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Cladophora is commonly found in marine and freshwater around the globe and provides productivity for littoral zone microorganisms and invertebrates. The eutrophication of the water body has led to the abnormal proliferation of Cladophora in some water, often in river coast channel outbreaks. Even under the nutritional deficiency systems, such as the central trunk canal of the South-to-North Water Diversion in China, Cladophora's blooms affect water quality and seriously jeopardize human health. Thus, the structural characteristics of Cladophora cells and spores, the factors affecting the growth of Cladophora cells, and the mechanisms of damage and destruction of Cladophora cells and spores were investigated. Cladophora cells are cylindrical with very thick cell walls. The inner layer of the spore wall is a thin membrane which contains the nucleus of the spore. The growth and spreading of Cladophora cells are affected by various environmental factors such as light, temperature, water depth, water level, nutrient salts, pH, etc. Some physical treatment measures, such as ultrasounds, would destroy the cell walls and membranes of Cladophora by its high-intensity mechanical action. Chemicals and aquatic plant measures can destroy Cladophora cells' photosynthesis system, antioxidant enzyme systems, proteins, and ultrastructure. Based on the mechanisms for these cell damage and destruction, a combination of measures that are likely to inhibit the growth of Cladophora cells effectively was suggested. Furthermore, the damaged cells of Cladophora could provide some environmental benefits. Aggregated results could provide a scientific basis for further research on the control of blooms of Cladophora or the reuse of Cladophora cells as a natural resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is important for better understanding of the migration and transformation mechanisms of DOM in water bodies and its interaction with other contaminants. In this work, fluorescence characteristics and molecular compositions of the DOM samples collected from the mainstream, tributary, and sewage outfall of the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River (IMYR) were determined by using fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). In addition, concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the relevant surface water and their potential relationships with DOM were investigated. The results showed that the abundance of tyrosine-like components increased significantly in downstream waters impacted by outfall effluents and was negatively correlated with the humification index (HIX). Compared to the mainstream, outfall and tributaries have a high number of molecular formulas and a higher proportion of CHOS molecular formulas. In particular, the O5S class has a relative intensity of 41.6% and the O5-7S class has more than 70%. Thirty-eight PTEs were measured in the surface water samples, and 12 found above their detective levels at all sampling sites. Protein-like components are positively correlated with Cu, which is likely indicating the source of Cu in the aquatic environment of the IMYR. Our results demonstrated that urban wastewater discharges significantly alter characteristics and compositions of DOM in the mainstream of IMYR with strongly anthropogenic features. These results and conclusions are important for understanding the role and sources of DOM in the Yellow River aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of drug-resistant cells in Thyroid cancer (THCA) tend to exhibit an Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype, and abnormal expression of the cell adhesion molecule Cadherin2 (CDH2) is a hallmark of EMT. However, the roles of CDH2 in THCA and its underlying mechanisms are unknown. Methods: We analyzed the CDH2 expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and screened for genes positively associated with CDH2. Small interfering RNA and cell transfection were used for knocking down CDH2 in THCA cells, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and immunofluorescence to detect cell proliferation. Binding miRNAs of CDH2 and CDH2-associated genes were predicted using the Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes (ENCORI) database. The expression of genes in clinical THCA tissues was investigated from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database and validated by qRT-PCR. We conducted the cell functions pathways of CDH2 and CDH2-associated gene FRMD3 by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. We also showed the correlation between CDH2 and FRMD3 expression and tumor immune infiltration. Results: The expression of CDH2 was significantly higher in THCA tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. Moreover, there were strongly associations of CDH2 expression with the stages T and N. Cellular function assays showed that CDH2 exerted its growth-promoting activity of THCA. To better understand how CDH2 was regulated in THCA, we sought genes associated with CDH2. Correlation analysis revealed that there were negative correlations between genes (CDH2, FRMD3) and miRNAs (hsa-miR-410-3p, hsa-miR-411-5p, hsa-miR-299-5p). Moreover, CDH2 and FRMD3 expression were significantly higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, while hsa-miR-410-3p, hsa-miR-411-5p and hsa-miR-299-5p were significantly decreased in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues in THCA. GO and KEEG results showed that CDH2 and FRMD3 were strongly associated with immune-related functions. High expression of CDH2 and FRMD3 was linked to the suppression of immune cells. There were strong negativity correlations between CDH2, FRMD3 and T-cell exhaustion factors. Conclusion: Our data indicated that CDH2 and CDH2-related gene FRMD3 might have the critical effects on altering tumors becoming 'cold tumors' eventually leading to immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embedded machine vision algorithm development platform is of great significance. Based on the elaboration of visual communication design, this paper further details the design of fractal visual art graphics based on computer-aided algorithms to design edge detection schemes, where edges represent sudden changes in the signal and are able to characterize the rich information of an image. In response to the problems of poor robustness and difficult parameter selection of the currently widely used edge detection algorithms, the platform encapsulates joint edge detection graphic components in a higher-order processing library to achieve the requirements of high-precision detection and to realise enhanced edge detection effects. Finally, the experimental analysis shows that the proposed algorithm has a more accurate detection effect and can meet the user's high-precision detection requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Autonomous photo‐rechargeable electronic energy storage device has become a new type of solution to the problems of renewable energy fluctuations and storage. The combination of light conversion equipment and energy storage equipment improves the packaging efficiency of the equipment, however how to explore a type of electrode materials for energy collection and storage become a real challenging issue. Here, we try to explore the GeSe nanoparticles as the potential idea electrode for the integrated photo‐rechargeable battery. On the one hand, GeSe nanoparticle electrode shows good Li+ storage performances. At the current density of 0.2 A g−1, its reversible capacity is 670 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. On the other hand, during the photo‐voltaic measurement, GeSe electrodes could generate a photocurrent that increases by 8 uA/cm2 under the visible light irradiation in aqueous electrolyte. When LiClO4 in polycarbonate solvent is used as the electrolyte, the electrons move in the reverse direction from the GeSe electrode, form reverse current, reduce Li+ to lithium metal, and finally store light energy into chemical energy in a short time. Considering its presenting behaviors in Li+ storage and photon harvesting, our research proposed the possibility for the application of GeSe materials in the integrated photo‐rechargeable batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium molybdate (Na−Mo−O) wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) composites have been prepared via a simple in‐situ precipitation method at room temperature. The composites are mainly constructed with one dimension (1D) ultra‐long sodium molybdate nanorods, which are wrapped by the flexible GO. The introduction of GO is expected to not merely provide more active sites for lithium‐ions storage, but also improve the charge transfer rate of the electrode. The testing electrochemical performances corroborated the standpoint: The Na−Mo−O/GO composites delivers specific capacities of 718 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1, and 570 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at a high rate of 500 mA g−1; for comparison, the bare Na−Mo−O nanorod shows a severe capacity decay, which deliver only 332 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1. In view of the cost‐efficient and less time‐consuming in synthesis, and one‐step preparation without further treatment, these Na−Mo−O nanorods/GO composites present potential and prospective anodes for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow structures of transition metal sulfides, could be promising for energy devices such as hybrid supercapacitors, lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Specially, mixed transition metal sulfides, benefiting from synergetic effects of the multiple metal species, have shown significant advance in the electrochemical performances of LIBs. Whereas, there is no report on exploring them as the electrode materials for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, we reported the successful fabrication of Zn0.33Co0.67S hollow microspheres with well‐defined voids via a novel sulfidation into ZnCo2‐glycolate solid microspheres and employed them as the electrodes in rechargeable secondary batteries like LIBs and SIBs. Specifically, in LIB testing, the Zn0.33Co0.67S hollow microsphere electrodes delivered a reversible capacity of 540 mA h g–1 at the current density of 500 mA g–1 over 200 cycles. Interestingly, as the pioneering anode among mixed transition sulfides in SIBs, Zn0.33Co0.67S hollow microsphere electrodes still stored Na+ as high as 420 mA h g–1 at 500 mA g–1 over 50 sodiation/desodiation repeating cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main issues of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, including the insulating properties of electrode materials and the dissolution of lithium polysulfides into electrolytes, hinder their further development. Encapsulating S with a conductive agent is considered as an effective way to address these issues. The electrical conductivity of the electrode is substantially improved by the addition of a conductive agent. Furthermore, the polysulfide dissolution is also effectively suppressed by the physical/chemical confinement of the additives. An exploration of new encapsulation agents for the S cathode–hierarchical porous carbon derived from a peanut hull is reported. Such structures comprise the 3D interconnected network carbon and abundant meso/micropores, which significantly improve the electronic conductivity and effectively suppress the polysulfide dissolution. The high S loading, long lifespan, and great rate capability empower such a strategy to be an effective way to push the Li–S battery to further development. An exploration of a new encapsulation agent for S cathode is reported, hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) derived from peanut hull, which could significantly improve the electronic conductivity and effectively suppress the polysulfide dissolution. The high S loading, the long lifespan, and great rate capability empower such a strategy to be an effective way to push the Li–S batteries forward in development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 nanoflakes are firstly explored as the efficient polysulfide inhibitor in Li-S battery. • The Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 /rGO composites can effectively suppress the polysulfide shuttle. • The S@Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 /rGO composites show the enhanced electrochemical performances. The development of Lithium surfur batteries (LSBs) are beset with tenacious issues including the insulating property of the sulfur element and the dissolution of the reaction intermediate products into electrolyte, which result in low S utilization and poor battery cycling performances. In this work, we exploit metal phosphate as the S host for suppressing the sulfur dissolving and accelerating the polysulfide conversion, and firstly construct the S@Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 /rGO composites through an in-situ solution growth followed by S impregnation route. More importantly, the geometric compatibility of Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 nanoflakes and rGO nanosheet endows such S@Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 /rGO composites with high electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical durability. As evidenced by the electrochemical performances in LSB, the S@Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 /rGO cathode shows discharge capacities of 863 mA g−1 at 0.2 C after 100 cycles and 658 mAh g−1 after 470 cycles at 1.0 C with high Coulumbic efficiency of nearly 100%; more impressively, it delivers a high capacity of 407 mAh g−1 ever at 5.0 C rate during rate capability testing. Our research on the construction of S@Mn 3 (PO 4) 2 /rGO composites provides new insight and opportunitie to develop advanced LSBs with highly efficient inhibitors for trapping polysulfides and accelerating their conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executives' unethical behaviour is a common phenomenon in business practice and a hot topic for academic research, which has a profound negative impact on the healthy development of our economy and society. In the past two decades, several scholars from different disciplines con-ducted theoretical research and practical explorations on the issue of senior executives' (un)ethical behaviour and achieved certain research results. However, the existing research in this field still has problems, such as a lack of systematic integration of research results, unclear research hotspots and unclear development directions. Thus, the present study through a bibliometric analysis, conducted a content coding of these 428 papers identified from 2000 to 2020, constructed a theoretical framework by inductively identifying the corresponding concepts. By reviewing the progress of existing research topics, this study summarised a research framework of executives' unethical behaviour from the perspectives of the antecedents, the behaviour itself and the consequences of unethical behaviour. The study further proposed future research trends and recommendations for conducting research on executives' unethical behaviour under emerging market scenarios. The research results provide new ideas for developing the theory of executives' unethical behaviour and promote the in-depth development of the research on executives' unethical behaviour in the context of emerging markets., 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 © 2022 Zhu, Li, Liu and Zhou.)

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) have gained enormous research interests as negative materials of next generation lithium-ion batteries due to their higher energy density, lower cost, and better eco-friendliness. However, they are prone to low electronic conductivities and dramatic volume change during charge/discharge and there is also a great challenge in realizing TMO electrodes with satisfactory LIB performances. In this study, for the first time, amorphous nickel-boride (Ni-B) was introduced into porous NiCo2O4 nanospheres by an in situ solution growth route to overcome the existing issues. The coated Ni-B component could not only function as anchors for NiCo2O4 nanospheres to suppress the severe volume expansion but could also act as effective electron-conducting bridges to promote fast electron/charge transfer. Furthermore, the existence of abundant mesopores centered at ∼6.5 nm in this composite could effectively suppress the severe volume variations in the lithiation/delithiation process. As expected, the NiCo2O4@Ni-B composites delivered a high reversible capacity of 1221 mA h g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and 865 mA h g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 over 500 cycles; more impressively, at the high rate of 5 A g-1, a capacity of 648 mA h g-1 could be also obtained, showing its good rate capability. As a result, these results demonstrated an effective and facile way to design conversion-type negative electrode materials with superior lithium storage properties.

Sodium molybdate (Na-Mo-O) wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) composites have been prepared via a simple in-situ precipitation method at room temperature. The composites are mainly constructed with one dimension (1D) ultra-long sodium molybdate nanorods, which are wrapped by the flexible GO. The introduction of GO is expected to not merely provide more active sites for lithium-ions storage, but also improve the charge transfer rate of the electrode. The testing electrochemical performances corroborated the standpoint: The Na-Mo-O/GO composites delivers specific capacities of 718 mAh g -1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g -1 , and 570 mAh g -1 after 500 cycles at a high rate of 500 mA g -1 ; for comparison, the bare Na-Mo-O nanorod shows a severe capacity decay, which deliver only 332 mAh g -1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g -1 . In view of the cost-efficient and less time-consuming in synthesis, and one-step preparation without further treatment, these Na-Mo-O nanorods/GO composites present potential and prospective anodes for LIBs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Background/aims: Although the cure rate of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has exceeded 90%, the relapse/refractory APL that resistant to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or ATO was still serious concern. Matrine (MAT) could improve the differentiation ability of ATRA-resistant APL cells. This study aimed to explore how the APL-specific fusion protein was degraded in ATRA-resistant APL with the application of MAT and ATRA., Methods: ATRA-sensitive (NB4) and ATRA-resistant (NB4-LR1) cell lines were used. Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the differentiation ability. The activity of ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-mediated pathways in both cells treated with ATRA with or without MAT were compared in protein and mRNA level (Western blot analysis, qRT-PCR), the Fluorescent substrate Suc-LLVY-AMC detection was used to detect the activity of proteasome, and electron microscope for observing autophagosome. MG 132(proteasome inhibitor), rapamycin (autophagy activator), hydroxychloroquine (lysosomal inhibitor) and STI571 [retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) ubiquitin stabilizer] were used as positive controls. The effect of MAT was observed in vivo using xenografts., Results: MAT improved the sensitivity of NB4-LR1cells to ATRA treatment, which was consistent with the expression of PML-RARα fusion protein. MAT promoted the ubiquitylation level in NB4-LR1. MG 132 induced the decrease in RARα in both cell lines, and hampered the differentiation of NB4 cells. MAT also promoted the autophagy in NB4-LR1 cells, with an increase in microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain3 (LC3)-II and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and exhaustion of P62. The expression of LC3II increased significantly in the MAT and ATRA + MAT groups in combination with lysosomal inhibitors. A similar phenomenon was observed in mouse xenografts. MAT induced apoptosis and differentiation., Conclusions: Autophagy and ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic degradation of PML/RARα fusion protein are crucial in MAT-induced differentiation sensitivity recovery of NB4-LR1 cells., (© 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Mimicking the pressure-sensing behavior of biological skins using electronic devices has profound implications for prosthetics and medicine. The developed electronic skins based on single response mode for pressure sensing suffer from a rapid decrease in sensitivity with the increase of pressure. Their highly sensitive range covers a narrow part of tolerable pressure range of the human skin and has a weak response to the injurious high pressures. Herein, inspired by a bioluminescent jellyfish, we develop an electronic skin with dual-mode response characteristics, which is able to quantify and map the static and dynamic pressures by combining electrical and optical responses. The electronic skin shows notable changes in capacitance in the low-pressure regime and can emit bright luminescence in the high-pressure regime, which, respectively, imitates the functions of the mechanoreceptors and nociceptors in the biological skin, enabling it to sense gentle tactile and injurious pressure with sensitivities up to 0.66 and 0.044 kPa -1 , respectively. The complementary highly sensitive sensing ranges of the electronic skin realize a reliable perception to different levels of pressure, and its mechanically robust and stretchable properties may find a wide range of applications in intelligent robots.