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Abstract Age-related depletion of stem cells causes tissue degeneration and failure to tissue regeneration, driving aging at the organismal level. Previously we reported a cell-non-autonomous DAF-16/FOXO activity in antagonizing the age-related loss of germline stem/progenitor cells (GSPCs) in C. elegans, indicating that regulation of stem cell aging occurs at the organ system level. Here we discover the molecular effector that links the cell-non-autonomous DAF-16/FOXO activity to GSPC maintenance over time by performing a tissue-specific DAF-16/FOXO transcriptome analysis. Our data show that dos-3, which encodes a non-canonical Notch ligand, is a direct transcriptional target of DAF-16/FOXO and mediates the effect of the cell-non-autonomous DAF-16/FOXO activity on GSPC maintenance through activating Notch signaling in the germ line. Importantly, expression of a human homologous protein can functionally substitute for DOS-3 in this scenario. As Notch signaling controls the specification of many tissue stem cells, similar mechanisms may exist in other aging stem cell systems.

To enhance the catalytic activity of copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) nanoparticle and promote its application as combustion catalyst, a low-cost silicon dioxide (SiO2) carrier was employed to construct a novel CuFe2O4/SiO2 binary composites via solvothermal method. The phase structure, morphology and catalytic activity of CuFe2O4/SiO2 composites were studied firstly, and thermal decomposition, combustion and safety performance of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) with it affecting were then systematically analyzed. The results show that CuFe2O4/SiO2 composite can remarkably either advance the decomposition peak temperature of AP and RDX, or reduce the apparent activation energy at their main decomposition zone. Moreover, the flame propagation rate of RDX was promoted by about 2.73 times with SiO2 content of 3 wt%, and safety property of energetic component was also improved greatly, in which depressing the electrostatic discharge sensitivity of pure RDX by about 1.89 times. In addition, the effective range of SiO2 carrier content in the binary catalyst is found to be 3 to 5 wt%. Therefore, SiO2 opens a new insight on the design of combustion catalyst carrier and will promote the application of CuFe2O4 catalyst in solid propellant.

Objective To establish an acute low back pain (ALBP) model by simulating low-frequency vibration of helicopters and explore the causes of ALBP in army aviation pilots in order to provide a reliable animal model and evaluation method for its pathogenesis and protection. Methods Forty-eight male SD rats (8 weeks old, weighing 200±20 g) were selected and randomly divided into groups A, B and C, with vibration for 1, 3 and 6 h, respectively, and group D as blank control, with 12 rats in each group. The rats were fixed in sitting posture on a vibrating table (10 Hz, with 6 degree vibration) for corresponding durations during 5 consecutive days. Animal behavioral tests were performed before and on days 1, 4, 7 and 14 after modelling, including paw withdrawal threshold, open field test, rotarod fatigue test, gait analysis, and 24-hour food intake assessment. Finally, light microscopy was used to observe the morphological structure of the multifidus muscle. Results Behavioral examinations revealed that persistent low-frequency vibration resulted in decreased foot-contraction reflex thresholds (P < 0.01), amount of 24-hour food consumption (P < 0.01), count of upright standing (P < 0.05), rotarod velocity at rat falling off (P < 0.05), duty cycle (P < 0.05), footprint surface area (P < 0.05), and walking speed (P < 0.05). Histological observation for the multifidus muscle demonstrated cellular edema and myocyte disorganization accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration and aggregation. Conclusion Continuous exposure to a low-frequency vibration leads to significant low back pain-related behaviors and histological changes in the lumbar multifidus muscle of rats.

Al–Mg–Li ternary alloy particles can be a promising metal additive to replace aluminum in solid propellants to improve combustion efficiency by reducing agglomeration during combustion. In this paper, Al–Mg–Li ternary alloy was prepared and its basic physical and chemical characterization parameters were obtained by SEM-EDS, ICP-AES, and XRD analysis. The ignition and combustion characteristics of single Al–Mg–Li particles under different pressures were investigated by using a self-developed experimental setup. The ignition process and combustion flame structure of Al–Mg–Li particles were significantly affected by the increasing pressure, and the ignition delay and combustion time decreased. The ignition mode was clearly identified: surface ignition (0.1–0.2 MPa) and gas phase ignition (0.4–1.2 MPa). Al–Mg–Li particles showed white-pink flame during combustion, and the characteristic peaks of AlO, MgO, and Li were identified, confirming that the particles performed a gas-phase combustion at pressures above 0.4 MPa. The combustion temperature of Al–Mg–Li particles could exceed 3000 °C when the pressure surpassed 0.6 MPa. The composition of different regions in the condensed combustion products were analyzed. Reaction mechanism was proposed to reveal the addition of elemental Mg and Li could improve the ignition and combustion characteristics of Al, especially at higher ambient pressures.

To overcome the agglomeration and insufficient combustion of nano-boron (n-B) powders, this study successfully prepared two novel types of boron-based nanocomposites using the acoustic resonance technology, namely high-substitute nitrochitosan/nano-boron (NCh-B) with ratios of 1:3, 1:5, 1:7 and 1:9, and nitrochitosan/nano-boron powder/nano-titanium (NCh-B-Ti) with Ti contents of 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt% and 20 wt%. The structural morphologies, laser ignition and combustion properties of the composites were systematically investigated. The results suggest that the addition of NCh can significantly improve the dispersion of n-B. NCh-B exhibited a higher combustion performance than n-B, as evidenced by their ignition delay and flame areas. When the laser power density was 81 W, NCh-B5-Ti15% exhibited a combustion time and an ignition delay of 240 ms and 5.5 ms respectively, which were higher and lower than those of NCh-B5 (199 ms and 17 ms, respectively). Furthermore, NCh-B5-Ti15% displayed a lower ignition delay than both n-B powders (12 ms) and NCh-B (11 ms), as well as brighter flames and a larger combustion area. Therefore, the addition of n-Ti can promote the combustion of n-B powders, with the combustion products of NCh-B-Ti including H3BO3, B2O3, TiB2, and TiO. This study provides a new method for improving the ignition performance and combustion efficiency of n-B powders.

Lipids are required as integral building blocks of cells to support cellular structures and functions. The intricate mechanisms underpinning lipid homeostasis are essential for the health and maintenance of the central nervous system. Here we summarize the recent advances in dissecting the effect of lipid metabolism on cognitive function and its age-associated decline by reviewing relevant studies ranging from invertebrate model organisms to mammals including human.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a multi-potent cytokine, has caught attention in the field of wound repair. The PDGF ability to initiate cell proliferation, migration, secretion and promote angiogenesis can be beneficial for wound healing. Platelet-rich plasma and recombinant human PDGF that contain high concentrations of PDGF have been used for decades in wound repair. However, their short shelf life, limited allogenic use, low bioavailability, and many side effects make them unable to meet clinical needs. Optimized platelet-rich fibrin and concentrated growth factor have higher concentrations of PDGF and better wound repair ability. Platelet lysate, with the ability to significantly extend the preservation period and reduce the risk of allogeneic use, has become the development direction for platelet wound repair. The high-energy delivery system based on bioengineering technology can significantly improve the local resident rate and prolong the action time of PDGF. A variety of transformed PDGF capable of inducing sustained tonic signals can be created through the modification of PDGF structure and addition of active domains. Functional controllable PDGF simulation peptides can be generated by integrating the active domains and a variety of efficient PDGF gene delivery strategies can be derived, thus providing more potential options to solve the problem of wound repair. The focus of this article, is on reviewing the physiological and applied.

Abstract Cis-peptide bonds are rare in proteins, and building blocks less favorable to the trans-conformer have been considered destabilizing. Although proline tolerates the cis-conformer modestly among all amino acids, for collagen, the most prevalent proline-abundant protein, all peptide bonds must be trans to form its hallmark triple-helix structure. Here, using host-guest collagen mimetic peptides (CMPs), we discover that surprisingly, even the cis-enforcing peptoid residues (N-substituted glycines) form stable triple-helices. Our interrogations establish that these peptoid residues entropically stabilize the triple-helix by pre-organizing individual peptides into a polyproline-II helix. Moreover, noting that the cis-demanding peptoid residues drastically reduce the folding rate, we design a CMP whose triple-helix formation can be controlled by peptoid cis-trans isomerization, enabling direct targeting of fibrotic remodeling in myocardial infarction in vivo. These findings elucidate the principles of peptoid cis-trans isomerization in protein folding and showcase the exploitation of cis-amide-favoring residues in building programmable and functional peptidomimetics.

Succinic acid (SA), one of the 12 top platform chemicals produced from biomass, is a precursor of various high value-added derivatives. Specially, 1 mol CO2 is assimilated in 1 mol SA biosynthetic route under anaerobic conditions, which helps to achieve carbon reduction goals. In this review, methods for enhanced CO2 fixation in SA production and utilization of waste biomass for SA production are reviewed. Bioelectrochemical and bioreactor coupling systems constructed with off-gas reutilization to capture CO2 more efficiently were highlighted. In addition, the techno-economic analysis and carbon sequestration benefits for the synthesis of bio-based SA from CO2 and waste biomass are analyzed. Finally, a droplet microfluidics-based high-throughput screening technique applied to the future bioproduction of SA is proposed as a promising approach.

The distribution of material phases is crucial to determine the composite's mechanical property. While the full structure-mechanics relationship of highly ordered material distributions can be studied with finite number of cases, this relationship is difficult to be revealed for complex irregular distributions, preventing design of such material structures to meet certain mechanical requirements. The noticeable developments of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in material design enables to detect the hidden structure-mechanics correlations which is essential for designing composite of complex structures. It is intriguing how these tools can assist composite design. Here, we focus on the rapid generation of bicontinuous composite structures together with the stress distribution in loading. We find that generative AI, enabled through fine-tuned Low Rank Adaptation models, can be trained with a few inputs to generate both synthetic composite structures and the corresponding von Mises stress distribution. The results show that this technique is convenient in generating massive composites designs with useful mechanical information that dictate stiffness, fracture and robustness of the material with one model, and such has to be done by several different experimental or simulation tests. This research offers valuable insights for the improvement of composite design with the goal of expanding the design space and automatic screening of composite designs for improved mechanical functions.

Abstract Background The bacterial genus Bacillus, an important group of bacteria which can suppress phytopathogens, has been widely used in agriculture. However, different species of Bacillus often displayed significant differences in probiotic efficiency and mechanism, suggesting that it is very necessary to investigate the biocontrol potential of new Bacillus isolates, especially from under-evaluated Bacillus spp. Rehmannia glutinosa (R. glutinosa), an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is affected by a serious root-rot disease caused by the fungus Fusarium solani (F. solani). Biocontrol agents against this root-rot disease in R. glutinosa have yet to be developed. This study explored, for the first time, the activity and biocontrol mechanism of a new Bacillus isolate, Bacillus tequilensis A13, in antagonizing F. solani. Results B. tequilensis A13 displayed a strong inhibitory activity (73.49% ± 1.33%) against F. solani growth in vitro and was able to survive and multiply in the sterilized soil. The results from liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses indicated that B. tequilensis A13 cell-free supernatant contained six antifungal compounds, eight antifungal compound synthases, and several functional proteins involved in the processes of plant stress resistance, etc. Finally, the joint application of complex fertilizer together with B. tequilensis A13 significantly reduced the incidence of R. glutinosa root rot in the field. Conclusion B. tequilensis A13 strongly inhibited F. solani growth by producing antifungal compounds and proteins associated with plant stress resistance/tolerance, and proved to be a promising candidate biocontrol agent against R. glutinosa root-rot disease. Graphical Abstract

Marijuana is the most frequently reported illicit substance in the United States. However, limited studies have delved into the analysis of marijuana use as a count variable, in which the distribution often exhibits overdispersion and notable occurrences of zero values. This study encompassed a total of 58,034 individuals, with12,528 having reported marijuana use in the past year from the 2021 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health data. Marijuana use was measured by number of days used in the past year. Three distributions were compared including normal distribution, Poisson, and Negative Binomial (NB) distributions. The Akaike information criterion (AIC), corrected AIC (AICC), consistent AIC (CAIC), and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) statistics were used to select the best distribution. The overall prevalence of past-year marijuana use was 21.6%. The NB regression model proved to be the best with lowest AIC, AICC, CAIC, and BIC values compared with linear and Poisson models. According to the NB model, African American and age 18–64 years were associated with increased days of marijuana use, whereas, females, rural living, Asian and Hispanic were associated with decreased days of marijuana use. The findings can guide healthcare providers when screening for marijuana use in general population.

Hydrophilic natural gums have gained increasing attention as food cryoprotectants due to their special functional properties. In this study, the functional properties of Chinese quince seed gum (CQSG), i.e., rheological, textural, emulsifying and foaming properties, were characterized. Effects of gum concentration (0.50–3.00% in w/v) and freezing temperature (−18 °C and −34 °C) were investigated. During freeze–thaw process, there was insignificant change in the flow behavior of the CQSG solution, presumably due either to the random distribution or to the flexibility of the gum molecular chains. After freeze–thaw treatment, the textural properties were stable at low gum concentrations, and the cohesiveness and springiness were relatively stable at high gum concentrations. The hardness and gumminess were enhanced after being frozen at −34 °C and then thawed. The CQSG solutions at all concentrations exhibited enhanced emulsifying and foaming capacities after freeze–thaw treatment, and their stabilities were improved significantly. These results suggest that Chinese quince seed gum can be used as a cryoprotectant in frozen foods.

Two novel heterobimetallic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), Ba4Pb4(CH3CO2)8[(CH6CO2)4Pb](CH3CO2)4 (PbBa-MOFs) and Ba2Ni(CO2H)6(OH2)4 (NiBa-MOFs), were prepared via the solvothermal method, and their structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. The pyrolysis behavior of the two MOFs and their catalytic performances on the dihydroxylammonium-5,5’-bistetrazole-1,1’-diolate (TKX-50) pyrolysis were studied by thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and thermogravimetric-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-mass spectrum (TG-FTIR-MS) methods. Compare with the pure TKX-50, the pyrolysis peak temperature and apparent activation energy (Ea) of the TKX-50/PbBa-MOFs mixture were decreased by 3.2°C and 13.47 kJ‧mol−1 respectively. The Ea of TKX-50/NiBa-MOFs was decreased by 9.35 kJ‧mol−1. And the second pyrolysis peak disappeared in the DSC curves of TKX-50 after the addition of the two MOFs, due to that the products from MOFs pyrolysis suppress the chemical reaction pathway on the production of 5,5′-bis (2-hydroxytetrazole) (ABTOX) and accelerate the direct decomposition of 1,1’-bistetrazole diol (BTO). This resulted in the percentage of H2O decreased greatly and the percentage of NO/CH2O, CO2/N2O, NH2+/O• and NH3/OH increased during the pyrolysis of TKX-50. Finally, the relation between the pyrolysis and ignition characteristics was discussed and described. The two MOFs reduced the ignition delay time of the TKX-50 at the high power density region, and the flame becomes more luminous due to the formation of metal oxides and active free radical.

Stimuli responsive self‐folding structures with 2D layered materials (2DLMs) are important for flexible electronics, wearables, biosensors, bioelectronics, and photonics. Previously, strategies have been developed to self‐fold 2D materials to form various robots, sensors, and actuators. Still, there are limitations with scalability and a lack of design tools to obtain complex structures for reversible actuation, high integration, and reliable function. Herein, a mass‐producible strategy for creating monolayer graphene‐based reversible self‐folding structures using either gradient or differentially cross‐linked films of a negative epoxy photoresist widely used in microfluidics and micromechanical systems, namely, SU8 is demonstrated. Wafer‐scale patterning and integration of complex and functional devices in the form of rings, polyhedra, flowers, and bidirectionally folded origami birds are achieved. Also, gold (Au) electrodes to realize functional graphene–Au Schottky interfaces with enhanced photoresponse and 3D angle sensitive detection are integrated. The experiments are guided and rationalized by theoretical methods including coarse‐grained models, specifically developed for the tunable mechanics of this photoresist that simulate the folding dynamics, and finite element method (FEM) electromagnetic simulations. This work suggests a comprehensive framework for the rational design and scalable fabrication of complex 3D self‐actuating optical and electronic devices through the folding of 2D monolayer graphene.

Summary: The decline in sperm function is a major cause of human male infertility. Glutaminase, a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glutamine to generate glutamate, takes part in many diverse biological processes such as neurotransmission, metabolism, and cellular senescence. Here we report the role of glutaminase in regulating sperm function. By generating a triple mutant that harbors a loss-of-function allele for each of all three mammalian glutaminase orthologs, we found that glutaminase gene activity is required for optimal Caenorhabditis elegans sperm function. Tissue-specific gene manipulations showed that germline glutaminase activity plays an important role. Moreover, transcriptional profiling and antioxidant treatment suggested that glutaminase promotes sperm function by maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. As maintaining a low level of ROS is crucial to human sperm function, it is very likely that glutaminase plays a similar role in humans and therefore can be a potential target for treating human male infertility.

In this work, spherical Al-Mg-Zr alloy with intensive heat release were characterized and compared to neat Al powders. The morphology, element distribution and thermal performance were characterized by TEM, SEM, Mapping and TG-DSC. The laser-induced ignition and combustion characteristics of Al-Mg-Zr alloy powders were performed by microscopic high-speed video-recording. The effect of Al-Mg-Zr on the combustion process of HTPB-based solid propellants were carried out as well. It was observed that, the energy release process of Al-Mg-Zr is accompanied by the phenomena of gas emission and microexplosion, which is useful for improving the combustion efficiency of the alloy and reducing the combustion product particles of solid propellants. The findings in this work validate the potential of Al-Mg-Zr as an additional fuel for high aluminum content solid propellants.

Edible oil is prone to be contaminated by Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) during production and processing. Adsorption is an important technology for the removal of BaP from edible oil, and biochar as a new type of adsorbent for the treatment BaP has received extensive attention. In this study, we prepared unmodified biochar and ZnCl2-modified biochar from sesame straw cellulose (SSB and SSZ) and sesame capsule cellulose (SCB and SCZ), carried out structure characterization by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and finally evaluated their potential effectiveness in BaP removal from sesame oil. FT-IR results revealed that SSZ and SCZ showed higher peak intensities, indicating that they could provide more active sites for adsorption. The results of XRD presented that SSZ and SCZ had a higher graphitization degree than the unmodified biochar. SEM results showed that the SSZ and SCZ had more complex pore structure, which is beneficial to adsorption. BET analysis results showed that SSZ and SCZ had a higher specific surface area of 1622.83–1797.39 m2/g and a better developed porous structure (the total pore volume Vtotal was 0.9434–1.0023 cm3/g) than the SSB and SCB (specific surface area was 350.55–352.59 m2/g, and Vtotal was 0.1907–0.1918 cm3/g), indicating that modification promoted the formation of porous structure and thus improved the adsorption capacity of biochar. Adsorption experiments confirmed once again that the BaP removal rates of SSZ and SCZ (92.67%–96.13%) were much higher than that of unmodified biochar (3.34%–4.28%), and the BaP content in the sesame oil treated by SSZ and SCZ were far below the current EU maximum levels (2 μg/kg). Therefore, the modified biochar from cellulose is a promising adsorbent for BaP removal. In future studies, the influences of bichar on the nutritional quality of edible oil should be taken into consideration so as to find an ideal active carbon substitute for BaP removal in edible oil.

Abstract Nylon is a polyamide material with excellent performance used widely in the aviation and automobile industries, and other fields. Nylon monomers such as hexamethylene diamine and other monomers are in huge demand. Therefore, in order to expand the methods of nylon production, we tried to develop alternative bio‐manufacturing processes which would make a positive contribution to the nylon industry. In this study, the engineered E. coli‐overexpressing Lysine decarboxylases (LDCs) were used for the bioconversion of l‐lysine to cadaverine. An integrated fermentation and microfiltration (MF) process for high‐level cadaverine production by E. coli was established. Concentration was increased from 87 to 263.6 g/L cadaverine after six batch coupling with a productivity of 3.65 g/L‐h. The cadaverine concentration was also increased significantly from 0.43 g cadaverine/g l‐lysine to 0.88 g cadaverine/g l‐lysine by repeated batch fermentation. These experimental results indicate that coupling the fermentation and membrane separation process could benefit the continuous production of cadaverine at high levels.

In this work, sesame oligosaccharides (SOL) and sesame protein isolate (SPI) were isolated from dehulled sesame meal, combined and then tested as a sesame model system, to investigate the effects of roasting temperature and duration on color and flavor. The results demonstrated that SOL was more easily degraded than SPI; specifically, SOL and SPI gradually degraded at 100 °C and 150 °C, respectively. FT-IR analysis showed that characteristic bonds existing in the roasted samples were somewhat destroyed. Galactose, fructose, lysine, cysteine, and arginine showed great reduction and played an important role in color variation and flavor compound formation according to monosaccharide and amino acid analysis. Total color difference (ΔE) and browning intensity increased with roasting temperature and roasting duration. The types and concentrations of volatile flavor compounds were significantly increased, particularly heterocyclics (14.1 %–34.4 %) and phenols (28.4 %–32.4 %), corresponding to 0.3 % and 8.9 % of the unroasted samples.

BackgroundCyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are cell cycle regulators, and abnormal activation can accelerate tumor cell proliferation. However, The relation between CDKs dysregulation to colorectal cancer incidence and progression have not been examined in detail. Methods:Differences in CDKs expression between colorectal cancer and normal tissues, associations between expression and clinical prognosis, incidence and frequencies of CDKs gene mutations, and the influences of CDKs on tumor infiltration by immune cells were examined by analyses of Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, Kaplan-Meier plotter, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, and TIMER databases.ResultsColorectal cancer tissues showed enhanced expression levels of CDKs 1/2/4/5/6/8/12/13/19 but reduced CDK3 expression. CDK7 was highly expressed in some colorectal cancer tissues but downregulated in others. Expression levels of CDK1/3/4/7/8/10/11b/13/18/19/20 were correlated with clinical stage, and CDK 5/10/12/16 expression levels predicted prognosis and survival. Differential CDKs expression correlated with cell cycle progression, amino acid polypeptide modifications, and activation of other protein kinases. Expression levels of all CDKs except CDK16 were correlated with infiltration of CD4+T, CD8+T, B and Tregs cells.ConclusionsCDK 1 and 4 could be used as diagnostic biomarkers for CRC. CDK 5/10/12/16 can be utilized as prognostic biomarkers.

The dynamic measurement and correction of infrared radiation temperature for rocket motor exhaust plume was established based on Stefan-Boltzmann formula under the assumption that the colorimetric temperature is regarded as the real value. The relationship between the spectral emissivity of the exhaust plume and time is obtained, and the temperature distribution measured by the infrared thermal imager is corrected in real time. During the stable working period of the rocket motor, the maximum value of the infrared radiation temperature distribution curve and the average value corresponding to the time are used to represent the maximum and average infrared radiation temperature of the motor exhaust plume field. This method is applicable to the real-time determination of the spectral emissivity of the exhaust plume and the accurate measurement of the infrared radiation temperature distribution at static or rocket sled flight state, and is of great significance to the development of the low-signature rocket motor and propellant charge.

Mechanical strength of in situ assembled nuclear lamin filaments arranged in a 3D meshwork is unclear. Here, using mechanical, structural and simulation tools, the authors report the hierarchical organization of the lamin meshwork that imparts strength and toughness to lamin filaments at par with silk and Kevlar®

Abstract Managing urban water in many cities becomes more challenging under impacts of climate change and urbanization. Low impact development (LID) measures have been increasingly recognized and applied thanks to their capability of tackling multi‐dimensional water problems associated with both quantity and quality issues. Yet, in China limited attention has been paid to guide the planning strategy of LIDs in the preliminary stage, which often suffers from inadequate and imprecise data and information. In this study, an approach integrating a GIS‐based spatial evaluation model, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation module and a multi‐objective optimization algorithm, is proposed to prioritize the spatial distribution of LIDs (i.e., type, placement, and extent) at the subcatchment scale in a case study in Southern China. By evaluating the trade‐offs among runoff reduction, pollution control, and economic investment, the synergies, and combination strategies of four types of LIDs are explored. Knowledge gained from this study is necessary and beneficial for water planners and practitioners to improve LID planning efficiency under constrained conditions.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Shiyan, Hubei Province, and to compare the features with those of the recent treatment of influenza. Methods Forty-nine diagnosed COVID-19 patients admitted to the People's Hospital of Shiyan City from January 23 to February 9, 2020 were recruited in this study. Their clinical manifestations, epidemiological history, results of laboratory tests, and images of multi-slice CT (MSCT) examination were collected and analyzed, and the results were compared with the features of 31 cases of influenza virus infection (12 cases, accompanying pneumonia) during the same period. Results ① Fever and body temperature: Fever was the main complaint of the COVID-19 patients (87.76%), and the rate was significant lower than the influenza group (96.77%, P < 0.05). The COVID-19 group had low fever (22 cases) and moderate fever (21 cases) which were mainly different from those with moderate fever (12 cases) and high fever (18 cases) in the influenza group (P < 0.05). ② Cough and sputum: The incidence of cough and sputum was 65.31% in the COVID-19 group, which was significantly lower than that of the influenza group (93.55%, P < 0.01). ③ Sneezing and rhinorrhea: The incidence in the COVID-19 group was 2.04%, obviously lower than that of the influenza group (96.77%, P < 0.001). ④ Shortness of breath and chest tightness: The incidence was 12.24% in the COVID-19 group, and 29.03% in the influenza group (P < 0.05). ⑤ Fatigue and anorexia: The incidence rate was 34.69% in COVID-19 group, significantly higher than that of the influenza group (6.45%, P < 0.01). ⑥ Diarrhea: The incidence rate was 6.12% in the COVID-19 group, and no case was seen in the influenza group. ⑦ WBC count: The COVID-19 patients having a lower WBC count accounted for 77.55%, which was lower than the health control but higher than that of the influenza group (16.13%, P < 0.01). ⑧ Lymphocyte count: 38.78% COVID-19 patients had a lower lymphocyte ratio, but only 6.45% in the influenza group (P < 0.01). ⑨ Multi-slice CT (MSCT): All COVID-19 patients underwent 1 to 3 times of MSCT examination, and typical imaging features (bilateral lesions) were found in 91.84% patients. ⑩ Nucleic acid test: 77.55% patients were positive in the first time, 89.80% was in the second, 97.96% in the third, and 100% in the fourth. Conclusion Compared with influenza, COVID-19 are characterized by mainly low to moderate fever, rare chills, dry cough and sputum, very rear sneezing and runny nose, decreased WBC count, and not higher incidence of lymphocyte decline. The diagnosis needs based on the combination of clinical manifestation, epidemiological data, nucleic acid test and MSCT findings.

Fatigue-resistant adhesion is of interest for a range of applications, but has been limited in synthetic hydrogels. Here, the authors report on a synthetic hydrogel with ordered nanocrystalline domains resulting in high fatigue-resistant adhesion and demonstrate the coating of different surfaces.

Making full use of sunflower seeds, including oil and the polysaccharides extracted from the meals which oil has been extracted, is one way to enhance their industrial value. Such meals contain abundant polysaccharides; however, the application of polysaccharides isolated from sunflower remaining meals after oil extraction has not been investigated. In this study, polysaccharides were isolated by alkali from sunflower meals after different oil extraction processes, and their structural properties and antioxidant activities were compared. The results indicated that these polysaccharides displayed significant variability in monosaccharide composition and molecular weight. Differences in structural properties could result in differences in functional antioxidant properties. The polysaccharide (SPHE-1) obtained from the meals after traditional hexane extraction exhibited the best antioxidant activities, including DPPH free radical-scavenging assay and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity among all the polysaccharide fractions. The research provides valuable information for making efficient use of sunflower seeds in the food industry.

The biosynthetic production of D-penyllactic acid (D-PLA) is often affected by insufficient supply and regeneration of cofactors, leading to high production cost, and difficulty in industrialization. In this study, a D-lactate dehydrogenase (D-LDH) and glycerol dehydrogenase (GlyDH) co-expression system was constructed to achieve coenzyme NADH self-sufficiency and sustainable production of D-PLA. Using glycerol and sodium phenylpyruvate (PPA) as co-substrate, the E. coli BL21 (DE3) harboring a plasmid to co-express LfD-LDH and BmGlyDH produced 3.95 g/L D-PLA with a yield of 0.78 g/g PPA, similar to previous studies. Then, flexible linkers were used to construct fusion proteins composing of D-LDH and GlyDH. Under the optimal conditions, 5.87 g/L D-PLA was produced by expressing LfD-LDH-l3-BmGlyDH with a yield of 0.97 g/g PPA, which was 59.3% increased compared to expression of LfD-LDH. In a scaled-up reaction, a productivity of 5.83 g/L/h was reached. In this study, improving the bio-catalytic efficiency by artificial redox self-equilibrium system with a bifunctional fusion protein could reduce the bio-production cost of D-PLA, making this bio-production of D-PLA a more promising industrial technology.

Over the years, concentrated efforts have been directed toward the improvement of desirable characteristics and attributes in peanut cultivars. Most of these breed improvement programs have been targeting attributes that involve peanut growth, productivity, drought and disease tolerance, and oil quality and content, with only a few articles focusing directly on improvements in peanut butter organoleptic qualities. There are numerous peanut cultivars on the market today, with widely differing chemical compositions and metabolite profiles, about which little is known concerning their suitability for making peanut butter. In this review, we detail how the numerous peanut varieties on the market today, with their genetically conferred physiochemical attributes, can significantly affect the sensory quality attributes of peanut butter, even in peanut butter processing lines with optimized processes. If other peanut butter processing parameters are held constant, variations in the chemical composition and metabolite profiles of peanuts have a significant impact on peanut butter color, flavor, texture, storage stability, shelf life, and overall product acceptance by consumers. Further research on breeding programs for peanut varieties that are specifically tailored for peanut butter production, and even more comprehensive research on the synergetic relationship between peanut chemical composition and peanut butter organoleptic quality, are still required.

Mycelium-based bio-composite materials have been invented and widely applied to different areas, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and biomedical. As the vegetative part of a fungus, mycelium has the unique capability to utilize agricultural crop waste (e.g., sugarcane bagasse, rice husks, cotton stalks, straw, and stover) as substrates for the growth of its network, which integrates the wastes from pieces to continuous composites without energy input or generating extra waste. Their low-cost and environmentally friendly features attract interest in their research and commercialization. For example, mycelium-based foam and sandwich composites have been actively developed for construction structures. It can be used as synthetic planar materials (e.g., plastic films and sheets), larger low-density objects (e.g., synthetic foams and plastics), and semi-structural materials (e.g., paneling, flooring, furniture, decking). It is shown that the material function of these composites can be further tuned by controlling the species of fungus, the growing conditions, and the post-growth processing method to meet a specific mechanical requirement in applications (e.g., structural support, acoustic and thermal insulation). Moreover, mycelium can be used to produce chitin and chitosan, which have been applied to clinical trials for wound healing, showing the potential for biomedical applications. Given the strong potential and multiple advantages of such a material, we are interested in studying it in-depth and reviewing the current progress of its related study in this review paper.

A facile one-pot method was developed to synthesis thermosensitive PNIPAAM/Ca-alginate IPN hydrogels. With the method, the crosslink of alginate by Ca2+ and polymerization and crosslink of NIPAAM occurred in a single reactor at the same time upon the all the reactants were added to the reactor. CaSO4•2H2O was used as the crosslinker for alginate and it avoided the quick gelation thus lead to the homogeneous structure of the hydrogels. Compared with the conventional subsequent IPN strategy, the one-pot strategy was facile and required much less time. The mechanical properties of the IPN hydrogels were improved significantly compared with IPN hydrogels without CaSO4·2H2O and it could be adjusted by the dosage of CaSO4·2H2O. The result of FTIR indicated that the hydrogels obtained comprise PNIPAAM and Ca-alginate. The SEM presented a typical porous structure of IPN hydrogel. The temperature-sensitive behaviors and deswelling kinetics of the hydrogels were also discussed. The method which is a simple, time-saving, to prepare IPN-based NIPAAM hydrogels and other IPN hydrogels is of great potential to be applied.

C51H38Cl2F2N6O14S2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 11.8987(6) Å, b = 14.0939(8) Å, c = 16.1915(9) Å, α = 67.590(5)°, β = 75.402(5)°, γ = 77.522(4)°, V = 2407.3(2) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0584, wRref(F2) = 0.1645, T = 100.0(1) K.

Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and has been widely studied, yet aspects of its structure remain unclear. Here, the authors report on a study of the orientation and alignment of enamel crystals and challenge previous assumptions.

Peanut butter has a very large and continuously increasing global market. The food safety risks associated with its consumption are also likely to have impacts on a correspondingly large global population. In terms of prevalence and potential magnitude of impact, contamination by Salmonella spp., and aflatoxins, are the major food safety risks associated with peanut butter consumption. The inherent nature of the Salmonella spp., coupled with the unique chemical composition and structure of peanut butter, present serious technical challenges when inactivating Salmonella spp. in contaminated peanut butter. Thermal treatment, microwave, radiofrequency, irradiation, and high-pressure processing all are of limited efficacy in inactivating Salmonella spp. in contaminated peanut butter. The removal of aflatoxins in contaminated peanut butter is equally problematic and for all practical purposes almost impossible at the moment. Adopting good manufacturing hygiene practices from farm to table and avoiding the processing of contaminated peanuts are probably some of the few practically viable strategies for minimising these peanut butter food safety risks. The purpose of this review is to highlight the nature of food safety risks associated with peanut butter and to discuss the effectiveness of the initiatives that are aimed at minimising these risks.

* Context.--Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assays are used for diagnosis of diverse inherited disorders. Limited data are available pertaining to interlaboratory analytical performance of these assays. Objective.--To report on the College of American Pathologists (CAP) NGS Germline Program, which is methods based, and explore the evolution in laboratory testing practices. Design.--Results from the NGS Germline Program from 2016-2020 were analyzed for interlaboratory analytical performance. Self-reported laboratory testing practices were also evaluated. Results.--From 2016-2020, a total of 297 laboratories participated in at least 1 program mailing. Of the 289 laboratories that provided information on tests offered, 138 (47.8%) offered only panel testing throughout their enrollment, while 35 (12.1%) offered panels and exome testing, 30 (10.4%) offered only exomes, 9 (3.1%) offered only genomes, and 15 (5.2%) offered panels, exomes, and genomes. The remainder (62 laboratories, 21.4%) changed their test offerings during the 2016-2020 timeframe. Considering each genomic position/interval, the median detection percentage at variant positions across the 2016-2020 mailings ranged from 94.3% to 100%, while at reference positions (no variant detected), the median correct response percentage was 100% across all mailings. When considering performance of individual laboratories, 89.5% (136 of 152) to 98.0% (149 of 152) of laboratories successfully met the detection threshold ([greater than or equal to] 90% of the variants present), while 94.6% (87 of 92) to 100% (163 of 163) of laboratories met the 95% specificity threshold across mailings. Conclusions.--Since the inception of this program, laboratories have consistently performed well. The median sensitivity and specificity of detection of sequence variants included in this program (eg, single nucleotide variants, insertions, and deletions) were 100.0%. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2023-0090-CP), Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based tests are of higher complexity than most traditional molecular tests owing to the interrogation of many positions simultaneously, as well as requirements for extensive laboratory wet bench [...]

The comparative advantage of using vegetable fibers as reinforcement (fillers) attracted manufacturing industries over conventional composites. Natural fibers are purely green features that can easily decompose in a normal way to water and CO2 when encountered with moisture during their disposal. In this research, the effect of pre-treatment and properties of ramie fibers reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite were studied. Before the composite preparation, ramie fibers were soaked in a solution of alkali (sodium hydroxide) and silane coupling agent to provide better compatibility between ramie fibers and PLA interface. Additionally, a design containing nine samples was conducted to study the effect of temperature, fiber volume ratio, molding pressure and time on composite fabrication. From the results, optimum processing parameters were identified based on the tensile, bending and impact strengths improvement from various tested samples. Furthermore, this study highlights the degradation process and properties of ramie fibers reinforced PLA composites by underground burial experimental procedures.

The effects of different types of nano-sized metal particles, such as aluminum (nAl), zirconium (nZr), titanium (nTi), and nickel (nNi), on the properties of a variety of solid rocket propellants (composite, fuel-rich, and composite modified double base (CMDB)) were analyzed and compared with those of propellants loaded with micro-sized Al (mAl) powder. Emphasis was placed on the investigation of burning rate, pressure exponent (n), and hazardous properties, which control whether a propellant can be adopted in solid rocket motors. It was found that nano-sized additives can affect the combustion behavior and increase the burning rate of propellants. Compared with the corresponding micro-sized ones, the nano-sized particles promote higher impact sensitivity and friction sensitivity. In this paper, 101 references are enclosed.

Natural silk fibers are produced using a simple and green approach compared to alternative synthetic methods. Here, the authors show a bioinspired approach to spin regenerated silk fibers using anisotropic liquid crystals and dry spinning, resulting in remarkably robust fibers.

Objective To investigate the allelic distribution of 19 autosomal STR loci in Guizhou Han population, and to estimate the forensic application value. Methods The 19 autosomal STR loci in 520 unrelated healthy individuals from Guizhou Han population were studied using GoldeneyeTM 20A kit. The 310 genetic analyzer was used for capillary electrophoresis, and the GeneMapper?誖ID v3.1 for genotyping. Results The heterozygosis, the discrimination power, the probability of exclusion, the polymorphism information content, the cumulative discrimination power and the cumulative probability of exclusion of the 19 STR loci were 0.603 8-0.916 4, 0.790 0-0.985 6, 0.295 5-0.826 9, 0.553 5-0.908 9, 1-1.230 0×10-22 and 0.999 999 99, respectively. Compared with other five Han populations in pairwise allelic frequencies, Guizhou Han only had significant differences with Shandong Han, Liaoning Han and Shanxi Han. Conclusion The 19 autosomal STR loci such as D19S433 have a highly genetic polymorphic in Guizhou Han population, which have application values in the researches of population genetics and forensic genetics.

Collagen denaturation is thought to occur during tissue mechanical damage, but its role in damage initiation is still unclear. Here, the authors use a collagen hybridizing peptide to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms leading to collagen unfolding during tendon mechanical stretch.

In low-level perceptual tasks and reading tasks, deaf individuals show a redistribution of spatial visual attention toward the parafoveal and peripheral visual fields. In the present study, the experiment adopted the modified flanker paradigm and utilized a lexical decision task to investigate how these unique visual skills may influence foveal lexical access in deaf individuals. It was predicted that irrelevant linguistic stimuli presented in parafoveal vision, during a lexical decision task, would produce a larger interference effect for deaf college student readers if the stimuli acted as distractors during the task. The results showed there was a larger interference effect in deaf college student readers compared to the interference effect observed in participants with typical levels of hearing. Furthermore, deaf college student readers with low-skilled reading levels showed a larger interference effect than those with high-skilled reading levels. The current study demonstrates that the redistribution of spatial visual attention toward the parafoveal visual regions in deaf students impacts foveal lexical processing, and this effect is modulated by reading skill. The findings are discussed in relation to the potential effect that enhanced parafoveal attention may have on everyday reading for deaf individuals.