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Bearings are crucial components of machinery and equipment, and it is essential to inspect them thoroughly to ensure a high pass rate. Currently, bearing scratch detection is primarily carried out manually, which cannot meet industrial demands. This study presents research on the detection of bearing surface scratches. An improved YOLOV5 network, named YOLOV5-CDG, is proposed for detecting bearing surface defects using scratch images as targets. The YOLOV5-CDG model is based on the YOLOV5 network model with the addition of a Coordinate Attention (CA) mechanism module, fusion of Deformable Convolutional Networks (DCNs), and a combination with the GhostNet lightweight network. To achieve bearing surface scratch detection, a machine vision-based bearing surface scratch sensor system is established, and a self-made bearing surface scratch dataset is produced as the basis. The scratch detection final Average Precision (AP) value is 97%, which is 3.4% higher than that of YOLOV5. Additionally, the model has an accuracy of 99.46% for detecting defective and qualified products. The average detection time per image is 263.4 ms on the CPU device and 12.2 ms on the GPU device, demonstrating excellent performance in terms of both speed and accuracy. Furthermore, this study analyzes and compares the detection results of various models, demonstrating that the proposed method satisfies the requirements for detecting scratches on bearing surfaces in industrial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sedentary behavior has been demonstrated to be a modifiable factor for several chronic diseases, while coffee consumption is believed to be beneficial for health. However, the joint associations of daily sitting time and coffee consumption with mortality remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the independent and joint associations of daily sitting time and coffee intakes with mortality from all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among US adults. Methods: An analysis of a prospective cohort from the 2007–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of US adults (n = 10,639). Data on mortality were compiled from interview and physical examination data until December 31, 2019. Daily sitting time was self-reported. Coffee beverages were from the 24-hour diet recall interview. The main outcomes of the study were all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. The adjusted hazard ratios [HRs] and 95% confidence intervals [CI] were imputed by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Among 10,639 participants in the study cohort, there were 945 deaths, 284 of whom died of CVD during the follow-up period of up to 13 years. Multivariable models showed that sitting more than 8 h/d was associated with higher risks of all-cause (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.17–1.81) and CVD (HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.21–2.66) mortality, compared with those sitting for less than 4 h/d. People with the highest quartile of coffee consumption were observed for the reduced risks of both all-cause (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54–0.84) and CVD (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30–0.69) mortality compared with non-coffee consumers. Notably, joint analyses firstly showed that non-coffee drinkers who sat six hours or more per day were 1.58 (95% CI, 1.25–1.99) times more likely to die of all causes than coffee drinkers sitting for less than six hours per day, indicating that the association of sedentary with increased mortality was only observed among adults with no coffee consumption but not among those who had coffee intake. Conclusions: This study identified that sedentary behavior for more than 6 h/d accompanied with non-coffee consumption, were strongly associated with the increased risk of mortality from all-cause and CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are closely associated with tumor initiation, metastasis, chemoresistance, and recurrence, which represent some of the primary obstacles to cancer treatment. Targeting CSCs has become an important therapeutic approach to cancer care. Secoemestrin C (Sec C) is a natural compound with strong anti-tumor activity and low toxicity. Here, we report that Sec C effectively inhibited colorectal CSCs and non-CSCs concurrently, mainly by inhibiting proliferation, self-renewal, metastasis, and drug resistance. Mechanistically, RNA-seq analysis showed that the pro-inflammation pathway of the IL17 axis was enriched, and its effector S100A8 was dramatically decreased in Sec C-treated cells, whose roles in the stemness of CSCs have not been fully clarified. We found that the overexpression of S100A8 hindered the anti-CSCs effect of Sec C, and S100A8 deficiency attenuated the stemness traits of CSCs to enhance the Sec C killing activity on them. Meanwhile, the p38 signal pathway, belonging to the IL17 downstream axis, can also mediate CSCs and counter with Sec C. Notably, we found that S100A8 upregulation increased the p38 protein level, and p38, in turn, promoted S100A8 expression. This indicated that p38 may have a mutual feedback loop with S100A8. Our study discovered that Sec C was a powerful anti-colorectal CSC agent, and that the positive feedback loop of p38–S100A8 mediated Sec C activity. This showed that Sec C could act as a promising clinical candidate in colorectal cancer treatment, and S100A8 could be a prospective drug target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims Methods Results Conclusions Many systematic reviews explore the association of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with mortality, but none of them explores sex‐based differences in detail. We aimed to assess whether NAFLD is associated with cause‐specific mortality, all‐cause mortality, and cancer incidence in both men and women.The PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases were searched from inception through April 2023 for eligible studies. We separately pooled relative risks (RRs) for men and women using a random effects model. Subsequently, the RRs and 95% CIs (confidence intervals) in each study were used to calculate the women‐to‐men ratio of RRs (RRR). Furthermore, subgroup analyses were performed to explore the robustness of outcomes. The random‐effects model was employed to conduct sensitivity analyses to determine the impact of specific studies on the overall findings.The meta‐analysis included nine cohort studies comprising 557 614 patients with NAFLD were chosen. Women were 44% more likely than men to get cancer among those with NAFLD (RRR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.02–2.04; p = .039). However, no sex‐related differences were observed between NAFLD and all‐cause mortality (RRR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.56–2.01; p = .861), liver‐related mortality (RRR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.02–69.82; p = .977), cardiovascular mortality (RRR: 1; 95% CI: 0.65–1.53; p = .987) and liver cancer (RRR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.43–1.36; p = .36).There may be sex variations between NAFLD and the risk of cancer, with the connection being stronger in females than in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a remarkable achievement in the synthesis and characterization of an atomically precise copper‐hydride nanocluster, [Cu41(SC6H3F2)15Cl3(P(PhF)3)6(H)25]2− via a mild one‐pot reaction is presented. Through X‐ray crystallography analysis, it is revealed that [Cu41(SC6H3F2)15Cl3(P(PhF)3)6(H)25]2− exhibits a unique shell–core–shell structure. The inner Cu29 kernel is composed of three twisted Cu13 units, connected through Cu4 face sharing. Surrounding the metal core, two Cu6 metal shells, resembling a protective sandwich structure are observed. This arrangement, along with intracluster π···π interactions and intercluster C─H···F─C interactions, contributes to the enhanced stability of [Cu41(SC6H3F2)15Cl3(P(PhF)3)6(H)25]2−. The presence, number, and location of hydrides within the nanocluster are established through a combination of experimental and density functional theory investigations. Notably, the addition of a phosphine ligand triggers a fascinating nanocluster‐to‐nanocluster transformation in [Cu41(SC6H3F2)15Cl3(P(PhF)3)6(H)25]2−, resulting in the generation of two nanoclusters, [Cu14(SC6H3F2)3(PPh3)8H10]+ and [Cu13(SC6H3F2)3(P(PhF)3)7H10]0. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that [Cu41(SC6H3F2)15Cl3(P(PhF)3)6(H)25]2− exhibits catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of nitroarenes. This intriguing nanocluster provides a unique opportunity to explore the assembly of M13 units, similar to other coinage metal nanoclusters, and investigate the nanocluster‐to‐nanocluster transformation in phosphine and thiol ligand co‐protected copper nanoclusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium–air batteries (LABs) have attracted intense interest due to their ultrahigh energy density. However, the performance of LABs has to depend on modified electrolytes, gas selective film and Li anode protection. In this study, firstly it is reported that Mo‐O octahedron induced subcrystalline scheelite CoMoO4 catalyst achieves a high performance LABs performance based only on the high catalytic activity in air. The subcrystalline CoMoO4 catalyst obtains a specific capacity of 12 000 mAh g−1, and ultralong cycle stability over 270 cycles at 1000 mA g−1 in ambient air. This study demonstrates an ultrastable crystal structure and surface conditions of the CoMoO4 catalyst toward a corrosive environment and complex air‐involved reactions. A theoretical calculation further reveals that the polyhedral framework in the scheelite CoMoO4 can provide a highly stable catalytic surface for the OER/ORR reactions, furthermore, its repulsive nature toward H2O and CO2 can efficiently avoid side reactions and slow the corrosion of the Li anode in air. Moreover, the induced octahedron enhances the adsorption energies to O2 and LiO2, and accelerates the catalytic reactions in air. The present study provides a conceptual breakthrough to find highly active cathode catalysts for LABs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifts in plant phenology influence ecosystem structures and functions, yet how multiple global change drivers interact to affect phenology remains elusive. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 242 published articles to assess interactions between warming (W) and other global change drivers including nitrogen addition (N), increased precipitation (IP), decreased precipitation (DP) and elevated CO2 (eCO2) on multiple phenophases in experimental studies. We show that leaf out and first flowering were most strongly affected by warming, while warming and decreased precipitation were the most pronounced drivers for leaf colouring. Moreover, interactions between warming and other global change drivers were common and both synergistic and antagonistic interactions were observed: interactions W + IP and W + eCO2 were frequently synergistic, whereas interactions W + N and W + DP were mostly antagonistic. These findings demonstrate that global change drivers often affect plant phenology interactively. Incorporating the multitude of interactions into models is crucial for accurately predicting plant responses to global changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the effect of Ustilago esculenta infection on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in male Manchurian wild rice (Zizania latifolia). We injected male Jiaobai plants at the five-leaf stage with U. esculenta suspension, and leaves at different timepoints after inoculation were collected for transcriptome sequencing. Transcriptome sequencing identified 1,226 DEGs mainly enriched in resistance-related processes. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) showed that 'plant–pathogen interaction' and 'MAPK signalling pathway-plant' were the two most important upregulated pathways, and 16 candidate genes related to response to U. esculenta infection were screened. The results provide a basis for determining the molecular mechanisms of the response of male Z. latifolia to U. esculenta infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faba bean is an important legume crop consumed as a vegetable or snack food, and its green cotyledons could present an attractive color for consumers. A mutation in SGR causes stay-green in plants. In this study, vfsgr was identified from a green-cotyledon-mutant faba bean, SNB7, by homologous blast between the SGR of pea and the transcriptome of faba bean. Sequence analysis revealed that a SNP at position 513 of the CDS of VfSGR caused a pre-stop codon, resulting in a shorter protein in the green-cotyledon faba bean SNB7. A dCaps marker was developed according to the SNP that caused the pre-stop, and this marker was completely associated with the color of the cotyledon of faba bean. SNB7 stayed green during dark treatment, while the expression level of VfSGR increased during dark-induced senescence in the yellow-cotyledon faba bean HST. Transient expression of VfSGR in Nicotiana. benthamiana leaves resulted in chlorophyll degradation. These results indicate that vfsgr is the gene responsible for the stay-green of faba bean, and the dCaps marker developed in this study provides a molecular tool for the breeding of green-cotyledon faba beans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re-identification is a challenging task due to the lack of person image information in occluded scenarios. The current methods for person re-identification only take into account global information, neglect local information, and are not responsive to changes in input. Additionally, these methods do not address the issue of inaccurate joint detection caused by occlusion. In this paper, we propose an occluded person re-identification method based on a graph model and deformable method, which is able to simultaneously focus on global and local information and can flexibly adapt to local information and changes in the input, efficiently resolving issues such as occluded or incorrect joint information. Our method consists of three modules: the mutual help denoising module, inter-node aggregation and update module, and graph matching module. The mutual help denoising module acquires global features and person skeleton node features using a CNN backbone network and a pose estimation model, respectively. It uses symmetric deformable graph attention to obtain the local and global features of the joint points in different views, correcting the information of incorrect nodes and extracting favorable human features. The inter-node aggregation and update module employs deformable graph convolution operations to enhance the relations between the nodes in the same view, resulting in higher-order information. The graph matching module uses graph matching methods based on the human topology to obtain a more accurate similarity calculation for masked images. Experimental results on the Occluded-Duck and Occluded-REID datasets show that our proposed method achieves Rank-1 accuracies of 64.8% and 84.5%, respectively, outperforming current mainstream methods such as HOReID. Our method also achieves good results on the MARKET-1501 and DukeMTMC-ReID datasets. These results demonstrate that our proposed method can extract person features well and effectively improve the accuracy of person re-identification tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue-Phase Liquid Crystals (BPLCs) are considered to be excellent 3D photonic crystals and have attracted a great deal of attention due to their great potential for advanced applications in a wide range of fields including self-assembling tunable photonic crystals and fast-response displays. BPLCs exhibit promise in patterned applications due to their sub-millisecond response time, three-dimensional cubic structure, macroscopic optical isotropy and high contrast ratio. The diversity of patterned applications developed based on BPLCs has attracted much attention. This paper focuses on the latest advances in blue-phase (BP) materials, including applications in patterned microscopy, electric field driving, handwriting driving, optical writing and inkjet printing. The paper concludes with future challenges and opportunities for BP materials, providing important insights into the subsequent development of BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the catalytic activity of cobalt molybdate (CoMoO4), a PDS-activated and UV-vis assisted system was constructed. CoMoO4 was prepared by coprecipitation and calcination, and characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, TEM, XPS, TGA Zeta potential, BET, and UV-Vis DRS. The results showed that the morphology of the CoMoO4 nanolumps consisted of stacked nanosheets. XRD indicated the monoclinic structures with C2/m (C32h, #12) space group, which belong to α-CoMoO4, and both Co2+ and Mo6+ ions occupy distorted octahedral sites. The pH of the isoelectric point (pHIEP) of CMO-8 at pH = 4.88 and the band gap of CoMoO4 was 1.92 eV. The catalytic activity of CoMoO4 was evaluated by photo-Fenton degradation of Congo red (CR). The catalytic performance was affected by calcination temperature, catalyst dosage, PDS dosage, and pH. Under the best conditions (0.8 g/L CMO-8, PDS 1 mL), the degradation efficiency of CR was 96.972%. The excellent catalytic activity of CoMoO4 was attributed to the synergistic effect of photo catalysis and CoMoO4-activated PDS degradation. The capture experiments and the ESR showed that superoxide radical (·O2−), singlet oxygen (1O2), hole (h+), sulfate (SO4−·), and hydroxyl (·OH−) were the main free radicals leading to the degradation of CR. The results can provide valuable information and support for the design and application of high-efficiency transition metal oxide catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeostasis plays a central role in our understanding how cells and organisms are able to oppose environmental disturbances and thereby maintain an internal stability. During the last two decades there has been an increased interest in using control engineering methods, especially integral control, in the analysis and design of homeostatic networks. Several reaction kinetic mechanisms have been discovered which lead to integral control. In two of them integral control is achieved, either by the removal of a single control species E by zero-order kinetics ("single-E controllers"), or by the removal of two control species by second-order kinetics ("antithetic or dual-E control"). In this paper we show results when the control species E1 and E2 in antithetic control are removed enzymatically by ping-pong or ternary-complex mechanisms. Our findings show that enzyme-catalyzed dual-E controllers can work in two control modes. In one mode, one of the two control species is active, but requires zero-order kinetics in its removal. In the other mode, both controller species are active and both are removed enzymatically. Conditions for the two control modes are put forward and biochemical examples with the structure of enzyme-catalyzed dual-E controllers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely using in clinical diagnosis, and contrast agents (CAs) can improve the sensitivity MRI. To overcome the problems of commercial Gd chelates-based T1 CAs, commercial magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs)-based T2 CAs, and reported exceedingly small MIONs (ES-MIONs)-based T1 CAs, in this study, a facile co-precipitation method was developed to synthesize biodegradable and biocompatible ES-MIONs with excellent water-dispersibility using poly (aspartic acid) (PASP) as a stabilizer for T1-weighted MRI of tumors. After optimization of the synthesis conditions, the final obtained ES-MION9 with 3.7 nm of diameter has a high r1 value (7.0 ± 0.4 mM−1 s−1) and a low r2/r1 ratio (4.9 ± 0.6) at 3.0 T. The ES-MION9 has excellent water dispersibility because of the excessive –COOH from the stabilizer PASP. The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of ES-MION9 in vivo demonstrate the better tumor targetability and MRI time window of ES-MION9 than commercial Gd chelates. T1-weighted MR images of aqueous solutions, cells and tumor-bearing mice at 3.0 T or 7.0 T demonstrate that our ES-MION9 has a stronger capability of enhancing the MRI contrast comparing with the commercial Gd chelates. The MTT assay, live/dead staining of cells, and H&E-staining indicate the non-toxicity and biosafety of our ES-MION9. Consequently, the biodegradable and biocompatible ES-MION9 with excellent water-dispersibility is an ideal T1-weighted CAs with promising translational possibility to compete with the commercial Gd chelates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLC) materials with broadband reflection are witnessing a significant surge in interest due to their unique ability to self-organize into a helical supra-molecular architecture and their excellent selective reflection of light based on the Bragg relationship. Nowadays, by the virtue of building self-organized nanostructures with pitch gradient or non-uniform pitch distribution, extensive work has already been performed to obtain ChLC films with a broad reflection band. This critical review systematically summarizes the optical background of the ChLCs with broadband reflection characteristics, methods to obtain broadband reflection of ChLCs, as well as the application in this area. Combined with the research status and the advantages in the field, the challenges and opportunities of applied scientific problems in the research direction are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic damage tolerance assessment is an essential method to evaluate the safety of aeroengine rotors. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) are the core parameters. The weight function method can calculate SIF efficiently. The available weight functions for corner cracks are suitable for cracks with universal stresses. However, when cracks are under bivariant stress distributions, the lack of the weight function database makes the damage tolerance assessment impractical. Therefore, this paper derives the point weight functions for corner cracks, which are suited for cracks in real-world components with two-directional stress distributions. The response surface method is used to build the surrogate model of the point weight functions. By integrating the weight functions with the stress distributions, SIFs can be calculated with high accuracy. In sum, 81% of the differences between the point weight function method and finite element results are less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A carrier-free nanocomposite encapsulating mitoxantrone within an amphiphilic photosensitizer prodrug was fabricated for near-infrared fluorescence imaging-guided chemo-photodynamic combination treatment of cancer. [Display omitted] Combination therapy exhibits higher efficacy than any single therapy, inspiring various nanocarrier-assisted multi-drug co-delivery systems for the combined treatment of cancer. However, most nanocarriers are inert and non-therapeutic and have potential side effects. Herein, an amphiphilic polymer composed of a hydrophobic photosensitizer and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) was employed as the nanocarriers and photosensitizers to encapsulate the chemotherapeutic drug mitoxantrone for chemo-photodynamic combination therapy. The resulting nanodrug consisted solely of pharmacologically active ingredients, thus avoiding potential toxicity induced by inert excipients. This multifunctional nanoplatform demonstrated significantly superior treatment performance compared to monotherapy for colorectal cancer, both in vitro and in vivo , achieving near-infrared fluorescence imaging-mediated chemo-photodynamic combined eradication of malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a precious traditional Chinese medicine with multiple pharmacological effects. Ginsenoside Rg1 is a main active ingredient extracted from ginseng, which is known for its age-delaying and antioxidant effects. Increasing evidence indicates that Rg1 exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in numerous diseases and may ameliorate oxidative damage and inflammation in many chronic liver diseases. Chronic inflammatory injury in liver cells is an important pathological basis of many liver diseases. However, its mechanism remains unclear and therapeutic strategies to prevent its development need to be further explored. Thus, our study is to delve the protective effect and mechanism of Rg1 against chronic hepatic inflammatory injuries induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The chronic liver damage model in mice was build up by injecting intraperitoneally with LPS (200 μg/kg) for 21 days. Serum liver function indicators and levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were examined by using corresponding Kits. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), and Masson stains were utilized to visualize hepatic histopathological damage, glycogen deposition, and liver fibrosis. The nuclear import of p-Nrf2 and the generation of Col4 in the liver were detected by IF, while IHC was employed to detect the expressions of NLRP3 and AIM2 in the hepatic. The Western blot and q-PCR were used to survey the expressions of proteins and mRNAs of fibrosis and apoptosis, and the expressions of Keap1, p-Nrf2 and NLRP3, NLRP1, AIM2 inflammasome-related proteins in mouse liver. The cell viability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 to select the action concentration of LPS, and intracellular ROS generation was detected using a kit. The expressions of Nuclear Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 and NLRP3, NLRP1, and AIM2 inflammasome-related proteins in HepG2 cells were detected by Western blot. Finally, the feasibility of the molecular interlinking between Rg1 and Nrf2 was demonstrated by molecular docking. Rg1 treatment for 21 days decreased the levels of ALT, AST, and inflammatory factors of serum IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in mice induced by LPS. Pathological results indicated that Rg1 treatment obviously alleviated hepatocellular injury and apoptosis, inflammatory cell infiltration and liver fibrosis in LPS stimulated mice. Rg1 promoted Keap1 degradation and enhanced the expressions of p-Nrf2, HO-1 and decreased the levels of NLRP1, NLRP3, AIM2, cleaved caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-6 in livers caused by LPS. Furthermore, Rg1 effectively suppressed the rise of ROS in HepG2 cells induced by LPS, whereas inhibition of Nrf2 reversed the role of Rg1 in reducing the production of ROS and NLRP3, NLRP1, and AIM2 expressions in LPS-stimulated HepG2 cells. Finally, the molecular docking illustrated that Rg1 exhibits a strong affinity towards Nrf2. The findings indicate that Rg1 significantly ameliorates chronic liver damage and fibrosis induced by LPS. The mechanism may be mediated through promoting the dissociation of Nrf2 from Keap1 and then activating Nrf2 signaling and further inhibiting NLRP3, NLRP1, and AIM2 inflammasomes in liver cells. [Display omitted] • Rg1 treatment attenuates LPS-induced chronic liver injury and alleviates fibrosis. • Rg1 treatment attenuates LPS-induced ROS accumulation and hepatocyte inflammation. • Rg1 treatment alleviates LPS-induced chronic liver injury by activating Nrf2 signaling. • Rg1 treatment inhibits LPS-induced hepatocyte NLRP3, NLRP1, and AIM2 inflammasomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the evolution of the urban spatial structure is of great significance for clarifying the stage and trajectory of urban development and formulating future urban development plans. Given that previous studies have marginally explored the long-term evolution of the urban employment spatial structure, this paper proposes a theoretical model hypothesizing five sequential stages of a complete evolution cycle from the perspective of mono- and polycentricity: mono-centralization, main-centralization, multi-centralization, de-centralization and re-centralization. Further empirical results based on 292 prefecture-level cities in China from 1997 to 2017 support the model and demonstrate that most cities present an evolution in line with the hypothesis, except a few cities experiencing short-term fluctuations, and approximately 60 % of cities are in the stage of multi-centralization, where subcenters have a growth advantage, and the main center has a scale advantage. Additionally, this paper reveals two characteristics of the evolution of the urban employment spatial structure in China: spatiotemporal compression and government intervention. • Propose a theoretical evolutionary model of urban employment spatial structure. • Empirically test the theoretical model based on a sample of 292 prefecture-level cities in China from 1997-2017. • The evolution of the urban employment spatial structure in China gradually tends to be polycentric. • Spatiotemporal compression and government intervention are features of China's urban employment spatial structure evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adnectin is a protein family derived from the 10th type III domain of human fibronectin (10Fn3) with high-affinity targeting capabilities. Positron emission tomography (PET) probes derived from anti-programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) Adnectins, including 18F- and 68Ga-labeled BMS-986192, are recently developed for the prediction of patient response to immune checkpoint blockade. The 68Ga-labeled BMS-986192, in particular, is an attractive probe for under-developed regions due to the broader availability of 68Ga. However, the pharmacokinetics and biocompatibility of 68Ga-labeled BMS-986192 are still unknown, especially in non-human primates, impeding its further clinical translation. Methods: We developed a variant of 68Ga-labeled BMS-986192 using 1,4,7-triazacyclononane,1-glutaric acid-4,7-acetic acid (NODAGA) as the radionuclide–chelator. The resultant probe, 68Ga-NODAGA-BMS986192, was evaluated in terms of targeting specificity using a bilateral mouse tumor model inoculated with wild-type B16F10 and B16F10 transduced with human PD-L1 (hPD-L1-B16F10). The dynamic biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of this probe were also investigated in non-human primate cynomolgus. Results: 68Ga-NODAGA-BMS986192 was prepared with a radiochemical purity above 99%. PET imaging with 68Ga-NODAGA-BMS986192 efficiently delineated the hPD-L1-B16F10 tumor at 1 h post-injection. The PD-L1-targeting capability of this probe was further confirmed using in vivo blocking assay and ex vivo biodistribution studies. PET dynamic imaging in both mouse and cynomolgus models revealed a rapid clearance of the probe via the renal route, which corresponded to the low background signals of the PET images. The probe also exhibited a favorable radiation dosimetry profile with a total-body effective dose of 6.34E-03 mSv/MBq in male cynomolgus. Conclusions: 68Ga-NODAGA-BMS986192 was a feasible and safe tool for the visualization of human PD-L1. Our study also provided valuable information on the potential of targeted PET imaging using Adnectin-based probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is abundant in eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea. It is an RNA modification mainly existing in messenger RNA (mRNAs) and has a significant effect on the metabolism and function of mRNAs. m6A modification is controlled by three types of proteins, namely methyltransferase as the "writers", demethylase as the "erasers", and specific m6A recognized protein (YTHDF1–3) as the "readers". Recent studies have shown that m6A modification plays an important role in cancer, viral infection and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we will elaborate on the m6A modifications in the homeostasis and differentiation of T cells. Then we will further summarize the effects of m6A modification on the T cell responses and T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. This will advance T cell epigenetics research and provide potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases. [Display omitted] • RNA m6A modification is an important regulator of T cells homeostasis and differentiation. • Regulation of m6A modification in antigen presenting cells may control T cell differentiation and function. • m6A modification involved in T cell mediated autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the gas molecule barrier performance and structural stability of bio-plastic films dramatically contribute to packaging and protective fields. Herein, we proposed a novel nanocomposite film consisting of cellulose acetate (CA)/polyethyleneimine (PEI)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-NiCoFeO x) with high gas barrier property by applying "molecular glue" and "nano-patching" strategies. Systematical investigations demonstrated that the CA/rGO interfacial interaction was effectively enhanced due to the "molecular glue" role of PEI chains via physical/chemical bonds and the defective regions in rGO plane were nano-patched through hydrophilic interactions between edged oxygen-containing functional groups and ultrafine NiCoFeO x nanoparticles (~3 nm). As a result, the oxygen and moisture transmission rates of the prepared CA/PEI/rGO-NPs hybrid film were significantly reduced to 0.31 cm3 ∗ μm/(m2 ∗ d ∗ kPa) and 314.23 g/m2 ∗ 24 h, respectively, which were 99.60% and 54.69% lower than pristine CA films. Meanwhile, the tensile strength of hybrid film was increased from 25.90 MPa to 40.67 MPa. More importantly, the designed nanocomposite film possesses excellent structural stability without obvious GO layer shedding and hydrophobicity attenuation after persistent bending at least 100 times. The exceptional robust and high gas barrier film displays great promising application in food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and electronic instruments packaging industry. • Ultra-low gas permeable CA/PEI/rGO-NPs nanocomposite film was proposed. • PEI serves as "molecular glue" to form intact interfacial interaction between CA and rGO. • Defective regions within rGO planes were nano-patched by ultrafine NiCoFeO x nanoparticles. • Prolonged gas diffusion path and blocked transport channels were achieved. • Gas barrier, mechanical strength and hydrophobicity of hybrid film were improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-cost goethite and manganese acetate were used to prepare a MnOx/α-Fe2O3 composite catalyst by simple impregnation method for novel high-efficiency selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3, and its denitration performance of composite catalyst under different conditions was investigated in a thermal fixed-bed catalytic reaction system. The results showed that MnOx/α-Fe2O3 with Mn/Fe molar ratio of 0.1 and calcination temperature of 400 °C had the best low-temperature catalytic activity and wider reaction temperature window compared with α-Fe2O3. It achieved over 90% NO conversion efficiency with a space velocity of 72,000 h−1 at 200~350 °C and possessed a good resistance of H2O and SO2. Characterization by XRD, BET, H2-TPR, and NH3-TPD revealed that the main reason for the high catalytic activity of MnOx(0.1)/α-Fe2O3(400) was that the addition of Mn changed phase types of catalyst and valence composition of Fe, resulting in a larger specific surface area, more acidic sites, and higher redox performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Au nanoparticles loaded on MOF-199 (Au NPs/MOF-199) present high SERS effect. • Au NPs/MOF-199 with long-term storage stability benefits real application. • Au NPs/MOF-199-based SERS assay is used to detect cancer biomarker 5-HIAA. 5-Hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) is regarded as a biomarker for diagnosis of carcinoid tumors, and it is of great significance to developing a precision assay for monitoring 5-HIAA levels. In this work, gold nanoparticles loading on the surface of MOF-199 (Au NPs/MOF-199) is prepared to propose a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) assay for 5-HIAA. When 4-mercaptopyridine (4-MPy) is used as a SERS probe, on Au NPs/MOF-199, limit of detection (LOD) at 10−9 mol/L can be achieved. In addition, Au NPs/MOF-199 substrate with good preparation reproducibility shows long-term storage stability at 4 °C. Under optimal condition, the Au NPs/MOF-199-based SERS method is applied to determine 5-HIAA in serum. The concentration linear range is from 10−9 to 10−5 mol/L and LOD is of 6.40 × 10−11 mol/L. Much importantly, Au NPs/MOF-199 substrate exhibits specific response toward 5-HIAA against other metabolites in the serum due to the capturing selectivity from porous MOF-199. The recoveries obtained on spiked human serum samples locate in the span from 94.30% to 106.00% with RSD of 4.01–7.43%. Au NPs/MOF-199-based SERS sensing strategy is a promising avenue for on-field monitoring biomedical species for clinic diagnosis purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodegradable thermoresponsive shape memory blends with polycaprolactone (PCL) as reversible phase and polylactide (PLA) as fixed phase were prepared by the melt blending of PCL and PLA. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the PCL/PLA blends are partially miscible blends. According to XRD analysis, a diffraction peak appears at 16.7° (200/110), it may be the crystal diffraction peak of PLA. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows that the blends have two melting temperature (around 56 °C and 155 °C). According to thermal and shear stability analysis, as the addition of PLA, the balance torque increases from 0.7 to 1.5, it indicates that the macromolecular chains are entangled with each other. Thus, the physical crosslinking network is formed by the entanglement of the microcrystals and macromolecules. Furthermore, we used the melting point of PCL as the switching temperature (Ts) of the blends for the shape memory test. The results show that the PLA has a positive effect on shape memory property and the recovery rate first increases and then decreases. It is observed in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) that PLA has little effect on the high temperature stability of material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of [4+4] domino cycloaddition of ynones with benzylidenepyrazolones to access highly substituted eight-membered cyclic ethers are studied to explore the effects of bases (t-BuOK vs. DBU vs. Et3N) based on DFT calculations. Our theoretical calculations indicate that the bases can promote the present catalytic reaction as the H+-shuttle agents by a two-step H+-shift reaction. More importantly, the calculations reveal that the difference in the catalytic activity of bases is primarily attributed to their electron-donating ability (t-BuO− > DBU > Et3N). The catalytic activity order of bases is t-BuO− > DBU > Et3N for the present base-catalyzed domino reactions. In a word, the present calculated results can reasonably explain the experimental phenomena and provide useful guidance and advice for the synthesis of medium-sized rings via the domino reactions to select the appropriate bases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flapping wing deformation influences the aerodynamics of insect flight. This deformation is dictated by the dynamical properties of the insect wing, particularly its vibration spectra and mode shapes. However, researchers have not yet developed artificial insect wings with vibration spectra and mode shapes that are identical to their biological counterparts. The goal of the present work is to develop artificial insect wings that are both isospectral and isomodal with respect to real insect wings. To do so, we characterized hawkmoth Manduca sexta wings using experimental modal analyses. From these results, we created artificial wings using additive manufacturing and heat molding. Between artificial and real wings, the first two natural frequencies differ by 7% and 16% respectively, with differences of 16% and 131% in gains evaluated at those natural frequencies. Vibration modes are similar as well. This work provides a foundation for more advanced wing design moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membranes are instrumental in water reuse due to their capability to efficiently remove trace organic contaminants (TrOCs), which pose potential health risks. However, while the current NF membranes offer acceptable TrOC rejection, their water permeance, which is highly related to the process energy consumption in water reuse, is relatively low. To address this limitation, we introduced a novel NF membrane by incorporating a lignocellulosic nanofibril interlayer—specifically, nanowires with alternating hydrophilic-hydrophobic regions (denoted as HONW). The resultant NF membrane achieved remarkable water permeance (52.4 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) while still ensuring high TrOC retention (including endocrine-disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, and antibiotics). A detailed mechanistic investigation revealed that the eliminated funnel effect or introduced gutter effect induced by the HONW interlayer, improved polyamide layer structure characterized by lower cross-linking degree and higher surface wettability, and reduced interlayer resistance (due to a unique water transport pattern: hydrophilic regions absorbed water molecules while hydrophobic regions strengthened water penetration) were significantly responsible for the enhanced membrane permeance. Moreover, the membrane also demonstrated low specific energy consumption as well as outstanding stability. This investigation unveils an appealing approach for constructing the ultra-permeable NF membrane for efficient water reuse. [Display omitted] • A lignocellulosic nanofibril-modified ultra-permeable NF membrane was constructed. • The roles of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions in the interlayer were elucidated. • The ultra-permeable NF membrane showed unprecedently high water permeance. • The ultra-permeable NF membrane showed high removal of trace organic contaminants. • The ultra-permeable NF membrane had low specific energy consumption in water reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Addition of 2.0% saponin during FW HSEH increased the RS yield to 99.12%. • The highest bioethanol titer of 75.55 g/L (9.57% v/v) was reached by 2.0% saponin. • Bioethanol achieved the highest theoretical value of 98.41% with 1.0% saponin. • Saponin was toxic to S. cerevisiae at 0.5% and minimal at 1.0%. Bioethanol recovery from food waste through high solids enzymatic hydrolysis (HSEH) and high solids bioethanol fermentation (HSBF) alleviate the energy crisis. However, this cause decreased glucose and bioethanol yields due to the high solids content. In this study, saponin was introduced into food waste HSEH and HSBF systems to enhance the product yields. Under the regulation of saponin, the substrate released >90% of the theoretical reducing sugar. The glucose concentration increased by 137.41 g/L after 24 h of HSEH with 2.0% saponin. The bioethanol titer reached 73.2 g/L (1.0%-saponin). Untargeted metabolomics illustrating that saponin had higher antifungal properties at lower concentrations (0.5%-saponin) that caused a decrease in bioethanol yield. The addition of saponin concentrations of 1.0%∼3.0% promoted HSEH, HSBF, and the metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; thus, 1.0% was suggested for practical use. This study deepened the understanding of saponin in enhancing HSBF and provides theoretical support for further application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pyroligneous vinegar improved azalea growth and increased flower numbers. • Pyroligneous vinegar increased bacterial abundances but decreased fungal abundances. • The more concentrated vinegar increased amoA genes abundances, along with an increase nitrate concentration. • N 2 O production potential was decreased with the higher ratio of nosZ /(nirS + nirK) under vinegar treatments. • Nitrogen use efficiency was negatively correlated with nirS and nirK abundance. Excessive chemical fertilization in protected horticulture has caused nutrient accumulation, reduction of soil biodiversity, and subsequently soil degradation. Pyroligneous vinegar is a byproduct of pyrolysis for biochar production. While there has been an increase in interest in using pyroligneous vinegar as an amendment to improve soil quality, a paucity of data exists of its effect on the growth of acidophilous plants such as azalea (Rhododendron). To address this, we investigated the changes in the growth of azalea and soil microbial abundance, specifically those involved in nitrogen cycling in the rhizosphere with amendment of conventional inorganic NPK fertilizer (NPK) and four dilutions of pyroligneous vinegar each with matched NPK content. The results showed that the treatments of pyroligneous vinegar increased plant biomass (51%-99%), root length (29%-81%) and surface area (63%-151%), and nitrogen use efficiency (83%-299%) compared to NPK alone. The pyroligneous vinegar treatments decreased soil pH and increased the contents of rhizosphere soil dissolved organic carbon and nitrate, and changed potential denitrification activity. Compared with NPK, pyroligneous vinegar increased archaeal and bacterial amoA genes (AOA and AOB) abundances (45% − 79% and 39% − 75%, respectively) in nitrification, but inhibited the denitrification gene abundances (i.e. nirS and nirK abundance up to 21% lower). Pyroligneous vinegar increased the ratio of nosZ /(nirS + nirK), suggesting an increased potential to lower nitrous oxide emissions. Correlation analysis indicated that nitrogen use efficiency correlated positively with AOA and AOB, but negatively with nirS and nirK abundance. Therefore, our study suggests that pyroligneous vinegar could improve the growth of acidophilous plants and increase their nitrogen use efficiency by changing nitrogen cycling related functional genes, and could be a potential soil amendment in protected horticulture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the three most common cancers worldwide. Altered TGF-β signaling pathway in colorectal cancer is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis. It is also involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is essential in progression and metastasis. This study aims to investigate the role of transgelin (TAGLN) and high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) in the progression of colon cancer. Methods: HT29 and HCT116 cells were treated with TGF-β, and the effects of inhibition of TAGLN and overexpression of HMGA2 on TGF-β treated cell on cell migration and invasion, expression of EMT markers, including E-cadherin, vimentin and fibronectin were detected as well as MMP2 and MMP9, which are critical in cancer cell metastasis. The interaction of TAGLN and HMGA2 was also investigated by using co-immunoprecipitation. The function of TAGLN in tumor metastasis and growth was investigated in vivo. Results: We found that TGF-β could significantly promote the migration of HT29 and HCT116 cells, as well as TAGLN protein expression and nucleus translocation, while inhibition of TAGLN could effectively reverse the effects of TGF-β on HT29 and HCT116 cells, which was observed in terms of decreased cell migration and invasion. Knockdown of TAGLN could also rescue TGF-β-induced loss of E-cadherin, and decreased TGF-β-induced vimentin and fibronectin expression; the elevation of MMP9 and MMP2 was also reversed by inhibition of TAGLN. Further investigation confirmed the interaction of HMGA2 and TAGLN, as overexpression of HMGA2 restores the effects of TGF-β on HT29 cells, which were attenuated by TAGLN inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Overall, our study revealed that interaction between TAGLN and HMGA2 was involved in TGF-β-induced cell migration and promotion of colon cancer cells, suggesting that HMGA2 and TAGLN are potential molecular targets to prevent colon cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a possible contributor to the pathology and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most studies support an association between the dysfunction of BDNF and the pathogenesis of AD. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of peripheral BDNF levels in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using meta-analytic techniques. A systematic search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central database was performed and 34 eligible articles were identified for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis showed that AD patients had significantly decreased levels of peripheral BDNF compared with healthy control (HC) subjects (Hedges' g = − 0.725, 95% CI = −1.06 to − 0.39, p < 0.01). MCI patients showed a same trend with decreased BDNF levels compared with HC subjects (Hedges' g = − 0.296, 95% CI = − 0.57 to − 0.02, p < 0.01). Significant differences were found between AD and MCI subjects in peripheral BDNF levels (Hedges' g = − 0.462, 95% CI = − 0.95 to 0.03, p < 0.01). However, the ROC curve analysis revealed that the peripheral BDNF levels may not be an optimal biomarker potentially for AD and MCI diagnosis with a lower AUC (AD: 0.707; MCI: 0.573), less sensitivity (AD: 66.67%; MCI: 50.00%) and poor specificity (AD: 93.33%; MCI: 83.33%). These results suggested that AD or MCI is accompanied by reduction of peripheral BDNF, but the levels of circulating BDNF may not be suitable as a diagnostic marker for AD and MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the problem of environmental pollution caused by fossil fuel combustion, and its association with rapid urbanization, China is grappling with the question of how to reduce carbon emissions through more efficient energy consumption while simultaneously advancing its economic development. We applied a directional distance function to estimate the carbon emission performance of 30 provinces in China during the period 2000–2016. We selected an index system to assess urbanization processes in these provinces and conducted a spatial analysis to investigate the relationship between urbanization and carbon emission performance. We obtained the following results. First, the carbon emission performance of the eastern region, valued at 0.853, was relatively higher than the corresponding values of 0.810, 0.804, and 0.843 in the central, western, and northeastern regions, respectively. However, during this period, disparities among provinces increased. Second, the average urbanization value for each province showed an upward trend during the study period, and urbanization assumed a “striped” spatial agglomeration pattern. A third finding was that carbon emission performance and urbanization demonstrated a relationship of positive spatial dependence. The average value of their coordinated coupling indicated an upward trend, with an annual increase of 0.85%. Last, we found that efforts to reduce carbon emissions that are solely based on carbon emission performance do not yield reliable results. Accordingly, measurements of urbanization values can enable more detailed differentiation. In conclusion, reasonable measures should be implemented to improve carbon emission performance and urbanization that are in alignment with the actual situation within a given region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• W doped BiVO 4 single crystals were prepared by a facile process. • W doped BiVO 4 has improved carrier density and conductivity by experiments and theoretical calculations. • W doped BiVO 4 shows enhanced photoelectrochemical activity for water oxidation. Highly efficient water oxidation utilizing visible light is a crucial step in water splitting. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4) single crystal particles have attracted much attention in water oxidation recently, owing to their outstanding physicochemical properties and exposed active facets. The performance of BiVO 4 single crystal particles is generally hindered by their poor conductivity and worse charge separation. Doping BiVO 4 single crystal particles with other metal elements has been considered as an efficient way to improve their conductivity, charge separation and performance. However, there are few successful reports, because structure and morphology of BiVO 4 single crystal particles are easily changed by addition of impurities. Here, we present that W doped BiVO 4 crystal particles were successfully achieved by developing a simple impregnation method following with a high temperature annealing process. The obtained W-BiVO 4 single crystal particles exhibited improved conductivity, carrier density and thereby enhanced activity for water oxidation. The solar energy conversion of the W-BiVO 4 electrode was doubled compared with the pristine one. Thus, this work opens an avenue for developing efficient single crystal particle photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse effect and energy crisis require the recycling use of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in atmosphere. The electrocatalytic reduction of CO 2 transformed to value-added chemicals with sustainable energy derived electric energy provides a feasible way to address these energy and environment problems; however, developing the electrocatalysts with highly active, selective and durability is still a significant challenge for electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). The nanostructured electrocatalysts have been extensively researched as promising catalysts to speed up CO 2 conversion. Here, we summarized the recent advances in different-dimension nanostructured electrocatalysts for CO 2 RR, tried to give a picture on how do different dimension catalysts work, and discussed the challenges and perspectives for achieving high CO 2 RR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The coating remains excellent adhesion by adjusting the ratio of ZnO to epoxy resin. • The coating has a small amount of abrasion loss at a load of 170 g. • The coating remains superhydrophobic property with a wear distance of 210 cm. • The coating has excellent corrosion resistance as the double layer ZnO structure. Abstract Superhydrophobic coatings have been applied in various fields because of their advantages such as self-cleaning, drag reduction, dustproof, anti-icing, corrosion resistant etc. However, in this study, a new idea imitating the process of growing grass was proposed to solve the low adhesion, weak wear resistance and poor corrosion resistance of the general superhydrophobic coatings: the ratio of epoxy resin to ZnO seeds were strictly controlled so that ZnO seeds are not completely coated. On this basis, a cluster-like ZnO coating composed of interdigitated ZnO rods was prepared. After modification with stearic acid, the coating exhibited superhydrophobic properties with a contact angle of 163° and the coating showed excellent abrasion resistance and noticeable robustness. Due to the barrier from both epoxy resin/ZnO seeds and cluster-like ZnO, the coating performed excellent corrosion resistance. At the same time, the cluster-like ZnO/epoxy resin coating prepared like seeds rooting has good firmness and can be adapted to various harsh environments such as tape peeling, friction between objects, etc., which can expand the application of the superhydrophobic coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs), used extensively in both consumer and industrial products, are emerging pollutants of concern, of which, 2-(3, 5-di- tert -amyl-2-hydroxyphenyl) benzotriazole (UV-328) is currently listed under the Stockholm Convention. BUVSs have been detected widely in environmental and biological matrices; thus, they are accessible to humans via environmental exposure and dietary intake. Due to their bioaccumulation and toxicity, the requirements for environmental human health risk assessment led to the development of sensitive analytical methods for BUVSs. In this review, the analytical methods for BUVSs and metabolites in environmental and biological samples are summarized, mainly focusing on pretreatment techniques including liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and gel permeation chromatography, as well as instrumental analysis with chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, the overall occurrence of BUVSs in environmental matrices and organisms is summarized, to discuss possible human exposures. Finally, the metabolism, toxicity, and human health impacts of BUVSs are overviewed. [Display omitted] • GPC combined with SPE are the mostly used clean-up techniques for complex samples. • Trace BUVS analysis in environment is almost exclusively achieved by GC/MS or LC/MS. • BUVSs are extensively present in the environment and accumulated in organisms. • BUVSs can be metabolized by human CYP450 and mainly metabolized by the liver. • Endocrine disruption, liver toxicity, and immunotoxicity are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature-responsive fluorescence sensors have attracted great attention in recent years. Herein, we designed a series of AIE-based polymer sensors for monitoring the temperature in the physiological environment. In these polymers, a triphenylamine-naphthalimide chromophore (TPANIP) was used as the signal unit which can output the red emission in aggregated state. Different ratios of the temperature-responsive unit (NIPMAM) and the water-soluble unit (N -(2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl)methacrylamide, HEOEMA) were introduced to adjust the responsibility of the polymers in suitable temperature region and sensitivity. The structural and optical properties of all polymers were investigated by GPC, 1H NMR, FTIR, fluorescence spectroscopy and SEM. Among them, the polymer P1 (TPANIP / NIPMAM = 1/10) without the water-soluble unit shows the best sensing property. It performs a linear response to the temperature at the region of 15–50 °C in its aqueous solution with low concentration (0.5 mg/mL). By optimizing the work medium, polymer P1 can outputs the turn on signals with the increase of temperature. The enhanced emission mode is more suitable for the fluorescent detection that the turn off one. A series of AIE-based temperature-responsive polymers were synthesized with tuning responsibility towards temperature stimuli in the region of 0–65 °C via changing the working medium. [Display omitted] • Four tri-block polymers (P1-4) were synthesized with naphthalimide fluorophore. • P1-4 show red aggregation-induced emission in the aqueous solutions and solids. • P1-4 exhibit the tuning temperature-responsibility in the region of 0–65 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Thermal pretreatment methods were more effective for HSEH of FW. • Reducing sugar yield of DRD reached 94.92%, glucose concentration reached 103 g/L. • DRD decreased the crystalline of FW and expose α-1,4 glycosidic linkage of starch. • DRD consumed only 27.62% total energy of HTP. The development of high solids enzymatic hydrolysis (HSEH) technology is a promising way to improve the efficiency of bioenergy production from solid waste. Pretreatment methods such as ultrasound (USP), freeze–thaw (FTP), hydrothermal (HTP), and dried (DRD) were carried out to evaluate the effect and mechanism of the pretreatment methods on the HSEH of FW. The reducing sugar of HTP and DRD reached 94.75% and 94.92% of the theoretical value. HTP and DRD could reduce the crystallinity of FW. DRD resulted in lower alignment and the occurrence of fractures of the substrate and exposed the α-1,4 glycosidic bond of starch. The high destructive power of HTP and DRD reduced the obstacles caused by the high solid content. Moreover, DRD consumed only 27.62% of the total energy of HTP. DRD could be a promising pretreatment methods for glucose recovery for its high product yield, significant substrate destruction, and economic feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation technology is an important option for the treatment of contaminated surface waters but the relatively high cost of materials and membrane fabrication represent a significant obstacle to the wider use of membrane processes. In this study, we describe the development and testing of a new kind of membrane made from two-dimensional (2D) kaolin nanosheets. The fabrication involved a layer-by-layer stacking of the nanosheets with a cationic polyacrylamide cross-linking agent, assembled on a cellulose acetate supporting layer. The kaolin membrane exhibited an ultrahigh flux (∼4000 L.m-2.h−1.bar−1) which was almost ten times greater than that of a commercial polyether sulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane. The membrane was tested using a range of influent water types, including samples of a lake water, river water and three natural organic matter solutions. The results showed that the kaolin membrane was stable and behaved as an UF membrane, in terms of its pore size distribution (peak distribution at 20–35 nm) and comparable treatment performance to the PES UF membrane. The kaolin membrane showed a substantially reduced rate of fouling, compared to PES membrane, despite a much greater flux, which was partly attributed to its highly hydrophilic nature. The advantages of lower cost, much higher flux and lower fouling propensity make the 2D-kaolin membrane a potentially important development in UF membrane technology for drinking water treatment, and possibly other applications. Image 1 • A stable and cost-effective 2D-kaolin UF membrane is fabricated. • The fabrication involved a stacking of kaolin nanosheets cross-linked with CPAM. • It exhibited an ultrahigh flux compared to the commercial PES UF membrane. • The antifouling performance of the membrane was superior for the NOM foulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ozone (O 3) pollution can alter carbon allocation and reduce tree growth - both above and below ground, but the extent of these effects depends on the variation in soil water and nutrient availability. Here we present the accumulation and allocation of biomass in poplar clone 546 (Populus deltoides cv. '55/56' × P. deltoides cv. 'Imperial') for one growing season at two O 3 concentrations (charcoal-filtered air [CF] and non-filtered air + 40 ppb of O 3 [E-O 3 ]), two watering regimes (well-watered [WW] and reduced watering at 40% of WW irrigation [RW]) and two soil nitrogen addition treatments (no addition [N0] and the addition of 50 kg N ha−1 year−1 [N50]). We found that the deleterious effects of E-O 3 depended on the supply of water and nitrogen. Specifically, when the supplies of water and/or N (WW and/or N50) were abundant, E-O 3 significantly reduced whole plant biomass by >15% but had no significant effect on biomass when these supplies were limited (RW and N0). A significant reduction of biomass by E-O 3 occurred earlier in fine roots than in other plant organs, indicating greater sensitivity of fine root to E-O 3. These results suggest that rising O 3 concentrations may not ubiquitously lead to a large reduction in plant biomass since plant growth is often jointly constrained by water and nutrients. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The negative effects of O 3 depend on the amount of available water and nitrogen. • O 3 -induced the reduction in biomass was limited under low water and nutrient availability. • Biomass decreased but root to shoot ratios increased with the number of limiting factors. • Fine root biomass was significantly decreased by elevated O 3 at low O 3 dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Enzyme (glucose/O 2 ) BioFuel Cell (EBFC) was developed using glucose oxidase (GOx)-based bioanode and a laccase (Lac)-based biocathode with carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (c-MWCNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-modified bacterial cellulose (BC) electrode as the substrate. The open circuit potential (OCP) of the EBFC was inhibited and later activated by the self-powered electrochemical device. The device not only provided high power density (345.14 µW cm −3 ), but also exhibited an unprecedented broad linear dynamic range from 0 to 50 mM with a lower detection limit of 2.874 μM for glucose concentrations in biological media. This result was attributed to a synergistic mechanism between the enzymes, c-MWCNTs, and AuNPs in which direct electron transfer (DET) was facilitated from the catalytic centers of enzymes to the electrode surface. The BC-based nanocomposites may have great promise as flexible electrodes in the field of self-powered biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While metal immobilization had been increasingly reported with biochar soil amendment (BSA), changes in microbial activity and nitrogen (N) transformation in metal contaminated croplands following biochar addition had been insufficiently addressed. In a field experiment, a Pb/Cd contaminated Inceptisol from North China was amended to topsoil with wheat straw biochar at 0 (CK), 20 (C1) and 40 t ha −1 (C2). The changes within two years following BSA were tested in microbial biomass and respiration, and in abundance of N transforming microbial communities and their activities. Corresponding to the results of decreased soil extractable Cd and Pb, significant reductions in q CO 2 were found in rhizosphere and bulk soil only under C2 in the first year. The potential nitrification activity was significantly increased by 20–71%, along with an increase in ammonium (by 7–21%) and nitrate (by 21%–70%) concentration, with BSA compared to CK. Meanwhile, N 2 O production activity was slightly increased (by up to 20%) but N 2 O reduction activity greatly enhanced (by up to 84%), with a higher ratio of nosZ /( nirS  +  nirK) , under C2 in rhizosphere in both wheat seasons. Whereas, such changes were not remarkable in bulk soil. Moreover, microbial communities were less respondent to biochar in the second year following the addition. Therefore, microbial growth and functioning for N transforming and cycling in metal contaminated soils could be largely improved with BSA at 40 t ha −1 . Of course, studies are still deserved to mimic the long term changes with biochar in N cycling of the metal contaminated dry croplands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the performance of the ultrafiltration (UF) membrane process in drinking water treatment, in terms of permeate flux and natural organic matter (NOM) removal, a new form of carbon nanofiber (CNF) layer derived from bacterial cellulose (BC) was prepared and applied as a pre-deposited coating on the UF membrane surface. Using bench-scale, dead-end filtration tests, both CNF and CNF modified by ethanol treatment (M-CNF), were evaluated for the treatment of two model NOM solutions, namely bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sodium alginate (SA). The results showed that both types of coating were effective in mitigating membrane fouling (lower flux decline), with the mitigation increasing with the coating quantity, and also enhanced the removal of BSA and SA. In particular, the M-CNF layer at the greater loading (24 g/m 2 ) was able to reduce membrane fouling to a very substantial degree and achieve > 90% removal of BSA and SA. Characterization of the CNF and M-CNF layers showed significant differences in their morphological and structural properties which may explain the observed differences in their ability to reduce membrane fouling; protection of the UF membrane by the carbon nanofiber layers may be attributed to both physical separation and surface adsorption of the NOM biopolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidation mechanism of atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) plays a critical role in its nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and catalytic applications, where devices often operate in an elevated thermal environment. In this study, we systematically investigate the oxidation of mono- and few-layer MoS2 flakes in the air at temperatures ranging from 23 °C to 525 °C and relative humidities of 10%–60% by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Our study reveals the formation of a uniform nanometer-thick physical adsorption layer on the surface of MoS2, which is attributed to the adsorption of ambient moisture. This physical adsorption layer acts as a thermal shield of the underlying MoS2 lattice to enhance its thermal stability and can be effectively removed by an AFM tip scanning in contact mode or annealing at 400 °C. Our study shows that high-temperature thermal annealing and AFM tip-based cleaning result in chemical adsorption on sulfur vacancies in MoS2, leading to p-type doping. Our study highlights the importance of humidity control in ensuring reliable and optimal performance for MoS2-based electronic and electrochemical devices and provides crucial insights into the surface engineering of MoS2, which are relevant to the study of other two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide materials and their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To take advantage of the high-rate capabilities of a TiO 2 anode, MoS 2 nanoparticles were wrapped in TiO 2 nanofibrous backbone through adding molybdenum source to organic titanium-based electrospinning system, followed by hydrothermal reaction in solution containing sulfur source and subsequent carbonization. Benefiting from the synergistic effect between TiO 2 and MoS 2 , more active sites for lithium ions could be generated, which further maximized the advantage of each material to exhibit stable specific capacities of 479.78 mAh/g for Li-ion batteries after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Dysregulated inflammation in adipose tissue, marked by increased pro-inflammatory T-cell accumulation and reduced regulatory T cells (Treg), contributes to diabetes-associated insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying T-cell-mediated inflammation in adipose tissue remain largely unknown. Methods: Sixty apolipoprotein E (ApoE-/-) mice were randomly divided into chow and diabetes groups. Diabetes was induced by a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin. Then we transferred a recombinant adenovirus carrying the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) gene into epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) of ApoE-/- mice. After transfection, all mice were euthanized to evaluate the effects of PTPN2 on T cells polarization and atherosclerosis. Results: PTPN2 was downregulated in EWAT of diabetic ApoE-/- mice. PTPN2 overexpression in EWAT reversed the high Th1/Treg and Th17/Treg ratios in EWAT of diabetic mice. In addition, PTPN2 overexpression in EWAT could significantly reduce macrophages infiltration, the ratio of M1/M2 macrophages and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in EWAT, improving insulin resistance. In aortic root lesions, the vulnerability index were significantly decreased by overexpression of PTPN2 in EWAT. Conclusion: These data suggested that PTPN2 overexpression in EWAT would inhibit systemic inflammation and increase the plaque stability via T cells polarization shift in diabetic mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) quality forecasting method utilising Vis/NIR spectroscopy combined with electronic nose (EN) was investigated in this article. Responses of Vis/NIR spectroscopy and EN to pompanos stored at 4°C were measured for 6 days. Physical/chemical indexes including texture, total volatile basic nitrogen, pH, total viable counts, and human sensory evaluation were synchronously examined as quality references. Chemometric methods including principal component analysis (PCA) and stochastic resonance (SR) were employed for spectroscopic and EN data analysis. Physicochemical examination demonstrated that fish quality decreased rapidly during storage. PCA qualitatively classified freshness degree of pompano samples, while SR signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) spectrum using SNR maximum quantitatively characterised quality for all samples. Golden pompano quality predictive models were developed based on spectroscopy, EN, and spectroscopy combined with EN, respectively. Results demonstrated that the model developed based on spectroscopy combined with EN presented a forecasting accuracy of 93.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]