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Abstract.For Mandelbrot’s cascade (Yn) in an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random environment ξ, we are interested in the a.s. convergence rate of the Mandelbrot’s martingale (Wn) to its limit W, where Wn=Yn/EξYn is the normalized partition function. We obtain sufficient conditions under which W−Wn has an exponential convergence rate: W−Wn=o(e−na) a.s. for some a > 0 explicitly calculated; we also find conditions under which W−Wn has a polynomial convergence rate: W−Wn=o(n−α) a.s. for some α > 0. Similar conclusions hold for Mandelbrot’s cascade in a varying environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of studies have indicated the crucial involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the onset and progression of malignancies. However, a complete understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of abnormally expressed lncRNAs on breast cancer (BC) remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of the lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) on BC progression and its underlying mechanism. Our findings revealed a conspicuous up-regulation of SNHG1 in both BC tissues and cells. The downregulation of SNHG1 was observed to inhibit BC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes, while simultaneously promoting apoptosis. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter gene and RNA pull-down assays established that SNHG1 targeted miR-641 expression, while miR-641 targeted RRS1. Rescue studies demonstrated that in vitro SNHG1 silencing could be reversed by the miR-641 inhibitor, as well as by RRS1 upregulation. Moreover, in vivo downregulation of SNHG1 was found to inhibit BC growth. Through the inhibition of the miR-641 level, SNHG1 elevated the level of the downstream target RRS1, thereby fostering BC growth, migration, and invasion while inhibiting apoptosis. These findings suggest that SNHG1 may represent a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals across their lifespan. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes. However, current diagnostic methods are often time-consuming, and costly, making them inaccessible to many families. In the current study, we aim to test caregiver-child interaction as a potential tool for screening children with ASD in clinic. Methods: We enrolled 85 preschool children (Mean age: 4.90 ± 0.65 years, 70.6% male), including ASD children with or without developmental delay (DD), and typical development (TD) children, along with their caregivers. ASD core symptoms were evaluated by Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Calibrated Severity Scores (ADOS-CSS). Behavioral indicators were derived from video encoding of caregiver-child interaction, including social involvement of children (SIC), interaction time (IT), response of children to social cues (RSC), time for caregiver initiated social interactions (GIS) and time for children initiated social interactions (CIS)). Power spectral density (PSD) values were calculated by EEG signals simultaneously recorded. Partial Pearson correlation analysis was used in both ASD groups to investigate the correlation among behavioral indicators scores and ASD symptom severity and PSD values. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to describe the discrimination accuracy of behavioral indicators. Results: Compared to TD group, both ASD groups demonstrated significant lower scores of SIC, IT, RSC, CIS (all p values < 0.05), and significant higher time for GIS (all p values < 0.01). SIC scores negatively correlated with CARS (p = 0.006) and ADOS-CSS (p = 0.023) in the ASD with DD group. Compared to TD group, PSD values elevated in ASD groups (all p values < 0.05), and was associated with SIC (theta band: p = 0.005; alpha band: p = 0.003) but not IQ levels. SIC was effective in identifying both ASD groups (sensitivity/specificity: ASD children with DD, 76.5%/66.7%; ASD children without DD, 82.6%/82.2%). Conclusion: Our results verified the behavioral paradigm of caregiver-child interaction as an efficient tool for early ASD screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that causes chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The release of infectious HCV particles from infected hepatocytes is a crucial step in viral dissemination and disease progression. While the exact mechanisms of HCV particle release remain poorly understood, emerging evidence suggests that HCV utilizes intracellular membrane trafficking and secretory pathways. These pathways include the Golgi secretory pathway and the endosomal trafficking pathways, such as the recycling endosome pathway and the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-dependent multivesicular bodies (MVBs) pathway. This review provides an overview of recent advances in understanding the release of infectious HCV particles, with a particular focus on the involvement of the host cell factors that participate in HCV particle release. By summarizing the current knowledge in this area, this review aims to contribute to a better understanding of endosomal pathways involved in the extracellular release of HCV particles and the development of novel antiviral strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the bidding process of government investment engineering projects, collusion between the government and bidders occurs repeatedly, which seriously affects the quality of engineering projects and the effectiveness of the government investment. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze and discuss the collusion between the government and bidders in government investment engineering projects, so as to provide a healthy and sustainable environment for the government investment engineering bidding market. There are two main types of collusion in engineering bidding: horizontal collusion and vertical collusion, and this paper focuses on the vertical collusion process in the engineering bidding process. A conceptual framework of the grey interest chain based on three stages of benefit creation, benefit distribution, and benefit realization was established, 15 major nodes in the grey interest chain were identified, and a grey interest chain control model was constructed, which further identified and classified the nodes into four levels: key nodes, important nodes, general nodes, and unimportant nodes. Finally, through the application of the model in the case, measures such as establishing a cracking mechanism for grey resource integration, increasing the supervision of grey interest chain, and strengthening post-bid audit are proposed. Measures such as including the preparation of bidding documents into the work assessment system and entrusting consulting units or third parties to prepare bidding documents are proposed to establish a crack mechanism for grey resource integration. In the benefit distribution stage, the penalties for the government and the bidders can be appropriately increased, the responsibilities of enterprises and project leaders can be implemented in the system on a reciprocal basis, and a perfect reputation mechanism information can be established. At the stage of benefit realization, the bidding system should be improved and post-bid audit should be strengthened to increase the difficulty of grey benefit realization. This paper will provide a reference for the prevention and governance of vertical collusion in bidding and tendering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the Jones matrix, independent control over the amplitude and phase of light has been demonstrated by combining several meta‐atoms into the supercell of a metasurface. However, due to the intrinsic limitation of a planar achiral structure, the maximum number of independent, complex elements in one Jones matrix is three, giving rise to up to three‐channel amplitude and phase control. In this work, more Jones matrices corresponding to different angles of incidence are proposed to add, so that the degrees of freedom in the amplitude and phase control can be further increased. The supercell of the designed metasurfaces consists of three dielectric nanoblocks with predefined rotation angles and displacements in the 2D space, which can be inversely determined with the help of the genetic algorithm. Empowered by the ability to realize four‐ or even eight‐channel amplitude and phase control, the generation of multiple structured light, including two independent perfect Poincaré beams, two double‐ring perfect Poincaré beams, two perfect Poincaré beam arrays, and four vector vortex beam arrays, is numerically demonstrated. Such novel designs are expected to benefit the development of modern optical applications, including but not limited to optical communications, quantum information, and signal encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of advanced catalysts is essential for efficient elimination of the emerging organic pollutants in water. Herein, Cu9S5 and Cu9S5@UiO-66-NH2 were prepared and both exhibited high Fenton-like photocatalytic activities for the degradation of organic contaminants. Removal efficiencies of 85% and 92% were achieved for Congo red (CR) and Rhodamine B (Rh B), respectively. It is found from active species trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis that ˙O2−/h+ and ˙O2−/˙OH played key roles in the oxidation reaction of these two pollutants, respectively. The mechanisms were discussed on the basis of the cycles of Cu+/Cu2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapeutic drug for various cancers. Yet, the cardiotoxic side effects limit its application in clinical uses, in which ferroptosis serves as a crucial pathological mechanism in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). A reduction of Na+/K + ATPase (NKA) activity is closely associated with DIC progression. However, whether abnormal NKA function was involved in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and ferroptosis remains unknown. Here, we aim to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms of dysfunctional NKA in DOX-induced ferroptosis and investigate NKA as a potential therapeutic target for DIC. A decrease activity of NKA further aggravated DOX-triggered cardiac dysfunction and ferroptosis in NKAα1 haploinsufficiency mice. In contrast, antibodies against the DR-region of NKAα-subunit (DR-Ab) attenuated the cardiac dysfunction and ferroptosis induced by DOX. Mechanistically, NKAα1 interacted with SLC7A11 to form a novel protein complex, which was directly implicated in the disease progression of DIC. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of DR-Ab on DIC was mediated by reducing ferroptosis by promoting the association of NKAα1/SLC7A11 complex and maintaining the stability of SLC7A11 on the cell surface. These results indicate that antibodies targeting the DR-region of NKA may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy to alleviate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. [Display omitted] • NKAα1 deficiency aggravates doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction and ferroptosis. • Antibodies targeting the DR-region of the NKAα-subunit suppress doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction and ferroptosis. • The inhibitory effect of DR-Ab on doxorubicin-induced ferroptosis is by promoting the association of NKAα1/SLC7A11 complex and maintaining the stability of SLC7A11 on the cell surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Upper urinary tract epithelial carcinoma (UTUC) and bladder cancer are both sources of urinary epithelial cell. In our previous study of asymptomatic bladder tumors, we found that most of these tumors could be resected through the urethra without radical surgery. This study analyzed the treatment strategies for asymptomatic UTUC. Aim: To investigate the clinicopathological features and surgical methods of these patients, thus choosing appropriate surgical treatment. Material and methods: 136 patients with UTUC were recruited, of whom 21 patients with asymptomatic UTUC were group A, and 115 UTUC patients with hematuria or low back pain were group B. The clinicopathological features, oncologic outcomes, and surgical methods of patients were evaluated. Results: Radical resection was the main surgical treatment which was included (group A 80.95%, group B 90.43%). Other patients were treated with kidney-retaining surgery. No statistically significant difference was observed in the pathological stage and grade between groups A and B (p > 0.05). During a median follow-up period of 44.3 months, tumor-specific mortality of group A was 7.14%, and that of group B was 5.10%. In the same period, 106 patients with asymptomatic bladder tumor were recruited: 31 patients of them had asymptomatic bladder urothelial carcinoma. The asymptomatic UTUC group had a higher stage and grade of clinicopathological features than the asymptomatic bladder urothelial carcinoma group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The principle of asymptomatic UTUC treatment is the same as that of symptomatic UTUC. Risk stratification should be carried out according to clinical staging and other parameters, and the corresponding surgical treatment should be selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe3(PO4)2 as iron precursor was prepared by liquid phase method with FeSO4 as iron source, and then LiFePO4(LFP) was made by high-temperature solid state reaction. The adjustment of Fe and P content is beneficial to the precise control of Fe3(PO4)2 precursor components and ensure the excellent electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 materials. It is shown that pH is very critical to the contents of iron and phosphorus in Fe3(PO4)2, and a stoichiometric ratio of high-yield Fe3(PO4)2 can be obtained at a pH of six. After Fe3(PO4)2 is mixed with Li3PO4 and glucose, high-energy ball milling and spray-drying technology are used to thoroughly mix the mixtures and control their morphology of them. The as-prepared LiFePO4 maintains the microporous spherical morphology by high-temperature solid-state method, which is formed in spray drying. At 700 °C, the LFP/C material has reaching 156, 147, 137, 128, 111, 96 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C, 5 C and 10 C rate, respectively, and after 500 long loops for 5 C, the capacity retention still maintains 49%. LFP prepared with ferrous iron phosphate as precursor has good cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfuric acid method is a critical method to prepare rutile and anatase titanium dioxide. In the preparation process, acid leaching is accompanied by a large amount of iron-containing solid waste, represented by ferrous sulfate waste. If these solid wastes are stored directly without proper treatment, they will cause massive environmental damage and a lot of iron resources waste. The impurity removal and high added value utilization of ferrous sulfate had been studied deeply. Based on those studies, separation impurities from ferrous sulfate waste with various phosphate radical precipitation separation method was further explored. And a new process of preparing iron phosphate (FePO4) electrode material by liquid phase precipitation method was proposed to recover Fe from solid waste. Results showed that recovery of Fe in solid waste achieved 92%; moreover, removal rates of Ti, Mg, and Mn are higher than 95.3%, 78.4%, and 89.2%, respectively. The prepared iron phosphate reached the industrial battery grade (HG/T 4701-2014) standard by liquid phase reaction. The process realized efficient recovery of iron from solid waste and high value-added utilization of iron-containing solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients obtain limited benefits from current immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), although immunotherapy have achieved encouraging success in numerous cancers. Here, we found that V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), a novel immune checkpoint, is highly expressed in primary AML cells and associated with poor prognosis of AML patients. Targeting VISTA by anti-VISTA mAb boosts T cell-mediated cytotoxicity to AML cells. Interestingly, high expression of VISTA is positively associated with hyperactive STAT3 in AML. Further evidence showed that STAT3 functions as a transcriptional regulator to modulate VISTA expression by directly binding to DNA response element of VISTA gene. We further develop a potent and selective STAT3 inhibitor W1046, which significantly suppresses AML proliferation and survival. W1046 remarkably enhances the efficacy of VISTA mAb by activating T cells via inhibition of STAT3 signaling and down-regulation of VISTA. Moreover, combination of W1046 and VISTA mAb achieves a significant anti-AML effect in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our findings confirm that VISTA is a potential target for AML therapy which transcriptionally regulated by STAT3 and provide a promising therapeutic strategy for immunotherapy of AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the vulnerability, flammability and mechanical properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, γ-methacryloxy-propyltrimethoxysilane (KH-570)-modified nano SiO2 (KH-570/ SiO2 NPs, A) and (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl) trimethoxysilane (FAS-17) modified nano SiO2 (F17-SiO2 NPs, B) were synthesized and blended with ultraviolet curing (UV curing) components to prepare superhydrophobic coatings for PET surface protection. The coatings were characterized by contact angle (CA) measurement, flame retardant performance test, field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope (AFM). The CAs of the coatings on the PET film surface reached 160.3° with 15% UV component (10% reactive diluents and 5% photoinitiators) and 85% modified nano SiO2 (A and B). Moreover, the films displayed excellent properties, including 2 H of pencil hardness, 1 grade of adhesion, 0.052 g • 100 r−1 of loss wear resistance, V-0 grade of flame retardant. The SEM and AFM images displayed that superhydrophobic film with micro-nano roughness structures carrying papillary nanoparticles and pit-like concave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon coating combined with morphological engineering has been considered an effective and economical measure for enhancing the electrochemical properties of Li4Ti5O12. Herein, using cheap and industrial H2TiO3 as titanium reactant, carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12 microspheres with high-rate performance were synthesized through solid-state reaction under a carbon reduction atmosphere. The carbon reduction atmosphere was produced from coal ash embedded between two corundum crucibles, instead of utilizing the inert or reduction gases. Assisted by spray-drying method for making spheres, the obtained products were composed of micron-size secondary spheres (2–12 μm) accumulated by submicron scale primary particles (~ 300 nm). As anode material, the LTO/C–C therefore delivered a very satisfying performance: a reversible capacity of 164.21 mAh/g at 0.2 C, and remarkable rate capability of ∼130.94 mAh/g at 5 C rate with little capacity fading (2.5%) after 200 cycles. Compared with pristine LTO and LTO/C-N2, the superior electrochemical performances are mainly ascribed to the presence of the thin carbon coating layer, conductive carbon network, and the hybrid valence state of Ti3+ and Ti4+. The findings showed that solid-state reaction in the carbon reducing atmosphere provided with coal ash embedded is a promising candidate for the large-scale industrial production of LTO/C–C microparticles with high-rate capability, which avoids the needs of high-risk gas and high-cost of production equipment under harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, mode conversion and wavefront shaping by integrating a metallic metasurface on top of a planar waveguide are proposed and demonstrated. The metasurface consists of C‐shaped nanoantennas. By controlling the orientation of each nanoantenna, mode conversion and focusing effect for the cross‐polarized electric fields inside the waveguide are achieved. The design and simulation results of 16 scenarios of wideband transverse‐magnetic to transverse‐electric mode converters with the mode purity up to 98%, and on‐chip lenses at the wavelength of 1550 nm are reported. It is worth noting that the dimension of the devices along the propagation direction is only 9.6 µm. This work manifests the potential application of mode division multiplexing systems and on‐chip optical interconnections based on metasurfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most frequent cancer all over the world, with the majority of subtypes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Cellular senescence-associated genes have been confirmed to play a critical role in cancer and have the potential to be prognostic biomarkers for cancer. Clinical information of HNSCC samples and expression data were acquired from public databases. Expression profiles of genes related to cellular senescence were used to identify molecular subtypes by consensus clustering. To screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between different subtypes, differential analysis was performed. We used the univariate Cox regression to identify prognostic DEGs and performed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to optimize and construct a prognostic model. CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, and TIDE tools were applied to estimate immune characteristics. Four molecular subtypes were established based on cellular senescence-associated genes. Differential prognosis was observed among different subtypes with C4 having the longest overall survival and C1 having the worst prognosis. C4 subtype also showed the highest immune infiltration. We screened a total of eight cellular senescence prognosis-related genes and established a cellular senescence-related signature score (CSRS.Score) that could stratify samples into high-CSRS.Score and low-CSRS.Score groups. The high-CSRS.Score group had worse prognosis, lower immune infiltration, and lower response to immunotherapy. We further improved the prognostic model and survival prediction by combining CSRS.Score with clinicopathological features using a decision tree model, which had high predictive accuracy and survival prediction. This study demonstrated an important role of cellular senescence in HNSCC. The identified eight cellular senescence-associated genes have the potential to provide ideas for adjuvant treatment and personalized treatment of HNSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enhanced formation of HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm from PEI during UV/chlorine in the presence of Fe(III). • Fe(III) concentration, pH, and chlorine dose affected HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm formation. • HO· production enhanced by Fe(III) incorporated was validated. • Toxicity alterations of water samples in the presence of Fe(III) were assessed. Trace iron ions (Fe(III)) are commonly found in water and wastewater, where free chlorine is very likely to coexist with Fe(III) affecting the disinfectant's stability and N-DBPs' fate during UV/chlorine disinfection, and yet current understanding of these mechanisms is limited. This study investigates the effects of Fe(III) on the formation and toxicity alteration of halonitromethanes (HNMs), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), and dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm) from polyethyleneimine (PEI) during UV/chlorine disinfection. Results reveal that the maxima concentrations of HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm during UV/chlorine disinfection with additional Fe(III) were 1.39, 1.38, and 1.29 times higher than those without additional Fe(III), instead of being similar to those of Fe(III) inhibited the formation of HNMs, DCAN and DCAcAm during chlorination disinfection. Meanwhile, higher Fe(III) concentration, acidic pH, and higher chlorine dose were more favorable for forming HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm during UV/chlorine disinfection, which were highly dependent on the involvement of HO · and Cl ·. Fe(III) in the aquatic environment partially hydrolyzed to the photoactive Fe(III)‑hydroxyl complexes Fe(OH)2+ and [Fe(H 2 O) 6 ]3+, which undergone UV photoactivation and coupling reactions with HOCl to achieve effective Fe(III)/Fe(II) interconversion, a process that facilitated the sustainable production of HO ·. Extensive product analysis and comparison verified that the HO · production enhanced by the Fe(III)/Fe(II) internal cycle played a primary role in increasing HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm productions during UV/chlorine disinfection. Note that the incorporation of Fe(III) increased the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm formed during UV/chlorine disinfection, and yet Fe(III) did not have a significant effect on the acute toxicity of water samples before, during, and after UV/chlorine disinfection. The new findings broaden the knowledge of Fe(III) affecting HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm formation and toxicity alteration during UV/chlorine disinfection. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrophenol compounds (NCs) have high formation potentials of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in water disinfection processes, however, the reaction mechanisms of DBPs formed from different NCs are not elucidated clearly. Herein, nitrobenzene, phenol, and six representative NCs were used to explore the formation mechanisms of chlorinated DBPs (Cl-DBPs) during chlor(am)ination and UV/post-chlor(am)ination. Consequently, the coexistence of nitro and hydroxy groups in NCs facilitated the electrophilic substitution to produce intermediates of Cl-DBPs, and the different positions of nitro and hydroxy groups also induced different yields and formation mechanisms of Cl-DBPs during the chlorination and UV/post-chlorination processes. Besides, the amino, chlorine, and methyl groups significantly influenced the formation mechanisms of Cl-DBPs during the chlorination and UV/post-chlorination processes. Furthermore, the total Cl-DBPs yields from the six NCs followed a decreasing order of 2-chloro-3-nitrophenol, 3-nitrophenol, 2-methyl-3-nitrophenol, 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, 2-nitrophenol, and 4-nitrophenol during chlorination and UV/post-chlorination. However, the total Cl-DBPs yields from the six NCs during chloramination and UV/post-chloramination followed a quite different order, which might be caused by additional reaction mechanisms, e.g., nucleophilic substitution or addition might occur to NCs in the presence of monochloramine (NH 2 Cl). This work can offer deep insights into the reaction mechanisms of Cl-DBPs from NCs during the chlor(am)ination and UV/post-chlor(am)ination processes. [Display omitted] • Nitrophenol compounds (NCs) with different structures induced different DBPs yields. • The coexistence of nitro and hydroxy groups facilitated chlorine substitution to NCs. • The positions of nitro and hydroxy groups in NCs affected chlorine substitution. • Amino, chlorine, and methyl groups affected the formation mechanisms of Cl-DBPs. • The reactivities of NCs with chloramine were lower than those with chlorine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts were made to separate the effects of aerosol on cloud microphysics in an idealized tropical cyclone (TC) from meteorological effects using a spectral bin microphysics scheme and the piggybacking methodology introduced by Grabowski et al. (2017). Modifying the initial distribution of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) from maritime to continental condition, the increase of CCN leads to a clear enhancement of mixing ratio and number concentration of cloud droplets and a decrease of number concentration of raindrops especially in the lower atmosphere. Therefore, lower supersaturation can be traced under the continental condition due to the extra consumption of water vapor, leading to more condensation as well as relatively larger buoyancy beneath the freezing layer, which is postulated as condensational invigoration. Although invigoration is identified within a thin layer above the 0 °C isotherm, it is still dominantly attributed to the condensation of water vapor toward supercooled liquid drops with small contributions from riming of snow/graupel. No evidence indicates the mixed-phase invigoration at high layers. In addition, a larger cloud fraction is found in both high and low layers in the continental condition, especially within the inner core of a TC. It is noted that aerosols may also influence the spatial pattern of TC precipitation, although the difference of area-averaged precipitation is less notable. Finally, the experiments are repeated to further examine the aerosol effect on TC with different intensity and quantitatively demonstrate that the impact of aerosol is weaker in stronger TC due to the dominant control of the dynamics. • The concept of condensational or mixed-phase invigoration due to aerosol is investigated. • The latent heating from condensation rather than fusion contributes most to invigoration. • The impact of aerosol is weaker in stronger TC under the dominant control of dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cupric ions (Cu2+) are ubiquitous in surface waters and can influence disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formation in water disinfection processes. This work explored the effects of Cu2+ on chlorinated DBPs (Cl-DBPs) formation from six representative nitrophenol compounds (NCs) during UV irradiation followed by a subsequent chlorination (i.e., UV/post-chlorination), and the results showed Cu2+ enhanced chlorinated halonitromethane (Cl-HNMs) formation from five NCs (besides 2-methyl-3-nitrophenol) and dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) and trichloromethane (TCM) formation from six NCs. Nevertheless, excessive Cu2+ might reduce Cl-DBPs formation. Increasing UV fluences displayed different influences on total Cl-DBPs formation from different NCs, and increasing chlorine dosages and NCs concentrations enhanced that. Moreover, a relatively low pH (5.8) or high pH (7.8) might control the yields of total Cl-DBPs produced from different NCs. Notably, Cu2+ enhanced Cl-DBPs formation from NCs during UV/post-chlorination mainly through the catalytic effect on nitro-benzoquinone production and the conversion of Cl-DBPs from nitro-benzoquinone. Additionally, Cu2+ could increase the toxicity of total Cl-DBPs produced from five NCs besides 2-methyl-3-nitrophenol. Finally, the impacts of Cu2+ on Cl-DBPs formation and toxicity in real waters were quite different from those in simulated waters. This study is conducive to further understanding how Cu2+ affected Cl-DBPs formation and toxicity in chlorine disinfection processes and controlling Cl-DBPs formation in copper containing water. [Display omitted] • Cu2+ enhanced Cl-DBPs formation from the five NCs besides 2-methyl-3-nitrophenol. • Cu2+ could catalyze the formation of intermediates of Cl-DBPs from NCs. • Cu2+ increased the toxicity of total Cl-DBPs formed from most NCs. • Cu2+ showed complicated influences on Cl-HNMs formation and toxicity in real waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formamide as the safe cyano source! A Ni‐catalyzed cyanation of unactivated allylic alcohols and formamide to provide various α,β‐unsaturated nitriles was developed by generating the cyano unit in situ from safe and readily available formamide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are a novel type of non-coding RNA with various regulatory functions. They are associated with oxidative stress in various diseases, but their potential functions in radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) remain uncertain. Methods: To explore the role of tsRNAs in RILI, we used X-rays to irradiate human bronchial epithelial cells and examined the expression profile of altered tsRNAs by RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Sequencing results were verified by qRT-PCR. tsRNA functions were explored using several methods, including CCK-8, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays, cell transfection, and western blotting. Results: Eighty-six differentially expressed tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) were identified: 64 were upregulated, and 22 were downregulated. Among them, the regulation of tRF-Gly-GCC, associated with oxidative stress, may be mediated by the inhibition of cell proliferation, promotion of ROS production, and apoptosis in the occurrence and development of RILI. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis suggested that the underlying molecular mechanism may involve the PI3K/AKT and the FOXO1 signaling pathways. Conclusion: Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underpinning RILI, advancing the clinical prevention and treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HNMs formation increased and then decreased with increasing Br‒ concentration. • BIF value increased while BUF value decreased with increasing Br− concentration. • pH value and Cl 2 :Br− ratio seriously affected the formation and species of HNMs. • The possible mechanisms of HNMs formation from methylamine were proposed. • The formation rule of HNMs was verified in two real waters containing methylamine. The UV/Cl 2 process is commonly used to achieve a multiple-barrier disinfection and maintain residuals. The study chose methylamine as a precursor to study the formation of high-toxic halonitromethanes (HNMs) in the presence of bromide ions (Br−) during UV/Cl 2 disinfection. The maximum yield of HNMs increased first and then decreased with increasing concentration of Br−. An excessively high concentration of Br− induced the maximum yield of HNMs in advance. The maximum bromine incorporation factor (BIF) increased, while the maximum bromine utilization factor (BUF) decreased with the increase of Br− concentration. The maximum yield of HNMs decreased as pH value increased from 6.0 to 8.0 due to the deprotonation process. The BUF value remained relatively higher under an acidic condition, while pH value had no evident influence on the BIF value. The maximum yield of HNMs and value of BUF maximized at a Cl 2 :Br− ratio of 12.5, whereas the BIF value remained relatively higher at low Cl 2 :Br− ratios (2.5 and 5). The amino group in methylamine was first halogenated, and then released into solution as inorganic nitrogen by the rupture of C-N bond or transformed to nitro group by oxidation and elimination pathways. The maximum yield of HNMs in real waters was higher than that in pure water due to the high content of dissolved organic carbon. Two real waters were sampled to verify the law of HNMs formation. This study helps to understand the HNMs formation (especially brominated species) when the UV/Cl 2 process is adopted as a disinfection technique. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-dimensional Dirac equation is studied for square-well potential in the presence of generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). Based on the exact solution, the general and explicit relation between the phase time and the dwell time is given and quantified. The phase time, dwell time and self-interference delay are calculated as well and it is shown that the GUP has effects on the tunneling time. Moreover, the effect of GUP on the tunneling time showed a slight change with the change of mass, and goes to zero with the increase of kinetic energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcriptome of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is complex and highly genetically heterogeneous, with noncoding RNA transcripts playing crucial roles. The majority of RNAs in the noncoding transcriptome are long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with less circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are two characteristics gaining increasing attention in the forefront of RNA research field. These noncoding transcripts (especially lncRNAs and circRNAs) exert important regulatory functions in PH and emerge as potential disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Recent technological advancements have established great momentum for discovery and functional characterization of ncRNAs, which include broad transcriptome sequencing such as bulk RNA-sequence, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and RNA-protein/RNA interactions. In this review, we summarize the current research on the classification, biogenesis, and the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of these noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in the pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH. Furthermore, we highlight the utility and challenges of using these ncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutics in PH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to prepare Al-F complex alkali-free accelerator from waste acid of titanium dioxide and to evaluate the hydration mechanism of F-ion complex. Setting time, stability, pH value, 1d compressive strength, 28d ratio of compressive strength and SEM were performed on cement pastes produced with an alkali-free accelerator (aluminum sulfate solution containing F-ion). Results showed that the addition of F-ion could form β -AlF3•3H2O complex, which improved the content of Al3+ ion and the stability of the system. The Al-F complex alkali-free accelerator contributed to the rapid formation of ettringite with network structure, as well as to a faster rate of cement dissolution and hydration. Moreover, a conceptual hydration model for pastes containing F-ion alkali-free accelerator was proposed. F-ion was beneficial to destroy the covering effect of C-H-S gel and form a continuous hydration. According to the results, variations in cement different setting time and mechanical strength caused by different concentration of F-ion in the alkali free accelerator are explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of network technology and the popularity of the Internet have made people rely more and more on the exchange and sharing of network information, and the demand for obtaining information about people from the Internet has gradually increased, but the massive amount of network data has made the information about people fragmented and disorganized, and the existing work on portraits has mainly focused on the extraction of people's attributes. In this paper, we examine the artistic construction and characterization of Wuthering Heights on the basis of a tasting of the book, with the aim of presenting the "alienated personalities" hidden in the depths of the characters' consciousness and showing the author's unique creative art through an analysis of thematic ideas, the use of temporal elements, and the tracing of the creation of the characters' original forms. In the aspect of character social relationship extraction, first, the method of expanding the seed dictionary by means of synonym word forest is used to build a character relationship lexicon, which avoids the inefficiency caused by manual lexicon collection; second, a character relationship extraction algorithm based on the combination of rule matching and syntactic tree is proposed, which effectively overcomes the disadvantage of low recall rate caused by rule matching, and the average F-value of this algorithm reaches 82.61% in the experiment The algorithm achieves an average F-value of 82.61% in the experiment, which is a significant advantage over other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • UV, HO, Cl 2 −, Br, Br 2 −, NO and CO 3 − resulted in degrading Tyr and Trp. • HNM formation from Tyr and Trp was higher than that from Asp. • Regression model well predicted HNM formation from three AAs by one equation. • Heatmaps contributed to limiting HNM concentrations. • Possible formation pathways of HNMs from AAs in the presence of Br- were presented. Halonitromethanes (HNMs) including chlorinated and brominated HNMs, a category of nitrogenous disinfection by-products with high toxicity, were formed from amino acids (AAs) in the presence of bromide ion (Br-) under UV/monochloramine (UV/NH 2 Cl) disinfection. This study developed a regression model using water characteristics (pH, HCO 3 – and Br-) and disinfection conditions (disinfection time and NH 2 Cl doses) to predict HNM formation from AAs (tyrosine (Tyr), tryptophan (Trp) and aspartic acid (Asp)) in the presence of Br- under UV/NH 2 Cl disinfection. Main contributors to the abatement of Tyr and Trp were UV (6.1%-18.7%), HO (18.5%-62.3%), Cl 2 − (0.3%-17.9%), Br (2.4%-41.3%, k Br•,AA =∼109-1010 M−1·s−1), Br 2 − (1.3%-11.0%, k Br2•-,AA =∼108-109 M−1·s−1), NO (2.6%-43.0%) and CO 3 − (0%-43.2%) based on the first-principle kinetic model of UV/NH 2 Cl/Br- process, while the removal ratio of Asp was low. It was responsible for higher HNM concentrations from Tyr and Trp than those from Asp. Due to the decline in HNM concentrations with prolongation of reaction time, HNM concentrations were considered as the quadratic function of disinfection time with coefficients related to water characteristics and NH 2 Cl doses. The regression model with backward stepwise regression described HNM formation well. After introducing specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA 254) and interaction terms associated with SUVA 254 , HNM formation from three AAs was successfully predicted by one regression equation (R2 = 0.91, mean absolute error = 0.46, mean relative error = 37%, root-mean-square error = 0.81). Using the optimal regression model, increasing NH 2 Cl doses was found to advance the peak time for HNM formation. Besides, obtained heatmaps of HNM formation revealed that a high NH 2 Cl dose with a high UV dose or low NH 2 Cl dose helped to limit HNM formation. Lastly, the possible formation pathways of HNMs were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent algal blooms cause algal cells and their algal organic matter (AOM) to become critical precursors of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during water treatment. The presence of bromide ion (Br−) in water has been demonstrated to affect the formation laws and species distribution of DBPs. However, few researchers have addressed the formation and toxicity alteration of halonitromethanes (HNMs) from algae during disinfection in the presence of Br−. Therefore, in this work, Chlorella vulgaris was selected as a representative algal precursor to investigate the formation and toxicity alteration of HNMs during UV/chloramination involving Br−. The results showed that the formation concentration of HNMs increased and then decreased during UV/chloramination. The intracellular organic matter of Chlorella vulgaris was more susceptible to form HNMs than the extracellular organic matter. When the Br−: Cl 2 mass ratio was raised from 0.004 to 0.08, the peak of HNMs total concentration increased 33.99%, and the cytotoxicity index and genotoxicity index of HNMs increased 67.94% and 22.80%. Besides, the formation concentration and toxicity of HNMs increased with increasing Chlorella vulgaris concentration but decreased with increasing solution pH. Possible formation pathways of HNMs from Chlorella vulgaris during UV/chloramination involving Br− were proposed based on the alteration of nitrogen species and fluorescence spectrum analysis. Furthermore, the formation laws of HNMs from Chlorella vulgaris in real water samples were similar to those in deionized water samples. This study contributes to a better comprehension of HNMs formation from Chlorella vulgaris and provides valuable information for water managers to reduce hazards associated with the formation of HNMs. [Display omitted] • The IOM was more prone than EOM to form HNMs during UV/chloramination involving Br−. • Rising Br− concentration enhanced the yield, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity of HNMs. • The pH and Chlorella vulgaris concentration affected HNMs formation and toxicity. • The possible formation pathways of HNMs from Chlorella vulgaris were deduced. • The formation law of HNMs from Chlorella vulgaris in real and deionized water was similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fastener plays a critical role in ensuring the stability and safety of modern engineering structures. However, factors such as vibration, shock, temperature changes, and others can cause fasteners to become loose, thereby compromising the stability and safety of the overall structure. Currently, fastener inspection is primarily done manually, and there is no widely adopted automatic method for real-time detection of fastener looseness. We proposed a fastener looseness inspection method based on digital shearing speckle pattern interferometry (DSSPI) and convolutional neural network (CNN). The key distinction between our proposed method and traditional vision-based methods is that our approach can identify loose fasteners without relying on direct visual observation of the fasteners themselves. Our approach involved setting up a DSSPI system to capture shearing speckle patterns, and the CNN model automatically extracted features from these images and classified them to detect loose fasteners. Principle-validation experiments were conducted to verify the feasibility of the methodology. The trained model achieved a classification accuracy of 92.57%, with a resolution of 0.04 mm and a completion time of only 2.03 ms for a single judgment. That is quite accurate, more sensitive, and much faster than the three-dimensional vision-based method. Furthermore, our proposed method has strong robustness to ambient light, while the incorporation of Random Erasing technology enhances robustness to part occlusion or damage of the measured surface. Most notably, our method can detect loose fasteners before deformation, a capability that conventional vision-based methods lack. These findings demonstrate the tremendous potential of our method for real-time inspection of fastener looseness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CoNiV fibers with a diameter of 300 μm and a length exceeding 3 m were prepared by multiple-stage cold drawn. • The heat treatment process was optimized to introducing a proper content of κ phase in the FCC matrix, resulting in the ultra-high yield strength and tensile strength. • The stress partitioning between the FCC and κ phases during tensile deformation has been analyzed, proving that the κ phase is the main contributor to high strength. • The κ phase elevates local stress within the FCC matrix and promotes the formation of deformation twins. High/medium-entropy alloys (H/MEAs) are regarded as a potentially viable alternative to conventional metallic fibers for the production of ductile, high-strength fibers, to resolve the inherent trade-off between strength and ductility. The present study involved the cold drawing technique to produce a CoNiV MEA fiber measuring 300 μm in diameter with a length of more than 3 m. The mechanical properties of the FCC matrix can be improved through the inclusion of an appropriate amount of the κ phase via the optimized thermal treatment process. In addition to a yield strength of 1681 MPa and a well-coordinated elongation of 13.4 %, the ideal CoNiV fiber demonstrated a substantial ultimate tensile strength of 1932 MPa. Further calculations revealed that the κ phase, which possesses a substantial Von Mises stress of approximately 2715 MPa and an area fraction of 18.2 ± 1.1 %, was observed to be a primary contributor to the strength. Deformation twins were generated in the FCC matrix as a result of the ultra-high flow stress, which provided adequate ductility. This study offers significant contributions to the understanding of the deformation mechanisms and strengthening effect of the κ phase, thereby facilitating the development of high-performance metallic fibers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding variations in marine phytoplankton primary production (PP) is crucial for assessing the response of the marine environment to climate change and for quantifying the ocean carbon cycle. However, the spatiotemporal variability of size-fractionated PP in the South China Sea (SCS) remains ambiguous. Our study investigated the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual variability of size-fractionated PP in the SCS using satellite observations from 2002 to 2022. There were noticeable seasonal and monthly variations in size-fractionated PP, with notably high PP values appearing during the cold season. The disparities in distribution and the distinct fluctuation patterns between size-fractionated PP suggest that total PP alone is not a comprehensive indicator of marine ecosystem health. Over the past two decades in the SCS, there were more pronounced decreases in total, pico-, and nano-PP, whereas micro-PP displayed no significant trend. The most pronounced decline occurred in the northern SCS, contrasted by increases in coastal areas. These size-fractionated PP anomalies showed strong correlations with climate change indices, highlighting the impact of environmental factors on these anomalies, such as sea surface temperature, mixed layer depth, and wind speed. Our findings emphasize the importance considering size-fractionated PP to gain a more nuanced understanding of the ocean carbon cycle and the marine ecosystem's response to climate changes. • Reveals significant seasonal and interannual variations in size-fractionated phytoplankton PP in the SCS. • Highlights the influence of SST, MLD and wind speed on anomalies in size-fractionated phytoplankton PP. • Emphasizes that climate variability has a significant impact on variations in size-fractionated phytoplankton PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the seasonal intensity variabilities of typhoons (TYs) over the western North Pacific that made landfall in the mainland China during the summer (June–August) and autumn (September–November) seasons for the period of 1979–2017. Using the latest climate reanalysis dataset (ERA5), cloud microphysical properties surrounding the rapid intensification (RI) period within the Super TYs (the maximum wind speed exceeding 51 ms−1) are explored to verify whether there exists microphysical precursor in TY intensity change like RI. The major results are: (a) The total number of landfalling TYs in summer is 188, almost two times of the number in autumn, and 25.5% of them can reach the Super TYs category, while 39.5% of the landfalling TYs in autumn became Super TYs with a shorter lifespan. (b) At least half of the summer and autumn cases have undergone the RI before they reached their maximum intensity, and more autumn cases experienced RI as they approached the coastal areas. (c) Snow and rain contents within the vortex exhibit consistent increasing trends during the RI period in both seasons. It is found that ice and snow contents show relatively distinct increase prior to the intensity change during the RI period in autumn cases, while no obvious signal exists in summer. The short‐term microphysical change and the released latent heat may be insufficient in supporting the onset of RI in Super TYs, and the differences of large‐scale environmental conditions between summer and autumn are mostly responsible for the distinct evolutions of intensity and microphysical characteristics in such strong systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing reorganization patterns of major rivers and their drainage basins have great implications for understanding evolution of mountainous landforms. Drainage reversal, as an important river process, has been widely considered to be directly associated with stream capture highlighting river erosion. As such, few study reported any other mechanisms for explaining formation of drainage reversal. However, its mechanism still remains open due to infrequent occurrence or lacking clear field evidence. Here, we first show that glacial damming highlighting river aggradation can also induce river reversal. Based on geomorphic analysis, measurements of terrace cobbles, and dating results, we suggest that two river reversals occurred at Songzong along the Parlung River in the south‐eastern region of the Tibetan Plateau. Specifically, the river reversed eastward due to a glacier damming event prior to ~23.7 ± 2.0 ka BP and then reversed to flow westward at 20.4 ± 2.7 ka BP due to the break of the glacier dam. Moreover, all the reaches upstream of the glacier deposits along the two rivers at Songzong have smaller channel steepness compared with the corresponding segments downstream, indicating that glacier deposits significantly influenced river incision process of the Parlung River. Combined with previous studies, our results may indicate that glaciers might be an important factor to influence river evolution and fluvial landform of the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis of the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a group of proteins that inhibit body fluids from growing to ice crystals and thus improve biological antifreeze ability. It is vital to the survival of living organisms in extremely cold environments. However, little research is performed on sequences feature extraction and selection for antifreeze proteins classification in the structure and function prediction, which is of great significance. Results: In this paper, to predict the antifreeze proteins, a feature representation of weighted generalized dipeptide composition (W-GDipC) and an ensemble feature selection based on two-stage and multi-regression method (LRMR-Ri) are proposed. Specifically, four feature selection algorithms: Lasso regression, Ridge regression, Maximal information coefficient and Relief are used to select the feature sets, respectively, which is the first stage of LRMR-Ri method. If there exists a common feature subset among the above four sets, it is the optimal subset; otherwise we use Ridge regression to select the optimal subset from the public set pooled by the four sets, which is the second stage of LRMR-Ri. The LRMR-Ri method combined with W-GDipC was performed both on the antifreeze proteins dataset (binary classification), and on the membrane protein dataset (multiple classification). Experimental results show that this method has good performance in support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT) and stochastic gradient descent (SGD). The values of ACC, RE and MCC of LRMR-Ri and W-GDipC with antifreeze proteins dataset and SVM classifier have reached as high as 95.56%, 97.06% and 0.9105, respectively, much higher than those of each single method: Lasso, Ridge, Mic and Relief, nearly 13% higher than single Lasso for ACC. Conclusion: The experimental results show that the proposed LRMR-Ri and W-GDipC method can significantly improve the accuracy of antifreeze proteins prediction compared with other similar single feature methods. In addition, our method has also achieved good results in the classification and prediction of membrane proteins, which verifies its widely reliability to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In quantum gravity theories, when the scattering energy is comparable to the Planck energy, the usual Heisenberg uncertainty principle breaks down and is replaced by generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). In this paper, the Dirac equation is studied for a single particle with spin and pseudospin symmetry in the presence of GUP, in 3 + 1 dimensions. For arbitrary wave l ≠ 0 , the Dirac equation with multiparameter exponential-type potential is solved by applying the approximation of the centrifugal term and the Nikiforov–Uvarov method. The corresponding energy spectra and eigenvalue function are obtained in the closed form and depend on the GUP parameter. In addition, several interesting cases have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wilson's disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of chronic copper toxicosis with high mortality and disability. Recent evidence suggests a correlation between dysbiosis in gut microbiome and multiple diseases such as genetic and metabolic disease. However, the impact of intestinal microbiota polymorphism in WD have not been fully elaborated and need to be explore for seeking some microbiota benefit for WD patients. In this study, the 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on fecal samples from 14 patients with WD and was compared to the results from 16 healthy individuals. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiome in the WD group were significantly lower than those in healthy individuals. The WD group presented unique richness of Gemellaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Spirochaetaceae at family level, which were hardly detected in healthy controls. The WD group had a markedly lower abundance of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia, and a higher abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Fusobacteria than that in healthy individuals. The Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio in the WD group was significantly lower than that of healthy control. In addition, the functional profile of the gut microbiome from WD patients showed a lower abundance of bacterial groups involved in the host immune and metabolism associated systems pathways such as transcription factors and ABC-type transporters, compared to healthy individuals. These results implied dysbiosis of gut microbiota may be influenced by the host metabolic disorders of WD, which may provide a new understanding of the pathogenesis and new possible therapeutic targets for WD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tianma Gouteng Decoction (TGD) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of hypertension and its related complications, but its mechanisms remain incompletely defined. We now aim to assess the protective effect of TGD against cardiovascular damage and to investigate its characteristics and underlying mechanisms. Blood pressure was determined in TGD-treated spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by noninvasive measurements. Echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac function and structure and sirius red staining to evaluate cardiac fibrosis, and the degree of vascular remodeling was evaluated. Additionally, vasoconstriction and relaxation factor expression changes were examined by means of ELISA. Protein expression changes were verified by western blot. Compared with untreated SHR, TGD-treated SHR exhibited cardiovascular traits more akin to those of the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. That is, they had lower diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure and mean BP, and increased expression of vasodilation factor. We also found that TGD reduces ventricular and vascular remodeling and improves cardiac function in SHR. Finally, we tested the antiapoptosis effect TGD exerts in SHR, ostensibly by upregulating the expression of OPG, TRAIL, and death receptor 5 (DR5) and downregulating caspases 8, 7, and 3. TRAIL may also exert antiapoptotic and prosurvival effects by upregulating AKT expression. Therefore, TGD may reverse cardiovascular remodeling in SHR by upregulating the expression of OPG and TRAIL, upregulating AKT, and inhibiting apoptosis, at least in part. For the first time, we have shown that OPG and TRAIL play complimentary cardioprotective roles in SHR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Cu-Mn oxide catalysts supported on ZSM-5 zeolite (Cu7Mn3Ox/ZSM‑5) were modified by low-cost method of acid leaching and employed for the catalytic oxidation of toluene. For investigating the effect of acid modification on catalysts deeply, the prepared materials were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, XRD, SEM, H2-TPR, XPS, NH3-TPD, Py-IR and TG. In the decomposition of toluene, the citric acid modified Cu7Mn3Ox/ZSM‑5 exhibited excellent performance of toluene conversion and adsorption compared to Cu7Mn3Ox/ZSM‑5. The preferable performance was associated with the improved pore structure and surface area, along with the more Mn4+ and Cu2+ species formed after citric acid modification. Significantly, citric acid modified Cu7Mn3Ox/ZSM‑5 exhibited satisfied hydrothermal stability and good regeneration ability as well, which would offer an economical strategy to prepare effective catalysts for VOCs treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations were conducted to examine the effects of amine type and initial concentration, free chlorine concentration, UV light intensity, pH and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) on the formation of dichloronitromethane (DCNM) under UV/chlorine. Methylamine (MA), dimethylamine (DMA) and poly-dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PolyDADMAC) were selected as the amine precursors of DCNM. And the reaction products of amines were explored through observing the contents of various nitrogen under UV/chlorine. Experimental results indicated that the higher of the intensity of UV light, the concentration of amines and free chlorine, the greater of the amount of DCNM formation; the amine substance with simple structure is more likely oxidized to form DCNM, so the potential of MA to form DCNM is the largest among three amines; the formation of DCNM decreased with increasing pH from 6.0 to 8.0; due to adding TBA into the reaction solution, halogen and hydroxyl radicals were restrained which resulted the DCNM formation decreased. In the reaction process, the formation of DCNM from amines increased at the beginning, then decreased and almost disappeared due to photodegradation. During the formation and photodegradation of DCNM, the dissolved organic nitrogen could be transformed into the ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion process was applied for oxidizing MnS 2 O 6 to be MnSO 4 and exhibited satisfactory performance. • The disproportionation method was applied for debasing MnS 2 O 6 content. • The conversion process was fully evaluated and exhibited satisfactory performance. • The reaction mechanisms and kinetics predication of the conversions of dithionate ion were developed. Manganese dithionate is a byproduct, accompanied by the formation of manganese sulfate, of the leaching process of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) with pyrolusite. The as-produced MnS 2 O 6 is disadvantageous for recovering MnSO 4 by debasing the purity of the MnSO 4 product. To obtain the qualified MnSO 4 product, removing MnS 2 O 6 from the leaching solution is critical. In this work, the conversion characteristics of MnS 2 O 6 in the H 2 SO 4 -MnO 2 system were studied. The conversion mechanisms of MnS 2 O 6 were determined by a material balance of sulfur. The effects of the operating parameters, including the concentrations of H 2 SO 4 and MnS 2 O 6 and the temperature, on the conversion rate of MnS 2 O 6 were investigated. The kinetic characteristics of the MnS 2 O 6 conversion were analyzed. The results indicated that MnS 2 O 6 decomposed into MnSO 4 and SO 2 in the H 2 SO 4 -MnO 2 system through two pathways. (A) MnS 2 O 6 decomposed into MnSO 4 and SO 2 in the presence of H 2 SO 4 in the disproportionation reaction, and SO 2 was oxidized to MnSO 4 by MnO 2 in the liquid phase. (B) The direct oxidizing reaction of MnS 2 O 6 with MnO 2 resulted in the formation of MnSO 4 in H 2 SO 4 solution. The former pathway was predominant in the MnS 2 O 6 conversion. In addition, based on the results of the MnS 2 O 6 conversion in the H 2 SO 4 -MnO 2 system, the kinetics analysis of the composite reaction was conducted, and the apparent activation energy (E a) of 204.6 kJ mol−1 was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first is to numerically investigate and reveal the effect of polymer viscoelasticity on the retraction of a deformed drop using the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method and polymer kinetic theory. More importantly, the second is to propose a novel method to evaluate the interfacial tension between polymer melts based on the numerical study. Compared with the conventional deformed drop retraction method (DDRM), the present method is designed to greatly reduce the impact of polymer viscoelasticity on measuring interfacial tension. To verify, the interfacial tension between molten PP and POE is evaluated using the proposed method and obviously closer result to the true value is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of environmental-friendly metal-free photocatalysts has great significance in photocatalytic technology. In this work, we firstly report the successful synthesis of in situ epitaxial growth of g-C 3 N 4 on carbon dots through a facile thermal polymerization technique. Characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted to clarify the structure engineering and the electronic/chemical properties of the in-plane interconnected carbon dots/g-C 3 N 4 (C-CN) heterostructures. With the optimal carbon dots content, the C-CN exhibited 3.2 times higher degradation rate for sulfadiazine (SDZ) than that of g-C 3 N 4. Besides, the C-CN heterostructures displayed excellent stability and reusability in five consecutive cycles. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was related to the narrowed band gap and the local electronic density of valance band and conduction band orbitals of the unique plane heterostructures, corroborated by the spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical calculations. Photogenerated holes dominated the degradation of SDZ, while OH showed a negligible contribution. Moreover, DFT calculation succeeded to predict that the atoms with high Fukin index (f 0) on SDZ molecule were more vulnerable to radicals attack. SDZ degradation pathway mainly included smiles-type rearrangement, SO 2 extrusion, ring hydroxylation and S N bond cleavage processes. The eco-toxicity assessment revealed the generation of less toxic intermediates after photocatalysis. Our findings not only afford a new technique for constructing g-C 3 N 4 -based in-plane heterostructures with high and stable photocatalytic efficiency, but also highlight the feasible application of metal-free photocatalysts in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional opinions, no radial transportation was considered to occur in the bamboo internodes but was usually considered to occur in the nodes. Few studies have involved the phloem unloading and post-phloem transport pathways in the rapid elongating bamboo shoots. Our observations indicated a symplastic pathway in phloem unloading and post-unloading pathways in the culms of Fargesiayunnanensis Hsueh et Yi , based on a 5,6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate tracing experiment. Significant lignification and suberinization in fiber and parenchyma cell walls in maturing internodes blocked the apoplastic transport. Assimilates were transported out of the vascular bundles in four directions in the inner zones but in two directions in the outer zones via the continuum of parenchyma cells. In transverse sections, assimilates were outward transported from the inner zones to the outer zones. Assimilates transport velocities varied with time, with the highest values at 0):00 h, which were affected by water transport. The assimilate transport from the adult culms to the young shoots also varied with the developmental degree of bamboo shoots, with the highest transport velocities in the rapidly elongating internodes. The localization of sucrose, glucose, starch grains and the related enzymes reconfirmed that the parenchyma cells in and around the vascular bundles constituted a symplastic pathway for the radial transport of sugars and were the main sites for sugar metabolism. The parenchyma cells functioned as the 'rays' for the radial transport in and between vascular bundles in bamboo internodes. These results systematically revealed the transport mechanism of assimilate and water in the elongating bamboo shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a food contaminant derived from Aspergillus fungi, has been reported to cause hepatic immunotoxicity via inflammatory infiltration and cytokines release. As a pro-inflammatory factor, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is widely involved in liver inflammation induced by xenobiotics. However, the mechanism by which AFB1-induced COX-2 regulates liver inflammatory injury via hepatocytes-Kupffer cells (KCs) crosstalk remains unclear and requires further elucidation. Here, we established a COX-2 upregulated model with AFB1 treatment in vivo (C57BL/6 mice, 1 mg/kg body weight, i.g, 4 weeks) and in vitro (human liver HepaRG cells, 1 μM for 24 h). In vivo, AFB1-treated mice exhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammatory infiltration, and increased recruitment of KCs. In vitro, dephosphorylated COX-2 by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-B55δ promoted NLRP3 inflammasome activation, including mitochondrial translocation of NLRP3, caspase 1 cleavage, and IL-1β release. Moreover, phosphorylated COX-2 at serine 601 (p-COX-2Ser601) underwent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention for proteasome degradation. Furthermore, pyroptosis and inflammatory response induced by AFB1 were relieved with COX-2 genetic (siPTGS2) intervention or pharmaceutic (celecoxib, 30 mg/kg body weight, i.g, 4 weeks) inhibition of COX-2 via NLRP3 inflammasome suppression in vivo and in vitro. Ex vivo, in a co-culture system with murine primary hepatocytes and KCs, activated KCs induced by damaged signals from pyroptotic hepatocytes, formed a feedback loop to amplify NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis of hepatocytes via pro-inflammatory signaling, leading to liver inflammatory injury. Taken together, our data suggest a novel mechanism that protein quality control of COX-2 determines the intracellular distribution and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, which promotes liver inflammatory injury via hepatocytes-KCs crosstalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using phenothiazine as electron donor group, four novel visible light photoinitiators (10-methyl-phenothiazine-2-yl) (phenyl)methanone (MPO), (10-methyl-phenothiazine-2,8-diyl) bis(phenylmethanone) (MPBO), (E)-1-(10-methyl-phenothiazine-2-yl)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (MPPO) and (2E,2′E)-1,1′-(10-methyl-phenothiazine-2,8-diyl) bis(3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one) (MPBPO) with D-A structure were synthesized by one-step method. The effect of conjugated structure and C C bond on the photophysical properties, solubility and migration ratio was discussed. With the degree of conjugation and the number of C C bond increases, the maximum absorption wavelength redshifted from 385 nm (MPO) to 414 nm (MPBO) and 400 nm (MPPO) to 430 nm (MPBPO) respectively. The charge transfer between the two-component photoinitiator system (Iod as co-initiator) can significantly improve the photopolymerization efficiency, the final C C double bond conversion can reach to 80 %, and the drying time of coatings was within 5–20 s. Moreover, all MPO, MPBO, MPPO and MPBPO have good solubility in different solvents and monomers. In addition, MPO, MPBO, MPPO and MPBPO shown low migration ratio and low cytotoxicity performance. • Four novel phenothiazine-based push-pull photoinitiators were synthesized. • Two-component photoinitiator system can significantly improve the photopolymerization efficiency. • All novel photoinitiators have good solubility in different solvents and monomers. • All novel photoinitiators shown low migration ratio and low cytotoxicity performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fullerene–chromophore dyads have attracted a great deal of research interest because these complexes can be potentially designed as nanoscale artificial photosynthetic centers, in which the chromophore and fullerene function as the electron donor and acceptor, respectively. The basic operation of this dyad-type artificial reaction center is photoinduced electron transfer from the donor to the acceptor. The fullerene and chromophore are usually covalently linked so that sufficient electronic coupling between these two moieties can facilitate the electron transfer. However, other deactivation pathways for the chromophore excited state, such as energy transfer to the fullerene, may reduce the quantum yield of the photoinduced electron transfer. Here, a series of C60-perylene dyads is exploited to interrogate the effect of the linkage on deactivation mechanisms of the chromophore excited state. For the C60-perylene dyads with a single or double bond bridge, we find that the decay of the singlet state of the chromophore is dominated by the electron transfer, and the corresponding time constant is determined to be 45 ps. On the other hand, for the dyad with a triple bond bridge, the singlet state of the chromophore is quickly quenched through energy transfer to fullerene, and the time constant is as short as 7.9 ps. Our finding suggests that the bond order of the bridge in the fullerene–chromophore dyads can be utilized to control the deactivation pathways of the excited state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes induced a serious of complications including diabetic retinopathy. Our study aimed to investigate the role of Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 in diabetic retinopathy. A mice model of diabetic retinopathy was established, and expression of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in retina was examined by Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Cells of human retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 were treated with CXCR4 siRNAs and expression vector, and cell viability was detected by MTT assay. We found that expression of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in retina was significantly downregulated in mice with diabetic retinopathy than in normal healthy mice. High glucose treatment downregulated the expression of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in ARPE-19 cells at both mRNA and protein levels. Transfection with CXCR4 siRNAs decreased, while transfection with CXCR4 expression vector increased cell viability under high glucose treatment. We concluded that SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway improved diabetic retinopathy possibly by increasing cell viability. Abbreviations: SDF-1: Stromal cell-derived factor 1; CXCL12: C-X-C motif chemokine 12; qRT-PCR: Real-time quantitative PCR Stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 improves diabetic retinopathy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]