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Purpose Atherosclerosis tends to occur in the distinctive carotid sinus, leading to vascular stenosis and then causing death. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of sinus sizes, positions and hematocrit on blood flow dynamics and heat transfer by different numerical approaches. Design/methodology/approach The fluid flow and heat transfer in the carotid artery with three different sinus sizes, three different sinus locations and four different hematocrits are studied by both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) methods. An ideal geometric model and temperature-dependent non-Newtonian viscosity are adopted, while the wall heat flux concerning convection, radiation and evaporation is used. Findings With increasing sinus size, the average velocity and temperature of the blood fluid decrease, and the area of time average wall shear stress (TAWSS)with small values decreases. As the distances between sinuses and bifurcation points increase, the average temperature and the maximum TAWSS decrease. Atherosclerosis is more likely to develop when the sinuses are enlarged, when the sinuses are far from bifurcation points, or when the hematocrit is relatively large or small. The probability of thrombosis forming and developing becomes larger when the sinus becomes larger and the hematocrit is small enough. The movement of the arterial wall obviously reduces the velocity of blood flow, blood temperature and WSS. This study also suggests that the elastic role of arterial walls cannot be ignored. Originality/value The hemodynamics of the internal carotid artery sinus in a carotid artery with a bifurcation structure have been investigated thoroughly, on which the impacts of many factors have been considered, including the non-Newtonian behavior of blood and empirical boundary conditions. The results when the FSI is considered and absent are compared.

Lynch syndrome (LS), caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants affecting one of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, PMS2), confers moderate to high risks for colorectal, endometrial, and other cancers. We describe a four-generation, 13-branched pedigree in which multiple LS branches carry the MSH2 pathogenic variant c.2006G>T (p.Gly669Val), one branch has this and an additional novel MSH6 variant c.3936_4001+8dup (intronic), and other non-LS branches carry variants within other cancer-relevant genes (NBN, MC1R, PTPRJ). Both MSH2 c.2006G>T and MSH6 c.3936_4001+8dup caused aberrant RNA splicing in carriers, including out-of-frame exon-skipping, providing functional evidence of their pathogenicity. MSH2 and MSH6 are co-located on Chr2p21, but the two variants segregated independently (mapped in trans) within the digenic branch, with carriers of either or both variants. Thus, MSH2 c.2006G>T and MSH6 c.3936_4001+8dup independently confer LS with differing cancer risks among family members in the same branch. Carriers of both variants have near 100% risk of transmitting either one to offspring. Nevertheless, a female carrier of both variants did not transmit either to one son, due to a germline recombination within the intervening region. Genetic diagnosis, risk stratification, and counseling for cancer and inheritance were highly individualized in this family. The finding of multiple cancer-associated variants in this pedigree illustrates a need to consider offering multicancer gene panel testing, as opposed to targeted cascade testing, as additional cancer variants may be uncovered in relatives.

How to sustainably produce bauxite by effective reverse froth flotation of kaolinite at low temperature is an urgent problem to be solved in the field of mineral processing. In this work, a novel amino-based Gemini surfactant butadiyl-1, 4-bis (dimethyl dodecylammonium bromide) (BBDB) was prepared and first utilized as a novel collector for kaolinite flotation. Its flotation performance for kaolinite was compared with that of the common monomolecular surfactant 1-dodecylamine (DDA) by micro-flotation tests. The tests results indicated that 95% kaolinite recovery was obtained using 2.0 × 10−4 mol/L BBDB at 25 ℃, which was half of the dosage when DDA obtained the maximum kaolinite recovery of 81%. At extremely low temperature (0 ℃), 3.0 × 10−4 mol/L BBDB could still collect 91% kaolinite, while DDA showed a frustrating ability. The contact angle tests indicated that BBDB could still significantly improve the hydrophobicity of the kaolinite surface (contact angle 71.7°) than DDA (contact angle only 25.8°) at 0 ℃. The Krafft point comparison tests indicated that BBDB had a much lower Krafft point (below 0 ℃) than DDA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)-spectrum analysis and zeta potential measurements showed that BBDB was physically adsorbed on the surface of kaolinite through electrostatic interaction.

It has been recommended that physical activity be a part of treatment and management regimens of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and research has shown that regular physical exercise facilitates glycemic control in these patients. In this analysis, our aim was to systematically show the therapeutic effects of mild to moderate intensity aerobic exercise on glycemic control in patients with T2DM. From February to April 2021, we searched the https://www.clinicaltrials.gov , EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science and Google Scholar databases for trials that showed the effects of aerobic exercise on glycemic control in patients with T2DM. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was the endpoint in the analysis. The RevMan version 5.4 statistical program was used for statistical analysis, and the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) used to represent the data following analysis. Eighteen trials involving 972 participants with T2DM were included in this meta-analysis, of whom 523 were assigned to an exercise group and 449 were assigned to a control group. A comparison pre- versus post-aerobic exercise showed that aerobic exercise significantly improved glycemic control (HbA1c) (MD 0.35, 95% CI 0.23–0.48; P = 0.00001) in these patients with T2DM. A second comparison, T2DM participants in the experimental group post-exercise versus T2DM participants from the control group at the end of the follow-up, also showed that aerobic exercise significantly improved glycemic control (MD − 0.46, 95% CI − 0.69 to − 0.22; P = 0.0001). However, a comparison of HbA1c of T2DM participants in the control group at the beginning of the study compared to those at the end of follow-up did not show any significant improvement in glycemic control (MD 0.08, 95% CI − 0.05 to 0.21; P = 0.21). The current analysis showed that mild to moderate intensity aerobic exercise significantly improved glycemic control in patients with T2DM. Patients with T2DM who regularly participated in aerobic exercise activities had a better control of their disease than those who were not on a regular aerobic exercise regimen. These results lead to the recommendation that at least mild to moderate intensity aerobic exercise should be included in the treatment and management regimens of patients with T2DM.

Inspired by the spongy bone structures, three-dimensional (3D) sponge-like carbons with meso-microporous structures are synthesized through one-step electro-reduction of CO 2 in molten carbonate Li 2 CO 3 -Na 2 CO 3 -K 2 CO 3 at 580°C. SPC4-0.5 (spongy porous carbon obtained by electrolysis of CO 2 at 4 A for 0.5 h) is synthesized with the current efficiency of 96.9%. SPC4-0.5 possesses large electrolyte ion accessible surface area, excellent wettability and electronical conductivity, ensuring the fast and effective mass and charge transfer, which make it an advcanced supercapacitor electrode material. SPC4-0.5 exhibits a specific capacitance as high as 373.7 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 , excellent cycling stability (retaining 95.9 % of the initial capacitance after 10000 cycles at 10 A g -1 ), as well as high energy density. The applications of SPC4-0.5 in quasi-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor and all-solid-state flexible devices for energy storage and wearable piezoelectric sensor are investigated. Both devices show considerable capacitive performances. This work not only presents a controllable and facile synthetic route for the porous carbons but also provides a promising way for effective carbon reduction and green energy production.

Fruit shape, an important agronomic trait of cucumber (

Defects on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used as active sites to promote the occurrence of catalytic reactions and improve the ability of catalysts. Although some progress has been made in the synthesis of defects on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), most of the defects are caused by acid etching or high-temperature pyrolysis of organics, which is detrimental to the environment, and the defects are uncontrollable. Herein, we report the eco-friendly and controllable synthesis of defective CNTs by reduction of CO2 under cathodic polarization in Li2CO3-based molten salts. The defective degree of CNTs can be tuned by changing the applied electrolysis current. The results show that low current is beneficial for the synthesis of CNTs with more defect sites. The most defect-rich carbon nanotubes synthesized under 300 mA cm-2 electrolysis (CNTs-B2O3-300) in a molten Li2CO3/B2O3 composite melt performed the best in the 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared with CNTs-B2O3-400 and CNTs-B2O3-500 obtained under higher current density electrolysis. This work provides an alternative strategy for the design and synthesis of defect-rich carbon materials for catalysis and energy applications.

Broadband photodetectors fabricated with organic molecules have the advantages of low cost, high flexibility, easy processing and low-temperature requirement. Fullerene molecules, due to their electron accepting and photoinduced electron transfer properties, are potential materials for photodetectors. However, fullerene has a narrow light absorption spectrum range, and realization of large-area fullerene-based broadband photodetectors remains a challenge. Herein, we broaden the absorption wavelength range of fullerene through molecular engineering, i.e. adding a donor molecule, nickel tetraphenylporphyrin (NiTPP) with strong visible light absorption capacity, onto the fullerene cage to form a donor–acceptor dyad (NiTPP-C60). Moreover, large-area nickel porphyrin–fullerene (NiTPP-C60) single-crystal arrays were prepared by applying a liquid-bridge induced assembly method. Combining the excellent visible light absorption properties of porphyrin and the good electron transport characteristic of fullerene, photodetectors fabricated with NiTPP-C60 single-crystal arrays show a fast photoelectric response with τon < 0.09 s at 350 nm, τon < 0.10 s at 425 nm and τon < 0.08 s at 530 nm, and the highest responsivity of 11.9 A W−1 at 425 nm. This study provides a new strategy toward the fabrication of high-performance fullerene broadband photodetectors and presents a versatile method for the design of large-area well-aligned organic single-crystal arrays for practical electronic applications.

An attempt to achieve heterocyclic cycloadducts of Sc3N@Ih-C80via reaction with Ph2C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 O, PhC Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 CPh or PhCN in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) stored in CH3OH led to the formation of the unexpected bismethoxyl adducts of Sc3N@Ih-C80 (1 and 2). Further studies reveal that TBAOH in CH3OH can boost the CH3O− addition efficiently, regardless of the presence of other reagents. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction results firmly assign the molecular structures of 1 and 2 as respective 1,4- and 1,2-bismethoxyl adducts, and reveal unusual relationships between the internal Sc3N cluster and the addition modes, in addition to the unusual packing mode in view of the orientation of the methoxyl groups. Electrochemical results demonstrate smaller electrochemical gaps for 1 and 2, relative to that of Sc3N@Ih-C80, confirming their better electroactive properties. Finally, a plausible reaction mechanism involving anion addition and a radical reaction was proposed, presenting new insights into the highly selective reactions between the methoxyl anion and metallofullerenes. 1 and 2 represent the first examples of methoxyl derivatives of metallofullerenes. This work not only presents a novel and facile strategy for the controllable synthesis of alkoxylated metallofullerene derivatives, but also provides new non-cycloadducts for the potential applications of EMFs., An attempt to achieve heterocyclic cycloadducts of Sc3N@Ih-C80via reaction with Ph2CO, PhCCPh or PhCN in the presence of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) stored in CH3OH led to the formation of the unexpected bismethoxyl adducts of Sc3N@Ih-C80 (1 and 2).

On January 25, 2019, the tailings dam at Vale’s Corrego do Feijao mine (Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil) ruptured, releasing about 12 million cubic meters of tailings, killing over 240 people and ...

Tailings ponds for gangue mineral storage are widely recognized as a dangerous source of toxic minerals and heavy metal-bearing solution. Therefore, recovering valuable minerals and critical elements from tailings is an important means to protect the environment in an economic way. Wolframite tailings usually contain a considerable amount of tungsten resources, but the presence of high content of kaolinite sludge makes it very difficult to recycle wolframite. Herein, a novel sebacoyl hydroxamic acid (SHA) was synthesized and introduced as a novel wolframite collector to effectively utilize wolframite tailings, and its collection performance was compared with that of benzohydroxamic acid (BHA). Micro-flotation tests showed that SHA could still obtain 80% wolframite recovery in the presence of kaolinite slimes. Bench-scale flotation tests indicated that SHA can effectively recover wolframite concentrate with 55.64% WO

The 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of prokaryotic mRNAs plays an essential role in post-transcriptional regulation. Bacillus species, such as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, have gained considerable attention as microbial cell factories for the production of various valuable chemicals and industrial proteins. In this work, we developed a portable 5'-UTR sequence for enhanced protein output in the industrial strain B. licheniformis DW2. This sequence contains only ∼30 nt and forms a hairpin structure located right before the open reading frame. The optimized Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence was presented as a single strand on the loop of the hairpin for better ribosome recognition and recruitment. By optimizing the free energy of folding, this 5'-element could effectively enhance the expression of eGFP by ∼50-fold and showed good adaptability for other target proteins, including RFP, nattokinase, and keratinase. This 5'-UTR could promote the accessibility of both the SD sequence and start codon, leading to improved efficiency of translation initiation. Furthermore, the hairpin structure protected mRNA against 5'-exonucleases, resulting in enhanced mRNA stability. It is well-known that the stable structure at a ribosome binding site (RBS) impedes initiation in Escherichia coli. In this study, we presented a unique structure at a RBS that can effectively enhance protein production, which is an exception of this prevailing concept. By adjusting a single thermodynamic parameter and holding the other factors affecting protein output constant, a series of 5'-UTR elements with different expression strengths could be rationally designed for wide use in Bacillus sp.

Nanocarbon materials as metal-free catalysts for the oxidative coupling of primary amines to imines suffer from high catalyst loading, low reaction rate and high oxygen demand. Doping heteroatoms in nanocarbons is realized as an effective strategy to improve the catalytic activity, however, the doping of fluorine has been rarely studied. Here we synthesized a F,N,S tri-doped hierarchical nanocarbon (FNSHC) by pyrolyzing a fluorine-containing azo-sulphonate dye (acid red-337, a pollutant in wastewater) confined in a layered double hydroxide (LDH). The LDH-confined synthetic method is beneficial to the formation of a two-dimensional porous structure with a large specific surface area (∼1432 m2 g−1) and high fluorine content, enabling remarkable catalytic performance (98% yield in 4 h at 2 wt% catalyst loading under open-air conditions) and high recyclability, outcompeting current metal-free carbocatalysts. The conversion of environmental pollutants into heteroatom-doped carbon materials provides a new green strategy for the design and synthesis of functional carbon catalysts.

In this paper, both the finite difference method (FDM) and the finite volume method (FVM) are employed to solve the fractional partial differential diffusion equation with temporal dimension and one spatial dimension. In this case, the boundary on the right of the domain is moving with time, while the variable fractional order is depicted as a function of both time and space. Special technique has been proposed to deal with the moving boundary which not only involves the computational difficulty and also accumulates the error. The accuracy and computational resource consumption of the two methods are compared in four designed cases with different functions of moving boundaries and fractional orders. The results show that the computation cost of FDM and FVM is almost the same in problems with one-dimensional space, but the accuracy of the FDM is higher than that of the FVM. Besides, compared with linear cases, the computational accuracy of both methods decreases significantly with nonlinear functions of fractional derivative and moving boundary.

Human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) play a notable role in periodontal tissue homeostasis and regeneration. However, the effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) on the proliferation of hPDLCs remains unclear. The present study investigated the effects of Pg-LPS on the proliferation profile of hPDLCs, and the involvement of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases in the process. hPDLCs were treated with Pg-LPS, and cell proliferation and cycle were detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and flow cytometry. The mRNA expression levels of the cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), including cyclins A, B1, D1 and D2 and CDK1, 2 and 4, were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The protein expression levels of cyclins A, B1 and D1 were analysed using western blotting. The proliferation of hPDLCs was significantly increased after treatment with Pg-LPS at the concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 µg/ml for 24, 36 and 48 h compared with the cells cultured without LPS (P

Objectives: To investigate the clinical effects of MOTOmed intelligent exercise training combined with intensive walking training on the rehabilitation of walking, nerve and lower limb functions among patients with hemiplegia after stroke. Methods: Randomized controlled trial was used in this study. Fifty-two patients with hemiplegia after stroke treated in 82nd Army Group Military Hospital from February 2017 to February 2018 were selected as the subjects and randomly divided into the control group and the observation group, each with 26 cases. The control group underwent intensive walking training, and the observation group underwent MOTOmed intelligent exercise training on the control group basis. Both groups’ rehabilitation of walking function, nerve function and lower limb function were observed. Results: Both groups had significantly increased FAC score and 10-m maximum walking speed (P < 0.05), and the observation group had significantly higher results than those of the control group (P < 0.05); both groups had significantly higher FMA scores than before treatment (P < 0.05), and the observation group had significantly higher scores than those of the control group (P < 0.05); both groups after two months of treatment had significantly increased NGF, NT-3 and BDNF (P

Observational sketching is a common method to facilitate repeated observations that increase individual knowledge and awareness of biodiversity. However, this method presents a high barrier of entry for some novices, particularly young children. In this paper, we introduce Bio Sketchbook, a novice AI-assisted sketching partner to help children draw from observation and guide them to repeatedly observe different biological features. We describe our design process and goals, the interaction design of Bio Sketchbook, and results from a preliminary user study with six children. Our findings reveal Bio Sketchbook as a promising AI partner to encourage children to sketch from observation and gain biodiversity science education.

We designed and built Bubble Beats, a breathing exercise game based on music rhythm, which maps breathing into musical gameplay mechanics using sensors-based technology. Bubble Beats aims to explore the effectiveness of combining music rhythm and breathing exercises. In the game, children blow bubbles to the music rhythm with visual guidance. Initial user tests show that Bubble Beats can effectively motivate children and improve their adherence to breathing exercises. We will continue to iterate and upgrade the system to attract and match a more diverse population, for example, patients recovering from pneumonia and other respiratory diseases.

Herein, we report that a gemini surfactant can efficiently separate KCl from NaCl by froth flotation to produce potassium fertilizer (KCl). For achieving the obviously superior flotation performance (KCl recovery increased by 14.51%), the dosage of the gemini surfactant should be three times less than that of the conventional monomeric surfactant. Its unique properties, such as double active centers to mineral surfaces, double hydrophobic groups, and stronger surface tension reducing ability, make it a superior flotation collector for separation of KCl from NaCl in potassium fertilizer production.

While previous generations of insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) required a bedside monitor for remote monitoring (RM), the Confirm Rx™ ICM (Abbott, Chicago, IL, USA) utilizes Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi/cellular technology, and a smart device to connect to the RM system. We aimed to characterize compliance, connectivity, and event transmission timing with the Confirm Rx™ ICM RM system. The study cohort included American patients who received the Confirm Rx™ ICM with SharpSense™ technology within three months of release (May-July 2019). Compliance with RM was quantified as the proportion of patients registering the patient app on their smart device and transmitting at least once. Connectivity was measured as the median number of days between consecutive transmissions per patient. Event transmission time was measured from episode detection to availability on the Merlin.net™ RM system (Abbott). Time from transmission until review by a clinician was examined. Values for device connectivity, episode transmission timing, and clinician view times were reported as median [first quartile, third quartile]. Of 5,666 patients who received a Confirm Rx™ ICM, 97% registered their patient app and 92% transmitted data at least once. Among those utilizing RM (aged 66 ± 15 years; 49% female), connectivity occurred every 1.5 [1.2, 2.4] days, or 4.7 times per week. Patient-reported symptoms were transmitted to Merlin.net™ within 2.9 [2.1, 3.8] minutes of event onset and viewed by the clinician within 0.9 [0.4, 3.1] days, while device-detected episodes without symptoms were transmitted within 18.5 [11.2, 36.5] hours and then viewed within 0.8 [0.3, 2.5] days. This real-world study demonstrated excellent patient compliance with the smartphone-based RM paradigm enabled by Confirm Rx™, suggesting the suitability of this technology for future cardiac implantable devices.

Inspired by the spongy bone structures, three-dimensional (3D) sponge-like carbons with meso-microporous structures are synthesized through one-step electro-reduction of CO

SyncAV, a device-based cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) algorithm, promotes electrical optimization by dynamically adjusting atrioventricular intervals.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of SyncAV on heart failure hospitalizations (HFHs) and related costs in a real-world CRT cohort.Patients with SyncAV-capable CRT devices followed by remote monitoring and enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service for at least 1 year preimplant and up to 2 years postimplant were studied. Patients with SyncAV OFF were 4:1 matched to those with SyncAV ON on preimplant HFH rate, demographics, comorbidities, disease etiology, and left bundle branch block. HFHs were determined from the primary diagnosis of inpatient hospitalizations, and the cost for each event was the sum of Medicare, supplemental insurance, and patient payment.After 4:1 propensity score matching, 3630 patients were studied (mean age 75 ± 8 years; 1386 [38%] female), including 726 (25%) patients with SyncAV ON. The pre-CRT HFH rate was 0.338 HFH events per patient-year. Overall, CRT diminished the HFH rate to 0.204 events per patient-year (P.001). SyncAV elicited a larger reduction in HFH rate (SyncAV ON: hazard ratio [HR] 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41-0.66; P.001 and SyncAV OFF: HR 0.68; 95% CI 0.59-0.77; P.001). After 2 years, the HFH rate was lower in the SyncAV ON group than in the SyncAV OFF group (0.143 HFHs per patient-year vs 0.193 HFHs per patient-year; HR 0.70; 95% CI 0.55-0.89; P = .003) and fewer HFHs were followed by 30-day HFH readmissions (4.41% vs 7.68%; P = .003) and 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions (7.04% vs 10.01%; P = .010). The total 2-year HFH-associated costs per patient were lower with SyncAV ON (difference $1135; 90% CI $93-$2109; P = .038).This large, real-world, propensity score-matched study demonstrates that SyncAV CRT is associated with significantly reduced HFHs and associated costs, incremental to standard CRT.

For smart city wireless sensing network construction needs, a network positioning algorithm based on genetic algorithm is proposed. The genetic algorithm uses a real number encoding, and the positioning model is constructed by analyzing the communication constraint between unknown nodes and a small amount of anchor nodes and constructs the positioning model, and the model is solved. The results show that when the ranging error is 50%, the positioning error is only increased by approximately 15% compared to the nonranging error. In a more harsh environment, if the ranging error is equal to the node wireless range, the ranging error is 100%, and the positioning error and the positioning ratio are not significantly changed. The scheme obtained by this algorithm can be well approarded with an ideal limit. In the case where the sensor node is given, the algorithm can obtain the maximum coverage.

Small molecules in food contact materials may migrate into food during their contact. To extensively analyze the migrants, non-targeted screening is needed to detect the migrants. The migrants’ detection is difficult because of the complexity and the trace amount of the migrants. In this work, the dissolution precipitation method was used to extract small molecules in Polyamide (PA) kitchenware. The extract solutions were screened by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) for non-targeted analysis and 64 different small molecules in materials were identified through the screening of a self-built database. Then, migration tests were performed to analyze migrants in food simulants. It suggests that the abundance of PA oligomers was the highest in migrants. The risk assessment of migrants revealed that the exposure of most migrants was at a safer level unlike the exposure of PA oligomers that exceeded their threshold of toxicological concern (TTC).

The 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of prokaryotic mRNAs plays an essential role in post-transcriptional regulation.

RATIONALE Pentaerythritol fatty acid esters are an excellent lubricant oil additive, due to their good biodegradability, thermal ability, anti-wear, and friction properties. However, to meet the application requirements, fatty acids with different alkyl chain lengths are reacted with pentaerythritol, resulting in complex ester compositions. To reveal the relation between the functionalities and the composition of esters, it is important to develop a method for their analysis. METHODS We developed a method using ultra-high-performance supercritical fluid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPSFC/QTOF-MS) to separate and characterize pentaerythritol fatty acid esters. This method has the advantages such as short analysis time and high separation efficiency for such weakly polar compounds; high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) provides exact mass information, enabling the identification of the structure of the pentaerythritol fatty acid esters. RESULTS Based on the exact masses and characteristic ions, the pentaerythritol fatty acid esters and their main fragmentation pathways were identified; the fatty acid composition was also deduced from characteristic product ions. A dihydrogen rearrangement reaction caused the neutral loss of fatty acid fragment; [M + Na-FA]+ product ions (a stable six-member ring structure) were produced due to the absence of a γ hydrogen in pentaerythritol fatty acid esters. CONCLUSIONS A UHPSFC/QTOF-MS method was successfully employed for the separation of pentaerythritol fatty acid esters. Exact masses and product ion information were determined using HRMS. The composition of the fatty acids was effectively deduced by characteristic ions and their relative abundances. This method is an effective means for the quality control and process optimization of this type of product, serving as a positive reference for further study on pentaerythritol fatty acid esters.

GRAS transcription factors regulate various biological processes in plant growth, development and stress responses. Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) is an economically important vegetable crop. However, the biological functions of GRAS gene family remain largely unknown in cucumber. In order to explore the potential function of the GRAS gene family in cucumber, the whole genomic identification of CsGRAS family was performed, and the gene structure, protein structure, characteristic, subcellular locations, phylogenetic relationship and tissue expression pattern were analyzed by bioinformatics. Here, a total of 37 GRAS members were identified in cucumber genome, most of the CsGRAS proteins are neutral or acidic protein, which are encoded by a single exon. Phylogenetic analysis divided CsGRAS members into 16 subfamilies, with each having distinct conserved domains and functions. 37 GRAS genes are unevenly distributed on the 7 chromosomes of cucumber and contain 1 pair of tandem repeat genes and 3 pairs of fragment repeat genes. Gene expression analysis in various tissues demonstrated that most CsGRAS genes showed tissue-specific expression, uncovering their potential function in cucumber growth and development. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of the cucumber GRAS gene family and laid a foundation for further studying the roles of GRAS gene family members in cucumber.

The global lithium supply and demand in this century is accelerated by the energy transition from carbon-based fossil fuels to renewable energy where electrical energy storage and electric vehicles heavily depend on the lithium-ion battery. The lepidolite is one of the main resources for extracting lithium, and it is usually enriched by froth flotation separation technology. However, the traditional lepidolite collector is monomer surfactant with only a single hydrophobic group and hydrophilic group, which usually leads to the low flotation separation efficiency. Therefore, to achieve the flotation separation of lepidolite ore more efficiently, in this work, an amine-based Gemini surfactant, hexanediyl-α, ω-bis (Dimethyldodecylammonium bromide) (HBDB), was synthesized, and compared with the conventional single molecule collector dodecylamine (DA). The experimental results show that the optimum pH value of flotation is 3, and the optimum dosage of HBDB and DA are 150 g/t and 300 g/t respectively. In bench-scale flotation experiments, compared with the conventional monomer DA collector (350 g/t), the Gemini HBDB with only 1/2 dosage of DA (175 g/t) increased the recovery of lepidolite by 16.18%. Economic calculation for a lepidolite ore plant, 1500 t/d, demonstrating that using Gemini HBDB can gain more about $ 8.2 million USD per year than using traditional unimolecular DA. Accordingly, this study provides a new and highly efficient collector for the flotation separation of lepidolite ore.