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It is difficult to obtain an accurate mathematical model of a switched reluctance motor (SRM). In this article, the current difference-based model-free predictive current control (CDB-MFPCC) strategy is proposed. A novel updated method of current difference is given considering the control delay. The beetle antennae search algorithm is applied to adjust the proportional and integral coefficients to increase the dynamic response. Only the phase current at two consecutive sampling points is required in this method. Moreover, the model predictive current control and the recursive least square-based model-free predictive current control strategies are investigated and compared with the CDB-MFPCC strategy. The advantages of the proposed method are validated with simulations and experiments.

Symbiotic microbes have evolved to become an important source of phenotypic plasticity in host insects. In aphids, facultative endosymbionts have been found capable of influencing host phenotypes, such as against natural enemies and host fitness. However, the related evidence has been mainly gathered from a few model organisms, such as the pea aphid. Here, we explored the roles of a common facultative symbiont of the genus Rickettsia in the grain aphid pest Sitobion avenae. We first observed that Rickettsia-infected aphids (either natural or artificial status) benefit of a higher population increase rate (nearly 1.23-fold) than the Rickettsia-free aphids from the same genetic background. While Rickettsia presence did not confer resistance against the aphid parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis, emerged wasps from Rickettsia-infected aphids had a significantly reduced weight and their sex ratio was biased toward more female wasps. These results suggest that the presence of the symbiont ameliorates the fitness of its aphid host, but impacts the growth of parasitoid offspring and the parasitoid sex-ratio in a way that could be detrimental for the aphid. This demonstrates that the presence of a facultative symbiont may lead to both positive and negative trade-offs, which may ultimately not affect the fitness of the host population as they are compensatory.

A nanostructured CeO2–Ni coating is prepared on a steel substrate via two-step electrodeposition. An oxide scale with a multi-layer structure of Cr2O3–(Mn,Cr)3O4–(Ni,Mn,Cr)3O4–NiO has developed on the coated steel after 1680 h of oxidation in air at 800 °C. CeO2is uniformly distributed in the spinel and NiO layers. The synergistic effects originating from nanostructured CeO2and NiO not only reduce the growth rate of Cr2O3and suppress the outward diffusion of Cr, but also improve the electrical performance of the surface scale.

This letter explicitly models a coarse and noisy quantization in a communication system empowered by orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) for cost and power efficiency. We first point out, with coarse quantization, the effective channel is imbalanced and thus no longer able to circularly shift the transmitted symbols along the delay-Doppler domain. Meanwhile, the effective channel is non-isotropic, which imposes a significant loss to symbol detection algorithms like the original approximate message passing. Although the algorithm of generalized expectation consistent for signal recovery (GEC-SR) can mitigate this loss, the complexity in computation is prohibitively high, mainly due to an dramatic increase in the matrix size of OTFS. In this context, we propose a low-complexity algorithm that embed into GEC-SR a quick inversion of the quasi-banded matrices, thus reducing the algorithm's complexity from cubic order to linear order, while keeping the performance at almost the same level.

In order to improve the dynamic performance of the speed synchronization method for dual switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive, an improved virtual-shaft control strategy is proposed. The synchronization scheme is optimized from two aspects. First, the torque distribution and adjustment method is introduced into the overall control strategy of the dual-SRM drive. The load torque of two SRMs is observed with the sliding mode observer. Then, the feedforward reference torque of each SRM is calculated according to the reference torque and reference speed of the virtual motor. The operating states of dual-SRM are rapidly reflected in the speed synchronization method. Second, the nonsingular terminal sliding mode control method for the virtual motor and the dynamic sliding mode control method for two SRMs are designed by optimizing the sliding surface and the reaching law. The stability of the designed controllers is validated with the Lyapunov function. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is validated with simulations and experiments.

Arctigenin (ARG) has potent antifatigue activity, but its clinical application has been restricted for its poor water solubility. In this study, seven ARG derivatives containing different amino acids coupled via an ethoxy linker were synthesized, and tested for their solubility, as well as activities to improve exercise performance in mice. All of the derivatives showed improved solubility compared to that of ARG. Derivative Z-A-6 exhibited the highest activity, showing that the mice ran a 4.88-fold greater distance in the running wheel test and swam a 2.86-fold greater time in the swimming test than those in the blank control group. Z-A-6 treatment increased the plasma superoxide dismutase and catalase concentrations as well as reduced lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen accumulation during exercise. Z-A-6 treatment enhanced the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, and no acute toxicity was observed. The results will contribute to the development of potential antifatigue agents.Graphical AbstractArctigenin derivatives showed better solubility and Z-A-6 showed better improvement of exercise performance compared to that of ARG.

Little is known about exposure of infants to neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs). In this study, concentrations of six parent NEOs (p-NEOs) and N-desmethyl-acetamiprid (N-dm-ACE) were measured in urine and whole blood samples from infants, in addition to breast milk, infant formula, and tap water collected in South China. The p-NEO with the highest median concentration in urine (0.25 ng/mL) and blood (1.30) samples was dinotefuran (DIN), while imidacloprid (IMI) was abundant in breast milk (median: 0.27 ng/mL), infant formula (0.22), and tap water (0.028). The older infants (181–360 days) might face higher NEO and N-dm-ACE exposure than younger infants (0–180 days). Blood samples contained a significantly (p< 0.01) higher median concentration of ∑6p-NEOs (2.03 ng/mL) than that of urine samples (0.41), similar to acetamiprid (ACE), IMI, thiacloprid (THD), DIN, and N-dm-ACE, suggesting that NEOs readily partition into blood. Furthermore, breast-fed infants tend to have higher exposure levels than formula-fed infants. Infant formula prepared with tap water augmented the daily intake of ∑NEOs. The external sources contributed 80% of the total dose to IMI and clothianidin (CLO) exposure, while other unknown sources contributed to ACE, THD, and DIN exposure in infants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess levels and sources of infantile exposure to NEOs through internal and external exposure assessment.

Background: In elderly patients with fractures, sarcopenia impairs recovery and even increases mortality. Both orthopedic and geriatric professionals are at the forefront of treating sarcopenic patients with fractures. However, it is not clear to what extent they have knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat sarcopenia. Aims: This study aimed to analyze and compare knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding sarcopenia between orthopedic and geriatric professionals. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in June 2022 targeting professionals in orthopedic and geriatric departments in two largest tertiary general hospitals in Taizhou, southeastern China. Results on knowledge, attitude, and practice of sarcopenia were analyzed. Variables with significance were then included in a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Results: A total of 220 professionals, 176 from orthopedic departments and 44 from geriatric departments, participated in this study. Orthopedic professionals scored lower than geriatrics in knowledge, attitude and practice (P&lt; 0.001). The attitude score was high in both orthopedic and geriatric professionals. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that participants who had contact with sarcopenia patients had higher knowledge score (β= 1.941, P&lt; 0.001); participants who had attended sarcopenia training in the past 6 months (β= 4.305, P&lt; 0.001) had higher practice score. Discussion: Orthopedic professionals have deficiencies in the screening and diagnosis of sarcopenia. Improving the knowledge and training of professionals can strengthen practice. It is necessary to formulate diagnostic criteria and improve practice of sarcopenia through training. Conclusion: Orthopedic professionals had limited knowledge and practice regarding sarcopenia compared with geriatric professionals. To improve sarcopenia practice, the use of diagnostic tools to formally diagnose sarcopenia and regular training on sarcopenia should be encouraged.

3D printing enables personalized customization and improves food production efficiency. With the increasing demand for protein, 3D printed food based on novel proteins has become a prominent research hotspot. This paper provides an overview of recent advances in novel protein research, including the categorization and examples of novel protein sources. For example, novel proteins have been derived from plants, algae, and insects. In addition, the potential of industrial microbial proteins as raw materials for 3D printing has been emphasized. Although no research has been reported on industrial microbial proteins for 3D food printing, this is expected to be an area of intense focus for the future development of 3D printed protein foods. We then discuss modification techniques for complexing novel proteins with polysaccharides, microgels, and other materials. Finally, this review explores the future challenges of combining novel proteins with 3D printing technology from food safety and regulatory perspectives. Examples include exogenous additives in novel protein products, consumer acceptance, and consumption safety, providing guidance on 3D food safety for researchers in this critical area.

Ferroptosis, a newly discovered iron-dependent cell death, is involved in brain ischemia–reperfusion injury. Iron scavengers or ferroptosis inhibitors could reduce infarct volume and improve neurological function in mice. Resveratrol has neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects. However, it is unclear whether resveratrol can play a neuroprotective role via inhibiting ferroptosis. Our study showed that resveratrol pretreatment had a similar effect with ferrostatin‑1, which inhibited neuronal ferroptosis-related changes, such as iron overload, damages of oxidation-reduction system, and destruction of mitochondrial structure, after oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and application of ferroptosis inducers. In addition, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) injury in vivoalso induced ferroptosis, and resveratrol pretreatment could inhibit ferroptosis and reduce degenerative neurons, cerebral ischemic damage and infarction volume. Our results are the first to indicate that resveratrol pretreatment might inhibit ferroptosis induced by OGD/R and ferroptosis inducers in neurons, and MCAO/R in rats.Graphical AbstractResveratrol pretreatment protects neurons from oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation and ferroptosis inducers in vitro, and ischemic injury in vivothrough inhibiting ferroptosis.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune astrocytopathy of the central nervous system, mediated by antibodies against aquaporin-4 water channel protein (AQP4-Abs), resulting in damage of astrocytes with subsequent demyelination and axonal damage. Extracellular communication through astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) has received growing interest in association with astrocytopathies. However, to what extent ADEVs contribute to NMOSD pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, through proteomic screening of patient-derived ADEVs, we observed an increase in apolipoprotein E (APOE)–rich ADEVs in patients with AQP4-Abs–positive NMOSD. Intracerebral injection of the APOE-mimetic peptide APOE130–149attenuated microglial reactivity, neuroinflammation, and brain lesions in a mouse model of NMOSD. The protective effect of APOE in NMOSD pathogenesis was further established by the exacerbated lesion volume in APOE-deficient mice, which could be rescued by exogenous APOE administration. Genetic knockdown of the APOE receptor lipoprotein receptor–related protein 1 (LRP1) could block the restorative effects of APOE130–149administration. The transfusion ADEVs derived from patients with NMOSD and healthy controls also alleviated astrocyte loss, reactive microgliosis, and demyelination in NMOSD mice. The slightly larger beneficial effect of patient-derived ADEVs as compared to ADEVs from healthy controls was further augmented in APOE−/−mice. These results indicate that APOE from astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles could mediate disease-modifying astrocyte-microglia cross-talk in NMOSD.

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. In clinical practice; however, it remains a challenge to achieve a noninvasive and safe treatment. Herein, a biocompatible shell with excellent antioxidant and antivascularity is prepared by co‐assembly of epigallocatechin gallate/gallic acid and Cu (II). After loading glucose oxidase (GOx) inside, the shell is modified with dimeric DPA‐Zn for codelivering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) small interfering RNA (VEGF‐siRNA). Meanwhile, the Arg‐Gly‐Asp peptide (RGD) peptide‐engineered cell membranes coating improves angiogenesis‐targeting and is biocompatible for the multifunctional nanomedicine (CEGs/RGD). After eye drops administration, CEGs/RGD targets enrichment in neovascularization and CEGs NPs enter cells. Then, the inner GOxconsumes glucose with a decrease in local pH, which in turn leads to the release of EGCE and VEGF‐siRNA. As a result, the nanomedicines significantly reduce angiogenesis and inhibit CNV formation through synergistic effect of antioxidant and antivascular via down‐regulation of cluster of differentiation 31 and VEGF. The nanomedicine represents a safe and efficient CNV treatment through the combined effect of antioxidant/gene, which provides important theoretical and clinical significance. A kind of antioxidant and anti‐VEGF nanomaterial is prepared using epigallocatechin gallate/gallic acid, Cu(II), and glucose nanozymes. After loading with VEGF‐siRNA, the multifunctional nanomaterial is modified with neovascularization targeting cell membrane vesicles. Finally, the constructed bionic nanomedicine is applied in corneal neovascularization, achieving safe, long‐lasting, and effective treatment effect.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by plaque that destroys the alveolar bone tissues, resulting in tooth loss. Poor eradication of pathogenic microorganisms, persistent malignant inflammation and impaired osteo-/angiogenesis are currently the primary challenges to control disease progression and rebuild damaged alveolar bone. However, existing treatments for periodontitis fail to comprehensively address these issues. Herein, an injectable composite hydrogel (SFD/CS/ZIF-8@QCT) encapsulating quercetin-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8@QCT) is developed. This hydrogel possesses thermo-sensitive and adhesive properties, which can provide excellent flowability and post-injection stability, resist oral fluid washout as well as achieve effective tissue adhesion. Inspirationally, it is observed that SFD/CS/ZIF-8@QCT exhibits a rapid localized hemostatic effect following implantation, and then by virtue of the sustained release of zinc ions and quercetin exerts excellent collective functions including antibacterial, immunomodulation, pro-osteo-/angiogenesis and pro-recruitment, ultimately facilitating excellent alveolar bone regeneration. Notably, our study also demonstrates that the inhibition of osteo-/angiogenesis of PDLSCs under the periodontitis is due to the strong inhibition of energy metabolism as well as the powerful activation of oxidative stress and autophagy, whereas the synergistic effects of quercetin and zinc ions released by SFD/CS/ZIF-8@QCT are effective in reversing these biological processes. Overall, our study presents innovative insights into the advancement of biomaterials to regenerate alveolar bone in periodontitis.

Casitas B-lymphoma proto-oncogene-b (Cbl-b) is a RING finger E3 ligase that has an important role in effector T cell function, acting as a negative regulator of T cell, natural killer (NK) cell, and B cell activation. A discovery effort toward Cbl-b inhibitors was pursued in which a generative AI design engine, REINVENT, was combined with a medicinal chemistry structure-based design to discover novel inhibitors of Cbl-b. Key to the success of this effort was the evolution of the “Design” phase of the Design-Make-Test-Analyze cycle to involve iterative rounds of an in silico structure-based drug design, strongly guided by physics-based affinity prediction and machine learning DMPK predictive models, prior to selection for synthesis. This led to the accelerated discovery of a potent series of carbamate Cbl-b inhibitors.

Molecular property prediction is a fundamental task of drug discovery. With the rapid development of deep learning, computational approaches for predicting molecular properties are experiencing increasing popularity. However, these existing methods often ignore the 3D information on molecules, which is critical in molecular representation learning. In the past few years, several self-supervised learning (SSL) approaches have been proposed to exploit the geometric information by using pre-training on 3D molecular graphs and fine-tuning on 2D molecular graphs. Most of these approaches are based on the global geometry of molecules, and there is still a challenge in capturing the local structure and local interpretability. To this end, we propose local geometry-guided graph attention (LGGA), which integrates local geometry into the attention mechanism and message-passing of graph neural networks (GNNs). LGGA introduces a novel method to model molecules, enhancing the model’s ability to capture intricate local structural details. Experiments on various data sets demonstrate that the integration of local geometry has a significant impact on the improved results, and our model outperforms the state-of-the-art methods for molecular property prediction, establishing its potential as a promising tool in drug discovery and related fields.

To meet the operation requirements of a bearingless induction motor (BIM) control system, such as fast speed response, stable suspension, and high disturbance rejection ability, an active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) strategy based on hyperbolic tangent tracking differentiator (HTTD) is proposed. First, based on the air-gap magnetic field decoupling control of the BIM, the uncertainties of the system itself and the load disturbance are regarded as a total disturbance. The extended state observer (ESO) is used to observe the total disturbance in real time. The speed ADRC and suspension ADRC are designed for the torque winding and suspension winding, respectively. Second, the hyperbolic tangent function is applied to the tracking differentiator (TD) of ADRC to simplify its structure. The frequency characteristic curves are analyzed through the sweep-frequency test, and the design parameters are further determined. Finally, this strategy is analyzed with simulation in MATLAB/Simulink and verified on an experimental prototype. Both simulation and experimental results show that the strategy not only has good speed and current characteristics but also reduces the effect of load disturbance on the system and improves the suspension characteristics of the BIM.

The cell-derived extracellular matrix (ECM)-modified scaffolds have advantages of mimic tissue specificity and been thought to better mimic the native cellular microenvironment in vitro. ECM derived from cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are considered as key elements that provide a natural cell growth microenvironment and change the fate of cardiomyocytes (CMs). Here, a new hybrid scaffold is designed based on silk fibroin (SF) scaffold and CFs-derived ECM. CFs were seeded on the SF scaffold for 10 days culturing and decellularized to produce CFs-derived ECM-coated SF scaffold. The results showed that the cell-derived ECM-modified silk fibroin scaffold material contained collagen, laminin, fibronectin and other ECM components with myocardial-like properties. Further to explore its effects on brown adipose stem cells (BASCs) differentiation into CMs. We found that the CF-derived ECM-coated scaffold also increased the expression of CM-specific proteins (e.g. cardiac troponin T and α-actinin) of BASCs. Notably, the β1-integrin-dependent transforming growth factor-β1 signaling pathway was also involved in the regulation of CF-derived ECM by promoting the differentiation of BASCs into CMs. Overall, these findings provide insights into the bionic manufacturing of engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) and establish a theoretical basis for the construction of ECTs.

Nanoparticles presenting promoted catalytic activity, oxygen induction and loading capability are in high demand for effective synergistic tumor therapy. Herein, ferric-tannic acid complex nanocapsules with fine hollow microstructure (HFe-TA) are synthesized and loaded with a photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG) for synergistic tumor therapy. In acidic environment, ICG@HFe-TA decomposes and releases Fe3+ions, TA and ICG molecules. Fe3+, with low catalytic activity, is effectively converted into highly catalytic Fe2+by the reductant TA, enabling promoted efficacy of OH induction. More importantly, the ROS (1O2) induction by ICG is significantly enhanced under 808 nm laser irradiation due to the O2byproduct of Fe3+/Fe2+conversion. In consequence, the ICG@HFe-TA nanoparticles exhibit considerable in vitroand in vivotumor inhibition owing to the combined effect of OH and 1O2induced intracellularly. This study has therefore demonstrated a potential platform enabling combined photodynamic and chemodynamic therapy with high efficacy.

Hydrogels have gained impressive attention in biological medicine due to their excellent biosafety, softness, and varied functional components. However, conventional hydrogels have inherent defects, such as low tensile strength, weak water‐locking, and poor anti‐freezing. In tissue engineering, once the hydrogel loses water or freezes, it will harden the interaction interfaces and destroy the nascent granulation tissue. Herein, based on the design concept of “hard frame−soft penetration”, a composite adhesive organohydrogel is fabricated by introducing bacterial cellulose and platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) into a poly‐N‐(tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl)acrylamide (THMA)/N‐acryloyl aspartic acid (AASP) hybrid gel network infiltrated with glycerol/water binary solvent. The resultant organohydrogels exhibit excellent antifreeze properties at low temperatures (−80 °C) and demonstrate stable long‐term water retention (91%) in the open environment within 12 days and can adhere firmly to the tissues by the action of “hydrogen bond clusters”. Additionally, the introduction of bacterial cellulose matrix endows the organohydrogel with high tensile strength similar to that of skin. In vivo, the PRP‐loaded organohydrogel can release a variety of growth factors to accelerate the wound healing process through collagen deposition and angiogenesis. Altogether, this strategy will extend the life of the hydrogel in some harsh medical environments. A composite adhesive organohydrogel is fabricated by introducing bacterial cellulose and platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) into a poly‐N‐(tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl)acrylamide (THMA)/N‐acryloyl aspartic acid (AASP) hybrid gel network infiltrated with glycerol/water binary solvent. The resultant organohydrogels exhibit excellent antifreeze properties and demonstrate stable long‐term water retention in the open environment. In vivo, the PRP‐loaded organohydrogel can release a variety of growth factors to accelerate wound healing.

Metal halide compounds with photovoltaic properties prepared from solution have received increased attention for utilization in solar cells. In this work, low-toxicity cesium bismuth iodides are synthesized from solution, and their photovoltaic and optical properties as well as electronic and crystal structures are investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that a CsI/BiI3precursor ratio of 1.5:1 can convert pure rhombohedral BiI3to pure hexagonal Cs3Bi2I9, but any ratio intermediate of this stoichiometry and pure BiI3yields a mixture containing the two crystalline phases Cs3Bi2I9and BiI3, with their relative fraction depending on the CsI/BiI3ratio. Solar cells from the series of compounds are characterized, showing the highest efficiency for the compounds with a mixture of the two structures. The energies of the valence band edge were estimated using hard and soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for more bulk and surface electronic properties, respectively. On the basis of these measurements, together with UV–vis–near-IR spectrophotometry, measuring the band gap, and Kelvin probe measurements for estimating the work function, an approximate energy diagram has been compiled clarifying the relationship between the positions of the valence and conduction band edges and the Fermi level.

ABSTRACTZygotic genome activation (ZGA) is one of the most critical events at the beginning of mammalian preimplantation embryo development (PED). The mechanisms underlying mouse ZGA remain unclear although it has been widely studied. In the present study, we identified that tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome 1 (TRPS1), an atypical GATA family member, is an important factor for ZGA in mouse PED. We found that the Trps1mRNA level peaked at the one-cell stage while TRPS1 protein did so at the two/four-cell stage. Knockdown of Trps1by the microinjection of Trps1siRNA reduced the developmental rate of mouse preimplantation embryos by approximately 30%, and increased the expression of ZGA marker genes MuERV-Land Zscan4dvia suppressing the expression of major histone markers H3K4me3 and H3K27me3. Furthermore, Trps1knockdown decreased the expression of Sox2but increased Oct4expression. We conclude that TRPS1 may be indispensable for zygotic genome activation during mouse PED.

Calibration transfer is crucial for near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to avoid time-consuming and labor-intensive recalibration. Classical methods require standard samples from both the master and slave spectrometers, which is the major bottleneck of large-scale NIR applications. In this study, the calibration transfer method based on variable penalty dynamic time warping (CT-VPdtw) is proposed, which can handle standard-free calibration transfer well and greatly expand the application ranges of the established model. The corn dataset with standards from Cargill and the standard-free wheat dataset from international diffuse reflectance conference (IDRC) 2016 are used to benchmark the transfer ability. When transferring from M5 to MP5 of the corn dataset, the RMSEP reduced from 0.86 to 0.152 by CT-VPdtw, 0.176 by piecewise direct standardization (PDS) and 0.207 by domain-invariant partial-least-squares (di-PLS) respectively. For the standard-free wheat dataset, CT-VPdtw has significant advantages when comparing with PDS and di-PLS. Moreover, 11 slave spectrometers can be transferred to the master spectrometer with satisfactory RMSEPs easily in the wheat dataset, which demonstrates that CT-VPdtw has potential to perform large-scale calibration transfer. With the good transfer ability, the standard-free and large-scale advantages, CT-VPdtw has the potential to be a widely used method for calibration transfer in near-infrared spectroscopy. It was implemented and is available at https://github.com/HMzhu/CTVPdtw.

The use of engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) is a new strategy for the repair and replacement of cardiac tissues in patients with myocardial infarction, particularly at late stages. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of ECTs, including cell-scaffold interactions, are not fully understood, although they are closely related to their therapeutic effect. In the present study, we aimed to determine the cellular fate of cardiomyocytes in a 3D scaffold microenvironment, as well as their role in generating the cellular diversity of ECTs by single-cell sequencing analysis. Consistent with the observed plasticity of cardiomyocytes during cardiac regeneration, cardiomyocytes in 3D scaffolds appeared to dedifferentiate, showing an initial loss of normal cytoskeleton organization in the adaptive response to the new scaffold microenvironment. Cardiomyocytes undergoing this process regained their proliferation potential and gradually developed into myocardial cells at different developmental stages, generating heterogeneous regenerative ECTs. To better characterize the remodeled ECTs, high-throughput single-cell sequencing was performed. The ECTs contained a wide diversity of cells related to endogenous classes in the heart, including myocardial cells at different developmental stages and different kinds of interstitial cells. Non-cardiac cells seemed to play important roles in cardiac reconstruction, especially Cajal-like interstitial cells and macrophages. Altogether, our results showed for the first time that cells underwent adaptive dedifferentiation for survival in a 3D scaffold microenvironment to generate heterogeneous tissues. These findings provide an important basis for an improved understanding of the development and assembly of engineered tissues.

The Ni-Mn3O4 composite coating has been deposited on the surface of steel interconnects by electrophoresis and electrodeposition techniques. The effect of bath temperature and bath pH on the microstructure, thickness and composition of the coating during electrodeposition process is analyzed by XRD, SEM and ICP-OES. Mn3O4 particles are uniformly distributed in Ni matrix. The optimum temperature and pH value in the electrodeposition bath are 45degC and 5, respectively. The oxide scale microstructure and electrical property of the samples are characterized after an oxidation of 100 h at 800degC in air. The results demonstrate that the area specific resistance (ASR) of the scale for the coated steel is significantly lower than that for the uncoated steel. The thermally converted (Ni,Mn,Fe)3O4/NiO layer serves as an effective obstacle against Cr outward migration.

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is one of the major factors for vision impairment and blindness worldwide. The current treatment for CNV focuses primarily on topical eyedrops of glucocorticoids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, electro-coagulation and laser photo-coagulation. Unfortunately, coagulation-based treatment is restricted by corneal hemorrhage and iris atrophy. And drug treatments have limited therapeutic effects and a short duration of action. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems are widely applied due to their improved pharmacokinetics, optimized drug targeting and enhanced biocompatibility. In this article, we provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the CNV nanodrug system, highlighting some of the recent advances in nanodrug design, preparation, and functional modification. Moreover, we discuss the challenges in the clinical translation and potential risks in CNV treatment. A greater effort is needed for the potential applications of nanotechnology in the field of ophthalmology.

Cesium and methylammonium bismuth iodides (Cs3Bi2I9and MA3Bi2I9) are new low-toxic and air stable compounds in the perovskite solar cell family with promising characteristics. Here, the electronic structure and the nature of their optical transitions, dielectric constant, and charge carrier properties are assessed for photovoltaic applications with density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments. The calculated direct and indirect band gap values for Cs3Bi2I9(2.17 and 2.0 eV) and MA3Bi2I9(2.17 and 1.97 eV) are found to be in good agreement with the experimental optical band gaps (2.2, 2.0 eV and 2.4, 2.1 eV for Cs3Bi2I9and MA3Bi2I9, respectively) estimated for solution-processed films. There is an error cancelation in the DFT calculated band gap similar to that for lead perovskites. However, fully relativistic DFT calculations indicate that the size of the spin orbit coupling (SOC) error cancelation for bismuth perovskite (0.5 eV) is less than for lead perovskite (1 eV), and other factors are therefore also important. Band structure calculations show high effective masses of the charge carriers along the c-axis but on the other hand lower electron effective mass in the a–bplanes, revealing the interesting possibility for a directional charge transport. Calculations of dielectric constants, absorption coefficients, carrier effective masses, and exciton binding energies emphasize the fundamental differences between the lead and bismuth iodide perovskites and clarify the reasons behind the lower power conversion efficiency of bismuth iodide perovskite solar cells. Also the calculations show that the orientational disorder of the MA dipoles in the lattice has meaningful impacts on the near valence and conduction band edge of the electronic structure.

Fatigue is a comprehensive response to a variety of physiological and biochemical changes in the body. Combining strategies addressing relevant key factors simultaneously may enhance anti-fatigue efficiency. In this study, we aimed to develop new anti-fatigue agents with combining strategy based on bioinformatics analysis. Result indicated PI3k-Akt, cAMP, and p53 signaling pathway-related energy metabolism and antioxidant capacity were involved in exercise-induced physiological changes. A new representative complex agent (Z-005, containing arctigenin, caffeine, and glucose) addressing these key factors as well as central excitation was developed and tested. Z-005 showed a synergistic effect, greatly enhancing anti-fatigue efficiency than single components, in a mouse running wheel test. Mouse exhaustion distances were 2.40-fold greater than the control in the Z-005 group. Z-005 excited the central nervous system, increased the plasma superoxide dismutase and catalase concentrations, reduced lactic acid accumulation, maintained the glycogen content. Besides, the expression of key genes in PI3K, cAMP, and p53 pathways, as well as the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were proved with enhancement by Z-005 administration. This composite formulation thus represents a new and practicable combined strategy for fatigue prevention, and the study findings can contribute to the development of treatments for fatigue-related sub-health.