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Self‐monitoring in tumor therapy is a concept that allows for real‐time monitoring of the location and state of applied nanomaterials. This monitoring relies on dynamic signals, such as wave or magnetic signals, which vary in response to changes in the location and state of nanomaterials. Dynamic changes in nanomaterials can be monitored using dynamic signals, making it possible to determine and control the treatment process. Theranostic nanomaterials, which possess unique physical and chemical properties, have recently been explored as a viable option for self‐monitoring. With the help of self‐monitoring, theranostic nanomaterials can guide themselves to achieve region‐selective treatment with higher controllability and safety. In this review, self‐monitoring theranostic nanomaterials will be introduced in three parts according to their roles during therapy: tumor accumulation, tumor therapy, and metabolism. The limitations and future challenges of current self‐monitoring theranostic nanomaterials will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated 75 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional dairy products in western China for their probiotic properties. Among them, Limosilactobacillus fermentum WXZ 2-1, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TXZ 2-35, Companilactobacillus crustorum QHS 9, and Companilactobacillus crustorum QHS 10 demonstrated potential probiotic characteristics. The antioxidant capacity of these 4 strains was assessed, revealing that L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, when cocultured with Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus , L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 demonstrated a synergistic effect in growth medium and goat milk. To explore its effect on goat milk fermentation, different amounts of L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 were added to goat milk, and its physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, flavor substances, and metabolomics were analyzed. The study found that the incorporation of L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 in goat milk fermentation significantly improved the texture characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and flavor of fermented goat milk. These findings highlight the potential of L. fermentum WXZ 2-1 as a valuable probiotic strain for enhancing the functionality and desirability of fermented goat milk, contributing to the development of novel functional foods with improved health benefits and enhanced quality attributes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is the most expensive chronic disease in the United States, and hospital inpatient care accounts for 30% of the total medical expenditures. Medical costs for people with limited resources are covered by Medicaid, a joint federal and state program, and its expansion that extent the coverage to those with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. We investigated the impact of Medicaid expansion on diabetes hospitalizations by states and payer, among adults aged 19 to 64 years old, 5 years after the expansion. We found that Medicaid expansion decreased total diabetes hospitalization in most states and a diabetes hospitalization payer mix shifted from private insurance and uninsured to Medicaid. The percentage of diabetes hospitalizations paid by Medicaid increased by 11% (95% CI 7%, 16%), while the percentage paid by private insurance decreased by 6% (95% CI − 8%, − 3%) and the percentage of uninsured diabetes hospitalization decreased by 13% (95% CI − 18%, − 9%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global diagnosis rate and mortality of gastric cancer (GC) are among the highest. Ferroptosis and iron-metabolism have a profound impact on tumor development and are closely linked to cancer treatment and patient's prognosis. In this study, we identified six PRDEGs (prognostic ferroptosis- and iron metabolism-related differentially expressed genes) using LASSO-penalized Cox regression analysis. The TCGA cohort was used to establish a prognostic risk model, which allowed us to categorize GC patients into the high- and the low-risk groups based on the median value of the risk scores. Our study demonstrated that patients in the low-risk group had a higher probability of survival compared to those in the high-risk group. Furthermore, the low-risk group exhibited a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) and a longer 5-year survival period when compared to the high-risk group. In summary, the prognostic risk model, based on the six genes associated with ferroptosis and iron-metabolism, performs well in predicting the prognosis of GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The porous bismuthene/MXene heterostructure obtained using a simple self-assembly method exhibits high desalination capacity, fast desalination rate, and good cycling performance. [Display omitted] Capacitive deionization (CDI) is perceived as a promising technology for freshwater production owing to its environmentally friendly nature and low energy consumption. To date, the development of high-performance electrode materials represents the foremost challenge for CDI technology. In this work, the porous bismuthene/MXene (P-Bi-ene/MXene) heterostructure was synthesized using a simple interfacial self-assembly method with two-dimensional (2D) bismuthene and Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene. Within the P-Bi-ene/MXene heterostructure, the porous structure can increase the active site and facilitate ion transport. Simultaneously, MXene effectively enhances the conductivity of the heterostructure, resulting in accelerating electron transport. Due to these attributes, the P-Bi-ene/MXene heterostructure demonstrates high desalination capacity (90.0 mg/g), fast desalination rate, and good cycling performance. The simple self-assembly strategy between 2D/2D materials described herein may offer inspirations for the synthesis of innovative electrode materials with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper overload is a novel way to achieve copper‐ion‐interference therapy by disrupting copper homeostasis and treating diseases through multiple cell death pathways. However, it is difficult to reach copper overload since excess intracellular copper ions will be pumped out. Herein, copper overload is achieved by both raising cellular uptake and reducing the efflux of copper ions using hydrogen sulfide (H2S)‐responsive copper hydroxyphosphate nanoparticles (Cu2(PO4)(OH) NPs). After immersion in an H2S‐enriched colon cancer microenvironment, Cu2(PO4)(OH) NPs can transform into copper sulfide NPs with reduced size for higher cell entering, resulting in improved Fenton activity as well as copper ion dissociation. Reactive oxygen species generated by the Fenton reaction not only activate inflammasomes and Caspase‐1 proteins, cause the cleavage of gasdermin D to induce pyroptosis, but also affect mitochondrial function and down‐regulate copper exporter ATP7A to further reduce the copper excretion. The combination of higher endocytosis and lower exportation leads to maximized copper overload. Together with the efficient copper ions release, mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle can be disrupted and iron‐sulfur cluster proteins are downregulated, ultimately triggering cuproptosis. As both pyroptosis and cuproptosis are efficient ways to induce cell death, this study provides a novel way to realize effective tumor‐targeted therapy based on H2S‐activated copper overload with simple Cu2(PO4)(OH) NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel ratiometric electrochemical platform was developed for in vivo analysis of GSH based on the dual signal output of 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) nanosheets. Our method with high selectivity and high accuracy enabled GSH monitoring in a live rat brain, and accurate GSH concentrations were firstly reported in different brain regions upon global cerebral ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Fluorescent silk has potential application in many fields such as bioimaging, tissue engineering scaffolds, luminescent marks, and dazzling fabrics. Among the methods to endow natural silk with fluorescent properties, feeding silkworms with fluorescent additives is facile, low‐cost and environment friendly, which has the prospect of large‐scale production. In this paper, we reviewed the research progress for this aim in the past ten years, and summarized the unified characteristics for the substances that can enter the silk gland by digestive tract of silkworms. The advantages and disadvantages of various fluorescent materials for this application are compared in detail. And the future research directions are suggested to overcome the shortcomings of the present research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is mainly responsible for acute kidney injury for which there is no effective therapy. Accumulating evidence has indicated the important role of mitophagy in mitochondrial homeostasis under stress. OGG1 (8‐oxoguanine DNA glycosylase) is known for functions in excision repair of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. However, the role of OGG1 in renal IRI remains unclear. Herein, we identified OGG1, induced during IRI, as a key factor mediating hypoxia‐reoxygenation‐induced apoptosis in vitro and renal tissue damage in a renal IRI model. We demonstrated that OGG1 expression during IRI negatively regulates mitophagy by suppressing the PINK1/Parkin pathway, thereby aggravating renal ischemic injury. OGG1 knockout and pharmacological inhibition attenuated renal IRI, in part by activating mitophagy. Our results elucidated the damaging role of OGG1 activation in renal IRI, which is associated with the regulatory role of the PINK1/Parkin pathway in mitophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a two-phase heat transfer device, achieving a high capillarity of the wick while reducing flow resistance within a limited space becomes the key to improving the heat dissipation performance. As a commonly used wick structure, mesh is widely employed because of its high permeability. However, achieving the desired capillary performance often requires multiple layers to be superimposed to ensure an adequate capillary, resulting in an increased thickness of the wick. In this study, an ultra-thin biomimetic copper forest structural modification of copper mesh was performed using an electrochemical deposition to solve the contradiction between the permeability and the capillary. The experiments were conducted on a copper mesh to investigate the effects of various conditions on their morphology and capillary performance. The results indicate that the capillary performance of the modified copper mesh improves with a longer deposition time. The capillary pressure drops can reach up to 1400 Pa when using ethanol as the working fluid. Furthermore, the modified copper mesh demonstrates a capillary performance value (ΔPc·K) of 8.44 × 10−8 N, which is 1.7 times higher than that of the unmodified samples. Notably, this enhanced performance is achieved with a thickness of only 142 μm. The capillary limit can reach up to 45 W when the modified copper mesh is only 180 μm. Microscopic flow analysis reveals that the copper forest modified structure maintains the original high permeability of the copper mesh while providing a greater capillary force, thereby enhancing the overall flow characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desiccation cracking is a common deterioration that occurs in archaeological excavation sites and greatly threatens long-term preservation. The aim of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the development degree of desiccation cracking (DOC) and explore the relationships between soil properties and its development. Seven indicators are selected to comprehensively describe the DOC, and principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to calculate the weight of each indicator. Linear correlation analysis (LCA) is adopted to calculate the correlations of six soil properties and DOC. The results showed that each indicator has an influence on the DOC. The clay particle content, clay mineral content, and plasticity index showed a positive correlation with the DOC, and the moisture content showed a negative correlation. This research proposed a comprehensive evaluation method to describe the development degree of deterioration at the earthen site, and the results revealed the internal factors influencing desiccation cracking from a qualitative perspective, which can lay a foundation for further conservation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot rolling is one of the key processes in the new casting–rolling forming process of high‐silicon electrical steel. The hot deformation characteristics, microstructure, and defects after deformation strongly influence the formability in subsequent warm‐ and cold‐rolling processes. This study investigates the hot compression behavior of Fe–6.5 wt% Si–0.15wt%Nb and Fe–6.5 wt% Si samples at 800–1100 °C as well as the effect of Nb on the flow stress, dynamic recrystallization, and ordered structure of high‐silicon electrical steel. The results show that the grain size of the Nb‐containing as‐cast samples is small. The Nb‐rich second‐phase particles can inhibit the growth of dynamic recrystallization grains during hot compression and refine the dynamic recrystallization microstructure; consequently, the hot activation energy of Nb‐containing samples is 11.8% higher than that of Nb‐free samples. Microcracks appear in the Nb‐free samples at temperatures of 800 and 1100 °C and strain rates of 1 and 10 s−1; the addition of Nb can effectively inhibit the generation of microcracks during hot deformation. The addition of Nb reduces the ordered degree of high‐silicon electrical steel after hot compression, which is beneficial to the subsequent warm‐ and cold‐rolling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few-layered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene with abundant −O terminations and low oxidation degree is synthesized through a green etching method at near-ambient temperature. [Display omitted] MXene has drawn considerable attention in energy storage due to particular physicochemical properties. At present, among most near-ambient temperature preparation methods, water is usually served as the main solvent. However, MXene is usually subjected to fast structural degradation on account of water molecules attacking in aqueous solution. Herein, we report a novel water-free etching strategy for synthesizing few-layered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes in deep eutectic solvents at near-ambient temperature. Benefitting from the absence of water and macromolecular structure of deep eutectic solvents, the as-synthesized few-layered Ti 3 C 2 T x (DES-Ti 3 C 2 T x) MXene presents abundant −O terminations and low oxidation degree. As a consequence, the DES-Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene displays excellent specific capacitance of 320 F/g at 2 mV/s. Impressively, the DES-Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene exhibits splendid long-term stability that 97% specific capacitance retention can be acquired over 50 000 cycles at high current density of 50 A/g. Therefore, this study offers a new thought for preparing high performance MXene-based materials by water-free etching method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently emerged double-cable conjugated polymers have come into focus due to their significantly improved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in single-component organic solar cells (SCOSCs). In this work, the effect of chlorination in double-cable conjugated polymers with linear benzodithiophene backbone and pendant perylene bisimide on the photovoltaic performance in SCOSCs has been studied. After introducing chlorine atoms into conjugated side chains, the highest occupied molecular orbital level of the conjugated polymers is down-shifted, thus resulting in a higher open-circuit voltage. As a result, the chlorinated double-cable conjugated polymer exhibits improved photovoltaic performance from 3.46% to 3.57%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide application of computer vision technology and deep-learning theory in engineering, the image-based detection of cracks in structures such as pipelines, pavements and dams has received more and more attention. Aiming at the problems of high cost, low efficiency and poor detection accuracy in traditional crack detection methods, this paper proposes a crack segmentation network by combining a morphological network and a multiple-loss mechanism. First, for improving the identification of cracks with different resolutions, the U-Net network is used to extract multi-scale features from the crack image. Second, for eliminating the effect of polarized light on the cracks under different illuminations, the extracted crack features are further morphologically processed by a white-top hat transform and a black-bottom hat transform. Finally, a multi-loss mechanism is designed to solve the problem of the inaccurate segmentation of cracks on a single scale. Extensive experiments are carried out on five open crack datasets: Crack500, CrackTree200, CFD, AEL and GAPs384. The experimental results showed that the average ODS, OIS, AIU, sODS and sOIS are 75.7%, 73.9%, 36.4%, 52.4% and 52.2%, respectively. Compared with state-of-the-art methods, the proposed method achieves better crack segmentation performance. Ablation experiments also verified the effectiveness of each module in the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs, or Nav) are important determinants of action potential generation and propagation. Efforts are underway to develop medicines targeting different channel subtypes for the treatment of related channelopathies. However, a high degree of conservation across its nine subtypes could lead to the off-target adverse effects on skeletal and cardiac muscles due to acting on primary skeletal muscle sodium channel Nav1.4 and cardiac muscle sodium channel Nav1.5, respectively. For a long evolutionary process, some peptide toxins from venoms have been found to be highly potent yet selective on ion channel subtypes and, therefore, hold the promising potential to be developed into therapeutic agents. In this research, all-atom molecular dynamic methods were used to elucidate the selective mechanisms of an analgesic-antitumor β-scorpion toxin (AGAP) with human Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 in order to unravel the primary reason for the production of its adverse reactions on the skeletal and cardiac muscles. Our results suggest that the rational distribution of residues with ring structures near position 38 and positive residues in the C-terminal on AGAP are critical factors to ensure its analgesic efficacy. Moreover, the substitution for residues with benzene is beneficial to reduce its side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the design and optimization as well as a deeper understanding of pintle injectors further, the progress on atomization and mixing characteristics of pintle injectors were reviewed in this paper. Considering the dilemma of highly empirical dependence in industrial structure design, significant achievements in the structure design and optimization of pintle injectors were summarized first. Then, the atomization and mixing characteristics of the pintle injectors were discussed in detail, with emphasis on their measurement techniques and simulation approaches. Finally, the future challenges regarding the atomization and mixing of pintle injectors were summarized, and corresponding research suggestions were also provided. This review presented the recent achievements, future perspectives and challenges on atomization and mixing of the pintle injectors, which is expected to provide insight into further exploration in scientific research and industrial application. • The design and optimization of pintle injector are reviewed. • The atomization characteristics of pintle injector are summarized. • The mixing characteristics of pintle injector are discussed. • Some suggestions for further research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a famous Chinese traditional medicine, the Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) market is continually expanding, while the quality of APS cannot be guaranteed. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been widely used in the detection of Chinese herbal medicines and traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, NIR spectroscopy was used to identify the adulterants of APS. Prepare adulterated mixtures of APS with 75%, and 50% content, respectively. PLS-DA and SIMCA models were developed for 2-classification of APS, APS mixture (75%+50%), and 3-classification of APS, 75% APS mixture and 50% APS mixture, respectively. In the 2-classification, the correct classification rate of both the calibration set and the test set of the PLS-DA and SIMCA models is 100%. In the 3-classification, the correct classification rates of calibration set and test set for PLS-DA were 97.5% and 96.67%, respectively; the correct classification rates of calibration set and test for SIMCA were 98.33% and 100%, respectively. The study showed that it is feasible to identify adulterated Astragalus polysaccharides using near-infrared spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Changes of gastrointestinal conditions affect protein digestibility. • Differences between control and EA condition diminished between two phases. • The digestive characteristics of pork cooked by different ways were different. • Sous vide is more recommendable to enhance protein digestibility for the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the impact of three cooking ways (sous vide (SV), frying (FR) and roasting (RO)) on pork protein digestion characteristics under conditions simulating healthy adult (control, C) and elderly individuals with achlorhydria (EA). Changes in degree of hydrolysis (DH), SDS-PAGE profiles, zeta potential, particle size and secondary structure during digestion were evaluated. Our results revealed the EA condition markedly affected the protein digestion process of pork with different cooking ways. The DH values of SV (25.62%), FR (21.38%) and RO (19.40%) under the EA condition were significantly lower than those of under the control condition (38.32%, 33.00% and 30.86%, respectively). Moreover, differences were also observed among three cooking ways under the EA condition. For a given cooking way, the differences between control and EA conditions gradually diminished from the gastric to the intestinal phase. Under a certain digestion condition, SV maintained the highest degree of digestion throughout the process, particularly under the EA condition. Therefore, we conclude that pork cooked by sous vide is more recommendable for the elderly considering protein digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe consequence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is an important driver of morbidity and mortality in SLE. Treg cells and TIM-3 play an important role in the pathogenesis of LN. The beneficial effect of rapamycin on LN has been confirmed in both mouse models and patients, but the effect of rapamycin on Treg cells and TIM-3 is not yet completely understood. In this study, rapamycin treatment attenuated proteinuria, histological damage, and renal deposition of C3, and improved renal function. Spleen and renal draining lymph node weight and serum levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies were also improved by rapamycin. Furthermore, the frequency of Treg cells and Treg functional molecules, such as cytotoxic T cell antigen 4 (CTLA-4), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), increased significantly after treatment with rapamycin in MRL/lpr mice. We also found that expression of TIM-3 was significantly decreased in CD4+ T cells and Treg cells in mice treated with rapamycin. In summary, the study demonstrated that rapamycin treatment induced preferential expansion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs with increased expression of CTLA-4, IL-10, and TGF-ß1, and decreased TIM-3 expression, thereby ameliorating lupus nephritis in the MRL/lpr mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-Ni-Al–Fe-Mn alloy billets were prepared by heating–cooling combined mould (HCCM) continuous casting at different casting speeds. Then, the cold deformation behaviour of billets was studied by multi-pass cold rolling, and the effects of HCCM continuous casting on cold deformability were discussed by comparing with the mould casting (MC) alloy. The results show that HCCM continuous casting significantly improves the cold deformability of Cu-Ni-Al–Fe-Mn alloy billets. When the rolling reduction is 94%, HCCM continuous casting samples have good edge quality without obvious crack, while the MC sample has severe edge cracks. With the rolling reduction increasing from 40% to 94%, the elongation of the MC samples decreases from 6% to 2%, while that of HCCM continuous casting samples maintains in 6%∼9%, showing good continuous deformability. The HCCM continuous casting samples with lower casting speeds have [001] oriented columnar grains along the casting direction, which make the deformation mechanism change from nano-crystallization to parallel stacking faults. In the meanwhile, HCCM continuous casting improves deformation coordination of as-cast grains and restrains intergranular cracking, which is reflected in the influence on misorientation between as-cast grains and distribution of coarse NiAl phases. In addition, nano-twins found in the rolled MC sample promote the initiation and propagation of cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXene containing iodine terminations exhibits outstanding supercapacitor performance due to the redox reaction of iodine terminations. [Display omitted] MXene has attracted a wide spread attention as promising supercapacitor electrode materials owing to excellent electronic conductivity and reversible surface redox capability. In fact, the supercapacitor performance strongly relies on surface terminations of MXene. However, regulating the types of surface terminations for enhancing the electrochemical performance of MXene is still one of major challenge. Herein, we successfully prepared a MXene containing iodine terminations (I-Ti 3 C 2 MXene) by facile Lewis-acidic-melt etching method and comprehensively investigated its supercapacitor performance. Benefiting from the presence of iodine terminations, the I-Ti 3 C 2 MXene with pseudocapacitor property exhibits significantly higher specific capacitance than that of hydrofluoric acid etching MXene (HF-Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene). Impressively, the I-Ti 3 C 2 MXene shows extraordinary long-term cyclic performance, even when cycled at high current density of 50 A/g, that the specific capacitance retention of 91% can be obtained over 100,000 cycles, corresponding to an average specific capacitance loss of only 0.00009% per cycle. Furthermore, the mechanisms involved were clarfied by systematical characterizations. This work will provide new insights for enhancing the supercapacitor performance of MXene-based materials by surface chemistry modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defocus blur detection (DBD) for natural images is a challenging vision task especially in the presence of homogeneous regions and gradual boundaries. In this paper, we propose a novel image-scale-symmetric cooperative network (IS2CNet) for DBD. On one hand, in the process of image scales from large to small, IS2CNet gradually spreads the recept of image content. Thus, the homogeneous region detection map can be optimized gradually. On the other hand, in the process of image scales from small to large, IS2CNet gradually feels the high-resolution image content, thereby gradually refining transition region detection. In addition, we propose a hierarchical feature integration and bi-directional delivering mechanism to transfer the hierarchical feature of previous image scale network to the input and tail of the current image scale network for guiding the current image scale network to better learn the residual. The proposed approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on existing datasets. Codes and results are available at: https://github.com/wdzhao123/IS2CNet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansion Program influences healthcare use by increasing insurance coverage. Of particular interest is how this will affect inefficient and expensive emergency department (ED) visits. We estimated the impact of the Medicaid expansion on ED use by states and payer (Medicaid, private insurance, and uninsured) 5 years after the implementation of the Medicaid expansion and illustrated the use of the generalized synthetic control method.Methods: In this quasi-experiment study, we implemented the generalized synthetic control method to compare states with Medicaid expansion and states without Medicaid expansion. Data were from the Healthcare Cost Utilization Project Fast Stats, which cover >95% of all ED visits. We included states with complete data from 2010 to 2018.Results: Overall, the Medicaid expansion increased Medicaid share of ED visits (average treatment effect on the treated [ATT] 11.39%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.76-14.02) and decreased private share of ED visits (ATT -5.80%; 95% CI -7.40 to -4.12) and uninsured share of ED visits (ATT -6.66%; 95% CI -9.78 to -3.55).Conclusions: Medicaid Expansion Program shifted ED payer mix to Medicaid ED visits from private insurance and uninsured ED visits for adults at age of 19 to 64 years, whereas its effect on total ED volume is mixed among states. States that experienced the largest increase in Medicaid enrollment seem to experience an increase in ED visits although such results did not reach statistical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guangyuan Thousand-Buddha grotto is of great value in researching the spread of Buddhism in China. To explore a scientific deterioration degree evaluation method, the authors selected 11 grottos from the middle Tang Dynasty in the Guangyuan Thousand-Buddha grotto as survey objects; a traditional deterioration investigation was undertaken, and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP method) was applied to build a system to calculate the weight of 15 deterioration criteria and evaluate the deterioration degree of the grotto. The results showed that 15 deteriorations can be classified into two categories: stability deterioration and weathering deterioration. Each deterioration has its own weight on affecting the preservation condition of the grotto. In contrast to realistic conditions, the calculation results can quantitatively reflect the preservation condition of the grotto. The results offer a quantitative basis for determining the priority of grotto conservation and verifying the feasibility of the AHP method in helping conservators identify major deteriorations or judge conservation orders. This research proposes a quantitative evaluation method for the deterioration degree of the grotto, which can lay the foundation for further conservation of the grotto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to prepare a heat-sealable, water-soluble, edible film based on pullulan (PUL)/soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) for the portable packaging of convenience foods. The effects of the PUL/SSPS ratios on the microstructure, physicochemical properties, barrier properties, and mechanical properties of the PUL/SSPS films were explored. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed an apparent hydrogen bonding interaction between SSPS and PUL in the PUL/SSPS films. As the SSPS proportion in the PUL/SSPS films increased, the water contact angle, moisture content, water vapor permeability, solubility, oxygen permeability, flexibility, and antioxidant activity increased, whereas light transmittance decreased. The heat-seal strength of the P9S1 film (PUL/SSPS ratio of 9:1) is slightly lower than that of the PUL film (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the application potential of the PUL/SSPS films for packaging peptide powder was evaluated. The P9S1 film exhibited a satisfactory packaging effect and was completely dissolved in water with low turbidity. Therefore, the P9S1 film is a promising packaging material for convenient powdered foods. [Display omitted] • Pullulan-based composite films were prepared by adding soy polysaccharide. • Soy polysaccharide increased dissolution rate of pullulan-based composite films. • Soy polysaccharide enhanced antioxidant activity of pullulan-based composite films. • Soy polysaccharide improved flexibility of pullulan-based composite films. • The P9S1 film performed satisfactorily in the packaging of peptide powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thin oxide film on NZ alloy (Zr-1Sn-0.3Nb-0.3Fe-0.1Cr) was formed to investigate the correlation of microstructure and corrosion behavior at the initial stage by directly identifying defect-enriched sites. The sites of high conductivity are revealed and labelled by silver deposition, and in the further investigation of microstructure secondary phase precipitates (SPPs) interconnected with micro cracks are found below. Enrichment of oxygen-18 and deuterium in SPPs after isotopic tracing by secondary corrosion highlights their influence on carrier diffusion. Thus, the percolation for corrosion media transportation is reached locally by SPPs interconnected with micro cracks. • New method of silver deposition to pinpoint the permeable sites of the oxide film for carrier diffusion. • Discovery of oxygen and hydrogen enriched in SPPs after isotope tracing. • SPPs bridge micro cracks as the preferential pathways of corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A hydrophobic DOCpep3 motif of SPINDOC tightly engages with Spindlin1 Tudor 3. • Two DOCpep3-neighboring K/R-rich motifs interact with Tudor 2 of Spindlin1 and attenuates its histone readout. • SPINDOC modulates genomic targeting of Spindlin1 depending on its histone binding efficacy. • SPINDOC attenuates transcription of Spindlin1 target genes via competitive inhibition. Spindlin1 is a histone reader with three Tudor-like domains and its transcriptional co-activator activity could be attenuated by SPINDOC. The first two Tudors are involved in histone methylation readout, while the function of Tudor 3 is largely unknown. Here our structural and binding studies revealed an engagement mode of SPINDOC-Spindlin1, in which a hydrophobic motif of SPINDOC, DOCpep3, stably interacts with Spindlin1 Tudor 3, and two neighboring K/R-rich motifs, DOCpep1 and DOCpep2, bind to the acidic surface of Spindlin1 Tudor 2. Although DOCpep3-Spindlin1 engagement is compatible with histone readout, an extended SPINDOC fragment containing the K/R-rich region attenuates histone or TCF4 binding by Spindlin1 due to introduced competition. This inhibitory effect is more pronounced for weaker binding targets but not for strong ones such as H3 "K4me3-K9me3" bivalent mark. Further ChIP-seq and RT-qPCR indicated that SPINDOC could promote genomic relocation of Spindlin1, thus modulate downstream gene transcription. Collectively, we revealed multivalent engagement between SPINDOC and Spindlin1, in which a hydrophobic motif acts as the primary binding site for stable SPINDOC-Spindlin1 association, while K/R-rich region modulates the target selectivity of Spindlin1 via competitive inhibition, therefore attenuating the transcriptional co-activator activity of Spindlin1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multi-scale Ga 2 O 3 @rGO is synthesized by hydrothermal and freeze-drying strategies. • Ga 2 O 3 @rGO exhibited outstanding rate capability and long-life cyclic property. • rGO can provide a porous space to alleviate the Ga 2 O 3 change of Li anode. Ga 2 O 3 has been used as an anode for lithium batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, limited electronic conductivity and severe volume expansion limit its application. Herein, to circumvent these issues, we proposed to design multiscale interface of Ga 2 O 3 @rGO. It was synthesized to achieve superior multiplicative performance (218 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1) and cycling performance (428.7 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mAh g−1). These findings suggest that the nanoscale morphology of Ga 2 O 3 and nanographene work together to promote electron transfer, ultimately enhancing the cycling stability of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefitting from the strong feature extraction capability of deep learning, infrared and visible image fusion has made a great progress. Since infrared and visible images are obtained by different sensors with different imaging mechanisms, there exists domain discrepancy, which becomes stumbling block for effective fusion. In this paper, we propose a novel self-supervised feature adaption framework for infrared and visible image fusion. We implement a self-supervised strategy that facilitates the backbone network to extract features with adaption while retaining the vital information by reconstructing the source images. Specifically, we preliminary adopt an encoder network to extract features with adaption. Then, two decoders with attention mechanism blocks are utilized to reconstruct the source images in a self-supervised way, forcing the adapted features to contain vital information of the source images. Further, considering the case that source images contain low-quality information, we design a novel infrared and visible image fusion and enhancement model, improving the fusion method's robustness. Experiments are constructed to evaluate the proposed method qualitatively and quantitatively, which show that the proposed method achieves the state-of-art performance comparing with existing infrared and visible image fusion methods. Results are available at https://github.com/zhoafan/SFA-Fuse. • Domain discrepancy between infrared and visible images reduces fusion performance. • Self-supervised mechanism is designed for infrared and visible image fusion. • The novel fusion and enhancement model is more suitable for practical application. • Our method performs better than other representative fusion methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the effects of Qianlie Tongqiao Capsule (QTC) on the pathological changes and HIF-1α expression in the bladder of rats with partial bladder outlet obstruction (pBOO). Methods Seven of 28 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly enrolled into the sham surgery group (Sham group), and then the other 21 rats were enrolled into pBOO model group, low-dosage QTC group (QTC-L group), and High-dosage QTC group (QTC-H group) after suffering pBOO-establishment surgery, 7 in each group. Rats of all the groups were accordingly given with QTC powder suspension or distilled water via intragastric administration from the first day after surgery. Four weeks later, all rats were executed by excessive anesthesia, then the body weight (BW), bladder wet weight (BWW) were recorded and the bladder index was calculated accordingly. Pathological changes of bladder tissues were detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and their HIF-1α expression were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Results Remarkable compensatory hypertrophy, coarctation of smooth muscle bundle and fibrosis were observed in the bladder tissue of pBOO rat models as compared with the controls, and their BWW, BI and detrusor wall thickness were all significantly increased (P all<0.0001); Meanwhile, HIF-1α expression in bladder tissues of pBOO rats obviously elevated (P<0.01). There were no statistical differences in these observational indexes mentioned above between the QTC-L group and pBOO group (P all>0.05). However, BWW, BI, and detrusor wall thickness of rats in QTC-H group were decreased as compared with these in pBOO group (P all<0.05), HIF-1α expression in bladder tissues was down-regulated (P<0.01) and pathological changes in bladder tissue were obviously ameliorated. Conclusion High-dosage QTC can inhibit the increase of BWW and BI induced by pBOO, simultaneously mitigate pathological changes such as compensatory hypertrophy, detrusor wall thickening, coarctation of smooth muscle bundle and fibrosis, down-regulate the expression of HIF-1α in the bladder tissue, which may partially explain the mechanisms of QTC in improving pBOO-caused bladder damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs 1 1 NSCs: neural stem cells.), or lack thereof, can have profound effects on brain tissue remodeling for ischemic stroke (IS 2 2 IS: ischemic stroke.). In this study, we aimed to reveal the influence of the lncRNA MEG3/miR-493–5p/MIF axis on NSC proliferation after IS. We established an oxygen glucose-deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R 3 3 OGD/R: oxygen and glucose confinement/reoxygenation.) in vitro model of IS in NSCs. We evaluated NSC isolation efficiency and proliferation by NESTIN, SOX2, and PCNA immunofluorescence staining. MEG3 and miR-493–5P levels were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR 4 4 qRT-PCR: quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.). Changes in MIF protein expression levels were analyzed using Western blotting. We then evaluated the role of MEG3 and miR-493–5p by transfection of si-MEG3, a miR-493–5p mimic, or miR-493–5p inhibitor. NSC proliferation was quantified using Cell Counting Kit-8 analysis. NESTIN and SOX2 were co-expressed in endogenous NSCs. Following OGD/R, MEG3 and miR-493–5P were significantly upregulated in NSCs, while MIF levels decreased and proliferation was inhibited. Knockdown of MEG3 inhibited miR-493–5p and rescued expression of MIF and PCNA, restoring cellular proliferation levels. In NSCs transfected with a miR-493–5p mimic or inhibitor, MIF levels were down- or upregulated, respectively. Consistently, transfection of a miR-493–5p mimic reduced NSC proliferation, while transfection with a miR-493–5p inhibitor or si-MEG3 rescued the inhibitory effect of OGD/R on NSC proliferation. After co-transfection of si-MEG3 and a miR-493–5p mimic of OGD/R-induced NSCs, levels of PCNA, an indicator of cellular proliferation, were significantly reduced. Conclusion MEG3 inhibits NSC proliferation of after IS via positive regulation of miR-493–5p and potential subsequent downregulation of MIF. • LncRNAMEG3 significantly increased in neuronal stem cells after OGD/R treatment. • A single primary transcript of the MEG3 promoter regulates the expression of MEG3 and miR-493–5p. • MiR-493–5P targets and negatively regulates MIF to inhibit neural stem cell proliferation after ischemic stroke. • Knockdown of MEG3 can promote the proliferation of neural stem cells after cerebral ischemia via the miR-493-5P/MIF axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the efficacy and mechanisms of salidroside treatment for erectile dysfunction induced by bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI). Forty male rats were divided into four groups as follows: sham (cavernous nerves exposed only) (S); BCNI (M); BCNI + rapamycin (M + rapamycin); and BCNI + salidroside (M + salidroside). Erectile function in the rats was measured by intracavernosal pressure. Penile tissue was harvested for transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Masson's trichrome staining, haematoxylin–eosin staining, TdT‐mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling and western blotting. The M group exhibited a decrease in erectile responses and increased apoptosis and fibrosis compared to these in the S group. Meanwhile, nerve content and the penile atrophy index were also decreased in the M group. Treatment with salidroside and rapamycin for 3 weeks partially restored erectile function and significantly attenuated corporal apoptosis, fibrosis, nerve content and penile atrophy in the M group. Moreover, the autophagy level was further enhanced in the M + salidroside group, which was the same as that in the positive observation group (M + rapamycin). Salidroside treatment not only improved erectile function in rats with BCNI, but also inhibited apoptosis and fibrosis and ameliorated the loss of nerve content and endothelial and corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells by promoting protective autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In gut, Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) probably exerts its probiotic activities by the positive modulation of mucus thickness and gut barrier integrity. However, the potential mechanisms between A. muciniphila and mucin balance have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we cultured the bacterium in a BHI medium containing 0% to 0.5% mucin, and transcriptome and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses were performed. We found that 0.5% (m/v) mucin in a BHI medium induced 1191 microbial genes to be differentially expressed, and 49 metabolites to be changed. The metabolites of sorbose, mannose, 2,7-anhydro-β-sedoheptulose, fructose, phenylalanine, threonine, lysine, ornithine, asparagine, alanine and glutamic acid were decreased by 0.5% mucin, while the metabolites of leucine, valine and N-acetylneuraminic acid were increased. The association analysis between transcriptome and metabolome revealed that A. muciniphila gave strong responses to energy metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and galactose metabolism pathways to adapt to high mucin in the medium. This finding showed that only when mucin reached a certain concentration in a BHI medium, A. muciniphila could respond to the culture environment significantly at the level of genes and metabolites, and changed its metabolic characteristics by altering the effect on carbohydrates and amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important clinical pathogenic bacterium that is the primary cause of meningitis, septicemia and community-acquired pneumonia. The mortality rate of pneumococcal disease is high, especially in children younger than 5-years-old. Rapid and accurate detection of S. pneumoniae is critical for clinical diagnosis. A ply gene-based multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) assay, amplifying DNA under 65°C for 40 min, was established to detect S. pneumoniae. Antarctic thermal sensitive uracil-DNA-glycosylase (AUDG) was applied to prevent carryover contamination. A lateral flow biosensor (LFB) was used to indicate the MCDA results. The ply -MCDA assay could detect as low as 10 fg of S. pneumoniae DNA and 447 colony forming units (CFU)/mL of spiked sputum samples. The analytical sensitivity of the ply -MCDA assay to detect clinical specimens was 100 times higher than that of PCR. The specificity of the ply -MCDA assay was evaluated using 15 S. pneumoniae strains and 25 non- S. pneumoniae strains, which confirmed the high selectivity of the ply -MCDA assay for S. pneumoniae. The AUDG enzyme could effectively eliminate carryover contamination and thus prevented false-positive results. In conclusion, ply -AUDG-MCDA-LFB is a simple, rapid and accurate method to detect S. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a dual-signal output sensor was developed for the ratiometrically electrochemical and colorimetric detection of glyphosate (GLYP) based on the duplex nature of 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) nanosheets (2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) NSs). Cu active center sites in 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) NSs could transform into CuCl for signal amplification in the presence of chloride ions (Cl−), which dropped dramatically upon GLPY addition due to the strong interaction between GLYP and cuprous ion triggering the competitive reaction with the conversion of CuCl into Cu-GLYP complex. Meanwhile, the constant current signals of Fe2+/3+ in the iron-porphyrin structure of Cu-TCPP(Fe) served as an inner reference, resulting in a ratiometrically electrochemical GLYP sensor. Moreover, 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) NSs with intrinsic peroxidase-like activity was employed for the colorimetric determination of GLYP based on the specific inhibitory effect of GLYP on the peroxidase activity of 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) nanozyme. GLYP concentrations can be quantified in the range from 1.0 × 10−10 M to 1.0 × 10−6 M and 1.0 × 10−9 M to 1.0 × 10−7 M, with detection limits of 3.9 × 10−12 M and 1.89 × 10−11 M for ratiometrically electrochemical method and colorimetric assay, respectively. Such a dual-mode sensor with remarkable selectivity, reproducibility, and stability was finally applied for GLYP detection in real samples and reliable outcomes were achieved. [Display omitted] • A novel dual-mode sensor was developed for the ratiometrically electrochemical and colorimetric detection of GLYP. • Accurate analysis of GLYP was achieved based on the ratiometrically electrochemical signal output of 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) NSs. • The intrinsic peroxidase activity of 2D Cu-TCPP(Fe) NSs can be specifically inhibited by GLYP for the colorimetric assay. • The dual-mode sensor was successfully applied to GLYP detection in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of deep learning theory and computer vision technology, text detection has been widely used in automatic navigation, product recognition and language translation. However, the results of the existing text detection methods on the surface of cylindrical-shape objects are not ideal; the main reason for their poor performance is that these methods only use the color, texture and deep learning feature and do not make full use of the spatial differences of text instances. In order to solve the problem of poor text detection on cylindrical-shape object such as bottles and jars, a novel method for text detection on the curved surface of cylindrical-shape objects based on 3D point cloud is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the captured multi-view images of cylinder-shaped objects such as bottles and jars are used to reconstruct the 3D point cloud. Secondly, the 2D grid of the point cloud is established by using the graph rendering technology, which is followed by the 2D grid pixels are filled with XYZ coordinates, RGB and SWT features to generate a pseudo-color image. Finally, the U-Net network is used to segment the generated pseudo-color image, and the detection result of the text instance is obtained after the post-processing. For verifying the effectiveness of this proposed method, extensive experiments are carried out on the 3D text point cloud dataset established by us. The Precision (P), Recall (R) and F-score average of our method are 87.1%, 79.4% and 83.1%, respectively. Compared with the classical algorithms such as PSENet and CRAFT, the accuracy is increased by 11.2% and 7.0%, respectively, and the average of F-score is increased by 2.7% and 2.2%, respectively. And compared to color images, the F-score was improved by 4.4% using 3D information, which further demonstrates the effectiveness of 3D position detection for text instances on bottles and jars. The ablation experiment also demonstrated the applicability of the generated pseudo-color images based on 3D information on different models. Thus, the experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately detect the text on the surface of cylindrical objects such as bottles and jars and can be well applied to the text recognition of pharmacies, supermarkets, and daily bottle and jar products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu-Al composite strips and foils show broad application prospects in electric power, new energy and other fields. However, they are difficult to prepare because of brittle interfacial intermetallic compounds and deformation ability difference between two matrix metals. In this study, Cu-Al composite strips and foils with the thickness of 350 µm and 50 µm are successfully prepared by horizontal continuous composite casting and rolling. Moreover, the effects of as-cast interfacial layer thickness on the properties of Cu-Al composite strips are studied. In the rolling, the as-cast interfacial layer is broken into fragments, so as to promote the Cu-Al matrix bonding at atomic scale. The local solid-state amorphous transformation is also observed at the newly formed Cu-Al interface. Therefore, with the as-cast interfacial layer thickness decreasing from 400 µm to 25 µm, the peeling strength of Cu-Al composite strips increasing from 15.1 N/mm to 17.5 N/mm. With the as-cast interfacial layer thickness decreasing from 400 µm to 65 µm, the conductivity of Cu-Al composite strips increases from 62.36%IACS to 72.58%IACS because the size of interfacial layer fragments is reduced. However, with the as-cast interfacial layer thickness decreasing from 65 µm to 25 µm, the conductivity decreases from 72.58%IACS to 68.65%IACS because the copper layer thickness after rolling is reduced. Large interfacial layer fragments hinder current conduction, but a suitable interfacial layer thickness can inhibit the coordinated deformation of Cu and Al, so as to increase the proportion of copper layer thickness in the entire composite strip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry meat has a high polyunsaturated fatty acids content, making it vulnerable to oxidative stress. Mitophagy participates in the regulation of oxidative stress and the nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor family as well as pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum P8 (P8) is a probiotic strain with an antioxidant capacity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of P8 on oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, mitophagy, and NLRP3 inflammasome in the breast meat of oxidatively stressed broilers. Four hundred 1-day-old male broilers were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design with 2 P8 levels (0 or 1 × 108 cfu/g), either with or without dexamethasone (DEX) injection, for a 21-day experimental period. DEX was injected intraperitoneally once daily from d 16 to 21. The breast meat was collected on d 21. The results showed that P8 supplementation decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and activated the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway in DEX-injected broilers. Moreover, P8 supplementation downregulated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and increased the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α ( PGC-1α ), silent information regulator 1 ( SIRT1 ), mitochondrial fusion protein 1 ( Mfn1 ), and optic atrophy protein 1 ( OPA1 ) in DEX-treated broilers. In addition, the decreased mitophagy level in DEX-treated broilers was elevated with P8 supplementation, as reflected by the increased gene expression of autophagy-related gene 5 ( ATG5 ), Bcl-2-interacting protein ( Becline-1 ), Parkin , PTEN-induced kinase 1 ( PINK1 ), light chain 3 II ( LC3II ) /LC31 , and the protein expression of Parkin as well as decreased p62 expression. In addition, P8 supplementation inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation by decreasing the transcription of NLRP3, IL-18 , cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 ( Caspase-1 ), and the expression of NLRP3 and IL-18 in DEX-treated broilers. In conclusion, dietary P8 supplementation alleviates oxidative stress, improves mitophagy, and inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the breast meat of oxidatively stressed broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the importance of achieving carbon neutrality continues to grow, green hydrogen energy has emerged as a promising solution as a clean and sustainable energy source. One of the environmentally friendly methods of producing hydrogen is through offshore wind energy, which generates no pollutants during the process. While there have been economic analyses conducted on this production process, the subsequent life cycle study of hydrogen transport scenarios is often overlooked. To bridge this gap, this study focuses on conducting a comprehensive life cycle cost analysis of two hydrogen transport scenarios that utilize ammonia as the carrier. The analysis encompasses various aspects, including life cycle cost analysis, net present value, and the calculation of the levelized cost of hydrogen. Comprehensive sensitivity analysis is performed, considering indicators such as boil-off gas leakage rate and annual transportation mass. Furthermore, this study analyzes the operational risk rate and payback period of the two transportation scenarios. The findings reveal that for transportation distances within 100 km, the life cycle construction cost for the pipeline transport scenario amounts to 761 M$, whereas for ship transportation, it is 201 M$. The annual transport mass for the pipeline is estimated to be 12,000 metric tons, while for the ship, it is 8600 metric tons. The levelized cost of hydrogen is calculated to be 14.62 $/kg for pipeline transportation and 15.54 $/kg for ship transportation. Notably, the annual transport mass emerges as a significant factor impacting the levelized cost of hydrogen in both scenarios. Furthermore, by achieving an annual transport mass of 18,000 metric tons, the levelized cost of hydrogen can be reduced to 10.42 $/kg when the transportation distance extends to 450 km. This highlights the importance of considering the annual transport mass to optimize the cost-efficiency of hydrogen transportation. [Display omitted] • Life cycle cost analysis is conducted for ammonia-based hydrogen transport. • Two typical offshore hydrogen transport scenarios are studied comparatively. • Net present value, leveling cost of hydrogen, and contribution rate are considered. • Annual transport mass is a vital factor affecting levelized cost of hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Vacuum drying characteristics of NCM523 powder are analyzed in this paper. • The drying process mainly occurs in the falling-rate drying period. • The diffusion is the dominant mechanism for the moisture transfer. • Modified Page model can describe the drying behavior of NCM523 powder. • Raising temperature is good for the drying performance and energy saving. LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 (NCM523) has been extensively used in the commercial lithium-ion batteries due to the excellent electrochemical performance and outstanding thermal stability. NCM523 powder is usually dried in vacuum before the slurry preparation, for the moisture greatly affects its electrochemical performance. In this paper, drying experiment of NCM523 powder is performed and the effects of different drying conditions are investigated. Moreover, the experiment data are fitted to eight mathematical models and Modified Page model is selected to describe the drying behavior. The effective diffusivities range from 9.7212 × 10−8 to 3.2642 × 10−7 m 2 · s - 1 and the activation energy is 8.300 k J · m o l - 1 . The total energy consumption and specific energy consumption are discussed at the end of paper. The results reveal that raising drying temperature is beneficial to improve drying performance and cut the energy use. Decreasing the thickness is conducive to shorten drying time, but it is invalid for the reduction of specific energy consumption. These results can provide valuable information for the scientists and technicians when they design the drying process of NCM523 powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic stress can impair hippocampal neurogenesis, increase neuronal apoptosis, and cause depressive-like behaviors. Our previous studies found that Radix Scutellariae (RS) can rescue the stress-induced neuronal injury, but the mechanism is not clear. Here, we continued to investigate the underlying antidepressant mechanisms of the RS extract. A 7-week chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) procedure was used to establish a murine depression model. 0.75 g/kg or 1.5 g/kg RS was administered daily to the mice during the last 4 weeks. Depressive-like behaviors were evaluated by the sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST), open field test (OFT), and tail suspension test (TST). The neuroprotective effect of RS was evaluated with the expression of hippocampal neuron-related markers and apoptosis-associated proteins by Nissl staining, immunohistochemistry, and western blot. Transforming growth factor-β3 (TGFβ3) pathway-related proteins were detected by western blot. Results showed that RS could ameliorate depressive-like behaviors, increase the expression of the antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), reduce the expression of the proapoptotic protein BCL-2-associated X (BAX), and increase the number of doublecortin- (DCX-), microtubule-associated protein 2- (MAP2-), and neuronal nucleus- (NeuN-) positive cells in the hippocampus. Moreover, RS could reverse the CUMS-induced decrease of TGFβ3 protein, promote the phosphorylation of SMAD2/3, and increase the expression of downstream NEDD9 protein. These results suggest that RS could exert antidepressant effects via protecting neurons. And the molecular mechanism might be related to the regulation of the TGFβ3-SMAD2/3-NEDD9 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new phenyl group dimeric compound, named polygamol A (1), together with two known compounds, 2,2-bis[4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)phenyl]propane (2) and 1,3-di-O-[2′,2′-di-(p-phenylene)isopropylidene]-glycerol (3), were isolated from the roots of Polygonum amplexicaule var. sinense. The structures of these compounds were elucidated based on spectroscopic analysis. The new compound exhibited weak activity in vitro against the MGC-803, A549, SMMC-7721, and HT-29 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global shipping industry experiences rapid expansion, the imperative to address greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact becomes increasingly paramount. Hydrogen has emerged as a pivotal and eco-friendly energy source, offering a pathway towards carbon neutrality and a complete zero-carbon transition in maritime operations. However, the widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered ships hinges on the establishment of robust regulations and technical standards. This paper conducts a comprehensive examination of hydrogen fuel cell (FC) technology in ships, scrutinizing the role of international classification societies and exploring existing standards and regulations within the maritime industry, specifically centered around hydrogen energy. The study outlines a strategic developmental roadmap for a green shipping hydrogen energy system tailored for hydrogen FC-powered ships in China. Emphasizing the differences in hydrogen application between fuel cell vehicles and ships, the paper elucidates technical challenges unique to hydrogen FC-powered ships. Furthermore, it proposes a visionary framework for future technical standards, advocating for the creation of a ship-based hydrogen energy standard system, the development of core technical standards, and a heightened focus on safety regulations. Through comprehensive analysis and compelling argumentation on hydrogen fuel cell ship technology and standards, this paper underscores the indispensable role that technical standards play in propelling the advancement of environmentally friendly shipping. Beyond serving as an informative resource, the paper aims to provide valuable guidance and direction for the future demonstration, application, and promotion of hydrogen fuel cell ship technology. Ultimately, it underscores the pivotal role of technical standards in advancing sustainable maritime transportation. • Analyze hydrogen energy technical standards from the production, storage, safety. • Comparison of hydrogen energy technical differences between vehicles and ships. • Outline the unique challenges of applying hydrogen technology to ship operations. • Constructed a technical standard framework for future hydrogen energy ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new online monitoring method is developed to determine the moisture change during the vacuum drying of lithium ion battery powder. Firstly, a mathematical model is proposed according to the relevant thermodynamic formulas. Then a series of experiments are carried out under different drying conditions to assess the feasibility and reliability of the novel monitoring method. The relative humidity and temperature at pump outlet are recorded for the judgment of drying endpoint and the prediction of moisture content. The uncertainty analysis of novel method is carried out at the end of this paper. The results show that the novel method has the advantages of low cost, easy operation and real-time response in detecting the moisture change. Moreover, the novel method can estimate the moisture content accurately so the predicted value can be used as a reference for optimizing the drying process. Unlabelled Image • An novel online moisture monitoring method is presented in this paper. • This method can be used in the vacuum drying of lithium ion battery powder. • Its feasibility and reliability are assessed by the relevant experiments. • It is sensitive and timely in the identification of drying endpoint. • The novel method can estimate the moisture content well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the major component of gap junction in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle, which allows rapid intercellular communication. Cx43 coordinates corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells and ensures erectile function. The role of hypoxia in Cx43 dysfunction resulting in erectile dysfunction has not been well studied, and salidroside has shown cell protective effects under hypoxia. Objective: We aimed to investigate the protective role of salidroside and the underlying mechanisms in hypoxia-induced dysfunction of Cx43. Methods: Corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells prepared from young male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with or without salidroside and exposed to hypoxic condition for 48 h. The cell viability, expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and Cx43, and Ca2+ signals were investigated. Results: Pretreatment with salidroside attenuated loss of hypoxia-induced cell viability markedly and could downregulate the HIF-1α protein expression under hypoxia. Moreover, the expression of Cx43 was significantly increased by hypoxia but was decreased with salidroside pretreatment. The salidroside pretreated group exhibited enhanced release of intracellular Ca2+ in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells compared with the hypoxia group after stimulation. Conclusion: Salidroside has a protective effect against hypoxia-induced damage to corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defocus blur detection (DBD) is aimed to estimate the probability of each pixel being in-focus or out-of-focus. This process has been paid considerable attention due to its remarkable potential applications. Accurate differentiation of homogeneous regions and detection of low-contrast focal regions, as well as suppression of background clutter, are challenges associated with DBD. To address these issues, we propose a multi-stream bottom-top-bottom fully convolutional network (BTBNet), which is the first attempt to develop an end-to-end deep network to solve the DBD problems. First, we develop a fully convolutional BTBNet to gradually integrate nearby feature levels of bottom to top and top to bottom. Then, considering that the degree of defocus blur is sensitive to scales, we propose multi-stream BTBNets that handle input images with different scales to improve the performance of DBD. Finally, a cascaded DBD map residual learning architecture is designed to gradually restore finer structures from the small scale to the large scale. To promote further study and evaluation of the DBD models, we construct a new database of 1100 challenging images and their pixel-wise defocus blur annotations. Experimental results on the existing and our new datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves significantly better performance than other state-of-the-art algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, implantable fibrous medical devices still suffer from invisibility under current clinical imaging techniques. To address this problem, 2, 3, 5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) was recruited as a contrast agent, and then a set of iodinated poly(p -dioxanone) (PPDO) fibers was fabricated via melt-spinning hybrid blends of PPDO with TIBA (PPDO/TIBA). The impact of TIBA content on the rheological behavior of blends was evaluated firstly. The physical, chemical, and thermal properties of PPDO/TIBA fibers were investigated accordingly by SEM, FTIR, DSC, and TGA. Moreover, the radiopaque property of PPDO/TIBA hybrid fibers as a potential radio-opacifying platform for medical devices was verified in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the accumulated release results of the hybrid fibers during in vitro degradation indicate the continual X-ray visibility of the hybrid fibers maintains for 22 days. This intriguing iodinated platform may pave the way for constructing fibrous materials with in-situ X-ray tracking property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present an electrochemophysiological microarray (ECPM) for real‐time mapping and simultaneous quantification of chemical signals for multiple ions in the deep brain of a freely moving rat, in which microelectrode arrays were developed for direct determination of multiple ions using open‐circuit potentiometry. Specific recognition ionophores were synthesized and optimized for determination of K+, Ca2+, Na+ and pH. A reference electrode was also developed to avoid interferences in the brain. The microarrays were successfully applied in real‐time monitoring and quantification of ions in a live brain. The extra current‐free potentiometry allowed mapping and biosensing of chemical signals, together with recording of electrical signals in the whole brain without cross‐talk, for the first time. Furthermore, the ECPM provided a platform for real‐time monitoring of the dynamic changes of multiple ions in the deep brain of freely moving rat during a seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we present an electrochemophysiological microarray (ECPM) for real‐time mapping and simultaneous quantification of chemical signals for multiple ions in the deep brain of a freely moving rat, in which microelectrode arrays were developed for direct determination of multiple ions using open‐circuit potentiometry. Specific recognition ionophores were synthesized and optimized for determination of K+, Ca2+, Na+ and pH. A reference electrode was also developed to avoid interferences in the brain. The microarrays were successfully applied in real‐time monitoring and quantification of ions in a live brain. The extra current‐free potentiometry allowed mapping and biosensing of chemical signals, together with recording of electrical signals in the whole brain without cross‐talk, for the first time. Furthermore, the ECPM provided a platform for real‐time monitoring of the dynamic changes of multiple ions in the deep brain of freely moving rat during a seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]