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The rich micromammal fossils from Early, Middle, and Late Miocene horizons of the Damiao sequence in Nei Mongol provide an opportunity to study Miocene biostratigraphy and faunal turnover in Asia. In this study, we describe thirteen dipodid species from the Damiao sequence, including two new species, Sinozapus damiaoensis sp. nov. and Lophocricetus parvus sp. nov. Sinozapus damiaoensis sp. nov. is characterized by the metaloph connecting to the central hypocone on M1-M2, the absence of the anterior arm of the protoconid, and the posterior arm of the protoconid merging with the metaconid on m2. Lophocricetus parvus sp. nov. displays a set of transitional morphological traits between Heterosminthus and Lophocricetus. It resembles Heterosminthus in its small size, the presence of the mesocone and mesoloph on M1-M2, the vestigial pseudomesolophid, and the posterior crest of the protoconid on m1. Meanwhile, it has the characteristics of Lophocricetus, including the protostyle on M1 and the hypoconid-entoconid connection on the m1. These two new species represent the earliest records of their respective genera. The Damiao dipodid fossil records improve our understanding of Neogene dipodid diversity, and refine the biostratigraphic framework in the central Nei Mongol. The new fossil records reveal a shift from small, low-crowned, humid-adapted early taxa to ecologically diverse late Middle Miocene forms, including desert-adapted jerboas, indicating a trend towards regional aridification. Nonetheless, relict sicistines and zapodines suggest localized persistence of humid refugia within broader dry environments during the late Middle Miocene, which sheltered pliopithecids in the Mongolia Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coix lacryma-jobi L. is a traditional medicinal plant in east Asia and is an important crop in Guizhou province, southwest China, where there are elevated levels of soil mercury and arsenic (As). Exposure to multiple potentially toxic elements (PTEs) may affect plant accumulation of metal(loid)s and food safety in regions with high geological metal concentrations. Field experiments were conducted to study the effects of PTEs on metal(loid) accumulation and physiological response of C. lacryma in different plant parts at three pollution levels. Total root length, number of root tips, number of branches, and number of root crosses increased with increasing pollution level, with increases in highly polluted areas of 44.2, 57.0, 79.6, and 97.2%, respectively, compared to lightly polluted areas. Under multi-element stress the activity of C. lacryma antioxidant oxidase showed an increase at low and medium PTE concentrations and inhibition at high concentrations. The As contents were all below the maximum limit of cereal food contaminants in China (GB 2762-2022, As < 0.5 mg kg−1). The stems had high Tl bioconcentration factors but the translocation factors from stem to grain were very low, indicating that the stems may be a key plant part restricting Tl transport to the grains. C. lacryma increased root retention and reduced the transport effect, thus reducing metal accumulation in the grains. C. lacryma adapted to PTE stress through root remodeling and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide is influenced by multiple factors. However, the mechanisms through which these factors influence suicide remain understudied. This study aims to examine the relationship between parenting styles (warmth, control, indulgence, humiliation, and neglect), coping, self-esteem, depression, and suicidality (suicidal ideation and suicide attempts) among college students. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 2369 undergraduates (mean age = 20.10 years) including 1201 women (50.7%) at four Chinese colleges. Results: Students reported high rates of suicidal behaviors (12.7% suicidal ideation, 6.4% suicidal attempts) and depression (37%). Structural equation modeling indicated that warmth (+) had associations with coping. Coping was linked to self-esteem and depression. Depression (+), self-esteem (−), warmth (−), and neglect (+) had direct correlations with suicidality. Self-esteem mediated the relationships between warmth and depression. Conclusions: Future prevention intervention efforts aimed at reducing depression and suicidal behaviors should prioritize the promotion of positive parenting styles and the avoidance of negative ones. College mental health services should emphasize positive and optimistic coping strategies to enhance students' self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of hydrological data has a significant impact on hydrological models, where stable and anomaly-free hydrological time series typically yield more valuable patterns. In this paper, we conduct data analysis and propose an online hydrological data quality control method based on an adaptive differential evolution algorithm according to the characteristics of hydrological data. Taking into account the characteristics of continuity, periodicity, and seasonality, we develop a Periodic Temporal Long Short-Term Memory (PT-LSTM) predictive control model. Building upon the real-time nature of the data, we apply the Adaptive Differential Evolution algorithm to optimize PT-LSTM, creating an Online Composite Predictive Control Model (OCPT-LSTM) that provides confidence intervals and recommended values for control and replacement. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed data quality control method effectively manages data quality; detects data anomalies; provides suggested values; reduces reliance on manual intervention; provides a solid data foundation for hydrological data analysis work; and helps hydrological personnel in water resource scheduling, flood control, and other related tasks. Meanwhile, the proposed method can also be applied to the analysis of time series data in other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular proteome aggregation is a ubiquitous disease hallmark with its composition associated with pathogenicity. Herein, this work reports on a cell‐permeable photosensitizer (P8, Rose Bengal derivative) for selective photo induced proximity labeling and crosslinking of cellular aggregated proteome. Rose Bengal is identified out of common photosensitizer scaffolds for its unique intrinsic binding affinity to various protein aggregates driven by the hydrophobic effect. Further acetylation permeabilizes Rose Bengal to selectively image, label, and crosslink aggregated proteome in live stressed cells. A combination of photo‐chemical, tandem mass spectrometry, and protein biochemistry characterizations reveals the complexity in photosensitizing pathways (both Type I & II), modification sites and labeling mechanisms. The diverse labeling sites and reaction types result in highly effective enrichment and identification of aggregated proteome. Finally, aggregated proteomics and interaction analyses thereby reveal extensive entangling of proteostasis network components mediated by HSP70 chaperone (HSPA1B) and active participation of autophagy pathway in combating proteasome inhibition. Overall, this work exemplifies the first photo induced proximity labeling and crosslinking method (namely AggID) to profile intracellular aggregated proteome and analyze its interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IMes (IMes=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) and IPr (IPr=1,3‐ bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) represent by far the most frequently used N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands in homogeneous catalysis, however, despite numerous advantages, these ligands are limited by the lack of steric flexibility of catalytic pockets. We report a new class of unique unsymmetrical N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands that are characterized by freely‐rotatable N‐aromatic wingtips in the imidazol‐2‐ylidene architecture. The combination of rotatable N−CH2Ar bond with conformationally‐fixed N−Ar linkage results in a highly modular ligand topology, entering the range of geometries inaccessible to IMes and IPr. These ligands are highly reactive in Cu(I)‐catalyzed β‐hydroboration, an archetypal borylcupration process that has had a transformative impact on the synthesis of boron‐containing compounds. The most reactive Cu(I)‐NHC in this class has been commercialized in collaboration with MilliporeSigma to enable broad access of the synthetic chemistry community. The ligands gradually cover %Vbur geometries ranging from 37.3 % to 52.7 %, with the latter representing the largest %Vbur described for an IPr analogue, while retaining full flexibility of N‐wingtip. Considering the modular access to novel geometrical space in N‐heterocyclic carbene catalysis, we anticipate that this concept will enable new opportunities in organic synthesis, drug discovery and stabilization of reactive metal centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IMes (IMes=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) and IPr (IPr=1,3‐ bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) represent by far the most frequently used N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands in homogeneous catalysis, however, despite numerous advantages, these ligands are limited by the lack of steric flexibility of catalytic pockets. We report a new class of unique unsymmetrical N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands that are characterized by freely‐rotatable N‐aromatic wingtips in the imidazol‐2‐ylidene architecture. The combination of rotatable N−CH2Ar bond with conformationally‐fixed N−Ar linkage results in a highly modular ligand topology, entering the range of geometries inaccessible to IMes and IPr. These ligands are highly reactive in Cu(I)‐catalyzed β‐hydroboration, an archetypal borylcupration process that has had a transformative impact on the synthesis of boron‐containing compounds. The most reactive Cu(I)‐NHC in this class has been commercialized in collaboration with MilliporeSigma to enable broad access of the synthetic chemistry community. The ligands gradually cover %Vbur geometries ranging from 37.3 % to 52.7 %, with the latter representing the largest %Vbur described for an IPr analogue, while retaining full flexibility of N‐wingtip. Considering the modular access to novel geometrical space in N‐heterocyclic carbene catalysis, we anticipate that this concept will enable new opportunities in organic synthesis, drug discovery and stabilization of reactive metal centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Existing research suggests that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) may promote endogenous bone repair. This may be through the secretion of factors that stimulate repair processes or directly through differentiation into osteoblast-progenitor cells. However, the osteogenic potential of BMSCs varies among different tissue sources (e.g., mandibular versus long BMSCs). The main aim of this study was to investigate the difference in osteogenic differentiation capacity between mandibular BMSCs (mBMSCs) and tibial BMSCs (tBMSCs). Materials and Methods: Bioinformatics analysis of the GSE81430 dataset taken from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was performed using GEO2R. BMSCs were isolated from mandibular and tibial bone marrow tissue samples. Healthy pigs (n = 3) (registered at the State Office for Nature, Environment, and Consumer Protection, North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) 81-02.04.2020.A215) were used for this purpose. Cell morphology and osteogenic differentiation were evaluated in mBMSCs and tBMSCs. The expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot (WB), respectively. In addition, mBMSC-derived extracellular vesicles (mBMSC-EVs) were gained and used as osteogenic stimuli for tBMSCs. Cell morphology and osteogenic differentiation capacity were assessed after mBMSC-EV stimulation. Results: Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the difference in the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway was more pronounced compared to all other examined genes. Specifically, this demonstrated significant downregulation, whereas only 5–7 upregulated genes displayed significant variances. The mBMSC group showed stronger osteogenic differentiation capacity compared to the tBMSC group, confirmed via ALP, ARS, and von Kossa staining. Furthermore, qPCR and WB analysis revealed a significant decrease in the expression of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in the mBMSC group compared to the tBMSC group (TLR4 fold changes: mBMSCs vs. tBMSCs p < 0.05; NF-κB fold changes: mBMSCs vs. tBMSCs p < 0.05). The osteogenic differentiation capacity was enhanced, and qPCR and WB analysis revealed a significant decrease in the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB in the tBMSC group with mBMSC-EVs added compared to tBMSCs alone (TLR4 fold changes: p < 0.05; NF-κB fold changes: p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results indicate that mBMSC-EVs can promote the osteogenic differentiation of tBMSCs in vitro. The results also provide insights into the osteogenic mechanism of mBMSCs via TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway activation. This discovery promises a fresh perspective on the treatment of bone fractures or malunions, potentially offering a novel therapeutic method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapies using dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) or stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have shown promising applications for bone tissue engineering. This in vitro experiment evaluated the joint osteogenic capability of DPSCs and EVs on alloplastic (maxresorp), allogeneic (maxgraft), and xenogeneic (cerabone) bone grafts. We hypothesize that osteogenic differentiation and the proliferation of human DPSCs vary between bone grafts and are favorable under the influence of EVs. DPSCs were obtained from human wisdom teeth, and EVs derived from DPSCs were isolated from cell culture medium. DPSCs were seeded on alloplastic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic bone graft substitutes for control, and the same scaffolds were administered with EVs in further groups. The cellular uptake of EVs into DPSC cells was assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Cell vitality staining and calcein acetoxymethyl ester staining were used to evaluate cell attachment and proliferation. Cell morphology was determined using scanning electron microscopy, and osteogenic differentiation was explored by alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin red staining. Within the limitations of an in vitro study without pathologies, the results suggest that especially the use of xenogeneic bone graft substitutes with DPSCS and EVs may represent a promising treatment approach for alveolar bone defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Special Issue, "Featured Papers in Organometallic Chemistry", we report on the synthesis and characterization of [IPr#–PEPPSI], a new, well-defined, highly hindered Pd(II)–NHC precatalyst for cross-coupling reactions. This catalyst was commercialized in collaboration with MilliporeSigma, Burlington, ON, Canada (no. 925489) to provide academic and industrial researchers with broad access to reaction screening and optimization. The broad activity of [IPr#–PEPPSI] in cross-coupling reactions in a range of bond activations with C–N, C–O, C–Cl, C–Br, C–S and C–H cleavage is presented. A comprehensive evaluation of the steric and electronic properties is provided. Easy access to the [IPr#–PEPPSI] class of precatalysts based on modular pyridine ligands, together with the steric impact of the IPr# peralkylation framework, will facilitate the implementation of well-defined, air- and moisture-stable Pd(II)–NHC precatalysts in chemistry research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical cross‐linking mass spectrometry (CXMS) has emerged as a powerful technology to analyze protein complexes. However, the progress of in vivo CXMS studies has been limited by cross‐linking biocompatibility and data analysis. Herein, a glycosidic bond‐based MS‐cleavable cross‐linker of trehalose disuccinimidyl ester (TDS) was designed and synthesized, which was fragmented in MS under CID/HCD to simplify the cross‐linked peptides into conventional single peptides via selective cleavage between glycosidic and peptide bonds under individual MS collision energy. Consequently, the cross‐linking identification accuracy and throughput were significantly enhanced, and the popular MS mode of stepped HCD was allowed. In addition, TDS showed proper cell‐penetrating properties while being highly water‐soluble, making it non‐DMSO dependent during solubilization. Collectively, TDS provides a promising toolkit for CXMS characterization of living systems with high biocompatibility and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical cross‐linking mass spectrometry (CXMS) has emerged as a powerful technology to analyze protein complexes. However, the progress of in vivo CXMS studies has been limited by cross‐linking biocompatibility and data analysis. Herein, a glycosidic bond‐based MS‐cleavable cross‐linker of trehalose disuccinimidyl ester (TDS) was designed and synthesized, which was fragmented in MS under CID/HCD to simplify the cross‐linked peptides into conventional single peptides via selective cleavage between glycosidic and peptide bonds under individual MS collision energy. Consequently, the cross‐linking identification accuracy and throughput were significantly enhanced, and the popular MS mode of stepped HCD was allowed. In addition, TDS showed proper cell‐penetrating properties while being highly water‐soluble, making it non‐DMSO dependent during solubilization. Collectively, TDS provides a promising toolkit for CXMS characterization of living systems with high biocompatibility and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Miocene tragoportacins are widespread in Eurasia and Africa and are important members of the Hipparion fauna. The phylogenetic relationships within the tragoportacins are debatable due to the large number of species, fragmentary materials, and large intraspecific variations. The Chinese tragoportacins are rare and poorly studied in previous work. Recently, a dozen well-preserved skulls were excavated from northern China, providing important information for the classification and phylogenetic analysis of the Chinese tragoportacins. In this study, we assign the new material from Linxia Basin and Fugu County to Miotragocerus gregarius, providing detailed descriptions of both males and females. We discuss sexual dimorphism and compare the horn core, dentition and cranium characters in Miotragocerus, Tragoportax and related species. We also perform cladistic analyses, including Eurasian and African tragoportacins, Tetracerus and Eotragus. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that the two Chinese late Miocene tragoportacins belong to Miotragocerus and Tragoportax, which immigrated from the west to China in different periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic fluorescent protein chromophores have been reported for their singlet state fluorescence properties and applications in bioimaging, but rarely for the triplet state chemistries. Herein, we enabled their photo‐sensitizing and photo‐crosslinking properties through rational modulations. Extension of molecular conjugation and introduction of heavy atoms promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species. Unlike other photosensitizers, these chromophores selectively photo‐crosslinked aggregated proteins and uncovered the interactome profiles. We also exemplified their general applications in chromophore‐assisted light inactivation, photodynamic therapy and photo induced polymerization. Theoretical calculation, pathway analysis and transient absorption spectroscopy provided mechanistic insights for this triplet state chemistry. Overall, this work expands the function and application of synthetic fluorescent protein chromophores by enabling their triplet excited state properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic fluorescent protein chromophores have been reported for their singlet state fluorescence properties and applications in bioimaging, but rarely for the triplet state chemistries. Herein, we enabled their photo‐sensitizing and photo‐crosslinking properties through rational modulations. Extension of molecular conjugation and introduction of heavy atoms promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species. Unlike other photosensitizers, these chromophores selectively photo‐crosslinked aggregated proteins and uncovered the interactome profiles. We also exemplified their general applications in chromophore‐assisted light inactivation, photodynamic therapy and photo induced polymerization. Theoretical calculation, pathway analysis and transient absorption spectroscopy provided mechanistic insights for this triplet state chemistry. Overall, this work expands the function and application of synthetic fluorescent protein chromophores by enabling their triplet excited state properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remedial education is defined as the programmes provided by education institutions to help unprepared students reinforce their basic skills. Recently, the increased access to higher education has caused a higher dropout rate of science and engineering major students, especially when they are academically underprepared for college-level study. Thus, this study proposes a new type of remedial programme which helps students majoring in science-related foundation courses for their follow-up learning. Literature about the effectiveness of remedial education is inconsistent and how this new remedial education program affects students' learning achievement is not well understood. Thus, this study aims to examine how remedial courses change students' attitudes and improve learning performance. Our findings indicate that: (1) remedial education significantly enhances the students' academic achievement; (2) remedial education quality affects students' course satisfaction and achievements through self-efficacy. We hope these findings bring more insights into research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amide bond replacement with planar isosteric chalcogen analogues has an important implication for the properties of the N−C(X) linkage in structural chemistry, biochemistry and organic synthesis. Herein, we report the first higher chalcogen derivatives of non‐planar twisted amides. The synthesis of twisted thioamide in a versatile system has been accomplished by direct thionation without cleavage of the σ N−C bond. The synthesis of twisted selenoamide has been accomplished by selenation with Woollins' reagent. The structures of higher chalcogen analogues of non‐planar amides were unambiguously confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Reactivity studies were conducted to determine the effect of isologous N−C(O) to N−C(X) replacement on the properties of the amide linkage. Computational studies were employed to evaluate structural and energetic parameters of amide bond alteration in higher chalcogen amides. The study provides the first experimental evidence on the effect of chalcogen isologues on the structural and electronic properties of the non‐planar amide N−C(X) linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amide bond replacement with planar isosteric chalcogen analogues has an important implication for the properties of the N−C(X) linkage in structural chemistry, biochemistry and organic synthesis. Herein, we report the first higher chalcogen derivatives of non‐planar twisted amides. The synthesis of twisted thioamide in a versatile system has been accomplished by direct thionation without cleavage of the σ N−C bond. The synthesis of twisted selenoamide has been accomplished by selenation with Woollins' reagent. The structures of higher chalcogen analogues of non‐planar amides were unambiguously confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Reactivity studies were conducted to determine the effect of isologous N−C(O) to N−C(X) replacement on the properties of the amide linkage. Computational studies were employed to evaluate structural and energetic parameters of amide bond alteration in higher chalcogen amides. The study provides the first experimental evidence on the effect of chalcogen isologues on the structural and electronic properties of the non‐planar amide N−C(X) linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordovician–Silurian transition represents a critical period marked by the formation of marine shale gas horizons within the South China Block. However, the mechanism for organic matter enrichment of Paleozoic marine shales in the western South China Block remain contentious, primarily due to insufficient understanding of paleogeomorphological evolution. In this paper, we describe the sedimentology of the Ordovician-Silurian succession composed of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation in the western South China Block and report new paleontological, and geochemical data for this succession to explore the relationship between basin paleogeomorphology and water mass environment. Nine graptolite zones are identified, spanning from the WF1 (Linxiang Formation) through WF2–WF4 (Wufeng Formation) to LM1–LM5 (Longmaxi Formation) in this well. Based on sedimentological and geochemical analyse results, three distinct stages of redox and paleoproductivity conditions in the water mass have been identified: (1) suboxic environments and low paleoproductivity in WF2–WF4; (2) euxinic and stagnant water conditions in LM1–LM3 accompanying with high paleoproductivity; and (3) anoxic water and low paleoproductivity in LM4–LM5. By integrating marine redox fluctuation, paleoproductivity conditions and regional hiatus (LM1-LM3) observed across multiple successions, we interpret thatthe western margin of the South China Block have been significantly affected by a collision between the South China Block and Yanbian terrane. The results of this study indicate that the accumulation of organic matter in the western margin of the South China Block was predominantly controlled by paleogeomorphology being caused by this collision event. [Display omitted] • Reconstruction of redox and productivity of the South China ocean during the Ordovician–Silurian transition. • Restricted epicratonic sea in the western South China Block is correlated by terrane collision. • Paleogeomorphology controlled organic matter accumulation of Silurian marine black mudstones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ATP‐dependent chromatin remodeling complexes play important roles in many essential cellular processes, including transcription regulation, DNA replication, and repair. Evicting H2A.Z, a variant of histone H2A, from the promoter of hypha‐specific genes is required for hyphal formation in Candida albicans. However, the mechanism that regulates H2A.Z removal during hyphal formation remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Ino80, the core catalytic subunit of the INO80 complex, was recruited to hypha‐specific promoters during hyphal induction in Arp8 dependent manner and facilitated the removal of H2A.Z. Deleting INO80 or mutating the ATPase site of Ino80 impairs the expression of hypha‐specific genes (HSGs) and hyphal development. In addition, we showed that Ino80 was essential for the virulence of C. albicans during systemic infections in mice. Interestingly, Arp5, an INO80 complex‐specific component, acts in concert with Ino80 during DNA damage responses but is dispensable for hyphal induction. Our findings clarified that Ino80 was critical for hyphal development, DNA damage response, and pathogenesis in C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, big data and artificial intelligence technology have developed rapidly and are now widely used in fields of geophysics, well logging, and well test analysis in the exploration and development of oil and gas. The development of shale gas requires a large number of production wells, so big data and artificial intelligence technology have inherent advantages for evaluating the productivity of gas wells and analyzing the influencing factors for a whole development block. To this end, this paper combines the BP neural network algorithm with random probability analysis to establish a big data method for analyzing the influencing factors on the productivity of shale gas wells, using artificial intelligence and in-depth extraction of relevant information to reduce the unstable results from single-factor statistical analysis and the BP neural network. We have modeled and analyzed our model with a large amount of data. Under standard well conditions, the influences of geological and engineering factors on the productivity of a gas well can be converted to the same scale for comparison. This can more intuitively and quantitatively reflect the influences of different factors on gas well productivity. Taking 100 production wells in the Changning shale gas block as a case, random BP neural network analysis shows that maximum EUR can be obtained when a horizontal shale gas well has a fracture coefficient of 1.6, Type I reservoir of 18 m thick, optimal horizontal section of 1600 m long, and 20 fractured sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence implies that long noncoding RNAs participate in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumorigenesis. Our current study synthetically analyzed RNA sequencing data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. We identified LINC00961 significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissues. We explored the LINC00961 expression in NSCLC tumor tissues and cell lines with reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Lentivirus-mediated infection upregulated the expression of LINC00961 in A549 cells. The proliferation and migration capability were also measured in A549 cells. In addition, we performed luciferase reporter gene assay to investigate whether LINC00961 directly interacts with miR-19a-3p/miR-19b-3p/miR-125b-5p. A nude mice model was used to detect the potential biological process of LINC00961 on tumor growth in vivo. The results showed that LINC00961 was significantly down-egulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. LV-LINC00961 effectively increased the expression of LINC00961 and decreased the expression of miR-19a-3p/miR-19b-3p/miR-125b-5p. LINC00961 upregulation remarkably inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting cell apoptosis in A549 cells. Luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that LINC00961 could directly sponge miR-19a-3p/miR-19b-3p/miR-125b-5p. Moreover, overexpressed miR-19a-3p/miR-19b-3p/miR-125b-5p reversed the effect of LINC00961 on cell function of A549 cells. Western blot assays revealed that LINC00961 could partially act as a tumor suppressor via affecting PI3K-AKT/MAPK/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, overexpressed LINC00961-inhibited tumor growth was demonstrated in vivo. Overexpression of LINC00961 inhibited cell viability, invasion, and induced apoptosis in NSCLC, potentially via suppressing the expression of miR-19a-3p/miR-19b-3p/miR-125b-5p by targeting PI3K-AKT/MAPK/mTOR signaling pathways, which might provide the potential biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis and therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the ever-increasing popularity of livestreaming commerce, understanding how livestreaming contributes to online consumption becomes crucial to social commerce. However, studies pertain to livestreaming commerce are still at a nascent stage. Based on the elaboration likelihood model and trust transfer theory, we aim to examine the underlying mechanism of how livestreaming influences consumers' trust building and purchasing intention. The determinants, process and consequences of trust are discussed. More than 545 experienced livestreaming commerce users participated in this study in China. Our findings show two different routes through which consumers' trust can be built and affect their purchase intention and willingness to pay more. We also verify the trust transfer effect exists from trust in the streamer to trust in product in livestreaming commerce. We hope this study will bring more insight into trust and the underlying mechanism of how livestreaming increases product sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re‐identification (Re‐ID) is in significant demand for intelligent security and single or multiple‐target tracking. However, there are issues in the person Re‐ID tasks, such as sharp decline in cross‐data sets detection accuracy, poor generalization and cross‐domain ability of the model. This work mainly studies the generalization and adaptation of cross‐domain person Re‐ID models. Different from most existing methods for cross‐domain Re‐ID tasks, the authors use diversified spatial semantic feature in pixel‐level learning in the target domain to improve the generality and adaptability of the model. In the case that no information of the target domain is used during the model training, the trained model is directly tested on the data set of the target domain. It has proven effective to add the attention cascade module into the backbone network combining with the part‐level branch. The authors conducted extensive experiments based on the three data sets of Market‐1501, DukeMTMC‐ReID and MSMT17, resulting in both single‐domain and cross‐domain tests with an average improvement of Rank1 and mAP values of about 10% compared with Baseline through the authors' proposed method named Part‐Level Attention Network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in shales, occurring predominantly in three forms: biogenic quartz (BQ), detrital quartz (DQ) and clay-transformed quartz (CTQ). The content of quartz is typically correlated with the fracability of shale gas reservoirs. However, the origins of quartz and its influence on mechanical properties remain not fully elucidated. To address this gap, this study examines shale samples from LM1-LM8 graptolite zones in well W202 of the Weiyuan shale gas field, the Sichuan Basin as the research object. After systematic analysis of organic geochemistry, mineral composition, cathodoluminescence observation, major/trace elements, and log interpretation and calculation of shale mechanical parameters, the genetic mechanism of quartz was analyzed and the percentage of quartz of different origins and the influence on rock mechanical properties were evaluated quantitatively. The results indicate that the three types of quartz (BQ, DQ and CTQ) were variably present in the Longmaxi shale across different graptolite zones. The LM1-LM3 graptolite zones exhibit the highest abundance of BQ, with contents ranging from 58.3 to 79.6%, with an average of 65.7%. DQ predominates in the LM4-LM5 and LM6-LM8 graptolite zones, with average contents of 38.7% and 34.9%, respectively. The BQ content is marginally higher in the LM4-LM5 zone compared to the LM6-LM8 zone, averaging 12.7% and 6.1%, respectively. The three types of quartz exert a dual influence on Young’s modulus, and a single linear effect on Poisson’s ratio. An increase BQ content correlates with a decreased in Poisson’s ratio, whereas increased contents of DQ and CTQ correlate with an increased Poisson’s ratio. With the highest Young’s modulus and the lowest Poisson’s ratio, the LM1-LM3 shale is the most favorable interval for hydraulic fracturing. Furthermore, BQ is positively correlated with the Brittleness index (BI), whereas the contents of DQ and CTQ are negatively correlated with BI. When the quartz content falls between 52% and 85%, the ratio of DQ to BQ is optimal for fracture development coinciding with high BI values, which are most conducive to fracturing stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of information technology accelerates the modernization of distance education. To realize the unified organization and management of learning resources as well as improve the utilization rate of resources, this paper proposes the design of a mobile online education resource sharing system from the perspective of man-machine cooperation. This paper analyzes the main body and scope of collaboration, constructs a man-machine collaborative resource sharing model with large-scale man-machine cooperation as the main model; defines the system design principle, comprehensively considers the software layering idea and user usage, and determines the overall framework including client, presentation layer and business logic layer; divides resource sharing into three stages: production, registration, audit and release, and uses "centralized management", to protect the intellectual property rights of distance education resources. The role access control mechanism is used to manage user rights, and the settlement incentive algorithm is introduced to protect the intellectual property rights of distance education resources. Our experimental results show that the system can be used as a key technology to promote the development of distance education information, improve the efficiency of resource sharing, and enhance the enthusiasm of users to contribute educational resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction is efficient for constructing chiral tetrahydropyridines, but the catalytic asymmetric aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of ketimines with unactivated dienes is still a challenging topic. Herein, guided by computational screening, a highly enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of 2‐aryl‐3H‐indol‐3‐ones with unactivated dienes was realized by using a B(C6F5)3/chiral phosphoric acid catalyst system under mild conditions. The reaction has a broad scope with respect to both aza‐Diels–Alder reaction partners and hence offers rapid access to an array of tetrahydropyridine derivatives with pretty outcomes (up to 99 % yield, >20:1 dr and 98:2 er). The reaction is very efficient: lowering catalyst loadings for the model reaction to 0.1 mol %, enantioselectivity is still maintained. The synthetic utility was confirmed by transformations of the products. DFT calculations provide convincing evidence for the interpretation of stereoselection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction is efficient for constructing chiral tetrahydropyridines, but the catalytic asymmetric aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of ketimines with unactivated dienes is still a challenging topic. Herein, guided by computational screening, a highly enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of 2‐aryl‐3H‐indol‐3‐ones with unactivated dienes was realized by using a B(C6F5)3/chiral phosphoric acid catalyst system under mild conditions. The reaction has a broad scope with respect to both aza‐Diels–Alder reaction partners and hence offers rapid access to an array of tetrahydropyridine derivatives with pretty outcomes (up to 99 % yield, >20:1 dr and 98:2 er). The reaction is very efficient: lowering catalyst loadings for the model reaction to 0.1 mol %, enantioselectivity is still maintained. The synthetic utility was confirmed by transformations of the products. DFT calculations provide convincing evidence for the interpretation of stereoselection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and sensitive determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables is critical for human health and ecosystems. This paper used an Ag-modified CuO sphere-cavity array (CuO@Ag) electrode as a thiram SERS/electrochemical dual readout detection platform. Numerous Raman "hotspots" generated by uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles, charge transfer at the CuO@Ag interface, and the formation of Ag-thiram complexes contribute to the significant enhancement of this SERS substrate, which results in excellent SERS performance with an enhancement factor up to 1.42 × 106. When using SERS as the readout technique, the linear range of the substrate for thiram detection was 0.05–20 nM with a detection limit (LOD) of up to 0.0067 nM. Meanwhile, a correlation between the value of change in current density and thiram concentration was established due to the formation of stable complexes of thiram with Cu2+ generated at specific potentials. The linear range of electrochemical detection was 0.05–20.0 μM, and the detection limit was 0.0167 μM. The newly devised dual-readout sensor offers notable sensitivity and stability. The two signal readout methods complement each other in terms of linear range and detection limit, making it a convenient tool for assessing thiram residue levels in agro-food. At the same time, the combination of commercially available portable equipment makes on-site monitoring possible. Ag-modified CuO cavity arrays have been established as SERS-electrochemical dual-signal platforms for thiram detection. [Display omitted] • CuO@Ag cavity arrays were used as SERS/electrochemical dual-signal sensors. • The EM and CT synergistic effect endow CuO@Ag with excellent SERS performance. • The highly ordered array structure ensures excellent SERS signal reproducibility. • The complex between the electrode and thiram enhances the electrochemical response. • The sensor demonstrated the feasibility of detecting thiram in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive release of proinflammatory chemokines promotes cell proliferation and tumor growth in colorectal cancer. However, their regulatory functions and molecular pathogenesis have not been well elucidated. Here, we observed the upregulation of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) in human colorectal cancers and mouse intestinal tumors. Both CXCL13 deficiency and blockade of CXCL13 signaling ameliorated disease progression. CXCL13 promoted intestinal tumorigenesis through the activation of the AKT signaling pathway in a C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5)-dependent manner. Intestinal microbiota translocation drove CXCL13 production in dendritic cells through the activation of NF-κB signaling. Inhibition of microbiota translocation decreased CXCL13 production and ameliorated intestinal tumorigenesis. Together, the results of this study identify a role for the CXCL13-CXCR5 axis is involved in the crosstalk between chemokines and cell growth during the development of intestinal tumorigenesis, which also provides a therapeutic strategy for targeting CXCL13/CXCR5 in the future clinical treatment of intestinal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This paper is aimed at comparing the short-term efficacy of the combination of docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine (DOX) with the combination of oxaliplatin and capecitabine (XELOX) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of patients with resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Methods. A total of 300 patients aged 20-60 years with resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma who were evaluated with cT3/4Nany were randomly assigned into 3 groups: DOX group (n = 100 , treated with neoadjuvant DOX plus adjuvant XELOX), XELOX group (n = 100 , treated with perioperative XELOX), and surgery group (n = 100 , treated with adjuvant XELOX). Results. A total of 93, 92, and 95 patients were enrolled in the DOX, XELOX, and surgery groups, respectively. The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 16.1% in the DOX group and 4.3% in the XELOX group (P = 0.008). There were 56 (61.3%) patients in the DOX group who presented with surgical complications, 22 (23.9%) patients in the XELOX group, and 37 (38.9%) patients in the surgery group. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events in these three groups were neutropenia (32.3%, 30.4%, and 21.1%), leucopenia (21.5%, 22.8%, and 15.8%), nausea (15.1%, 16.3%, and 12.6%), and fatigue (10.8%, 7.6%, and 8.4%). Conclusions. Neoadjuvant DOX is an effective and feasible regimen and might represent an option for young and middle-aged patients with locally advanced, resectable gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction is efficient for constructing chiral tetrahydropyridines, but the catalytic asymmetric aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of ketimines with unactivated dienes is still a challenging topic. Herein, guided by computational screening, a highly enantioselective aza‐Diels–Alder reaction of 2‐aryl‐3H‐indol‐3‐ones with unactivated dienes was realized by using a B(C6F5)3/chiral phosphoric acid catalyst system under mild conditions. The reaction has a broad scope with respect to both aza‐Diels–Alder reaction partners and hence offers rapid access to an array of tetrahydropyridine derivatives with pretty outcomes (up to 99 % yield, >20:1 dr and 98:2 er). The reaction is very efficient: lowering catalyst loadings for the model reaction to 0.1 mol %, enantioselectivity is still maintained. The synthetic utility was confirmed by transformations of the products. DFT calculations provide convincing evidence for the interpretation of stereoselection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low proportion of gastric cancer (GC) patients with high HER2 expression limits the clinical application of trastuzumab, a humanized epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) antibody targeting for GC treatment. We found that Dicer was positively correlated with HER2 expression in GC tissue by immunostaining as well as induce HER2 overexpression without increasing invasiveness of GC cell. In addition, both the growth of GC referring to cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis was inhibited by Dicer overexpression. Moreover, the HER2 overexpression induced by Dicer provided more effective and additive target for trastuzumab to amplify the inhibition effect for GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, as assessed in a subsequent experiment, calcitriol induced HER2 overexpression and amplified the inhibition effect of trastuzumab in GC cells referring to proliferation. Our finding demonstrated the calcitriol might increase indication of trastuzumab by inducing HER2 overexpression in GC patients. Dicer would be a potential target that extend the clinical indications of HER2 antibody in patients with low or negative HER2, who were not fit for HER2 antibody treatment before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the performance degradation of reinforced-concrete (RC) columns with corroded longitudinal steel bars was experimentally investigated. Ten large-scale RC column specimens were constructed, and the longitudinal steel bars were corroded, to simulate the real severe environmental condition that concrete structures may encounter during their long-term service life, using a hybrid method. All specimens were tested under lateral cyclic loadings up to failure with the aim of revealing the effects of rebar corrosion level and axial compression ratio on the seismic behaviour of corroded RC columns. Test results indicate that an increase in the rebar corrosion level and axial compression ratio causes a marked degradation in the seismic performance of corroded RC columns, especially a reduction in the strength, ductility and energy dissipation capacity. To study the effect of the rebar corrosion level, the seismic damage indices of the corroded RC columns were also assessed using the damage model proposed by Park–Ang. In addition, a strength prediction method for corroded RC columns was proposed based on the modified compression field theory coupled with the conventional sectional analysis method. The proposed prediction method was then verified with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Exploring the efficacy and safety of perioperative chemotherapy on patients with AGC at different clinical and pathological stages. Methods: A phase III randomized, multicenter, trial comparing adjuvant (arm A) or perioperative S‐1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX, arm B), and perioperative capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX, arm C) was initiated in T3/4, node + gastric cancer patients (unclear). Each patient received an 8‐cycle chemotherapy (3 weeks for one cycle). Group arms B and C received two cycles preoperatively, and six cycles postoperatively. Primary endpoints were R0 resection rate and DFS, and secondary endpoints included OS, ORR, DCR, and safety. This study was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01516944. Results: A total of 749 patients were randomly assigned into groups A, B, and C. Group A received 1460 circles chemotherapy and group B received 1177 circles while group C received 1200 circles. R0 resection rates in the three groups were 81.7%, 88.7%, and 83.1%, respectively. The difference between groups A and B was considered to be statistically significant (P =.018), and no significant difference between groups B and C (P =.051). Hazard ratio were compared between groups B and C and DFS showed 0.72 (0.67‐0.77 with 95% CI), Pnon‐inferiority <.0001, Plog‐rank =.064). The CI top limit actually lower than the estimated value of 1.38, which indicated noninferiority of SOX to XELOX. Conclusions: Compared with PAC, perioperative chemotherapy showed a significant improvement in R0 resection rates and prognosis in AGC patients with higher safety rates. This study was powered to show superiority of perioperative over adjuvant SOX, and noninferiority of SOX to XELOX. Volume measurement, repeated laparoscopic exploration combined with exfoliative cytology can be used as a supplementary method in the clinical staging and efficacy evaluation of AGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, causes huge economic losses in pine forests. The plant‐parasitic nematodes have a complex life cycle that includes the secretion of effector proteins through a stylet into the host cell to promote parasitism. In this study, SignalP 4.1 and TMHMM 2.0 were used in preliminary screens for candidate effectors and were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana through the PVX virus expression vector. The yeast signal sequence trap system was used to further study the function of the signal peptide of an effector, BxSapB2. In situ hybridization was conducted to investigate the localization of BxSapB2, followed by RNA interference technology (RNAi) to assess the functions of BxSapB2. The results demonstrate that BxSapB2 is a secreted protein that induces cell death in N. benthamiana and is highly expressed in esophageal gland cells and amphids of B. xylophilus. BxSapB2 was determined to be related to the pathogenicity of B. xylophilus. The results of this work indicate that BxSapB2 plays an important role in the interactions between B. xylophilus and the hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between microplastics (MPs) and human respiratory health has garnered significant attention since inhalation constitutes the primary pathway for atmospheric MP exposure. While recent studies have revealed respiratory risks associated with MPs, virgin MPs used as plastic surrogates in these experiments did not represent the MPs that occur naturally and that undergo aging effects. Thus, the effects of aged MPs on respiratory health remain unknown. We herein analyzed the interaction between inhalable aged MPs with lung surfactant (LS) extracted from porcine lungs vis-à-vis interfacial chemistry employing in-vitro experiments, and explored oxidative damage induced by aged MPs in simulated lung fluid (SLF) and the underlying mechanisms of action. Our results showed that aged MPs significantly increased the surface tension of the LS, accompanied by a diminution in its foaming ability. The stronger adsorptive capacity of the aged MPs toward the phospholipids of LS appeared to produce increased surface tension, while the change in foaming ability might have resulted from a variation in the protein secondary structure and the adsorption of proteins onto MPs. The adsorption of phospholipid and protein components then led to the aggregation of MPs in SLF, where the aged MPs exhibited smaller hydrodynamic diameters in comparison with the unaged MPs, likely interacting with biomolecules in bodily fluids to exacerbate health hazards. Persistent free radicals were also formed on aged MPs, inducing the formation of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide radicals (O 2 •–), hydrogen peroxide (HOOH), and hydroxyl radicals (•OH); this would lead to LS lipid peroxidation and protein damage and increase the risk of respiratory disease. Our investigation was the first-ever to reveal a potential toxic effect of aged MPs and their actions on the human respiratory system, of great significance in understanding the risk of inhaled MPs on lung health. [Display omitted] • The differences in potential health risks between aged and unaged MPs were explored. • Aged MPs exerted a greater impact on the interfacial properties of lung surfactant relative to unaged MPs. • The adsorption of phospholipids and proteins promoted agglomeration of MPs. • The higher toxicity of aged MPs stems from the environmentally persistent free radicals that are formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to explore sexual risk behaviours and the correlates of condom use with casual sex partners among drug users in China. Data were collected from 901 eligible drug users (504 men and 397 women) from 2014 to 2015 in Jiangsu, China. Methamphetamine was the most used drug (91.8%) among the participants. The proportion reporting consistent condom use was 4.1 and 11.9% with steady and casual sex partners, respectively. Compared to women, men were more likely to have had their first sex at age ≤16 years (40.3 versus 25.6%), had both steady and casual sex partners (68.0 versus 28.9%), had one night stand partners (54.6 versus 17.4%), had sex under the influence of drugs often (29.8 versus 3.6%). Multiple logistic regressions indicated that inconsistent condom use with casual sex partners was associated with older age, having drug use friends as casual sex partners, while having always used condoms was associated with having never had sex under the influence of drugs, having sought casual sex less frequently, and using condoms at first sex. The findings highlight the need for future gender-specific efforts toward tailoring prevention and treatment programmes to reduce sexual risk behaviours among drug users in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) has emerged as a critical mediator of necroptosis, which results in the release of cellular damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). However, its physiological role in regulating inflammation is not fully understood. We herein showed that Mlkl-/- mice were highly susceptible to colitis and colitis-associated tumorigenesis (CAT), which was associated with massive leukocyte infiltration and increased inflammatory responses. Moreover, we used bone marrow transplantation to reveal that MLKL in inflammatory cells is crucial for its role on colitis. Intestinal mucosal tissue and polyps isolated from Mlkl-/- mice exhibited increased ERK activation and elevated expression of genes associated with inflammation and cancer. Mechanistically, enhanced inflammation in Mlkl-/- mice was due to MEK/ERK activation particularly in dendritic cells (DCs). Our results demonstrate the role of MLKL in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and protecting against colitis and tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although photochemical transformation is a major degradation pathway for antibiotics in surface freshwaters, the photodegradation of antibiotics from freshwaters downstream into seawater is largely unknown. Herein, sulfadiazine was adopted as a representative antibiotic to probe the alteration of photolytic kinetics along freshwater to seawater sampled from Qinzhou Bay, China. The results showed that the photodegradation rate constants of sulfadiazine significantly increased in estuarine waters along freshwaters to seawaters. Experiments in synthetic water samples with isolated local dissolved organic matter (IL-DOM) indicated that the increased photodegradation of sulfadiazine is attributed to the integrative effect of both IL-DOM and halide ions. Radical quenching experiments with tert -butanol (quenching of ·OH) and isopropanol (quenching of both ·OH and reactive halogen species, RHS) demonstrated that RHS are largely responsible for the halide-specific enhancement in the photodegradation of sulfadiazine, rather than other reactive species, such as triplet-excited IL-DOM and ·OH. However, triplet-excited IL-DOM was involved in the production of RHS by the oxidation of halide ions by the triplet-excited states. Experiments conducted with DOM analogues verified DOM-sensitized RHS formation, and the degradation induced by RHS is positively correlated with the triplet-excited reduction potentials of DOM analogues. These findings are helpful in deeply understanding the transformation of antibiotics, and demonstrate the importance of RHS-induced degradation in antibiotics fate models in estuarine water systems. Image 1 • Photodegradation of sulfadiazine (SD) was investigated in estuarine waters. • Photolytic rates of SD increased in saline water sampled from freshwater to seawater. • Both dissolved organic matter (DOM) and halides dominated the increased photolysis. • Reactive halogen species (RHS) play a crucial role in halide-specific enhancement. • Photodegradation by RHS is positively correlated with triplet DOM oxidizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report sequential ruthenium(0)-catalysis for the synthesis of sterically-hindered amines via direct C–H arylation of simple imines and imine hydrosilylation. The method involves direct C–H arylation under neutral conditions with organoboranes enabled by ruthenium(0) catalysis. The catalytic hydrosilylation was performed in a one-pot fashion using Et3SiH. The reaction is compatible with a broad range of electronically- and sterically-varied imines, enabling rapid production of valuable biaryl amines in good to excellent yields. The method constitutes a two-step, one-pot procedure to synthesize sterically-hindered amines from aldehydes. The utility of this atom-economic strategy is demonstrated in one-pot, three-component coupling, direct in situ aldehyde arylation and the use of transfer hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine associations between nicotine, alcohol, and drug use, as well as key demographic variables, with barriers to antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Guangxi, China. Method: Cross-sectional survey data were obtained from 2,095 PLHIV in Guangxi, China, among whom 61.2% were male (n = 1283) and 38.8% were female (n = 812). Participants provided information on substance use history and four types of barriers to ART adherence (symptomatic, emotional, forgetful, and time management barriers). Multivariate regression was used to analyze associations between substance use and perceived barriers to adherence. Results: A minority of participants reported current substance use, with 38.1% (n = 798) using nicotine, 30.7% (n = 644) using alcohol, and 6.6% (n = 138) using illicit drugs. A small but significant proportion of participants reported having quit nicotine, alcohol, and drug use following HIV diagnosis (10.0%, 8.5%, and 9.5%, respectively). Multivariate regression indicated that current drug use was associated with symptomatic, emotional, forgetful, and time management barriers to adherence; current alcohol use was associated with symptomatic, forgetful and time management barriers. Age, ethnicity, official residential status, employment status, duration of being on ART, ability to pay medical expenses, and perceived attitudes of healthcare providers were associated with one or more types of barriers. Conclusions: Psychosocial and behavioral health interventions designed to improve ART adherence in China may benefit from incorporating substance use treatment and care for current users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Interaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with pulmonary surfactant (PS) was probed. • VOCs obviously altered the surface tension and compression isotherm of PS. • PS displayed notable solubilization effect on VOCs. • Protein components of PS exhibited inhibitive effect on the solubilization of lipids. • Mixed phospholipids were responsible for the solubilization of PS for VOCs. Abstract Exposure of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) towards lung leads to pulmonary dysfunctions and various lung diseases. However, the interaction of VOCs with pulmonary surfactant (PS) that directly comes into contact with inhaled VOCs is unknown. Here, simulated PS extracted from porcine lungs (EPS) was used to study the interaction with BTEX (i.e., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and p -xylene) as representatives of VOCs. Surface pressure-area (π-A) isotherms showed that in the presence of individual BTEX, EPS monolayer's phase conversion from gas to liquid expanded phase was dramatically influenced and its collapse pressure decreased greatly compared to those of EPS alone, which was attributed to the alteration of EPS monolayer's microstructure characterized by atomic force microscopy and Brewster angle microscopy. Solubilization experiments manifested that EPS and its major components (dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, DPPC; bovine serum albumin, BSA) exhibited obvious solubilization effects on individual BTEX. The solubilization capacity followed an order: EPS > DPPC > BSA, which was positively correlated with hydrophobicity of individual BTEX. Synergistic solubilization test unveiled that the mixed phospholipid components were largely responsible for the solubilization capacity of EPS. These findings indicate that VOCs exposure may induce potential pulmonary health risk due to the alteration of gas-liquid interfacial properties of PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Understanding the interaction between pulmonary surfactant (PS) and inhalable pollutants is vital for risk assessment of respiratory health. Here, PS extracted from porcine lung (EPS) was used to investigate the interaction of PS with nano-silica particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Our results demonstrated that silica significantly affected the phase behavior and foaming ability of EPS; EPS and its major components (dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, DPPC; bovine serum albumin, BSA) exhibited great enhancing effect on PAHs solubility, which follows the order: EPS > DPPC > BSA, and it was positively correlated with the hydrophobicity of PAHs. Further experiments demonstrated that mixed phospholipids of EPS were largely responsible for the solubilization of EPS on PAHs. In the presence of EPS, DPPC or BSA, adsorption of PAHs by silica was notably inhibited, indicating competitive adsorption between PAHs and PS components on silica. These findings provide evidence for the surface chemistry by which PS facilitates the solubilization of PAHs and reducing the adsorption of PAHs on silica, which may be helpful for deeply understanding the effects of particulate matter and PAHs on lung health. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Silica obviously altered the compression isotherm and foaming ability of pulmonary surfactant (PS). • Protein component is the most foamable component in PS. • PS displayed notable solubilization effect on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). • Mixed phospholipids were responsible for the solubilization of PS for PAHs. • PS components and PAHs exhibit competitive adsorption on silica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the existing literature, there are many studies focused on the scattering-weakening effect of different atmospheric constituents (gas, aerosols, liquid particles, etc.) on solar radiation, but few quantitative studies on the scattering-weakening effect of solar radiation by fog and haze. In this paper, the scattering-weakening effect of fog and haze on daily global solar radiation is investigated based on principal component analysis (PCA). First, the influence of different fog and haze levels on daily global solar radiation is analyzed. For example, in Tianjin, China, the average weakening degree is as follows: they are 18.66%, 26.37%, 37.32%, and 45.58% in light, moderate, heavy, and serious pollution respectively. Second, 7 types of global solar radiation weakening models (GSRW models) based on air quality index (AQI) are proposed. The measured data indicates solar radiation is gradually weakened with the increase of AQI, but the weakening speed gradually slows down. Besides, GSRW models are applied to six Chinese regions with fog and haze, and the results show that these models have good applicability (the average R value is 0.730, RMSE is 0.059 and MAPE is 9.430), especially for heavy air pollution regions. Highlights • The weakening effect of fog and haze on daily global solar radiation is investigated. • A series of models are established to describe the relationship between AQI and clearness index. • The optimal GSRW model is selected and applied to other heavy pollution regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Effect of VOCs on the surface activity of pulmonary surfactant (PS) was investigated. • The surface tension of PS strongly decreased in the exposure of VOCs. • H-bond basicity and dispersion/cavity interaction impact the surface tension of PS. • The phase behavior and microstructure of PS were altered in the presence of VOCs. Abstract Understanding the interaction of pulmonary surfactant (PS) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at air-water interface is crucial for the assessment of pulmonary health. In this study, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), the mainly effective components of PS, was used as a mimic of PS employed to explore its surface activity in the exposure of VOCs. The results showed that the surface tension of DPPC decreased significantly with the addition of VOCs. On a basis of structure-activity assessment, hydrogen-bond basicity and dispersion/cavity interaction of VOCs are responsible for the decreasing capacity of VOCs for DPPC's surface tension. Surface pressure-molecular area (π-A) isotherms demonstrate that the phase conversion of DPPC monolayer from gas to liquid expanded phase was greatly impacted by VOCs. The collapse pressure of DPPC monolayer in VOCs exposure are lower compared to that of DPPC alone, which can be attributed to the lowest surface tension of DPPC solutions mixed with VOCs. Atomic force microscopy analysis elucidates that the presence of VOCs led to bigger apertures area of DPPC monolayer than that of DPPC alone, which is indicative of microstructure changes of DPPC monolayer in the exposure of VOCs. This study provides new evidences that the exposure of VOCs on DPPC may alter the air-water interface activity of PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Understanding the alteration of the air-liquid interfacial properties of pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the presence of nanoparticles (NPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is particularly important for pulmonary risk assessment. Here, we investigated the interaction of natural PS (extracted from pig's lungs) with nano carbon particles (NCPs) and anthracene as a representative PAH. Our results showed that PS exhibited a significant solubilization effect on anthracene. Solubilization experiment for the substructures of PS demonstrated that the mixed phospholipid components of PS played the primary role in the solubilization of PS for anthracene. Adsorption experiment indicated that in the mixed system of PS, NCPs, and anthracene, PS can inhibit the adsorption of anthracene on NCPs due to the solubilization, agglomeration, and competitive adsorption. In addition, the surface tension, phase behavior, and foaming ability of PS were obviously altered in the presence of NCPs. These findings indicate that the solubilization effect of PS on anthracene, the inhibitive effect of PS for the adsorption of anthracene on NCPs, and the alternation of air-liquid interfacial properties of PS containing NCPs may increase the pulmonary risk in the exposure of atmospheric environment containing both PAHs and NCPs. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Pulmonary surfactant (PS) displayed notable solubilization on anthracene. • Mixed phospholipid components of PS dominated the solubilization of anthracene. • Protein component is the most foamable component in PS. • PS can inhibit the adsorption of anthracene on nano carbon particles (NCPs). • NCPs impacted the surface tension, phase behavior, and foaming ability of PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to identify an optimal regimen for low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (LR-GTN) providing reduction in dosage and toxicity/side effects, enhancement of therapeutic efficacy, and a shorter treatment duration. Methods: A total of 149 LR-GTN patients were enrolled in the affiliated Beijing Maternity Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2014 to January 2017 and randomly divided into 3 groups with 50 cases in the methotrexate (MTX) group, 49 in actinomycin D (ACT-D) group, and 50 in ACT-D+MTX group. Follow-up recorded symptoms, physical and bimanual gynecological examinations, routine blood test, serum β-HCG level, liver and renal functions, electrolytes, electrocardiogram before each treatment course, and pelvic and abdominal B-mode ultrasound or pelvic/abdominal/chest computed tomography. Results: Serum complete remission (SCR) was 96.0, 87.8, and 83.7% for the ACT-D+MTX, ACT-D, and MTX groups, respectively, with SCR being highest in the ACT-D+MTX group, statistically higher than in the MTX group. Vomiting was the only side effect differing significantly by chemotherapy regimen, with a distinctly higher incidence in the ACT-D+MTX group compared with the MTX group (p = 0.028). The reduction rate of serum β-HCG in the ACT-D+MTX group was significantly greater than in the other 2 groups. Conclusion: Combined ACT-D+MTX chemotherapy achieved overall better efficacy and showed less toxicity than ACT-D or MTX alone, and thus can be prioritized for the treatment of LR-GTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a general approach towards the synthesis of trifluoromethylthiolated olefinic and aromatic compounds was developed. Under Pd‐catalysis, the direct introduction of a SCF3 group was realized in the presence of the Munavalli reagent as the electrophilic SCF3 source and in the absence of additives. A large number of acrylamides and aromatic amides derived from 8‐aminoquinoline and 5‐methoxy‐aminoquinoline were functionalized in moderate to high yields (up to 89 %). The cleavage of the directing groups was smoothly achieved, demonstrating further the synthetic utility of the present approach and offering a straightforward access to various original SCF3‐containing molecules. A Pd‐catalyzed directed trifluoromethylthiolation of acrylamides and aromatic amides by C–H bond functionalization was developed by using the Munavalli reagent in the absence of additives. This general approach allowed the direct introduction of the SCF3 group on unsaturated amides in moderate to good yields and offered a straightforward access to various original SCF3‐containing molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]