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Due to the heterogeneity of tumors, strategies to improve the effectiveness of dual-targeting tracers in tumor diagnostics have been intensively practiced. In this study, the radiolabeled [18F]AlF-NOTA-FAPI-RGD (denoted as [18F]AlF-LNC1007), a dual-targeting heterodimer tracer targeting both fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and integrin αvβ3 to enhance specific tumor uptake and retention, was synthesized and evaluated. The tracer was compared with [68Ga]Ga-LNC1007 in preclinical and clinical settings. Methods: The preparation of [18F]AlF- and 68Ga-labeled FAPI-RGD was carried out with an optimized protocol. The stability was tested in PBS and fetal bovine serum (FBS). Cellular uptake and in vivo distribution of the two products were compared and carried out on the U87MG cell line and its xenograft model. The safety and dosimetry of [18F]AlF-LNC1007 PET/CT scan were evaluated in six patients with malignant tumors. Results: Two radiolabeling protocols of [18F]AlF-/[68Ga]Ga-LNC1007 were developed and optimized to give a high yield of tracers with good stability. In vivo microPET images showed that the two tracers exhibited comparable pharmacokinetic characteristics, with high tumor uptake and prolonged tumor retention. In vivo distribution data showed that the target-to-non-target ratios of [18F]AlF-LNC1007 were similar to[68Ga]Ga-LNC1007. A total of six patients underwent [18F]AlF-LNC1007 PET/CT evaluation while two had head-to-head [18F]FDG PET/CT scans. The total body effective dose was 9.94E-03 mSv/MBq. The biodistribution curve showed optimal normal organ uptake with high tumor uptake and long retention of up to 3h p.i., and notably, the tumor-to-background ratio increased over time. Conclusion: We successfully prepared an [18F]AlF-LNC1007 dual-targeting PET probe with comparable performances as [68Ga]Ga-LNC1007. With prolonged tumor retention and tumor specificity, it produced good imaging quality in preclinical and clinical translational studies, indicating that [18F]AlF-LNC1007 is a promising non-invasive tracer for detecting tumors expressing FAP and/or integrin avβ3, with the prospect of clinical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HE 1005-1439 is a carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) star with [Fe/H] ∼ − 3.0 , which is largely enhanced in elements produced by slow neutron-capture process (s-process; e.g., [Ba/Fe]=1.16 ± 0.31 , [Pb/Fe]= 1.98 ± 0.19), and mildly enhanced in elements produced by rapid neutron-capture process (r-process; e.g., [Eu/Fe]=0.46 ± 0.22). The neutron-capture element patterns of the star can not be fitted by the s-process model or intermediate process (i-process) model. Studying the astrophysical origins of chemical elements in the star based on the method of abundance decomposition can help understanding the formation and evolution of the CEMP stars. Using the combination of s-process and r-process abundances, we fully fit the abundance patterns of the neutron-capture elements of this star. We find that the neutron-capture elements are mainly produced by the s-process of the AGB companion with low mass and low metallicity, and the r-process nucleosynthesis also contributes a little to this star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional molybdenum carbide (2D-Mo 2 C) is thought to be promising for catalytic hydrogenation of CO 2 to CH 4 , but little is known about its catalytic reaction mechanism. In this work, we investigate the hydrogenation of CO 2 to CH 4 on 2D-Mo 2 C using density functional theory. Our calculations show that Mo on the surface can efficiently decompose CO 2 to CO and O, and also H 2 to H. The hydrogenation of CO produces CHO that is readily deoxygenated to CH, and CH is selectively hydrogenated to produce CH 4. Interestingly, the embedded Ir 1 on 2D-Mo 2 C can act as a single-atom promoter to improve the performance of CO 2 methanation, while on the other hand maintaining its high selectivity for CH 4. This work provides insight into the mechanism of 2D-Mo 2 C-catalyzed CO 2 methanation reactions and suggests a strategy to improve the performance of such catalysts through single-atom promoters. [Display omitted] • Mechanism for the hydrogenation of CO 2 to CH 4 on 2D-Mo 2 C was studied by DFT. • Mo active sites of 2D-Mo 2 C can effectively dissociate CO 2 to CO and O. • A strategy is proposed to improve the performance of CO 2 methanation on Mo 2 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (2e− ORR) via a two-electron process is a promising pathway for the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Here, we systematically investigated the 2e− ORR process on graphdiyne (GDY) supported single transition metal atoms (TM1@GDY) using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Among the 23 TM1@GDY catalysts, Pt1@GDY showed the best performance for the H2O2 product with an overpotential as low as 0.15 V. The electronic structure analysis, on the one hand, elucidates that the electron transfer between Pt1@GDY and the adsorbed O2 facilitates the activation of O2, and, on the other hand, reveals that the high 2e− ORR activity of Pt1@GDY lies in the transfer of electrons from the filled Pt-3d orbitals to the 2p antibonding orbitals of OOH*, which effectively activates the O–O bond. This work provides insights to design efficient electrocatalysts for H2O2 generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersion and multimode natures of guided waves bring forth difficulties in signal analysis, limiting the application of traditional transducers. In this paper, we report the design, fabrication and characterisation of transducers composed of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film with comb electrodes that can excite selectable single-mode guided waves for high-precision damage diagnosis and localization. The frequency response of the PVDF comb transducers was analysed with respect to the geometric parameters of the comb electrodes, and the sound-field directivity was determined by measuring the in-plane and out-of-plane displacements of the far field around the transducers by means of a double-wave mixed interferometer. In experimental measurements, a surface damage was located using such a PVDF comb transducer to excite single A0 and S2 mode guided waves. In addition, quarter omnidirectional PVDF comb transducers were fabricated and deployed on the corners of a square 7075 aluminium alloy plate for locating multi-type damages. It is found that the proposed quarter omnidirectional PVDF comb transducers are capable of locating multi-type damages with high accuracy. The PVDF comb transducers has the capability of the guided waves mode selection and flexibility, which is expected to achieve high-precision, long-time and online multi-type damages detection and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerular disease worldwide and it is characterized by mesangial IgA deposits. Proteinuria is a common clinical feature of IgAN, which has a critical connection to podocyte injury and has been used as a clinical prognostic factor for IgAN. Evidence has shown that TNF-α released from mesangial cells may lead to podocyte apoptosis. Forty male BALB/c mouse were randomly divided into the control group and IgAN group. A mice model of IgAN was developed by oral administration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) combined with Staphylococcus Enterotoxin B (SEB) tail vein injection. Urinary protein concentrations, renal function, renal morphological, IgA deposition, apoptosis situation, and the mRNA and protein expression of nephrin, podocin, TNF-α, TNFR1, caspase-8 and caspase-3, were detected after 12 weeks. BSA and SEB can successfully establish an IgAN mouse model, and the main pathological changes are the IgA immune complex deposition in the mesangial area. The gene and protein expression levels of nephrin and podocin were found to be downregulated, and death receptor pathway-related indicators were upregulated, and they were involved in TNF-α-activated podocyte injury and apoptosis in IgAN mice. TNF-α may play an important role in the pathogenesis of podocyte apoptosis in IgAN, and its effects may be mediated through the apoptotic death receptor pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability and reactivity of single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are the points of concern in catalysis, especially under the harsh conditions, such as at elevated temperatures in oxidizing conditions. Previous work showed that thermally stable Pt1 SAC supported on K‐modified MgAl2O4 prepared by a vapor‐phase self‐assembly mechanism (Pt1/K/MgAl2O4) showed better performance than a Pt/MgAl2O4 nanocatalyst in catalytic CH4 oxidation (Chem, 2022, 8, 731–748). However, the detailed reaction mechanism remains unclear, which preventing the further development of single‐atom catalysts for CH4 oxidation. Herein, the sintering resistance behaviour of the Pt1/K/MgAl2O4 catalyst, was investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and it was found that the catalytic CH4 oxidation takes place via the Mars‐van Krevelen (MvK) mechanism, similar to that on conventional oxides. This viewpoint is further verified by experiments. Additionally, other noble metals (Au, Ir and Ru) and alkali elements (Na and Cs) are also investigated and it is found that the alkali types also affect the catalytic performance. This work clarifies the reaction mechanism of CH4 oxidation on metal SAC supported on MgAl2O4 synthesized at high temperature, providing a chance to manipulate the performances of metal SAC in CH4 oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The electronic structure of Pt single atoms can be regulated by CeO 2 facets. • The Pt 1 appears positive valence state on CeO 2 nanorods while the metallic one on CeO 2 nanocubes. • The positively charged Pt 1 exhibits weaker CO adsorption to facilitate low-temperature CO oxidation. • The metallic Pt 1 promotes CO preferential oxidation to a higher extent via H 2 activation. Tuning the electronic state and local structure of single-atom dispersed metals is important to improve the performance of single-atom catalysts. Here, we find that the electronic structure of Pt single atoms (Pt 1) depends on the facets of CeO 2. Various characterizations and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that Pt 1 anchored on the (1 1 0) facet of CeO 2 nanorods exhibits a positively charged state, while it approaches the metallic state on the (1 0 0) facet of CeO 2 nanocubes. The different Pt 1 states on these facets are attributed to the Pt-O-Ce microstructures with different electron transfer patterns. The positively charged Pt 1 shows much weaker adsorption of CO which is favorable for its complete oxidation at lower temperatures. In contrast, the metallic Pt 1 can facilitate the activation of H 2 in the form of dissociation. The activated H species on metallic Pt 1 then promote the preferential oxidation of CO to a greater extent and significantly reduce the reaction barrier. This study provides important implications for tailoring the electronic structure of single-atom centers for heterogeneous catalysis by bonding to specific facet supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endophytic fungus Diaporthe sp. is known to contain many secondary metabolites, but fatty acid derivatives have rarely been found. In this study, four new fatty acid derivatives (1–4), together with four known compounds (5–8), were isolated from Diaporthe sp., which was obtained from the stem of Ligularia fischeri. The absolute configurations of the new compounds 1–4 were deduced based on spectroscopic technique and J-based coupling constant analysis. Moreover, compound 1 exhibited cytotoxic activities against HCT-8 and MCF-7 cancer cells, and compounds 3 and 4 showed modest selectivity for HCT-8 cells by MTT assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) catalysts have attracted much recent interest because of their exceptional ability to activate small molecules in homogeneous catalysis. In the past ten years, this unique catalysis concept has been extended to heterogeneous catalysis, with much success. Herein, we review the recent theoretical advances in understanding FLP-based heterogeneous catalysis in several applications, including metal oxides, functionalized surfaces, and two-dimensional materials. A better understanding of the details of the catalytic mechanism can help in the experimental design of novel heterogeneous FLP catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The space of irradiation surveillance capsules of nuclear power plants is limited. How to obtain the multiplicative toughness data of service materials based on these monitoring specimens is an important challenge in nuclear engineering. The reconstitution specimens could be reused to gain newer data or putted back into radiation monitoring tubes to gain highly irradiated material performance data for extended life operation of nuclear power plants. In this study, the Charpy V-notched impact test was carried out on the intact and reconstituted specimens of 30Mn2V steel by electron beam welding recombination technology, the multiplicative impact test data were obtained, and the relationship between impact energy of fracture with temperature was studied. The impact energy is converted into 1 T-CT equivalent fracture toughness, and then the reference temperature and master curve equation of 30Mn2V steel are calculated by the multi-temperature method. The consistency and dispersion of fracture toughness between reconstituted specimens and intact specimens are compared and studied. In this paper, the impact toughness data of materials are multiplied by specimens reconstitution technology, and the fracture toughness distribution in the ductile–brittle transition zone of the ferritic steel is predicted and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the detection power of control charts for detecting small to moderate process changes is always the focus of attention in academia. To improve the detection ability of conventional X ¯ and R control charts, an improved joint X ¯ and R chart, which combines the ordinary X ¯ and R charts with runs rules of the type ' r out of m ', is proposed to monitor the process location and dispersion simultaneously. A finite Markov chain imbedding approach is employed to develop the resulting control scheme. A comparative study is conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed chart in terms of the out-of-control average run length. The statistical performance of the suggested chart when the process parameters are estimated is also evaluated. The numerical results indicate that (1) the proposed chart improves the detection ability of traditional X ¯ and R charts in detecting small to moderate process shifts; (2) the suggested scheme performs better than the EWMA and CUSUM schemes in detecting large process fluctuations. Furthermore, when specific values of r and m are selected, the statistical performance of the proposed chart for detecting small shifts is close to or even better than that of its competitors; (3) the run length performance of the proposed chart is greatly affected by parameter estimation, especially for small process shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the effect of exocarp removal on the seed germination and seedling growth of Ardisia violacea which was a rare and endangered plant, two treatments, peeled and unpeeled, were set up with four replicates to study the seed germination and growth traits of Ardisia violacea. The results showed that the emergence time of the unpeeled seeds of Ardisia violacea was delayed by 19 days, which was significantly later than that of the peeled seeds (P<0. 05) ; The seed emergence rate was 70. 3% - 75. 6 %, and there was no significant difference between the unpeeled and peeled seeds (P> 0. 05) ; The growth of Ardisia violacea seedlings showed an "S-shaped" curve of "slow-fast-slow". By the end of the growth, the plant height, ground diameter, leaf length and leaf width were respectively in the range of 5. 32 to 5. 34 cm, 0. 12 to 0. 13 cm, 4. 40 to 4. 96 cm, 2. 08 to 2. 12 cm, and the number of leaves ranged from 13. 4 to 14. 8, so there was no significant difference between the unpeeled and peeled treatments (P>-0. 05). In conclusion, the existence of pericarp had no significant effect on the germination and seedling growth of Ardisia violacea, and the seedlings could be directly sown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general and convenient method for the direct transition‐metal‐free intermolecular chlorodifluoromethylthiolation of a variety of unactivated alkenes and alkynes has been described. This methodology exhibits good functional group tolerance and is operationally simple. Mechanistic studies indicated an electrophilic substitution mechanism, and the strong electrophilic difluoromethylthiolating reagent HCF2SCl was generated in situ under standard reaction conditions. The developed protocol fulfils the requirements of sustainable and green chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a MIX S2 control chart using both attribute and variable inspections is proposed by Ho and Quinino (2016) to monitor the process variability. This paper considers the variable sampling interval (VSI) MIX S2 control chart in which the sampling interval between two successive sampling points is varied based on the value of the preceding complementary sample variance to improve the performance of the original MIX S2 control chart. Additionally, a unified economical design model for the process is established with the cost function derived. The performance of the VSI chart is compared to that of the original static chart. The numerical results show that comparing to original MIX S2 control chart, the VSI chart yields better performance in terms of less expected cost per unit of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surrounding hydrogen bond (H‐bond) interaction around the active sites plays indispensable functions in enabling the organic electrode materials (OEMs) to fulfill their roles as ion reservoirs in aqueous zinc‐organic batteries (ZOBs). Despite important, there are still no works could fully shed its real effects light on. Herein, quinone‐based small molecules with a H‐bond evolution model has been rationally selected to disclose the regulation and equilibration of H‐bond interaction between OEMs, and OEM and the electrolyte. It has been found that only a suitable H‐bond interaction could make the OEMs fully liberate their potential performance. Accordingly, the 2,5‐diaminocyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐dione (DABQ) with elaborately designed H‐bond structure exhibits a capacity of 193.3 mAh g−1 at a record‐high mass loading of 66.2 mg cm−2 and 100 % capacity retention after 1500 cycles at 5 A g−1. In addition, the DABQ//Zn battery also possesses air‐rechargeable ability by utilizing the chemistry redox of proton. Our results put forward a specific pathway to precise utilization of H‐bond to liberate the performance of OEMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surrounding hydrogen bond (H‐bond) interaction around the active sites plays indispensable functions in enabling the organic electrode materials (OEMs) to fulfill their roles as ion reservoirs in aqueous zinc‐organic batteries (ZOBs). Despite important, there are still no works could fully shed its real effects light on. Herein, quinone‐based small molecules with a H‐bond evolution model has been rationally selected to disclose the regulation and equilibration of H‐bond interaction between OEMs, and OEM and the electrolyte. It has been found that only a suitable H‐bond interaction could make the OEMs fully liberate their potential performance. Accordingly, the 2,5‐diaminocyclohexa‐2,5‐diene‐1,4‐dione (DABQ) with elaborately designed H‐bond structure exhibits a capacity of 193.3 mAh g−1 at a record‐high mass loading of 66.2 mg cm−2 and 100 % capacity retention after 1500 cycles at 5 A g−1. In addition, the DABQ//Zn battery also possesses air‐rechargeable ability by utilizing the chemistry redox of proton. Our results put forward a specific pathway to precise utilization of H‐bond to liberate the performance of OEMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a variable sampling interval npx−X¯ control chart for monitoring the process mean using combined attribute‐variable inspection. An economic design of the proposed chart using Taguchi's quadratic loss function is presented. The proposed model minimizes the total expected cost per unit time while minimizing out‐of‐control average time‐to‐signal and maintaining reasonable in‐control average time‐to‐signal. The numerical results indicate that, compared with the corresponding fixed sampling interval control chart scheme, the proposed control chart yields better performance in terms of both shorter time to signal a process shift and less total expected cost per unit time. Sensitivity analyses of the cost model are also carried out by using a fractional factorial experimental design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy nitride ceramic coatings exhibit excellent wear resistance and are regarded as promising coatings in tools. Predicting the coefficients of friction (COF) and related microstrain under friction condition is critical for their application. In this study, nine different FeCoCrNiAlN high-entropy coatings were prepared with varying substrate bias voltage and nitrogen gas pressure using PVD CAIP (Physical Vapor Deposition-cathode arc-ion plating). The bias voltage and nitrogen pressure significantly influenced the wear resistance of the coatings. Low nitrogen gas pressure results in insufficient ceramic phase content, leading to lower hardness and the generation of more grooves. However, coatings with high hardness exhibit excellent wear resistance. Groove wear and debris wear are closely related to the surface particles and mechanical properties of the coating. Alterations in friction load and velocity were also conducted to investigate the tribological performance of various coatings. Results suggest that the COF increased with the friction load and velocity. Furthermore, 53 sets of COF data for machine learning (ML) predictions were obtained. Seven ML regression models, including Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), were employed to predict the COF using input features, including coating deposition process, microstructure features such as elemental composition, and grain size, as well as mechanical features such as nanohardness, H/E (Hardness/Young's modulus), Lc1 (Critical load). Friction conditions include friction load and velocity. Simultaneously, the significance of multiple features such as the coating preparation processes, microstructural, mechanical properties, and friction conditions in affecting the COF of the coatings, was analyzed by the feature importance model. The results indicate that the XGBoost regression algorithm exhibited the highest R2 value and the lowest RMSE, MAE, and MSE values, which were 0.8629, 0.0659, 0.0567, and 0.0047, respectively. This model demonstrated a favorable capability in predicting the COF of FeCoCrNiAlN high-entropy coatings. Furthermore, feature importance analysis revealed that the load, Lc1, velocity and Cr have the most significant impact on the COF of the coatings. • This paper focused on the friction behavior of FeCoCrNiAlN high-entropy coatings. • Seven ML regression models were employed to predict COF and XGBoost model exhibited the highest accuracy. • Load, sliding velocity, Cr, N, Al content revealed positive effect on COF while Lc1, H/E, Ni, Fe content, grain size, and hardness revealed negative effect on COF. • The predicted results are prepared as targets for magnetron sputtering experiments to verify the effect of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Surface acidic sites were imparted onto the carbon nitride photocatalysts. • The adsorption and activation of the intermediate aldehyde is significantly enhanced. • Tuning the surface acidic sites could greatly change the photocatalytic activity. • Excellent conversion of alcohols to esters with up to 99% selectivity was achieved. • A scalable continuous flow systemexhibits high efficiency and stability. Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of alcohols for the direct synthesis of esters has received significant attention in recent years, but the relatively low efficiency and selectivity under visible light irradiation is the main challenge for their practical applications. Here, surface acidic sites were imparted onto metal-free heterogeneous photocatalysts by the protonation of carbon nitride (HMCN) to promote the activity for the esterification reaction through further adsorption and activation of the intermediate aldehyde. The activation of the substrate could be remarkably modulated through tuning the acidic sites on the surface of the photocatalyst, leading to a controllable reactivity of the catalytic reaction. The one-pot process for the direct aerobic oxidative esterification of alcohol exhibits high efficiency and selectivity under mild and additive-free conditions and the apparent quantum yield (AQY) of the photocatalytic esterification reaction is 0.41% at 420 nm. Moreover, a scalable photocatalytic process by the merging of a continuous flow system with the heterogeneous HMCN photocatalyst is demonstrated, combining high catalytic efficiency and stability at ambient temperatures and being promising for larger-scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) manifests as an autoimmune and inflammatory condition, clinically characterized by subacute progressive proximal muscle weakness, rashes or both along with extramuscular manifestations. Literature indicates that DM shares common risk factors with atherosclerosis (AS), and they often co‐occur, yet the etiology and pathogenesis remain to be fully elucidated. This investigation aims to utilize bioinformatics methods to clarify the crucial genes and pathways that influence the pathophysiology of both DM and AS. Method: Microarray datasets for DM (GSE128470, GSE1551, GSE143323) and AS (GSE100927, GSE28829, GSE43292) were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to reveal their co‐expressed modules. Differentially expression genes (DEGs) were identified using the "limma" package in R software, and the functions of common DEGs were determined by functional enrichment analysis. A protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the STRING database, with central genes evaluated by the cytoHubba plugin, and validated through external datasets. Immune infiltration analysis of the hub genes was conducted using the CIBERSORT method, along with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Finally, the NetworkAnalyst platform was employed to examine the transcription factors (TFs) responsible for regulating pivotal crosstalk genes. Results: Utilizing WGCNA analysis, a total of 271 overlapping genes were pinpointed. Subsequent DEG analysis revealed 34 genes that are commonly found in both DM and AS, including 31 upregulated genes and 3 downregulated genes. The Degree Centrality algorithm was applied separately to the WGCNA and DEG collections to select the 15 genes with the highest connectivity, and crossing the two gene sets yielded 3 hub genes (PTPRC, TYROBP, CXCR4). Validation with external datasets showed their diagnostic value for DM and AS. Analysis of immune infiltration indicates that lymphocytes and macrophages are significantly associated with the pathogenesis of DM and AS. Moreover, GSEA analysis suggested that the shared genes are enriched in various receptor interactions and multiple cytokines and receptor signaling pathways. We coupled the 3 hub genes with their respective predicted genes, identifying a potential key TF, CBFB, which interacts with all 3 hub genes. Conclusion: This research utilized comprehensive bioinformatics techniques to explore the shared pathogenesis of DM and AS. The three key genes, including PTPRC, TYROBP, and CXCR4, are related to the pathogenesis of DM and AS. The central genes and their correlations with immune cells may serve as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), recognized for its considerable potential as a heterogeneous photocatalyst in water splitting, has attracted extensive research interest. By using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the regulatory role of p-block metal (PM) single atoms on the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 in overall water splitting was systematically explored. The incorporation of PM atoms (Ge, Sn and Pb) led to a reduction in the overpotentials required for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Combined with the electronic structures analysis via hybrid functional, it was found that the introduction of Ge, Sn or Pb optimizes the positions of the valence band maximum (VBM) and the conduction band minimum (CBM), providing a robust driving force for HER and ensuring substantial driving force for OER. Meanwhile, the presence of these three PMs induces the spatial separation of VBM and CBM, inhibiting the recombination of carriers. These findings have significant implications for the design and preparation of efficient photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective • The primary objective of this study was to investigate the current state of online recruitment intention among hospitals and identify its key influencing factors. This research aims to provide valuable insights that can guide the development of recruitment and employment strategies for hospital departments and student management. Methods • This study employed a cross-sectional survey approach involving 543 hospitals. Data collection utilized both convenient offline recruitment methods and online recruitment information platforms. A total of 543 questionnaires were distributed, resulting in the collection of 543 valid responses. The participating hospitals comprised 225 tertiary hospitals and 318 secondary hospitals. Additionally, the sample included 430 general hospitals, 113 psychiatric hospitals, dental hospitals, and 406 specialized hospitals. Geographically, 137 hospitals were located in urban counties or towns. Furthermore, 333 hospitals targeted undergraduate graduates, while 210 focused on graduate students. Results • The analysis of the data revealed several significant findings. Among the included hospitals in the sample, 19.71% expressed online recruitment intention for candidates with neurasthenia. Factors contributing to a higher online recruitment intention among hospitals included a preference for recruiting undergraduates (P = .011), the belief that online recruitment is suitable for clinical positions (P = .002), challenges in assessing candidates’ expertise online (P = .002), concerns about dishonesty in online recruitment (P = .028), and the perception that online recruitment requires less technical expertise for hospitals (P < .001). Conclusions • This study highlights the multifaceted nature of online recruitment intention within hospitals. The identified influential factors emphasize the need for customized strategies in recruitment and employment. Medical university recruitment and employment departments should adopt tailored measures that align with the unique dynamics of online recruitment to address these factors effectively. In this way, hospitals can enhance their recruitment processes and ensure the selection of candidates that meet their specific requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel boron-doped CuO nanobundles are designed for CO2 reduction to the single multi-carbon product of ethylene, and their faradaic efficiency can reach 58.4% with a current density of 18.2 mA cm−2. This active, selective and simply prepared electrocatalyst provides a promising electrocatalyst candidate for CO2 reduction to ethylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin 11 (IL-11) is a secretory cytokine with pleotropic properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic functions. This study aimed to functionally characterize a teleostean IL-11a ortholog from redlip mullet (Lh IL-11a) through bioinformatic analysis, transcriptional expression profiling and protein function assays. The deduced Lh IL-11a protein sequence is 200 amino acids long, with a predicted molecular weight of 23.168 kDa. Multiple sequence alignment indicates that Lh IL-11a has a typical four-bundle architecture of α-helixes as observed in other IL-11s. The identity–similarity matrix show a higher identity between Lh IL-11a and other fish IL-11a sequences. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that Lh IL-11a falls within a clade including other fish counterparts. In the tissue distribution analysis, the highest constitutive expression of Lh IL-11a mRNA was observed in the mullet gastrointestinal tract and brain tissues. Following the challenges with LPS, poly I:C and Lactococcus garvie , the transcription levels of Lh IL-11a were significantly upregulated in both PBCs and liver. In the biological functional assay, recombinant Lh IL-11a protein showed strong activities of suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptotic gene expression in mullet kidney cells and reducing LPS stimulated NO production in murine macrophage cells. Overall, the findings in this study provide the experimental clues to understanding the functional roles of fish IL-11a in inflammation and apoptosis regulation during host defense against invading microbial pathogens. • Homologs of Interleukin-11a was identified from redlip mullet Liza haematocheila (Lh IL-11a). • Lh IL-11a has four alpha hex bundle architecture which is common for IL-6 family cytokines. • Lh IL-11a is highly induced upon bacterial and viral stimulants in PBC and liver of redlip mullet. • r Lh IL-11a shows regulatory effect upon TNFα, IL-1β, BAX and BCL2 expression in redlip mullet kidney cells. • The r Lh IL-11a was able to reduce LPS- stimulated nitric oxide production in murine macrophage (RAW264.7) cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional fixed sampling interval (FSI) synthetic X ¯ control chart is sensitive to large and moderate process shifts, but insensitive to small process shifts. This paper proposes an improved variable sampling interval (VSI) synthetic X ¯ control chart with two sampling interval lengths for monitoring the process mean. A Markov chain method is used to compute the adjusted average time to signal (AATS) of the proposed chart. The statistical design of the VSI chart is then formulated and solved with a specific genetic algorithm. Comparisons are made to show the capability of the VSI chart in yielding average performance boost of 16.4%, in the AATS of the VSI chart scheme compared to the situation in which the corresponding FSI chart is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PM2.5 is associated closely with an increased risk of membranous nephropathy (MN), however, whether PM2.5 could induce podocytes injury, the underlying pathology for MN, has not be thoroughly studied. Triptolide, an active component in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, is frequently used to treat MN in China, but its effects on PM2.5-induced podocytes injury is still largely unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of PM2.5 on podocytes, and explored whether triptolide could improve PM2.5-induced podocytes injury and the possible underlying mechanisms. Results: Podocytes were incubated with PM2.5 after being pre-treated with triptolide, viability, apoptosis rate and migratory capacity of podocytes were determined by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry and Transwell assay, respectively. Additionally, the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in podocytes, the cytoskeleton of podocytes, the protein expressions of nephrin, podocin, Bcl-2, Bax, nuclear factor kappa-B/p65 (NF-κB/p65) and phospho-inhibitor of NF-κB (p-IκBα) were measured. Our data showed that PM2.5 treatment significantly increased the disorganization of F-actin stress fibers, the damaged structural integrity of nucleus, the deranged and dissociated cytoskeleton in podocytes, increased the podocytes apoptosis rate, the levels of MDA and LDH, markedly up-regulated the protein expression of Bax, NF-κB/p65 and p-IκBα, down-regulated the protein expression of nephrin, podocin and Bcl-2, and significantly decreased the level of SOD, the migration rate and the viability of podocytes, compared with those of the untreated podocytes. These effects of PM2.5 on podocytes, however, were reversed by triptolide administration. Conclusion: These results suggest that triptolide could prevent against PM2.5-induced podocytes injury via suppressing NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Renal anemia in patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease is closely related to the deterioration of cardiac function, renal function, and quality of life. This study involved adenine-induced renal anemic rat models and evaluated the treatment effect of Siwu granules and/or erythropoietin (EPO). Methods. Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, model, Siwu, EPO, and Siwu plus EPO groups. The expression levels of NO, MDA, SOD, CAT, IL-6, TNF-α, EPO, EPOR, α-SMA, and TGF-β1 were detected in rats after 8 weeks of treatment with Siwu granules and/or EPO. Results. After modeling, 47 rats entered the stage of treatment. Siwu plus EPO treatment significantly increased the rat hemoglobin content (p < 0.05) and reduced blood urea nitrogen (p < 0.05) and serum creatinine (p < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the expression of EPO and EPOR in the kidney of rats with renal failure was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Moreover, the Siwu plus EPO group improved the level of oxidative stress in rats with chronic renal failure and reduced the expression of inflammatory factors. The expression of α-SMA and TGF-β1 in rats with renal failure was higher, but there was no expression in the control group. Conclusion. Combined treatment of Siwu granules with EPO increased the expression of EPO and EPOR in the renal tissues and inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory factors, improving the renal function and anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Self-designed ApoE−/− mice exposure system was applied to provide the scenario of PM2.5 inhalation as real-world. • Long-term exposure to PM2.5 in Nanchang is capable of promoting progression of atherosclerosis. • The pro-atherogenic effect could be explained partly by CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs down-regulation. Atherosclerosis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that is closely associated with long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the regulation of T cell-mediated immune responses, and the depletion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs has been thought to play a prominent role in atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated the association between the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs population and atherosclerotic development in ApoE−/− mice exposed to PM2.5. We employed a real-world system to subject 40 ApoE−/− mice to ambient inhalation of PM2.5 (PM2.5 group, n = 20) or filtered air (FA group, n = 20) for 12 weeks. PM2.5 source apportionment, atherosclerotic lesions within aorta, lipid deposition and plaque accumulation in whole artery, serum level of inflammatory factors and lipid profiles, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs population in splenocytes, Foxp3 protein and mRNA expressions in descending aorta and spleen were quantified, respectively. The daily average concentration of PM2.5 was 57.4 ± 25.6 μg/m3. Atherosclerotic lesions within aorta, lipid deposition and plaque accumulation in whole artery, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, TC and LDL-C in the PM2.5 group increased significantly compared to the FA group. Whereas, serum levels of IL-10 and TGF-β, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs population in splenocytes, Foxp3 protein and mRNA expressions in descending aorta and spleen in the PM2.5 group decreased significantly compared to the FA group. These results suggest that PM2.5 could accelerate the development of atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice, which is related to CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs down-regulation, as well as lipid deposition and systemic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the effort to improve the surface properties of FeCoCrNiMn HEA, gradient structure was prepared by laser shock peening (LSP), a versatile and efficient method to achieve distinct surface properties. The underlying mechanism of the LSP strengthening effect was discussed based on microstructure analysis, mechanical properties, and corrosion test. Our results suggested that ultra-fined grains and high density of defects were produced after LSP treatment which accounts for the significant enhancement of hardness, coefficient of friction (CoF), and corrosion resistance. The strengthened mechanical properties owed to the large amount of grain boundaries and high density of defects that significantly attenuate the movement of dislocations. Meanwhile, attributed to the compressive residual stress induced by LSP, the penetration of corrosive solution was effectively impeded and the passivation process was accelerated. Finally, the different mechanisms of LSP strengthening effect have been discussed. This study presented a promising approach to address the challenge of surface modification of FeCoCrNiMn HEA and provided a novel strategy for regulating the microstructure of HEA and achieving outstanding properties. • Mechanism of LSP on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMn HEA have been investigated. • The hardness and wear resistance of FeCoCrNiMn HEA have been enhanced due to grain refinement strengthening and dislocation hardening. • The corrosion resistance of FeCoCrNiMn HEA have been enhanced due to compressive residual stress. • This study indicates the possibility to develop gradient structured HEAs with outstanding properties by LSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The hierarchical micro/nano-structures on housefly wings enhance the hydrophobicity. • Housefly wings are strongly hydrophobic but have no self-cleaning properties. • Housefly cleaning behaviors can effectively remove foreign contaminants on the wings. • Cooperation of active behaviors and micro-structures increases cleaning efficiency. Evolutionary pressure has pushed many extant plants and animals to develop micro/nanostructures on their surfaces to keep them clean. These structures have become ideal models for bio-inspired design. Although microstructures on biological surfaces have been widely studied, little attention has been paid to the combined role of microstructures and animal's active cleaning behaviors in keeping their surfaces clean. In this study, we explored the relationship between these micro/nanostructures and wettability as well as the role of the housefly cleaning behaviors in keeping their wings clean. Hierarchical structures consisting of microscale macrotrichias with nanoscale grooves on the wings were observed under scanning electron microscope. The wings were hydrophobic (CA = 133.3°) but with high adhesion to water (CAH = 87.5°), indicating that they were non-self-cleaning surfaces. Macroscale droplets standing on the wings could be best described as being in a transitional wetting state between Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter states due to the presence of the nanoscale grooves, which increased the resistance to water penetration. The hydrophobicity decreased (CA = 109.9°) when the nanostructures were removed by coating the wings with a thick layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The houseflies could highly efficiently remove the microscale droplets atop the macrotrichias, and reduce bacterial contamination on their wings through grooming and flutter activities. These active cleaning behaviors could offset the absence of self-cleaning properties and play a key role in keeping the wings clean. The results indicate that housefly wings could be used as a template for the design of special functional surfaces. The present findings not only improve our understanding of the wettability and cleaning properties of natural surfaces, but also provide important insights into the design of bio-inspired materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel parenteral white oil-based toltrazuril micro pHm SD (W-TSDS) was developed. • W-TSDS exhibited improved physicochemical stability and shear-thinning behavior. • W-TSDS provided a rapid and sustained drug release in vitro studies. • W-TSDS showed good histocompatibility in rabbits. • This system could be a potential parenteral approach for poorly water-soluble drugs. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel oil-based suspension as a potential parenteral drug delivery system for drugs with poor water solubility. Most of the new active pharmaceutical ingredients are weak acid or basic drugs with pH-dependent solubility. To limit this dependence, use of micro-environmental pH-modifying solid dispersions (micro pHm SD) has been proved to increase the bioavailability of these drugs. Toltrazuril (TOL), a weakly acidic drug with poor aqueous and pH-dependent solubility, was studied as a model drug. Recently, studies on TOL with focus on the parenteral injection are rarely to find in the literature. A novel parenteral oil-based TOL suspension was prepared containing TOL micro pHm SD (TSD) powders suspended in oil-based vehicles and the optimal formulation was screened. The stability of this formulation was assessed considering particle size distribution, settling volume ratio, redispersibility, thermal stability, and drug content. The optimized white oil-based TOL pHm SD suspension (W-TSDS) showed significant improved stability and shear-thinning behavior. In particular, fumed silica as suspending agent positively influenced the physical stability of the formulation. Furthermore, W-TSDS showed good injectability using 21 G needles and more rapid and sustained drug release compared to TSD powders in vitro. In the in vivo safety evaluation, W-TSDS showed good histocompatibility in rabbits injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. We believe these findings provide an alternative choice of dosage form for the delivery of new active pharmaceutical ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid-phase exfoliation of graphite is a promising method to produce graphene in large quantities. Selection of the solvent is the most important factor in determining the productivity of liquid-phase exfoliation and stability of the graphene dispersion. However, only low concentrations of graphene dispersion have been achieved in most of the solvents, and the solvents usually employed are toxic up to now. To address the performance and environmental safety issues of solvent, renewable solvents water and 1, 1, 3, 3-tetramethylurea (TMU) are explored as a mixture to exfoliate graphite into graphene in the present work. It is found that water-TMU mixed solvent is a powerful solvent to obtain a few-layer graphene, and the yield at the water volume faction of 0.3 was 4.5 times that in neat N -methylpyrrolidinone (NMP). The solvent-cosolvent interactions (water-TMU heteroassociation) are a critical factor in the liquid-phase exfoliation of graphene. The results reported in this work may provide a guide to rational design of a sustainable solvent system and to improve the yield and stability of the exfoliated graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control chart and maintenance management (MM) are two key tools in production management. Although there is a close connection between these tools, they are usually studied separately in both academia and industry. This article develops an integrated model of MM and quality control policy with an adaptive synthetic chart. The corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance are considered. An economical design model that minimizes the general cost of implementing the integrated model is established and solved by a specific genetic algorithm. Numerical experiments are conducted to analyze the optimal policy. The results show that an economic benefit of 2.64% is obtained by the joint optimization model. Finally, the effects of model parameters on the optimal policies are presented through sensitivity analysis, with practical implications for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lily-type lectins (LTLs) are soluble pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) that contain one or more characteristic carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs), through which LTLs bind reversibly and specifically to cognate sugar moieties present on the invading pathogen membrane and trigger the host innate immune responses. In this study, we identified a LTL homolog (SsLTL) from black rockfish ( Sebastes schlegelii ) transcriptome database and its functional roles in innate immunity was investigated in vitro and in vivo . Three mannose-binding sites were found in the protein sequence of SsLTL, among which two sites are conserved with those in mannose-binding lectins of monocotyledonous plants. SsLTL were highly expressed in both the external and internal mucosal tissues of healthy rockfish. During the immune challenge, early up-regulation of SsLTL mRNA expression showed in gill and blood upon both poly I:C and S. iniae challenges. In contrast, the challenge with lipopolysaccharide significantly down-regulated SsLTL expression in both examined tissues. Recombinant SsLTL showed a hemagglutination activity toward fish erythrocytes, which could be enhanced by the addition of calcium ions. Furthermore, strong agglutination activity of SsLTL was also observed with a broad range of fish pathogenic bacteria. Our results implied the crucial role of SsLTL as a PRR molecule in the black rockfish defense mechanism against invading microbial pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successfully applied in identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with body mass index (BMI) and coronary heart disease (CAD). However, the SNPs to date can only explain a small percentage of the genetic variances of traits. Here, we applied a genetic pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) method that combines summary statistic p values from different multi-center GWAS datasets, to detect common genetic variants associated with these two traits. The enrichment of SNPs associated with BMI and CAD was assessed by conditional Q-Q plots and the common variants were identified by the cFDR method. By applying the cFDR level of 0.05, 7 variants were identified to be associated with CAD (2 variants being novel), 34 variants associated with BMI (11 variants being novel), and 3 variants associated with both BMI and CAD (2 variants being novel). The SNP rs653178 ( ATXN2 ) is noteworthy as this variant was replicated in an independent analysis. SNP rs12411886 ( CNNM2 ) and rs794356 ( HIP1 ) were of note as the annotated genes may be associated with processes that are functionally important in lipid metabolism. In conclusion, the cFDR method identified novel variants associated with BMI and/or CAD by effectively incorporating different GWAS datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-port pattern reconfigurable three-layered Yagi-Uda patch antenna with ±45° dual-polarization characteristic is presented. A driven patch (DP) and two large parasitic patches (LPPs) are printed on the top side of the middle layer, and the middle and bottom layers share a common metal ground. Two microstrip feedlines printed orthogonally on the bottom side of the bottom layer are used to feed the DP through two H-shaped slots etched in the ground. The LPPs are connected to/disconnected from the ground controlled by switches. By adjusting the connection states of the LPPs, one wide-beam mode and three narrow-beam modes can be obtained in both polarizations. A small parasitic patch is printed on the top side of the top layer to improve the pattern coherence of the two polarizations. This antenna is studied by both simulation and measurement. The measured common bandwidth of the four modes in both polarizations is 3.32–3.51 GHz, and the isolations between two polarizations in all the modes are higher than 20 dB. The low-profile antenna is very suitable for microbase-station applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the classical Shewhart np control chart has been widely used to detect an out-of-control status of manufacturing process, it is static and there is lack of responsiveness to slight process changes. In this paper, an adaptive np control chart with a joint sampling strategy combining double sampling (DS) and variable sampling interval (VSI) is developed. The multiple dependent state sampling scheme is adopted to further improve the performance of the control chart. An economical design model to minimize the general cost of using the proposed chart is established and solved by a genetic algorithm. The numerical results show that comparing to traditional static np control chart, the proposed np chart yields better performance in terms of shorter time to signal an out-of-control process and less expected cost per unit of time. Comparisons are made to show the capability of the proposed chart in yielding average reductions of 5.01% and 8.89%, in the cost of the proposed model compared to situations in which either the DSVSI np chart or the traditional np chart is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the problem of cooperative output synchronisation of networked feedforward nonlinear systems vialinear sampled-data control. To dominate the unknown nonlinear perturbing terms, a scaling gain is introduced by a change in coordinates. Then, we construct a reduced-order sampled-data observer and use the backstepping method to design a linear sampled-data controller. By using combined graph theory with feedback domination approach, an explicit formula for the sampling period can be obtained under the proposed controller with appropriate gains such that all outputs of the agents in the network can be synchronised. Finally, two examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends the double-Hertz model of Greenwood and Johnson (1998) to the plane strain problem of adhesive contact between a wavy surface and a flat surface, named as the double-Westergaard model. The adhesive force within the cohesive zone near contact edge is described by the difference between two Westergaard pressure distribution functions with different contact widths. Closed-form analytical solutions are obtained for different equilibrium states during loading and unloading stages. The proposed model captures a transition between Westergaard and JKR contact models through a dimensionless transition parameter. Depending on two dimensionless parameters, transitions between partial and full contact during loading/unloading are characterized by one or more jump instabilities. Decreasing waviness size by decreasing both the amplitude and period with a fixed curvature is found to enhance adhesion both by increasing the magnitude of the pull-off force and by inducing more energy loss through adhesion hysteresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved synthetic X- control chart based on hybrid adaptive scheme and run rule scheme is introduced to enhance the statistical performance of traditional synthetic X- control chart on service and management operation. The proposed scientific hybrid adaptive schemes consider both variable sampling interval and variable sample size scheme. The properties of the proposed chart are obtained using Markov chain approach. An extensive set of numerical results is presented to test the effectiveness of the proposed model in detecting small and moderate shifts in the process mean. The results show that the proposed chart is quicker than the standard synthetic X- chart and CUSUM chart in detecting small and moderate shifts in the process of service and management operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysozymes are a family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of bacterial cell wall, acting as antimicrobial effectors of the innate immune system. In the present study, an ortholog of goose-type lysozyme (ShLysG) from the big-belly seahorse ( Hippocampus abdominalis ) was identified and characterized structurally and functionally. The full-length cDNA sequence (1213 bp) of ShLysG is comprised of an open reading frame made up of 552 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 184 amino acid (aa) with a predicted molecular mass of 20 kDa. In silico analysis of ShLysG revealed the absence of signal peptide and the presence of a characteristic bacterial soluble lytic transglycosylase (SLT) domain bearing three catalytic residues (Glu 71 , Asp 84 , and Asp 95 ) and seven N -acetyl- d -glucosamine binding sites (Glu 71 , Asp 95 , Tyr 98 , His 99 , Ile 117 , Tyr 145 , and Asn 146 ). Homology analysis demonstrated that the aa sequence of ShLysG shared 60.7–67.4% identity and 72.6–79.3% similarity with the orthologs of other teleosts. Phylogenetic analysis of ShLysG indicated a closest relationship with the ortholog from Gadus morhua . In healthy seahorse, ShLysG mRNA showed a constitutive expression in all the tissues examined, with the highest expression in kidney and the least expression in liver. The ShLysG mRNA levels were also shown significant elevation upon the bacterial and pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMPs) challenges. Furthermore, lytic activities of ShLysG recombinant protein were detected against several Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial species. Taken together, these results suggest that ShLysG might possess a potential immune defensive role against invading microbial pathogens in seahorse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a widespread parasite with high genetic diversity among hosts. Its natural reservoir remains elusive and data on population structure are available only in isolates from primates. Here we describe a population genetic study of 101 E. bieneusi isolates from pigs using sequence analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and four mini- and microsatellite markers. The presence of strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) and limited genetic recombination indicated a clonal structure for the population. Bayesian inference of phylogeny, structural analysis, and principal coordinates analysis separated the overall population into three subpopulations (SP3 to SP5) with genetic segregation of the isolates at some geographic level. Comparative analysis showed the differentiation of SP3 to SP5 from the two known E. bieneusi subpopulations (SP1 and SP2) from primates. The placement of a human E. bieneusi isolate in pig subpopulation SP4 supported the zoonotic potential of some E. bieneusi isolates. Network analysis showed directed evolution of SP5 to SP3/SP4 and SP1 to SP2. The high LD and low number of inferred recombination events are consistent with the possibility of host adaptation in SP2, SP3, and SP4. In contrast, the reduced LD and high genetic diversity in SP1 and SP5 might be results of broad host range and adaptation to new host environment. The data provide evidence of the potential occurrence of host adaptation in some of E. bieneusi isolates that belong to the zoonotic ITS Group 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects a wide range of mammal hosts and birds. Previous genotypic surveys were limited to measure the polymorphisms at the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) that evolved slowly. Data on population structure are available only on E. bieneusi isolates from primates. This study explored the genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics of four mini- and microsatellites and performed a population genetic analysis in 39 E. bieneusi isolates of potentially zoonotic ITS genotype D from farmed foxes and raccoon dogs in China. Sequence polymorphisms facilitated determination of six, two, four, and five genotypes at markers MS1, MS3, MS4, and MS7, respectively. Patterns of phylogeny revealed different levels of diversity within and among the genetic markers. Clear genotypic and phylogenetic divergences between E. bieneusi isolates of ITS genotype D from fur animals and humans were observed at individual markers. Complete linkage disequilibrium and very limited recombination in subsequent population genetic analysis supported a clonal structure for E. bieneusi population from fur animals (FID). Phylogenetic analysis, genetic network, and measures of F and gene flow demonstrated population differentiation of FID from two known human E. bieneusi populations HID (with a clonal structure) and HIA (with an epidemic structure). The data indicated an ideal resolving power of MLST compared to the previously widely used ITS genotyping and confirmed the clonal nature and population differentiation of E. bieneusi in various hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed 563 fecal specimens of asymptomatic pigs from five cities of northeast China for the prevalence and genetic characteristics of Enterocytozoon bieneusi. The parasite was detected in 267 of 563 (47.4%) pigs by nested PCR of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ( ITS). The differences in prevalence between preweaned (58.0%, 94/162) and growing pigs (39.6%, 114/288) and between weaned (52.2%, 59/113) and growing pigs are significant ( p < 0.05). Genotypic typing and phylogenetic analysis facilitated identification of six human-pathogenic genotypes EbpC, O, CS-4, EbpA, Henan- IV, and Pig EBITS5 and six potentially zoonotic genotypes EbpB, CC-1, CS-1, CS-3, CHN7, and CS-10. Genotypes CS-4 (32/35) and EbpC (3/35) from Harbin and Henan- IV (5/64) from Qiqihar determined in pigs herein represented the main causative agents of human microsporidiosis in Harbin. The most dominant genotype EbpC found in pigs from Daqing (35/65) and Qiqihar (a close neighbor to Daqing) (47/64) contributed significantly to human infections in Daqing. Genotype EbpC was also a leading E. bieneusi pathogen in humans, drinking water, and wastewater in central China. This study provided robust evidence that pigs could be an outstanding source of human microsporidiosis and water contamination in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The γTi-Al alloy has great potential for applications in the field of aerospace engineering, as titanium aluminide (γTi-Al) exhibits outstanding mechanical and physical properties. In this study, we have performed large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of nano-indentation and wear on the γTi-Al alloy with a rigid diamond tip to investigate its mechanical properties as well as its wear mechanism. Our simulation results show that the Young’s modulus of the γTi-Al alloy calculated from nano-indentation is about 157.24 GPa, which is in good agreement with other groups’ results. Our results also show that indentation speed has little influence on Young’s modulus in the range of 0.001–0.15 Å/ps. In addition, the wear simulation results reveal that the material loss during sliding is linearly proportional to the sliding distance and the normal load, which is consistent with the empirical Archard’s law. Also, during sliding, there is a linear relationship between friction force and normal load. We hope that the present work will have a significant impact on the fundamental understanding of the mechanical properties and wear mechanism of γTi-Al material at the nano-scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentraxins are a family of evolutionary conserved proteins that contains two main members, namely c-reactive proteins (CRPs) and serum amyloid P (SAP), which are involved in acute phase responses in animals. In this study, a cDNA sequence of a CRP-like molecule was identified from a previously constructed black rockfish cDNA database (RfCRP) and subsequently characterized at its molecular level. The complete coding region of RfCRP is 672 bp in length, and encodes a protein containing 224 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 25.19 kDa. Analysis of its derived amino acid sequence enabled typical features of pentraxin family members to be identified, including the pentraxin family signature in RfCRP. Results from multiple sequence alignment suggest the conservation of functionally important residues in RfCRP. According to the phylogenetic reconstruction that was generated using different pentraxin counterparts from different taxa, RfCRP shares a common vertebrate ancestral origin and most closely clusters with marine teleostan CRP. Furthermore, recombinant RfCRP demonstrated Ca 2+ -dependent agglutination activity against Escherichia coli, which could be completely inhibited in the presence of carbohydrate based ligands. Moreover, recombinant RfCRP also exhibited anti-bacterial activity against both E. coli and Streptococcus iniae . In addition, qPCR analysis indicated that RfCRP is ubiquitously expressed in physiologically important tissues, with pronounced expression in the spleen. After healthy fish were treated with polysaccharides or live S. iniae , basal expression of RfCRP was significantly upregulated in spleen and head kidney tissues. Collectively, our results suggest that RfCRP may be important in host anti-bacterial defense, and it might potentially participate in the acute phase of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial spores (endospores), such as those of the pathogens C lostridium difficile and B acillus anthracis, are uniquely stable cell forms, highly resistant to harsh environmental insults. B acillus subtilis is the best studied spore-former and we have used it to address the question of how the spore coat is assembled from multiple components to form a robust, protective superstructure. B . subtilis coat proteins ( CotY, CotE, CotV and CotW) expressed in E scherichia coli can arrange intracellularly into highly stable macro-structures through processes of self-assembly. Using electron microscopy, we demonstrate the capacity of these proteins to generate ordered one-dimensional fibres, two-dimensional sheets and three-dimensional stacks. In one case ( CotY), the high degree of order favours strong, cooperative intracellular disulfide cross-linking. Assemblies of this kind could form exquisitely adapted building blocks for higher-order assembly across all spore-formers. These physically robust arrayed units could also have novel applications in nano-biotechnology processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a binary-component system dielectric exchange rules of cubic blocks are derived that exchange of any two small square columns between up/down electrodes, or any two blocks in a same column, will not change dielectric constant. Based on the rules, for the diffusive process of a medium, a formula of change in dielectric constant with a leading edge parameter for expressing degree of diffusion process, or degree of non-equilibrium of state, is derived. From the Maxwell-Garnett model, a power-law formation for a binary-component mixture system is derived with an index of degree of ordering, which provides value of aggregation ability of molecules in diffusive medium. Relationship between the two parameters is discussed. The method is valuable to solve the dispersion behavior of relaxors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As the largest funding agency of natural science of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( NSFC) has made great efforts in promoting the development of diabetic nephropathy ( DN) research in recent years. The aim of the current study is to summarize the diabetic nephropathy research in China by analyzing NSFC-funded projects. Data on all projects in the DN field funded by NSFC from 1986 to 2013 were collected. The funding tendency, funding areas, and hotspots in the DN field, and major research institutions, were analyzed. As one output of this support, outstanding research groups in China, and their representative studies, are also highlighted. From 1986 to 2013, the NSFC has funded a total of 248 projects in the DN field, with a total funding amount of 91.5 million RMB ( US$14.9 million). A rapid increase could be seen in the past 5 years, with an average annual 30% increase in projects numbers and a 52% increase in funding amount. All fields in DN research have been covered by the NSFC, including etiology, pathophysiology, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Along with increased funding of the DN research, there has been a growth in the papers published in Science Citation Index journals by Chinese scholars. In the past decade, the funding scale and funding budget have increased dramatically. Benefiting from this, DN research in China has also made considerable progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]