor recurrence outcomes were similar among the approaches. Conclusion: The current approaches to cervical cancer surgery have comparable efficacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloid‐fibers help to maintain the structure of infectious biofilms. Disassembly of amyloid‐fibers contributes to biofilm‐dispersal in the blood‐circulation, from which bacteria should be cleared by the host immune system. However, often the immune system is insufficiently prepared for increasing bacterial concentrations in blood, causing septic symptoms. Here, poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(β‐amino ester), pH‐responsive micelles are prepared for co‐delivery of (‐)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate (EGCG) as a dispersant. Hydrophilic EGCG can not be loaded in the micellar core, but is cross‐linked in the micellar shell through pH‐reversible, boronic‐ester binding. Disassembly of micelles under acidic biofilm conditions facilitates release of EGCG and dispersal of biofilm‐bacteria. When core‐loaded with ciprofloxacin, in‐shell EGCG prevents ciprofloxacin‐leakage at physiological pH. Bacterial killing by core‐loaded ciprofloxacin in Staphylococcus aureus biofilms is enhanced when released in combination with EGCG in vitro and in vivo. In mice, micelles with in‐shell EGCG self‐target after tail‐vein injection to an infection site, yielding dispersal of pathogens with mild septic symptoms and bacterial killing by the immune system. Septic symptoms disappear slightly faster when micelles are additionally core‐loaded with ciprofloxacin. Thus, micelles with in‐shell EGCG yield balanced biofilm dispersal inducing only mild septic symptoms, which is good news in an era of increasing antibiotic‐resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutrophication is a common phenomenon in aquatic ecosystems caused by human disturbance and is regarded as one of the major threats to biodiversity in rivers throughout the world. However, no consistent pattern explains the relationship between eutrophication and biodiversity in rivers. In the present work, we explored fieldwork in connection to the influence of eutrophication on biodiversity in nine streams in a boreal river ecosystem in China. We aimed to test the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) in our model, which predicts that biodiversity reaches its maximum at intermediate disturbance. We used total phosphorus (TP) as a direct indicator of eutrophication and divided TP concentration into five levels of eutrophication, which represented anthropogenic disturbance of varied intensity. The results obtained from periphyton, macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblages showed that species richness was higher at intermediate eutrophication levels, and the pattern was not impacted by other factors. Our findings may provide important insights into the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on biodiversity in stream ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using undrained triaxial shear tests, this study investigates the mechanical properties of fine-grained materials (silty clay and sand) which are extensively used for China's Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR) under different confining pressures (σ3) and freezing temperatures (T). The results show that a reduction in T causes an increase in the shear strength and elastic modulus of all the materials tested in the present study. In addition, the freezing of the silty clay has no significant effect on the type of soil behaviour (strain-hardening), whereas the freezing of the sand changes its strain-hardening behaviour to strain-softening. Supposing that the deviatoric stress–strain curves of the silty clay and sand can be divided into two segments due to a reverse bending point, it was assumed that the first segment follows a hyperbolic function. Meanwhile, the second segment is also a hyperbola, with the reverse bending point as the origin and the residual strength as the asymptote. Accordingly, a nonlinear relation constitutive model that considers σ3 and T is derived. All model parameters are identified. The reasonability of the new model was verified using the test results of the materials. A comparison of the predicted and test results shows that this model can well simulate the deviatoric stress–strain response in the failure process of the tested materials. In particular, it can reflect the residual deviatoric stress after the materials' failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective approach to obtaining agricultural information, the remote sensing technique has been applied in the classification of crop types. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-manned hyperspectral sensors provide imagery with high spatial and high spectral resolutions. Moreover, the detailed spatial information, as well as abundant spectral properties of UAV-manned hyperspectral imagery, opens a new avenue to the fine classification of crops. In this manuscript, multiscale superpixel-based approaches are proposed for the fine identification of crops in the UAV-manned hyperspectral imagery. Specifically, the multiscale superpixel segmentation is performed and a series of superpixel maps can be obtained. Then, the multiscale information is integrated into image classification by two strategies, namely pre-processing and post-processing. For the pre-processing strategy, the superpixel is regarded as the minimum unit for image classification, whose feature is obtained by using the average of spectral values of pixels within it. At each scale, the classification is performed on the basis of the superpixel. Then, the multiscale classification results are combined to generate the final map. For the post-processing strategy, the pixel-wise classification is implemented to obtain the label and posterior probabilities of each pixel. Subsequently, the superpixel-based voting is conducted at each scale, and these obtained voting results are fused to generate the multiscale voting result. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches, three open-sourced hyperspectral UAV-manned datasets are employed in the experiments. Meanwhile, seven training sets with different numbers of labeled samples and two classifiers are taken into account for further analysis. The results demonstrate that the multiscale superpixel-based approaches outperform the single-scale approaches. Meanwhile, the post-processing strategy is superior to the pre-processing strategy in terms of higher classification accuracies in all the datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide application of large cranes, what role does the crane play in the response of the pile-supported wharf needs to be carefully considered, but the effect of the crane is often ignored or considered by centralized mass simplification. Experimental and numerical investigation are effective ways to characterize the seismic performance of structures. To investigate the response characteristic of the crane-wharf structure located in liquefiable site, the study involves first conducting a centrifuge shaking table experiment to physically reproduce the behaviour of the crane-wharf structure from the experimental view, the response laws such as large deformation due to liquefaction of the crane-wharf structure are revealed. Furthermore, three-dimensional numerical simulation is carried out and the rationality is verified, and it lays a numerical foundation for further revealing the difference in structural response of crane wharf. Finally, the response characteristics of the pile-supported wharf with/without crane under different predominant frequencies earthquakes are discussed and compared, it is found that special attention should be paid to the predominant frequencies of earthquakes with crane. This study emphasizes the complexity of understanding different ground motion records in analysing the response characteristic and provides reference and guidance for the similar structures. • The centrifuge test is first performed to physically reproduce the behavior of the wharf with crane. • The response characteristic of the wharf with/without crane are analyzed by numerical simulation. • Special consideration should be given to the predominant frequencies of earthquakes with crane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthohumol, a natural isoflavone from Humulus lupulus L., possesses biological activities. However, the biological fate of xanthohumol in vivo remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the absorption and metabolism of xanthohumol in rats through UPLC‐MS/MS. The plasma, urine and fecal samples were collected after oral administration of xanthohumol (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) in SD rats. The contents of xanthohumol and its metabolites were determined by UPLC‐MS/MS. A total of 6 metabolites of xanthohumol were identified in rats, including methylated, glucuronidated, acid‐catalyzed cyclization and oxidation, indicating xanthohumol underwent phase I and II metabolism. Besides, isoxanthohumol was the major metabolites of xanthohumol. Xanthohumol was rapidly absorbed, metabolized, and eliminated in rats. The pharmacokinetics results showed the Tmax of xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol were 3 and 2.33 h, respectively. The AUC0−t of xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol were 138.83 ± 6.03 and 38.77 ± 4.46 ng/ml·h, respectively. Furthermore, xanthohumol was mainly excreted in the form of prototype through feces and a small amount of xanthohumol was excreted through urine. These results illustrated the absorption, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics process of xanthohumol in rats, and provided a reference for the further rational applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we synthesized and characterized two novel iridium (III) complexes: [Ir(bzq) 2 (PPD)](PF 6) (4a, with bzq = deprotonated benzo[ h ]quinoline and PPD = pteridino[6,7-f][1,10]phenanthroline-11,13-diamine) and [Ir(piq) 2 (PPD)](PF 6) (4b, with piq = deprotonated 1-phenylisoquinoline). The anticancer efficacy of these complexes, 4a and 4b, was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole)-2,5-diphenltetraazolium bromide (MTT). Complex 4a exhibited no cytotoxic activity, while 4b demonstrated moderate efficacy against SGC-7901, A549, and HepG2 cancer cells. To enhance their anticancer potential, we explored two strategies: (I) light irradiation and (II) encapsulation of the complexes in liposomes, resulting in the formation of 4alip and 4blip. Both strategies significantly increased the ability of 4a, 4b to kill cancer cells. The cellular studies indicated that both the free complexes 4a, 4b and their liposomal forms 4alip and 4blip effectively inhibited cell proliferation. The cell cycle arrest analysis uncovered 4alip and 4blip arresting cell growth in the S period. Additionally, we investigated apoptosis and ferroptosis pathways, observing an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a reduction of glutathione (GSH), a down-regulation of GPX4 (glutathione peroxidase) expression, and lipid peroxidation. The effects on mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ concentrations were also examined, revealing that both light-activated and liposomal forms of 4alip and 4blip caused a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential and an enhancement in intracellular Ca2+ levels. In conclusion, these complexes and them encapsulated liposomes induce cell death through apoptosis and ferroptosis. Two iridium(III) complexes were synthesized and characterized. The anticancer activity of the complexes and them encapsulated liposomes toward SGC-7901 cells were studied upon irradiation. [Display omitted] • Two new iridium(III) complexes were synthesized and characterized. • The cytotoxicity in vitro of the complexes and them encapsulated liposomes was studied. • Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were detected. • The ferroptosis was investigated. • The expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 family proteins was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SOC content in multiple soil horizons of the Heihe River Basin was mapped. • EL gave satisfactory estimation result with high accuracy and low uncertainty. • MAP showed the highest contribution to the estimation of SOC content. • SOC content of farmland in the A-horizon was higher than that in the O-horizon. Estimating the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) content is essential for evaluating ecosystem functions and establishing global climate change models. Most of the previous SOC mapping studies have focused on estimating SOC content at fixed depths. However, soils at the same depth are not always belonging to the same soil horizon. Therefore, the characteristics of soil horizons should be considered. In this study, the SOC content of multiple soil horizons in the middle and upper reaches of the Heihe River Basin was estimated using multivariate factors and ensemble learning (EL). The results show that EL obtains the best SOC content estimation performance, where the R2 values are 0.58, 0.57 and 0.69 for the O-horizon, A-horizon, and B-horizon, respectively. Environmental factors show a high degree of contribution to estimate SOC content, and mean annual precipitation (MAP) presents the highest contribution amongst all the factors. For the middle and upper reaches of the Heihe River Basin, the SOC content is high in the southwest and low in the northeast. Amongst the multiple soil horizons, the O-horizon usually showed higher SOC content than the A-horizon and the B-horizon. But the SOC content of the A-horizon is higher than that of the O-horizon for farmland. From 2012 to 2013, the SOC content of forestland and farmland increased in the O-horizon and A-horizon. The application of EL improves the mapping performance of SOC content in different soil horizons, and the involvement of multivariable factors reveals the distribution of SOC content in the Heihe River Basin. This study creates maps of SOC content in different soil horizons and analyses the effect of land covers on SOC content, which provides insights for ecological conservation and regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth has been proved a promising lead-free element that can mitigate whisker growth on Sn coatings. It is generally believed that the formation of the equiaxed crystal structure of Sn–Bi coating helps to relax the compressive stress uniformly. In this study, the Sn–xBi coatings with the columnar structure were prepared on the Al substrate. The addition of Bi promoted the whisker nucleation on the coatings but effectively mitigated the growth of whiskers. The density of geometrically necessary dislocations increased with the increase in Bi content, resulting in a high whisker density on the coatings. The reason why Bi inhibited whisker growth was proposed from the perspective of creep properties of the Sn–xBi coatings. The solution strengthening of Bi in Sn improved the creep resistance of the coatings. The creep stress exponent measured by nanoindentation indicated that the creep mechanism of the Sn–xBi coatings is dislocation climbing. The improvement of creep resistance led to insufficient dislocations in the coating leading to the limitation of Sn atomic diffusion for whisker growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive recent efforts have been put on the design of high‐performance organic near‐infrared (NIR) photothermal agents (PTAs), especially over NIR‐II bio‐window (1000–1350 nm). So far, the development is mainly limited by the rarity of molecules with good NIR‐II response. Here, we report organic nanoparticles of intermolecular charge‐transfer complexes (CTCs) with easily programmable optical absorption. By employing different common donor and acceptor molecules to form CTC nanoparticles (CT NPs), absorption peaks of CT NPs can be controllably tuned from the NIR‐I to NIR‐II region. Notably, CT NPs formed with perylene and TCNQ have a considerably red‐shifted absorption peak at 1040 nm and achieves a good photothermal conversion efficiency of 42 % under 1064 nm excitation. These nanoparticles were used for antibacterial application with effective activity towards both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. This work opens a new avenue into the development of efficient PTAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive recent efforts have been put on the design of high‐performance organic near‐infrared (NIR) photothermal agents (PTAs), especially over NIR‐II bio‐window (1000–1350 nm). So far, the development is mainly limited by the rarity of molecules with good NIR‐II response. Here, we report organic nanoparticles of intermolecular charge‐transfer complexes (CTCs) with easily programmable optical absorption. By employing different common donor and acceptor molecules to form CTC nanoparticles (CT NPs), absorption peaks of CT NPs can be controllably tuned from the NIR‐I to NIR‐II region. Notably, CT NPs formed with perylene and TCNQ have a considerably red‐shifted absorption peak at 1040 nm and achieves a good photothermal conversion efficiency of 42 % under 1064 nm excitation. These nanoparticles were used for antibacterial application with effective activity towards both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. This work opens a new avenue into the development of efficient PTAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive recent efforts have been put on the design of high‐performance organic near‐infrared (NIR) photothermal agents (PTAs), especially over NIR‐II bio‐window (1000–1350 nm). So far, the development is mainly limited by the rarity of molecules with good NIR‐II response. Here, we report organic nanoparticles of intermolecular charge‐transfer complexes (CTCs) with easily programmable optical absorption. By employing different common donor and acceptor molecules to form CTC nanoparticles (CT NPs), absorption peaks of CT NPs can be controllably tuned from the NIR‐I to NIR‐II region. Notably, CT NPs formed with perylene and TCNQ have a considerably red‐shifted absorption peak at 1040 nm and achieves a good photothermal conversion efficiency of 42 % under 1064 nm excitation. These nanoparticles were used for antibacterial application with effective activity towards both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. This work opens a new avenue into the development of efficient PTAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both estrogen and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and development of atherosclerosis. In the absence of endogenous H2S as occurred in CSE-knockout (KO) mouse, however, estrogen stimulates the proliferation of vascular SMCs. The underlying mechanisms for this seemingly controversial vascular effect of estrogen are unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that the stimulatory effect of estrogen on the p roliferation of CSE-KO SMCs was suppressed by the inhibitor of insulin-like growth fac tor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) or knockdown of IGF-1R protein expression. Estrogen downregulat ed the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1R in aortic tissu es or aortic SMCs isolated from WT and CSE-KO mice. Furthermore, endogenous H2S downregulated IGF-1R, but upregulated estrogen receptor (ER)-α, in aortic tissues or SMCs. ER-α and IGF-1R were co-located in SMCs and co-immunoprecipitated, which was decreas ed by H2S. Finally, both endogenous and exogenous H2S induced the S-sulfhydration of IGF-1R, but not ER-α, in WT-SMCs and CSE-KO SMCs, which underlies the decreased for mation of IGF-1R/ER-α hybrid in the presence of H2S. Thus, the absence of H2S favors the interaction of estrogen with IGF-1R/ER-α hybrid to stimulate SMCs proliferation. The appreciation of a critical role of H2S in preventing estrogen-induced SMCs proliferation will help b etter understand the regulation of complex vascular effects of estroge n and sex-related cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of cyclic loading frequency (f cyc) on the permanent deformation (ε p) of freeze–thaw coarse–fine mixture of geomaterials (FTCF) has been extensively investigated. In this work, long-term cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on FTCF specimens with varying f cyc and deviatoric stress (q cyc) with different numbers of freeze–thaw cycles (N FT), in order to investigate ε p under freeze–thaw cycling. This study systematically analysed and discussed the effects of f cyc and q cyc on ε p of FTCF samples with different fine particle contents (FC). A rate-dependent multistage load-prediction model for ε p was proposed and evaluated. The results showed that the freeze–thaw cyclic had a less significant impact on ε p when compared to the dynamic triaxial loading. The speed and piston effects of the FTCF under dynamic loads were mutually restricting, with their combined impact closely related to the loading frequency. A higher deformation resistance for a coarse-grained skeleton is attained with the effective filling of fine particle clusters in the pores of skeleton. A function was proposed to describe the relationship between the hyperbolic model parameters and f cyc , q cyc , as well as FC. This function could be used to estimate the hyperbolic model parameters under different dynamic stresses and material states. An equivalent stress-state parameter was introduced to consider the effect of the loading frequency, enabling the exploration of dynamic loading's influence on the equivalent vibration number (N eq). A comparison between the predicted results and the test data showed that the proposed model could accurately reproduce the cumulative behaviour of the ε p of FTCF under different f cyc and q cyc. • Proposed a rate-dependent multistage loading predicted model of ε p. • A threshold of f v must exist to maximize the material's resistance to ε p. • Load similarity analysis is essential for studying the coupling of freeze-thaw and vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of GUIDANCE-01 (NCT04025593), a randomized, phase II trial of R-CHOP alone or combined with targeted agents (R-CHOP-X) guided by genetic subtyping of newly diagnosed, intermediate-risk, or high-risk diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). A total of 128 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive R-CHOP-X or R-CHOP. The study achieved the primary endpoint, showing significantly higher complete response rate with R-CHOP-X than R-CHOP (88% vs. 66%, p = 0.003), with overall response rate of 92% vs. 73% (p = 0.005). Two-year progression-free survival rates were 88% vs. 63% (p < 0.001), and 2-year overall survival rates were 94% vs. 77% (p = 0.001). Meanwhile, post hoc RNA-sequencing validated our simplified genetic subtyping algorithm and previously established lymphoma microenvironment subtypes. Our findings highlight the efficacy and safety of R-CHOP-X, a mechanism-based tailored therapy, which dually targeted genetic and microenvironmental alterations in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. [Display omitted] • Targeted agents based on genetic subtyping improve R-CHOP efficacy in DLBCL • Inflammatory and immune-depleted tumors have greater sensitivity to therapy • Genetic subtype-guided immunochemotherapy is promising first-line therapy in DLBCL Zhang et al. report findings from the GUIDANCE-01 trial showing genetic subtype-guided immunochemotherapy (R-CHOP-X) improves complete response rate, progression-free and overall survival in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Among lymphoma microenvironment subtypes, inflammatory and immune-depleted tumors may benefit from R-CHOP-X. This mechanism-based tailored therapy dually targeting genetic and microenvironmental alterations is effective and safe in newly diagnosed DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed trains (HSTs) induce vibrations that deteriorate the embankments of ballastless tracks, particularly in frozen regions, necessitating vibration assessments for existing high-speed railways (HSRs). This study developed an indirect thermal-dynamic coupled two-dimensional (2D) finite element (FE) model to investigate the dynamic responses of the embankment of ballastless tracks to various subgrades and subsoils, train speeds, and frost depths in frozen regions. The results indicate that subgrade is the key parameter to analysing the dynamic response of the train–track–ground system considering train speeds. A fast and high-accuracy prediction method for the vibration responses was developed using an artificial neural network (ANN) and used to predict the vibration level under different conditions. Prediction results determined train speeds under 400 km/h safe for HSRs. This study can improve knowledge of ballastless track substructure design and extend the applicability of the current railway code to higher train speed conditions in frozen regions. • Proposed an accurate and reliable artificial neural network-based prediction model. • Train speeds under 400 km/h are safe for high-speed railways in frozen regions. • Subgrade is key to analysing the dynamic response of train–track–ground systems. • Substructure layer reinforcement is recommended for higher speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These results suggested that compounds B 3 b , B 5 b , B 7 b , and B 8 b in the leaves of I Actinidia chinensis i (Tables 1-3) might have antioxidant activity. Compounds B 1 b (200 mg), B 2 b (100 mg), B 4 b (200 mg), and B 5 b (50 mg) were obtained from the mother liquor of component A by Sephadex column chromatography and pre-HPLC. Compound B 6 b (15 mg) was the crystals of component C. Compounds B 7 b (50 mg), B 8 b (100 mg), B 9 b (130 mg), and B 10 b (15 mg) were obtained from the mother liquor of component C by Sephadex column chromatography and pre-HPLC. [Extracted from the article]

Aims: To investigate clinical characteristics and surgery outcomes of young children with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type II. Methods: Young children (onset age ≤6 years) with FCDII who underwent epileptic surgery in Children Epilepsy Center of Peking University First Hospital in 2014‐2018 were followed up for at least 6 months after surgery. Results: One hundred and twelve children with FCDII were included, with median age of onset 0.9 years (0.01‐5.9), who underwent surgery at 4.1 years old (0.8‐16.2). Focal seizures were most frequent (90.2%) and epileptic spasms presented in 23 (20.5%) cases. Epileptic encephalopathy was not uncommon (12.5%), associated with earlier epilepsy onset and higher rate of bilateral onset on ictal EEG (OR = 0.213, 9.059; P =.041,.004). At the last follow‐up, 88.4% achieved seizure‐free. Before surgery, 49.1% showed moderate/severe developmental delay, associated with earlier seizure onset and higher rate of history of epileptic encephalopathy (OR = 0.740, 5.160, P =.023,.042). For 48 children with preoperatively moderate/severe developmental delay, DQ rank at 6 months postsurgery was improved in only four cases. Conclusion: For young children with FCDII, they tend to present with epileptic encephalopathies and show moderate/severe developmental delay before surgery. The seizure outcome was favorable after surgery. For children with preoperatively moderate/severe developmental delay, developmental outcome at 6 months after surgery was not satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still a challenging task to segment ultrasound medical images automatically and accurately because of the poor quality of images. To address these problems, a two-stage automatic segmentation scheme based on local entropy and a proposed active contour model for ultrasound images are put forward in this paper. First, a new region-based active contour model in the level set formulation, driven by global and local intensity information, is established for the segmentation. Furthermore, for automatically segmenting the ultrasound images, a coarse segmentation is performed utilizing local entropy information of the ultrasound images, then the coarse segmentation result is used as the initial value of the explicit segmentation based on the proposed model. Several experiments on real ultrasound images demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other methods on both visual perception and objective evaluation metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different degree of substitution on structural characteristics and crystalline properties of resistant starch esterfied by L‐malic acid. With the deepening of the esterification reaction, malate starches particles became larger, particle surface cracks and grooves increased which led to a decline in whiteness of malate starches. With the increase in the degree of substitution (DS), the initial phase transition temperatures (To) and endothermic enthalpies (ΔH) of malate starch gradually decreased. The XRD results indicated that with the increase of DS, the diffraction peak at 15.1° disappeared in the spectrum. When the DS of malate starches reached 0.116, the content of resistant starch (RS) accounted for the majority of the total starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom-doped activated carbon that induces pseudocapacitive anion storage is a promising high-capacity cathode compatible with advanced anodes for potassium-ion capacitors (PICs). However, the mechanism of heteroatom-related anion storage in potassium-based electrolyte has rarely been explored and is not well understood. Herein, activated carbon fibers with oxygen doping (ACNFs-O) is conducted to explore the role of oxygen functional groups on the anion storage performance. The ACNFs-O cathode shows a high reversible capacity of 88.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 with a high-rate performance of 57.3 mA h g−1 at 6.0 A g−1, and a long-term stability, which is much higher than that of the non-oxygen-doped sample (ACNFs-H). The experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the redox-active carbonyl (C O) group tunes the electrochemical properties of the carbon to provide a pseudocapacitive contribution for improved anion storage. As expected, the PICs with the ACNFs-O as the cathode materials exhibit a high energy density and power density (125.4 Wh kg−1 at 193 W kg−1), which performs 50% better than that of ACNFs-H. This work could provide insight into the design of low-cost and sustainable cathodes and an understanding of the anion storage mechanism of heteroatom-doped carbons for PICs. [Display omitted] • Oxygen-doped activated carbon fibers ware prepared by KOH activation. • The ACNFs-O possesses a 3D interconnected network structure. • The C O provides a pseudocapacitive contribution for anion storage. • The PICs with the ACNFs-O as cathode materials exhibit excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-lithiation technology is essential to improve the initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) and cycling stability of high SiO x content cells. Different amounts of pre-lithiation significantly affect the electrochemical performance of cells. In this study, three groups of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 || SiO x /Graphite pouch cells (SiO x , 45 wt%) with different pre-lithiation amounts are fabricated using an electrochemical pre-lithium method. The effects of pre-lithiation amounts on the capacity and cycling stability are comprehensively investigated by non-destructive tests and post-mortem analysis. The results show that increasing the amounts of pre-lithiation can substantially improve the capacity of the cells, but may also accelerate their aging. Further studies reveal that the cycling stability of SiOx/Graphite anode is strongly affected by the amounts of pre-lithiation, whereas the effect on the cathode is negligible. Moreover, titration gas chromatography (TGC) experiments are used to quantify the lithium loss in SiO x /Graphite anode. The accelerated formation of SEI and trapped lithiated active materials as well as lithium dendrites caused by over-lithiation at SiO x /Graphite anode are responsible for the rapid degradation of pouch cells with high pre-lithiation amounts. This work demonstrates the complex relationship between pre-lithiation amounts and electrochemical performance, which needs to be carefully measured in SiO x -based cells. [Display omitted] • NCM811||SiO x /Graphite pouch cells with different pre-lithiation amounts are evaluated. • Both ICE and cycle stability is greatly influenced by the pre-lithiation amount. • The amounts of pre-lithiation have little effect on the aging of the cathode. • High pre-lithiation amounts can accelerate anode aging. • Titration gas chromatography is used to quantify the lithium loss in anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report the first case series of robotic single-site (RSS) surgery via the da Vinci Si Surgical System for mature cyst teratoma cystectomy in China.Materials and Methods: The study was devised as a retrospective study in a single medical center. Five patients with mature cyst teratomas requested a minimally invasive surgical treatment. These patients were treated with RSS surgery for mature cyst teratoma between January 2014 and January 2015. RSS mature cyst teratoma cystectomies were performed with the da Vinci single-site platform in the Hainan branch of PLA General Hospital. Data regarding patient characteristics, surgical approach, and perioperative clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed in a retrospective study.Results: All RSS procedures were completed successfully in the five patients. No instrument failure was noted during the procedures. The median operating time was 65 minutes (range 45-100 minutes). The median docking time was 20 minutes (range 18-28 minutes). No instrument failure was noted during any surgical procedures. The median blood loss was 30 mL (range 10-70 mL). No patient had massive intraoperative bleeding nor required a transfusion. No extra trocar was placed during the surgery. None of the patients had bladder or rectal injury. The median length of stay in hospital was 2.8 days. All patients were followed up until 6 months postoperatively, and no surgical complication occurred.Conclusion: RSS mature cyst teratoma cystectomy using the wristed semirigid instrumentation is feasible. Randomized controlled trials with a larger number of patients and longer postoperative follow-up should be conducted to further evaluate the effect of this therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the rapid development of high-speed railways (HSRs) in seasonally frozen regions in China in recent years, there is an increasing need for better understanding of how the construction materials behave. In particular, the dynamic behavior of granular base course materials used for China's HSRs subjected to combined actions of cyclic loading and freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles has attracted much attention. In this study, a series of cyclic triaxial tests were performed to investigate the characteristics of granular base course materials. A number of factors including effect of F-T cycles were considered in these tests. As such, representative test results of dynamic shear stress amplitude (τ ¯ d), dynamic shear modulus (G d), and damping ratio (λ) are presented and discussed. Based on the Hardin-Drnevich model, a fitting equation for determining maximum dynamic shear modulus (G d,max) is proposed. Then, a unified normalized dynamic shear modulus (G d / G d,max) curve is drawn and well validated by the test results. Furthermore, equations for λ are expressed in terms of an exponential function of G d / G d,max. The test results show that the G d / G d,max curves are not completely consistent with previous studies. Overall, this study provides further insights into the dynamic behavior of granular base course materials subjected to F-T cycles. Highlights • The effect of freeze-thaw cycles on the dynamic behavior of base course granular materials was analyzed and discussed. • A unified normalized dynamic shear modulus curve considering multiple factors were proposed. • The relationship between normalized dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand (TRAIL)-based therapies have been used in many human cancers. However, some tumors are resistant to TRAIL-induced cell death. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) is a functional marker for identification of CSCs. Methods: In this study, we used the colony formation assay, AnnexinV/ PI double staining and PI staining to detect proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle in ALDH1+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells with TRAIL treatment. In addition, we established xenograft mouse models to confirm the anti-tumor roles of TRAIL in vivo. Finally, gene array and western blot were used to detect the deeper mechanism of the susceptibility of ALDH1+ NSCLC cells to TRAIL. Results: We confirmed that TRAIL could inhibit proliferation, and induce apoptosis and G1 arrest in ALDH1+ NSCLC cells. Correspondingly, TRAIL was associated with decreased tumor size and the favorable survival rate of ALDH1+ cells established xenograft mouse models. ALDH1 could increase the death receptors (DR) 4 and DR5 expression in ALDH1+ NSCLC cells via activating MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Conclusion: ALDH1 protein induced MEK-1 mRNA stability and promoted its translation via its 3'UTR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different colour-grained wheat flours on protein, TDF, fat, amino acid, microelement, physicochemical index, nutritional quality, farinograph properties and tensile test. The protein content of colour-grained wheat is higher than that of the common wheat, which is 11.74%–18.17 higher than the common wheat. The amount of essential amino acid content was 7.31%–18.13% higher than that of common wheat. By combination technology, No.6 (A 2 B 3 C 1) showed the greatest tensile test. Changes in qualities resulted from the combination of different flour with granules and gluten. The results of the current study offer opportunities for the steamed bread and noodle industry to use colour-grained wheat flours as an ingredient for enhancing the nutrient value amount of dough. Highlights • Measurement of colour-grained wheat nutrient compounds. • The novelty application of combination technology of colour wheat flour in dough. • The colour-grained wheats has potential to be utilized as a nutrient value foods. • Changes in qualities from the combination of colour flour with granules and gluten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demands for screening out the optimal utilization channel for biomass from wheat straw, a number of researches have been reported in the comprehensive utilization about wheat straw including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. By reviewing the research status, processing method and comprehensive application of wheat straw, this paper summarizes the application fields, main pretreatment processing methods and bio-products of wheat straw. The paper also detailed novel pretreatment methods and bio-products during the comprehensive utilization of wheat straw. The assessment of more effective pretreatment methods has enabled the examination of wheat straw materials’ potential in the field of lignocellulose that, today, is little exploited. Bioconversion of lignocellulose to bioproducts e.g. bioethanol, biohydrogen and bio-composites has made achievements, however, several limitations such as pretreatment methods remain to be solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractive index (RI) is a fundamental environmental parameter used in environmental monitoring, food production and medical testing. However, the RI is closely related to temperature (T) and changes with temperature. Therefore, we propose a highly sensitive cascaded fiber Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor with temperature compensation. The surfaces of the two sensing channels are deposited with different thicknesses of gold film and silver film and modified by three layers of MoS 2 to improve the sensor's sensitivity. Channel A is responsible for refractive index sensing, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is coated on the surface of channel B for temperature sensing. The refractive index sensitivity of the sensor is 3820 nm/RIU, when environment RI varies in the range of 1.34 ∼ 1.38. The temperature sensitivity of the sensor is -5.189 nm/ ∘ C, when temperature varies in the range of 20 ∼ 80 °C. Compared with previous studies, the sensitivity of this paper has been significantly improved, especially in temperature detection. The accuracy of refractive index sensing can be improved by temperature compensation. The high-precision measurement and high-precision detection of this sensor can be used for biosensing, food production and medical testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Sn-0.7Cu solder alloy and Sn-0.7Cu with 1.0–5.0 wt% indium addition were investigated in this study. With indium added into Sn-0.7Cu solder, the melting temperature decreased and the reaction temperature increased. Coarse grains of Cu 6 (Sn,In) 5 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were formed in the alloy matrix when the indium content increased to 1.0 wt%. Indium was evenly distributed in the β-Sn phase and Cu 6 (Sn,In) 5 IMCs in as-prepared In-containing solder alloys. After isothermal aging, indium accumulated gradually in the Cu 6 (Sn,In) 5 IMCs while decreasing its content in the β-Sn phase. Tensile test results indicated that the ultimate tensile strength increased obviously and that the elongation decreased significantly with indium addition. Sawtooths were observed in the stress-strain curves of all aged In-containing alloys. A model describing a coherent relationship between the β-Sn phase and the Cu 6 (Sn,In) 5 phase was proposed to explain this phenomenon. The fracture surface of the Sn-0.7Cu alloy exhibited a ductile fracture mode while a mixed ductile-brittle fracture mode occurred when excessive indium was added into Sn-0.7Cu alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With layered milling flour technology, the efficiency of the nutrient distribution and hardness was demonstrated with the purple and normal wheat separation milling. The results showed that the total content on amino acid in purple wheat was 8.2-12.9% higher than the common wheat. Compared with the main nutriments Se, Fe, Ca between purple wheat and common wheat, the results showed that different milling methods treatment are capable of separating the different wheat flour from endosperms, bran, and aleurone layers. Micro and physicochemical characterization of different wheat flour and layers by means of microscopy techniques and images analysis provided relevant qualitative and quantitative information, which can be useful for the study of the microstructure of purple and normal wheat products and also for its processing and utilization. Practical applications Color wheat has gained more importance in the recent years due to its health benefits. Purple wheat is balanced in amino acid, mineral elements, and Wet gluten. Therefore, purple wheat is an excellent flour product source according to the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC). Purple wheat rich in amino acid such as leucine, proline, serine, glycine, threonine, and glusate provide important roles in the quality and nutrient value of dough. Lately, the food industry has had a strong interest on purple wheat due to their benefits such as better delivery of protein components, and greater stability and functional performance. Using purple wheat as an ingredient in a flour product will not only improve the nutritional profile of the dough but will also substantially increase the natural microelement content. This study describes the development and characterization of flour product containing purple wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the study of alpha-stable distribution and its score function, by combining M-estimation theory and maximum likelihood estimation theory, this paper proposes a novel Cauchy score function based cost function of the residual fitting error matrix. And then, this cost function is employed as a substitute for the ℓ p -norm based cost function of the residual fitting error matrix which is utilized in the ℓ p -MUSIC algorithm. To solve the cost function, alternating convex optimization is applied. And the complex-valued Newton's method with optimal step size is developed to solve the resulting convex problem. With the obtained signal subspace, the direction of arrival (DOA) estimates are retrieved by the MUSIC technique. Comprehensive simulation results demonstrate that, the proposed algorithm can achieve more robust performance than its counterpart both in terms of resolution probability and root mean square error (RMSE), especially when the generalized signal to noise ratio (GSNR) is fairly low, or the underlying noise is extremely impulsive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DNase was be conjugated to PAE to form pH-responsive, self-targeting micelles. • PAE-conjugated DNase in micellar shells is not inactivated by blood enzymes. • PEG/PAE-DNase micelles disperse biofilms by degrading matrix eDNA. • Biofilm bacteria are more effectively killed by antibiotics after matrix degradation. • Murine pneumonia can be treated effectively with ciprofloxacin loaded PEG/PAE-DNase micelles. DNase can break down the extracellular matrix that keeps infectious bacterial biofilm together through cleavage of eDNA. Herewith, biofilm bacteria can become dispersed to assist antibiotic eradication but this has hitherto remained an in vitro possibility. In vivo DNase is rapidly broken down in blood, impeding blood-injection of DNase combined with antibiotics to cure bacterial infections. Herein, we report the synthesis of pH-responsive, self-targeting micelles self-assembled from a solution of poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG- b -PCL) and poly(ε-caprolactone)- block -poly(amino ester) (PCL- b -PAE) with DNase conjugated to PAE-blocks. At physiological pH, this conjugation protected DNase inside the micellar shell, while PEG prevented adsorption of blood-borne proteins to the micelles. PAE became positively-charged below pH 6.4 facilitating self-targeting to an infectious biofilm. Simultaneously, PAE became hydrophilic and stretched to expose DNase upon accumulation in an infectious S. aureus biofilm where it degraded the biofilm matrix. PEG/PAE-DNase micelles internally core-loaded with ciprofloxacin significantly better eradicated murine pneumonia after blood-injection than ciprofloxacin-loaded PEG/PAE micelles without conjugated DNase or ciprofloxacin free in solution. Considering that DNase is clinically approved for use in cystic fibrosis patients, this paves the way for clinical translation of ciprofloxacin-loaded, PEG/PAE-DNase micelles for the treatment of pneumonia and other infections that can be reached through self-targeting after blood-injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a time delay estimation algorithm based on the weighted correntropy spectral density. Topics include accuracy and resistance to noise stated to be two important aspects of time delay estimation algorithms, and the proposed method stated to be very accurate in the presence of Gaussian or impulsive noise with a low generalized signal-to-noise ratio.

Fatigue cracking is one of the main failure modes of asphalt pavement. However, the internal growth of cracks in asphalt binder during the fatigue process is still not well understood, which means that the fatigue mechanism itself remains unclear. In this study, the crack lengths and cracking morphology of three types of asphalt binders were analyzed using image analysis methods. The crack growth rule in the asphalt binder was investigated by combining the use of viscoelastic curves and cross-section images. The mechanisms of the asphalt binders were analyzed and a fatigue failure criterion was then developed. The results demonstrate that fatigue crack propagation can be divided into four stages: an incubation period (Stage I), transition period (Stage II), slow growth period (Stage III), and unstable growth period (Stage IV). In Stage I and Stage II, the binder exhibits unstable flow. In Stage III, damage manifests as Type I hairline cracks. In Stage IV, Type II hairline cracks appear and propagate. The fatigue performance of asphalt binders in Stage I and Stage II under controlled-strain mode and controlled-stress mode is the same when equivalent load levels are employed. Eventually, the demarcation point between Stage III and Stage IV is defined as the fatigue evaluation index. This index is independent of load control mode under the same equivalent load levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no diabetes risk model that includes dietary predictors in Asia. We sought to develop a diet-containing noninvasive diabetes risk model in Northern China and to evaluate whether dietary predictors can improve model performance and predictive ability. Cross-sectional data for 9,734 adults aged 20–74 years old were used as the derivation data, and results obtained for a cohort of 4,515 adults with 4.2 years of follow-up were used as the validation data. We used a logistic regression model to develop a diet-containing noninvasive risk model. Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), area under curve (AUC), integrated discrimination improvements (IDI), net classification improvement (NRI) and calibration statistics were calculated to explicitly assess the effect of dietary predictors on a diabetes risk model. A diet-containing type 2 diabetes risk model was developed. The significant dietary predictors including the consumption of staple foods, livestock, eggs, potato, dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables were included in the risk model. Dietary predictors improved the noninvasive diabetes risk model with a significant increase in the AUC (delta AUC = 0.03, P<0.001), an increase in relative IDI (24.6%, P-value for IDI <0.001), an increase in NRI (category-free NRI = 0.155, P<0.001), an increase in sensitivity of the model with 7.3% and a decrease in AIC (delta AIC = 199.5). The results of the validation data were similar to the derivation data. The calibration of the diet-containing diabetes risk model was better than that of the risk model without dietary predictors in the validation data. Dietary information improves model performance and predictive ability of noninvasive type 2 diabetes risk model based on classic risk factors. Dietary information may be useful for developing a noninvasive diabetes risk model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-velocity impact behavior of glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum alloy laminates (GLARE) is analyzed under single and multiple impacts of the same total energy. A new failure-judgment method is proposed by modifying previous failure criteria. This method is combined with a materials performance gradual degradation method and is employed by writing the LS-DYNA user subroutine for the impact simulation and testing of GLARE. The established finite-element model is proved reliable by comparing test results. Analyzing the simulated single and multiple impacts of the same total energy reveals that, GLARE sustains greatest internal damages under single impact. However, repeated impacts induce the largest deformation. If the impact frequency is maintained constant, the GLARE's damaged area widens as the initial impact energy increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Both US and AH greatly enhanced hydrogen production performance of Al hydrolysis. • US and AH increased v max from 6.8 to 33.0 and 28.0 ml·min−1·g−1-Al, respectively. • For AH + US, induction time was 0.17 h and v max was as high as 66.0 ml·min−1·g−1-Al. • AH + US exhibited the best performance due to synergistic effect between AH and US. Ultrasound can accelerate and change the reaction process and is widely used in the field of hydrogen production and storage. In this study, ultrasound (US) and AlOOH suspension (AH) are used to promote hydrogen production from Al hydrolysis. The results indicate that both US and AH greatly shorten the induction time and enhance the hydrogen production rate and yield. The promoting effect of US and AH on Al hydrolysis originates from the acoustic cavitation effect and catalytic effect, respectively. When AH is used in combination with US, Al hydrolysis has the best hydrogen production performance and the hydrogen yield can reach 96.6 % within 1.2 h, because there is a synergistic effect on Al hydrolysis between AH and US. Mechanism analyses reveal that the micro-jets and local high temperature environment arising from acoustic cavitation improve the catalytic activity of AlOOH, while the suspended AlOOH particles enhance the cavitation effect of US. This work provides a novel and feasible method to promote hydrogen production from Al hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure evolution of solder matrix and interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of Cu/Sn37Pb/Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Sn37P/Cu structural composite joints were investigated under low-density current stressing of 2.0×10 3 A/cm 2 at 100 °C. Cu flux diffusion induced by electro-migration was delayed by Ag 3 Sn particles in eutectic phase of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder, by which Cu 6 Sn 5 particles could not reach the interfacial IMC at anode side, and then the growth of interfacial IMC or regular polarity effect at node was inhibited. Coarsened Cu 6 Sn 5 particles were accumulated at the fusion zone between SnAgCu and SnPb close to anode side. Micro-cracks were found at cathode side after current stressing for as short as 100 h, and increased with current stressing time until the failure of solder joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface characteristics of immobilized yeast before and after adding CO 2 -laser pretreated corn stover (LPCS) substrates were investigated using bioethanol production. Response surface methodology (RSM), based on the Box–Behnken design (BBD) for experiments, was used to optimize the doping condition. An optimum experimental condition was obtained at pH 4.5, 2.08% yeast concentration, and 0.20% LPCS substrates. Under this condition, doping LPCS increased the yield of bioethanol from 53% to 84%, which matched the predicted value. After doping LPCS, the results of inverted microscope (IM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) illustrated that the immobilized gel beads changed from rod-like in shape with a smooth surface to a larger rod-like ultrastructure with a rougher surface. The yield was relatively stable within 28 d, with a downward trend subsequently appearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interendothelial junctions play an important role in the maintenance of endothelial integrity and the regulation of vascular functions. We report here that cationic amino acid transporter-1 (CAT-1) is a novel interendothelial cell adhesion molecule (CAM). We identified that CAT-1 protein localized at cell–cell adhesive junctions, similar to the classic CAM of VE-cadherin, and knockdown of CAT-1 with siRNA led to an increase in endothelial permeability. In addition, CAT-1 formed a cis -homo-dimer and showed Ca 2 + -dependent trans -homo-interaction to cause homophilic cell–cell adhesion. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that CAT-1 can associate with β-catenin. Furthermore, we found that the sub-cellular localization and function of CAT-1 are associated with cell confluency, in sub-confluent ECs CAT-1 proteins distribute on the entire surface and function as l -Arg transporters, but most of the CAT-1 in the confluent ECs are localized at interendothelial junctions and serve as CAMs. Further functional characterization has disclosed that extracellular l- Arg exposure stabilizes endothelial integrity via abating the cell junction disassembly of CAT-1 and blocking the cellular membrane CAT-1 internalization, which provides the new mechanisms for l- Arg paradox and trans -stimulation of cationic amino acid transport system (CAAT). These results suggest that CAT-1 is a novel CAM that directly regulates endothelial integrity and mediates the protective actions of l- Arg to endothelium via a NO-independent mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]