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Simple Summary: This study successfully established a rapid and visual real-time fluorescence reverse transcription recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RT–RAA) method for the detection of H9 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV). We designed primers and probes with high specificity to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the detection method. The results show that this method had no cross-reaction with other influenza viruses, and its detection accuracy was highly consistent with that of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT–qPCR). Additionally, the amplification products of this method can be directly observed with the naked eye through a portable blue light instrument. This feature significantly enhances the intuition of the detection results, enabling non-professionals to quickly judge the detection results, thereby greatly improving the ease of use and popularity of the detection method. In resource-limited environments, this intuitive and rapid detection method is particularly important for the timely discovery and control of H9 AIVs. The H9 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) has been characterized by its rapid spread, wide range of prevalence, and continuous evolution in recent years, leading to an increasing ability for cross-species transmission. This not only severely impacts the economic benefits of the aquaculture industry, but also poses a significant threat to human health. Therefore, developing a rapid and sensitive detection method is crucial for the timely diagnosis and prevention of H9 AIVs. In this study, a real-time fluorescent reverse transcription recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RT–RAA) technique targeting the hemagglutinin (HA) of H9 AIVs was established. This technique can be used for detection in just 30 min at a constant temperature of 42 °C, and it exhibits good specificity without cross-reactivity with other viruses. Sensitivity tests revealed that the detection limit of RT–RAA was 163 copies per reaction, and the visual detection limit was 1759 copies per reaction at a 95% confidence interval, both of which are capable of detecting low concentrations of standards. Furthermore, RT–RAA was applied to detect 155 clinical samples, and compared to real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT–qPCR), RT–RAA demonstrated high accuracy, with a specificity of 100% and a kappa value of 0.96, indicating good correlation. Additionally, with the assistance of a portable blue imaging device, we can visually observe the amplification products, greatly facilitating rapid detection in resource-limited environments. The RT–RAA detection method developed in this study does not require expensive equipment or highly skilled staff, making it beneficial for the accurate and low-cost detection of H9 AIVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In distributed edge storage, data storage data is allocated to network edge devices to achieve low latency, high security, and flexibility. However, traditional systems for distributed edge storage only consider individual factors, such as node capacity, while overlooking the network status and the load states of the storage nodes, thereby impacting the system's read and write performance. Moreover, these systems exhibit inadequate scalability in widely adopted wireless terminal application scenarios. To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces a software-defined edge storage model and a distributed edge storage architecture grounded in software-defined networking (SDN) and the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. A data storage node selection and distribution algorithm is formulated based on a maldistributed decision model that comprehensively considers the network and storage node load states. A system prototype is implemented in combination with 5G wireless communication technology. The experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison to conventional distributed edge storage systems, the proposed wireless distributed edge storage system exhibits significantly enhanced performance under high load conditions, demonstrating superior scalability and adaptability. This approach effectively addresses the scalability limitation, rendering it suitable for edge scenarios in mobile applications and reducing hardware deployment costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) is anticipated to have applications such as blue light and ultraviolet (UV) light blocking for human skin owing to its selective wavelength reflection against incident sunlight through several hundred nanometres of a periodic helical twist structure. In this study, we investigated short chiral pitch control and enlargement of the blue phase (BP) temperature range by adding an achiral constituent of 4-n-octylbenzoic acid (8 BA) into CLC mixtures composed of three kinds of cholesteryl compounds: cholesteryl chloride, cholesteryl pelargonate and cholesteryl palmitate. Hydrogen bonding dependence of chiral pitch and BP temperature range were also investigated for achiral dopant (8 BA) and CLC mixture through temperature-dependent Fourier-transform infrared analysis. It was found that 40 wt% of 8 BA within the CLC mixture selectively reflected UV and blue light over 360–400 nm with a decrease of chiral pitch. It was also found that the BP temperature range increased by 15.6°C owing to hydrogen bond dimers composed of 8 BA molecules in the CLC mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age-associated functional decline of the kidney is accompanied by structural changes including glomerular sclerosis and interstitial fibrosis. Aging kidneys also exhibit increased vulnerability in stressful environmental conditions. In this study, we assessed the differences in responses between young and aged animals to folic acid (FA)-induced renal fibrosis. To monitor the effects of aging on FA-induced kidney fibrosis, we administered FA (250 mg/kg) to young (6-month old) and aged (20-month old) rats. The development of severe fibrosis was only detected in aged rat kidneys, which was accompanied by increased kidney injury and inflammation. Furthermore, we found that FA-treated aged rats had significantly lower farnesoid X receptor (FXR) expression in the tubular epithelial cells than the rats not treated with FA. Interestingly, the extent of inflammation was severe in the kidneys of aged rat, where the FXR expression was low. To explore the role of FXR in kidney inflammation, in vitro studies were performed using NRK52E kidney tubule epithelial cells. NF-κB activation by lipopolysaccharide treatment induces chemokine production in NRK52E cells. The activation of FXR by obeticholic acid significantly reduced the transcriptional activity of NF-κB and chemokine production. In contrast, FXR knockdown increased LPS-induced chemokine production in NRK52E cells. Finally, FXR-knockout mice that were administered FA showed increased inflammation and severe fibrosis. In summary, we demonstrated that diminished FXR expression in the epithelial cells of the renal tubules exacerbated the fibrotic response in aged rat kidneys by upregulating pro-inflammatory NF-κB activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a cost-effective, scalable, and efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the heart of producing pure hydrogen in practical applications. In this work, a unique approach to allow ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles on carboxyl-functionalized porous sphere carbon (CF-Ru@PSC) for an aqueous Zn–CO2 system is reported. The CF-Ru@PSC catalyst was produced by inducing additional junction sites between metallic Ru and the carbon substrate for enhanced HER properties under a CO2 saturated condition. The strongly bonded Ru–C caused electron transfer from the bottom side of the metallic Ru to the PSC substrate, leading to efficient hydrogen adsorption energy of the surface. The DFT calculations and XAFS investigation suggested that the reconstructed electronic configuration from the Ru–C linkage acted as an efficient active site for HER. The CF-Ru@PSC electrocatalyst presented a high turnover frequency of 2.70H2 s−1 at an overpotential of 0.20 V in the CO2-saturated condition and high Faraday efficiency (98.2%) over 1000 min in the aqueous Zn–CO2 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased from 278 to 408 parts per million (ppm) over the industrial period and has critically impacted climate change. In response to this crisis, carbon capture, utilization, and storage/sequestration technologies have been studied. So far, however, the economic feasibility of the existing conversion technologies is still inadequate owing to sluggish CO2 conversion. Herein, we report an aqueous zinc– and aluminum–CO2 system that utilizes acidity from spontaneous dissolution of CO2 in aqueous solution to generate electrical energy and hydrogen (H2). The system has a positively shifted onset potential of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by 0.4 V compared to a typical HER under alkaline conditions and facile HER kinetics with low Tafel slope of 34 mV dec−1. The Al–CO2 system has a maximum power density of 125 mW cm−2 which is the highest value among CO2 utilization electrochemical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic palladium (Pd) electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation/reduction are prepared via electroplating on a gold metal substrate from dilute (5 to 50 mM) aqueous K2PdCl4 solution. The best Pd catalyst layer possessing dendritic nanostructures is formed on the Au substrate surface from 50 mM Pd precursor solution (denoted as Pd-50) without any additional salt, acid or Pd templating chemical species. The Pd-50 consisted of nanostructured dendrites of polycrystalline Pd metal and micropores within the dendrites which provide high catalyst surface area and further facilitate reactant mass transport to the catalyst surface. The electrocatalytic activity of Pd-50 proved to be better than that of a commercial Pt (Pt/C) in terms of lower overpotential for the onset and half-wave potentials and a greater number of electrons ( n) transferred. Furthermore, amperometric i- t curves of Pd-50 for H2O2 electrochemical reaction show high sensitivities (822.2 and −851.9 µA mM−1 cm−2) and low detection limits (1.1 and 7.91 µM) based on H2O2 oxidation H2O2 reduction, respectively, along with a fast response (<1 s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]