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Grape seed anthocyanins (GSA) offer health benefits and protect against diseases, including colitis. Its unpleasant smell and instability prevent widespread application. Antisolvent pretreatment GSA was encapsulated in chitosan-phytic acid 3D gel network. SEM and X-ray diffraction results demonstrate that pretreatment reduces GSA particle size and exhibits amorphous structure. FTIR confirmed they were physically encapsulated and not covalently bound. Its subsequent simulations digestion and fermentation showed only 26.69 % upper digestive tract leakage and altered gut microbiota and metabolites profile. In DSS-induced colitis model, it ameliorated the symptoms, including diarrhea, bloody stools, weight loss, and DAI score. Additionally, it regulates colitis mice pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, modifies cecum and colon SCFA profile, improves intestinal barrier, and restores colonic cell redox equilibrium. Collectively, GSA ameliorates experimental colitis via inhibiting TRL4/NF-κB and activating Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, we propose our GSA capsule can effectively deliver an intact parent form of GSA to the colon and has the potential to be a colonic health strategy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This article studies the dynamic event-triggered adaptive finite-time tracking control issue for a robotic manipulator (RM) system with disturbances. First, a new global prescribed performance function (PPF) is designed based on a scaling function such that the tracking error evolves within the constrained bounds and the restriction related to the initial conditions is removed. Then, the finite-time command filter (FTCF) is used to avoid the direct derivations of virtual controllers and the singularity issue of the conventional backstepping technique. Moreover, the filtering errors caused by the FTCF are removed by the designed error compensation mechanism. A novel dynamic event-triggered mechanism (DETM) using the dynamic auxiliary variable is designed to save communication resources. The proposed control scheme can guarantee that all signals of the RM are globally bounded within a finite time, and the tracking error can asymptotically reach zero. Finally, a simulation example and several comparative simulations show the validity of the proposed scheme.

Surface greenness alters regional water storage by regulating hydrological processes, thereby modulating water constraints on ecosystem functions and feeding back sustainability. In semi-arid regions, excessive revegetation may exacerbate regional water resource depletion, intensify water limitations on ecosystems, and threaten long-term sustainability. However, these changes have not been adequately assessed. In this study, we employed the Ecosystem Limitation Index (ELI) to differentiate water and energy limitations on ecosystem function. We analyzed its changes and relationship with water storage across China's semi-arid Loess Plateau, where strict revegetation has been implemented since the 2000s. Our results showed a substantial decline in ELI at the plateau scale, suggesting a significant reduction in water limitation. Whereas, ELI increased notably in the eastern and southwestern forest lands, covering 28.4% of the plateau, in contrast to the northwestern grass and desert lands (26.2%), where ELI decreased significantly. The increase in terrestrial water storage (TWS), especially groundwater storage (GWS) availability, is responsible for the declining water constraints on the ecosystem, albeit TWS and GWS substantially reduced with an annual rate of -0.76 cm and -0.49 cm in water thickness, respectively. Spatial trend analysis and Convergence Cross Mapping (CCM) causal detection revealed that the low surface greening rate before 2000 contributed to the regain in TWS and GWS, while the accelerated greening after 2000 has enhanced the shrinkage of regional TWS and GWS. Our findings suggested that the high greening rate of the Loess Plateau over the past decades was potentially achieved at the expense of regional water storage, underscoring the urgent need for water-saving strategies in future revegetation efforts to ensure ecosystem sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The potential intelligence behind advanced machining systems (AMSs) offers positive contributions toward process improvement. Imitation learning (IL) offers an appealing approach to accessing this intelligence by observing demonstrations from skilled technologists. However, existing IL algorithms that implement single policy strategies have yet to consider realistic scenarios for complex AMS tasks, where the available demonstrations may have come from various experts. Moreover, most IL assumes that the expert's policy is optimal, preventing the learning from fulfilling the previously ignored green missions. This article introduces a novel three-phase policy search algorithm based on IL, enabling the learning of heterogeneous expert policies while balancing energy preferences. The first phase equips the agent with machining basics through upper-level policy learning, generating an imitation policy distribution with various decision-making principles. The second phase enhances energy conservation capabilities by employing Pareto-improvement learning and fine-tuning the agent's policies to a Pareto-policy manifold. The third phase produces outcomes and amplifies the efficacy of human feedback by utilizing ensemble policies. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method outperforms meta-heuristics, exhibiting superior solution quality and faster computation times compared to four diverse baseline methods, each with diverse samples.

This article presents several adaptive event-triggered control (ETC) strategies for a class of uncertain nonlinear cyber-physical systems (CPSs) under constant or time-varying full-state constraints, as well as deception attacks via the senior network. Initially, the system under investigation is reformulated into a new system that encompasses both the original system state and the compromised state, enabling the use of compromised states for feedback control. Subsequently, two innovative asymptotic integral barrier Lyapunov functions (IBLFs) are developed by directly imposing constraints on the compromised state, thereby eliminating the necessity to convert state constraints into error constraints as required by traditional BLFs-based methods. Furthermore, controllers designed using relative/switched threshold event-triggered strategies ensure that all signals within the entire closed-loop system remain bounded, that the constant or time-varying full-state constraints are not breached, and that asymptotic stability is attained without Zeno behavior. Ultimately, simulation results validate the efficacy of the proposed strategies through a practical example.

Nigella sativa L. seeds have been traditionally utilized in Chinese folk medicine for centuries to treat vitiligo. This study revealed that the ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa L. (HZC) enhances melanogenesis and mitigates oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes. In accordance with established protocols, the ethanol fraction from Nigella sativa L. seeds was extracted, concentrated, and lyophilized to evaluate its herbal effects via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, tyrosinase activity evaluation, measurement of cellular melanin contents, scratch assays, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot analysis for expression profiling of experimentally relevant proteins. The results indicated that HZC significantly enhanced tyrosinase activity and melanin content while notably increasing the protein expression levels of Tyr, Mitf, and gp100 in B16F10 cells. Furthermore, HZC effectively mitigated oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence, improved melanocyte condition, and rectified various functional impairments associated with melanocyte dysfunction. These findings suggest that HZC increases melanin synthesis in melanocytes through the activation of the MAPK, PKA, and Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, HZC attenuates oxidative damage induced by H 2 O 2 therapy by activating the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) pathway and enhancing the activity of downstream antioxidant enzymes, thus preventing premature senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes., (Copyright © 2025 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. is a respected medicinal and edible fungus known for its outstanding nutritional profile. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is viewed as a valuable medicinal resource offering various benefits, such as liver protection, spleen fortification, stomach nourishment, and improved digestion. The primary active ingredient, H. erinaceus polysaccharides (HEPs), exhibits diverse biological activities, including immunomodulatory, gastrointestinal protective, regulation of intestinal flora, anti-Alzheimer's, and antioxidant activities. These activities underscore the significant potential of HEPs for treating various diseases and developing HEPs-based pharmaceuticals. For instance, HEPs can exert immunomodulatory effects through the TLR4/NFκB/MyD88/MAPK/PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Additionally, HEPs achieve immunomodulatory, gastrointestinal protection, and anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects by modulating intestinal microbiota. This review systematically summarizes the past five years' research on the extraction, purification, structural characteristics, pharmacological properties, structure-activity relationships, structural modifications, toxicological effects, and potential applications of HEPs. It highlights the diverse biological activities of HEPs in vivo and in vitro and discusses structural modification methods and their broad application prospects in food, medicine, industry, and other fields. These studies will enhance the understanding of HEPs and promote further exploration and innovation in the field of biological activity research and the development of potential applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Electroresponsive multicolored materials have tremendous potential in flexible electronics and smart wearable devices. Herein, the electrochromic dynamics and in situ morphological evolution of a single soft polyaniline nanoentity can be visualized and decoupled by an opto-electrochemical imaging strategy. The durability, tinting speed, and reversibility down to the single-nanoparticle level are quantified, and the switching of transient intermediate electrochromic states is trapped. The mechanistic studies suggest that the heterogeneity of electrochromic activity is attributed to the nonuniformity of the polymer network interspersed at the nanometric level. Furthermore, the representative Pauli repulsion effect is uncovered from the self-stretching behavior of the conductive state of polyaniline at the oxidized potential. It provides novel insights for advancing high-performance electrochromic devices and flexible strain sensors, which can be dynamically manipulated by external stimuli.

In this study, an antimicrobial component, silk protease inhibitors (SPIs), was extracted from discarded silkworm cocoons, and a suitable degumming method for obtaining regenerated silk fibroin (SF) was screened. An edible antimicrobial coating was prepared by mixing SPIs with SF for evaluation of potential in strawberries preservation. Results demonstrated that SPI could effectively inhibit mycelial growth and spore germination. The alkaline protease method exhibited the highest degumming rate of 24.4 %. The SPI-SF coating exhibited excellent mechanical properties, high water vapor permeability, and easy washability. Within 10 days, seedlings treatment with SPI-SF coating solution showed a germination rate of 94.3 %, and exhibited good biocompatibility with HepG2 cells. Coating with SPI-SF led to increase in the storage period of strawberries to 10-14 days, concurrent with considerable reduction in decay rate at room temperature. Conclusively, this study demonstrates the potential of SPI-SF edible coating in strawberries preservation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The chemical composition and structure of the cuticular wax in blue honeysuckle fruit were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the cuticular wax was dense and uniform, taking on a tubular form. A total of 158 wax components were identified, including alkanes, terpenes, ketones, alcohols, fatty acids, and esters. The wax was found to be particularly rich in alkanes. After storage, the wax content decreased, whereas an increase in 1-undecanol. The destruction or reduction of cuticular wax resulted in a more rapid decline in storage quality, loss of nutrients, and a decrease in antioxidant phytochemicals. Meanwhile, wax metabolizing enzyme activity and gene expression increased. This study presents a deeper understanding of blue honeysuckle fruit cuticular wax composition and aids to developing effective measures to delay its postharvest fruit quality deterioration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this study, Shiitake mushroom-derived extracellular nanovesicles (SMDENVs) were isolated from fresh Shiitake mushrooms by ultracentrifugation and sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The morphological characteristics of SMDENVs were investigated via Transmission Electron Microscopy and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy. SMDENVs were spherical, hollow, and uniform in size, with an average diameter of 177.6 ± 51.4 nm. Based on the analysis of lipidomics and proteomics, 383 lipids species and 1290 proteins were identified in SMDENVs. Compared with the conventional liposomes, SMDENVs demonstrated higher stability in different environmental conditions. Furthermore, we observed that SMDENVs were cytocompatible and inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells. SMDENVs could be phagocytized by Caco-2 cells in a time-dependent manner. Further, SMDENVs also inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) was 236.2 ± 3.2 μg/mL. Additionally, SMDENVs induced cellular apoptosis by increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species and decreasing the mitochondrial membrane potential., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Adolescents often experience negative emotions, such as depression and anxiety, due to rapid biological, cognitive, and social changes during this developmental stage. In recent years, the non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has garnered increasing attention, with rumination identified as a significant risk factor for its occurrence. This study established a moderated mediation model to examine the impact of rumination on NSSI among adolescents with MDD and its underlying mechanisms. The final research sample consisted of 1,601 adolescents with MDD (18.2% males, mean age = 14.85 years, SD = 1.65) from 14 psychiatric/general hospitals across nine provinces in China. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing NSSI, rumination, loneliness, and resilience. Results indicated that rumination contribute to NSSI via loneliness during adolescence, whereas resilience may buffer the adverse effects of rumination on NSSI, implying the potential effectiveness of reducing loneliness and promoting resilience in the intervention and prevention of NSSI. These findings further illuminate the mechanisms underlying the development of NSSI, aiding in its prediction and prevention among adolescents, thereby assisting them in better coping with emotional and behavioral developmental challenges during adolescence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Curcumin is a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory and antitumorigenic properties. However, its low water solubility and bioavailability limit its use. In this study, porous starch supplemented with a solvent evaporation process was demonstrated as a highly loaded vehicle for curcumin (17.82 %) that could be efficiently solubilized over sustained periods. The migration of curcumin and its adsorption onto the surface of porous starch during solvent evaporation indicated that curcumin was deposited as amorphous globules in pores and encapsulated on the starch surface. The process was demonstrated to involve hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions using infrared spectroscopy and particle dissociation experiments. Notably, the saturated solubility of curcumin in CU/PS in ionized water, ethanol, and acetic acid was 17.81×, 31.65×, and 26.53× greater than that of raw curcumin, respectively. In particular, it could slowly dissolve in simulated intestinal fluids and exhibited a higher cumulative dissociation (about 6 times that of raw curcumin). In vitro experiments using a colon adenocarcinoma cell line confirmed that curcumin loaded with porous starch enhanced cellular uptake and reduced IC 50 of raw curcumin by 55 times. Thus, porous starch with a simple and efficient process provides new ideas for the design of drug delivery systems and is expected to inspire further development in reducing dosing intervals and maximizing therapeutic efficacy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This article primarily studies the adaptive output-feedback consensus tracking control issue for nonlinear multiagent systems (MASs) with unknown control directions against deception attacks. First, a composite observer combining the state observer and the disturbance observer is developed to concurrently estimate the states of confronting deception attacks and unmeasurable disturbances. Moreover, to resolve the unknown gains resulting from deception attacks, the adaptive attack compensator is proposed. Furthermore, in view of the logarithm Lyapunov function in the final step of the design process and the intelligent approximation technique, a new composite-observer-based adaptive consensus tracking control strategy is constructed. The suggested control strategy ensures the boundedness of all the closed-loop signals while also achieving synchronous tracking of the leader's output by the followers. Last but not least, the effectiveness of the suggested control strategy is validated through two simulation examples.

Background: Vaccination hesitancy poses a serious threat to mpox vaccination programs. Historically, vaccine uptake in the African region has been low, and this trend may impact future vaccination efforts. Our aim was to investigate the relationships between mpox vaccination hesitancy, immunisation coverage for other vaccines, and vaccination readiness among African adults., Methods: A multinational commercial web panel survey was conducted among 1832 African adults across six countries (Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa) from October 1 to October 10, 2024. Mpox vaccination hesitancy for themselves and children was defined as the reluctance to receive vaccines against mpox (if vaccines were available) for themselves and for children (if they had children). Vaccination readiness was assessed via the 7Cs model, which includes confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, collective responsibility, compliance, and conspiracy. Weighted logistic regression models with the set of calibration sampling weights were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The analysis explored the effects of immunisation coverage for other vaccines and vaccination readiness on hesitancy toward mpox vaccination, including mediation and joint relationships. DerSimonian-Laird random-effects meta-analyses were utilised to pool the results from six countries., Findings: The pooled weighted rate of mpox vaccination hesitancy among participants was 32.7% (95% CI: 25.4-40.0, I 2  = 91.5%, p < 0.0001) for themselves and 38.9% (95% CI 30.2-47.6, I 2  = 93.7%, p < 0.0001) for children. After adjusting for covariates, the absence of immunisation coverage for other vaccines independently increased the risk of mpox vaccination hesitancy for themselves and for children, with a pooled OR of 2.66 (95% CI 1.67-4.26, I 2  = 25.8%, p = 0.241) and a pooled OR of 2.16 (95% CI 1.42-3.30, I 2  = 0%, p = 0.471), respectively. The pooled mediation proportions of vaccination readiness for the relationship between immunisation coverage for other vaccines and mpox vaccination hesitancy were 15.85% (95% CI 0.64-31.06, I 2  = 60.9%, p = 0.703) and 52.53% (95% CI 20.93-84.14, I 2  = 0%, p = 0.988) for themselves and for children, respectively. The pooled weighted rate of mpox vaccination hesitancy was highest among individuals with low vaccination readiness and no history of other vaccinations, with a pooled weighted rate of 62.7% (95% CI 44.7-80.7, I 2  = 82.8%, p < 0.0001) for themselves and 76.3% (95% CI 66.9-85.7, I 2  = 40.6%, p = 0.135) for children. Compared with the reference group (high vaccination readiness and a history of other vaccinations), populations that reported low vaccination readiness and no history of other vaccinations exhibited the highest risk of mpox vaccination hesitancy for themselves (pooled OR 7.83, 95% CI 3.28-18.70, I 2  = 63.2%, p = 0.018) and for children (pooled OR 12.55, 95% CI 7.38-21.33, I 2  = 0%, p = 0.585), followed by populations that reported low vaccination readiness and a history of other vaccinations (pooled OR for themselves 2.69, 95% CI 1.70-4.26, I 2  = 66.7%, p = 0.01; pooled OR for children 4.97, 95% CI 3.66-6.74, I 2  = 19.6%, p = 0.286). However, populations that reported high vaccination readiness and no history of other vaccinations demonstrated a higher risk of mpox vaccination hesitancy for themselves (pooled OR 2.28 95% CI 1.05-4.94, I 2  = 0%, p = 0.608), but not for children., Interpretation: Our findings indicate a significant level of hesitancy toward mpox vaccination in the African region. Individuals who have not previously received other vaccines are at a higher risk of refusing to vaccinate against mpox for themselves and for children. However, high vaccination readiness can help mitigate this risk. The study recommends that regions in Africa with low immunisation coverage should continue to enhance vaccination education and improve vaccination readiness to reduce hesitancy and promote the mpox vaccination program., Funding: This work was partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 72122001, 72474005)., Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Abundant polyphenols in Flos Sophorae Immaturus tea (FSIt) exhibited xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. However, the XO inhibitory activity of FSIt was closely related to the processing methods. Herein, organic acids were employed as catalysts for polyphenol conversion during heat treatment and applied to enhance the XO inhibitory activity of FSIt; the potential mechanisms were clarified by polyphenols degradation and conversion analysis, omission experiment, and interaction assay. Results showed that 10% oxalic acid (OA)- or 10% lactic acid (LA)-assisted heat treatment significantly increased the XO inhibition rate from 26.49% to 84.16% and 75.45%, respectively. OA-assisted presented the high catalytic efficiency of rutin (31.56%), hyperoside (33.21%), and quercitrin (34.14%) to quercetin during heat treatment, as well as kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (20.04%) to kaempferol and narcissoside (26.04%) to isorhamnetin. The de-glycosylation of polyphenols was the predominant reason for the enhancement of XO inhibitory activity. Moreover, the synergistic effect of chlorogenic acid and flavonoids also exhibited the ability to improve the XO inhibitory activity of FSIt. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Improving the polyphenol composition of FSIt through organic acid-assisted heat treatment, thereby enhancing its XO inhibitory activity, is a promising approach to deeply understand the relationship between processing methods and bioactivities of products, and further promote innovation in specific functional food processing technology., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can manifest as de novo AML (dn-AML) or secondary AML (s-AML), with s-AML being associated with inferior survival and distinct genomic characteristics. The underlying reasons for this disparity remain to be elucidated. In this multicenter study, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was employed to investigate the mutational landscape of AML in 721 patients from June 2020 to May 2023.Genetic mutations were observed in 93.34% of the individuals, with complex variations (more than three gene mutations) present in 63.10% of them. TET2, ASXL1, DNMT3A, TP53 and SRSF2 mutations showed a higher prevalence among older individuals, whereas WT1 and KIT mutations were more commonly observed in younger patients. BCOR, BCORL1, ZRSR2, ASXL1 and SRSF2 exhibited higher mutation frequencies in males. Additionally, ASXL1, NRAS, PPMID, SRSF2, TP53 and U2AF1 mutations were more common in patients with s-AML, which PPM1D was more frequently associated with therapy-related AML (t-AML). Advanced age and hyperleukocytosis independently served as adverse prognostic factors for both types of AML; however, s-AML patients demonstrated a greater number of monogenic adverse prognostic factors compared to dn-AML cases (ASXL1, PPM1D, TP53 and U2AF1 in s-AML vs. FLT3, TP53 and U2AF1 in dn-AML). Age and sex-related gene mutations suggest epigenetic changes may be key in AML pathogenesis. The worse prognosis of s-AML compared to dn-AML could be due to the older age of s-AML patients and more poor-prognosis gene mutations. These findings could improve AML diagnosis and treatment by identifying potential therapeutic targets and risk stratification biomarkers., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.)

Biofilm formation by Bacillus cereus is a major cause of secondary food contamination, leading to significant economic losses. While rhamnolipids (RLs) have shown effectiveness against Bacillus cereus , their ability to remove biofilms is limited when used alone. Ultrasound (US) is a non-thermal sterilization technique that has been found to enhance the delivery of antimicrobial agents, but it is not highly effective on its own. In this study, we explored the synergistic effects of combining RLs with US for biofilm removal. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of RLs was determined to be 32.0 mg/L. Using a concentration of 256.0 mg/L, RLs alone achieved a biofilm removal rate of 63.18%. However, when 32.0 mg/L RLs were combined with 20 min of US treatment, the removal rate increased to 62.54%. The highest biofilm removal rate of 78.67% was observed with 256.0 mg/L RLs and 60 min of US exposure. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that this combined treatment significantly disrupted the biofilm structure, causing bacterial deformation and the removal of extracellular polymeric substances. This synergistic approach not only inhibited bacterial metabolic activity, aggregation, and adhesion but also reduced early biofilm formation and decreased levels of extracellular polysaccharides and proteins. Furthermore, US treatment improved biofilm permeability, allowing better penetration of RLs and interaction with bacterial DNA, ultimately inhibiting DNA synthesis and secretion. The combination of RLs and US demonstrated superior biofilm removal efficacy, reduced the necessary concentration of RLs, and offers a promising strategy for controlling biofilm formation in the food industry.

This article is to propose an adaptive reinforcement learning (RL)-based optimized distributed formation control for the unknown stochastic nonlinear single-integrator dynamic multi-agent system (MAS). For solving the issue of unknown dynamic, an adaptive identifier neural network (NN) is developed to determine the stochastic MAS under expectation sense. And then, for deriving the optimized formation control, the RL is putted into effect via constructing a pair of critic and actor NNs. With regard of the traditional RL optimal controls, their algorithm exists the inherent complexity, because their adaptive RL algorithm are derived from negative gradient of the square of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. As a result, these methods are difficultly extended to stochastic dynamical systems. However, since this adaptive RL laws are derived from a simple positive function rather than the square of HJB equation, it can make optimal control with simple algorithm. Therefore, this optimized formation scheme can be smoothly performed to the stochastic MAS. Finally, according to theorem proof and computer simulation, the optimized method can realize the required control objective., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

This article investigates an adaptive dynamic programming-based online compensation hierarchical sliding-mode control problem for a class of partially unknown switched nonlinear systems with actuator failures and uncertain perturbations under an identifier-critic neural networks architecture. Firstly, by introducing a cost function related to hierarchical sliding-mode surfaces for the nominal system, the original control problem is equivalently converted into an optimal control problem. To obtain this optimal control policy, the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation is solved through an adaptive dynamic programming method. Compared with conventional adaptive dynamic programming methods, the identifier-critic network architecture not only overcomes the limitation on the unknown internal dynamic but also eliminates the approximation error arising from the actor network. The weights in the critic network are tuned via the gradient descent approach and the experience replay technology, such that the persistence of excitation condition can be relaxed. Then, a compensation term containing hierarchical sliding-mode surfaces is used to offset uncertain actuator failures without the fault detection and isolation unit. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory, all states of the closed-loop nonlinear system are stable in the sense of uniformly ultimately boundedness. Finally, numerical and practical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our presented online compensation control strategy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 International Society of Automation. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to their high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. As a core component, separator plays a unique yet oftentimes overlooked role in providing electrochemical stability in AZIBs. This concept focuses on the exquisite structure-property relationship of separators, highlighting three forms of these components and their structural design requirements, i. e., traditional membranes, solid-state electrolytes, and electrode coatings. The mechanism by which separators influence the zinc anode and the cathode is discussed. The article also identifies the challenges and potential future directions for functional separators in the development of high-performance AZIBs., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Dengue remains a global threat to public health, however, its disease burden among children and adolescents has always been poorly quantified. Therefore, we aimed to systematically estimate the global, regional, and national burden and temporal trends of dengue infection in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2021., Methods: Data on the number and rate of incidence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of dengue infection among children and adolescents under 20 years were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) of the age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardised DALYs rate (ASDR), by age, sex, and different countries and regions, were calculated to quantify the temporal trends of dengue burden. The association between development levels (measured using the socio-demographic index [SDI]) and dengue burden was also determined., Findings: From 1990 to 2021, the global burden of dengue incidence and its associated DALYs was consistently higher in children and adolescents than in the entire population. Globally, among children and adolescents, there were 21,641,016 incident cases in 2021, an increase of 64.43% compared to 13,241,719 in 1990. The ASIR per 100,000 population increased from 587.81 in 1990 to 812.16 in 2021, with an EAPC of 1.39% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13%-1.65%). Besides, the number of dengue-associated DALYs among children and adolescents increased by 16.36%, from 910,458.60 in 1990 to 1,059,428.31 in 2021. The increase in DALYs was less pronounced than incidence, with the ASDR per 100,000 population increasing from 40.17 in 1990 to 41.50 in 2021, and the EAPC was only 0.67% (95% CI, 0.40%-0.95%). The incidence and DALYs burden of dengue in children and adolescents was highest in middle SDI regions, followed by low-middle SDI regions, with the lowest burden in high SDI regions. Furthermore, Tropical Latin America had an extremely high ASIR (6040.29 per 100,000 population in 2021), and Southeast Asia had an extremely high ASDR (298.20 per 100,000 population in 2021), much higher than other regions around the world., Interpretation: The global dengue burden in children and adolescents is high and has been increasing from 1990 to 2021, even though the distribution patterns vary across different countries and territories. This study first reported the global disease burden and temporal trends of children and adolescents, which has significant implications for policymakers and public health officials, as it underscores the need for age- and region-specific strategies to mitigate the growing global burden of dengue., Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest with the content of this article., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) and multispecific antibodies (msAbs) represent a promising frontier in therapeutic antibody development, offering unique capabilities not achievable with traditional monoclonal antibodies. Despite their potential, significant challenges remain due to their increased molecular complexity. One prominent challenge is the correct assembly of light and heavy chains, as improper pairing leads to mispaired or incompletely assembled species that lack therapeutic efficacy and possess undesired properties, impairing the developability, manufacturability, and safety. There is a critical need for rapid, sensitive analytical tools to monitor and control these undesired species and ensure the quality assessment of bsAbs and msAbs. To address this need, we present a novel high-throughput, format-agnostic intact mass workflow that significantly enhances the efficiency of detecting and quantifying biotherapeutic products and related impurities. This workflow integrates automated sample preparation, novel high-resolution rapid mass detection powered by SampleStream-MS, and an advanced data analysis pipeline. It offers increased throughput and data quality while substantially reducing analysis turnover time and labor. This was demonstrated in a pilot program where ∼800 multispecific antibodies were processed in 10 working days. The article details the evaluation and validation of our method, demonstrating its repeatability and intermediate precision in terms of measurement accuracy and relative quantification of various product-related species. We underscore the transformative potential of this end-to-end high-throughput workflow in expediting bispecific and multispecific antibody discovery, optimizing production processes, and ensuring high-quality development and manufacturing for therapeutic antibodies.

This article presents a new event-triggered adaptive finite-time control strategy using a fuzzy state observer for a class of nonlinear cyber-physical systems (CPSs) under malicious deception attacks with a more general form. Compared with the traditional assumptions on the deception attacks in the existing results, a more general assumption on deception attacks is given in this article. During the design process, real system states are initially estimated by developing an improved state observer, which effectively addresses the problem of state unavailability. Then, a coordinate transformation technology, in which the estimated states of observer are considered, is presented to stabilize the studied system. By constructing the singularity-free finite time virtual controls, the singularity problem in the traditional finite time design algorithms is cleverly avoided. Furthermore, to minimize communication overhead, a final finite-time controller is established by using a relative threshold event-triggered scheme. The developed event-triggered adaptive finite-time control strategy guarantees that all signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally bounded in finite time without Zeno behavior. Finally, the correctness of the proposed control strategy is validated through two simulation results.

Inulin has been reported to alleviate colitis. In this study, colitis patients' feces were used to simulate fermentation to demonstrate changes in the microbiota profile in the presence of inulin. We found inulin can reshape the gut microbiota profile of colitis patients, especially by altering the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Blautia. Interestingly, the subsequent co-culture with inulin demonstrated that inulin promoted the growth of these two strains of bacteria. The dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced mouse model was used to examine the effect of inulin and its combination with two probiotics on colitis. Results showed that all three treatments can alleviate the clinical symptoms, including weight-losing, colon-shortening, and the Disease Activity Index (DAI) score. Further investigations showed that the administrations regulate colitis mice's pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17. Also, they alter the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Blautia, change the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) profile in the cecum and colon, and improve the intestinal barrier; specifically, the intervention increased the expressions of Claudin, Occludin, Zonula Occludens (ZO)-1, and Mucin (MUC)-2 in colonic tissues, thus restoring the colonic tissue structure and morphology of colitis mice. Collectively, our results confirm that inulin can alter the colitis patients' characteristic microbial community, and they can ameliorate experimental colitis by inhibiting the TRL4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway-improving the inflammatory response and enhancing the intestinal barrier. In conclusion, we propose that inulin may hold promise as a functional food therapeutic approach for the treatment of colitis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no declaration of interest statement., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Variations in symptoms and indistinguishable depression episodes of unipolar depression (UD) and bipolar disorder (BD) make the discrimination difficult and time-consuming. For adolescents with high disease prevalence, an efficient diagnostic tool is important for the discrimination and treatment of BU and UD., Methods: This multi-center cross-sectional study involved 1587 UD and 246 BD adolescents aged 12-18. A combination of standard questionnaires and demographic information was collected for the construction of a full-item list. The unequal patient number was balanced with three data balancing algorithms, and 4 machine learning algorithms were compared for the discrimination ability of UD and BD in three age groups: all ages, 12-15 and 16-18. Random forest (RF) with the highest accuracy were used to rank the importance of features/items and construct the 25-item shortlist. A separate dataset was used for the final performance evaluation with the shortlist, and the discrimination ability for UD and BD was investigated., Results: RF performed the best for UD and BD discrimination in all 3 age groups (AUC 0.88-0.90). The most important features that differentiate UD from BD belong to Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and Loneliness Scale of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). With RF and the 25-item shortlist, the diagnostic accuracy can still reach around 80 %, achieving 95 % of the accuracy levels obtained with all features., Conclusions: Through machine learning algorithms, the most influencing factors for UD and BD classification were recombined and applied for rapid diagnosis. This highly feasible method holds the potential for convenient and accurate diagnosis of young patients in research and clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None Declared., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The early years of life are critical for gross motor development (GMD). This study utilized decision tree modeling to examine the influences on gross motor development in children under the age of 3 years and to rank the key factors affecting their development., Methods: Based on randomized stratified sampling, 9,507 children aged 0-3 years in Shenzhen were included in this study. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) were utilized for the assessment of gross motor development. The chi-square test was used to compare groups, and variables were screened using univariable and multivariable regression analyses. Decision tree modeling was employed to rank the importance of statistically significant variables., Results: The research found a prevalence of gross motor developmental delay of 1.41% among the respondents. The accuracy of the decision tree model is 70.96%. The results demonstrated a strong correlation between seven variables affecting the gross motor development of children, which were ranked based on importance: age, whether to provide supplementary food, average time spent interacting with children, family type, feeding method, mode of delivery, and birth order., Conclusion: The risk of gross motor developmental delay increases with age. Furthermore, supplementary food and interacting with other children are critical factors in improving children's GMD delay. It is therefore imperative to enhance the monitoring of children's gross motor skills through regular developmental assessments that detect potential GMD delays. Moreover, family type, feeding method, mode of delivery, and birth order were also predictive factors of GMD delay., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xiong, Hu, Cao, Shang, Yao and Niu.)

Water availability, which can be represented by soil water content (SWC), plays a crucial role in plant growth and productivity across the cold and arid Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, the indirect effects of SWC are less well understood, and a more comprehensive understanding of its regulating effects may enhance the recognition of its importance, as this factor is pivotal for accurately predicting the future response of alpine ecosystems to climate change. In this study, in situ eddy covariance observation data from typical alpine ecosystems and satellite data covering the Qinghai-Tibetan region were used to comprehensively reveal the effects of SWC on ecosystem productivity. The results indicated that SWC played an important role in regulating the responses of gross primary productivity (GPP) to other environmental factors over both time and space, especially in terms of the responses of GPP to vapor pressure deficit (VPD). The regulating effect can be summarized as follows: there was a specific SWC value (SWC = 0.24 m 3  m -3 on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) above which SWC was no longer the primary limiting factor. The responses of GPP to certain environmental factors shifted from negative to positive when the SWC increased above this value. The responses of GPP to VPD exhibited the highest sensitivity to the regulating effects of SWC, with a general response pattern found across different temporal and spatial scales. The findings revealed divergent responses of GPP to environmental factors under different SWC conditions and between arid and humid regions, emphasizing the importance of soil water conditions. These findings suggest that water conditions should be given primary consideration in global change studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Spatially separate anchoring redox cocatalysts on the photocatalyst to shunt the charge migration paths is an effective route to regulate the charge flow. Differently, we herein introduce an artificially synthesized Sun-planet-like spatially separated center-to-surround radiation photosensitizer-cocatalyst structure to regulate electron flow in a tandem manner. A single Au sphere acts as the Sun/photosensitizer in the center, and small Pt particles scatter around as the planets/cocatalyst, both of which are fixed inside the MOF crystal. Such a structure can not only simultaneously increase the light harvesting capacity and electron migration kinetics but also optimize the electron transfer pathway to minimize the electron migration distance, so that the hot electrons generated by Au can be quickly transferred to Pt through MOF before annihilation, leading to a significant photoactivity promotion.

Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignant tumors in the world, requiring the development of novel therapeutic agents with reduced toxicity. Rehmannia polysaccharide (RPS) possesses immunomodulatory and anti-tumor properties, yet its efficacy is suboptimal. To enhance its biological activity, we subjected RPS to molecular modifications, resulting in phosphorylated Rehmannia polysaccharides (P-RPS). Using the mixed phosphate method, we synthesized P-RPS and optimized the synthesis conditions through a combination of single-factor and response surface methodologies. In vitro studies on P-RPS's anti-tumor activity showed no direct influence on the viability of GC cells. However, P-RPS induced the transformation of PMA-activated THP-1 cells into the M1 phenotype. We collected conditioned medium (CM) of THP-1 cells to stimulate gastric cancer cells and CM-P-RPS significantly promoted apoptosis of gastric cancer cells and inhibited cell proliferation, and reduced cell migration. Mechanistically, CM-P-RPS inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through LGR6, leading to the suppression of tumor growth. Furthermore, P-RPS demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect on tumor growth in vivo, suggesting its potential as a promising therapeutic agent for GC treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests. This Correspondence received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation (72334004, 72122001, 71934002).

This study explores the impact of postharvest storage temperatures (4 °C and 25 °C) on starch metabolism and textural attributes of glutinous lotus root. While starch metabolism is a well-known factor influencing texture, changes in powdery and sticky qualities have remained unexplored. Our research reveals that storing lotus roots at 4 °C delays water dissipation, amylopectin reduction, and the decline in textural elements such as hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and resilience. Lower temperatures postpone amylopectin reduction and sugar interconversion, thereby preserving the sticky texture. Additionally, they suppress starch formation, delay starch metabolism, and elevate the expression of genes involved in starch metabolism. The correlation between gene expression and root texture indicates the critical role of gene regulation in enzyme activity during storage. Overall, low-temperature storage extends lotus root preservation by regulating metabolite content, enzyme activities, and the corresponding genes involved in starch metabolism, preserving both intrinsic and external root quality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Therapeutic antibodies such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), bispecific and multispecific antibodies are pivotal in therapeutic protein development and have transformed disease treatments across various therapeutic areas. The integrity of therapeutic antibodies, however, is compromised by sequence liabilities, notably deamidation, where asparagine (N) and glutamine (Q) residues undergo chemical degradations. Deamidation negatively impacts the efficacy, stability, and safety of diverse classes of antibodies, thus necessitating the critical need for the early and accurate identification of vulnerable sites. In this article, a comprehensive antibody deamidation-specific dataset (n = 2285) of varied modalities was created by using high-throughput automated peptide mapping followed by supervised machine learning to predict the deamidation propensities, as well as the extents, throughout the entire antibody sequences. We propose a novel chimeric deep learning model, integrating protein language model (pLM)-derived embeddings with local sequence information for enhanced deamidation predictions. Remarkably, this model requires only sequence inputs, eliminating the need for laborious feature engineering. Our approach demonstrates state-of-the-art performance, offering a streamlined workflow for high-throughput automated peptide mapping and deamidation prediction, with the potential of broader applicability to other antibody sequence liabilities.

Background: In light of the global effort to eradicate stunting in childhood, the objective of this research endeavor was to assess the prevalence of stunting and associated factors, simultaneously construct and validate a risk prediction model for stunting among children under the age of three in Shenzhen, China., Methods: Using the stratified random sampling method, we selected 9,581 children under the age of three for research and analysis. The dataset underwent a random allocation into training and validation sets, adhering to a 8:2 split ratio. Within the training set, a combined approach of LASSO regression analysis and binary logistic regression analysis was implemented to identify and select the predictive variables for the model. Subsequently, model construction was conducted in the training set, encompassing model evaluation, visualization, and internal validation procedures. Finally, to assess the model's generalizability, external validation was performed using the validation set., Results: A total of 684 (7.14%) had phenotypes of stunt. Utilizing a combined approach of LASSO regression and logistic regression, key predictors of stunting among children under three years of age were identified, including sex, age in months, mother's education, father's age, birth order, feeding patterns, delivery mode, average daily parent-child reading time, average time spent in child-parent interactions, and average daily outdoor time. These variables were subsequently employed to develop a comprehensive prediction model for childhood stunting. A nomogram model was constructed based on these factors, demonstrating excellent consistency and accuracy. Calibration curves validated the agreement between the nomogram predictions and actual observations. Furthermore, ROC and DCA analyses indicated the strong predictive performance of the nomograms., Conclusions: The developed model for forecasting stunt risk, which integrates a spectrum of variables. This analytical framework presents actionable intelligence to medical professionals, laying down a foundational framework and a pivot for the conception and execution of preemptive strategies and therapeutic interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Xiong, Hu, Cao, Shang and Niu.)

Probiotics can alleviate alcoholic liver disease. However, whether inactive counterparts can produce similar outcomes requires further investigation. We investigated the effects of viable (V) and dead (D) Lactobacillus paracasei CCFM1120 on alcohol-induced ALD mice. The results showed that CCFM1120V and D ameliorated the disease symptoms and intestinal injury. Specifically, these interventions strengthened the intestinal barrier, as evidenced by the increased expression of ZO-1 (zonula occludens 1), occludin, and claudin-1 in the colon and the restored ileal microstructure, including the villi and crypts. In addition, they enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the liver by reducing the production of malondialdehyde and increasing the levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase. The activation of Nrf2 and HO-1 may be responsible for recovering the antioxidant capacity. Interventions can decrease mouse TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β content in serum, probably through the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, they possess the ability to restore the quantities of bacteria responsible for producing butyric acid, such as Lactobacillus , Blautia , Bifidobacterium , Ruminococcaceae , Faecalibaculum and Lachnospiraceae . Taken together, CCFM1120V and D apparently can modify the composition of the gut microbiota, foster the gastrointestinal equilibrium, fortify the intestinal barrier, augment the antioxidant capacity of the liver, and effectively shield it from ethanol-induced injury.

The edible coating is proved to be a convenient approach for fruit preservation. Among these published explorations, naturally sourced macromolecules and green crosslinking strategies gain attention. This work centers on edible coatings containing Ca 2+ as crosslinker for the first time, delving into crosslinking mechanisms, include alginate, chitosan, Aloe vera gel, gums, etc. Additionally, the crucial functions of Ca 2+ in fruit's quality control are also elaborated in-depth, involving cell wall, calmodulin, antioxidant, etc. Through a comprehensive review, it becomes evident that Ca 2+ plays a dual role in fruit edible coating. Specifically, Ca 2+ constructs a three-dimensional dense network structure with polymers through ionic bonding. Moreover, Ca 2+ acts directly with cell wall to maintain fruit firmness and serve as a second messenger to participate secondary physiological metabolism. In brief, coatings containing Ca 2+ present remarkable effects in preserving fruit and this work may provide guidance for Ca 2+ related fruit preservation coatings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Aqueous zinc-metal batteries are prospective energy storge devices due to their intrinsically high safety and cost effectiveness. Yet, uneven deposition of zinc ions in electrochemical reduction and side reactions at the anode interface significantly hinder their development and application. Here, we propose a solvation-interface attenuation strategy enabled by a frustrated tertiary amine amphiphilic dipolymer electrolyte additive. The configuration of superhydrophilic segments with covalently bonded lipophilic spacers enables coupled steric hindrance/coordination, which establishes a balanced push-pull dynamic of dipolymer-H 2 O-Zn 2+ . Such interplay reconstructs the solvation structure of Zn 2+ and allows the formation of a stable dipolymer-inorganic hybrid solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer. This SEI layer effectively shields the zinc-metal anode from water and anions, significantly reducing side reactions. In addition, the dipolymer adsorbed at the zinc-metal anode interface regulates the interfacial electrochemical reduction kinetics and ensures uniform zinc deposition. As a result, the Zn-Zn symmetric cells with dipolymer-containing electrolyte exhibit remarkable cycling stability exceeding 5800 h (242 days). The Zn-NVO batteries and Zn-AC hybrid ion supercapacitors also deliver stable cycling for up to 1440 h (60 days) with high-capacity retention over 80 %. This research demonstrates the potential to facilitate the development and commercialization of zinc-based energy storage devices., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Surfactants play a crucial role in tertiary oil recovery by reducing the interfacial tension between immiscible phases, altering surface wettability, and improving foam film stability. Oil reservoirs have high temperatures and high pressures, making it difficult and hazardous to conduct lab experiments. In this context, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a valuable tool for complementing experiments. It can effectively study the microscopic behaviors (such as diffusion, adsorption, and aggregation) of the surfactant molecules in the pore fluids and predict the thermodynamics and kinetics of these systems with a high degree of accuracy. MD simulation also overcomes the limitations of traditional experiments, which often lack the necessary temporal-spatial resolution. Comparing simulated results with experimental data can provide a comprehensive explanation from a microscopic standpoint. This article reviews the state-of-the-art MD simulations of surfactant adsorption and resulting interfacial properties at gas/oil-water interfaces. Initially, the article discusses interfacial properties and methods for evaluating surfactant-formed monolayers, considering variations in interfacial concentration, molecular structure of the surfactants, and synergistic effect of surfactant mixtures. Then, it covers methods for characterizing microstructure at various interfaces and the evolution process of the monolayers' packing state as a function of interfacial concentration and the surfactants' molecular structure. Next, it examines the interactions between surfactants and the aqueous phase, focusing on headgroup solvation and counterion condensation. Finally, it analyzes the influence of hydrophobic phase molecular composition on interactions between surfactants and the hydrophobic phase. This review deepened our understanding of the micro-level mechanisms of oil displacement by surfactants and is beneficial for screening and designing surfactants for oil field applications.

An electrochemically homogeneous electrode-solution interface should be understood as spatially invariant in both terms of intrinsic reactivity for the electrode side and electrical resistance mainly for the solution side. The latter remains presumably assumed in almost all cases. However, by using optical microscopy to spatially resolve the classic redox electrochemistry occurring at the whole surface of a gold macroelectrode, we discover that the electron transfer occurs always significantly sooner (by milliseconds), rather than faster in essence, at the radial coordinates closer to the electrode periphery than the very center. So is the charging process when there is no electron transfer. Based on optical measurements of the interfacial impedance, this spatially unsynchronized electron transfer is attributed to a radially non-uniform distribution of solution resistance. We accordingly manage to eliminate the heterogeneity by engineering the solution resistance distribution. The revealed spatially-dependent charging time 'constant' (to be questioned) would help paint our overall fundamental picture of electrode kinetics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Zizania latifolia is an aquatic and medicinal plant with a long history of development in China and the East Asian region. The smut fungus " Ustilago esculenta" parasitizes Z. latifolia and induces culm expansion to form a vegetable named Jiaobai, which has a unique taste and nutritional attributes. However, the postharvest quality of water bamboo shoots is still a big challenge for farmers and merchants. This paper traced the origin, development process, and morphological characteristics of Z. latifolia . Subsequently, the compilation of the primary nutrients and bioactive substances are presented in context to their effects on ecology a postharvest storage and preservation methods. Furthermore, the industrial, environmental, and material science applications of Z. latifolia in the fields of industry were discussed. Finally, the primary objective of the review proposes future directions for research to support the development of Z. latifolia industry and aid in maximizing its value. To sum up, Z. latifolia , aside from its potential as material it can be utilized to make different productions and improve the existing applications. This paper provides an emerging strategy for researchers undertaking Z. latifolia .

The safety, low cost, and high power density of aqueous Zn-based devices (AZDs) appeal to large-scale energy storage. Yet, the presence of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and chemical corrosion in the AZDs leads to local OH - concentration increasement and the formation of Zn x SO y (OH) z •nH 2 O (ZHS) by-products at the Zn/electrolyte interface, causing instability and irreversibility of the Zn-anodes. Here, a strategy is proposed to regulate OH - by introducing a bio-sourced/renewable polypeptide (ɛ-PL) as a pH regulator in electrolyte. The consumption of OH - species is evaluated through in vitro titration and cell in vivo in situ attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy at a macroscopic and molecular level. The introduction of ɛ-PL is found to significantly suppress the formation of ZHS and associated side reactions, and reduce the local coordinated H 2 O of the Zn 2+ solvation shell, widening electrochemical stable window and suppressing OH - generation during HER. As a result, the inclusion of ɛ-PL improves the cycle time of Zn/Zn symmetrical cells from 15 to 225 h and enhances the cycle time of aqueous Zn- I 2 cells to 1650 h compared to those with pristine electrolytes. This work highlights the potential of kinetical OH - regulation for by-product and dendrite-free AZDs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of decitabine combined with preexcitation regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who have not been relieved by the first standard induction chemotherapy and its influence on the relative content of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs)., Methods: The clinical data of 102 newly diagnosed AML patients (except acute promyelocytic leukemia) who did not relieve after initial standard induction chemotherapy in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from March 2013 to March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-one patients who accepted pre-excitation regimen were divided into regular group, while another 51 patients treated with decitabine combined with pre-excitation regimen were divided into combination group. The efficacy, incidence of toxic and side effects, Core Scale of Quality of Life (QLQ-C30) score before and after treatment, T lymphocyte subsets (CD3 + , CD4 + , CD4 + /CD8 + , Tregs) and 3-year overall survival (OS) rate were compared between the two groups., Results: The total effective rate of combination group was 80.39%, which was significantly higher than 62.75% of regular group ( P < 0.05). After treatment, the QLQ-C30 score of combination group was 60.27±6.96, which was significantly lower than 65.73±7.96 of regular group ( P < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of toxic and side effects between the two groups ( P >0.05). After treatment, the levels of CD3 + , CD4 + , CD4 + /CD8 + in the combination group were higher than those in the regular group (all P < 0.001), while Treg was lower ( P < 0.001). The 3-year OS rate in the combination group was 72.55%, which was significantly higher than 52.94% in the regular group ( P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Decitabine combined with preexcitation regimen has a significant effect on AML patients who have not been alleviated by standard induction chemotherapy in the first course of treatment. It can reduce anti-tumor immune suppression and improve immune function by regulating the relative content of Tregs, thus prolongs survival time and improves life quality of patients without increasing adverse reactions.

Intelligent packaging with freshness indication capability can help consumers purchase fresh food. However, current research primarily focuses on carbon dioxide-sensitive intelligent packaging, with limited research on water vapor-sensitive indication packaging. In this study, the water vapor-sensitive indicator membrane was prepared and used to determine the freshness of mushrooms. The results of this study showed that the water permeability of the indicator membrane decreased from 33.17 % to 21.59 % with the increase of Polyethylene glycol-400(PEG-400) content in methylcellulose(MC) membrane, and the contact angle of the indicator membrane increased from 87 % to 98 % with the addition of PEG-400. The addition of plasticizer PEG-400 increased the hydrophobicity of the indicator film, which could be attributed to the improvement of the molecular arrangement and crystallinity of the indicator film by the addition of PEG-400. After encountering water, the transparency of the indicator membrane changes from completely opaque (white) to transparent. Addition of PEG-400 reduces the rate of change in the transparency of the indicator membrane. The indicator membrane was successfully used to indicate the freshness of mushrooms and effectively reflected the freshness of mushrooms during storage. This technology could be applied to measure the freshness of other foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Increased maternal cortisol secretion has been observed during pregnancy and labor. However, due to the limitations in diagnostic methods, the dynamic change of cortisol during the short period between threatened labor and labor is unknown. In this study, we aim to evaluate the changes in serum cortisol during late pregnancy and full-term labor initiation, verifying if cortisol could serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of labor initiation from threatened labor., Methods: This cross-sectional onsite study involved 564 participants of 6 different gestational stages (C: Control; T1: Trimester 1; T3: Trimester 3; E: expectant; TL: threatened labor; L: labor), all patients in the E, TL, and L groups were at full term. The serum cortisol concentration was quantified with a point-of-care test (POCT), and the gestation, age, parity, and BMI of participants were documented. Morning serum cortisol was collected between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., except for the TL and L group women who were tested upon arrival or during latent labor. With cortisol levels or all five variables, L was distinguished from TL using machine learning algorithms., Results: Significant elevation of cortisol concentration was observed between T1 and T3, or TL and L group (P< 0.001). Women belonging to the E and TL group showed similar gestation week and cortisol levels. Diagnosis of labor initiation using cortisol levels (cutoff = 21.46 μg/dL) yielded sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 86.50%, 88.60%, and 0.934. With additional variables, a higher specificity (89.29%) was achieved. The diagnostic accuracy of all methods ranged from 85.93% to 87.90%., Conclusion: Serum cortisol could serve as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of L form TL. The rapid onsite detection of serum cortisol with POCT could facilitate medical decision-making for admission and special treatments, either as an additional parameter or when other technical platforms are not available., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chai, Wang, Tang, Wu, Sun, Zeng, Zhang, Niu and Dong.)

Purpose: To explore the mechanism of insulin secretion dysfunction in pancreatic beta cells induced by N-glycosylation mediated by an infection from the hepatitis C virus (HCV)., Methods: Min6 cell models infected with HCV and stimulated with glucose were constructed. Meanwhile, an HCV-infected animal model and a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model were constructed. Glucose uptake in the Min6 cells was detected, and insulin secretion was detected by ELISA. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and lectin blotting were used to detect the expression levels of related proteins and mRNA, as well as the level of N-glycosylation. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the pancreatic tissue, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was used to evaluate the glucose tolerance of the rats., Results: Compared with the NC group, the expression levels of GnT-IVa, GLUT2, galectin-9, and voltage-dependent calcium channel 1.2 (Cav1.2) were significantly downregulated in the HCV-infected group. The ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K ATP ) component proteins SUR1 and Kir6.2 were significantly upregulated, while intracellular glucose intake and insulin secretion decreased, N-glycosylation levels and ATP levels significantly decreased, and the overexpression of GnT-IVa reversed the effect of the HCV infection. However, treatment with the glycosylation inhibitor kifunensine (KIF) or the K ATP channel activator diazine (Dia) reversed the effects of the overexpression of GnT-IVa. In the animal experiments, HE staining revealed serious pathological injuries in the pancreatic tissue of the HCV-infected rats, with decreased glucose tolerance and glycosylation levels, decreased insulin secretion, downregulated expression of GnT-IVa, GLUT2, and Cav1.2, and upregulated expression of SUR1 and Kir6.2. The overexpression treatment of GnT-IVa or the K ATP channel antagonist miglinide reversed the effects of HCV., Conclusion: HCV infection inhibits GLUT2 N-glycosylation on the pancreatic β cell surface by downregulating the expression of GnT-IVa and then activates the K ATP pathway, which ultimately leads to disturbances in insulin secretion., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

How selectively increase blood-tumor barrier (BTB) permeability is crucial to enhance the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to brain tumor tissues. In this study, we established in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and BTB using endothelial cells (ECs) co-cultured with human astrocytes (AECs) and glioma cells (GECs), respectively. The findings revealed high expressions of the RNA-binding protein FXR1 and SNORD63 in GECs, where FXR1 was found to bind and stabilize SNORD63. Knockdown of FXR1 resulted in decreased expression of tight-junction-related proteins and increased BTB permeability by down-regulating SNORD63. SNORD63 played a role in mediating the 2'-O-methylation modification of POU6F1 mRNA, leading to the downregulation of POU6F1 protein expression. POU6F1 showed low expression in GECs and acted as a transcription factor to regulate BTB permeability by binding to the promoter regions of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-5 mRNAs and negatively regulating their expressions. Finally, the targeted regulation of FXR1, SNORD63, and POU6F1 expressions, individually or in combination, effectively enhanced doxorubicin passage through the BTB and induced apoptosis in glioma cells. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the FXR1/SNORD63/POU6F1 axis in regulating BTB permeability, offering a novel strategy to improve the efficacy of glioma chemotherapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ping Wang reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Yilong Yao, Yunhui Liu reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Yunhui Liu reports financial support was provided by Project of Key Laboratory of Neuro-oncology in Liaoning Province., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Telomere shortening is an important sign and driving factor of aging, but its association mechanisms and causal effects with other aging-related biochemical hallmarks are largely unknown. This study first performed comprehensive genetic analyses (eg, shared genetic analysis, pleiotropic analysis, and gene enrichment analysis) to detect the underlying molecular mechanisms for the associations between telomere length (TL) and aging-related biochemical hallmarks. Then, further bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses investigated the causal effects between TL and other biochemical hallmarks. The genetic correlations were negative between TL and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) (p = .024), C-reactive protein (p = .007), hemoglobin A1c (p = .007), and red blood cell (RBC) (p = .022), but positive between TL and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) (p = .002) and white blood cell counts (p = .007). The increased TL has causal effects on the low levels of GDF15 (p = 3.73E-06), sex hormone binding globulin (p = 6.30E-06), testosterone (p = 5.56E-07), fasting insulin (p = 2.67E-05), and RBC (p = 1.54E-05), but the higher levels of IGF-1 (p = 3.24E-07). In conclusion, the observed phenotypic correlations between TL and aging-related biochemical hallmarks may arise from a combination of shared genetic components and causal effects. Telomere length is regarded as a driving hallmark for aging-related biochemical hallmarks., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

To investigate the role of sugar metabolism in desiccation-sensitive seeds, we performed a natural desiccation treatment on Phoebe chekiangensis seeds in a room and systematically analyzed the changes in seed germination, sugar compounds, malondialdehyde, and relative electrical conductivity during the seed desiccation. The results revealed that the initial moisture content of P. chekiangensis seed was very high (37.06%) and the seed was sensitive to desiccation, the germination percentage of the seed decreased to 5.33% when the seed was desiccated to 22.04% of moisture content, therefore, the seeds were considered recalcitrant. Based on the logistic model, we know that the moisture content of the seeds is 29.05% when the germination percentage drops to 50% and that it is desirable to keep the seed moisture content above 31.74% during ambient transportation. During seed desiccation, sucrose and trehalose contents exhibited increasing trends, and raffinose also increased during the late stage of desiccation, however, low levels of the non-reducing sugar accumulations may not prevent the loss of seed viability caused by desiccation. Glucose and fructose predominated among sugar compounds, and they showed a slight increase followed by a significant decrease. Their depletion may have contributed to the accumulation of sucrose and raffinose family oligosaccharides. Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between the accumulation of sucrose, trehalose, and soluble sugars, and the reduction in seed viability. Sucrose showed a significant negative correlation with glucose and fructose. Trehalose also exhibited the same pattern of correlation. These results provided additional data and theoretical support for understanding the mechanism of sugar metabolism in seed desiccation sensitivity., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 He et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The adsorption and activation of pollutant molecules and oxygen play a critical role in the oxidation reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, superior adsorption and activation ability was achieved by modulating the interaction between Pt nanoparticles (NPs) and UiO-66 (U6) through the spatial position effect. Pt@U6 exhibits excellent activity in toluene, acetone, propane, and aldehyde oxidation reactions. Spectroscopic studies, 16 O 2 / 18 O 2 kinetic isotopic experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) results jointly reveal that the encapsulated Pt NPs of Pt@U6 possess higher electron density and d-band center, which is conducive for the adsorption and dissociation of oxygen. The toluene oxidation reaction and DFT results indicate that Pt@U6 is more favorable to activate the C-H of toluene and the C═C of maleic anhydride, while Pt/U6 with lower electron density and d-band center exhibits a higher oxygen dissociation temperature and higher reactant activation energy barriers. This study provides a deep insight into the architecture-performance relation of Pt-based catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of VOCs.