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The combustion behavior of various propellant samples, including double-base propellants, pressed nitramine powders, and modified double-base propellants containing nitramine, was examined using OH-PLIF technology. The combustion process took place within a combustion chamber, and images capturing the flame at the moment of stable combustion were selected for further analysis. The distribution and production rate of OH radicals in both the double-base propellant and the nitramine-modified double-base propellant were simulated using Chemkin-17.0 software. The outcomes from both the experimental and simulation studies revealed that the concentration of OH radicals increased with a higher content of NG in the double-base propellant. In the modified double-base propellant containing RDX, the OH radical concentration decreased as the RDX content increased, with these tendencies of change aligning closely with the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins widely accumulate in the vegetative and reproductive tissues of strawberries and play an important role in stress resistance and fruit quality. Compared with other fruits, little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry vegetative tissues. In this study, we revealed an R2R3–MYB transcription factor, FaMYB10-like (FaMYB10L), which positively regulated anthocyanin accumulation and was induced by light in the petiole and runner of cultivated strawberry. FaMYB10L is a homologue of FveMYB10-like and a nuclear localization protein. Transient overexpression of FaMYB10L in a white fruit strawberry variety (myb10 mutant) rescued fruit pigmentation, and further qR–PCR analysis revealed that FaMYB10L upregulated the expression levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes and transport gene. A dual luciferase assay showed that FaMYB10L could activate the anthocyanin transport gene FaRAP. Anthocyanin accumulation was observed in FaMYB10L-overexpressing strawberry calli, and light treatment enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling indicated that the DEGs involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and induced by light were enriched in FaMYB10L-overexpressing strawberry calli. In addition, yeast two-hybrid assays and luciferase complementation assays indicated that FaMYB10L could interact with bHLH3. These findings enriched the light-involved regulatory network of anthocyanin metabolism in cultivated strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the octupole shape with rotation in pear-shaped nuclei is a topic of broad interest. Based on the cranking covariant density functional theory in 3D lattice space, a shell-model-like approach is implemented to take into account the pairing correlations, and applied for the interleaved positive- and negative-parity bands in 2 2 4 Th. The experimental I − ω relations are well reproduced. It is found that the octupole deformation of yrast states in 2 2 4 Th rises slightly and then declines with increasing spin. After the band crossing, the octupole deformation suddenly disappears, i.e., a sharp transition from an octupole shape to a nearly spherical shape takes place at high spins. This is explained by the evolution of the coupling strength between the proton i 1 3 ∕ 2 and f 7 ∕ 2 orbitals with spin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing multispecies submerged vegetation systems and maintaining stable seasonal succession is crucial for restoring shallow eutrophic lakes. However, little is known about the interactions between successional and existing species of different growth forms, particularly under the low light and high nutrient conditions of eutrophic lakes. We measured the functional traits of mature Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara plants and Potamogeton crispus L. shoots in monoculture and mosaic patterns under different light and nutrient conditions. The effect of light on functional traits of the submerged macrophyte species was more significant than that of nutrients, but the reverse was true for P. crispus biomass allocation. Moreover, interspecific interactions affected only the submerged macrophytes under the low light condition and varied with species. Specifically, the interaction of P. crispus to V. natans was biased towards competition, while the interaction of V. natans to P. crispus was converted from facilitation to competition by eutrophication, particularly in the homogenous mosaic growth pattern. This study demonstrates that sufficient light is a prerequisite and patch planting is an effective means to form a multispecies submerged vegetation system. In addition, we emphasize that the coexistence of eutrophication and low light will likely result in a competition between submerged macrophytes thus simplifying the vegetation, even if their growth forms and growing seasons are different. These findings help explain the collapse of multispecies submerged vegetation and guide the restoration of aquatic plants in eutrophic lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbooks use images, in addition to text, for delivering knowledge, thereby convey attitudes and values of students including those on gender bias. The gender bias presented in textbook images affects in subtle ways the students' learning outcomes, career choices, and how they perceive science. However, prior research has relied on explicit information presented by textbook images of several subjects to investigate gender representation, overlooking the implicit meaning behind images with a very limited attention to science textbooks. Therefore, this study uses the social semiotic framework to analyse the implicit meaning that images convey related to gender representation in Chinese and Egyptian science textbooks. Specifically, four (two for each country) science textbooks of grade nine were coded and analysed. The findings revealed that gender gap still exists in the images of both Chinese and Egyptian science textbooks. Specifically, females were less represented in the textbook images compared to males, and their role was mostly a caring role. Notably, unlike the Chinese females and the common gender stereotype, Egyptian females were represented in a more active and powerful way compared to males. The findings of this study could help in better designing science textbook images to reduce gender bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MYB and BBX transcription factors play important roles in flavonoid biosynthesis. Here, we obtained transgenic woodland strawberry with stable overexpression of FaMYB5, demonstrating that FaMYB5 can increase anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin content in roots, stems and leaves of woodland strawberry. In addition, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays and yeast two-hybridization demonstrated that the N-terminal (1-99aa) of FaBBX24 interacts with FaMYB5. Transient co-expression of FaBBX24 and FaMYB5 in cultivated strawberry 'Xiaobai' showed that co-expression strongly promoted the expression of F3′H, 4CL-2, TT12, AHA10 and ANR and then increased the content of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin in strawberry fruits. We also determined that FaBBX24 is also a positive regulator of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in strawberry. The results reveal a novel mechanism by which the FaMYB5–FaBBX24 module collaboratively regulates anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin in strawberry fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) is an essential strategy used by plants to deploy broad‐spectrum resistance against pathogen attacks. Heterotrimeric G proteins have been reported to contribute to PTI. Of the three non‐canonical EXTRA‐LARGE G PROTEINs (XLGs) in Arabidopsis thaliana, XLG2 and XLG3 were shown to positively regulate immunity, but XLG1 was not considered to function in defense, based on the analysis of a weak xlg1 allele. In this study, we characterized the xlg1 xlg2 xlg3 triple knockout mutants generated from an xlg1 knockout allele. The strong xlg1 xlg2 xlg3 triple mutants compromised pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP)‐triggered activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and resistance to pathogen infection. The three XLGs interacted with MAPK cascade proteins involved in defense signaling, including the MAPK kinase kinases MAPKKK3 and MAPKKK5, the MAPK kinases MKK4 and MKK5, and the MAPKs MPK3 and MPK6. Expressing a constitutively active form of MKK4 restored MAPK activation and partially recovered the compromised disease resistance seen in the strong xlg1 xlg2 xlg3 triple mutant. Furthermore, mutations of all three XLGs largely restored the phenotype of the autoimmunity mutant bak1‐interacting receptor‐like kinase 1. Our study reveals that all three XLGs function redundantly in PAMP‐triggered MAPK activation and plant immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to other vaccines, the inherent properties of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and their interaction with lipid nanoparticles make them considerably unstable throughout their life cycles, impacting their effectiveness and global accessibility. It is imperative to improve mRNA vaccine stability and investigate the factors influencing stability. Since mRNA structure, excipients, lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems, and manufacturing processes are the primary factors affecting mRNA vaccine stability, optimizing mRNA structure and screening excipients can effectively improve mRNA vaccine stability. Moreover, improving manufacturing processes could also prepare thermally stable mRNA vaccines with safety and efficacy. Here, we review the regulatory guidance associated with mRNA vaccine stability, summarize key factors affecting mRNA vaccine stability, and propose a possible research path to improve mRNA vaccine stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel method for the preparation of high-entropy oxides (HEO) was successfully developed using multivariate composition layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as precursor. Thermal treatment over 600 °C led to the complete transformation of LDHs to single spinel phase HEOs. The performance of the obtained HEO catalysts in the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was studied with the catalytic oxidation of toluene as the probe reaction. The optimized HEO-600 catalyst showed impressive activity and stability over toluene catalytic oxidation, which resulted from the vast quantity of surface oxygen vacancies and the relative variable metal valence. The T50 and T90 values of HEO-600 were 246 and 254 °C, and the T90 value only presented a slight increase to 265 °C after a 10-cycle test. This work developed a simple way to obtain HEO materials and provide technical support for the application of HEO catalysts for VOCs removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful surgery on drug-resistant epilepsy patients (DRE) needs precise localization of the seizure onset zone (SOZ). Previous studies analyzing this issue still face limitations, such as inadequate analysis of features, low sensitivity and limited generality. Our study proposed an innovative and effective SOZ localization method based on multiple epileptogenic biomarkers (spike and HFOs), and analysis of single-contact (MEBM-SC) to address the above problems. We extracted contacts epileptic features from signal distributions and signal energy based on machine learning and end-to-end deep learning. Among them, a normalized pathological ripple rate was designed to reduce the disturbance of physiological ripple and enhance the performance of SOZ localization. Then, a feature selection algorithm based on Shapley value and hypothetical testing (ShapHT+) was used to limit interference from irrelevant features. Moreover, an attention mechanism and a focal loss algorithm were used on the classifier to learn significant features and overcome the unbalance of SOZ/nSOZ contacts. Finally, we provided an SOZ prediction and visualization on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten patients with DRE were selected to verify our method. The experiment performed cross-validation and revealed that MEBM-SC obtains higher sensitivity. Additionally, the spike has better sensitivity while HFOs have better specificity, and the combination of these biomarkers can achieve the best performance. The study confirmed that MEBM-SC can increase the sensitivity and accuracy of SOZ localization and help clinicians to perform a precise and reliable preoperative evaluation based on interictal SEEG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular combing technology (MCT) is an effective means for stretching DNA molecules and making them thus accessible for in situ studies. MCT uses the force exerted in the process of liquid flow via surface tension to stretch DNA molecules and spread them on solid surfaces, i.e. glass cover slips. Many DNA molecules can be stretched at the same time in parallel and neatly arranged side-by-side, making the approach convenient for statistical analysis. Accordingly, DNA replication and transcription can be studied at the single molecule level. In this paper, the principle, experimental methods, important applications, advantages and shortcuts of MCT in medical field are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an intercity bus, respiratory infectious diseases put passengers at high risk of getting infected by the droplets exhaled by an infected person, and the risk increases when exposed to more droplets. Here, to quickly determine the concentration distribution of droplets, to predict the infection risks in a closed space, and to enhance the reliability of the conventional steady-state particle tracking method for predicting the trajectory of droplets released by coughing or sneezing, an improved steady-state particle tracking method is proposed. In it, the momentum of released droplets previously ignored in the conventional steady-state particle tracking method was specifically incorporated using experimental data. Then, the improved method was combined with a random walk model and applied to investigate all possible trajectories of droplets released by different passengers inside a bus. Consequently, the concentration distribution of droplets was obtained from the trajectory information. Finally, the Wells–Riley equation was used to predict the infection risk of every passenger based on the evaluated number of droplets inhaled per passenger. The results show that the improved steady-state tracking method performs more accurately at predicting the concentration field of droplets and associated infection risk than the conventional steady-state particle tracking method. Furthermore, the relative cost of the improved steady-state tracking method is just 1% of the transient calculation method currently considered the most accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3−BiScO3−PbTiO3 (BZT−BS−PT) high Curie temperature piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized by the conventional solid‐state reaction method. Systematical investigations on the sintering, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties of the piezoceramics have been conducted. It was found that the sintering temperature could be remarkably depressed by varying the compositions in BZT−BS−PT systems. For composition of 11BZT−34BS−55PT ceramic, the sintering temperature is even lowered down to 750°C without any extra additions of sintering aids. Meanwhile, the ceramic sintered at this ultralow temperature presents dense microstructure with relative density up to 97%, as well as optimal properties of piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 336 pC/N and Curie temperature of 415°C. The mechanism of low sintering temperature may be ascribed to the low melting point bismuth‐based components in BZT−BS−PT solid solutions. Furthermore, 11BZT−34BS−55PT multilayer ceramics have been co‐fired at 750°C with Ag internal electrodes. The dense structures, low cost, and optimal comprehensive properties of the co‐fired multilayers illustrate obvious advantages of the ultralow sintering temperature in LTCC devices, implying promising applications of this Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3−BiScO3−PbTiO3 high Curie temperature ternary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mucilage surrounding hydrated Arabidopsis thaliana seeds is a specialized extracellular matrix composed mainly of the pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I). Although, several genes responsible for RG-I biosynthesis have been identified, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms controlling RG-I production remain largely unknown. Here we report that the trihelix transcription factor DE1 BINDING FACTOR 1 (DF1) is a key regulator of mucilage RG-I biosynthesis. RG-I biosynthesis is significantly reduced in loss-of-function mutants of DF1. DF1 physically interacts with GLABRA2 (GL2) and both proteins transcriptionally regulate the expression of the RG-I biosynthesis genes MUCILAGE MODIFIED 4 (MUM4) and GALACTURONOSYLTRANSFERASE-LIKE5 (GATL5). Through chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR and transcriptional activation assays, we uncover a cooperative mechanism of the DF1–GL2 module in activating MUM4 and GATL5 expression, in which DF1 binds to the promoters of MUM4 and GATL5 through interacting with GL2 and facilitates the transcriptional activity of GL2. The expression of DF1 and GL2 is directly regulated by TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA2 (TTG2) and, in turn, DF1 directly represses the expression of TTG2. Taken together, our data reveal that the transcriptional regulation of mucilage RG-I biosynthesis involves a regulatory module, comprising DF1, GL2, and TTG2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants use pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to detect pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activate pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI). Precise regulation of information from PRRs to downstream signaling components is vital to mounting an appropriate immune response and requires dynamic interactions of these PTI components.We used transcriptome profiling, phenotypic analysis, molecular genetics, and protein–protein interaction analysis to understand the roles of the Arabidopsis plant U‐box (PUB) proteins PUB2 and PUB4 in disease resistance and PTI signaling.Loss of function of both PUB2 and PUB4 diminishes the PAMP‐triggered oxidative bursts and dampens mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling, resulting in a severe compromise in resistance to not only pathogenic but also nonpathogenic strains of Pseudomonas syringae. Within PUB4, the E3 ligase activity is dispensable, but the armadillo repeat region is essential and sufficient for its function in immunity. PUB2 and PUB4 interact with PTI signaling components, including FLS2, BIK1, PBL27, and RbohD, and enhance FLS2‐BIK1 and BIK1‐RbohD interactions.Our study reveals that PUB2 and PUB4 are critical components of plant immunity and connect PTI components to positively regulate defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), as an elemental composition analysis technique, has many unique advantages and great potential for applications in water detection. However, the quality of LIBS spectral signals, such as signal-to-noise ratio and stability, is often poor due to the matrix effects of water, limiting its practical performance. To effectively remove the inherent weak radiation in experimental spectral data that can be easily mistaken for noise, this paper proposes a denoising algorithm for processing spectral data using a self-built blank sample spectral database of deionized water samples, and designs a complete data processing workflow. It includes steps such as blank sample data screening, internal standard correction, blank sample correction, and spectral smoothing. Against the backdrop of marine applications, experimental spectral data for target elements Na, Mg, Ca, K, Sr, and Li were processed with this algorithm. The results show that after algorithm processing, the spectral quality was significantly improved, with the signal-to-noise ratio and detection limits of various elements improved by at least one order of magnitude. The signal-for Li increased by up to 36 times, and the detection limit for K decreased by up to 25.2 times. Additionally, tiny spectral peaks that could not be observable in the original spectral data could be effectively extracted after processing. From a technical implementation perspective, the database establishment and data process are simple and practical, with universal applicability. Therefore, this method has good potential and wide foregrounds in many other water sample LIBS detection technologies. [Display omitted] • Use blank sample removal method for noise reduction in LIBS spectral preprocessing. • The noise reduction effect is significant. Compared with the original spectra of six target elements, the spectral data processed by this algorithm shows significant noise reduction, achieving a SNR of up to 36 times. • This method effectively extracts small spectral peaks that cannot be detected in the original spectrum. • For multiple elements, the detection limit of all target elements can be increased by at least one order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During an airborne infectious disease outbreak, bus passengers can be easily infected by the dispersion of exhaled droplets from an infected passenger. Therefore, measures to control the transport of droplets are necessary, such as a mask or purifier. The current research examined aerosol transport in a bus with air-conditioning. To determine the dispersion path, deposition distribution, and droplet escape time, the computational fluid dynamics were used to predict the flow field and the dispersion of droplets considering the effects of droplet size, location of the infected person, and purifier type. In addition, based on the viability and the number of virus particles in a droplet, the total number of virus particles inhaled by passengers over a 4-h journey was obtained by the superposition method. The Wells–Riley equation was then used to assess the infection risk of the passengers in the bus cabin. The results showed that droplets with a size of 1–20 μm have essentially the same deposition characteristics, and the location of the infected passenger affects the distribution of droplets' transport and the effectiveness of a purifier in removing droplets. A purifier can effectively remove droplets from passengers' coughs and reduce the infection risk of passengers. The performance of the smaller purifiers is not as stable as that of the larger purifiers, and the performance is influenced by the airflow structure where the infected passenger is located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evaluation indexes based on driver's degree of participation and driving safety are established. • The weight allocation impact factors are analyzed in human-machine co-driving system. • A weight dynamic allocation model is proposed based on drivers' driving characteristics and states. • The human-machine co-driving system is improved by considering the change of controller parameters and external interference. To guarantee the best driving experience and status of the driver, further improve the driving safety of human–machine co-driving vehicles, reduce the conflict between the driver and controller, and weaken the impact of the driver's uncertain behaviours, a human–machine co-driving system with a dynamic weight allocation model is designed. First, a human–machine co-driving system is built with a fixed allocation coefficient. Evaluation indexes based on the degree of participation of the driver and driving safety are proposed. Subsequently, several important influencing factors affecting weight allocation are analysed, including driving characteristics, driving states, and changes in the controller parameters. The results show that the impact of these factors can be weakened by the designed system. However, a good driving experience of the driver cannot be guaranteed. In addition, a conflict between the driver and controller still exists. Next, a model of dynamic weight allocation considering the volatility of the driving characteristics and states of the driver is proposed. Further, the human–machine co-driving system is modified by considering the influence of changes in controller parameters and external interference. Finally, the validity of the designed model of dynamic weight allocation and the modified system were verified by simulation. The results show that the modified system could improve the driving experience and safety better than a system with a fixed allocation coefficient. In addition, the modified system has a better anti-interference ability and lower sensitivity to interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most lethal cancer. Effective treatments are lacking, and our knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms in play is poor. Oridonin from the Chinese herb Rabdosia rubescens exerts various anticancer activities. However, the dose-dependent effects of oridonin on human GC remain unclear. Here, we found that oridonin inhibited GC cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Low-dose oridonin induced GC cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and cell senescence by suppressing the c-Myc-AP4 pathway and enhancing p53-p21 signaling. AP4 overexpression partly abrogated the oridonin-induced senescence of GC cells. High-dose oridonin induced apoptosis and autophagy, with the autophagy inhibitor BafA1 attenuating oridonin-induced apoptosis. Together, the findings indicate that oridonin at different doses modulates GC cell senescence and apoptosis; oridonin may thus usefully treat GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disease, and abnormal blood lipid metabolism is an important risk factor. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and its receptor (TGF-ßR) can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors through the SMAD pathway-mediated immune response, thereby suppressing the progression of CAD. Endoglin (TGF-ßRIII), a TGF-ßR family homologous receptor protein, is directly involved in the immunoregulatory process, but the exact mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the pathophysiological effects of endoglin on the development of atherosclerosis and to explore the mechanism of the signalling pathway. Methods: We downloaded the GEO dataset to perform a functional analysis of SMAD family activity and TGF-ß receptor protein expression in the monocyte expression profiles of patients with familial hyperlipidaemia (FH). The effect of endoglin on endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis was examined by disrupting the endoglin gene in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and validated by western blotting. The related genes and pathways regulated by endoglin were obtained by analysing the sequencing data. Results: Research has shown that interference with endoglin can promote the proliferation and migration and significantly inhibit the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. Interference with endoglin particularly encourages the expression of VEGFB in vascular endothelial cells. Conclusion: The endoglin gene in vascular endothelial cells regulates the PI3K-Akt, Wnt, TNF, and cellular metabolism pathways by activating the SMAD pathway. RAB26, MR1, CCL2, SLC29A4, IBTK, VEGFB, and GOLGA8B play critical roles. Endoglin interacts closely with 11 proteins such as CCL2 and SEPRINE1, which participate in the vital pathway of plaque formation. Interference with endoglin can alter the course of coronary atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet's online information services can deliver high-quality services to the public while eliminating social alienation and virus transmission. From 2013 until the fourth quarter of 2020, China has had the highest number of Internet users in the world. Public access to information in the health care business in China is mostly through the Internet. In the healthcare business, high-quality information services are the fundamental obstacle because of their importance and effect on human lives. This article uses Chinese hospitals as a case study, covering assessment system development and empirical research. A total of 217 questionnaires were issued, 212 of which were valid, and the effective rate was 97.6 percent. The outcomes of the research show that the extensive epidemiological information services of the hospital website during an epidemic outbreak have a significant influence on the public's use of the hospital website. Secondly, high-quality epidemic-related information services are critical to enhancing website information services during outbreaks. Finally, in the epidemic, the high-quality service of the hospital's website has a greater impact on the worth of information in comparison to the content of information service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sortilin levels were elevated in the CSF of SAH patients and in a SAH rat model. • SAH caused neurocognitive deficits and elevated sortilin and ~100 kDa and 40 kDa products levels in brain in rats. • SAH did not induce overt alteration in sortilin labeling pattern in rat brain. • Sortilin may be a biomarker for early neuronal injury following SAH. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can cause acute neuronal injury and chronic neurocognitive deficits; biomarkers reflecting its associated neuronal injury are of potential prognostic value. Sortilin, a member of the vacuolar protein sorting 10p (Vps10p) family, is enriched in neurons and is likely involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we explored sortilin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a potential biomarker for early neuronal injury after SAH. Sortilin levels in the CSF of SAH patients (n = 11) and controls (n = 6) were analyzed by immunoblot. SAH rats surviving 3–72 h (h) were evaluated neurologically, with their brain and CSF samples examined histologically and biochemically. Sortilin protein ~100 kDa was detected in the CSF from SAH patients only, with its levels correlated to Hunt-Hess scale. Rats in the SAH groups showed poorer Garcia score and beam balancing capability than sham controls. Sortilin ~100 kDa was detectable in the CSF of the SAH, but not sham, animals. Levels of sortilin ~100 kDa and fragments ~40 kDa in cortical lysates were elevated in the SAH relative to control rats. Levels of cortical glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were also elevated in the SAH rats. In immunohistochemistry, the pattern of sortilin labeling in the brain was largely comparable between the SAH and control rats, whereas an increased astrocytic GFAP immunolabeling was evident in the former. Together, these results suggest that SAH can cause an early and remarkable rise of sortilin products in CSF, likely reflecting neuronal change. Sortilin could be further explored as a potential biomarker in some brain disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaked blood components, injured endothelial cells, local inflammatory response and vasospasm may converge to promote microthrombosis following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Previously, we showed that the milk fat globule–epidermal growth factor 8 (MFGE8) can mitigate SAH-induced microthrombosis. This present study was aimed to explore the molecular pathway participated in MFGE8-dependent protection on vascular endothelium. Immunofluorescence, immunoblot and behavioral tests were used to determine the molecular partner and signaling pathway mediating the effect of MFGE8 in vascular endothelium in rats with experimental SAH and controls, together with the applications of RNA silencing and pharmacological intervention methods. Relative to control, recombinant human MFGE8 (rhMFGE8) treatment increased 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeled new endothelial cells, reduced TUNUL-positive endothelial cells and elevated the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12), in the brains of SAH rats. These effects were reversed by MFGE8 RNA silencing, as well as following cilengitide and wortmannin intervention. These results suggest that MFGE8 promotes endothelial regeneration and mitigates endothelial DNA damage through the activation of the TIGβ5/PI3K/CXCL12 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new demodulation technique for polarization‐maintaining photonic crystal fiber pressure sensor with high resolution based on a simple photonic microwave filter has been proposed and demonstrated. Unlike the conventional methods that use optical interferometry and optical spectrum analysis, the proposed method adopts microwave photonics technique. The relationship between load and the notch frequency of the filter is studied. By measuring the notch frequency of the filter, the pressure can be determined and the sensing sensitivity is greatly increased. The sensitivity is as high as 15.625 MHz/N which satisfied well with the theoretical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life‐threatening medical condition with higher mortality and morbidity in elderly patients. Recently, metformin, a drug commonly used to lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes patients, has been shown to be an effective anti‐inflammatory agent in ALI. However, the mechanism of this regulation still remains poorly understood. In our study, we found that epithelial cell senescence was elevated after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in vivo and in vitro, accompanied by decreased expression of ATG5 and impaired autophagy activity. To further discover the molecular regulation mechanism between cellular senescence and autophagy in LPS‐treated MLE‐12 cells, we demonstrated that inhibition of ATG5 could decrease autophagy levels and promote the senescence of MLE‐12 cells. On the contrary, elevating the expression of ATG5 could effectively suppress LPS‐induced cellular senescence via enhancing autophagy activity. In addition, we demonstrated that metformin could protect MLE‐12 cells from LPS‐induced senescence via increasing the expression of ATG5 and augmenting autophagy activity. Our data implicate that activation of autophagy by metformin may provide a preventive and therapeutic strategy for ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the protective engineering field, close-range explosions produce more energy and are more likely to cause severe damage to building structures than long-range explosions. In current standards, close-range explosions are defined as an explosion with a scale distance of less than 1.2 m/kg1/3. Besides, the steel plate's dynamic response is critical, especially under the blast loads generated by different shapes of explosives. For cylindrical explosives most commonly used in military and engineering, this study carried out experimental and numerical simulation studies on steel plates under the close-range air blast loads generated by different H/D cylindrical explosives (0.5≤H/D≤3.0). First, close-range air blast load tests were performed to study the failure modes of steel plates at different scale distances. The height-to-bottom diameter H/D ratio was defined as the shape factor of cylindrical explosive, and the effect of H/D on the failure deformation and dynamic response of the steel plate was quantitatively studied. Finally, the characteristics of shock waves generated by cylindrical explosives with different H/D were analyzed to determine the influence of H/D on the spatial distribution of shock waves. The results showed that with the increase of H/D , the steel plate deformation and damage gradually decreased. When the scale distance was more significant than or equal to 0.38, there was no crack in the steel plate, and the residual deflection gradually reduced with the increase of H/D. Despite the different scale distances, the residual deflections showed similar trends with increasing H/D. When the scale distance was less than or equal to 0.30, the steel plate cracked, and the crack area gradually decreased with increased H/D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion AEPS combined with PD1 can suppresses tumor growth and extend survival of colorectal cancer-xenograft mice by regulating their immunofunction, and this therapy showed better therapeutic efficacy in treating colorectal cancer than single-agent treatments. Conclusion: AEPS and PD1 antibody-combination therapy can suppresses tumor growth and prolong survival of colorectal cancer-xenograft mice by regulating immunofunction, and the combined therapy showed better therapeutic efficacy than the single treatment. These results suggest that AEPS with PD1 combination therapy effectively suppressed tumor growth in colorectal cancer-xenograft mice, and showed better therapeutic efficacy than single treatment with PD1 or AEPS. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) 1 / 1 Figure 5 Combination of AEPS and PD1 antibody stimulated spleen T-cell proliferation and tumor CD8 + T-cell infiltration in colorectal cancer-xenograft mice. [Extracted from the article]

In this work, Fe2O3/rGO composites with high capacitive performance were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The morphological and structural characteristics of the synthesized material were obtained by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The three-electrode system was employed for investigating the electrochemical performance in 6 M aqueous electrolytic solution of KOH. The electrochemical data reveals that the Fe2O3/20%rGO shows as high as 171 F g − 1 specific capacitance at 1 A g − 1 discharge current density within the operated voltage window −0.9 V–0 V, which is 55% higher than that of the bare Fe2O3. After 1000 cycles, the capacity reservation was retained at 74%. The results indicate that the synthesized Fe2O3/rGO material could be a potential candidate for applications in an environmentally friendly commercial electrode. Fe2O3/rGO composites were synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal process. The electrochemical performance of Fe2O3/rGO composite with different amount of rGO was studied. The results indicate that the synthesized Fe2O3/rGO material could be a prospective candidate for energy storing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The current study sought to compare the effects of the addition of Qingshen granules to conventional Western medicine on immune function in patients with comorbid chronic renal failure and damp-heat syndrome and to explore the possible mechanisms responsible for any differences observed. Methods. Through a multicenter, randomized, controlled study, a total of 282 eligible patients were divided into experimental (n = 136) and control groups (n = 146). All of the patients were treated with conventional Western medical therapy. The experimental group also received Qingshen granules three times daily for 12 weeks. Clinical efficacy was observed in the two groups. Peripheral blood levels of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Th17 cells, nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) activity, serum interleukin-17 (IL-17), serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), fibronectin (FN), and type IV collagen (Col-IV) were detected in both groups. Results. The total clinical curative effective rate was significantly higher p < 0.05 in the experimental group (79.41%) than in the control group (67.12%). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio, Th17 cell level, NF-κB p65 activity, serum IL-17, IL-6, TNF-α, TRAF6, FN, and Col-IV between the experimental and control groups p > 0.05 ; however, all of the measures were significantly higher than those observed in a healthy comparison group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). After treatment, the above indexes in the experimental group were significantly lower than those before treatment (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Similarly, NF-κB p65 activity, serum IL-17, TNF-α, TRAF6, FN, and Col-IV in the control group were significantly lower than the levels observed prior to treatment (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01); however, while all of the other indexes were lower than those observed before treatment, the differences were not statistically significant p > 0.05 . Conclusion. Qingshen granules adjust immune dysfunction, improve immunity mediated inflammatory response, and attenuate renal fibrosis in patients with comorbid chronic renal failure and damp-heat syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high-power piezoelectric ceramics with superior piezoelectric properties and broad temperature usage ranges is vital for the thriving progress of electromechanical applications. However, achieving high piezoelectricity, high mechanical quality factor, and temperature stability often presents a trade-off. In this study, we present an advanced ceramic material with excellent high-power piezoelectric properties and superior temperature stability. The piezoelectric coefficient d 33 reaches 348 pC N−1, the electromechanical coupling factor k p is 54%, the mechanical quality factor Q m is 1501, the dielectric loss tanδ is 0.35%, and the d 33 variation is less than 10% within 25–210 °C in 0.05Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O 3 -0.05Pb(Mn 1/3 Sb 2/3)O 3 -0.9Pb 0.95 Sr 0.05 (Zr 0.48 Ti 0.52)O 3 ceramic. The excellent piezoelectricity is attributed to the enhancement of intrinsic ionic displacement and reversible domains wall motion because of symmetry-conforming short-range distribution of oxygen vacancy, while the high Q m is a result of increased domain size and oxygen vacancy. The outstanding temperature stability is related to the stable non-180°domains structure due to the oxygen vacancy pinning effect. These properties hold great potential for advanced applications, particularly for piezoelectric high-power applications requiring constant d 33 over a broad temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major hemicellulose component of plant cell walls, xylans play a determining role in maintaining the wall structure. However, the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of xylan biosynthesis remain largely unknown. Arabidopsis seed mucilage represents an ideal system for studying polysaccharide biosynthesis and modifications of plant cell walls. Here, we identify KNOTTED ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 7 (KNAT7) as a positive transcriptional regulator of xylan biosynthesis in seed mucilage. The xylan content was significantly reduced in the mucilage of the knat7-3 mutant and this was accompanied by significantly reduced expression of the xylan biosynthesis-related genes IRREGULAR XYLEM 14 (IRX14) and MUCILAGE MODIFIED 5 / MUCILAGE-RELATED 21 (MUM5 / MUCI21). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays, yeast one-hybrid assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation with quantitative PCR verified the direct binding of KNAT7 to the KNOTTED1 (KN1) binding site [KBS,TGACAG(G/C)T] in the promoters of IRX7 , IRX14 , and MUM5 / MUCI21 in vitro , in vivo , and in planta. Furthermore, KNAT7 directly activated the expression of IRX14 and MUM5/MUCI21 in transactivation assays in mesophyll protoplasts, and overexpression of IRX14 or MUM5 / MUCI21 in knat7-3 partially rescued the defects in mucilage adherence. Taken together, our results indicate that KNAT7 positively regulates xylan biosynthesis in seed-coat mucilage via direct activation of the expression of IRX14 and MUM5 / MUCI21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Shrub encroachment can alter litter decomposition in temperate graminoid-dominated wetlands, yet its influence on the direction of litter mixing effects is still elusive. Methods: We collected senesced aboveground tissues of two graminoid species (Deyeuxia angustifolia and Carex schmidtii) and leaf litter of two shrub species (Betula fruticosa and Salix floderusii) in a freshwater marsh of Northeast China, and measured litter mass loss dynamics in monocultures and shrub-graminoid mixtures (in mass ratios of 1:2 and 2:1) using a 730-day incubation experiment. Results: In the monocultures, shrub litter had greater mass loss than graminoid litter presumably due to the relatively higher N, and dissolved organic C and N concentrations. Additive effects were observed in all shrub-graminoid mixtures after 182 days of decomposition, while nonadditive effects gradually became more prominent as litter decomposition proceeded. Salix floderusii leaves usually promoted decomposition of neighboring graminoid litter, especially when S. floderusii dominated, leading to a synergistic effect on mass loss of the whole litter mixtures. However, the effects of B. fruticosa on decomposition of graminoid litter varied with incubation time, species composition and species proportion. At the end of incubation, synergistic effects were observed in B. fruticosa-D. angustifolia mixtures, while additive effects occurred in B. fruticosa-C. schmidtii mixtures. Conclusions: The effects of shrub expansion on the direction of litter mixing effects are dependent on incubation time, shrub species and dominant graminoid types in this freshwater marsh. These findings help to predict the consequence of altered species composition on community-level litter decomposition in temperate graminoid-dominated wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and electric properties of 5 mol. % LiNbO 3 doped x BiScO 3 –(95- x)PbTiO 3 (5LN– x BS–(95- x)PT, 26 ≤ x ≤ 41 mol. %) ceramics have been systematically investigated. The composition-, temperature- and electric-field-dependent phase transitions were established carefully by the temperature-dependent dielectric measurements. The results verified that the 5LN– x BS–(95- x)PT system transformed to nonergodic relaxors (NR) phase gradually from normal ferroelectrics (FE) phase with the addition of BiScO 3 contents. With the increase of temperature, ergodic relaxors (ER) phase was observed before the phase transition from FE and/or NR to paraelectrics (PE) phase. By comparing the dielectric responses of the ceramics before and after polarization, it was confirmed that the electric field could induce a phase transition from NR to FE while the ceramics were polarized, which was attributed to the growth of the dipole clusters and the permutation of the macroscopical ferroelectric order under the external electric field. The phase diagram of 5LN– x BS–(95- x)PT system was then built and the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between tetragonal and rhombohedral phase of the system was identified at 34 ≤ x ≤ 36. The optimal properties were found at the composition of 5LN–34BS–61PT ceramic with piezoelectric coefficient d 33 value of 514 pC/N, planar electromechanical coupling factor k p of 0.47, relative dielectric constant ε r of 2511, and remnant polarization P r of 37.4 μC/cm2. The displayed piezoelectric properties could provide alternative compositions with less lead contents comparing with the Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 based piezoceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In cold environments, flat plate solar collectors are of limited value because high heat losses lead to low efficiency. The integration of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet into flat plate collector is presented in this paper. The performance of this collector in cold weather was investigated using a three-dimension simulation model. A simplified experiment was conducted to verify the precision of numerical model and the simulation data can agree very well with practical ones. The effects of the thickness and location for PMMA sheet on the performance of collector efficiency following steady state were analyzed. The transmittance of transparent insulation material is the key parameter to achieve high performance for the collector. The optimum thickness of the transparent insulation material is 1 mm in simulated conditions and the best location of PMMA sheet was achieved. The result shows that the increase of the collector efficiency from the conventional collector is 11.3%, when reduced temperature difference is equal to 0.1 m2 °C/W and the ambient temperature is −20 °C. Highlights • A 3D model for new designed flat-plate solar collector was developed. • The performance of the new designed collector was simulated in cold weather conditions. • A parametric study was performed to optimize the system design. • The changes of natural convective for various collectors in the air gap were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This study investigates the effect of Qingshen Granules (QSG) on chronic renal failure patients and the HIF-1α/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Methods. Subjects were randomly divided into treatment and control groups, with 42 patients in each group. Participants in the treatment group received 10 g oral doses of QSG 3 times a day, for 12 weeks, whereas subjects in the control group were given a placebo. The effective rates of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom, serum creatinine (Scr), and estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as well as the serum levels of HIF-1α, Wnt1, β-catenin, α-SMA, and E-cadherin were evaluated. Results. Eighty patients completed the treatment program and two dropped out. After 12 weeks, the effective rates of TCM symptom and eGFR were found to be higher in the treatment group than in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P = 0.024 and 0.019, respectively). Meanwhile, lower levels of HIF-1α, Wnt1, β-catenin, α-SMA, and E-cadherin were detected in the treatment group, and the differences were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.001, P = 0.001, P ≤ 0.001, P ≤ 0.001, and P = 0.039). No adverse events occurred during the study. Conclusions. QSG can alleviate the clinical symptoms of chronic renal failure (CRF) and protect renal function in patients by influencing the HIF-1α/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The treatment exhibits no adverse effects and is thus safe to be used by humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In high concentrating photovoltaic systems, thermal regulation is of great importance to the conversion efficiency and the safety of solar cells. Direct‐contact liquid film cooling technique is an effective way of thermal regulation with low initial investment. Tilt of solar cells is common in concentrating solar systems. An evaluation of direct‐contact liquid film cooling technique behind tilted high concentration photovoltaics was performed using both experimental and computational approaches. In the experiment, deionized water was used as the coolant at the back of simulated solar cells. Solar cell inclination of 0° to 75° with inlet water flow rate of 100–300 L/hour and inlet temperature of 30°C to 75°C were experimentally investigated. A two‐dimensional model was developed using computational fluid dynamics technique and validated by experimental results. The effects of inclination on average temperature, temperature uniformity, and heat transfer coefficient were discovered in this paper. The results indicated that 20° is the optimum angle for liquid film cooling. In addition, optimum inlet width, temperature, and velocity for inclination over 30° are 0.75 mm, 75°C, and 0.855 m/s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Raman spectroscopy experiments on exfoliated α -RuCl 3 , from tens of nm thick down to single layers. Besides unexpectedly finding this material to be air stable, in the thinnest layers we observe the appearance with decreasing temperature of a symmetry-forbidden mode in crossed polarization, along with an anomalous broadening of a mode at 164 cm−1 that is known to couple to a continuum of magnetic excitations. This may be due to an enhancement of magnetic fluctuations and evidence for a distorted honeycomb lattice in single- and bilayer samples. • α-RuCl 3 , a layered candidate material to host the Kitaev quantum spin liquid, is exfoliated down to single- and few-layer flakes. • Raman spectroscopy is performed to study the evolution of structure with thickness and temperature. • A symmetry-forbidden mode appears in only the thinnest flakes at low temperature, evidencing a possible structural transformation. • Phonon width and energy of a mode sensitive to magnetic fluctuations shows a strong temperature dependence in contrast to bulk material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In high concentrating photovoltaic systems, thermal regulation is of great importance to the conversion efficiency and the safety of solar cells. Direct‐contact liquid film cooling technique is an effective way of thermal regulation with low initial investment. Tilt of solar cells is common in concentrating solar systems. An evaluation of direct‐contact liquid film cooling technique behind tilted high concentration photovoltaics was performed using both experimental and computational approaches. In the experiment, deionized water was used as the coolant at the back of simulated solar cells. Solar cell inclination of 0° to 75° with inlet water flow rate of 100–300 L/hour and inlet temperature of 30°C to 75°C were experimentally investigated. A two‐dimensional model was developed using computational fluid dynamics technique and validated by experimental results. The effects of inclination on average temperature, temperature uniformity, and heat transfer coefficient were discovered in this paper. The results indicated that 20° is the optimum angle for liquid film cooling. In addition, optimum inlet width, temperature, and velocity for inclination over 30° are 0.75 mm, 75°C, and 0.855 m/s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transparent insulation materials (TIM) can effectively improve the performance of flat plate solar collector in cold weather. A three dimension numerical model of flat plate collector with TIM has been developed in this paper. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have been used to simulate the model. The Renormalization-group (RNG) k - ε model and Discrete Ordinates (DO) radiation model were adopted. The influences of the environment conditions, mass flow rate, tilt angle and transmittance on the performance of the collector with TIM were analyzed. A good agreement was achieved between the CFD prediction and the previous experiment. The result shows that the collector with TIM is more efficient, when ambient temperature is low. For various wind speeds, the new collector's efficiency has a slightly change. The transmittance of TIM is a key parameter to achieve high performance for the collector. When the transmittance is below 80%, the collector with TIM has no the advantage of being good value. The optimum mass flow rate is 0.06 kg/s under corresponding conditions. The tilt angle of the collector with TIM has less effect compared with the conventional one. • Thermal performance of flat plate collector with TIM is studied by CFD method. • The influences of environmental conditions on performance of the collector with TIM are investigated. • The effects of the flow rate, transmittance of TIM and inclined angle on the collector efficiency are studied. • Optimum value of flow rate is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract 0.025LiNbO 3 (LN) modified 0.94Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -0.06BaTiO 3 (BNT-BT) ceramics with micrometer-size and nanometer-size grains have been prepared by conventional soild state sintering (CS) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes, respectively. Comparing with the CS sample, the SPS sample presents a smaller dielectric constant but a larger piezoelectric constant and a lower triggering electric field. At room temperature, the maximum strain of the SPS ceramic is up to 0.64% at 50 kV/cm electric field, the corresponding d * 33 reaches the maximum value of 1280 pm/V, which is much higher than that of the CS ceramic and also the ever reported lead-free polycrystalline ceramics. Morever, the strain hysteresis of the SPS ceramic is only 19.5%, while the ceramics prepared by CS process show a much larger strain hysteresis of 58.5%. Thus, the LN doped BNT-BT ceramics with nano grains can achieve maximum strain in designing high-precision devices and actuators with small hysteresis. Highlights • Nano-grain 0.975(0.94BNT-0.06BT)-0.025 LiNbO 3 ceramic was prepared by SPS. • A maximum strain of 0.64% at 50 kV/cm and a d 33 ∗ of 1280 pm/V were obtained. • Much lower strain hysteresis of only 19.5% was found in the nano-grain ceramic. • The improved piezoelectric performance is related to fine core-shell structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract FexC-900 (a) derived from MIL-53(Fe), and FexCN-650 (b) derived from NH 2 -MIL-53(Fe), activated PMS for acyclovir degradation. Highlights • The efficiency of Fe@porous carbon activating PMS was studied. • NH 2 -group improved the composition and morphology of Fe@porous carbon. • Obtained k ACV + S O 4 · - by radical quencher competition kinetics method was firstly reported. • Nitrogen in graphene layer in obtained N-doped Fe@carbon showed a positive role. • The mechanism of SR-AOP with Fe@porous carbon as catalyst is proposed. Abstract Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived metal@porous carbon showed good performance in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for refractory organic chemical degradation from aqueous. However, the effect of structure and physical-chemical properties of metal@porous carbon on PMS activation and its involved reaction mechanism were still unclear. Herein, Fe@porous carbon derived from MOF MIL-53(Fe) was used as target, to discuss the role of NH 2 -group incorporation on the development of structure and physical-chemical properties of obtained Fe@porous carbon, and reaction mechanism for PMS activation. The incorporation of NH 2 -group significantly decreased the synthesis temperature of Fe@porous carbon and increased the encapsulation of Fe0 in the porous carbon. Furthermore, the addition of nitrogen in porous carbon and rigid encapsulation structure reduced the defects of the Fe@porous carbon. These improvements of the structure and chemical properties were favored for enhancement of the catalytic activity and stability of the obtained Fe@porous carbon in the activation of PMS. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments indicated that SO 4 −, OH and 1O 2 were involved. The radical pathway involving SO 4 − and OH was the prevailing pathway while the nonradical pathway involving 1O 2 was the recessive pathway. Based on intermediate identification, the degradation pathway of acyclovir (ACV) was proposed as SO 4 − and OH derived process, and eight of intermediates were first reported. It was interesting to note that iron species, carbon structure, and nitrogen element in the catalysts derived from MIL-53(Fe) or NH 2 -MIL-53(Fe) clearly showed different role and reaction pathway. This work not only provided an efficient Fe@N-doped porous carbon for activation PMS to degrade refractory organic chemicals for water purification, but also suggested a valuable insight for the design of metal@porous carbon derived from MOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Atmospheric plate thermosyphon (APT) cooling solar cells was first proposed. • APT can reduce the temperature of PV panels without parasitic energy consumption. • The maximum temperature difference was less than 6 °C. • The heat transfer resistance at the evaporator is between 0.00486 and 0.02368 K/W. Abstract Since the heat pipe has no parasitic energy consumption, it is an important method for cooling the photovoltaic. In this paper, a novel type of atmospheric plate thermosyphon (APT) cooling system has been designed, which can be used for the heat dissipation of the single or low concentrated solar cells. In the experiments, the non-condensable gas (NCG) was collected by a gas reservoir. The coolant, ethanol, formed a liquid film on the porous medium and directly cooled the photovoltaic panel. The effect of various parameters such as heat flux density, tilt angle and inlet temperature have been studied. The results demonstrated that APT cooling system could effectively reduce the temperature of PV cells, and the higher heat flux density was, the shorter start-up time. The temperature of evaporator was uniform, and the larger inclined angle was, the greater surface temperature difference which maximumly was 5.6 °C. The thermal resistance at the evaporator was between 0.00486 and 0.02368 K/W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfate radical-based photo-Fenton (SR-photo-Fenton) reaction, assisted by visible light irradiation, was achieved by CuBi 2 O 4 and its composites with α-Bi 2 O 3 for refractory chemical degradation in aqueous solution. Herein, this catalyst was fabricated by a sol-gel method and the fabrication conditions, including calcination temperature and molar ratio of Cu/Bi, were optimized according to the crystal phase composition, catalytic activity and toxic copper ion leaching. The optimal calcination temperature was 500 °C and molar ratio of Bi to Cu was 2.0. The catalyst containing CuBi 2 O 4 and α-Bi 2 O 3 showed a higher density of surface OH which might be the key surface active site than pure CuBi 2 O 4 . The influence of initial solution pH, PMS concentration, catalyst dosage and catalyst reuse on rhodamine B (RhB) degradation was investigated. Importantly, calcination at 500 °C reverted the catalytic activity of catalyst. Results of electron paramagnetic resonance, competitive radical experiments and surface chemical property characterization demonstrated that the reaction mechanism of this novel SR-photo-Fenton reaction is a combination of interface and solution reactions. In the interface reaction, the transfer of photogenerated electron/hole pairs drives the decomposition of PMS to produce SO 4 − and OH. Furthermore, the cycling of Cu(I)/Cu(II) facilitated effective PMS activation to generate free radical that was responsible for the degradation of RhB. The second order reaction rate constant between RhB and SO 4 − was determined to be 0.595–6.436 × 10 10  M −1  S −1 based on the chemical reaction kinetics of radical, which was a first and important report for SO 4 − chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dissolved N 2 O of algae accumulation areas showed supersaturation with strong release potential. • Eutrophic lake was an N 2 O emission source with the highest flux in algae decay areas. • N 2 O produced via microbial effects and water-gas exchanges were affected by N 2 O reduction. • Algae decomposition increased the N 2 O proportion produced via denitrification. • Excessive algae accumulation on the water surface reduced its facilitating effect on N 2 O emissions. It is generally accepted that eutrophic lakes significantly contribute to nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions. However, how these emissions are affected by the formation, disappearance, and mechanisms of algal blooms in these lakes has not been systematically investigated. This study examined and determined the relative contribution of spatiotemporal N 2 O production pathways in hypereutrophic Lake Taihu. Synchronously, the multi-impacts of algae on N 2 O production and release potential were measured in the field and in microcosms using isotope ratios of oxygen (δ18O) and bulk nitrogen (δ15N) to N 2 O and to intramolecular 15N site preference (SP). Results showed that N 2 O production in Lake Taihu was derived from microbial effects (nitrification and incomplete denitrification) and water air exchanges. N 2 O production was also affected by the N 2 O reduction process. The mean dissolved N 2 O concentrations in the water column during the pre-outbreak, outbreak, and decay stages of algae accumulation were almost the same (0.05 μmol·L–1), which was 2–10 times higher than in lake areas algae was not accumulating. However, except for the central lake area, all surveyed areas (with and without accumulated algae) displayed strong release potential and acted as the emission source because of dissolved N 2 O supersaturation in the water column. The mean N 2 O release fluxes during the pre-outbreak, outbreak, and decay stages of algae accumulation areas were 17.95, 26.36, and 79.32 μmol·m–2·d–1, respectively, which were 2.0–7.5 times higher than the values in the non-algae accumulation areas. In addition, the decay and decomposition of algae released large amounts of nutrients and changed the physiochemical properties of the water column. Additionally, the increased algae biomass promoted N 2 O release and improved the proportion of N 2 O produced via denitrification process to being 9.8–20.4% microbial-derived N 2 O. This proportion became higher when the N 2 O consumption during denitrification was considered as evidenced by isotopic data. However, when the algae biomass was excessive in hypereutrophic state, the algae decomposition also consumed a large amount of oxygen, thus limiting the N 2 O production due to complete denitrification as well as due to the limited substrate supply of nitrate by nitrification in hypoxic or anoxic conditions. Further, the excessive algae accumulation on the water surface reduced N 2 O release fluxes via hindering the migration of the dissolved N 2 O into the atmosphere. These findings provide a new perspective and understanding for accurately evaluating N 2 O release fluxes driven by algae processes in eutrophic lakes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of plant disease is determined by interactions among host, pathogen, and environment. Air humidity shapes various aspects of plant physiology and high humidity has long been known to promote numerous phyllosphere diseases. However, the molecular basis of how high humidity interferes with plant immunity to favor disease has remained elusive. Here we show that high humidity is associated with an "immuno‐compromised" status in Arabidopsis plants. Furthermore, accumulation and signaling of salicylic acid (SA), an important defense hormone, are significantly inhibited under high humidity. NPR1, an SA receptor and central transcriptional co‐activator of SA‐responsive genes, is less ubiquitinated and displays a lower promoter binding affinity under high humidity. The cellular ubiquitination machinery, particularly the Cullin 3‐based E3 ubiquitin ligase mediating NPR1 protein ubiquitination, is downregulated under high humidity. Importantly, under low humidity the Cullin 3a/b mutant plants phenocopy the low SA gene expression and disease susceptibility that is normally observed under high humidity. Our study uncovers a mechanism by which high humidity dampens a major plant defense pathway and provides new insights into the long‐observed air humidity influence on diseases. Synopsis: Many plant diseases are more severe when air humidity is high; however, the effect of air humidity on host plant biology remains obscure. This report shows that, in very humid conditions, key salicylic acid‐mediated plant defenses are suppressed, making plants more vulnerable to infection. High humidity triggers a range of plant physiological responses.Investigating the effects of high humidity on individual plant immune pathways revealed a significant suppression of salicylic acid (SA) accumulation and signaling.Cellular ubiquitination pathways are suppressed in high humidity, including the ubiquitination and activity of the SA receptor NPR1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A virtual evaluation method that computational fluid dynamics combines with a mathematical model was proposed to compute the temperature distribution and final power output of an onboard automotive thermoelectric generator (ATEG), which was configured for an off-road vehicle called Mengshi. A road test was conducted to validate the accuracy and reliability of the virtual evaluation method. The output power and voltage of the ATEG in the road test showed that the virtual evaluation method exhibited satisfactory accuracy in predicting the performance of the ATEG and could provide effective guidance for the design of the ATEG. Furthermore, dimpled surfaces were introduced to replace the inserted fins in the conventional hot heat exchanger to reduce the pressure drop but maintain the temperature difference between the hot and cold end of the ATEG. Computational results showed that, compared with the ATEG with inserted fins, the pressure drop in the ATEG with dimpled surface was reduced by 20.57%, and the net power output was increased by 173.60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoferroelectric materials show great promise for developing alternative photovoltaics and photovoltaic-type non-volatile memories. However, the localized nature of the d orbital and large bandgap of most natural photoferroelectric materials lead to low electron/hole mobility and limit the realization of technologically practical devices. Antimony sulpho-iodide (SbSI) is a photoferroelectric material which is expected to have high electron/hole mobility in the ferroelectric state due to its non-local band dispersion and narrow bandgap. However, SbSI exhibits the paraelectric state close to room temperature. In this report, as a proof of concept, we explore the possibility to stabilize the SbSI ferroelectric phase above room temperature via mechanical strain engineering. We synthesized thin low-dimensional crystals of SbSI by chemical vapor deposition, confirmed its crystal structure with electron diffraction, studied its optical properties via photoluminescence spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, and probed its phase transition using temperature-dependent steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy. We found that introducing external mechanical strain to these low-dimensional crystals may lead to an increase in their Curie temperature (by ∼60 K), derived by the strain-modified optical phase transition in SbSI and quantified by Kern formulation and Landau theory. The study suggests that strain engineering could be an effective way to stabilize the ferroelectric phase of SbSI at above room temperature, providing a solution enabling its application for technologically useful photoferroelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To answer how surface corrosion affects the heat transfer performance of phase‐change immersion cooling solar cells, electrochemical etching was used for substrate surface treatment of simulated dense‐array solar cells in this paper. Morphology, roughness, and wettability of treated surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and spreading area, respectively. A self‐running cooling system was developed to investigate the effect of surface treatment on self‐running characteristics and heat transfer performance under different ethanol inlet temperatures and concentration ratios. The results show that the surface treated for 2 hours owns higher wettability because of the honeycomb‐like porous structure. Lower ethanol flowing velocity obtained under lower ethanol inlet temperature with treated samples. The maximum declined degree in the wall superheating of 21.1% and the maximum enhancement in the heat transfer coefficient of 33.3% are obtained for sample treated for 2 hours because of its higher wettability and porosity structure. The results show that electrochemical etching on substrate surface can improve the phase‐change immersion cooling performance of solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The activation of NF-kappa B (NF/kB) signaling pathway plays an important role in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) in renal tubules. The process of oxidative stress reaction in kidney is via excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production to activate NF/kB signaling pathway. Qingshen Granule (QSG) is an effective Chinese formula utilized to treat chronic renal failure. Previous studies confirmed that QSG could inhibit RIF in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. In this study, we used UUO rats to investigate the effects of QSG on oxidative stress and the activation of NF/kB signaling. Seventy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a sham group, UUO model group, Qingshen Granules (QSG) high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose groups, PDTC group, and candesartan group (10 rats in each group). Our study demonstrated that oxidative stress-NF/kB signal pathway contributed to the formation of UUO renal interstitial fibrosis. QSG may protect against RIF by inhibiting the oxidative stress-NF/kB signal pathway, reducing inflammation, and improving renal tubular EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]