Search

As promising candidates for widespread application, advanced ceramic fiber mats with robust mechanical properties are urgently needed. However, the brittleness, fatigue failure, and large density of ceramic fiber pose significant obstacles to its practical application. Herein, a novel SiO2 aerogel/ZrO2 composite nanofibrous membrane (SZCNFM) with excellent flexibility was prepared by introducing SiO2 aerogel nanoparticles into ZrO2 nanofiber via simple co‐electrospinning. The developed tetragonal zirconia phase without changing up to 1200°C endows SZCNFM material with excellent thermal stability. Furthermore, the as‐prepared membranes exhibit fatigue resistance ability which can maintain 98% of the original stress after 100 buckling cycle tests. The addition of mesoporous structure aerogel reduces the heat transfer of the nanofibrous membrane, giving its low thermal conductivity (30 mW/m/K) and low‐frequency sound absorption (noise reduction coefficient of 0.52). Combined with the high‐temperature resistance, low thermal conductivity and excellent sound‐absorption ability make it a promising material for heat insulation and acoustic absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of spray drying (SD), spray freeze‐drying (SFD), freeze‐drying (FD), and microwave freeze‐drying (MFD) on the characteristics of fish oil (FO) microcapsules. The physicochemical properties, morphology, fatty acid composition, and stability of the microcapsules were analyzed. The encapsulation efficiencies of microcapsules dried by SD, SFD, FD, and MFD were 86.98%, 77.79%, 63.29%, and 57.89%, respectively. SD microcapsules exhibited superior properties in terms of effective loading capacity, color, and flowability. Conversely, SFD microcapsules demonstrated improved solubility. Microencapsulation positively affected the thermal stability of FO, but the content of unsaturated fatty acids decreased. The findings from the storage experiment indicated that the oxidative stability of SD fish oil microcapsules was marginally lower compared to microcapsules produced through three alternative drying techniques, all of which were based on the FD concept. The comparison of various drying methods and their effects on the quality of FO microcapsules offers valuable insights that can serve as a foundation for the industrial production of high‐quality microcapsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the rolling process and microstructure on the brittle crack initiation and arrest of marine steel were systematically investigated. The microstructures of two steel plates produced by different rolling processes were observed and analyzed. The results demonstrated that the rolling process significantly influenced the microstructure. As the rolling temperature decreased, the grain size decreased, the high‐angle grain boundary (HAGB) content increased, and the average grain misorientation angle increased. The brittle crack initiation and the arrest abilities were evaluated by initiation fracture toughness and crack arrest toughness, respectively. The initiation fracture toughness and crack arrest toughness increased with the decreasing grain size and the increasing content of HAGBs. Finally, the influence of microstructure on the brittle crack initiation and arrest ability was explained from two aspects: (1) the critical event of crack initiation at low temperatures, and (2) the hindering effect of HAGB on the propagation of brittle cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabricating strain sensors with high response in a wide temperature and strain range is still a challenge, especially in high temperature harsh environments. Herein, a dual‐functional sensor with cantilever beam structure is fabricated using polymer‐derived SiCN ceramics, which can be applied for temperature and stain monitor. The performance of the integrated sensor is evaluated from room temperature to 1000 °C and the related sensing mechanism is analyzed. The prepared strain sensor has ultrafast response of 60 ms in the strain range of 0–3500 µε and the maximum strain rate can reach 46 200 µε s−1. Moreover, the sensor has excellent stability and ultra‐high sensitivity under high temperature environments. Additionally, the temperature can be detected separately up to 1000 °C without any disturbance. This attractive integration sensor with competitive sensitivity, excellent stability, ultrafast response speed, and broad range, has great potential to detect temperature and strain signals for practical application in high temperature extreme environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regular physical activity is an effective means to enhance university students' subjective well-being. However, current research needs to understand how physical activity enhances the subjective well-being of Chinese university students. Therefore, the study investigated the mechanism of physical activity's impact on university students' subjective well-being and the mediating roles of cognitive reappraisal and resilience in this mechanism. Methods: The physical activity scale, subjective well-being scale, cognitive reappraisal scale and resilience scale were used to investigate 1350 university students, and the relationship between physical activity, cognitive reappraisal, resilience and university students' subjective well-being was verified through correlation analysis, regression analysis and a Bootstrap method. Results: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between physical activity, cognitive reappraisal, resilience and university students' subjective well-being (p < 0.01); (2) physical activity, cognitive reappraisal and resilience all have a significant positive effects on university students' subjective well-being (p < 0.01); (3) cognitive reappraisal and resilience have significant mediating roles in the process of physical activity affecting university students' well-being, with mediating-effect values of 0.052 and 0.285; (4) the chain-mediating role of cognitive reappraisal and resilience in the process of physical activity affecting university students' well-being is significant, with the chain-mediating effect value of 0.062. Conclusion: Promoting university students' participation in physical activity not only directly enhances university students' subjective well-being but also indirectly improves university students' subjective well-being through cognitive reappraisal and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper employed a multi-session framework to present an innovative approach to map monitoring within the domain of high-definition (HD) maps. The proposed methodology uses a machine learning algorithm to derive a confidence level for the detection of specific map elements in each frame and tracks the position of the element in subsequent frames. This creates a virtual belief system, which indicates the existence of the element on the HD map. To confirm the existence of the element and ensure the credibility of the map data, a reconstruction and matching technique was implemented. The notion of an expected observation area is also introduced by strategically limiting the vehicle's observation range, thereby bolstering the detection confidence of the observed map elements. Furthermore, we leveraged data from multiple vehicles to determine the necessity for updates within specific areas, ensuring the accuracy and dependability of the map information. The validity and practicality of our approach were substantiated by real experimental data, and the monitoring accuracy exceeded 90 % . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease that commonly affects people and has an important impact on public health. Based on influenza incidence data from 103 counties in Hubei Province from 2009 to 2019, this study used time series analysis and geospatial analysis to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the influenza epidemic and its influencing factors. The results reveal significant spatial-temporal clustering of the influenza epidemic in Hubei Province. Influenza mainly occurs in winter and spring of each year (from December to March of the next year), with the highest incidence rate observed in 2019 and an overall upward trend in recent years. There were significant spatial and urban-rural differences in influenza prevalence in Hubei Province, with the eastern region being more seriously affected than the central and western regions, and the urban regions more seriously affected than the rural region. Hubei's influenza epidemic showed an obvious spatial agglomeration distribution from 2009 to 2019, with the strongest clustering in winter. The hot spot areas of interannual variation in influenza were mainly distributed in eastern and western Hubei, and the cold spot areas were distributed in north-central Hubei. In addition, the cold hot spot areas of influenza epidemics varied from season to season. The seasonal changes in influenza prevalence in Hubei Province are mainly governed by meteorological factors, such as temperature, sunshine, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed. Low temperature, less rain, less sunshine, low wind speed and humid weather will increase the risk of contracting influenza; the interannual changes and spatial differentiation of influenza are mainly influenced by socioeconomic factors, such as road density, number of health technicians per 1,000 population, urbanization rate and population density. The strength of influenza's influencing factors in Hubei Province exhibits significant spatial variation, but in general, the formation of spatial variation of influenza in Hubei Province is still the result of the joint action of socioeconomic factors and natural meteorological factors. Understanding the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of influenza in Hubei Province and its influencing factors can provide a reasonable decision-making basis for influenza prevention and control and public health development in Hubei Province and can also effectively improve the scientific understanding of the public with respect to influenza and other respiratory infectious diseases to reduce the influenza incidence, which also has reference significance for the prevention and control of influenza and other respiratory infectious diseases in other countries or regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is frequently linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and both conditions exacerbate the progression of the other. However, there is currently no standardized treatment or drug for MAFLD. In this study, A MAFLD animal model through a high-fat diet (HFD) along with administration of streptozotocin (STZ), and palmitic acid (PA)-induced AML12 cells were treated by puerarin. The objective of this study was to assess the therapeutic effect of puerarin, a flavonoid substance that possesses various pharmacological properties, on MAFLD. The results showed that puerarin administration enhanced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, while also mitigating liver dysfunction and hyperlipidemia in MAFLD mice. Moreover, puerarin attenuated oxidative stress levels and inflammation in the liver. Transmission electron microscopy and Western blot analysis indicated that puerarin inhibited ferroptosis in vivo. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that puerarin upregulated SIRT1 expression, increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein levels, and facilitated translocation into the nucleus. The protective effect of puerarin on PA-induced AML12 cells was diminished by the utilization of EX-527 (a SIRT1 inhibitor) and Nrf2 siRNA. Overall, the results demonstrate that puerarin ameliorates MAFLD by suppressing ferroptosis and inflammation via the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. The results emphasize the possible medicinal application of puerarin for managing MAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to guarantee the accuracy of a workpiece's dimensions in end-milling operation, the thermal deformation needs to be predicted in a timely manner during the end-milling process. Thermal deformation, which is generated by cutting heat, is hard to measure during the end-milling process, but the local temperature of the workpiece can be conveniently and accurately measured by a thermocouple. We have thus developed an efficient and accurate model to describe the relationship between the local temperature and thermal deformation of a workpiece for monitoring the workpiece's deformations during the end-milling process. We systematically conducted a finite element method (FEM)–based numerical simulation of a workpiece during end-milling and then scientifically validated it with a previous machining experiment (Human Friendly Mechatr 389-394, 2001) under the same boundary conditions. Currently, the process models for predicting the thermal deformation of end-milling is commonly utilized before actual machining. In order to establish a timely, dynamic, and efficient empirical model for use in the various scenarios related totally in-process of end-milling machining, we have developed a statistics-based temperature monitoring point selection method and a statistical model utilizing multiple linear regression (MLR), the Akaike information criterion (AIC), and a p value index. FEM-based thermal simulation during the end-milling process is utilized in the statistical model, which correlates the deformation at the machining point with the temperature at the measuring points (Yang, 2021). However, the applicability of this model in various machining situations has not been sufficiently evaluated. This article deals with the comparison of statistical modes to adapt the model in various machining situations. After demonstrating the accuracy of the proposed statistical model under various boundary conditions during the end-milling process, we propose two modified statistical models, namely, a modified coefficient statistical model (MCSM) and an adjusted statistical model (ASM), to more appropriately express the relationship between the temperature at the monitoring points and the thermal deformation at the machining point of the workpiece surface. Error analysis of the two models indicated that both provided high accuracy for describing this relationship. In particular, the MCMS improved in the case of 80% evaluation. In the case where only the ranges of the machining parameters are known in advance, the MCSM is preferred for describing the relationship between the temperature of the monitoring points and the thermal deformation at the machining point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic nanofibrous aerogels have attracted great interest because of their extraordinary multifunctional properties. Herein, a facile strategy was proposed to create SiO 2 nanofibers-BN nanoribbons assembled binary aerogel with excellent temperature-invariant super-flexibility, as well as low thermal conductivity, low infrared radiation and excellent sound absorption properties. In addition, the unique structure of the nanofibers-nanoribbon aerogel acts as the thermal insulation layer, combined with Al foil acting as an infrared reflection layer, forming a component that can effectively hide high infrared targets. The nanofibrous-nanoribbons binary aerogel possess low thermal conductivity (0.0288 W/(m⋅K)) and outstanding sound-absorption ability (NRC value of 0.43), as well as excellent infrared stealth ability, which makes it an ideal candidate for thermal insulation and sound absorption in multi fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an environmentally friendly, superhydrophobic and durable modified melamine sponge was fabricated through a simple two-step dipping method. Through this strategy, the active carbon (AC) particles and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were fixed on the melamine sponge skeleton with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) glue to form MS/rGO/AC/PDMS sponge, which has a multi-stage pore structure. Water contact angle (WCA) revealed that the as-prepared sponge possessed excellent water repellency up to 164°. Being applied in the field of oil/water separation, MS/rGO/AC/PDMS exhibited excellent oil-water selectivity, high oil sorption ability up to 120 g/g, and separation efficiency of over 99.85%. It is worth noting that under complex environments such as acid-base, fatigue and abrasion, the obtained sponge can maintain original properties, and the water contact angle exceeds 154°. In addition, it has good mechanical stability which can be reused and recovered continuously, making it a potential material for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel flexible SiO 2 aerogel composite nanofiber membrane with strawberry-like structure and excellent thermal insulation properties, in which SiO 2 aerogel particles act as thermal insulation filler, was prepared by electrospinning technology. With the addition of nano-pore structure SiO 2 aerogel particles, the heat transfer path of the fibers inside the membrane became discontinuous, endowing the as-prepared membrane an ultra-low thermal conductivity of 30.3 mW/(m⋅K) and large surface area of 240 m2/g. Moreover, the nanofibers membrane also possesses the combined merits of excellent fire resistance, high-temperature stability, and temperature-invariant flexibility, rendering it a promising in the application of insulation and gas adsorption. The successful preparation of this flexible nanofiber membrane paves a new way to design materials with excellent thermal insulation and adsorption properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental noise has been regarded as major noise pollution with severe hazards to human physical and mental health. The common commercial fiber sound-absorption materials have insufficient low frequencies wave absorbing and fire-resistant ability, limiting their wide application. To solve these problems, a novel strategy combining flexible nanofibers and rGO/MXene nanosheets was proposed to fabricate rGO/MXene/SiO 2 nanofibers composite aerogel with hierarchically porous structure, which possessed an extremely low density of 9.8 mg/cm3 and superior low-frequency sound absorption ability (NRC value of 0.51). The obtained composite aerogel possessed a large deformation up to 80% (corresponding compressive stress of 17 kPa) and quickly recovered. In addition, the as-prepared aerogel could be easily produced on a large scale, providing a reference for the development of new generation of sound-absorbing products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral magnetic domains are topological spin textures in which the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction assigns a given chirality to the domain walls. Notably, despite rapid progress in chiral magnetic research, one fundamental issue that remains unclear is how the chirality of chiral magnetic domains change as a magnetic field deforms the spin texture. Using spin‐polarized low energy electron microscopy, the evolution of Fe/Ni chiral magnetic stripe domains are investigated in single‐crystalline Fe/Ni/Cu/Co/Cu(001) multilayers in which the interlayer magnetic coupling between the Co and Fe/Ni films serves as an in‐plane magnetic field. Contrary to theoretical works, it is found that the chirality of the Néel walls results in a parallel alignment of the magnetic stripes with the in‐plane magnetic field direction. The transformation of chiral Néel walls into achiral Bloch walls can be precisely controlled by tuning the Cu spacer layer thickness. In addition, the domain wall exhibits a spontaneous asymmetry within the in‐plane magnetic field, leading to an unbalanced chirality between the left‐handed and right‐handed Bloch walls. These new results foster a better understanding of the chiral domain properties within a magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum is an important plant-pathogenic fungus that causes stem and leaf blight diseases in a variety of crops. Here, we report the characterization of a novel victorivirus, tentatively named "Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum victorivirus 1" (ScVV-1), isolated from the S. cucurbitacearum isolate M-7. The ScVV-1 genome is 5,165 bp in length with a predicted GC content of 60.1% and contains two large open reading frames (ORF 1 and ORF2) encoding putative proteins that share significant sequence similarity with coat proteins (CPs) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) of mycoviruses of the family Totiviridae. The ScVV-1 RdRp appears to be translated using a stop-initiation pentanucleotide UAAUG sequence. Phylogenetic analysis based on CP and RdRp amino acid (aa) sequences both indicated that ScVV-1 belongs to the genus Victorivirus in the family Totiviridae. To our knowledge, this is the first full-length genome sequence of a victorivirus infecting S. cucurbitacearum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D semiconductors are regarded as the potential channel materials for high‐performance integrated optoelectronics. However, the absence of an effective photoconductive gain mechanism and the adverse effects from traditional SiO2 substrate prevent the further breakthrough of the photosensitivity of 2D semiconductors‐based photodetectors. Here, an ingenious out‐of‐plane heterostructure is proposed for boosting the photosensitivity. Sub‐millimeter scale (>700 µm) tri‐layer WSe2 with high quality and uniformity is robustly deposited and integrated with 2D photosensitive channels for gate‐tunable photodetection. The WSe2 with naturally passivated surface can not only serve as a substrate passivation layer to mitigate the detrimental substrate effects, but also introduces vertical built‐in fields, which efficiently separates the photogenerated carriers and produces high photoconductive gain. Under gate voltage modulation, the proposed InSe photodetector exhibits a series of excellent performances, including responsivity of 112 A W−1, detectivity of 8.6 × 1012 Jones, light on/off ratio of 1.3 × 104 and rise/decay time of 29.1/15.3 ms. More inspiringly, this heterostructure scheme is universally applicable to 2D WS2 photodetector and also significantly improves its photosensitivity, demonstrating broad applicability. This research will provide helpful guidance for the design and optimization of customizable optoelectronic devices based on 2D semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excellent semiconducting properties and ultrathin morphological characteristics allow van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures based on 2D materials to be promising channel materials for the next‐generation optoelectronic devices, especially in photodetectors. Although various 2D heterostructure‐based photodetectors have been developed, the unavoidable trade‐off between responsivity and detectivity remains a critical issue for these devices. Here, an ingenious phototransistor based on WSe2/WS2/WSe2 dual‐vdW heterostructures is constructed, performing both high responsivity and detectivity. In the charge neutrality point (gate voltage of −15 V and bias voltage of 1 V), this device demonstrates a pronounced photosensitivity, accompanying with high detectivity of 1.9 × 1014 Jones, high responsivity of 35.4 A W−1, and fast rise/fall time of 3.2/2.5 ms at 405 nm with power density of 60 µW cm−2. Density functional theory calculations, energy band profiles, and optoelectronic characteristics jointly verify that the high performance is ascribed to the distinctive device design, which not only facilitates the separation of photogenerated carriers but also produces a strong photogating effect. As a feasible application, an automotive radar system is demonstrated, proving that the device has considerable potential for application in vehicle intelligent assisted driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire retardant coatings are moving towards environmentally friendly products, and the development of green flame retardants is gradually attracting the attention of researchers. In this work, spent coffee grounds (SCG) were modified with m-xylylenediamine phosphonate ammonium (MAP) to create a bio-based flame retardant (SCG-g-MAP) for waterborne epoxy resin (WEP). The structure and composition of SCG-g-MAP were analyzed by a range of characterization tests, and the effects of SCG-g-MAP on the thermal stability, flame retardancy and fire resistance of WEP composite coatings were discussed. It revealed that WEP composite coating with 10 % SCG-g-MAP and partial conventional intumescent fire retardant fillers, resulted in a LOI value of 29.5 % and self-extinguishing capability. Moreover, the coating exhibited significantly improved fire resistance and thermal insulation properties due to its better thermal stability and excellent barrier function of forming carbon layer. This work presents a new attempt and inspiration for the application of biomass waste such as SCG for green flame retardant fillers. [Display omitted] • SCG was modified with m-xylylenediamine phosphonate ammonium (MAP) to develop a bio-based flame retardant (SCG-g-MAP). • SCG-g-MAP greatly improved the flame retardancy and fire resistance of waterborne epoxy resin composite coatings. • This study explored the great potential of SCG as a green flame retardant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of low-cost consumer electronics and pervasive adoption of next generation wireless communication technologies, a tremendous amount of data has been generated from users' smart devices and collected for research and analysis. This inevitably results in increasing concern of mobile users regarding their personal information; the problem of privacy preservation has become more urgent and it has also attracted a significant amount of attention from both academic researchers and industry practitioners. As a strong privacy tool, local differential privacy (LDP) has been widely deployed in recent years. It eliminates the need for a trusted third party by allowing users to perturb their data locally, thus providing better privacy protection. This survey provides a comprehensive and structured overview of LDP technology. We summarize and analyse state-of-the-art development in LDP and compare a range of methods from various perspectives and from the context of machine learning model training. We explore the applications of LDP in various domains. Furthermore, we identify several research challenges and discuss promising future research directions. • Two research directions identified: statistical query with LDP and private learning with LDP. • Review existing solutions, comparing their pros and cons. • Explore recent LDP applications, noting challenges and suggesting future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires and post-fire management exert profound effects on soil properties and microbial communities in forest ecosystems. Understanding microbial community recovery from fire and what the best post-fire management should be is very important but needs to be sufficiently studied. In light of these gaps in our understanding, this study aimed to assess the short-term effects of wildfire and post-fire management on both bacteria and fungi community composition, diversity, structure, and co-occurrence networks, and to identify the principal determinants of soil processes influencing the restoration of these communities. Specifically, we investigated soil bacterial and fungal community composition, diversity, structure, and co-occurrence networks in lower subtropical forests during a short-term (<3 years) post-fire recovery period at four main sites in Guangdong Province, southern China. Our results revealed significant effects of wildfires on fungal community composition, diversity, and co-occurrence patterns. Network analysis indicated reduced bacterial network complexity and connectivity post-fire, while the same features were enhanced in fungal networks. However, post-fire management effects on microbial communities were negligible. Bacterial diversity correlated positively with soil microbial biomass nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and soil total nitrogen. Conversely, based on the best random forest model, fungal community dynamics were negatively linked to nitrate-nitrogen and soil water content. Spearman's correlation analysis suggested positive associations between bacterial networks and soil factors, whereas fungal networks exhibited predominantly negative associations. This study elucidates the pivotal role of post-fire management in shaping ecological outcomes. Additionally, it accentuates the discernible distinctions between bacterial and fungal responses to fire throughout a short-term recovery period. These findings contribute novel insights that bear significance in evaluating the efficacy of environmental management strategies. • Fire and post-fire management impacted soil microbial community composition. • Fire increased the diversity of both bacterial and fungal communities. • Post-fire management strategies had differential impacts on soil bacterial and fungal communities. • Post-fire fungal communities were more constrained by soil physico-chemical properties than bacterial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasensitive photodetectors with high responsivity, detectivity, and fast response rate have triggered urgent demand in extensive applications. In recent years, 2D indium chalcogenides have emerged as appealing photoactive materials due to their excellent electrical and optoelectronic properties. However, suffering from the weak optical absorption induced by atomically thin thickness as well as the short lifetime of photogenerated carriers, conventional 2D indium chalcogenides photodetectors commonly exhibit limited photodetection performance. Herein, a universal strategy integrating 2D indium chalcogenides and Si nanostripe array is demonstrated. The Si nanostripes afford Mie‐type resonance, which facilitates light absorption. In addition, the introduction of photoconductive gain and strain engineering prolongs photogenerated carriers' lifetime and accelerates their transport. The coupling effect of these three mechanisms enables the device to exhibit high photodetection performance. The constructed α‐In2Se3 device manifests a high responsivity of 9.4 × 103 A W−1, detectivity of 5.5 × 1013 Jones while maintaining fast rise/decay time of 2.7/3.8 ms. In addition, this proposed strategy can also be employed to construct InSe device with comprehensively enhanced photodetection performance, which presents universality and wide applicability. These results demonstrate that advanced device design is an effective avenue to achieve future multifunctional optoelectronic devices with high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, laser ablation-resistant composite coating consisting of zirconium diboride (ZrB 2) particulate and silicon carbide (SiC) whisker with zirconia (ZrO 2)-sol binder was prepared to meet requirements of anti-laser ablation ability. Laser ablation behavior of as-prepared coating was investigated under varying laser powers. Results revealed that the highest back-surface temperature of coated aluminum substrate was only 150 °C when irradiated at a power density of 6.3 kW/cm2 for 10 s, which is below the maximum allowable temperature of the aluminum alloy substrate (200 °C). After ablation for 10 s, the mass ablation rate of the composite coating was 4.45 mg/s. Apparently, the composite coating exhibited outstanding ablation resistance against high-intensity continuous laser irradiation. At initial stage of ablation, combination of self-healing effect of liquid ZrO 2 –SiO 2 layer and volatilization of B 2 O 3 provide effective joint protecting mechanism. With increasing ablation time, ZrO 2 ceramic barrier layer, product of the pyrolysis of ZrO 2 gel and ZrB 2 filler, becomes progressively more important in maintaining excellent laser ablation resistance behavior, which is normally effective at around ablation pit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Renal replacement therapy (RRT), as a cornerstone of supportive treatment, has long been performed in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the majority of studies may have neglected the effect of the duration of RRT on the outcome of AKI patients. This paper is aiming to explore the effect of the long duration of RRT on the outcome of critically ill patients with AKI. Methods. This retrospective study was conducted by using the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II (MIMIC-II) database. The primary outcome measure of this study was the mortality at 28 days, 60 days, and 90 days in the long-duration RRT group and the non-long-duration RRT group. The secondary outcomes assessed the difference in clinical outcome in these two groups. Lastly, the effect of the duration of RRT on mortality in AKI patients was determined as the third outcome. Results. We selected 1,020 patients in total who received RRT according to the MIMIC-II database. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we finally selected 506 patients with AKI: 286 AKI patients in the non-long-duration RRT group and 220 in the long-duration RRT group. After 28 days, there was a significant difference in all-cause mortality between the long-duration RRT group and the non-long-duration RRT group (P = 0.001). However, the difference disappeared after 60 days and 90 days (P = 0.803 and P = 0.925 , respectively). The length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation were significantly longer in the long-duration RRT group than those in the non-long-duration RRT group. Considering 28-day mortality, the longer duration of RRT was shown to be a protective factor (HR = 0.995, 95% CI 0.993–0.997, P < 0.0001), while 60-day and 90-day mortality were not correlated with improved protection. Conclusions. The long duration of RRT can improve the short-term prognosis of AKI patients, but it does not affect the long-term prognosis of these patients. Prognosis is determined by the severity of the illness itself. This suggests that RRT can protect AKI patients through the most critical time; however, the final outcome cannot be altered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D indium chalcogenides including α‐In2Se3 and InSe are promising candidates for next‐generation optoelectronic devices. However, the performance of traditional SiO2‐supported devices is limited because of the detrimental effect of the substrate, which greatly restricts charge transportation. Although the induction of an internal (built‐in) electric field can alleviate this situation, the application of conventional stacking technology required in this case inevitably introduces interface defects. Against this backdrop, in this study, a simple and universal structure for the fabrication of highly sensitive photodetectors is designed and engineered. A SiO2 window to afford a "suspended" α‐In2Se3 channel, effectively eliminating the detrimental effects of the substrate, is etched. In addition, the approach induces local strain in the suspended α‐In2Se3, which regulates the band structure and introduces intramolecular type‐II alignment. Thus, the interfacial charge transfer is optimized, and the photodetection performance is enhanced. The resulting device exhibits excellent photosensitivity (responsivity of 1672 A W−1, on/off ratio of 263, and detectivity of 7.5 × 1013 Jones), and a relatively fast response rate (12 ms for both rise and decay). This structure can also be extended to InSe devices to comprehensively enhance their photodetection performance, thereby demonstrating the broad applicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, N/O co-doped cage-type biomass carbon (NOBC) was prepared through a simple and facile hydrothermal reaction and two-step carbonization method. As the anode of a potassium ion battery, NOBC displays a superhigh long-cycling performance and a super high rate performance. NOBC-2 provides an excellent reversible capacity of 251.2 mAh g−1 after 1500 cycles at 0.5 A g−1, and an excellent performance of 334.6 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 5 A g−1 (after 2000 cycles). The reversible capacity of 124.19 mAh g−1 can be maintained even after 5000 cycles at 10 A g−1. The excellent performance of NOBC is attributed to the unique hollow cage structure, internal 3D carbon network structure and N/O co-doping. Based on the results of detailed fundamental analysis, the pseudo-capacitance mechanism contributes to the higher K ion storage process in NOBC-2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further show that N/O double doping can promote the adsorption of K ions in biomass carbon materials and improve the conductivity of the materials. The simple synthesis route and excellent electrochemical performance provide new insights for the search for novel carbon-based K storage anode materials with high energy and long cycle life. The N/O co-doped biomass carbon material (NOBC-2) is synthesized through a simple hydrothermal reaction and two-step carbonization, and exhibits surprisingly high energy and long cycle life stability in the potassium ion half-cell. [Display omitted] • The preparation method of N/O co-doped biomass carbon material (NOBC-2) is simple and convenient.There are wide sources of biomass raw materials, and mass production is expected. • There are wide sources of biomass raw materials, and mass production is expected. • NOBC-2 exhibits surprisingly high energy and long cycle life in potassium ion half-cells. • Mechanism studies are designed to investigate the K+ storage behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, formed by stacking different two‐dimensional (2D) materials, have emerged as a promising platform for next‐generation optoelectronic devices through band engineering. While various all‐2D and mixed‐dimensional heterojunction phototransistors based on p–n junctions or Schottky junctions have been developed, their performance, often constrained by the trade‐off between responsivity (R) and response speed, limits their widespread application. Here, a dual‐mode phototransistor based on a MoTe2/WS2/WSe2 double vdW heterostructure is designed. The bottom WSe2 layer effectively modulates the entire MoTe2/WS2 heterojunction channel, enabling both photoconductive and photovoltaic modes with exceptional optoelectronic properties in a single device. Specifically, the proposed device exhibits a maximum R of 2540 A W−1 and an impressive specific detectivity of 8 × 1012 Jones under the photoconductive mode. Under the photovoltaic mode, it achieves a fast response speed of 35.3/49.1 µs and a high light on/off ratio of 2 × 105. Additionally, the device exhibits latent potential for high‐resolution imaging across various wavelengths and fast optical communication. This work offers a rational alternative for achieving dual‐mode photodetection and highlights its promising application prospects in imaging and optical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recent clinical trials with agents targeting immune checkpoint pathway have emerged as an important therapeutic approach for a broad range of cancer types. Resveratrol has been shown to possess cancer preventive and therapeutic effects and has potential to be chemotherapeutic agent/adjuvant. Here, we assessed the effect of resveratrol on immune checkpoint pathways. Methods: The expression patterns of Wnt components and PD-L1 were examined by Western blot, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was used for analysis of DNA–protein interaction, the promoter activity was determined by luciferase reporter assay, apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry and the ability of the resveratrol to modulate T cell function was assessed in a co-culture system. Results: Although the dose-, and cell-type dependent effects of resveratrol on PD-L1 expression have been reported, we show here that resveratrol dose-dependently upregulates PD-L1 expression at the range of pharmacologic-achievable concentrations in lung cancer cells and that is essential for suppression of T-cell-mediated immune response. We also found that Wnt pathway is critical for mediating resveratrol-induced PD-L1 upregulation. Mechanistically, resveratrol activates SirT1 deacetylase to deacetylate and stabilize transcriptional factor Snail. Snail in turn inhibits transcription of Axin2, which leads in disassembly of destruction complex and enhanced binding of β-catenin/TCF to PD-L1 promoter. Conclusion: We conclude that resveratrol is capable to suppress anti-tumor immunity by controlling mainly PD-L1 expression. This finding will extend the understanding of resveratrol in regulation of tumor immunity and is relevant to the debate on resveratrol supplements for lung cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an emerging risk factor for diabetes, is now recognized as the most common liver disease worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a promising tool in regenerative medicine, release abundant molecules into the conditioned medium (CM). Increasing evidence showed that MSC-CM is beneficial for diabetes-associated NAFLD. However, the mechanism of how MSC-CM improves NAFLD remains uncertain. In this study, to determine the effects of MSC-CM on NAFLD, streptozotocin (STZ) and high-fat diet (HFD) induced T2DM mice model and palmitic acid (PA)-stimulated L-O2 cells were used and treated with MSC-CM. Our results demonstrated that MSC-CM improved insulin resistance in diabetic mice, amended the pathological structure of the liver, enhanced the liver's total antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial function, reduced inflammation and cell apoptosis. We further verified that SIRT1 played a key role in mediating the protective effect of MSC-CM. These findings provide novel evidence that MSC-CM has the potential to treat T2DM patients with NAFLD clinically. • MSC-CM improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in T2DM mice. • MSC-CM alleviated liver dysfunction and reduced lipid distribution in T2DM mice. • MSC-CM enhanced liver mitochondrial function and reduced inflammation and apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. • MSC-CM exerted protective functions through upregulating SIRT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hirsutella sinensis is the anamorph of Ophiocordyceps sinensis , and its mycelia has been used to effectively treat a variety of hepatobiliary diseases in clinical practice. In the present study, we performed a systematic study on the composition and structure of its polysaccharides, and then employed a TGF-β1-induced human intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cell-epithelial-mesenchymal transition (HIBEC-EMT) model to investigate their effects on treating primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) based on hepatic bile duct fibrosis. Four polysaccharide fractions were obtained from H. sinensis mycelia by hot-water extraction, DEAE-cellulose column and gradient ethanol precipitation separation. HSWP-1a was an α-(1,4)-D-glucan; HSWP-1b and HSWP-1d mainly consisted of mannoglucans with a backbone composed of 1,4-linked α-D-Glc p and 1,4,6-linked α-D-Man p residues branched at O -6 of the 1,4-linked α-D-Glc p with a 1-linked α-D-Glc p as a side chain; and HSWP-1c mainly contained galactomannoglucans. These polysaccharide fractions protected HIBECs from a TGF-β1-induced EMT, according to HIBEC morphological changes, cell viability, decreased E-cadherin and ZO-1 expression, and increased vimentin and collagen I expression. Furthermore, the effects of the polysaccharides might be mediated by inhibiting the activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, which attenuated hepatic bile duct fibrosis and potential PBC effects. [Display omitted] • H. sinensis mycelia polysaccharides are composed of α-glucan, mannoglucan and galactomannoglucan. • H. sinensis mycelia polysaccharides significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced HIBEC-EMT. • H. sinensis mycelia polysaccharides significantly inhibited the activation of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. • Polysaccharide is firstly found to attenuate hepatic bile duct fibrosis and potential PBC effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Least‐squares reverse‐time migration is well known for its capability to generate artefact‐free true‐amplitude subsurface images through fitting observed data in the least‐squares sense. However, when applied to realistic imaging problems, this approach is faced with issues related to overfitting and excessive computational costs induced by many wave‐equation solves. The fact that the source function is unknown complicates this situation even further. Motivated by recent results in stochastic optimization and transform‐domain sparsity promotion, we demonstrate that the computational costs of inversion can be reduced significantly while avoiding imaging artefacts and restoring amplitudes. While powerful, these new approaches do require accurate information on the source‐time function, which is often lacking. Without this information, the imaging quality deteriorates rapidly. We address this issue by presenting an approach where the source‐time function is estimated on the fly through a technique known as variable projection. Aside from introducing negligible computational overhead, the proposed method is shown to perform well on imaging problems with noisy data and problems that involve complex settings such as salt. In either case, the presented method produces high‐resolution high‐amplitude fidelity images including an estimate for the source‐time function. In addition, due to its use of stochastic optimization, we arrive at these images at roughly one to two times the cost of conventional reverse‐time migration involving all data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report the molecular characterization of a novel positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) mycovirus from Botryosphaeria dothidea strain G91, which we name "Botryosphaeria dothidea botourmiavirus 1" (BdBOV-1). The complete genome of BdBOV-1 is 2547 nucleotides (nt) long, contains one open reading frame (ORF) potentially encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and shows a close relationship to mycoviruses of the family Botourmiaviridae. Phylogenetic analysis based on the RdRp sequences confirmed that BdBOV-1 clustered together with the members of the family Botourmiaviridae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a +ssRNA mycovirus infecting B. dothidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pore characteristics of different size ranges are analyzed quantitatively. • IPP 6.0 software is used to digitize information contained in obtained images. • The VES fracturing fluids produced many small pores (<0.8 μm). • The effect of VES fracturing fluid C is most obvious on the pores (2–300 nm). • Adsorption average pore width (TS, 2–300 nm) increases by 570.44% by C treatment. Coalbed methane is stored mainly in coal pores, and pore changes by fracturing fluid affect the extraction effect of coalbed methane. To select the optimal formulation of viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fracturing fluids, we treated coal samples of different hardness with deionized water (A) and three different fluids that contained cationic surfactants (B), mixed cationic and zwitterionic surfactants (C) and mixed anionic and zwitterionic surfactants (D) as the main agents. The effect of the three VES fracturing fluids on pores was compared quantitatively and on a multi-scale. The pore characteristics were tested by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion capillary pressure and low-pressure nitrogen physisorption. Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software was used to digitize information from the obtained images. The Angulo and Frenkel–Halsey–Hill models were used to calculate the fractal dimension by using mercury intrusion capillary pressure and low-pressure nitrogen physisorption data, respectively. The effect of VES fracturing fluids B and D on pores from 14 nm to 180 μm was greater than that for VES fracturing fluid C as the main agent. The effect of VES fracturing fluid C on the pores (2–300 nm) was most obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-derived carbon from Ganoderma Lucidum Spore as a promising anode material for rapid potassium-ion storage on large scale. The design and preparation of powerful anode materials are key to developing potassium-ion batteries. A biomass-based potassium anode material with a distinct hollow-cage structure was prepared by one-step carbonization. The target carbon exhibited a specific surface area of 104.4 m2 g−1 and mesopores/macropores distributed materials. When used as the negative electrode of a potassium-ion battery, the cage-like porous carbon (CPC) showed a reversible capacity of 407 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 50 mA g−1 current density. After 100 cycles, at a current density of 200 mA g−1, the reversible capacity was 163.8 mAh g−1. It still exhibits an extremely long cycle stability at high current densities (discharge capacity of 124.6 mAh g−1 after 700 cycles at a current density of 1 A g−1). The excellent performance is attributed to the stable cage-like carbon scaffold and uniform continuous distribution of mesopores/macropores to improve ion diffusion kinetics and electronic conductivity. These results indicate that a properly designed CPC can effectively increase the capacity and cycle stability of a potassium-ion battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clogging mechanism has attracted increasing attention due to widespread applications of fibrous filtration in the industry. We carry out computational fluid dynamics with a discrete element method to investigate the clogging in a two-fiber system. The role of interparticle adhesion among microparticles in the unclogging-clogging transition is examined. A clogging phase diagram in the form of the Stokes number and the adhesion parameter (Ad) is built. We show that the formation of clogs contains two sequential processes, the growth of particle chain and the formation of bridges connecting two fibers. A stronger adhesion results in a longer growing time but a shorter bridging time of particle chains. These competing trends yield an "optimal" Ad range with the fewest penetrating particles. The structural analysis of the clogs shows that as Ad increases, the average local volume fraction and coordination number decrease. The reconstruction of particles mainly happens in the initial cake filtration stage. Image 1 • A clogging phase diagram in the form of St and an adhesion parameter Ad is built. • For St = 1.55, we find that there is an "optimal" clogging domain with Ad = 18–36. • For the cake, the average coordination number drops significantly as Ad increases. • The reconstruction of particles happens in the initial the cake filtration stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are precursors of sperms and oocytes and responsible for passing the genetic information from one generation to the next. Chicken PGCs segregate from somatic cells in early embryo and could be isolated and cultured in vitro, making it a useful tool to produce genetically modified animals. However, the number of PGCs isolated from embryo is limited and these cells are not efficient to proliferation in vitro. GSK-3 plays an important role in multiple intracellular signaling pathways and inhibition of GSK-3-mediated β-catenin phosphorylation is known to reduce apoptosis and promote proliferation in T cells and embryo stem cells (ESC). In this study, we investigate the effect of GSK-3 inhibitor on the proliferation of PGCs in vitro and found significant increases of cell proliferation in the culture supplemented with CHIR. We further found that CHIR regulates PGC cell cycle by activating Wnt signaling and antagonizing the apoptosis of PGCs by inhibition of the expression of caspase-3 and Beclin-1. PGCs treated with CHIR expressed the germ cell-related markers and retain the capability to colonize the embryonic gonad after re-introduction to vasculature of HH stage-15 embryos. These results suggest that GSK-3 is involved in cell renewal and apoptosis in chicken PGCs. • Efficient proliferation and proportion of chicken PGCs in the culture supplemented with CHIR. • The culture system in this research, PGCs maintain germ cell characteristics after culture in the presence of CHIR. • GSK-3 is involved in chicken PGCs cell cycle and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between endothelial pyroptosis and the occurrence of systemic inflammatory response (SIR) after radiofrequency (RF) ablation of hepatic hemangiomas. Thirty-two patients with hepatic hemangiomas were treated with RF ablation and blood samples of the patients were collected at different time points. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to evaluate the expression of caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), IL-1β and IL-18 in hepatic hemangioma and subablated hemangioma tissue. In vitro experiments, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with sub-ablative hyperthermia with or without the addition of caspase-1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-CMK in the medium. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), IL-18, IL-1β, caspase-1 and GSDMD were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time PCR and Western blot methods. An elevation of general SIR parameters (CRP and WBC), pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-18) and LDH were observed 1-day post-RF ablation and their peak values were significantly correlated with ablated volume (p < .001) and ablation time (p < .001). Moreover, levels of pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines correlated well with general SIR parameters, respectively (p < .001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed the increased expression of caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-18 and IL-1β in the endothelial cells of subablated hemangioma. In vitro experiments showed that subablative hyperthermia induced the caspase-1-associated endothelial pyroptosis and Ac-YVAD-CMK attenuated pyroptosis. In conclusion, SIR in patients treated by RF ablation for hepatic hemangiomas was significantly associated with the ablated volume and ablation time and endothelial pyroptosis may involve in the occurrence of SIR following RF ablation of hepatic hemangiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • IgG-MIP was synthesized using a peptide crosslinker and a thiophilic monomer. • The template protein was completely removed under mild conditions. • The polymer has a high adsorption capacity (790.2 mg/g) and a high IF (5.2). • IgG and mAb were successfully separated using the MIP. Downstream separation and purification of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has long been the major bottleneck for their production. Here novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) of immunoglobulin G (IgG) were designed for their capture and separation from cell culture supernatant. To overcome the severe problems faced by protein-imprinted polymers, i.e., difficult template removal and low imprinting efficiency, a poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLGA)-based peptide crosslinker, instead of commonly used crosslinkers, was employed. In addition, a thiophilic functional monomer, 2-((2-hydroxy-3-(methacryloyloxy)propyl)thio)nicotinic acid (GMA-NA), which can bind with IgG selectively, was designed and used for the synthesis of IgG-imprinted polymers. Because of the reversible and precise pH-induced helix-coil transition of the PLGA segments in the polymers and also the selective binding of GMA-NA with IgG, complete removal of the template protein was achieved under mild conditions. Meanwhile excellent imprinting efficiency was obtained. For the IgG-imprinted polymer with an optimized composition, a high adsorption capacity (790.2 mg/g) and a high IF (5.2) were achieved, both of which are much higher than the previously reported IgG-imprinted polymers. The polymer exhibits high selectivity towards the template IgG against non-template proteins. It also exhibits excellent reusability. The high adsorption capacity, high selectivity and mild elution conditions of the new IgG-imprinted polymer make it good adsorbent for antibody separation. Using the new MIP, IgG was successfully separated from human serum. More importantly, HLA-DRA mAb was successfully separated from cell culture supernatant with a removal rate of 89% and a purity of 87%, confirming the potential of the new MIP in mAb separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor permeability of therapeutic drugs, limited T-cell infiltration, and strong immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) acts as a prominent barrier to the delivery of drugs and immunotherapy including programmed cell death ligand-1 antibody (anti-PD-L1). Transforming growth factor (TGF)- β , an important cytokine produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor cells contributes to the pathological vasculature, dense tumor stroma and strong immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a nanomedicine platform (HA-LSL/siTGF- β) employing dual-targeting, alongside hyaluronidase (HAase) and glutathione (GSH) triggered release was elaborately constructed to efficiently deliver TGF- β small interference RNA (siTGF- β). It was determined that this system was able to improve the efficacy of anti-PD-L1. The siTGF- β nanosystem efficiently silenced TGF- β -related signaling pathways in both activated NIH 3T3 cells and 4T1 cells in vitro and in vivo. This occurred firstly, through CD44-mediated uptake, followed by rapid escape mediated by HAase in endo/lysosomes and release of siRNA mediated by high GSH concentrations in the cytoplasm. By simultaneous silencing of TGF- β in stromal and tumor cells, HA-LSL/siTGF- β dramatically reduced stroma deposition, promoted the penetration of nanomedicines for deep remodeling of the TME, improved oxygenation, T cells infiltration and subsequent anti-PD-L1 deep penetration. The double suppression of TGF- β has been demonstrated to promote blood vessel normalization, inhibit an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and further modify the immunosuppressive TME, which was supported by an overall increase in the proportion of dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells. Further, a reduction in the proportion of immunosuppression cells such as regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells was also observed in the TME. Based on the comprehensive remodeling of the tumor microenvironment by this nanosystem, subsequent anti-PD-L1 therapy elicited robust antitumor immunity. Specifically, this system was able to suppress the growth of both primary and distant tumor while preventing tumor metastasis to the lung. Therefore, the combination of the dual-targeted siTGF- β nanosystem, alongside anti-PD-L1 may serve as a novel method to enhance antitumor immunotherapy against stroma-rich TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mg-doped ACPPs with different Ca/Mg molar ratios are achieved. • Ca-Mg = 2 owns the best release of Ca2+ and Mg2+. • When Ca/Mg is 2, it can realize better osteogenic bioactivity. In this paper, the property effect of different calcium-magnesium ratios on amorphous calcium pyrophosphate (ACPP) was studied. Three calcium-magnesium ratios (Ca-Mg = 1–2, Ca-Mg = 2, Mg = 0) was selected to prepare ACPP. To compare the changes in morphology, microstructure, phase and component, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) were carried out. Then, Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) was conducted to investigate the ion release. Finally, to compare the osteogenic activity, cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and osteogenic differentiation experiments were performed. The results showed that Mg2+ was inserted into the particle and adsorbed on the surface at Ca-Mg = 2. For Ca-Mg = 1–2, Mg2+ was mainly in a form of Mg-O-P. As a result, Ca-Mg = 2 had denser microstructure and better Ca2+ and Mg2+ release. Thus, Ca-Mg = 2 behaved superior osteogenic activity and differentiation ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botryosphaeria dothidea is an important pathogenic fungus that causes serious diseases in fruits and trunks of many wood plant species worldwide. In this study, 28 B. dothidea strains isolated from pear trunk samples showing stem wart or canker symptoms were used to detect double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses. The dsRNA bands with the size of ~ 1.0 to ~ 6.0 kbp were examined from ten strains. Here, we reported a novel dsRNA mycovirus, tentatively named as Botryosphaeria dothidea victorivirus 2 (BdVV2), isolated from the B. dothidea strain MSD53. BdVV2 contained spherical virions that were ~ 38 nm in diameter consisting of a single linear dsRNA genome of 5,090 bp in length. The BdVV2 genome contained two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) encoding a putative coat protein (CP) and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which shared significant amino acid identities of 68% and 60% with the corresponding proteins of Sphaeropsis sapinea RNA viruses 1 (SsRV1). Phylogenetic analyses based on the aa sequences of CP and RdRp both showed that BdVV2 was phylogenetically related to the members of the genus Victorivirus in the family Totiviridae. BdVV2 is thus a novel victorivirus isolated from the phytopathogenic fungus B. dothidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • PTX-BA nanosuspensions with increased anti-breast cancer activity were first developed. • Such a DDS can circumvent the limitation of solubility as well as achieve synergistic effects. • Synergistic effects were achieved via their anti-tumor mechanisms verified on cell studies. • In vivo test demonstrated that the PTX-BA-NP achieved the strongest tumor inhibition. • These findings indicate that PTX-BA-NP holds great promise for breast cancer therapy. Abstract Paclitaxel-betulinic acid hybrid nanosuspensions (PTX-BA-NP) with increased anti-breast cancer activity were developed. The resultant nanosuspensions (NP) had a mean particle size of 282.54 ± 5.4 nm, a polydispersity index of approximately 0.242 ± 0.02, a zeta potential of -19.7 ± 0.19 mV and a redispersibility index of 103.3 ± 0.01%. The cumulative dissolution percentage of PTX coarse powder and PTX-BA-NP dried powder at 60 min were 15.4% and 90.8%, respectively. MCF-7 cell-based testing showed that treatment with PTX-BA-NP led to more PTX-BA-NP accumulation in the cytoplasm of breast cancer cells, less cell cycle arrest in the G2-M phase, more cell cycle arrest in the G0-G1 phase, more apoptosis-induced cell death and stronger inhibition of cell migration than paclitaxel nanosuspensions (PTX-NP). Biodistribution studies showed that tumor accumulation levels at 12 h in the PTX-BA-NP group were approximately 2.67- and 2.33-fold higher than the levels in the Taxol® and PTX-NP groups, respectively. In vivo antitumor efficacy demonstrated that PTX-BA-NP exerted the strongest tumor inhibition among the four groups, with a tumor inhibition rate of 47.79 ± 2.28%, followed by PTX-NP (35.05 ± 5.55%), Taxol® (22.67 ± 6.01%) and betulinic acid nanosuspension (BA NP) (14.38 ± 6.02%). These findings indicate that PTX-BA-NP holds great promise for breast cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile LiDAR Systems (MLSs) have recently been recognized as an effective way to extract road markings. Although existing studies have achieved good accuracy (about 90%) in road marking extraction, the majority of them are based on image processing methods; only a few researchers directly use laser points, especially for the recognition and assessment of road markings. This study introduces a three-step automated method for the extraction, recognition, and maintenance of road markings based on the intensity information from the MLS data: (1) an automated mechanism to filter the ground surface in laser data, (2) an adaptive block and multi-threshold method to detect road markings, (3) an automated method to achieve the classification, recognition, and assessment of road markings. Qualitative and quantitative analyses based on experimental datasets with eight types of road markings were used to evaluate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed method. Experimental results show that the average values of completeness (CPT), correctness (CRT), and F-measure of the road marking detection results are 94.35%, 98.35%, and 95.7% and the average values of CPT, CRT, and quality (QUA) of recognition results are 99.0%, 93.2%, and 92.3%, respectively, indicating that the proposed method is feasible and effective. The detection and recognition results were used to reconstruct, improve, and update the road features database; provide guidelines for road applications and maximum assistance for road maintenance; and deliver a valuable solution for maintenance and management of constructed facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Phospholipid complex (PC) markedly improved the log P and P eff of tanshinol. • Mesoporous silica (SD) improved in vitro dissolution tanshinol from PC. • TPGS 1000 was applied for hindering the efflux of tanshinol by P-gp in DDS. • PC combined with SD was first used to enhance the oral absorption of tanshinol. • Results showed that combined DDS markedly increased the bioavailability of tanshinol. Abstract Phenolic acids are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological activity. However, low oral bioavailability restricts their application. In this study, a high dispersed phyto- phospholipid complex with mesoporous silica containing TPGS 1000 (TPC-SD) was fabricated using Tanshinol (Tan) as model drug. Phospholipid complex (PC) was employed to improve the n -octanol/water partition coefficient (log P ) and apparent permeability coefficients ( P app ) of Tan. Mesoporous silica was used to compensate for the negative effects of phospholipid on drug’s dispersion and dissolution owing to its viscosity and poor water-solubility. TPGS 1000, a P-gp inhibitor, was used to block the efflux of Tan. Log P tests showed that the lipophilicity of Tan was significantly enhanced by Tanshinol phospholipid complex (TPC) formation. In vitro dissolution results showed that the cumulative dissolution percentage of Tan from TPC-SD was 4.33- fold of that from TPC in 120 min A Caco-2 permeability test confirmed that P app (AP-BL) of TPC and TPC-SD increased approximately 2.22- and 3.53- fold compared to those of unformulated Tan, respectively ( p < 0.01, p < 0.01). Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that the AUC 0-∞ of TPC-SD was 2.23- and 1.47- fold compared with those of unformulated Tan and TPC, respectively ( p < 0.01, p < 0.01). These results indicated that the high dispersed phyto- phospholipid complex/TPGS 1000 by mesoporous silica can be a promising drug delivery system to improve the oral bioavailability of free phenolic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by bird's nest structure, fibrous mullite ceramic was fabricated by vacuum impregnation with mullite fibers as raw material and zirconia sol-gel as inorganic binder. The effect of impregnation times on the properties of the fibrous mullite ceramic, such as porosity, microstructure, compressive strength and room-temperature thermal conductivity were investigated. The results showed that low density (0.45–0.66 g/cm 3 ), relative high compressive strength (0.62–3.34 MPa) and low thermal conductivity (0.037–0.125 W/mk) were exhibited for the sample. The toughness of fibrous mullite ceramic was enhanced due to the micro-creaks caused by transformation of zirconia. From the experimental results, it is suggested that it was an optimal method which have the potential use in high-temperature thermal insulation materials to produce fibrous mullite ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofibrous aerogel composites have emerged as most promising materials for their high-temperature insulation in complex environments due to their ultra lightweight, high elasticity, and superior thermal performance. However, the release of particles caused by weak bond strength between nanofibers and aerogel, lead to insulation failure which presents serious challenge. This research presents, a novel approach to mitigate the particle release and significantly improve the overall performance of nanofibrous aerogel composites. The proposed method involves the preparation of particle-free nanofibrous aerogel composites through unique combination of sol-aerogel blending, electrospinning, and freeze-casting processes. The effect of particle release has been successfully eliminated by embedding TiO 2 aerogel within SiO 2 nanofibers even under rigorous conditions (weight loss rate less than 0.57%). Furthermore, the resulting nanofibrous aerogel composite exhibits exceptional thermal insulation properties, with a low thermal conductivity of 0.0251 W/mK at room temperature. Additionally, the proposed composite material configuration demonstrates superior infrared radiation suppression performance resulting in an infrared transmittance of 39.52%. The lamellar structure of the nanofibers aerogel is tailored to provide high compressive strength (2.2 kPa at 40% strain), exceptional cyclic fatigue resistance after 50 cycles, and temperature (−196 to 500 °C) conditions. The outstanding combination of thermal and mechanical properties exhibited by these nanofibrous aerogel composites makes them highly promising for stable thermal protection in extreme environmental conditions. These novel materials promise great potential for application in various engineering industries where reliable thermal insulation is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules now routinely includes BRAFV600E genetic testing in most provincial and municipal hospitals in China. This study identified the most suitable patients of thyroid nodule for BRAFV600E genetic testing. We retrospectively collected data of patients from the Hospital Information System that had undergone fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) from May 2019 to December 2021. Data of FNAB, BRAFV600E genetic testing, and post-surgical pathological diagnosis were collected. A total of 12,392 patients were included in this study. Among them, 7,010 patients underwent solely FNAB, while 5,382 patients had both FNAB and BRAFV600E genetic testing. In the FNAB group, 2,065 thyroid nodules were surgically removed, with a 93.12% malignancy rate. In the FNAB + BRAF group, 2,005 nodules were dissected, and the malignancy rate was 98.20%. However, it was evident that in the subgroups, the combination of FNAB and BRAFV600E genetic testing only benefited Bethesda III (p < 0.001) and V (p = 0.001) nodules. Overall, the combination of FNAB with BRAFV600E genetic testing significantly improved the malignancy rate of surgical thyroid nodes at our hospital when compared to FNAB alone. The subgroup analysis showed that BRAFV600E genetic testing only benefited Bethesda III and V nodules. These findings provide a clinical reference for rationally selecting the most suitable population for BRAFV600E genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the processing of tobacco leaves, flue-curing and redrying can affect the structure of bacterial community, having an effect on the aging quality of tobacco leaves. In order to characterize the effects of flue-curing and redrying on the bacterial community of tobacco leaves, the bacterial community of samples at different processing stages (before flue-curing, after flue-curing, before redrying and after redrying) was analyzed using Illumina sequencing. A total of 33 phyla, 79 classes, 195 orders, 344 families, 826 genera and 7922 ASVs were obtained from 36 samples. There was no significant difference in the core bacterial groups of tobacco leaf at four processing stages. Proteobacteria dominated at the phylum level. Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas and Methylobacterium were the main genera shared by all samples. The functional prediction by PICRUSt showed an increase in the relative abundance of pathway related to metabolism after flue-curing and pathway related to environmental information processing after redrying. This study, we analyzed the changes of bacterial community and structural composition of tobacco leaves from flue-curing to redrying, and found that flue-curing had a greater effect on the microbial community than redrying. This is conducive for the exploration of microbial resources and improvement of tobacco leaf quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System errors in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems cannot be ignored due to their influence on geo-referencing accuracy. Previous calibration methods are based on the vertical LiDAR system and do not simultaneously consider the bore-sight angles, lever-arm errors, angles, range, trajectory position, and angle correction parameters for each strip. This study proposes a system self-calibration model based on a high-precision positioning model for the non-vertical four-prism airborne LiDAR system. Furthermore, an automatic system calibration process is presented using this model that identifies 12 parameters for overlapping LiDAR data. Also, each strip of trajectory data has three position corrections and three angle corrections. The feasibility and applicability of the method is demonstrated via qualitative and quantitative analyses using real data from plain and hilly areas. The experimental results prove that the proposed method is stable and reliable. Specifically, the proposed method can compensate for system bias, correct original flight data, and provide seamless data. This model can be applied to actual flight engineering datasets, has no terrain limitations, no specific requirements for the trajectory configuration, no specific hypotheses, and no need for control information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a well-known material for biomedical applications and its performance depends greatly on its morphological features. Therefore, preparation of mesoporous HA with high surface area and adsorption capacity is highly deserved. In this research, a hydrothermal approach to synthesize mesoporous HA without post-processing calcination step is presented. The possibility using different polyphenols to generate mesoporous HA as well as using different phosphate sources to tailor the morphological features of HA is investigated. The as-prepared mesoporous HA particles are characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, BET, and zeta potential. Besides, the impacts of HA morphological features on model drug Dox are also studied. It is expected the strong interaction between –OH of polyphenols and Ca 2+ makes polyphenols molecules occupy the inner sites of growing HA particles. After the removal of polyphenols by hydrothermal treatment and ethanol extraction, the occupied sites are transformed into mesopores. The typical mesoporous HA generated in present work has a rod-like morphology with BET specific surface area of 106.6 m 2 /g and an average pore size of 14.4 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discussed the differences in corrosion resistance and antimicrobial properties between nickel-aluminum bronze (NAB) fabricated by WAAM and cast. Compared with castings, the grain size of WAAM-NAB was smaller, and the precipitation of the κ phase was limited. The corrosion of WAAM-NAB occurred in the residual β phase with a suppression of selective phase corrosion, so its corrosion resistance was improved. The Cu ions of the WAAM-NAB were released more rapidly to achieve a more effective sterilization. The microbial corrosion resistance of WAAM-NAB was better than that of cast alloys. • WAAM-NAB has better corrosion resistance than cast alloy in artificial seawater. • In artificial seawater containing E.coli, corrosion of the cast alloy occurred in the κ phase, and the corrosion resistance was lower than that of WAAM-NAB. • The Cu ions of the WAAM-NAB were released more rapidly and were more effective in sterilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]