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Net photosynthetic rate (Pn) is a common indicator used to measure the efficiency of photosynthesis and growth conditions of plants. In this study, soybeans under different moisture gradients were selected as the research objects. Fourteen vegetation indices (VIS) and five canopy structure characteristics (CSC) (plant height (PH), volume (V), canopy cover (CC), canopy length (L), and canopy width (W)) were obtained using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with three different sensors (visible, multispectral, and LiDAR) at five growth stages of soybeans. Soybean Pn was simultaneously measured manually in the field. The variability of soybean Pn under different conditions and the trend change of CSC under different moisture gradients were analysed. VIS, CSC, and their combinations were used as input features, and four machine learning algorithms (multiple linear regression, random forest, Extreme gradient-boosting tree regression, and ridge regression) were used to perform soybean Pn inversion. The results showed that, compared with the inversion model using VIS or CSC as features alone, the inversion model using the combination of VIS and CSC features showed a significant improvement in the inversion accuracy at all five stages. The highest accuracy (R2 = 0.86, RMSE = 1.73 µmol m−2 s−1, RPD = 2.63) was achieved 63 days after sowing (DAS63). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 3 (TNFAIP8L3 or TIPE3) functions as a transfer protein for lipid second messengers. TIPE3 is highly upregulated in several human cancers and has been established to significantly promote tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibit the apoptosis of cancer cells. Thus, inhibiting the function of TIPE3 is expected to be an effective strategy against cancer. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug development has recently invigorated research in anti-cancer drug development. In this work, we incorporated DFCNN, Autodock Vina docking, DeepBindBC, MD, and metadynamics to efficiently identify inhibitors of TIPE3 from a ZINC compound dataset. Six potential candidates were selected for further experimental study to validate their anti-tumor activity. Among these, three small-molecule compounds (K784-8160, E745-0011, and 7238-1516) showed significant anti-tumor activity in vitro, leading to reduced tumor cell viability, proliferation, and migration and enhanced apoptotic tumor cell death. Notably, E745-0011 and 7238-1516 exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward tumor cells with high TIPE3 expression while having little or no effect on normal human cells or tumor cells with low TIPE3 expression. A molecular docking analysis further supported their interactions with TIPE3, highlighting hydrophobic interactions and their shared interaction residues and offering insights for designing more effective inhibitors. Taken together, this work demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating deep learning and MD simulations in virtual drug screening and provides inhibitors with significant potential for anti-cancer drug development against TIPE3−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea cucumbers frequently expel their guts in response to predators and an aversive environment, a behavior perceived as releasing repellents involved in chemical defense mechanisms. To investigate the chemical nature of the repellent, the viscera of stressed sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus) in the Yellow Sea of China were collected and chemically analyzed. Two novel non-holostane triterpene glycosides were isolated, and the chemical structures were elucidated as 3ꞵ-O-[ꞵ-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-ꞵ-D-xylopyranosyl]-(20S)-hydroxylanosta-7,25-diene-18(16)-lactone (1) and 3ꞵ-O-[ꞵ-D-quinovopyranosyl-(1→2)-ꞵ-D-xylopyranosyl]-(20S)-hydroxylanosta-7,25-diene-18(16)-lactone (2) by spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric analyses, exemplifying a triterpene glycoside constituent of an oligosaccharide containing two sugar-units and a non-holostane aglycone. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to various doses of 1 and 2 from 4 to 96 hpf. Compound 1 exposure showed 96 h-LC50 41.5 µM and an increased zebrafish mortality rates in roughly in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Compound 2, with different sugar substitution, exhibited no mortality and moderate teratogenic toxicity with a 96 h-EC50 of 173.5 µM. Zebrafish embryos exhibited teratogenic effects, such as reduced hatchability and total body length. The study found that triterpene saponin from A. japonicus viscera had acute toxicity in zebrafish embryos, indicating a potential chemical defense role in the marine ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coloading adjuvant drugs or biomacromolecules with photosensitizers into nanoparticles to enhance the efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a common strategy. However, it is difficult to load positively charged photosensitizers and negatively charged adjuvants into the same nanomaterial and further regulate drug release simultaneously. Herein, a single‐component dual‐functional prodrug strategy is reported for tumor treatment specifically activated by tumor microenvironment (TME)‐generated HOCl. A representative prodrug (DHU‐CBA2) is constructed using indomethacin grafted with methylene blue (MB). DHU‐CBA2 exhibited high sensitivity toward HOCl and achieved simultaneous release of dual drugs in vitro and in vivo. DHU‐CBA2 shows effective antitumor activity against lung cancer and spinal metastases via PDT and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibition. Mechanistically, PDT induces immunogenic cell death but stimulates the gene encoding COX‐2. Downstream prostaglandins E2 and Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) mediate immune escape in the TME, which is rescued by the simultaneous release of indomethacin. DHU‐CBA2 promotes infiltration and function of CD8+ T cells, thus inducing a robust antitumor immune response. This work provides an autoboost strategy for a single‐component dual‐functional prodrug activated by TME‐specific HOCl, thereby achieving favorable tumor treatment via the synergistic therapy of PDT and a COX‐2 inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the mechanism of the intervention of total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng (sarcandra[twig and leaf]) on immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) using metabolomics techniques. Methods Using Excel random function, 48 male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the model group, the total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, and the prednisolone acetate group, with 8 rats in each group. Except for the normal control group, rats in other groups were injected intraperitoneally with rabbit anti-rat platelet serum (5 mL/kg) on days 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 to replicate an ITP rat model. Rats in the normal control group were injected intraperitoneally with an equal volume of physiological saline. Drug intervention was given on the modeling day once a day. The total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were gavaged with 31.5, 63.0, and 94.5 mg/kg of total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng, respectively. The prednisolone acetate group was injected intraperitoneally with 10.0 mg/kg of prednisolone acetate. On days 0, 3, 6, and 9, the number of peripheral platelets in each group of rats was dynamically detected. On day 10, the spleen mass was measured and the spleen index was calculated. Screening and identification of differential metabolites in the spleen of rats in each group were carried out using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with four-stage rod time-of-flight mass spectrometry technology and multivariate statistical analysis, and pathway enrichment analysis was conducted. Results Compared with the normal control group, the model group showed a decrease in peripheral blood platelets on days 6 and 9, an increase in spleen mass, and an increase in spleen index(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the number of peripheral platelets on day 6 and 9 of the total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were increased, the spleen mass of the total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng high-dose group was decreased, and the spleen indexes of the total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng medium- and high-dose groups were decreased (P<0.05). Through metabolomics analysis of the spleen, 24 biomarkers related to ITP were identified. Of these, 21 were reduced in the total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng high-dose group, which were mainly involved in linoleic acid metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and glycerol phospholipid metabolism. Conclusion The total flavonoids from Zhongjiefeng may restore the normal regulatory ability of the immune system by regulating spleen linoleic acid metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and glycerol phospholipid metabolism, in order to inhibit excessive platelet destruction and exert a therapeutic effect on ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular saw blade, which is mainly composed of carbon steel, is used to cut the stone. However, the carbon steel is easily corroded in stone processing wastewater, shortening its lifespan. In this study, a new composite inhibitor of sodium nitrite, sodium molybdate, sodium silicate, sodium tungstate, and sodium citrate was investigated firstly, and then, its inhibition efficiency for carbon steel in stone processing wastewater was explored using electrochemical measurements and weight loss measurements. The results showed that the composite inhibitor as a mixed‐type inhibitor displayed good inhibitory performance. Surface analysis including scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, and contact angle test further revealed the form of protection of the steel surface by composite corrosion inhibitors. The prepared composite inhibitor exhibited excellent corrosion resistance for carbon steel in stone processing wastewater, and it is believed that the composite inhibitor has certain application potential in industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modifying effects of polymer on bitumen low-temperature performance are substantially compromised by the thermal breakdown of styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) polymer during bitumen mixture production operations. The efficacy of the utilization of Sasobit/waste cooking oil (Sasobit/WCO) as a warm-mix additive has been demonstrated in mitigating the adverse consequences of thermal aging on SBR-modified bitumen binder (SB) while preserving the binder's original performance characteristics. However, few studies have been conducted to further investigate the rheological properties and aging resistance of SB modified with Sasobit/WCO compounds. In this work, three additives—Sasobit, WCO, and Sasobit/WCO composite—were selected, and their effects on the physical and rheological characteristics of SB as well as the temperatures at which the mixtures were prepared were assessed. In addition, by using dynamic shear rheometers (DSR) and bending beam rheometers (BBR), the effects of this innovative warm-mix addition on the performance grade (PG) and aging resistances of SB were evaluated. According to the results, Sasobit/WCO composites outperform Sasobit and WCO in lowering the mixture preparation temperature. Sasobit/WCO also improves both the high- and low-temperature performance of SB simultaneously. Compared to hot-mix asphalt mixtures, the addition of Sasobit/WCO reduces the preparation temperature of the bitumen mixtures by 19 °C, which in turn helps to minimize the negative effects of temperature aging on the functioning of the SB. Additionally, the Sasobit/WCO composite addition can improve the SB mixture's resistance to thermal cracking. After the introduction of Sasobit/WCO, the high-temperature PG of SB was raised by two levels, regardless of whether the warm-mix impact was taken into account. With the addition of Sasobit/WCO, SB's resilience to short-term aging was enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 2018 Australian Heart Failure (HF) guidelines strongly recommended commencing sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors (SGLT‐2is) in HF patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The uptake of SGLT‐2is for HF patients with T2DM in our health service is unknown. Aims: To determine the adoption of the 2018 HF guidelines by assessing the temporal trends of SGLT‐2is' usage in HF patients with T2DM at Metro South Health (MSH) hospitals, in South‐East Queensland. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all HF patients (ejection fraction (EF) < 50%) with T2DM who were managed within MSH hospitals between June 2018 and June 2021. Results: A total of 666 patients met the inclusion criteria with 918 HF encounters. Mean age was 72 years and 71% were male (473/666). Mean EF was 30% (SD ± 11%), and mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 48 mL/min/1.73 m2 (SD ± 25). Fifty‐four per cent (362/666) had contraindications to SGLT‐2is. Among those without contraindications, there was a five‐fold increase in the utility of SGLT‐2is, 7% (2/29) before versus 38% (103/275) after implementation of the HF guidelines (P < 0.001). Patients on SGLT‐2is were younger (64 years vs 69 years, P = 0.002) and had a lower number of HF hospitalisations (1.1 vs 2.1, P = 0.01). Conclusions: During the study period, 54% of our HF patients with T2DM were not on SGLT‐2is due to prescribing guidelines/limitations in the Australian context. We observed a five‐fold significant increase in the uptake of SGLT‐2is before and after implementation of HF guidelines among patients without contraindications to SGLT‐2is. There were significantly fewer HF hospitalisations among patients on SGLT‐2is compared to those without. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs)-mediated drug delivery is considered as a promising method of overcoming comprehensive complications induced by traditional thrombotic or surgery therapies to treat life-threatening thrombus disease. In this study, a novel strategy of combining focusing and rotating MNPs clusters at the targeted site and finally breaking into pieces controlled by a three-dimensional (3D) alternating magnetic field is investigated for further accelerating thrombolysis numerically and experimentally. By applying alternating currents into a group of 3D magnetic coils, the primarily dispersed MNPs were motivated to aggregate into clusters and move toward to an expected position. During the process, the rotation of MNPs induced a strong vortex around them, which drove the urokinase molecular to fast diffuse to the thrombus. In vitro thrombolysis results display that manipulation of MNPs could effectively improve the thrombolysis to twice as much of the pure thrombotic urokinase. To reduce the risk of blocking the microvessels by the large clusters after thrombolysis, the clusters were controlled to break up by improving the frequency of the alternating magnetic field. The theoretical and numerical analysis of the influence of motion of NPs on the fluid was carried out to throw light upon the basis and showed good consistency with the experimental results. Thus, the rotating and focusing of the MNPs by magnetic field could be a promising alternative for the promotion of the thrombolysis rate in future application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries have emerged as the primary source of power for use in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles in recent years. Monoclinic-phase Li3V2(PO4)3 (LVP) is a potential cathode material for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries owing to its high operating voltage and low cost because of the use of inexpensive elements. Single-phase LVP nano-crystallites coated with carbon were synthesized using the citric-acid gel process. The effects of the amount of carbon coating on the material characteristics and electrochemical performance of LVP are investigated in this study. HR-TEM images indicated that the synthesized LVP crystallites had high crystallinity, and that 5–15-nm-thick amorphous carbon films were coated uniformly on the surfaces of the LVP crystallites. The 11.9% and 14.7% carbon-coated LVP samples exhibited good electrochemical performance with respect to capacity rates, cycle stability, and Coulombic efficiency at charge-discharge voltages of 3.0–4.3 V. For practical applications, we propose the use of 11.9% carbon-coated LVP; it had a high capacity of 114.3 mAh g−1 (0.1 C) and excellent cycle stability with 97% capacity retention after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune suppressive factors of the tumor microenvironment (TME) undermine viability and exhaust the activities of the intratumoral cytotoxic CD8 + T lymphocytes (CTL) thereby evading anti-tumor immunity and decreasing the benefits of immune therapies. To counteract this suppression and improve the efficacy of therapeutic regimens, it is important to identify and understand the critical regulators within CD8 + T cells that respond to TME stress and tumor-derived factors. Here we investigated the regulation and importance of activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4) in CTL using a novel Atf4ΔCD8 mouse model lacking ATF4 specifically in CD8 + cells. Induction of ATF4 in CD8 + T cells occurred in response to antigenic stimulation and was further increased by exposure to tumor-derived factors and TME conditions. Under these conditions, ATF4 played a critical role in the maintenance of survival and activities of CD8 + T cells. Conversely, selective ablation of ATF4 in CD8 + T cells in mice rendered these Atf4ΔCD8 hosts prone to accelerated growth of implanted tumors. Intratumoral ATF4-deficient CD8 + T cells were under-represented compared to wild-type counterparts and exhibited impaired activation and increased apoptosis. These findings identify ATF4 as an important regulator of viability and activity of CD8 + T cells in the TME and argue for caution in using agents that could undermine these functions of ATF4 for anti-cancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coinfection with invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in immunocompromised patients has been reported but is rarely confirmed by tissue histology or autopsy. Serum fungal biomarkers and culture are the primary diagnostic tools but are suboptimal for detecting fungal coinfection. Here, we present the cases of two patients who were immunocompromised due to hematologic malignancy where disseminated aspergillosis and mucormycosis coinfection was only diagnosed upon autopsy despite extensive fungal diagnostic workup, and also review recent literature of such instances of coinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass transition, commonly manifested upon cooling a liquid, is continuous and cooling rate dependent. For decades, the thermodynamic basis in liquid–glass transition has been at the center of debate. Here, long-time isothermal annealing was conducted via molecular dynamics simulations for metallic glasses to explore the connection of physical aging in supercooled liquid and glassy states. An anomalous two-step aging is observed in various metallic glasses, exhibiting features of supercooled liquid dynamics in the first step and glassy dynamics in the second step, respectively. Furthermore, the transition potential energy is independent of initial states, proving that it is intrinsic for a metallic glass at a given temperature. We propose that the observed dynamic transition from supercooled liquid dynamics to glassy dynamics could be glass transition manifested isothermally. On this basis, glass transition is no longer cooling rate dependent, but is shown as a clear phase boundary in the temperature-energy phase diagram. Hence, a modified out-of-equilibrium phase diagram is proposed, providing new insights into the nature of glass transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N–N bonded compounds are a relatively small but valuable group of natural products with a variety of important biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities. Currently, the synthesis of natural products containing N–N bonds is mainly based on chemical synthesis, but the chemical synthesis of N–N bonds may have safety issues and raw material sustainability problems. A variety of N–N bond biosynthetic mechanisms exist in nature, including comproportionation, rearrangement, and radical recombination reactions, which provide ideas for the biosynthesis of many N–N bond compounds. But at this stage, only a few N–N bond synthases have been reported, and difficulties exist in the biosynthesis of N–N bond-containing compounds. The new N–N-bond synthase PAI2, which was found to catalyze the synthesis of piperazinic acid, expands the family of N–N-bond synthases and provides better catalytic activity and different enzymatic properties for the substrate L-N5-hydroxyornithine than the known enzyme KtzT derived from the piperazinic acid biosynthetic gene cluster of Kutzneria sp. 744. Moreover, PAI2 was found to have the ability to catalyze the formation of C–N bonds in Pro. • The N–N-bond synthase PAI2 was found for the first time to catalyze the synthesis of piperazinic acid. • The PAI2 had better catalytic activity and different enzymatic properties compared with KtzT. • PAI2 was found to have the ability to catalyze the formation of C–N bonds in Pro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To provide insight into the characteristics and treatment outcomes of children and adolescents accessing outpatient Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS), and to explore whether outcomes differ by age, sex, and ancestry background. This information can guide how to optimize the treatment delivered at these services. Methods: An observational retrospective study was performed based on data from 3098 children and adolescents between age 5 and 18 who received treatment at Brisbane, Australia, community CYMHS between 2013–2018. Patient characteristics, service use, and clinician and parent rated Routine Outcome Measures (ROM) were extracted from electronic health records. Results: Anxiety and mood disorders were the most common mental disorders (37% and 19%). In 1315 children and adolescents (42%), two or more disorders were diagnosed, and the far majority (88%) had experienced at least one psychosocial stressor. The ROM scores improved between start and end of treatment with Cohen's d effect sizes of around 0.9. However, ~50% of the children still scored in the clinical range at the end of treatment. Outcomes did not differ over gender and Indigenous status. Conclusions: Children and adolescents accessing CYMHS have severe and complex mental disorders as reflected by high rates of comorbidity, exposure to adverse circumstances and high symptom scores at the start of treatment. Despite the clinically relevant and substantial improvement, end ROM scores indicated the presence of residual symptoms. As this increases the risk for relapse, services should explore ways to improve treatment to further reduce mental health symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in the number of cardiovascular patients in China, this paper must use better detection methods to examine these patients. Blood lipid testing is a quantitative method for the determination of lipids contained in blood (plasma). Blood lipids are the general term for neutral fats (triglycerides and cholesterol) and lipids (phospholipids, glycolipids, sterols, and steroids) in plasma, which are widely present in the human body. At the same time, this paper also applies this technology to different examination procedures at various current stages. Cardiovascular disease, also known as circulatory system disease, is a series of diseases involving the circulatory system. The circulatory system refers to the organs and tissues that transport blood in the human body, mainly including the heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins, and microvessels), which can be subdivided into acute and chronic and are generally related to arteriosclerosis. In recent years, the most widely used is blood lipid measurement. Therefore, this paper proposes a study on the safety evaluation and effect analysis of blood lipid testing in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease patients. This article focuses on the causes of cardiovascular disease and introduces the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of blood lipid detection. Combined with the deep learning method combined with wavelet analysis and support vector machine (SVM), the in-depth analysis is carried out, and suitable patients are selected for blood lipid detection. The final experimental results showed that apolipoprotein B (APOB), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and other indicators were significantly different from the control group. The values of apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were significantly different from those in the control group, P < 0.05. This shows that blood lipid examination has a good effect on the diagnosis of cardiovascular patients; it can make accurate diagnosis and prediction of the patient's condition and has good clinical application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two imine‐based covalent organic framework photocatalysts with different building units, TPB‐DMTA‐COF and TAT‐DMTA‐COF, for photo‐induced energy transfer reversible complexation‐mediated radical polymerization (PET‐RCMP) were developed and investigated, producing ideal polymers with accurate molecular weight and moderate dispersity under visible light irradiation. The chain extension and spatiotemporal control experiments revealed the high chain‐end fidelity of polymers and the compatibility of RCMP processes in both bulk and aqueous system. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations verified that heteroatom‐doped TAT‐DMTA‐COF exhibits higher activities for weakening C−I bond energy barrier, which promotes PET‐RCMP polymerization performance. This work demonstrates that rational adjustment of building block for constructing COF heterogeneous photocatalyst can enhance the catalytic performance of PET‐RCMP, providing a design methodology for the development of polymeric organic photoelectric semiconductor catalysts to mediate RCMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two imine‐based covalent organic framework photocatalysts with different building units, TPB‐DMTA‐COF and TAT‐DMTA‐COF, for photo‐induced energy transfer reversible complexation‐mediated radical polymerization (PET‐RCMP) were developed and investigated, producing ideal polymers with accurate molecular weight and moderate dispersity under visible light irradiation. The chain extension and spatiotemporal control experiments revealed the high chain‐end fidelity of polymers and the compatibility of RCMP processes in both bulk and aqueous system. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations verified that heteroatom‐doped TAT‐DMTA‐COF exhibits higher activities for weakening C−I bond energy barrier, which promotes PET‐RCMP polymerization performance. This work demonstrates that rational adjustment of building block for constructing COF heterogeneous photocatalyst can enhance the catalytic performance of PET‐RCMP, providing a design methodology for the development of polymeric organic photoelectric semiconductor catalysts to mediate RCMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UV-curing low dielectric materials exhibit wide applications in the field of additive manufacturing of electronic packaging, owing to their environmental protection, good thermal stability, low dielectric constant (D k), and dielectric loss (D f). Wherein, one-step UV curing realizes process simplification of low dielectric materials gradually sparked widespread research. In this work, a series of novel naphthalene-based low dielectric materials were prepared for one-step UV curing. The double bond conversion rate of resins exceeds 90 % in a short time and the resins perform exceptional dielectric properties (D k < 2.8, D f < 0.009, 110 MHz), high thermal stability (T 5% > 270 °C), and hydrophobicity (water contact angle > 95°). Notably, 1,6-naphthalene dimethacrylate/Trihydroxymethylbutyl trimethylacrylate (1,6-NEA/TMPTA) suggests lowest dielectric performance (D k = 2.19, D f = 0.005) with significant thermal stability (T g = 190 °C, T 5% = 367.4 °C) because the π-π conjugation of the asymmetric structure of 1,6-NEA, which allows for a greater variety of stacking patterns and increases the effective collisions between the reactive sites of the photosensitive monomer and the reactive diluent. This work has revealed the structure-activity relationship between the substituents on naphthalene derivatives and their photochemical properties, providing a novel methodology for the development of low dielectric electronic packaging materials through additive manufacturing techniques. A series of naphthalene-based with low dielectric resins were designed and synthesized for fabricating electronic packaging materials by one step UV-curing. The structure-activity relationship between the physicochemical properties of naphthalyl resin and the substitution site was thoroughly discussed. This work provides a new methodology for the preparation raw materials toward additive manufacturing. [Display omitted] • The present work has successfully achieved instantaneous ultraviolet curing of low-dielectric naphthalene-based resins at various locations. • 1,6-NEA/TMPTA structure enhances naphthyl stacking, tightens molecular packing, and creates a dense cross-link network. • The developed naphthalene-based photosensitive resins are anticipated for use in additive manufacturing of low-dielectric electronic packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the current state of global carbon emissions, China has proposed the objectives of achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. To meet the requirement of zero-carbon and achieve the application of pure ammonia fuel in low-speed two-stroke marine engines, this paper proposes the Groove Diversion-Assist Ignition (GDAI) combustion system, which can effectively control the temperature, fuel distribution, and flow rate in the spark plug region near the top dead center and finally achieve the spark ignition of pure ammonia without any change in compression ratio and scavenging temperature. At the same time, the boundary conditions for the ignition of ammonia fuel have also been studied. The results show that enhancing the initial temperature can alleviate the requirement for spark ignition energy, and a minimum energy level of 75 mJ remains necessary for effective spark ignition of ammonia. Furthermore, the utilization of spark ignition of ammonia fuel can achieve a maximum thermal efficiency of 51.32%, representing a 2.8% increase in overall thermal efficiency compared to the diesel mode. Additionally, the application of ammonia fuel can relief the NOx emissions compare to diesel fuel, which provides a new and effective utilization way for the application of ammonia fuel on the marine engine. • The Groove Diversion-Assist Ignition combustion system was proposed. • A minimum energy of 75 mJ is necessary for effective spark ignition of ammonia. • The ammonia engine can provide a 2.8% enhancement in thermal efficiency. • The use of ammonia fuel can relief the NOx emissions compare to diesel fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a general way, there is a contradictory between dielectric constant (ε r) and breakdown strength (E b) in dielectric materials, and improving the discharge energy density (U d) of dielectric polymers has become a great challenge. The semicrystalline ferroelectric polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is favored for its high ε r , but its relatively weak E b in amorphous regions makes it still difficult to obtain appreciable U d. In response to the fact that the current method of introducing rigid chain amorphous polymers into the amorphous regions of PVDF has limited capability to enhance its E b , in this work, due to the crystallization induced phase separation, carbonated polymer dots (CPDs) as well as PMMA were introduced into the amorphous region of PVDF, and CPDs/PVDF/PMMA composites were prepared towards high E b and U d. It is confirmed that, CPDs significantly increase the entanglement density of molecular chains in amorphous regions of PVDF; in addition, CPDs rely on their inorganic carbon cores with unique electrical properties to resist carrier migration in amorphous regions of PVDF under high electric fields. In brief, CPDs are used as a reinforcing agent for the amorphous region of PVDF to further enhance its E b and U d. The composite loaded with 0.1 wt% CPDs exhibits the superior U d of 12.4 J/cm3 at the E b of 652.0 MV/m. This work provides new understanding on the dielectric response of ultrasmall-sized CPDs on polymer dielectrics, which could help us design new dielectric polymer composites with suppressed segmental motions for high breakdown strength and high energy density applications. [Display omitted] • CPDs were introduced into the amorphous region of PVDF by PMMA. • Blocking effect of CPDs significantly suppresses the leakage current through the amorphous region. • The composite films exhibit higher breakdown strength and improved energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quench has always been an urgent problem for high temperature superconductor (HTS) magnets. Fast discharge of the coil current is an effective method to protect the HTS magnet from quenching. In HTS magnets, metal plates are originally used to provide conduction cooling and mechanical support for the coil. During fast discharging operations, the metal plates can rapidly absorb part of the magnetic energy stored in the HTS coils through electromagnetic coupling. Previous studies are based on copper plates. This paper studies the influence of several promising metal materials on the discharging process of the HTS coils coupled with metal plates by experiments and simulations. The results show that in the explored resistance range, the higher the electrical conductivity of the metal plates, the better the acceleration of the current attenuation of coil at the early stage of discharging process. The effects of different metal plates on accelerating current attenuation of the coil are ranked as follows: SS 304L < Al 6061-T6 < Al (RRR = 30) < Cu (RRR = 30) < Au < Cu (RRR = 300) < Ag. However, Cu (RRR = 300) plates can absorb more energy from the HTS coil than the Ag plates during the discharging process. Copper with higher purity (Cu (RRR = 300)) and silver are promising alternatives for metal plates of HTS magnets. Generally, a fast current drop is always the most effective method for avoiding tape turn-out during a local quench; therefore, silver with the highest electrical conductivity is the best choice in view of quench protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir computing (RC) system, featured by its recursive structure, has been utilized for temporal signal processing, offering both low power consumption and high computational speed. This work reports on a novel input delay reservoir computing (ID-RC) system based on the oxide memristors, which can be applied to temporal signal prediction. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed in the ID-RC system to obtain optimal hyperparameters for multi-step prediction in the Mackey-Glass task, with a normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE) of only 0.09 at the 20th step. Significantly, by employing the ID-RC system in temporal signal prediction of the Hénon map and the nonlinear autoregressive moving average (NARMA10), small NRMSEs of 0.047 and 0.017 were achieved, respectively. The memristor-based ID-RC system turns out to be highly promising in forecasting of chaotic time series. [Display omitted] • A new architecture of input delay reservoir computing system (ID-RC) based on memristor has been proposed. • Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our ID-RC system over the delay feedback reservoir (DFR) computing system. • The introduction of the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) to automatically search for optimal hyperparameters has achieved low Normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) for multi-step prediction of the Mackey-Glass temporal signal. • Utilizing this ID-RC system for Hénon map and NARMA10 temporal signal predictions also achieved low NRMSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wireless propagation model is important for accurate 5 G network deployment. However, the traditional wireless propagation model is faced with the problems of limited application scenarios, unstable prediction results and high marginal cost of improving accuracy. In order to solve these problems, this paper constructs new features from the original data from different angles, and uses the random forest model to select the core features, which are used to train the fusion model based on the linear weighted summation of regression models such as KNN, LightGBM, and Bagging. After training, the final fusion model is obtained, it solves the problems faced by traditional wireless propagation models. The results and analysis show that the fusion model outperforms the traditional wireless propagation models and the single models that constitutes the fusion model in terms of prediction accuracy and stability, and is not limited by scenarios and easy to deploy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a recrudescent and chronic inflammatory disease. Artesunate (ART) has shown its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties in severe diseases, including UC. The present study investigates the molecular mechanisms for effects of ART on UC, and the role of miR-155 in this process. The in vitro UC model was established by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. For BALB/c mice model, different concentrations/doses of ART were treated once a day for 7 days. The apoptosis and viability were measured by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assay, respectively. The expressions and concentrations of inflammatory factors were detected by qRT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Colon tissues of mice were used for detecting the activity of MPO, and the histological changes were observed by H&E staining. The IC50 of ART for RAW264.7 cells was 107.3 μg/mL. In LPS-induced cells, ART treatment inhibited the cell apoptosis and promoted cell viability compared with the model group. Besides, ART treatment also reduced the expressions of pro-inflammatory factors and miR-155. However, overexpression of miR-155 showed opposite effects and attenuated the effects of ART. Meanwhile, inhibiting miR-155 expression also improved the inflammatory response induced by LPS. In UC mice model, ART treatment also alleviated the mice's survival and alleviated the inflammatory response. In addition, the expression of p-NF-κB was suppressed by ART. ART reduced the inflammatory response by inhibiting the expression of miR-155 in UC to inhibit the NF-κB pathway. This research showed ART might have potential in UC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a class of promising photocatalysts for conversing light energy into chemical energy. Based on the tunable building blocks, COFs can be well‐designed as photocatalyst for mediating reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Herein, 1,3,6,8‐tetrakis(4‐formylphenyl)pyrene (TFPPy) and 2,2″‐bipyridine‐5,5″‐diamine (Bpy) are chosen to construct imine‐based TFPPy‐Bpy‐COFs for catalyzing RAFT polymerization of methacrylates under white light irradiation. The well‐defined polymers with precise molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution are obtained. The switch on/off light experiments suggest excellent temporal control toward RAFT polymerization system and the chain‐extension reaction indicates high chain‐end fidelity of macro‐initiators. Mechanism study clarifies that the electron transfer between excited state of TFPPy‐Bpy‐COFs and RAFT agent can form living radicals to mediate polymerization. This methodology provides a novel platform for reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization using COFs as heterogeneous catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective macroautophagy/autophagy in metazoans involves the conserved receptors NBR1 and SQSTM1/p62. Both autophagy receptors manage ubiquitinated cargo recognition, while SQSTM1 has an additional, distinct role of facilitating liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) during autophagy. Given that plants lack SQSTM1, it is postulated that plant NBR1 may combine activities of both metazoan NBR1 and SQSTM1. However, the precise mechanism by which plant NBR1 recognizes non-ubiquitinated substrates and its ability to undergo LLPS during selective autophagy remain elusive. Here, we implicate both the ZZ-type zinc finger motif and the four-tryptophan domain of Arabidopsis NBR1 (AtNBR1) in the recognition of non-ubiquitinated cargo proteins. Additionally, we reveal that AtNBR1 indeed undergoes LLPS prior to ATG8-mediated autophagosome formation, crucial for heat stress resistance in Arabidopsis. Our findings unveil the dual roles of AtNBR1 in both cargo recognition and LLPS during plant autophagy and advance our understanding of NBR1-mediated autophagy in plants compared to metazoans.Abbreviations: ATG8: autophagy 8; Co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; EXO70E2: exocyst subunit EXO70 family protein E2; FRAP: fluorescence recovery after photobleaching; FW domain: four-tryptophan domain; GFP: green fluorescent protein; HS: heat stress; LLPS: liquid-liquid phase separation; LIR: LC3-interacting region; NBR1: next to BRCA1 gene 1; PAS: phagophore assembly site; PB1 domain: Phox and Bem1 domain; RFP: red fluorescent protein; ROF1: rotamase FKBP 1; SARs: selective autophagy receptors; UBA domain: ubiquitin-associated domain; Y2H: yeast two-hybrid; ZZ domain: ZZ-type zinc finger motif domain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Bacillus licheniformis CQN‐12, B. amyloliquefaciens CQN‐2, and B. subtilis CQN‐39 originally isolated from the gut of a healthy sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus), on the growth performance, gut microbiota and immune response of sea cucumbers (A. japonicus). Sea cucumbers were fed a commercial pellet feed supplemented with B. licheniformis CQN‐12, B. amyloliquefaciens CQN‐2 or B. subtilis CQN‐39 at different concentrations (0 (control), 107 and 109 CFU/g respectively), for 60 days. Our results revealed that that dietary B. licheniformis CQN‐12 and B. amyloliquefaciens CQN‐2 (107 CFU/g optimal concentration) enhanced growth performance, up‐regulated innate immunity and altered microbial colonization in the gut of sea cucumbers whereas dietary B. subtilis CQN‐39 had no significant effect. Furthermore, diets supplemented with an optimal concentration of B. licheniformis CQN‐12 and B. amyloliquefaciens CQN‐2 stimulated the mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase, lysozyme, and catalase. In conclusion, our study suggests that B. licheniformis CQN‐12 and B. amyloliquefaciens CQN‐2 could be used in feed supplements for healthier production of sea cucumbers in artificial farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aim of this study was to confirm the protective effects of EA on focal cerebral ischemia (FCI)-induced injury and the possible mechanism. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats served as the FCI model and were divided into the sham, model, EA, AG490 and EA+AG490 groups. Rats in the EA and EA+AG490 groups were acupunctured at the Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) acupoints, and those in the AG490 and EA+AG490 groups were administered an intracerebroventricular injection of AG490 (a Janus-tyrosine kinase-2 (JAK-2) phosphorylation inhibitor). Neurological deficits and morphological changes in the ischemic cortex were observed through neurological deficit scoring and HE staining, respectively, and neuronal apoptosis was examined using the TUNEL assay. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe neuronal ultrastructure, and HIF-1α, erythropoietin (EPO), phosphorylated (p)-JAK2, p-STAT5, HSP70, Bax and Bcl-2 expression was measured by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: FCI model rats showed obvious neurological deficits and neuronal apoptosis compared with sham rats. EA alleviated FCI-induced neurological deficits, improved neuronal ultrastructure, reduced neuronal apoptosis, and induced HIF-1α, EPO, p-JAK2, p-STAT5, HSP70 and Bcl-2 expression in a time-dependent manner. In contrast, AG490 treatment impaired the effects of EA on neurological deficits, neuronal apoptosis and HIF-1α, EPO, p-JAK2, p-STAT5, HSP70, Bax and Bcl-2 expression. Conclusion: EA at GV20 and GV14 could improve neurological deficits and reduce neuronal apoptosis, thereby improving FCI-induced injury, which may be related to enhancing the EPO-JAK2-STAT5 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Systematically evaluate the efficacy of physical ablation combined with TKI in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. We performed a comprehensive search of databases including OVID, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and three Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and Chongqing Weipu Database). The aim was to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) investigating physical ablation as the treatment for advanced NSCLC. We also evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies and summarized the data extracted for meta-analysis with Review Manager 5.3. Results. A total of 9 studies, including 752 patients, were evaluable. The meta-analysis results show that the complete response rate (CRR) (RR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1. 46 to 3.40, P 0.01), partial response rate (PRR) (RR: −2.25, 95% CI: 1.41 to 3.59, P 0.01), and disease control rate (DCR) (RR: −2.80, 95% CI: 1.64 to 4.80, P < 0.01) of patients with advanced NSCLC who received physical ablation combined with TKI therapy were higher than those who did not receive physical ablation therapy. The control groups from seven of the studies had a total of 606 patients with targeted therapies and chemotherapy. The complete response rate was (CRR) (RR: 2.48, 2.4895% CI: 1.55 to 2.47, P 0.01), partial response rate (PRR) (RR: −1.66, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.31, P < 0.01), and disease control rate (DCR) (RR: −2.68, 95% CI: 1.41 to 5.06, P < 0.01) for patients with advanced NSCLC who had received physical ablation combined with targeted therapies and chemotherapy, compared to patients who had not received physical ablation therapy. This difference was statistically significant. Above all, these results showed that the clinical efficacy of physical ablation combined EGFR-TKIs therapy (regardless of whether it was combined with chemotherapy) was better than that of EGFR-TKIs therapy alone. Conclusion. Physical ablation combined with TKI treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC can improve efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic salts with multiple anions have recently received increasing interest in view of their structural diversity and multifunctional properties, and oxysulfides are one type of such salts. Here, three novel oxysulfides Y2Zr2S3O4 (1), Y2Hf2S3O4 (2), and Tm2Z2S3O4 (3) are obtained by high-temperature solid-state reactions. They crystallize with the orthorhombic space group Pbam and their three-dimensional structures featuring MS3O4 (M = Zr, Hf) motifs built an unprecedented {[M2S3O4]8−}∞ wrinkle layer. Their optical band gaps are determined and 3 shows antiferromagnetic-like behavior. Theoretical calculations suggest their direct band gaps and the electron transfer between the frontier orbitals mainly occurred from S-3p and O-2p, to Y-4d and Zr-4d/Hf-5d orbitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a model of the local displacement speed for the large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent premixed combustion with the flame surface density (FSD) method. This model accounts for flame stretch and curvature effects in order to improve the prediction of LES–FSD for turbulent premixed flames with the non-unity Lewis number at high pressures. The proposed model is validated by a priori and a posteriori tests, with the direct numerical simulation (DNS) and LES–FSD of statistically planar turbulent premixed flames of lean hydrogen at 1 and 10 atm and a range of turbulence intensities. The a priori test confirms that the proposed model accurately estimates the negative correlation of the displacement speed and the flame curvature. In the a posteriori test, the comparison of DNS and LES–FSD results demonstrates that the proposed model improves the prediction on the turbulent burning velocity and the turbulent flame thickness, compared with those from the existing displacement–speed model. The stretch effect in the present model leads to the rise of the turbulent burning velocity and the suppression of the "bending" phenomenon in LES–FSD, consistent with the DNS result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischaemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is associated with an increase in both mortality and congestive heart failure in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Intervention for moderate to severe IMR involves either valve repair or replacement. The ideal option is yet to be fully defined with relatively poor long-term survival being noted in the literature.Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted to review the outcomes of patients undergoing CABG in combination with either mitral valve repair (MVr) or mitral valve replacement (MVR) for concurrent coronary artery disease with moderate to severe IMR at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane between the years 2002 to 2015.Results: One hundred and five (105) patients were included, 81 patients (77%) undergoing CABG and MVr and 24 patients (23%) undergoing CABG and MVR. There was no difference in 30-day mortality between the two groups (1% in MVr and 0% in MVR, p=0.589), however patients in the MVr group were significantly more likely, in univariate and multivariate analysis, to develop at least moderate MR (40% v. 8%, p=0.006). The 5-year survival was 87% and 55% at 10 years.Conclusions: In patients undergoing CABG and mitral valve intervention for IMR, long-term mortality remains high. There was no difference in short- or long-term mortality between repair and replacement although recurrence of at least moderate mitral regurgitation was significantly higher with mitral valve repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Micro-explosion of emulsion droplets with nanoparticles is studied experimentally. • Nanoparticles greatly improve the strength and probability of micro-explosion. • Droplets with carbon nanoparticles have large absorbance and intense vaporization. • Nanoparticle agglomeration during droplet evaporation intensifies micro-explosion. • Increasing nanoparticle and water contents can promote micro-explosion occurrence. Compared with traditional fuels, emulsified fuels can improve fuel atomization and combustion, and nanoparticles as additives have the potential to enhance combustion and reduce emissions. Previous studies on micro-explosion mainly considered emulsion droplets, but the role of nanoparticles in emulsion droplets is still unclear. In this study, we experimentally investigate the micro-explosion of emulsion droplets with nanoparticles via high-speed photography, digital image processing, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the presence of nanoparticles can greatly improve the strength and probability of micro-explosion, particularly for carbon nanoparticles. This is mainly because nanoparticles can agglomerate during the evaporation of emulsion droplets, facilitate the absorption of radiation energy, inhibit the diffusion of superheated vapor, and ultimately promote micro-explosion. The effects of nanoparticle mass fraction and water content are also investigated, and the results show that the increase of nanoparticles and water can facilitate micro-explosion. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a significant number of mortalities worldwide. COVID-19 poses a serious threat to human life. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are diverse and severe and 20% of infected patients are reported to be in a critical condition. A loss in lung function and pulmonary fibrosis are the main manifestations of patients with the severe form of the disease. The lung function is affected, even after recovery, thereby greatly affecting the psychology and well-being of patients, and significantly reducing their quality of life. Methods: Participants must meet the following simultaneous inclusion criteria: over 18 years of age, should have recovered from severe or critical COVID-19 cases, should exhibit pulmonary fibrosis after recovery, and should exhibit Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome as indicated in the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The eligible candidates will be randomized into treatment or control groups. The treatment group will receive modern medicine (pirfenidone) plus TCM whereas the control group will be administered modern medicine plus TCM placebo. The lung function index will be continuously surveyed and recorded. By comparing the treatment effect between the two groups, the study intend to explore whether TCM can improve the effectiveness of modern medicine in patients with pulmonary fibrosis arising as a sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Discussion: Pulmonary fibrosis is one of fatal sequelae for some severe or critical COVID-19 cases, some studies reveal that pirfenidone lead to a delay in the decline of forced expiratory vital capacity, thereby reducing the mortality partly. Additionally, although TCM has been proven to be efficacious in treating pulmonary fibrosis, its role in treating pulmonary fibrosis related COVID-19 has not been explored. Hence, a multicenter, parallel-group, randomized controlled, interventional, prospective clinical trial has been designed and will be conducted to determine if a new comprehensive treatment for pulmonary fibrosis related to COVID-19 is feasible and if it can improve the quality of life of patients. Trial registration: This multicenter, parallel-group, randomized controlled, interventional, prospective trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000033284) on 26th May 2020 (prospective registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na–Ca co-doping modified g-C3N4 were prepared through the one pot thermal polymerization under a mixture consisting of melamine and sodium chloride-calcium chloride bi-component metal salt in different proportions. The photocatalytic NOX degradation performance of prepared samples were assessed by NOX toxicity. The results showed that the lowest NOX toxicity of co-doping modified g-C3N4 is 3.49 and 1.77 times than that of Na and Ca single-doping modified g-C3N4 when the weight ratio of melamine to metal salt was 1:0.3. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), N2 adsorption–desorption were used to characterize the crystalline structures and morphologies of products. Infrared spectrum analyzer (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the effects of Na–Ca on the chemical composition of products. And the optical performance of products was characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectra (UV–Vis) and optical luminescence (PL). The results showed that Na–Ca co-doping had a synergic effect on NOX degradation. The larger surface area is equivalent to the increase of photocatalyst dosage. Sodium doping increases NO degradation efficiency by promoting redox capacity and the separation of electron-hole pairs, calcium doping can enhance the chemisorption of NO2 because of the generation of CaCO3 and thus reduce the emission of NO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Working in an underground tunnel environment is unavoidable in professions such as miners and tunnel workers, and there is a concern about the health of these workers. Few studies have addressed alterations in the intestinal microbiome of workers within that environment. Results: Fecal samples were collected from the workers before they entered the tunnel (baseline status, BS) and after they left the tunnel (exposed status, ES), respectively (a time period of 3 weeks between them). We analyzed 16S rRNA sequencing to show the changes in microbial composition and self-evaluation of mental health questionnaire was also performed. The results showed that Shannon and Simpson indices decreased significantly from BS to ES. A higher abundance was found in the phylum Actinobacteria, classes Actinobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria, orders Bifidobacteriales, Coriobacteriales, and Desulfovibrionales, families Bifidobacteriaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, Clostridiaceae_1, Desulfovibrionaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Microbacteriaceae, and genera Bifidobacterium, Romboutsia, Clostridium sensu stricto, and Leucobacter in ES, while BS showed greater levels of genera Faecalibacterium and Roseburia. The self-evaluation showed that at least one-half of the tunnel workers experienced one or more symptoms of mental distress (inattention, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, headache or dizziness, irritability) after working in the underground tunnel environment. Conclusions: Collectively, the underground tunnel environment led to alterations in the intestinal microbiome, which might be relevant to symptoms of mental distress in underground-tunnel workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeability is one of the most important engineering properties of clayey soil. However, the traditional method for determining the permeability coefficient is time-consuming. To establish a simple and accurate predictive method to obtain the permeability coefficient of artificial clayey soil based on the double cut-off transverse relaxation times (T2 cut-offs) using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, eight kinds of artificial clayey soil with different mineralogical compositions were prepared in the laboratory. Evaporation tests at 40°C were carried out on the saturated artificial clayey soil samples in an oven. During the evaporation process, NMR tests were also performed on the artificial clayey soil every hour. The results showed that the evaporation process could be divided into three stages according to different evaporation rates: the constant rate stage (CRS), the falling rate stage (FRS), and the residual stage (RS). The water evaporated in the CRS and FRS was defined as the absolute movable water and the partially movable water, respectively. The water that could not evaporate in the RS was defined as the immovable water. Based on the cumulative signal amplitudes in the T2 spectrum corresponding to different kinds of water, the double T2 cut-offs were defined. On the basis of the double T2 cut-offs and T2 spectrum of the saturated sample, an improved Timur–Coates (TC) model was established. The prediction capability of the improved model was evaluated by finding the determination coefficient (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and root-mean-square error (RMSE). Compared with the typical TC model, the prediction accuracy of the improved model was much higher. In addition, the relationships between the double T2 cut-offs and fractal dimension (D) of the T2 spectrum of saturated artificial clayey soil were also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeability is one of the most important engineering properties of clayey soil. However, the traditional method for determining the permeability coefficient is time-consuming. To establish a simple and accurate predictive method to obtain the permeability coefficient of artificial clayey soil based on the double cut-off transverse relaxation times (T2 cut-offs) using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, eight kinds of artificial clayey soil with different mineralogical compositions were prepared in the laboratory. Evaporation tests at 40°C were carried out on the saturated artificial clayey soil samples in an oven. During the evaporation process, NMR tests were also performed on the artificial clayey soil every hour. The results showed that the evaporation process could be divided into three stages according to different evaporation rates: the constant rate stage (CRS), the falling rate stage (FRS), and the residual stage (RS). The water evaporated in the CRS and FRS was defined as the absolute movable water and the partially movable water, respectively. The water that could not evaporate in the RS was defined as the immovable water. Based on the cumulative signal amplitudes in the T2 spectrum corresponding to different kinds of water, the double T2 cut-offs were defined. On the basis of the double T2 cut-offs and T2 spectrum of the saturated sample, an improved Timur–Coates (TC) model was established. The prediction capability of the improved model was evaluated by finding the determination coefficient (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and root-mean-square error (RMSE). Compared with the typical TC model, the prediction accuracy of the improved model was much higher. In addition, the relationships between the double T2 cut-offs and fractal dimension (D) of the T2 spectrum of saturated artificial clayey soil were also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous alloys or metallic glasses (MGs) thin films have attracted extensive attention in various fields due to their unique functional properties. Here, we use in situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the thermal stability and crystallization behavior of Pd-Au-Si thin films prepared by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. Upon heating treatment inside a TEM, we trace the structural changes in the Pd-Au-Si thin films through directly recording high-resolution images and diffraction patterns at different temperatures. TEM observations reveal that the Pd-Au-Si thin films started to nucleate with small crystalline embryos uniformly distributed in the glassy matrix upon approaching the glass transition temperature T g = 625 K , and subsequently, the growth of crystalline nuclei into sub-10 nm Pd-Si nanocrystals commenced. Upon further increasing the temperature to 673 K , the thin films transformed to micro-sized patches of stacking-faulty lamellae that further crystallized into Pd 9 Si 2 and Pd 3 Si intermetallic compounds. Interestingly, with prolonged thermal heating at elevated temperatures, the Pd 9 Si 2 transformed to Pd 3 Si . Simultaneously, the solute Au atoms initially dissolved in glassy alloys and eventually precipitated out of the Pd 9 Si 2 and Pd 3 Si intermetallics, forming nearly spherical Au nanocrystals. Our TEM results reveal the unique thermal stability and crystallization processes of the PLD-prepared Pd-Au-Si thin films as well as demonstrate a possibility of producing a large quantity of pure nanocrystals out of amorphous solids for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable materials in the field of road pavement have become a research direction in recent years. In this study, the rice husk ash with small dosage of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) was added as a bioadditive into the base asphalt to modify its properties. Different contents (0, 2, 5, 10, and 15%) of rice husk ash (RHA) and 1% of SBS were selected to prepare the modified asphalt. Penetration, softening point, ductility, rotational viscosity test, and temperature sweep test were conducted to investigate the properties of SBS/RHA-modified asphalt binder. Rutting test, moisture susceptibility, and low-temperature cracking were utilized to evaluate the performances of SBS/RHA-modified asphalt mixture. The results showed that the penetration decreased and the softening point and rotational viscosity enhanced while the ductility slightly decreased with the incorporation of rice husk ash. The SBS/RHA-modified asphalt mixture had better high-temperature performance than that of the virgin asphalt mixture but slightly lower moisture stability and low temperature performance. The tensile strength ratio of the virgin and modified asphalt mixture met the requirement of specification. The tensile strain of mixture SR15 was lower than the requirement for the asphalt mixtures on the basis of the specification. For the SBS/RHA-modified asphalt binder based on the comprehensive properties, the content of rice husk ash should not be higher than 15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suspendome has been widely employed in large-span space structures in recent years, and it has stronger structural stiffness and higher load-carrying capacity than single-layer spherical reticulated shell. In general, it is negligible for enhancement of load-carrying capacity to integrate cables and struts into the inner ring of reticulated shell. Based on the suspendome structure, a new hybrid space structure system, namely, cable-supported reticulated shell with tension member, is proposed in this study. To elucidate and verify its feasibility, the buckling mode and buckling form are obtained by the eigenvalue buckling analysis and nonlinear buckling analysis using ANSYS package, respectively. Furthermore, to determine the optimal structural form, this article investigates the effect of the main ribbed strut length, the initial geometric imperfection, asymmetric load, pretension in cables, and the material nonlinearity on its stability. The result shows that the proposed new structural system is of high load-carrying capacity. Tension member integrated to cable-supported reticulated shell can effectively improve the overall stiffness and greatly reduce the deformation of spherical reticulated shell. The plastic failure shape occurs with the similar pattern. The instable region mainly occurs on the main ribs with tension members, and each main rib only has one local failure dimple. The load-carrying capacity is remarkably affected by the asymmetric load, the initial geometric imperfection, and material nonlinearity. Based on the parametric analyses, Type C is the optimal choice, that is, appending cables and struts to the outermost ring of single-layer spherical reticulated shell, and arranging out-of-plane tension members under the four main ribs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PolyQ overexpression sensitizes tumor cells to NK cell cytolysis through inducing accumulation of misfolded proteins. • Abnormal transcriptome changes induced by polyQ protein predisposes tumor cells to death upon NK cell cytolysis. • PolyQ protein in NK cells compromises NK cell cytolytic activity through inducing an exhaustion-like status. Patients with Huntington's diseases display reduced tumor incidence mediated by unclear mechanisms. Besides, the effects of characteristic overexpression of 97 polyglutamine protein (polyQ protein) on tumor surveillance by the host immune system have not been investigated. NK cells are cytotoxic innate lymphocytes that sense and kill stressed and transformed cells through recognition of abnormal molecular patterns. Here, we found that polyQ protein induced the accumulation of misfolded proteins in tumor cells and sensitized these tumor cells to NK cell cytolysis in vitro. Transcriptome analysis showed that polyQ protein overexpression caused an abnormal transcriptome changes in tumor cells, which might predispose these tumor cells to death upon NK cell cytolysis. However, on the other hand, polyQ protein in NK cells compromised NK cell cytolytic activity through forcing the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Furthermore, polyQ overexpression enriched oxidative phosphorylation related gene set in NK cells, which might lead to an exhaustion-like status of NK cells with reduced cytolytic activity. Therefore, our study shows that polyQ protein overexpression in tumors alone, but not in both tumor cells and NK cells, might result in increased tumor rejection by NK cells, revealing a dual role of polyQ protein on tumor surveillance by the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At low energies, the strong interaction is governed by the Goldstone bosons associated with the spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, which can be systematically described by chiral perturbation theory. In this paper, we apply this theory to study the θ-vacuum energy density and hence the QCD axion potential up to next-to-leading order with N non-degenerate quark masses. By setting N = 3, we then derive the axion mass, self-coupling, topological susceptibility and the normalized fourth cumulant both analytically and numerically, taking the strong isospin breaking effects into account. In addition, the model-independent part of the axion-photon coupling, which is important for axion search experiments, is also extracted from the chiral Lagrangian supplemented with the anomalous terms up to O p 6 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum-doped on Cu(II) adsorption of silica was investigated by using first-principle calculations based on density functional theory. The Monte Carlo simulation showed that Cu(II) adsorbed onto the surface of this nanomaterial and in the interstitial spaces between atoms, during the adsorption process, ΔH < 0 and ΔS < 0. Adding a small amount of molybdenum oxide contribute to Cu(II) adsorption. The molecular simulation agreed well with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimalarial drug Artemisinin has been reported to possess direct anti-tumor effects on various types of tumor cells. However, its anti-tumor potential has not been fully revealed, and its effects on tumor susceptibility to immune surveillance by the host are still unknown. Natural killer (NK) cells are the first line in tumor surveillance by the host, and have been recognized as a promising target for tumor immunotherapy. Here, we reported that Artemisinin sensitized tumor cells to NK cell cytolysis. Both human K562 and Raji tumor cells, and mouse YAC-1 tumor cells were more susceptible to human or mouse NK cell cytolysis in vitro after Artemisinin pretreatment. Conjugation formation between tumor cells and NK cells was increased after pretreatment with Artemisinin. Such effects on tumor cells by Artemisinin might not be the results of tumor recognition by NK cells, since major ligands of NK cell surface receptors were not affected. Mechanistically, although Artemisinin didn't induce tumor cell apoptosis, Artemisinin enriched apoptosis-related gene sets in these tumor cells, which might predispose tumor cells to apoptosis upon NK cell cytolysis. Moreover, NK cell numbers, percentages, maturation and functions were preserved in the presence of Artemisinin in vitro, suggesting that Artemisinin displays detrimental effects only on tumor cells but not on immune cells. These data reveal a novel anti-tumor mechanism of Artemisinin and demonstrate that Artemisinin could be a promising drug candidate for cancer treatment. • Artemisinin pretreatment sensitizes tumor cells to NK cell-mediated killing in vitro. • Artemisinin pretreatment increases NK cell-target cell conjugates and enriches apoptosis related genes in tumor cells. • Artemisinin has no detrimental effects on NK cell numbers, maturation or functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early detection of ovarian cancer could significantly improve patient outcomes. Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) is elevated in sera from approximately 60% of patients with early-stage (I/II) disease. Sensitivity might be improved through the combination of CA 125 with other biomarkers. Among potential biomarkers, antigen-autoantibody (Ag-AAb) complexes have received relatively little attention.Methods: Luminex-based immunoassays were used to measure human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), anti-HE4 autoantibody, and HE4 Ag-AAb complexes in sera from patients with early- (n = 73) and late-stage ovarian cancers (n = 49) at the time of diagnosis and from asymptomatic women with (n = 15) or without ovarian cancer (n = 212) enrolled in the Normal Risk Ovarian Cancer Screening Study.Results: At 98% specificity for healthy, asymptomatic women, 7% of patients with early-stage (I/II) ovarian cancer and 4% of patients with late-stage (III/IV) disease had elevated levels of HE4 autoantibody, whereas elevated levels of HE4 Ag-AAb complexes were detected in sera from 38% of early-stage cases and 31% of late-stage cases. Complementarity was observed in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves between HE4 Ag-AAb complexes and CA 125 levels in early-stage ovarian cancer (P < .001). CA 125 detected 63% of cases, and a combination of CA 125 and HE4 Ag-AAb complexes detected 81%. Complementarity was also observed in ROC curves for an independent validation set with 69 early-stage patients (P = .039). HE4 Ag-AAb complexes were detected in serial preclinical serum samples from women destined to develop ovarian cancer: they correlated with CA 125 but did not provide a lead time.Conclusions: HE4 Ag-AAb complexes could complement CA 125 in detecting a higher fraction of early-stage ovarian cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the thermodynamics and the susceptibilities of quark matter in the framework of two-flavor Nambu–Jona–Lasinio model at finite isospin chemical potential and temperature. Isospin number density, normalized energy density and trace anomaly are shown to be in good agreement with the available lattice data as well as with the results from chiral perturbation theory at zero temperature. We also study how susceptibilities depend on the isospin chemical potential and on temperature. We find a peak for the chiral, pion, and isospin susceptibilities at the critical isospin chemical potential, μ I c (T) , at the boundary of the phase transition between the normal and pion superfluid phase. Moreover, temperature makes the transition from normal to pion condensed phase smoother. We also note that the pion susceptibility always remains zero in the normal phase while it is finite in the superfluid phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuxO@polypyrrole nanofibre (PpyNF) composites were synthesized by a simple and fast microwave method. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy; galvanostatic charge–discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were also conducted. The PpyNF composites showed a maximum specific capacitance of 464.6 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 with excellent cyclability (95.6% capacitance retention after 2,000 cycles at 1 A g−1), thereby demonstrating their excellent potential for application to supercapacitors. An asymmetric supercapacitor based on CuxO@PpyNF//active carbon revealed a maximum gravimetric energy density of 12.50 Wh kg−1 and power density of 0.38 kW kg −1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]