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Objective: This study aims to assess the clinical characteristics of sporotrichosis in low‐endemic areas of China, including the prevalence geography, genotypic traits of patients, clinical manifestations, and strain virulence and drug sensitivities. The objective is to improve the currently used clinical management strategies for sporotrichosis. Methods: Retrospective data were collected from patients diagnosed with sporotrichosis through fungal culture identification. The isolates from purified cultures underwent identification using CAL (Calmodulin) gene sequencing. Virulence of each strain was assessed using a Galleria mellonella (G. mellonella) larvae infection model. In vitro susceptibility testing against commonly used clinical antifungal agents for sporotrichosis was conducted following CLSI criteria. Results: In our low‐endemic region for sporotrichosis, the majority of cases (23) were observed in middle‐aged and elderly women with a history of trauma, with a higher incidence during winter and spring. All clinical isolates were identified as Sporothrix globosa (S. globosa). The G. mellonella larvae infection model indicated independent and dose‐dependent virulence among strains, with varying toxicity levels demonstrated by the degree of melanization of the G. mellonella. Surprisingly, lymphocutaneous types caused by S. globosa exhibited lower in vitro virulence but were more common in affected skin. In addition, all S.globosa strains displayed high resistances to fluconazole, while remaining highly susceptible to terbinafine, itraconazole and amphotericin B. Conclusion: Given the predominance of elderly women engaged in agricultural labour in our region, which is a low‐epidemic areas, they should be considered as crucial targets for sporotrichosis monitoring. S. globosa appears to be the sole causative agent locally. However, varying degrees of melanization in larvae were observed among these isolates, indicating a divergence in their virulence. Itraconazole, terbinafine and amphotericin B remain viable first‐line antifungal options for treating S.globosa infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sufficient physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is beneficial for a woman's health; however, the PA levels of Chinese women at different pregnancy stages are not clear. The aim of our study was to investigate PA changes during pregnancy and the association of population characteristics with PA change among Chinese women. Methods: Data were obtained from 2485 participants who were enrolled in the multicentre prospective Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study. PA level was assessed in early pregnancy (mean = 10, 5–13 weeks of gestation) and again in mid-to-late pregnancy (mean = 32, 24–30 weeks of gestation) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Sufficient PA (≥ 600 MET min/week) in early pregnancy and insufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy indicated decreasing PA. Insufficient PA in early pregnancy and sufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy indicated increasing PA. The associations between demographic, pregnancy and health characteristics and PA changes were examined by multivariable logistic regression. Results: Total energy expenditure for PA increased significantly from early (median = 396 MET min/week) to mid-to-late pregnancy (median = 813 MET min/week) (P < 0.001), and 55.25% of the participants eventually had sufficient PA. Walking was the dominant form of PA. Women with sufficient PA levels in early pregnancy were more likely to have sufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy (OR 1.897, 95% CI 1.583–2.274). Women in West China and those in Central China were most and least likely, respectively, to have increasing PA (OR 1.387, 95% CI 1.078–1.783 vs. OR 0.721, 95% CI 0.562–0.925). Smoking was inversely associated with increasing PA (OR 0.480, 95% CI 0.242–0.955). Women with higher educational levels were less likely to have decreasing PA (OR 0.662, 95% CI 0.442–0.991). Conclusions: PA increased as pregnancy progressed, and walking was the dominant form of PA among Chinese women. Further research is needed to better understand correlates of PA change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sufficient physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is beneficial for a woman's health; however, the PA levels of Chinese women at different pregnancy stages are not clear. The aim of our study was to investigate PA changes during pregnancy and the association of population characteristics with PA change among Chinese women.Methods: Data were obtained from 2485 participants who were enrolled in the multicentre prospective Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study. PA level was assessed in early pregnancy (mean = 10, 5-13 weeks of gestation) and again in mid-to-late pregnancy (mean = 32, 24-30 weeks of gestation) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Sufficient PA (≥ 600 MET min/week) in early pregnancy and insufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy indicated decreasing PA. Insufficient PA in early pregnancy and sufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy indicated increasing PA. The associations between demographic, pregnancy and health characteristics and PA changes were examined by multivariable logistic regression.Results: Total energy expenditure for PA increased significantly from early (median = 396 MET min/week) to mid-to-late pregnancy (median = 813 MET min/week) (P < 0.001), and 55.25% of the participants eventually had sufficient PA. Walking was the dominant form of PA. Women with sufficient PA levels in early pregnancy were more likely to have sufficient PA in mid-to-late pregnancy (OR 1.897, 95% CI 1.583-2.274). Women in West China and those in Central China were most and least likely, respectively, to have increasing PA (OR 1.387, 95% CI 1.078-1.783 vs. OR 0.721, 95% CI 0.562-0.925). Smoking was inversely associated with increasing PA (OR 0.480, 95% CI 0.242-0.955). Women with higher educational levels were less likely to have decreasing PA (OR 0.662, 95% CI 0.442-0.991).Conclusions: PA increased as pregnancy progressed, and walking was the dominant form of PA among Chinese women. Further research is needed to better understand correlates of PA change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, total ionizing dose (TID) irradiation experiments were carried out on germanium-silicon heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) under different bias and temperature conditions. The electrical performance and noise characteristics of the device were characterized before and after irradiation using a semiconductor parameter analyzer and a 1/ f noise test system, respectively. The variation of radiation sensitivity parameters with the TID effect and temperature of the device was obtained, and the mechanism of radiation damage degradation was also identified. Results suggest that the oxide-trap charges and interface states induced by irradiation are the main causes for SiGe HBT electrical parameters degradation. With the decreased temperature, Gummel characteristics and 1/f noise are significantly improved. It's found that oxide-trap charges and interface states generated at 93 K is less than that at 300 K. This work lays the foundation for the application of SiGe HBT in aerospace area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The skin is the largest outermost organ of the human body. It is vulnerable to various damages, such as ionizing radiation. Exploration of proliferation, senescence and radiosensitivity of skin cells contributes to the development of medical and cosmetic countermeasures against skin aging and toward injury protection. Human antigen R (HuR) is one of the most widely studied RNA-binding proteins and serves an important role in stabilization of mRNA and regulation of the expression of the target genes. To investigate the role of HuR in modulating proliferation, senescence and radiosensitivity of skin cells, the present study performed an in vitro study using lentivirus-mediated overexpression or silencing of HuR in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells and human skin fibroblast WS1 cells. The results indicated that overexpression of HuR promoted proliferation, whereas downregulation of HuR inhibited proliferation of HaCaT and WS1 cells. Overexpression of HuR reduced apoptosis and senescence in skin cells. RNA-Seq of skin cells with HuR overexpression or knockdown identified 77 mRNAs positively or negatively correlated with HuR expression levels. In addition, silencing of HuR induced a significant increase in radiogenic reactive oxygen species after irradiation. Overexpression of HuR increased radiotolerance of HaCaT and WS1 cells. RNA immunoprecipitation coupled with RNA-Seq identified 14 mRNAs interacting with HuR upon radiation exposure. Overall, the findings of the present study illustrated the key role of HuR in modulating proliferation, senescence and radiosensitivity of skin cells providing a new therapeutic strategy for cosmetic treatments and to combat skin injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present paper, structures and properties of degradation products of polystyrene (PS) waste were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and thus the degradation conditions including temperature, time, and assistant type and dosage were investigated and optimized. It is suitable to use 1.0 wt% K2S2O8 as an assistant to degrade PS waste at 300°C for 24 h. Subsequently by sulfonation and neutralization reactions, the degraded PS was prepared into sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), a common dispersant for coal‒water slurry (CWS). The performance of PSS with different molecular weights and sulfonation degrees was studied. Experimental results showed that the PSS with the sulfonation degree of more than 75%, prepared from the degraded PS having number average molecular weight (Mn) of about 9000, was appropriate for dispersion and stabilization of CWS suspensions. Additionally, compared with commercial dispersant NSF, the obtained PSS had a better performance for CWS. CWSs prepared with dispersant PSS exhibited pseudo-plastic or shear-thinning rheological behaviors. Combined with coal‒water slurry technology, a new approach is provided for resource utilization of PS waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The sensor is ultrasensitive because of dual amplification strategies. • Simultaneous detection of multiple miRNAs can be achieved. • The sensor can be regenerated easily. • The sensor can be used to detect new types of miRNA by simply changing the template but not the modified electrodes. • This sensor has good specificity and can be applied in a complex matrix with good accuracy. The expression level of miRNAs is closely related to the occurrence and development of various human diseases. However, they are difficult to be quantified due to the inherent nature of low expression in cells and plasmid. Simultaneous detection of multi-miRNA is more challenging. In this paper, we developed an ultrasensitive and specific multiple miRNAs detection strategy based on strand displacement amplification (SDA) reaction and analogical catalytic hairpin assembly (ACHA) reaction. The target miRNA specifically binds with the template and initiates the SDA reaction to produce abundant amplification products (triggers), which take part in the ACHA reaction on the electrode surface resulting in a decreased electrochemical response. With the help of dual amplification strategies, the linear relationship between the electrochemical signal and miRNA-122 and miRNA-21 concentration was in the range of 0.1 fM to 10 fM, with the detection limit of 0.012 fM and 0.075 fM, respectively. The electrochemical sensor can also be applied to detect other miRNA just by changing the template strands. In addition, the electrode can be regenerated by incubating with specific DNA strands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel injectable luminescent hydrogel composite composed of poly(l -lactide- co -glycolide)-poly(ethylene gly co l)-poly(l -lactide- co -glycolide) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) triblock copolymer and NaYF 4 : Yb3+, Er3+ hollow microtubes was successfully prepared for noninvasive monitoring of bone regeneration. The incorporation of NaYF 4 : Yb3+, Er3+ hollow microtubes into the matrix of PLGA-PEG-PLGA resulted in the hydrogel with much rougher surface, enhanced mechanical strength, and bright upconversion luminescence. The in vitro experiments showed that the composite hydrogel possessed ideal sustained drug release property for protein drugs. Besides, it also exhibited good cellular compatibility and cell adhesion property for bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. After loading of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (osteogenic induction factor), the composite hydrogel was definitively implanted into the tibial defect of rats to evaluate the bone regeneration. The degradation of the composite hydrogel scaffolds and the bone defect repairing in vivo was noninvasive monitored by real-time upconversion luminescent imaging and X-ray computed tomography. The results showed that the composite hydrogel scaffold was completely degraded after 4 weeks. Moreover, a successful tibial defect repairing was realized after 6 weeks of bone regeneration. The hematoxylin-eosin staining experiments showed that the implantation and degradation of the composite hydrogel have no significant damages to the organs of heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney during the therapeutic process, indicating its good biological safety. Our strategy provides a safety way for the noninvasive monitoring of bone regeneration, which is believed to have great potential clinical uses. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the association of dietary patterns with gestational depression and sleep disturbance. Methods: Women in early pregnancy were recruited from the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study (CPWCS) through July 25th, 2017 to November 26th, 2018, and eventually 7615 participants were included in this study. The qualitative food frequency questionnaire (Q‐FFQ), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess dietary, depression and sleep quality during pregnancy, respectively. Dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of each outcome according to quartiles of each dietary pattern. Results: Five dietary patterns were identified. Participants with the highest quartile in plant‐based pattern had a significantly lower likelihood of mental problems (OR: 95% CI for depression: 0.66, 0.55–0.79; sleep disturbance: 0.80, 0.68–0.93); Similar results were observed in vitamin‐rich pattern (OR: 95% CI for depression: 0.46, 0.38–0.55; sleep disturbance: 0.76, 0.65–0.89); However, contrary results were found in high‐fat pattern (OR: 95% CI for depression: 2.15, 1.25–1.85; sleep disturbance: 1.43, 1.22–1.67); In animal protein‐rich pattern, participants with the highest quartile had a decreased likelihood of depression (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.96). As for bean products pattern, participants with the highest quartile had an increased risk of depression (OR: 1.28, 95% CI:1.06–1.53). Interactions of dietary patterns and lifestyles on mental disorders were observed. Conclusion: Dietary patterns were associated with gestational depression and sleep disturbance. Relevant departments and maternal and child health personnel should conduct health education for pregnant women and guide them to eat properly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling bearings are crucial parts of primary mine fans. In order to guarantee the safety of coal mine production, primary mine fans commonly work during regular operation and are immediately shut down for repair in case of failure. This causes the sample imbalance phenomenon in fault diagnosis (FD), i.e., there are many more normal state samples than faulty ones, seriously affecting the precision of FD. Therefore, the current study presents an FD approach for the rolling bearings of primary mine fans under sample imbalance conditions via symmetrized dot pattern (SDP) images, denoising diffusion probabilistic models (DDPMs), the image generation method, and a convolutional neural network (CNN). First, the 1D bearing vibration signal was transformed into an SDP image with significant characteristics, and the DDPM was employed to create a generated image with similar feature distributions to the real fault image of the minority class. Then, the generated images were supplemented into the imbalanced dataset for data augmentation to balance the minority class samples with the majority ones. Finally, a CNN was utilized as a fault diagnosis model to identify and detect the rolling bearings' operating conditions. In order to assess the efficiency of the presented method, experiments were performed using the regular rolling bearing dataset and primary mine fan rolling bearing data under actual operating situations. The experimental results indicate that the presented method can more efficiently fit the real image samples' feature distribution and generate image samples with higher similarity than other commonly used methods. Moreover, the diagnostic precision of the FD model can be effectively enhanced by gradually expanding and enhancing the unbalanced dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation-induced skin injury is a serious concern during radiotherapy and accidental exposure to radiation. This study aims to investigate the molecular events in early response to ionizing radiation of skin tissues and underlying mechanism. Mice and rats were irradiated with an electron beam. Skin tissues were used for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics, mRNA-Seq and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq). Human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and skin fibroblasts (WS1) were used for functional studies. The integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics showed that 6 key fatty acid-associated metabolites, 9 key fatty acid-associated genes and multiple fatty acid-associated pathways were most obviously enriched and increased in the irradiated skins. Among them, acyl-CoA dehydrogenase very long chain (ACADVL) was investigated in greater detail due to its most obvious expression difference and significance in fatty acid metabolism. ScRNA-Seq of rat skin from irradiated individuals revealed that ACADVL was expressed in all subpopulations of skin tissues, with variations at different timepoints after radiation. Immunohistochemistry confirmed an increased ACADVL expression in the epidermis from human sample and various animal models, including monkeys, rats and mice. The knockdown of ACADVL increased the radiosensitivity of human keratinocytes and human skin fibroblasts. Silencing of ACADVL facilitated the expression of apoptosis and pyroptosis-related proteins following ionizing radiation. This study illustrated that cutaneous fatty acid metabolism was altered in the early response of ionizing radiation, and fatty acid metabolism-associated ACADVL is involved in radiation-induced cell death. ● Cutaneous fatty acid metabolism was altered in the early response of ionizing radiation. ● Fatty acid metabolism-associated ACADVL is involved in radiation-induced cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involving the initiation and progression of radiation-induced esophageal injury (RIEI) is important for prevention and treatment. Despite ongoing advances, the underlying mechanisms controlling RIEI remain largely unknown. In the present study, RNA-seq was performed to characterize mRNA profiles of the irradiated rat esophagus exposed to 0, 25, or 35 Gy irradiation. Bioinformatics analyses including dose-dependent differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and immune infiltration were performed. 134 DEGs were screened out with a dose-dependent manner (35 Gy > 25 Gy > control, or 35 Gy < 25 Gy < control). GO and KEGG analyses showed that the most significant mechanism was IL-17 signaling-mediated inflammatory response. 5 hub genes, Ccl11, Cxcl3, Il17a, S100a8, and S100a9, were identified through the intersection of the DEGs involved in inflammatory response, IL-17 pathway, and PPI network. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis showed the activation of macrophages, monocytes, T cells, NKT cells, and neutrophils, among which macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils might be the main sources of S100a8 and S100a9. Thus, these findings further our understanding on the molecular biology of RIEI and may help develop more effective therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate recommendations for appropriate gestational weight gain (GWG) of Chinese females. Methods: In total of 3,172 eligible women in the first trimester were recruited into the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study (CPWCS) project. Pregnancy complications and outcomes were collated using the hospital medical records system. The method of occurrence of participants with adverse pregnancy outcomes (Occurrence Method) was conducted to calculate the recommended total GWG for each participant's pre-pregnancy BMI. Occurrence Method data were judged against the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Japanese recommended criteria in terms of the total occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women with appropriate weight gain. Results: The most frequent GWG was ≥ 14 kg and < 16 kg (19.4%), followed by ≥ 10 kg and < 12 kg (15.5%) and ≥ 12 kg and < 14 kg (15.2%). The most frequently occurring adverse pregnancy outcomes were cesarean sections for underweight (30.0%), normal weight (40.4%), overweight (53.6%) and obese (53.7%) women. A large for gestational age (LGA) accounted for 18.0% of the overweight and 20.9% of the obesity group. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurred in 16.9% of overweight and 23.1% of obese women. The recommended total GWG in a Chinese women population is ≥ 8 and < 12 kg if underweight, ≥ 12 and < 14 kg for normal weight, ≥ 8.0 and < 10.0 kg if overweight, and < 8 kg for women with obesity. Conclusions: Current Chinese recommendations provide the optimal ranges of GWG to minimize the occurrence of undesirable pregnancy outcomes for each group of pre-pregnancy BMIs in a Chinese population. Trial registration: Registered with ClinicalTrials (NCT03403543). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the influence of coal particle size gradation on the properties of coal–water slurry (CWS), including coal concentration, flowability, stability, and rheological behavior. The research findings indicate that coarse coal particles have a dominant effect on improving the coal concentration of CWS, while fine coal particles significantly contribute to enhancing the flowability and stability of CWS. Also, a gradation approach incorporating both coarse and fine components with continuous particle size distributions was explored, successfully achieving a high performance CWS with a high coal concentration of 66.12 wt%, a flow time of 13.37 s indicating excellent flowability, and a water separation rate of 3.49 wt% after standing for 7 days, demonstrating good stability. Furthermore, the validity of these research results was confirmed by zeta potential analyses and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations. [Display omitted] • High performance coal–water slurry (CWS) can be achieved by particle size gradation. • The respective roles of coarse and fine coal particles in CWS system are elucidated. • Using coarse particles with a wide size distribution has some unique advantages. • The aggregation structures formed by fine particles could enhance stability of CWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to explore the relationships between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), rate of GWG during the second and third trimesters (GWGrate) and birth weight among Chinese women.Methods: Women were enrolled by 24 hospitals in 15 different provinces in mainland China from July 25th, 2017 to 26 November 2018. Pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG and GWGrate were calculated and divided in to different groups. The multinomial logistic regression model and restrictive cubic spline model were used to explore the relationships.Results: Of the 3585 participants, women who were underweight, had insufficient GWG or GWGrate had 1.853-, 1850- or 1.524-fold higher risks for delivering small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant compared with women who had normal BMI, sufficient GWG or GWGrate. Women who were overweight/obese, had excessive GWG or GWGrate had 1.996-, 1676- or 1.673-fold higher risks for delivering large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infant. The effects of GWG and GWGrate on birth weight varied by pre-pregnancy BMI statuses. Dose-response analysis demonstrated L-shaped and S-shaped relationships between pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG, GWGrate and neonatal birth weight.Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG or GWGrate were associated with neonatal birth weight among Chinese women. Both body weight before and during pregnancy should be maintained within the recommendations to prevent abnormal birth weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential effects of pre-pregnancy body mass (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) on pregnancy outcomes remain unclear. Thus, we investigated socio-demographic characteristics that affect pre-pregnancy BMIs and GWG and the effects of pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on Chinese maternal and infant complications.Methods: 3172 women were enrolled in the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study-Peking Union Medical College from July 25, 2017 to July 24, 2018, whose babies were delivered before December 31, 2018. Regression analysis was employed to evaluate the socio-demographic characteristics affecting pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG values and their effects on adverse maternal and infant complications.Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age groups < 20 years (OR: 1.97), 25-30 years (OR: 1.66), 30-35 years (OR: 2.24), 35-40 years (OR: 3.90) and ≥ 40 years (OR: 3.33) as well as elementary school or education below (OR: 3.53), middle school (OR: 1.53), high school (OR: 1.40), and living in the north (OR: 1.37) were risk factors in maintaining a normal pre-pregnancy BMI. An age range of 30-35 years (OR: 0.76), living in the north (OR: 1.32) and race of ethnic minorities (OR: 1.51) were factors affecting GWG. Overweight (OR: 2.01) and inadequate GWG (OR: 1.60) were risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Overweight (OR: 2.80) and obesity (OR: 5.42) were risk factors for gestational hypertension (GHp). Overweight (OR: 1.92), obesity (OR: 2.48) and excessive GWG (OR: 1.95) were risk factors for macrosomia. Overweight and excessive GWG were risk factors for a large gestational age (LGA) and inadequate GWG was a risk factor for low birth weights.Conclusions: Overweight and obesity before pregnancy and an excessive GWG are associated with a greater risk of developing GDM, GHp, macrosomia and LGA. The control of body weight before and during the course of pregnancy is recommended to decrease adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially in pregnant women aged < 20 or > 25 years old educated below university and college levels, for ethnic minorities and those women who live in the north of China.Trial Registration: Registered at Clinical Trials ( NCT03403543 ), September 29, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, well-defined CHMSs were synthesized through co-hydrolysis of tetraethylsiloxane (TEOS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) template by mesomorphous complexes of hexadecylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). It was demonstrated that the adding amount of APTS in the reaction system played a key role in the formation of the hollow cage-like structure and a possible formation mechanism of CHMSs was proposed. The synthesized CHMSs presented as uniform microsphers with average diameter of 600 nm and possessed tri-model pore structure that were the ordered mesopores (˜3 nm) originated from CPC micelle, the secondary nanopores (˜55 nm) templated by phase separated PAA chain in the silica shell as well as the hollow cavity (several hundred nanometer). At the same time, the co-hydrolysis of APTS resulted in amino groups functionalized silica framework of the CHMSs. Ascribed to the unique structure and the inherent amino groups, the CHMSs were utilized as scaffold for preparation of heterogeneous noble metal nanoparticle catalysts. By choosing the palladium (Pd) as a typical example, 1-Pd@CHSMs catalysts containing 1.0 wt% Pd and uniform distributed small size Pd nanoparticles (˜2.9 nm) were obtained. The catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol demonstrated that the heterogeneous 1-Pd@CHSMs catalyst was efficient and reusable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An immune-related ceRNA network was constructed in RIEI. • Potential immune-related mechanisms and therapeutic agents for RIEI were identified. Radiation-induced esophageal injury (RIEI) is an adverse reaction of radiation therapy in patients with esophageal cancer, lung cancer and other malignant tumors. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network is known to play a significant role in the onset and progression of many diseases, but the exact mechanism of ceRNA in RIEI has not been fully elucidated. In this study, rat esophaguses were obtained after conducting irradiation under different doses (0 Gy, 25 Gy, 35 Gy). Total RNA was extracted and mRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, and miRNA sequencing was performed. Multiple dose-dependent differentially expressed RNAs (dd-DERs), including 870 lncRNAs, 82 miRNAs, 2478 mRNAs, were obtained through the integration of differential expression analysis and dose-dependent screening (35 Gy ≥ 25 Gy > 0 Gy, or 35 Gy ≤ 25 Gy < 0 Gy). Co-expression analysis and prediction of the binding site in dd-DER were conducted and 27 lncRNAs, 20 miRNAs, and 168 mRNAs were selected to construct a ceRNA network. As the immune microenvironment is crucial for RIEI progression, we constructed an immune-related ceRNA network consisting of 11 lncRNAs, 9 miRNAs, and 9 mRNAs. The expression levels of these immune-related RNAs were verified by RT-qPCR. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the RNAs in the immune-related ceRNA network were mainly associated with the proportion of monocytes, M2 macrophages, activated NK cells, and activated CD4+ memory T cells. Drug sensitivity analysis was conducted based on the expression levels of mRNAs in the immune-related ceRNA network, and small molecule drugs with preventive and therapeutic effects on RIEI were identified. In summary, an immune-related ceRNA network associated with RIEI progression was constructed in this study. The findings provide useful information on new potential targets for the prevention and treatment of RIEI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plastic wastes underwent a tough-brittle transition by degradation and modification. • The coal-plastic-water slurry (CPWS) exhibited a pseudo-plastic rheological behavior. • The CPWS with a high solid concentration and calorific value could be obtained. • The comprehensive approach opens up a new way for the utilization of plastic wastes. In this paper, coal-plastic-water slurry (CPWS) was prepared by blending plastic waste with coal in water. To enhance the grindability and density, the plastic waste containing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) was treated by degradation and filling modification. The structures and properties of degraded and modified plastic waste were characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscope (POM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, the mechanical properties of modified plastic waste were tested. It was suitable to use 1.0 wt% K 2 S 2 O 8 as an assistant to degrade the plastic waste at 260° C for 3 h, and 35 wt% CaCO 3 as the filling agent to modify the plastic waste. The results proved that the plastic waste underwent a tough-brittle transition by the combined treatments of degradation and filling modification. When the blending ratio range of plastic waste was from 0 to15 wt%, the CPWS with a high solid concentration greater than 66 wt% and high calorific value could be achieved by using the degraded and modified plastic waste. Additionally, CPWSs exhibited pseudo-plastic rheological behaviors. Based on the research results, a reasonable method for preparation of CPWS and a new way for utilization of plastic waste were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal-semicoke-water slurry (CSWS) was prepared by blending semicoke with coal-water slury (CWS). The effects of semicoke blending ratio and particle size distribution on the properties of CSWS, such as solid concentration, apparent viscosity, static stability and rheological behavior, were investigated. Also, the particle morphology was observed. The results showed that fine coal particles could fill into the partly destroyed semicoke pores, releasing the bound water and turning it into the free water. The CSWS with high concentration and good stability could be obtained by the combined effects of particle filling and gradation. Additional, CSWS exhibited pseudoplastic behavior, that is, the apparent viscosity decreased with the increase of shear rate. Based on the research results, a reasonable method for preparing CSWS and a new way for utilization of semicoke were proposed. [Display omitted] • The lower concentration of SWS is mainly resulted from porous structure of semicoke. • The fine coal particles could fill into semicoke pores, releasing the bound water. • The high performance CSWS can be obtained by particle filling and gradation. • The comprehensive approach opens up a new way for the utilization of semicoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We develop a novel kind of m-PEG-Au@Ag core–shell nanoparticles. [•] m-PEG-Au@Ag nanoparticles showed tunable optical properties. [•] m-PEG-Au@Ag nanoparticles exhibited low cytotoxicity and significant CT contrast ability both in vitro and in vivo. [•] These nanoparticles showed remarkable antibacterial properties to both GN and GP bacteria. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]