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One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the presence of extracellular deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide. In addition to Aβ as the core component of the amyloid plaque, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing fragment Aβ was also found accumulated around the plaque. The APPη pathway, mainly mediated by membrane‐type 5 matrix metalloproteinase (MT5‐MMP), represents an important factor in AD pathogenesis. The proamyloidogenic features of MT5‐MMP could result from interactions with APP when trafficking between organelles, so determination of the location within the cell of APPη cleavage and interacting proteins of MT5‐MMP affecting this process will be of priority in understanding the role of MT5‐MMP in AD. In the present study, MT5‐MMP was found to be located in the nucleus, cytosol, and cytosolic subcellular granules of CHO cells that stably expressed wild‐type human APP751. MT5‐MMP fusion proteins were constructed that could localize enzyme production in the Golgi apparatus, endosome, ER, mitochondria, or plasma membrane. The fusion proteins significantly increased sAPPη when directed to the endosome, Golgi apparatus, plasma membrane, or mitochondria. Since the C‐terminal region of MT5‐MMP is responsible for its intracellular location and trafficking, this domain was used as the bait in a yeast two‐hybrid screen to identify MT5‐MMP protein partners in a human brain cDNA library. Identified binding partners included N4BP2L1, TMX3, EIG121, bridging Integrator 1 (BIN1), RUFY4, HTRA1, and TMEM199. The binding of N4BP2L1, EIG121, BIN1, or TMX3 to MT5‐MMP resulted in the most significant increase in sAPPη production. Thus, the action of MT5‐MMP on APP occurs in multiple locations within the cell and is facilitated by site‐specific binding partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the improvement of the phase transition temperature of Ti by Al element and the excellent strengthening effect of TiC particles, this paper selects Ti 2 AlC as the precursor, striving to improve the high-temperature performance of the Ti matrix. The composites with 1–10 vol% Ti 2 AlC addition were fabricated by hot-pressing sintering. And a detailed study was conducted on the reaction process, microstructure, room and high temperature compression properties of the composites. The experimental results show that the separation of Al elements at the A-position occurs at around 700 °C in Ti 2 AlC, and the Al element is homogenized in the matrix during the subsequent sintering process. Micron sized TiC particles are mainly distributed at the Ti grain boundaries, while the content of sub-micron sized TiC particles entering the crystal increases with the increasing Ti 2 AlC addition. The interface mismatch between TiC and Ti is small, and the bonding is well. These microstructures enable composite materials to exhibit excellent mechanical properties, with 10 vol% Ti 2 AlC/Ti composite having a yield strength of 1858 MPa and an ultimate strength of 2200 MPa at room temperature, and maintaining a yield strength of 602 MPa and an ultimate strength of 1264 MPa at 500 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolving the heavy metal resistance mechanisms of microbes is crucial for understanding the bioremediation of the ecological environment. In this study, a multiple heavy metal resistance bacterium, Pseudoxanthomonas spadix ZSY‐33 was isolated and characterized. The copper resistance mechanism was revealed by analysis of the physiological traits, copper distribution, and genomic and transcriptomic data of strain ZSY‐33 cultured with different concentrations of copper. The growth inhibition assay in basic medium showed that the growth of strain ZSY‐33 was inhibited in the presence of 0.5 mM copper. The production of extracellular polymeric substances increased at a lower concentration of copper and decreased at a higher concentration of copper. Integrative analysis of genomic and transcriptomic, the copper resistance mechanism in strain ZSY‐33 was elucidated. At a lower concentration of copper, the Cus and Cop systems were responsible for the homeostasis of intracellular copper. As the concentration of copper increased, multiple metabolism pathways, including the metabolism of sulfur, amino acids, and pro‐energy were cooperated with the Cus and Cop systems to deal with copper stress. These results indicated a flexible copper resistance mechanism in strain ZSY‐33, which may acquire from the long‐term interaction with the living environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Automatic segmentation has emerged as a promising technique for the diagnosis of spinal conditions. Purpose: To design and evaluate a deep convolution network for segmenting the intervertebral disc, spinal canal, facet joint, and herniated disk on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Material and Methods: MRI scans of 70 patients with disc herniation were gathered and manually annotated by radiologists. A novel deep neural network was developed, comprising 3D squeeze-and-excitation blocks and multi-scale feature extraction blocks for automated segmentation of spinal structure and lesion. To address the issue of class imbalance, a weighted cross-entropy loss was introduced for training. In addition, semi-supervision segmentation was accomplished to reduce annotation labor cost. Results: The proposed model achieved 77.67% mean intersection over union, with 9.56% and 11.11% gains over typical V-Net and U-Net respectively, outperforming the other models in ablation experiments. In addition, the semi-supervision segmentation method was proven to work. Conclusion: The 3D multi-scale feature extraction and recalibration network achieved an excellent segmentation performance of intervertebral disc, spinal canal, facet joint, and herniated disk, outperforming typical encoder-decoder networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint form plays a vital role in the rapid assembly of precast bridge decks for steel–concrete composite bridges. Existing research primarily focuses on studying the shear performance of joints through direct shear tests, which is insufficient to fully reflect the mechanical behavior of joints under the constraint of prefabricated bridge deck panels during actual vehicular traffic. Considering situations such as vehicle loads and external forces acting on precast bridge decks, this study investigates the shear performance of epoxy joints under constraint through an improved shear test. The influence of constraint force, shear key details and interface defects on the shear performance of epoxy joints is investigated. The results reveal that the shear test method employed in this study can realistically reflect the shear performance of epoxy joints in precast bridge decks. Both active and passive constrained epoxy joint specimens exhibited no interface cracks, and their failure modes were identified as shear failure between mid-span supports. Compared with passive constraint, the shear-bearing capacity of epoxy joint specimens under active constraint was increased by 86.1~130.6%. Among the epoxy joint specimens with depth–height ratios of 15/110, 25/110, 35/110 and 45/110, the joint with a depth of 35 mm demonstrated the highest shear strength. Furthermore, the shear performance of epoxy joints significantly deteriorated when the interface defects exceeded 30%, resulting in the failure mode transforming from shear failure to interface failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) consist of 24–28% congenital malformation, yet the disease mechanism remains unclear. Zebrafish has been widely used as a model to study gene function, disease mechanism and drug discovery. It was reported that 82% of disease-causing human proteins had an obvious orthologue in zebrafish. We constructed a zebrafish disease model with hoxa1a mutation that exhibited heart malformation like HOXA1-null human patients. By studying heart disease mechanisms in zebrafish, we could further understand related diseases in humans. Mutations in HOXA1 can lead to diseases such as Bosley–Salih–Alorainy syndrome, involving severe cardiovascular malformations. However, the role of HOXA1 in cardiac morphogenesis remains unclear. hoxa1a is a homologous gene to human HOXA1 in zebrafish. We used CRISPR to make hoxa1a-null zebrafish that exhibited multiple heart malformations. In situ hybridization and sections revealed the morphological changes in mutants: enlarged ventricle with thickened myocardium and increased trabeculae, intensified OFT and inadequate heart looping, with electrocardiography supporting these pathological changes. High-speed photography captured cardiac pumping and revealed a significant decrease in cardiac output. Furthermore, lacking hoxa1a led to posterior body abnormality that affected movement ability, corresponding with the motor development delay in patients. Upregulation of hox paralogues in hoxa1a-null fish implied a compensatory mechanism between hox genes. Accordingly, we successfully constructed a hoxa1a-null model with a cardiac disease pattern which occurred in human HOXA1-associated heart malformation. The study of hoxa1a in zebrafish can further promote the understanding of hox genes and related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: White clover (Trifolium repens L.), an excellent perennial legume forage, is an allotetraploid native to southeastern Europe and southern Asia. It has high nutritional, ecological, genetic breeding, and medicinal values and exhibits excellent resistance to cold, drought, trample, and weed infestation. Thus, white clover is widely planted in Europe, America, and China; however, the lack of reference genome limits its breeding and cultivation. This study generated a white clover de novo genome assembly at the chromosomal level and annotated its components. Results: The PacBio third-generation Hi-Fi assembly and sequencing methods generated a 1096 Mb genome size of T. repens, with contigs of N50 = 14 Mb, scaffolds of N50 = 65 Mb, and BUSCO value of 98.5%. The newly assembled genome has better continuity and integrity than the previously reported white clover reference genome; thus provides important resources for the molecular breeding and evolution of white clover and other forage. Additionally, we annotated 90,128 high-confidence gene models from the genome. White clover was closely related to Trifolium pratense and Trifolium medium but distantly related to Glycine max, Vigna radiata, Medicago truncatula, and Cicer arietinum. The expansion, contraction, and GO functional enrichment analysis of the gene families showed that T. repens gene families were associated with biological processes, molecular function, cellular components, and environmental resistance, which explained its excellent agronomic traits. Conclusions: This study reports a high-quality de novo assembly of white clover genome obtained at the chromosomal level using PacBio Hi-Fi sequencing, a third-generation sequencing. The generated high-quality genome assembly of white clover provides a key basis for accelerating the research and molecular breeding of this important forage crop. The genome is also valuable for future studies on legume forage biology, evolution, and genome-wide mapping of quantitative trait loci associated with the relevant agronomic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating multiple functions such as high electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption, thermal insulation, and resilience into one material is critical, especially for applications in harsh environment. SiC ceramic has received considerable attention as high‐temperature wave absorber, but its applications are limited by common wave absorption performance and brittleness of ceramics. Here by incorporating SiO2 with SiC in a unique three‐dimensional network structure, SiOC/SiC foam consisting of abundant SiOC thin flakes interconnected by numerous long interweaving SiC nanowires have been prepared. The foam shows high EM wave absorption with minimum reflection loss of −30.23 dB, broad effective absorption bandwidth of 5.4 GHz, and a nearly complete compressive resilience from 10% strain. Besides, the foam displays high‐temperature resistance up to 1400°C in air and good thermal insulation performance. Such multifunctional material is promising for applications in advanced aerospace industry under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microbial community from the urban river exhibited spatial and temporal heterogeneity. • The bacterial community was influenced by the temperature and total phosphorus. • Heavy metals concentrations influenced the bacterial community from the sediments. • High abundance of metabolism-associated genes were observed in the urban surface water and sediments. The temporal and spatial characteristics of urban river bacterial communities help us understand the feedback mechanism of bacteria to changes in the aquatic environment. The Fuhe River plays an important role in determining the water ecological environment of Baiyangdian Lake. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to study the microbial distribution characteristics in the Fuhe River in different seasons. The results showed that some environmental factors of the surface water (ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP)) were different on the spatial and temporal scales. Moreover, there were no seasonal differences in the contents of TN, TP, total organic carbon (TOC), or heavy metals in the sediments. The distributions of Cyanobacteria, Actinomycetes and Firmicutes in the water and Actinomycetes and Planctomycetes in the sediments differed significantly among seasons (P < 0.05). There were significant spatial differences in bacteria in the surface water, with the highest abundance of Proteobacteria recorded in the river along with the highest nutrient concentration, while the abundance of Bacteroidetes was higher in the upstream than the downstream. Microbial communities in the water were most sensitive to temperature (T) and the TP concentration (P < 0.01). Moreover, differences in the bacterial community were better explained by the content of heavy metals in the sediments than by the chemical characteristics. A PICRUSt metabolic inference analysis showed that the effect of high summer temperatures on the enzyme action led to an increase in the abundances of the metabolic-related genes of the river microorganisms. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desmoglein 2 (DSG2) is overexpressed in many epithelial cancers and therefore represents a target receptor for oncolytic viruses, including Ad5/3-based viruses. For most Ad serotypes, the receptor-binding fiber is composed of tail, shaft, and knob domains. Here, we investigated the role of the fiber shaft in Ad5/3 tumor transduction in vitro and in human DSG2-transgenic mice carrying human DSG2high tumors. DSG2tg mice express DSG2 in a pattern similar to humans. We constructed Ad5/3L (with the "long" Ad5 shaft) and Ad5/3S (with the "short" Ad3 shaft) expressing GFP or luciferase. In in vitro studies we found that coagulation factor X, which is known to mediate undesired hepatocyte transduction of Ad5, enhances the transduction of Ad5/3(L), but not the transduction of Ad5/3(S). We therefore hypothesized that Ad5/3(S) would target DSG2high tumors while sparing the liver after intravenous injection. In vivo imaging studies for luciferase and analysis of luciferase activity in isolated organs, showed that Ad5/3(L) vectors efficiently transduced DSG2high tumors and liver but not normal epithelial tissues after intravenous injection. Ad5/3(S) showed minimal liver transduction, however it failed to transduce DSG2high tumors. Further modifications of the Ad5/3(S) capsid are required to compensate for the lower infectivity of Ad5/3(S) vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MYB transcription factor (TF) is one of the largest families of TFs in plants and play essential roles in plant growth and development, and is involved in responses to biological and abiotic stress. However, there are few reports on GsMYB7 gene in soybean under aluminum acid stress, and its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Results: The GsMYB7 protein is localized in the nucleus and has transcriptional activation ability. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that GsMYB7 held a constitutive expression pattern rich in roots. When AlCl3 concentration was 25 µM, the total root surface area (SA) of GsMYB7 transgenic lines were 34.97% higher than that of wild-type Huachun 6 (HC6). While the accumulation of Al3+ in root tip of transgenic plants after aluminum treatment was 17.39% lower than that of wild-type. RNA-sequencing analysis indicated that over 1181 genes were regulated by GsMYB7 and aluminum stress. Among all the regulated genes, the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase, protein kinase, cytochrome and other genes in the transgenic lines were significantly higher than those in wild type by acidic aluminum stress. The bioinformatics and qRT-PCR results showed that 9 candidate genes were induced under the treatments of acidic aluminum stress which were indirectly and/or directly regulated by GsMYB7. After AlCl3 treatments, the transcripts of these genes in GsMYB7 transgenic seedlings were significantly higher than those of wide-type HC6. Conclusions: The results suggested that GsMYB7 may enhance soybean tolerance to acidic aluminum stress by regulating the downstream genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic response analysis of subway underground structures only considers the impact of a single mainshock, ignoring the aftershocks, which may cause more serious secondary damage within a short time after strong earthquakes. To investigate the seismic performance of underground structures under sequential earthquakes and improve the understanding of aftershocks, we analyzed the dynamic response of subway station structures under mainshock–aftershock sequences. A typical two-story and three-span subway station was selected as the prototype, and a finite element model of a soil–underground structure interaction was established. Based on the basic concept of endurance time and design response spectrum of relevant seismic standards in China, an endurance time acceleration function was generated, and nine mainshock–aftershock sequences were constructed. Thereafter, the seismic responses of subway stations under the action of mainshock–aftershock sequences, such as lateral deformation characteristics and damage failure law, were discussed and analyzed. The results show that the endurance time method can be used as a new and efficient method to study the seismic performance of underground structures subjected to mainshock–aftershock sequences. The effects of aftershocks on the damage and lateral displacement of underground structures were preliminarily revealed. The structural deformation response of each layer varies greatly due to the different damage states of the mainshock. The maximum story drift θ of the structure increases with the increase of loading seismic intensity. From the perspective of seismic damage and relative deformation, the structural dynamic response, considering the effect of sequential earthquakes, is greater than that of the mainshock alone, which reflects the disadvantage of aftershocks in seismic design. The results provide a reference for seismic analysis and damage assessment of structures under sequential earthquakes. • Nine mainshock-aftershock sequences were constructed based on the basic concept of endurance time analysis. • The seismic responses of subway stations subjected to mainshock-aftershock sequences were discussed and analyzed. • The amplitude variation surface and contour line of θ max under different seismic intensities were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbe is an essential driver in regulating the biochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. In freshwater lake, microbial communities and functions are influenced by multiple factors, especially anthropogenic activities. Baiyangdian Lake consisted of various habitats, and was frequently interfered with human activities. In this study, 16 S rRNA sequencing and metagenomic sequencing were performed to characterize the microbial communities, determine keystone taxa and reveal dominated metabolic functions in typical habitats in Baiyangdian Lake. The results showed that the diversity of microbial community was significantly higher in sediment compared with corresponding water sample. Microbial community showed strong spatial heterogeneity in sediment, and temporal heterogeneity in water. As for different habitats, significantly higher alpha diversity was observed in ecotone, where the interference of human activities was relatively weak. The shared OTUs were distinguished from the keystone taxa, which indicated the uniqueness of microbiota in different ecological habitat. Moreover, the interactions of microbial in ecological restoration area (abandoned fish pond) were relatively simple, suggesting that this ecosystem was relatively fragile compared with others. Based on the metagenomic sequencing, we recognized that the canal, open water, and abandoned fish pond were beneficial for methanogenic and the ecotone might be a hot zone for the oxidation of methane. Notably, most of the microbes that participated in these predominant metabolisms were unclassified, which indicated the hug potential for exploring functional microorganisms in Baiyangdian Lake. This study provided a comprehensive understanding of the ecology characteristics of microbiota in habitats undergoing various human interference in Baiyangdian Lake. • Microbiota showed spatial and temporal heterogeneity in sediment and water, respectively. • Identified shared OTUs and keystone taxa were distinctly different. • Frequently human actives resulted a relatively unstable ecosystem. • The ecotone was probably the hot zones for denitrification and methane oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seawater partial pressure of carbon dioxide (p CO 2sw) from observational data and regional satellite products displays substantial spatial and seasonal variations within the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) owing to factors other than temperature, while global products show less subregional variability. • p CO 2sw climatology calculated from eight p CO 2sw data products closely resembles the SOCAT observations in the northern GOM. However, these products do not reflect true decadal trends. • The flux estimates from SOCAT data and eight products indicate that the northern GOM acts as a CO 2 sink, while the entire GOM is approximately CO 2 neutral. Quantifying air-sea carbon dioxide (CO 2) flux from observations is subject to uncertainties due to missing data, uneven data distribution, and a relatively short observation period in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Despite the publication of multiple seawater partial pressure of CO 2 (p CO 2sw) products, their reliabilities in the GOM have been relatively understudied. We compare the Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT) observation-based synthesis with eight regional and global machine-learning p CO 2sw data products in the GOM. SOCAT reveals significant spatial and seasonal variations in p CO 2sw in the GOM owing to complex local nonthermal (physical and biological) dynamics, particularly in the Louisiana Shelf (LAS) and Western Florida Shelf (WFS). The regional p CO 2sw data product outperforms the global products in capturing small-scale p CO 2sw variations. When averaging climatology across the entire northern GOM, the spatial heterogeneity of p CO 2sw and CO 2 flux resulting from local nonthermal processes tends to counterbalance across the entire GOM in all p CO 2sw data products. Consequently, the regional data product and the ensemble mean of seven global products yield p CO 2sw climatology that closely aligns with the SOCAT observations with a small difference (< ±3 µatm). During the overlapping period from 2003 to 2017 (15 years), the average flux from the eight products indicates that the entire GOM is CO 2 -neutral, with an ocean uptake flux of 0.08 ± 0.12 mol C/m2/yr or 1.50 ± 2.25 TgC/yr, which is about 0.6 % of the global coastal ocean CO 2 sink. Observations show that the p CO 2sw trend also exhibits notable spatial differences, with the river plume area acting as an increasing CO 2 sink and the WFS acting as an increasing CO 2 source. Due to limited observations and large spatiotemporal variations, the true values of the decadal trend still have large uncertainties in the highly dynamic river plume area. In most other subregions, p CO 2sw increases following atmospheric CO 2. Uncertainties persist across all p CO 2sw data products in simulating the decadal trend, given that the regional product displays essentially no trend (<0.5 µatm/yr), while the ensemble average of global products exhibits a trend that follows atmospheric p CO 2 (∼+2.0 µatm/yr). Our findings demonstrate that existing p CO 2sw data products effectively simulate the climatology of p CO 2sw in the GOM, providing valuable information for CO 2 flux quantification in the GOM. Future research should emphasize the development of p CO 2sw data products designed to accurately predict small-scale variations and temporal shifts, while also delving into the underlying dynamics responsible for these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light, strong, and elastic ceramics are of great interest for widespread engineering applications but it is always been a challenge to design and fabricate such materials for the conflict that lightweight structure usually requires high porosity while high porosity often leads to low strength. Here, we report a lightweight (90.9% porosity) and ultra‐strong SiC nanowires network (SiC NN) constructed by highly inter‐bonded nanowires in a layered distribution through a facile way. The resulting lamellar SiC NN (L‐SiC NN) exhibits a nearly complete compressive resilience from 20% strain while showing significantly high compressive stress (5.7 MPa). In particular, the L‐SiC NN shows high storage modulus (12.3 MPa), small damping ratio (0.046), frequency invariant from 20 to 100 Hz, and fatigue resistance up to 100 000 compression‐release cycles. In addition, the L‐SiC NN possesses high‐temperature stability up to 1100°C in air and low thermal conductivity of 0.121 W m‐1 k‐1. These integrated features make the L‐SiC NN an attractive substitute for thermal insulators and mechanical energy storage in a harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While SARS-CoV2 vaccines have shown an unprecedented success, the ongoing emergence of new variants and necessity to adjust vaccines justify the development of alternative prophylaxis and therapy approaches. Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy using a secreted CoV2 decoy receptor protein (sACE2-Ig) would involve a one-time intervention resulting in long-term protection against airway infection, viremia, and extrapulmonary symptoms. We recently developed a technically simple and portable in vivo hematopoietic HSC transduction approach that involves HSC mobilization from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood stream and the intravenous injection of an integrating, helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAd5/35++) vector system. Considering the abundance of erythrocytes, in this study, we directed sACE2-Ig expression to erythroid cells using strong β-globin transcriptional regulatory elements. We performed in vivo HSC transduction of CD46-transgenic mice with an HDAd-sACE2-Ig vector. Serum sACE2-Ig levels reached 500–1,300 ng/mL after in vivo selection. At 22 weeks, we used genetically modified HSCs from these mice to substitute the hematopoietic system in human ACE2-transgenic mice, thus creating a model that is susceptible to SARS-CoV2 infection. Upon challenge with a lethal dose of CoV2 (WA-1), sACE2-Ig expressed from erythroid cells of test mice diminishes infection sequelae. Treated mice lost significantly less weight, had less viremia, and displayed reduced cytokine production and lung pathology. The second objective of this study was to assess the safety of in vivo HSC transduction and long-term sACE2-Ig expression in a rhesus macaque. With appropriate cytokine prophylaxis, intravenous injection of HDAd-sACE2-Ig into the mobilized animal was well tolerated. In vivo transduced HSCs preferentially localized to and survived in the spleen. sACE2-Ig expressed from erythroid cells did not affect erythropoiesis and the function of erythrocytes. While these pilot studies are promising, the antiviral efficacy of the approach has to be improved, for example, by using of decoy receptors with enhanced neutralizing capacity and/or expression of multiple antiviral effector proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that protein homeostasis, also designated as proteostasis, is causatively linked to chronic diabetic nephropathy (DN). Experimental studies have demonstrated that the insulin signaling in podocytes maintain the homeostatic unfolded protein response (UPR). Insulin signaling via the insulin receptor non-canonically activates the spliced X-box binding protein-1 (sXBP1), a highly conserved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transcription factor, which regulates the expression of genes that control proteostasis. Defective insulin signaling in mouse models of diabetes or the genetic disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in podocytes propagates hyperglycemia induced maladaptive UPR and DN. Insulin resistance in podocytes specifically promotes activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) dependent pathogenic UPR. Akin to insulin, recent studies have identified that the cytoprotective effect of anticoagulant serine protease-activated protein C (aPC) in DN is mediated by sXBP1. In mouse models of DN, treatment with chemical chaperones that improve protein folding provides an additional benefit on top of currently used ACE inhibitors. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that transmute renal cell specific adaptive responses and that deteriorate renal function in diabetes will enable researchers to develop new therapeutic regimens for DN. Within this review, we focus on the current understanding of homeostatic mechanisms by which UPR is regulated in DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti 3 AlC 2 /2024Al composites with a co-continuous structure were successfully fabricated from 2024Al powders and Ti 3 AlC 2 porous preforms (with porosity of 48%, 41% and 35%, respectively) by pressureless infiltration at 930 °C. Long-rod like Al 3 Ti was in situ formed due to reaction of Ti atoms de-intercalated from Ti 3 AlC 2 and liquid 2024Al, which interpenetrated with Ti 3 AlC 2 to form a new continuous framework. The mechanical properties in relationship with the initially different volume fractions of Ti 3 AlC 2 and 2024Al at room temperature and high temperature were investigated. At room temperature, 59 vol%Ti 3 AlC 2 /2024Al has the best comprehensive mechanical properties, with the flexural strength of 510 MPa, compressive strength of 729 MPa, and compressive strain of 5.49%. Due to the co-continuous structure and the excellent high temperature of Al 3 Ti, all samples exhibit well mechanical properties at 300 °C. Among them, 52 vol%Ti 3 AlC 2 /2024Al has the best performance with the ultimate compressive strength of 532 MPa, which is only 18.7% lower than room temperature. And even at 400 °C,it still has an objective compression strength of 394 MPa due to the highest content of Al 3 Ti. In addition, after quenching from 400 °C to room temperature, the residual flexural strength of 52 vol%Ti 3 AlC 2 /2024Al can be reached to 450 MPa with the mere reduction rate of 7.4%. And no cracks are observed at the boundary of each phase, which means the good thermal shock resistance of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiOC as an alternative silicon-based material possesses great potential in lithium ion batteries due to its high reversible capacity, tunable chemical component and various synthetic route. However, large-scale production of SiOC powders grinded from SiOC bulks is restricted in commercial application because of the poor electrical conductivity. Herein, three dimensional (3D) lamellar SiOC@C/rGO composite is fabricated through hydrothermal reaction and electrostatic self-assembly process, in which SiOC powders encapsulated by amorphous carbon layers are homogeneously dispersed in graphene sheets. C free nanoclusters in SiOC, carbon layers on SiOC surface and graphene supporters in the composite establish the multidimensional interconnected conductive architecture and possess favorable interfacial adhesion. Therefore, SiOC@C/rGO exhibits high specific capacity (676 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1) and remarkable rate capability (306.4 mAh g−1 at 4000 mA g−1). The full cell assembled with this anode and LiFePO 4 cathode also demonstrates stable voltage platform and good performance for 200 cycles. The excellent performance of SiOC@C/rGO profits from the synergistic effect of robust construction, multidimensional conductive architecture and chemical. The proposed strategy can also be developed to prepare other materials with graphene layer to enhance their electrical conductivity for commercial application. [Display omitted] • SiOC@C/rGO was fabricated through electrostatic self-assembly process. • Electrostatic repulsion between SiOC@C and GO was eliminated using a surfactant. • 3D conductive architecture was constructed by C free in SiOC, C layer and graphene. • Evenly dispersed SiOC and increased oxygen-rich SiOC units improved the capacity. • SiOC@C/rGO exhibits good electrochemical performance in both half and full-cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Biochar-based atomic Fe catalyst was prepared via co-pyrolysis strategy. • Fe-pyridinic N 4 was obtained by co-pyrolyzing biochar and SOFs with Fe-N 3 moiety. • Fe-MCA@SS/PMS system could effectively remove 94.5 % aniline within 5 min. • Mediated electron transfer via [Fe-N 4 /PMS]* mainly accounted for aniline removal. Pollution of groundwater by electron-rich refractory organic pollutants (e-ROPs) is detrimental to ecological integrity and human health. Biochar (BC)-based single-atom Fe catalysts (Fe–SACs) triggering nonradical peroxymonosulfate (PMS) process has shown great potential in addressing this problem. Nevertheless, the successful formation and precise regulation of active sites on BC remain formidable challenges. Herein, co-pyrolysis of BC derived from shrimp shells and N-containing supramolecular organic frameworks with a hexagonal cavity structure of Fe3+–N 3 (Fe–SOFs) was, for the first time, used to prepare an efficient and inexpensive BC-based Fe–SAC (Fe–MCA@SS). The Fe–N bond was successfully grafted from Fe–SOFs onto BC and subsequently transformed into monoatomic Fe–pyridinic N 4. Moreover, Fe–MCA@SS successfully triggered an efficient nonradical PMS process, degrading 94.5 % of aniline (AN) within 5 min. Mediated electron transfer (MET) mechanism was primarily responsible for AN removal. MET was attributed to the following factors: the synergistic effect of the stronger chemical adsorption of PMS with an Fe atom in Fe–pyridinic N 4 active sites, the higher redox potential of [Fe–MCA@SS/PMS]*, and the value of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of AN being larger than the value of highest occupied molecular orbital of [Fe–MCA@SS/PMS]*. This study sheds new light on the preparation of BC-based SACs catalyst with efficient nonradical oxidation ability and an excellent feasibility to remove electron-rich organic pollutants in groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a broad range of industrial, service, and household electric vehicles, dynamic charging is a viable option for energy replenishing that could reduce the size of the onboard energy storage, remove range limitations, and increase operating time. For these systems, timely detection of an approaching vehicle and the detection of strong coupling conditions between transmitter and receiver coils are of prime interest. A novel method is proposed in this article, which utilizes the existing embedded transmitter coil and power electronics modules to establish a precise detection system based on the power footprint of a traveling receiver. Next, a control algorithm is proposed to control charger activation and deactivation time accurately and deliver the required energy during the maximum coupling of the coils. The proposed sigmoid-curve-based control algorithm achieves a robust, speed-independent, smooth transition between two states while providing fast dynamics for aligned and misaligned conditions. Finally, a novel approach to test high-speed dynamic charging in laboratory conditions based on the receiver emulator is developed and used for experimental validation. The vehicle detection and control techniques have been validated through simulations and experimentally on a speed-controlled dynamic charging test station for a wide speed range. The proposed method does not require any additional hardware, sensing devices, or high-speed communication between the vehicle and the charging infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-temperature thermal barrier coating (TBC) materials are desired for the development of high-efficient gas turbines and diesel engines. Herein, to meet up with this requirement, a new class of high-entropy fluorite-type oxides (HEFOs) has been synthesized via a solid-state reaction method. Comparing to La 2 Ce 2 O 7 , a promising TBC material, the HEFOs exhibit similar high thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) of 11.92×10−6∼12.11×10−6 K-1 at temperatures above 673 K but a better TEC matching performance at the temperature range of 473–673 K. It is also found that through tuning the average A-site cation radius, the TEC of the HEFOs could be tailored efficiently. The HEFOs also possess low thermal conductivities of 1.52-1.55 W∙m-1∙K-1 at room temperature, which is much lower than that of La 2 Ce 2 O 7 and comparable to pyrochlores as Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7. Moreover, the HEFOs display good sintering resistance and phase stability even at temperatures as high as 1873 K. The combination of these fascinating properties makes the HEFOs good candidates for thermal barrier coating and thermal insulating materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of molecules and molecular pathways that can ameliorate aging-associated decline in cognitive function is crucial. Here we report that the protein levels of transcription factor EB (TFEB) were markedly reduced in both the cytosolic and nuclear fractions of the frontal cortex and hippocampus at 18-months of age relative to 6 months in the normal male wild-type mice. In the transgenic mice with ectopic expression of flag-TFEB in neurons, we observed that the levels of actin-normalized PGC1α and mtTFA were significantly increased in both the cortex and the hippocampus. Additionally, we confirmed increased mitochondria numbers in the flag-TFEB mice by transmission electron microscopy. Most importantly, TFEB expression in the 18-month-old transgenic mice mitigated markers of senescence including P16INK4a, γ-H2AX, and lamin B1, and improved memory skills implying that TFEB may exert an anti-aging effect by modulating neuronal senescence. Taken together these data strongly support that TFEB can be a useful therapeutic target for brain senescent cells to help overcome the age-related issues in cognition and possibly, achieve healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-temperature mechanical and dielectric properties of Si 2 N 2 O ceramics are often limited by the introduction of a sintering aid. Herein, dense Si 2 N 2 O was prepared at 1700 °C by hot-pressing oxidized amorphous Si 3 N 4 powder without sintering additives. A homogeneous network with short-range order and a SiN 3 O structure was formed in the oxidized amorphous Si 3 N 4 powder during the hot-pressing process. Si 2 N 2 O crystals preferentially nucleated at positions within the SiN 3 O structure and grew into rod-like and plate-like grains. Fully dense ceramics with mainly crystalline Si 2 N 2 O and some residual amorphous phases were obtained. The as-prepared Si 2 N 2 O possessed a good flexural strength of 311 ± 14.9 MPa at 1400 °C, oxidation resistance at 1500 °C, and a low dielectric loss tangent of less than 5 × 10−3 at 1000 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, this paper reports a facile method to prepare electrospun carbon nanofiber mats (ECNFMs) with high specific surface area and interconnected structure using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as a precursor and novolac resin (NOC) as a polymer sacrificial pore‐making agent. Without additional treatment, the prepared ECNFMs have a highly porous structure because NOC decomposes in a wider temperature range than most polymer activators. The NOC content in the PAN nanofibers shows important effects on porosity. The BET specific surface area of ECNFMs reaches a maximum of 1468 m2 g−1 when the precursor nanofibers contained 30 wt% NOC (ECNFM‐3) after carbonization at 1000 °C. The supercapacitor device from ECNFM‐3 electrode and all‐solid‐state electrolyte shows excellent cycling durability and high specific capacitance: ≈99.72% capacitance retention after 10 000 charge/discharge cycles and ≈320 mF cm−2 at 0.25 mA cm−2. Furthermore, it shows a large energy density of ≈11.1 μWh cm−2 under the power density of 500 mW m−2. Activation of carbon nanofibers simply by the addition of NOC into precursor nanofibers can offer a handy way to prepare ECNFMs for high‐performance all‐solid‐state supercapacitors and other potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lagoon sediments had higher ARG pollution levels as compared to pristine sediments. • Heavy metals posed indirect negative effects on the lagoon sediment ARG profiles. • Horizontal gene transfer determined the absolute abundance of sediment ARGs. • Vertical gene transfer affected the composition of sediment ARG communities. • Deterministic and stochastic processes drove sediment ARG community assembly. Rapid urbanization has resulted in pervasive occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban aquatic ecosystems. However, limited information is available concerning the ARG profiles and the forces responsible for their assembly in urban landscape lagoon systems. Here, we employed high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) to characterize the spatial variations of ARGs in surface and core sediments of Yundang Lagoon, China. The results indicated that the average richness and absolute abundance of ARGs were 11 and 53 times higher in the lagoon sediments as compared to pristine reference Tibetan lake sediments, highlighting the role of anthropogenic activities in ARG pollution. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that various anaerobic prokaryotic genera belonging to Alpha-, Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes and Synergistetes were the potential hosts of ARGs. The partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) analysis revealed positive and negative indirect effects of physicochemical factors and heavy metals on the lagoon ARG profiles, via biotic factors, respectively. The horizontal (mediated by mobile genetic elements) and vertical (mediated by prokaryotic communities) gene transfer may directly contribute the most to drive the abundance and composition of ARGs, respectively. Furthermore, the neutral community model demonstrated that the assembly of sediment ARG communities was jointly governed by deterministic and stochastic processes. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the diversity and distribution of ARGs in the benthic habitat of urban lagoon systems and underlying mechanisms for the spread and proliferation of ARGs. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital heart disease (CHD) seriously affects children’s health and quality of life, and early detection of CHD can reduce its impact on children’s health. Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) are two types of CHD that have similarities in echocardiography. However, TOF has worse diagnosis and higher morality than VSD. Accurate differentiation between VSD and TOF is highly important for administrative property treatment and improving affected factors’ diagnoses.TOF and VSD were differentiated using convolutional neural network (CNN) models that classified fetal echocardiography images.We collected 105 fetal echocardiography images of TOF and 96 images of VSD. Four CNN models, namely, VGG19, ResNet50, NTS-Net, and the weakly supervised data augmentation network (WSDAN), were used to differentiate the two congenital heart diseases. The performance of these four models was compared based on sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, and AUC. VGG19 and ResNet50 performed similarly, with AUCs of 0.799 and 0.802, respectively. A superior performance was observed with NTS-Net and WSDAN specific for fine-grained image categorization tasks, with AUCs of 0.823 and 0.873, respectively. WSDAN had the best performance among all models tested. WSDAN exhibited the best performance in differentiating between TOF and VSD and is worthy of further clinical popularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of exploring the precursors of TiC/Ti composite, Cr 2 AlC was innovatively used as the precursor in this study. Based on the formation of TiC in pure Ti matrix during hot-pressing sintering, Al and Cr elements changed the microstructure of matrix to form TiC/(α + β)-Ti composite, and the reaction mechanism of Cr 2 AlC-Ti system in the sintering process was discussed in detail. During the cooling process, Cr element retained β-Ti to room temperature, and the uniformly distributed TiC was used as the nucleation site of α-Ti. By controlling the content of Cr 2 AlC added, the microstructure of the composite was regulated. In 10 vol% Cr 2 AlC/Ti composite, the α-Ti extend form the boundary of TiC to all sides, forming a microstructure of quasi-continuous network structure covering equiaxed β-Ti, which exhibited the optimal strength with ultimate tensile strength of 1184 MPa. The interface analysis shown that there is good interface bonding at TiC/α-Ti, which made the whole frame have good load transfer. And there were stacking faults at the TiC/β-Ti interface, meaning the obvious CTE mismatch strengthening at it. • There is an intermediate product Cr 7 C 3 in the reaction between Cr 2 AlC and Ti. • The (α + β)-Ti microstructure is formed under the action of TiC particles and Cr elements. • The interface orientation relationship between TiC and Ti matrix was investigated. • The mian strengthening mechanisms were disscussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) was frequently detected in wastewater treatment plants and leads to potential toxicity to the related biological processes. In this study, the effect of benzalkonium bromide (BK) on anaerobic sludge fermentation process for short chain fatty acid (SCFAs) production was investigated. Batch experiments indicated that BK exposure significantly enhanced the SCFAs production from anaerobic fermentation sludge and the maximum concentration of total SCFAs increased from 474.40 ± 12.35 mg/L to 916.42 ± 20.35 mg/L with BK increasing from 0 to 8.69 mg/g VSS. Mechanism exploration exhibited that the presence of BK enhanced much more bioavailable organic matters release, little affected on hydrolysis, acidification, but seriously inhibited methanogenesis. Microbial community investigation revealed that BK exposure importantly enhanced the relative abundances of hydrolytic-acidifying bacteria and also improved the metabolic pathways and functional genes for sludge lysis. This work further supplement the information for environmental toxicity of emerging pollutants. [Display omitted] • BK exposure promoted SCFAs production, particularly acetate. • BK significantly promoted soluble microbial by-products. • BK impacted microbial community structure and gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Free standing SiOC/N doped C fibers synthesized through electrospun. • N dopants in C fibers enhance the electronic conductivity and Li active sites. • SiOC/N doped C fibers exhibit high discharge capacity and rate capability. • Flexible films electrode actuates a LED light and an electronic watch. Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) as a prospective electrode material for next-generation lithium ion batteries (LIBs) was restricted by the unsatisfactory discharge capacity and inflexibility used in flexible and wearable electronics. Herein, freestanding flexible SiOC/nitrogen-doped carbon fiber films are constructed through electrospinning process followed by carbonizing in NH 3 atmosphere. In this way, SiOC particles are tightly embedded in N-doped carbon fibers, forming a 3D conductive network to promote electron transport and faster reaction kinetics. The nitrogen dopants create more defects in carbon fibers matrix, which improve the electronic conductivity and electrochemical active sites of the electrodes. Owing to the above synergistic effect, SiOC/nitrogen-doped carbon fiber electrodes exhibit a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 73 % and a reversible remaining capacity of 595 mA h g−1 at 200 mA g−1 even after 200 cycles. The electrodes with good flexibility can successfully drive a light-emitting diode even when the package battery is bended to 180°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese herbal formula Heshouwu decoction (Heshouwuyin) has protective effects on testicular function in aging male rats, but the mechanism is unknown. This study investigated whether Heshouwuyin affects the testicular function of aging rats by regulating the insulin/IGF signalling pathway. Sixteen-month-old male Wistar rats in the Heshouwuyin group and the natural-aging group were orally administered Heshouwuyin granules (0.056 g/kg) or equivalent normal saline for 60 d. The testicular tissue of 12-month-old male Wistar rats was removed as a young control group (n = 10). The testicular tissue and spermatogenic cells were studied. The immunofluorescence results revealed that the insulin receptor (INSR)- (0.056 ± 0.00548), insulin receptor substrate 1(IRS1)- (0.251 ± 0.031), IRS2 (0.230 ± 0.019)- and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1)-positive cell rate (0.33 ± 0.04) in the aging group was higher than that in the young control group (0.116 ± 0.011, 0.401 ± 0.0256, 0.427 ± 0.031, 0.56 ± 0.031; p < 0.01), and the IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3)-positive cell rate (0.42 ± 0.024) was lower than that (0.06 ± 0.027) in the young group (p < 0.01). The intervention of Heshouwuyin reversed the above phenomena. The qPCR and immunoblot results were consistent with those of the immunofluorescence. The same results were obtained in spermatogenic cells. Our research shows that Heshouwuyin can regulate the insulin/IGF signalling pathway to improve testicular function, and provides an experimental basis for further clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of photomineralization on the carbon cycle in a eutrophic, semiarid estuary (Baffin Bay, Texas) was investigated using closed‐system incubations. Photochemical production rate of dissolved inorganic carbon ranged from 0.16 to 0.68 μM hr−1, with a daily removal of 0.3∼1.5% of the standing stock of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The photomineralization rate was negatively correlated with chlorophyll a concentration, suggesting that plankton‐derived DOC was less photoreactive to solar radiation. The stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C∼ −18.6‰) of degraded DOC, as calculated using the DIC "Keeling" plot, further indicated high photochemical lability of 13C‐enriched DOC in this semiarid environment. Our finding showed that photomineralization of 13C‐enriched DOC is an important component of carbon cycle in this system, and this process does not necessarily remove 13C‐depleted organic carbon as observed in other coastal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal energy storage technology plays a crucial role in the thermal management system. Clay based organic phase change material has considerable advantages in the application of thermal energy storage due to low cost and high energy storage capacity. However, the low thermal conductivity of clay, especially poor interfacial thermal transfer, limits its thermal energy storage efficiency. Herein, stearic acid/reduced graphene oxide modified montmorillonite composites (SA/RGO‐MMT) were prepared by the vacuum impregnation of stearic acid into graphene modified montmorillonite matrix, which was obtained via the in situ reduction of graphene oxide on the surface of montmorillonite. Stearic acid is assembled in the porous structures of RGO‐MMT with the physical interactions. SA/RGO‐MMT possesses high melting enthalpy of 159 J/g, low extent of supercooling of 1.4 °C and excellent thermal reliability after 100 thermal cycling. Energy storage and release rates of SA/RGO‐MMT were significantly improved due to the enhanced interfacial thermal transfer by graphene. Therefore, SA/RGO‐MMT is a promising form‐stable phase change material for applications in solar heat storage fields. The strategy in this study highlights the importance of enhancing interfacial thermal transfer for the efficient thermal energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide nanowires (SiCNWs) have attracted increasing attention due to their excellent properties and wide range of potential applications. SiCNWs covered with oxide layer, which can be simply prepared by thermal oxidation, show a number of fascinating functional prospects. However, the oxidation mechanism of the SiCNWs is barely explored. Here we studied oxidation of SiCNWs at 300–1500 K by using the reactive molecular dynamics simulations with ReaxFF potential. The temperature-dependent oxidation processes and the obtained structures were discussed in detail. The results reveal that self-limiting oxidation of the SiCNWs can switch from the rate-determining step of chemical reaction at the interface to diffusion limited oxidation after a definite time. In addition, the SiC|C|SiO x core-shell structure was proved to be formed during the oxidation from a theoretical view. A saturation emit mechanism was proposed to explain why the C-rich layer is too thin to be detected. DFT calculations were employed to study electronic structure of the core-shell structures, indicating the SiO 2 layer apparently narrows band gaps of the SiCNWs, and the accumulated C at the interface could offset conduction band and valence band, resulting in instability problem during application of the SiCNWs. Unlabelled Image • SiC|C|SiO x core-shell structure can be obtained through thermal oxidation of SiCNWs. • A saturation emit mechanism is proposed to account for generation of C-rich layer. • SiO 2 layer narrows the band gaps of the SiCNWs matrix. • Accumulated C at the interface could offset the CB and VB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montmorillonite@MoS 2 /CdS composite materials (Mt@MoS 2 /CdS) were successfully prepared through one-step hydrothermal growth of MoS 2 nanosheets/CdS nanoparticles heterostructures on the surface of montmorillonite. The photocatalytic activity of samples was evaluated by degradation of organic dye Rhodamine B, and the ratio of MoS 2 and CdS was optimized. The microstructure and morphology characterization indicates that MoS 2 nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles are assembled on the surface of montmorillonite with the interface interaction, which have smaller size and higher dispersibility in composites. Mt@MoS 2 /CdS composites have large special surface area, high visible light absorption and low recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Mt@MoS 2 /CdS-7 exhibits the highest adsorption rate and photocatalytic activity, and the overall removal rate of RhB was up to 98.8% after visible light irradiation for 45 min. The special structure of montmorillonite and MoS 2 /CdS heterostructures could enhance visible light photocatalytic activity of composites through a synergistic effect, and the possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism was explored. The Mt@MoS 2 /CdS composites show prospective application for photocatalytic degradation of organic dye in wastewater under visible light irradiation. Montmorillonite@MoS 2 /CdS composite materials (Mt@MoS 2 /CdS) were successfully prepared through one-step hydrothermal growth of MoS 2 nanosheets/CdS nanoparticles heterostructures on the surface of montmorillonite Unlabelled Image • Mt@MoS 2 /CdS was successfully prepared through facile one-step hydrothermal method. • MoS 2 nanosheets/CdS nanoparticles heterostructures were assembled on Mt surface. • Mt@MoS 2 /CdS-7 exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity in optimized proportion. • Mt and heterostructures could enhance synergistically the photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The chloroplast genome (cp genome) is directly related to the study and analysis of molecular phylogeny and evolution of plants in the phylogenomics era. The cp genome, whereas, is highly plastic and exists as a heterogeneous mixture of sizes and physical conformations. It is advantageous to purify/enrich the circular chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) to reduce sequence complexity in cp genome research. Large-insert, ordered DNA libraries are more practical for genomics research than conventional, unordered ones. From this, a technique of constructing the ordered BAC library with the goal-insert cpDNA fragment is developed in this paper. Results: This novel in-situ-process technique will efficiently extract circular cpDNA from crops and construct a high-quality cpDNA library. The protocol combines the in-situ chloroplast lysis for the high-purity circular cpDNA with the in-situ substitute/ligation for the high-quality cpDNA library. Individually, a series of original buffers/solutions and optimized procedures for chloroplast lysis in-situ is different than bacterial lysis in-situ; the in-situ substitute/ligation that reacts on the MCE membrane is suitable for constructing the goal-insert, ordered cpDNA library while preventing the large-insert cpDNA fragment breakage. The goal-insert, ordered cpDNA library is arrayed on the microtiter plate by three colonies with the definite cpDNA fragment that are homologous-corresponds to the whole circular cpDNA of the chloroplast. Conclusion: The novel in-situ-process technique amply furtherance of research in genome-wide functional analysis and characterization of chloroplasts, such as genome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, cloning, physical mapping, molecular phylogeny and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tefluthrin is one of widely used chiral pyrethroid pesticides. The potential enantioselective risk posed by tefluthrin to the aquatic ecosystem is still unclear. In this study, the toxicity differences and corresponding mechanism of tefluthrin on zebrafish were investigated at the enantiomeric level. The results indicated that two tefluthrin enantiomers showed different acute toxicity, developmental toxicity and oxidative stress to zebrafish. The acute toxicity of (1 R ,3 R)-tefluthrin was 130–176 fold as that of (1 S ,3 S)-tefluthrin on zebrafish embryos, larvae and adults. (1 R ,3 R)-Tefluthrin presented approximately 10, 3 and 2 times inhibition effect on the deformity rate, hatching rate and spontaneous movements on embryos as that of (1 S ,3 S)-tefluthrin. Meanwhile, (1 R ,3 R)-tefluthrin caused stronger oxidative stress on zebrafish embryo than (1 S ,3 S)-tefluthrin. The molecular docking results revealed that there were stereospecific binding affinities between tefluthrin enantimers and sodium channel protein (Na v 1.6), which may lead to acute toxicity differences. Transcriptome analysis showed that the two tefluthrin enantiomers markedly disturbed differential embryonic genes expression, thereby potentially causing the chronic enantioselective toxicity. The findings of the study reveal the toxicity differences and potential mechanism of tefluthrin enantiomers on zebrafish. These results also provides a foundation for a systematic evaluation of tefluthrin at enantiomer level. [Display omitted] • The acute toxicity of (1 R ,3 R)-tefluthrin to zebrafish is 130–176 times that of (1 S ,3 S)-tefluthrin. • (1 R ,3 R)-Tefluthrin has stronger developmental toxicity to zebrafish than (1 S ,3 S)-tefluthrin. • (1 R ,3 R)-Tefluthrin caused stronger oxidative stress on zebrafish embryo than (1 S ,3 S)-tefluthrin. • (1 R ,3 R)-Tefluthrin markedly disturbed embryonic genes expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High CaO addition inhibited 60% H 2 S production from waste activated sludge. • Organic matters were destroyed the hydrogen bonding networks by CaO addition. • CaO addition reduced hydrolysis microorganism and sulfate reducing bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) production from waste activated sludge (WAS) is the main reason for odor emission during anaerobic fermentation system. CaO has been reported to effectively improve the resources recovery of WAS, but its potential effect on H 2 S production in anaerobic fermentation process remains unrecognized. In present study, it was found that the addition of 60 mg/g VSS CaO greatly inhibited H 2 S production and the maximum yield of H 2 S was 60.1 ± 1.8% lower than the control. Mechanism investigation demonstrated that CaO destroyed sludge structure and increased the release of intracellular organic matter with hydrogen bonding networks destroying, but had a mild effect on the transformation of sulfur containing organic matters and inorganic sulfate reduction. Additionally, the enhancement in H + and S2− consumption by alkaline condition and metal ions release was another reason for the inhibition of H 2 S production in CaO addition reactors. Furthermore, microbial analysis showed that CaO addition importantly reduced the hydrolysis microorganism, particularly denitrification hydrolytic bacterias (e.g., unclassified_f_Chitinophagaceae and Dechloromonas), sulfate reducing bacterias (SRBs) (e.g., unclassified_c_Deltaproteobacteria and Desulfosarcina) and genes (e.g., PepD, cysN/D, CysH/C and Sir) involved in organic sulfur hydrolysis and sulfate reduction. Results from this study provides theoretical insights into the practical applications of CaO. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence and death rate of cervical cancer rank fourth among female malignant tumors worldwide. A growing number of researches are devoted to exploring more effective treatment methods and cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be a potential therapeutic target in cervical cancer. In our study, we focused on the expression and function of UCHL1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC). We detected and the expression of UCHL1 in 134 CESC patients through immunohistochemistry and further confirm UCHL1 was a prognostic factor by univariate and multivariate analysis. Then, according to TCGA database for CESC, we found that UCHL1 expression correlated with the markers associated with CSCs (CD133, ABCG2 and SOX2). Therefore, we used western blot and spheroid formation assays to future evaluate the function of UCHL1 on cancer stemness in C-33A and SiHa cell lines. At the same time, we detected the cell proliferation, migration and invasion change by CCK-8 assay, scratch assay and transwell assay, when UCHL1 was knockdown or overexpressed. Finally, xenograft models were used to examine the effect of UCHL1 in vivo. We found the expression of UCHL1 in mRNA and protein was higher in tumor than in paired normal tissue and was a prognostic factor in CESC. The UCHL1 high expression group showed a shorter survival in the overall survival. According to TCGA database, the expression of UCHL1 was correlated with CD133, ABCG2 and SOX2. The results of sphere-forming ability and CSCs related markers expression were showed UCHL1 promoted cancer stemness in CESC. Similarly, CCK-8 assay, scratch assay and transwell assay were applied to demonstrate that overexpression of UCHL1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion in SiHa, but when UCHL1 was knockdown in C-33A, the function of UCHL1 displayed the opposite result. Finally, knockdown UCHL1 inhibited CESC tumor propagation in xenograft models. Our results suggest that UCHL1 is a prognostic factor and correlated with cancer stemness, proliferation, migration and invasion of CESC, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for CESC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A double-layer γ-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 /Y 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 glass coating on porous Si 3 N 4 ceramic was fabricated by melt-infiltration/sintering (MIS) method, and its thermal shock behavior was investigated by rapid quenching thermal shock tests and transient finite element simulation method. Coupling effects of coating microstructure and mechanical properties on the thermal shock behavior were discussed. Results show that thickness of the bonding layer and Young's modulus of the surface layer play a decisive role in thermal stress during the thermal shock process. The coating with lower Young's modulus and thicker bonding layer shows better comprehensive performance. Highlights • Thermal shock resistance of double-layer γ-Y2Si2O7 /Y-Al-Si-O glass coatings were investigated. • Coupling effects of coating microstructure and mechanical properties on the thermal shock behavior were discussed. • High thermal shock resistance requires the coating has lower Young's modulus and thicker bonding layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power converters used for undersea applications utilize dc current distribution instead of dc voltage distribution due to the long distance from the shore and cable series impedance. Power converter modules employed in such scenarios use a constant current as a source of input power with several modules connected in series. Series-resonant converters (SRCs), which are used in each module, behave differently when driven by a constant-current input in comparison to the conventional case with a constant-voltage input. The differences in the behavior and design of such SRCs have not been thoroughly studied in the literature. In this paper, detailed steady-state analysis is presented to show the findings, and a design procedure is proposed for regulating the output current of an SRC topology with its input connected to a constant-current source. Constraints on the selection of resonant tank components and operating frequency are satisfied, while regulating the output current over the desired load range. The proposed design also considers variations of the component values accounting for the changes due to tolerances as well as aging. A design example for supplying power to an undersea observation system and hardware validation results are provided for a 400 kHz 450 W SRC with a constant input current of 1 A and an output current of 330 mA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we prepared porous silicon oxynitride (Si2N2O) ceramics by reaction sintering of SiO2 and Si3N4 using five different rare‐earth oxides (RE2O3, RE = Lu, Yb, Y, Sm, and La) as sintering aids. The influences of RE2O3 on the formation, densification, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Si2N2O ceramics have been investigated in detail. The results have indicated that with the increase in RE ionic radius, the formation temperature of Si2N2O decreases, and the densification process could be promoted by RE2O3 with larger RE3+ ionic radius. In addition, microstructures and mechanical properties are highly dependent on the RE2O3 additives. With the increase in RE3+ ionic radius, Si2N2O changes from platelike crystals to elongated crystals. The samples doped with La2O3 and Sm2O3 with elongated crystals exhibit higher flexural strength and higher Vickers hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrics with spontaneous one-way water transport property have received much attention in scientific and industrial communities in the recent years. However, limited knowledge is available about how to control and adjust directional water transport capacity on fabrics. In this study, we have prepared one-way water transport fabrics using three plain-woven cotton fabrics, which have different pore sizes, as substrates. An electrospray technique was employed to deposit hydrophobic coating on one side of the fabrics. One-way water transport property was attained when the coating thickness was in the range of 9.0–23.9 μm. The fabric pore size was found to be a critical factor deciding the maximum one-way water transport capacity that can be achieved on the fabric. With the same coating thickness, the fabric with smaller pores showed larger one-way transport capacity. These novel results may be useful for designing high performance one-way water transport fabrics for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pumped storage technology has become the most important energy storage technology in industry today. The instabilities of pump-turbines as key parts of pumped storage power plants have become critical issues in development of pump storage technology. High-amplitude pressure fluctuations are one of such instabilities. In this study, unsteady numerical simulations were carried out in the pump mode of a pump-turbine at using the shear stress transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model. Performance characteristics agree well with experimental data. Unsteady characteristics of typical operating points were obtained. The results show that there are high-amplitude pressure fluctuations at the partial operating points. The frequency characteristics and the propagation law of an at-large partial operating point (0.74 Q BEP ) were determined using time and frequency domain analysis methods (bispectrum, coherence) in combination with the flow field. The analysis results reveal that high-amplitude pressure fluctuations at point 0.74 Q BEP result from the rotation of Dean Vortices in the draft tube. Due to the rotation of the Dean Vortices, the blocking intensity of the two regions in the guide vane and the stay vane passages are periodically changed at a frequency 0.58 f n , which results in a shock phenomenon in the guide/stay vanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The JCF is designed through a one-side deposition followed by in-situ polymerization. • JCF-60 possessed a good vapor generation rate and photothermal conversion efficiency. • JCF shows great potential in solar-driven water evaporation applications. Herein, a Janus cotton fabric (JCF) with polypyrrole (PPy) layer was prepared through one-side ultrasonic atomization deposition followed by the in-situ polymerization. The PPy layer was robust on the fabric and showed excellent light absorbance ability (∼99%). And the JCF with 60 min one-side deposition (JCF-60) showed good photothermal conversion ability with the vapor generation rate of 1.45 kg m−2h−1 and the photothermal conversion efficiency of 91.0% in dyed water purification. It can be expected to large scale applications in solar-driven water evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Love shell theory and equivalent single layer theory, a new method is proposed in this paper to analyze the dynamic response of honeycomb sandwich pipe under the action of moving pressure. The results of displacement response under two boundary conditions are within 3.5% error range with the FEM results. The theoretical model takes into account the effect of thickness, and the calculation results are more accurate compared with the FSDT method, which can be used for both thin-walled and thick-walled pipes. By analyzing the effects of honeycomb structure parameters and pipe dimensions on the critical velocity and displacement response of honeycomb sandwich pipe, theoretical guidance is provided for the design of new pipeline structures. • A novel mathematical procedure has been presented to study the vibrational behaviour of a composite cylindrical shell consisting of elastic-isotropic skin and a zero Poisson's ratio cellular core under moving pressure. • The equations of motion have been extracted based on the classical shell theory and Hamilton's principle. • A detailed parametric study was carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the geometric parameters and material properties of the honeycomb core to the natural frequency, critical velocity and displacement response of the sandwiched cylindrical shell. • The research of this paper provides theoretical guidance for the structural design of new honeycomb pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to explore the effects of perioperative exercise on cardiorespiratory endurance in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) in plateau areas after surgical repair. Fifty children with CHD in the plateau admitted to our hospital were randomly divided into the exercise and control groups. The exercise group received a perioperative exercise intervention beginning within 24 h postoperatively, while the control group received routine nursing and treatment alone. To assess the 6 min walk distance (6MWD) at baseline and at end of intervention, children participated in a 6-min walk test before cardiac repair and at 1 week after general ward transfer. A subset of children in the study underwent the cardiopulmonary exercise test pre-operatively. The 6MWD of children with CHD at baseline was positively correlated with the peak oxygen uptake pre-operatively. No significant difference was reported in the preoperative baseline data of both groups. The 6MWD of the exercise group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Early exercise therapy after cardiac repair could significantly improve the cardiorespiratory endurance and exercise capacity of children with CHD in plateau areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]